大般若波羅蜜多經

05

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

“Blessed One! If all dharmas are empty in their intrinsic nature, and within the emptiness of intrinsic nature there is absolutely no differentiation, then wherein do the great bodhisattvas abide when they give rise to the aspiration to seek unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, vowing: ‘I shall attain great enlightenment’? Blessed One! The unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of the Buddhas has no dual characteristics; it cannot be attained through dual characteristics, can it?”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti! So it is! So it is! It is exactly as you say: the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of the Buddhas has no dual characteristics and cannot be attained through dual characteristics. Why is this?

“Subhuti! It is because bodhi is nondual and is also free from discrimination. If one were to practice toward bodhi through dual characteristics and with discrimination, one would certainly be unable to attain it.

“Subhuti! With regard to bodhi, the great bodhisattvas neither practice through dual characteristics nor make discriminations. Without abiding anywhere whatsoever, they give rise to the aspiration to seek unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. With regard to all dharmas, the great bodhisattvas neither practice through dual characteristics nor make discriminations. When there is absolutely nothing practiced, they can attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

“Subhuti! The unsurpassed perfect enlightenment sought by the great bodhisattvas cannot be attained through the practice of dual characteristics.”

Subhuti! The enlightenment possessed by the great bodhisattvas is entirely without any practice. That is, they do not practice form, nor do they practice feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness; they do not practice the eye ayatana, nor do they practice the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind ayatana; they do not practice the form ayatana, nor do they practice the sound, odor, taste, touch, or dharma ayatana; they do not practice the eye dhatu, nor do they practice the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind dhatu; they do not practice the form dhatu, nor do they practice the sound, odor, taste, touch, or dharma dhatu; they do not practice the eye-consciousness dhatu, nor do they practice the ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-consciousness dhatu;

they do not practice eye-contact, nor do they practice ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-contact; they do not practice the feelings that arise with eye-contact as condition, nor do they practice the feelings that arise with ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-contact as condition; they do not practice the earth dhatu, nor do they practice the water, fire, wind, space, or consciousness dhatu; they do not practice the causal condition, nor do they practice the immediately antecedent condition, the objective condition, or the predominant condition; they do not practice dharmas arisen from conditions;

they do not practice ignorance, nor do they practice formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, or distress; they do not practice the prajnaparamita of generosity, nor do they practice the prajnaparamitas of pure morality, patient acceptance, vigor, meditation, or wisdom;

they do not practice internal emptiness, nor do they practice external emptiness, internal-and-external emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate-meaning emptiness, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of nonchange, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the ungraspable, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, or the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence;

they do not practice the four foundations of mindfulness, nor do they practice the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, or the Noble Eightfold Path; they do not practice the Noble Truth of suffering, nor do they practice the Noble Truths of its origin, cessation, or the path; they do not practice the four meditative absorptions, nor do they practice the four immeasurables or the four formless attainments; they do not practice the eight liberations, nor do they practice the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive attainments, or the ten spheres of totality; they do not practice the Dharma-gate of dharani, nor do they practice the Dharma-gate of samadhi;

they do not practice the Dharma-gate of liberation through emptiness, nor do they practice the Dharma-gates of liberation through signlessness or wishlessness; they do not practice the Ground of Great Joy, nor do they practice the Ground of Stainlessness, the Ground of Luminousness, the Ground of Blazing Wisdom, the Ground Difficult to Conquer, the Ground of Presence, the Far-Going Ground, the Immovable Ground, the Ground of Excellent Wisdom, or the Dharma Cloud Ground; they do not practice the five kinds of eyes, nor do they practice the six superknowledges;

they do not practice the ten powers of a Buddha, nor do they practice the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, or the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha; they do not practice the thirty-two marks of a Great Person, nor do they practice the eighty subsidiary characteristics; they do not practice the Dharma of never forgetting, nor do they practice the nature of constant equanimity; they do not practice all-knowledge, nor do they practice knowledge of the aspects of the paths or knowledge of all aspects; they do not practice the fruit of stream-entry, nor do they practice the fruit of once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, or the state of a pratyekabuddha;

they do not practice any of the practices of great bodhisattvas, nor do they practice the unsurpassed enlightenment of the Buddhas.

Why is this? Subhuti! It is because the great bodhisattvas who possess enlightenment do not condition themselves upon names and notions and grasp at self or what belongs to self.

That is, they do not think: “I practice form; I practice feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness.” Nor do they think: “I practice the eye ayatana; I practice the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind ayatanas.” Nor do they think: “I practice the form ayatana; I practice the sound, odor, taste, touch, and dharma ayatanas.” Nor do they think: “I practice the eye dhatu; I practice the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind dhatus.” Nor do they think: “I practice the form dhatu; I practice the sound, odor, taste, touch, and dharma dhatus.” Nor do they think: “I practice the eye-consciousness dhatu; I practice the ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness dhatus.” Nor do they think: “I practice eye-contact;

I practice ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact.” Nor do they think: “I practice the feelings that arise with eye-contact as condition; I practice the feelings that arise with ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact as condition.” Nor do they think: “I practice the earth dhatu; I practice the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness dhatus.” Nor do they think: “I practice the causal condition; I practice the immediately antecedent condition, the objective condition, and the predominant condition.” Nor do they think: “I practice dharmas arisen from conditions.” Nor do they think: “I practice ignorance;

I practice formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress.” Nor do they think: “I practice the prajnaparamita of generosity; I practice the prajnaparamitas of pure morality, patient acceptance, vigor, meditation, and wisdom.” Nor do they think: “I practice internal emptiness;

I practice external emptiness, internal-and-external emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate-meaning emptiness, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of nonchange, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the ungraspable, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence.” Nor do they think: “I practice the four foundations of mindfulness;

I practice the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the Noble Eightfold Path.” Nor do they think: “I practice the Noble Truth of suffering; I practice the Noble Truths of its origin, cessation, and the path.” Nor do they think: “I practice the four meditative absorptions; I practice the four immeasurables and the four formless attainments.” Nor do they think: “I practice the eight liberations; I practice the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive attainments, and the ten spheres of totality.” Nor do they think: “I practice the Dharma-gate of dharani; I practice the Dharma-gate of samadhi.” Nor do they think: “I practice the Dharma-gate of liberation through emptiness;

I practice the Dharma-gates of liberation through signlessness and wishlessness.” Nor do they think: “I practice the Ground of Great Joy; I practice the Ground of Stainlessness, the Ground of Luminousness, the Ground of Blazing Wisdom, the Ground Difficult to Conquer, the Ground of Presence, the Far-Going Ground, the Immovable Ground, the Ground of Excellent Wisdom, and the Dharma Cloud Ground.” Nor do they think: “I practice the five kinds of eyes; I practice the six superknowledges.” Nor do they think: “I practice the ten powers of a Buddha;

I practice the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha.” Nor do they think: “I practice the thirty-two marks of a Great Person; I practice the eighty subsidiary characteristics.” Nor do they think: “I practice the Dharma of never forgetting; I practice the nature of constant equanimity.” Nor do they think: “I practice all-knowledge; I practice knowledge of the aspects of the paths and knowledge of all aspects.” Nor do they think: “I practice the fruit of stream-entry; I practice the fruit of once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, and the state of a pratyekabuddha.” Nor do they think: “I practice all the practices of great bodhisattvas;

I practice the unsurpassed enlightenment of the Buddhas.”

Furthermore, Subhuti! The great bodhisattvas who possess enlightenment practice neither by grasping nor by relinquishing.

The Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:

– Blessed One! If the great bodhisattvas who possess enlightenment practice neither by grasping nor by relinquishing, then where will the great bodhisattvas who possess the state of bodhi practice?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! What do you think? Where would the Buddha’s transformation bodies, possessing the fruit of enlightenment, practice? Would they practice by grasping, or would they practice by relinquishing?

Subhuti replied:

– No, World-Honored One! No, Well-Gone One! The Buddha’s transformation bodies truly possess nothing; how, then, could it be said that they possess the fruit of enlightenment, have a sphere of practice, or either grasp or relinquish?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! What do you think? Where would an arhat’s fruit of enlightenment in a dream be practiced? Would it be practiced by grasping, or would it be practiced by relinquishing?

Subhuti replied:

– No, World-Honored One! No, Well-Gone One! For arhats, all outflows have been forever exhausted, and torpor, sleepiness, and the hindering fetters have all been extinguished. Ultimately, they have no dreams; how, then, could there be a fruit of enlightenment in a dream, a sphere of practice, or either grasping or relinquishing?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! When great bodhisattvas practice prajnaparamita, their possession of the fruit of enlightenment is likewise so. They do not practice by grasping, nor do they practice by relinquishing; there is ultimately no sphere in which they practice, because its intrinsic nature is empty.

At that time, the Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

– World-Honored One! If, when great bodhisattvas practice prajnaparamita, their possession of the fruit of enlightenment is neither practiced by grasping nor practiced by relinquishing, and there is ultimately no sphere in which they practice—that is, they do not practice form, nor do they practice feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness; they do not practice the eye ayatana, nor do they practice the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind ayatana; they do not practice the form ayatana, nor do they practice the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, or dharma ayatana; they do not practice the eye dhatu, nor do they practice the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind dhatu; they do not practice the form dhatu, nor do they practice the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, or dharma dhatu; they do not practice the eye-consciousness dhatu, nor do they practice the ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-consciousness dhatu; they do not practice eye-contact, nor do they practice ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-contact; they do not practice the feelings arising with eye-contact as condition, nor do they practice the feelings arising with ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-contact as condition; they do not practice the earth dhatu, nor do they practice the water, fire, wind, space, or consciousness dhatu; they do not practice the causal condition, nor do they practice the immediately preceding condition, the objective condition, or the dominant condition; they do not practice dharmas arising from conditions; they do not practice ignorance, nor do they practice formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, or distress; they do not practice the prajnaparamita of giving, nor do they practice the prajnaparamitas of pure morality, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, or wisdom; they do not practice the emptiness of the internal, nor do they practice the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of the internal and external, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of nonchange, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of nonapprehensibility, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, or the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence; they do not practice the four foundations of mindfulness, nor do they practice the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, or the Noble Eightfold Path; they do not practice the Noble Truth of suffering, nor do they practice the Noble Truths of its origin, cessation, or the path; they do not practice the four meditative absorptions, nor do they practice the four immeasurables or the four formless concentrations; they do not practice the eight liberations, nor do they practice the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, or the ten spheres of totality; they do not practice the dharani gateways, nor do they practice the samadhi gateways; they do not practice the gateway of liberation through emptiness, nor do they practice the gateways of liberation through signlessness or wishlessness; they do not practice the Ground of Utmost Joy, nor do they practice the Ground of Stainlessness, the Ground of Luminousness, the Ground of Radiant Wisdom, the Ground Difficult to Conquer, the Ground of Presence, the Far-Going Ground, the Immovable Ground, the Ground of Excellent Wisdom, or the Dharma Cloud Ground; they do not practice the five kinds of eyes, nor do they practice the six superknowledges; they do not practice the Buddha’s ten powers, nor do they practice the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, or the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha; they do not practice the thirty-two marks of a Great Being, nor do they practice the eighty subsidiary characteristics; they do not practice the Dharma of nonforgetfulness, nor do they practice the nature of perpetual equanimity; they do not practice knowledge of all things, nor do they practice knowledge of the aspects of the paths or knowledge of all aspects; they do not practice the fruit of stream-entry, nor do they practice the fruit of once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, or the fruit of a pratyekabuddha; they do not practice any of the practices of great bodhisattvas, nor do they practice the supreme enlightenment of the Buddhas—then, World-Honored One, would great bodhisattvas not practice the prajnaparamita of giving; not practice the prajnaparamitas of pure morality, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, or wisdom; not practice the emptiness of the internal; not practice the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of the internal and external, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of nonchange, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of nonapprehensibility, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, or the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence; not practice the four foundations of mindfulness; not practice the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, or the Noble Eightfold Path; not practice the Noble Truth of suffering; not practice the Noble Truths of its origin, cessation, or the path; not practice the four meditative absorptions; not practice the four immeasurables or the four formless concentrations; not practice the eight liberations; not practice the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, or the ten spheres of totality; not practice any dharani gateway; not practice any samadhi gateway; not practice the gateway of liberation through emptiness; not practice the gateways of liberation through signlessness or wishlessness; not enter a bodhisattva’s right determination leading to the realization of the unborn; not practice the Ground of Utmost Joy; not practice the Ground of Stainlessness, the Ground of Luminousness, the Ground of Radiant Wisdom, the Ground Difficult to Conquer, the Ground of Presence, the Far-Going Ground, the Immovable Ground, the Ground of Excellent Wisdom, or the Dharma Cloud Ground; not practice the five kinds of eyes; not practice the six superknowledges; not practice the Buddha’s ten powers; not practice the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, or the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha; not practice the thirty-two marks of a Great Being; not practice the eighty subsidiary characteristics; not practice the Dharma of nonforgetfulness; not practice the nature of perpetual equanimity; not practice knowledge of all things; not practice knowledge of the aspects of the paths or knowledge of all aspects; and not abide in a bodhisattva’s extraordinary superknowledges, mature sentient beings, and purify Buddha lands, yet attain supreme enlightenment?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! No. Although the awakening attained by the great bodhisattvas has no course of practice, the great bodhisattvas must nevertheless practice generosity, pure ethical discipline, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita; they must practice the emptiness of the internal, the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of the internal and external, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, the emptiness of that which has no boundary, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of that which is without change, the emptiness of essential nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the ungraspable, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, and the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of nonexistence; they must practice the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold noble path; they must practice the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path; they must practice the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless attainments; they must practice the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive attainments, and the ten totalities; they must practice all dharani gateways and all samadhi gateways; they must practice the gateways to liberation of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; they must enter the bodhisattva’s certainty of the true nature, free from arising; they must practice the Ground of Utmost Joy, the Ground of Stainlessness, the Ground of Radiance, the Ground of Blazing Wisdom, the Ground Difficult to Conquer, the Ground of Direct Presence, the Far-Going Ground, the Immovable Ground, the Ground of Excellent Wisdom, and the Ground of the Dharma Cloud; they must practice the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges; they must practice the ten powers of a Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha; they must practice the thirty-two marks of a Great Being and the eighty subsidiary characteristics; they must practice the Dharma of non-forgetfulness and the nature of perpetual equanimity; they must practice the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and the knowledge of all aspects; they must abide in the bodhisattvas’ extraordinary superknowledges, bring sentient beings to maturity, and purify Buddha-fields before they can attain unsurpassed awakening.

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

– Blessed One! If the awakening attained by the great bodhisattvas has no course of cultivation, then would there be no great bodhisattvas who, abiding in the paramita of generosity, and abiding in the paramitas of pure ethical discipline, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita, cultivate them for a long time and bring them to perfection; who, abiding in the emptiness of the internal, and abiding in the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of the internal and external, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, the emptiness of that which has no boundary, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of that which is without change, the emptiness of essential nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the ungraspable, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, and the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of nonexistence, cultivate them for a long time and bring them to perfection; who, abiding in the four foundations of mindfulness, and abiding in the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold noble path, cultivate them for a long time and bring them to perfection; who, abiding in the noble truth of suffering, and abiding in the noble truths of its origin, its cessation, and the path, cultivate them for a long time and bring them to perfection; who, abiding in the four meditative absorptions, and abiding in the four immeasurables and the four formless attainments, cultivate them for a long time and bring them to perfection; who, abiding in the eight liberations, and abiding in the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive attainments, and the ten totalities, cultivate them for a long time and bring them to perfection; who, abiding in all dharani gateways, and abiding in all samadhi gateways, cultivate them for a long time and bring them to perfection; who, abiding in the gateway to liberation of emptiness, and abiding in the gateways to liberation of signlessness and wishlessness, cultivate them for a long time and bring them to perfection; who enter the bodhisattva’s certainty of the true nature, free from arising; who, abiding in the Ground of Utmost Joy, and abiding in the Ground of Stainlessness, the Ground of Radiance, the Ground of Blazing Wisdom, the Ground Difficult to Conquer, the Ground of Direct Presence, the Far-Going Ground, the Immovable Ground, the Ground of Excellent Wisdom, and the Ground of the Dharma Cloud, cultivate them for a long time and bring them to perfection; who, abiding in the five kinds of eyes, and abiding in the six superknowledges, cultivate them for a long time and bring them to perfection; who, abiding in the ten powers of a Buddha, and abiding in the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, cultivate them for a long time and bring them to perfection; who, abiding in the thirty-two marks of a Great Being, and abiding in the eighty subsidiary characteristics, cultivate them for a long time and bring them to perfection; who, abiding in the Dharma of non-forgetfulness, and abiding in the nature of perpetual equanimity, cultivate them for a long time and bring them to perfection; who, abiding in the knowledge of all things, and abiding in the knowledge of the aspects of the paths and the knowledge of all aspects, cultivate them for a long time and bring them to perfection; and who, abiding in the bodhisattvas’ extraordinary superknowledges, bring sentient beings to maturity and purify Buddha-fields, cultivating these for a long time and bringing them to perfection, so as to attain unsurpassed awakening?

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! No!

Subhuti! Although there is no place of cultivation for the awakening possessed by great bodhisattvas, great bodhisattvas must nevertheless abide in generosity, pure morality, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita, cultivating them for a long time so as to bring them to perfection;

they must abide in the emptiness of the internal, the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of the internal and external, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of nonchange, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the unattainable, the emptiness of nonbeing, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonbeing, cultivating them for a long time so as to bring them to perfection;

they must abide in the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the Noble Eightfold Path, cultivating them for a long time so as to bring them to perfection; they must abide in the Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, cultivating them for a long time so as to bring them to perfection; they must abide in the four meditative concentrations, the four immeasurables, and the four formless attainments, cultivating them for a long time so as to bring them to perfection;

they must abide in the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive absorptions, and the ten spheres of totality, cultivating them for a long time so as to bring them to perfection; they must abide in all dharani gateways and all samadhi gateways, cultivating them for a long time so as to bring them to perfection; they must abide in the gateways to liberation of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, cultivating them for a long time so as to bring them to perfection; they must enter the bodhisattva’s certainty of the right nature leading beyond birth;

they must abide in the Ground of Utmost Joy, the Ground of Stainlessness, the Ground of Radiance, the Ground of Blazing Wisdom, the Ground Difficult to Conquer, the Ground of Direct Presence, the Far-Going Ground, the Immovable Ground, the Ground of Excellent Wisdom, and the Dharma-Cloud Ground, cultivating them for a long time so as to bring them to perfection; they must abide in the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges, cultivating them for a long time so as to bring them to perfection;

they must abide in the ten powers of a Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha, cultivating them for a long time so as to bring them to perfection; they must abide in the thirty-two marks of a Great Being and the eighty subsidiary characteristics, cultivating them for a long time so as to bring them to perfection; they must abide in the Dharma of never forgetting and the nature of constant equanimity, cultivating them for a long time so as to bring them to perfection;

they must abide in the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and the knowledge of all aspects, cultivating them for a long time so as to bring them to perfection; they must abide in the bodhisattvas’ supreme superknowledges, bringing sentient beings to maturity and adorning and purifying Buddha-realms, cultivating them for a long time so as to bring them to perfection.

Only then do they attain unsurpassed awakening.

Subhuti! If great bodhisattvas have not yet truly perfected their wholesome roots, they will never attain the unsurpassed awakening they seek.

Furthermore, Subhuti! If great bodhisattvas wish to attain unsurpassed awakening, they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of form; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the eye ayatana; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind ayatanas.

They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the form ayatana; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the sound, odor, taste, touch, and mental-object ayatanas. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the eye dhatu; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind dhatus. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the form dhatu; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the sound, odor, taste, touch, and mental-object dhatus.

They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the eye-consciousness dhatu; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness dhatus. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of eye-contact; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of feelings produced with eye-contact as their condition; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of feelings produced with ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact as their condition.

They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the earth dhatu; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness dhatus. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the causal condition; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the immediately preceding condition, the objective condition, and the predominant condition.

They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of dharmas arising from conditions. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of ignorance; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of volitional formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, becoming, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and distress. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the perfection of generosity; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the perfections of pure morality, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita.

They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the emptiness of the internal; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of the internal and external, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of nonchange, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the unattainable, the emptiness of nonbeing, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonbeing.

They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the four establishments of mindfulness; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the Noble Eightfold Path. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the Noble Truth of suffering; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the Noble Truths of the origin, cessation, and path.

They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the four meditative concentrations; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the four immeasurables and the four formless attainments. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the eight liberations; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive absorptions, and the ten spheres of totality.

They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the dharani gateways; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the samadhi gateways. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the gateway to liberation of emptiness; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the gateways to liberation of signlessness and wishlessness. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the Ground of Utmost Joy; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the Ground of Stainlessness, the Ground of Radiance, the Ground of Blazing Wisdom, the Ground Difficult to Conquer, the Ground of Direct Presence, the Far-Going Ground, the Immovable Ground, the Ground of Excellent Wisdom, and the Dharma-Cloud Ground.

They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the five kinds of eyes; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the six superknowledges. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the ten powers of a Buddha; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha.

They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the thirty-two marks of a Great Being; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the eighty subsidiary characteristics. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the Dharma of never forgetting; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of constant equanimity. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the knowledge of all things; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the knowledge of the aspects of the paths and the knowledge of all aspects.

They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the fruit of stream-entry; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the fruits of once-returning, non-returning, and arhatship, and the realization of a pratyekabuddha. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of all practices of great bodhisattvas; they should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of the unsurpassed awakening of the Buddhas.

They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of all dharmas. They should abide in the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of all sentient beings’ cultivation of meritorious qualities, bringing them to perfection; only then do they realize unsurpassed awakening.

Subhuti, the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of those dharmas and the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of sentient beings are utterly quiescent. There is not the slightest dharma that can increase or decrease, arise or cease, be annihilated or eternal, defiled or purified, attain a fruition, or be directly realized.

Subhuti, you should know that bodhisattva-mahasattvas speak of and expound all dharmas in dependence upon worldly convention. Therefore, it is said that they cultivate prajnaparamita and, having realized in accordance with reality that intrinsic nature is empty, attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment; this is not said in terms of ultimate truth. Why?

Because within ultimate truth, no form can be apprehended, nor can feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness be apprehended; no eye ayatana can be apprehended, nor can the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind ayatana be apprehended; no form ayatana can be apprehended, nor can the sound, odor, taste, tangible object, or dharma ayatana be apprehended; no eye dhatu can be apprehended, nor can the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind dhatu be apprehended; no form dhatu can be apprehended, nor can the sound, odor, taste, tangible object, or dharma dhatu be apprehended; no eye-consciousness dhatu can be apprehended, nor can the ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-consciousness dhatu be apprehended;

no eye-contact can be apprehended, nor can ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-contact be apprehended; no feelings arising with eye-contact as condition can be apprehended, nor can feelings arising with ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-contact as condition be apprehended; no earth dhatu can be apprehended, nor can the water, fire, wind, space, or consciousness dhatu be apprehended; no causal condition can be apprehended, nor can the immediately antecedent condition, objective condition, or predominant condition be apprehended; no dharmas arising from conditions can be apprehended;

no ignorance can be apprehended, nor can formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, or distress be apprehended; no perfection of generosity can be apprehended, nor can the perfections of ethical discipline, patience, vigor, meditation, or prajnaparamita be apprehended;

no emptiness of the internal can be apprehended, nor can the emptiness of the external, emptiness of the internal and external, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of ultimate truth, emptiness of the conditioned, emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without boundaries, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of nonchange, emptiness of intrinsic nature, emptiness of individual characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all dharmas, emptiness of the unapprehensible, emptiness of the nature of emptiness, emptiness of self-nature, or emptiness of the self-nature of emptiness be apprehended;

none of the four foundations of mindfulness can be apprehended, nor can the four right efforts, four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of enlightenment, or eight factors of the Noble Path be apprehended; the Noble Truth of suffering cannot be apprehended, nor can the Noble Truths of its origin, cessation, or the path be apprehended; none of the four meditative absorptions can be apprehended, nor can the four immeasurables or four formless attainments be apprehended; none of the eight liberations can be apprehended, nor can the eight spheres of mastery, nine successive absorptions, or ten totalities be apprehended; no dharani gateway can be apprehended, nor can any samadhi gateway be apprehended;

the gateway of liberation through emptiness cannot be apprehended, nor can the gateways of liberation through signlessness or wishlessness be apprehended; the Ground of Great Joy cannot be apprehended, nor can the Ground of Stainlessness, the Ground of Luminosity, the Ground of Radiant Wisdom, the Ground Difficult to Conquer, the Ground of Manifest Presence, the Far-Going Ground, the Immovable Ground, the Ground of Excellent Wisdom, or the Dharma Cloud Ground be apprehended; none of the five kinds of eyes can be apprehended, nor can the six superknowledges be apprehended;

none of the ten powers of a Buddha can be apprehended, nor can the four fearlessnesses, four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, or eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha be apprehended; none of the thirty-two marks of a Great Being can be apprehended, nor can the eighty subsidiary characteristics be apprehended; the Dharma of never losing mindfulness cannot be apprehended, nor can the nature of constant equanimity be apprehended; knowledge of all things cannot be apprehended, nor can knowledge of the aspects of the path or knowledge of all aspects be apprehended;

the fruition of stream-entry cannot be apprehended, nor can the fruition of once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, or pratyekabuddhahood be apprehended; none of the practices of bodhisattva-mahasattvas can be apprehended, nor can the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of the Buddhas be apprehended; one who practices the bodhisattva-mahasattva practices cannot be apprehended, nor can one who practices for unsurpassed perfect enlightenment be apprehended.

Subhuti, all such dharmas are expounded in dependence upon conventional expressions and not in terms of ultimate truth.

Subhuti, from the time they first arouse the aspiration, bodhisattva-mahasattvas cultivating prajnaparamita strive most vigorously to practice the conduct leading to enlightenment for the sake of sentient beings. Yet they apprehend absolutely nothing in this aspiration; they likewise apprehend nothing in sentient beings, nothing in great enlightenment, and nothing in Buddhas or bodhisattvas.

At that time, the Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, if absolutely nothing whatsoever can be attained and all dharmas are unapprehensible, how do bodhisattva-mahasattvas practice the conduct leading to enlightenment, and how can they attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti, what do you think? Formerly, when, relying upon the domain of abandonment, you abandoned the afflictions, attained the uncontaminated faculties, abided in the uninterrupted concentration, and attained the fruition of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, or arhatship, did you at that time perceive any sentient being, any mind, any path, or any fruition of the path?”

Subhuti replied:

“No, Blessed One! No, Sugata!”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti, if at that time you attained absolutely nothing, why is it said that you attained the fruition of arhatship?”

Subhuti replied:

“It is said in dependence upon worldly convention, not in terms of ultimate truth.”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti, so it is! So it is! It is exactly as you have said. Bodhisattva-mahasattvas are likewise said, in dependence upon worldly convention, to practice the conduct leading to enlightenment and attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, but this is not said in terms of ultimate truth.”

Subhuti, because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, form is designated, and feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the eye ayatana is designated, and the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind ayatanas are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the form ayatana is designated, and the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, and dharma ayatanas are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the eye dhatu is designated, and the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind dhatus are designated;

because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the form dhatu is designated, and the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, and dharma dhatus are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the eye-consciousness dhatu is designated, and the ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness dhatus are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, eye-contact is designated, and ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the feelings arising with eye-contact as their condition are designated, and the feelings arising with ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact as their condition are designated;

because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the earth dhatu is designated, and the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness dhatus are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the causal condition is designated, and the immediately antecedent condition, the objective condition, and the predominant condition are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, dharmas arising from conditions are designated;

because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, ignorance is designated, and formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, becoming, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the perfection of generosity is designated, and the perfections of pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita are designated;

because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the emptiness of the internal is designated, and the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of the internal and external, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of nonchange, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the unobtainable, the emptiness of nonbeing, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonbeing are designated;

because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the four establishments of mindfulness are designated, and the four right efforts, four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of enlightenment, and Noble Eightfold Path are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the Noble Truth of suffering is designated, and the Noble Truths of the origin of suffering, cessation, and the path are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the four meditative concentrations are designated, and the four immeasurables and four formless attainments are designated;

because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the eight liberations are designated, and the eight spheres of mastery, nine successive meditative attainments, and ten totalities are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the dharani gateways are designated, and the samadhi gateways are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the gateway of liberation through emptiness is designated, and the gateways of liberation through signlessness and wishlessness are designated;

because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the Ground of Great Joy is designated, and the Grounds of Stainlessness, Luminosity, Blazing Wisdom, Utterly Difficult to Conquer, Manifest Presence, Far-Going, Immovability, Excellent Wisdom, and Dharma Cloud are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the five kinds of eyes are designated, and the six superknowledges are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the ten powers of a Buddha are designated, and the four fearlessnesses, four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha are designated;

because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the thirty-two marks of a Great Being are designated, and the eighty subsidiary characteristics are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the Dharma of never losing mindfulness is designated, and the nature of constant equanimity is designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the knowledge of all things is designated, and the knowledge of the aspects of the paths and the knowledge of all aspects are designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, the fruit of stream-entry is designated, and the fruits of once-returning, non-returning, and arhatship and the realization of a pratyekabuddha are designated;

because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, all practices of great bodhisattvas are designated, and the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of the Buddhas is designated; because they are established in dependence upon worldly convention, sentient beings are designated, and bodhisattvas and the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, are designated—not in reliance upon ultimate meaning.

Subhuti, great bodhisattvas do not perceive any dharma that could increase or diminish, benefit or impair unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, because the intrinsic nature of all dharmas is empty.

Subhuti, when great bodhisattvas contemplate the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of all dharmas, even that emptiness cannot be apprehended; how much less could anything be apprehended in the mind of initial awakening? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the perfection of generosity? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the perfections of pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita?

How much less could anything be apprehended while abiding in the emptiness of the internal? How much less could anything be apprehended while abiding in the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of the internal and external, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of nonchange, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the unobtainable, the emptiness of nonbeing, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonbeing?

How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the four right efforts, four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of enlightenment, and Noble Eightfold Path? How much less could anything be apprehended while abiding in the Noble Truth of suffering?

How much less could anything be apprehended while abiding in the Noble Truths of the origin of suffering, cessation, and the path? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the four meditative concentrations? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the four immeasurables and four formless attainments?

How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the eight liberations? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the eight spheres of mastery, nine successive meditative attainments, and ten totalities? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the dharani gateways?

How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the samadhi gateways? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the gateway of liberation through emptiness? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the gateways of liberation through signlessness and wishlessness?

How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the Ground of Great Joy? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the Grounds of Stainlessness, Luminosity, Blazing Wisdom, Utterly Difficult to Conquer, Manifest Presence, Far-Going, Immovability, Excellent Wisdom, and Dharma Cloud? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the five kinds of eyes?

How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the six superknowledges? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the ten powers of a Buddha? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the four fearlessnesses, four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha?

How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the thirty-two marks of a Great Being? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the eighty subsidiary characteristics? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the Dharma of never losing mindfulness?

How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the nature of constant equanimity? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the knowledge of all things? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the knowledge of the aspects of the paths and the knowledge of all aspects?

How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of all practices of great bodhisattvas? How much less could anything be apprehended in the cultivation of the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of the Buddhas?

Subhuti! If the great bodhisattvas apprehend anything in all the Buddha-Dharmas in which they abide through their practice, that is impossible.

Subhuti! The great bodhisattvas cultivate unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, and benefit sentient beings without interruption.

LXXI. CHAPTER ON BRINGING SENTIENT BEINGS TO MATURITY

01

At that time, the Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! A great bodhisattva cultivates the perfection of generosity; cultivates the perfections of pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita; abides in inner emptiness; abides in outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate emptiness, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, absolute emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of nonchange, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the unapprehensible, the emptiness of nonbeing, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonbeing;

cultivates the four foundations of mindfulness; cultivates the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the Noble Eightfold Path; abides in the Noble Truth of suffering; abides in the Noble Truths of the origin of suffering, cessation, and the path; cultivates the four meditative absorptions; cultivates the four immeasurables and the four formless concentrations; cultivates the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive attainments, and the ten totalities; cultivates the Dharma-gate of dharani and the Dharma-gate of samadhi; cultivates the Dharma-gate of the liberation of emptiness and the Dharma-gates of the liberations of signlessness and wishlessness;

cultivates the Ground of Great Joy, the Ground of Stainlessness, the Ground of Luminousness, the Ground of Radiant Wisdom, the Ground Difficult to Conquer, the Ground of Presence, the Far-Going Ground, the Immovable Ground, the Ground of Excellent Wisdom, and the Dharma-Cloud Ground; cultivates the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges; cultivates the ten powers of a Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha; cultivates the thirty-two marks of a great being and the eighty subsidiary characteristics; cultivates the Dharma of never forgetting and the nature of perpetual equanimity;

cultivates the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and the knowledge of all aspects; cultivates all the practices of a great bodhisattva; cultivates the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas; and cultivates the bodhisattva path.

Yet if that path remains incomplete and the great bodhisattva does not attain the sought-after unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, Blessed One, how can the great bodhisattva perfect the cultivation of the bodhisattva path and attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita and, by skillful means, cultivates the perfection of generosity, the bodhisattva apprehends neither generosity, the giver, the recipient, nor the act itself. Yet the bodhisattva does not depart from these dharmas while cultivating the perfection of generosity. That great bodhisattva can thereby perfect the cultivation of the bodhisattva path.

“Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita and, by skillful means, cultivates the perfections of pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita, the bodhisattva apprehends neither pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajna; nor the practitioner, the practice, or the act of practice. Yet the bodhisattva does not depart from these dharmas while practicing the perfections of pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita. That great bodhisattva can thereby perfect the cultivation of the bodhisattva path.

“Subhuti! In this way, a great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita and, by skillful means, cultivates the bodhisattva path, bringing it to perfection, and can attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

“Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita and, by skillful means, abides in inner emptiness, the bodhisattva apprehends neither inner emptiness, the one who abides, that in which one abides, nor the act itself. Yet the bodhisattva does not depart from these dharmas while abiding in inner emptiness. That great bodhisattva can thereby perfect the cultivation of the bodhisattva path.

“Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita and, by skillful means, abides in outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate emptiness, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, absolute emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of nonchange, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the unapprehensible, the emptiness of nonbeing, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonbeing, the bodhisattva apprehends neither outer emptiness through the emptiness of the self-nature of nonbeing, the one who abides,

that in which one abides, nor the act itself.

Yet the bodhisattva does not depart from those dharmas while abiding in outer emptiness through the emptiness of the self-nature of nonbeing. That great bodhisattva can thereby perfect the cultivation of the bodhisattva path.

“Subhuti! In this way, the great bodhisattvas cultivate prajnaparamita and, by skillful means, cultivate the bodhisattva path, bringing it to perfection, and can attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

“Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita and, by skillful means, cultivates the four foundations of mindfulness, the bodhisattva apprehends neither the four foundations of mindfulness, the practitioner, the practice, nor the act of practice. Yet the bodhisattva does not depart from those dharmas while cultivating the four foundations of mindfulness. That great bodhisattva can thereby perfect the cultivation of the bodhisattva path.

“Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita and, by skillful means, cultivates the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the Noble Eightfold Path, the bodhisattva apprehends neither the four right efforts through the Noble Eightfold Path, the practitioner, the practice, nor the act of practice. Yet the bodhisattva does not depart from those dharmas while cultivating the four right efforts through the Noble Eightfold Path. That great bodhisattva can thereby perfect the cultivation of the bodhisattva path.

“Subhuti! In this way, a great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita and, by skillful means, cultivates the bodhisattva path, bringing it to perfection, and can attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

Fascicle 390

END