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ārya-bhagavatī-prajñā-pāramitā-pañcā-śatikā

The Noble [sutra]. Blessed Prajña-paramita "Fifty [stanzas]"

    Praise to all the Enlightened ones and bodhisattvas!
    Thus I heard once.
    The Blessed one was abiding on the Rifa Cluster Mountain in Rajagriha along with the great blessed assembly of bhikshus and the great blessed assembly of bodhisattvas.
    Shakra, Brahma, worldly protectors, gods, nagas, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, monks, nuns, virtuous laymen and laywomen were with him in great numbers.
    Then the Blessed One said to the venerable Subhuti:
    Subhuti! All those who wish to learn as shravakas or self-enlightened pratyekabuddhas will listen to this Perfection of Wisdom, will adhere, will keep [in mind], will read, will fully comprehend.
    Since bodhisattvas who have mastery of the methods fully carry out all the Teachings of the Enlightened and bodhisattvas, one should really be diligent in this Perfection of Wisdom. Why? Accordingly, Subhuti, the bodhisattva-mahasattvas are trained in everything and carry out as yoga, explaining as this Perfection of Wisdom in the most extensive way all the Teachings of the Enlightened and the bodhisattvas. Let those who wish to train in unsurpassed, truly perfect enlightenment - listen to this Perfection of Wisdom, adhere to, keep [in mind], repeat and understand completely.
    Bodhisattvas who are masterful in the methods will be diligent in this Perfection of Wisdom as they fully implement all the Teachings of the Enlightened and Bodhisattvas. Why? Likewise, Subhuti, the bodhisattva-mahasattvas are trained in everything, carry out as yoga, and explain in the most extensive way all the Teachings of the Enlightened and bodhisattvas as this Perfection of Wisdom.
    Subhuti! The teachings of virtue, the teachings of enlightenment, the teachings of disciple-listeners, the teachings of bodhisattvas, and the teachings of the enlightened are all fully included in the scriptures, which are united and included in the Perfection of Wisdom.
    Subhuti said:
    Blessed One! Shravakas and self-enlightened ones who wish to train in the Perfection of Wisdom and to exercise as yoga - will listen to this Perfection of Wisdom, the teachings of the Enlightened ones and the teachings of the bodhisattvas, adhere to, keep [in mind], read, fully understand. All the virtuous teachings, the teachings of enlightenment, the teachings of disciple listeners, the teachings of the self-enlightened, the teachings of the bodhisattvas, the teachings of the Enlightened-all are fully included in the scriptures that are united and included in the Perfection of Wisdom. How is this [possible]?
    The Blessed One replied:
    Subhuti! It is the Perfection of Giving, the Perfection of Discipline, the Perfection of Patience, the Perfection of Zeal, the Perfection of Meditative Immersion, the Perfection of Wisdom, the emptiness of the inner, the emptiness of the outer, the emptiness of inner and outer, the emptiness of emptiness, the emptiness of great [or great emptiness], the emptiness of truth of absolute level, the emptiness of all composite, the emptiness of non-composite, the emptiness of what surpassed extremes, emptiness without beginning or end, emptiness without discarding, emptiness of own nature, emptiness of all dharma-particles, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of the invisible, emptiness of the immaterial, emptiness of essence, emptiness of immaterial essence, four reliance on remembrance, four right efforts, four bases of magical manifestations, five abilities, five powers, seven branches of enlightenment, eight branches of the noble path, four noble truths, four dimensionless, four immersions into the [meditative] equilibrium of no form, eight perfect liberations, nine immersions into the [meditative] equilibrium of serenity, emptiness of the gate of perfect liberation, no characteristics, no aspirations-desires, clairvoyance, deep concentrations, the gate of spell-dharani, the ten powers of the Tathagata, the four fearlessnesses, the four reliable analytical knowledge, great love, great mercy, the eighteen immiscible [with nothing] dharma-parts of the enlightened, the fruit of entering the stream, the fruit of returning once, the fruit of not returning, arhatship, the essence of self-illumination, all-knowing itself, knowing the way, knowing all aspects.
    Subhuti! All of these are the teachings of virtue, the teachings of enlightenment, the teachings of disciple listeners, the teachings of the self-enlightened, the teachings of the bodhisattvas, and the teachings of that which is enlightened. They are all fully included in the scriptures that are united and included in the Perfection of Wisdom.
    Subhuti said:
    Blessed One! So, the teachings of virtue, the teachings of enlightenment, the teachings of disciple-listeners, the teachings of the self-enlightened, the teachings of the bodhisattvas, and the teachings of that enlightened. They are all fully included in the scriptures that are united and included in the Perfection of Wisdom.
    Blessed! How wondrous! How marvelous! This Perfection of Wisdom is profound!
    The Blessed one said:
    Subhuti! [This is so,] because the Perfection of Wisdom is extremely detached.
    Subhuti said:
    Blessed One! How marvelous! How marvelous! In this Perfection of Wisdom, it is difficult to reach depth!
    The Blessed One said:
    Subhuti! [It is so] because the Perfection of Wisdom is perfectly pure.
    Subhuti said:
    Blessed One! How marvelous! How marvelous! This Perfection of Wisdom is like space!
    The Blessed One replied:
    Subhuti! [It is so] because the Perfection of Wisdom is perfectly pure. Therefore, Subhuti, the Perfection of Wisdom is like space.
    Subhuti said:
    Blessed One! How marvelous! How marvelous! This Perfection of Wisdom is difficult to comprehend without diligence.
    The Blessed One replied:
    Subhuti! Exactly so. Exactly so. Similar to what was said!
    It is difficult to gain confidence in the Perfection of Wisdom if indeed there is little diligence, the roots of virtue are small, the mind is not clear, there is no aspiration to the goal, learning-hearing is lacking, wisdom is small, you adhere to friends of pernicious, repeatedly mixing [your intentions] with friends of pernicious, engage the friends of the pernicious in adhering to [pernicious actions], possessing little faith, being a novice or possessing no {appropriate] destiny-part, by nature asking nothing, senseless, lazy, with little zeal, little heart power, little assurance, not zealous in those virtuous doctrines.
    Therefore, Subhuti, the Perfection of Wisdom is difficult for certainty!
    Subhuti! Also the son or daughter of the [noble] family listens everywhere to this Perfection of Wisdom, holds [in his mind], keeps, reads, and realizes complete understanding. And if he clarifies all this for others in a perfect way, he thereby obtains the enlightenment of the Enlightened, the Blessed of the past, the future, and the present.
    Subhuti! Thus the daughter or son of a family [of noble ones] who wishes to become truly perfect enlightened [and attain] rapidly unsurpassed, truly perfect enlightenment by virtue of the perfection of exalted thoughts - will listen incessantly to the Perfection of Wisdom, will keep, retain [in mind], read, comprehend everywhere. By doing so, one will quickly become truly enlightened [and attain] unsurpassed, truly perfect enlightenment.
    The Blessed one said so. And the venerable Subhuti, the bhikshus, the bodhisattvas, the whole world with gods, humans, asuras and gandharvas - rejoiced. They praised what the Blessed One had said.
    Thus concludes the Perfection of Wisdom "Fifty stanzas."
    Translated by Lama Karma Paljor (O. Filippov).