“Moreover, Subhūti, the perception of physical forms is a negativity, the perception of feelings is a negativity, the perception of perceptions is a negativity, the perception of formative predispositions is a negativity, and the perception of consciousness is a negativity; the perception of the eyes is a negativity, the perception of the ears is a negativity, the perception of the nose is a negativity, the perception of the tongue is a negativity, the perception of the body is a negativity, and the perception of the mental faculty is a negativity; the perception of sights is a negativity, the perception of sounds is a negativity, the perception of odors is a negativity, the perception of tastes is a negativity, the perception of tangibles is a negativity, and the perception of mental phenomena is a negativity; the perception of visual consciousness is a negativity, the perception of auditory consciousness is a negativity, the perception of olfactory consciousness is a negativity, the perception of gustatory consciousness is a negativity, the perception of tactile consciousness is a negativity, and the perception of mental consciousness is a negativity; the perception of visually compounded sensory contact is a negativity, the perception of aurally compounded sensory contact is a negativity, the perception of nasally compounded sensory contact is a negativity, the perception of lingually compounded sensory contact is a negativity, the perception of corporeally compounded sensory contact is a negativity, and the perception of mentally compounded sensory contact is a negativity; the perception of feelings conditioned by visually compounded sensory contact is a negativity, the perception of feelings conditioned by aurally compounded sensory contact is a negativity, the perception of feelings conditioned by nasally compounded sensory contact is a negativity, the perception of feelings conditioned by lingually compounded sensory contact is a negativity, the perception of feelings conditioned by corporeally compounded sensory contact is a negativity, and the perception of feelings conditioned by mentally compounded sensory contact is a negativity; the perception of the earth element is a negativity, the perception of the water element is a negativity, the perception of the fire element is a negativity, the perception of the wind element is a negativity, the perception of the space element is a negativity, and the perception of the consciousness element is a negativity; the perception of ignorance is a negativity, the perception of formative predispositions is a negativity, the perception of consciousness is a negativity, the perception of name and form is a negativity, the perception of the six sense fields is a negativity, the perception of sensory contact is a negativity, the perception of sensation is a negativity, the perception of craving is a negativity, the perception of grasping is a negativity, the perception of the rebirth process is a negativity, the perception of birth is a negativity, and the perception of aging and death is a negativity. The perception of women is a negativity and the perception of men is a negativity. The perception of the realm of desire is a negativity, the perception of the realm of form is a negativity, and the perception of the realm of formlessness is a negativity. The perception of virtue is a negativity and the perception of nonvirtue is a negativity, the perception of the mundane is a negativity and the perception of the supramundane is a negativity, the perception of the contaminated is a negativity and the perception of the uncontaminated is a negativity, and the perception of conditioned phenomena is a negativity and the perception of unconditioned phenomena is a negativity.
“These, Subhūti, are a bodhisattva’s negativities of body, negativities of speech, and negativities of mind.
“When bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, having abandoned all those negativities, they themselves are generous with gifts and they encourage others to be generous. They are generous with food to those who need food, drink to those who need drink, clothing to those who need clothing, vehicles to those who need vehicles, bedding to those who need bedding, flowers to those who need flowers, incense to those who need incense, perfume to those who need perfume, garlands to those who need garlands, unguents to those who need unguents, lodging to those who need lodging, and with wealth, grain, jewels, pearls, beryl, conch, crystal, coral, gold, and silver, to those who need wealth, grain, jewels, pearls, beryl, conch, crystal, coral, gold, and silver. They are generous with the basic human necessities, up to any resources whatsoever, to those who need them. Furthermore, they encourage others toward, and secure them in, being generous with the basic human necessities, up to any resources whatsoever. Making common cause with all beings, they dedicate all their roots of virtue, as many as there are, so that a buddhafield might be refined. They themselves maintain ethical discipline and they also encourage others to maintain ethical discipline. They themselves cultivate tolerance and they also encourage others toward tolerance. They themselves undertake perseverance and they also encourage others toward perseverance. They themselves become absorbed in meditative concentration and they also encourage others toward becoming absorbed in meditative concentration. They themselves cultivate wisdom and they also encourage others toward wisdom; they cause others to enter there, and they train them and secure them there. Making common cause with all beings, they dedicate these roots of virtue so that a buddhafield might be refined. They fill the billionfold world system with the seven precious things; set their mind, thinking, ‘Through this root of virtue, may this buddhafield of mine be fashioned of the seven precious things’; and offer it to the Three Precious Jewels.
“Moreover, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings play divine instruments in the presence of the buddhas or near the caityas of the buddhas. They set their mind, thinking, ‘Through this root of virtue, may divine pleasant sounds always arise, without interruption, in this buddhafield of mine.’
“Moreover, Subhūti, having filled the billionfold world system with divine perfumes, they worship the buddhas or the caityas of the buddhas. They set their mind, thinking, ‘Through this root of virtue, may the fragrance of divine perfume always arise, without interruption, in this buddhafield of mine.’
“Moreover, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings make offerings of food with a hundred flavors to the tathāgatas or to the śrāvakas of the tathāgatas. They set their mind, thinking, ‘Through this root of virtue, in this buddhafield of mine where I have fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment along with my community of śrāvakas, may food1376 with a hundred flavors materialize.’
“Moreover, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings make offerings of divine unguents to the tathāgatas or to the caityas of the tathāgatas. They set their mind, thinking, ‘Through this root of virtue, may all beings of this buddhafield where I fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment possess divine feelings.’
“Moreover, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings think, ‘May I present and offer to the lord buddhas, to the śrāvakas, and to all beings pleasant sights, sounds, odors, tastes, and tangibles simply through bringing them to mind.’ When they have such thoughts, they set their mind and think, ‘Through this root of virtue, in this buddhafield of mine, too, where I fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, along with the community of śrāvakas and all beings, may pleasant sights, sounds, odors, tastes, and tangibles materialize simply through bringing them to mind.’
“Moreover, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they think, ‘I myself should straight away1377 become absorbed in the first meditative concentration, and I should also establish all beings in the first meditative concentration. I myself should straight away become absorbed in the second meditative concentration, and I should also establish all beings in the second meditative concentration. I myself should straight away become absorbed in the third meditative concentration, and I should also establish all beings in the third meditative concentration. I myself should straight away become absorbed in the fourth meditative concentration, and I should also establish all beings in the fourth meditative concentration. I myself should straight away become absorbed in loving kindness, and I should also establish all beings in loving kindness. I myself should straight away become absorbed in compassion, and I should also establish all beings in compassion. I myself should straight away become absorbed in empathetic joy, and I should also establish all beings in empathetic joy. I myself should straight away become absorbed in equanimity, and I should also establish all beings in equanimity. I myself should become absorbed in the meditative absorption of the sphere of infinite space, and I should also establish all beings in the sphere of infinite space. I myself should straight away become absorbed in the meditative absorption of the sphere of infinite consciousness, and I should also establish all beings in the sphere of infinite consciousness. I myself should straight away become absorbed in the meditative absorption of the sphere of nothing-at-all, and I should also establish all beings in the sphere of nothing-at-all. I myself should straight away become absorbed in the meditative absorption of the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception, and I should also establish all beings in the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception. I myself should straight away cultivate the applications of mindfulness, and I should also establish all beings in the applications of mindfulness. I myself should straight away cultivate the correct exertions, and I should also establish all beings in the correct exertions. I myself should straight away cultivate the supports for miraculous ability, and I should also establish all beings in the supports for miraculous ability. I myself should straight away cultivate the faculties, and I should also establish all beings in the faculties. I myself should straight away cultivate the powers, and I should also establish all beings in the powers. I myself should straight away cultivate the branches of enlightenment, and I should also establish all beings in the branches of enlightenment. I myself should straight away cultivate the noble eightfold path, and I should also establish all beings in the noble eightfold path. I myself should straight away cultivate the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways of liberation, and I should also establish all beings in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways of liberation.’
“When they think like that, they set their mind, thinking, ‘Through these roots of virtue, may all beings in this buddhafield where I fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment not be separated from the four meditative concentrations, not be separated from the four immeasurable attitudes, not be separated from the four formless absorptions, and not be separated from the thirty-seven factors conducive to enlightenment or the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation.’
“Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner, they refine a buddhafield. They will not fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment until all those intentions have been fulfilled, which is to say, that they themselves possess all the roots of virtue, and all those beings possess the roots of virtue too. They cause all those beings to possess roots of virtue. Their own body will be beautiful1378 and the beings who have been brought to maturity by those bodhisattva great beings, because they are assisted by merit, will also manifest a form that is excellent and beautiful, a form that is pleasing to the mind. In that manner, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings purify a buddhafield.
“They refine a buddhafield in such a way that, of course, there will not be even the name designating the three lower realms; there will not be even the name designating false views; there will not be even the name designating desire, hatred, or delusion; there will not be even the name designating female or male; there will not be even the name designating the two vehicles; there will not be even the name designating impermanence, suffering, or nonself; there will not be even the name designating appropriation; there will not be even the name designating grasping at ‘I’ and ‘mine’; there will not be even the name designating latent impulses or obsessions; there will not be even the name designating error; and there will not be even the name designating the fruits. Besides that, they refine a buddhafield such that emerging from the rustling of trees by the wind and from external and internal objects, in accordance with the desire of those beings, is the sound of ‘emptiness,’ the sound of ‘signlessness,’ the sound of ‘wishlessness,’ the sound of ‘nonarising and nonceasing,’ the sound of ‘all phenomena are devoid of essential nature,’ and the sound of ‘all phenomena are empty of all phenomena.’ Whether they are walking, whether they are standing, whether they are sitting, or whether they are lying down, always, day and night, the teaching of the Dharma issues forth, without interruption, with the sound of ‘The essential nature of all those phenomena, as it really is, is the absence of essential nature,’ and ‘Whether the tathāgatas appear or whether the tathāgatas do not appear, all phenomena are empty of all phenomena. That which is empty is signless, and that which is signless is wishless.’
“All the lord buddhas residing in the world systems of the ten directions, as many as there are, speak in praise of those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas, once they have fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment in such a buddhafield, and all the beings who hear the name of these tathāgatas become certain to attain unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. And when these tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas teach the Dharma, no beings will hesitate, wondering whether this is the Dharma, or whether this is not the Dharma. If you ask why, it is because in the reality of phenomena as it pertains to all phenomena, there is no phenomenon at all that is not the Dharma. All phenomena are indeed the Dharma.
“In this regard, those beings who are overwhelmed by roots of nonvirtue, who have not generated roots of virtue in the presence of the buddhas or śrāvakas of the buddhas, who have fallen into the clutches of nonvirtuous mentors, who have sunk into the view of self, up to have sunk into all the other aspects of wrong view, and who are settled at the extreme of eternalism or nihilism, are gripped by misapprehension so that they perceive those who are not perfectly complete buddhas as perfectly complete buddhas, perceive those who are perfectly complete buddhas as not perfectly complete buddhas, say that that which is not the Dharma is the Dharma, and say that that which is the Dharma is not the Dharma. They abandon the Dharma, and having abandoned the Dharma in that manner, after their bodies are destroyed and they die, they fall to a lower realm, a terrible form of life, the degeneration of rebirth in the hells. The lord buddhas, having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, liberate beings such as those, who are embroiled in1379 saṃsāra, from those aspects of negative view, and having freed them in that manner, secure them in the category of those who are destined.1380 Those who are established there will thenceforth not fall into the lower realms.
“Subhūti, it is in this manner that bodhisattva great beings refine a buddhafield. Refined in that manner, beings do not dwell in any phenomena at all, whether mundane phenomena or supramundane phenomena, contaminated phenomena or uncontaminated phenomena, or conditioned phenomena or unconditioned phenomena, and become destined for unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment.”
This completes the sixty-seventh chapter from “The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines.”