Explanation of the Diamond Sutra: The Twenty-Ninth Section on Dignified Composure and Serene Purity

The so-called dignity and deportment refers to the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of sentient beings in daily life, such as coming and going, receiving and seeing off, and so forth. For those who cultivate, their bodily, verbal, and mental actions must be dignified, principled, and conform to certain standards. Monastics have the deportment of monastics, laypeople have the deportment of laypeople; different identities entail different deportments, and each sentient being's deportment should accord with their own identity. This chapter reveals the Buddha's deportment. The Buddha's deportment shares similarities with that of sentient beings, yet also differs. After all, the Buddha has cultivated for three immeasurable and countless kalpas; His bodily, verbal, and mental actions have become utterly pure, flawless, without the slightest error or blemish, worthy of being the model for gods and humans.

The title of this chapter is "The Section on Dignified Deportment and Serene Stillness." With just four or five words, it fully reveals the theme and central point of the Diamond Sutra, truly a finishing touch. It echoes the profound meaning of the World-Honored One's deportment at the beginning of the Diamond Sutra—donning his robe, eating, begging for alms, and washing his feet—encompassing both principle and phenomena, with both principle and matter complete. It points out to sentient beings the indestructible mind within their bodies, thereby fully manifesting the essence of the Dharma, guiding sentient beings into the ultimate truth of the Great Vehicle's ultimate reality and prajñā, and unlocking their infinite treasury of wisdom.

So, what is the profound meaning of dignified deportment and serene stillness? The Buddha's eighty thousand types of deportment and three thousand subtle behaviors—donning his robe, begging for alms, eating, washing his feet, teaching the Dharma, and liberating sentient beings—these bodily, verbal, and mental actions are clearly all activities, encompassed by the Buddha's formation aggregate. They are inherently phenomena of ceaseless agitation, arising and ceasing, changing and transforming. Why, then, are they called serene and still? Here, I leave a mystery for you, to inspire you to seek out the hidden truth within. I cannot reveal it here.

Let this mystery serve as a doubt for meditative inquiry, deeply suspended in your mind. Contemplate it morning and evening, contemplate it while eating, contemplate it while washing your feet, contemplate it while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. Contemplate it again and again, until one day, with a sudden "pop," your mind becomes brilliantly clear, a skylight opens, the doubt is shattered, and you return home to sit in peace. From then on, day by day, you leisurely enjoy your own inner treasure, reaching for clothes when they come, opening your mouth for food when it arrives, no longer seeking externally, no longer plundering what is not your own. A time of great peace descends, and ultimately, you ascend to the wheel-turning throne, with the whole world honoring you alone. Excellent! Excellent! Why not do this?

Original text: Subhuti, if someone says that the Tathāgata comes or goes, sits or lies down, this person does not understand the meaning of my teaching. Why? The Tathāgata is one who does not come from anywhere, nor does he go anywhere; therefore he is called the Tathāgata.

Explanation: Subhuti, if someone says that the Tathāgata either comes or goes, or sits or lies down, and sees the Tathāgata in these appearances of coming, going, and resting, then this person has not truly understood the profound meaning of the Dharma I have been teaching for so long. Thus, they are deluded by the appearances of the Tathāgata and do not see the true Tathāgata. Why is this said? Because the true Tathāgata does not come from anywhere, nor does he go anywhere; there is no place from which he comes, no place of origin, and no place to which he goes, no destination. That which neither comes nor goes, neither arises nor ceases, is called the true Tathāgata.

How compassionate is the World-Honored One! For the sake of sentient beings, he donned a worn and soiled robe, humbly descended into this impure and evil world, to teach sentient beings the Buddha's knowledge and vision, expounding the Dharma tirelessly. Here, the World-Honored One repeatedly adds the finishing touch, sparing no effort, his eyebrows dragging on the ground, the corners of his robe soaked in mud and water, all to drag sentient beings out of the mire of wrong views, to awaken them to the Buddha's knowledge and vision, so that they may share the same vision and practice as the Buddha, no longer traversing desolate paths or dangerous wilderness places.

The habitual tendency of sentient beings to cling to appearances has long penetrated to the marrow of their bones, and the thorn of wrong views is truly difficult to extract. Helplessly, the World-Honored One must continually dismantle appearances, using various metaphors and words to reveal to sentient beings the mind of ultimate reality, which is devoid of any characteristic. Yet, there are still many who do not see the true, formless Tathāgata, but only see the Tathāgata with form, who comes and goes, moves and rests. However, will the appearances of the Tathāgata's coming, going, sitting, and lying down eventually vanish and cease? After they disappear, where can one see the Tathāgata? Where do these appearances of coming, going, sitting, and lying down come from, and where do they cease? And why are there coming and going, sitting and lying down? Those with attentive minds should place a big question mark here, deeply doubt, and not let it pass.

The appearance of the Tathāgata's coming manifests based on the five aggregates and the physical body, and appears through the seven consciousnesses. It is originally part of the formation aggregate within the five aggregates. Without the five aggregates and the seven consciousnesses, there would be no appearance of coming for sentient beings to see. Where was this appearance of coming before it came? Due to what did it come? Because this appearance of coming is a conditioned phenomenon; all conditioned phenomena arise from causes and conditions. The appearance of coming gathers due to various conditions, born from a cause. With cause and conditions, the appearance of coming manifests. When sentient beings see it, they only see the appearance of coming, not knowing where it came from or its cause. This is the deluded person clinging to appearances, not recognizing the truth. Because sentient beings cling to appearances and are deluded about principle, they unite with defilement and turn away from awakening, thus giving rise to wearisome defilements, perpetuating worldly appearances, and continuing the cycle of birth and death without end. To escape the appearances of birth and death, what should be done? Naturally, one must seek the cause of the arising of appearances, recognize the principle of true suchness, eradicate delusive karma, and return to the original state.

The appearance of the Tathāgata's going manifests based on the five aggregates and appears through the seven consciousnesses. It is originally part of the formation aggregate within the five aggregates. Due to what do the five aggregates and seven consciousnesses manifest? Before going, there is coming and abiding; before coming and abiding, there is a cause. When going, it does not depart without a cause; otherwise, it could not go. After going, its appearance vanishes completely, but the cause of going does not cease. Therefore, it can continually go and then continually come, undergoing birth, abiding, change, and cessation, cycling endlessly. This is a state of vibrant vitality, with conditions for birth everywhere, like a splendid spring. As for the Tathāgata's appearances of sitting and lying down, they too are originally part of the formation aggregate within the five aggregates, manifesting based on the physical body and the seven consciousnesses. The physical body and the seven consciousnesses also have their causes for manifesting appearances. Due to these causes, appearances arise and cease. Sentient beings only see the appearances and their arising and ceasing, but never see the cause of their arising and ceasing. They are deluded by superficial appearances and do not recognize the truth. Thus, they are born again and again, die without end, wandering and transmigrating, lost and never returning.

Sentient beings are deeply lost and difficult to bring back. Helplessly, the World-Honored One, the venerable elder, has come to this Sahā world over eight thousand times, pointing one hand to the sky and one hand to the ground, teaching sentient beings: "Above the heavens and below the heavens, I alone am the honored one!" He greatly manifests the Tathāgata's wisdom and virtuous characteristics, to untangle and free sentient beings, washing away their wearisome defilements and afflictions. If not for the Great Compassionate Father, who could do this? If we are the filial children of the Tathāgata, at the moment the World-Honored One points to heaven and earth, we should bare our right shoulder, kneel on our right knee, place our palms together, and exclaim, "My Buddha, the Supreme Tathāgata, I now see the true Tathāgata." From then on, we can gradually succeed in the Buddha's work, propagate the Dharma on his behalf, guide sentient beings, dispel delusion and reveal wisdom, and enter the Buddha's knowledge and vision. If we can do more of this, as filial children, the Buddha's work will have successors, the Dharma will flourish, the compassionate boat will universally ferry beings, the whole world will rejoice, and all directions will enter the ocean of omniscience.

So, how can sentient beings recognize the truth? The World-Honored One then further teaches: The Tathāgata is one who does not come from anywhere, nor does he go anywhere; therefore he is called the Tathāgata. "Does not come from anywhere" means there is no place from which the Tathāgata can come; thus, there is no place of origin. Although there is no place of origin, the Tathāgata nonetheless appears everywhere at all times; though without a body, he is not hidden. Therefore, the Tathāgata without a place of origin is unborn, originally present, not dependent on other conditions, self-existent and sovereign. This Tathāgata is the true Tathāgata. "Nor does he go anywhere" means there is no place to go; thus, he is unceasing. Being unceasing, he exists everywhere at all times, manifests everywhere at all times, functions everywhere at all times. This Tathāgata is the true Tathāgata. The true Tathāgata, though without the appearances of coming and going, nonetheless comes and goes. Though coming and going, he remains serene and unmoving, majestic and dignified, thus-come, thus-gone, neither coming nor going, neither arising nor ceasing.

To help sentient beings recognize the true Tathāgata, the World-Honored One and Mañjuśrī together performed a drama to demonstrate the true meaning of the Tathāgata to the monks. Once, after the monks had all taken their seats in the lecture hall, the World-Honored One pushed open the door of the hall, and the thirty-two marks of the five aggregates were prominently displayed before the assembly. The World-Honored One then, with the gait of a royal goose, slowly walked to the Dharma seat and gradually sat down cross-legged. After the World-Honored One had sat down cross-legged, the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, holding a wooden clapper, struck the lecture table and announced, "The World-Honored One's teaching is concluded!" The monks, who were preparing to listen to the World-Honored One's exposition of the Dharma, were suddenly stunned by Mañjuśrī's announcement, not knowing what this meant. The World-Honored One, paying no attention to the monks' bewilderment, slowly rose from the Dharma seat, walked straight toward the door, pushed it open, and walked out. The thirty-two marks of the five aggregates then vanished from sight.

Good people, you have all seen the Tathāgata appearance of the response-body Buddha, with thirty-two marks and eighty excellent characteristics, majestic and dignified, splendid and glorious, so solemn. Yet, these appearances, in the Sahā world, only lasted for eighty years before disappearing. This surely cannot be the true Tathāgata. So, where is the true Tathāgata? Which one is it? In fact, the Dharma-body Tathāgata has never departed from the response-body Tathāgata. From the moment the World-Honored One pushed open the door and entered, throughout the entire process until he pushed open the door and left, the Dharma-body Tathāgata was always manifesting with his faceless face. Those with sharp eyes see it directly; those with the wisdom eye recognize the "He" behind the five aggregates. To recognize thus—how exhilarating! How effortless! Set aside the false appearance of the World-Honored One's five aggregates, and try to see that which cannot be set aside, that which cannot be separated, that which is never born or ceases, that which neither comes nor goes—the true Dharma-body Tathāgata. A good horse moves at the shadow of a whip; a wise person, seeing the shadow of the five aggregates, can recognize the true person. Where is the true person? Ha! Right here.