Chapter Eleven: Adorning the Pure Land

Did the Tathāgata Attain the Dharma from Dipankara Buddha?

Original Text: The Buddha asked Subhūti, "What do you think? Did the Tathāgata attain any Dharma when he was with Dipankara Buddha?" "No, World-Honored One. The Tathāgata truly attained no Dharma when he was with Dipankara Buddha."

Explanation: The Buddha said to Subhūti, "What is your view on this matter? Did the Tathāgata attain anything in the practice and realization of the Dharma when he was with Dipankara Buddha in the past?" Subhūti replied, "The Tathāgata attained no Dharma, World-Honored One. When the Tathāgata was with Dipankara Buddha, he truly attained nothing regarding the Dharma."

Our original teacher, Śākyamuni Buddha, attained the eighth ground of bodhisattvahood under Dipankara Buddha and received the prediction of his future Buddhahood. Clearly, he attained the Dharma of the eighth-ground bodhisattva and received the prediction—both are seemingly acts of attainment. Why then is it said that he attained nothing? Because while these events exist in the phenomenal world, in the realm of ultimate truth, they are non-existent. The phenomenal world is empty, a manifestation of the vajra-prajñāpāramitā mind—appearing to exist yet ultimately unreal. The Tathāgata’s mind is also empty of any dharma, devoid of any attachment; he did not consider himself to have truly attained the Dharma or received a prediction. If the Tathāgata regarded this as real, he would harbor the Dharma in his mind, failing to realize its empty and illusory nature. Then he would not be an eighth-ground bodhisattva and would be unworthy of the prediction. It was precisely because the Tathāgata possessed the realization of an eighth-ground bodhisattva—with a mind empty, non-active, and devoid of objects—that Dipankara Buddha bestowed upon him the prediction of Buddhahood.

Ordinary people cannot comprehend this: how could the Tathāgata, having attained such profound Dharma, claim to have attained nothing? How could he regard the monumental event of receiving the prediction of Buddhahood as insignificant, without the slightest attachment or thought? What kind of mind is this? An ordinary person encountering such an event would have been elated, overwhelmed with excitement, and rushed to spread the news. Of course, this is the mindset of an ordinary being who has not realized the true nature of reality—a mindset characterized by attachment to attainment. Such a person would never attain the Dharma, much less receive a prediction. The Buddha’s mind is perfectly clear, his vision luminous; he does not casually bestow predictions upon people.

When the bodhisattva Śākyamuni encountered Dipankara Buddha, he had just entered the eighth ground. Prior to this, throughout countless lifetimes, the bodhisattva Śākyamuni encountered numerous Buddhas, serving as kings, wheel-turning monarchs, and lords of various heavens. He made offerings to the Buddhas of the four necessities—food, clothing, bedding, and medicine—without interruption, even offering his own body. Yet, none of these Buddhas predicted when he would achieve Buddhahood, because at that time, the bodhisattva’s practice and realization of the Dharma were still within the realm of conditioned action. He practiced, realized, and made offerings to each Buddha with a mind of attachment and seeking, not yet having reached the unconditioned state of non-attainment and non-seeking. Only when he encountered Dipankara Buddha and entered the eighth ground—the Immovable Ground of the unconditioned—with a mind free from doing and attaining, did Dipankara Buddha predict that the bodhisattva Śākyamuni would achieve Buddhahood, describing his future Buddha-land, the number of his disciples, his lifespan, and the duration of his Dharma.

The Buddha bestows predictions upon bodhisattvas mostly after they have entered the eighth ground. Eighth-ground bodhisattvas have reached the stage of non-retrogression in mindfulness; their pace of practice is largely similar, and the time of their Buddhahood is fixed and unchangeable. Predictions given at this stage are free from error. Bodhisattvas from the first to the seventh ground are at the stage of non-retrogression in conduct—meaning their actions in practice and liberating beings do not regress; they will practice and liberate beings regardless of circumstances. However, when encountering adverse conditions, they may still experience momentary regressions in mind. The duration of such regressions varies—a day or two, several hours, a few minutes, or even an instant.

Because of this potential for mental regression, the pace of their practice is uncertain, and predictions might be inaccurate regarding timing. Moreover, it could cause the bodhisattva to become complacent. From the initial awakening to the mind (明心) up to just before the first ground, there is non-retrogression in the stage of realization (位不退), but regressions in conduct and mind may still occur. Sometimes obstructed by worldly affairs, adverse conditions, or illness, they may be unable to practice. Yet, whether practicing or not, the seventh abiding stage (住位) of mind-awakening, the ten stages of conduct (十行位), and the ten stages of dedication (十回向位) are non-retrogressive.

Why did the bodhisattva Śākyamuni truly attain nothing when he reached the eighth Immovable Ground? Eighth-ground bodhisattvas have not only severed afflictions but also the habitual tendencies of afflictions. Their enjoyment of the merits of liberation surpasses even that of great arhats with the three clear knowledges and six supernormal powers. The view of self (人我执) was eradicated long ago; a large portion of the view of dharmas (法我执) has also been severed. Their wisdom of the patience with the non-arising of phenomena (无生法忍) is profound and sharp. They have realized both the emptiness of self and the emptiness of dharmas (人空与法空). Their minds do not harbor thoughts such as "I practice the Dharma," "I realize the Dharma," or "I attain the Dharma." Simultaneously, they do not believe there is any Dharma to practice, realize, or attain. Their inner state is purely unconditioned. Because it is unconditioned and the mind is empty, they can manifest everything sentient beings need—even an entire Buddha-land of a trisāhasra-mahāsāhasra world—without deliberate effort or exertion. A mind of non-attainment is immensely vast, thus capable of boundless function. A mind of attainment, however, is narrow; its function is limited and cannot be fully expressed.

Why do bodhisattvas not adorn the Buddha-lands? First, let us consider how a Buddha-land is formed: it is produced and manifested by the Buddha’s immaculate consciousness (无垢识) and the great mirror-like wisdom (大圆镜智). Sentient beings with karmic connections to the Buddha are reborn there, and their tathāgatagarbha (如来藏) also manifests that Buddha-land. The land manifested by the Buddha is the result of his cultivation over three immeasurable eons—both karmically induced and consciously manifested. Throughout these three immeasurable eons, the bodhisattva makes great pure vows, practices the six pāramitās and ten thousand conducts (六度万行), the ten pāramitās and ten thousand conducts (十度万行), enduring the unendurable and accomplishing the impossible. The seeds of wholesome dharmas cultivated are stored in their own tathāgatagarbha. After achieving Buddhahood, the Buddha’s immaculate consciousness can project these seeds of practice to create a pure Buddha-land, thus establishing a trisāhasra-mahāsāhasra world.

The Adornment of the Buddha-Land is Also Empty

Original Text: Subhūti, what do you think? Do bodhisattvas adorn Buddha-lands? No, World-Honored One. Why? Because the adornment of Buddha-lands is not true adornment; it is merely called adornment.

Explanation: Subhūti, what is your view on this? Do bodhisattvas adorn Buddha-lands? Subhūti replied: Bodhisattvas do not adorn Buddha-lands. Why is this said? Because so-called "adornment of Buddha-lands" is not a real or true matter; it is merely nominal adornment—the event is illusory.

In terms of conventional phenomena, all the bodhisattva’s practices—the six pāramitās, the ten pāramitās—are acts of adorning the Buddha-land. All the bodhisattva’s activities of liberating beings are acts of adorning the Buddha-land. The seeds of practice and liberating beings are stored in their own tathāgatagarbha. When these seeds accumulate to their maximum, the causes and conditions for Buddhahood ripen, and these seeds are then used to manifest the adorned Buddha-land. Therefore, all bodhisattva conduct is conduct that adorns the Buddha-land. So, do bodhisattvas adorn the Buddha-land? Of course they do.

However, applying the World-Honored One’s universal golden phrase: "What is called adornment is not true adornment; it is merely called adornment." This means that while bodhisattvas adorn Buddha-lands, there is no true characteristic of adornment. All actions of bodhisattvas are empty, illusory; phenomena exist but their principle is non-existent. Existence is provisional existence; phenomena are also empty. There is no substantial, true matter of adornment; in essence, everything is the true suchness (真如), the single true dharma-realm (一真法界), the vajra-prajñāpāramitā true mind (金刚般若实相心). All else is empty and illusory. All dharmas apart from the indestructible vajra-mind are merely nominal characteristics, provisional appearances, not to be grasped as real. Bodhisattvas perform the Buddha-work within the dream, all done with an empty mind, a mind of non-attainment—acting without acting, never attached, never coveting fame or gain, never seeking reward. Ordinary beings are the opposite: always with a mind of attainment, seeking, expectation—their minds are not empty; they cling to appearances.

The manner in which a Buddha-land is adorned depends on the specific great vows made by the Buddha during his practice and the nature of his actions during cultivation—that is, what seeds are stored in the Buddha’s immaculate consciousness. Thus, the practice of a bodhisattva over three immeasurable eons is the adornment of his future Buddha-land. This method of adornment is utterly unlike worldly methods of adornment; therefore, bodhisattvas do not adorn Buddha-lands. This method of adornment is not truly existent; it is merely given the provisional name "adornment."

Why is this adornment not real? Because the great pure vows made by the bodhisattva arise from the mental faculty (manas) and the mental consciousness—they are deluded dharmas, vanishing after being made. Thus, vow-making is a conditioned, impermanent dharma, not a true, originally existent, eternally unchanging dharma. All actions performed by the bodhisattva during the bodhisattva path are impermanent dharmas; they have already vanished and ceased. The actions of the seven deluded consciousnesses over countless lifetimes have also ceased. All the bodhisattva’s practices of the six pāramitās and ten thousand conducts, the ten pāramitās and ten thousand conducts, are performed by the seven consciousnesses—deluded minds engaged in conditioned, impermanent dharmas. Bodhisattva conduct is impermanent; it has all ceased. Because these methods of adornment through the six or ten pāramitās are not true dharmas, not eternally existent and unchanging dharmas, not originally existent dharmas—they are not true adornment.

What is Meant by "Produce the Mind Without Abiding"?

Original Text: Therefore, Subhūti, all bodhisattvas mahāsattvas should produce the mind thus: they should not produce the mind abiding in form, nor abiding in sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas. They should produce the mind without abiding.

Explanation: Therefore, Subhūti, all bodhisattvas mahāsattvas should generate a pure mind in this manner: they should not generate the mind abiding in form, nor abiding in sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas. They should generate the mind without abiding.

This passage summarizes the preceding ten chapters, instructing all bodhisattvas mahāsattvas how to generate a pure mind—they should generate it as described previously. What was previously described? To practice the pāramitās while emptying all dharmic characteristics; to empty the characteristics of giving and cultivating blessings; to empty the notions of self, person, sentient being, and life span; to empty the bodily characteristics of the Tathāgata; to empty the characteristics of dharmas and non-dharmas; to empty the characteristics of the Buddha-Dharma; to empty the characteristics of the Tathāgata’s teaching; to empty the characteristics of generating the bodhi-mind; to empty the characteristics of fruition stages; to empty the characteristics of realizing bodhi; to empty the characteristics of attaining the Dharma; to empty the characteristics of adorning Buddha-lands, and so forth.

After emptying these characteristics, the mind attains nothing and seeks nothing. It does not abide in the characteristics of form to generate various mental activities; does not abide in the characteristics of sound to generate various mental activities; does not abide in the characteristics of smell to generate various mental activities; does not abide in the characteristics of taste to generate various mental activities; does not abide in the characteristics of touch to generate various mental activities; does not abide in the characteristics of dharmas to generate various mental activities. In short, one should not abide in the characteristics of the six sense-objects (六尘) to generate various mental activities. Not abiding in the six dusts is non-abiding. Abiding in the six dusts is to abide, which is improper abiding, non-dharmic abiding—the mind is impure and lacks the arising of great wisdom. Because the characteristics of the six dusts are actually non-characteristics; they are called the six dusts but are actually empty. How can one abide in emptiness? Non-abiding is inevitable—abiding is also empty. Therefore, one should generate the bodhi-mind and practice the bodhisattva path without abiding in form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas. One should generate the bodhi-mind and practice the bodhisattva path without abiding anywhere.

Specifically, how does one practice the path without abiding in form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas? One must first clearly understand what constitutes form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas—what dharmas belong to the six dusts. One must examine what one is greedy for and attached to, what mental states one holds when giving and cultivating blessings, what one seeks, what basis one uses for decisions, and what one’s aims and wishes are when generating the mind and practicing the Dharma—whether one is clinging to worldly dharmas. One must deeply observe one’s own mind, excavate one’s own thoughts, to master one’s mind and purify one’s mental states. Only then can one act without desire or seeking, purely and correctly, gradually corresponding to emptiness, gradually corresponding to stillness, thereby swiftly realizing the nirvāṇa of the Great and Small Vehicles.

The World-Honored One said: Therefore, all bodhisattvas mahāsattvas should generate a pure mind. They should not generate the mind abiding in form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas. They should generate the mind without abiding, without abiding in any dharma. Bodhisattvas dwell in the world, practicing the bodhisattva path, interacting with sentient beings. Their seven deluded consciousnesses constantly arise, producing various actions, continuously discriminating the objects of the six dusts. The nature of these consciousnesses is precisely to discriminate and perceive the six dusts. To perceive the six dusts, one must generate discrimination upon them, confront them, contact them—thus abiding in them. Therefore, as long as there is discriminatory activity of the deluded seven consciousnesses, one abides in the six dusts; it is not a non-abiding mind. However, through practice, when bodhisattvas encounter the objects of the six dusts, they can discriminate without generating feelings of attachment, thus not abiding in the six dusts. Their minds become unattached, without thought, without rumination, gradually emptying and purifying—signless, wishless, non-acting.

Bodhisattvas also possess the tathāgatagarbha mind—the true non-abiding mind. It is naturally non-abiding without need for cultivation. It constantly generates mental activity and functions yet knows no dharma. Seemingly dull and foolish, its capacity is actually vast, its wisdom incomparable. The tathāgatagarbha manifests continuously, moment by moment, within the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the bodhisattva, constantly cooperating with the seven consciousnesses. Yet, within it, not a single dharma exists; it does not discriminate the six dusts, does not know the six dusts, does not abide in the six dusts. Therefore, the tathāgatagarbha is a non-abiding mind. When the eye contacts form and the eye-consciousness discriminates form, abiding in form to discriminate, the tathāgatagarbha does not see the appearance of form, does not discriminate its beauty or ugliness—it does not abide in form. When the ear hears sound, the nose smells fragrance, the tongue tastes flavor, the body feels touch, the mind cognizes dharmas—the tathāgatagarbha does not hear, smell, taste, touch, or think; it does not discriminate at all, completely non-abiding in these dharmas. Thus, the tathāgatagarbha mind is a non-abiding mind. Therefore, for the deluded seven consciousnesses to become pure, they should emulate the tathāgatagarbha—reduce abiding, reduce knowing—thus reducing the arising of mental activity.

When the Sixth Patriarch (Huineng) attained enlightenment, he was listening to the Fifth Patriarch (Hongren) expound the Diamond Sūtra. Upon hearing the phrase "produce the mind without abiding," he awakened, realizing that originally non-abiding tathāgatagarbha mind. Understanding its meritorious functions, he uttered the five "How wondrous is the self-nature!" statements: "How wondrous! The self-nature is originally pure. How wondrous! The self-nature is originally neither born nor extinguished. How wondrous! The self-nature is originally complete. How wondrous! The self-nature is originally unmoving. How wondrous! The self-nature can generate all dharmas."

Original Text: Subhūti, suppose there is a person whose body is like Mount Sumeru, the king of mountains. What do you think? Would such a body be great? Subhūti said: Very great, World-Honored One. Why? Because the Buddha says it is not a true body, therefore it is called a great body.

Explanation: Subhūti, suppose there is a person whose body is as immense as Mount Sumeru, the king of mountains. What do you think? Is such a body great? Subhūti said: Extremely great, World-Honored One. Why? The Buddha says it is not a true physical body; therefore, it is called a great body.

Anything deemed "great" is measurable. As long as it has measure, it is not immeasurable—it is small. A body with measure, however immense, is impermanent—born and perishing over countless lifetimes, perishing and being reborn. It is not real, not eternally abiding. The non-arising, non-ceasing tathāgatagarbha, however, has no measure whatsoever—no length of time, no size of form, no characteristics at all. Yet it encompasses all characteristics; the worlds of the ten directions are within it. Therefore, it is immeasurably great—truly great. Nothing can compare to it.