The selflessness of phenomena is clarified in the verses beginning, ‘It can’t come from itself …’ (6.8), until the verse ending with, ‘Analytical reasoning provides swift liberation’ (6.119). The selflessness of the person is dealt with from the verse beginning, ‘They see how each and every affliction and fault originates with the view of identity’ (6.120), until this point. To indicate this and express the classifications of emptiness, it was said:

That beings may be freed, this selflessness was taught
In two ways, of phenomena and personal.

In short, this selflessness was taught as being of two types: phenomenal selflessness and personal selflessness. Why was selflessness presented in these two ways? As it says, that beings may be freed: the Illustrious One presented these two types of selfless in order to liberate beings. The selflessness of the person is taught in order that solitary buddhas and hearers may be liberated, while both are taught in order that bodhisattvas may be liberated through attaining the state of omniscience. Although hearers and solitary buddhas do come to see the mere conditionality of dependent arising, they do not have a complete practice of the selflessness of phenomena, but only the means of abandoning the afflictions experienced in the three realms. It is explained that they do have a comprehensive practice of the selflessness of the person.

And to his followers our Teacher taught the same
By classifying it in various different ways. (6.179)

Apart from this twofold classification of selflessness, the Illustrious One also taught it in many other ways to suit the various inclinations of his students.

Concerning these,

When emptiness is taught elaborately
It is of sixteen types, and when condensed
It is of four types – this is the approach
Adopted in the Greater Vehicle. (6.180)

The sixteen emptinesses are taught in the statement:

Furthermore, Subhūti, the Greater Vehicle of the bodhisattva is the following: emptiness of the internal, emptiness of the external, emptiness of the external internal, emptiness of emptiness, emptiness of immensity, emptiness of the ultimate, emptiness of the compounded, emptiness of the uncompounded, emptiness of the boundless, emptiness of no beginning or end, emptiness of what should not be spurned, emptiness of true nature, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of defining characteristics, emptiness of the unobservable and emptiness of real non-things.¹

And after that the four types of emptiness are taught:

Furthermore, Subhūti, things are empty of things. Non-things are empty of non-things. Self-nature is empty of self-nature. A nature beyond is empty of a nature beyond.²

These emptinesses are what we call the Greater Vehicle. Neither emptiness nor non-emptiness exist even in the slightest. These are nothing more than relative conventions, just like form and so forth, useful when instructing individuals. As the Treatise states:

If anything at all could be non-empty,
There could be something that is empty.
But as there is nothing at all that is not empty,
How could the empty then be?³

One should not declare ‘empty,’
‘Not empty,’ ‘both,’
Nor ‘neither’ – these are just
Nominal designations.⁴

Now, in terms the emptiness of the internal, it was said:

This being what their nature is,
The eye is empty of the eye –
The same is true for ears and nose,
For tongue, for body and the mind. (6.181)

They neither last nor disappear.
Hence all these six, the eyes and such,
Possess no nature of their own.
This is the inner emptiness. (6.182)

To give a brief quote:

Which internal things are indicated by the emptiness of the internal? The eyes, ears, nose tongue, body and mind are the internal. These do not constantly remain, nor do they disappear; eye is therefore empty of eye. Why? Because that is its nature.⁵

For things to constantly remain⁶ would mean they wouldn’t lose their nature. Since they also remain for time a before changing, it is stated that they ‘don’t just disappear.’ As these statements show, any entity having a nature would by necessity be neither constantly remaining nor simply disappearing. As stated:

A true nature originating due to causes
And conditions, is not tenable.
A true nature coming from causes
And conditions would be fabricated.

And how could it be acceptable to say
That a true nature is something created?
A true nature cannot be something created,
And cannot not rely on anything else.⁷

One may ask whether a nature as specified by the Master in the Treatise exists as it is asserted by the Master? As the Illustrious One taught it:

Whether the tathāgatas appear or not, the nature of reality remains the same.

When it says the nature of reality, whatsoever that may be, it is the nature of the eyes and so forth. And what is their nature? It is that which is unfabricated and not reliant on others, the nature itself that is realised by a mind that is free from the cataracts of ignorance. And if one asks whether this is something existent or non-existent? If it doesn’t exist, for what purpose do the bodhisattvas practice the path of the perfections? It is precisely in order to realise this reality of things that the bodhisattvas undergo all of these immense hardships. As is stated:

O son of good family. The ultimate does not arise, does not cease, does not disappear, does not come, does not go, and cannot be expressed in words. It cannot be put into words and cannot be conceptualised. The ultimate, O son of good family, is something ineffable known through the discriminative wisdom of noble ones who are at peace. The ultimate, O son of good family, is unaffected by whether tathāgatas appear or not; by whether bodhisattvas shave off their hair and beards, don the saffron robes, leave householder life with genuine faith and go forth into homelessness for the sake of it; nor after having gone forth by their degree of diligence they demonstrate, as if their hair or robes were on fire, in order to attain this reality of things. If, son of good family, the ultimate did not exist, a life of purity would be meaningless, and it would be pointless for the tathāgatas to appear. Since the ultimate exists, bodhisattvas can be said to be knowledgeable about the ultimate.⁸

Some might react to this, saying, ‘My word! Not agreeing that it is anything at all, and still professing it to be a nature that is an accidental unfabricated something that does not rely on anything else; your assertions are completely contradictory!’

Let me explain. You haven’t understood the point the Treatise is making. Its intent is this: If the interdependently arisen nature of the eyes and so forth was of the nature that immature beings perceive them to be, that nature would be something mistakenly understood, and a life of purity would then be meaningless. But since this is not its real nature, to find out what that is, a life of purity has meaning. It is from the perspective of the relative that we express it to be unfabricated and not dependent on anything else. And this, which immature beings cannot see, is considered the nature. And being in that fashion, the ultimate is neither an existent thing nor a non-existent thing, since it is by nature pacified. And the Master does not only assert this nature for himself, but as this point can potentially be convincing to others, this nature is presented as something provable to both parties.

Some say that the nature of something like fire is that it is hot and so forth, but this is completely unacceptable, because in being interdependently arisen it is something artificial and reliant. It does not make sense to say that since it is something existent it does not have artifice and is not reliant on something else, because when there is a relationship of attributes it is not something with any conclusive reality, and such aspects have relevance on the relative level. But enough digression. We shall now return to the main topic.

By saying that the eyes and so forth are empty of being eyes and so forth, their emptiness of a true nature has been made clear. It is not an emptiness of one thing being empty of another, as if saying that the eye is empty because it has no inner creator, or is empty of a real dualism of subject and object.

As for emptiness of the external:

This being how their nature is,
A form is empty of a form.
And this is true of sound and smell,
Taste, texture and phenomena. (6.183)

That form and such are nature-less,
This is the outer emptiness.

As stated:

What is emptiness of the external? What we call external phenomena are forms … [and so forth]. These do not remain constantly nor do they disappear, and form is therefore empty of form, because that is its nature.⁹

That what is both is nature-less,
Is outer-inner emptiness. (6.184)

As stated:

That external internal phenomena have no inherent nature as external internal phenomena, is what we call external internal emptiness. …¹⁰

That everything is nature-less
Is what the wise term emptiness.
This voidness too is empty of
A nature which is emptiness. (6.185)

The voidness of the void is termed
The emptiness of emptiness.
And this was taught to stop the mind
That clings to emptiness as real. (6.186)

As stated:

What is the emptiness of emptiness? The emptiness of emptiness is the emptiness which is empty of the emptiness that is all phenomena’s emptiness.¹¹

This was taught to counteract the clinging of those who believe emptiness to be something real. As stated:

To defeat all conceptual ideas
You taught the nectar of emptiness.
But you severely reproached those
Who ended up clinging to that.¹²

The universe and all that live
Pervade throughout; it’s infinite
Just like the four immeasurables;
Hence the immensity of space. (6.187)

The worlds of the beings and the environment are not found anywhere other than in the directions of space, which means space completely pervades all that live. The directions of space are therefore immense. When meditating on love and so forth one does so through extending it throughout the directions, which serves as an example for the immeasurability of the directions, showing how boundless it is, and therefore immense.

The emptiness of space with ten
Directions is the emptiness
Of the immensity, thus taught
To block thoughts of immensity. (6.188)

As stated:

What is the emptiness of immensity? The eastern direction is empty of the eastern direction. …¹³

The emptiness of immensity was taught to counteract belief in the immensity of space for those who think space is immeasurable. The Vaiśeṣikas do consider the directions of space to be something substantial in this way.

Nirvana is the ultimate
Because it is the highest goal.
That that is empty of itself
Is voidness of the ultimate. (6.189)

To counter all conceptions of
Nirvana being something real,
The Knower of the Ultimate
Taught voidness of the ultimate. (6.190)

As stated:

What is the emptiness of the ultimate? The ultimate refers to nirvana. Since it neither constantly remains nor disappears, nirvana is empty of nirvana. …¹⁴

This was taught to counteract the clinging of those who believe nirvana to be something real. The word parama¹⁵ denotes the objective or that which is to be understood.

The three realms are declared to be
Compounded – from conditions born.
That they are empty of themselves
Is voidness of compounded things. (6.191)

As stated:

What is emptiness of the compounded? The compounded refers to the three realms. The desire realm is empty of the desire realm. …¹⁶

The uncompounded is that which
Does not abide, remain or cease.
That that is empty of itself:
The uncompounded’s emptiness. (6.192)

The words of itself, refer to the uncompounded. As stated:

What is the emptiness of the uncompounded? The uncompounded refers to that which does not arise, cease, disintegrate, or remain and then transform. That which is uncompounded is empty of the uncompounded. …¹⁷

When limits have no relevance,
We say that it transcends all bounds.
That that is empty of itself
Is emptiness of boundless things. (6.193)

As stated:

What is the emptiness of the boundless? Bounds refers to the extremes of eternalism and nihilism, and what has no such bounds is boundless. The boundless is empty of the boundless. …¹⁸

With no first start or final end
Samsara is beginningless
And endless; no migration there,
It’s like existence in a dream. (6.194)

That this is empty of itself
Is called the emptiness of no
Beginning and no end; and this
The Treatise clearly explicates. (6.195)

As stated:

What is the emptiness of no beginning or end? Where there is neither beginning nor end, there is no middle. And where there is no beginning, end or middle, there is no coming and going. As this neither constantly remains nor disappears, the beginning, end and middle is empty of a beginning, end and middle. …¹⁹

Beginning means a start. End means a conclusion.

To spurn denotes that one rejects
Or casts aside. And there’s one thing
That one must not let go of, that
Should not be spurned or left aside. (6.196)

The fact that what should not be spurned
Is likewise empty of itself,
Is what is called the emptiness
Of that which never should be spurned. (6.197)

As stated:

What is the emptiness of that not be spurned? To spurn means to reject, cast aside, or let go of. What should not be spurned is empty of what should not be spurned. …²⁰

To spurn means to give something up, and not to spurn something means to never give it up.²¹

The essence of compounded things
And so forth aren’t created by
Disciples, solitary ones,
The victor’s heirs, tathāgatas. (6.198)

The essence of compounded things
Is therefore termed their true nature.
That that is empty of itself
Is emptiness of true nature. (6.199)

As stated:

What is the emptiness of the true nature. The true nature of all phenomena is not made, it is not created. It is not made up by the hearers. …²²

The eighteen dhātus, senses six,
Sensations that arise from them,
All things material and not,
All things compounded and what’s not; (6.200)

All such phenomena are void,
Are empty of any such things.

And this is the emptiness of all phenomena. As stated:

What is the emptiness of all phenomena? All phenomena includes compounded things, uncompounded things, [and so forth] …²³

The eighteen dhātus refers to the six inner sense fields, the six outer, and the sixfold consciousness group. The six senses refer to visual perception and the others, up to and including mental perception. The six senses result in six types of sensations. And all these phenomena are empty of all phenomena.

‘What can appear,’ such marks aren’t real:
The voidness of defining marks. (6.201)

What then are the defining characteristics of form and so forth? To give a detailed presentation:

A form is ‘that which can appear.’
A feeling is ‘experience.’
Perception is ‘to grasp at marks.’
Formations are ‘created things.’ (6.202)

‘To recognise specific things’
Is what defines our consciousness.
The skandhas’ mark is suffering,
The dhātus are a deadly snake. (6.203)

The dhātus have the defining characteristics of being like a poisonous snake in terms of how the harm is similar.

The sense fields, so the Buddha said,
Facilitate development.

The reason being that they facilitate the arising or development of suffering.

Things that arise dependently
Are marked by a collectiveness. (6.204)

The defining characteristic of dependent arising is collectiveness (sāmagrī), because dependent arising is distinguished as a collective.

To give marks generosity,
While painlessness is discipline.
To not be vexed is tolerance,
And flawlessness is diligence. (6.205)

The reason being that diligence is characterised by perfectly upholding virtue.

Absorption is collectedness.

The reason being that it gathers all positive things.

Not clinging marks intelligence.

The reason being that progression towards nirvana involves not clinging at all.

And so the six perfections are
Described by their defining marks. (6.206)

The dhyānas, the immeasurables,
As well as all the formless realms,
Were taught by he who knew them well
To be unagitated states. (6.207)

The Illustrious One taught that these are defined by the lack of any vexation, since they are attained by abandoning anger.

The thirty-seven factors of
Awakening can ‘bring one forth.’

That they bring one forth, means that one is brought forth to liberation. Since they are the causes for transcending samsara, they have the ability to make one depart. They are therefore things that bring one forth, and their characteristic feature is that they help one attain liberation. The dhyānas and so forth were already explained.²⁴

The character of emptiness
Is absence of a reference point. (6.208)

Not perceiving entities as real, one will not be soiled by the stains of concepts, and this is why the liberating door of emptiness as characterised by an absence.

The featureless is peacefulness.
The third: no pain or ignorance.

The liberating door of featurelessness (animitta) is characterised by peace, as there is no apprehension of features. The third refers to the liberating door of no expectancy (apraṇihita). The liberating door of no expectancy is characterised by a lack of suffering and confusion. Since one does not deliberately seek to investigate the nature of compounded suffering, nor expect to understand the nature of compounded phenomena through intelligence, the third liberating door is characterised by a lack of suffering and confusion.

The liberations are defined
As that by which one is set free. (6.209)

The eight liberations are as follows: The first liberation is for the embodied to consider forms. The second is to let go of²⁵ the idea of subjective form, and then consider external forms. The third is to liberate the pleasant and involves the fourth absorption (dhyāna). The four formless states are as has been stated.²⁶ The eight is the cessation of perception and feeling. Since these liberations free one from the obscurations of the states of equilibrium, they are characterised as something that can set one free.

The powers are described as what
Delivers utter certainty.

The ten powers, which shall later be explained, are characterised by giving one utter certainty. Since with utter certainty one can be characterised as undisputed, they are called the powers.

The Buddha’s confidences are
In essence firm security. (6.210)

The four types of self-confidence are as follows: (1) ’When having declared, “I have reached full and complete awakening,” there will be no occasion when anyone – no ascetics, brahmins, gods, demons, or even Brahma – can reasonably challenge me by saying, “Oh no, you have not come to a full and complete realisation of all phenomena,” [and so forth].’ (2) ‘… “O, I have exhausted the defilements,” … “Oh no, you have not exhausted the defilements,” [and so forth].’ (3) ‘When following the teachings I have given about what the impediments are, there is no grounds for the claim, “these are not impediments,” [and so forth].’ (4) ‘If one dedicates oneself to the noble path of deliverance that I have taught, one will eliminate suffering and find deliverance, and there are no grounds for the claim, “one will not eliminate suffering and find deliverance,“ [and so forth.]’²⁷ These are characterised by a firm security, since no one at all is able to alter this.

The perfect knowledge is defined
By boundless eloquence and such.

The perfect understandings, yet to be explained, are characterised by being unceasing.

Through great love one accomplishes
The benefit of sentient beings. (6.211)

The characteristic feature of great love is to be of benefit.

Through great compassion one protects
Those suffering. …

The characteristic feature of great compassion is to save beings who are suffering.

… Rejoicing is
To feel delight. …

The characteristic feature of rejoicing is to feel delight.

… Non-prejudice
Defines impartiality. (6.212)

The characteristic feature of impartiality is to be free from attachment, aversion and so forth.

The eighteen special qualities
Unique to Buddha cannot from
The Teacher be erased; they are
Defined as irremovable. (6.213)

The Buddha has eighteen unique qualities:

Subhūti, from the moment the Tathāgata fully realises the most supreme perfect and complete awakening and up until his final nirvana, the Tathāgata does not (1) make mistakes, (2) rash utterances, (3) forget things, or (4) lose his mental composure. (5) He does not harbour discriminating ideas, but (6) his equanimity is not indifference. (7) He does not lose his dedication, (8) diligence, (9) awareness, (10) concentration, (11) intelligence, or (12) freedom. (13) All his physical activities are preceded by wisdom and followed through with wisdom. (14) All his verbal activities are preceded by wisdom and followed through with wisdom. (15) All his mental activities are preceded by wisdom and followed through with wisdom. (16) His vision of wisdom has unimpeded access to the past, (17) the future and (18) the present.²⁸

The characteristic feature of these eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha is that they are irremovable; since he does not make mistakes and so forth, there is no way that one can find any fault with him.

An explanation of these can be found in the noble Questions of Dharaṇīśvara Sutra:

Furthermore, O son of good family, the Tathāgata is without physical errors that can reasonably be criticised, whether by fools or the wise. How so? The illustrious buddhas have no physical errors. When looking ahead and all around, when bending and extending as he walks, in wearing the upper, lower and outer robe, and when holding the alms bowl, he carries himself with grace during the four activities. When entering and leaving cities, towns and villages his feet do not touch the ground, but thousand-spoked wheels appear and sweet-smelling lotuses spring forth, upon which the Tathāgata steps. Any beings born as animals which happen to step in the Tathāgata’s footprint, will experience bliss for seven days, and when they die be reborn among the gods. Although the robes are not in contact with even four inches of the Tathāgata’s body, even a howling wind cannot ruffle it. The radiance of his body reaches down to the beings of the Incessant hell, filling them with bliss. Thus it is said that the Tathāgata has no physical fault.

The Tathāgata is without verbal errors that can reasonably be criticised, whether by fools or the wise. How so? Son of good family. The Tathāgata speaks timely, speaks when appropriate, speaks authentically, and acts in accordance with his words. His expressions are well formulated. His words are pleasing to all beings. What he says is not repetitive. His words are elegant in expression and meaning. Each moment of his speech is satisfying to all beings. Thus it is said that the Tathāgata is without verbal error.

The Tathāgata is without mental errors that can reasonably be criticised, whether by fools or the wise. How so? He does not stray from his equipoise but carries out all buddha-activities without needing to focus his attention on them, and sees everything with his unimpeded wisdom. Thus it is said that the Tathāgata is without mental error. And just as he is without mental faults, so he teaches sentient beings the Dharma to remove every fault. This is the fifteenth tathāgata-activity of the Tathāgata.²⁹

This is the first unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, the Tathāgata does not make any rash utterances that can be censured by Māra, Māra’s divine entourage, or tīrthikas. How so? The Tathāgata does not make any rash utterances himself or as a reply. Why? The Tathāgata is without attachment and aversion. Even if honoured by all sentient beings he does not think highly of himself. Even if he is not honoured by any sentient beings he does not feel disheartened. The Tathāgata does not utter any sounds of regret whether his work is laborious or does not go as intended. The Tathāgata is not in conflict with anyone in the world and does not therefore make any rash utterances. The Tathāgata is in a state free from the afflictions, feels no ownership, does not hold on, does not grasp, but is free from all entanglements. Thus the Tathāgata is without rash utterances. And just as he is without rash utterances, so he teaches sentient beings the Dharma to avoid all rash utterances. This is the sixteenth tathāgata-activity of the Tathāgata.³⁰

This is the second unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, the Tathāgata is not unmindful in a way that makes him unclear about anything at all. How so? The Tathāgata is not absent-minded in his meditative absorptions, liberations, concentrations, or states of equilibrium. The Tathāgata observes the mental activity and distractions of all sentient beings, and is not inattentive in teaching the Dharma that is suitable to each of them. The Tathāgata is not inattentive about the science of terms, sense, etymology and eloquence. The Tathāgata is never unmindful of the unimpeded wisdom that sees the things of the past, present and future. And just as the Tathāgata is never unmindful, he teaches sentient beings the Dharma so that they may never be unmindful. This is the seventeenth tathāgata-activity of the Tathāgata.³¹

This is the third unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, the Tathāgata does not lose is mental composure. Whether walking and so forth, he always remains in a most profound state of concentrated equipoise, an untainted meditative absorption. Except with the Tathāgata’s blessing, there is no sentient being, whatever form, whether resting in equipoise or not, who is able to observe the mind of the Tathāgata. And just as the Tathāgata does not lose his mental composure, he teaches sentient beings the Dharma that they may always remain mentally composed. This is the eighteenth tathāgata-activity of the Tathāgata.³²

This is the fourth unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, the Tathāgata does not have discriminating ideas that unsettle the mind. How so? Since his domain is as inexhaustible as space, the Tathāgata does not have any discriminating ideas about domains. Since things are by nature selfless, the Tathāgata does not discriminate between sentient beings. Because of the wisdom of inseparability and sameness of the sphere of reality (dharmadhātu), the Tathāgata does not discriminate between buddhas. Since the true reality is freedom from attachment, the Tathāgata does not discriminate between phenomena. The Tathāgata is not biased towards those who uphold moral discipline, upset with those who have a bad character, give benefits to those who provide service, respond with harm to harm-doers, is not reverential towards prospective students,³³ and does not have contempt for those who follow wrong ways. The Tathāgata remains balanced in relation to all things. Therefore … (and so forth).³⁴

This is the fifth unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, the Tathāgata’s impartiality is not indifference. How so? The Tathāgata’s impartiality is a practice of the path and not a non-practice of the path. Likewise, the Tathāgata’s impartiality is a practice of intelligence and not a non-practice. The Tathāgata’s impartiality is connected with wisdom, it is supramundane, descend to the level of the mundane…. And just as the great impartiality of the Tathāgata is perfect, he teaches the Dharma to beings so that they may perfect such an impartiality. This is the twentieth tathāgata-activity.³⁵

This is the sixth unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, the Tathāgata does not lose his dedication. What is his dedication? He is dedicated to the ways of virtue. How so? The Tathāgata does not lose his dedication for great love. And likewise does not lose it for great compassion, teaching the Dharma, training beings, helping beings develop, for seclusion, and for helping beings properly undertake awakening. He does not lose his dedication to ensure that the presence of the Three Jewels is not interrupted. The Tathāgata is not driven by dedication; the Tathāgata’s dedication is preceded by wisdom. Therefore … (and so forth).³⁶

This is the seventh unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, the Tathāgata does not lose his diligence. The Tathāgata’s diligence is like this: He is diligent in the sense of not being careless towards beings that should be trained, and never tired in the face of students of the Dharma. If the Tathāgata meets someone who is a fit vessel for the Dharma, who does not become weary from listening to the Dharma, the Tathāgata will remain seated teaching the Dharma, without concern for food. Out of concern for sentient beings, even if there is just a single being to trained by the Buddha, the Tathāgata will traverse as many buddhafields as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, never tiring in body, speech, or mind. The Tathāgata diligently applies himself with serenity of mind, and speaks highly of diligence. He eulogises to sentient beings of that diligence which when properly applied by sentient beings leads to the attainment of the liberation of noble ones. … [and so forth].³⁷

This is the eight unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, the Tathāgata never loses his awareness. How so? The Tathāgata is not distracted. O son of good family, the moment the Tathāgata fully realised unsurpassed true and complete awakening, he understood the minds of all beings of the past, present and future, and is never distracted from this. Although the Tathāgata is acutely aware of the activities of sentient beings, he does not have to exert his wisdom for that purpose. The Tathāgata’s awareness of those being established in the three groups, beings’ engagement with the powers, how beings are motivated and the activities of beings, never wanes. The Tathāgata does not need to recollect, consider, or contemplate when teaching sentient beings the Dharma. His teachings never decline. Why? The Tathāgata never loses his awareness. And just as his own … [and so forth].³⁸

This is the ninth unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, the Tathāgata does not lose his concentration. In the concentration of the Tathāgata all phenomena are equal, they are not unequal, they are just as they are. How is it that the Tathāgata does not lose his concentration? Whatever reality is like, that is what his concentration is like. Whatever his concentration is like, that is what the Tathāgata is like. Hence it is said that he is established in equilibrium. And not being within any of the three realms, there is no deterioration. Hence it is said that the Tathāgata does not lose his concentration. The Tathāgata teaches the Dharma so that all beings may achieve concentration. … [and so forth].³⁹

This is the tenth unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, the Tathāgata does not lose his intelligence. How is his intelligence? His understanding of all phenomena does not depend on someone else. He knows how to teach things to other beings and individuals. Being expert in the sciences, he knows how use language. He knows how to teach so that a single phrase can apply throughout a hundred thousand aeons. His is a knowledge that can eliminate all doubts. It is a knowledge that is not attached to anything. It is knowledge of how to teach to lead someone to the three vehicles. It is a knowledge that completely understands the eighty-four thousand ways of beings’ minds. It is a knowledge of how to teach that which is suitable among the of eighty-four thousand types of teachings. The intelligence of the Tathāgata is taught to be boundless, endless, inexhaustible and immeasurable. Just as it does not deteriorate for the Tathāgata, he teaches the Dharma so that all beings may have inexhaustible intelligence. This is the twenty-fifth tathāgata-activity of the Tathāgata.⁴⁰

This is the eleventh unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, the Tathāgata’s liberation is never lost. Liberation refers to the liberation of the hearers which is to follow the word; the liberation of the solitary buddhas which is to understand conditions; and the liberation of the buddhas, a liberation through a complete release from all attachment and clinging – unhampered by the past, not continuing into the future and not remaining in the present. It is freedom from thinking in terms of the duality of eye and form. It is freedom from thinking in terms of the duality of ear and so forth, up to and including mind and mental phenomena; being liberated from basing oneself on grasping and clinging. It is knowledge of the natural luminosity of the mind, and that is why it is said that the understanding that takes place within a single moment of mind can lead to the full realisation of unsurpassed true and complete awakening. … [and so forth].⁴¹

This is the twelfth unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, all his physical activities are preceded by wisdom and followed through with wisdom. Carrying out certain physical activities the Tathāgata trains beings through his gaze. He trains beings by speaking, remaining silent, eating, religious practices and characteristics. …[and so forth]. There is nothing that the illustrious buddhas do that cannot serve to train beings. … [and so forth].⁴²

This is the thirteenth unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, all the Tathāgata’s verbal activities are preceded by wisdom and followed through with wisdom. How so? The Dharma the Tathāgata teaches brings results, his predictions accurate, his statements well-formulated. The speech of the Tathāgata is comprehensive, instructive, not haughty, not base, not evasive, not stuttering, … [and so forth]. It is as immeasurable as space. It is endowed with the best of all qualities. [Up to this point, the sixty features of melodic voice are enumerated.] O son of good family, such is the voice of the Tathāgata. … [and so forth].⁴³

This is the fourteenth unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, all the Tathāgata’s mental activities are preceded by wisdom and followed through with wisdom. How so? The Tathāgata does not express himself through mind, through intellect, or through consciousness. He is powered by wisdom, governed by wisdom. The wisdom of the Tathāgata can engage with the minds of all sentient beings. … [and so forth]. It is engaged with all phenomena. It has cultivated the steps of the path. Does not rely on others concerning any meditative concentration. It beyond objectification. It is free from causality. It is removed from the three realms. It is free from all demonic influences. […] It is indivisible from the sphere of reality (dharmadhātu). This is how the Tathāgata’s mental activity is preceded by wisdom. This is the twenty-ninth tathāgata-activity of the Tathāgata.⁴⁴

This is the fifteenth unique Buddha quality.

Furthermore, his vision of wisdom has unimpeded access to the past. No matter how many buddha-fields have appeared and disappeared in the past, he can enumerate them all. He knows each and every blade of grass, bush, herb and tree. No matter how many communities of beings considered sentient there were; no matter how many buddhas appeared; no matter how many teachings each of these buddhas gave; no matter how many were trained in the Hearer Vehicle; and no matter how many were trained in the Greater Vehicle; he knows them all. … [and so forth]. He knows their minds. He is able to recount, through direct perception and inference, which mental states happened prior to which. That the Tathāgata employs his flow of thoughts to the past is perceived.⁴⁵ With such wisdom the Tathāgata repeatedly teaches the Dharma to sentient beings. … [and so forth].⁴⁶

This is the sixteenth unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, the Tathāgata’s vision of wisdom has unimpeded access to the future. The Tathāgata knows each and every sentient being, dharma and field that will appear and disappear in the future. … [and so forth]. Without future states of mind being being concealed, he teaches sentient beings the Dharma by looking to the future.⁴⁷

This is the seventeenth unique quality of the Buddha.

Furthermore, O son of good family, the Tathāgata’s vision of wisdom has unimpeded and unobstructed access to all that occurs in the present. The Tathāgata can enumerate all present buddha-fields in the ten directions. He knows all present buddhas. He likewise knows all bodhisattvas, all hearers and solitary buddhas, … all entities, and can enumerate every minute particle of the earth element there is. He likewise knows and can enumerate every minute drop of water that fits on the tip of a hair, the fire element of flames that ignite and go out, the wind element that makes forms agile, and the whole space element as if filled up with hair-tips. … He likewise knows the realms where beings are born as denizens of hell and so forth… , and the present realms of divine beings. … [and so forth]. And still, the Tathāgata does not harbour any sense of duality, and teaches sentient beings the Dharma that they may not perceive things dualistically. This is the thirty-second tathāgata-activity of the Tathāgata.⁴⁸

This is the eighteenth unique quality of the Buddha.

Omniscient wisdom is what has
Direct perception as a mark.
The other is of lesser type,
Not as direct perception seen. (6.214)

Whatever the defining marks
Of things compounded and things not,
They’re empty in and of themselves,
Hence voidness of defining marks. (6.215)

This concludes the treatment of the emptiness of defining characteristics.

The present instant does not stay,
The past and future don’t exist;
Because these three cannot be found
They are things unobservable. (6.216)

These unobservables are void
Of any essence of their own;
They neither last nor cease to be –
The emptiness of what’s not seen. (6.217)

The past has ceased, the future has yet to come, the present does not remain, hence all three are non-existent. That they are unobservable, means that the three times cannot be found anywhere. As stated:

As this neither constantly remains nor disappears, the unobservable is empty of the unobservable. How so? Because this is its nature, it is called the emptiness of the unobservable.⁴⁹

Since things arise conditionally
They are not real as composites.
That composites are void themselves
Is emptiness of real non-things. (6.218)

A composite emerges from an assembly, and since it arises from causes and conditions the composite has no real existence. It’s nature is not something real, and its emptiness is the emptiness of real non-things.

This concludes the explanation of the elaborate sixteenfold emptiness.

Four further ones shall be mentioned:

In short the term a thing is used
Referring to five aggregates.
As these are empty of themselves,
This is the emptiness of things. (6.219)

Existent thing refers to the five aggregates. That things are empty of things, as mentioned above, is the emptiness of things.

And non-thing is, to put it short,
Implying uncompounded things.
That these are empty of non-things,
Is termed the voidness of non-things. (6.220)

A non-thing refers to uncompounded phenomena, such as space, nirvana and so forth. That non-things are empty of non-things, is the emptiness of non-things.

That nature is not something real
Is emptiness of ‘self-nature’.
That such a nature is unmade
Is what by nature is conveyed. (6.221)

Nature means the actual nature, since is not something contrived by the hearers and so forth. That nature is empty of nature is termed the emptiness of self-nature.

No matter whether buddhas come
Or don’t arrive, the fact remains
That everything is emptiness,
Acclaimed to be the thing beyond; (6.222)

The final end, reality –
Is voidness of nature beyond.

The thing beyond refers to the supreme reality of things. It is supreme due to being that which always is. On the one hand, the thing beyond is something realised through perfect wisdom, and is empty of itself. Another explanation is that it is called that which is beyond because it exists on the other side. It is the thing beyond since it is the transcendence of samsara, the final end. Since it is unchangeable, this reality of things is empty of the features of emptiness – it is the emptiness of a nature beyond.

All these have been proclaimed in the
Perfection of Intelligence. (6.223)