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

Chapter 21: Leaving Form and Leaving Marks, Twenty

The true Tathāgata is without form and without marks. If one wishes to see the mind and perceive the nature so as to see the true Tathāgata, one must not look at the Tathāgata's forms and marks; forms and marks are not the Tathāgata. Only by leaving form and leaving marks can one see the true Tathāgata.

Original text of the Diamond Sutra: 须菩提。于意云何。佛可以具足色身见不。不也。世尊。如来不应以具足色身见。何以故。如来说具足色身。即非具足色身。是名具足色身。须菩提。于意云何。如来可以具足诸相见不。不也。世尊。如来不应以具足诸相见。何以故。如来说诸相具足。即非具足。是名诸相具足。

Explanation: The World-Honored One said to Subhūti: Subhūti, what do you think? If sentient beings wish to see the true Buddha, should they see a Buddha with marks — one whose bodily marks are complete in every respect? Should one see the Buddha by means of bodily marks? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One. One who wishes to see the true Tathāgata should not see the Tathāgata by means of the marks of a complete form-body (rūpakāya); one should see the true Tathāgata. Why is this said? Because according to what You have said, the complete form-body is not truly an existent complete form-body; it is merely provisionally named "complete form-body."

The World-Honored One continued: Subhūti, what do you think — if sentient beings wish to see the Tathāgata, should they see a Tathāgata who possesses all marks in completeness? By seeing a Tathāgata who possesses all marks, can one see the true Tathāgata? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One. When sentient beings see the Tathāgata, they should not see the Tathāgata by means of the possession of all marks. Why is this said? Because according to what You have said, the possession of all marks is not truly something that possesses all marks; it is merely provisionally named "possession of all marks." Since the possession of all marks is only a provisional name, without real substance, one cannot thereby see the true Tathāgata.

Because sentient beings are habituated to grasping at marks, they always discriminate the Tathāgata on the basis of various marks of conditioned dharmas, not knowing that the true Tathāgata is without marks. Out of compassion for sentient beings, the World-Honored One engaged in this dialogue with Subhūti to reveal to them that the true Buddha is without marks, and that one should not cling to a Tathāgata who possesses all marks — for doing so would lead to seeing only the marks and not the true Tathāgata. The true Tathāgata is apart from all material form, apart from all marks, without shape and without marks — that is the true Tathāgata.

The Tathāgata can be divided into the Tathāgata with a form-body and the Tathāgata without a form-body. The Tathāgata without a form-body is the Dharmakāya Buddha, the true Tathāgata, because He is the origin of all dharmas, forever unchanging, neither arising nor ceasing, truly real, eternally existing. He can transform and manifest boundless, immeasurable Tathāgatas with form-bodies. Since all Tathāgatas with form-bodies are conjured forth by the markless Dharmakāya Tathāgata, what is illusorily born can be illusorily extinguished; therefore they are not the truly real Tathāgata.

Therefore the World-Honored One asked Subhūti: if one wishes to see the true Tathāgata, must one see a Tathāgata who possesses all the marks of a complete form-body? Can one see the Tathāgata by means of the marks of the form-body? Subhūti immediately understood the Buddha's intent and answered at once that it is not so. Why is it not so? Because the marks of a complete form-body are not real marks, nor does there truly exist something that possesses a complete form-body; all these marks are illusory transformations, merely given a provisional name for such illusory marks.

All the marks of the form-body — the form-body marks wherein the bodily marks exist in completeness — are conjured forth by the Dharmakāya Tathāgata, who possesses not even a single trace of form-body marks. On the surface there appears to be existence, and He also has the various activities of the five aggregates. Yet the marks that appear to exist on the surface and the activities of the five aggregates are not real; they are all illusory false marks, empty marks. The existence is false existence, and the activities of the five aggregates are also illusorily manifested false marks — mere illusions. In their essence they are all the Dharmakāya Tathāgata; it is only in reliance upon the superficial appearance of the five-aggregate body that these illusory phenomena are given a provisional name, for the convenience of sentient beings in distinguishing and addressing them, for the convenience of sentient beings in revering and making offerings, and for the convenience of sentient beings in practicing generosity and cultivating merit.

The World-Honored One further asked Subhūti: if sentient beings wish to see the true Tathāgata, should they see the Tathāgata by means of the possession of all dharmic marks? Subhūti immediately understood the World-Honored One's intent and answered at once that it is not so — one should not see the Tathāgata as one who possesses all marks, should not consider that only a Tathāgata who possesses all marks is the true Tathāgata, and should not cling to any illusory forms and marks. A Tathāgata who possesses all marks is certainly a Tathāgata endowed with the thirty-two marks and eighty minor characteristics of a Buddha — that is a Tathāgata with marks.

All of these are the karmic retribution obtained by the World-Honored One through his cultivation over three countless great kalpas, and all marks are the markless Dharmakāya Tathāgata conjured forth in accordance with various conditions. Whatever arises must cease; therefore one who possesses the thirty-two marks is not the true Tathāgata, and the thirty-two marks are not real marks either. These thirty-two marks and eighty minor characteristics appear on the surface to exist, but in truth they are only names, all manifested by the Dharmakāya Tathāgata; in essence they are the Dharmakāya Tathāgata, given provisional names merely for the convenience of sentient beings in recognizing, revering, and making offerings.

Then, in the Tathāgata who possesses the complete form-body marks, the complete thirty-two marks, and the complete eighty minor characteristics, can one see the true Tathāgata who does not possess the form-body marks, the thirty-two marks, or the eighty minor characteristics? This is certain; otherwise the Tathāgata's form-body marks would not manifest, the thirty-two marks would not manifest, much less be complete. People will ask: within the five aggregates that possess the complete form-body marks, which one is the true Tathāgata? To seek the true Tathāgata, listen to this verse: Within the five-aggregate body a dragon hides its form; though the dragon hides its form, it constantly roars and bellows. If you wish to find the true dragon within the five aggregates, listen at the six cave mouths for the dragon's roar. The dragon constantly comes and goes at the six cave mouths, but sentient beings, attached to marks, do not recognize the dragon. To recognize the dragon, remove the forms and marks; remove the forms and marks, and the true dragon appears.