Chapter 46
Then Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, said to the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, because the perfection of wisdom is extremely void it is profound. Blessed Lord, because the perfection of wisdom is extremely void it is hard to see. Blessed Lord, because the perfection of wisdom is extremely void it is hard to realize. Blessed Lord, because the perfection of wisdom is extremely void it cannot be investigated. Blessed Lord, because the perfection of wisdom is extremely void it is not an object of speculative thought. Blessed Lord, because the perfection of wisdom is extremely void it is peaceful, subtle, and delicate.1034 Blessed Lord, because the perfection of wisdom is extremely void it is an object to be known by the learned and wise.
“Blessed Lord, those beings who hear, take up, uphold, recite, and master this profound perfection of wisdom, work hard at true reality, and give no opportunity for other phenomena that are minds and mental factors, up until they have fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, do not have inferior roots of virtue.”
“It is so, Kauśika, it is so!” replied the Blessed One. “Those beings who hear, take up, uphold, recite, and master this profound perfection of wisdom, work hard at true reality, and give no opportunity for other phenomena that are minds and mental factors, up until they have fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, do not have inferior roots of virtue.
“Kauśika, were all the beings of Jambudvīpa, as many as there are, endowed with the paths of the ten virtuous actions, endowed with the four meditative concentrations, endowed with the four immeasurable attitudes, endowed with the four formless absorptions, and endowed with the five extrasensory powers, and were a certain son of a good family or daughter of a good family to take up, uphold, recite, and master this perfection of wisdom, and, having taken up, upheld, recited, and mastered it, to work hard at true reality, do you think, Kauśika, that the earlier root of virtue would come near even a hundredth part of this root of virtue, would come near even a thousandth part, would come near even a hundred thousandth part, would come near even a ten millionth part, would come near even a billionth part, would come near even a ten billionth part, would come near even a hundred thousand ten millionth part, would come near even a trillionth part of this root of virtue, or would stand up to any number, calculation, example, or comparison of it?”
Thereupon a monk said to Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, “Kauśika, those sons or daughters of good families who take up, uphold, recite, master, and focus their attention correctly on this profound perfection of wisdom, who work hard at true reality, and who give no opportunity for other phenomena that are minds and mental factors, up until they have fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, outshine all the beings of Jambudvīpa who are endowed with the paths of the ten virtuous actions, are endowed with the four meditative concentrations, are endowed with the four immeasurable attitudes, are endowed with the four formless absorptions, and are endowed with the five extrasensory powers.”
That monk having said this, Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, replied to him, “O monk, if even a bodhisattva great being with the first setting of the mind connected with all-aspect omniscience outshines all those beings of Jambudvīpa who are endowed with the paths of the ten virtuous actions, endowed with the four meditative concentrations, endowed with the four immeasurable attitudes, endowed with the four formless absorptions, and endowed with the five extrasensory powers, what need one say about one who takes up, upholds, recites, masters, and focuses their attention correctly on this profound perfection of wisdom, and who, having taken up, upheld, recited, and mastered it, works hard at true reality? That one outshines the world with its gods, humans, and asuras. That bodhisattva great being goes on outshining the world with its gods, humans, and asuras. Not only does that bodhisattva great being go on outshining the world with its gods, humans, and asuras, that bodhisattva great being goes on outshining all those who have entered the stream, who are once-returners, who are non-returners, who are arhats, and who are pratyekabuddhas.
“That bodhisattva great being also goes on outshining not only those who have entered the stream, who are once-returners, who are non-returners, who are arhats, and who are pratyekabuddhas, but also all the bodhisattva great beings who practice the perfection of generosity without skill in means and without the perfection of wisdom. That bodhisattva great being also goes on outshining not only those who practice the perfection of generosity, but also those bodhisattva great beings who practice the perfection of ethical discipline without skill in means and without the perfection of wisdom. That bodhisattva great being also goes on outshining not only those who practice the perfection of ethical discipline, but also those bodhisattva great beings, as many as there are, who practice the perfection of tolerance without skill in means and without the perfection of wisdom. That bodhisattva great being also goes on outshining not only those who practice the perfection of tolerance, but also those bodhisattva great beings, as many as there are, who practice the perfection of perseverance without skill in means and without the perfection of wisdom. That bodhisattva great being also goes on outshining not only those who practice the perfection of perseverance, but also those bodhisattva great beings, as many as there are, who practice the perfection of meditative concentration without skill in means and without the perfection of wisdom. Not only those who practice the perfection of meditative concentration, but the world with its gods, humans, and asuras cannot outshine those bodhisattva great beings who practice the perfection of wisdom as it has been explained.
“That bodhisattva great being who is practicing the perfection of wisdom is practicing in harmony with the perfection of wisdom as it has been explained. That bodhisattva great being ensures that the lineage of all-aspect omniscience will not be interrupted. That bodhisattva great being is not remote from the tathāgatas. That bodhisattva great beings who has set out in that manner will not be deprived of1035 the site of enlightenment. That bodhisattva great being wishes to extricate beings from mental dullness. That bodhisattva great being who trains in that manner trains in the training of a bodhisattva. That one does not train in the training of the śrāvakas, and do not train in the training of the pratyekabuddhas.
“The Four Great Kings will also think of approaching bodhisattva great beings who train in that manner. Drawing near to show them, they will say, ‘Oh! Train swiftly you great person. Oh! Train nimbly you great person. These are the four alms bowls that are yours to receive when you are seated at the site of enlightenment, having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. These have been received by the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas of the past.’ The Four Great Kings together with the gods of the Caturmahārājakāyika realm will think of approaching bodhisattva great beings who practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner. I, too, along with the gods of the Trayastriṃśa realm, will think of going. Suyāma, king of gods, along with the gods of the Yāma realm, will also think of going. Saṃtuṣita, king of gods, along with the gods of the Tuṣita realm, will also think of going. Sunirmānarati , king of gods, along with the gods of the Nirmāṇarati realm, will also think of going. Vaśavartin, king of gods, along with the gods of Paranirmitavaśavartin realm, will also think of going. Brahmā Sahāṃpati, along with the gods of the Brahmakāyika realm, will also think of going. The Ābhāsvara gods will also think of approaching them. The Śubhakṛtsna gods will also think of approaching them. The Vṛhatphala gods will also think of approaching them. The Avṛha gods will also think of approaching them. The Atapa gods will also think of approaching them. The Sudṛśa gods will also think of approaching them. The Sudarśana gods will also think of approaching them. And the gods of the Pure Abodes will also think of approaching them.
“The tathāgatas will always watch over those bodhisattva great beings who practice this profound perfection of wisdom. Those worldly sufferings from harm done by others, as many as there are, that happen to a body are entirely absent in all respects from, and do not descend on, the bodies of those bodhisattva great beings who practice this profound perfection of wisdom in that manner. When bodhisattva great beings practice this profound perfection of wisdom in that manner, those, monk, are its1036 good qualities. The combined humoral disorders, as many as there are—namely, eye diseases, ear diseases, nose diseases, tongue diseases, body diseases, or heart diseases, as many as there are—are all absent from, and do not descend on, their bodies. One should know that when bodhisattva great beings practice this profound perfection of wisdom, those, too, are its good qualities.”
Then the venerable Ānanda thought, “Does this Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, teach the perfection of wisdom and speak in praise of the good qualities of the perfection of wisdom through his own inspired eloquence, or does he teach through the power of the Buddha?”
Thereupon Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, comprehended in his mind the thoughts in the mind of the venerable Ānanda, and said to the venerable Ānanda, “Venerable monk Ānanda, you should know that it is through the power of the Buddha that I teach the perfection of wisdom in that manner and speak in praise of the good qualities of the perfection of wisdom.”
Then the Blessed One said to the venerable Ānanda, “It is so, Ānanda, it is so! It is through the power of the Buddha, it is through the blessing of the tathāgatas, that Śakra, mighty lord of the gods, teaches this profound perfection of wisdom and speaks in praise of the good qualities of this perfection of wisdom.
“Ānanda, when bodhisattva great beings train in the perfection of wisdom, persevere in the perfection of wisdom, and cultivate the perfection of wisdom, all those malign māras in the billionfold world system, as many as there are, will have doubts, wondering whether these bodhisattva great beings will actualize the very limit of reality and attain the fruit of having entered the stream, the fruit of once-returner, the fruit of non-returner, arhatship, or individual enlightenment, or if not, whether they will fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment.
“Moreover, Ānanda, at the time when bodhisattva great beings do not lack the perfection of wisdom, malign Māra will be pierced by the pain of sorrow. Moreover, Ānanda, at the time when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, malign Māra will unleash a fall of meteors and frighten these bodhisattva great beings so that even just a single thought might be disturbed from paying attention to all-aspect omniscience, so that they might be discouraged, and so that their hairs might stand on end.”
Then the venerable Ānanda asked the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, does malign Māra approach all bodhisattva great beings with the intention of harming them?”
“Ānanda, malign Māra does not approach all bodhisattva great beings with the intention of harming them,” replied the Blessed One.
“In that case, Blessed Lord, what sort of person does he approach?” asked Ānanda.
“Ānanda,” replied the Blessed One, “malign Māra approaches with the intention of harming those bodhisattva great beings who formerly, when this profound perfection of wisdom was being taught, did not resolutely believe in it. Moreover, Ānanda, malign Māra approaches with the intention of harming those bodhisattvas who were hesitant when this profound perfection of wisdom was being taught, wondering whether this was or was not the perfection of wisdom. Moreover, Ānanda, when bodhisattvas are without a spiritual mentor, they do not see a spiritual mentor and do not listen to this profound perfection of wisdom, and because they do not listen, they do not understand. They do not understand how to cultivate the perfection of wisdom, so they do not work hard at true reality. Ānanda, malign Māra approaches with the intention of harming those bodhisattvas.
“Moreover, Ānanda, when bodhisattvas who are separated from the perfection of wisdom grasp hold of that which is not the good Dharma, then, Ānanda, malign Māra finds an opportunity to inflict harm on those bodhisattvas. Moreover, Ānanda, when bodhisattvas who are separated from the perfection of wisdom speak in praise of that which is not the good Dharma, there malign Māra thinks, ‘Those who speak in praise of that which is not the good Dharma are my friends. The friends I find among the many in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas are these who speak in praise of that which is not the good Dharma. That such persons in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas will stand on one or the other of two levels—the level of the śrāvakas or the level of the pratyekabuddhas—fulfills my intention.’ Ānanda, malign Māra will indeed find an opportunity to inflict harm on those bodhisattvas.
“Moreover, Ānanda, if you ask on what sort of person malign Māra will find an opportunity to inflict harm, at the time when this profound perfection of wisdom is being taught, they are those bodhisattvas who say, ‘The perfection of wisdom is most profound. What would be the point of you listening to this profound perfection of wisdom? Also, what would be the point of you cultivating, taking up, upholding, and mastering it? Since even I did not reach its depths, how could you possibly do so?’ Ānanda, malign Māra will indeed find an opportunity to inflict harm on those bodhisattvas.
“Moreover, Ānanda, when bodhisattva great beings scorn other bodhisattvas and give rise to the conceits,1037 ‘I am practicing the perfection of generosity. I am practicing the perfection of ethical discipline. I am practicing the perfection of tolerance. I am practicing the perfection of perseverance. I am practicing the perfection of meditative concentration. I am practicing the perfection of wisdom. You are not practicing the perfection of generosity. You are not practicing the perfection of ethical discipline. You are not practicing the perfection of tolerance. You are not practicing the perfection of perseverance. You are not practicing the perfection of meditative concentration. You are not practicing the perfection of wisdom,’ in that case, Ānanda, malign Māra will indeed find an opportunity to inflict harm on those bodhisattvas.
“Moreover, Ānanda, when bodhisattva great beings give rise to the conceit that they themselves are best, at that time, Ānanda, malign Māra becomes pleased, excited, delighted, overjoyed, and full of satisfaction and mental happiness. Ānanda, malign Māra will indeed find an opportunity to inflict harm on those bodhisattvas.
“Moreover, Ānanda, when the name of a bodhisattva great being or the name of their lineage has become famous, and they, on account of their name or their lineage scorn other bodhisattva great beings who are endowed with virtuous attributes, praising themselves and disparaging the others, they do not have those good qualities that act as the characters, the indications, and the signs of an irreversible bodhisattva great being. So, they develop afflicted mental states because of the characters, the indications, and the signs,1038 praising themselves and disparaging others, saying, ‘You are not seen to be established in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas and you are not seen to be established in the family of the bodhisattvas in the way in which I am seen to be established in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas and the family of the bodhisattvas.’ If they abuse and disparage individuals in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas, malign Māra will think, ‘My realm will not be emptied out, and the great hells, the animal realm, the world of Yama, and the domain of anguished spirits will absolutely increase.’
“One way or the other, those bodhisattvas will be sustained by the power of malign Māra so their words become plausible.1039 Since their words become plausible, many people also think that they should listen to them and trust them. When they have heard or seen them, they act in conformity, which is to say, having heard or seen them, they act in conformity and train in that manner. When they train in that manner, when they train in true reality and work hard at true reality,1040 their afflicted mental states absolutely increase. Whatever actions of body, speech, and mind they may undertake, because their minds have become mistaken in that manner, they all turn out undesirable, disagreeable, and unpleasant. In that way the great hells will absolutely increase, and the animal realm, the world of Yama, and the abodes of the pretas will also absolutely increase. The realm of Māra will also absolutely increase. Ānanda, malign Māra sees this objective and becomes pleased, excited, and full of satisfaction and mental happiness.
“Moreover, Ānanda, if individuals in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas dispute with individuals in the vehicle of the śrāvakas, saying, ‘I am more important,1041 not you!’ then malign Māra thinks about them, ‘Oh! These children of good family are distancing themself from all-aspect omniscience. They are not approaching all-aspect omniscience. If you ask why, it is because these abuses, fights, disputes, and reprimands1042 are not the path to all-aspect omniscience, they are the path to the hells, they are the path to the animal realm, and they are the path to the world of Yama. They are not the path to all-aspect omniscience.’
“Moreover, Ānanda, if individuals in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas abuse, dispute, fight, and reprimand other individuals in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas, then malign Māra thinks, ‘Both of these are distancing themselves from all-aspect omniscience. They both will not fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. If you ask why, it is because whatever these two children of good families have undertaken in that manner, it is not the path to all-aspect omniscience. These two children of good families have started on the path to the hells, to the animal realm, and to the world of Yama,’ and he becomes pleased, excited, and full of satisfaction and mental happiness.
“Moreover, Ānanda, if, when bodhisattvas who have not been prophesied think maliciously of bodhisattvas who have been prophesied, and abuse, dispute, fight, and reprimand, if they are those who have not abandoned all-aspect omniscience, they must don the armor for as many eons as the negative thoughts that they have entertained, and the abuse, disputes, fights, and reprimands in which they have engaged.”
“Blessed Lord,” asked Ānanda, “is there another escape for those who have entertained those thoughts, or if not, will they absolutely have to don the armor for that number of eons?”
“Ānanda,” replied the Blessed One, “I have taught a Dharma that contains an emancipation for individuals in the vehicle of the śrāvakas, in the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas, and in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas. In it, Ānanda, when individuals in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas abuse, dispute with, scold, and reprimand other individuals in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas, Ānanda, I do not say about those individuals that they escape if, having abused and disputed with, scolded and reprimanded, they do not make a confession but keep on letting it fester and bear malice. And if those individuals have not abandoned all-aspect omniscience, they must undoubtedly don the armor for that number of eons. Ānanda, even though bodhisattva great beings have abused, disputed with, scolded, and reprimanded, if they do not let it fester, and thenceforth keep their vows, thinking, ‘My gain is a loss. When I should be eliminating the sufferings of all beings I respond when spoken to in that manner; when I should be acting as a bridge for all beings, it is not appropriate that I reprimand others in that manner and contradict them. I should act as if I am slow-witted and dumb. I should not disturb my aspiration. It is not appropriate that when I should be fully awakening to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment and bringing these beings to final nirvāṇa, I act ill-disposed toward those very same ones and fight with them. I should not bear malice toward them. I will not fight with them.’—Ānanda, I do say about those bodhisattva great beings that they have an escape.
“Malign Māra looks for an opportunity to inflict harm on them and searches for an opportunity to inflict harm but finds no opportunity to do so.
“Moreover, Ānanda, bodhisattva great beings should not make friends with individuals in the vehicle of the śrāvakas. They should not live together with them. They should not stay with them. But if they do stay, they should not bear malice and not get angry at any of them at all. If you ask why, it is because they should think, ‘Those toward whom I would bear malice and those at whom I would be angry do not fit with who I am.’ If you ask why, it is because they should think, ‘They are those whom I, after fully awakening to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, must liberate from all sufferings.’ ”
“Blessed Lord, how should bodhisattva great beings treat individuals in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas?” asked Ānanda.
“Ānanda,” replied the Blessed One, “bodhisattva great beings should treat individuals in the vehicle of the bodhisattvas just as they treat the Teacher. If you ask why, it is because they set their minds [on enlightenment], thinking, ‘These are my companions—we have embarked on the same ship. I also should train in the same way in which they are training. I should train in the very perfection of generosity in which they should train, and in the perfection of ethical discipline, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom; in the emptiness of internal phenomena, the emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, the emptiness of emptiness, the emptiness of great extent, the emptiness of ultimate reality, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, the emptiness of the unlimited, the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, the emptiness of nonexclusion, the emptiness of inherent nature, the emptiness of all phenomena, the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, the emptiness of nonentities, the emptiness of essential nature, and the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities; in the four applications of mindfulness, the four correct exertions, the four supports for miraculous ability, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven branches of enlightenment, and the noble eightfold path; in the four truths of the noble ones, the four meditative concentrations, the four immeasurable attitudes, the four formless absorptions, the eight liberations, the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, the five extrasensory powers, all the meditative stabilities, and all the dhāraṇī gateways; in the ten powers of the tathāgatas, the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas; and in omniscience, the knowledge of the aspects of the path, and all-aspect omniscience.’
“They, furthermore, should set their minds on enlightenment thinking like this: ‘They are teaching the path to complete enlightenment, so, if they behave in a corrupted manner, and have become separated from the attention connected with all-aspect omniscience, I should not train in that. But if those bodhisattva great beings stay unseparated from the attention connected with all-aspect omniscience, I too should train accordingly.’ Having set their mind on enlightenment, bodhisattva great beings who train in that manner have the same training.”
This completes the forty-sixth chapter from “The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines.”1043