CONTENTS
Commentary on Chapter 14 "Still
Extinction apart from Marks"
"World Honored One, the real mark is no mark, therefore the Tathagata calls it
the real mark.
"World Honored One, now as I hear this Sutra I believe, understand, receive,
and hold it without difficulty. If in the future, in the last five hundred
years, there are living beings who when they hear this Sutra believe,
understand, receive, and hold it, such people will be foremost and most rare.
And why? Such people will have no mark of self, no mark of others, no mark of
living beings, and no mark of a life. And why? The mark of self is no mark.
The mark of others, the mark of living beings, and the mark of a life are no
marks. And why? Those who have relinquished all marks are called Buddhas."
The Buddha told Subhuti, "So it is, so it is. If someone hears this Sutra and
is not frightened, or alarmed, or terrified, you should know that person is
most rare. And why? Subhuti, the foremost Paramita is spoken of by the
Tathagata as no foremost Paramita, therefore it is called the foremost
Paramita.
"Subhuti, the Paramita of patience is spoken of by the Tathagata as no
paramita of patience. Therefore is it called the Paramita of patience. And
why? Subhuti, it is as in the past when the King of Kalinga dismembered my
body. At that time I had no mark of self, no mark of others, no mark of
living beings, and no mark of a life.
"And why? When I was cut limb from limb, if I had had a mark of self, a mark
of others, a mark of living beings, or a mark of life, I would have been
outraged.
"Subhuti, further I recall that in the past, for five hundred lives, I was the
Patient Immortal. During all those lives I had no mark of self, no mark of
others, no mark of living beings, and no mark of a life. For that reason,
Subhuti, a Bodhisattva should, relinquishing all marks, produce the heart of
Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. He should produce that heart without dwelling in
forms. He should produce that heart without dwelling in sounds, smells,
tastes, tangible objects, or dharmas. He should produce that heart which does
not dwell anywhere. Any dwelling of the heart is no dwelling. Therefore the
Buddha says, 'The heart of a Bodhisattva should not dwell in forms when he
gives.'
"Subhuti, a Bodhisattva, to benefit all beings, should give thus. All marks
are spoken of by the Tathagata as no marks, and all living beings are spoken
of as no living beings. Subhuti, the Tathagata is one who speaks the truth,
who speaks the actual, who speaks what is so, who does not speak what is
false, who does not speak what is not so.
"Subhuti, the dharma obtained by the Tathagata is neither true nor false.
"Subhuti, a Bodhisattva whose heart dwells in dharmas when he gives is like a
man who enters darkness, who cannot see a thing. A Bodhisattva whose heart
does not dwell in dharmas when he gives is like a man with eyes in the bright
sunlight who can see all kinds of forms.
"Subhuti, in the future, if a good man, or good woman, can receive, hold,
read, and recite this Sutra, then the Tathagata by means of all Buddha-wisdom,
will completely know and see that person. That person accomplishes
measureless and boundless merit and virtue."
Then Subhuti, upon hearing the Sutra spoken, and deeply understanding its
purport, wept and said to the Buddha, "How rare, World Honored One, is this
Sutra so profoundly spoken by the Buddha. From the time I obtained the wisdom
eye until the present I have never before heard such a Sutra. World Honored
One, if someone hears the Sutra with a pure heart of faith then he produces
real mark. That person should be known to have accomplished the foremost and
most rare merit and virtue."
Disciple Subhuti followed Shakyamuni Buddha for years to study Dharma and obtained the Wisdom Eye of Arhatship, which could distinguish right from wrong, Dharma from what is not Dharma. However, these are the expedient methods to sweep away the false mind. Therefore, when the Buddha revealed the pure mind with real Mark Prajna, leading the disciples to develop the Mahayana mind from Hinayana mind, Subhuti was extremely impressed, crying with joy and exclaiming "How rare!"
Taking the Sutra as the diamond, one can cut off all doubts, develop a "pure
heart of faith", and then give rise, to real mark Prajna - the wisdom of no
marks. However, it is extremely difficult for the people to believe and
understand this Sutra. Therefore, if one has the total belief (without any
second thought nor any doubt), and understanding the principle and substance
of real mark, one is very rare and foremost.
People with good roots for limitless kalpas, like Subhuti, can believe, understand, receive and hold the Sutra without difficulty. If people can do so in the last five hundred years, they must be able to discard the Four Marks. The, Four Marks are without a mark. No mark is real mark. Real mark is no mark. It is because real mark is also distinct from all which have no marks. Therefore though real mark is no mark., it has the mark of all kinds as everything and every Dharma signifies the meaning of real mark and the principle of True Suchness. If people can "obtain" real mark, i.e. the substance of the self-nature of all Buddhas, they have relinquished all marks. Thus they are called Buddhas.
Ordinary people, may be frightened by the Sutra because they do not accept there is no self. Those of Two Vehicles may be terrified by the Sutra because they do not visualise the emptiness of Dharmas. Even if the Bodhisattvas do not realise that emptiness should be emptied, they may be alarmed when they hear the Sutra.
Shakyamuni asked Subhuti, "Why is someone who hears his Sutra, with no fear most rare?" It is because what the Buddha expanded is beyond words and speech - the Foremost Paramita.
The foremost paramita, from the point of view of common truth, refers to the perfect truth of the Middle Way. However, from the point of view real truth, it is no foremost paramita, because actually there is absolutely nothing, not even a foremost paramita itself. it is only so called the foremost paramita.
Similarly, there is only so called the paramita of patience. It is a further explanation on the Six Paramitas. When the Buddha spoke of the paramita of giving and its merits, gifts of the seven gems and also the sacrifice of as many lives as sand grains in the Ganges could not surpass the merits of no-mark giving. Certainly, one's own life is something most difficult to sacrifice in the practice of giving. However, the Buddha further spoke of the paramita of patience by telling his story about the mutilation of his body by the King of Kalinga. Patience here actually refers to the endurance of humiliation and physical sufferring.
True Patience is devoid of Four Marks. When the Four Marks are non-existent, what do you still have which can be patient? Then, the feeling of anger and hatred is automatically absent, and the Five Skandhas are fundamentally non-existent.
This is why the Buddha taught Bodhisattvas to relinquish all marks when they developed the Bodhi mind. They should not attach to dwelling in the, six objects of sense (Six Gunas). They should produce that heart which does not dwell anywhere. Any dwelling of the heart is no dwelling.
It means that anything on which the heart may rely is not true, actual and real. They should develop a mind which abides nowhere. It serves an answer to Subhuti's open question: "How should he dwell?"
The Buddha assured that his words were true and correct. The Buddha emphasized that they should not be attached to anything in order not to develop any false notions and views. The Tathagata spoke of all marks as well as all living beings were basically in the condition of True Suchness or Bhutatathata. Therefore, The Sutra says
It also says in conclusion in the last chapter,
Subhuti was urged to have faith in the Buddha's words, and not to harbour
further doubts. For instance, provide that both cause and effect are empty,
there would be no point of having a cause if the effect is empty; and if a
cause is empty, it would not produce effect. If the mind does not dwell
anywhere when practising the Paramita of giving as a cause, no real effect
will be obtained. That was why the Buddha reiterated that the Dharma obtained
by the Tathagata is neither true nor false.
This is again a profound concept of "true emptiness" and "wonderful existence". It is "neither true" because the Dharma is true emptiness, devoid of real existent substance. It is "nor false" because although Dharma has no substance, true emptiness is contained the wonderful existence of real mark within itself. As Dharma is wonderful existence, it is also said not to be empty. True emptiness does not obstruct wonderful existence, and vice versa. So the Dharma is neither true nor false. That means, there is no attachment to marks. Abandoning the attachment to marks is the principle of true emptiness and wonderful existence.
Attachment to marks in giving is analogous to a man in a place so dark he cannot see a thing. Although conditioned giving with attachment to marks can secure one rebirth in the heavens, it cannot help ono to gain wisdom -- enlightenment.
If there is a person in the Future who can receive the Diamond Sutra in his heart and practise it that person accomplishes measureless and boundless merit and virtue. Whereis that much merit and virtue to be found? Nowhere. Do not be attached. If you become attached, you will not find it anywhere. If you do not become attached, it is right there. How wonderful it is!
Commentary on Chapter 15 "The Merit and Virtue
of Holding the Sutra"
"And why? Subhuti, one who delights in lesser dharmas is attached to a view
of self, a view of others, a view of living beings, and a view of a life. He
cannot hear, receive, hold, read, or recite the Sutra or explain it for
others.
"Subhuti, the gods, the men, and the Asuras of the world make offerings at any
place where this Sutra is found. You should k know such a place is astupa
where everyone should respectfully bow, circumambulate, and scatter incense
and flowers."
"Subhuti, a good man, or good woman, might in the morning give up as many
bodies as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, and again at noon
might give up as many bodies as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River,
and again in the evening might give up as many bodies as there are grains of
sand in the Ganges River, giving up bodies in that way throughout measureless
millions of kalpas. But if someone else were to hear this Sutra and believe
it with no reservations, his blessing would surpass the former one's. How
much the more so if people can write out, receive, hold, read, recite, and
explain it for others. Subhuti, the merit and virtue of this Sutra are
inexpressible, inconceivable, boundless, and beyond all praise. It is spoken
by the Tathagata for those who have set out on the Great Vehicle, those who
have set out on the Supreme Vehicle. If people can receive, hold, read,
recite, and speak it for others, they are completely known by the Tathagata;
they are completely seen by the Tathagata. Such people accomplish
immeasurable, inexpressible, boundless, inconceivable merit and virtue and
thus sustain the Tathagata's Anuttarasamyaksambodhi.
Although the sacrifice in giving of as many lives as the grains of sand in the Ganges can result in many merits, these cannot be compared to those deriving from a moment's thought of faith in the mind with no reservation (i.e. wholeheartedly). The merit and virtue of the Sutra cannot be conceived of and spoken of. The principles of the Sutra are truly boundless.
The Sutras is delivered for the sake of people who are initially Great Vehicle Bodhisattvas, not the Small Vehicle Arhats.
The Sutra is also delivered for those who aim straight for the Buddha Way, i.e. the very highest and unsurpassed Buddha Vehicle.
Those who study the Dharmas of the Small Vehicle are attached to:
The Four Views, as compared with the Four Marks, are more subtle in nature. The Buddha pointed out why those in the Small Vehicle could not hear, receive, hold, read or recite the Sutra.
For all the worldly and world-transcending living beings of the Dharma realm, the gods and the men, and the Asuras, the latter of which are beings with the blessings of the heavens, who lack the virtuous quality of gods, should make offerings to the Sutra wherever they encounter the Sutra.
The offering made are not limited to incense and flowers, as there are ten kinds of offerings, and not restricted to the Sutra, but also the Stupa where the Tathagata's true body resides.
Apart from bowing, circumambulation is also a common way to respect the Buddha in making offering. Circumambulation means circling to the right around the Buddha figures while reciting the Buddha's name or mantra.
