Chapter 23: Hard to Understand

23.1Then it occurred to those gods to think, “What would the elder Subhūti accept those listening to the Dharma to be like?”

23.2Then venerable Subhūti, understanding in his mind the thoughts occurring to those gods, said to those gods, “Gods, I would accept those listening to the doctrine to be like illusory beings. I would accept those listening to the doctrine to be like magically created beings. They will not listen to, master, or directly realize anything at all.”

23.3Then those gods asked venerable Subhūti, “Venerable monk Subhūti, are beings like an illusion, and are those listening to the doctrine like an illusion? Are beings like a magical creation, and are those listening to the doctrine like a magical creation?”

23.4“Exactly so, gods, exactly so,” replied Subhūti. “Beings are like an illusion, and those listening to the doctrine are like an illusion. Beings are like a magical creation, and those listening to the doctrine are like a magical creation.

23.5“Beings, gods, are like a dream and are like an illusion. Form , too, gods, is like a dream [F.255.a] and is like an illusion. Feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness, gods, are like a dream and are like an illusion. The eyes, gods, are like a dream and are like an illusion, and similarly the ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind are like a dream and are like an illusion. A form , gods, is like a dream and is like an illusion, and a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and dharmas are like a dream and are like an illusion. Eye consciousness, eye contact, and the feeling that arises from the condition of eye contact are like a dream and are like an illusion. Similarly, ear … nose … tongue … body … and thinking-mind consciousness, thinking-mind contact, and the feeling that arises from the condition of thinking-mind contact are like a dream and are like an illusion.

23.6“The perfection of giving is like a dream and is like an illusion, and the perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom are like a dream and are like an illusion.

23.7“Inner emptiness is like a dream and is like an illusion, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature is like a dream and is like an illusion.

23.8“The applications of mindfulness too are like a dream and are like an illusion, and the right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, eightfold noble path, ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, and distinct attributes of a buddha are like a dream and are like an illusion.

23.9“The result of stream enterer [F.255.b] is also like a dream and is like an illusion, and a stream enterer is also like a dream and is like an illusion. The result of once-returner and a once-returner, the result of non-returner and a non-returner, and the state of a worthy one and a worthy one are also like a dream and are like an illusion. A pratyekabuddha’s awakening is also like a dream and is like an illusion, and a pratyekabuddha is also like a dream and is like an illusion. Unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening is also like a dream and is like an illusion, and buddhahood is also like a dream and is like an illusion.”

23.10Then those gods asked venerable Subhūti, “Venerable monk Subhūti, is even buddhahood like a dream, like an illusion? Is nirvāṇa like a dream and like an illusion too?”

23.11“Gods,” replied Subhūti, “I declare that even nirvāṇa is like a dream and is like an illusion, and if there is any dharma superior even to nirvāṇa, I declare that it too is like a dream and is like an illusion. And why? Gods, it is because a dream, an illusion, and nirvāṇa are not two and are not divided.”

23.12Then venerable Śāripūtra, venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, venerable Mahākauṣṭhilya, venerable Mahākātyāyana, venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra, venerable Mahākāśyapa, and many thousands of bodhisattvas inquired of the venerable monk Subhūti, “Who will be the recipients of this perfection of wisdom so deep, so hard to behold, so hard to understand, so peaceful, so sublime, so subtle, so private, [F.256.a] so not an object of speculative thought, so brilliant, so absolutely noble, and so much an object to be known by the learned and wise?”

23.13Those great śrāvakas and great bodhisattvas having thus inquired, venerable Subhūti said to them, “Venerable Ones, bodhisattva great beings irreversible from awakening will be the recipients of this perfection of wisdom so deep, so hard to behold, so hard to understand, so peaceful, so sublime, so subtle, so private, so not an object of speculative thought, so brilliant, so absolutely noble, and so much an object to be known by the learned and wise. Persons who have seen the truths, or worthy ones with outflows dried up, or those who have completed their plan, or those who have served well the victors, or those whose wholesome roots have grown under many hundred millions of buddhas, or sons and daughters of good families who have been mentored by spiritual friends also will be the recipients of this perfection of wisdom so deep, so hard to behold, so hard to understand, so peaceful, so sublime, so subtle, so private, so not an object of speculative thought, so brilliant, so absolutely noble, so much an object to be known by the learned and wise.

23.14“They will not construct the idea that form is empty, and they will not construct the idea that emptiness is form . They will not construct the idea that feeling … perception … volitional factors … and consciousness is empty, and they will not construct the idea that emptiness is consciousness. [F.256.b]

23.15“They will not construct the idea that form is signless, and they will not construct the idea that signlessness is form . They will not construct the idea that feeling … perception … volitional factors … and consciousness is signless, they will not construct the idea that signlessness is consciousness.

23.16“They will not construct the idea that form is wishless, and they will not construct the idea that wishlessness is form . They will not construct the idea that form does not arise, and they will not construct the idea that nonarising is form . They will not construct the idea that form does not stop, and they will not construct the idea that nonstopping is form . Similarly, they will not construct the idea that form is calm, is not calm, is isolated, and is not isolated.

23.17“They will not construct the idea that feeling … perception … volitional factors … and consciousness is wishless, and they will not construct the idea that wishlessness is consciousness. Similarly, they will not construct the idea that it does not arise, does not stop, is calm, or is isolated. Similarly, they will not construct the idea that the constituents, sense fields, dependent origination, perfections, dharmas on the side of awakening, inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, applications of mindfulness, right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, eightfold noble path, ten powers, four fearlessnesses, four detailed and thorough knowledges, eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, [F.257.a] meditative stabilizations, dhāraṇī gateways, and similarly, the result of stream enterer, result of once-returner, result of non-returner, state of a worthy one, or state of a pratyekabuddha are like that either.

23.18“They will not construct the idea that the knowledge of all aspects is empty, and they will not construct the idea that emptiness is the knowledge of all aspects. They will not construct the idea that the knowledge of all aspects is signless, and they will not construct the idea that signlessness is the knowledge of all aspects. They will not construct the idea that the knowledge of all aspects is wishless, and they will not construct the idea that wishlessness is the knowledge of all aspects. They will not construct the idea that the knowledge of all aspects does not arise, does not stop, is calm, or is isolated.

23.19“They will not construct the idea that the compounded element is empty, and they will not construct the idea that emptiness is the compounded element. They will not construct the idea that the compounded element is signless, [F.257.b] and they will not construct the idea that signlessness is the compounded element. They will not construct the idea that the compounded element is wishless, and they will not construct the idea that wishlessness is the compounded element. Similarly, they will not construct the idea the compounded element does not arise, does not stop, is calm, or is isolated.

23.20“They will not construct the idea that the uncompounded element is empty, and they will not construct the idea that emptiness is the uncompounded element. They will not construct the idea that the uncompounded element is signless, and they will not construct the idea that signlessness is the uncompounded element. They will not construct the idea that the uncompounded element is wishless, and they will not construct the idea that wishlessness is the uncompounded element. Similarly, they will not construct the idea the uncompounded element does not arise, does not stop, is calm, or is isolated.

23.21“Gods, in this way nobody will be a recipient of this perfection of wisdom that is so deep, so absolutely noble, so brilliant, and so much an object to be known by the learned and wise. And why? Because here no Dharma at all is pointed out, explained, or taught, and just as no Dharma at all is pointed out, explained, or taught, so too no being at all will be the recipient of it.”

23.22Then venerable Śāriputra inquired of venerable Subhūti, “Is it not the case that in this perfection of wisdom the three vehicles‍—that is, the Śrāvaka Vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and the perfect, complete Buddha Vehicle‍—are taught in detail? Is it not the case that the first production of the thought up until the tenth production of the thought are taught for the assistance of bodhisattva great beings? Is it not the case that the bodhisattva’s path is taught‍—that is, the perfection of giving, perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom; the applications of mindfulness, right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, eightfold noble path, ten powers, [F.258.a] fearlessnesses, and detailed and thorough knowledges; up to the distinct attributes of a buddha? So, is it also not the case that bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom will miraculously take birth and appear? So, is it also not the case that they will become those whose clairvoyances naturally do not decline? Is it also not the case that those kinds of wholesome roots on account of which they pass, if they want to, from buddhafield to buddhafield and respect, revere, honor, and worship those lord buddhas‍—that such wholesome roots that bring that about will flourish? Is it not the case that they will not forget the stream of the Dharma they will listen to, right up until they fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening? Is it not the case that by way of meditative absorption without distraction they will always be in meditative absorption? And is it not the case that they will become those with an unimpeded confident readiness, an unbroken confident readiness, a meditatively absorbed confident readiness, an appropriate confident readiness, a connected confident readiness, a meaningful confident readiness, and a superior confident readiness that rises above all the world?”

23.23“Exactly so, Venerable Śāriputra, exactly so,” replied Subhūti. “It is just as you say. In this perfection of wisdom the three vehicles‍—that is, the Śrāvaka Vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and the perfect, complete Buddha Vehicle‍—are taught in detail. Connect this in the same way, up to it is taught for the assistance of bodhisattva great beings that they will become those with a superior [F.258.b] confident readiness that rises above all the world. And it is taught, furthermore, by way of not apprehending anything. It is taught by way of not apprehending what? It is taught by way of not apprehending a self, up to by way of not apprehending one who knows and one who sees; by way of not apprehending form ; by way of not apprehending feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness; by way of not apprehending the eyes; by way of not apprehending the ears, nose, tongue, body, or thinking mind; by way of not apprehending the earth element, water element, fire element, wind element, space element, or consciousness element; by way of not apprehending the perfection of giving, perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, or perfection of wisdom; by way of not apprehending inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature; by way of not apprehending the applications of mindfulness, right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, or eightfold noble path; and by way of not apprehending the ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, or distinct attributes of a buddha, up to by way of not apprehending the knowledge of all aspects.”

23.24Venerable Śāriputra then asked venerable Subhūti, “In this perfection of wisdom, why are the three vehicles taught in detail by way of not apprehending anything, up to why [F.259.a] is it taught for the assistance of bodhisattva great beings that they will become those with a superior confident readiness that rises above all the world by way of not apprehending anything?”

23.25Subhūti replied, “Venerable Śāriputra, it is because of inner emptiness that the three vehicles are taught in detail by way of not apprehending anything. It is because of outer emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature that the three vehicles are taught in detail by way of not apprehending anything. Up to it is because of inner emptiness that it is taught for the assistance of bodhisattva great beings that they will become those with a superior confident readiness that rises above all the world. It is because of outer emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature that it is taught for the assistance of bodhisattva great beings that they will become those with a superior confident readiness that rises above all the world.”

23.26This was the twenty-third chapter, “Hard to Understand,” of “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines.”