Three

The Buddha said to him, "Subhuti, those who would now set forth on the bodhisattva path should thus give birth to this thought: 'However many beings there are in whatever realms of being might exist, whether they are born from an egg or born from a womb, born from water of born from the air, whether they have form or no form, whether they have perception or no perception or neither perception nor no perception, in whatever conceivable realm of being one might conceive of beings, in the realm of complete nirvana I shall liberate them all. And though I thus liberate countless beings, not a single being is liberated.'

"And why not? Subhuti, a bodhisattva who creates the perception of a being cannot be called a 'bodhisattva.' And why not? Subhuti, no one can be called a bodhisattva who creates the perception of a self or creates the perception of a being, a life, or a soul." [Translation: Red Pine]

Buddha replied: "Listen carefully. All Bodhisattvas should hold this thought: Every kind of created being which can be called a 'being,' egg-born, formed in a womb, born from moisture or produced by metamorphisis, or with from or without, all these I guide towards Nirvana even though no being at all has been led to Nirvana.

"Why? If in a Bodhisattva the conception of 'being,' 'egotisitic entity,' 'personality' or 'separate existence' should take place, this Bodhisattva would not be an authentic being of wisdom and compassion. [Translation: Joshua Pritikin]

The Buddha said to Subhuti, "The bodhisattva mahasattvas should conquer their minds thus:"

"All kinds of living beings--be they born from eggs, born from wombs, born from moisture, or born from transmutation, be they material, immaterial, thinking or nonthinking, or neither thinking nor nonthinking--I have them all enter nirvana without remainder and thus liberate them through extinction."

"Thus I liberate innumerable, countless, infinite beings through extinction, while in reality there are no beings attaining liberation through extinction."

"Why? Subhuti, if bodhisattvas have images of self, images of person, images of a being, images of a liver of life, they are not bodhisattvas." [Translation: Thomas Cleary]