The True Meaning of the Third Chapter of the Vajra Sutra

Part Three Original Text: Section on the Orthodox Doctrine of the Mahayana

The Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: "All bodhisattva-mahasattvas should subdue their minds thus: All classes of beings—whether born from eggs, born from wombs, born from moisture, or born by transformation; whether possessing form or formless; whether possessing perception, non-perception, or neither perception nor non-perception—I cause them all to attain complete nirvana and be liberated. Though I thus liberate immeasurable, countless, boundless beings, truly no being is liberated. Why is that? Subhuti, if a bodhisattva holds the mark of self, the mark of person, the mark of being, or the mark of life, that is not a bodhisattva."

The central idea of the third section of the Diamond Sutra is the Buddha's instruction to bodhisattvas on how to subdue their minds. Why subdue the mind? Because a bodhisattva who holds the mark of self, the mark of person, the mark of being, and the mark of life—one who possesses these four marks—is not a true bodhisattva. How can a bodhisattva subdue the mind and eliminate these four marks? The Buddha says: Even if you lead all beings of the four modes of birth and nine categories of existence to attain complete nirvana, you should not think that you have liberated beings or that there are beings being liberated. For truly, within the Dharma realm, there are no beings, nor is there a self. Because there is no self, you should not think "I liberate beings"; because there are no beings, you should not think that there are immeasurable, boundless beings liberated by you. In this way, the four marks are eliminated, the mind becomes pure, and it is subdued. The entire text does not emphasize leading beings to complete nirvana but rather assumes that you have indeed led so many beings to attain complete nirvana. In reality, this is not the case.

If a person holds the mark of self, they will think "I am like this" or "I must do that," focusing entirely on that "I." They take themselves as the center and starting point in all matters, inevitably causing their self-nature to manifest prominently.

If a person holds the mark of person, they become attached to human distinctions of good and evil, right and wrong, and cannot separate from human society. They depend entirely on others for worldly benefits and feel lost without the company of others. If a person holds the mark of beings, they crave to be surrounded and pursued by multitudes, to become the leader of beings, chasing fame, praise, and material gain. If a person holds the mark of life, they long for longevity, immortality, and an endlessly prolonged lifespan.

Yet these four marks are all false appearances, illusory and unreal, not truly existent. Clinging to these four marks prevents one from severing the view of self and cutting off the fetters, making it impossible to cease the cycle of birth and death. Therefore, a bodhisattva must first sever the view of self and break through the four marks. Only after breaking through the four marks can a bodhisattva’s mind become empty, attain non-action, and develop boundless merit and virtue. Only then can they use this immeasurable merit and virtue to achieve unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.

Someone may ask: Why does the Buddha speak of leading immeasurable, boundless beings to complete nirvana? From the perspective of the entire text, the Buddha does not actually instruct beings to enter complete nirvana. The text's overall purpose differs greatly from any single sentence or phrase within it. The Buddha teaches beings that when studying the Dharma or reading sutras, one should rely on the meaning, not the words. The meaning can only be fully and accurately expressed within the complete context of a book, chapter, section, or paragraph. Extracting only a part of it risks distorting its intended meaning. When reading sutras, one must fully and thoroughly comprehend the complete scope and purpose of the Buddhist scriptures. Do not take passages out of context or interpret sentences in isolation. Rely on the meaning, not the words; otherwise, you wrong the Buddhas of the three times.

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