The Perfection of Wisdom sutra, which dates to the year 100 B.C., states that there is no multiplicity: all is one. Even existence (samsara) and nirvana are essentially the same, and both are ultimately void.  Within this context of voidness, The Perfection of Wisdom offers a way to enlightenment. It represents the formal introduction to Buddhist thought of a practical ideal — the ideal of a bodhisattva. A bodhisattva must guide others to practice the six perfections: giving, morality, patience, vigor, contemplation and wisdom. Wisdom is the most important of these because it dispels the darkness of sensory delusion and allows things to be seen as they really are.

Perfection of Wisdom is part of the teachings of the Mahayana school of Buddhism, which places a higher value on helping others than on achieving one's own enlightenment.

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