Session 3 - Attaining Prajñāpāramitā (Ch 1, Part Three)

PART ONE: Review of CH 1, Parts 1-5

Part 1 - The Buddha tells Subhūti to explain Prajñāpāramitā

Part 2 - The Buddha explains Prajñāpāramitā

Part 3 - ‘Bodhisattva’ - being in the samādhi of ‘The Non-Apprehension on all Dharmas’

Part 4 - ‘Mahasattva’ - The bodhisattva is ‘armed with the great armor’ if they think, “Countless beings should I lead to Nirvana and yet there are none who lead nor anyone led to it.”

Part 5 - ‘Great Vehicle’ - which no one goes anywhere in, thus arriving at all-knowledge (sarvajña)

PART TWO: CH 1, Part 6 - Attainment

6. Attainment

“‘Buddha,’ ‘bodhisattva,’ ‘Prajñāpāramitā,’ all these are mere words. And what they denote is something ‘uncreated.’”

“Just as the dharma ‘soul’ (or ‘self’ or ‘atman’) is unapprehendable in any location, in any period of time, or in any way at all; [likewise] should a bodhisattva perceive internal and external dharmas.” (i.e. as unattainable).

This is the ‘birthlessness’ of all dharmas (also called ‘un-arisen’, ‘un-produced,’ or ‘uncreated.’