Why Are the Marks of Self, Others, Sentient Beings, and Life Span Considered Non-Marks?

Original Text: If, in the future, during the latter five hundred years, there are beings who hear this sutra, believe, understand, accept, and uphold it, such a person shall be the foremost rarity. Why is this so? This person is free from the mark of self, the mark of person, the mark of sentient beings, and the mark of a life span. Why is this? The mark of self is not a mark, the mark of person, the mark of sentient beings, and the mark of a life span are not marks. Why is this? To be detached from all marks is called all Buddhas.

Explanation: If, during the latter five hundred years before the Dharma's extinction in the future world, there are still sentient beings who are able to hear this Diamond Sutra, and who can generate pure faith, correctly comprehend the mind of vajra, accept, and uphold the Diamond Sutra, this person is the foremost rarity. Why is this person the foremost rarity? Because this person is already free from the mark of self, the mark of person, the mark of sentient beings, and the mark of a life span. Why is this person free from these four marks? Because the mark of self is not a real mark, the mark of person is not a real mark, the mark of sentient beings is not a real mark, and the mark of a life span is not a real mark. Why is this said? Because every Buddha is detached from all marks; only those detached from all marks are named Buddhas.

In the latter five hundred years when the Dharma is about to perish, the world becomes increasingly turbid and evil, sentient beings' afflictions grow heavier, and their virtuous roots become scarcer. At such a time, if there are still sentient beings who hear the Diamond Sutra, their virtuous roots and merit must be profoundly deep. Upon hearing it, they deeply believe and accept it, realizing the mind of vajra, and protect and propagate the Diamond Sutra. This person possesses extremely profound virtuous roots, being a very rare, long-cultivated Bodhisattva, no longer an ordinary person. After realizing the mind of vajra and understanding the emptiness of the five aggregates, this person no longer harbors the marks of self, person, sentient beings, or life span in their mind. These marks depend on the five aggregates; once the five aggregates are empty, the four marks vanish, and virtuous marks manifest, making them a rare sage.

Why can the four marks disappear? Because the four marks are fundamentally not real marks; they are illusory appearances produced by the mind of vajra. Therefore, they are characterized by arising and ceasing, are empty, and cannot be grasped. If they were real marks, they could not be emptied; no matter how much effort is made, these marks could not be made to vanish. After realizing the mind of vajra, when encountering conditions and objects, one observes directly that the mark of self arises from the mind of vajra, the mark of person arises from the mind of vajra, the mark of sentient beings arises from the mind of vajra, and the mark of a life span also arises from the mind of vajra. Thus, the four marks gradually exhaust and cease, and the wisdom of empty marks deepens progressively. Gradually, other dharma marks are also emptied. When all dharma marks are completely emptied, Buddhahood is attained.

Therefore, the Buddha said: "Detached from all marks is called all Buddhas." Here, "all Buddhas" has two meanings: first, it refers to the Nirmana-kaya Buddha (the manifested body with the five aggregates); second, it refers to the Dharma-body Buddha. The Dharma-body Buddha has been detached from all marks since beginningless time, eternally empty of any mark, formless and markless, without the marks of form, sound, scent, taste, touch, or dharmas, and cannot be perceived by the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind. At this point, the Nirmana-kaya Buddha is also detached from all marks, empty of all marks, unattached to all marks. The Nirmana-kaya Buddha and the Dharma-body Buddha share the same mind-nature, equally pure and unconditioned, thus becoming Buddhas with complete merit.