Issue

15th Issue (Mar, 2010)

Psychological Ethics in the Diamond Sῡtra : Mind of Detachment and Virtuous Behaviour

Wong Weng Hon

Introduction

The Diamond Sῡtra of Mahᾱyᾱna tradition is the exposition of instantaneous Gnosis in which the absolute mindfulness of detachment (離相) of non-abiding or non-grasping (無住) is aroused instantaneously. The absolute mindfulness of detachment  is the thought of Anattᾱ (無我). The thought of Anattᾱ is the formless liberation (離相解脫) of the mind. The  consciousness of formless liberation is the Buddha-mind (佛心). The Buddha-mind is the non-dwelling mind or non-grasping mind.  It  is the perfect execution of  non-abiding  on everything in the world so that the self-centric ego does not arise. Self-centric ego is anthropocentric as it empowers self-interest above public interest. Non-abiding  on everything in the world  is not a complete external renunciation or denial of the material world. It is the internal renunciation of a Gnostic through the perfection of wisdom of the intuitive discernment of the Emptiness of inherent existence. The absolute consciousness of Emptiness (空性) or Formlessness (無相) is actualized through detachment from four-fold  form or appearance of illusive existence. It is the intuitive discernment of the  Truth of Formlessness of Unity  that governs and sustains all phenomena. It is the perfection of wisdom of discerning the illusion and unreality of the multiplicity concealing Unity and acknowledging the Unity underlying the multiplicity.  That timeless Truth of Unity underlying the multiplicity  is the Absolute Reality of Anattᾱ. Anattᾱ is the Unity of Existence of the Oneness of Being. Anattᾱ is the wisdom of Emptiness (‘Sῡnyatᾱ) of self identity or inherent existence. Detachment of non-dwelling is, in reality, the perfect execution of the four foundations of mindfulness (cattᾱro satipaṭṭhᾱna).

Four Apparent Forms

The Sῡtra categorizes all apparent forms or appearances  of illusive existence into four categories,namely 1.The reified from of self or I-concept (我相), 2. The reified form of person (人相), 3.The reified form of sentient beings (眾生相) 4. The reified form of life span (壽者相). Seeing form is seeing self-identity or inherent existence of a reified object. Seeing self-identity or its attributes is the prehension of the multiplicity. Multiplicity   veils the Unity of Absolute Reality of Anattᾱ. What is other self (attᾱ) is Anattᾱ. Attᾱ is individual autonomous existent which is illusory and unreal. Only the Unity of the Whole that is Anattᾱ is Real. Perception of self-identity or inherent existence fabricates illusory self-centric ego. Any external substantial form or appearance is falsely imagined by the ordinary worldlings. False imagination of the unreal creates  erroneous conceptual designation. Every conceptual designation of any individual object creates the false view of autonomous existence of personality view (sakkᾱya diṭṭhi). The false view of autonomous existence of the human personality called ‘I’ concept fabricates the illusory self-centric ego.

The self-centric ego generates attachment to  the pleasant stimuli or an aversion towards the unpleasant stimuli. The forms of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and thought are our immediate environmental stimuli. The external sense objects impinge upon our sense faculties  as discrete entities. Discrete entities are erroneous worldview of autonomous existents. Thus, self-centric ego constructs false personality view and substantial worldview. Personality view and substantial worldview are wrong worldview of the multiplicty. The right view is Anattᾱ which is the Unity of the multipliicty.  

Everything thing or being exists in terms of Anattᾱ. Anattᾱ is the systemic Unity of the holistic Whole. The avoidance of seeing the separate systemic parts is detachment. Detachment conditions non-abiding or non-grasping upon the five aggregates as this is not I; this is not mine; this does not belong to me. The discernment of the systemic Whole is the Wisdom of Anattᾱ. The Whole exists and the autonomous parts do not  exist. Detachment is avoidance of seeing the integral parts that do not exist as independent entities from the unity of the Whole. Detachment is orientated towards seeing the Whole and not the parts. The parts cannot exist independently. Therefore, the conception of an independence part is wrong view that impedes Gnosis.

Personality view (sakkᾱya diṭṭhi) is false self. False self creates attachment to pleasant appearances and aversion towards unpleasant appearances. Attachment arouses greed and aversion evokes hatred. Greed and hatred rooted in delusion causally condition moral fallibilities and vulnerabilities due to mental obsessions. Mental obsessions are conditioned by false conceptualization. Therefore, we witness that the false mind of false self generates unwholesome behaviour. Conversely, the true mind or Buddha-mind of True Self generates wholesome behaviour.

 Human psychology and ethics are intimately correlated as human beings are interrelated with the living environment and the Absolute Reality.  False mind conditions vices or evils; True Mind conditions virtues or the good. All world’s great religions teach the psychology-ethics relationship in connection with the world and the Absolute Reality. The mind, sentient beings (world) and Buddha are equal and  not distinct. Whoever discerns this three-fold relationship between the mind, sentient beings and Buddha will insightfully apprehend the relationship between macrocosm, macrocosm and metacosm. That Whoever knows himself knows the Lord is universal Truth.

 The Lord is not a personal Reality but an impersonal Reality that governs  and sustains the world unceasingly. The Lord is spoken as an personal Reality as an expedient means (upᾱya) only to expound the bipolar Truth of the impersonal Reality of the Lord. In Buddhism, the Lord is the Buddha. The Buddha should be conceived as a personal Reality as  well as an impersonal Reality. Conceived as a personal Reality, the Buddha is a historical figure of ‘Sᾱkyamuni Buddha. Conceived as an impersonal Reality, the Buddha is the Absolute Truth of the Unity of Existence known as Pratityasamutpada (Dependent Co-arising)  or ‘Sῡnyatᾱ (Emptiness). The impersonal  personality of the Buddha can also be conceived as the Dharmakᾱya – the Truth Body in the Mahᾱyᾱna tradition. This bipolar Truth of the Buddha must be comprehensively penetrated into in order to gain emancipation.

Non-abiding through Detachment

The main agenda of the Diamond Sῡtra is to admonish us to detach (not to deny) from the four-fold apparent forms or appearances  to annihilate attachment and aversion. Attachment and aversion damage  our character formation. Detachment is effected through non-abiding. Non-abiding is not the rejection of the material world. In spiritual detachment, it is wise pro-activity rather than ignorant reactivity towards the affairs of the secular world. It is the employment of spiritual wisdom to manage the secular affairs wisely and harmoniously. It is to ensure that  the phenomena of relative truth (samvrti satya) interpenetrates harmoniously with the Principle of the Absolute Truth (paramᾱrtha satya). It is the management or utility of the material wealth without ontological commitment of object reification. It is only detachment from false object reification so that we not deluded by the falsity and unreality of the multiplicity.  Object reification is the erroneous thought of concrete autonomous existence of individual entities. Detachment from object reification is the abandonment of the four-fold perception of  apparently diverse  forms or appearances of the multiplicity. Multiplicity veils Man from seeing the Truth.

 Detachment is not the complete negation of existence of the material objects. What are negated are only their illusive and unreal forms of appearances of the multiplicity  but not their actual entities. Actual entities are real substances that are of utility to mankind. For instance, a house is an actual entity or real substance for human shelter. Only the relative truth of the house is denied but its Absolute Reality is acknowledged.

 Every actual entity is the unity of Anattᾱ. Detachment is executed only to prevent delusion due to  conceptual  designation. Conceptual designation (relative truth)  is caused by  false imagination of the unreal. Every designation, like a magic, is an illusion. Detachment is escape from delusion. Freedom from delusion is Gnosis or Enlightenment.

 Detachment is to avert attachment or aversion caused by designations of diverse forms of objects. Every object is an empirical phenomenon that does not exist autonomously. Every object or phenomenon is a systemic part of a larger  systemic Whole. The systemic Whole is an interwoven network of interconnected or independent co-existence. Detachment is executed through seeing the Whole that unifies the parts holistically.

The abandonment of perception of appearances due to detachment effaces the illusory self-centric ego from the mind. The effacement of self-centric ego eliminates non-grasping upon the five aggregates of form, feelings, perceptions, volitions and consciousness. The four-fold forms or appearances are manifested through the false mind in terms of independent entities of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and thought. ‘Sᾱkyamuni Buddha admonishes us  not to dwell on these six categories of objects of perception to avert mental defilements or formation of cankers.

Non-Dwelling and Generosity

In the Diamond Sῡtra, ‘Sᾱkyamuni Buddha admonishes us to cease abiding on the six categories of objects of perception to produce generosity of perfection (dᾱnaprajñᾱpᾱramitᾱ 不住色,聲,香,味,觸,法行佈施). Generosity of perfection  is selfless and compassionate helps rendered to others in terms of material wealth,  knowledge or skills and fearlessness. When the generosity of perfection (佈施波羅蜜多) is consummated, the remaining five perfections of precepts (持戒), patience (忍辱), diligence (精進), meditation (禪定) and wisdom (般若) are also correspondingly consummated. In other words the Anattᾱ/’Sῡnyatᾱ consciousness of detachment or non-abiding generates the Zen mind of Wisdom of  Perfection. The Wisdom of Perfection (Perfected psychology) produces perfection of four-fold sublime ethical virtue of boundless lovingkindness (慈), boundless compassion (悲), boundless appreciative joy (喜) and boundless equanimity (舍). 

Non-abiding produces detachment. Non-abiding is consonant with the perfect execution of the four establishments of mindfulness (cattᾱro satipaṭṭᾱna) and clear awarensss of Anattᾱ without grasping  upon anything in the world both internally and externally. The mind of Anattᾱ produces the Wisdom of ‘Sῡnyatᾱ (Emptiness). ‘Sῡnyatᾱ is the mother of  Nirvᾱna. Nirvᾱna completely appeases the chatter of the human mind. The complete stillness of the mind is Nirvᾱna. Nirvᾱna is the complete annihilation of self-centric ego. The Diamond Sῡtra stills the human mind with  the right thought of non-abiding of  detachment. Detachment is metaphorically compared to a lotus plant that penetrates through the sullied mud and water. It  springs forth above the surface of the sullied water and remains unsullied. A Man of detachment is analogically likened to an unsullied  lotus flower.

The wisdom of detachment of non-abiding is actually the Anattᾱ strategy of non-grasping upon the five aggregates as this is not I; this is not mine ; this does not belong to me. It obliterates the illusive I-concept through instantaneous Gnosis. It ensures that  the Gnostic  abides in Nirvᾱna. Nirvᾱna is the mind that is stilled. The Anattᾱ strategy of Diamond Sῡtra purifies the mind instantly through non-abiding of detachment. In the Non-abiding of detachment that produces the pure mind and non-volitional actions (kiriyᾱ-s), only the Unity of existence of the five aggregates exists and the self-centric ego is totally extinct. The false self vanishes and the True Self of the Buddha-mind is redeemed. The Man  of detachment is a Gnostic who is not obssessively reactive but is altruistically and compassionately pro-active. Only the self or ego (attᾱ/ahamkᾱra) is extinct but his or her Anattᾱ is redeemed. Anattᾱ redeems the pure, infinite consciousness. Anattᾱ directs and empowers all the six sense activities. Anattᾱ is the Perfection of Wisedom. Perfection of Wisdom produces Perfection of Virtue. Wise consciousness engenders virtuous behavior.

Mental Appeasement

The appeasement of the chatter of the human mind perfects human ethics. When we appease our minds through detachment of non-abiding, we also appease or tame our moral behaviour. Taming ourselves morally, we protect ourselves morally. Protecting ourselves, we protect others.  When we do not appease our minds, we become morally unrestrained, obsessive and unethical . Unethical behaviour  harms ourselves as well as  others. When the Ocean is calm, the waves are also calm. When the Ocean is rough, the waves become rough too. Likewise, human psychology and ethics are intimately connected. The former is means and the latter is the end. Human psychology and ethics are dependently co-arisen.

Conclusion

The Diamond Sῡtra highlights the  Emptiness of four forms, namely Emptiness of self, Emptiness of person, Emptiness of sentient beings and Emptiness of life  span. The first category of Emptiness is Emptiness of oneself (我空) and the last three categories are Emptiness of others (法空). Emptiness of oneself and others are Emptiness of all phenomena. Wise perception of Emptiness of all phenomena conditions  detachment of non-abiding.

Nevertheless, the most critical Emptiness is the  mindful execution of  the final state of Emptiness of Emptiness (空空). Emptiness of Emptiness is the cessation of grasping upon the notion of Emptiness realized. In other words, even the notion of detachment or non-abiding must not be grasped upon.  Nᾱgᾱrjuna describes the grasping upon Emptiness realized to be metaphorically compared to a snake expert :  Having wrongly grasped   the poisonous snake caught, the snake expert  is struck by the snake. This is equally incorrigible.  Therefore, the spiritual travel and journey  of a Buddhist Wayfarer is the Emptiness of self, Emptiness of phenomena and Emptiness of Emptiness.

The Zen Patriarchs crystallize Zen Wisdom thus : The mountain is a mountain; the mountain is not a mountain and the mountain is still a mountain. This one mind in three-fold contemplation depicts the spiritual summit of human development and self-cultivation culminating in final  Middle Path of Emptiness of Emptiness.   In the balanced worldview of Middle Path, when the ultimate Truth is acknowledged, the conventional truth is not denied. The Diamond Sῡtra depicts human mental development thus : Dhamma, not Dharma and still Dharma (法相, 即是非法相, 是名法相).   The Gnostic mind is transformed from the mind of illusion to the mind of Emptiness. The mind of Emptiness is converted to the mind of Emptiness of Emptiness. Emptiness of Emptiness is the Right View of Middle Path. Correspondingly, the human ethics also are transformed from unwholesome kammas (惡業) into wholesome kammas (善業) and from wholesome kammas into kiriyᾱ-s (無為而無所不為). The state of mental consciousness corresponds with the nature of human ethics.

The Diamond Sῡtra’s doctrine of detachment of Non-dwelling  is the Non-dualistic approach of perceiving Unity underlying the multiplicity  of the empirical world instead of being obsessed with the apparent multiplicity of the world. When A perceives an agitated  person B verbally abusing  him.  A should be instantly aware that it is unity of  five aggregates of B  that is angry. There is no such individual person called B who is agitated.  The non-dwelling of detachment of depersonalizing B will  prevent the arising of the reaction of anger in A towards B.  Detachment is depersonalization that makes A mentally composed and unperturbed  in confronting an adverse situation. Non-reactive detachment harmonizes the confrontation. This  depersonalized detachment strategy through the right vision of Anattᾱ is the application instantaneous self-awareness. Self-awareness is the mother of  deliverance. Deliverance  is mental emancipation  from the superimposition of the self-centric ego caused by aversion. The death of self-centric ego manifests the sublime virtue of equanimity.

Equanimity  unravels and manifests the innate  treasure of supreme virtue possessed originally by Man. Detachment is not the denial of the multiplicity of the world. It is insightful application of Anattᾱ strategy to experience the multiplicity of the world of six senses with complete equanimity. Equanimity is mental purification that effaces the self-centric ego instantaneously.  The highest fruit is to bring forth the innate virtuous supremacy in Man. The Confucianists depict this spiritual discovery as ‘ Ming ming te’. ‘Ming ming te’ connotes the  insightful penetration into the intrinsic sublime virtue of the Buddha-nature of Man or the Great Ultimate of Tao (Absolute Reality). Every human being  is potentially endowed with this primordial potentiality of Buddhahood. Detachment self-discloses or self-manifests  the Buddha-nature instantaneously. The Diamond Sῡtra is  the esoteric Zen teaching of instantaneous enlightenment. The Sixth Chinese Chan Patriarch, Hui-neng is a supermodel of instantaneous gnosis. He paved the way for the establishment of Chan or Zen tradition that we have today in the East and in the West.

References :

1. 宣化上人.金剛般若波羅蜜經淺鐸.法界佛教大學, California, 1999.
2. 梁乃崇教授.金剛經現代直解.財團法人圓覺教基金會,Taiwan, 2,000.
3. Hungtington,s,w. and Wangchen,Geshe Namgyal. The Emptiness of Emptiness: An Introduction to Early Indian Madhyamaka. Dehli: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, 2003.
4. The Connected Discourses of the Buddha : A New Translation of the Samyutta Nikᾱya.Trans. Bhikkhu Bodhi. Boston, Wisdom Publication, 2000.
5. Dalai Lama. How to See Yourself As You Really Are.Trans. Jeffrey Hopkins.U.S: Rider, 2008.
6. Kalupahana, David.J. Mῡlamadhyamakᾱrikᾱ of Nᾱgᾱrjuna : The Philosophy of the Middle Way. Dehli: Motilal Banarsidass PublishersPrivate Limited, 2004.