Explanation of the Diamond Sutra: The Eighteenth Section on the Unity of All Things

Original: Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess the physical eye? Yes, World-Honored One, the Tathagata possesses the physical eye. Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess the divine eye? Yes, World-Honored One, the Tathagata possesses the divine eye.

Explanation: Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess the physical eye? Subhuti replied: Yes, World-Honored One, the Tathagata possesses the physical eye. The World-Honored One asked again: Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess the divine eye? Subhuti replied: Yes, World-Honored One, the Tathagata possesses the divine eye.

The physical eye is a material form composed of the four great elements, floating on the surface of the body. It is capable of confronting visible forms and is responsible for transmitting particles of visible form into the supreme root. Based on this, eye-consciousness can arise, and then it can clearly distinguish various realms of visible forms. The shapes, colors, and functions of the physical eyes of sentient beings vary, as do their locations on the head. They manifest different forms and functions according to the karmic seeds of sentient beings, and their functions of seeing forms also differ. Depending on differences in karma, the height, distance, up and down, size, range, color, and content of the forms seen by sentient beings also vary.

Taking the human eye as an example, the physical eye is limited by obstacles. It cannot see forms beyond an obstacle, only objects between the eye and the obstacle. When there is no obstacle, the ordinary human physical eye can see at most a distance of several kilometers. Within one foot of the eye, the closer the object, the less clearly it is seen; when pressed against the physical eye, it becomes completely invisible. The physical eye is limited by light; if the light is too strong or too dim, it cannot see objects. The more subtle the form, the less clearly it is seen. This is even more so when the physical eye has diseases or impairments, such as presbyopia, myopia, hyperopia, glaucoma, and so on. Therefore, the physical eyes of sentient beings have many limitations.

The physical eye of the Buddha, however, is not like this. Through the Buddha's cultivation over three countless and immeasurable eons, all karmic obstructions were completely eradicated, and thus the physical eye sees forms without the slightest hindrance. The Buddha's physical eye is as clear and bright as the water of the four great seas, both deep and vast, unfathomably deep. In the Buddhist sutras, the Buddha's eye is compared to a clear lotus eye, which is broad and long, a manifestation of great compassion. The Buddha's eye is not round and bulging, nor does it have the appearance of a wide-open, almond-shaped eye, which is a sign of anger. The Buddha's mind is compassionate and gentle, and therefore his eye is also broad, long, and slender, corresponding to a compassionate mind. The Buddha's external appearance, with the thirty-two major marks and eighty minor characteristics, is entirely consistent with the Buddha's mind; it is the external manifestation of the Buddha's mind. The external appearance of sentient beings is also the external manifestation of their minds, consistent with their minds. One's appearance reflects one's mind. If the mind of a sentient being is greedy, their appearance manifests a greedy aspect; if their mind is angry, their appearance manifests an angry aspect; if their mind is deluded, their appearance manifests a deluded aspect.

The Buddha's physical eye sees forms in a way that is immeasurably superior to that of sentient beings. The Buddha's physical eye never suffers from disease or impairment, and it never distorts what it sees. When the Buddha's physical eye sees forms, it perceives even the most extremely subtle details, such as forms as subtle as bacteria, without any obstruction; it sees them clearly. Unlike humans, who need microscopes and magnifying glasses, the Buddha's physical eye can completely replace microscopes and magnifying glasses. The Buddha's physical eye can see extremely distant, extremely subtle forms and extremely minute forms. The merit and virtue of the Buddha's physical eye are extremely sublime!

The divine eye also sees forms and confronts visible forms, but the divine eye sees forms without obstruction. It can penetrate material barriers and see forms at extremely great distances, such as seeing other celestial bodies and other worlds, and seeing forms behind any barrier, such as matter within the earth's crust or material forms behind Mount Sumeru. The divine eye generally refers to the eyes of heavenly beings. Because the physical bodies of heavenly beings are more subtle, not composed of the coarse four great elements like human bodies, heavenly beings possess supernormal powers. Their eyes have supernormal powers, enabling them to see through things and perceive forms on extremely distant celestial bodies. The physical bodies of beings such as ghosts, spirits, asuras, and non-humans are also not composed of coarse material forms but of material forms composed of subtle four great elements. Therefore, they also see forms without obstruction, or with lesser obstruction, and thus they all possess minor supernormal powers. The magnitude of their supernormal powers varies, differing according to their karma.

If human beings possess the divine eye, it is either a result of karmic retribution from birth or obtained through cultivating meditative absorption. Depending on differences in karmic retribution and meditative absorption, there are many variations in the supernormal power of the divine eye. The Tathagata's supernormal power of the divine eye far surpasses that of all heavenly beings, all Arhats, all Pratyekabuddhas, and also surpasses all great Bodhisattvas. It can see the countless Buddha lands of the ten directions without any obstruction. This is the sublime reward obtained by all Buddhas through cultivation over three countless and immeasurable eons.

Original: Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess the wisdom eye? Yes, World-Honored One, the Tathagata possesses the wisdom eye. Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess the dharma eye? Yes, World-Honored One, the Tathagata possesses the dharma eye. Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess the Buddha eye? Yes, World-Honored One, the Tathagata possesses the Buddha eye.

Explanation: Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess the wisdom eye? Subhuti replied: Yes, World-Honored One, the Tathagata possesses the wisdom eye. Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess the dharma eye? Subhuti replied: Yes, World-Honored One, the Tathagata possesses the dharma eye. Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess the Buddha eye? Subhuti replied: Yes, World-Honored One, the Tathagata possesses the Buddha eye.

The wisdom eye, as the name implies, is the eye of wisdom, referring to the wisdom possessed by the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. Wisdom is further divided into the wisdom of realizing the path in the Hinayana and the wisdom of realizing the path in the Mahayana. The Hinayana wisdom eye begins to be obtained at the time of eradicating the view of self in the Hinayana. Through this eye of wisdom, one understands the principle of the emptiness of the five aggregates in the Hinayana, seeing all dharmas in the world as suffering, empty, impermanent, and devoid of self. When the Hinayana wisdom eye is perfectly mastered, one possesses all the knowledge of the Hinayana: including worldly knowledge, knowledge of dharmas, analogical knowledge, knowledge of the truth of suffering, knowledge of the truth of the origin, knowledge of the truth of cessation, knowledge of the truth of the path, knowledge of others' minds, knowledge of exhaustion, and knowledge of non-arising. These ten types of knowledge are possessed by a fourth-stage Arhat. They know the truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and the path concerning all dharmas of the five aggregates, understand that all dharmas are empty, arising yet non-arising, and also know how to completely extinguish their own five aggregates, transcend the birth and death of the three realms, and attain liberation.

The wisdom eye of a Mahayana Bodhisattva is obtained at the initial realization of the mind and enlightenment. By realizing the true mind, the Tathagatagarbha, which is neither born nor dies, one understands that the five aggregates exist dependent on the true suchness mind and are produced by it. Therefore, the five aggregates are illusory and not the self. The true mind exists primordially and does not need to be produced. By directly observing the functioning of the true mind, the Tathagatagarbha, one can understand more of its nature and thus obtain more wisdom. After the wisdom eye is perfected and one has mastered the principles of both Hinayana and Mahayana, upon realizing the path, one becomes endowed with a portion of the seed-knowledge of Consciousness-Only and enters the first ground, obtaining the dharma eye. A Bodhisattva on the grounds who possesses the dharma eye can directly perceive that all the myriad dharmas of the six sense objects in the world are produced by the true mind, the Tathagatagarbha. Apart from this Tathagatagarbha, not a single dharma can exist independently, not a single dharma has its own self-nature; all are of the nature of the Tathagatagarbha.

Whether it is all forms perceived by the eye faculty, all sounds perceived by the ear faculty, all odors perceived by the nose faculty, all tastes perceived by the tongue faculty, all tangible objects perceived by the body faculty, or all dharmas of the six sense objects perceived by the mind faculty, they are all produced by the Tathagatagarbha, without exception. This is the realm of direct observation and wisdom of a Bodhisattva with the dharma eye, knowing that there is not a single dharma to be obtained outside the mind, and that no dharma exists outside the mind.

After the dharma eye is perfected, one transforms consciousness into wisdom. The great perfect mirror wisdom manifests, the merits of the Buddha path are fulfilled, and one accomplishes the knowledge of all aspects. Then one possesses the Buddha eye. The Buddha eye can thoroughly see the essence of all dharmas, understand the true reality of all dharmas, see all dharmas as true suchness, and see all sentient beings as true suchness. In the worldly and supramundane realms, there is not a single dharma unknown, not a single dharma uncomprehended, not a single dharma unseen, without any obstruction. It knows all the mental activities of all sentient beings in the ten directions, without omission, without error, without mistake, and the mind attains unobstructedness.