The Profound Meaning of the Diamond Sutra from the Consciousness-Only Perspective (139)

Sentient beings, deeply lost in delusion, find it hard to return. Helplessly, the World-Honored One, out of His great compassion, came to this Sahā world more than eight thousand times, with one hand pointing to heaven and one hand pointing to earth, revealing to sentient beings: "Above heaven and below heaven, I alone am the honored one!" He greatly manifested the Tathāgata's wisdom, virtues, and marks, untying the bonds and removing the fetters for sentient beings, washing away the defilements of weariness and affliction. Were He not a father of great loving-kindness, who could act thus! If we are the filial children of the Tathāgata, then at the moment the World-Honored One pointed to heaven and earth, we should bare the right shoulder, place the right knee on the ground, press the palms together, and call out: "My Buddha, supreme Tathāgata, I now behold the true Tathāgata." From then on, we would gradually be able to continue the Buddha's work, proclaim the teaching on His behalf, guide sentient beings, dispel delusion and reveal wisdom, and enter the Buddha's knowledge and vision. If there could be many such filial children, the Buddha's work would have successors, the Buddha-dharma would shine forth greatly, the ship of compassion would universally ferry beings across, and all under heaven would rejoice together as the ten directions together enter the ocean of sarvajña (omniscient wisdom). So how are sentient beings to recognize the truth? The World-Honored One then continued His teaching: "The Tathāgata is one who comes from nowhere and goes nowhere; therefore He is called the Tathāgata." "Comes from nowhere" means there is no place from which the Tathāgata could come, and thus there is no place of coming. Yet although there is no place of coming, the Tathāgata nevertheless appears at all times and in all places; though without a body, He is never hidden. The Tathāgata who has no place of coming is therefore unborn—He has always been present, not depending on other conditions, free and self-possessed; this Tathāgata is the true Tathāgata. "Goes nowhere"—"where" refers to a place; there is no place to which He can go, which means He is unceasing; unceasing means He exists at all times and in all places, manifests at all times and in all places, and functions at all times and in all places; this Tathāgata is the true Tathāgata. The true Tathāgata, without any mark of coming or going, yet comes and goes; though coming and going, He remains limpid and unmoved, majestic and dignified—coming in suchness, going in suchness, neither coming nor going, neither arising nor ceasing.

In order for sentient beings to recognize the true Tathāgata, the World-Honored One together with Mañjuśrī performed a play to demonstrate to the bhikṣus the true meaning of the Tathāgata. Once, after the bhikṣus had all taken their seats in the lecture hall, the World-Honored One pushed open the door of the hall, and the thirty-two marks of the five aggregates suddenly appeared before the assembly. The World-Honored One then, with the gait of a goose-king, slowly walked to the Dharma seat and gradually sat down cross-legged. After the World-Honored One had settled into his cross-legged seat, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, holding a ruler, struck it on the lectern and announced: "The World-Honored One has finished expounding the sūtra!" The bhikṣus, just preparing to listen to the World-Honored One proclaim the Dharma, suddenly heard Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva make this announcement, and each of them stood dumbfounded, not knowing what this meant. And the World-Honored One, paying no heed to the bhikṣus' bewilderment, slowly rose from the Dharma seat, walked straight toward the door, pushed it open, and walked out—and the thirty-two marks of the five aggregates thereupon vanished from sight.

Friends, you have now beheld the Tathāgata marks of the Nirmāṇakāya Buddha—the thirty-two marks and eighty minor characteristics, majestic and resplendent, how magnificent! Yet these marks, in the Sahā world, after all remained for only eighty years before disappearing, so this certainly was not the true Tathāgata. Then where is the true Tathāgata? Which one is it? In fact, the Dharmakāya Tathāgata has never departed from the Nirmāṇakāya Tathāgata. From the very instant the World-Honored One pushed open the door and entered, throughout the entire process until He pushed open the door and exited, the Dharmakāya Tathāgata was manifesting all along with His faceless countenance. Those with sharp eyes see Him directly at that very moment—the wisdom eye recognizes that He behind the five aggregates. To recognize Him thus—how exhilarating! How effortless! Everyone, cast aside the false appearance of the World-Honored One's five aggregates, and try to see that which cannot be cast aside, that which cannot be removed, that which has never arisen or ceased, that which neither comes nor goes—that true Tathāgata of the Dharmakāya. A fine horse moves at the mere shadow of the whip; a wise person, seeing the shadow of the five aggregates, can recognize the true person. Where is the true person? Hey! Right here.