The Meaning of "One Should Give Rise to a Mind That Does Not Abide in Anything"

Original text of Chapter Ten of the Diamond Sutra: The Buddha said: 庄严佛土者。则非庄严。是名庄严。是故。须菩提。诸菩萨摩诃萨。应如是生清净心。不应住色生心。不应住声香味触法生心。应无所住而生其心。 

Explanation: Previously the Buddha had already told Subhūti that bodhisattva-mahāsattvas should give rise to a pure mind in this way, and therefore they should not dwell on material form (rūpa) to give rise to mental activity and thought. Regarding material form, one sees that form is not form and does not dwell on the mark of form; material form is not truly material form, it is merely called material form—material form is only a name, and there is no substantial material form. Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas also should not dwell on sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas to give rise to mental activity and thought. Regarding sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas, one sees that sound is not sound and does not dwell on the mark of sound; one sees that smell is not smell and does not dwell on the mark of smell; one sees that taste is not taste and does not dwell on the mark of taste; one sees that touch is not touch and does not dwell on the mark of touch; one sees that dharmas are not dharmas and does not dwell on the mark of dharmas. Sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas are not truly sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas; they are merely called sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas. Sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas are only names, and there is no substantial sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas. Therefore the World-Honored One admonished bodhisattva-mahāsattvas not to dwell on material form to give rise to the mind, not to dwell on sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas to give rise to the mind, but to give rise to their pure mind while dwelling nowhere. 

Here "nowhere" (所) refers to form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas; "dwelling nowhere" means not dwelling on form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas. How should one cultivate a mind that dwells nowhere? This requires attaining the vision of the Path in both the Hīnayāna and Mahāyāna, and after realizing that the five aggregates and eighteen realms are empty and without self-nature, the minds of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses will no longer dwell on the realms of the six sense objects and will no longer attach to the marks of those realms. This involves a sequence and gradation: at the beginning it certainly will not be very firm, and one cannot completely avoid attaching to the marks of realms or dwelling on the six sense objects. But as long as one has genuinely seen the Path, none of this will be a problem—it is only a matter of time.