Explanation of the Diamond Sutra: The Pure Mind and Practice of Goodness, Chapter 23

Original text: “Furthermore, Subhuti. This Dharma is equal, with no high or low. This is called Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

Explanation: Continuing the discourse, Subhuti, all dharmas in the world are equal, without any distinction of high or low. Attaining such a state is called Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, that is, the achievement of unsurpassed Buddhahood.

“This Dharma” refers to all dharmas within the three realms of existence. Whatever is called a dharma, all existing dharma characteristics, without exception, are equally one, without high or low, without distinction. The entirety is the true suchness. From the perspective of the principle of true suchness, all dharma characteristics are the equal true mind-principle, without duality. The arising of such great wisdom is provisionally named the attainment of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

Why does the World-Honored One speak thus? Because at the time of the Buddha’s enlightenment, His seventh consciousness had completely transformed into the wisdom of equality. His cognition of all dharmas, both worldly and supramundane, had reached ultimate and complete equality, without even a trace of unequal mind. First, from the perspective of the Buddha’s most ultimate and unsurpassed sixth consciousness, the wisdom of marvelous observation, He observes that all the myriad dharmas of the three realms arise from the operation of the true suchness mind-substance, the ultimate reality. All dharma characteristics are essentially the fundamental true suchness.

Just like all gold artifacts made from gold, including all ornaments, all daily utensils, and various figures and images, all items made from gold are essentially gold, with nothing else. Whether it is a gold ornament or a gold figure, all are gold and can be used and circulated as gold. If someone sees not the gold but only the appearance of the item, that person is one who clings to false appearances and does not recognize the true substance. Not knowing the preciousness of true gold, they abandon the gold and grasp at false appearances. Such a person is called one without wisdom. Worldly ordinary beings are likewise. They only see the false appearances of the world, not the essence of those false appearances. They cling to names and characteristics, not recognizing the fundamental nature. Thus, due to ignorance and attachment to characteristics, they endlessly revolve in the cycle of birth and death within the six realms, suffering greatly, which is truly pitiable.

The Buddha’s wisdom of marvelous observation not only sees that all dharmas are true suchness but also directly observes how true suchness flows forth the seeds within the mind-substance, accomplishing all the characteristics of the myriad dharmas of the three realms. Therefore, the Buddha’s seventh consciousness, the wisdom of equality, can equally treat all sentient beings of the three realms, without discriminating between high and low, noble and base. The Buddha equally regards all sentient beings as possessing the wisdom and virtuous characteristics of the Tathagata, as Buddhas in the causal ground, who in the future will perfectly accomplish the enlightenment of the fruition ground. Thus, the Buddha generates unconditioned great compassion toward sentient beings, broadly benefiting them. As long as sentient beings’ faculties are mature, regardless of whether they are good or evil, He equally bestows the Dharma-food, delivering them to attain the Way and liberation.

Original text: “Because there is no self, no being, no sentient being, no life span, and cultivating all good dharmas, one attains Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

Explanation: When sentient beings, within their minds, are not attached to the characteristics of self, being, sentient being, or life span, and with a mind devoid of the characteristics of self, being, sentient being, and life span, they cultivate all good dharmas, both worldly and supramundane, they will attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

Early in the Diamond Sutra, the World-Honored One broke the four characteristics for sentient beings. Only a bodhisattva who has broken the four characteristics can correspond with the principle-substance of vajra prajna, can correspond with the ultimate reality of all dharmas, can correspond with true suchness, and ultimately will correspond with Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Because sentient beings, from beginningless eons, have been continuously attached to the four characteristics, not corresponding with the principle-substance of emptiness, they have, for the sake of the four characteristics, extensively created immeasurable and boundless evil karma, sinking for eons in the ocean of birth and death, suffering immeasurably, with no opportunity for escape. The root cause lies in the disease of attachment to the four characteristics. Out of great compassion, the World-Honored One skillfully established various expedient means to uproot the disease of sentient beings’ attachment to and grasping of characteristics, because without the four characteristics, one can escape the great fire pit of birth and death.

Why can the absence of the four characteristics lead to escape from the great fire pit of birth and death? From the perspective of the Small Vehicle teachings, as long as sentient beings can break the characteristic of self, they will escape the three evil destinies. When they cultivate to the point of cutting off attachment to their own five aggregates and to the dharmas of the three realms, they become capable of escaping the cycle of birth and death in the six realms. Thus, they escape the fire pit of segmented birth and death, temporarily attaining rest. When sentient beings continue to advance along the Bodhisattva path and the Buddha path, they will gradually break through various dharmic attachments, cut off various kinds of transformative birth and death, and realize the true purity of nirvana. From then on, there is no birth and death, and the great fire pit of birth and death is truly and completely escaped.

The starting point for entering the Bodhisattva path and the Buddha path is to realize the vajra prajna true suchness mind-substance, which is originally devoid of the four characteristics. Cultivating based on this principle-substance without the four characteristics, the mind becomes progressively purified. One will break through all conditioned dharma characteristics of the world, not even attaching to the characteristic of true suchness. The mind becomes empty, pure, extremely empty and pure, with not a single dharma characteristic remaining in existence or attachment. Only then can one thoroughly and completely correspond with the true suchness mind-substance, ultimately perfectly accomplishing Buddhahood and attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Therefore, the World-Honored One said that by having no self, no being, no sentient being, no life span, and cultivating all good dharmas, corresponding with the essence of true suchness, one can accomplish Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

Original text: “Subhuti, what is spoken of as good dharmas, the Tathagata says are not good dharmas; they are merely called good dharmas.”

Explanation: Subhuti, the good dharmas I speak of, and the good dharmas recognized by sentient beings, the Tathagata says are also not good dharmas. There is no actual meaning of “good” or “dharma”; they are merely appearances. Therefore, they are provisionally named good dharmas.

Good dharmas are divided into many levels and connotations. There are good dharmas of the mundane world, good dharmas of the supramundane world, small good dharmas, great good dharmas, and good dharmas of the ultimate meaning. Mundane good dharmas are the five precepts and the ten wholesome actions. When the World-Honored One first came to the Saha world, He first taught the good dharmas of humans and devas, enabling sentient beings to cultivate accordingly and attain worldly merit and virtue. This is the small good. After sentient beings attain worldly merit and virtue, they can then follow the World-Honored One to study the Agama path of liberation, escaping the suffering of the three realms. This is the middle good. Subsequently, for over twenty years, the World-Honored One proclaimed the principles of prajna to sentient beings, enabling them to cultivate accordingly and realize the prajna ultimate reality, becoming bodhisattvas of true meaning, and then generating various profound prajna wisdoms. This is the superior good. After that, the World-Honored One proclaimed the profound principles of the Vaipulya and Consciousness-Only teachings, guiding Mahayana bodhisattvas to gradually acquire profound wisdom of the path. This is the great good. Finally, the World-Honored One proclaimed the ultimate meaning of the One Buddha Vehicle, such as the Lotus and Nirvana Sutras, guiding all sentient beings to enter the path to Buddhahood, cultivate the Dharma of becoming a Buddha, and attain the ultimate and perfect Buddha-fruit. This is the ultimate good.

These good dharmas all have corresponding dharma characteristics. These dharma characteristics are manifested and conjured forth based on the Tathagata-garbha, the mind-substance without characteristics, which is devoid of the four characteristics. These dharma characteristics are accomplished by the Tathagata-garbha flowing forth seeds according to various conditions. The appearances exist and are visible to sentient beings, but existence is not true existence; characteristics are not true characteristics. Their essence is the true suchness Tathagata-garbha. They are all things within the one true dharma realm of true suchness, not outside true suchness. All characteristics of good dharmas are like gold artifacts; they all come from gold, and their essence is the gold of the Tathagata-garbha. Therefore, they are all one true dharma realm—the substance of true suchness. Thus, all these false characteristics of good dharmas, which are not truly existent dharmas, are named good dharmas. Although the name is good dharmas, the essence is the principle-substance of true suchness.