Then venerable Subhūti inquired of the Lord, “Lord, given that dharmas are without causal signs, without effort, unadulterated, and empty of their own mark, how is it that bodhisattvas complete the cultivation of the six perfections—the perfection of giving, perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom? How are these dharmas without outflows labeled as different? How is there a variation between them? How is the perfection of giving included within the perfection of wisdom, and how are the perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, and perfection of concentration included within the perfection of wisdom? Lord, how can such unmarked dharmas, dharmas that have but one mark—no mark—be different?”

Venerable Subhūti having thus inquired, the Lord said to him, “Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom, standing in the five aggregates that are like a dream, give gifts, guard morality, cultivate patience, make a vigorous effort, become absorbed in meditative stabilization, and cultivate wisdom. Standing in the five appropriating aggregates that are like an echo, they give gifts, guard morality, cultivate patience, make a vigorous effort, become absorbed in meditative stabilization, and cultivate wisdom. Standing in the five appropriating aggregates that are like an apparition, like a mirage, like an illusion, and like a magical creation, they give gifts, guard morality, cultivate patience, make a vigorous effort, become absorbed in meditative stabilization, and cultivate wisdom. Those five aggregates are like a dream—that is, are without marks; they are like an echo, like an apparition, like a mirage, like an illusion, and like a magical creation—that is, are without marks. And why? Because a dream has no intrinsic nature at all; an echo, an apparition, a mirage, an illusion, and a magical creation have no intrinsic nature at all, and whatever has no intrinsic nature has no mark, and that which has no mark is, thus, as no mark, one mark. Therefore, Subhūti, you should thus know from this one of many explanations that the gift has no mark, the giver has no mark, and the recipient has no mark.

“Those who give a gift with such an understanding complete the perfection of giving. Completing the perfection of giving, they do not turn back from the perfection of morality, and do not turn back from the perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, or perfection of wisdom. Standing in those six perfections, they complete the four concentrations, complete the four immeasurables, complete the four formless absorptions, complete the four applications of mindfulness, complete the four right efforts, and complete the four legs of miraculous power, five faculties, five powers, seven limbs of awakening, eightfold noble path, inner emptiness, and similarly, connect this with each, up to the emptiness of its own mark. They complete the emptiness meditative stabilization, signlessness meditative stabilization, and wishlessness meditative stabilization; they complete the eight deliverances, nine serial absorptions, and five clairvoyances; they complete the five hundred dhāraṇī gateways; and they complete the ten tathāgata powers, four fearlessnesses, four detailed and thorough knowledges, and eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha.

“Standing in those noble dharmas without outflows arisen from maturation, they go through miraculous power to world systems in the eastern direction and wait on the lord buddhas. They attend to the needs of those lord buddhas, and work for the welfare of beings there with their possessions. They gather into a retinue with giving those beings there who can be gathered with giving; they gather into a retinue by being moral those beings there who can be gathered with morality; they gather into a retinue by being patient those beings there who can be gathered by patience; they gather into a retinue by persevering those beings there who can be gathered with perseverance; they gather into a retinue by meditative stabilization those beings there who can be gathered with meditative stabilization; they gather into a retinue by wisdom those beings there who can be gathered with wisdom, up to and they gather into a retinue by all wholesome dharmas those beings there who can be gathered with all wholesome dharmas. Endowed with those wholesome dharmas they even appropriate a life in saṃsāra, but they are not affected by the sufferings that exist in saṃsāra. They appropriate the things that make the life of humans and gods enjoyable for the sake of beings, and help those beings with those things that make life enjoyable.

“They know all dharmas have no mark. They know the result of stream enterer but do not remain standing there; they know the result of once-returner but do not remain standing there; they know the result of non-returner but do not remain standing there; they know the state of a worthy one but do not remain standing there; and they know a pratyekabuddha’s awakening but do not remain standing there. And why? It is because they, knowing all dharmas have no mark, have to reach the knowledge of all aspects not shared in common with śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas. Therefore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings, knowing all dharmas have no mark, know the six perfections have no mark, up to know all the buddhadharmas have no mark either.

“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom, standing in the five appropriating aggregates that are like a dream, complete the perfection of morality; standing in the five appropriating aggregates that are like an echo, like an apparition, like an illusion, like a mirage, and like a magical creation, they complete the perfection of morality. Understanding that the five appropriating aggregates are like a dream, and understanding that the five appropriating aggregates are like an echo, like an apparition, like a mirage, like an illusion, and like a magical creation, they complete the unflagging, unpunctured, unadulterated, unfragmented, untarnished, autonomous, well-completed perfection of morality praised by the wise and belonging to the noble path without outflows. Standing there, they guard morality that comes from ordination vows, morality gained through the true nature of dharmas, restraint morality, proclaimed morality, and morality that comes through force of habit. But even though they are endowed with such morality as that, they do not grasp it as absolute, thinking, ‘On account of this may I be born sharing the good fortune of a great sāla tree–like royal family, or may I be born sharing the good fortune of a great sāla tree–like brahmin family, or a great sāla tree–like business family; or may I become a wheel-turning emperor, or a local ruler; or may I be born sharing the good fortune of the Cāturmahā­rājika gods, or may I be born sharing the good fortune of the Trāyastriṃśa gods, or may I be born sharing the good fortune of the Yāma, or Tuṣita, or Nirmāṇarati, or Para­nirmita­vaśa­vartin gods; or may I reach the result of stream enterer, or the result of once-returner, or the result of non-returner, or the state of a worthy one, or a pratyekabuddha’s awakening.’ And why? Subhūti, it is because all dharmas are marked by the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, so they have only one mark—that is, no mark—and a dharma that has no mark does not reach a dharma that has no mark. A dharma that has a different mark does not reach a dharma that has a different mark. And dharmas that have no marks or have different marks do not reach dharmas that have no marks or have different marks.

“In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom complete the perfection of morality that has no mark. Having completed the perfection of morality that has no mark, they enter into the secure state of a bodhisattva, and having entered into the secure state of a bodhisattva and gained the forbearance for dharmas that are not produced, they practice the knowledge of path aspects and acquire the clairvoyances arisen from maturation. Stationed in the five hundred dhāraṇī gateways, they acquire the four detailed and thorough knowledges, pass on from buddhafield to buddhafield, attend on the lord buddhas, bring beings to maturity, and take possession of a buddhafield.

“They stream through the five forms of life in the stream of cyclic existence but are not affected by the maturation of actions done when living in saṃsāra.

“To illustrate, a magical creation stands up, sits down, and lies down, but going, coming, remaining standing, sitting, and lying down are absent from it. It also works for the welfare of beings, even though it has no apprehension of beings or even the designation of a being. To illustrate further, a tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete buddha, having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, has turned the wheel of the Dharma and has led infinite beings into complete nirvāṇa in the two vehicles. But still, not seeing any bodhisattva at all whose unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening has been prophesied, that tathāgata throws off the volitional factor that is life, magically produces a magical creation, and passes into complete nirvāṇa in the element of nirvāṇa without any aggregates left behind. Subhūti, after many eons have gone by that magical creation, after having prophesied the unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening of a bodhisattva, also passes into complete nirvāṇa. But no real form, or feeling, or perception, or volitional factors, or consciousness of that magical creation can be apprehended at all as a basis. Similarly, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings too have no apprehension of beings or even the designation of a being but still work for the welfare of beings.

“In that way, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom complete the perfection of morality, all dharmas are included within that completion.

“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom, standing in the five appropriating aggregates that are like a dream—in the five appropriating aggregates that are like an echo, like an apparition, like an illusion, like a mirage, and like a magical creation—complete the perfection of patience that has no mark.

“Subhūti, how do bodhisattva great beings standing in the five appropriating aggregates without marks complete the perfection of patience? Here, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings complete the perfection of patience with two sorts of patience. What are the two? Starting from the first production of the thought up until seated at the site of awakening, during that period, whether all beings come and snub, or humiliate, or refuse to associate with, or swear at them, or whether they deal them blows with sticks, clubs, and swords, bodhisattva great beings who want to complete the perfection of patience should not let even a single feeling of emotional upset arise: ‘Who is snubbing, or humiliating, or refusing to associate with, or swearing at me, or dealing me blows with sticks, clubs, and swords?’ And why? Because if they have forbearance for all dharmas without a mark, how could it occur to them to think, ‘Who is snubbing, or humiliating, or refusing to associate with, or swearing at me, or dealing me blows with sticks, clubs, and swords?’ When they examine like that, they complete the perfection of patience, and, by having completed the perfection of patience, they gain forbearance for dharmas that have not been produced.”

The Lord having said that, venerable Subhūti asked him, “Lord, what is forbearance for dharmas that are not produced? How do you gauge it? What is knowledge?”

Venerable Subhūti having asked that, the Lord said to him, “Subhūti, a dharma, even the tiniest one, is not produced. That is called the subject that is not produced. The forbearance for that is called knowledge. Through that knowledge, forbearance for dharmas that are not produced is gained.”

The Lord having said that, venerable Subhūti then asked him, “Lord, what is the difference between these two types of patience: the forbearance for dharmas that are not produced of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, and the forbearance for dharmas of bodhisattva great beings?”

Venerable Subhūti having asked that, the Lord said to him, “Subhūti, the knowledge and the abandonment of a stream enterer—that is a bodhisattva’s forbearance; the knowledge and the abandonment of a once-returner, the knowledge and the abandonment of a non-returner, and the knowledge and the abandonment of a worthy one—that is a bodhisattva great being’s forbearance; and the knowledge and the abandonment of a pratyekabuddha—that is a bodhisattva great being’s forbearance. That, Subhūti, is the difference between the forbearance of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas and the forbearance of bodhisattva great beings.

“Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings who have such forbearance surpass all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. Remaining in the forbearance for dharmas that are not produced arisen from maturation, they pursue the bodhisattva’s path and complete the knowledge of path aspects. When they complete it, they are not separated from the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening and the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness meditative stabilizations. They are not separated from the five clairvoyances. Unseparated from the five clairvoyances, they bring beings to maturity and purify a buddhafield, and having brought beings to maturity and purified a buddhafield, with the wisdom of the unique single instant gain the knowledge of all aspects.

“In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings complete the perfection of patience that has no mark.

“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom, standing in the five appropriating aggregates that are like a dream, up to standing in the five appropriating aggregates that are like a magical creation, make a vigorous attempt at physical effort and mental effort that have no marks. With physical effort, having accomplished miraculous power, they go to world systems in the ten directions and wait on the lord buddhas and work for the welfare of beings. With that physical effort they bring beings to maturity and establish them in the three vehicles. In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom complete the perfection of perseverance that has no mark.

“With mental effort without outflows, incorporated into the path, they complete the perfection of perseverance included in which are these—namely, the four applications of mindfulness, four right efforts, four legs of miraculous power, five faculties, five powers, seven limbs of awakening, and eightfold noble path, as well as the three gateways to liberation, four concentrations, four immeasurables, four formless absorptions, eight deliverances, nine serial absorptions, ten tathāgata powers, four fearlessnesses, four detailed and thorough knowledges, and eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha—all wholesome dharmas. Practicing all these, bodhisattva great beings should complete the knowledge of all aspects. When they have completed it, all connections with residual impressions are eliminated. When those have been eliminated, they complete the perfect development that has no mark, and, having accomplished the power of meditative absorption, turn the wheel of the Dharma three times, a turning that has twelve aspects. On account of that turning the great billionfold world system in six ways shakes, shakes greatly, and shakes violently; quakes, quakes greatly, and quakes violently; resounds, resounds greatly, and resounds violently, pervading all the great billionfold world system with an illumination. That tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete buddha emits a sound, a sound that causes listening, and the beings staying in the great billionfold world system hear that sound and they all become definite in the three vehicles.

“Subhūti, the perfection of perseverance of bodhisattva great beings is thus treated as very important. Standing in this perfection of perseverance, bodhisattva great beings complete all the buddhadharmas and gain the knowledge of all aspects.

“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom, standing in the five appropriating aggregates that are like a dream, complete the perfection of meditative stabilization, up to standing in the five appropriating aggregates that are like a magical creation, complete the perfection of meditative stabilization.

“And how, Subhūti, do bodhisattva great beings standing in the five appropriating aggregates that are like a dream, up to like a magical creation complete the perfection of meditative stabilization?

“Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom accomplish and dwell in the first concentration, up to accomplish and dwell in the fourth concentration, and accomplish and dwell in love, compassion, joy, equanimity, from in the station of endless space, up to the station of neither perception nor nonperception. They cultivate the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness meditative stabilizations, and except for a tathāgata’s meditative stabilization, and the meditative stabilization like a flash of lightning, the perfect meditative stabilization, and the vajropama meditative stabilization, having pervaded them with their bodies they accomplish and dwell in any śrāvaka meditative stabilization or pratyekabuddha meditative stabilization as appropriate, or any other of the host of meditative stabilizations as appropriate, but without relishing the meditative stabilization’s result. And why? Because those bodhisattva great beings perceive that the mark of a meditative stabilization is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. Just as a phenomenon that has no mark does not experience the taste of a phenomenon that has no mark, and just as a phenomenon that is a nonexistent thing does not experience the taste of a phenomenon that is a nonexistent thing, since they do not experience anything, governed by which meditative stabilization will they take birth in the desire realm, or the form realm, or the formless realm? And why? Because they do not apprehend those realms and also do not apprehend someone who might become absorbed or that through which absorption might come about. Because they do not apprehend those, they complete the perfection of meditative stabilization that has no mark, and on account of that perfection of meditative stabilization pass beyond the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha levels.”

Then venerable Subhūti asked the Lord, “Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings, having completed the perfection of meditative stabilization that has no mark, pass beyond the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha levels?”

“Subhūti, it is because bodhisattva great beings have trained well in inner emptiness, up to have trained well in the emptiness of its own mark and do not apprehend in these emptinesses any dharma that they would stand on for the result of stream enterer, or the result of once-returner, or the result of non-returner, or the state of a worthy one, or a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, up to or the knowledge of all aspects. That emptiness too is empty, so by those emptinesses they pass beyond the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha levels and enter into the flawlessness of a bodhisattva.”

“Lord, what is a bodhisattva’s flaw and what is a bodhisattva’s flawlessness?”

“Subhūti, all apprehending is the bodhisattva great beings’ flaw; all not apprehending is flawlessness.”

“Lord, what is apprehending, and what is not apprehending?”

“Bodhisattva great beings apprehend form; bodhisattva great beings apprehend feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness; they apprehend the eyes and form, and ears and sound, and nose and smell, and tongue and taste, and body and feeling, and the thinking mind and dharmas. Similarly, connect this with each, up to apprehend the knowledge of all aspects.

“Subhūti, all not apprehending, from form up to the knowledge of all aspects, even as something that can be talked about, is flawlessness. Why? Subhūti, it is because the intrinsic nature of form cannot be apprehended. The intrinsic nature of form is a nonexistent thing and cannot be talked about, up to the intrinsic nature of the knowledge of all aspects is a nonexistent thing and cannot be talked about. This, Subhūti, is the flawlessness of bodhisattva great beings. Those bodhisattva great beings, having entered into flawlessness, complete all the meditative stabilizations, but their birth is not dictated even by the completed absorption, so what need is there to say that their birth is not on account of greed, hatred, and confusion? It is impossible that they would occasion any action while under their influence, any action that would occasion birth from any of the four concentrations. On the contrary, standing in dharmas that are like an illusion, they work for the welfare of beings, without apprehending beings and without apprehending the illusion. Without apprehending anything they bring beings to maturity and purify a buddhafield. In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings, having completed the perfection of meditative stabilization, go on until they turn the wheel of the Dharma—that is, the wheel that cannot be apprehended.

“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom comprehend that all phenomena are like a dream, like an echo, like an apparition, like an illusion, like a mirage, and like a magical creation.”

The Lord having said that, venerable Subhūti asked him, “Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom comprehend that all phenomena are like a dream, and how do they comprehend that all phenomena are like an echo, like an apparition, like an illusion, like a mirage, and like a magical creation?”

“Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom are not the dreaming of a dream and are not the dreamers of a dream, are not the hearing of an echo and are not the hearers of an echo, are not the seeing of an apparition and are not those who see an apparition, are not the seeing of a mirage and are not those who see a mirage, and are not the seeing of a magical creation and are not those who see a magical creation. And why? Because a dream, echo, apparition, illusion, mirage, and magical creation are all error; they are all the error of ordinary people. A worthy one is not the dreaming of a dream and is not the dreamer of a dream, up to is not the seeing of a magical creation and is not the one who sees a magical creation. Similarly, connect this with each, up to a pratyekabuddha, and a bodhisattva, and even a tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete buddha is not the dreaming of a dream and is not the dreamer of a dream, up to is not the seeing of a magical creation and is not the one who sees a magical creation. And why? Because all phenomena are the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, are not produced, and are not existent. In regard to things that are the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, that are not thoroughly established, how could bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom become those with the notion that they are existent things, or those with the notion that they are thoroughly established? It is impossible. And why? Because it would not be the perfection of wisdom if any phenomena were to have an intrinsic nature, be thoroughly established, or exist.

“In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom are not attached to form, up to are not attached to consciousness; are not attached to the desire realm, are not attached to the form realm, and are not attached to the formless realm; are not attached to the concentrations, deliverances, or absorptions; are not attached to the four applications of mindfulness, up to the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening; are not attached to the emptiness meditative stabilization, signlessness meditative stabilization, or wishlessness meditative stabilization; are not attached to the perfection of giving, and similarly, connect this with are not attached to the perfection of morality, patience, perseverance, concentration, or wisdom. While practicing the perfection of wisdom they complete the first level, but they do not generate an attachment that wants to be there. And why? Because if they cannot apprehend that level, how could they generate an attachment that wants to be there? Similarly, up to they complete the tenth level, but they do not generate an attachment that wants to be there. And why? Because if they cannot apprehend that level, how could they generate an attachment that wants to be there? Even while practicing the perfection of wisdom they do not apprehend that perfection of wisdom. While practicing that nonapprehended perfection of wisdom, they see that all dharmas are included within that perfection of wisdom, but they do not apprehend those dharmas either. And why? Because those dharmas and that perfection of wisdom are not two and are not divided. And why? Because there is no difference at all in those dharmas. According to the way the dharma-constituent is taught, suchness is taught, and the very limit of reality is taught, all dharmas are not broken apart.”

“Lord, if all dharmas are unadulterated, how are wholesome and unwholesome dharmas taught, how are dharmas with outflows and without outflows taught, and how are compounded and uncompounded dharmas taught?”

“Subhūti, what do you think, in the true dharmic nature of dharmas, is there anything at all, be it compounded or uncompounded, or be it the result of stream enterer, or the result of once-returner, or the result of non-returner, or the state of a worthy one, or a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, or a buddhadharma that can be talked about?”

“No, there is not, Lord.”

“Subhūti, you should therefore know from this one of many explanations that all dharmas are thus unadulterated and that all dharmas have no marks, are not produced, and do not stop.

“Subhūti, earlier when I was practicing the bodhisattva’s practice I did not apprehend an intrinsic nature of any dharma at all, be it ‘form,’ or ‘feeling,’ or ‘perception,’ or ‘volitional factors,’ or ‘consciousness’; or…, up to ‘the compounded,’ or ‘the uncompounded’; or ‘the result of stream enterer’; or…, up to ‘awakening.’

“In that way, Subhūti, starting from the first production of the thought up until fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should be skilled in the intrinsic nature of all phenomena by way of not apprehending anything at all. Bodhisattva great beings skilled in the intrinsic nature of phenomena complete the awakening path, bring beings to maturity, and purify a buddhafield. Stationed there, having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, having led beings, one way or the other they lead them such that they do not suffer in the three suffering existences.

“In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings should train in the perfection of wisdom by way of the absence of marks.”