Chapter 5

The Counterfeit versus the True Perfection of Wisdom

38. When a Bodhisattva through their own reckoning knows form, perception, feeling, will, or thought as impermanent, claiming them destroyed—they do so falsely, walking on a counterfeit path, being fooled by their own considerations; because the learned never effect the destruction of a dharma.

39. Where there is no apprehension of form, of feeling, or perception, or consciousness, or will—by the method of emptiness and non-production one realizes all dharmas. This is the practice of the perfection of wisdom.

Perfect Wisdom Greater Than Any Other Spiritual Gift

40. If someone were to train into Arhatship as many beings as there are sands of the river Ganges; and another were to make a single copy of the Perfection of Wisdom, giving it to another being, theirs would be the more distinguished merit.

41. Why? Because our supreme Teachers trained in this way, made it so all dharmas would become intelligible in this emptiness. Upon knowing this way the disciples speedily experience their emancipation—for some, a partial enlightenment, and others, full enlightenment.

Importance of the Aspiration for Enlightenment

42. Where there is no sprout, there can in the world be no tree. How can there then be the production of branches, leaves, fruits of flowers? Without the aspiration for enlightenment there is no possibility of an enlightened being in this world. How then could wisdom, enlightenment, and the fruit of the practice manifest themselves without the sprout of aspiration?

43. When the sun comes out, it sends forth a multitude of light, and then beings know it is time to exert themselves in their daily work. So, when the thought of attaining enlightenment has come into being, through this thought all the dharmas of quality are assembled.

44. If there was no lake, then how then could there be the rivers? And if no rivers, then trees, fruits and flowers could not possibly come into being also. So, if there is no thought of attaining enlightenment, how could there be the flowing along of the cognition of the dharmas? And if there is no cognition, there can be no growth of the fruits and flowers of the virtues, no enlightenment, nor the vast, oceanlike dharmas of the Buddha.

The Sun and the Firefly

45. If all the fireflies in the world were to gather together in great multitude, for the purpose of trying to illuminate us all; one single ray of light, shed by the sun, would still outshine them, and infinitesimal would be all the luster of the great hosts of fireflies in comparison.

46. However much merit the entire hosts of disciples, both past and present, may earn by all their combined giving, morality, and meditation development; but if a bodhisattva rejoices with one single thought, it would still outshine them all, and infinitesimal would be all the luster of the deeds of the great mass of disciples in comparison.