Chapter 6

The Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom in Ten Thousand Lines

Chapter 6: Training

6.1   “Śāradvatīputra, you said that you do not consider any phenomenon which may be designated by the term ‘bodhisattva.’ Indeed, Śāradvatīputra, phenomena do not consider phenomena. Nor, Śāradvatīputra, do phenomena consider the expanse of reality. The sensory element of sights does not consider the expanse of reality. Nor does the expanse of reality consider the sensory element of sights, and in the same way, the expanse of reality does not consider [any other sensory elements] up to and including the sensory element of consciousness. Nor does the sensory element of consciousness and so forth consider the expanse of reality.

6.2   “Śāradvatīputra, the sensory element of the eyes does not consider the expanse of reality; nor does the expanse of reality consider the sensory element of the eyes. In the same vein, [the other sensory elements] up to and including the sensory element of the mental faculty do not consider the expanse of reality; nor does the expanse of reality consider [those other sensory elements up to and including] the sensory element of the mental faculty. The sensory element of visual consciousness does not consider the expanse of reality; nor does the expanse of reality consider the sensory element of visual consciousness. [The other sensory elements] up to and including the sensory element of mental consciousness do not consider the expanse of reality; nor does the expanse of reality consider [those other sensory elements up to and including] the sensory element of mental consciousness. If you ask why, Śāradvatīputra, it is because conditioned elements do not consider unconditioned elements, and because unconditioned elements do not consider conditioned elements. Śāradvatīputra, unconditioned elements cannot be designated except in terms of conditioned elements, and conditioned elements cannot be designated except in terms of unconditioned elements.”

6.3   Then, Senior Śāradvatīputra asked the Blessed One as follows: “Venerable Lord, if phenomena do not consider phenomena, and in the same vein, [all other sensory elements] up to and including the sensory element of mental consciousness do not consider the expanse of reality, then in that case, Venerable Lord, what is the meaning of the term ‘great bodhisattva being’?”

6.4   The Blessed One then addressed Senior Śāradvatīputra as follows: “Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ is a meaningless term. If you ask why, Śāradvatīputra, it is because the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ is without identity. For this reason, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ is a meaningless term. Śāradvatīputra, just as tracks of birds in the sky are non-existent, in the same way the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ is non-existent. Śāradvatīputra, just as a dream has no basis, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ is non-existent. Śāradvatīputra, just as a magical display is without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ is non-existent. Śāradvatīputra, just as a mirage is without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ is non-existent. Śāradvatīputra, just as an echo, an optical aberration, the reflection of the moon in water, and a phantom emanation of the tathāgatas are without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ is non-existent. Śāradvatīputra, just as the real nature is without foundation, and in the same way, the unmistaken real nature, the reality, the expanse of reality, and maturity with respect to all things are without foundation, likewise, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ is non-existent. Śāradvatīputra, just as the finality of existence is without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ is non-existent.

6.5   “Śāradvatīputra, just as the physical form of an illusory person is without foundation, and in the same way, the aggregate of feelings, the aggregate of perceptions, the aggregate of formative predispositions, and the aggregate of consciousness are without foundation, likewise, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ is non-existent.

6.6   “Śāradvatīputra, just as the eyes of an illusory person are without foundation, and in the same way, [their other sense organs] up to and including the mental faculty are without foundation, and the same goes for the [external] sense fields, which are also without foundation, starting from the sense field of sights through to the sense field of mental phenomena, likewise, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ is non-existent.

6.7   “Śāradvatīputra, just as [the notion of] an illusory person engaging in the emptiness of internal phenomena is without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent. In the same vein, just as [the notion of] an illusory person engaging in [all the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities, is without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent.

6.8   “Śāradvatīputra, just as [the notion of] an illusory person practicing the ten powers of the tathāgatas is without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent. In the same vein, just as [the notion of an illusory person] practicing [all the other fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, is without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent.

6.9   “Śāradvatīputra, just as [the notion of] the physical forms of a tathāgata, arhat, and completely perfect buddha is without foundation, and in the same way, feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are without foundation, likewise, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent. Śāradvatīputra, just as [the notion of] the eyes of a tathāgata, arhat, and completely perfect buddha is without foundation, and in the same way, [the notions of their other sense organs], up to and including the mental faculty, are without foundation, likewise, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent.

6.10   “Śāradvatīputra, just as [the notion of] a tathāgata, arhat, and completely perfect buddha engaging in the emptiness of internal phenomena is without foundation, and, in the same vein, just as [the notion of a tathāgata, arhat, and completely perfect buddha] engaging in [all the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities, is without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent.

6.11   “Śāradvatīputra, just as [the notion of] a tathāgata, arhat, and completely perfect buddha having the four applications of mindfulness is without foundation, and, in the same vein, just as [the notion of a tathāgata, arhat, and completely perfect buddha] having [the other causal and fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, is without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent.

6.12   “Śāradvatīputra, just as the presence of unconditioned elements in conditioned elements is without foundation, and the presence of conditioned elements in unconditioned elements is without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent.

6.13   “Śāradvatīputra, just as non-arising is without foundation, and in the same way, non-ceasing, non-conditioning, non-origination, non-apprehension, non-affliction, and non-purification are without foundation, likewise, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent.”

6.14   Then Senior Śāradvatīputra asked the Blessed One, “Venerable Lord! The non-arising of what is without foundation? The non-affliction and so on of what is without foundation? The non-purification and so on of what is without foundation?”

6.15   The Blessed One replied, “Śāradvatīputra, the non-arising of physical forms is without foundation. Similarly, the non-arising of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness is without foundation. In the same vein, [those other non-attributes], up to and including the non-affliction of physical forms and the non-purification of physical forms, are without foundation. Similarly, the non-affliction and non-purification of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are without foundation.

6.16   “Śāradvatīputra, the non-arising, non-affliction, and non-purification of the eyes are without foundation. Similarly, the non-arising, non-affliction, and non-purification of the ears, nose, tongue, and body are without foundation, and in the same vein, the non-arising, non-affliction, and non-purification of [all sense organs], up to and including the mental faculty, are without foundation. Similarly, the non-arising, non-affliction, and non-purification of the sensory element of the eyes are without foundation, and in the same vein, the non-arising, non-affliction, and non-purification of [all other sensory elements], up to and including the sensory element of mental consciousness, are without foundation. Similarly, the non-arising, non-affliction, and non-purification of the applications of mindfulness are without foundation, and in the same vein, the non-arising, non-affliction, and non-purification of [all other causal attributes], up to and including the noble eightfold path, are without foundation.

6.17   “Śāradvatīputra, just as the non-arising, non-affliction, and non-purification of the ten powers of the tathāgatas are without foundation, in the same vein, the non-arising, non-affliction, and non-purification of [all other fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, are without foundation. As in all these cases, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent.

6.18   “Śāradvatīputra, just as the utter purity of the applications of mindfulness is without foundation, and, in the same vein, just as the utter purity [of all other causal attributes], up to and including the noble eightfold path, is without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent.

6.19   “Śāradvatīputra, just as the utter purity of the ten powers of the tathāgatas is without foundation, and, in the same vein, just as the utter purity [of all other fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, is without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom is non-existent.

6.20   “Śāradvatīputra, just as the utter purity of self is without foundation on account of selflessness, and, in the same vein, just as the utter purity of [the notions of] sentient beings, living organisms, lives, individuals, humankind, human beings, agents, actors, petitioners, instigators, experiencers, experiencing subjects, knowers, and viewers is without foundation owing to the absence of knowers, viewers, and so on, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent.

6.21   “Śāradvatīputra, just as darkness when the sun has risen is without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent. Similarly, Śāradvatīputra, just as when an eon of conflagration will occur, all that is included in conditioned phenomena will be without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent.

6.22   “Śāradvatīputra, just as [the notion of] degenerate morality with respect to the aggregate of ethical discipline possessed by the tathāgatas, arhats, and completely perfect buddhas is without foundation, and similarly, just as the [notion of] mental distraction with respect to their meditative stability is without foundation, and similarly, just as the [notion of] stupidity with respect to their aggregate of wisdom is without foundation, and similarly, just as the [notion of] non-liberation with respect to their aggregate of liberation is without foundation, and similarly, just as [the notion of] the misperception of liberating pristine cognition with respect to their aggregate that perceives liberating pristine cognition is without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent.

6.23   “Śāradvatīputra, just as the light of the tathāgatas and the light of the moon and the sun are without foundation, and, in the same vein, just as the light of the gods of the Trayastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarata, and Paranirmitavaśavartin realms, and similarly, the light of the gods [of the world system of form], extending from the Brahmakāyika realm as far as the Pure Abodes, are without foundation, in the same way, Śāradvatīputra, the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent. If you ask why, Śāradvatīputra, it is because all those phenomena which enlightenment denotes and which the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ denotes are neither conjoined nor disjoined, and they are immaterial, unrevealed, and unobstructed. That is to say, their only defining characteristic is that they are without defining characteristics. Therefore, Śāradvatīputra, great bodhisattva beings should train without attachment to anything.”

6.24   Then Senior Śāradvatīputra asked the Blessed One, “Venerable Lord! If all those phenomena which enlightenment denotes, and which the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ denotes are neither conjoined nor disjoined, and immaterial, unrevealed, and unobstructed, that is to say, if their only defining characteristic is that they are without defining characteristics, there are some who might ask that if all those phenomena are neither conjoined nor disjoined, and immaterial, unrevealed, and unobstructed, that is to say, if their only defining characteristic is that they are without defining characteristics, how then could this illusory person, after training in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, attain emancipation in omniscience? If they were to ask such a question, how should I respond?

6.25   “Similarly, how could this illusory person attain emancipation in omniscience after training in the transcendent perfection of meditative concentration, training in the transcendent perfection of perseverance, training in the transcendent perfection of tolerance, training in the transcendent perfection of ethical discipline, and training in the transcendent perfection of generosity? Similarly, how could this illusory person attain emancipation in omniscience after training in the applications of mindfulness, and, in the same vein, how could this illusory person attain emancipation in omniscience after training in [the other causal attributes], up to and including the noble eightfold path? In the same vein, how could this illusory person attain emancipation in omniscience after training in the ten powers of the tathāgatas? In the same vein, how could this illusory person attain emancipation in omniscience after training in [the other fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas? Then, how could this illusory person attain emancipation in omniscience after training in omniscient pristine cognition? If they were to ask such questions, Venerable Lord, how should I respond?”

6.26   “Śāradvatīputra, to that end, I will question you and you may answer as best you can. Śāradvatīputra, do you think that physical forms are one thing, and that illusions are another? Similarly, do you think that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are one thing, and that illusions are another? Śāradvatīputra, do you think that the applications of mindfulness are one thing, and that illusions are another? In the same vein, do you think that [the other causal attributes] up to and including the noble eightfold path are one thing, and that illusions are another? Śāradvatīputra, do you think that the ten powers of the tathāgatas are one thing, and that illusions are another, and in the same vein, do you think that [the other fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, are one thing, and that illusions are another? Do you think that emptiness is one thing, and that illusions are another, or that signlessness is one thing, and that illusions are another, or that aspirationlessness is one thing, and that illusions are another?” “No, Venerable Lord!” he replied.

6.27   “Śāradvatīputra, do you think that enlightenment is one thing, and that illusions are another?” “No, Venerable Lord!” he replied. “Physical forms are not one thing, and illusions another. Illusion itself is physical forms, and physical forms themselves are illusion. Similarly, feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are not one thing, and illusions another. Consciousness [and the other aggregates] are themselves illusion, and illusion itself is consciousness [and the other aggregates]. Similarly, the eyes are not one thing, and illusions another. The eyes themselves are illusion, and illusion itself is the eyes. Similarly, [all the other sense organs], up to and including the mental faculty, and in the same vein, [all phenomenological categories], up to and including feelings conditioned by sensory contact that is visually compounded, are not one thing, and illusions another. Illusion itself is feelings conditioned by sensory contact that is visually compounded, and feelings conditioned by sensory contact that is visually compounded are themselves illusion. [The other aspects of feelings], up to and including feelings conditioned by sensory contact that is mentally compounded, are not one thing, and illusions another. Illusion itself is feelings conditioned by sensory contact that is mentally compounded, and feelings conditioned by sensory contact that is mentally compounded are themselves illusion. Similarly, the applications of mindfulness are not one thing, and illusions another. Illusion is itself the applications of mindfulness, and applications of mindfulness are themselves illusion. In the same vein, [all the other causal attributes], up to and including the noble eightfold path, are not one thing, and illusions another. Illusion itself is the noble eightfold path, and the noble eightfold path itself is illusion. Similarly, the ten powers of the tathāgatas are not one thing, and illusions another. Illusion itself is the ten powers of the tathāgatas, and the ten powers of the tathāgatas are themselves illusion. Similarly, the gateways to liberation are not one thing, and illusions another. Illusion is itself the gateways to liberation, and the gateways to liberation are themselves illusion. In the same vein, [all the other fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, are not one thing, and illusions another. Illusion itself is the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, and the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas themselves are illusion.”

6.28   The Blessed One then said, “In that case, Śāradvatīputra, do you think that there is affliction or purification with respect to that illusion?” “No, Venerable Lord!” he replied.

6.29   “Then, Śāradvatīputra, do you think that there is arising or ceasing with respect to that illusion?” “No, Venerable Lord!”

6.30   “Śāradvatīputra, do you think that that which is without arising, ceasing, affliction, and purification can train in the transcendent perfection of wisdom and attain emancipation in omniscience, or do you think that that can subsequently reach omniscience?” “No, Venerable Lord!”

6.31   “Śāradvatīputra, then, does this name, symbol, designation, or term ‘bodhisattva’ apply to the five acquisitive psycho-physical aggregates?” “No, Venerable Lord!”

6.32   “Śāradvatīputra, is that which is without name, without symbol, without designation, without conventional expression, without denomination, without corporeal form, without physical actions, without speech, without verbal actions, without mind, without mental actions, without arising, without ceasing, without affliction, and without purification able to train in the transcendent perfection of wisdom and then attain emancipation in omniscience?” “No, Venerable Lord!”

6.33   “Śāradvatīputra, so it is that when great bodhisattva beings have trained in the transcendent perfection of wisdom without apprehending anything, they will attain emancipation in omniscience.”

6.34   Then Senior Śāradvatīputra asked the Blessed One as follows: “Venerable Lord! Great bodhisattva beings who practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom accordingly, and seek emancipation in unsurpassed completely perfect enlightenment, should always train in the manner of an illusory person. If one were to ask why, Venerable Lord, it is so that the five acquisitive psycho-physical aggregates might be understood to resemble an illusory person.”

6.35   “Śāradvatīputra, do you think that these five acquisitive psycho-physical aggregates can train in the transcendent perfection of wisdom and attain emancipation in omniscience?” “No, Venerable Lord!” he replied. “And if one were to ask why, Venerable Lord, it is because the five psycho-physical aggregates have an essential nature of non-entity, and the essential nature of non-entity is non-apprehensible.”

6.36   “Śāradvatīputra, do you think that the five psycho-physical aggregates can, in a dreamlike manner, train in the transcendent perfection of wisdom and attain emancipation in omniscience?” “No, Venerable Lord!” he replied, “And if one were to ask why, Venerable Lord, it is because dreams have an essential nature of non-entity, and the essential nature of non-entity is non-apprehensible.”

6.37 “Śāradvatīputra, do you think that the five psycho-physical aggregates can, in the manner of an echo, or similarly, in the manner of an optical aberration, a mirage, or a phantom, [train in the transcendent perfection of wisdom and attain emancipation in omniscience]?” “No, Venerable Lord!” he replied.

6.38   “Śāradvatīputra, do you think that these five psycho-physical aggregates can train in the transcendent perfection of wisdom and attain emancipation in omniscience?” “No, Venerable Lord!” he replied. “And if one were to ask why, Venerable Lord, it is because physical forms are like an illusion, and similarly, feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are like an illusion, and because what is true of consciousness is also true of the six sense organs, and what is true of the six sense organs is also true of the five acquisitive psycho-physical aggregates. Venerable Lord! Physical forms are like a dream, and similarly, feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are like a dream. What is true of consciousness is true of the six sense organs, and what is true of the six sense organs is true of the five acquisitive psycho-physical aggregates. These do not apprehend the emptiness of internal phenomena, nor do they apprehend the other aspects of emptiness, up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities. “Venerable Lord! In that case, will the bodhisattvas who have newly embarked upon the [Great] Vehicle not be afraid and terrified when they hear this teaching on the transcendent perfection of wisdom?”

6.39   The Blessed One then addressed Senior Śāradvatīputra as follows: “Śāradvatīputra, great bodhisattva beings who newly embark on the [Great] Vehicle will be afraid and terrified if they are unskilled in the transcendent perfection of wisdom and they are not taken in hand by an excellent spiritual mentor.”

6.40   “Venerable Lord, when great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom, what is the skill in means that enables great bodhisattva beings who have heard this teaching on the transcendent perfection of wisdom not to be afraid and not to be terrified?” The Blessed One replied, “Śāradvatīputra, when great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom, they discern through their minds endowed with omniscience that physical forms are impermanent, and do not focus on them. Similarly, they discern through their minds endowed with omniscience that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are impermanent, and do not focus on them. This, Śāradvatīputra, is the skill in means through which great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.41   “Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, when great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom, they discern through their minds endowed with omniscience that physical forms are imbued with suffering, and do not focus on them. Similarly, they discern that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are imbued with suffering, and do not focus on them. In the same vein, they discern that physical forms are not a self, and do not focus on them. Similarly, they discern that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are not a self, and do not focus on them. They discern that physical forms are empty, and do not focus on them. Similarly, they discern that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are empty, and do not focus on them. They discern that physical forms are signless, and do not focus on them. Similarly, they discern that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are signless, and do not focus on them. They discern that physical forms are without aspirations, and do not focus on them. Similarly, they discern that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are without aspirations, and do not focus on them. They discern that physical forms are calm, and do not focus on them. Similarly, they discern that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are calm, and do not focus on them. They discern that physical forms are void, and do not focus on them. Similarly, they discern that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are void, and do not focus on them. They discern that physical forms are pure, and do not focus on them. Similarly, they discern that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are pure, and do not focus on them. They discern that physical forms are non-arising, and do not focus on them. Similarly, they discern that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are non-arising, and do not focus on them. They discern that physical forms are unceasing, and do not focus on them. Similarly, they discern that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are unceasing, and do not focus on them. They discern that physical forms are non-entities, and do not focus on them. Similarly, they discern that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are non-entities, and do not focus on them. This, Śāradvatīputra, is the skillful means through which great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.42   “Śāradvatīputra, when great bodhisattva beings discern this, without apprehending anything, they teach all sentient beings the sacred doctrine that physical forms, and likewise [all the aggregates] up to and including consciousness, are impermanent. Without apprehending anything, they teach the sacred doctrine that physical forms, and likewise [all the aggregates] up to and including consciousness, are imbued with suffering. Without apprehending anything, they teach the sacred doctrine that physical forms, and likewise [all the aggregates] up to and including consciousness, are not a self. Without apprehending anything, they teach the sacred doctrine that physical forms, and likewise [all the aggregates] up to and including consciousness, are empty. Without apprehending anything, they teach the sacred doctrine that physical forms, and likewise [all the aggregates] up to and including consciousness, are signless. Without apprehending anything, they teach the sacred doctrine that physical forms, and likewise [all the aggregates] up to and including consciousness, are without aspirations. Without apprehending anything, they teach the sacred doctrine that physical forms, and likewise [all the aggregates] up to and including consciousness, are calm. Without apprehending anything, they teach the sacred doctrine that physical forms, and likewise [all the aggregates] up to and including consciousness, are void. Without apprehending anything, they teach the sacred doctrine that physical forms, and likewise [all the aggregates] up to and including consciousness, are pure. Without apprehending anything, they teach the sacred doctrine that physical forms, and likewise [all the aggregates] up to and including consciousness, are non-arising. Without apprehending anything, they teach the sacred doctrine that physical forms, and likewise [all the aggregates] up to and including consciousness, are unceasing. Without apprehending anything, they teach the sacred doctrine that physical forms, and likewise [all the aggregates] up to and including consciousness, are non-entities. This, Śāradvatīputra, is the transcendent perfection of generosity, possessed by great bodhisattva beings when they practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.43   “Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, when great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom, they do not pay attention with the twofold, [over-scrupulous] attentiveness of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas to the notion that physical forms, and likewise [all the aggregates] up to and including consciousness, are impermanent, but they do so without apprehending anything. They do not pay attention with the twofold, [over-scrupulous] attentiveness of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas to the notion that physical forms, and likewise [all the aggregates] up to and including consciousness, are imbued with suffering, but they do so without apprehending anything. In the same vein, they do not pay attention with the twofold, [over-scrupulous] attentiveness of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas to the notions that physical forms are not a self, that they are empty, that they are signless, that they are without aspirations, that they are calm, that they are void, that they are purified, that they are non-arising, that they are unceasing, and that they are non-entities, but they do so without apprehending anything. Similarly, they do not pay attention with the twofold, [over-scrupulous] attentiveness of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas to the notions that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are not a self, that they are empty, that they are signless, that they are without aspirations, that they are void, that they are purified, that they are non-arising, that they are unceasing, and that they are non-entities, but they do so without apprehending anything. This, Śāradvatīputra, is the absence of dogmatic assumptions with regard to the transcendent perfection of ethical discipline of great bodhisattva beings when they practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.44   “Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, when great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom, they discern that physical forms, feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness, are impermanent, imbued with suffering, without a self, empty, signless, lacking aspirations, calm, void, purified, non-arising, unceasing, and non-entities. Their inclination to accept these insights is the transcendent perfection of unagitated tolerance of great bodhisattva beings when they practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.45   “Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, when great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom, they discern through their attention endowed with omniscience that physical forms are impermanent, and they do so without apprehending anything. Similarly, they discern that [physical forms] are imbued with suffering, not a self, empty, signless, lacking aspirations, calm, void, purified, non-arising, unceasing, and non-entities, and they do so without apprehending anything. Likewise, they discern that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are impermanent, imbued with suffering, not a self, empty, signless, lacking aspirations, calm, void, purified, non-arising, unceasing, and non-entities, and they do so without apprehending anything. The non-forsaking of perseverance with regard to this attention endowed with omniscience is called the transcendent perfection of perseverance of great bodhisattva beings when they practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.46   “Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, when great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom, they discern that physical forms are impermanent, and they do so without apprehending anything. Similarly, they discern that [physical forms] are imbued with suffering, not a self, empty, signless, lacking aspirations, calm, void, purified, non-arising, unceasing, and non-entities, and they do so without apprehending anything. Likewise, they discern that feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are impermanent, imbued with suffering, not a self, empty, signless, lacking aspirations, calm, void, purified, non-arising, unceasing, and non-entities, and they do so without apprehending anything. Śāradvatīputra, this denial of opportunity for the twofold, [over-scrupulous] attentiveness possessed by śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, and for the roots of non-virtuous action, to impede the attainment of unsurpassed, genuinely perfect enlightenment is the transcendent perfection of meditative concentration of great bodhisattva beings when they practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.47   “Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, when great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom, they discern that physical forms are empty of the emptiness of physical forms, that the nature of physical forms is emptiness, and that emptiness is indeed physical forms. Similarly, [they discern] that consciousness [and so forth] are empty of the emptiness of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness; that the nature of consciousness is emptiness; and that emptiness is indeed consciousness. Similarly, [they discern] that the eyes are empty of the emptiness of the eyes, that the nature of the eyes is emptiness, and that emptiness is indeed the eyes. Similarly, [they discern] that the mental faculty [and so forth] are empty of the emptiness of the ears, nose, tongue, body, and mental faculty; that the nature of the mental faculty is emptiness, and that emptiness is indeed the mental faculty. In the same vein, [they discern that] feelings conditioned by visually compounded sensory contact are empty of the emptiness of feelings conditioned by visually compounded sensory contact, and so forth, that the nature of feelings conditioned by visually compounded sensory contact is emptiness, and that emptiness is indeed feelings conditioned by visually compounded sensory contact. Similarly, [they discern that] feelings conditioned by mentally compounded sensory contact are empty of the emptiness of feelings conditioned by mentally compounded sensory contact, and so forth, that the nature of feelings conditioned by mentally compounded sensory contact is emptiness, and that emptiness is indeed the feelings conditioned by mentally compounded sensory contact.

6.48   “Similarly, [they discern that] the applications of mindfulness are empty of the emptiness of the applications of mindfulness, that the nature of the applications of mindfulness is emptiness, and that emptiness is indeed the applications of mindfulness. [They discern that] the noble eightfold path and other [causal attributes] are empty of the emptiness of the noble eightfold path, that the nature of the noble eightfold path is emptiness, and that emptiness is indeed the noble eightfold path. Similarly, they discern that the ten powers of the tathāgatas are empty of the emptiness of the ten powers of the tathāgatas, that the nature of the ten powers of the tathāgatas is emptiness, and that emptiness is indeed the ten powers of the tathāgatas. In the same vein, they discern that the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas [and other fruitional attributes] are empty of the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, that the nature of the qualities of the buddhas is emptiness, and that emptiness is indeed the qualities of the buddhas.”

6.49   Then Senior Śāradvatīputra asked the Blessed One, “Venerable Lord! This transcendent perfection of wisdom is profound. Would great bodhisattva beings who newly embark on the [Great] Vehicle, having heard this teaching on the transcendent perfection of wisdom, not possibly be afraid and terrified?” The Blessed One then addressed Senior Śāradvatīputra as follows: “Śāradvatīputra, if great bodhisattva beings do not cultivate the roots of virtuous action, if they do not venerate many hundreds of thousands of buddhas, if they are not sustained by the instructions of the manifold roots of virtue, if they are not accepted by a spiritual mentor, if they are not inclined toward extensive [acts of virtuous conduct], if they are not free from wickedness of body, speech, and mind, and if they are not endowed with the fiery roots of virtue, they will be afraid and terrified on hearing this teaching concerning the transcendent perfection of wisdom. If you ask why, it is because this teaching on the transcendent perfection of wisdom will not sound like the transcendent perfection of wisdom to the ears of those who have not cultivated the roots of virtue, those who have not venerated many hundreds of thousands of buddhas, those who have not been accepted by a spiritual mentor, those who are disinclined, those who harbor thoughts of falling into the vehicles of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, those who are of feeble perseverance, those who are indolent, and those intent on mundane pleasures. Śāradvatīputra, so it is that great bodhisattva beings who seek to perfect the transcendent perfection of generosity should train in the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.50   “Similarly, those great bodhisattva beings who wish to comprehend physical forms, and similarly, those who wish to comprehend feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness; those who wish to comprehend the eyes, and similarly, those who wish to comprehend [the other sense organs], up to and including the mental faculty; and similarly, those who wish to comprehend sights, and likewise, those who wish to comprehend [the other sense objects], up to and including mental phenomena; and similarly, those who wish to comprehend the sensory element of the eyes, and in the same vein, those who wish to comprehend [the other sensory elements], up to and including the sensory element of mental consciousness; those who wish to comprehend sensory contact that is visually compounded, those who wish to comprehend feelings conditioned by sensory contact that is visually compounded, and in the same vein, those who wish to comprehend sensory contact that is mentally compounded, and those who wish to comprehend [other sorts of feelings], up to and including the feelings conditioned by sensory contact that is mentally compounded—all of these should train exclusively in the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.51   “Similarly, those who wish to abandon desire, hatred, and delusion; those who wish to abandon false views about perishable composites, and similarly, those who wish to abandon doubt, the sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, attachment to the world system of desire and malice; those who wish to abandon attachment to the world system of form, attachment to the world system of formlessness, fundamental ignorance, pride, and mental agitation; and those who wish to abandon all fetters, latent impulses, and obsessions—all of these should train exclusively in the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.52   “Likewise, those who wish to comprehend the four nourishments, and similarly, to abandon the four bonds, the four torrents, the four knots, and the four misconceptions should train in the transcendent perfection of wisdom. Similarly, those great bodhisattva beings who wish to abandon the paths of the ten non-virtuous actions, those who wish to attain the genuine paths of the ten virtuous actions, and those who wish to perfect them, should all train exclusively in the transcendent perfection of wisdom. Similarly, those great bodhisattva beings who wish to meditate on the four applications of mindfulness [and the other causal attributes], up to and including the noble eightfold path, as well as those who wish to meditate on the ten powers of the tathāgatas and [the other fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, should all train exclusively in the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.53   “Moreover, Śāradvatīputra, those great bodhisattva beings who wish to fulfill the aspirations of all sentient beings, and who wish to fulfil the roots of virtue so that they never regress into the three lower realms, are never born among beings of inferior species or class, and never descend to the levels of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas because they have perfected the roots of virtue, should all train exclusively in the transcendent perfection of wisdom.”

6.54   This completes the sixth chapter from the Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom in Ten Thousand Lines, entitled “Training.”

A Summary of Chapter 6: Training

6.A
{From the perspective of ultimate reality} phenomena do not consider phenomena. Nor ... do phenomena consider the expanse of {relative} reality. The sensory element of sights does not consider the expanse of {relative} reality. Nor does the expanse of {relative} reality consider the sensory element of sights, and in the same way, the expanse of {relative} reality does not consider [any other sensory elements] up to and including the sensory element of consciousness. Nor does the sensory element of consciousness and so forth consider the expanse of {relative} reality. {The same applies to} the eyes ... up to and including the sensory element of the mental faculty ... {and} the sensory element of visual consciousness ... up to and including the sensory element of mental consciousness do not consider the expanse of {relative} reality; nor does the expanse of {relative} reality consider [those other sensory elements up to and including] the sensory element of mental consciousness ... because {in ultimate reality} conditioned elements do not consider unconditioned elements, and because unconditioned elements do not consider conditioned elements ... {In relative reality} unconditioned elements cannot be designated except in terms of conditioned elements, and conditioned elements cannot be designated except in terms of unconditioned elements.

6.B
The term ‘bodhisattva’ is a meaningless term ... because the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ is without identity ... Just as tracks of birds in the sky are non-existent ... just as a dream has no basis ... just as a magical display is without foundation ... just as a mirage is without foundation ... just as an echo, an optical aberration, the reflection of the moon in water, and a phantom emanation of the tathāgatas are without foundation ... just as the real nature {of phenomena} is without foundation, and in the same way, the unmistaken real nature {of phenomena}, the {relative} reality, the expanse of {relative} reality, and maturity {of understanding} with respect to all things are without foundation ... just as the finality of {relative} existence is without foundation, in the same way ... the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ is non-existent. Just as the physical form of an illusory person is without foundation, and ... the aggregate of feelings ... perceptions ... formative predispositions, and ... consciousness are without foundation ... just as the eyes of an illusory person are without foundation, and ... [their other sense organs] up to and including the mental faculty are without foundation, and ... the [external] sense fields ... starting from the sense field of sights through to the sense field of mental phenomena {are without foundation}, likewise ... the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ is non-existent.

6.C
Just as [the notion of] an illusory person engaging in the emptiness of internal phenomena is without foundation ... just as [the notion of] an illusory person engaging in [all the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities, is without foundation ... just as [the notion of] an illusory person practicing the ten powers of the tathāgatas is without foundation ... just as [the notion of an illusory person] practicing [all the other fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, is without foundation ... just as [the notion of] the physical forms of a tathāgata, arhat, and completely perfect buddha is without foundation, and in the same way, feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are without foundation ... just as [the notion of] the eyes of a tathāgata, arhat, and completely perfect buddha is without foundation, and ... [the notions of their other sense organs], up to and including the mental faculty, are without foundation ... just as [the notion of] a tathāgata, arhat, and completely perfect buddha engaging in the emptiness of internal phenomena is without foundation, and ... [the notion of a tathāgata, arhat, and completely perfect buddha] engaging in [all the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities, is without foundation ... just as [the notion of] a tathāgata, arhat, and completely perfect buddha having the four applications of mindfulness is without foundation, and ... [the notion of a tathāgata, arhat, and completely perfect buddha] having [the other causal and fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, is without foundation ... just as the presence of unconditioned elements in conditioned elements is without foundation, and the presence of conditioned elements in unconditioned elements is without foundation ... just as non-arising is without foundation, and ... non-ceasing, non-conditioning, non-origination, non-apprehension, non-affliction, and non-purification are without foundation, likewise ... the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent.

6.D
The non-arising {non-ceasing, non-conditioning, non-origination, non-apprehension} ... non-affliction ... {and} non-purification of physical forms ... {as well as} feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness ... the eyes ... ears, nose, tongue, and body ... {and} [all sense organs], up to and including the mental faculty ... the sensory element of the eyes ... {and} [all other sensory elements], up to and including the sensory element of mental consciousness ... the applications of mindfulness ... {and} [all other causal attributes], up to and including the noble eightfold path, are without foundation. Just as the non-arising, non-affliction, and non-purification {and so on} of the ten powers of the tathāgatas are without foundation ... {just as} the non-arising, non-affliction, and non-purification {and so on} of [all other fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, are without foundation ... just as the utter purity of the applications of mindfulness is without foundation ... just as the utter purity [of all other causal attributes], up to and including the noble eightfold path, is without foundation ... just as the utter purity of the ten powers of the tathāgatas is without foundation ... just as the utter purity [of all other fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, is without foundation ... just as the utter purity of self is without foundation on account of selflessness ... just as the utter purity of [the notions of] sentient beings, living organisms, lives, individuals, humankind, human beings, agents, actors, petitioners, instigators, experiencers, experiencing subjects, knowers, and viewers is without foundation owing to the absence of knowers, viewers, and so on ... just as darkness when the sun has risen is without foundation ... just as when an eon of conflagration will occur, all that is included in conditioned phenomena will be without foundation ... just as [the notion of] degenerate morality with respect to the aggregate of ethical discipline possessed by the tathāgatas, arhats, and completely perfect buddhas is without foundation, and ... the [notion of] mental distraction with respect to their meditative stability is without foundation, and ... the [notion of] stupidity with respect to their aggregate of wisdom is without foundation, and ... the [notion of] non-liberation with respect to their aggregate of liberation is without foundation, and ... [the notion of] the misperception of liberating pristine cognition with respect to their aggregate that perceives liberating pristine cognition is without foundation ... just as the light of the tathāgatas and the light of the moon and the sun are without foundation ... just as the light of the gods of the Trayastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarata, and Paranirmitavaśavartin realms, and similarly, the light of the gods [of the world system of form], extending from the Brahmakāyika realm as far as the Pure Abodes, are without foundation, in the same way ... the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ as a great bodhisattva being, abiding in the transcendent perfection of wisdom, is non-existent ... because all those phenomena which enlightenment denotes and which the meaning of the term ‘bodhisattva’ denotes are neither conjoined nor disjoined, and they are immaterial, unrevealed, and unobstructed. That is to say, their only defining characteristic is that they are without defining characteristics. Therefore ... great bodhisattva beings should train without attachment to anything.”

6.E
Physical forms are not one thing, and illusions another ... Similarly, feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness ... the eyes ... {and} [all the other sense organs], up to and including the mental faculty, and ... [all phenomenological categories], up to and including feelings conditioned by sensory contact that is visually compounded ... [the other aspects of feelings], up to and including feelings conditioned by sensory contact that is mentally compounded ... the applications of mindfulness ... [all the other causal attributes], up to and including the noble eightfold path ... the ten powers of the tathāgatas ... the gateways to liberation ... {and} [all the other fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas, are not one thing, and illusions another. Illusion itself is the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas {and the rest}, and the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas {and the rest} themselves are illusion.

6.F
There is {no} affliction or purification {or arising or ceasing} with respect to that illusion ... {and from the perspective of ultimate reality} that which is without arising, ceasing, affliction, and purification can{not} train in the transcendent perfection of wisdom and attain emancipation in omniscience, or ... subsequently reach omniscience ... {for} that which is without name, without symbol, without designation, without conventional expression, without denomination, without corporeal form, without physical actions, without speech, without verbal actions, without mind, without mental actions, without arising, without ceasing, without affliction, and without purification ... {cannot} train in the transcendent perfection of wisdom and then attain emancipation in omniscience ... So it is that when great bodhisattva beings have trained in the transcendent perfection of wisdom without apprehending anything {as ultimately real}, they will attain emancipation in omniscience.

6.G
Great bodhisattva beings who practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom accordingly, and seek emancipation in unsurpassed completely perfect enlightenment, should always train in the manner of an illusory person ... {because} the five acquisitive psycho-physical aggregates {of physical forms, feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness} might be understood to resemble an illusory person ... {however} these five acquisitive psycho-physical aggregates can{not} train in the transcendent perfection of wisdom and attain emancipation in omniscience {either in a dreamlike manner, in the manner of an echo, or similarly, in the manner of an optical aberration, a mirage, or a phantom} ... because the five psycho-physical aggregates {as well as dreams, echos, optical aberrations, mirages and phantoms} have an essential nature of non-entity, and the essential nature of non-entity is non-apprehensible ... {and} because physical forms ... feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are like an illusion, and ... are like a dream. What is true of consciousness is true of the six sense organs, and what is true of the six sense organs is true of the five acquisitive psycho-physical aggregates. These do not apprehend the emptiness of internal phenomena, nor do they apprehend the other aspects of emptiness, up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities ... {As such} great bodhisattva beings who newly embark on the [Great] Vehicle will be afraid and terrified if they are unskilled in the transcendent perfection of wisdom and they are not taken in hand by an excellent spiritual mentor.

6.H
The skill in means that enables great bodhisattva beings who have heard this teaching on the transcendent perfection of wisdom not to be afraid ... {or} terrified ... {is} they discern through their minds endowed with omniscience that physical forms ... feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are impermanent ... imbued with suffering ... not a self ... empty ... signless ... without aspirations ... calm ... void ... pure ... non-arising ... unceasing ... {and} non-entities, and do not focus on them {as ultimately real}. This ... is the skillful means through which great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.I
When great bodhisattva beings discern this, without apprehending anything {as ultimately real}, they teach all sentient beings the sacred doctrine that physical forms, and likewise [all the aggregates] up to and including consciousness, are impermanent ... imbued with suffering ... not a self ... empty ... signless ... without aspirations ... calm ... void ... pure ... non-arising ... unceasing ... {and} non-entities. This ... is the transcendent perfection of generosity, possessed by great bodhisattva beings when they practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.J
Moreover ... when great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom, they do not pay attention with the twofold {dualistic}, attentiveness of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas to the notion that physical forms {as well as feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness} are impermanent ... imbued with suffering ... not a self ... empty ... signless ... without aspirations ... calm ... void ... purified ... non-arising ... unceasing, and ... non-entities ... but they do so without apprehending anything {as ultimately real}. This ... is the absence of dogmatic assumptions with regard to the transcendent perfection of ethical discipline of great bodhisattva beings when they practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.K
Moreover ... when great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom, they discern that physical forms, feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness, are impermanent, imbued with suffering, without a self, empty, signless, lacking aspirations, calm, void, purified, non-arising, unceasing, and non-entities. Their inclination to accept these insights is the transcendent perfection of unagitated tolerance of great bodhisattva beings when they practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.L
Moreover ... when great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom, they discern through their attention endowed with omniscience that physical forms ... feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are impermanent, imbued with suffering, not a self, empty, signless, lacking aspirations, calm, void, purified, non-arising, unceasing, and non-entities, and they do so without apprehending anything {as ultimately real}. The non-forsaking of perseverance with regard to this attention endowed with {the non-dual mind of} omniscience is called the transcendent perfection of perseverance of great bodhisattva beings when they practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.M
Moreover ... when great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom, they discern that physical forms ... feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness are impermanent, imbued with suffering, not a self, empty, signless, lacking aspirations, calm, void, purified, non-arising, unceasing, and non-entities, and they do so without apprehending anything {as ultimately real} ... This denial of opportunity for the twofold {dualistic}, attentiveness possessed by śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, and for the roots of non-virtuous action, to impede the attainment of unsurpassed, genuinely perfect enlightenment is the transcendent perfection of meditative concentration of great bodhisattva beings when they practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.N
Moreover ... when great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom, they discern that physical forms are empty of the emptiness of physical forms, that the nature of physical forms is emptiness, and that emptiness is indeed physical forms. Similarly, [they discern] {the same for} ... feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness ... the eyes ... ears, nose, tongue, body, and mental faculty ... feelings conditioned by visually compounded {and mentally compounded} sensory contact, and so forth ... the applications of mindfulness ... the noble eightfold path and other [causal attributes] ... the ten powers of the tathāgatas ... {as well as} the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas [and other fruitional attributes].

6.O
If great bodhisattva beings do not cultivate the roots of virtuous action ... do not venerate many hundreds of thousands of buddhas ... are not sustained by the instructions of the manifold roots of virtue ... are not accepted by a spiritual mentor ... are not inclined toward extensive [acts of virtuous conduct] ... are not free from wickedness of body, speech, and mind, and ... are not endowed with the fiery roots of virtue, they will be afraid and terrified on hearing this teaching concerning the transcendent perfection of wisdom ... because this teaching ... will not sound like the transcendent perfection of wisdom to the ears of those who have not cultivated the roots of virtue ... have not venerated many hundreds of thousands of buddhas ... have not been accepted by a spiritual mentor ... are disinclined ... harbor thoughts of falling into the vehicles of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas ... are of feeble perseverance ... are indolent, and ... intent on mundane pleasures ... So it is that great bodhisattva beings who seek to perfect the transcendent perfection of generosity should train in the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

6.P
Similarly, those great bodhisattva beings who wish to comprehend physical forms ... feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness ... the eyes ... up to and including the mental faculty ... sights ... up to and including mental phenomena ... the sensory element of the eyes ... up to and including the sensory element of mental consciousness ... sensory contact that is visually compounded ... feelings conditioned by sensory contact that is visually compounded ... sensory contact that is mentally compounded, and ... [other sorts of feelings], up to and including the feelings conditioned by sensory contact that is mentally compounded ... {as well as} those who wish to abandon desire, hatred, and delusion ... false views about perishable composites ... doubt, the sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, attachment to the world system of desire and malice ... attachment to the world system of form, attachment to the world system of formlessness, fundamental ignorance, pride, and mental agitation; and ... all fetters, latent impulses, and obsessions ... {and} those who wish to comprehend the four nourishments {of food, sensory contact, mentation and consciousness} ... abandon the four bonds {of craving, desire for renewed individual existence, speculative opinion/wrong view and fundamental ignorance}, the four torrents {which are the same, which like a flood, sink one into saṃsāra}, the four knots {of covetousness, malice, moral supremacy and ascetic supremacy}, and the four misconceptions {of holding impurity to be purity, non-self to be self, suffering to be happiness and impermanence to be permanence} ... abandon the paths of the ten non-virtuous actions ... attain the genuine paths of the ten virtuous actions, and ... perfect them ... meditate on the four applications of mindfulness [and the other causal attributes], up to and including the noble eightfold path, as well as ... meditate on the ten powers of the tathāgatas and [the other fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas ... who wish to fulfil the aspirations of all sentient beings, and ... the roots of virtue so that they never regress into the three lower realms {of animals, anguished spirits and the denizens of the hells}, {and} are never born among beings of inferior species or class, and never descend to the levels of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas because they have perfected the roots of virtue, should all train exclusively in the transcendent perfection of wisdom.

Commentary

The twofold attentiveness of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are those who give attention to a phenomena existing in 'relative' reality, who then apprehend this phenomena as 'ultimately' real. Thus what is one, as the singularity in God, becomes two to the observer who sees more than one. A great bodhisattva being, who practices the transcendent perfection of wisdom, observes these 'unreal' phenomena with the singular attention of the singularity (or the all-knowing omniscient mind) ~ in recognizing their non-existence as impermanent, imbued with suffering, not a self, empty, signless, lacking aspirations, calm, void, purified, non-arising, unceasing, and non-entities ~ and they do so without apprehending anything as 'ultimately' real. Here in seeing "only" the singularity, all duality consciousness is denied. Thus “this denial of opportunity for the twofold, attentiveness {says the Buddha} ... is the transcendent perfection of meditative concentration of great bodhisattva beings when they practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom.”

*
The 'expanse of reality' refers to the great expanse of 'relative' reality, or the seeming reality of 'relative' existence. For in 'ultimate' reality, where We ultimately exist as a singularity in God, there is no expanse, nor distance, nor space. Unconditioned phenomena and conditioned phenomena exist only in relation to one another, and within one another, within the expanse of 'relative' existence. The Buddha refers in the chapter (above) to the expanse of {relative} reality as 'unconditioned' phenomena, which—as part of the realm of relativity—is non-existent from the perspective of 'ultimate' reality. An example of conditioned and unconditioned phenomena existing in relation to one another, and at the same time existing within one another, is space existing within the physical body, and the physical body existing within space.

Chapter 5

Vertical Divider

Chapter 7

The Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom ​in Ten Thousand Lines

Chapter 6: Training

A Summary of Chapter 6: Training

Commentary

The Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom in Ten Thousand Lines