The Blessed One replied, “Pūrṇa, when bodhisattva great beings give in this manner, it is not actually giving. Just as there is no act of giving, so there is also nothing to attain.” The Blessed One continued, “Pūrṇa, just as bodhisattva great beings do not give any real objects away, so there is nothing to attain even by awakening to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.
“Pūrṇa, the dwelling place of a bodhisattva great being is just like a Dharma treasury. If a bodhisattva great being were to give away any truly existing objects, that bodhisattva would also attain a real result of awakening to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. However, Pūrṇa, since there are no real phenomena that the bodhisattva great being can give away, there is also not any truly existent object that the bodhisattva great being could attain when awakening to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.
“Pūrṇa, consider this analogy. If a magician, or the apprentice of a magician, sells an illusory sweet to another magician, that magician can also conjure up a coin and pay for the sweet. Pūrṇa, in that case both the payment and the sweet would be the same. Similarly, the gift offered by a bodhisattva great being and his full awakening to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood are identical. Pūrṇa, what is laid out is just the same as what is amassed. And similarly, the value of the bodhisattva’s gift would be just the same as that which is to be gained.
“Pūrṇa, consider this analogy. A magician might conjure up a tree with one hundred thousand animals living at its foot. As the animals then eat the fruits of the tree, Pūrṇa, both the fruits and those who eat them are the same. In the same way, the gifts of a bodhisattva great being are just like revenues being collected. Pūrṇa, in this way, when bodhisattva great beings give away their belongings, the wealth given away is identical to the gain made and the gain made is identical to the wealth that is given away.
“Pūrṇa, think of this analogy. A magician, or the skilled apprentice of a magician, might conjure up a woman at a large intersection where everyone could see her. He might then create the illusion that the woman was pregnant and that she gave birth to a son. Once the son was born, the magician might create the illusion that the son died. Pūrṇa, tell me, when the son died, would that woman think that her son had passed away?”
The Blessed One said, “Pūrṇa, in that case the mother and the son are alike. In the same way, the generosity of a bodhisattva great being and the state of omniscience are exactly alike. Pūrṇa, therefore, in this case the Dharma treasury is nondual. Pūrṇa, tell me, do you see me as having desire for any phenomena?”
The Blessed One said, “Pūrṇa, likewise, just as the Thus-Gone One now does not feel any desire for phenomena, I had no problem giving away everything when I was a bodhisattva. Therefore, the blessed buddhas do not entertain any form of desire or anger. Why is that? Because the blessed buddhas have given up all desire and anger.”
Pūrṇa said, “Blessed One, it is wonderful how bodhisattva great beings are able to give away any object, seeing them to be essentially empty, hollow, without substance, and unreal. As I understand the meaning of the teaching spoken by the Blessed One, even if a bodhisattva were to fill as many worlds as there are grains of sand in the Ganges with gold and riches and give it all to a beggar, that bodhisattva must still be skillful when giving. Otherwise, it would only be a limited gift, rather than the perfection of generosity. When bodhisattva great beings give, they do so thinking, ‘I will give up all my possessions.’ ”
Then the Blessed One said to Venerable Śāradvatīputra, “You should have the courage to explain the meaning of this teaching. Even though this is the time for me to speak, I would like you to explain this.”
So Venerable Śāradvatīputra said to Venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, “Venerable Pūrṇa, in this regard, bodhisattva great beings wishing to awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood should consider all phenomena to be empty and practice generosity. While keeping their focus on the state of omniscience, they should give away all their belongings. They should definitely give up any form of not relinquishing, not giving, and not offering any object, whether in their own possession or not. Venerable Pūrṇa, in this way bodhisattva great beings should give with a mind set upon omniscience.”
The Blessed One replied, “Pūrṇa, when bodhisattva great beings give in this manner, it is not actually giving. Just as there is no act of giving, so there is also nothing to attain.” The Blessed One continued, “Pūrṇa, just as bodhisattva great beings do not give any real objects away, so there is nothing to attain even by awakening to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.
“Pūrṇa, the dwelling place of a bodhisattva great being is just like a Dharma treasury. If a bodhisattva great being were to give away any truly existing objects, that bodhisattva would also attain a real result of awakening to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. However, Pūrṇa, since there are no real phenomena that the bodhisattva great being can give away, there is also not any truly existent object that the bodhisattva great being could attain when awakening to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.
“Pūrṇa, consider this analogy. If a magician, or the apprentice of a magician, sells an illusory sweet to another magician, that magician can also conjure up a coin and pay for the sweet. Pūrṇa, in that case both the payment and the sweet would be the same. Similarly, the gift offered by a bodhisattva great being and his full awakening to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood are identical. Pūrṇa, what is laid out is just the same as what is amassed. And similarly, the value of the bodhisattva’s gift would be just the same as that which is to be gained.
“Pūrṇa, consider this analogy. A magician might conjure up a tree with one hundred thousand animals living at its foot. As the animals then eat the fruits of the tree, Pūrṇa, both the fruits and those who eat them are the same. In the same way, the gifts of a bodhisattva great being are just like revenues being collected. Pūrṇa, in this way, when bodhisattva great beings give away their belongings, the wealth given away is identical to the gain made and the gain made is identical to the wealth that is given away.
“Pūrṇa, think of this analogy. A magician, or the skilled apprentice of a magician, might conjure up a woman at a large intersection where everyone could see her. He might then create the illusion that the woman was pregnant and that she gave birth to a son. Once the son was born, the magician might create the illusion that the son died. Pūrṇa, tell me, when the son died, would that woman think that her son had passed away?”
The Blessed One said, “Pūrṇa, in that case the mother and the son are alike. In the same way, the generosity of a bodhisattva great being and the state of omniscience are exactly alike. Pūrṇa, therefore, in this case the Dharma treasury is nondual. Pūrṇa, tell me, do you see me as having desire for any phenomena?”
The Blessed One said, “Pūrṇa, likewise, just as the Thus-Gone One now does not feel any desire for phenomena, I had no problem giving away everything when I was a bodhisattva. Therefore, the blessed buddhas do not entertain any form of desire or anger. Why is that? Because the blessed buddhas have given up all desire and anger.”
Pūrṇa said, “Blessed One, it is wonderful how bodhisattva great beings are able to give away any object, seeing them to be essentially empty, hollow, without substance, and unreal. As I understand the meaning of the teaching spoken by the Blessed One, even if a bodhisattva were to fill as many worlds as there are grains of sand in the Ganges with gold and riches and give it all to a beggar, that bodhisattva must still be skillful when giving. Otherwise, it would only be a limited gift, rather than the perfection of generosity. When bodhisattva great beings give, they do so thinking, ‘I will give up all my possessions.’ ”
Then the Blessed One said to Venerable Śāradvatīputra, “You should have the courage to explain the meaning of this teaching. Even though this is the time for me to speak, I would like you to explain this.”
So Venerable Śāradvatīputra said to Venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, “Venerable Pūrṇa, in this regard, bodhisattva great beings wishing to awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood should consider all phenomena to be empty and practice generosity. While keeping their focus on the state of omniscience, they should give away all their belongings. They should definitely give up any form of not relinquishing, not giving, and not offering any object, whether in their own possession or not. Venerable Pūrṇa, in this way bodhisattva great beings should give with a mind set upon omniscience.”
Sutraya