Explanation of the Diamond Sutra: The Non-Speaking and the Spoken, Chapter Twenty-One

Original Text: “Subhūti, do not say that the Tathāgata has the thought, ‘I shall teach the Dharma.’ Do not think thus. Why? If someone says that the Tathāgata teaches the Dharma, that person slanders the Buddha, for he does not understand what I have taught. Subhūti, the teacher of the Dharma has no Dharma to teach; this is called teaching the Dharma.”

Explanation: Subhūti, do not say that the Tathāgata has such a thought: that the Tathāgata will teach the Dharma for the benefit of sentient beings, widely benefiting them. The Tathāgata has no thought or intention of teaching the Dharma for sentient beings. Subhūti, you must not think thus, and you must not have such an idea. Why do I tell you not to have this concept, not to think that the Tathāgata wishes to teach the Dharma? Because if someone says that the Tathāgata has a Dharma to teach, or that the Tathāgata has already taught the Dharma, that person slanders the Buddha, and such a person does not truly understand the Dharma teachings I have expounded. Subhūti, the teacher of the Dharma has no Dharma to teach; it is provisionally called teaching the Dharma.

Since the Tathāgata is greatly compassionate, why does the World-Honored One not allow Subhūti to think that the Tathāgata has the thought of teaching the Dharma to liberate sentient beings? Why does the Tathāgata have no thought of teaching the Dharma to liberate sentient beings? The Tathāgata is divided into three bodies of the Tathāgata. Therefore, we must explain the three bodies of the Tathāgata separately and correctly understand the respective virtues and functions of each. Then we will know why the Tathāgata has no thought of teaching the Dharma to liberate sentient beings. The three bodies of the Tathāgata are: the Dharmakāya Tathāgata, the Saṃbhogakāya Tathāgata, and the Nirmāṇakāya and Transformation-body Tathāgata. Among them, the Dharmakāya Tathāgata is the true suchness mind-essence and the principle-essence, the undefiled consciousness. It is formless and markless, without the marks of the five aggregates, without the thirty-two marks, yet it contains all dharmas. However, the Saṃbhogakāya Tathāgata and the Nirmāṇakāya Tathāgata both have the marks of the five aggregates and the thirty-two marks; these marks are all transformations from the Dharmakāya Tathāgata.

Thus, for the Tathāgata to teach the Dharma, He must rely on the five aggregates to do so; without the five aggregates, He cannot teach the Dharma. With the five aggregates and the seven consciousnesses, there can be the thought of teaching the Dharma; without the five aggregates and the seven consciousnesses, there is no thought of wanting to teach the Dharma. Since the Dharmakāya Tathāgata has no five aggregates, He cannot teach the Dharma, because He lacks the instrument for teaching. If someone says that the Dharmakāya Tathāgata also taught the Dharma, and even taught the twelve divisions of the Tripiṭaka, that person slanders the Buddha. For the true suchness mind-essence has no mouth, no tongue, and does not correspond to mental objects; how then could it teach the Dharma? Since the true suchness cannot teach the Dharma, to claim that the Tathāgata taught the Dharma is to misunderstand the nature of the true suchness and to slander the World-Honored One. Such a person has not truly understood the nature of the true suchness as taught by the World-Honored One and does not comprehend the meaning of the Buddha’s Dharma.

Among the three bodies of the Tathāgata, the Dharmakāya Tathāgata does not teach the Dharma, because He lacks the instrument of the five aggregates. Only the Saṃbhogakāya Tathāgata continuously teaches the Dharma day and night, liberating bodhisattvas on the grounds. The Nirmāṇakāya Tathāgata constantly teaches the Dharma in the ten directions, liberating ordinary, foolish sentient beings and all great bodhisattvas. Although the Saṃbhogakāya Buddha and the Nirmāṇakāya Buddha can constantly teach the Dharma, they still have no Dharma to teach. Even though they have taught the twelve divisions of the Tripiṭaka and countless dharmas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, the dharmas they teach are not truly existent dharmas; they are provisional dharmas arising due to various causes and conditions. When conditions cease, they disperse; when conditions arise, they are born. They are illusorily born and illusorily perish, and are provisionally called dharmas.

Moreover, the five aggregates of the teacher of the Dharma are also illusorily born and illusorily perish. They exist due to the gathering of causes and conditions and cease when causes and conditions disperse; none of them are true dharmas. Therefore, the act of having the five aggregates and teaching the Dharma is itself illusory and unreal. It is provisionally called teaching the Dharma, merely a name given to this phenomenon. Since there is no Dharma to teach, the Tathāgata has no thought of teaching the Dharma, and there are no sentient beings to liberate; thus, the Tathāgata has no thought of liberating sentient beings. Moreover, the Tathāgata constantly abides in the Eternal Stillness and Light Land, with a mind eternally quiescent, without thoughts or concepts, not thinking of the dharmas of the three realms, and having no dharma to think of or conceive. He does not think of or conceive of the work of teaching the Dharma and liberating sentient beings, let alone other miscellaneous thoughts, which would never arise. Yet, He does not hinder His cooperation with the Saṃbhogakāya Buddha and the Nirmāṇakāya Buddha in teaching the Dharma and liberating sentient beings, benefiting and bringing joy to beings. Although He cooperates, His mind remains without thoughts or concepts, still and inactive.

Original Text: “At that time, the venerable Subhūti, endowed with wisdom, said to the Buddha, ‘World-Honored One, will there be sentient beings in the future age who, hearing this Dharma, give rise to faith?’”

Explanation: At that time, the great virtuous and wise bhikṣu Subhūti said to the World-Honored One: “World-Honored One, in the future age of the final Dharma, will there be many sentient beings who, hearing such a profound Dharma, be able to give rise to faith?”

Subhūti asked this with concern because this Dharma is so deep and difficult to understand, destroying all marks of dharmas, making it hard for sentient beings to accept. Moreover, sentient beings, from beginningless time, have been accustomed to clinging to marks, often dwelling in existence, and find it difficult to extricate themselves from the mire of marks and empty their minds. If sentient beings lack deep roots of virtue and merit, clinging to worldly marks and name-marks, they will not give rise to faith upon hearing such a profound Mahāyāna reality-dharma. Some may become frightened and agitated, doubting and disbelieving. Only those who have accumulated deep roots of virtue and merit over many lifetimes can joyfully accept and believe.

Original Text: “The Buddha said, ‘Subhūti, those sentient beings are not sentient beings, nor are they not sentient beings. Why? Subhūti, sentient beings, sentient beings—the Tathāgata says they are not sentient beings; they are called sentient beings.’”

Explanation: The World-Honored One said: “Subhūti, those sentient beings appear on the surface to be sentient beings, but in reality, they are not sentient beings; yet they cannot be said not to be sentient beings. Why is this said? Subhūti, what are called sentient beings—sentient beings—the Tathāgata says they are not real; they are not truly existent sentient beings; they are provisionally called sentient beings, merely a name.”

Here, the World-Honored One once again destroys the mark of sentient beings. The mark of sentient beings is an illusory mark, not a dharma-mark, not truly existent. Relying on the reality-mind, the tathāgatagarbha, and relying on karmic conditions, the five aggregates can be illusorily manifested. The illusory mark of the combination of the five aggregates and the eighteen realms is given a provisional name, called sentient beings. It has no substantial self-nature; it is merely a false appearance that deceives the eyes. Therefore, those five aggregates are not sentient beings, but they cannot be said not to be sentient beings. We give this false appearance the name sentient beings, and the name has already been established. All marks are names, and each has its own name, without confusion. The illusory mark of the five aggregates is represented by the name sentient beings; saying “sentient beings” indicates that this is the mark of the five aggregates. Thus, the Buddha said: “They are not sentient beings, nor are they not sentient beings; they are called sentient beings.” All conditioned worldly dharmas are merely names. Therefore, this chapter is called “The Non-preaching and Non-teaching Chapter.” The Tathāgata has not taught the Dharma; the Dharma taught is not truly spoken; it is all illusory, without real meaning.