Moreover, Subhúti, if there be a disciple, male or female, who having received and adopted this Sútra reads it throughout, if on account of his evil Karma produced by his sins in former births, he be now born as a man of poor degree and unhappy circumstances, or having entered one of the three evil degrees of birth, he be now born poor and miserable as a man, all the evil Karma resulting from his former sins, shall now be for ever destroyed, and he himself be enabled to attain to the unsurpassed, just, and enlightened heart.
Subhúti, I remember countless ages ago, before Dípankara Buddha having met with infinite myriads of Buddhas, who were all engaged in performing the external duties of religious service, deceived by the belief of the reality of things around them; but if there be a man, who in after ages is able to accept and recite this Sútra throughout, the merit which he will thus attain to, shall infinitely exceed that which formal attention to religious observances will secure, so much so that to draw any proportion between them would be impossible, and incredible were it to be stated; for as the method and entire meaning of this Sútra is not to be described or entirely conceived, so the merit and happy consequences of accepting it, cannot be conceived or described.
Cap. XVII.—Having arrived at the perfection of wisdom, there is no individuality left.
At this time Subhúti addressed Buddha thus: World-honoured one, if a disciple, male or female, aspire after the attainment of the unsurpassed, just, and enlightened heart, say, on what ought that disciple to ground his reliance; by what means ought he to destroy and suppress this evil heart?
Buddha replied: Subhúti, if a disciple, male or female, aspire after the unsurpassed, just, and enlightened heart, he ought to beget in himself this disposition [and say], “I must now destroy and get rid of all the principles of life in whatever creature they exist, all creatures being, as far as I am concerned, thus destroyed and got rid of; then, in truth, there will be no longer any such thing as getting rid of all such creatures.” So then, Subhúti, if a Bodhisatwa still be affected by any individual distinction, such as the following: I will strive after so and so because “it seems agreeable to me,” or because “men approve of it,” or because “it is the best reward for a sentient creature,” or because “it entails endless duration of life,” such a Bodhisatwa, I say, is not a true Bodhisatwa, wherefore it is plain, O Subhúti, that there is in reality no such condition of being as that described as the unsurpassed, just, and enlightened heart.
Subhúti, what think you? did Tathágata possess one fixed law of action when he attained in the days of Dípankara Buddha the condition of the unsurpassed heart?
No! world-honoured one! as I at least interpret the doctrine of Buddha, then Buddha had no fixed rule of action when in the days of Dípankara Buddha he attained the unsurpassed, just, and enlightened heart.
Buddha said: Right! Right! Subhúti, there is in truth no fixed law [by which] Tathágata attained this condition. Subhúti, if there had been such a law then, Dípankara Buddha would not have said in delivering the prediction concerning me, “You in after ages must attain to the state of Buddha, and your name shall be Sákyamuni,” so that because there is indeed no fixed law for attaining the condition of “the perfect heart,” on that account it was Dípankara Buddha delivered his prediction in such words. What, then, the very word “Tathágata” is the explanation as it were of all systems of law. If a man say, “Tathágata has arrived at the condition of the perfect heart,” [and hence conclude that there is a fixed method by which he has so arrived, this is erroneous] Subhúti, in truth there is no such fixed law. The condition of the unsurpassed heart to which Tathágata has arrived, is thus a medial one, neither wholly real nor wholly false, hence Tathágata declares that all things[11] are but conditions of being existing in Buddha himself. Subhúti, what men call “all things,” is in fact just the contrary (i.e. no-things); such things are only mere names. Subhúti, it is as though there were a man with a very great body. Subhúti said: “World-honoured one! Tathágata speaks of a man’s body as great, but this idea of greatness is but a mere name, it is just the opposite of a reality.” Subhúti, so it is with the Bodhisatwa, if he should say “I ought to destroy all recollection of the countless kinds of creatures,” this Bodhisatwa would not be really one, but only a nominal one. What then, Subhúti, there is in reality no fixed condition of being, and when this is the case, then a man is really a Bodhisatwa. Hence Buddha says that all things ought to be without any individual distinction. Subhúti, if a Bodhisatwa should say thus, “I ought to adorn the land of Buddha” (i.e. I ought to practise all the Pâramitás and other meritorious observances, in order thoroughly to exhibit in myself the excellences of a Bodhisatwa), this Bodhisatwa ought not to be called one. For Buddha declared that this adornment is after all not any adornment, it is a mere name. Subhúti, if a Bodhisatwa completely gets rid of the idea of individuality, then this Bodhisatwa is one in reality and truth.
Cap. XVIII.— When all things are brought to their one true state of being, then there can only be one method of knowledge.
Subhúti, what think you? does Tathágata possess human power of sight?