“It is because these sons and daughters of good families will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the earth element, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the water element, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the fire element, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the wind element, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the space element, and will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the consciousness element. 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 ignorance, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of formative predispositions, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of consciousness, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of name and form, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the six sense fields, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of sensory contact, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of sensation, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of craving, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of grasping, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the rebirth process, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of birth, and will be totally blessed with the emptiness of aging and death. 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 perfection of generosity, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the perfection of ethical discipline, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the perfection of tolerance, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the perfection of perseverance, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the perfection of meditative concentration, and will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the perfection of wisdom. 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 emptiness of internal phenomena, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of external phenomena, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of emptiness, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of great extent, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of ultimate reality, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of the unlimited, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of nonexclusion, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of inherent nature, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of all phenomena, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of nonentities, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of essential nature, and will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities. 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 applications of mindfulness, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the correct exertions, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the supports for miraculous ability, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the faculties, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the powers, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the branches of enlightenment, and will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the noble eightfold path. 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 truths of the noble ones, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the meditative concentrations, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the immeasurable attitudes, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the formless absorptions, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the liberations, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the serial steps of meditative absorption, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the extrasensory powers, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the meditative stabilities, and will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the dhāraṇī gateways. 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 powers of the tathāgatas, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the fearlessnesses, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the kinds of exact knowledge, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of great loving kindness, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of great compassion, and will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the distinct qualities of the buddhas. 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 knowledge of all the dharmas, will be totally blessed with the emptiness of the knowledge of the aspects of the path, and will be totally blessed with the emptiness of all-aspect omniscience. 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.
“If you ask why, it is because the essential nature of those things through which they might find an opportunity to inflict harm, of those situations where they might find an opportunity to inflict harm, and of those upon whom they might find an opportunity to inflict harm does not exist.
“Kauśika, humans or nonhumans who would look for and seek an opportunity to inflict harm upon those sons or daughters of good families will not find an opportunity to inflict harm on them. If you ask why, Kauśika, it is because those sons and daughters of good families totally cultivate loving kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity toward all beings, by way of not apprehending anything. It will not happen that those sons or daughters of good families fail to avoid misfortunes that might have caused death. If you ask why, it is because those sons and daughters of good families who practice the perfection of generosity serve all beings through perfect avoidance.701
“Kauśika, those gods in this billionfold world system––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, and the gods of the Brahmakāyika realm,702 the gods of the Ābhāsvara realm, the gods of the Śubhakṛtsna realm, and the gods of the Vṛhatphala realm––as many as there are who have set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, and also those gods who have not heard, not taken up, not borne in mind, not mastered, and not focused their attention correctly on this perfection of wisdom should listen to, take up, uphold, recite, master, and focus their attention correctly on this perfection of wisdom. They should not be separated from the mind of all-aspect omniscience.
“Moreover, Kauśika, these sons or daughters of good families who take up, uphold, recite, master, and focus their attention correctly on this perfection of wisdom without being separated from the mind of all-aspect omniscience will not be afraid or frightened, whether they are staying in an empty hut, whether they are staying in an exposed place, or whether they have lost their way. If you ask why, it is because these sons or daughters of good families have totally cultivated the emptiness of internal phenomena without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of external phenomena without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of external and internal phenomena without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of emptiness without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of great extent without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of ultimate reality without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of conditioned phenomena without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of the unlimited without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of nonexclusion without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of inherent nature without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of all phenomena without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of nonentities without apprehending it, have totally cultivated the emptiness of essential nature without apprehending it, and have totally cultivated the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities without apprehending it.”
Then, at that time, all those gods in this billionfold world system––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, and the gods of the Brahmakāyika realm, the gods of the Ābhāsvara realm, the gods of the Śubhakṛtsna realm, the gods of the Vṛhatphala realm, and the gods in the Śuddhāvāsa realms––as many as there are, said to the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, we shall always guard, protect, and defend, without interruption, those sons or daughters of good families who are intent on, take up, uphold, recite, master, correctly focus their attention on, and teach this perfection of wisdom extensively to others without being separated from focusing their attention on all-aspect omniscience.
“If you ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because, when bodhisattva great beings exist, the hells, the animal realm, and the world of Yama are cut off; the inadequacies of gods are cut off; poverty among humans is cut off; all epidemics, misfortunes, and contagious diseases are cut off, vanish, and do not occur; and all the sorrows due to famine703 are cut off too. When bodhisattva great beings exist, the paths of the ten virtuous actions will emerge in the world, the four meditative concentrations will emerge in the world, the four immeasurable attitudes will emerge in the world, the four formless absorptions will emerge in the world, and the five extrasensory powers will emerge in the world; the perfection of generosity will emerge in the world, the perfection of ethical discipline will emerge in the world, the perfection of tolerance will emerge in the world, the perfection of perseverance will emerge in the world, the perfection of meditative concentration will emerge in the world, and the perfection of wisdom will emerge in the world; the emptiness of internal phenomena will emerge in the world, the emptiness of external phenomena will emerge in the world, the emptiness of external and internal phenomena will emerge in the world, the emptiness of emptiness will emerge in the world, the emptiness of great extent will emerge in the world, the emptiness of ultimate reality will emerge in the world, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena will emerge in the world, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena will emerge in the world, the emptiness of the unlimited will emerge in the world, the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end will emerge in the world, the emptiness of nonexclusion will emerge in the world, the emptiness of inherent nature will emerge in the world, the emptiness of all phenomena will emerge in the world, the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics will emerge in the world, the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended will emerge in the world, the emptiness of nonentities will emerge in the world, the emptiness of essential nature will emerge in the world, and the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities will emerge in the world; the four applications of mindfulness will emerge in the world, the four correct exertions will emerge in the world, the four supports for miraculous ability will emerge in the world, the five faculties will emerge in the world, the five powers will emerge in the world, the seven branches of enlightenment will emerge in the world, and the noble eightfold path will emerge in the world; and the four truths of the noble ones will emerge in the world, the eight liberations will emerge in the world, the nine serial steps of meditative absorption will emerge in the world, the three gateways to liberation will emerge in the world, all the meditative stabilities will emerge in the world, all the dhāraṇī gateways will emerge in the world, the ten powers of the tathāgatas will emerge in the world, the four fearlessnesses will emerge in the world, the four kinds of exact knowledge will emerge in the world, great loving kindness will emerge in the world, great compassion will emerge in the world, the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas will emerge in the world, knowledge of all the dharmas will emerge in the world, the knowledge of the aspects of the path will emerge in the world, and all-aspect omniscience will emerge in the world.
“When bodhisattva great beings exist, great and lofty royal families will exist, great and lofty priestly families will exist, great and lofty householder families will exist, wheel-turning emperors will exist, the gods of the Cāturmahārājika realm will exist, the gods of the Trayastriṃśa realm will exist, the gods of the Yāma realm will exist, the gods of the Tuṣita realm will exist, the gods of the Nirmāṇarati realm will exist, and the gods of the Paranirmitavaśavartin realm will exist; the gods of the Brahmakāyika realm will exist, the gods of the Brahmapurohita realm will exist, the gods of the Brahmapārṣadya realm will exist, and the gods of the Mahābrahmā realm will exist; the gods of the Ābha realm will exist, the gods of the Parīttābha realm will exist, the gods of the Apramāṇābha realm will exist, and the gods of the Ābhāsvara realm will exist; the gods of the Śubha realm will exist, the gods of the Parīttaśubha realm will exist, the gods of the Apramāṇaśubha realm will exist, and the gods of the Śubhakṛtsna realm will exist; the gods of the Vṛha realm will exist, the gods of the Parīttavṛha realm will exist, the gods of the Apramāṇavṛha realm will exist, and the gods of the Vṛhatphala realm will exist; and the gods of the Avṛha realm will exist, the gods of the Atapa realm will exist, the gods of the Sudṛśa realm will exist, the gods of the Sudarśana realm will exist, and the gods of the Akaniṣṭha realm will exist.
“When bodhisattva great beings exist, the fruit of having entered the stream will exist and those who have entered the stream will exist, the fruit of once-returner will exist and once-returners will exist, the fruit of non-returner will exist and non-returners will exist, arhatship will exist and arhats will exist, and individual enlightenment will exist and pratyekabuddhas will exist.
“When bodhisattva great beings exist, the maturation of beings will exist, the refinement of the buddhafields will exist, and tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas will emerge in the world; the turning of the wheel of the Dharma will exist; and the precious jewel of the Buddha will exist, the precious jewel of the Dharma will exist, and the precious jewel of the Saṅgha will exist.
“Therefore, Blessed Lord, the world with its gods, humans, and asuras should guard, protect, and defend the bodhisattva great beings.”
Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, having said that, the Blessed One then said to him, “Kauśika, it is so, it is so! When bodhisattva great beings exist, the hells, the animal realm, and the world of Yama are cut off; the inadequacies of gods are cut off; poverty among humans is cut off; all epidemics, misfortunes, and contagious diseases are cut off, vanish, and do not occur; and all the sorrows due to famine are cut off too. When bodhisattva great beings exist, the paths of the ten virtuous actions will emerge in the world, the four meditative concentrations will emerge in the world, the four immeasurable attitudes will emerge in the world, the four formless absorptions will emerge in the world, and the five extrasensory powers will emerge in the world; the perfection of generosity will emerge in the world, the perfection of ethical discipline will emerge in the world, the perfection of tolerance will emerge in the world, the perfection of perseverance will emerge in the world, the perfection of meditative concentration will emerge in the world, and the perfection of wisdom will emerge in the world; the emptiness of internal phenomena will emerge in the world, the emptiness of external phenomena will emerge in the world, the emptiness of external and internal phenomena will emerge in the world, the emptiness of emptiness will emerge in the world, the emptiness of great extent will emerge in the world, the emptiness of ultimate reality will emerge in the world, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena will emerge in the world, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena will emerge in the world, the emptiness of the unlimited will emerge in the world, the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end will emerge in the world, the emptiness of nonexclusion will emerge in the world, the emptiness of inherent nature will emerge in the world, the emptiness of all phenomena will emerge in the world, the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics will emerge in the world, the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended will emerge in the world, the emptiness of nonentities will emerge in the world, the emptiness of essential nature will emerge in the world, and the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities will emerge in the world; the four applications of mindfulness will emerge in the world, the four correct exertions will emerge in the world, the four supports for miraculous ability will emerge in the world, the five faculties will emerge in the world, the five powers will emerge in the world, the seven branches of enlightenment will emerge in the world, and the noble eightfold path will emerge in the world; and the four truths of the noble ones will emerge in the world, the eight liberations will emerge in the world, the nine serial steps of meditative absorption will emerge in the world, the three gateways to liberation will emerge in the world, all the meditative stabilities will emerge in the world, all the dhāraṇī gateways will emerge in the world, the ten powers of the tathāgatas will emerge in the world, the four fearlessnesses will emerge in the world, the four kinds of exact knowledge will emerge in the world, great loving kindness will emerge in the world, great compassion will emerge in the world, the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas will emerge in the world, knowledge of all the dharmas will emerge in the world, the knowledge of the aspects of the path will emerge in the world, and all-aspect omniscience will emerge in the world.
“When bodhisattva great beings exist, great and lofty royal families will exist, great and lofty priestly families will exist, great and lofty householder families will exist, wheel-turning emperors will exist, the gods of the Cāturmahārājika realm will exist, the gods of the Trayastriṃśa realm will exist, the gods of the Yāma realm will exist, the gods of the Tuṣita realm will exist, the gods of the Nirmāṇarati realm will exist, and the gods of the Paranirmitavaśavartin realm will exist; the gods of the Brahmakāyika realm will exist, the gods of the Brahmapurohita realm will exist, the gods of the Brahmapārṣadya realm will exist, and the gods of the Mahābrahmā realm will exist; the gods of the Ābha realm will exist, the gods of the Parīttābha realm will exist, the gods of the Apramāṇābha realm will exist, and the gods of the Ābhāsvara realm will exist; the gods of the Śubha realm will exist, the gods of the Parīttaśubha realm will exist, the gods of the Apramāṇaśubha realm will exist, and the gods of the Śubhakṛtsna realm will exist; the gods of the Vṛha realm will exist, the gods of the Parīttavṛha realm will exist, the gods of the Apramāṇavṛha realm will exist, and the gods of the Vṛhatphala realm will exist; and the gods of the Avṛha realm will exist, the gods of the Atapa realm will exist, the gods of the Sudṛśa realm will exist, the gods of the Sudarśana realm will exist, and the gods of the Akaniṣṭha realm will exist.
“When bodhisattva great beings exist, the fruit of having entered the stream will exist and those who have entered the stream will exist, the fruit of once-returner will exist and once-returners will exist, the fruit of non-returner will exist and non-returners will exist, arhatship will exist and arhats will exist, and individual enlightenment will exist and pratyekabuddhas will exist.
“When bodhisattva great beings exist, the maturation of beings will exist, the refinement of the buddhafields will exist, and tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas will emerge in the world; the turning of the wheel of the Dharma will exist; and the precious jewel of the Buddha will exist, the precious jewel of the Dharma will exist, and the precious jewel of the Saṅgha will exist.
“So it is that the world with its gods, humans, and asuras should serve, respect, honor, and worship the bodhisattva great beings and should always guard, protect, and defend them without interruption.
“Kauśika, those who think that I704 should be served, respected, honored, and worshiped think that bodhisattva great beings should be served, respected, honored, and worshiped. And so it is that the world with its gods, humans, and asuras should serve, respect, honor, and worship the bodhisattva great beings and should always guard, protect, and defend them without interruption.
“To illustrate, Kauśika, if this billionfold world system were filled entirely with śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas––like a thicket of naḍa reeds, or a thicket of bamboo, or a grove of sugarcane, or a thicket of rushes, or a thicket of vetiver, or a paddy field of rice, or a field of sesame—and if some sons or daughters of good families were to serve, respect, honor, and worship them, with all the necessities, for as long as they lived, still, were someone to serve, respect, honor, and worship a single bodhisattva great being who has first set the mind on enlightenment and is not separated from the six perfections, that would be an increase in merit much greater than that. If you ask why, Kauśika, it is because it is not on account of the existence of those śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas that the bodhisattva great beings emerge in the world, and that the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas emerge in the world. Rather, Kauśika, it is when bodhisattva great beings exist that all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas will exist in the world, and the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas will emerge in the world. So it is, Kauśika, that the world with its gods, humans, and asuras should serve, respect, honor, and worship the bodhisattva great beings and should always guard, protect, and defend them without interruption.”
This completes the sixteenth chapter from “The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines.”