“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 meditative concentration, 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 meditative concentration, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of meditative concentration, say to those beings, ‘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. It may be food, drink, clothing, vehicles, bedding, flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, unguents, houses, wealth, grain, jewels, pearls, beryl, conch, crystal, coral, gold, silver, or the basic human necessities—any resources, up to the seven precious things—being deprived of which you might conduct yourself unethically. I will ensure that you are not deprived of any of them. 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, 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 meditative concentration, 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 meditative concentration, Subhūti, here, if bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of meditative concentration, 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 meditative concentration, 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 meditative concentration, 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 meditative concentration, 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 meditative concentration 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 meditative concentration, 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 meditative concentration, 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 tolerance 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 meditative concentration, 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 meditative concentration, Subhūti, here, when bodhisattva great beings abiding in the perfection of perseverance 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 meditative concentration 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 realm of desire, the realm of form, or the realm of formlessness; 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 loving kindness, 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 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 meditative concentration, attract beings through the perfection of wisdom.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings attract beings with the perfection of giving, while practicing the perfection of wisdom, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, give gifts to beings, and having given them gifts, 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.’ Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of meditative concentration 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 wisdom 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 wisdom 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, while abiding in the perfection of wisdom, 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 wisdom, 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 wisdom, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, say to those beings, ‘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. It may be food, drink, clothing, vehicles, bedding, flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, unguents, houses, wealth, grain, jewels, pearls, beryl, conch, crystal, coral, gold, silver, or the basic human necessities—any resources, up to the seven precious things—being deprived of which you might conduct yourself unethically. I will ensure that you are not deprived of any of them. 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, 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 wisdom, 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 wisdom, Subhūti, here, if bodhisattva great beings, abiding in the perfection of wisdom, 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 wisdom, 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 wisdom, 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 wisdom, 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 wisdom 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 wisdom, 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 wisdom, 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 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 wisdom, 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 wisdom, Subhūti, here, when bodhisattva great beings abiding in the perfection of wisdom 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 wisdom 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 realm of desire, the realm of form, or the realm of formlessness; 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 loving kindness, 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 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 wisdom, attract beings through the perfection of wisdom.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the four applications of mindfulness, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the four applications of mindfulness. By having cultivated these applications of mindfulness, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, connect beings with the four applications of mindfulness.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the four correct exertions, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the four correct exertions. By having cultivated these correct exertions, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, connect beings with the four correct exertions.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the four supports for miraculous ability, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the four supports for miraculous ability. By having cultivated the supports for miraculous ability, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, connect beings with the four supports for miraculous ability.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the five faculties, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the five faculties. By having cultivated the faculties, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, connect beings with the five faculties.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the five powers, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the five powers. By having cultivated the powers, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, connect beings with the five powers.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the seven branches of enlightenment, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the seven branches of enlightenment. By having cultivated the branches of enlightenment, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, connect beings with the seven branches of enlightenment.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the noble eightfold path, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the noble eightfold path. By having cultivated the noble eightfold path, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of generosity, connect beings with the noble eightfold path.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the four applications of mindfulness, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the four applications of mindfulness. By having cultivated these applications of mindfulness they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, connect beings with the four applications of mindfulness.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the four correct exertions, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the four correct exertions. By having cultivated these correct exertions, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, connect beings with the four correct exertions.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the four supports for miraculous ability, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, Subhūti here, bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the four supports for miraculous ability. By having cultivated the supports for miraculous ability, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, connect beings with the four supports for miraculous ability.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the five faculties, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the five faculties. By having cultivated the faculties, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, connect beings with the five faculties.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the five powers, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the five powers. By having cultivated the powers, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, connect beings with the five powers.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the seven branches of enlightenment, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the seven branches of enlightenment. By having cultivated the branches of enlightenment, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, connect beings with the seven branches of enlightenment.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the noble eightfold path, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the noble eightfold path. By having cultivated the noble eightfold path, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of ethical discipline, connect beings with the noble eightfold path.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the four applications of mindfulness, while abiding in the perfection of tolerance, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the four applications of mindfulness. By having cultivated these applications of mindfulness, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of tolerance, connect beings with the four applications of mindfulness.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the four correct exertions, while abiding in the perfection of tolerance, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the four correct exertions. By having cultivated these correct exertions, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of tolerance, connect beings with the four correct exertions.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the four supports for miraculous ability, while abiding in the perfection of tolerance, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the four supports for miraculous ability. By having cultivated the supports for miraculous ability, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of tolerance, connect beings with the four supports for miraculous ability.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the five faculties, while abiding in the perfection of tolerance, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the five faculties. By having cultivated the faculties, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of tolerance, connect beings with the five faculties.
“Subhūti, if you ask how bodhisattva great beings connect beings with the five powers, while abiding in the perfection of tolerance, Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings provide resources to beings, and the beings who are assisted by these resources cultivate the five powers. By having cultivated the powers, they are released from saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings, while abiding in the perfection of tolerance, connect beings with the five powers.