The Profound Yogācāra Meaning of the Diamond Sutra (55)

Original text: 须菩提。于意云何。若人满三千大千世界七宝以用布施。是人所得福德。宁为多不。须菩提言。甚多。世尊。何以故。是福德即非福德性。是故如来说福德多。若复有人。于此经中受持乃至四句偈等。为他人说。其福胜彼。何以故。须菩提。一切诸佛及诸佛阿耨多罗三藐三菩提法。皆从此经出。须菩提。所谓佛法者。即非佛法。

Explanation: The Buddha said: "Subhūti, what do you think? If someone were to take the seven treasures of a trichiliocosm (three thousand great thousand worlds) and use them for giving (dāna), would the merit this person obtains be abundant?" Subhūti said: "Very abundant, World-Honored One. Why is this so? Because this merit is merit, not the nature of merit; the nature of merit admits no distinction of much or little. That is why the Tathāgata speaks of merit as abundant." The Buddha said: "If, however, there is someone who receives and upholds from this sutra even as little as a four-line verse, and expounds it for others, the merit obtained will surpass that of giving the seven treasures. Why is this so? Subhūti, all Buddhas and the dharma of the Buddhas' anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi (unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment) all arise from this sutra. Subhūti, what is called the Buddha-dharma is, in truth, not the Buddha-dharma." In other words, the dharma spoken by the Buddha is not the Buddha-dharma in the true sense; the Buddha-dharma in the true sense refers to the tathatā (suchness) and Buddha-nature.