The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines

“In the same way, Śāradvatīputra,” continued the Blessed One, “bodhisattva great beings, from when they first set their mind, 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; practice the emptiness of internal phenomena, practice the emptiness of external phenomena, practice the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, practice the emptiness of emptiness, practice the emptiness of great extent, practice the emptiness of ultimate reality, practice the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, practice the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, practice the emptiness of the unlimited, practice the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, practice the emptiness of nonexclusion, practice the emptiness of inherent nature, practice the emptiness of all phenomena, practice the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, practice the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, practice the emptiness of nonentities, practice the emptiness of essential nature, and practice the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities; practice the four applications of mindfulness, practice the four correct exertions, practice the four supports for miraculous ability, practice the five faculties, practice the five powers, practice the seven branches of enlightenment, and practice the noble eightfold path; practice the four truths of the noble ones, practice the four meditative concentrations, practice the four immeasurable attitudes, practice the four formless absorptions, practice the eight liberations, practice the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, practice the emptiness, signlessness, practice wishlessness gateways to liberation, practice the extrasensory powers, practice the meditative stabilities, and practice the dhāraṇī gateways; practice the ten powers of the tathāgatas, practice the four fearlessnesses, practice the four kinds of exact knowledge, practice great compassion, and practice the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas; and complete the path of enlightenment and refine a buddhafield. At that time, they bring beings to maturity, but they do not apprehend any being at all, such as they might apprehend and discipline.”

Then the venerable Subhūti asked the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, what path to enlightenment do bodhisattva great beings practice? What is the path to enlightenment of bodhisattva great beings who bring beings to maturity and refine a buddhafield?”

“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “here bodhisattva great beings, from when they first set their mind, 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; they practice the emptiness of internal phenomena, practice the emptiness of external phenomena, practice the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, practice the emptiness of emptiness, practice the emptiness of great extent, practice the emptiness of ultimate reality, practice the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, practice the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, practice the emptiness of the unlimited, practice the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, practice the emptiness of nonexclusion, practice the emptiness of inherent nature, practice the emptiness of all phenomena, practice the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, practice the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, practice the emptiness of nonentities, practice the emptiness of essential nature, and practice the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities; they practice the four applications of mindfulness, practice the four correct exertions, practice the four supports for miraculous ability, practice the five faculties, practice the five powers, practice the seven branches of enlightenment, and practice the noble eightfold path; they practice the four truths of the noble ones, practice the four meditative concentrations, practice the four immeasurable attitudes, practice the four formless absorptions, practice the eight liberations, practice the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, practice the emptiness, signlessness, practice wishlessness gateways to liberation, practice the five extrasensory powers, practice the meditative stabilities, and practice the dhāraṇī gateways; and they practice the ten powers of the tathāgatas, practice the four fearlessnesses, practice the four kinds of exact knowledge, practice great compassion, and practice the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas.”

Subhūti asked, “Blessed Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings, practicing the perfection of generosity, bring beings to maturity?”

“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “here, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they give gifts to beings, and having given them gifts, they instruct and advise them as follows: ‘Children of good families, do not be graspers and grasp this gift. By being graspers grasping this gift you will bring a body into being, and once such a body is brought into being, you will experience many sufferings. Children of good families, here, in ultimate reality, there is no generosity, there is no fruit of generosity, there is no donor, and there is no recipient. All these phenomena are empty of inherent nature. A phenomenon that is empty of inherent nature cannot be received. An emptiness of inherent nature cannot be grasped.’ They instruct and advise them like that. Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of generosity, they are generous to beings with gifts in that manner, but they do not apprehend generosity, do not apprehend a donor, and do not apprehend a recipient. The perfection of generosity is the perfection of not apprehending in that manner. By not apprehending any of these three phenomena, they connect beings with the fruit of having entered the stream, connect them with the fruit of once-returner, connect them with the fruit of non-returner, connect them with arhatship, connect them with individual enlightenment, and connect them with unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment.

“Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of generosity in that manner, they bring beings to maturity. They themselves are generous with gifts, they encourage others to be generous, they praise generosity, and when other beings are generous they give them praise and approval. So it is that these bodhisattva great beings engaging in such great acts of generosity are reborn equal in fortune to the great and lofty royal families, are reborn equal in fortune to the great and lofty priestly families, and are reborn equal in fortune to the great and lofty householder families. They become a regional king. They acquire the rank of a wheel-turning emperor.

“In these states, they also attract beings through the four attractive qualities. If you ask what these four are, they are generosity, pleasant speech, purposeful activity, and harmonious activity. Then gradually they also secure beings who have been attracted by such generosity in ethical discipline, secure them in tolerance, secure them in perseverance, secure them in meditative stability, and secure them in wisdom; secure them in the four meditative concentrations, secure them in the four immeasurable attitudes, and secure them in the four formless absorptions; secure them in the four applications of mindfulness, secure them in the four correct exertions, secure them in the four supports for miraculous ability, secure them in the five faculties, secure them in the five powers, secure them in the seven branches of enlightenment, and secure them in the noble eightfold path; and secure them in the four truths of the noble ones, secure them in the eight liberations, secure them in the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, secure them in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, secure them in the five extrasensory powers, secure them in the meditative stabilities, and secure them in the dhāraṇī gateways. They cause them to enter into the maturity of the perfect state, cause them to attain the fruit of having entered the stream, cause them to attain the fruit of once-returner, cause them to attain the fruit of non-returner, cause them to attain arhatship, and cause them to attain individual enlightenment. They encourage them toward unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, saying, ‘O you people! As for unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, it is not difficult to fully awaken, because beings, deluded by error, have a misunderstanding. Setting that aside, there is no such phenomenon at all to which beings are attached that exists through its own essential nature. Therefore, you should sever the continuity of all grasping in error and release yourselves from saṃsāra, and you should also release others. In that manner you yourself should undertake acts of great benefit, and you should also connect others with acts of great benefit.’

“Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings should practice the perfection of generosity in that manner, and when they practice like that, of course, starting from when they first set their mind, they practice so that they never fall into the lower realms, and never fail in the work of a universal emperor. If you ask why, it is because just as a seed produces fruit, however many petitioners approach universal emperors, the universal emperors think, ‘I have not taken on being a universal emperor for the sake of anything else except the welfare of beings.’ And they say, ‘Whatever anyone wants, consider it given to you. It is yours, not mine. Since I have no interest even in my own physical being, what need one say about anything else. On the contrary, I have assumed cyclic existence for the sake of the welfare of beings, but I have no interest in cyclic existence for my own sake.’ Through being imbued with compassion they bring great compassion to completion. They act for the benefit of beings out of great compassion, but do not apprehend those beings such that they would be thoroughly established, instead practicing with notions, names, and conventional terms.¹³⁶¹ They know that even this practice cannot be practiced, like an echo. Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings should practice the perfection of generosity in that manner, and when they practice, they should practice in such a manner that, since of course there is nothing that they should not give away to beings, even so far as their own flesh, there is no need to even mention the external resources with which they liberate beings from cyclic existence.”

“What are those resources?” asked Subhūti.

The Blessed One replied, “The perfection of generosity is a resource, the perfection of ethical discipline is a resource, the perfection of tolerance is a resource, the perfection of perseverance is a resource, the perfection of meditative concentration is a resource, and the perfection of wisdom is a resource; the emptiness of internal phenomena is a resource, the emptiness of external phenomena is a resource, the emptiness of external and internal phenomena is a resource, the emptiness of emptiness is a resource, the emptiness of great extent is a resource, the emptiness of ultimate reality is a resource, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena is a resource, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena is a resource, the emptiness of the unlimited is a resource, the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end is a resource, the emptiness of nonexclusion is a resource, the emptiness of inherent nature is a resource, the emptiness of all phenomena is a resource, the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics is a resource, the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended is a resource, the emptiness of nonentities is a resource, the emptiness of essential nature is a resource, and the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities is a resource; the applications of mindfulness are a resource, the correct exertions are a resource, the supports for miraculous ability are a resource, the faculties are a resource, the powers are a resource, the branches of enlightenment are a resource, and the noble eightfold path is a resource; the truths of the noble ones are a resource, the meditative concentrations are a resource, the immeasurable attitudes are a resource, the formless absorptions are a resource, the liberations are a resource, the serial steps of meditative absorption are a resource, the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation are a resource, the extrasensory powers are a resource, the meditative stabilities are a resource, and the dhāraṇī gateways are a resource; and the powers of the tathāgatas are a resource, the fearlessnesses are a resource, the kinds of exact knowledge are a resource, great compassion is a resource, and the distinct qualities of the buddhas are a resource. These are the resources, because through these resources they attract beings and gradually lead them to final nirvāṇa by means of the three vehicles‍—the vehicle of the śrāvakas, the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas, or the Great Vehicle. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, attract beings through the perfection of generosity.

“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the perfection of ethical discipline, while practicing the perfection of generosity, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of generosity, give gifts to beings, and when they give the gifts away, they say, ‘Come here, children of good families! Maintain ethical discipline. I will ensure that you are not deprived of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, bedding, flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, unguents, houses, wealth, grain, jewels, pearls, beryl, conch, crystal, coral, gold, silver, and the basic human necessities, up to any resources whatsoever. I will ensure that you are not deprived of any resources, up to the seven precious things, being deprived of which you might conduct yourself unethically. Therefore, you should follow a codified ethical discipline and gradually, in the three vehicles‍—in the vehicle of the śrāvakas, or the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas, or the vehicle of all-aspect omniscience‍—put an end to suffering.’ Those bodhisattva great beings themselves maintain ethical discipline, they encourage others toward ethical discipline, praise ethical discipline, and when other beings are ethically disciplined give them praise and approval. In that manner, those bodhisattva great beings connect those beings with ethical discipline, secure them in ethical discipline, and gradually lead them to final nirvāṇa by means of the three vehicles. Subhūti, it is in that manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, attract beings through the perfection of ethical discipline.

“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the perfection of tolerance, while practicing the perfection of generosity, Subhūti, here, if bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of generosity, see beings who are angry and malicious, they ask them, ‘Children of good families, for what reason are you bearing malice? Take from me what you have been deprived of that has made you bear malice. I will ensure that you are not deprived of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, bedding, flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, unguents, houses, wealth, grain, jewels, pearls, beryl, conch, crystal, coral, gold, silver, and the basic human necessities, up to any resources whatsoever. Do away with anger and malice.’ It is in that manner that bodhisattva great beings abiding in the perfection of generosity connect beings with tolerance, saying, ‘That impression,¹³⁶² because of which your anger arises, is pointless. In it there is no entity at all. That anger is a false imagination of the unreal. There is no essential nature in that real basis, the real basis on account of which you quarrel, hold a grudge, and bear malice, and having quarreled, held a grudge, and bore malice, the real basis that provokes you into fighting with clubs, piercing¹³⁶³ with weapons, or robbing one another of life. Since that is the case, if you remain disturbed by false imagination of the unreal, you will fall into the hells, you will fall into the animal realm, you will fall into the world of Yama, and in other lower realms apart from those you will also suffer intolerably and experience sharp, harsh, unpleasant feelings. Because you will have acquired karma for the sake of phenomena that are without a real basis, you people will fail to obtain even a human birth, not to mention encountering the appearance of a buddha, so do not acquire such karma. Friends, the appearance of a buddha is rare. Obtaining a human birth is rare. A perfect human birth is rare.¹³⁶⁴ Release from saṃsāra is rare. Since that is the case, do not render this perfect human birth meaningless, lest you end up in an imperfect birth that cannot be rectified.’ In this regard, those bodhisattva great beings themselves practice tolerance, they encourage others toward tolerance, they praise tolerance, and when other beings are cultivating tolerance they give them praise and approval. In that manner, those bodhisattva great beings connect those beings with tolerance, secure them in tolerance, and gradually lead them to final nirvāṇa by means of the three vehicles. Subhūti, it is in that manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, attract beings through the perfection of tolerance.

“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the perfection of perseverance, while practicing the perfection of generosity, Subhūti, here, if bodhisattva great beings see beings who are indolent and feeble in perseverance, they ask, ‘Why are you being lazy?’ If they reply that it is because they lack the conditions, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of generosity say to those beings, ‘O you people, I will provide you with the conditions for generosity, or the conditions for ethical discipline, or the conditions of tolerance, or I will provide you with anything else that is suited for undertaking perseverance. Undertake perseverance.’ Then those beings employ the resources of those bodhisattva great beings, and they undertake physical or mental perseverance. Through their physical and mental perseverance, they complete all the virtuous attributes, and through these virtuous attributes, they cultivate the uncontaminated attributes of the noble ones. Through having cultivated these, they attain the fruit of having entered the stream, attain the fruit of once-returner, attain the fruit of non-returner, attain arhatship, attain individual enlightenment, and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. In this regard, those bodhisattva great beings themselves undertake perseverance, they encourage others toward perseverance, they praise perseverance, and when other beings undertake perseverance they give them praise and approval. In that manner, those bodhisattva great beings connect those beings with perseverance, secure them in perseverance, and gradually lead them to final nirvāṇa by means of the three vehicles. Subhūti, it is in that manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, attract beings through the perfection of perseverance.

“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the perfection of meditative concentration, while practicing the perfection of generosity, Subhūti, here, if bodhisattva great beings see beings who are distracted, they ask, ‘Why are you beings not absorbed in meditative concentration?’ If they reply that it is because they lack the conditions, in that case bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of generosity advise them, ‘O beings, I will provide you with any conditions that are the conditions for having no conceptual thoughts concerning external and internal phenomena.’ Then the bodhisattva great beings provide those beings with those conditions. Supplied with the conditions for having no conceptual thoughts, they therefore sever conceptual thought and become absorbed in the first meditative concentration, become absorbed in the second meditative concentration, become absorbed in the third meditative concentration, and become absorbed in the fourth meditative concentration; become absorbed in loving kindness, become absorbed in compassion, become absorbed in empathetic joy, and become absorbed in equanimity; and become absorbed in the sphere of infinite space, become absorbed in the sphere of infinite consciousness, become absorbed in the sphere of nothing-at-all, and become absorbed in the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception. Having tamed their minds through absorption in these meditative concentrations, immeasurable attitudes, and formless absorptions, they cultivate the four applications of mindfulness, cultivate the four correct exertions, cultivate the four supports for miraculous ability, cultivate the five faculties, cultivate the five powers, cultivate the seven branches of enlightenment, cultivate the noble eightfold path, and cultivate the three gateways to liberation. Having cultivated them, they gradually attain final nirvāṇa in the three vehicles. Among them, some do not degenerate from the path to enlightenment until they have attained unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, attract beings through the perfection of meditative stability.

“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings attract beings with the perfection of wisdom, while practicing the perfection of generosity, Subhūti, here, when bodhisattva great beings abiding in the perfection of generosity see beings who are intellectually stupid, they ask, ‘Why do you beings not cultivate wisdom?’ If they reply that it is because they lack the conditions, in that case bodhisattva great beings abiding in the perfection of generosity instruct them, ‘Take resources from me. Give gifts, maintain ethical discipline, cultivate tolerance, undertake perseverance, and become absorbed in meditative stability. When you complete these aspects and cultivate the perfection of wisdom, you should examine whether any phenomenon exists, be it the self, a being, a living being, a creature, one who goes, one who lives, a person, an individual, one born of Manu, a child of Manu, an agent, an experiencer, a knower, or a viewer; or physical forms, feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, or consciousness; or the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body, or the mental faculty; or sights, sounds, odors, tastes, tangibles, or mental phenomena; or visual consciousness, auditory consciousness, olfactory consciousness, gustatory consciousness, tactile consciousness, or mental consciousness; or visually compounded sensory contact, aurally compounded sensory contact, nasally compounded sensory contact, lingually compounded sensory contact, corporeally compounded sensory contact, or mentally compounded sensory contact; or feelings conditioned by visually compounded sensory contact, feelings conditioned by aurally compounded sensory contact, feelings conditioned by nasally compounded sensory contact, feelings conditioned by lingually compounded sensory contact, feelings conditioned by corporeally compounded sensory contact, or feelings conditioned by mentally compounded sensory contact; or the earth element, the water element, the fire element, the wind element, the space element, or the consciousness element; or ignorance, formative predispositions, consciousness, name and form, the six sense fields, sensory contact, sensation, craving, grasping, the rebirth process, birth, or aging and death; or the perfection of generosity, the perfection of ethical discipline, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of meditative concentration, or the perfection of wisdom; or 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, or the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities; or the applications of mindfulness, the correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, the faculties, the powers, the branches of enlightenment, or the noble eightfold path; or the truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, the formless absorptions, the liberations, the serial steps of meditative absorption, the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, or the dhāraṇī gateways; or the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, great compassion, or the distinct qualities of the buddhas; or the fruit of having entered the stream, the fruit of once-returner, the fruit of non-returner, arhatship, individual enlightenment, the knowledge of the aspects of the path, or all-aspect omniscience.’ They instruct and advise them in that manner. When these bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not apprehend any phenomenon‍—they do not apprehend any such phenomenon on which they would be fixated, and since they do not fixate on it, they do not observe any phenomenon at all that arises or ceases, or that is defiled or purified. Since they do not observe, they do not form the conception, ‘This is a being in the hells. This is one in the animal realm. This is one in the world of Yama. This is one included within the class of asuras. This is a god. This is a human being. This is one who is ethically disciplined. This is an immoral being. This is one who has entered the stream. This is a once-returner. This is a non-returner. This is an arhat. This is a pratyekabuddha. This is a bodhisattva. This is a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha.’ Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while maintaining the perfection of generosity, attract beings through the perfection of wisdom.

“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the perfection of giving while practicing the perfection of ethical discipline, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, instruct and advise beings, saying, ‘Why are you beings not being generous with gifts?’ If they reply that it is because they lack the conditions, those bodhisattva great beings say to them, ‘Take resources from me and give gifts. Do not be graspers and grasp this gift. By being graspers grasping this gift you will bring a body into being, and once such a body is brought into being, you will experience many sufferings. Children of good families, here in ultimate reality there is no generosity, there is no fruit of generosity, there is no donor, and there is no recipient. All these phenomena are empty of inherent nature. A phenomenon that is empty of inherent nature cannot be received. An emptiness of inherent nature cannot be grasped.’ They instruct and advise them like that. Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of generosity, they are generous to beings with gifts in that manner, but they do not apprehend generosity, do not apprehend a donor, and do not apprehend a recipient. The perfection of generosity is the perfection of not apprehending in that manner. By not apprehending any of these three phenomena, they connect beings with the fruit of having entered the stream, connect them with the fruit of once-returner, connect them with the fruit on non-returner, connect them with arhatship, connect them with individual enlightenment, and connect them with unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment.

“It is in that way, Subhūti, that bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of ethical discipline bring beings to maturity with the perfection of giving. They themselves are generous with gifts, they encourage others to be generous, they praise generosity, and when other beings are generous they give them praise and approval. So it is that these bodhisattva great beings engaging in such great acts of generosity are reborn equal in fortune to the great and lofty royal families, are reborn equal in fortune to the great and lofty priestly families, and are reborn equal in fortune to the great and lofty householder families. They become a regional king. They acquire the empire of a wheel-turning emperor. In these states, they also attract beings through the four attractive qualities. If you ask what these four are, they are generosity, pleasant speech, purposeful activity, and harmonious activity. Then gradually they also secure beings who have been attracted by such generosity in ethical discipline, secure them in tolerance, secure them in perseverance, secure them in meditative stability, and secure them in wisdom; secure them in the four meditative concentrations, secure them in the four immeasurable attitudes, and secure them in the four formless absorptions; secure them in the four applications of mindfulness, secure them in the four correct exertions, secure them in the four supports for miraculous ability, secure them in the five faculties, secure them in the five powers, secure them in the seven branches of enlightenment, and secure them in the noble eightfold path; and secure them in the four truths of the noble ones, secure them in the eight liberations, secure them in the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, secure them in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, secure them in the five extrasensory powers, secure them in the meditative stabilities, and secure them in the dhāraṇī gateways. They cause them to enter into the maturity of the perfect state, cause them to attain the fruit of having entered the stream, cause them to attain the fruit of once-returner, cause them to attain the fruit of non-returner, cause them to attain arhatship, and cause them to attain individual enlightenment. They encourage them toward unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, saying, ‘O you people! As for unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, it is not difficult to fully awaken, because beings, deluded by error, have a misunderstanding. Setting that aside, there is no such phenomenon at all to which beings are attached that exists through its own essential nature. Therefore, you should sever the continuity of all grasping in error and release yourselves from saṃsāra, and you should also release others. In that manner, you yourself should undertake acts of great benefit, and you should also connect others with acts of great benefit.’ They encourage them like that.

“Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings should practice the perfection of generosity in that manner, and when they practice like that, of course, starting from when they first set their mind, they practice so that they never fall into the lower realms, and never fail in the work of a universal emperor. If you ask why, it is because just as a seed produces fruit, however many petitioners approach universal emperors, the universal emperors think, ‘I have not taken on being a universal emperor for the sake of anything else except the welfare of beings.’ And they say, ‘Whatever anyone wants, consider it given to you. It is yours, not mine. Since I have no interest even in my own physical being, what need one say about anything else. On the contrary, I have assumed cyclic existence for the sake of the welfare of beings, but I have no interest in cyclic existence for my own sake.’ Through being imbued with compassion, they bring great compassion to completion. They act for the benefit of beings out of great compassion, but do not apprehend those beings such that they would be thoroughly established, instead practicing with notions, names, and conventional terms. They know that even this practice cannot be practiced, like an echo. Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings should practice the perfection of generosity in that manner, and when they practice, they should practice in such a manner that, since of course there is nothing that they should not give away to beings, even so far as their own flesh, there is no need to even mention the external resources with which they liberate beings from cyclic existence.”

“What are those resources?” asked Subhūti.

The Blessed One replied, “The perfection of generosity is a resource, the perfection of ethical discipline is a resource, the perfection of tolerance is a resource, the perfection of perseverance is a resource, the perfection of meditative concentration is a resource, and the perfection of wisdom is a resource; the emptiness of internal phenomena is a resource, the emptiness of external phenomena is a resource, the emptiness of external and internal phenomena is a resource, the emptiness of emptiness is a resource, the emptiness of great extent is a resource, the emptiness of ultimate reality is a resource, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena is a resource, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena is a resource, the emptiness of the unlimited is a resource, the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end is a resource, the emptiness of nonexclusion is a resource, the emptiness of inherent nature is a resource, the emptiness of all phenomena is a resource, the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics is a resource, the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended is a resource, the emptiness of nonentities is a resource, the emptiness of essential nature is a resource, and the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities is a resource; the applications of mindfulness are a resource, the correct exertions are a resource, the supports for miraculous ability are a resource, the faculties are a resource, the powers are a resource, the branches of enlightenment are a resource, and the noble eightfold path is a resource; the truths of the noble ones are a resource, the meditative concentrations are a resource, the immeasurable attitudes are a resource, the formless absorptions are a resource, the liberations are a resource, the serial steps of meditative absorption are a resource, the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation are a resource, the extrasensory powers are a resource, the meditative stabilities are a resource, and the dhāraṇī gateways are a resource; and the powers of the tathāgatas are a resource, the fearlessnesses are a resource, the kinds of exact knowledge are a resource, great compassion is a resource, and the distinct qualities of the buddhas are a resource. These are the resources, because through these resources they attract beings and gradually lead them to final nirvāṇa by means of the three vehicles‍—the vehicle of the śrāvakas, the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas, or the Great Vehicle. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, attract beings through the perfection of generosity.

“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the perfection of ethical discipline, while practicing the perfection of ethical discipline, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, advise and instruct beings, saying, ‘Why are you beings not maintaining ethical discipline?’ If they reply that it is because they lack the conditions, those bodhisattva great beings say to them, ‘Come here, children of good families! Maintain ethical discipline. I will ensure that you are not deprived of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, bedding, flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, unguents, houses, wealth, grain, jewels, pearls, beryl, conch, crystal, coral, gold, silver, and the basic human necessities, up to any resources whatsoever. I will ensure that you are not deprived of any resources or enjoyments, deprived of which you might conduct yourself unethically. You should follow a codified ethical discipline and gradually, in the three vehicles‍—in the vehicle of the śrāvakas, or the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas, or the vehicle of all-aspect omniscience‍—put an end to suffering.’ Those bodhisattva great beings themselves maintain ethical discipline, they connect others with ethical discipline, they praise ethical discipline, and when other beings are ethically disciplined they give them praise and approval. In that manner, those bodhisattva great beings connect those beings with ethical discipline, secure them in ethical discipline, and gradually lead them to final nirvāṇa by means of the three vehicles. Subhūti, it is in that manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, attract beings through the perfection of ethical discipline.

“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the perfection of tolerance, while practicing the perfection of ethical discipline, Subhūti, here, if bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, see beings who are angry and malicious, they ask them, ‘Children of good families, for what reason are you bearing malice? Take from me what you have been deprived of that has made you bear malice. I will ensure that you are not deprived of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, bedding, flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, unguents, houses, wealth, grain, jewels, pearls, beryl, conch, crystal, coral, gold, silver, and the basic human necessities, up to any resources whatsoever. Do away with anger and malice.’ It is in that manner that bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, connect beings with tolerance, saying, ‘That impression, because of which your anger arises, is pointless. In it there is no entity at all. That anger is a false imagination of the unreal. There is no essential nature in that real basis, the real basis on account of which you quarrel, hold a grudge, and bear malice, and having quarreled, held a grudge, and bore malice, the real basis that provokes you into fighting with clubs, piercing with weapons, or robbing one another of life. Since that is the case, if you remain disturbed by false imagination of the unreal, you will fall into the hells, you will fall into the animal realm, you will fall into the world of Yama, and in other lower realms apart from those you will also suffer intolerably and experience sharp, harsh, unpleasant feelings. Because you will have acquired karma for the sake of phenomena that are without a real basis, you people will fail to obtain even a human birth, not to mention encountering the appearance of a buddha, so do not acquire such karma. Friends, the appearance of a buddha is rare. Obtaining a human birth is rare. A perfect human birth is rare. Release from saṃsāra is rare. Since that is the case, do not render this perfect human birth meaningless, lest you end up in an imperfect birth that cannot be rectified.’ In this regard, those bodhisattva great beings themselves practice tolerance, they encourage others toward tolerance, they praise tolerance, and when other beings are cultivating tolerance they give them praise and approval. In that manner, those bodhisattva great beings connect those beings with tolerance, secure them in tolerance, and gradually lead them to final nirvāṇa by means of the three vehicles. Subhūti, it is in that manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, attract beings through the perfection of tolerance.

“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the perfection of perseverance, while practicing the perfection of ethical discipline, Subhūti, here, if bodhisattva great beings see beings who are indolent and feeble in perseverance, they ask, ‘Why are you being lazy?’ If they reply that it is because they lack the conditions, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of ethical discipline say to those beings, ‘O you people, I will provide you with the conditions for generosity, or the conditions for ethical discipline, or the conditions of tolerance, or I will provide you with anything else that is suited for undertaking perseverance. Undertake perseverance.’ Then those beings employ the resources of those bodhisattva great beings, and they undertake physical or mental perseverance. Through their physical and mental perseverance, they complete all the virtuous attributes, and through these virtuous attributes, they cultivate the uncontaminated attributes of the noble ones. Through having cultivated these, they attain the fruit of having entered the stream, attain the fruit of once-returner, attain the fruit of non-returner, attain arhatship, attain individual enlightenment, and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. In this regard, those bodhisattva great beings themselves undertake perseverance, they encourage others toward perseverance, they praise perseverance, and when other beings undertake perseverance they give them praise and approval. In that manner, those bodhisattva great beings connect those beings with perseverance, secure them in perseverance, and gradually lead them to final nirvāṇa by means of the three vehicles. Subhūti, it is in that manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, attract beings through the perfection of perseverance.

“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the perfection of meditative concentration, while practicing the perfection of ethical discipline, Subhūti, here, if bodhisattva great beings see beings who are distracted, they ask, ‘Why are you beings not absorbed in meditative concentration?’ If they reply that it is because they lack the conditions, in that case those bodhisattva great beings assure them, ‘O beings, I will provide you with any conditions that are the conditions for having no conceptual thoughts concerning external and internal phenomena.’ Then the bodhisattva great beings provide those beings with those conditions. Supplied with the conditions for having no conceptual thoughts, they therefore sever conceptual thought and become absorbed in the first meditative concentration, become absorbed in the second meditative concentration, become absorbed in the third meditative concentration, and become absorbed in the fourth meditative concentration; become absorbed in loving kindness, become absorbed in compassion, become absorbed in empathetic joy, and become absorbed in equanimity; and become absorbed in the four formless absorptions. Having tamed their minds through absorption in these meditative concentrations, immeasurable attitudes, and formless absorptions, they cultivate the four applications of mindfulness, cultivate the four correct exertions, cultivate the four supports for miraculous ability, cultivate the five faculties, cultivate the five powers, cultivate the seven branches of enlightenment, cultivate the noble eightfold path, and cultivate the three gateways to liberation. Having cultivated them, they gradually attain final nirvāṇa in the three vehicles. Among them, some do not degenerate from the path to enlightenment until they have attained unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, attract beings through the perfection of meditative stability.

“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings attract beings with the perfection of wisdom, while practicing the perfection of ethical discipline, Subhūti, here, when bodhisattva great beings abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline see beings who are intellectually stupid, they ask, ‘Why do you beings not cultivate wisdom?’ If they reply that it is because they lack the conditions, in that case bodhisattva great beings abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline instruct those beings, ‘Take resources from me. Give gifts, maintain ethical discipline, cultivate tolerance, undertake perseverance, and become absorbed in meditative stability. When you complete these aspects and cultivate the perfection of wisdom, you should examine whether any phenomenon exists, be it the self, a being, a living being, a creature, one who goes, one who lives, a person, an individual, one born of Manu, a child of Manu, an agent, an experiencer, a knower, or a viewer; or physical forms, feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, or consciousness; or the sense fields, the sensory elements, dependent origination, the realm of desire, the realm of form, or the realm of formlessness; or the six perfections, all the emptinesses, or the thirty-seven factors conducive to enlightenment; or the truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, the formless absorptions, the liberations, the serial steps of meditative absorption, the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, or the dhāraṇī gateways; or the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, great compassion, or the distinct qualities of the buddhas; or the fruit of having entered the stream, the fruit of once-returner, the fruit of non-returner, arhatship, individual enlightenment, unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment.’ They instruct and advise them like that. When these bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not apprehend any phenomenon‍— they do not apprehend any such phenomenon on which they would be fixated, and since they do not fixate on it, they do not observe any phenomenon at all that arises or ceases, or that is defiled or purified. Since they do not observe, they do not form the conception, ‘This is a being in the hells. This is one in the animal realm. This is one in the world of Yama. This is one included within the class of asuras. This is a god. This is a human being. This is one who is ethically disciplined. This is an immoral being. This is one who has entered the stream. This is a once-returner. This is a non-returner. This is an arhat. This is a pratyekabuddha. This is a bodhisattva. This is a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha.’ Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, attract beings through the perfection of wisdom.