Chapter 68

68.1Then the venerable Subhūti asked the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, if these attributes are the attributes of a bodhisattva, what are the attributes of a buddha?”

68.2“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “you ask, ‘If these attributes are the attributes of a bodhisattva, what are the attributes of a buddha?’ Subhūti, the attributes of a buddha {Ki.VIII: 141} are the very same attributes once consummate buddhahood has been attained in all respects. They then attain all-aspect omniscience and abandon all the connecting propensities. With regard to this [distinction], bodhisattva great beings will attain consummate buddhahood. The tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas have attained consummate buddhahood with respect to all phenomena through the wisdom of a single instant, for which reason they are styled tathāgatas . That is the distinction between bodhisattva great beings and the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas.

68.3“Subhūti, just as those entering [the fruits] are of one type and those established in the fruits are of another type, and yet these two types are not said to denote ‘unholy individuals,’ in the same way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings are those entering the unimpeded path and the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas are those who have acquired wisdom that is unobscured with respect to all phenomena. [F.316.a] That, Subhūti, is the distinction between bodhisattva great beings and the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas.”

68.4Subhūti then asked, “Blessed Lord, if all phenomena are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics, how can one make distinctions and differentiate between these phenomena that are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics, saying, ‘This is a denizen of the hells. This one belongs to the animal realm. This one is a being of the world of Yama. This one is a god. This one is a human being. This one is on the level of the spiritual family. This one is on the eighth-lowest level. This one has entered the stream to nirvāṇa. This one is destined for only one more rebirth. This one is no longer subject to rebirth. This one is an arhat. This one is a pratyekabuddha. This one is a bodhisattva. This one is a tathāgata, arhat, completely awakened buddha.’ Blessed Lord, just as individual persons cannot be apprehended, in the same way their karma also cannot be apprehended. Just as their karma cannot be apprehended, in the same way the maturation of their karma also cannot be apprehended.”

68.5“Subhūti, it is so! It is so,” replied the Blessed One. “It is as you have said. No karma or maturation of karma can be apprehended with respect to all phenomena that are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics. On the other hand, Subhūti, those who do not know that all phenomena are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics do condition karma, whether based on negative conduct or positive conduct, or whether it is neutral. Through karma based on negative conduct they regress into the three inferior realms. Through karma based on positive conduct they are born as gods and as human beings. [F.316.b] Through karma that is without degeneration, they are born in the realm of form or the realm of formlessness.

68.6“In this regard, bodhisattva great beings develop the path of enlightenment through conduct that is without degeneration while practicing the perfection of generosity; 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; while practicing the emptiness of internal phenomena; {Ki.VIII: 142} while practicing [the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of nonentity; while practicing the applications of mindfulness; while practicing the correct exertions, the supports for miraculous ability, the faculties , the powers , the branches of enlightenment, and the noble eightfold path; 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, the gateways of liberation‍—emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness‍—the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, and the dhāraṇī gateways; and while practicing the ten powers of the tathāgatas, the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas. They then become absorbed in the vajra-like meditative stability, attended by the retinue of the branches of enlightenment, and they attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. Having attained consummate buddhahood, they act for the benefit of beings. Having acted for their benefit, they in no way neglect them in the future. [F.317.a] Acting in that manner they do not regress into cyclic existence with its five classes of living beings.”

68.7“Blessed Lord, does the Blessed Lord see cyclic existence with its five classes of living beings, having attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment?”

“No, Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One.

68.8“Blessed Lord, do the tathāgatas apprehend phenomena that are negative, phenomena that are positive, phenomena that may be negative or positive, and phenomena that are neither negative nor positive?”

“No, Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One.

68.9“Blessed Lord, if these are not apprehended, how do beings conceive of the hells, the animal realm, or the world of Yama? How do they conceive of gods and human beings? How do they conceive of individuals entering the stream to nirvāṇa, individuals destined for only one more rebirth, individuals no longer subject to rebirth, arhats, and pratyekabuddhas? How do they conceive of bodhisattvas and tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas?”

68.10“Subhūti, do these beings know that phenomena are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics?” asked the Blessed One.

“No, they do not!”

68.11“Subhūti,” continued the Blessed One, “if those beings knew that phenomena are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics, bodhisattva great beings would indeed not set out for unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. If they did not set out for unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, [F.317.b] they would not liberate beings from the three inferior realms and from the other classes of beings within cyclic existence. Subhūti, it is because {Ki.VIII: 143} beings do not know that phenomena are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics that they are not liberated from cyclic existence with its five classes of beings. For this reason, bodhisattva great beings hear from those lord buddhas that all phenomena are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics, and set out for unsurpassed, complete enlightenment for the sake of beings. These phenomena do not exist in the manner in which ordinary, simple persons are fixated on them. So it is that they imagine nonexistent and inauthentic phenomena to exist, and they perceive nonexistent beings as beings. They perceive nonexistent physical forms as physical forms. They perceive nonexistent feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness as consciousness [and so forth]. They perceive nonexistent sense fields as sense fields. They perceive nonexistent sensory elements as sensory elements. They perceive nonexistent links of dependent origination as links of dependent origination. They perceive nonexistent mundane phenomena as mundane phenomena. They perceive nonexistent supramundane phenomena as supramundane phenomena. They perceive nonexistent contaminated phenomena as contaminated phenomena. They perceive nonexistent uncontaminated phenomena as uncontaminated phenomena. They perceive nonexistent conditioned phenomena as conditioned phenomena, and they perceive nonexistent unconditioned phenomena as unconditioned phenomena. With minds that are mistaken due to misconception concerning nonexistents, [F.318.a] they effect the conditioning of body, speech, and mind. Since these persons are not liberated from cyclic existence with its five classes of beings, bodhisattva great beings engage in the conduct of a bodhisattva, integrating all virtuous attributes in the perfection of wisdom, and they will attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. Having attained consummate buddhahood, they will then liberate beings from cyclic existence with its five classes of beings.”

68.12Subhūti then asked, “If all phenomena are empty of intrinsic defining characteristics, how do bodhisattva great beings, having attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, liberate beings from cyclic existence with its five classes of beings?”

68.13“In this regard, Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “having attained consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, bodhisattva great beings teach to beings the [nature of] suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering , and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering , explaining, determining, establishing, interpreting, commenting upon, elucidating, and correctly describing these [four truths of the noble ones]. In these four truths of the noble ones are included all the virtuous attributes and factors conducive to enlightenment through which the Three Precious Jewels are established. That is to say, through the appearance in the world of the precious jewel of the Buddha, the precious jewel of the Dharma, and the precious jewel of the Saṅgha, beings are liberated from cyclic existence with its five classes of beings.” [F.318.b]

68.14“Blessed Lord, do they pass into final nirvāṇa through the cognition of suffering or do they pass into final nirvāṇa through suffering? Do they pass into final nirvāṇa through the cognition of the origin of suffering or do they pass into final nirvāṇa through the origin of suffering? {Ki.VIII: 144} Do they pass into final nirvāṇa through the cognition of the cessation of suffering or do they pass into final nirvāṇa through the cessation of suffering ? Do they pass into final nirvāṇa through the cognition of the path or do they pass into final nirvāṇa through the path ?”

68.15“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “they do not pass into final nirvāṇa through the cognition of suffering, nor do they through suffering. They do not pass into final nirvāṇa through the cognition of the origin of suffering, nor do they through the origin of suffering. They do not pass into final nirvāṇa through the cognition of the cessation of suffering , nor do they through the cessation of suffering . They do not pass into final nirvāṇa through the cognition of the path , nor do they through the path . Subhūti, I have said that the sameness of these four truths of the noble ones is nirvāṇa. That is to say, they do not pass into final nirvāṇa through the cognition of suffering, nor do they through suffering. They do not pass into final nirvāṇa through the cognition of the origin of suffering, nor do they through the origin of suffering. They do not pass into final nirvāṇa through the cognition of the cessation of suffering , nor do they through the cessation of suffering . They do not pass into final nirvāṇa through the cognition of the path , nor do they through the path .”

68.16“Blessed Lord, what then is the sameness of the four truths of the noble ones, [F.319.a] in which there is neither suffering nor the cognition of suffering, neither the origin of suffering nor the cognition of the origin of suffering, neither the cessation of suffering nor the cognition of the cessation of suffering, and neither the path nor the cognition of the path ?”

68.17“That is the real nature of these four truths of the noble ones,” replied the Blessed One. “It is their unmistaken real nature, their one and only real nature, their reality, the realm of phenomena, the abiding nature of reality, the maturity of all phenomena, and the very limit of reality. Whether the tathātagas have appeared or whether the tathāgatas have not appeared, the expanse that dwells in that manner‍—the realm of phenomena‍—is present without degeneration and without diminution. Therefore, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner, they act so that the truths might be understood in the way that the truths should be understood.”

68.18Subhūti then asked, “Blessed Lord, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, how do they practice so as to realize the truths? When they practice, how do they realize and know the truths, so that, having comprehended them, they do not regress into the level of the śrāvakas or the level of the pratyekabuddhas, but set out for the maturation of the bodhisattvas?”

68.19“In this regard, Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they see these phenomena without apprehending anything at all. By not apprehending anything, {Ki.VIII: 145} [F.319.b] they see that all phenomena are empty, whether they are included in the truths or not included in the truths. Seeing in that manner, bodhisattva great beings who embark on the maturation [of the bodhisattvas] will be established on the level of the spiritual family, and when those bodhisattvas have been established on the level of the spiritual family, they will not fall from the summit. That is to say, they will not fall from the summit, regressing into the level of the śrāvakas or the level of the pratyekabuddhas. Abiding on the level of the spiritual family of which bodhisattvas partake, they achieve the four meditative concentrations, and they achieve the four immeasurable attitudes and the four formless absorptions. By seeing in that manner, they dwell in them and cognize all phenomena. They understand the four truths. Although they comprehend suffering, they do not produce thoughts that have suffering as their objective referent. Although they have renounced the origin of suffering, they do not produce thoughts that have the origin of suffering as their objective referent. Although they actualize the cessation of suffering , they do not produce thoughts that have the cessation of suffering as their objective referent. Although they cultivate the path , they do not produce thoughts that have the path as their objective referent. Rather, they see all phenomena definitively, just as they are, with a mind that is inclined toward enlightenment.”

68.20“Blessed Lord, what is the definitive nature of all phenomena, just as they are?”

“It is emptiness,” replied the Blessed One.

68.21“Blessed Lord, what is emptiness?”

“The emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics,” replied the Blessed One. “Through such higher insight, they see that all phenomena are empty. That is to say, they do not see inherent existence in anything at all, on which they might settle or through which they might attain consummate buddhahood in enlightenment. [F.320.a] Indeed, enlightenment is a nonentity. It has not been created by the buddhas. It has not been created by pratyekabuddhas. Nor has it been created by arhats, those no longer subject to rebirth, those destined for only one more rebirth, or those entering the stream to nirvāṇa. This enlightenment has not been created even by bodhisattva great beings who practice it. On the contrary, it is because beings do not know and do not see [phenomena] definitively that bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom and teach the Dharma to beings through skill in means.”

68.22This completes the sixty-eighth chapter from “The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines.” {Ki.VIII: 158}