“The bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata then replied to the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita, ‘Noble son, tathāgatas do not come from anywhere, nor do they go anywhere. The tathāgatas do not move. The real nature is the tathāgatas. Noble son, nonarising neither goes nor comes. That nonarising is the tathāgatas. Noble son, the very limit of reality neither goes not comes. That very limit of reality is the tathāgatas. Noble son, in emptiness there is neither going nor coming. That emptiness is the tathāgatas. Noble son, the definitive nature neither comes nor goes. That definitive nature is the tathāgatas. Noble son, freedom from desire neither comes nor goes. That freedom from desire is the tathāgatas. Noble son, cessation neither comes nor goes. That cessation is the tathāgatas. Noble son, the expanse of space neither comes nor goes. That expanse of space is the tathāgatas. Noble son, phenomena other than these attributes are not the tathāgatas. Noble son, the real nature of these attributes and the real nature of the tathāgatas is a single real nature. Noble son, in the real nature there are no dual aspects. Noble son, the real nature is one—it is not two, and it is not three. Noble son, because the real nature is nonexistent, it cannot be counted. Noble son, just as when someone tormented by the heat of spring, during the last month of spring, at noon might see a mirage in motion, and might run toward it, thinking, ‘Here I shall bathe. Here I shall drink,’ do you think, noble son, that that water has come from anywhere? Does it go anywhere—into the ocean of the east, or the oceans of the south, west, or north?’

“Sadāprarudita replied, ‘Noble son, since there is no water in a mirage, how could it possibly come and go! That person tormented by the heat of spring perceives water but there is no water in a mirage. So he is a naïve person, a person of feeble acumen. In that mirage, there exists no essential nature of water.’

“ ‘Noble son, it is so! It is so,’ said Dharmodgata. ‘In the same way, noble son, anyone whatsoever who is fixated on [the notion of] the tathāgatas as form or sound, and who imagines that the tathāgatas come and go, is a naïve person, a person of feeble acumen, just like someone who perceives water where there is no water. If you ask why, the tathāgatas should not be regarded as the buddha body of form, because they are the buddha body of reality. Noble son, in reality there is neither coming nor going. In the same way, noble son, the tathāgatas also are without coming and going. Noble son, just as the corps of elephants, corps of cavalry, corps of chariots, or corps of infantry conjured by an illusionist is without coming or going, in the same way, noble son, the tathāgatas also are without coming or going. Noble son, just as someone in a dream may see one tathāgata—or two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, or a hundred thousand tathāgatas, or even more than that—but on waking would not see even a single tathāgata, do you think, noble son, that these tathāgatas have come from anywhere, or gone anywhere?’

“ ‘Noble son, the phenomena of a dream are without any consummate reality whatsoever. Dreams are false and inauthentic.’ replied Sadāprarudita.

“ ‘In the same way, noble son,’ continued Dharmodgata, ‘all phenomena are like a dream—so said the tathāgatas. All those whosoever who do not properly know that all phenomena are like a dream, as the tathāgatas have explained, are fixated on [the notion of] the tathāgatas as a cluster of nominal aggregates or a cluster of physical forms, and in consequence they imagine that the tathāgatas come and go. This is because they do not know reality. Noble son, all those who hold that the tathāgatas come or go are simple, ordinary people. All of them have roamed, are roaming, and will roam in cyclic existence, with its five classes of living beings. All of them are far from the perfection of wisdom. All of them are far from the attributes of the buddhas. Noble son, those who properly know that the tathāgatas have explained all phenomena to resemble a dream do not conceive of anything at all that comes or goes. Those who know this reality of the tathāgatas approach unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. They practice the perfection of wisdom. They are the disciples of the tathāgatas. They do not deliberately squander alms donated by citizens, and they are worthy recipients of the world’s generosity. Noble son, the gems of the oceans have not come from the east, and they have not come from any other of the ten directions—the south, the west, the north, the intermediate directions, the zenith, or the nadir—but gemstones appear in the oceans through the causal basis of beings’ roots of virtuous actions. They have not appeared without a cause, but contingent on causes and conditions, they appear through dependent origination.

“ ‘Even when these gemstones cease to exist, they do not transmigrate in any of the ten directions. They do not go anywhere, but nevertheless gemstones do appear when those conditions exist, and they disappear when those conditions are absent. In the same way, noble son, the perfect bodies of the tathāgatas have not come from any worlds of the ten directions, nor will they go anywhere. Nor did these bodies of the lord buddhas appear without a causal basis, but they appeared contingent on the causes and conditions of their perfect past conduct and within the apprehending of beings whose ripening of past deeds originated from causes. These bodies do not exist in any of the ten directions, but they are perfectly present when those causes and conditions exist, and they are not perfectly present when those conditions are absent.

“ ‘Noble son, this is just as when the sound of a lute arises—it has not come from anywhere, and when it stops, it does not go anywhere, nor does it transmigrate anywhere, but it is contingent on causes and conditions that are dependently originated. That is to say, the sound of a stringed instrument emerges dependent on the hollow gourd of the instrument, the skin, the neck, the strings, the supporting cushion, the plectrum, and human exertion. The sound does not emerge from the hollow gourd, nor does it emerge from the skin, the neck, the strings, or the plectrum, nor does it emerge from the supporting cushion or human exertion, but the sound does emerge from all of them together. When it stops, that sound does not go anywhere. In the same way, noble son, the perfect body of the tathāgatas is also contingent on causes and conditions. It is perfected through the many roots of their virtuous actions. It has not appeared from a single cause. It has not appeared from a single condition. The body of the buddhas has not appeared from a single root of virtue. It has not appeared without a causal basis. That is to say, it has appeared from a multiplicity of causes and conditions but does not come from anywhere. And it does not go anywhere, even when that cluster of causes and conditions is absent. Noble son, you should know the reality of all phenomena in the same manner. Noble son, if you know that the tathāgatas and all phenomena are nonarising and unceasing, you will be assured of unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. You will certainly practice the skill in means associated with the perfection of wisdom.’

“As he explained this formulation of the Dharma that teaches how the tathāgatas are without coming and going, the great earth shook and all world systems of the great trichiliocosm shook in six ways. They shook, shuddered, and juddered. They quivered, careened, and convulsed. All the domains of Māra were also disturbed and diminished. All the plants, herbs, and forests that there were in the world systems of the great trichiliocosm bowed in the direction of the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata. Unseasonal flowers also appeared, and from the air above a rain of flowers descended. Diverse drumbeats also resounded from the air above. The Four Great Kings and Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, also sprinkled, scattered, and showered down divine coral flowers, divine sandalwood powders, divine flowers, and other powders over the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, and they said, ‘Noble son, through your enlightened attributes we have now heard a sermon originating from ultimate reality, which is hard for the entire world to have confidence in, an exegesis that cannot be given by bodhisattvas who are settled in [the false views of] perishable composites!’

“Then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita asked the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, ‘What are the causes and what are the conditions that made this great earth quake?’

“ ‘Noble son,’ replied Dharmodgata, ‘it is because you requested this explanation concerning the noncoming and nongoing of the tathāgatas. While I was teaching it, a thousand living creatures attained the acceptance that phenomena are nonarising, eight hundred million set their minds on unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, and sixty-four thousand living creatures became stainless and immaculate, and their eye of the doctrine became pure with regard to phenomena.’

“Then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita was delighted. He was filled with abundant joy, and thought, ‘I have won a boon! As a result of asking for this exegesis of the Dharma concerning the perfection of wisdom, and the noncoming and nongoing of the tathāgatas, I have been of benefit to so many beings. This root of virtue of mine should in and of itself suffice to ensure that I will attain perfect, unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. Henceforth there is no doubt that I will attain unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. I will undoubtedly become a tathāgata, arhat, completely awakened buddha!’

“Delighted and joyful, filled with contentment, he ascended into the sky to the height of seven palm trees, and as he remained suspended in the sky at the height of seven palm trees, he thought, ‘How should I, standing in the air in this manner, worship the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata?’

“Then Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, saw the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita ascended in the sky, and understood with his own mind the thoughts that he was thinking. He presented him with divine coral flowers and said, ‘Noble son, you should worship the sublime bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata with these flowers! Son of enlightened family, since through your power you have today benefited many thousands of beings, we will assist you, noble son! Noble son, extremely rare are those who would remain enthusiastic for the sake of all beings over immeasurable and countless eons, in the manner in which you have been enthusiastic!’

“Then the bodhisattva great being took those coral flowers from Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, and he scattered and showered them over the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata. He presented the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata with his own body and said, ‘Noble son, I offer my body to you, so that it might henceforth be of service.’ Thereupon he descended from the sky and presented himself; with his palms together, he stood in front of the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata.

“The merchant’s daughter with her five hundred maidens then said to the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita, ‘Noble sir, we, too, will offer our bodies to you in this manner. Through this root of virtue may we, too, attain these same attributes! Noble sir, henceforth may we, accompanying you, worship the buddhas and the bodhisattvas! May we dwell with you!’

“Then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita replied to that merchant’s daughter and those five hundred maidens, ‘Young women, if you are sincerely compatible with my aspirations and sincerely offer your bodies to me, I will indeed accept you.’

“The young women replied, ‘We are sincerely compatible with your aspirations and sincerely offer our bodies to you, so that you may do as you will.’

“Then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita presented to the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata those five hundred maidens, headed by the merchant’s daughter, embellished with all their ornaments, and their five hundred carriages, also adorned with ornaments, and said, ‘Noble sir, I offer these maidens and these five hundred carriages to you, so that you may enjoy them.’

“Then Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, applauded that noble son: ‘Excellent, noble son! Excellent!’ And he continued, ‘Noble son, bodhisattva great beings should renounce all their possessions in that manner. With such thoughts of renunciation bodhisattva great beings will swiftly attain manifest buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. If they make offerings in that manner to those who preach the Dharma, they will be able to hear the skill in means that is associated with the perfection of wisdom. Formerly when the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas of the past practiced the conduct of a bodhisattva, they maintained such renunciation and achieved unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. They also asked questions about this skill in means that is associated with the perfection of wisdom.’

“Then the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, in order to perfect Sadāprarudita’s roots of virtuous action, accepted those five hundred maidens, headed by the merchant’s daughter, and their five hundred carriages. After accepting them, he [immediately] gave them back to that noble son, Sadāprarudita. Then the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata arose from his seat and went inside his house. The sun also set.

“The bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita then had the following thought: ‘It would not be proper and it would not be fitting for me, having come here out of desire for the Dharma, to sit or to lie down. I will remain either standing or walking, until the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata comes out of his house to teach the Dharma.’

“The bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata then remained for seven years in a single meditative absorption, and he maintained the countless and immeasurable thousands of meditative stabilities of bodhisattvas, which originate from the skill in means associated with the perfection of wisdom. For seven years, also, the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita never cultivated thoughts of desire, and he never cultivated thoughts of malice, thoughts of harm, or attachment to tastes. Rather, he thought, ‘How long will it be until we see this bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata arise [from his meditations], so that we may spread out a teaching seat on which that noble sir, the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, will sit and teach the Dharma?’ And he had no other wish apart from thinking, ‘After sweeping and sprinkling the ground where the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata will explain the skill in means associated with the perfection of wisdom, I will scatter various flowers upon it.’ The merchant’s daughter with her five hundred maidens also trained under the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita and remained there in those same two modes of conduct [that is to say, of standing and walking]. In all their activities they indeed imitated him.

“Then one day a voice emerged from the sky, saying that in seven days the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata would rise from his meditative stability, and, having arisen, would teach the Dharma in the middle of the city. The bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita heard that voice, and having heard it, he became elated, joyful, delighted, and contented. Together with the merchant’s daughter and her five hundred maidens he swept that ground and spread out a teaching seat made of the seven precious materials. Then the merchant’s daughter and all her five hundred maidens took off their upper robes and spread out those five hundred upper robes upon the doctrinal seat as a cushion where the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata would sit and teach the Dharma. Then, when the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita searched all around for water to sprinkle on that ground, he did not find any water because the evil Māra had concealed the water for sprinkling on that ground, so that there was every chance he would be saddened, displeased, and change his mind, eliminating his roots of virtuous action and causing those offerings also to deteriorate. But then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita had the following thought: ‘Well then, I will pierce my own body, and sprinkle this ground with blood. If you ask why, since on this ground there is much dust that is unsuitable for the body of the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, what else should I do with this body which will certainly perish? It is better that my body should be destroyed by such an action rather than having my body wasted ineffectually. Many thousands of my bodies have roamed again and again in cyclic existence due to attachment, and on the basis of attachment and as signs of attachment, I did not [have this opportunity] among such wasted circumstances.’ Then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita took a sharp weapon, pierced his entire body, and sprinkled that ground entirely with his own blood. The merchant’s daughter with her five hundred maidens, training under the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita, also took sharp weapons, pierced their own bodies, and sprinkled their blood on that ground. Neither the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita nor those maidens had changed their minds, and Evil Māra had been able to find no opportunity to obstruct their virtuous approach.

“Then Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, had the following thought: ‘It is wonderful how this bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita desires the Dharma, is steadfast in his commitments, has donned the great armor, disregards his body and life for the sake of unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, and resolves, once he has attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, to liberate beings through his higher aspiration from the inestimable sufferings of cyclic existence!’ Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, then transformed all that blood into divine sandalwood water, and all around that ground, as far as a hundred yojanas, an inconceivable fragrance of divine sandalwood wafted. Then Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, said to the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita, ‘Noble son, you are unsurpassed for inconceivable perseverance, your desire for the Dharma, and your search for the Dharma. Excellent! Excellent! Noble son, the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas of the past also attained unsurpassed, complete enlightenment through such higher aspirations, such perseverance, and such desire for the Dharma.’

“Then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita had the following thought: ‘Since I have spread out the teaching seat for the sublime bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, and sprinkled and swept this ground as well, where shall I find flowers to scatter on this ground and to scatter over the sublime bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata when he teaches the Dharma?’

“Thereupon, Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, said to the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita, ‘Noble son, take these divine coral flowers and you may scatter this ground with flowers! You may also scatter them over the teaching seat on which the sublime bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata will sit and teach the Dharma!’ And he presented him with four hundred loads of divine coral flowers. The bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita thereupon accepted those flowers, and scattered some of those flowers on the ground. He kept some flowers to offer to the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata.

“Then when seven years had passed, the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata arose from his meditative stability, and went to that place where the teaching seat had been laid out, and sat down, surrounded and accompanied by an assembly of many hundred thousands, and he taught the perfection of wisdom.

Then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita and the merchant’s daughter, together with the five hundred maidens, offered flowers to the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata. When the great bodhisattva Sadāprarudita saw the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, he attained the kind of bliss that is experienced when a monk with one-pointed attention is absorbed in the first meditative concentration.

“The explanation of the Dharma of the perfection of wisdom imparted to him by the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata was as follows:

“ ‘One should know that the perfection of wisdom is (1) sameness owing to the sameness of all phenomena. The perfection of wisdom is (2) voidness owing to the voidness of all phenomena. The perfection of wisdom is (3) motionlessness owing to the motionlessness of all phenomena. The perfection of wisdom is (4) the absence of mentation owing to the absence of mentation in all phenomena. The perfection of wisdom is (5) imperturbability owing to the imperturbability of all phenomena. The perfection of wisdom is (6) of common savor owing to the common savor of all phenomena. The perfection of wisdom is (7) infinitude owing to the infinitude of all phenomena. The perfection of wisdom is (8) nonarising owing to the nonarising of all phenomena. The perfection of wisdom is (9) nonceasing owing to the nonceasing of all phenomena. The perfection of wisdom is (10) infinity owing to the infinity of space. The perfection of wisdom is (11) infinity owing to the infinity of the oceans. The perfection of wisdom is (12) multifaceted owing to multifacetedness like that of Mount Sumeru. The perfection of wisdom is (13) nonconceptualization owing to nonconceptualization like that of the sky. The perfection of wisdom is (14) boundlessness owing to the boundlessness of physical forms. Similarly, the perfection of wisdom is (15) boundlessness owing to the boundlessness of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness. The perfection of wisdom is (16) boundlessness owing to the boundlessness of the earth element. Similarly, the perfection of wisdom is (17) boundlessness owing to the boundlessness of the water element, the fire element, and the wind element. The perfection of wisdom is (18) boundlessness owing to the boundlessness of the space element. The perfection of wisdom is (19) sameness owing to the vajra-like sameness of all phenomena. The perfection of wisdom is (20) irreducibility owing to the irreducibility of all phenomena. The perfection of wisdom is (21) nonapprehensibility owing to the nonapprehensibility of all phenomena. The perfection of wisdom is (22) nondifferentiation owing to the nondifferentiation of all phenomena. The perfection of wisdom is (23) inactivity owing to the inactivity of all phenomena. The perfection of wisdom is (24) inconceivability owing to the inconceivability of all phenomena.’

“Then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita sat down in the same manner, and at that time he established certainty in (1) the meditative stability named sameness of all phenomena owing to the sameness of all phenomena. And when the perfection of wisdom was explained, he attained (2) the meditative stability named voidness of all phenomena, (3) the meditative stability named motionlessness of all phenomena, (4) the meditative stability named absence of mentation in all phenomena, (5) the meditative stability named imperturbability of all phenomena, (6) the meditative stability named common savor of all phenomena, (7) the meditative stability named infinitude of all phenomena, (8) the meditative stability named nonarising of all phenomena , (9) the meditative stability named nonceasing of all phenomena, (10) the meditative stability named infinite space , (11) the meditative stability named infinite ocean, (12) the meditative stability named multifacetedness of Mount Sumeru, (13) the meditative stability named sky-like, (14) the meditative stability named boundlessness of physical forms, (15) the meditative stability named boundlessness of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness, (16) the meditative stability named boundlessness of the earth element, (17) the meditative stability named boundlessness of the water element, the fire element, and the wind element, (18) the meditative stability named boundlessness of the space element, (19) the meditative stability named vajra-like , (20) the meditative stability named nondifferentiation of all phenomena, (21) the meditative stability named nonapprehensibility of the essential nature of all phenomena, (22) the meditative stability named sameness of the irreducibility of all phenomena, (23) the meditative stability named inactivity of all phenomena, and (24) the meditative stability named inconceivability of all phenomena. Beginning with these [twenty-four], the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita altogether attained six million gateways of meditative stability.”