Then venerable Śāriputra, venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, venerable Subhūti, venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra, and venerable Mahākāśyapa, as well as other monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen celebrated for the state of their clairvoyance, and very many bodhisattva great beings said to the Lord, “This, Lord—that is, the perfection of wisdom—is the great perfection of bodhisattva great beings. This perfection of wisdom, Lord, is the vast perfection of bodhisattva great beings. This perfection of wisdom, Lord, is the highest perfection of bodhisattva great beings. It is the special perfection, it is the best perfection, it is the superb perfection, it is the sublime perfection, it is the unsurpassed perfection, it is the unrivaled perfection, it is the unequaled perfection, it is the perfection equal to the unequaled, it is the calm and gentle perfection, it is the matchless perfection, it is the perfection for which no example does justice, it is the space-like perfection, it is the perfection of the emptiness of particular defining marks, it is the perfection endowed with all good qualities. This, Lord—that is, the perfection of wisdom—is the uncrushable perfection of bodhisattva great beings.

“Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing in this perfection of wisdom have bestowed a gift equal to the unequaled. They have fulfilled the perfection of giving equal to the unequaled. They have obtained a body equal to the unequaled. And they will obtain this, namely, the dharmas of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening equal to the unequaled.

“Similarly with morality, patience, perseverance, and concentration, and they have developed wisdom equal to the unequaled. They have obtained a body equal to the unequaled. And they will obtain this, namely, the dharmas of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening equal to the unequaled.

“The Lord, too, practicing this very perfection of wisdom came to acquire a form equal to the unequaled; and he came to acquire feeling, perception, and volitional factors equal to the unequaled, and consciousness equal to the unequaled. He fully awakened to an awakening equal to the unequaled. He turned the wheel of the Dharma equal to the unequaled. Similarly, past, future, and present buddhas, having practiced this very perfection of wisdom, have fully awakened, will fully awaken, and are awakening to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Therefore, Lord, bodhisattva great beings who want to perfect all dharmas should make an effort at the perfection of wisdom. Lord, the world with its gods, humans, and asuras rightly bows down to any bodhisattva great being who has practiced in this perfection of wisdom.”

Those great śrāvakas having spoken thus, the Lord said to them, and to those very many bodhisattva great beings, “Exactly so, children of a good family, exactly so. It is just as you say. The world with its gods, humans, and asuras rightly bows down to any bodhisattva great being who practices this perfection of wisdom. Śāriputra, it is thanks to bodhisattva great beings that the human realm appears in the world and that the realm of gods appears in the world. Similarly, that great sāla tree–like royal families, great sāla tree–like brahmin families, great sāla tree–like business families, and wheel-turning emperors; the Cāturmahā­rājika gods; the Trāyastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, Para­nirmita­vaśa­vartin, Brahmapurohita, Brahmakāyika, Brahmapārṣadya, Parīttābha, Apramāṇābha, Ābhāsvara, Parīttaśubha, Apramāṇaśubha, Śubhakṛtsna, Bṛhatphala, Asaṃjñisattva, and Śuddhāvāsa—Avṛha, Sudarśana, Sudṛśa, Atapa, and Akaniṣṭha—gods; and the gods in the Ākāśānantyāyatana, in the Vijñānānantyāyatana, in the Ākiṃcityāyatana, and in the Naiva­saṃjñā­nāsaṃjñāyatana appear in the world, and that stream enterers appear in the world, and that once-returners, non-returners, worthy ones, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas appear in the world. Śāriputra, it is thanks to bodhisattva great beings that the Three Jewels appear in this world, and that ordinary requirements for sustaining oneself—food, drink, beds and seats, and medicines for sicknesses, tools, gems, pearls, beryl, conch shells, crystals, corals, silver, and gold—appear in the world. Śāriputra, all the requirements for all the happiness of gods and humans, the happiness of existence, and the happiness of nirvāṇa, they all, Śāriputra, appear in the world thanks to bodhisattva great beings. And why? Because bodhisattvas practicing the bodhisattva practice, standing in the six perfections, personally give gifts and connect others with giving as well, personally protect morality and connect others with morality, personally develop patience and connect others with patience, personally work hard at perseverance and connect others with perseverance, personally produce concentration and connect others with concentration, and personally develop wisdom and connect others with wisdom. Thereby, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings have set forth for the benefit and happiness of all beings.”