འཕགས་པ་ཆས་ཡང་དག་པར་སྡད་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 3.8

3.8

Entirely transcending the perceptions of form, all perceptions of obstruction cease and, by not fixating on perceptions of manifoldness, they think, ‘Space is infinite,’ and perfect and sustain the basis of infinite space.⁸⁵

“They think, ‘In short, there are two types of form: sources and what comes from those sources. The types of forms that are sources are the elements of earth, water, fire, and air. The forms that come from those sources are colors, smells, tastes, and textures. Thus we arrive at eight types of form. After transcending perceptions of those kinds of forms, obstructing perceptions will not arise, and will decrease. Anytime there is a perception of form it is a perception of obstruction, and so perceptions of obstruction decrease when the perceptions of form are transcended. When perceptions of obstruction decrease, one no longer fixates on perceptions of manifoldness. And, by not fixating on perceptions of manifoldness, space is infinite.’ Thinking, ‘Space is infinite,’ bodhisattvas perfect and sustain the basis of infinite space.

“Bodhisattvas who have reached the meditative attainment of the basis of infinite space think, ‘Space is infinite because it lacks a limit. Where would the beginning be for something that has no limit? Where would a middle be? In the same way, all phenomena are without beginning, end, or middle.’ Bodhisattvas who have reached such a meditative attainment will develop strong compassion for all beings and will act with the understanding that all phenomena are precisely equivalent to space. This is the starting point for acceptance of the nonarising of phenomena.⁸⁶ Such bodhisattvas transcend the basis of infinite space in all its aspects;