The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines
Chapter 42
Toh 9
Degé Kangyur, vol. 26 (shes phyin, nyi khri, ka), folios 1.b–382.a; vol. 27 (shes phyin, nyi khri, kha), folios 1.b–393.a; and vol. 28 (shes phyin, nyi khri, ga), folios 1.b–381.a
Imprint
Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
First published 2023
Current version v 1.1.14 (2024)
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84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha is a global non-profit initiative to translate all the Buddha’s words into modern languages, and to make them available to everyone.
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Table of Contents
Summary
The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines is among the most important scriptures underlying both the “vast” and the “profound” approaches to Buddhist thought and practice. Known as the “middle-length” version, being the second longest of the three long Perfection of Wisdom sūtras, it fills three volumes of the Kangyur. Like the two other long sūtras, it records the major teaching on the perfection of wisdom given by the Buddha Śākyamuni on Vulture Peak, detailing all aspects of the path to enlightenment while at the same time emphasizing how bodhisattvas must put them into practice without taking them—or any aspects of enlightenment itself—as having even the slightest true existence.
Acknowledgements
Translation by the Padmakara Translation Group. A complete draft by Gyurme Dorje was first edited by Charles Hastings, then revised and further edited by John Canti. The introduction was written by John Canti. We are grateful for the advice and help received from Gareth Sparham, Greg Seton, and Nathaniel Rich.
This translation is dedicated to the memory of our late colleague, long-time friend, and vajra brother Gyurme Dorje (1950–2020), who worked assiduously on this translation in his final years and into the very last months of his life. We would also like to express our gratitude to his wife, Xiaohong, for the extraordinary support she gave him on so many levels.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The generous sponsorship of Kris Yao and Xiang-Jen Yao, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.
Text Body
Chapter 42
Then the venerable Śāradvatīputra asked the venerable Subhūti, “Venerable Subhūti, when certain bodhisattva great beings are absorbed in the three meditative stabilities of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness in their dreams, are they enhanced by the perfection of wisdom?” [F.385.b]
“Venerable Śāradvatīputra,” replied Subhūti, “if they are enhanced by cultivating it during the day, they would also be enhanced by cultivating it in their dreams. If you ask why, Venerable Śāradvatīputra, they are without discriminating thoughts concerning dreams and daytime experiences. Venerable Śāradvatīputra, if {Ki.IV: 179} bodhisattva great beings who practice the perfection of wisdom during the day do cultivate the perfection of wisdom, then bodhisattva great beings will also cultivate the perfection of wisdom in their dreams.”
“Venerable Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings perform an action in their dreams, will that action accumulate or diminish? If, as the Blessed One has said, all phenomena are like dreams, then there would be no accumulation or diminution. If you ask why, there is no accumulation or diminution of anything at all that is apprehended in dreams. But if, on waking up, one ponders it, then there will indeed be an accumulation or diminution of that [action].”
Subhūti replied, “If one who has committed an act of killing by day and one who has committed an act of killing in a dream were to think, ‘I have killed. It is right that I have killed,’ in that case, Venerable Śāradvatīputra, what would you say about that action?”
“Venerable Subhūti, no action will occur without an objective support. No volition will occur without an objective support.”
“Venerable Śāradvatīputra, it is so!” replied Subhūti. “No action will occur without an objective support. No volition will occur without an objective support. Actions will occur with an objective support, but not without an objective support. Volition will occur with an objective support, but not without an objective support. The mind engages with phenomena that are seen, heard, thought of, and appraised. [F.386.a] The mind does not engage with phenomena that are unseen, unheard, not thought of, and not appraised. On that basis some minds grasp afflicted mental states, and some minds grasp purified mental states. Therefore, Venerable Śāradvatīputra, actions occur with an objective support, but not without an objective support. Volition occurs with an objective support, but not without an objective support.”
“Venerable Subhūti, if, as the Blessed One has said, all actions and all volitions are void, how then do actions occur with an objective support, but not without an objective support? How do volitions occur with an objective support, but not without an objective support?”
“Venerable Śāradvatīputra,” replied Subhūti, “following the creation of a conceptual image, actions occur with an objective support, but do not without an objective support. Volitions occur with an objective support, but not without an objective support.”
“Venerable Subhūti, if bodhisattva great beings in their dreams have dispensed generosity, maintained ethical discipline, practiced tolerance, undertaken perseverance, become absorbed in meditative concentration, {Ki.IV: 180} and cultivated wisdom, and then they dedicate those roots of virtuous action to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, would they actually dedicate them to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment?”
“Venerable Śāradvatīputra,” replied Subhūti, “since the bodhisattva great being Maitreya is destined for only one more rebirth and has been manifestly prophesied by the Blessed One as irreversible, you should ask him, and he will answer this point.”
Thereupon the venerable Śāradvatīputra [F.386.b] asked the bodhisattva great being Maitreya, “Noble son, this elder Subhūti has said, ‘The bodhisattva great being Maitreya has been manifestly prophesied by the Blessed One as irreversible because he is destined for only one more rebirth. You should ask him, and he will answer this point!’ ”
The bodhisattva great being Maitreya then said to the venerable Śāradvatīputra, “Will this one named the bodhisattva great being Maitreya answer? Or will physical forms answer? Or will feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness answer? Or else will the emptiness of physical forms answer? Will the emptiness of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness answer? Or else will the real nature of physical forms answer? Will the real nature of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness answer? The emptiness of physical forms and the emptiness of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness has no ability to answer. The real nature of physical forms and the real nature of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness has no ability to answer. I do not observe anything that would answer, by which an answer is given,468 or with respect to which an answer is given. I do not observe anything that is prophesied to attain unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, anything by which that is prophesied, or anything with respect to which that is prophesied. [F.387.a] All these phenomena are not two things and are not to be divided into two.”
Śāradvatīputra then asked, “Have you realized those phenomena, just as you have explained them?”
“I have not realized those phenomena, just as I have explained them,” replied Maitreya.
Then the venerable Śāradvatīputra thought, “This bodhisattva great being Maitreya is endowed with profound wisdom. He has indeed revealed this, having over a long period of time practiced the perfection of generosity, and practiced the perfection of ethical discipline, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom. He has revealed this, having practiced without apprehending anything.” {Ki.IV: 181}
Then the Blessed One asked the venerable Śāradvatīputra, “Śāradvatīputra, do you think you can observe anything by which you are declared to be an arhat?”
“No, Blessed Lord!”