Arising from his samadhi, the Lord then spoke these words, "The stage of wisdom of all the Budhas accesses the given nature of the real characteristic of dharmas. For this reason, [the Budha's] expedients and superpowers are all inspired by signlessness. The explicit meaning of the one enlightenment is difficult to comprehend and difficult to access. It is not something that is known or cognized by any adherents of the two vehicles [of sravakas and pratyekaBudhas]; it may only be known by the Budhas and bodhisattvas. All [the tathagatas] explain the single taste [only] to those sentient beings who are capable of deliverance."

At that time, Liberation Bodhisattva arose from his seat, joined his palms together, genuflected in foreign fashion, and addressed the Budha: "Lord! After the Budha's demise, the right dharma will vanish from the world and the semblance dharma will linger on in the world. During the final age of the dharma, sentient beings [who are tainted by] the five turbidities will perform all types of evil actions and will transmigrate among the three realms of existence without respite. During that period, I beg that the Budha, out of his friendliness and compassion, will proclaim for those later generations of sentient beings the single taste that is decisive and true, and prompt those sentient beings to achieve liberation together."

The Budha said, "Oh son of good family! Feel free to ask me about the causes surrounding my appearance in the world. I wanted to proselyte sentient beings and to prompt those sentient beings to obtain the fruition [of enlightenment] that transcends the world. This one great matter [of a Budha's appearance in the world] is inconceivable, because it is performed out of great friendliness and great compassion. If I were not to respond [to your questions], then I would fall into niggardliness [for hoarding the dharma I have learned]. You should all listen attentively and carefully, and I will proclaim [the answers] for you.

"Oh son of good family! When you proselyte sentient beings, you should not conceive that proselytism either does or does not occur; such proselytism is great indeed! It enables all those sentient beings to leave behind mind and self, for both mind and self are originally void and calm. If they attain voidness of mind, then that mind will not illusorily project anything. Free from all illusory projections, they will then attain nonproduction. The mind that does not produce anything derives from such nonprojection."

Liberation Bodhisattva addressed the Budha, "The nature of the mind of sentient beings is originally void and calm. The essence of the mind that is void and calm is free from materiality and characteristics. How are we to cultivate and train so that we may obtain that mind which is originally void? I entreat the Budha to proclaim this for us, out of his friendliness and compassion."

The Budha replied, "Bodhisattva! All the characteristics of the mind originally have no origin. As they originally have no original locus, [the mind is] void and calm, producing nothing. If the mind produces nothing, it then accesses void calmness. At that ground of the mind, where all is void and calm, one attains voidness of mind. Oh son of good family! The signless mind is free from both mind and self. It is the same with all the characteristics of dharmas."

Liberation Bodhisattva addressed the Budha: "Lord! If sentient beings have a conception of self [i.e. grasping at personality] or a conception of mind [i.e. grasping of dharmas], what dharma will awaken those sentient beings and prompt them to leave behind such fetters?"

The Budha replied, "Oh son of good family! If there is someóne who retains a conception of self, he should be encouraged to contemplate the twelvefold chain of causal conditioning. The twelvefold chain of causal conditiong, originally derives from cause and fruition. The production of cause and fruition is stimulated by the operation of the mind. But the mind does not exist, much less the body. If there is a person who conceives of a self, he should be encouraged to abandon his view [that the self] exists. If there is a person who conceives that there is no self, he should be encouraged to abandon his view [that the self] does not exist. If a person conceives that the mind can be produced, he should be encouraged to abandon [his view that] the nature [of the mind] is subject to production. If a person conceives that the mind can be extinguished, he should be encouraged to abandon [his view that] the nature [of the mind] is subject to extinction. Once these views about the nature are extinguished, he will immediately approach the edge of reality. Why is this? Originally, production is not extinguished; originally, extinction is not produced. Both are nonextinct and unproduced, unproduced and nonextinct. It is just the same with the characteristics of all dharmas."

Liberation Bodhisattva addressed the Budha : "Lord! What view is extinguished when a sentient being perceives that a dharma is produced? What view is extinguished when a sentient being perceives that a dharma ceases?"

The Budha replied, "Bodhisattva. When a sentient being perceives that a dharma is produced, this causes the extinction of the view of nonexistence. When he sees the extinction of a dharma, this causes the extinction of the view of existence. Once these views are extinguished, the true nonexistence of dharmas is achieved and he accesses certitude, where [the attainment of the state of] nonproduction is certain."

Liberation Bodhisattva addressed the Budha: "Lord! If a sentient being were encouraged to linger in the state of nonproduction, would that mean [he had achieved the acceptance of ] the nonproduction [of dharmas]?"

The Budha replied, "Were one to linger in production, that would actually be producing something. Why is this? Only when one does not linger in nonproduction is it really nonproduction. Bodhisattva! If one produces nonproduction, production and extinction would therewith be produced. When production and extinction are both extinguished, production inherently would not be produced and the mind would be constantly void and calm; and that which is void and calm is nonabiding. Only the mind that does not abide anywhere is really unproduced."

Liberation Bodhisattva addressed the Budha: "If the mind does not abide anywhere, then what need is there for religious practice? [When the mind abides nowhere, is that then a state in which] there is still training left to complete or where no further training is necessary?"

The Budha replied, "Bodhisattva! The mind that is unproduced – that mind has neither egress nor access. It is the original tathagatagarbha, whose nature is calm and motionless. It is neither subject to further training nor free from further training. When there is neither training nor nontraining – that then is the state where no further training is necessary. 'Training' means to ensure that there is no need for either training or not training."

Liberation Bodhisattva addressed the Budha: "How is it that the nature of tathagatagarbha is calm and motionless?"

The Budha replied, "The tathagatagarbha is that characteristic of discriminative awareness, subject to production and extinction, which conceals the principle so that it is not made manifest. This [is what is meant by the statement] 'the nature of the tathagatagarbha is calm and motionless.'"

Liberation Bodhisattva addressed the Budha: "What is [meant by the statement] 'that characteristic of discriminative awareness [which is] subject to production and extinction?"

The Budha replied, "Bodhisattva! The principle is free from either acceptance or rejection. If there were acceptance or rejection, then all kinds of thoughts would be produced. The thousands of conceptions and myriad of mentations are marked by production and extinction.

"Bodhisattva! Contemplate the characteristics of the original nature [viz. the tathagatagarbha] and the principle will become perfected in and of itself. The thousands of conceptions and myriad of mentations do not augment the principles of the path; they instead agitate [the mind] in vain so that one loses the original mind-king [the one mind]. If there are neither conceptions nor mentations, then both production and extinction will vanish and, accordingly, will not be produced. All [eight] consciousness will become peaceful and calm, the currents [of desire, existence, and ignorance] will not be produced, and the five dharmas will be purified. This is called the Mahayana.

"Bodhisattva! By accessing the purity of the five dharmas, the mind becomes free from deception. Once deception has vanished, one immediately accesses the stage of the tathagatas' own enlightened, sanctified knowledge. One who accesses this stage of wisdom is well aware that all things are unproduced from the beginning; and as he is aware that they originally are unproduced, he thence is free from deceptive conceptions."

Liberation Bodhisattva addressed the Budha: "Lord! One who is free from deceptive conceptions should have nothing that needs to be either tranquilized or brought to an end."

The Budha responded, "Bodhisattva! Deceptions are originally unproduced; hence, there are no deceptions that need to be brought to an end. By knowing that the mind is actually no-mind, there then is no mind that needs to be tranquilized. Once [the mind] is free from both differentiation and discrimination, the consciousness that manifest sensory objects are not produced. When there is nothing produced that needs to be tranquilized, this then would be nontranquilization – but also not nontranquilization. Why is this? Because [true] tranquilization actually tranquilizes nothing."

Liberation Bodhisattva addressed the Budha: "Lord! If tranquilization is nontranquilization, then tranquilization would be produced. How can you say it is unproduced?"

The Budha replied, "Bodhisattva! At the moment when tranquilization occurs it is produced, but after it is tranquilized there is no further tranquilization necessary. One should not linger in either nontranquilization or a nonabiding state."

Liberation Bodhisattva addressed the Budha: "Lord! To what does the mind that produces nothing cling? What does it reject? In what characteristic of dharma does it linger?"

The Budha replied, "The mind that produces nothing neither clings to anything nor rejects anything. It does not linger over either mind or dharmas."

Liberation Bodhisattva addressed the Budha: "What do you mean by saying 'it does not linger over either mind or dharmas'?"

The Budha replied, "Not producing thoughts is what is meant by not lingering over the mind. Not producing dharmas is what is meant by not lignering over dharmas."

"Oh son of good family! If one does not produce [a conception of] either mind or dharmas, [the mind] will then have no support. Not lingering over any compounded thing, the mind will be constantly void and calm, without any extraneous characteristics. It will be just like space, which is motionless and nonabiding, ungenerated and unproduced, and free from either that or this. Once one obtains the eye of the voidness of mind and the body of the voidness of dharmas, the five skandhas [aggregates of being] and the six sense-bases will all become void and calm.

"Oh son of good family! One who cultivates the dharma of voidness does not base himself on the three realms of existence and does not linger over the specific practices of the Vinaya [ the discipline]. Pure and free from thoughts, he neither appropriates nor releases anything. His nature is the same as adamant, which is not pulverized even by the triratna [the three gems of the Budha, Dharma, and Sangha]. His mind, emptied, is motionless and endowed with all the six paramitas [perfections]."

Liberation Bodhisattva addressed the Budha: "Lord! All the six paramitas have characteristics. But are dharmas that have characteristics capable of producing transcendence."

The Budha replied, "Oh son of good family! The six paramitas of which I have spoken are signless and inactive. Why is this? If a person accesses [the essence of the mind] and forsakes desires, his mind will become constant and pure. Through his true speech, expedient devices, and original inspiration, he will inspire others. This is danaparamita [perfection of giving]. As his earnest thoughts are tenacious and intent, his mind is constantly unabiding, pure, and untainted and does not cling to the three realms. This is silaparamita [perfection of morality]. Cultivating voidness and extricating himself from the fetters, he does not rely on any existing thing; he calms and quietens the three types of action [via body, speech and mind] and does not linger in either body and mind. This is ksantiparamita [perfection of patience]. Abandoning names and classifications, he overcomes the views of both voidness and existence and delves deeply into the voidness of the skandhas. This is viryaparamita [perfection of vigor]. Abandoning completely void calmness [nirvana], he does not linger in any type of voidness. The mind that subsists nowhere resides in great voidness. This is dhyanaparamita [perfection of meditation]. While the mind is free from all mental characteristics, it does not cling to vacuous voidness. While no compounded things are produced, one does not realize calm extinction. Where the mind has neither egress nor access, the nature is constantly in equilibrium. The edge of reality of all dharmas has the nature of certitude [of enlightenment]. One does not rely on any of the bhumis [the final ten stages of practice] and does not linger in wisdom. This is prajnaparamita [perfection of wisdom].

"Oh son of good family! Since all these six paramitas gain the original inspiration and access the nature of certitude, they supernally transcend the world. This is unobstructed liberation."

"Oh son of good family! Dharmas that are marked in this way by liberation are all signless. To practice them is also to be free from both liberation and bondage. This is what is meant by liberation. Why is this? The characteristics of liberation is to be free from both characteristics and practices; it is motionless and undisturbed. It is calm and quiet nirvana, but it also does not cling to the characteristics of nirvana."

Liberation Bodhisattva heard these words. His mind greatly pleased and elated, he gained what he never had before. Wishing to proclaim the meaning and intent[of this sermon], he recited these gathas:

That Lord who is replete in great enlightenment,
Has expounded the dharma for this congregation.
It has all been explained from the standpoint of the one vehicle,
Drawing nothing from the paths of either of the two vehicles.
The signless inspiration that has a single taste,
Is like great space,
In that there is nothing it does not embrace.
According to the differences in each of their natures,
All things gain the original locus.
To the extent that they abandon mind and self,
The one dharma is consummated.
All practices that involve identity and difference,
Gain the original inspiration,
And extirpate dualistic views.
One also neither lingers in, nor clings to, the realization,
Of that nirvana which is calm and tranquil.
Accessing that place of certitude,
There are neither characteristics nor practices.
In that stage of calm extinction where the mind is void,
The calm, extinct mind is unproduced.
It is identical to the adamantine nature,
Which is not pulverized by the triratna.
Endowed with all six paramitas,
One ferries across all sentient beings.
The Hinayana is never capable,
Of supernally transcending the three realms of existence.
The dharma seal that has a single taste,
Is perfected by the one vehicle.

At that time, the great congregation heard the exposition of these ideas. Their minds greatly pleased and elated, they were able to abandon [all conceptions of] mind and self. They accessed voidness and signlessness, which are broad and expansive, vacant and vast. All gained certitude, freeing themselves from the fetters and drying up the outflows [of existence, nonexistence, and speculative views].

Capítulo 1

Capítulo 3

Capítulo 4

Capítulo 5