Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, if bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom without skillful means practice form they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice ‘form is permanent’ or ‘impermanent’ they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is permanent’ or ‘impermanent’ they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice ‘form is happiness’ or ‘suffering’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is ‘happiness’ or ‘suffering’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘form is self’ or ‘no self’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is self’ or ‘no self’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘form is calm’ or ‘not calm’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is calm’ or ‘not calm’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘form is isolated’ or ‘not isolated’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is isolated’ or ‘not isolated’ they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom.
“Lord, if bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom without skillful means practice the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening they practice a causal sign. Similarly, if they practice the clairvoyances, the perfections, the five eyes, the powers, and the four fearlessnesses, up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom.
“Lord, if it occurs to bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom, ‘I am practicing the perfection of wisdom,’ they practice what they falsely consider a fact. Those bodhisattva great beings practice just a causal sign.
Lord, if it occurs to bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom, ‘Someone who practices thus, practices the perfection of wisdom and cultivates the perfection of wisdom,’ they practice just a causal sign. You should know that this is the bodhisattva great beings’ lack of skillful means.”
“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom like that possess, form a notion of, and believe in form, and possess, form a notion of, and believe in feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness, so they practice an enactment of form, and they practice an enactment of feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness. I say that this creates their birth, old age, sickness, death, pain, lamentation, suffering, mental anguish, and grief.
“Furthermore, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom without skillful means possess, form a notion of, and believe in eyes; possess, form a notion of, and believe in ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind; possess, form a notion of, and believe in a form; possess, form a notion of, and believe in a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and a dharma; possess, form a notion of, and believe in eye consciousness; and possess, form a notion of, and believe in ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, and thinking-mind consciousness.
“If they possess, form a notion of, and believe in eye contact; if they possess, form a notion of, and believe in ear, nose, tongue, body, or thinking-mind contact; if they possess, form a notion of, and believe in a pleasurable feeling or suffering feeling, or a neither pleasurable nor suffering feeling that arises from the condition of eye contact; if they possess, form a notion of, and believe in a pleasurable feeling or suffering feeling, or a neither pleasurable nor suffering feeling that arises from the condition of ear, nose, tongue, body, or thinking-mind contact; if they possess, form a notion of, and believe in the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, five eyes, six clairvoyances, six perfections, four fearlessnesses, four immeasurables, four concentrations, four absorptions, or ten tathāgata powers; if they possess, form a notion of, and believe in the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha; or if they possess, form a notion of, and believe in the dharmas of the state of a worthy one, of a pratyekabuddha, of a bodhisattva, or of a buddha, they practice an enactment. I say that those practicing enactments are not released from birth, old age, sickness, death, pain, lamentation, suffering, mental anguish, and grief; they are not released from suffering, and so on.
“Venerable Śāriputra, if those bodhisattvas do not even have the good fortune to realize the śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha level, how could they fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening? It is impossible.
“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “if, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom they do not practice form; do not practice feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness; do not practice the causal sign of form; do not practice the causal sign of feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness; do not practice ‘form is permanent’ or ‘impermanent’; and similarly do not practice ‘form is happiness’ or ‘suffering,’ ‘self’ or ‘no self,’ or ‘calm’ or ‘not calm’; do not practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is permanent’ or ‘impermanent,’ ‘happiness’ or ‘suffering,’ ‘self’ or ‘no self,’ or ‘calm’ or ‘not calm’; do not practice ‘form is empty’ or ‘not empty,’ ‘has a sign’ or ‘is signless,’ or ‘is wished for’ or ‘is wishless’; do not practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is empty’ or ‘not empty,’ ‘has a sign’ or ‘is signless,’ or ‘is wished for’ or ‘is wishless’; do not practice ‘form is isolated’ or practice ‘it is not isolated’; do not practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is isolated’ or practice ‘it is not isolated,’ then, Venerable Śāriputra, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom like that you should know that they have skillful means.
“And why? Venerable Śāriputra, because that emptiness of form is not form, form is not other than emptiness, and emptiness is not other than form. Form itself is emptiness and emptiness itself is form. And the emptiness of feeling … perception … volitional factors … and consciousness is not consciousness, and consciousness is not other than emptiness, and emptiness is not other than consciousness. Consciousness itself is emptiness and emptiness itself is consciousness. Similarly, Venerable Śāriputra, because the emptiness of the constituents … sense fields … and dependent originations … and the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening … the perfections … the clairvoyances … the tathāgata powers … the fearlessnesses … the detailed and thorough knowledges … up to the emptiness of the distinct attributes of a buddha are not the distinct attributes of a buddha, the distinct attributes of a buddha are not other than emptiness, and emptiness is not other than the distinct attributes of a buddha. Emptiness is the distinct attributes of a buddha and the distinct attributes of a buddha are emptiness.
“Venerable Śāriputra, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom like that you should know that they have skillful means. Venerable Śāriputra, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom like that they have the good fortune to awaken fully to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.
“If, while practicing the perfection of wisdom they assert any dharma, they are not practicing the perfection of wisdom. Even if they do not so assert, they are not practicing the perfection of wisdom. Even if they do assert when they so assert and do not assert when they do not so assert, they are not practicing the perfection of wisdom. Even if they neither so assert nor do not so assert, they are not practicing the perfection of wisdom.”
Subhūti replied, “Because, Venerable Śāriputra, the perfection of wisdom is without an intrinsic nature and cannot be found. And why? Because, Venerable Śāriputra, the perfection of wisdom is not a real thing. Because of this one of many explanations bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom do not assert ‘I am practicing,’ do not assert ‘I am not practicing,’ do not assert ‘I am practicing when I am practicing and not practicing when I am not practicing,’ and do not assert, ‘I am neither practicing nor not practicing.’ And why? Because they have comprehended all dharmas as things that are not real and do not accept them, so bodhisattva great beings thus practicing the perfection of wisdom are close to the knowledge of all aspects.
“It is the vast, prized, infinite, constant meditative stabilization, sarvadharmānutpāda by name, of bodhisattva great beings that cannot be stolen and is not shared in common with śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas.
Śāriputra then asked, “Venerable Subhūti, do bodhisattva great beings abiding by means of this meditative stabilization alone quickly and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, or do they also do so by means of other meditative stabilizations?”
“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “bodhisattva great beings abiding by means of other meditative stabilizations as well also quickly and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.”
Śāriputra then asked, “Venerable Subhūti, what are those other meditative stabilizations, abiding by means of which bodhisattva great beings quickly and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening?”
“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “there is a meditative stabilization of bodhisattva great beings, śūraṅgama by name. Abiding by means of that meditative stabilization bodhisattva great beings quickly and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Similarly, there is the meditative stabilization rājamudra, the meditative stabilization siṃhavikrīḍita, the meditative stabilization sucandra, the meditative stabilization sarvadharmodgata, the meditative stabilization sarvadharmamudra, the meditative stabilization vilokitamūrdhā, the meditative stabilization dharmadhātuniyata, the meditative stabilization niyatadhvajaketu, the meditative stabilization vajraratna, the meditative stabilization sarvadharmapraveśamudra, the meditative stabilization samādhirāja, the meditative stabilization raśmipramukha, the meditative stabilization balavyūha, the meditative stabilization samāhitāvasthāpratiṣṭhāna, the meditative stabilization rājamudra the meditative stabilization balavīrya, the meditative stabilization samudgata, the meditative stabilization niruktiniyatapraveśa, the meditative stabilization adhivacanapraveśa, the meditative stabilization digvilokita, the meditative stabilization ādhāramudrā, the meditative stabilization asaṃpramoṣa, the meditative stabilization sarvadharmasamavasaraṇasamudra, the meditative stabilization ākāśaspharaṇa, the meditative stabilization vajramaṇḍala, the meditative stabilization dhvajāgrakeyūra, the meditative stabilization indraketu, the meditative stabilization śroto’nugata, the meditative stabilization siṃhavijṛmbhita, the meditative stabilization vyatyasta, the meditative stabilization ratnajahā, the meditative stabilization vairocana, the meditative stabilization aneṣa, the meditative stabilization aniketasthita, the meditative stabilization niścitta, the meditative stabilization vimalapradīpa, the meditative stabilization anantaprabha, the meditative stabilization prabhākara, the meditative stabilization samantāvabhāsa, the meditative stabilization śuddhasāra, the meditative stabilization vimalaprabha, the meditative stabilization ratikara, the meditative stabilization vidutpradīpa, the meditative stabilization akṣaya, the meditative stabilization ajeya, the meditative stabilization tejovatin, the meditative stabilization kṣayāpagata, the meditative stabilization āniñjya, the meditative stabilization avivartta, the meditative stabilization sūryapradīpa, the meditative stabilization candravimala, the meditative stabilization prajñāpradīpa, the meditative stabilization śuddhapratibhāsa, the meditative stabilization ālokakara, the meditative stabilization kārākāra, the meditative stabilization jñānaketu, the meditative stabilization vajropama, the meditative stabilization cittasthiti, the meditative stabilization samantāvaloka, the meditative stabilization supratiṣṭhita, the meditative stabilization ratnakoṭi, the meditative stabilization varadharmamudra, the meditative stabilization sarvadharmasamatā, the meditative stabilization ratijaha, the meditative stabilization dharmasamudgatapūrṇa, the meditative stabilization vikiraṇa, the meditative stabilization sarvadharmapadaprabheda, the meditative stabilization samākṣarāvakāra, the meditative stabilization akṣarāpagata, the meditative stabilization ārambanacchedaḥ, the meditative stabilization avikāra, the meditative stabilization aprakāra, the meditative stabilization nāmaniyatapraveśa, the meditative stabilization aniketacārī, the meditative stabilization vitimirāpagata, the meditative stabilization cāritravatin, the meditative stabilization acala, the meditative stabilization viṣayatīrṇa, the meditative stabilization sarvaguṇasaṃcaya, the meditative stabilization sthitaniścitta, the meditative stabilization śubhapuṣpitaśuddhi, the meditative stabilization bodhyaṅgavatin, the meditative stabilization anantapratibhāna, the meditative stabilization asamasama, the meditative stabilization sarvadharmātikramaṇa, the meditative stabilization paricchedakara, the meditative stabilization vimativikaraṇa, the meditative stabilization niradhiṣṭhāna, the meditative stabilization ekavyūha, the meditative stabilization ākārābhinirhāra, the meditative stabilization ekākāra, the meditative stabilization ākārānavakāra, the meditative stabilization nairvedhikasarvabhavatamo’pagata, the meditative stabilization sarvasaṃketarūtapraveśa, the meditative stabilization sarvagirighoṣākṣaravimukta, the meditative stabilization jvalanolka, the meditative stabilization anāvilakṣānti, the meditative stabilization lakṣanapariśodhaṇa, the meditative stabilization sarvākāravaropeta, the meditative stabilization sarvasukhaduḥkhanirabhinandin, the meditative stabilization akṣayakaraṇḍa, the meditative stabilization dhāraṇīmati, the meditative stabilization samyaktvamithyātvasarvasaṃgrasana, the meditative stabilization sarvarodhanirodhasaṃpraśamana, the meditative stabilization anurodhāpratirodha, the meditative stabilization vimalaprabha, the meditative stabilization sāravatin, the meditative stabilization paripūrṇavimalacandraprabha, the meditative stabilization vidyutprabha, the meditative stabilization mahāvyūha, the meditative stabilization sarvalokaprabhākara, the meditative stabilization samādhisamata, the meditative stabilization arajovirajonayayukta, the meditative stabilization araṇasaraṇasarvasamavasaraṇa, the meditative stabilization araṇasamavasaraṇa, the meditative stabilization anilambhaniketanirata, the meditative stabilization tathatāsthitiniścitta, the meditative stabilization kāyakalisaṃpramathana, the meditative stabilization vākkalividhvaṃsanagaganakalpa, and the meditative stabilization ākāśāsaṃgavimuktinirupalepa. Abiding by means of those meditative stabilizations, bodhisattva great beings quickly and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Venerable Śāriputra, those are the meditative stabilizations of bodhisattva great beings. Abiding by means of those meditative stabilizations, bodhisattva great beings quickly and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. And there are infinite, countless other meditative stabilization gateways and dhāraṇī gateways as well, having trained in which bodhisattva great beings quickly and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.”
Then through the Lord’s might venerable Subhūti also spoke as follows: “Ah! Venerable Śāriputra, you should know the earlier tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas have prophesied the unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening of bodhisattva great beings abiding by means of those meditative stabilizations, and those tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas, now dwelling and maintaining themselves in the ten directions in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River, those tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas too prophesy those bodhisattva great beings. But those who abide by means of those meditative stabilizations do not see even those meditative stabilizations, because they do not falsely project on account of those meditative stabilizations, ‘I have been absorbed; I am absorbed; I will become absorbed.’ Those bodhisattva great beings do not conceive of those. They do not occur to them.”
Śāriputra then asked, “Venerable Subhūti, do tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas prophesy bodhisattva great beings who have stood in those meditative stabilizations?”
“No indeed, Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti. “And why? Because, Venerable Śāriputra, the perfection of wisdom is not one thing, the meditative stabilization another, and the bodhisattva yet another. Bodhisattvas themselves are the meditative stabilization, and the meditative stabilization itself is the bodhisattva.”
Śāriputra then asked, “If, Venerable Subhūti, the meditative stabilization is not one thing and the bodhisattva another, the bodhisattva not one thing and the meditative stabilization another—that is, if just the meditative stabilization is the bodhisattva and just the bodhisattva is the meditative stabilization because all dharmas are the same, then is it possible to teach the meditative stabilization?”
“They do not mentally construct those meditative stabilizations because all phenomena do not exist. Venerable Śāriputra, by the same token, those children of a good family do not distinguish them and do not form a notion of them,” replied Subhūti.
“Venerable Śāriputra, they do not distinguish or form a notion of them because that meditative stabilization and those bodhisattva great beings do not exist.” replied Subhūti.
The Lord then complimented venerable Subhūti: “You who are the foremost of śrāvakas at the conflict-free stage have, as is to be expected, given an explanation of what I have taught. Those are eloquent statements. Excellent, excellent, Subhūti. Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings should train like that in the perfection of wisdom. They should train like that in the perfection of concentration, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of patience, the perfection of morality, and the perfection of giving. Similarly, they should train like that in the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, up to they should train like that in the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha.”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “bodhisattva great beings training like that do train in the perfection of wisdom, by way of not apprehending anything. Similarly, they train in the perfection of concentration, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of patience, the perfection of morality, and the perfection of giving, by way of not apprehending anything. Similarly, they train in the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, by way of not apprehending anything, and similarly, up to they train in the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, by way of not apprehending anything.”
Then venerable Śāriputra asked the Lord, “Lord, do bodhisattva great beings training like that train in the perfection of wisdom by way of not apprehending anything?”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “bodhisattva great beings training like that do train in the perfection of wisdom, by way of not apprehending anything.”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend a self, up to they do not apprehend one who knows, or one who sees. Because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend aggregates, constituents, sense fields, or dependent origination; because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend suffering; because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend origination, cessation, or the path; because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend the desire realm, form realm, or formless realm; because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening; because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend … up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha; because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend a stream enterer; because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend a once-returner, a non-returner, the state of a worthy one, or a pratyekabuddha; and because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend … up to a bodhisattva, awakening, or a buddha.”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “not being produced, not stopping, not being defilement, not being purification, not appearing, not being apprehended, and not occasioning anything is called the purity of all dharmas.”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “bodhisattva great beings training like that do not train in any dharma. And why? Because, Śāriputra, those dharmas do not exist in the way foolish, ordinary people take them to be.”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “form does not exist because of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. Feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness do not exist because of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. The constituents, the sense fields, dependent origination, and the perfections do not exist because of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. The thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening do not exist because of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature … up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha do not exist because of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature.
“Those foolish people settle down on them because of ignorance and craving, mentally constructing what does not exist. Having settled down on what does not exist, they are attached to the two extremes, namely permanence and annihilation. They do not know, and they do not see. They imagine dharmas where those dharmas do not exist, so they settle down on name and form, they settle down on the applications of mindfulness, up to they settle down on the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha. When they have thus settled down on them, they mentally construct dharmas that do not exist, hence they do not know and do not see them.
“Why do they not know and see them? Because they do not know and see form. They do not know and see feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness. They do not know and see the constituents, the sense fields, dependent origination, or the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, up to they do not know and see the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, and they are, therefore, counted as fools.
“They will not emerge. From what will they not emerge? They will not emerge from the desire realm. They will not emerge from the form realm. They will not emerge from the formless realm. They will not emerge from śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha dharmas.
“There is nothing in which they place their faith. What does it mean that there is nothing in which they place their faith? They do not place their faith in ‘form is empty of form,’ up to they do not place their faith in ‘awakening is empty of awakening.’
“They do not rest. In what do they not rest? They do not rest in the perfection of giving, and they do not rest in the perfection of morality, the perfection of patience, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of concentration, or the perfection of wisdom. They do not rest on the irreversible level, up to they do not rest in the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha. That is why they are called fools.
“They settle down. What does it mean that they settle down? They settle down on form. They settle down on feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness. They settle down on the eyes. They settle down on the ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind. They settle down on a form. They settle down on a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and a dharma. They settle down on the aggregates, constituents, and sense fields. They settle down on greed, hatred, and confusion, they settle down on distortion, up to they settle down on awakening. They are, therefore, counted as fools.”
“Lord, do bodhisattva great beings training like that not train in the perfection of wisdom and do they not go forth to the knowledge of all aspects?” asked Śāriputra.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “bodhisattva great beings training like that do not train in the perfection of wisdom and do not go forth to the knowledge of all aspects.”
“Why, Lord, do those bodhisattva great beings not train in the perfection of wisdom and not go forth to the knowledge of all aspects?” asked Śāriputra.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “here bodhisattva great beings without skillful means mentally construct a perfection of wisdom and settle down on it. Similarly, they mentally construct a perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, and perfection of giving, and settle down on them. They mentally construct all the buddhadharmas, all-knowledge, the knowledge of path aspects, and the knowledge of all aspects. Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, those bodhisattva great beings do not train in the perfection of wisdom and do not go forth to the knowledge of all aspects.”
“It is the case, then, Lord,” said Śāriputra, “that bodhisattva great beings training like that do not train in the perfection of wisdom and do not go forth to the knowledge of all aspects.”
“Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings training like that do not train in the perfection of wisdom and do not go forth to the knowledge of all aspects,” said the Lord.
Śāriputra then asked, “Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings train in the perfection of wisdom so that while training they do go forth to the knowledge of all aspects?”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “when bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom do not apprehend and do not see the perfection of wisdom, then, Śāriputra, the bodhisattva great beings training in the perfection of wisdom like that go forth to the knowledge of all aspects by way of not apprehending anything. Similarly, when they are practicing the perfection of concentration … the perfection of perseverance … the perfection of patience … the perfection of morality … and the perfection of giving and do not apprehend and do not see the perfection of giving, up to do not apprehend and do not see awakening; when they do not apprehend and do not see all-knowledge, the knowledge of path aspects, up to the knowledge of all aspects, then, Śāriputra, the bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom like that are training in the perfection of wisdom and go forth to the knowledge of all aspects by way of not apprehending anything.”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “they go forth to the knowledge of all aspects by way of not apprehending the emptiness of the knowledge of all aspects.”
Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, if bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom without skillful means practice form they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice ‘form is permanent’ or ‘impermanent’ they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is permanent’ or ‘impermanent’ they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice ‘form is happiness’ or ‘suffering’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is ‘happiness’ or ‘suffering’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘form is self’ or ‘no self’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is self’ or ‘no self’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘form is calm’ or ‘not calm’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is calm’ or ‘not calm’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘form is isolated’ or ‘not isolated’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is isolated’ or ‘not isolated’ they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom.
“Lord, if bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom without skillful means practice the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening they practice a causal sign. Similarly, if they practice the clairvoyances, the perfections, the five eyes, the powers, and the four fearlessnesses, up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom.
“Lord, if it occurs to bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom, ‘I am practicing the perfection of wisdom,’ they practice what they falsely consider a fact. Those bodhisattva great beings practice just a causal sign.
Lord, if it occurs to bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom, ‘Someone who practices thus, practices the perfection of wisdom and cultivates the perfection of wisdom,’ they practice just a causal sign. You should know that this is the bodhisattva great beings’ lack of skillful means.”
“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom like that possess, form a notion of, and believe in form, and possess, form a notion of, and believe in feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness, so they practice an enactment of form, and they practice an enactment of feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness. I say that this creates their birth, old age, sickness, death, pain, lamentation, suffering, mental anguish, and grief.
“Furthermore, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom without skillful means possess, form a notion of, and believe in eyes; possess, form a notion of, and believe in ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind; possess, form a notion of, and believe in a form; possess, form a notion of, and believe in a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and a dharma; possess, form a notion of, and believe in eye consciousness; and possess, form a notion of, and believe in ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, and thinking-mind consciousness.
“If they possess, form a notion of, and believe in eye contact; if they possess, form a notion of, and believe in ear, nose, tongue, body, or thinking-mind contact; if they possess, form a notion of, and believe in a pleasurable feeling or suffering feeling, or a neither pleasurable nor suffering feeling that arises from the condition of eye contact; if they possess, form a notion of, and believe in a pleasurable feeling or suffering feeling, or a neither pleasurable nor suffering feeling that arises from the condition of ear, nose, tongue, body, or thinking-mind contact; if they possess, form a notion of, and believe in the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, five eyes, six clairvoyances, six perfections, four fearlessnesses, four immeasurables, four concentrations, four absorptions, or ten tathāgata powers; if they possess, form a notion of, and believe in the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha; or if they possess, form a notion of, and believe in the dharmas of the state of a worthy one, of a pratyekabuddha, of a bodhisattva, or of a buddha, they practice an enactment. I say that those practicing enactments are not released from birth, old age, sickness, death, pain, lamentation, suffering, mental anguish, and grief; they are not released from suffering, and so on.
“Venerable Śāriputra, if those bodhisattvas do not even have the good fortune to realize the śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha level, how could they fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening? It is impossible.
“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “if, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom they do not practice form; do not practice feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness; do not practice the causal sign of form; do not practice the causal sign of feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness; do not practice ‘form is permanent’ or ‘impermanent’; and similarly do not practice ‘form is happiness’ or ‘suffering,’ ‘self’ or ‘no self,’ or ‘calm’ or ‘not calm’; do not practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is permanent’ or ‘impermanent,’ ‘happiness’ or ‘suffering,’ ‘self’ or ‘no self,’ or ‘calm’ or ‘not calm’; do not practice ‘form is empty’ or ‘not empty,’ ‘has a sign’ or ‘is signless,’ or ‘is wished for’ or ‘is wishless’; do not practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is empty’ or ‘not empty,’ ‘has a sign’ or ‘is signless,’ or ‘is wished for’ or ‘is wishless’; do not practice ‘form is isolated’ or practice ‘it is not isolated’; do not practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is isolated’ or practice ‘it is not isolated,’ then, Venerable Śāriputra, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom like that you should know that they have skillful means.
“And why? Venerable Śāriputra, because that emptiness of form is not form, form is not other than emptiness, and emptiness is not other than form. Form itself is emptiness and emptiness itself is form. And the emptiness of feeling … perception … volitional factors … and consciousness is not consciousness, and consciousness is not other than emptiness, and emptiness is not other than consciousness. Consciousness itself is emptiness and emptiness itself is consciousness. Similarly, Venerable Śāriputra, because the emptiness of the constituents … sense fields … and dependent originations … and the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening … the perfections … the clairvoyances … the tathāgata powers … the fearlessnesses … the detailed and thorough knowledges … up to the emptiness of the distinct attributes of a buddha are not the distinct attributes of a buddha, the distinct attributes of a buddha are not other than emptiness, and emptiness is not other than the distinct attributes of a buddha. Emptiness is the distinct attributes of a buddha and the distinct attributes of a buddha are emptiness.
“Venerable Śāriputra, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom like that you should know that they have skillful means. Venerable Śāriputra, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom like that they have the good fortune to awaken fully to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.
“If, while practicing the perfection of wisdom they assert any dharma, they are not practicing the perfection of wisdom. Even if they do not so assert, they are not practicing the perfection of wisdom. Even if they do assert when they so assert and do not assert when they do not so assert, they are not practicing the perfection of wisdom. Even if they neither so assert nor do not so assert, they are not practicing the perfection of wisdom.”
Subhūti replied, “Because, Venerable Śāriputra, the perfection of wisdom is without an intrinsic nature and cannot be found. And why? Because, Venerable Śāriputra, the perfection of wisdom is not a real thing. Because of this one of many explanations bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom do not assert ‘I am practicing,’ do not assert ‘I am not practicing,’ do not assert ‘I am practicing when I am practicing and not practicing when I am not practicing,’ and do not assert, ‘I am neither practicing nor not practicing.’ And why? Because they have comprehended all dharmas as things that are not real and do not accept them, so bodhisattva great beings thus practicing the perfection of wisdom are close to the knowledge of all aspects.
“It is the vast, prized, infinite, constant meditative stabilization, sarvadharmānutpāda by name, of bodhisattva great beings that cannot be stolen and is not shared in common with śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas.
Śāriputra then asked, “Venerable Subhūti, do bodhisattva great beings abiding by means of this meditative stabilization alone quickly and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, or do they also do so by means of other meditative stabilizations?”
“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “bodhisattva great beings abiding by means of other meditative stabilizations as well also quickly and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.”
Śāriputra then asked, “Venerable Subhūti, what are those other meditative stabilizations, abiding by means of which bodhisattva great beings quickly and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening?”
“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “there is a meditative stabilization of bodhisattva great beings, śūraṅgama by name. Abiding by means of that meditative stabilization bodhisattva great beings quickly and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Similarly, there is the meditative stabilization rājamudra, the meditative stabilization siṃhavikrīḍita, the meditative stabilization sucandra, the meditative stabilization sarvadharmodgata, the meditative stabilization sarvadharmamudra, the meditative stabilization vilokitamūrdhā, the meditative stabilization dharmadhātuniyata, the meditative stabilization niyatadhvajaketu, the meditative stabilization vajraratna, the meditative stabilization sarvadharmapraveśamudra, the meditative stabilization samādhirāja, the meditative stabilization raśmipramukha, the meditative stabilization balavyūha, the meditative stabilization samāhitāvasthāpratiṣṭhāna, the meditative stabilization rājamudra the meditative stabilization balavīrya, the meditative stabilization samudgata, the meditative stabilization niruktiniyatapraveśa, the meditative stabilization adhivacanapraveśa, the meditative stabilization digvilokita, the meditative stabilization ādhāramudrā, the meditative stabilization asaṃpramoṣa, the meditative stabilization sarvadharmasamavasaraṇasamudra, the meditative stabilization ākāśaspharaṇa, the meditative stabilization vajramaṇḍala, the meditative stabilization dhvajāgrakeyūra, the meditative stabilization indraketu, the meditative stabilization śroto’nugata, the meditative stabilization siṃhavijṛmbhita, the meditative stabilization vyatyasta, the meditative stabilization ratnajahā, the meditative stabilization vairocana, the meditative stabilization aneṣa, the meditative stabilization aniketasthita, the meditative stabilization niścitta, the meditative stabilization vimalapradīpa, the meditative stabilization anantaprabha, the meditative stabilization prabhākara, the meditative stabilization samantāvabhāsa, the meditative stabilization śuddhasāra, the meditative stabilization vimalaprabha, the meditative stabilization ratikara, the meditative stabilization vidutpradīpa, the meditative stabilization akṣaya, the meditative stabilization ajeya, the meditative stabilization tejovatin, the meditative stabilization kṣayāpagata, the meditative stabilization āniñjya, the meditative stabilization avivartta, the meditative stabilization sūryapradīpa, the meditative stabilization candravimala, the meditative stabilization prajñāpradīpa, the meditative stabilization śuddhapratibhāsa, the meditative stabilization ālokakara, the meditative stabilization kārākāra, the meditative stabilization jñānaketu, the meditative stabilization vajropama, the meditative stabilization cittasthiti, the meditative stabilization samantāvaloka, the meditative stabilization supratiṣṭhita, the meditative stabilization ratnakoṭi, the meditative stabilization varadharmamudra, the meditative stabilization sarvadharmasamatā, the meditative stabilization ratijaha, the meditative stabilization dharmasamudgatapūrṇa, the meditative stabilization vikiraṇa, the meditative stabilization sarvadharmapadaprabheda, the meditative stabilization samākṣarāvakāra, the meditative stabilization akṣarāpagata, the meditative stabilization ārambanacchedaḥ, the meditative stabilization avikāra, the meditative stabilization aprakāra, the meditative stabilization nāmaniyatapraveśa, the meditative stabilization aniketacārī, the meditative stabilization vitimirāpagata, the meditative stabilization cāritravatin, the meditative stabilization acala, the meditative stabilization viṣayatīrṇa, the meditative stabilization sarvaguṇasaṃcaya, the meditative stabilization sthitaniścitta, the meditative stabilization śubhapuṣpitaśuddhi, the meditative stabilization bodhyaṅgavatin, the meditative stabilization anantapratibhāna, the meditative stabilization asamasama, the meditative stabilization sarvadharmātikramaṇa, the meditative stabilization paricchedakara, the meditative stabilization vimativikaraṇa, the meditative stabilization niradhiṣṭhāna, the meditative stabilization ekavyūha, the meditative stabilization ākārābhinirhāra, the meditative stabilization ekākāra, the meditative stabilization ākārānavakāra, the meditative stabilization nairvedhikasarvabhavatamo’pagata, the meditative stabilization sarvasaṃketarūtapraveśa, the meditative stabilization sarvagirighoṣākṣaravimukta, the meditative stabilization jvalanolka, the meditative stabilization anāvilakṣānti, the meditative stabilization lakṣanapariśodhaṇa, the meditative stabilization sarvākāravaropeta, the meditative stabilization sarvasukhaduḥkhanirabhinandin, the meditative stabilization akṣayakaraṇḍa, the meditative stabilization dhāraṇīmati, the meditative stabilization samyaktvamithyātvasarvasaṃgrasana, the meditative stabilization sarvarodhanirodhasaṃpraśamana, the meditative stabilization anurodhāpratirodha, the meditative stabilization vimalaprabha, the meditative stabilization sāravatin, the meditative stabilization paripūrṇavimalacandraprabha, the meditative stabilization vidyutprabha, the meditative stabilization mahāvyūha, the meditative stabilization sarvalokaprabhākara, the meditative stabilization samādhisamata, the meditative stabilization arajovirajonayayukta, the meditative stabilization araṇasaraṇasarvasamavasaraṇa, the meditative stabilization araṇasamavasaraṇa, the meditative stabilization anilambhaniketanirata, the meditative stabilization tathatāsthitiniścitta, the meditative stabilization kāyakalisaṃpramathana, the meditative stabilization vākkalividhvaṃsanagaganakalpa, and the meditative stabilization ākāśāsaṃgavimuktinirupalepa. Abiding by means of those meditative stabilizations, bodhisattva great beings quickly and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Venerable Śāriputra, those are the meditative stabilizations of bodhisattva great beings. Abiding by means of those meditative stabilizations, bodhisattva great beings quickly and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. And there are infinite, countless other meditative stabilization gateways and dhāraṇī gateways as well, having trained in which bodhisattva great beings quickly and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.”
Then through the Lord’s might venerable Subhūti also spoke as follows: “Ah! Venerable Śāriputra, you should know the earlier tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas have prophesied the unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening of bodhisattva great beings abiding by means of those meditative stabilizations, and those tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas, now dwelling and maintaining themselves in the ten directions in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River, those tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas too prophesy those bodhisattva great beings. But those who abide by means of those meditative stabilizations do not see even those meditative stabilizations, because they do not falsely project on account of those meditative stabilizations, ‘I have been absorbed; I am absorbed; I will become absorbed.’ Those bodhisattva great beings do not conceive of those. They do not occur to them.”
Śāriputra then asked, “Venerable Subhūti, do tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas prophesy bodhisattva great beings who have stood in those meditative stabilizations?”
“No indeed, Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti. “And why? Because, Venerable Śāriputra, the perfection of wisdom is not one thing, the meditative stabilization another, and the bodhisattva yet another. Bodhisattvas themselves are the meditative stabilization, and the meditative stabilization itself is the bodhisattva.”
Śāriputra then asked, “If, Venerable Subhūti, the meditative stabilization is not one thing and the bodhisattva another, the bodhisattva not one thing and the meditative stabilization another—that is, if just the meditative stabilization is the bodhisattva and just the bodhisattva is the meditative stabilization because all dharmas are the same, then is it possible to teach the meditative stabilization?”
“They do not mentally construct those meditative stabilizations because all phenomena do not exist. Venerable Śāriputra, by the same token, those children of a good family do not distinguish them and do not form a notion of them,” replied Subhūti.
“Venerable Śāriputra, they do not distinguish or form a notion of them because that meditative stabilization and those bodhisattva great beings do not exist.” replied Subhūti.
The Lord then complimented venerable Subhūti: “You who are the foremost of śrāvakas at the conflict-free stage have, as is to be expected, given an explanation of what I have taught. Those are eloquent statements. Excellent, excellent, Subhūti. Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings should train like that in the perfection of wisdom. They should train like that in the perfection of concentration, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of patience, the perfection of morality, and the perfection of giving. Similarly, they should train like that in the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, up to they should train like that in the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha.”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “bodhisattva great beings training like that do train in the perfection of wisdom, by way of not apprehending anything. Similarly, they train in the perfection of concentration, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of patience, the perfection of morality, and the perfection of giving, by way of not apprehending anything. Similarly, they train in the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, by way of not apprehending anything, and similarly, up to they train in the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, by way of not apprehending anything.”
Then venerable Śāriputra asked the Lord, “Lord, do bodhisattva great beings training like that train in the perfection of wisdom by way of not apprehending anything?”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “bodhisattva great beings training like that do train in the perfection of wisdom, by way of not apprehending anything.”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend a self, up to they do not apprehend one who knows, or one who sees. Because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend aggregates, constituents, sense fields, or dependent origination; because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend suffering; because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend origination, cessation, or the path; because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend the desire realm, form realm, or formless realm; because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening; because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend … up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha; because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend a stream enterer; because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend a once-returner, a non-returner, the state of a worthy one, or a pratyekabuddha; and because of the state of absolute purity they do not apprehend … up to a bodhisattva, awakening, or a buddha.”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “not being produced, not stopping, not being defilement, not being purification, not appearing, not being apprehended, and not occasioning anything is called the purity of all dharmas.”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “bodhisattva great beings training like that do not train in any dharma. And why? Because, Śāriputra, those dharmas do not exist in the way foolish, ordinary people take them to be.”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “form does not exist because of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. Feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness do not exist because of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. The constituents, the sense fields, dependent origination, and the perfections do not exist because of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. The thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening do not exist because of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature … up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha do not exist because of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature.
“Those foolish people settle down on them because of ignorance and craving, mentally constructing what does not exist. Having settled down on what does not exist, they are attached to the two extremes, namely permanence and annihilation. They do not know, and they do not see. They imagine dharmas where those dharmas do not exist, so they settle down on name and form, they settle down on the applications of mindfulness, up to they settle down on the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha. When they have thus settled down on them, they mentally construct dharmas that do not exist, hence they do not know and do not see them.
“Why do they not know and see them? Because they do not know and see form. They do not know and see feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness. They do not know and see the constituents, the sense fields, dependent origination, or the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, up to they do not know and see the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, and they are, therefore, counted as fools.
“They will not emerge. From what will they not emerge? They will not emerge from the desire realm. They will not emerge from the form realm. They will not emerge from the formless realm. They will not emerge from śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha dharmas.
“There is nothing in which they place their faith. What does it mean that there is nothing in which they place their faith? They do not place their faith in ‘form is empty of form,’ up to they do not place their faith in ‘awakening is empty of awakening.’
“They do not rest. In what do they not rest? They do not rest in the perfection of giving, and they do not rest in the perfection of morality, the perfection of patience, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of concentration, or the perfection of wisdom. They do not rest on the irreversible level, up to they do not rest in the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha. That is why they are called fools.
“They settle down. What does it mean that they settle down? They settle down on form. They settle down on feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness. They settle down on the eyes. They settle down on the ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind. They settle down on a form. They settle down on a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and a dharma. They settle down on the aggregates, constituents, and sense fields. They settle down on greed, hatred, and confusion, they settle down on distortion, up to they settle down on awakening. They are, therefore, counted as fools.”
“Lord, do bodhisattva great beings training like that not train in the perfection of wisdom and do they not go forth to the knowledge of all aspects?” asked Śāriputra.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “bodhisattva great beings training like that do not train in the perfection of wisdom and do not go forth to the knowledge of all aspects.”
“Why, Lord, do those bodhisattva great beings not train in the perfection of wisdom and not go forth to the knowledge of all aspects?” asked Śāriputra.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “here bodhisattva great beings without skillful means mentally construct a perfection of wisdom and settle down on it. Similarly, they mentally construct a perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, and perfection of giving, and settle down on them. They mentally construct all the buddhadharmas, all-knowledge, the knowledge of path aspects, and the knowledge of all aspects. Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, those bodhisattva great beings do not train in the perfection of wisdom and do not go forth to the knowledge of all aspects.”
“It is the case, then, Lord,” said Śāriputra, “that bodhisattva great beings training like that do not train in the perfection of wisdom and do not go forth to the knowledge of all aspects.”
“Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings training like that do not train in the perfection of wisdom and do not go forth to the knowledge of all aspects,” said the Lord.
Śāriputra then asked, “Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings train in the perfection of wisdom so that while training they do go forth to the knowledge of all aspects?”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “when bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom do not apprehend and do not see the perfection of wisdom, then, Śāriputra, the bodhisattva great beings training in the perfection of wisdom like that go forth to the knowledge of all aspects by way of not apprehending anything. Similarly, when they are practicing the perfection of concentration … the perfection of perseverance … the perfection of patience … the perfection of morality … and the perfection of giving and do not apprehend and do not see the perfection of giving, up to do not apprehend and do not see awakening; when they do not apprehend and do not see all-knowledge, the knowledge of path aspects, up to the knowledge of all aspects, then, Śāriputra, the bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom like that are training in the perfection of wisdom and go forth to the knowledge of all aspects by way of not apprehending anything.”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “they go forth to the knowledge of all aspects by way of not apprehending the emptiness of the knowledge of all aspects.”
Sutraya