佛說佛母出生三法藏般若波羅蜜多經

Chapter 7: The Causes and Conditions of Hell (Part 2)

At that time, the Venerable Subhūti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, can the Prajñā-pāramitā be heard, can it be realized? Or as sound, or as mark, can it be expressed?

The Buddha said: It cannot, Subhūti. The Prajñā-pāramitā is not preached, not pointed out, not heard, not realized; it is not a mark that can be seen of the aggregates, the bases, or the elements. Why is this? Because all those dharmas are apart from every kind of nature, therefore the aggregates, the bases, and the elements are themselves the Prajñā-pāramitā. Why is this? Because the aggregates, the bases, and the elements are empty, apart, and quiescently extinguished, and the Prajñā-pāramitā is likewise empty, apart, and quiescently extinguished. The Prajñā-pāramitā together with the aggregates, the bases, and the elements is not two, not different, without mark, without discrimination.

At that time, the Venerable Subhūti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, if there is someone who, within the Buddha's assembly, hears this profound Dharma-gate of the Prajñā-pāramitā spoken yet does not give rise to faith and understanding, whose mind takes no delight in it, who forsakes the Dharma assembly, who cannot hear it or receive it—by what causes and conditions does that person give rise to such a mark?

The Buddha said to Subhūti: I shall now discern this for you as it truly is. If there is someone who hears this profound and subtle Dharma-gate of the Prajñā-pāramitā yet does not give rise to faith and understanding, who takes no pleasure in hearing and receiving it, you should know that this person, although having cultivated the practice of purity under a hundred thousand Buddhas, nevertheless did not delight in hearing and receiving this Dharma in the presence of those Buddhas; and that if he heard this Dharma-gate of the Prajñā-pāramitā spoken, he would rise up and leave the assembly.

Subhūti, that person, in the presence of Buddhas in the past, had already sown the causes and conditions of obstructing the Dharma in such a way; and therefore now, within my Dharma, hearing the profound Dharma-gate of the Prajñā-pāramitā preached, he likewise gives rise to no delight, faith, or understanding, has no thought of reverence, and forsakes it and departs. You should know that this person, whether in body or in mind, cannot accord and unite; and therefore, with respect to this Dharma-gate of the Prajñā-pāramitā, he gives rise to not even a single pure thought of faith and understanding, does not give rise to true and real knowledge, vision, and thought; and toward the profound Dharma he gives rise to a mind of doubt, creating the karma of folly.

Because of accumulating the karma of folly, when he hears this Dharma-gate of the Prajñā-pāramitā he gives rise to a mind of opposition and arouses the karma of slander. Because he opposes and slanders the Prajñā-pāramitā, he thereby opposes and slanders the All-Knowledge of the Buddhas of the past, the future, and the present. Subhūti, I say that this person is of little knowledge, of little wisdom, without true meritorious karma, unable to accomplish the wholesome roots of pure faith.

At all times and in all places he ruins his own person, and further ruins the persons of others, severing the cause of the great benefit and joy of all sentient beings.

Subhūti, that person, because of the causes and conditions of slandering this Dharma, will in the future certainly fall into the great hells. Passing through many hundreds of years, many thousands of years, many hundreds of thousands of years, many koṭis of hundreds of years, many koṭis of thousands of years, many koṭis of hundreds of thousands of years, many koṭi-nayutas of hundreds of thousands of years, he undergoes all manner of suffering and affliction, going from this great hell to another great hell.

Again he revolves from this hell to another hell. If, at the time when the kalpa-fire consumes this great hell, then that slanderer of the Dharma again undergoes all manner of suffering and affliction in the great hells of a world in another direction, likewise going from this great hell to another great hell. If, at the time when the kalpa-fire consumes the hells of a world in another direction, he again is transferred into the great hells of a world in yet another direction, undergoing all manner of suffering and affliction likewise in the same way, from this hell to another hell.

Furthermore, if, at the time when the kalpa-fire of that world has consumed it and this world has come into being again, then he again enters into this great hell, likewise undergoing all manner of suffering and affliction from this hell to another hell. Being thus transferred from this world to that world, in each hell the number is the same as before, passing through such years, undergoing all manner of suffering and affliction; until at last, when the kalpa-fire of the hells of this world arises again and he is burned, only then does his undergoing of suffering come to an end.

Why is this? Subhūti, because that person, through the unwholesome karma of speech, slandered the profound Dharma-gate of the Prajñā-pāramitā, he therefore receives such a fruit.

At that time, the Venerable Śāriputra addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, are those sentient beings who commit the five exceedingly grave karmic offenses of immediate retribution like the karmic offense of slandering this Dharma?

The Buddha said to Śāriputra: Do not suppose that those five karmic offenses of immediate retribution are like the grave offense of slandering this Dharma. Śāriputra, one who opposes and slanders the profound True Dharma—his offense is exceedingly grave, surpassing the five karmic offenses of immediate retribution. Why is this? That slanderer of the Dharma, hearing the Dharma-gate of the Prajñā-pāramitā preached, immediately says: This is not what the Buddha preached; I now cannot study therein.

That person ruins his own pure faith, and further ruins the pure faith of others; he himself drinks all manner of poisons, and further causes others to drink those poisons; he himself destroys, and further causes others to do the work of destruction; he himself, with respect to the Dharma-gate of the Prajñā-pāramitā, does not believe, does not receive, does not know, does not understand, does not cultivate, and further causes others not to give rise to faith and acceptance, not to know and understand rightly, and not to cultivate. Śāriputra, I say that this person is a destroyer of the Dharma; his nature is defiled, dark, and impure; with respect to wholesome dharmas he is a kalmāṣa, ruining pure faith;

and he is further called one who befouls the Dharma. Śāriputra, for such causes and conditions, the offense of slandering this Dharma is exceedingly deep and grave; the five karmic offenses of immediate retribution cannot be compared to it.

Śāriputra addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, as the Buddha has said, that slanderer of the Dharma falls into the great hells; I do not know what the measure of the bodily suffering this person will undergo is like.

The Buddha said: Do not ask, Śāriputra. There is no need to ask about the measure of the bodily suffering this person must undergo. Why is this? If that person heard the measure, great or small, of the bodily suffering he must undergo, at that very moment hot blood would flow forth from the gate of his mouth, and he would draw near to death. In this way he would become sorrowful and afflicted; the parts of his body, inner and outer, would wither and grow thin and weak, and he would give rise to great fear and dread. Therefore I do not now speak of the measure of the bodily suffering that person must undergo.

Śāriputra again addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, please proclaim the measure of the bodily suffering that slanderer of the Dharma must undergo, in order to make clear, to have something to point out, for all sentient beings in the age of the final, declining kalpa, so that they may not give rise to slander toward the True Dharma.

The Buddha said: Śāriputra, there is no need to speak of it.

At that time the Venerable Śāriputra, being thus earnest, continued to entreat a second time and a third time.

The Buddha said: It will not do, Śāriputra. You should now know that this matter is as I have said: if a slanderer of the Dharma falls into the great hells and undergoes exceedingly grave suffering for such a length of time, that is itself already sufficient cause and condition to make the matter clear for sentient beings. Therefore there is no need to speak further of the measure of that person's body.

At that time, the Venerable Subhūti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, sons and daughters of good family, at all times, should well guard the karma of body, speech, and mind, and should not allow themselves to create unwholesome karmic deeds. Why is this? It is as the Buddha has spoken concerning the person who falls into the hells. Because his karma of speech was unwholesome, he therefore constantly created such great masses of non-merit. World-Honored One, is it indeed so that one who slanders the True Dharma, by reason of the karma of speech, receives this fruit of retribution?

The Buddha said: It is so, it is so. Subhūti, because they arouse the unwholesome karma of speech, slander thereby arises toward the True Dharma; by reason of such causes and conditions they receive this fruit of retribution. Subhūti, I say that this person should not go forth into the homeless life within my Dharma.

Why is this? Because that person opposes and slanders the Prajñā-pāramitā, he thereby slanders Supreme Perfect Enlightenment; because he slanders Supreme Perfect Enlightenment, he thereby slanders all the Buddha-Jewel; because he slanders the Buddha-Jewel, he thereby slanders the All-Knowledge of the Buddhas of the past, the future, and the present; because he slanders the All-Knowledge, he thereby slanders all the Dharma-Jewel; because he slanders the Dharma-Jewel, he thereby slanders the Śrāvakas and all the Saṃgha-Jewel.

In this way, in every kind, at all times, and in all places, he slanders the Three Jewels, accumulating immeasurable and innumerable unwholesome karmic deeds, and will fall into the hells and undergo great suffering and affliction.

Subhūti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, by what causes and conditions does that person give rise to a mind that disparages and slanders this Dharma-gate of the Prajñā-pāramitā?

The Buddha said to Subhūti: You should know that person has four kinds of causes. What are the four? The first is that he is driven by Māra; the second is that he himself accumulates the cause of the karma of folly, destroying the pure faith and understanding he had attained; the third is that he relies upon all manner of unwholesome spiritual friends, giving rise to the thought of according and uniting with what is not the Dharma; the fourth is that he clings to the mark of a self, does not give rise to Right View, relies upon a deviant mind, and commits all manner of faults.

Subhūti, because of these four kinds of causes and conditions, slander arises toward this profound Dharma-gate of the Prajñā-pāramitā. Subhūti, therefore sons and daughters of good family, with respect to the True Dharma that the Buddhas have preached, should arouse pure faith and understanding, and should not give rise to disparagement and slander. One who slanders the True Dharma is one who destroys the Dharma. If one is a destroyer of the Dharma, who cuts off the span of his life and arouses the karma of folly, he will fall into the hells and undergo great suffering and affliction.

Chapter 8: Purity (Part 1)

At that time, the Venerable Subhūti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, if there is someone who relies upon evil spiritual friends, who is far apart from wholesome roots and not vigorous, then is it not exceedingly difficult for him to have faith and understanding with respect to this profound Dharma-gate of the Prajñā-pāramitā?

The Buddha said to Subhūti: It is so, it is so. As you have said, such people have seen little and heard little, are far apart from wholesome roots, cultivate weak wisdom, and are unable to be vigorous. Moreover, they rely upon evil spiritual friends, and therefore it is exceedingly difficult for them to have faith and understanding with respect to this profound Dharma-gate.

Subhūti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, this Dharma-gate of the Prajñā-pāramitā—for what meaning is it difficult to believe and difficult to understand?

The Buddha taught: Subhūti, form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are not bound and not loosed. Why is this? Because the self-nature of form is form, it is therefore not bound and not loosed; because the self-nature of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness is consciousness, it is therefore not bound and not loosed.

Form of the prior moment is not bound and not loosed. Why is this? Because the self-nature of form of the prior moment is precisely form; form of the latter moment is not bound and not loosed, because the self-nature of form of the latter moment is precisely form; form of the middle moment is not bound and not loosed, because the self-nature of form of the middle moment is precisely form.

Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness of the prior, latter, and middle moments are not bound and not loosed. Why is this? The self-nature of consciousness of the prior, latter, and middle moments is precisely consciousness.

The Prajñā-pāramitā, for this meaning, is therefore profound and difficult to understand.

Subhūti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, the Dharma-gate of the Prajñā-pāramitā is difficult to believe and difficult to understand. As the Buddha has said, because it is exceedingly profound it therefore becomes difficult to understand. World-Honored One, if there is someone who is indolent, lacking in vigor, who has lost mindfulness and has no wisdom, you should know that such people will find it difficult to understand and difficult to enter the Dharma-gate of the Prajñā-pāramitā.

The Buddha said to Subhūti: It is so, it is so, as you have said.

Furthermore, Subhūti. Because form is pure, the fruit is therefore pure; because the fruit is pure, form is therefore pure. Whether form is pure or the fruit is pure, they are not two and cannot be discriminated, not cut off and not destroyed. Because feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are pure, the fruit is therefore pure; because the fruit is pure, consciousness is therefore pure. Whether consciousness is pure or the fruit is pure, they are not two, not discriminated, not cut off and not destroyed.

Furthermore, Subhūti. Because form is pure, the All-Knowledge is therefore pure; because the All-Knowledge is pure, form is therefore pure. Whether form is pure or the All-Knowledge is pure, they are not two, not discriminated, not cut off and not destroyed. Because feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are pure, the All-Knowledge is therefore pure; because the All-Knowledge is pure, consciousness is therefore pure. Whether consciousness is pure or the All-Knowledge is pure, they are not two, not discriminated, not cut off and not destroyed.

At that time, the Venerable Śāriputra addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, the Prajñā-pāramitā is exceedingly profound.

The Buddha said: Because its nature is pure.

Śāriputra said: The Prajñā-pāramitā is a great light.

The Buddha said: Because its nature is pure.

Śāriputra said: The Prajñā-pāramitā illumines vastly and greatly.

The Buddha said: Because its nature is pure.

Śāriputra said: The Prajñā-pāramitā does not accord and unite.

The Buddha said: Because its nature is pure.

Śāriputra said: The Prajñā-pāramitā cannot be attained.

The Buddha said: Because its nature is pure.

Śāriputra said: The Prajñā-pāramitā has no realization.

The Buddha said: Because its nature is pure. Śāriputra said: The Prajñā-pāramitā, in the ultimate, does not arise in the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, or the Formless Realm.

The Buddha said: Because its nature is pure.

Śāriputra said: The Prajñā-pāramitā, in the ultimate, does not cease.

The Buddha said: Because its nature is pure.

Śāriputra said: The Prajñā-pāramitā cannot be clearly known?

The Buddha said: Because its nature is pure.

Śāriputra said: Why can the Prajñā-pāramitā not be clearly known?

The Buddha said: Śāriputra, the Prajñā-pāramitā does not know form, does not know feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. Why is this? Because the nature of form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness is pure.

Śāriputra said: The Prajñā-pāramitā, in the All-Knowledge, does not arise and does not act.

The Buddha said: Because its nature is pure. Śāriputra said: In the Prajñā-pāramitā there is no dharma that can be grasped, no dharma that can be relinquished.

The Buddha said: Because its nature is pure.

At that time, the Venerable Subhūti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, because the self is pure, form is therefore pure. The Buddha said: Because it is ultimately pure. Because the self is pure, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are therefore pure.

The Buddha said: Because it is ultimately pure. Subhūti said: Because the self is pure, the fruit is therefore pure. The Buddha said: Because it is ultimately pure.

Subhūti said: Because the self is pure, the All-Knowledge is therefore pure. The Buddha said: Because it is ultimately pure. Subhūti said: Because the self is pure, there is no attainment and no realization.

The Buddha said: Because it is ultimately pure. Subhūti said: Because the self is boundless, form is therefore boundless. The Buddha said: Because it is ultimately pure.

Subhūti said: Because the self is boundless, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are therefore boundless. The Buddha said: Because it is ultimately pure. Subhūti said: The Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva, with respect to the Prajñā-pāramitā, has no clear understanding.

The Buddha said: Because it is ultimately pure.

Subhūti said: The Prajñā-pāramitā is not the near shore, not the far shore, not the midst of the stream; its self-nature has no abiding.

The Buddha said: Because it is ultimately pure.

At that time, the Venerable Subhūti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, if a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva, with respect to all dharmas, has discrimination, he thereby loses the Prajñā-pāramitā, he thereby goes far from the Prajñā-pāramitā.

The Buddha praised Subhūti: Excellent! Excellent! Subhūti. It is so, it is so, as you have said. Why is this? If one gives rise to discrimination with respect to all dharmas, that is name-and-mark, because there is clinging.

Subhūti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, if, with respect to the very name "Prajñā-pāramitā" that is spoken, there is discrimination, that is called clinging.

At that time, the Venerable Śāriputra asked Subhūti: What is called the mark of clinging?

Subhūti said: If a Bodhisattva discriminates form from emptiness, discriminates feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness from emptiness, that is the mark of clinging. Furthermore, if one discriminates that this is a dharma of the past, this is a dharma of the future, this is a dharma of the present; that this is one who has newly aroused the mind of enlightenment and attains so many masses of merit; if one discriminates that this is one who has newly cultivated the practice of a Bodhisattva and thereby attains so much merit; if one who has long cultivated the practice of a Bodhisattva thereby accomplishes so much merit and virtue—such discriminations as these are called the mark of clinging.

At that time, the Lord of the Heavens, Śakra, addressed the Venerable Subhūti: For what reason is the merit a Bodhisattva attains also called the mark of clinging?

Subhūti said: Kauśika, if a Bodhisattva who has newly aroused the mind, with a discriminating mind discriminates this mind of enlightenment, he thereby takes the wholesome roots of arousing the mind and dedicates them to Supreme Perfect Enlightenment. If there is something that can be dedicated, that is not called dedication. Discrimination such as this is the mark of clinging.

Kauśika, if there is a Bodhisattva who wishes to cause sons and daughters of good family to abide in the Bodhisattva Vehicle, then with respect to Supreme Perfect Enlightenment he should, by means of the true Dharma, point out the principle in accordance with the principle, instruct as it truly is, benefit as it truly is, and gladden in accordance with the principle. If a Bodhisattva is able to use such Dharma to point out benefit and joy, he himself does no harm to what the Buddhas have approved and instructed; and those sons and daughters of good family will likewise attain freedom from the mind of clinging.

At that time, the Buddha praised Subhūti: Excellent! Excellent! Subhūti. You have well proclaimed the Dharma-gate of Freedom from Clinging, causing the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas, with respect to all dharmas, not to give rise to clinging. Subhūti, I shall again proclaim for you the subtle and wondrous Dharma-gate of Freedom from Clinging. Listen well, and reflect upon it rightly.

Subhūti addressed the Buddha: Excellent, World-Honored One. Please proclaim it.

The Buddha said to Subhūti: If there is someone who, with respect to the Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly and Fully Enlightened One, arouses the notion that there is something to be attained and gives rise to clinging, that is an exceedingly great dharma of greedy clinging. Why is this? Because it is not apart from marks.

Subhūti, if there is a Bodhisattva who arouses a mind of sympathetic joy with respect to the uncontaminated dharmas of the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, of the past, present, and future, and who, by means of these wholesome roots of sympathetic joy, dedicates them to Supreme Perfect Enlightenment, that too is clinging. Why is this? Subhūti, the dharmas cannot have anything to be attained in the past, present, or future.

That mind of sympathetic joy is also not of the three times; then with what mind would one take joy in what dharma? Therefore you should know that all dharmas are without mark, not seen, not heard, not understood, not known.

Subhūti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, the nature of the dharmas is truly profound.

The Buddha said: It is apart from all natures.

Subhūti said: The nature of the Prajñā-pāramitā is profound.

The Buddha said: The self-nature of the Prajñā-pāramitā is pure, apart from all natures.

Subhūti said: The Prajñā-pāramitā is apart from nature; I now pay homage and reverence.

The Buddha said: All dharmas are apart from nature. Subhūti, because all dharmas are apart from nature, the Prajñā-pāramitā is therefore apart from nature. Why is this? The Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly and Fully Enlightened One, has realized as it truly is that all dharmas are without nature.

Subhūti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, has the Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly and Fully Enlightened One, realized the dharmas as being without nature?

The Buddha said to Subhūti: They are without nature, and yet are also not without nature. All those dharmas, whether having nature or without nature, are all of one and the same mark; that is, the Markless. Subhūti, therefore the Buddhas have realized all those dharmas in this way. Why is this? Because the Dharma-eye of the Buddhas does not discriminate, the nature of all dharmas is only one, not two. All those dharmas, whether nature or not nature, are all called Natureless. That nature and that without-nature are all called the One Nature; and this very One Nature also cannot have anything to be attained. Subhūti, if a Bodhisattva knows clearly in this way, he is thereby freed from all clinging.

Subhūti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, the Prajñā-pāramitā is supreme and profound.

The Buddha said: Just as empty space is profound, so is the Prajñā-pāramitā profound.

Subhūti said: The Prajñā-pāramitā is difficult to know.

The Buddha said: It cannot be known.

Subhūti said: The Prajñā-pāramitā is inconceivable.

The Buddha said: It is not that which is known by the mind; it surpasses the count of the mind.

Subhūti said: The Prajñā-pāramitā is apart from all acting.

The Buddha said: Acting cannot be attained.

Subhūti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, how should a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva practice the Prajñā-pāramitā?

The Buddha said: If the Prajñā-pāramitā does not practice in form, that is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā; not to practice in feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā; not to practice in the impermanence of form is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā; not to practice in the impermanence of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā; not to practice in the emptiness of form is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā; not to practice in the emptiness of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā; not to practice in the mark of fullness or non-fullness of form is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā.

Why is this? If one practices in the mark of fullness or non-fullness of form, that is then not form; not to practice in the mark of fullness or non-fullness of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā. Why is this?

If one practices in the mark of fullness or non-fullness of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, that is then not consciousness. If one does not practice in such dharmas, that is called practicing the Prajñā-pāramitā.

At that time, the Venerable Subhūti addressed the Buddha: It is rare, World-Honored One. You have well, for the sake of the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas, with respect to the dharma of clinging, preached the dharma of non-clinging.

The Buddha taught: If one does not practice form as having clinging or non-clinging, that is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā; if one does not practice feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness as having clinging or non-clinging, that is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā; if one does not practice the feelings that arise from the conditions of eye-contact up to mind-contact as having clinging or non-clinging, that is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā; if one does not practice the earth-element up to the consciousness-element as having clinging or non-clinging, that is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā;

if one does not practice the pāramitās of giving, moral discipline, patience, vigor, meditative concentration, and wisdom as having clinging or non-clinging, that is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā; if one does not practice the masses of merit and virtue of the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, the Ten Powers, the Four Fearlessnesses, and the eighteen Distinctive Dharmas of a Buddha as having clinging or non-clinging, that is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā; if one does not practice the Stream-Enterer, the Once-Returner, the Non-Returner, the Arhat, the Pratyekabuddha, and the Tathāgata as having clinging or non-clinging, that is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā; if one does not practice the All-Knowledge as having clinging or non-clinging, that is to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā.

Subhūti, if a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva is able, with respect to form, not to give rise to clinging; with respect to feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, not to give rise to clinging; with respect to the feelings that arise from the conditions of eye-contact up to mind-contact, not to give rise to clinging; with respect to the earth-element up to the consciousness-element, not to give rise to clinging; with respect to the pāramitās of giving, moral discipline, patience, vigor, meditative concentration, and wisdom, not to give rise to clinging; with respect to the masses of merit and virtue of the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, the Ten Powers, the Four Fearlessnesses, and the eighteen Distinctive Dharmas of a Buddha, not to give rise to clinging;

with respect to the Stream-Enterer, the Once-Returner, the Non-Returner, the Arhat, the Pratyekabuddha, and the Tathāgata, up to the All-Knowledge, likewise not to give rise to clinging in this way.

Why is this? All dharmas are not bound and not loosed, surpassing all clinging; therefore it is called the All-Knowledge that is Free from Clinging and Unobstructed.

Subhūti, the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas should practice the Prajñā-pāramitā in this way.

Subhūti addressed the Buddha: It is rare, World-Honored One. The Prajñā-pāramitā is a profound dharma. Though one speak of it, it does not increase; though one not speak of it, it does not decrease; though one speak of it, it does not decrease; though one not speak of it, it does not increase.

The Buddha praised Subhūti: Excellent! Excellent! Subhūti, it is so, it is so. If the Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly and Fully Enlightened One, were to use up the whole measure of the span of his own life to praise empty space, then that empty space, whether praised, would not increase, whether unpraised, would not decrease; whether praised, would not decrease, whether unpraised, would not increase. It is like praising a person who has been conjured by illusion: whether praised, he is not glad; whether unpraised, he is not angry; whether praised, he does not increase; whether unpraised, he does not decrease. Subhūti, the nature of the dharmas is apart from speaking, is not speaking, and does not increase and does not decrease in this way.

Subhūti addressed the Buddha: World-Honored One, the Prajñā-pāramitā is vast, great, and profound, and the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva finds it exceedingly difficult to practice. It is like empty space: unmoving, unturning, without mark, without action; the Prajñā-pāramitā is likewise. World-Honored One, the Bodhisattva, for the sake of sentient beings, dons the great armor and adorns himself with it.

Why is this? Because the Bodhisattva, wishing to accomplish the fruit of Supreme Perfect Enlightenment and to deliver all sentient beings, therefore cultivates and studies the Prajñā-pāramitā. World-Honored One, it is like a person who dons armor to do battle with that empty space, while that empty space is by its very nature equal—the Dharma-realm is equal, sentient beings are equal; and the Bodhisattvas, though valiant and accomplishing the Pāramitā of Vigor, in the end still cannot conquer empty space.

Therefore it is difficult for the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas to practice the Prajñā-pāramitā.

At that time, the Lord of the Heavens, Śakra, addressed the Venerable Subhūti: If it is so, then the Prajñā-pāramitā is practiced without anything being produced; how then does it correspond?

Subhūti said: Kauśika, just as that which is produced by practicing empty space, so too is the practice of the Prajñā-pāramitā produced in this way. Kauśika, the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas who wish to study and practice the Prajñā-pāramitā should practice as one practices empty space; one who studies in this way is thereby corresponding.

At that time, within the assembly there was a bhikṣu who, having heard this Dharma, rose up from his seat, joined his palms toward the Buddha, and spoke thus: In the Prajñā-pāramitā there is no dharma that can arise, no dharma that can cease; therefore I now pay homage and reverence to the Prajñā-pāramitā.