The Profound Meaning of the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sutra from the Consciousness-Only Perspective (Second Edition)

The Essence of the Diamond Sutra

The essential teaching throughout the entire Diamond Sutra is to shatter perceptions, shatter perceptions, shatter perceptions—to shatter all perceptions, beginning with the shattering of the four perceptions, and to shatter all dharmic perceptions. The scope of these dharmic perceptions is immeasurably vast and boundless. All that sentient beings can touch, see, think, conceive, or discuss is non-perception. This includes all dharmas and all perceptions within the secular realm and the three realms: the perception of self, the perception of person, the perception of sentient beings, the perception of lifespan; the perception of śrāvakas, the perception of pratyekabuddhas, the perception of bodhisattvas, the thirty-two marks and the fully adorned bodily form of a Buddha, the perception of Tathāgata, the perception of a great body; the perception of lands, the perception of dust motes, the perception of worlds, the perception of an aggregated unity; the perception of the minds of sentient beings, the perception of a bodhisattva’s resolve for bodhi, the perception of a bodhisattva adorning a Buddha-land, the perception of a bodhisattva liberating sentient beings, the perception of Buddhas expounding the Dharma, the perception of Buddhas attaining the Dharma, the perception of Buddhas attaining bodhi, the perception of a bodhisattva’s six pāramitās; and even the perception of Prajñāpāramitā, the perception of the Buddha-Dharma, the perception of the true reality of all dharmas, and so on and so forth. All perceptions are non-perceptions, neither perceptions nor non-perceptions, neither dharmas nor non-dharmas.

And what is the basis for shattering all these perceptions? The basis is the indestructible, unborn and unceasing diamond mind. Because of this indestructible diamond mind, all dharmic perceptions that arise are non-perceptions; more perfectly stated, they are also neither perceptions nor non-perceptions. Therefore, it is said that the diamond prajñā mind is also called the great dhāraṇī method of the one mark of no-mark. It upholds all perceptions, encompasses all dharmas, causing all dharmas to be without self-nature and without self-perception. All dharmas are neither dharmas nor non-dharmas; the world is empty, still, void, and illusory.

The process and result of shattering perceptions in the Diamond Sutra resonates distantly with the method of perfect penetration through the faculty of hearing of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva. All that can be emptied is emptied, leaving only the diamond prajñā mind on the other shore—which is not the other shore, nor is it not the other shore—solitary and without companion, yet it is the One True Dharma Realm.

The Diamond Sutra also resonates distantly with all Prajñā scriptures and Mahāyāna scriptures, mutually confirming one another without the slightest dissonance. There is nothing but emptiness, emptiness to the very end, which is neither emptiness nor non-emptiness. Can ordinary people comprehend this? Can they realize it? If realized, would any perception remain in their minds? Would they still cling to anything? Of course, in between lies the path of realization spanning three asamkhyeya kalpas to traverse, requiring the shattering of perception after perception, shattering completely to return to the origin, returning home to sit securely. Yet by then, there is no home to return to, no place to sit, and no body to sit securely. Is this not a stark, utterly liberated great method of liberation? Of course it is, for it liberates from all the bonds of dharmas. Therefore, let all people shatter all kinds of perceptions as soon as possible! Free themselves from all kinds of entanglements as soon as possible! Cast off all burdens as soon as possible!