大智度論 白話全本 · 冊11Dazhidulun — Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa · Complete Vernacular · Vol. 11

This fascicle is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the seventy-fifth chapter, "Training in Sequence"; it is in the eighty-sixth fascicle.

Sūtra ①: With the Mark of Dharmas One Still Does Not Obtain Compliant Acceptance, Without the Mark of Dharmas There Is Compliant Acceptance and So On up to the Severance of All the Afflictions and Their Habitual Residues; When Practising Prajñā There Is No Mark of Dharmas and No Mark of What Is Not a Dharma—This Is the Bodhisattva's Compliant Acceptance, This Is Cultivating the Path and Also the Path and Its Fruit; an Existent Dharma Is the Bodhisattva's Path, a Non-existent Dharma Is the Bodhisattva's Fruit, and One Should Know That All Dharmas Are Without Any Existent Nature; the Buddha Cites His Own Former Practice of the Bodhisattva Path: Cultivating the Six Perfections, Parting from Desire and Entering the Four Dhyānas, and as to the Dhyānas and Their Limbs Grasping at Marks, Not Thinking That There Is This Dhyāna, Not Receiving Its Flavour, Not Obtaining This Dhyāna, Not Receiving the Retribution; by the Four Dhyānas Giving Rise to the Five Supernormal Powers without Grasping at Marks, without Receiving Their Flavour, Practising without Discrimination; with the Wisdom Associated with a Single Thought Obtaining Anuttarā Samyaksaṃbodhi, Accomplishing the Ten Powers and So On up to Great Kindness and Great Compassion, and Distinguishing Beings into the Three Groups; the Desires, Evil and Unwholesome Dharmas, and the Supernormal Powers All Have Neither Self-Nature nor Other-Nature and Are All Without Any Existent Nature—Therefore One Can Part from Desire and Enter Dhyāna, and Knowing the Supernormal Powers to Be Without Anything Existent, Obtain Awakening

At that time Subhūti addressed the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If there is the mark of dharmas, one still does not obtain compliant acceptance—how much less the path! World-Honored One! If there is no mark of dharmas, should one obtain compliant acceptance? Whether the ground of dry wisdom, or the ground of the stage of nature, or the ground of the person of the eight, or the ground of seeing, or the ground of thinning, or the ground of freedom from desire, or the ground of what has been done, or the pratyekabuddha ground, or the bodhisattva ground, or the Buddha ground, or cultivating the path—by this cultivating of the path should one cut off the afflictions? Because of these afflictions, one cannot pass beyond the grounds of the śrāvaka and the pratyekabuddha and enter the bodhisattva's position; if one does not enter the bodhisattva's position, one does not obtain the omniscience of all kinds; not obtaining the omniscience of all kinds, one cannot obtain the severance of all the afflictions and their habitual residues. World-Honored One! If there are no dharmas, these dharmas do not arise; if these dharmas do not arise, one cannot obtain the omniscience of all kinds.’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Just so! Just so! If there is no dharma, then there is compliant acceptance and so on up to the severance of all the afflictions and their habitual residues.’

Subhūti addressed the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, is there the mark of dharmas? That is: the mark of form and so on up to the mark of consciousness, the mark of the eye and so on up to the mark of the mind, the mark of form and so on up to the mark of dharmas, the mark of the eye element and so on up to the mark of the mind-consciousness element, the mark of the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the mark of the omniscience of all kinds; whether the mark of form or the mark of the severance of form, and so on up to the mark of consciousness and the mark of the severance of consciousness, and the twelve sense-fields and the eighteen elements likewise; whether the mark of ignorance or the mark of the severance of ignorance, and so on up to the mark of sorrow, grief, anxiety, and vexation and the mark of the severance of sorrow, grief, anxiety, and vexation; whether the mark of desire or the mark of the severance of desire, whether the mark of hatred or the mark of the severance of hatred, whether the mark of delusion or the mark of the severance of delusion, whether the mark of suffering or the mark of the severance of suffering, whether the mark of origination or the mark of the severance of origination, whether the mark of cessation or the mark of the severance of cessation, whether the mark of the path or the mark of the severance of the path, and so on up to the mark of the omniscience of all kinds and the mark of the severance of all the afflictions and their habitual residues.’

The Buddha said: ‘Not so, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, there is no mark of dharmas and no mark of what is not a dharma; this is the bodhisattva's compliant acceptance. If there is no mark of dharmas and no mark of what is not a dharma, this is cultivating the path, and it is also the path and its fruit. Subhūti! For the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, an existent dharma is the bodhisattva's path, a non-existent dharma is the bodhisattva's fruit. Because of such causes and conditions, one should know that all dharmas are without any existent nature.’

Subhūti addressed the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas are without any existent nature, how is it that the Buddha, because he knows that all dharmas are without any existent nature, came to become a Buddha and obtained the power of sovereignty over all dharmas?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Just so! Just so! All dharmas are without any existent nature. When I formerly practised the bodhisattva path and cultivated the six perfections, I parted from the desires and parted from evil and unwholesome dharmas, and with initial and sustained thought, with the joy and pleasure born of separation, I entered the first dhyāna, and so on up to entering the fourth dhyāna. As to these dhyānas and the limbs of dhyāna, I grasped at marks; I did not think that there was this dhyāna, did not receive the flavour of dhyāna, did not obtain this dhyāna; undefiled and pure, I practised the four dhyānas, and in these dhyānas I did not receive the retribution. Abiding by the four dhyānas, I gave rise to the five supernormal powers: the bodily power, the divine ear, knowing the minds of others, the supernormal power of former lives, and the realisation of the divine eye; as to the supernormal powers, I did not grasp at marks, did not think that there was this supernormal power, did not receive the flavour of the supernormal powers, did not obtain this supernormal power; in these five supernormal powers I practised without discrimination. Subhūti! At that time I, with the wisdom associated with a single thought, obtained anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, that is: this is the noble truth of suffering, this is origination, this is cessation, this is the noble truth of the path; I accomplished the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unshared dharmas, and great kindness and great compassion, and so was able to become a Buddha, and distinguished beings into the three groups: the group assured of rightness, the group assured of wrongness, and the unassured group.’

Subhūti addressed the Buddha: ‘How is it that the World-Honored One, within dharmas without any existent nature, gave rise to the four dhyānas and the six supernormal powers, and, there being no beings either, distinguished them into the three groups?’

The Buddha said to Subhūti: ‘If the desires and evil and unwholesome dharmas were to have their nature—whether self-nature or other-nature—then when I formerly practised as a bodhisattva, I could not have contemplated the desires and evil and unwholesome dharmas as without any existent nature and entered the first dhyāna. Because the desires and evil and unwholesome dharmas are without any existent nature—because whether self-nature or other-nature they are all without any existent nature—when I formerly practised the bodhisattva path, I parted from the desires and evil and unwholesome dharmas and entered the first dhyāna, and so on up to entering the fourth dhyāna. Subhūti! If the supernormal powers had their nature, whether self-nature or other-nature, I could not have known these supernormal powers to be without any existent nature and obtained anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Subhūti! Because the supernormal powers do not have their nature—whether self-nature or other-nature, they are all without any existent nature—for this reason the buddhas, as to the supernormal powers, know them to be without any existent nature, and obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.’

What follows is the treatise's explanation.

Treatise ①: Explaining Why Subhūti Asks Again by Various Causes and Conditions; What Is Asked Is One in Meaning, but the Place It Rests On Differs; the Difference between the Compliant Acceptance of the Small Vehicle and the Bodhisattva's Compliant Acceptance; Existent and Non-existent Dharmas Are the Conditioned and the Unconditioned, with Two Further Sayings Recorded—the Five Perfections and Prajñā, and Prajñā and Suchness, the Nature of Dharmas, and the Limit of Reality; a Sentence-by-Sentence Explanation of What the Buddha Cites of Himself as Witness—Parting from Desire Is Parting from the Five Hindrances, With Initial and Sustained Thought, the Joy and Pleasure Born of Separation, the Two Kinds of Pleasure in the Form Realm, the Difference between the First and the Second Dhyāna; Question and Answer on Born of Separation and Born of Concentration; the Dhyāna That Does Not Receive Retribution, and by the Four Dhyānas Giving Rise to the Five Supernormal Powers without Receiving Their Flavour; the Two Powers of Former Lives and the Divine Eye and Great Compassion, the Mind Turning in Dedication to the Supernormal Power of the Exhaustion of Outflows, and Obtaining the Path by the Wisdom Associated with a Single Thought; the Explanation of Self-Nature and Other-Nature; the Answer to Why the Power of Sovereignty Is Obtained within Emptiness

The treatise-author asks:

That all dharmas are empty is one and the same meaning; why does Subhūti ask again and again by various causes and conditions? What is asked here is: ‘One who has the mark of dharmas does not obtain compliant acceptance, and so on up to: if these dharmas do not arise, one cannot obtain sarvajñā!’

The treatise-author answers:

This meaning of the ultimate emptiness of all dharmas is very deep and hard to understand! Even for the one who speaks it, it is hard—how much more for the one who receives it and the one who practises it! Therefore, when prajñā was about to be spoken to the end, Subhūti, fearing only that people would have much doubt and much confusion, asked again and again by various causes and conditions.

Again, though the meaning asked is one, the place it rests on differs. Sometimes he asks: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas are empty, how are the five destinies distinguished?’ Sometimes he asks: ‘If all dharmas are of the mark of there being nothing existent, how are the three vehicles distinguished?’ Sometimes he asks: ‘World-Honored One! One who has marks, and so on up to, does not obtain compliant acceptance—how can he contemplate the eight grounds and enter the bodhisattva's position?’ Questions of all these kinds: because the gates of approach differ, the meaning comes to have differences, because prajñā has no single fixed mark.

The Buddha approved Subhūti's meaning: ‘Just so! Just so!’

The compliant acceptance Subhūti asked about earlier is the compliant acceptance of the Small Vehicle; what Subhūti asks about now is the dharma of the bodhisattva's compliant acceptance.

Citing the sūtra text: ‘If the bodhisattva practises prajñā, is there the mark of dharmas?’

The Buddha answers: ‘When the bodhisattva practises prajñā, he does not give rise to a mark of dharmas, whether existent or non-existent. Why? Because seeing existence and seeing non-existence both have faults; this is the bodhisattva's compliant acceptance. Within all dharmas he does not give rise to a mark of existence; this is cultivating the path.’

Citing the sūtra text: ‘Subhūti! An existent dharma is the bodhisattva's path; a non-existent dharma is the fruit.’

An existent dharma is named a conditioned dharma; a non-existent dharma is an unconditioned dharma. One practises the conditioned eightfold noble path, cuts off the afflictions, and obtains the unconditioned fruit.

Again, someone says: the five perfections are named existent dharmas, and are the bodhisattva's path; prajñāpāramitā, because of ultimate emptiness, is without any existent dharma, and is the bodhisattva's fruit.

Someone says: prajñāpāramitā is the mark of wisdom; because it is a conditioned dharma, it is the path; suchness, the nature of dharmas, and the limit of reality are not born from causes and conditions and exist always, and so are named the fruit.

Such as these are the differences between an existent dharma and a non-existent dharma. Because of such causes and conditions, Subhūti! one should know that all dharmas are without any existent nature; this is named a non-existent dharma.

He asks again: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas are without any existent nature, how is it that the Buddha, within what is without any existent nature, rightly knew and obtained anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and obtained sovereignty within all dharmas?’

The Buddha approved his words. Because the bodhisattva, joining with the knowledge of there being nothing existent, practises all dharmas and can cut off all clinging, he obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Here the Buddha himself cites himself as witness: ‘When I was formerly a bodhisattva, I practised the six perfections; I parted from desire and parted from evil and unwholesome dharmas, and with initial and sustained thought, with the joy and pleasure born of separation, I entered the first dhyāna.’

Parting from desire is parting from the five desires; parting from evil and unwholesome dharmas is parting from the five hindrances. What can bring a person into the evil destinies is named evil; because it obstructs wholesome dharmas, it is named unwholesome. With initial and sustained thought: this is the wholesome initial and sustained thought included in the first dhyāna. The joy and pleasure born of separation: this is the joy and pleasure that arise from giving up and leaving the five desires. As for joy and pleasure, within the form realm there are two kinds of pleasure: first, pleasure with joy; second, pleasure without joy. Pleasure with joy is within the first and second dhyānas; pleasure without joy is within the third dhyāna. The first dhyāna and the second dhyāna both have joy and pleasure; what is the difference? The joy and pleasure within the first dhyāna arise because of parting from desire; the joy and pleasure of the second dhyāna arise from concentration.

The treatise-author asks:

The second dhyāna too is obtained by parting from the afflictions of the first dhyāna; why is it not said to be born of separation?

The treatise-author answers:

Because within the desire realm the mind is scattered and distracted, there is no name of concentration there; because the practitioner can part from desire, it is named born of separation. Within the first dhyāna there is concentration; because the second dhyāna arises from the concentration of the first dhyāna, it is named born of concentration.

Again, the afflictions of the desire realm, because they are of the mark of the unwholesome, obstruct the first dhyāna; because the practitioner wishes to part from the great obstruction, it is said to be born of separation. The afflictions of the form realm are named indeterminate, and the harm they do is slight; it is because of the causes and conditions of initial and sustained thought that one loses meditative concentration; therefore the Buddha said: ‘Extinguishing initial and sustained thought, the inner mind being pure, one obtains the second dhyāna.’

The third and fourth dhyānas are as was said before.

Citing the sūtra text: ‘In these dhyānas and their limbs I grasped at marks; having obtained them, I did not think that there was this dhyāna.’ When one first trains in dhyāna, one grasps at marks, until one obtains it; having obtained it, because one fears clinging to its flavour, one contemplates impermanence; one does not think that there is this dhyāna, does not obtain the mark of this meditative concentration, and also does not receive its flavour; with an undefiled mind one practises the four dhyānas, unlike those of the outside paths. In these dhyānas one cultivates the dhyāna that does not receive retribution.

Abiding by the four dhyānas, one gives rise to the five supernormal powers, and, just as with the dharma of dhyāna, does not receive their flavour.

Because of the supernormal power of former lives, he knows the original causes and conditions of the deeds of all beings, by which they have come to be born here. Because of the power of the supernormal power of the divine eye, he sees the places where beings will be born in the world to come. Following their deeds, having known the beginning and the end of all beings, his mind gives rise to great compassion: ‘How can the suffering of the continuity of beings' birth and death be cut off?’

At that time his mind turned in dedication and entered the supernormal power of the exhaustion of outflows, and at once, with the wisdom associated with a single thought, he obtained anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, that is: this is the mark of suffering; the cause of suffering is craving; when craving is cut off, suffering is exhausted; what leads to the exhaustion of suffering is the path. Because he penetrated the four truths, he obtained the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, and the eighteen unshared dharmas. He distinguished beings into the three groups; abiding in three supernormal powers, he delivers these beings, namely the divine ear, knowing the minds of others, and the bodily power; he expounds the Dharma for beings, causing them to be delivered from birth and death.

Subhūti asks again: ‘If dharmas are without anything existent, how is it that the Buddha, when he was a bodhisattva, gave rise to the four dhyānas and the six supernormal powers? If there are no beings, how did he distinguish beings into the three groups?’

The Buddha answers: ‘If the desires and the evils were to have their nature—whether self-nature or other-nature—then when I was formerly a bodhisattva, I could not have contemplated the desires and evil and unwholesome dharmas as without any existent nature and entered the first dhyāna.’

The Buddha's meaning is this: if the desires and unwholesome dharmas were real dharmas with a fixed nature, whether many or few, having marks of their own, if within one's own body there were natures of purity, permanence, and the like. Nature is of two kinds: whether self-nature or other-nature. Self-nature means the impure nature of one's own body; other-nature means clothing and the other implements that adorn the body. These are all causes and conditions of impermanence, of what is false and deceptive, and of suffering and vexation. Within the inner and outer five desires there is no reality of permanence, pleasure, self, or purity; if there were, then when I formerly practised the bodhisattva path, I could not have contemplated the five desires as empty and without any existent nature and entered the first dhyāna. Now desire and evil and unwholesome dharmas have no real nature—whether self-nature or other-nature—and therefore when I was a bodhisattva I parted from the five desires and evil and unwholesome dharmas, entered the first dhyāna, and so on up to entering the fourth dhyāna. If the supernormal powers had their nature—whether self-nature or other-nature—then when I formerly practised as a bodhisattva, I could not, because of knowing the supernormal powers to be without anything existent, have obtained anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.

Subhūti asks: ‘If dharmas are definitely without any existent nature and empty, how is it that the Buddha obtained the power of sovereignty within dharmas?’

The Buddha answers: ‘Because of the four dhyānas, I obtained liberation from the afflictions; because of the six supernormal powers, I obtained sovereignty within dharmas and deliver beings.’

Subhūti's meaning is this: taking the four dhyānas and the six supernormal powers as existent, how is the power of sovereignty obtained within emptiness?

The Buddha shows: because I contemplated the five desires and the rest as empty, false and deceptive, and without a fixed mark, I did not cling to these dhyānas, and gave rise to the supernormal powers. Because the dhyānas have marks and have measure, they can be given up, and anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi is obtained. When one first parts from desire, one takes there being no existent nature as the cause, and the fruit obtained, anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, is also without anything existent. If meditative concentration were empty while anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi were not empty, there could be such an objection; now, because both are empty, there should not be this objection!

Fascicle eighty-six of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa ends here.

This fascicle is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the remainder of the seventy-fifth chapter, "Training in Sequence"—continuing from the previous fascicle—composed by the noble Nāgārjuna and translated by the Tripiṭaka master Kumārajīva of the land of Kucha under the Later Qin.

Sūtra ②: How Bodhisattvas New to the Training Practise in Sequence, Train in Sequence, and Follow the Path in Sequence within Dharmas without Any Existent Nature

Subhūti said: ‘World-Honored One! Suppose a bodhisattva-mahāsattva knows that dharmas are without any existent nature, and by way of the four dhyānas and the five supernormal powers obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. World-Honored One! Then how should bodhisattva-mahāsattvas new to the training, within dharmas that are without any existent nature, practise in sequence, train in sequence, and follow the path in sequence, and by this sequential practice, sequential training, and sequential path obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi?’

Sūtra ② (continued): Hearing of There Being Nothing Existent from the Buddhas and the Sages, and Arousing the Mind of Awakening after Reflection

The Buddha told Subhūti: A bodhisattva-mahāsattva hears it at the very first from the buddhas, or hears it from bodhisattvas who have made many offerings to the buddhas, or hears it from the arhats, the anāgāmins, the sakṛdāgāmins, and the srota-āpannas—these words: ‘Because he obtains that nothing exists, he is a Buddha; because they obtain that nothing exists, they are arhats, anāgāmins, sakṛdāgāmins, and srota-āpannas; all the worthies and sages have their names because they obtain that nothing exists. All conditioned, made dharmas are without any existent nature, up to there not being even so much as a hair's tip of anything existent.’ Having heard these words, this bodhisattva-mahāsattva thinks thus in his mind: ‘If all dharmas are without any existent nature—because he obtains that nothing exists he is a Buddha, up to because he obtains that nothing exists he is a srota-āpanna—then whether I come to obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi or do not obtain it, all dharmas are in the end ever without self-nature; why should I not arouse the mind to obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi? Having obtained anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, since all beings practise within marks, I shall cause them to dwell within there being nothing existent.’ Subhūti! Having reflected thus, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva arouses the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; for the sake of delivering all beings, the sequential practice, sequential training, and sequential path that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises are just like the path practised by the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas of the past, and he obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.

Sūtra ② (continued): This Bodhisattva Who Has Newly Aroused the Mind Should Train in the Six Perfections

This bodhisattva who has newly aroused the mind should train in the six perfections, namely dānapāramitā, śīlapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, vīryapāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, and prajñāpāramitā.

Sūtra ② (continued): The Sequence of Practising Dānapāramitā

The Buddha said: When this bodhisattva-mahāsattva is practising dānapāramitā, he himself practises giving, also teaches others to practise giving, praises the merit of practising giving, and rejoices in and praises those who practise giving; through the causes and conditions of this giving he obtains great wealth. This bodhisattva is far from the mind of stinginess, and gives beings food and drink, clothing, incense, flowers, necklaces, dwellings, bedding, lamps and candles—the various things needed to sustain life, he gives them all. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises this giving and also keeps morality, is born among gods and humans, and obtains great nobility. Because of this keeping of morality and giving, he accomplishes the aggregate of meditative concentration; because of this giving, keeping of morality, and meditative concentration, he accomplishes the aggregate of wisdom, the aggregate of liberation, and the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation. Because of this giving, keeping of morality, the aggregate of meditative concentration, the aggregate of wisdom, the aggregate of liberation, and the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation, this bodhisattva passes beyond the grounds of the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas and enters the bodhisattva's position. Having entered the bodhisattva's position, he obtains a pure buddha-land, brings beings to accomplishment, and obtains the omniscience of all kinds; having obtained the omniscience of all kinds, he turns the wheel of the Dharma; having turned the wheel of the Dharma, he delivers beings from birth and death by the Dharma of the three vehicles. Thus, Subhūti! the sequential practice, sequential training, and sequential path that the bodhisattva has by this giving—these are all unfindable. Why? Because self-nature is without anything existent.

Sūtra ② (continued): The Sequence of Practising Śīlapāramitā

The Buddha said: Again, Subhūti! From the first arousing of intent, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva himself keeps morality, teaches others to keep morality, praises the merit of keeping morality, and rejoices in and praises those who practise the keeping of morality. Through the causes and conditions of keeping morality, he is born among gods and humans and obtains great nobility. Seeing poor people, he gives them wealth; those who do not keep morality he teaches to keep morality; those of scattered mind he teaches meditative concentration; the deluded he teaches wisdom; those without liberation he teaches liberation; those without the knowledge and vision of liberation he teaches the knowledge and vision of liberation. Because of this keeping of morality, meditative concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation, he passes beyond the grounds of the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas and enters the bodhisattva's position; having entered the bodhisattva's position, he obtains a pure buddha-land; having purified the buddha-land, he brings beings to accomplishment; having brought beings to accomplishment, he obtains the omniscience of all kinds; having obtained the omniscience of all kinds, he turns the wheel of the Dharma; having turned the wheel of the Dharma, he delivers beings by the Dharma of the three vehicles. Thus, Subhūti! the sequential practice, sequential training, and sequential path that the bodhisattva has by this keeping of morality—these matters are all unfindable. Why? Because the self-nature of all dharmas is without anything existent.

Sūtra ② (continued): The Sequence of Practising Kṣāntipāramitā

The Buddha said: Again, Subhūti! From the very first onward, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva himself practises kṣāntipāramitā, teaches others to practise kṣānti, praises the merit of kṣānti, and rejoices in and praises those who practise kṣānti. When practising kṣāntipāramitā, he gives to beings and lets each of them be satisfied, teaches them to keep morality, teaches them meditative concentration, up to the knowledge and vision of liberation. Through the causes and conditions of this giving, keeping of morality, meditative concentration, and wisdom, he passes beyond the grounds of the arhats and the pratyekabuddhas and enters into the bodhisattva's position; having entered into the bodhisattva's position, he obtains a pure buddha-world; having purified the buddha-world, he brings beings to accomplishment; having brought beings to accomplishment, he obtains the omniscience of all kinds; having obtained the omniscience of all kinds, he turns the wheel of the Dharma; having turned the wheel of the Dharma, he delivers beings by the Dharma of the three vehicles. Thus, Subhūti! the sequential practice, sequential training, and sequential path that the bodhisattva has by kṣāntipāramitā—these matters are all unfindable. Why? Because the self-nature of all dharmas is without anything existent.

Sūtra ② (continued): The Sequence of Practising Vīryapāramitā

The Buddha said: Again, Subhūti! From the very first onward, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva himself practises vīryapāramitā, teaches others to practise vīrya, praises the merit of practising vīrya, and rejoices in and praises those who practise vīrya; up to: this matter is unfindable, because self-nature is without anything existent.

Sūtra ② (continued): The Sequence of Practising Dhyānapāramitā

The Buddha said: Again, Subhūti! From the very first onward, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva himself enters the dhyānas, enters the immeasurable minds, enters the formless absorptions, and also teaches others to enter the dhyānas, enter the immeasurable minds, enter the formless absorptions; he praises the merit of entering the dhyānas, entering the immeasurable minds, entering the formless absorptions, and rejoices in and praises those who practise the dhyānas, the immeasurable minds, and the formless absorptions. Dwelling within the dhyānas, the absorptions, and the immeasurable minds, this bodhisattva gives to beings and lets each of them be satisfied; he teaches them to keep morality, teaches them meditative concentration and wisdom. Through the causes and conditions of this giving, meditative concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation, he passes beyond the grounds of the arhats and the pratyekabuddhas and enters the bodhisattva's position; having entered the bodhisattva's position, he purifies a buddha-world; having purified the buddha-world, he brings beings to accomplishment; having brought beings to accomplishment, he obtains the omniscience of all kinds; having obtained the omniscience of all kinds, he turns the wheel of the Dharma; having turned the wheel of the Dharma, he delivers all beings by the Dharma of the three vehicles. Up to: this matter is unfindable, because self-nature is without anything existent.

Sūtra ② (continued): The Sequence of Practising Prajñāpāramitā—This Is Called the Sequential Practice, Sequential Training, and Sequential Path of a Bodhisattva of the First Arousing of Intent

The Buddha said: Again, Subhūti! From the very first onward, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, gives to beings and lets each of them be satisfied, and teaches them morality, meditative concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation. When practising prajñāpāramitā, this bodhisattva himself practises the six perfections, also teaches other people to practise the six perfections, praises the merit of the six perfections, and rejoices in and praises those who practise the six perfections. Through the causes and conditions of this dānapāramitā, śīlapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, vīryapāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, and prajñāpāramitā, together with the power of skilful means, this bodhisattva passes beyond the grounds of the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas and enters the bodhisattva's position; up to: this matter is unfindable, because self-nature is without anything existent. Subhūti! This is called the sequential practice, sequential training, and sequential path of a bodhisattva-mahāsattva of the first arousing of intent.

Sūtra ② (continued): With a Mind Associated with the Omniscience of All Kinds, Believing and Understanding the Nature without Anything Existent, He Cultivates the Six Recollections

The Buddha said: Again, Subhūti! The sequential practice, sequential training, and sequential path of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva is this: from the very first onward, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, with a mind associated with the omniscience of all kinds, believes and understands that dharmas are without any existent nature, and cultivates the six recollections, namely recollection of the Buddha, recollection of the Dharma, recollection of the Saṅgha, recollection of morality, recollection of giving up, and recollection of the gods.

Sūtra ② (continued): How Recollection of the Buddha Is Cultivated—He Does Not Recollect by Form, Does Not Recollect by Feeling, Perception, Constructions, or Consciousness

The Buddha said: Subhūti! How does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva cultivate recollection of the Buddha? The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, recollecting the Buddha, does not recollect by form, does not recollect by feeling, perception, constructions, or consciousness. Why? Because the self-nature of this form is non-existent, and the self-nature of feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness is non-existent. If the self-nature of a dharma is non-existent, this is without anything existent. Why? Because there is no remembering—this is what is called recollection of the Buddha.

Sūtra ② (continued): He Does Not Recollect the Buddha by the Thirty-two Marks, the Golden Body, and the Rest

The Buddha said: Again, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, recollecting the Buddha, does not recollect by the thirty-two marks, and also does not recollect the golden body, does not recollect the light of one zhang, does not recollect the eighty minor marks. Why? Because the self-nature of this Buddha-body is non-existent. If a dharma has no self-nature, this is without anything existent. Why? Because there is no remembering—this is what is called recollection of the Buddha.

Sūtra ② (continued): One Should Not Recollect the Buddha by the Aggregate of Morality, up to the Aggregate of the Knowledge and Vision of Liberation

The Buddha said: Again, Subhūti! One should not recollect the Buddha by the aggregate of morality; one should not recollect the Buddha by the aggregate of concentration, the aggregate of wisdom, the aggregate of liberation, or the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation. Why? Because these aggregates have no self-nature. If a dharma has no self-nature, this is not a dharma. Recollecting by there being nothing existent—this is what is called recollection of the Buddha.

Sūtra ② (continued): One Should Not Recollect the Buddha by the Ten Powers, the Four Fearlessnesses, up to Great Kindness and Great Compassion

The Buddha said: Again, Subhūti! One should not recollect the Buddha by the ten powers; one should not recollect the Buddha by the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, or the eighteen unshared dharmas; one should not recollect the Buddha by great kindness and great compassion. Why? Because the self-nature of these dharmas is non-existent. If the self-nature of a dharma is non-existent, this is not a dharma. Recollecting nothing—this is what is called recollection of the Buddha.

Sūtra ② (continued): One Should Not Recollect the Buddha by the Dharma of the Twelve Links of Causes and Conditions

The Buddha said: Again, Subhūti! One should not recollect the Buddha by the dharma of the twelve links of causes and conditions. Why? Because the self-nature of this dharma of causes and conditions is non-existent. If the self-nature of a dharma is non-existent, this is not a dharma. Recollecting nothing—this is what is called recollection of the Buddha.

Sūtra ② (continued): Recollecting the Buddha as One Should Is Itself Sequential Practice, Training, and Path; Dwelling within It He Can Fulfil the Limbs of the Path

The Buddha said: Thus, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he should recollect the Buddha in this way; this is the sequential practice, sequential training, and sequential path of the bodhisattva of the first arousing of intent. Dwelling within sequential practice, sequential training, and sequential path, this bodhisattva-mahāsattva can fulfil the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven limbs of awakening, and the eightfold noble path, and cultivate the emptiness samādhi, the signless samādhi, and the non-action samādhi, up to the omniscience of all kinds, because the nature of dharmas is without anything existent. This bodhisattva knows that the nature of dharmas is without anything existent; within this there is neither an existent nature nor a non-existent nature.

Sūtra ② (continued): How One Should Cultivate Recollection of the Dharma

The Buddha said: Subhūti! How should the bodhisattva-mahāsattva cultivate recollection of the Dharma? Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he does not recollect wholesome dharmas, does not recollect unwholesome dharmas; does not recollect determinate dharmas or indeterminate dharmas; does not recollect worldly dharmas, does not recollect world-transcending dharmas; does not recollect pure dharmas, does not recollect impure dharmas; does not recollect the dharmas of sages, does not recollect the dharmas of ordinary persons; does not recollect dharmas with outflows, does not recollect dharmas without outflows; does not recollect dharmas bound to the desire realm, dharmas bound to the form realm, or dharmas bound to the formless realm; does not recollect conditioned dharmas or unconditioned dharmas. Why? Because the self-nature of these dharmas is non-existent. If the self-nature of a dharma is non-existent, this is not a dharma. Recollecting nothing—this is what is called recollection of the Dharma. Because he trains in that nature without anything existent within recollection of the Dharma, up to his coming in time to obtain the omniscience of all kinds. When this bodhisattva obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, he obtains the nature of dharmas without anything existent; within this nature without anything existent there is neither having marks nor the signless. Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva should cultivate recollection of the Dharma in this way; within this Dharma, up to there not being even a little recollection, how much less recollecting the Dharma!

Sūtra ② (continued): How One Should Cultivate Recollection of the Saṅgha

The Buddha said: Subhūti! How should the bodhisattva-mahāsattva cultivate recollection of the Saṅgha? Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, recollecting the Saṅgha, distinguishes that there is the assembly of the Buddha's disciples because of the unconditioned dharma; within this, up to there not being even a little recollection, how much less recollecting the Saṅgha! Thus the bodhisattva-mahāsattva should cultivate recollection of the Saṅgha in this way.

Sūtra ② (continued): How One Should Cultivate Recollection of Morality

The Buddha said: Subhūti! How should the bodhisattva-mahāsattva cultivate recollection of morality? Subhūti! From the first arousing of intent onward, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva should recollect noble morality—morality without breach, morality without crack, morality without flaw, morality without turbidity, morality without clinging, sovereign morality, morality praised by the wise, complete morality, and morality that accords with concentration. He should recollect that this morality is without any existent nature, up to there not being even a little recollection, how much less recollecting morality!

Sūtra ② (continued): One Should Recollect Giving Up

The Buddha said: Subhūti! From the first arousing of intent onward, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva should recollect giving up—whether recollecting his own giving up or recollecting the giving up of others, whether it is giving up wealth, giving up the Dharma, or giving up the afflictions; because he contemplates this giving up as unfindable, up to there not being even a little recollection, how much less recollecting giving up! Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva should recollect giving up in this way.

Sūtra ② (continued): How One Should Recollect the Gods

The Buddha said: Subhūti! How should the bodhisattva-mahāsattva recollect the gods? Subhūti! The bodhisattva has this thought in his mind: ‘The faith, morality, giving, learning, and wisdom possessed by the gods of the Four Heavenly Kings—it is with these that, having ended their lives here, they were born in that heavenly place; I too have such faith, morality, giving, learning, and wisdom. Up to the faith, morality, giving, learning, and wisdom possessed by the gods Sovereign over Others' Transformations—it is with these that, having ended their lives here, they were born in that heavenly place; I too have such faith, morality, giving, learning, and wisdom.’ Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva should recollect these gods as without any existent nature; within this there is still not even a little recollection, how much less recollecting the gods!

Sūtra ② (continued): Practising These Six Recollections Is Called Sequential Practice, Sequential Training, and Sequential Path

The Buddha said: Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva's practising these six recollections—this is called sequential practice, sequential training, and sequential path.

Sūtra ② (continued): Subhūti's Objection—If All Dharmas Are without Any Existent Nature, Then There Is No Path, No Knowledge, No Fruit

At that time Subhūti addressed the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas are without any existent nature—namely recollecting form up to consciousness, the eye up to the mind, form up to dharmas, all are without any existent nature; the eye-element up to the mind-consciousness-element is without any existent nature; dānapāramitā up to prajñāpāramitā, inner emptiness up to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas, the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold noble path, the Buddha's ten powers up to the omniscience of all kinds, all are without any existent nature—World-Honored One! if all dharmas are without any existent nature, then there is no path, no knowledge, no fruit.’

Sūtra ② (continued): The Buddha Asks in Return—Do You See This Nature of Form as Really Existent

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Do you see this nature of form as really existent? Up to: is the omniscience of all kinds really existent?’

Subhūti said: ‘I do not see it, World-Honored One!’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Since you do not see dharmas as really existent, why do you ask this question?’

Sūtra ② (continued): Subhūti Answers—He Asks Only for the Sake of the Bhikṣus of the World to Come

Subhūti said: ‘World-Honored One! I dare not have doubt about this Dharma; it is only for the sake of those bhikṣus in the world to come who seek the path of the śrāvakas, the path of the pratyekabuddhas, and the path of the bodhisattvas. Those people will say thus: if all dharmas are without any existent nature, then who is stained and who is pure? Who is bound and who is released? Because of this not knowing and not understanding, they break morality, break right view, break deportment, break pure livelihood; because they break these things, those people will fall into the three evil destinies. World-Honored One! I fear that such things will happen in the world to come; for this reason I ask the Buddha. World-Honored One! In this Dharma I have faith; I do not doubt and do not regret.’

Treatise ②: Subhūti Subdues Himself and Receives the Buddha's Words; Now He Asks How One Who Has Newly Aroused the Mind Practises

The treatise-author explains:

Subhūti subdued his own mind and received the Buddha's words—though all dharmas are empty, one can still give rise to the four dhyānas and the supernormal powers; this is something only the great bodhisattvas near to becoming a Buddha can practise; now he did not yet know how those who have newly aroused the mind should practise, and for this reason doubt arose, and he asked the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! How do bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who have newly aroused the mind, within dharmas that are without any existent nature, practise in sequence, train in sequence, and follow the path in sequence, and by this sequential practice obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi?’

Because of ‘sequential practice, sequential training, sequential path’, one knows that this is a bodhisattva who has newly aroused the mind; though he has aroused the intent for immeasurable kalpas, so long as he has not yet realised the real mark of all dharmas, he is called new to the training.

Treatise ② (continued): Question and Answer One—Why Is One New to the Training Made to Practise within There Being Nothing Existent and Ultimate Emptiness

The treatise-author asks:

If such a person is new to the training, he should only be taught to practise giving, keeping morality, and such matters; why does the Buddha teach him to practise within the nature of dharmas that is without anything existent and ultimately empty?

The treatise-author answers:

It is now in order to make clear the beginning of entry into the dharma of there being nothing existent and ultimate emptiness that he is made to practise there being nothing existent. And this bodhisattva combines the practices of giving, keeping morality, and the rest with there being nothing existent and ultimate emptiness; it is as a small child taking medicine: it needs honey added before it can go down. For this reason, though he is one who has newly aroused the mind, he also contemplates the very deep meaning of emptiness, and there is no fault in this.

Treatise ② (continued): Explaining the Sūtra as Cited—the Buddhas, Those Who Have Made Many Offerings to the Buddhas, the Four Kinds of Śrāvaka Sages

The Buddha answered Subhūti: ‘The bodhisattva hears it at the very first from the buddhas, or hears it from those who have made many offerings to the buddhas.’ As for ‘the buddhas’: either those of the past or those of the present. As for ‘those who have made many offerings to the buddhas’: namely Samantabhadra, Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta, Mañjuśrī, the Bodhisattva Maitreya, and others. The meaning of the four kinds of śrāvaka sages is as spoken of before. The pratyekabuddhas are not mentioned, because they do not delight in expounding the Dharma.

Treatise ② (continued): The Sages All Have Their Differences Because of There Being Nothing Existent, Because of Nirvāṇa

The buddhas and the other sages all have such distinctions because of there being nothing existent.

Though the sages have meditative concentration and all manner of merits, these are all for the sake of nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa is the mark of quiescence, the dharma of there being nothing existent; for this reason it is said: ‘All the sages have such differences because of nirvāṇa.’

Treatise ② (continued): All Conditioned, Made Dharmas, up to There Not Being Even So Much as a Hair's Tip of Anything Existent

All conditioned, made dharmas exist only because they arise from the coming together of causes and conditions, and have no really fixed self-nature, up to there not being even so much as a hair's tip of anything existent. Conditioned dharmas are of two kinds: first, dharmas of form; second, formless dharmas. Dharmas of form can be broken; when analysed down to fine particles, there is nothing fixed and real; within formless dharmas, up to there being not a single thought that is fixed and real. The meaning of the refutation is as spoken of above.

Treatise ② (continued): Why He Hears Only from the Sages

This bodhisattva hears this Dharma from the buddhas and the sages, because the other people mostly speak with a clinging mind, while the sages speak with a mind without clinging; for this reason he hears only from the sages.

Treatise ② (continued): The Bodhisattva of Sequential Training Reckons and Decides—Obtaining and Not Obtaining Being the Same, Why Should I Not Arouse the Mind to Become a Buddha

At that time the bodhisattva of sequential training, having heard this Dharma, reckons and decides with subsequent knowledge, and knows that dharmas are in the end certainly empty and all enter into the real mark the Buddha realised, namely the mark of quiescence and of no idle discourse. Whether I come to become a Buddha or do not become a Buddha, the two are equal and without difference. Why? Because the real mark of all dharmas neither increases nor decreases, there being no further new dharma to obtain, and no dharma is lost either. As for delivering beings: beings are ultimately empty, and root and branch they are unfindable; the vows I make, the merit I perform, and the power of the supernormal powers at the time of becoming a Buddha are all like a dream, like an illusion, and so there is no fixed and real mark—they are ultimately empty. Since obtaining and not obtaining are the same, why should I not arouse the mind to become a Buddha?

Treatise ② (continued): Question and Answer Two—Ultimate Emptiness Is without Anything Existent; What Hindrance Is There to Arousing the Mind to Become a Buddha

The treatise-author asks:

If one knows that dharmas are ultimately empty and without anything existent, why does it further say ‘why should I not arouse the mind to become a Buddha’?

The treatise-author answers:

Ultimate emptiness is without anything existent and has nothing that obstructs; how does it hinder arousing the mind to become a Buddha?

Again, if it is said that ultimate emptiness can extinguish all idle discourse, how could it obstruct arousing the mind? If it is said that it does obstruct, this obstruction itself would be an existent nature; how then could it still be called the nature without anything existent?

Treatise ② (continued): Question and Answer Three—Why Does He Not Dwell at Ease, but Arouse the Mind and Undergo All Manner of Toil and Suffering

The treatise-author asks:

If it does not obstruct arousing the mind, it should equally not obstruct not arousing the mind; why does the bodhisattva not dwell at ease, unmoving, but arouse the mind and undergo all manner of toil and suffering?

The treatise-author answers:

Someone says: this bodhisattva has various causes and conditions for which he should arouse the mind: perhaps because he has many relatives and friends who have never heard, never known, never realised this real mark of all dharmas, and for this reason undergo all manner of suffering and vexation in this life and in later lives; ‘I fortunately have the strength to let these people get free of all suffering.’ It is as a person who has obtained an excellent good medicine, while his kin and friends are undergoing all manner of pains of sickness: how could he not give it to them? For this reason, though the bodhisattva knows that the nature of dharmas is without anything existent, he still arouses the mind for the sake of his kin, and benefits beings.

The bodhisattva also thinks thus: ‘Though I have heard of the real mark of all dharmas, my mind has not yet entered it deeply; I do not yet have meditative concentration, my wisdom is not yet ripe, and I undergo all manner of suffering and vexation.’ For this reason he arouses the mind and seeks anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, gathers all manner of merit, and takes the dharma of there being nothing existent as his realisation, both for himself and for others.

This bodhisattva further hears the deep meaning of the Great Vehicle, dwells within the equality of beings and the equality of dharmas, and has no mind that discriminates differences; therefore he can attain buddhahood. Even toward middling people and toward enemies, he has no differing mind. Why so? Because this bodhisattva, with the mind of ultimate emptiness, has thin afflictions, and holds enemy and kin as equal, thinking thus: ‘Enemy and kin have no fixed standard; because of causes and conditions, kin at times become enemies, and enemies at times become kin.’ Because of this great cause and condition, he fulfils the pāramitā of patience, and so is able to become a Buddha. From what is it obtained? It is obtained from bearing with enemies. Therefore the bodhisattva regards enemies as he regards kin. It is as one who wishes to pass through a dangerous road should respect and carry on his head the guide who leads the way; and as a good physician, though of lowly birth, is valued by noble people. He reflects, reckons, and discriminates thus: ‘Middling people and enemies, though they are of no use to me, are causes and conditions of the Buddha-path.’ For this reason he arouses the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.

Treatise ② (continued): This Is Called One Kind of Sequential Practice, Sequential Training, and Sequential Path

This is called one kind of sequential practice, sequential training, and sequential path. For this reason, what the bodhisattvas of the past practised is taken as the proof.

Treatise ② (continued): Question and Answer Four—What Difference Is There among Sequential Practice, Sequential Training, and Sequential Path

The treatise-author asks:

What difference is there among sequential practice, sequential training, and sequential path?

The treatise-author answers:

Someone says: there is no difference; what is called practice, what is called training, and what is called path—the meaning is one and the words differ.

Someone says: the beginning is named practice, the middle is named training, the end is named path.

Practice is named giving, training is named keeping morality, path is named wisdom.

Again, practice is named keeping morality, training is named meditative concentration, path is named wisdom.

Again, practice is named right speech, right action, and right livelihood; training is named right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration; path is named right view and right thought. Though these eight things are named the path as a whole, when distinguished they have three parts: right view is the body of the path; what can give rise to the path is named right thought. Right speech, right action, and right livelihood aid right view, and so are named practice. Right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration can accomplish right view and make it firm; this is named training.

Again, someone says: dānapāramitā and vīryapāramitā are named practice, because they are the first entry into the path. Śīlapāramitā is named training, because the human mind constantly chases after the five desires, is hard to restrain and hard to control, and does not rest for a moment; little by little, by śīlapāramitā and dhyānapāramitā, one subdues one's mind, and for this reason it is named training. Kṣāntipāramitā and prajñāpāramitā are named path. Why? Patience is goodness, prajñā is wisdom; because goodness and wisdom are complete, it is named path. It is as a person who has eyes and also feet, and can reach wherever his mind wishes to go.

Such as these are named the differences of the three matters.

Treatise ② (continued): Question and Answer Five—Why It Is Named Sequence; the Simile of Climbing a Ladder

The treatise-author asks:

Why is it named sequence?

The treatise-author answers:

According to Subhūti's intent: if all dharmas are without anything existent, how can a bodhisattva of the first arousing of the mind, within this empty dharma, train little by little in sequence? For this reason sequence is spoken of. Though dharmas are empty and hard to understand, because sequential practice gains strength, one can reach accomplishment; it is as climbing a ladder: from the first rung one goes up little by little, and though the place above is high and hard, one can still reach it.

Treatise ② (continued): The One Who Practises in Sequence Practises the Six Perfections in Four Kinds of Practice

The one who practises in sequence practises the six perfections in four kinds of practice, as the sūtra says.

Treatise ② (continued): Why Dāna Is Practised in Four Ways

The sūtra says ‘he himself practises dāna, teaches others to practise dāna, praises the merit of dāna, and rejoices in and praises those who practise dāna’; this is because he has well pulled up the root of stinginess and greed, deeply loves dānapāramitā, is kind and compassionate toward beings, and penetrates the real mark of all dharmas; because of these causes and conditions, he can practise dānapāramitā in four ways.

Treatise ② (continued): The Various Cases of Being Unable to Complete the Four Matters

There may be someone who himself practises giving but cannot teach others to give: either he fears others' anger, or he fears that others will take his urging them to give, done for their own sake, as a kind of favour. Because of such causes and conditions as these, he cannot teach others. Or there may be someone who teaches others to give but cannot himself give; or there may be someone who in all manner of ways praises the virtue of giving and urges people to give, but cannot himself practise it. There is someone who himself practises giving, also teaches others to give and praises the virtue of giving, yet seeing others give cannot rejoice. Why so? Perhaps because there is a precept-breaking evil person practising giving, and he does not like to see it. There is someone who likes to see a donor but does not praise him, because he holds wrong views and does not recognise the fruit of giving. Thus each of them is unable to complete them.

Treatise ② (continued): The Bodhisattva, with Great Compassion and a Deep Love of Wholesome Dharmas, Can Therefore Practise the Four Matters

Because the bodhisattva has the mind of great compassion and deeply loves wholesome dharmas, he can practise these four matters, as spoken of above. If the bodhisattva only gave himself and did not teach others, there would be only a little benefit in this life. These beings, following the causes and conditions of their deeds, fall into a place of poverty; for this reason the bodhisattva teaches beings, saying: ‘I do not begrudge wealth; though I give you much, you cannot take it with you into later lives; you should now do it yourselves, and in time you will naturally obtain it yourselves.’ With the real merit of giving, by all manner of causes and conditions, he teaches beings to practise giving. Seeing a person who practises giving, even if he is a precept-breaking evil person, he thinks only of the virtue of his good mind in giving and does not think of his evil; for this reason he rejoices and praises.

Treatise ② (continued): The Three Jewels, the Inexhaustible Field of Merit

Again, because he sees giving within the inexhaustible field of merit of the Three Jewels, the merit of the giving will not be exhausted and will certainly reach the Buddha-path; because he contemplates its inexhaustible merit in the future, he joyfully practises these four kinds of giving, and life after life he has wealth.

Treatise ② (continued): Wealth Comes of Itself—the Simile of Planting Grain and the Straw Coming of Itself

Though this bodhisattva does not give for the sake of wealth, before he has fulfilled anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, the six perfections, and such dharmas, in the meantime wealth comes of itself; it is as a person who plants grain for the sake of the grain, and the straw comes of itself.

Treatise ② (continued): When He Obtains the Retribution of Wealth, He Is Far from the Mind of Stinginess and Greed

When the bodhisattva obtains the retribution of wealth, he is far from the mind of stinginess and greed, and gives according to the wishes of beings: to one who needs food, he gives food, and so on.

Treatise ② (continued): Question and Answer Six—When This Bodhisattva Gives, to What Kind of People Does He Give First

The treatise-author asks:

When this bodhisattva gives, to what kind of people does he give first?

The treatise-author answers:

Though this bodhisattva gives rise to the mind of great compassion because of beings, yet when the bodhisattva gives, he certainly first makes offerings to the buddhas, the great bodhisattvas, the pratyekabuddhas, the arhats, and the sages. If there are no sages, he next gives to those who keep morality, are vigorous, are in meditative concentration, are wise, and are free of desire. If there are no such people, he gives to all the Buddha's disciples who have left home. If there are no such people, he next gives to those who keep the five precepts and practise the ten wholesome paths, and to those who keep the one-day precepts and the three refuges. If there are no such people, he next gives to middling people who are neither right nor wrong. If there are no such people, he next gives to the evil people of the five heinous sins, and to the animals. He may not withhold it, because the bodhisattva gathers in all beings by giving.

Someone says: one should first give to people of the five heinous sins, to those who have cut off the roots of goodness, and to the poor, the old and sick, the lowly, and the begging, up to the animals; it is as a kind mother with many children first thinks of the weak and sick one and supplies him with what he needs. It is also as the bodhisattva who, because a hungry tiger wished to eat its young, gave his own body to it.

Treatise ② (continued): Question and Answer Seven—Among All These Sayings, to Whom Should One Give First

The treatise-author asks:

Among all these sayings, to which should one after all give first?

The treatise-author answers:

All beings are the bodhisattva's field of merit, because they can give rise to great compassion. The bodhisattva constantly wishes to give anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi to beings; how much less would he still make distinctions over things such as clothing and food!

Further, if the bodhisattva has obtained the dharma of the acceptance of non-arising, he is equal and without difference. Among those who have not yet obtained the acceptance of non-arising, in some the mind of kindness and compassion is greater, in some the discriminating mind is greater; these two kinds of mind cannot proceed together at the same time.

The one in whom the mind of compassion is greater gives first to poor evil people, thinking thus: ‘Among the fields of merit in which to plant, though the retribution is great, out of pity for beings I first benefit the poor.’ Thus, though the field is not good, because of the mind of kindness and compassion he also obtains great retribution.

The one in whom the discriminating mind is greater thinks thus: ‘Because the buddhas have immeasurable merit, I should make offerings to them first.’ Because he discriminates dharmas and grasps at the Buddha's body, his mind is small; though his mind is small, because the field of merit is good, the merit too is great.

If one realises the real mark of all dharmas and enters the power of skilful means of prajñāpāramitā, the mind becomes free, and the two things proceed together at the same time—pitying beings, and also regarding all beings as a Buddha. Such as these: the bodhisattva gives according to causes and conditions.

Treatise ② (continued): Question and Answer Eight—Why Does the Sūtra Say ‘to One Who Needs Food, Give Food’

The treatise-author asks:

Why does the sūtra not say ‘give clothing, food, and other things’, but says ‘to one who needs food, give food’?

The treatise-author answers:

There are people who to one who needs food give drink, and to one who needs drink give clothing; because it does not suit the recipient's wish, the merit is small; for this reason it says to one who needs food, give food.

Treatise ② (continued): Question and Answer Nine—How Is One to Know What Is Needed by Those Who Are Ashamed or Afraid

The treatise-author asks:

There are people who are either ashamed or afraid; though they have needs, they cannot open their mouths to say so; how is one to know what they need?

The treatise-author answers:

The bodhisattva observes their appearance, what is needed at the time, and what suits the land; or, if he has knowledge of others' minds, he gives them the requisites that sustain life according to their wishes.

Treatise ② (continued): Giving Accomplishes the Aggregate of Morality, up to the Aggregate of the Knowledge and Vision of Liberation

Through this giving this person is able to accomplish the aggregate of morality; and he further thinks thus: ‘I pity beings and give clothing and food, but what it increases is very little; it is better to keep morality, and constantly give beings freedom from vexation and freedom from fear.’ Dwelling within this keeping of morality, the bodhisattva gives rise to meditative concentration for the sake of guarding morality. Because the mind is not scattered and is pure, he is able to accomplish the aggregate of wisdom; being without idle discourse and abandoning all clinging is the appearance of wisdom. With this wisdom he breaks the bonds of all the afflictions and obtains the aggregate of liberation. Because he realises liberation by clearly knowing and seeing, it is named the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation.

Because of the causes and conditions of first practising giving and of the five aggregates of the Dharma body, this person passes beyond the grounds of the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas and enters the bodhisattva's position.

Treatise ② (continued): Question and Answer Ten—The Bodhisattva Should Practise the Six Perfections; Why Are the Five Aggregates Spoken of Here

The treatise-author asks:

The bodhisattva should practise the six perfections to enter the bodhisattva's position; why are the five aggregates of the Dharma body spoken of here?

The treatise-author answers:

Though the dharma is one, it is spoken of by various different names; for this reason there is no fault in speaking of the five aggregates of the Dharma body. This person wishes to give rise to all the perfections from within one pāramitā; giving is the chief, and it has already been spoken of above. The aggregate of keeping morality is named śīlapāramitā; the aggregate of concentration and the aggregate of liberation are named dhyānapāramitā; the aggregate of wisdom and the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation are prajñāpāramitā; being able to bear all evil things while practising the perfections—this is called kṣāntipāramitā; being able to give rise to the perfections without resting and without ceasing—this is called vīryapāramitā.

Treatise ② (continued): Question and Answer Eleven—Why Not Speak Only of the Names of the Perfections, but Speak of the Five Aggregates

The treatise-author asks:

If so, why not speak only of the names of the perfections, but speak of the five aggregates of the Dharma body?

The treatise-author answers:

This person wishes to enter the bodhisattva's position; this is not obtained merely by keeping morality and meditative concentration; he must also combine the many precepts, the pure precepts, and the inexhaustible precepts. To put it briefly, what gathers in all the precepts as a whole is named the aggregate of morality; it can break the afflictions, pass beyond the two vehicles, and enter the bodhisattva's position. It is as one person or two persons cannot be called an army; only when many people are combined do they make an army that can break the enemy. The other aggregates are likewise.

The bodhisattva himself obtains the aggregates of meditative concentration and the rest, and also lets beings obtain them; this is called the bodhisattva's teaching and transforming beings; having taught and transformed beings, he dedicates his own merit and the merit of beings, all of it, to the pure buddha-land. Fulfilling these two kinds of dharma, he obtains the omniscience of all kinds, turns the wheel of the Dharma, and delivers beings by the three vehicles.

Treatise ② (continued): First Coarse Then Fine, First Easy Then Hard, Gradually Practising and Training—This Is Named Sequence

This is called the bodhisattva's sequential practice, sequential training, and sequential path. First coarse then fine, first easy then hard, gradually practising and training, is named sequence.

The remaining five pāramitās should also be distinguished according to their meaning. Though the nature of dharmas is without anything existent, one practises following worldly truth, in order to break inversion.

Treatise ② (continued): The Six Recollections Are the First Sequential Practice, Because They Are Easy to Practise and Easy to Obtain

Again, the six recollections, recollection of the Buddha and the rest, are the first sequential practice, because they are easy to practise and easy to obtain.

Treatise ② (continued): Question and Answer Twelve—Within the Six Recollections It Is Also Said One Does Not Recollect the Buddha by Form; How Can It Be Called Easy

The treatise-author asks:

Within the six recollections it is also said that one does not recollect the Buddha by form; how can it be called easy?

The treatise-author answers:

Because there is a dharma that can be practised along with it, it is called easy; it is as taking bitter medicine: sending it down with honey makes it easy.

Treatise ② (continued): The Meaning of the Six Recollections Is Broadly Explained in the First Chapter

The meaning of the six recollections is as broadly explained in the first chapter.

The six perfections, the six recollections, and the like are gentle and easy to practise and do not give rise to wrong views; this is the dharma of the bodhisattva's sequential training. The rest, the three gates of liberation and the like, require reflection and reckoning and may give rise to wrong views; therefore they are not spoken of.

Treatise ② (continued): Subhūti's Objection and the Buddha's Counter-question

Here Subhūti raises an objection, saying: ‘World-Honored One! If there is really nothing existent, how can there be sequential practice and the rest?’

The Buddha in return asked Subhūti: ‘With the wisdom of a śrāvaka, do you see form and the other dharmas as one fixed, real dharma?’

Subhūti answered: ‘I do not see it!’ Form and all the other dharmas only come from the coming together of causes and conditions and provisionally have a name; there is nothing fixed and real; how can they be said to exist?

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Since you do not see anything fixed and real, why do you still use sequence and such matters to challenge emptiness?’ And the dharma of sequence is not apart from emptiness.

Treatise ② (continued): Subhūti Receives It and Understands It Clearly; He Asks for the Sake of People of the World to Come

At that time Subhūti received and understood it clearly and distinctly, and for this reason said: ‘I have nothing to doubt; it is only for the sake of people in the world to come who seek the three vehicles: hearing the Buddha speak of emptiness and of the nature without anything existent, because their sins are heavy and their knowledge dull, they grasp at the mark of emptiness and then say: who is stained and who is pure? Why are ordinary persons and evil people called stained? Why are those who have left home and those who have obtained the path called pure? These people do not understand on what matter the deep meaning of the Buddha's words is spoken; because they cling to this emptiness, they say: what need is there for keeping morality and such matters? Through these causes and conditions they give rise to wrong views and break right view; because they break right view, on slight causes and conditions they break morality and deportment, with nothing they fear or shun; those who have left home, relying on the offerings of householders, then tell lies to seek gain and offerings, clothing, food, and other things, and break pure livelihood and the rest. Because they plant such sins, they fall into the three evil destinies, perhaps even more heavily than householders. I saw that there would be such faults, and so I asked the Buddha. I have already obtained the path and receive nothing in dharmas, and I constantly hear the Buddha speak the Dharma of emptiness; how could I make idle discourse and give rise to doubt? Further, I constantly cultivate the samādhi of non-contention and pity beings; for this reason I asked the Buddha.’

This chapter is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the seventy-sixth chapter, "One Mind Complete with All Practices", composed by the noble Nāgārjuna and translated by the Tripiṭaka master Kumārajīva of the land of Kucha under the Later Qin; it is in the eighty-seventh fascicle.

Sūtra ①: Subhūti Asks, If the Nature of All Dharmas Is without Anything Existent, What Benefit the Bodhisattva Sees That He Seeks Awakening, and the Buddha Answers That Nothing to Be Attained Is Precisely the Path, Precisely the Fruit, Precisely Awakening, Because the Nature of Dharmas Is Indestructible; Because of the Mark of Nothing to Be Attained There Are the First Ground and So On up to the Tenth Ground, and the Six Perfections and Supernormal Powers Obtained as Retribution, and the Six Perfections and Supernormal Powers Are without Difference yet Are Spoken of with Distinctions for Those Who Cling; Being Complete within a Single Thought with the Six Perfections and So On up to the Eighty Minor Marks Is by Not Being Far from Prajñā, by the Mark of Non-duality, by Containing All the Pāramitā within Dāna, and by Abiding in the Mind without Outflows and Giving without Seeing the Three Things; in Sequence It Shows the Marks of Making Complete the Six Perfections—Dāna, Śīla, Kṣānti, Vīrya, Dhyāna, and Prajñā—within Dharmas That Are Signless, without Attaining, and without Making, and Finally It Says That Because He Receives No Dharma, the Land and the Goods That Sustain Life All Have No Owner

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If the nature of all dharmas is without anything existent, what benefit does the bodhisattva see, that he seeks anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of beings?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘It is precisely because the nature of all dharmas is without anything existent that the bodhisattva seeks anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of beings. Why? Subhūti! All those with something attained and something clung to find it hard to obtain liberation. Subhūti! All those who grasp at and attain marks have no path, no fruit, no anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! Do those without the mark of attaining have a path, a fruit, anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi?’

‘Subhūti! Nothing to be attained is precisely the path, precisely the fruit, precisely anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, because the nature of dharmas is indestructible. If within the dharma of nothing to be attained one still wishes to obtain the path, wishes to obtain the fruit, wishes to obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, that is wishing to destroy the nature of dharmas.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If the dharma of nothing to be attained is precisely the path, precisely the fruit, precisely anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, then why are there the bodhisattva's first ground and so on up to the tenth ground? Why is there the dharma of the acceptance of non-arising? Why are there supernormal powers obtained as retribution? Why are there giving, keeping morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and wisdom obtained as retribution, so that, abiding in these dharmas of retribution, he can bring beings to accomplishment, can purify buddha-lands, and makes offerings to the buddhas of clothing, food and drink, incense, flowers, necklaces, dwellings, bedding, lamps and candles, and all kinds of implements needed to sustain life, and so on up to obtaining anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi without this merit being cut off? And so on up to: after parinirvāṇa, the relics and the disciples still receive offerings, and only at that time is it exhausted?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘It is because dharmas have the mark of nothing to be attained that he obtains the bodhisattva's first ground and so on up to the tenth ground, and has the five supernormal powers obtained as retribution, giving, keeping morality, patience, vigour, meditation, wisdom, bringing beings to accomplishment, and purifying buddha-lands; and also because of the causes and conditions of the roots of goodness he can benefit beings, and so on up to: after parinirvāṇa, the relics and the disciples still receive offerings.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If dharmas have the mark of nothing to be attained, then what difference is there among giving, keeping morality, patience, vigour, meditation, wisdom, and the supernormal powers?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Within the dharma of nothing to be attained, giving, keeping morality, patience, vigour, meditation, wisdom, and the supernormal powers are without difference. It is only because beings cling to giving and so on up to the supernormal powers that they are spoken of with distinctions.’

‘World-Honored One! How is it said that within the dharma of nothing to be attained giving and so on up to the supernormal powers are without difference?’

‘Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, not finding giving, with giver and recipient both unfindable, he practises giving; not finding morality, he keeps morality; not finding patience, he practises patience; not finding vigour, he practises vigour; not finding dhyāna, he practises dhyāna; not finding wisdom, he practises wisdom; not finding the supernormal powers, he practises the supernormal powers; not finding the four foundations of mindfulness, he practises the four foundations of mindfulness, and so on up to: not finding the eightfold noble path, he practises the eightfold noble path; not finding the emptiness samādhi, the signless samādhi, and the non-action samādhi, he practises the emptiness, signless, and non-action samādhi; not finding beings, he brings beings to accomplishment; not finding buddha-lands, he purifies buddha-lands; not finding the dharmas of the buddhas, he obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva should practise the prajñāpāramitā of nothing to be attained in this way! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises this prajñāpāramitā of nothing to be attained, Māra and the gods of Māra cannot destroy him.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, how does he within a single thought make complete the practice of the six perfections, the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven limbs of awakening, the eightfold noble path, the three gates of liberation, the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unshared dharmas, great kindness and great compassion, the thirty-two marks, and the eighty minor marks?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘All the giving of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva is not far from prajñāpāramitā; the keeping of morality, patience, vigour, and meditation that he cultivates are not far from prajñāpāramitā; the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, and the cultivating of the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighty minor marks are all not far from prajñāpāramitā.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! How does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, because he is not far from prajñāpāramitā, within a single thought make complete the practice of the six perfections and so on up to the eighty minor marks?’

The Buddha said: ‘When the bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā, all his giving is not far from prajñāpāramitā and is without two marks; when keeping morality he is also without two marks; in cultivating patience, in diligent vigour, in entering meditation he is also without two marks; and so on up to the eighty minor marks, he is also without two marks.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! How is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva without two marks when giving, and so on up to being without two marks in cultivating the eighty minor marks?’

‘Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā and wishes to make dānapāramitā complete, within dānapāramitā he contains all the pāramitā and the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighty minor marks.’

‘World-Honored One! When the bodhisattva gives, how does he contain all the dharmas without outflows?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘If, when the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he abides in the mind without outflows and gives, then within the mind without outflows he sees no marks—namely: who is giving? who is receiving? what is the thing given? With this signless mind, this mind without outflows, cutting off craving, cutting off the mind of stinginess and greed, he practises giving; at this time he does not see giving, and so on up to not seeing the dharma of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. This bodhisattva keeps morality with the signless mind, the mind without outflows, and does not see this morality, and so on up to not seeing all the dharmas of the Buddha. With the signless mind, the mind without outflows, he is patient, and does not see this patience, and so on up to not seeing all the dharmas of the Buddha. With the signless mind, the mind without outflows, he is vigorous, and does not see this vigour, and so on up to not seeing all the dharmas of the Buddha. With the signless mind, the mind without outflows, he enters meditation, and does not see this meditation, and so on up to not seeing all the dharmas of the Buddha. With the signless mind, the mind without outflows, he cultivates wisdom, and does not see this wisdom, and so on up to not seeing all the dharmas of the Buddha. With the signless mind, the mind without outflows, he cultivates the four foundations of mindfulness, and does not see these four foundations of mindfulness. And so on up to the eighty minor marks: all are likewise.’

‘World-Honored One! If dharmas are signless and without making, how does he make complete dānapāramitā, śīlapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, vīryapāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, and prajñāpāramitā? How does he make complete the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven limbs of awakening, and the eightfold noble path? How does he make complete the emptiness samādhi, the signless samādhi, the non-action samādhi, the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unshared dharmas, and great kindness and great compassion? How does he make complete the thirty-two marks and the eighty minor marks?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā and gives with the signless mind, the mind without outflows: to one who needs food he gives food, and so on up to all kinds of needs, he gives them all; whether inner or outer—whether dismembering his own body, or his realm, cities, wife, and children—he gives all to beings. If someone comes and says to the bodhisattva: 「何用是布施為？是無所益！」 tr. "What use is this giving? It is of no benefit!" the bodhisattva who practises prajñāpāramitā then has this thought: 「是人雖來訶我布施，我終不悔！我當勤行布施，不應不與。」 tr. "Though this person comes to rebuke my giving, I shall never regret it! I should practise giving diligently and should not fail to give." Having given, he holds it in common with all beings and dedicates it to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and also does not see these marks: who is giving? who is receiving? what thing is given? who is it that dedicates? what is the dharma of dedication? what is the place of dedication—namely anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi? None of these marks can be seen. Why? Because all dharmas are empty through inner emptiness, empty through outer emptiness, empty through inner-and-outer emptiness, empty through the emptiness of emptiness, through the emptiness of the conditioned, through the emptiness of the unconditioned, through ultimate emptiness, through beginningless emptiness, through the emptiness of dispersal, through the emptiness of nature, through the emptiness of all dharmas, and empty through the emptiness of specific marks. Contemplating thus, he has this thought: 「迴向者誰？迴向何處？用何法迴向？」 tr. "Who is it that dedicates? Where is it dedicated? By what dharma is it dedicated?" This is named right dedication. At that time the bodhisattva can bring beings to accomplishment and purify buddha-lands, can make complete dānapāramitā, śīlapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, vīryapāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, and prajñāpāramitā, and so on up to the thirty-seven dharmas that aid the path, the emptiness, signless, and non-action samādhi, and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas. This bodhisattva can thus make dānapāramitā complete and yet does not receive worldly retribution. As the gods Sovereign over Others' Transformations obtain at once whatever they need at will, so too the bodhisattva: whatever vow arises in his mind, he obtains at will. Because of the retribution of this giving, this bodhisattva-mahāsattva can make offerings to the buddhas, and can also satisfy all beings, gods, humans, and asuras. This bodhisattva gathers in beings by dānapāramitā, and with the power of skilful means delivers beings by the dharma of the three vehicles. Like this, Subhūti, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva makes dānapāramitā complete within dharmas that are signless, without attaining, and without making.’

‘Subhūti! How does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva make śīlapāramitā complete within dharmas that are signless, without attaining, and without making?

‘Subhūti! When this bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises śīlapāramitā, he keeps all kinds of morality, namely: the noble morality without outflows that enters the eightfold noble path, natural morality, morality obtained as retribution, morality obtained by receiving, and morality born of the mind; morality like this that is not deficient, not broken, not mixed, not turbid, and not clinging, sovereign morality, and morality praised by the wise. With this morality he takes and clings to nothing: whether form, or feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness; or the thirty-two marks and the eighty minor marks; or the great clans of the kṣatriyas, or the great clans of the brahmins, or the great families of the householders; or the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-three, the Yāma heaven, the Tuṣita heaven, the Heaven of Delight in Transformation, the heaven of the gods Sovereign over Others' Transformations, the Heaven of the Brahmā Assembly, the Heaven of Light-Sound, the Heaven of Universal Purity, the Heaven of Abundant Fruit, the Heaven of No Perception, the Heaven without Vexation, the Heaven without Heat, the Heaven of Wondrous Seeing, the Joyful-to-See heaven, the Akaniṣṭha heaven, the heaven of the sphere of space, the heaven of the sphere of consciousness, the heaven of the sphere of nothing whatsoever, and the heaven of the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception; or the fruit of the srota-āpanna, or the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, or the fruit of the anāgāmin, or the fruit of the arhat, or the pratyekabuddha path; or a wheel-turning sage king, or a heavenly king. Only in order to hold it in common with all beings does he dedicate it to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, dedicating it as signless, without attaining, and without duality; this is said for the sake of worldly dharmas, not the foremost real meaning. This bodhisattva makes śīlapāramitā complete, by the power of skilful means gives rise to the four dhyānas, and because he does not savour and cling to them, obtains the five supernormal powers. Because of the four dhyānas he obtains the divine eye; this bodhisattva abides in two kinds of divine eye: that obtained by cultivation and that obtained as retribution. Having obtained the divine eye, he sees the buddhas present in the eastern direction, and so on up to obtaining anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and what he has seen is not lost; the buddhas present in the southern, western, and northern directions, the four intermediate directions, above and below, and so on up to obtaining anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi—what he has seen is not lost. This bodhisattva, with the pure divine ear that surpasses the human ear, hears the buddhas of the ten directions speak the Dharma; what he has heard is not lost, and he can enrich himself and also benefit others. This bodhisattva, with the knowledge of others' minds, knows the minds of the buddhas of the ten directions and the minds of all beings, and can also enrich all beings. This bodhisattva, with the knowledge of former lives, knows the causes and conditions of past deeds; because these causes and conditions of deeds are not lost, he knows fully where these beings are born, in place after place. This bodhisattva, with this knowledge of the exhaustion of outflows, causes beings to obtain the fruit of the srota-āpanna and so on up to the fruit of the arhat and the pratyekabuddha path, and in place after place can cause beings to enter into wholesome dharmas. Like this, Subhūti, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, within dharmas that are signless, without attaining, and without making, makes śīlapāramitā complete.’

‘World-Honored One! Dharmas being signless, without making, and without attaining, how can the bodhisattva-mahāsattva make kṣāntipāramitā complete?’

‘Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, from the first arousing of intent up to sitting at the seat of awakening—in this interval, if all beings come and assail this bodhisattva with tiles and stones, knives and staves, the bodhisattva at this time does not give rise to a mind of hatred, not even to a single thought. At that time the bodhisattva should cultivate two kinds of acceptance: first, when all beings revile and abuse him with evil speech, or assail him with knives and staves, tiles and stones, the mind of hatred does not arise; second, all dharmas are unarisen: the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas. The bodhisattva—if someone comes and reviles and abuses him with evil speech, or assails him with tiles, stones, knives, and staves—at that time the bodhisattva should reflect thus: 「罵我者誰？譏訶者誰？打擲者誰？誰有受者？」 tr. "Who is it that reviles me? Who ridicules and rebukes? Who strikes and throws? Who is there that receives?" At once the bodhisattva should reflect on the real nature of dharmas, namely ultimate emptiness, with no dharmas and no beings; dharmas themselves are unfindable, how much less are there beings! When he contemplates the marks of dharmas thus, he does not see the one who reviles, does not see the one who cuts and severs. When this bodhisattva contemplates the marks of dharmas thus, he obtains the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas. What is called the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas? It is knowing that the marks of dharmas are constantly unarisen, and that the afflictions too, from the very beginning, are constantly unarisen. This bodhisattva-mahāsattva, abiding in these two kinds of acceptance, can make complete the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path, the three gates of liberation, the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unshared dharmas, and great kindness and great compassion. This bodhisattva, abiding in these noble, world-transcending dharmas without outflows, not shared with any śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha, makes complete the noble supernormal powers. Having come to abide in the noble supernormal powers, he sees with the divine eye the buddhas of the eastern direction; this person obtains the samādhi of recollecting the Buddha, and so on up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, never cut off; the southern, western, and northern directions, the four intermediate directions, above and below, are likewise. This bodhisattva with the divine ear hears the Dharma spoken by the buddhas of the ten directions, and as he has heard it, he speaks it for beings. This bodhisattva also knows the minds of the buddhas of the ten directions, and knows the thoughts of all beings; having known them, he speaks the Dharma for them according to their minds. This bodhisattva, with the knowledge of former lives, knows the roots of goodness of all beings in former lives, and speaks the Dharma for beings, causing them to rejoice. This bodhisattva, with the supernormal power of the exhaustion of outflows, teaches and transforms beings, causing them to obtain the three vehicles. This bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, with the power of skilful means brings beings to accomplishment, makes complete the omniscience of all kinds, obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and turns the wheel of the Dharma. Like this, Subhūti, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, within dharmas that are signless, without attaining, and without making, makes kṣāntipāramitā complete.’

Subhūti said: ‘World-Honored One! How can the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, within dharmas that are signless, without making, and without attaining, make vīryapāramitā complete?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he accomplishes bodily vigour and mental vigour, enters the first dhyāna and so on up to entering the fourth dhyāna, and receives all kinds of power of the supernormal powers: he can divide one body into many bodies, and so on up to stroking the sun and moon with his hand. Because he accomplishes bodily vigour, he flies to the eastern direction, passes through immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of buddha-worlds, and makes offerings to the buddhas of food and drink, clothing, medicine, bedding, flowers, incense, necklaces, and all kinds of needs, and so on up to obtaining anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; the retribution of the merit can never be exhausted. When this bodhisattva obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, the gods and humans of all the world diligently prepare and make offerings of clothing and food and drink, and so on up to: after he enters nirvāṇa without remainder, the relics and the disciples still receive offerings. Also because of this power of the supernormal powers, he goes to where the buddhas are, hears and receives the teaching of the Dharma, and so on up to obtaining anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, never failing in it. When this bodhisattva cultivates the omniscience of all kinds, he purifies buddha-worlds and brings beings to accomplishment. Like this, Subhūti, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, accomplishes bodily vigour, and can make vīryapāramitā complete.

‘Subhūti! How does the bodhisattva accomplish mental vigour and make vīryapāramitā complete? Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva's mental vigour—this mental vigour being noble and without outflows, the vigour that enters the eightfold noble path—does not let the unwholesome of bodily deeds and verbal deeds enter; nor does he grasp at the marks of dharmas—whether permanent, or impermanent; whether suffering, or pleasure; whether self, or non-self; whether conditioned, or unconditioned; whether the desire realm, or the form realm, or the formless realm; whether the nature with outflows, or the nature without outflows; whether the first dhyāna and so on up to the fourth dhyāna; whether kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity; whether the sphere of boundless space and so on up to the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception; whether the four foundations of mindfulness, or the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven limbs of awakening, and the eightfold noble path; whether emptiness, the signless, and non-action; whether the ten powers of the Buddha and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas. He does not grasp at marks—whether permanent, or impermanent; whether suffering, or pleasure; whether self, or non-self; whether the fruit of the srota-āpanna, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, or the fruit of the arhat, or the pratyekabuddha path; whether the bodhisattva path, or anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; whether it is a srota-āpanna, a sakṛdāgāmin, an anāgāmin, an arhat, or a pratyekabuddha, or a bodhisattva, or a Buddha. Nor does he grasp at marks like these—this being, because he cuts off the three fetters, obtains srota-āpanna; this being, because the three poisons are thin, obtains sakṛdāgāmin; this being, because he cuts off the lower fetters, obtains anāgāmin; this being, because he cuts off the higher fetters, obtains arhatship; this being, by the pratyekabuddha path, becomes a pratyekabuddha; this being, because he practises the knowledge of the kinds of paths, is named a bodhisattva; nor does he grasp at the marks of these dharmas. Why? One may not grasp at a mark by nature, because this nature does not exist. This bodhisattva, because of this mental vigour, broadly benefits beings, and yet does not find these beings: this is the bodhisattva making vīryapāramitā complete. Making complete the dharmas of the buddhas, purifying buddha-lands, bringing beings to accomplishment—all are because of unfindability.

‘Because this bodhisattva's bodily vigour and mental vigour are accomplished, he gathers in all wholesome dharmas; and because he does not cling to these dharmas either, he goes from one buddha-land to another buddha-land, and for the sake of benefiting beings, the supernormal powers he performs are unobstructed at will: whether raining down flowers, or raining down fine incenses, or making music, or shaking the great earth, or emitting light, or showing lands adorned with the seven jewels, or manifesting all kinds of bodies, or emitting the light of great knowledge, causing beings to know the noble path and causing them to be far from killing and so on up to wrong views; or he benefits beings by giving, or by keeping morality, or by dismembering his body, or by wife and children, or by his realm, or by giving his own body, benefiting beings according to whatever means are fitting. Like this, Subhūti, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, and within dharmas that are signless, without making, and without attaining, with bodily vigour and mental vigour, can make vīryapāramitā complete.’

‘World-Honored One! How does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practise prajñāpāramitā, abiding within dharmas that are signless, without making, and without attaining, and make dhyānapāramitā complete?’

‘Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, except for the dhyānas and absorptions of the buddhas, can make complete all the other dhyānas and samādhi. This bodhisattva, separated from desires and from evil and unwholesome dharmas, with initial and sustained thought, with joy and bliss born of separation, enters the first dhyāna; and so on up to entering the fourth dhyāna. With this mind of kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity he pervades one direction, and so on up to pervading all the worlds of the ten directions. This bodhisattva passes beyond all marks of form, extinguishes the marks of resistance, and because he does not think of the marks of difference, enters the sphere of boundless space; and so on up to entering the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. This bodhisattva abides in dhyānapāramitā, and in reverse and forward order enters the eight liberations and the nine successive absorptions, enters the emptiness samādhi, the signless and non-action samādhi, at times enters the like-lightning samādhi, at times enters the noble right samādhi, at times enters the like-vajra samādhi.

‘This bodhisattva, abiding in dhyānapāramitā, cultivates the thirty-seven dharmas that aid the path, with the knowledge of the kinds of paths enters all dhyānas and absorptions, passes beyond the ground of dry wisdom, the ground of the stage of nature, the ground of the person of the eight, the ground of seeing, the ground of thinning, the ground of freedom from desire, the ground of what has been done, and the pratyekabuddha ground, and enters the bodhisattva's position; having entered the bodhisattva's position, he makes complete the Buddha ground. Practising within these grounds, and so on up to obtaining anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, he does not take the fruit of the path midway. This bodhisattva, abiding in this dhyānapāramitā, goes from one buddha-land to another buddha-land, makes offerings to the buddhas, plants all roots of goodness in the presence of the buddhas, and purifies buddha-lands. From one buddha-land to another buddha-land, he benefits beings. He gathers in beings by giving, or by keeping morality, or by samādhi, or by wisdom, or by liberation, or by the knowledge and vision of liberation he gathers in beings; he teaches beings, causing them to obtain the fruit of the srota-āpanna, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, and the pratyekabuddha path. All the wholesome dharmas that can cause beings to obtain the path, he teaches them and causes them to obtain. This bodhisattva, abiding in this dhyānapāramitā, can give rise to all the dhāraṇī gates, and obtains the four unobstructed knowledges and the supernormal powers obtained as retribution. This bodhisattva never enters a woman's womb, never receives the five desires, is without birth and is not born either; though he has birth, he is not defiled by the dharma of birth. Why? This bodhisattva sees all made dharmas as like an illusion, and yet benefits beings, and also does not find beings or any dharma, and teaches beings, causing them to obtain the place of nothing to be attained; this is for the sake of worldly dharmas, not the foremost real meaning. Abiding in this dhyānapāramitā, all the dhyānas, absorptions, liberations, and samādhi that he practises, and so on up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, are never apart from dhyānapāramitā. When this bodhisattva practises such knowledge of the kinds of paths, he obtains the omniscience of all kinds and cuts off all the afflictions and their habitual residues; having cut them off, he benefits himself and also benefits others; having benefited himself and benefited others, he becomes a field of merit for the gods, humans, and asuras of all the world. Like this, Subhūti, when the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he can make complete the signless dhyānapāramitā.’

‘World-Honored One! How does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, when practising prajñāpāramitā, abiding within dharmas that are signless, without making, and without attaining, cultivate and make prajñāpāramitā complete?’

‘Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he does not see in dharmas a fixed and real mark. This bodhisattva sees form as not fixed and not a real mark, and so on up to seeing consciousness as not fixed and not a real mark. He does not see form arise, and so on up to not seeing consciousness arise; if he does not see form arise and so on up to does not see consciousness arise, then of all dharmas, whether with outflows or without outflows, he does not see a place of coming, does not see a place of going, and also does not see a place of gathering. When he contemplates thus, he does not find the nature of form and so on up to the nature of consciousness, and also does not find the nature of dharmas with outflows and without outflows. When this bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he has faith in and understands that all dharmas are of the mark of being without anything existent. Having had faith and understanding thus, he practises inner emptiness and so on up to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas, and clings to nothing in dharmas—whether form, or feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. This bodhisattva practises the prajñāpāramitā that is without anything existent, and can make complete the bodhisattva path, namely the six perfections, and so on up to the thirty-seven dharmas that aid the path, the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unshared dharmas, the thirty-two marks, and the eighty minor marks.

‘This bodhisattva abides in the pure Buddha path of emptiness, namely the six perfections, the thirty-seven dharmas that aid the path, and the supernormal powers obtained as retribution, and with these dharmas enriches beings: those suited to be gathered in by giving, he teaches to give; those suited to be gathered in by morality, he teaches to keep morality; those suited to be gathered in by meditation, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation, he teaches to cultivate meditation, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation; those suited to be taught by the dharmas of the paths, he teaches to obtain the fruit of the srota-āpanna, to obtain the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, and the pratyekabuddha path; those suited to be transformed by the Buddha path, he teaches to obtain the bodhisattva path and make the Buddha path complete—like this, according to the ground of the path appropriate to each, he teaches and transforms them, causing each to obtain its place. When this bodhisattva manifests all kinds of power of the supernormal powers, he passes beyond lands as immeasurable as the sands of the Ganges, delivers beings, and according to what they need, conjures it all and gives it, causing each to be satisfied. From one land to another land, he sees pure and wondrous lands, and uses them to adorn his own buddha-land. As in the heaven of the gods Sovereign over Others' Transformations the goods needed to sustain life come of themselves at will; and also as in the pure buddha-lands, which are free from seeking and desire. This person, with this dānapāramitā, śīlapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, vīryapāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, and prajñāpāramitā obtained as retribution, and the five supernormal powers obtained as retribution, practises the bodhisattva's knowledge of the kinds of paths, accomplishes all merits, and will obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.

‘At that time this bodhisattva does not receive form and so on up to consciousness, does not receive any dharma—whether wholesome or unwholesome, whether worldly or world-transcending, whether with outflows or without outflows, whether conditioned or unconditioned; like this, he receives no dharma at all. When this bodhisattva obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, all the goods that sustain life in his land have no owner. Why? This bodhisattva practises all dharmas without receiving, because they are unfindable. Like this, Subhūti, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, within the signless dharma, can make prajñāpāramitā complete.’

Treatise ①: The Treatise-Author's Four Rounds of Question and Answer Explaining the Sūtra—Since Both Questioner and Answerer Say Without Anything Existent, How Are Question and Answer Told Apart; Since the Buddha Has Already Answered, Why Ask Again; Why Subhūti Asks about Practising the Six Perfections within a Single Thought; What Share of Grace Has the Bodhisattva Who Has Obtained the Acceptance of the Non-arising of Dharmas, Who Feels No Pain When Cut and Severed; Meanwhile, Taking Up the Sūtra Phrase by Phrase and Explaining It, He Brings Out Why the Clinging Mind Is Hard to Liberate, the Meaning That the Nature of Dharmas Cannot Be Destroyed and yet Beings' Wrong Practice Is Named Destroying, What a Single Thought Is, and the Difference between the Two Kinds of Practitioners of the Six Perfections without Outflows and Signless; and Finally He Concludes That the One Who Can Make Them Complete Has a Great Share of Grace

The treatise-author asks:

The one who asks and the one who answers both say 「無所有」 tr. "without anything existent"; how is it told apart which sentence is the question and which is the answer?

The treatise-author answers:

Though the dharma spoken is one, the minds are different—the one who asks asks with a clinging mind, and the one who answers answers with a mind without clinging.

Subhūti's meaning is: within being without anything existent one should not arouse the mind.

Subhūti asks this for the sake of the clinging minds of the listeners. Within the emptiness of dharmas, one does not see anyone who is a bodhisattva arousing the mind, does not see beings who can be benefited, does not see anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; therefore within the dharma of being without anything existent he raises the objection: 「若一切法無所有性，菩薩見何利故發心？」 tr. "If all dharmas are of the nature of being without anything existent, what benefit does the bodhisattva see, that he arouses the mind?" Subhūti has no doubt about the bodhisattva, beings, and anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; he only asks about the dharma of being without anything existent.

The Buddha answers: 「正以無所有、空故能發心。」 tr. "It is precisely because of being without anything existent, because of emptiness, that one can arouse the mind."

If it is without anything existent and empty, then the bodhisattva, beings, and anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi are likewise all empty and without anything existent; how can one raise the objection? Only if beings, the bodhisattva, and anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi were apart from being without anything existent and empty could there be this objection. As was said before: 「畢竟空於諸法無所障礙，何妨發心？」 tr. "Ultimate emptiness is without obstruction toward all dharmas; what hinders arousing the mind?" The Buddha still uses being without anything existent and emptiness to break what Subhūti asked.

He also himself states the causes and conditions: 「須菩提！著心者難得解脫。」 tr. "Subhūti! Those with a clinging mind find it hard to obtain liberation." This person, from beginningless birth and death, because of all the afflictions, deeply clings to dharmas: hearing of existence he clings, hearing of emptiness he clings, to gain he clings and to loss he clings; such beings are hard to bring out by effort. Therefore the bodhisattva arouses the mind of the unsurpassed path, adorns his own body with the marks and minor signs, obtains the Brahmā voice, has great majestic virtue, knows the root of beings' minds in the three times, and by all kinds of power of the supernormal powers, causes and conditions, and similes, speaks for them the dharma of being without anything existent and the gate of liberation of emptiness, guiding their minds. When beings see such rare things, their minds at once become soft, and they have faith in the Buddha and receive the Dharma. Therefore the sūtra says: 「著有者難得解脫；有所得者，無道、無果、無阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。」 tr. "Those who cling to existence find it hard to obtain liberation; those with something to be attained have no path, no fruit, no anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi."

Subhūti asks: 「世尊！若有所得者，無道、無果、無阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；無所得者有道、有果不？」 tr. "World-Honored One! If those with something to be attained have no path, no fruit, no anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, do those with nothing to be attained have a path and a fruit, or not?"

The Buddha answers: 「無所有即是道、即是果、即是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。」 tr. "Being without anything existent is precisely the path, precisely the fruit, precisely anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi."

If a person does not discriminate this as something to be attained and that as nothing to be attained, and enters the real mark of all dharmas, ultimate emptiness, this too is nothing to be attained, and is precisely the path, precisely the fruit, precisely anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, because he does not destroy the real mark of all dharmas. The nature of dharmas is precisely the real mark of all dharmas.

Subhūti's meaning is: the nature of dharmas, whether under right practice or wrong practice, can never be destroyed; why does the Buddha say 「不壞法性是道、是果」 tr. "not destroying the nature of dharmas is the path, is the fruit"?

The Buddha answers: 「法性雖不可破壞，眾生邪行故名為破壞。」 tr. "Though the nature of dharmas cannot be destroyed, because of beings' wrong practice it is named destroyed." As with space: though clouds, mist, earth, and dust cannot stain it, it is also called impure. As when a person really wishes to defile space: this person wishes to defile the nature of dharmas, and there is no such thing.

The Buddha speaks a simile: 「若人欲壞法性，是人為欲於無所有法中得道、得果、得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。」 tr. "If a person wishes to destroy the nature of dharmas, this person is one who wishes, within the dharma of being without anything existent, to obtain the path, to obtain the fruit, to obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi."

Subhūti said to the Buddha: 「若無所有即是道，云何有十地等諸菩薩法？」 tr. "If being without anything existent is precisely the path, how are there the ten grounds and the other dharmas of the bodhisattva?" As is said at length in the sūtra.

The treatise-author asks:

The Buddha has already answered this matter before, namely: 「若法空，菩薩見何事故發心？」 tr. "If dharmas are empty, what does the bodhisattva see, that he arouses the mind?" Now it is said: 「若法空，云何有初地等？」 tr. "If dharmas are empty, how is there the first ground and the rest?" The Buddha answered each with emptiness; why does Subhūti now ask again?

The treatise-author answers:

He asks again because beings' clinging minds are hard to loosen. In this assembly there are bodhisattvas who have newly aroused the mind; hearing this real mark of all dharmas, emptiness, they at once give rise to a clinging mind; the Buddha breaks their clinging, and they in turn cling to the dharma that has been broken. Subhūti asks again for the sake of such people.

The Buddha answers Subhūti: 「以無所得故有初地，乃至般涅槃後舍利得供養。」 tr. "Because of nothing to be attained there is the first ground, and so on up to: after parinirvāṇa the relics receive offerings." Within something clung to, one may not speak of the first ground and the merits.

Also, because of the causes and conditions of nothing to be attained, from giving up to the supernormal powers there is no difference; because there is no difference, one should not raise an objection!

Subhūti asks again: 「云何無所得布施乃至諸神通無有差別？」 tr. "How is it that, with nothing to be attained, giving and so on up to the supernormal powers are without difference?"

The Buddha answers: 「菩薩從初發心已來，似阿耨多羅三藐三菩提寂滅相，布施畢竟空，所謂不得施者、受者、財物而行布施，如是布施中無有分別；乃至不得菩提而得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，亦如是。是名菩薩行無所得般若波羅蜜。行是無所得般若波羅蜜，魔、若魔天不能破壞。」 tr. "From the first arousing of the mind onward, the bodhisattva, resembling the mark of quiescence of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, gives, and his giving is ultimately empty: namely, not finding giver, recipient, or goods, he practises giving, and within such giving there is no discrimination; and so on up to: not finding awakening, he obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi—it is likewise. This is named the bodhisattva practising the prajñāpāramitā of nothing to be attained. One who practises this prajñāpāramitā of nothing to be attained, Māra and the gods of Māra cannot destroy."

What follows is the passage on 「一念中行六波羅蜜者」 tr. "one who practises the six perfections within a single thought".

The treatise-author asks:

Why does Subhūti ask about 「一念中行六波羅蜜等諸功德」 tr. "practising the six perfections and the other merits within a single thought"?

The treatise-author answers:

Subhūti has heard from the Buddha that prajñāpāramitā is of the very deep mark of being without anything existent, and is the unobstructed mark among dharmas; if so, there is nothing it cannot do and no matter it does not do; then how can the bodhisattva within a single thought contain the six perfections and so on up to the eighty minor marks? At the time of first arousing the mind, because the mind clinging to existence and clinging to non-existence is heavy, he practises little by little in sequence; now existence and non-existence are both given up, so there is nothing he cannot do; therefore he asks.

The Buddha answers: 「菩薩不離般若波羅蜜行布施等諸功德，無障礙故，能一念中行。」 tr. "The bodhisattva, not apart from prajñāpāramitā, practises giving and the other merits; because he is without obstruction, he can practise them within a single thought." If he is far from prajñāpāramitā, then he practises little by little in sequence.

Subhūti asks: 「云何名不遠離？」 tr. "What is named not being far from it?"

The Buddha answers: 「菩薩不以二相行布施等。」 tr. "The bodhisattva does not practise giving and the rest by way of two marks."

Again he asks: 「云何不以二相？」 tr. "What is it not to be by way of two marks?"

The Buddha answers: 「菩薩行般若波羅蜜時，欲具足檀波羅蜜，於布施一念中攝一切善法。」 tr. "When the bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā and wishes to make dānapāramitā complete, within a single thought of giving he contains all wholesome dharmas." As was said before.

What is a single thought? Namely, the bodhisattva obtains the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, cuts off all the afflictions, removes all recollection, imagining, and discrimination, rests securely within the mind without outflows, and gives all. The mind without outflows is the mark of the signless. The bodhisattva, abiding in this mind, does not see who gives, who receives, whose thing it is; with a mind apart from all marks he gives; he does not see a single dharma—even anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi he does not see, how much less the other dharmas! This is called the mark of non-duality. And so on up to the eighty minor marks, it is likewise.

Subhūti again asks this meaning by way of another matter: 「世尊！諸法無相、無作、無起，云何能具足檀波羅蜜等，乃至八十隨形好？」 tr. "World-Honored One! Dharmas are signless, without making, and non-rising; how can one make complete dānapāramitā and the rest, and so on up to the eighty minor marks?"

The Buddha answers: 「菩薩無相、無作法中不取相故，無障礙心布施，須食與食等。」 tr. "Because the bodhisattva, within the dharma of the signless and without making, does not grasp at marks, he gives with an unobstructed mind: to one who needs food, giving food, and so on." The sūtra has already spoken of it in full detail. And it was also spoken of at length in the preceding chapter, so it is not explained again.

The six perfections without outflows and signless are of two kinds: first, those practised by the bodhisattva who has obtained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas; second, those practised by the bodhisattva who has not yet obtained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas. Those practised by the bodhisattva who has obtained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas are as said here. Why? Because he abides within the signless mind and the mind without outflows and practises giving and the other dharmas.

The treatise-author asks:

The bodhisattva in a fleshly body has not yet fully removed greed and attachment, so when he is cut and severed it hurts severely; this is what is hard. The bodhisattva who has obtained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas is as what a conjured person does: cut and severed, he feels no pain; what share of grace is there?

The treatise-author answers:

For the bodhisattva who has obtained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, practising these six perfections is what is hard! Why? With the quiescent mind of one who has obtained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, he ought to receive the pleasure of nirvāṇa, and yet he gives up this pleasure of quiescence and enters among beings to receive all kinds of bodies, now as a lowly person, now as an animal and the like: this is what is hard! The bodhisattva in a fleshly body has not yet removed greed and craving, and because he clings to the body of a Buddha, he gives his body in giving; this is hoping for something, not pure giving; therefore it is not as good.

Furthermore, practising the six perfections without outflows and signless, at that time he can make them complete; with outflows and with marks he cannot make them complete. Therefore the one who can make them complete has a great share of grace.

This chapter is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the seventy-seventh chapter, "The Six Similes", composed by the noble Nāgārjuna and translated by the Tripiṭaka master Kumārajīva of the land of Kucha under the Later Qin; it is in the eighty-eighth fascicle.

Sūtra ①: Subhūti Asks How, within the Signless and the Emptiness of Specific Marks, One Makes Complete the Cultivation of the Six Perfections, How within Dharmas without Difference Differing Marks Are Spoken of with Distinctions, and How One Practises Dharmas of Differing Marks and Obtains the Fruit by the Path of One Mark—the Buddha Answers That One Abides in the Five Aggregates as Like a Dream, Like an Echo, Like a Shadow, Like a Mirage, Like an Illusion, Like a Conjuration, and Practises the Six Perfections, Showing One by One the Signless Completeness of Dāna, Śīla, Kṣānti, Vīrya, and Dhyāna; in Between, Question and Answer on What the Acceptance of the Non-arising of Dharmas Severs and Knows and on the Difference between the Two Acceptances of the Two Vehicles and of the Bodhisattva, the Judgement of the Bodhisattva's Position and Not the Position, and Not Seeing the Dream, Not Seeing the One Who Sees the Dream, and So On up to Not Seeing the Conjuration, Not Seeing the One Who Sees the Conjuration; and Finally It Says That within the Real Mark of All Dharmas One Cannot Speak of Wholesome and Unwholesome, Conditioned and Unconditioned, and That One Should Train Well in the Nature of Dharmas and Train in Prajñā by the Signless Dharma

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! Within dharmas that are signless, indiscriminable, and empty of specific marks, how can one make complete the cultivation of the six perfections—namely dānapāramitā, śīlapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, vīryapāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, and prajñāpāramitā? World-Honored One! Within dharmas that are without difference, how are differing marks still spoken of with distinctions? How does prajñāpāramitā gather dāna, śīla, kṣānti, vigour, and dhyāna? How does one practise dharmas of differing marks and yet obtain the fruit by the path of one mark?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘The bodhisattva-mahāsattva abides in the five aggregates as like a dream, like an echo, like a shadow, like a mirage, like an illusion, like a conjuration, and abiding in this he practises giving, keeps morality, cultivates patience, is diligent in vigour, enters meditative concentration, and cultivates wisdom. He knows that these five aggregates are truly like a dream, like an echo, like a shadow, like a mirage, like an illusion, like a conjuration; the five aggregates are like a dream and signless, and so on up to like a conjuration and signless. Why? A dream has no self-nature; echo, shadow, mirage, illusion, and conjuration likewise all have no self-nature. If a dharma has no self-nature, that dharma is signless; if a dharma is signless, that dharma is of one mark, namely the signless. For this reason, Subhūti! know that the bodhisattva's giving is signless, the giver is signless, the recipient is signless. Being able to know giving in this way, he can make complete dānapāramitā and so on up to making complete prajñāpāramitā, can make complete the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path, can make complete inner emptiness and so on up to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas, can make complete the emptiness samādhi, the signless samādhi, and the non-action samādhi, can make complete the eight liberations, the nine successive absorptions, the five supernormal powers, and the five hundred dhāraṇī gates, can make complete the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, and the eighteen unshared dharmas. This bodhisattva abides in these dharmas without outflows obtained as retribution, flies to the immeasurable lands of the east, and makes offerings to the buddhas with clothing and food and drink, and so on up to making offerings to them according to what they need. He also benefits beings: those who should be taken in by giving, he takes in by giving; those who should be taken in by keeping morality, he teaches to keep morality; those who should be taken in by patience, vigour, meditative concentration, and wisdom, he teaches patience, vigour, meditative concentration, and wisdom and gathers them in; and so on up to those who should be taken in by all kinds of wholesome dharmas, he gathers in by all kinds of wholesome dharmas. This bodhisattva accomplishes all these wholesome dharmas and receives a worldly body, yet is not defiled by the birth and death of the world; for the sake of beings, among the gods and among humans he receives honour, nobility, wealth, and pleasure, and with this honour, nobility, wealth, and pleasure he gathers in beings. This bodhisattva, because he knows that all dharmas are signless, knows the fruit of srota-āpanna and yet does not abide in it, knows the fruit of sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of anāgāmin, and the fruit of arhat and yet does not abide in them, knows the pratyekabuddha path and yet does not abide in it. Why? This bodhisattva, having known all dharmas by the omniscience of all kinds, should obtain the omniscience of all kinds, which is not shared with the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, having known that all dharmas are signless, then knows that the six perfections are signless, and so on up to knowing that all the dharmas of the Buddha are signless.’

‘Furthermore, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva abides in the five aggregates as like a dream, like an echo, like a shadow, like a mirage, like an illusion, like a conjuration, and can make complete the signless śīlapāramitā. This morality is not deficient, not broken, not mixed, not clinging; it is the morality without outflows praised by the sages, and it enters into the eightfold noble path; abiding in this morality he keeps all morality, namely the morality of names, the morality of itself, the morality of restraint, the morality of making, the morality without making, the morality of deportment, and the morality that is not of deportment. This bodhisattva accomplishes all morality and does not make this vow: 「我以此戒因緣故，生剎利大姓、婆羅門大姓、居士大家、若小王家、若轉輪聖王家，若四天王天處生，若三十三天、夜摩天、兜率陀天、化樂天、他化自在天。」 tr. "By the causes and conditions of this morality may I be born into a great kṣatriya clan, a great brahmin clan, a great householder family, or the family of a minor king, or the family of a wheel-turning sage king; or be born in the abode of the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, or in the Heaven of the Thirty-three, the Yāma heaven, the Tuṣita heaven, the Heaven of Delight in Transformation, or the heaven of the gods Sovereign over Others' Transformations." Nor does he make this vow: 「我持戒因緣故，當得須陀洹果、斯陀含果、阿那含果、阿羅漢果、辟支佛道。」 tr. "By the causes and conditions of my keeping morality I shall obtain the fruit of srota-āpanna, the fruit of sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of anāgāmin, the fruit of arhat, and the pratyekabuddha path." Why? All dharmas are signless, namely of one mark. A signless dharma cannot obtain a signless dharma, a dharma with marks cannot obtain a dharma with marks; a signless dharma cannot obtain a dharma with marks, a dharma with marks cannot obtain a signless dharma. Thus, Subhūti! when the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he can make complete the signless śīlapāramitā and enter the bodhisattva's position; having entered the bodhisattva's position, he obtains the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas; practising knowledge of the kinds of paths, he obtains the five supernormal powers obtained as retribution; abiding in the five hundred dhāraṇī gates, he obtains the four unobstructed knowledges. From one buddha-land to another buddha-land he makes offerings to the buddhas, brings beings to accomplishment, and purifies buddha-lands. Though he enters among the five destinies, the retribution of the deeds of birth and death cannot defile him. Subhūti! It is as a conjured wheel-turning sage king: though he sits, lies, walks, and stands, one does not see where he comes from, does not see where he goes, does not see where he stands, sits, or lies, and yet he can benefit beings, and also does not find beings; the bodhisattva is likewise. Subhūti! It is as the Buddha Suśānta, who obtained anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi and turned the wheel of the Dharma for the three vehicles, and there was no one who had obtained a bodhisattva's prediction; having conjured a conjured buddha, he gave up his body and life and entered nirvāṇa without remainder. Subhūti! The bodhisattva is likewise: when he practises prajñāpāramitā, he can make complete śīlapāramitā; having made śīlapāramitā complete, he gathers in all wholesome dharmas.’

‘Furthermore, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, abiding in the five aggregates as like a dream, like an echo, like a shadow, like a mirage, like an illusion, like a conjuration, he makes complete the signless kṣāntipāramitā.’

‘World-Honored One! How does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva make complete the signless kṣāntipāramitā?’

‘Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva abides in the two kinds of acceptance and can make complete kṣāntipāramitā. Which two kinds of acceptance? The acceptance toward beings and acceptance of dharmas. From the first arousing of intent up to sitting at the seat of awakening, in this interval, if all beings come to revile him and assail him with harsh and evil words, or harm this bodhisattva with tiles, stones, knives, and staves, this bodhisattva, for the sake of making kṣāntipāramitā complete, does not give rise to even a single evil thought. This bodhisattva reflects thus: 「罵我者誰？害我者誰？以惡言加我、以瓦石刀杖害我者誰？」 tr. "Who is it that reviles me? Who is it that harms me? Who is it that assails me with evil words and harms me with tiles, stones, knives, and staves?" Why? Because this bodhisattva has obtained signless acceptance toward all dharmas, how would he have such a thought as this: 「是人罵我、害我」 tr. "This person reviles me and harms me"? If the bodhisattva-mahāsattva cultivates in this way, he can make complete kṣāntipāramitā. Because this kṣāntipāramitā is complete, he obtains the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! What is called the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas? What does this acceptance sever? What does it know?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Obtaining acceptance of dharmas, and so on up to not giving rise to even a little unwholesome dharma—therefore it is named the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas. All the afflictions that all bodhisattvas should sever are exhausted: this is named severance; knowing by wisdom that all dharmas are unarisen: this is named knowledge.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! What difference is there between the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas and the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas of the bodhisattva?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Whether the knowledge or the severance of the srota-āpannas, this is named the bodhisattva's acceptance; whether the knowledge or the severance of the sakṛdāgāmins, this is named the bodhisattva's acceptance; whether the knowledge or the severance of the anāgāmins, this is named the bodhisattva's acceptance; whether the knowledge or the severance of the arhats, this is named the bodhisattva's acceptance; whether the knowledge or the severance of the pratyekabuddhas, this is named the bodhisattva's acceptance. This is the difference. Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva who accomplishes this acceptance surpasses all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. Abiding in such an acceptance of non-arising obtained as retribution, he practises the bodhisattva path and can make complete knowledge of the kinds of paths; because knowledge of the kinds of paths is complete, he is never apart from the thirty-seven dharmas that aid the path and the emptiness samādhi, the signless samādhi, and the non-action samādhi, and is never apart from the five supernormal powers; because he is not apart from the five supernormal powers, he can bring beings to accomplishment and purify buddha-lands; having brought beings to accomplishment and purified buddha-lands, he will obtain the omniscience of all kinds. Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva makes complete the signless kṣāntipāramitā.’

‘Furthermore, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva abides in the signless five aggregates as like a dream, like an echo, like a shadow, like a mirage, like an illusion, like a conjuration, and practises bodily vigour and mental vigour. Because of bodily vigour he raises supernormal powers; because he raises supernormal powers, he goes to the lands of the ten directions, makes offerings to the buddhas, and enriches beings; with the power of bodily vigour he teaches and transforms beings, causing them to abide in the three vehicles. Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā and can make complete the signless vigour pāramitā. This bodhisattva, with mental vigour, with the noble vigour without outflows, enters into the eightfold noble path and can make complete vīryapāramitā. This vīryapāramitā gathers all wholesome dharmas, namely the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven limbs of awakening, the eightfold noble path; the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, the eight liberations, the nine successive absorptions; the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, and the eighteen unshared dharmas. This bodhisattva, cultivating these dharmas, should make complete the omniscience of all kinds; having made complete the omniscience of all kinds, he severs all the afflictions and their habitual residues, makes complete and perfect the thirty-two marks, and from his body emits light unequalled and immeasurable; having emitted the light, he turns the wheel of the Dharma of three turnings and twelve aspects; because the wheel of the Dharma turns, the three-thousand great-thousand world quakes in six ways, and the light illumines the three-thousand great-thousand world throughout; the beings within the three-thousand great-thousand world hear the sound of the teaching of the Dharma, and all are delivered by the dharma of the three vehicles. Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, abiding in the vigour pāramitā, can greatly enrich beings, and can make complete the omniscience of all kinds.’

‘Furthermore, Subhūti! The bodhisattva abides in the signless five aggregates as like a dream, like an echo, like a shadow, like a mirage, like an illusion, like a conjuration, and can make complete dhyānapāramitā.’

‘World-Honored One! How does the bodhisattva abide in the five aggregates as like a dream, like an echo, like a shadow, like a mirage, like an illusion, like a conjuration, and yet be able to make complete dhyānapāramitā?’

‘Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva enters the first dhyāna and so on up to entering the fourth dhyāna, enters the four immeasurable minds of kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, enters the sphere of boundless space and so on up to entering the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, enters the emptiness samādhi, the signless samādhi, and the non-action samādhi, enters the like-lightning samādhi, enters the like-vajra samādhi, enters the noble right samādhi; apart from the samādhi of the buddhas, all the other samādhi, and the samādhi shared with the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, he both realises and enters; yet he does not receive the flavour of the samādhi, nor does he receive the fruit of the samādhi. Why? This bodhisattva knows that this samādhi is signless and without any existent nature; how then could he receive the flavour of a signless dharma within a signless dharma, or receive the flavour of a dharma without anything existent within a dharma without anything existent? If he does not receive its flavour, he is not born, following the power of meditative concentration, in the form realm or the formless realm. Why? This bodhisattva does not see these two realms, also does not see this dhyāna, also does not see the one who enters dhyāna, also does not see the one who enters dhyāna by means of some dharma. If he does not find these dharmas, he can make complete the signless dhyānapāramitā. By this dhyānapāramitā the bodhisattva can pass beyond the śrāvaka ground and the pratyekabuddha ground.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! How is it that the bodhisattva, because he makes complete the signless dhyānapāramitā, can pass beyond the śrāvaka ground and the pratyekabuddha ground?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘The bodhisattva trains well in inner emptiness, trains well in outer emptiness, and so on up to training well in the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas; within these emptinesses there is no dharma that has a place to abide—whether the fruit of srota-āpanna, or the fruit of sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of anāgāmin, the fruit of arhat, and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds; these emptinesses too are empty. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, cultivating the emptinesses in this way, can enter into the bodhisattva's position.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! What is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's position? What is not the position?’

‘Subhūti! All that is with something to be attained is not the bodhisattva's position; all that is with nothing to be attained is the bodhisattva's position.’

‘World-Honored One! What is with something to be attained? What is with nothing to be attained?’

‘Subhūti! Form is with something to be attained; feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are with something to be attained; eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds, are with something to be attained: this is not the bodhisattva's position. Subhūti! What is called the bodhisattva's position is that these dharmas are unshowable and unspeakable. Which dharmas are unshowable and unspeakable? Namely form and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds. Why? Subhūti! The nature of form is unshowable and unspeakable, and so on up to: the nature of the omniscience of all kinds is unshowable and unspeakable. Subhūti! This is named the bodhisattva's position. This bodhisattva who has entered the position is complete with all meditative concentrations and samādhi, and still is not born following the power of meditative concentration and samādhi, how much less does he abide in lust, anger, and delusion and give rise to sinful deeds within them and so receive birth! The bodhisattva abides only in dharmas like an illusion and enriches beings, and does not find beings or dharmas like an illusion either. If it is with nothing to be attained, at that time he can bring beings to accomplishment and purify buddha-lands. Thus, Subhūti! this is named the bodhisattva's making complete the signless dhyānapāramitā, and so on up to being able to turn the wheel of the Dharma, namely the unfindable wheel of the Dharma.’

‘Furthermore, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā and knows that all dharmas are like a dream, like an echo, like a mirage, like a shadow, like an illusion, like a conjuration.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! How does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva know that all dharmas are like a dream, like an echo, like a shadow, like a mirage, like an illusion, like a conjuration?’

‘Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he does not see the dream, does not see the one who sees the dream; does not see the echo, does not see the one who hears the echo; does not see the shadow, does not see the one who sees the shadow; does not see the mirage, does not see the one who sees the mirage; does not see the illusion, does not see the one who sees the illusion; does not see the conjuration, does not see the one who sees the conjuration. Why? Because this dream, echo, shadow, mirage, illusion, and conjuration are all the inverted dharmas of ordinary foolish people. The arhat does not see the dream, does not see the one who sees the dream, and so on up to not seeing the conjuration, not seeing the one who sees the conjuration; the pratyekabuddha, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, and the buddhas also do not see the dream, do not see the one who sees the dream, and so on up to not seeing the conjuration, and also not seeing the one who sees the conjuration. Why? All dharmas are without any existent nature, unarisen, and not fixed. If dharmas are without any existent nature, unarisen, and not fixed, how could the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, in practising prajñāpāramitā, grasp the mark of arising or grasp the mark of fixity? There is no such principle! Why? If dharmas had a nature of a small share or a large share, had arising, had fixity, it would not be named cultivating prajñāpāramitā. Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā and does not cling to form and so on up to not clinging to consciousness; does not cling to the desire realm, the form realm, or the formless realm; does not cling to the dhyānas, liberations, and samādhi; does not cling to the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path; does not cling to the emptiness samādhi, the signless samādhi, and the non-action samādhi; does not cling to dānapāramitā, śīlapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, vīryapāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, or prajñāpāramitā. Because he does not cling, he can make complete the bodhisattva's first ground, and within the first ground he gives rise to no clinging either. Why? This bodhisattva does not find this ground; how would he give rise to greedy clinging? And so on up to the ten grounds, it is likewise. This bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā and also does not find prajñāpāramitā; if, when practising prajñāpāramitā, he does not find prajñāpāramitā, at that time he sees all dharmas enter into prajñāpāramitā, and also does not find these dharmas. Why? Because these dharmas and prajñāpāramitā are without duality and without difference. Why? Because dharmas enter into suchness, the nature of dharmas, and the limit of reality, and so are without discrimination.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If dharmas are signless and without discrimination, how then is it said: this is wholesome, this is unwholesome; this is with outflows, this is without outflows; this is worldly, this is world-transcending; this is conditioned, this is unconditioned?’

‘Subhūti! What do you think? Within the real mark of all dharmas, is there any dharma that can be said to be wholesome or unwholesome, and so on up to conditioned or unconditioned, to be the fruit of srota-āpanna and so on up to arhat, pratyekabuddha, bodhisattva, or anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi?’

‘World-Honored One! It is unspeakable!’

‘Subhūti! For this reason, know that all dharmas are signless, without discrimination, non-arising, not fixed, and unshowable. Subhūti! When I formerly practised the bodhisattva path, there was likewise no dharma whose nature could be found—whether form, or feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to conditioned or unconditioned, the fruit of srota-āpanna and so on up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practising prajñāpāramitā, from the first arousing of intent up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, should train well in the nature of dharmas; because he trains well in the nature of dharmas, this is named the path of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Practising this path, he can make complete the six perfections, bring beings to accomplishment, and purify buddha-lands; abiding in this dharma he obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, delivers beings by the dharma of the three vehicles, and also does not cling to the three vehicles. Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva should train in prajñāpāramitā by the signless dharma.’

Treatise ①: Explaining How, When Subhūti Asks with Emptiness and the Buddha Answers with Emptiness, There Can Be Any Difference; That Ordinary People Are Far from the Real Mark, as Clouds and Mist Are Seen from Afar and Nothing Is Seen When One Draws Near; That the Pāramitā without Outflows Obtained as Retribution Is like the Eye-Faculty Obtained as Retribution, Which of Itself Can See Forms; How, If All Dharmas Are Empty and Signless, One Can Know That Each Is Complete with the Other Perfections; That When the Śrāvaka Enters the Seeing of the Truths, within Non-discrimination the Other Sages Still Count the Dharmas He Has Entered as Right View, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Vigour, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration; That the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and So On up to the Seven Limbs of Awakening Are Counted by the Sages; That the Bodhisattva Practising Signless Dāna Can Make Complete Śīla and the Other Wholesome Dharmas; and the Difference between the Preceding Chapter's Being Complete with All the Perfections in a Single Thought and This Chapter's Being Complete with All the Perfections in Emptiness and Signlessness

The treatise-author asks:

Subhūti asks the Buddha: ‘If dharmas are signless and without discrimination, why are the six perfections still spoken of with distinctions?’ The Buddha answers in return: ‘The bodhisattva abides in these five aggregates that are like a dream and can make the six perfections complete.’ Subhūti asks with emptiness, and the Buddha too still answers with emptiness; how can any difference be made out between this one question and one answer?

The treatise-author answers:

What Subhūti asks is: ‘If dharmas are empty, yet now one sees with one's own eyes the bodhisattva practising the six perfections and becoming a Buddha!’

What the Buddha answers is: ordinary people are far from real wisdom and grasp at marks; they see the bodhisattva practising the six perfections and becoming a Buddha, and also cling to this empty dharma; therefore they raise this objection. Though the bodhisattva abides in the five aggregates, he abides in the empty dharma of the five aggregates as like an illusion and like a dream, and also practises giving with an empty mind; therefore, though he practises all dharmas and makes the six perfections complete, this does not hinder emptiness. It is as with clouds and mist: seen from afar they are seen; drawing near, nothing at all is seen. Ordinary people are likewise: because they are far from the real mark, they see buddhas. The bodhisattva, because he is near the real mark, sees all as empty; therefore they do not hinder each other; because they do not hinder each other, he can, within a single thought of dānapāramitā, cultivate all wholesome dharmas to completion.

This person, because he constantly cultivates the pure pāramitā without outflows, after he changes bodies still obtains the pāramitā without outflows obtained as retribution. What is called obtained as retribution means obtained of itself without further cultivation; it is as the eye-faculty obtained as retribution can of itself see forms. Having obtained this pāramitā without outflows obtained as retribution, he can transform one body into immeasurable asaṃkhyeya bodies, in the presence of the buddhas of the ten directions hears to completion the very deep Dharma of the buddhas, delivers the beings of the ten directions, little by little purifies buddha-worlds, and according to his original vow becomes a Buddha.

The treatise-author asks:

If dharmas are empty and signless, how can one discriminate? How can one know that in practising dānapāramitā and the rest, each is complete with the other perfections?

The treatise-author answers:

Though the practitioner does not himself discriminate, the buddhas and bodhisattvas say that he practises dāna and practises śīla, and is complete with all the practices.

It is as when the śrāvaka enters the seeing of the truths: within the dharma without outflows, signless, and without discrimination, the other sages still count the dharmas he has entered. Knowing the real mark of all dharmas, namely the mark of the signless, is named right view; when right view has gained strength, it is named right practice; at that time he does not vex or harm beings and does no evil, and this is named right speech, right action, and right livelihood. At that time, though nothing is said and nothing is made, it is named right speech and right action. Why is it said so? This is named the deep and wondrous right speech and right action, because he ultimately does not vex or harm beings. Within this, arousing the mind and making something is named vigour; binding thought to the object is named right mindfulness; gathering the mind in one place is named right concentration.

Seeing the real mark of body, feeling, mind, and dharmas is named 「四念處」 tr. "the four foundations of mindfulness". And so on up to the seven limbs of awakening, it is likewise. Within the four foundations of mindfulness too, just as within the eightfold straight noble path, the sages count them for him.

The bodhisattva is likewise: cultivating this signless dānapāramitā, he can make complete śīlapāramitā and the other wholesome dharmas. As with dānapāramitā, so too śīlapāramitā and the rest gather all wholesome dharmas.

The treatise-author asks:

In the preceding chapter all the perfections were made complete by one perfection; here all dharmas are gathered by signlessness; what difference is there between the two?

The treatise-author answers:

The preceding chapter takes as its meaning that within a single thought one can be complete with all the perfections; this chapter takes as its difference that though all dharmas are empty and signless one can be complete with all the perfections.

This chapter is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the seventy-eighth chapter, "The Four Means of Gathering", composed by the noble Nāgārjuna and translated by the Tripiṭaka master Kumārajīva of the land of Kucha under the Later Qin; it is in the eighty-eighth fascicle. What the single unit of the First Part explains is the earlier part of the sūtra text of this chapter.

Sūtra ①: Subhūti Asks How Dharmas Are Distinguished within Ultimate Emptiness—the Buddha Answers That Ordinary People Still Give Rise to the Three Kinds of Deeds within Dreams and Conjurations, and That the Bodhisattva, Abiding in the Two Emptinesses, Teaches the Dharma and by the Power of Skilful Means Pulls Beings Out in Sequence; Subhūti Praises the Rare and Hard to Equal, and the Buddha Consents to Speak of the Bodhisattva's Dharma Rare and Hard to Equal; Abiding in the Six Perfections and the Five Supernormal Powers Obtained as Retribution, He Gathers In according to What Is Fitting; One and the Same Giving That Benefits Beings, Not Making the Discrimination of Fields of Merit, Not Giving Rise to Two Minds When His Body Is Begged, and Making Dānapāramitā Complete within Ultimate Emptiness; the Six Ways in Which the Bodhisattvas of the Ten Directions Seen by the Buddha-eye Benefit the Living; Gathering In by the Four Things, and the Two Gifts of Wealth and Dharma within Giving; the Noble Dharma without Outflows and Its Fruit; Whether the Bodhisattva Obtains the Omniscience of All Kinds, and How the Bodhisattva Differs from the Buddha; the World-transcending Dharmas Not Shared with Ordinary People, Item by Item up to the Thirty-two Marks, and the Light and the Voice Pervading Everywhere

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas are like a dream, like an echo, like a shadow, like a mirage, like an illusion, like a conjuration, without real substance, without any existent nature, and empty in their specific marks, then how is it distinguished that this is a wholesome dharma, this is an unwholesome dharma; this is a worldly dharma, this is a world-transcending dharma; this is a dharma with outflows, this is a dharma without outflows; this is a conditioned dharma, this is an unconditioned dharma; that this dharma can obtain the fruit of the srota-āpanna, can obtain the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, can obtain the path of the pratyekabuddha, can obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Ordinary foolish people find the dream and find the one who sees the dream, and so on up to finding the conjuration and finding the one who sees the conjuration, and give rise to wholesome deeds, unwholesome deeds, and indeterminate deeds of body, speech, and mind; they give rise to deeds of merit, or give rise to deeds of sin, or do immovable deeds. This bodhisattva-mahāsattva, practising prajñāpāramitā, abides in the two emptinesses—ultimate emptiness and beginningless emptiness—and teaches the Dharma for beings, saying these words: ‘All you beings! This form is empty and without anything existent; feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are empty and without anything existent; the twelve sense-fields and the eighteen elements are empty and without anything existent. Form is a dream; feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are a dream; the twelve sense-fields and the eighteen elements are a dream. Form is an echo, is a shadow, is a mirage, is an illusion, is a conjuration; feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are also like this. The twelve sense-fields and the eighteen elements are a dream, are an echo, are a shadow, are a mirage, are an illusion, are a conjuration. Within this there are no aggregates, no sense-fields, no elements; there is no dream and also no one who sees the dream, no echo and also no one who hears the echo, no shadow and also no one who sees the shadow, no mirage and also no one who sees the mirage, no illusion and also no one who sees the illusion, no conjuration and also no one who sees the conjuration. All dharmas are without root, without real nature, without anything existent, yet you, within what has no aggregates, see that there are aggregates; within what has no sense-fields, see that there are sense-fields; within what has no elements, see that there are elements. All these dharmas arise from the coming together of causes and conditions, arise from an inverted mind, and belong to the retribution of deeds; why do you, within dharmas that are empty and without root, grasp at the root-mark?’

‘At this time the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, practising prajñāpāramitā, by reason of the power of skilful means pulls beings out from the dharma of stinginess and teaches them to practise dānapāramitā; by the merit of holding to this giving, they obtain a great reward of merit. Again he pulls them out from the great reward of merit and teaches them to keep morality; by the merit of keeping morality they are born in a noble place among the gods. Again he pulls them out once more and makes them abide in the first dhyāna; by the merit of the first dhyāna they are born in the place of Brahmā. The second dhyāna, the third dhyāna, the fourth dhyāna, the sphere of boundless space, the sphere of boundless consciousness, the sphere of nothing whatsoever, and the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception are also like this. Beings practise this giving and the retribution of giving, keeping morality and the retribution of keeping morality, meditative concentration and the retribution of meditative concentration; by all kinds of causes and conditions he pulls them out and sets them in nirvāṇa without remainder and in the path to nirvāṇa, namely the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven limbs of awakening, the eightfold noble path; the gate of liberation of emptiness, the gate of liberation of signlessness, the gate of liberation of non-action; the eight liberations, the nine successive absorptions; the Buddha's ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unshared dharmas; he makes beings secure and makes them abide in the noble dharma without outflows—the dharma without form, without shape, without resistance. Those who can obtain the fruit of the srota-āpanna he securely teaches and transforms, and makes them abide in the fruit of the srota-āpanna; those who can obtain the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, the path of the pratyekabuddha, he makes abide in the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, the path of the pratyekabuddha; those who can obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi he also securely teaches and transforms, and makes them abide within anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! The bodhisattva-mahāsattvas are very rare and hard to equal: they can practise this deep prajñāpāramitā, where dharmas are without any existent nature, are ultimate emptiness and beginningless emptiness, and yet they can still distinguish dharmas as wholesome, as unwholesome, as with outflows, as without outflows, and so on up to as conditioned, as unconditioned.’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Just so! Just so! The bodhisattva-mahāsattvas are very rare and hard to equal: they can practise this deep prajñāpāramitā, where dharmas are without any existent nature, are ultimate emptiness and beginningless emptiness, and yet they can still distinguish dharmas. Subhūti! If you know this dharma of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, rare and hard to equal, then you know that no śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha can requite it, how much less other people!’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! What is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's dharma, rare and hard to equal, that the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas do not have?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Listen attentively with one mind! There are bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who practise prajñāpāramitā, abide in the six perfections obtained as retribution, and abide in the five supernormal powers and the thirty-seven dharmas that aid the path obtained as retribution, abide in the dhāraṇīs and the unobstructed knowledges, and go to the worlds of the ten directions: those who can be delivered by giving, he takes in by giving; those who can be delivered by keeping morality, he takes in by keeping morality; those who can be delivered by patience, vigour, meditative concentration, and wisdom, he gathers them in according to what is fitting. Those who can be delivered by the first dhyāna, he gathers them in by the first dhyāna; those who can be delivered by the second dhyāna, the third dhyāna, the fourth dhyāna, the sphere of boundless space, the sphere of boundless consciousness, the sphere of nothing whatsoever, or the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, he gathers them in according to what is fitting. Those who can be delivered by minds of kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, he gathers them in by minds of kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Those who can be delivered by the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven limbs of awakening, the eightfold noble path, the emptiness samādhi, the signless samādhi, or the non-action samādhi, he gathers them in according to what is fitting.’

‘World-Honored One! How does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva benefit beings by giving?’

‘Subhūti! When the bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā he practises giving, and according to what each needs—food and drink, clothing, carriages and horses, incense and flowers, necklaces, all kinds of things needed—he gives it all to him. Whether he makes offerings to the Buddha, the pratyekabuddha, the arhat, the anāgāmin, the sakṛdāgāmin, the srota-āpanna, and so on, there is no difference; whether he gives to people who have already entered the right path or to ordinary people, down to birds and beasts, there is no discrimination at all: equally, it is one and the same giving. Why? Because all dharmas are not different and without discrimination. This bodhisattva, having given without difference and without distinction, will obtain the retribution of the dharma without discrimination, namely the omniscience of all kinds. Subhūti! If the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, seeing one who begs, gives rise to such a mind: ‘The Buddha is a field of merit, I should make offerings; birds and beasts are not a field of merit, I should not make offerings.’ This is not the bodhisattva's dharma. Why? The bodhisattva-mahāsattva who has aroused the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi does not have such a thought: ‘This being should be benefited by giving; this being should not be given to.’ This being, by the causes and conditions of giving, should be born in a great kṣatriya clan, a great brahmin clan, a great householder family, and so on up to: by the causes and conditions of this giving, he delivers him by the Dharma of the three vehicles and makes him enter nirvāṇa without remainder. If a being comes and begs from the bodhisattva, he also does not give rise to a different mind that discriminates: ‘I should give to this one, I should not give to that one.’ Why? Because this bodhisattva aroused the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi precisely for the sake of this being; if he discriminates and picks and chooses, he falls into the place of rebuke by the buddhas, the bodhisattvas, the pratyekabuddhas, those in training and those beyond training, and all the gods and humans of the world: ‘Who asked you to rescue all beings? You are the house of all beings, the protection of all beings, the refuge of all beings, and yet you discriminate and pick and choose whom you should give to and whom you should not give to?’

‘Again, if, when the bodhisattva-mahāsattva is practising prajñāpāramitā, a human or a non-human comes wishing to beg for the limbs and joints of the bodhisattva's body, at that time he should not give rise to two minds: ‘Shall I give? Or shall I not give?’ Why? Because this bodhisattva-mahāsattva receives this body for the sake of beings; when beings come to take it, how can he not give? ‘I receive this body for the sake of benefiting beings; even if beings do not beg, I myself should give it to them, how much less may I not give when they have begged!’ The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practising prajñāpāramitā should train thus.

‘Again, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva sees one who begs, he should give rise to this thought: ‘Who here gives, who receives? What thing is given? The self-nature of all these dharmas is unfindable, because of ultimate emptiness; in the dharma of the mark of emptiness there is no giving and no taking away.’ Why? Because of ultimate emptiness, because of inner emptiness, because of outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of the highest meaning, and the emptiness of specific marks. Abiding in these emptinesses he practises giving, and at that time he makes dānapāramitā complete. Because he makes dānapāramitā complete, if, at the time when inner and outer dharmas are cut off and severed, he has this thought: ‘Who is it that cuts me off? Who is it that severs me?’

‘Again, Subhūti! With the Buddha-eye I see bodhisattva-mahāsattvas as many as the sands of the Ganges in the eastern direction entering the great hells, making the fierce fire go out and the boiling water grow cold, and teaching and transforming beings by three things: first, supernormal power; second, knowing others' minds; third, teaching the Dharma. This bodhisattva by the power of supernormal power makes the fire of the great hells go out and the boiling water grow cold; he knows the minds of others; with kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity he teaches the Dharma according to the intent of beings. These beings give rise to a pure mind toward the bodhisattva, gain release from the hells, and little by little, by the Dharma of the three vehicles, reach the end of suffering. The southern, western, and northern directions, the four intermediate directions, the direction above, and the direction below are also like this. Again, Subhūti! With the Buddha-eye I look upon the worlds of the ten directions and see, in lands as many as the sands of the Ganges, bodhisattvas serving as attendants to the buddhas, making offerings to the buddhas, loving, delighting in, and revering them according to their wishes; whatever Dharma the buddhas teach, they can all receive and uphold, and so on up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, never in the end forgetting or losing it.

‘Again, Subhūti! With the Buddha-eye I look upon lands as many as the sands of the Ganges in the ten directions, and in them there are bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who, for the sake of animals, give up their own lives, cut and sever their bodies, and scatter them in all directions. All beings who eat the flesh of these bodhisattva-mahāsattvas love and revere the bodhisattvas; because of this love and reverence, they get to leave the animal destiny, meet the buddhas, hear the Buddha teach the Dharma, practise according to what is taught, and little by little, by the three vehicles—the śrāvaka, the pratyekabuddha, and the Buddha's Dharma—attain parinirvāṇa within nirvāṇa without remainder. Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas benefit very much—teaching and transforming beings, making them arouse the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, practise according to what is taught, and so on up to attain parinirvāṇa within nirvāṇa without remainder.

‘Again, Subhūti! With the Buddha-eye I see, in lands as many as the sands of the Ganges in the ten directions, bodhisattva-mahāsattvas removing the suffering of hunger and thirst of the hungry ghosts; these hungry ghosts all love and revere the bodhisattvas; because of this love and reverence, they get to leave the hungry-ghost destiny, meet the buddhas, hear the buddhas teach the Dharma, practise according to what is taught, and little by little, by the three vehicles—the śrāvaka, the pratyekabuddha, and the Buddha's Dharma—attain parinirvāṇa, and so on up to nirvāṇa without remainder. Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, for the sake of delivering beings, practises the mind of great compassion.

‘Again, Subhūti! With the Buddha-eye I see bodhisattva-mahāsattvas teaching the Dharma in the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, and teaching the Dharma in the Heaven of the Thirty-three, the Yāma heaven, the Tuṣita heaven, the Heaven of Delight in Transformation, and the heaven of the gods Sovereign over Others' Transformations; the gods, hearing the bodhisattvas teach the Dharma, little by little, by the three vehicles, attain passing into extinction. Subhūti! Among these assemblies of gods there are those who crave and cling to the five desires; this bodhisattva then shows a fire arising and burning their palaces, and teaches the Dharma for them, saying these words: ‘Gods! All conditioned dharmas are wholly impermanent; who can obtain security?’

‘Again, Subhūti! With the Buddha-eye I look upon the worlds of the ten directions and see, in lands as many as the sands of the Ganges, Brahmā gods clinging to wrong views; the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas teach them to be far from wrong views, saying these words: ‘Why do you give rise to wrong views within dharmas whose mark is empty and which are false?’ Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva abides in the mind of great kindness and teaches the Dharma for beings. Subhūti! This is the bodhisattvas' dharma, rare and hard to equal.

‘Again, Subhūti! With the Buddha-eye I look upon lands as many as the sands of the Ganges in the worlds of the ten directions, and the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas gather in beings by four things. What are the four? Giving, kind speech, beneficial action, and shared endeavour.

‘How does the bodhisattva gather in beings by giving? Subhūti! The bodhisattva gathers in beings by two kinds of giving: the gift of wealth and the gift of Dharma.

‘What is gathering in beings by the gift of wealth? Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva gives to beings all kinds of precious things—gold, silver, beryl, sphaṭika, pearls, conch-shell, coral, and so forth—or food and drink, clothing, bedding, dwellings, lamps and candles, flowers, incense, necklaces, or men, or women, or oxen, sheep, elephants, horses, carriages, or his own body; and he tells beings: ‘If you have any need, each of you come and take it, as if taking your own things; have no hesitation!’ This bodhisattva, having given, teaches them to take the three refuges: taking refuge in the Buddha, taking refuge in the Dharma, taking refuge in the Saṅgha; or teaches them to take the five precepts, or teaches them to take the one-day precepts; or teaches them to cultivate the first dhyāna and so on up to teaching them to cultivate the absorption of neither perception nor non-perception, or teaches them to cultivate kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, or teaches them to cultivate recollection of the Buddha, recollection of the Dharma, recollection of the Saṅgha, recollection of morality, recollection of giving, and recollection of the gods, or teaches them to cultivate the contemplation of impurity, or teaches them to cultivate the ānāpāna contemplation, or teaches the marks, or teaches contact; or teaches them to cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven limbs of awakening, the eightfold noble path, the emptiness samādhi, the signless samādhi, the non-action samādhi, the eight liberations, the nine successive absorptions, the Buddha's ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unshared dharmas, great kindness and great compassion, the thirty-two marks, the eighty minor marks; or teaches them to obtain the fruit of the srota-āpanna, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, or teaches them to obtain the path of the pratyekabuddha, or teaches them to obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practising prajñāpāramitā teaches and transforms beings by the power of skilful means; having practised the gift of wealth, he further teaches them to obtain the unsurpassed nirvāṇa of peace and security. Subhūti! This is named the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's dharma, rare and hard to equal.

‘Subhūti! How does the bodhisattva gather in beings by the gift of Dharma? Subhūti! The gift of Dharma is of two kinds: first, worldly; second, world-transcending. What is the worldly gift of Dharma? Setting forth and expounding, disclosing and pointing out worldly dharmas, namely the contemplation of impurity, mindfulness of ānāpāna, the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, and the four formless absorptions. Such worldly dharmas as these, and the other dharmas practised in common with ordinary people—this is named the worldly gift of Dharma. This bodhisattva, having made the worldly gift of Dharma thus, teaches and transforms them by all kinds of causes and conditions and makes them far from worldly dharmas; having been brought far from worldly dharmas, by the power of skilful means he makes them obtain the noble dharma without outflows and the fruit of the noble dharma without outflows. What is the noble dharma without outflows? What is the fruit of the noble dharma without outflows? The noble dharma without outflows is the thirty-seven dharmas that aid the path and the three gates of liberation. The fruit of the noble dharma without outflows is the fruit of the srota-āpanna and so on up to the fruit of the arhat, the path of the pratyekabuddha, and anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.

‘Again, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva's noble dharma without outflows: the wisdom within the fruit of the srota-āpanna and so on up to the wisdom within the fruit of the arhat, the wisdom within the path of the pratyekabuddha, the wisdom within the thirty-seven dharmas that aid the path, the wisdom within the six perfections and so on up to the wisdom within great kindness and great compassion—all such dharmas as these, whether worldly or world-transcending wisdom, whether with outflows or without outflows, whether conditioned or unconditioned: the omniscience of all kinds within these dharmas—this is named the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's noble dharma without outflows. What is the fruit of the noble dharma without outflows? Cutting off all the afflictions and their habitual residues—this is named the fruit of the noble dharma without outflows.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! Does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva obtain the omniscience of all kinds?’

The Buddha said: ‘Just so! Just so! Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva obtains the omniscience of all kinds.’

Subhūti said: ‘What difference is there between the bodhisattva and the Buddha?’

The Buddha said: ‘There is a difference. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, having obtained the omniscience of all kinds, is named Buddha. Why? Because the bodhisattva's mind and the Buddha's mind are without difference. The bodhisattva abides within this omniscience of all kinds, and there is nothing among all dharmas that he does not illumine; this is named the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's worldly gift of Dharma. Subhūti! Because of the worldly gift of Dharma the bodhisattva-mahāsattva obtains the world-transcending gift of Dharma. Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, having taught beings and made them obtain worldly dharmas, by the power of skilful means teaches them and makes them obtain world-transcending dharmas.

‘Subhūti! What are the bodhisattva's world-transcending dharmas, not the same as the dharmas of ordinary people? Namely the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven limbs of awakening, the eightfold noble path, the three gates of liberation, the eight liberations, the nine successive absorptions, the Buddha's ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unshared dharmas, the thirty-two marks, the eighty minor marks, and the five hundred dhāraṇī gates; these are named world-transcending dharmas.

‘Subhūti! What are the four foundations of mindfulness? The bodhisattva-mahāsattva contemplates the inner body, contemplating by following the body through; contemplates the outer body, contemplating by following the body through; contemplates the inner-and-outer body, contemplating by following the body through; diligently and with vigour, with the wisdom of a single mind, he contemplates the body, contemplates the causes and conditions of the body's arising, contemplates the cessation of the body, contemplates the arising of the body together with its birth and cessation; practising this path, he has nothing he relies on, and toward the world he has nothing he craves. The foundation of mindfulness of feeling, the foundation of mindfulness of mind, and the foundation of mindfulness of dharmas are also like this.

‘Subhūti! What are the four right efforts? For evil and unwholesome dharmas not yet arisen, in order that they not arise, he strives diligently, gives rise to desire, and is vigorous; for evil and unwholesome dharmas already arisen, in order to cut them off, he strives diligently, gives rise to desire, and is vigorous; for wholesome dharmas not yet arisen, in order that they arise, he strives diligently, gives rise to desire, and is vigorous; for the wholesome dharmas already arisen, in order to increase them, cultivate them, and make them complete, he strives diligently, gives rise to desire, and is vigorous; this is named the four right efforts.

‘Subhūti! What are the four bases of supernormal power? The first basis of supernormal power, accomplished by the samādhi of desire and the practice of cutting off; and the bases of supernormal power accomplished by the samādhi of vigour, the samādhi of mind, and the samādhi of reflection and the practice of cutting off.

‘What are the five faculties? The faculty of faith, the faculty of vigour, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, the faculty of wisdom.

‘What are the five powers? The power of faith, the power of vigour, the power of mindfulness, the power of concentration, the power of wisdom.

‘What are the seven limbs of awakening? The mindfulness limb of awakening, the limb of awakening that investigates dharmas, the vigour limb of awakening, the joy limb of awakening, the removal-and-rest limb of awakening, the concentration limb of awakening, the equanimity limb of awakening.

‘What is the eightfold noble path? Right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right vigour, right mindfulness, right concentration.

‘What are the three samādhi? The gate of the emptiness samādhi, the gate of the signless samādhi, the gate of the non-action samādhi. What is the emptiness samādhi? Holding the mind by the practice of emptiness and the practice of non-self—this is named the emptiness samādhi. What is the signless samādhi? Holding the mind by the practice of quiescent extinction and the practice of separation—this is the signless samādhi. What is the non-action samādhi? Holding the mind by the practice of impermanence and the practice of suffering—this is the non-action samādhi.

‘What are the eight liberations? Having the mark of form within, he contemplates form without—this is the first liberation; not having the mark of form within, he contemplates form without—this is the second liberation; the liberation of purity—this is the third liberation; passing beyond all marks of form, eliminating all marks of resistance, and because of not thinking of all different marks, he contemplates boundless space and enters the sphere of boundless space; and so on up to passing beyond all of the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, he enters the liberation of the cessation of feeling and perception. This is named the eight liberations.

‘What are the nine successive absorptions? The practitioner, having parted from desires and parted from evil and unwholesome dharmas, with initial thought and with sustained thought, with joy and pleasure born of separation, enters the first dhyāna; the second dhyāna, the third dhyāna, the fourth dhyāna; and so on up to passing beyond the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, he enters the absorption of the cessation of feeling and perception. This is named the nine successive absorptions.

‘What are the Buddha's ten powers? What can be and what cannot be, he knows as it really is; he knows the various deeds and the various dharmas of receiving of beings in the past, future, and present, knows the place where deeds are done, knows their causes and conditions, knows their retribution; the marks of defilement, purity, and distinction of the meditative concentrations, liberations, samādhi, and absorptions, he knows as it really is; he knows the higher and lower marks of the faculties of other beings; he knows the various desires and resolute understandings of other beings; he knows the various innumerable natures of all the world; he knows the marks of all the paths that lead everywhere; he knows all kinds of former lives, from one life up to immeasurable kalpas, as it really is; with the divine eye he sees beings, and so on up to their being born in good destinies and evil destinies; because the outflows are exhausted, the mind without outflows is liberated, and he knows this as it really is. These are the Buddha's ten powers.

‘What are the Buddha's four fearlessnesses? The Buddha makes a truthful declaration: ‘I am a person of all right knowledge.’ If there is a śramaṇa or a brahmin, or a god, or Māra, or Brahmā, or any other assembly that says in accordance with fact: ‘This dharma you do not know.’ and so on up to his not seeing even the slightest mark of anything to fear. ‘For this reason I obtain security and obtain fearlessness, abide in the place of the holy lord, roar the lion's roar in the great assembly, and can turn the Brahmā wheel; the śramaṇas and brahmins, or gods, or Māra, or Brahmā, or any other assembly truly cannot turn it.’ This is the first fearlessness. The Buddha makes a truthful declaration: ‘All my outflows are exhausted.’ If there is a śramaṇa or a brahmin, or a god, or Māra, or Brahmā, or any other assembly that says in accordance with fact: ‘These outflows are not yet exhausted.’ and so on up to his not seeing even the slightest mark of anything to fear. ‘For this reason I obtain security and obtain fearlessness, abide in the place of the holy lord, roar the lion's roar in the great assembly, and can turn the Brahmā wheel; the śramaṇas and brahmins, or gods, or Māra, or Brahmā, or any other assembly truly cannot turn it.’ This is the second fearlessness. The Buddha makes a truthful declaration: ‘I proclaim the dharmas that obstruct the path.’ If there is a śramaṇa or a brahmin, or a god, or Māra, or Brahmā, or any other assembly that says in accordance with fact: ‘Receiving this dharma does not obstruct the path.’ and so on up to his not seeing even the slightest mark of anything to fear. ‘For this reason I obtain security and obtain fearlessness, abide in the place of the holy lord, roar the lion's roar in the great assembly, and can turn the Brahmā wheel; the śramaṇas and brahmins, or gods, or Māra, or Brahmā, or any other assembly truly cannot turn it.’ This is the third fearlessness. The Buddha makes a truthful declaration: ‘The holy path that I teach can lead out of the world; practising in accordance with this path, one can bring all suffering to an end.’ If there is a śramaṇa or a brahmin, or a god, or Māra, or Brahmā, or any other assembly that says in accordance with fact: ‘Practising this path one cannot leave the world and cannot bring suffering to an end.’ and so on up to his not seeing even the slightest mark of anything to fear. ‘For this reason I obtain security and obtain fearlessness, abide in the place of the holy lord, roar the lion's roar in the great assembly, and can turn the Brahmā wheel; the śramaṇas and brahmins, or gods, or Māra, or Brahmā, or any other assembly truly cannot turn it.’ This is the fourth fearlessness.

‘What are the four unobstructed knowledges? First, the unobstructed knowledge of meaning; second, the unobstructed knowledge of dharmas; third, the unobstructed knowledge of expression; fourth, the unobstructed knowledge of delight in speaking. What is the unobstructed knowledge of meaning? The wisdom that takes meaning as its object—this is the unobstructed knowledge of meaning. What is the unobstructed knowledge of dharmas? The wisdom that takes dharmas as its object—this is the unobstructed knowledge of dharmas. What is the unobstructed knowledge of expression? The wisdom that takes expression as its object—this is the unobstructed knowledge of expression. What is the unobstructed knowledge of delight in speaking? The wisdom that takes delight in speaking as its object—this is the unobstructed knowledge of delight in speaking.

‘What are the eighteen unshared dharmas? First, the bodies of the buddhas are without fault; second, speech is without fault; third, mindfulness is without fault; fourth, there are no different perceptions; fifth, there is no unconcentrated mind; sixth, there is no mind that lets go without knowing; seventh, desire is without decline; eighth, vigour is without decline; ninth, mindfulness is without decline; tenth, wisdom is without decline; eleventh, liberation is without decline; twelfth, the knowledge and vision of liberation is without decline; thirteenth, all bodily deeds proceed following wisdom; fourteenth, all deeds of speech proceed following wisdom; fifteenth, all mental deeds proceed following wisdom; sixteenth, wisdom knows the past world without obstruction; seventeenth, wisdom knows the future world without obstruction; eighteenth, wisdom knows the present world without obstruction.

‘What are the thirty-two marks? First, the soles of the feet stand level and even, as level as the bottom of a casket; second, under the soles of the feet are thousand-spoked wheels with rims, the wheel-marks complete; third, the fingers and toes are long, surpassing other people; fourth, the hands and feet are soft, surpassing the other parts of the body; fifth, the heels are broad, complete, round, full, and fine; sixth, between the fingers and toes there is webbing, surpassing other people; seventh, the insteps are high, level, and fine, matching the heels; eighth, shanks like those of the yiniyan deer, the shanks slender and fine, like the king of the yiniyan deer; ninth, when standing ordinarily, both hands can touch the knees; tenth, the mark of the hidden private parts, like a horse-king or an elephant-king; eleventh, the body's height and breadth are equal, like the nijulu tree; twelfth, from each single pore a single hair grows, blue in colour, soft, and turning to the right; thirteenth, the body hairs point upward, blue in colour, soft, and turning to the right; fourteenth, the golden-coloured mark, its colour subtle and wonderful, surpassing jambūnada gold; fifteenth, the light of the body extends one zhang on each of the four sides; sixteenth, the skin is thin, fine, and smooth, receiving no dust or dirt, and mosquitoes and gnats do not settle on it; seventeenth, the seven places are level and full: under both soles, in both palms, on both shoulders, and in the middle of the neck, all are round and full, and the letter-marks distinct; eighteenth, under both armpits level and full; nineteenth, the upper body like a lion; twentieth, the body broad and upright; twenty-first, both shoulders round and fine; twenty-second, forty teeth; twenty-third, the teeth white, even, close-set, and deep-rooted; twenty-fourth, four teeth whitest and large; twenty-fifth, square jaws like a lion; twenty-sixth, among all flavours he obtains the supreme flavour, and at two places in the throat saliva flows out; twenty-seventh, the tongue large, soft, and thin, able to cover the whole face up to the hairline at the ears; twenty-eighth, the Brahmā voice deep and far-reaching, like the sound of the kalaviṅka; twenty-ninth, the colour of the eyes like the essence of gold; thirtieth, the eyelashes like those of the ox-king; thirty-first, the mark of the white hair between the eyebrows, soft and pure white like douluo cotton; thirty-second, the topknot on the crown, made of flesh. These thirty-two marks are what the Buddha's body accomplishes.

‘His light illumines all the three-thousand great-thousand world; if he wishes to illumine broadly, it pervades the immeasurable asaṃkhyeya worlds of the ten directions; for the sake of beings he takes on a light of one zhang; if he emits immeasurable light, there are then no sun and moon, seasons, or years to speak of. The Buddha's voice pervades the three-thousand great-thousand world; if he wishes a great sound, it pervades the immeasurable asaṃkhyeya worlds of the ten directions; according to how many or how few are in the assembly, the voice reaches everywhere.’

This chapter is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the seventy-eighth chapter, "The Four Means of Gathering", composed by the noble Nāgārjuna and translated by the Tripiṭaka master Kumārajīva of the land of Kucha under the Later Qin; it is in fascicle eighty-eight. What the Middle Part unit explains is the treatise-author's commentary on the earlier portion of the sūtra text of this chapter.

Treatise ①: Why Subhūti Asks Again about the Emptiness of Nature in Chapter after Chapter; Ordinary People Still Give Rise to the Three Kinds of Deeds within Dreams and Conjurations; the Bodhisattva Abides in the Two Emptinesses to Teach the Dharma and by the Power of Skilful Means Pulls Beings Out from Inversion in Sequence; the Difference between the Fleshly Body and the Transformation Body; Because of the Power of Prajñā the Buddha and Animals Are Contemplated as Equal; the Four Sayings on Not Giving Rise to a Different Mind When Cut and Severed; Why the Three Evil Destinies Are Not Emptied Out; Why Those Who Eat the Bodhisattva's Flesh Are Instead Delivered; Why the Human Destiny Is Spoken of Broadly; Why among the Four Means of Gathering Giving Alone Is Spoken of Broadly; Why within Giving the Gift of Dharma Is Spoken of Broadly; Why Subhūti Asks about Obtaining the Omniscience of All Kinds; Why the Nine Successive Absorptions and the Marks and Minor Signs Are Named World-Transcending and Unshared; Why the Marks and Minor Signs Are Spoken of Only When the Sūtra Is About to Close; the Broad Explanation of the Buddha's Ten Powers and the Distinction between the Two Faculties, Sharp and Dull, and the Two Natures, Good and Evil; the Difference between the Power of the Paths Leading Everywhere and the Power of the Divine Eye; Why Only the Buddha Has the Last Three Powers; the Four Sayings on Why the Thirty-two Marks Are Exactly the Same as the Wheel-Turning Sage King's

The treatise-author asks:

It has already been said everywhere above: ‘The nature of dharmas is empty; how are the wholesome and the unwholesome still distinguished?’ From the later chapters onward, in chapter after chapter Subhūti's meaning has had no difference; why does he still ask under all kinds of different names?

The treatise-author answers:

This matter has already been answered above.

Again, because beings, from beginningless birth and death onward, have a clinging mind that is deep and heavy and hard to undo, Subhūti asks this repeated question once more.

Again, what this prajñāpāramitā has to say is precisely this emptiness; because the meaning is essential, he asks again and again.

Again, when the Buddha was in the world, beings had keen faculties and were easily awakened; five hundred years after the Buddha's passing into extinction, beings in the semblance Dharma love and cling to the Buddha's Dharma and fall into clinging to dharmas, saying: ‘If all dharmas are empty, like a dream, like an illusion, why are there still the wholesome and the unwholesome?’ For this reason Subhūti, pitying the beings of the future with dull faculties who do not understand, asks again.

The sūtra text says: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas are empty, how are the wholesome, the unwholesome, and the rest distinguished?’ Here the Buddha himself states the causes and conditions: ‘Because ordinary people have an inverted mind, toward all dharmas they make inverted and divergent views, up to not seeing a single dharma as real. Ordinary people, within a dream, cling to the dream, find the dream, find the one who sees the dream, and also cling to the things seen within the dream.’

If this person does not believe in sin and merit, he gives rise to the three kinds of unwholesome deeds; if he believes in sin and merit, he gives rise to the three kinds of wholesome deeds. The wholesome, the unwholesome, and the immovable: the wholesome means the wholesome dharmas within the desire realm, which bring the retribution of joy and pleasure; the unwholesome brings the retribution of sorrow, grief, suffering, and vexation; the immovable means the deeds that are the causes and conditions of birth in the form realm and the formless realm.

The bodhisattva knows that these three kinds of deeds are all false, deceptive, and unreal, abides in the two emptinesses, and teaches the Dharma for beings—by ultimate emptiness he breaks dharmas, by beginningless emptiness he breaks the mark of beings. Abiding in the middle path he teaches the Dharma for beings, that is to say: ‘The five aggregates, the twelve sense-fields, and the eighteen elements are all empty, like a dream, like an illusion, and so on up to like a conjuration; within this dharma there is no dream, nor anyone who sees the dream.’

The bodhisattva tells beings: ‘Because of your inverted mind, you give rise to all kinds of clinging upon empty dharmas!’ As is spoken of broadly in the sūtra.

Because of the power of skilful means, this bodhisattva pulls beings out from inversion and sets them in the dharma that breaks inversion. For example: stinginess and greed are inversion, so by giving he breaks the dharma of stinginess and greed. But because beings cling to this giving, he tells them that the retribution of giving is impermanent and in reality empty; he pulls beings out from giving and makes them keep morality. Again he pulls beings out from keeping morality and from the retribution of keeping morality, telling beings: ‘When the merit of the heavens is exhausted, there is impermanence, suffering, and vexation!’ Pulling beings out in this way, he makes them part from desire and cultivate meditative concentration; and again he tells them that meditative concentration and the retribution of meditative concentration are false, deceptive, and unreal, and can make a person fall into inversion. By all kinds of causes and conditions he tells them of the fault of impermanence in giving, keeping morality, and meditative concentration, and makes them abide in nirvāṇa and in the skilful means of obtaining nirvāṇa, namely the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, making beings abide within this dharma.

If giving, keeping morality, and meditative concentration were definitely real dharmas, one should not make people go far from them. Just as giving, keeping morality, and the rest can break the dharmas of ordinary people, these too are born from inversion; although for a short time they benefit beings, in the long run they change and can give rise to suffering and vexation, and so he also teaches them to give these up.

Because of the power of skilful means, the bodhisattva first teaches beings to give up sin, praising the merit of keeping morality and giving; next he tells them that keeping morality and giving too do not escape impermanence, suffering, and vexation; then he tells them of the emptiness of all dharmas, and praises only the real dharma, namely nirvāṇa without remainder.

At this time Subhūti rejoiced: ‘Very rare! The bodhisattva can thus know the real mark of all dharmas, namely ultimate emptiness, and teach the Dharma for beings, bringing them to nirvāṇa without remainder.’

The Buddha said: ‘This is one kind of rarity. The question is a wish to know further the bodhisattva's rare dharmas; all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas cannot requite this bodhisattva, how much less other people!’

Subhūti asked: ‘What are the further rare dharmas?’

The Buddha answered, as is said in the sūtra.

The treatise-author asks:

In the sūtra people have been taught giving, keeping morality, and meditative concentration; now it is said once again—what is the difference?

The treatise-author answers:

What was spoken of before was the bodhisattva in a fleshly body; what is spoken of now is the transformation body. What was spoken of before was one land; what is spoken of now is immeasurable worlds. There are such differences as these.

The treatise-author asks:

If the bodhisattva knows the Buddha to be a field of merit and beings not to be a field of merit, this is not the bodhisattva's dharma; then by what power can the bodhisattva make the Buddha and animals equal?

The treatise-author answers:

Because of the power of prajñāpāramitā, the bodhisattva cultivates the mind of ultimate emptiness within all dharmas, and so within all dharmas he is without discrimination. Just as an animal is born from the coming together of the five aggregates, the twelve sense-fields, and the eighteen elements, and is named an animal, so too the Buddha comes from the coming together of wholesome dharmas and is provisionally named the Buddha. If a person pities beings, he obtains immeasurable merit; if toward the Buddha he gives rise to a clinging mind and gives rise to evil causes and conditions, he obtains immeasurable sin. Therefore, because he knows that all dharmas are ultimately empty, he does not hold animals in contempt, and does not with a clinging mind prize the Buddha.

Again, the real mark of all dharmas is precisely that all dharmas are signless; within this signlessness he does not discriminate whether it is the Buddha or an animal; to discriminate is to grasp at marks; therefore he contemplates them as equal.

Again, the bodhisattva has two kinds of dharma-gate: first, the dharma-gate of ultimate emptiness; second, the dharma-gate of distinguishing the good and the bad. Entering the dharma-gate of emptiness, he obtains equal contemplation; entering the dharma-gate of distinction, then even the arhats and pratyekabuddhas do not come up to the Buddha, how much less animals! It is because he holds beings in contempt and gives without pity that he is taught not to discriminate.

The treatise-author asks:

The bodhisattva's body is not wood or stone; how is it that when beings come and cut and sever it, he does not give rise to a different mind?

The treatise-author answers:

Some say: because the bodhisattva has long cultivated kṣāntipāramitā, he can be without sorrow and vexation; just as when the sage Kṣānti had his hands and feet cut off, his blood all became milk.

Some say: because the bodhisattva has for immeasurable lifetimes deeply cultivated the mind of great kindness and compassion, though he is cut and severed, he is not sorrowful or anxious; just as grass and trees have no mind of anger.

Some say: the bodhisattva deeply cultivates prajñāpāramitā, and after turning to another body obtains the empty mind obtained as the retribution of prajñāpāramitā; therefore he knows emptiness clearly and distinctly, and when his body is cut and severed his mind too does not move; just as outer things do not move, so too is the inner mind. Because he has obtained the retribution of prajñā, within dharmas there is nothing he discriminates.

Some say: this bodhisattva's body is not a body of birth and death; it is the body born of the dharma-nature that has gone beyond the three realms; because he abides within the retribution of the noble mind without outflows, his body is like wood or stone, yet he can think with kindness of those who cut and sever him; because this bodhisattva can give rise to such a mind, when he is cut and severed and his inner dharmas and outer dharmas are plundered, his mind does not move.

This is the bodhisattva's rare dharma.

Again, the rare dharma is as is said in the sūtra: ‘With the Buddha-eye I see bodhisattvas in worlds of the ten directions as many as the sands of the Ganges, who enter the hells, make the fire go out and the boiling water grow cold, and teach and transform beings by three things.’ As is said in the sūtra.

The treatise-author asks:

If so, there should be no three evil destinies!

The treatise-author answers:

The beings of the three evil destinies are boundless and immeasurable; although bodhisattvas are boundless and immeasurable, beings are immeasurably more than they. The bodhisattva follows the causes and conditions by which beings can be delivered; if within the three evil destinies there are those who have remaining merit, the bodhisattva delivers them; people of heavy sin do not get to see a bodhisattva. Because the bodhisattva sees with one mark and is without a mind of discrimination, he does not seek out beings one by one; it is as a great amnesty: those it reaches are freed, those it does not reach receive nothing.

The treatise-author asks:

If beings cut and sever the bodhisattva or eat his flesh, they ought to have sin; how can they come to be delivered?

The treatise-author answers:

This bodhisattva's original vow is: ‘If there are beings who eat my flesh, may they come to be delivered.’ As is said in the sūtra: ‘Beings who eat the bodhisattva's flesh then give rise to a kind mind.’ It is like this: there are forms, sounds, scents, and touches at which people rejoice on hearing and seeing them, and there are also those at which they are angered on hearing and seeing them; so too with flavours: there are those by which anger arises, and those by which a kind mind arises. As the Vimalakīrti Sūtra says: ‘Of those who eat the fragrant rice, there are some who obtain the path within seven days, and there are also some who do not obtain the path.’ It is not because of eating the flesh that they are delivered; it is because of the kind mind that is roused by it that they can escape from the animal destiny, be born in a good place, meet a Buddha, and be delivered.

There are bodhisattvas who for immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas deeply practise a kind mind; giving outer things to beings, their minds are still not satisfied; when they also give their own bodies, only then are they satisfied. As in the Lotus Sūtra, the Bodhisattva Medicine King made offerings to the Buddha with outer things and precious jewels and his mind was still not satisfied; he made his body a lamp as an offering to the Buddha, and only then was he satisfied.

Again, when people obtain outer things, though they are many, they do not take them as a kindness. Why? Because these are not what they love and prize. Only when they obtain his body are they startled and moved; therefore he gives his body.

The bodhisattva also teaches the Dharma for the gods in the heavens, as is spoken of broadly in the sūtra.

Humans he takes in by four things: giving, kind speech, beneficial action, and shared endeavour. Giving has two things, as is spoken of broadly in the sūtra.

The treatise-author asks:

Why are the other four destinies spoken of briefly, while the dharmas within the human destiny are spoken of broadly?

The treatise-author answers:

Because within the three evil destinies there is much suffering, beings have little doubt; if they see a bodhisattva's rare deeds of great supernormal power, they straightaway believe, accept, love, and cling, and are delivered. Because the gods have the divine eye, they themselves see the causes and conditions of sin and merit; the bodhisattva need only slightly show the supernormal power of travel, and they understand. Humans, with the fleshly eye, do not see the causes, conditions, and retributions of sin and merit, and moreover many cling to the wrong teachers of the outside paths and to the scriptures of wrong views.

The afflictions have two portions: first, those belonging to views; second, those belonging to craving. If there is only one of these, it cannot make a great sin. A person of the three poisons who obtains the power of wrong views can commit heavy evils to the full; a person of wrong views who obtains greed and anger can commit sinful deeds on a great scale. Just as the srota-āpanna, though he has the three poisons, because he has no wrong views, does not commit the heavy sins that make one fall into the three evil destinies. Therefore among humans there are many with the three poisons and wrong views.

Again, because their eyes do not see the causes and conditions of sin and merit, they are hard to deliver; because they are hard to deliver, much is said.

The treatise-author asks:

If so, why among the four things is giving spoken of much, and the other three spoken of briefly?

The treatise-author answers:

Because giving contains the three things; teaching and transforming beings by the gift of wealth and the gift of Dharma, there is nothing it does not gather.

Again, among the four things giving is opened up broadly at the very first; then one knows that the other three are likewise.

The treatise-author asks:

If so, why is the gift of wealth spoken of briefly and the gift of Dharma spoken of broadly?

The treatise-author answers:

Because the gift of wealth is little and the gift of Dharma is broad. Why? The gift of wealth has a measured retribution; the gift of Dharma has an immeasurable retribution. The gift of wealth has a retribution bound to the desire realm; the gift of Dharma has a retribution bound to the three realms as well, and also a retribution that goes beyond the three realms. The gift of wealth can give the riches and pleasures of the three realms; the gift of Dharma can give the constant pleasure of nirvāṇa. Moreover, the gift of wealth arises from the gift of Dharma, because having heard the Dharma one can give.

Again, the retribution of the gift of wealth is only riches and pleasure, without variety; the gift of Dharma has riches and pleasure and also has other things, up to the retribution of the Buddha path and nirvāṇa.

By such causes and conditions as these, the gift of Dharma is spoken of broadly. The meaning of the two gifts is, as in the sūtra, spoken of broadly by the Buddha himself.

The treatise-author asks:

In the sūtra, why does Subhūti say ‘does the bodhisattva obtain the omniscience of all kinds or not’?

The treatise-author answers:

Subhūti's meaning is: if while a bodhisattva he already obtains the omniscience of all kinds, then he is not named a bodhisattva; how could one who has not obtained buddhahood obtain the omniscience of all kinds? It is because of obtaining the omniscience of all kinds that one is named Buddha; if one has already become a Buddha first, what further use is the omniscience of all kinds?

The Buddha answers: now obtaining the omniscience of all kinds, he is named bodhisattva; having already obtained the omniscience of all kinds, he is named Buddha. At the time of being a bodhisattva he makes complete the causes and conditions for becoming a Buddha, and gives rise to the mind wishing to obtain the omniscience of all kinds; having obtained it, he is named Buddha. Speaking truly: the bodhisattva does not obtain it, and the Buddha too does not obtain it. Why? The bodhisattva has not yet obtained it; the Buddha has already finished obtaining it and does not obtain it further. Because it is a dharma of worldly convention, it is said, ‘the bodhisattva now obtains, the Buddha has finished obtaining’; within the highest meaning there are no dharmas at all, how much less a Buddha and a bodhisattva! Further, the sūtra says: ‘The Buddha's mind is not different from the bodhisattva, the bodhisattva is not different from the Buddha's mind.’ Because the sequence continues without break, there is the suchness of the two minds, because they are without difference and without discrimination.

The treatise-author asks:

The nine successive absorptions, the thirty-two marks, and the eighty minor marks are dharmas the world has in common; why are they named ‘world-transcending unshared dharmas’?

The treatise-author answers:

The four dhyānas, the four formless absorptions, and the cessation of feeling and perception are named the nine successive. The absorption of the cessation of feeling only sages can obtain. The four dhyānas and the four formless absorptions—rising from the first dhyāna, without mixing in any other mind he enters the second dhyāna; from the second dhyāna up to the absorption of the cessation of feeling, receiving it in every thought, without mixing in any other mind—this is named successive.

Ordinary people are sinners with dull faculties; how can they obtain the thirty-two marks?

As for the marks obtained by the wheel-turning sage king, Devadatta, and Nanda, though the names are the same, in majesty, completeness, purity, and the place of their obtaining they are not the same as the Buddha's. It is as was said before, where the difference between the marks of the wheel-turning sage king and those of the Buddha was distinguished. Further, these marks are the retribution of the noble dharma without outflows, and so they are sovereign and as he wishes, immeasurable and boundless; the marks of the wheel-turning sage king and the like come from the causes and conditions of deeds of merit, cannot be sovereign, and are measured and limited.

Again, Devadatta and Nanda have thirty marks, not thirty-two marks; the wheel-turning sage king, though he has the thirty-two marks, is without majesty, is not complete, and does not obtain their place, and they are together with craving and the other afflictions.

The eighty minor marks in completeness only the Buddha and bodhisattvas have; other people may have just a few, such as slender, long fingers, or the mark of the belly not showing; such as these are minor marks without majesty, not worth mentioning.

Therefore to say ‘world-transcending dharmas not shared with ordinary people’ is without fault.

The treatise-author asks:

From the very first, everywhere, it has spoken of dharmas—the five aggregates and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds—without speaking of these thirty-two marks and eighty minor marks; now that the sūtra is about to close, why are they spoken of in chapter after chapter?

The treatise-author answers:

The Buddha has two kinds of body: the Dharma body and the fleshly body. Of the two bodies, the Dharma body is the greater; because the Dharma body is great and what it benefits is much, it was spoken of broadly above. Now, because the sūtra is about to end, the meaning of the fleshly body ought to be spoken, and so it is spoken now.

Again, the adornment of the marks and minor signs of this fleshly body is the retribution of the noble dharma without outflows; now it is spoken of in sequence; above, it was spoken of mixed in among the perfections.

The meaning of the four foundations of mindfulness and the other dharmas is as was said before. The ten powers and the rest are the very deep meaning of the Buddha's Dharma, and should now be spoken of briefly once again.

The treatise-author asks:

The Buddha's ten powers, if spoken of by their general mark, are one power, namely the power of the omniscience of all kinds; if spoken of by their specific marks, there are thousands of myriads of koṭi of kinds of power, named according to the dharma; why now are only ten powers spoken of?

The treatise-author answers:

The Buddha truly has immeasurable powers of knowledge; only because beings cannot obtain them and cannot practise them, they are not spoken of.

With these ten powers, the work of delivering beings who can be delivered is already done. Why?

With this power of what is possible and what is impossible, the Buddha knows decisively the cause and the fruit within all dharmas, namely: that one who does evil deeds falls into the evil destinies—there is such a thing; that one who does evil deeds is born in the heavens—there is no such thing. So too with the wholesome. That one obtains the path without parting from the five hindrances and without cultivating the seven limbs of awakening—there is no such thing; that one parts from the five hindrances, cultivates the seven limbs of awakening, and obtains the path—there is such a thing. The other nine powers all enter into this one power. With this power the Buddha weighs and measures the beings in the six destinies of the ten directions, those who can be delivered and those who cannot—those who can be delivered he delivers and liberates by all kinds of causes and conditions and by supernormal transformations; those who cannot be delivered, toward such a person he cultivates the mind of equanimity. It is as a good physician observes the marks of the sickness and, judging and knowing for certain that the patient can live, treats him, and where he cannot live, gives him up. The skilful means of delivering beings are namely two powers: the power of deeds and the power of concentration. He seeks out their causes and conditions of deeds and the places where they are born. Because of the causes and conditions of deeds, people receive bodies and are bound and attached in the world; because of the causes and conditions of meditative concentration, they obtain liberation. The practitioner must seek out where suffering arises from and by what it ceases. Therefore these two powers are used. The power of deeds has two portions: first, pure deeds, which can cut off evil deeds; second, defiled deeds. Pure deeds are named meditative concentration, the liberations, and the samādhis; impure deeds can receive bodies within the three realms.

People are of two kinds: those of dull faculties make deeds for the sake of receiving a body; those of keen faculties make deeds for the sake of extinguishing the body.

The treatise-author asks:

If so, why does he not make them all make pure deeds?

The treatise-author answers:

Because the faculties of beings are some keen and some dull.

The treatise-author asks:

By what causes and conditions are beings keen or dull?

The treatise-author answers:

Because they have all kinds of power of desire. Beings of evil desire constantly enter into evil, and so are dull. Desire is named relish; because they relish sinful things and give rise to evil deeds, they are dull. People of good desire delight in the path and cultivate the dharmas that aid the path, and so are keen.

The treatise-author asks:

Why do beings not all take up good desire?

The treatise-author answers:

That is why the Buddha says that the world has all kinds of natures: there are evil natures and good natures. People of evil nature have evil desire; because of evil desire their faculties are dull. Just as the hot nature of fire and the wet nature of water—one should not demand why they are so.

The treatise-author asks:

Evil desire is precisely evil nature; what difference is there, that they are set up as two powers?

The treatise-author answers:

Nature is there first; desire arises on obtaining causes and conditions. It is as there is first a sore, and on meeting the condition of a touch, blood comes out. Nature is within, desire is without. Nature is heavy, desire is light. Nature is hard to remove, desire is easy to give up. Nature is deep, desire is shallow. Deeds made through nature must surely receive retribution; deeds made through desire do not necessarily receive retribution. There are such differences as these.

Again, some say: desire, constantly perfumed, grows and increases and so becomes nature; nature too can give rise to desire. If this person, whether in this life or in later lives, constantly perfumes himself with this desire, it becomes nature; abiding within this nature he does evil and does good; if he abides in a good nature he can be delivered, if he abides in an evil nature he cannot be delivered.

The Buddha, having known the two kinds of nature of beings, knows that their retributions have all kinds of differences of good destinies and evil destinies. People of evil nature fall into the three evil destinies; people of good nature have four kinds of path: humans, gods, asuras, and the path of nirvāṇa.

The treatise-author asks:

What difference is there between the power of the paths leading everywhere and the power of the divine eye?

The treatise-author answers:

The divine eye sees only the time of birth and death; this power knows before death, seeing the cause and knowing the fruit. The divine eye sees the retribution of sin and merit present before it. This is named the power of the paths leading everywhere.

The treatise-author asks:

The śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas too obtain nirvāṇa and can also teach and transform beings; why do they not have this power?

The treatise-author answers:

That is why the last three powers are spoken of. Of the affairs of beings in the three times he can penetrate and know all throughout: by the power of former lives, he knows the whole course, root and branch, of the past affairs of all beings. Because of the power of the knowledge of birth and death by the divine eye, he can know throughout the immeasurable affairs of all beings in the world to come. Having known thus, knowing which beings in the present world can be delivered, he teaches them the dharma of the exhaustion of outflows. For this reason only the Buddha has this power; the two vehicles do not have it. It is as there was a person who should have obtained arhatship that very day; Śāriputra, at midday, told him: ‘You have no causes and conditions for obtaining the path.’ He gave him up and did not deliver him. When late afternoon came, the Buddha, with the supernormal power of former lives, saw his causes and conditions for obtaining the path from eighty thousand kalpas before in the past, which should now come to accomplishment; in the late afternoon he taught him the Dharma, and he at once obtained the path of the arhat.

Again, with the first power the Buddha knows the mark of beings who can be delivered and who cannot be delivered; with the second power he knows whether beings are covered by the three obstructions or have no covering; with the third power he knows whether the meditative concentrations and liberations of beings are pure or impure; with the fourth power he knows whether the faculties of beings are keen or dull, whether they can penetrate the nature of dharmas or cannot; with the fifth power he knows the causes and conditions of the keen and dull faculties of beings—good desire and evil desire; with the sixth power he knows the causes and conditions of the two desires—the various natures; with the seventh power he knows the seven kinds of path that are the places of the good and evil retributions of beings of keen and dull faculties; with the eighth power he knows the obstructions of good and evil deeds of beings from former lives, or that they are not obstructed; with the ninth power he knows that beings cannot be delivered in this present life but can be delivered in the place where they will be born in the world to come; with the tenth power he knows that this person will enter nirvāṇa by the gate of liberation of emptiness, or enter nirvāṇa by the gate of signlessness or the gate of non-action; he knows how many fetters this person cuts off in each thought within the path of seeing the truths and the path of reflection.

With these ten powers he weighs and measures the causes and conditions by which beings should be delivered, and teaches them the Dharma. Therefore the Buddha's teaching of the Dharma has never been empty words.

The treatise-author asks:

The Buddha's wisdom is immeasurable; his bodily marks too should be immeasurable! Further, the Buddha's body surpasses the kings of the gods; why does it have exactly the thirty-two marks, the same as the wheel-turning sage king?

The treatise-author answers:

The thirty-two marks are neither more nor fewer; the meaning is as explained before.

Again, some say: the marks of buddhas and bodhisattvas are not fixed, as is said here; according to what beings like, whatever can lead their minds, that he shows for them.

Further, there are beings who do not prize gold but prize other colours—beryl, sphaṭika, vajra, and the like; for the people of such worlds the Buddha does not show the golden colour, but observing what they like, shows that colour for them.

Further, there are beings who do not prize slender, long fingers and the webbing; they take long fingers and sharp nails as the mark of a rākṣasa, and the webbing as the mark of a water-bird, inconvenient for doing things, like wearing gloves—what use is this? It is as in the land of Jibin there was a bodhisattva whose hands had webbing; his father loathed it and took it as uncanny, and cut it off with a knife, saying: ‘Why is my son like a bird?’

Some people do not like round, large shoulders, thinking them like a swelling; some take the belly not showing as not good, saying that having no belly is like the mark of starving; there are also people who take blue eyes as not good, and like only black and white clearly distinguished.

Therefore the Buddha shows the marks and minor signs according to what beings like. Such as these have nothing constant and fixed.

Some say: these thirty-two marks are really fixed; by the power of supernormal powers he transforms his body and, according to what beings like, shows the marks for them.

Some say: the Buddha is sometimes a supernormal transformation, and sometimes is born according to the place in the world; where he is born, it cannot be said to be a supernormal transformation.

Further, within the three-thousand great-thousand world he is born according to the places of beings who can be delivered, and shows marks for them. As is said in the Sūtra of the Secret Traces: ‘He shows a golden colour, or shows a silver colour, or shows the colour of the sun, the moon, and the stars, long or short; according to the beings who can be led, he shows marks for them.’

According to what the people of the land of India here in Jambudvīpa like, he shows the thirty-two marks for them. The people of India to this day still work at their shoulders to make them thick and large, and all take having a topknot on the head as good. As is said among the marks of people, five places being long is good. The marks of the eyes, nose, tongue, arms, fingers, thighs, and hands and feet are like a wheel, or like a lotus flower, or like a conch, or like the sun and moon; therefore the Buddha's hands and feet have the thousand-spoked wheel, slender long fingers, a high and fine nose, and a tongue broad, long, and thin. Such as these all surpass what they prized before, and so they give rise to a mind of reverence.

In some lands the Buddha shows for them thousands of myriads of marks, or immeasurable asaṃkhyeya marks, or five marks, six marks, three marks, four marks. Because of following what India likes, he shows the thirty-two marks and the eighty kinds of minor marks.

Fascicle eighty-eight of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa ends here.

This chapter is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the seventy-eighth chapter, "The Four Means of Gathering", composed by the noble Nāgārjuna and translated by the Tripiṭaka master Kumārajīva of the land of Kucha under the Later Qin. The Last Part unit is in fascicle eighty-nine; what it explains is the later portion of the sūtra text of this chapter, together with the treatise-author's commentary on it.

What follows is the remainder of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the seventy-eighth chapter, "The Four Means of Gathering", composed by the noble Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna and translated by the Tripiṭaka master Kumārajīva of the land of Kucha under the Later Qin.

Sūtra ②: The Eighty Minor Marks Item by Item; the Close on the Two Gifts, and the Three Means of Gathering—Kind Speech, Beneficial Action, and Shared Endeavour; the Forty-two Gates of Letters and the Dharma without Letters; Subhūti Asks How, within Ultimate Unfindability, One Abides in the Five Supernormal Powers Obtained as Retribution to Teach the Dharma, and the Buddha Answers That Because Beings Are Unfindable All Dharmas Are Empty, and That Seeing Emptiness One Teaches the Dharma without Losing the Mark of Emptiness; the Simile of the Conjured Person Who Is without Mind; Pulling Out from the Ground of Inversion by Being Neither Bound nor Liberated; Teaching the Dharma without Finding Beings or Any Dharma; the Dharma without Anything Existent Does Not Abide in the Dharma without Anything Existent; Whether Form Differs from the Nature of Dharmas; How Black and White Retributions Are Distinguished; by Reason of Worldly Truth There Is Retribution, Not in the Highest Meaning; Ordinary People Do Not Know the Two Truths and So Have No Fruits; the Four Alternatives on Whether Cultivating the Path Obtains the Fruit, All Denied; All the Fruits Are Unconditioned, and within the Unconditioned There Is No Discrimination; Himself Not Clinging, He Also Teaches Others to Be without Clinging, as the Conjured Person Gives without Receiving the Retribution

‘What are the eighty minor marks? First, the crown of his head: no one can see its summit; second, his nose is straight, high, and fine, and the nostrils do not show; third, his eyebrows are like the newly born crescent moon, of the colour of dark-blue beryl; fourth, the rims of his ears hang down in lobes, formed of themselves; fifth, his body is firm and solid, like the strongman Nārāyaṇa; sixth, his bones join one another like hooks and chains; seventh, when he turns, his whole body turns round at one time, like an elephant king; eighth, when he walks, his feet are four cun off the ground, and yet the print of the patterns appears on the ground; ninth, his nails are like the colour of red copper, thin and glossy; tenth, his kneecaps are firm and close-set, round and fine; eleventh, his body is pure and clean; twelfth, his body is soft; thirteenth, his body is not bent; fourteenth, his fingers and toes are long, slender, and round; fifteenth, the patterns on his fingers are adorned; sixteenth, his veins are deep and hidden; seventeenth, his ankles do not protrude; eighteenth, his body is glossy; nineteenth, his body holds itself upright of itself, not leaning or swaying; twentieth, his body is full, without lack; twenty-first, his consciousness is full, without lack; twenty-second, his appearance and bearing are complete and full; twenty-third, the place where he dwells is secure, and nothing can shake him; twenty-fourth, his majesty shakes all; twenty-fifth, all people delight in looking at him; twenty-sixth, his face is not too long; twenty-seventh, his countenance is upright, and his complexion is not disturbed or altered; twenty-eighth, the features of his face are complete and full; twenty-ninth, his lips are red like the colour of the bimba fruit; thirtieth, his voice is deep and far-reaching; thirty-first, his navel is deep, round, and fine; thirty-second, his body hairs curl to the right; thirty-third, his hands and feet are full and fine; thirty-fourth, his hands and feet are as he wishes; thirty-fifth, the lines on his hands are clear and straight; thirty-sixth, the lines on his hands are long; thirty-seventh, the lines on his hands are unbroken; thirty-eighth, all beings who harbour evil minds become gentle and glad on seeing him; thirty-ninth, his face is broad and fine; fortieth, his face is pure and full like the full moon; forty-first, according to the minds of beings, he speaks with them gently and gladly; forty-second, his pores give forth fragrance; forty-third, his mouth gives forth an unsurpassed fragrance; forty-fourth, his bearing is like a lion's; forty-fifth, his advancing and halting are like an elephant king's; forty-sixth, his manner of walking is like a goose king's; forty-seventh, his head is like the moduoluo fruit; forty-eighth, the divisions of all his sounds are complete; forty-ninth, his teeth are sharp; fiftieth, the colour of his tongue is red; fifty-first, his tongue is thin; fifty-second, his hairs are of a red colour; fifty-third, his hairs are clean; fifty-fourth, his eyes are broad and long; fifty-fifth, the marks of his orifices are complete; fifty-sixth, his hands and feet are red and white like the colour of the lotus; fifty-seventh, his navel does not protrude; fifty-eighth, his belly does not show; fifty-ninth, his belly is slender; sixtieth, his body does not lean or sway; sixty-first, his body is weighty; sixty-second, his bodily parts are broad and large; sixty-third, his body is tall; sixty-fourth, his hands and feet are pure, clean, soft, and glossy; sixty-fifth, the light around his body extends one zhang on each of the four sides; sixty-sixth, the light shines on his body as he moves; sixty-seventh, he looks upon beings equally; sixty-eighth, he does not belittle beings; sixty-ninth, he responds following the voices of beings, neither too much nor too little; seventieth, he teaches the Dharma without error; seventy-first, he teaches the Dharma for beings following their languages; seventy-second, with a single utterance he answers the voices of the multitude; seventy-third, he teaches the Dharma in sequence and with causes and conditions; seventy-fourth, no being can see his marks to the full; seventy-fifth, those who look upon him are never sated; seventy-sixth, his hair is long and fine; seventy-seventh, his hair is not tangled; seventy-eighth, his hair curls beautifully; seventy-ninth, the colour of his hair is fine, like blue pearls; eightieth, his hands and feet have the marks of virtue. Subhūti! These eighty minor marks are what the Buddha's body accomplishes.

‘Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva gathers in beings by two kinds of giving, namely the gift of wealth and the gift of Dharma; this is the bodhisattva's matter, rare and hard to equal. How does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva gather in beings by kind speech? The bodhisattva-mahāsattva teaches the Dharma for beings by the six perfections, speaking these words: ‘Practise the six perfections, and you gather in all wholesome dharmas.’ How does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva gather in beings by beneficial action? The bodhisattva-mahāsattva through the long night teaches beings and makes them practise the six perfections. How does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva gather in beings by shared endeavour? The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, by the power of the five supernormal powers, transforms himself in all kinds of ways, enters the five destinies, and shares in endeavour with beings. By these four things he gathers them in.

‘Again, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he teaches and transforms beings, saying: ‘Good man! You should skilfully distinguish the letters, and you should also know well one letter, and so on up to forty-two letters. All language enters the gate of the first letter; all language also enters the gate of the second letter; and so on up to the gate of the forty-second letter, all language enters into it. One letter enters all forty-two letters, and forty-two letters also enter one letter.’ These beings should thus train well in the forty-two letters. Having trained well in the forty-two letters, they can speak well of the dharma of letters; having spoken well of the dharma of letters, they can speak well of the dharma without letters. Subhūti! Just as the Buddha knows well the dharma of letters, knows letters well, and knows well being without letters, and for the sake of the dharma without letters speaks the dharma of letters. Why? Subhūti! Because it passes beyond all names and letters, it is named the Buddha's Dharma.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! Suppose beings are ultimately unfindable, dharmas too are unfindable, and the nature of dharmas too is unfindable, because of ultimate emptiness and because of beginningless emptiness. World-Honored One! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, and practises dhyānapāramitā, vīryapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, śīlapāramitā, and dānapāramitā, he practises the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, the thirty-seven dharmas that aid the path, the eighteen emptinesses; he practises the samādhis of emptiness, the signless, and non-action, the eight liberations, the nine successive absorptions, the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unshared dharmas, the thirty-two marks, and the eighty minor marks—how does he still abide within the five supernormal powers obtained as retribution and teach the Dharma for beings? Beings are really unfindable; because beings are unfindable, form is unfindable, and so on up to consciousness too being unfindable; because the five aggregates are unfindable, the six perfections, and so on up to the eighty minor marks, are all unfindable. Within this unfindability there are no beings, there is no form, and so on up to there being no eighty minor marks. World-Honored One! How does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practise prajñāpāramitā and teach the Dharma for beings? World-Honored One! When the bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā, the bodhisattva is unfindable, how much less should there be the dharmas of a bodhisattva!’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Just so! Just so! It is as you say. Because beings are unfindable, one should know that this is inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner and outer emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of the highest meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, beginningless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersal, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of specific marks, the emptiness of nature, the emptiness of the unfindable, the emptiness of non-existent dharmas, the emptiness of existent dharmas, and the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas. One should know that the five aggregates are empty, the twelve sense-fields are empty, the eighteen elements are empty, the twelve links of causes and conditions are empty, the four truths are empty, the self is empty; that the one with a life-span, the one with a life, the one who is born, the one who nourishes, the one who rears, the one counted among the multitude, the person, the doer, the one who causes doing, the one who rises, the one who causes rising, the receiver, the one who causes receiving, the knower, and the seer are all empty. Because beings are unfindable, one should know that the four dhyānas are empty, the four immeasurable minds are empty, the four formless absorptions are empty; one should know that the four foundations of mindfulness are empty, and so on up to the eightfold noble path being empty; that emptiness is empty, the signless is empty, non-action is empty; that the eight liberations are empty and the nine successive absorptions are empty. Because beings are unfindable, one should know that the ten powers of the Buddha are empty, the four fearlessnesses are empty, the four unobstructed knowledges are empty, the eighteen unshared dharmas are empty; one should know that the fruit of the srota-āpanna is empty, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin is empty, the fruit of the anāgāmin is empty, the fruit of the arhat is empty, the path of the pratyekabuddha is empty; one should know that the bodhisattva ground is empty; one should know that anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi is empty.

‘Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, thus seeing all dharmas as empty, teaches the Dharma for beings and does not lose the marks of the emptinesses. When this bodhisattva contemplates thus, he knows that all dharmas are without obstruction; having known that all dharmas are without obstruction, he does not destroy the marks of dharmas, is not two and is without discrimination, but only teaches the Dharma for beings as it really is. It is as a person conjured by the Buddha: this conjured person further conjures immeasurable thousands of myriads of koṭi of people; some he teaches to give, some he teaches to keep morality, some he teaches patience, some he teaches vigour, some he teaches meditative concentration, some he teaches wisdom, some he teaches the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, and the four formless absorptions. What do you think? Does the person conjured by the Buddha discriminate and destroy dharmas?’

Subhūti said: ‘No, World-Honored One! This conjured person is without mind and without mental-factor dharmas; how could he discriminate and destroy dharmas?’

‘For this reason, Subhūti! one should know that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā and teaches the Dharma for beings as befits them, pulls beings out from the ground of inversion, and lets beings each obtain the ground in which it befits them to abide, because what he uses is the dharma of neither bondage nor liberation. Why? Subhūti! This form is neither bound nor liberated; feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are neither bound nor liberated; form's being without bondage and without liberation is not form, and feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness's being without bondage and without liberation is not consciousness. Why? Because form is ultimately pure, and feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to all dharmas, whether conditioned or unconditioned, are likewise all ultimately pure.

‘Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva teaches the Dharma for beings and also does not find beings or any dharma. Because all dharmas are unfindable, the bodhisattva, by way of the dharma of non-abiding, abides within the marks of dharmas, namely the emptiness of form, and so on up to the emptiness of conditioned dharmas and unconditioned dharmas. Why? Because the self-nature of form, and so on up to conditioned dharmas and unconditioned dharmas, is unfindable, there is no place of abiding. The dharma without anything existent does not abide in the dharma without anything existent; the existent dharma does not abide in the existent dharma; the dharma of self-nature does not abide in the dharma of self-nature; the dharma of other-nature does not abide in the dharma of other-nature. Why? Because all these dharmas are unfindable. Where should an unfindable dharma abide? Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, and by reason of these emptinesses he can teach the Dharma thus; practising prajñāpāramitā thus, he is without fault toward the buddhas, and toward the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas. Why? The buddhas, the bodhisattvas, the pratyekabuddhas, and the arhats, having obtained this Dharma, teach the Dharma for beings and also do not turn the marks of dharmas. Why? Because suchness, the nature of dharmas, and the limit of reality cannot be turned. What is the reason? Because dharmas have no self-nature.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If the nature of dharmas, suchness, and the limit of reality do not turn, does form differ from the nature of dharmas? Does form differ from suchness and the limit of reality? Do feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to conditioned dharmas and unconditioned dharmas, worldly dharmas and world-transcending dharmas, dharmas with outflows and dharmas without outflows, differ?’

The Buddha said: ‘No! Form does not differ from the nature of dharmas, does not differ from suchness, does not differ from the limit of reality; feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to those with outflows and those without outflows, do not differ either.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If form does not differ from the nature of dharmas, does not differ from suchness, does not differ from the limit of reality, and feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to those with outflows and those without outflows, do not differ either, then how is it distinguished that black dharmas have black retribution, namely the hells, the hungry ghosts, and the animals; that white dharmas have white retribution, namely gods and humans; that black-and-white dharmas have black-and-white retribution; and that dharmas neither black nor white have retribution neither black nor white, namely the fruit of the srota-āpanna, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, the path of the pratyekabuddha, and anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘By reason of worldly truth, retribution is spoken of with distinctions; it is not the highest meaning. Within the highest meaning, causes and conditions and retribution are unspeakable. Why? This highest meaning really has no mark, no discrimination, and no speech either—namely form, and so on up to dharmas with outflows and without outflows: the mark of being unarisen and unceasing, neither stained nor pure, because of ultimate emptiness and beginningless emptiness.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If, by reason of worldly truth, retribution is spoken of with distinctions, and it is not the highest meaning, then all ordinary people should have the fruit of the srota-āpanna, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, the path of the pratyekabuddha, and anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi!’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘What do you think? Do ordinary people know that this is the dharma of worldly truth, and that this is the truth of the highest meaning? If they knew, these ordinary people should be srota-āpannas, and so on up to having anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Subhūti! Because ordinary people really do not know worldly truth, do not know the truth of the highest meaning, do not know the path, and do not know how to distinguish the fruits of the path, how should they have the fruits? Subhūti! The sages know worldly truth and know the truth of the highest meaning; they have the path and have the cultivation of the path; for this reason the sages have the various fruits with distinctions.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! Does cultivating the path obtain the fruit?’

The Buddha said: ‘No, Subhūti! Cultivating the path, one does not obtain the fruit; not cultivating the path, one does not obtain the fruit either; nor does one obtain the fruit apart from the path; nor does one obtain the fruit abiding within the path. Thus, Subhūti! when the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, for the sake of beings he distinguishes the fruits, and yet he does not discriminate that this is the conditioned nature or that is the unconditioned nature.’

‘World-Honored One! If, without discriminating the conditioned nature and the unconditioned nature, the fruits are obtained, then why did the World-Honored One himself say: ‘The three fetters being exhausted is named the fruit of the srota-āpanna; lust, anger, and delusion being thin is named the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin; the five fetters of this side being exhausted is named the fruit of the anāgāmin; the five fetters of the other side being exhausted is named the fruit of the arhat; all dharmas that gather and arise being of the mark of ceasing and scattering is named the path of the pratyekabuddha; all the afflictions and their habitual residues being cut off is named anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi’? World-Honored One! How should I know that the fruits are obtained without discriminating the conditioned nature and the unconditioned nature?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Do you take the fruit of the srota-āpanna, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, the path of the pratyekabuddha, and anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi—are these fruits conditioned, or unconditioned?’

Subhūti said: ‘World-Honored One! They are all unconditioned!’

‘Subhūti! Within the unconditioned dharma is there discrimination?’

‘No, World-Honored One!’

‘Subhūti! If good men and good women penetrate that all dharmas, whether conditioned or unconditioned, are of one mark, namely the signless, is there at that time the discrimination that this is conditioned and that is unconditioned?’

‘No, World-Honored One!’

‘Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva teaches the Dharma for beings and does not discriminate dharmas, namely because of inner emptiness, and so on up to because of the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas. This bodhisattva himself obtains the dharma without clinging, and also teaches others and makes them obtain the dharma without clinging: whether dānapāramitā, śīlapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, vīryapāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, or prajñāpāramitā; the first dhyāna and so on up to the fourth dhyāna; kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity; the sphere of boundless space and so on up to the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception; or the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds. Because this bodhisattva himself does not cling, he also teaches others and makes them obtain non-clinging; because of non-clinging, he is without hindrance. It is as a person conjured by the Buddha practises giving and yet does not receive the retribution of giving, but does it only for the sake of delivering beings; and so on up to practising the omniscience of all kinds, and yet he does not receive the retribution of the omniscience of all kinds. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva too is thus: he practises the six perfections, and so on up to all dharmas, whether with outflows or without outflows, conditioned or unconditioned, does not abide in or cling to them and does not receive the retribution, but does it only for the sake of delivering beings. Why? Because this bodhisattva-mahāsattva thoroughly penetrates the marks of all dharmas.’

Treatise ②: Why Consciousness Full Is among the Minor Marks; How Secure in His Dwelling-Place Differs from Securely Abiding in a Dwelling-Place; the Meaning of the Forty-two Letters, and Being without Letters as Precisely the Meaning of the Real Mark; Subhūti Asks How the Dharma Is Taught When All Is Ultimately Empty and without Names, and the Buddha Approves His Question; the Three Ways of Losing, in Not Losing Emptiness; Teaching the Dharma by Skilful Means Is without Fault, and Bondage and Release under the Two Truths; the Three Similes of the Dharma without Anything Existent Not Abiding in What Is without Anything Existent; Teaching the Dharma Purely Is without Fault toward the Buddhas and the Worthies and Sages; Whether Form and the Rest Differ from the Nature of Dharmas; Why the Nature of Dharmas Alone Is Prized; the Sages Who Have Obtained the Highest Meaning Have Nothing They Discriminate; Why Only Two Emptinesses Are Spoken of as Named the Dharma, and the Simile of Fire Burning Wood; the Objection That Ordinary People Should Be Sages, and the Buddha's Refutation in Return; Subhūti Knows for Himself That He Has Erred; Whether Cultivating the Path Obtains the Fruit, and How the Buddha, Having Spoken of It Above, Now Says No; Even Cultivating, It Is Not Obtained, How Much Less without Cultivating; the Objection on Cutting Off the Three Fetters, and the Buddha's Answer by a Question in Return; the Close Returns to Thoroughly Penetrating the Nature of Dharmas

The treatise-author asks:

The eighty minor marks are dharmas that adorn the body; why is ‘consciousness full’ among the minor marks?

The treatise-author answers:

This consciousness is a consciousness born of retribution, which knows of itself the fair and the foul of the world. Because ordinary people's consciousness is not complete, they must learn the norms of the human world before they can know; because the Buddha was born only when a full year was complete, both body and consciousness are complete. Other people stay in the womb eight months or nine months, and it is spoken of in general as ten months; the bodhisattva stayed in the womb ten months, obtaining a year in all; because the faculty of the body was complete, the consciousness obtained as retribution was complete too.

The treatise-author asks:

What difference is there between the feet being securely set in a dwelling-place and securely abiding in a dwelling-place?

The treatise-author answers:

The meaning of secure in his dwelling-place is this: like a white-robed warrior who, firmly holding his weapons, securely occupies his dwelling-place and cannot be moved. Again, at the time of leaving home, neither Māra's people nor evil ghosts can shake him and make him retreat in defeat.

The meaning of the forty-two letters is as spoken of in the Mahāyāna. The meaning of one letter entering all the letters to the full is this: it is as two ones joined together become two, three ones become three, four ones become four, and thus on up to a thousand and ten thousand. Again, the letter a is fixed; a changes into ra, and also changes into pa; thus it enters all forty-two letters to the full. The meaning of the forty-two letters entering one letter is this: the forty-two letters all have the share of a, and the share of a enters back into a.

Because he knows letters well, he knows well the names of dharmas; because he knows well the names of dharmas, he knows well the meaning of dharmas. Being without letters is precisely the meaning of the real mark of all dharmas. What is the reason? Within the meaning of dharmas, dharmas have no names or letters.

Subhūti asks: ‘If dharmas are ultimately empty and without names, how does the bodhisattva abide within the six supernormal powers of retribution and teach dharmas for beings? If ultimately there are no beings, then there are no dharmas!’

The Buddha approves Subhūti, saying: ‘Just so! Because of the eighteen emptinesses, all dharmas are unfindable; the self, beings, and so on up to the knower and the seer, and so on up to one should know that the Buddha and the bodhisattvas are all empty. Having known thus, he teaches this Dharma of emptiness for beings.’

If beings really existed and emptiness were taught to them, this would not be permissible; because beings are empty and exist only from inversion, the bodhisattva does not lose emptiness and teaches the Dharma for them. The meaning of not losing is this: he does not hold the view ‘All dharmas are empty, yet what is said is not empty’; if he holds that what is said is not empty, then that is losing the mark of emptiness; if the mouth says emptiness while in the mind there is existence, this too is losing. Here the Buddha himself says: ‘Not two, because he does not destroy the marks of dharmas.’ Wishing to make this matter clear, he therefore speaks a simile: ‘As the conjured person conjured by the Buddha teaches the Dharma for people, teaching the merits of keeping morality, giving, and the rest.’

If one teaches the Dharma by such skilful means, this is without fault, and one can pull beings out from inversion, because they are without bondage and without release. Within the highest meaning there is neither bondage nor release; by reason of worldly truth there is bondage and there is release. Here the Buddha himself states the causes and conditions: ‘Form is neither bound nor released. Why? Because within this neither-bound-nor-released there is no mark of form. And so on up to consciousness, which is likewise.’

The bodhisattva thus, by way of the dharma of non-abiding, abides within the Dharma of emptiness and teaches the Dharma for beings; beings are unfindable, because beings and all dharmas are unfindable.

Here the Buddha himself states the causes and conditions, namely: the dharma without anything existent does not abide in what is without anything existent, as space does not abide in space. The dharma of self-nature does not abide in the dharma of self-nature, as fire does not abide within fire. The dharma of other-nature does not abide in the dharma of other-nature, as within the nature of water there is no nature of fire; and again, because other-nature is not fixed.

If one can teach the Dharma purely in this way, this bodhisattva is without fault toward the buddhas and the worthies and sages. Why? The buddhas and the worthies and sages do not cling to any dharma, and the one who teaches the Dharma too does not cling to any dharma. The buddhas and the worthies and sages take ultimate emptiness, wholly of the mark of quiescence, as the sphere where the mind moves, and so too does the one who teaches the Dharma. The buddhas and the worthies and sages enter the three gates of liberation and obtain the real nature of all dharmas, namely nirvāṇa without remainder; because the one who teaches the Dharma accords with this Dharma, he is without fault. Here the Buddha himself states the causes and conditions: ‘The buddhas and the worthies and sages, having obtained this Dharma, teach the Dharma for beings and do not turn the nature of dharmas, because the nature of dharmas is empty and signless.’

Subhūti asks: ‘If the nature of dharmas is not turned, do form and the other dharmas differ from the nature of dharmas?’

The Buddha answers: ‘No! Why? Because the real mark of form and the other dharmas is precisely the nature of dharmas.’

The Buddha's meaning is: because when the bodhisattva teaches the Dharma, he too does not destroy the nature of dharmas.

Subhūti asks: ‘Since form and the other dharmas do not differ from the nature of dharmas, why is the nature of dharmas alone prized?’

Because the Buddha answered ‘form does not differ from the nature of dharmas’, Subhūti therefore raises the objection: ‘If they do not differ, how are good and evil, white and black, and the various fruits of the srota-āpanna and the rest distinguished?’

The Buddha answers: ‘Although form and the other dharmas are not apart from the nature of dharmas, by reason of worldly truth there is discrimination; within the highest meaning there is no discrimination.’ Why? The sages who have obtained the highest meaning have nothing they discriminate; hearing of something to be attained they are not glad, and hearing of there being nothing existent they are not sorrowful; because they have obtained the realisation of emptiness and the signless, even toward the subtlest dharma they do not grasp at marks, how much less discriminate that there is good and there is evil! People who have not yet obtained the real mark, wishing to obtain the highest meaning, only therefore have something they discriminate. Here the Buddha himself states the causes and conditions: ‘This Dharma is without speech, and also without the dharmas of arising and ceasing, stain and purity, namely ultimate emptiness and beginningless emptiness.’

The treatise-author asks:

Why, here, are only two emptinesses spoken of as named the Dharma?

The treatise-author answers:

All that there is does not go beyond two: dharmas and beings. If ultimate emptiness is spoken of, dharmas are broken; if beginningless emptiness is spoken of, beings are broken. These two having been broken, all dharmas are broken to the end. Here the bodhisattva teaches the Dharma for beings, and so he uses two emptinesses to break the two things; although there are still the other emptinesses, they are not as very deep and exhaustive as ultimate emptiness. The other emptinesses are like fire burning wood, which still leaves ashes and embers; ultimate emptiness is without ashes and without embers.

Someone says: Even if the eighteen emptinesses were spoken of, there would be no fault; it is because it is spoken of in brief that two emptinesses are spoken of.

Subhūti says: ‘If, by reason of worldly truth, good and evil, white and black, and the various noble fruits are distinguished, then within the highest meaning ordinary people too should have the noble fruits of the srota-āpanna and the rest!’ Why? If within the falsity of worldly truth the various worthies and sages are distinguished, then within the highest meaning ordinary people too should become worthies and sages. Subhūti distinguishes the real mark as different from ordinary people. The Buddha says: ‘The highest meaning is of one mark.’ Therefore Subhūti says: ‘Ordinary people should be sages!’

At this time the Buddha answers: ‘If ordinary people knew how to distinguish that this is the highest meaning and this is worldly truth, ordinary people should have the noble fruits of the srota-āpanna and the rest; because ordinary people really do not know, do not know how to distinguish the path, and do not know how to practise the path or cultivate the path, how much less do they obtain the fruit of the path!’ The Buddha says: ‘Because the sages can make such distinctions, the noble fruits are spoken of.’

At this time Subhūti knows for himself that he has erred, and so says: ‘Within the nature that is immeasurable, signless, and unmoving, how could I grasp at marks and wish to measure the immeasurable dharma? How could I forcibly take the dharmas of ordinary people as the noble fruits?’ At this time, receiving the Buddha's words, he knows that the one who practises the path obtains the fruit and the one who does not practise the path does not obtain the fruit, and so he says to the Buddha: ‘Does cultivating the path obtain the fruit?’

The Buddha says: ‘No.’

The treatise-author asks:

Above, the Buddha spoke with distinctions of cultivating the path and obtaining the fruit of the path; why does he now say ‘No’?

The treatise-author answers:

What the Buddha said before was not with a clinging mind; now Subhūti asks with a clinging mind, wishing to take the fruit out from within the path, as oil is taken out from sesame. If it were so, the path and the fruit would alike be false and deceptive; therefore he says no.

The one who hears gives rise to this thought: if by cultivating it is not obtained, then by not cultivating it should be obtained! Therefore the Buddha says: ‘Even cultivating, it is not obtained, how much less without cultivating!’ It is as two people who wish to reach somewhere: one stays and does not go; the second loses the road. Neither of the two arrives. If one does not cultivate the path, there is not even a little of the pleasure of gathering the mind, how much less the fruit of the path!

If the mind grasps at marks and cultivates the path, though there is the pleasure of meditative concentration that gathers the mind, there is no fruit of the path; if one cultivates the path without grasping at marks and without a clinging mind, then there is the fruit of the path. Therefore the Buddha says: ‘The bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā; because he does not discriminate the conditioned nature and the unconditioned nature, there are only then the differences of the fruits of the path.’

At this time Subhūti asks: ‘If it is so, why does the Buddha say that cutting off the three fetters one obtains the srota-āpanna, with such distinctions as these?’

The Buddha answers with a question in return: ‘What do you think: do you take the fruit of the srota-āpanna and the rest to be conditioned or unconditioned?’

Subhūti says: ‘Unconditioned.’

The Buddha says: ‘If it is so, within the unconditioned is there difference?’

Subhūti says: ‘No, World-Honored One!’

‘If there is no discrimination, how do you make such an objection?’

Again he further asks Subhūti: ‘If good men and good women penetrate that all dharmas are of one mark, namely the signless, and abide within the three gates of liberation, at the time of realising nirvāṇa, is there at that time any dharma to be discriminated as conditioned or unconditioned?’

He answers, saying: ‘No!’

The Buddha's meaning is: only this mind is true and real; at other times all is false and deceptive; how do you make such an objection?

The bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā, does not discriminate any dharma, and abides within inner emptiness and the other emptinesses: this is great purity. He himself does not cling, and also teaches beings and makes them without clinging, namely dānapāramitā and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds; within the bodhisattva path he teaches them all not to cling. It is as a person conjured by the Buddha practises giving and the rest, yet does not discriminate giving and the rest, nor receive the retribution of the dharmas of giving and the rest, but does it only for the sake of benefiting, delivering, and liberating beings. The bodhisattva's mind too is thus. Why? Because he thoroughly penetrates the nature of dharmas. One who thoroughly penetrates does not grasp at the mark of the nature of dharmas and does not abide within the nature of dharmas; within the nature of dharmas he teaches the Dharma for people without doubt and without oppression, without hindrance, without obstruction, without blocking: this is to penetrate the nature of dharmas.

This chapter is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the seventy-ninth chapter, "Thorough Penetration", composed by the noble Nāgārjuna and translated by the Tripiṭaka master Kumārajīva of the land of Kucha under the Later Qin; it is in the eighty-ninth fascicle.

Sūtra ①: Subhūti Asks How the Bodhisattva Thoroughly Penetrates the Marks of Dharmas, and the Buddha, Taking the Conjured Person as a Simile, Opens Out Layer by Layer: Being like a Conjuration; the Doubt That the Bodhisattva Has No Work to Do; the Teaching on Names and Marks; Making the Perfections Complete through Signlessness; the Signless Dharma Not Differing from the Dharmas of the Three Vehicles; Training in the Three Gates of Liberation Being Precisely Training in the Five Aggregates and So On up to the Eighteen Unshared Dharmas; the Five Similes for Knowing the Mark, the Arising and Ceasing, and the Suchness of the Five Aggregates; Discriminating Dharmas without Destroying the Nature of Dharmas; Training in the Nature of Dharmas Being Precisely Training in All Dharmas; All Dharmas Being Precisely the Nature of Dharmas and yet the Six Perfections Still Being Practised; the Simile of the Skilled Conjurer Who Conjures Many Things; and Finally It Concludes That Because the Nature of Dharmas Is without Difference before, after, and in the Middle, the Bodhisattva Practises the Bodhisattva Path

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! How is the bodhisattva to be counted as thoroughly penetrating the marks of dharmas?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘It is as a person made by conjuration does not practise lust, anger, and delusion, does not practise form and so on up to consciousness, does not practise inner dharmas or outer dharmas, does not practise the afflictions and fetters, does not practise dharmas with outflows or dharmas without outflows, worldly dharmas or world-transcending dharmas, conditioned dharmas or unconditioned dharmas, nor is there any holy fruit; the bodhisattva too is like this: there is no such matter, nor does he discriminate these dharmas; this is named thoroughly penetrating the marks of dharmas.’

Subhūti said: ‘World-Honored One! How does a conjured person have any such matter as cultivating the path?’

The Buddha said: ‘The conjured person cultivates the path, neither stained nor pure, nor is he within the birth and death of the five destinies. Subhūti! What do you think? Does a person conjured by the Buddha have a real root-substance? Does he have stain? Does he have purity?’

Subhūti said: ‘No! The person conjured by the Buddha has no real root-substance, and is also without stain and without purity, nor is he within the birth and death of the five destinies.’

‘Like this, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva's thorough penetration of the marks of dharmas is also like this.’

Subhūti said: ‘World-Honored One! Is all form like a conjuration? Are all feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness like a conjuration?’

The Buddha said: ‘All form is like a conjuration; all feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are like a conjuration.’

‘World-Honored One! If all form is like a conjuration, all feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are like a conjuration, and all dharmas are like a conjuration, and the conjured person has no form, has no feeling, perception, constructions, or consciousness, is without stain and without purity, has no birth and death in the five destinies and also no place of liberation, then what kind of work does the bodhisattva have to do?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘What do you think? When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva originally practised the bodhisattva path, did he ever see any beings obtain liberation from among the hells, the hungry ghosts, the animals, humans, and gods?’

Subhūti said: ‘Never! World-Honored One!’

The Buddha said: ‘Just so! Just so! Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva does not see any beings obtain liberation from the three realms. Why? Because the bodhisattva-mahāsattva sees and knows all dharmas as like an illusion, like a conjuration.’

‘World-Honored One! If the bodhisattva-mahāsattva sees and knows all dharmas as like an illusion, like a conjuration, then for the sake of what matter does he practise the six perfections, the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, the thirty-seven dharmas that aid the path, and so on up to practising great kindness and great compassion, purifying buddha-lands, and bringing beings to accomplishment?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘If beings themselves knew that dharmas are like an illusion, like a conjuration, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva would never practise the bodhisattva path for the sake of beings through asaṃkhyeya kalpas. Subhūti! It is precisely because beings themselves do not know that dharmas are like an illusion, like a conjuration, that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva through immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas practises the six perfections, brings beings to accomplishment, purifies buddha-lands, and obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas are like a dream, like an echo, like a shadow, like a mirage, like an illusion, like a conjuration, in what place do beings abide, that the bodhisattva practises the six perfections to pull them out?’

‘Subhūti! Beings abide only within names and marks and the false recollection, imagining, and discrimination; therefore the bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā and pulls beings out from within the falseness of names and marks.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! What is a name? What is a mark?’

The Buddha said: ‘This name is a forced and provisional setting-up, namely: this is form, this is feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness; this is a man, this is a woman; this is large, this is small; this is hell, this is an animal, this is a hungry ghost; this is a human, this is a god; this is the conditioned, this is the unconditioned; this is the fruit of the srota-āpanna, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, the path of the pratyekabuddha; this is the Buddha path. Subhūti! All dharmas of coming together are provisional names; by the name one takes dharmas, therefore it is called a name. All conditioned dharmas have only names and marks, and ordinary foolish people give rise to clinging within them. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, and because of the power of skilful means teaches them, within names, to be far from them, speaking thus: 「諸眾生！是名但有空名，虛妄憶想分別中生，汝等莫著虛妄憶想！此事本末皆無，自性空故，智者所不著。」 tr. "Beings! This name has only an empty name; it is born within false recollection, imagining, and discrimination. Do not cling to false recollection! This matter is entirely without root or branch; because it is empty of self-nature, the wise do not cling to it." Like this, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, and because of the power of skilful means teaches the Dharma for beings. Subhūti! This is a name.

‘What is a mark? Subhūti! There are two kinds of marks, the places where ordinary people cling. What are the two? First, the mark of form; second, the mark of the formless. Subhūti! What is called the mark of form? All form, whether coarse or subtle, whether fair or ugly, is empty; within this empty dharma, recollecting, imagining, and discriminating, one gives rise to a clinging mind: this is called the mark of form. What is the mark of the formless? The formless dharmas—recollecting, imagining, and discriminating them, because one grasps at marks with a clinging mind, one gives rise to afflictions: this is called the mark of the formless. This bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, and because of the power of skilful means teaches beings to be far from these marks and settles them within the signless dharma, so that they do not fall into the two dharmas of mark and signlessness. Like this, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, and teaches and transforms beings to be far from marks, causing them to abide within the signless nature.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas have only names and marks, how can the bodhisattva practising prajñāpāramitā benefit himself, and also teach others so that they obtain the good benefit? How can the bodhisattva make complete the grounds, going from one ground to another ground, teaching and transforming beings so that they obtain the three vehicles?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘If dharmas at root were fixedly existent and not only names and marks, then when the bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā he could not benefit himself, nor could he benefit others. Subhūti! Dharmas have no real root-substance and have only names and marks; therefore when the bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā he can make complete dhyānapāramitā, because of signlessness; can make complete vīryapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, śīlapāramitā, and dānapāramitā, because of signlessness; makes complete the pāramitā of the four dhyānas, the pāramitā of the four immeasurable minds, and the pāramitā of the four formless absorptions, because of signlessness; makes complete the pāramitā of the four foundations of mindfulness, because of signlessness; and so on up to making complete the pāramitā of the eightfold noble path, because of signlessness; makes complete the pāramitā of inner emptiness, because of signlessness; and so on up to making complete the pāramitā of the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas, because of signlessness; makes complete the pāramitā of the eight liberations, because of signlessness; makes complete the pāramitā of the nine successive absorptions, because of signlessness; makes complete the pāramitā of the ten powers of the Buddha, because of signlessness; and so on up to making complete the pāramitā of the eighteen unshared dharmas, because of signlessness. This bodhisattva, because of signlessness, himself makes complete these wholesome dharmas, and also teaches others to make wholesome dharmas complete, all because of signlessness. Subhūti! If the marks of dharmas really existed even so much as a hair's breadth, then when the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā he could not know that dharmas are signless and without recollecting and so obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, nor could he teach beings so that they obtain the dharmas without outflows. Why? Because all dharmas without outflows are signless and without recollecting. Like this, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā and benefits beings with the dharmas without outflows.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas are signless and without recollecting, how is it that one still counts out: this is the dharma of the śrāvakas, this is the dharma of the pratyekabuddhas, this is the dharma of the bodhisattvas, this is the dharma of the Buddha?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘What do you think? Does the signless dharma differ from the dharma of the śrāvakas?’

‘It does not differ! World-Honored One!’

‘Does the signless dharma differ from the dharma of the pratyekabuddhas, the dharma of the bodhisattvas, the dharma of the Buddha?’

‘It does not differ! World-Honored One!’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Is the signless dharma precisely the fruit of the srota-āpanna, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, the dharma of the pratyekabuddhas, the dharma of the bodhisattvas, the dharma of the Buddha?’

Subhūti said: ‘It is so! World-Honored One!’

‘Subhūti! By reason of these causes and conditions, one should know that all dharmas are signless. Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva trains in this signlessness of all dharmas and is able to increase wholesome dharmas, namely the six perfections; the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions; the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas. Why? Because the bodhisattva does not take the other dharmas as essential, as he does the three gates of liberation, namely emptiness, the signless, and non-action. What is the reason? All wholesome dharmas enter into the three gates of liberation. Why? All dharmas are empty of specific marks: this is called the gate of liberation of emptiness; all dharmas are signless: this is called the gate of liberation of the signless; all dharmas have the mark of being without making and non-rising: this is called the gate of liberation of non-action. If the bodhisattva-mahāsattva trains in the three gates of liberation, then at this time he can train in the marks of the five aggregates, can train in the marks of the twelve sense-fields, can train in the marks of the eighteen elements, can train in the four noble truths and the dharma of the twelve-part causes and conditions, can train in inner emptiness, outer emptiness, and so on up to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas, can train in the six perfections, the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path, can train in the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, and the eighteen unshared dharmas.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, how is he able to train in the marks of the five aggregates of clinging?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘When the bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he knows the mark of form, knows the arising and ceasing of form, knows the suchness of form. What is called knowing the mark of form? Knowing that form is ultimately empty, its parts each differing, hollow and without substance; as foam on water has no solidity: this is knowing the mark of form. What is called knowing the arising and ceasing of form? When form arises it comes from nowhere, when it goes it arrives nowhere; if it neither comes nor goes, this is knowing the mark of the arising and ceasing of form. What is called knowing the suchness of form? This suchness of form is unarisen and unceasing, neither coming nor going, neither increasing nor decreasing, neither stained nor pure: this is knowing the suchness of form. Subhūti! What is called suchness is true to reality and not false; as it is before, so it is after and in the middle, constantly not differing: this is knowing the suchness of form.

‘What is called knowing the mark of feeling? What is called knowing the arising and ceasing of feeling? What is called knowing the suchness of feeling? The bodhisattva knows the marks of feelings to be like bubbles on water, one arising, one ceasing: this is knowing the mark of feeling. What is called knowing the arising and ceasing of feeling is that this feeling comes from nowhere and goes, arriving nowhere: this is knowing the arising and ceasing of feeling. What is called knowing the suchness of feeling is that this suchness is unarisen and unceasing, neither coming nor going, neither increasing nor decreasing, neither stained nor pure: this is knowing the suchness of feeling.

‘What is called knowing the mark of perception? What is called knowing the arising and ceasing of perception? What is called knowing the suchness of perception? What is called knowing the mark of perception is that this perception is like a mirage: water is utterly unfindable, and yet falsely one gives rise to the perception of water: this is knowing the mark of perception. What is called knowing the arising and ceasing of perception is that this perception comes from nowhere and goes, arriving nowhere: this is knowing the arising and ceasing of perception. What is called knowing the suchness of perception is that the suchness of perceptions is unarisen and unceasing, neither coming nor going, neither increasing nor decreasing, neither stained nor pure, and does not turn away from the real mark: this is knowing the suchness of perception.

‘What is called knowing the mark of constructions? What is called knowing the arising and ceasing of constructions? What is called knowing the suchness of constructions? What is called knowing the mark of constructions is that constructions are like a plantain: stripping it away leaf after leaf, one finds no solid core: this is knowing the mark of constructions. What is called knowing the arising and ceasing of constructions is that when constructions arise they come from nowhere, and when they go they arrive nowhere: this is knowing the arising and ceasing of constructions. What is called knowing the suchness of constructions is that constructions are unarisen and unceasing, neither coming nor going, neither increasing nor decreasing, neither stained nor pure: this is knowing the suchness of constructions.

‘What is called knowing the mark of consciousness? What is called knowing the arising and ceasing of consciousness? What is called knowing the suchness of consciousness? What is called knowing the mark of consciousness is that, as a conjurer conjures the four kinds of troops, which have no substance, consciousness too is like this. What is called knowing the arising and ceasing of consciousness is that when this consciousness arises it comes from nowhere, and when it ceases it goes nowhere: this is knowing the arising and ceasing of consciousness. What is called knowing the suchness of consciousness is knowing that consciousness is unarisen and unceasing, neither coming nor going, neither stained nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing: this is knowing the suchness of consciousness.

‘What is called knowing the sense-fields? The eye: the nature of the eye is empty; and so on up to the mind: the nature of the mind is empty. Form: the nature of form is empty; and so on up to dharmas: the nature of dharmas is empty.

‘What is called knowing the elements? The eye: the eye-element is empty; form: the form-element is empty; eye-consciousness: the eye-consciousness element is empty; and so on up to the mind-consciousness element, it is likewise.

‘What is called knowing the four noble truths? When he knows the noble truth of suffering, he is far from two dharmas and knows the truth of suffering as not two and not different: this is called the noble truth of suffering; origination, cessation, and the path are likewise. What is called knowing the suchness of suffering? The noble truth of suffering is precisely suchness; suchness is precisely the noble truth of suffering. Origination, cessation, and the path are likewise.

‘What is called knowing the twelve links of causes and conditions? Knowing the unarisen mark of the twelve links of causes and conditions: this is called knowing the twelve links of causes and conditions.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If, when the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he knows dharmas by discriminating each one separately, will he not then destroy the nature of dharmas by the nature of form, and so on up to destroying the nature of dharmas by the nature of the omniscience of all kinds?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘If outside the nature of dharmas there were some further dharma, then it ought to destroy the nature of dharmas. Dharmas outside the nature of dharmas are unfindable; therefore it is not destroyed. Why? Subhūti! Because the buddhas and the buddhas' disciples know that dharmas outside the nature of dharmas are unfindable, they do not say that there are dharmas outside the nature of dharmas. Like this, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practising prajñāpāramitā should train in the nature of dharmas.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If the bodhisattva-mahāsattva trains in the nature of dharmas, is he not then training in nothing?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘If the bodhisattva-mahāsattva trains in the nature of dharmas, he trains in all dharmas. Why? Because all dharmas are precisely the nature of dharmas.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! By reason of what causes and conditions are all dharmas precisely the nature of dharmas?’

The Buddha said: ‘All dharmas enter into the signless, unconditioned nature; by reason of these causes and conditions, training in the nature of dharmas is training in all dharmas.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas are precisely the nature of dharmas, why should the bodhisattva-mahāsattva train in prajñāpāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, vīryapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, śīlapāramitā, and dānapāramitā? Why should the bodhisattva-mahāsattva train in the first dhyāna, and the second, third, and fourth dhyāna? Why should the bodhisattva-mahāsattva train in kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity? Why should he train in the sphere of boundless space, the sphere of boundless consciousness, the sphere of nothing whatsoever, and the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception? Why should he train in the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven limbs of awakening, and the eightfold noble path? Why should he train in the gates of liberation of emptiness, the signless, and non-action? Why should he train in the eight liberations, the nine successive absorptions, the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, and the eighteen unshared dharmas? Why should he train in the six supernormal powers? Why should he train in the thirty-two marks and the eighty minor marks? Why should he train in being born into a great kṣatriya clan, a great brahmin clan, a great householder family? Why should he train in being born in the abode of the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-three, the Yāma heaven, the Tuṣita heaven, the Heaven of Delight in Transformation, the heaven of the gods Sovereign over Others' Transformations? Why should he train in being born in the abode of the Brahmā king, the heaven of Light-Sound, the heaven of Universal Purity, the heaven of Abundant Fruit, the absorption without perception, the Pure Abodes? Why should he train in being born in the sphere of boundless space, being born in the sphere of boundless consciousness, being born in the sphere of nothing whatsoever, being born in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception? Why should he train in the ground of the first arousing of intent, and the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth grounds? Why should he train in the śrāvaka ground, the pratyekabuddha ground, and the bodhisattva's Dharma-position? Why should he train in bringing beings to accomplishment and purifying buddha-lands? Why should he train in all the dhāraṇī? Why should he train in the dharma of delight in speaking? Why should he train in anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and having trained, obtain the omniscience of all kinds and know all dharmas? World-Honored One! Within the nature of dharmas of all dharmas there are no such distinctions! World-Honored One! Is the bodhisattva not then falling into what is not the path? Why? World-Honored One! Within the nature of dharmas there are no such distinctions. Within the nature of dharmas there is no form, no feeling, perception, constructions, or consciousness, and yet the nature of dharmas is also not far from form, feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness; form is precisely the nature of dharmas, the nature of dharmas is precisely form; feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are likewise; all dharmas are likewise.’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Just so! Just so! As you say: 「色即是法性，受、想、行、識即是法性。」 tr. "Form is precisely the nature of dharmas; feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are precisely the nature of dharmas." Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, if he sees some dharma outside the nature of dharmas, then he is not seeking anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he knows that the nature of all dharmas is precisely anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; for this reason, when the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, having known that all dharmas are precisely the nature of dharmas, he speaks of the nameless and signless dharma by means of names and marks, namely: this is form, this is feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to: this is anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.

‘Subhūti! It is as a skilled conjurer, or a conjurer's disciple, standing in a place where many people are, conjures all kinds of shapes and colours: men and women, elephants and horses, well-ordered gardens, and all kinds of huts and lodging-halls, flowing springs, bathing pools, clothing, bedding, incense and flowers, necklaces, delicacies, food and drink, and also makes many kinds of music to entertain the crowd. Again he conjures people, causing them to give, keep morality, practise patience, practise vigour, practise meditative concentration, and cultivate wisdom. This conjurer also conjures great kṣatriya clans, great brahmin clans, great householder families, the abode of the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-three on Mount Sumeru, the Yāma heaven, the Tuṣita heaven, the Heaven of Delight in Transformation, and the heaven of the gods Sovereign over Others' Transformations, to show to the crowd; he also conjures the Heaven of the Brahmā Assembly and so on up to the heaven of neither perception nor non-perception, and also conjures srota-āpanna, sakṛdāgāmin, anāgāmin, arhats, and pratyekabuddhas. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, from the first arousing of intent, practises dānapāramitā, śīlapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, vīryapāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, and prajñāpāramitā, practises the first ground and so on up to practising the tenth ground, enters the bodhisattva's position, sports in the supernormal powers, brings beings to accomplishment, purifies buddha-lands, sports in the dhyānas, liberations, and samādhis, practises the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unshared dharmas, and great kindness and great compassion, and makes complete the thirty-two marks and the eighty minor marks of the Buddha's body, to show to the crowd. Among them, people without wisdom praise him, saying: 「未曾有！是人多能，巧為眾事，娛樂眾人，種種形色，乃至三十二相、八十隨形好莊嚴佛身。」 tr. "Such a thing has never been! This person is very capable, skilful at many things; he entertains the crowd with all kinds of shapes and colours, and so on up to adorning the body of a Buddha with the thirty-two marks and the eighty minor marks." Among them, those who have wisdom reflect, saying: 「未曾有也！是中無有實事，而以無所有法娛樂眾人，令有形相，無事事相，無有有相。」 tr. "Such a thing has never been! Herein there is no real matter, and yet with dharmas without anything existent he entertains the crowd, making there be shapes and marks; the mark of a matter where there is no matter, the mark of existence where there is no existence."

‘Like this, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva does not see that apart from the nature of dharmas there is any other dharma; he practises prajñāpāramitā, and because of the power of skilful means, although he does not find beings, he himself gives, and also teaches others to give, praises the dharma of giving, and joyfully praises those who practise giving; he himself keeps morality, and also teaches others to keep morality; he himself practises patience, and also teaches others to practise patience; he himself practises vigour, and also teaches others to practise vigour; he himself practises meditation, and also teaches others to practise meditation; he himself cultivates wisdom, and also teaches others to cultivate wisdom, praises the dharma of cultivating wisdom, and joyfully praises those who cultivate wisdom. He himself practises the ten wholesome paths, and also teaches others to practise the ten wholesome paths, praises the dharma of practising the ten wholesome paths, and joyfully praises those who practise the ten wholesome paths. He himself receives and practises the five precepts, and also teaches other people to receive and practise the five precepts, praises the dharma of the five precepts, and joyfully praises those who receive and practise the five precepts. He himself receives the eight precepts of the fast, and also teaches other people to receive the eight precepts of the fast, praises the dharma of the eight precepts of the fast, and joyfully praises those who practise the eight precepts of the fast. He himself practises the first dhyāna, and so on up to himself practising the fourth dhyāna. He himself practises kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. He himself practises the sphere of boundless space and so on up to the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, and also teaches other people to practise them. He himself practises the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path. He himself practises the three gates of liberation, the ten powers of the Buddha, and so on up to himself practising the eighteen unshared dharmas, and also teaches other people to practise the eighteen unshared dharmas, praises the eighteen unshared dharmas, and joyfully praises those who practise the eighteen unshared dharmas. Subhūti! If the nature of dharmas differed in some way before, after, or in the middle, this bodhisattva-mahāsattva could not by the power of skilful means display the nature of dharmas and bring beings to accomplishment. Subhūti! Because the nature of dharmas is without difference before, after, and in the middle, this bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā and, for the sake of benefiting beings, practises the bodhisattva path.’

Treatise ①: The Treatise-Author Explains Why Subhūti Asks Again and Brings Out the Simile of the Calf and the Sweet Milk; the Conjured Person Is without the Three Poisons and yet Can Do Things; the Lion Does Not Prize Its Own Strength; the Simile of the Blind Son Drinking Poison and the Two Similes of Seeing a Person in the Dark and the Evil Dog Barking at Its Shadow; the Two Rounds of Question and Answer That Break the Body Down to Atoms and Refute the Fixed Existence of Atoms; the Two Rounds of Question and Answer on the Difference between Name and Mark; If Nature Were Fixed and Really Existent There Would Be No Arising or Ceasing, No Sin or Merit; the Objection That Three of the Four Truths Have Marks and the Answer That the Dharma of the Mahāyāna Is Signless and without Recollecting; the Three Vehicles Do Not Differ from the Signless Dharma; the Three Gates of Liberation Are the Real Dharma and the Rest Is Spoken as Skilful Means; the Question and Answer on Why Training in the Three Gates of Liberation Is Precisely Training in the Five Aggregates; the Real Mark of All Dharmas Is Named the Nature of Dharmas; Because the Nature of Dharmas Is without Nature One Trains in All Dharmas Throughout; the Conjurer Is the Bodhisattva and the Conjuring Dharmas Are the Six Perfections; If the Nature of Dharmas Were First Non-existent and Afterwards Existent It Would Be the Same as the Dharmas of Ordinary People, and If First Existent and Afterwards Non-existent It Would Fall into Annihilation; and Finally He Concludes That from the Very Beginning It Has Always Been Empty and Now Nothing Is Lost

The treatise-author asks:

In chapter after chapter the Buddha says 「通達諸法相」 tr. "penetrating the marks of dharmas"; now why does Subhūti ask yet again?

The treatise-author answers:

This prajñāpāramitā has no fixed mark; because it is without words and speech, although one hears it repeatedly it is still not enough; therefore he asks again. It is as a calf, though it has grown up, when the mother cow is good and her milk sweet, drinks and is still unwilling to stop; the Buddha's great kindness and compassion is like a good mother, prajñāpāramitā is like the sweet milk, Subhūti is like the calf: though he has heard the marks of dharmas repeatedly, he has never yet been sated.

Furthermore, only the Buddha's omniscience can penetrate the real mark of all dharmas; others, though they penetrate, cannot exhaust it to the end; therefore he asks. The other bodhisattvas have not yet become buddhas; how could they penetrate it?

The Buddha answers with a simile: as a conjured person has no three poisons and no afflictions and fetters, has no mind or mental-factor dharmas, is not included among inner or outer dharmas or among dharmas with or without outflows, does not fall among the dharmas of ordinary people, nor does it fall among the holy fruits—one cannot say it is a srota-āpanna and so on—and yet it can stir the good and evil in other people's minds, and the matters of conjuration it performs it can surely bring to accomplishment. This conjuration in truth is neither stained nor pure, and the six destinies cannot include it. The bodhisattva's body too is like this: it has no afflictions such as the three poisons; knowing that these mind and mental-factor dharmas are all born from the causes and conditions of the false, deceptive, and inverted dharmas of former lives, he does not believe and accept them and does not follow after them. One who can practise thus thoroughly penetrates the marks of dharmas.

At this time Subhūti, though he knows emptiness well, because he prizes and reveres the Buddha-dharma and cannot set a measure to the Buddha-dharma, asks the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! Are all dharmas such as form empty and like a conjuration?’

The Buddha answers: ‘All dharmas such as form are like a conjuration.’ You, because you prize the Buddha-dharma, do not dare to say that they are empty; I, because of omniscience, can say that dharmas are empty. It is as other people prize the lion's strength, while the lion itself does not prize its strength.

Then Subhūti says: ‘If all dharmas are ultimately empty and all like a conjuration, why does the Buddha praise the bodhisattva's merits in all kinds of ways—that because of the bodhisattva the three evil destinies are cut off, and he can pull beings out and cause them to obtain nirvāṇa?’

The Buddha asks Subhūti in return: ‘What do you think? When the bodhisattva originally practised the bodhisattva path, did he see any fixed beings pulled out from among the five destinies?’

Subhūti says: ‘No!’

The Buddha approves his meaning: ‘Just so! Just so! Why? Because when the bodhisattva obtains the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, he knows and sees all dharmas as like an illusion, like a conjuration.’

Subhūti says: ‘If so, for the sake of what matter does the bodhisattva practise the six perfections and so on?’

The Buddha answers: ‘If beings themselves knew that dharmas are empty and like an illusion, the bodhisattva would have nowhere to apply his effort.’

Furthermore, if dharmas were fixedly of the mark of emptiness, then the bodhisattva too would have nowhere to apply his effort. One should know that dharmas are neither real nor empty, passing beyond all paths of words, the mark of ultimate emptiness and quiescence. Because beings do not know this matter, they give rise to the mind of I and self, produce evil and sinful deeds, and receive immeasurable suffering; therefore the bodhisattva knows the real mark of all dharmas and gives rise to the mind of great compassion. It is as an elder has a son who is blind and drinks poison; the elder knows he will surely die, and sets up all kinds of skilful means to block him and stop him drinking. The bodhisattva too is like this: seeing that these beings, because they are blinded by inversion and ignorance, drink the three poisons, he gives rise to the mind of great compassion, and through immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas cultivates the six perfections, purifies buddha-lands, and teaches and transforms beings.

Subhūti, having heard this, again says to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas are empty and without root, like a dream, like an illusion, and so on, in what place do beings abide that the bodhisattva pulls them out?’ Subhūti's meaning is: as a person sunk in deep mud is pulled out.

The Buddha answers: ‘Beings abide only within names and marks and false, deceptive recollection, imagining, and discrimination.’

The Buddha's meaning is: within all dharmas there is nothing fixed and real; it is only because ordinary people are false and deceptive that they give rise to clinging. It is as a person in the dark sees something resembling a person, says it is a real person, and so gives rise to fear; and again as an evil dog facing a well barks at its own shadow: there is no dog in the water, only its shadow-image, yet it gives rise to an evil mind, throws itself into the well, and dies. Beings too are like this: because of the coming together of the four elements it is named a body; from causes and conditions consciousness arises; because of coming together there is movement and there is speech; ordinary people give rise within this to the mark of a person, give rise to craving, give rise to hatred, produce sinful deeds, and fall into the three evil destinies.

When the bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he pities beings and teaches and transforms them with all kinds of causes and conditions, causing them to know the empty dharma and so pulling them out; he speaks thus: ‘These dharmas are all ultimately empty, without anything existent; because beings are inverted and false, they see them as seeming to exist, but in truth they are like a conjuration, like an illusion, like a city of the gandharvas, without any real matter; they only deceive people's eyes.’

Furthermore, all dharmas come only from the coming together of names, and there are further other names. It is as because head, feet, belly, and spine come together, it is provisionally named a body; as because head-hair, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, skin, and bone come together, it is provisionally named a head; because many hairs come together, it is named head-hair; because part upon part comes together, it is provisionally named a hair; because atoms come together, it is named a part of a hair; and again because parts come together, it is named a atom.

The treatise-author asks:

Because the atom is the most minute, it cannot be further divided into parts; because it has no parts there is no coming together; this then is a fixed dharma, so one cannot say 「一切空，無有定法」 tr. "All is empty; there is no fixed dharma"!

The treatise-author answers:

If the atom is form, it ought to have parts. Why? All forms are within space and all have the ten directions. If the atom is form, it has ten parts; if it has ten parts, how could it be the ultimately minute? If, as you say, the atom has no parts, then it is not form. Why? Because it has gone out from the mark of form.

Again furthermore, form is what the five sense-faculties can apprehend; if the atom is not apprehended by the five sense-faculties, how can one know that it is form? Therefore the atom has only an empty name. Even the coarse form that the eye sees can be broken down and made empty—how much more what cannot be seen and cannot be touched!

The treatise-author asks:

Because the atom is minute, the five sense-faculties cannot apprehend it; sages who obtain the divine eye can then see it.

The treatise-author answers:

Although what the divine eye sees is minute, because it is of the mark of form it ought to have parts; if it has no parts it is not form, and if it is not form, then the divine eye too cannot see it. For this reason the divine eye too is a false and deceptive seeing; therefore the sages contemplate the world with the wisdom-eye, and only then obtain the path.

The atom, as said before, has only a name and no substance. Since the atom does not exist, all dharmas, because of the coming together of names, further have provisional names; there is nothing real and fixed, and yet beings falsely give rise to greed and clinging; because of the causes and conditions of greed and hatred they produce evil deeds, and through immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas suffer in the three evil destinies. If dharmas were real and fixed, still one ought not to make them the sinful causes and conditions of greed and hatred—how much less what is false, deceptive, and without substance! One who can give up false and deceptive names and marks and does not cling to the empty dharma then receives the permanence and bliss of nirvāṇa.

The treatise-author asks:

What difference is there between name and mark?

The treatise-author answers:

A name is the designation of a crowd of things, as a hot thing is designated fire. A mark is as when one sees smoke and knows the mark of fire; heat is the substance of fire.

Furthermore, as within the coming together of the five aggregates there are man and woman: this is the name; by the bodily appearance one can distinguish man and woman: this is the mark. Because one sees this mark, one makes a name, naming it man or woman.

The treatise-author asks:

If so, name and mark have no difference! What is the reason? Because one sees the mark one obtains the name; because one knows the name one obtains the mark.

The treatise-author answers:

Do you not understand what I said? First one sees the appearance of man or woman, and afterwards names it man or woman. The mark is the root, the name the branch.

Again furthermore, as when a person's eye sees form, he partially grasps the mark of what he likes and gives rise to clinging, while for other people it is not so; because it can give rise to a stained and clinging mind, it is named a mark.

Furthermore, herein the Buddha himself states the distinction between name and mark: 「名者假名，以名取諸法。」 tr. "A name is a provisional name; by the name one takes dharmas." As spoken of at length in the sūtra.

Subhūti asks: ‘If all dharmas have only names and marks, how can the bodhisattva benefit himself and benefit others?’

The Buddha answers: ‘If dharmas were at root fixedly existent, the bodhisattva, when practising prajñāpāramitā, could not benefit himself and benefit others.’

Why? If the nature of dharmas were fixedly and really existent, that would be non-arising. Why? Because the nature would already be fixedly existent beforehand. If this dharma arises from the coming together of causes and conditions, then it has no fixed nature. If the nature were fixedly existent, it would not need the coming together of causes and conditions; if so, there would be non-arising; because of non-arising there would be non-ceasing; because of non-ceasing there would be no sin or merit. It is because one knows impermanence that one gives up sin and cultivates merit; if it were permanent, there would be no bondage and release, no world, no nirvāṇa, and so on. Therefore the Buddha tells Subhūti: ‘If dharmas were fixedly existent and not only names and marks, the bodhisattva could not practise prajñāpāramitā and benefit himself and benefit others, could not practise dhyānapāramitā and the rest and benefit himself and benefit others. Because of signlessness, this bodhisattva himself makes complete these wholesome dharmas, and also benefits beings with wholesome dharmas, all because of signlessness.’

The Buddha tells Subhūti: ‘If dharmas really existed even so much as a hair's breadth, then when the bodhisattva sits at the seat of awakening he could not contemplate all dharmas as empty, signless, and without anything existent and so attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; nor could he benefit beings with this dharma.’ Why? When this bodhisattva sits at the seat of awakening, he contemplates all dharmas as the foremost true reality; if there were the slightest error, he ought not to obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Nor could he proclaim this empty and signless dharma for beings. What is the reason? If dharmas were fixedly existent, how would the Buddha deceive beings, saying 「一切法無漏、無相、無憶念」 tr. "All dharmas are without outflows, signless, and without recollecting"?

The treatise-author asks:

Among the four truths, three truths all have marks—the truth of suffering has the mark of suffering, the truth of origination has the mark of origination, the truth of the path has the mark of the path; only the truth of cessation is signless, and yet it also has recollecting: it is the signless nirvāṇa. Why do you say 「一切無漏法無相、無憶念」 tr. "All dharmas without outflows are signless and without recollecting"?

The treatise-author answers:

The dharma of the Mahāyāna differs from the dharma of the śrāvakas. Within the dharma of the Mahāyāna it is said: 「一切無漏法，無相、無憶念。」 tr. "All dharmas without outflows are signless and without recollecting."

Furthermore, whatever has marks and has recollecting is all false, deceptive, and not real; if it is false, deceptive, and not real, it is the outflow of the afflictions—how could it be without outflows?

Furthermore, these three truths all accord with the truth of cessation—seeing suffering, one gives it up; seeing origination, one severs it; one does not say that it is real and fixed; seeing the path is for the sake of tending toward cessation, and one does not abide in this path either; the cessation of exhaustion is the master. This dharma of the cessation of exhaustion is signless and without object—how could it have recollecting? Recollecting all takes marks as its object and clings to dharmas.

Therefore dharmas without outflows are all signless and without recollecting.

Subhūti's meaning is: if the dharma without outflows is the foremost true reality, signless and without recollecting, then the nature of all dharmas too ought to be signless and without recollecting; only because ordinary people are inverted are there marks and recollecting. Therefore he asks the Buddha: ‘If all dharmas are signless and without recollecting, how is it that one still counts out: this is the dharma of the śrāvakas, this is the dharma of the pratyekabuddhas, this is the dharma of the bodhisattvas, this is the dharma of the Buddha?’

The Buddha asks Subhūti in return: ‘Do the dharmas of the three vehicles differ from the signless dharma?’

Subhūti answers: the extinction of the afflictions is severance, severance is the unconditioned dharma; and he also knows that the truth of cessation and the truth of the path are without outflows and signless; therefore he says: ‘The three vehicles do not differ from the signless dharma.’

The Buddha again asks: ‘Are the srota-āpanna and so on up to the Buddha not precisely the signless dharma?’

The answer: ‘Yes. By reason of these causes and conditions one should know that all dharmas are signless. If they are signless, how do you object that there are the paths? It is precisely because of signlessness that there are the paths of the three vehicles.’

The Buddha says: ‘If the bodhisattva can train in the signless dharma in this way, he can increase wholesome dharmas, namely the six perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas.’ Herein the Buddha himself states the causes and conditions: ‘The bodhisattva abides only in the three gates of liberation and does not take other dharmas as essential.’ What is the reason? The three gates of liberation are the real dharma; the other dharmas such as the four foundations of mindfulness, though also real, are all spoken as skilful means.

The three gates of liberation are near to nirvāṇa and can also gather in all real wholesome dharmas; therefore it is said that the bodhisattva should train in them.

The treatise-author asks:

If it is said that the bodhisattva's training in these three gates of liberation is precisely training in the five aggregates, the twelve sense-fields, the eighteen elements, and so on—these three gates of liberation are all empty, signless, and without discrimination, while these dharmas of the five aggregates are all dharmas with marks and with discrimination—how, because of training in the three gates of liberation, does one train in these other dharmas?

The treatise-author answers:

The bodhisattva trains in these three gates of liberation; because he goes out of the three realms and exhausts the three outflows, he obtains real wisdom within dharmas, with nothing it does not penetrate. Formerly, within the five aggregates, all was false and wrong practice; now, because he has obtained these three gates of liberation, he is able to penetrate rightly.

Herein the Buddha himself states the causes and conditions: ‘When the bodhisattva practises the signless dharma of these three gates of liberation, he knows the arising of form, knows the ceasing of form, knows the suchness of form, and so on up to consciousness, it is likewise.’ As spoken of at length in the sūtra.

Subhūti again asks: ‘As the Buddha says, the bodhisattva knows the mark of form and the rest, knows the arising of form and the rest, knows the ceasing of form and the rest, knows the suchness of form and the rest. If one discriminates thus, does not the nature of form then destroy the nature of dharmas?’

The Buddha answers: ‘Only if there were some dharma that went out from the nature of dharmas ought the nature of form to destroy the nature of dharmas.’

The real mark of all dharmas is named the nature of dharmas; therefore all dharmas enter into the nature of dharmas; the real mark of the nature of form is precisely the nature of dharmas, one and the same nature—how could the nature of form destroy the nature of dharmas? The Buddha further states the causes and conditions: ‘The buddhas and the worthies and sages do not see that, gone out from the nature of dharmas, there is any further dharma; because it is unfindable they do not speak of it.’ The buddhas and the worthies and sages are the most trustworthy; the bodhisattva should train in the nature of dharmas in this way.

Subhūti says to the Buddha: ‘If the bodhisattva trains in the nature of dharmas, this is training in nothing.’ What is the reason? Because the nature of dharmas is without nature.

The Buddha answers: the nature of dharmas being without nature, if the bodhisattva trains in the nature of dharmas, he trains in all dharmas. If the nature of dharmas had some separate nature, or took having no nature as its nature, then one ought to train only in the nature of dharmas and not train in all dharmas; now, because the nature of dharmas truly has no separate nature and also has no absence of nature, therefore one trains in all dharmas throughout. Only because the real mark of dharmas is the nature of dharmas, therefore, having obtained the real mark, one can rightly train in all dharmas throughout.

At that time Subhūti says to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas are precisely the nature of dharmas, for what reason does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva train in the six perfections, and so on up to the dhāraṇī gate? Why? The real mark of dharmas is precisely the nature of dharmas; if all dharmas are precisely the nature of dharmas, what further does the bodhisattva seek? Furthermore, within the nature of dharmas there is no discriminating that this is the six perfections and so on up to the dhāraṇī; now the bodhisattva discriminates and practises these dharmas—is he not about to fall into inversion?’

The Buddha approves Subhūti's meaning and answers: ‘If the bodhisattva, gone out from the nature of dharmas, sees some dharma, he does not seek anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Why? Whatever has a dharma gone out from the nature of dharmas is the inversion of permanence and ignorance, which cannot be turned and made real; how could one sever the ignorance within all dharmas and become a Buddha? The bodhisattva knows that all dharmas are precisely ultimate emptiness, the mark of constant quiescence, without idle discourse, without names; pitying beings, because of the power of skilful means he speaks by means of names and marks, namely: this is form, this is feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.’

As in the simile of the conjurer spoken of in the sūtra: the conjurer is the bodhisattva; the conjuring dharmas are the six perfections and the other dharmas. Although he practises these dharmas, he has no clinging mind; as the conjurer, though he conjures all kinds of things, knows that they are without substance and does not cling. Those with wisdom are the buddhas and the great bodhisattvas; those without wisdom are ordinary people and those who have newly aroused the mind, who greatly rejoice and exclaim that such a thing has never been.

The bodhisattva practises the bodhisattva path; although he has gone out from the nature of dharmas, he further sees no dharma, and also does not see a single fixed being, yet he greatly benefits himself and beings. As said in the sūtra: ‘This bodhisattva himself practises giving and so on, and also teaches other people, praises the dharma of giving, and joyfully praises those who practise giving. And so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, it is likewise.’

Herein the Buddha himself states the causes and conditions: ‘If the nature of dharmas were first non-existent and afterwards existent, the bodhisattva could not obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, nor could he speak by the power of skilful means.’ What is the reason? If the nature of dharmas were first non-existent and afterwards existent, arising from causes and conditions, it would be no different from the dharmas shared with ordinary people! If the nature of dharmas were first existent and afterwards non-existent, beings and dharmas would fall into annihilation. Because the nature of dharmas is empty at first, and so in the middle and after; it is not by the power of wisdom that it is made empty. Beings and dharmas are not empty only when they come to enter nirvāṇa without remainder; from the very beginning they have always been empty.

The bodhisattva teaches beings: ‘Why do you not contemplate the real nature of dharmas, but cling to inversion? If you contemplate the ultimately empty nature of dharmas, you know that from the very beginning they have always been empty, and now nothing at all is lost.’ The bodhisattva who practises prajñāpāramitā in this way can assist and benefit beings.

This fascicle is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the eightieth chapter, "The Limit of Reality"; it is in the ninetieth fascicle.

Sūtra ①: Beings Are Ultimately Unfindable—for Whom Does the Bodhisattva Practise Prajñā? The Limit of Reality and the Limit of Beings Are Not Different; without Destroying the Limit of Reality He Establishes Beings in the Limit of Reality

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If beings are ultimately unfindable, for whose sake does the bodhisattva practise prajñāpāramitā?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘The bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the limit of reality. Subhūti! If the limit of reality and the limit of beings were different, the bodhisattva would not practise prajñāpāramitā. Subhūti! The limit of reality and the limit of beings are not different; because of this, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā for the sake of benefiting beings. Again, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, without destroying the dharma of the limit of reality, he establishes beings within the limit of reality.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If the limit of reality is precisely the limit of beings, the bodhisattva would then be establishing the limit of reality upon the limit of reality. World-Honored One! If the limit of reality is established upon the limit of reality, then self-nature is established upon self-nature. World-Honored One! Self-nature cannot be established upon self-nature. World-Honored One! Then how does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, when practising prajñāpāramitā, establish beings within the limit of reality?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘The limit of reality cannot be established upon the limit of reality; self-nature cannot be established upon self-nature. Subhūti! Now, when the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, by reason of the power of skilful means he establishes beings within the limit of reality; and the limit of reality too is not different from the limit of beings; the limit of reality and the limit of beings are without duality and without difference.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! What is the power of skilful means of the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas? Using this power of skilful means, does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, when practising prajñāpāramitā, establish beings within the limit of reality and yet not destroy the mark of the limit of reality?’

Sūtra ① (continued): The Five Gates of the Power of Skilful Means—Giving, Keeping Morality, Patience, Vigour, and Meditative Concentration, Each One Making Beings Abide in the Emptiness of Nature

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Suppose the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, when practising prajñāpāramitā, by reason of the power of skilful means establishes beings in giving. Having established them, he proclaims for them the marks of the former limit and the latter limit of giving, saying thus: ‘Such giving is empty in the former limit, empty in the latter limit, empty too in the middle limit; the giver too is empty, the retribution of giving too is empty, the recipient too is empty. Good men! All these dharmas are unfindable within the limit of reality; you must not think that giving is different, that the giver is different, that the retribution of giving is different, that the recipient is different. If you do not think that giving is different, that the giver is different, that the retribution of giving is different, that the recipient is different, at that time giving can take the flavour of ambrosia and obtain the fruit of the flavour of ambrosia. You good men! Because of such giving, do not cling to form, do not cling to feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness. Why? This giving and the mark of giving are empty, the giver and the giver are empty, the retribution of giving and the retribution of giving are empty, the recipient and the recipient are empty; within emptiness giving is unfindable, the giver is unfindable, the retribution of giving is unfindable, the recipient is unfindable. Why? Because these dharmas are ultimately empty of self-nature.’

‘Again, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, by reason of the power of skilful means he teaches beings to keep morality; he says to beings: ‘You good men! Give up the dharma of killing living beings, and so on up to giving up wrong views. Why? Good man! As for the dharmas as you discriminate them, these dharmas have no such nature as you discriminate. You good men should reflect carefully: what is a being, that you wish to take its life? By what thing is its life taken? And so on up to wrong views, which are also like this.’ Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva thus brings beings to accomplishment by the power of skilful means. This bodhisattva-mahāsattva then proclaims for beings the retribution of giving and of keeping morality, and this retribution of giving and of keeping morality is empty of self-nature; once it is known that the retribution of giving and of keeping morality is empty of self-nature, there is no clinging within it; because there is no clinging, the mind is not scattered and can give rise to wisdom; with this wisdom all the fetters and afflictions are severed, and one enters nirvāṇa without remainder. This is a worldly dharma, not the foremost real meaning. Why? Within emptiness there is nothing that ceases, nor anything that causes cessation. All dharmas being ultimately empty is precisely nirvāṇa.

‘Again, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva sees that beings have minds of anger, hatred, vexation, and rage, he teaches them, saying: ‘You good men! Come and cultivate patience, become people of patience; you should delight in patience. Because what you are angry at is empty of self-nature. Come! Good man! Reflect thus: ‘Within what dharma am I angry? Who is the one who is angry? Who is the one angered at?’ These dharmas are all empty, and there is no time when this dharma of the emptiness of nature is not empty. This emptiness is not made by the buddhas, not made by the pratyekabuddhas or the śrāvakas, not made by the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, not made by the gods, ghosts and spirits, nāga kings, asuras, kiṃnaras, or mahoragas, not made by the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings and so on up to the heaven of the gods Sovereign over Others' Transformations, not made by the Heaven of the Assembly of Brahmā and so on up to the Pure Abodes, not made by the gods of the sphere of boundless space and so on up to the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. You should reflect thus: ‘Who is the one angered at? Who is the one who is angry? What is the matter of anger?’ All these dharmas are the emptiness of nature; within the dharma of the emptiness of nature there is nothing angered at.’ Thus, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, by such causes and conditions he establishes beings in the emptiness of nature, and in sequence, little by little, shows, teaches, benefits, and gladdens them, causing them to obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. This is a worldly dharma, not the foremost real meaning. Why? Within this emptiness of nature there is no one who obtains, no dharma that is obtained, and no place where it is obtained. Subhūti! This is named the dharma of the limit of reality and the emptiness of nature. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises this dharma for the sake of beings, and yet beings too are unfindable. Why? Because all dharmas are apart from the mark of beings.

‘Again, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, by reason of the power of skilful means, seeing beings slack, he teaches them to give rise to vigour of body and vigour of mind, saying thus: ‘Good men! Within the emptiness of the nature of all dharmas there is no dharma of slackness, no one who is slack, and no matter of slackness; the nature of all these dharmas is empty, and nothing goes beyond the emptiness of nature. You should give rise to vigour of body and vigour of mind, and for the sake of giving rise to wholesome dharmas, do not be slack! Good men! Whether in giving, or in keeping morality, or in patience, or in vigour, or in meditative concentration, or in wisdom, or in the meditative concentrations, liberations, and samādhis, or in the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path, or in the gate of liberation of emptiness, the signless gate of liberation, and the gate of liberation of non-action, and so on up to within the eighteen unshared dharmas—in none of these be slack! Good men! Within the emptiness of the nature of all these dharmas, you should know that it is the mark of non-obstruction, and within the dharma of non-obstruction there is no one who is slack and no dharma of slackness.’ Thus, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he teaches beings and causes them to abide in the emptiness of nature and not fall into two dharmas. Why? Because this emptiness of nature is without duality and without difference, and in this non-dual dharma there is then no place for anger. Again, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises the prajñāpāramitā of the emptiness of nature, he teaches beings and causes them to be vigorous, saying thus: ‘Good men! Be diligently vigorous, whether in giving, or in keeping morality, or in patience, or in vigour, or in meditative concentration, or in wisdom, or in meditative concentration, liberation, and samādhi, or in the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path, or in the gate of liberation of emptiness, the signless gate of liberation, and the gate of liberation of non-action, or in the ten powers of the Buddha, or in the four fearlessnesses, or in the four unobstructed knowledges, or in the eighteen unshared dharmas, or in great kindness and great compassion. As to these dharmas, you must not think of the mark of two, nor think of the mark of not two! Why? Because the nature of these dharmas is all empty, and this dharma of the emptiness of nature should not be thought of by the mark of two and should not be thought of by the mark of not two.’ Thus, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā and by reason of the power of skilful means brings beings to accomplishment. Having brought beings to accomplishment, he teaches them in sequence to obtain the fruit of the srota-āpanna, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, the path of the pratyekabuddha, and the bodhisattva's position, causing them to obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.

‘Again, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā and sees that beings' minds are scattered, by the power of skilful means, for the sake of benefiting beings, he says thus: ‘Good men! You should cultivate meditative concentration! Do not give rise to scattered thoughts; you should give rise to one mind. Why? Because the nature of these dharmas is all empty, and within the emptiness of nature there is no dharma to be found that is scattered or that is one mind. Abiding within this samādhi, all the deeds you do—whether of body, or of speech, or of mind, or whether giving, or keeping morality, or practising patience, or being diligently vigorous, or practising meditative concentration, or cultivating wisdom, or practising the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to practising the eightfold noble path, or the liberations and the successive absorptions, or practising the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unshared dharmas, great kindness and great compassion, the thirty-two marks, and the eighty minor marks, or the path of the śrāvaka, or the path of the pratyekabuddha, or the bodhisattva path, or the path of the Buddha, or the fruit of the srota-āpanna, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, the path of the pratyekabuddha, or the omniscience of all kinds, or bringing beings to accomplishment, or purifying buddha-lands—you shall all obtain according to your wishes; because you practise the emptiness of nature.’ Thus, Subhūti! If the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises the power of skilful means of prajñāpāramitā, for the sake of benefiting beings, from the first arousing of intent onward he never slackens or abandons it, constantly seeks wholesome dharmas, and benefits beings; going from one buddha-land to another, he makes offerings to the buddhas and hears the Dharma from the buddhas, gives up this body and takes on that body, and so on up to obtaining anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, he never forgets or loses it. This bodhisattva constantly obtains the dhāraṇīs and is complete in all his faculties, namely the faculty of body, the faculty of speech, and the faculty of mind. Why? Because this bodhisattva-mahāsattva constantly cultivates the omniscience of all kinds; because he cultivates the omniscience of all kinds, he cultivates all the paths: whether the path of the śrāvaka, or the path of the pratyekabuddha, or the bodhisattva's path of supernormal powers; the bodhisattva who practises the path of supernormal powers constantly benefits beings and never forgets or loses it. This bodhisattva abides in the supernormal powers obtained as retribution, benefits beings, enters the five destinies of birth and death, and never suffers diminishment. Thus, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, abides in the emptiness of nature, and benefits beings by meditative concentration.

‘Again, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, abides in the emptiness of nature, and by reason of the power of skilful means benefits beings, saying thus: ‘All you good men! Contemplate the emptiness of the nature of all dharmas! Good men! You should do deeds—whether deeds of body, or deeds of speech, or deeds of mind—take the flavour of ambrosia and obtain the fruit of ambrosia. Within the emptiness of nature there is no dharma that can retreat. Why? The emptiness of nature does not retreat, nor is there one who retreats; because the emptiness of nature is neither a dharma nor not a dharma, within a dharma without anything existent, how could there be retreat?’ Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he thus teaches beings to be constantly without slackening or abandoning. This bodhisattva himself practises the ten wholesome paths and also teaches others to practise the ten wholesome paths; the five precepts and the eight precepts are also like this. He himself practises the first dhyāna and also teaches others, causing them to practise the first dhyāna; and so on up to the fourth dhyāna, it is also like this. He constantly himself practises the mind of kindness and also teaches others, causing them to practise the mind of kindness; and so on up to the mind of equanimity, it is also like this. He himself practises the sphere of boundless space and also teaches others, causing them to practise the sphere of boundless space; and so on up to the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, it is also like this. He himself practises the four foundations of mindfulness and also teaches others, causing them to practise the four foundations of mindfulness; and so on up to the eightfold noble path, and the ten powers of the Buddha and so on up to the eighty minor marks, it is also like this. He himself gives rise to wisdom within the fruit of the srota-āpanna and yet does not abide within it, and also teaches others, causing them to obtain the fruit of the srota-āpanna; and so on up to the fruit of the arhat, it is also like this. He himself gives rise to wisdom within the path of the pratyekabuddha and yet does not abide within it, and also teaches others, causing them to obtain the path of the pratyekabuddha. He himself gives rise to the path of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi and also teaches others, causing them to obtain the path of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Thus, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā and by reason of the power of skilful means never slackens.’

Sūtra ① (continued): Within the Emptiness of Nature Beings Are Unfindable—How Then Does He Seek the Omniscience of All Kinds? The Emptiness of Nature Is the Mark of the Abiding of Dharmas; the Simile of the Buddha Conjuring the Fourfold Assembly

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If the nature of all dharmas is ever empty, and within this constant emptiness beings are unfindable, and what is a dharma and what is not a dharma too are unfindable, how does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva seek the omniscience of all kinds?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Just so! Just so! It is as you say: ‘The nature of all dharmas is empty; within emptiness beings are unfindable, and what is a dharma and what is not a dharma too are unfindable.’ Subhūti! If the nature of all dharmas were not empty, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva could not, relying on the emptiness of nature, accomplish anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi and proclaim for beings the dharma of the emptiness of nature. Subhūti! The nature of form is empty; the nature of feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness is empty; when the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he proclaims the dharma of the emptiness of the nature of the five aggregates, proclaims the dharma of the emptiness of the nature of the twelve sense-fields and the eighteen elements; proclaims the dharma of the emptiness of the nature of the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path; proclaims the dharma of the emptiness of the nature of the three gates of liberation, the eight liberations, the nine successive absorptions, the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unshared dharmas, great kindness and great compassion, the thirty-two marks, and the eighty minor marks; proclaims the dharma of the emptiness of the nature of the fruit of the srota-āpanna, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, the path of the pratyekabuddha, and the omniscience of all kinds that severs the afflictions and their habitual residues. Subhūti! If the nature of inner emptiness were not empty, and the nature of outer emptiness and so on up to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas were not empty, that would destroy the nature of emptiness. This emptiness of nature is neither permanent nor annihilated. Why? Because this emptiness of nature has no abiding-place, nor does it come from anywhere, nor does it go anywhere. Subhūti! This is named the mark of the abiding of dharmas. Within this there is no dharma; neither gathering nor scattering, without increase and without decrease, non-arising and non-ceasing, without stain and without purity—this is precisely the mark of all dharmas. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva abides within this and arouses the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, not seeing any dharma that can be aroused, without arousing and without abiding; this is named the mark of the abiding of dharmas. When this bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he sees that all dharmas are empty of nature and does not retrogress from anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Why? Because this bodhisattva does not see any dharma that can make an obstruction; then where would he give rise to doubt? This is named anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Within the emptiness of nature he does not find beings, does not find a self, does not find a person, does not find a life-span, does not find a life, and so on up to not finding a knower or a seer; within the emptiness of nature form is unfindable, feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are unfindable, and so on up to the eighty minor marks are unfindable. Subhūti! It is as the Buddha conjures the fourfold assembly—bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās—and constantly proclaims the Dharma for these assemblies, unbroken for thousands of myriads of koṭi of kalpas.’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Will these conjured assemblies obtain the fruit of the srota-āpanna, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, and receive the prediction of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi?’

Subhūti said: ‘No, World-Honored One! Why? Because these conjured assemblies have no real root. All dharmas are empty of nature and also have no real root-substance; then what is a being that obtains the fruit of the srota-āpanna and so on up to the fruit of the arhat, and receives the prediction of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi?’

Sūtra ① (continued): Pulling Beings Out from within Inversion—Inversion Is Precisely Non-Inversion; Even the Dharmas without Outflows Are Not Like the Highest Meaning; Practising All Paths Throughout and Seeking Knowledge of the Kinds of Paths

‘Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva too is like this: he proclaims for beings the dharma of the emptiness of nature, and yet these beings are in reality unfindable; it is only because beings have fallen into inversion that he pulls beings out and makes them abide in non-inversion. Inversion is precisely non-inversion; though inversion and non-inversion are of one mark, there is much inversion and little non-inversion. In the place of non-inversion there is no self, no being, and so on up to no knower and no seer; in the place of non-inversion there is also no form, no feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, no twelve sense-fields, and so on up to no anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi—this is precisely all dharmas being empty of nature. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva abides within this, and when practising prajñāpāramitā, he pulls beings out from within the inversion of the mark of beings, namely he pulls them out from within there being no beings and yet a mark of beings, and so on up to pulling them out from within the mark of a knower and a seer. He pulls beings out from within there being no form and yet a mark of form, and from within there being no feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness and yet a mark of feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness. The twelve sense-fields, the eighteen elements, and so on up to all dharmas with outflows are also like this.

‘Subhūti! There are also the dharmas without outflows, namely the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven limbs of awakening, and the eightfold noble path. Such dharmas, though without outflows, are still not like the mark of the highest meaning. The mark of the highest meaning is without making, unconditioned, non-arising, signless, and unspeakable; this is named the highest meaning, is also named the emptiness of nature, and is also named the path of the buddhas. Within this one does not find beings, and so on up to does not find a knower or a seer; does not find form, feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to does not find the eighty minor marks. Why? Because the bodhisattva-mahāsattva does not seek the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of the dharmas of the path; he seeks anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of the real mark of all dharmas, the emptiness of nature. This emptiness of nature: the former limit too is the emptiness of nature, the latter limit too is the emptiness of nature, the middle limit too is the emptiness of nature; it is constantly the emptiness of nature, and there is no time when it is not the emptiness of nature. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises this prajñāpāramitā of the emptiness of nature and, because beings cling to the mark of beings and he wishes to pull them out, seeks knowledge of the kinds of paths. When seeking knowledge of the kinds of paths, he practises all paths throughout—whether the path of the śrāvaka, or the path of the pratyekabuddha, or the bodhisattva path. This bodhisattva is complete with all paths, pulls beings out from the clinging of wrong thoughts, and having finished purifying buddha-lands, according to his life-span obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Subhūti! The path of the buddhas of the ten directions in the past is the emptiness of nature; the path of the buddhas of the ten directions in the future and the present is also the emptiness of nature; apart from the emptiness of nature, there is no path in the world and no fruit of the path. One must, by drawing near to the buddhas, hear of this emptiness of the nature of all dharmas and practise this dharma; only then does one not lose sarvajñā.’

Sūtra ① (continued): Form Is Precisely the Emptiness of Nature, and the Emptiness of Nature Is Precisely Form—Not Destroying the Two Marks of Form and Emptiness; the Simile of Space Not Destroying Space

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! Most rare! The bodhisattva-mahāsattvas practise this dharma of the emptiness of nature and also do not destroy the mark of the emptiness of nature, namely that form and the emptiness of nature are different, that feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness and the emptiness of nature are different, and so on up to that anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi and the emptiness of nature are different. World-Honored One! Yet form is precisely the emptiness of nature, and the emptiness of nature is precisely form, and so on up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi: anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi is precisely the emptiness of nature, and the emptiness of nature is precisely anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Just so! Just so! If form and the emptiness of nature were different, if feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness and the emptiness of nature were different, and so on up to if anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi and the emptiness of nature were different, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva could not obtain the omniscience of all kinds. Subhūti! Now form is not different from the emptiness of nature, and so on up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi is not different from the emptiness of nature; because of this, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva knows that all dharmas are empty of nature and arouses the intent to seek anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Why? Because within this there is no dharma that is real or permanent; it is only that ordinary people cling to form, feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness. Ordinary people take hold of the mark of form and take hold of the marks of feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness; because they have the thought of a self and cling to inner and outer things, they receive the form, feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness of a later body, and therefore cannot get free of birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and vexation, and go back and forth in the five destinies. Because of such matters, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises the pāramitā of the emptiness of nature and does not destroy the marks of form and the other dharmas, whether empty or not empty. Why? Because this mark of the emptiness of the nature of form does not destroy form, namely that this is form, this is emptiness. It is as space does not destroy space: inner space does not destroy outer space, and outer space does not destroy inner space. Thus, Subhūti! Form does not destroy the mark of the emptiness of form, and the mark of the emptiness of form does not destroy form. Why? Because these two dharmas have no such nature as could destroy anything, namely that this is empty, this is not empty; and so on up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, it is also like this.’

Sūtra ① (continued): Not Two and Not Discriminating Is Precisely Awakening—Awakening Is Practised Neither by Taking nor by Giving Up

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas are empty and without discrimination, then how does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, from the first arousing of intent onward, make this vow: ‘I shall obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi’? World-Honored One! If all dharmas are without discrimination, then how does the bodhisattva arouse the mind and say, ‘I shall obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi’? World-Honored One! If one discriminates dharmas, one cannot obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Just so! Just so! If the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises the mark of two, there is no anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; if he discriminates and makes two divisions, there is no anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. If one does not make dharmas two and does not discriminate them, that is precisely anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Awakening is the mark of non-duality, the indestructible mark. Subhūti! This awakening does not practise within form, does not practise within feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to awakening too does not practise within awakening. Why? Because form is precisely awakening and awakening is precisely form, not two and not discriminated; and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, it is also like this. This awakening is practised neither by reason of taking nor by reason of giving up.’

Sūtra ① (continued): Where Does Awakening Practise?—the Simile of the Conjured Person and the Simile of the Arhat in a Dream; the Doubt of Obtaining Awakening without Practising Dharmas

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's awakening is practised neither by reason of taking nor by reason of giving up, then where does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's awakening practise?’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘What do you think? Where does a person conjured by the Buddha practise—does he practise within taking? Or does he practise within giving up?’

Subhūti said: ‘World-Honored One! He does not practise within taking, nor does he practise within giving up.’

The Buddha said: ‘The bodhisattva-mahāsattva's awakening is also like this: it does not practise within taking, nor practise within giving up. Subhūti! What do you think? Where does the arhat's awakening in a dream practise—does it practise within taking? Or does it practise within giving up?’

‘No, World-Honored One! It does not practise within taking, nor practise within giving up. World-Honored One! The arhat ultimately does not sleep; then how could the awakening in a dream practise within taking or practise within giving up?’

‘Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva's anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi is also like this: it does not practise within taking, nor practise within giving up, namely practising within form and so on up to practising within the omniscience of all kinds.’

‘World-Honored One! Put this way, is it not that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, not practising the ten grounds, not practising the six perfections, not practising the thirty-seven dharmas that aid the path, not practising the fourteen emptinesses, not practising the meditative concentrations, liberations, and samādhis, not practising the ten powers of the Buddha and so on up to the eighty minor marks, abiding in the five supernormal powers, purifying buddha-lands, and bringing beings to accomplishment, obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi?’

Sūtra ① (continued): By Reason of Worldly Truth It Is Said That There Is a Bodhisattva—Not Making Dharmas Complete, He Never Obtains Awakening; within the Highest Meaning There Is No Obtaining and No Practising

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Just so! Just so! It is as you say. Now, though the bodhisattva has no place in awakening in which to practise, yet if he does not make complete the ten grounds, the six perfections, the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path, the liberation of emptiness, the signless liberation, the liberation of non-action, the ten powers of the Buddha and so on up to the eighty minor marks, the dharma of constant equanimity, and the dharma of non-error—not making complete these dharmas, he never obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. This bodhisattva-mahāsattva abides within the mark of form, abides within the marks of feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to abides within the mark of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and can make the ten grounds complete, and so on up to obtaining anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. This mark is constantly of quiescent extinction: there is no dharma that can increase or decrease, can arise or cease, can be stained or be pure, can obtain the path, or can obtain the fruit. It is by reason of worldly dharmas that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; it is not the foremost real meaning. Why? Because within the foremost real meaning there is no form, and so on up to no anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, nor is there anyone who practises anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. All these dharmas are spoken of by reason of worldly truth; they are not the highest meaning. Subhūti! From the first arousing of intent onward, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and yet awakening does not increase, beings do not decrease, and the bodhisattva too has no increase or decrease. Subhūti! What do you think: when a person first obtains the path, abides in the samādhi without interval, obtains the faculties without outflows, or accomplishes the fruit of the srota-āpanna, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, or the fruit of the arhat—at that time was there anything you obtained, whether a dream, or a mind, or the path, or the fruit of the path?’

Subhūti said: ‘World-Honored One! Nothing was obtained!’

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Then how is it known that there is a person who has obtained the path of the arhat?’

‘World-Honored One! By reason of worldly dharmas the path of the arhat is named with distinctions.’

The Buddha said to Subhūti: ‘It is by reason of worldly truth that one is spoken of and named a bodhisattva, and that form, feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds, are spoken of and named. Within this awakening there is no dharma to be found that increases or decreases, because all dharmas are empty of nature. The emptiness of the nature of all dharmas is itself unfindable, how much less could there be anything to be attained in obtaining the mind of the first ground and so on up to the mind of the tenth ground, the six perfections, the thirty-seven dharmas that aid the path, the emptiness samādhi, the signless samādhi, the non-action samādhi, and so on up to all the dharmas of the Buddha—there is no such principle! Thus, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and benefits beings.’

The treatise's explanation that follows is found in the next unit, the Last Part.

Treatise ①: Taking Up the Objection of the Previous Chapter—Before, He Objected to Dharmas for the Sake of Beings; Now He Objects to Beings for the Sake of Dharmas

The treatise-author explains:

In the previous chapter, Subhūti raised objections by way of all kinds of causes and conditions, saying: ‘If all dharmas are empty, how can there still be the births and deaths of the five destinies, and wholesome dharmas and unwholesome dharmas?’ Now he turns round and objects concerning beings, saying thus: ‘World-Honored One! If beings are ultimately unfindable, then for whose sake does the bodhisattva practise prajñā?’ Before, he set up the objection on the side of dharmas and asked for the sake of beings; now he sets up the objection on the side of beings and asks for the sake of dharmas.

The Buddha answered: ‘It is for the sake of the limit of reality that the bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā.’

What Subhūti had in mind was: the bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā for the sake of delivering beings.

But the Buddha's meaning is: beings are only a provisional name, false and not real, ultimately unfindable; it is for the sake of all real dharmas that the bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā. The real dharma is precisely the limit of reality.

Treatise ① (continued): Why It Is Said to Be for the Sake of the Limit of Reality—The Bodhisattva at the First Arousing of Intent Arouses Great Compassion Only to Extinguish Suffering

The treatise-author poses a question himself:

All bodhisattvas, seeing beings undergo suffering and vexation, arouse the mind of great compassion for the sake of delivering beings; why is it now said to be for the sake of the limit of reality?

The treatise-author answers himself:

The bodhisattva at the first arousing of the mind arouses the mind of great compassion only in order to extinguish the suffering of beings. Suffering means old age, sickness, death, and the like, together with the decline, harm, vexation, and disturbance of body and mind.

How is this suffering to be extinguished? Seeking the causes and conditions of suffering, it is because there is birth; just as the Buddha said within the twelve links of causes and conditions: ‘By what causes and conditions are there old age, sickness, and death? Because there is birth.’

Treatise ① (continued): All Beings Know That Birth Is Suffering; How Then Is the Bodhisattva Exceptional—Birth Is Definitely the Root of Suffering

The treatise-author asks again:

All beings know that the causes and conditions of birth are suffering; what then is special about the bodhisattva?

The treatise-author answers:

Beings in fact do not know that suffering comes from birth. When they meet with suffering, they only resent other people and blame themselves for not having taken proper care of themselves; they have never laid the blame on birth. Because of this, they instead increase the fetters and afflictions and make heavier the dharma of receiving birth, and to the end they do not know the real cause of suffering. Some people have never received whips and staves or knives and weapons, nor have they any of the suffering of the various sorrows and vexations, yet they still have the suffering of death; where does this death come from? It comes from birth.

Further, whips and staves, knives and weapons, sorrows and vexations, all likewise exist because there is birth. Other dharmas may have suffering or may have no suffering; only this dharma of receiving birth definitely has suffering. Even people of great wisdom and the gods: so long as there is birth, there is definitely death, and where there is death there is definitely suffering; so it is known that birth is definitely the root of suffering. It is as with grass and trees: because they have birth, they can definitely be burnt; if they had never been born in the first place, then even with a fierce fire and a great wind, there would be no way to burn and harm them.

Treatise ① (continued): Tracing Back the Causes and Conditions of Birth—Existence, Grasping, Craving, Feeling, Contact, the Six Entries

Having found the causes and conditions of suffering, the bodhisattva goes further and seeks the causes and conditions of birth. The causes and conditions of birth are existence. Existence is of three kinds: the existence of desire, the existence of form, and the existence of the formless. Clinging to these three kinds of existence, one makes wholesome deeds and evil deeds; this is the cause of receiving birth. The cause of existence is the four kinds of grasping. The causes and conditions of grasping are craving and the like, all kinds of afflictions. When the power of the afflictions is still small and cannot yet make deeds, it is therefore called craving; when it has grown until it can make deeds, it is therefore called grasping—namely grasping at sense-desires, grasping at views, grasping at precepts, and grasping at the doctrine of self; because one grasps at these four things, one can make all kinds of deeds. The causes and conditions of craving are the three kinds of feeling. The causes and conditions of feeling are the six kinds of contact, eye-contact and the rest. Contact is spoken of together with feeling and the other mental-factor dharmas. Because the three things—faculty, sense-object, and consciousness—come together, feeling and the other mental-factor dharmas arise in the mind; although the root is these three things, contact arises by their coming together, and further, because the six faculties are where mind and consciousness take support and abide, only the six entries are spoken of.

The causes and conditions of the six entries are name-and-form. Although the six entries are precisely a part of name-and-form, what has already been accomplished is called the six entries, and what has not yet been accomplished is called name-and-form; when form has been accomplished it is called the five entries, and when name has been accomplished it is called the one entry. This is the sequence, earlier and later, of the causes and conditions at the time in the womb.

The causes and conditions of name-and-form are consciousness. If consciousness did not enter the womb, the embryo would rot and decay at the time it first arises. The consciousness spoken of here refers to the five aggregates within the intermediate existence. These five aggregates are extremely subtle, so they are called only by the name consciousness. If the embryo could be accomplished even without consciousness entering the womb, then whenever there is any coming together at all, an embryo should be formed!

Treatise ① (continued): By What Causes and Conditions Consciousness Enters the Womb—The Causes and Conditions of Constructions: Deeds Carry Consciousness into the Womb

The treatise-author asks again:

By what causes and conditions does consciousness enter the womb?

The treatise-author answers:

By the causes and conditions of constructions. Constructions are the three kinds of deeds of the past; it is deeds that carry consciousness into the womb. It is like the wind blowing a flame that has already been cut off, drifting away through the air: the flame travels taking support in the wind. In a former life, when one had a human body, the six consciousnesses were kindled; so at the end of life, deeds carry consciousness into the womb.

Treatise ① (continued): Why the Deeds Above Are Named Existence and the Deeds Here Are Named Constructions

The treatise-author asks again:

Why are the deeds spoken of earlier named existence? Why are the deeds spoken of here named constructions?

The treatise-author answers:

What was spoken of earlier is deeds made in this present life, which are about to become future existence; so they are named existence. What is spoken of here is deeds of past lives that have already ceased entirely, with only a name remaining; so they are named constructions.

The causes and conditions of these constructions are named ignorance. Although all the afflictions are causes and conditions of past deeds, because ignorance is the root, ignorance alone is taken as the name. What is clung to in this present life is mostly craving and grasping, so craving and grasping are taken as the names; within past lives is the place of doubt and wrong views, so it is named ignorance alone. The root of all suffering and vexation now found is precisely ignorance.

Treatise ① (continued): Why the Tracing Stops at Ignorance

The treatise-author asks again:

Since beginningless time, birth and death have turned round and round a great many times; why does the tracing stop at ignorance?

The treatise-author answers:

This matter has already been answered above.

Treatise ① (continued): What Is Severed Lies in the Future—The Similes of the Good Physician and of Putting Out a Fire

The bodhisattva reflects thus: for the sake of causing people to be liberated from suffering, he therefore seeks the causes and conditions of suffering. The suffering of old age, death, and the rest that beings have had in the past and have in the present cannot be removed; what is to be removed is the suffering of old age and death in future lives—severing its continuity so that it does not arise again. It is like a good physician: past illness he cannot cure, present illness he also cannot cure; what taking medicine can cure is only the illness that is about to arise—breaking its causes of cold and heat so that it does not arise again. Again, it is like a house that catches fire and burns: people do not strive to put it out for the sake of the fire that has already passed, nor do they strive to put it out for the sake of the present fire; they strive to put it out only for the sake of keeping the future fire from spreading and burning further. The good physician and the person putting out the fire apply skilful means diligently, and it is not in vain. The bodhisattva's extinguishing of the suffering and vexation of beings is also like this: past suffering has already ceased, and nothing more can be done about it; present suffering and vexation cannot be pushed away, because the causes and conditions of former lives have already been accomplished; what is to be broken is only the causes and conditions of the suffering of old age, death, and the rest in future lives. When this dharma of receiving birth is broken, the suffering of old age, death, and the rest naturally ceases forever.

Treatise ① (continued): Counting Forward the Eight Present Causes and Conditions

Therefore the bodhisattva, wishing to extinguish birth—the causes and conditions of the suffering of old age, death, and the rest in future lives—finds the eight present causes and conditions, existence and the rest: the first is named deeds with outflows. The second is named the various afflictions of the present life, namely the four kinds of grasping and the one craving. These two kinds of affliction arise from two mental-factor dharmas, namely feeling and contact. Contact can give rise to all mental-factor dharmas, and feeling is the first among them to arise; so it is said that contact is the causes and conditions of feeling. Although feeling can give rise to the three poisons, on the part of all beings it is craving that is the old affliction. The causes and conditions of contact are the inner six entries, as was said before. Although there are also the outer six entries, if the inner six entries are absent, contact and the other mental-factor dharmas do not arise, so the inner six entries alone are taken to set up the name. Name-and-form is the causes and conditions of the six entries, as is said here. The consciousness that first enters the womb is the causes and conditions of name-and-form.

While consciousness and name-and-form are still in the womb, although there are already the six entries within, because they have not yet been accomplished and cannot yet be used, they have not yet obtained their names. When one is born as an infant and cannot yet do anything, there are only the six entries. Growing a little older, there are the six contacts. It is like a small child treading on fire and stepping on ice: there is only contact, and it does not yet know suffering and pleasure. Growing older still, it experiences suffering and pleasure, yet has not yet deeply craved and clung. It is like a small child who, though it grows angry, cannot yet make evil deeds such as killing; though it is glad, it cannot yet make wholesome deeds such as giving. When the years reach adulthood, obtaining suffering one gives rise to anger, obtaining pleasure one gives rise to greedy craving. For the sake of seeking the things of pleasure, one grasps the four kinds of grasping, grasping at sense-desires and the rest. At the time of grasping, one can make wholesome deeds and evil deeds.

If one knows the causes and conditions of ignorance and deeds of a single former life, then the matters of myriads of koṭi of lives can also be known; just as present fire is hot, past fire and future fire are also like this. If, with regard to the causes and conditions of ignorance, one still seeks further for their root, there is no end to it, and one at once falls into the extreme view and loses the path of nirvāṇa; so one should not seek it; if one still seeks further, one falls into idle discourse, and it is no longer the Buddha's Dharma.

Treatise ① (continued): Seeking the Substance and Mark of Ignorance Is at Once Entering Ultimate Emptiness

Wishing to sever ignorance, the bodhisattva seeks the substance and mark of ignorance; the moment he seeks it, he at once enters ultimate emptiness. Why? The Buddha's sūtra says: ‘The mark of ignorance: not knowing inner dharmas, not knowing outer dharmas, not knowing inner and outer dharmas.’ The bodhisattva contemplates inner dharmas by inner emptiness, and inner dharmas are at once empty; he contemplates outer dharmas by outer emptiness, and outer dharmas are at once empty; he contemplates inner and outer dharmas by inner-and-outer emptiness, and inner and outer dharmas are at once empty. All such as this is the mark of ignorance, as was broadly said in the passage refuting ignorance in the Sūtra of the Virtuous Woman cited in an earlier chapter.

Further, when the bodhisattva seeks the substance of ignorance, at that very moment it is illumination, namely what is called the real mark of all dharmas, which is named the limit of reality. He contemplates all dharmas as like an illusion, like a conjuration; beings, because of the causes and conditions of inversion, give rise to all kinds of afflictions, make sinful and evil deeds, turn round in the five destinies, and undergo the suffering of birth and death. It is like a silkworm that spits out silk to wrap and bind itself, and is then thrown into boiling water and scorched by fire. Ordinary beings are also like this: at the time of their first birth they originally had none of the various afflictions; later they themselves give rise to all kinds of afflictions, greed, anger, and the rest; because of the causes and conditions of these afflictions, real wisdom is covered over, and when they turn their bodies they then receive the retribution of being burnt by fire and boiled in water in the hells. The bodhisattva knows that these dharmas are empty from root to branch; it is only because beings are inverted and confused that they undergo such suffering. Toward such beings the bodhisattva gives rise to the mind of great compassion, and in order to break this inversion, he seeks the real dharma, practises prajñāpāramitā, and penetrates the limit of reality; by all kinds of causes and conditions he teaches and transforms beings and causes them to abide in the limit of reality. So it is said that there is no fault in the bodhisattva's abiding in the limit of reality.

Treatise ① (continued): The Limit of Beings and the Limit of Reality Are Not Different—If They Were Different There Would Be No One to Benefit

Further, the sūtra says: ‘If beings and the limit of reality were different, the bodhisattva should not practise prajñāpāramitā.’

Being different means that the limit of reality is ultimate emptiness while the limit of beings is definitely really existent. If it were so, there should be this objection: ‘If the mark of the limit of reality of all dharmas is empty, how could the bodhisattva, for the sake of beings, cultivate this limit of reality?’ If beings were ultimately empty while the limit of reality definitely existed, then since there would be no beings, there would be nothing to benefit; for whose sake, then, would he practise the limit of reality?

Now the limit of beings is in reality not different from the limit of reality, and so he practises prajñāpāramitā. In order to awaken ordinary people who are mad, deluded, and inverted, he practises prajñāpāramitā; he causes beings to abide in the limit of reality, and yet does not destroy the limit of reality.

Treatise ① (continued): The Objection of Setting the Limit of Reality upon the Limit of Reality—The Tip of a Finger Cannot Touch the Tip of That Finger

At this time Subhūti asked further: ‘If the limit of beings and the limit of reality are not different, how can the limit of reality be set upon the limit of reality?’ Self-nature should not abide within self-nature, just as the tip of a finger cannot itself touch the tip of that finger.

The Buddha approved his meaning, and said that it is by skilful means that the bodhisattva establishes beings in the limit of reality. Since beings and the limit of reality are not different, even one is unfindable. If it were said to be one, the mark of the limit of reality would be destroyed. Why? Because then there would be a self-nature of one to be found. The bodhisattva knows that the dharmas of these two are not one and not two, and also not not-one and not not-two, ultimately quiescent and without the mark of idle discourse. The bodhisattva gives rise to the mind of great compassion and teaches and transforms beings only in order to pull beings out from inversion.

Treatise ① (continued): What Is Named Skilful Means—Establishing Beings in Dāna and Saying That Dāna Is Empty in the Three Times

Subhūti asked again: ‘What is named skilful means?’

The Buddha said: ‘When the bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā, by the power of skilful means he establishes beings in dāna, and says that this dāna is empty in the former limit and in the latter limit, and the middle limit is likewise.’ It is as broadly said in the sūtra. The bodhisattva who knows the limit of reality goes over to the side of beings, as was said earlier in the chapter "Dāna". Having heard it, beings arouse the mind, and their afflictions are broken down and grow thin, yet they again cling deeply to giving. The bodhisattva has pity on such beings and thinks: ‘I pulled him out of stinginess, and now he again clings to giving. If beings greedily receive the retribution of giving, when the merit is exhausted they will still undergo all kinds of suffering and vexation; and because of the causes and conditions of receiving riches and honour, they commit great sins and will fall into the hells.’ Therefore, pitying these beings who obtain a little while of pleasure and undergo long suffering, the bodhisattva speaks for them of the real mark of giving, namely what is called ultimate emptiness, saying thus: ‘This giving, in the past, has already ceased; it cannot be seen, is unfindable, cannot be used, and can only be recollected, no different from what is seen in a dream; future giving has not yet arisen, so it too is without anything existent, ultimately empty. Since this giving has neither a former limit nor a latter limit, there is no middle limit either.’ As is said in the passage refuting the dharma of form within the refutation of the six sense-objects: ‘Although present giving can be seen by the eye, when it is broken down part by part, even down to atoms it is unfindable.’ Giving is empty in the three times, and so likewise are the giver, the recipient, and the retribution.

The bodhisattva says to those who practise giving: ‘Giving and the other dharmas are the gate by which one first enters the Buddha's Dharma; within the limit of reality there is not even the mark of the limit of reality, how much less giving! You must not recollect, must not cling to giving and the other dharmas! If one can not recollect and not cling to the substance and mark of giving, one who practises giving thus can obtain the flavour of ambrosia and the fruit of ambrosia.’ The flavour of ambrosia is the eightfold noble path; the fruit of ambrosia is nirvāṇa. Although the bodhisattva abides in the limit of reality, by the power of skilful means he delivers beings through the one gate of giving.

The other pāramitās are likewise, as is broadly said in the sūtra.

Treatise ① (continued): Abiding within the Emptiness of Nature, How Does He Seek the Omniscience of All Kinds

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas are empty of nature, and within the emptiness of nature there is neither dharma nor what is not a dharma, nor are there beings, how can the bodhisattva abide within this emptiness and seek the omniscience of all kinds?’

The Buddha answered: ‘It is precisely because the bodhisattva is securely set within the emptiness of nature that he can practise giving and these various dharmas.’

Subhūti asked again: ‘The emptiness of nature breaks all dharmas completely with nothing remaining; how then can the bodhisattva still abide within the emptiness of nature and practise giving and the various wholesome dharmas?’

The Buddha approved Subhūti's meaning, and spoke the causes and conditions for him: ‘The bodhisattva knows the real mark of all dharmas and, abiding within it, can obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. The real mark of all dharmas is precisely the emptiness of nature. If the nature of all dharmas were not empty, the bodhisattva should not abide within this emptiness of the nature of all dharmas; it is after obtaining anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi that he speaks for beings the dharma of the emptiness of nature, namely what is called: form is empty of nature; feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are empty of nature; and so on up to speaking for beings the dharma that the omniscience of all kinds and the severance of the afflictions and their habitual residues are empty of nature.’

Treatise ① (continued): If the Eighteen Emptinesses Were Not Empty, the Substance of Emptiness Would Be Destroyed—The Constantly Abiding Marks of Dharmas

Further: ‘Subhūti! If the nature of the eighteen emptinesses were not empty, this would be destroying the substance of emptiness.’ Why? The eighteen emptinesses can make all dharmas empty; if they themselves were not empty, they would become false and deceptive; and further, if they were not empty, they would fall to the side of permanence and become a place of clinging, able to give rise to afflictions. The emptiness of nature has no real abiding-place, no place from which it comes, and no place to which it goes; this is called the constantly abiding marks of dharmas. The constantly abiding marks of dharmas are another name for the emptiness of nature, and are also called the real mark of all dharmas. Within this mark there is no arising and no ceasing, no increase and no decrease, no stain and no purity.

‘The bodhisattva abides within this, sees that all dharmas are empty of nature, and with regard to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi is non-retrogressing, does not doubt, and does not regret. Why? Because he does not see any dharma that could make an obstruction, and by the power of skilful means he delivers beings.’ The power of skilful means is this: ultimately there are no dharmas and no beings, and yet he still delivers beings.

Treatise ① (continued): Since There Are No Beings, for Whom Is Skilful Means Made

The treatise-author asks again:

If beings and dharmas have from the beginning not existed, then for whom is skilful means made? And whom is it to deliver?

The treatise-author answers:

The emptiness of nature means that even the nature of emptiness does not exist; why do you take hold of this mark of the nature of emptiness to raise an objection? Only if there really were a mark of the emptiness of nature would you be right to raise an objection!

Further, a person who obtains the real mark of all dharmas knows that this is the emptiness of nature; this person then knows that all dharmas are empty of nature—there are no dharmas and no beings. Ordinary people, because they have not obtained the real mark, engage in all kinds of recollection, imagining, and discrimination; as a madman falsely sees things and takes them to really exist. It is for the sake of delivering ordinary people, these madmen, that it is said: ‘For beings it is said that within the dharma of madness there are these various distinctions of dharmas, but within the real dharma they do not exist.’ Because the bodhisattva wishes to fulfil his original vow, and because he does not cling to the emptiness of nature, there is the matter of delivering beings. Here one should not raise an objection.

Treatise ① (continued): The Buddha Himself States the Causes and Conditions—Established by Reason of Worldly Truth, Not Real

Further, in this sūtra the Buddha himself states the causes and conditions: ‘Within the emptiness of nature beings are unfindable, the knower and the seer are also unfindable, and so on up to the eighty minor marks, which are likewise.’ Yet the bodhisattva still establishes these dharmas and expounds them for beings; that is by reason of worldly truth, and is not real.

Here the Buddha speaks a simile: ‘It is as if the Buddha conjures a conjured person, and further conjures the fourfold assembly and teaches the Dharma for them; within this is there anyone who obtains the path?’

Subhūti said: ‘No. Why? Because there is no fixed real root-substance; how could there be anyone who obtains srota-āpanna-hood and so on up to anyone who obtains buddhahood?’

The bodhisattva's teaching the Dharma to deliver beings is also like this: beings have no fixed substance; it is only to pull beings out of inversion and set them in non-inversion. The dharma of non-inversion also has no place; within it there are no beings, and so on up to no knower and no seer. Although the nature of emptiness is only one mark, the inverted are many and the non-inverted are few; that is why this dharma of the emptiness of nature, non-inversion, is prized. The bodhisattva abides within this and only breaks beings' false imaginings; he does not break beings.

Again, the dharmas without outflows, and so on up to the eightfold noble path, although they are without outflows, because they have arising and ceasing, are not like the highest meaning.

Treatise ① (continued): The Emptiness of Nature Is the Only Path; There Is No Other Path

‘Subhūti! This emptiness of nature is the only path of all the buddhas; there is no other path.’ Why? Because what all the buddhas seek is the dharma of real wisdom, indestructible and not different; although there are also different dharmas such as the ten powers and the four fearlessnesses, they are not called the one path. Why? Because these are all conditioned dharmas, changing and impermanent. Within this emptiness of nature there are no beings, nor form and the various dharmas. The bodhisattva seeks anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi not for the sake of the bodhisattva path, but only for the sake of the emptiness of nature.

Treatise ① (continued): What Is the Emptiness of Nature, and What Is the Bodhisattva Path

The treatise-author asks again:

What is the emptiness of nature? What is the bodhisattva path?

The treatise-author answers:

Within the highest meaning there is no discrimination; within worldly truth there is discrimination. The real mark of all dharmas is called the emptiness of nature; the rest, giving and so on up to the eighty minor marks, is the bodhisattva path. Although he practises these dharmas, it is not for the sake of these dharmas; it is for the sake of seeking the emptiness of nature, and so it is said: ‘He does not practise for the sake of the bodhisattva path.’

This emptiness of nature was the emptiness of nature before, and in the middle and afterwards is also the emptiness of nature; from the beginning it is ever empty, and there is no maker of it; it is not by the power of merit that it is made empty, nor is it by the power of wisdom that it is made empty; it is only that its nature is so of itself. The buddhas and the worthies and sages, by the power of great merit, wisdom, and skilful means, break the inversion in the minds of beings and cause them to know the emptiness of nature. It is like space, whose nature is ever pure and is not touched by stain and darkness; at times wind and clouds cover it and darken it, and the people of the world then say: ‘Space is impure.’ Later another fierce wind blows away the wind and clouds, and they then say: ‘Space is pure.’ In fact space is in reality without stain and without purity. The buddhas are also like this: with the fierce wind of teaching the Dharma they blow away the clouds and films of inversion, causing beings to obtain purity, while the nature of all dharmas is ever of itself without stain and without purity.

Treatise ① (continued): Because He Knows the Emptiness of Nature He Can Practise All Paths—A Life-span as He Wishes

Because this bodhisattva knows that all dharmas are empty of nature, he can practise all kinds of paths to deliver beings; making all paths complete, he purifies buddha-lands and teaches and transforms beings; when he obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, he has a life-span as he wishes. A life-span as he wishes means that the bodhisattva, having obtained the dharma of the acceptance of non-arising, enters the bodhisattva path like an illusion, and can at one time conjure thousands of koṭi of myriads of bodies, pervading the ten directions, and practise all the bodhisattva paths completely; in all kinds of lands, according to the length or shortness of beings' life-spans, he takes on corresponding forms. For example, Śākyamuni Buddha in this land has a life-span of a hundred years, and in the Adorned Buddha-land a life-span of seven hundred asaṃkhyeya kalpas. Among the five kinds of the inconceivable, the dharmas of the Buddha are the foremost inconceivable.

Treatise ① (continued): Apart from the Emptiness of Nature There Is No Path and No Fruit

The Buddha told Subhūti: That all dharmas are empty of nature—this is the true Dharma of the buddhas! If one obtains this Dharma, one is named a Buddha; if one teaches this Dharma, it is named delivering beings. The buddhas of the three times are all likewise. Apart from this emptiness of nature there is no path and no fruit. The path is the eightfold noble path; the fruit is the seven kinds of fruit. Why? If apart from the emptiness of nature there were some other fixed dharma, one would grasp at marks and give rise to clinging; because of clinging there would be no freedom from desire, and because there is no freedom from desire there would be no path and fruit. If one is apart from the emptiness of nature, then although one practises giving and keeping morality, and practises kindness, compassion, and the other dharmas, relying on the power of wholesome dharmas, although one does not fall into the evil destinies, after being born in heaven, when the merit is exhausted, one still falls into the evil destinies, no different from before. Practising the dharma of the emptiness of nature, and also not clinging to the emptiness of nature—this is precisely nirvāṇa. Practising the other dharmas, one gives rise to a clinging mind and there is retreat and loss; if one practises this dharma of the emptiness of nature, there is no retreat and loss.

Treatise ① (continued): Practising the Emptiness of Nature without Destroying the Mark of the Emptiness of Nature—Inner Space Does Not Destroy Outer Space

Subhūti joyfully said to the Buddha: ‘Most rare! The bodhisattva practises this dharma of the emptiness of nature, and yet does not destroy the mark of the emptiness of nature.’

The Buddha answered: ‘If form and the other dharmas were different from the emptiness of nature, the bodhisattva could not obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Why? Because if there were a dharma of emptiness, parting from it could not be obtained. Subhūti! Now form and the various dharmas are in reality precisely the emptiness of nature; having known this dharma, the bodhisattva obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Why? Because within this there is not one dharma that is definitely permanent; it is only because ordinary people give rise to the mind of self that they cling to inner and outer dharmas and cannot escape birth, old age, sickness, and death; so the bodhisattva practises this emptiness of nature, brings the six perfections together, and does not destroy the marks of form and the various dharmas—namely what is called either empty, or not empty, or empty and not empty, or neither empty nor not empty; not representing the marks of dharmas in this way is what is called not destroying. Why? The real mark of form is precisely the emptiness of nature; how could the emptiness of nature destroy its own emptiness of nature? And so on up to awakening, which is likewise.’ Here the Buddha speaks a simile: ‘It is as inner space does not destroy outer space, because they are of one and the same substance.’

Treatise ① (continued): Where Is Awakening Obtained—If Two Marks Are Discriminated It Is Not Obtained

Subhūti asked: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas are empty of nature and without distinction or difference, then where does the bodhisattva obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi?’

The Buddha approved his meaning and said: ‘Just so! If one discriminates and has two marks, one cannot obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.’

Anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi is called real wisdom; it does not practise within the dharma of form, namely what is called not clinging and not being stained. Why? Because this wisdom does not practise for the sake of taking form, so it does not practise within form.

Treatise ① (continued): Neither Taking Nor Giving Up, Where Then Does It Practise

Subhūti asked again: ‘If awakening does not practise within taking and does not practise within giving up, where then should it practise?’

Taking refers to the real dharma; giving up refers to the empty dharma. Taking is the practice of clinging to marks; giving up is the practice of not clinging to marks. Taking is the practice of two; giving up is the practice of not two. All such distinctions as these.

The Buddha in turn asked Subhūti: ‘What do you think? Where does the person conjured by the Buddha practise?’

Subhūti said: ‘This conjured person has no place in which it practises, because the conjured person has no mind and no mental-factor dharmas. Awakening is also like this.’

The Buddha asked again: ‘What do you think? Where does the arhat's awakening in a dream practise?’

Subhūti said: ‘The arhat does not even sleep, how much less could awakening in a dream have a place in which it practises!’

Treatise ① (continued): Why the Buddha Asks about the Arhat's Awakening in a Dream

The treatise-author asks again:

Awakening is of three kinds: the awakening of the arhat, the awakening of the pratyekabuddha, and the awakening of the Buddha. The arhat's awakening does not practise within the mind with outflows, nor within the indeterminate mind; it practises only within the mind without outflows. Why then does the Buddha still ask where the arhat's awakening in a dream practises?

The treatise-author answers:

The arhat is a sage whose outflows are all exhausted, and so he has no dreams; it is precisely because there is definitely no place that the Buddha asks this, in order to make clear that there is definitely no dharma of practising.

Treatise ① (continued): Even the Buddha Sleeps; Why Is It Said That the Arhat Does Not Even Sleep

The treatise-author asks again:

It goes so far that even the Buddha still sleeps; how is this known? The Buddha once instructed Ānanda: ‘Fold the uttarāsaṅga in four and spread it out; I wish to sleep and rest a little; you teach the Dharma for the bhikṣus.’ Again, the Nirgrantha Satyaka asked the Buddha: ‘Does the Buddha, thinking of himself, sleep by day?’ The Buddha said: ‘At the end of spring and the beginning of summer, because the season is hot, I sleep and rest a little, in order to remove the discomfort after eating.’ The Nirgrantha Satyaka said to the Buddha: ‘Others say this: sleeping by day is a mark of delusion.’ The Buddha said: ‘Stop! You cannot distinguish what the mark of delusion is. The outflows that can make the later body continue without break—this is called the mark of delusion; such a person, even if he constantly does not sleep, is still deluded; if the outflows have ceased forever without remainder, then even if one sleeps, it is not called delusion.’ Words such as these are spoken everywhere in the sūtras. Why then does Subhūti say that the arhat does not even sleep?

The treatise-author answers:

There are two kinds of sleep: first, sleeping with dreams; second, sleeping without dreams. The arhat does not sleep for the sake of ease and attachment to pleasure; it is only because, having taken on the dharma of a body of the four elements, he must have food, rest, sleep, and waking, that a little while of rest is called sleep; he does not sleep for the sake of dreaming. So Subhūti says: the arhat does not even sleep.

Someone says: ‘One who is free from desire, having obtained meditative concentration, has the four elements bound to the form realm enter his body; body and mind are joyful, and so there is no sleep; as for the arhat liberated by wisdom, the four elements of the form realm do not enter his body, so he sleeps.’ Therefore Subhūti says: the arhat does not even sleep. So among arhats there are those who sleep and also those who do not sleep.

The Buddha, by the power of skilful means, for the sake of delivering beings and conforming to the dharma of humans, shows sleep.

Treatise ① (continued): Since There Is No Place in Which It Practises, How Does One Go from the First Ground to the Tenth Ground

Subhūti asked again: ‘If it does not practise, how does the bodhisattva go from the first ground to the tenth ground, and so on up to obtaining anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi?’

The Buddha approved his meaning and said: ‘Although awakening has no place in which it practises, if the six perfections and the various dharmas are not made complete, one never obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. This bodhisattva abides within the mark of form, and so on up to abiding within the mark of awakening, and then obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; he does not give up form and the other dharmas, nor does he cling to the mark of awakening; he knows that form and the other dharmas are precisely awakening, ever quiescent, with not one dharma that either increases or decreases, is either stained or pure, either obtains the path or obtains the fruit.’ It is only by reason of worldly truth that it is said that the bodhisattva obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; within the highest meaning there is no form, and so on up to no awakening.

Treatise ① (continued): When You Obtained the Path, Did You Obtain Anything—By Reason of Worldly Truth One Speaks of an Arhat

The Buddha, in order to make this matter clear, in turn asked Subhūti: ‘What do you think? When you severed the afflictions and obtained the path, did you obtain anything? Namely, the five aggregates that are like a dream, or the path, or the fruit of the path—is there one fixed dharma?’

Subhūti said: ‘I did not obtain anything!’ Why? Subhūti's meaning is: having entered the path abiding in the gate of signlessness, how could he still grasp at marks?

The Buddha said: ‘If you do not obtain even the most subtle trifling dharma, how then is it said that you are an arhat?’

Subhūti said: ‘It is by reason of worldly dharmas that it is said there is an arhat; it is within the inverted dharmas of ordinary people that there is gain and loss, there are beings and there are dharmas.’

The Buddha said: ‘Awakening is also like this: by reason of worldly dharmas it is said that there is a bodhisattva, and said that there is form and so on up to awakening; within awakening there is no fixed dharma, nor are there beings, nor is there awakening. The bodhisattva contemplates this dharma of awakening as without increase and without decrease. Why? Because the nature of dharmas is just so. The bodhisattva does not find even this nature of dharmas, how much less could it be said that the first arousing of the mind and so on up to the ten grounds, and the six perfections, the thirty-seven limbs of the path, and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, should have something to be attained! There is no such thing! Why? The nature of dharmas is the root of all dharmas, and even it is unfindable; how much less could the six perfections and the rest, which are made dharmas, have a fixed substance! Just so! The bodhisattva practising this nature of dharmas, when he becomes a Buddha, can greatly benefit beings.’

Fascicle ninety of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa ends here.