Overall Teaching

The Perfection of Wisdom leads all beings to all-knowledge and should be treated as the teacher. Nothing is truly procured by it and it is practiced through non-practice: thus one leads beings to nirvana without perceiving beings or nirvana. One will encounter this teaching as the result of honouring and questioning the buddhas in past lives. However, beings have different conditions that allow them to learn at different speeds: but those who reject the Perfection of Wisdom and mislead others will be reborn in the hells for beyond an immeasurable period.

Summary

1.     Hymn to the Perfection of Wisdom

a.     Śāriputra declares that the Perfection of Wisdom is all-knowledge and praises her qualities as being able to lead beings to knowledge and away from ignorance. [170]

2.     Predominance of Perfect Wisdom over the Other Perfections

a.     Śāriputra asks how one should stand in, attend to, and pay homage to the Perfection of Wisdom.

b.     The Buddha says that it should be treated like the teacher himself. [171]

c.     In response to Śakra’s question, Subhūti explains that he asks this because the Perfection of Wisdom is what allows the five perfections to allow one to ascend to all-knowledge. [172-3]

3.     Nothing Procured by Perfect Wisdom

a.     The Buddha explains that the non-obtaining [consummation (abhinirhṛ)] of the five skandhas is the obtainment of the perfection of wisdom.

b.     The Perfection of Wisdom does not obtain any phenomenon (dharma), and is therefore called the Perfection of Wisdom

c.     It procures all-knowledge in so far as it does not procure—for the purpose of non-production and non-stopping of all phenomena/dharmas.

d.     A bodhisattva practices it without perceiving or practicing. [174]

4.     Why the Perfection of Wisdom is Great

a.     Subhūti claims that the Perfection of Wisdom is great because it does not assemble or disperse anything, including the qualities of a buddha: perceiving this is practicing the Perfection of Wisdom.

b.     One leads beings to final nirvana without perceiving beings or nirvana; all these awakened qualities are without own being, isolated, unthinkable, indestructible, and do not undergo a process, because beings are of those such qualities. [175-6]

5.     Causes of Belief in the Perfection of Wisdom

a.     Śāriputra asks what past-life causes there are for beings who here believe in the Perfection of Wisdom.

b.     The Buddha says that they have honoured and questioned the buddhas in past lives and here identify the Perfection of Wisdom with the teacher and act accordingly. [176]

c.     The Buddha explains that one cannot learn about the Perfection of Wisdom from the skandhas, elements, or sense-fields, because in being empty, isolated, and calmly quiet, they and not apprehendable, and are therefore called the Perfection of Wisdom: with no perception, appellation, conception, or conventional expression. [177]

d.     Bodhisattvas have unequal faculties, and thus must practice for different lengths before they truly are practicing the Perfection of Wisdom.

6.     Causes and Consequences of Disbelief

a.     Some bodhisattvas may practice with countless buddhas, but because they did not respect the Perfection of Wisdom, they lacked faith and piled up karma conducive to the ruin of the Dharma, so they are weak in wisdom and still don’t practice, but reject the Perfection of Wisdom. [178-9]

b.     After rejecting all-knowledge, they turn away others, and wrongly represent the Buddha’s word. Consequently, they reject the triple gem and will create karma conducive to the great hells. [179]

c.     They will pass through various great hells and hells of different worlds after the previous worlds are consumed by fire because their teachings are so bad. [180]

d.     Those who reject the Perfection of Wisdom and dissuade others from it are not given any vision and are defamers of the dharma, rubbish, blackguards, and vipers. They bring misfortune. [181]

e.     If the length of their time in the hells were told, it would overpower beings with great fright. This should be enough to encourage beings not to reject the good Dharma. [182]

f.      Those who reject the Perfection of Wisdom oppose the buddhas, the Dharma, and the Sangha and are shut out from the triple gem. The unwholesome karma-formation that results is greater than immeasurable. [183]

g.     One may do this because they are beset by Mara, in the hands of bad friends, or settling down in the skandhas and exalting oneself at the expense of others. [184]