Section 14
Original Sanskrit
अथ खल्वायुष्मान्सुभूतिर्धर्मवेगेनाश्रूणि प्रामुंचत् सोऽश्रूणि प्रमृज्य भगवंतमेतदवोचत् । आश्चर्यं भगवन्परमाश्चर्यं सुगत यावदयं धर्मपर्यायस्तथागतेन भाषितोऽग्रयानसंप्रस्थितानां सत्त्वानामर्थाय श्रेष्ठयानसंप्रस्थितानामर्थाय यतो मे भगवज्ज्ञानमुत्पन्नं । न मया भगवञ्जात्वेवंरूपो धर्मपर्यायः श्रुतपूर्वः । परमेण ते भगवन्नाश्चर्येण समन्वागता बोधिसत्त्वा भविष्यंति य इह सूत्रे भाष्यमाणे श्रुत्वा भूतसंज्ञामुत्पादयिष्यंति । तत्कस्य हेतोः । या चैषा भगवन्भूतसंज्ञा सैवाभूतसंज्ञा । तस्मात्तथागतो भाषते भूतसंज्ञा भूतसंज्ञेति ॥
न मम भगवन्नाश्चर्यं यदाहमिमं धर्मपर्यायं भाष्यमाणमवकल्पयाम्यधिमुच्ये । येऽपि ते भगवन्सत्त्वा भविष्यंत्यनागतेऽध्वनि पश्चिमे काले पश्चिमे समये पश्चिमायां पंचशत्यां सद्धर्मविप्रलोपे वर्तमाने य इमं भगवन्धर्मपर्यायमुद्गृहीष्यंति धारयिष्यंति वाचयिष्यंति पर्यवाप्स्यंति परेभ्यश्च विस्तरेण संप्रकाशयिष्यंति ते परमाश्चर्येण समन्वागता भविष्यंति ॥
अपि तु खलु पुनर्भगवन्न तेषामात्मसंज्ञा प्रवर्तिष्यते । न सत्त्वसंज्ञा न जीवसंज्ञा न पुद्गलसंज्ञा प्रवर्तिष्यते नापि तेषां काचित्संज्ञा नासंज्ञा प्रवर्तते । तत्कस्य हेतोः । या सा भगवन्नात्मसंज्ञा सैवासंज्ञा । या सत्त्वसंज्ञा जीवसंज्ञा पुद्गलसंज्ञा सैवासंज्ञा । तत्कस्य हेतोः । सर्वसंज्ञापगता हि बुद्धा भगवंतः ॥
एवमुक्ते भगवानायुष्मंतं सुभूतिमेतदवोचत् । एवमेतत्सुभूते एवमेतत् । परमाश्चर्यसमन्वागतास्ते सत्त्वा भविष्यंति य इह सुभूते सूत्रे भाष्यमाणे नोत्त्रसिष्यंति न संत्रसिष्यंति न संत्रासमापत्स्यंते । तत्कस्य हेतोः । परमपारमितेयं सुभूते तथागतेन भाषिता यदुतापारमिता । यां च सुभूते तथागतः परमपारमितां भाषते तामपरिमाणा अपि बुद्धा भगवंतो भाषंते । तेनोच्यते परमपारमितेति ॥
अपि तु खलु पुनः सुभूते या तथागतस्य क्षांतिपारमिता सैवापारमिता । तत्कस्य हेतोः । यदा मे सुभूते कलिंगराजाङ्गप्रत्यंगमांसान्यच्छैत्सीत्तस्मिन्समये आत्मसंज्ञा वा सत्त्वसंज्ञा वा जीवसंज्ञा वा पुद्गलसंज्ञा वा नापि मे काचित्संज्ञा वासंज्ञा वा बभूव । तत्कस्य हेतोः । सचेन्मे सुभूते तस्मिन्समये आत्मसंज्ञाभविष्यद्व्यापादसंज्ञापि मे तस्मिन्समयेऽभविष्यत् । सचेत्सत्त्वसंज्ञा जीवसंज्ञा पुद्गलसंज्ञाभविष्यद्व्यापादसंज्ञापि मे तस्मिन्समयेऽभविष्यत् । तत्कस्य हेतोः । अभिजानाम्यहं सुभूतेऽतीतेऽध्वनि पंच जातिशतानि यदहं क्षांतिवादी ऋषिरभूवं । तत्रापि मे नात्मसंज्ञा बभूव न सत्त्वसंज्ञा न जीवसंज्ञा न पुद्गलसंज्ञा बभूव । तस्मात्तर्हि सुभूते बोधिसत्त्वेन महासत्त्वेन सर्वसंज्ञां विवर्जयित्वानुत्तरायां सम्यक्संबोधौ चित्तमुत्पादयितव्यं । न रूपप्रतिष्ठितं चित्तमुत्पादयितव्यं न शब्दगंधरसस्प्रष्टव्यधर्मप्रतिष्ठितं चित्तमुत्पादयितव्यं न धर्मप्रतिष्ठितं चित्तमुत्पादयितव्यं नाधर्मप्रतिष्ठितं चित्तमुत्पादयितव्यं न क्वचित्प्रतिष्ठितं चित्तमुत्पादयितव्यं । तत्कस्य हेतोः । यत्प्रतिष्ठितं तदेवाप्रतिष्ठितं । तस्मादेव तथागतो भाषते अप्रतिष्ठितेन बोधिसत्त्वेन दानं दातव्यं । न रूपशब्दगंधरसस्पर्शधर्मप्रतिष्ठितेन दानं दातव्यं ॥
अपि तु खलु पुनः सुभूते बोधिसत्त्वेनैवंरूपो दानपरित्यागः कर्तव्यः सर्वसत्त्वानामर्थाय । तत्कस्य हेतोः । या चैषा सुभूते सत्त्वसंज्ञा सैवासंज्ञा । य एवं ते सर्वसत्त्वास्तथागतेन भाषितास्त एवासत्त्वाः । तत्कस्य हेतोः । भूतवादी सुभूते तथागतः सत्यवादी तथावादी तथागतः । अनन्यथावादी तथागतः । न वितथवादी तथागतः ॥
अपि तु खलु पुनः सुभूते यस्तथागतेन धर्मोऽभिसंबुद्धो देशितो निध्यातो न तच्च सत्यं न मृषा । तद्यथापि नाम सुभूते पुरुषोऽंधकारप्रविष्टो न किंचिदपि पश्येत् एवं वस्तुपतितो बोधिसत्त्वो द्रष्टव्यो यो वस्तुपतितो दानं परित्यजति । तद्यथापि नाम सुभूते चक्षुष्मान्पुरुषः प्रभातायां रात्र्यां सूर्येऽभ्युद्गते नानाविधानि रूपाणि पश्येत् एवमवस्तुपतितो बोधिसत्त्वो द्रष्टव्यो योऽवस्तुपतितो दानं परित्यजति ॥
अपि तु खलु पुनः सुभूते ये कुलपुत्रा वा कुलदुहितरो वेमं धर्मपर्यायमुद्गृहीष्यंति धारयिष्यंति वाचयिष्यंति पर्यवाप्स्यंति परेभ्यश्च विस्तरेण संप्रकाशयिष्यंति ज्ञातास्ते सुभूते तथागतेन बुद्धज्ञानेन दृष्टास्ते सुभूते तथागतेन बुद्धचक्षुषा बुद्धास्ते तथागतेन । सर्वे ते सुभूते सत्त्वा अप्रमेयमसंख्येयं पुण्यस्कंधं प्रसविष्यंति प्रतिगृहीष्यंति ॥१४॥
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Sanskrit of F. Max Müller’s 1881 Anecdota Oxoniensia edition, all 32 sections, with the printed section numbers kept.
Then the venerable Subhūti was moved to tears. He wiped away his tears and said to the Blessed One: "How wonderful, Blessed One, how supremely wonderful, Sugata, is this teaching that the Tathāgata has spoken for the sake of beings who have set out on the foremost vehicle and the highest vehicle. Since this understanding has arisen in me, Blessed One, I have never before heard a teaching of this kind. Bodhisattvas who hear this teaching spoken, and bring forth the perception of what is real, will be endowed with supreme wonder. Why? What is this perception of what is real? It is the perception of the unreal, and so the Tathāgata speaks of the perception of what is real."
"It is no wonder to me, Blessed One, that I should understand this teaching as it is spoken and have faith in it. Beings who will come in the last time, in the last age, in the last five hundred years when the true teaching has declined, and who will take up this teaching, hold it, recite it, master it, and explain it widely to others, will be endowed with supreme wonder."
"Blessed One, those beings will not hold the perception of a self, nor of a being, nor of a living soul, nor of a person. Nor will any perception or non-perception arise in them. Why? The perception of self is itself no-perception. The perception of a being, of a living soul, of a person is itself no-perception. Why? The Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, are freed from every perception."
The Blessed One said to the venerable Subhūti: "So it is, Subhūti, so it is. Those beings will be endowed with supreme wonder when this teaching is spoken. They will not be startled, nor frightened, nor overcome with dread. Why? Subhūti, this is the supreme perfection that the Tathāgata has taught, namely the no-perfection. And the supreme perfection that the Tathāgata teaches is taught by immeasurable Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, as well. Therefore it is called the supreme perfection."
"Yet also, Subhūti, the patience-perfection of the Tathāgata is itself no perfection. Why? Subhūti, when the king of Kaliṅga cut off my limbs and flesh, at that time I had no perception of a self, of a being, of a living soul, or of a person; I had no perception of any kind, nor of non-perception. Why? If at that time a perception of self had arisen in me, a perception of ill-will would have arisen in me too. If a perception of being, of living soul, or of person had arisen, a perception of ill-will would have arisen in me. Why? Subhūti, I remember that for five hundred births I was a sage who taught patience, and even then there was in me no perception of self, of being, of living soul, or of person."
"Therefore, Subhūti, a bodhisattva, a great being, should set aside all perceptions and bring forth the mind toward unsurpassed perfect awakening. He should not bring forth a mind that rests on a form, nor on a sound, smell, taste, touch, or object of mind, nor on a dharma, nor on a non-dharma, nor on any place at all. Why? What rests is, for that very reason, unrested. Therefore the Tathāgata says that a bodhisattva should give without resting. He should not give resting on a form, a sound, a smell, a taste, a touch, or an object of mind."
"Moreover, Subhūti, a bodhisattva should practice such giving for the sake of all beings. Why? The perception of beings that the Tathāgata has spoken of is no perception, and the beings the Tathāgata has spoken of are not beings. Why? The Tathāgata speaks what is true; he speaks what is so; he speaks in accord with what is; he does not speak otherwise; he does not speak what is false."
"Moreover, Subhūti, the teaching the Tathāgata has fully awakened to and proclaimed is neither true nor false. It is like a person who enters a dark room and sees nothing. So a bodhisattva who gives while resting in things should be seen as one who gives in darkness. And it is like a person with sight, when the sun has risen and the night is over, who sees many kinds of form. So a bodhisattva who gives without resting in things should be seen as one who gives in light."
"Moreover, Subhūti, the sons and daughters of good family who take up this teaching, hold it, recite it, master it, and explain it widely to others: the Tathāgata knows them with his Buddha-knowledge, sees them with his Buddha-eye, and understands them. All those beings will bring forth an immeasurable, uncountable heap of merit, and they will receive it." [14]
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Sanskrit, covering all 32 sections with the printed section numbers.
Then the elder Subhūti began to cry. He wiped his tears and said to the Buddha: "It is wonderful, Blessed One, very wonderful, Sugata, that this teaching has been given for the sake of beings on the foremost path and the highest path. Since this understanding has come to me, Blessed One, I have never heard a teaching like this before. Bodhisattvas who hear this teaching spoken and form the idea of what is real will be filled with the greatest wonder. What is this idea of what is real? It is really the idea of what is unreal, and that is why the Tathāgata speaks of 'the idea of what is real.'"
"It is no wonder to me, Blessed One, that I can understand this teaching when it is spoken and have faith in it. In the last age, in the last five hundred years, when the true teaching has fallen into decline, there will be beings who hear this teaching, hold it, recite it, learn it, and explain it widely to others. They will be filled with the greatest wonder."
"Blessed One, those beings will not hold on to the idea of a self, a being, a soul, or a person. No idea and no absence of ideas will arise in them. Why? The idea of a self is itself no idea. The idea of a being, a soul, or a person is itself no idea. Why? The Buddhas are free of all ideas."
The Buddha said to the elder Subhūti: "So it is, Subhūti, so it is. Those beings will be filled with the greatest wonder when this teaching is spoken. They will not be shaken, frightened, or terrified. Why? Subhūti, this is the highest perfection, and what the Tathāgata calls the highest perfection is no perfection at all. Countless Buddhas also teach this highest perfection. That is why it is called the highest perfection."
"And Subhūti, the Tathāgata's perfection of patience is itself no perfection. Why? Subhūti, when the king of Kaliṅga cut off my arms and legs and my flesh, I had no idea of a self, a being, a soul, or a person. I had no idea of anything, and no lack of ideas either. Why? If I had held the idea of a self at that time, I would also have felt anger. If I had held the idea of a being, a soul, or a person, I would also have felt anger. Why? Subhūti, I remember that for five hundred lives I was a sage who taught patience. Even then I had no idea of a self, a being, a soul, or a person."
"So, Subhūti, a bodhisattva who is a great being should let go of all ideas and set his mind on the highest and perfect awakening. He should not set his mind on a form, a sound, a smell, a taste, a touch, or any object of the mind. He should not set it on a teaching or a non-teaching, or on any place at all. Why? What rests is itself not resting. So the Tathāgata says that a bodhisattva should give without resting. He should not give while resting on a form, a sound, a smell, a taste, a touch, or an object of the mind."
"Subhūti, a bodhisattva should give in this way for the sake of all beings. Why? The Tathāgata says that the idea of beings is not really an idea, and the beings he speaks of are not really beings. Why? The Tathāgata speaks the truth. He speaks what is real and what is so. He speaks as things are, and he does not speak otherwise. He does not speak falsely."
"Subhūti, the teaching the Tathāgata has fully understood and declared is neither true nor false. It is like a person who walks into a dark room and sees nothing. In the same way, a bodhisattva who gives while holding on to things is like someone walking in the dark. It is like a person with good eyes, when the sun has risen in the morning, who sees many kinds of things. In the same way, a bodhisattva who gives without holding on to things is like someone walking in the light."
"Subhūti, the sons and daughters of good families who take up this teaching, keep it, recite it, learn it, and explain it widely to others: the Tathāgata knows them with his Buddha-knowledge, sees them with his Buddha-eye, and understands them. All of them will build a heap of merit that is endless and cannot be counted, and they will receive it." [14]
About this section
Section 14 is part of Diamond Sutra (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra) by Unknown. This page sets the Sanskrit original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is section 14 of 32 in the work, which is kept in the Buddhist tradition.
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