The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines
Chapter 34

Then the venerable Subhūti said to the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is profound. Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is established for a great purpose. [F.288.b] It is established for an immeasurable purpose, an inestimable purpose, and an unappraisable purpose. Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is established for a purpose that is equal to the unequaled.”

“Subhūti, it is so! It is so!” replied the Blessed One. “Subhūti, this perfection of wisdom is established for a great purpose. This perfection of wisdom is established for an immeasurable purpose, an inestimable purpose, an unappraisable purpose, and a purpose that is equal to the unequaled. If you ask why, Subhūti, it is because the five other perfections are subsumed within this perfection of wisdom. Subhūti, the emptiness of internal phenomena is subsumed within this perfection of wisdom. [The other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of nonentities, are subsumed within it. The four applications of mindfulness are subsumed within it, and the four correct exertions, the four supports for miraculous ability, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven branches of enlightenment, and the noble eightfold path are subsumed within it. Subhūti, the four truths of the noble ones, the four meditative concentrations, the four immeasurable attitudes, the four formless absorptions, the eight aspects of liberation, the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, the gateways to liberation‍—emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness‍—the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the ten powers of the tathāgatas, the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas are subsumed within this profound perfection of wisdom. Subhūti, [the goals], up to and including all-aspect omniscience, are subsumed within this perfection of wisdom. [F.289.a]

“Subhūti, just as when a king of the royal class who has been empowered through coronation and is secure in his dominion {Ki.IV: 78} delegates all the royal functions and national duties to a minister, at that time he will have few concerns for those royal functions and national duties, and will have relinquished responsibility, in the same way, Subhūti, all the doctrines of the śrāvakas, and all the doctrines of the pratyekabuddhas, and all the doctrines of the bodhisattvas, and all the doctrines of the buddhas are subsumed within the perfection of wisdom. And it is the perfection of wisdom that implements them. So it is, Subhūti, that this perfection of wisdom is established for a great purpose. This perfection of wisdom is established for an inconceivable purpose. This perfection of wisdom is established for an inestimable purpose. This perfection of wisdom is established for an unappraisable purpose. This perfection of wisdom is established for a purpose that is equal to the unequaled. If you ask why, Subhūti, it is because this profound perfection of wisdom is established in order that one might not appropriate or become fixated on physical forms. It is established in order that one might not appropriate or become fixated on feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness. It is established in order that one might not appropriate or become fixated on [all the causal and fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas. It is established in order that one might not appropriate or become fixated on [all the goals], up to and including unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.”

“Blessed Lord, how is this perfection of wisdom established in order that one might not appropriate or become fixated on physical forms? [F.289.b] How is it established in order that one might not appropriate or become fixated on feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, or consciousness? How is it established in order that one might not appropriate or become fixated on [all the attributes and goals], up to and including unsurpassed, complete enlightenment?”

“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “do you observe any physical forms that one could appropriate or become fixated upon? Do you observe anything that one could appropriate or become fixated upon, or anything by which one could appropriate or become fixated?”

“No, Blessed Lord!”

“Subhūti, do you observe any feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, or consciousness that one could appropriate or become fixated upon? Do you observe anything that one could appropriate or become fixated upon, or anything by which one could appropriate or become fixated?” asked the Blessed One.

“No, Blessed Lord!”

“Subhūti, do you observe any [attributes or goals], up to and including all-aspect omniscience, that one could appropriate or become fixated upon? Do you observe anything that one could appropriate or become fixated upon, or anything by which one could appropriate or become fixated?” asked the Blessed One.

“No, Blessed Lord!”

“Subhūti, do you observe any fruit of entering the stream to nirvāṇa that one could appropriate or become fixated upon? [F.290.a] Do you observe anything that one could appropriate or become fixated upon, or anything by which one could appropriate or become fixated?” asked the Blessed One.

“No, Blessed Lord!”

“Subhūti, do you observe any [other fruit or goal, up to and including] unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, that one could appropriate or become fixated upon? Do you observe anything that one could appropriate or become fixated upon, or anything by which one could appropriate or become fixated?” asked the Blessed One.

“No, Blessed Lord!”

“Subhūti, it is so! It is so!” continued the Blessed One. “Subhūti, I also do not observe physical forms. Since I do not observe them, I do not appropriate them. Since I do not appropriate them, I do not grasp them. Subhūti, I also do not observe feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, or consciousness. Since I do not observe them, I do not appropriate them. Since I do not appropriate them, I do not grasp them. Subhūti, I also do not observe [the attributes or goals], {Ki.IV: 79} up to and including unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. Since I do not observe them, I do not appropriate them. Since I do not appropriate them, I do not grasp them. Subhūti, I also do not observe the buddha level, knowledge of all the dharmas, all-aspect omniscience, or the nature of the tathāgatas. Since I do not observe them, I do not appropriate them. Since I do not appropriate them, I do not grasp them.

“So it is, Subhūti, that bodhisattva great beings should not become fixated on physical forms [F.290.b] and should not appropriate them. They should not become fixated on feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, or consciousness and should not appropriate them. They should not become fixated on the sense fields, the sensory elements, or the links of dependent origination and should not appropriate them. They should not become fixated on any of the perfections, any of the aspects of emptiness, the thirty-seven factors conducive to enlightenment, the truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, the formless absorptions, the eight aspects of liberation, the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, the gateways of liberation‍—emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness‍—the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the ten powers of the tathāgatas, the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, or the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, and should not appropriate them. They should not become fixated on [the goals], up to and including unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, and should not appropriate them. They should not become fixated on buddhahood, knowledge of all the dharmas, all-aspect omniscience, or the nature of the tathāgatas, and should not appropriate them.”

Then the gods inhabiting the realm of desire and those inhabiting the realm of form said to the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is profound, hard to discern, and hard to realize! It cannot be investigated and it is not within the range of sophistry. It is at peace and subtle. It can be known by the learned, the refined, and the clear-minded. Blessed Lord, those beings who are inclined toward this profound perfection of wisdom [F.291.a] have fulfilled their duties in the presence of the conquerors of the past. Blessed Lord, those beings who are inclined toward this profound perfection of wisdom have been accepted by spiritual mentors, and they have planted the roots of virtuous actions.

“Blessed Lord, comparing the entire cognition and exertion of all those beings in the world systems of the great trichiliocosm, as many as there are, who have become followers through faith, who have become followers of the Dharma, who have reached the eighth level, who have entered the stream to nirvāṇa, who are destined for only one more rebirth, who are no longer subject to rebirth, who have attained arhatship, and who have become pratyekabuddhas, {Ki.IV: 80} with that of anyone who is inclined toward this profound perfection of wisdom for the duration of a single day, thinking of it, appraising it, examining it, or investigating it, this inclination [of the latter] toward the profound perfection of wisdom for the duration of a single day will be superior. If you ask why, it is because the full extent of the cognition and the full extent of the exertion of those who have become followers through faith, and those who have become followers of the Dharma, who have reached the eighth level, who have entered the stream to nirvāṇa, who are destined for only one more rebirth, who are no longer subject to rebirth, who have attained arhatship, and who have become pratyekabuddhas, is subsumed in the receptivity of bodhisattva great beings who have accepted that phenomena are nonarising.”

Then the Blessed One addressed those gods inhabiting the realm of desire and those gods inhabiting the realm of form as follows: “O gods! It is so! It is so! The full extent of the cognition and the full extent of the exertion of those who have become followers through faith, and those who have become followers of the Dharma, who have reached the eighth level, who have entered the stream to nirvāṇa, who are destined for only one more rebirth, who are no longer subject to rebirth, who have attained arhatship, and who have become pratyekabuddhas, is subsumed in the receptivity of bodhisattva great beings who have accepted that phenomena are nonarising. O gods, one should know that any noble sons or noble daughters who have heard this profound perfection of wisdom, [F.291.b] and who, having heard it, aspire toward it, and who, having aspired toward it, commit it to writing, and having committed it to writing, transmit and disseminate it, focusing their attention correctly on it, will swiftly be emancipated, and not those noble sons or noble daughters who are followers of the vehicles of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, and who practice according to other sūtras, apart from the perfection of wisdom, for an eon or longer than an eon. If you ask why, it is because those who have become followers through faith, and those who have become followers of the Dharma, who have reached the eighth level, who have entered the stream to nirvāṇa, who are destined for only one more rebirth, who are no longer subject to rebirth, who have attained arhatship, and who have become pratyekabuddhas should train in the attributes that are to be perfected through this profound perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings should train in them‍—it is extensively revealed that, having trained in them, the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas have attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, will attain consummate buddhahood, and are attaining consummate buddhahood.”

Then the gods inhabiting the realm of desire and those inhabiting the realm of form pronounced the following meaningful proclamation: “Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the great perfection. Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the inestimable perfection. This is the unappraisable perfection. This is the perfection that is equal to the unequaled. Blessed Lord, it is having trained in this profound perfection of wisdom that those who have become followers through faith have been emancipated, are emancipated, and will be emancipated, and that those who have become followers of the Dharma, who have reached the eighth level, who have entered the stream to nirvāṇa, who are destined for only one more rebirth, who are no longer subject to rebirth, and [F.292.a] who have attained arhatship have been emancipated, are emancipated, and will be emancipated. It is having trained in it that pratyekabuddhas have been emancipated, are emancipated, and will be emancipated. {Ki.IV: 81} It is having trained in it that bodhisattva great beings have attained, are attaining, and will attain unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. This profound perfection of wisdom is neither diminished nor replenished.”

Then the gods inhabiting the realm of desire and those inhabiting the realm of form prostrated with their heads toward the feet of the Blessed One, and circumambulated the Blessed One three times from the right, before departing from his presence. Having gone not very far, they disappeared, the gods inhabiting the realm of desire proceeding to the realm of desire, and the gods inhabiting the realm of form proceeding to the realm of form.

Then the venerable Subhūti asked the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, if bodhisattva great beings who have heard this perfection of wisdom, immediately afterward are inclined toward it, and, as mentioned before, commit it to writing, take up, uphold, recite, master, and focus their attention correctly on it, from where will they pass away and be reborn into this [human world]?”

“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “bodhisattva great beings who, having heard this profound perfection of wisdom, immediately afterward are inclined toward it, are not discouraged, not thoroughly discouraged, not deluded, and have neither hesitation nor doubt, who delight in hearing this profound perfection of wisdom and after hearing this profound perfection of wisdom direct their mind on it, without letting go of their attention, will always follow without interruption those individuals who are not afraid to guard it and who speak of it, [F.292.b] whether they are going, coming, standing up, sitting down, or reclining.

“Subhūti, just as a milch cow does not abandon her newborn calf, if bodhisattva great beings, for the sake of this profound perfection of wisdom, do not forsake [the teachers] who preach this Dharma until they have brought into being this perfection of wisdom, and have become familiar with it through mindfulness, investigated it with their minds, and comprehended it through the view, then, Subhūti, those individuals who follow the vehicle of the bodhisattvas will pass away among humankind and be reborn among humankind. If you ask why, it is because those noble children who follow the vehicle of the bodhisattvas, after hearing, taking up, upholding, reciting, mastering, and focusing their attention correctly on this perfection of wisdom in their former lives‍—and having, in the aforementioned manner, committed it to writing, compiled it as a book, and then served, respected, honored, and worshiped it with flowers, garlands, incense, unguents, powders, robes, parasols, victory banners, and many ribbons‍—will, through these roots of virtuous action, pass away among humankind and be reborn among humankind. One will see that immediately after they have heard of this profound perfection of wisdom they will be inclined toward it.” {Ki.IV: 82}

“Blessed Lord, could bodhisattva great beings who are inclined toward this profound perfection of wisdom immediately after hearing it, and who have acquired these enlightened attributes by committing it to writing, and having committed it to writing also transmitted and disseminated it, focusing their attention correctly on it, have venerated other lord buddhas, and then passed away and been reborn in this [human world]?”

“Subhūti, it is so! It is so!” replied the Blessed One. “Bodhisattva [F.293.a] great beings who have venerated other lord buddhas, and then passed away to be reborn in this [human world], will be inclined toward this profound perfection of wisdom immediately after hearing it, and having been inclined toward it, will commit it to writing, and having committed it to writing, will transmit and disseminate it, focusing their attention correctly on it. If you ask why, it is because those bodhisattva great beings have heard this profound perfection of wisdom from those lord buddhas, and, after hearing it, they have taken up, upheld, recited, mastered, disseminated, and focused their attention correctly on it. Through these roots of virtuous action and through focusing their attention on it, they have been reborn in this [human world].

“Moreover, Subhūti, if there are bodhisattva great beings who have [previously] been born equal in fortune to the gods of Tuṣita, and who, on passing away from that [divine realm], have been reborn with fortune equal to that of humankind, one should know that they are also endowed with those same enlightened attributes. If you ask why, Subhūti, it is because those bodhisattva great beings who have been born in the abode of Tuṣita have investigated this profound perfection of wisdom and questioned the bodhisattva great being Maitreya about it. So, one should know that it is through these roots of virtuous action that they have been reborn in this [human world].

“Moreover, Subhūti, there are individual followers of the vehicle of the bodhisattvas who, despite having heard the perfection of wisdom in former lives, have not had an opportunity to pose questions and investigate it. When this profound perfection of wisdom is now revealed, they harbor doubts, they are deluded, and their minds are discouraged and disoriented.

“Moreover, Subhūti, there are individual followers of the vehicle of the bodhisattvas who, despite having heard the perfection of meditative concentration, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of ethical discipline, [F.293.b] and the perfection of generosity in former lives, have not had an opportunity to pose questions and investigate them. When this profound perfection of wisdom is now revealed, they harbor doubts, they are deluded, and their minds are discouraged and disoriented. {Ki.IV: 83}

“Moreover, Subhūti, there are individual followers of the vehicle of the bodhisattvas who, despite having heard of the emptiness of internal phenomena, the emptiness of external phenomena, and the emptiness of external and internal phenomena in former lives, have not had an opportunity to pose questions and investigate them. When this profound perfection of wisdom is now revealed, they harbor doubts, they are deluded, and their minds are discouraged and disoriented.

“Moreover, Subhūti, there are individual followers of the vehicle of the bodhisattvas who, despite having heard of [the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of nonentities, in former lives, have not had an opportunity to pose questions and investigate them. When this profound perfection of wisdom is now revealed, they harbor doubts, they are deluded, and their minds are discouraged and disoriented.

“Moreover, Subhūti, there are individual followers of the vehicle of the bodhisattvas who, despite having heard of the four applications of mindfulness in former lives, have not had an opportunity to pose questions and investigate them. When this profound perfection of wisdom is now revealed, they harbor doubts, they are deluded, and their minds are discouraged and disoriented.

“Moreover, Subhūti, there are individual followers of the vehicle of the bodhisattvas who, despite having heard of the four correct exertions, the four supports for miraculous ability, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven branches of enlightenment, and the noble eightfold path in former lives, have not had an opportunity to pose questions and investigate them. When this profound perfection of wisdom is now revealed, they harbor doubts, they are deluded, and their minds [F.294.a] are discouraged and disoriented.

“Moreover, Subhūti, there are individual followers of the vehicle of the bodhisattvas who, despite having heard of the four truths of the noble ones, the four meditative concentrations, the four immeasurable attitudes, the four formless absorptions, the eight aspects of liberation, the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, the gateways to liberation‍—emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness‍—the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the ten powers of the tathāgatas, the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas in former lives, have not had an opportunity to pose questions and investigate them. When this profound perfection of wisdom is now revealed, they harbor doubts, they are deluded, and their minds are discouraged and disoriented.

“Moreover, Subhūti, there are individual followers of the vehicle of the bodhisattvas who, despite having heard of [the goals], up to and including unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, in former lives, have not had an opportunity to pose questions and investigate them. When this profound perfection of wisdom is now revealed, they harbor doubts, they are deluded, and their minds are discouraged and disoriented. {Ki.IV: 84}

“Moreover, Subhūti, if there are individual followers of the vehicle of the bodhisattvas who, despite having heard this profound perfection of wisdom in former lives, have not had an opportunity to pose questions and investigate it, and have not pursued it for one, two, three, four, or five days, when those individual followers of the vehicle of the bodhisattvas now investigate and pose questions about this profound perfection of wisdom, and pursue it for one, two, [F.294.b] three, four, or five days, they will not be captivated by this profound perfection of wisdom, and indeed will not pose questions about it. If you ask why, Subhūti, it is because those individuals who have not investigated, posed questions about, and pursued this profound perfection of wisdom will turn out like that. They will have listened to this profound perfection of wisdom, but will have only developed their positive attitude and devotion to that extent. They will sometimes have devotion to it and at other times they will not have devotion to it. They will be swayed by their mood swings, like a fragment of