The Profound Meaning of Consciousness-Only in the Diamond Sutra (9)

The first Zen koan in the history of Buddhism in our Saha World was personally demonstrated by the World-Honored One. At the assembly on Vulture Peak, after the heavenly beings had offered flowers, the World-Honored One, holding a flower amidst the assembly of humans and deities, smiled silently, vividly revealing his own tathatā-citta (true suchness mind) to the multitude. Yet, none among the humans and deities understood what the Buddha was hinting at. Mahākāśyapa alone immediately comprehended it. With his wisdom eye, he perceived the World-Honored One's tathatā-citta and simultaneously realized his own tathagatagarbha-citta (Buddha-nature mind), understanding what was contained in the Buddha's mind. He then broke into a subtle smile. Knowing that Mahākāśyapa had awakened to the Bodhisattva Dharma and become an Arhat Bodhisattva, the World-Honored One proclaimed: "I possess the wondrous mind of nirvāṇa, the true reality which is without form, not established upon words or letters, a special transmission outside the scriptures. I entrust it to Mahākāśyapa." Thus, Kāśyapa became the First Patriarch of Zen.

What is the wondrous mind of nirvāṇa? Nirvāṇa is neither born nor extinguished. The wondrous mind means that within the emptiness-nature mind, not a single dharma exists; utterly devoid of anything, yet it can manifest all dharmas. Not a single dharma fails to appear. Though not even the size of a speck of dust, it can manifest the entire universe and empty space. This is supremely wondrous; hence, it is called the wondrous mind. True reality (dharmatā) refers to the vajra-prajñā-citta (diamond wisdom mind), which is the truly existent, ultimate principle-body, eternally indestructible and unceasing. Without form means this mind has no characteristics whatsoever: without form, it cannot be seen; without sound, it cannot be heard; without scent, it cannot be smelled; without taste, it cannot be savored; without touch, it cannot be felt; without dharma characteristics, it cannot be discerned. The Heart Sūtra states it has no five aggregates, no six sense bases, six sense objects, or six consciousnesses, no Four Noble Truths or Twelve Links of Dependent Origination (from ignorance to aging and death), none... In short, not a single dharma exists within it, yet all dharmas arise and exist depending on it.