大智度論 白話全本 · 冊13Dazhidulun — Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa · Complete Vernacular · Vol. 13

This fascicle is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the eighty-eighth chapter, "Sadāprarudita"; it is in the ninety-sixth fascicle.

Sūtra ①: The Buddha Tells Subhūti That One Seeking Prajñā Should Be like Sadāprarudita, and Tells His Jātaka—the Voice in the Sky Teaches Him to Go East, Not to Think of Weariness, and Not to Destroy the Mark of the Body; Teaches Him to Give Rise to Faith in Emptiness, the Signless, and Non-action, to Draw Near to the Good Friend, and to Give Rise to the Notion of a Buddha toward the Place from Which He Hears the Dharma; Not to Follow the Dharma Teacher for Worldly Gain, and to Be Aware of the Deeds of Māra

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘A bodhisattva-mahāsattva seeking prajñāpāramitā should be like the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Sadāprarudita. This bodhisattva is now practising the bodhisattva path in the presence of the Buddha Great Thunder-Sound.’

Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! How did the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Sadāprarudita seek prajñāpāramitā?’

The Buddha said: ‘When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Sadāprarudita first sought prajñāpāramitā, he did not spare body or life and did not seek fame or gain. In a secluded forest he heard a voice in the sky say: 「你這善男子！從這裡向東行去，不要顧念疲乏至極，不要顧念睡眠，不要顧念飲食，不要顧念晝夜，不要顧念寒熱，不要顧念內外。善男子！行走的時候不要看左右。你行走的時候不要壞身相，不要壞色相，不要壞受、想、行、識之相。為什麼呢？若壞了這些相，就在佛法上有障礙；若在佛法上有障礙，便往來於五道生死之中，也不能得般若波羅蜜。」 tr. "You, good man! Go east from here; do not think of weariness, do not think of sleep, do not think of food and drink, do not think of day and night, do not think of cold and heat, do not think of inside and outside. Good man! As you go, do not look left or right. As you go, do not destroy the mark of the body, do not destroy the mark of form, do not destroy the marks of feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness. Why? If you destroy these marks, you have an obstruction in the Buddha-Dharma; if you have an obstruction in the Buddha-Dharma, you go and come within the births and deaths of the five destinies, and also cannot obtain prajñāpāramitā."

‘At that time the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita answered the voice in the sky, saying: 「我當依從教誨！為什麼呢？因為我想要為一切眾生作大光明，想要集一切諸佛之法，想要得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提的緣故。」 tr. "I shall follow the teaching! Why? Because I wish to make a great light for all beings, wish to gather all the dharmas of the buddhas, and wish to obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi."

‘The bodhisattva Sadāprarudita again heard the voice in the sky say: 「善哉！善哉！善男子！你對於空、無相、無作之法，應當生起信心，以離相之心求般若波羅蜜，離我相乃至離知者、見者之相。應當遠離惡知識，應當親近供養善知識。什麼是善知識？能宣說空、無相、無作、無生、無滅之法以及一切種智，令人心中生起歡喜信樂的，這就是善知識。善男子！你若這樣行，不久當聽聞般若波羅蜜——或者從經卷之中聽聞，或者從菩薩所說而聽聞。善男子！你所從聽聞這般若波羅蜜之處，應當生心如同佛想。善男子！你應當知恩，應當作這樣的念：『所從聽聞這般若波羅蜜的，就是我的善知識。我因為聽聞這法的緣故，迅速得於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不退轉，親近諸佛，常生在有佛的國中，遠離眾多災難，得具足無難之處。』善男子！應當思惟籌量這功德，對於所從聽聞法之處，應當生心如同佛想。 tr. "Excellent! Excellent! Good man! Toward the dharmas of emptiness, the signless, and non-action you should give rise to faith, and seek prajñāpāramitā with a mind apart from marks—apart from the mark of a self, and so on up to apart from the marks of a knower and a seer. You should be far from the evil friend; you should draw near to and make offerings to the good friend. What is the good friend? One who can proclaim the dharmas of emptiness, the signless, non-action, non-arising, and non-ceasing, and the omniscience of all kinds, causing joy, faith, and delight to arise in people's minds—this is the good friend. Good man! If you practise thus, before long you will hear prajñāpāramitā—either hearing it from within scrolls of the sūtra, or hearing it from what a bodhisattva says. Good man! Toward the place from which you hear this prajñāpāramitā, you should give rise in your mind to the notion of a Buddha. Good man! You should know the debt of kindness; you should have this thought: ‘The one from whom I hear this prajñāpāramitā is my good friend. Because I hear this Dharma, I shall swiftly become non-retrogressing from anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, draw near to the buddhas, always be born in lands where there is a Buddha, be far from the many calamities, and obtain in full a place free of difficulties.’ Good man! You should reflect upon and weigh this merit, and toward the place from which you hear the Dharma you should give rise in your mind to the notion of a Buddha."

‘「你這善男子！不要為了世間利養之心的緣故隨逐法師，只為愛法、恭敬法的緣故，隨逐說法的菩薩。那時，應當覺知魔事。若惡魔為說法的菩薩作五欲的因緣，假借為法之名而令他領受；若說法的菩薩已入實法之門，以德力的緣故，受而無所染污。又以三事的緣故領受這五欲：以方便力的緣故，想要令眾生種善根的緣故，想要與眾生同其事的緣故。你在這其中不要生起污濁之心，應當起清淨之想！自己念說：『我還不知道漚和拘舍羅，大師以方便之法，為了度脫眾生、令他們得福德的緣故，領受這些欲，於智慧之中無著無礙，不被欲所染。』善男子！就應當觀諸法實相！所謂諸法實相，就是一切法不垢不淨。為什麼呢？一切法自性空，無眾生、無人、無我，一切法如幻、如夢、如響、如影、如炎、如化。善男子！觀了這諸法實相之後，應當隨順法師，你不久當成就般若波羅蜜。再者，善男子！你應當再覺知魔事：若說法的菩薩見到想要領受般若波羅蜜的人，心意不加存念，你不應當起怨恨之心；你只應當為法的緣故恭敬，不要起厭倦懈怠之意，常應當隨逐法師。」 tr. "You, good man! Do not follow the Dharma teacher out of a mind for worldly gain and offerings; only out of love of the Dharma and reverence for the Dharma follow the bodhisattva who teaches the Dharma. At that time you should be aware of the deeds of Māra. Evil Māra may produce the causes and conditions of the five desires for the bodhisattva who teaches the Dharma, borrowing the name of the Dharma to make him receive them; if the bodhisattva who teaches the Dharma has already entered the gate of the real Dharma, then because of the power of his virtue he receives them and is not defiled by them. Further, he receives these five desires for three reasons: because of the power of skilful means; because he wishes to cause beings to plant roots of goodness; and because he wishes to share an endeavour with beings. Toward this you should not give rise to a turbid mind; you should raise the notion of purity! Say to yourself: ‘I do not yet know upāya-kauśalya; the great teacher, by the dharma of skilful means, for the sake of delivering beings and causing them to obtain merit, receives these desires, and within wisdom he is without clinging and without obstruction, and is not stained by desire.’ Good man! Then you should contemplate the real mark of all dharmas! The real mark of all dharmas means that all dharmas are neither stained nor pure. Why? All dharmas are empty of self-nature, without beings, without a person, and non-self; all dharmas are like an illusion, like a dream, like an echo, like a shadow, like a mirage, like a conjuration. Good man! Having contemplated this real mark of all dharmas, you should follow the Dharma teacher, and before long you will accomplish prajñāpāramitā. Further, good man! You should again be aware of the deeds of Māra: if the bodhisattva who teaches the Dharma, seeing a person who wishes to receive prajñāpāramitā, pays him no heed in his mind, you should not raise a resentful mind; you should only be reverent for the sake of the Dharma, not give rise to thoughts of weariness and slackness, and always follow the Dharma teacher."’

What follows is the treatise's explanation.

Treatise ①: Explaining Why the Jātaka Scripture Is Taken as Proof; the Distinction between the Deep Mind and the Soft Mind of Bodhisattvas New to the Training; the Names of the Buddha Great Thunder-Sound and of the Bodhisattva-mahāsattva; Three Explanations of How Sadāprarudita Got His Name; What Voice the Voice in the Sky Was, and the Simile of the Spirit Mibo Showing the Way; a Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation from "Do Not Think of Weariness" to "Do Not Destroy the Mark of the Body"; the Three Vows, Accepting the Teaching, and Responding on Hearing the Voice; Why the Three Gates of Liberation, Though Included in Prajñā, Are Spoken of Separately; Why He Is Further Taught to Draw Near to the Good Friend; Giving Rise to the Notion of a Buddha toward the Teacher, and Raising No Resentment on Seeing the Teacher's Faults

The treatise-author explains:

In the previous chapter it was said: ‘How is a bodhisattva who has newly aroused the mind to be taught the dharma of the emptiness of nature?’ For the dharma of the emptiness of nature is ultimately without anything existent and empty, hard to understand and hard to obtain.

The Buddha answered: ‘Were dharmas existent before and non-existent now?’

The Buddha's meaning is: the dharma of the emptiness of nature is not hard to obtain or hard to know. Why? From the first it has always been non-existent; there is nothing new and strange; why are you alarmed in mind and say that it is hard to obtain? Although this dharma of the emptiness of nature is very deep, if only the bodhisattva can with one mind diligently exert vigour, not sparing body or life, and seek it with one mind in this way, then it can be obtained. Here, therefore, the jātaka of Sadāprarudita is told as proof.

The Buddha-Dharma has the twelve divisions of the scriptures; some people are delivered through the sūtra, the verse scriptures, or the jātaka scriptures; now the Buddha takes the jātaka scriptures as proof. If there are hearers, they have this thought: ‘That person could obtain it; I too should obtain it.’ Therefore the causes and conditions of the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita's jātaka are told.

The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘A bodhisattva seeking prajñāpāramitā should be like Sadāprarudita.’

The treatise-author asks:

If prajñāpāramitā is signless and is ultimate emptiness, then even by practising meditative concentration it is still hard to obtain; how much less can it be obtained by grieving and weeping and seeking it with a scattered mind!

The treatise-author answers:

Sadāprarudita is told for the sake of bodhisattvas who have newly aroused the mind.

The treatise-author asks:

If Sadāprarudita had newly aroused the mind, how could the buddhas of the ten directions appear before him, and how did he obtain the samādhis? He did not spare his body, and moreover he saw Dharmodgata and further obtained immeasurable asaṃkhyeya samādhis; how can he still be called one who has newly aroused the mind?

The treatise-author answers:

Bodhisattvas new to the training are of two kinds: first, those who in their deep mind greedily cling to worldly pleasure and arouse intent with a soft mind; second, those who arouse intent with a deep mind and do not greedily cling to worldly pleasure. One who arouses intent with a soft mind the Buddha does not count as having aroused the mind; one who arouses intent with a deep mind is alone named as having aroused the mind. It is as in the śrāvaka dharma, where the Buddha told two bhikṣus: ‘In my Dharma there is not even so much as a hair's breadth of the dharma of warmth.’ The Buddha regards this dharma of warmth as most minute, while ordinary people regard it as great; just as a king, seeing a single piece of fine cotton cloth, does not take it as much, while a poor person seeing it takes it as much. Because with one mind he did not spare his body, Sadāprarudita is told as proof.

The treatise-author asks:

If the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita could perform such austerities and obtain the samādhis from Dharmodgata, he should have become a Buddha; why is he now still cultivating the bodhisattva's practice in the presence of the Buddha Great Thunder-Sound?

The treatise-author answers:

The Buddha-Dharma is immeasurable and boundless; if even by cultivating the practice of austerities for thousands of myriads of asaṃkhyeya kalpas it is still unfindable, how much less by Sadāprarudita's austerities of one lifetime!

Further, there are bodhisattvas who are complete in the bodhisattva path, the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, and the rest, yet for the sake of beings dwell in the world and have not taken the limit of reality, such as Mañjuśrī and others; Sadāprarudita may perhaps also be like this, and therefore has not become a Buddha.

The samādhis of a bodhisattva are as many as the atoms in the lands of the ten directions; how could the sixty thousand samādhis that Sadāprarudita obtained count as many!

The Buddha Great Thunder-Sound: it should be like a great nāga king about to send down rain, who shakes forth the sound of great thunder, and crows, sparrows, and small creatures are all afraid; when this Buddha first turned the Dharma wheel, the beings of the ten directions all aroused the mind, and those of the outside paths and of wrong views were all terrified and subdued; therefore gods, humans, and beings called this Buddha Great Thunder-Sound. This Buddha is present now.

Subhūti asks: ‘How did the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Sadāprarudita seek prajñāpāramitā?’

The treatise-author asks:

Sadāprarudita had not yet obtained the state of avaivartika; why is he called a bodhisattva-mahāsattva?

The treatise-author answers:

Because there are great bodhisattvas, the small ones too are called great. Further, because, although he had not yet obtained real wisdom, he could deeply bind his thought to prajñāpāramitā, and because he did not spare body or life and had great merit, he too is called a bodhisattva-mahāsattva.

The treatise-author asks:

Why is he named 「薩陀波崙」 tr. "Sadāprarudita"? Is it a name his parents made for him? Or is it a name obtained from causes and conditions?

The treatise-author answers:

Someone says: Because as a small child he liked to weep, he was named Ever Weeping.

Someone says: Because this bodhisattva practised the mind of great compassion and was soft, he saw beings in an evil age, poor, old and sick, grieved and suffering, and wept for them in sorrow; therefore the crowd called him 「薩陀波崙」 tr. "Sadāprarudita".

Someone says: For the sake of seeking the Buddha path, this bodhisattva was far from the crowds of people; in a secluded place he sought the seclusion of the mind, reflected and weighed with one mind, and diligently sought the Buddha path; at that time there was no Buddha in the world. This bodhisattva had practised the mind of kindness and compassion life after life, and because of a small cause and condition he was born in an age without a Buddha. This person, with a compassionate mind toward beings, wished to be vigorous without losing it, and therefore was in a secluded forest. This person, through the causes and conditions of merit from former lives, together with the one mind, the great desire, and the great vigour of this present life—because of these two kinds of causes and conditions—heard the voice of teaching in the sky, which before long ceased. Then he thought in his mind: ‘Why did I not ask?’ Because of this cause and condition he grieved and wept for seven days and seven nights. Because of this the gods, nāgas, and spirits called him Ever Weeping.

The Buddha answers Subhūti: ‘In a past age there was the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, who did not spare body or life and did not covet wealth or gain.’

As for ‘when he sought prajñāpāramitā, in a secluded forest he heard the voice in the sky, and came into an empty forest’, it is as said above.

The treatise-author asks:

What voice was the voice in the sky?

The treatise-author answers:

Perhaps the buddhas, bodhisattvas, gods, or nāga kings, out of pity for beings, seeing that this person did not greedily cling to worldly dharmas and sought the Buddha path with one mind, and because at that time there was no Buddha-Dharma, wishing to show him the causes and conditions for obtaining prajñā, sent forth a voice in the sky.

Someone says: It was a person with good causes and conditions with Sadāprarudita from former lives, who was a spirit in this forest and saw his grief and suffering. Because he had causes and conditions with him from former lives, and moreover this spirit too was seeking the Buddha path—because of these two kinds of causes and conditions he sent forth the voice.

It is as when the brahmin Mibo, for the sake of Sudatta, went to Rājagṛha and visited the house of a great elder to seek a wife for his son: Mibo, among the great assembly of brahmins in Rājagṛha, ate and drank to excess, his belly swelled, and he died; he became a spirit and dwelt above the city gate of Rājagṛha. Sudatta, hearing that this brahmin had died, went himself to the elder's house to lodge. The elder rose in the last watch of the night and prepared food and drink. Sudatta asked: ‘What is your business? Do you wish to take a wife or give a daughter in marriage? Do you wish to invite a great king to a feast? Or is it for a gathering of the town? Why are you managing affairs so hurriedly?’ The elder answered: ‘I wish to invite the Buddha and the Saṅgha to a meal.’ Sudatta, hearing the name of the Buddha, was so startled and glad that his hair stood on end. The elder had already obtained the traces of the path, and spoke widely to him of the Buddha's merit. Sudatta, having heard it, felt love and delight of the deepest kind, and longed to see the Buddha. Carried by the mind of recollecting the Buddha he dozed a little; because his feeling of recollecting the Buddha was deep, he woke in a moment, and seeing the moonlight in the night he took it for sunrise, rose at once and hurried toward the city gate, and saw that the city gate was already open—the city gates of Rājagṛha are not closed in the first watch of the night, for the sake of guests arriving, and are opened early in the last watch, for the sake of guests departing. Having seen the gate open, he went straight toward the Buddha. The Buddha was then dwelling in the Cold Forest. Halfway along the road the moon set and it became dark again; Sudatta was regretful and hesitant in mind, and wished to go back into the city. At this moment the spirit Mibo emitted light from his body, illuminating the woods and fields, and told him: ‘Householder! Householder! Do not be frightened, do not be afraid; go straight on and do not turn back—going on, you will obtain great benefit!’ It is as told at length in the verses of that sūtra. Sudatta saw the Buddha and obtained the path of the srota-āpanna; in the city of Śrāvastī he invited the Buddha and the Saṅgha to a meal, and made offerings to them for the rest of his life. The Buddha had Śāriputra act as Sudatta's teacher and build a monastic dwelling in Śrāvastī. Just as the spirit who was Sudatta's good friend showed him and guided him, so too the good friend of Sadāprarudita showed him and guided him; therefore, seeing his grief and suffering, it showed and guided him, speaking these words: ‘Good man! Go east from here; as you go, do not think of weariness and the rest.’

The treatise-author asks:

When weariness, hunger, and thirst press in together upon the body, how can one not think of them?

The treatise-author answers:

Because of the power of great desire and vigour, with one mind he loves and delights in the Buddha path and does not spare body or life. Rest, food and drink, and the like are all dharmas that aid the body. Though these things come, he does not let them disturb his mind, knowing that they are all false, deceptive, and impermanent, without reality, like an enemy, like a thief, merely for the comfort of the body; how are they worth keeping in mind! Do not abandon the Buddha path for the sake of hunger, thirst, weariness, and the like!

As for saying 「莫念晝夜」 tr. "do not think of day and night": it means not to think: ‘The daytime is the dharma for walking the path; at night one should stop and rest.’ In fact there is no day or night; why? The sun depends on Sumeru; because it is screened by the shadow, it is named night.

As for saying 「莫念內外」 tr. "do not think of inside and outside": beings mostly greedily cling to inner dharmas. Inner dharmas are named the body; outer dharmas are named the five desires. Inner and outer dharmas are not fixed; because they are empty of self-nature, one should not greedily cling to them. As for saying 「莫觀左右」 tr. "do not look left or right": because people walk the path with a scattered mind, they look round to left and right; the practitioner has no occasion to look behind him, and what is in front he cannot help seeing, so it only says not to look round to left and right. Further, evil Māra often deludes and disturbs the practitioner, sometimes taking all kinds of shapes, sometimes making beautiful forms, sometimes making fearsome beasts, on the left and right of the road; therefore it says not to look. All these stop his coarse thoughts. As for saying 「莫壞身相」 tr. "do not destroy the mark of the body", do not destroy the mark of form, and the other marks: because of the coming together of the five aggregates, it is provisionally named a body. If one says there is a separate and definitely existing dharma of the body, this destroys the mark of the body; if one greedily clings to the dharma of no body, this too destroys the mark of the body. Leaving these extremes of one and different, existence and non-existence, and the like, and practising the middle way, one swiftly obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Therefore it says not to destroy the mark of the body and the rest. Here the Buddha himself states the causes and conditions: ‘If one destroys these marks, one has an obstruction in the Buddha-Dharma; one who has an obstruction in the Buddha-Dharma goes and comes within the births and deaths of the five destinies, and cannot obtain prajñāpāramitā.’

Sadāprarudita answers the voice in the sky and himself states the causes and conditions, namely: ‘Sadāprarudita sees all beings fallen into the darkness of ignorance; I wish to kindle for them the light of wisdom; all beings have all the afflictions; I wish to set out for them the medicine of all the dharmas of the Buddha; all beings have fallen into wrong paths; for the sake of these beings I seek the unsurpassed path.’

These three kinds of vow can be made complete when prajñāpāramitā is obtained; therefore it says that he accepts the teaching.

The treatise-author asks:

Sadāprarudita did not see its form and only heard its voice; why does he at once say that he accepts the teaching?

The treatise-author answers:

Because what a person seeks is urgent, on hearing a voice he responds at once; Sadāprarudita too was like this. Further, hearing that the principle it spoke was good, he knew that the speaker too was good, and so there was no need to see with the eyes; just as in the dark there are all kinds of beings, and though the eye does not see them, hearing their sounds one knows their kinds.

At that time the voice in the sky again praised him, saying: ‘Excellent!’

Because, though he did not see its form, he could believe and accept good words. And because, wishing to deliver all beings, he sought anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi and his mind was not slack and did not stop. Because of such causes and conditions as these, it praised him, saying ‘Excellent’.

As for saying 「於三解脫門中應生信心」 tr. "toward the three gates of liberation you should give rise to faith": these gates are the gates by which one enters the real mark of all dharmas; apart from these three gates, all is false and deceptive, without reality. Though you have not yet obtained them, you should give rise to the power of the great faculty of faith; because of the power of the faculty of faith, you will little by little be complete in the faculties. As for saying 「以離相心求般若波羅蜜」 tr. "seek prajñāpāramitā with a mind apart from marks": this means contemplating all dharmas as ultimately empty, apart from the mark of beings and apart from the mark of dharmas.

The treatise-author asks:

Are the three gates of liberation included within prajñā? If they are included within it, why are they spoken of separately? If they are not included within it, why does the sūtra say: ‘All dharmas that aid the path are included within prajñā?’

The treatise-author answers:

All dharmas enter into prajñā. People all fear suffering and therefore seek liberation; so within the portion of prajñā the three gates of liberation are spoken of first. By what causes and conditions is this liberation obtained? By leaving the pairs of extremes—namely the mark of beings and the mark of dharmas—and practising prajñāpāramitā.

The treatise-author asks:

At first he was taught 「精進」 tr. "vigour", and afterwards he was taught 「三解脫門、般若」 tr. "the three gates of liberation and prajñā"; now for what reason is he further taught to draw near to the good friend?

The treatise-author answers:

Although there is a good dharma, if there is no one to teach it, one goes wrong often in practising it; just as, though there is good medicine, one still needs a good physician. Further, Sadāprarudita was a bodhisattva who had newly aroused the mind, and prajñāpāramitā is very deep; how could he, merely by hearing a brief teaching from the sky, be complete in it by himself? Therefore he is taught to draw near to the good friend.

The meaning of the good friend is as said before. Now two marks of the good friend are briefly told: first, he teaches people to tend with one mind toward sarvajñā; second, he teaches the dharma of prajñāpāramitā—emptiness, the signless, non-action, non-arising, non-ceasing, and the rest.

If one can practise thus, before long one obtains prajñāpāramitā; just as when a physician tells a sick person the method of taking medicine, if you can take it according to the method, the illness is cured.

As for saying 「若從經卷聞，從菩薩說聞」 tr. "whether hearing from scrolls of the sūtra, or hearing from what a bodhisattva says": he is sending Sadāprarudita to the presence of the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, where there are two places in which prajñā is found: first, the writing on golden tablets upon the jewelled dais; second, what Dharmodgata says. A person of much merit hears it from what Dharmodgata says; one of little merit hears it from the scrolls of the sūtra. Toward the teacher one gives rise to the notion of a Buddha, because he can teach the causes and conditions of the Buddha path. Petty people of the world, once the matter for which they needed someone is finished, forget his kindness and good turn, and have this thought: ‘It is like a person crossing water in a boat; having reached the other shore, what use is the boat any more?’ Therefore it says: ‘You should know the debt of kindness! You should have this thought: 「所從聽聞般若的，就是我的善知識。」 tr. "The one from whom I hear prajñā is my good friend."’

Among all benefits, the benefit of prajñā is the most excellent; practising this prajñā, one swiftly obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi and is non-retrogressing. Further, because of the causes and conditions of practising prajñā, one draws near to the buddhas, is always born in lands where there is a Buddha, is far from the eight difficulties, and meets with a Buddha in the world. The bodhisattva should have this thought: ‘The merits such as these that I obtain are all obtained from prajñā; prajñāpāramitā is obtained from a teacher; therefore I regard the teacher with the notion of a Buddha.’

One who can proclaim prajñāpāramitā has great merit, has many acquaintances, and receives many offerings; disciples at first follow him for the sake of prajñā, and afterwards little by little for the sake of the gain of offerings. Therefore it says: ‘Do not follow the Dharma teacher for the sake of worldly gain.’

The treatise-author asks:

Why does it not merely say to draw near to the good friend, but tells these various causes and conditions?

The treatise-author answers:

Because there are people who, having found a good friend, cannot grasp his intent, but on the contrary turn it into enmity and fall into hell, slandering one another. Only the Buddha alone is without fault; among all others, who can be without it? If a disciple sees the teacher's faults, whether real or unreal, his own mind is spoiled, and he can no longer obtain the benefit of the Dharma. Therefore the voice in the sky taught: ‘If you see the teacher's faults, do not raise resentment! You should have this thought: 「我先世的福德不具足的緣故，不得值遇佛，如今值遇這雜行之師；我不應當念他的過失，而自己妨礙、失去般若！師父的過失，不繫著於我，我只從師父領受般若波羅蜜之法。」 tr. "Because my merit from former lives was not complete, I did not get to meet a Buddha, and now I meet this teacher of mixed conduct; I should not think of his faults and so hinder myself and lose prajñā! The teacher's faults do not attach to me; I only receive from the teacher the dharma of prajñāpāramitā."’

As when a dog-skin bag holds fine jewels, one should not discard the jewels within because of the bag; as when a criminal holds a torch to light the road, one may not, because the person has committed a crime, refuse his light and fall oneself into the ditch; and again, as when on a journey a lowly person is sent to lead the way, one may not, because the person is lowly, refuse to follow his words. For such causes and conditions as these, one should not be far from the teacher. Even if the teacher really has committed a crime, one still should not leave him; how much less when here it is causes and conditions made by Māra, causing the one who teaches the Dharma to have deep and wondrous five desires! So that disciples do not become stained and attached to dharmas, the one who teaches the Dharma, by reason of skilful means, shows himself receiving them. What is called skilful means is wishing to cause beings to plant the causes and conditions of merit, and also taking in beings through shared endeavour.

Further, there are bodhisattvas who, because they penetrate the real mark of all dharmas, are without obstruction and without fault or offence; though they commit a fault or offence, it does no harm. It is like a person in the prime of strength with great heat in his belly: though he eats unsuitable food and drink, it cannot make him ill; and again, like a good medicine: though evil poison is added to it, the poison cannot harm it. Because of such causes and conditions as these, it says: ‘Toward your teacher, do not raise resentment and so lose prajñā yourself!’ It is as said in the sūtra.

Further, there is the one who teaches the Dharma who keeps the precepts purely, is far from the five desires, has much knowledge and many acquaintances, has a good reputation, and is of awesome virtue and honoured; when a disciple receives his Dharma and he pays the disciple no attention: ‘Toward this you should not give rise to resentment! You should have this thought: 「我宿世有罪的緣故，如今成為小人，師父並不輕視我，是我自己沒有福，不能得道。又我在師父那裡，應當破除憍慢以求法利。」 tr. "Because of my offences in former lives I have now become a petty person; the teacher does not look down on me; it is I myself who have no merit and cannot obtain the path. Further, toward the teacher I should break down arrogance in order to seek the benefit of the Dharma."’

There are teachers of all these kinds; the bodhisattva, for the sake of seeking prajñāpāramitā, is only reverent with one mind, and should not think of their strengths and shortcomings. If one can be patient in this way, and with one mind toward the teacher raise no increase or decrease, then from the teacher one obtains the wondrous Dharma entirely; like a whole and sound vessel, which does not leak what it receives.

‘After Sadāprarudita heard the voice in the sky, he went east from here’, as is told at length in the sūtra.

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

This fascicle is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the remainder of the eighty-eighth chapter, "Sadāprarudita"—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: Having Received the Teaching He Goes East, Forgets to Ask Where to Go, and Weeps for Seven Days and Seven Nights Without Rising

Continuing from the previous fascicle, the Buddha goes on to tell Subhūti the jātaka of the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita seeking prajñāpāramitā:

‘At that time the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, having received this teaching from the sky, went east from there. Before he had gone far, he again had this thought: 「我為什麼不問一問空中的聲音：『我應當往何處去？所去的路途是遠是近？應當從誰聽聞般若波羅蜜？』」 tr. "Why did I not ask the voice in the sky: ‘Where should I go? Is the road I am to travel far or near? From whom should I hear prajñāpāramitā?’" At this time he stopped right where he was, weeping, sorrowing, and grieving, and gave rise to this oath in his thought: 「我住在這裡，經過一日一夜，或者二日、三日、四日、五日、六日、七日七夜，不顧念疲倦困極，乃至不顧念飢渴、寒熱，若不能聽聞、聽受般若波羅蜜的因緣，我終究不起身！」 tr. "I shall stay here—through one day and one night, or two days, three days, four days, five days, six days, or seven days and seven nights—without heeding weariness and exhaustion, and so on up to without heeding hunger and thirst, cold and heat; if I cannot hear and receive the causes and conditions of prajñāpāramitā, I shall never rise!"’

‘Subhūti! It is as if a person had only one son, and he suddenly died; grieved and in bitter pain, he harbours in his mind only anguish and gives rise to no other thought. Just so, Subhūti! The bodhisattva Sadāprarudita at that time had no other mind; he thought only: 「我什麼時候才能得聞般若波羅蜜？我為什麼不問一問空中的聲音：『我應當往何處去？所去的路途是遠是近？應當從誰聽聞般若波羅蜜？』」 tr. "When shall I be able to hear prajñāpāramitā? Why did I not ask the voice in the sky: ‘Where should I go? Is the road I am to travel far or near? From whom should I hear prajñāpāramitā?’"’

Sūtra ② (continued): A Buddha Appears in the Sky and Says ‘Excellent’, and Points Him East Five Hundred Yojanas to a City Named Many Fragrances

‘Subhūti! While the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita was thinking thus in his sorrow, there was a Buddha in the sky who said to the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita: 「善哉！善哉！善男子！過去諸佛行菩薩道的時候，求般若波羅蜜，也像你今日這樣。善男子！你因為這樣勤行精進、愛樂於法的緣故，從這裡往東而行，離此五百由旬，有一座城名叫眾香。」 tr. "Excellent! Excellent! Good man! When the buddhas of the past practised the bodhisattva path and sought prajñāpāramitā, they too were as you are today. Good man! Because you practise vigour so diligently and love and delight in the Dharma, go east from here; five hundred yojanas from here there is a city named Many Fragrances."’

‘「那城有七重，以七寶莊嚴；臺觀、欄楯，都以七寶校飾；七寶所成的城塹，七寶所成的行樹，周匝環繞著七重。那城縱橫十二由旬，豐饒安樂、安靜無擾，人民興盛。城中有五百市里，街巷彼此相當，端嚴得如同畫出來的一般；橋梁渡口平整如地，寬廣清淨。」 tr. "That city is sevenfold, adorned with the seven jewels; its terraces and lookouts and its railings are all ornamented with the seven jewels; moats made of the seven jewels and rows of trees made of the seven jewels surround it all round in seven layers. That city is twelve yojanas in length and breadth, rich and joyful, peaceful and undisturbed, its people flourishing. In the city there are five hundred market wards, their streets and lanes matching one another, upright and beautiful as if painted; its bridges and fords are level as the ground, broad and clean."’

‘「七重城牆之上，都有七寶樓櫓，寶樹成行排列，以黃金、白銀、車𤦲、馬瑙、珊瑚、琉璃、頗梨、紅色真珠作為枝葉。寶繩連綿相接，以黃金作成鈴網，覆蓋在城上。風吹動鈴聲，那音聲和雅，娛樂眾生；譬如巧妙地奏作五種音樂，甚可喜悅。」 tr. "On the seven walls there are everywhere towers and turrets of the seven jewels, and jewelled trees standing in rows, with gold, silver, giant clam, agate, coral, beryl, sphaṭika, and red pearls as their branches and leaves. Jewelled cords join one to another, and nets of bells made of gold cover the city. When the wind stirs the bells, their sound is harmonious and refined and delights beings; it is like the five kinds of music skilfully played, exceedingly delightful."’

‘「那城的四邊，流池清淨，冷暖調適；池中有種種船，以七寶嚴飾。這些眾生由宿世之業所招致，乘著這寶船娛樂遊戲。諸池水中有種種蓮華——青的、黃的、赤的、白的，眾多雜色的好華遍覆在水面上；這三千大千世界所有的眾華，都在其中。」 tr. "On the four sides of that city are flowing pools, clear and pure, cool and warm in due measure; in the pools there are all kinds of boats, adorned with the seven jewels. These beings, by what their deeds of former lives have brought about, ride these jewelled boats in pleasure and play. In the waters of the pools there are all kinds of lotus flowers—blue, yellow, red, and white—fine flowers of many mingled colours covering the surface of the water everywhere; all the flowers there are in this three-thousand great-thousand world are within them."’

‘「那城的四邊有五百座園觀，以七寶莊嚴，甚可愛樂。每一座園中，各有五百個池，池各縱橫十里，都以七寶校成，雜色莊嚴。諸池水中也有青、黃、赤、白的蓮華彌覆在水面上；那些蓮華大如車輪，青色的放青光、黃色的放黃光、赤色的放赤光、白色的放白光。諸池水中有鳧、鴈、鴛鴦，以及異類的眾鳥，音聲彼此相和。這些園觀恰恰不屬於任何人所有，是這些眾生由宿世之業所招致——他們長夜信樂深法，因行般若波羅蜜的緣故，受這樣的果報。」 tr. "On the four sides of that city there are five hundred parks, adorned with the seven jewels, exceedingly lovely and delightful. In each park there are five hundred pools, each pool ten li in length and breadth, all made of the seven jewels, adorned with mingled colours. In the waters of the pools too there are blue, yellow, red, and white lotus flowers spread over the surface of the water; those lotus flowers are as large as cartwheels: the blue ones give off blue light, the yellow ones give off yellow light, the red ones give off red light, the white ones give off white light. In the waters of the pools there are wild ducks, wild geese, mandarin ducks, and flocks of birds of other kinds, their voices answering one another in harmony. These parks belong to no one at all; they are what these beings' deeds of former lives have brought about—through the long night they have believed in and delighted in the deep Dharma, and because they practised prajñāpāramitā, they receive such retribution."’

Sūtra ② (continued): The Palace of the Bodhisattva Dharmodgata on a Great High Terrace in the City of Many Fragrances; the Four Parks and the Eight Pools

‘「善男子！這眾香城中有一座大高臺，曇無竭菩薩摩訶薩的宮舍就在臺上。那宮舍縱橫一由旬，都以七寶校成，雜色莊嚴，甚可喜樂。垣牆七重，也都是七寶；七重欄楯，七寶樓閣；寶塹七重，也都是七寶；周圍的深塹，以七寶累疊而成；七重行樹，七寶為其枝葉，七重圍繞著。」 tr. "Good man! In this City of Many Fragrances there is a great high terrace, and the palace of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata is on the terrace. That palace is one yojana in length and breadth, all made of the seven jewels, adorned with mingled colours, exceedingly delightful. Its walls are sevenfold, and they too are all of the seven jewels; seven rows of railings, towers and pavilions of the seven jewels; jewelled moats in seven layers, and they too are all of the seven jewels; the deep moat around it is built up of the seven jewels; seven rows of trees, with the seven jewels as their branches and leaves, surround it in seven layers."’

‘「那宮舍之中，有四種娛樂園：第一名叫常喜，第二名叫離憂，第三名叫華飾，第四名叫香飾。每一座園中各有八個池：第一名叫賢，第二名叫賢上，第三名叫歡喜，第四名叫喜上，第五名叫安隱，第六名叫多安隱，第七名叫遠離，第八名叫阿鞞跋致。」 tr. "Within that palace there are four kinds of pleasure parks: the first is named Ever Joyful, the second is named Free from Sorrow, the third is named Flower Adornment, the fourth is named Fragrance Adornment. In each park there are eight pools: the first is named Worthy, the second is named Supreme Worthy, the third is named Joy, the fourth is named Supreme Joy, the fifth is named Peace and Security, the sixth is named Much Peace and Security, the seventh is named Separation, the eighth is named Avaivartika."’

‘「諸池的四邊，每一面各用一種寶——黃金、白銀、琉璃、頗梨；以玟㻁作為池底，其上鋪布金沙。每一個池側有八道梯陛，用種種妙寶作為嚴飾；諸梯陛之間，有閻浮檀金所成的芭蕉行樹。一切池中有種種蓮華——青的、黃的、赤的、白的，彌覆在水面上；諸池的四邊，生長著好華樹，風吹諸華，墮落在池水之中。那池成就八種功德，其香如同栴檀，顏色與滋味都具足。」 tr. "On the four sides of the pools, each side is of one kind of jewel—gold, silver, beryl, sphaṭika; meigui jade forms the bottom of the pool, and golden sand is spread over it. Beside each pool there are eight flights of steps, adorned with all kinds of wondrous jewels; between the flights of steps there are rows of plantain trees made of jambūnada gold. In all the pools there are all kinds of lotus flowers—blue, yellow, red, and white—spread over the surface of the water; on the four sides of the pools grow fine flowering trees, and when the wind blows the flowers, they fall into the water of the pools. That pool is complete with eight kinds of merit; its fragrance is like sandalwood, and its colour and flavour are both complete."’

Sūtra ② (continued): Dharmodgata Takes His Pleasure Together with the Court Maidens and Teaches Prajñā Three Times a Day; in the Great Assembly They Hear, Receive, Write, and Recite

‘「曇無竭菩薩與六萬八千婇女，五欲具足，共相娛樂；以及城中的男女一同進入常喜等四園、賢等八池之中，五欲具足，共相娛樂。善男子！曇無竭菩薩與諸婇女遊戲娛樂之後，每日三時宣說般若波羅蜜。」 tr. "The bodhisattva Dharmodgata, with sixty-eight thousand court maidens, complete with the five desires, takes his pleasure together with them; and the men and women of the city together enter the four parks such as Ever Joyful and the eight pools such as Worthy, complete with the five desires, taking their pleasure together. Good man! After the bodhisattva Dharmodgata has played and taken his pleasure with the court maidens, three times every day he teaches prajñāpāramitā."’

‘「眾香城內的男女大小，在那城中人眾多聚之處敷設大法座。那座有四足，或以黃金、或以白銀、或以琉璃、或以頗梨所成，敷上綩綖，鋪著雜色的茵褥，垂下種種幃帶；以妙好的白㲲覆蓋在上面，散上種種雜妙的花香；座高五里，張設白珠所成的帳。那池的四邊，散著五色的花，燒著眾多名香，以澤香塗地——這都是為了供養、恭敬般若波羅蜜的緣故。」 tr. "The men and women, great and small, within the City of Many Fragrances set out a great Dharma seat in the place in that city where people gather in great numbers. That seat has four legs, made either of gold, or of silver, or of beryl, or of sphaṭika; embroidered coverlets are spread on it, cushions of mingled colours are laid on it, and all kinds of curtains and sashes are hung from it; it is covered over with fine white cotton cloth, and all kinds of mingled wondrous flowers and incense are scattered on it; the seat is five li high, and a canopy made of white pearls is set up over it. On the four sides of that pool flowers of five colours are scattered, many famous incenses are burnt, and the ground is smeared with perfumed ointment—all this for the sake of making offerings to and revering prajñāpāramitā."’

‘「曇無竭菩薩在這座上宣說般若波羅蜜；那些人眾這樣恭敬供養曇無竭，是為了聽聞般若波羅蜜的緣故。於是大會百千萬眾，諸天與世人在一處和合聚集，其中有聽的，有受的，有持的，有誦的，有書寫的，有正觀的，有如說而行的。當這個時候，眾生以這樣的因緣，都不墮惡道，於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不退轉。」 tr. "The bodhisattva Dharmodgata teaches prajñāpāramitā on this seat; that those people so revere and make offerings to Dharmodgata is for the sake of hearing prajñāpāramitā. Thereupon a great assembly of hundreds of thousands of myriads—gods and people of the world—gathers together in one place; among them there are some who hear, some who receive, some who hold, some who recite, some who write out, some who rightly contemplate, and some who practise as it is taught. At this time, by these causes and conditions, none of these beings falls into the evil destinies, and they are non-retrogressing from anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi."’

Sūtra ② (continued): He Is Urged to Go to Dharmodgata—Life After Life He Is Your Good Friend

‘「你，善男子！前往趣向曇無竭菩薩，當可聽聞般若波羅蜜。善男子！曇無竭菩薩世世都是你的善知識，能教導你阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，為你開示、教導、利益、令喜。這曇無竭菩薩本來求般若波羅蜜的時候，也像你如今這樣。你去吧，不要計較晝夜，不要生起障礙之心，你不久就當得聞般若波羅蜜！」 tr. "You, good man, go to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, and you shall hear prajñāpāramitā. Good man! Life after life the bodhisattva Dharmodgata has been your good friend; he can teach you anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and show you, teach you, benefit you, and gladden you. This bodhisattva Dharmodgata, when he originally sought prajñāpāramitā, was also as you are now. Go, and do not reckon day and night, do not give rise to a mind of obstruction; before long you shall hear prajñāpāramitā!"’

Sūtra ② (continued): Glad and Delighted, with a Single Thought He Seeks to See Him; the Simile of the Poisoned Arrow and Severing All Minds of Existence

‘At that time the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Sadāprarudita, glad and delighted in mind, had this thought: when shall I be able to see this good man and hear prajñāpāramitā? Subhūti! It is as if a person were struck by a poisoned arrow and had no other thought, thinking only: when shall I be able to meet a good physician, to draw out the poisoned arrow and remove this pain of mine? Just so, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva Sadāprarudita had no other thought, and made only this vow: when shall I be able to see the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, so that I may hear prajñāpāramitā? When I hear this prajñāpāramitā, I shall sever every mind that clings to existence.’

Sūtra ② (continued): Abiding in Thought of Dharmodgata He Obtains Unobstructed Knowledge and Vision, Enters Immeasurable Samādhi Gates, and Sees the Buddhas of the Ten Directions

‘At this time the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, standing right in this place and thinking of the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, having obtained unobstructed knowledge and vision within all dharmas, at once obtained immeasurable samādhi gates present before him, namely: the samādhi of contemplating the nature of dharmas, the samādhi of the nature of dharmas being unfindable, the samādhi of breaking the ignorance of dharmas, the samādhi of dharmas not being different, the samādhi of dharmas being indestructible and sovereign, the samādhi of being able to illuminate dharmas, the samādhi of dharmas being free from darkness, the samādhi of the continuity of dharmas without difference, the samādhi of dharmas being unfindable, the samādhi of scattering flowers, the samādhi of the non-self of dharmas, the samādhi of illusion-like majestic power, the samādhi of obtaining the likeness of mirror images, the samādhi of obtaining the languages of all beings, the samādhi of the joy of all beings, the samādhi of entering into the discrimination of sounds, the samādhi of obtaining the adornment of all kinds of words, letters, and phrases, the samādhi of fearlessness, the samādhi of a nature ever silent, the samādhi of obtaining unobstructed liberation, the samādhi of being free from dust and defilement, the samādhi of the adornment of names, words, and phrases, the samādhi of seeing dharmas, the samādhi of the unobstructed summit of dharmas, the like-space samādhi, the like-vajra samādhi, the samādhi of not fearing clinging to form, the samādhi of gaining victory, the samādhi of turning the eye, the samādhi of the culmination in the nature of dharmas, the samādhi of being able to give peace and security, the samādhi of the lion's roar, the samādhi of surpassing all beings, the samādhi of flower adornment, the samādhi of severing doubt, the samādhi of following all that is firm, the samādhi of going beyond dharmas and obtaining supernormal power and fearlessness, the samādhi of being able to penetrate dharmas, the samādhi of the wealth-seal of dharmas, the samādhi of seeing dharmas without discrimination, the samādhi of being free from all views, the samādhi of being free from all darkness, the samādhi of being free from all marks, the samādhi of liberation from all clinging, the samādhi of removing all slackness, the samādhi of obtaining the light of the deep Dharma, the samādhi that cannot be taken away, the samādhi of breaking Māra, the samādhi of not clinging to the three realms, the samādhi of giving rise to light, the samādhi of seeing the buddhas. The bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, abiding in these samādhis, at once saw immeasurable asaṃkhyeya buddhas of the ten directions teaching prajñāpāramitā for the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas.’

Treatise ②: Why He Forgot and Did Not Ask, and Why He Stayed Here Seven Days

Question: Why did Sadāprarudita forget, and not ask the voice in the sky?

Answer: Sadāprarudita forgot because great joy covered his mind; just as when people are in great sorrow or great joy, by reason of these two things they forget.

Question: The voice in the sky had already ceased; why did he stay here seven days, and not go on to seek a place where he could ask?

Answer: Just as it was because he had originally sought prajñā with one mind in a secluded place that there was a voice in the sky, so now too he wished to be of one mind as before, hoping to hear that voice again and sever the doubts in his own mind.

Further, Sadāprarudita had already relinquished worldly pleasure and entered deeply into the Buddha path, and his love and delight had reached the utmost; the voice in the sky, in telling him, only showed him briefly, and before his doubts had ever been severed, that voice had already ceased. Just as a small child who has had a little taste of something delicious, because it craves that taste, cries again wanting to get it; Sadāprarudita too was like this: having obtained the flavour of the causes and conditions of prajñāpāramitā yet unable to penetrate it, not knowing where he should go, he therefore stayed and wept.

Treatise ②: Why the Buddha's Body Appeared Only When It Came to Seven Days

Question: Why was it only when it came to seven days that the Buddha's body appeared?

Answer: It is like a person who knows the sweetness of water only because of great thirst. If it were only two or three days, his desire for vigour would not yet be deep and keen; if it went beyond seven days, it was feared that his sorrow would obstruct his mind so that he could not bear to seek the path. Therefore he sorrowed for seven days.

As for the simile, the sūtra speaks of it.

Treatise ②: Why He Sorrowed as One Who Has Lost a Beloved Son—the Causes and Conditions of the General Mark

Question: Why did Sadāprarudita sorrow to such a degree, like one who has lost a beloved son?

Answer: Prajñāpāramitā is the foremost reality among all dharmas, the real Dharma Jewel of the buddhas of the ten directions; Sadāprarudita had obtained only a little of its scent and flavour and was not yet complete with it, so he sorrowed. Just as one who has lost a beloved son thinks how, when the child had grown up, he could have accomplished many things, and hoped to obtain his help; the bodhisattva too is like this: he thinks of increasing the power of prajñāpāramitā, and once he has become avaivartika, he can then accomplish the Buddha's work.

Just as a son toward his father is filial all his life and has no other mind; prajñāpāramitā toward the bodhisattva is also like this: if he can enter it, then even until he becomes a Buddha, it is never far from him. Just as a father rejoices in his heart when he sees his son; though the bodhisattva obtains all kinds of dharmas, none gladdens him as much as seeing prajñāpāramitā. Just as a son is a name set up by borrowing; prajñāpāramitā too is like this: empty and without fixed reality, having only a provisional name. Such things as these are the causes and conditions of the general mark.

Treatise ②: The Specific Marks of the Simile of Father and Son

Though a father loves his son, he cannot give him his head and eyes; the bodhisattva, for the sake of prajñāpāramitā, through immeasurable lifetimes gives his head, eyes, marrow, and brain to beings. A son may perhaps be unable to repay his father's kindness; even if he can repay the kindness, it is no more than a small benefit in the present life, of clothing, food, pleasure, and the like; the bodhisattva within prajñāpāramitā obtains everything, even all wisdom—how much more the bodhisattva's power and might, and worldly wealth and pleasure! A son's repaying his father extends his kindness to one lifetime at most; the benefit of prajñā reaches through immeasurable lifetimes, even until becoming a Buddha. A son toward his father may be good or bad; prajñāpāramitā has none of these various faults. The son is only a provisional name, a false, deceptive, and unreal dharma; prajñāpāramitā is the real holy Dharma, without deception. Though a son repaying kindness gains a small happiness in the present life, there is the suffering of immeasurable sorrow, distress, suffering, and vexation; prajñāpāramitā gives only the real happiness of gladness, even the happiness of the Buddha. A son can only benefit his father by providing for him; he cannot free his father from birth, old age, sickness, and death; prajñāpāramitā can make the bodhisattva ultimately pure, no longer having the calamities of old age, sickness, and death. A son can only enable his father to obtain worldly happiness and be at ease; prajñāpāramitā can make the bodhisattva the lord of gods and humans in all the world. Such things as these are the marks of difference among the causes and conditions and similes of all kinds.

Worldly people all know that losing a son is sorrowful, so this matter is used as a simile.

Treatise ②: What Kind of Buddha Appeared in the Sky, and Why He Did Not Deliver Him at Once but Sent Him to Dharmodgata's Place

Question: The Buddha who appeared in the sky—what kind of Buddha was he? Why was there earlier only a voice, while now he appears in his body? Since the Buddha appeared in his body, why did he not deliver him at once, but instead send him to Dharmodgata's place?

Answer:

Someone says: That was not a true Buddha, only an image appearing—either a conjuration sent by the buddhas, or something manifested and made by a great bodhisattva.

Because his earlier roots of goodness and merit were not yet accomplished, he only heard a voice; now, because for seven days and seven nights he was mindful of the Buddha with one mind and his merit was accomplished, he was able to see the Buddha's body.

The reason the Buddha did not deliver him at once is that he had causes and conditions with Dharmodgata life after life, and should be delivered there. Just as there are people who should be delivered by Śāriputra; even if the buddhas appeared in their bodies, they could not open their understanding. The Buddha's praise, saying ‘Excellent’, was because Sadāprarudita, with utmost sincerity, sought to know where to go and sought the causes and conditions for hearing prajñā; therefore the Buddha appeared in his body and praised him, ‘Excellent’.

When the buddhas of the past practised the bodhisattva path and sought this prajñā, there were likewise all kinds of diligent hardship; because at the time of the first arousing of the mind the sinful deeds of former lives were heavy and merit was not yet accumulated. The Buddha comforted his mind, saying: although you seek prajñāpāramitā with diligent hardship, do not be slack, do not give rise to a mind of retreat and sinking! What all beings practise differs; while in the causal stage it is all suffering, and when receiving the retribution it is happiness. You should think on the retribution of the immeasurable merit of the buddhas, and use it to encourage yourself.

Having comforted him thus, he then spoke these words: Go east from here; five hundred yojanas from here there is a city named Many Fragrances; and so on up to: before long you shall hear prajñāpāramitā.

Treatise ②: Where Is the City of Many Fragrances?

Question: Where is the City of Many Fragrances?

Answer: After a Buddha of the past had passed into extinction, only his bequeathed Dharma remained; this bequeathed Dharma could not reach throughout Jambudvīpa; only to places where beings had the causes and conditions for hearing the Buddha's Dharma could the bequeathed Dharma reach. At that time the land of Many Fragrances was rich and joyful and produced the seven jewels in abundance; therefore the city was built of the seven jewels. At that time, though Sadāprarudita was likewise in Jambudvīpa, he was born in a place without the Buddha's Dharma and without the seven jewels, and had only heard by report the Buddha's name and heard by report that prajñāpāramitā is the Buddha path. Because this person had widely gathered merit in former lives and his afflictions were slight, as soon as he heard he believed and delighted in it, loathed worldly pleasure, left his relatives, went to dwell in an empty forest, and wished to go to a land where there was the Buddha's Dharma. As for showing and telling him by a voice, it was for fear that he would go elsewhere and not reach the place of the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, so he was told; afterwards the Buddha again appeared in his body for him and pointed out where he should go.

Treatise ②: The Meaning of the Name Dharmodgata—Dharma Flourishing; His Country Has No King

Question: The causes and conditions of Sadāprarudita have been fully heard above; what now are the causes and conditions of Dharmodgata?

Answer:

‘Yujiatuo’ is said in the language of this land to be ‘flourishing’; ‘Dharma’ is said in the language of this land to be ‘Dharma’. This bodhisattva, in the City of Many Fragrances, teaches the Dharma for beings according to their minds and makes beings widely plant roots of goodness; therefore he is called ‘Dharma Flourishing’. That country has no king; its people are all without clinging to I and self, like the people of Uttarakuru; they take only the bodhisattva Dharmodgata as king. That country is hard to reach; Sadāprarudita did not spare body and life, and also obtained the guidance and help of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and only so could he reach it. The great bodhisattva, for the sake of delivering beings, is born in such a country—because the beings there lack nothing, their minds are tamed and gentle, and they are easy to deliver.

Treatise ②: Is Dharmodgata in a Fleshly Body or the Dharma Body?—The Divergent Accounts of Two Schools

Question: Is the bodhisattva Dharmodgata in a fleshly body? Or is he the Dharma body, transforming into this body by supernormal power for the sake of delivering beings? If it is a transformation body, why must he use sixty thousand court maidens, parks, bathing pools, and all kinds of adornment to take his pleasure? If it is a fleshly body, how could he make Sadāprarudita's offerings all transform in the sky into a great terrace, and enter the samādhis for as long as seven years?

Answer:

Someone says: This is a bodhisattva in a fleshly body; because he has obtained the real mark of all dharmas and the power of meditative concentration and supernormal powers, he wishes to deliver the beings of this city. Just as other bodhisattvas, because of keen faculties, can both enter meditative concentration and enter the dharmas of the desire realm; for the sake of taking in beings, they receive the five desires without losing meditative concentration. Just as a person, to escape the heat, lies in mud, and on returning washes clean and is as before. Ordinary people, because of dull faculties, cannot do this. Therefore he, by supernormal power, transformed things into a flower-terrace and entered concentration for seven years; and because of the power of skilful means, he can receive the five desires, as the meaning was explained before. The bodhisattva does not practise only one kind of path; for the sake of beings he practises all kinds of paths to guide them. Just as a nāga raises clouds and can send down great rain, thunder and lightning, and thunderbolts; the bodhisattva too is like this: though he is in a fleshly body, not yet apart from the afflictions, he can cultivate wholesome dharmas, and for the sake of beings does not entirely remove the fetters.

Someone says: This bodhisattva is a body born of the Dharma-nature; for the sake of delivering the people of the City of Many Fragrances, he transforms himself to deliver them. If he were in a fleshly body, how could he cause the buddhas of the ten directions to praise him and send Sadāprarudita to go and receive the Dharma from him, obtaining sixty thousand samādhis? From this it is known that this is the transformation body of a great bodhisattva. It is like this: in the great ocean, when the mark of a nāga's death appears, like fruit that is ripe and should fall, the golden-winged bird comes and devours it; beings too are like this: because the causes and conditions of their deeds have ripened, the great bodhisattva comes to deliver them.

Treatise ②: The Simile of the Poisoned Arrow and Severing Every Mind of Possession

At that time Sadāprarudita, hearing the teaching of the Buddha in the sky, was greatly glad, and because a mind of great desire arose, he thought: when shall I be able to see the bodhisattva Dharmodgata—the one who teaches prajñāpāramitā—who can draw out from my mind the arrows of love, views, and the other afflictions?

To make this matter clear, here the Buddha tells the simile of the poisoned arrow: just as a person whose body has been struck by a poisoned arrow has no other thought, and the reasons are two: first, the pain is pressing; second, if the poison is not quickly drawn out, it will spread through the whole body and he will lose his life. Sadāprarudita too is like this: the arrows of wrongness, doubt, and the rest have entered his mind, and the poison of greed and the rest is smeared on the arrows. He heard that the bodhisattva Dharmodgata could draw out these arrows. This person's mind was wounded by the poison of the arrow of wrong views; what people fear is that the poison of greed and the rest spreads into the body, takes away the life of wisdom, and he dies the same as ordinary people; therefore he urgently wished to see the bodhisattva Dharmodgata and had no other thought. What is said here, ‘severing every mind of possession’—‘the mind of possession’ means grasping at marks and clinging, and even within wholesome dharmas there is this sickness.

Treatise ②: Seeing the Buddha's Body with His Own Eyes, He Obtains Unobstructed Knowledge and Vision in All Dharmas

Sadāprarudita saw the Buddha's body with his own eyes, which he had never seen before; because he heard the teaching from the Buddha and obtained the joy of the Dharma, he was far from the joy of the five desires, and at once obtained unobstructed knowledge and vision in all dharmas. ‘Unobstructed knowledge and vision’ is said of the unobstructedness obtained by Sadāprarudita's power; it is not the Buddha's unobstructedness.

Treatise ②: Entering the Samādhi Gates, Explained Item by Item—Contemplating the Nature, the Nature Unfindable, Breaking the Ignorance of Dharmas

At this time he was able to enter the samādhi gates—

‘The samādhi of contemplating the nature of dharmas’ means being able to contemplate the real nature of all dharmas. As for the real nature, it is as was said before by all kinds of causes and conditions.

‘The samādhi of the nature of dharmas being unfindable’ means: the samādhis obtained at first are, namely, emptiness, non-arising, and non-ceasing; now, having obtained this samādhi, he does not cling to this nature and does not grasp its fixed mark.

‘The samādhi of breaking the ignorance of dharmas’ means: dharmas, in the minds of ordinary people, because of the causes and conditions of ignorance, are crooked and not upright, namely permanence, happiness, self, and purity; because he has obtained this samādhi, the ignorance associated with the inversions of permanence and the rest is broken, and he contemplates only that all dharmas are impermanent, empty, and non-self.

Treatise ②: If He Has Broken the Ignorance in All Dharmas, Why Must He Still Go to Dharmodgata's Place?

Question: If this bodhisattva has already broken the ignorance in all dharmas, this person need not even see the Buddha; why must he go to the place of the bodhisattva Dharmodgata?

Answer: Breaking ignorance is not of only one kind—there is restraining it so that it does not rise up, which is also named breaking; there is breaking ignorance by obtaining the real mark of all dharmas. Further, the kinds and numbers of ignorance are very many: there are portions broken by bodhisattvas, portions broken by buddhas, portions broken by small bodhisattvas, and portions broken by great bodhisattvas; as in the simile of the lamp spoken of before. Further, just as a srota-āpanna is also named as having broken ignorance, while only with the arhat is it truly broken; in the dharma of the Great Vehicle it is also like this: a bodhisattva who has newly aroused the mind, because he has obtained the real mark of all dharmas, is also named as having broken ignorance, and so on up to the Buddha, in whom ignorance is broken completely without remainder. Therefore Sadāprarudita, within the Buddha's Dharma, because wrong views, ignorance, and the view of self were all removed, obtained the name ‘the samādhi of breaking ignorance’, and there is no fault in this.

Treatise ②: The Samādhis Explained Item by Item—Not Different, Indestructible and Sovereign, Able to Illuminate, Free from Darkness, Continuity Without Difference, Unfindable

‘The samādhi of dharmas not being different’ means: having obtained this samādhi, he contemplates all dharmas as of one mark, namely the signless.

‘The samādhi of dharmas being indestructible and sovereign’ means: having obtained this samādhi, because he contemplates the marks of suchness, the nature of dharmas, the limit of reality, and the unconditioned in all dharmas, it is named indestructible. Having obtained this dharma, he then attains sovereign mastery and knows dharmas clearly and distinctly; for the sake of the Buddha path, he does not take this dharma as realisation.

‘The samādhi of being able to illuminate dharmas’ means: knowing all dharmas clearly by the general mark and the specific mark.

‘The samādhi of dharmas being free from darkness’ means: ignorance is of two kinds: first, thick; second, thin. The thin is named ignorance; the thick is named black darkness. Because thick ignorance is broken, it is named being free from darkness; because thin ignorance is broken first, it is named breaking the ignorance of dharmas.

‘The samādhi of the continuity of dharmas without difference’ means: the five aggregates arise and cease from thought to thought, arising in continuity and resembling one another; at the time of death, they arise in continuity but do not resemble one another. Having obtained this samādhi, he knows that the dharma of the thought-to-thought continuity of dharmas is without difference.

‘The samādhi of dharmas being unfindable’ is precisely the samādhi associated with the emptiness of all dharmas.

Treatise ②: The Samādhis Explained Item by Item—Scattering Flowers, Non-Self, Illusion-like Majestic Power, Like Mirror Images, the Languages of All Beings, the Joy of Beings

‘The samādhi of scattering flowers’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi can, before the buddhas of the ten directions, scatter flowers of the seven jewels upon the buddhas.

‘The samādhi of the non-self of dharmas’ means: contemplating all dharmas as non-self.

‘The samādhi of illusion-like majestic power’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi can make all kinds of transformation bodies. Just as a great conjurer can lead beings to give rise to a mind of wonder; just as a great conjurer, by the power of his conjuring arts, can transform the minds of the people of a whole country.

‘The samādhi of obtaining the likeness of mirror images’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi contemplates all that exists in the three realms as like images in a mirror, false and deceptive and without reality.

‘The samādhi of obtaining the languages of all beings’ means: because he has obtained this samādhi, he can understand the languages of all beings.

‘The samādhi of the joy of all beings’ means: having entered this samādhi, he can transform the angry minds of beings and make them glad.

Treatise ②: The Samādhis Explained Item by Item—Discriminating Sounds, the Adornment of Letters and Phrases, Fearlessness, a Nature Ever Silent, Unobstructed Liberation, Free from Dust and Defilement

‘The samādhi of entering into the discrimination of sounds’ means: having entered into this samādhi, he can discriminate all the sounds of gods and humans, great and small, coarse and fine, and so forth.

‘The samādhi of obtaining the adornment of all kinds of words, letters, and phrases’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi, even if the meaning is shallow and near, can adorn the letters, phrases, and words and make people glad—how much more with deep meaning!

‘The samādhi of fearlessness’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi does not fear any of Māra's people, those of the outside paths, treatise masters, or the afflictions.

‘The samādhi of a nature ever silent’ means: one who has entered this samādhi is always silent and gathers the mind; for the sake of delivering beings, he utters sounds according to what they ought to hear, like the music of the heavens, which sounds forth in response to the mind.

‘The samādhi of obtaining unobstructed liberation’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi obtains unobstructed wisdom within all dharmas.

‘The samādhi of being free from dust and defilement’ means: for one who has obtained this samādhi, the afflictions, fetters, and dust and defilement are all extinguished; this is precisely the samādhi of the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.

Treatise ②: The Samādhis Explained Item by Item—the Adornment of Names, Words, and Phrases, Seeing Dharmas, the Unobstructed Summit, Like Space, Like a Vajra, Not Fearing Clinging to Form

‘The samādhi of the adornment of names, words, and phrases’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi can adorn verses, phrases, and words in all kinds of ways and teach the Dharma for people.

‘The samādhi of seeing dharmas’ means: one who has entered this samādhi knows dharmas clearly by seeing worldly truth and the truth of the highest meaning.

‘The samādhi of the unobstructed summit of dharmas’ means: just as a person on a mountain summit looks out over all four directions; the bodhisattva, abiding in this samādhi, sees all dharmas everywhere without obstruction.

‘The like-space samādhi’ means: for one who has entered this samādhi, his own body and outer dharmas are all like space, and he attains sovereign mastery over all.

‘The like-vajra samādhi’ means: just as the vajra can break mountains; this samādhi too is like this: it can break and remove the dharmas that obstruct the six perfections, all the way to the Buddha path.

‘The samādhi of not fearing clinging to form’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi does not cling even to the forms of the heavens, how much less to other forms!

Treatise ②: The Samādhis Explained Item by Item—Gaining Victory, Turning the Eye, Culmination in the Nature of Dharmas, Able to Give Peace and Security, the Lion's Roar, Surpassing All Beings

‘The samādhi of gaining victory’ means: whatever he wishes to do, he can gain victory in all of it and not be defeated.

‘The samādhi of turning the eye’ means: for one who has obtained this samādhi, when Māra and Māra's people wish to see the bodhisattva's shortcomings, he can turn this around and make them see what is good.

‘The samādhi of the culmination in the nature of dharmas’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi sees that all dharmas in the end all enter into the nature of dharmas.

‘The samādhi of being able to give peace and security’ means: having obtained this samādhi, though he still comes and goes and turns round within the six destinies, he knows of himself that he will surely become a Buddha, and is at peace and joyful, without worry.

‘The samādhi of the lion's roar’ means: one who has entered this samādhi can subdue all Māra's people and those of the outside paths, and no one dares to match him.

‘The samādhi of surpassing all beings’ means: having obtained this samādhi, he is the most excellent among all beings. What is called all is of two kinds: first, all in name; second, all in reality. He surpasses ordinary people whose minds cling within the three realms, as well as śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, and those at the first arousing of intent who have not yet obtained this samādhi; therefore it says all.

Treatise ②: The Samādhis Explained Item by Item—Flower Adornment, Severing Doubt, Following All That Is Firm, Going Beyond Dharmas and Obtaining Supernormal Power and Fearlessness, Able to Penetrate Dharmas, the Wealth-Seal of Dharmas

‘The samādhi of flower adornment’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi sees the buddhas of the ten directions seated upon lotus flowers of the seven jewels, while he, in space, rains down jewelled lotus flowers upon the buddhas.

‘The samādhi of severing doubt’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi, though he has not yet attained Buddhahood, can sever the doubts of all beings.

‘The samādhi of following all that is firm’ means: the real mark of all dharmas is named the firm; one who has obtained this samādhi accords with the real mark of all dharmas and does not accord with other dharmas.

‘The samādhi of going beyond dharmas and obtaining supernormal power and fearlessness’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi goes beyond all the dharmas of ordinary people and obtains the bodhisattva's six supernormal powers, the ten powers, and the four fearlessnesses.

‘The samādhi of being able to penetrate dharmas’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi, even within the suchness, the nature of dharmas, and the limit of reality of all dharmas, penetrates them and does not abide in or cling to them, and so on up to the equality of all dharmas.

‘The samādhi of the wealth-seal of dharmas’ means: wealth refers to wholesome dharmas, and the seal refers to the mark. Just as when a person has obtained a seal and ribbon of office, no one dares to offend or slight him; the bodhisattva who has obtained the wealth-seal of wholesome dharmas likewise has no one who can make a hindrance for him.

Treatise ②: The Samādhis Explained Item by Item—Seeing Without Discrimination, Free from All Views, Free from All Marks, Free from All Clinging, Removing All Slackness, Obtaining the Light of the Deep Dharma

‘The samādhi of seeing dharmas without discrimination’ means: if one discriminates dharmas, one gives rise to a mind of hatred and love; one who has obtained this samādhi sees all dharmas and does not discriminate.

‘The samādhi of being free from all views’ means: what is called ‘views’ is the sixty-two kinds of wrong views, and grasping at marks within form and the other dharmas, and so on up to the view of the Buddha, the view of the Dharma, the view of the Saṅgha, the view of nirvāṇa—all are named views. Why? Because grasping at marks can give rise to a clinging mind.

‘The samādhi of being free from all marks’ is precisely the samādhi associated with the signless gate of liberation.

‘The samādhi of being free from all clinging’ means: because he is free from all marks, he does not cling to any dharma either.

‘The samādhi of removing all slackness’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi is like what is said here—even for seven years neither sitting nor lying down. The bodhisattva who has obtained this samādhi is always without a slack mind, and even until he attains Buddhahood he never ceases.

‘The samādhi of obtaining the light of the deep Dharma’ means: the deep Dharma refers to the dharmas of the buddhas, all wisdom, and so forth; the bodhisattva, because he has obtained this samādhi, can see the Buddha's dharmas from afar, ponders and weighs them, and knows that they are deep and wondrous beyond compare.

Treatise ②: The Samādhis Explained Item by Item—Cannot Be Taken Away, Breaking Māra, Not Clinging to the Three Realms, Giving Rise to Light, Seeing the Buddhas

‘The samādhi that cannot be taken away’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi practises the bodhisattva's dharma, and no one can take away his resolve.

‘The samādhi of breaking Māra’ means: by the power of having obtained this samādhi, although Māra is the lord of the desire realm, the bodhisattva can, with a human body, break and remove the deeds of Māra.

‘The samādhi of not clinging to the three realms’ means: having obtained this samādhi, though his body is within the three realms, his mind is always in nirvāṇa, and therefore he does not cling.

‘The samādhi of giving rise to light’ means: one who has obtained this samādhi can emit immeasurable light, illuminating the ten directions.

‘The samādhi of seeing the buddhas’ means: having obtained this samādhi, though he has not yet obtained the divine eye and the divine ear, he can see the buddhas of the ten directions, hear the Dharma taught by the buddhas of the ten directions, and consult them about his own doubts.

Sadāprarudita, abiding in such samādhis as these, at once saw immeasurable asaṃkhyeya buddhas of the ten directions teaching prajñāpāramitā for the bodhisattvas in the great assembly. (End of the fascicle.)

This fascicle is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the remainder of the eighty-eighth chapter, "Sadāprarudita"—continuing from the previous fascicle—composed by the bodhisattva Nāgārjuna and translated by the Tripiṭaka master Kumārajīva of the land of Kucha under the Later Qin.

Sūtra ③: The Buddhas of the Ten Directions Comfort Him—Within the Nature of the Samādhis No One Is Seen Emerging or Entering; toward the Good Friend One Should Give Rise to the Notion of a Buddha

At this time the buddhas of the ten directions comforted the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, saying: ‘Excellent! Excellent! Good man! When we first practised the bodhisattva path, seeking prajñāpāramitā, we too obtained these samādhis, just as you have now obtained them. Having obtained these samādhis, we were well able to enter deeply into prajñāpāramitā, accomplished the power of skilful means, and dwelt on the ground of avaivartika (non-retrogressing). Contemplating the nature of these samādhis, we do not see any dharma that emerges from samādhi or enters samādhi, nor do we see anyone who practises the Buddha path, nor do we see anyone who obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Good man! This is called prajñāpāramitā; it is precisely not thinking that these dharmas exist. Good man! We dwell in the dharma of recollecting nothing, and because of this we obtain this golden body, the sixteen-foot radiance, the thirty-two marks, the eighty minor marks, inconceivable wisdom, unsurpassed morality, unsurpassed samādhi, unsurpassed wisdom, and all merits complete. Because all merits are complete, even a Buddha cannot, grasping at marks, tell them to the end—how much less the śrāvakas, the pratyekabuddhas, and other people! For this reason, good man, toward this Buddha-Dharma you should redouble your reverence and love and give rise to a pure mind; toward the good friend you should give rise to the notion of a Buddha. Why? Because, protected by the good friend, a bodhisattva can swiftly obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.’

At this time the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita addressed the buddhas of the ten directions, saying: ‘Who is my good friend, the one I should draw near to and make offerings to?’

The buddhas of the ten directions told the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita: ‘You, good man! The bodhisattva Dharmodgata has life after life taught you and brought your anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi to accomplishment; the bodhisattva Dharmodgata protects you and teaches you prajñāpāramitā and the power of skilful means; he is your good friend. Were you to make offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata for one kalpa, or two kalpas, or three kalpas, and so on up to more than hundreds of thousands of kalpas, carrying him on the crown of your head in reverence, and to offer him all the requisites of pleasure—all the wondrous forms, sounds, scents, flavours, and touches there are in the three-thousand world—you still could not repay his kindness of a single moment. Why? Because it is through the causes and conditions of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata that you have obtained all these kinds of samādhi, and obtained prajñāpāramitā and the power of skilful means.’ When the buddhas had taught and comforted the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita in this way and made him glad, they suddenly vanished.

Sūtra ③ (continued): No Longer Seeing the Buddhas, He Gives Rise to Doubt—From Where Do the Buddhas Come, and Where Do They Go?

At this time the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, having arisen from samādhi and no longer seeing the buddhas, had this thought: ‘From where did these buddhas come? And where have they gone?’ Because he did not see the buddhas, he was again disconsolate and unhappy: ‘Who can cut off this doubt of mine?’ Again he had this thought: ‘The bodhisattva Dharmodgata has from long ago always practised prajñāpāramitā, has obtained the power of skilful means and all kinds of dhāraṇī, has attained great mastery within the bodhisattva dharmas, and moreover has made abundant offerings to the buddhas of the past; life after life he has been my teacher and has always benefited me. I should go and ask the bodhisattva Dharmodgata: from where do the buddhas come? Where do they go?’

Sūtra ③ (continued): Selling His Body to Seek Wealth as an Offering to the Dharma Teacher—Life after Life He Has Lost Countless Bodies, Yet Never Lost His Body for the Sake of the Pure Dharma

At that time the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita gave rise toward the bodhisattva Dharmodgata to a mind of reverence, love and delight, and honour, and had this thought: ‘With what shall I make offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata? Now I am poor; I have no flowers and incense, necklaces, burning incense, scented ointment, clothing, banners and canopies, gold, silver, pearls, beryl, sphaṭika, coral, or amber—none of such things with which to make offerings to prajñāpāramitā and to the teacher who teaches the Dharma, the bodhisattva Dharmodgata. By my own rule I should not go empty-handed to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata; if I go empty-handed, a joyful mind will not arise. I should sell my body to obtain wealth, and for the sake of prajñāpāramitā make offerings to the Dharma teacher, the bodhisattva Dharmodgata. Why? Life after life I have lost body and life countless times: in beginningless birth and death I have sometimes died, sometimes been sold, sometimes, because of the causes and conditions of desire, life after life undergone immeasurable suffering and vexation in the hells; but I have never lost my body for the sake of the pure Dharma, or for the sake of making offerings to the teacher who teaches the Dharma.’

At this time the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, halfway along the road, entered a great city, went up into the market among the shops, and cried aloud: ‘Who needs a person? Who needs a person? Who will buy a person?’

At that time evil Māra had this thought: ‘This Sadāprarudita, out of love of the Dharma, wishes to sell his own body, and for the sake of prajñāpāramitā to make offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata; he will be able to ask rightly about prajñāpāramitā and the power of skilful means—「菩薩摩訶薩怎樣修行般若波羅蜜，能迅速得到阿耨多羅三藐三菩提？」 tr. "How does a bodhisattva-mahāsattva practise prajñāpāramitā so as to be able swiftly to obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi?" He will obtain much learning complete, like the water of the great ocean, and then he cannot be destroyed; he will obtain all merits complete and benefit the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas; for the sake of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi he will pass beyond my domain, and will also teach other people to leave my domain and obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. I should now ruin this affair of his!’ At that time evil Māra screened the brahmins and householders, so that they did not hear the sound of his selling himself; only an elder's daughter Māra could not screen.

At that time Sadāprarudita, unable to sell his body, sorrowed and wept, stood to one side, and said with tears flowing: ‘Great is my offence, that selling my body I cannot sell it. I am selling myself for the sake of prajñāpāramitā, to make offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata.’

Sūtra ③ (continued): Śakra Devānām Indra Transforms Himself into a Brahmin to Test Him—Asked for Heart, Blood, and Marrow, He Gladly Gives Them

At that time Śakra Devānām Indra had this thought: ‘This bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, out of love of the Dharma, is selling his own body, wishing for the sake of prajñāpāramitā to make offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata. I should test him, to see whether this good man truly, out of love of the Dharma with a deep mind, can give up this body.’ At this time Śakra Devānām Indra transformed himself into the form of a brahmin, passed by beside the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, and asked: ‘You, good man! Why do you sorrow and weep, your face haggard, standing to one side?’

He answered: ‘Brahmin! I love and revere the Dharma, and wish to sell my own body; for the sake of prajñāpāramitā I wish to make offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata. Now I am selling my body, but there is no buyer. I think to myself that my merit is thin; I have no wealth or treasure, and I wish to sell my own body to make offerings to prajñāpāramitā and to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, but there is no buyer.’

At that time the brahmin said to the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita: ‘Good man! I have no need of a person; I now wish to sacrifice to the gods, and must use a human heart, human blood, and human marrow. Can you sell them to me?’

At that time the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita had this thought: ‘I have obtained great benefit; I have obtained the foremost benefit! I am now, as it were, complete in the power of skilful means of prajñāpāramitā, that I have been able to meet this buyer of heart, blood, and marrow!’ At this time his mind was greatly glad, delighted and without sorrow; with a gentle mind he said to the brahmin: ‘Whatever you need, I shall give you all of it!’

The brahmin said: ‘Good man! What price do you want?’

He answered: ‘Give me whatever you please!’ Then and there Sadāprarudita took a sharp knife in his right hand, pierced his left arm and drew blood, cut the flesh of his right thigh, and was about to break the bone to take out the marrow.

Sūtra ③ (continued): The Elder's Daughter Comes Down from the Upper Storey and Asks the Cause—Hearing of the Buddha's Merits She Is Startled in Mind and Her Hair Stands on End, and She Gives Him All Her Jewels

At this time there was an elder's daughter who, from an upper storey, saw from afar the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita cutting his own body without sparing his life, and had this thought: ‘For what cause and condition does this good man afflict his body so? I should go and ask him.’ The elder's daughter then came down from the upper storey, came to where Sadāprarudita was, and asked: ‘Good man! For what cause and condition do you afflict your body? What will you do with this heart, blood, and marrow?’

Sadāprarudita answered: ‘I am selling them to the brahmin, for the sake of prajñāpāramitā, to make offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata.’

The elder's daughter said: ‘Good man! Selling your body in this way, wishing to take out your own heart, blood, and marrow, wishing to make offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata—what kind of merit and benefit can you obtain?’

Sadāprarudita answered: ‘Good woman! This one trains well in prajñāpāramitā and the power of skilful means; this one will proclaim to me what a bodhisattva should do and the path a bodhisattva should practise. When I have trained in this dharma and trained in this path and obtained anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, I shall be a support for beings; I shall obtain a golden body, the thirty-two marks, the eighty minor marks, great light, immeasurable illumination, great kindness, great compassion, great joy, great equanimity, the four fearlessnesses, the ten powers of a Buddha, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unshared dharmas, the six supernormal powers, inconceivable pure morality, meditative concentration, and wisdom; I shall obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and within all dharmas obtain unobstructed knowledge and vision of all; I shall distribute the unsurpassed Dharma Jewel to all beings. Merits and benefits of all such kinds as these I shall obtain from him.’

At this time the elder's daughter, hearing this supreme and wondrous Buddha-Dharma, was at once greatly glad; startled in mind, her hair standing on end, she said to the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita: ‘Good man! Most rare! What you say is wondrous and hard to meet! For the sake of each single one of these dharmas of merit, one should give up bodies as many as the sands of the Ganges. Why? What you say is exceedingly vast and wondrous! You, good man! Whatever you now need, I shall give you all of it—gold, silver, pearls, beryl, sphaṭika, amber, coral, and all kinds of precious things, together with flowers and incense, necklaces, perfumed ointment, burning incense, banners and canopies, clothing, music, and other requisites of offering—to take and offer to prajñāpāramitā and to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata. You, good man! Do not afflict your own body! I too wish to go to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, to plant all kinds of roots of goodness together with you, in order to seek to obtain such a wondrous Dharma as you have described.’

Sūtra ③ (continued): Śakra Resumes His Own Body and Praises His Unmoving Mind—His Body Is at Once Restored, Without Sore or Scar

At that time Śakra Devānām Indra at once resumed his own form and praised the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, saying: ‘Excellent! Excellent! Good man! You hold firmly to this matter; your mind does not move. When the buddhas of the past practised the bodhisattva path, they too sought prajñāpāramitā and the power of skilful means in this way, and obtained anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Good man! I in fact have no need of a human heart, blood, or marrow; I came only to test you. Whatever you wish, I shall give you.’

Sadāprarudita said: ‘Give me anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi!’

Śakra Devānām Indra said: ‘This is not something my power can accomplish; this is the domain of the buddhas. Since I must make you an offering, ask for another wish.’

Sadāprarudita said: ‘If you have no power in this, and since you must make me an offering, make this body of mine restored as it was before.’

At this time Sadāprarudita's body was at once restored, without sore or scar, no different from how it was at first. Śakra Devānām Indra, having fulfilled his wish, suddenly vanished.

Sūtra ③ (continued): The Elder's Daughter Goes In and Tells Her Parents—She Recounts in Full the Selling of His Body from Start to Finish and the Buddha-Dharma She Heard; Her Parents Give Permission and Rejoice

At that time the elder's daughter said to the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita: ‘Good man! Please come to my house; whatever you need, ask my parents for it, and all of it shall be given you. I too will take leave of my parents and, bringing my attendant maidens, go together with you to make offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, for the sake of seeking the Dharma.’

Then and there the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita went with the elder's daughter to her house, and stood outside the gate. The elder's daughter went in and addressed her parents: ‘Please give me many fine flowers and incense, and all kinds of necklaces, perfumed ointment, burning incense, banners and canopies, clothing, gold, silver, beryl, sphaṭika, pearls, coral, amber, and all kinds of music and requisites of offering; and please permit me myself and the five hundred attendant maidens—whom you formerly gave me to serve me—to go with the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, for the sake of making offerings to prajñāpāramitā. The bodhisattva Dharmodgata will teach us the Dharma; I shall practise as it is taught, and shall obtain the dharmas of the buddhas.’

The girl's parents said to the girl: ‘What kind of person is the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita?’

The girl said: ‘This person is now right outside the gate. This good man with a deep mind seeks anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, wishing to deliver all beings from the suffering of immeasurable birth and death. This good man, for the sake of the Dharma, is selling his own body to make offerings to prajñāpāramitā—prajñāpāramitā is called the path in which bodhisattvas train. For the sake of making offerings to prajñāpāramitā and to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, he cried aloud in the market among the shops: 「誰要人？誰要人？誰想買人？」 tr. "Who needs a person? Who needs a person? Who will buy a person?" Unable to sell his body, he stood to one side, sorrowing and weeping. At this time Śakra Devānām Indra transformed himself into a brahmin and came, wishing to test him, and asked: 「善男子！為什麼憂愁啼哭，站在一邊？」 tr. "Good man! Why do you sorrow and weep, standing to one side?" He answered: 「婆羅門！我想要賣身，為了供養般若波羅蜜以及曇無竭菩薩摩訶薩的緣故，可是我福薄，賣身賣不出去。」 tr. "Brahmin! I wish to sell my body, for the sake of making offerings to prajñāpāramitā and to the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata, but my merit is thin, and selling my body I cannot sell it." The brahmin said to this good man: 「我不需要人，我要祭祀天神，須用人的心、人的血、人的髓，你能賣嗎？」 tr. "I have no need of a person; I wish to sacrifice to the gods, and must use a human heart, human blood, and human marrow. Can you sell them?" At this time this good man no longer sorrowed; his mind was harmonious and glad, and he said to this brahmin: 「你所須要的，我全都給你。」 tr. "Whatever you need, I shall give you all of it." The brahmin said: 「你要什麼價錢？」 tr. "What price do you want?" He answered: 「隨你的意思給我。」 tr. "Give me whatever you please." Then and there this good man took a sharp knife in his right hand, pierced his left arm and drew blood, cut the flesh of his right thigh, and was about to break the bone to take out the marrow. I, on the upper storey, saw this from afar; at that time I had this thought: 「這人為什麼緣故困苦他的身體？我應當前去問一問。」 tr. "For what reason does this person afflict his body? I should go and ask him." I then came down from the upper storey and went and asked: 「善男子！你是什麼因緣的緣故自己困苦身體？」 tr. "Good man! For what cause and condition do you afflict your own body?" This good man answered me: 「姊姊！我為了法的緣故，想要供養般若波羅蜜以及曇無竭菩薩說法之人。我貧窮無所有，沒有金、銀、琉璃、車磲、馬碯、珊瑚、虎珀、玻梨、真珠、花香、伎樂。姊姊！我為了供養法的緣故，自賣其身。如今遇到買的人，須要人的心、人的血、人的髓。我用這個價錢，供養般若波羅蜜以及曇無竭菩薩說法之人。」 tr. "Sister! For the sake of the Dharma I wish to make offerings to prajñāpāramitā and to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, the one who teaches the Dharma. I am poor and have nothing; I have no gold, silver, beryl, giant clam, agate, coral, amber, sphaṭika, pearls, flowers and incense, or music. Sister! For the sake of making offerings to the Dharma I am selling my own body. Now I have met a buyer, who needs a human heart, human blood, and human marrow. With this price I shall make offerings to prajñāpāramitā and to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, the one who teaches the Dharma." I asked this good man: 「你如今自己取出身上的心、血、髓，想要供養曇無竭菩薩，能得到什麼功德？」 tr. "Now taking out the heart, blood, and marrow from your own body, wishing to make offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, what merit can you obtain?" This good man said: 「曇無竭菩薩將為我宣說般若波羅蜜與方便之力，這是菩薩所應當學的、菩薩所應當作的、菩薩所應當安住的、菩薩所行之道。我當修學這條道，得到阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，為一切眾生作依止之處。我當得到金色之身、三十二相、八十隨形好、大光、無量的明，大慈、大悲、大喜、大捨，四無所畏、四無礙智，佛的十力、十八不共法，六神通，不可思議的清淨戒、禪定、智慧；得到阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，在一切法之中得到無礙的一切知見；把無上的法寶分布給與一切眾生。像這樣種種微妙的大法，我都當從他那裡得到。」 tr. "The bodhisattva Dharmodgata will proclaim to me prajñāpāramitā and the power of skilful means: this is what a bodhisattva should train in, what a bodhisattva should do, what a bodhisattva should abide in, the path a bodhisattva practises. I shall train in this path and obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and be a support for all beings. I shall obtain a golden body, the thirty-two marks, the eighty minor marks, great light, immeasurable illumination, great kindness, great compassion, great joy, great equanimity, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the ten powers of a Buddha, the eighteen unshared dharmas, the six supernormal powers, inconceivable pure morality, meditative concentration, and wisdom; I shall obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and within all dharmas obtain unobstructed knowledge and vision of all; I shall distribute the unsurpassed Dharma Jewel to all beings. All such kinds of wondrous great dharmas as these I shall obtain from him." Hearing these wondrous and inconceivable merits of the buddhas, and hearing his great vow, my mind was glad, and I had this thought: 「這是清淨的、微妙的、甚為廣大的、希有的！乃至像這樣為了一一之法的緣故，都應當捨棄如恒河沙那樣多的身。如今這位善男子為了法能夠承受苦行難事，所謂不愛惜身命；我有許多妙好的寶物，怎麼不發起願心，勤求這樣的法，供養般若波羅蜜以及曇無竭菩薩呢？」 tr. "This is pure, wondrous, exceedingly vast, and rare! Even for the sake of each single dharma such as these, one should give up bodies as many as the sands of the Ganges. Now this good man, for the sake of the Dharma, can bear austerities and hard things—namely, not sparing body and life; I have many fine precious things—how could I not arouse a mind of vowing, diligently seek such a Dharma, and make offerings to prajñāpāramitā and to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata?" Having reflected thus, I said to the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita: 「你這位善男子！不要困苦你的身體，我當稟白我的父母，多多給你金、銀、琉璃、車磲、馬瑙、珊瑚、虎珀、頗梨、真珠、花香、瓔珞、塗香、末香、衣服、旛蓋以及種種伎樂，拿去供養般若波羅蜜以及曇無竭菩薩說法之人。我也要求我父母，帶著眾侍女，與你一同前去供養曇無竭菩薩說法之人，與你一同種植種種善根，為求得到像你所說的這樣種種微妙清淨之法。」 tr. "You, good man! Do not afflict your body; I shall tell my parents, and give you plenty of gold, silver, beryl, giant clam, agate, coral, amber, sphaṭika, pearls, flowers and incense, necklaces, perfumed ointment, powdered incense, clothing, banners and canopies, and all kinds of music, to take and offer to prajñāpāramitā and to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, the one who teaches the Dharma. I too will ask my parents to let me bring my attendant maidens and go with you to make offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, the one who teaches the Dharma, and plant all kinds of roots of goodness together with you, in order to seek to obtain such kinds of wondrous and pure dharmas as you have described."’

‘Father and mother, now do permit me and the five hundred attendant maidens—those you formerly gave me—and permit me also to take many fine flowers and incense, necklaces, perfumed ointment, powdered incense, clothing, banners and canopies, music, gold, silver, beryl, and requisites of offering, and to go together with the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita to make offerings to prajñāpāramitā and to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, the one who teaches the Dharma, for the sake of seeking to obtain such kinds of pure and wondrous dharmas of the buddhas.’

At that time the parents answered the girl: ‘What you praise is rare and hard to reach! You say that this good man is vigorous for the sake of the Dharma, and greatly loves and delights in the substance and marks of the Dharma, and that these dharmas of the buddhas are inconceivable, foremost in all the world, the cause and condition of the gladness of all beings. This good man, for the sake of this Dharma, takes on the great adornment; we permit you to go and see the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, to draw near to him and make offerings. You have aroused the great mind and are vigorous in this way for the sake of obtaining the dharmas of the buddhas—how could we not rejoice?’

This girl, having been granted permission for the sake of making offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, answered her parents: ‘We too rejoice in accord with this mind; I shall never cut off the causes and conditions of other people's wholesome dharmas.’

Sūtra ③ (continued): Eastward to the City of Many Fragrances—Seeing Dharmodgata on the Dharma Seat of a High Dais, They Get Down from the Carriages and Go Forward on Foot

At this time the elder's daughter had five hundred carriages of the seven jewels adorned, and with herself and her attendant maidens, and all kinds of precious requisites of offering, bringing all kinds of flowers born in water and on land, as well as gold, silver, jewelled flowers, jewelled garments of many colours, fine incense, pounded incense, scented ointment, necklaces, and all kinds of fine-flavoured food and drink, she, together with the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita and the five hundred attendant maidens, each riding in a carriage, reverently surrounding him, went little by little toward the east. They saw from afar the City of Many Fragrances, adorned with the seven jewels and encircled sevenfold; its moats of the seven jewels and rows of trees of the seven jewels were also each sevenfold. That city was twelve yojanas in length and breadth, rich and joyful, peaceful and quiet, exceedingly delightful, its people flourishing. There were a hundred thousand market wards, their streets and lanes facing one another, upright and orderly as a painting; its bridges and fords were level as the ground, broad and clean. Having seen the City of Many Fragrances from afar, they had already entered the city, and saw the bodhisattva Dharmodgata seated on the Dharma seat of a high dais, reverently surrounded by an immeasurable great assembly of hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭi, listening to him teach the Dharma. When the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita saw the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, his mind was at once glad, like a bhikṣu who has entered the third dhyāna, his mind gathered and at peace; having seen him, he had this thought: ‘By our rule of conduct, we should not go to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata riding in carriages.’ Having thought thus, he got down from his carriage and went forward on foot. The elder's daughter and the five hundred attendant maidens also all got down from their carriages. The bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, with the elder's daughter and the five hundred attendant maidens, adorned with many jewels, surrounding him in reverence, came together to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata.

Sūtra ③ (continued): The Dais of the Seven Jewels and the Prajñā Written on Tablets of Gold—Śakra Answers That This Is the Mother of the Bodhisattvas; Dharmodgata Has Sealed It with a Seal of the Seven Jewels

At that time the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata had a dais of the seven jewels, adorned with red ox-head sandalwood, with a net of pearls covering the top of the dais, and at its four corners maṇi jewels all hung as lamps, and censers of four jewels always burning famous incense, for the sake of making offerings to prajñāpāramitā. In that dais there was a great couch of the seven jewels, with a small couch of four jewels laid in layers upon it; the Prajñāpāramitā was written on tablets of gold and placed on the small couch, with all kinds of banners and canopies adorning it, hanging down over it.

The bodhisattva Sadāprarudita and the women saw this fine dais ornamented with many jewels, and also saw Śakra Devānām Indra with immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of gods scattering heavenly māndārava flowers, powdered sandalwood, and ground jewel-dust upon the dais, and playing heavenly music in the sky to delight this dais. At that time the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita asked Śakra Devānām Indra: ‘Kauśika! For what cause and condition do you, with immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of gods, scatter heavenly māndārava flowers, powdered sandalwood, and ground jewel-dust upon the dais, and play heavenly music in the sky to delight this dais?’

Śakra Devānām Indra answered: ‘You, good man—do you not know? This is the Mahāprajñāpāramitā, the mother of the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, which can give birth to the buddhas and holds and sustains bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas who train in this prajñāpāramitā accomplish all merits and obtain the dharmas of the buddhas and the omniscience of all kinds.’

At this time the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita was at once glad and delighted, and asked Śakra Devānām Indra: ‘Kauśika! Prajñāpāramitā is the mother of the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, which can give birth to the buddhas and holds and sustains bodhisattvas; bodhisattvas who train in this prajñāpāramitā accomplish all merits and obtain the dharmas of the buddhas and the omniscience of all kinds—where is it now?’

Śakra Devānām Indra said: ‘Good man! In this dais there is a great couch of the seven jewels, with a small couch of four jewels laid in layers upon it; the Prajñāpāramitā is written on tablets of gold and placed on the small couch. The bodhisattva Dharmodgata has sealed it with a seal of the seven jewels; we cannot open it to show you.’

Sūtra ③ (continued): The Offerings Divided into Two Portions—Flowers, Incense, and Jewelled Garments Transform into a Flower Dais, a Jewelled Tent, and a Jewelled Canopy; the Five Hundred Women All Arouse the Mind of Awakening

At this time Sadāprarudita, with the elder's daughter and the five hundred attendant maidens, took out the requisites of offering—flowers and incense, necklaces, banners and canopies—and divided them into two portions: one portion as an offering to the Prajñāpāramitā, one portion as an offering to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata on the Dharma seat.

At that time the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita and the five hundred women, taking flowers and incense, necklaces, banners and canopies, music, and all kinds of precious things, finished making offerings to prajñāpāramitā, and then went to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata. Having arrived, they saw the bodhisattva Dharmodgata seated on the Dharma seat, and scattered all kinds of flowers and incense, necklaces, pounded incense, scented ointment, gold, silver, jewelled flowers, banners and canopies, and jewelled garments upon the body of the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, making offerings for the sake of the Dharma. At this time the flowers and incense and the jewelled garments, in the sky above the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, transformed into a flower dais; the powdered sandalwood, jewel-dust, gold, silver, and jewelled flowers transformed into a jewelled tent; above the jewelled tent, the jewelled garments that had been scattered transformed into a jewelled canopy, and from the four sides of the jewelled canopy hung all kinds of jewelled banners. Sadāprarudita and the women, seeing the transformations made by the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, were all greatly glad, and had this thought: ‘Never before has there been such a thing! The divine virtue of the great teacher Dharmodgata reaches even to this! While he practises the bodhisattva path his supernormal power can be like this—how much more when he obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi!’ At this time the elder's daughter and the five hundred women, revering the bodhisattva Dharmodgata with pure faith, all aroused the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and made this vow: ‘As the bodhisattva Dharmodgata has obtained the bodhisattva's many deep dharmas, as the bodhisattva Dharmodgata makes offerings to prajñāpāramitā, as the bodhisattva Dharmodgata in the great assembly expounds and reveals the meaning of prajñāpāramitā, as the bodhisattva Dharmodgata has obtained prajñāpāramitā and the power of skilful means, accomplished the supernormal powers, and attained great mastery in the affairs of a bodhisattva—so too should we be.’

Sūtra ③ (continued): He Recounts His Seeking of the Dharma from Start to Finish—From the Voice in the Sky, the Appearing of the Buddha's Body, and the Samādhis Coming Before Him, to the Buddhas Suddenly Vanishing—and Asks Where the Buddhas Come From and Where They Go

At this time the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita and the five hundred women, having finished making offerings with flowers and incense and precious things to prajñāpāramitā and to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, bowed with head and face to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, joined their palms in reverence, and stood to one side. Having stood to one side, he addressed the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, saying:

‘When I first sought prajñāpāramitā, in a secluded forest I heard a voice in the sky say: 「善男子！你從這裡向東行去，將能得聞般若波羅蜜。」 tr. "Good man! Go east from here, and you will be able to hear prajñāpāramitā." I received these words and went east; not long after going east, I had this thought: 「我為什麼不問一問空中的聲音——『我應當往什麼地方去？去處是遠是近？應當從誰聽聞？』」 tr. "Why did I not ask the voice in the sky: ‘Where should I go? Is the place I am going far or near? From whom should I hear it?’" At that time I greatly sorrowed and wept, and stayed in that place seven days and seven nights; because of my sorrow I did not even think of food and drink, and only thought: 「我什麼時候才能得聞般若波羅蜜呢？」 tr. "When shall I be able to hear prajñāpāramitā?" As I sorrowed thus, recollecting prajñāpāramitā with one mind, I saw the Buddha's body in the sky, which said to me: 「善男子！你的大欲、大精進之心不要放捨！以這大欲、大精進之心，從這裡向東行去，離這裡五百由旬，有一座城名叫眾香，那裡有一位菩薩摩訶薩名叫曇無竭，從這個人那裡，將能得聞般若波羅蜜。這位菩薩世世是你的善知識，常常守護你。」 tr. "Good man! Do not let go of your mind of great desire and great vigour! With this mind of great desire and great vigour, go east from here; five hundred yojanas from here there is a city named Many Fragrances, and there is a bodhisattva-mahāsattva there named Dharmodgata; from this person you will be able to hear prajñāpāramitā. This bodhisattva has life after life been your good friend and always protects you." Having received the teaching from the Buddha, I went east, with no other thought, only thinking: 「我什麼時候才能見到曇無竭菩薩，為我宣說般若波羅蜜呢？」 tr. "When shall I be able to see the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, who will proclaim prajñāpāramitā to me?" At that time I stopped halfway along the road, and obtained unobstructed knowledge and vision within all dharmas, and the samādhi of contemplating the nature of dharmas and all kinds of other samādhis appeared before me; having dwelt in these samādhis, I saw immeasurable asaṃkhyeya buddhas of the ten directions proclaiming this prajñāpāramitā. The buddhas praised me, saying: 「好啊！好啊！善男子！我當初求般若波羅蜜的時候，得到種種三昧，也正如你今日一樣。得到這些三昧以後，遍得諸佛之法。」 tr. "Excellent! Excellent! Good man! When I first sought prajñāpāramitā, I obtained all kinds of samādhis, just as you have today. Having obtained these samādhis, I obtained the dharmas of the buddhas throughout." The buddhas widely taught me the essentials of the Dharma, and having comforted me, suddenly vanished. I arose from samādhi and had this thought: 「諸佛從什麼地方來？去到哪裡呢？」 tr. "From where do the buddhas come? Where do they go?" Because I did not see the buddhas I greatly sorrowed, and again had this thought: 「曇無竭菩薩供養先前諸佛、種植種種善根、久行般若波羅蜜、善知方便之力，在菩薩道之中得大自在，是我的善知識，守護著我。我應當問曇無竭菩薩這件事——『諸佛從哪裡來？去到哪裡？』」 tr. "The bodhisattva Dharmodgata has made offerings to former buddhas, planted all kinds of roots of goodness, long practised prajñāpāramitā, knows well the power of skilful means, and has attained great mastery in the bodhisattva path; he is my good friend and protects me. I should ask the bodhisattva Dharmodgata about this matter: ‘From where do the buddhas come? Where do they go?’"

‘Now I ask the great teacher: 「這些佛從什麼地方來、去到什麼地方？」 tr. "From where do these buddhas come, and where do they go?" Great teacher! Please proclaim to me the place from which the buddhas come and the place to which they go, so that I may come to know it; and having known it, may I too never part from seeing the buddhas!’

This segment is the treatise segment of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the eighty-eighth chapter, "Sadāprarudita"; it is in the ninety-eighth fascicle, and explains the sūtra text that precedes it.

Treatise ③: Explaining the Consolation of the Buddhas of the Ten Directions, That the Samādhis Have No Real Substance, and the Brief Account of the Mark of Prajñā; Why He Asks Again Who His Good Friend Is; Why He Does Not Greatly Grieve and Seek Again to See the Buddhas; Why He Does Not Re-enter Samādhi but Wishes to Ask Dharmodgata

The treatise-author explains:

Because Sadāprarudita thirsted and yearned to hear prajñā, he saw the buddhas of the ten directions teaching the Dharma for the great assembly; his mind rejoiced, and his intent was fulfilled.

Because his power of faith was firm and his vigour hard to shake, the buddhas consoled his mind and praised him, saying: 「善哉！我本初行菩薩道求般若時，亦如汝今。汝莫憂愁自謂福薄！」 tr. "Excellent! When I first practised the bodhisattva path and sought prajñā, I too was as you are now. Do not grieve, calling yourself of thin merit!"

At that time Sadāprarudita greatly obtained the power of the samādhis, and his mind clung to them deeply; therefore the buddhas told him that when one searches for the self-nature of the samādhis, no real substance is seen, nor is anyone seen who enters a samādhi or comes out of a samādhi, because beings are empty and dharmas are empty.

The buddhas briefly told him the mark of prajñāpāramitā: 「不念有是法，所謂一切法無相故不可念著。我等住是無所念法中，能具足六波羅蜜；具足六波羅蜜故，得佛金色身。」 tr. "Do not think that this dharma exists; that is, because all dharmas are signless, they cannot be thought of and clung to. We, abiding in this dharma of recollecting nothing, are able to be complete with the six perfections; because we are complete with the six perfections, we obtain the golden body of a Buddha." It is as said in the sūtra. The buddhas taught and transformed him, caused him to obtain benefit and joy, and consoled his mind.

The treatise-author asks:

Above, the conjured buddha had already told him 「曇無竭是汝世世善知識」 tr. "Dharmodgata is your good friend life after life"; why does he now ask again 「何等是我善知識」 tr. "Who is my good friend?"

The treatise-author answers:

Because the Buddha commanded him that toward the good friend he should redouble his reverence and loving regard. Further, he asked because he wished to hear the merits of Dharmodgata in the presence of the buddhas of the ten directions, and wished to make his own faith firm and free of doubt.

The answer of the buddhas of the ten directions is as said in the sūtra. Sadāprarudita is a person whose causes and conditions are to be delivered by Dharmodgata, so the buddhas assisted and guided him. Or there are bodhisattvas who assist those whom a Buddha is to deliver, causing them to reach the Buddha's presence.

The treatise-author asks:

Above, when he heard the voice in the sky, because he had not asked, he wept for seven days; now that he no longer sees the buddhas of the ten directions, why does he not greatly grieve and seek again to see the buddhas, but wishes only to ask, in Dharmodgata's presence, about the coming and going of the buddhas?

The treatise-author answers:

Sadāprarudita earlier had only the fleshly eye and had not yet obtained samādhi; because in his deep mind he believed in and clung to wholesome dharmas, he wept greatly. Now he has obtained the power of the samādhis and has also seen the buddhas of the ten directions; his afflictions have become slight and thin, and his clinging mind has already parted; so he only recollects with one mind: 「我當何時見曇無竭？」 tr. "When shall I see Dharmodgata?"

The treatise-author asks:

If Sadāprarudita had obtained the power of this samādhi, why did he not turn back and enter samādhi to ask the buddhas of the ten directions from where they come and where they go, but wished instead to see Dharmodgata and ask him?

The treatise-author answers:

Above, the buddhas of the ten directions, by all kinds of causes and conditions, praised him, saying 「曇無竭世世是汝師」 tr. "Dharmodgata has been your teacher life after life", and therefore he wished to ask him.

At this time Sadāprarudita recollected that the bodhisattva Dharmodgata was a cause and condition of his former lives, and so gave rise to a mind of reverence and honour. Because Dharmodgata had great merit, he honoured him; because Dharmodgata was a cause and condition of his former lives, he revered, loved, and delighted in him.

Treatise ③ (continued): Why He Belittles Himself as Poor and Seeks Means of Offering; Why a Great Bodhisattva Is Poor; Doubts about Selling Himself, and Inner Giving as the Weightier

The treatise-author asks:

Earlier it was said, 「薩陀波崙不大著世間事，深愛般若波羅蜜故，愁憂啼哭」 tr. "Sadāprarudita did not greatly cling to worldly matters; because he deeply loved prajñāpāramitā, he grieved and wept"; why does he now belittle himself as poor, having nothing to offer? If only he follows the teacher's intent with a good mind, that is offering the Dharma; why must he use flowers and incense?

The treatise-author answers:

Although offering the Dharma is the higher, when worldly beings see one who has come from afar seeking the Dharma with nothing at all, they do not give rise to a joyful mind; it is because of worldly dharmas that he seeks means of offering.

Further, the five perfections are dharmas that help prajñāpāramitā, and among the helping dharmas dānapāramitā is the first. Sadāprarudita reflected: 「我得尊重福田曇無竭菩薩，當以助道法根本供養。」 tr. "I have found the honoured field of merit, the bodhisattva Dharmodgata; I should make offerings to him with the root of the dharmas that aid the path." He also wished by this to rouse the multitude: 「薩陀波崙是智人、善人，貧窮而能供養，何況我等！」 tr. "Sadāprarudita is a wise person and a good person; poor as he is, he can still make offerings—how much more we!"

Further, wholesome dharmas have flavours that differ from one another at the time of practising them and at the time of reflecting on them; Sadāprarudita wished to practise the flavour of giving, and therefore sought means of offering.

The treatise-author asks:

Sadāprarudita is a great bodhisattva who can see the buddhas of the ten directions and has also obtained the deep samādhis; why is he poor?

The treatise-author answers:

Someone says: this person left home to seek the Buddha path; although he was born into a rich family, the road was long and distant, he went alone by himself, and carried no wealth.

Someone says: although he is a great person, because of the causes and conditions of small offences in former lives he was born into a poor family. And some, although they are small people, because of the causes and conditions of having practised a little giving in former lives, are born into greatly rich families. Like Sutuoyi, Nituo, and others, who were people to whom the gods made offerings, yet were born into lowly families. Poverty is of two kinds: first, poverty in wealth; second, poverty in the dharmas of merit. Poverty in the dharmas of merit is the greatest shame! Poverty in wealth even good people may have; poverty in the Dharma good people do not have. What is called having no flowers and incense means having no supremely wondrous jewelled flowers; and further, because what he had was little, it is said that he had none.

If I go empty-handed, although the teacher has no need of it, my mind will not obtain great joy; therefore I wish to sell myself.

The treatise-author asks:

If he sells himself to another person, who is it that buys this thing to make offerings to the teacher?

The treatise-author answers:

Giving up the body is itself a great offering; going and staying are both without any place.

Someone says: this person sells himself to obtain wealth and makes offerings by means of another person; I, for the sake of making offerings, sell myself as a slave.

Again, someone says: at that time the world was good, and everyone knew the Dharma; although he sold himself, his master would certainly allow him to go and make offerings and then return.

Further, this person aroused a deep mind and wished to practise dānapāramitā; for the sake of making offerings to the Dharma and to the Dharma teacher he had no outer things, only his own body, and therefore he sold this inner thing. Among outer things and inner things, inner giving is the weightier, because one cherishes it more deeply. Therefore, so as not to break his vow of giving, he sold himself to make offerings.

Here he himself states the causes and conditions of his having no regret: 「我世世喪身無數，未曾為清淨法故，今為供養說法者故喪是身，大得法利。」 tr. "Life after life I have lost my body countless times, yet never for the sake of the pure Dharma; now, losing this body for the sake of making offerings to the one who teaches the Dharma, I greatly obtain the benefit of the Dharma."

Sadāprarudita settled his mind and severed the intent of greedily cherishing this body, and on the road he entered a great city—he entered this great city because he wished his buying and selling to go as he wished. With one mind wishing to sell himself, in order to remove shame and break down arrogance, he cried out: 「誰須人？」 tr. "Who needs a person?"

Treatise ③ (continued): Why Māra Wished to Break His Intent; Why He Did Not Ruin Him Earlier but Only Now Screens the Sound; Why Māra Does Not Kill but Only Ruins; the Distinction between Brahmins and Householders; Why the Elder's Daughter Alone Could Hear the Voice

The treatise-author asks:

Why did Māra wish to ruin his intent?

The treatise-author answers:

Māra is always the enemy of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and therefore he wishes to come and ruin him.

Further, small bodhisattvas have not yet obtained the real mark of all dharmas, and Māra and evil people can ruin them; if they have obtained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas and abide within the supernormal power of the bodhisattvas, there is nothing that can ruin them. It is like the seedling of a small tree, which a small child can ruin; once it has grown large, it cannot be ruined.

Further, here Māra himself states the causes and conditions of his ruining, namely: 「是薩陀波崙愛法故，自賣身供養般若波羅蜜及法盛菩薩，當得正聞般若波羅蜜」 tr. "This Sadāprarudita, because he loves the Dharma, sells himself to make offerings to prajñāpāramitā and to the bodhisattva Dharma Flourishing; he will rightly hear prajñāpāramitā", as is told at length in the sūtra.

The treatise-author asks:

If Māra wished to ruin Sadāprarudita, why did he not ruin him earlier, when he heard the voice in the sky and saw the buddhas of the ten directions? Why does he only now screen the brahmins and householders so that they do not hear his voice?

The treatise-author answers:

Sadāprarudita's mind was earlier not yet settled, and his intent of cherishing this body was not yet exhausted; after he saw the buddhas of the ten directions and obtained the samādhis, his mind then became settled. Now the mark of a settled mind appears, and therefore Māra is alarmed. If a bodhisattva's mind is not yet settled, he cannot yet move Māra; if he is a great bodhisattva whose mind is already settled, Māra does not come either. Sadāprarudita now, with a settled mind, is about to leave Māra's realm, and therefore Māra comes. It is like a debtor: while he does not yet wish to go far away, the creditor does not block him; when he is about to leave the creditor's realm, the creditor does not allow him to go.

The treatise-author asks:

Māra has great power; why does he not kill this bodhisattva, but only ruin him?

The treatise-author answers:

Māra from the first is not jealous of his life; he only hates his mind of becoming a Buddha, and therefore wishes to ruin it. Further, it is the dharma of the gods and spirits that if a person has no grave offence, they may not kill him recklessly, and may only disrupt and terrify him. If spirits did not have this dharma, then no person could live; therefore he does not kill him.

One who is born in the brahmin caste and has moreover received the precepts is named a brahmin; all others are commonly named householders. What is called a householder truly means a gentleman who dwells in a house; it is not the householder among the four castes.

The one exception is an elder's daughter: because for the sake of the Buddha path she had gathered merit life after life, Māra could not screen her.

Again, someone says: it is because Sadāprarudita was not to die that one woman was caused to hear.

Someone says: it is because of the supernormal power of the bodhisattva Dharmodgata that the elder's daughter was caused to hear.

When he had cried out three times in this way and no one bought, he grieved greatly.

The treatise-author asks:

Since Sadāprarudita does not cherish this body, then although no one buys, he should not grieve!

The treatise-author answers:

Having aroused the great mind and being unable to fulfil his vow, he therefore grieved greatly.

Śakra Devānām Indra had this thought: 「薩陀波崙欲賣其身，無有買者。」 tr. "Sadāprarudita wishes to sell himself, and there is no buyer." It is as told at length in the sūtra.

Treatise ③ (continued): Why Śakra Came to Test Him; Why He Lied, Saying He Needed a Human Heart, Blood, and Marrow; Distinguishing Great Benefit and the Foremost Benefit Step by Step; Why He Asked ‘What Price Do You Need?’

The treatise-author asks:

Śakra Devānām Indra, by what he has obtained as retribution, can know the minds of others; he should have known that Sadāprarudita's mind was already settled; why does he now come to test him?

The treatise-author answers:

The gods know only the minds of worldly people; a mind of becoming a Buddha and a mind of not becoming a Buddha are not something they can know. Apart from the Buddha, there is no one who can know that he is for the sake of the Buddha path and give him the prediction.

Further, Śakra Devānām Indra came to test him because he wished to lead many, so that those who heard and saw would all arouse the mind and seek buddhahood.

Further, it is like gold, silver, and the other jewels, which are not burnt, forged, ground, and beaten because they are cheap; the bodhisattva is also like this: if he can cut his flesh and draw blood, break his bone and draw out marrow, and his mind does not move, this is a bodhisattva rightly assured. Therefore the lord of the heavens came to test him.

The treatise-author asks:

Śakra is a great heavenly king; why did he lie and say these words: 「我欲祠天，須人心、血、髓」 tr. "I wish to sacrifice to the gods, and need a human heart, blood, and marrow"?

The treatise-author answers:

If one lies because, through the afflictions of avarice and anger, one wishes to seek one's own benefit, only then does it become an offence. If Śakra had shown his real body and spoken real words, the bodhisattva would not have believed him; so, according to the dharma of their country, he said it was what a sacrifice to the gods required, in order to make him believe and accept it.

At this time Sadāprarudita believed his words and rejoiced greatly: 「我得大利！」 tr. "I have obtained a great benefit!"

Great benefit is the ground of the avaivartika; the foremost benefit is the Buddha path.

Great benefit is the five perfections; the foremost benefit is prajñāpāramitā.

Great benefit is prajñāpāramitā; the foremost benefit is the power of skilful means of prajñāpāramitā. Great benefit is the first ground of the bodhisattva; the foremost benefit is the ten grounds.

Great benefit is from the first ground and so on up to the ten grounds; the foremost benefit is the tenth ground. Great benefit is the bodhisattva ground; the foremost benefit is the Buddha ground.

In such ways as these they are distinguished.

Although he is not yet complete, he already abides within the causes and conditions of completeness, and therefore it says 「便為具足」 tr. "then it is complete".

The treatise-author asks:

If Śakra Devānām Indra came in a transformation body, why did he say 「汝須何等價」 tr. "What price do you need?"

The treatise-author answers:

Knowing that he wished to make offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, he did so in order to fulfil his vow. Further, Śakra Devānām Indra had bitterly afflicted and pressed Sadāprarudita, and feared that what he would demand would be too great; therefore he said 「須何等價」 tr. "what price do you need".

What is called ‘give me as you wish’ means: 「於汝不大貪惜、不致悔恨者與我。」 tr. "Give me what you do not greatly covet or begrudge, and what will not bring you regret."

Because Sadāprarudita had no power or influence, he could not employ a caṇḍāla, and so he took up the knife himself; the brahmin too, because he feared the offence, could not break his body; therefore he himself took the knife and broke his body.

Treatise ③ (continued): Why the Elder's Daughter Came Only at This Time; the Present Matters of the Buddha's Merits Given in Answer; the Five Explanations of the Unsurpassed Dharma Jewel; the Elder's Daughter Rejoices Greatly on Hearing the Dharma

The treatise-author asks:

If the elder's daughter heard the voice, why did she not come and ask: 「汝何以自賣身耶」 tr. "Why do you sell yourself?"

The treatise-author answers:

Merely to speak with empty words of selling oneself is a light matter; to break the body and draw out the heart and marrow is a heavy matter; therefore the elder's daughter aroused the mind.

The elder's daughter, dwelling in an upper storey, saw this person cutting and piercing himself and had this thought: 「一切眾生皆求樂畏苦、貪愛其身；薩陀波崙而自割刺，是為希有！」 tr. "All beings seek pleasure and fear suffering, and greedily love their bodies; yet Sadāprarudita cuts and pierces himself—this is rare!" Further, because she was drawn by the causes and conditions of merit from former lives, she went to the place where he was and asked him.

Sadāprarudita answered: 「欲供養曇無竭菩薩。」 tr. "I wish to make offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata."

She asked again: 「得何等利？」 tr. "What benefit will you obtain?"

He answered: 「般若波羅蜜名菩薩所學，當從彼聞；我學是道，當得作佛，與一切眾生作依止。」 tr. "Prajñāpāramitā is named what bodhisattvas train in, and I shall hear it from him; training in this path, I shall become a Buddha and be a support for all beings." It is like a tree with thick leaves that gives much shade and cover; and again, like a great cool pool on a dangerous road in the wilderness in the time of scorching heat. He told her those matters among the Buddha's merits that are present before the eyes and can cause people to arouse the mind, namely the golden body, the thirty-two marks, the great light, and immeasurable light. What is called the great light is spoken for the beings of the evil age of Jambudvīpa; the real light of the buddhas has no limit. The meaning of great kindness and so on up to the six supernormal powers is as said earlier. Inconceivable pure morality, meditative concentration, and wisdom are as said in the five aggregates of the Buddha—morality and the rest. What is called obtaining unobstructed knowledge and vision within all dharmas means that the buddhas have unobstructed liberation, and the knowledge and vision associated with this liberation is without obstruction within all dharmas. The distinction between knowledge and vision is as said earlier.

Sadāprarudita said: 「我得如是無量佛功德，以無上法寶，分布與一切眾生。」 tr. "I shall obtain such immeasurable merits of a Buddha, and with the unsurpassed Dharma Jewel I shall distribute them to all beings."

As for what is called the unsurpassed jewel, someone says: it is the Dharma Jewel among the Three Jewels.

Someone says: all the eighty-four thousand collections of the Dharma are the Dharma Jewel; because one obtains this, one removes the afflictions, extinguishes idle discourse, and obtains liberation from all suffering.

Someone says: the unsurpassed Dharma Jewel is precisely anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, because there is nothing further above it.

Someone says: nirvāṇa is the unsurpassed Dharma Jewel. Why? All conditioned dharmas have something above them. As the Abhidharma says: 「一切有為法及虛空、非數緣盡，名為有上法；數緣盡是無上法。」 tr. "All conditioned dharmas, together with space and the exhaustion not through the condition of reckoning, are named dharmas that have something above them; the exhaustion through the condition of reckoning is the unsurpassed dharma." The exhaustion through the condition of reckoning is another name for nirvāṇa.

Someone says: although the path to nirvāṇa is conditioned, because it is for the sake of nirvāṇa, it is unsurpassed among conditioned dharmas.

Such Dharma Jewels as these are distributed as the three vehicles and given to beings.

Such immeasurable dharmas of the Buddha as these should be obtained from the teacher; therefore I give up this impure, foul, and filthy body in which old age, sickness, and death dwell, and for the sake of making offerings to prajñāpāramitā I shall obtain the body of a Buddha. The golden colour and the rest are as said earlier.

The elder's daughter had made offerings to the buddhas and planted roots of goodness life after life, and her wisdom was bright and keen; hearing this Dharma, her mind entered into it deeply and she greatly obtained the joy of the Dharma, so much so that her mind was startled and her hair stood on end. She said to Sadāprarudita: 「甚為希有！汝所讚法大微妙！為是一一法故，應捨如恒河沙等身，何況一身！」 tr. "This is most rare! The Dharma you praise is greatly subtle and wondrous! For the sake of each one of these dharmas one should give up bodies as many as the sands of the Ganges, how much more a single body!"

The elder's daughter had not known for what cause and condition he was afflicting his body, and so she pitied him and in her mind did not approve; now, hearing this immeasurable, boundless, incomparable pure Buddha-Dharma, she rejoiced greatly because by this cause and condition it could be obtained, and therefore she said: 「為是法故，應捨如恒河沙身。」 tr. "For the sake of this Dharma one should give up bodies as many as the sands of the Ganges."

That woman said: 「汝以貧故自苦困其身，於今可止；恣汝所須，當以相與，我亦隨汝而求是道。」 tr. "Because you are poor you torment and afflict your own body; now you may stop. Whatever you need, as much as you wish, I shall give you; and I too shall follow you and seek this path."

Treatise ③ (continued): How He Could Teach the Dharma While Cutting His Body; Śakra Resumes His Own Body and Praises Him; He Asks for Anuttarā Samyaksaṃbodhi; Why the Wounds Were At Once Made Whole

The treatise-author asks:

Since this bodhisattva had himself cut and severed his body, how could he teach the elder's daughter so much of the Buddha-Dharma?

The treatise-author answers:

This bodhisattva's power of mind was great; although there was bodily suffering, it could not cover his mind. This bodhisattva had only just begun to cut his flesh with the knife and let the blood flow, and was about to break his bone and draw out the marrow, when the elder's daughter came; because he had not yet greatly swooned, he was able to teach the Dharma.

Śakra Devānām Indra knew that his mind was already settled and that he had only been testing him; so he said nothing, at once resumed his own body, and praised him, saying 「善哉！汝心堅受是事」 tr. "Excellent! Your mind firmly undertakes this matter". Śakra's meaning was: with a fleshly body of birth and death such as yours now, not yet having obtained the Buddha path, you can be thus unsparing of your body; before long, within all dharmas, you will obtain non-clinging, abide within the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, and swiftly obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.

He took the buddhas of the past as witness, and by all kinds of such causes and conditions as these consoled his mind: 「我是天王，愛樂佛道，故來相試，欲知汝心堅軟云何？欲令汝信故，言須人心髓祠天，實不須也。汝願何等？當以相與。汝是好人，為是佛種，當相擁護。」 tr. "I am a heavenly king who loves and delights in the Buddha path, and so I came to test you, wishing to know whether your mind was firm or soft. To make you believe, I said that I needed a human heart and marrow to sacrifice to the gods; in truth I have no need of them. What do you wish for? I shall give it to you. You are a good person; you are the seed of the Buddha; I shall protect you."

Sadāprarudita had a straightforward, believing mind, good and gentle, and because he deeply clung to the Buddha path, he did not discriminate among beings; hearing Śakra's words, he said: 「與我阿耨多羅三藐三菩提！」 tr. "Give me anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi!"

Śakra said: 「此非我力所能辦，是佛境界。」 tr. "This is not something my power can accomplish; it is the realm of a Buddha."

Further, someone says: 「帝釋大苦困薩陀波崙，今以此語謝之。帝釋意謂求金銀寶物，不知乃索阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；既不能與，愧負而已！」 tr. "Śakra had greatly afflicted Sadāprarudita, and now apologises to him with these words. Śakra thought he would ask for gold, silver, and precious things, not knowing that he would demand anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; since he could not give it, he could only feel ashamed and in his debt!"

Śakra spoke again: 「必相供養，更索餘願。」 tr. "I must make you an offering; ask for some other wish." The meaning in Śakra's words is: since I have greatly afflicted you, I may not simply go away like this; I must make you an offering.

Although Sadāprarudita did not cherish his body, he wished to use this body to make offerings to Dharmodgata and to hear prajñāpāramitā; so he said: 「若汝無此力，令我身體平復如故。」 tr. "If you do not have this power, make my body whole again as before."

Śakra said: 「如汝所言。」 tr. "As you say." The wounds were at once made whole, not different from how they had been originally.

The treatise-author asks:

Since the flesh had already been cut away, how could it be made whole?

The treatise-author answers:

The Buddha said there are the five inconceivables. Even what nāgas do is inconceivable, how much more the gods! Further, space is filled with atoms; when Śakra, by his merit, gives rise to the thought, he can make them come together and make the body whole. It is like the bodies of the gods and of those in the hells, which are not bodies of the three kinds of birth; through the causes and conditions of sin and merit, as soon as they come together they exist.

At this time Śakra, knowing that his mind was firm, gave him what he wished and at once vanished.

Treatise ③ (continued): Why She Said ‘Ask My Parents for It’; Her Country Had No Buddha-Dharma; Why the Elder Could Send His Daughter Off; the Multitude Followed and Went East

At that time Sadāprarudita's slight offences of former lives had been exhausted and his merit was bright and flourishing, so the elder's daughter took him home: 「有所須者，從我父母索之」 tr. "Whatever you need, ask my parents for it", as is told at length in the sūtra.

The treatise-author asks:

This woman earlier said 「汝所須物，盡從我索之」 tr. "Whatever things you need, ask all of them from me"; why does she now say 「從我父母索」 tr. "ask my parents for it"?

The treatise-author answers:

Now that she is about to take him home, since Sadāprarudita would see with his own eyes that once they entered the house the things came from her parents, she was ashamed that she could not match her earlier words, and so she first said herself: 「從我父母索之。」 tr. "Ask my parents for it." Further, although the woman had the power to obtain the jewels herself, because it is the dharma of a child, she asked them from her parents.

Having entered the house, the woman, as she had earlier promised, asked her parents for the things and gave them.

Her country had no Buddha-Dharma, so the parents asked their daughter: 「阿誰是薩陀波崙菩薩？」 tr. "Who is this bodhisattva Sadāprarudita?" The daughter, as she had seen and as she had heard, told her parents everything about Sadāprarudita.

「今父母當聽我與薩陀波崙菩薩俱，及五百侍女，并供養具，供養曇無竭菩薩。」 tr. "Now, father and mother, you should allow me to go together with the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, along with five hundred attendant maidens and the means of offering, to make offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata."

Her parents heard her words and allowed it, as you wish.

The treatise-author asks:

The elder was noble and powerful; how was it that earlier he did not know Sadāprarudita, yet, because he heard of his merits, could at once let his daughter, with her retinue and jewels, go together with him?

The treatise-author answers:

The elder too had once planted roots of virtue; because of a small share of causes and conditions, he was born in a country without a Buddha. On briefly hearing the Buddha's merits, his knowing from former lives was roused and his mind at once awoke; therefore he could send them off. It is like the lotus flower, which, when its growth is complete, opens on seeing the light of the sun.

The parents knew that their daughter's mind was pure and mature, that she had no impure conduct, kept her integrity and was not false, did not delight in worldly pleasures, and sought only the benefit of the Dharma; they knew that her mind was earnest to the utmost and could not be restrained, and feared that if they went against her intent she would harm herself. Having reflected and weighed it, since they would both fulfil her intent and themselves obtain merit, they joyfully let her go. Worldly causes and conditions are clung to deeply and hard to undo; because they loved her to the utmost, they could not go against her even in that; how much less, when it was for the sake of the Buddha path and her mind was pure and without any stain or attachment, could they not allow it!

Because her parents allowed her in accordance with the Dharma, the woman did not begrudge the jewels, and also, with a mind of rejoicing, was glad of this matter.

At that time, the minds of the great multitude being settled, they adorned carriages of the seven jewels and, surrounded by the great multitude, went little by little toward the east.

At this time the relatives of the five hundred women and the people of the city, seeing this rare matter hard to equal, all followed them as well. The crowd having gathered, they went forward together in delight, thirsting and yearning for the City of Many Fragrances as a thirsty person longs for water. Advancing little by little along the road, they saw the City of Many Fragrances in the far distance, and so on up to: together with the elder's daughter and the five hundred women, reverently surrounding him, they wished to go to Dharmodgata's place.

Treatise ③ (continued): Why a Terrace of the Seven Jewels Was Used for Writing Out the Scroll of the Prajñā Sūtra; Two Explanations of the Seal of the Seven Jewels; Why He First Went to the Terrace and Only Afterwards Saw the Person

The treatise-author asks:

Dharmodgata is a great bodhisattva who has obtained the dhāraṇī of hearing and retaining and the other dhāraṇī; the meaning of prajñāpāramitā he has already mastered and retained himself; why must he use a terrace of the seven jewels, write out the scroll of the prajñā sūtra, place it within, and make offerings to it?

The treatise-author answers:

Although there are all kinds of causes and conditions, briefly speaking there are two meanings: first, the mental conduct of beings differs—some delight in seeing scrolls of the sūtra, some delight in hearing it expounded. Second, Dharmodgata is himself one of the white-robed and at present has a household. Beings of dull faculties might have this thought: 「此有居家，必有染著，何能以畢竟清淨無著般若波羅蜜利益眾生？自未無著，何能以無著法教化？」 tr. "This man has a household, so he must have stains and attachments; how can he benefit beings with prajñāpāramitā, which is of ultimate purity and without clinging? Not yet being without clinging himself, how can he teach and transform with the dharma of non-clinging?" Therefore his sūtra text was written out and placed on tablets of the seven jewels, and offerings were made to it with the many jewels; the gods, nāgas, and spirits also all came together to revere it, offering flowers and incense, banners and canopies, and raining down the seven jewels. Beings who saw this increased their faculty of faith; and so by this dharma he showed and transmitted the Buddha's words, and, following the sentences of the text, expounded the teaching and exhorted them.

All the adornments of the jewelled terrace, and the matter of Sadāprarudita's asking Śakra Devānām Indra, are as said in the sūtra. What is called sealing with the seal of the seven jewels: it is Dharmodgata's real seal, which he always held in his own hand and used to seal the sūtra.

Someone says: what is called the seal of the seven jewels means seven great spirits who seek the Buddha path; these great spirits hold vajras, are always at the service of the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, and guard the sūtra text, not letting Māra and Māra's people alter or confuse it, because they value and revere prajñā.

Some people arouse the mind only on hearing it expounded; some people rejoice and arouse the mind on seeing the adorned writing; therefore the jewelled terrace was adorned, the text written out on golden tablets, and sealed with the seal of the seven jewels.

The treatise-author asks:

The prajñā written out on the terrace and the prajñā expounded from the mouth of the bodhisattva Dharmodgata—although it is present in both places, the place where it is written cannot benefit people; why did he first go to the place of the jewelled terrace?

The treatise-author answers:

The prajñā that is written out is included within the Dharma Jewel. Because the Dharma Jewel comes in sequence after the Buddha Jewel, it should be offered to first; because Dharmodgata is a single person, he is not included in the Saṅgha Jewel; therefore he first made offerings to the Dharma Jewel.

Further, although what the bodhisattva Dharmodgata teaches is the Dharma, because beings grasp at the mark of a person, they mostly give rise to a clinging mind; if they see the prajñā that is written out, they do not give rise to the mark of a person, and although they grasp at other marks, the clinging mind is less than the fault and harm that arise from clinging to a person; therefore he first made offerings to the sūtra.

Even the buddhas make offerings to the Dharma of the sūtra, how much more Dharmodgata and Sadāprarudita! Dharmodgata receives offerings because of prajñāpāramitā; how could the root through which he receives them not be offered to first? Therefore the means of offering were divided into two portions.

Treatise ③ (continued): How Dharmodgata Could Transform the Flowers into a Flower-Terrace; How They Aroused the Mind Merely on Seeing Supernormal Power and Majestic Virtue; Relying on Love One Severs Love, Relying on Pride One Severs Pride; Lastly Explaining Why He Grasped at the Mark of a Buddha and Gave Rise to Deep Love and Clinging

The treatise-author asks:

Dharmodgata has sixty thousand court maidens, the five desires, and palaces; how could he transform the scattered flowers into a flower-terrace?

The treatise-author answers:

Someone says: it is the supernormal power of the buddhas that made this transformation, by means of the things Sadāprarudita offered.

Someone says: Dharmodgata is a great bodhisattva whose body is born of the Dharma-nature, and for the sake of delivering beings he receives the five desires. It is as said in the meaning of the name of the bodhisattva Dharmodgata.

The treatise-author asks:

The dharma of the bodhisattva is first to give rise to a compassionate mind toward beings, and, because one wishes to deliver beings from suffering, to seek anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Now they merely saw the supernormal power and majestic virtue of Dharmodgata; how did they arouse the mind?

The treatise-author answers:

Arousing the mind is of all kinds of difference: there are those who arouse the mind on hearing the Dharma taught; there are those who arouse the mind by giving rise to kindness and compassion toward beings; there are those who arouse the mind on seeing the power of supernormal abilities and great majestic virtue, and only afterwards give rise little by little to a compassionate mind; as said in the Sūtra of the Wisdom Seal.

Relying on love one severs love; relying on pride one severs pride. It is as when a person hears the dharma of the path and, because he loves this Dharma, gives up the five desires and leaves home. Again, a person hears that so-and-so has obtained the path of the arhat, and so gives rise to a haughty mind: 「此人無勝我事，彼尚能爾，我何不能？」 tr. "This person has nothing in which he surpasses me; if even he can do it, why can I not?" And so he gives rise to great vigour and obtains the path of the arhat.

Within the Buddha path it is also like this. The elder's daughter and the others, and the five hundred women, had ordinarily been deeply greedy for and attached to the pleasures of power and sovereignty; they had heard that in ancient times there were people whose supernormal power worked transformations, who were complete with jewels and, while among humans, received heavenly pleasures; afterwards they saw Dharmodgata, his terraces and towers and palaces, seated upon the great Dharma seat with gods and humans making offerings; further they saw the things that had been offered transformed in space into a great terrace; their minds at once rejoiced greatly, they gave rise to the thought of how hard this is to meet, and knew that all this could be accomplished through the causes and conditions of merit; and therefore they all aroused the mind to become buddhas.

Those who arouse the mind because of what they hear all practise in sequence. As said in the Vimalakīrti Sūtra: 「愛、慢等諸煩惱，皆是佛道根本。」 tr. "Love, pride, and the other afflictions are all the root of the Buddha path." Therefore, after the women saw this matter, they gave rise to a mind of love and delight, and knew that by the causes and conditions of merit such things could be obtained, and so they all aroused the mind. Because of this love and this pride, they afterwards obtained a pure and good mind; therefore it is said to be the root of the Buddha path, just as the lotus flower is born in mud.

After arousing the mind they made a vow: 「如曇無竭所為，我等亦當得是！」 tr. "As Dharmodgata has done, we too shall obtain this!"

At that time Sadāprarudita and the others bowed with head and face to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata. Because offerings of flowers, incense, and the like are not weighty, they offered them first; because the body is weighty, they bowed afterwards. Having bowed, he told the causes and conditions of his original seeking of prajñā. As said in the sūtra: 「我本求般若時，聞空中聲，乃至我今問大師：『諸佛從何所來？去至何處？』」 tr. "When I first sought prajñā, I heard the voice in the sky, and so on up to: now I ask the great teacher, ‘From where do the buddhas come? Where do they go?’"

The treatise-author asks:

Sadāprarudita had obtained the great samādhis—namely breaking ignorance, contemplating the nature of dharmas, and the rest; how could he still not know emptiness, but grasp at the mark of a Buddha and give rise to deep love and clinging?

The treatise-author answers:

If he is a bodhisattva who has newly aroused the mind, although he can know by the general mark that dharmas are empty and signless, because he deeply loves and clings to the buddhas he cannot understand that the mark of a Buddha is ultimately empty; though he knows emptiness he cannot be united with emptiness. Why? The buddhas have immeasurable, boundless real merits, and because this bodhisattva's faculties are keen, he enters deeply and clings deeply. If the Buddha did not teach emptiness to this bodhisattva, this bodhisattva, out of love for the Buddha, could even destroy his own kin, how much more other people! Only because he understands emptiness does no such thing happen.

Because Sadāprarudita clung deeply to the buddhas, he could not know, and so he asked the great teacher: 「今為我說諸佛來去相，我見佛身無厭足故，常不離見諸佛。」 tr. "Now tell me the mark of the coming and going of the buddhas; because I look at the Buddha's body without ever being satisfied, I never part from seeing the buddhas." (End of the fascicle.)

This fascicle is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the eighty-ninth chapter, "Dharmodgata" (fascicle ninety-nine); this unit is the sūtra segment of fascicle ninety-nine.

Sūtra ①: The Buddhas Come from Nowhere, and in Going Reach Nowhere—Five Similes: the Mirage, the Illusion, the Dream, the Jewels of the Ocean, and the Sound of the Konghou; Śakra Offers Flowers; Sadāprarudita Gives His Body Over to the Teacher, Walks and Stands for Seven Years, and Pierces His Body to Sprinkle the Ground; Dharmodgata Comes Out of Concentration and Takes the Dharma Seat

At that time the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata said to the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita: ‘Good man! The buddhas come from nowhere, and in going reach nowhere. Why? The suchness of dharmas has the mark of not moving; the suchness of dharmas is precisely the Buddha. Good man! The dharma of non-arising neither comes nor goes; the dharma of non-arising is precisely the Buddha. The dharma of non-ceasing neither comes nor goes; the dharma of non-ceasing is precisely the Buddha. The dharma of the limit of reality neither comes nor goes; the dharma of the limit of reality is precisely the Buddha. Emptiness neither comes nor goes; emptiness is precisely the Buddha. Good man! The undefiled neither comes nor goes; the undefiled is precisely the Buddha. Quiescent extinction neither comes nor goes; quiescent extinction is precisely the Buddha. The nature of space neither comes nor goes; the nature of space is precisely the Buddha. Good man! Apart from these dharmas there is no further Buddha; the suchness of the buddhas and the suchness of dharmas are one and the same suchness, without discrimination. Good man! This suchness is always one; it is not two, it is not three; it passes beyond all dharmas of number, because it is without anything existent. It is like the last month of spring, at midday when it is scorching hot: a person sees a mirage shimmering, chases after it, and hopes to obtain water to drink. What do you think? From which pool, which mountain, which spring did this water come? And where does it now go? Does it flow into the eastern sea, the western sea, the southern sea, the northern sea?’

Sadāprarudita said: ‘Great teacher! In a mirage there is not even water; how could there be a place it comes from or a place it goes to?’

The bodhisattva Dharmodgata said to the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita: ‘Good man! The foolish ordinary person, without wisdom, pressed by scorching heat and thirst, sees the mirage shimmer and, where from the first there is no water, gives rise to the notion of water. Good man! If anyone discriminates the buddhas as having coming and going, know that such people are all foolish ordinary persons. Why? Good man! The buddhas cannot be seen by the form body; the Dharma body of the buddhas neither comes nor goes, and the buddhas' place of coming and place of going are also thus. Good man! It is like a conjurer who conjures up all kinds of things—an elephant, or a horse, or an ox, or a sheep, or a man, or a woman—all such kinds of things. What do you think? From what place does this illusory thing come? To what place does it go?’

The bodhisattva Sadāprarudita said: ‘Great teacher! An illusory thing is not really existent; how could there be a place of coming and going?’

‘Good man! Such people, discriminating the Buddha as having coming and going, are also like this.

‘Good man! It is like seeing in a dream an elephant, or a horse, or an ox, or a sheep, or a man, or a woman. What do you think? What is seen in a dream—has it a place it comes from, a place it goes to?’

Sadāprarudita said: ‘Great teacher! What is seen in this dream is false; how could it have coming and going?’

‘Good man! Such people, discriminating the Buddha as having coming and going, are also like this. Good man! The Buddha said that dharmas are like a dream. If there are beings who do not understand the meaning of these dharmas, and cling to the Buddha by name and by form body, such people then discriminate the buddhas as having coming and going; because they do not understand the mark of the limit of reality of dharmas, they all belong to the kind of foolish ordinary persons without wisdom. Such people go and come again and again within the five destinies, far from prajñāpāramitā, far from the dharmas of the buddhas. Good man! The Buddha said that dharmas are like an illusion, like a dream. If there are beings who understand this as it really is, such people do not discriminate dharmas as coming or going, as arising or ceasing; if they do not discriminate dharmas as coming or going, as arising or ceasing, they can understand the real mark of all dharmas taught by the Buddha. Such people practise prajñāpāramitā, draw near to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and are named true disciples of the Buddha; they do not falsely consume the faithful gifts of others; such people should receive people's offerings, and are a field of merit for the world.

‘Good man! It is like the many kinds of jewels in the waters of the great ocean: they do not come from the east, and do not come from the south, the west, the north, the four intermediate directions, or above and below; it is by the causes and conditions of beings' roots of goodness that the ocean produces these jewels. Nor are these jewels produced without causes and conditions; these jewels are all born from the coming together of causes and conditions, and when these jewels perish, they do not go to the ten directions either. When the conditions gather, they exist; when the conditions disperse, they perish. Good man! The bodies of the buddhas are also thus: they are born from the causes and conditions and the retribution of their original deeds; when born they do not come from the ten directions, and when they perish they do not go to the ten directions either; it is only that when the conditions gather they exist, and when the conditions disperse they perish.

‘Good man! It is like the sound of a konghou: when it arises it has no place it comes from, and when it ceases it has no place it goes to. It arises because the many conditions come together—there is the body, there is the neck, there is the skin, there are the strings, there are the pegs, there is the plectrum, and there is a person who plays it with the hand; only when the many conditions come together is there sound. This sound does not come out of the body, does not come out of the neck, does not come out of the skin, does not come out of the strings, does not come out of the pegs, does not come out of the plectrum, nor does it come out of the person's hand; only when the many conditions come together is there sound. When these causes and conditions disperse, it has no place it goes to either. Good man! The bodies of the buddhas are also thus: they are born from the causes and conditions of immeasurable merits, not born from one cause, one condition, one merit; nor do they exist without causes and conditions; they exist because the many conditions come together. The bodies of the buddhas are not accomplished from a single matter alone; when coming they come from nowhere, when going they reach nowhere.

‘Good man! In this way you should know the mark of the buddhas' coming and the mark of their going. Good man! You should also know that all dharmas are without the mark of coming and going. If you know that the buddhas and dharmas are without the mark of coming and going, without the mark of arising and ceasing, you will surely obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and will also be able to practise prajñāpāramitā and the power of skilful means.’

At that time Śakra Devānām Indra gave heavenly māndārava flowers to the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Sadāprarudita, saying: ‘Good man! Make offerings with these flowers to the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata; I shall protect you and make offerings to you. For what reason? Because by the power of your causes and conditions, today hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭi of beings are benefited and made to obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Good man! A good person such as this is truly hard to meet! For the sake of benefiting all beings, through immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas he undergoes all kinds of toil and hardship.’

The bodhisattva-mahāsattva Sadāprarudita received Śakra Devānām Indra's māndārava flowers, scattered them over the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, and addressed him: ‘Great teacher! From this day on I give this body over to the teacher, to provide for you and make offerings to you.’ Having addressed him thus three times, he stood before the teacher with joined palms.

Then the elder's daughter and the five hundred attendant maidens addressed the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita: ‘From this day on we too give these bodies over to the teacher. By the causes and conditions of these roots of goodness, we shall obtain such a Dharma as this, just as the teacher has obtained it; may we, together with the teacher, make offerings to the buddhas life after life, and always make offerings to the teacher life after life.’

Then the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita said to the elder's daughter and the five hundred women: ‘If you give yourselves over to me with a sincere mind, I shall accept you.’

The maidens said: ‘We give ourselves over to the teacher with a sincere mind, and shall follow the teacher's instruction.’

Then the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita and the five hundred women, together with all kinds of adorning jewels, the finest offerings, and five hundred carriages of the seven jewels, presented them to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata and addressed him: ‘Great teacher! I present these five hundred women to provide for the great teacher; these five hundred carriages are for the teacher's use.’

At that time Śakra Devānām Indra praised the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, saying: ‘Excellent! Excellent! Good man! A bodhisattva-mahāsattva who relinquishes all that he has should give in just this way, in just this way, and then swiftly obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Making offerings in this way to the one who teaches the Dharma, he will surely be able to hear prajñāpāramitā and the power of skilful means. When the buddhas of the past originally practised the bodhisattva path, they too abode thus in giving, were able to hear prajñāpāramitā and the power of skilful means, and obtained anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.’

At that time the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, in order to make the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita's roots of goodness complete, accepted the five hundred carriages, the elder's daughter, and the five hundred attendant maidens; having accepted them, he gave them back again to the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita.

Then the bodhisattva Dharmodgata taught the Dharma; the sun having already set in the west, he rose and went into the palace. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva Sadāprarudita had this thought: ‘I have come for the sake of the Dharma; I should not sit, I should not lie down; I should use two things—either walking or standing—to wait for the Dharma teacher to come out of the palace and teach the Dharma.’

At that time, for seven years, the bodhisattva Dharmodgata with one mind entered immeasurable asaṃkhyeya bodhisattva samādhis, and practised prajñāpāramitā and the power of skilful means. For seven years the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita walked and stood, not sitting, not lying down, without sleep, without lust, anger, or harming, his mind not craving flavours; he only thought: ‘When will the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata rise from samādhi and come out to teach the Dharma?’ After seven years had passed, the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita had this thought: ‘I should spread a seat for teaching the Dharma for the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata; the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata will sit on the seat and teach the Dharma. I should sprinkle the ground to make it clean, scatter all kinds of flowers, and adorn this place; this is because the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata is about to teach prajñāpāramitā and the power of skilful means.’ Then the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, with the elder's daughter and the five hundred attendant maidens, spread a couch of the seven jewels for the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata; the five hundred women each took off their upper garments and spread them on the seat, having this thought: ‘The bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata will sit on this seat and teach prajñāpāramitā and the power of skilful means.’

After the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita had spread the seat, he sought water to sprinkle the ground but could not obtain it. For what reason? The evil Māra hid it and covered it over, so that the water did not appear. Māra had this thought: ‘If the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita seeks water and cannot obtain it, then toward the practice of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi he may give rise even to a single thought of a timid and feeble mind, of a changed mind; then his roots of goodness will not grow, his wisdom will give no illumination, and toward omniscience there will be delay and obstruction.’

At that time the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita had this thought: ‘I should pierce my own body and sprinkle the ground with my blood, so that no dust comes to soil the great teacher. What use is this body to me! This body will surely break apart. From beginningless birth and death until now I have lost my body again and again, and never once relinquished it for the sake of the Dharma.’ Then with a sharp knife he pierced his own body, and the blood flowed out to sprinkle the ground. The bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, and the elder's daughter together with the five hundred attendant maidens, none of them had a changed mind, and the evil Māra could not find his opening.

Then Śakra Devānām Indra had this thought: ‘It is unprecedented! The bodhisattva Sadāprarudita loves the Dharma to such a degree that with a knife he pierces his own body and sprinkles the ground with his blood! The minds of Sadāprarudita and the women do not move or turn, and the evil Māra Pāpīyas cannot destroy their roots of goodness. His mind is firm; he takes on the great adornment, does not spare body or life, and with a deep mind wishes to seek anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; he will deliver all beings from the suffering of immeasurable births and deaths.’ Śakra Devānām Indra praised the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, saying: ‘Excellent! Excellent! Good man! The power of your vigour is vast, firm and hard to shake, inconceivable! Your love of the Dharma and your seeking of the Dharma are most unsurpassed! Good man! The buddhas of the past were also thus: with a deep mind they loved the Dharma, cherished the Dharma, and valued the Dharma, accumulated all kinds of merits, and obtained anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.’

The bodhisattva Sadāprarudita had this thought: ‘I have spread the Dharma seat for the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata, and the sweeping and sprinkling clean are already finished; where shall I obtain fine flowers of renown to adorn this ground? When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata sits on the Dharma seat teaching the Dharma, I should also scatter flowers as an offering.’

Śakra Devānām Indra knew what the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita was thinking in his mind, and at once gave Sadāprarudita three thousand dan of heavenly māndārava flowers. Sadāprarudita received the flowers, scattered half of them on the ground, and kept half to make offerings with at the time when the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata would sit on the Dharma seat to teach the Dharma.

At that time, after seven years had passed, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata rose from the samādhis, and, for the sake of proclaiming prajñāpāramitā, reverently surrounded by an immeasurable great assembly of hundreds of thousands of myriads, went to the Dharma seat and sat down.

When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Sadāprarudita saw the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata, his mind was pure, delighted and glad, like a bhikṣu entering the third dhyāna.

The above is the sūtra segment of fascicle ninety-nine of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the chapter "Dharmodgata".

This fascicle is the treatise segment of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the eighty-ninth chapter, "Dharmodgata" (fascicle ninety-nine). What follows is the treatise's explanation.

Treatise ①: General Opening—Though Sadāprarudita Knows Emptiness He Cannot Yet Enter Deeply, Like the Ocean's Waves That Retreat on Reaching Sumeru

The treatise-author explains:

Although the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita already knew that dharmas are empty and without the mark of coming and going, he still could not enter deeply, nor could he yet penetrate the many gates of the Dharma; and because his reverence for the bodies of the buddhas was extremely deep and extremely weighty, he could not contemplate emptiness. It is like the waves of the great ocean: though their force is extremely great, as soon as they reach the side of Mount Sumeru they retreat and can do nothing; Sadāprarudita too is like this: though he has a vast power of wisdom contemplating emptiness, once it reaches the place of the Buddha this power of wisdom too can do nothing. For this reason the bodhisattva Dharmodgata now says to him: 「諸佛無所從來、去亦無所至。」 tr. "The buddhas come from nowhere, and in going reach nowhere."

In this passage of the sūtra Dharmodgata himself states the causes and conditions of why it is so, namely: 「諸法如不動相，諸法如即是佛。」 tr. "The suchness of dharmas has the mark of not moving; the suchness of dharmas is precisely the Buddha."

Treatise ① (continued): What Is the Suchness of Dharmas; the Two Truths, and That the Five Aggregates Are Not the Buddha

The treatise-author asks:

What is the suchness of dharmas?

The treatise-author answers:

It is the real mark of all dharmas; it is also the many gates of the Dharma such as emptiness of nature, nothing to be attained, emptiness, and the like.

The treatise-author asks:

The Mahāprajñāpāramitā is the foremost dharma among the six perfections of the Great Vehicle in the Buddha-dharma; if there were no Buddha, there would be no one able to teach prajñā. The thirty-two marks, the eighty minor marks, the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, and the like—form dharmas and formless dharmas—these pure and subtle five aggregates come together, and only so is it named the Buddha. Just as the five fingers coming together are named a fist, and one cannot say there is no fist; since the name is different, the shape is different too, and the power and function are different too, one cannot say there is no fist; from this one knows that there is a Buddha.

The treatise-author answers:

It is not so! Within the Buddha-dharma there are two truths: worldly truth and the truth of the highest meaning. Because of worldly truth it is said 「佛說般若波羅蜜」 tr. "the Buddha teaches prajñāpāramitā"; because of the highest meaning it is said 「諸佛空，無來無去」 tr. "the buddhas are empty, without coming and without going".

As you have said: 「清淨五眾和合故名為佛。」 tr. "Because the pure five aggregates come together, it is named the Buddha." If it exists only because of coming together, this amounts to non-existence. It is just as the Buddha himself states the causes and conditions in the sūtra: 「五眾非佛，離五眾亦無佛，五眾不在佛中，佛不在五眾中，佛非五眾有。」 tr. "The five aggregates are not the Buddha; apart from the five aggregates there is no Buddha either; the five aggregates are not in the Buddha; the Buddha is not in the five aggregates; the Buddha does not possess the five aggregates."

Why? The five aggregates are five, the Buddha is one; the one cannot make the five, and the five cannot make the one. Again, because the five aggregates have no self-nature, they are false, deceptive, and not real; and the Buddha himself said: 「一切無誑法中，我最第一。」 tr. "Among all dharmas without deception, I am the foremost." Therefore the five aggregates are not precisely the Buddha.

Further, if the five aggregates were precisely the Buddha, then all who have the five aggregates should be buddhas.

The treatise-author asks:

It is precisely because there is such an objection that I said before: 「第一清淨五眾、三十二相等名為佛。」 tr. "The foremost pure five aggregates, the thirty-two marks, and the rest are named the Buddha."

The treatise-author answers:

The thirty-two marks and the rest are already present at the time of the bodhisattva's position; why is he not named the Buddha at that time?

The treatise-author asks:

At that time, though he has a body adorned with the marks and minor signs, he does not yet have the omniscience of all kinds; if the omniscience of all kinds is within the foremost subtle form body, only then is it named the Buddha.

The treatise-author answers:

As for 「一切種智」 tr. "the omniscience of all kinds", prajñā says it is the mark of quiescence, without idle discourse; if one obtains this dharma, it is named nothing to be attained; it is because of nothing to be attained that it is named the Buddha, and the Buddha is precisely emptiness. For all kinds of causes and conditions such as these, the five aggregates cannot be precisely the Buddha.

Treatise ① (continued): Apart from the Five Aggregates There Is No Buddha Either—the Simile of the Fist; Seeking the Buddha in Five Ways He Is Unfindable

Apart from these five aggregates there is no Buddha either. Why? Apart from these five aggregates there is no other dharma to speak of; just as, apart from the five fingers, there is no further dharma of a fist to speak of.

The treatise-author asks:

Why do you say there is no dharma of a fist? The shape is different, and the power and function are different too; if it were only fingers, there should not be such a difference. Because the five fingers come together, the dharma of a fist arises; although this dharma of a fist is impermanent and has arising and ceasing, one cannot say it does not exist.

The treatise-author answers:

If this dharma of a fist definitely really existed, then apart from the five fingers there should be a further fist that can be seen, and it would not need to rely on the five fingers.

For all kinds of causes and conditions such as these, apart from the five fingers there is no fist; the Buddha too is like this: apart from the five aggregates there is no Buddha.

The Buddha is not in the five aggregates, and the five aggregates are not in the Buddha either. Why? Because the matter of 「異」 tr. "difference" is sought and is unfindable. If the five aggregates and the Buddha were different from each other, the Buddha should be in the five aggregates; but this does not hold.

Nor is the Buddha in the five aggregates. Why? Apart from the five aggregates there is no Buddha, and apart from the Buddha there are no five aggregates either. For example, a bhikṣu, because he has the three robes and the bowl, can be said to 「有」 tr. "have" them; but the Buddha and the five aggregates cannot be divided into two different things, therefore one cannot say that the Buddha possesses the five aggregates.

Because, seeking the Buddha in these five ways, he is unfindable, you should know that there is no Buddha; because the Buddha does not exist, there is no coming and no going.

Treatise ① (continued): Refuting the Notion of Clinging to the Buddha, Not Grasping the Notion of No Buddha—Leaving the Two Extremes of Existence and Non-existence and Abiding in the Middle Way

The treatise-author asks:

If there is no Buddha, that is wrong view; why then does the bodhisattva arouse the mind to seek to become a Buddha?

The treatise-author answers:

The 「無佛」 tr. "no Buddha" spoken of here is to refute the notion of clinging to the existence of the Buddha; it is not saying that one should 「取無佛想」 tr. "grasp at the notion of no Buddha". If even where there is a Buddha one is not taught to grasp, how much less to grasp the wrong view that there is no Buddha!

Further, the Buddha has the mark of being always quiescent, without idle discourse; if someone discriminates and engages in idle discourse about this matter of permanent quiescent extinction, this person too falls into wrong view. Leaving these two extremes of existence and non-existence and abiding in the middle way: this is the real mark of all dharmas. The real mark of all dharmas is precisely the Buddha. Why? To obtain this real mark of all dharmas is named obtaining the Buddha.

Further, the mark of suchness of form and the other dharmas is precisely the Buddha; the emptiness of nature of form and the other dharmas is precisely the mark of suchness; the suchness of the buddhas too is emptiness of nature; for this reason they neither come nor go. Unarisen, unceasing, the nature of dharmas, the limit of reality, emptiness, the undefiled, quiescent extinction, the nature of space are likewise so, without coming and without going. Suchness, and so on up to the suchness of the nature of space and the suchness of the Buddha—this suchness is one, without the differences of two, of three, and the like.

This passage of the sūtra itself states the causes and conditions: 「何以故？出諸數法，無所有故。」 tr. "Why? Because it passes beyond all dharmas of number, being without anything existent."

Suchness and the other dharmas are real; within them there is no recollection, imagining, and discrimination. Only because of grasping at marks are there names, and only within names is there number.

This passage of the sūtra again itself states the causes and conditions: 「空、非實，無所有故。」 tr. "Because it is empty, not real, without anything existent."

Treatise ① (continued): If Dharmas Are Without Anything Existent, How Is There Seeing, Hearing, Suffering, and Joy—the Similes of the Mirage and the Dream; the Two Bodies, the Dharma Body and the Form Body

The treatise-author asks:

If this dharma is without anything existent, how can there still be seeing and hearing, and all kinds of distinctions such as suffering and joy, bondage and liberation?

The treatise-author answers:

In this passage of the sūtra Dharmodgata himself speaks by way of all kinds of distinguishing similes, namely, the mirage seen in the last month of spring, and so on up to the saying that this person does not discriminate dharmas as coming or going. Although within the mirage and the like there is no real thing, it can still deceive and delude people, so that matters of suffering and joy arise of themselves; dharmas too are like this: though empty and without anything existent, they can still cause people to meet with matters of suffering, joy, sorrow, and gladness. The dream and the other dharmas are also like this.

Further, the Buddha has two kinds of body: first, the Dharma body; second, the form body. The Dharma body is the true Buddha; the form body exists because of worldly truth.

The mark of the Buddha's Dharma body: above, the real mark of all dharmas was taught by all kinds of causes and conditions, and this real mark of all dharmas is also without coming and without going; therefore it is said 「諸佛無所從來，去亦無所至」 tr. "the buddhas come from nowhere, and in going reach nowhere". If someone obtains the mark of the Dharma body of the buddhas, this is named drawing near to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; because he has not yet obtained omniscience, it is only named 「近」 tr. "near", taking its resemblance and no more. Prajñāpāramitā is named the real mark of all dharmas; if one can practise in this way, this is a true disciple of the Buddha who practises prajñāpāramitā. As for true disciples of the Buddha: obtaining the real mark of all dharmas is named the Buddha; because the obtaining of the real mark of all dharmas has differences of depth and shallowness, there are the srota-āpanna, and so on up to the pratyekabuddha and the great bodhisattva; the srota-āpanna and the rest, up to the great bodhisattva—these are named true disciples of the Buddha.

As for not falsely consuming people's faithful gifts: giving to animals, though one can obtain a hundredfold retribution, this merit is exhaustible and measurable; because it cannot carry beings across out of birth and death, it is named 「虛食」 tr. "eating in vain". The srota-āpanna and the rest, up to the Buddha—these worthies and sages receive people's faithful gifts; the retribution of this merit, all the way to nirvāṇa, is inexhaustible and immeasurable; therefore it is said that they do not falsely consume people's faithful gifts.

Such people should receive the offerings of all beings: the srota-āpanna should receive the offerings of all ordinary people; the sakṛdāgāmin should receive the offerings of ordinary people and so on up to the srota-āpanna; the anāgāmin should receive the offerings of ordinary people and of the srota-āpanna and the sakṛdāgāmin; the arhat should receive the offerings of ordinary people, the srota-āpanna, the sakṛdāgāmin, and the anāgāmin; the pratyekabuddha should receive the offerings of ordinary people and of the srota-āpanna and so on up to the arhat; the great bodhisattva near to becoming a Buddha should receive the offerings of ordinary people and of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. As for being a field of merit for the world: just as when seed is sown in a good field the harvest is surely abundant, morality, meditative concentration, and wisdom are the field of merit; beings plant merit in it, and the retribution they obtain is immeasurable.

Treatise ① (continued): Because He Fears They Will Fall into Annihilation, Causes and Conditions and Similes Are Taught—the Simile of the Jewels of the Ocean, the Simile of the Skilled Archer, and the Question Why the Jewels Are in the Great Ocean

Above it was said 「諸佛無來無去」 tr. "the buddhas are without coming and without going"; Sadāprarudita and the people seated there hearing the Dharma thought in their minds: 「諸佛尚無，諸法亦應皆滅」 tr. "if even the buddhas do not exist, dharmas too should all be extinguished"—and so they would fall into annihilation! Therefore now the dharma of causes and conditions is taught, together with similes.

Dharmodgata showed Sadāprarudita, saying: 「如汝所著，意謂實有者無；為度眾生故，從因緣和合則有像現。」 tr. "What you cling to, thinking that it really exists, does not exist; for the sake of delivering beings, from the coming together of causes and conditions an image appears."

To prove this matter, a simile is spoken: ‘It is like the jewels produced in the great ocean: they do not come from the ten directions, and when they perish they have no place to go to either; nor are they produced without causes and conditions: it is through the causes and conditions of the merit of the beings of the four continents that the ocean produces these jewels. When the kalpa is exhausted and destroyed, they have no place to go to either; just as when a lamp goes out, its flame does not go anywhere. The Buddha's body too is like this: the roots of goodness and merit planted since the first arousing of the mind are all causes and conditions of the marks and minor signs of the Buddha's body; the Buddha's body too is not sovereign of itself, but all belongs to arising from the retribution of the original causes, conditions, and deeds; though these causes and conditions abide long, because their substance and nature are conditioned dharmas, they must return to impermanence, and when they scatter and break up there is no body.’

It is like a person skilled at archery who shoots upward into space: though the arrow goes far, it must fall to the ground; the bodies of the buddhas too are like this: though their marks and minor signs are radiant, their merit accomplished, their renown immeasurable, and the people they deliver without limit, they still must return to wearing away.

The treatise-author asks:

If it is because of the causes and conditions of beings' merit that the ocean produces jewels, why are they not produced in a place near beings, but rather in the great ocean, a place where they are hard to obtain?

The treatise-author answers:

In the ocean too there are beings; the nāgas, the asuras, and the like use these jewels.

Further, if the jewels were produced among humans in a turbid and evil age, greedy people would hide them away and not let others obtain them. In a good age, jewels are produced of themselves among humans, and no one is stingy with them; for example, when the Buddha Maitreya appears in the world, jewels are like tiles and pebbles. Because lazy and indolent people cherish their bodies and make strained vows seeking ease and pleasure, the jewels in the great ocean cannot be obtained; only people of great mind, who do not cherish body and life and seek with toil and diligence, can obtain them. The water of the great ocean is a simile for the lands of the six destinies in the ten directions; the many kinds of jewels are the buddhas. Just as the jewels are produced for the sake of all beings, yet lazy and indolent people cannot obtain them; the buddhas too are like this: though they appear in the world for the sake of beings, those who are lazy, of small mind, attached to their bodies, and clinging to a self do not obtain deliverance. Why? All dharmas arise from the coming together of many conditions; beings need two causes and conditions to be delivered: first, right view within; second, one who teaches the Dharma well without. Though the buddhas teach the Dharma well, because beings' right view within is not complete, they cannot deliver them all. Just as, though the jewels come forth for the sake of beings, there are still poor beings; the buddhas too are like this: though they come forth for the sake of beings, because beings' right view within is slight, they do not obtain deliverance.

Treatise ① (continued): The Simile of the Sound of the Konghou and the Simile of the Image in the Mirror—the Buddha's Body Arises at the Edge Where the Many Causes and Conditions Come Together

There is also the simile of the konghou: there is the body, there is the neck, there is the skin, there are the strings, there is the plectrum, and there is a person who plays it with the hand; only when the many conditions come together is there sound. This sound is not within the many conditions, and apart from the many conditions there is no sound either; it is because of the coming together of causes and conditions that there is sound that can be heard. The bodies of the buddhas too are like this: they arise at the edge where the many causes and conditions—the six perfections, the power of skilful means, and the like—come together; the Buddha's body is not within the six perfections and the other dharmas, nor is it apart from the six perfections and the other dharmas.

Just as sound does not exist by one cause and condition, nor is it without causes and conditions; the Buddha's body too is like this: it does not come from no causes and conditions, nor does it come from very few causes and conditions; it is because the causes and conditions of all kinds of wholesome dharmas are complete that the bodies of the buddhas are born. It is like the image in a mirror: it exists because many causes and conditions come together, and because the many conditions part and scatter it does not exist; the buddhas too are like this: because there are all kinds of causes and conditions they appear, and because all kinds of causes and conditions scatter they perish.

「善男子！應如是觀諸佛來去相，一切諸法相亦應如是知。」 tr. "Good man! You should contemplate the mark of the buddhas' coming and going in this way; the marks of all dharmas too should be known in this way."

Dharmodgata told Sadāprarudita: 「善男子！汝能知諸法相不來不去，必得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不退轉，亦必能行般若波羅蜜及方便力。何以故？一切法無障礙故。」 tr. "Good man! If you can know that the marks of dharmas neither come nor go, you will surely obtain non-retrogression from anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and will surely also be able to practise prajñāpāramitā and the power of skilful means. Why? Because all dharmas are without obstruction."

Treatise ① (continued): The Causes and Conditions of Śakra Giving Flowers; the Causes and Conditions of the Elder's Daughter Giving Herself

The treatise-author asks:

Why did Śakra Devānām Indra conjure māndārava flowers and give them to Sadāprarudita?

The treatise-author answers:

Because Śakra Devānām Indra loves and delights in the Buddha path, he always makes offerings to the bodhisattvas.

Further, Śakra Devānām Indra, for the sake of taking in beings and causing them to enter the Buddha path, appeared in the body of a heavenly king and gave the flowers to Sadāprarudita. Because Sadāprarudita sought the Buddha path with one mind, the gods all came to make offerings; when beings saw this, they too all aroused the mind because of it. Śakra Devānām Indra made offerings to Sadāprarudita for the sake of guiding beings.

Someone says: 「釋提桓因深愛敬薩陀波崙，上品來試已，令身體平復，今復以華與之。釋提桓因力能與一切人華，以眾生無福力故，設當與者，華即變壞；薩陀波崙福德成就故，得必不變，是故與；若一切菩薩供養師時不盡與。」 tr. "Śakra Devānām Indra deeply loved and revered Sadāprarudita; in the previous chapter he came and tested him, then made his body whole again, and now again gives him flowers. Śakra Devānām Indra has the power to give flowers to all people, but because beings lack the power of merit, if he were to give them, the flowers would at once change and spoil; because Sadāprarudita's merit is accomplished, what he obtains will surely not change, and therefore he gives them; when all bodhisattvas make offerings to their teachers, he does not give to all of them."

As for saying that he should protect him and make offerings to him, the causes and conditions have already been stated before: namely, because of cutting his flesh and drawing out blood, and having tested him thereby, they became close friends; therefore he protects him. Further, here Śakra Devānām Indra himself states the causes and conditions, namely: 「汝因緣力故，饒益百千等眾生。」 tr. "Because of the power of your causes and conditions, hundreds of thousands of beings and more are benefited."

Sadāprarudita took the flowers and, in accordance with Śakra's intention, offered them to Dharmodgata.

At first Sadāprarudita had only heard the teacher's name; later, because he saw him with his own eyes, heard the Dharma, and severed his doubts, he made an offering of his own body. The elder's daughter and the others also followed Sadāprarudita's example and gave their own bodies to Sadāprarudita.

The treatise-author asks:

Sadāprarudita made an offering of his body to Dharmodgata, and Dharmodgata is the greater field of merit; why did those women not make an offering of their bodies to Dharmodgata, but gave them instead to Sadāprarudita?

The treatise-author answers:

Because women's wisdom is short and shallow and their clinging is great, they should not abandon their own teacher to make offerings to another. Again, because a woman's body is sinful and impure, though their minds were pure and clean, outwardly there would be slander and reproach.

The treatise-author asks:

When the elder's daughter first left her parents, she already belonged to Sadāprarudita; why now does she again give her body?

The treatise-author answers:

When she first left her parents, it was to go with Sadāprarudita to the place of Dharmodgata and make offerings for the sake of the Dharma; she had not herself given her body away, nor had her parents given them to Sadāprarudita. Now, seeing Sadāprarudita ask about the most profound meaning, Dharmodgata explain it for him, and Śakra Devānām Indra joyfully make offerings, they gave rise to a joyful mind and made an offering of their bodies; this came from a mind that was its own master.

Further, every woman's body, if it has no place to belong to, will receive a bad name. By the rule of propriety for women, when young they follow their parents, when grown they follow their husbands, and when old they follow their sons. Though these, the elder's daughter and the others, had come together along the road, they could not long be without someone they belonged to; so they gave their bodies themselves, and also made this vow: 「如師所得，我等亦當得之。」 tr. "As the teacher has obtained it, we too shall obtain it."

At that time Sadāprarudita wished to offer these women to Dharmodgata; because he was concerned that they might feel resentment in their minds, he first asked: 「汝等實以誠心供養，我當受汝。」 tr. "If you truly make this offering with a sincere mind, I shall accept you."

What is called a sincere mind is not acting on one's own decision, but letting oneself be disposed of as another wishes, like a thing without a mind.

The women answered: 「實以誠心。」 tr. "Truly with a sincere mind."

Then Sadāprarudita presented the elder's daughter together with the attendant maidens and the five hundred carriages, all together, to Dharmodgata.

Sadāprarudita wished to remove the ordinary doubt of worldly people—that he had deceived the elder and only so brought these women along—so he gave all of them away, showing that he himself had no attachment.

Further, Sadāprarudita, as when he heard the voice in the sky, could understand and rejoice in all that he heard, and so offered up all the inner and outer things that worldly people value; this was for the sake of entering deeply into the gate of dānapāramitā.

Śakra Devānām Indra knew that Sadāprarudita had not yet fully severed craving and the other afflictions, yet could give away all his inner and outer things without anything left over; therefore he praised him, saying: 「善哉！」 tr. "Excellent!" And he took the buddhas of the past as a comparison: it is because they did things hard to do that they obtained a retribution hard to obtain, namely what is called 「阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」 tr. "anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi".

Treatise ① (continued): Why Dharmodgata Gave Them Back; Why He Entered the Palace; Why Sadāprarudita Walked and Stood for Seven Years Without Sitting or Lying Down

The treatise-author asks:

If it is said that Dharmodgata accepted them in order to make Sadāprarudita's roots of goodness complete—roots of goodness meaning the completion of dānapāramitā—why then did he give them back to Sadāprarudita?

The treatise-author answers:

Dharmodgata, by the skilful means of great wisdom, caused Sadāprarudita to obtain great merit while losing nothing at all; this is called the highest kind of accepting. Sadāprarudita gave with a mind of utmost sincerity, severed all kinds of greed and clinging, and did not expect to get anything back; his merit was already complete. Dharmodgata considered that Sadāprarudita had come from far away and that his mind was not stained or attached to the five desires, and that it would be better to have the people he already had make offerings to him; therefore he gave them back. Again, he heard that these women had earlier already presented their bodies to Sadāprarudita, and people are not goods and property, so he wished to fulfil their original intention. Again, these women had been Sadāprarudita's disciples life after life. For all kinds of causes and conditions such as these, he gave them back to Sadāprarudita.

The treatise-author asks:

When the great bodhisattvas teach the Dharma they should not become utterly weary; why did he enter the palace?

The treatise-author answers:

It is because of following the ways of worldly people. Again, the beings in the City of Many Fragrances do not always seek the path; at times they weary and rest, and enjoy the pleasures of the five desires; the gods, because they always enjoy the five desires, obstruct and neglect the seeking of the path. There are also lands where bodhisattvas dwell in which they always diligently apply vigour and do not enjoy the five desires. The original vow of the beings of this City of Many Fragrances was to enjoy both together, and Dharmodgata, following their aspiration and wishing to guide them, was therefore born in that land. Because of this, when the beings were weary of hearing the Dharma, he rose and entered the palace. Again, for those who have not yet obtained the path, though the Dharma is subtle, hearing it constantly gives rise to a weary mind, and in the great assembly there were precisely such people. Again, Dharmodgata there enjoyed wealth and pleasure because of following the ways of people; when the sun has set one should rest.

At this time Sadāprarudita thought thus: 「我為法來，不應坐臥。」 tr. "I have come for the sake of the Dharma; I should not sit or lie down."

The treatise-author asks:

For the sake of the Dharma, why should he not sit or lie down?

The treatise-author answers:

There is no such definite rule. Because this person had great aspiration, great vigour, and reverence for the Dharma, he thought thus of himself: 「我若坐臥，則是懶惰。我初求法時，身尚不惜，何況疲惓！」 tr. "If I sit or lie down, that is laziness. When I first sought the Dharma I did not spare even my body; how much less weariness!" So he did not sit and did not lie down. Because great aspiration and great vigour are contrary to sitting and lying down. Again, in sitting and lying one does not apply effort diligently, while in walking and standing one applies effort diligently and is vigorous; so he always abode in the two deportments of walking and standing, waiting for the teacher to come out of concentration.

The treatise-author asks:

Did Sadāprarudita know beforehand whether the teacher would not come out of concentration for seven years?

The treatise-author answers:

When he first came, he did not know.

Again, Dharmodgata too always did not come out of concentration for seven years; because of a certain cause and condition, he himself took an oath to enter concentration for seven years. Sadāprarudita too himself took an oath: 「師未出，終不坐臥。」 tr. "Until the teacher comes out, I shall never sit or lie down."

Moreover, a great person does not go against his own words even in worldly matters, how much less for the sake of the Dharma of the path!

Moreover, when he first sought the Dharma he did not cherish even his body; now, what is hard about standing for seven years!

The treatise-author asks:

The human body is weak and soft; how could he not sit or lie down for seven years?

The treatise-author answers:

At that time people's lifespans were long; though it was seven years, it was like seven days now.

Again, the power of merit of the bodies of people in a good age is great; though he stood for seven years, he did not find it hard. For example, the bhikṣu Diligent left home only at sixty years of age, yet himself made a vow: 「我脇不著席，要盡得聲聞所應得事，乃至得六神通阿羅漢。」 tr. "My side shall not touch the mat until I have obtained all that a śrāvaka should obtain, up to obtaining arhatship with the six supernormal powers." Later he composed the upadeśa on the four Āgamas, which still flourishes in the world today. This person was like this even in an evil age; how much more Sadāprarudita, who was born in a good age!

Moreover, though his bodily strength was weak, because the strength of his mind was strong he could accomplish his task.

Further, the person who seeks the Buddha path with one mind is protected and kept in mind by the buddhas of the ten directions; the great bodhisattvas and the gods who seek the Buddha path all increase his strength, surround him, and guard him; so though he stood for seven years, he did not become utterly weary.

Treatise ① (continued): Why Dharmodgata Entered Concentration for Seven Years; Adorning the Place of the Dharma; Māra Hides the Water

The treatise-author asks:

When Dharmodgata entered samādhi, why did it have to be as long as seven years?

The treatise-author answers:

This has already been answered before: people of a good age have long lifespans, so even seven years is not long.

Again, Dharmodgata's palaces, court maidens, and subtle five desires resembled those of the heavens; Sadāprarudita and the others, people who had newly aroused the mind, whose minds were not yet tamed and pliant, doubted that, although Dharmodgata taught the dharma of emptiness and praised leaving desire, he could truly let go of these in his mind. Therefore he used a samādhi of seven years in order thereby to remove the doubts of the great assembly and cause them to give rise to a mind of honour and reverence. Hearing that Dharmodgata had entered samādhi for seven years, they could see that his mind and mouth were in accord, that he could both teach and practise, and so they believed and accepted his words, and were easily delivered. It is like an abscess that is not yet ripe: the physician does not open it, but only applies medicine to make it ripen; when ripe it is easily opened.

Further, it was for the sake of experiencing the real joy that arises in the mind that he entered immeasurable samādhis. Further, teaching the Dharma is of two kinds: first, teaching the Dharma by mouth; second, showing the Dharma by the body. Now it was for the sake of showing the Dharma by the body that he entered immeasurable samādhis, causing beings to know how to gather the mind and enter wisdom and obtain knowledge as it really is. The bodhisattva's samādhis are as explained in the meaning of "bodhisattva". Practising prajñā and the power of skilful means is as explained in the chapter "Skilful Means".

During the seven years, the three kinds of evil initial and sustained thought did not arise in Sadāprarudita, nor did he crave the flavour of flavours. Though this person had not yet broken the afflictions, because he had accumulated all kinds of wholesome dharmas he subdued the afflictions and did not let them arise; he only recollected with one mind: 「曇無竭何時當出？我當從聞般若。」 tr. "When will Dharmodgata come out? I shall hear prajñā from him."

After seven years had passed, he thought thus: 「我當為曇無竭敷坐處，掃灑莊嚴。」 tr. "I shall spread a seat for Dharmodgata, and sweep, sprinkle, and adorn the place."

The treatise-author asks:

How could Sadāprarudita know that after seven years Dharmodgata would come out of concentration?

The treatise-author answers:

Someone says: he knew it by hearing, passed on from one to another, of that earlier occasion of seven years.

Someone says: when Dharmodgata first entered samādhi, he himself said that seven years was the limit. For example, the Buddha Śākyamuni told Ānanda: 「我欲一月、二月入禪定。」 tr. "I wish to enter dhyāna for one month, two months." Ānanda then told this to the fourfold assembly.

Because Sadāprarudita deeply loved the Buddha-dharma and revered Dharmodgata, he made offerings and adorned that place of the teaching of the Dharma. The bodhisattva who has left home only adorns his own mind and goes to the teacher to receive the Dharma; the householder bodhisattva adorns the place of the teaching of the Dharma and makes offerings with flowers and incense.

Further, in making such an adornment, Sadāprarudita wished to make Dharmodgata know the mark of his love of the Dharma and desire for the Dharma, his deep-minded faith and delight, and so displayed this matter; because of this he gave rise to the thought, and together with the five hundred women and the others joined their strength in sweeping and sprinkling, and also spread the seat with their own gold, silver, and jewels.

Though Sadāprarudita and the others had fine and beautiful cushions and mattresses of their own, because their love of the Dharma had reached its utmost, they spread the seat with the upper garments they were wearing.

When he sought water to sprinkle the ground, because Māra had hidden it, he could not find water. This passage of the sūtra itself states the causes and conditions: Māra thought thus—‘If Sadāprarudita seeks water and cannot obtain it, his mind will become timid and feeble, because his aspiration is not fulfilled. Again, I shall make him look down on his own body, thinking that it is because his merit is thin and shallow that he seeks water for the sake of offering to the Dharma and cannot obtain it; thus, because he belittles and demeans himself and sorrow covers his mind.’

As for what is called his merit not growing and his wisdom not able to shine and not bright: it is because all kinds of sorrow and affliction cover the mind that the many kinds of merit and wisdom cannot shine and be bright; just as when the sun is blocked and covered, its light does not shine bright.

Māra knew that the measure of his mind was great and could not be destroyed altogether; he could only obstruct it a little, causing him to be held up and delayed.

Treatise ① (continued): Piercing His Body to Sprinkle the Ground with Blood—the Causes and Conditions of Not Sparing Body and Life; Śakra Exclaims That Such a Thing Had Never Been

At that time Sadāprarudita pierced his own body and sprinkled the ground with the blood that came out, wishing to settle the dust with blood. Though human blood and flesh are foul and impure, because he sought water with his whole mind and could not obtain it, his mind did not discriminate fragrant or foul, fine or vile; only to settle the dust, he did not spare body or life. Again, because Sadāprarudita loved prajñāpāramitā with a deep mind, there was nothing in body or life for him to cherish.

Someone says: 「多有諸天龍、鬼神等常隨逐薩陀波崙，佐助守護，是故所出之血變為香水。如羼提仙人被割截時，血化為乳。」 tr. "Many gods, nāgas, ghosts and spirits, and the like constantly followed Sadāprarudita, assisting and protecting him; therefore the blood that came out changed into fragrant water. Just as when the sage Kṣānti was cut and severed, his blood transformed into milk."

Again, because immeasurable merit was accomplished, whatever he wished could be brought about.

The treatise-author asks:

If merit is accomplished and whatever one wishes is obtained, then Māra should not have been able to hide his water?

The treatise-author answers:

This bodhisattva had newly aroused the mind; he could bring about small wishes, but could not yet drive back Māra.

In this passage of the sūtra Sadāprarudita himself states the causes and conditions of drawing out blood: 「我從無始生死已來數數喪身，未曾為法。」 tr. "From beginningless birth and death until now I have lost my body again and again, and never once for the Dharma."

The treatise-author asks:

If Sadāprarudita pierced his body and drew out blood out of love for the Dharma, should his body die, who would then hear the Dharma?

The treatise-author answers:

This matter is as answered in the passage on breaking the bone and drawing out the marrow. Again, here the gods and great bodhisattvas protected him, so that he did not die. Again, the evil Māra knew that his mind could not be destroyed, and the water too came out again. As for saying that Sadāprarudita and the others had no changed mind: it is like a person who first learns to cultivate a mind of kindness, wishing for the sake of beings, and also for the sake of prajñāpāramitā, not to spare body or life; but once his body is cut by a sharp knife, because he is pressed by pain, regret arises in his mind; this is called being 「異」 tr. "changed".

Because this bodhisattva's power of faith was great, and because he wished to obtain the retribution of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, he took no account of such suffering. Again, because he loved and cherished beings with a deep and weighty compassion, though he underwent all kinds of suffering and vexation he did not find it hard; just as a kind mother loves her own child, and though for the child's sake she long undergoes toil and impure tasks, she does not find it loathsome. Again, because he saw that the real mark of all dharmas is ultimate emptiness, he knew that this body is only a false and deceptive coming together; because he had broken through this falseness, when his body was cut and severed it did not obstruct anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. As for saying that Māra could not find his opening: it is like a person who has a sore on the body and so receives poison; if the bodhisattva has the sores of greed and sorrow, Māra finds his opening. Because he drew out blood to sprinkle the ground and his mind was not sorrowful, Māra could not find an opening. As with Sadāprarudita's mind, so too were the minds of the five hundred women, because they revered Sadāprarudita; seeing him pierce his body they would by rights have been sorrowful, but because his wish was fulfilled they were not sorrowful. At that time Śakra Devānām Indra, seeing this matter, exclaimed that such a thing had never been—because this person had not yet obtained the acceptance of non-arising, had not yet severed the afflictions, yet for the sake of offering to the Dharma did not spare body or life, no different from those who have already left desire; cutting and severing his own body as if cutting grass and trees. Since his first mind was like this, his later mind would increase still more.

Further, as to what is called never having been, here Śakra Devānām Indra himself states the causes and conditions: 「薩陀波崙愛法乃爾，以刀自刺等。」 tr. "Sadāprarudita loves the Dharma to such a degree that he pierces himself with a knife, and so on."

After Śakra Devānām Indra had given rise to such a joyful mind, he praised him, saying: 「善哉！」 tr. "Excellent!"—praising his love of the Dharma, his delight in the Dharma, and his diligent vigour. And he took the buddhas of the past as a comparison: 「非但汝今辛苦，過去諸佛求般若亦爾。」 tr. "It is not only you who toil now; the buddhas of the past also sought prajñā in this way."

Treatise ① (continued): Seeking Flowers to Adorn the Place of the Dharma—Śakra and the Māndārava Flowers; Dharmodgata Comes Out of Concentration After Seven Years

After Sadāprarudita had heard Śakra Devānām Indra comfort his mind, like a fire that obtains ghee, he blazed more fiercely, thinking thus: 「我既敷座灑地，當於何處得好名華莊嚴法處？」 tr. "I have spread the seat and sprinkled the ground; where shall I obtain fine flowers of renown to adorn the place of the Dharma?"

The treatise-author asks:

When at first he could not see water, why did he not think thus: 「當於何處得水灑地？」 tr. "Where shall I obtain water to sprinkle the ground?"

The treatise-author answers:

Because the places where there had been water before had all at once disappeared, Sadāprarudita knew that this was done by Māra; so he himself pierced and took the water element from his share of the four great elements to sprinkle the ground.

Though the seeds of water in the body are many, blood is the place where life resides, so he pierced himself for blood to sprinkle the ground.

As for flowers, they were not something he had of himself, and the time for Dharmodgata to come out of concentration was drawing near, so there was no time to go far to seek them; moreover the quantity needed was great, for they were to cover the whole of this ground; so he gave rise to the thought of wishing to obtain flowers.

Śakra knew his thought, and at once gave him three thousand dan of the subtlest of the heavenly flowers, named māndārava, enough to complete this matter. The reason Śakra did not give him flowers of the human world was to make him give rise to a mind of rare wonder.

After Sadāprarudita received the flowers, he divided them into two portions: the fine ones he kept to scatter at the time of the teaching of the Dharma, and the rest he spread over the ground. The custom of that country was to cover the ground with flowers and let people walk on them, taking this as an offering.

At that time Dharmodgata, according to his earlier appointed term, after the full seven years rose from samādhi and, reverently surrounded by an immeasurable great assembly of hundreds of thousands, went straight to the Dharma seat, for the sake of teaching prajñā.

The treatise-author asks:

If the bodhisattvas enter into subtle samādhi, who can make them rise from concentration?

The treatise-author answers:

When the practitioner first enters concentration, he himself sets a time limit and only then enters concentration; when the time comes, his mind rises freely from samādhi, and because of a compassionate mind initial and sustained thought arise. For example, there was a bhikṣu who, on entering the samādhi of the absorption of the cessation of feeling, set it for himself that he would rise from concentration on hearing the sound of the jianchui. After he had entered, at that time the monastery caught fire, and the bhikṣus, panic-stricken and afraid, left without striking the jianchui. Later, after twelve years had passed, the donors again brought the Saṅgha together to build the monastery, and only then was the jianchui struck; as soon as he heard the sound of the jianchui he rose from concentration, and at once his body scattered and broke apart and he died. Those who later obtained the path told the matter thus.

Further, someone says: the great bodhisattvas whose bodies are born of the Dharma-nature, like the buddhas, are always in samādhi, without a scattered and coarse mind; because of the power of supernormal abilities they can teach the Dharma and fly about delivering beings. It is because of worldly ways that there is the mark of coming out of concentration and entering concentration. Therefore, though he had entered subtle samādhi, he could come out again, because he was drawn by the mind of great compassion; just as a nāga is drawn out by spell-craft. As for saying that the great assembly surrounded him, that was his inner retinue; reverently scattering flowers and burning incense, they followed him out, for the sake of teaching prajñāpāramitā. As for teaching prajñāpāramitā, it is relying on the names and words of worldly truth in order to show beings the unmoving mark of the highest meaning. As soon as Sadāprarudita saw Dharmodgata, he obtained a pure joy, and happiness filled his body, like a bhikṣu entering the third dhyāna. Why? Beings of many desires, though what they obtain is not a pure and subtle thing, are still glad and happy when they obtain it; how much more one who sees a body adorned with true merit!

Sadāprarudita, hearing the name of Dharmodgata from the Buddha in the sky, at once gave rise to a great aspiration, obtained all kinds of samādhis, saw the buddhas of the ten directions, and also heard the buddhas of the ten directions speak of the causes and conditions of a former life: 「唯有曇無竭能度汝耳。」 tr. "Only Dharmodgata can deliver you." Having heard this, his mind was increased, and he longed thirstily to see him; so halfway along the road he wished to sell himself to make offerings. Now in the City of Many Fragrances, for seven years not sitting and not lying down, it was also to see Dharmodgata. Such thirsty longing, what he wished and delighted in, had been there a long time; it is like a person pressed by heat and thirst who obtains muddy, warm rainwater collected after rain and is still glad, how much more on obtaining clear, cool, sweet water! Since his thirsty longing was long, and Dharmodgata's merits were vast, he was joyful in this way.

The treatise-author asks:

Happiness is of four kinds; why does it speak only of the happiness of the third dhyāna, and not of the happiness of the concentrations of the higher grounds and the happiness of liberation?

The treatise-author answers:

Because the beings of the desire realm, among the three feelings, mostly crave pleasant feeling. Hearing that the happiness of nirvāṇa is without anything existent, their minds do not delight in it; because from the fourth dhyāna upward suffering and joy are severed, their minds do not delight in that either; the happiness within the third dhyāna is the utmost of happiness.

Again, someone says: Sadāprarudita had newly aroused the mind and had not yet entered fine, deep, and subtle concentration; so on seeing Dharmodgata he gave rise to great joy, like the happiness of the third dhyāna. Sadāprarudita, himself aware that he had given rise to great joy, at once relinquished the joy and obtained the pure nature of dharmas, peace and happiness filling his body; therefore the happiness of the third dhyāna is taken as the simile.

The above is fascicle ninety-nine of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa.

This fascicle is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the eighty-ninth chapter, "Dharmodgata"—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: Dharmodgata Teaches the Marks of Prajñāpāramitā—Because Dharmas Are Thus, Prajñā Too Is Thus

At that time the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Sadāprarudita, together with the elder's daughter and the five hundred attendant maidens, came to where the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Dharmodgata was, scattered heavenly māndārava flowers, and, having finished bowing with their heads and faces, withdrew and sat down to one side. The bodhisattva Dharmodgata, seeing that they were seated, said to the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita: ‘Good man! Listen well! Receive well! Now I shall proclaim to you the marks of prajñāpāramitā.

Good man! Because dharmas are equal, know that prajñāpāramitā too is equal. Because dharmas are apart, know that prajñāpāramitā too is apart. Because dharmas are unmoving, know that prajñāpāramitā too is unmoving. Because dharmas are without thought, know that prajñāpāramitā too is without thought. Because dharmas are without fear, know that prajñāpāramitā too is without fear. Because dharmas are of one flavour, know that prajñāpāramitā too is of one flavour. Because dharmas are boundless, know that prajñāpāramitā too is boundless. Because dharmas are non-arising, know that prajñāpāramitā too is non-arising. Because dharmas are non-ceasing, know that prajñāpāramitā too is non-ceasing.

Because space is boundless, know that prajñāpāramitā too is boundless. Because the water of the great ocean is boundless, know that prajñāpāramitā too is boundless. Because Mount Sumeru is adorned, know that prajñāpāramitā too is adorned. Because space is without discrimination, know that prajñāpāramitā too is without discrimination.

Because form is boundless, know that prajñāpāramitā too is boundless; because feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are boundless, know that prajñāpāramitā too is boundless. Because the earth element is boundless, know that prajñāpāramitā too is boundless; because the water element, the fire element, and the wind element are boundless, know that prajñāpāramitā too is boundless; because the space element is boundless, know that prajñāpāramitā too is boundless.

Because, like the vajra, there is equality, know that prajñāpāramitā too is equal. Because dharmas are without discrimination, know that prajñāpāramitā too is without discrimination. Because the nature of dharmas is unfindable, know that the nature of prajñāpāramitā too is unfindable. Because dharmas are without anything existent and equal, know that prajñāpāramitā too is without anything existent and equal. Because dharmas are without making, know that prajñāpāramitā too is without making. Because dharmas are inconceivable, know that prajñāpāramitā too is inconceivable.’

Sūtra ② (continued): Right There on His Seat Sadāprarudita Obtains Six Million Samādhi Gates

At this time the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Sadāprarudita, right there on his seat, obtained the samādhis, namely: the samādhi of the equality of dharmas, the samādhi of dharmas being apart, the samādhi of dharmas being without fear, the samādhi of dharmas being of one flavour, the samādhi of dharmas being boundless, the samādhi of dharmas being non-arising, the samādhi of dharmas being non-ceasing, the samādhi of space being boundless, the samādhi of the water of the great ocean being boundless, the samādhi of the adornment of Mount Sumeru, the samādhi of space being without discrimination, the samādhi of form being boundless, the samādhi of feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness being boundless; the samādhi of the earth element being boundless, the samādhi of the water element, the fire element, the wind element, and the space element being boundless; the samādhi of being equal like the vajra, the samādhi of dharmas being without discrimination, the samādhi of dharmas being inconceivable—such as these, and so on: he obtained six million samādhi gates.

Sūtra ② (continued): The Buddha Tells Subhūti—The Causes and Conditions of Prajñā Can Bring All Merits to Accomplishment

At that time the Buddha said to Subhūti: ‘Just as I now, within the three-thousand great-thousand world, surrounded by the bhikṣu Saṅgha, proclaim prajñāpāramitā with such marks, with such an appearance, and with such names; so too Sadāprarudita, having obtained these six million samādhi gates, saw the buddhas in three-thousand great-thousand worlds as many as the sands of the Ganges in the east, the south, the west, the north, the four intermediate directions, above, and below, reverently surrounded by their bhikṣus, proclaiming this Mahā-prajñāpāramitā with marks such as these, with such an appearance, and with such names. From then on, the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita's learning and wisdom were inconceivable, like the water of the great ocean; he was never apart from the buddhas, and was born in lands where there is a Buddha. Even in dreams there was never a time when he did not see the Buddha; all the difficulties were already cut off, and according to his vow he was reborn in the buddha-lands he reached. Subhūti! Know that the causes and conditions of this prajñāpāramitā can bring to accomplishment all the merits of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva and obtain the omniscience of all kinds. For this reason, Subhūti! If the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas wish to learn the six perfections, wish to enter deeply into the wisdom of the buddhas, and wish to obtain the omniscience of all kinds, they should receive and uphold this prajñāpāramitā, recite and read it, rightly recollect it, proclaim it widely for others, and also write out scrolls of the sūtra, make offerings to it, revere it, and praise it, with incense and flowers and so on up to music. Why? Because prajñāpāramitā is the mother of the buddhas of the ten directions in the past, future, and present, and is revered by the buddhas of the ten directions.’

Treatise ②: Dharmodgata Comes Out of Concentration and Takes His Seat; Sadāprarudita Bows His Head to His Feet

Explanation:

Dharmodgata, having come out of concentration, went to where the Dharma seat was, looked all round the fourfold assembly, and, there being no one in it who surpassed him, sat down there.

At that time the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, knowing that he was seated, came to where Dharmodgata was, bowed his head to his feet, and sat down to one side. Bowing is of three kinds: first, bowing by mouth; second, bending the knees with the head not reaching the ground; third, the head reaching the ground: this is the highest bow. Of a person's whole body, the head is the highest and the feet are the lowest; to bow the head to the feet is reverence at its utmost.

Dharmodgata, seeing that he was seated, knew that he had come from far away, not sparing body or life, through all kinds of toil and hardship, because he wished to hear the Dharma. When they first met, the sun was about to set, and there could be only a little time for hearing the Dharma; because the sun had gone down, Dharmodgata rose and went into his palace. Now, for the sake of the Dharma, he had thirsted and yearned for seven years without giving rise to any other mind; when the teacher was about to come out of concentration, he sprinkled the ground with his blood, so it could be known that he did not spare body or life for the Dharma, that his mind did not retreat, that he was definitely without doubt, and that he was fit to receive teaching. For this reason he said to him: ‘Good man! Listen well with one mind!’

Treatise ② (continued): What Is Taught Is the Marks of Prajñāpāramitā—Distinguishing Equality and Cause and Fruit

The matter of the buddhas' coming and going that he doubted above had already been cut off; now he wished only to hear the very deep prajñāpāramitā, and for this reason ‘the marks of prajñāpāramitā’ were proclaimed to him.

What is called ‘the marks of prajñāpāramitā’ is as was said earlier in the meaning of the equality of dharmas.

Or someone says: because of the power of prajñāpāramitā, one contemplates dharmas as all equal; it is not that the nature of dharmas is of itself equal. For this reason Dharmodgata said: ‘Because dharmas are equal, prajñāpāramitā is equal.’ Why? Because cause and fruit are alike. First contemplating the equality of dharmas is the cause; the settled mind obtaining prajñāpāramitā—this is the fruit.

The treatise-author asks:

Contemplating the equality of dharmas is precisely prajñā, and prajñā is precisely equality; why discriminate them as cause and as fruit?

The treatise-author answers:

Although prajñā and dharmas are of one mark, without duality and without difference, yet when the practitioner first contemplates, it is the cause, and when the contemplation is finished it is named the fruit. It is just as the path of the srota-āpanna has the attainment and has the approach. And again it is like the five aggregates with outflows: at the time of the cause they are named origination; at the time of the fruit they are named suffering.

The equality of form and all dharmas is precisely the equality of prajñāpāramitā.

The treatise-author asks:

One ought to speak of ‘the marks of prajñāpāramitā’; why now speak of equality? It is because there is the unequal that there is equality; it is because there is the equal that there is the unequal. Within prajñā there is neither one mark nor a different mark; why do you wish to grasp at one mark?

The treatise-author answers:

Prajñāpāramitā is very deep and subtle; if it is not taught by skilful means, there is no one who can understand it. For this reason, if one discriminates things as not equal, the afflictions arise and the three poisons grow, namely hating enemies and loving and clinging to kin; loving and clinging to the good, hating the not good.

The bodhisattva abides in these two kinds of equality and contemplates all dharmas as all equal: abiding in the equality of beings, enemy and kin, hatred and love, are all equal; he opens the gate of merit and shuts the evil courses. Abiding in the equality of dharmas, within all dharmas recollection, imagining, and discrimination, the clinging mind and the grasping at marks, are all removed and extinguished; he only sees that dharmas are empty, and emptiness is precisely equality.

There are people who, having obtained this emptiness of the equality of dharmas, tend straight toward the bodhisattva path and do not make idle discourse about emptiness; there are people who, although they have obtained equality, give rise to idle discourse: ‘If one contemplates everything as empty, there is such a fault!’ For people like this, equality becomes inequality. For this reason, here, for the sake of ‘true equality’, it is said that ‘prajñāpāramitā is equal’; it is not idle discourse.

Treatise ② (continued): Apart, Unmoving, Without Thought, Without Fear

To be apart from these two extremes of equal and unequal: this is the mark of prajñāpāramitā.

The treatise-author asks:

The single phrase about equality is already complete as the mark of prajñāpāramitā; why say further ‘apart from equality is the mark of prajñāpāramitā’?

The treatise-author answers:

The sūtra only says ‘because dharmas are equal, prajñā is equal’; the practitioner grasps at this mark of equality and gives rise to clinging; for this reason it says: ‘The mark of equality of prajñāpāramitā is apart in its self-nature, because form and the other dharmas are apart in their own marks.’

The meaning of apart is as is said in the chapter "Marks and the Signless".

Having obtained this equality of dharmas, and again being apart from equality, he securely abides in emptiness, and within emptiness he is unmoving—idle discourse cannot move him, the mountains of the afflictions cannot move him, the time of impermanence cannot move him either. Why? Because he has obtained the real mark of all dharmas. The bodhisattva abides in these two kinds of emptiness and obtains the unmoving prajñāpāramitā: this is the ultimate.

If there is thought, there are marks, and it becomes a place that is clung to; for this reason it says: ‘Because dharmas are without thought, know that prajñāpāramitā too is without thought.’ The mark of non-moving is precisely prajñāpāramitā, because prajñāpāramitā is the extinction of all marks.

If one does not think of this prajñā, one may be bewildered and have nowhere to tend toward; people who have idle discourse give rise to fear in the midst of the great assembly; or, because they cannot be clear about nirvāṇa, they too give rise to fear. For this reason it says ‘the mark of being without fear is prajñāpāramitā’.

Although this person does not definitely grasp at the marks of dharmas, because he has entered deeply into the nature of dharmas, when in the midst of the great assembly there are people who raise difficulties and question him about the marks, there is nothing in his mind to fear, because he has obtained the signless in all dharmas. Again, at the time of entering the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, he knows that all dharmas are unfindable, and in this too there is nothing to fear. Why? Because this bodhisattva well penetrates all dharmas.

Treatise ② (continued): One Flavour and Boundless

Further, all dharmas are of one mark, namely emptiness of nature; for this reason, because prajñāpāramitā accords with all dharmas, it too is of the one flavour of emptiness of nature.

The treatise-author asks:

The equality of dharmas has already been spoken of above; why now speak further of one flavour?

The treatise-author answers:

Emptiness sometimes has flavour and sometimes has no flavour. If the practitioner, drawn along by the views, grasps at marks, discriminates fair and ugly, and weighs and calculates, and at that time obtains this emptiness of the equality of dharmas, because his mind greatly rejoices it is named flavour. It is as when a person pressed by heat and thirst obtains clear cool water and takes it for a true flavour without compare: according to its use at that time it is named flavour. In real ultimate emptiness there is neither flavour nor non-flavour.

Further, what is called one flavour means that when the bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā, what he takes as object and what he contemplates all become of one flavour; because the power of the knowledge of emptiness is great, the other dharmas all follow it and become empty. It is just as when boiling rock sugar is about to be done: although different things come together in it, all become rock sugar. And again it is like the great ocean: the hundred rivers return to it, and all become of one flavour, namely the flavour of ultimate emptiness. Form and the other dharmas are also thus: in the mind of ordinary people each is distinct and different; once they enter prajñāpāramitā, all become of one flavour. An edge is named a mark, whether existence or non-existence. Observing truly, because form and the other dharmas are neither existent nor non-existent, they are signless; the signless is precisely the boundless; to contemplate thus is precisely the boundless prajñāpāramitā.

Further, someone says: edges are of two kinds: the edge of permanence and the edge of annihilation, the edge of the world and the edge of nirvāṇa, the edge of evil and the edge of good, and so on. Because within it there are no edges such as these, it is named the boundless prajñāpāramitā.

Further, someone says: edges are named the prior limit and the later limit. Because the world is without beginning, there is no prior limit; because one enters nirvāṇa without remainder, there is a prior limit; because one does not come out again, there is no later limit. Discriminating edges in such ways, because they cling to the world they fear nirvāṇa. For this reason, within prajñāpāramitā there are none of these edges; one only hears that the real mark of all dharmas is without entering and without leaving.

The treatise-author asks:

The equality of dharmas and dharmas being apart are both boundless; why speak of it separately again?

The treatise-author answers:

For someone who knows the equality of dharmas and knows that dharmas are apart, there is no need to say more; if someone grasps at marks and clings to this one flavour, therefore boundless is taught.

Dharmodgata does not teach only for the sake of Sadāprarudita, and Sadāprarudita does not ask only for his own sake; it is only because beings have all kinds of minds and all kinds of practices that it is taught briefly within the marks of prajñāpāramitā.

Non-arising and non-ceasing are as was said earlier, by all kinds of causes and conditions, in ‘refuting arising and ceasing’. Space being boundless is as is said in the simile of the Mahāyāna being like space. The water of the great ocean being boundless and Mount Sumeru being adorned have not been spoken of before, so now they should be spoken of briefly.

Treatise ② (continued): The Simile of the Boundless Water of the Great Ocean

The treatise-author asks:

Space, because it is unconditioned and a constant dharma, has no edge that anyone can find, so it can be said to be boundless. The water of the great ocean lies within the four continents and surrounds Mount Sumeru; it has a measure in yojanas, and there are people who can cross it; why is it said to be boundless?

The treatise-author answers:

The boundless is of two kinds: first, really boundless; second, named boundless because people cannot reach it. The ocean too is of two kinds: first, that which can be crossed; second, that which surrounds Mount Sumeru, within the nine jewel mountains, eighty-two thousand yojanas wide, whose edge the people of the world cannot find, so it is said to be boundless. It is like a small sea, which the power of a ship can cross; the water of the great ocean the power of a ship cannot cross; only those who have supernormal powers can cross it. It is like those of the outside paths and ordinary people, who can raise the ship of meditative concentration and cross the oceans of the desire realm and the form realm; the formless realm is like the great ocean, deep and wide, and they cannot cross it, because they cannot break the mind of self. The worthies and noble ones, by the power of the wings of wisdom and meditative concentration, break the wrong marks of dharmas and obtain the real mark of dharmas, so they can cross; for this reason the simile of the great ocean is given.

Treatise ② (continued): The Simile of the Adornment of Mount Sumeru

The treatise-author asks:

Mount Sumeru is of one colour; why is it said to be adorned?

The treatise-author answers:

The outside books say Mount Sumeru is of one colour, pure yellow gold. In the six-part abhidharma it is said: each of the four sides of Mount Sumeru is made of one jewel, adorned with gold, silver, sphaṭika, and beryl. Birds, according to the side they reach, each become the same as the colour of that side. The nāga-king brothers Nanda and Ponantuo coil their bodies round it seven times. On the summit of the mountain are the palaces of the Heaven of the Thirty-three; its city has seven walls and is named Joyful-to-See; it has nine hundred and ninety-nine gates, and beside each gate there are sixteen blue-robed spirits of great strength who guard it. In a high place within the city a hall is built, named Most Excellent, and on its four sides there are four great gardens. The Four Heavenly Kings are on the four sides; there are mountains named Youqiantuo, each forty-two thousand yojanas high, and the Four Heavenly Kings rule on top of them. In the waters of the four great oceans there are the palaces of the asuras and the palaces of the nāga kings; the nine jewel mountains, Youqiantuo and the others, and the sun, the moon, the five planets, the twenty-eight lunar mansions, and the other stars circle round and adorn it. With all kinds of varied ornaments such as these it is adorned, and one looks at it without ever tiring.

Prajñāpāramitā is also thus. Because of the retribution of the six perfections, one becomes a wheel-turning king, the Brahmā king, the heavenly king Śakra, a king of the Pure Abodes, or the Great Sovereign Heaven—retributions such as these are the adornments of this retribution received when the practice of prajñāpāramitā is not yet complete. When prajñāpāramitā is complete, there are the adornments of the fruit of srota-āpanna, the fruit of sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of anāgāmin, the fruit of arhat, the path of the pratyekabuddha, the avaivartika bodhisattva, and the fruit of the path of the buddhas.

Just as Mount Sumeru has adornments both above and below, so too are the adornments of prajñāpāramitā: when it is not yet complete, they are the adornments of the heavenly kings and others; once it is complete, they are the adornments of the fruits of the paths. As for being like Mount Sumeru: at the beginning of the kalpa, when it was being formed, great winds blew on the four sides, gathered the essences and flavours of the great earth, and piled them up to become Mount Sumeru; and again wind blew, making it firm so that it became jewel. Prajñāpāramitā too is thus: among all wholesome dharmas it is the foremost, solid, firm, and strong, coming together to make prajñā. Just as Mount Sumeru cannot be moved by the great winds blowing on its four sides or by the waves of the great ocean, prajñāpāramitā too is thus: wrong views, the outside paths, idle discourse, and Māra's people cannot move it. Just as in the four gardens on the summit of Mount Sumeru the gods who go there receive all kinds of happiness, prajñā too is thus: the practitioner can climb to the summit of prajñā, come into the gardens of the concentrations, the four dhyānas and the others, and receive all kinds of happiness.

Further, someone says: at Mount Sumeru, the birds that reach it all become of one colour; prajñāpāramitā too is thus: dharmas that enter it all become of one mark, namely the signless.

Treatise ② (continued): Space Without Discrimination, the Boundlessness of the Five Aggregates, the Boundlessness of Form

What is called being like space, without discrimination, means that space does not discriminate: this is inner, this is outer, this is far, this is near, this is long, this is short, this is pure, this is impure, and so on; prajñāpāramitā too is thus: when dharmas enter prajñā, there is also no discrimination of inner and outer, wholesome and unwholesome, and so on.

What is called being like the five aggregates, boundless, means that the five aggregates always pervade the world; prajñāpāramitā too is thus: it is not far from the five aggregates; the real mark of the five aggregates is precisely prajñāpāramitā.

Further, dharmas such as form, analysed and broken apart, and so on until they reach atoms, have no spatial parts, and because they have no spatial parts they are boundless; formless dharmas, because they have no shape, have no this and that, and because they have no this and that they are boundless. Prajñāpāramitā too is thus: in all dharmas, discriminating form down to atoms and discriminating formless dharmas down to a single thought, it does not see definitely existent permanence, bliss, self, or purity. For this reason it says: because form is boundless, prajñā is boundless.

Treatise ② (continued): Equal Like the Vajra, Without Discrimination, Nature Unfindable

And so on up to the six kinds such as space: it is likewise. What is called equal like the vajra means: like the vajra held by the heavenly king, which is without hatred and without love, and wherever it is used there is nothing it does not shatter; the mind just before the omniscience of the buddhas—the samādhi in this mind can sever all fetters, afflictions, and inversions, together with the habitual residues, so that all are extinguished; therefore it is named like the vajra. The wisdom associated with the like-vajra samādhi contemplates all dharmas as all equal; prajñāpāramitā contemplating dharmas as equal is also thus. Why? Because prajñā first contemplates the equality of dharmas, and afterward obtains this samādhi. What is called dharmas being without discrimination means that worldly ordinary people, because of the power of the afflictions, discriminate dharmas in all kinds of ways; when the real mark of dharmas is obtained, these are all destroyed and changed. For this reason the noble ones obtain prajñāpāramitā, do not follow recollection, imagining, and discrimination of dharmas, and enter the emptiness, signless, and non-action samādhis; if they meet the time when dharmas change, they do not sorrow, because all along they have not discriminated and grasped at the marks of dharmas. What is called the nature of dharmas being unfindable means that all dharmas are born from the coming together of causes and conditions; nothing arises without causes and conditions, or from scant causes and conditions; if it is born from causes and conditions, it has no self-nature. What is called nature is named a definitely real matter that exists from the first. If a nature were born from the side of the coming together of causes and conditions, know that before they came together it did not exist; if it did not exist before and now exists from the coming together of causes and conditions, one can know that it is without nature. If a nature is born from causes and conditions, the nature becomes a made dharma. The meaning of nature is not depending on another and not caused by another; it should always exist alone of itself; thus conditioned dharmas have no nature. For this reason it says: ‘The nature of all dharmas is unfindable, and the nature of prajñāpāramitā is also thus.’

Treatise ② (continued): Without Anything Existent and Equal, Without Making, Inconceivable

What is called dharmas being without anything existent and equal means: because the nature of dharmas is unfindable, the many causes and conditions are also unfindable; because the many causes and conditions are also unfindable, all are without anything existent; because they enter into being without anything existent, all are equal. Why? Because there is existence, there is discrimination; because there is non-existence, there is no discrimination. It is like the fragrance of grass incense and the fragrance of sandalwood: when burning there is discrimination; when extinguished there is no discrimination. What is called dharmas being without making means: because beings are empty and dharmas are empty, all are without making. What beings make is, namely, the ten wholesome paths, the ten unwholesome paths, and so on. What dharmas make is, namely, fire can burn, water can flow, wind can move, consciousness can cognise, knowledge can know—dharmas such as these each have their own power. Since there are no beings, and so on up to no knower and no seer, no form and so on up to no omniscience of all kinds, this has already been refuted earlier. Because beings are refuted, there is no maker; because dharmas are refuted, there is nothing made; it is only because ordinary people are covered by inversion that they say: ‘I have something I make.’

What is called dharmas being inconceivable means that form and all dharmas cannot be determined—whether permanent or impermanent, whether suffering or bliss, whether real or empty, whether self or non-self, whether arising and ceasing or not arising and ceasing, whether quiescent or not quiescent, whether apart or not apart, whether existent or non-existent, and so on: discriminations through all kinds of gates such as these likewise cannot be conceived or discussed. Why? Because these dharmas are all born from recollection, imagining, and discrimination within the mind, and also cannot be determined; the real nature of all dharmas passes beyond mind and mental-factor dharmas, and goes out beyond the way of names and words. As is said in a previous chapter: ‘All dharmas are equal; all the worthies and noble ones cannot practise it and cannot reach it.’ For this reason it is inconceivable. Prajñāpāramitā too is thus, because it is born from contemplating this dharma.

Treatise ② (continued): The Benefit of Obtaining the Samādhis—Breaking the Clinging Mind, Samādhi Is Formed

At this time Sadāprarudita, right there on his seat, obtained the samādhis.

The treatise-author asks:

Sadāprarudita already knew earlier the empty mark of dharmas; now, through all kinds of toil and hardship, standing for seven years, and seeing Dharmodgata, what benefit did he obtain?

The treatise-author answers:

Earlier, when Sadāprarudita saw the buddhas and obtained the samādhis, he valued prajñāpāramitā highly and gave rise to clinging to marks. Now Dharmodgata, after seven years, rose from concentration and proclaimed prajñā to him to break his clinging mind: the nature of all dharmas is from the first of itself empty; it is not that prajñāpāramitā makes it empty. For this reason it says: ‘Because dharmas are equal, prajñāpāramitā is equal; dharmas have the mark of being apart, and so on up to: because dharmas are inconceivable, prajñā is inconceivable.’ This is so as not to let him despise the other dharmas and value prajñā highly. Why? So as not to let him, because of prajñā, give rise further to defiled clinging. Although prajñāpāramitā is ultimate purity and of much benefit, still one may not grasp at its mark and give rise to a clinging mind; just as hot gold, though it is fine, cannot be held in the hand. Having received this teaching, Sadāprarudita severed the clinging mind toward prajñā, and then obtained the samādhis, the equality of dharmas and the others.

Explaining phrase by phrase: in a scattered mind there is only wisdom, and it is not named samādhi; now, having heard it from the teacher, he reflects with one mind, and it is named samādhi: gathering the mind so that it does not scatter, wisdom turns into samādhi. It is as a lamp in the wind cannot give light, while in a quiet room with the door shut its light can shine everywhere.

Earlier, because the mind of the desire realm was scattered, the power of wisdom was not yet accomplished; now, having entered the gathering of the mind, the dharmas he has heard are all named samādhi, and can break the afflictions and so on, as well as Māra's people. It is like water: before the cold wind has come, it has not become ice and has no firm use; once it has become frozen ice, it can be walked upon.

What is called obtaining six million samādhi gates such as these, and so on, means that Sadāprarudita, having been able to hear the Dharma taught by Dharmodgata, obtained the light of great wisdom within dharmas, namely all kinds of gates of the real mark of all dharmas. The equality of dharmas—equality is wisdom; it entered Sadāprarudita's mind of meditative concentration and turned into samādhi.

Treatise ② (continued): The Present-Life and Later-Life Retribution of Samādhi and Wisdom, and the Entrustment

Now, because he wishes to speak of the retribution of samādhi and wisdom in the present life and in later lives, at that time the Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Just as I now in the great assembly teach prajñā, teaching prajñā with such marks, with such an appearance, and with such names; Sadāprarudita, having obtained this samādhi from Dharmodgata, within the samādhi sees the buddhas of the ten directions teaching prajñā in the great assembly likewise. Subhūti! From then on, because Sadāprarudita deeply loves and delights in the Dharma, he gathers many sūtras, recites and keeps them widely, and hears much. Just as Ānanda can receive and uphold all that the Buddha teaches, Sadāprarudita too is thus: his learning and wisdom are inconceivable, like the water of the great ocean. In this very life he is never apart from the Buddha.’ Such things as these are named the retribution in the present life. Having cast off this body, he is always born in lands where there is a Buddha; because he has cultivated well the samādhi of recollecting the Buddha, even in dreams he has never been apart from seeing the Buddha. The difficulties such as the hells are all cut off for ever, and according to his intent he is reborn in the buddha-lands; because he has entered deeply into prajñāpāramitā and gathered immeasurable merits, he is not born according to his deeds. Sadāprarudita goes from one buddha-land to another buddha-land, making offerings to the buddhas, delivering beings, and gathering immeasurable merits; it is like a wealthy and noble elder going from one assembly to another, and so on until now, in the presence of the Buddha Great Thunder-Sound, he purely cultivates pure conduct. If there are those who wish to seek prajñāpāramitā, they should be like the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, firm and upright with one mind, not to be shaken!

What is called for this reason knowing that the causes and conditions of prajñāpāramitā can bring all merits to accomplishment means: those, such as the bodhisattvas, who have obtained prajñā have the sinful stains of the householder, such as greed and hatred, and the sinful stains of the one who has gone forth, such as wrong doubts and idle discourse, all entirely removed and extinguished, and obtain purity of mind; because the mind is pure, they obtain the accomplishment of all merits. What is called obtaining the omniscience of all kinds is what is called obtaining anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. What is called the six perfections: from the first ground and so on up to the seventh ground one obtains the dharma of the acceptance of non-arising; the eighth ground, the ninth ground, and the tenth ground—this is entering deeply into the wisdom of the Buddha, obtaining the omniscience of all kinds, and accomplishing Buddhahood.

What is called those who attain sovereignty in all dharmas: all should receive and uphold it, and so on up to making offerings with flowers, incense, and music.

Though Subhūti always delights in the practice of emptiness, and the Buddha taught prajñā together with him, and he has moreover obtained the samādhi of non-contention, therefore it should not be entrusted to him.

Ānanda has obtained the dhāraṇī of hearing and retaining, and moreover is always close to the World-Honored One, therefore it is entrusted to him at length.

This chapter is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the ninetieth chapter, "Entrustment"; it is in the hundredth fascicle, and is the very last chapter of the whole treatise.

Sūtra ①: The Buddha Asks Ānanda Whether the Buddha Is His Great Teacher and Whether He Is the Buddha's Disciple; Ānanda Answers That the Buddha Is His Great Teacher, the Sugata Is His Great Teacher, and He Is the Buddha's Disciple; the Buddha Confirms It and Tells Him That What a Disciple Ought to Do He Has Already Done, and Then Entrusts Prajñāpāramitā to Ānanda Three Times, Bidding Him after the Passing into Extinction to Love, Revere, and Make Offerings to Prajñā with the Love, Reverence, Offerings, and Provision He Gave the Buddha; Not to Forget, Not to Lose, and Not to Be the Last Person Who Cuts Off the Lineage; That as Long as Prajñā Is in the World One Knows There Is a Buddha in the World Teaching the Dharma; That Those Who Write It Out, Uphold, Read, Recite, Rightly Recollect, Widely Explain, and Make Offerings to It Are Not Apart from Seeing the Buddha, Not Apart from Hearing the Dharma, and Always Close to the Buddha; and Finally It Concludes with the Great Assembly, Hearing What the Buddha Said, All Greatly Rejoicing

At that time the Buddha told Ānanda: ‘What do you think? Is the Buddha your great teacher? Are you the Buddha's disciple?’

Ānanda said: ‘World-Honored One! The Buddha is my great teacher, the Sugata is my great teacher; I am the Buddha's disciple.’

The Buddha said: ‘Just so! Just so! I am your great teacher; you are my disciple. Whatever a disciple ought to do, you have already done it all. Ānanda! With deeds of kindness of body, speech, and mind you have made offerings to me and provided for me, and you have always been able to accord with my mind, without fault or failing. Ānanda! While my body is present, you love, revere, make offerings to, and provide for it, and your mind is always pure; after my passing into extinction, all these matters of loving, revering, making offerings, and providing should be used to love, revere, and make offerings to prajñāpāramitā! And so on up to a second time and a third time, I entrust prajñāpāramitā to you. Ānanda! Do not forget it, do not lose it, do not be the last person who cuts off the lineage! Ānanda! For however long a time prajñāpāramitā is in the world, know that for so long a time there is a Buddha in the world teaching the Dharma. Ānanda! If someone writes out prajñāpāramitā, receives and upholds it, reads it, recites it, rightly recollects it, explains it widely for others, reveres it, honours it, praises it, and makes all kinds of offerings to it with flowers and incense, banners and canopies, jewelled garments, and lamps and candles, know that this person is not apart from seeing the Buddha, not apart from hearing the Dharma, and is always close to the Buddha.’

When the Buddha had finished teaching prajñāpāramitā, the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas Maitreya and the others; the venerable Subhūti, Śāriputra, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Mahākāśyapa, Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, Mahākauṣṭhila, Mahākātyāyana, Ānanda, and the others; together with the whole great assembly, and the gods, humans, gandharvas, asuras, and others of all the world, hearing what the Buddha had said, all greatly rejoiced.

Treatise ①: Explaining Why the Buddha, Having Already Severed Love of Dharmas, Entrusts; Why He Entrusts to Ānanda and Not to the Great Bodhisattvas; Why Other Sūtras Are Entrusted to Bodhisattvas; Whether There Is Some Further Dharma Surpassing Prajñā; What Difference There Is between the Entrustments in the Earlier and Later Two Places; That the Path of Prajñā and the Path of Skilful Means Are One in Original Substance; Why He Is So Earnest and Solemn; Why He Asks Whether Ānanda Is His Disciple; Why Ānanda Reveres the Buddha and Does Not Revere Prajñā; Why Three Times When One Entrustment Would Suffice; Why Not Letting It Be Cut Off and Extinguished Does Not Contradict Its Being Neither Increased nor Decreased; That When Prajñā Is in the World the Buddha Is in the World; How People of Heavy Sin Who Hear, Receive, Write Out, and Uphold It Are Not Apart from the Buddhas; Why the Great Arhats Greatly Rejoice; Why the Mahāyāna Is Not Mentioned in the Compiling of the Three Baskets; and Finally It Concludes with the Colophon of the Translation Hall on How the Treatise Was Brought Out from Beginning to End

The treatise-author asks:

The Buddha has already severed love of dharmas, and so on up to: toward the omniscience of all kinds and nirvāṇa too he does not cling and does not grasp at marks; why now does he, by all kinds of causes and conditions, entrust this Dharma, as if he had some love and clinging?

The treatise-author answers:

The mind of great kindness and compassion of the buddhas, from the first arousing of intent until arriving at the gate of nirvāṇa, is never abandoned. Between the twin śāla trees, by the vajra samādhi he broke his body for the sake of beings into pieces as fine as hemp seeds and rice; how much less would he leave unentrusted the sūtra-dharma, which can greatly enrich so many!

Again, Ānanda is one not yet free from desire, and cannot yet fully know the power and force of prajñāpāramitā and how greatly its retribution benefits; therefore the Buddha earnestly entrusts it: ‘You should receive and uphold it well, and not let it be forgotten or lost!’

Therefore, although the Buddha is without hatred and without love toward all dharmas, always having the mark of quiescence, he still entrusts this prajñā.

The treatise-author asks:

Ānanda is a śrāvaka; why does the Buddha entrust prajñāpāramitā to him, and not entrust it to the great bodhisattvas Maitreya and the others?

The treatise-author answers:

Someone says: Ānanda always attended at the Buddha's left and right, providing what was needed, and obtained the dhāraṇī of hearing and retaining: hearing once, he never forgets or loses it. He is the Buddha's cousin, and also of much knowledge and wide acquaintance, his renown wide and universal; he is the one on whom the four assemblies rely, the third teacher who can turn the wheel of the Dharma following the Buddha. Because the Buddha knew that Śāriputra's life was short and that he would pass into extinction early, he did not entrust it to him. Again, Ānanda is the teacher of five hundred arhats with the six supernormal powers, the three clarities, and liberation both ways; because he can benefit so many in this way, the Buddha entrusts it to him.

As for the great bodhisattvas Maitreya and the others, after the Buddha's passing into extinction they each scatter, going to the lands of the beings they are each to save—Maitreya returns up to the Tuṣita heaven, and Vimalakīrti and Mañjuśrī too go to the places of the beings they are to save. Again, because these bodhisattvas deeply know the power and function of prajñāpāramitā, the Buddha need not entrust it to them with bitter urgency.

Ānanda is a śrāvaka who follows the dharma of the Small Vehicle; therefore the Buddha earnestly entrusts it.

The treatise-author asks:

If so, why do the Lotus Sūtra and the other vaipulya sūtras entrust them to the bodhisattvas King of Joy and the others?

The treatise-author answers:

Someone says: at that time, what the Buddha taught was a very deep dharma hard to believe, and the śrāvakas were not present in the assembly. Again, as when the Buddha taught the Sūtra of Inconceivable Liberation, the five hundred arhats, though at the Buddha's side, could not hear it, or at times heard it and could not use it. Therefore he entrusted them to the bodhisattvas.

The treatise-author asks:

Is there some further dharma, very deep and surpassing prajñā, that the Prajñā is entrusted to Ānanda while the other sūtras are entrusted to bodhisattvas?

The treatise-author answers:

Prajñāpāramitā is not a secret dharma. But the Lotus and the other sūtras say that arhats receive the prediction and become Buddhas, which only great bodhisattvas can receive, uphold, and take up for use; just as a great physician can use poison as medicine.

Again, as was said earlier, prajñā is of two kinds: first, taught in common with the śrāvakas; second, taught only for the great bodhisattvas of the ten directions who dwell on the ten grounds, not something those of the ninth abode can hear, how much less people who have newly aroused the mind! Further, there is what is heard on the ninth ground, and so on up to what is heard on the first ground, each different. The general mark of prajñāpāramitā is one, but in depth and shallowness there are differences; therefore to entrust it to Ānanda is without fault.

The treatise-author asks:

Earlier, in the chapter "Seeing Akṣobhya Buddha", he already entrusted it; now he entrusts it again; what difference is there?

The treatise-author answers:

The bodhisattva path is of two kinds: first, the path of prajñāpāramitā; second, the path of skilful means. What was entrusted earlier was entrusted because the teaching of the substance of prajñāpāramitā had been completed; now the teaching of the skilful means by which beings are brought to obtain this prajñā has been completed, and therefore he entrusts it. For this reason, after "Seeing Akṣobhya Buddha", the "Upāya-kauśalya" chapter is taught.

Although within prajñāpāramitā there is skilful means, and although within skilful means there is prajñāpāramitā, each takes its name from whichever is more. Prajñā and skilful means are one in their original substance; because there is a small difference in what they are used for, they are spoken of separately; just as a goldsmith, with clever skilful means, makes all kinds of different things out of gold: although all are gold, each has a different name.

When the bodhisattva obtains the real mark of this prajñāpāramitā, namely that the nature of all dharmas is empty, without anything existent, the mark of quiescence, he then wishes to pass into extinction; because of the power of skilful means, he does not take the realisation of nirvāṇa. At this time he has this thought: ‘The nature of all dharmas is empty, and nirvāṇa too is empty; I have not yet made complete the merit of a bodhisattva, and should not take the realisation; when the merit is complete, only then may I take the realisation.’ At this time the bodhisattva, by the power of skilful means, passes beyond the two grounds and enters the bodhisattva's position; dwelling in the bodhisattva's position, he knows the very deep and subtle dharma without letters, and guides beings: this is called skilful means.

Again, there is another kind of skilful means—the bodhisattva knows that all dharmas are of the nature of ultimate emptiness, without anything existent, and yet can rise again to wholesome dharmas and practise the six perfections, not following emptiness. If it can give rise to four kinds of matters—either doubt, or wrong views, or entering nirvāṇa, or becoming a Buddha—since prajñā has such distinctions, then if one can remove wrong views and doubt and does not enter nirvāṇa, this is skilful means.

Someone says: prajñāpāramitā greatly enriches, and among great heaps of precious jewels it is the most excellent. The Buddha knew that after his passing into extinction many enemies and thieves would wish to destroy it; so even to entrust it in chapter after chapter would be without fault, how much more in only two places!

The treatise-author asks:

If he is to entrust it, why is he so earnest and solemn?

The treatise-author answers:

The Buddha guides beings in accordance with the worldly way; just as a merchant chief, about to go far away to another country, though he entrusts all his wealth and jewels to his son, is specially and earnestly insistent about the precious jewels of great price, because his son does not yet recognise how heavy the price of those jewels is. Bystanders, because the merchant chief is one who knows the price of jewels and yet entrusts them so earnestly, will certainly know that those jewels are precious and weighty; if they only heard his son praise the price of the jewels, they would not believe it. The Buddha too is like this.

Again, if he praised prajñā and entrusted it among other people or in a different assembly, people would ridicule and suspect the Buddha of praising his own dharma, and would doubt and not believe; entrusting it among his own disciples, there is no such suspicion.

Again, someone says: in an earlier chapter the Buddha taught that the mark of quiescence is without idle discourse, that this is omniscience, and that within it there is no fixed dharma to be grasped, and people then thought there was nothing worth valuing; now that he earnestly entrusts it, one knows that the Buddha does not cling to the dharma of emptiness. Among all beings, none loves and cherishes prajñā more than the Buddha; because the Buddha knows how deep the kindness of prajñā is, he values this prajñā highly and earnestly entrusts it.

Someone says: the Buddha entrusts it because he wishes to show the middle way: first he taught that dharmas are empty, to block the extreme of existence; now he earnestly entrusts it, and this refutes the extreme of non-existence; this then is the middle way. If someone says that the Buddha loves and clings to this dharma with a craving mind, the Buddha has already, by all kinds of causes and conditions, taught the mark of emptiness of prajñāpāramitā; if someone says that the Buddha has fallen into annihilation, therefore he earnestly entrusts it. In this way he parts from the two extremes.

The treatise-author asks:

The Buddha knows that Ānanda is his disciple; why does he still ask Ānanda: ‘Are you my disciple? Am I your teacher?’

The treatise-author answers:

The Buddha had evil disciples, Sunakṣatra and others, who became disciples for some small cause and condition, wishing to learn archery at the Buddha's place; the Buddha did not teach it to him, and so he gave up the precepts and said: ‘I am not the Buddha's disciple.’ Again, Susīma became a disciple in order to steal the Dharma. Such as these are named disciples in name.

Further, there were those of the outside paths and others who said that Ānanda stayed at the Buddha's side only because he had no choice—Ānanda had once been a disciple of the outside paths, wearing grass robes and seeking the way of the spirit-immortals; now, because the Buddha is his kinsman, he attends on him out of respect.

Because of such matters as these, the Buddha in the midst of the great assembly asks Ānanda: ‘Are you my disciple?’ If you say you are a true disciple, you should follow my command.

Therefore Ānanda, in order to make people believe, answers again, repeating it.

The Buddha told Ānanda: ‘The dharmas a disciple ought to do, you have made all of them complete.’

The dharma of a disciple is to provide for the teacher and elders with wholesome deeds of body, speech, and mind. Some disciples have good minds, but their deeds of body and speech do not match; some disciples have good deeds of body and speech, but their minds do not match. If a disciple with a wholesome mind deeply loves and delights in the teacher, body and speech matching the mind, not sparing body and life, not counting diligent toil as hard, abandoning his own intentions and following the teacher's command—Ānanda has made all these matters complete.

The Buddha told Ānanda: ‘You now at present revere me; after my passing into extinction, in revering prajñā you should also be like this.’

The treatise-author asks:

Prajñā is the teacher of the buddhas; why then does Ānanda not revere that teacher, but revere the Buddha?

The treatise-author answers:

Although Ānanda has obtained the first path, because his outflows are not yet exhausted he cannot deeply know the reality of dharmas as the Buddha knows it. Therefore the Buddha told Ānanda: ‘Revere prajñā as you revere me.’

Again, beings, seeing the Buddha's thirty-two marks, eighty minor marks, great radiance, and golden-coloured body, mostly give rise to love and reverence; prajñāpāramitā is subtle and very deep, without shape and without form, and only the wise can know it. As for the marks and minor signs of the Buddha's body, whether the foolish or the wise look at them, none is ever satisfied; therefore the Buddha uses his own body as a simile for prajñā.

While the Buddha was in the world, he could himself ward off the deeds of Māra; therefore the Buddha told Ānanda: ‘After my passing into extinction, guard and protect prajñā well.’

The treatise-author asks:

One entrustment would be enough; why go to three?

The treatise-author answers:

Because the Buddha deeply loves prajñāpāramitā, he therefore entrusts it three times.

The treatise-author asks:

If he deeply loves it, why limit it to three times?

The treatise-author answers:

The constant way of the buddhas is that their speech does not exceed three. If after three times someone still does not listen and comply, the vajra-holding spirit will raise his pestle at him; further, the intent of the vajra-holding spirit is: if someone does not comply after three times, he is a rebellious person, and should be killed. Therefore the Buddha's questions do not exceed three.

Again, if he spoke only once, it would still be too slack; beyond three times, it would be too urgent, like an ordinary person who craves and clings.

Again, the minds of the recipients are of three kinds; people of dull faculties give rise to a wholesome mind only at the third time; though Ānanda has keen faculties, his mind turns toward the śrāvakas, seeking only to be saved in his own person; therefore the Buddha tells him three times.

The reason for entrusting it is so as not to let the Dharma be extinguished. You should teach and transform disciples, and the disciples in turn teach others, teaching one another in turn; just as one lamp lights other lamps, and its light grows ever more. 「莫作最後斷種人」 tr. "Do not be the last person who cuts off the lineage"—when people of the world have sons, if they cannot continue the line, it is named cutting off the lineage, the greatest shame. The Buddha, with this comparison, told Ānanda: ‘Do not let prajñā be cut off in your own person!’

The treatise-author asks:

As was made clear in the earlier chapters, 「般若波羅蜜，說亦不增、不說亦不減，畢竟寂滅相」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā is not increased by being taught, nor decreased by not being taught, having the mark of ultimate quiescent extinction"; why now does it say 「莫令斷滅」 tr. "do not let it be cut off and extinguished"? Like space, who could extinguish it?

The treatise-author answers:

Although prajñāpāramitā is quiescent extinction, has the mark of non-arising and non-ceasing, is like space, and cannot be made the object of idle discourse, yet the scrolls of the prajñāpāramitā sūtra written out in letters and words and explained to others are the prajñā spoken of here; its result is spoken of within this cause.

Ordinary people, hearing that prajñāpāramitā is subtle, then give rise to a clinging mind, grasp at the mark of prajñā, and discriminate dharmas, namely: this is wholesome, this is unwholesome; this is worldly, this is nirvāṇa, and so on; because of discriminating, within this dharma they give rise to a clinging mind; because of the clinging mind, fighting and strife; because of fighting and strife, they raise up all sinful deeds—such people are named those who extinguish prajñāpāramitā.

The Buddha told Ānanda: ‘You should, in accordance with the mark of prajñāpāramitā, not cling to letters and words, and so teach and transform beings.’ This is called not extinguishing.

‘Ānanda! For however long a time prajñā is in the world, know that for so long a time the Buddha is in the world’, as is said at length in the sūtra.

The Buddha earnestly entrusts it, and the beings in the assembly had doubts; therefore the Buddha states the causes and conditions of the entrustment, namely: ‘When there is prajñā in the world, the Buddha is present.’ Why? Prajñāpāramitā is the mother of the buddhas; the buddhas take the Dharma as their teacher. The Dharma is precisely prajñāpāramitā. If the teacher is present and the mother is present, it is not named losing the benefit. Why? Because the root of the benefit is still present. Therefore it is said: ‘If prajñā is in the world, the Buddha too is in the world.’

Again, the Dharma Jewel is not apart from the Buddha Jewel. A bodhisattva with the thirty-two marks and the eighty minor marks is still not named Buddha; only on obtaining the Dharma Jewel is he named Buddha. The Dharma Jewel is precisely prajñāpāramitā. As people obtain benefit from the Buddha, and so on up to obtaining liberation and nirvāṇa, so if people can believe and practise within prajñā, they too enter nirvāṇa by the dharmas of the three vehicles. Therefore it is said that prajñā being in the world is like the Buddha being in the world, teaching the Dharma with no difference.

‘Ānanda! If someone hears and receives prajñā, and writes it out, receives and upholds it, and so on, know that this person is not apart from seeing the Buddha, hearing the Dharma, and drawing close to the buddhas.’

The treatise-author asks:

A person bears heavy sins, with the three unwholesome deeds accomplished, and yet hears, receives, writes out, and upholds prajñā; how can this person come to be not apart from the buddhas, hearing the Dharma, and drawing close to the Buddha?

The treatise-author answers:

This matter was already answered in an earlier chapter, namely that people who hear the Dharma are of two kinds: first, those who only hear and do not believe, receive, and carry it out; second, those who hear and believe, receive, and carry it out. As when a disciple does not listen to the words of the teacher and elders, and does not believe, receive, and carry them out—this is called not hearing; if one can hear with one mind, believe, receive, and carry it out, grow weary of and part from the world and love and delight in nirvāṇa, keep far from the Small Vehicle and delight in the Great Vehicle—to hear and receive thus is only then called true hearing. Reciting and reading are likewise.

To rightly recollect is to follow the Buddha's intent, parting from the two extremes of existence and non-existence, and practising the middle way. As one has heard, so one receives and upholds it, and also understands its meaning, explains it for others, and reveres, honours, makes offerings, praises, and offers flowers and incense and so on. At first it is thin and slight, and so on up to rightly recollecting and explaining it for others, the mind grows ever thicker and the merit ever greater, firm and unmoving.

Whether hearing the teacher explain it, or seeing the scrolls of the sūtra and making offerings with flowers and incense and so on—if it is a wise person who knows the meritorious virtue of prajñā and makes offerings, the merit is deep and heavy; if one makes offerings without knowing, the merit is thin and slight. Those whose merit is pure and thick, after changing bodies, are not apart from seeing the Buddha, hearing the Dharma, and drawing close to the buddhas; as for those whose merit is thin and slight, it is not said that after changing bodies they at once obtain the three kinds of reward of merit; after they have repaid their many sins, after a long time they too will certainly attain buddhahood.

Here the Buddha speaks generally of those of pure and thick merit and those of thin and slight merit: all will little by little come to see the buddhas of the ten directions and hear what the buddhas teach, little by little make complete the six perfections, and all will become Buddhas.

Because the Buddha with the Buddha-eye sees that prajñā has such great benefit for beings, he therefore earnestly entrusts it.

The treatise-author asks:

These great arhats have already realised the limit of reality and no longer have sorrow or joy; even small joy they do not have, how much less great joy!

The treatise-author answers:

The great arhats, though they have already parted from the desire of the three realms, because they have not yet obtained all wisdom, still have doubts within all the very deep dharmas and do not understand them clearly; within this Mahāprajñāpāramitā these are clearly explained, severing their doubts; therefore they greatly rejoice.

Again, these great disciples have already realised the limit of reality. The limit of reality is emptiness, the signless, the immeasurable, without anything discriminated. The Buddha, by all kinds of discriminating names, words, and similes, widely explains this dharma of quiescent extinction, and yet does not destroy the nature of dharmas, nor does he go against the world; because the arhats realised within this dharma, they greatly rejoice.

The Buddha well teaches this dharma of emptiness, the signless, the immeasurable, and quiescent extinction; the rest of the great assembly, although they have not yet all exhausted their outflows, because their power of faith is deep, also greatly rejoice, saying: ‘This dharma can end the suffering of our birth and death, and cause us to obtain the Buddha path.’

Because of immeasurable causes and conditions such as these, the great assembly all rejoice.

The treatise-author asks:

If the Buddha entrusted this prajñāpāramitā to Ānanda, then after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, when Ānanda together with Mahākāśyapa compiled the three baskets, why is it not mentioned therein?

The treatise-author answers:

The Mahāyāna is very deep, hard to believe, hard to understand, and hard to practise. Even while the Buddha was in the world, there were bhikṣus who heard the Mahāyāna and did not believe or understand it, and rose from their seats and left, how much more after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa! For this reason it is not mentioned.

Again, the three baskets have exactly three hundred thousand verses, making nine million six hundred thousand words. The Mahāyāna is very much more, immeasurable and unlimited: as herein the "Prajñāpāramitā" chapter has twenty-two thousand verses, the "Great Prajñā" chapter has a hundred thousand verses, and in the palaces of the nāga kings, the asura kings, and the gods there are a thousand koṭi of myriads of verses, and so on. Why? Because these gods, nāgas, and spirits have long lives and strong powers of memory and recollection. The people of this world now have short lives and weak powers of memory and recollection; even the "Small Prajñāpāramitā" chapter they cannot read, how much less more than that!

The prajñāpāramitā known by the other great bodhisattvas is immeasurable and unlimited. Why? The Buddha did not teach with one body only; through immeasurable ages he sometimes transformed himself into countless bodies, and therefore what he taught is immeasurable.

Further, there are the Sūtra of Inconceivable Liberation with a hundred thousand verses; the Sūtra of the Origins of the Buddhas, the Jewel Cloud Sūtra, the Great Cloud Sūtra, and the Dharma Cloud Sūtra, each with a hundred thousand verses; and the Lotus Sūtra, the Flower Hand Sūtra, the Great Compassion Sūtra, the Skilful Means Sūtra, the Sūtra of the Nāga King's Questions, the Sūtra of the Asura King's Questions, and the other great sūtras, immeasurable and boundless, like the jewels in the great ocean; how could they be put into the three baskets? A small thing should be within a great one; a great thing cannot enter a small one. If one is to ask, one should say: ‘Why is the Small Vehicle not within the Mahāyāna?’ Because the Mahāyāna can include the dharma of the Small Vehicle, therefore one should not ask as you have asked.

Again, someone says: just as Mahākāśyapa led the bhikṣus on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa to compile the three baskets, after the Buddha's passing into extinction, Mañjuśrī, Maitreya, and the other great bodhisattvas also led Ānanda to compile this Mahāyāna.

Further, Ānanda could weigh the greatness or smallness of beings' aspirations and deeds; therefore he did not teach the Mahāyāna among the śrāvakas, for if it were taught it would give rise to confusion and nothing would be accomplished. The Buddha-dharma is all of one kind and one flavour, namely the flavour of liberation that is the exhaustion of suffering. This flavour of liberation is of two kinds: first, being only for one's own person; second, being also for all beings. Although alike they seek one gate of liberation, there is the difference of benefiting oneself and benefiting others; therefore there is the difference of the Great and Small Vehicles. For the sake of these two kinds of people, what the Buddha's mouth taught was divided by letters and words into two kinds: the three baskets are the śrāvaka Dharma; the Mahāyāna is the Great Vehicle Dharma.

Again, while the Buddha was in the world, there was no name "three baskets"; there were only bhikṣus who held the sūtra, bhikṣus who held the Vinaya, and bhikṣus who held the mātṛkā. Sūtra is the name of the scriptures in the four Āgamas, and also the name of the scriptures in the Mahāyāna. The sūtra has two divisions: first, the sūtra within the four Āgamas; second, the Mahāyāna scriptures, which are named great. The sūtra enters both divisions; it is both the Great Vehicle and the Small Vehicle. The two hundred and fifty precepts and the like are named sūtra. The Vinaya speaks of the offences bhikṣus commit; the Buddha lays down the precepts: one should do this, one should not do that; doing this matter incurs this offence. Briefly told, there are eighty sections. It too has two divisions: first, the Vinaya of the land of Mathurā, which includes the avadāna and the jātaka, with eighty sections; second, the Vinaya of the land of Jibin, which removes the jātaka and the avadāna, taking only what is essential to make ten sections. There are eighty sections of vibhāṣā explaining it.

Therefore we know that the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra and the others are within the sūtra scriptures; because the sūtras are great and their matters different, they are spoken of separately, and therefore they are not within the compiling of the three baskets.

The Dharma master Kumārajīva, in the third year of Hongshi of the Qin, the year xinchou, on the twentieth day of the twelfth month, arrived at Chang'an; in the summer of the fourth year, in the upper storey of the western gate in the Xiaoyao Garden, he brought out this Expository Treatise for the Heavenly King Yao, and on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the seventh year it was finally finished. In the meantime he also brought out sūtra texts, dhyāna sūtras, precepts and Vinaya, the Hundred Treatise, and the Essential Explanations of the Dhyāna Method, nearly five hundred thousand words, which together with this Expository Treatise make one million five hundred thousand words in all. The treatise's first chapter, thirty-four fascicles, explains one chapter, and is the full complete text of the treatise; from the second chapter onward the Dharma master abridged it, taking what sufficed to open up and explain the meaning of the text, and no longer providing its full extended explanation. As for these hundred fascicles that we have obtained, were it brought out in full, it would be ten times this.

Fascicle one hundred of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa ends here.