Conventionally, sentient beings accomplish their individual awakening through the buddhadharma expounded in great compassion, but this can be likened to space being liberated into space. Ultimately, there are neither sentient beings nor buddhas; there is neither samsara nor nirvana; there is neither ignorance nor gnosis. These relative appearances are natural adornments of the non-apprehensible wakefulness of the dharmadhātu and equal in utter purity. The awakening of what is relatively apprehended as a buddha is this realization.
Daśasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā wrote:“Also, Subhūti, you asked who will attain emancipation by means of this vehicle. In this regard, Subhūti, no one will attain emancipation by means of this vehicle. If you ask why, Subhūti, it is because all those things associated with this vehicle, and with those who would attain emancipation, and that in which emancipation is attained, are non-existent and they are non-apprehensible. Since all things are accordingly non-existent and non-apprehensible, who could attain emancipation by means of anything? In what could emancipation possibly be attained? If you ask why, Subhūti, it is because the self and other [posited subjects], up to and including the knower and the viewer, are non-apprehensible. This being the case, the ‘self’ is never apprehensible. Similarly, [other posited subjects], from sentient beings and living creatures to knowers and viewers, are all non-apprehensible.
“Similarly, the expanse of reality is non-apprehensible, owing to its utter purity. The real nature is non-apprehensible, owing to its utter purity. The finality of existence is non-apprehensible, [owing to its utter purity]. The inconceivable expanse is non-apprehensible, owing to its utter purity. The psycho-physical aggregates and sensory elements are non-apprehensible, owing to their utter purity. The sensory elements and sense fields are non-apprehensible, owing to their utter purity. Similarly, the transcendent perfection of generosity is non-apprehensible, owing to its utter purity. Similarly, the transcendent perfection of ethical discipline, the transcendent perfection of tolerance, the transcendent perfection of perseverance, the transcendent perfection of meditative concentration, and the transcendent perfection of wisdom are non-apprehensible, owing to their utter purity. Similarly, the emptiness of internal phenomena is non-apprehensible, owing to its utter purity, and in the same vein, the other aspects of emptiness, up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities, are non-apprehensible, owing to their utter purity.
“Similarly, the applications of mindfulness are non-apprehensible, owing to their utter purity, and in the same vein, [the other causal attributes], up to and including the noble eightfold path, are non-apprehensible, owing to their utter purity. Those who have entered the stream are non-apprehensible, owing to their utter purity. Similarly, those who are tied to one more rebirth, those who are no longer subject to rebirth, arhats, pratyekabuddhas, and those who have become tathāgatas, arhats, genuinely perfect buddhas are non-apprehensible, owing to their utter purity. Similarly, the fruit of having entered the stream is non-apprehensible, owing to its utter purity. Similarly, the fruit of being tied to one more rebirth, the fruit of being no longer subject to rebirth, arhatship, individual enlightenment, and unsurpassed, genuinely perfect enlightenment are non-apprehensible, owing to their utter purity. Omniscience is non-apprehensible, owing to its utter purity. Similarly, non-arising, non-cessation, non-affliction, non-purification and non-conditioning are non-apprehensible, owing to their utter purity. The limit of the past is non-apprehensible, owing to its utter purity. Similarly, the limit of the future and the present are non-apprehensible, owing to their utter purity. Similarly, motion, non-motion, resting, and arising are non-apprehensible, owing to their utter purity. Similarly, decrease and increase are non-apprehensible, owing to their utter purity.”
“What, you may ask, is it that is non-apprehensible, on account of which all things are not apprehended? Things are not apprehended because the expanse of reality is non-apprehensible. If you ask why, Subhūti, it is because the expanse of reality, owing to its utter purity, has not been, is not and will not be apprehended by anyone. In the same vein, things are not apprehended because the real nature is non-apprehensible, because the finality of existence is non-apprehensible, because emptiness is non-apprehensible, because the transcendent perfection of wisdom is non-apprehensible, because the emptiness of internal phenomena is non-apprehensible, and because [the other aspects of emptiness] up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities, are non-apprehensible. Similarly, things are not apprehended because the applications of mindfulness are non-apprehensible. Things are not apprehended because [the other causal and fruitional attributes], up to and including the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas are non-apprehensible. Similarly, things are not apprehended because those who have entered the stream are non-apprehensible, and in the same vein, things are not apprehended because [other realized beings] up to and including genuinely perfect buddhas, are non-apprehensible. Similarly, things are not apprehended because the fruit of having entered the stream is non-apprehensible. In the same vein, things are not apprehended because [the other attainments], up to and including unsurpassed, genuinely perfect enlightenment, are non-apprehensible.
“Similarly, things are not apprehended because non-arising is non-apprehensible. Things are also not apprehended because other unconditioned phenomena, up to and including non-conditioning, are non-apprehensible, owing to their utter purity. If you ask why, Subhūti, it is the case that things are not apprehended because, owing to its utter purity, non-conditioning [and so forth] is non-apprehensible.
“Similarly, things are not apprehended because the first level [of realization] is non-apprehensible. Things are not apprehended because [the other levels of realization], up to and including the tenth level, are non-apprehensible, owing to their utter purity.
“In this regard, if you ask what are the ten levels, they comprise (1) the level of bright insight, (2) the level of buddha nature, (3) the level of eightfold acceptance, (4) the level of insight, (5) the level of attenuated refinement, (6) the level of dispassion, (7) the level of [an arhat’s] spiritual achievement, (8) the level of the pratyekabuddhas, (9) the level of the bodhisattvas, and (10) the actual level of the genuinely perfect buddhas.
“In the emptiness of internal phenomena, the first level is non-apprehensible, and similarly, the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth levels are non-apprehensible. In the same vein, in the other aspects of emptiness, up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities, due to their utter purity, the first level is non-apprehensible, as are [the other levels], up to and including the tenth level, due to their utter purity. If you ask why, Subhūti, it is because the first level has not been, is not, and will not be apprehended by anyone, and [the other levels], up to and including the tenth level, owing to their utter purity, have not been, are not, and will not be apprehended by anyone.
“Similarly, in the emptiness of internal phenomena, the maturation of sentient beings is non-apprehensible due to its utter purity, and [in to the other aspects of emptiness], up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities, the maturation of sentient beings is non-apprehensible. Similarly, in the emptiness of internal phenomena, the refinement of the buddhafields is non-apprehensible due to its utter purity, and in the other aspects of emptiness, up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities, the refinement of the buddhafields is non-apprehensible. Similarly, in the emptiness of internal phenomena, the five eyes are non-apprehensible due to their utter purity, and in the other aspects of emptiness, up to and including the emptiness of the essential nature of non-entities, the five eyes are non-apprehensible.
“So it is, Subhūti, that when great bodhisattva beings practice the transcendent perfection of wisdom in that manner, owing to the non-apprehension of all things, they will attain emancipation in omniscience by means of the Great Vehicle.”