“When they practice the liberations, they do not conceptualize the liberations, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; they do not conceptualize those who cultivate the liberations, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; and they do not conceptualize the beings for whom they cultivate the liberations, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities.
“When they practice the serial steps of meditative absorption, they do not conceptualize the serial steps of meditative absorption, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; they do not conceptualize those who cultivate the serial steps of meditative absorption, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; and they do not conceptualize the beings for whom they cultivate the serial steps of meditative absorption, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities.
“When they practice the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, they do not conceptualize the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; they do not conceptualize those who cultivate the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; and they do not conceptualize the beings for whom they cultivate the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities.
“When they practice the extrasensory powers, they do not conceptualize the extrasensory powers, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; they do not conceptualize those who cultivate the extrasensory powers, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; and they do not conceptualize the beings for whom they cultivate the extrasensory powers, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities.
“When they practice the meditative stabilities, they do not conceptualize the meditative stabilities, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; they do not conceptualize those who cultivate the meditative stabilities, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; and they do not conceptualize the beings for whom they cultivate the meditative stabilities, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities.
“When they practice the dhāraṇī gateways, they do not conceptualize the dhāraṇī gateways, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; they do not conceptualize those who cultivate the dhāraṇī gateways, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; and they do not conceptualize the beings for whom they cultivate the dhāraṇī gateways, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities.
“When they practice the powers of the tathāgatas, they do not conceptualize the powers of the tathāgatas, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; they do not conceptualize those who cultivate the powers of the tathāgatas, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; and they do not conceptualize the beings for whom they cultivate the powers of the tathāgatas, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities.
“When they practice the fearlessnesses, they do not conceptualize the fearlessnesses, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; they do not conceptualize those who cultivate the fearlessnesses, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; and they do not conceptualize the beings for whom they cultivate the fearlessnesses, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities.
“When they practice the kinds of exact knowledge, they do not conceptualize the kinds of exact knowledge, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; they do not conceptualize those who cultivate the kinds of exact knowledge, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; and they do not conceptualize the beings for whom they cultivate the kinds of exact knowledge, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities.
“When they practice great loving kindness, they do not conceptualize great loving kindness, do not form a mental image of it, and do not pay attention to it as an entity or as a nonentity; they do not conceptualize those who cultivate great loving kindness, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; and they do not conceptualize the beings for whom they cultivate great loving kindness, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities.
“When they practice great compassion, they do not conceptualize great compassion, do not form a mental image of it, and do not pay attention to it as an entity or as a nonentity; they do not conceptualize those who cultivate great compassion, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; and they do not conceptualize the beings for whom they cultivate great compassion, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities.
“When they practice the distinct qualities of the buddhas, they do not conceptualize the distinct qualities of the buddhas, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; they do not conceptualize those who cultivate the distinct qualities of the buddhas, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; and they do not conceptualize the beings for whom they cultivate the distinct qualities of the buddhas, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities.
“When they practice omniscience, they do not conceptualize omniscience, do not form a mental image of it, and do not pay attention to it as an entity or as a nonentity; they do not conceptualize those who cultivate omniscience, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; and they do not conceptualize the beings for whom they cultivate omniscience, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities.
“When they practice the knowledge of the aspects of the path, they do not conceptualize the knowledge of the aspects of the path, do not form a mental image of it, and do not pay attention to it as an entity or as a nonentity; they do not conceptualize those who cultivate the knowledge of the aspects of the path, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities; and they do not conceptualize the beings for whom they cultivate the knowledge of the aspects of the path, do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them either as entities or as nonentities.
“When they practice all-aspect omniscience, they do not conceptualize all-aspect omniscience, do not form a mental image of it, and do not pay attention to it as an entity or as a nonentity…up to…they do not conceptualize unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, do not form a mental image of it, and do not pay attention to it as an entity or as a nonentity. They do not conceptualize those who fully awaken, the full awakening that is to be attained, or that through which there is full awakening; they do not form a mental image of them, and do not pay attention to them as entities or as nonentities. If you ask why, it is because all phenomena are in their essential nature nonentities. They have not been created by the buddhas, nor indeed have they been created by the pratyekabuddhas or the śrāvakas. All phenomena have no creator and are separated from a creator.”
Subhūti asked, “Blessed Lord, in that case are phenomena separated from the phenomena themselves?”
“Blessed Lord,” asked Subhūti, “if phenomena are separated from the phenomena themselves in that manner, how does a phenomenon cognize that a phenomenon is ‘an entity’ or that it is ‘a nonentity’? Blessed Lord, it is not right that a phenomenon that is a nonentity cognizes a phenomenon that is a nonentity, and it is also not right that a phenomenon that is an entity cognizes a phenomenon that is an entity. It is also not right that a phenomenon that is a nonentity cognizes a phenomenon that is an entity. And it is also not right that a phenomenon that is an entity cognizes a phenomenon that is a nonentity. Since in that way all phenomena are not cognized, how could bodhisattva great beings think that they are entities or that they are nonentities?”
“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they teach on the basis of mundane convention that phenomena are ‘entities’ or that they are ‘nonentities,’ but not ultimately.”
“Blessed Lord, is mundane convention one thing and the ultimate another?” asked Subhūti.
“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “mundane convention is not one thing and the ultimate another. The real nature of mundane convention is the real nature of the ultimate, but since beings are mistaken about that, they do not know and do not see that real nature. So, for their sake, bodhisattva great beings speak on the basis of mundane convention about ‘entities’ or ‘nonentities.’ Subhūti, since beings, as many as there are, perceive the five aggregates as entities and do not know that they are nonentities, for their sake, with the thought, ‘How will they come to understand they are nonentities?’ there is a teaching in such a way, commencing with a division of phenomena. Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings should practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner.”
This completes the fifty-fourth chapter from “The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines.”