Explanation of the Diamond Sutra: The Thirty-First Chapter on the Non-Arising of Views and Knowledge

Original Text: Subhuti. If someone says that the Buddha speaks of the view of a self, the view of a being, the view of a living being, and the view of a life span. Subhuti. What do you think? Does this person understand the meaning of what I have said? No, World-Honored One. This person does not understand the meaning of what the Tathagata has said.

Explanation: Subhuti, if someone says that the Buddha also speaks of the view of a self, the view of a being, the view of a living being, and the view of a life span, then the view of a self, the view of a being, the view of a living being, and the view of a life span would truly exist. Subhuti, what do you think? Does this person understand the meaning of what I have said? Subhuti replied: This person does not truly understand the meaning of what the World-Honored One has said.

When the World-Honored One expounds the Dharma, he must accord with the psychological perceptions of sentient beings, using the nouns and concepts that sentient beings employ. Only then can the Dharma be communicated with sentient beings, enabling them to understand, and allowing the Buddha to guide them towards the true meaning of the Buddhadharma, ultimately reaching the same state as the Buddha. Because sentient beings have the view of a self composed of the five aggregates, the concept and view of a being, the concept and view of a living being, and the concept and view of a life span, and their cognition and understanding of these concepts are all erroneous and inverted. Therefore, the World-Honored One must accord with sentient beings, using the same nouns and concepts that sentient beings recognize, in order to eradicate their erroneous cognition and rectify their mistaken views.

Thus, when the World-Honored One expounds the Dharma, he also uses terms like the view of a self, the view of a being, the view of a living being, and the view of a life span, and he specifically explains why the view of a self is a wrong view, why the view of a being is a wrong view, why the view of a living being is a wrong view, and why the view of a life span is a wrong view. Only then can he eradicate the four inverted wrong views of sentient beings, thereby enabling them to cut off the knots of birth and death within their minds, sever the fetters that bind them, and ultimately attain liberation. If not for this, how could the World-Honored One universally save sentient beings, enabling them to understand the true Buddhadharma, and thus benefit themselves and others? Therefore, although the Buddha uses terms like the view of a self and the view of a being, it does not mean that the view of a self, the view of a being, the view of a living being, and the view of a life span of sentient beings are real views. These views are also illusory, provisionally existent, and subject to cessation; they should not be clung to as real.

Original Text: Why is this? The World-Honored One speaks of the view of a self, the view of a being, the view of a living being, and the view of a life span, which are not the view of a self, the view of a being, the view of a living being, and the view of a life span. Therefore they are called the view of a self, the view of a being, the view of a living being, and the view of a life span.

Explanation: Why is this said? Because the view of a self, the view of a being, the view of a living being, and the view of a life span spoken of by the World-Honored One do not truly have a view of a self, a view of a being, a view of a living being, and a view of a life span. The so-called view of a self, view of a being, view of a living being, and view of a life span do not truly exist; they have no real dharma characteristics. They are merely provisionally named the view of a self, the view of a being, the view of a living being, and the view of a life span; they are just names.

These words spoken by Subhuti negate the reality of the existence of views such as the view of a self, the view of a being, the view of a living being, and the view of a life span, which precisely accords with the meaning of Prajna in the preceding text of the sutra. Because these views are not real dharmas, it is through cultivation that these views can be eliminated and the four marks can be eradicated. Applying that formula: What is called... is not... therefore it is called..., the principle of this formula negates the true existence of all dharmas in the world. There are no truly existent dharmas in the world; all are illusory. Because they are all produced and manifested by the Tathagatagarbha, they are all functions of the seeds of the Tathagatagarbha, and their essence is also the Tathagatagarbha. Therefore, all dharmas in the world are merely false names, without true meaning.

The view of a self, the view of a being, the view of a living being, and the view of a life span—these four wrong views are also among the doctrinal dharmas of the world. They are dharmas that arise later and can be extinguished, dharmas that were previously non-existent, come into existence, and then cease to exist. In fact, even when they exist, they are subject to momentary arisings and cessations. Because the speed of arising and ceasing is too fast, sentient beings, unaware, mistakenly believe them to be real, thus forming various wrong views and mistaken views. These wrong views are all illusory false appearances, not real. If they were real, sentient beings could not eliminate these wrong views through cultivation and thereby perfect correct views and insights. These wrong views lack self-nature and autonomy; they arise dependent on external conditions and are produced by the Tathagatagarbha.

So what is the view of a self? And how does it arise? The view of a self is the view regarding the mark of a self. The correct view holds that the mark of a self is empty; the erroneous view holds that the mark of a self exists. First, regarding the self: the self that sentient beings believe in refers to, first, the physical body; second, the six consciousnesses; third, the seventh consciousness, the manas; or the combination of these three, the self of the five aggregates and the self of the eighteen realms. These selves are all false selves, not real, without substance. They are all produced by causes and conditions, manifested through illusion, and disperse when conditions cease, leaving nothing to rely on.

The aggregate of form is produced by the four great seeds of the Tathagatagarbha, undergoing birth, abiding, change, and extinction, changing and impermanent. In terms of appearance, it exists; in essence, it is non-existent; its fundamental nature is the Tathagatagarbha. The aggregate of feeling is the sensations of the six consciousnesses, produced by the Tathagatagarbha supplying the seeds of the six consciousnesses. It undergoes birth, abiding, change, and extinction, is illusory and not real, disperses when conditions cease, and cannot be relied upon. The aggregate of perception is the function of the six consciousnesses grasping and cognizing the objects of the six sense spheres. It is produced by the Tathagatagarbha supplying the seeds of the six consciousnesses, manifested through illusion, disperses when conditions cease, and cannot be relied upon. The aggregate of formation is the flux and change of the physical and mental activities of the six consciousnesses, as well as the alterations and changes of the physical body. It is produced by the Tathagatagarbha supplying the seeds of the seven elements, undergoes birth, abiding, change, and extinction, is illusory and not real, disperses when conditions cease, and cannot be relied upon. The aggregate of consciousness is the discriminative nature of the six consciousnesses, produced by the Tathagatagarbha supplying the seeds of the six consciousnesses, is illusory and not true, disperses when conditions cease, and cannot be relied upon. The four aggregates also lack substantiality and independence. In terms of appearance, they exist; in essence, they are non-existent; their fundamental nature is the Tathagatagarbha.

The self that sentient beings believe in also includes the eighteen realms: the six faculties, six objects, and six consciousnesses. These dharmas are also produced by the Tathagatagarbha supplying the seeds of the seven elements. They arise and cease, change and transform. In terms of appearance, they exist; in essence, they are non-existent; their fundamental nature is the Tathagatagarbha. Who is it that considers the five aggregates and eighteen realms as self and thus has the view of a self? It is the sixth consciousness and the seventh consciousness. The view of a self of the sixth consciousness is called the intermittent view of a self; the view of a self of the seventh consciousness is called the innate view of a self. Because the existence of the sixth consciousness is in segments; it cannot go to the future life; it disappears when life ends and arises when life appears; therefore, it is intermittent. The seventh consciousness has existed since beginningless time and can go to the future life. Only when one attains the fruit of an Arhat and completely eliminates attachments does one have the ability to extinguish the seventh consciousness; therefore, it is called the innate view of a self and innate self-attachment.

These two consciousnesses are the primary bearers of the view of a self. For these two consciousnesses, the Tathagatagarbha supplies the seeds of consciousness so that they can arise, exist, and function. Therefore, the sixth and seventh consciousnesses lack autonomy, substantiality, and independence. They arise and cease, change and transform, are illusory and impermanent, and are subject to momentary arisings and cessations and transformations. Thus, the view of a self of the six consciousnesses and the view of a self of the seventh consciousness are not the view of a self; they are not a truly existent view of a self, not a view of a self with substance. They are an illusory view of a self, whose essence is the Tathagatagarbha. Therefore, the view of a self of the six consciousnesses and the view of a self of the seventh consciousness are named the view of a self; the view of a self is merely a false name.

The same principle applies to the view of a being, the view of a living being, and the view of a life span, which correspond to the view of a self. They are all erroneous wrong views arising from the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, which are illusory manifestations of the Tathagatagarbha. These wrong views and erroneous understandings are also not truly existent; they are like a mirage, empty and unreal. Superficially, they appear to exist; in essence, they are non-existent; their fundamental nature is the Tathagatagarbha. There are no real such wrong views and erroneous understandings. Just as afflictions are enlightenment, the essence of afflictions is the Bodhi mind, the Tathagatagarbha. Wrong views and erroneous knowledge are also functions of the Bodhi mind, the Tathagatagarbha. Therefore, their essence is also the Tathagatagarbha; there is nothing else besides this.

Original Text: Subhuti. One who has aroused the mind for Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi should thus know, thus see, thus believe and understand all dharmas, without giving rise to the marks of dharmas.

Explanation: The World-Honored One said: One who has aroused the mind for Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi should thus understand all dharmas, should thus regard all dharmas, should thus generate faith and understanding, without giving rise to any marks of dharmas in the mind, nor clinging to any marks of dharmas, remaining empty and pure, open and magnanimous.

Here, the World-Honored One exhorts Bodhisattvas who have aroused the great Bodhi mind to investigate all dharmas thoroughly, penetrating to their origin and essence. They should deeply know the essence of all dharmas, not clinging to illusory false appearances, not grasping false names. They should contemplate all dharmas again and again, reflect on them repeatedly, like peeling a plantain, layer by layer removing the outer skin, until they see its innermost, most fundamental part, and then realize that the plantain is originally empty, without any substantial appearance of a plantain.

Observing all dharmas in this way, one will know that they are all originally empty, without any substantial dharmas; they are all the empty mark of the Tathagatagarbha. Thus, the mind becomes still, eliminating false thoughts, no longer hoping to seek or grasp any marks of dharmas, no longer chasing or begging outwardly. One thus returns to the origin of the mind-ground, returns to the homeland of one's own nature. In this way, the mind will no longer give rise to any marks of dharmas, regarding all dharmas as dreams, illusions, mirages, reflections, and moon in water, never again clinging to or grasping them as real dharmas. This will eliminate the causes of the activities of birth and death, extinguish the karmic fruits of birth and death, exhaust ignorance, empty the fruits of异熟 (vipaka), manifest the great perfect mirror wisdom, sit in the Dharma seat throughout the ten directions, and broadly benefit countless boundless destined beings.

Original Text: Subhuti. What are called the marks of dharmas, the Tathagata speaks of as not marks of dharmas. Therefore they are called the marks of dharmas.

Explanation: Subhuti, the so-called marks of dharmas spoken of by sentient beings, the Tathagata says are not truly existent marks of dharmas, not real marks of dharmas; they are merely names. Therefore, they are provisionally named the marks of dharmas.

The marks of dharmas include the marks of form dharmas and the marks of mind dharmas within the three realms. The marks of form dharmas are the five faculties and the corresponding forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, and dharmas of the six objects. Whether it is the external objects of forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, and dharmas, or the internal objects of forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, and dharmas, none are truly existent marks of dharmas. Superficially, they appear to exist; in essence, they are empty. These form dharmas are all constituted by the Tathagatagarbha emitting the seeds of the four great elements. Therefore, they are illusory, like flowers in the sky, like a mirage, like light and shadow, like the moon in water. Their essence is the mark of the Tathagatagarbha. And the mark of the Tathagatagarbha is also empty. Thus, forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, dharmas, and the five faculties are all empty marks. Therefore, they are not marks of dharmas; they have only names, no substance.

The marks of mind dharmas are the marks of the seven consciousnesses and the marks of the mental factors accompanying the seven consciousnesses. The marks of the seven consciousnesses are formed by the Tathagatagarbha emitting the seeds of the seven consciousnesses. The seeds of consciousness arise momentarily and cease momentarily, undergoing arising, ceasing, change, and transformation, being illusory and not real. The functioning appearances of the seven consciousnesses in operation superficially appear to exist; in essence, they are empty, like a mirage, merely deluding the eyes. Therefore, the seven consciousnesses also do not truly exist; they have no real marks of dharmas. Their essence is the empty mark of the Tathagatagarbha.

The functioning appearances of the seven consciousnesses in operation manifest in the form of mental factors, including the five universal mental factors of attention, contact, feeling, perception, and volition, as well as all other mental factors. When the seven consciousnesses operate, these five mental factors accompany the seven consciousnesses and manifest. Other mental factors sometimes also accompany the seven consciousnesses and manifest. When the seven consciousnesses arise, the mental factors manifest accordingly; when the seven consciousnesses cease, the mental factors cease accordingly. The seven consciousnesses arise and cease, are illusory, and are not real. The mental factors are even more subject to arising and ceasing, illusory, and not real. Their superficial functioning appearances seem to exist, but in essence, they are empty and illusory, ungraspable. Their essence is the empty mark of the Tathagatagarbha. Therefore, the marks of mind dharmas are also empty; they are merely names. Thus, the Buddha says that the marks of dharmas are not marks of dharmas; they are not truly existent marks of dharmas; they are all just names. They should not be taken as real, nor should they be clung to.