Diamond Sutra Explanation. Why Is the Dharma Attained by the Tathāgata Neither Real nor Unreal?

Original text of Section Fourteen, "Leaving Marks and Quiescent Cessation": 须菩提。如来所得法。此法无实无虚。

Explanation: Subhūti, the dharma attained by the Tathāgata is neither real nor false.

What dharma can the Tathāgata ultimately attain? Why is it neither real nor false? The dharma accomplished by the Tathāgata, to summarize simply: a Tathāgata with a body of the five aggregates has removed all defilement and ignorance, ultimately realized supreme, perfect enlightenment (anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi), fulfilled supreme bodhi, been adorned with the incomparably majestic thirty-two marks, and established a pure and majestic buddha-land in order to receive sentient beings with affinities so that they may together accomplish the buddha path. As for the Dharmakāya Buddha (dharma-kāya-buddha) without a body of the five aggregates — the undefiled consciousness (amala-vijñāna) — it ultimately transforms consciousness into wisdom, becoming the great mirror-like wisdom (ādarśa-jñāna) whose light illuminates the great trichiliocosm; its meritorious nature perfectly and universally illuminates all dharmas — no dharma is unknown, no dharma is unrealized, no dharma is unilluminated.

Whether it is the Sambhogakāya Buddha (saṃbhoga-kāya-buddha), Nirmāṇakāya Buddha (nirmāṇa-kāya-buddha), and manifested-body buddhas with the thirty-two marks, or the markless Dharmakāya Buddha, the dharma they attain is neither real nor false, neither existent nor nonexistent. If one says these dharmas are false, yet the buddhas after all possess the thirty-two marks, after all have transformed consciousness into wisdom, after all have realized the fruit of buddhahood, after all have extensively delivered immeasurable sentient beings, after all can manifest countless hundreds of millions of emanation bodies, after all can establish countless buddha-lands, after all have fulfilled omniscience/wisdom of all aspects (sarvākārajñatā), after all know every dharma without exception, nothing is not perfectly clear, their wisdom is pure without remainder, and they have after all increased endless, inexhaustible wisdom functions and virtuous capabilities, reaching perfection and becoming the supreme venerable one. These dharmas truly exist in the Tathāgata; they are not fabricated, not imagined. The buddhas and Tathāgatas labored through three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas cultivating the path, enduring what is hard to endure, practicing what is hard to practice, for sentient beings and for Buddhism, expending endless effort and toil; their merit cannot be fully told or praised even in countless kalpas.

If one says the dharmas attained by the Tathāgata are real, yet these dharmas after all are subject to arising, ceasing, and change, conjured forth by the undefiled consciousness (amala-vijñāna), manifested by the undefiled consciousness. For example, the Tathāgata's body of the five aggregates is also born of causes and conditions, and scatters when the conditions cease; the thirty-two marks that accompany the body of the five aggregates will also disperse as conditions disperse. When conditions gather, the Tathāgata will again manifest countless, innumerable bodies of the five aggregates with the thirty-two marks and eighty minor marks. The buddha-lands manifested by the Tathāgata to deliver sentient beings appear when conditions arise and scatter when conditions cease. When conditions gather, countless buddha-lands will again be manifested, thereby receiving and embracing immeasurable, innumerable sentient beings. Only the Tathāgata's undefiled consciousness (amala-vijñāna) and great mirror-like wisdom (ādarśa-jñāna) are the true dharmas that will never, ever change — truly existent and not false.

Original text: 须菩提。若菩萨心。住于法而行布施。如人入暗。则无所见。若菩萨心不住法。而行布施。如人有目。日光明照。见种种色。

Explanation: Subhūti, if a bodhisattva, while practicing generosity/giving/almsgiving (dāna), has the mind dwelling on the marks of the six sense objects as he practices giving, it is like a person entering a dark place who can only see darkness and nothing else. If a bodhisattva practices giving with a mind that does not dwell on the marks of the six sense objects, not dwelling on any dharma, it is like a person whose eyes are intact and upon whom the sunlight happens to shine — he can see all kinds of forms and is not blinded by darkness.

Why is it that when the mind dwells on marks while giving, one is blinded by darkness and cannot see forms? Because this bodhisattva's mind and eyes are full of forms; recognizing only forms, he cannot see the true dharma-marks behind the forms. His mind is blinded by forms, and what he sees are all false and illusory marks, not according with ultimate reality. This bodhisattva is bound by false and illusory marks and will ultimately not attain liberation. For example, a bodhisattva may give in order to obtain a majestic appearance, to obtain the retribution of wealth and honor, to ascend to the heavens for enjoyment, to gain others' admiration, to obtain the throne of a wheel-turning sage king and dominion over sentient beings, and so forth. All of these are conditioned worldly dharmas that must perish when conditions disperse. Such mental conduct does not accord with the vajra prajñā mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta); the mind cannot be purified and emptied, and the fruit of bodhi cannot be attained.

If a bodhisattva gives while attached to the marks of the six sense objects, he cannot see the true marks of the six sense objects, cannot realize that the six sense objects are all transformed and upheld by the mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta), all being the function of the mind of ultimate reality, the tathāgatagarbha, and thus cannot attain the patience with non-arising and the patience with the non-arising of dharmas. Giving while dwelling on marks, seeking worldly dharmas with a mind of acquisition, his mental capacity is narrow, his vision limited, his wisdom not broad or great, and he cannot accomplish the buddha path. If a bodhisattva gives with a mind not dwelling on marks, because his mind has nothing to gain, it accords with, matches, and corresponds to the bodhi mind, and he will surely realize bodhi. Because this bodhisattva is not attached to the marks of the six sense objects, he is also not attached to the mark of self, the mark of person, the mark of sentient being, and the mark of life span; his mind is inwardly pure and empty, with nothing gained, and at all times he can see the true marks of all dharmas. His mental capacity is vast, his merit is vast, and the wisdom of non-arising and the wisdom of the patience with the non-arising of dharmas will also gradually become vast and boundless; he will swiftly accomplish the buddha path and fulfill bodhi.

Original text: 须菩提。当来之世。若有善男子。善女人。能于此经受持读诵。则为如来。以佛智慧。悉知是人。悉见是人。皆得成就。无量无边功德。

Explanation: Subhūti, in the future age of the degenerate dharma, if there are good men and good women who can wholeheartedly receive, uphold, read, and recite this Diamond Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, then I, with the pure and vast buddha-wisdom possessed by the Tathāgata, fully know these people and fully see these people; all of them will accomplish immeasurable and boundless merit.

Why will these good men and good women who receive, uphold, read, and recite the Diamond Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra all accomplish immeasurable and boundless merit? Because those who can hear the Diamond Sutra know that they themselves and all sentient beings are endowed with the indestructible vajra mind (vajra-citta); their merit is already beyond measure. After hearing it, if they can cultivate in accordance with the truth and realize this vajra prajñā mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta), their merit is even more inconceivable. Their wisdom will also become ever deeper and broader, the assemblies of humans and gods they deliver will be beyond measure, and in the future they will swiftly accomplish the buddha path. To receive and uphold the Diamond Sutra, one must already be a person who has realized the vajra prajñā mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta); otherwise one cannot truly believe and accept it, nor truly practice and uphold it.

Practicing and upholding means relying on the vajra mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta) to cultivate away the defilements and ignorance of the seven consciousnesses and to grow the great wisdom of prajñā. Reading means interpreting and understanding the prajñā meaning of the tathāgatagarbha. Reciting means that the prajñā meaning has become thoroughly familiar and deeply planted in the mind. Receiving means accepting and taking in; after realizing the tathāgatagarbha, one can receive, observe, and engage in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the nature and functioning of the tathāgatagarbha. Upholding means relying on the tathāgatagarbha to transform one's own mental conduct. Therefore, without realizing the tathāgatagarbha, one cannot truly read and recite, receive and uphold it, cannot widely proclaim the dharma of the tathāgatagarbha, and cannot extensively deliver immeasurable sentient beings. Therefore, the good men and good women who receive, uphold, read, and recite the Diamond Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra will all accomplish immeasurable and boundless merit.