Chapter 58: Exposition of the Absence of Thought Construction

58.1Then it occurred to Śatakratu, head of the gods, to think, “Here, since even bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of giving, perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom, connect this in the same way with each, up to and the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha surpass all beings, what need is there to say more about when they have fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening? Since those beings whose thought is going toward the knowledge of all aspects get things easily and stay alive easily, what need is there to say more about those who have produced the thought of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening? The beings who will have produced the thought of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening are pleasing to me. The beings who produce the thought of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening are also pleasing to me.”

58.2Thinking that, Śatakratu, head of the gods, took up coral tree flowers and approached the Lord. Going close he strewed those coral tree flowers near, strewed them around the tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete Buddha, and having strewed them in front and strewed them around him, made this statement: “On account of this wholesome root may those persons in the Bodhisattva Vehicle holding unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening as a support complete the buddhadharmas; [F.251.b] may they also complete the dharmas of the knowledge of all aspects, may they complete just these self-originated dharmas, and on account of this may they complete the uncontaminated qualities. Lord, I do not produce even the mere arising of a thought that those persons in the Bodhisattva Vehicle who have set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening turn back from unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Lord, I do not produce even the mere arising of a thought that those bodhisattva great beings turn back from awakening and become śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas; rather, that the bodhisattvas wanting the welfare, benefit, and security of the world with its gods, humans, and asuras would, having seen those sufferings of those wandering through cycles of existence, produce a longing for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening and would thus produce the thought, and would make this fervent prayer that is a vow for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening: ‘One way or the other I, who have gone beyond, must liberate beings who have not gone beyond; one way or the other I, who have been freed, must free beings who have not been freed; one way or the other I, who have sighed with relief, must give beings who have not sighed with relief a sigh of relief; and one way or the other I, who have passed into nirvāṇa, must cause beings who have not passed into nirvāṇa to pass into complete nirvāṇa.’

58.3“Lord, how big is the wholesome root grown by those sons of a good family and daughters of a good family who rejoice in the thought of enlightenment of bodhisattva great beings who have newly set out in the Bodhisattva Vehicle, who rejoice in the thought of enlightenment of bodhisattva great beings who have practiced in the Bodhisattva Vehicle for a long distance, who rejoice in the thought of enlightenment of bodhisattva great beings [F.252.a] who are irreversible, and who rejoice in the thought of enlightenment of bodhisattva great beings who are interrupted by a single birth?”

58.4Śatakratu, head of the gods, having asked about this, the Lord replied to him, “Kauśika, it is possible you can take the measure of a four-continent world system by weighing it against some unit of weight, but the measure of the merit of those thoughts that has arisen from the presence of rejoicing is not like that. Kauśika, it is possible you can take the measure of the oceans in a great billionfold world system by taking each drop of water out with the tip of a strand of hair split into a hundred finer strands, but the measure of the merit of those thoughts that has arisen from the presence of rejoicing is not like that.”

58.5The Lord having said this, Śatakratu, head of the gods, said to him, “Lord, those beings who will not rejoice in those thoughts will be possessed by Māra. Lord, those beings who will not rejoice in those thoughts will be on the side of Māra. Lord, those beings who will not rejoice in those thoughts came here having died where Māra dwells. And why? Lord, it is because those beings who find and produce rejoicing within themselves for those thoughts, turning it over to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, are those who pulverize the dwelling of Māra. Lord, those [F.252.b] thoughts that produce the thought of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening are the ones in which they should rejoice. Lord, those who have not given up the Buddha, who have not given up the Dharma, and who have not given up the Saṅgha, they too should rejoice in these thoughts, and, having rejoiced, one way or the other they should turn it over to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening in such a way that there is no notion of duality and no notion of nonduality.”

58.6“Exactly so, Kauśika, exactly so! It is exactly as you say!” said the Lord. “Kauśika, those who rejoice in those thoughts will please the tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas extremely quickly, and having pleased them they will not again displease them. Those endowed with the wholesome roots from those thoughts arisen from the presence of rejoicing will become respected, revered, honored, and worshiped wherever they are born. They will never, ever see a form not pleasing to the mind, hear a sound not pleasing to the mind, smell a smell not pleasing to the mind, taste a taste not pleasing to the mind, feel a feeling not pleasing to the mind, or become conscious of a dharma not pleasing to the mind. They will never, ever be separated from the lord buddhas. They will pass on from buddhafield to buddhafield and also attend on those lord buddhas and produce wholesome roots.

58.7“And why? Kauśika, it is because those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family have rejoiced in the wholesome roots of countless bodhisattva great beings who have newly set out in the Bodhisattva Vehicle [F.253.a] and turned the merit over to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening; have rejoiced in the wholesome roots of bodhisattva great beings standing on the first level, standing on the second level, up to and standing on the tenth level; up to and have rejoiced in the wholesome roots of bodhisattva great beings who are interrupted by a single birth and turned the merit over to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. They get close to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening because their wholesome roots have grown, and having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening they then cause immeasurable, incalculable, infinite beings to enter into complete nirvāṇa.

58.8“Kauśika, because of this one of many explanations, those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family should rejoice in the wholesome roots of bodhisattva great beings who have produced the first thought, turn the merit over to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, and one way or the other they should turn it over in such a way that awakening will not be in that thought, nor in another thought either. They should rejoice in the wholesome roots of bodhisattva great beings who have practiced the practice, who are irreversible, and who are interrupted by a single birth; turn the merit over to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening; and one way or the other they should turn it over in such a way that awakening will not be in that thought, nor in any other thought either.”

58.9Then venerable Subhūti asked the Lord, “Lord, in what way will a thought that is like an illusion fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening?”

58.10Venerable Subhūti having asked this, the Lord asked him in return, [F.253.b] “Subhūti, what do you think, do you see that thought that is like an illusion?”

58.11“Lord, I do not see it,” he said. “Lord, I do not see an illusion or an illusion-like thought either.”

58.12“Subhūti, what do you think, will that thought‍—that thought in which you do not see illusion or illusion-like thought‍—fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening?”

“No, Lord.”

58.13“Subhūti, what do you think, do you see a dharma different than an illusion and an illusion-like thought that will fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening?”

58.14“No, Lord,” he said. “Lord, I do not see a dharma other than an illusion and an illusion-like thought that will fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, and given that I do not see another dharma, Lord, what dharma will I teach to ‘exist’ or ‘not exist’? The dharma that is extremely isolated will not be existent or nonexistent; the dharma that is extremely isolated will not fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening; and a dharma that does not exist will not fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening either. And why? Lord, it is because all those dharmas that are defiled or purified do not exist and are not apprehended. And why? [F.254.a] Lord, it is because the perfection of wisdom is also extremely isolated, and similarly, up to the perfection of giving is also extremely isolated, and similarly, up to and awakening is also extremely isolated, and a dharma that is extremely isolated is not something you cultivate and not something you analyze. The perfection of wisdom is extremely isolated so it does not bring about any dharma, and given that the perfection of wisdom is extremely isolated, how will bodhisattva great beings, thanks to the perfection of wisdom, fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening? Given that unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening is extremely isolated, how will there be a realization of the isolated by the isolated?”

58.15Venerable Subhūti having said that, the Lord said to him, “Excellent, excellent, Subhūti! Exactly so, Subhūti, exactly so! The perfection of wisdom is extremely isolated, the perfection of concentration is extremely isolated, and similarly, up to the perfection of morality is extremely isolated, the perfection of giving is extremely isolated, and similarly, up to awakening is extremely isolated, and the knowledge of all aspects is extremely isolated. Subhūti, just as the perfection of wisdom is extremely isolated, up to the knowledge of all aspects is extremely isolated, so too is full awakening to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening extremely isolated. Subhūti, were the perfection of wisdom not extremely isolated, and similarly, connect this with each, up to were the knowledge of all aspects [F.254.b] not extremely isolated, it would not be the perfection of wisdom, up to it would not be the knowledge of all aspects. Therefore, Subhūti, in line with the perfection of wisdom being extremely isolated, up to the knowledge of all aspects being extremely isolated, so too, Subhūti, there will be no full awakening to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening thanks to the perfection of wisdom. There is no full awakening to the isolated by the isolated. Still there is full awakening, but there is no full awakening to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening unless it is thanks to the perfection of wisdom.”

“Lord, bodhisattva great beings practice a deep reality,” said Subhūti.

58.16“Exactly so, Subhūti, exactly so!” replied the Lord. “Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings practice the two deep realities. Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who practice a deep reality but do not actualize that reality‍—namely, the śrāvaka level or pratyekabuddha level‍—are those who do what is difficult.”

58.17Subhūti then said, “The way I understand the meaning of what you, Lord, have said, is that bodhisattva great beings are not those who do what is difficult. And why? Lord, it is because a reality to be actualized cannot be apprehended, the perfection of wisdom through which it might be realized cannot be apprehended, and the phenomenon that might actualize cannot be apprehended either. Lord, given that all phenomena cannot be apprehended, what reality will be awakened to, [F.255.a] what perfection of wisdom will be awakened to, what phenomenon will be awakened to, and what will have been realized such that unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening will be awakened to?

58.18“Lord, this course of action where nothing is apprehended is the course of action of bodhisattvas. Bodhisattva great beings practicing it reach a freedom from darkness in respect to all phenomena. Lord, if bodhisattva great beings’ minds are not cowed, if they do not tense up, tremble, feel frightened, or become terrified when there is an exposition of this, the bodhisattva great beings practicing like that, Lord, are practicing the perfection of wisdom. They do not see a causal sign, they also do not see the perfection of wisdom, and they also do not see that ‘I will fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.’ Lord, it does not occur to those bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom to think, ‘I am distant from the śrāvaka level or pratyekabuddha level, but I am close to the knowledge of all aspects.’

58.19“To illustrate, Lord, it does not occur to a space to think, ‘I am near one thing and distant from another.’ And why? Lord, it is because a space does not have specific features, because a space is without thought construction. Similarly, Lord, it does not occur to the perfection of wisdom to think, ‘I am distant from the śrāvaka level or pratyekabuddha level, but I am close to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.’ [F.255.b] And why? Lord, it is because the perfection of wisdom is without thought construction.

58.20“To illustrate further, Lord, it does not occur to an illusory person to think, ‘I am distant from the illusion but close to the magician,’ or ‘I am close to’ or ‘distant from the crowd of people who have gathered together.’ And why? Lord, it is because an illusory person is without thought construction.

58.21“To illustrate further, Lord, it does not occur to a reflection in a mirror to think, ‘I am close to the objective support on account of which this reflection has arisen, but I am distant from those that have not arisen in that mirror or container of water.’ And why? Lord, it is because a reflection in a mirror is without thought construction. Similarly, Lord, it does not occur to a bodhisattva great being practicing the perfection of wisdom to think, ‘I am distant from the śrāvaka level or pratyekabuddha level, but I am close to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.’ And why? Because the perfection of wisdom is without thought construction.

58.22“Lord, the perfection of wisdom does not have likes or dislikes. And why? Because an intrinsic nature that is likable or dislikable cannot be apprehended in it. To illustrate, Lord, just as tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas [F.256.a] do not have anything they might like or dislike, similarly the perfection of wisdom does not have anything it might like or dislike. To illustrate, Lord, just as a tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete buddha has abandoned all thought construction, similarly, Lord, the perfection of wisdom has abandoned all thought construction because it is without thought construction.

58.23“To illustrate further, Lord, it does not occur to a tathāgata’s magical creation to think, ‘I am distant from the śrāvaka level or pratyekabuddha level, but I am close to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.’ And why? Lord, it is because a tathāgata and a tathāgata’s magical creation are without thought construction. Similarly, Lord, it does not occur to a bodhisattva great being practicing the perfection of wisdom to think, ‘I am distant from the śrāvaka level or pratyekabuddha level but I am close to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.’ And why? It is because the perfection of wisdom is without thought construction.

58.24“To illustrate further, Lord, a tathāgata creates a magical creation, but even when that magical creation does that deed it was created to do, still it is without conceptualization and without thought construction. Similarly, Lord, the perfection of wisdom too is cultivated for what it does, but even when it does what it does, still that perfection of wisdom is without conceptualization and without thought construction.

58.25“To illustrate further, Lord, a skilled contractor or contractor’s apprentice puts together a contraption in the shape of a woman, or in the shape of a man, or in the shape of an elephant, [F.256.b] or in the shape of a bull. It is made for what the contraption does, but even when it does what it does, still that contraption is without conceptualization and without thought construction.”

58.26Then venerable Śāriputra asked venerable Subhūti, “Venerable Subhūti, is only the perfection of wisdom without conceptualization and without thought construction, or is the perfection of concentration also without conceptualization and without thought construction, up to is the perfection of giving without conceptualization and without thought construction too?”

58.27“Venerable Śāriputra, … up to the perfection of giving is without conceptualization and without thought construction too,” said Subhūti.

58.28“Well then, Venerable Subhūti,” Śāriputra further inquired, “is form without conceptualization and without thought construction, and are feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness also without conceptualization and without thought construction? Venerable Subhūti, are the eyes without conceptualization and without thought construction, and are the ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind also without conceptualization and without thought construction? Venerable Subhūti, is a form without conceptualization and without thought construction, and are a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and dharmas also without conceptualization and without thought construction? Is eye consciousness, up to thinking-mind consciousness; eye contact, up to thinking-mind contact; and feeling that arises from the condition of contact with the eyes, up to feeling that arises from the condition of contact with the thinking mind also without conceptualization and without thought construction? Venerable Subhūti, are the concentrations, [F.257.a] immeasurables, and formless absorptions also without conceptualization and without thought construction? Are the applications of mindfulness, connect this in the same way with each, up to the eightfold noble path, and the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness meditative stabilization also without conceptualization and without thought construction? Are the ten tathāgata powers, four fearlessnesses, four detailed and thorough knowledges, great love, and great compassion without conceptualization and without thought construction; up to and are the eighteen distinct attributes of an awakened one and an awakened one also without conceptualization and without thought construction? Is awakening also without conceptualization and without thought construction? Are the compounded element and the uncompounded element also without conceptualization and without thought construction?”

58.29“Venerable Śāriputra, all phenomena are without conceptualization and without thought construction,” said Subhūti.

58.30Śāriputra further asked, “Venerable Subhūti, if all phenomena are without conceptualization and without thought construction, how has this division of cyclic existence into the five forms of life‍—in the hells, animal world, world of Yama, and as a human and god‍—come about, and how do the categorizations of stream enterer , up to awakening of the lord buddhas come about?”

58.31Venerable Śāriputra having asked this, venerable Subhūti replied to him, “Venerable Śāriputra, these beings pile up karmic actions of body, speech, and mind motivated by error. Based on that they saddle themselves with, and pile up, karmic maturations that have arisen from the root‍—the desire-to-do. Saddled with them they enact the forms of life arisen from thought construction in the hells, [F.257.b] animal world, world of Yama, and as a human and god.

58.32“Venerable Śāriputra, you have said, ‘How do the categorizations of stream enterer , once-returner , non-returner , worthy one , and pratyekabuddha come about, up to how does the categorization of lord buddha come about?’ Venerable Śāriputra, stream enterer and result of stream enterer are categories because of being without thought construction, up to the state of a worthy one , the state of a pratyekabuddha and a pratyekabuddha’s awakening are categories because of being without thought construction; buddha is a category because of being without thought construction, and awakening too is a category because of being without thought construction.

58.33“Venerable Śāriputra, those lord buddhas, the tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas who have appeared in times past, were also without thought construction, were free from thought construction, and had abandoned thought construction. Similarly, those in the future will abandon thought construction, and, Venerable Śāriputra, those lord buddhas who have appeared at the present time, the lord buddhas who have fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening in world systems in the ten directions, they too are without thought construction, are free from thought construction, and have abandoned thought construction. Because of this one of many explanations, Venerable Śāriputra, having taken the suchness that is the absence of thought construction, the suchness that is the very limit of reality, and the suchness that is the dharma-constituent as authority, you should know that all phenomena are without thought construction.

58.34“Venerable Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings [F.258.a] should practice the perfection of wisdom like that without thought construction. Practicing the perfection of wisdom without thought construction there is a full awakening to dharmas without thought construction.”

58.35This was the fifty-eighth chapter, “Exposition of the Absence of Thought Construction,” of “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines.” [B42]