Toh 19, Toh 554 — The Perfection of Wisdom “Kauśika”
Kauśikaprajñāpāramitā
Translated by the UCSB Buddhist Studies Translation Group under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
The Noble
Perfection of Wisdom “Kauśika”
F.142.aF.17.b Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing at Vulture Peak in Rājagṛha together with a great saṅgha of monks and many hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas, all of whom were youthful.
Then the Blessed One addressed Śakra, lord of the gods: “Kauśika, this is the meaning of the perfection of wisdom: Do not view the perfection of wisdom as being two. Nor is it not two. It is neither a mark nor not a mark. It is neither something to adopt nor something to abandon. It is neither increasing nor decreasing; neither polluted nor F.142.b not polluted; neither purified nor not purified;[1] neither abandoned nor not abandoned; neither remaining nor not remaining; neither to be applied nor not to be applied;[2] neither connected nor not connected; neither a condition nor not a condition;[3] neither a dharmaF.18.a nor not a dharma;[4] neither suchness nor not suchness;[5] and neither the limit of reality nor not the limit of reality.
“Similarly, Kauśika, the meaning of the perfection of wisdom is as follows: As all phenomena are fundamentally sameness, the perfection of wisdom is itself sameness. As all phenomena are profound, the perfection of wisdom is profound.[6] As all phenomena are isolated, the perfection of wisdom is isolated.[7] As all phenomena are immovable, the perfection of wisdom is immovable. As all phenomena are without thought, the perfection of wisdom is without thought.[8] As all phenomena are free of fear, the perfection of wisdom is free of fear. As all phenomena are free of anxiety, the perfection of wisdom is free of anxiety.[9] As all phenomena are of one taste, the perfection of wisdom is of one taste. As all phenomena are unborn, the perfection of wisdom is unborn. As all phenomena are unceasing, the perfection of wisdom is unceasing. As all phenomena are like space, the perfection of wisdom is like space.[10]
“As form is boundless, the perfection of wisdom is boundless. Similarly, as feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness are boundless, the perfection of wisdom is boundless. As the earth element is boundless, the perfection of wisdom is boundless. F.143.a Similarly, as the water element, the fire element, the wind element, the space element, and the element of consciousness are boundless, the perfection of wisdom is boundless. As Mount Sumeru is boundless, the perfection of wisdom is boundless.[11] As the ocean is boundless, the perfection of wisdom is boundless.[12]
“As vajra[13] is the same, the perfection of wisdom is the same. As all phenomena are undifferentiated, the perfection of wisdom is undifferentiated.[14] As the essential nature of all phenomena is beyond apprehending, the essential nature of the perfection of wisdom is beyond apprehending. As all phenomena are the same in lacking anything to be dispelled, the perfection of wisdom is the same in lacking anything to be dispelled.[15] As all phenomena are without anything to undertake, the perfection of wisdom is without anything to undertake.
[16] As all phenomena are inconceivable, the perfection of wisdom is inconceivable.F.18.b
“Similarly, as the perfection of giving, the perfection of discipline, the perfection of patience, the perfection of effort, the perfection of concentration, the perfection of wisdom, the perfection of means, the perfection of aspiration, the perfection of power, and the perfection of gnosis[17] are purified of the three spheres and thus boundless, the perfection of wisdom is boundless.[18]
[19]“The so-called perfection of wisdom consists of eighteen kinds of emptiness. They are internal emptiness, external emptiness, internal and external emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate emptiness, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, emptiness transcending extremes,[20] emptiness without beginning or end,[21] emptiness of anything to be given up,[22] emptiness of nature, emptiness of all phenomena,[23] emptiness of self-characteristics,[24]F.143.b emptiness of nonapprehension,[25] emptiness of nonexistence, emptiness of essential nature, and emptiness of the essential nature of nonexistence.[26]
“In short, such emptiness is called the perfection of wisdom.[27]
Oṁ namo bhagavatyai āryaprajñāpāramitāyai.
Oṁ dhī hrī śrī śruti smṛti mati gati vijaye svāhā.[30]
The Blessed One having spoken thus, Venerable Śāradvatīputra,[33] Śakra, the lord of the gods, and the monks, bodhisattvas, and the world with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas[34] rejoiced and praised what the Blessed One had said.[35]
Thus concludes The Perfection of Wisdom “Kauśika”.Notes
This clause is absent in the Chinese translation.
backThis clause is absent in the Chinese translation. Our translation follows the Degé, which reads sbyor ba. The Stok Palace version reads sbyong ba (“neither cleansed nor not cleansed”).
backAn additional clause, absent in the Tibetan, follows in the Chinese: “neither real nor unreal” (fei shi fei bu shi非實非不實).
backAn additional clause, absent in the Tibetan, follows in the Chinese: “neither having refuge nor not having refuge” (fei you suo gui fei wu suo gui非有所歸非無所歸).
backThe corresponding clause (“as suchness or nonsuchness”) is absent in the Chinese translation.
backThe corresponding clause is absent in the Chinese translation.
backTib. dben pa; Skt. vivikta. The Chinese version uses jijing寂靜, which means “tranquility and calm.”
backThe corresponding sentence is absent in the Chinese translation. In its place, the Chinese version has “[As] all phenomena are distinctive, the perfection of wisdom is distinctive” (yi qie fa fen bie, bore bo luo mi yi fen bie 一切法分別，般若波羅蜜亦分別).
backThe corresponding sentence is absent in the Chinese, which has the alternative, “[As] all phenomena are fully realized, the perfection of wisdom is fully realized” (yi qie fa liao zhi, bo re bo luo mi yi liao zhi 一切法了知，般若波羅蜜亦了知).
backThe Chinese here reads, “[As] all phenomena are [akin to] space-like conceptualization, the perfection of wisdom is [akin to] space-like conceptualization” (yi qie fa xu kong wang xiang, bo re bo luo mi yi xu kong wang xiang 一切法虛空妄想，般若波羅蜜亦虛空妄想).
backThe corresponding sentence is absent in the Chinese translation.
backThe corresponding sentence is absent in the Chinese translation.
backThis refers to the substance called vajra (“adamant,” “diamond”) and not to the tantric implement of the same name.
backThe corresponding sentence is absent in the Chinese translation. In its place, the Chinese version has “[As] all phenomena are indestructible, the perfection of wisdom is indestructible” (yi qie fa bu huai, bo re bo luo mi yi bu huai一切法不壞，般若波羅蜜亦不壞). Note that the substance called vajra mentioned in the previous line is considered indestructible.
backThe Stok Palace version has gsal ba (“illuminate”) as opposed to bsal ba (“dispel”). The latter reading, that within the perfection of wisdom there is nothing whatsoever to dispel, corresponds well with the clause that follows, which states that within the perfection of wisdom there is nothing to undertake. Thus, the two clauses can be taken as a pair that expresses how, in the perfection of wisdom, nothing is to be negated or taken up. It is worth noting the ambiguity of the terms “dispel” and “undertake,” since it is not clear in what sense “dispel” and “undertake” are intended. They can refer to practices to be discarded or adopted, or to the negation or assertion of certain properties (such as the property of inherent existence). Our translation allows for either interpretation. The Chinese reads, “[As] all phenomena are equal in nature, the perfection of wisdom is equal in nature” (yi qie fa xing ping deng, bo re bo luo mi yi ping deng 一切法性平等，般若波羅蜜亦平等).
backHere byed pa med pa may be rendered as “actionless,” but we chose to interpret it as lacking anything to undertake, as a counterpoint to the previous sentence. Thus, just as there is nothing to be dispelled, so is there nothing to be undertaken in relation to both all phenomena and the perfection of wisdom. The Chinese reads, “[As] all phenomena have no nature, the perfection of wisdom has no nature” (yi qie fa wu xing, bo re bo luo mi yi wu xing 一切法無性，般若波羅蜜亦無性).
backThe Chinese translation lists nine perfections in a slightly different order: giving (bushi佈施), discipline (chijie持戒), patience (renru忍辱), effort (jingjin精進), concentration (chanding禪定), means (fangbian方便), aspiration (yuan願), power (li力), and gnosis (zhi智). The perfection of wisdom (shes rab, hui慧) is absent in the Chinese.
backThe Chinese version reads, “The three activities of speech, thought, and deed are pure; the perfection of wisdom is also pure. Therefore, the meaning of the perfection of wisdom is boundless” (san ye qing jing, bo re bo luo mi yi qing jing. ru shi bo re bo luo mi, qi yi wu bian三業清淨，般若波羅蜜亦清淨。如是般若波羅蜜，其義無邊).
backThe Chinese translation begins this next section with “Furthermore, Kauśika! [The perfection of wisdom] possesses eighteen emptinesses” (fu ci, jiao shi jia! Suo you shi ba kong復次，憍尸迦！所有十八空).
backThe Chinese version adds here “unchanging emptiness” (wu bian yi kong無變異空), which is absent in the Tibetan.
backThe Chinese version has the alternative “emptiness without beginning” (wu shi kong無始空) here.
backThe corresponding clause is absent in the Chinese translation.
backThe corresponding clause is found in the Chinese translation, but it is placed at the end of the list as the last emptiness.
backThe Chinese version adds “emptiness of no characteristics” (wu xiang kong無相空) here.
backThe corresponding clause is absent in the Chinese translation.
backThis list is slightly different in the Chinese version. The eighteen emptinesses are, in the order of appearance, internal emptiness (nei kong內空), external emptiness (wai kong 外空), internal and external emptiness (nei wai kong 內外空), emptiness of emptiness (kong kong空空), great emptiness (da kong大空), ultimate emptiness (sheng yi kong 勝義空), emptiness of conditioned phenomena (you wei kong有為空), emptiness of unconditioned phenomena (wo wei kong無為空), emptiness of transcending extremes (wu ji kong無際空), unchanging emptiness (wu bian yi kong無變異空), emptiness without beginning (wu shi kong無始空), emptiness of inherent nature (ben xing kong本性空), emptiness of self-characteristics (zi xiang kong自相空), emptiness of no characteristics (wu xiang kong無相空), emptiness of nonexistence (wu xing kong無性空), emptiness of essential nature (zi xing kong自性空), emptiness of the essential nature of nonexistence (wu xing zi xing kong 無性自性空), and emptiness of all phenomena (yi qie fa kong一切法空).
backThis sentence is absent in the Chinese translation. In its place, the Chinese reads, “The verse says…” (song yue頌曰).
backThe Chinese version has a slightly different order. It reads, “Like a star, a lamp, a cataract, a dream, an illusion, a bubble, and a dew drop; like lightning as well as a cloud” (ru xing ru deng, yi meng, huan ji pao, lu, ru dian yi ru yun如星如燈、翳， 夢、幻及泡、露，如電亦如雲).
backThis is the verse that concludes the Buddha’s discourse in The Diamond Cutter Sūtra (Vajracchedikā, Toh 16, folio 132.b)https://read.84000.co/translation/toh16.html. The Chinese version indicates that this verse was spoken by “I” (wo jin lüe shuo ci我今略說此), presumably the Buddha, considering that the conclusion of the text says “The Blessed One has spoken” (shi zun shuo ci jing yi世尊說此經已).
backThis mantra is included in the Tibetan version and also, albeit in a modified form, in the Sanskrit version, but not in the extant Chinese. In its place, the Chinese reads, “I now have briefly spoken about this perfection of wisdom” (wo jin lüe shuoci, bo re bo luo mi我今略說此, 般若波羅蜜).
backThe Sanskrit of these two verses matches the opening verses of homage in Nāgārjuna’s Fundamental Treatise on the Middle Way (Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, Toh 3824, folio 1.b)https://read.84000.co/translation/toh3824.html. This suggests that the differences between this Tibetan translation of these verses and the canonical Tibetan translation of Nāgārjuna’s text reflect alternate translations of the same Sanskrit text. The Chinese translation adds a few lines here not found in the Tibetan. They read, “Thus, this is the teaching of supreme perfect awakening that ceases and pacifies the twelve links of dependent arising. Have reverent faith in the supreme guru. Take refuge in the buddhas of the ten directions of the past, present, and future, the Three Jewels, and the perfections. With an ocean of unlimited merit, make offerings to the various tathāgatas, who hold the true secret [teachings] of the Great Illumination” (ru shi shi er yuan, zhi xi ling ji jing, zheng deng zheng deng jue shuo. Gong xin zui shunag zhi, gui yi shi fang fo, guo xian ji wei lai, san bao bo luo mi, wu liang gong de hai, gong yang zhu ru lai, da ming zhen mi mi如是十二緣， 止息令寂靜，正等正覺說。 恭信最上師，歸依十方佛， 過現及未來，三寶波羅蜜。 無量功德海，供養諸如來， 大明真祕密。).
backIn the Sanskrit and Chinese translations, the mantras begin here. See appendices I and II.
backŚāriputra is absent in the Chinese version.
backThe Chinese version contains a slightly different list here. It reads, “Sovereign Śakra, lord of the gods, various bodhisattvas, gods, humans, gandharvas, and asuras” (di shi tian zhuji zhu pus a mo he sa, tian, ren, gan ta po, a xiu luo deng帝釋天主及諸菩薩摩訶薩、天、人、乾闥婆、阿修羅等).
backThe Chinese translation has “all rejoiced upon hearing what the Buddha had taught and heartily took refuge in his teaching and promised to practice it” (yi qie ren zhong, wen fo suo shuo, jie da huan xi, zin shou feng xing一切大眾，聞佛所說，皆大歡喜，信受奉行).
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