“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who have attained the four applications of mindfulness, who have attained the four correct exertions, who have attained the four supports for miraculous ability, who have attained the five faculties, who have attained the five powers, who have attained the seven branches of enlightenment, and who have attained the noble eightfold path; who have attained the four truths of the noble ones, who have attained the meditative concentrations, who have attained the immeasurable attitudes, who have attained the formless absorptions, who have attained the eight liberations, who have attained the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, who have attained emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, who have attained the extrasensory powers, who have attained the meditative stabilities, and who have attained the dhāraṇīs; and who have attained the ten powers of the tathāgatas, who have attained the four fearlessnesses, who have attained the four kinds of exact knowledge, and who have attained the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas. But even though they have attained them, the three gateways to liberation do not cause them to attain the fruit of entering the stream, do not cause them to attain the fruit of once-returner, do not cause them to attain the fruit of non-returner, do not cause them to attain arhatship, and do not cause them to attain individual enlightenment. Practicing the perfection of wisdom and assisted by skillful means they teach the noble eightfold path to beings and cause them to attain the fruit of entering the stream, cause them to attain the fruit of once-returner, cause them to attain the fruit of non-returner, cause them to attain arhatship, and cause them to attain individual enlightenment. Śāradvatīputra, the transcendental knowledge of the fruits that the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are to attain is a bodhisattva great being’s forbearance. Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner are known to be irreversible.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who maintain the six perfections, and who refine the paradise of Tuṣita. Śāradvatīputra, they are known as bodhisattva great beings of the Auspicious Eon.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who practice the perfection of wisdom, who have attained the four meditative concentrations, who have attained the four immeasurable attitudes, who have attained the four formless absorptions, who have attained the thirty-seven factors conducive to enlightenment, who have attained the six extrasensory powers, and who have attained the ten powers of the tathāgatas, who have attained the four fearlessnesses, who have attained the four kinds of exact knowledge, and who have attained the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas. Even though they practice in order to comprehend the four truths of the noble ones, the four truths are not what they finally realize. Śāradvatīputra, those bodhisattva great beings are known to be bound by a single birth.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who practice the six perfections and who move from world system to world system. They encourage the beings there toward enlightenment, and they refine the buddhafields. Śāradvatīputra, those bodhisattva great beings will fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment over the course of countless, immeasurable eons.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who maintain the six perfections and who always persevere for the sake of beings. They never speak harmful words. Nor indeed do they commit physical acts or mental acts that are harmful.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who maintain the six perfections who always persevere for the sake of beings. They move from buddhafield to buddhafield, interrupting the three pathways on which beings proceed to terrible forms of life.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who maintain the six perfections who, having become a wheel-turning emperor,236 are actively engaged in the perfection of generosity, arranging all the resources that bring comfort to beings and supplying them with the decent requisites for life: food to those who want food, drinks to those who want drink, vehicles to those who need vehicles, flowers to those who want flowers, incense to those who want incense, garlands to those who want garlands, unguents to those who want unguents, seats and beds to those who want seats and beds, clothes to those who want clothes, jewels to those who want jewels, pearls to those who want pearls, gold to those who want gold, silver to those who want silver, corals to those who want corals,237 ornaments to those who want ornaments, sustenance to those who want sustenance, and families to those who want families.238
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who maintain the six perfections and who are actively engaged in the perfection of ethical discipline, who will establish beings in the vows pertaining to body, speech, and mind.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who maintain the six perfections and who are actively engaged in the perfection of tolerance, who will establish beings in nonanger and nonmalice.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who maintain the six perfections and who are actively engaged in the perfection of perseverance, who will establish beings in manifestly engaging in all virtuous dharmas.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who maintain the six perfections and who are actively engaged in the perfection of meditative concentration, who will establish beings one-pointedly in stilling, and in detachment from desires.
“Having established beings in, up to the ten virtuous action paths they are reborn among the gods of the Brahmakāyika realm, up to among the gods of the Akaniṣṭha realm and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment in various buddhafields. Śāradvatīputra, those bodhisattva great beings who, having perfectly developed the four meditative concentrations, weaken them down to the first meditative concentration, having dwelled on the experience of the first meditative concentration, take birth among the gods of the Brahmakāyika realm. They again, having perfectly developed the concentrations and having taken birth among the gods of the Akaniṣṭha realm, fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment in various buddhafields. Śāradvatīputra, those bodhisattva great beings who, having died in the Brahmaloka, have taken birth in a Śuddhāvāsa, having jumped over one or two of the Śuddhāvāsa, are reborn in Akaniṣṭha and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment in various buddhafields.239
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who maintain the six perfections and who are actively engaged in the perfection of wisdom. They emanate a body like that of the tathāgatas. They teach the Dharma in order that denizens of the hells, beings born within the animal realm, and beings of the world of Yama might transcend all the lower realms.
“Śāradvatīputra, thus there are also bodhisattva great beings who maintain the six perfections, who emanate a body like that of the buddhas, and who, proceeding to the buddhafields of the eastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, teach the Dharma to beings, please the tathāgatas, listen to their Dharma, and behold the community of bodhisattvas and also the distinguishing attributes of the buddhafields. They grasp the signs of those buddhafields, and perfect manifold buddhafields that are even more extensive and special than them, taking birth in those buddhafields as bodhisattva great beings bound by a single birth.
“Proceeding to the buddhafields of the southern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they teach the Dharma to beings, please the tathāgatas, listen to their Dharma, and behold the community of bodhisattvas and also the distinguishing attributes of the buddhafields. They grasp the signs of those buddhafields, and perfect manifold buddhafields that are even more extensive and special than them, taking birth in those buddhafields as bodhisattva great beings bound by a single birth.
“Proceeding to the buddhafields of the western direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they teach the Dharma to beings, please the tathāgatas, listen to their Dharma, and behold the community of bodhisattvas and also the distinguishing attributes of the buddhafields. They grasp the signs of those buddhafields, and perfect manifold buddhafields that are even more extensive and special than them, taking birth in those buddhafields as bodhisattva great beings bound by a single birth.
“Proceeding to the buddhafields of the northern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they teach the Dharma to beings, please the tathāgatas, listen to their Dharma, and behold the community of bodhisattvas and also the distinguishing attributes of the buddhafields. They grasp the signs of those buddhafields, and perfect manifold buddhafields that are even more extensive and special than them, taking birth in those buddhafields as bodhisattva great beings bound by a single birth.
“Proceeding to the buddhafields of the intermediate northeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they teach the Dharma to beings, please the tathāgatas, listen to their Dharma, and behold the community of bodhisattvas and also the distinguishing attributes of the buddhafields. They grasp the signs of those buddhafields, and perfect manifold buddhafields that are even more extensive and special than them, taking birth in those buddhafields as bodhisattva great beings bound by a single birth.
“Proceeding to the buddhafields of the intermediate southeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they teach the Dharma to beings, please the tathāgatas, listen to their Dharma, and behold the community of bodhisattvas and also the distinguishing attributes of the buddhafields. They grasp the signs of those buddhafields, and perfect manifold buddhafields that are even more extensive and special than them, taking birth in those buddhafields as bodhisattva great beings bound by a single birth.
“Proceeding to the buddhafields of the intermediate southwestern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they teach the Dharma to beings, please the tathāgatas, listen to their Dharma, and behold the community of bodhisattvas and also the distinguishing attributes of the buddhafields. They grasp the signs of those buddhafields, and perfect manifold buddhafields that are even more extensive and special than them, taking birth in those buddhafields as bodhisattva great beings bound by a single birth.
“Proceeding to the buddhafields of the intermediate northwestern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they teach the Dharma to beings, please the tathāgatas, listen to their Dharma, and behold the community of bodhisattvas and also the distinguishing attributes of the buddhafields. They grasp the signs of those buddhafields, and perfect manifold buddhafields that are even more extensive and special than them, taking birth in those buddhafields as bodhisattva great beings bound by a single birth.
“Proceeding to the buddhafields in the direction of the nadir, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they teach the Dharma to beings, please the tathāgatas, listen to their Dharma, and behold the community of bodhisattvas and also the distinguishing attributes of the buddhafields. They grasp the signs of those buddhafields, and perfect manifold buddhafields that are even more extensive and special than them, taking birth in those buddhafields as bodhisattva great beings bound by a single birth.
“Proceeding to the buddhafields in the direction of the zenith, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they teach the Dharma to beings, please the tathāgatas, listen to their Dharma, and behold the community of bodhisattvas and also the distinguishing attributes of the buddhafields. They grasp the signs of those buddhafields, and perfect manifold buddhafields that are even more extensive and special than them, taking birth in those buddhafields as bodhisattva great beings bound by a single birth.
“They fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment in various buddhafields.240
“Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who, having dwelled on the experience of the meditative concentrations and the formless absorptions241 take birth as gods of the Brahmakāyika up to as gods of the Śubhakṛtsna realms. They then take birth in the sphere of infinite space up to the peak of existence and then take birth in various buddhafields.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are those bodhisattva great beings who, having attained the meditative concentrations and the formless absorptions, take birth as gods of the Brahmakāyika realm up to as gods of the Bhavāgra realm. They then take birth in various buddhafields.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who, when they practice the six perfections, having acquired the thirty-two major marks of a great human being, become endowed with clear sense faculties and a purified body. Through their purified bodies they will cause many beings to rejoice and aspire. They become pleasing and agreeable to the hearts of many people. Just that wholesome root of those beings with that aspiration, furthermore, enables them to attain final nirvāṇa in a gradual manner by means of the three vehicles.
“Śāradvatīputra, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner, they should train in the purity of body, they should train in the purity of speech, and they should train in the purity of mind.
“Śāradvatīputra, those bodhisattva great beings who practice the six perfections and have obtained extremely clear sense faculties, owing to these extremely clear sense faculties, neither praise themselves nor do they disparage others.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who, from when they first set their mind on enlightenment, maintain the perfection of generosity and the perfection of ethical discipline, and until they attain the level at which progress becomes irreversible, are never destitute, do not go wrong, and never fall to the lower realms.242
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who, from when they first set their minds on enlightenment, until they attain the level at which progress becomes irreversible, will never forsake the path of the ten virtuous actions.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who maintain the perfection of generosity and the perfection of ethical discipline, and who, on becoming wheel-turning emperors, establish beings in the path of the ten virtuous actions, and attract beings through their generosity and pleasant voice.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who maintain the perfection of generosity and the perfection of ethical discipline, and who, on assuming the empire of a wheel-turning emperor, maintain many hundreds of thousands of empires of wheel-turning emperors. Maintaining them, they please many one hundred thousand one hundred million billion buddhas, and they serve, respect, honor, and worship those blessed lord buddhas with all sorts of resources and various offerings.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who maintain the six perfections, who illuminate the darkness of beings with wrong views through the Dharma of the buddhas, and they themselves will never be without that illumination of the buddhas’ Dharma until they fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment.243
“Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings will fully awaken to a pratyekabuddha’s awakening in the world systems where there are no buddhas and there are no śrāvakas.244 With skillful means, having brought many one hundred thousand ten million living creatures to maturation, they will fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. This, Śāradvatīputra, is the arising of the bodhisattva great beings in the qualities of the buddhas.245
“Therefore, Śāradvatīputra, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they provide no opportunity for physical, verbal, and mental action that is basically unethical.”246
The Blessed One having spoken thus, the venerable Śāradvatīputra then inquired of him, “Blessed Lord, what are the physical actions that are basically unethical, which bodhisattva great beings might have? What are the verbal actions that are basically unethical? And what are the mental actions that are basically unethical?”
“Śāradvatīputra,” replied the Blessed One, “when bodhisattva great beings think, ‘This is the body on the basis of which I will undertake a physical action. This is the speech on the basis of which I will undertake a verbal action. This is the mind on the basis of which I will undertake a mental action,’ Śāradvatīputra, that undertaking of a physical, verbal, or mental action of a bodhisattva great being is basically unethical.
“Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who practice the perfection of wisdom do not apprehend the body, they do not apprehend speech, and they do not apprehend the mind—the sorts of body, speech, or mind that would generate thoughts of miserliness, or that would generate thoughts of degenerate morality, or that would generate thoughts of malice, or that would generate thoughts of indolence, or that would generate thoughts of distraction, or that would generate thoughts of stupidity.
“Śāradvatīputra, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they will not be known even to cause a physical negativity to arise, cause a verbal negativity to arise, or cause mental negativity to arise. It is impossible. If you ask why, it is because, Śāradvatīputra, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they purify the negativity of body, they purify the negativity of speech, and they purify the negativity of mind. These, Śāradvatīputra, are the bodhisattva great beings’ absence of physical action that is basically unethical, absence of verbal action that is basically unethical, and absence of mental action that is basically unethical.”
Śāradvatīputra then asked, “Blessed Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings purify the negativity of body? How do they purify the negativity of speech? How do they purify the negative of mind?”
“Śāradvatīputra,” replied the Blessed One, “when bodhisattva great beings do not apprehend the body, do not apprehend speech, and do not apprehend the mind, then, Śāradvatīputra, these bodhisattva great beings purify the negativity of the body, purify the negativity of speech, and purify the negativity of the mind.
“Moreover, I say, Śāradvatīputra, were bodhisattva great beings, commencing from the time when they first begin to set their mind on enlightenment, to have adopted and continued to pursue the paths associated with the ten virtuous actions without ever developing the mindset of the śrāvakas or the mindset of the pratyekabuddhas, were they to have constantly and always established an attitude of great compassion at all times for the sake of all beings, that would be the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of the negativity of the body, purification of the negativity of speech, and purification of the negativity of the mind.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom who refine the path to enlightenment, and who practice the perfection of generosity, practice the perfection of ethical discipline, practice the perfection of tolerance, practice the perfection of perseverance, practice the perfection of meditative concentration, and practice the perfection of wisdom.”
“What, Blessed Lord, is the bodhisattva great beings’ path to enlightenment?” asked Śāradvatīputra.
The Blessed One replied, “Śāradvatīputra, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom they do not apprehend a body, do not apprehend speech, and do not apprehend a mind; they do not apprehend the perfection of generosity, do not apprehend the perfection of ethical discipline, do not apprehend the perfection of tolerance, do not apprehend the perfection of perseverance, do not apprehend the perfection of meditative concentration, and do not apprehend the perfection of wisdom; and they do not apprehend a vehicle of the śrāvakas, do not apprehend a vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas, do not apprehend a vehicle of the bodhisattvas, and do not apprehend a vehicle of the perfectly complete buddhas. This, Śāradvatīputra, is the path to enlightenment that bodhisattva great beings will have because they thus do not apprehend, do not accept, and do not reject any phenomena.
“Śāradvatīputra, bodhisattva great beings who practice and earnestly apply the six perfections on such a path as this cannot be overcome by anyone.”
“In what manner, Blessed Lord, do bodhisattva great beings who cannot be overcome practice?” asked Śāradvatīputra.
The Blessed One replied, “When bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not give rise to conceit about physical forms, do not give rise to conceit about feelings, do not give rise to conceit about perceptions, do not give rise to conceit about formative predispositions, and do not give rise to conceit about consciousness. They do not give rise to conceit about the eyes and sights, do not give rise to conceit about the ears and sounds, do not give rise to conceit about the nose and odors, do not give rise to conceit about the tongue and tastes, do not give rise to conceit about the body and tangibles, and do not give rise to conceit about the mental faculty and mental phenomena. They do not give rise to conceit about the earth element, do not give rise to conceit about the water element, do not give rise to conceit about the fire element, do not give rise to conceit about the wind element, do not give rise to conceit about the space element, and do not give rise to conceit about the consciousness element. They do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of the eyes, do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of sights, and do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of visual consciousness. They do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of the ears, do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of sounds, and do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of auditory consciousness; do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of the nose, do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of odors, and do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of olfactory consciousness; do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of the tongue, do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of tastes, and do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of gustatory consciousness; do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of the body, do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of tangibles, and do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of tactile consciousness; and do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of the mental faculty, do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of mental phenomena, and do not give rise to conceit about the sensory element of mental consciousness. They do not give rise to conceit about [the twelve links of] dependent origination. They do not give rise to conceit about the perfection of generosity, do not give rise to conceit about the perfection of ethical discipline, do not give rise to conceit about the perfection of tolerance, do not give rise to conceit about the perfection of perseverance, do not give rise to conceit about the perfection of meditative concentration, and do not give rise to conceit about the perfection of wisdom. They do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of internal phenomena, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of external phenomena, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of emptiness, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of great extent, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of ultimate reality, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of the unlimited, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of nonexclusion, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of an inherent nature, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of all phenomena, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of nonentities, do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of essential nature, and do not give rise to conceit about the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities. They do not give rise to conceit about the four applications of mindfulness, do not give rise to conceit about the four correct exertions, do not give rise to conceit about the four supports for miraculous ability, do not give rise to conceit about the five faculties, do not give rise to conceit about the five powers, do not give rise to conceit about the seven branches of enlightenment, and do not give rise to conceit about the noble eightfold path. They do not give rise to conceit about the four truths of the noble ones, do not give rise to conceit about the four meditative concentrations, do not give rise to conceit about the four immeasurable attitudes, do not give rise to conceit about the four formless absorptions, do not give rise to conceit about the eight liberations, and do not give rise to conceit about the nine serial steps of meditative absorption. They do not give rise to conceit about emptiness, do not give rise to conceit about signlessness, and do not give rise to conceit about wishlessness. They do not give rise to conceit about the extrasensory powers, do not give rise to conceit about the meditative stabilities, and do not give rise to conceit about the gateways of the dhāraṇīs. They do not give rise to conceit about the ten powers of the tathāgatas, do not give rise to conceit about the four fearlessnesses, do not give rise to conceit about the four kinds of exact knowledge, do not give rise to conceit about great loving kindness, do not give rise to conceit about great compassion, and do not give rise to conceit about the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas. They do not give rise to conceit about the fruit of entering the stream, do not give rise to conceit about the fruit of once-returner, do not give rise to conceit about the fruit of non-returner, do not give rise to conceit about arhatship, do not give rise to conceit about individual enlightenment, do not give rise to conceit about the knowledge of the aspects of the path, do not give rise to conceit about unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, do not give rise to conceit about saṃsāra, and do not give rise to conceit about nirvāṇa. Then those bodhisattva great beings flourish through the six perfections and cannot be overcome by anyone.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are also bodhisattva great beings who maintain the six perfections, and who perfect the wisdom of an omniscient one. Those who have this wisdom will never be reborn in the lower realms. They will never experience being impoverished, destitute, or worn-out. As for their corporeal form,247 they will not acquire a body that is disparaged in the worlds of humans, gods, or asuras.”
The venerable Śāradvatīputra then asked the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, if bodhisattva great beings are endowed with such wisdom, whereby they would never be reborn into the lower realms of existence, never experience being impoverished, destitute, or worn-out, and never have a corporeal form that is disparaged in the worlds of gods, humans, or asuras, what is that wisdom of an omniscient one?”
“Śāradvatīputra,” replied the Blessed One, “if bodhisattva great beings are endowed with that wisdom, in the world systems of the eastern direction, as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they will perceive tathāgatas, arhats, and perfectly complete buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. They will listen to the Dharma and perceive the community of the bodhisattvas and the distinguished attributes of the buddhafields.
“If bodhisattva great beings are endowed with that transcendental knowledge, in the world systems of the southern direction, as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they will perceive tathāgatas, arhats, and perfectly complete buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. They will listen to the Dharma and perceive the community of the bodhisattvas and the distinguished attributes of the buddhafields. If bodhisattva great beings are endowed with that transcendental knowledge, in the world systems of the western direction, as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they will perceive tathāgatas, arhats, and perfectly complete buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. They will listen to the Dharma and perceive the community of the bodhisattvas and the distinguished attributes of the buddhafields. If bodhisattva great beings are endowed with that transcendental knowledge, in the world systems of the northern direction, as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they will perceive tathāgatas, arhats, and perfectly complete buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. They will listen to the Dharma and perceive the community of the bodhisattvas and the distinguished attributes of the buddhafields. If bodhisattva great beings are endowed with that transcendental knowledge, in the world systems of the intermediate northeastern direction, as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they will perceive tathāgatas, arhats, and perfectly complete buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. They will listen to the Dharma and perceive the community of the bodhisattvas and the distinguished attributes of the buddhafields. If bodhisattva great beings are endowed with that transcendental knowledge, in the world systems of the intermediate southeastern direction, as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they will perceive tathāgatas, arhats, and perfectly complete buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. They will listen to the Dharma and perceive the community of the bodhisattvas and the distinguished attributes of the buddhafields. If bodhisattva great beings are endowed with that transcendental knowledge, in the world systems of the intermediate southwestern direction, as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they will perceive tathāgatas, arhats, and perfectly complete buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. They will listen to the Dharma and perceive the community of the bodhisattvas and the distinguished attributes of the buddhafields. If bodhisattva great beings are endowed with that transcendental knowledge, in the world systems of the intermediate northwestern direction, as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they will perceive tathāgatas, arhats, and perfectly complete buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. They will listen to the Dharma and perceive the community of the bodhisattvas and the distinguished attributes of the buddhafields. If bodhisattva great beings are endowed with that transcendental knowledge, in the world systems in the direction of the nadir, as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they will perceive tathāgatas, arhats, and perfectly complete buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. They will listen to the Dharma and perceive the community of the bodhisattvas and the distinguished attributes of the buddhafields. If bodhisattva great beings are endowed with that transcendental knowledge, in the world systems in the direction of the zenith, as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, they will perceive tathāgatas, arhats, and perfectly complete buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. They will listen to the Dharma and perceive the community of the bodhisattvas and the distinguished attributes of the buddhafields.
“Bodhisattva great beings endowed with that transcendental knowledge do not develop notions of the Buddha, do not develop notions of the Dharma, do not develop notions of the Saṅgha, do not develop notions of the śrāvakas, do not develop notions of the pratyekabuddhas, do not develop notions of the bodhisattvas, do not develop notions of the buddhas, do not develop notions of self, do not develop notions of others, and do not develop notions of the buddhafields.
“Bodhisattva great beings who are endowed with that transcendental knowledge practice the perfection of generosity, but they do not apprehend the perfection of generosity. They practice the perfection of ethical discipline, but they do not apprehend the perfection of ethical discipline. They practice the perfection of tolerance, but they do not apprehend the perfection of tolerance. They practice the perfection of perseverance, but they do not apprehend the perfection of perseverance. They practice the perfection of meditative concentration, but they do not apprehend the perfection of meditative concentration. They practice the perfection of wisdom, but they do not apprehend the perfection of wisdom.
“They cultivate the emptiness of internal phenomena, but do not apprehend the emptiness of internal phenomena. They cultivate the emptiness of external phenomena, but do not apprehend the emptiness of external phenomena. They cultivate the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, but do not apprehend the emptiness of external and internal phenomena. They cultivate the emptiness of emptiness, but do not apprehend the emptiness of emptiness. They cultivate the emptiness of great extent, but do not apprehend the emptiness of great extent. They cultivate the emptiness of ultimate reality, but do not apprehend the emptiness of ultimate reality. They cultivate the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, but do not apprehend the emptiness of conditioned phenomena. They cultivate the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, but do not apprehend the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena. They cultivate the emptiness of the unlimited, but do not apprehend the emptiness of the unlimited. They cultivate the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, but do not apprehend the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end. They cultivate the emptiness of nonexclusion, but do not apprehend the emptiness of nonexclusion. They cultivate the emptiness of inherent nature, but do not apprehend the emptiness of inherent nature. They cultivate the emptiness of all phenomena, but do not apprehend the emptiness of all phenomena. They cultivate the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, but do not apprehend the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics. They cultivate the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, but do not apprehend the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended. They cultivate the emptiness of nonentities, but do not apprehend the emptiness of nonentities. They cultivate the emptiness of essential nature, but do not apprehend the emptiness of essential nature. They cultivate the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities, but do not apprehend the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities.
“They cultivate the four applications of mindfulness, but do not apprehend the applications of mindfulness. They cultivate the four correct exertions, but do not apprehend the correct exertions. They cultivate the four supports for miraculous ability, but do not apprehend the supports for miraculous ability. They cultivate the five faculties, but do not apprehend the faculties. They cultivate the five powers, but do not apprehend the powers. They cultivate the seven branches of enlightenment, but do not apprehend the branches of enlightenment. They cultivate the noble eightfold path, but they do not apprehend the noble eightfold path.
“They cultivate the truths of the noble ones, but do not apprehend the truths of the noble ones. They cultivate the meditative concentrations, but do not apprehend the meditative concentrations. They cultivate the immeasurable attitudes, but do not apprehend the immeasurable attitudes. They cultivate the formless absorptions, but do not apprehend the formless absorptions. They cultivate the eight liberations, but do not apprehend the liberations. They cultivate the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, but do not apprehend the serial steps of meditative absorption. They cultivate emptiness, but they do not apprehend emptiness. They cultivate signlessness, but they do not apprehend signlessness. They cultivate wishlessness, but they do not apprehend wishlessness. They cultivate the extrasensory powers, but they do not apprehend the extrasensory powers.
“They cultivate the meditative stabilities, but they do not apprehend the meditative stabilities. They cultivate the gateways of the dhāraṇīs, but they do not apprehend the gateways of the dhāraṇīs. They cultivate the ten powers of the tathāgatas, but they do not apprehend the powers of the tathāgatas. They cultivate the four fearlessnesses, but they do not apprehend the fearlessnesses. They cultivate the four kinds of exact knowledge, but they do not apprehend the kinds of exact knowledge. They cultivate great loving kindness, but they do not apprehend great loving kindness. They cultivate great compassion, but they do not apprehend great compassion. They cultivate the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, but they do not apprehend the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas.
“They cultivate the fruit of entering the stream, but they do not apprehend the fruit of entering the stream. They cultivate the fruit of once-returner, but they do not apprehend the fruit of once-returner. They cultivate the fruit of non-returner, but they do not apprehend the fruit of non-returner. They cultivate arhatship, but they do not apprehend arhatship. They cultivate individual enlightenment, but they do not apprehend individual enlightenment. They cultivate the knowledge of the aspects of the path, but they do not apprehend the knowledge of the aspects of the path. They cultivate all-aspect omniscience, but they do not apprehend all-aspect omniscience. They cultivate the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, but they do not apprehend the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas.
“This, Śāradvatīputra, is the transcendental knowledge of bodhisattva great beings. Bodhisattva great beings who are endowed with this transcendental knowledge perfect all the qualities of the buddhas, but they do not observe all the qualities of the buddhas.
“Śāradvatīputra, thus there are also bodhisattva great beings who acquire and refine the five eyes when they practice the perfection of wisdom. If you ask what the five are, they are the eyes of flesh, the eye of divine clairvoyance, the eye of wisdom, the eye of the Dharma, and the eye of a buddha.”
“Blessed Lord, what are the refined eyes of flesh of bodhisattva great beings?” asked Śāradvatīputra.
The Blessed One replied, “Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh for one hundred yojanas. Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh for two hundred yojanas. Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh for three hundred yojanas. Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh for four hundred yojanas. Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh for five hundred yojanas. Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh for six hundred yojanas. Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh for seven hundred yojanas. Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh for eight hundred yojanas. Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh for nine hundred yojanas. Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh for a thousand yojanas.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh across Jambudvīpa. Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh across two continents. Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh across three continents. Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh across a world system comprising the four great continents. Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh across a thousand world systems.
“Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh across a million world systems. And, Śāradvatīputra, there are bodhisattva great beings who can see with their eyes of flesh across a great billionfold world system.248 Śāradvatīputra, these are the refined eyes of flesh of bodhisattva great beings.”