The Diamond Perfection of Wisdom Såtra

　　(T235.8.748c-752c)

　　Translated into Chinese by Kumàrajãva

　　Translated into English by Charles Patton

　　Diamond Perfection of Wisdom Såtra 2

　　1.

　　Thus have I heard. One time the Buddha was staying at the Anàthapiõóada retreat

　　in the Jeta Grove near øràvastã, with a great congregation of 1,250 monks (bhikùu). At

　　meantime, the World Honored One put on his robes and took his alms bowl into the great

　　city of øràvastã to beg for alms. In the midst of that city, he begged successively and

　　then returned to his personal dwelling to eat his meal. Having put away his robes and

　　bowl, he washed his feet, prepared his seat, and sat.

　　2.

　　At that time, the venerable Subhåti was amidst the great congregation. He then rose

　　from his seat, adjusted his robes, and kneeled his right knee to the ground. With his

　　palms joined together respectfully, he addressed the Buddha, saying, "Extraordinary,

　　World Honored One, is the Tathàgata”s skillful mindfulness of the bodhisattvas and his

　　skillful entrustment to the bodhisattvas. World Honored One, in what should good sons

　　and good daughters engendering the supremely unexcelled bodhicitta1 dwell

　　 How

　　should they subdue their minds

　　"

　　The Buddha replied, "Excellent, excellent! Subhåti, as you have said, the Tathàgata

　　is skillfully mindful of the bodhisattvas, and skillful is his entrustment to the bodhisattvas.

　　If you now listen closely, I shall explain for you in what good sons and good daughters

　　engendering the supremely unexcelled bodhicitta should thus abide, and how thus they

　　should subdue their minds."

　　"Yes, World Honored One. Gladly, I shall listen."

　　3.

　　The Buddha addressed Subhåti, saying, "Bodhisattva-mahàsattvas should thus

　　subdue their minds: ”Where there is every single sort of sentient being; whether eggborn,

　　womb-born, water-born, or born of transformation; whether having form or

　　formless; whether having thought or no thought; whether neither having thought nor no

　　thought; I will cause all to enter the non-residual Nirvàõa, liberating them. Thus liberating

　　the measureless, countless, and boundless sentient beings, in reality there are no

　　sentient beings attaining that liberation.” And why

　　 Subhåti, if a bodhisattva has the

　　image of a self, the image of a person, the image of beings, or the image of a soul; then

　　he is not a bodhisattva2.

　　1 The full Sanskrit term is anuttara-samyak-sa§bodhicitta. Anuttara-samyak-sa§bodhi was usually

　　transliterated by translators of Buddhist texts when rendering it into Chinese, even though the term

　　could have been easily translated. In the interest of making the term less cumbersome and more

　　comprehensible, I am translating anuttara-samyak-sa§ (”supremely unexcelled”) and leaving bodhi

　　and bodhicitta untranslated.

　　2 The Chinese reads hsiang, which means "appearance, mark, characteristic, sign". The character

　　usually refers to the external environment, but Kumàrajãva here uses it in a way that seems to refer

　　to mental images or notions. The later translations of the Såtra use different characters that are

　　Diamond Perfection of Wisdom Såtra 3

　　4.

　　"Furthermore, Subhåti, a bodhisattva in the Dharma should not dwell in the practice

　　of charity (dàna)3. I.e., he does not dwell in the forms of charity; does not dwell in the

　　sounds, odors, tastes, tactile sensations, or ideas of charity. Subhåti, a bodhisattva

　　should thus be charitable, not dwelling in such images. And why

　　 If a bodhisattva does

　　not dwell in the images of charity, his blessed virtue is incalculable.

　　"Subhåti, what do you think

　　 To the East, the space can be calculated, no

　　"

　　"No, World Honored One."

　　"Subhåti, to the South, West, North, the four directions…

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