Thus have I heard: At one time, the Bhagavān entered the samādhi of proper reception in the great treasury of luminous spiritual powers, upheld by the radiance and adornment of all Tathāgatas.

These sentient beings, on the ground of pure enlightenment, have body and mind quiescent and extinguished, their fundamental nature equal; they pervade and fulfill the ten directions, accord with nonduality, and, within the realm of nonduality, manifest all Pure Lands. Together with one hundred thousand great bodhisattva mahāsattvas, namely Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, Universal-Eye Bodhisattva, Vajragarbha Bodhisattva, Maitreya Bodhisattva, Pure-Wisdom Bodhisattva, Sovereign-Might-and-Virtue Bodhisattva, Eloquent-Sound Bodhisattva, Purifying-All-Karmic-Obstacles Bodhisattva, Universal-Enlightenment Bodhisattva, Perfect-Enlightenment Bodhisattva, Worthy-Good-Head Bodhisattva, and others who were foremost among the assembly, all entered samādhi with their retinues and together dwelt in the Tathāgata’s assembly of equal Dharma.

The Buddha taught the Dharma for forty-nine years and spoke only of the two words “perfect enlightenment.” Yet he could never fully articulate it, for perfect enlightenment is without characteristics; it is the virtue of mind equally possessed by Buddhas and sentient beings and cannot be expressed in words.

Enlightenment is intrinsic nature, while “perfect” conveys virtue. Without enlightenment, nature does not manifest; without cultivation, enlightenment is not perfected. Whether it is perfect or not lies with you yourself, not with the Buddha, not with the Dharma, and much less with words. We can only rely on words to explain meaning and use them as aids to verification, as one uses a mirror for reflection, examining the condition of one’s own ground of enlightenment. Thus it is provisionally called perfect enlightenment.

Perfect enlightenment is a dhāraṇī Dharma gate. Through it, all dharmas are gathered together and immeasurable meanings are retained; its wondrous functions are as countless as the sands of the Ganges, and nothing fails to flow from it. Thus, upon realizing the essence, one activates its function. It is therefore called the great dhāraṇī gate, named perfect enlightenment. The characteristic of enlightenment is no characteristic; this “characteristic” refers to the essence of enlightenment—that is, knowing the essential characteristics of one’s own mind as they truly are. Only when one becomes continuous and undivided is it called perfect. Yet one must use illuminating awareness as its function. When the obstructions of phenomena are cut off, afflictions are exhausted; when the obstructions of principle are cut off, what is knowable is exhausted. When self and dharmas are both empty, one realizes perfect enlightenment.

From “Thus have I heard,” we may know that the sūtra’s words merely assist the knowledge of my ear faculty. I then contemplate in accordance with the words, and contemplation itself enters into cultivation; these cannot be divided into three separate stages. Here faith is primary. Among the eleven wholesome dharmas and the fifty-five stages of cultivation and realization, none is without faith as its mother.

When contemplation accords with hearing, that is cultivation. When cultivation reaches mutual confirmation, it is called accord; accord is called sūtra. In Sanskrit, it means agreement or conformity. Above, it accords with the Buddha’s mind; below, it accords with one’s own mind. All of this is the natural outflow of perfect enlightenment, an accord that arises without being sought.

Feeling gives rise to language, and language accords with meaning; inwardly it confirms the minds of all beings. Therefore, through the prajñā of words, one opens the prajñā of true reality, using the sūtra as a means of confirmation and illumination. Yet hearing alone is of no benefit. In former times, Ānanda heard the Buddha-Dharma together with the Buddha innumerable kalpas ago. The Buddha attained realization, while Ānanda remained an attendant; after the Buddha had entered nirvāṇa, Ānanda had still not realized the mind. This shows the harm of extensive learning without cultivation.

Whenever you read this sūtra, contemplate with a comprehensive mind. What is comprehensive contemplation? It is that when one is understood, all are understood; when one is penetrated, all are penetrated; the three vehicles are precisely the one vehicle; and so forth. It demolishes all appearances of distinction and enters nonduality—this is called comprehensive contemplation. Tiantai provisionally establishes emptiness, provisional existence, and the middle; yet in truth the three contemplations are one contemplation. If there is stopping and contemplation, then it is not stopping and contemplation; if one posits perfect enlightenment, then it is not perfect enlightenment. Ultimately, not even the slightest dharma can be obtained.

Before realizing samādhi, one cannot be spoken to about perfect enlightenment. Before seeing true reality, one cannot be said to realize perfect enlightenment. Only upon entering the gate of nonduality, penetrating both worldly and supramundane matters, and remaining neither startled nor afraid, may one perhaps comprehend the meaning of this sūtra. It is not that the Dharma itself has distinctions of high and low; people differ in sharpness and dullness of faculties, and their understanding accordingly differs.

Whenever one reads a sūtra, one must first understand its standpoint and central principle. This sūtra takes as its principle true cultivation after awakening, direct pointing to the essential mind, and sudden transcendence to the ground of enlightenment. It is the simplest, clearest, and most essential Dharma gate for contemplating the mind. It realizes phenomena through principle, knowing that complete practice is perfect; it is a sūtra of the complete and sudden Mahāyāna, of definitive meaning. The Tathāgata taught it for those of the highest vehicle, and only those of superior faculties are neither startled nor afraid.

Throughout, this sūtra takes care of those sentient beings in the latter age who cultivate the complete and sudden Mahāyāna. From this we know that future sentient beings will not lack persons of great capacity; this is not something that ordinary beings can fathom. Take care not to disparage later students or abandon yourselves in despair.

This sūtra is divided into three major sections: first, it clarifies the Dharma practices at the causal stage of awakening; second, it explains methods of cultivation; third, it removes the various illnesses of Chan. In regard to principle, it explains repeatedly, resolving doubts for fear that its treatment may be incomplete. In regard to Dharma, it instructs each gate in turn, describing illnesses for fear that its account may lack detail. Its compassion is vast and inconceivable. Those without wholesome roots, merit, virtue, and conditions do not have the good fortune to hear this sūtra.

The term “Worthy-Good-Head” precisely represents the supreme virtue of this sūtra. When reading it, one should first read the final fascicle. It says that this sūtra is named the sudden-teaching Mahāyāna, through which sentient beings of sudden capacity awaken; it is also called the Great Vaipulya Perfect-Enlightenment Dhāraṇī, the Sūtra of Definitive Meaning, the King of Secret Samādhi, the Tathāgata’s decisive realm, and so forth. Thus only the Tathāgata can proclaim it fully. It is the refuge of bodhisattvas in the ten directions and the pure eye of the twelve divisions of scripture. In these statements, the standpoint and central principle of this sūtra have already been fully proclaimed.

The nature of enlightenment originally has neither square nor round characteristics. Its being called “perfect” does not mean roundness in the ordinary sense. Because its essence pervades without exception, it is called great; because its dharmas encompass without exception, it is called extensive; because its functions are complete without exception, it is called broad. Moreover, no dharma precedes it; it alone precedes all dharmas. Like boundless space, it is therefore great. Dharma means a norm; a name is established according to this meaning, and so it is extensive. Function arises from essence, and it receives its name from function; its meaning is broad erudition, and so it is broad. The total virtue of great, extensive, and broad is called perfect enlightenment.

The nature of enlightenment originally has neither square nor round form. When enlightenment occurs, it has never arisen; when there is non-enlightenment, it has never ceased. Its essence has no boundary and transcends all measures. It has no beginning in the past and no end in the future; there is only the distinction between concealment and manifestation. Provisionally, concealment is called non-enlightenment and manifestation is called enlightenment. When function arises from essence, the perfect enlightenment of great, extensive, and broad is revealed.

The first manifestation of perfect enlightenment is called the initial awakening, the Buddha’s light. When one realizes this Tathāgata dhāraṇī mind-Dharma of the great treasury of luminosity, it is like the faint appearance of white light at dawn: it is no longer the dark of night. It naturally increases and never regresses; when it becomes like the sun at midday, one attains great enlightenment. Yet this cannot be understood from words. One must turn the contemplation back upon one’s own nature, use the meaning of the sūtra to verify the various states of mind, accord above with the middle way, and accord below with the capacities of beings. This is called sūtra.

“Definitive meaning” is a decisive expression. The Buddha teaches according to persons; teachings spoken as expedient means are not definitive. When the Buddha teaches the Dharma as it truly is and speaks in accordance with intrinsic nature, this is the foremost definitive meaning. At this ultimate point, there is no room for equivocation; no expedient means are assumed, nor are there gradual stages. Therefore it is called definitive meaning. Yet “definitive” itself is still a matter of meaning, and meaning is not definitive. To speak of definitive meaning is merely to apply a name.

Sūtra means the constant path. In terms of the prajñā of words, a sūtra has the meanings of threading together, according, and Dharma. In terms of the prajñā of true reality, a sūtra is the Buddha-nature complete in sentient beings, the Vairocana in whom sages and ordinary beings are nondual. Sūtras are indeed spoken by the Buddha, yet the sūtra existed before the Buddha; the Buddha indeed emerges from the sūtra, yet the sūtra is made clear through the Buddha. Though Buddha and sūtra may seem two, in truth they are one.

What especially distinguishes this sūtra from other sūtras is that, from its opening, it reveals nonduality. The Buddha and sentient beings together enter the samādhi of proper reception in the treasury of luminous spiritual powers, upheld by radiance and adornment, on the ground of pure enlightenment. Originally, the fundamental nature of body and mind in Buddhas and sentient beings is equally quiescent and extinguished. Speaking in terms of appearances, there seems to be distinction, but appearances are not appearances; the essence of enlightenment is no different. According to its essence, it pervades completely and fulfills the ten directions—this is its essence. In accordance with nonduality, it manifests all Pure Lands within the realm of nonduality—this is its function. It speaks in the strongest terms of the equality of sentient beings and Buddhas, directly entering the gate of nonduality. How could one who has not realized true reality be fit to speak of this?

To enter means to realize. “Treasury” means treasure store: the original source equally possessed by all Buddhas and sentient beings. It is called the land of dharmatā and also the Land of Eternal Quiescent Light. Sentient beings alone are deluded and obscured; though they have light, they cannot illuminate, and though they have spiritual powers, these cannot function. Thus it cannot be called entering. Entering does not mean coming in or going out. It means that wisdom and principle become indistinguishable. The Śūraṅgama Sūtra speaks of being able to enter the perfect source; this means realization and entry. Yet without the proper reception of samādhi, there is no means of realization and entry.

Samādhi is translated into Chinese as proper concentration and proper reception. Proper reception means non-reception: not receiving any reception is called proper reception. If, on seeing an object, one becomes deluded; if one shifts with conditions, receives the object of one’s conditions, and enters inversion, that is not proper reception. This is because one lacks concentration. If one attains the proper concentration of samādhi, one naturally is not shaken or deluded, receives nothing at all, and does not even receive non-reception. This is called the proper reception of samādhi. It is precisely the function and virtue as numerous as dust and sand, issuing from the great treasury of luminous spiritual powers. The root is never lost or destroyed and is upheld forever; therefore it is called being upheld by radiance and adornment.

Spiritual powers are sometimes translated as miraculous transformations, but they are not the worldly conjuring transformations used to delude the multitude. They are the wondrous function of the great treasury of luminosity. Though they are directly realized by all Buddhas, they are also equally possessed by all sentient beings; hence this is an assembly of equal Dharma. Moreover, when not a single thought arises, there is ultimate purity and stillness, with neither Buddha nor sentient beings; therefore it is called the equal fundamental nature. Yet when it arises in accordance with conditions, defilement and purity are nondual; therefore it is called accordance.

The wonder of this sūtra lies in its directness and sudden transcendence, beyond comparison with gradual teachings that divide ignorance into stages of severance. In such phrases as “if one knows these are flowers in empty space, there is immediately no cyclic turning,” knowing is itself immediate absence. What power this has! In an instant one lets go of the myriad conditions and can immediately transcend the ten bhūmis. It is truly a subtle and wondrous Dharma, difficult to encounter even in hundreds of thousands of millions of kalpas.

Those of superior faculties investigate and realize perfect enlightenment through sudden awakening by contemplation of principle. Those of middling and lesser faculties enter through antidotal practice. Yet in either case cultivation cannot be dispensed with. When contemplating principle, contemplation itself is phenomena; when cultivating phenomena, how could one depart from principle? Thus we know that principle and phenomena are nondual, though, in their sequence, expedient means are necessary.

When the Buddha teaches the Dharma, he must first demolish existence, declaring that all is not; then he reverses this existence, declaring that all is. This prevents people from clinging to not-being or to being. Turning themselves around and passing through this barrier, they relinquish both existence and nonexistence and attain great freedom.

The Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment is the most effective sūtra for entering Buddhahood. For example, in the Maitreya chapter, the Buddha gives instruction layer upon layer: first cutting off the root of cyclic existence, then knowing the two obstructions, discerning the five natures, arousing vows, and cultivating reverently until Buddhahood is attained. Nothing necessary for practical cultivation is lacking. Therefore, compared with reading the Diamond Sūtra, reading this sūtra makes thorough understanding easier. May people everywhere read the Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment more often.

Before teaching the Dharma, the Buddha first entered samādhi, strongly indicating that everything must be understood before one opens one’s mouth. If one understands, there is no need to speak; if one does not understand, lecturing on sūtras and listening to sūtras are also useless. What is being done now is only out of necessity.

When this sūtra speaks of cultivation, it sets forth three gates: sudden cultivation, gradual cultivation, and perfect cultivation. These also vary according to each person’s capacity.

This sūtra is the wondrous principle of the perfect teaching. Because the causal stage is perfect, the stage of fruition is also perfect; there is no division into before and after. Flower and fruit occur simultaneously, and the Dharma is likened to the lotus flower, as in the Lotus Sūtra of the Wonderful Dharma.

Mahāsattva means “great being.” The additional word “great” before it signifies the greatest among the great. Only great beings such as Mañjuśrī, whose Dharma bodies are perfectly luminous, have virtue sufficient to bear this designation.

When the Buddha teaches the Dharma, it is not that he speaks the perfect sound only at the assembly of perfect enlightenment. Indeed, there is no assembly in which the sound is not perfect, nor is there any assembly in which the Dharma is not taught in samādhi. It is like burning exquisite incense: everyone is pervaded by its fragrance, though some may smell it without knowing what incense it is. Yet there is no difference in receiving its fragrance; only those with diseased noses leave the assembly.

What is called fundamental ignorance is not that there is some ignorance that truly exists as a root. Rather, because all deluded actions and inverted views arise dependently upon ignorance, which lies latent within the faculties, it seems to have a root. Ignorance has no real substance; it illusorily arises and illusorily ceases, and upon awakening it is suddenly empty. Ordinary beings are deluded by it; those of the two vehicles fear it; bodhisattvas know it; sages penetrate it. At the point of beginning practice, one should investigate and reflect upon it. If one mistakenly takes ignorance to have a real substance, then bring it forth.

That all speak the same indicates the equality of sentient beings and Buddhas. As for illusory samādhi, it means thoroughly understanding illusion, not being affected by any circumstance, and attaining the great functioning of samādhi; this is called proper receptivity. In short, whoever hears the Buddha teach perfect enlightenment must first realize it personally before being able to awaken to and enter it. If one hundred thousand people are all included, then it is not limited to the twelve great bodhisattvas.

When the World-Honored One taught perfect enlightenment, the twelve great bodhisattvas all entered the proper concentration of samādhi. People often mistakenly suppose that the Dharma was taught while in concentration. They see only that the World-Honored One and the bodhisattvas were all in samādhi, silent and motionless, and say that, apart from these thirteen persons, no one else heard or knew. Is such an argument not laughable?

The sūtra clearly states that he and all his retinue entered samādhi and dwelt together in the Tathāgata’s equal Dharma assembly. Thus, it was not only the Buddha and bodhisattvas who knew. Those said to enter concentration are not like insentient wood or stone, seeing and hearing nothing. Only after realizing samādhi, cutting off the delusions of ignorance, and entering the assembly of nondual equality can one avoid being bound by emotional views.

One then comprehends what the Buddha taught, and they mutually confirm one another. One neither clings to speech nor discards speech; this does not reveal any sort of mystery. Moreover, when the assembly had entered the equal proper receptivity of samādhi, why would the Buddha need to make a further announcement? Yet realizations differ in depth; a definitive confirmation must be given before the teaching may be disseminated.

For those of that time, this sūtra was a definitive teaching, in the hope that they would thereby penetrate more deeply. For the future, it was to be disseminated, in the hope that later people might have something in which to take refuge. Those who listen must first have a foundation: those who understand, understand for themselves; those who do not understand remain bewildered even if detailed instruction is given. At the Lotus Dharma assembly, five thousand withdrew. Surely withdrawal from one’s seat alone does not necessarily constitute withdrawing from the assembly?

All who are frightened upon hearing the Dharma, forcibly distinguish high from low, and measure the Buddha’s intent by emotional views have withdrawn from the assembly. All who study Buddhism without understanding the root, without investigating the mind-ground, who merely cling to words and seek through textual criticism, have withdrawn from the assembly. To withdraw from the assembly is to be blind and mute; in brief, it is to turn away from awakening and join with dust. Such people have no relation at all to the Buddha or to awakening. Concentration has signs of concentration, which even the eyes of ghosts can see; this is the concentration of the Lesser Vehicle. But Mahāyāna concentration cannot be seen even by heavenly eyes; only those who have equally realized samādhi can see it. Those who cannot see it have withdrawn from the assembly.

Of the twelve bodhisattvas, Mañjuśrī is first. The root cannot be separated from prajñā: one must first awaken to fundamental wisdom, which is the proper cause. Only after awakening does one enter the Section on Right Cultivation. Therefore Samantabhadra comes next, representing practice. The former is knowing; this is practice. Together, they are the unity of knowledge and practice. Yet if the dharma eye is unopened and the root of delusion unsevered, one should illuminate all universally and see through clearly; therefore Universal Eye comes next.

As function arises from essence and expands greatly, the essence of the vajra treasury is then revealed; therefore Vajragarbha comes next. Yet only by breaking through appearances and returning to intrinsic nature, with form and emptiness nondual, can fundamental wisdom, which still turns along with consciousness, be transformed. To break through consciousness is precisely to transform consciousness into wisdom; when appearances are understood, intrinsic nature can be seen. Therefore Maitreya comes next. When intrinsic nature and appearances interpenetrate and one enters nonduality, delusion is naturally cut off and truth realized, while the eye of wisdom becomes pure; therefore Pure Wisdom comes next.

From this, the Dharma wheel is inexhaustible; one enters the subtle and wondrous, attains great freedom, and possesses unsurpassed majesty and virtue. Therefore Majestic Virtue and Freedom comes next. Yet what is most subtle is sound, and what is difficult to distinguish is the subtle. Among the three subtle and wondrous Dharma gates—whether calming and contemplation or dhyāna—one should choose according to what is appropriate, whether to cultivate one alone or cultivate them together. Faculties differ from person to person; if a practice does not suit one’s capacity, diligent progress can hardly be expected. Therefore Discerning Sounds comes next.

Through Mañjuśrī, the essence of prajñā is clarified; from Samantabhadra through Discerning Sounds, the function of prajñā is brought forth. Once the root is clear and the great matter has been discerned, karmic obstacles nevertheless remain unremoved. If one wishes for the obstacles to be exhausted and luminosity to appear, one should thoroughly understand the root of the dependent arising of deluded appearances. The view of self is the ancestor of karmic obstacles: when one is broken, all are broken; when one is purified, all are purified. Therefore Purifying All Karmic Obstacles comes next.

Although the view of self is empty, emptiness itself has not yet been emptied. The subtle self is connected to dharmas; when the view of dharmas is not yet purified, it cannot be called universal awakening. Therefore Universal Awakening comes next. When both self and dharmas are forgotten, one then enters the great light treasury of samādhi. One body is pure, and many bodies, extending to countless worlds, are each and every one pure; penetrating hundreds of thousands of worlds and pervading the ten directions, this is called perfect enlightenment. Therefore Perfect Enlightenment comes next.

In this way, through proper cause and proper cultivation, one enters proper awakening. With lofty and magnificent virtue, one approaches the Buddha’s rank and is first among the ranks of the worthy; therefore Worthy Good Leader comes next. The names of bodhisattvas originally express the Dharma. Here, they accord with the process of cultivation. The twelve bodhisattvas unite their virtues as one, thereby simply expressing their consummate virtues.

This sūtra is complete in both realization of principle and practical cultivation. Broadly speaking, it has two gates: first, sudden awakening to principle, with Mañjuśrī as chief; second, practical cultivation and realization, with Samantabhadra as chief. A chief is the leader of the assembly. The first division is for those of the highest capacities, who cultivate by contemplating principle; awakening to principle immediately brings practical realization. The latter ten divisions are for those of middling capacities, whose dharmakāya has not yet manifested; they cultivate through counteracting afflictions and are opened to immeasurable gates of skillful means. In truth, the whole of principle is practice, and the whole of practice is principle; there is no distinction.

【Sūtra】 It means “in accord”: because it accords with capacities and with principle, it is called a sūtra.

【Kashmir】 The name of a country in northern India.

【Buddhamitra】 One proficient in the three baskets is called a Tripiṭaka Master. He came to China in the second year of Changshou in the Tang dynasty.

【Translation】 This sūtra was translated at White Horse Monastery in the Divine Capital. In two fascicles, it was orally dictated by the master and recorded in writing by others.

【Bhagavān】 The Buddha. It means the supremely pure awakened one, awakened oneself and awakening others. “Awakening” carries the meaning of fulfillment.

【Radiant Adornment】 Light interpenetrates layer upon layer, shining brilliantly and manifestly.

【Abiding】 To abide securely, forever free from grasping after conditions.

【Upholding】 To sustain and maintain without loss.

【Following Nonduality】 To accord with nonduality.

【Entering】 To enter through realization: when all discriminations cease and wisdom merges indistinguishably with principle, this is called entering.

【Samādhi】 Proper concentration and proper receptivity. Not being affected by any external condition is called proper receptivity; when one is free of delusion, there is concentration.

【Mahāsattva】 Great. Such as arousing the great resolve, cultivating great conduct, and realizing the great Way. Here it refers to bodhisattvas on the bhūmis.

【Chief】 The leader.

【Retinue】 The assembly in which principal and companions come together—those who share the same view and practice.

【Equal Dharma Assembly】 This refers to an assembly of dharmatā, where there is neither self nor person; therefore it is called equal.