The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines

Then the venerable Subhūti asked the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, if these attributes are the attributes of a bodhisattva, what are the attributes of a buddha?”

“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “you ask, ‘If these attributes are the attributes of a bodhisattva, what are the attributes of a buddha?’ Subhūti, the attributes of a buddha are those very same attributes that they fully awaken to, in all aspects. Having attained all-aspect omniscience, they abandon all the connecting propensities. Bodhisattva great beings fully awaken to them. Tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas are deemed a tathāgata because they have fully awakened to all phenomena through the wisdom endowed with the single instant. That is the distinction between the bodhisattva great beings and the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas.

“To illustrate, Subhūti, one is the candidate for, and another is the recipient of, the fruit, and yet you should not say of either of the two that ‘they are not a noble one.’¹³⁹⁸ In the same way, Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings are candidates on the unimpeded path. The tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas have attained the transcendent knowledge that is unobscured with respect to all phenomena. That, Subhūti, is the distinction between a bodhisattva great being and a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly complete buddha.”

Subhūti then asked, “Blessed Lord, if all phenomena are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics, how will these phenomena that are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics be distinguished and differentiated, saying, ‘These are denizens of the hells. These are beings born within the animal realm. These are beings of the world of Yama. These are gods. These are human beings. These are at the level of the spiritual family. These are the eighth. These have entered the stream. These are once-returners. These are non-returners. These are arhats. These are pratyekabuddhas. These are bodhisattvas. These are tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas’?

“Blessed Lord, just as those individuals cannot be apprehended, in the same way karma also cannot be apprehended. Just as karma cannot be apprehended, in the same way the maturation of karma also cannot be apprehended.”

“It is so, Subhūti, it is so,” replied the Blessed One. “It is as you have said. No karma or maturation of karma can be apprehended in all phenomena that are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics. Subhūti, those who do not know that all phenomena are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics create karma, whether it be negative conduct or positive conduct or immovable.¹³⁹⁹ Through the karma of negative conduct they fall into the three lower realms. Through the karma of positive conduct they are born as gods and as human beings. Through undamaged karma,¹⁴⁰⁰ they are born in the realm of form or the realm of formlessness.

“In this regard, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of generosity, practicing the perfection of ethical discipline, practicing the perfection of tolerance, practicing the perfection of perseverance, practicing the perfection of meditative concentration, and practicing the perfection of wisdom; practicing the emptiness of internal phenomena, practicing the emptiness of external phenomena, practicing the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, practicing the emptiness of emptiness, practicing the emptiness of great extent, practicing the emptiness of ultimate reality, practicing the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, practicing the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, practicing the emptiness of the unlimited, practicing the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end, practicing the emptiness of nonexclusion, practicing the emptiness of inherent nature, practicing the emptiness of all phenomena, practicing the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics, practicing the emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended, practicing the emptiness of nonentities, practicing the emptiness of essential nature, and practicing the emptiness of an essential nature of nonentities; practicing the applications of mindfulness, practicing the correct exertions, practicing the supports for miraculous ability, practicing the faculties, practicing the powers, practicing the branches of enlightenment, and practicing the noble eightfold path; practicing the truths of the noble ones, practicing the meditative concentrations, practicing the immeasurable attitudes, practicing the formless absorptions, practicing the liberations, practicing the serial steps of meditative absorption, practicing the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness gateways to liberation, practicing the extrasensory powers, practicing the meditative stabilities, and practicing the dhāraṇī gateways; and practicing the powers of the tathāgatas, practicing the fearlessnesses, practicing the kinds of exact knowledge, practicing great loving kindness, practicing great compassion, and practicing the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas‍—practitioners without degeneration‍—having generated the path to enlightenment, while absorbed in the vajra-like meditative stability furnished with the accompanying branches of enlightenment, fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. Having fully awakened, they act for the benefit of beings. The benefit that they have created, of course, does not later come to an end. They act for their benefit such that they do not fall into saṃsāra with its five classes of living beings.”

Subhūti asked, “Blessed Lord, having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, does the Blessed Lord see saṃsāra with its five classes of living beings?”

“No, Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One.

Subhūti asked, “Blessed Lord, do the tathāgatas apprehend phenomena that are good and bad, that are wholly good, that are wholly bad, or that are neither good nor bad?”¹⁴⁰¹

“No, Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One.

“Blessed Lord,” asked Subhūti, “if they have not apprehended them, how do they designate the hells, or the animal realm, or the world of Yama? How do they designate gods and humans? How do they designate those who have entered the stream? How do they designate once-returners? How do they designate non-returners? How do they designate arhats? How do they designate pratyekabuddhas? How do they designate bodhisattvas? And how do they designate tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly complete buddhas?”

“Subhūti, do these beings know that phenomena are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics?” asked the Blessed One.

“No,” replied Subhūti.

“Subhūti,” continued the Blessed One, “were those beings to know that ‘phenomena are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics,’ bodhisattva great beings would indeed not set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. And were they not to have set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, they would not liberate beings from the three lower realms or from the other classes of beings within saṃsāra. Subhūti, it is because beings do not know that phenomena are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics that they are not liberated from saṃsāra with its five classes of beings. For this reason, bodhisattva great beings hear from those lord buddhas that all phenomena are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics, and they set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment for the sake of beings. Since these phenomena do not exist in the way in which foolish ordinary people are fixated on them, they have imagined nonexistent and unreal phenomena to exist, and perceive nonexistent beings as beings, perceive nonexistent physical forms as physical forms, perceive nonexistent feelings as feelings, perceive nonexistent perceptions as perceptions, perceive nonexistent formative predispositions as formative predispositions, and perceive nonexistent consciousness as consciousness; perceive the nonexistent eyes as the eyes, perceive the nonexistent ears as the ears, perceive the nonexistent nose as the nose, perceive the nonexistent tongue as the tongue, perceive the nonexistent body as the body, and perceive the nonexistent mental faculty as the mental faculty; perceive nonexistent sights as sights, perceive nonexistent sounds as sounds, perceive nonexistent odors as odors, perceive nonexistent tastes as tastes, perceive nonexistent tangibles as tangibles, and perceive nonexistent mental phenomena as mental phenomena; perceive nonexistent visual consciousness as visual consciousness, perceive nonexistent auditory consciousness as auditory consciousness, perceive nonexistent olfactory consciousness as olfactory consciousness, perceive nonexistent gustatory consciousness as gustatory consciousness, perceive nonexistent tactile consciousness as tactile consciousness, and perceive nonexistent mental consciousness as mental consciousness; perceive nonexistent visually compounded sensory contact as visually compounded sensory contact, perceive nonexistent aurally compounded sensory contact as aurally compounded sensory contact, perceive nonexistent nasally compounded sensory contact as nasally compounded sensory contact, perceive nonexistent lingually compounded sensory contact as lingually compounded sensory contact, perceive nonexistent corporeally compounded sensory contact as corporeally compounded sensory contact, and perceive nonexistent mentally compounded sensory contact as mentally compounded sensory contact; perceive nonexistent feelings conditioned by visually compounded sensory contact as feelings conditioned by visually compounded sensory contact, perceive nonexistent feelings conditioned by aurally compounded sensory contact as feelings conditioned by aurally compounded sensory contact, perceive nonexistent feelings conditioned by nasally compounded sensory contact as feelings conditioned by nasally compounded sensory contact, perceive nonexistent feelings conditioned by lingually compounded sensory contact as feelings conditioned by lingually compounded sensory contact, perceive nonexistent feelings conditioned by corporeally compounded sensory contact as feelings conditioned by corporeally compounded sensory contact, and perceive nonexistent feelings conditioned by mentally compounded sensory contact as feelings conditioned by mentally compounded sensory contact; perceive the nonexistent earth element as the earth element, perceive the nonexistent water element as the water element, perceive the nonexistent fire element as the fire element, perceive the nonexistent wind element as the wind element, perceive the nonexistent space element as the space element, and perceive the nonexistent consciousness element as the consciousness element; and perceive nonexistent ignorance as ignorance, perceive nonexistent formative predispositions as formative predispositions, perceive nonexistent consciousness as consciousness, perceive nonexistent name and form as name and form, perceive the nonexistent six sense fields as the six sense fields, perceive nonexistent sensory contact as sensory contact, perceive nonexistent sensation as sensation, perceive nonexistent craving as craving, perceive nonexistent grasping as grasping, perceive the nonexistent rebirth process as the rebirth process, perceive nonexistent birth as birth, and perceive nonexistent aging and death as aging and death. They perceive nonexistent mundane phenomena as mundane phenomena, perceive nonexistent supramundane phenomena as supramundane phenomena, perceive nonexistent contaminated phenomena as contaminated phenomena, perceive nonexistent uncontaminated phenomena as uncontaminated phenomena, perceive nonexistent conditioned phenomena as conditioned phenomena, and perceive nonexistent unconditioned phenomena as unconditioned phenomena. Those whose minds are mistaken because of misconceiving nonexistents, who create the karma of body, speech, and mind, are not liberated from saṃsāra with its five classes of beings, so bodhisattva great beings gather all virtuous attributes into the perfection of wisdom, practice the conduct of a bodhisattva, and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. Having fully awakened, they liberate beings from saṃsāra with its five classes of beings.”

Subhūti then asked, “If all phenomena are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics, how do bodhisattva great beings, having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, liberate beings from saṃsāra with its five classes of beings?”

“Here, Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment, bodhisattva great beings teach, explain, present, establish, analyze, disclose, elucidate, and perfectly expound for beings suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering. In these four truths of the noble ones are included the virtuous attributes and factors conducive to enlightenment, as many as there are, through which the Three Precious Jewels‍—the precious jewel of the Buddha, the precious jewel of the Dharma, and the precious jewel of the Saṅgha‍—are established. Through their manifesting in the world, beings are liberated from saṃsāra with its five classes of beings.”

Subhūti asked, “Blessed Lord, do they pass into final nirvāṇa through knowledge of suffering, or do they pass into final nirvāṇa through suffering? Do they pass into final nirvāṇa through knowledge of the origin of suffering, or do they pass into final nirvāṇa through the origin of suffering? Do they pass into final nirvāṇa through knowledge of the cessation of suffering, or do they pass into final nirvāṇa through the cessation of suffering? Do they pass into final nirvāṇa through knowledge of the path, or do they pass into final nirvāṇa through the path?”

“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “they do not pass into final nirvāṇa through knowledge of suffering, nor do they through suffering. They do not pass into final nirvāṇa through knowledge of the origin of suffering, nor do they through the origin of suffering. They do not pass into final nirvāṇa through knowledge of the cessation of suffering, nor do they through the cessation of suffering. They do not pass into final nirvāṇa through knowledge of the path, nor do they through the path. Subhūti, I have said that the sameness of these four truths of the noble ones is nirvāṇa. They do not pass into final nirvāṇa through knowledge of suffering, nor do they through suffering. They do not pass into final nirvāṇa through knowledge of the origin of suffering, nor do they through the origin of suffering. They do not pass into final nirvāṇa through knowledge of the cessation of suffering, nor do they through the cessation of suffering. They do not pass into final nirvāṇa through knowledge of the path, nor do they through the path.”

Subhūti asked, “Blessed Lord, what is the sameness of the four truths of the noble ones, in which there is neither suffering nor knowledge of suffering, neither the origin of suffering nor knowledge of the origin of suffering, neither the cessation of suffering nor knowledge of the cessation of suffering, and neither the path nor knowledge of the path?”

The Blessed One replied, “It is the real nature, the unmistaken real nature, the one and only nature of these four truths of the noble ones, the reality of phenomena, the realm of phenomena, the abiding nature of reality, the maturity of phenomena, the very limit of reality‍—whether the tathāgatas appear or whether the tathāgatas do not appear, the realm of phenomena that remains as it is without decline and without decrease. Therefore, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner, they practice for an understanding¹⁴⁰² of the truths in the way that the truths should be understood.”

Subhūti then asked, “Blessed Lord, how, when they practice, do bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom for an understanding of the truths? When they practice, how do they understand them, and having clearly understood them, fully comprehend¹⁴⁰³ the truths and enter a bodhisattva’s full maturity without falling to the level of the śrāvakas or the level of the pratyekabuddhas?”

“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “here, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they see these phenomena without apprehending any phenomena at all. Without apprehending any phenomena, they see that all phenomena are empty, whether they are included in the truths or not included in the truths. Seeing in that manner, bodhisattva great beings who have entered their full maturity dwell on the level of the spiritual family. But those bodhisattva great beings, having come to dwell on the level of the spiritual family, do not fall from the summit, which is to say, for them there is no fall from the summit that is the fall to the level of the śrāvakas or the level of the pratyekabuddhas. Those bodhisattvas, abiding on that level of the spiritual family, enact¹⁴⁰⁴ the four meditative concentrations, enact the four immeasurable attitudes, and enact the four formless absorptions. They dwell there with special insight¹⁴⁰⁵ and cognize all phenomena. They understand the four truths. Although they comprehend suffering, they do not set the mind with suffering as its objective referent. Although they abandon the origin, they do not set the mind with the origin as its objective referent. Although they actualize the cessation, they do not set the mind with the cessation of suffering as its objective referent. Although they cultivate the path, they do not set the mind with the path as its objective referent. Rather, they see all phenomena for what they really are, with a mind that is inclined toward enlightenment.”

“Blessed Lord, what are ‘all phenomena as they really are’?” asked Subhūti.

“They are emptiness,” replied the Blessed One.

“Blessed Lord, what is emptiness?” asked Subhūti.

“It is the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics,” replied the Blessed One. “With special insight of such a kind, they see that ‘all phenomena are empty,’ but they do not see an essential nature that exists in any phenomenon‍—an essential nature such that they might dwell on it and fully awaken to enlightenment. Indeed, enlightenment is a nonentity. It has not been created by the buddhas. It has not been created by pratyekabuddhas. It has not been created by arhats. It has not been created by non-returners. It has not been created by once-returners. It has not been created by those who have entered the stream. And it has not been created by the candidates for those. This enlightenment has not been created even by bodhisattva great beings who practice it. On the contrary, it is because beings do not know and do not see things as they really are that bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom and teach the Dharma to beings through skill in means.”

This completes the sixty-ninth chapter from “The Perfection of Wisdom in One Thousand Lines.”