A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s6.t4.94

v2.c19.s6.t4.94

Then through the power of Buddha, the venerable Subhūti spoke thus to the Lord: "Now as to what you have said, O Lord: 'May it become clear to you, Subhūti, with regard to the wisdom-perfection of the Bodhisattvas, of the Great Beings,² how the Bodhisattvas, the Great Beings, are able to advance until they attain to wisdom-perfection'—when there is constantly mention of 'Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva', to what manner of object (dharma), Lord, does the term 'Bodhisattva' correspond? I do not see any object, Lord, which might be called 'Bodhisattva'. Neither do I see that object which is called 'wisdom-perfection.' Therefore, Lord, as I cannot find, perceive or see either a Bodhisattva or a Bodhisattva-object, and moreover, as I cannot find, perceive or see the wisdom-perfection,—what manner of Bodhisattva am I to teach, instruct, and in what manner of wisdom-perfection? Is it not, O Lord, perhaps precisely when his power of thought does not sink down, does not melt away, is not exhausted, does not become weak, when his mind does not lose all stability, does not entirely break down, when it does not take fright, does not tremble, does not grow fearful, on hearing such sermons and on receiving such doctrine and instruction, that he is a Bodhisattva who is fit to be instructed in wisdom-perfection? It is precisely this which is to be understood by the wisdom-perfection of a Bodhisattva, a Great Being. That is the instruction in wisdom-perfection, when he conducts himself thus, and his teaching, his instruction consists of this. Furthermore, O Lord, a Bodhisattva, a Great Being, who walks in the wisdom-perfection, who lives and has his being in the wisdom-perfection, must be trained in such a way that, as a result of this training, he should not think anything by this thought which is fixed on enlightenment. And why is this so? Because it is so, that the thought is a non-thought, that the nature of the thought is shining in purity (*i.e.*, free from all contamination with non-real phenomena).”