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The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines

Chapter 12 · continued 13

Contents

“The emptiness of internal phenomena, the emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, the emptiness of emptiness, the emptiness of great extent, the emptiness of ultimate reality, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, the emptiness of the unlimited, the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, the emptiness of nonexclusion, the emptiness of inherent nature, the emptiness of all phenomena, the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, and the emptiness of nonentities do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the emptiness of essential nature; the emptiness of essential nature does not exist and cannot be apprehended in the emptiness of essential nature; and the emptiness of essential nature does not exist and cannot be apprehended in the emptiness of internal phenomena, the emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, the emptiness of emptiness, the emptiness of great extent, the emptiness of ultimate reality, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, the emptiness of the unlimited, the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, the emptiness of nonexclusion, the emptiness of inherent nature, the emptiness of all phenomena, the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, or the emptiness of nonentities.

“The emptiness of internal phenomena, the emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, the emptiness of emptiness, the emptiness of great extent, the emptiness of ultimate reality, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, the emptiness of the unlimited, the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, the emptiness of nonexclusion, the emptiness of inherent nature, the emptiness of all phenomena, the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, the emptiness of nonentities, and the emptiness of essential nature do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities; the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities does not exist and cannot be apprehended in the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities; and the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities does not exist and cannot be apprehended in the emptiness of internal phenomena, the emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, the emptiness of emptiness, the emptiness of great extent, the emptiness of ultimate reality, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, the emptiness of the unlimited, the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, the emptiness of nonexclusion, the emptiness of inherent nature, the emptiness of all phenomena, the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, or the emptiness of essential nature.

“The applications of mindfulness do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the applications of mindfulness, the applications of mindfulness do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the correct exertions, the correct exertions do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the correct exertions, and the correct exertions do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the applications of mindfulness.

“The applications of mindfulness, the correct exertions, and the supports for miraculous ability do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the faculties; the faculties do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the faculties; and the faculties do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the applications of mindfulness, the correct exertions, or the supports for miraculous ability.

“The applications of mindfulness, the correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, and the faculties do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the powers; the powers do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the powers; and the powers do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the applications of mindfulness, the correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, or the faculties.

“The applications of mindfulness, the correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, the faculties, the powers, and the branches of enlightenment do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the path; the path does not exist and cannot be apprehended in the path; and the path does not exist and cannot be apprehended in the applications of mindfulness, the correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, the faculties, the powers, or the branches of enlightenment.

“The truths of the noble ones do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the truths of the noble ones, the truths of the noble ones do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the meditative concentrations, the meditative concentrations do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the meditative concentrations, and the meditative concentrations do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the truths of the noble ones.

“The truths of the noble ones and the meditative concentrations do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the immeasurable attitudes, the immeasurable attitudes do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the immeasurable attitudes, and the immeasurable attitudes do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the truths of the noble ones or the meditative concentrations.

“The truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, and the formless absorptions do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the liberations; the liberations do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the liberations; and the liberations do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, or the formless absorptions.

“The powers of the tathāgatas do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the powers of the tathāgatas, the powers of the tathāgatas do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the fearlessnesses, the fearlessnesses do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the fearlessnesses, and the fearlessnesses do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the powers of the tathāgatas.

“The powers of the tathāgatas and the fearlessnesses do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the kinds of exact knowledge, the kinds of exact knowledge do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the kinds of exact knowledge, and the kinds of exact knowledge do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the powers of the tathāgatas or the fearlessnesses.

“The powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, and the kinds of exact knowledge do not exist and cannot be apprehended in great loving kindness; great loving kindness does not exist and cannot be apprehended in great loving kindness; and great loving kindness does not exist and cannot be apprehended in the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, or the kinds of exact knowledge.

“The powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, and great loving kindness do not exist and cannot be apprehended in great compassion; great compassion does not exist and cannot be apprehended in great compassion; and great compassion does not exist and cannot be apprehended in the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, or great loving kindness.

“The attributes of the level of the spiritual family do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of the level of the spiritual family, the attributes of the level of the spiritual family do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of the eighth level, the attributes of those at the eighth level do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of those at the eighth level, and the attributes of those at the eighth level do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of those at the level of the spiritual family.

“The attributes of the level of the spiritual family and the attributes of the eighth level do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of those who have entered the stream, the attributes of those who have entered the stream do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of those who have entered the stream, and the attributes of those who have entered the stream do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of the level of the spiritual family or the attributes of the eighth level.

“The attributes of the level of the spiritual family, the attributes of the eighth level, and the attributes of those who have entered the stream do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of the level of once-returners; the attributes of the level of once-returners do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of the level of once-returners; and the attributes of the level of once-returners do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of the level of the spiritual family, the attributes of the eighth level, or the attributes of those who have entered the stream.

“The attributes of the level of the spiritual family, the attributes of the eighth level, the attributes of those who have entered the stream, and the attributes of the level of once-returners do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of the level of non-returners; the attributes of the level of non-returners do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of the level of non-returners; and the attributes of the level of non-returners do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of the level of the spiritual family, the attributes of the eighth level, the attributes of those who have entered the stream, or the attributes of the level of once-returners.

“The attributes of the level of the spiritual family, the attributes of the eighth level, the attributes of those who have entered the stream, the attributes of the level of once-returners, and the attributes of the level of non-returners do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of the arhats; the attributes of the arhats do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of the arhats; and the attributes of the arhats do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the attributes of the level of the spiritual family, the attributes of the eighth level, the attributes of those who have entered the stream, the attributes of the level of once-returners, or the attributes of the level of non-returners.

“The level of ordinary people does not exist and cannot be apprehended at the level of ordinary people, the level of ordinary people does not exist and cannot be apprehended at the level of the spiritual family, the level of ordinary people and the level of the spiritual family do not exist and cannot be apprehended at the eighth level, the eighth level does not exist and cannot be apprehended at the eighth level, and the eighth level cannot be apprehended at the level of ordinary people or the level of the spiritual family.

“The level of ordinary people, the level of the spiritual family, and the eighth level do not exist and cannot be apprehended at the level of insight; the level of insight does not exist and cannot be apprehended at the level of insight; and the level of insight does not exist and cannot be apprehended at the level of ordinary people, the level of the spiritual family, or the eighth level.

“Those who have entered the stream do not exist and cannot be apprehended in those who have entered the stream, those who have entered the stream do not exist and cannot be apprehended in once-returners, once-returners do not exist and cannot be apprehended in once-returners, once-returners do not exist and cannot be apprehended in those who have entered the stream, those who have entered the stream and once-returners do not exist and cannot be apprehended in non-returners, non-returners do not exist and cannot be apprehended in non-returners, and non-returners do not exist and cannot be apprehended in those who have entered the stream or once-returners.

“Those who have entered the stream, once-returners, and non-returners do not exist and cannot be apprehended in arhats; arhats do not exist and cannot be apprehended in arhats; and arhats do not exist and cannot be apprehended in those who have entered the stream, once-returners, or non-returners.

“Those who have entered the stream, once-returners, non-returners, and arhats do not exist and cannot be apprehended in pratyekabuddhas; pratyekabuddhas do not exist and cannot be apprehended in pratyekabuddhas; and pratyekabuddhas do not exist and cannot be apprehended in those who have entered the stream, once-returners, non-returners, or arhats.

“Those who have entered the stream, once-returners, non-returners, arhats, and pratyekabuddhas do not exist and cannot be apprehended in bodhisattvas; bodhisattvas do not exist and cannot be apprehended in bodhisattvas; and bodhisattvas do not exist and cannot be apprehended in those who have entered the stream, once-returners, non-returners, arhats, or pratyekabuddhas.

“Those who have entered the stream, once-returners, non-returners, arhats, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas do not exist and cannot be apprehended in tathāgatas; tathāgatas do not exist and cannot be apprehended in tathāgatas; and tathāgatas do not exist and cannot be apprehended in those who have entered the stream, once-returners, non-returners, arhats, pratyekabuddhas, or bodhisattvas.

“Bodhisattvas do not exist and cannot be apprehended in bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas do not exist and cannot be apprehended in the perfection of wisdom. The perfection of wisdom does not exist and cannot be apprehended in the perfection of wisdom. The perfection of wisdom does not exist and cannot be apprehended in bodhisattvas.

“Bodhisattvas and the perfection of wisdom do not exist and cannot be apprehended in teaching and instruction. Teaching and instruction do not exist and cannot be apprehended in teaching and instruction. Teaching and instruction do not exist and cannot be apprehended in bodhisattvas or the perfection of wisdom.

“So it is, Venerable Śāradvatīputra, that because all phenomena do not exist and cannot be apprehended, bodhisattvas do not exist and cannot be apprehended.

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84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

First published 2026

Current version v 1.0.23

84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha is a global non-profit initiative to translate all the Buddha’s words into modern languages, and to make them available to everyone.

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འཕགས་པ་ཤེས་རབ་ཀྱི་ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ་སྟོང་ཕྲག་བརྒྱ་པ།

’phags pa shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa stong phrag brgya pa

The Noble Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines

Ārya­śata­sāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā

· Toh 8 ·

Degé Kangyur, (’bum, ka), folios 1.b–394.a; (’bum, kha), folios 1.b–402.a; (’bum, ga), folios 1.b–394.a; (’bum, nga), folios 1.b–381.a; (’bum, ca), folios 1.b–395.a; (’bum, cha), folios 1.b–382.a; (’bum, ja), folios 1.b–398.a; (’bum, nya), folios 1.b–399.a; (’bum, ta), folios 1.b–384.a; (’bum, tha), folios 1.b–387.a; (’bum, da), folios 1.b–411.a; and (’bum, a), folios 1.b–395.a (vols. 14–25)
For referencing Tibetan sources, please see our Scholar’s Edition

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The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines