Chapter Thirty-Three: The Manifestation of the Unreal (Thirty-Second Section)

Original text: Subhuti, if a person were to fill measureless asamkhyeya worlds with the seven treasures and use them for almsgiving, and if a good man or good woman who has aroused the mind for enlightenment upholds this sutra, even so much as a four-line gatha, receives, upholds, reads, recites, and expounds it for others, the blessings of this latter would surpass those of the former.

Explanation: Subhuti, if someone were to use the seven treasures filling measureless asamkhyeya worlds entirely for almsgiving, the merit and virtue thus obtained would be exceedingly vast. However, if a good man or good woman who has aroused the great vehicle mind of enlightenment practices this sutra, or even a four-line gatha from this sutra, not only receiving, upholding, reading, and reciting it themselves but also expounding it for sentient beings, then the merit and virtue obtained by this good man or good woman would far surpass that of the person who gives alms with the seven treasures of measureless asamkhyeya worlds.

Asamkhyeya is an Indian term meaning an immeasurable, incalculable number. An asamkhyeya world means countless trichiliocosms (three thousand great thousand worlds). If someone were to give alms with the seven treasures of a single small world, the merit would be inconceivable. How much more so when giving alms with the seven treasures of a trichiliocosm—the merit would be even more inconceivable. Then, how could the merit from giving alms with the seven treasures of countless trichiliocosms even be imagined or conceived? It is utterly inconceivable. Yet, there is another good man or good woman who has aroused the great mind of enlightenment, seeking to perfect the Buddha Way and broadly benefit boundless sentient beings. Such a good man or good woman receives, upholds, reads, and recites the Diamond Sutra, studying the Dharma of the Tathagatagarbha (Buddha-nature) for attaining Buddhahood. They themselves can fully receive, uphold, realize, and understand the Tathagatagarbha in this sutra, and can also expound and explain it to other sentient beings with affinities. The merit and virtue they obtain would be far more superior than that obtained by the person who gives alms with the seven treasures of measureless asamkhyeya worlds.

Why is this so? Because good men and good women who can truly receive, uphold, read, and recite the Diamond Sutra are already great bodhisattvas who have realized the true reality of prajna (wisdom). These are truly people endowed with merit and wisdom. Not only do they themselves possess vast merit and wisdom, but they also teach other sentient beings to obtain the great merit and great wisdom of receiving, upholding, reading, and reciting the Diamond Sutra. Consequently, their own merit and wisdom further increase. When their wisdom and merit grow to the limit and reach perfection, they become the Honored One with the Twofold Perfection (of merit and wisdom), the Teacher of Gods and Humans, the Buddha World-Honored One.

Since this is the case, what then is the merit obtained from giving alms with the seven treasures of asamkhyeya worlds? These worlds and seven treasures are conditioned, phenomenal dharmas subject to birth and extinction; they are all objects within the mind of the Diamond Mind (Tathagatagarbha), merely a small part of the self-nature wish-fulfilling jewel. But the good men and good women who receive, uphold, read, and recite the Diamond Sutra have realized this wish-fulfilling jewel; they possess this wish-fulfilling jewel. This means they possess the seven treasures of asamkhyeya worlds and simultaneously possess future measureless asamkhyeya worlds. This merit and virtue will naturally far surpass that of the person who gives alms with the seven treasures of asamkhyeya worlds.

Original text: How should one expound it for others? By not grasping at appearances, abiding in suchness unmoved.

Explanation: How should good men and good women who expound the Diamond Sutra, its four-line gathas, and elucidate the wondrous Dharma of the Tathagatagarbha do so for others? They should expound it without grasping at any dharma appearances in their minds, free from the four marks. Moreover, regarding all dharma appearances, they should abide unmoved in suchness, not perceiving dharma appearances as real, not letting their minds be stirred or turned by external phenomenal appearances. They should be pure and undefiled like the Tathagatagarbha, grasping at no appearances, giving rise to no thoughts, mindless in the face of objects, abiding in suchness unmoved.

After bodhisattvas realize the Tathagatagarbha, they increasingly observe its pure, unconditioned nature, while simultaneously perceiving more and more the illusory and impermanent nature of all conditioned dharmas. The minds of bodhisattvas gradually cease to develop delight in conditioned dharmas and instead incline towards the pure, unconditioned nature of the Tathagatagarbha. Bodhisattvas gradually observe that all conditioned phenomenal appearances in the trichilocosm are born from and illusorily manifested by the Tathagatagarbha. Therefore, they gradually cease to grasp at any phenomenal appearances in the world; regarding all dharmas, their minds gradually cease to be turned by them. Finally, they can attain the state of abiding in suchness unmoved, resembling the unconditioned nature of the Tathagatagarbha.

Original text: Why? All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow; like dew, like lightning. They should be contemplated thus. When the Buddha had finished speaking this sutra, the Elder Subhuti, along with all the bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas, and the entire world with its gods, humans, and asuras, hearing what the Buddha had said, were filled with great joy, faithfully accepted it, and undertook to practice it accordingly.

Explanation: Why, when expounding the Diamond Sutra for others, should one not grasp at appearances and abide in suchness unmoved? Because all conditioned, fabricated dharmas are like a dream, like an illusion, like a bubble, like a shadow, like dew, like lightning in the sky. Every bodhisattva, when facing all conditioned dharmas in the world, should contemplate them thus, should regard all conditioned dharmas in this way. After the World-Honored One finished expounding this Diamond Sutra, the questioner, the Elder Subhuti, along with all the fourfold assembly of disciples—bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas—and all the gods, humans, and asuras of the world, hearing the Dharma spoken by the Buddha, were filled with great joy, faithfully accepted it, and undertook to practice it accordingly.

At the conclusion of the Dharma assembly, the World-Honored One expounded the sublime four-line gatha to explain the illusory and unreal nature of all conditioned dharmas. Since they are all illusory and unreal, bodhisattvas have no need to cling to or grasp at any conditioned dharma, nor to be moved or turned by conditioned dharmas. It is like being in a dream: no matter how much we grasp at all the people, events, and objects in the dream, how much we are moved or shaken by them, creating karmic actions, ultimately we gain nothing at all—not the slightest bit can be grasped. No one has ever obtained anything from a dream. So what benefit is there in vainly troubling one's mind?

All conditioned dharmas are illusorily manifested by the Tathagatagarbha based on conditions, like a magician whose thoughts create all people, events, and objects, suddenly manifesting them in empty space. But when the magician withdraws his thoughts, all people, events, and objects ultimately return to emptiness. Why labor to grasp them, vainly enslaving the mind—what benefit is there? All conditioned dharmas are like bubbles born from the great sea of the Tathagatagarbha, arising and vanishing within it. All people, events, and objects in the trichilocosm are like bubbles in the sea—born, perishing, perishing and being born again, arising and ceasing, all returning to the great sea. Why vainly grasp at bubbles without seeing the great sea?

All conditioned dharmas are like the moon's reflection falling upon thousands of rivers and seas—seemingly existent yet non-existent, appearing real yet impossible to grasp. Only ordinary beings, like foolish monkeys, reach out to grasp them, finding nothing but emptiness. Wise bodhisattvas, with their eye of wisdom, contemplate them as mere reflections—what is there to grasp? All conditioned dharmas are like morning dew—vanishing in an instant when the morning sun rises, swiftly born and swiftly perishing—what is there to grasp? All conditioned dharmas are also like the flash of thunder and lightning in the rain—in a split second streaking across the sky, vanishing without a trace in an instant. However startled you may be, however terrified, it has already disappeared, leaving no shadow or trace.

The World-Honored One teaches that bodhisattvas, after realization, should constantly contemplate thus. Then their own minds will be pure, free from grasping and clinging, undefiled by even a speck of dust, unattached to any dharma. In this way, they accord with the fundamental mind of true suchness, follow true suchness, and can thereby attain unsurpassed enlightenment (anuttara-samyak-sambodhi). With this mind free from grasping and clinging, they expound the Diamond Sutra for sentient beings, delivering all beings out of the illusory dust, extinguishing illusory shadows together, entering the great ocean of wisdom of all Buddhas together, and perfecting the omniscience (sarvajñā) of all Buddhas together.

Receiving, upholding, reading, and reciting the Diamond Sutra in this way, expounding the Dharma of the Tathagatagarbha—its merit, its wisdom—who among the sentient beings of the world can compare? Who can surpass it! Such self-benefit and benefit of others—is it not wonderful! Is it not joyous! Finally, after the World-Honored One finished expounding this sutra, the fourfold assembly of disciples and the multitude of humans and gods all believed, all accepted, all undertook, all practiced accordingly. This is called faithfully accepting, receiving, undertaking, and practicing the Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra expounded by the Tathagata.