Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra 25K
(The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines)
Chapter 42 – Bodhisattva Path: Universal compassion without apprehending anything
Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra 25K
(The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines)
Chapter 42 – Bodhisattva Path: Universal compassion without apprehending anything
Last update: November 04, 2025
Image from: Stoneflower013
Source: https://84000.co/translation/toh9
(Summary 1: Section 1 of Chapter 42 in The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines (Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā) revolves around a dialogue initiated by the venerable Śāradvatīputra questioning Subhūti about the efficacy of practicing the perfection of wisdom (prajñāpāramitā) in dreams, particularly whether bodhisattvas are "enhanced" by such dream practices and whether actions (karma) or volitions (cetanā) performed in dreams accumulate merit or demerit.
The discussion expands to explore the nature of actions and volitions, emphasizing that they require an "objective support" (ālambana) — a perceived object or basis in phenomena — to arise, but not without it. Subhūti affirms this, linking it to how the mind engages with seen, heard, thought-of, or appraised phenomena, leading to either afflicted or purified mental states.
The conversation deepens when Śāradvatīputra challenges this with the Buddha's teaching that all phenomena are "void" (śūnya) and dream-like, questioning how actions or volitions can depend on objective supports if everything is empty.
Subhūti responds that such dependencies arise "following the creation of a conceptual image" (vikalpa-saṃjñā), implying a conventional, imputed process.
The dialogue shifts to whether dedications of virtuous actions in dreams (e.g., practicing the six perfections) truly lead to enlightenment, prompting Subhūti to defer to Maitreya, an advanced bodhisattva prophesied for buddhahood.
Maitreya's response is profoundly non-dual: he questions who or what "answers" — neither the name "Maitreya," nor the aggregates (skandhas: form, feeling, perception, formations, consciousness), nor their emptiness, nor their real nature (dharmatā). Nothing is observed that prophesies, is prophesied, or attains enlightenment; all phenomena are "not two things and are not to be divided into two" (advaya). When asked if he has "realized" this, Maitreya denies it, as realization itself is empty. Śāradvatīputra reflects on Maitreya's profound wisdom arising from long practice of the perfections without apprehension.
The Buddha intervenes, confirming that nothing observable declares one an arhat, and extends this to bodhisattvas: they practice prajñāpāramitā without conceiving of things as prophesied or attaining, leading to unwavering confidence in enlightenment without fear or hesitation.
This section encapsulates Prajñāpāramitā themes of emptiness, non-apprehension, and non-duality, while addressing practical concerns about dream practices and karma.
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Madhyamaka Perspective: The Union of the Two Truths [U2T]
From a Madhyamaka viewpoint, as articulated by Nāgārjuna in works like the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā,
all phenomena lack inherent existence (svabhāva-śūnyatā) — they do not exist independently, eternally, or from their own side. Instead, they arise dependently (pratītyasamutpāda) on causes, conditions, parts, and conceptual imputation. This is the ultimate truth (paramārtha-satya): emptiness (śūnyatā), which is not nihilism but the absence of intrinsic essence, freeing phenomena from extremes of existence (eternalism) and non-existence (annihilationism).
The conventional truth (saṃvṛti-satya) acknowledges that phenomena appear and function relatively — actions produce effects, volitions lead to karma, and beings experience suffering or liberation — despite their ultimate emptiness.
The "Union of the Two Truths" (dvaya-satya-saṃyoga) is central: the two are inseparable, like two sides of a coin. Conventional phenomena are dependently co-arisen (relatively functional, impermanent, and interdependent), yet empty of inherent existence. This union points to the true nature of reality, or suchness (tathatā) — the inexpressible, inconceivable ground beyond conceptual proliferation (prapañca), where opposites like samsara and nirvana, subject and object, or dream and waking are transcended.
In Madhyamaka, analysis negates inherent existence through reductio ad absurdum (prasanga), leading to quiescence of views. The goal is not to establish a new ontology but to realize freedom from clinging, enabling compassionate action without reification. This aligns perfectly with Prajñāpāramitā literature, which Madhyamaka interprets as its philosophical backbone. Below, I analyze Section 1 through this lens, breaking it down into key thematic segments for detailed explanation.
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1. Dream Practices and Enhancement by Prajñāpāramitā: Dependent Arising Without Inherent Distinction
Śāradvatīputra asks if bodhisattvas absorbed in the three samādhis (emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness) in dreams are "enhanced" by prajñāpāramitā.
Subhūti replies that if cultivated by day, it enhances in dreams too, as bodhisattvas lack discriminating thoughts between dreams and daytime.
Madhyamaka Analysis: Conventionally, dreams and waking states appear distinct: waking actions seem "real" and accumulative, while dreams seem illusory. Yet, both are dependently co-arisen—dreams depend on daytime impressions, mental habits, and volitions; waking experiences depend on senses, objects, and imputation. Ultimately, both are empty of inherent existence; there is no intrinsic "dream-ness" or "waking-ness." The Buddha's teaching that "all phenomena are like dreams" (as referenced) points to this: phenomena lack self-nature, arising interdependently like illusions.
From the Union of Two Truths: Relatively, cultivation in dreams functions to enhance merit if pondered upon waking (as later noted), because volition and dedication create karmic imprints. Emptily, there is no inherent "enhancement"—no self-existent bodhisattva, practice, or result.
The lack of discrimination between dream and day exemplifies non-dual suchness: experiences are neither truly separate nor identical, but united in emptiness. This avoids eternalism (treating waking as inherently real) and nihilism (dismissing dream practices as non-functional). Tathatā here is the inconceivable unity where practice occurs without grasping, allowing effortless enhancement.
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2. Accumulation or Diminution of Actions in Dreams: Karma as Dependent, Not Inherent
Śāradvatīputra questions if dream actions (e.g., killing) accumulate or diminish, given phenomena's dream-like nature, where nothing is "apprehended."
Subhūti counters with a thought experiment: if one thinks "I have killed; it is right," upon waking or in day, what of that action?
Śāradvatīputra affirms actions/volitions require objective support.
Subhūti agrees: "Actions will occur with an objective support, but not without... The mind engages with phenomena that are seen, heard, thought of, and appraised," leading to afflicted (e.g., grasping desire) or purified states.
Madhyamaka Analysis: Karma (action) and cetanā (volition) are conventionally functional: they depend on objective supports (ālambana)—perceived objects, which are themselves dependently arisen from causes (e.g., senses meeting forms). Without such support, no action arises, as mind doesn't engage unperceived phenomena. This reflects pratītyasamutpāda: volition co-arises with contact (sparśa), leading to feeling, craving, and grasping in the twelve links.
Ultimately, actions are empty—no inherent "killer," "killed," or "killing." The dream analogy negates inherent accumulation: in dreams, nothing is "apprehended" (upalabdhi-śūnya), so no real merit/demerit. Yet, upon waking, pondering creates conceptual imputation, allowing conventional accumulation (e.g., regret purifies, pride afflicts).
Union of Two Truths: Relatively, dream actions function via imputation—pondering makes them karmically effective, like a mirage causing thirst. Emptily, there is no inherent accumulation/diminution, avoiding nihilism (karma still matters) and eternalism (no fixed essence). Tathatā is pointed to as the non-conceptual reality where actions arise dependently without inherent support, freeing bodhisattvas to act compassionately without karmic bondage.
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3. Voidness of Actions and Volitions: Conceptual Imputation as the Bridge
Śāradvatīputra challenges: If all actions/volitions are void (as Buddha says), how do they depend on objective supports? Subhūti: They occur "following the creation of a conceptual image," with but not without support.
Madhyamaka Analysis: Voidness means lack of inherent existence, not non-functionality. Objective supports are imputed (vikalpa) — conceptually fabricated based on dependent conditions, not self-existent. Actions/volitions arise conventionally via this imputation: mind labels "object," engages, and produces effects.
Ultimately, even imputation is empty (śūnya of svabhāva), as in Nāgārjuna's critique of causation — no inherent producer or produced. This negates reification: supports aren't truly "there" independently.
Union: Relatively, conceptual images enable functional dependency (e.g., seeing a being leads to volition to help). Emptily, no inherent image or support. Suchness is the inconceivable freedom where volitions arise without grasping, aligning with prajñāpāramitā's "cultivating without cultivating."
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4. Dedication in Dreams and Maitreya's Non-Dual Response: No Prophesier, Prophesied, or Prophecy
On dedicating dream virtues to enlightenment, Subhūti defers to Maitreya. Maitreya deconstructs: No "Maitreya" answers; skandhas, their emptiness, or dharmatā don't answer. No observer of prophecy or attainment; phenomena are advaya (non-dual).
Śāradvatīputra asks if Maitreya "realized" this; Maitreya denies.
Madhyamaka Analysis: This is quintessential Madhyamaka tetralemma negation: neither self (name/Maitreya), aggregates, emptiness, nor dharmatā inherently "answers" or "realizes." Prophecy (vyākaraṇa) is conventionally valid—Buddha predicts Maitreya's buddhahood based on merits—but ultimately empty: no inherent prophesier (Buddha), prophesied (Maitreya), or enlightenment.
Non-duality (advaya) refutes division into subject-object, samsara-nirvana. Realization isn't "attained" inherently, as that would reify a realizer.
Union: Relatively, prophecy functions to inspire (Maitreya's one rebirth motivates practice). Emptily, no dualistic attainment. Tathatā is this non-dual suchness—beyond realization/non-realization—where bodhisattvas practice without apprehension, as Śāradvatīputra notes Maitreya's wisdom arises from non-apprehending perfections.
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5. Buddha's Confirmation: Practice Without Conception, Leading to Unwavering Confidence
Buddha: No observable thing declares arhatship. Bodhisattvas practice without thinking "this is prophesied/attains," avoiding hesitation; they know they'll attain without fear.
Madhyamaka Analysis: Arhatship/enlightenment lacks inherent markers—empty of self-existent status. Practice negates conceptual extremes: no inherent "prophesied thing" (past/future/present).
Ultimately, no attainer or attainment (as in Heart Sutra: "no attainment"). Conventionally, this non-conceptual practice generates confidence, purifying doubts.
Union: Relatively, non-thinking functions to eliminate fear, enabling perseverance. Emptily, no inherent doubt or confidence. Suchness is the inconceivable certainty arising from this union, where bodhisattvas approach omniscience without dualistic striving.
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Overall Synthesis: Pointing to Inconceivable Suchness
This section exemplifies Madhyamaka's soteriological aim: using dream analogies and negations to deconstruct reification, revealing the Union of Two Truths. Conventionally, actions/volitions depend on supports, dreams enhance if imputed, and prophecies inspire. Ultimately, all is empty, non-dual. This union liberates from extremes — neither dismissing dream practices (nihilism) nor grasping them as inherent (eternalism)—fostering compassionate, non-apprehending practice. Tathatā, though inconceivable, is glimpsed as the seamless reality where phenomena function emptily, guiding bodhisattvas to enlightenment without contradiction. This detailed deconstruction mirrors Nāgārjuna's method, quiescing proliferations to reveal profound peace.)
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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?”
“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 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.”
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“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.
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.”
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“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, 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 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!’”
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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, 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.
All these phenomena are not two things and are not to be divided into two.”
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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.”
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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!”
“Śāradvatīputra, so it is!” said the Blessed One.
"Bodhisattva great beings who practice the perfection of wisdom do not think,
'This is the thing that is prophesied.
This is the thing that will be prophesied.
This is the thing that has been prophesied.
This is the thing that will attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.’
Bodhisattva great beings who practice in that manner practice the perfection of wisdom.
Hesitation will not arise in them.
They will not think that they themselves will not attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
Rather, they will think that they themselves will undoubtedly attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
Śāradvatīputra, those who practice in that manner practice the perfection of wisdom.
Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who practice in that manner will not fear, they will not be afraid, and they will not be terrified.
They will not think that they themselves will not attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
Rather, they will think that they themselves will undoubtedly attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.”
(Summary 2: Section 2 of Chapter 42 begins with Subhūti asking the Buddha how bodhisattvas complete the six perfections (pāramitās: generosity, ethical discipline, tolerance/patience, perseverance/effort, meditative concentration, and wisdom) while approaching all-aspect omniscience (sarvākārajñatā, the complete knowledge of all modes of phenomena).
The Buddha responds by describing a reflective practice for bodhisattvas: when encountering various faults in beings or the world during their cultivation of each perfection, they should vow to practice that perfection until their future buddhafield (buddhakṣetra)—the purified realm where they will attain buddhahood—is free of those faults. This involves refining the buddhafields (purifying realms) and bringing beings to maturity (paripācana, guiding them toward enlightenment).
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The explanation is structured repetitively:
– For each individual perfection, the bodhisattva observes specific sufferings or defilements (e.g., hunger for generosity, killing for ethical discipline) and reflects: "In my buddhafield, these faults will not occur; I will practice until [desired state is achieved]."
– Then, for the six perfections collectively, similar vows address broader issues like the three categories of beings (receptive/non-receptive), inferior realms, environmental flaws, social divisions, modes of birth, lack of powers, physical needs, time divisions, short life, marks of a great person, diseases, afflictions, inferior resolves, conceit, limited buddha-qualities, and limited buddhafields.
– Each segment concludes: "Bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete [the perfection(s)]" and "approach all-aspect omniscience/unsurpassed, complete enlightenment."
The section culminates in a profound reflection: bodhisattvas lament the long-lasting, infinite nature of cyclic existence (saṃsāra) and the world of beings, but correctly focus attention by recognizing it as limitless like space, with no inherent saṃsāra or nirvāṇa — mere conventional designations (prajñapti-mātra).
This section emphasizes great compassion (mahākaruṇā) as the motivator for these vows, practiced "without apprehending anything" (anupalambha), integrating skillful means (upāya) with wisdom to fulfill the bodhisattva path without reification.
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Madhyamaka Perspective: The Union of the Two Truths
In Madhyamaka philosophy, founded by Nāgārjuna and elaborated by figures like Candrakīrti in texts such as the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā and Madhyamakāvatāra, the core insight is the inseparability of the two truths (satyadvaya). The conventional truth (saṃvṛtisatya) encompasses dependently co-arisen (pratītyasamutpanna) phenomena that appear and function relatively—impermanent, interdependent, and effective in causing results, like the apparent reality of suffering, vows, and buddhafields. The ultimate truth (paramārthasatya) is the emptiness (śūnyatā) of all phenomena, meaning they lack inherent existence (svabhāva-śūnya)—no self-sustaining essence, independent of causes, conditions, or conceptual imputation.
The "Union of the Two Truths" reveals that these are not contradictory but mutually entailing: phenomena function precisely because they are empty (avoiding the extreme of eternalism, where things are fixed and unchangeable), and emptiness manifests through functional appearances (avoiding nihilism, where nothing matters or functions). This union points to the true nature of reality, suchness (tathatā)—the inconceivable (acintya), inexpressible ground beyond dualistic concepts, where distinctions like subject-object, saṃsāra-nirvāṇa, or vow-fulfillment dissolve. Tathatā is not a "thing" to be grasped but is realized through negating extremes, leading to compassionate action free from clinging.
Section 2 embodies this Madhyamaka framework by presenting the bodhisattva's vows as a practice that operates on the conventional level (vowing to purify realms and mature beings through dependent efforts) while rooted in ultimate emptiness (practicing without apprehension, recognizing faults and perfections as empty designations). Below, I analyze the section in detail, breaking it into thematic components for clarity.
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1. The Overall Structure: Vows as Dependent Arising in Service of Compassion
The repetitive format — observing faults, reflecting on their absence in the buddhafield, vowing persistent practice, and affirming completion/approach to omniscience — illustrates dependent co-arising. Each vow depends on conditions: seeing suffering (cause), great compassion (motivation), and the perfections (means). This culminates in refining buddhafields (purifying environments) and maturing beings (skillful guidance), which are interdependent processes on the bodhisattva path.
Madhyamaka Analysis: Conventionally, vows function as volitional acts (cetanā) that accumulate merit (puṇya), propelling the bodhisattva toward buddhahood. They arise dependently: faults like hunger depend on karma, ignorance, and interdependence; vows depend on perception of those faults and compassionate intent. This relative functionality enables transformation—e.g., practicing generosity until the buddhafield mirrors divine realms' felicity, where resources arise effortlessly due to collective merit.
Ultimately, all elements are empty: no inherent "fault" (e.g., hunger isn't self-existent but imputed on interdependent conditions), no inherent "bodhisattva" vowing, no inherent "buddhafield" to purify. As Nāgārjuna argues in MMK 24:18-19, emptiness doesn't negate functionality; it establishes it—without inherent existence, change and purification are possible.
Union of Two Truths: The vows unite compassionate action (conventional) with non-apprehension (ultimate). Bodhisattvas practice "without practicing" (as the section's bracketed title suggests), meaning they engage relatively but without grasping inherent entities. This points to tathatā: the inconceivable suchness where vows arise emptily, effortlessly fulfilling perfections without dualistic striving. Hesitation or fear (mentioned in Section 1) is absent because, in suchness, there's no inherent failure or success—only interdependent unfolding.
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2. Individual Perfections: Observing Faults and Vowing Purification as Emptiness in Action
For each pāramitā, the bodhisattva sees specific defilements and vows to eliminate them in the buddhafield:
Generosity (dāna): Seeing hunger/thirst/need, vow until buddhafield has divine abundance.
Ethical Discipline (śīla): Seeing unvirtuous actions (killing, etc.) and their results (illness, short life), vow until all follow ten virtuous paths.
Tolerance/Patience (kṣānti): Seeing malice/violence, vow until all beings view others with loving-kindness (mettā) and altruism.
Perseverance/Effort (vīrya): Seeing laziness and aversion to vehicles, vow until all persevere and attain nirvāṇa via three vehicles.
Meditative Concentration (dhyāna): Seeing obscurations and lacks in absorptions/immeasurables, vow until all attain them.
Wisdom (prajñā): Seeing stupidity/false views (nihilism, eternalism), vow until all abandon them and dwell in prajñāpāramitā.
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Madhyamaka Analysis: Conventionally, these reflect pratītyasamutpāda: faults arise from dependent causes (e.g., violence from malice, which depends on ignorance). Vows function to counteract them through skillful means, maturing beings by establishing virtues and refining realms (e.g., ethical discipline dependently produces long life, health). This is "great compassion without apprehending anything"—compassion operates relatively, but without reifying beings as inherently suffering.
Ultimately, faults and virtues are empty: no inherent "hungry being" or "virtuous action." False views like eternalism/nihilism are negated as extremes; wisdom reveals their emptiness. As Candrakīrti explains, perfections are "transcendent" (pāramitā, "gone beyond") because they're practiced in light of śūnyatā, not as inherent achievements.
Union: Relatively functional perfections (e.g., tolerance transforming malice into love) are empty of essence, allowing infinite adaptability. Tathatā is glimpsed as the non-dual reality where faults "do not occur and are impossible" not because they're annihilated inherently, but because, in suchness, they're mere appearances without basis. This union empowers bodhisattvas to "complete" perfections without completion—endless practice until omniscience, yet already perfect in emptiness.
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3. Collective Vows for the Six Perfections: Broad Purification and Non-Duality
The latter part applies the same logic collectively, addressing systemic issues:
– Eliminating non-receptive beings, inferior realms, environmental scars (e.g., thorns to level like a palm), clay earth to beryl/gold.
– Ending acquisitiveness, social classes, status/color distinctions, feudalism (replaced by Dharma kings).
– Unifying pathways (all follow bodhi-factors, not realms), modes of birth (miraculous only), endowing extrasensory powers.
– Replacing physical nourishment/excrement with Dharma/delight/concentration; self-luminosity; no time divisions; inestimable lifespan; all with major marks/virtuous roots.
– Freedom from diseases, afflictions (desire/hatred/delusion), inferior resolves (all seek omniscience), conceit.
– Immeasurable buddha-qualities (lifespan, luminosity, saṅgha); unifying infinite worlds into one buddhafield.
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Madhyamaka Analysis: Conventionally, these vows depict the bodhisattva's vast aspiration (praṇidhāna), dependently arising from seeing interdependent sufferings (e.g., social classes from karma/ignorance). Refining buddhafields functions as a collective dependent process: individual merits purify shared realms, maturing infinite beings toward enlightenment. This avoids partiality—all faults addressed holistically.
Ultimately, categories like "inferior realms" or "social classes" are empty designations (prajñapti), imputed on empty phenomena. No inherent "hell" or "miraculous birth"—all modes are śūnya. Unifying pathways/ worlds negates inherent multiplicity, echoing MMK's critique of inherent production.
Union: Relatively, vows function to transform appearances (e.g., clay to gold via merit). Emptily, no inherent transformation needed—realms are already suchness. Tathatā is the inconceivable unity where "immeasurable" qualities arise without limit, as emptiness allows boundless potential. Bodhisattvas practice "until" faults vanish, but in suchness, faults never inherently existed; vows are compassionate play (līlā) in the union.
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4. Concluding Reflection: Saṃsāra as Limitless yet Mere Designation
Bodhisattvas reflect: "Alas! Cyclic existence is long-lasting... infinite," but correctly: "limitless like space... no cyclic existence, nor nirvāṇa... merely conventional designations."
Madhyamaka Analysis: Conventionally, saṃsāra appears endless, dependently arising from ignorance and karma, motivating vows. Nirvāṇa functions as cessation of suffering.
Ultimately, both are empty—no inherent saṃsāra (eternal suffering) or nirvāṇa (separate peace). As Nāgārjuna states in MMK 25:19-20, "There is not the slightest difference between saṃsāra and nirvāṇa"—both designations without essence.
Union: Relatively functional distinctions (saṃsāra as space-like vastness) are empty, revealing non-dual tathatā. This insight completes perfections: practicing amid "infinite" beings without grasping infinity, approaching omniscience as the realization of suchness. Inconceivable tathatā is pointed to as the ground where vows dissolve into effortless liberation, free from extremes.
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Synthesis: The Section as a Madhyamaka Praxis
Section 2 teaches a Madhyamaka-infused bodhisattva path: vows bridge conventional compassion with ultimate wisdom, uniting dependent functionality (purifying/maturing) and emptiness (non-apprehension). This avoids nihilistic inaction (vows matter) and eternalistic fixation (nothing inherent to achieve). Tathatā, though inconceivable, shines through — vows "complete" perfections in the union, where effort is empty yet effective, leading to omniscience as all-encompassing insight into this suchness. This detailed framework not only analyzes but emulates the text's profundity, guiding practitioners beyond concepts.)
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The venerable Subhūti then asked the Blessed One, "Blessed Lord,
how do bodhisattva great beings complete the six perfections
and also approach all-aspect omniscience?”
The Blessed One replied to the venerable Subhūti as follows:
“In this regard, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of generosity,
if they see beings who are hungry,
or if they see beings who are thirsty, with poor clothing, or lacking food, clothing, and bedding, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, all these faults of beings will in each and every way not occur and they will be impossible.
I will practice the perfection of generosity in that manner until the resources and felicity of that buddhafield resemble the resources and felicity of the gods of the Caturmahārājakāyika realm, and the gods of the Trayastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarata, and Paranirmitavaśavartin realms.’
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the perfection of generosity.
They will also approach unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of ethical discipline,
if they see persons who kill living creatures;
those who steal, commit sexual misconduct, tell lies, speak slanderously, and speak words that are harsh and words that are nonsensical;
those who have thoughts of desire, thoughts of malice, and hold wrong views—
or if they see those who are short-lived, having many illnesses, of poor complexion, with little strength, with few resources, and of low status, or beings with disabled limbs—they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, all these faults of beings will in each and every way not occur and they will be impossible.
I will practice the perfection of ethical discipline in that manner until all beings are established in the way of the ten virtuous actions.’
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the perfection of ethical discipline.
They will also approach unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of tolerance,
if they see beings acting maliciously toward one another, striking and hitting out with clods of earth, with clubs and swords, depriving others of their lives, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, all these faults of beings will in each and every way not occur and they will be impossible.
I will practice the perfection of tolerance until all beings think of all other beings as their mother, think of them as their father, think of them as their brother, think of them as their sister, think of them with loving kindness, and think of them with altruism.’
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the perfection of tolerance.
They will also approach unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of perseverance,
if they see beings who are languid and indolent, and who have turned against the three vehicles, namely, the vehicle of the śrāvakas, the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas, and the vehicle of the buddhas, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, all these faults of beings will in each and every way not occur and they will be impossible.
All beings will indeed undertake resolute perseverance and attain final nirvāṇa through the three vehicles.’
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the perfection of perseverance.
They will also approach unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of meditative concentration,
if they see beings who are clouded by the five obscurations, namely, craving for sensual pleasures, malice, dullness and sleep, agitation and regret, and doubt,
or see them lacking the first meditative concentration;
see them lacking the second, third, and fourth meditative concentrations;
see them lacking loving kindness;
see them lacking compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity;
see them lacking absorption in the sphere of infinite space;
and see them lacking absorption in the sphere of infinite consciousness, absorption in the sphere of nothing-at-all, and absorption in the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception, then they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, all these faults of beings will in each and every way not occur and they will be impossible.
I will practice the perfection of meditative concentration until all beings attain the four meditative concentrations, the four immeasurable attitudes, and the four formless absorptions.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the perfection of meditative concentration.
They will also approach unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom,
if they see beings immersed in stupidity, who lack genuine views, whether mundane or supramundane, who propound inaction, who propound nonexistence, who propound nihilism, or who propound eternalism to beings, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, all these faults of beings will in each and every way not occur and they will be impossible.
I will practice the perfection of wisdom until all beings have abandoned all such aspects of false view and dwell in the perfection of wisdom.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the perfection of wisdom.
They will also approach unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see beings belonging to the three categories—of certain receptivity, of unpredictable receptivity, and of certain nonreceptivity—they should then reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until, at the least, not even the words beings of certain nonreceptivity will be heard any longer and it will not be possible for beings to belong to that category.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see beings who have been born in the hells,
or if they see beings in the animal realm, or beings in the world of Yama, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until, at the least, not even the words the three inferior realms will be heard any longer, and it will not be possible for beings to be born in them.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!’
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see that this earth is scarred with tree stumps, thorn bushes, jungle ravines, precipices, sewage, and cesspits, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, all these faults of beings will in each and every way not occur and they will be impossible.
I will practice the six perfections until this buddhafield is level like the palm of a hand.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see that this great earth is made of clay, and lacking in gold and silver, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until this great earth is fashioned of blue beryl, and strewn with sands of gold.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see beings indulging in acquisitiveness, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, beings will not indulge in acquisitiveness.
That will be impossible.
I will practice the six perfections until all beings are without possessiveness and without acquisitiveness.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see the four social classes, namely, the royal class, the priestly class, the merchant class, and the laboring class, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until, at the very least, even the names of the four social classes are no longer heard.
That will be impossible.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see beings of higher, average, and lower status,
and if they see beings of upper classes and lower classes, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until these faults of beings no longer occur and are impossible.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see beings of different color, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until beings can no longer be distinguished by their color, and that to so distinguish them is impossible.
Rather, all beings will acquire a fine and splendid physique, beautiful to behold, and the finest of complexions.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see beings with feudal masters, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until even the designation feudal master is no longer heard and to have such positions will be impossible.
Rather, the kings of the Dharma—tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas—will be present.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see the different pathways of beings, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, the different pathways of beings—the god realms, the human realm, the realms of the denizens of the hells, the animal realm, and the world of Yama—will be nonexistent, and to follow them will be impossible.
In their place, all beings will follow a single pathway.
I will practice the six perfections until they are not separated from the applications of mindfulness, the correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, the faculties, the powers, the branches of enlightenment, the noble eightfold path, the truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, the formless absorptions, the aspects of liberation, the serial steps of meditative absorption, emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the ten powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see the four distinct modes of birth of beings, namely oviparous birth, viviparous birth, birth from heat and moisture, and miraculous birth, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until the three [lower] modes of birth [of beings]—oviparous birth, viviparous birth, and birth from heat and moisture—do not occur, and would be impossible.
In their place, all beings will be born miraculously.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see beings lacking the five extrasensory powers, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until all beings are endowed with the five extrasensory powers.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see the excrement and urine of beings, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until all beings partake of the nourishment of the Dharma, the nourishment of delight, and the nourishment of meditative concentration.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see beings bereft of luminosity, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until luminosity absolutely emerges from all beings themselves.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see among beings the temporal divisions of day, night, month, fortnight, season, and year, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until even the words for the temporal divisions of day, night, month, fortnight, season, and year, as employed by beings, are unknown and no longer exist.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see beings bereft of long life, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until all beings possess an inestimable lifespan.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see beings bereft of the major marks, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until all beings possess the thirty-two major marks of a great person.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see beings bereft of the roots of virtuous action, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until all beings possess the roots of virtuous action, and honor the lord buddhas with the roots of their virtuous actions.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see beings afflicted by disease, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until beings are free from the four kinds of disease, namely wind disorders, bile disorders, phlegm disorders, and combined humoral disorders.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see beings smitten by the three afflicted mental states, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until for all beings the afflicted mental states of desire, hatred, and delusion no longer arise, and all beings are indeed bereft of desire, hatred, and delusion.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see beings of inferior resolve, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until even the words for the two [lower] vehicles—the vehicle of the śrāvakas and the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas—are no longer heard, and until all beings indeed have set out for all-aspect omniscience.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections,
if they see conceited beings, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will practice the six perfections until even the word conceited is no longer heard, and, apart from that, until all beings indeed understand genuine reality and are without conceit.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections, they should reflect,
'In this buddhafield where I attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, I will not attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment merely with a limited lifespan, a limited luminosity, and a limited community of monks, but in this buddhafield where I will have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment,
I will practice the six perfections until I have an immeasurable lifespan, an immeasurable luminosity, and an immeasurable community of monks.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections, they should reflect,
'I will not attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment merely by transforming a few worlds into my buddhafield, but when I have by all means attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, as many worlds as there are, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, will become one with my buddhafield.
I will refine the buddhafields!
I will bring beings to maturity!'
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Subhūti,
when bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections, they should reflect,
'Alas! This cyclic existence is long-lasting.
Alas! This world of beings is infinite.'
They should be focus their attention correctly, saying,
'Alas! This cyclic existence is limitless like space.
Alas! This world of beings is limitless like space.
But in it there is no cyclic existence, nor is there nirvāṇa.
Rather, terms such as being, cyclic existence, and nirvāṇa are merely conventional designations.’
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice accordingly will indeed complete the six perfections.
They will also approach all-aspect omniscience.”
.
This completes the forty-second chapter from “The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines.”