The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines

Chapter 24: Dedication · continued 5

“If the sons or daughters of good families in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas dedicate those roots of virtuous action by way of a mental image or by way of apprehending, that is a dedication made in the wrong way, not a dedication that is perfect. A dedication made in the wrong way is not praised by the lord buddhas.

“Moreover, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom they should make an investigation as follows: ‘Just as the lord buddhas comprehended that those roots of virtue should be dedicated based on this reality of phenomena, and that when the dedication has been made in that manner it will become the best of dedications, similarly I too should dedicate them, based on this reality of phenomena, to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment.’ ”

Then the Blessed One said to the venerable Subhūti, “Excellent, excellent, Subhūti! Subhūti, you, as you thus teach the aggregate of dedication of bodhisattva great beings by way of signlessness, by way of not apprehending anything, by way of nonarising, by way of nonceasing, by way of nondefilement, by way of nonpurification, by way of the essential nature of nonentities, by way of the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, by way of the emptiness of essential nature, by way of the realm of phenomena, by way of the real nature, and by way of the one and only real nature, you, Subhūti, do the work of the Teacher.

“Subhūti, if all those beings of this great billionfold world system were to obtain the paths of the ten virtuous actions, were to obtain the four meditative concentrations, were to obtain the four immeasurable attitudes, were to obtain the four formless absorptions, and were to obtain the five extrasensory powers, do you think, Subhūti, the merit of those beings for that reason would have increased greatly?”

“Greatly, Blessed Lord! Greatly, Well-Gone One!” replied Subhūti.

“Subhūti,” continued the Blessed One, “the merit of those sons or daughters of good families who dedicate the roots of virtue with a dedication free from attachment increase even more greatly than theirs. So it is, Subhūti, that this dedication of the roots of virtue of those sons or daughters of good families is said to be supreme, is said to be the best, is said to be excellent, is said to be the foremost, is said to be the greatest, is said to be perfect, is said to be unsurpassed, and is said to be unexcelled.

“Moreover, Subhūti, if all those beings of this great billionfold world system, as many as there are, were to have become those who have entered the stream, were to have become once-returners, were to have become non-returners, or were to have become arhats, and if some sons or daughters of good families for the duration of their lives were to serve, respect, honor, and worship all of those who had entered the stream, had become once-returners, had become non-returners, and had become arhats with many of the basic necessities‍—robes, alms, bedding, and medications used to treat ill health‍—do you think, Subhūti, that the merit of those sons or daughters of good families for that reason would have increased greatly?”

“Greatly, Blessed Lord! Greatly, Well-Gone One!” replied Subhūti.

“Moreover, Subhūti, if all those beings of this great billionfold world system, as many as there are, were to have become pratyekabuddhas, and if some sons or daughters of good families were to serve, respect, honor, and worship them with many of the basic necessities‍—robes, alms, bedding, and medications used to treat ill health‍—do you think, Subhūti, that the merit of those sons or daughters of good families for that reason would have increased greatly?”

“Greatly, Blessed Lord! Greatly, Well-Gone One!” replied Subhūti.

“Subhūti,” continued the Blessed One, “the merit of those sons or daughters of good families who dedicate the roots of virtue with a dedication free from attachment increases even more greatly than theirs. So it is, Subhūti, that this dedication of the roots of virtue of those sons or daughters of good families is said to be supreme, is said to be the best, is said to be excellent, is said to be the foremost, is said to be the greatest, is said to be perfect, is said to be unsurpassed, and is said to be unexcelled.

“Moreover, Subhūti, if all those beings of this great billionfold world system, as many as there are, were to have set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, and if all those beings, as many as there are, in the world systems of the eastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were, for eons as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, to serve, respect, honor, and worship each of those bodhisattva great beings with many of the basic necessities‍—robes, alms, bedding, and medications owing to ill health‍—and were to serve them with all the everyday necessities for happiness; and all those beings, as many as there are, in the world systems of the southern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were, for eons as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, to serve, respect, honor, and worship each of those bodhisattva great beings with many of the basic necessities‍—robes, alms, bedding, and medications used to treat ill health‍—and were to serve them with all the everyday necessities for happiness; and all those beings, as many as there are, in the world systems of the western direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were, for eons as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, to serve, respect, honor, and worship each of those bodhisattva great beings with many of the basic necessities‍—robes, alms, bedding, and medications used to treat ill health‍—and were to serve them with all the everyday necessities for happiness; and all those beings, as many as there are, in the world systems of the northern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were, for eons as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, to serve, respect, honor, and worship each of those bodhisattva great beings with many of the basic necessities‍—robes, alms, bedding, and medications owing to ill health‍—and were to serve them with all the everyday necessities for happiness; and all those beings, as many as there are, in the world systems of the intermediate northeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were, for eons as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, to serve, respect, honor, and worship each of those bodhisattva great beings with many of the basic necessities‍—robes, alms, bedding, and medications used to treat ill health‍—and were to serve them with all the everyday necessities for happiness; and all those beings, as many as there are, in the world systems of the intermediate southeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were, for eons as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, to serve, respect, honor, and worship each of those bodhisattva great beings with many of the basic necessities‍—robes, alms, bedding, and medications owing to ill health‍—and were to serve them with all the everyday necessities for happiness; and all those beings, as many as there are, in the world systems of the intermediate southwestern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were, for eons as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, to serve, respect, honor, and worship each of those bodhisattva great beings with many of the basic necessities‍—robes, alms, bedding, and medications used to treat ill health‍—and were to serve them with all the everyday necessities for happiness; and all those beings, as many as there are, in the world systems of the intermediate northwestern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were, for eons as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, to serve, respect, honor, and worship each of those bodhisattva great beings with many of the basic necessities‍—robes, alms, bedding, and medications used to treat ill health‍—and were to serve them with all the everyday necessities for happiness; and all those beings, as many as there are, in the world systems of the direction below, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were, for eons as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, to serve, respect, honor, and worship each of those bodhisattva great beings with many of the basic necessities‍—robes, alms, bedding, and medications used to treat ill health‍—and were to serve them with all the everyday necessities for happiness; and all those beings, as many as there are, in the world systems of the direction above, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, were, for eons as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, to serve, respect, honor, and worship each of those bodhisattva great beings with many of the basic necessities‍—robes, alms, bedding, and medications used to treat ill health‍—and were to serve them with all the everyday necessities for happiness, do you think, Subhūti, that the merit of those sons or daughters of good families for that reason would have increased greatly?”

“Greatly, Blessed Lord, greatly, Well-Gone One!” replied Subhūti. “Blessed Lord, it would be immeasurable, incalculable, and boundless. Blessed Lord, it would be hard to exemplify that basis of meritorious action. Blessed Lord, if that basis of meritorious action were material, it could not be accommodated even in all the world systems, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā.”

The Blessed One then said, “Excellent, Subhūti, excellent! It is so, it is as you have said. Subhūti, the merit of those sons or daughters of good families who dedicate the roots of virtue with a dedication free from attachment increases even more greatly than theirs. So it is, Subhūti, that this dedication of the roots of virtue of those sons or daughters of good families is said to be supreme, is said to be the best, is said to be excellent, is said to be the foremost, is said to be the greatest, is said to be perfect, is said to be unsurpassed, and is said to be unexcelled.

“Subhūti, that earlier root of virtue would come nowhere near even a hundredth part, would come nowhere near even a thousandth part, would come nowhere near even a hundred thousandth part, would come nowhere near even a hundred ten millionth part, would come nowhere near even a thousand ten millionth part, would come nowhere near even a hundred thousand ten millionth part, would come nowhere near even a hundred thousand ten million billionth part, and would not stand up to any other number, fraction, calculation, example, or comparison of this dedication that is free from attachment.

“If you ask why, it is because those sons or daughters of good families who have come into possession of the path of the ten virtuous actions, and who have come into possession of the four meditative concentrations, the four immeasurable attitudes, the four formless absorptions, and the five extrasensory powers, have a perception that apprehends something. Similarly, those sons or daughters of good families who serve, respect, honor, and worship all the beings who have entered the stream, all the beings who have become once-returners, all the beings who have become non-returners, all the beings who have become arhats, and all the beings who have become pratyekabuddhas with many of the basic necessities‍—robes, alms, bedding, and medications used to treat ill health‍—have a perception that apprehends something.”

Then the Four Great Kings, along with twenty thousand gods of the Cāturmahārājika realm, with their palms together, joyously paid homage to the Blessed One, and said, “O Blessed Lord, bodhisattva great beings who are skilled in means in that manner dedicate those roots of virtue to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment by way of not apprehending anything, by way of nonattachment, by way of signlessness, and by way of nonaction. That dedication that thus, by whatever means, avoids becoming dual and avoids becoming nondual is the extremely great dedication of bodhisattva great beings.”

Then Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, along with many thousands of gods of the Trayastriṃśa realm, held up divine flowers, divine perfumes, divine garlands, divine incenses, divine unguents, divine powders, divine robes, divine parasols, divine victory banners, and divine flags, and while playing various divine musical instruments, sprinkled, scattered, and showered over the Blessed One those divine flowers, divine perfumes, divine garlands, divine incenses, divine unguents, divine powders, divine robes, divine parasols, divine victory banners, and divine flags, and spoke these words: “Blessed Lord, bodhisattva great beings who are skilled in means in that manner dedicate those roots of virtue to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment by way of not apprehending anything, by way of signlessness, and by way of nonaction. That dedication that thus, by whatever means, avoids becoming dual and avoids becoming nondual is the extremely great dedication of bodhisattva great beings.”

Then the god Suyāma, along with many thousands of gods of the Yāma realm, held up divine flowers, divine perfumes, divine garlands, divine incenses, divine unguents, divine powders, divine robes, divine parasols, divine victory banners, and divine flags, and while playing various divine musical instruments, sprinkled, scattered, and showered over the Blessed One those divine flowers, divine perfumes, divine garlands, divine incenses, divine unguents, divine powders, divine robes, divine parasols, divine victory banners, and divine flags, and spoke these words: “Blessed Lord, bodhisattva great beings who are skilled in means in that manner dedicate those roots of virtue to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment by way of not apprehending anything, by way of signlessness, and by way of nonaction. That dedication that thus, by whatever means, avoids becoming dual and avoids becoming nondual is the extremely great dedication of bodhisattva great beings.”

Then the god Saṃtuṣita, along with many thousands of gods of the Tuṣita realm, held up divine flowers, divine perfumes, divine garlands, divine incenses, divine unguents, divine powders, divine robes, divine parasols, divine victory banners, and divine flags, and while playing various divine musical instruments, sprinkled, scattered, and showered over the Blessed One those divine flowers, divine perfumes, divine garlands, divine incenses, divine unguents, divine powders, divine robes, divine parasols, divine victory banners, and divine flags, and spoke these words: “Blessed Lord, bodhisattva great beings who are skilled in means in that manner dedicate those roots of virtue to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment by way of not apprehending anything, by way of signlessness, and by way of nonaction. That dedication that thus, by whatever means, avoids becoming dual and avoids becoming nondual is the extremely great dedication of bodhisattva great beings.”

Then the god Sunirmānarati, along with many thousands of gods of the Nirmāṇarati realm, held up divine flowers, divine perfumes, divine garlands, divine incenses, divine unguents, divine powders, divine robes, divine parasols, divine victory banners, and divine flags, and while playing various divine musical instruments, sprinkled, scattered, and showered over the Blessed One those divine flowers, divine perfumes, divine garlands, divine incenses, divine unguents, divine powders, divine robes, divine parasols, divine victory banners, and divine flags, and spoke these words: “Blessed Lord, bodhisattva great beings who are skilled in means in that manner dedicate those roots of virtue to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment by way of not apprehending anything, by way of signlessness, and by way of nonaction. That dedication that thus, by whatever means, avoids becoming dual and avoids becoming nondual is the extremely great dedication of bodhisattva great beings.”

Then the god Vaśavartin, along with many thousands of gods of the Paranirmitavaśavartin realm, held up divine flowers, divine perfumes, divine garlands, divine incenses, divine unguents, divine powders, divine robes, divine parasols, divine victory banners, and divine flags, and while playing various divine musical instruments, sprinkled, scattered, and showered over the Blessed One those divine flowers, divine perfumes, divine garlands, divine incenses, divine unguents, divine powders, divine robes, divine parasols, divine victory banners, and divine flags, and spoke these words: “Blessed Lord, bodhisattva great beings who are skilled in means in that manner dedicate those roots of virtue to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment by way of not apprehending anything, by way of signlessness, and by way of nonaction. That dedication that thus, by whatever means, avoids becoming dual and avoids becoming nondual is the extremely great dedication of bodhisattva great beings.”

Then many ten million billion gods of the Brahmakāyika realm arrived at that place where the Blessed One was, prostrated with the crowns of their heads at the feet of the Blessed One, and giving voice to the following words, loudly proclaimed: “Blessed Lord, how wonderful it is that those bodhisattva great beings who are assisted by the perfection of wisdom and skill in means outshine the roots of virtue of the aforementioned sons and daughters of good families who are without skillful means and who are engaged in apprehending.”

Then many hundreds of thousands of tens of millions of billions of gods of the Brahmapurohita realm arrived at that place where the Blessed One was, prostrated with the crowns of their heads at the feet of the Blessed One, and giving voice to the following words, loudly proclaimed: “Blessed Lord, how wonderful it is that those bodhisattva great beings who are assisted by the perfection of wisdom and skill in means outshine the roots of virtue of the aforementioned sons and daughters of good families who are without skillful means and who are engaged in apprehending.”

Then many hundreds of thousands of tens of millions of billions of gods of the Śubhakṛtsna realm arrived at that place where the Blessed One was, prostrated with the crowns of their heads at the feet of the Blessed One, and giving voice to the following words, loudly proclaimed: “Blessed Lord, how wonderful it is that those bodhisattva great beings who are assisted by the perfection of wisdom and skill in means outshine the roots of virtue of the aforementioned sons and daughters of good families who are without skillful means and who are engaged in apprehending.”

Then many hundred thousand ten million billion gods of the Vṛhatphala realm arrived at that place where the Blessed One was, prostrated with the crowns of their heads at the feet of the Blessed One, and giving voice to the following words, loudly proclaimed: “Blessed Lord, how wonderful it is that those bodhisattva great beings who are assisted by the perfection of wisdom and skill in means outshine the roots of virtue of the aforementioned sons and daughters of good families who are without skillful means and who are engaged in apprehending.”

Then many hundreds of thousands of tens of millions of billions of gods of the Śuddhāvāsa realms arrived at that place where the Blessed One was, prostrated with the crowns of their heads at the feet of the Blessed One, and giving voice to the following words, loudly proclaimed: “Blessed Lord, how wonderful it is that those bodhisattva great beings who are assisted by the perfection of wisdom and skill in means outshine the roots of virtue of the aforementioned sons of good families and daughters of good families who are without skillful means and who are engaged in apprehending.”

“That earlier root of virtue would come nowhere near even a hundredth part; would come nowhere near even a thousandth part, a hundred thousandth part, a ten millionth part, a hundred ten millionth part, a thousand ten millionth part, a hundred thousand ten millionth part, or even a hundred thousand ten million billionth part; and would not stand up to any other number, fraction, calculation, example, or comparison of this dedication of the roots of virtue. This dedication of bodhisattva great beings that is made without apprehending anything is said to be excellent, is said to be the foremost, is said to be the best, is said to be supreme, is said to be perfect, is said to be the greatest, is said to be unsurpassed, is said to be unexcelled, is said to be unequaled, and is said to be equal to the unequaled.”

Then the venerable Subhūti asked the Blessed One, “When the Blessed Lord says that the sons or daughters of good families, having gathered together, compressed into one, and taken the measure of all those roots of virtue, rejoice in them with the rejoicing that is supreme, rejoice in them with the rejoicing that is foremost, best, perfect, greatest, unsurpassed, unexcelled, unequaled, and equal to the unequaled, Blessed Lord, why is it the best rejoicing? Why is it the rejoicing that is foremost, best, perfect, greatest, unsurpassed, unexcelled, unequaled, and equal to the unequaled?”

The Blessed One replied, “When sons or daughters of good families neither accept nor reject, neither give rise to conceit about nor feel humbled by,⁸⁰² and neither apprehend nor do not apprehend those roots of virtue of the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas along with their communities of śrāvakas, those pratyekabuddhas, and those beings of the past, future, and present, and think that in them a phenomenon does not arise, does not cease, is not defiled, is not purified, does not decrease, does not increase, does not come, does not go, and does not become an aggregate, they therefore say, for this reason, ‘I will rejoice just like the real nature of past, future, and present phenomena is, and just as the unmistaken real nature, the one and only real nature, the reality of phenomena, the abiding nature of phenomena, and the maturity of phenomena is. I will rejoice like that, and having rejoiced, I will dedicate to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment.’ That rejoicing of bodhisattva great beings when they dedicate in that manner is the best. Those rejoicings are the foremost, the best, excellent, perfect, the greatest, unsurpassed, unexcelled, unequaled, and equal to the unequaled.

“Subhūti, all other rejoicings other than this one come nowhere near even a hundredth part, come nowhere near even a thousandth part, a hundred thousandth part, a ten millionth part, a hundred ten millionth part, a thousand ten millionth part, a hundred thousand ten millionth part, or even a hundred thousand ten million billionth part of this rejoicing, so this rejoicing is said to be supreme in comparison to the rejoicings other than that, and is said to be the foremost, is said to be the best, is said to be excellent, is said to be perfect, is said to be the greatest, is said to be unsurpassed, is said to be unexcelled, is said to be unequaled, and is said to be equal to the unequaled.

“Moreover, Subhūti, when sons or daughters of good families in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas wish to rejoice in the roots of virtue associated with the perfection of generosity, the perfection of ethical discipline, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom, and the aggregates of ethical discipline, meditative stability, wisdom, liberation, and knowledge and seeing of liberation, as many as there are, of the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas of the past, future, and present, along with their śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, from the time they first set their mind on enlightenment, up to for as long as their Dharma remains, as well as any of the other immeasurable attributes of the buddhas, whatever they might be, and the roots of virtue, as many as there are, of beings––in all of those––then they should rejoice as follows: ‘Just like liberation are physical forms. Just like liberation are feelings. Just like liberation are perceptions. Just like liberation are formative predispositions. Just like liberation is consciousness. Just like liberation are the sensory elements. Just like liberation are the sense fields. Just like liberation are the links of dependent origination. Just like liberation is the perfection of generosity. Just like liberation is the perfection of ethical discipline. Just like liberation is the perfection of tolerance. Just like liberation is the perfection of perseverance. Just like liberation is the perfection of meditative concentration. Just like liberation is the perfection of wisdom. Just like liberation is the emptiness of internal phenomena. Just like liberation is the emptiness of external phenomena. Just like liberation is the emptiness of external and internal phenomena. Just like liberation is the emptiness of emptiness. Just like liberation is the emptiness of great extent. Just like liberation is the emptiness of ultimate reality. Just like liberation is the emptiness of conditioned phenomena. Just like liberation is the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena. Just like liberation is the emptiness of the unlimited. Just like liberation is the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end. Just like liberation is the emptiness of nonexclusion. Just like liberation is the emptiness of inherent nature. Just like liberation is the emptiness of all phenomena. Just like liberation is the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics. Just like liberation is the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended. Just like liberation is the emptiness of nonentities. Just like liberation is the emptiness of essential nature. Just like liberation is the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities. Just like liberation are the applications of mindfulness. Just like liberation are the correct exertions. Just like liberation are the supports for miraculous ability. Just like liberation are the faculties. Just like liberation are the powers. Just like liberation are the branches of enlightenment. Just like liberation is the noble eightfold path. Just like liberation are the four truths of the noble ones. Just like liberation are the four meditative concentrations. Just like liberation are the four immeasurable attitudes. Just like liberation are the four formless absorptions. Just like liberation are the eight liberations. Just like liberation are the nine serial steps of meditative absorption. Just like liberation are the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation. Just like liberation are the extrasensory powers. Just like liberation are the meditative stabilities. Just like liberation are the dhāraṇī gateways. Just like liberation are the ten powers of the tathāgatas. Just like liberation are the four fearlessnesses. Just like liberation are the four kinds of exact knowledge. Just like liberation is great compassion. Just like liberation are the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas. Just like liberation is the knowledge and seeing of liberation. Just like liberation is the aggregate of the knowledge and seeing of liberation. Just like liberation is belief.⁸⁰³ Just like liberation is rejoicing. Just like liberation are the attributes of the past, future, and present. Just like liberation are the lord buddhas. Just like liberation is the final nirvāṇa of those lord buddhas. Just like liberation are the śrāvakas of those lord buddhas. Just like liberation is the final nirvāṇa of those śrāvakas. Just like liberation are the pratyekabuddhas. Just like liberation is the final nirvāṇa of those pratyekabuddhas. Just like liberation is the reality of phenomena as it pertains to those lord buddhas. Just like liberation is the reality of phenomena as it pertains to those śrāvakas. Just like liberation is the reality of phenomena as it pertains to pratyekabuddhas. And just like liberation is the reality of phenomena as it pertains to all phenomena.’ Thus, just like the reality of phenomena as it pertains to phenomena that are not attached, are not bound, are not liberated, are not fixated, are not defiled, and are not purified, and the reality of phenomena as it pertains to phenomena that are have not arisen, have not completely arisen, have not originated, and are unceasing, they dedicate to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, based on a state that does not change places and is not destroyed.

“Subhūti, this is the rejoicing of bodhisattva great beings that is supreme. This is the rejoicing that is foremost, the best, excellent, perfect, the greatest, unsurpassed, unexcelled, unequaled, and equal to the unequaled. Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who possess this rejoicing will swiftly fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment.

“Moreover, Subhūti, there are the lord buddhas with their communities of śrāvakas who are presently residing and maintaining themselves, as many as there are, teaching the Dharma in the world systems of the eastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā; the lord buddhas with their communities of śrāvakas who are presently residing and maintaining themselves, as many as there are, teaching the Dharma in the world systems of the southern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā; the lord buddhas with their communities of śrāvakas who are presently residing and maintaining themselves, as many as there are, teaching the Dharma in the world systems of the western direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā; the lord buddhas with their communities of śrāvakas who are presently residing and maintaining themselves, as many as there are, teaching the Dharma in the world systems of the northern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā; the lord buddhas with their communities of śrāvakas who are presently residing and maintaining themselves, as many as there are, teaching the Dharma in the world systems of the intermediate northeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā; the lord buddhas with their communities of śrāvakas who are presently residing and maintaining themselves, as many as there are, teaching the Dharma in the world systems of the intermediate southeastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā; the lord buddhas with their communities of śrāvakas who are presently residing and maintaining themselves, as many as there are, teaching the Dharma in the world systems of the intermediate southwestern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā; the lord buddhas with their communities of śrāvakas who are presently residing and maintaining themselves, as many as there are, teaching the Dharma in the world systems of the intermediate northwestern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā; the lord buddhas with their communities of śrāvakas who are presently residing and maintaining themselves, as many as there are, teaching the Dharma in the world systems of the direction below, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā; and the lord buddhas with their communities of śrāvakas who are presently residing and maintaining themselves, as many as there are, teaching the Dharma in the world systems of the direction above, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā. If any sons or daughters of good families in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas were, for the duration of their lives, to serve, respect, honor, and worship those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas with their communities of śrāvakas with many of the basic necessities‍—food, alms, bedding, and medications used to treat ill health‍—and many comforts, and if, even after those lord buddhas had passed into final nirvāṇa, feeling an enthusiasm for⁸⁰⁴ serving, respecting, honoring, and worshiping their relics, day and night, with many flowers, garlands, incense, unguents, perfumes, powders, robes, parasols, victory banners, and flags, they were to undertake acts of generosity by way of apprehending it, maintain ethical discipline by way of apprehending it, cultivate tolerance by way of apprehending it, undertake perseverance by way of apprehending it, become absorbed in meditative concentration by way of apprehending it, and cultivate wisdom by way of apprehending it, in comparison to them, when sons or daughters of good families who have set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment practice the perfection of generosity without apprehending it, practice the perfection of ethical discipline without apprehending it, practice the perfection of tolerance without apprehending it, practice the perfection of perseverance without apprehending it, practice the perfection of meditative concentration without apprehending it, and practice the perfection of wisdom without apprehending it, if they dedicate those roots of virtue to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment with skill in means, the accumulation of that earlier merit would come nowhere near even a hundredth part, would come nowhere near even a thousandth part, a hundred thousandth part, a hundred ten millionth part, a thousand ten millionth part, a hundred thousand ten millionth part, or a hundred thousand ten million billionth part, and would not stand up to any other number, fraction, calculation, example, or comparison of this accumulation of merit, this accumulation of roots of virtue. Just this dedication is said to be supreme, is said to be the foremost, is said to be the best, is said to be excellent, is said to be perfect, is said to be the greatest, is said to be unsurpassed, and is said to be unexcelled.

“Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings 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 without apprehending them, they should dedicate those roots of virtue to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, with skill in means.”

This completes the twenty-fourth chapter, “Dedication,” from The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines.

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84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

First published 2026

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

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

The Noble Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines

Āryaśatasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā

· Toh 8 ·

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

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TalksIndexed references to this text0 MeditationsIndexed references to this text0

Guru Viking1

Ep267: American Chan Master - Gilbert M Gutierrez
Reference checked in a machine transcript of the official podcast audio.
Source
Audio near 1:12:36

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People & teachers1

Siddhārtha Gautama · the Buddha
The scripture is transmitted as a teaching within the Mahāyāna Buddhist canon; this link gives broader context on the Buddha.
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Traditions & history4

Mahāyāna movements
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Mahāyāna
Study context: this text is included in the Atlas guide to Mahāyāna.
Madhyamaka
Study context: this text is included in the Atlas guide to Madhyamaka.
Tibetan traditions
Study context: this text is included in the Atlas guide to Tibetan traditions.

Books1

The Perfection of Wisdom in First Bloom
Related study of early Perfection of Wisdom literature, focused on the Eight Thousand Lines; not a commentary on the Hundred Thousand Lines.
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Topics2

Emptiness & not-self
Explore Emptiness & not-self across the Atlas.
Mindfulness & awareness
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The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines

The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines

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