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

Chapter Seven   Rarity of True Faith: Part Six

Original Text: Subhuti addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One, will there be sentient beings who, upon hearing such words and passages, will give rise to genuine faith?" The Buddha told Subhuti: "Do not say that. After the Tathagata's parinirvana, in the latter five hundred years, there will be those who uphold precepts and cultivate blessings. Regarding these passages, they will be able to give rise to faith, taking this as true. You should know that such a person has not merely planted roots of goodness with one buddha, two buddhas, three, four, or five buddhas. They have already planted various roots of goodness at the places of immeasurable thousands and tens of thousands of buddhas."

Explanation: Subhuti said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, can there truly be sentient beings who, upon hearing such doctrines and passages, will genuinely believe and accept them?" The Buddha told Subhuti: "Do not say that. In the latter five hundred years after the Tathagata's parinirvana, there will be people who uphold precepts and cultivate blessings. They will be able to give rise to pure faith in these doctrinal passages, considering them true and credible. You should know that this person has not merely planted roots of goodness with one buddha, two buddhas, three, four, or five buddhas. Rather, they have already planted various roots of goodness at the places of immeasurable thousands and tens of thousands of buddhas."

In the previous section, the World-Honored One expounded: "All phenomena with characteristics are illusory. If one sees all characteristics as non-characteristics, one sees the Tathagata." Hearing this, Subhuti gave rise to doubt, wondering whether sentient beings, upon hearing such profound passages and principles, could truly believe and accept them. This question was timely. Because sentient beings have different capacities—sharp or dull—and different blessings and wisdom, their acceptance of the Dharma varies. Sentient beings with meager blessings and dull faculties find it difficult to believe and accept the true great Dharma, often giving rise to doubt and slander. This has happened since ancient times; did not five thousand disciples disbelieve and leave the assembly at the Dharma Flower Assembly? This is a normal phenomenon. Throughout kalpas, there have been instances of not accepting the Dharma of true reality and slandering the Dharma. Because sentient beings have not severed their bonds, they constantly give rise to wrong views such as self-view, view of views, doubt-view, etc. Lacking right knowledge and view, slandering the Dharma and disbelief are inevitable.

Self-view is the knowledge and view that takes the five aggregates and eighteen realms as the self, believing this 'I' to be real, and the functions and activities of the five aggregates to be real. View of views is when sentient beings primarily rely on their own knowledge and views, regardless of whether they are correct or not, and do not accept others' views even if they are correct. Furthermore, because sentient beings have not realized the mind of true reality, their various views and knowledge regarding worldly and transcendental matters are all wrong, perverse, and incorrect, like the sixty-two heterodox views of non-Buddhists. Doubt-view is when sentient beings cannot make correct judgments or cognitions about correct Dharma principles and good spiritual friends, harboring knots of doubt. Because these bonds tightly bind sentient beings, they cannot free themselves from ignorance. Additionally, sentient beings lack sufficient blessings and causes and conditions, inevitably leading them to slander the Dharma and the Three Jewels, especially in the Dharma-Ending Age.

The World-Honored One's True Dharma lasts one thousand years, the Semblance Dharma one thousand years, and the Dharma-Ending Age ten thousand years. The latter five hundred years after the Tathagata's parinirvana possibly refers to the five hundred years just before the extinction in the Dharma-Ending Age. At that time, those who uphold precepts and cultivate blessings will be very rare. If there are any, they must be people with very profound roots of goodness and blessings. Seeing the Diamond Sutra's passages explaining the breaking of the Tathagata's bodily characteristics and the breaking of all dharmic characteristics, they can believe without doubt, praising the Tathagata's teaching as true. Such a person is certainly rare and hard to encounter. Anyone who believes and accepts the passages and principles in the Diamond Sutra is a person of true faith.

Attaining true faith is extremely difficult. On the Bodhisattva path, one must have already passed through the ten stages of faith, entered the ten abodes stage of cultivating blessings, upholding precepts, cultivating patience, concentration, and wisdom, completed the four aids to enlightenment (warmth, summit, patience, supreme worldly dharmas), and amassed sufficient Bodhi provisions. Only then can one break through all false appearances and realize true reality. This requires passing through tens, hundreds, thousands of kalpas, or even longer periods of time, steeping oneself in the Buddha Dharma, thereby acquiring right view. During this time, one must have necessarily encountered and made offerings to countless buddhas, listened to sutras, heard the Dharma, planted various roots of goodness, and accumulated various blessings at the places of immeasurable thousands and tens of thousands of buddhas. This is not something achievable in a short kalpa. Countless sentient beings resolve to cultivate the path, but only a very few reach this stage. Therefore, seeing that most people are still in the initial stages of learning should not be surprising. Cultivating the Buddha path is very difficult. Only because of flowing in birth and death for kalpa upon immeasurable kalpa, ignorance is deeply rooted, and roots of goodness are shallow. It is not like a few days of sunlight can melt long-accumulated solid ice.

Original Text: "Those sentient beings who, upon hearing these passages, give rise to pure faith even for a single thought, Subhuti, the Tathagata fully knows and fully sees them. These sentient beings attain immeasurable blessings."

Explanation: Regarding those who, upon hearing such passages, give rise to pure faith even for a single thought, the Tathagata knows them all and can see that these sentient beings have obtained immeasurable, boundless blessings.

The Buddha is also known as one who possesses All-Knowledge (Sarvajñā). Blessings and wisdom are both perfectly complete. He fully knows all worldly and transcendental dharmas. The seeds and functions contained within the Tathagatagarbha are all known. Not a single dharma is unknown; this is called All-Knowledge (Sarvajñā). This wisdom is so subtle that if rain falls simultaneously in the ten directions, the Buddha knows the exact number of raindrops. One world contains ten billion four great continents, ten billion four great seas, ten billion Mount Sumerus, ten billion six heavens of the desire realm, ten billion first dhyāna heavens, and countless heavens above the second dhyāna. How many celestial bodies are there in the ten directions? How vast is the scope? The number of raindrops falling, the Buddha knows them all. The Buddha's wisdom is so subtle that for every single thought arising in all sentient beings of the ten directions, the Buddha knows them all. Yet sentient beings are often unaware even of their own thoughts. After reciting the Buddha's name or sutras for a long time, they only then realize they have been lost in idle thoughts all along. The thinking mind (manas) clings to whatever it perceives, the mind is like a monkey, thoughts like a galloping horse—very difficult to subdue.

How many sentient beings are there in the ten directions? On our planet Earth alone, there are approximately over seven billion humans. How many animals are there? Countless. If a fish spawns, it might produce thousands or tens of thousands of offspring. In one square meter of land, there are countless ants. Various insects and microorganisms are beyond counting. Bacteria grow everywhere. Every inch of our skin surface is covered in bacteria. The nine orifices and the secretions flowing from them—tears, sweat, etc.—are all bacteria. If the skin is lifted, the muscles, tendons, bones, marrow, blood, brain matter, and internal organs inside are all bacteria; there is not a single place without them.

Buddhist sutras state that these microorganisms have three heads and six arms, are multicolored, and have bizarre shapes. They kill and devour each other. If their numbers and types become unbalanced, we fall ill; skin diseases are like this. Therefore, when using medicine to kill bacteria, some beneficial bacteria are also killed, leading to other illnesses. Ghosts and spirit beings are everywhere—remote mountains, desolate wilderness, riverbanks, forest edges, crossroads, even on a single blade of grass, where unfortunate sentient beings attach themselves. In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the World-Honored One said: "A pure bhikṣu walking on a forked path does not tread on living grass, let alone pull it up by hand." Sentient beings without blessings take a single blade of grass as their home, attaching themselves to it. If one treads on it or pulls it by hand, that would destroy the home of sentient beings. Add to this the beings in hells, the Asura beings, non-human beings—the number of beings in a single small world is so vast. How many beings are there in a great chiliocosm? In the great chiliocosms of the ten directions?

With so many sentient beings, for every single thought arising in each being, the Buddha knows them all. Therefore, the Buddha knows which sentient being's conditions have ripened, whose roots of goodness have matured, and will arrange the corresponding causes and conditions to enable them to be liberated. So if someone hears the passages in the Diamond Sutra and gives rise to a single thought of pure faith, the Tathagata will certainly know and see it all. For every sentient being, from time without beginning, in which realm they were born, what karmic actions they performed, what karmic retributions they received, how many roots of goodness they planted, how much blessing they accumulated, when they can enter the path and attain the Way—the Buddha knows it all.

Original Text: "Why is this? Because these sentient beings are no longer attached to the notion of self, the notion of person, the notion of sentient being, or the notion of a life span. They are not attached to dharmic characteristics, nor are they attached to non-dharmic characteristics."

Explanation: Why is this said? It is because these sentient beings are able to not cling to the Tathagata's bodily characteristics, knowing that all characteristics are illusory. They long ago have no notion of self, person, sentient being, or life span. First, they broke through these four notions, and then further broke through all dharmic characteristics, cultivating their minds to have neither dharmic characteristics nor non-dharmic characteristics.

Dharmas are divided into conditioned dharmas (saṃskṛta) and unconditioned dharmas (asaṃskṛta), dependent-arising dharmas and non-dependent-arising dharmas. The five aggregates are dharmas, the eighteen realms are dharmas, the three realms are all dharmas, and suchness (tathatā) is also a dharma. Anything that can be cognized is a dharma, whether visible or invisible; existence itself is dharma. There are true dharmas and false dharmas, dharmas of arising and ceasing and dharmas of non-arising and non-ceasing, dharmas formed by causes and conditions and dharmas that are innate and not formed by causes and conditions. From various angles and aspects, there are distinctions.

Dharmas include conditioned dharmas and unconditioned dharmas. Conditioned dharmas are empty, are false. Unconditioned dharmas are dharmas that exist inherently; they are true dharmas, indestructible dharmas. Any dharma that directly points to Buddhahood is the ultimate dharma. The dharma of realizing the mind and seeing the nature, the dharma of suchness, is the ultimate dharma. The methods for attaining the ultimate dharma are expedient means (upāya). Dharmic characteristics are existence; non-dharmic characteristics are emptiness. Sentient beings who can give rise to a single thought of pure faith in the passages of the Diamond Sutra have not only broken through the four notions but have also broken through dharmic characteristics and non-dharmic characteristics.

Original Text: "Why? If these sentient beings grasp at characteristics, they are attached to self, person, sentient being, and life span. If they grasp at dharmic characteristics, they are attached to self, person, sentient being, and life span. If they grasp at non-dharmic characteristics, they are attached to self, person, sentient being, and life span. Therefore, one should not grasp at dharmas, nor should one grasp at non-dharmas."

Explanation: Why is this said? Because if these sentient beings grasp at characteristics in their minds, regardless of what characteristics they grasp, since there is an 'I' that grasps, they are attached to the four notions. If sentient beings grasp at the characteristics of dharmas (existence), because there is an 'I' that grasps, they are attached to the four notions. If sentient beings grasp at the characteristics of non-dharmas (non-existence, emptiness), because there is an 'I' that grasps at the characteristics of non-dharmas, they are attached to the four notions. Regardless of whether sentient beings grasp at dharmas or non-dharmas, there is an 'I' that grasps at characteristics, so they are attached to the four notions.

Dharmic characteristics are the dharmas of the three realms (existence). The three realms exist based on sentient beings' cognition. Only with an 'I' can one cognize the dharmic characteristics of the three realms. Therefore, if one grasps at dharmic characteristics, believing that all dharmas have dharmic characteristics, one is attached to the four notions of self, person, sentient being, and life span. If one grasps at non-dharmic characteristics, believing that all dharmas are empty, non-existent, without dharmic characteristics, one is similarly attached to the four notions.

Why does one with a single thought of pure faith have no four notions, no dharmic characteristics, and no non-dharmic characteristics?

Those who have pure faith in the Buddha's statement that "if one sees all characteristics as non-characteristics, one sees the Tathagata" have very profound roots of faith. They have already planted deep roots of goodness and blessings at the places of immeasurable thousands and tens of thousands of buddhas. To reach the stage of pure faith, one must have realized the Diamond Mind (Vajra Mind, i.e., the fundamental true mind) and be free from the four notions and dharmic characteristics. Only after realization can one have no doubts about dharmic characteristics and non-dharmic characteristics; only then is their faith pure. Faith based on realization is pure faith. Faith before realization contains doubts of varying degrees; it is not pure. After realizing the Diamond Mind, one will have no notion of self, no notion of person, no notion of sentient being, and no notion of life span in their mind. They directly observe that these notions are false appearances manifested by the Diamond Mind; therefore, they are all empty.

The four notions are relatively superficial; the wisdom needed to observe them is not extremely deep or subtle. Dharmic characteristics are more subtle than the four notions; the wisdom needed to observe them is deeper and more refined. Therefore, the wisdom of no four notions is shallower than the wisdom of no dharmic characteristics; it belongs to the prajñā wisdom of the Three Worthy Stages (Ten Faiths, Ten Abodes, Ten Practices, Ten Dedications). Having no dharmic characteristics and no non-dharmic characteristics belongs to the wisdom of consciousness-only (vijñapti-mātratā) and All-Knowledge attained after entering the Bodhisattva Bhūmis (Grounds). The four notions fall within the scope of sentient beings' five aggregates. Although dharmic characteristics do not exceed the scope of the five aggregates, they are extremely subtle and difficult to observe. For example, all worldly customs, traditions, all rules, regulations, and legal systems, all behavioral norms and standards of humanity, the various ideologies of humanity, academic and technical knowledge in various disciplines and fields, all phenomena of the natural world, as well as the various cultivation methods, concepts, views, and cognitions within Buddhism—these dharmic characteristics are too numerous, too extensive, and too deep and subtle. Many cannot even be articulated. They all belong to the scope of consciousness-only All-Knowledge. And these dharmic characteristics are themselves non-dharmic characteristics; they are merely called dharmic characteristics.

Those who can give rise to a single thought of pure faith upon hearing the Buddha's profound Dharma principles not only have no four notions in their minds but have also eradicated dharmic characteristics. Moreover, they have even eradicated non-dharmic characteristics. Their minds are extremely pure, not grasping or clinging to any characteristics; their wisdom is very profound and sharp. Ordinary sentient beings who have not eradicated the four notions may also believe in the Buddha's profound Dharma principles, but because they have not realized them, their minds harbor doubts; their faith is not faith based on realization, so it is not pure. Bodhisattvas who have only eradicated the four notions have realized the Dharma and possess faith based on realization, but they still have dharmic characteristics not yet eradicated. Their realization is insufficient and incomplete; their faith is also not pure enough. Only after eradicating dharmic characteristics and non-dharmic characteristics, when the mind is very empty and pure, unattached to characteristics, is one a true Bodhisattva of pure faith.

If a person's mind grasps and clings, then the four notions exist, because there is an 'I' that grasps. If there is no 'I', who is grasping? Therefore, as long as a person grasps at characteristics, there is the notion of self, person, sentient being, and life span. If one grasps at dharmic characteristics, there is the notion of self, person, sentient being, and life span. If one grasps at non-dharmic characteristics, there is the notion of self, person, sentient being, and life span. Therefore, a Bodhisattva should not grasp at dharmas, nor should they grasp at non-dharmas. The Buddha said: The Dharma I speak of can be compared to a raft. When crossing water, the raft must be used, but upon reaching the shore, it must be discarded; otherwise, one cannot go ashore. The Dharma should be used when needed. After realization, when it is no longer useful, it must be abandoned. Not only must the Dharma be abandoned, non-Dharma must also be abandoned. If the mind has Dharma or non-Dharma, it is not empty and pure; one cannot go ashore to Nirvāṇa. Dharma is existence; non-Dharma is non-existence. Existence is erroneous; non-existence is also erroneous. Since they are erroneous, of course they must be abandoned. As soon as one establishes or grasps at "is" or "is not", the four notions are not empty. Since existence is erroneous, its opposite, non-existence, is naturally also erroneous. All dharmas are neither dharmas nor non-dharmas. Transcending the four notions and severing all dualities of "is" and "is not" is the ultimate arrival at the destination. This section breaks through dharmic characteristics and non-dharmic characteristics.

Original Text: "For this reason, the Tathagata often says: 'Bhikṣus, you should know that the Dharma I teach is like a raft. Even the Dharma should be relinquished, how much more so non-Dharma.'"

Explanation: For this reason, the Tathagata often says: "You bhikṣus should know that I use the Dharma to ferry people across, like the raft in that analogy. Upon reaching the shore, one should discard the raft; there is no need to keep treading on it. The Buddha Dharma is also like this; after attaining Buddhahood, it is no longer useful. At the moment of attaining Buddhahood, relinquishing all dharmas enables one to become a Buddha. Even this Dharma should be abandoned, how much more so the non-Dharma of nihilistic emptiness, which must be abandoned even more."

Why does the Tathagata use a raft to illustrate the Dharma? A raft is used to ferry people across a river. Upon reaching the shore, one must leave the raft to go ashore. If one refuses to leave the raft, one cannot go ashore. The Dharma spoken by the Buddha is the raft. Sentient beings, riding on this Dharma raft, can reach the other shore of Great Nirvāṇa. If sentient beings still have even one dharma existing and not extinguished in their minds, it is impure, it is defilement, it is ignorance; they cannot perfectly accomplish the Buddha Way and realize Great Nirvāṇa. The mind must abandon all dharmas, be unattached to both existence and emptiness, and be as empty and pure as the true suchness mind, without a single dharma. However, before reaching the shore, one must absolutely not abandon the raft. Why abandon the raft when the sea of birth and death has not been crossed? The Buddha Dharma is medicine, used to treat sentient beings' various afflictions and illnesses of ignorance. The Dharma of the Tathāgatagarbha is a universal remedy, curing all illnesses of ignorance in sentient beings. Those who take it will surely eliminate ignorance, cross the sea of birth and death, and accomplish the path to Nirvāṇa. Only this medicine can save and liberate sentient beings, ferrying them to the other shore of Nirvāṇa. Therefore, disciples of the Buddha, thinking of reaching the shore of Nirvāṇa, must abandon all dharmas of existence and emptiness, Dharma and non-Dharma.