Chapter 46: Teaching the Intrinsic Nature of All Dharmas

46.1The Lord having said that, venerable Subhūti inquired of him, “Lord, how should bodhisattva great beings beginning the work train in the perfection of wisdom? How should they train in the perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, and perfection of giving?”

46.2“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “bodhisattva great beings beginning the work who want to train in the perfection of wisdom, and who want to train in the perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, and perfection of giving, should attend on spiritual friends who teach the perfection of wisdom. Those who want to train in … up to the perfection of giving should pursue, worship, and attend on spiritual friends who teach the perfection of giving.

46.3“They will also teach them this perfection of wisdom: ‘Come, son of a good family! Dedicate all your giving, and what you give, to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Come, son of a good family! Dedicate all your guarding of morality, your cultivation of patience, your making an effort at perseverance, your absorption [F.155.b] into concentration, and your cultivation of wisdom to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening‍—but, son of a good family, you should not form an idea of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening from form. You should not form an idea from feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness. Son of a good family, you should not form an idea of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening from the perfection of giving. You should not form such an idea from the perfection of morality, patience, perseverance, concentration, or wisdom. You should not form such an idea from inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, or from the applications of mindfulness. You should not form such an idea from the right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, or paths. You should not form such an idea from the five clairvoyances, ten tathāgata powers, four fearlessnesses, four detailed and thorough knowledges, or eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha. Son of a good family, you should not even form an idea of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening itself. You should not form an idea even of … up to the knowledge of all aspects. And why? Because when an idea of form has not been formed, up to the knowledge of all aspects is gained. When an idea of feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness has not been formed, the knowledge of all aspects is gained. When an idea of the perfection of giving, the perfection of morality, the perfection of patience, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of concentration, or the perfection of wisdom has not been formed; when an idea of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature has not been formed; when an idea of the applications of mindfulness has not been formed; [F.156.a] when an idea of right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, or path has not been formed; and when an idea of the clairvoyances, ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, or eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha has not been formed, up to the knowledge of all aspects is gained.

46.4“ ‘Son of a good family, while practicing the perfection of wisdom you should not produce a longing for form . And why? Because form is without longing. Son of a good family, you should not produce a longing for feeling … , perception…, volitional factors…, up to consciousness. And why? Because consciousness is without longing. Son of a good family, you should not produce a longing for the perfection of giving, and you should not produce a longing for the perfection of morality, patience, perseverance, or concentration. Son of a good family, you should not produce a longing for the perfection of wisdom. You should not produce a longing for inner emptiness, and you should not produce a longing for…, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. You should not produce a longing for the applications of mindfulness, and you should not produce a longing for the right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, up to the path. You should not produce a longing for the five clairvoyances, ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, up to the distinct attributes of a buddha. Son of a good family, you should not produce a longing even for the knowledge of all aspects. And why? Because the knowledge of all aspects is without longing and is not an object of longing. Son of a good family, you should not produce a longing for the result of stream enterer. You should not produce a longing for the result of once-returner, or the result of non-returner, the state of a worthy one, or a pratyekabuddha’s awakening. [F.156.b] You should not produce a longing for the secure state of a bodhisattva. And why? Son of a good family, it is because awakening is without longing. And why? Son of a good family, it is because all dharmas are empty of their own intrinsic nature.’ They teach the Dharma in that way.”

46.5Subhūti said, “Lord, those bodhisattva great beings who want unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, yearning for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, even while all phenomena are empty of their own marks, are those who do what is difficult.”

46.6“Exactly so, Subhūti, exactly so,” replied the Lord. “Those bodhisattva great beings who want unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, who are yearning for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening even while all phenomena are empty of their own mark, are those who do what is difficult. But still, Subhūti, if bodhisattva great beings understand that all phenomena are like an illusion and like a dream they have set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Bodhisattva great beings have set out for the benefit and happiness of the world. They have set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, thinking, ‘May I become the world’s protector.’ They have set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, thinking, ‘May I become the world’s refuge, the world’s resting place, the world’s final ally, the world’s island, the world’s leader, and the world’s support .’

46.7“How, Subhūti, have bodhisattva great beings set out for the benefit of the world? Here, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings free beings from the five forms of life [F.157.a] and establish them in nirvāṇa on the fearless plain of happiness. In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening have set out for the benefit of the world.

46.8“How, Subhūti, have bodhisattva great beings set out for the happiness of the world? Here, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening free beings from suffering, depression, and grief and establish them on the fearless plain of happiness in nirvāṇa. In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings have set out for the happiness of the world.

46.9“How, Subhūti, are bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening the world’s protector? Here, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening protect beings from whatever suffering there is in saṃsāra, teaching them the Dharma so they can stop it. They, having listened to that Dharma, gradually pass into complete nirvāṇa in the three vehicles. In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening are the world’s protector.

46.10“How, Subhūti, are bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening the world’s refuge? Here, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening [F.157.b] liberate beings subject to birth, old age, sickness, death, pain, lamentation, suffering, depression, and grief, from birth, old age, sickness, death, pain, lamentation, suffering, depression, and grief, and having liberated them, cause them to pass into complete nirvāṇa in the element of nirvāṇa without any aggregates left behind. In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings are the world’s refuge.

46.11“How, Subhūti, are bodhisattva great beings the world’s resting place? Here, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings teach the Dharma so that all phenomena do not mingle. In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening are the world’s resting place.”

46.12“How are all phenomena not mingled?” asked Subhūti.

The Lord replied, “That nonmingling of form is the nonconnection of form . That is the nonproduction of form . That nonproduction of form is the noncessation of form , and that is why there is the nonmingling of form . That which is the nonproduction and noncessation of feeling … perception … volitional factors … and consciousness is the nonmingling of consciousness; connect this in the same way with each, up to the knowledge of all aspects. In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening teach the Dharma so that all phenomena do not mingle.

46.13“How, Subhūti, are bodhisattva great beings who want [F.158.a] to fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening the world’s final ally? Here, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings teach the Dharma to beings as follows: ‘The farther shore of form is not form . The farther shore of feeling … perception … volitional factors … and consciousness is not the farther shore of consciousness; connect this in the same way with each, up to the farther shore of the knowledge of all aspects is not the knowledge of all aspects.’ They teach the Dharma like that. Subhūti, as form really is, so too are all dharmas.”

46.14Subhūti asked, “Lord, if all phenomena too are as form really is, will not bodhisattva great beings have indeed fully awakened to the knowledge of all aspects? Why? Because, Lord, on the farther shore of form there is no thought construction whatsoever; on the farther shore of feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness there is no thought construction whatsoever, of the sort ‘this is form , this is feeling, this is perception, these are volitional factors,’ or ‘this is consciousness’; up to ‘this is the knowledge of all aspects’; up to on the farther shore of the knowledge of all aspects there is no thought construction whatsoever.”

46.15“Exactly so, Subhūti, exactly so!” replied the Lord. “On the farther shore of form , Subhūti, there is no thought construction whatsoever, up to on the farther shore of the knowledge of all aspects there is no thought construction whatsoever. But still, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings ponder and are not cowed by such phenomena as those, and think, ‘I must thus fully awaken to those phenomena.’ Those who thus, having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, teach those phenomena that are so calm and [F.158.b] so sublime are those who do what is difficult. In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening are the world’s final ally.

46.16“How, Subhūti, do bodhisattva great beings, having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, become the world’s island?

46.17“To illustrate, Subhūti, those places delimited by the waters of great rivers or oceans are called islands. Similarly, Subhūti, form is delimited by a past and a future. Feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are delimited by a past and a future, up to the knowledge of all aspects is delimited by a past and a future. Subhūti, all phenomena are delimited by those past and future delimitations. Subhūti, that delimitation of all phenomena by a past and a future is this: namely, emptiness, the absence of being apprehended, the end of the road, the extinction of craving, the remainder, detachment, cessation, and nirvāṇa. It is calm, it is sublime, it is as it really is. In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings teaching that all phenomena are delimited by past and future delimitation, having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, are the world’s island.

46.18“How, Subhūti, do bodhisattva great beings, having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, become the world’s leader?

46.19“Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening [F.159.a] generate great compassion for the mass of beings and teach and explain the Dharma: form is unproduced, does not stop, is not defilement, and is not purification. They teach the Dharma: feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are unproduced, do not stop, are not defilement, and are not purification; and similarly, they teach and explain the Dharma: all the perfections, all the emptinesses, the dharmas on the side of awakening, the ten powers, the fearlessnesses, the detailed and thorough knowledges, the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, and the knowledge of all aspects are unproduced, do not stop, are not defilement, and are not purification. They teach and explain the Dharma: a pratyekabuddha’s awakening is unproduced, does not stop, is not defilement, and is not purification. They teach and explain the Dharma: the result of stream enterer is unproduced, does not stop, is not defilement, and is not purification; and similarly, they teach and explain the Dharma: the result of once-returner, the result of non-returner, and the state of a worthy one are unproduced, do not stop, are not defilement, and are not purification. In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings, having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, become the world’s leader.

46.20“How, Subhūti, do bodhisattva great beings, having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, become the world’s support ?

46.21“Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings, having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, teach the Dharma explaining that ‘ form has space as its way of being’; [F.159.b] teach beings that ‘feeling…,’ ‘perception…,’ ‘volitional factors…,’ and ‘consciousness has space as its way of being’; and teach the Dharma explaining … up to ‘the knowledge of all aspects has space as its way of being.’ They teach beings that ‘the emptiness of form does not go and does not come because in it there is no going and no coming; the emptiness of feeling, perception, and volitional factors does not go and does not come.’ They teach beings that ‘the emptiness of consciousness does not go and does not come because in it there is no going and no coming.’ Similarly, they teach beings … up to ‘the emptiness of the knowledge of all aspects does not go and does not come because in it there is no going and no coming.’ In that way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings, having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, become the world’s support .

46.22“And why? Subhūti, it is because all phenomena have emptiness as their way of being, because they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because in emptiness neither going nor coming is apprehended.

46.23“Subhūti, all phenomena have signlessness as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because in signlessness neither going nor coming is apprehended.

46.24“Subhūti, all phenomena have wishlessness as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because in wishlessness neither going nor coming is apprehended.

46.25“Subhūti, all phenomena have the absence of occasioning anything as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because in the absence of occasioning anything, neither going nor coming is apprehended.

46.26“Connect this in the same way with Subhūti, all phenomena have nonproduction, nonstopping, nondefilement, and nonpurification as their way of being; they do not pass beyond those ways of being. And why? Because in nonproduction, nonstopping, nondefilement, and nonpurification neither going nor coming is apprehended. [F.160.a]

46.27“Subhūti, all phenomena have a dream-like way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because in a dream neither going nor coming is apprehended.

46.28“Subhūti, all phenomena have an illusion-like way of being…, an apparition-like way of being…, and a magical creation-like way of being. They do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because in a magical creation neither going nor coming is apprehended.

46.29“Subhūti, all phenomena have the unborn and unreal as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because in the unborn and unreal neither going nor coming is apprehended.

46.30“Subhūti, all phenomena have the limitless and boundless as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because in the limitless and boundless neither going nor coming is apprehended.

46.31“Subhūti, all phenomena have the absence of being taken away from and the absence of being added to as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because where nothing has been taken away and nothing added neither going nor coming is apprehended.

46.32“Subhūti, all phenomena have not going and not coming as their way of being. Subhūti, all phenomena have not bringing in and not sending out as their way of being. Subhūti, all phenomena have not joining, not not joining, not mingling, and not not mingling as their way of being.

46.33“Subhūti, all phenomena have a self as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because in a self neither going nor coming is apprehended.

46.34“Subhūti, all phenomena have a being as their way of being. Subhūti, all dharmas have one who lives, an individual, a person , one born of Manu, a child of Manu, one who does, one who motivates, one who feels, one who knows, and one who sees as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Subhūti, it is because if a self absolutely does not exist‍—if a being, one who lives, an individual, a person , one born of Manu, a child of Manu, one who does, one who motivates, one who feels, one who knows, and one who sees absolutely do not exist‍—however, Subhūti, could going or coming [F.160.b] be apprehended?

46.35“Subhūti, all phenomena have permanence as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because if permanence absolutely does not exist at all, however could going or coming be apprehended? Subhūti, all phenomena have pleasure as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. Subhūti, all phenomena have self as their way of being, and have beauty as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because if permanence, pleasure, self, and beauty absolutely do not exist, however could their going or coming be apprehended?

46.36“Subhūti, all phenomena have impermanence as their way of being. Subhūti, all phenomena have suffering, no self, and unpleasantness as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because if impermanence absolutely does not exist, and suffering, no self, and unpleasantness absolutely do not exist, however could their going or coming be apprehended?

46.37“Subhūti, all phenomena have greed as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because if a place for greed absolutely does not exist, however could greed exist? Subhūti, all phenomena have hatred as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because if a place for hatred absolutely does not exist, however could hatred exist? Subhūti, all phenomena have confusion as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because if a place for confusion absolutely does not exist, however could confusion exist? Subhūti, all phenomena have distortion as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because if a place for distortion absolutely does not exist, however could distortion exist?

46.38“Subhūti, all phenomena have suchness as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because in suchness neither going nor coming is apprehended. Subhūti, all phenomena have the dharma-constituent as their way of being. Subhūti, all phenomena have the very limit of reality as their way of being…, sameness as their way of being…, and the inconceivable element as their way of being; [F.161.a] they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because in the inconceivable element neither going nor coming is apprehended.

46.39“Subhūti, all phenomena have being unmoving as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because phenomena do not move anywhere, so going and coming do not exist.

46.40“Subhūti, all phenomena have form as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because if form absolutely does not exist, however could its going or coming exist? Similarly, Subhūti, all phenomena have feeling…, perception…, volitional factors…, and consciousness as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Subhūti, it is because if consciousness absolutely is not apprehended, however could its going or coming be apprehended?

46.41“Subhūti, all phenomena have the perfection of giving as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because if the perfection of giving absolutely does not exist, however could the perfection of giving’s going or coming exist? Similarly, Subhūti, all phenomena have the perfection of morality as their way of being … ; and all phenomena have the perfection of patience…, perseverance…, concentration…, and wisdom as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because if the perfection of wisdom absolutely does not exist, however could the perfection of wisdom’s going or coming exist?

46.42“Subhūti, all phenomena have inner emptiness as their way of being. Subhūti, all phenomena have … up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because if the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature absolutely does not exist, however could its going or coming exist?

46.43“Subhūti, all phenomena have the applications of mindfulness as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because if the applications of mindfulness absolutely do not exist, however could their going or coming exist? Similarly, Subhūti, [F.161.b] all phenomena have the right efforts…, the legs of miraculous power…, the faculties…, the powers…, the limbs of awakening…, the path…, the ten powers…, the four fearlessnesses…, the four detailed and thorough knowledges…, and the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because in the buddhadharmas neither going nor coming is apprehended.

46.44“Subhūti, all phenomena have stream enterer as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. Subhūti, all phenomena have once-returner…, non-returner…, the state of a worthy one…, and a pratyekabuddha’s awakening as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because in pratyekabuddhas neither going nor coming is apprehended. Subhūti, all phenomena have unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening as their way of being; they do not pass beyond that way of being. And why? Because in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening neither going nor coming is apprehended.”

46.45“Lord, who will believe in this deep perfection of wisdom?” asked Subhūti.

“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “those bodhisattva great beings who have practiced the practice for the sake of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, who have served well the victors of the past, who have been brought to maturity by the buddhas of the past who caused their wholesome roots to accumulate, who have attended on many hundreds of thousands of one hundred million billion buddhas, and who have been assisted by spiritual friends will believe in this deep perfection of wisdom.”

46.46This was the forty-sixth chapter, “Teaching the Intrinsic Nature of All Dharmas,” of “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines.”