Gileht - Pajna8k-C28

Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra 8K
Chapter 28 - Avakirnakusuma

(A prophecy for 6,000 monks: the Lord predicts that these monks will attain full enlightenment in the future Starlike aeon as Tathagatas all named Avakirnakusuma. Embrace the consummation of non-extinction: Because everything is empty of inherent existence [U2T], there is no inherent (i) origination / birth / beginning / coming, (ii) duration / change / middle / lasting, (iii) cessation / death / ending / going of any thing, being, process or cycle, pure or impure; just conventionally, relatively. Because everything is empty of inherent existence [U2T], then everything is primordially interconnected, empty, signless, wishless, illusory, unsupported, equal, pure, perfect, Buddha-nature, complete, divine, 'one', limitless, measureless, infinite, unborn, unconditioned, unchanging, unceasing, in the non-dual sense of those terms: not 'this', not 'non-this' not both, not neither, and there is no fifth, for whatever 'this' is [Tetralemma]. Everything is beyond all conditioned dualistic conceptual proliferation, beyond all conditioning / karma (individual, collective, cosmic). So course / train without coursing / training in the perfection of wisdom, without attachment, reification, effort or absolute, without settling in any dharma, without accepting / seeking or rejecting / extinguishing anything in absolute terms.)

Main Index

Section 1. The Prediction of Avakirnakusuma

Section 2. Praise of the Perfection-of-Wisdom

Section 3. Transmission of the Sutra to Ananda

Section 4. Akshobhya's Buddha-Field

Section 5. Extinction, Non-Extinction, and the Perfection-of-Wisdom

Section 6. Advantages Derived from the Perfection-of-Wisdom

Section 7. Added Conclusion to Chapter 28

Chapter XXVIII - Avakirnakusuma

“Step into the radiant prophecy of Chapter 28, "Avakirnakusuma," in the Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 Lines, where divine flowers cascade in a miraculous assembly, heralding the future Buddhahood of devoted monks amid the Lord's enigmatic smile and illuminating rays that span boundless realms. Witness the exalted praise of wisdom as the inexhaustible source and mother of all Tathagatas, entrusted solemnly to Ananda for eternal preservation, while visions of Akshobhya's serene Buddha-field reveal the unseeable, inactive essence of dharmas akin to illusions and space. This chapter invites earnest seekers to embrace the consummation of non-extinction, surveying conditioned coproduction beyond dualities and extremes, unlocking immeasurable merits, protection from Mara's sorrow, and the perfect development of all perfections — guiding the irreversible path to supreme enlightenment for the boundless benefit of all beings.”

Last update: September 17, 2025
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Section 1. The Prediction of Avakirnakusuma

(Summary 1: In this section, a God from the Thirty-three arrives with magnificent Mandarava flowers as six thousand monks assemble and rise to salute the Lord, their hands miraculously filled with the same flowers through the Buddha's power. They scatter the flowers over the Lord, declaring that they course and abide in the perfection of wisdom. The Lord smiles, emitting rays of multiple colors — blue, yellow, red, white, crimson, crystal, silverish, and golden — that illuminate boundless world systems up to the Brahma world before circulating around him thrice and vanishing into his head.
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Ananda inquires about the reason for the smile, and the Lord predicts that these monks will attain full enlightenment in the future Starlike aeon as Tathagatas all named Avakirnakusuma ("covered with flowers"), serving as world teachers with identical congregations, lifespans of twenty thousand aeons, extensive holy writs spreading among gods and beings, and dharma enduring the same period. Showers of five-colored flowers will descend upon them wherever they leave home, turn the dharma wheel, dwell, or appear among people.)

TEXT: So, at this time, one of the Gods of the Thirty-three seized Mandarava flowers, magnificent Mandarava flowers, and comes here to the Lord. And just at this time, six thousand monks are assembled and seated in this assembly. They rise from their seats, put their upper robes over one shoulder, place their right knees on the earth, and salute the Lord with their hands together. Through the Buddha's might their hands are now filled Mandarava flowers, with magnificent Mandarava flowers. They scatter these flowers over the Lord, and speak: "We, O Lord, course/abide in this perfection of wisdom!" Here and now, as this occasion progresses, the Lord is smiling. Such is the nature of the Buddhas and Lords that, when a smile is made to manifest [in an assembly of Bodhisattva], multiple colors of rays issue from the Lord's mouth, -rays of blue, yellow, red, white, crimson, crystal, silverfish and golden. These rays illuminate endless and boundless world systems with their luster, rising right up even to this world of Brahma, again returning from this world to the Lord, circulate thrice round the Lord, and now vanish again into the head of the Lord. Here and now the venerable Ananda rises from his seat, put his upper robe over one shoulder, placed his right knee on the earth, placed his hands together and offered them and his entire being to the Lord, and said: It is not without reason the Tathagata manifests a smile. What is the reason for your smile, O Lord?

The Lord now speaks and says: These six thousand monks, Ananda, in a future period, in the Starlike aeon, do finally come to know full enlightenment, and within this demonstrate dharma to beings. These all bear the same name. With Avakirnakusuma for their name these Tathagatas are teachers in the world. These all have an equal congregation of disciples. These all live the same length of time, i.e., twenty thousand aeons. Each one of these have an extensive holy writ, which spreads widely among Gods and beings. In each case their good law abides for the same length of time, for twenty thousand aeons. And showers of flowers, of all the five colors, descends upon all of these - wherever they may leave a home which they had in a village, town or marketplace, or wherever they may turn once again the wheel of dharmas, wherever they may dwell, wherever they may appear [among people]. [NOTE: the name 'Avakirnakusuma', literally means, 'covered with flowers', said in this prediction to be a group of future Buddhas.]

Section 2. Praise of the Perfection-of-Wisdom

(Summary 2: In this section, Ananda is addressed regarding Bodhisattvas across the three times who aspire to the limitless highest dwelling of the Tathagata, which is achieved by dwelling in the perfection of wisdom. Such Bodhisattvas, coursing and abiding in this wisdom — becoming and adapting it as themselves — can be assured of having previously deceased among humans or the Tushita gods, realms where the perfection of wisdom fully circulates. Tathagatas behold these practitioners as they learn, bear in mind, study, speak, repeat, write, and pursue the wisdom in its meaning, contents, and method, while also instructing, admonishing, instigating, and encouraging other Bodhisattvas.
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These Bodhisattvas plant and continue planting wholesome roots beyond any known or future limits, within the view and thought of Tathagatas, surpassing mere planting in the presence of Sravakas, Disciples, or Pratyekabuddhas by doing so directly with Tathagatas, remaining unafraid. Those engaging with the wisdom have undoubtedly been face to face with Tathagatas, fulfilling inclinations under past Buddhas (Jinas) without reviling, opposing, denying, or rejecting it. They do not retract their vow to reveal and realize full enlightenment, dedicating wholesome roots solely to it rather than to Discipleship or Pratyekabuddhahood; as an imperishable principle of dharmic interdependence, they gratefully practice the wisdom ceaselessly, transcending forms, feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness, where Suchness spontaneously reveals thoughtless, timeless cognition born of pure awareness, identical to space.)

TEXT: So here, Ananda, in any of these three times, Bodhisattvas aspiring to dwell in this highest dwelling, beyond limit, aspiring to dwell in this dwelling of Tathagata, dwell in this dwelling of the Perfection-of-Wisdom. With any Bodhisattvas coursing/abiding in perfecting this wisdom within, and actually becoming this and adapting this as oneself, ones such as these can be quite certain of having, before one is reborn here among people, deceased among people or among the heavenly hosts of the Tushitas. For it is among people and Tushita Gods this perfection of wisdom circulates to this full extent. One can be certain Tathagatas behold such Bodhisattvas as course/abide in this perfection of wisdom, learn this, bear this in mind, study, speak of, repeat, or merely write this, and also instruct any other Bodhisattvas, admonish, instigate and encourage these.

You can know that ones such as these have planted and continue planting wholesome roots within and beyond any known limits, or any limits yet to be established...and these do this within this view and thought of Tathagatas. These do, not only in the presence of Sravakas, Disciples, and Pratyekabuddhas plant wholesome roots so as to train self and others in the Perfection-of-Wisdom, but, without any doubt these Bodhisattvas training in this perfection of wisdom and remaining unafraid, plant wholesome roots with Tathagatas.

Any taking up this perfection of wisdom, bear this in mind, study, speak of, repeat and write this, which pursue this, - in its meaning, contents and method - one can be quite certain these have been face to face with Tathagatas. As Bodhisattvas do not revile this perfection of wisdom, neither oppose, deny nor reject this, one can know these fulfill their inclinations indicated under Jinas, these Buddhas of this past.

As a Bodhisattva does not go back on one's vow to reveal and have revealed, to realize and bring to realization full enlightenment, this one does not give the wholesome root which one plants in the all-presence of Tathagatas, over to Discipleship or Pratyekabuddhahood as one's reward. As a rule, as a matter of imperishable principle struck by the complete interdependence of any and all dharmas, such Bodhisattvas are grateful and practice this perfection of wisdom with no stopping whatsoever, even beyond these forms, feelings, perceptions, impulses or any consciousness of such dharmas. One can know this, to be sure. The spontaniety of Suchness reveals this thoughtless, timeless cognition borne of pure awareness...identical to space.

Section 3. Transmission of the Sutra to Ananda

(Summary 3: In this section, the Lord repeatedly entrusts and transmits the perfection of wisdom to Ananda, emphasizing its preservation through learning, bearing in mind, discoursing, studying, repeating, writing, and spreading so that it endures and does not disappear. Forgetting other dharma demonstrations is a minor offense, but forgetting even a single verse or part of this wisdom constitutes a serious offense against all Tathagatas — past, future, and present — displeasing the Lord and failing in respect, reverence, and worship. The perfection of wisdom is described as the mother, sourceless source, generatrix, and nurse in all-knowledge for all Tathagatas; Ananda is urged to treat it with the same affection, serene faith, and respect as he does the Lord, never abandoning it or forgetting a word, as it is the inexhaustible storehouse of dharma from which past, future, and present Buddhas derive their teachings and demonstrations for beings in endless worlds of birth-and-death.
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The Lord stresses that the perfection of wisdom is the teacher equivalent to himself and all Buddhas, benefiting gods, beings, and Asuras; assisting it — even as it seems to crumble — assists in the enlightenment of all Tathagatas, and Bodhisattvas aspiring to full enlightenment should engage with it through listening, studying, repeating, writing, and endeavoring in its six perfections. Demonstrating even one verse of this wisdom to a Bodhisattva yields immeasurable merit surpassing that of leading all beings in a trichiliocosm to Arhatship via Disciple-level teachings, or the combined merits of those Arhats in giving, morality, and meditation; such a gift ensures the demonstrator does not turn away from enlightenment, planting wholesome roots that align with the vehicle of Bodhisattvas rather than lesser paths.)

TEXT: So, here now, Ananda, again and again I entrust and transmit to you this perfection of wisdom, laid out in letters, so this is available for learning, bearing in mind, discoursing/abiding, studying and spreading wide, so this lasts long, so this does not disappear. As, Ananda, you forget all the demonstrations of dharma which you learn directly from me - the perfection of wisdom being this lone exception - as you cast these away, and allow these to be forgotten, this is but a slight offence against Tathagatas.

But consider as you forget, cast away and allow to be forgotten only one verse of this perfection of wisdom, or merely a part of a verse, this is a serious offence against Tathagatas, and this displeases me. And as you learn this perfection of wisdom, and you forget this, cast this away, allow this to be forgotten, you fail in the respect, reverence and worship afforded Tathagatas, past, future and present, all together. Here and now, Ananda, remember it is a serious offence against Tathagatas, whereas you learn this perfection of wisdom, you forget this, cast this away, and allow this to be forgotten, this displeases me. For Tathagatas say "this perfection of wisdom is mother, this sourceless source, the generatrix of past, future and present Tathagatas, the nurse in all-knowledge." Here and now, Ananda, do I entrust and transmit to you this perfection of wisdom, so it does not disappear.

This perfection of wisdom is learned, borne in mind, studied, repeated, written and developed. Attend this well, and spread this well. And as one learns this, one carefully analyzes this grammatically, letter by letter, syllable by syllable, word by word. As the dharma-body of past, future and present Tathagatas is this dharma-text authoritative. In this same way in which Ananda behaves towards me, at present residing as a Tathagata - with solitude, affection and respect - in this same virtuous spirit, do you learn this perfection of wisdom, bear this in mind, study, repeat, write and develop this, respect, revere and worship this. This is a way for you or any to worship, this is a way to show affection, serene faith and respect for the past, future and present Buddhas and Lords.

As I, a Tathagata, am dear and pleasant to you Ananda, and you do not abandon me, here and now may this perfection of wisdom be dear and pleasant to you, and may you not abandon this, may you not forget even one single word of this, so this does not disappear. For long I speak to you about this bestowal of perfection of wisdom, for one kalpa, or for the remainder of a kalpa, for one hundred kalpas, for up to hundreds of thousands of kotis of kalpas, and more. But to cut this short, in this same way in which I am your teacher, so is this perfection of wisdom. In this same way in which the past, future and present Buddhas and Lords are teachers of the world with its Gods, beings and Asuras, just so is this perfection of wisdom.

Here and now, Ananda, with a measureless bestowal I entrust and transmit to you this perfection of wisdom, which is beyond any measure whatsoever, for the benefit and happiness of the world with its Gods, beings and Asuras. As one does not want to abandon these Jewels of Tathagata, Dharma, or noble Sangha, as one does not want to abandon enlightenment of past, future and present Buddhas and Lords, - does one not abandon this perfection of wisdom! And here is this further admonition - as these who learn this perfection of wisdom, bear this in mind, study, repeat, write and develop this, these assist in enlightenment of the past, future and present Buddhas and Lords. For, whoever assists this perfection of wisdom as it is either thought to be, or seeming to crumble away, such a one assists in enlightenment of the past, future and present Buddhas and Lords. From this perfection of wisdom does enlightenment of Buddhas and Lords come forth. And this holds good of all Tathagatas, whether past, future or present.

Here and now, a Bodhisattva which has aspiration to know full enlightenment and to train in the six perfections listens to this perfection of wisdom, studys, repeats and writes this, and one trains in this very perfection of wisdom, and makes endeavours around, about, and within this. This perfection of wisdom is mother, this sourceless source and generatrix of Bodhisattvas. It is due to this perfection of wisdom any Bodhisattvas ever train in the six perfections, and at any time progress to full enlightenment. It is due to just this perfection of wisdom Bodhisattvas progress in the six perfections, as all these perfections come to nourish this which provides dissolution of defilements and revelations toward supreme enlightenment as these are indicated and revealed from this perfection of wisdom.

Here and now, Ananda, again and again, for a second time, for a third time, do I entrust and transmit this perfection of wisdom to you, so it does not disappear. For this perfection of wisdom is the inexhaustible storehouse of the dharma of Tathagatas. The dharma which Buddhas and Lords demonstrate to beings in this past period, in these worlds of birth-and-death with no beginning or end, all this is indicated and revealed from just this storehouse of dharma, from this perfection of wisdom. As well, this dharma which the Buddhas and Lords demonstrate to beings, reveals also full enlightenment in any future period, for any such as have a view which leads beyond these measureless worlds of birth-and-death, also as is indicated and revealed from just this storehouse of dharma, this perfection of wisdom. And also the Buddhas and Lords just now residing in countless world systems, and demonstrating dharma, these also derive revelation from just this storehouse of dharma, this perfection of wisdom. As inexhaustible, here and now is this storehouse of dharma, this perfection of wisdom, still and after all.

As, Ananda, you demonstrate dharma on the Disciple-level to persons who take vows to the vehicle of the Disciples, and as a result of your demonstration of dharma all the beings in the great trichiliocosm realize Arhatship, you do not do your duty as my disciple as in this way you keep moving as I the wheel of dharma, and demonstrate dharma. But as, on this other hand, you demonstrate and reveal but one single verse of dharma associated with this perfection of wisdom to a Bodhisattva, I am pleased with you, who as my disciple turns as I the wheel of dharma, and demonstrate dharma. As you consider this demonstration of dharma of yours through which the beings in this great trichiliocosm all are induced to attain Arhatship, and of these Arhats the meritorious work founded on giving, on morality, and on meditational development continues, does all this constitute a great heap of merit?

Ananda: It would, O Lord.

The Lord: A person who has taken vows to the vehicle of the Disciple begets a different and immeasurable merit as this one demonstrates to Bodhisattvas the dharma associated with the perfection of wisdom. This merit is different as it is a Bodhisattva who demonstrates to another Bodhisattva [a verse of] dharma associated with this perfection of wisdom, -for even one single day only, for a morning, for an hour, for half an hour, for a minute, nay for a second, for a moment, or for an incidence of a single moment. For this gift of dharma on the part of any Bodhisattva is different from all the wholesome roots of all who avow to the vehicle of the Sravakas, Disciples, or Pratyekabuddhas. It is quite impossible for a Bodhisattva who is thus endowed as a Bodhisattva with wholesome roots, who thus brings to mind this wholesome root, to turn away from full enlightenment. This cannot be.

Section 4. Akshobhya's Buddha-Field

(Summary 4: In this section, the Lord exercises his wonderworking power, allowing the entire assembly — monks, nuns, laypeople, and various supernatural beings — to behold Tathagata Akshobhya in his imperturbable Buddha-field, surrounded by an ocean-like congregation of Arhats and Bodhisattvas endowed with unthinkable qualities, all demonstrating dharma. Upon withdrawing this power, the vision vanishes, and the Lord teaches that all dharmas similarly do not come within range of vision, as they neither see, know, nor act upon each other; they are inactive like space, unthinkable like illusions, unfindable in non-existence, and incapable of being grasped. A Bodhisattva coursing thus in the perfection of wisdom avoids settling in any dharma, training in it to realize great enlightenment as the perfection of all training.
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The perfection of wisdom is extolled as the foremost, best, choicest, most excellent, sublime, highest, utmost, unequalled, and incomparable of all trainings — past, future, and present—bringing benefit and happiness to all worlds as a protector of the helpless, ordained and praised by the Buddha. Through this training, Buddhas can perform feats like lifting and dropping the great trichiliocosm with one toe without conceptual attachment, achieving non-attachment to all dharmas across times, endowed with immeasurable qualities that surpass all other possible trainings.)

TEXT: Now on this occasion, the Lord exercises his wonderworking power. The entire assembly - monks, nuns, laymen and lay women, Gods, Nagas, Yakshas, Gandharvas, Asuras, Garudas, Kinnaras, Mahoragas, humans and ghosts - these all, through the Buddha's might, see this Tathagata Akshobhya surrounded by the congregation of monks, accompanied by a retinue of Bodhisattvas demonstrating dharma, in an assembly vast like the ocean, deep and imperturbable, surrounded and accompanied by Bodhisattvas which are endowed with unthinkable qualities, all of these Arhats, -with outflows exhausted, undefiled, fully controlled, quite freed in their hearts, well freed and wise, thoroughbreds, great Serpents, their work done, their task accomplished, their burden laid down, their own weal accomplished, with the fetters which bound these to become, extinguished, their hearts well freed by right understanding, in perfect control of their entire hearts.

Here and now the Lord again withdrew his wonderworking power. The Lord Akshobhya, a Tathagata, no longer appeared, and all the Bodhisattvas and great Disciples, and the Buddha-field no longer comes within the range of vision of the members of the Lord's assembly. For the Tathagata drew in his wonderworking power. The Lord said to Ananda: In this same way, Ananda, all dharmas do not come within the range of vision. Dharmas do not come within the range of vision of dharmas, dharmas do not see dharmas, dharmas do not know dharmas. All dharmas are of such a nature as these can be neither known nor seen, and are incapable of doing anything. All dharmas are inactive, these cannot be grasped, as these are as inactive as space. All dharmas are unthinkable, similar to illusory men. All dharmas are unfindable, as these in a state of non-existence. As one courses/abides thus a Bodhisattva courses/abides in the Perfection-of-Wisdom and does not settle down in any dharma. As one trains thus, a Bodhisattva trains in the Perfection-of-Wisdom. As a Bodhisattva aspires to reveal, to realize great enlightenment, which is perfection of all training, one thus trains in and as perfecting wisdom.

As the training in the Perfection-of-Wisdom is described as the foremost of all trainings, as the best, the choicest, the most excellent, the most sublime, the highest, the utmost, the unequalled, the incomparable, this is said to bring benefit and happiness to all the worlds, this is described as a protector of the helpless, it is ordained and extolled by the Buddha. The Tathagatas, as a result of training in this perfection of wisdom, of having stood in this training, can lift up this great trichiliocosm with one big toe, and just let it drop again. It does not occur to Buddhas and Lords that "this great trichiliocosm has been lifted up, has been dropped again," for the Perfection-of-Wisdom is endowed with immeasurable and incalculable qualities. As a result of training in this training of the Perfection-of-Wisdom, the Buddhas and Lords reach a state of non-attachment to past, future and present dharmas. Of all the possible trainings in the past, future and present period, this training in the Perfection-of-Wisdom is foremost, the best, the choicest, the most excellent, the most sublime, the highest, the utmost, the unequalled, the incomparable.

Section 5. Extinction, Non-Extinction, and the Perfection-of-Wisdom

(Summary 5: In this section, the perfection of wisdom is described as unlimited, inexhaustible, and boundless, akin to space, with no attributes of limits, exhaustion, or bounds, and the words of the sutra are not identical to it, as it transcends physical, verbal, or mental constraints. Ananda asks why the Lord teaches no limits to it, and the response is its inexhaustible isolation — unapprehendable like any isolated dharma — beyond measurement; Tathagatas across times draw strength from it without depleting or extinguishing it, just as space cannot be exhausted. Subhuti, marveling at this unfathomable station, inquires how it is inexhaustible, and the Lord explains it cannot become extinct since, like space, all dharmas are unproduced and inextinguishable.
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Subhuti then asks how a Bodhisattva consummates the perfection of wisdom, and the Lord states through the non-extinction of skandhas (form, feeling, perceptions, impulses, consciousness) and the links of conditioned coproduction (ignorance to decay and death, including grief and despair), surveying it without dualistic extremes, beginning, end, or middle, acquiring all-knowing cognition via non-acceptance, non-rejection, non-attachment, and non-detachment. This consummation prevents standing on lesser levels of Sravakas or Pratyekabuddhas, as those turning away lack mental activities aspiring to non-extinction and skill in means; instead, resorters to wisdom do not turn away, surveying coproduction without reviewing dharmas as causeless, permanent, stable, eternal, reversible, doers, or feelers, nor as real entities like skandhas, links, or distinct Buddha-fields, embodying the great beings' perfection of wisdom.)

TEXT: The Perfection-of-Wisdom is unlimited, inexhaustible and boundless, for limits, exhaustion, and bounds are absent in the Perfection-of-Wisdom. To attribute limits, exhaustion and bounds to the Perfection-of-Wisdom is like attributing these dharmas to space. As this perfection of wisdom is unlimited, inexhaustible and boundless, I do not teach anything such as this perfection of wisdom has any limits, can be exhausted, or that this has any bounds. As well, the sum total of these words contained in this Sutra is not identical with perfection of, perfecting of, or even perfect, wisdom. The Perfection-of-Wisdom, although called such as this is, is nonetheless not subject to any physical, verbal or mental limitations, it is without any limits whatsoever.

Ananda: For what reason does the Lord not teach any limits to the Perfection-of-Wisdom?

The Lord: It is due to the fact this is inexhaustible and isolated. As one cannot apprehend any isolatedness of any isolated dharma, how much less can one here apprehend any definite circumference to any, or all of this? Thus, beyond any and all measurement this perfection of wisdom is unlimited, without any limits whatsoever. The Tathagatas throughout and beyond all time draw strength from just this perfection of wisdom, and yet this is neither exhausted, nor does this become extinct. This also means Tathagatas of any future also draw strength from just this perfection of wisdom, and yet this is neither exhausted, nor does this become extinct. These Tathagatas also just now residing in countless world systems, these also draw strength from just this perfection of wisdom, and yet it neither becomes exhausted nor extinct. I also, as a Tathagata just now, also draw my strength from just this perfection of wisdom, and yet this neither becomes exhausted, nor extinct. One can exhaust this perfection of wisdom no more than one can exhaust space. So, this perfection of wisdom is quite inexhaustible.

Here now it occurs to Venerable Subhuti: Beyond fathoming is this station which the Tathagata teaches. Let me now question the Tathagata about this station. And Subhuti said to the Lord: How inexhaustible, O Lord, is the Perfection-of-Wisdom?

The Lord: This cannot become extinct, since, like space, this cannot be extinguished, just as all dharmas are not produced, can this not be exhausted.

Subhuti: How does a Bodhisattva consummate this perfection of wisdom?

The Lord: Through non-extinction of form, feeling, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness. Through non-extinction of ignorance, of karma-formations, of name and form, of the six sense-fields, of contact, of craving, of grasping and attachments, of becoming, of birth, of decay and death, of grief, lamentation, pain, sadness and despair. In this manner the Bodhisattva surveys conditioned coproduction in such a way as one avoids any duality of the extremes. One surveys it without seeing any beginning, end or middle. To survey conditioned coproduction, one acquires cognition of all-knowing. Here is non-acceptance and so, non-rejection, non-attachment and so, non-detachment. For a Bodhisattva which, while coursing/abiding in the Perfection-of-Wisdom through this consummation of non-extinction, and surveying conditioned coproduction, cannot stand on the level of Sravaka, Disciple, or Pratyekabuddha, but must stand in all-knowledge. Some Bodhisattvas turn away from supreme enlightenment, as, due to not having resorted to these mental activities [which aspire to and result in consummation of non-extinction] and to skill in means, these do not know how a Bodhisattva coursing/abiding in the Perfection-of-Wisdom consummates the Perfection-of-Wisdom through the consummation of non-extinction, nor how conditioned coproduction is surveyed in this perfection of wisdom through consummation of non-extinction. Any Bodhisattvas at any time turning away from full enlightenment do so as these do not resort to skill in means. Any Bodhisattvas at any time not turning away from full enlightenment, do so due to this perfection of wisdom. In this way a Bodhisattva which courses/abides in perfection of wisdom consummates the Perfection-of-Wisdom through consummation of non-extinction. A Bodhisattva which thus surveys conditioned coproduction, does certainly not review any dharma as is being produced without a cause nor does one review any dharmas as permanent, stable, eternal, not liable to reversal, nor does one review any dharmas as a doer or a feeler. This is the surveying of conditioned coproduction on the part of a Bodhisattva which consummates this perfection of wisdom through the consummation of non-extinction, and which courses/abides in this perfection of wisdom. At the time a Bodhisattva, consummating the perfection of wisdom through the consummation of non-extinction, surveys conditioned coproduction, at this time one does not review form as a real separate entity, nor feelings, perceptions, impulses or consciousness; nor ignorance, karma-formations, etc., to decay and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and despair; nor does one review any fact "this is my Buddha-field" as real, nor the fact "that is another Buddha-field," nor does one review as real any dharma by which one distinguishes between this and other Buddha-fields. This, Subhuti, is the perfection of wisdom of the Bodhisattvas, the great beings.

Section 6. Advantages Derived from the Perfection-of-Wisdom

(Summary 6: In this section, coursing and abiding in the perfection of wisdom causes all Maras in the great trichiliocosm to feel profound sorrow, like losing a parent, rendering them restless and unable to gain entry, foothold, possession, harm, or turn away the Bodhisattva from enlightenment, as the worlds with gods, beings, and Asuras cannot access this dwelling. Subhuti inquires if this affliction affects one, many, or all Maras, and the Lord confirms it extends to all when Bodhisattvas dwell thus; thus, aspirants to full enlightenment — revealing it for self and others as already in place — should course in this wisdom. In such a Bodhisattva, all six perfections (giving, morality, patience, vigor, concentration) reach perfect development, along with all varieties of skill in means, enabling natural recognition and elimination of any perceived Mara deeds.
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A Bodhisattva aspiring to acquire skill in means develops the perfection of wisdom, continuously bringing to mind countless Buddhas and the all-knowledge from it, producing thoughts to reach their dharmas. Even for a day or a finger-snap, raising such aspirations yields merit surpassing that of basis-leaning gifts over aeons, ensuring irreversibility carried by "winds" to revelations of non-extinction, timelessness, and realization through reality-limits to dharmakaya as pure, undifferentiated awareness like space—beyond duration or beginning. Such a one is minded by Tathagatas, destined solely for full enlightenment, avoiding woe-states, reborn in heavens with Tathagatas to mature beings; these qualities and advantages amplify for daily pursuit, as exemplified by Bodhisattva Gandhahastin with Akshobhya.)

TEXT: As a Bodhisattva courses/abides in the Perfection-of-Wisdom, what is thought of as, and therefore seen as Mara the Evil One feels struck with the dart of great sorrow, just as a person does when one's mother or father have died.

Subhuti: Is this affliction confined to one Mara, or does it affect many Maras, or does it extend to all the Maras in the great trichiliocosm?

The Lord: At any time as Bodhisattvas dwell in the dwelling of the Perfection-of-Wisdom all the Maras in the great trichiliocosm are thought of as feeling struck with the dart of great sorrow, and these cannot sit still on their respective thrones. For all these worlds, with these Gods, beings and Asuras, cannot gain entry to a Bodhisattva which dwells within this dwelling of the Perfection-of-Wisdom, so can these not gain a foothold which would allow this taking possession of, this hurting, or this turning one away from full enlightenment. So now, Subhuti, a Bodhisattva which aspires to reveal and realize full enlightenment of self and others as already in place, courses/abides in the Perfection-of-Wisdom.

In a Bodhisattva coursing/abiding in the Perfection-of-Wisdom the perfection of giving arrives at its most perfect development, and so do perfections of morality, patience, vigour, and concentration. In such a one all six perfections arrive at the most perfect development, and also all varieties of skill in means. Whatever is thought of as, or seen as deeds of Mara arising in a Bodhisattva coursing/abiding in the Perfection-of-Wisdom, such a one naturally knows these as these are taking place, and one gets rid of these again.

A Bodhisattva aspiring to acquire all the varieties of skill in means courses/abides in the Perfection-of-Wisdom, and develops this. At any time in which a Bodhisattva courses/abides in the Perfection-of-Wisdom, and continuously aspires for this, one brings to mind not only the Buddhas and Lords residing in countless world systems, but also all-knowledge which comes forth from perfection of wisdom.

One now produces the thought, "I also aspire to reach dharmas which these Buddhas and Lords reach!" For a day, or even down to the time taken up by a finger snap, a Bodhisattva which courses/abides in the Perfection-of-Wisdom raises such thoughts and aspires to these. But a Bodhisattva which even for one day, or even for the duration of a fingersnap, aspires for this perfection of wisdom begets different merit, indeed receives winds other than a Bodhisattva which leans on a basis, and for countless aeons gives gifts. Such a Bodhisattva stands in irreversibility as one's winds carry one through to revelations of non-extinction and nothing as such to become extinct, timelessness, and this realization which is borne through any and all reality-limits, even unto this dharmakaya as pure and undifferentiated awareness, the same as space. One such as this speaks of this as if it were indeed such a finger snap, for this has no beginning and in no-time is beyond even any duration. A Bodhisattva coursing/abiding in the Perfection-of-Wisdom and which, even for a day, or even for the duration of a finger snap, raises such thoughts, is, we know, brought to mind by Tathagatas. How much more so one who daily pursues such thoughts. What future destiny can one expect a Bodhisattva to have which Tathagatas have brought to mind? No other destiny except full enlightenment can one expect of these. One such as this cannot possibly be reborn in the states of woe. One can expect such a one to be reborn in these heavens, and even here one is not without the Tathagatas, and here one comes to mature beings. These are the qualities and advantages of a Bodhisattva coursing/abiding in perfection of wisdom, and aspiring for the Perfection-of-Wisdom, and raising such thoughts, even for the length of a finger snap. How much greater is the advantage of one who pursues such thoughts daily, as for instance Bodhisattva Gandhahastin who just now leads this holy life in the presence of Tathagata Akshobhya.

Section 7. Added Conclusion to Chapter 28

In conclusion, Chapter 28 of the Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 Lines, titled "Avakirnakusuma," opens with a profound prophetic vision, where the scattering of Mandarava flowers by monks and a god symbolizes the boundless merit and future enlightenment of dedicated practitioners. The Lord's smile and multicolored rays illuminate the prediction that these six thousand monks will attain Buddhahood in the Starlike aeon as Tathagatas named Avakirnakusuma, each showered with flowers in their teachings and dwellings, underscoring the chapter's theme of wisdom's transformative power. This sets the stage for praising the perfection of wisdom as the ultimate dwelling of Tathagatas, where Bodhisattvas plant limitless wholesome roots directly with enlightened beings, remaining unafraid and unwavering in their vows, transcending lesser vehicles through grateful, ceaseless practice in Suchness's spontaneous cognition.

The chapter emphasizes the sacred transmission of this wisdom to Ananda, entrusting it as an inexhaustible storehouse and mother of all Tathagatas, with forgetting even a verse deemed a grave offense compared to neglecting other dharmas. This preservation ensures the continuity of enlightenment across times, as seen in the wonderworking revelation of Akshobhya's imperturbable Buddha-field, teaching that all dharmas are unseeable, inactive, and unthinkable like illusions or space. The perfection of wisdom emerges as the foremost, unequalled training, enabling feats of non-attachment and lifting the trichiliocosm without conceptual grasping, highlighting its role in benefiting worlds as a protector of the helpless.

Further, the discourse on non-extinction reveals how Bodhisattvas consummate wisdom by surveying conditioned coproduction without dualities, extremes, or real entities — skandhas, links, or Buddha-fields — avoiding lesser paths through skill in means and mental activities aspiring to timeless realization. Advantages abound: protection from sorrow-stricken Maras across trichiliocosms, perfect development of all perfections and skills, recognition of Mara deeds, and immeasurable merit from even a finger-snap aspiration, surpassing aeons of gifts and ensuring irreversibility, heavenly rebirths, and mindfulness by Tathagatas. Exemplified by figures like Gandhahastin with Akshobhya, the chapter ultimately affirms the perfection of wisdom as the sourceless source nourishing supreme enlightenment, inviting aspirants to its boundless, inexhaustible embrace for the maturation of all beings.

Note: The phrase "consummation through non-extinction" refers to the process by which a Bodhisattva perfects or consummates (completes/fulfills) this wisdom not by actively extinguishing or annihilating phenomena, but by realizing their inherent non-extinction — a profound insight into emptiness (śūnyatā) where all dharmas (phenomena or elements of existence) are seen as unproduced, unceasing, and devoid of intrinsic reality. This "non-extinction" stems from the understanding that since dharmas never truly arise (due to their empty, interdependent nature), there is nothing to extinguish or bring to an end.

The text describes this as surveying the skandhas (aggregates: form, feeling, perceptions, impulses, consciousness) and the twelve links of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda) — from ignorance through to decay, death, grief, and despair — through the lens of non-extinction, avoiding dualistic extremes like existence/non-existence or arising/ceasing. In essence, it is a non-dual realization: one sees no beginning, middle, or end to conditioned phenomena, leading to the acquisition of all-knowing cognition (sarvajñatā) without attachment, rejection, or settling into lesser paths like those of the Śrāvakas (disciples) or Pratyekabuddhas (solitary realizers).

This concept ties deeply into Prajñāpāramitā philosophy's emphasis on an epistemic (experience-based) rather than ontological (reality-based) approach to enlightenment. "Non-extinction" relates to cessation (nirodha), a meditative state where sensory experience stops, but awareness persists in a contentless form — often equated with nirvāṇa or emptiness in early texts like the Cūḷasuññata Sutta. In Prajñāpāramitā, this cessation is not the annihilation of consciousness but a revelation that sensory phenomena arise dependently on conditions (e.g., attention or manasikāra) and cease when those conditions are withdrawn, without implying any ultimate "extinction" of an inherent self or reality.

The "consummation" aspect highlights fulfillment through this insight: Bodhisattvas who lack skill in means (upāya-kauśalya) and fail to resort to such mental activities turn away from supreme enlightenment, mistaking cessation for a final end (as in Hīnayāna views), whereas those who embrace non-extinction remain on the Mahayana path, surveying dependent origination without reviewing dharmas as permanent, causeless, or as "doers/feelers." This avoids reifying emptiness as a metaphysical "reality," instead treating it as the absence of [inherent] sensory content, resolving paradoxes like "emptiness is form" by focusing on experiential knowledge (prajñā).

The deeper implications for realization emphasize compassion and the Bodhisattva vow: by consummating wisdom through non-extinction, practitioners transcend the cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra) without abandoning beings, as there are no real "Buddha-fields" to distinguish or entities to save—yet the vow persists in emptiness. This aligns with related Prajñāpāramitā texts like the Heart Sutra, which declares "no suffering, no accumulating, no extinction, no way," negating the very path while affirming its perfection as the "other shore" (pāramitā). Scholarly interpretations, such as those critiquing metaphysical reifications (e.g., "emptiness is reality"), advocate an epistemic reading: cessation reveals human potential through meditation, measurable in neural activity, without conflicting with science, as it concerns experience rather than ontology. Errors in historical translations (e.g., in Sanskrit texts) have sometimes obscured this, but the core message is liberation through non-grasping: wisdom is consummated not by ending anything, but by seeing nothing ever truly begins or ends. For practitioners, this encourages open, relaxed awareness beyond standpoints, as per the four extremes (existence, non-existence, both, neither), fostering equanimity and the boundless compassion that defines the Bodhisattva ideal.

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Enlightenment in Buddhism, particularly in the Mahayana tradition of the Prajnaparamita texts, is not about rejecting, ceasing, or negating sensory content in a nihilistic or suppressive way. My earlier phrasing about "absence of sensory content" was meant to describe a specific meditative state (cessation or nirodha-samapatti), but it doesn't capture the full picture of realization.

Instead, enlightenment involves seeing sensory experiences (forms, sounds, etc.) as they truly are: interdependent, impermanent, and empty of inherent, independent existence, without needing to eliminate or deny them. This insight liberates one from attachment and suffering while fully engaging with the world, transforming ordinary perception into compassionate wisdom. The Heart Sutra's famous line, "form is emptiness, emptiness is form," beautifully illustrates this non-dual view: sensory phenomena (form) are not solid or self-existent; they are empty, but emptiness itself manifests as these very phenomena, without separation or opposition.

To elaborate on "consummation through non-extinction," this concept from the Prajnaparamita emphasizes fulfilling perfect wisdom by realizing that dharmas (including sensory content) neither arise nor cease in an ultimate sense — they lack inherent reality from the start, so there's no "extinction" to achieve.

It's not about negating senses but transcending the illusion of their solidity. For instance, in meditative cessation (nirodha), sensory input temporarily stops to reveal emptiness as contentless awareness, but this is a training tool, not the goal. Enlightenment integrates this: one perceives sensory content vividly but without grasping, like waves on an ocean — arising and subsiding without altering the water's essence. This avoids reifying emptiness as a "thing" or "void" separate from life, resolving paradoxes by emphasizing experiential prajñā (wisdom) that sees "emptiness is form" as two sides of the same coin. In Mahayana, this fosters bodhicitta (enlightened mind), where one remains in samsara to help beings, fully embracing sensory experiences with equanimity.

If this still feels like negation, consider practical examples: In Zen or Vajrayana (extensions of Prajnaparamita), enlightenment manifests in everyday activities — chopping wood, carrying water — where senses are neither rejected nor clung to, but illuminated by insight. Nirodha in broader Mahayana isn't literal extinction of senses but cessation of ignorance and craving, ending suffering while affirming the interdependent play of phenomena. It's liberation through understanding, not denial—sensory content continues, but seen as empty, luminous, and inseparable from awakening itself.

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The teaching of "patience with unproduced dharmas" (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti) in the Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 Lines (Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā) is indeed closely aligned with "consummation through non-extinction," as both revolve around the profound Mahayana insight into emptiness (śūnyatā) and the non-arising, non-ceasing nature of all phenomena (dharmas). This patience is not mere tolerance but a deep, equanimous acceptance or endurance of the fact that dharmas are "unproduced" or "fail to be produced" from the ultimate perspective — they lack inherent origination because they are dependently arisen and empty of self-nature. In Conze's translation of the sutra, this is often phrased as "patient acceptance of dharmas which fail to be produced," marking a pivotal stage where Bodhisattvas become irreversible (avaivartika) on the path to full enlightenment, as they no longer cling to or fear the apparent production/cessation of things. This acceptance resolves the paradox of samsara and nirvana by realizing there's no "thing" to produce or extinguish, echoing the non-dual view where form and emptiness are inseparable.

The connection to "consummation through non-extinction" lies in their shared emphasis on transcending dualistic extremes: since dharmas are unproduced (anutpattika), there is no true extinction (nirodha) to achieve or consummate — wisdom is fulfilled (consummated) precisely by this non-action-oriented realization. In the sutra, Subhuti and the Buddha discuss how Bodhisattvas survey the twelve links of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda) through non-extinction, seeing no beginning, middle, or end, no arising without cause, and no permanence or doer/feeler. Similarly, patience with unproduced dharmas involves enduring this truth without despondency or turning to lesser vehicles (like Śrāvakayāna), as it prevents settling in any dharma as real. For instance, in chapters like 18 or 19 of the 8,000-line text, this patience is linked to the Bodhisattva's ability to teach without attachment, acquiring all-knowing cognition (sarvajñatā) by not reviewing dharmas as produced or extinct — much like the non-extinction that consummates wisdom by avoiding reification. This patience is a skill in means (upāya-kauśalya) that keeps Bodhisattvas from falling away, as those lacking it misinterpret emptiness as nihilism or final cessation, whereas true realization integrates it compassionately.

In broader Prajñāpāramitā literature, including condensed versions like the Heart Sutra, this ties into negations like "no origination, no cessation," where patience embodies the Bodhisattva's vow to remain in the world without grasping at production/extinction cycles. The subtlety is epistemic: it's not about negating sensory experiences but patiently accepting their empty, interdependent play, fostering non-attachment while engaging fully — resolving "form is emptiness" without denial. Bodhisattvas who cultivate this patience consummate wisdom through non-extinction, ensuring irreversibility and the ability to mature beings across Buddha-fields, as exemplified in the sutra's dialogues. This shared teaching encourages practitioners to embrace the "hard task" of wisdom: enduring the ungraspable without fear, leading to boundless compassion.