(Summary of Section 1: End of the Story of Sadaprarudita (Chapter 32: Entrusting)
This concluding section of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 Lines) wraps up the inspirational narrative (avadāna) of Bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, whose heroic quest for wisdom — spanning the final chapters — culminates in profound realization.
Following his attainment of six million concentration doors (samādhi) in the previous chapter, Sadāprarudita experiences a visionary insight: he beholds countless Buddhas and Lords across the ten directions in infinite world-systems (trichiliocosms), each surrounded by monastic assemblies and Bodhisattvas, expounding the very same perfection of wisdom (prajñāpāramitā) using identical methods, words, and letters as the Buddha Dharmodgata is demonstrating in the present assembly. This vision fills him with oceanic wisdom and inconceivable learning, ensuring that in all future rebirths, he remains inseparable from Buddhas, always reborn in their presence. He transcends all unfortunate destinies (e.g., hells, animal realms) and secures continuous auspicious existences conducive to the Bodhisattva path.
The chapter then transitions into the entrustment of the prajñāpāramitā to Ānanda, emphasizing its preservation as the essence of the Dharma, but Section 1 specifically focuses on Sadāprarudita's triumphant resolution, symbolizing the fruition of unwavering devotion (skillful means) and insight (perfection of wisdom) into reality's true nature.
This section serves as the sutra's narrative and doctrinal capstone, illustrating how the Bodhisattva's journey — from initial sorrow and self-sacrifice to ecstatic vision — models the transformative power of prajñāpāramitā. It reinforces the Mahayana theme that wisdom is not confined to one time, place, or teacher but pervades all realities universally, accessible through realization.
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Detailed Explanation and Expansion on the proposed Interpretation
The proposed interpretation insightfully aligns this section with advanced Mahayana concepts, viewing Sadāprarudita's vision as a realization of the universe as a pure Buddha-field (1) (buddhakṣetra), where all dharmas (phenomena) inherently possess buddha-nature (tathāgatagarbha) and ceaselessly "teach" the inconceivable true nature of reality (tathatā, suchness) (2).
This teaching manifests through non-dual Unions, such as the Union of the Two Truths [U2T] (dependent origination and emptiness), Union of the Three Spheres [U3S] (subject, action, object), Union of Opposites [Uopp] (e.g., saṃsāra and nirvāṇa), Union of the Ground and its Manifestations [UGM], and Union of the Three Kāyas [U3K] (dharmakāya, saṃbhogakāya, nirmāṇakāya).
The proposed interpretation further describe his "perceiving without perceiving" Buddhas everywhere (3) as a recognition of primordial interconnectedness, emptiness, equality, purity, perfection, completeness, divinity, and oneness — in a non-dual tetralemma sense (not this, not non-this, not both, not neither) — transcending without rejecting conditioned dualistic conceptual proliferations and karmic conditioning (conventional truths). This transcendence moves beyond extremes like "pure" vs. "impure," using "pure" as an antidote until all dualities are transcended without rejection.
This reading is profound and resonates with the sutra's intent, drawing from its emphasis on non-duality (advaya) and suchness as the unifying essence of all.
Below, I expand on this step by step, integrating the text's details with philosophical depth from Mahayana traditions (e.g., as echoed in commentaries on prajñāpāramitā), while iteratively applying non-duality (4): affirming apparent distinctions, uniting them, emptying the union of inherent existence, and revealing ever-deeper primordial purity.
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1. The Vision as Realization of the Universe as a Pure Buddha-Field
Sadāprarudita's sight of Buddhas in all directions, teaching the identical prajñāpāramitā, symbolizes the collapse of spatial, temporal, and conceptual boundaries. Conventionally (dependent origination aspect of U2T), this appears as a visionary reward for his devotion — arising from causes like his samādhis and self-sacrifice. Ultimately (emptiness aspect), it reveals the universe as inherently a pure Buddha-field: not a physical realm but the non-dual suchness where all dharmas are already enlightened manifestations.
Here, "seeing" Buddhas everywhere without "perceiving" them dualistically means transcending subject-object duality (U3S): the seer (Sadāprarudita), the act of seeing, and the seen (Buddhas) are inseparable, co-arisen, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind thus empty of inherent existence.
This field is "pure" not as an opposite to impurity but as an antidote to our habitual view of a defiled world; iteratively, even "purity" is emptied, revealing reality beyond pure/impure (Uopp).
In terms of buddha-nature, all dharmas — forms, sounds, teachings, even rebirths — are innately "buddha-ed," pure beyond pure and impure [Uopp], beyond the two truths themselves [U2T-2T].
The text's oceanic wisdom and auspicious rebirths imply this: Sadāprarudita's learning is "vast as the ocean," mirroring how buddha-nature pervades like water, untainted by apparent waves (manifestations).
He abandons unfortunate rebirths not through rejection but by realizing their [U2T / U3S / Uopp], allowing compassionate rebirths in Buddha-presence — embodying the Bodhisattva's vow to manifest for beings' benefit (UGM: the Ground as suchness, manifesting as skillful forms).
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2. All Dharmas Continually Teaching the Inconceivable True Nature (Tathatā)
The identical teaching across trichiliocosms underscores that prajñāpāramitā — as suchness — is not a localized doctrine but the self-revealing omnipresent timeless essence of all dharmas.
The point that dharmas "teach directly" aligns with the Mahayana view that reality itself (tathatā) instructs without a separate teacher: Buddhas "demonstrate dharma" through their very presence, but this is non-dual (not teaching, not non-teaching). This teaching points to U2T: dharmas dependently originate (appear as diverse teachings in worlds) yet are empty of inherent existence (identical in essence, beyond words/letters: not many, not one, not both, not neither).
Expanding iteratively: Conventionally, teachings arise interdependently (e.g., via methods, words, letters); ultimately, they are empty, unproduced; their union is inconceivable, neither one truth superior. Even the two truths co-define each other — dependent origination implies emptiness (no inherent arising), emptiness implies origination (appearances without basis) — both empty, revealing primordial perfection [U2T-2T].
Dharmas teach this ceaselessly because their nature is the Ground (suchness), manifesting as illusions, like dreams or mirages in earlier chapters.
Sadāprarudita's "inconceivable learning" embodies this: knowledge not grasped dualistically but realized as innate buddha-nature, indivisible, divine and complete.
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3. Perceiving Without Perceiving: Primordial Interconnectedness, Purity and Non-Dual Oneness
The tetralemma framing (not different, not identical, etc.) captures the sutra's transcendence of extremes (conventional truths) – without rejecting them.
Sadāprarudita "sees" Buddhas everywhere because all is primordially interconnected (dependent origination) yet empty (no inherent connections), their union transcending separation/unity (Uopp).
This is "perceiving without perceiving": conventionally perceiving forms (Buddhas, assemblies), ultimately non-apprehending (empty of graspable objects), united as non-dual awareness.
Iteratively, even this union is emptied — no fixed "oneness" — revealing equality, purity, and perfection beyond dualistic concepts, beyond pure and impure.
In U3K terms: The vision integrates the three bodies — dharmakāya (suchness as the immovable Ground), saṃbhogakāya (enjoyment body in pure fields, teaching assemblies), nirmāṇakāya (emanation body manifesting in worlds) — neither separate nor merged, but united in emptiness-origination [U3K / U2T-3K].
Karmic conditioning is transcended (without rejection): unfortunate rebirths (saṃsāra) are not rejected but seen as empty, equal to auspicious ones (nirvāṇa), their opposition dissolved (Uopp / U2T-opp]).
"Pure" here antidotes "impure" views, leading to transcendence where reality is divine (buddha-nature) yet beyond divinity/non-divinity, pure/impure, or buddha-nature/emptiness.
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4. Iterative Non-Duality as the Core Process
Non-duality isn't a static state but a limitless process to be applied again and again. The text's repetition (e.g., "just this perfection... just these words") exhausts dualistic mind (without rejecting it), prompting iterative insight — affirm appearances (origination), negate inherence (emptiness), unite them, empty the union.
This frees from proliferations (e.g., coming/going, as in prior teachings), revealing all as primordially perfect, without need for purification.
Sadāprarudita's journey exemplifies this: from dualistic sorrow to non-dual joy, ensuring eternal Buddha-presence as compassionate manifestation.
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In conclusion, this section encapsulates the sutra's message: through prajñāpāramitā, one realizes the universe's inherent buddha-nature, where dharmas teach non-dually via these unions, leading to liberation beyond conditioning (conventional truths, without rejecting them).
The proposed interpretation enriches this, bridging early Prajñāpāramitā with later Tathāgatagarbha ideas, emphasizing transformative purity.)
