The Prajnaparamita for Kausika (Indra), King of the Gods
translation: JW
Praise to all Buddhas! Praise to all bodhisattvas!
Thus have I heard at one time.
The Blessed One dwelt at Rajagaha on Vulture Peak with a large assembly of monks and many thousands of bodhisattvas; all crowned like princes.
At this time, Indra, King of the Gods, asked the Blessed One a question:
What is the meaning of the prajnaparamita?
The Blessed One heard Indra's question and spoke:
Kausika, listen.
Such is the view of the prajnaparamita--
not by views of duality or non-duality;
not by views of sign or signlessness;
not by views of giving or taking:
not by views of adding or subtracting;
not by views of sin or no sin;
not by views of the pure or the impure;
not by views of abandoning or not abandoning;
not by views of staying or going;
not by views of working or not working;
not by views of the conditioned or unconditioned;
not by views of dharmas or no dharmas;
not by views of suchness or no suchness;
not by views of absolute reality or no absolute reality.
Kausika, such it is, and listen still, this is the essence of prajnaparamita:
the prajnaparamita is the same as all dharmas are the same;
the prajnaparamita is the deep as all dharmas are the deep;
the prajnaparamita is independent as all dharmas are independent;
the prajnaparamita is unchanging as all dharmas are unchanging;
the prajnaparamita is void of mental formations as all dharmas are void of mental formations;
the prajnaparamita is calm as all dharmas are calm;
the prajnaparamita is fearless as all dharmas are fearless;
the prajnaparamita is a simple taste, as all dharmas are a simple taste;
the prajnaparamita is uncreated, as all dharmas are uncreated.
the prajnaparamita is limitless as all dharmas are limitless;
the prajnaparamita is the arching of a vast infinite space, as all dharmas are the arching of a vast infinite space.
Such it is, listien still, Kausika--
the prajnaparamita is infinite boundlessness as form is infinite boundlessness, as feeling is infinite boundlessness, as perception is infinite boundlessness, as fabrication is infinite boundlessness, as consciousness is infinite boundlessness;
the prajnaparamita is infinite boundlessness as the earth element is infinite boundlessness, as the water element is infinite boundlessness, as the fire element is infinite boundlessness, as the air element is infinite boundlessness, as the space element is infinite boundlessness, as the consciousness element is infinite boundlessness;
the prajnaparamita is unbound as the great mountain is unbound,
the prajnaparamita is unbound as the great ocean is unbound;
the prajnaparamita is seamless as a thunderbolt is seamless;
the prajnaparamita is indifferent as all dharmas are indiferent;
the prajnaparamita is inapprehensible as all dharmas are inapprehensible;
the prajnaparamita is changeless no matter what it may enfold as all dharmas are changeless no matter what they may enfold;
the prajnaparamita is inapplicable as all dharmas are inapplicable;
the prajnaparamita is inconceivable as all dharmas are inconceivable.
Likewise, the prajnaparamita is infinite boundlessness as the infinite boundlessness of the triple purity-- as the infinite boundlessness of the perfections of giving, virtue, patience, energy, samadhi, and wisdom-- as the infinite boundlessness of skillful means-- as the infinite boundlessness of the great being bodhisattva's vow, power, and understanding.
Kausika, listen still; when one speaks of the prajnaparamita, one speaks of emptiness:
emptiness of subject emptiness,
emptiness of object emptiness,
emptiness of both subject and object emptiness,
emptiness of emptiness emptiness,
emptiness great emptiness emptiness,
emptiness unsurpassed emptiness emptiness,
emptiness of the conditioned emptiness,
emptiness of the unconditioned emptiness,
emptiness absolute emptiness,
emptiness without beginning or end emptiness,
emptiness of relinquishment emptiness,
emptiness of essence emptiness,
emptiness of all dharmas emptiness,
emptiness of signs emptiness,
emptiness of ground emptiness,
emptiness of non-existence emptiness,
emptiness of own-being emptiness,
emptiness of the non-existence of own-being emptiness--
Kausika, all is emptiness--this is the prajnaparamita.
And the prajnaparamita is like this:
as twinkling stars,
as a blurry vision,
as a flickering flame,
as a melting frost,
as a bubble pops,
a dream--
a lightning flash,
a cloud vaporizing along a blue sky-- so should one see
all that is.
Hail prajnaparamita! Blessed Mother, holy Mother of the Tathagatas!
Hail prajnaparamita, most blessed prajnaparamita-- gone hearing gone, gone remembering gone, gone thinking gone-- gone victory, victory svaha!
Hail prajnaparamita, ending, no ending, beginning, no beginning, limit, no limit, timeless, no timeless-- not one, not more than one;
who is coming, who is going,
no one.
Bliss is the Tathagata's teaching of dependent arising;
Bliss is the quenching of the arising fire:
if this, then that!
Bliss is the Tathagata's word--
Hail!
Thus spoke the Blessed One,
and joyous was Indra, King of the Gods, joyous was the Venerable Sariputra, joyous were the bodhisattvas, and the great being bodhisattvas, joyous was the whole assembly of gods, spirits, and demons.
All rejoiced in the Blessed One's teaching.