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] …¹

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.²

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 of³ 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.⁴ 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.]’⁵ These are characterised by a firm security, since no one at all is able to alter this.