The Perfection Of Wisdom In Eight Thousand Lines
13,106 words
'The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines' is the earliest text of the Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom texts) The following is a less strict interpretation of the 'Eight Thousand Lines' in its original verse form only. ** Many thanks to Reverend Neil Christopher for his hard work on this translation and granting permissing for this c...
Chapter 7
Perfect Wisdom Guides the Other Perfections
52. The world is lost, born blind, and wanders without a guide. How can those who cannot even see the path find an entrance into the city of refuge? Just so, without wisdom the five perfections are sightless; those who are without the guide of wisdom are unable to experience enlightenment. When their hand is held by wisdom, then, having gained its eyes, they do get to that destination. It is like great painting which has been completed, all except of the eyes. Only after the eyes are painted in can the painter collect their rewards.
The Attitude to Dharmas and to the Self
53. When one develops this wisdom they will not stumble and seize up over the crossing of the dharmas. In the perfection of wisdom all is like space, wherein nothing real is whatsoever established. If one thinks “I walk in the wisdom of the teachers of the perfect knowledge, I will set free thousands of beings who have been touched by suffering”; this bodhisattva still imagines the notion of beings, and is far from the practice of true wisdom, the foremost perfection.
Faith in the Perfection of Wisdom
54. The Bodhisattva who has observed this foremost perfection in the past, having been trained in this in the past, knowing it without doubt; as soon as they hear this wisdom again in the present, will immediately recognize the Teacher, and will swiftly come to the peaceful calm of enlightenment.
55. The Bodhisattva who has served and learned under millions of Buddhas in past lives, yet never held any faith in the perfection of wisdom, upon hearing it, will only cast it aside as nonsense; being a person of small intelligence; having casted it away, this one will enter into the realm of hell where no one can save them.
56. So have faith in the perfection of wisdom, if you wish to experience the enlightenment of the Buddha. It is like an island that is full of more treasure than you could possibly carry. Be like a seeker who had once found the great island full of treasures (in their previous life), and who now, having lost the goods they carried back, decides to return to the island once again (in this present life). Being a bodhisattva, you have discovered it before, now, have faith and discover it again.