This is the poncho reading for Friday morning, April 25th, 1980. Begins on page 468, The Large Sutra, edited by... This is a reading from The Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom, translated by Edward Kansa, starting at the top of page 488, under a heading called The Great Enlightenment. For what reason, O Lord, is the perfection of wisdom not bound by measure? The Lord, because of non-extinction, because of isolatedness, those Buddhas and Lords who in a past period have been Dittagatas, they have come forth from just this perfection of wisdom, and yet the perfection of wisdom has not got extinguished.

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Those Buddhas and Lords who in a future period will be Dittagatas, they also will come forth from just this perfection of wisdom, and yet this perfection of wisdom will not get extinguished. Those Dittagatas who just now reside in the world in the ten directions and demonstrate Dharma, they also come forth from just this perfection of wisdom, and yet the perfection of wisdom does not get extinguished. And why? One would think, Ananda, of extinguishing space if one were to think of extinguishing the perfection of wisdom. But the perfection of wisdom has not got extinguished, does not get extinguished, will not get extinguished. And the same holds good of the other five perfections, for of these Dharmas there is no production. That of which there is no production, how can of that the extinction be conceived? Thereupon the Lord stretched out His tongue, covered His whole face with it, and said to the venerable Ananda, What do you think, Ananda, could such a tongue speak what is false, what

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is otherwise? No, O Lord, no, O Sugata. Therefore, then, Ananda, do reveal this perfection of wisdom to the four assemblies. Explain it, encourage it, analyze it, explain it, enlarge on it, and reveal it in detail. For in this deep perfection of wisdom have all Dharmas been pointed out in detail, wherein the person's belonging to the disciple vehicle, the Prajaka-Buddha vehicle, the Bodhisattva vehicle should be trained. When trained therein, as instructed, they will each stand on their own level. And this deep perfection of wisdom is the entrance to all the syllables and the door to the Dharanis in which the Bodhisattva, the great being, should be trained. The Bodhisattvas, the great beings, who bear in mind these Dharanis, will come face to face with all the flashes of insight and all analytical knowledges. I have taught this deep perfection of wisdom as the inexhaustible storehouse of the true

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Dharma of the past, future, and present Buddhas and Lords. Therefore, then, Ananda, I solemnly declare to you, I make known to you, that one who will take up this deep perfection of wisdom, bear it in mind, recite and study it, he will bear in mind the enlightenment of the past, future, and present Buddhas and Lords. I have taught this perfection of wisdom as a Dharani. When you bear in mind those Dharanis of the perfection of wisdom, you bear all Dharmas in mind. End of page 489, beginning of page 490, a heading, The Cognition of Extinction and of Non-Production. Thereupon the Venerable Subuddhi thought to himself, deep to be sure is this enlightenment

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of the Tathagatas. Let me question the Tathagata about it. The Venerable Subuddhi then said to the Lord, inexhaustible, O Lord, is the perfection of wisdom. Because like space it cannot be extinguished, how should one aspire for the perfection of wisdom? Through the non-extinction of form and so on to, of the knowledge of all modes, and furthermore, through the space like non-extinction of form and so on to, of the knowledge of all modes, moreover, through the space like non-extinction of the karma formations and so on to, through the space like non-extinction of old age and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness and despair. It is thus that the Bodhisattva, the great being, should aspire for the perfection of wisdom. This is the surveying of conditioned co-production which avoids the extremes.

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To survey conditioned co-production in such a manner, that is the special dharma of a Bodhisattva who is seated on the terrace of enlightenment. When he thus surveys conditioned co-production, he will gain the cognition of the all-knowing. A Bodhisattva who, coursing in perfect wisdom through this aspiration for space like non-extinction, surveys conditioned co-production, cannot stand on the level of disciples or project of Buddhas, but will stand in full enlightenment. If persons belonging to the Bodhisattva vehicle turn away from full enlightenment, they do so because they have not resorted to the attentions on this perfection of wisdom. They fail to cognize how a Bodhisattva who courses in perfect wisdom, beginning page 491, should survey conditioned co-production through the aspiration for space like non-extinction.

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Persons who belong to the Bodhisattva vehicle and who yet turn away from full enlightenment do so because they have failed to resort to this skill and means. Those Bodhisattvas, great beings, however, who do not turn away from full enlightenment do so because they have all resorted to this perfection of wisdom. The Bodhisattva, the great being, who courses in skill and means and in the perfection of wisdom, should, through the aspiration for space like non-extinction, survey the perfection of wisdom and aspire to it. When he thus surveys conditioned co-production, a Bodhisattva certainly does not see any Dharma that is being produced without a cause, nor does he review a Dharma that is permanent and never stopped. He reviews no Dharma as a self, a being, a soul, a creature, a man, a youth, a person,

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a personality, a doer, one who feels, one who knows, one who sees, nor does he review a Dharma as permanent or impermanent, as ease or ill, as self or not-self, as appeased or not appeased. It is certainly thus that a Bodhisattva, a great being who courses in perfect wisdom, should survey conditioned co-production. At the time when the Bodhisattva courses in perfect wisdom, he does not review, form, and so on to, the knowledge of all modes, as permanent or impermanent, as ease or ill, as self or not-self, as appeased or not appeased. He does not review the perfection of wisdom and so on to, he does not review enlightenment, nor that Dharma by which he would review enlightenment, nor does he review that Dharma by which he would affect the forsaking of all residues of the defilements.

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It is thus that a Bodhisattva should course in the perfection of wisdom without taking any Dharma as a basis. At the time when the Bodhisattva, without taking any Dharma as a basis, courses in the perfection of wisdom, at that time Mara, the evil one, is afflicted with a dart of sorrow, just as a man whose parents have died is afflicted with a dart of sorrow, the dart of the deepest sorrow, just so Mara, the evil one, in respect to the Bodhisattva, the great being, who courses in perfect wisdom and takes no Dharma as a basis. Subuddhi asks, is this affliction confined to just one Mara or does it extend to all the Maras in the great Trichilia Cosm, to each one on his own seat? The Lord replies, all evil Maras in the great Trichilia Cosm are afflicted with the dart of the deepest sorrow and they do not enjoy themselves where they are.

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If a Bodhisattva, a great being, becomes not lacking in the dwelling of the perfection of wisdom, then the entire world, with its beginning page 492, gods, men and asuras cannot gain entry to him, nor can it find any ground for taking hold of him and turning him away from full enlightenment. Therefore, then, Subuddhi, a Bodhisattva who wants quickly to know full enlightenment should dwell in the dwelling of perfect wisdom. In a Bodhisattva who dwells in the dwelling of perfect wisdom, the perfection of giving and so on to, the perfection of wisdom, arrive at their most perfect development. In a Bodhisattva who dwells in the perfection of wisdom, all the perfections arrive at their most perfect development. Subuddhi asks, how does, in a Bodhisattva, the courses in perfect wisdom, the perfection of giving and so on to the perfection of wisdom arrived at their most perfect enlightenment.

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The Lord replies here a bodhisattva dedicates to the knowledge of all modes the gift which he gives in the same way dedicating them to the knowledge of all modes. He guards morality, perfect patience, exerts vigor, enters concentration and develops wisdom. Sruti asks how oh Lord does a bodhisattva who has stood in the perfection of giving acquire the perfection of morality. The Lord replies here when the bodhisattva gives gifts and dedicates them to the knowledge of all modes a friendly deed of body, friendly deed of voice, friendly deed of mind is set up towards all beings. On that occasion he acquires the perfection of morality. Sruti asks how then does the bodhisattva having stood in the perfection of giving acquire the perfection of patience. The Lord replies when the bodhisattva gives gifts and their recipients

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abuse and revile him use unsupportable and harsh words against him he does not feel any anger for them. How does the bodhisattva having stood in the perfection of giving acquire the perfection of vigor. When a bodhisattva gives gifts and their recipients abuse and revile him use unsupportable and harsh words against him he nevertheless remains determined to give and to renounce. I should give gifts not should I not give gifts. So he generates physical and mental vigor in himself. How does the bodhisattva having stood in the perfection of giving acquire the perfection of meditation. A bodhisattva who gives gifts does not dedicate them to the level of a disciple and project of buddha but outside the knowledge of all modes his thought does not proceed. Beginning page 493. How does the bodhisattva when he gives gifts with skill and means

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acquire the perfection of wisdom. When the bodhisattva gives gifts and renounces them the intelligent appreciation that he has to do with an illusion is always set up with regard to those gifts and he does not see that these gifts have bestowed anything on any being or taken away anything from anyone. End of page 493.

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