Explanations on the Diamond Sutra: Why Do Differences Still Exist Among All Sages and Saints Who Have Realized the Unconditioned Dharma?

The Noble and Sacred Beings include Śrāvaka Arhats from the first to the fourth fruition, Pratyekabuddhas (solitary realizers) who have realized various stages of the Dharma of Dependent Origination, and Bodhisattvas from the seventh abiding stage of realizing the enlightened mind to the wondrous enlightenment stage. Śrāvakas of the first and second fruition are Noble Beings, while those of the third and fourth fruition along with Pratyekabuddhas are Sacred Beings. Bodhisattvas before the first ground (bhūmi) are Noble Beings, and from the first ground onward, they are all Sacred Beings. What they have realized is the non-action dharma (asaṃskṛta-dharma), yet the content and levels of this non-action dharma differ vastly. The first fruition Śrāvaka realizes the emptiness of the five aggregates (skandhas) and the absence of self (anātman), severs the three fetters (saṃyojana), and henceforth does not fall into the three evil destinies. They act without doing regarding the three evil destinies; this is the preliminary non-action regarding the five aggregates.

The second fruition Śrāvaka, having realized the emptiness of the person (pudgala-śūnyatā), experiences a reduction in mental activities, a thinning out of afflictions, and a slight purification of mind, becoming somewhat non-acting. The third fruition Śrāvaka further realizes the illusory nature of the five aggregates, manifests the meditative state of the form realm (rūpadhātu), realizes the first dhyāna, extinguishes greed, severs hatred, severs afflictions, purifies the mind, and ceases to create evil karma. The seventh consciousness (manas) begins to be truly non-acting. The fourth fruition Śrāvaka becomes further non-acting, extinguishes self-conceit (asmimāna), severs attachment to the form and formless realms, exhausts all afflictions, attains liberation through wisdom (prajñāvimukti), is non-acting regarding the three realms, and can transcend the three realms with the wisdom of liberation. Arhats with liberation through concentration (samādhivimukti) can enter the fourth dhyāna, where respiration and pulse cease, realizing the non-action of immovability (āniñjya), enter the state of no-thought (asaṃjñisamāpatti), realize the cessation of the consciousness aggregate (vijñānaskandha), and attain a non-acting mind. Arhats with dual liberation (ubhatobhāgavimukta) can enter the state of cessation (nirodha-samāpatti) at will, extinguishing the two mental factors (caitta) of feeling (vedanā) and perception (saṃjñā) associated with the root consciousness (manas), realizing the non-action of the cessation of perception and feeling (saṃjñāvedayitanirodha), and can attain nirvāṇa at any time, transcending the three realms. Śrāvakas, having realized the selflessness of the five aggregates, become increasingly non-acting and increasingly pure in their mental activities; there are significant differences in their non-action.

Pratyekabuddhas include solitary realizers (svayaṃbuddha) and dependent realizers (pratyekabuddha). Solitary realizers, due to the wholesome roots cultivated over many lifetimes, deeply contemplate a single phenomenon of arising and ceasing in the world during an age without a Buddha and without the Dharma abiding. They go alone to a quiet place to cultivate the path, investigate the source of these phenomena of arising and ceasing, deduce the Dharma of Twelve Links of Dependent Origination (dvādaśāṅga-pratītyasamutpāda) and the Dharma of Ten Links of Dependent Origination, discover that the root of sentient beings' cycle of birth and death is ignorance (avidyā), and find that the source is the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna), thereby attaining Pratyekabuddhahood. Dependent realizers follow the Buddha in practice, hear the Buddha expound the Dharma, awaken to the Twelve Links and Ten Links of Dependent Origination, and realize the fruition. Their wisdom regarding the non-action dharma is more profound than that of Śrāvaka Arhats, and the fruition, wisdom, and supernatural powers (ṛddhi) of Pratyekabuddhas also differ in depth and level, meaning the degree of non-action in their mental activities varies.

Bodhisattvas realize the enlightened mind, realizing the eighth consciousness and the non-action of suchness (tathatā). Simultaneously, they realize the emptiness of the person, knowing that the eighth consciousness has never undergone birth or death since beginningless kalpas, does not engage in mental activity within the mundane dharmas of the three realms, is non-acting and selfless, and that the five aggregates are produced by the eighth consciousness and are essentially empty. In subsequent cultivation, their minds gradually turn pure. Upon reaching the tenth abiding stage, they realize the view that the five aggregates are like illusions and all dharmas are like illusions. In the ten practices stage, they realize the mirage view, seeing all dharmas as unreal like a mirage. Upon reaching the ten transferences of merit stage, they realize the dreamlike view, seeing that the activities of the five aggregates body over countless lifetimes are like being in a dream, and that the cultivation and practice of the Bodhisattva path over countless lifetimes are also like being in a dream. First ground (prathamā bhūmi) Bodhisattvas realize that all dharmas are unreal like images in a mirror. Up to the tenth ground, equal enlightenment, and wondrous enlightenment, their realization of the non-action dharma becomes increasingly profound, their wisdom deeper, and their supernatural powers and spiritual practice increasingly vast. Needless to say, the ultimate non-action of the Buddha stage surpasses that of all Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas.

From the above, it can be said that because practitioners cultivate different dharmas, the non-action dharma they realize differs, the degree and essence of non-action differ, their mental activities and mental capacity differ, their merit (puṇya) differs, their spiritual practice differs, their supernatural powers and samādhi states differ, and their wisdom differs even more. If they do not cease cultivation and reach the Buddha stage, arriving at the final destination, everything becomes perfect and complete. At that point, the supernatural powers, wisdom, and merit of all are without difference; it can be said that all Buddhas attain the same Way.