Diamond Sutra - Commentary Part XI

CONTENTS

  1. Commentary on Chapter 30   "The Totality of Principle and Marks"
  2. Commentary on Chapter 31   "Neither Knowing nor Seeing is Produced"
  3. Commentary on Chapter 32   "The Response and Transformation Bodies are Unreal"


Commentary on Chapter 30   "The Totality of Principle and Marks"

"Subhuti, if a good man or good woman were to pulverize three thousand great thousand world systems into motes of fine dust, what do you think, would that mass of fine dust be large?"

Subhuti said, "Large, World Honored One, And why? If that mass of fine dust motes actually existed, the Buddha would not speak of it as a mass of fine dust motes. And why? The mass of fine dust motes is spoken of by the Buddha as no mass of fine dust motes. Therefore it is called a mass of fine dust motes. World Honored One, the three thousand great thousand world systems are spoken of by the Tathagata as no world systems, therefore they are called world systems. And why? If world systems actually existed, then there would be a totality of marks. The totality of marks is spoken of by the Tathagata as no totality of marks. Therefore it is called a totality of marks."

"Subhuti, the totality of marks cannot be spoken of, but people of the common sort greedily attached to such things."

The largest things are created from the smallest. The whole world comes from a collection of small dust motes.

The Buddha asked Subhuti, "If one were to pulverize three thousand great thousand world systems into motes of fine dust, would there be a great mass of dust?"

Subhuti said, "There would be much dust, but only because the fine dust motes have no substantial nature. They basically do not exist. If they did exist the Buddha would not speak of it as a mass of fine dust. The Buddha did speak of a mass of fine dust motes, but it is only from the point of view of common people that a mass of fine dust motes actually exists.

........Is no mass of fine dust motes........ The fine dust basically is empty, and basically is wonderfully existent. Therefore it is called a mass of fine dust motes. It is just a name given and nothing more.

The three thousand great thousand world systems spoken of by the Tathagata are basically non-existent. Therefore they are called world systems, It is merely a false name and nothing more. Why? If world systems actually existed then there would be a totality of marks. The totality of marks refers to the true nature. If the totality of marks actually existed then that would mean the true nature actually exists. The totality of marks is spoken of by the Tathagata......... The Buddha said not even the totality of marks, i.e. the true nature, has marks. ............Is no totality of marks. It also has no basic substance. The true nature is fundamentally true, but also has no false substance. Therefore it is called the totality of marks. That is also forcing a name, "totality of marks," and that all.

Prajna is not spoken, because it has no substance, and there is nothing which can be said. Subhuti, the totality of marks cannot be spoken of, Shakyamuni Buddha heard Subhuti's explanation and again called to him. "What is called a totality of marks? A totality of marks is ineffable. It cannot be expressed. That is because it is a false name and nothing more. But people of the common sort greedily attach to such things. Common people become attached and say, "That exists, this is empty. That is true, this is false." They greedily attach to phenomena. Why? Because they become involved in views based upon discriminations which occur in the field of the Eighth Consciousness. They consider the discrimination of views and the discrimination of marks to be true. Actually both kinds of discriminations are empty and false.


Commentary on Chapter 31 "Neither Knowing nor Seeing is Produced"

"Subhuti, if someone were to say that the view of a self, the view of others, the view of living beings, and the view of a life are spoken of by the Buddha, Subhuti, what do you think? Does that person understand the meaning of my teaching?"

"No, World Honored One, that person does not understand the meaning of the Tathagata's teaching. And why? The view of a self, the view of others, the view of the living beings, and the view of a life are spoken of by the World Honored One as no view of self, no view of others, no view of living beings, and no view of a life. Therefore they are called the view of self, the view of others, the view of living beings, and the view of a life."

"Subhuti, those who have resolved their hearts on Anuttarasamyaksambodhi should thus know, thus view, thus believe and understanding all dharmas, and not produce the marks of dharmas. Subhuti, the marks of dharmas are spoken of by the Tathagata as no marks of dharmas, therefore they are called the marks of dharmas."

If the Dharma Body is universal and if all things in the world are unreal and cannot be conceived, why did the Buddha speak of the view of Four Marks?

Earlier, the Buddha has spoken of the "marks" of self, others, living beings and a life, then at this point, he spoke of the "views" of self, others, living beings and a life. Marks are external objects with which one becomes involved through the eye organ. Views, on the other hand, are discriminations of one's mind to which one becomes attached. Views are more subtle attachment. The superficial external marks are easy to discard, but it is very difficult to obliterate the subtle attachments of the mind consciousness. Not only to leave marks, one has to subdue one's hearts and eradicate one's views. When one separates from views, one can truly reach a state of emptiness of people, of Dharmas, and of emptiness itself.

But the Buddha only spoke of those views from the standpoint of common truth. If explained in terms of actual truth, they are not views. When expressed from the standpoint of the Middle Way, therefore they are called the view of self, the view of others, the view of living beings, and the view of a life. Originally there are no marks and no views, but in the wonderful Dharma of Prajna, the Buddha gives them false names.

Not only are the view of self, of others, of living beings, and of a life that way, all Dharmas should thus be known. Thus view, thus believe and understand all Dharmas, and do not produce the mark of Dharmas. That means do not be attached to any Dharmas.

All Dharma spoken by the Buddha Was for the sake of the hearts of living beings; If there were no hearts, Of what use would Dharma be?

The marks of Dharmas are spoken of by the Tathagata as no marks of Dharmas; therefore they are called the marks of Dharmas. They are merely given a false name.

The Vajra Sutra expresses Prajna, the wonderful principle of true emptiness, and also expresses the Dharma door of equality found within the wonderful principle of Prajna. In general, there are Five Aspects of Equality evident in the Sutra.

  1. The equality of living beings and Buddhas

    "Sagely and common are parts of the One." Sagely refers to the Buddha; common refers to living beings. The world is divided into these two types, but "the basic nature is absolutely the same." Buddhahood is the realization of the Buddha-nature. Living beings can also realize their Buddha-nature. Living beings are former Buddhas who have turned into living beings. For living beings to become Buddhas again they need only return that ,"Sagely and common are parts of the One. The basic nature is absolutely the same."

  2. The equality of emptiness and existence

    Do not attach to either annihilationism or eternalism. The equality and non-duality of emptiness and existence is called the Middle Way. Here true emptiness does not obstruct wonderful existence and wonderful existence does not obstruct true emptiness. True emptiness is wonderful existence; wonderful existence is true emptiness. When there is existence, then existence is apparent. There is no emptiness, and there is no existence. They are not two. The non-duality of emptiness and existence is the equality of emptiness and existence.

  3. The equality of all Dharmas

    The Vajra Sutra says, "... this Dharma is level and equal without high or low, therefore it is called Anuttarasamyaksambodhi." That is the equality of all Dharmas. "The Tathagata neither comes nor goes." That is the equality of all Dharmas.

  4. The equality of one and many

    As all world systems are created from a single mote of dust, when each mote of fine dust is empty, all world systems are empty. Both of them are basically non-existent because they have no substantial nature. From the point of view of actual truth, they are equal.

  5. The equality of all views.

    What is the view of self, the view of others, the view of living beings, and the view of a life? There is none. That is the equality of all views. Medicine is prescribed according to the sickness, but once cured, you no longer take the medicine. If one remains on medication after the illness has been cured, further illness will result. That is the equality of all views.


Commentary on Chapter 32 "The Response and Transformation Bodies are Unreal"

"Subhuti, someone might fill measureless Asamkhyeyas of wo rld systems with the seven precious gems and give them as a gift. But if a good man, or good woman, who has resolved his heart on Bodhi were to take from this Sutra even as few as four lines of verse and receive, hold, read, recite, and extensively explain them for others, his blessings would surpass the other's."

How should it be explained to others? With no grasping at marks: Thus, Thus, unmoving. And why?

After the Buddha spoke this Sutra the elder Subhuti, all the Bhiksus, Bhiksunis, Upasakas Upasikas, and the world with its gods, men and asuras, heard what the Buddha had said, rejoiced, believed, received, revered, and practiced.

This is the last chapter in Diamond Sutra. As all living beings are deluded and upset by their false views of forms, the Buddha used the Vajra Prajna to break up their attachments to the false views one by one, in order to enable them to perceive the fundamental wisdom of the Dharma Body of the Buddha.

At first, they attach to the forms of Five Skandhas of the body and mind and to the Six Dusts, while they practise giving alms, seeking merits in the quest of Buddhahood. The Buddha broke it up by the doctrine of The Four Marks.

Next, they attach to the form of Bodhi. The Buddha broke it up by the doctrine of "no-blessings".

Next, they attach to the form of Buddha Lands adorned by almsgiving. The Buddha broke it up by saying that there are no lands which can be adorned.

Next, they attach to merits which would result in the appearance of the Reward Body. The Buddha broke it up by saying that it is not in fact the completely perfect form body of the Buddha.

Next, they attach to the appearance of the Three Bodies which the Tathagata possesses. The Buddha broke it up by saying that the Response Body (Nirmana-Kaya) is not real and that the Reward Body (Sambhoga-Kaya) is beyond forms.

Next, they attach to the view that the Dharma Body (Dharma-Kaya) must have forms. The Buddha broke it up by saying that the Dharma Body has none.

Next, they attach to the existence of a true self/ego in the Dharma Body. The Buddha broke it up by saying that all things and Dharma has no self.

Thus, all their false views are broken up. All ideas of form and appearance are eliminated. The mind has no where to dwell. It is what the Diamond Sutra says, and what the Real Mark Prajna is.

Explain them extensively for others refers to Literary Prajna. With no grasping at marks refers to Contemplative Prajna. Thus, thus, unmoving refers to the Real Mark Prajna. Real Mark Prajna is true, actual wisdom. By means of the principle of suchness, one can understand the wisdom of suchness; and vice versa. There is no Dharma which is not thus - that is Real Mark Prajna.

When we explain the sutra for others, we should not grasp any mark. We should not think of gaining a lot of merit and virtue, though it is correct to have great merit and virtue. Just like a man who is truly educated is as if devoid of education. That means, at all times in all places, we should be free from the mark of self.

Everything is a conditioned Dharma as it is just a phenomenon. The Five Skandhas, the Four Great Elements, the Six Roots, the Six Dusts, the Twelve Places and the Eighteen Realms are all conditioned Dharmas. All those Dharmas, whether external or internal, are like dreams, illusions, Bubbles, Shadows, dew drops and a lightning flash.

Dreams is unreal. When one awakens from one's dream, one will know without being told that all those events happened in a dream are unreal. In this present life, we are living in a dream too, as all phenomena are unreal and impermanent. We do not believe when we are told that is a dream because we still have not awakened from our dreams. When our cultivation is accomplished, we will awaken from the dreams and know without being told that everything we did in the past was a dream.

Illusions are unreal, like a magician's tricks. What a magician does is unreal as we know. Although it seems real, it is seen to be illusory and non-existent. When we understand the Buddha Dharma, we know everything is empty and illusory, thus we cannot be confused by anything. When we do not understand the Buddha Dharma, we are like the children or the fools who consider everything to be real. We should not be attached to unreal states.

Bubble are also basically unreal, and quickly disappears to show their emptiness.

Shadow follow people around. Where there is form, then there is a shadow. The form is a physical substance, the shadow is empty. In reality, the form itself is empty, without its own nature.

Dew drops are found early in the morning, but will have disappeared after sunrise.

A lightning flash is also impermanent, and its existence is momentary.

Contemplate them thus. We should look upon all conditioned things in this way.

The listeners were filled with joy. As a result, their beliefs were right . They received the Sutra in earnest and their observance of the Sutra had purpose.