Profound Meaning of the Diamond Sutra from the Consciousness-Only Perspective (XVIII)

The Orthodox Doctrine of the Great Vehicle, Three

Original text:佛告须菩提。诸菩萨摩诃萨应如是降伏其心。所有一切众生之类。若卵生。若胎生。若湿生。若化生。若有色。若无色。若有想、若无想。若非有想非无想。我皆令入无余涅盘而灭度之。如是灭度无量无数无边众生。实无众生得灭度者。何以故。须菩提。若菩萨有我相人相众生相寿者相。即非菩萨。

Explanation: This chapter mainly discusses the matter of bodhisattvas breaking the four marks and eradicating the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi). When bodhisattvas teach, transform, and deliver the sentient beings of the three realms, the four forms of birth, the nine states of existence, and the twenty-five classes of beings, causing them all to enter nirvāṇa without remainder, they should also not give rise to thought that is not in accord with reality, thinking that these sentient beings were delivered by them, that they have delivered so many sentient beings. If a bodhisattva thinks this way, he is not a true bodhisattva. A true bodhisattva should rely on the prajñā wisdom of ultimate reality to break the four marks, with no mark of self, no mark of person, no mark of sentient being, and no mark of life span in his mind.

佛告须菩提：諸菩萨摩诃萨应如是降伏其心。Mahā, in Chinese means "great." The great bodhisattvas (mahāsattvas) in the sutras generally refer to bodhisattvas at the level of seeing the mind and enlightenment and above, who possess the virtues of a sage. Strictly speaking, only bodhisattvas who have attained the bhūmis and above can be called great bodhisattvas, Dharmakāya bodhisattvas, who have realized one portion or more of the Buddha's Dharma body, possess one portion or more of the wisdom of the tolerance of non-arising of dharmas, possess one portion or more of the wisdom of the varieties of paths, and possess the virtues and mental disposition of a noble one; they are also called partial realization of buddhahood. If one only has the enthusiasm and goodwill of a bodhisattva, and has merely an intellectual understanding or comprehension of some Buddhist teachings, without giving rise to the wisdom of non-arising, one cannot be called a great bodhisattva. When a bodhisattva is first enlightened and attains the tolerance of non-arising, realizing the non-self of person, being able to accept that the five aggregates and eighteen realms are false and non-self, that none of them has true arising; and that the tathāgatagarbha also does not arise, but has existed since beginningless kalpas — thus the Mahāyāna wisdom of non-arising arises.