The Profound Meaning of the Diamond Sutra from the Consciousness-Only Perspective (149)

Original text: 云何为人演说。不取于相。如如不动。

Explanation: The World-Honored One taught: Good men and good women who expound the Diamond Sutra along with the four-line verse, and who proclaim the wondrous dharma of the tathāgatagarbha—how should they expound it for others? They should rely upon the nature of the tathāgatagarbha, not grasping at any dharma-mark within their minds, and with regard to all dharma-marks, remain suchness-immovable (tathatā-acalita), not seeing dharma-marks as truly existent, with the mind not moving or turning along with the dharma-marks of external objects—pure and undefiled like the tathāgatagarbha, not grasping at marks, nor giving rise to mental thoughts, without mind toward objects, suchness-immovable.

After bodhisattvas realize the tathāgatagarbha, they will increasingly observe the pure, unconditioned nature of the tathāgatagarbha, and at the same time will increasingly perceive the illusory and impermanent nature of all conditioned dharmas. Their minds will gradually no longer take delight in conditioned dharmas, and will incline toward the pure, unconditioned nature of the tathāgatagarbha. As bodhisattvas gradually observe that all conditioned dharma-marks in the world of the three realms are born and conjured forth by the tathāgatagarbha, they will gradually cease grasping at all dharma-marks of the world; toward all dharmas, their minds will gradually no longer turn and move along with them, and ultimately they will be able to attain suchness-immovability, resembling the unconditioned nature of the tathāgatagarbha.