Then it occurred to venerable Subhūti to think, “Ah! This awakening of the tathāgatas is deep, so without a doubt I am going to have to question the Tathāgata.” Then venerable Subhūti asked the Lord, “Lord, is this perfection of wisdom not exhausted?”
EN
“Subhūti,” he replied, “because space is inexhaustible the perfection of wisdom is not exhausted.”
EN
“Lord, how are bodhisattva great beings to accomplish the perfection of wisdom?” he asked.
EN
“Subhūti,” he replied, “because form is inexhaustible they will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Subhūti, because feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are inexhaustible they will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Subhūti, because the perfection of giving is inexhaustible they will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Connect this in the same way with each, up to Subhūti, because the knowledge of all aspects is inexhaustible they will accomplish the perfection of wisdom.
EN
“Through form and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through feeling and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through perception and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through volitional factors and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through consciousness and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through the aggregates and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Connect this in the same way with through the constituents and space being inexhaustible, and through the sense fields and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom.
EN
“Through dependent origination and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through ignorance and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through volitional factors and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through consciousness and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through name and form and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through the six sense fields and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through contact and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through feeling and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through craving and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through appropriation and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through existence and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through birth and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through old age, death, pain, lamentation, suffering, depression, and grief and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom.
EN
“Subhūti, this is how bodhisattva great beings should accomplish the perfection of wisdom, and this, Subhūti, is the bodhisattva great beings’ insight into dependent origination and insight into avoiding a beginning and an end. Such insight into dependent origination is the distinctive attribute of bodhisattva great beings seated at the site of awakening, and with such insight into dependent origination they will reach the knowledge of all aspects. Subhūti, any bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom by way of this space-like inexhaustible accomplishment have insight into dependent origination and will not stand on the śrāvaka level or the pratyekabuddha level. They will stand in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. When any son of a good family or daughter of a good family in the Bodhisattva Vehicle turns back, they turn back on account of not having resorted to paying attention to the perfection of wisdom. Subhūti, they do not understand how bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom by way of this space-like inexhaustible accomplishment get insight into dependent origination and accomplishment. Subhūti, those persons in the Bodhisattva Vehicle who will turn back from unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening will turn back on account of not having resorted to this skill in means. Subhūti, those bodhisattva great beings who are irreversible from unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening are irreversible from unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening thanks to this perfection of wisdom because of skillful means. Therefore, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should get insight into dependent origination and accomplishment through the space-like inexhaustible accomplishment.
EN
“Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings with such insight into dependent origination do not see any causeless phenomenon being produced at all, do not view any ceasing permanent phenomenon at all, do not view any phenomenon as a self at all, and do not view any phenomenon at all as a being, a living being, a creature, one born of Manu, a child of Manu, one who lives, a person, one who does, one who makes someone else do, a motivator, one who motivates, one who feels, one who makes someone else feel, one who knows, one who sees, or as permanent, impermanent, suffering, happiness, self, selfless, calm, or not calm. Subhūti, that is how bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should have insight into dependent origination. Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings are practicing the perfection of wisdom they do not view form as permanent or impermanent, as happiness or suffering, as self or no self, or as calm or not calm. Connect this in the same way with each, up to they do not view the knowledge of all aspects as permanent or impermanent, as happiness or suffering, as self or no self, or as calm or not calm.
EN
“Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings are practicing the perfection of wisdom, by practicing the perfection of wisdom they do not at that time see the perfection of wisdom, and they do not see a phenomenon with which they would see the perfection of wisdom, and so too with the perfection of concentration, up to the perfection of giving. Connect this in the same way with each, up to they do not see awakening, and they do not see a phenomenon with which they would see awakening. Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should thus practice the perfection of wisdom without apprehending any phenomena.
EN
“Subhūti, when a bodhisattva great being practices the perfection of wisdom like this without apprehending any phenomena, at that time, Subhūti, Māra the wicked one gets a sharp stab of pain. For example, Subhūti, just as a human being whose mother and father die gets a sharp stab of pain, gets a huge sharp stab of pain, so too, Subhūti, Māra the wicked one gets a sharp stab of pain when a bodhisattva great being practices the perfection of wisdom without apprehending all phenomena.”
EN
The Lord having said this, venerable Subhūti asked him, “Lord, will one single wicked Māra get a sharp stab of pain when a bodhisattva great being practices the perfection of wisdom without apprehending all dharmas, or will all the wicked Māras standing in a great billionfold world system get a sharp stab of pain and not sit easily on their own seats?”
EN
“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “when a bodhisattva great being is inseparable from the dwelling that is the perfection of wisdom, all the wicked Māras standing in a great billionfold world system will get an excruciatingly sharp stab of pain and not sit easily on their own seats. The world with its gods, humans, and asuras will not find any opportunity to get hold of and hurt a bodhisattva great being in a life like that.
EN
“Therefore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening should dwell in the dwelling that is this perfection of wisdom. When bodhisattva great beings are dwelling in this dwelling that is this perfection of wisdom, the cultivation of the perfection of giving reaches completion. Connect this in the same way with each, up to the cultivation of the perfection of concentration reaches completion. When bodhisattva great beings are practicing this perfection of wisdom, the cultivation of all the perfections reaches completion.”
EN
Then venerable Subhūti asked the Lord, “Lord, how does the cultivation of the perfection of giving reach completion in bodhisattva great beings practicing this perfection of wisdom? How does the cultivation of the perfection of morality reach completion…, and so too, up to how does the cultivation of the perfection of wisdom reach completion?”
EN
Venerable Subhūti having inquired about this, the Lord said to him, “Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings giving a gift give the gift while dedicating it to the knowledge of all aspects. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings’ cultivation of the perfection of giving reaches completion.
EN
“Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings guarding morality guard morality while dedicating it to the knowledge of all aspects. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings’ cultivation of the perfection of morality reaches completion.
EN
“Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings making a practice of patience cultivate patience while dedicating it to the knowledge of all aspects. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings’ cultivation of the perfection of patience reaches completion.
EN
“Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings make an effort at perseverance, how does the cultivation of the perfection of perseverance reach completion? Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings making an effort at perseverance do so while dedicating it to the knowledge of all aspects. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings’ cultivation of the perfection of perseverance reaches completion.
EN
“Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings becoming absorbed in concentration become absorbed in concentration while dedicating it to the knowledge of all aspects. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings’ cultivation of those perfections of concentration reaches completion.
EN
“Subhūti, how does the bodhisattva great beings’ cultivation of the perfection of wisdom reach completion? Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings cultivating the perfection of wisdom cultivate wisdom while dedicating those perfections of wisdom to the knowledge of all aspects. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings’ cultivation of the perfection of wisdom reaches completion.”
EN
Then venerable Subhūti asked the Lord, “Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of morality?”
EN
“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “here bodhisattva great beings giving a gift and dedicating it to the knowledge of all aspects attend on all beings with kindly physical action, attend on all beings with kindly verbal action, and with kindly mental action. When they do so, the bodhisattva great beings incorporate the perfection of morality.”
EN
“Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of patience?” asked Subhūti.
EN
“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “here, when bodhisattva great beings give a gift, even if the recipients criticize or humiliate or refuse to associate with and swear at them, they do not bear them any malice. In that case, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of patience.”
EN
“Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of perseverance?” he asked.
EN
“Subhūti,” he replied, “when bodhisattva great beings give a gift and those recipients criticize or humiliate or refuse to associate with and swear at them, if, even while being criticized or humiliated or sworn at they keep on being generous, keep on giving things away, willing themselves to persevere physically and mentally with the thought, ‘Mine is simply the giving of gifts, mine is not the withholding of them,’ in that case, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of perseverance.”
EN
“Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of concentration?” he asked.
EN
“Subhūti,” he replied, “here bodhisattva great beings giving a gift, when giving that gift away dedicate it to the knowledge of all aspects. They do not dedicate it in their minds to the śrāvaka level or the pratyekabuddha level, but rather focus their thought only on the knowledge of all aspects. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of concentration.”
EN
“Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of wisdom?” asked Subhūti.
EN
“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “here while bodhisattva great being are giving a gift, giving that gift away and dedicating it to the knowledge of all aspects, they continually bring to mind the fact that the giving is like an illusion and they do not see that giving as helping or harming any being at all. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of wisdom.”
Then it occurred to venerable Subhūti to think, “Ah! This awakening of the tathāgatas is deep, so without a doubt I am going to have to question the Tathāgata.” Then venerable Subhūti asked the Lord, “Lord, is this perfection of wisdom not exhausted?”
EN
“Subhūti,” he replied, “because space is inexhaustible the perfection of wisdom is not exhausted.”
EN
“Lord, how are bodhisattva great beings to accomplish the perfection of wisdom?” he asked.
EN
“Subhūti,” he replied, “because form is inexhaustible they will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Subhūti, because feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are inexhaustible they will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Subhūti, because the perfection of giving is inexhaustible they will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Connect this in the same way with each, up to Subhūti, because the knowledge of all aspects is inexhaustible they will accomplish the perfection of wisdom.
EN
“Through form and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through feeling and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through perception and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through volitional factors and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through consciousness and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through the aggregates and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Connect this in the same way with through the constituents and space being inexhaustible, and through the sense fields and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom.
EN
“Through dependent origination and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through ignorance and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through volitional factors and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through consciousness and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through name and form and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through the six sense fields and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through contact and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through feeling and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through craving and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through appropriation and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through existence and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through birth and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom. Through old age, death, pain, lamentation, suffering, depression, and grief and space being inexhaustible, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will accomplish the perfection of wisdom.
EN
“Subhūti, this is how bodhisattva great beings should accomplish the perfection of wisdom, and this, Subhūti, is the bodhisattva great beings’ insight into dependent origination and insight into avoiding a beginning and an end. Such insight into dependent origination is the distinctive attribute of bodhisattva great beings seated at the site of awakening, and with such insight into dependent origination they will reach the knowledge of all aspects. Subhūti, any bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom by way of this space-like inexhaustible accomplishment have insight into dependent origination and will not stand on the śrāvaka level or the pratyekabuddha level. They will stand in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. When any son of a good family or daughter of a good family in the Bodhisattva Vehicle turns back, they turn back on account of not having resorted to paying attention to the perfection of wisdom. Subhūti, they do not understand how bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom by way of this space-like inexhaustible accomplishment get insight into dependent origination and accomplishment. Subhūti, those persons in the Bodhisattva Vehicle who will turn back from unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening will turn back on account of not having resorted to this skill in means. Subhūti, those bodhisattva great beings who are irreversible from unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening are irreversible from unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening thanks to this perfection of wisdom because of skillful means. Therefore, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should get insight into dependent origination and accomplishment through the space-like inexhaustible accomplishment.
EN
“Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings with such insight into dependent origination do not see any causeless phenomenon being produced at all, do not view any ceasing permanent phenomenon at all, do not view any phenomenon as a self at all, and do not view any phenomenon at all as a being, a living being, a creature, one born of Manu, a child of Manu, one who lives, a person, one who does, one who makes someone else do, a motivator, one who motivates, one who feels, one who makes someone else feel, one who knows, one who sees, or as permanent, impermanent, suffering, happiness, self, selfless, calm, or not calm. Subhūti, that is how bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should have insight into dependent origination. Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings are practicing the perfection of wisdom they do not view form as permanent or impermanent, as happiness or suffering, as self or no self, or as calm or not calm. Connect this in the same way with each, up to they do not view the knowledge of all aspects as permanent or impermanent, as happiness or suffering, as self or no self, or as calm or not calm.
EN
“Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings are practicing the perfection of wisdom, by practicing the perfection of wisdom they do not at that time see the perfection of wisdom, and they do not see a phenomenon with which they would see the perfection of wisdom, and so too with the perfection of concentration, up to the perfection of giving. Connect this in the same way with each, up to they do not see awakening, and they do not see a phenomenon with which they would see awakening. Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should thus practice the perfection of wisdom without apprehending any phenomena.
EN
“Subhūti, when a bodhisattva great being practices the perfection of wisdom like this without apprehending any phenomena, at that time, Subhūti, Māra the wicked one gets a sharp stab of pain. For example, Subhūti, just as a human being whose mother and father die gets a sharp stab of pain, gets a huge sharp stab of pain, so too, Subhūti, Māra the wicked one gets a sharp stab of pain when a bodhisattva great being practices the perfection of wisdom without apprehending all phenomena.”
EN
The Lord having said this, venerable Subhūti asked him, “Lord, will one single wicked Māra get a sharp stab of pain when a bodhisattva great being practices the perfection of wisdom without apprehending all dharmas, or will all the wicked Māras standing in a great billionfold world system get a sharp stab of pain and not sit easily on their own seats?”
EN
“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “when a bodhisattva great being is inseparable from the dwelling that is the perfection of wisdom, all the wicked Māras standing in a great billionfold world system will get an excruciatingly sharp stab of pain and not sit easily on their own seats. The world with its gods, humans, and asuras will not find any opportunity to get hold of and hurt a bodhisattva great being in a life like that.
EN
“Therefore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening should dwell in the dwelling that is this perfection of wisdom. When bodhisattva great beings are dwelling in this dwelling that is this perfection of wisdom, the cultivation of the perfection of giving reaches completion. Connect this in the same way with each, up to the cultivation of the perfection of concentration reaches completion. When bodhisattva great beings are practicing this perfection of wisdom, the cultivation of all the perfections reaches completion.”
EN
Then venerable Subhūti asked the Lord, “Lord, how does the cultivation of the perfection of giving reach completion in bodhisattva great beings practicing this perfection of wisdom? How does the cultivation of the perfection of morality reach completion…, and so too, up to how does the cultivation of the perfection of wisdom reach completion?”
EN
Venerable Subhūti having inquired about this, the Lord said to him, “Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings giving a gift give the gift while dedicating it to the knowledge of all aspects. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings’ cultivation of the perfection of giving reaches completion.
EN
“Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings guarding morality guard morality while dedicating it to the knowledge of all aspects. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings’ cultivation of the perfection of morality reaches completion.
EN
“Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings making a practice of patience cultivate patience while dedicating it to the knowledge of all aspects. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings’ cultivation of the perfection of patience reaches completion.
EN
“Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings make an effort at perseverance, how does the cultivation of the perfection of perseverance reach completion? Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings making an effort at perseverance do so while dedicating it to the knowledge of all aspects. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings’ cultivation of the perfection of perseverance reaches completion.
EN
“Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings becoming absorbed in concentration become absorbed in concentration while dedicating it to the knowledge of all aspects. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings’ cultivation of those perfections of concentration reaches completion.
EN
“Subhūti, how does the bodhisattva great beings’ cultivation of the perfection of wisdom reach completion? Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings cultivating the perfection of wisdom cultivate wisdom while dedicating those perfections of wisdom to the knowledge of all aspects. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings’ cultivation of the perfection of wisdom reaches completion.”
EN
Then venerable Subhūti asked the Lord, “Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of morality?”
EN
“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “here bodhisattva great beings giving a gift and dedicating it to the knowledge of all aspects attend on all beings with kindly physical action, attend on all beings with kindly verbal action, and with kindly mental action. When they do so, the bodhisattva great beings incorporate the perfection of morality.”
EN
“Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of patience?” asked Subhūti.
EN
“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “here, when bodhisattva great beings give a gift, even if the recipients criticize or humiliate or refuse to associate with and swear at them, they do not bear them any malice. In that case, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of patience.”
EN
“Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of perseverance?” he asked.
EN
“Subhūti,” he replied, “when bodhisattva great beings give a gift and those recipients criticize or humiliate or refuse to associate with and swear at them, if, even while being criticized or humiliated or sworn at they keep on being generous, keep on giving things away, willing themselves to persevere physically and mentally with the thought, ‘Mine is simply the giving of gifts, mine is not the withholding of them,’ in that case, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of perseverance.”
EN
“Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of concentration?” he asked.
EN
“Subhūti,” he replied, “here bodhisattva great beings giving a gift, when giving that gift away dedicate it to the knowledge of all aspects. They do not dedicate it in their minds to the śrāvaka level or the pratyekabuddha level, but rather focus their thought only on the knowledge of all aspects. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of concentration.”
EN
“Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of wisdom?” asked Subhūti.
EN
“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “here while bodhisattva great being are giving a gift, giving that gift away and dedicating it to the knowledge of all aspects, they continually bring to mind the fact that the giving is like an illusion and they do not see that giving as helping or harming any being at all. In that way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of giving incorporate the perfection of wisdom.”
Sutraya