Chapter 2: Production of the Thought

2.1When the Lord understood that the world with its celestial beings, Māras and Brahmās, śramaṇas and brahmins, gods and humans, as well as bodhisattvas, most of them in youthful form, had assembled, he said to venerable Śāriputra, “Here, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to all dharmas in all forms should make an effort at the perfection of wisdom.”

2.2The Lord having spoken thus, venerable Śāriputra inquired of him, “How then, Lord, [F.11.b] should bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to all dharmas in all forms make an effort at the perfection of wisdom?”

2.3Venerable Śāriputra having thus inquired, the Lord said to him, “Śāriputra, here bodhisattva great beings, having stood in the perfection of wisdom by way of not taking their stand on it, should complete the perfection of giving by way of not giving up anything, because a gift, a giver, and a recipient are not apprehended. They should also complete the perfection of morality because no downfall is incurred and no compounded downfall is incurred, the perfection of patience because there is no disturbance, the perfection of perseverance because there is no physical or mental effort expended, the perfection of concentration because there is no experience, and the perfection of wisdom because all phenomena are not apprehended.

2.4“Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings, having stood in the perfection of wisdom, should perfect the four applications of mindfulness because mindfulness cannot be apprehended, and they should perfect the four right efforts, four legs of miraculous power, five faculties, five powers, seven limbs of awakening, and eightfold noble path. They should cultivate the emptiness meditative stabilization, signlessness meditative stabilization, and wishlessness meditative stabilization. They should cultivate the four concentrations, four immeasurables, four formless absorptions, eight deliverances, nine serial absorptions, [F.12.a] and nine perceptions. What are the nine? The nine perceptions are the perception of a bloated corpse, the perception of it chopped in half, the perception of it as putrid, the bloodied perception, the black-and-blue perception, the savaged perception, the torn-asunder perception, the bones perception, and the burnt-bones perception. They should cultivate mindfulness of the Buddha, mindfulness of the Dharma, mindfulness of the Saṅgha, mindfulness of morality, mindfulness of giving away, and mindfulness of the gods. They should cultivate mindfulness of breathing in and out, mindfulness of disgust, mindfulness of death, and mindfulness of what is included in the body. They should perfect the perception of impermanence, the perception of suffering, the perception of selflessness, the perception of the unclean, the perception of death, the perception that there is no delight in the entire world, and the perception that there is nothing to trust in the entire world; knowledge of suffering, knowledge of origination, knowledge of cessation, knowledge of the path, knowledge of extinction, knowledge of nonproduction, knowledge of dharma, subsequent realization knowledge, conventional knowledge, knowledge of mastery, and knowledge in accord with sound; and meditative stabilization with applied and sustained thought, meditative stabilization without applied thought but with sustained thought, meditative stabilization without either applied or sustained thought, what one does not understand, the faculty of understanding, the faculty of having understood, the stations of mastery, the stations of complete immersion, the four ways of gathering a retinue, the four presentations, the ten levels and ten practices, the ten forbearances, [F.12.b] the twenty surpassing aspirations, the knowledge of a knower of all, the knowledge of calm abiding and insight, the three knowledges, the four detailed and thorough knowledges, the four fearlessnesses, the five undiminished clairvoyances, the six perfections, the six principles of being liked, the seven riches, the eight ways great persons think, the nine places beings live, the ten tathāgata powers, the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, great love, and great compassion.

2.5“Bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to the knowledge, furnished with the best of all aspects, of a knower of all aspects, who want to perfect the knowledge of all path aspects, who want to perfect all-knowledge, and who want to perfect the knowledge of the aspects of the thought activity of all beings should make an effort at the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to destroy all residual impressions, connections, and afflictions should make an effort at the perfection of wisdom.

“Śāriputra, thus should bodhisattva great beings train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.6“Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to enter into the secure state of a bodhisattva, who want to pass beyond the level of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, who want to stand on the irreversible level, who want to know the activity and continual movement of the thoughts of all beings, who want to surpass the knowledge of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, who want to acquire the dhāraṇī gateways, and who want to surpass gift-giving to all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas by producing a single thought with associated rejoicing [F.13.a] should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to surpass the morality of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas by producing a single thought with associated rejoicing should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to surpass the meditative stabilization, wisdom, liberation, and knowledge and seeing of liberation of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas by producing a single thought with associated rejoicing should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to surpass the concentrations, meditative stabilizations, and absorptions of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas by producing a single thought with associated rejoicing should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.7“Bodhisattva great beings who, for the sake of all beings, want giving even a little gift to become immeasurable and incalculable by turning it over to all-knowledge with skillful means should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, bodhisattva great beings who, for the sake of all beings, want even the little morality they have guarded, the little patience they have developed, the little effort they have exerted, the little concentration they have become absorbed in, and the little wisdom they have developed to become immeasurable and incalculable by turning them over to all-knowledge with skillful means should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.8“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings [F.13.b] practicing the perfection of giving should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of morality, the perfection of patience, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of concentration, and the perfection of wisdom should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.9“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to thoroughly establish a buddha’s body should train in the perfection of wisdom. If they want to acquire the thirty-two major marks and the eighty minor signs of a great person, they should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.10“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to be born in the buddha’s line should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to step onto the heir apparent’s level, and want never to be without the buddhas and bodhisattvas, should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.11“Moreover, Śāriputra, were bodhisattva great beings to feel this longing‍—‘May I be richly endowed with the wholesome roots with which I will respect, revere, honor, and worship the tathāgatas, the worthy ones, the perfectly complete lord buddhas’‍—they should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.12“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to satisfy all the desires of all beings with requirements such as food, drink, flowers, perfume, garments, flower garlands, incense, powders, creams, bedding, seats, houses, money, grain, medicines for relief of sickness, ornaments, jewels, gems, beryl, conch shells, crystals, [F.14.a] corals, parks, and kingdoms should train in the perfection of wisdom. Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to establish all beings in a world as vast as the dharma-constituent and as far reaching as the space element in the perfection of giving, and who want to establish them in the perfection of morality, the perfection of patience, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of concentration, and the perfection of wisdom, should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.13“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to make a single wholesome thought of awakening inexhaustible until reaching complete awakening at the site of awakening should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.14“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who think, ‘May the buddhas in the ten directions praise me,’ should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.15“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want, [F.14.b] through a single production of the thought, to approach as many world systems in the eastern direction as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, bodhisattva great beings who want, through a single production of the thought, to approach as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River in each of the southern, western, northern, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, and northwestern directions, and below and above, should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.16“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want by uttering a single sound to instruct as many world systems in the eastern direction as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, bodhisattva great beings who want by uttering a single sound to instruct as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River in each of the southern, western, northern, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, and northwestern directions, and below and above, should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.17“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to ensure that the line of buddhas will be unbroken should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.18“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to stand in inner emptiness should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, bodhisattva great beings who want to stand in outer emptiness, inner and outer emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate reality, the emptiness of the compounded, the emptiness of the uncompounded, the emptiness of what transcends limits, the emptiness of no beginning and no end, the emptiness of nonrepudiation, the emptiness of a basic nature, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of its own mark, the emptiness of not apprehending, the emptiness of a nonexistent thing, the emptiness of an intrinsic nature, and the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.19“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend the suchness of all dharmas, the suchness of the dharma-constituent, and the suchness of the very limit of reality should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.20“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to know how many tiny particles of earth there are in the great billionfold world system; who want to know the tiny particles of water [F.15.a] in the oceans, torrents, lakes, ponds, wells, and rivulets; who want to know the tiny particles of fire; and who want to know the tiny particles of wind in all the world systems in the great billionfold world system should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.21“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to blow out with one puff of breath the fire in the great billionfold world system when the eon is burning up should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.22“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to blunt with the tip of one finger the force of the whirling, shaking circle of wind as it is circulating in the great billionfold world system, rocking, scattering, and pervasively shaking every mountain and the entire earth starting with the axial mountain Sumeru, the great Sumeru, the encircling mountain ranges, and the great encircling mountain ranges should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.23“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings thinking, ‘I should toss immeasurable world systems by bundling up every mountain there is in the great billionfold world system‍—the axial mountain Sumeru, the great Sumeru, the encircling mountain ranges, the great encircling mountain ranges, and so on‍—with a single strand of hair,’ should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.24“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want their single cross-legged posture to expand into and fill up the space of the great billionfold world system in its entirety should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.25“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings [F.15.b] who want with a single begging bowl to distribute food to each of the lord buddhas, together with their śrāvaka saṅghas, in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River to the east should train in the perfection of wisdom; and similarly, bodhisattva great beings who want to respect, want to revere, want to honor, and want to worship those tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas with clouds of flowers, incense, perfumes, garlands of flowers, creams, aromatic powders, clothes, parasols, flags, and banners should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, bodhisattva great beings who want with a single alms bowl to distribute food to each of the lord buddhas, together with their śrāvaka saṅghas, in each of as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River to the south, west, and north, in the intermediate directions to the northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest, and below and above, and similarly want to respect, want to revere, want to honor, and want to worship with clouds of flowers, incense, perfumes, garlands of flowers, creams, aromatic powders, clothes, parasols, flags, and streamers those tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas should train in the perfection of wisdom. [B2]

2.26“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to establish beings in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River to the east in the aggregate of morality; who want to establish them in [F.16.a] the aggregate of meditative stabilization, in the aggregate of wisdom, in the aggregate of liberation, and in the aggregate of knowledge and seeing of liberation; and similarly want to establish them in the result of stream enterer, once-returner, and non-returner, in the state of a worthy one, in a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, up to in the element of nirvāṇa without any aggregates left behind should train in the perfection of wisdom. As with the east, also connect this with as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River in the south, west, and north, in the intermediate directions to the northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest, and below and above.

2.27“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should know, when giving a gift, that having given such a gift there is a great result: having given such a gift, they will be born in great sāla tree–like royal families, and similarly in great sāla tree–like brahmin families, and in great sāla tree–like business families; having given such a gift they will be born among the Cāturmahā­rājika gods, and similarly, born among the gods of Trāyastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, and Nirmāṇarati; having given such a gift, they will reach the first concentration, and similarly reach the second concentration and the third concentration; having given such a gift they will reach the fourth concentration; having given such a gift they will reach the station of the nonperception absorption; having given such a gift they will reach [F.16.b] the station of the endless-space absorption, and similarly, having given such a gift, they will reach the station of endless consciousness and the station of the nothing-at-all absorption; having given such a gift they will reach the station of the neither perception nor nonperception absorption; and having given such a gift they will acquire the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, and similarly they will reach the result of stream enterer, and reach the result of once-returner, the result of non-returner, and the state of a worthy one.

2.28“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should know that a gift thus given with skillful means completes the perfection of giving, and similarly completes the perfection of morality, the perfection of patience, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of concentration, and the perfection of wisdom.”

2.29The Lord having spoken thus, venerable Śāriputra then inquired of him, “How, Lord, does the perfection of giving become complete when bodhisattva great beings are giving a gift? How do the perfection of morality, the perfection of patience, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of concentration, and the perfection of wisdom become complete when bodhisattva great beings are giving a gift?”

2.30Venerable Śāriputra having thus inquired, the Lord said to him, “Śāriputra, the perfection of giving is completed by way of the purity of the three spheres, not apprehending a gift, giver, or recipient; the perfection of morality is completed because no downfall is incurred and no compounded downfall is incurred; [F.17.a] the perfection of patience is completed because of not being disturbed; the perfection of perseverance is completed because of not expending physical or mental effort; the perfection of concentration is completed because of not being distracted and not constructing any ideas; and the perfection of wisdom is completed by way of not apprehending the knowledge of all dharmas. Thus, Śāriputra, when bodhisattvas give a gift like that, the six perfections are completed. Similarly all six perfections are completed in the perfection of morality, and similarly all six perfections are completed in the perfection of patience, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of concentration, and the perfection of wisdom.

2.31“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to acquire all the buddha qualities of the past, future, and present lord buddhas should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.32“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to transcend all compounded and uncompounded phenomena should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.33“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend the suchness of all past, future, and present dharmas, and similarly, who want to reach the dharma-constituent, the limit of the absence of production, should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.34“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to be foremost among śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas [F.17.b] should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.35“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to be attendants of the lord buddhas should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.36“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to be in the inner circle of the lord buddhas should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.37“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to be in the inner retinue of the lord buddhas should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.38“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to have a large retinue should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.39“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to purify a donation should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.40“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to stop miserly thoughts should train in the perfection of wisdom, and similarly, those who want to prevent immoral thoughts from arising, who want to prevent malicious thoughts from arising, who want to quit having lazy thoughts, who want to quit having distracted thoughts, and who want to quit having confused thoughts should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.41“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to establish all beings in the bases of meritorious action arisen from giving, and who want to establish all beings in the bases of meritorious action arisen from morality, arisen from meditation, that accompany service, and arisen from material things should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.42“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to produce the five eyes should train in the perfection of wisdom. And what are the five eyes? They are [F.18.a] the flesh eye, divine eye, wisdom eye, dharma eye, and buddha eye. If they want to produce them, they should train in the perfection of wisdom. Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to see with their divine eye as many buddhas and lords as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River to the east should train in the perfection of wisdom, and similarly, if they want to see with their divine eye as many buddhas and lords as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River in the south, west, and north, in the intermediate directions to the northeast, southeast, southwest and northwest, and below and above they should train in the perfection of wisdom. If they want to hear with their divine ear the doctrine those buddhas and lords explain they should train in the perfection of wisdom, and if they want to comprehend with their mind the thought of those buddhas and lords exactly as it is they should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.43“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to hear the entire doctrine that the lord buddhas in all world systems in all ten directions explain, and having heard it take it up perfectly by applying the power of memory uninterruptedly, and who do not want any to be lost up until they awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.44“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to see the buddhafields of past buddhas and lords, and of future buddhas and lords as well, and who want to see the buddhafields of present buddhas and lords now dwelling and maintaining themselves [F.18.b] in world systems in all ten directions should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.45“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to master all that the tathāgatas have taught in discourses , melodious narrations, predictions, verses , summaries , introductions , accounts , birth stories, expanded texts, marvels, tales, and expositions , and what has not been heard by śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas, should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.46“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to take up all that the lord buddhas in the eastern direction have said, are saying, and will say, who want to bear it in mind, who want to read it aloud, and similarly who want to practice it and want to elaborate upon it in detail for others, should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, if they want to take up all that the lord buddhas in the southern, western, northern, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, and northwestern directions, below and above, have said, are saying, and will say, want to bear it in mind, want to read it aloud, and similarly want to practice it and want to elaborate upon it in detail for others, they should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.47“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to shine down on the blinding darkness where the sun and moon do not shine, [F.19.a] in as many world systems in the eastern direction as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River, should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, if they want to shine light down on the blinding darkness where the sun and moon do not shine, in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River in the southern, western, northern, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, and northwestern directions, below and above, they should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.48“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to proclaim to all the beings born in various buddhafields in as many world systems in the eastern direction as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River the word Buddha, the word Dharma , and the word Saṅgha , and who want to establish them in right view, should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, bodhisattva great beings who want to proclaim the words Buddha, Dharma , and Saṅgha and establish in right view beings in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River in the southern, western, northern, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, and northwestern directions, below and above, where there is no sound of the words Buddha, Dharma , Saṅgha , or right view, should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.49“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want beings who are blind, in as many world systems in the eastern direction as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River, to see shapes with their eyes through their might should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, [F.19.b] thinking, ‘May those who are deaf hear sounds with their ears, those who have gone mad regain their senses, the naked be clothed, hungry beings have their fill, the thirsty quench their thirst, beings who are stuck in terrible forms of life be freed from all the terrible forms of life and gain birth as humans, and may I establish the immoral in the aggregate of morality’; and similarly, thinking, ‘May I establish those who are not stabilized in meditation in the aggregate of meditative stabilization, in the aggregate of wisdom, in the aggregate of liberation, and in the aggregate of knowledge and seeing of liberation’; and thinking, ‘May I establish those who do not see the truths in the result of stream enterer’; and thinking, ‘May I establish them in the result of once-returner, the result of non-returner, the state of a worthy one, in a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, and in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening,’ they should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.50“Similarly, bodhisattva great beings who want beings who are blind, in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River in the southern, western, northern, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, and northwestern directions, below and above, to see shapes with their eyes through their might should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, thinking, ‘May those who are deaf hear sounds with their ears, those who have gone mad regain their senses, the naked be clothed, hungry beings have their fill, the thirsty quench their thirst, beings who are stuck in terrible forms of life be freed from all the terrible forms of life and gain birth as humans, and may I establish the immoral in the aggregate of morality’; and similarly, thinking, ‘May I establish those who are not stabilized in meditation in the aggregate of meditative stabilization, [F.20.a] in the aggregate of wisdom, in the aggregate of liberation, and in the aggregate of knowledge and seeing of liberation’; and thinking, ‘May I establish those who do not see the truths in the result of stream enterer’; and thinking, ‘May I establish them in the result of once-returner, the result of non-returner, the state of a worthy one, in a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, and in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening,’ they should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.51“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to train in the tathāgatas’ way of carrying themselves should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.52“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should contemplate like this: ‘When, oh when, will I look down as an elephant looks? How will it come to be that I will walk on the earth without my feet touching it by the measure of four fingers?’ Thinking thus, they should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.53“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should contemplate like this as well: ‘How will it come to be that I, surrounded by and at the head of many hundred thousand one hundred million billion Cāturmahā­rājika gods, and Trāyastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, Para­nirmita­vaśa­vartin, Brahmapurohita, Brahmakāyika, Brahmapārṣadya, Parīttābha, Apramāṇābha, Ābhāsvara, Parīttaśubha, Apramāṇaśubha, Śubhakṛtsna, Bṛhatphala, Śuddhāvāsa, Sudṛśa, Sudarśana, Avṛha, Atapa, and Akaniṣṭha gods, go forth to the site of awakening?’ Thinking thus, they should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.54“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should contemplate like this as well: ‘How will it come to be that the Cāturmahā­rājika gods, up to the Akaniṣṭha class, spread out my seat at the root of the tree at the site of awakening?’ Thinking thus, they should train in the perfection of wisdom. [F.20.b]

2.55“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should contemplate like this as well: ‘How will it come to be that this region of the earth on which I will fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, and walk, stand, sit, or lie down, become all diamond?’ Thinking thus, they should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.56“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should contemplate like this as well: ‘How will it come to be that on that very day that I go forth I will fully awaken, on that very day, to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, and, having fully awakened on that very day, that I will turn the wheel of the Dharma so that, having turned it, dust-free and stainless, the Dharma eye of countless beings beyond measure will become clear about the dharmas, countless beings beyond measure will stop appropriating anything and their minds will become freed from outflows, and countless beings beyond measure will not turn back from unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening?’ Thinking thus, they should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.57“Moreover, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should contemplate like this as well: ‘How will I come to have a community of countless śrāvakas beyond measure? How through my one single teaching of the Dharma will countless beings beyond measure [F.21.a] become worthy ones in one sitting, become bodhisattvas in one sitting, become bodhisattvas who will not turn back from unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening? How will I come to have an infinite community of bodhisattvas, a measure of life that is infinite, and infinite splendid light?’ Thinking thus, they should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.58“Bodhisattva great beings thinking, ‘How will there come to be not even the sound of the words greed , hatred , and confusion in any way at all in that buddhafield where I fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening?’ should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.59“Bodhisattva great beings thinking, ‘How will all beings in that buddhafield where I fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening come to be endowed with the form of wisdom that knows “giving is good, discipline is good, restraint is good, celibacy is good, nonviolence toward all creatures and spirits is good”?; bodhisattva great beings thinking, ‘After I have passed into complete nirvāṇa, how will it come to be that there are not even the words disappearance of the good Dharma ?’; bodhisattva great beings thinking, ‘How will it come to be that just from hearing my name beings present in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River become assured of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening?’‍—they should train in the perfection of wisdom.

2.60“Śāriputra, at the time a bodhisattva great being practicing the perfection of wisdom produces these good qualities, then the Four Mahārājas [F.21.b] present in the great billionfold world system are enraptured and think as follows: ‘Just as the Four Mahārājas of yore presented begging bowls to the tathāgatas, the worthy ones, the perfectly complete buddhas of yore, we too will present four begging bowls to this bodhisattva, this great being.’ The Trāyastriṃśa gods, along with the Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, and Para­nirmita­vaśa­vartin gods, are enraptured as well and think, ‘With this the hosts of asuras will decline and the hosts of gods will flourish, so we will make attendants available for this bodhisattva, this great being.’ And the gods in the great billionfold world system, from the Mahābrahmās and Brahmakāyika, and all the Brahmās up to Akaniṣṭha, are enraptured and think, ‘We will request this bodhisattva, this great being, awakened to complete awakening, to turn the wheel of the Dharma.’

2.61“Moreover, Śāriputra, at the time a bodhisattva great being practicing the perfection of wisdom prospers with the six perfections, the sons and daughters of good families are enraptured as well and think, ‘Let us become the mother and father, wife, son, friend, kinsman, and blood relative of that great being.’ The Four Māhārājas and the Trāyastriṃśa gods, as well as the gods up to the Akaniṣṭha gods, are enraptured and think, ‘In order to [F.22.a] definitely join beings to awakening the bodhisattva great being is celibate, not conjoined with the qualities that fetter.’ They make the prayer, ‘Starting from when I first produce the thought of awakening, I will be celibate, I will not be noncelibate. And why? Because pursuing sense objects becomes a block even to birth in the world of Brahmā, so it goes without saying it is a block to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Therefore, having gone forth to homelessness, I will fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening just as a celibate person, not as a noncelibate person.’ Hence, they shun sexual intercourse.”

2.62The Lord having spoken thus, venerable Śāriputra then asked him, “Lord, do bodhisattva great beings definitely have to be with parents, wives, sons, friends, kinsmen, and blood relatives?”

2.63Venerable Śāriputra having asked this, the Lord said to him, “Śāriputra, some bodhisattva great beings definitely come with parents, a wife, and sons. Some bodhisattva great beings embrace celibacy starting from when they first produce the thought of awakening, always remaining unmarried persons practicing the bodhisattva practices until they fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Some bodhisattva great beings, through skillful means, in order to bring beings to maturity, make use of the five sorts of sense objects and then go forth [F.22.b] from the harem and fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Śāriputra, some bodhisattva great beings gain a standing in the deep perfection of wisdom and, separated from the desire realm afflictions, in order to bring beings to maturity, make a show of taking to the five sorts of sense objects, but they do not make use of them. To illustrate, Śāriputra, a clever, well-trained magician or magician’s apprentice with knowledge of magic spells and magic performance conjures up the five sorts of sense objects and makes a show of themselves dallying with, enjoying, and acting gratified by the five sorts of sense objects. What do you think, Śāriputra, does that magician or magician’s apprentice make use of those five sorts of sense objects?”

“No, Lord,” Śāriputra replied.

2.64“Similarly, Śāriputra,” said the Lord, “bodhisattva great beings, through skillful means, make use of those five sorts of sense objects in order to bring beings to maturity, and still those bodhisattva great beings are not contaminated by those sense objects. Alternatively, bodhisattva great beings speak disparagingly of sense objects: ‘Sense objects are ablaze, disgusting, murderous, and against you.’ So, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings take to these sorts of sense objects in order to bring beings to maturity.”

2.65This was the second chapter, “Production of the Thought,” of “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines.”