Commentary:
The maṇi-pearl is the metaphorical description of Buddha-nature (Buddhatva). It is obscured to the ordinary worldlings as it lies in the Centre of heart of a Tathāgata. It is unveiled when an ordinary worldling is self-awakened. The Tathāgata is an Enlightened One. Intrinsically, all sentient beings also possess these maṇi-jewels which are embedded deeply in the centre of the human hearts. An Enlightened One unearths it and therefore, he becomes a Tathāgata. In Mahāyāna tradition, the Tathāgata is a Bodhisattva which means an Enlightened Being. The Diamond Sūtra defines a true or genuine Bodhisattva to possess the following characteristic features:
- A Bodhisattva perceives all phenomena in terms of the three-fold Truth of of illusion, Emptiness and Middle View.
- A Bodhisattva relinquishes four signs of Self, Person, Sentient Beings, and Tri-temporal existence.
- A Bodhisattva dwells upon nothing and produces the pure consciousness
The dusted eyes of the ordinary worldlings merely perceive either absolute Existence or Absolute Non-existence which are illusive views. When Dharma Eye or Eye of Wisdom arises, The Ultimate Truth (Paramārtha Satya) of Emptiness (śūnyatā) is discerned. Emptiness is synonymous with Dependent Co-arising (Pratītyasamutpāda). From the Buddhist logic, the Ultimate Truth of Emptiness in terms of Dependent Co-arising is appropriately elucidated in terms of Four Negations thus:
- It is non-existence (negation)
- It is Existence (affirmation)
- It is both Non-existence and Existence (Both negation and affirmation)
- It is neither Non-existence nor Non-existence (Negation of both negation and affirmation)
The Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā) expounded in the Diamond Sūtra (Vajrachedika-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra) expresses the Ultimate Truth of all phenomena in terms of three-fold truth of one-mind-in-three-contemplations thus:
Dharma ; Not Dharma ; Still Dharma
Firstly a phenomenon is perceived as either absolute Existence or absolute Non-existence. This is the affirmation of a phenomenon. The mountain is still the mountain. Next, the phenomenon is negated as neither an absolute Existence nor an absolute Non-existence. This is deconstruction of a phenomenon to reveal that a phenomenon is empty (śūnya) of self-nature (svabhāva). This is then Ultimate Truth of all phenomena. The mountain is not a mountain. Finally, the phenomenon is reconstructed or reaffirmed to emphasize that conventionally, a phenomenon still exists. This is the right view of the Middle Path. The mountain is still the mountain. The principle and phenomenon interpenetrate and co-exist.
The Conventional Truth of mundane realities is preserved for its pragmatic value in human intercommunication. The right view of Middle Path is expressed as the Existence of Non-existence by the Yogācāra School of Buddhist thought. Prominent Japanese Buddhist scholar, Gadjin M.Nagao expresses the ultimate reality of all phenomena as ‘ A phenomenon is truly empty and an unfathomable existence.
