Back to Fourth Assembly Contents

Back to Chapter 8

Taishō no. 220
Fascicle 545

Translated by Imperial Decree by Tripiṭakācārya Xuanzang

Translated into English by Shaku Shingan (6.2026)

At that time, the Venerable Subhūti then addressed the Buddha, saying: “O Bhagavān! Thus, the Prajñā Pāramitā is merely a name, and this name is also inapprehensible, merely existing as a provisional designation relying on language; therefore, the Prajñā Pāramitā is also non-existent and truly inapprehensible. The name and the Prajñā Pāramitā: these two dharmas are similar, both non-existent and inapprehensible. For what reason did the Buddha say: ‘When Maitreya Bodhisattva is about to realise unexcelled perfect awakening, he will use this very name, and will also proclaim the Prajñā Pāramitā at this very place.’”

The Buddha addressed Subhūti: “When Maitreya Bodhisattva is about to realise unexcelled perfect awakening, he will not realise the emptiness of form, nor realise that of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; he will not realise the bondage of form, nor realise that of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; he will not realise the liberation of form, nor realise that of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. Using such practices, characteristics, and aspects, when Maitreya Bodhisattva is about to realise unexcelled perfect bodhi, he will use this very name, and will also proclaim the Prajñā Pāramitā at this very place.”

The Venerable Subhūti again addressed the Buddha, saying: “The profound Prajñā Pāramitā is the most pure.”

The Buddha addressed Subhūti: “Because form is pure, the profound Prajñā Pāramitā is the most pure; because feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are pure, the profound Prajñā Pāramitā is the most pure; because space is pure, the profound Prajñā Pāramitā is the most pure; because form is undefiled, the profound Prajñā Pāramitā is the most pure; because feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are undefiled, the profound Prajñā Pāramitā is the most pure; because space is undefiled, the profound Prajñā Pāramitā is the most pure; because all defiled and undefiled dharmas are inapprehensible, the profound Prajñā Pāramitā is the most pure.”

The Venerable Subhūti again addressed the Buddha, saying: “If a son of good family or daughter of good family merely hears the name of the merits of this profound Prajñā Pāramitā, they will still obtain vast and excellent benefits; how much more so if they are able to take it up and bear it, read and recite it, cultivate and train in it, write and copy it, explain it, and widely cause it to be disseminated! Then this son of good family or daughter of good family will ultimately not die a violent death, nor have unexpected illnesses or any disasters or misfortunes, and will always be respectfully surrounded, followed, and guarded by limitless hundreds of thousands of devas and spirits. If a son of good family or daughter of good family, on the eighth day, fourteenth day, or fifteenth day of each dark and bright half of the month, reads, recites, and expounds the profound Prajñā Pāramitā everywhere, they will obtain boundless merits and benefits.”

The Buddha addressed Subhūti: “Thus it is! Thus it is! It is just as you have said. When this son of good family or daughter of good family reads, recites, and proclaims the profound Prajñā Pāramitā, limitless devas and spirits will constantly come to respectfully surround and guard them. Why is that so? The profound Prajñā Pāramitā is the unsurpassed, precious jewel of the devas, humans, asuras, and so forth. By this cause and condition, this son of good family or daughter of good family will obtain boundless merits and benefits.

“Moreover, O Subhūti! When one listens to the profound Prajñā Pāramitā, takes it up and bears it, reads and recites it, writes and copies it, makes offerings to it, cultivates and trains in it, proclaims it, and so forth, there are many evil māras who create obstacles. Why is that so? The profound Prajñā Pāramitā is a great, precious jewel, and it attracts many enemies and thieves, just as the precious jewels valued by the world, wherever they are, attract many enemies and thieves. Subhūti, you should know! The profound Prajñā Pāramitā is an unsurpassed jewel, able to bring benefit, peace, and joy to the world.

“Moreover, O Subhūti! The profound Prajñā Pāramitā, regarding all dharmas, is neither arising nor ceasing, neither forming nor destroying, neither facing nor turning away, neither attracting nor repelling, neither taking nor abandoning, neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing, neither near nor far. Why is that so? Because all dharmas are non-existent and all inapprehensible. Subhūti, you should know! Because the profound Prajñā Pāramitā does not apprehend anything regarding all dharmas, it cannot defile, and is not defiled. Why is that so? A non-dharma cannot defile a non-dharma. Subhūti, you should know! Because form is without defilement, the profound Prajñā Pāramitā is also without defilement; because feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are without defilement, the profound Prajñā Pāramitā is also without defilement; because the profound Prajñā Pāramitā is without defilement, form and other dharmas are also without defilement. If one is also without discrimination regarding this, this is practising the Prajñā Pāramitā. Subhūti, you should know! Because the profound Prajñā Pāramitā is without discrimination, regarding all dharmas, it neither takes nor abandons, there is nothing taught nor revealed; and it neither attracts nor repels.”

Then, limitless hundreds of thousands of devaputras dwelling in empty space leapt for joy, mutually celebrated and consoled one another, and all spoke in unison, saying: “Today in Jambudvīpa, we see the Buddha turning the wondrous Dharma-wheel for the second time.”

At that time, the Bhagavān told Subhūti: “Such a Dharma-wheel as this is neither turned for the first time nor for a second time. Why is that so? The profound Prajñā Pāramitā appears in the world not for the sake of turning any dharma, nor for the sake of returning any dharma; it appears in the world merely because of non-existence and the emptiness of self-nature. If a bodhisattva mahāsattva can know thus without discrimination, this is practising the Prajñā Pāramitā.”

The Venerable Subhūti then addressed the Buddha, saying: “The profound Prajñā Pāramitā is the vast pāramitā, because it penetrates the emptiness of the self-nature of all dharmas. Although penetrating that the self-nature of all dharmas is empty, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas, relying on the profound Prajñā Pāramitā, are without bondage and without attachment regarding all dharmas, realise unexcelled perfect bodhi, turn the wondrous Dharma-wheel, and liberate the multitudes of sentient beings; although they realise bodhi, there is nothing realised, because both the dharma of realisation and non-realisation are inapprehensible; although they turn the Dharma-wheel, there is nothing turned, because both the dharma of turning and the dharma of returning are inapprehensible; although they liberate sentient beings, there is nothing liberated, because both the dharma of seeing and non-seeing are inapprehensible. O Bhagavān! Within the profound teaching of this great Prajñā Pāramitā, the matter of turning the Dharma-wheel is altogether inapprehensible. Why is that so? Because within this, there is no dharma that can be revealed, no dharma that can be shown, no dharma that can be apprehended, no dharma that can be turned, no dharma that can be returned. Why is that so? Because all dharmas ultimately do not arise and also do not cease, and because they do not arise and cease, there is no turning and no returning.”

At that time, the Bhagavān told Subhūti: “Thus it is! Thus it is! Why is that so? Because within the dharmas of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, there can be no dharma that can be turned and no dharma that can be returned, because the nature of the dharmas of turning and returning is inapprehensible. If one can thus proclaim and reveal it, this is called the properly pure proclamation of the Prajñā Pāramitā. Within this, there is neither a speaker, nor a receiver, nor a dharma that is spoken and received. Since there is no speaker, receiver, or dharma, those able to realise are also inapprehensible; because there is no realiser, there is also no one who can attain nirvāṇa, nor is there anyone who speaks the Dharma to act as a field of merit. Because there is no field of merit, the nature of merit is also empty. Because both expression and nominal words are inapprehensible, it is named the vast and great pāramitā.”

At that time, Subhūti again addressed the Buddha, saying: “The profound Prajñā Pāramitā is the boundless pāramitā, because like great space, it is without boundaries; it is the unequalled pāramitā, because all dharmas are inapprehensible; it is the secluded pāramitā, because it is ultimately empty; it is the indomitable pāramitā, because the nature and characteristics of all dharmas are inapprehensible; it is the traceless pāramitā, because it has no going, no coming, and no physical form; it is the non-existent pāramitā, because it is without going or coming; it is the non-activity pāramitā, because all dharmas are without movement or turning; it is the non-robbing pāramitā, because all dharmas cannot be grasped; it is the inexhaustible pāramitā, because it constantly corresponds with the inexhaustible dharma; it is the non-arising pāramitā, because all dharmas cannot arise; it is the non-action pāramitā, because all agents are inapprehensible; it is the non-knowing pāramitā, because regarding all dharmas, there is no knower; it is the non-seeing pāramitā, because regarding all dharmas, there is no seer; it is the non-turning pāramitā, because one who dies or is born is inapprehensible; it is the indestructible pāramitā, and its beginning, end, and middle limits are inapprehensible; it is the illusion-like pāramitā, because all dharmas are without arising and without expression; it is the dream-like pāramitā, because it is the nature of equality of all mental consciousnesses; it is the unadulterated pāramitā, because greed, anger, and delusion have no self-nature; it is the inapprehensible pāramitā, because that which is relied upon is inapprehensible; it is the non-conceptual proliferation pāramitā, because all dharmas transcend thought and discussion; it is the thought-free pāramitā, because all dharmas are without wavering; it is the unmoving pāramitā, because it abides in the dharma-realm; it is the detached-from-defilement pāramitā, because all dharmas are not false or deceptive; it is the non-arising pāramitā, because all dharmas are without discrimination; it is the quiescent pāramitā, because the characteristics of all dharmas are inapprehensible; it is the faultless pāramitā, because through the cultivation of all merits, it reaches the other shore; it is the non-sentient-being pāramitā, because it realises the reality limit; it is the uninterrupted pāramitā, because all dharmas are without arising; it is the true-reality pāramitā, because it is without discrimination; it is the non-duality of the extremes pāramitā, because regarding all dharmas, there is no attachment; it is the non-mixed and indestructible pāramitā, because all dharmas do not combine; it is the non-grasping and non-attaching pāramitā, because it transcends the stages of all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas; it is the non-applied thought and non-sustained thought pāramitā, because it reaches the nature of equality of the dharmas of applied and sustained thought; it is the immeasurable pāramitā, because it is an immeasurable dharma; it is the non-arising pāramitā, because it is free from self and dharmas; it is the non-discriminating pāramitā, because it is the nature of equality of all discriminations; it is the inapprehensible pāramitā, because it reaches the true nature of all dharmas; it is the non-attached pāramitā, because regarding all dharmas, it is entirely without attachment; it is the independent pāramitā, because it has nothing to rely on; it is the unborn pāramitā, because all dharmas are entirely unborn; it is the impermanent pāramitā, because all dharmas constantly lack a nature; it is named the suffering pāramitā, because it is the nature of equality of the dharmas of affliction and torment; it is the non-self pāramitā, because regarding all dharmas, there is no attachment; it is named the emptiness pāramitā, because all dharmas are inapprehensible; it is the signless pāramitā, because all dharmas are free from signs; it is the wishless pāramitā, because there is nothing accomplished; it is named the power pāramitā, because all dharmas cannot be subjugated; it is the immeasurable Buddha-dharma pāramitā, because it surpasses numbers and quantities; it is the fearless pāramitā, because its mind is ultimately without cowardice or fear; it is the true thusness pāramitā, because it is the unchangeable nature of all dharmas; it is the spontaneous pāramitā, because all dharmas are without self-nature; it is the knowledge of all knowledge pāramitā, because it knows that all dharmas are without self-nature.”

The Buddha said: “O Subhūti! Thus it is! Thus it is! It is just as you have said.”

Forward to Chapter 10

Back to Main Sūtra Contents