The Lord: So it is, Kausika. The merit of any devotee of perfection of wisdom is entirely different; such is immeasurable, incalculable, inconceivable, incomparable, illimitable. From perfection of wisdom all-knowledge of Tathagatas comes forth; from all-knowledge has come forth the cult of the relics of Tathagata. Here the difference in merit of any devotee of the perfection of wisdom bears no proportion at all to the accumulation of merit born from building Stupas, made of the seven precious things, enshrining the relics of Tathagatas.
Herein forty thousand gods in the assembly are saying to Sakra, the Chief of Gods: Sir! Do take up perfection of wisdom! The perfection of wisdom, Sir, take this up, recite such, study such and explain such for unlimited benefit of any and all beings!
The Lord: Kausika, do take up perfection of wisdom, recite, study and explain it! If the Asuras form any idea of fighting with the Gods of the Thirty-three, and if you, Kausika, have studied, and then recite and explain perfection of wisdom by bringing this to mind, the Asuras will drop such ideas.
Sakra: A great lore is this perfection of wisdom, a lore without measure, a quite measureless lore, an unsurpassed lore, an unequalled lore, a lore which equals the unequalled.
The Lord: So it is, Kausika. For it is due to this lore, i.e. perfection of wisdom, Buddhas of any and all times come to reveal and know full enlightenment. Due to this, Buddhas of any future know it. Thanks to this, Buddhas of any present know it. Thanks to this is it known and revealed. Thanks to just this lore ten wholesome ways of acting are revealed in the world, the four trances associated with the limbs of enlightenment, the four Unlimited associated with the limbs of enlightenment, the four formless attainments upheld by the limbs of enlightenment, the six super-knowledges associated with the limbs of enlightenment, in short the eighty-four thousand articles of dharma, cognition of Buddha, cognition of self-existent, inconceivable cognition. However, as at times it -seems- no Tathagatas are in the world…it is Bodhisattvas, -endowed with skill in means as a result of hearing the outpouring of perfection of wisdom in any past (whenever here are Buddhas), full of pity for beings, come into this world out of pity, -who foster in the world the ten wholesome ways of acting, the four trances as dissociated from the limbs of enlightenment, etc. to: the five super-knowledges as dissociated from the limbs of enlightenment. Just as thanks to the disk of the moon all the herbs, stars and constellations are illuminated according to their power and strength, so, as Tathagata -seem- to pass beyond and this good dharma -seems- to have disappeared, in any seeming absence of Tathagatas, whatever righteous, upright, outstanding, or wholesome life is conceived and manifested in worlds, all coming forth from the Bodhisattva, is brought forth by one, is spread from one’s skill in means. But skill in means of Bodhisattvas is known as coming forth from perfection of wisdom. Moreover, any such as are devoted to perfection of wisdom, expect herein many advantages here and now.
Sakra: Which are these advantages?
The Lord: These devotees do not die any untimely death, nor from poison, or sword, or fire, or water, or staff, or violence. As these bring to mind, repeat, and apply this perfection of wisdom, the calamities which threaten these from kings and princes, from king’s counselors and king’s ministers, do not take place. As kings, etc., may try to do harm to these who again and again bring to mind, repeat and apply perfection of wisdom, such kings, etc., do not succeed; for perfection of wisdom upholds such devotees. Although kings, etc., may approach these ones with harmful intent, they instead decide to greet these, and to converse. For this perfection of wisdom entails an attitude of friendliness and compassion amongst and within all beings. Herein, even though any devotee of the perfection of wisdom may be in the middle of a wilderness infested with venomous vipers, neither beings nor ghosts can harm these, except as in a return for past deeds.
Hereupon one hundred Wanderers of other sects approached the Lord with hostile intent. Sakra, Chief of Gods, perceived these Wanderers from afar, and he reflected: Surely, these Wanderers of other sects are approaching the Lord with hostile intent. Let me now recall as much of this perfection of wisdom as I have learned from the Lord, bring it to mind, repeat, apply and spread it, so these Wanderers cannot approach the Lord, and the preaching of this perfection of wisdom may not be interrupted.
Hereupon, Sakra, Chief of Gods, recalls as much of this perfection of wisdom as he is learning from the Lord, brings it to mind, repeats, applies and spreads it. The Wanderers of other sects hereupon reverently saluted the Lord from afar, and went off on their way.
So, now it occurred to the Venerable Sariputra: For what reason do these heretical Wanderers reverently salute the Lord from afar, and now depart on their way?
The Lord: As Sakra, Chief of Gods, perceived the thoughts of such hostile Wanderers of other sects, he recalled this perfection of wisdom, brought it to mind, repeated, applied, and spread it, with the object of turning back the Wanderers of other sects who wanted to quarrel, dispute and obstruct, and prevented these from approaching this place the perfection of wisdom is being taught. And I have granted permission to Indra, Chief of Gods. I saw not even one pure dharma in these Wanderers. They all wanted to approach with hostile intent, with thoughts of enmity.
Hereupon it occurred to Mara, the Evil One: The four assemblies of Tathagata are assembled, and seated face to face with Tathagata. Face to face with Tathagata these Gods of the realm of sense-desire and of the realm of form are sure to be predicted in this assembly as Bodhisattvas to full enlightenment. Let me now approach to blind them. – Herein Mara conjured up a fourfold army, and is moving towards the place the Lord is.
Now, again it occurs to Sakra, chief of gods: Surely, I can see this is Mara, the Evil One, who has conjured up a fourfold army moving towards the place the Lord is. But the array of this army is not the array of King Bimbisara’s army, nor of King Prasenajit’s army, not of the army of the Sakyas or of the Licchavins. It is seen for a long time Mara the Evil One pursues the Lord, looking for any chance to enter, searching for a chance to enter, intent on hurting beings. I now recall this perfection of wisdom, bring it to mind, repeat, apply and spread it. Hereupon Sakra recalls just this perfection of wisdom, brought it to mind, repeated, applied and spread it. Immediately Mara, the Evil One, is seen as turning back again, and going on his way.
The Gods of the Thirty-three conjured up heavenly Mandarava flowers, flew through the air, and scattered these over the Lord. Now in triumph these cry: „For a long time surely is this perfection of wisdom coming to these people of Jambudvipa!“ Seizing more Mandarava flowers, these scattered and strewed these over the Lord, and said: „It is seen how Mara and his host have no chance to enter any beings who preach and develop this perfection of wisdom, or which course in it. Any beings hearing and studying perfection of wisdom are endowed with no small wholesome root. These who come to hear of this perfection of wisdom fulfill duties also under the Jinas of other times. How much more so any studying and repeating it who are trained in Thusness progress to such and make endeavours regarding such; these are people honoring Tathagatas. For it is in this perfection of wisdom one searches for all-knowledge. Just as all jewels are brought forth by a great ocean, and are searched for through it, just so the great jewel of all-knowledge of Tathagatas is searched for through the great ocean of perfection of wisdom.“
The Lord: So it is, Kausika. It is from great oceans of perfection of wisdom the great jewel of all- knowledge of Tathagatas comes forth.
An excerpt from the Prajnaparamita Sutra in 8.000 lines.
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