Diamond Sutra Explanation: Why Is Ultimate Reality Also Non-Appearance?

Original text of the Section on the Extinction of Marks through Freedom from Marks, Fourteen: 世尊。是实相者。即是非相。是故如来。说名实相。

Explanation: Subhūti again said to the World-Honored One: World-Honored One, the mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta) that the Tathāgata speaks of has no dharma-mark whatsoever; He has no dharma-marks of the threefold world whatsoever, and therefore the Tathāgata names Him the mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta).

"Real" means true, not false, meaning truly existent. Because He truly exists and can be realized, the immeasurable and boundless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have all already realized Him, and have all likewise been endowed with immeasurable and boundless merit and wisdom. If He did not truly exist but were merely a noun-concept, merely a name-and-mark, then realization would have no meaning, one could not give rise to the great wisdom of prajñā, and even less could one accomplish the Buddha Way. Because the vajra mind (vajra-citta) of prajñā truly exists, is truly real, its essence ever-abiding and its functions genuine, sentient beings can investigate Chan and realize Him, and from then on become the great wealthy elders within the Buddha-dharma.

Although the essence of the vajra mind (vajra-citta) of prajñā is the mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta), with a true and real essence, if one tries to match Him up with worldly phenomena and seek His worldly marks, that is utterly unattainable. Because He is not a worldly dharma, not a worldly mark, He has no form-mark, no sound-mark, no scent-mark, no taste-mark, no touch-mark, and no dharma-marks of the six sense objects; therefore, the mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta) is precisely no-mark. To seek and realize Him, one must leave behind these worldly marks of the six sense objects, leave behind the mark of the perceiving mind of the seven consciousnesses, leave behind the mark of the five aggregates, and recognize that mind-essence which has none of these marks.

And to realize Him, one must also investigate within these worldly marks of the five aggregates; the mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta) and the worldly marks are closely connected, mutually dependent, never separating from each other. The mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta) relies on the worldly marks to manifest its own virtues and functions, while the worldly marks rely on the mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta) to exist and operate, to have their superficial illusory functions; the two are like a bundle of reeds, leaning on each other.

Original text: 世尊。我今得闻。如是经典。信解受持。不足为难。若当来世。后五百岁。其有众生。得闻是经。信解受持。是人则为。第一希有。何以故。此人无我相无人相。无众生相。无寿者相。

Explanation: Subhūti said: World-Honored One, I am now able to hear such a profound sūtra, not only able to give rise to pure faith and realize the mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta), deeply understanding its dharma principles and purports, deeply savoring its flavor of prajñā meaning, but also able to resolve to uphold and circulate this sūtra. That I can do this now is not considered difficult, because the World-Honored One himself personally teaches and blesses. If in the future, in the last five hundred years of the Dharma-ending age, there are sentient beings who encounter this sūtra and hear the dharma gate of the tathāgatagarbha's mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta), he is a rare and precious person of great merit. And if he can have pure faith, correctly understand the vajra mind (vajra-citta), and uphold the Diamond Sūtra, this person is the foremost rare person. Why is this person the foremost rare person? Because this person already has no mark of self, no mark of person, no mark of sentient being, and no mark of life span.

In the last five hundred years when the Buddha-dharma is about to perish, the world will be even more turbid and evil, and sentient beings' afflictions heavier and their good roots even scarcer; at such a time, if there are still sentient beings who can hear the Diamond Sūtra, their good roots and merit are very deep. After hearing it, they believe and accept it very deeply, and moreover realize and understand the vajra mind (vajra-citta), protecting and circulating the Diamond Sūtra—such a person is one of extremely deep good roots, a very rare, long-cultivating Bodhisattva. After realizing the vajra mind (vajra-citta) and clearly understanding the principle of the emptiness of the five aggregates, this person's mind no longer has the mark of self, the mark of person, the mark of sentient being, or the mark of life span; these marks exist dependent on the five aggregates, and once the five aggregates are seen as empty, the four marks vanish, the marks of virtue manifest, and one becomes a rare sage.

In that age when everyone universally grasps at marks, this person can nevertheless realize the markless vajra mind (vajra-citta) of prajñā, with the mind having departed from the four marks; therefore this person is rare and precious. After this person realizes the mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta), the mind no longer has the mark of the self of the five aggregates, no longer taking the five aggregates as self—this is one who has achieved the eradication of the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa); at the same time, in his mind he will also extinguish the mark of person that resembles the mark of self, no longer taking the mark of person as real. Next, this person will know that the marks of the five aggregates of sentient beings, which resemble the marks of self and person, are also false and unreal, and the mind thereby abandons the mark of sentient being. Going a step further, he will observe that the mark of life span, which exists dependent on the five aggregates of sentient beings, is likewise false and unreal. The successive lifespans of sentient beings exist dependent on the illusory five aggregates; since the five aggregates are illusory, the lifespan is even more illusory and unreal, and therefore the mark of life span is also extinguished. One who can depart from these four marks is, in that Dharma-ending age, truly exceedingly rare and precious.