Mahavairocana Sutra versus Mahaprajnaparamita Sutras

[LastLegend]

Chapter 1, Page 5.


The Buddha said, “The bodhi-mind is its cause, compassion is its root, 1c and expedient means is its culmination. Lord of Mysteries, what is bodhi?
It means to know one’s mind as it really is. Lord of Mysteries, this is anut-
tarā samyaksaṃbodhi (unsurpassed, perfect, and full awakening), and there
is not the slightest part of it that can be apprehended. Why? [Because] bodhi
has the characteristic of empty space, and there is no one to comprehend it,
nor is there any understanding of it. Why? Because bodhi has no [differen- tiating] characteristics. Lord of Mysteries, all dharmas are without charac- teristics. That is to say, they have the characteristic of empty space.”
Fascicle One
5

The Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi Sutra
Then Vajrapāṇi again said to the Buddha, “World-honored One, who is it that seeks omniscience? Who is it that accomplishes perfect awakening on account of bodhi? Who is it that generates the knowledge of an omnis- cient one?”
The Buddha said, “Lord of Mysteries, it is in one’s own mind that one seeks bodhi and omniscience. Why? Because its original nature is pure. The mind is neither within nor without, nor can the mind be apprehended between the two. Lord of Mysteries, the Tathāgata, worthy [of worship] and perfectly and fully awakened, is neither blue nor yellow nor red nor white nor crim- son nor the color of crystal, neither long nor short nor round nor square, nei- ther bright nor dark, and neither male nor female nor neuter. Lord of Mys- teries, the mind is not of the same nature as the realm of desire, nor is it of the same nature as the realm of form, nor is it of the same nature as the realm of non-form, nor is it of the same nature as the destinies of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, humans, or non-humans. Lord of Mysteries, the mind does not reside in the realm of the eyes, nor does it reside in the realms of the ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind, and neither is it visible, nor does it manifest itself.
“Why? [Because] the mind, which has the characteristic of empty space, is free from all differentiation and nondifferentiation. Why is that? That whose nature is the same as empty space is identical to the mind, and that whose nature is the same as the mind is identical to bodhi. In this manner, Lord of Mysteries, the three entities of mind, the realm of empty space, and bodhi are without duality. They have compassion as their root and are fulfilled by the pāramitā of expedient means. For this reason, Lord of Mysteries, I teach the dharmas in this manner so as to make the multitudes of bodhi- sattvas purify the bodhi-mind and know their mind.
“Lord of Mysteries, if a man of [good] family or a woman of [good] family wishes to know bodhi, they should know their own mind in this man- ner. Lord of Mysteries, how is one to know one’s own mind? It cannot, namely, be apprehended by seeking it in distinctions, or colors, or shapes, or external objects; or in form or sensation, ideation, volition, or conscious- ness; or in ‘I’ or ‘mine’; or in the grasper (i.e., subject) or the grasped (i.e., object); or in the pure; or in the [eighteen] elements [of existence] or [the twelve] sense fields; or in any other distinctions.
6

“Lord of Mysteries, this gateway to the bodhisattva’s pure bodhi-mind
is called the path whereby the Dharma becomes clear for the first time. If a bodhisattva trains while dwelling therein, he will then without prolonged hardship attain the samādhi that removes all obscurations. If he attains this [samādhi], then he will dwell on a par with buddhas and bodhisattvas: he
will generate the five supernatural faculties; obtain the dhāraṇī (retention)
of immeasurable languages, words, and sounds; know the workings of the 2a minds of beings; be protected by buddhas; remain undefiled even in birth- and-death (samsara); not shirk fatigue for the sake of beings throughout the Dharma realm; succeed in abiding in the unconditioned precepts; be free from wrong views; and thoroughly understand right views. Furthermore, Lord of Mysteries, a bodhisattva dwelling in this [samādhi] that removes all obscurations will, through the power of his faith-and-understanding and with-
out prolonged exertion, satisfy all the dharmas (attributes) of a buddha. Lord
of Mysteries, in short, this man of good [family] or woman of good [fam-
ily] will fully achieve the accomplishment of immeasurable merits.”


https://www.bdk.or.jp/document/dgtl-dl/ ... a_2005.pdf

[LastLegend]

Nature doesn’t make distinction. It’s simply is without mistake...mind is what makes distinction.

[FiveSkandhas]

I see the quote from the Mahavairocana Sutra, but where is the "versus Mahaprajnaparamita Sutras" part?

How do you see them in opposition? And how would you resolve or explain any posited opposition?

[LastLegend]

They are not in opposition.

[FiveSkandhas]

They are not in opposition.

Glad to hear you think so, as do I.

But then why the "versus" ?

[LastLegend]

English problem

[FiveSkandhas]

English problem

なるほど～!