Chapter 3

The Merit Derived from Perfect Wisdom

27. For the one who takes up the Perfection of Wisdom, makes it their path, and constantly studies upon it; fire, poison, swords, and water will not come to harm them; as well as Mara (temptation) will find no entrance, no foothold on such a person.

28. How much merit will one gain from the Perfection of Wisdom? The devout could travel to a stupa to worship the holy relics; no, one could travel to the thousands of stupas spread across the globe, and worship with the most expensive of offerings and the longest of prayers. One could do so for all eternity, and the amount of merit that they would gain would be infinitesimal to one who had simply written down a single copy of this book, bearing it in mind, revering it wholeheartedly.

Perfect Wisdom a Great Lore

29. The Perfection of Wisdom is the greatest of lore, appeasing all the dharmas, appeasing sorrow and ill in this world of beings. They who have trained in this lore have become the Great Physicians.

30. Those who make their course one in the practice of pity, and concern for the welfare of others; they, the wise, by having trained in this great lore, will experience enlightenment.

31. Those who have happiness based on conditions, and those who have discovered unconditioned happiness, all their happiness should be known as having resulted from this.

Perfect Wisdom and the Other Five Perfections

32. The potential for gems exists scattered and hidden throughout all the earth, and when the conditions are right, they grow in a great variety. All the qualities of enlightenment, the five perfections, they all grow from the same conditions—from the perfection of wisdom.

33. Wherever a king travels he brings with him his entourage; likewise, wherever the perfection of wisdom goes, it brings with it all the best of the dharmas.