Then Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, thought, “If bodhisattva great beings outshine all beings while just practicing the perfection of generosity, the perfection of ethical discipline, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of meditative concentration, the perfection of wisdom, the emptiness of internal phenomena, [all the other aspects of emptiness] up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of nonentities, the applications of mindfulness, the correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, the faculties, the powers, the branches of enlightenment, the noble eightfold path, the truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, the formless absorptions, the aspects of liberation, the serial steps of meditative absorption, emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the ten powers of the tathāgatas, the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, what need one say when they have attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment! If even those beings whose minds are just introduced to all-aspect omniscience excellently acquire the attainments, and if even those beings sustain themselves excellently through their livelihoods, what need one say about those who have set their minds on unsurpassed, complete enlightenment! Those beings who have set their minds on unsurpassed, complete enlightenment and listen to this perfection of wisdom are to be emulated by all.”

Then Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, took many coral tree flowers, and, going into the presence of the Blessed One, scattered those coral flowers, scattered them more vigorously, and scattered them with utmost vigor toward the tathāgata, arhat, completely awakened Buddha, saying, “By this root of virtue may those individuals who follow the vehicle of the bodhisattvas, with their focus intent on unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, perfect the attributes of the buddhas! May they all perfect the attributes of all-aspect omniscience! May they perfect the attributes that naturally arise, and may they perfect the attributes that are free from contaminants!

“Blessed Lord, I do not in the slightest think that individuals who follow the vehicle of the bodhisattvas will regress, having set out for unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. Blessed Lord, I do not in the slightest think that these bodhisattva great beings will regress and become śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas. On the contrary, they will long for unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, and they will aspire again and again toward unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. Seeing the many sufferings of cyclic existence, they will resolve to benefit the whole world, with its gods, humans, and asuras; they will resolve to alleviate [its sufferings], to make them happy and secure. Bodhisattva great beings who have such a mindset will think, ‘Whatever happens, once I have crossed [beyond cyclic existence], I must save those beings who have not yet crossed beyond it! Whatever happens, once I have been liberated, I must liberate those beings who have not yet been liberated! Whatever happens, once I have been inspired, I must inspire those beings who have not yet been inspired! Whatever happens, once I have attained final nirvāṇa, I must bring to final nirvāṇa those beings who have not attained final nirvāṇa!’

“Blessed Lord, how much merit will noble sons or noble daughters accrue when they rejoice in those mindsets of bodhisattva great beings who are novices entering the vehicle in that manner, when they rejoice in those mindsets of bodhisattva great beings who have been practicing for a long time, when they rejoice in those mindsets of irreversible bodhisattva great beings, and when they rejoice in those mindsets of bodhisattva great beings who are destined for only one more rebirth?”

The Blessed One then replied to Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, “Kauśika, you may even be able to measure in units of the tip of a hair this world system of the four continents, but you cannot measure the merits of those who set their mind on enlightenment while they are rejoicing. Kauśika, you may even be able to measure in units of the tip of a hair the world systems of a chiliocosm, the world systems of a dichiliocosm, and the world systems of a great trichiliocosm, but you cannot measure the merits of those who set their mind on enlightenment while they are rejoicing. Kauśika, you may even be able to measure in units of one hundredth of the tip of a hair all the mass of water in the oceans of this world system of the great trichiliocosm, taking out the water drop by drop, but you cannot measure the merits of those who set their minds on enlightenment while they are rejoicing.”

Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, beings who would not rejoice in those who have set their mind on enlightenment are influenced by Māra. Blessed Lord, beings who would not rejoice in those who have set their mind on enlightenment are on the side of Māra. Blessed Lord, beings who would not rejoice in those who have set their mind on enlightenment have been reborn here after dying in the domain of Māra. If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because beings who have achieved this setting of the mind on enlightenment and dedicated [the merit] toward unsurpassed, complete enlightenment destroy the domain of Māra. One should rejoice in beings who have set their mind on unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. Any who do not forsake the Buddha, who do not forsake the Dharma, and who do not forsake the Saṅgha should rejoice in those who have set their mind on enlightenment. Then, having rejoiced, they should dedicate [the merit] to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. This dedication should be made in such a way that there is no notion of duality and no notion of nonduality.”

“Kauśika, it is so! It is so,” replied the Blessed One. “It is just as you have said. Kauśika, rejoicing in those who have set their mind on enlightenment, they will swiftly come to please the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas, and having once pleased them they will not displease them. Those endowed with the roots of virtuous action, setting their mind on enlightenment combined with rejoicing, will be served, respected, honored, and worshiped, wherever they are reborn. They will never again perceive unpleasant sights. They will never hear unpleasant sounds. They will never smell unpleasant odors. They will never savor unpleasant tastes. They will never touch unpleasant tangible objects. They will never be conscious of unpleasant mental phenomena. They will never be without the buddhas. They will move from buddhafield to buddhafield, and they will venerate the lord buddhas. They will develop the roots of virtuous action. If you ask why, Kauśika, it is because those noble sons or noble daughters have rejoiced in the roots of virtuous action acquired by inestimable and immeasurable bodhisattva great beings, including novices entering the vehicle, those who are engaged in practice, those who are irreversible, and those who are destined for only one more rebirth. Enhanced by those roots of virtuous action, they will approach unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, and after attaining consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, they will bring inestimable, countless, measureless beings to final nirvāṇa.

“For that reason, Kauśika, noble sons or noble daughters should by all means rejoice in the roots of virtuous action, possessed by bodhisattva great beings who are novices entering the vehicle, and they should then dedicate this [merit] toward unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, doing so free of a mindset and free of anything else other than a mindset. They should rejoice in those roots of virtuous action [possessed by bodhisattva great beings] who are engaged in practice, who are irreversible, and who are destined for only one more rebirth, and then they should dedicate that [merit] toward unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, doing so free of a mind and free of anything else other than a mind.”

Then the venerable Subhūti asked the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, how does the illusion-like mind attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment?”

“Subhūti, do you think that you can observe the illusion-like mind?” asked the Blessed One in return.

“No, Blessed Lord! Blessed Lord, I do not observe illusion, nor indeed do I observe illusion-like mind.”

“Subhūti,” continued the Blessed One, “if you cannot even perceive illusion or illusion-like mind, do you think that you can observe that mind that would attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment?”

“No, Blessed Lord!”

“Subhūti,” continued the Blessed One, “do you think that you can observe anything other than illusion or illusion-like mind that would attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment?”

“No, Blessed Lord, I do not observe anything other than illusion or illusion-like mind that would attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.

“Blessed Lord, since I do not observe anything extraneous, I should disclose [the nature of] phenomena in terms of being existent or nonexistent: Anything that is absolutely void is neither existent nor nonexistent. Anything that is absolutely void will not attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. Indeed, anything that is nonexistent will not attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because this applies to all phenomena, defiled or purified, which are nonexistent and utterly nonexistent.

“If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because the perfection of wisdom is absolutely void. The perfection of meditative concentration is absolutely void. The perfection of perseverance is absolutely void. The perfection of tolerance is absolutely void. The perfection of ethical discipline is absolutely void. The perfection of generosity is absolutely void. The emptiness of internal phenomena is absolutely void. [The other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of nonentities, are absolutely void. The applications of mindfulness are absolutely void. The correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, the faculties, the powers, the branches of enlightenment, and the noble eightfold path are absolutely void. The truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, and the formless absorptions are absolutely void. The aspects of liberation, the serial steps of meditative absorption, emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness are absolutely void. The extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, and the dhāraṇī gateways are absolutely void. The ten powers of the tathāgatas, the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas are absolutely void. [The goals], up to and including all-aspect omniscience, are absolutely void. There is nothing at all that is absolutely void that is to be cultivated, and nothing that is to be uncultivated. Since the perfection of wisdom is absolutely void, there is nothing at all that is to be attained. Since the perfection of wisdom is absolutely void, how will bodhisattva great beings attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, dependent on the perfection of wisdom? Since unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, too, is absolutely void, how can voidness attain buddhahood through voidness?”

“Excellent, Subhūti, excellent!” replied the Blessed One. “Subhūti, it is so! It is so. Subhūti, the perfection of wisdom is absolutely void. The perfection of meditative concentration, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of ethical discipline, and the perfection of generosity are absolutely void. The emptiness of internal phenomena is absolutely void. [The other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of nonentities, are absolutely void. The applications of mindfulness, the correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, the faculties, the powers, the branches of enlightenment, and the noble eightfold path are absolutely void. The truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, and the formless absorptions are absolutely void. The aspects of liberation, the serial steps of meditative absorption, emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness are absolutely void. The extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and the distinct qualities of the buddhas are absolutely void. [The goals], up to and including all-aspect omniscience, are absolutely void.

“Subhūti, just as the perfection of wisdom is absolutely void, the perfection of meditative concentration, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of ethical discipline, and the perfection of generosity are absolutely void; the emptiness of internal phenomena is absolutely void; [the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of nonentities, are absolutely void; the applications of mindfulness are absolutely void; [the other causal attributes], up to and including the noble eightfold path, are absolutely void; [the fruitional attributes and goals], up to and including all-aspect omniscience, are absolutely void; and so, too, the attainment of consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment is absolutely void.

“Subhūti, if the perfection of wisdom were not absolutely void; if the perfection of meditative concentration, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of ethical discipline, and the perfection of generosity were not absolutely void; if the emptiness of internal phenomena were not absolutely void; if [the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of nonentities, were not absolutely void; if the applications of mindfulness were not absolutely void; if [the other causal attributes], up to and including the noble eightfold path, were not absolutely void; and if [the fruitional attributes and goals], up to and including all-aspect omniscience, were not absolutely void, then there would be no perfection of wisdom; there would be no perfection of meditative concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of tolerance, perfection of ethical discipline, or perfection of generosity; there would be no emptiness of internal phenomena; there would be no [other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of nonentities; there would be no applications of mindfulness; there would be no [other causal attributes], up to and including the noble eightfold path; and there would be no [fruitional attributes or goals], up to and including all-aspect omniscience. Therefore, Subhūti, inasmuch as the perfection of wisdom is absolutely void; inasmuch as the perfection of meditative concentration, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of ethical discipline, and the perfection of generosity are absolutely void; inasmuch as the emptiness of internal phenomena is absolutely void, and [the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of nonentities are absolutely void; inasmuch as the applications of mindfulness are absolutely void, and [the other causal attributes], up to and including the noble eightfold path, are absolutely void; and inasmuch as [the fruitional attributes and goals], up to and including all-aspect omniscience, are absolutely void, [bodhisattva great beings] will not attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment dependent on the perfection of wisdom. How can voidness attain buddhahood through voidness? Since there will be no attainment of consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, they will not attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment dependent on the perfection of wisdom.”

“Blessed Lord, bodhisattva great beings practice with a profound objective.”

“Subhūti, it is so! It is so,” replied the Blessed One. “Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings do practice with a profound objective. That is to say, in not actualizing the objective of resorting to the level of the śrāvakas or the level of the pratyekabuddhas, they do that which is difficult.”

“Blessed Lord, as I understand the meaning spoken by the Blessed One, if they do not incur the slightest difficulty, how do bodhisattva great beings do what is difficult? If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because they do not apprehend any objective that they should realize whatsoever. Nor do they apprehend the perfection of wisdom through which [their objective] would be realized. Nor do they apprehend anything that would bring about that realization. Blessed Lord, they engage in nonapprehension with respect to all phenomena that can be realized—whatever, Blessed Lord, may be the objective to be realized, such as the attainment of consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, whatever the perfection of wisdom through which it is to be realized, or whatever may be the attributes that realize it. Bodhisattva great beings who practice this acquire a state that is without blindness with respect to all phenomena. Blessed Lord, if, when this is taught, the minds of bodhisattva great beings are not discouraged, not utterly cowed, not afraid, and not terrified, in that case, Blessed Lord, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly do practice the perfection of wisdom. They do not observe that which they are practicing. They do not observe the perfection of wisdom. They do not observe that they will attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.

“Blessed Lord, bodhisattva great beings who practice the perfection of wisdom do not think, ‘I should shun the level of the śrāvakas and the level of the pratyekabuddhas. I am approaching all-aspect omniscience.’ Blessed Lord, space does not think, ‘I am remote from some and near to others.’ If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because space is not particularized; it is immobile and nonconceptual. In the same way, Blessed Lord, though bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not think, ‘The level of the śrāvakas or the level of the pratyekabuddhas is remote from me. Unsurpassed, complete enlightenment is near.’ If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because the perfection of wisdom is nonconceptual.

“Blessed Lord, it is just as an illusory man does not think, ‘This illusion is remote from me. The illusionist is near. The crowd of people gathered here are remote from me or near.’ If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because an illusory man is without concepts. In the same way, Blessed Lord, though bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not think, ‘The level of the śrāvakas or the level of the pratyekabuddhas is remote from me. Unsurpassed, complete enlightenment is near.’ If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because the perfection of wisdom is nonconceptual.

“Blessed Lord, it is just as a reflection does not think, ‘This apprehending of the reflection that arises is near to me. The mirror or the vessel full of water on which it appears is remote from me.’ If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because a reflection is without concepts. In the same way, Blessed Lord, though bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not think, ‘The level of the śrāvakas or the level of the pratyekabuddhas is remote from me. Unsurpassed, complete enlightenment is near.’ If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because the perfection of wisdom is nonconceptual.

“Blessed Lord, in the perfection of wisdom there is nothing pleasant or unpleasant. If one were to ask why, it is because no essential nature is apprehended through which it would become pleasant or unpleasant. Blessed Lord, just as to the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas there is nothing pleasant or unpleasant, in the same way, Blessed Lord, in the perfection of wisdom, too, there is nothing pleasant or unpleasant.

“Blessed Lord, just as the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas, have abandoned all concepts, in the same way, Blessed Lord, though bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they abandon all concepts. If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because the perfection of wisdom is nonconceptual.

“Blessed Lord, a phantom emanation of the Tathāgata does not think, ‘The level of the śrāvakas or the level of the pratyekabuddhas is remote from me. Unsurpassed, complete enlightenment is near.’ If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because the Tathāgata and a phantom emanation of the Tathāgata are without concepts. In the same way, Blessed Lord, though bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not think, ‘The level of the śrāvakas or the level of the pratyekabuddhas is remote from me. Unsurpassed, complete enlightenment is near.’ If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because the perfection of wisdom is nonconceptual.

“Blessed Lord, it is just as when the tathāgatas create a phantom emanation—it engages with the purpose for which it was emanated, but the phantom does not think and is without concepts. In the same way, Blessed Lord, the perfection of wisdom, too, acts according to the objective for which it is expressed. This perfection of wisdom does not think and it is nonconceptual.

“Blessed Lord, it is just as when a carpenter or the skilled apprentice of a carpenter makes a machine in the shape of a woman, or in the shape of a man, or in the shape of an elephant, or in the shape of a horse, or in the shape of a bull—though this machine may perform according to its objective, it is without concepts. In the same way, Blessed Lord, the perfection of wisdom also acts according to the objective for which it is expressed, but this perfection of wisdom is nonconceptual.”

Thereupon the venerable Śāradvatīputra addressed the venerable Subhūti: “Venerable Subhūti, is it only the perfection of wisdom that is nonconceptual, or are the perfection of meditative concentration, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of ethical discipline, and the perfection of generosity also nonconceptual?”

“Venerable Śāradvatīputra,” replied Subhūti, “the perfection of meditative concentration is also nonconceptual. The perfection of perseverance, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of ethical discipline, and the perfection of generosity are also nonconceptual.”

“Venerable Subhūti, are physical forms also nonconceptual? Are feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness also nonconceptual? Are the sense fields, sensory elements, and links of dependent origination also nonconceptual? Are the perfections also nonconceptual? Are all the aspects of emptiness also nonconceptual? Are the thirty-seven factors conducive to enlightenment also nonconceptual? Are the truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, and the formless absorptions also nonconceptual? Are the aspects of liberation, the serial steps of meditative absorption, emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness also nonconceptual? Are the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, and the dhāraṇī gateways also nonconceptual? Are the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, and the distinct qualities of the buddhas also nonconceptual? Are the conditioned elements and the nonconditioned elements also nonconceptual?”

“Venerable Śāradvatīputra, all phenomena are nonconceptual!” replied Subhūti.

“Venerable Subhūti, if all phenomena are nonconceptual, how has this differentiation come about with regard to the cycle of existence with its five realms of living beings, namely the denizens of the hells, the animal domain, the world of Yama, the world of the gods, and the world of humankind? How are those who have entered the stream to nirvāṇa, those who are destined for only one more rebirth, those who will no longer be reborn, those who are arhats, those who are pratyekabuddhas, those who are bodhisattvas, and those who are the lord buddhas to be designated?”

“Venerable Śāradvatīputra,” replied Subhūti, “beings who erroneously actualize the impact of past actions through body, speech, and mind have materialized sense fields such as these, and through concepts they have acquired the base of the aggregates that constitute the ripening of past actions. Thereby they materialize as the denizens of the hells, and the beings of the animal domain, the world of Yama, and the realms of gods and humans.

“Venerable Śāradvatīputra, you asked how those who have entered the stream to nirvāṇa are designated, and how those who are said to be destined for only one more rebirth, those who will no longer be reborn, those who are arhats, those who are pratyekabuddhas, those who are bodhisattvas, and those who are tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas are designated. Venerable Śāradvatīputra, those who have entered the stream to nirvāṇa are designated through nonconceptuality, and the fruit of having entered the stream to nirvāṇa is designated through nonconceptuality. Those who are destined for only one more rebirth, those who will no longer be reborn, and those who are arhats are designated through nonconceptuality. Pratyekabuddhas and individual enlightenment are designated through nonconceptuality. The buddhas are designated through nonconceptuality. Enlightenment is designated through nonconceptuality.

“Venerable Śāradvatīputra, all those tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas who appeared in the past were nonconceptual and had abandoned concepts. Venerable Śāradvatīputra, those tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas who will appear in the future will also be nonconceptual, and they will have abandoned concepts. Venerable Śāradvatīputra, all those lord buddhas who attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment at the present time in the world systems of the ten directions are also nonconceptual, and they absolutely abandon concepts. That, Venerable Śāradvatīputra, is the formulation explaining how one should know, once the real nature of nonconceptuality, the real nature of the very limit of reality, and the real nature of the realm of phenomena have been evaluated, that all phenomena are nonconceptual. Venerable Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings should accordingly practice the nonconceptual perfection of wisdom. By practicing the nonconceptual perfection of wisdom, they will attain consummate buddhahood with respect to all phenomena that are nonconceptual.”