Chapter 54

54.1Then the venerable Subhūti said to the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, the perfection of wisdom is profound! Blessed Lord, bodhisattva great beings who set out for unsurpassed, complete enlightenment indeed achieve that which is difficult. That is to say, although no ‘being’ or concept of a being is at all apprehended, they have set out toward unsurpassed, complete enlightenment for the sake of beings. Blessed Lord, just like some person who seeks to grow a plant in groundless space, bodhisattva great beings indeed seek to attain all-aspect omniscience for the sake of beings.”

54.2“Subhūti, it is so! It is so,” replied the Blessed One. “Bodhisattva great beings who set out toward unsurpassed, complete enlightenment for the sake of beings, and, having attained consummate buddhahood in all-aspect omniscience, liberate beings from clinging to sentient existence, achieve that which is difficult. Subhūti, it is just as when some persons want to grow a plant, and they would plant the stalk without having perceived the roots of that plant, and without having perceived its branches, trunk, leaves, flowers, or fruit. Nurtured with water at the appropriate times, gradually the trunk of that [plant] would become fully formed, its leaves would become fully formed, its flowers would become fully formed, and its fruit would become fully formed, and they would then enjoy the foliage of that plant, [F.135.b] they would enjoy its flowers, and they would enjoy its fruit. In the same way, bodhisattva great beings indeed set out toward unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, for the sake of beings. Gradually practicing the six perfections, they will attain all-aspect omniscience, and then they will sustain all beings in the manner of leaves, flowers, and fruit. Relying on bodhisattva great beings who are like leaves, beings will be liberated from the three lower realms. Relying on bodhisattva great beings who are like flowers, beings will be reborn in great and lofty royal families, in great and lofty priestly families, or in great and lofty householder families. {Ki.V: 131} They will be reborn among the gods of the Caturmahā­rāja­kāyika realm, and they will be reborn among the gods of Trayastriṃśa, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarata, Para­nirmita­vaśa­vartin, Brahmakāyika, Brahma­pariṣadya, Brahmapurohita, Mahābrahmā Ābha, Parīttābha, Apramāṇābha, Ābhāsvara, Śubha, Parīttaśubha, Apramāṇaśubha, Śubhakṛtsna, Bṛhat, Parīttabṛhat, Apramāṇabṛhat, Bṛhatphala, Avṛha, Atapa, Sudṛśa, Sudarśana, Akaniṣṭha, the sphere of infinite space, the sphere of infinite consciousness, the sphere of nothing-at-all, and the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception. Like fruit, bodhisattva great beings, having attained all-aspect omniscience, then establish those beings in the fruit of entering the stream to nirvāṇa, and establish them in the fruit of being destined for only one more rebirth, in the fruit of no longer being subject to rebirth, in arhatship, and in individual enlightenment . Relying on those same bodhisattva great beings, they will attain all-aspect omniscience, and having attained all-aspect omniscience, [F.136.a] they too will sustain all beings, just as fruit is sustaining. Those who offer them donations will also gradually attain final nirvāṇa through the three vehicles, namely, the vehicle of the śrāvakas, the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas, and the Great Vehicle, and they will attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.

54.3“Although they do not conceive of a being and there is nothing even to conceive of as a being, they will nevertheless liberate beings from clinging to being. Subhūti, although bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner, they do not apprehend any being at all, or any concept of a being, of whom they would think, ‘I should attain all-aspect omniscience for their sake!’ ”

54.4Subhūti then said, “Blessed Lord, bodhisattva great beings should be known to resemble the Tathāgata himself. If one were to ask why, Blessed Lord, it is because in relying on bodhisattva great beings all the hells will be cut off. All the animal realms and all the worlds of Yama will be cut off. The [eight] unfavorable states with no opportunity [to practice the Dharma] and all lower realms will be cut off. All poverty will be cut off. All inferior destinies will be cut off. The entire realm of desire will be cut off. The entire realm of form will be cut off. The entire realm of formlessness will be cut off.”

54.5“Subhūti, it is so! It is so,” replied the Blessed One. “Bodhisattva great beings should be known to resemble the Tathāgata himself. Subhūti, if there were no bodhisattva great beings, [F.136.b] there would then be no unsurpassed, complete enlightenment on the part of the lord buddhas of the past, future, or present. Nor would pratyekabuddhas appear in the world, nor indeed would arhats, those destined for only one more rebirth, those no longer subject to rebirth, or those entering the stream to nirvāṇa appear in the world. All the hells would not be cut off. The animal realms and all the worlds of Yama, too, would not be cut off. The entire realm of desire, too, would not be cut off. The entire realm of form and the entire realm of formlessness, too, would not be cut off.

54.6“Subhūti, therefore when you said, ‘Bodhisattva great beings should be known to resemble the Tathāgata himself,’ {Ki.V: 132} it is so, Subhūti! It is so. Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings should be known to be resemble the Tathāgata himself. If you ask why, Subhūti, the real nature through which the tathāgatas are conceived; the real nature through which pratyekabuddhas are conceived; the real nature though which all the noble ones are conceived; the real nature through which physical forms are conceived; the real nature through which feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are conceived; the real nature through which the sense fields, the sensory elements, and the links of dependent origination are conceived; the real nature through which all the perfections, all the aspects of emptiness, and the thirty-seven factors conducive to enlightenment are conceived; the real nature through which the truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, the formless absorptions, the eight aspects of liberation, the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, the gateways of liberation‍—emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness‍—the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, and the dhāraṇī gateways are conceived, the real nature through which [F.137.a] the ten powers of the tathāgatas, the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of exact knowledge, and the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas are conceived; the real nature through which all-aspect omniscience is conceived; and the real nature through which conditioned elements, unconditioned elements, [and so forth] are conceived are all simply of that one nature. This is why it is called the real nature . It is because training in this real nature will bring those bodhisattva great beings to attain all-aspect omniscience that it is called tathāgata . For this reason, Subhūti, taking the real nature as their standard, bodhisattva great beings should be known to resemble the Tathāgata himself.

54.7“So it is, Subhūti, that bodhisattva great beings should train in the perfection of wisdom that is the real nature. Subhūti, having trained in the perfection of wisdom that is the real nature, bodhisattva great beings train in the real nature of all phenomena. Having trained in the real nature of all phenomena, they perfect the real nature of all phenomena, and then they will attain mastery over the real nature of all phenomena. Having attained mastery over the real nature of all phenomena, they become skilled in [understanding] the capacities of all beings. Having become skilled in their capacities, they acquire skill in fulfilling those capacities. Having acquired skill in fulfilling those faculties, they will understand the deeds that beings have themselves undertaken. Having understood the deeds that beings have themselves undertaken, they will perfect their wisdom based on their aspirations. Having perfected their wisdom based on their aspirations, they will refine their wisdom with respect to the three times. [F.137.b] Having refined their wisdom with respect to the three times, they will act for the benefit of beings through the conduct of a bodhisattva. Having acted for the benefit of beings, they will refine the buddhafields. Having refined the buddhafields, they will attain all-aspect omniscience. Having attained all-aspect omniscience, they will turn the wheel of the Dharma. Having turned the wheel of the Dharma, they will establish beings in the three vehicles. Having established beings in the three vehicles, they will pass into final nirvāṇa in the expanse of nirvāṇa where no aggregates are left behind. Subhūti, so it is that bodhisattva great beings should discern all these attributes and advantages, and then they themselves should set their minds on unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, and they should also encourage others to set their minds on unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.”

54.8Subhūti then said, “Blessed Lord, those bodhisattva great beings who practice this profound perfection of wisdom, as it has been revealed, are worthy of homage by the world with its gods, humans, and asuras.”

54.9“Subhūti, it is so! It is so,” replied the Blessed One. “Those bodhisattva great beings who practice this profound perfection of wisdom, just as it has been revealed, are worthy of homage by the world with its gods, humans, and asuras!”

54.10“Blessed Lord, to what extent will the merit increase of those bodhisattva great beings who have initially set their minds on enlightenment and who seek to attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment for the sake of all beings?” {Ki.V: 133}

54.11“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “if all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm, [F.138.a] as many as there are, were to be established on the level of the śrāvakas and if they were to be established on the level of the pratyekabuddhas, would the merit of those beings greatly increase?”

54.12“It would be great, Blessed Lord! It would be great, Sugata! It would be immeasurable, Blessed Lord! It would be immeasurable, Sugata!”

54.13“Subhūti,” continued the Blessed One, “comparing the merit of all beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm who follow the vehicle of the śrāvakas or who follow the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas with the merit of bodhisattva great beings who have initially set their minds on enlightenment, the merit of all beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm who follow the vehicle of the śrāvakas or who follow the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas would come nowhere near even a hundredth part of the provision of merit acquired by bodhisattva great beings who have initially set their minds on enlightenment. It would come nowhere near even a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, a ten millionth, a billionth, a ten billionth, a trillionth, or a hundred billion trillionth part of it. It would not match it in any number, fraction, categorization, comparison, or quality. If you ask why, the individuals who follow the vehicle of the śrāvakas and the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas have originated from the bodhisattvas, but it is not the case that bodhisattva great beings have originated from the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas.

54.14“Leave aside all those beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm who have become followers of the vehicle of the śrāvakas or who follow the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas! Even if all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm had acquired the attributes of the śrāvakas, their merit would come nowhere near even a hundredth part of the merit of bodhisattvas who have initially set their minds on enlightenment. It would come nowhere near even a thousandth, [F.138.b] a hundred thousandth, or anything up to a hundred billion trillionth part of it. It would not even match it in any comparison or quality, and so on. If you ask why, the attributes of the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas have originated from the bodhisattvas, but it is not the case that bodhisattva great beings have originated from the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas.

54.15“Leave aside all those beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm who have acquired the attributes of the śrāvakas or who have acquired the attributes of the pratyekabuddhas! Even if all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm were established on the level of bright insight, their merit would come nowhere near even a hundredth part of the merit of bodhisattvas who have initially set their minds on enlightenment. It would come nowhere near even a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, or anything up to a hundred billion trillionth part of it. It would not even match it in any comparison or quality, and so on. If you ask why, those who are established on the level of bright insight have originated from the bodhisattvas, but it is not the case that bodhisattva great beings have originated from the level of bright insight.

54.16“Leave aside all those beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm who have been established on the level of bright insight! Even if all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm were established on the level of the spiritual family, their merit would come nowhere near even a hundredth part of the merit of bodhisattvas who have initially set their minds on enlightenment. It would come nowhere near even a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, or anything up to a hundred billion trillionth part of it. It would not even match it in any comparison or quality, and so on. If you ask why, those who are established on the level of the spiritual family have originated from the bodhisattvas, but it is not the case that bodhisattva great beings have originated from the level of the spiritual family. [F.139.a]

54.17“Leave aside all those beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm who have been established on the level of the spiritual family! {Ki.V: 134} Even if all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm were established on the eighth-lowest level, their merit would come nowhere near even a hundredth part of the merit of bodhisattvas who have initially set their minds on enlightenment. It would come nowhere near even a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, or anything up to a hundred billion trillionth part of it. It would not even match it in any comparison or quality, and so on. If you ask why, those who are on the eighth-lowest level have originated from the bodhisattvas, but it is not the case that bodhisattva great beings have originated from the eighth-lowest level.

54.18“Leave aside all those beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm who have been established on the eighth-lowest level! Even if all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm were established on the level of insight, their merit would come nowhere near even a hundredth part of the merit of bodhisattvas who have initially set their minds on enlightenment. It would come nowhere near even a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, or anything up to a hundred billion trillionth part of it. It would not even match it in any comparison or quality, and so on. If you ask why, those who are on the level of insight have originated from the bodhisattvas, but it is not the case that bodhisattva great beings have originated from the level of insight.

54.19“Leave aside all those beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm who have been established on the level of insight! Even if all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm were established on the level of attenuated refinement, their merit would come nowhere near even a hundredth part of the merit of bodhisattvas who have initially set their minds on enlightenment. It would come nowhere near even a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, or anything up to a hundred billion trillionth part of it. It would not even match it in any comparison or quality, and so on. [F.139.b] If you ask why, those who are on the level of attenuated refinement have originated from the bodhisattvas, but it is not the case that bodhisattva great beings have originated from the level of attenuated refinement.

54.20“Leave aside all those beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm who have been established on the level of attenuated refinement! Even if all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm were established on the level of no attachment, their merit would come nowhere near even a hundredth part of the merit of bodhisattvas who have initially set their minds on enlightenment. It would come nowhere near even a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, or anything up to a hundred billion trillionth part of it. It would not even match it in any comparison or quality, and so on. If you ask why, those who are established on the level of no attachment have originated from the bodhisattvas, but it is not the case that bodhisattva great beings have originated from the level of no attachment.

54.21“Leave aside all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm who have been established on the level of no attachment! Even if all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm were established on the level of [an arhat’s] spiritual achievement, their merit would come nowhere near even a hundredth part of the merit of bodhisattvas who have initially set their minds on enlightenment. It would come nowhere near even a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, or anything up to a hundred billion trillionth part of it. It would not even match it in any comparison or quality, and so on. If you ask why, those who are established on the level of spiritual achievement have originated from the bodhisattvas, but it is not the case that bodhisattva great beings have originated from the level of spiritual achievement.

54.22“Leave aside all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm who have been established on the level of spiritual achievement! [F.140.a] Even if all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm were established on the level of the pratyekabuddhas, their merit would come nowhere near even a hundredth part of the merit of bodhisattvas who have initially set their minds on enlightenment. It would come nowhere near even a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, or anything up to a hundred billion trillionth part of it. It would not even match it in any comparison or quality, and so on. If you ask why, the pratyekabuddhas have originated from the bodhisattvas, but it is not the case that bodhisattva great beings have originated from the pratyekabuddhas.

54.23“Leave aside all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm who have been established on the level of the pratyekabuddhas! Even if all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm had entered into the maturity of the bodhisattvas, their merit would come nowhere near even a hundredth part of the merit of bodhisattvas who have themselves set out for enlightenment. It would come nowhere near even a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, or anything up to a hundred billion trillionth part of it. It would not even match it in any comparison or quality, and so on.

54.24“Leave aside all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm who have entered into the maturity of the bodhisattvas! {Ki.V: 135} Even if all the beings of the world system of the great trichiliocosm had set out for enlightenment, their merit would come nowhere near even a hundredth part of the merit of the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas. It would come nowhere near even a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, or anything up to a hundred billion trillionth part of it. It would not even match it in any number. It would not even match it in any fraction. It would not even match it in any categorization. It would not even match it in any comparison. It would not even match it in any quality.”

54.25“Blessed Lord, on what should bodhisattva great beings who have initially set their minds on enlightenment focus their attention?” [F.140.b]

“They should focus their attention on all-aspect omniscience,” replied the Blessed One.

54.26“Blessed Lord, what is the entity of all-aspect omniscience? What is its reference? What is its predominant condition? What is its principle? What is its defining characteristic?”

“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “that which is called all-aspect omniscience is without entity; it is without defining characteristics. It is signless, effortless, nonarising, and unoriginated. Subhūti, you also asked, ‘What is the reference of all-aspect omniscience?’ Subhūti, all-aspect omniscience is without apprehending. Mindfulness is its predominant condition. Peace is its principle, and it is without defining characteristics. Subhūti, this is the reference of all-aspect omniscience. This is its predominant condition. This is its principle. This is its defining characteristic.”

54.27“Blessed Lord, is all-aspect omniscience exclusively a nonentity or is it not? Are physical forms also nonentities? Are feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness also nonentities? Are the sense fields, the sensory elements, and the links of dependent origination also nonentities? Are all the perfections, all the aspects of emptiness, and the thirty-seven factors conducive to enlightenment also nonentities? Are the truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, the formless absorptions, the eight aspects of liberation, the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, and [F.141.a] the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas also nonentities? Are great loving kindness, great compassion, great empathetic joy, and great equanimity also nonentities? Are conditioned elements and unconditioned elements also nonentities?” {Ki.V: 136}

54.28“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “all-aspect omniscience is indeed a nonentity. Physical forms, feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are also nonentities. The sense fields, the sensory elements, and the links of dependent origination are also nonentities. All the perfections, all the aspects of emptiness, and the thirty-seven factors conducive to enlightenment are also nonentities. The truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, the formless absorptions, the eight aspects of liberation, the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, and the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas are also nonentities. Great loving kindness, great compassion, great empathetic joy, and great equanimity are also nonentities. Conditioned elements and unconditioned elements are also nonentities. If you ask why, Subhūti, it is because in all-aspect omniscience there is no essential nature. Subhūti, that in which there is no essential nature is a nonentity.”

54.29“Blessed Lord, why is all-aspect omniscience without essential nature?”

“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “there is no conditioned essential nature. That in which there is no conditioned essential nature is a nonentity. For this reason, Subhūti, all phenomena have the essential nature of nonentity. Similarly, Subhūti, [F.141.b] all phenomena also have the essential nature of emptiness. All phenomena have the essential nature of signlessness. All phenomena have the essential nature of wishlessness. Similarly, Subhūti, all phenomena also have the essential nature of the real nature. All phenomena have the essential nature of the very limit of reality. All phenomena have the essential nature of the realm of phenomena. For this reason, too, Subhūti, one should know that all phenomena have the essential nature of nonentity.”

54.30“Blessed Lord, if all phenomena are of the essential nature of nonentity, in that case, with what skill in means do bodhisattva great beings who have initially set their minds on enlightenment refine the buddhafields and bring beings to maturity while practicing the perfection of generosity? With what do they refine the buddhafields and bring beings to maturity while practicing the perfection of ethical discipline, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom? With what do they refine the buddhafields and bring beings to maturity while practicing the first meditative concentration, the second meditative concentration, the third meditative concentration, and the fourth meditative concentration? With what do they refine the buddhafields and bring beings to maturity while practicing loving kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity? With what do they refine the buddhafields and bring beings to maturity while practicing the sphere of infinite space, the sphere of infinite consciousness, the sphere of nothing-at-all, and the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception? With what do they refine the buddhafields and bring beings to maturity while practicing the emptiness of internal phenomena, the emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, and [the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of nonentities? With what do they refine the buddhafields and bring beings to maturity [F.142.a] while practicing the applications of mindfulness, the correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, the faculties , the powers , the branches of enlightenment, and the noble eightfold path? With what do they refine the buddhafields and bring beings to maturity while practicing the truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, the formless absorptions, {Ki.V: 137} the eight aspects of liberation, the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, great loving kindness, great compassion, and [the goals], up to and including all-aspect omniscience?”

54.31“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “the skill in means of bodhisattva great beings is that they investigate all phenomena as having the essential nature of nonentity and that they refine the buddhafields and bring beings to maturity, while cognizing that those buddhafields and those beings also are of the essential nature of nonentity. They investigate the path of enlightenment while practicing the perfection of generosity, the perfection of ethical discipline, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom. They investigate the path of enlightenment while practicing the emptiness of internal phenomena, the emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of external and internal phenomena, and [the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of nonentities. [F.142.b] They investigate the path of enlightenment while practicing the applications of mindfulness, the correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, the faculties , the powers , the branches of enlightenment, and the noble eightfold path. They investigate the path of enlightenment while practicing the truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, the formless absorptions, the aspects of liberation, the serial steps of meditative absorption, emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, and the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas. They investigate the path of enlightenment while practicing [the goals], up to and including all-aspect omniscience.

54.32“They know that the path of enlightenment is also of the essential nature of nonentity. That is to say, those bodhisattva great beings practice the six perfections and investigate that path of enlightenment until they acquire the ten powers of the tathāgatas, and until they acquire the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of exact knowledge, the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, great loving kindness, great compassion, and all-aspect omniscience. That, Subhūti, is the path of the bodhisattvas. Abiding on that path, they investigate all the perfections. Having investigated all the perfections, they will, through the wisdom of a single instant, attain all-aspect omniscience. At that time, they will also cast off all afflicted mental states associated with reincarnation through the continuity of propensities, abandoning them so that they will not recur. When they observe the world system of the great trichiliocosm with the buddha eye, [F.143.a] since they do not even apprehend nonentities, what need one say about entities!

54.33“Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they dispense gifts, and although they do dispense gifts in that way, they are without concepts‍—they do not conceptualize and they do not focus their attention either on entities or on nonentities. Also, as far as the giver is concerned, they are without concepts‍—they do not conceptualize and they do not focus their attention either on entities or on nonentities. And as far as the recipient is concerned, they are without concepts‍—they do not conceptualize and they do not focus their attention either on entities or on nonentities. They do not even apprehend the mind of enlightenment. They do not conceptualize it, they do not objectify it, and they do not observe it. {Ki.V: 138}

54.34“When they practice the perfection of wisdom, they maintain ethical discipline, they cultivate tolerance, they undertake perseverance, they experience meditative concentration, and they cultivate wisdom, and although they do cultivate wisdom [and so forth] in that way, they are without concepts‍—they do not conceptualize and they do not focus their attention either on entities or on nonentities. Also, as far as the one who cultivates that wisdom is concerned, they are without concepts‍—they do not conceptualize and they do not focus their attention either on entities or on nonentities. And as far as the beings for whom they cultivate wisdom are concerned, they are without concepts‍—they do not conceptualize and they do not focus their attention either on entities or on nonentities.

54.35“When they practice the emptiness of internal phenomena, [the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of nonentities, the applications of mindfulness, the correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, the faculties , the powers , the branches of enlightenment, the noble eightfold path, the truths of the noble ones, the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, the formless absorptions, the aspects of liberation, the serial steps of meditative absorption, emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, [F.143.b] the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, the distinct qualities of the buddhas, and [the goals], up to and including all-aspect omniscience, as far as all-aspect omniscience [and so forth] are concerned, they are without concepts‍—they do not conceptualize and they do not focus their attention either on entities or on nonentities. Also, as far as [the goals], up to and including unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, are concerned, they are without concepts‍—they do not conceptualize and they do not focus their attention either on entities or on nonentities. As far as the act of attaining consummate buddhahood is concerned, along with its objective, consummate buddhahood, and the one who attains consummate buddhahood, here too they are without concepts‍—they do not conceptualize and they do not focus their attention either on entities or on nonentities. If you ask why, it is because all phenomena have the essential nature of nonentity. They have not been created by the buddhas, nor indeed have they been created by the pratyekabuddhas or the śrāvakas. All phenomena are without a creator; they are devoid of a creator.”

54.36Subhūti then asked, “Blessed Lord, in that case are all phenomena themselves devoid of all phenomena?”

“Subhūti, it is so! It is so,” replied the Blessed One. “Subhūti, all phenomena themselves are devoid of all phenomena.”

54.37“Blessed Lord, if all phenomena are in that way themselves devoid of all phenomena, how do phenomena cognize that phenomena are entities or that they are nonentities? Blessed Lord, phenomena that are nonentities cannot cognize phenomena that are nonentities. Nor can phenomena that are entities cognize phenomena that are entities. Nor can phenomena that are nonentities cognize phenomena that are entities. Nor can phenomena that are entities cognize phenomena that are nonentities. Since in that way all phenomena are not cognizable, [F.144.a] how could bodhisattva great beings think that they are entities or that they are nonentities?”

54.38“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, on the basis of mundane relative [appearances] they do teach that phenomena are entities or that they are nonentities, but that is not the case in terms of ultimate [truth].”

54.39“Blessed Lord, are mundane relative [appearances] one thing and ultimate [truth] another?”

“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “mundane relative [appearances] are not one thing and ultimate [truth] another. The real nature of mundane relative [appearances] is the real nature of ultimate [truth], but since beings misconceive it, they do not know and do not perceive that real nature. For their sake bodhisattva great beings say on the basis of mundane relative [appearances] that phenomena are entities or that they are nonentities. Subhūti, since all beings perceive the five aggregates as entities and do not perceive them as nonentities, {Ki.V: 139} for their sake, [bodhisattva great beings], commencing with the excellent analysis of phenomena, speak in such a way that they will indeed understand them to be nonentities. Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings should practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner.”

54.40This completes the fifty-fourth chapter from “The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines.”