大般若波羅蜜多經

05

At that time, the Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One! If one relies upon causes and effects conventionally established to distinguish the various stages, rather than relying upon ultimate truth, could all ordinary beings also attain the fruit of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, pratyekabuddhahood, bodhisattvahood, and the unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment of the Buddhas?”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti! What do you think? Do ordinary beings understand the principle of the two truths: conventional truth and ultimate truth? If they correctly understood the principle of these two truths, they too could attain the fruit of stream-entry and so forth. Yet because ordinary beings do not correctly understand the principle of the two truths—conventional truth and ultimate truth—they cannot attain the Noble Path or cultivate the Noble Path, nor can they establish the various noble fruits. Only noble ones can correctly understand conventional and ultimate truth, and therefore attain the Noble Path and cultivate the Noble Path. Thus, the various noble fruits are established.”

The Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One! Do those who cultivate the Noble Path assuredly attain the Noble Path?”

The Buddha said:

“They do not attain it.”

The Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One! Do those who do not cultivate the Noble Path attain the Noble Path?”

The Buddha said:

“They do not attain it.”

The Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One! Does this mean that no one attains the noble fruits?”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti! Although one may attain the noble fruits in dependence upon conventional truth, this is not so in ultimate truth. In dependence upon ultimate truth, it cannot be said that one who does not cultivate the Noble Path can attain the noble fruits, nor that one who cultivates the Noble Path can attain the noble fruits; nor can the noble fruits be attained apart from the Noble Path, nor can they be attained by abiding within the Noble Path.

“Why is this? Because with respect to the path and its fruits according to ultimate truth, both cultivation and non-cultivation are unobtainable.

“Thus, Subhuti, when great bodhisattvas practice prajnaparamita, although they establish the various noble fruits for sentient beings, they do not discriminate within the conditioned or the unconditioned what those noble fruits may be.”

The Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One! If great bodhisattvas cannot discriminate the various noble fruits within the realms of the conditioned and the unconditioned, why does the Blessed One teach that by abandoning the three fetters one attains the fruit of stream-entry; by diminishing sensual desire, craving, and anger one attains the fruit of once-returning; by completely abandoning the five lower fetters one attains the fruit of non-returning; by completely abandoning the five higher fetters one attains the fruit of arhatship; by clearly knowing that all realized dharmas are subject to cessation one attains the enlightenment of a pratyekabuddha;

and by permanently severing the continuity of the habitual tendencies of the afflictive and cognitive obscurations one attains the unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment of the Buddhas?

“Blessed One! How should I understand the profound meaning of what you have said, namely, that within the realms of the conditioned and the unconditioned there is no discrimination of the fruit of stream-entry and so forth?”

The Buddha asked Subhuti:

“What do you think? When I speak of the fruit of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, the enlightenment of a pratyekabuddha, and the unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment of the Buddhas, are such noble fruits conditioned or unconditioned?”

Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One! Such noble fruits are all unconditioned, not conditioned.”

The Buddha asked Subhuti:

“What do you think? Is there discrimination within the unconditioned realm?”

Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One! There is none.”

The Buddha asked Subhuti:

“What do you think? When good men and good women fully comprehend that all conditioned and unconditioned dharmas have the same characteristic, called signlessness, do these good men and good women at that very moment discriminate among dharmas, saying, ‘This is conditioned,’ or, ‘This is unconditioned’?”

Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One! They do not.”

The Buddha told Subhuti:

“Great bodhisattvas are also thus. When practicing profound prajnaparamita, although they expound the Dharma for sentient beings, they do not discriminate the characteristics of the dharmas taught, from inner emptiness through the emptiness of the absence of intrinsic nature. These great bodhisattvas are themselves unattached to all dharmas and can also teach others to be unattached to all dharmas.

“That is, they are unattached to the perfection of generosity through the perfection of wisdom.

“They are also unattached to the four dhyanas, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations.

“They are also unattached to the four foundations of mindfulness through the Noble Eightfold Path.

“They are also unattached to inner emptiness through the emptiness of the absence of intrinsic nature.

“They are also unattached to suchness through the inconceivable realm.

“They are also unattached to the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.

“They are also unattached to the Dharma gates of liberation—emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness.

“They are also unattached to the eight liberations through the ten totalities.

“They are also unattached to the Ground of Utmost Joy through the Ground of the Dharma Cloud.

“They are also unattached to all dharani gates and samadhi gates.

“They are also unattached to the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges.

“They are also unattached to the ten powers of the Tathagata through the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha.

“They are also unattached to great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity.

“They are also unattached to the thirty-two marks of a Great Being and the eighty minor characteristics.

“They are also unattached to the quality of never losing mindfulness and the nature of constant equanimity.

“They are also unattached to the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the path, and the knowledge of all aspects.

“They are also unattached to all the practices of great bodhisattvas.

“They are also unattached to the unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment of the Buddhas.

“They are also unattached to omniscient knowledge.

“These great bodhisattvas are themselves unattached to all the dharmas described in this way, and they also teach others to be unattached to these dharmas. Because these great bodhisattvas do not cling to those dharmas, they are unobstructed everywhere.

“Just as a person magically created by the Blessed One, although practicing the perfection of generosity through the perfection of wisdom, neither grasps nor clings to their fruits, but does so solely to enable sentient beings to attain nirvana;

“so too, although practicing even omniscient knowledge, such a person neither grasps nor clings to its fruit, but does so solely to enable sentient beings to attain nirvana. Great bodhisattvas are also thus. When practicing prajnaparamita, they neither grasp nor cling to, neither abide in nor are obstructed by, any dharma—whether contaminated or uncontaminated, mundane or supramundane, conditioned or unconditioned.

“Why is this? Because these great bodhisattvas have attained the subtle and wondrous characteristic of all dharmas.”

XXIX. CHAPTER ON THE EQUALITY OF GENEROSITY

01

At that time, Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One! How do great bodhisattvas attain the subtle and wondrous characteristic of all dharmas?”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti! Great bodhisattvas who practice profound prajnaparamita are like persons magically created by the Blessed One. They do not engage in craving, anger, or delusion. They do not engage in the form skandha through the consciousness skandha. They do not engage in anything up to and including omniscient knowledge. They do not engage in internal dharmas or external dharmas. They do not engage in latent tendencies or any of the enshrouding hindrances. They do not engage in contaminated or uncontaminated dharmas. They do not engage in mundane or supramundane dharmas. They do not engage in conditioned or unconditioned dharmas. They do not engage in the Noble Path or the fruits of the Noble Path.”

The great bodhisattvas who practice profound prajnaparamita are likewise: with regard to all dharmas, they engage in no practice whatsoever. These great bodhisattvas relinquish all dharmas and realize the subtle characteristic of not discriminating with regard to the Dharma-nature.

The Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:

– Blessed One! How can a person conjured by the Tathagata cultivate the noble path?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! That conjured person, while cultivating the noble path, is neither defiled nor purified; neither does that person revolve in birth and death among the five destinies, nor attain the nirvana of the Three Vehicles.

The Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:

– Blessed One! When practicing profound prajnaparamita, how do great bodhisattvas fully comprehend that all dharmas possess no true reality?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! What do you think? Do persons conjured by the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, possess any true reality, on the basis of which they are defiled or purified, and consequently revolve in birth and death among the five destinies and attain the nirvana of the Three Vehicles?

Subhuti said to the Buddha:

– Blessed One! No. Persons conjured by the Blessed One do not possess the slightest true reality. They are not defiled or purified on the basis of any such true reality; neither do they revolve in birth and death among the five destinies, nor attain the nirvana of the Three Vehicles.

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! When great bodhisattvas practice profound prajnaparamita, their complete comprehension of the true characteristic of all dharmas is likewise so: they fully comprehend that all dharmas possess no true reality and that their nature and characteristics are both empty.

The Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:

– Blessed One! Is it because all form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness—extending broadly through conditioned and unconditioned dharmas—are all like those conjured phenomena?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! So it is! So it is! The five skandhas, beginning with form, and extending broadly through all conditioned and unconditioned dharmas, are all like conjured phenomena.

The Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:

– Blessed One! If all dharmas are like conjured phenomena, then whatever is conjured possesses no true reality; form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, through conditioned and unconditioned dharmas, likewise possess no true reality. Therefore, there is neither defilement nor purification, neither revolving in birth and death among the five destinies, nor liberation attained according to that principle. If so, how do great bodhisattvas maintain pure precepts with regard to sentient beings?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! What do you think? While great bodhisattvas are still practicing the bodhisattva path, do they see any sentient being who can escape from the destinies of hell beings, animals, ghosts, gods, and humans?

Subhuti said to the Buddha:

– Blessed One! They do not.

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! So it is! So it is! While great bodhisattvas are still practicing the bodhisattva path, they do not see any sentient being who escapes those five destinies and three realms. Why? Because great bodhisattvas fully understand and comprehend that all dharmas are like illusions and conjurations and have no true existence.

The Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:

– Blessed One! Since great bodhisattvas fully understand and comprehend that all dharmas are like illusions and conjurations and have no true existence, for what purpose do they cultivate generosity through prajnaparamita? Extending broadly, for what purpose do they bring sentient beings to maturity and adorn and purify Buddha-fields?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! If sentient beings themselves could fully comprehend that all dharmas are like illusions and conjurations and have no true existence, great bodhisattvas would not need to pass through innumerable great kalpas practicing the bodhisattva path for the sake of those sentient beings. Because sentient beings do not understand that all dharmas are like illusions and conjurations and have no true existence, the great bodhisattvas must therefore pass through innumerable kalpas practicing the bodhisattva path for their sake.

Furthermore, Subhuti! If great bodhisattvas were unable to fully comprehend that all dharmas cannot truly exist, they would pass through innumerable kalpas cultivating generosity through prajnaparamita for the sake of sentient beings and, extending broadly, bringing sentient beings to maturity and adorning and purifying Buddha-fields.

Because the great bodhisattvas comprehend all dharmas in accordance with reality as being like illusions and conjurations and as having no true existence, they pass through innumerable kalpas cultivating generosity through prajnaparamita for the sake of sentient beings and, extending broadly, bringing sentient beings to maturity and adorning and purifying Buddha-fields. They attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment and benefit all sentient beings until the end of future time.

At that time, Subhuti said:

– Blessed One! If all dharmas are like dreams, illusions, echoes, shadows, reflections in a mirror, mirages, conjured phenomena, and cities of gandharvas, then where do conjured sentient beings abide, and by what skillful means do great bodhisattvas practicing profound prajnaparamita rescue and liberate them?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! Conjured sentient beings abide in falsely discriminated names and characteristics. Great bodhisattvas practicing profound prajnaparamita employ skillful means to rescue and liberate them from those falsely discriminated names and characteristics.

The Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:

– Blessed One! What are names? What are characteristics?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! A name is merely adventitious; it is merely a designation provisionally established to indicate and reveal a meaning. Here this means the names designating form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; the names of the eye ayatana through the mental ayatana; the names of the form ayatana through the dharma ayatana; the names of the eye dhatu through the mental dhatu; the names of the form dhatu through the dharma dhatu; the names of the eye-consciousness dhatu through the mental-consciousness dhatu; the names male and female; the names great and small; the names hell beings through gods and humans; the names with outflows and without outflows; the names mundane and supramundane; the names conditioned and unconditioned; and the name of the fruit of stream-entry. Extending broadly, this includes the name of unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment; the names ordinary person, shravaka, pratyekabuddha, bodhisattva, and Tathagata.

Subhuti! All such names are signs representing meanings and are merely provisionally established; therefore, none of these names truly exists. Conditioned dharmas likewise exist only in name, and consequently the unconditioned also has no true existence. Foolish ordinary people mistakenly cling to them as existent, whereas great bodhisattvas practicing profound prajnaparamita, with minds of compassionate resolve, employ skillful means to teach them to relinquish such clinging, instructing them thus: Names arise from deluded conceptual discrimination and are also provisionally established through the conjunction of many causes and conditions. You should not cling to them. Names possess no true reality; their intrinsic nature is entirely empty. No wise person clings to such empty dharmas.

Thus, Subhuti! Great bodhisattvas practicing profound prajnaparamita employ skillful means to teach sentient beings the Dharma of relinquishing names. This is what is called a name.

What, then, are characteristics?

Subhuti, you should know! Characteristics are of two kinds. Because ordinary people cling to them, two kinds of characteristics are taught. What are these two?

The first is the characteristic of form; the second is the characteristic of the formless.

What is the characteristic of form? It refers to forms that are coarse or subtle, inferior or superior. The intrinsic nature of all such forms is empty. Because ordinary people conceptually discriminate and cling to them, regarding them as form, this is called the characteristic of form.

As for the characteristic of the formless: among all formless dharmas, ordinary people conceptually discriminate and cling to characteristics as existent, thereby giving rise to various afflictions. This is called the characteristic of the formless.

The great bodhisattvas who practice the profound prajnaparamita employ skillful means to teach and transform sentient beings, enabling them to eliminate those two notions. They further teach them to abide in the realm of signlessness. Although they teach them to abide in the realm of signlessness, they do not cause them to fall into attachment to the two extremes, thinking, “This is a sign; this is signlessness.”

Thus, Subhuti, the great bodhisattvas who practice the profound prajnaparamita employ skillful means to teach and transform sentient beings, enabling them to abandon all signs and abide in the realm of signlessness without further attachment.

At that time, Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One, if all dharmas possess only names and signs and are entirely provisional designations, then when great bodhisattvas practice the profound prajnaparamita, how do they themselves increase in wholesome dharmas? How do they also cause others to increase in wholesome dharmas?

“Because they themselves progressively increase in wholesome dharmas, they can progressively perfect the stages and can also establish the various kinds of sentient beings, enabling each of them, according to what is appropriate, to abide in the fruits of the Three Vehicles.”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti, if there were the slightest reality in any dharma, rather than merely provisionally designated names and signs, then when great bodhisattvas practiced the profound prajnaparamita, they could neither increase in wholesome dharmas themselves nor cause others to increase in wholesome dharmas. Because there is not the slightest reality in any dharma, but only provisionally designated names and signs, when great bodhisattvas practice the profound prajnaparamita, they can therefore increase in wholesome dharmas themselves and also cause others to increase in wholesome dharmas.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect prajnaparamita through the perfection of generosity.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect the four dhyanas, the four immeasurables, and the four formless absorptions.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect the four foundations of mindfulness through the eightfold noble path.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect inner emptiness through the emptiness of the absence of inherent nature.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect suchness through the inconceivable realm.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect the gateways to liberation of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect the eight liberations through the ten totalities.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect the stages of a great bodhisattva.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect all dharani gateways and samadhi gateways.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect the Tathagata’s ten powers through the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect the thirty-two marks of a Great Being and the eighty minor characteristics.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect the quality of never forgetting and the nature of perpetual equanimity.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and the knowledge of all aspects.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect the practices of great bodhisattvas and the unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment of the Buddhas.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect the knowledge of all-knowing knowledge.

“They should employ signlessness as a skillful means to perfect the maturation of sentient beings and the adornment and purification of Buddha-fields.

“Thus, Subhuti, because all dharmas possess not the slightest reality and consist only of provisionally designated names and signs, great bodhisattvas do not give rise to delusion or attachment regarding them. They therefore employ signlessness as a skillful means to increase in wholesome dharmas themselves and then also cause others to increase in wholesome dharmas.

“Furthermore, Subhuti, if among all dharmas there were a real characteristic of a dharma even as minute as the tip of a hair, then when great bodhisattvas practiced the profound prajnaparamita, they could not realize that all dharmas are signless, free from thought, free from mental engagement, and by nature undefiled; nor could they attain unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment and establish sentient beings in undefiled dharmas. For all undefiled dharmas are without signs, without thought, and without mental engagement. Thus, Subhuti, only when great bodhisattvas who practice the profound prajnaparamita employ skillful means to establish sentient beings in undefiled dharmas can they be said to bring genuine benefit to sentient beings.”

The Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One, if all dharmas are in reality undefiled, signless, free from thought, and free from mental engagement, then for what reason does the Blessed One frequently teach in the sutras: ‘This is a defiled dharma; this is an undefiled dharma. This is a mundane dharma; this is a supramundane dharma. This is a conditioned dharma; this is an unconditioned dharma. This is a dharma of the sravakas; this is a dharma of the pratyekabuddhas. This is a dharma of the bodhisattvas; this is a dharma of the Tathagatas’?”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti, what do you think? Are defiled dharmas different from the signless and undefiled nature of dharmas?”

Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One, they are not different.”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti, what do you think? Are the dharmas of the sravakas different from the signless and undefiled nature of dharmas?”

Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One, they are not different.”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti, what do you think? Are not defiled dharmas themselves the nature of dharmas that is signless, free from thought, free from mental engagement, and undefiled?”

Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One, so it is.”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti, are not the fruit of stream-entry through unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment themselves the nature of dharmas that is signless, free from thought, free from mental engagement, and undefiled?”

Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One, so it is.”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti, from this you should know that all dharmas are the nature of dharmas that is signless, free from thought, free from mental engagement, and undefiled.

“Subhuti, you should know that whenever great bodhisattvas train in the nature of all dharmas as signless, free from thought, free from mental engagement, and undefiled, they constantly increase in wholesome dharmas. These are generosity through prajnaparamita and, in full, through the knowledge of all aspects, the maturation of sentient beings, and the adornment and purification of Buddha-fields. All such Buddha-dharmas increase through training in the nature of dharmas as signless, free from thought, free from mental engagement, and undefiled.

“Why is this? Apart from the gateways to liberation of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, there is no other essential teaching in which great bodhisattvas must train. Why is this? Because these three gateways to liberation encompass all subtle and wondrous wholesome dharmas. Why is this? The gateway to liberation of emptiness contemplates the intrinsic characteristics of all dharmas as empty. The gateway to liberation of signlessness contemplates all dharmas as being free from all signs. The gateway to liberation of wishlessness contemplates all dharmas as being free from all objects of aspiration.

“By relying upon these three gateways, great bodhisattvas can encompass all supreme wholesome dharmas. Yet if they depart from these three gateways, none of the supreme wholesome dharmas in which they train will arise or increase.”

Furthermore, Subhuti, any great bodhisattva who is able to train in these three gateways to liberation is also able to train in the five skandhas; is also able to train in the twelve ayatanas; is also able to train in the eighteen dhatus; is also able to train in the Four Noble Truths; is also able to train in the twelve links of dependent origination; is also able to train in inner emptiness through the emptiness of the absence of self-nature; is also able to train in suchness through the inconceivable realm; and is also able to train in the perfection of generosity through the perfection of wisdom.

To speak extensively, such a bodhisattva is also able to train in the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the path, and the knowledge of all aspects; is also able to train in bringing sentient beings to maturity and adorning and purifying Buddha-realms; and is also able to train in immeasurable and boundless other Buddha-dharmas.

The Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

– Blessed One, how is it that a great bodhisattva, while practicing the profound prajnaparamita, is able to train in the five skandhas?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti, any great bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound prajnaparamita, is able to know, in accordance with reality, form through consciousness—whether their characteristics, their arising and cessation, or their suchness—is said to be a great bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound prajnaparamita, is able to train in the five skandhas.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva know, in accordance with reality, the characteristic of form? A great bodhisattva knows, in accordance with reality, that form is entirely riddled with holes, entirely full of gaps, like a mass of foam, and is by nature insubstantial. This is called a great bodhisattva’s knowing, in accordance with reality, the characteristic of form.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva know, in accordance with reality, the arising and cessation of form? A great bodhisattva knows, in accordance with reality, that when form arises, it comes from nowhere, and when it ceases, it goes nowhere. Although it neither comes nor goes, it arises and ceases in accordance with conditions. This is called a great bodhisattva’s knowing, in accordance with reality, the arising and cessation of form.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva know, in accordance with reality, the suchness of form? A great bodhisattva knows, in accordance with reality, that the suchness of form neither arises nor ceases, neither comes nor goes, is neither defiled nor purified, and neither increases nor decreases. Its nature is eternally true, neither false nor subject to change; therefore, it is called suchness. This is called a great bodhisattva’s knowing, in accordance with reality, the suchness of form.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva know, in accordance with reality, the characteristic of feeling? A great bodhisattva knows, in accordance with reality, that feeling is wholly like a boil or an arrow, arising swiftly and ceasing swiftly, resembling a bubble, false and unable to abide, and arising from the conjunction of three conditions. This is called a great bodhisattva’s knowing, in accordance with reality, the characteristic of feeling.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva know, in accordance with reality, the arising and cessation of feeling? A great bodhisattva knows, in accordance with reality, that when feeling arises, it comes from nowhere, and when it ceases, it likewise goes nowhere. Although it neither comes nor goes, it arises and ceases in accordance with conditions. This is called a great bodhisattva’s knowing, in accordance with reality, the arising and cessation of feeling.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva know, in accordance with reality, the suchness of feeling? A great bodhisattva knows, in accordance with reality, that the suchness of feeling neither arises nor ceases, neither comes nor goes, is neither defiled nor purified, and neither increases nor decreases. Its nature is eternally true, neither false nor subject to change; therefore, it is called suchness. This is called a great bodhisattva’s knowing, in accordance with reality, the suchness of feeling.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva know, in accordance with reality, the characteristic of perception? A great bodhisattva knows, in accordance with reality, that perception is wholly like a mirage over water and has no real existence; because of other causes and conditions, craving and deluded conception arise, giving expression to false words. This is called a great bodhisattva’s knowing, in accordance with reality, the characteristic of perception.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva know, in accordance with reality, the arising and cessation of perception? A great bodhisattva knows, in accordance with reality, that when perception arises, it comes from nowhere, and when it ceases, it likewise goes nowhere. Although it neither comes nor goes, it arises and ceases in accordance with conditions. This is called a great bodhisattva’s knowing, in accordance with reality, the arising and cessation of perception.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva know, in accordance with reality, the suchness of perception? A great bodhisattva knows, in accordance with reality, that the suchness of perception neither arises nor ceases, neither comes nor goes, is neither defiled nor purified, and neither increases nor decreases. Its nature is eternally true, neither false nor subject to change; therefore, it is called suchness. This is called a great bodhisattva’s knowing, in accordance with reality, the suchness of perception.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva know, in accordance with reality, the characteristic of formations? A great bodhisattva knows, in accordance with reality, that formations are like a plantain tree: when its sheaths are peeled away one by one, nothing real can be found. This is called a great bodhisattva’s knowing, in accordance with reality, the characteristic of formations.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva know, in accordance with reality, the arising and cessation of formations? A great bodhisattva knows, in accordance with reality, that when formations arise, they come from nowhere, and when they cease, they likewise go nowhere. Although they neither come nor go, they arise and cease in accordance with conditions. This is called a great bodhisattva’s knowing, in accordance with reality, the arising and cessation of formations.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva know, in accordance with reality, the suchness of formations? A great bodhisattva knows, in accordance with reality, that the suchness of formations neither arises nor ceases, neither comes nor goes, is neither defiled nor purified, and neither increases nor decreases. Its nature is eternally true, neither false nor subject to change; therefore, it is called suchness. This is called a great bodhisattva’s knowing, in accordance with reality, the suchness of formations.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva know, in accordance with reality, the characteristic of consciousness? A great bodhisattva knows, in accordance with reality, that consciousness is like a magical illusion. It is provisionally established through the conjunction of many conditions, yet in reality it is unobtainable. It is as when a magician or his apprentice, at a crossroads, conjures four divisions of an army, namely elephants, cavalry, chariots, and infantry, or manifests various colors and forms. Although their appearances seem real and seem to exist, they are not real. Consciousness is likewise so: in reality, it is unobtainable. This is called a great bodhisattva’s knowing, in accordance with reality, the characteristic of consciousness.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva know, in accordance with reality, the arising and cessation of consciousness? A great bodhisattva knows, in accordance with reality, that when consciousness arises, it comes from nowhere, and when it ceases, it likewise goes nowhere. Although it neither comes nor goes, it arises and ceases in accordance with conditions. This is called a great bodhisattva’s knowing, in accordance with reality, the arising and cessation of consciousness.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva know, in accordance with reality, the suchness of consciousness? A great bodhisattva knows, in accordance with reality, that the suchness of consciousness neither arises nor ceases, neither comes nor goes, is neither defiled nor purified, and neither increases nor decreases. Its nature is eternally true, neither false nor subject to change; therefore, it is called suchness. This is called a great bodhisattva’s knowing, in accordance with reality, the suchness of consciousness.

The Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

– Blessed One, how should a great bodhisattva, while practicing the profound prajnaparamita, train in the twelve ayatanas?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti, any great bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound prajnaparamita, knows, in accordance with reality, that the inner ayatanas are empty of the self-nature of the inner ayatanas, and knows, in accordance with reality, that the outer ayatanas are empty of the self-nature of the outer ayatanas, is said to be a great bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound prajnaparamita, should train in the twelve ayatanas.

The Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

– Blessed One, how should a great bodhisattva, while practicing the profound prajnaparamita, train in the eighteen dhatus?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, he knows in accordance with reality the eye dhatu and that the intrinsic nature of the eye dhatu is empty. In the same way, extending through to consciousness, he knows in accordance with reality the mind-consciousness dhatu and that the intrinsic nature of the mind-consciousness dhatu is empty. This is called how a great bodhisattva, when practicing profound prajnaparamita, should train in the eighteen dhatus.

The Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

– Blessed One! How should a great bodhisattva, when practicing profound prajnaparamita, train in the Four Noble Truths?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, he knows in accordance with reality that the characteristic of suffering is oppression; he knows in accordance with reality that the characteristic of its origin is arising; he knows in accordance with reality that the characteristic of cessation is quiescence; and he knows in accordance with reality that the characteristic of the path is separation. He also knows in accordance with reality that the intrinsic natures of suffering, origin, cessation, and the path are originally empty and free from duality; hence they are called noble. The Truth of Suffering and the others—the principle of the Four Truths—is suchness, and suchness is the principle of the Four Truths of suffering and the others. They are neither two nor different, and only true noble ones can know them in accordance with reality. This is called how a great bodhisattva, when practicing profound prajnaparamita, should train in the Four Noble Truths.

The Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

– Blessed One! How should a great bodhisattva, when practicing profound prajnaparamita, train in the twelve links of dependent origination?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, he knows in accordance with reality that the intrinsic nature of ignorance, through to aging and death, neither arises nor ceases, is neither defiled nor purified, is originally empty, and is free from duality. This is called how a great bodhisattva, when practicing profound prajnaparamita, should train in the twelve links of dependent origination.

The Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

– Blessed One! How should a great bodhisattva, when practicing profound prajnaparamita, train in inner emptiness through to the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of non-nature?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, he knows in accordance with reality that inner emptiness through to the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of non-nature are all devoid of intrinsic nature and are all unobtainable, yet he abides therein. This is called how a great bodhisattva, when practicing profound prajnaparamita, should train in inner emptiness through to the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of non-nature.

The Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

– Blessed One! How should a great bodhisattva, when practicing profound prajnaparamita, train in suchness through to the inconceivable realm?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, he knows in accordance with reality that suchness through to the inconceivable realm are all free from conceptual proliferation and discrimination, yet he abides therein. This is called how a great bodhisattva, when practicing profound prajnaparamita, should train in suchness through to the inconceivable realm.

The Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

– Blessed One! How should a great bodhisattva, when practicing profound prajnaparamita, train in the paramita of generosity through to the immeasurable and boundless Buddha-Dharmas?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, he knows in accordance with reality that the paramita of generosity through to the immeasurable and boundless Buddha-Dharmas neither increase nor decrease, are neither defiled nor purified, are without intrinsic nature, and are unobtainable, yet can be cultivated. This is called how a great bodhisattva, when practicing profound prajnaparamita, should train in the paramita of generosity through to the immeasurable and boundless Buddha-Dharmas.

At that time, Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

– Blessed One! When a great bodhisattva practicing profound prajnaparamita knows in accordance with reality that form and the other dharmas are each distinct and unmixed, how, Blessed One, could the dharmas of form and so forth impair the suchness of the dharmadhatu? Why is this? Because the dharmadhatu is neither dual nor differentiated.

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! If dharmas other than and apart from the dharmadhatu existed, it could be said that those dharmas might impair the dharmadhatu. But since no dharmas other than and apart from the dharmadhatu exist, those dharmas cannot impair the dharmadhatu. Why is this? Because all Buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and sravakas know that no dharmas exist apart from the dharmadhatu. Knowing that the dharmas are nothing other than the dharmadhatu, they also cannot establish and expound them otherwise for others. Therefore, no one can impair the dharmadhatu.

Thus, Subhuti, when great bodhisattvas practice profound prajnaparamita, they should train in the characteristic of the dharmadhatu as nondual, undifferentiated, and incapable of being impaired.

The Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

– Blessed One! If a great bodhisattva wishes to train in the dharmadhatu, in what should he train?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! If a great bodhisattva wishes to train in the dharmadhatu, he should train in all dharmas. Why is this? Because all dharmas enter the dharmadhatu.

The Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

– Blessed One! For what reason is it said that all dharmas enter the dharmadhatu?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! Whether a Tathagata appears in the world or does not appear in the world, all dharmas still enter the dharmadhatu, without any characteristic of differentiation, and this is not so merely because a Buddha teaches it. Why is this? Whether wholesome or unwholesome dharmas, contaminated or uncontaminated dharmas, mundane or supramundane dharmas, conditioned or unconditioned dharmas, and so forth—among all such dharmas, there is none that does not enter the dharmadhatu, whose nature is emptiness, signlessness, and the unconditioned.

Therefore, Subhuti, when great bodhisattvas practicing profound prajnaparamita wish to train in the dharmadhatu, they should train in all dharmas. If they train in all dharmas, they thereby train in the dharmadhatu.

The Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

– Blessed One! If all dharmas enter the dharmadhatu and are neither dual nor separate, why must great bodhisattvas train in the six paramitas?

Why must they train in the four dhyanas, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations?

Why must they train in the four foundations of mindfulness through to the Noble Eightfold Path?

Why must they train in inner emptiness through to the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of non-nature?

Why must they train in suchness through to the inconceivable realm?

Why must they train in the Noble Truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and the path?

Why must they train in the liberating gateways of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness?

Why must they train in the eight liberations through to the ten totalities?

Why must they train in the Ground of Utmost Joy through to the Dharma-Cloud Ground?

Why must they train in all dharani gateways and samadhi gateways?

Why must they train in the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges?

Why must they train in the Tathagata’s ten powers through to the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha?

Why must they train in great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity?

Why must they train in the Dharma of never forgetting and the disposition of constant equanimity?

Why must they train in the knowledge of all things, knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and knowledge of all aspects?

Why must they train to perfect the thirty-two marks and eighty excellent characteristics?

Why must they train to be born into a great kshatriya family through to a great householder family?

Why must they train to be born in the heaven of the Four Great Kings through to the Heaven of Those Who Exercise Mastery over Others’ Creations?

Why must they train to be born in the Brahma Assembly Heaven through to the Abundant Fruit Heaven?

Why must they train in the dharma leading to birth in the Heaven of Non-Perceiving Beings, while not wishing to be born in that heaven?

Why must they train in the dharma leading to birth in the Pure Abodes, while not wishing to be born in those heavens?

Why must they train in the dharma leading to birth in the Sphere of Infinite Space through to the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception, while not wishing to be born in those heavens?

Why must they train from the initial generation of the mind of bodhi through to the tenth generation of the mind of bodhi?

Why must they train in a bodhisattva’s entry into the secure state of rightness?

Why must they train in the entry into the secure state of rightness of sravakas and pratyekabuddhas without personally realizing it?

Why must they learn to mature sentient beings and adorn and purify Buddha-fields?

Why must they learn the dharani gateways and unhindered eloquence?

Why must they learn the path of great bodhisattvas and the unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment of the Buddhas?

Having learned in this way, and having known all dharmas in all their aspects, can they then attain the knowledge of all knowledge?

Furthermore, Blessed One, if no such distinctions among dharmas exist within the dharmadhatu, how could assemblies of great bodhisattvas thereby discern and practice amid delusion, giving rise to conceptual elaboration within that which is free from conceptual elaboration? Why? Because within suchness, the dharmadhatu, there is no discrimination or conceptual elaboration.

Furthermore, Blessed One, the dharmadhatu is not form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness, nor is it apart from form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness. Form through consciousness are precisely the dharmadhatu, and the dharmadhatu is precisely form through consciousness. To speak extensively, the dharmadhatu is neither conditioned nor unconditioned dharmas, nor is it apart from conditioned and unconditioned dharmas. Conditioned and unconditioned dharmas are precisely the dharmadhatu, and the dharmadhatu is precisely conditioned and unconditioned dharmas.

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti, so it is! So it is! It is exactly as you have said. Within suchness, the dharmadhatu, there is no discrimination or conceptual elaboration whatsoever. The dharmadhatu is not form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness, nor is it apart from form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness. The dharmadhatu is precisely form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are precisely the dharmadhatu. To speak extensively, the dharmadhatu is neither conditioned nor unconditioned dharmas, nor is it apart from conditioned and unconditioned dharmas. The dharmadhatu is precisely conditioned and unconditioned dharmas; conditioned and unconditioned dharmas are precisely the dharmadhatu.

Furthermore, Subhuti, any great bodhisattvas who, while practicing the profound prajnaparamita, perceive a dharma apart from the dharmadhatu do not proceed toward seeking unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

Therefore, Subhuti, great bodhisattvas who practice the profound prajnaparamita do not perceive any dharmas as separate from suchness, the dharmadhatu.

Subhuti, you should know that great bodhisattvas who practice the profound prajnaparamita know that all dharmas are precisely suchness, the dharmadhatu. By skillful means, they teach sentient beings names and characteristics concerning dharmas that have neither names nor characteristics, saying:

This is form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness.

These are the eye ayatana through the mind ayatana.

These are the form ayatana through the dharma ayatana.

These are the eye dhatu through the mind dhatu.

These are the form dhatu through the dharma dhatu.

These are the eye-consciousness dhatu through the mind-consciousness dhatu.

These are eye-contact through mind-contact.

These are the feelings arising with eye-contact as condition, through the feelings arising with mind-contact as condition.

These are the earth dhatu through the consciousness dhatu.

These are the causal condition through the dominant condition.

These are dharmas arising in dependence upon conditions.

This is ignorance through aging and death.

These are wholesome dharmas and unwholesome dharmas.

These are contaminated dharmas and uncontaminated dharmas.

These are mundane dharmas and supramundane dharmas.

These are conditioned dharmas and unconditioned dharmas.

These are the perfection of generosity through prajnaparamita.

To speak extensively, this is unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

It is like an illusionist or his disciple who takes a few objects before an assembled crowd and conjures various extraordinary forms and images. He may manifest the figures of men and women, old and young. He may manifest elephants, horses, oxen, goats, camels, donkeys, chickens, and other birds and beasts.

He may manifest cities, towns, villages, gardens, forests, ponds, lakes, and other beautiful things that delight everyone. He may manifest clothing, food, drink, chambers, houses, bedding, flowers, incense, jeweled garlands, all kinds of rare treasures, wealth, money, and granaries filled with grain. He may manifest innumerable kinds of music and female entertainers, causing many people to rejoice and delight.

He may display various forms that cause practitioners to train in and practice generosity, ethical discipline, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, prajna, and so forth. He may manifest birth into a great kshatriya clan, through birth into a great householder clan. He may manifest mountains, great oceans, Mount Sumeru, the encircling mountain ranges, and so forth.

He may manifest birth in the heaven of the Four Great Kings, through the Heaven of Neither Perception nor Non-perception. He may manifest attainment of the fruits of stream-enterer, once-returner, non-returner, arhat, or pratyekabuddha. He may manifest as a great bodhisattva who, from the first arising of the aspiration, practices the perfection of generosity through prajnaparamita; practices the four meditative concentrations, the four immeasurables, and the four formless absorptions; practices the four foundations of mindfulness through the Noble Eightfold Path; and practices the gateways of liberation of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness.

He may train and abide in inner emptiness through the emptiness of the absence of intrinsic nature; train and abide in suchness through the inconceivable realm; and train and abide in the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. He may proceed toward a bodhisattva's entrance into the certainty of perfection, cultivate the Ground of Great Joy through the Dharma Cloud Ground, produce various supreme supernormal powers, emit great light that universally illuminates the worlds, adorn and purify Buddha-fields, and mature sentient beings.

He may roam freely within the domains of meditative concentration, liberation, samadhi, and meditative attainment, and cultivate the various qualities of a Buddha. Or he may conjure the form of a Tathagata, fully endowed with the thirty-two marks of a great person and magnificently adorned with the eighty excellent characteristics; possessing the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four analytical knowledges, the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and immeasurable, boundless qualities.

Thus, to deceive others, the illusionist and his disciple perform illusory feats before the assembled crowd. Among them, ignorant men and women, old and young, upon seeing these things, all praise him, saying: “How extraordinary this man is! He has mastered these arts so well that he can perform such rare and wondrous feats. He can even manifest the body of a Tathagata, magnificently adorned with the marks and excellent characteristics and endowed with every quality. Through his own transformations, he displays such consummate skill.”

But among them are also wise people who, upon seeing these things, reflect: “These supernormal feats are truly extraordinary. How can this person conjure and perform such things? Although no real dharma exists within them, he causes everyone to become confused and delighted, imagining unreal things to be real. Only the wise fully understand that all of them are empty; although they see and hear them, they remain unattached.”

Great bodhisattvas are likewise. While practicing the profound prajnaparamita, they neither perceive the dharmadhatu as existing apart from dharmas, nor perceive dharmas as existing apart from the dharmadhatu. They do not perceive sentient beings or their activities as truly existing or attainable.

Yet they can produce skillful means: they themselves practice the six paramitas, encourage others to practice the six paramitas, praise in accord the Dharma of practicing the six paramitas, and joyfully commend those who practice the six paramitas. To speak extensively, they themselves perfect the knowledge of all aspects, encourage others to perfect the knowledge of all aspects, praise in accord the Dharma of perfecting the knowledge of all aspects, and joyfully commend those who perfect the knowledge of all aspects.

They themselves perfect the thirty-two marks and eighty excellent characteristics, encourage others to perfect the thirty-two marks and eighty excellent characteristics, praise in accord the Dharma of perfecting the thirty-two marks and eighty excellent characteristics, and joyfully commend those who perfect the thirty-two marks and eighty excellent characteristics.

Subhuti, you should know! If suchness and the dharma-dhatu differed at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end, then, when practicing the profound prajnaparamita, the great bodhisattvas would be unable to establish skillful means, expound suchness and the dharma-dhatu for sentient beings, adorn and purify Buddha-fields, bring sentient beings to maturity, cultivate the practices of great bodhisattvas, attain unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment, turn the sublime Dharma wheel, and liberate sentient beings.

Because suchness and the dharma-dhatu never differ at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end, when practicing the profound prajnaparamita, the great bodhisattvas establish skillful means, expound suchness and the dharma-dhatu for sentient beings, adorn and purify Buddha-fields, bring sentient beings to maturity, cultivate the practices of great bodhisattvas, attain unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment, turn the sublime Dharma wheel, and liberate sentient beings.

Fascicle 532

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