The Profound Meaning of the Diamond Sutra: Vijñapti-mātratā (12)

Section 2: Subhuti Makes a Request

Original Text: At that time, the elder Subhuti rose from his seat amidst the assembly. He bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee on the ground, joined his palms respectfully, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "How rare, World-Honored One! The Tathagata skillfully protects and cares for all bodhisattvas, and skillfully entrusts and instructs all bodhisattvas. World-Honored One, when virtuous men and virtuous women resolve to attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, how should they abide? How should they subdue their minds?" The Buddha said: "Excellent, excellent! Subhuti, as you have said, the Tathagata skillfully protects and cares for all bodhisattvas, and skillfully entrusts and instructs all bodhisattvas. Now listen carefully, I shall explain it to you. When virtuous men and virtuous women resolve to attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, they should abide thus, and thus subdue their minds." "Yes, World-Honored One, I am eager and delighted to hear."

Explanation: Subhuti is also known as Shan Xian (Good Manifestation). He was foremost among Shakyamuni Buddha's disciples in understanding emptiness. While still in his mother's womb, he knew all phenomena were empty and quiescent, due to the profound roots of goodness accumulated over many kalpas in past lives. He was unconfused and unperverted during conception, gestation, and birth. Upon his birth, the treasures in his household vanished, signifying the emptiness of all things; they reappeared spontaneously a few days later. He is honored as an elder, meaning one of prestige and virtue among the assembly, one not corresponding to the three poisons and afflictions. Subhuti attained the fruit of arhatship through practicing the Hinayana teaching of emptiness. However, when the World-Honored One expounded the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra, he turned his mind toward the Mahayana and embarked on the bodhisattva path. When the Buddha expounded sutras, he often used a specific circumstance as an introduction to elaborate upon a sutra. It was rare for him to expound a sutra without a request unless it was exceptionally important. This sutra was initiated by Subhuti's request.

Shortly after the World-Honored One had finished his meal and sat cross-legged, Subhuti rose from his seat amidst the assembly, joined his palms, and asked the Buddha: "How rare, World-Honored One! The Tathagata skillfully protects and cares for all bodhisattvas, and skillfully entrusts and instructs all bodhisattvas. World-Honored One, when virtuous men and virtuous women resolve to attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, how should they abide? How should they subdue their minds?" Subhuti began by praising the World-Honored One as the rarest, most uncommon, and hardest to encounter sage in the world. Indeed, the World-Honored One is exceedingly rare: only one Buddha exists in a great trichiliocosm. A small world consists of one sun and moon, extending from the hells beneath the four great oceans to the Earth, up to Mount Sumeru, and encompassing the six heavens of the desire realm. One thousand small worlds, plus the heavens of the first dhyana in the form realm, constitute a small chiliocosm. One thousand small chiliocosms, plus the heavens of the second dhyana, form a middle chiliocosm. One thousand middle chiliocosms, plus the heavens of the third dhyana and above in the form realm, constitute a great trichiliocosm. In such an immense world, only one Buddha appears, and his manifestation in the world is extremely brief. The interval between the appearance of two successive Buddhas is also very long. The shortest interval is between Shakyamuni Buddha and Maitreya Buddha, which is 567 million years. Often, the intervals are much longer, spanning many great kalpas or even longer periods without a single Buddha appearing. From this, it is evident that encountering the World-Honored One is truly rare and difficult.