The Profound Meaning of Consciousness-Only in the Diamond Sutra (142)

Original text:所以者何。佛说微尘众。即非微尘众。是名微尘众。世尊。如来所说三千大千世界。即非世界。是名世界。

Explanation: Subhūti said: Why does the Buddha say that the multitude of dust motes are merely called the multitude of dust motes? Because the multitude of dust motes that the Buddha speaks of is not the multitude of dust motes; it is merely named the multitude of dust motes. These dust motes are all provisional names, not truly existent; the Buddha merely gave them a provisional name, calling them the multitude of dust motes. World-Honored One, the trichiliocosm that the Tathāgata speaks of is not a truly existent trichiliocosm; it is merely given a provisional name, called the trichiliocosm.

These dust motes are not a true reality; each individual dust mote is also not a true reality, and the composition of dust motes and their number are also not true realities. What is called a dust mote is merely material form divided into individual dust motes. Do these dust motes have a true reality? We know that matter is composed of the four great element seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind. If matter is subdivided into the smallest possible unit of matter, it is called a dust mote. But this dust mote is still material, still material form, composed of the four great element seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind.

It is only that a large piece of matter is composed of the four great element seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind, with a very large number of these seeds. When this large piece of matter is further subdivided into smaller pieces of matter, each small piece is still composed of the same proportions of the four great elements of earth, water, fire, and wind as before; it is only that the number of the four great element seeds has decreased. As the number of seeds decreases, the volume and area of the matter also decrease; when reduced to the most minute degree, it is called a dust mote. No matter how small you divide matter, whether visible or invisible to the naked eye, it is composed of the four great element seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind. Minute matter, particulate matter, the smallest of smallest particles—it too is composed of the four great element seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind.

And these four great element seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind are transmitted forth by the tathāgatagarbha moment after moment. Only through moment-by-moment transmission can the arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of these dust motes and particles be sustained, allowing these particles and dust motes to remain and function. If the tathāgatagarbha did not transmit the four great element seeds, these dust motes would perish and cease to exist. Once they vanished, there would not be even a speck of real material substance left; it would become empty nothingness. Since this dust mote is not empty nothingness, it is formed by the four great element seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind, which the tathāgatagarbha transmits moment after moment; after transmission, they form the arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of the dust mote—arising and ceasing, arising and ceasing, arising and ceasing—constituting the temporary appearance of non-arising and non-ceasing of this material substance that is the dust mote.

Therefore the Buddha says that these dust motes are not the dust motes. "Not" means they are not true reality, not truly existent, not real; hence a provisional name is given to them, called the multitude of dust motes. If they were truly existent, the Buddha says, they would not be named the multitude of dust motes; then the multitude of dust motes would have not only a name but also a substantial existence, and having substantial existence, they would be unborn and unceasing, equivalent to the eighth consciousness. In actuality, the multitude of dust motes is indeed subject to arising and ceasing; whatever is composed of the four great element seeds is a conditioned dharma of arising and ceasing. Therefore, these conditioned dharmas of arising and ceasing are given the name "multitude of dust motes"; the multitude of dust motes is just a provisional term.

The marks of the multitude of dust motes are based on the marks of particles and grains composed of the four great element seeds, to which a provisional name is given, called the multitude of dust motes. Since these dust motes are all material grains falsely combined from the four great elements, and these material grains further combine into matter larger than dust motes, and this larger matter is still formed by earth, water, fire, and wind, and is also sustained and held by the tathāgatagarbha transmitting the four great element seeds moment after moment so that it can exist, it too is not a true reality; all of it is illusory, subject to arising, ceasing, and change.

When the conditions disperse and the tathāgatagarbha no longer transmits the four great element seeds, the material grains formed by these dust motes and the matter they combine into will cease, no longer exist, and disappear. Then from this matter, larger matter is formed. No matter how large the matter is, it is formed by the four great element seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind, with the tathāgatagarbha transmitting the seeds, moment after moment sustaining the existence of these material forms. These material forms further combine to form a celestial body; multiple celestial bodies combine to form a small world; small worlds combine to form a small thousand-world; small thousand-worlds combine to form a middle thousand-world.

Middle thousand-worlds further combine to form a great thousand-world. Material grains and dust particles are all illusory, not truly existent. Then the trichiliocosm composed of them is likewise illusory, not truly existent. It is a material world composed by sentient beings of shared karma, whose tathāgatagarbhas jointly transmit the four great element seeds. None of these are true realities; in essence, they are all conjured forth by the tathāgatagarbha, all false appearances, and their essence is the tathāgatagarbha nature. Therefore the Buddha says that the entire trichiliocosm is illusory and empty, and is all the tathāgatagarbha nature.

The trichiliocosm that the Tathāgata speaks of is neither a world; it is merely named a world. Since this trichiliocosm is composed of material grains and dust motes, is a false combination of the four great elements, arising, ceasing, and changing moment after moment, arising and ceasing and mutating, then this trichiliocosm is not a truly existent world; it is an illusory world, not real. This trichiliocosm is merely a false appearance. Based on this false appearance, we give this trichiliocosm a provisional name, calling it the trichiliocosm. Therefore, the trichiliocosm is also just a provisional term; its mark is an illusory mark, a false appearance conjured forth and held by the tathāgatagarbha, and in essence it is all the tathāgatagarbha. Therefore, the trichiliocosm is neither a world, not a true world—it is merely a name.