The Profound Meaning of Vijnapti-mātratā in the Diamond Sutra (VIII)

At that time, the World-Honored One, at mealtime, put on his robe, took his alms bowl, and entered the great city of Śrāvastī to beg for alms. Within that city, he begged sequentially. Having finished, he returned to his original place. After eating the meal, he put away his robe and bowl. Having washed his feet, he spread out his seat and sat down.

Explanation: What follows next is the esoteric meaning, and it is an immense secret, one that all Mahāyāna practitioners wish to know. If one truly knew it, then it would not be secret. The subsequent events are: the World-Honored One, at mealtime, put on his robe, took his alms bowl, entered the great city of Śrāvastī to beg for alms, begged sequentially, returned to his original place, after eating the meal put away his robe and bowl, washed his feet, spread out his seat, and sat down. Consider what this signifies. Why describe these seemingly trivial details? This was the World-Honored One's daily routine, performed every day, utterly mundane. Since he went for alms, ate, and washed his feet every day like this, why was it written into the sutra and placed at the beginning? Why is it not described when other sutras are taught, yet it is specifically described when the Diamond Sutra is taught? Moreover, this was during the Dharma assembly expounding the Great Prajñāpāramitā, and the Diamond Sutra is the essence of the Great Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra. The World-Honored One never spoke meaningless trivialities when teaching the Dharma, unless under special circumstances; even a smile did not appear lightly.

Here lies an extremely profound mystery, revealing a truth that illuminates the true reality of all dharmas. Those of the very highest faculties and sharpest wisdom need only read this far to awaken to the truth and the true reality; the entire essential meaning of the Diamond Sutra and the six hundred volumes of the Great Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra becomes clear to them, and such a person becomes a Bodhisattva of true meaning. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra states that all dharmas are created by mind alone, meaning created solely by the Tathāgatagarbha mind. Are the daily routines of the World-Honored One not part of all dharmas? Is the functioning of the World-Honored One's true suchness mind not present there? The answer is affirmative. All phenomena arise from the union of the true and the false; the true mind alone cannot accomplish anything. With the false mind alone, the false mind itself is not established. It must be the union of the true and the false that together manifests all phenomena. Therefore, within our impermanent, arising-and-ceasing, illusory phenomenal world, the true mind of prajñā must necessarily be functioning.

For example, in our daily activities like eating, drinking, excretion, speech, laughter, walking, standing, sitting, lying down, etc., there must simultaneously be the participation of the true Tathāgatagarbha mind; otherwise, not a single dharma could be established. The one thousand seven hundred kōans of the Chan (Zen) tradition point directly to this truth. Therefore, Chan masters used various means—glances, gestures, laughter, scolding, raising or lowering the fly-whisk—to guide students towards awakening. For instance, Deshan's stick (hitting back and forth), Linji's shout (great shouts and small shouts), all are acts of compassion. If someone came to me, I would use a kick. After being kicked by me, a student with matured conditions could find the Diamond Prajñā mind. Yunmen, whose foot was crushed by his master with a door, let out a great cry and then attained awakening. These examples are too numerous to mention. After awakening, one attains the Patience with Non-Arising (anutpattikadharmakṣānti), and the wisdom of true reality unfolds. One realizes the falsity of self, person, and sentient beings—that they are not truly born. The Tathāgatagarbha itself is also unborn. Accepting this principle is the Patience with Non-Arising—it's just very hard to bear!