The Profound Meaning of the Diamond Sutra: Vijñapti-mātratā (12)

Section on Subhuti's Request: The Second

Original Text: At that time, the elder Subhuti rose from his seat amidst the assembly. Baring his right shoulder, placing his right knee on the ground, he joined his palms respectfully and addressed the Buddha, saying: "How rare, World-Honored One! The Tathagata skillfully protects and cares for the bodhisattvas; he skillfully entrusts the bodhisattvas. World-Honored One, when virtuous men and virtuous women resolve to attain anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi, how should they abide? How should they subdue their minds?" The Buddha said: "Excellent, excellent, Subhuti! As you have said, the Tathagata skillfully protects and cares for the bodhisattvas; he skillfully entrusts the bodhisattvas. Now listen carefully, I shall explain it to you. When virtuous men and virtuous women resolve to attain anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi, they should abide thus; they should subdue their minds thus." "Yes, World-Honored One, we are eager to listen."

Explanation: Subhuti is known as "Shanxian" (Good Manifestation). Among Śākyamuni Buddha's disciples, he was foremost in understanding emptiness. While still in his mother's womb, he knew all phenomena are empty and still. This was due to the profound roots of goodness accumulated over many kalpas in past lives. He was not confused or mistaken during conception, gestation, or birth. When he was born, the treasures in his household vanished, signifying the emptiness of all things; a few days later, they reappeared spontaneously. He is honored as "elder," referring to a person of prestige and virtue among the assembly, one who does not correspond to the three poisons and afflictions. Subhuti attained the fruit of arhatship by practicing the Śrāvaka path of emptiness. Later, when the World-Honored One expounded the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra, he turned his mind to the Mahayana and embarked on the bodhisattva path. When the Buddha expounded sutras, he always used a specific circumstance as a catalyst to expound an entire sutra. Rarely did he expound a sutra without someone requesting it, unless it was exceptionally important. This sutra was requested by Subhuti.

Just after the World-Honored One had finished his meal and sat cross-legged, Subhuti immediately rose from his seat amidst the assembly, joined his palms, and asked the Buddha: "How rare, World-Honored One! The Tathagata skillfully protects and cares for the bodhisattvas; he skillfully entrusts the bodhisattvas. World-Honored One, when virtuous men and virtuous women resolve to attain anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi, how should they abide? How should they subdue their minds?" At the outset, Subhuti praised the World-Honored One as the rarest, most uncommon, and hardest-to-encounter sage in the world. The World-Honored One is indeed rare. In a trichiliocosm (three-thousand great thousand world system), there is only one Buddha. The realm from the hells beneath the four great oceans to the Earth, up to Mount Sumeru, and extending to the six heavens of the desire realm is called a small world. One thousand small worlds plus the heavens of the first dhyāna in the form realm constitute a small chiliocosm. One thousand small chiliocosms plus the heavens of the second dhyāna constitute a medium chiliocosm. One thousand medium chiliocosms plus the heavens from the third dhyāna upwards constitute a great chiliocosm. In such an immense world system, there is only one Buddha. Moreover, the time a Buddha remains in the world in physical form is extremely brief, and the interval between two successive Buddhas is very long. Śākyamuni Buddha and Maitreya Buddha have the shortest interval: 5.67 billion years. For longer intervals, often many great kalpas or tens of great kalpas pass without a single Buddha appearing; sometimes it is even longer without a Buddha appearing. This shows that encountering the World-Honored One is truly rare and difficult.