The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net”

Translation of མད་ཆན་པ་སྒྱ་མའ་དྲ་བ་ཞས་བྱ་བ (མདོ་ཆེན་པོ་སྒྱུ་མའི་དྲ་བ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ)

Language: English
Translator: Oriane Lavolé
Extent: 63 passages, 8,951 words
Text: complete digital text
Source: 84000 · Published by 84000 (v 1.0.6 2025). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha,… · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha). Shown whole and unaltered, with its notes, on a…

Text

84000's introduction

intro.1

The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” is a discourse taught by the Buddha Śākyamuni to an assembly of monks in Śrāvastī. The Buddha starts by mentioning the three trainings, in discipline, contemplation, and wisdom, and emphasizes the paramount importance of the training in wisdom, which brings to perfection the other two trainings too. He goes on to describe how we should train in wisdom by examining the futility and folly of our emotional reactions to what we perceive. Discussing each of the five sense perceptions and mental perception in succession, the Buddha describes how ordinary sensory and mental perceptions are deluded, and how getting caught up in the bonds of that delusion traps us in pain and regret. His systematic descriptions of the different perceptions are supplemented by individual analogies, illustrating the “net of illusion” to which the title refers.

intro.2

In The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” the Buddha opens his discourse by emphasizing that among the three trainings—in discipline, contemplation, and wisdom—the training in wisdom is of paramount importance. Perfecting the training in wisdom, he tells his monks, brings the other two trainings to perfection too.

intro.3

What needs to do done to train in wisdom is the topic of the rest of the sūtra. Essentially, it involves a continuing examination of the futility and folly of one’s emotional reactions to what one perceives, namely objects of the five senses and objects in the mind. The Buddha discusses successively these different kinds of perception. He describes how ordinary sensory and mental perceptions are deluded, and how getting caught up in them causes pain and regret. The passages on each of the six kinds of object comprise almost identical phrasing, using key terms such as the four psychophysical bonds that tie beings to cyclic existence, and the four misconceptions through which they misinterpret the real nature of their experience. Within each of these six similar passages, however, the Buddha adds two unique analogies, one illustrating the sobering shift of mindset from folly to wisdom, and the other depicting examples of perceptual illusion; the analogies are mostly not direct references to the sensory mode being discussed.

intro.4

The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” belongs to a corpus of texts known as the Mahāsūtras or “Great Discourses,” extracted from the Āgamas of the Sarvāstivādins and the Mūlasarvāstivādins. The Mahāsūtras’ long history has been traced in a magisterial study by Peter Skilling, who concludes that the Mahāsūtra collection, to which ten texts translated into Tibetan in the early ninth century by Jinamitra, Prajñāvarman, and Bandé Yeshé Dé belong, probably originated from a corpus of discourses important to the Kashmiri Mūlasarvāstivādin textual community. The Mahāsūtras, in addition to their practical function as a compact canon that represented the four Āgama collections in shortened form, were also employed as protective texts (rakṣā).¹ Doctrinally, all the works in this corpus draw on an early and fundamental layer of the Buddhist canon, and set out some of the key, essential perspectives that characterize the Buddha’s teaching.

intro.5

The present sūtra is no exception in that regard, explaining as it does how what causes our suffering and keeps us circling in saṃsāra is our failure to perceive the world as it really is, and our tendency instead to fall prey to the perceptual distortions caused by assessing what our senses tell us in terms of our mistaken belief in a self. These distorted perceptions form the “illusion’s net” to which the title refers, trapping sentient beings in its bonds. It is noteworthy that in the final summary with which the text concludes² it is the twelve analogies that are said to constitute the “illusion’s net,” although it is not clear whether the wording here refers to the whole text (i.e. as a title), or to the net itself. In either case, the summary suggests that the analogies were seen as particularly significant features of the work.³

intro.6

More generally, the theme of a “net of illusion” (Skt. māyājāla, and here Tib. sgyu ma’i dra ba), figures widely in the Indian literature of many traditions, not just Buddhist. In the Buddhist canon, there is also a father tantra (pha rgyud) within the Unexcelled category with the Sanskrit title Māyājāla-mahātantrarāja (Tib. rgyud kyi rgyal po sgyu ’phrul dra ba, Toh 466) and an extensive cycle of Nyingma tantras of the Mahāyoga class known collectively as the Māyājāla (Tib. sgyu ’phrul dra ba or drwa ba) that includes the Guhyagarbha tantras (rgyud gsang ba’i snying po, Toh 832–834). However, the content of these tantric works has little in common with that of the Mahāsūtra presented here.

intro.7

The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” is found in the General Sūtra section of the Degé Kangyur as the first of the group of seven Mahāsūtras that are classified as sūtras, placed immediately following the massive Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma (Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna, Toh 287),⁴ which marks the beginning of the “Lesser Vehicle” subset of canonical sūtras, as categorized by successive scholars from the time of Chomden Rikpai Raltri (1227–1305) and Butön (1290–1364) onward.

intro.8

Fragments from The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” have been identified among Sanskrit manuscript fragments belonging to the Sarvāstivādin school recovered from Central Asia.⁵ The earliest of these fragments is in “Turkestan Gupta” script, allowing it to be tentatively dated to the fifth or sixth century ce.⁶ A complete Sanskrit version of the text was recently identified as part of an eighth-century manuscript of the Dīrghāgama that was produced in Gligit, and preliminary studies suggest it closely aligns with the Tibetan translation. ⁷ Peter Skilling notes that Asaṅga references or otherwise paraphrases The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” nine times in his Yogācārabhūmi and includes a brief passage from the text in his Śrāvakabhūmi, without naming its source. These references indicate that the version of the text Asaṅga used was close to the recension that was used for the Tibetan translation.⁸ The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” is cited in the Tibetan translations of Vasubandhu’s Vyākhyāyukti ⁹ and Guṇamati’s Vyākhyāyuktiṭīkā.¹⁰ Despite the fact that the text itself was not translated into Chinese,¹¹ references to the text occur across a handful of Tibetan and Chinese translations.¹² Along with a number of other factors, these references to The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” suggest that the text was extant in some form no later than the third century ce; however, the text may have existed in a recension approximating its current form as early as the beginning of the Common Era. It appears, however, that with the contraction of Buddhism in India and Central Asia, The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” eventually fell into obscurity and the sole remaining witness to the text preserved in Tibetan was rarely studied in Tibet.¹³

intro.9

This English translation is based on the Tibetan translation of The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” preserved in the Degé Kangyur in consultation with the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma), the Stok Palace Kangyur, and Peter Skilling’s comparative edition.

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Homage to the Three Jewels.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying in Śrāvastī, in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. He addressed the monks as follows:

“Monks, one may possess the training in superior discipline but lack superior contemplation and superior wisdom, and one may possess the training in superior discipline and superior contemplation but lack superior wisdom. However, when a noble hearer is established in the practice of striving for superior wisdom, the cultivation of superior discipline and superior contemplation will be perfected.¹⁴ Thus, monks, noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed.

“Monks, how are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to conduct a thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant forms perceived by the eyes. I became and remained averse to unpleasant forms perceived by the eyes. I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral forms perceived by the eyes.¹⁵ I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a long time, and so I have experienced old age and death. The past is gone,

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so today I will no longer train myself as I did before regarding forms perceived by the eyes. I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present forms I perceive with the eyes, such as the psychophysical bonds¹⁶ of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and then I must abandon them.’¹⁷

“Moreover, monks, the very same forms perceived by the eyes may be pleasant to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no conception of renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those forms that are perceived by the eyes as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain attached to pleasant forms perceived by the eyes. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness.

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They are entangled in attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those forms that are perceived by the eyes as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to unpleasant forms perceived by the eyes. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. They are entangled in aversion, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those forms that are perceived by the eyes as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly indifferent¹⁸ to neutral forms perceived by the eyes. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. An insane person who is mentally disturbed may wander around naked, take great joy in doing so, and not see any fault in it. Then, when they come back to their senses, the fact that they had previously conducted themselves as an insane person, behaved like someone who is mentally disturbed, and wandered around naked brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, for noble hearers who are learned and

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have obtained noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only impermanence. I thought there was happiness where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self. In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering as happiness. I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a self.’¹⁹

“Here is an analogy, monks. A magician or a skilled magician’s apprentice sits at a major crossroads and creates the following four magical illusions: an elephant division, a cavalry division, a chariot division, and an infantry division. Once these are displayed, beings who have a childish, deluded, and confused disposition think, ‘There is an elephant division, a cavalry division, a chariot division, and an infantry division that are visible, real and present here.’

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think, ‘There is no elephant division, cavalry division, chariot division, or infantry division that are visible, real and present here. That is only worked by magic, just an optical illusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the past, future, and present forms my eyes perceive

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lack permanence, stability, unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature, genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in them, speak highly of them,²⁰ or become and remain excessively attached to them. The noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they conduct a thorough analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all the forms perceived by their eyes in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a cancer, a splinter, a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self.

“When they correctly see all the forms perceived by their eyes in the past, future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self, they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present forms perceived by the eyes that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

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“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle, destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed.

“Monks, how else are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to conduct a thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant sounds perceived by the ears. I became and remained averse to unpleasant sounds perceived by the ears. I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral sounds perceived by the ears. I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a long time, and so I have experienced old age, sickness,²¹ and death. The past is gone, so today I will no longer train myself as I did before regarding sounds perceived by the ears. I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present sounds I perceive with the ears that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and then I must abandon them.’

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“Moreover, monks, the very same sounds perceived by the ears may be pleasant to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no conception of renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those sounds that are perceived by the ears as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain attached to pleasant sounds perceived by the ears. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They are entangled in attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those sounds that are perceived by the ears as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to unpleasant sounds perceived by the ears. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice.

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They are entangled in aversion, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those sounds that are perceived by the ears as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral sounds perceived by the ears. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. A person who is insane or drunk might sleep with their mother, take great pleasure in doing so, and not see any fault in it. Yet, when they recover from their madness or drunkenness, the fact that they previously slept with their mother brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, after noble hearers who are learned have obtained noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only impermanence. I thought there was happiness where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self. In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering as happiness.

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I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. When an echo resounds on the shores of a river or a large canal, beings who have a childish, deluded, and confused disposition think, ‘There is a sentient being that is the source of that sound, real and present there.’

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think, ‘There is no sentient being that is the source of that sound, real and present there. That was only an echo, just an auditory delusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the past, future, and present sounds my ears perceive lack permanence, stability, unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature, genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in them, speak highly of them, or become and remain excessively attached to them. The noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they conduct a thorough analysis.

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“Having understood that, they correctly see all the sounds perceived by their ears in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a cancer, a splinter, a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self.

“When they correctly see all the sounds perceived by their ears in the past, future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self, they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present sounds perceived by the ears that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle, destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed.

“Monks, how else are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to conduct a thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant smells perceived by the nose. I became and remained averse to unpleasant smells perceived by the nose.

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I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral smells perceived by the nose. I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a long time, and so I have experienced old age and death. The past is gone, so today I will no longer train myself as I did before regarding smells perceived by the nose. I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present smells I perceive with the nose that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and then I must abandon them.’

“Moreover, monks, the very same smells perceived by the nose may be pleasant to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no conception of renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those smells that are perceived by the nose as they truly and really are, and so

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they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain attached to pleasant smells perceived by the nose. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They are entangled in attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those smells that are perceived by the nose as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to unpleasant smells perceived by the nose. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. They are entangled in aversion, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those smells that are perceived by the nose as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral smells perceived by the nose. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. An executioner, adversary, and enemy might develop a close relationship with a person,

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and that person might take pleasure in it and not see any fault in it. However, once they examine them closely and realize, ‘This person is my executioner, adversary, and enemy,’ it brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, after noble hearers who are learned have obtained noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only impermanence. I thought there was happiness where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self. In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering as happiness. I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. When someone who can see holds up a round mirror that is extremely clear and closely examines their own facial features in it, beings who have a childish, deluded, and confused disposition think, ‘There is a sentient being that appears in this way, real and present there.’

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think, ‘There is no sentient being that appears in this way, real and present there. This is only a reflection, just an optical illusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think,

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‘All of the past, future, and present smells my nose perceives lack permanence, stability, unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature, genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in them, speak highly of them, or become and remain excessively attached to them. The noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they conduct a thorough analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all the smells perceived by their nose in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a cancer, a splinter, a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self.

“When they correctly see all the smells perceived by their nose in the past, future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self, they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present smells perceived by the nose that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy,

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and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle, destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed.

“Monks, how else are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to conduct a thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant tastes perceived by the tongue. I became and remained averse to unpleasant tastes perceived by the tongue. I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral tastes perceived by the tongue. I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a long time, and so I have experienced old age and death. The past is gone, so today I will no longer train myself as I did before regarding tastes perceived by the tongue. I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present tastes perceived by the tongue that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy,

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and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and then I must abandon them.’

“Moreover, monks, the very same tastes perceived by the tongue may be pleasant to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no conception of renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those tastes that are perceived by the tongue as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain attached to pleasant tastes perceived by the tongue. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They are entangled in attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those tastes that are perceived by the tongue as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to unpleasant tastes perceived by the tongue.

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These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. They are entangled in aversion, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those tastes that are perceived by the tongue as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real,²² they think, ‘This is true, and anything else is meaningless,’²³ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral tastes perceived by the tongue. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. A student might say, ‘I will offer my teacher food,’ and give them cow dung to eat. They might say, ‘I will quench their thirst,’ and give them urine to drink. They might take great pleasure in doing so and not see any fault in it. Then, when they thoroughly examine their actions, they realize, ‘I said, “I will offer my teacher food,” and then I gave them cow dung to eat, and I said, “I will quench their thirst,” and then I gave them urine to drink,’ and it brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, after noble hearers who are learned have obtained noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only impermanence. I thought there was happiness where there is only suffering.

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I thought there was purity where there is only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self. In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering as happiness. I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. When the sun is at its zenith in a cloudless sky in the last month of spring, undulating mirages may appear due to the heat, and beings who have a childish, deluded, and confused disposition might think, ‘There is water that appears in this way, real and present there.’

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think, ‘There is no water that appears in this way, real and present there. It is only a mirage, just a visual illusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the past, future, and present tastes my tongue perceives lack permanence, stability, unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature, genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in them, speak highly of them, or become and remain excessively attached to them.

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The noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they conduct a thorough analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all of the tastes perceived by their tongue in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a cancer, a splinter, a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self.

“When they correctly see all the tastes perceived by their tongue in the past, future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self, they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present tastes perceived by the tongue that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle, destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed.

“Monks, how else are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to conduct a thorough analysis:

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‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant textures perceived by the body. I became and remained averse to unpleasant textures perceived by the body. I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral textures perceived by the body. I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a long time, and so I have experienced old age and death. The past is gone, so today I will no longer train myself as I did before regarding textures perceived by the body. I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present textures perceived by the body that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and then I must abandon them.’

“Moreover, monks, the very same textures perceived by the body may be pleasant to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error.

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They have no conception of renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those textures that are perceived by the body as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain attached to pleasant textures perceived by the body. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They are entangled in attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those textures that are perceived by the body as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’²⁴ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to unpleasant textures perceived by the body. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. They are entangled in aversion, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those textures that are perceived by the body as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral textures perceived by the body. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas

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are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. When a person is attacked by robbers, they might grab someone else’s child, thinking it is their own, and then leave town. At first, they rejoice and see no fault in this, but once they thoroughly examine it, they realize that the child is not their own but someone else’s, and it brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, after noble hearers who are learned have obtained noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only impermanence. I thought there was happiness where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self. In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering as happiness. I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. A person who is asleep might revel in and enjoy objects desirable to the five senses in a dream, yet when they wake up afterward there is nothing there. At that point, beings with a childish, deluded, and confused disposition think, ‘There were those objects desirable to the five senses that we enjoyed in our dreams, real and present there.’

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“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think, ‘There were no objects desirable to the five senses that we enjoyed in our dreams, real and present there. That was only a dream, just a mental delusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the past, future, and present textures my body perceives lack permanence, stability, unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature, genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in them, speak highly of them, or become and remain excessively attached to them. The noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they conduct a thorough analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all textures perceived by their body in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a cancer, a splinter, a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self.

“When they correctly see all the textures perceived by their body in the past, future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer,

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as a splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self, they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present textures perceived by the body that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle, destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed.

“Monks, how else are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to conduct a thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant phenomena perceived by the mind. I became and remained averse to unpleasant phenomena perceived by the mind. I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral phenomena perceived by the mind. I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a long time, and so I have experienced old age

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and death. The past is gone, so today I will no longer train myself as I did before regarding phenomena perceived by the mind. I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present phenomena perceived by the mind that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and then I must abandon them.’

“Moreover, monks, the very same phenomena perceived by the mind may be pleasant to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no conception of renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those phenomena that are perceived by the mind as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain attached to pleasant phenomena perceived by the mind.

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These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They are entangled in attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those phenomena that are perceived by the mind as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to unpleasant phenomena perceived by the mind. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. They are entangled in aversion, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those phenomena that are perceived by the mind as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral phenomena perceived by the mind. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. A person who picks up a chest containing snakes as they flee from a fire in their village thinking that it is a chest of jewels might be delighted in doing so and not see any fault in it. But when they thoroughly examine it and realize it is not a chest of jewels but a chest containing snakes,

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it brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, after noble hearers who are learned have obtained noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only impermanence. I thought there was happiness where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self. In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering as happiness. I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. A magician or a skilled magician’s apprentice sits at a major crossroads and creates the following magical illusions: jewels, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, armlets, hand ornaments, anklets, rings, and gold and silver garlands. Once these are displayed, beings who have a childish, deluded, and confused disposition think, ‘There are these jewels, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, armlets, hand ornaments, anklets, rings, and gold and silver garlands that are visible in this way, real and present there.’

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“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think, ‘There are no jewels, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, armlets, hand ornaments, anklets, rings, and gold and silver garlands that are visible in this way, real and present there. They are only a magic trick, just a visual illusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the past, future, and present phenomena perceived by my mind lack permanence, stability, unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature, genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in them, speak highly of them, and become and remain excessively attached to them. The noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they conduct a thorough analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all phenomena perceived by their mind in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a cancer, a splinter,

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a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self.

“When they correctly see all of the phenomena perceived by their mind in the past, future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self, they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present phenomena perceived by the mind, the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle, destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed.”

After the Blessed One had spoken, the monks rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One.

An intervening summary:²⁵

The madman, the magical illusion,
The drunk, the echo,
The executioner, the mirror,
The food offering, the mirage,
Fleeing a robber’s attack,
Enjoyments in a dream, the chest,
And the jewels and necklaces—
Under these is illusion’s net subsumed.

Colophon

This was translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian preceptors Jinamitra and Prajñāvarman, along with the chief editor and translator Bandé Yeshé Dé, and so forth.

First 38 of 65 passages. Read on

The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net”

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84000's introduction