Chapter Sixteen: The Merit of Upholding the Sutra, Part Fifteen

This chapter discusses the vast and immeasurable merit of upholding the sutra. Why is the merit so great? The answer lies in understanding what it means to uphold the sutra. "Uphold," as previously mentioned, means to receive and maintain, primarily signifying reliance, adherence, and practice. Practitioners, through reciting the Diamond Sutra, realize the Diamond Prajñā True Mind—the reality of the Tathāgatagarbha—by relying on its profound Dharma principles. Thereby, they can genuinely comprehend, observe, and experience the pure nature of the Tathāgatagarbha, which encompasses both conditioned and unconditioned aspects. They rely on the pure nature of the Tathāgatagarbha to cultivate and transform their physical, verbal, and mental actions, thereby eliminating defilements and returning to purity, eradicating ignorance. Building on this foundation, they extensively expound the Dharma to sentient beings with affinities, guiding them onto the path of Bodhi and leading them into the ocean of Vairocana’s nature. Thus, they embark on the Buddha Path of benefiting self and others. When the accumulations of merit and wisdom are perfectly complete, they will achieve supreme, perfect enlightenment, becoming the Honored One among gods and humans.

Therefore, the merit of upholding the sutra is indeed immeasurable and boundless. Consequently, what is meant by the "sutra" becomes clear. Superficially, "sutra" refers to the Diamond Sutra, but in essence, it signifies the profound meaning it points to—the True Mind, the Tathāgatagarbha. This Tathāgatagarbha permeates the entire sutra, serving as its warp and weft, its central axis, guiding practice from beginning to end. Because this Tathāgatagarbha is the true substance of Buddhahood, reciting and realizing this sutra is the foundation and entry point for future cultivation of the Buddha Path. After entering the path, relying on this sutra for cultivation constitutes genuine practice. Gradually, upon successful reliance on the Tathāgatagarbha, the deluded minds of the seven consciousnesses and the true substance of the Tathāgatagarbha together possess immeasurable merit. When merit is perfected, the cultivation of the Mahayana and all Buddha Paths is complete, supreme Bodhi is attained, and the practice of benefiting self and others is fulfilled. Thus, the merit of upholding the sutra is truly vast, immeasurable, and inconceivable.

Original text: “Subhūti, if there are virtuous men or women who, in the morning, give as many of their bodies as the sands of the Ganges in alms; at noon, again give as many of their bodies as the sands of the Ganges in alms; and in the evening, also give as many of their bodies as the sands of the Ganges in alms—continuing thus for countless hundreds of thousands of millions of kalpas, giving their bodies in alms.”

Explanation: Subhūti, if there are virtuous men or women who, during the morning when the sun first rises, give away as many of their physical bodies as the sands of the Ganges to sentient beings; at noon when the sun is at its zenith, give away as many of their physical bodies as the sands of the Ganges to sentient beings; and in the evening when the sun is about to set, give away as many of their physical bodies as the sands of the Ganges to sentient beings—continuing thus throughout hundreds of thousands of millions of kalpas of their lives, daily giving away such a vast number of physical bodies to sentient beings.

Here, the Buddha hypothetically assumes that sentient beings can possess so many physical bodies. In reality, only Equal Enlightenment Bodhisattvas, Wonderful Enlightenment Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas can possess as many bodies as the sands of the Ganges. Ordinary sentient beings, who have not realized the Tathāgatagarbha nor cultivated the Four Dhyānas and Eight Samādhis, lack the ability to manifest bodies at will or create emanations. Therefore, giving away one’s own physical body is extremely difficult; even parting with possessions beyond the body is hard to bear. Giving is divided into external wealth giving and internal wealth giving. External wealth giving involves giving away possessions belonging to the body, such as money and material goods. Internal wealth giving specifically refers to giving away the physical body itself to satisfy the hunger of sentient beings, relieving them from the suffering of starvation.

External wealth belongs to the dependent retribution, arising from the internal wealth of the physical body, and is inherently impermanent and illusory. Yet, ordinary sentient beings are reluctant even to give external possessions, being extremely stingy; how much more so for internal wealth—they would rather die than part with it. Without the physical body, one loses everything; the body is more precious than all external things. Merely performing external wealth giving is already praiseworthy, and its merit is vast, immeasurable, and inexpressible. If one can perform internal wealth giving, sacrificing the body, it signifies abandoning life and forgetting death, being free from attachment to body and mind, realizing the emptiness of the four elements. The merit of such giving is even more immeasurable, boundless, and inconceivable.

Original text: “If, moreover, someone hears this sutra and believes it without opposition, their merit surpasses that of the former. How much more so for those who copy, uphold, recite, and explain it to others.”

Explanation: Subhūti, if, moreover, someone hears this Diamond Sutra and generates pure faith and understanding, deeply believing in the Diamond Prajñā Mind free from the four marks, their mind does not contradict the sutra’s meaning. For example, when the Buddha speaks of no four marks and refutes the four marks, such a person will not claim that the four marks truly exist or cling to them. Instead, they willingly empty the self and their own mind. The merit of such a person surpasses and exceeds that of the one who daily gives away as many bodies as the sands of the Ganges for countless hundreds of thousands of millions of kalpas. How much more so if this person not only has pure faith but also recites the Diamond Sutra, realizes the Diamond Mind, relies on the Diamond True Mind to cultivate themselves, and furthermore extensively explains the Diamond Sutra to others, guiding sentient beings to realize the Diamond True Mind and safeguarding the widespread circulation of the Diamond Sutra. Then, the merit of such a person will far exceed that of those who give internal wealth through their bodies.

Original text: “Subhūti, to state the essence, this sutra possesses inconceivable, immeasurable, and boundless merit. The Tathāgata expounded it for those who aspire to the Great Vehicle and for those who aspire to the Supreme Vehicle.”

Explanation: Subhūti, in summary, this Diamond Sutra possesses inconceivable, immeasurable, and boundless merit. The Tathāgata, the World-Honored One, expounded it for those who aspire to the Great Vehicle Bodhi Mind and for those who aspire to the Supreme Buddha Vehicle Bodhi Mind.

Only those who aspire to the Great Vehicle Bodhi Mind, who possess the Great Vehicle capacity, whose minds are vast, who are compassionate toward sentient beings, and whose wisdom is profound and extensive, are willing to recite the Diamond Sutra, understand its principles, realize the true reality, and thereafter have the ability to receive, uphold, and propagate the Dharma of the Tathāgatagarbha. In the future, they will enter the First Ground, shoulder the Tathāgata’s work, and liberate immeasurable sentient beings.

Original text: “If there are those who can receive, uphold, recite, and extensively explain it to others, the Tathāgata fully knows and sees such people. They will all attain inconceivable, immeasurable, boundless, and inexpressible merit.”

Explanation: If there are those who can receive, uphold, recite the Prajñāpāramitā Diamond Sutra, and extensively expound the true principle of the Tathāgatagarbha to sentient beings, all the roots of goodness, merit, wisdom, and virtue of such a person, and all the deeds they perform for sentient beings, are fully known and seen by the Tathāgata, without error or concealment. Therefore, all the meritorious deeds this person performs for the benefit of sentient beings will not be in vain; not the slightest will be lost. In the future, they will achieve merit that is inconceivable, beyond measure, beyond calculation, boundless, and inexpressible.

Why are the merit of this person’s receiving, upholding, and reciting the Diamond Sutra, and all the merit they generate for sentient beings, fully known and seen by the Tathāgata? This "Tathāgata" refers both to the Nirmanakaya Buddha and to the Dharmakaya Buddha. The Nirmanakaya Buddha, possessing immeasurable spiritual powers and virtues, observes with the Buddha Eye and thus fully knows and sees all the merit of this person’s receiving, upholding, and reciting the Diamond Sutra, and all the merit and virtue of their liberating immeasurable sentient beings, without missing a single one. Because the Buddha possesses immeasurable wisdom and the Wisdom of All Modes, there is nothing in the mundane or supramundane realms unknown or unseen; His illumination perfectly pervades the great chiliocosm, leaving nothing out.

As for the Dharmakaya Tathāgata, because it constantly accompanies this person, everything this person does is necessarily witnessed and supported by the Dharmakaya Tathāgata. The Dharmakaya Tathāgata is this person’s Tathāgatagarbha. Because the Tathāgatagarbha knows this person’s mental activities, cooperates with them to accomplish all deeds, and records and stores the karmic seeds of sentient beings, everything this person does is fully known and seen by the Tathāgatagarbha. All karmic seeds are stored, and in the future, they will bring forth all the karmic results of this person’s merit, ensuring that their efforts are not in vain, and ultimately enabling them to attain perfect Buddhahood.

Original text: “Such people thus shoulder the Tathāgata’s Anuttarā Samyak Saṃbodhi. Why? Subhūti, those who delight in inferior dharmas cling to views of self, person, sentient being, and life span. For them, this sutra cannot be heard, received, recited, or explained to others.”

Explanation: Such people who can receive, uphold, recite the Prajñāpāramitā Diamond Sutra, and extensively expound it to sentient beings will all shoulder the Tathāgata’s work and ultimately achieve Anuttarā Samyak Saṃbodhi. Why is this sutra expounded for those who aspire to the Great Vehicle Bodhi Mind and for those who aspire to the Supreme Vehicle? Subhūti, if a person delights in the inferior dharmas of the human and heavenly realms, they will cling to views of self, person, sentient being, and life span. They will cultivate minor wholesome deeds for the sake of the illusory five aggregates, seeking the karmic rewards of human and heavenly wealth, glory, and splendor for the five aggregates. They believe there is a self to enjoy, a person to receive offerings, and blessings to obtain. Then, they will not believe in the true Dharma of no self-mark, no person-mark, no sentient-being-mark, and no life-span-mark taught by the Tathāgata, nor will they believe in the Diamond True Mind free from the four marks. Consequently, they will not recite the Diamond Sutra, not realize the True Mind Tathāgatagarbha, and certainly not expound the Great Vehicle True Reality Dharma to other sentient beings.

Moreover, those attached to the self-liberation of the Śrāvaka Vehicle also cling to the four marks internally, mistakenly perceiving the existence of a self composed of the five aggregates. Fearing that their five-aggregate self will again suffer and undergo rebirth, they hastily enter Nirvana, transcending the cycle of birth and death in the three realms, unwilling to turn their minds toward the cultivation of the Great Vehicle Bodhisattva Dharma. Therefore, they too will not come to hear, receive, or recite this sutra, and certainly cannot explain it to others.

Original text: “Subhūti, wherever this sutra is found, it should be venerated by all beings in the world—gods, humans, and asuras. You should know that such a place is a stūpa, deserving reverence, circumambulation, and offerings of flowers and incense.”

Explanation: Subhūti, wherever this Diamond Sutra is present, wherever the indestructible mind, the Tathāgatagarbha, is found, all beings in the world—gods, humans, and asuras—should come to venerate this sutra and make offerings to the Great Vehicle Tathāgata Buddha. You should know that wherever this sutra is present is a stūpa, a solemn place of practice. All sentient beings should venerate and make offerings, paying homage with their entire being by circumambulating the stūpa, and scattering various fragrant flowers at this place, using the flowers to make offerings to the Buddha’s stūpa and temple.

Why should the place where this sutra is present be venerated? Because this sutra is the Dharmakaya Buddha, the Tathāgata. Only by venerating this Buddha can one ultimately attain Buddhahood. Moreover, primarily through receiving, upholding, reciting, relying upon, and practicing it as offerings can one ultimately attain Buddhahood. Why is the place where this sutra is present a place of practice? Because all cultivation revolves around this sutra; all cultivation is carried out within this place of practice; all dharmas originate from this place of practice; all deeds of liberating sentient beings are enacted in this place of practice; ultimately, Buddhahood is attained in this place of practice; the Wisdom of All Modes is perfected in this place of practice; and all Buddha lands are accomplished in this place of practice. Why should one pay homage and circumambulate this sutra? Because all sentient beings and all dharmas fundamentally cannot be separated from this sutra. Even if not consciously circumambulating, they are still revolving around it—it is inevitable. Regardless of their power, no one can ever detach from this sutra, this stūpa.