The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines
Chapter 20

Then a hundred or so rival tīrthikas [F.86.b] and wandering mendicants approached with harmful intent the place where the Blessed One was, and Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, had the following thought: “These rival tīrthikas and wandering mendicants have approached with harmful intent the place where the Blessed One is. I should by whatever means speak to them of the perfection of wisdom, so that once those rival tīrthikas and wandering mendicants have approached the Blessed One, no obstacle will arise. To that end I should chant all that I have grasped of this perfection of wisdom from the Blessed One.” {Ki.II-III: 74}

Then Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, chanted as much of the perfection of wisdom as he had grasped from the Blessed One. Thereupon, those rival tīrthikas and wandering mendicants circumambulated the Blessed One from afar, in a clockwise direction, and then departed by the same path and the same door.

Then the venerable Śāradvatīputra thought, “What is the reason for those rival tīrthikas and wandering mendicants circumambulating the Blessed One from afar, in a clockwise direction, and then departing by that very path and by that very door?”

Knowing in his mind the thoughts in the mind of the venerable Śāradvatīputra, the Blessed One addressed the venerable Śāradvatīputra as follows: “Śāradvatīputra, Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, has genuinely brought to mind the perfection of wisdom, and for that reason, those rival tīrthikas and wandering mendicants circumambulated me from afar, in a clockwise direction, and then departed by that very path and by that very door. Śāradvatīputra, among those rival tīrthikas and wandering mendicants I do not see any with a positive attitude. [F.87.a] All these rival tīrthikas and wandering mendicants have malicious thoughts and without exception all have intentions that seek to intrude [and cause harm]. Although without exception they all think they should come into this assembly, Śāradvatīputra, I do not see anyone among the living beings of this world, with its gods, demons, Brahmā deities, virtuous ascetics, and brāhmin priests who, while this perfection of wisdom is being taught, would approach with thoughts of hatred and intentions that seek to intrude [and cause harm]. Such an occurrence is impossible! If you ask why, Śāradvatīputra, it is because as many gods as there are in this great trichiliocosm, including the gods of the Caturmahā­rāja­kāyika realm and the gods of [the other god realms], up to and including Akaniṣṭha, as many śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas as there are, and as many bodhisattvas as there are, have all acquired this perfection of wisdom. If you ask why, it is because all of them without exception have originated from the perfection of wisdom.

“Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, in the world systems of the eastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, however many lord buddhas reside with their communities of śrāvakas, and however many pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattva great beings, gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas there are, they all have acquired this perfection of wisdom. If you ask why, it is because all of them without exception have originated from the perfection of wisdom. In the world systems of each of the southern, western, northern, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, and northwestern directions, as well as the nadir and the zenith, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, [F.87.b] however many lord buddhas reside with their communities of śrāvakas, and however many pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattva great beings, gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas there are, they all have acquired this perfection of wisdom. If you ask why, it is because all of them without exception have originated from the perfection of wisdom.”

Then the evil Māra had the following thought: “These four assemblies of the tathāgata, arhat, completely awakened Buddha are also present. These gods who frequent [the realm of] desire and the [realm of] form are also present. {Ki.II-III: 75} In this gathering, it will certainly be prophesied that bodhisattva great beings will attain unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. I should go to that place where the Blessed One is and create obstacles!”

Thereupon, the evil Māra conjured an army with four cohorts and sought to go to that place where the Blessed One was. Then Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, had the following thought: “Alas! This evil Māra has conjured an army with four cohorts and he is seeking to go to that place where the Blessed One is. However, this array of the army of the evil Māra with its four cohorts cannot be compared with the array of the army of King Bimbisāra with its four cohorts, and it cannot be compared with the arrays of the armies of King Prasenajit, the Śākyas, and the Licchavis. This evil Māra has for a long time been seeking to intrude [in order to harm] the Blessed One. Indeed, his intention is to hurt beings who are persevering in the correct manner. Therefore I should genuinely bring this perfection of wisdom [F.88.a] to mind, and recite it from memory.”

Then Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, genuinely brought this perfection of wisdom to mind and recited it clearly from memory. As Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, was clearly reciting this perfection of wisdom, so did those forces of evil Māra withdraw again by the same path and the same door.

Then, however many gods of the Caturmahā­rāja­kāyika realm and gods of [the other god realms], up to and including Akaniṣṭha, were present in that assembly, they conjured up divine flowers and many robes, and while in the air, they scattered these upon the place where the Blessed One was seated. After scattering [those offerings], they said, “May the human beings of Jambudvīpa practice this perfection of wisdom for a long time! As long as those human beings of Jambudvīpa practice this perfection of wisdom, so long will the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas not disappear, will the Dharma remain for a long period of time, and will the precious jewel of the saṅgha also continue to manifest in the world. Nor indeed will the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas of the great trichiliocosm and [of other realms], including the world systems of the ten directions, disappear. The Dharma will remain for a long period of time, and the precious jewel of the saṅgha will also continue to manifest in the world. The conduct of bodhisattva great beings will be even more distinguished. Know that the places where the noble sons or noble daughters commit this perfection of wisdom to writing, make it into a book, and uphold it will be endowed with luminosity! {Ki.II-III: 76} Know that those places will be protected and free from darkness!”

Then the Blessed One addressed Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, [F.88.b] and those gods of [the god realms], up to and including Akaniṣṭha, as follows: “Kauśika, it is so! It is so! Divine princes, it is so! It is so! As long as the human beings of Jambudvīpa practice this perfection of wisdom, so long indeed will the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas not disappear, will the Dharma also remain for a long period of time, and will the precious jewel of the saṅgha also continue to manifest in the world. Nor indeed will the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas of the great trichiliocosm and [of other realms], including the world systems of all the ten directions, disappear. The Dharma will also remain for a long period of time, and the precious jewel of the saṅgha will also continue to manifest in the world. The conduct of bodhisattva great beings will be even more distinguished. I know that the places where the noble sons or noble daughters commit this perfection of wisdom to writing, make it into a book, and uphold it will be endowed with luminosity! I know that those places will be protected and free from darkness!”

Then those gods conjured up many divine flowers and, scattering them upon the place where the Blessed One was, they spoke as follows: “Blessed Lord, Māra or the gods included within the class of māras who seek to intrude [and cause harm] will find no opportunity to intrude [and harm] any noble sons or noble daughters who take up, uphold, recite, master, and focus their attention correctly on this perfection of wisdom. Indeed, Blessed Lord, we will always guard, shelter, and nurture those noble sons or noble daughters, without interruption. If one were to ask why, [F.89.a] we consider those noble sons or noble daughters who take up, uphold, recite, master, and focus their attention correctly on this perfection of wisdom as the Teacher and as the Teacher’s equal.”

Then Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, said to the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, those noble sons or noble daughters who take up, uphold, recite, master, and focus their attention correctly on this perfection of wisdom are not endowed with feeble roots of virtue. Blessed Lord, those noble sons or noble daughters who take up, uphold, recite, master, and focus their attention correctly on this perfection of wisdom have fulfilled their duties under the conquerors of the past. Blessed Lord, those noble sons or noble daughters who take up, uphold, recite, master, and focus their attention correctly on this perfection of wisdom will respect many buddhas, and they will be accepted by spiritual mentors. If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because they seek all-aspect omniscience through this perfection of wisdom. Blessed Lord, they seek the perfection of wisdom through all-aspect omniscience. If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because the perfection of wisdom is not one distinct thing and all-aspect omniscience another. All-aspect omniscience is not one distinct thing and the perfection of wisdom another. The perfection of wisdom and all-aspect omniscience are not two things and cannot be divided into two.” [F.89.b]

The Blessed One replied, {Ki.II-III: 77} “Kauśika, so it is! So it is! Kauśika, the all-aspect omniscience of the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas has originated from the perfection of wisdom. The perfection of wisdom has originated from all-aspect omniscience. If you ask why, Kauśika, it is because the perfection of wisdom is not one distinct thing and all-aspect omniscience another. Nor is all-aspect omniscience one distinct thing and the perfection of wisdom another. So it is that the perfection of wisdom and all-aspect omniscience are not two things and cannot be divided into two.”