Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra 25K
(The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines)
Chapter 73 – Where do they come from, where do they go?
Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra 25K
(The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines)
Chapter 73 – Where do they come from, where do they go?
Last update: November 28, 2025
Image from: Stoneflower013
Source: https://84000.co/translation/toh9
(Chapter 8k-XXX - Sadaprarudita: A symbolic representation of the Bodhisattva path toward the Perfection of wisdom, toward a direct realization of the inconceivable true nature of reality as it is (tathātā, suchness) as pointed out by the Union of the Two Truths. And the ultimate question: 'Whence now these Tathāgatas come, and whither these go?' – If everything is empty and pure, then where do all dharmas come from and ultimately go? How does causality really work?)
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“In the vast tapestry of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra in 8,000 Lines, Chapter 30, titled "Sadāprarudita," unfolds as a poignant exemplar of the Bodhisattva path, chronicling the ardent quest of the ever-weeping Bodhisattva Sadāprarudita for the sublime Perfection of Wisdom (prajñāpāramitā). Set against a backdrop of divine guidance, illusory trials, and profound realizations, this narrative illuminates the unyielding devotion required to transcend worldly attachments, confront Māra's deceptions, and embrace the emptiness of all dharmas. Through Sadāprarudita's sorrowful yet resolute journey eastward to the opulent city of Gandhavatī and his encounters with the enlightened teacher Dharmodgata, the chapter subtly conveys Mahāyāna teachings on skillful means, the illusory nature of phenomena, and the boundless compassion that propels one toward Buddhahood, inspiring seekers to forsake self for the liberation of all beings.”)
(Chapter 30 of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra of 8,000 Lines, titled Sadāprarudita, the narrative unfolds through the devoted Bodhisattva Sadāprarudita's quest for perfect wisdom (prajñāpāramitā).
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In sections 1 and 2, the Buddha recounts to Subhūti how Sadāprarudita, weeping in a remote forest out of longing for the Dharma, hears a divine voice urging him to journey eastward, forsaking worldly attachments and focusing solely on emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness.
Overcome with sorrow for not knowing the full path, he stands resolute for seven days until visions of Buddhas appear, directing him 500 yojanas to the prosperous city of Gandhavatī, where the Bodhisattva Dharmodgata teaches prajñāpāramitā daily to vast assemblies amid jeweled splendor.
Inspired, Sadāprarudita enters samādhis, beholding Buddhas across the ten directions praising his resolve and venerating Dharmodgata as his spiritual guide.
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Sections 3 and 4 depict Sadāprarudita's trials and sacrifices en route. Impoverished and unable to procure offerings, he attempts to sell his body in a city, but Māra obstructs him until the merchant's daughter, moved by his weeping devotion, intervenes with her family's wealth. Disguised as a Brahmin, Śakra tests him by demanding his heart, blood, and marrow for a ritual; Sadāprarudita joyfully complies, slashing himself, but Śakra reveals himself, heals him, and the group proceeds with lavish gifts.
Arriving in Gandhavatī, they offer treasures to Dharmodgata on his jeweled throne.
Sadāprarudita inquires about the Buddhas' coming and going, prompting Dharmodgata's profound teaching:
Buddhas neither arise/come nor cease/go, embodying the unchanging suchness (tathātā) of dharmas, like mirages or dreams, free from dualities and rooted in dependent origination.
This discourse shakes the cosmos, scatters divine flowers, and fills Sadāprarudita with joy, affirming his path to Buddhahood.
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In section 5, the story culminates in seven years of unwavering preparation, where Sadāprarudita and his companions endure Māra's obstructions without sleep or falter, transforming their blood into perfume through Śakra's aid to purify the teaching site.
Dharmodgata then delivers the prajñāpāramitā sermon to an immense gathering, equating it with boundless, detached dharmas.
Sadāprarudita attains millions of samādhis, beholding universal Buddhas, and the Buddha entrusts the sutra to Ānanda, emphasizing faith, study, and offerings to sustain the lineage of wisdom for all beings.)
(Summary 1: In Section 1 of Chapter 30 from the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra of 8,000 Lines, the Buddha explains to Subhūti how the Bodhisattva Sadāprarudita exemplifies the search for perfect wisdom, living a holy life under the Tathāgata Bhīṣmagarjitanirghoṣasvara without attachment to body, life, gain, honor, or fame. Secluded in a remote forest, Sadāprarudita hears a divine voice directing him eastward to hear the perfection of wisdom, urging him to ignore physical weariness, fatigue, hunger, thirst, cold, heat, and all sensory or directional distractions. The voice warns against being shaken by notions of self, individuality, form, or other skandhas, as such attachments lead away from Buddha-dharmas, perpetuating the cycle of birth-and-death and preventing one from abiding in or reaching perfect wisdom. Sadāprarudita affirms his commitment, aspiring to illuminate all beings and attain Buddhadharma, earning the voice's approval.
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The voice further instructs Sadāprarudita to cultivate firm conviction in the void, signless, and wishless nature of all dharmas, avoiding influences from signs, existence, false views, or bad friends while honoring good ones who teach emptiness, non-production, non-cessation, and non-existence.
It advises treating any source of perfect wisdom — be it a book, direct experience, or a preaching monk — as a revered teacher and good friend, approached with gratitude for leading toward irreversibility from enlightenment, proximity to Tathāgatas, and rebirth in pure Buddha-fields, motivated solely by love and respect for dharma and the benefit of beings.
The voice cautions against Māra's deceptions, such as misperceiving a teacher's actions as worldly when they stem from skill in means, and encourages contemplating the true reality of dharmas as undefiled, empty of own-being, without attributes of life or personality, akin to illusions, dreams, echoes, or reflections, while remaining undeterred by disheartening teachings.
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Inspired by this admonition, Sadāprarudita journeys eastward but soon halts in sorrow, realizing he forgot to ask how far he must go, standing still for seven days in lamentation, fasting, and paying homage to perfect wisdom, consumed by longing to hear it, much like a parent grieving the loss of their only child, thinking of nothing else.)
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Then the Blessed One addressed the venerable Subhūti:
“Subhūti, noble sons or noble daughters who search for this perfection of wisdom should search for it in the manner in which the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita (‘He Who Was Always Weeping’) searched, who [now] practices chastity in the presence of the tathāgata, arhat, completely awakened buddha named Bhīṣmagarjitanirghoṣasvara.”
The venerable Subhūti then asked the Blessed One,
“Blessed Lord, how did the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita search for this perfection of wisdom?”
The Blessed One replied to the venerable Subhūti,
“Subhūti, when, in the past, the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita searched for the perfection of wisdom, he searched without caring for his body, considering his life, or being intent on gain, honor, or fame.
While he was searching for the perfection of wisdom, he stayed in a wilderness, and at that time he heard a voice resounding from the air, saying,
‘Noble son, journey to the east and there you will hear the perfection of wisdom!
Come what may you should journey without paying attention to the weariness of your physical body, without paying attention to dullness and sleep, without paying attention to food, without paying attention to drink, without paying attention to night, without paying attention to day, without paying attention to cold, and without paying attention to heat.
Do not let your mind settle on anything at all, inwardly or outwardly!
Noble son, do not proceed while looking to the left!
Do not look to the right!
Do not proceed while looking to the west, the north, the zenith, the nadir, or the intermediate directions!
Noble son, by whatever means do not sway toward [false views about] perishable composites!
Do not sway toward physical forms!
Do not sway toward feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, or consciousness!
Proceed in that manner!
Those who are swayed thereby are deviating.
If you ask from what they are deviating, they are deviating from the attributes of the buddhas.
Those who deviate from the attributes of the buddhas roam in cyclic existence.
Those who roam in cyclic existence do not find the perfection of wisdom!’
“The bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita replied to that voice,
‘I will do so! f you ask why, it is because I wish to illuminate all beings and wish to attain the attributes of the buddhas.’
“The voice then said to the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita,
‘Excellent, Sadāprarudita, noble son! Excellent!’
“Then again the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita heard the voice.
It said,
‘You should search for the perfection of wisdom, believing in the attributes of the buddhas, which are emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness!
You should abandon signs, abandon entities, and abandon the false view that there are beings.
Noble son, you should abandon evil associates!
You should venerate, serve, and respect spiritual mentors who teach emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, and [who teach that phenomena are without conditioning, unoriginated, nonarising, without entity, and unceasing.
“ ‘Noble son, if you act in that manner, you will before long hear the perfection of wisdom, either from a book or from a monk teaching the Dharma.
Noble son, you should perceive as the Teacher the one from whom you hear the perfection of wisdom.
You should be grateful and mindful of that, saying,
“This is my spiritual mentor.
I will hear the perfection of wisdom from that one, and having heard it, I will make swift and irreversible progress to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
I will approach the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas.
I will be reborn in the buddhafields, inseparable from the tathāgatas, abandon the unfavorable conditions, and acquire the freedoms and opportunities.”
“ ‘Noble son, you should consider these opportunities, and perceive that monk who teaches the Dharma as the Teacher.
Noble son, you should not honor a monk who teaches the Dharma with thoughts of mundane material things.
You should follow a monk who teaches the Dharma with interest in the Dharma and with respect.
“ ‘You should also understand the deeds of Māra.
Noble son, there are even [acolytes of] evil Māra who approach bodhisattva great beings to dissuade them, [insinuating] that the [Teacher] reveres, tends toward, and enjoys sights, sounds, odors, tastes, and tangibles, when they have actually overcome these, and then revered, tended toward, and enjoyed them through skill in means.
In this regard, noble son, you should not lose faith in the one who teaches the Dharma, but think as follows:
“I do not understand that skill in means, but this [teacher] does understand with skill in means.
This [teacher] reveres, tends toward, and enjoys these things in order that beings might acquire the roots of virtuous action, through the disciplining of beings.
Bodhisattva great beings are without attachment or obscuration in any respect.”
“ ‘At that time, also, noble son, you should examine the genuine principle of phenomena.
Noble son, if you ask what is the genuine principle of phenomena, it is that all phenomena are without affliction and without purification.
If you ask why, all phenomena are empty of inherent existence.
All phenomena are without beings, without life forms, and without individual personalities.
That is to say, they are like a magical display, like a dream, like an echo, and like a reflection.
Noble son, when you examine the genuine principle of phenomena in that manner and follow the teacher of the Dharma, you will before long be emancipated through the perfection of wisdom.
“ ‘Noble son, you should be aware of yet another deed of Māra.
Noble son, if a teacher of the Dharma should discourage you, noble son, while you seek the perfection of wisdom, and disregard you, you should not at all, noble son, be averse to that [perfection of wisdom].
Rather, with a mind intent on the Dharma, that respects the Dharma and is without weariness, you should follow the monk who preaches the Dharma.’
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“Then, having heard this admonition from the voice, the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita traveled toward the east.
Not long after setting out, he had the following thought: ‘I did not ask that voice how far I should go.’ He stood still in that very place and he wept, cried out, sorrowed, and lamented.
He then had this thought:
‘Having passed one or two or three or four or five or six or seven days in this very place, until I hear the perfection of wisdom I will not pay attention to the weariness of my physical body.
I will not pay attention to dullness and sleep.
I will not pay attention to food.
I will not pay attention to drink.
I will not pay attention to night.
I will not pay attention to day.
I will not pay attention to cold, and I will not pay attention to heat.’
Subhūti, just as a man whose only child had passed away would experience suffering and great unhappiness, paying attention to nothing except the sorrow of [losing] his child due to the sorrow for his child, in the same way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita at that time did not pay attention to anything except the thought,
‘When shall I hear that perfection of wisdom?’
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(Question: Assuming Sadāprarudita didn't know what the Perfection of wisdom was until much later in his life, why did he start the quest and why was he willing to sacrifice everything to get to it?
In the narrative of Chapter 30 from the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra in 8,000 Lines (Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā), Sadāprarudita's quest for the Perfection of Wisdom (prajñāpāramitā) begins not from a detailed intellectual understanding of its content but from an innate, profound spiritual longing and a divine call that awakens his bodhisattva aspirations. As a bodhisattva already embodying the holy life under a Tathāgata, he dwells in seclusion in a remote forest, detached from body, life, gain, honor, and fame — indicating a pre-existing renunciation rooted in past karmic merits and an intrinsic drive to illuminate all beings with the light of Dharma and attain Buddhahood for their benefit.
This foundational motivation is stirred into action by a celestial voice from the air, which mysteriously urges him eastward to "hear the perfection of wisdom" without explaining its essence, instructing him instead to forsake all physical and mental distractions, cultivate conviction in the void, signless, and wishless nature of dharmas, and honor any teacher of it as a guide toward enlightenment and auspicious rebirths. Under the sutra's assumption that he lacks full prior knowledge — evidenced by his later sorrowful lament at not knowing how far to journey or the details of the path — his initiation reflects a leap of faith guided by spiritual intuition and external divine intervention, akin to a parent's singular grief over a lost child, where his weeping sorrow symbolizes an overwhelming, instinctive yearning for ultimate truth that propels him forward despite uncertainty.
Sadāprarudita's extraordinary willingness to sacrifice everything — culminating in his attempt to sell his body, joyfully slashing his arm and thigh to extract heart, blood, and marrow — stems from this same selfless aspiration to procure the Buddha-Dharma for the weal of all beings, contrasted sharply with his reflection on countless past lives wasted in samsaric sufferings and hells for fleeting sense-pleasures. The text portrays this as an act of profound merit-making and devotion, where even without grasping the full profundity of prajñāpāramitā initially, he recognizes it as the supreme, transformative teaching capable of leading to irreversibility from enlightenment, a golden body with the thirty-two marks, boundless compassion, and the ability to serve as a refuge for others. Scholarly interpretations, such as those in analyses of the sutra's narrative, emphasize this as a model of the ideal Dharma seeker: his sacrifices, intensified by Māra's obstructions and Śakra's tests, highlight the bodhisattva's skill in means and unyielding resolve, inspired by visions of Buddhas affirming that such vigor mirrors their own paths. This blind yet pure commitment underscores Mahāyāna themes of bodhicitta (the mind of awakening), where the quest begins from an inner call to alleviate universal suffering, evolving through trials into direct realization, and serving as an inspirational archetype for practitioners to emulate self-abnegation for the Dharma's sake.)
(Summary 2: In Section 2 of Chapter 30 from the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra of 8,000 Lines, as Sadāprarudita sorrows and pines away in his quest for perfect wisdom, a Tathāgata-frame suddenly appears before him, offering approval and noting that all Tathāgatas of the three times searched for the perfection of wisdom with the same vigor, determination, zeal, and zest while they were Bodhisattvas. The frame directs him eastward, 500 leagues to the magnificent city of Gandhavatī, constructed from seven precious substances, measuring twelve leagues in length and breadth, encircled by seven walls, moats, and rows of palm trees. The city thrives in prosperity and security, abundant in provisions and inhabitants, with orderly rows of shops, passages for vehicles and pedestrians, and walls sloping into the golden river Jambu, adorned with jewel-laden trees and networks of bells that produce harmonious, enchanting sounds when stirred by the wind, akin to Gandharva music, delighting all beings.
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The moats brim with temperate water, adorned with lotuses and fragrant flowers from across the trichiliocosm, where inhabitants enjoy boats of precious materials as rewards for past deeds. Surrounding the city are 500 parks, each with 2,500 lotus ponds filled with wheel-sized blossoms in various colors, alive with bird calls, accessible to all without ownership, stemming from long devotion to perfect wisdom and deep dharmas. At the city's crossroads stands the grand mansion of Bodhisattva Dharmodgata, one league in circumference, built of seven precious things, enclosed by walls and palm trees, featuring four named parks — Nityapramudita, Aśoka, Śokavigata, and Puṣpacitra — each with eight jewel-lined ponds like Bhadra and others, with golden-sanded bottoms, jeweled stairs, plantain trees, flowering trees, and sandalwood-scented waters, where Dharmodgata resides with his retinue of 68,000 women, partaking in the five sense-pleasures for a time while demonstrating perfect wisdom.
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The citizens, both men and women, similarly enjoy the parks and ponds in constant joy. In the central square, a pulpit is erected for Dharmodgata with a golden base, layered cushions, a pearl-shining awning half a kośa high, strewn with multicolored flowers and scented perfumes, reflecting his pure heart and the hearers' respect for dharma. Seated there, he teaches perfect wisdom to reverent assemblies of citizens, gods, and countless beings who listen with faith, explain, repeat, copy, and attend wisely to it, all irreversible from full enlightenment and no longer bound for woe. The Tathāgata-frame urges Sadāprarudita to hasten to Dharmodgata, his long-time good friend who summons and encourages him toward enlightenment, searching in the same spirit, advising undivided attention to this unending, natural task free from acceptance or aversion. Filled with elation and joy like a man seeking a surgeon to remove a poisoned arrow, Sadāprarudita, without moving, hears Dharmodgata demonstrating perfect wisdom, forsaking all other dharmas or bases.)
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“Then, Subhūti, while the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita stood there, pining away in that manner, an image of the Tathāgata appeared before him and gave his approval, saying,
‘Noble son, you have spoken well! Excellent!
The tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas of the past also searched for the perfection of wisdom in the manner in which you now search for it.
Therefore, noble child, you should go continuously toward the east, with that same perseverance, that same enthusiasm, that same intent, and that same resolve.
Five hundred yojanas from here, there is a city called Gandhavati, constructed of the seven precious materials, twelve yojanas in length and twelve yojanas in breadth, surrounded in succession by seven perimeter walls, surrounded in succession by seven moats, and surrounded by seven rows of palm trees.
It is prosperous, flourishing, secure, happy, and joyful, filled with a large population.
It has five hundred roadside stalls, evenly spaced, as if drawn in a painting, with bridges offering access to palanquins, vehicles, and pedestrians.
Even the walls surrounding the perimeter of that city are fashioned of the seven precious materials, and they are proportionate and tall.
Even the ramparts of the walls, fashioned of the seven precious materials, are made from the gold of the river Jambu.
From each of these ramparts there also grow trees fashioned of the seven precious materials, with diverse fruits.
Between all these fruit [trees] there are threads also fashioned of the seven precious materials that connect them exclusively with the other trees.
The entire city is covered with a network of golden bells, and that network of golden bells emits sweet, pleasant, and attractive tinkling when shaken by the wind.
Just as a group of skilled [celestial] percussionists with their five sorts of instruments produces sounds that are sweet, pleasant, and attractive, in the same way that network of bells emits a sweet, pleasant, and attractive tinkling when shaken by the wind.
These tinkling sounds also inspire beings to play, delight, and enjoy themselves.
Even the moats that surround the city of Gandhavati are filled with constantly flowing water, endowed with the eight pure qualities, and on that water, which is neither too cold not too hot, are boats fashioned of the seven precious materials.
These have originated from the maturation of the past actions of those beings [inhabiting the city], and the beings on board play, rejoice, and enjoy themselves.
All these waterways are also covered with blue lotuses, day lotuses, night lotuses, and white lotuses, and they are also covered with most fragrant species of flowers.
Indeed, there is no species of flower at all in the world systems of the great trichiliocosm that is not found in the city of Gandhavati.
All around that city there are five hundred parks, all of them fashioned of the seven precious materials, beautiful and absolutely delightful to behold.
In each of these parks there are five hundred lakes measuring one earshot across, and each of these lakes is covered with blue lotuses, day lotuses, night lotuses, and white lotuses, fashioned of the seven precious materials, beautiful and delightful to behold.
Every one of those blue lotuses, day lotuses, night lotuses, and white lotuses have the diameter of a cartwheel—the blue ones are all azure in color, look azure and appear as azure;
the yellow ones are all golden in color, look yellow and appear as yellow;
the red ones are all red in color, look red and appear as red;
and the white ones are all white in color, look white and appear as white.
All these lakes are filled with the sound of swans, ducks, cranes, Indian cranes, and shelducks.
All of these parks are without private ownership or appropriation.
They have originated from the maturation of the past actions of those same beings.
That is to say, they have emerged entirely from the maturation of their belief in the profound Dharma, and from their having practiced the perfection of wisdom over a long time.
“ ‘Noble son, at the center of the crossroads in that city of Gandhavati is situated the house of the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, fashioned of the seven precious materials, and one yojana in circumference.
It is adorned with various gemstones, delightful to behold, and surrounded by seven walls and seven rows of palm trees.
Within the grounds of that mansion there are four gardens for the enjoyment of the household, namely the garden called Nityapramudita, the garden called Aśoka, the garden called Śokavigata, and the garden called Puṣpacitra.
Within each of these gardens there are also eight ponds, called Bhadrā, Bhadrottamā, Nandā, Nandottamā, Kṣamā, Kṣamotta, Niyatā, and Avivahā.
The first side of each pond is fashioned of gold, the second side is fashioned of silver, the third side is fashioned of beryl, and the fourth side is fashioned of crystal.
The base of [each pond] is fashioned of quartz, and the base is strewn with golden sand.
Each pond has eight sets of steps, the height of a throne, and the surfaces of all the steps are embellished with variegated gemstones.
From the gaps between all the steps grow plantain trees, fashioned of gold from the river Jambu.
All these ponds are covered with various kinds of blue lotuses, day lotuses, night lotuses, and white lotus flowers, and they resonate with the sound of swans, Indian cranes, and shelducks.
All around these ponds grow various flowering trees, and when these flowering trees are stirred by the wind, their flowers drop into the ponds.
The water in all these ponds has the scent, color, taste, and feel of sandalwood.
In this mansion there is the residence where the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata plays.
With a retinue including sixty-eight thousand women, he is endowed with the five desirable attributes of the senses, and there he plays, delights, and amuses himself.
The beings dwelling in that city, men and women, are also always joyful, and they play, delight, and amuse themselves since, in these parks and lakes, they are endowed with the five desirable attributes of the senses.
“ ‘The bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, however, after playing, delighting, and amusing himself with his retinue, thereafter always explains the perfection of wisdom.
The citizens of that city, Gandhavati, constructed a teaching throne for the bodhisattva great being Dharmogata at the center of the city crossroads.
Its legs are fashioned of gold, fashioned of silver, fashioned of beryl, and fashioned of crystal, and upon it is spread a mat of tree cotton, or a mat of wool, or a mat of padding, or a mat of silk.
In the air above, about the height of half an earshot, there is a canopy, adorned with pearls.
All around that [throne], flowers of five colors are sprinkled, strewn, and showered, and the area is also scented with diverse sweet fragrances.
Respectful of the Dharma in this manner, the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata is seated upon it, explaining the Dharma of the perfection of wisdom.
The beings who are present within range of that fragrance, respectful of this Dharma that the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata has, listen to this perfection of wisdom.
Many hundreds of living creatures, many thousands of living creatures, many hundred thousands of living creatures assemble there, and among those human beings and gods who assemble there to listen there are some who train in reading it, some who train in reciting it, some who comprehend it, some who grasp it, some who retain it, some who repeat it, some who question it, and some who follow it, focusing their attention correctly on it.
None of these beings have attributes that would incline them to lapse.
Indeed, they all exclusively make irreversible progress toward unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
Noble son, you should approach that bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata!
From him you shall hear the perfection of wisdom.
For a long time, noble son, he will be your spiritual mentor, your teacher.
He will encourage, praise, and make you enthusiastic to [attain] unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
Noble son, he has, in the past, also searched for the perfection of wisdom, just as you are now searching for it.
Noble son, go forth, day and night, paying no attention to [the need for] respite!
Before long you shall hear the perfection of wisdom!’
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“Then, when the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita had heard this teaching of the Tathāgata, he became elated, joyful, resolute, and contented.
Just as a man, hit with a poisoned arrow, does not pay attention to anything but the thought,
‘Where shall I find a doctor who can extract this arrow, one who will extract this arrow and release me from this suffering?’
in the same way, the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita did not pay the slightest attention to anything but the thought,
‘When shall I see that noble son who will teach me the perfection of wisdom, so that, having listened to that Dharma, I shall abandon mental engagement that involves apprehending!’
(Summary 3: In Section 3 of Chapter 30 from the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra of 8,000 Lines, as Sadāprarudita hears Dharmodgata demonstrating perfect wisdom without moving from his spot,
he cultivates a perception that leans on no dharma whatsoever, not even perception itself, thereby opening doors to numerous concentrations [U3S / U2T-3S].
These concentrations, listed extensively, embody profound insights into the nature of dharmas, such as
– "This surveys own-being of any and all dharmas,"
– "The non-apprehension of own-being of any and all dharmas,"
– "Non-difference of any and all dharmas," and others including
– "Bedecked with flowers,"
– "Without any dirt,"
– "Gladdening all beings,"
– "Inexpressible in essential nature,"
– "Unobstructed limit of any and all dharmas,"
– "As a thunderbolt,"
– "Victorious,"
– "This roars like a lion,"
– "Free from dirt,"
– "Undefiled,"
– "Lotus-array,"
– "Piercer of any and all dharmas,"
– "Without darkness," "Irresistible,"
– "Emission of rays," and culminating in
– "Sight of the Tathāgata" and
– "Spectator of all Tathāgatas."
Established in these states,
Sadāprarudita beholds countless Buddhas and Lords across world systems in the ten directions, who are revealing the perfection of wisdom to Bodhisattvas.
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(i.e. Reality as it is is always everywhere teaching without teaching the true nature & dynamic of reality as it is here & now (tathātā, suchness) and how to act in accord with it, as pointed out by the Union of the Two Truths [U2T], Union of the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S], Union of opposites [Uopp / U2T-opp], Union of the three times [U3T / U2T-3T], Union of the Ground and its manifestations [UGM / U2T-GM], Union of the three kayas [U3K / U2T-3K], Union of the Two Truths about the two truths [U2T-2T]. Where ‘Union’ means that the opposites are more like inseparable, dependently co-arisen, interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind, mere designations/names [T1] ⇐⇒ and thus empty of inherent existence, never absolute, [T2], and vice versal, one truth supports/implies the other [U2T]; all phenomena are more like like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echoes, ‘there, yet not there’.)
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The Tathāgatas applaud and comfort him, affirming that they, too, as Bodhisattvas in the three times, searched for perfect wisdom with the same spirit, acquiring these concentrations and advancing irreversibly toward enlightenment through transmission of wisdom and Buddha-dharmas.
They explain that scrutinizing the essential nature of these concentrations yields no real dharma that enters, emerges, abides, or attains enlightenment; this absence of imaginings and self-conceit constitutes perfect wisdom itself, enabling the manifestation of golden bodies, the thirty-two marks, eighty accessory marks, haloes, supreme cognition, and all Buddha qualities — immeasurable even by Tathāgatas, let alone disciples or Pratyekabuddhas.
They urge filling the mind with respect for Buddha-dharmas, aspiring zealously toward them, as enlightenment is attainable for the devoted, and emphasize serene confidence in good friends who guide one swiftly to realization.
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Sadāprarudita inquires about this good friend, and a Tathāgata identifies Bodhisattva Dharmodgata as the one who has long matured him toward supreme enlightenment, upheld him, and served as preceptor in perfecting wisdom, skill in means, and Buddha-dharmas. Even carrying Dharmodgata as a turban for countless aeons, providing him endless happiness, or offering all sensory delights from the trichiliocosm could not repay his friendly deeds; through Dharmodgata's might, Sadāprarudita has acquired these concentrations, heard of perfect wisdom and skill in means, and gained access to this profound teaching.)
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“Then, while he remained in that very place, there arose in the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita the perception that did not settle on anything at all.
On the basis of the perfection of wisdom and through the experience of his former lives, there then manifested many gateways of meditative stability.
These included
(1) the meditative stability named viewing the essential nature of all phenomena;
(2) the meditative stability named nonapprehension of the essential nature of all phenomena;
(3) the meditative stability named emergence of wisdom with respect to all phenomena;
(4) the meditative stability named nondifferentiation with respect to all phenomena;
(5) the meditative stability named observation that all phenomena are unchanging;
(6) the meditative stability named illuminator of all phenomena;
(7) the meditative stability named separating all phenomena from darkness;
(8) the meditative stability named destruction of ignorance with respect to all phenomena;
(9) the meditative stability named nonapprehension of all phenomena;
(10) the meditative stability named scattering of flowers;
(11) the meditative stability named actualizing the embodiment of all phenomena;
(12) the meditative stability named abandonment of magical display;
(13) the meditative stability named actualizing images on the surface of a mirror;
(14) the meditative stability named calling forth the voices of all beings;
(15) the meditative stability named gladdening of all beings;
(16) the meditative stability named following those learned in the languages of all beings;
(17) the meditative stability named calling forth the variety of sounds, words, and syllables;
(18) the meditative stability named unoppressed;
(19) the meditative stability named naturally devoid of conventional expression;
(20) the meditative stability named attainment of unobscured liberation;
(21) the meditative stability named immaculate;
(22) the meditative stability named nouns, lexical explanations, words, and syllables;
(23) the meditative stability named nonperception of all phenomena;
(24) the meditative stability named lexical explanations, words, and syllables with respect to all phenomena;
(25) the meditative stability named unobscured limit of all phenomena;
(26) the meditative stability named space-like;
(27) the meditative stability named vajra-like;
(28) the meditative stability named approaching the king of physical forms;
(29) the meditative stability named attainment of triumph;
(30) the meditative stability named irreversible eyes;
(31) the meditative stability named emerging from the realm of phenomena;
(32) the meditative stability named inspiration;
(33) the meditative stability named roaring of the lion;
(34) the meditative stability named overwhelming of all beings;
(35) the meditative stability named stainless;
(36) the meditative stability named absence of afflicted mental states;
(37) the meditative stability named lotus ornament;
(38) the meditative stability named severance of doubt;
(39) the meditative stability named pursuing of all essentials;
(40) the meditative stability named sublimation of all phenomena;
(41) the meditative stability named attainment of the extrasensory powers, the powers, and the fearlessnesses;
(42) the meditative stability named certain realization of all phenomena;
(43) the meditative stability named ocean embracing all phenomena;
(44) the meditative stability named abandonment of all indolence;
(45) the meditative stability named illuminator of the profound doctrine;
(46) the meditative stability named resembling Mount Sumeru;
(47) the meditative stability named uncaptivated;
(48) the meditative stability named destroyer of the entourage of Māra;
(49) the meditative stability named nonfixation on the three realms;
(50) the meditative stability named emergence of light rays;
and (51) the meditative stability named sight of the tathāgatas.
“Abiding in these meditative stabilities,
he saw immeasurable and countless lord buddhas in the world systems of the ten directions, demonstrating this very perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings.
(i.e. Reality as it is is always everywhere teaching without teaching the true nature & dynamic of reality as it is here & now (tathātā, suchness) and how to act in accord with it, as pointed out by the Union of the Two Truths [U2T], Union of the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S], Union of opposites [Uopp / U2T-opp], Union of the three times [U3T / U2T-3T], Union of the Ground and its manifestations [UGM / U2T-GM], Union of the three kayas [U3K / U2T-3K], Union of the Two Truths about the two truths [U2T-2T]. Where ‘Union’ means that the opposites are more like inseparable, dependently co-arisen, interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind, mere designations/names [T1] ⇐⇒ and thus empty of inherent existence, never absolute, [T2], and vice versal, one truth supports/implies the other [U2T]; all phenomena are more like like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echoes, ‘there, yet not there’.)
Those tathāgatas also applauded and inspired him, saying,
‘Noble son, we, too, in the past when we were engaged in the conduct of a bodhisattva, searched for the perfection of wisdom.
We attained these meditative stabilities that you have now attained.
And having attained those meditative stabilities, we indeed realized the perfection of wisdom and became established in the dharmas from which there is no regression.
When we behold the inherent existence and essential nature of these meditative stabilities, we do not see anything at all that becomes absorbed in them, that arises from them, that would practice for awakening , or that would attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.
“ ‘Noble son, this perfection of wisdom is without conceits about anything at all.
Noble son, because we are established in the absence of conceits, our bodies have acquired a color resembling that of gold.
Not to mention the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, even the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas cannot grasp the measure of, or disclose the limits of, the thirty-two major marks of a great person, the eighty excellent minor marks, the aureole of light extending a full arm span, the inconceivable attributes of the buddhas, the gnosis of the buddhas, the wisdom of the buddhas, the unsurpassed meditative stabilities, or the perfection of enlightened attributes.
Therefore, noble son, you should indeed cultivate respect for these attributes.
You should cultivate an increasing interest and belief in them.
If you ask why, noble son, unsurpassed, complete enlightenment is not a rarity for those who are interested in it and who believe in it.
Noble son, you should also cultivate respect and empathy for spiritual mentors.
If you ask why, bodhisattva great beings who have been accepted by spiritual mentors will attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.’
“Then the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita asked those tathāgatas,
‘Who is my spiritual mentor?’
“Those tathāgatas replied to the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita,
‘Noble son, the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata has over a long period of time brought you to maturity in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, and favored you with the perfection of wisdom.
He has also trained you in skill in means.
It is he, noble son, who has benefited you.
He is your spiritual mentor.
Noble son, you should keep in mind the deeds he has undertaken on your behalf.
If, noble son, you were to carry the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata on your head like a turban for one eon, two eons, a hundred eons, a thousand eons, or even longer, and furnish him with the resources that bring happiness, or grant to him all those sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tangibles, as many as there are in the world systems of the great trichiliocosm, even by that, noble son, you would not repay him.
If you ask why, noble son, it is through his power that you have acquired such meditative stabilities, that you have listened to those skilled in the perfection of wisdom, and that you will attain the perfection of wisdom.”
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This completes the seventy-third chapter, “The Bodhisattva Sadāprarudita’s Attainment of the Manifold Gateways of Meditative Stability,” from The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines.”
In Section 3 of Chapter 30 from the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra in 8,000 Lines, the Bodhisattva Sadāprarudita attains a series of meditative concentrations (samādhis) that arise from a perception unbound by any dharma, even perception itself. These samādhis, listed by name, serve as "doors" to profound insights into the true nature of all dharmas (phenomena), aligning with the sutra's emphasis on perfect wisdom (prajñāpāramitā). Although the text attributes them to Sadāprarudita, they reflect a progressive realization process:
– beginning with investigation of apparent realities,
– moving through deconstruction and purification, and
– culminating in transcendent vision.
This gradual unfolding mirrors Mahāyāna Madhyamaka philosophy, particularly as expounded by Nāgārjuna, which views dharmas as empty of inherent existence (svabhāva) [T2], dependently originated (pratītyasamutpāda) [T1], and non-dual in their ultimate suchness (tathatā) [U2T].
The concentrations highlight key Madhyamaka insights,
– such as the middle way avoiding eternalism (inherent existence) and nihilism (total non-existence),
– the two truths (conventional appearances vs. ultimate emptiness),
– the illusion-like nature of phenomena, and
– freedom from conceptual attachments and defilements.
Below, I group the 60 concentrations thematically based on recurring motifs (e.g., non-apprehension, illumination, transcendence), with overlaps noted, and discuss the Madhyamaka insights they evoke, illustrating a step-by-step dismantling of reified views toward non-conceptual wisdom.
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Group 1: Investigation and Non-Apprehension of Inherent Nature (Emptiness of Svabhāva) [U2T]
Concentrations: "This surveys own-being of any and all dharmas," "The non-apprehension of own-being of any and all dharmas," "The non-apprehension of any and all dharmas," "Inexpressible in essential nature," "Without a sign of any and all dharmas," "Seal of desisting from becoming on the part of any and all dharmas," "The ocean in which any and all dharmas lose any becoming."
These samādhis focus on scrutinizing and ultimately failing to grasp the "own-being" (svabhāva) of dharmas, leading to their non-apprehension.
In Madhyamaka, this highlights the core insight of emptiness (śūnyatā): all phenomena lack independent, inherent existence [T2], as they arise dependently on causes and conditions [T1] [U2T].
Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (MMK 24:18) equates dependent origination with emptiness, stating, "Whatever is dependently co-arisen [T1], that is explained to be emptiness [T2] [U2T]."
Here, the progression from "surveying" to "non-apprehension" reflects a gradual realization: initial analysis reveals no self-sustaining essence, dissolving notions of production (coming) and cessation (going), akin to the middle way that avoids reifying dharmas as eternal or annihilating them as nonexistent.
This group subtly messages that wisdom begins with intellectual probing (intellectual dualistic effort) but culminates in non-conceptual letting go (non-dualistic non-conceptual effortless realisation), freeing the mind from the "signs" (nimitta) of inherent reality, which perpetuate saṃsāra.
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Group 2: Non-Difference, Unchangeability, and Sameness (Non-Duality and Suchness)
Concentrations: "Non-difference of any and all dharmas," "Spectator of unchangeability of any and all dharmas," "Spectator of any and all dharmas without distinction," "This state which comes from feeling no rigidity," "Unobstructed limit of any and all dharmas," "Situated beyond any and all dharmas."
Emphasizing uniformity and immutability, these evoke the Madhyamaka realization of non-duality (advaya), where all dharmas share the same ultimate nature — suchness (tathatā) — empty and undifferentiated.
In the two truths framework, conventional truth presents dharmas as diverse and changing, but ultimate truth reveals their sameness in emptiness, as Nāgārjuna notes in MMK 18:9: "Not known from another, peaceful, not elaborated by elaborations, without conceptions, without diversity—this is the character of reality."
The "unchangeability" and "no rigidity" suggest transcendence of flux without positing a static essence, aligning with the middle way that views change as illusory.
Subtly, this group highlights gradual insight: from perceiving distinctions to realizing boundless, unobstructed suchness, fostering equanimity and compassion by seeing no real hierarchies among beings or phenomena.
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Group 3: Illumination, Dispelling Darkness, and Insight (Penetrating Wisdom)
Concentrations: "Illuminator of any and all dharmas," "From any and all dharmas darkness vanished," "This sheds light on deep dharmas," "Without darkness," "Insight into any and all dharmas," "Emission of rays," "Piercer of any and all dharmas," "Annihilation of hesitation."
These symbolize the clarifying power of prajñā (wisdom), dispelling ignorance (avidyā) like light banishing shadows.
Madhyamaka insight here is the penetration of ultimate truth, revealing dharmas' emptiness and dissolving doubts, as per Nāgārjuna's MMK 24:10: "The ultimate truth is not taught independently of customary ways of talking and thinking."
The "piercer" and "annihilation of hesitation" reflect analytical meditation (vipaśyanā) that "illuminates" the illusion-like nature, leading to freedom from conceptual proliferations (prapañca).
Gradually, this builds from removing superficial darkness to emitting rays of profound understanding, subtly teaching that wisdom is active and transformative, countering Māra's obscurations and enabling the Bodhisattva's compassionate engagement with the conventional world.
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Group 4: Illusory and Reflective Nature (Dependent Origination as Illusion)
Concentrations: "Having abandoned illusion," "Calling forth images reflected in a mirror," "Calling forth sounds of all beings," "A follower of vocal sounds of all beings, from skill in means," "Consummation of the whole variety of letters, words and vocal sounds," "Grammatical analysis of speech into words and letters."
Drawing on metaphors of mirrors, echoes, and speech, these underscore dharmas as illusory projections, dependently originated yet empty. In Madhyamaka, phenomena are like reflections — appearing real conventionally but lacking substance ultimately, as Nāgārjuna compares them to magical illusions in MMK 7:34: "Like a magical display, like a mirage, like a city of gandharvas."
The focus on sounds and words highlights nominal designation (prajñapti), where language constructs reality without inherent referents, relating to skill in means (upāya) for teaching emptiness without nihilism.
This group illustrates gradual realization: abandoning gross illusions, analyzing conventions (e.g., speech), and mastering skillful communication to guide others, emphasizing the union of two truths for Bodhisattva practice.
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Group 5: Purity, Detachment, and Freedom from Defilements (Transcendence of Saṃsāra)
Concentrations: "Without any dirt," "Gladdening all beings," "Free from dirt," "Undefiled," "Free from any and all attachment," "Without a trace of laziness," "No inclination for anything in the triple world," "No world for beings to be reborn in," "This leaves behind this jungle of any and all views and actions."
Centered on purification and non-attachment, these reflect liberation from kleśas (defilements) and saṃsāric cycles.
Madhyamaka insight is freedom from views (dṛṣṭi) and actions rooted in ignorance, as emptiness eradicates grasping, per Nāgārjuna's MMK 18:5: "Liberation results from the cessation of actions and defilements." The "jungle of views" evokes transcending extremes, while "gladdening all beings" ties to compassion arising from detachment.
Gradually, this progresses from personal purity to universal non-rebirth, subtly messaging that realization dissolves saṃsāra-nirvāṇa duality, enabling Bodhisattvas to remain engaged without entanglement.
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Group 6: Power, Victory, and Transcendence (Overcoming Obstacles and Attaining Qualities)
Concentrations: "As a thunderbolt," "The king is near," "The unrivalled king," "Victorious," "One cannot avert this eye," "This roars like a lion," "Irresistible," "This shatters what is seen as the circle of Mara's army," "Attainment of super-knowledges, powers and the grounds of self-confidence," "Realization of unobstructed emancipation."
These evoke triumphant wisdom overpowering delusions, highlighting Madhyamaka's "thunderbolt" (vajra-like) negation that shatters reifications. Insights include the attainment of abhijñā (superknowledges) and self-confidence through emptiness, as the middle way "roars" against Māra's armies of views. Nāgārjuna's dialectical refutations exemplify this victory, leading to unobstructed emancipation. Gradually, from "shattering" to "attainment," this group underscores that insight empowers compassionate action, subtly affirming the Bodhisattva's irreversible path.
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Group 7: Metaphorical Vastness and Culmination (Vision of Ultimate Reality)
Concentrations: "Bedecked with flowers," "Within this body this consummates any and all dharmas," "Visit from the king," "Fixed on this element of dharma," "Come out of this element of dharma," "Granter of consolation," "Lotus-array," "Follower of any and all substantial excellence," "Fashioned as a firmament," "Fashioned like Meru," "Sight of the Tathāgata," "Spectator of all Tathāgatas."
Using symbols like lotuses (purity amid mud), Meru (cosmic stability), and firmament (boundlessness), these culminate in direct vision of Tathāgatas. Madhyamaka insight is the realization of dharmadhātu (dharma-element) as empty yet all-encompassing, per the two truths' union. The "sight of the Tathāgata" reflects ultimate truth's non-conceptual apprehension. This final group represents the apex of gradual realization: from metaphorical vastness to beholding Buddhas, integrating wisdom with the Bodhisattva's role as consoler, subtly conveying that true nature is consummated in everyday embodiment, transcending yet including all.
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In conclusion, these concentrations outline a structured yet fluid progression toward realizing dharmas' true nature — empty, interdependent, and illusion-like — echoing Madhyamaka's emphasis on analytical insight leading to non-conceptual freedom. As the text notes, even Buddhas find no inherent dharma in these samādhis, affirming their role in dissolving imaginings for supreme enlightenment. This gradual path, supported by good friends like Dharmodgata, inspires zealous aspiration, ensuring Bodhisattvas swiftly realize Buddhahood for all beings' benefit.
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(Discussion: … In the context of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra in 8,000 Lines and its Madhyamaka-inspired philosophy, the phrase "culminate in direct vision of Tathāgatas" in Group 7 refers to the pinnacle of meditative realization within these concentrations (samādhis), where the practitioner — here, Sadāprarudita — transcends conceptual analysis to directly perceive the ultimate nature of reality as embodied by the Tathāgatas (Buddhas). This "vision" is not a literal, sensory sighting of historical or cosmic Buddhas but a non-dual, non-conceptual insight into suchness (tathatā), the unchanging, empty essence that pervades all phenomena. The concentrations in this group, such as "Sight of the Tathāgata" and "Spectator of all Tathāgatas," build on earlier themes of vastness (e.g., "Fashioned as a firmament" or "Fashioned like Meru," evoking boundless, stable cosmic metaphors) and consummation (e.g., "Within this body this consummates any and all dharmas"), leading to a transformative apprehension where the meditator "sees" the Tathāgata not as a separate entity but as the true reality underlying everything. This aligns with the sutra's narrative progression: Sadāprarudita's samādhis enable him to behold countless Buddhas across world systems, who affirm that even these visions lack inherent own-being (svabhāva), emphasizing that the "direct vision" is an experiential confirmation of emptiness, free from imaginings or dualistic grasping.
Regarding your question about whether this culmination is about realizing the Buddha-nature (tathāgatagarbha) in all dharmas, it aligns closely in a complementary sense, as Buddha-nature in Mahayana is never reified as a substantial entity — any more than emptiness (śūnyatā) is treated as an absolute void. Instead, both function as antidotes: emptiness stresses the non-absolute existence of dharmas (their lack of inherent self-nature), while Buddha-nature affirms their non-non-existence (an innate, luminous potential for enlightenment undefiled by adventitious obscurations). Together, they embody the Middle Way, neither accepting dharmas as truly existent nor rejecting their conventional functionality and positive qualities.
In this sutra's framework, the vision can thus be interpreted as uncovering the Buddha-nature pervasive in all dharmas — not as a positive essence but as the empty, radiant suchness that allows Buddhahood to manifest, akin to later syntheses in texts like the Ratnagotravibhāga, where tathāgatagarbha is equated with emptiness as the ground of all qualities. This realization avoids eternalism by grounding in śūnyatā, yet inspires confidence in the path's efficacy.
Your second suggestion — seeing all dharmas as Buddhas teaching us about the true nature of reality as it is — also captures the essence profoundly and complements the first, as the Tathāgata in Prajñāpāramitā represents the embodiment of ultimate truth — neither coming nor going, produced nor stopped — mirroring the dream-like, illusory quality of all phenomena. The "direct vision" is thus a realization that every dharma, in its dependent origination and emptiness, "teaches" the Dharma by exemplifying suchness; for instance, a mirage or echo (common sutra analogies) "instructs" on non-apprehension without words.
In Madhyamaka terms, this is the union of the two truths: conventionally, dharmas appear as diverse teachers (like Buddhas manifesting to guide beings), but ultimately, they are indistinguishable from the Tathāgata's wisdom-body (dharmakāya).
The sutra's Tathāgatas applaud Sadāprarudita, revealing that their own paths involved similar samādhis, and urge respect for "good friends" like Dharmodgata, subtly messaging that this vision fosters gratitude and compassion—seeing all as potential Buddhas accelerates collective awakening. Ultimately, it's a non-dual epiphany: dharmas aren't separate "teachers" but the Tathāgata itself, dissolving subject-object divides for liberated action in saṃsāra, harmonizing the non-acceptance (via emptiness) and non-rejection (via Buddha-nature) of the Middle Way.
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The proposed interpretation of the "culmination in direct vision of Tathāgatas" as realizing the Buddha-nature (tathāgatagarbha) in all dharmas — viewing them as primordially interconnected, equal, pure, perfect, divine, and "one" in a non-dual sense — resonates deeply with the non-reified, complementary dynamics of Mahāyāna philosophy, particularly as it synthesizes Prajñāpāramitā's emphasis on emptiness (śūnyatā) with Tathāgatagarbha teachings on innate luminosity.
In the context of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra in 8,000 Lines (especially Sadāprarudita's samādhis in Chapter 30, Section 3), this vision isn't a dualistic perception of separate "Buddhas" out there but an experiential awakening to the suchness (tathatā) that pervades everything, where dharmas are neither "this" (inherent existence), nor "non-this" (absolute non-existence), nor both, nor neither — transcending the tetralemma (catuṣkoṭi) as articulated in Madhyamaka dialectics by Nāgārjuna. This aligns with the Middle Way: not accepting dharmas as substantially real (avoiding eternalism), nor rejecting their luminous, functional potential (avoiding nihilism).
– Here, all dharmas are "primordially interconnected" through dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda),
– "equal" in their empty uniformity,
– "pure" as undefiled by adventitious defilements,
– "perfect" in their inherent completeness when seen without grasping,
– "divine" in their radiant wisdom-body (dharmakāya) aspect, and
– "one" in non-dual suchness — yet this "one" is not a monistic entity but an open, boundless unity that defies conceptualization.
As the sutra's Tathāgatas affirm, even these visions lack own-being, pointing to a realization where there's "nothing else than pure Buddhas teaching us," as every phenomenon, in its illusory arising, ceaselessly reveals the Dharma.
This perspective beautifully extends to the idea that "reality as it is continually teaching us the true nature of reality as it is," echoing the Mahāyāna view that saṃsāra itself is the teacher when perceived through prajñā (wisdom).
In the concentrations like "Sight of the Tathāgata" and "Spectator of all Tathāgatas," the culmination is this direct, non-conceptual "seeing" (darśana) — not as an endpoint but an ongoing, dynamic insight where dharmas "teach" by exemplifying their true nature [U2T]: a flower's bloom "instructs" on impermanence and interdependence, a sound's echo on non-apprehension, all as manifestations of the Tathāgata's wisdom. This mirrors later integrations in texts like the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra or Ratnagotravibhāga, where Buddha-nature is the "pure mind" (cittaviśuddhi) inherent in all, obscured yet ever-present, and realized as the non-dual ground where phenomena are "Buddhas teaching" through their very emptiness [U2T]. Subtly, it avoids reification: the "pure, perfect, divine" qualities are not attributes of a substantial self but emergent from realizing non-duality, fostering bodhicitta (awakened mind) to guide others. In practice, this encourages meditative contemplation — analyzing dharmas' lack of svabhāva while affirming their luminous potential — leading to compassionate action, as Sadāprarudita's vision inspires gratitude toward "good friends" like Dharmodgata, perpetuating the Dharma for all beings' liberation.
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Yes, your insistence on viewing all dharmas as Buddhas continually teaching us about the true nature of reality aligns beautifully with the profound intent of Dharmodgata's discourse in Chapter 31 of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra in 8,000 Lines, serving as a skillful precursor to resolving Sadāprarudita's question about the "coming and going" (origination and cessation) of Tathāgatas. This query, as you astutely note, transcends a literal inquiry about enlightened beings and extends to the essence of all phenomena, probing the interplay between conventional truths (saṃvṛti-satya) — such as causality, interdependent appearances, and the seeming flux of arising-abiding-ceasing — and the ultimate truth (paramārtha-satya) of their emptiness. In the sutra, Dharmodgata's response negates any inherent movement or substantiality, equating Tathāgatas with suchness (tathatā), non-production, and emptiness, while using analogies like mirages, dreams, and echoes to illustrate that dharmas "teach" by revealing their illusory, dependently originated nature without svabhāva (inherent existence).
Seeing dharmas as "Buddhas teaching" thus reframes every apparent causality or manifestation — be it a flower's bloom demonstrating impermanence, a sound's echo exemplifying non-apprehension, or even suffering's arising as a call to compassion — as an ongoing Dharma exposition, where conventional appearances "instruct" without reification, guiding the practitioner toward non-dual realization. This perspective, rooted in the Middle Way, neither accepts dharmas as independently real (eternalism) nor rejects their functional, luminous role in awakening (nihilism), fostering a compassionate engagement with saṃsāra as the very ground for nirvāṇa.
This interpretive lens also harmonizes with broader Mahāyāna themes, where the Tathāgata's dharmakāya (wisdom-body) pervades all, making every dharma a "teacher" in the sense of manifesting the Buddha-nature's undefiled purity amid emptiness. As the sutra's cosmic responses (earthquakes, flower rains) to the teaching suggest, this realization disrupts Māra's delusions and awakens multitudes, implying that the question's resolution lies in experientially "seeing" causality and appearances not as fixed truths but as empty yet instructive illusions—primordially interconnected and equal in their suchness. By insisting on this view, you're highlighting a practical application: it transforms daily perception into a continuous meditation on the two truths' union, accelerating the Bodhisattva path toward Buddhahood for all beings' benefit.)