Diamond Sutra Explanation. Why is there no single dharma that can enable the Tathāgata to attain Buddhahood?

Original text of Chapter Seventeen, "Ultimately There Is No Self":须菩提。于意云何。如来于然灯佛所。有法得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提不。不也。世尊。如我解佛所说义。佛于然灯佛所。无有法得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。

Explanation: Subhūti, what do you think? When the Tathāgata was with Dīpaṃkara Buddha, did He obtain any dharma by which He attained anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi? Subhūti said: World-Honored One, according to my understanding of the meaning of what You have taught, when You were with Dīpaṃkara Buddha, You did not obtain any dharma by which to achieve anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi.

When the World-Honored One met the ancient Buddha Dīpaṃkara, He realized the fruition of the eighth bhūmi, the Immovable Ground; His mind-ground was pure and unconditioned (asaṃskṛta), with not a single dharma in His mind to confront Him, not a single mark in His mind to attach to, emptying all dharmas, relinquishing all dharmas, utterly empty and bare. Only then did Dīpaṃkara Buddha confer the prediction of buddhahood upon Śākyamuni Buddha. Yet even the dharma-mark of receiving the prediction of buddhahood is empty and illusory; the fruition of the eighth bhūmi that He realized is also empty and illusory; the dharma-mark of the mind-ground being pure and unconditioned is also empty and illusory; the dharma-mark of "not clinging to any dharma" is also empty and illusory; the dharma-mark of "the mind being utterly empty and bare" is also empty and illusory; and now that the World-Honored One has become a Buddha, the dharma-mark of becoming the Honored One of the Three Realms is also empty and illusory. Of everything in the world, there is not a single mark that is not empty and illusory, not a single mark that is real—except for that unborn and unceasing, indestructible vajra mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta) which is not within the world. Therefore, when the Buddha was with Dīpaṃkara Buddha, He obtained no dharma of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi.

Original text:佛言。如是如是。须菩提。实无有法。如来得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。须菩提。若有法如来得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提者。然灯佛则不与我授记。汝于来世。当得作佛。号释迦牟尼。以实无有法。得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。是故然灯佛。与我授记。作是言。汝于来世。当得作佛。号释迦牟尼。

Explanation: The Buddha said: It is so, it is so. Subhūti, truly there is no dharma by which the Tathāgata attains the fruition of buddhahood, nor does the Tathāgata rely on any dharma to attain the fruition of buddhahood. If there were one dharma or many dharmas on which the Tathāgata could rely to attain anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi, then Dīpaṃkara Buddha would not have given me the prediction, saying: In a future life, in such-and-such a kalpa, you shall become a Buddha, named Śākyamuni Buddha, with such-and-such a buddha-land, such-and-such disciples, such-and-such a transmission of the Buddha-dharma, and so on. Because the Tathāgata truly has no dharma on which to rely, and yet can realize anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi. Therefore Dīpaṃkara Buddha gave me the prediction, saying: In a future life, at such-and-such a time, you shall become a Buddha, and your buddha-name will be Śākyamuni Buddha.

Here "Tathāgata" explicitly refers to the World-Honored One Buddha who possesses a body of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha), and implicitly refers to the tathatā mind-substance, the vajra prajñā mind. The Buddha's indestructible vajra mind, from beginningless kalpas until now, has never obtained a single dharma—not even the dharma of attaining buddhahood. Because He is not a mind that seeks to gain anything, not a greedy acquisitive mind; moreover, He Himself is perfectly endowed with all dharmas, lacking not a single one; whatever exists in the world all comes from within this mind. As for the Buddha-dharma, the tathatā mind-substance does not obtain it either; He has never studied Buddhism or studied the Dharma, yet the Buddha and the Dharma both point to Himself, so there would be no need for Him to study Himself. He does not cultivate precepts, meditation (samādhi), and wisdom either, nor extinguish greed, anger, and delusion, nor break through ignorance, because He Himself is fully endowed with precepts, meditation, and wisdom, and has no ignorance, greed, anger, or delusion. He also does not need to remove the four marks or the eight marks, because He Himself has not a single mark, does not crave or attach to any mark, does not correspond with any mark, and yet can transform and create immeasurable, boundless numbers of marks. Therefore the Tathāgata truly obtained no dharma of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi.

As for the Tathāgata who possesses a body of the five aggregates, relying on the markless, true Tathāgata mind-substance, He also obtains not a single dharma, nor obtains the Buddha-dharma; within and without, body and mind are all stark naked, bare and clean, without a single dharma; corresponding with the tathatā mind-substance, relinquishing all dharmas and all marks—even the Buddha-dharma is relinquished in its entirety—only then can one become a Buddha. If there is a single dharma in the mind that is not emptied and purified, one cannot achieve the buddha-way. Although one achieves the buddha-way and attains the fruition of buddhahood, in reality there is no buddha-fruit to be obtained; even the dharma of "not obtaining" is not obtained. Whatever dharma is obtained, whatever dharma has marks, is entirely empty and illusory; only thus can one become a Buddha, only thus is one the World-Honored One.

Original text:何以故。如来者。即诸法如义。若有人言。如来得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。须菩提。实无有法。佛得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。

Explanation: Why is it said that truly there is no dharma by which the Tathāgata attains anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi? The Tathāgata I speak of refers to the meaning of tathatā of all dharmas, the underlying principle-substance inherently present in all dharmas. If someone says that the Tathāgata attained anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi, that the Tathāgata became a Buddha, such a statement would imply that the Tathāgata truly had a dharma to obtain—but what dharma could the Tathāgata obtain? In fact, the Tathāgata obtains nothing. Subhūti, truly there is no dharma by which the Buddha attains anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi. Only by obtaining not a single dharma can one attain the so-called anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi; only thus is it provisionally named attaining anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi.

What did the Buddha actually obtain? Did He obtain the fruition of buddhahood? By what dharma did He attain the fruition of buddhahood? "Obtaining" is a surface phenomenon; in reality He obtains nothing, and nothing can be obtained. Surface phenomena can be seen and felt by many people, but what is seen and felt is not real; it is all produced by karmic conditions, all illusory manifestation. "Obtaining" is the surface phenomenon; "not obtaining" is the substance. When the surface phenomenon and the substance are combined, that is what is called attaining the fruit of buddha-bodhi. The Tathāgata obtains nothing from any dharma, because He is inherently endowed with all the myriad dharmas, and He does not crave or seek any dharma; therefore He obtains none of all dharmas, nor does He obtain the fruit of buddha-bodhi.