The Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom
in Eighteen Thousand Lines - 329
Daśasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā
– Chapter 29 - Protection against Hindrances –
Source: https://read.84000.co/translation/toh10.html
More Analysis of Mahayana Sutras : https://www.gilehtblog.com/2022/07/toc-400.html
[Note: The two truths are:
T1: conventionally dependently co-arisen (interdependent) relatively functional ever-changing impermanent appearances / tools / adapted skillful means, merely labeled / imputed / imagined / created by the mind in dependence of its conditioning / karma (in cycle), not completely non-existence;
T2: emptiness of inherent existence, not real existence;
U2T: those two truths, like any other pair of apparent opposites, are inseparable, interdependent, co-defined, co-relative, co-dependent, co-emergent, co-evolving, co-ceasing / co-transcended, in harmony, in 'Union' <==> thus empty of inherent existence.
They are tools to help us to get to the 'inconceivable' by refuting what 'Reality as it is' is not:
all extreme views like: existence / dharma / causality / functionality, non-existence / non-dharma / non-causality / non-functionality, both together, neither; difference / manyness / diversity / duality, identity / oneness / sameness / non-duality, both together, neither; permanence / continuity / eternity, impermanence / discontinuity / annihilation, both together, neither; individuality, collectivity, universality, a combination of those, none of those; subjectivity, relation / action / process, objectivity, a combination of those, none of those; the 1st truth alone / dependent origination [T1], the 2nd truth alone / mere-emptiness [T2], both two truths together as if different and in opposition [2T], neither of the two truths as if identical and one [1T,]; ‘this’, ‘non-this’, both together, neither – for whatever ‘this’ is.
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The three spheres: ex.
i. The subject / actor / goer / perceiver / knower / acquirer / owner,
ii. The relation / action / going / perceiving / knowing / acquiring / having
iii. The object / result / destination / perceived / known / acquired / possessions / karma / 5 aggregates / body & speech & mind.
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Generalisations:
Whenever it is possible the comments of each section are expressed into a more global context. So they always cover more than just what is said in the various translations. The goal is to make the Big Picture more evident.
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Note: All comments within (i.e. …) or [...] are from the commentator (me), not the translators.)
[Back to Résumés of chapters 1-41]
29. DIFFERENT TĪRTHIKA RELIGIOUS MENDICANTS – Protection against Māra.
(i.e. Résumé:
The perfection of wisdom is the protection against all evils.
Māra or the gods of the Māra class cannot find a way to cause trouble to any son of a good family or daughter of a good family who takes up, bears in mind, reads aloud, masters, and properly pays attention to this perfection of wisdom.
Because the knowledge of all aspects issues forth from this — that is, the perfection of wisdom — and the perfection of wisdom issues forth from this, that is, the knowledge of all aspects.
The knowledge of all aspects and the perfection of wisdom are not two and cannot be divided into two; they have not been broken apart and have not been cut apart.)
Then, many different tīrthika religious mendicants intent on criticizing, a hundred of them, specifically approached the Lord to level criticism.
Then it occurred to Śatakratu, head of the gods, to think,
"These many different tīrthika religious mendicants intent on criticizing the doctrine, a hundred of them, have specifically approached the Lord to level criticism. I will certainly recite as much of the perfection of wisdom as I have taken up in order that these different tīrthika religious mendicants will not get at all close to the Lord to hinder the teaching of the perfection of wisdom."
Śatakratu, head of the gods, then recited as much of the perfection of wisdom as he had taken up from the Lord.
Then those different tīrthika religious mendicants circumambulated the Lord from afar and, taking the road on which they had arrived, went back the way they approached.
Then it occurred to venerable Śāriputra to think,
"Why have those different tīrthika religious mendicants circumambulated the Lord from afar and, taking the road on which they had arrived, gone back the way they approached?"
The Lord, understanding in his mind the thoughts occurring to venerable Śāriputra, then said to venerable Śāriputra,
"Venerable Śāriputra,
Śatakratu, head of the gods, focused his thoughts as he habitually does on this perfection of wisdom,
and because of that those different tīrthika religious mendicants circumambulated me from afar and, taking the road on which they had arrived, went back the way they approached."Furthermore, Śāriputra, I do not see any hopeful prospect 417 in even one of those different tīrthika religious mendicants. All those different tīrthika religious mendicants decided to come, having taken offense and intent on criticizing, and I do not see anyone among the host of creatures in this world with its celestial beings, its Māras and Brahmās, and its śramaṇas and brahmins who has taken offense at or is intent on criticizing this perfection of wisdom who is capable of approaching. It is impossible.
"And why?
Śāriputra, it is because this perfection of wisdom is looked after by all the Cāturmahārājika gods, up to the Akaniṣṭha class of gods, the śrāvakas, those who have set out in the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and the bodhisattvas standing in the great billionfold world system.
Why?
Because they all have issued forth from this perfection of wisdom."Furthermore, Śāriputra, it is because this perfection of wisdom is looked after by all the lord buddhas together with their śrāvaka saṅghas, as well as by the pratyekabuddhas, the bodhisattva great beings, and the gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River in the eastern direction, up to in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River in each of the ten directions.
Why?
Because they all have issued forth from this perfection of wisdom."
Then it occurred to Māra the wicked one to think,
"The four retinues are seated directly in the presence of the tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete Buddha, and the gods living in the desire realm and the formless realm are seated directly in his presence too. It is certain that from among them he will prophesy the unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening of bodhisattva great beings, so I will specifically approach the Lord in order to confuse 418 them."
Then it occurred to Śatakratu, head of the gods, to think,
"Hey! Māra the wicked one has magically produced this mass of four-unit forces and wants specifically to approach the Lord. Such a mass of four-unit forces that has been drawn up — this mass of four-unit forces Māra the wicked one has drawn up — is not King Bimbisāra's. Such a mass of four-unit forces that has been drawn up is not King Prasenajit's, is not the Śākyas', and is not the Licchavis'. For a long time Māra the wicked one has been looking for a way and seeking for an opportunity to cause trouble for the Lord. Māra the wicked one has drawn up this mass of four-unit forces with the intention of injuring beings, so I will focus on this perfection of wisdom as I habitually do and, having recollected it, recite it."
Śatakratu, head of the gods, then focused on this perfection of wisdom as he habitually does, recollected it, and recited it. And to the extent Śatakratu, head of the gods, recited the perfection of wisdom, to that extent Māra the wicked one turned back right on that same road, right through that same gate.
Then those Cāturmahārājika gods and the gods from Akaniṣṭha on down in that retinue magically produced divine flowers, and while arrayed in the sky they specifically tossed them down on and strewed them over the Lord and made this statement:
"For as long as this perfection of wisdom remains among the humans of Jambudvīpa, the tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete Buddha will not disappear, the good Dharma will last for a long time, and the Saṅgha will appear in the world.
Similarly, the superiority of the practice of the bodhisattva great beings will be famous in all the buddhafields in the great billionfold world system,
and similarly in those in the ten directions, and in whichever region a son of a good family or daughter of a good family has written out and made this perfection of wisdom into a book and borne it in mind, that region will become an awakened place, and the ground where this perfection of wisdom is practiced will have a protector and will be free from gloom. So, let the humans of Jambudvīpa practice this perfection of wisdom for a long time!"
The gods having said this, the Lord then said to Śatakratu, head of the gods,
"Exactly so, Kauśika. Kauśika, whichever region, anywhere in this vast world system, where the perfection of wisdom is practiced and where it exists written out in book form is a place that has become awakened, a place with a protector, that will be free from gloom and darkness."
Then those gods magically produced divine flowers, specifically strewed them over the Lord, and made this statement:
"Lord, Māra or the gods of the Māra class cannot find a way to cause trouble to any son of a good family or daughter of a good family who takes up, bears in mind, reads aloud, masters, and properly pays attention to this perfection of wisdom.
We too, Lord, will constantly and always guard, protect, and keep safe that son of a good family or daughter of a good family.
We will also treat as the Teacher that son of a good family or daughter of a good family 419 who takes up, bears in mind, reads aloud, masters, and properly pays attention to this perfection of wisdom."
Then Śatakratu, head of the gods, said to the Lord,
"Lord, when sons of a good family or daughters of a good family take up, bear in mind, read aloud, master, and properly pay attention to this perfection of wisdom, they will not become endowed with a paltry wholesome root.
Those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family will have served all the former victors well.
Those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family who take up, up to properly pay attention to this perfection of wisdom will have attended on many buddhas and will have been looked after by spiritual friends.
And why?
Because the knowledge of all aspects issues forth from this — that is, the perfection of wisdom — and the perfection of wisdom issues forth from this, that is, the knowledge of all aspects.
And why?
Because the knowledge of all aspects is not one thing and the perfection of wisdom another.
Therefore, the knowledge of all aspects and the perfection of wisdom are not two and cannot be divided into two; they have not been broken apart and have not been cut apart."
Śatakratu, head of the gods, having spoken thus, the Lord then said to him,
"Exactly so, Kauśika, exactly so. It is just as you say.
The knowledge of all aspects and the perfection of wisdom are not two and cannot be divided into two; they have not been broken apart and have not been cut apart."
This was the twenty-ninth chapter, "Different Tīrthika Religious Mendicants," of "The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines."
Access to other chapters on the Blog:
(Work in progress. Empty files means they are not done yet.)
Chapter 0 – Introduction to the Sutra
Chapter 1 – Introduction / the Assembly
Chapter 2 – Production of the Thought
Chapter 3 – designation [U2T]
Chapter 4 – Equal to the Unequal
Chapter 5 – Tongue
Chapter 6 – Subhūti
Chapter 7 – Entry into flawlessness
Chapter 8 – The Religious Mendicant Śreṇika
Chapter 9 – Causal Signs
Chapter 10 – Illusion-like
Chapter 11 – Embarrassment
Chapter 12 – Elimination of Views
Chapter 13 – The Six Perfections
Chapter 14 – Neither Bound nor Freed
Chapter 15 – Meditative Stabilization
Chapter 16 – Dhāraṇī Gateway
Chapter 17 – Level Purification
Chapter 18 – The Exposition of Going Forth in the Great Vehicle [cause / path]
Chapter 19 – Surpassing
Chapter 20 – Not Two
Chapter 21 – Subhūti
Chapter 22 – Śatakratu
Chapter 23 – Hard to Understand
Chapter 24 – Unlimited
Chapter 25 – Second Śatakratu
Chapter 26 – Getting Old
Chapter 27 – Reliquary
Chapter 28 – Declaration of the Good Qualities of the Thought of Awakening
Chapter 29 – Different Tīrthika Religious Mendicants
Chapter 30 – The Benefits of Taking Up and Adoration
Chapter 31 – Physical Remains
Chapter 32 – The Superiority of Merit
Chapter 33 – Dedication
Chapter 34 – Perfect Praise of the Quality of Accomplishment
Chapter 35 – Hells
Chapter 36 – Teaching The Purity of all Dharmas
Chapter 37 – Nobody
Chapter 38 – Cannot Be Apprehended
Chapter 39 – The Northern Region
Chapter 40 – The Work of Māra
Chapter 41 – Not Complete Because of Māra
Chapter 42 – Revealing the World
Chapter 43 – Inconceivable
Chapter 44 – Made Up
Chapter 45 – A Boat
Chapter 46 – Teaching the Intrinsic Nature of All Dharmas
Chapter 47 – Taming Greed
Chapter 48 – A Presentation of the Bodhisattvas' Training
Chapter 49 – Irreversibility
Chapter 50 – Teaching the Signs of Irreversibility
Chapter 51 – Skillful means
Chapter 52 – Completion of the Means
Chapter 53 – The Prophecy about Gaṅgadevī
Chapter 54 – Teaching the Cultivation of Skillful Means
Chapter 55 – Teaching the Stopping of Thought Construction [in absolute terms]
Chapter 56 – Equal Training
Chapter 57 – Practice
Chapter 58 – Exposition of the Absence of Thought Construction [in absolute terms]
Chapter 59 – Non-attachment
Chapter 60 – Entrusting
Chapter 61 – Inexhaustible
Chapter 62 – Leaping Above Absorption
Chapter 63 – Many Inquiries about the Two Dharmas
Chapter 64 – Perfectly Displayed
Chapter 65 – Worshiping, Serving, and Attending on Spiritual Friends as Skillful Means
Chapter 66 – A Demonstration of Skillful Means
Chapter 67 – Morality
Chapter 68 – Growing and Flourishing
Chapter 69 – An Explanation of Meditation on The Path
Chapter 70 – An Explanation of Serial Action, Training, and Practice
Chapter 71 – The True Nature of Dharmas That Cannot Be Apprehended
Chapter 72 – Teaching the Absence of Marks
Chapter 73 – Exposition of the Major Marks and Minor Signs and the Completion of Letters
Chapter 74 – Exposition of the Sameness of Dharmas
Chapter 75 – Exposition of Non-complication –
Chapter 76 – The Armor for Bringing Beings to Maturity
Chapter 77 – Teaching the Purification of a Buddhafield
Chapter 78 – Teaching the Skillful Means for the Purification of a Buddhafield
Chapter 79 – Teaching the Non Existence of an Intrinsic Nature
Chapter 80 – Teaching that there is No Defilement or Purification
Chapter 81 – Yogic Practice of the Ultimate
Chapter 82 – The Unchanging True Nature of Dharmas
Chapter 83 – Categorization of a Bodhisattva's Training
Chapter 84 – Collection
Chapter 85 – Sadāprarudita
Chapter 86 – Dharmodgata
Chapter 87 – Entrusting
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