Chapter 50: Teaching the Signs of Irreversibility

50.1“Furthermore, Subhūti, Māra the wicked one comes into the presence of bodhisattva great beings and discourages them, saying, ‘The knowledge of all aspects is like space; it is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, and it is empty of its own mark. These dharmas are like space as well; they are the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, and they are empty of their own marks. In dharmas that are like space with a nonexistent intrinsic nature and empty of their own marks, you cannot apprehend any dharma at all which might fully awaken, through which you might fully awaken, and which will be fully awakened to. All those dharmas are like space with a nonexistent intrinsic nature and empty of their own marks, so this‍—namely, this teaching that you should fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening‍—will frustrate you. It is meaningless, it is the work of Māra, it is not a teaching of the perfectly complete buddha. Son of a good family, reject those ways of thinking or else they will bring you misfortune and suffering and a descent into error.’

50.2“There, when he says that, those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family, having heard those words, think, ‘In this case we have to look closely. These are the works of Māra causing a separation from unsurpassed, [F.189.b] perfect, complete awakening. Thus, dharmas are like space with a nonexistent intrinsic nature and are empty of their own marks. Beings do not know, do not see, and do not comprehend them, so we, having buckled on the space-like armor with a nonexistent intrinsic nature empty of its own mark, having fully awakened to the knowledge of all aspects, will teach the doctrine that provides a definite escape. We will establish them in the result of stream enterer, the result of once-returner, the result of non-returner, and the state of a worthy one. We will establish them in the state of a pratyekabuddha, and we will establish them in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.’

50.3“There, starting from their first production of the thought, when bodhisattva great beings hear those doctrines they must be firm in their thought, must be unwavering in their thought, and must not be robbed of their thought. If, endowed with a firm thought, an unwavering thought, a thought that cannot be stolen, they practice the six perfections, they will enter into the secure state of a bodhisattva.”

50.4Then venerable Subhūti asked the Lord, “Lord, do you call bodhisattva great beings irreversible from awakening ‘irreversible,’ or do you call bodhisattvas who turns back ‘irreversible’?”

50.5Venerable Subhūti having asked this, the Lord said to him, “Subhūti, irreversible bodhisattvas are said to ‘turn back,’ and bodhisattvas who turn back are said to be ‘irreversible.’ ”

50.6“Lord, why are irreversible bodhisattvas said to ‘turn back,’ and why are bodhisattvas who turn back said to be ‘irreversible’?” asked Subhūti.

50.7“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “the bodhisattvas [F.190.a] who have turned back from the śrāvaka level or the pratyekabuddha level, Subhūti, are the bodhisattvas who have turned back who are said to be ‘irreversible.’ Subhūti, the bodhisattvas who have not turned back from the śrāvaka level or the pratyekabuddha level, Subhūti, are the irreversible bodhisattva who are said to have ‘turned back.’

50.8“You should know, Subhūti, that being endowed with those attributes, those tokens, and those signs, bodhisattva great beings are marked as irreversible from awakening. Māra the wicked one cannot dissuade bodhisattvas endowed with those attributes, those tokens, and those signs from unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.

50.9“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings irreversible from awakening become absorbed when and as they want to in the first concentration, up to become absorbed in the fourth concentration, up to become absorbed in the cessation absorption. Furthermore, Subhūti, irreversible bodhisattva great beings become absorbed when and as they want to in the four applications of mindfulness, up to become absorbed in the eightfold noble path, up to become absorbed in the meditative stabilization on emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. They accomplish the five clairvoyances; gain mastery over the four concentrations, four immeasurables, four formless absorptions, and the cessation absorption; cultivate all four applications of mindfulness; and similarly, become absorbed in … up to the eightfold noble path and in the meditative stabilization on emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; and accomplish the five clairvoyances, but still they do not appropriate the result of the concentrations, and similarly, up to do not appropriate the result of the cessation absorption, do not gain the result [F.190.b] of stream enterer, and similarly, up to do not gain a pratyekabuddha’s awakening. When and as they want to, and at will, they appropriate a body. That is, they appropriate a body with which they can work for the welfare of beings. Subhūti, you should know that bodhisattva great beings endowed with those attributes, those tokens, and those signs are irreversible from awakening.

50.10“Furthermore, Subhūti, irreversible bodhisattva great beings endowed with attention to awakening, inseparable from the thought of awakening, do not focus on form, do not focus on a mark, do not focus on the body, do not focus on giving, and similarly, up to do not focus on wisdom, do not focus on the concentrations, do not focus on the immeasurables, do not focus on the formless absorptions, do not focus on the clairvoyant knowledges, do not focus on the tathāgata powers, do not focus on the fearlessnesses, up to do not focus on awakening, do not focus on the purification of a buddhafield, do not focus on bringing beings to maturity, do not focus on seeing the buddhas, and do not focus on growing wholesome roots. And why? Because those dharmas are like space; they are the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature and they are empty of their own marks. Subhūti, those bodhisattva great beings irreversible from awakening are endowed with this attention to being a bodhisattva while carrying themselves in all four ways. Whether going out or coming back, they do not come back with their thoughts veering off and do not go out with their thoughts veering off. They do not stand up with their thoughts veering off, they do not walk with their thoughts veering off, they do not sit down with their thoughts veering off, and they do not lie down with their thoughts veering off. Mindful they come back, and mindful they go, walk, stand, sit, and lie down. Subhūti, you should know that bodhisattva great beings endowed with those attributes, those tokens, [F.191.a] and those signs are irreversible from awakening.

50.11“Furthermore, Subhūti, irreversible bodhisattva great beings living the life of a householder make a show of the five sorts of sense objects through skillful means in order to bring beings to maturity. They give gifts to beings, they give food to those seeking food, up to they give whatever human requirements are appropriate. They personally practice the perfection of giving, and they inspire others to practice the perfection of giving, speak in praise of practicing the perfection of giving, and speak in praise of others practicing the perfection of giving as well, welcoming it. Similarly, connect this with they speak in praise of others practicing … up to the perfection of wisdom as well, welcoming it.

50.12“Furthermore, Subhūti, those bodhisattva great beings irreversible from awakening living the life of a householder give the gift of the world filled up with the seven precious stones, up to give the gift of this great billionfold world system filled up with the seven precious stones, but without making use of sense objects, constantly and always practicing celibacy, without oppressing anyone by unleashing the oppression that causes others mental distress. Subhūti, you should know that bodhisattva great beings endowed with those attributes, those tokens, and those signs are irreversible from awakening.

50.13“Furthermore, Subhūti, the yakṣa Vajrapāṇi, with the thought, ‘Before long this bodhisattva great being will fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening,’ constantly and always shadows those irreversible bodhisattva great beings, to guard and protect them just like he shadows me, the unsurpassed, perfectly complete buddha. [F.191.b] As long as the five vajra families are constantly and always shadowing them, humans and nonhumans cannot oppress them, and nobody, in truth, in this world‍—the gods, or Māras, or brahmins‍—can withstand them. Their thought does not become distracted from attention to awakening up to and including when fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Those bodhisattvas’ faculties‍—namely, the eye faculty, up to the thinking-mind faculty, faith faculty, perseverance faculty, mindfulness faculty, meditative stabilization faculty, and wisdom faculty‍—are not incomplete. They are good people. They do not become dishonorable people.”

50.14“What, Lord, makes bodhisattva great beings good people, not dishonorable people?” asked Subhūti.

50.15“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “to the extent the thought of awakening of bodhisattva great beings does not waver, to that extent they are good people, not dishonorable people.

50.16“Subhūti, you should know that bodhisattva great beings endowed with those attributes, those tokens, and those signs are irreversible from awakening.

50.17“Furthermore, Subhūti, irreversible bodhisattva great beings paying attention in those ways to being a bodhisattva do not, as anyone at all in any way at all, make use of, or get somebody else to make use of, spells, magical formulas, medicines, or herbs to procure women by casting a spell over them. They do not do anything at all to procure women by casting a spell over them. They do not demonstrate the miracle of foretelling what will happen to a man or a woman: ‘It is going to be a boy,’ ‘It is going to be a girl,’ ‘Your family line will flourish,’ [F.192.a] ‘You are going to live long.’ And why? Subhūti, it is because those bodhisattva great beings do not see in phenomena that are empty of their own marks any causal signs, and because they do not see any causal signs, they live by a pure livelihood. Subhūti, you should know that bodhisattva great beings endowed with those attributes, those tokens, and those signs are irreversible from awakening.

50.18“Furthermore, Subhūti, listen well and hard and pay attention, and I will speak to you about attributes, tokens, and signs‍—those attributes, tokens, and signs endowed with which irreversible bodhisattva great beings should know that irreversible bodhisattva great beings are irreversible from awakening.”

Venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Indeed I will,” and listened to the Lord accordingly.

50.19The Lord said, “Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings practicing this deep perfection of wisdom inseparable from paying attention in those ways to being a bodhisattva are not preoccupied with aggregates, and are not preoccupied with constituents and sense fields. Why? Because they stand in emptiness and so do not see any dharma that is inferior or superior.

50.20“They are not preoccupied with talk about robbers. Why? Because where dharmas are empty of their own marks, they do not see a staying together or a stealing away of any dharma.

50.21“They are not preoccupied with talk about armies. Why? Because standing in the emptiness of a basic nature, they do not see a state of less or a state of more in any dharma.

50.22“They are not preoccupied with talk about a battle that is underway. [F.192.b] Why? Because all dharmas abide in suchness, so they do not see attachment or rage in any dharma.

50.23“They are not preoccupied with talk about settlements. Why? Because standing in the emptiness of all dharmas, they do not see an accumulation or nonaccumulation in any dharma.

50.24“They are not preoccupied with talk about villages. Why? Because standing in the emptiness of space, they do not see a collection or what is not a collection in any dharma.

50.25“They are not preoccupied with talk about market towns. Why? Because standing at the very limit of reality, they do not see an increase or reduction in any dharma.

50.26“They are not preoccupied with talk about self, and similarly, up to they are not preoccupied with talk about one who knows and one who sees. Why? Because all dharmas are absolutely pure.

50.27“More than anything else, inseparable from attention connected with … up to the knowledge of all aspects, they stay preoccupied with talk about the perfection of wisdom.

50.28“They stand in all six perfections. Practicing the perfection of giving they do not live preoccupied with miserliness; practicing the perfection of morality they do not live preoccupied with immorality; practicing the perfection of patience they do not live preoccupied with upsets; practicing the perfection of perseverance they do not live preoccupied with laziness; practicing the perfection of concentration they do not live preoccupied with distraction; and practicing the perfection of wisdom they do not live preoccupied with intellectual confusion. Living with the emptiness of all dharmas [F.193.a] they want just the Dharma, not what is not the Dharma. Involved with the dharma-constituent they do not praise a dharma that can be broken down. They accept the lord buddhas and the bodhisattva great beings as their spiritual friends; inspire Śrāvaka Vehicle and Pratyekabuddha Vehicle sons of a good family and daughters of a good family to take up, enter into, be led into, and be established in full awakening to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening; please the tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas and, to behold them, are born where they are dwelling and maintaining themselves. They are born there when and as they want, and they stay with that attention day and night, that is, with the attention to the buddhas.

50.29“And why? Subhūti, it is because, in general, bodhisattva great beings irreversible from awakening produce attention associated with the desire realm, stand on the ten wholesome actions, and are born in those buddhafields where the tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas have manifested and are dwelling and maintaining themselves; they produce the first concentration, up to become absorbed in the station of neither perception nor nonperception absorption; and they are born in those buddhafields where the tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas have manifested and are dwelling and maintaining themselves. Subhūti, you should know that bodhisattva great beings endowed with those attributes, those tokens, and those signs are irreversible from awakening.

50.30“Furthermore, Subhūti, irreversible bodhisattva great beings practicing this perfection of wisdom and standing in inner emptiness, up to standing in the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature; and standing in the applications [F.193.b] of mindfulness, and similarly, connect this with each, up to standing in the emptiness, signless, and wishless gateways to liberation do not harbor any doubt about whether ‘I am irreversible from awakening,’ or ‘I am not irreversible from awakening.’ They are not unsure about their level. And why? Because they do not see even a mere tiny dharma that is irreversible or that is not irreversible. For example, Subhūti, those standing at the level of the result of stream enterer are not unsure and do not harbor any doubt about their own level. Similarly, connect this with each, up to those standing at the buddha level are not unsure and do not harbor any doubt. Similarly, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings standing on their own level are not unsure and do not harbor any doubt about it either. Standing on that irreversible level they purify a buddhafield, bring beings to maturity, comprehend whatever works of Māra come up, do not come under the control of the works of Māra, and, having comprehended all theworks of Māra, pulverize them to bits. To illustrate, Subhūti, those who commit an inexpiable sin do not separate from the thought of that inexpiable sin up until death. The thought of their inexpiable sin haunts them and they cannot shake themselves free of the thought of the inexpiable sin in any way at all. They are obsessed with the thought up until they die. Similarly, Subhūti, with irreversible bodhisattva great beings’ irreversible thought‍—it cannot be differentiated or shaken, and the world with its gods, humans, and asuras cannot turn it back. And why? Because with that irreversible thought they have gone beyond the world with its gods, humans, and asuras and entered into the flawlessness that is a perfect state. They are stationed [F.194.a] on their own level and, with perfect control over the clairvoyances, purify a buddhafield, bring beings to perfection, and pass on from buddhafield to buddhafield to behold, salute, and hear the doctrine from the lord buddhas there. They generate wholesome roots from those lord buddhas in those buddhafields, make inquiries of those lord buddhas, and, questioning them, serve them.

50.31“Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings standing like that comprehend whatever works of Māra come up, do not come under the control of whatever works of Māra come up, and purify those works of Māra at the very limit of reality with skillful means. They are not uncertain and harbor no doubt about their own level. And why? Because they have no uncertainty about the very limit of reality, and they do not conceive of the very limit of reality as one or two. Because of such an understanding, they do not produce a thought at the śrāvaka level or the pratyekabuddha level even after returning back to a life. And why? Subhūti, it is because bodhisattva great beings do not see in dharmas that are empty of their own marks any dharma at all that is produced, or stops, or is defilement, or purification. Subhūti, even after returning back to a life, those bodhisattva great beings do not think, ‘I will not fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening’; rather, they think, ‘There is no doubt about it, I will fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.’ And why? Subhūti, it is because unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening is empty of its own mark. Subhūti, the bodhisattva great beings [F.194.b] thus stand on their own level, and on their own level they do not place their trust in others; on their own level they cannot be crushed. And why? Subhūti, it is because irreversible bodhisattva great beings standing like that are endowed with knowledge that cannot be stolen.

50.32“Subhūti, if Māra the wicked one disguised in the form of a buddha comes into the presence of irreversible bodhisattva great beings and says, ‘You should gain the state of a worthy one right here. Your unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening has not been prophesied. You have not even gained that forbearance for the nonproduction of dharmas on account of which those tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas would prophesy your unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. You do not have the attributes, the tokens, or the signs‍—those attributes, tokens, and signs, endowed with which your unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening would be prophesied.’ Subhūti, if bodhisattva great beings hear those words but still are not cowed, do not tense up, and if their state of mind is not altered, if their minds do not become terrified, then, Subhūti, those bodhisattva great beings should know, ‘Those tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas have prophesied my unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.’ Why? It is because of knowing, ‘I am endowed with those dharmas on account of which a bodhisattva great being’s unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening would be prophesied.’

50.33“Subhūti, Māra the wicked one disguised in the form of a buddha comes into the presence of irreversible bodhisattva great beings and says, ‘Your unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening has not been prophesied. You are destined [F.195.a] for the śrāvaka level or pratyekabuddha level.’ Even so, Subhūti, if those bodhisattva great beings still think, ‘Hey! This is Māra or a person possessed by Māra disguised in the form of a buddha who has come. The tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete Buddha does not inspire bodhisattva great beings to take up the śrāvaka level or the pratyekabuddha level,’ then, Subhūti, those bodhisattva great beings should know that they have been prophesied.

50.34“Subhūti, Māra the wicked one disguised in the form of a buddha comes into the presence of irreversible bodhisattva great beings reading aloud and reciting the expanded class of sūtras from memory and says, ‘Those sūtras you are occupying yourself with are not the sūtras taught by the buddhas and śrāvakas, they are taught by Māra.’ Even so, if those bodhisattva great beings know him, thinking, ‘Hey! This is Māra or a person possessed by Māra separating me from unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening,’ then, Subhūti, those bodhisattva great beings should know that those past tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas have prophesied their unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, and those bodhisattva great beings should know that they are standing on the irreversible level. Why? Subhūti, it is because they have those attributes, tokens, and signs of the bodhisattva great beings irreversible from awakening. Subhūti, you should know that bodhisattva great beings endowed with those attributes, those tokens, and those signs are irreversible.

50.35“Furthermore, Subhūti, irreversible bodhisattva great beings practicing this perfection of wisdom [F.195.b] will give up even themselves, give up even their lives to look after the doctrine.

50.36“Subhūti, those bodhisattva great beings make an effort to look after the good doctrine in such a way as to look after the doctrine of past, future, and present lord buddhas. Why? Because they think, ‘If I look after the good doctrine it becomes an act of worship of the past, future, and present lord buddhas. I will be looking after the good doctrine of the past, future, and present buddhas as well.’

50.37“What is the good doctrine for the sake of which they give up even themselves? Here it is the doctrine that the tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete Buddha teaches, that ‘all dharmas are empty.’ It is the one that certain fools reject and argue against, saying, ‘That is not the Dharma, that is not the Vinaya, that is not the Teacher’s Doctrine.’ Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings will give up even themselves for the sake of that doctrine.

50.38“Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings should train in that as follows. They should train, thinking, ‘When the tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas appear in the future, I will be included among their number. It has been prophesied of me, too, that I will be there. That doctrine for the sake of which I would give up even myself and would give up even my life is my doctrine too.’ Seeing that reality, Subhūti, forces the bodhisattva great beings to give up even themselves for the sake of the good doctrine. Subhūti, you should know that bodhisattva great beings endowed with those attributes, those tokens, and those signs are irreversible from awakening.

50.39“Furthermore, Subhūti, irreversible bodhisattva great beings [F.196.a] are not unsure and do not harbor doubts about the Dharma teaching of the tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas. They look after everything those lord buddhas have said, and having thus taken it up, those teachings are not lost. And why? Because they have obtained the dhāraṇīs.”

50.40Then venerable Subhūti asked the Lord, “Lord, on account of which dhāraṇī bodhisattva great beings have obtained are the sūtras spoken by the tathāgatas not lost?”

50.41“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “because they have obtained the dhāraṇī for bearing the sūtras spoken by the tathāgatas in mind, they are not lost.”

50.42“Lord, is it only the sūtras spoken by the tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas that they do not harbor doubts about, and not the ones śrāvakas have spoken, or the gods have spoken, or the nāgas have spoken, or the yakṣas have spoken, or the gandharvas have spoken, or the asuras have spoken, or the garuḍas have spoken, or the kinnaras have spoken, or the mahoragas have spoken?” asked Subhūti.

50.43“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “whatever the sound, conventional term, and voice, in every case the bodhisattva great beings are not unsure and do not harbor doubts about it. And why? Subhūti, it is because they have obtained a dhāraṇī. Subhūti, you should know that bodhisattva great beings endowed with those attributes, [F.196.b] those tokens, and those signs are irreversible from awakening.”

50.44This was the fiftieth chapter, “Teaching the Signs of Irreversibility,” of “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines.” [B38]