XVII. Defining the Attainment of That. (75th – 78th Imperishable, Summaries of Religion)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Further, reverend Śāradvatīputra, the bodhisattvas’ four summaries of religion are also imperishable.

What four?

1) Entering the knowledge of the bodhisattvas’ imperishable teaching that all conditioned things are impermanent; 2) entering the knowledge of the bodhisattvas’ imperishable teaching that all conditioned things are suffering; 3) entering the knowledge of the bodhisattvas’ imperishable teaching that all moments of existence are selfless; and 4) entering the knowledge of the bodhisattvas’ imperishable teaching that extinction is peace.

1) What then does ’impermanent’ refer to?

It [impermanent as here intended] refers to non-existence [that all moments of existence are empty (śūnya), according to highest truth (paramārthatas) there is no state of permanence (nityabhāva) in any moment of existence (dharma) imagined as subject and object (grāhyagrāhakaparikalpita)] and non-attachment [as there is no existent substance (bhava) as “me” and “mine”, etc. (ātmâtmīya) to be attached to], not the disappearance of something existent [not that something exists and then does not exist when it has disappeared, but rather that things are essentially not permanent, that is, originally non-existent]; impermanent refers to the absence of self in all moments of existence and there [in that emptiness (śūnyatā), being permanently empty (nityaśūnya) ] there is no disappearance as it is [always (nityam) ] apart from any essential existence [of subject and object (grāhyagrāhaka) ].

This is what ’impermanent’ refers to.

2) What then does ’suffering’ refer to?

Suffering refers to absence of joy; joy perishing is what suffering refers to, that there is nothing to long for is what suffering refers to, explaining the word suffering is what suffering refers to [it perishes being only a word, saying the word suffering perishes in suffering since no entity (vastu or bhāva) of suffering is found], explaining what empty space is is what suffering refers to [as suffering is nothing but emptiness, and the referendum in question when explaining what is empty like space is the referendum of suffering].

This is what ’suffering’ refers to.

3) What then does ’selflessness’ refer to?

The self [which is of two kinds, the one constructed (kalpita) by others, and the one appearing in connection with subject and object (grāhyagrāhaka), is without the true existence of a self (ātmabhāva) and thus] is absolutely selfless, what selflessness refers to is vain, meaningless, void and empty, and what emptiness refers to is what selflessness refers to.

This is what ’selflessness’ refers to.

4) What then does ’peaceful’ refer to

The peaceful does not get peaceful by peace, the peaceful itself is peaceful [peaceful means empty (śūnya) or extinguished (nirvṛta), but it does not become peaceful or empty through knowledge of understanding an essence of peace (śāntasvabhāva) in emptiness or extinction, things are rather originally and from the beginning peaceful and empty (prakṛtyādiśāntaśūnya) ], and also the non-peaceful does not get peaceful by peace [the conditioned (saṃskṛta) things in existence do not become peaceful and non-existent after one has understood them as peaceful and empty through knowledge, they are from the beginning originally unborn and peaceful (ādiprakṛtyanutpannaśānta) ]. What [the word (śabda) ] peaceful refers to is the allaying of distinguishing marks [like action (karma), vices (kleśa), subject and object (grāhyagrāhaka) ], this is peace; and [to teach the state of peacefulness (śāntabhāva):] the peaceful is extinction.

This is what ’peaceful’ refers to.

These, reverend Śāradvatīputra, are the bodhisattvas’ four imperishable summaries of religion.