The Profound Yogācāra Meaning of the Diamond Sutra (142)

Original text:所以者何。佛说微尘众。即非微尘众。是名微尘众。世尊。如来所说三千大千世界。即非世界。是名世界。

Explanation: Subhūti said: Why does the Buddha say that the multitude of fine dust particles is merely called the multitude of fine dust particles? Because the multitude of fine dust particles that the Buddha speaks of is not the multitude of fine dust particles; it is merely named the multitude of fine dust particles. These fine dust particles are all provisional names, not truly existent; the Buddha merely gave them a provisional name, calling them the multitude of fine dust particles. World-Honored One, the trichiliocosm (three-thousandfold great thousand world) that the Tathāgata speaks of is not a truly existent trichiliocosm; it is merely given a provisional name, called the trichiliocosm.

These fine dust particles are not a true characteristic; each individual fine dust particle is also not a true characteristic, and the composition of the dust particles and their quantity are also not real characteristics. What is called fine dust is merely material form (rūpa) subdivided into individual fine particles. Do these fine particles have a real characteristic? We know that matter is composed of the four great seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind. If matter is subdivided into the smallest, smallest unit of matter, it is called a fine dust particle. But this fine dust particle is still material; it is still material form, composed of the four great seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind.

It is only that a large piece of matter is composed of the four great seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind, with an extremely large number of these seeds. When this large piece of matter is further subdivided into smaller matter, each small piece of matter is still composed of the same proportion of the four great elements of earth, water, fire, and wind as before; it is only that the number of the four great seeds has decreased. As the number of seeds decreases, the volume and area of the matter also decrease. When reduced to the most minute degree, it is called a fine dust particle. No matter how small you divide matter, whether visible or invisible to the naked eye, it is composed of the four great seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind. Minute matter, particulate matter, the smallest of smallest particles—it is still composed of the four great seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind.

And these four great seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind are output by the tathāgatagarbha moment by moment. Only through moment-by-moment output can the arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of these fine particles be sustained, allowing these particles and dust motes to remain and function. If the tathāgatagarbha did not output the four great seeds, these fine dust particles would perish and cease to exist. Once they vanish, not even a speck of real material substance remains; it becomes empty nothingness. Since fine dust is not empty nothingness but is formed by the four great seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind, with the tathāgatagarbha outputting them moment by moment, and after output, forming the arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of the dust particles—arising and ceasing, arising and ceasing, arising and ceasing—this constitutes the temporary, seemingly non-arising-and-ceasing existence of this material substance called fine dust.

Therefore the Buddha says that this multitude of fine dust particles is not the multitude of fine dust particles. "Not" means it is not the true characteristic, not truly existent, not real; so a provisional name is given to it, called the multitude of fine dust particles. If it were truly existent, the Buddha says, it would not be named the multitude of fine dust particles; then the multitude of fine dust particles would not only have a name but also an entity of real existence. If it had an entity of real existence, it would be unborn and unceasing, equivalent to the eighth consciousness. The actual situation is that the multitude of fine dust particles is indeed subject to arising and ceasing; whatever is composed of the four great seeds is a conditioned dharma of arising and ceasing. So these conditioned dharmas of arising and ceasing are given the name "multitude of fine dust particles"—the multitude of fine dust particles is just a provisional term.

The characteristic of the multitude of fine dust particles is based on the characteristics of the fine particles and granules composed of the four great seeds, to which a provisional name is given, called the multitude of fine dust particles. Since these fine dust particles are all material granules falsely combined from the four great elements, and these material granules further combine into matter larger than fine dust, and this larger matter is still formed by earth, water, fire, and wind, and is also sustained and held by the tathāgatagarbha outputting the four great seeds moment by moment so that it can exist—therefore it is also not a real characteristic; it is all illusory, subject to arising, ceasing, and change.

When the conditions and causes disperse and the tathāgatagarbha no longer outputs the four great seeds, the material granules formed by these fine dust particles and the matter they combine into will cease and no longer exist; they disappear. Then from this matter, larger matter is again composed. No matter how large the matter is, it is all formed by the four great seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind, with the tathāgatagarbha outputting the seeds, moment by moment sustaining the existence of these material forms. When these material forms further combine, they combine into a celestial body; multiple celestial bodies further combine to form a small world; small worlds further combine to form a small thousand-world; small thousand-worlds further combine to form a middle thousand-world.

Middle thousand-worlds further combine to form a great thousand-world. Material granules and fine dust particles are all illusory, not truly existent. Then the trichiliocosm composed of them is likewise illusory, not truly existent. It is all a material world composed of sentient beings of collective karma, whose tathāgata-garbhas jointly output the four great seeds. None of these are real characteristics; in essence, they are all conjured forth by the tathāgatagarbha, all false appearances, and their essence is the nature of the tathāgatagarbha. Therefore the Buddha says that the entire trichiliocosm is illusory and empty, all being the nature of the tathāgatagarbha.

The trichiliocosm that the Tathāgata speaks of is neither a world; it is merely named a world. Since this trichiliocosm is composed of material granules and fine dust particles, is a false combination of the four great elements, arising, ceasing, and changing moment by moment, subject to arising, ceasing, and mutation, then this trichiliocosm is not a truly existent world; it is an illusory world, not real. This trichiliocosm is merely a false appearance. Based on this false appearance, we give this trichiliocosm a provisional name, calling it the trichiliocosm. Therefore the trichiliocosm is also just a provisional term; its characteristic is an illusory characteristic, a false appearance held and manifested by the tathāgatagarbha, and in essence it is all the tathāgatagarbha. Therefore the trichiliocosm is neither a world, not a true world—it is merely a name.