The Tathāgata with Marks and the Tathāgata without Marks

Original text:须菩提。若有人言。如来若来若去。若坐若卧。是人不解我所说义。何以故。如来者。无所从来。亦无所去。故名如来。

Explanation:  The World-Honored One said: Subhūti, if someone says that the Tathāgata comes in such a way, the Tathāgata goes in such a way, the Tathāgata sits in such a way, the Tathāgata lies in such a way—seeing the Tathāgata who walks, comes, goes, and stops in these outward signs—this person has not truly understood the great meaning of the Dharma that I have been expounding for so long. Thus he is deluded by the outward signs of the Tathāgata and does not see the true Tathāgata. Why do I say this? Because the true Tathāgata comes from no place whatsoever—there is no place of coming—and goes to no place whatsoever—there is no place of going. One who neither comes nor goes, neither arises nor ceases, is called the true Tathāgata.

How compassionate the World-Honored One is! For the sake of sentient beings, He donned coarse, stained garments and humbly came to this turbid and evil world, to reveal to sentient beings the knowledge and vision of the Buddha, expounding the sutras and teaching the Dharma without ever knowing fatigue.  

Here the World-Honored One repeatedly adds the finishing touch to the painted dragon, sparing no saliva; His eyebrows have dragged along the ground for a very, very long time, and the corners of His kasāya robe have been soaked in mud and water—all in order to drag sentient beings out of the mire of wrong views, to awaken them into the knowledge and vision of the Buddha, and then to see and act together with the Buddha, never again walking the small paths of the wilderness, the desolate outskirts, and perilous places.

Sentient beings' habitual tendency to cling to signs has long since penetrated deep into the marrow; the poisonous thorns of wrong views are truly hard to pull out. Helplessly, the World-Honored One must labor again and again to break through signs and break through signs once more, using all manner of parables and words to reveal to sentient beings the mind of true reality, which has not a single trace of sign. Yet there are still a great many people who do not see the true signless Tathāgata, but only see the Tathāgata with signs, coming and going, walking, stopping, arriving, and departing. But as for the Tathāgata with signs—will his signs of coming and going, sitting and lying down vanish and disappear from sight? After the signs of coming and going, sitting and lying down have vanished, where would one go to see the Tathāgata? And from where do his signs of coming and going, sitting and lying down come, and to where do they cease? And why is there coming and going, sitting and lying down at all? Those with a discerning mind should draw a great big question mark here, doubt deeply, and not let it pass.

The Tathāgata's sign of coming appears by relying on the five aggregates' form body, and manifests by relying on the five aggregates and the seven-consciousness mind; it is fundamentally the aggregate of formations among the five aggregates. If there were no five aggregates and seven consciousnesses, there would be no sign of coming for sentient beings to behold. And before this sign of coming, where was it? For what reason did it come? Because this sign of coming is a conditioned dharma subject to arising and ceasing, and all dharmas subject to arising and ceasing are born of causes and conditions: the sign of coming has the gathering of various conditions and is born from a cause; with cause and conditions present, the sign of coming manifests. When sentient beings behold it, they see only the sign of coming, not knowing from where the sign of coming comes, not knowing the cause of the sign of coming—this is the deluded one clinging to signs, not recognizing the true principle. Because sentient beings cling to signs and are deluded about the principle, they unite with the sense objects and turn away from awakening; hence they give rise to the wearisome dust, worldly signs continue unbroken, and birth and death never cease. If one wishes to escape the signs of birth and death, what should one do? Of course one must seek the cause that gives rise to the signs, recognize the principle of true suchness, remove delusion and karma, and return to the original state.

The Tathāgata's sign of going appears by relying on the five aggregates, and manifests by relying on the seven consciousnesses; it is fundamentally the aggregate of formations among the five aggregates. Relying on what cause do the five aggregates and seven consciousnesses manifest? Before going, there was coming and abiding; before coming and abiding there was a cause, and at the time of going, the going is not apart from cause—otherwise it could not go. And after going? The sign is entirely gone, but the cause of going does not cease; therefore it can go again and again, and come again and again—arising, abiding, changing, ceasing—thus cycling without end. This is vibrant vitality, conditions for arising everywhere, just like a splendid spring. As for the Tathāgata's signs of sitting and lying down, they too are fundamentally the aggregate of formations among the five aggregates, appearing by relying on the form body and the seven consciousnesses; the form body and the seven consciousnesses also have their causes for manifesting signs. By means of this cause, signs arise and signs cease; sentient beings see only the signs and the arising and ceasing of signs, and never see the originating cause of the signs' arising and ceasing—deluded by outward signs, they do not recognize the true principle. Therefore they go on being born endlessly and dying without cease, drifting and wandering, lost on the road without returning.

Sentient beings' accumulated delusions are hard to reverse. Helplessly, the World-Honored One, venerable as He is, has come to this Sahā world more than eight thousand times, with one hand pointing to heaven and one hand pointing to earth, revealing to sentient beings: "Above heaven and below heaven, I alone am the honored one!" He greatly displayed the Tathāgata's wisdom and virtuous marks, untying the bonds and removing the fetters for sentient beings, washing away the dust of weariness and the grime of affliction. Were He not a father of great compassion, who could be like this! If we are the filial children of the Tathāgata, then at the moment the World-Honored One points his fingers to heaven and earth, we should bare the right shoulder, place the right knee on the ground, press the palms together, and call out: My Buddha, Supreme Tathāgata, I now behold the true Tathāgata. From then on we can gradually continue the Buddha's work, proclaim the teaching on the Buddha's behalf, guide sentient beings, dispel delusion and reveal wisdom, and enter the knowledge and vision of the Buddha. If there can be many such filial children, the Buddha's work will have successors, the Buddha-Dharma will shine forth greatly, the ship of compassion will universally ferry all, the whole world will celebrate together, and the ten directions will all enter together the ocean of sarvākārajñatā.