The Diamond Sutra (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra) A Complete Modern-Language Translation by Liao Huishan
The Diamond Sutra
A Modern English Rendering of Liao Huishan’s Vernacular Chinese Translation
Excerpted from the appendix to The Psychology of the Diamond Sutra · Liao Huishan
This English version follows the author’s vernacular Chinese rendering. It is not presented as a direct translation from Sanskrit.
Hello everyone, I’m Huishan.
The Diamond Sutra is one of Buddhism’s most important scriptures. In just over five thousand Chinese characters, it distills the essential wisdom of the six-hundred-scroll Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra, offering profound philosophical insight into the Buddha’s teachings.
Yet for many people who are new to Buddhism, the text can still feel difficult and obscure.
Today, I would like to share my own modern-language rendering of the Diamond Sutra, based on my understanding of its teachings. I hope it can make the wisdom of this ancient text more accessible and help readers move toward deeper inner awakening and liberation.
Convocation of the Assembly
Thus have I heard the Buddha speak. At that time, Śākyamuni Buddha was staying at Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Grove in the kingdom of Śrāvastī, together with a community of 1,250 great monks. When it was time for the meal, the Blessed One put on his robe, took up his alms bowl, and entered the city of Śrāvastī to seek alms. After making his alms round in the city, he returned to his dwelling. When he had finished eating, he put away his robe and bowl, washed his feet, arranged his seat, and sat down in meditation.
Subhuti Requests the Teaching
At that time, the elder Subhūti rose from among the monks, uncovered his right shoulder, knelt on his right knee, joined his palms respectfully, and said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, how rare you are. You teach everyone to guard their thoughts carefully and to remain constantly vigilant over them.
World-Honored One, if beings in this world wish to awaken the mind of equal enlightenment and move toward the luminous path of their true nature, how should they guard their thoughts? How should they free themselves from the interference of misguided thoughts?”
The Buddha replied, “Excellent, excellent. You have asked well, Subhūti. As you have said, one should guard the mind carefully and remain constantly mindful. Now listen closely, and I will explain.
Those who wish to awaken the mind of equal enlightenment and move toward the luminous path of their true nature should guard the mind in this way and free themselves from misguided thoughts in this way.”
Subhūti said, “I am listening carefully, World-Honored One. I gladly wish to hear you continue.”
The Bodhisattva Vow
The Buddha said to Subhūti, “One must subdue and manage one’s own thoughts. All kinds of beings—whether born from eggs, born from a womb, arising from moisture, or appearing through transformation;
whether possessing material form or having no material form; whether possessing conscious thought, lacking conscious thought, or being neither conscious nor non-conscious—all should be guided toward the most complete state of liberation: nirvāṇa without remainder, so that they are no longer troubled by the cycle of birth and death.
Although it may appear that countless beings have been helped to reach liberation, in truth no being has actually been extinguished by us. If one still clings to the ideas of a self, a person, a being, or a life span, then genuine wisdom has not yet arisen.”
Unattached Practice of Charity
“Furthermore, Subhūti, when giving the Dharma, let the mind remain free from attachment. When practicing generosity, do not remain attached to the material realm—to form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or mental objects—and do not allow yourself to be bound by any form or appearance.
Why? Because when one gives without clinging to any mark, the merit that arises is immeasurable. Subhūti, what do you think? Can the vastness of space to the east be measured?”
“No, World-Honored One.”
“Subhūti, can the space to the south, west, and north; to the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest; and above and below be measured?”
“No, World-Honored One.”
“Subhūti, the merit of giving without attachment to any mark is likewise immeasurable. You should practice only in the way I have taught, keeping the mind free from attachment.”
Physical Attributes of Buddhahood
“Subhūti, what do you think? Can the Tathāgata be known by looking with the physical eyes at his bodily form and appearance?”
“No, World-Honored One. The Tathāgata cannot be known through bodily form and appearance.”
“Why not?”
“Because what the Buddha calls bodily form and appearance are, in their true nature, not truly bodily form and appearance.”
The Buddha told Subhūti, “All things that possess definite form and appearance are illusory and unreliable. If we can see all forms and appearances as illusory, without taking them to be truly existent, then we can see the Tathāgata’s true Dharma-body.”
The Merit of True Faith
Subhūti said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, will there truly be beings who, on hearing teachings such as these, can give rise to firm faith?”
The Buddha told Subhūti, “Do not speak in that way. Five hundred years after the Tathāgata has entered nirvāṇa, there will be people who uphold ethical discipline and cultivate merit. When they hear these teachings, they will give rise to faith and recognize them as true.
You should understand that such people will not have planted roots of goodness in the presence of only one Buddha, or two, three, four, or five Buddhas. They will already have planted roots of goodness in the presence of immeasurable and countless Buddhas.
When they hear these words and teachings and even for a single thought give rise to pure faith, the Tathāgata will fully know and see them. Such beings will obtain immeasurable merit. Why? Because they no longer cling to the marks of self, person, being, or life span; nor do they cling to the mark of Dharma or to the mark of non-Dharma. Why is this so?”
No Attainment, No Teaching
“Subhūti, what do you think? Has the Tathāgata attained the fruit of unsurpassed, complete enlightenment? Does the Tathāgata possess any fixed and unchanging teaching that can be transmitted?”
Subhūti replied, “According to my understanding of the Buddha’s teaching, there is no fixed method or state that can be called the fruit of unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, and there is no fixed and unchanging doctrine that the Tathāgata can transmit.
Why? Because all Dharmas spoken by the Tathāgata are not to be grasped and cannot be expressed. They are neither Dharma nor non-Dharma. Why is this so? Because all sages awaken to and practice the unconditioned, though their expression differs according to their capacities and levels of realization.”
Real Merit Has No Merit
The Buddha asked Subhūti, “What do you think? If someone filled the entire three-thousand-great-thousand world system with the seven treasures and gave them away, would that person obtain great merit?”
Subhūti replied, “Very great merit, World-Honored One. Why? Although such merit appears great, it is not the ultimate nature of merit, nor is it the most complete merit. Therefore, when the Tathāgata says that such merit is great, he is speaking from the conventional point of view.”
“If another person were to accept and uphold this Diamond Sutra, even as little as a four-line verse, and explain it to others, that person’s merit would surpass the merit of the one who gave away the seven treasures.
Why? Subhūti, you should understand that all Buddhas, and the path by which they realize unsurpassed complete enlightenment—anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi—arise from this sutra. Subhūti, what is called the Buddha-Dharma is not a fixed, unchanging, substantial thing. It transcends Dharma in the ordinary sense.”
The Four Stages of an Arhat
“Subhūti, what do you think? Would one who has attained the stage of stream-enterer think, ‘I have attained the fruit of stream-entry’?”
“No, World-Honored One. Why? The term ‘stream-enterer’ means one who has ‘entered the stream,’ yet in reality there is no specific place that is entered. Such a person does not cling to form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or mental objects. This is what truly makes one a stream-enterer.”
“Subhūti, what do you think? Would one who has attained the stage of once-returner think, ‘I have attained the fruit of once-returning’?”
“No, World-Honored One. Why? The term ‘once-returner’ means ‘one who returns once,’ yet in reality there is no actual coming or going. This is what truly makes one a once-returner.”
“Subhūti, what do you think? Would one who has attained the stage of non-returner think, ‘I have attained the fruit of non-returning’?”
“No, World-Honored One. Why? The term ‘non-returner’ means ‘one who does not return,’ yet in reality there is no actual state of not returning. This is what truly makes one a non-returner.”
“Subhūti, what do you think? Would one who has attained the state of arhat think, ‘I have attained the fruit of arhatship’?”
“No, World-Honored One. Why? In reality there is no fixed Dharma called ‘arhat.’ World-Honored One, if I, as an arhat, were to think, ‘I have attained the fruit of arhatship,’ then I would be clinging to the marks of self, person, being, and life span.
World-Honored One, you once said that I had attained the samādhi of non-contention, that among people I was foremost, and that I was the arhat most free from desire. Yet I have never thought, ‘I am an arhat free from desire.’
World-Honored One, if I were to think, ‘I have attained the fruit of arhatship,’ then you would not have said that Subhūti delights in solitary practice. In truth, there is no special practice to which I cling. It is precisely because my mind is free from attachment that you call me one who delights in solitary practice.”
Adorning the Buddha-Land
The Buddha said to Subhūti, “What do you think? In a past life, when the Tathāgata was with Dīpaṃkara Buddha, did he obtain any particular Dharma?”
“No, World-Honored One. In the presence of Dīpaṃkara Buddha, the Tathāgata did not in fact obtain any specific Dharma.”
“Subhūti, what do you think? Do bodhisattvas adorn a Buddha-land—that is, beautify and decorate the environment of their practice?”
“No, World-Honored One. Why? What is called ‘adorning a Buddha-land’ is not true adornment; it is simply called adornment.”
“Therefore, Subhūti, you should give rise to a pure mind in this way. Do not give rise to thoughts by clinging to form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or mental objects. Let the mind abide nowhere—unbound by anything—and in this way give rise to a pure mind. Subhūti, suppose a person had a body as immense as Mount Sumeru. Would you say that body was great?”
Subhūti replied, “Very great, World-Honored One. Why? Because the Buddha teaches that only when there is no attachment to the body can it truly be called a ‘great body.’”
Merits of This Sutra
“Subhūti, imagine that the Ganges contains countless grains of sand, and that there were as many Ganges Rivers as there are grains of sand in the Ganges. Would the number of grains of sand in all those rivers be great?” Subhūti replied, “Extremely great, World-Honored One. The rivers themselves would already be beyond counting, let alone the grains of sand within them.”
“Subhūti, I will now tell you truthfully: if a good man or good woman filled as many three-thousand-great-thousand world systems as there are grains of sand in all those Ganges Rivers with the seven treasures and gave them away, would their merit be great?” Subhūti replied, “Extremely great, World-Honored One.”
“Yet, Subhūti, if a good man or good woman were to accept and uphold even a four-line verse from this sutra and explain it to others, the merit gained would surpass the merit of the one who gave away all those treasures. Why? Subhūti,
because all Buddhas, and the path by which they attain unsurpassed complete enlightenment, arise from this sutra. Subhūti, what is called the Buddha-Dharma is not truly a fixed, substantial thing called “Buddha-Dharma”—meaning that it transcends ordinary definitions and cannot be fully captured by words and language.”
The Most Extraordinary Merit
“Furthermore, Subhūti, wherever anyone proclaims this sutra—even only a four-line verse—you should know that all beings of the world, whether devas in the heavens or asuras below, should honor that place as they would honor a Buddha-stūpa or temple. How much more should this be so where someone fully accepts, upholds, recites, and memorizes the sutra.
Subhūti, you should understand that such a person has accomplished the highest, rarest, and most extraordinary Dharma. Wherever this sutra is present, it is as though the Buddha himself were present, or one of the Buddha’s honored disciples.”
Naming of the Sutra
At that time Subhūti asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, what should we call this sutra? How should we receive, uphold, and practice it?”
The Buddha told Subhūti, “This sutra is called the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā—the Diamond Perfection of Wisdom. You should receive and uphold it by this name. Why? Subhūti,
what the Buddha calls the perfection of wisdom is not truly a fixed thing called “the perfection of wisdom”—meaning that it transcends ordinary understanding and definition. Subhūti, what do you think? Has the Tathāgata taught any fixed Dharma?” Subhūti replied, “World-Honored One, the Tathāgata has taught no fixed Dharma.”
“Subhūti, what do you think? Are all the minute particles in the three-thousand-great-thousand world system numerous?” Subhūti replied, “Extremely numerous, World-Honored One.”
“Subhūti, the particles spoken of by the Tathāgata are not truly particles; they are simply called particles. The world spoken of by the Tathāgata is likewise not truly a world; it is simply called a world. Subhūti, what do you think? Can the Tathāgata be known through the thirty-two marks?”
“No, World-Honored One. Why? The thirty-two marks spoken of by the Tathāgata are not truly those marks; they are simply called the thirty-two marks.”
“Subhūti, suppose a good man or good woman gave away as many bodies and lives as there are grains of sand in the Ganges. If another person accepted and upheld even a four-line verse from this sutra and explained it to others, the merit of the latter would far surpass that of the former.”
Freedom from Appearances
At that time, after hearing the sutra and deeply understanding its meaning, Subhūti was moved to tears. He said to the Buddha, “How rare and extraordinary this is, World-Honored One. You have taught such a profound sutra. Since I first developed the eye of wisdom through practice, I have never before heard a teaching like this.
World-Honored One, if someone hears this sutra and gives rise to a pure and faithful mind, true wisdom of reality will arise. Such a person has accomplished the foremost Dharma.”
The Buddha said to Subhūti, “So it is, so it is. If someone hears this sutra and is neither shocked, frightened, nor terrified, you should know that such a person is exceedingly rare.
Why? Subhūti, what the Tathāgata calls the foremost pāramitā is not truly a fixed “foremost pāramitā”; it is simply called the foremost pāramitā.
Subhūti, what the Tathāgata calls the perfection of patience is not truly a fixed perfection of patience; it is simply called the perfection of patience. Why? Subhūti, in a past life when King Kali cut apart my body, I did not cling to the marks of self, person, being, or life span.
Why? Because if at that time I had still clung to the marks of self, person, being, or life span, anger and resentment would have arisen in me.
Subhūti, I also remember that for five hundred past lives, when I practiced as an ascetic cultivating patience, I likewise did not cling to the marks of self, person, being, or life span.
Therefore, Subhūti, a bodhisattva should give rise to the mind of unsurpassed complete enlightenment while free from all marks. The mind should not arise in attachment to form, nor in attachment to sound, smell, taste, touch, or mental objects. It should arise without clinging to anything. If the mind abides in attachment, then it is not truly abiding. Therefore the Buddha says that a bodhisattva should practice generosity without allowing the mind to cling to any Dharma.
Subhūti, a bodhisattva should give in this way for the benefit of all beings. The Tathāgata says that all marks are, in truth, not truly real marks, and that all beings are likewise not truly real beings.
Subhūti, the Tathāgata is one who speaks truth, speaks what is real, speaks things as they are, does not speak falsely, and does not contradict himself.
Subhūti, the Dharma realized by the Tathāgata is neither substantially existent nor mere nothingness.
Subhūti, if a bodhisattva gives while the mind clings to Dharma, it is like a person entering darkness and seeing nothing. If a bodhisattva gives while the mind does not cling to Dharma, it is like a person with clear eyes seeing many colors in the light of the sun.
Subhūti, in future ages, if a good man or good woman is able to accept, uphold, read, and recite this sutra, the Tathāgata, through the wisdom of a Buddha, will fully know and fully see that person. Such people will accomplish immeasurable and boundless merit.”
The Sutra Is a Supreme Vehicle
At that time Subhūti could not hold back his tears and exclaimed, “The teaching spoken by the World-Honored One is something I have never heard before.
World-Honored One, if someone hears this sutra and gives rise to a pure and faithful mind, true wisdom of reality will arise. Such a person has accomplished the foremost and rarest merit.
World-Honored One, what is called ‘true reality’ is not some concrete appearance; that is precisely why the Tathāgata calls it true reality.
World-Honored One, for me today to hear such a sutra, understand it, and believe it is not so difficult. But if, in the final five-hundred-year period of the Dharma’s transmission, beings hear this sutra and are still able to believe, understand, accept, and uphold it, such people will be exceedingly rare.
Why? Because such people will no longer cling to the marks of self, person, being, or life span. Why? Because freedom from all marks is what is called the state of the Buddhas.”
The Buddha said to Subhūti, “So it is, so it is. If someone hears this sutra and is neither shocked, frightened, nor terrified, you should know that such a person is exceedingly rare. Why? Subhūti, because such a person is free from all marks.”
Purification of Bad Karma
“Furthermore, Subhūti, suppose a good man or good woman accepts, upholds, reads, and recites this sutra, yet is despised and belittled by others. Why would this happen? Because karmic wrongs from past lives that would otherwise have led that person into unfortunate destinies are being exhausted through the contempt and humiliation experienced in this life. In the future, that person will certainly realize unsurpassed complete enlightenment.
Subhūti, I remember that throughout immeasurable and countless eons before the time of Dīpaṃkara Buddha, I made offerings to eighty-four hundred thousand billion nayutas of Buddhas, honoring and serving every one of them without exception.
Yet if, in the final age of the Dharma, someone can accept, uphold, read, and recite this sutra, the merit gained will be so great that, compared with it, the merit from all my offerings to those Buddhas would not amount to one hundredth, one thousandth, one ten-thousandth, or one hundred-millionth. No number or analogy could adequately express the difference.
Subhūti, if I were to describe in full the merit gained by a good man or good woman in the final age of the Dharma who accepts, upholds, reads, and recites this sutra, some people might become mentally overwhelmed and fall into doubt and disbelief. Subhūti, you should understand that the meaning of this sutra is inconceivable, and its results are likewise inconceivable.”
The Ultimate Teaching of No-Self
At that time Subhūti asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, if a good man or good woman gives rise to the aspiration for unsurpassed complete enlightenment, how should that mind abide? How should deluded thoughts be subdued?”
The Buddha told Subhūti, “One who has given rise to the aspiration for unsurpassed complete enlightenment should think in this way: ‘I will help all beings reach liberation.’ Yet after helping all beings reach liberation, one should understand that no being has actually been liberated by ‘me.’ Why? Subhūti, if a bodhisattva still clings to the marks of self, person, being, or life span, then that person is not a true bodhisattva.
Why? Subhūti, there is in fact no fixed Dharma called ‘giving rise to the mind of unsurpassed complete enlightenment.’
Subhūti, what do you think? When the Tathāgata was with Dīpaṃkara Buddha, did he obtain some specific Dharma through which he realized unsurpassed complete enlightenment?”
“No, World-Honored One. As I understand the meaning of the Buddha’s teaching, the Tathāgata did not obtain any specific Dharma from Dīpaṃkara Buddha by which he realized unsurpassed complete enlightenment.”
The Buddha said, “So it is, so it is. Subhūti, there truly was no specific Dharma by which the Tathāgata realized unsurpassed complete enlightenment. If there had been such a Dharma, Dīpaṃkara Buddha would not have predicted, ‘In the future you will become a Buddha named Śākyamuni.’ It was precisely because there was no fixed Dharma by which unsurpassed complete enlightenment was attained that Dīpaṃkara Buddha gave me that prediction.
Why? ‘Tathāgata’ means reality as it truly is—one who comes in accordance with suchness. If someone says that the Tathāgata attained unsurpassed complete enlightenment, Subhūti, in truth there is no specific Dharma by which the Buddha attained unsurpassed complete enlightenment.
Subhūti, within the unsurpassed complete enlightenment realized by the Tathāgata, there is neither substantial existence nor mere nothingness. Therefore the Tathāgata says, ‘All Dharmas are Buddha-Dharma.’
Subhūti, what is called ‘all Dharmas’ are not truly fixed things called “all Dharmas”; therefore they are called all Dharmas.
Subhūti, it is like speaking of a person whose body is exceedingly great.”
Subhūti said, “World-Honored One, when the Tathāgata speaks of a person whose body is exceedingly great, that is not truly a great body; it is simply called a great body.”
“Subhūti, the same is true of a bodhisattva. If a bodhisattva thinks, ‘I will liberate immeasurable beings,’ that person cannot truly be called a bodhisattva. Why? Subhūti, there is no fixed Dharma called ‘bodhisattva.’ Therefore the Buddha says that within all Dharmas there is no self, no person, no being, and no life span.
Subhūti, if a bodhisattva thinks, ‘I will adorn the Buddha-land,’ that person likewise cannot truly be called a bodhisattva. Why? What the Tathāgata calls ‘adorning the Buddha-land’ is not truly adornment; it is simply called adornment.
Subhūti, only when a bodhisattva thoroughly understands the truth of no-self does the Tathāgata call that person a true bodhisattva.”
All Thoughts Are Intangible
“Subhūti, what do you think? Does the Tathāgata have the physical eye?”
“Yes, World-Honored One. The Tathāgata has the physical eye.”
“Subhūti, does the Tathāgata have the divine eye?”
“Yes, World-Honored One. The Tathāgata has the divine eye.”
“Subhūti, does the Tathāgata have the eye of wisdom?”
“Yes, World-Honored One. The Tathāgata has the eye of wisdom.”
“Subhūti, does the Tathāgata have the Dharma eye?”
“Yes, World-Honored One. The Tathāgata has the Dharma eye.”
“Subhūti, does the Tathāgata have the Buddha eye?”
“Yes, World-Honored One. The Tathāgata has the Buddha eye.”
“Subhūti, what do you think? Does the Tathāgata speak of all the grains of sand in the Ganges as grains of sand?”
“Yes, World-Honored One. The Tathāgata speaks of them as grains of sand.”
“Subhūti, what do you think? If every grain of sand in one Ganges River became another Ganges River, and every grain of sand in all those rivers corresponded to a Buddha-world, would those worlds be numerous?”
“Extremely numerous, World-Honored One.”
The Buddha told Subhūti, “In all those Buddha-lands, the Tathāgata fully knows every kind of thought arising in every being. Why? Because what the Tathāgata calls ‘all these thoughts’ are not truly fixed or substantial thoughts; they are simply called thoughts.
Why? Subhūti, the mind of the past cannot be grasped, the mind of the present cannot be grasped, and the mind of the future cannot be grasped.”
The Dharma Realm Pervades All
“Subhūti, what do you think? If someone filled the entire three-thousand-great-thousand world system with the seven treasures and gave them away, would that person gain great merit?”
“Great merit, World-Honored One.”
“Subhūti, if merit possessed a fixed and substantial nature, the Tathāgata would not call it great. Precisely because merit has no fixed substantial nature, the Tathāgata says that the merit is great.”
Freedom from Form and Appearance
“Subhūti, what do you think? Can the Buddha be known through a perfectly formed physical body?”
“No, World-Honored One. The Tathāgata should not be known through a perfectly formed physical body. Why? What the Tathāgata calls a perfectly formed body is not truly a perfectly formed body; it is simply called a perfectly formed body.”
“Subhūti, what do you think? Can the Tathāgata be known through the perfection of all distinguishing marks?”
“No, World-Honored One. The Tathāgata should not be known through the perfection of distinguishing marks. Why? What the Tathāgata calls the perfection of marks is not truly a fixed perfection; it is simply called perfection.”
There Is No Dharma to Teach
“Subhūti, do not think that the Tathāgata entertains the thought, ‘I should teach a Dharma.’ Do not think in this way. Why? If someone claims that the Tathāgata has a fixed Dharma to teach, that person slanders the Buddha because they do not understand the true meaning of my teaching.
Subhūti, what is called ‘teaching the Dharma’ means that there is, in truth, no fixed Dharma that can be spoken. This is what is called teaching the Dharma.”
At that time Subhūti, foremost in wisdom, asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, in the future will there be beings who hear a teaching such as this and are able to give rise to faith?”
The Buddha said, “Subhūti, they are neither beings nor non-beings. Why? Subhūti, what the Tathāgata calls ‘beings’ are not truly fixed beings; they are simply called beings.”
No Attainment Is Supreme Enlightenment
Subhūti said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, is the unsurpassed complete enlightenment realized by the Buddha a realization in which nothing is attained?”
The Buddha said, “So it is, so it is. Subhūti, within unsurpassed complete enlightenment, I have not attained even the slightest fixed Dharma. That is precisely why it is called unsurpassed complete enlightenment.”
All Dharmas Are Equal
“Furthermore, Subhūti, this Dharma is equal and without higher or lower. This is what is called unsurpassed complete enlightenment. By practicing all wholesome Dharmas with a mind free from self, person, being, and life span, one realizes unsurpassed complete enlightenment.
Subhūti, what are called ‘wholesome Dharmas’ are not truly fixed wholesome Dharmas; the Tathāgata simply calls them wholesome Dharmas.”
The Merits of Transmitting the Sutra
“Subhūti, suppose all the Mount Sumerus in the three-thousand-great-thousand world system were gathered together and someone gave away seven treasures equal in quantity to those mountains. If another person were able to accept, uphold, read, and recite this Prajñāpāramitā Sutra—even only a four-line verse—and explain it to others, the merit of the former would not amount to even one hundredth of the latter, nor one hundred-thousand-millionth. No number or analogy could adequately express the difference.”
There Are No Beings to Liberate
“Subhūti, what do you think? Do not imagine that the Tathāgata thinks, ‘I should liberate beings.’ Subhūti, do not entertain such a thought. Why? In truth there are no fixed beings who need to be liberated by the Tathāgata. If the Tathāgata believed there were beings to be liberated, then he would be clinging to the marks of self, person, being, and life span.
Subhūti, the ‘self’ spoken of by the Tathāgata is not truly a fixed self. It is ordinary people who cling to the idea that there is such a self. Subhūti, what are called ‘ordinary people’ are not truly fixed ordinary people; they are simply called ordinary people.”
Seek the Buddha Not in Form or Sound
“Subhūti, what do you think? Can the Tathāgata be contemplated through the thirty-two marks?”
Subhūti said, “Yes, yes. One should contemplate the Tathāgata through the thirty-two marks.”
The Buddha said, “Subhūti, if the Tathāgata could be known through the thirty-two marks, then a wheel-turning monarch would also be a Tathāgata.”
Subhūti said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, according to my understanding of the meaning of your teaching, the Tathāgata should not be contemplated through the thirty-two marks.”
At that time the World-Honored One spoke this verse:
or seeks me through sound,
that person walks a mistaken path
and cannot see the true Tathāgata.”
Avoid Annihilistic Views
“Subhūti, if you think, ‘The Tathāgata did not realize unsurpassed complete enlightenment because he possessed perfect marks,’ do not think in that way. The Tathāgata did not realize unsurpassed complete enlightenment merely because of possessing such marks.
Subhūti, if you think, ‘Those who give rise to the mind of unsurpassed complete enlightenment teach that all Dharmas are annihilated,’ do not think in that way. Why? One who has given rise to the mind of unsurpassed complete enlightenment does not teach the annihilation of Dharma.”
Bodhisattvas Do Not Accumulate Merits
“Subhūti, suppose a bodhisattva filled as many worlds as there are grains of sand in the Ganges with the seven treasures and gave them away. If another person understands the truth that all Dharmas are without self and abides in patient acceptance of this truth, the merit of that bodhisattva surpasses the merit of the former.
Why? Subhūti, because bodhisattvas do not take possession of merit.”
Subhūti asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, why do you say that bodhisattvas do not take possession of merit?”
“Subhūti, although bodhisattvas perform many meritorious deeds, their minds do not greedily cling to the merit. Therefore it is said that bodhisattvas do not take possession of merit.”
The Thus-Come One Neither Comes nor Goes
“Subhūti, if someone claims that the Tathāgata comes, goes, sits, or lies down, that person does not understand the meaning of my teaching. Why? The Tathāgata comes from nowhere and goes nowhere. That is why he is called the Tathāgata.”
The Nature of the World
“Subhūti, suppose a good man or good woman ground the entire three-thousand-great-thousand world system into minute particles. Would those particles be numerous?”
“Extremely numerous, World-Honored One. Why? If those particles truly existed as fixed entities, the Buddha would not say that they were numerous. The Tathāgata speaks of many particles precisely because they are not substantially existent.
Why? If particles were fixed and substantially existent, they could not truly be called particles. The three-thousand-great-thousand world system spoken of by the Tathāgata is likewise not truly a fixed world; it is simply called a world.
Why? If the world truly existed as a fixed entity, it would be an indivisible whole. What the Tathāgata calls ‘the mark of a single whole’ is not truly a fixed single whole; it is simply called the mark of a single whole.”
“Subhūti, what is called ‘the mark of a single whole’ cannot be expressed in words. It is only ordinary people who cling to the idea that there is a substantially existing whole.”
Extinction of the Four Views
“Subhūti, suppose someone says, ‘The Buddha has taught views of self, person, being, and life span.’ Subhūti, what do you think? Has that person understood the meaning of my teaching?”
“No, World-Honored One. That person has not understood the meaning of the Tathāgata’s teaching. Why? The views of self, person, being, and life span spoken of by the World-Honored One are not truly fixed views of self, person, being, and life span; they are simply called views of self, person, being, and life span.”
“Subhūti, one who has given rise to the mind of unsurpassed complete enlightenment should know all Dharmas in this way, see them in this way, and understand them with faith in this way—without clinging to the marks of any Dharma. Subhūti, what is called the ‘mark of Dharma’ is not truly a fixed mark of Dharma; the Tathāgata simply calls it the mark of Dharma.”
All Phenomena Are Illusions
“Subhūti, suppose someone gave away seven treasures filling immeasurable and countless worlds. If a good man or good woman who has given rise to the mind of awakening accepts and upholds this sutra—even only a four-line verse—reads and recites it, and explains it to others, that person’s merit surpasses the former.
How should it be explained to others? Without clinging to appearances, abiding in reality as it is, unmoved and unshaken.
Why?
are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow;
like dew and also like lightning.
Thus should they be contemplated.”
When the Buddha had finished speaking this sutra, the elder Subhūti, together with all the monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, devas, humans, and asuras present in the world, rejoiced greatly at what the Buddha had taught. They accepted it with faith and put it into practice.
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