The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva
Chapter 11: The Perfection of Wisdom

“Now, Śāriputra, what is the bodhisatvas’ perfection of wisdom like, the perfection of wisdom by means of which bodhisatvas, great beings, practice the way of the bodhisatva? Śāriputra, the bodhisatva conscientiously studies the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva; he learns it, memorizes it, reads it, absorbs it, clarifies it to others, and teaches it in great detail. When he has conscientiously studied the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, when he has learned it, memorized it, read it, clarified it to others, and taught it in great detail, he develops the different aspects of wisdom.

“Now, what are the different aspects of this wisdom, and how should one engage with it? The different aspects of wisdom involve learning, and one should engage with it in a non-superficial way. Now, what are the different aspects of learning? They are inclination, motivation, engagement, spiritual friendship, not being conceited, reverence, respect, skill, being receptive,121 being favorable, being attentive, veneration, being mentally engaged, being unmoving, considering wisdom to be a jewel, considering it to be medicine, considering it to be what alleviates all sickness, the vessel of mindfulness, the knowledge that comes from understanding, a radiant intellect, intellectual engagement, being insatiable when learning about the qualities of the Buddha, the nourishment of renunciation, delighting in being generous, relying on great learning, experiencing joy when one pays reverence, being content in one’s body, mental joy, learning without becoming weary, learning the meaning, learning the Dharma, [F.157.b] learning with enthusiasm, learning without being drawn toward other vehicles, learning the perfections, [MS.115.b] learning The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, learning the methods for bringing people together, learning skillful means, learning about the pure states, learning the superior abilities, learning how to establish mindfulness, learning genuine renunciation, learning the foundations of magical abilities, learning about dependent origination, learning about impermanence, learning about suffering, learning about nonself, learning about tranquility, learning about emptiness, learning about freedom from attributes, learning about freedom from aspirations, learning about the lack of conditions, learning about the conditions needed for roots of virtue, independence, thinking that one wants to learn about the Dharma, considering association with certain kinds of people to be unsuitable, thinking that one wants to counteract all the vices, delighting in those who are learned, relying on the noble ones, avoiding those who are not noble, learning about the noble ones, learning about the faculties, learning about the cultivation of mindfulness, learning about the factors of awakening, learning about the eightfold path, and understanding the Tathāgata’s powers, confidence, great love, great compassion, great empathetic joy, equanimity, and analytical abilities and his eighteen unique buddha qualities. Śāriputra, someone who is learned in these things possesses knowledge, and where there is knowledge, insight progresses.

“Why is this? Someone who is inclined toward the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva will study, and so he will develop understanding. He will learn, and so his insight progresses. [F.158.a] Someone who is dedicated to the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who engages with the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who relies upon spiritual friends will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who is not conceited will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who holds on to what is beneficial will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who is receptive will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who shows reverence for great learning will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who is attentive will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who has veneration for great learning will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who is mentally engaged with great learning will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who sees great learning as a jewel will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who sees great learning as medicine will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who sees that absorbing great learning will lead to the pacification of desire, anger, and confusion will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. [F.158.b] Someone who absorbs a great deal of learning with the intention of retaining it will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who attempts to arrive at an understanding of phenomena will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone whose mind yearns for great learning will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who absorbs great learning and whose intellect is agile will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. [MS.116.a] Someone who is not satisfied with his learning will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who listens to talks about generosity and becomes motivated to give things up will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who listens to talks about morality and then guards his morality will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who listens to talks about patient acceptance and who is patient will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who listens to talks about vigor will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who listens to talks about meditation and does not let his mind wander will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who listens to talks about wisdom and directs his mind toward the elimination of the defilements will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who rejoices in great learning will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who becomes content in his body when he listens to the Dharma will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who becomes joyful in his mind when he listens to the Dharma will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who becomes motivated after learning about the Mahāyāna will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. [F.159.a] Someone who learns about the methods for bringing people together and sets his mind on these methods will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who listens to talks about establishing mindfulness and remains mindful of his body, mindful of his feelings, mindful of his mind, and mindful of mental phenomena will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who listens to talks about genuine renunciation and is ashamed and embarrassed by his unwholesome tendencies will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who maintains an intellect that does not shun wholesome states whenever they arise will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who listens to talks on the foundations of magical abilities and develops agility of body, agility of mind, and agility of inclination will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who listens to talks on meditation and steers his mind toward reflection will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who listens to talks on the immeasurables and has love for all sentient beings, compassion for the wretched, empathetic joy for all phenomena, and equanimity toward misdeeds will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who listens to talks on the faculties and directs his mind toward the faculty of faith, the faculty of vigor, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, and the faculty of wisdom will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who listens to talks on the factors of awakening [MS.116.b] and applies his mind to understanding all phenomena will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. Someone who listens to talks on the path and applies his mind to attaining nirvāṇa will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. [F.159.b] Someone who hears of the Tathāgata’s powers, confidence, great love, great compassion, empathetic joy, equanimity, analytical abilities, and eighteen unique, immeasurable buddha qualities and applies his mind to attaining unsurpassed perfect awakening will learn. As he learns he will develop understanding, and as he develops understanding his insight progresses. These, Śāriputra, are what are known as the forty-one aspects of engagement with learning, and this, Śāriputra, is how the bodhisatva practices the perfection of wisdom.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva who practices the perfection of wisdom conscientiously studies the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva; he learns it, memorizes it, reads it, absorbs it, clarifies it to others, and teaches it in great detail, and when he has done so his insight progresses substantially. How is it that his insight into phenomena progresses? When he masters what he has been taught, his insight into phenomena progresses.

“Moreover, his insight into phenomena progresses when he does not hold on to any phenomena. Why is this? It is because grasping at phenomena stands in opposition to this progress. It is not possible that a person who grasps at phenomena will be able to leave these phenomena behind. This is what is impossible. Even those who are adept at non-grasping have some doubts with regard to their insight into phenomena, and so those who continue to hold on to phenomena will certainly have such doubts. Therefore, by not grasping at any phenomena, insight progresses.

“Furthermore, what is meant by progressing insight is that phenomena are unobscured. That there is no conceit with regard to phenomena, no grasping, no vanity, no arising, and no ceasing‍—this is what is meant by progressing insight.

“Furthermore, what is meant by progressing insight is that there is no appropriation or removal in relation to phenomena.

“Furthermore, nothing is taught anywhere, there is no teaching to be seen, and therefore all phenomena are unseen and ungraspable. [F.160.a] They have a single essential characteristic. What is this essential characteristic? It is that they have no essential characteristics. The essential characteristic can be said to be an essential non-characteristic. Both are the case. How so? When one imputes or imposes an essential characteristic, this is an essential non-characteristic. One may say, ‘This essential characteristic is an essential non-characteristic.’ He wakes up to the fact that all phenomena have this as their essential characteristic,122 namely that they are without characteristics, unseen, and ungraspable‍—this is what is meant by progressing insight. You should apply yourself to this insight. You must reach the stage where there is no longer any veil between you and phenomena.”

The Lord then spoke these verses:

“This, Śāriputra, is how the bodhisatva practices the perfection of wisdom.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, when the bodhisatva practices the perfection of wisdom, when he is involved in detailed study, and so forth, and when he teaches the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva to others at great length, all phenomena will become apparent to him, and the darkness of ignorance, the blinding darkness and the constricting veils, will be removed. Wisdom will reveal itself. With this revelation, he will understand what is wholesome and what is unwholesome. He will not act unwholesomely, even in order to save his own life. Someone who, in order to eliminate unwholesome factors, engages in the kind of studies through which wholesome factors can be understood is known as a good and tranquil sage.”

The Lord then spoke these verses:

“This, Śāriputra, is how the bodhisatva practices the perfection of wisdom.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, [F.161.a] when the bodhisatva practices the perfection of wisdom, as he is someone who keeps to The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, he thinks of his spiritual friends. This cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva is completely purified, fully cleansed, and [MS.117.b] the motivation to get to the meaning of The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva arises in him. He makes an effort, engages with vigor, focuses his mind, and dedicates himself to this task. He applies himself to the four kinds of perfect exertion and gains unobstructed access to all phenomena.”

The Lord then spoke these verses:

“This, Śāriputra, is how the bodhisatva, the great being, practices the perfection of wisdom.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, when the bodhisatva, the great being, practices the perfection of wisdom, he trains in this way by purifying his intellect and by completely cleansing the doors through which he perceives phenomena. There are two causes, two conditions, from which the right view of the noble ones arises. What are these two causes, these two conditions? They are the words of others, and a non-superficial understanding of oneself. He thinks, ‘What are the words of others, and what does it mean to understand oneself in a way that is not superficial?’ If he considers this carefully, he will think, ‘Those bodhisatvas who engage in spiritual training but have not learned this cycle of teachings that is contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, those who have not heard the noble teachings on discipline but are fascinated by the practice of the concentrations, will only end up strengthening their selfish arrogance. They will not become free from birth, aging, sickness, death, pain, despair, suffering, depression, and struggle. They will not become free from the whole mass of suffering.’ With this in mind, the Tathāgata gives this advice: ‘If one listens to others with an open mind, one will be freed from aging and death.’ ”

The Lord said:

“Therefore, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva should engage in extensive study of the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, the noble teachings of discipline. He should learn them, memorize them, absorb them, and teach them in great detail to others. Śāriputra, [F.162.a] those who do not study the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, and who only apply themselves in a superficial way, abandon the noble path. With this in mind, the Tathāgata gives this advice: ‘With a proper understanding of oneself, one will be freed from aging and death.’

“In the context of this training, what is a bodhisatva’s non-superficial practice like? How does a bodhisatva practice in a way that is not superficial? As he engages in this training, the bodhisatva, the great being, does not apply himself to any Dharma teachings whatsoever. He does not undertake anything. Non-superficial engagement in this context is another term for nonengagement.

“Furthermore, the bodhisatva whose engagement is not superficial does not have to make his voice heard. He does not have to repeat himself. It is not possible to understand where his voice issues from. It is not possible to discern a beginning or end to his voice. Where does it arise from? Where does it go? If one searches for what he has said, what he is saying, what he will say, who he spoke for, who he is speaking for, or who he will speak for, for the person he spoke to in order to encourage them to exert themselves, for the person he is speaking to in order to encourage them to exert themselves, for the person he will speak to in order to encourage them to exert themselves, for the person he spoke to in order to help them attain realization, for the person he is speaking to in order to help them attain realization, or for the person he will speak to in order to help them attain realization, one will not be able find any trace of these things in the past, the future, or the present. This is the kind of non-superficial engagement that he trains himself in.

“When he engages in this non-superficial way, what is it the bodhisatva sees in a way that is not superficial? As he engages in this training, the bodhisatva sees that it is the nature of all phenomena to cease, and this is when he sees things in a way that is not superficial. When he sees that it is the nature of all phenomena that they are passive, this is when he sees things in a way that is not superficial. When he sees that all phenomena are calm, this is when he sees things in a way that is not superficial. When he sees that it is the nature of all phenomena that they are imperfect, this is when he sees things in a way that is not superficial. [F.162.b] When he sees that all phenomena are unborn, this is when he sees things in a way that is not superficial. When he sees that all phenomena are unarisen, this is when he sees things in a way that is not superficial. When he sees that all phenomena are completely unarisen, this is when he sees things in a way that is not superficial. When he sees all phenomena as final nirvāṇa, this is when he sees things in a way that is not superficial. In this way, he sees; he discerns; and he sees in such a way that he does not see and does not discern. Because he sees in this way, he is known as someone who sees in a way that is not superficial.

“Furthermore, as he trains in this way, the bodhisatva who relates to things in a way that is not superficial does not harbor any doubt or confusion in relation to any phenomena. There are no phenomena that remain hidden from someone who relates to things in a way that is not superficial. There are no phenomena that do not become a door to liberation for someone who relates to things in a way that is not superficial. Someone who relates to things in a way that is not superficial does not have to make an effort to get rid of any phenomena. Someone who relates to things in a way that is not superficial does not have to make an effort to attain realization of any phenomena. [MS.118.b] To have a non-superficial view of things is to perceive all phenomena in a non-superficial way, to perceive them just as they are.

“What does it mean to perceive all phenomena just as they are? This is nonperception. What does nonperception imply? It implies the use of the designation unborn. Unborn is another word for unarisen. What does unarisen mean? It is another word for something that cannot appear. With this in mind, the Tathāgata said the following: ‘Seeing that all conditioned things are unborn is the way to attain a definitive connection with the true state. This is right view.’

“One might wonder, ‘Why is this described as “attaining a certain connection with the true state”?’ Then one should train oneself in the following way: ‘Whatever is the same as all phenomena is the same as the qualities of the Buddha.’ This can be described as ‘attaining a definitive connection with the true state.’ Therefore, those who wish to attain a definitive connection with the true state should study, learn, memorize, recite, and absorb this very cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva in great detail. [F.163.a] They should genuinely engage with this very cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva in a way that is not superficial. This, Śāriputra, is how the bodhisatva practices the perfection of wisdom.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, when the bodhisatva practices the perfection of wisdom, making an effort to apply himself in a way that is not superficial by purifying his intellect and by completely cleansing the doors through which he perceives phenomena, he will see what non-superficial words are. What does it mean to apply oneself in a way that is not superficial, in this context? What are non-superficial words? The bodhisatva applies himself in a way that is not superficial as follows: He applies himself to gaining stability in calm abiding meditation, and he applies himself to analysis in insight meditation. This is what it means to apply oneself in a way that is not superficial. He applies himself with his body secluded and his mind delighted. He applies himself to the fact that there is no annihilation, and to the fact that there is no permanence. He applies himself to causes and conditions, and to dependent origination. He applies himself to the fact that there is no being, no life force, and no person, and to the fact that there is no coming, no going, and no remaining. He applies himself to the fact that there is no transference, the fact that causes and effects are inconsequential, and to the investigation of the emptiness of causes. He applies himself to the investigation of freedom from attributes, and to the investigation of freedom from aspirations. He does not, however, reify emptiness, freedom from attributes, and freedom from aspirations. He applies himself to the attainments of concentration, but he does not become involved in the kind of birth that comes about through the power of concentrations. He applies himself to gaining knowledge related to the superior abilities, but he does not become entangled in eliminating the defilements. He applies himself to examining nonbirth, but he does not end up on a fixed course. He applies himself to examining the fact that no sentient beings have a self, but he does not end up losing his great compassion. He maintains the perspective that all kinds of birth are terrifying, but he still takes unimaginably many existences upon himself. He does not give up his yearning for nirvāṇa, but he does not reify the Dharma. He remains indifferent to the delights of sensual pleasures, but he does not disregard the joys of the Dharma. [F.163.b] He renounces deliberation, which only proliferates itself, but he does not disregard skillful means. This, Śāriputra, is what it means to apply oneself in a way that is not superficial.

“What is meant by non-superficial words, Śāriputra? Words that make sense are not superficial. Furthermore, Śāriputra, words that are not superficial are words that guide one. They are words that act as a door. They are words that give one direction. They are words that are a cause. They are words of investigation. They are words that are not contradictory. They are words that cannot be disputed. They are words of equanimity. They are words that do not attract. [MS.119.a] They are words that do not push away. They are words that do not proliferate. They are words that do not dwindle away. They are words that do not shrink. They are words that do not arise. They are words that do not give any grounds for disagreement. They are words that cannot be refuted. They are words that cannot be opposed. They are words for what is essential. They are words for the way things are. They are words that are not false. They are words that are nothing other than what they are. They are words for the actual state of things. They are words for what is actually the case. They are words that are the same throughout the three times. They are words that are precise. They are words that are not limited to the physical objects of perception. They are words that are not limited to feeling, perception, mental conditioning, or consciousness. They are words that are not limited to the realm of the eye, forms, and the eye consciousness. They are words that are not limited to the realm of the ear, sound, and the ear consciousness. They are words that are not limited to the realm of the nose, smell, and the nose consciousness. They are words that are not limited to the realm of the tongue, taste, and the tongue consciousness. They are words that are not limited to the realm of the body, physical objects, and body consciousness. They are words that are not limited to the realm of the mind, mental objects, and mental consciousness.124 They are words that rely on the meaning. They are words that rely on the Dharma. They are words that rely on knowledge. They are words that rely on the explicit meaning. These, Śāriputra, are words that are not superficial.

“In this way, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva makes an effort to apply himself in a way that is not superficial. [F.164.a] He sees what non-superficial words are, and his seeing is just the same as not seeing. He sees in a way that is just like not seeing. He does not discern. Someone who sees like this is known as someone who sees things in a way that is not superficial.

“Moreover, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva who applies himself in a way that is not superficial is not confused about any phenomena. For the bodhisatva who applies himself in a way that is not superficial, there are no phenomena whatsoever that do not become a door to liberation. Someone who applies himself in a way that is not superficial does not have to make an effort to give up any phenomena whatsoever. Someone who applies himself in a way that is not superficial does not have to make an effort to realize any phenomenon whatsoever. Right view is to see all phenomena in the right way, to see them just as they are.

“What is it, then, to see all phenomena just as they are? It is a non-seeing. What is non-seeing? It is to use the designation unborn. What does unborn mean? It is another word for nonapparent, and so forth. Here, one can insert a further elaboration in the same way it was expressed previously, up to and including ‘This is how the bodhisatva practices the perfection of wisdom.’

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, when the bodhisatva practices the perfection of wisdom, he trains in the following way. He sees that just as the self has no self, likewise all phenomena have no self, and this lack of self is the true self of all phenomena. He sees that just as a sentient being has no self, likewise all phenomena have no self. Seeing things in this way is to see things in a way that is not superficial. Someone who sees the realm of cyclic existence in a non-superficial way will see that it is fused with the realm of nirvāṇa. This is what can be described as non-superficial engagement. He sees that there is no difference at all between the nature of the vices and the nature of all phenomena. He does not entertain the conceit of distinguishing between practice and nonpractice. With non-superficial engagement he comes to see things in a way that is not superficial. There are as many varieties of non-superficial practice as there are ways to support all sentient beings, and he will not hinder anything that can act as a support for sentient beings. He will not sabotage anything that can act as a support for the Dharma. This is the non-superficial engagement of the bodhisatva.

“These, Śāriputra, are the aspects of wisdom. [F.164.b] This is learning. This is non-superficial engagement. This is seeing in a way that is not superficial. This is what facilitates seeing things the way they are. This is what is known as wisdom. This, then, Śāriputra, is how the bodhisatva practices the perfection of wisdom.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva who practices the perfection of wisdom dwells in the wisdom that relates to all phenomena as being conditioned. He is not involved with ignorance, he is not involved with mental conditioning, and so forth, [MS.119.b] and he is not involved with old age and death. He is not involved with the view of self-entity, and he is not involved with any of the other sixty-two kinds of views that have their origin in the view of self-entity. He is not involved with lofty ideas. He is not involved with despondency. He is not involved with the eight ways of the world. He is not involved with pride, arrogance, pride in faults, or any of the twenty other secondary vices. He is not involved with any of the vices, whether gross, subtle, or intermediate. He is not involved with the darkness of confusion, cataract-like veils, obstructing entanglements, or anything else that is inferior. He is not involved with the māras of contention, the māras of the vices, the māras of the skandhas, the devaputra māras, the māras of death, or the activities of any of the other māras. He is not involved with the idea of a self, the idea of a being, the idea of a life force, the idea of growth, the idea of a person, the idea of a man, the idea of a human being, the idea of an individual, or any other such views. He is not involved with the obscurations created by actions, the obscurations created by vices, the obscurations created by phenomena, the obscurations created by views, the obscurations created by the ripening of the effects of previous actions, the obscurations created by ignorance, or any other latent habitual tendencies.125 He is not involved with conceptual ideas, judgements, labels, objects, seeing, hearing, remembering, thinking, or any other mental processes that tie one in knots. [F.165.a] He is not involved with envy or rejection, immorality or morality, malice or patience, laziness or vigor, inattention or meditation, stupidity or wisdom, or any other perfect practices or unhelpful practices, not even knowledge and ignorance. He is not involved with having a positive destiny, having no destiny, or having a negative destiny. He is not involved with what is wholesome or what is unwholesome, with the irreproachable or the reproachable, with cyclic existence or nirvāṇa, or with any other categories such as these. He is not involved with making distinctions between different places, different buddhas, different beings, or different Dharma teachings, or with making any other kind of distinctions. He is not involved with inexperience, knowledge, or comprehension, with the relative truth and the ultimate truth, or with any other kind of mental labeling that sentient beings are involved with. He is not involved with unmoving wisdom, incorporeality, freedom from essential characteristics, freedom from attributes, being unconditioned, or any other such mental exertions, states of mind, or states of consciousness. He is not involved with these or any other immeasurable ways of relating to conditioned phenomena. The wisdom of the bodhisatva who practices the perfection of wisdom lies in his not being involved with any phenomena in the realm of the conditioned. In this way, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva practices the perfection of wisdom.

“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva who has mastered The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva and practices the perfection of wisdom is skilled in the different features of the perfection of wisdom, and so he masters all phenomena. What are these different features of wisdom? There are ten: a skilled approach to skandhas, a skilled approach to elements, a skilled approach to sense fields, a skilled approach to truth, a skilled approach to analytical abilities, [F.165.b] a skilled approach to relying on things, a skilled approach to consciousness and knowledge, a skilled approach to the factors of awakening, a skilled approach to the path, and a skilled approach to dependent arising. This tenfold division of skill is what is known as the different features of wisdom.

“What does it mean, then, to have a skilled approach to the skandhas? One can illustrate the skandhas by giving some examples. They can be compared to froth, to a mirage, to a bubble, to a plantain tree, to an illusion, to a dream, to an echo, to a hallucination, and to a reflection. Form is like froth in that froth has no self, no being, no life force, no person, no man, no human, and no individual. Form has as much essential nature as froth. [MS.120.a] This skillful way of understanding things is what is known as having a skilled approach to the skandhas. Feeling is like a bubble. A bubble has no self, no being, no life force, no person, no human, no individual, no offspring, and no man. Feeling has as much essential nature as a bubble. This skillful way of understanding things is what is known as having a skilled approach to skandhas. Perception is like a mirage. A mirage has no self, no being, no life force, and so forth, and no man. Perception has as much essential nature as a mirage. This skillful way of understanding things is what is known as having a skilled approach to skandhas. Mental conditioning is like a plantain tree. A plantain tree has no self, no being, no life force, and so forth, and no man. Mental conditioning has as much essential nature as a plantain tree. This skillful way of understanding things is what is known as having a skilled approach to skandhas. Consciousness is like an illusion. An illusion has no self, no being, no life force, no person, no human, no individual, no man, [F.166.a] no one who acts, and no one who experiences. Consciousness has as much essential nature as an illusion. This skillful way of understanding things is what is known as having a skilled approach to skandhas.

“Moreover, the skandhas are what is known as the world, and the world is characterized by the fact that it is destroyed. That which is the essential nature of the world is the essential nature of the skandhas. What is the essential nature of the world? It is by nature impermanent, and it is by nature suffering. This, too, is the nature of the skandhas. This skillful way of understanding things is what is known as having a skilled approach to the skandhas. This is how the bodhisatva who has a skilled approach to the skandhas practices the perfection of wisdom.

“What does it mean, then, to have a skilled approach to the elements? The element of phenomena is the earth element, but the element of phenomena does not have the essential characteristic of firmness. The element of phenomena is the water element, but the element of phenomena does not have the essential characteristic of fluidity. The element of phenomena is the fire element, but the element of phenomena does not have the essential characteristic of heat. The element of phenomena is the wind element, but the element of phenomena does not have the essential characteristic of movement. The element of phenomena is the element of eye consciousness, but the element of phenomena does not have the essential characteristic of visibility. The element of phenomena is the element of the ear consciousness, but the element of phenomena does not have the essential characteristic of hearing. The element of phenomena is the element of the nose consciousness, but the element of phenomena does not have the essential characteristic of smelling. The element of phenomena is the element of the tongue consciousness, but the element of phenomena does not have the essential characteristic of tasting. The element of phenomena is the element of the physical consciousness, but the element of phenomena does not have the essential characteristic of touching. The element of phenomena is the element of the mental consciousness, but the element of phenomena does not have the essential characteristic of experiencing.

“The element of self and the element of phenomena are the same. The element of the realm of desire, the element of the realm of form, and the element of the formless realm are the same. The element of cyclic existence and the element of nirvāṇa are the same. [F.166.b]

“In this way, the element of space and the element of all phenomena are the same. This is the sameness of being the same as emptiness. It is the sameness of being the same as changelessness. These statements, which have been made in order to help one relate to the element of the conditioned and to the element of the unconditioned, are unfathomable, and someone who investigates things by approaching the elements in this way is known as someone who has a skilled approach to the elements. This is how a bodhisatva, a great being who has a skilled approach to the elements, practices the perfection of wisdom.

“What is the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to the sense fields like? This eye is empty of a self and an owner, and the bodhisatva knows that this is how it is: ‘This is the nature of the eye.’ This is the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to the sense fields. [MS.120.b] Likewise, the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind are empty of a self and of an owner, and the bodhisatva knows that this is how it is, and so forth: ‘This is the nature of the mind.’

“He does not engage in the building up of stocks of wholesome qualities, accumulating them and piling them up by means of the sense fields, and he does not make any distinction between wholesome and unwholesome qualities. This is the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to the sense fields.

“Although he observes the eye and forms dispassionately, thinking, ‘This is the sense field of the eye, this is the sense field of form,’ he does not reify this dispassion. This is the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to the sense fields. Although he thinks, ‘This is the sense field of the ear, of sound, of the nose, of smell, of the tongue, of taste, of the body, of touch, of the mind, of mental phenomena,’ when he observes the mind and mental phenomena with dispassion, he does not reify this dispassion. This is the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to the sense fields. In regard to the sense fields, there are the sense fields of the noble ones and the sense fields of those who are not noble ones. In this context, the sense fields of the noble ones are those that are connected to the path, while the sense fields of those who are not noble ones have no relation to the path. [F.167.a] In this context, the bodhisatva who is established on the path will have great compassion for those sentient beings who do not take the Dharma seriously, and he will not abandon the sense fields that are related to the path. This is the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to the sense fields.

“What is the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to truth? There are four aspects to the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to truth. These are understanding suffering, understanding its source, understanding its cessation, and understanding the path. What does it mean to understand suffering? Understanding suffering means to understand that nothing takes place in the skandhas. What does it mean to understand its source? Understanding the source means to understand that craving is destroyed. What does it mean to understand its cessation? Understanding cessation means to understand that suffering is neither produced nor destroyed. What does it mean to understand the path? Understanding the path means not reifying the teachings on the attainment of sameness. Then, although the bodhisatva sees these four truths with this kind of wisdom, he does not reify it, so that he will be able to bring sentient beings to maturity. This is what is known as a skilled approach to truth.

“Moreover, there are three more aspects to his skilled approach to truth. These are the relative truth, the ultimate truth, and the truth of essential characteristics. With regard to the relative truth, anything that is a worldly convention and is communicated by means of syllables, sounds, and terminology is what is known as the relative truth. With regard to the ultimate truth, it is what the mind cannot accommodate, and it also does not involve verbal communication. This is what is known as the ultimate truth. What is the truth of essential characteristics? It is that all essential characteristics come down to one essential characteristic, and this one essential characteristic is that there are no essential characteristics. The bodhisatva never tires of teaching the relative truth, [F.167.b] does not fall into a reification of the ultimate truth, and characterizes the truth of essential characteristics by means of the fact that they have no essential characteristics. This is what is known as a skilled approach to truth.

“Moreover, the single truth is without another. It is the truth of cessation. It is a singular truth [MS.121.a] that cannot be elaborated upon, yet still he describes it to sentient beings in order to provide access to this truth. This is what is known as a skilled approach to truth.

“Moreover, the five skandhas are suffering. That which has the characteristic of suffering in relation to the five skandhas is what is known as suffering, and when one becomes aware that the character of suffering is the characteristic emptiness, that is what is known as the noble truth of suffering. The view that is concerned with the cause being craving latent in the five skandhas is what is known as the truth of origination, and not involving oneself in reifying, grasping at, or judging this view that it is caused by craving is what is known as the noble truth of origination. That there is cessation, a final elimination of the five skandhas implying a lack of previous origination, a lack of a later transference, and a lack of a present existence, is what is known as the noble truth of cessation. That path, which when followed brings one into contact with the knowledge of suffering, the knowledge of its origin, and the knowledge of its cessation and leads one to attain the knowledge that comes from these three kinds of knowledge, is what is known as the noble truth of the way to the cessation of suffering. Maintaining an investigative approach toward this knowledge of truth, while still taking sentient beings into consideration, is what is known as the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to truth.

“Moreover, all feelings are suffering, and to discern feelings and grasp them with the mind is what is known as the noble truth of suffering. In relation to the cause that gives rise to feelings, he understands that cause exactly as it is, and this is what is known as the noble truth of origination. The calming of feelings and the feeling of non-feeling, as well as discerning cessation while not reifying the cessation of feelings, [F.168.a] is what is known as the bodhisatva’s noble truth of the cessation of suffering. Any feelings that function in such a way as to constitute a path, that are in that way like a raft, and that aim neither for feelings nor for a path are what are known as the bodhisatva’s noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering. The kind of realization where one sees the sameness of these four truths, but that is not yet completely purified vision, is what is known as the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to truth.

“Moreover, birth is suffering, and the examination of nonbirth is what is known as knowledge of suffering. Birth is dependent on becoming, and the knowledge of becoming and destruction is what is known as knowledge of origination. The knowledge that all birth lacks birth and that it has no cessation, the knowledge of noncessation, is what is known as the knowledge of destruction, of cessation. This kind of exploration, reflection, searching, and investigation, of knowing how to engage, is what is known as knowledge of the path. To pursue this knowledge of truth without ending up fixating on the knowledge of truth is what is known as the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to truth.

“This is how the bodhisatva, the great being who is skilled in truth, practices the perfection of wisdom.

“What kinds of analytical abilities does the bodhisatva have? The bodhisatva has four kinds of analytical abilities. What are these four kinds of analytical abilities? They are analytical ability in relation to objects, analytical ability in relation to phenomena, analytical ability in relation to language, and analytical ability in relation to eloquence.

“What is analytical ability in relation to objects? It is knowing how the statements of the ultimate truth relate to phenomena. It is knowledge of the nondual cause. It is knowledge of conditions. It is knowledge of things coming together. It is knowledge that approaches the limitless. It is knowledge that penetrates dependent origination. It is knowledge of the indivisibility of the totality of phenomena. It is knowledge that engages with the way things actually are. [F.168.b] [MS.121.b] It is knowledge that does not remain at the summit of existence. It is knowledge that recollects emptiness. It is knowledge that considers freedom from attributes. It is knowledge that remains disinterested in goals. It is knowledge that does not construct the unconstructed. It is knowledge that penetrates the one path. It is knowledge that penetrates the fact that there is no being. It is knowledge that penetrates the fact that there is no self. It is knowledge of the single principle of the lack of life force. It is knowledge of the ultimate truth that there is no person. It is knowledge that is not bogged down in the past. It is knowledge that has no limit in the future. It is knowledge that is complete in the present. It is knowledge that relates to the skandhas as illusions. It is knowledge that relates to the elements as being like a poisonous snake. It is knowledge that contemplates the empty nature of the sense fields. It is knowledge where the internal has been pacified. It is knowledge where there is no external wandering. It is knowledge that sees objects and non-objects. It is knowledge that is based on mindfulness. It is knowledge that pursues realization. It is knowledge that is immediately present in the mind. It is knowledge that directly experiences truth. It is knowledge that there is no encounter with suffering. It is knowledge that there is no formation of origination. It is knowledge that there are no essential characteristics of cessation. It is knowledge that there is liberation on the path. It is knowledge of how words are applied to phenomena. It is knowledge that penetrates the faculties. It is knowledge that has powers that are unbreakable. It is knowledge that is settled in calm abiding meditation. It is knowledge that has the clarity of insight meditation. It is knowledge of the delusive nature of illusions. It is knowledge of the confused nature of mirages. It is knowledge of the falsity of appearances in dreams. It is knowledge of how echoes appear based on conditions. It is knowledge of how reflections shift. It is knowledge that sees one characteristic among the many characteristics. It is knowledge that sees meetings as partings. It is knowledge that what has been pacified will not reemerge. It is knowledge of how to follow instructions in the Śrāvakayāna. It is knowledge of how conditions are penetrated, and knowledge of the superiority of seclusion in the Pratyekabuddhayāna. [F.169.a] It is knowledge of all the roots of virtue that are accumulated through the Mahāyāna. This is what is known as the bodhisatva’s analytical ability in relation to objects.

“Moreover, analytical ability in relation to objects means relying on the meaning. It is to regard the actual nature of all phenomena, and that alone, as the meaning that one should rely on. How is this to be done? All phenomena without exception are empty, and emptiness is the meaning of the object. All phenomena without exception are free from attributes, and being free from attributes is the meaning of the object. All phenomena without exception are free from aspirations, and being free from aspirations is the meaning of the object. All phenomena without exception are dispersed, and being dispersed is the meaning of the object. All phenomena without exception have no being, no life force, and no person, and having no person is the meaning of the object. Realizing that this is what phenomena are like is what is known as analytical ability in relation to objects. To teach this meaning is to teach the impossible. It is to teach the imperishable. Analytical ability points out the meaning that has been realized. It is what the lords, the buddhas, confirm and rejoice in. It is real, essential, and nothing else. It is well founded on wisdom. It is completely irreproachable. This is what is known as the bodhisatva’s analytical ability in relation to objects.

“What is analytical ability in relation to phenomena? It is the knowledge of how to relate to mental objects. With respect to the wholesome and the unwholesome, the reproachable and the irreproachable, the defiled and the undefiled, the worldly and the transcendent, the conditioned and the unconditioned, the corrupt and that which is conducive to purification, and cyclic existence and nirvāṇa, it is the knowledge that sees these as the same from the perspective of the totality of phenomena, it is the knowledge of sameness from the perspective of awakening, and it is the knowledge of sameness inherent in the elements. This is what is known as analytical ability in relation to phenomena.

“Furthermore, analytical ability in relation to phenomena [F.169.b] is the knowledge that is able to relate to a mind that is acting out of desire. It can relate to acts of constructed desire, acts of strong desire, acts of weak desire, acts of unyielding desire, [MS.122.a] acts of desire in the past,126 acts of desire that seem to have no end, and acts of desire that arise due to conditions in the present. It can relate to the acts of desire of sentient beings whose desire is directed inward and who have no desire directed outward, those whose desire is directed outward and who have no desire directed inward, those who have no desire directed inward and have no desire directed outward, those who have desire directed both inward and outward, those who have desire for form but no desire for sound, those who have desire for sound but no desire for form, those who have desire for neither sound nor form, those who have desire for both sound and form, those who have no desire for smell, those who have desire for smell but no desire for touch, those who have desire for touch but no desire for taste, those who have desire for taste but no desire for form, and those who have desire for form but no desire for smell. In this way, then, there are twenty-one thousand ways of relating to acts of desire, twenty-one thousand ways of relating to acts of anger, twenty-one thousand ways of relating to acts of confusion, and twenty-one thousand ways of relating to acts that are a combination of these. This knowledge is a knowledge that can relate to the mind that acts in these eighty-four thousand different ways. It is the knowledge that can steer one onto the right course. It is the knowledge of how to teach neither too much nor too little. It is the knowledge that goes beyond passion. It is the knowledge that can identify the kind of person one is teaching. It is the knowledge of how to teach in circumstances where it will not go to waste. This is what is known as analytical ability in relation to phenomena.

“What is analytical ability in relation to language? It is the knowledge that relates to all language as non-language. [F.170.a] It is the ability to teach the Dharma in the kind of language that is appropriate for sentient beings who have been born into the five states of existence‍—the language of gods, the language of nāgas, the language of yakṣas, the language of gandharvas, the language of kinnaras, the language of mahoragas, the language of human beings, or the language of nonhuman beings. This is what is meant by analytical ability in relation to language.

“Teachings must be structured in a suitable way. Teachings must make connections in a suitable way. Teachings must be committed to writing using suitable letters.

“Analytical ability in relation to language is to know the singular form of the word, to know the dual form of the word, and to know the plural form of the word. It is to know the feminine words, to know the masculine words, and to know the neuter words. It is to know concise expressions, to know elaborate expressions, and to know colloquial expressions. It is to know the past tense of the word, to know the future tense of the word, and to know the present tense of the word. It is to know what is implied by one syllable, and what is implied by many syllables. This is what is meant by analytical ability in relation to language.

“Moreover, analytical ability in relation to language is such that there are no mistakes, there is no repetition, and there is no haste. There is clarity.127 It yields expressions that help clarify the meaning of things. It is language that will please any assembly. It is varied and profound, and it reveals profound meaning. It is adorned with both the relative and the ultimate truth. It is based on the knowledge of what one sees with one’s own mind. It is confirmed by the buddhas. It delights all sentient beings. This is what is known [MS.122.b] as analytical ability in relation to language.

“What is the bodhisatva’s analytical ability in relation to eloquence? It is elegant expression. It is statements delivered in a flexible manner. It is teaching without taking a break. It is being agile in one’s eloquence. It is being swift and mobile in one’s eloquence. It is being unencumbered in one’s eloquence. It is being able to address any question. It is eloquence that is never given up. It is unassailable eloquence. It is indisputable eloquence. It is eloquence that rejoices in the Dharma. It is eloquence that is founded on patience. It is profound eloquence. It is a multifaceted eloquence. It is being eloquent when talking about both the relative truth and the ultimate truth. It is eloquence that is founded on generosity, morality, patient acceptance, vigor, meditation, and wisdom. It is being eloquent about the foundations of mindfulness. It is proper renunciation. It is [F.170.b] the foundations of magical abilities. It is the faculties. It is the powers. It is the factors of awakening. It is the path. It is calm abiding and insight meditation. It is being eloquent about the knowledge of how to engage with all the liberative meditative states, the attainments of concentration, and the truths. It is being eloquent about all the paths. It is being eloquent about all the mental activity of sentient beings. It is an eloquence without unintelligent words. It is an eloquence without rough words. It is an eloquence without confused words. It is an eloquence without harsh words. It is an eloquence that uses tender words, pure words, liberating words, unimpeded words, pleasing words, words with correct syntax, words applied in a meaningful context, unimpaired words, sweet words, soft words, blameless words, and words praised by the noble ones. The Dharma is taught to other sentient beings and other people with words that lead to it being recognized in endless buddha fields, with a voice that sounds just like the melodious voice of Brahmā, and with eloquent expressions that are confirmed by the buddhas. Someone who follows these teachings on the Dharma will truly destroy suffering. This is what is known as the bodhisatva’s analytical abilities in relation to eloquence.

“This is the bodhisatva’s skill in eloquence, and a bodhisatva who is skilled in eloquence in these ways practices the perfection of wisdom. [B18]

“What is a bodhisatva’s skilled approach to relying on things? There are four things bodhisatvas rely on. What are these four things they rely on? They rely on the meaning and not on the letter, on knowledge and not on consciousness, on the explicit meaning of the sūtras and not the implicit meaning, and on the Dharma itself and not on the person teaching it.

“Now, what is the meaning and what is the letter? The letter refers to involvement in mundane activities, while the meaning refers to a realization of the reality that transcends the world. [F.171.a] [MS.123.a] The letter refers to teachings on generosity, discipline, restraint, and contentment, while the meaning refers to teachings on being disciplined, on calm abiding, and on what is not new and has no precedent. The letter refers to the generally agreed-upon explanations of cyclic existence, while the meaning refers to accomplishing that which cannot be experienced. The letter refers to the well-known benefits of nirvāṇa, while the meaning refers to the state beyond constructions that is the complete nirvāṇa naturally present in phenomena. The letter refers to teaching according to the respective vehicles, while the meaning refers to the knowledge that realizes the Dharma of the single path. The letter refers to the teaching on not abandoning any sentient beings, while the meaning refers to the purity of the three spheres of existence. The letter refers to the teachings on disciplining one’s body, speech, and mind, as well as to taking up the training in its entirety, and the qualities of purification, while the meaning refers to the purity of unconditionality, not apprehending body, speech, or mind. The letter refers to teachings on the destruction of malice, harshness, anger, pride, haughtiness, and arrogance and on patient acceptance and gentleness, while the meaning refers to the attainment of a patient acceptance of the fact that phenomena are unborn. The letter refers to teachings on all the different ways of applying vigor with regard to the roots of virtue, while the meaning refers to vigor that is not based on striving after anything or leaving anything behind. The letter refers to teachings on the liberative meditative states and the attainments of concentration, while the meaning refers to the knowledge that lies in cessation. The letter refers to the root of wisdom, which is the ability to retain all learning, while the meaning refers to the object that is beyond description. The letter refers to the elucidation of the thirty-seven elements that are conducive to awakening, while the meaning refers to the manifestation of the fruits of these thirty-seven elements that are conducive to awakening. The letter refers to the elucidation of suffering, [F.171.b] its origin, and the path, while the meaning refers to the realization of cessation. The letter refers to the elucidation of the sequence that begins with ignorance and ends with aging and death, while the meaning refers to the cessation of ignorance, the cessation of aging and death, and the cessation of everything in between. The letter refers to teachings on the prerequisites of calm abiding and insight meditation, while the meaning refers to the knowledge of awareness and liberation. The letter refers to teachings given for those who act out of desire, anger, confusion, or a combination of them, while the meaning refers to the unperturbed liberation of the mind. The letter refers to the elucidation of all obscurations, while the meaning refers to liberated unobscured knowledge. The letter refers to expressions of praise of the unlimited good qualities of the Three Jewels, while the meaning refers to the attainment of the actual state that is beyond desire, and the unconditioned good qualities of the Saṅgha. The letter refers to descriptions of the bodhisatva’s training and his development of good qualities, from the time when the awakening mind first arose in him until the time when he sat on the seat of awakening, while the meaning refers to the perfect awakening of omniscient knowledge that takes place in the space of a single moment of thought. In short, whatever is included in the teachings of the eighty-four thousand collections of the Dharma is what is known as the letter, while the object that cannot be expressed by means of any kind of language, any syllables, or any letters, is the meaning.

“What are the sūtras that have an implicit meaning? They express the letter, and one should be careful to note that that is the way they present the matter. What are the sūtras that have an explicit meaning? [MS.123.b] They express the meaning, and one should be careful to recognize that that is the way they present the matter. They are known as the sūtras that have an explicit meaning.

“What about relying on the Dharma and not on the person teaching it? The implicit meaning is the meaning of the person, and it is not to be relied upon. The explicit meaning is the actual way of things just as they are, and this is to be relied upon. [F.172.a]

“These are the four things bodhisatvas rely on, and a bodhisatva, a great being, who is skilled in how to rely on these things practices the perfection of wisdom.

“What is the bodhisatvas’ skilled approach to the letter? The bodhisatva is skilled in two things as he practices the perfection of wisdom. What are these two things? He is skilled in consciousness and he is skilled in knowledge.

“What is consciousness and what is knowledge in this context? Consciousness refers to the four modes of consciousness. What are these four modes of consciousness? They are the position consciousness takes when it is involved with form, along with the positions it takes when it is involved with feeling, perception, and mental conditioning. This is what is meant by consciousness. What is knowledge? It is a complete comprehension of the fact that the skandha of knowledge is not based in the five skandhas of grasping.128 This is what is meant by knowledge.

“Furthermore, consciousness is to be conscious of the earth element, of the water element, of the fire element, and of the wind element. This is what is known as consciousness. Knowledge of the unbreakable totality of phenomena, the knowledge that is not based upon the four elements, is what is known as knowledge.

“Furthermore, what is known as consciousness is the cognitive experience of forms that are recognized by the eye; it is the cognitive experience of sounds that are recognized by the ear, smells that are recognized by the nose, tastes that are recognized by the tongue, physical objects that are recognized by the body, and mental objects that are recognized by the mind. This is what is known as consciousness. Relying on the knowledge where the internal sense fields have come to rest and where there is no movement toward the outer sense fields, where there is no attempt to reach anything, is what is known as knowledge.

“Furthermore, what we call consciousness is the conscious experience that arises from the object [F.172.b] and the conscious experience that arises from conceptions. This is what is known as consciousness. When there is no grasping, no conceit, no ideation, and no bewilderment, that is what is known as knowledge.129

“Furthermore, consciousness relates to phenomena that are within the sphere of the conditioned, and consciousness cannot approach the unconditioned. Understanding the unconditioned is knowledge.

“Furthermore, consciousness is based on arising and ceasing. That which does not arise, does not cease, and does not remain‍—this is knowledge.

“Which sūtras are those of explicit meaning, and which sūtras are those of implicit meaning? Those sūtras that provide access to the path are known as implicit. Those sūtras that provide access to the fruits of the path are known as explicit. Those sūtras that bring out the relative truth are known as implicit. Those sūtras that indicate the ultimate truth are known as explicit.

“Furthermore, those sūtras that deal with the processes of action are known as implicit. Those sūtras that provide instructions for the elimination of action and the vices are known as explicit.

“Furthermore, those sūtras that provide instructions that explain the corruptions are known as implicit. [MS.124.a] Those sūtras that provide instructions for cleansing and purification are known as explicit. Those sūtras that inspire weariness with cyclic existence are known as implicit. Those sūtras that do not have recourse to a distinction130 between cyclic existence and nirvāṇa are known as explicit. Those sūtras that teach by means of a variety of words and expressions are known as implicit. Those sūtras that are profound, difficult to see, and difficult to fathom are known as explicit. Those sūtras that are greatly elaborate in order to delight the minds of sentient beings are known as implicit. Those sūtras that use only a few words and phrases in order to inspire reflection are known as explicit. [F.173.a]

“Furthermore, those sūtras that use a variety of terms, such as self, being, life force, person, soul, human being, man, someone who acts, or someone who experiences, describing the absence of agent as the presence of an agent, are known as implicit. Those sūtras that teach by means of emptiness, freedom from attributes, freedom from aspirations, the unarisen, the unborn, nonoccurring, nonbeing, no person, and freedom from the three times are known as explicit.

“What is meant by Dharma and what is meant by the person teaching it? Applying oneself to any Dharma teaching while maintaining a view of the person is what is known as relying on the person. That the true state of things concerning the entity of a person, that it is in fact based on wrong view, is the totality of phenomena‍—that is what is known as the Dharma.131

“Furthermore, saying, ‘a person, a common person, a common outstanding person, a person who follows his conviction, a person who follows the Dharma, a person on the eighth-lowest stage, a person who is a stream enterer, a person who is a once-returner, a person who is a non-returner, a person who is an arhat, a person who is a pratyekabuddha, a person who is a bodhisatva, or a person who takes birth in the world for the benefit of the many, for the happiness of the many, for the love of the world, and for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of a great host of beings, of gods and men, and becomes a tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished buddha’‍—using the term person in all these ways, the tathāgata uses the relative truth in order to engage with sentient beings and to teach them. It is said, though, that those who have any manifest attachment to these concepts have nothing to rely upon. In order to provide them with something to rely upon the Lord said, ‘Rely on the Dharma itself and not on the person teaching it.’

“What, then, is the Dharma itself? It is that which is unchanging; that which is not a fabrication; that which is not created; that which is not modified; that which does not remain; that which has no foundation; that which has no root; that which is complete sameness; [F.173.b] that which is the same as sameness, the same as non-sameness, and the same as both sameness and non-sameness; that which is nonconceptual; that which is free from application; [MS.124.b] that which is definitive;132 that which is not attained;133 and that which is the complete absence of anything that could be characterized as an autonomous nature. This is what is known as the Dharma itself.

“Those who rely on the Dharma itself in this way, and who do not put their trust in the elements, have entered the door to the path of the Dharma. For them, all phenomena134 become just like the Dharma itself, and any phenomenon can then be used as a support. This is what is known as the four things bodhisatvas rely on, and the bodhisatva who is skilled in relying on these things practices the perfection of wisdom.

“What is the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to accumulation? There are two things bodhisatvas accumulate. What are these two things? They are merit and knowledge. What is the accumulation of merit? It is the item of merit that is created through generosity, the item of merit that is created through morality, and the item of merit that is created through meditative cultivation. It is to remain in a mental state of love and to get involved out of compassion. It is to apply oneself to all the roots of virtue and to confession of one’s own evils and those of others. It is the item of merit that is created through rejoicing in all the roots of virtue of all sentient beings throughout the three times, of all those who are learning and who have no more to learn, of all pratyekabuddhas, of those who are newly committed, of those who are engaged in practice, of those whose progress is irreversible, and of those who have only one birth remaining, the item of merit that is created through rejoicing in those who have committed themselves, the lords, the buddhas, of the past, the future, and the present. It is the item of merit created through requesting the Dharma from all the buddhas and all the noble ones. It is the item of merit created through dedicating all one’s roots of virtue to awakening. It is to inspire the arising of the mind of awakening in all those in whom the mind of awakening has not yet arisen. [F.174.a] It is to teach the path of the perfections to those in whom the mind of awakening has arisen, and to collect material wealth for the poor. It is to provide medicine for sick, to treat them with respect, and to accept those who are in a wretched state with no hesitation. It is to not conceal one’s failings and to confess what one has done wrong. It is to serve and revere, in many different ways, the lords, the buddhas, of the present who have reached final nirvāṇa. It is to respect the gurus and preceptors as spiritual friends. It is to search vigorously for the priceless, invaluable teachings. It is to show affection for those who preach the Dharma and to still thirst to listen to the Dharma even after one has traveled for a hundred yojanas. It is to teach the Dharma without any thought of material gain. It is to serve one’s parents. It is to show gratitude. It is to be grateful. It is to have no regrets and to not be satisfied with the merit one has accrued. It is to guard one’s physical conduct and not act in a hypocritical manner. It is to guard one’s speech and not speak in a hypocritical manner. It is to guard one’s mind and not think hypocritical thoughts. It is to establish monuments in honor of tathāgatas, which brings one as much merit as is possessed by Brahmā. It is to perform boundless acts of worship that lead one to attain the perfect characteristics [MS.125.a] and to gather the accumulations of various roots of virtue that lead one to attain the perfect characteristics. It is to ornament one’s body with the absence of conceit. It is to ornament one’s speech with the relinquishment of all wicked speech. It is to ornament the mind with an unimpeded intellect. It is to ornament the buddha realms with acts of transformation by using one’s superior abilities. It is to ornament the qualities of the Dharma with the purity of knowledge. It is to ornament assemblies with abstention from slander, harsh words, and divisive talk. It is to ornament the Dharma of nonattachment by upholding the Dharma. [F.174.b] It is to contribute to the presentation of Dharma not being ruined by offering encouragement that brings delight. It is to provide effective teachings by removing obscurations and hindrances and by listening to the Dharma respectfully. It is to ornament the tree of awakening by offering groves and to ornament the seat of awakening by not relinquishing the mind of awakening, the mind that precedes all roots of virtue. It is to purify birth and death by not objectifying actions and the vices. It is to have a hand of wealth by giving away all one’s precious valuable objects and to make one’s wealth inexhaustible by increasing it through the inexhaustible act of dedicating.

“He displays no angry demeanor, and so he enjoys the open hearts, smiling faces, and pleasant conversation of all sentient beings. He radiates the same light on all sentient beings, and so he attains the adornment of sameness. He does not leave those who lack learning in darkness and emits an array of light. His morality and his merit prosper, and so his births become pure. He does not present arguments to try to excuse his failures, and so the womb is purified. He maintains the purity of the ten wholesome forms of conduct, and so he is reborn as a god or a human being. He observes all the guidelines, and so he attains unfaltering determination. He is not a teacher who holds back any teachings, and so he becomes a lord of the Dharma. His motivation is pure and excellent, and so the whole world becomes available to him. He does not settle for limited forms of conduct but places his confidence in the vastness of the Dharma. By not abandoning the mind of omniscience, he takes up all meritorious kinds of action. Impelled by faith, he perfects the seven kinds of riches. He honors his previous commitments, and so he does not deceive anyone in the world. He perfects the wholesome forms of conduct, and so he perfects all the teachings of the Buddha. This is what is known as the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to accumulation.

“What is the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to the accumulation of knowledge? Knowledge comes about on the basis of a particular cause, and there are different causes and conditions through which knowledge is attained. What are these causes? [F.175.a] What are these conditions? They are to have a strong desire to search for the Dharma; to follow a friend who has attained knowledge; to rely on the knowledge of buddhas and not to rely on the knowledge of śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas; to not to entertain any pride with respect to these things; and to have affection for one’s guru, to have affection for one’s teacher.

“When his spiritual friends have concluded that he has the necessary motivation, they will not withhold any instructions in knowledge. When they see that he is a suitable vessel for it, they will not hesitate to teach him the Dharma attentively. When he learns the Dharma in this way, he applies himself to accumulating the Dharma, and someone who applies himself to accumulating the Dharma is someone who applies himself to accumulating knowledge.

“What does it mean to apply oneself to accumulating the Dharma? It is to have few possessions, to have few tasks, and not to be overly talkative,135 to be of few words. [MS.125.b] It is to maintain the practice of staying awake late at night and rising early in the morning. It is to reflect on the meaning of what one has encountered, to search more and more deeply for it, and to keep one’s mind free from confusion. It is to cast off one’s obscurations, to know how to resolve one’s failures, to be without regret, to not be overwhelmed, and to maintain solid progress. It is to delve into the Dharma, to be open to the Dharma, to be inclined toward the Dharma, and to be diligent in the Dharma. It is to always act as if one’s clothes and hair were on fire. It is to search for knowledge and to remain in that very state. It is to not be lax and to not abandon one’s regular practice. It is to seek seclusion, to isolate oneself from society, to enjoy solitude, to reflect on the joys of retreat, and to delight in the noble family. It is to never stray from pure conduct, to find pleasure and satisfaction in the joyful Dharma, to not honor the sayings of the materialists, and to not lose one’s focus on the search for the transcendental Dharma. It is to have realization that is true to the meaning, to have a mind that remains loyal to the path, to keep firmly to one’s conviction, and to maintain an understanding of conditions. It is to ornament oneself with conscience and moral sensitivity, [F.175.b] to be in harmony with the realization of the Buddha, to have rid oneself of ignorance, to have cleared away the veil of ignorance and delusion, and to have purified the eye of wisdom. It is to have a perfectly pure intellect, to have a broad intellect, to have an intellect that is not narrow, and to have an intellect that makes clear distinctions. It is to have the knowledge that sees directly, to have good qualities that are not dependent on others, to not be conceited about one’s own good qualities, and to recognize the good qualities of others. It is to perform good actions, to not obstruct the ripening of the fruits of one’s previous actions, and to understand the purification of actions. This is what is known as the accumulation of knowledge of the bodhisatva, the great being.

“Furthermore, when it comes to the accumulation of knowledge, there are four kinds of generosity: providing teachers of the Dharma with birch bark, reed pencils, ink, and books; providing teachers of the Dharma with various kinds of seats for teaching the Dharma; providing teachers of the Dharma with all kinds of gain, honor, and praise; and providing teachers of the Dharma with unfeigned praise to encourage them in the Dharma. These are the four kinds of generosity that enable the accumulation of knowledge.

“There are four kinds of protection that enable the accumulation of knowledge. What are these four kinds of protection? They are protecting the bodies of the teachers of the Dharma, protecting their wholesome conduct, protecting them as they travel through different regions and countries, and protecting the things that aid them. These are the four kinds of protection.

“There are four kinds of support that enable the accumulation of knowledge. What are these four kinds of support? They are supporting the teachers of the Dharma with the Dharma, supporting their knowledge, supporting them with material objects, and supporting their awakening.

“There are five powers that enable the accumulation of knowledge. What are these five powers? They are the power of faith that comes from conviction, the power of vigor that comes from one’s search for learning, the power of mindfulness that comes from one’s recollection of the mind of awakening, the power of concentration that comes from one’s contemplation of the Dharma of sameness, and the power of wisdom that comes from the power of learning. These are the five powers that enable the accumulation of knowledge. [F.176.a]

“There are four kinds of discipline that enable the accumulation of knowledge. What are these four kinds of discipline? They are the discipline of honoring the Dharma, the discipline of seeking the Dharma, the discipline of reflecting on the Dharma, and the discipline of dedicating oneself to awakening. These are the four kinds of discipline that enable the accumulation of knowledge.

“There are four kinds of patient acceptance that enable the accumulation of knowledge. What are these four kinds of patient acceptance? They are to patiently endure verbal abuse and unpleasant remarks in one’s eager pursuit of the Dharma, to patiently endure wind, sun, cold, heat, hunger, and thirst in one’s eager pursuit of the Dharma, to obey one’s teachers and preceptors in one’s eager pursuit of the Dharma, [MS.126.a] and to accept the teachings on emptiness, freedom from attributes, and freedom from aspirations in one’s eager pursuit of the Dharma. These are the four kinds of patient acceptance that enable the accumulation of knowledge.

“There are four kinds of vigor that enable the accumulation of knowledge. What are these four kinds of vigor? They are vigor in learning, vigor in remembering, vigor in teaching, and vigor in making progress. These are the four kinds of vigor that enable the accumulation of knowledge.

“There are four aspects of meditation that enable the accumulation of knowledge. What are these four aspects of meditation? They are dwelling in seclusion, delighting in solitude, pursuing knowledge and the superior abilities, and engaging with the knowledge of the Buddha. These are the four aspects of meditation that enable the accumulation of knowledge.

“There are four manifestations of wisdom that enable the accumulation of knowledge. What are these four manifestations of wisdom? They are not ending up in annihilation, not insisting on permanence, not refuting dependent origination, and being favorably disposed to the lack of self. These are the four manifestations of wisdom that enable the accumulation of knowledge. [F.176.b]

“There are four things that enable the accumulation of the knowledge of skillful means. What are these four things? They are being in harmony with the world, being in harmony with the sūtras, being in harmony with the Dharma, and being in harmony with knowledge. These are the four things that enable the accumulation of the knowledge of skillful means.

“There are four ways to engage with the knowledge of the accumulations of the path. What are these four ways? They are the path of the perfections, the path of the elements that are conducive to awakening, the eightfold path, and the path that leads to the knowledge of omniscience. These are the four ways to engage with the knowledge of the accumulations of the path.

“There are four kinds of thirst that enable the accumulation of knowledge. What are these four kinds of thirst? They are thirst for learning, thirst for teaching, thirst for investigation, and thirst for knowledge. These are the four kinds of thirst that enable the accumulation of knowledge.

“Furthermore, the accumulation of knowledge is being in harmony with all sentient beings and being in harmony with all buddha fields. It should be noted that the accumulation of knowledge follows from generosity. It should be noted that the accumulation of knowledge follows from morality, patient acceptance, vigor, meditation, wisdom, love, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. Why is this? Any task a bodhisatva undertakes rests on knowledge, is preceded by knowledge, and is supported by knowledge. As it is based on knowledge, it becomes a support for omniscience. No māras are able to penetrate it. One attains the blessings of the buddhas. One reaches the knowledge of omniscience.

“This is the bodhisatva’s accumulation of merit and his accumulation of knowledge, and with skill in these two kinds of accumulation, the bodhisatva, the great being, practices the perfection of wisdom. [F.177.a]

“What is the bodhisatvas’ skilled approach to the foundations of mindfulness? There are four foundations of mindfulness to cultivate. What are these four foundations of mindfulness? [MS.126.b] They are using the body to cultivate mindfulness by observing the body, using feelings to cultivate mindfulness by observing feelings, using the mind to cultivate mindfulness by observing the mind, and using phenomena to cultivate mindfulness by observing phenomena.

“How does one use the body to cultivate mindfulness by observing the body? Śāriputra, a bodhisatva dwells using his body to observe his body. He contemplates what the body used to be like, how the body will end up, and what the body is like in the present, ‘Alas, this body arises from delusion. It originates from causes and conditions. It is helpless, passive, ownerless, and cannot be kept. External things like grass, bushes, herbs, and forests come about on the basis of causes and conditions. They are ownerless, and they cannot be kept, and this body is just the same. It is like grass, plaster, wood, dirt, or a statue. It consists of the skandhas, the elements, and the sense fields. It is empty of a self, of an owner, of permanence, of stability, of durability, of anything that does not change. There is no ownership to be found in this body. Nonetheless, by using this insubstantial body, we can find something of substance. What is this? It is the body of the tathāgata. With the body of the tathāgata we will attain the Dharma body, the vajra body, the unbreakable body, the body of firmness, the body that is distinguished throughout the whole of the threefold world. Even though this body of mine is defiled by many faults, it can still be used to attain the body of the tathāgata, which is free from all faults.’

“Impelled by this thorough investigation, he maintains his body that is based on the principal elements, and being conscious of the benefits of doing so, he thinks, [F.177.b] ‘I will let this body expire if that will be of any use to sentient beings. The four principle external elements‍—the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the wind element‍—act as sustenance for sentient beings in various different ways, by means of various different kinds of objects, in many ways, using many kinds of tools. They can be used in various different ways. In just the same way, may this bundle of mine, which consists of the four principal elements, act as sustenance for sentient beings in various different ways, by means of various different kinds of objects, in many ways, using many kinds of tools. May it be used in various different ways.’ The impermanence of the body is evident to him, yet birth, death, and rebirth do not leave him feeling dejected. The suffering of the body is evident to him, yet he does not let the suffering of the body bring him down. It is evident to him that the body has no self, yet in order to bring sentient beings to maturity, he does not allow himself to become dejected. The peacefulness of the body is evident to him, yet the peacefulness of the body does not leave him apathetic. The emptiness of the body and the isolation of the body is evident to him, yet he does not fall into the views of an isolationist.

“He dwells on the body and observes the body, and he does not find any essence or substance to it. He dwells on the internal body and observes the body, and he does not allow room for the vices to remain inside him. He dwells on the external body and observes the body, and he does not remain connected to the external vices. Having freed his body from the corruptions, his bodily actions are purified. His purified body [MS.127.a] attains the physical ornaments of the characteristics, and his ornamented body attracts the recognition of gods and men. This is how the bodhisatva uses the body to cultivate mindfulness by observing the body.

“How does one use feelings to cultivate mindfulness by observing feelings? [F.178.a] The bodhisatva will think, ‘Any feeling whatsoever one may have is suffering.’ With this insight into feelings he can experience pleasant feelings with an understanding of knowledge, an understanding of wisdom, and an understanding of means, and not pursue the tendency toward attachment. When he experiences painful feelings, he develops great compassion for all those born into lower states of existence, and he does not pursue the tendency toward anger. When he experiences feelings that are neither painful nor pleasant, he experiences feelings that are neither painful nor pleasant, but he nonetheless does not pursue the tendency toward ignorance. He pays attention to his feelings with mindfulness, and whether he experiences feelings that are pleasant, feelings that are painful, or feelings that are neither pleasant nor painful, his view is free from these feelings. He takes it upon himself to understand and alleviate the feelings of all sentient beings: ‘These sentient beings do not know how to be free from their feelings. They are overjoyed by pleasant feelings, distressed by painful feelings, and indifferent to feelings that are neither painful nor pleasant. How sad! As we have alleviated all feelings by applying wisdom and knowledge when we experience feelings and have combined this with the application of skillful means and great compassion, we will take it upon ourselves to instruct them in the Dharma so that all the feelings of these sentient beings may be alleviated.’

“Why is it that we call them feelings? A feeling that is combined with understanding leads to pleasure, while a feeling that is combined with a lack of understanding leads to pain. What does it mean to combine a feeling with understanding? It means that there is nothing there that feels‍—no self, no being, no life force, and no person. Feeling is attachment. Feeling is appropriation. Feeling is grasping. Feeling is misunderstanding. Feeling is conceptualization. Feeling is the tendency to see. Feeling is the perceptions of the eye, and so forth, up to and including the perceptions of the mind. Feeling is the perception of form, [F.178.b] and so forth, up to and including the perception of mental objects. Feeling is what arises from contact with the eye, feelings that are referred to as either painful, pleasant, or neither painful nor pleasant. Internal and external phenomena can be added here as before. Feeling is what arises from contact with the mind, feelings that are referred to as either painful, pleasant, or neither painful nor pleasant.

“Moreover, feeling can be enumerated: Feeling is singular; it is the perception of a single mental event. Feeling is twofold; it is the internal and the external. Feeling is threefold; it is the perception of the past, the perception of the future, and the perception of the present. Feeling is fourfold; it is the perception of the four elements. Feeling is fivefold; it is to conceive of the five skandhas. Feeling is sixfold; it is the idea of the six sense fields. Feeling is sevenfold; it is the seven states of consciousness. Feeling is eightfold; it is the eight mistaken kinds of engagement. Feeling is ninefold; it is the nine abodes of sentient beings. Feeling is tenfold; it is [MS.127.b] the ten wholesome forms of conduct. This enumeration could be continued.

“Everything is feeling. Any kind of object or mental process will be experienced as feeling. This is why it is said that there are immeasurably many sentient beings with immeasurably many kinds of feelings, and the bodhisatva who dwells with feelings and observes his feelings develops the knowledge of how the feelings of all sentient beings arise, remain, and cease. This is the knowledge of the feelings of all sentient beings, of wholesome and unwholesome feelings. This is what is known as the bodhisatva’s foundation of mindfulness that involves observing feelings.

“Now, how does the bodhisatva practice the foundation of mindfulness of the mind by observing the mind? The bodhisatva is not absent-minded but is careful, conscientious, and undistracted, and he reflects carefully: ‘The mind appears and then disperses and dissolves. It does not remain. It does not dwell inside, [F.179.a] nor does it proceed to anywhere outside. The initial thought that I gave rise to has vanished. It has disappeared. It has changed. It is not situated in any particular place. It is not facing in any particular direction. It cannot be ascertained. The thought that led to a root of virtue being established has vanished. It has disappeared. It has changed. It is not situated in any particular place. It is not facing in any particular direction. The mind that is dedicated to awakening essentially has no characteristics. The mind cannot know the mind. The mind cannot see the mind. The mind cannot experience the mind. What, then, is this mind? Is it that through which I will realize unsurpassed perfect awakening? There is no relationship between the mind of awakening and the mind of the roots of virtue. There is no relationship between the mind of the roots of virtue and the mind that is dedicated to awakening. There is no relationship between the mind that is dedicated to awakening and the mind of awakening or the mind of the roots of virtue.’ In this way he reflects with no discomfort, with no fear, without becoming afraid.

“He also thinks, ‘Dependent origination is a profound topic. Causes and their effects do not fail to take place. If the actual state of mind represented an inherent nature of the mind, then the dependence of all phenomena on causes and conditions would be useless, dysfunctional, and powerless. What one wishes for is what one accomplishes, so I will apply myself to what should be accomplished. I will not let this actual state of the mind wither. What is the actual state of the mind, and what is it that is accomplished? The mind is like an illusion; there is no one here who gives. This is the actual state of the mind. Still, when all notions of ownership have been done away with and been transformed into the ornament that is the accomplishment of a buddha field, something has been accomplished. The mind is like a dream; it is characterized by being pacified. This is the actual state of the mind. Still, when one has accumulated all morality and training and transformed it into the superior ability of swiftness,136 something has been accomplished. The mind is like a mirage, entirely transient. That is the actual state of the mind. Still, [F.179.b] when the gentle power of patience has been transformed into the accomplishment that adorns awakening, one has accomplished something. The mind is like the reflection of the moon in a pond, completely disconnected. This is the actual state of the mind. Still, when all one’s efforts have been transformed into that which fulfills all the teachings of the Buddha, one has accomplished something. The mind is ungraspable; it cannot be seen. This is the actual state of the mind. [MS.128.a] Still, when all the liberative meditative states, the attainments of concentration, have been transformed into the concentration of the Buddha, something has been accomplished. The mind is formless; it is imperceptible, unobstructable, and uncognizable. This is the actual state of the mind. Still, when the knowledge of all the various questions that can be raised has been transformed into the perfect knowledge of the Buddha, something has been accomplished. The mind arises in response to various objects. This is the actual state of the mind. Still, when the object of a root of virtue is brought into contact with the mind, one has accomplished something. The mind does not arise without a cause. This is the actual state of the mind. Still, when the mind that is the cause of the elements that are conducive to awakening has been engendered, something has been accomplished. The mind does not arise without any influence. This is the actual state of the mind. Still, when the mind is brought under the influence of the Buddha, something has been accomplished.’ This, Śāriputra, is how the bodhisatva practices the foundation of mindfulness of the mind by observing the mind. As he dwells on the mind and observes the mind, he steers his mind so that he attains the superior abilities. When he has attained the superior abilities, he is able to know all minds by means of one mind, and with this knowledge he teaches the Dharma of the true nature of the mind.

“Moreover, as he dwells on the mind and observes the mind, the bodhisatva steers his mind so that he attains great compassion. When he has attained great compassion, he will not tire until all sentient beings have been brought to maturity. As he dwells on the mind and observes the mind, he does not maintain an attitude of wanting to eliminate the mind, of wanting to shut the mind off, [F.180.a] but instead he develops a desire to relate to the workings of cyclic existence. With the knowledge that comes from paying attention to the mind, he arrives at certainty about the fact that there is no birth and no origination, and dwelling in the Dharma in this way, he does not fall to the level of a śrāvaka or a pratyekabuddha. There will still be some clinging to the stream of thoughts as long as he has not developed all the qualities of a buddha, but with the wisdom that arises in that one moment when these qualities are present, unsurpassed perfect awakening is attained. This, Śāriputra, is how the bodhisatva practices the foundation of mindfulness of the mind by observing the mind.

“Now, Śāriputra, how does the bodhisatva practice the foundation of mindfulness of phenomena by observing phenomena? Śāriputra, the bodhisatva sees phenomena with the wisdom eye of the noble ones, and he does not become confused by them, even temporarily, while on his way to the seat of awakening. When he dwells observing phenomena in this way, he does not perceive any phenomena, however small, that escape emptiness, that escape freedom from attributes, that escape freedom from aspirations, that escape freedom from origination, that escape freedom from arising, that escape freedom from being conditioned, or that escape freedom from an entity. He does not perceive any phenomena, however small, that escape dependent origination. When he dwells in this observation of phenomena, the bodhisatva perceives truth, and not untruth.

“What is truth? It is the fact that there is no self, no being, no life force, and no person. This is what is known as truth. What is untruth? It is the view that there is a self, a being, a life force, or a person. It is the view of annihilation, the view of permanence, the view of existence, and the view of nonexistence. This is what is known as untruth. Thus, Śāriputra, all phenomena are true, [F.180.b] and all phenomena are untrue. How so? When one understands emptiness, freedom from attributes, and freedom from aspirations all phenomena are true. If one tends to think in terms of me and mine, all phenomena are untrue. When the bodhisatva dwells on phenomena and observes phenomena, he does not perceive any phenomena [MS.128.b] that are anything other than the qualities of the Buddha, that do not lead to awakening, that do not lead to buddhahood, that do not lead to the path, that do not lead to liberation, and that do not lead to release. Because he sees all phenomena as release, he attains the kind of great compassion that is called unhindered. He comes to the conclusion that the corruptions of all sentient beings are made up. He reflects, ‘They are not connected with the vices‍—they are beyond the vices.’ How so? Because they genuinely engage with the explicit meaning of things, they do not accumulate the vices, they do not heap them up, and awakening comes about through this realization. The true nature of vices is the true nature of awakening, and the true nature of awakening is the true nature of vices. If one bears in mind that this is the way things are, then one does not, in fact, keep focus or place one’s mindfulness on anything at all. This is the very state of knowing the way things actually are, and this is why the totality of phenomena is referred to as the very state of things. The constant state of the totality of phenomena is the constant state of the element of beings, and the constant state of the element of beings is the constant state of the element of space. This is why it can be said that all phenomena are like space. The bodhisatva who dwells on phenomena and observes phenomena relies upon the truth of the Buddha, and in this he is in fact relating to all phenomena as the truth of the Buddha. He develops the knowledge of destruction, but he does not attain the destruction of the unconditioned. [F.181.a] He attains the knowledge of nonarising, but he still takes birth because of his concern for sentient beings, while not abandoning his ultimate goal of nonbirth.

“The foundation of mindfulness of phenomena implies maintaining this mindfulness of all phenomena. It implies maintaining mindfulness of all the designations of phenomena without exception, which are related to the teachings of śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and buddhas, and not forgetting them or becoming confused about them until one has reached the final goal. There are an infinite number of presentations of what we call the foundation of mindfulness of phenomena by observing phenomena. There is no limit to its scope. It comprises all the teachings of the Buddha and has the potential to delight all sentient beings, to overcome all māras, and to arrive at self-arisen realization. This, Śāriputra, is how the bodhisatva practices the foundation of mindfulness of phenomena by observing phenomena.

“These are what are known as the four foundations of mindfulness, Śāriputra, and the bodhisatva who is skilled in these four foundations of mindfulness practices the perfection of wisdom.

“What is the bodhisatvas’ skilled approach to the factors of awakening? There are seven factors of awakening for the bodhisatvas. What are these seven factors? They are the factor of perfect awakening of mindfulness, the factor of perfect awakening of examining the Dharma, the factor of perfect awakening of vigor, the factor of perfect awakening of joy, the factor of perfect awakening of calm, the factor of perfect awakening of concentration, and the factor of perfect awakening of equanimity. These, Śāriputra, are the bodhisatvas’ seven factors of awakening.

“What is the factor of perfect awakening of mindfulness? The mindfulness through which phenomena are understood, penetrated, analyzed, investigated, discerned, and examined is the mindfulness that leads to the realization of the essential characteristic of the true nature of phenomena. [F.181.b] What is the knowledge of the essential characteristic of the true nature of phenomena? It is that all phenomena are empty of any essential characteristics of their own. Absorbing this kind of mindfulness is what is known as the factor of perfect awakening of mindfulness.

“What is the factor of perfect awakening of examining the Dharma? It is the knowledge of how to examine the eighty-four thousand collections of teachings. The teachings should be examined in an appropriate way: those of explicit meaning according to the explicit meaning, [MS.129.a] those of implicit meaning according to the implicit meaning, those of relative meaning according to the relative meaning, those of ultimate meaning according to the ultimate meaning, designations according to designations, and ascertainment according to ascertainment. To examine the Dharma in this way is what is known as the factor of perfect awakening of examining the Dharma.

“What is the factor of perfect awakening of vigor? It is to take joy in this very examination of the Dharma. It is to be calm, concentrated, and equanimous. It is to possess a firm grasp of knowledge, of the power of delight, and of fortitude. It is unyielding determination, stamina, and not shying away from responsibility. It is to apply vigor in order to realize the path. This is what is known as the factor of perfect awakening of vigor.

“What is the factor of perfect awakening of joy? It is to take joy in the Dharma, to delight in the Dharma, and to be inspired by the Dharma in a way that brings clarity and removes despondency, an irrepressible joy that leaves the body and the mind at peace and that removes the corruptions. This is what is known as the factor of perfect awakening of joy.

“What is the factor of perfect awakening of calm? It is physical calm, mental calm, the calming of corruptions, the absence of the hindrances, and the settling of the mind on an object of concentration. [F.182.a] This is what is known as the factor of perfect awakening of calm.

“What is the factor of perfect awakening of concentration? A mind that is settled can attain knowledge of phenomena, while a mind that is not settled cannot. A mind that is settled can attain awakening with respect to phenomena, while a mind that is not settled cannot. It is not the abandoning of the impediments of ingrained views that leads to perfect awakening, but rather the sameness of phenomena, the state of absorption in phenomena. This is what is known as the factor of perfect awakening of concentration.

“What is the factor of perfect awakening of equanimity? It is to not adopt an attitude toward things that is either cheerful or depressed. It is to not be carried away by worldly phenomena. It is to remain unmoved by states of elation and dejection, to remain undisturbed by them, not to allow oneself to be interrupted by them, not to be carried away by them, and not to be angered by them, but rather to abide by the noble path. This is what is known as the factor of perfect awakening of equanimity.

“In this way, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva who is skilled in these seven factors of awakening practices the perfection of wisdom. [B19]

“What is the bodhisatvas’ skilled approach to the path? The path of the bodhisatvas has eight aspects. What are these eight aspects of the path? They are right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. This is what is known as the eightfold path of the bodhisatvas.

“What is right view? It is a noble view that is removed from what is worldly. It is not derived from a view of a self, a view of a being, a view of a life force, or a view of a person. It is not derived from the view of annihilation or permanence, of existence or nonexistence. It is not derived from a view of wholesomeness or unwholesomeness, and so forth. [F.182.b] It is not derived from a view of nirvāṇa. This is what is known as right view.

“What is right intention? It is to not cultivate the kind of intentions that lead to vices such as desire, anger, and confusion becoming established. It is to cultivate the kind of intentions that result in morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and insight into the knowledge of liberation becoming established. This is what is known as right intention.

“What is right speech? It is the kind of speech that does not create pain for oneself or for others and that is full of words that bring benefit. It is speech that leads one to engage with the path of sameness. This is what is known as right speech.

“What is right action? [MS.129.b] It is to not engage in negative actions that have negative effects. It is to engage in positive actions that have positive effects. It is to not engage in actions that are a mixture of both positive and negative and that have both positive and negative effects. It is to engage in actions that are a mixture of both positive and negative but have no effects, and that lead to the cessation of action. To focus on one’s own tasks, to trust in action, and to act in appropriate ways is what is known as right action.

“What is right livelihood? It is to not abandon the noble lineage, the good qualities of a life of purity. It is to not engage in flattery, hypocrisy, or extortion. It is to be content and easily satisfied. It is to not be lax about one’s commitments. It is to not be envious of others’ possessions and to be content with the possessions one has. It is to be irreproachable and live according to what has been sanctioned by the noble ones. This is what is known as right livelihood.

“What is right effort? One should not make the kind of effort that accepts misguided forms of conduct and that tends toward desire, anger, and confusion. [F.183.a] One should make the kind of effort that leads to progress along the noble path and access to truth and that helps one to reach nirvāṇa. This is what is known as right effort.

“What is right mindfulness? It is a mindfulness that is skillfully performed, not ordinary; straight, not askew. It is a mindfulness that sees the deficiencies and the faults of cyclic existence and that is a guide on the path to nirvāṇa. It is a mindfulness that recollects, that remembers, and that does not forget the noble path. This is what is known as right mindfulness.

“What is right concentration? It is to be perfectly even, the same as all phenomena. When one dwells in this state of concentration, one is engaging with perfection, and a bodhisatva who dwells in this state of concentration engages with perfection in order to liberate all sentient beings. This is what is known as right concentration. This imperishable path is the path that has been taken by the lords, the buddhas, of the past, the future, and the present, and when the bodhisatva has realized it, he communicates it, explains it, and elucidates it. This is what is known as right concentration.

“These are what are known as the eight aspects of the path of the bodhisatva. This is the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to path.

“Furthermore, when it comes to skill in the path, the path of the bodhisatvas has two parts. What are these two parts? They are calm abiding meditation and insight meditation. This is what is known as the twofold path.

“What is calm abiding meditation? It is mental peace, calm, and tranquility. It is to not be distracted, to tame the senses. It is to not be wild, to not be haughty, to not be fickle, and to not babble. It is to be gentle, to be careful, and to not be slack. It is to be pleasant.137 It is to enjoy solitude, to remove oneself from society, and to enjoy isolation. It is to isolate the body, to not let the mind be disturbed, and to turn one’s attention toward the wilderness. It is to have few desires [F.183.b] and to be content. It is to maintain a pure livelihood, to be of good character, and to conscientiously maintain one’s practice. It is to know the right time for things, to know the right moment for things, and to know what the right amount is. It is to be easily sated, to be easily satisfied. It is to be analytical and to not be excitable or depressed. It is to be able to endure insulting words. It is to be motivated for spiritual practice, to take joy in the practice of introspection, and to engage one’s mind in the different aspects of meditation. It is to cultivate love, to develop compassion, to dwell in joy, and to practice equanimity. It is to gradually attain the meditative states, from the first through to the eighth. This is what is known as calm abiding meditation.

“What is insight meditation? It is the path of practice, which is related to wisdom. It is the fact that there is no movement in phenomena, no self, no life force, [MS.130.a] and no person. It is the knowledge that sees the skandhas as heaps of illusions, the knowledge that sees the phenomenal element in the elements, and the knowledge that sees the sense fields as an empty city. It is the knowledge that sees distinctions with respect to the eye, the knowledge that sees no contradiction with respect to dependent origination, and the knowledge that sees without holding the view of a being. It is the knowledge that sees the process of ripening from cause to effect, the knowledge that sees immediately what the effect will be, and the knowledge that sees the process by which one can access perfection.

“Furthermore, insight meditation refers to seeing phenomena just as they are, seeing the actual nature of phenomena, seeing nothing other than phenomena just as they are, seeing that phenomena are empty, seeing that phenomena are free from attributes, and seeing that phenomena are free from aspiration.

“Also, when speaking of ‘insight meditation’ there is no insight that arises due to a cause, no insight without a cause, no insight that is caused by arising, cessation, or remaining, [F.184.a] and no insight that is caused by an object. There is in fact no insight at all in insight meditation.

“Moreover, when it comes to insight meditation, one sees due to seeing, but the seeing is not seen. When one sees this, one sees what is real. When one sees what is real, one has mastered insight meditation. While the bodhisatva who practices insight meditation sees in this way, he still does not go over to the side of the unconditioned or stop engaging with the conditions of the roots of virtue. This is what is known as the insight meditation of the bodhisatva.

“In this way, the bodhisatva who is skilled in the paths of calm abiding and insight meditation practices the perfection of wisdom.

“Furthermore, in the context of skill in the path, the path of the bodhisatva has four aspects. What are the four aspects of the path of the bodhisatva? They are to cultivate the desire that evil, unwholesome tendencies that have not yet arisen will not arise, and to strive, to be vigorous, to commit oneself, and to apply oneself wholeheartedly to this endeavor; to cultivate the desire to be rid of evil unwholesome tendencies that have arisen, and to strive, to be vigorous, to commit oneself, and to apply oneself wholeheartedly to this endeavor; to cultivate the desire that wholesome tendencies that have not yet arisen will arise, and to strive, to be vigorous, to commit oneself, and to apply oneself wholeheartedly to this endeavor; and to cultivate the desire that wholesome tendencies that have arisen may last, that they may be developed, that they may not degenerate, and that they may not go to waste, and to strive, to be vigorous, to commit oneself, and to apply oneself wholeheartedly to this endeavor.

“When one says that he ‘cultivates the desire that evil, unwholesome tendencies will not arise,’ this is an expression of his proper mental application. When one says that he will ‘strive and be vigorous,’ this is an expression of the fact that he will not abandon this proper mental application. When one says that he will ‘commit himself and apply himself wholeheartedly to this endeavor,’ this is an expression of the fact that he will investigate this in a non-superficial way. Why is this? When one applies oneself in a non-superficial way, unwholesome [F.184.b] tendencies will not be supported. What are these unwholesome tendencies? They are that which is detrimental to morality, that which is detrimental to concentration, and that which is detrimental to wisdom. What is it that is detrimental to morality? It is failing to maintain one’s morality, as well as when there are any external factors that cause one to fail in one’s morality. This is what is known as being detrimental to morality. What is it that is detrimental to concentration? It is when one’s character is not good, as well as when there are any external factors that are detrimental to the concentration one has amassed and that create distractions in the mind. This is what is known as being detrimental to concentration. What is it that is detrimental to wisdom? It is when one fails to maintain right view, as well as when there are any external factors [MS.130.b] that are detrimental to the wisdom one has amassed and that create obstructions that overwhelm one’s right view. This is what is known as being detrimental to wisdom. These things are what are known as evil unwholesome tendencies. With proper mental application, he cultivates the desire to eliminate these kinds of evil unwholesome tendencies and to strive, to be vigorous, to commit himself, and to apply himself wholeheartedly to this endeavor. Then these unwholesome tendencies will not amass in his mind‍—they will find no room; they will have no place there.

“He understands the mental processes that are involved in these unwholesome tendencies. He understands that they have arisen on the basis of causes and objects,138 desire being caused by beauty, anger being caused by enmity, and confusion being caused by ignorance. Because he understands this, he applies his mind in an appropriate way, and he uses what is disagreeable to pacify desire, love to pacify anger, and dependent origination to pacify confusion. This way of pacifying the corruptions is known as elimination through labeling designations. Nothing is attained with this kind of elimination. When the sameness of all phenomena manifests itself directly, [F.185.a] that is what is known as proper elimination. This is the second kind of perfect elimination.

“Then, when he says that he will ‘cultivate the desire that wholesome tendencies that have not yet arisen will arise,’ and that he will ‘strive, be vigorous, commit himself, and apply himself wholeheartedly to this endeavor,’ these are words that cannot be measured. Why is this? It is because the wholesome tendencies that are to be cultivated by the bodhisatva are immeasurable. This desire is the root of all roots of virtue. To command vigor is the root of all roots of virtue. Mental engagement and application are the roots of all roots of virtue. This is the third kind of perfect elimination.

“Then, when he says that he will ‘cultivate the desire that wholesome tendencies that have arisen may last, that they may be developed, that they may not degenerate, and that they may not go to waste,’ and that he will ‘strive, be vigorous, commit himself, and apply himself wholeheartedly to this endeavor,’ this is an expression of the fact that he dedicates his roots of virtue to awakening. Why is this? It is because roots of virtue that are dedicated to awakening will not be lost until one finally reaches the seat of awakening. Why is this? It is because his motivation is not dependent on the three realms. Any roots of virtue that are related to the three realms will perish. Why is this? It is because his motivation is dependent on the three realms. In this way, roots of virtue that are not dependent on the three realms and that are dedicated to the state of omniscience will not perish for any reason. This is the fourth kind of perfect elimination.

“This is how the bodhisatva who is skilled in the four elements of the path practices the perfection of wisdom.

“Furthermore, in the context of skill in the path, the path of the bodhisatva has five faculties. What are these five faculties? They are the faculty of faith, the faculty of vigor, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, and the faculty of wisdom.

“What is the faculty of faith? It is the faith that trusts in four Dharma teachings. What are these four Dharma teachings? [F.185.b] They are to trust completely in the right view of worldly matters and the workings of cyclic existence; to rely on the ripening of the fruits of actions and not engage in any evil actions, even to save one’s life; to have faith in the way of the bodhisatva and not long for any other approach when one is engaging with the practice; to have faith in the explicit meaning of the ultimate truth, the profundity of dependent origination, the fact that all phenomena are characterized by emptiness and freedom from attributes but still not harbor any tendency to cling to views; and to have faith in all the qualities of the Buddha, his powers and confidences, and to not question them or doubt them when one hears about them but rather work to develop these qualities. This is what is known as [MS.131.a] the faculty of faith.

“What is the faculty of vigor? When one has faith in these qualities one works vigorously to attain them. This is what is known as the faculty of vigor.

“Because of one’s faculty of mindfulness, one does not forget about these qualities when one is working vigorously to attain them. This is what is known as the faculty of mindfulness.

“One does not forget about these qualities because of one’s faculty of mindfulness, and one remains focused on them one-pointedly by means of one’s faculty of concentration. This is what is known as the faculty of concentration.

“One remains focused on these qualities one-pointedly by means of one’s faculty of concentration. One analyzes them by means of one’s faculty of wisdom and comes to understand them. This is what is known as the faculty of wisdom.

“In this way, these five faculties are intimately connected. They bring about the mastery of all the perfect buddha qualities and lead to the attainment of the stage of receiving a prediction of awakening. Those who possess the five external superior abilities do not make predictions about a being who has been conceived in the womb until the fetus has developed the faculties of the female or male gender. In the same way, the lords, the buddhas, do not make predictions about a bodhisatva until he has developed these five faculties.

“This is what is known as the fivefold path, and this is how the bodhisatva who is skilled in the fivefold path practices the perfection of wisdom.

“Śāriputra, there is another fivefold path that the bodhisatvas are skilled in. What are the five faculties of this path? [F.186.a] They are the power of faith, the power of vigor, the power of mindfulness, the power of concentration, and the power of wisdom.

“What is the power of faith? It is the kind of motivation that comes from trust, that is one-pointed, and that cannot be crushed. If the evil Māra were to approach the bodhisatva in the guise of a buddha discourage and dissuade him in any number of ways from cultivating an interest in knowledge of the Dharma, saying, ‘This teaching is not the teaching of the Buddha,’ and even if he could make it appear that the four major elements had been transformed, he would still not be able to separate him from the power of his faith, because of his confidence in the power of faith. This is what is known as the bodhisatva’s power of faith.

“What is the power of vigor? It is such that when he applies himself with vigor, engaging with any kind of wholesome qualities and achieving an effective powerful stability in them, the world with its gods cannot stop this effective power. It cannot influence him until he comes out of this state. This is what is known as the power of vigor.

“What is the bodhisatva’s power of mindfulness? Whatever he takes as the object of the application of his mindfulness, there is no kind of vice whatsoever that can throw him off or make him lose his focus. With this kind of power of mindfulness, he can crush all disruptions. His mindfulness is indestructible. This is what is known as the bodhisatva’s power of mindfulness.

“What is the bodhisatva’s power of concentration? It is to dwell secluded from any kind of company. He masters all forms of verbal communication but does not let the thicket of words become an obscuration to the first meditative state. He continues to actively recognize what is wholesome, but this does not obscure the second meditative state. He remains happy and joyful, but this does not obscure the third meditative state. [F.186.b] He does not remain indifferent to bringing sentient beings to maturity or preserving the true teachings, but this does not obscure the fourth meditative state. As he dwells in these four meditative states, he cannot possibly be hampered by factors that stand in opposition to meditation.139 He does not abandon his state of concentration, yet he does not use his power of concentration to gain rebirth. This is the bodhisatva’s power of concentration.

“What is the bodhisatva’s [MS.131.b] power of wisdom? It is a knowledge that cannot be destroyed by any worldly or transcendental factors. Immediately after his birth, even though he has no teacher, the bodhisatva will display all kinds of worldly skills and abilities, however outstanding, challenging, or difficult they may be. The transcendental, too, which brings liberation from the world, arises within the bodhisatva by means of the power of wisdom and knowledge, and it cannot be crushed by the world with its gods, humans, and asuras. This is what is known as the bodhisatva’s power of wisdom.

“This is the other path that includes five faculties, and this is how the bodhisatva who is skilled in the fivefold path practices the perfection of wisdom.

“Furthermore, if this is condensed there is a bodhisatva path that has only one element. It is the path that is traversed alone. This means that the bodhisatva is alone, with no other companions, as he sets out for unsurpassed perfect awakening. He has a vigorous, strong, powerful motivation. He is not guided by anyone else. He is not reliant on others. He works alone. His own qualities are fully developed. Such is the strength of the armor they don: ‘We will help sentient beings to attain what they cannot attain. We will help all the noble ones and all those bodhisatvas who have newly entered into the vehicle to attain what they cannot attain. Generosity is not my companion. [F.187.a] I am the companion of generosity. Morality, patient acceptance, vigor, meditation, and wisdom are not my companions. I am their companion. I am not supported by the perfections. It is the perfections that are supported by me. All the roots of virtue, as listed above, may be inserted here to illustrate this point. I am not supported by the roots of virtue. All the roots of virtue are supported by me. Proceeding with no companions in this way, I will be alone, with no one by my side, as I sit upon the vajra seat of awakening, conquer the powerful māras, and by means of the wisdom that arises in that one moment attain unsurpassed perfect awakening.’ This is the conviction that motivates them. This is what is known as the path of the bodhisatva that is traversed alone, and this is how the bodhisatva who is skilled in the path that is traversed alone practices the perfection of wisdom.

“Now, what is the bodhisatvas’ skill in dependent origination? The bodhisatva retreats to a secluded place and absorbs himself in meditation, reflecting in the following way: ‘Where does the origin of this great mass of suffering come from?’ He answers, ‘The origin of ignorance comes from the origin of superficiality. The origin of mental conditioning comes from the origin of ignorance. The origin of consciousness comes from the origin of mental conditioning. The origin of name and form comes from the origin of consciousness. The origin of the six sense fields comes from the origin of name and form. The origin of contact comes from the origin of the six sense fields. The origin of feeling comes from the origin of contact. The origin of desire comes from the origin of feeling. The origin of grasping comes from the origin of desire. The origin of becoming comes from the origin of desire. The origin of birth comes from the origin of becoming. The origin of aging, death, pain, despair, suffering, depression, and struggle comes from the origin of birth.’ [F.187.b] He continues, ‘This is how these phenomena come about. They are powerless, ineffective, and ownerless. They are causally related to what is wholesome, to what is unwholesome, to what is immovable, and to nirvāṇa. They are all created by conditions. It is the causes of a sentient being’s actions, their causal faculties, and their causal behavior [MS.132.a] that determines the causal result.’ These may be complete or not complete, and he understands that everything is related to how the sum of causes turns out. This is what is known as skill in dependent origination.

“Then he thinks, ‘How can this be stopped? Ignorance can be stopped by stopping superficial mental application. Mental conditioning can be stopped by stopping ignorance, and so forth. In this way the whole great mass of suffering is stopped.’ Seeing things in this way is what is known as skill in dependent origination.

“He continues, thinking, ‘All phenomena are dependent on causes, dependent on conditions, and dependent on completeness. As they are dependent on causes, on conditions, and on completeness, there is no room for a self, no room for a life force or a person. These things cannot be calculated.’ To examine things in this way is what is known as skill in dependent origination.

“In this way, the bodhisatva sees clearly how the conditions that define awakening, and all the qualities of the Buddha, come about, and how these conditions are destroyed and halted. Because of his concern for all sentient beings, he does not allow them to be destroyed or halted. This is what is known as the bodhisatva’s skill in dependent origination, and this is how the bodhisatva who is skilled in dependent origination practices the perfection of wisdom.

“Now, what is the bodhisatva’s skilled approach to all phenomena? All phenomena implies both the conditioned and the unconditioned, and the bodhisatva is skilled with respect to both the conditioned and the unconditioned.

“To be skilled with respect to the conditioned [F.188.a] is to be capable with regard to conditioned physical things, conditioned verbal things, and conditioned mental things.140 To transform conditioned physical, verbal, and mental virtues into unconditioned awakening by realizing the unconditioned is skill in the unconditioned.

“Moreover, to be skilled with respect to the conditioned is to master the five perfections‍—the perfections of generosity, morality, patient acceptance, vigor, and meditation‍—and also to not disparage the five perfections from the perspective of the perfection of wisdom, even though one has understood the unconditioned.141 To be skillful in amassing all the perfections while devoted to undefiled awakening, and to dedicate it to omniscience, is skill in the unconditioned.

“Moreover, to be skilled with respect to the conditioned is to radiate unimpeded rays of light to all sentient beings, gathering sentient beings together by using the four methods for bringing people together. Moreover, it is to maintain a skillful approach to the methods for bringing people together by not holding on to things, understanding that there is no being and no self. To be devoted to unconditioned awakening, and to dedicate oneself to it for the sake of omniscience, this is skill in the unconditioned.

“Moreover, to be skilled with respect to the conditioned is to not cut off the link one has to the continuum of cyclic existence, while cutting off the vices that bind one to cyclic existence. It is to maintain one’s connection with the objective of awakening, but not to do so in a limited manner. This is what is known as skill in the conditioned. To be skilled in discerning the kind of knowledge that is familiar with emptiness, freedom from attributes, and freedom from aspirations, to not be dependent on others for awakening, and to not reify the unconditioned is what is known as skill in the unconditioned.

“Moreover, to engage with the three realms of existence while not being affected by the vices that are connected with the three realms is what is known as his skill in the conditioned. [F.188.b] To have an understanding of the knowledge of how to escape from the three realms while not losing oneself in the state of deliverance is what is known as skill in the unconditioned.

“The expression being skilled in all phenomena is a synonym for omniscience. [MS.132.b] Omniscience, the perfect realization of all knowledge, does not shine forth in the absence of wisdom and skill.142 This is why it is called skill in all phenomena, and this is how the bodhisatva who is skilled in all phenomena practices the perfection of wisdom.

“In this way, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva, the great being, who has mastered The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva and who practices the perfection of wisdom is skilled in employing the analytical tools of wisdom and skilled in these ten kinds of skill in his practice of the perfection of wisdom.

“What is ‘wisdom’ here, and what is the purpose of the perfections? Wisdom refers to understanding what is wholesome and what is unwholesome. Wisdom is direct perception of what is conducive to insight. Wisdom is a valid means of knowledge, as it directly perceives noble qualities. Wisdom sees all viewpoints, all patterns, all hindrances, and all obstructions for exactly what they are.143 Wisdom is freedom from the longing involved in all desires, goals, and aspirations. Wisdom is a cause of pleasure, as it removes all anguish. Wisdom is a cause of joy as it does not sever the object of delight in the Dharma.144 Wisdom is a support, as it provides direct access to all knowledge. Wisdom is the foundation of all the elements that are conducive to awakening. Wisdom is characterized by attainment, as it leads to the realization of the goals of the different vehicles. Wisdom is characterized by thorough insight into naturally manifesting knowledge. [F.189.a] Wisdom is liberating, as it rescues one from all rivers. Wisdom is a guide that brings one safely to what is perfect. Wisdom takes hold of all wholesome qualities. Wisdom is the purification of all ingrained vices. Wisdom is the best of all the highest attainments of the Dharma. Wisdom is the supreme approach to the realization of self-arisen knowledge. Wisdom is beyond any process, as it is not mixed up with the three realms. Wisdom is what is taken up by all the noble ones. Wisdom cuts off longing, as it removes all attributes. Wisdom is the enemy of inattentiveness, as it is free from all ignorance, darkness, and blindness. Wisdom is how all those who have attained the various stages of spiritual practice apply themselves. Wisdom is a guide for all those who travel the path to omniscient knowledge. Wisdom illuminates by clearing away the veil of obscuration, the looming flood of ignorance. Wisdom bestows sight on all according to the kind of sight they wish for. Wisdom is not situated anywhere,145 as it transcends the realm of eyesight and form. Wisdom is the ultimate objective, as it derives from truth. Wisdom is unshakable, as it derives from thorough training. Wisdom appears through the door of knowledge. Wisdom is imperishable, as it penetrates everywhere. Wisdom cannot be obstructed, as it is the vision that engages with dependent origination. Wisdom is the way to liberation, as it severs all bonds of grasping. Wisdom is not mixed up with any of the vices. Wisdom is unassociated, and it cannot remain where there are any obstructions.

“Thus, Śāriputra, the acts of wisdom and the acts of knowledge of bodhisatvas are as numerous and varied as the many ways in which sentient beings think and act. Whatever the inclinations of sentient beings may be, the bodhisatva can match them with his wisdom, his capacity for investigation, and his knowledge. No matter how sentient beings approach the vices, the bodhisatva will have a way to relate to them by means of wisdom. [F.189.b] Whatever insight all the śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and fully accomplished buddhas may have attained, the bodhisatva will study these statements on wisdom in every situation. This is what is known as the wisdom of the bodhisatva.

“Now, what is the purpose of the perfections? Whatever wisdom is, that is the purpose of the perfections. Understanding what is wholesome is what is meant by ‘the purpose of the perfections.’ Here, all the elements that are relevant when discussing the perfections may be added. [MS.133.a] In addition, fully completing the exemplary path of the bodhisatva is the purpose of the perfections. Also, fully perfecting the knowledge of omniscience is the purpose of the perfections. Not being attached to the conditioned or the unconditioned is the purpose of the perfections. Gaining an understanding of the shortcomings of cyclic existence is the purpose of the perfections. Revealing the inexhaustible treasury of the teachings is the purpose of the perfections. Fully perfecting unobstructed liberation is the purpose of the perfections. Recognizing the sameness of generosity, morality, patient acceptance, vigor, meditation, and wisdom is the purpose of the perfections. Skill in discerning things is the purpose of the perfections. Operating within all the realms of sentient beings is the purpose of the perfections. Fully perfecting one’s patient acceptance of the fact that phenomena do not arise is the purpose of the perfections. Fully perfecting the stage of irreversibility is the purpose of the perfections. Fully accomplishing buddha fields is the purpose of the perfections. Bringing sentient beings to maturity is the purpose of the perfections. The actual attainment of the seat of awakening is the purpose of the perfections. Completely overcoming all māras is the purpose of the perfections. Fully developing the complete qualities of a buddha is the purpose of the perfections. Moreover, furthering the cycle of teachings contained within The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva is the purpose of the perfections. [F.190.a]

“Śāriputra, as one trains in the cycle of teachings contained within The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, one will accomplish all the perfections. Therefore, Śāriputra, sons and daughters of good family who follow the Mahāyāna should adopt the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva. They should preserve it, recite it, elucidate it for others, and teach it in great detail. Why should they do this? They should do this, Śāriputra, because when they have studied it conscientiously, preserved it, recited it, mastered it, elucidated it to others, and taught it in great detail, they will gain ten benefits.

“What are these ten benefits? One will gain mastery in all arts and crafts after one has died and journeyed on to future lives. One will be highborn. One will be renowned as a great lord. One’s words will be honored. One will possess great riches. One will be loved by gods and men. One will become a king of the entire world. One will reach the state of Brahmā. One will never be separated from the mind of awakening. These are the ten benefits one will gain.

“There is a further set of ten benefits one will gain. What are these ten benefits? One will not end up associating with the teachings of the Jains. One will not hold the view of a self or the view of a being, of a life force, of a person, of annihilation, or of permanence. One will not be affected by any object. Rejoicing in renunciation, one will successfully cultivate the mind of awakening. One will quickly understand the statements that one hears. These are the ten benefits one will gain.

“There is a further set of ten benefits one will gain. What are these ten benefits? One will possess mindfulness. One will possess intelligence. One will possess learning. One will possess authority. One will possess wisdom. [F.190.b] One will gain freedoms and opportunities. One will remember one’s former lives. One will naturally possess few vices, and one’s desire will not be powerful‍—one will not have to suffer the agony of fiercely burning desire. One’s anger will naturally diminish, and one’s anger will not be powerful‍—one will not have to suffer the agony that comes with fits of rage. One’s confusion will diminish, and one’s confusion will not be powerful‍—one will not have to suffer the agony that comes with excessive confusion. These are the ten benefits one will gain.

“There is a further set of ten benefits one will gain. What are these ten benefits? One’s wisdom will be incredible. One’s wisdom will be agile. One’s wisdom will be sharp. One’s wisdom will be swift. One’s wisdom will be vast. One’s wisdom will be profound. [MS.133.b] One’s wisdom will be penetrating. One’s wisdom will be unimpeded. One will meet the Tathāgata face-to-face, and when one has seen him, one will praise him by singing verses. One will ask the Tathāgata a question that is not superficial, and one will receive an answer. These are the ten benefits one will gain.

“There is a further set of ten benefits one will gain. What are these ten benefits? All one’s spiritual friends will be pleased. All Māra’s fetters will be loosened. All māras will be rebuked. All vices will be dismissed. One will not be swayed by any conditioned phenomena. One will turn one’s back on all paths that lead to unfavorable conditions. One will turn toward the paths that lead to nirvāṇa. One will give any gift that will facilitate liberation from cyclic existence. One will abide by the precepts of all the bodhisatvas. One will follow the instructions of all the lords, the buddhas. [F.191.a] These are the ten benefits one will gain.

“Śāriputra, by conscientiously studying the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, by preserving it, reciting it, elucidating it to others, and teaching it in great detail, one will gain all these benefits.”

Then, in order to clarify this point further, the Lord went on to speak these verses:

“This, Śāriputra, is what the bodhisatvas’ perfection of wisdom is like, the perfection of wisdom by means of which bodhisatvas, great beings, practice the way of the bodhisatva. This is what is known as engagement with the perfection of wisdom.146 [MS.134.a]

“Now, how does one employ the methods for bringing people together? There are four methods for bringing people together, and through these four methods, bodhisatvas are able to gather sentient beings around them for a long time. What are these four methods? They are generosity, pleasant speech, conscientiousness, and egalitarianism.

“What is generosity? It is to give physical objects, to give fearlessness, and to give the Dharma. This is what is known as generosity. What is pleasant speech? It is to address anyone who comes to one with a request, and those who listen to the Dharma, with kindness. What is conscientiousness? It is to fulfill one’s own aims and those of others. What is egalitarianism? It is to help sentient beings take hold of the elements of the Dharma belonging to the vehicle they consider to have the best qualities.

“Furthermore, generosity is to maintain a pure attitude toward anyone who comes to one with a request. This is what is known as generosity. Pleasant speech is to treat such people with respect. Conscientiousness is to grant whatever they ask for. Egalitarianism is to share their goals.

“Furthermore, generosity is to give with an intention. Pleasant speech is to cut off effort. Conscientiousness is to not regret one’s noble intentions. Egalitarianism is to transform them into the Mahāyāna.

“Furthermore, generosity is to practice renunciation with an attitude of love. Pleasant speech is to abandon an attitude of joy and delight. Conscientiousness is persevering with an attitude that is protected by the armor of great compassion, for the sake of sentient beings. [F.192.a] Egalitarianism is to remain equanimous, without ups and downs, with one’s mind dedicated to omniscient knowledge.

“Furthermore, what is known as generosity is to give up riches in one’s search for the Dharma. Pleasant speech is to create a connection between those to whom one is generous and the Dharma. Conscientiousness is bringing benefit to oneself and to others. Egalitarianism is motivating oneself to attain the state of omniscience for the sake of all sentient beings.

“Furthermore, generosity is giving up any sense of ownership of internal and external phenomena. Pleasant speech is not being a tight-fisted teacher when it comes to one’s knowledge of the qualities all phenomena. Conscientiousness is letting go of one’s own goals and facilitating the goals of others. Egalitarianism is not feeling bad about giving one’s own possessions to others.147

“What is the gift of Dharma? It is to teach the Dharma according to tradition. Pleasant speech is to elucidate the Dharma without any expectation of reward. Conscientiousness is to not tire of reciting, presenting, and explaining the Dharma. Egalitarianism is to not be separated from the mind of omniscience as one engages in the development of the Dharma.

“Furthermore, generosity is to be untiring in teaching whoever comes to listen to the teachings. Pleasant speech is to elucidate the true Dharma even when one has just arrived from far away. Conscientiousness is [MS.134.b] to part with clothing, to part with sustenance, bedding, seats, medicine for the sick, and utensils, to part with anything that one may have for the sake of Dharma and give it all to those who desire the Dharma. Egalitarianism is to teach the Dharma with sustained excellent intentions.

“Furthermore, the gift of Dharma is to consider the gift of Dharma to be the best of all gifts when one gives it. Pleasant speech is to teach in order to bring about beneficial states of being. [F.192.b] Conscientiousness is to rely on the meaning and not on the words. Egalitarianism is to teach the Dharma in order to perfect the qualities of a buddha.

“Furthermore, the gift of Dharma is the perfection of generosity. Pleasant speech is the perfection of morality and the perfection of patient acceptance. Conscientiousness is the perfection of vigor. Egalitarianism is the perfection of meditation and the perfection of wisdom.

“Furthermore, generosity is the initial arising of the mind of awakening in bodhisatvas. Pleasant speech is the bodhisatvas’ engagement with practice. Conscientiousness is the bodhisatvas’ irreversibility. Egalitarianism is when the bodhisatvas are bound to only one more birth.

“Furthermore, the gift of Dharma is the root that forms the foundation of awakening. Pleasant speech is the developing sprout of awakening. Conscientiousness is the blossoming flower of awakening. Egalitarianism is the appearance of the fruit of awakening.

“These are the bodhisatvas’ four methods for bringing people together. By employing these four methods, the bodhisatvas, the great beings, attract sentient beings to the practice of awakening for long periods of time. This is what is meant by employing the methods for bringing people together.

“These methods for bringing people together, then, which cannot be calculated, which have no measure, and which are the perfections, are what are known as the path of awakening.

“So it was, Śāriputra, that the Lord, the tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha Mahāskandha, revealed the path of awakening to Vīryacarita, and that he explained the nature of the lords, the buddhas, of the past, the future, and the present.

“Śāriputra, the prince Vīryacarita learned the path of awakening from the Lord, the Tathāgata Mahāskandha. He learned the nature that defines the lords, the buddhas, of the past, the future, and the present, and he was immensely happy and delighted. [F.193.a] Completely happy and delighted, he praised, venerated, honored, and worshiped the Lord, the tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha Mahāskandha, together with his assembly of śrāvakas, for nine hundred sixty million years, offering clothing, sustenance, bedding, seats, medicine for the sick, and utensils, and expressed his aspiration to attain awakening, but the Lord, the Tathāgata Mahāskandha did not make any predictions of unsurpassed perfect awakening.

“Śāriputra, no one should entertain any doubt, any uncertainty, about whether this prince named Vīryacarita who appeared at this time, on this occasion, was anyone else. [MS.135.a] Why is this? It is because it was I who was that prince named Vīryacarita who appeared at that time, on that occasion. It was I who praised, venerated, honored, and worshiped the Lord, the Tathāgata Mahāskandha, and his assembly of śrāvakas for nine hundred sixty million years and expressed my aspiration to attain awakening. It was me whose awakening the Lord did not predict, saying, ‘In the future, you will become a tathāgata, an arhat, a fully accomplished buddha.’

“So it was, Śāriputra, that innumerable eons after the Lord Mahāskandha, a tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished buddha by the name of Ratnāṅga appeared in the world, and so forth. He was awakened, a lord. The Tathāgata Ratnāṅga, Śāriputra, had a great following of eight trillion śrāvakas, all of whom were arhats who had eliminated the defilements, who were free from vices, who were powerful, and so forth, and who had reached the very highest level of complete mastery of the mind. [F.193.b]

“At that time, Śāriputra, there was a king by the name of Sudarśana, a king of the four quarters, a just king who ruled according to the Dharma and was energetic and diligent on behalf of his populace and in possession of the seven precious implements. The seven implements he possessed were the precious wheel, and so forth, up to and including the precious minister. He conquered, and so forth, and he governed.

“Śāriputra, the king Sudarśana’s royal capital was called Jāmbūnada. From east to west it stretched for twelve yojanas. From south to north it was seven yojanas across. It was wealthy, thriving, prosperous, well supplied, pleasant, and bustling with throngs of people.

“At that time, there was a merchant by the name of Suprajña. He was wealthy, he had great riches, and so forth, and he had storerooms filled with riches and treasure. He had developed roots of virtue in the presence of past buddhas. He had served the buddhas of the past.

“It so happened, Śāriputra, that the Lord, the Tathāgata Ratnāṅga, saw the intentions of the merchant Suprajña, and it occurred to him, ‘This merchant, Suprajña, is truly a suitable recipient for the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva.’ Having concluded that he was a suitable recipient, he approached the merchant Suprajña, seated himself magically on a throne floating in midair, and presented the path to awakening, describing the nature of the lords, the buddhas, of the past, the future, and the present.

“Then, Śāriputra, as the merchant Suprajña learned about the path of the bodhisatvas, the great beings, as he learned about the nature of the lords, the buddhas, of the past, the future, and the present, he became happy, elated, and delighted. [F.194.a] Being happy, elated, and delighted, he praised, venerated, honored, and worshiped the Lord, the tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha Ratnāṅga, and his assembly of śrāvakas for a thousand years with clothing, sustenance, [MS.135.b] bedding, seats, medicine for the sick, and utensils, and he expressed his aspiration to attain unsurpassed perfect awakening. Still, the Lord, the Tathāgata Ratnāṅga did not make any predictions of unsurpassed perfect awakening.

“Śāriputra, no one should entertain any doubt, any uncertainty, about whether this merchant named Suprajña, who appeared at this time, on this occasion, was anyone else. I was that merchant named Suprajña, who appeared at that time, on that occasion. It was I who praised, venerated, honored, and worshiped the Lord, the Tathāgata Ratnāṅga, and his assembly of śrāvakas for a thousand years and expressed my aspiration to attain awakening. It was me who the Lord, the Tathāgata Ratnāṅga, did not predict to unsurpassed perfect awakening, saying, ‘In the future, you will become a tathāgata, an arhat, a fully accomplished buddha.’

“Then, Śāriputra, innumerable eons after Ratnāṅga, a tathāgata by the name of Dīpaṅkara appeared in the world. At this time there was a king by the name of Jitaśatru, and the capital city of King Jitaśatru, Śāriputra, was called Padmāvatī. It was wealthy, thriving, prosperous, well supplied, pleasant, and bustling with throngs of people.

“The king Jitaśatru, Śāriputra, had a brahmin named Dīpapati148 who was the son of a great noble household. He was wealthy and he had great riches, many possessions, and so forth and storerooms filled with riches and treasure. [F.194.b] The king Jitaśatru liked him, loved him, considered him a friend and comfort, and liked to have him close by. So it was, Śāriputra, that the king Jitaśatru gave the great brahmin lord Dīpapati half his kingdom. As a king, Dīpapati ruled half the kingdom according to the Dharma, and not in a way that was contrary to the Dharma.

“The time came, Śāriputra, when a son was born to king Dīpapati. He was beautiful, handsome, pleasant, and possessed the most excellent and splendid features. He had a body adorned with the thirty-two characteristics of a great being. His whole body emitted light, as if it were the disk of the sun. He was given the name Dīpaṅkara.

“Śāriputra, the king Dīpapati had brahmin astrologers, knowers of signs, sent for to look at the prince Dīpaṅkara, and they predicted that he would attain awakening. The king Dīpapati then obtained female nurses for the prince Dīpaṅkara.

“After a very short time, Śāriputra, the prince Dīpaṅkara attained the superior abilities. Then, Śāriputra, the divine sons of the pure abodes emanated from the Heaven of Nothing Higher and approached the bodhisatva Dīpaṅkara. They circumambulated the bodhisatva Dīpaṅkara and then spoke these verses to the bodhisatva, the great being, Dīpaṅkara:

“In this way, Śāriputra, the bodhisatva Dīpaṅkara was spurred on by the gods of the pure abodes, and following his conviction he left the household life behind and became a renunciant. He attained unsurpassed perfect awakening that very same night. At that very moment, verses of praise, words of greatness and goodness, spread forth, saying that Dīpaṅkara was a lord, a tathāgata, an arhat, a fully accomplished buddha, and so forth, that he was awakened, a lord. The king Jitaśatru heard about this, that the son of the king Dīpapati had become an unsurpassed, fully accomplished buddha without training, and that verses of praise about him, words of greatness and goodness proclaiming that he was awakened, a lord, and so forth, were spreading. The king Jitaśatru, Śāriputra, then dispatched a messenger to the king Dīpapati, saying, ‘It has come to my attention that your son has become a renunciant, and that he has realized perfect awakening. I wish to meet your son Dīpaṅkara. I hope that the Lord, the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara will bestow the grace of a visit upon me. If it should happen that you do not come, I will have to come to you, together with my fourfold army.’

“Śāriputra, the king Dīpapati now gathered his council of astrologers, ministers, councilors, and guards to inform them of the situation, and he told them, ‘The divine Lord should be approached and asked about this, about whether the great compassionate Lord will in fact, out of his love, go to see the king Jitaśatru. The king Jitaśatru should under no circumstance have to come here.’

“Then, Śāriputra, [F.195.b] the king Dīpapati, together with his ministers, went to the place where the Lord Dīpaṅkara was staying. When he arrived there, he honored the Lord by placing his head at his feet, and he then delivered the news. When he had spoken, the Lord, the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara said this to the king Dīpapati, ‘Great king, out of love, I will present myself to the king Jitaśatru.’

“The lord, the tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, Śāriputra, had been living comfortably in the supremely divine royal palace, but he now set out to make this journey across the land together with eight hundred million arhats and eight million four hundred thousand bodhisatvas. The king Dīpapati and his fourfold army went with him as an escort to the border of the kingdom, and there he honored him with clothing, sustenance, bedding, seats, medicine for the sick, and utensils. [MS.136.b] He placed his head at the feet of the Lord, the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, circumambulated him three times, shed a few tears, and left.

“The king Jitaśatru learned that the Lord, the tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha Dīpaṅkara, was now on his way to the royal capital Padmāvatī together with a following of eight hundred million śrāvakas. The king Jitaśatru then had the royal capital Padmāvatī decorated. To the four corners of the city, at the places where three or four roads formed an intersection, he had gravel and stones cleared away, the surfaces swept and cleaned, and perfumed water sprinkled over them. He had flowers, piled knee-high, that one could walk upon, and he set up incense burners that spread their fragrance. He had canopies made of different kinds of precious fabrics erected, [F.196.a] and various instruments were played. As the king Jitaśatru had decorated the royal capital Padmāvatī, he then gave the order that any flowers, scents, or ointments available within the royal capital should not be used up and should not be sold, but should all be offered in honor of the Lord Dīpaṅkara. He further ordered that anyone who used up or traded these things would be severely punished.

“Then King Jitaśatru, together with his fourfold army, left his royal residence in Padmāvatī to meet the Lord, the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, and welcome him with flowers, incense, garlands, ointments, aromatic powders, cloth, parasols, royal banners, flags, the sounds of various instruments, his royal powers, and his royal magical abilities. The brahmins and householders of Padmāvatī also came out to see the arrival of the Lord. They prostrated themselves to the feet of the Lord, the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, and honored the Lord with flowers, garlands, incense, ointments, aromatic powders, cloth, parasols, royal banners, and flags. The ministers, attendants, brahmins, and householders honored the Lord by placing their heads at his feet, and when they had presented their offerings to him, they joined the procession toward the city. King Jitaśatru was pleased, happy, serene, and overjoyed as he escorted the Lord.

“At that time, there was a brahmin by the name of Ratna who was living on the slopes of the mountain Himavat together with five hundred apprentice brahmins. He was a preceptor, a master of mantras, and adept in the Vedic scriptures, and he had clear insight. He had mastery of the five legendary accounts and could explain them word by word as they were analyzed into syllables and words. He was an unblemished authority on the materialist philosophy, on the scriptures regarding sacrifice, and on the characteristic marks of a great being, [F.196.b] and he had a complete understanding of the threefold knowledge as presented by the scholars of his own tradition.

“Together with the brahmin Ratna, Śāriputra, there lived a younger brahmin named Megha. He was a preceptor, a master of mantras, and adept in the Vedic scriptures, and he had clear insight. [MS.137.a] He had mastery of the five legendary accounts and could explain them word by word as they were analyzed into syllables and words. He was an authority on materialist philosophy, on the scriptures regarding sacrifice, and on the characteristic marks of a great being, and he had a complete understanding of the threefold knowledge as presented by the scholars of his own tradition.

“Śāriputra, when the young brahmin Megha had mastered the Vedas, he addressed his preceptor Ratna with these words: ‘O preceptor, I have mastered the Vedas, and I will now return to my own country. What should I do?’

“He answered, ‘My son Megha, you should pay the teacher’s fee of five hundred karṣāpaṇa.’

“Then the young brahmin Megha saluted the feet of his preceptor, circumambulated him three times, and left. He traveled to many cities, towns, villages, countries, kingdoms, and royal courts searching for the money for his teacher’s fee. When he had spent some time collecting money for his teacher’s fee in this way, he arrived at the royal capital Padmāvatī. The young brahmin Megha saw how the royal capital Padmāvatī had been decorated, and he asked a passerby, ‘My good man, is there a festival here in the capital Padmāvatī?’

“The man answered, ‘Have you not heard, young man? Today the Lord, the tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha Dīpaṅkara, is coming to the capital Padmāvatī, together with eight hundred million śrāvakas and eight million four hundred thousand bodhisatvas. This is why the capital Padmāvatī has been decorated. The people who live here will make offerings and thus gain merit.’

“Śāriputra, when the young brahmin Megha [F.197.a] heard the man mention the Buddha, great joy, serenity, and delight arose in him, and he thought, ‘It is difficult to encounter the lords, the buddhas. It is truly difficult, extremely difficult. It is an occurrence as rare as the appearance of the udumbara flower. It is just like in the example of the single yoke.149 I should spend these five hundred karṣāpaṇa on flowers to scatter in honor of the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, and then go and collect more money to pay my preceptor’s fee.’

“It so happened then that a girl was walking along the road carrying seven blue lotus flowers, and the young brahmin Megha addressed her: ‘Young girl, where did you get these lotus flowers from?’

“She replied, ‘I bought them for five hundred karṣāpaṇa from some gardener’s shop‍—I do not know his name.’

“The young brahmin Megha then said to the girl, ‘Could you give me these flowers that you have bought?’

“ ‘Certainly not,’ she replied.

“He then said, ‘Keep two for yourself, and then I will buy the other five for five hundred karṣāpaṇa.’

“ ‘Why would you do that?’ she asked.

“He replied, ‘I am going to scatter them in honor of the Lord Dīpaṅkara.’

“ ‘I will give them to you,’ she said, ‘if you promise to be my husband throughout all future existences.’

“ ‘Certainly not, young girl,’ he replied. ‘I will not promise that. Why? You are wanton and fickle. Young girl, I have to master the unsurpassed innumerable qualities of the buddhas throughout innumerable eons. To do that, I have to give gifts such as coins, jewels, pearls, gems, conches, crystal, coral, silver, and gold. I have to give up such things as elephants, horses, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and even my royal status. I have to give up my carriages. I have to give up my children and my wives. I have to give up my hands. I have to give up my bones, my marrow, and my skull. I have to give up my ears, [F.197.b] my nose, my eyes, [MS.137.b] and my head. In short, young girl, there is no way for me to avoid giving up everything internal and everything external. Young girl, I would even have to give you up. The time has now come for me to follow my conviction and, relying on the teachings of the Tathāgata, leave the household life behind and become a renunciant. Please do not make it difficult, because of your inconsistent and unreliable nature, for me to make an offering.’

“She said, ‘Well then, if you cut a piece of flesh the size of a mustard seed from your body and give it to me, I will not make it difficult for you to make an offering.’

“ ‘That is fine,’ he said. ‘You will then give me the lotus flowers?’

“ ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Then I will give them to you.’

“The young brahmin Megha acquired the blue lotus flowers in this way, and he then proceeded to where the Lord, the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, was. The brahmin Megha saw the Lord, the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, at the head of a crowd of many hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of beings, conducting himself with grace, and so forth, and his devotion for the Lord grew. Because of his devotion, great joy, serenity, and respect arose in him, and with this he approached the Lord Dīpaṅkara.

“The young brahmin Megha could see that many people had spread pieces of fine cloth in front of the Lord Dīpaṅkara, and he thought, ‘As I do not have any cloth, I will offer a piece of this deerskin.’ However, people then derided him and scolded him for his offering, saying, ‘How can you offer a deerskin to this jewel-like being?’

“The young brahmin Megha went over to one side, offered his deerskin there, and formed the aspiration in his mind, ‘Please accept this Lord, Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, universal seer. May you place your feet on this deerskin.’

“The Lord, the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, understood, and he thought, ‘I shall place my feet on the young brahmin Megha’s deerskin.’ [F.198.a]

“At that, the young brahmin Megha was happy and rejoiced, and he joyfully showered the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara with the blue lotus flowers. Many hundreds of gods showered the Lord, the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, with divine mandārava flowers, divine blue lotus flowers, divine pink lotus flowers, and divine aromatic sandal powder. Divine music played and divine songs carried forth, all in honor of the Lord, the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara. The blue lotuses became many thousands of lotus flowers, and this canopy of flowers showered down around the Lord, the tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha Dīpaṅkara, falling with petals down and stalks pointing up.

“So it was that the young brahmin Megha, with pure intentions, presented the golden-colored locks of hair that he had allowed to grow for twelve years to the Lord Dīpaṅkara and made this firm commitment: ‘Will I become a tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished buddha in the future? Lord, please confirm this. Please give me a sign. If the Lord, the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, does not place his feet on my golden-colored locks of hair, if he does not grant me this confirmation, if he does not give me a prediction of awakening, I will physically wither up.’

“At that, Śāriputra, the Lord, the tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha Dīpaṅkara, the universal seer, the omniscient one, [MS.138.a] the one for whom nothing in the three times is unknown, understood the intentions of the young brahmin Megha, and so he placed his feet on the young brahmin Megha’s golden-colored locks of hair. Then, with the gaze of an elephant, he looked up and addressed the whole assembly of śrāvakas: ‘Mendicants, you should not step on this hair. [F.198.b] Why not? Mendicants, innumerable eons from now, this young brahmin will become a tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished buddha by the name of Śākyamuni.’

“So it was, Śāriputra, that the young brahmin Megha received a prediction from the Lord, the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, and he was so happy and thrilled that he flew up into the sky.

“He directly perceived a hundred thousand million billion indescribable concentrations. By means of the power and knowledge of his superior abilities, he could see that to the east there were many more lords, buddhas, than there are grains of sand in the river Ganges, who were making the prediction, ‘Innumerable eons in the future, young brahmin, you will become a tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished buddha by the name of Śākyamuni.’ Likewise, to the south, the west, the north, the northeast, the southeast, the southwest, and the northwest, above and below, throughout the ten directions of space, there were many more lords, buddhas than there are grains of sand in the river Ganges, who were making the prediction, ‘Innumerable eons in the future, young brahmin, you will become a tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished buddha by the name of Śākyamuni.’

“Then, Śāriputra, when the young brahmin Megha had received this prediction, he was greatly inspired and descended from the sky. In the presence of the Lord, the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, he followed his conviction and left the household life behind to become a renunciant and follow the life of purity.

“Now, Śāriputra, no one should entertain any doubt, any uncertainty, about whether the young brahmin named Megha who appeared at this time, on this occasion, was anyone else. Why not? It was I who was the young brahmin named Megha who appeared at that time, on that occasion. [F.199.a] It was I who showered the Lord, the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, with five blue lotuses and offered my locks of hair.

“Therefore, Śāriputra, those bodhisatvas who wish to quickly receive a prediction of awakening should conscientiously study this cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, learn it, recite it, clarify it to others, and teach it in great detail. They should strive to make progress in these things, which represent an approach that has no attributes.

“Why should they do this? It is clear to me, Śāriputra, that in the past, after Dīpaṅkara, there was no [MS.138.b] form of good conduct that I did not engage in. Still, the lords, the buddhas, I had encountered before him did not predict my awakening. Why was that? It was because I was practicing by means of attributes. When I started to practice in a way that was free from attributes, though, in a way that had no object, when I started to practice the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva and stabilized the attainment of what I learned from it, the Lord Dīpaṅkara made his prediction about me, saying, ‘Young brahmin, in the future you will become a tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished buddha by the name of Śākyamuni.’

“Śāriputra, when I saw the tathāgata, the arhat, the fully accomplished Buddha Dīpaṅkara, I passed beyond all practice. I passed beyond all practice just by seeing the tathāgata, the arhat, the fully accomplished Buddha Dīpaṅkara. I realized the vision of the sameness of all phenomena. Just by seeing him, I understood that all phenomena are inherently uncreated. That was when the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara predicted my awakening, saying, ‘Innumerable eons in the future, young brahmin, you will become a tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished buddha by the name of Śākyamuni.’

“The moment he had made that prediction, I gained patient acceptance of the fact that phenomena are uncreated. What is the attainment of this patient acceptance like? It is to attain the patient acceptance that form cannot be found. [F.199.b] It is to attain the patient acceptance that feeling, perception, mental conditioning, and consciousness cannot be found. It is to attain the patient acceptance that nothing that is included within the skandhas, the elements, and the sense fields can be found. Another way of describing the attainment of patient acceptance is to say that it is the attainment of a state of non-acceptance. What does this mean? In this teaching on the attainment of patient acceptance there are no worldly phenomena that occur. There are no phenomena related to ordinary beings. There are no phenomena related to those who are in training. There are no phenomena related to those requiring no more training. There are no phenomena related to the bodhisatvas. Even the qualities of the Buddha do not occur. There are no phenomena at all that occur. This is why it is called the attainment of patient acceptance. It is called the attainment of patient acceptance because there is no attainment and no observation of any phenomena. In this patient acceptance, all attributes and all objects are nothing but words. This is why it is said that patient acceptance has been attained. There is no eye here. There is no description of the eye, and so forth. There is no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind, and no description of the mind. This is the patient acceptance of the place that is intolerable. This is the patient acceptance of the place it is impossible to go to.

“Śāriputra, this is why those bodhisatvas who wish to quickly receive a prediction of awakening should conscientiously study this practice of freedom from attributes, the practice of the spontaneous, the practice of having no object, which is contained in the cycle of teachings of The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva. They should learn it, recite it, clarify it to others, and teach it in great detail. They should strive to make progress in these things.” [MS.139.a]

Now, in the assembly at that time there was a merchant by the name of Naradatta. Sitting there, in the presence of the Lord, he listened to the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva that describes the characteristics of the buddhas and the characteristics of the bodhisatvas. He then got up from his seat, placed his robe over one shoulder, knelt down on his right knee, [F.200.a] joined his hands in reverence facing in the direction of the Lord, and said, “Lord, the elder Aniruddha has encouraged me and instructed me in the following way: ‘Householder, you must attain the state of an arhat, since this will put an end to aging and death.’ Now that I have listened to this cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva in the presence of the Lord, however, and heard about the characteristics of the buddhas and the characteristics of the bodhisatvas, I have concluded that the Mahāyāna is the best, the most excellent, supreme, superior, and unsurpassed when it comes to unsurpassed perfect awakening. I have heard about it directly from the Lord, including all its detailed teachings, and indeed it is to be cultivated as the very best. Still, when reflecting on it, I also understand that one should not appropriate, identify with, or hold on to each of the detailed dharma-entities. What I should adopt and engage with is the dharma that is the best, the most excellent, supreme, superior, and unsurpassed. In this matter, Lord, it is my view that among all the vehicles, the one that ranks highest is the unsurpassed Buddhayāna. Whatever vehicles there may be, it is the Tathāgatayāna that can be proclaimed as the best among them, and so forth, that can be proclaimed to have nothing that surpasses it. From now on, Lord, I will cultivate the mind of unsurpassed perfect awakening for the sake of the many, for the benefit of the many, for the happiness of the many, for the love of the world, in order to help, benefit, and bring happiness to a great multitude of beings, and for the sake of gods and men. This is how I will train in the bodhisatva training.”

When he had said this, the Lord addressed the merchant Naradatta: “Naradatta, unsurpassed perfect awakening is difficult to attain. [F.200.b] It is difficult to accomplish.”

He then said, “Lord, even if unsurpassed perfect awakening is difficult to attain and difficult to accomplish, there is a certain type of vigorous approach by means of which I can attain unsurpassed perfect awakening. I must not miss the opportunity to attain unsurpassed perfect awakening. Lord, if it is possible to realize unsurpassed perfect awakening by developing a motivation that is as vast as the number of grains of sand in the river Ganges, then may every single such mind of awakening come about, even if it takes as many eons as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges. Even if my head needs to be cut off as many times as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges in order for every such mind of awakening to arise, I will not abandon unsurpassed perfect awakening but continue to work enthusiastically to attain unsurpassed perfect awakening by means of this cycle of instructions. It goes without saying, Lord, that I will employ all means to fully realize awakening. Why will I do this? Lord, I will do this because unsurpassed perfect awakening is so exalted, the unsurpassed qualities of the buddhas are so exalted, and the knowledge of the lords, the buddhas, is so inconceivable, so unequaled, so unfathomable, so immeasurable, and so unimpeded that it cannot be easily comprehended even if one were to speak a hundred thousand million billion words to try to describe it.”

The merchant’s son Naradatta then spoke these verses:

The merchant Naradatta then thought, “I now see the vastness of the Dharma of the Buddha. I see that one cannot properly engage with this Dharma with a wife and children, but such is my lot.” He then honored the Lord by placing his head at his feet. He circumambulated the Lord three times, and then quickly, with great haste, he returned to his house. Then, together with seven wives, seven sons, seven daughters, seven male servants, and seven female servants, carrying a thousand pairs of garments made of calico, and with five hundred musicians, he departed from the city of Rājagṛha to see the Lord. When all the many human and nonhuman inhabitants of Rājagṛha saw that the merchant Naradatta, together with his servants, was departing from the city of Rājagṛha quickly, with great haste, they asked him, “Naradatta, where are you headed with your servants?”

He replied, [F.201.b] “Gentlemen. The tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha is now on Vulture’s Peak, surrounded by an assembly that numbers in the hundreds, in the thousands, and he is revealing the boundless qualities of the buddhas in various ways. In order to penetrate the meaning of the boundless qualities of the buddhas and the inconceivable, unparalleled knowledge of the buddhas, I am going, together with my servants, to the place where the tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha is staying, because I do not know how to cultivate the roots of virtue necessary to attain unsurpassed perfect awakening. If you wish to master the boundless qualities of the buddhas, then join me. Come with me to see the Lord. Cultivate roots of virtue with the boundless goal of the boundless qualities of the buddhas.” When the people of Rājagṛha heard Naradatta’s words, ten thousand of them followed him.

The merchant Naradatta, together with his seven wives, seven sons, seven daughters, seven male servants, and seven female servants, carrying a thousand pairs of garments made of calico, together with the ten thousand beings who had followed him from the city and five hundred musicians, bringing with him flowers, incense, garlands, ointments, aromatic powders, fabrics, parasols, royal banners, and flags, and playing drums and cymbals, made offerings to the Lord and adorned the body of the Lord with the thousand pairs of calico garments. Then he spoke these verses:

After the merchant Naradatta had praised the Lord with these verses, he then said to the Lord, [F.202.a] “Lord, all of us, myself and this great number of sentient beings, have come to seek an audience with the Lord so that we can set out for unsurpassed perfect awakening. Lord, please teach them the kind of Dharma that they need in order to all be set irreversibly on their way to unsurpassed perfect awakening. Please tell me, Lord, what kinds of roots of virtue I should cultivate before the Lord, what kinds of roots of virtue I will need to attain unsurpassed perfect awakening. May all sentient beings here and now gain access to the kinds of qualities that the Lord possesses.”

Then the merchant Naradatta’s seven wives, seven sons, seven daughters, seven male servants, and seven female servants, the ten thousand beings who had followed him from the city, and the five hundred musicians that were there addressed the Lord: “Lord, we go for refuge to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha of mendicants. May the Lord accept us as lay followers. From this day forth, for as long as we live, we will abstain from taking life, we will go for refuge, and we will remain filled with devotion. From this day forth, Lord, we will maintain our commitment to unsurpassed perfect awakening. Just as you have become perfectly awakened, we, too, will attain unsurpassed perfect awakening and teach the Dharma to sentient beings. Just as the Lord now guides his followers, we shall guide our followers. Just as the Lord is now liberating sentient beings from the oppression of suffering, we will liberate sentient beings from the oppression of suffering.” [F.202.b]

The five hundred musicians then circumambulated the Lord three times while they played their instruments with great enthusiasm. The ten thousand beings who had come from the city, along with the merchant Naradatta and his whole following‍—his seven wives, his seven sons, his seven daughters, his seven male servants, and his seven female servants, and the five hundred musicians‍—circumambulated the Lord three times.

Then the Lord, because of his empathy for these sentient beings, took his seat on a throne that was floating in the sky. The five hundred musicians saw the Lord taking his seat on the throne floating in the sky, and when they saw this, they developed faith, right there in the presence of the Lord. [MS.140.b] Through the power of the Buddha they dropped all the instruments they were holding, and through the power of the Buddha these remained suspended in midair without missing a note. As they played, the instruments circumambulated the Buddha three times while he was seated in midair.

The merchant’s son Naradatta, along with his servants, the five hundred musicians, and the ten thousand beings from the city, witnessed this miracle, this display of magical ability, and when they saw it they were happy, they were thrilled, joy arose in them, and they all folded their hands in honor of the Lord. The space around them was filled with the spontaneous sounds of thousands of instruments as far as a yojana away, and the sound of these drums and cymbals was like a swarm of honeybees.

In addition to the merchant’s son Naradatta, his servants, the five hundred musicians, and the ten thousand beings from the city who were already there listening to the Dharma, there were six thousand other beings and one thousand two hundred fifty mendicants there, and through the power of the Buddha they all rose up into the sky, and through the power of the Buddha, five five-tiered pavilions appeared in the sky. [F.203.a] The Dharma was then taught in all the pavilions of musicians arranged in the four surrounding tiered pavilions.150 There were many thousands of gods floating in the air showering them with divine mandārava flowers, and through the power of the Buddha, these flowers were transformed into eighty pavilions.

As the great host of beings who were suspended in midair witnessed this great and powerful display of magical abilities, their joy, their faith, and their respect for the Lord became even greater. The Lord was aware of the faith possessed by the great host of beings, and when he saw the excellent motivation of the merchant’s son Naradatta and the great host of beings, he then smiled, and so forth. The previous section ending in “and dissolved into the crown of his head” can be inserted here.

When the venerable Ānanda saw that the Lord was smiling, he placed his robe over one shoulder, joined his hands in reverence facing in the direction of the Lord, and asked the Lord, “Lord, the lords, the buddhas, do not smile without a reason, without a particular cause. What is the reason for this smile? What is the cause of this smile?” [MS.141.a]

The Lord then replied to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, this merchant’s son Naradatta has paid honor to me accompanied by seven wives, seven sons, seven daughters, seven male servants, and seven female servants, and so he will avoid falling into the lower realms for a billion eons and will be reborn as a god or a human being. After twenty billion151 eons he will encounter a tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished Buddha named Sārthavāha. When he meets him, he will praise him, venerate him, honor him, and worship him, and then he will avoid falling into the lower realms for another two hundred million eons.

“Ānanda, [F.203.b] when the seven wives, seven sons, seven daughters, seven male servants, and seven female servants of the merchant’s son Naradatta die, they will all avoid taking on female forms, and will instead attain the bodies of men. Together with the bodhisatva Naradatta, they will then practice the way of the bodhisatva. They will attain unsurpassed perfect awakening within one eon.

“Ānanda, the bodhisatva, the great being Naradatta will become a tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished buddha by the name of Samacitta. The followers of the bodhisatva Naradatta will all become tathāgatas with various different names. The five hundred musicians that are here will avoid falling into the lower realms for innumerable eons, and I proclaim by way of numbers that they will become billions of kings of the entire world. During that time, they will encounter ten thousand buddhas, and they will praise them, venerate them, honor them, and serve them. All of them will attain unsurpassed complete perfect awakening after one eon. They will all become tathāgatas, arhats, fully accomplished buddhas, and they will all be given the same name. They will all be called Mañjusvara.

“Four hundred152 of the ten thousand beings from the city will meet the Tathāgata Maitreya and will then attain final nirvāṇa. The rest of them will avoid falling into the lower realms for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges. In due course, they will encounter a billion buddhas, whom they will praise, venerate, honor, and serve, and they will all reach complete and perfect awakening within a single eon. They will all become tathāgatas, arhats, and fully accomplished buddhas, and they will all be given the same name. They will all be called Āścarya. [F.204.a]

“After I have attained final nirvāṇa, when the true Dharma has disappeared, when the age of strife has passed, when the tathāgata Maitreya has not yet appeared, when the lifespan of sentient beings increases, and when ten thousand pratyekabuddhas appear, there are one thousand beings among these six thousand beings who will meet these pratyekabuddhas and who will praise them, venerate them, honor them, and serve them. They will meet the supreme man Maitreya, and they will praise him, venerate him, honor him, and serve him. After this they will avoid falling into the lower realms for two hundred thousand million billion eons, and then in their final life, when they attain their final body, [MS.141.b] impelled by their roots of virtue, they will follow their conviction, leave the household life behind to become renunciants, and realize awakening independently.

“From among these ten thousand beings, a thousand will reach the insight that is required for the mind of unsurpassed perfect awakening to arise. Six trillion gods will obtain the spotless, pure Dharma-vision of phenomena.

“Ānanda, what are those who do not cultivate love, faith, respect, and reverence for the tathāgatas, if not immature children? Why is this? Even those whose roots of virtue are weak may in fact attain the state of greatness. They can reach nirvāṇa.”

The Lord then spoke these verses:

The Lord then addressed the venerable Śāriputra, “In this way, Śāriputra, sons and daughters of good family who have entered into the Mahāyāna and wish to quickly attain unsurpassed perfect awakening should cultivate a powerful yearning for the cycle of teachings contained here, in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva. They should study it conscientiously, learn it, memorize it, recite it, absorb it, clarify it to others, and teach it in great detail to others. Why should they do this? They should do this because when they have studied it conscientiously, learned it, memorized it, recited it, absorbed it, clarified it to others, and taught it in great detail to others, they will be certain not to be cut off from the Three Jewels. They will not be separated from the four immeasurables. They will be applying themselves to the six perfections, and they will gather sentient beings around them by employing the four methods for bringing people together. Śāriputra, this cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva is the path of awakening. Why? Unsurpassed [F.205.a] complete perfect awakening is dependent on the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, and moreover, Śāriputra, the wealth of the bodhisatvas is collected within the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva. Therefore, Śāriputra, I myself trained in the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, and that is how I attained the state of being severed from the vices.153

“What is it that is perfected in all this? [MS.142.a] It is the final attainment of unsurpassed perfect awakening. The Tathāgata has successfully applied himself to the practice of all these perfections. This is the uninterrupted activity of tathāgatas. This is the attainment of the immeasurable stage that is brought about by employing all good qualities. This is the Tathāgata’s attainment of the immeasurables. This is the attainment of all the perfections. In this way, one is established in all the perfections.”

The Lord then spoke these verses:

When the Lord had spoken, the venerable Śāriputra, the mendicants, and the world with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the words of the Lord.