“Therefore, Kauśika, this perfection of bodhisattva great beings is infinite because physical forms are infinite, feelings are infinite, perceptions are infinite, formative predispositions are infinite, and consciousness is infinite; the eyes are infinite, the ears are infinite, the nose is infinite, the tongue is infinite, the body is infinite, and the mental faculty is infinite; sights are infinite, sounds are infinite, odors are infinite, tastes are infinite, tangibles are infinite, and mental phenomena are infinite; visual consciousness is infinite, auditory consciousness is infinite, olfactory consciousness is infinite, gustatory consciousness is infinite, tactile consciousness is infinite, and mental consciousness is infinite; visually compounded sensory contact is infinite, aurally compounded sensory contact is infinite, nasally compounded sensory contact is infinite, lingually compounded sensory contact is infinite, corporeally compounded sensory contact is infinite, and mentally compounded sensory contact is infinite; feelings conditioned by visually compounded sensory contact are infinite, feelings conditioned by aurally compounded sensory contact are infinite, feelings conditioned by nasally compounded sensory contact are infinite, feelings conditioned by lingually compounded sensory contact are infinite, feelings conditioned by corporeally compounded sensory contact are infinite, and feelings conditioned by mentally compounded sensory contact are infinite; the earth element is infinite, the water element is infinite, the fire element is infinite, the wind element is infinite, the space element is infinite, and the consciousness element is infinite; ignorance is infinite, formative predispositions are infinite, consciousness is infinite, name and form are infinite, the six sense fields are infinite, sensory contact is infinite, sensation is infinite, craving is infinite, grasping is infinite, the rebirth process is infinite, birth is infinite, and aging and death are infinite; the perfection of generosity is infinite, the perfection of ethical discipline is infinite, the perfection of tolerance is infinite, the perfection of perseverance is infinite, the perfection of meditative concentration is infinite, and the perfection of wisdom is infinite; the emptiness of internal phenomena is infinite, the emptiness of external phenomena is infinite, the emptiness of external and internal phenomena is infinite, the emptiness of emptiness is infinite, the emptiness of great extent is infinite, the emptiness of ultimate reality is infinite, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena is infinite, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena is infinite, the emptiness of the unlimited is infinite, the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end is infinite, the emptiness of nonexclusion is infinite, the emptiness of inherent nature is infinite, the emptiness of all phenomena is infinite, the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics is infinite, the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended is infinite, the emptiness of nonentities is infinite, the emptiness of essential nature is infinite, and the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities is infinite; the applications of mindfulness are infinite, the correct exertions are infinite, the supports for miraculous ability are infinite, the faculties are infinite, the powers are infinite, the branches of enlightenment are infinite, and the noble eightfold path is infinite; the truths of the noble ones are infinite, the meditative concentrations are infinite, the immeasurable attitudes are infinite, the formless absorptions are infinite, the eight liberations are infinite, the nine serial steps of meditative absorption are infinite, the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation are infinite, the extrasensory powers are infinite, the meditative stabilities are infinite, the dhāraṇī gateways are infinite, the powers of the tathāgatas are infinite, the four fearlessnesses are infinite, the four kinds of exact knowledge are infinite, great loving kindness is infinite, great compassion is infinite, the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas are infinite, the fruit of having entered the stream is infinite, the fruit of once-returner is infinite, the fruit of non-returner is infinite, arhatship is infinite, individual enlightenment is infinite, the knowledge of the aspects of the path is infinite, and all-aspect omniscience is infinite. Such is this––the perfection of wisdom.
“Moreover, Kauśika, this perfection of bodhisattva great beings is infinite because the objective referent is infinite. Such is the perfection of wisdom.”
Śakra then asked, “Venerable monk Subhūti, why do you say, ‘This perfection of bodhisattva great beings is infinite because the objective referent is infinite. Such is the perfection of wisdom’?”
“Kauśika,” replied Subhūti, “this perfection of bodhisattva great beings is infinite because the objective referent of all-aspect omniscience is infinite.690 Such is the perfection of wisdom. Moreover, Kauśika, this perfection of bodhisattva great beings is infinite because the objective referent of a phenomenon is infinite. Such is the perfection of wisdom.”
Śakra asked, “Venerable monk Subhūti, why do you say, ‘This perfection of bodhisattva great beings is infinite because the objective referent of a phenomenon is infinite. Such is the perfection of wisdom’?”
“Kauśika,” replied Subhūti, “this perfection of bodhisattva great beings is infinite because the realm of phenomena is infinite.691 Such is the perfection of wisdom. Moreover, Kauśika, this perfection of bodhisattva great beings is infinite because the real nature and the objective referent692 are infinite. Such is the perfection of wisdom.”
Śakra then asked, “Venerable monk Subhūti, why do you say, ‘This perfection of bodhisattva great beings is infinite because the objective referent is infinite. Such is the perfection of wisdom’?”
“Kauśika,” replied Subhūti, “the objective referent is infinite because the real nature is infinite. The real nature is infinite because the objective referent is infinite. Kauśika, this perfection of bodhisattva great beings is infinite because the real nature and the objective referent are infinite.
“Moreover, Kauśika, this perfection of bodhisattva great beings is infinite because a being is infinite.”
Śakra asked, “Venerable monk Subhūti, why do you say, ‘This perfection of bodhisattva great beings is infinite because a being is infinite’?”
Subhūti replied, “Kauśika, of what phenomenon do you think this ‘being’ is the term?”
“Venerable monk Subhūti,” replied Śakra, “it is neither the term for a phenomenon nor is it the term for something that is not a phenomenon. This being the case, this ‘being’ is designated as a name adventitiously, designated as a name in the absence of an entity, and designated as a name without an objective referent.”
“Kauśika,” said Subhūti, “that being about which nothing at all has been explained is the being that is infinite. Kauśika, if a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha, residing for eons as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were to speak the words ‘a being,’ do you think, Kauśika, that any being would arise or cease there?”
“Kauśika,” said Subhūti, “this being the case, one should know that the perfection of wisdom is infinite because a being is infinite.”693
Then the gods together with Indra, the gods together with Brahmā, and the gods together with Prajāpati, along with many men and women, made the following pronouncement694 three times: “Ah! This Dharma that the elder Subhūti has explained, expressed, and revealed like that through the blessing of the tathāgatas and through the power of the tathāgatas, in order that the tathāgatas might emerge, has been eloquently explained! Ah! This Dharma has been eloquently explained. Ah! This reality of the Dharma has been eloquently explained!
“Blessed Lord, we shall hold that bodhisattva great being who is not separated from this perfection of wisdom to be the tathāgata himself. No Dharma at all can be apprehended, whether it be physical forms, or feelings, or perceptions, or formative predispositions, or consciousness; whether it be the eyes, or the ears, or the nose, or the tongue, or the body, or the mental faculty; whether it be sights, or sounds, or odors, or tastes, or tangibles, or mental phenomena; whether it be visual consciousness, or auditory consciousness, or olfactory consciousness, or gustatory consciousness, or tactile consciousness, or mental consciousness; whether it be visually compounded sensory contact, or aurally compounded sensory contact, or nasally compounded sensory contact, or lingually compounded sensory contact, or corporeally compounded sensory contact, or mentally compounded sensory contact; whether it be feelings conditioned by visually compounded sensory contact, or feelings conditioned by aurally compounded sensory contact, or feelings conditioned by nasally compounded sensory contact, or feelings conditioned by lingually compounded sensory contact, or feelings conditioned by corporeally compounded sensory contact, or feelings conditioned by mentally compounded sensory contact; whether it be the earth element, or the water element, or the fire element, or the wind element, or the space element, or the consciousness element; whether it be ignorance, or formative predispositions, or consciousness, or name and form, or the six sense fields, or sensory contact, or sensation, or craving, or grasping, or the rebirth process, or birth, or aging and death; whether it be the perfection of generosity, or the perfection of ethical discipline, or the perfection of tolerance, or the perfection of perseverance, or the perfection of meditative concentration, or the perfection of wisdom; whether it be the emptiness of internal phenomena, or the emptiness of external phenomena, or the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, or the emptiness of emptiness, or the emptiness of great extent, or the emptiness of ultimate reality, or the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, or the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, or the emptiness of the unlimited, or the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, or the emptiness of nonexclusion, or the emptiness of inherent nature, or the emptiness of all phenomena, or the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, or the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, or the emptiness of nonentities, or the emptiness of essential nature, or the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities; whether it be the applications of mindfulness, or the correct exertions, or the supports for miraculous ability, or the faculties, or the powers, or the branches of enlightenment, or the noble eightfold path; or whether it be the truths of the noble ones, or the meditative concentrations, or the immeasurable attitudes, or the formless absorptions, or the liberations, or the serial steps of meditative absorption, or the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, or the extrasensory powers, or the meditative stabilities, or the dhāraṇī gateways, or the powers of the tathāgatas, or the fearlessnesses, or the kinds of exact knowledge, or great loving kindness, or great compassion, or the distinct qualities of the buddhas, or the fruit of having entered the stream, or the fruit of once-returner, or the fruit of non-returner, or arhatship, or individual enlightenment, or knowledge of all the dharmas, or the knowledge of the aspects of the path, or all-aspect omniscience. No Dharma at all can be apprehended, nonetheless there has been a presentation of the three vehicles. If you ask what the three are, they are the vehicle of the śrāvakas, the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas, and the vehicle of the perfectly complete buddhas.”
Then the Blessed One said to the gods together with Indra, “Gods, it is so, it is just as you have said. No Dharma at all can be apprehended, whether it be physical forms, or feelings, or perceptions, or formative predispositions, or consciousness; whether it be the eyes, or the ears, or the nose, or the tongue, or the body, or the mental faculty; whether it be sights, or sounds, or odors, or tastes, or tangibles, or mental phenomena; whether it be visual consciousness, or auditory consciousness, or olfactory consciousness, or gustatory consciousness, or tactile consciousness, or mental consciousness; whether it be visually compounded sensory contact, or aurally compounded sensory contact, or nasally compounded sensory contact, or lingually compounded sensory contact, or corporeally compounded sensory contact, or mentally compounded sensory contact; whether it be feelings conditioned by visually compounded sensory contact, or feelings conditioned by aurally compounded sensory contact, or feelings conditioned by nasally compounded sensory contact, or feelings conditioned by lingually compounded sensory contact, or feelings conditioned by corporeally compounded sensory contact, or feelings conditioned by mentally compounded sensory contact; whether it be the earth element, or the water element, or the fire element, or the wind element, or the space element, or the consciousness element; whether it be ignorance, or formative predispositions, or consciousness, or name and form, or the six sense fields, or sensory contact, or sensation, or craving, or grasping, or the rebirth process, or birth, or aging and death; whether it be the perfection of generosity, or the perfection of ethical discipline, or the perfection of tolerance, or the perfection of perseverance, or the perfection of meditative concentration, or the perfection of wisdom; whether it be the emptiness of internal phenomena, or the emptiness of external phenomena, or the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, or the emptiness of emptiness, or the emptiness of great extent, or the emptiness of ultimate reality, or the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, or the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, or the emptiness of the unlimited, or the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, or the emptiness of nonexclusion, or the emptiness of inherent nature, or the emptiness of all phenomena, or the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, or the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, or the emptiness of nonentities, or the emptiness of essential nature, or the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities; whether it be the applications of mindfulness, or the correct exertions, or the supports for miraculous ability, or the faculties, or the powers, or the branches of enlightenment, or the noble eightfold path; or whether it be the truths of the noble ones, or the meditative concentrations, or the immeasurable attitudes, or the formless absorptions, or the liberations, or the serial steps of meditative absorption, or the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, or the extrasensory powers, or the meditative stabilities, or the dhāraṇī gateways, or the powers of the tathāgatas, or the fearlessnesses, or the kinds of exact knowledge, or great loving kindness, or great compassion, or the distinct qualities of the buddhas, or the fruit of having entered the stream, or the fruit of once-returner, or the fruit of non-returner, or arhatship, or individual enlightenment, or the knowledge of the aspects of the path, or all-aspect omniscience. No Dharma at all can be apprehended, nonetheless there has been a presentation of the three vehicles. If you ask what the three are, they are the vehicle of the śrāvakas, the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas, and the vehicle of the perfectly complete buddhas.
“Gods, you should hold that bodhisattva great being who, by way of not apprehending anything, is not separated from this perfection of wisdom to be the tathāgata himself. If you ask why, it is because the three vehicles are taught extensively in this perfection of wisdom. If you ask what the three are, the vehicle of the śrāvakas, the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas, and the vehicle of the perfectly complete buddhas are explained.
“The tathāgata cannot be apprehended as other than the perfection of generosity, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the perfection of ethical discipline, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the perfection of tolerance, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the perfection of perseverance, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the perfection of meditative concentration, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the perfection of wisdom; nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of internal phenomena, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of external phenomena, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of emptiness, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of great extent, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of ultimate reality, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of the unlimited, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of nonexclusion, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of inherent nature, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of all phenomena, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of nonentities, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of essential nature, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities; nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the applications of mindfulness, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the correct exertions, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the supports for miraculous ability, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the faculties, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the powers, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the branches of enlightenment, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the noble eightfold path; nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the truths of the noble ones, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the meditative concentrations, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the immeasurable attitudes, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the formless absorptions, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the liberations, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the serial steps of meditative absorption, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the extrasensory powers, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the meditative stabilities, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the dhāraṇī gateways, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the powers of the tathāgatas, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the fearlessnesses, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the kinds of exact knowledge, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than great loving kindness, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than great compassion, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the distinct qualities of the buddhas, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than knowledge of all the dharmas, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than the knowledge of the aspects of the path, nor can the tathāgata be apprehended as other than all-aspect omniscience.
“Gods, bodhisattva great beings train in all these attributes: They train in the perfection of generosity, train in the perfection of ethical discipline, train in the perfection of tolerance, train in the perfection of perseverance, train in the perfection of meditative concentration, and train in the perfection of wisdom; they train in the emptiness of internal phenomena, train in the emptiness of external phenomena, train in the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, train in the emptiness of emptiness, train in the emptiness of great extent, train in the emptiness of ultimate reality, train in the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, train in the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, train in the emptiness of the unlimited, train in the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, train in the emptiness of nonexclusion, train in the emptiness of inherent nature, train in the emptiness of all phenomena, train in the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, train in the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, train in the emptiness of nonentities, train in the emptiness of essential nature, and train in the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities; they train in the applications of mindfulness, train in the correct exertions, train in the supports for miraculous ability, train in the faculties, train in the powers, train in the branches of enlightenment, and train in the noble eightfold path; and they train in the truths of the noble ones, train in the meditative concentrations, train in the immeasurable attitudes, train in the formless absorptions, train in the liberations, train in the serial steps of meditative absorption, train in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, train in the extrasensory powers, train in the meditative stabilities, train in the dhāraṇī gateways, train in the powers of the tathāgatas, train in the fearlessnesses, train in the kinds of exact knowledge, train in great loving kindness, train in great compassion, train in the distinct qualities of the buddhas, train in the fruit of having entered the stream, train in the fruit of once-returner, train in the fruit of non-returner, train in arhatship, train in individual enlightenment, train in the knowledge of the aspects of the path, and train in all-aspect omniscience. Gods, it is for that reason that a bodhisattva great being who practices without becoming separated from this perfection of wisdom is said to be the tathāgata himself.
“Gods, when I attended upon695 the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete Buddha Dīpaṃkara, and was in the middle of the market in the capital city Padmāvatī,696 I was not separated from the perfection of generosity, was not separated from the perfection of ethical discipline, was not separated from the perfection of tolerance, was not separated from the perfection of perseverance, was not separated from the perfection of meditative concentration, and was not separated from the perfection of wisdom; I was not separated from the emptiness of internal phenomena, was not separated from the emptiness of external phenomena, was not separated from the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, was not separated from the emptiness of emptiness, was not separated from the emptiness of great extent, was not separated from the emptiness of ultimate reality, was not separated from the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, was not separated from the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, was not separated from the emptiness of the unlimited, was not separated from the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, was not separated from the emptiness of nonexclusion, was not separated from the emptiness of inherent nature, was not separated from the emptiness of all phenomena, was not separated from the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, was not separated from the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, was not separated from the emptiness of nonentities, was not separated from the emptiness of essential nature, and was not separated from the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities; I was not separated from the applications of mindfulness, was not separated from the correct exertions, was not separated from the supports for miraculous ability, was not separated from the faculties, was not separated from the powers, was not separated from the branches of enlightenment, and was not separated from the noble eightfold path; and I was not separated from the truths of the noble ones, was not separated from the meditative concentrations, was not separated from the immeasurable attitudes, was not separated from the formless absorptions, was not separated from the liberations, was not separated from the serial steps of meditative absorption, was not separated from the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, was not separated from the extrasensory powers, was not separated from the meditative stabilities, was not separated from the dhāraṇī gateways, was not separated from the powers of the tathāgatas, was not separated from the fearlessnesses, was not separated from the kinds of exact knowledge, was not separated from great loving kindness, was not separated from great compassion, and was not separated from the distinct qualities of the buddhas. Through not apprehending them, I was also not separated from the other immeasurable attributes of the buddhas.
“Gods, at that time, the tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete Buddha Dīpaṃkara prophesied that I would attain unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, saying, ‘Young man, in the future, after countless eons, during the Auspicious Eon in this very world system you will become Śākyamuni, a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha, perfect in wisdom and conduct,697 a well-gone one, a knower of the world, an unsurpassed steersman for individuals who are to be trained, a teacher of gods and humans, a buddha, and a blessed one.’ ”
Those gods then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, it is wonderful how the bodhisattva great beings’ perfection of wisdom favorably sustains698 the bodhisattva great beings’ all-aspect omniscience through not acquiring or relinquishing physical forms, through not acquiring or relinquishing feelings, through not acquiring or relinquishing perceptions, through not acquiring or relinquishing formative predispositions, and through not acquiring or relinquishing consciousness; through not acquiring or relinquishing the eyes, through not acquiring or relinquishing the ears, through not acquiring or relinquishing the nose, through not acquiring or relinquishing the tongue, through not acquiring or relinquishing the body, and through not acquiring or relinquishing the mental faculty; through not acquiring or relinquishing sights, through not acquiring or relinquishing sounds, through not acquiring or relinquishing odors, through not acquiring or relinquishing tastes, through not acquiring or relinquishing tangibles, and through not acquiring or relinquishing mental phenomena; through not acquiring or relinquishing visual consciousness, through not acquiring or relinquishing auditory consciousness, through not acquiring or relinquishing olfactory consciousness, through not acquiring or relinquishing gustatory consciousness, through not acquiring or relinquishing tactile consciousness, and through not acquiring or relinquishing mental consciousness; through not acquiring or relinquishing visually compounded sensory contact, through not acquiring or relinquishing aurally compounded sensory contact, through not acquiring or relinquishing nasally compounded sensory contact, through not acquiring or relinquishing lingually compounded sensory contact, through not acquiring or relinquishing corporeally compounded sensory contact, and through not acquiring or relinquishing mentally compounded sensory contact; through not acquiring or relinquishing feelings conditioned by visually compounded sensory contact, through not acquiring or relinquishing feelings conditioned by aurally compounded sensory contact, through not acquiring or relinquishing feelings conditioned by nasally compounded sensory contact, through not acquiring or relinquishing feelings conditioned by lingually compounded sensory contact, through not acquiring or relinquishing feelings conditioned by corporeally compounded sensory contact, and through not acquiring or relinquishing feelings conditioned by mentally compounded sensory contact; through not acquiring or relinquishing the earth element, through not acquiring or relinquishing the water element, through not acquiring or relinquishing the fire element, through not acquiring or relinquishing the wind element, through not acquiring or relinquishing the space element, and through not acquiring or relinquishing the consciousness element; through not acquiring or relinquishing ignorance, through not acquiring or relinquishing formative predispositions, through not acquiring or relinquishing consciousness, through not acquiring or relinquishing name and form, through not acquiring or relinquishing the six sense fields, through not acquiring or relinquishing sensory contact, through not acquiring or relinquishing sensation, through not acquiring or relinquishing craving, through not acquiring or relinquishing grasping, through not acquiring or relinquishing the rebirth process, through not acquiring or relinquishing birth, and through not acquiring or relinquishing aging and death; through not acquiring or relinquishing the perfection of generosity, through not acquiring or relinquishing the perfection of ethical discipline, through not acquiring or relinquishing the perfection of tolerance, through not acquiring or relinquishing the perfection of perseverance, through not acquiring or relinquishing the perfection of meditative concentration, and through not acquiring or relinquishing the perfection of wisdom; through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of internal phenomena, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of external phenomena, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of emptiness, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of great extent, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of ultimate reality, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of the unlimited, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of nonexclusion, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of inherent nature, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of all phenomena, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of nonentities, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of essential nature, and through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities; through not acquiring or relinquishing the applications of mindfulness, through not acquiring or relinquishing the correct exertions, through not acquiring or relinquishing the supports for miraculous ability, through not acquiring or relinquishing the faculties, through not acquiring or relinquishing the powers, through not acquiring or relinquishing the branches of enlightenment, and through not acquiring or relinquishing the noble eightfold path; and through not acquiring or relinquishing the truths of the noble ones, through not acquiring or relinquishing the meditative concentrations, through not acquiring or relinquishing the immeasurable attitudes, through not acquiring or relinquishing the formless absorptions, through not acquiring or relinquishing the liberations, through not acquiring or relinquishing the serial steps of meditative absorption, through not acquiring or relinquishing the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, through not acquiring or relinquishing the extrasensory powers, through not acquiring or relinquishing the meditative stabilities, through not acquiring or relinquishing the dhāraṇī gateways, through not acquiring or relinquishing the powers of the tathāgatas, through not acquiring or relinquishing the fearlessnesses, through not acquiring or relinquishing the kinds of exact knowledge, through not acquiring or relinquishing great loving kindness, through not acquiring or relinquishing great compassion, through not acquiring or relinquishing the distinct qualities of the buddhas, through not acquiring or relinquishing knowledge of all the dharmas, through not acquiring or relinquishing the knowledge of the aspects of the path, and through not acquiring or relinquishing all-aspect omniscience.”699
Then the Blessed One, knowing that the four assemblies of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen, the bodhisattva great beings, and the gods of the Cāturmahārājika realm, the gods of the Trayastriṃśa realm, the gods of the Yāma realm, the gods of the Tuṣita realm, the gods of the Nirmāṇarati realm, and the gods of the Paranirmitavaśavartin realm; the gods of the Brahmakāyika realm, the gods of the Brahmapurohita realm, the gods of the Brahmapārṣadya realm, and the gods of the Mahābrahmā realm; the gods of the Ābha realm, the gods of the Parīttābha realm, the gods of the Apramāṇābha realm, and the gods of the Ābhāsvara realm; the gods of the Śubha realm, the gods of the Parīttaśubha realm, the gods of the Apramāṇaśubha realm, and the gods of the Śubhakṛtsna realm; the gods of the Vṛha realm, the gods of the Parīttavṛha realm, the gods of the Apramāṇavṛha realm, and the gods of the Vṛhatphala realm; and the gods of the Avṛha realm, the gods of the Atapa realm, the gods of the Sudṛśa realm, the gods of the Sudarśana realm, and the gods of the Akaniṣṭha realm were gathered and assembled, established them all as witnesses, and said to Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, “Kauśika, evil Māra and the gods of the māra class will find no opportunity to inflict harm on700 those bodhisattva great beings, or the monks, or the nuns, or the laymen, or the laywomen, or the sons of good families, or the daughters of good families, or the gods, or the goddesses who will take up, uphold, recite, master, cultivate, extensively explain to others, and focus their attention correctly on this perfection of wisdom without being separated from the mind of all-aspect omniscience.
“If you ask why, it is because these sons and daughters of good families will be totally blessed with the emptiness of physical forms, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of feelings, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of perceptions, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of formative predispositions, and will be totally blessed with the emptiness of consciousness. If you ask why, it is because there is no opportunity for emptiness to inflict harm on emptiness, no opportunity for signlessness to inflict harm on signlessness, and no opportunity for wishlessness to inflict harm on wishlessness.
“It is because these sons and daughters of good families will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the eyes, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the ears, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the nose, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the tongue, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the body, and will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the mental faculty. If you ask why, it is because there is no opportunity for emptiness to inflict harm on emptiness, no opportunity for signlessness to inflict harm on signlessness, and no opportunity for wishlessness to inflict harm on wishlessness. It is because these sons and daughters of good families will be totally blessed with the emptiness of sights, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of sounds, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of odors, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of tastes, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of tangibles, and will be totally blessed with the emptiness of mental phenomena. If you ask why, it is because there is no opportunity for emptiness to inflict harm on emptiness, no opportunity for signlessness to inflict harm on signlessness, and no opportunity for wishlessness to inflict harm on wishlessness. It is because these sons and daughters of good families will be totally blessed with the emptiness of visual consciousness, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of auditory consciousness, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of olfactory consciousness, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of gustatory consciousness, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of tactile consciousness, and will be totally blessed with the emptiness of mental consciousness. If you ask why, it is because there is no opportunity for emptiness to inflict harm on emptiness, no opportunity for signlessness to inflict harm on signlessness, and no opportunity for wishlessness to inflict harm on wishlessness. It is because these sons and daughters of good families will be totally blessed with the emptiness of visually compounded sensory contact, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of aurally compounded sensory contact, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of nasally compounded sensory contact, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of lingually compounded sensory contact, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of corporeally compounded sensory contact, and will be totally blessed with mentally compounded sensory contact. If you ask why, it is because there is no opportunity for emptiness to inflict harm on emptiness, no opportunity for signlessness to inflict harm on signlessness, and no opportunity for wishlessness to inflict harm on wishlessness. It is because these sons and daughters of good families will be totally blessed with the emptiness of feelings conditioned by visually compounded sensory contact, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of feelings conditioned by aurally compounded sensory contact, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of feelings conditioned by nasally compounded sensory contact, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of feelings conditioned by lingually compounded sensory contact, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of feelings conditioned by corporeally compounded sensory contact, and will be totally blessed with the emptiness of feelings conditioned by mentally compounded sensory contact. If you ask why, it is because there is no opportunity for emptiness to inflict harm on emptiness, no opportunity for signlessness to inflict harm on signlessness, and no opportunity for wishlessness to inflict harm on wishlessness.