Chapter 28: The Chapter on Neither Annihilation nor Extinction (Twenty-Seventh)

Original Text: Subhuti, if you entertain the thought that the Tathagata attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi without possessing the marks of perfection, Subhuti, do not entertain such a thought. The Tathagata did not attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi without possessing the marks of perfection.

Explanation: Subhuti, if you harbor such a thought, believing that the Tathagata attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi not by virtue of possessing all perfect marks, then quickly extinguish this notion. Subhuti, do not hold such a view, thinking that the Tathagata attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi without possessing immeasurable, magnificent, and perfect marks. Subhuti, it is precisely by possessing immeasurable, magnificent, and perfect marks that the Tathagata attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

Sentient beings, due to shallow wisdom, cannot comprehensively understand all dharmas, and thus their views become narrow and deficient. Therefore, when beings see the World-Honored One refute the four marks, the marks of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas, and even refute the Tathagata’s thirty-two marks, some may think that the Tathagata attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi seemingly without possessing all marks, as if one could achieve Bodhi and attain Buddhahood without perfect marks; that these marks are optional and unimportant; that Buddhahood can be attained without perfecting all merits; or that Buddhahood is not achieved in marks, so marks are unimportant and dispensable; that Buddhahood requires no marks whatsoever, no Five Aggregates, no thirty-two marks; that the Buddha has no body of Five Aggregates but is merely a mind. Holding such views constitutes slandering the Buddha, akin to the view of annihilationist emptiness, harming oneself and others, and ensuring no accomplishment in practice. The Tathagata must correct these erroneous views to protect beings' understanding from deviation and guide them onto the true path.

Why is the view that the Tathagata attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi without possessing all perfect marks considered annihilationist emptiness? Because such a view ignores or denies the existence and function of the true reality mind, the Tathagatagarbha, negating the true existence of the Tathagatagarbha’s functions, which constitutes the view of annihilation. Every good deed cultivated by each Bodhisattva on the Bodhisattva path during the causal stage is stored as seeds in the Tathagatagarbha. When conditions ripen, they will sequentially receive great and small karmic retributions of good deeds, continuing even until Buddhahood, with increasingly sublime retributions. These retributions include the Bodhisattva’s magnificent and perfect marks of the form aggregate (Five Aggregates), the environment in which the Bodhisattva dwells, the Buddha-land inhabited, all disciples and retinue, all samadhis and immeasurable spiritual powers; most importantly, they include the Bodhisattva’s boundless wisdom and virtues, as well as the purification and transformation of the karmic seeds within the Tathagatagarbha.

Thus, when a Bodhisattva attains Buddhahood, the karmic seeds have been completely transformed, purified without residue, and ignorance is eradicated without remainder. Therefore, the eight consciousnesses can transform into the Four Wisdoms. When the Four Wisdoms are perfectly luminous, the Wisdom of All Modes manifests. The Buddha’s Four Wisdoms are the Buddha’s eight consciousnesses. The Buddha possesses eight consciousnesses, hence possesses the Five Aggregates; otherwise, the eight consciousnesses would have no basis. The Buddha’s Five Aggregates possess the thirty-two marks and eighty minor characteristics because, over three asamkhyeya kalpas of cultivating wholesome dharmas, all the seeds of wholesome karma are stored in the Tathagatagarbha. When conditions ripen at Buddhahood, the seeds manifest, resulting in a form aggregate of utmost magnificence and perfection, fully endowed with the thirty-two marks and eighty minor characteristics, incomparable and supremely sublime.

To claim that the Buddha attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi not by possessing perfect marks entails grave faults. First, it would mislead beings into thinking that the Buddha lacks the wholesome karmic seeds cultivated over immeasurable kalpas. In reality, throughout immeasurable kalpas of practice, the Buddha perfectly cultivated all wholesome deeds, the seeds stored in the Tathagatagarbha, which at Buddhahood manifest as the most sublime marks and adornments. Second, it would mislead beings into thinking that upon attaining Buddhahood, the Buddha did not manifest perfect marks, suggesting perhaps the Tathagatagarbha stored no wholesome karmic seeds. In truth, as long as the Tathagatagarbha exists, it inherently stores wholesome karmic seeds without the slightest omission.

Third, it would mislead beings into thinking that neither Buddhas nor sentient beings possess the Tathagatagarbha, that Tathagatagarbha is merely an expedient teaching, and thus the Buddha’s Tathagatagarbha did not store all wholesome karmic seeds from his practice, so at Buddhahood, he lacked perfect marks. Due to these faults, we should affirm that the Buddha attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi precisely by possessing perfect marks.

To claim that at Buddhahood the Buddha did not manifest the retribution of wholesome karmic seeds, that there were no wholesome karmic seeds, is equivalent to saying the Buddha fundamentally lacks a Tathagatagarbha. This is the most fundamental and severe heterodox view, the view of ultimate annihilation, causing immense harm. Such erroneous views must be swiftly eradicated. One should firmly believe that the Tathagatagarbha truly exists, possessing true functions, capable of storing the wholesome karmic seeds cultivated by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas over immeasurable kalpas. At the time of Buddhahood, these wholesome karmic seeds will manifest, and the Buddha will attain the sublime retribution of perfect marks and adornments, thereby achieving Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Without the Tathagatagarbha, wholesome karmic seeds could not be stored, and at Buddhahood they could not manifest; the Buddha would then lack perfect marks, meaning he would not yet be a Buddha and would not have attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

At this point, all should understand: to claim that the Buddha attained Buddhahood not by possessing the thirty-two marks is to deny the true existence of the Tathagatagarbha, embracing the view of annihilation, which entails immeasurable grave faults. Therefore, the World-Honored One, by admonishing Subhuti, indirectly admonishes all sentient beings not to hold the view of annihilation, not to think that the Buddha attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi without possessing perfect marks. One should affirm that the Buddha attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi precisely by possessing perfect marks. Only this accords with the Buddha’s teachings, aligns with the essence of the Dharma, and does not contradict the Mahayana teaching of true reality.

Original Text: Subhuti, if you entertain the thought that one who has resolved his mind on Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi affirms the annihilation of all dharmas, do not entertain such a thought. Why? Because one who has resolved his mind on Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi does not affirm the mark of annihilation regarding dharmas.

Explanation: Subhuti, if you harbor the thought that one who has resolved his mind on Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi teaches that all dharmas are annihilated emptiness, fundamentally non-existent, and that at Buddhahood there are no dharmas whatsoever, no possession of all dharmic marks, then you should quickly eradicate such thinking; do not hold such a view. Why should you not hold such a view? Because one who has resolved his mind on Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi does so based on faith in the indestructible reality mind; thus, he would never again teach that all dharmas are annihilated.

One who truly resolves to attain Buddhahood has by then fulfilled the conditions of the Ten Faiths Bodhisattva stage. He is already free from doubt regarding the existence of the true mind, the Tathagatagarbha, within every sentient being. He believes that all Buddhas of the ten directions possess the true mind, the Tathagatagarbha, and that relying on this Tathagatagarbha, they attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. He believes that he himself possesses the true mind, the Tathagatagarbha, that he will realize it in the future, and that, like all Buddhas, he can attain Buddhahood. Sentient beings throughout the ten directions can also attain Buddhahood because they possess the indestructible diamond-like mind, the Tathagatagarbha. Because he generates such faith, the Ten Faiths stage is fulfilled, and he enters the Ten Abodes stage to begin practicing the Six Paramitas. If one does not believe in the existence of the Tathagatagarbha within oneself, does not believe the Tathagatagarbha truly exists, then his faith in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Triple Gem is not yet fulfilled; the practice of the Ten Faiths stage is incomplete, and he cannot genuinely resolve his mind on the path to Buddhahood.

Those who have not fulfilled the Ten Faiths stage cannot yet believe the Tathagatagarbha truly exists. They often think the Tathagatagarbha is merely a provisional term, a concept. They equate the emptiness of the Tathagatagarbha with its non-existence, considering the concept of Tathagatagarbha an expedient teaching by the Buddhas. Because they fail to correctly understand the Buddha’s intended meaning, they misinterpret all the Buddha’s ultimate teachings as his expedient means and provisional teachings. They simply do not openly say the Buddha is toying with beings—most dare not say this openly—but this is essentially their meaning. This thought constitutes slandering the Buddha and the Dharma, treating all the Buddha’s ultimate teachings as non-ultimate, incomplete dharmas, severely distorting the Buddha’s true meaning. Sentient beings’ evil karma of slandering the Buddha and the Dharma is pervasive, which is unsurprising, resulting from their insufficient cultivation over kalpas and lack of merit.

To deny the true existence of the Tathagatagarbha as truly existent is to propagate the view of annihilationist emptiness, causing immense harm. Without the Tathagatagarbha, all dharmas would have no basis for arising; everything would be annihilated, ending completely. Those holding the view of annihilation often say that all dharmas are dependently originated and empty by nature, that they are all empty, with not a single dharma being real. But if everything is empty, with no real Tathagatagarbha dharma existing, then from where do all dharmas arise? One cannot say that empty, non-existent dharmas can give rise to other empty, non-existent dharmas—there is no such principle. It is like the hair of a turtle—an empty, non-existent dharma—which cannot produce the horn of a rabbit, another empty, non-existent dharma, as both lack inherent substance. Only dharmas with substance, with inherent nature, can give rise to dharmas without substance or inherent nature. Dharmas without substance or inherent nature cannot give rise to other dharmas. This is a principle that is inherently so, requiring no explanation.

If all dharmas are dependently originated and empty by nature, with no existence of the real Tathagatagarbha dharma, then the five-aggregate worlds of sentient beings would cease and not arise again, meaning there would be no future rebirths, and thus certainly no possibility of cultivating to Buddhahood. Even granting, for argument’s sake, that future five-aggregate rebirths occur, without the Tathagatagarbha to store beings’ karmic seeds, the wholesome deeds cultivated by beings would be in vain, as the seeds could not be collected and stored. If wholesome karmic seeds cannot be collected and stored, cultivation is useless, producing no retribution of wholesome karma in future lives, let alone the more perfect wholesome karmic retribution at Buddhahood. There would be no Buddha’s thirty-two marks or eighty minor characteristics, no Buddha’s various sublime virtues and functions, no Buddha-lands of the ten directions, no Buddha’s adorned reward body, no Buddha’s immeasurable manifested bodies, no Buddha’s immeasurable spiritual powers, nor any teaching of transforming consciousness into wisdom—and thus certainly no Buddha’s Wisdom of All Modes.

Why is it said that without the existence of the real Tathagatagarbha, consciousness cannot transform into wisdom? Because if the seven consciousnesses cultivate for one lifetime, transforming defiled mental activities into pure ones, but the pure karmic seeds cannot be stored, then in the next life they remain defiled. Thus, the cultivation is wasted, yielding no true benefit, and the defiled nature of the seven consciousnesses remains unchanged. Then, even at the Buddha stage, they would still be defiled seven consciousnesses, their karmic seeds untransformed, mental activities unpurified, meaning Buddhahood could not be attained. Therefore, without the true existence of the real Tathagatagarbha functioning accordingly, sentient beings cannot achieve Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Hence, one who truly resolves his mind on Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi does not affirm the mark of annihilation regarding dharmas; he does not teach that the Tathagatagarbha is merely a hypothetical, illusory dharma; he does not deny the true existence of the Tathagatagarbha mind-essence.