Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra 25K
(The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines)
Chapter 60 – How to complete/perfect the six perfections?
Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra 25K
(The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines)
Chapter 60 – How to complete/perfect the six perfections?
Last update: November 28, 2025
Image from: Stoneflower013
Source: https://84000.co/translation/toh9
The venerable Subhūti further asked the Blessed One,
“Blessed Lord,
if all phenomena have the essential nature of non-entity,
what is the goal that bodhisattva great beings see
in embarking on unsurpassed, complete enlightenment for the sake of beings?”
The Blessed One replied,
“Subhūti, in the way that
all phenomena [T1] have the essential nature of non-entity [T2] [U2T],
in that way too do bodhisattva great beings
embark on unsurpassed, complete enlightenment [U2T-in-action].
If you ask why, Subhūti,
it is because apprehending is feeble.
Those possessing the notion of apprehending [in absolute terms]
are without attainment, without clear realization,
and without unsurpassed complete enlightenment.”
.
“Blessed Lord,
with regard to non-apprehension [T2],
is there attainment, clear realization,
or unsurpassed, complete enlightenment [T1]?”
“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One,
“it is because the realm of phenomena [G / U2T]
is without [inherent] agitation
that non-apprehension [U2T-in-action] is attainment,
that non-apprehension [U2T-in-action] is clear realization,
and that non-apprehension [U2T-in-action] is unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
Those who wish to attain that which is without apprehending,
or to have clear realization of it,
or to attain unsurpassed, complete enlightenment with respect to it,
merely wish to agitate the realm of phenomena [G / U2T].”
.
“Blessed Lord, if in that manner there is no attainment, no clear realization, and no unsurpassed, complete enlightenment with respect to that which is without apprehending [T2], but nonetheless non-apprehension is attainment, non-apprehension is clear realization, and non-apprehension is unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, how then, Blessed Lord, could there possibly be bodhisattva great beings of the first level [T1]? (how could conventional truth exist when everything is empty of inherent existence)
How could there possibly be [bodhisattva great beings] of the second level,
how could there possibly be [bodhisattva great beings] of the third level, and so on?
How could there possibly be [bodhisattva great beings] of the tenth level?
How could there possibly be acceptance that phenomena [T1] are non-arising [T2] [U2T]?
How could there possibly be extrasensory powers that derive from maturation?
How could there possibly be generosity that derives from maturation?
How could there possibly be ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, or meditative concentration that derive from maturation?
How could there possibly be wisdom that derives from maturation?
How could there possibly be the thirty-seven factors conducive to enlightenment that derive from maturation?
If, abiding in these maturational attributes, they bring beings to maturity, refine the buddhafields, and serve the lord buddhas with food, drink, clothing, bedding, palaces, resources, flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, unguents, powders, religious robes, parasols, victory banners, banners, butter lamps, or any other worthy excellences of gods and humans, and do so without interruption until final nirvāṇa is attained, and their [virtuous actions] are not exhausted even after being matured with respect to the sacred relics [of the buddhas] and the śrāvakas, how then, Blessed Lord, will bodhisattva great beings not agitate the realm of phenomena [G / U2T] (how could the unique Ground be unborn, unchanging, unceasing if its many manifestations are changing)?”
The Blessed One replied,
“It is because bodhisattva great beings
do not [inherently] agitate the realm of phenomena [G / U2T]
owing to [acting with] non-apprehension
that there is the first level of bodhisattva great beings, that there is the second level, the third level, and so on, up to and including the tenth level.
It is for this reason that there is acceptance that phenomena are non-arising;
that there are extrasensory powers that derive from maturation;
that there are generosity, ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditative concentration, and wisdom that derive from maturation;
that there are the thirty-seven factors conducive to enlightenment that derive from maturation;
and that there are the roots of virtuous action that derive from maturation.
It is through these roots of virtuous action that bodhisattva great beings bring beings to maturity, refine the buddhafields, and serve the lord buddhas with food, drink, clothing, bedding, palaces, resources, flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, unguents, powders, religious robes, parasols, victory banners, banners, butter lamps, and any other worthy excellences of gods and humans, and do so without interruption until final nirvāṇa is attained, and that these are not exhausted even after being matured with respect to the sacred relics [of the buddhas] and the śrāvakas.”
.
“Blessed Lord, what is the distinction
and what is the difference between
non-apprehension on the one hand [T2 / G]
and generosity, ethical discipline, tolerance,
perseverance, meditative concentration, wisdom,
and extrasensory powers on the other [T1 / M]?”
(i.e. What is the relation between the two truths,
between the Ground and its manifestations?
Difference, identity, both, neither?
Is reality many, one, both, neither?)
“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One,
“there is no difference at all between non-apprehension on the one hand and generosity, ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditative concentration, wisdom, and immaculate extrasensory powers on the other.
And yet, Subhūti, immaculate generosity, ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditative concentration, wisdom, and immaculate extrasensory powers, are revealed to be different.”
(i.e. The two truths, or the Ground and its manifestations,
are not different/separate/multiple/dual,
not identical/united/one/non-dual, not both,
not neither, and there is no fifth.
Because the two truths, or the Ground and its manifestations, or the three kayas, are themselves empty of inherent existence, never absolute ⇐⇒ because they are inseparable, dependently co-arisen, interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind, mere designations/names, conventional truth/tools ⇐⇒ like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echos , ‘there, yet not there’ ⇐⇒ not ‘this’, not ‘non-this’, not both, not neither, and there is no fifth, for whatever this is.)
.
“Blessed Lord, how are immaculate generosity, ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditative concentration, wisdom, and extrasensory powers revealed to be different?”
“In this regard, Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One,
“when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom,
they give gifts [T1]
without apprehending [T2] gifts (object),
without apprehending [T2] the act of giving (action),
without apprehending [T2] the giver (subject),
and without apprehending [T2] the recipient (object).
(i.e. Giving conventionally without giving in absolute terms,
without apprehending [T2] the three spheres of the activity
in absolute terms [U2T-3S-in-action].)
They maintain ethical discipline [T1]
without apprehending [T2] (the three spheres of) ethical discipline [U2T-3S-in-action].
They practice tolerance [T1]
without apprehending [T2] (the three spheres of) tolerance [U2T-3S-in-action].
They undertake perseverance [T1]
without apprehending [T2] (the three spheres of) perseverance [U2T-3S-in-action].
They become absorbed [T1]
without apprehending [T2] (the three spheres of) meditative stability [U2T-3S-in-action].
They cultivate wisdom [T1]
without apprehending [T2] (the three spheres of) wisdom [U2T-3S-in-action].
They practice extrasensory powers [T1]
without apprehending [T2] (the three spheres of) extrasensory powers [U2T-3S-in-action].
They practice the applications of mindfulness [T1]
without apprehending [T2] (the three spheres of) the applications of mindfulness [U2T-3S-in-action].
They practice the correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, the faculties, the powers, the branches of enlightenment, and the path [T1]
without apprehending [T2] (the three spheres of) the path [and so forth] [U2T-3S-in-action].
They practice the truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, and the formless absorptions [T1]
without apprehending [T2] the formless absorptions [and so forth] [U2T-3S-in-action].
They practice the aspects of liberation and the serial steps of meditative absorption [T1]
without apprehending [T2] (the three spheres of) the serial steps of meditative absorption [and so forth] [U2T-3S-in-action].
They practice emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness [T1]
without apprehending [T2] (the three spheres of) wishlessness [and so forth] [U2T-3S-in-action].
They practice the extrasensory powers, meditative stabilities, dhāraṇī gateways, powers of the tathāgatas, fearlessnesses, and kinds of exact knowledge [T1]
without apprehending [T2] (the three spheres of) the kinds of exact knowledge [and so forth] [U2T-3S-in-action].
They practice great loving kindness, great compassion, and the distinct qualities of the buddhas [T1] without apprehending [T2] (the three spheres of) the distinct qualities of the buddhas [and so forth] [U2T-3S-in-action].
They bring beings to maturity [T1]
without apprehending [T2] (the three spheres of maturing) beings [U2T-3S-in-action].
They refine the buddhafields [T1]
without apprehending [T2] (the three spheres of refining) the buddhafields [U2T-3S-in-action].
They attain consummate buddhahood in enlightenment [T1]
without apprehending [T2] (the three spheres of attaining) the attributes of the buddhas [U2T-3S-in-action].
It is in this way, Subhūti, that bodhisattva great beings
practice the perfection of wisdom [T1]
without apprehending anything [T2] [U2T-3S-in-action].
Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner, it will be difficult for evil Māra or the gods of the domain of Māra to intrude.”
.
The venerable Subhūti then asked the Blessed One,
“Blessed Lord, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom,
how do they acquire the six perfections through a single setting of their minds on enlightenment,
and how do they [similarly] acquire the four meditative concentrations, the four immeasurable attitudes, the four formless absorptions, the four applications of mindfulness, 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?
How do they [similarly] acquire the three gateways of liberation, the four truths of the noble ones, the eight aspects of liberation, the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, and the five extrasensory powers?
How do they [similarly] acquire the emptiness of internal phenomena, the emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, and [the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities?
How do they [similarly] acquire 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, the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, the thirty-two major marks of a great person, and the eighty minor marks?”
“In this regard, Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One,
“whatever gifts bodhisattva great beings may dispense,
these are not acquired by anything other than the perfection of wisdom.
Whatever ethical discipline is kept, whatever tolerance is cultivated, whatever perseverance is undertaken, whatever meditative stability is maintained, and whatever wisdom is cultivated,
these are not acquired by anything other than the perfection of wisdom.
In whichever meditative concentrations, immeasurable attitudes, and formless absorptions one is absorbed;
whatever applications of mindfulness are cultivated;
whatever correct exertions, supports for miraculous ability, faculties, powers, branches of enlightenment, and noble eightfold path are cultivated;
and whatever three gateways of liberation, truths of the noble ones, aspects of liberation, serial steps of meditative absorption, and extrasensory powers are cultivated,
these are not acquired by anything other than the perfection of wisdom.
Whatever aspects of emptiness are cultivated — from the emptiness of internal phenomena up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities — and whatever meditative stabilities, dhāraṇī gateways, powers of the tathāgatas, fearlessnesses, kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas are cultivated,
these are not acquired by anything other than the perfection of wisdom.
Whatever major marks and excellent minor marks are brought into being,
these are not acquired by anything other than the perfection of wisdom.
Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner
perfect the six perfections through a single setting of the mind on enlightenment,
and [similarly] they perfect the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, and the formless absorptions.
They [similarly] perfect the applications of mindfulness, the correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, the faculties, the powers, the branches of enlightenment, and the noble eightfold path.
They [similarly] perfect the gateways of liberation, the truths of the noble ones, the aspects of liberation, the serial steps of meditative absorption, and the extrasensory powers.
They [similarly] perfect the emptiness of internal phenomena and [the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the powers [of the tathāgatas], the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and the distinct qualities of the buddhas.
They [similarly] perfect the major marks of a great person and the excellent minor marks.”
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“Blessed Lord, how, through a single setting of the mind on enlightenment, do bodhisattva great beings who have been embraced by the perfection of wisdom acquire the six perfections?
How do they acquire the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, and the formless absorptions?
How do they acquire the applications of mindfulness, the correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, the faculties, the powers, the branches of enlightenment, and the noble eightfold path?
How do they acquire the gateways of liberation, the truths of the noble ones, the aspects of liberation, the serial steps of meditative absorption, and the extrasensory powers?
How do they acquire all the aspects of emptiness?
How do they acquire the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and the distinct qualities of the buddhas?
How do they acquire the thirty-two major marks of a great person and the excellent eighty minor marks?”
“In this regard, Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One,
“when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom,
whatever gifts they dispense [T1-3S],
they dispense them having been embraced by the perfection of wisdom [T2-3S],
and in this they are without dualistic perception [U2T-3S-in-action / U2T-opp-in-action].
Whatever ethical discipline they keep, whatever tolerance they cultivate, whatever perseverance they undertake, whatever meditative stability they are absorbed in, and whatever wisdom they cultivate, [T1-3S]
they do so having been embraced by the perfection of wisdom, [T2-3S]
and in this they are without dualistic perception [U2T-3S-in-action / U2T-opp-in-action].
Whatever aspects of emptiness they cultivate — from the emptiness of internal phenomena up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities — [T1-3S]
they do so having been embraced by the perfection of wisdom, [T2-3S]
and in this they are without dualistic perception [U2T-3S-in-action / U2T-opp-in-action].
Whatever factors conducive to enlightenment they cultivate, [T1-3S]
they do so having been embraced by the perfection of wisdom, [T2-3S]
and in this they are without dualistic perception [U2T-3S-in-action / U2T-opp-in-action].
Whatever truths of the noble ones, meditative concentrations, immeasurable attitudes, formless absorptions, aspects of liberation, serial steps of meditative absorption, gateways of liberation — emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness — meditative stabilities, dhāraṇī gateways, powers of the tathāgatas, fearlessnesses, kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and distinct qualities of the buddhas they cultivate, [T1-3S]
they do so having been embraced by the perfection of wisdom, [T2-3S]
and in this they are without dualistic perception [U2T-3S-in-action / U2T-opp-in-action].
Whatever major marks and excellent minor marks they actualize, [T1-3S]
they do so having been embraced by the perfection of wisdom, [T2-3S]
and in this they are without dualistic perception [U2T-3S-in-action / U2T-opp-in-action].
.
“Blessed Lord, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom
how do they dispense gifts, and in this be without dualistic perception?
How do they cultivate ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditative stability, and wisdom, and in this be without dualistic perception?
How do they cultivate the emptiness of internal phenomena [and the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities, and in this be without dualistic perception?
How do they cultivate the factors conducive to enlightenment, 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, the gateways of liberation — emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness — the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and the distinct qualities of the buddhas, and in this be without dualistic perception?
How do they actualize the thirty-two major marks and the excellent eighty minor marks, and in this be without dualistic perception?”
“In this regard, Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One,
“when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom,
they complete the perfection of generosity — that is to say, they complete the perfection of generosity after having integrated all six perfections in that perfection of generosity.
They also complete the perfection of ethical discipline, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of meditative stability, and the perfection of wisdom — that is to say, they complete the perfection of wisdom [and so forth] after having integrated all six perfections in that perfection of wisdom [and so forth].
“When they practice the perfection of wisdom, they complete the factors conducive to enlightenment — that is to say, they complete the factors conducive to enlightenment after having integrated all six perfections in those factors conducive to enlightenment.
“Subhūti, at the time when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom and dispense gifts, they dispense gifts while maintaining a mind that is devoid of contaminants.
Indeed, those who maintain a mind that is devoid of contaminants do not observe what is the gift (object), to whom is it given (object), by whom is it given (subject), what is the act of giving (action), or any other mental concept (phenomena).
They dispense gifts with a mind that is free from [inherent] concepts, without contaminants, devoid of miserliness, and without attachment, and they do not even observe that mind.
Just as they do not observe that mind, in the same way they do not observe generosity, nor do they observe anything at all, up to and including all attributes.
.
“Moreover, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom and maintain ethical discipline with a mind that is free from [inherent] concepts, they do not observe that ethical discipline, nor do they observe anything at all, up to and including all attributes.
“Moreover, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom and cultivate tolerance with a mind that is free from [inherent] concepts, they do not observe that tolerance, nor do they observe anything at all, up to and including all attributes.
“Moreover, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom and undertake perseverance with a mind that is free from [inherent] concepts, they do not observe that perseverance, nor do they observe anything at all, up to and including all attributes.
“Moreover, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom and are absorbed in meditative stability with a mind that is free from [inherent] concepts, they do not observe that mental stability, nor do they observe anything at all, up to and including all attributes.
“Moreover, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom and cultivate wisdom with a mind that is free from [inherent] concepts, they do not observe that wisdom, nor do they observe anything at all, up to and including all attributes.
“Moreover, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, and with a mind that is free from [inherent] concepts actualize the emptiness of internal phenomena [and the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities, and 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 powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, the distinct qualities of the buddhas, great loving kindness, great compassion, the thirty-two major marks, and the excellent eighty minor marks, they do not observe those attributes, nor do they observe anything at all, up to and including all those attributes.”
Subhūti then asked,
“Blessed Lord, since all phenomena [T1] are without [inherent] concepts, uneffected, unapprehended, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T], how do bodhisattva great beings complete the perfection of generosity?
How do they complete the perfection of ethical discipline, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of meditative stability, and the perfection of wisdom?
How do they complete the emptiness of internal phenomena [and the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities, and 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 powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and the distinct qualities of the buddhas?”
“In this regard, Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One,
“when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom,
they dispense generosity
with a mind that is free from [inherent] concepts concerning
all phenomena [T1] that are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T ].
They dispense to those who ask for them food, drink, clothing, transport, bedding, lodging, houses, riches, grain, precious jewels, gold, gems, pearls, beryl, conch, quartz, coral, pure gold, and silver, up to all other resources suitable for humankind, including wives, sons, daughters, and [necessities] external and internal, ancillary and subsidiary, as well as kingdoms, whichever are appropriate, embellished with ornaments.
If someone were to come near and say to them,
‘What is the point of dispensing such gifts of yours, which are useless and ephemeral?’
at that [time] when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom they would think,
‘Although these beings say to me,
“What is the point of dispensing such gifts of yours,
which are useless and ephemeral,”
even so I should dispense gifts;
I should not not dispense gifts!’
And then, making common cause with all beings,
they would dedicate those gifts to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
When they make this dedication, by all means they do so without considering what is the gift (object), for whom is the gift (object), whose is the gift (subject), what is being dispensed, for whom is it being dispensed, who is dispensing, what is being dedicated, to whom is it being dedicated, by whom is it being dedicated, or any such [inherent] concepts (action; cause, causality, effect).
They do not observe any such entity that they would dispense, or with respect to which, having been dispensed, they would make a dedication toward unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
If you ask why,
it is because all entities [T1-3S] are empty [T2-3S] [U2T-3S]
in accordance with the emptiness of internal phenomena, empty in accordance with the emptiness of external phenomena, empty in accordance with the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, and empty in accordance with [all the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities.
So when they observe
all phenomena [T1] to be empty [T2] [U2T],
what would be dedicated (object, action),
to whom (object) would the dedication be made,
and by whom (subject) would the dedication be made?
Dedications such as this are the best of dedications;
they are unpoisoned dedications
in accord with the realm of phenomena [G / U2T].
“Subhūti, when these bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom,
they bring beings to maturity and acquire the buddhafields
in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T].
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[1. Completion/perfection of the perfection of generosity, without apprehending/opposing the three spheres of the activity, or anything else; with a mind free of inherent concepts and dualistic perception concerning all phenomena [T1] that are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T] — having transcended all conventional truths, methods, goals, tools, dualities, triads, concepts, phenomena without rejecting them completely since they could be useful conventionally, relatively (Middle Way free from all extremes). Dedicating without dedicating the practices and merits to all-aspect omniscience by means of a signless dedication and an unapprehended and non-dual dedication, on the basis of worldly convention rather than ultimate reality.]
They complete[/perfect] the perfection of generosity.
They complete[/perfect] the perfection of ethical discipline, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of meditative stability, and the perfection of wisdom.
They complete[/perfect] all 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 aspects of liberation, the serial steps of meditative absorption, emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and the distinct qualities of the buddhas.
“Although they complete the perfection of generosity from the start, they do not accept any ripening [of past actions] — and yet resources nevertheless materialize for them just by their so wishing.
(i.e. Transcending causality/production without rejecting it.
Causing/producing without causing/producing,
without apprehending the three spheres: causes, causality, effects/goals)
Subhūti, this is just like when all the excellent resources of the gods of the Paranirmitavaśavartin realm arise just by their so wishing.
In the same way, Subhūti, all the excellent resources of bodhisattva great beings, too, arise just by their so wishing.
Through these resources they venerate the lord buddhas and also satisfy the world with its gods, humans, and asuras.
They gather beings with their perfection of generosity, and establish them in the three vehicles with their skillful means.
So it is, Subhūti, that when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they complete the perfection of generosity in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T].
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[2. Completion/perfection of the perfection of ethical discipline, without apprehending/opposing the three spheres of the activity, or anything else; with a mind free of inherent concepts and dualistic perception concerning all phenomena [T1] that are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T] — having transcended all conventional truths, methods, goals, tools, dualities, triads, concepts, phenomena without rejecting them completely since they could be useful conventionally, relatively (Middle Way free from all extremes). Dedicating without dedicating the practices and merits to all-aspect omniscience by means of a signless dedication and an unapprehended and non-dual dedication, on the basis of worldly convention rather than ultimate reality.]
“Subhūti, if you ask how, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they complete the perfection of ethical discipline, starting from the time when they first begin to set their mind on enlightenment with a mind that is devoid of [inherent] concepts (not accepting/rejecting them), in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T], in this regard, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they do complete the perfection of ethical discipline, starting from the time when they first begin to set their mind on enlightenment with a mind that is devoid of [inherent] concepts (not accepting/rejecting them), in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T].
They acquire the ethical discipline of the noble ones, which is included within the uncontaminated path and acquired on the basis of the true nature.
Their ethical discipline is unimpaired, untainted, unadulterated, unsullied, undiminished, independent, utterly perfect, and praised by the learned.
They do not seize on anything at all that may be acquired on the basis of that ethical discipline, including physical forms, feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, consciousness, and [the causal and fruitional attributes], up to and including the thirty-two major marks of a great person and the excellent eighty minor marks, as well as the great and lofty royal families, the great and lofty priestly families, and the great and lofty householder families;
the gods of the Caturmahārājakāyika realm;
the gods of Trayastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarata, Paranirmitavaśavartin, Brahmakāyika, Brahmapurohita, Brahmapariṣadya, Mahābrahmā Ābha, Parīttābha, Apramāṇābha, Ābhāsvara, Śubha, Parīttaśubha, Apramāṇaśubha, Śubhakṛtsna, Bṛhat, and the non-perceptual realms;
the gods of Avṛha, Atapa, Sudṛśa, Sudarśana, and Akaniṣṭha;
the gods of the sphere of infinite space, the sphere of infinite consciousness, the sphere of nothing-at-all, and the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception;
and the fruit of entering the stream to nirvāṇa, the fruit of being destined for only one more rebirth, the fruit of no longer being subject to rebirth, arhatship, individual enlightenment, and the authority of a universal emperor.
In addition, making common cause with all beings, they dedicate this ethical discipline to all-aspect omniscience by means of a signless dedication and an unapprehended and non-dual dedication, on the basis of worldly convention rather than ultimate reality.
“After completing the perfection of ethical discipline, through skillful means they attain the four meditative concentrations without relishing them.
They attain divine clairvoyance.
Through the maturation of this divine clairvoyance they see all the lord buddhas, as many as are alive and present, teaching the Dharma in the immeasurable, countless, and inestimable world systems of the eastern direction.
Such visions are not squandered until they have themselves attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
Through the maturation of this divine clairvoyance they also see all the lord buddhas, as many as are alive and present, teaching the Dharma in the immeasurable, countless, and inestimable world systems of each of the southern, western, northern, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, and northwestern directions, along with the nadir and the zenith.
Such visions are not squandered until they have themselves attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
“With pure divine clairaudience, surpassing that of human beings, they hear the words spoken by those lord buddhas.
They will not squander that which they have heard until, through that which they have heard, they have acted for the benefit of themselves and others.
“With consciousness of the thoughts [of others], their thoughts know the minds of those lord buddhas.
They will not squander that consciousness of the thoughts [of others] until they have acted for the benefit of all beings.
“With knowledge of the recollection of past lives, they know the past and future roots of the virtuous action of beings, and they reveal and elucidate them to those beings, encouraging them and rejoicing in them, so that these beings come to wish in particular for that which has been revealed, [and so forth], up to and including that in which they rejoice.
“With knowledge that contaminants have ceased, they establish beings in the fruit of entering the stream to nirvāṇa, and they establish them in the fruit of being destined for only one more rebirth, the fruit of no longer being subject to rebirth, and in arhatship.
They establish them in individual enlightenment, and they establish them in enlightenment.
Similarly, they establish beings in those roots of virtuous action that accord with their capacities.
“Subhūti, so it is that when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they complete the perfection of ethical discipline with a mind that is devoid of [inherent] concepts (not accepting/rejecting them), in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T].
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[3. Completion/perfection of the perfection of tolerance, without apprehending/opposing the three spheres of the activity, or anything else; with a mind free of inherent concepts and dualistic perception concerning all phenomena [T1] that are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T] — having transcended all conventional truths, methods, goals, tools, dualities, triads, concepts, phenomena without rejecting them completely since they could be useful conventionally, relatively (Middle Way free from all extremes). Dedicating without dedicating the practices and merits to all-aspect omniscience by means of a signless dedication and an unapprehended and non-dual dedication, on the basis of worldly convention rather than ultimate reality.]
“Subhūti, if you ask how, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they complete the perfection of tolerance with a mind that is devoid of [inherent] concepts (not accepting/rejecting them) in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T], in this regard, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom with a mind that is devoid of [inherent] concepts (not accepting/rejecting them) in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T], they cultivate both the tolerance that patiently endures afflictions and the acceptance that phenomena are non-arising, starting from the time when they first begin to set their mind on enlightenment until they are seated at the site of enlightenment.
In this regard, the tolerance of bodhisattva great beings that patiently endures afflictions is such that even though all beings might repeatedly approach them, scolding them, speaking unpleasant words, beating them and hitting them with clods and sticks, and striking them with weapons, those bodhisattva great beings will not allow any opportunity for even a single thought of agitation to arise.
They should reflect as follows:
‘There is no one at all who abuses me and speaks unpleasant words, or who binds and beats me.
Nor is there anyone who is being scolded, addressed with unpleasant words, beaten, or hit.
No such person is apprehended.’
As for the acceptance of bodhisattva great beings that phenomena are non-arising, when bodhisattva great beings reflect on the essential nature of all phenomena, they do not even apprehend reality, so how could they possibly apprehend the inherent nature of phenomena!
It is because they do not observe the essential nature of all phenomena that they acquire the acceptance that phenomena are non-arising.
If you ask why they are said to be tolerant, they are tolerant because afflictive mental states do not arise and because wisdom is not cut off.
These constitute the acceptance that phenomena are non-arising.
Abiding in these two aspects of tolerance and acceptance, they complete the four meditative concentrations, and they complete the four immeasurable attitudes, the four formless absorptions, the four applications of mindfulness, the four correct exertions, the four supports for miraculous ability, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven branches of enlightenment, the noble eightfold path, the three gateways of liberation, 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 distinct qualities of the buddhas.
Abiding in these attributes of the noble ones, which are uncontaminated, supramundane, and not common to all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, they complete the extrasensory powers of the noble ones.
“Having completed the extrasensory powers, they dwell in the six perfections and in those five extrasensory powers: through divine clairvoyance they see all the lord buddhas, as many as are alive and present, teaching the Dharma in the immeasurable, countless, and inestimable world systems of the eastern direction.
Having seen all these lord buddhas, they acquire the recollection of the buddhas, and their recollection of the buddhas will never be interrupted until they have attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
Abiding in all these attributes of the noble ones, which are uncontaminated, supramundane, and not common to the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, they complete the extrasensory powers that are the attributes of the noble ones.
“Having completed the extrasensory powers, they dwell in the six perfections and in those five extrasensory powers, and through divine clairvoyance they see all the lord buddhas, as many as are alive and present, teaching the Dharma in the immeasurable, countless, and inestimable world systems of the southern, western, northern, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, and northwestern directions, along with the nadir and the zenith.
Having seen these lord buddhas, they acquire the recollection of the buddhas, and their recollection of the buddhas will never be interrupted until they have attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
“Through divine clairaudience, surpassing that of human beings, they hear the words spoken by those lord buddhas, and having heard them, they retain them, and having retained them, they emphasize the real nature.
Having emphasized the real nature, they also then teach the Dharma to beings in accordance with the real nature.
“Through knowledge of the thought patterns [of others], their thoughts know the minds of those lord buddhas, and they also know the mindsets of all noble ones, all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, and all beings.
Having comprehended with their thoughts the mindsets of all beings, they teach the Dharma in accordance with the real nature.
“Through knowledge of the recollection of past lives, they comprehend the roots of virtuous action of beings, and they also reveal them to those beings, encouraging them, praising them, and rejoicing in them.
“As for knowledge that contaminants have ceased, through knowledge that contaminants have ceased, they establish beings in the three vehicles.
“Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they complete the perfection of tolerance with a mind that is devoid of [inherent] concepts (not accepting/rejecting them) in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T].
These bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom.
They bring beings to maturity and refine the buddhafields.
Having brought beings to maturity and refined the buddhafields, they conduct themselves in all-aspect omniscience.
Having perfected all-aspect omniscience, they attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
Having attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, they turn the wheel of the Dharma.
Having turned the wheel of the Dharma, they liberate beings from cyclic existence by means of the three vehicles.
“Subhūti, so it is that when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they complete the perfection of tolerance in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T].
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[4. Completion/perfection of the perfection of perseverance, without apprehending/opposing the three spheres of the activity, or anything else; with a mind free of inherent concepts and dualistic perception concerning all phenomena [T1] that are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T] — having transcended all conventional truths, methods, goals, tools, dualities, triads, concepts, phenomena without rejecting them completely since they could be useful conventionally, relatively (Middle Way free from all extremes). Dedicating without dedicating the practices and merits to all-aspect omniscience by means of a signless dedication and an unapprehended and non-dual dedication, on the basis of worldly convention rather than ultimate reality.]
“Subhūti, if you ask how, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they complete the perfection of perseverance with a mind that is devoid of [inherent] concepts (not accepting/rejecting them), in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T], in this regard, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they possess physical perseverance and they possess mental perseverance, with a mind that is devoid of [inherent] concepts (not accepting/rejecting them) in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T], starting from the time when they first begin to set their mind on enlightenment.
“Abiding in physical perseverance, they achieve and maintain the first meditative concentration, and then they achieve and maintain the second meditative concentration, the third meditative concentration, and the fourth meditative concentration.
Absorbed in the fourth meditative concentration, they experience many modes of miraculous ability — they can touch the sun and moon with their hands, and hold sway with their physical body as far as the world realms of Brahmā.
They venerate all the lord buddhas, as many as are alive and present in the immeasurable, countless, and inestimable world systems of the ten directions, with robes, alms, bedding, medicines, and many resources, and these robes, alms, bedding, medicines, and many resources will not be depleted until they attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
Even after attaining consummate buddhahood in enlightenment, they will continue to please the world with its gods, humans, and asuras by means of clothing, alms, bedding, medicines, and many resources.
Even after attaining final nirvāṇa, many reliquary offerings will appear before their sacred relics.
Through mastery of miraculous abilities, they will listen to the Dharma in the presence of those lord buddhas, and they will never squander that which they have heard until they have attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
Conducting themselves in all-aspect omniscience, they also bring beings to maturity and refine the buddhafields.
So it is, Subhūti, that when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, those who possess physical perseverance complete the perfection of perseverance in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T].
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings complete the perfection of perseverance endowed with mental perseverance, comprehending the aspects of the uncontaminated noble path, in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T], in this regard, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they possess mental perseverance with a mind that is devoid of [inherent] concepts (not accepting/rejecting them), in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T], starting from the time when they first begin to set their mind on enlightenment.
They do not allow any opportunity for non-virtuous actions of body to arise, they do not allow any opportunity for non-virtuous actions of speech to arise, and they do not allow any opportunity for non-virtuous actions of mind to arise.
“They do not entertain notions of anything being ‘permanent’ or ‘impermanent,’ ‘imbued with happiness’ or ‘imbued with suffering,’ ‘self’ or ‘non-self,’ ‘at peace’ or ‘not at peace,’ ‘virtuous’ or ‘non-virtuous,’ ‘mundane’ or ‘supramundane,’ ‘afflicted’ or ‘unafflicted,’ ‘inadmissible’ or ‘admissible,’ ‘contaminated’ or ‘uncontaminated,’ ‘defiled’ or ‘purified,’ or ‘conditioned’ or ‘unconditioned.’ They do not lay claim to notions of anything being ‘the realm of desire,’ ‘the realm of form,’ ‘the realm of formlessness,’ ‘the contaminated realms,’ ‘the uncontaminated realms,’ ‘the first meditative concentration,’ ‘the second meditative concentration,’ ‘the third meditative concentration,’ ‘the fourth meditative concentration,’ ‘loving kindness,’ ‘compassion,’ ‘empathetic joy,’ ‘equanimity,’ ‘the sphere of infinite space,’ ‘the sphere of infinite consciousness,’ ‘the sphere of nothing-at-all,’ ‘the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception,’ ‘the perfection of generosity,’ ‘the perfection of ethical discipline,’ ‘the perfection of tolerance,’ ‘the perfection of perseverance,’ ‘the perfection of meditative concentration,’ ‘the perfection of wisdom,’ ‘the emptiness of internal phenomena,’ [the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including ‘the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities,’ ‘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 powers of the tathāgatas,’ ‘the fearlessnesses,’ ‘the kinds of exact knowledge,’ ‘great loving kindness,’ ‘great compassion,’ or even the distinct qualities of the buddhas are ‘permanent’ or ‘impermanent,’ ‘imbued with happiness’ or ‘imbued with suffering,’ ‘self’ or ‘non-self,’ ‘at peace’ or ‘not at peace,’ ‘virtuous’ or ‘non-virtuous,’ ‘mundane’ or ‘supramundane,’ ‘afflicted’ or ‘unafflicted,’ ‘inadmissible’ or ‘admissible,’ ‘contaminated’ or ‘uncontaminated,’ ‘defiled’ or ‘purified,’ or ‘conditioned’ or ‘unconditioned.’ They do not lay claim to the fruit of entering the stream to nirvāṇa, and they do not misconstrue the fruit of being destined for only one more rebirth, the fruit of no longer being subject to rebirth, arhatship, individual enlightenment, the state of the bodhisattvas, or unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
They do not lay claim to notions of ‘one who has entered the stream to nirvāṇa,’ ‘one who is destined for only one more rebirth,’ ‘one who is no longer subject to rebirth,’ or an ‘arhat,’ ‘pratyekabuddha,’ ‘bodhisattva,’ or ‘buddha.’
“Nor indeed do they lay claim to these beings as ranked on the level of insight, these as ranked on the level of attenuated refinement, these as ranked at a lower status, these as ranked at a higher status, these as ranked as having the status of pratyekabuddhas, these as ranked as having knowledge of the path, or these as ranked as having all-aspect omniscience.
If you ask why, it is because there is no essential nature for ranking them as having any such essential natures.
Those endowed with such mental perseverance act for the benefit of beings even though they have actualized [their goal], but they do not at all apprehend those beings.
They also complete the perfection of perseverance, but they do not at all apprehend that perfection of perseverance.
They also complete the attributes of the buddhas, but they do not at all apprehend the attributes of the buddhas.
They also refine the buddhafields, but they do not at all apprehend the buddhafields.
Endowed with such mental perseverance, they acquire all virtuous attributes but they are not attached to them.
Those without attachment act for the benefit [of others] and proceed from buddhafield to buddhafield.
They proceed from mundane realm to mundane realm.
They conjure emanations by whatever miraculous abilities and miracles they wish to employ.
That is to say, they conjure emanations by causing a shower of flowers to fall, by causing the fragrance of incense to waft, by causing thunder to reverberate, by causing the sound of songs and music to resonate, by causing earthquakes, by displaying appearances, or by displaying a world made of the seven precious metals and gems.
In whatever circumstances, they also sacrifice their own bodies for the sake of beings.
Sometimes they sacrifice themselves for the sake of beings.
Sometimes they discharge delicious fragrance.
Sometimes they make great offerings, without the taking of life.
Sometimes they extricate infinite beings from improper paths.
They avert them from killing, and they release them from stealing, sexual misconduct, slander, words of reprimand, lying, non-sensical chatter, covetousness, malice, and wrong views.
They benefit some through generosity and they benefit some through ethical discipline.
For some they give up their limbs and appendages.
For some they renounce their children and wives.
For some they renounce a kingdom.
For some they sacrifice themselves.
Thus they act for the benefit of beings by whatever means they can bring about the benefit of beings.
So it is, Subhūti, that when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, those who possess mental perseverance complete the perfection of perseverance, in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T].
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[5. Completion/perfection of the perfection of meditative concentration, without apprehending/opposing the three spheres of the activity, or anything else; with a mind free of inherent concepts and dualistic perception concerning all phenomena [T1] that are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T] — having transcended all conventional truths, methods, goals, tools, dualities, triads, concepts, phenomena without rejecting them completely since they could be useful conventionally, relatively (Middle Way free from all extremes). Dedicating without dedicating the practices and merits to all-aspect omniscience by means of a signless dedication and an unapprehended and non-dual dedication, on the basis of worldly convention rather than ultimate reality.]
“Subhūti, if you ask how, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they complete the perfection of meditative concentration in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T], in this regard, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they dwell in the perfection of meditative concentration with a mind that is devoid of [inherent] concepts (not accepting/rejecting them), in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T], starting from the time when they first begin to set their mind on enlightenment.
With the exception of the meditative stabilities of the tathāgatas, they complete all the [other] meditative stabilities.
They achieve and maintain the first meditative concentration, where there is freedom from desires, and freedom from negative and non-virtuous attributes, while ideation and scrutiny are present, alongside the joy and bliss that arise from that freedom.
They [similarly] achieve and maintain the second meditative concentration, the third meditative concentration, and the fourth meditative concentration.
They achieve and maintain [the immeasurable attitudes], extensively permeating all worlds encompassed by the realm of phenomena [G / U2T] and infinite space in all respects with thoughts endowed with loving kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity.
They achieve and maintain the sphere of infinite space, the sphere of infinite consciousness, the sphere of nothing-at-all, and the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception.
Abiding in this perfection of meditative stability, they are absorbed in the eight aspects of liberation, both consecutively and in reverse order, and then they arise from them.
They achieve and maintain the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, the meditative stability of emptiness, the meditative stability of signlessness, and the meditative stability of wishlessness.
They achieve and maintain the meditative stability without obstacles, and they achieve and maintain the meditative stability that resembles lightning, the authentic meditative stability, and the vajra-like meditative stability.
Abiding in this perfection of meditative stability, through the wisdom of knowledge of the path, they master all meditative stabilities included within knowledge of the path.
They transcend the level of bright insight, and they transcend the level of the spiritual family, the eighth-lowest level, the level of insight, the level of attenuated refinement, the level of no attachment, the level of [an arhat’s] spiritual achievement, and the level of the pratyekabuddhas.
Having transcended the level of the pratyekabuddhas, they enter a bodhisattva’s full maturity.
Having entered into the maturity of the bodhisattvas, they perfect the level of the buddhas.
While engaging on these [levels], they do not in the interim acquire the fruits [of the path] until they have attained the wisdom of all-aspect omniscience.
Abiding in this perfection of meditative stability, they perfect the extrasensory powers.
They venerate the lord buddhas and, proceeding from buddhafield to buddhafield, they continue to venerate the lord buddhas.
They develop the roots of virtuous action through which, in the presence of those lord buddhas, they refine the buddhafields and bring beings to maturity.
Proceeding from mundane realm to mundane realm, they act on behalf of beings.
Some beings they attract by means of generosity.
Some they attract by means of ethical discipline.
Some they attract by means of meditative stability.
Some they attract by means of wisdom.
Some they attract by means of liberation.
Some they attract by means of the wisdom of liberation.
“They establish some in the fruit of entering the stream to nirvāṇa, and they establish some in the fruit of being destined for only one more rebirth, the fruit of no longer being subject to rebirth, and in arhatship.
They establish some in individual enlightenment, and they establish some in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
“They engage beings in whichever virtuous attributes will manifestly elevate them.
Abiding in this perfection of meditative stability, they actualize all the dhāraṇī gateways, they attain the four kinds of exact knowledge, and they also acquire the extrasensory powers that arise from the maturation [of past actions].
They will never again be reborn in a mother’s womb owing to past actions and afflicted mental states.
They will never again be reliant on desires, but there is no rebirth at all that they will not assume in order to bring beings to maturity.
They will be untainted even by the defects of birth.
If you ask why, it is because when they discern, are aware, and understand that all phenomena resemble a magical display, they know that all conditioned phenomena resemble a magical display, and they act for the benefit of all beings.
By knowing that all conditioned phenomena are like a magical display, they generate great compassion for beings, with the thought,
‘Alas! These beings have experienced much suffering in cyclic existence although all phenomena are like a magical display.
At some time or another I will establish all those imbued with suffering in quiescent nirvāṇa!’ Since beings, or [even] the concept ‘being,’ are not apprehended, they do not apprehend anything at all, and then, on the basis of worldly convention rather than ultimate reality, they establish beings in that non-apprehensible state.
“Abiding in this perfection of meditative stability, they practice all the meditative concentrations, liberating meditative stabilities, and absorptions, and they will never be separated from the perfection of meditative stability until they have attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
Abiding in this perfection of meditative stability, through knowledge of the path they actualize all-aspect omniscience.
Abiding in it, they abandon all reincarnation due to propensities, and then act both for the benefit of themselves and for the benefit of others.
Acting for the benefit of themselves and others, they become worthy of the service of the world with its gods, human beings, and asuras.
So it is, Subhūti, that when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they complete the perfection of meditative stability, with a mind that is devoid of [inherent] concepts (not accepting/rejecting them) in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T].
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[6. Completion/perfection of the perfection of wisdom, without apprehending/opposing the three spheres of the activity, or anything else; with a mind free of inherent concepts and dualistic perception concerning all phenomena [T1] that are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T] — having transcended all conventional truths, methods, goals, tools, dualities, triads, concepts, phenomena without rejecting them completely since they could be useful conventionally, relatively (Middle Way free from all extremes). Dedicating without dedicating the practices and merits to all-aspect omniscience by means of a signless dedication and an unapprehended and non-dual dedication, on the basis of worldly convention rather than ultimate reality.]
“Subhūti, if you ask how, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they complete the cultivation of the perfection of wisdom with a mind that is devoid of [inherent] concepts (not accepting/rejecting them), in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T], in this regard, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not observe anything at all that is true or absolutely existing, with a mind devoid of [inherent] concepts (not accepting/rejecting them) in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T], starting from the time when they first begin to set their mind on enlightenment.
They do not observe the truth or absolute existence of physical forms, and they do not observe the truth or absolute existence of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, or consciousness.
Since they do not observe the truth or absolute existence of physical forms and do not observe the truth or absolute existence of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, or consciousness, they do not even observe the arising of physical forms, and they do not even observe the arising of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, or consciousness.
Since they do not even observe the arising of physical forms and they do not observe the arising of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, or consciousness, they do not observe the sensory portal for the arising of physical forms, and they do not observe the sensory portal for the arising of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, or consciousness.
Since they do not observe the sensory portal for the arising of physical forms, and they do not observe the sensory portal for the arising of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, or consciousness, they do not observe the grouping of physical forms, and they do not observe the grouping of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness.
They do not observe them as hollowness or voidness.
They do not observe the truth or absolute existence of [any attributes or goals], up to and including all-aspect omniscience.
Since they do not observe the arising of all-aspect omniscience [and so forth], they do not observe the sensory portal for the arising of all-aspect omniscience [and so forth].
Since they do not observe the sensory portal for the arising of all-aspect omniscience [and so forth], they do not observe the grouping of all-aspect omniscience [and so forth].
They do not observe them as hollowness or voidness.
“When they reflect in that manner, they do not apprehend the inherent existence of physical forms, and they do not apprehend the inherent existence of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, or consciousness.
They do not apprehend the inherent existence of [the attributes and goals], up to and including all-aspect omniscience.
When they practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner, they realize that all phenomena have the essential nature of non-entity.
Realizing this, when they engage with the emptiness of internal phenomena, engage with the emptiness of external phenomena, engage with the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, and engage with [the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities, they are not fixated upon anything at all, whether physical forms, feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, consciousness, the sense fields, the sensory elements, the links of dependent origination, the perfections, the aspects of emptiness, the factors conducive to enlightenment, the noble truths, 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 powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, the distinct qualities of the buddhas, or [the goals], up to and including unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
“When they practice the perfection of wisdom as the essential nature of non-entity, they complete the path of enlightenment.
In this way they complete the six perfections, all 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 aspects of liberation, the serial steps of meditative absorption, emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and the distinct qualities of the buddhas.
They complete the thirty-two major marks and the eighty excellent minor marks of a great person.
“Those who maintain these attributes through which the path of enlightenment is ripened, after completing the six perfections, all the aspects of emptiness, and the thirty-seven factors conducive to enlightenment, and after completing [the fruitional attributes], up to and including the five extrasensory powers that originate from the maturation [of past actions], then help with generosity those beings who should be helped with generosity.
They help with ethical discipline those who should be helped with ethical discipline.
They help with tolerance those who should be helped with tolerance.
They help with perseverance those who should be helped with perseverance.
They help with meditative stability those who should be helped with meditative stability.
They help with wisdom those who should be helped with wisdom.
They help with liberation those who should be helped with liberation.
They help with seeing the wisdom of liberation those who should be helped with seeing the wisdom of liberation.
They establish in the fruit of entering the stream to nirvāṇa those who should be established in the fruit of entering the stream to nirvāṇa.
They establish in the fruit of being destined for only one more rebirth, the fruit of no longer being subject to rebirth, arhatship, individual enlightenment, and unsurpassed, complete enlightenment those who should be established in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment [and so forth].
“Emanating through many modes of miraculous ability, they travel to world systems as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā.
They materialize at will those world systems numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā from whatever precious gems and metals they wish.
Fulfilling the aspirations of beings, they proceed from world system to world system, and having seen these world systems, they acquire the buddhafields that they wish for.
However many resources and joys they need — just like the resources and joys in the god realm of Paranirmitavaśavartin, and those of other buddhafields, which do not need to be sought — will arise in their buddhafields.
Engaging in knowledge of the path through the perfection of generosity, the perfection of ethical discipline, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom, which derive from the maturation [of past actions], as well as through the extrasensory powers that derive from the maturation [of past actions] and through the path of enlightenment that derives from the maturation [of past actions], they attain the fulfilment of all attributes, and then subsequently they will attain all-aspect omniscience.
If they attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, commensurate with physical forms not being acquired;
commensurate with feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness not being acquired;
commensurate with the sense fields, the sensory elements, and the links of dependent origination not being acquired;
and also commensurate with virtuous, non-virtuous, mundane, supramundane, contaminated, uncontaminated, conditioned, and unconditioned attributes not being acquired, then all the resources and joys in that buddhafield will be without acquisition.
If you ask why, it is because all phenomena are without acquisition owing to their being non-apprehensible.
Indeed, they teach the Dharma to beings so that they might not acquire anything.
“So it is, Subhūti, that when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they complete the perfections in that all phenomena [T1] are signless, uneffected, unapprehended, unoriginated, and unconditioned [T2] [U2T],
They complete [all causal and fruitional attributes], up to and including the distinct qualities of the buddhas.”
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This completes the sixtieth chapter from “The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines.”