An in-depth conversation on The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines and its essential teachings on emptiness and the bodhisattva path.
This video features an in-depth conversation with 84000 editor John Canti on the newly completed English translation of The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines. Canti offers historical context on how this “long” Prajñāpāramitā sūtra fits within the broader Perfection of Wisdom literature and why it remains so central to Mahāyāna Buddhism. He also explores the text’s distinctive structure, including extended dialogues between the Buddha and disciples such as Śubḥūti and Śāriputra, which gradually unfold the profound meaning of emptiness through repetition and careful analysis. The conversation pays tribute to the late translator Gomidoje, whose dedication helped bring this monumental work to completion. Canti closes by encouraging practitioners to engage the text directly, allowing its deconstructive style to illuminate the bodhisattva path in a lived and practical way.
Dr. John Canti was a founding member of 84000’s executive committee and editorial team and is now senior editor.
