The Diamond Sutra

by Red Pine

  Chapter Twenty-three: “Furthermore, Subhuti, undifferentiated is this dharma in which nothing is differentiated. Thus is it called ‘unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.’ Without a self, without a being, without a life, without a soul, undifferentiated is this unexcelled, perfect enlightenment by means of which all auspicious dharmas are realized. And how so? Auspicious dharmas, Subhuti, ‘auspicious dharmas’ are spoken of by the Tathagata as ‘no dharmas.’ Thus are they called ‘auspicious dharmas.’”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER, the Buddha says the dharma that cannot be realized is what he means by ‘unexcelled, perfect enlightenment. ’ Here, he explains that unexcelled, perfect enlightenment cannot be realized because it possesses no features, no qualities, no aspects, nothing that can be differentiated. Nor is there within it something greater: no greater self, no greater being, no greater life, no greater soul. It is, instead, the Great Leveler. And yet it is precisely because it contains nothing that can be differentiated that it is the source of all auspicious dharmas, which are those dharmas used in the work of liberation and which are the focus of the second half of this sutra. And yet they are only auspicious because they contain nothing. They are no dharmas. The Buddha also calls such dharmas “buddha dharmas.”

  Chao-ming titles this: “With a Pure Mind Cultivate What Is Auspicious.”

  Hui-neng says, “If one dharma remains in the mind, feelings give birth to superior and inferior. When we cultivate with a pure mind, how could auspicious dharmas be exhausted? Thus follows a chapter on cultivating what is auspicious with a pure mind.”

  Te-ch’ing says, “Subhuti already realized that the dharma body is pure and there is no dharma to attain but still wondered when the Buddha spoke of realizing enlightenment by cultivating auspicious dharmas [note: this reading follows from Kumarajiva’s translation of this chapter] if there was anything realized. For how could there be nothing to realize in the Tathagata’s fruit of enlightenment? But the Buddha says there is, in fact, nothing realized. For buddhas are born from what is undifferentiated, what is impartial and indivisible. Enlightenment is simply like this. How could anything actually be realized?”

  “Furthermore, Subhuti, undifferentiated is this dharma in which nothing is differentiated. Thus is it called ‘unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.’

  In the previous chapter, the Buddha says he did not find even an anu (atom) in the dharma of enlightenment. Here, he tells us that the reason he found nothing was because such a dharma contains nothing. In describing what is imperceptible and ungraspable, the Buddha uses the Sanskrit sama (undifferentiated). Normally, sama means “even” or “level,” as in “level ground.” Here, however, it refers to the absence of anything that can be separated from or distinguished in the dharma body of enlightenment.

  Fu Hsi’s song goes, “Water and land are the same true realm / flying and walking alike are real / dharmas include no this or that / the truth isn’t distant or near / distinctions of self and other be gone / away with perceptions of better or worse / once we know this equalizing nature / we enter nirvana together.”

  Tseng Feng-yi says, “One day Wei-shan pointed to some rice fields on the slope and said to Yang-shan, ‘That field is higher, and this one is lower.’ Yang-shan said, ‘Actually, this one is higher, and that one is lower.’ Wei-shan said, ‘If you don’t believe me, stand in the middle and look at them both.’ Yang-shan said, ‘I don’t need to stand in the middle, since I’m not in either one.’ Wei-shan said, ‘If that’s the case, then look at the water. Water seeks its own level. Yang-shan said, ‘But water isn’t dependable [in Chinese there’s a pun here on the words p’ing (level) and p’ing (dependable)]. In high places, its level is high. In low places its level is low.’ Wei-shan gave up. (Chuantenglu: 9) Truly profound is the difficulty in realizing what is level [p’ing-teng = sama = undifferentiated”]. Being attached to either side is not level. Standing in the middle is not level. Because water can be level, and things are not level, only when there is no dharma at all can we speak of them as level, in which case, high is level and so is low. Only by means of such realization as this can we know that we all swim in the same Sea of Nirvana.”

  Thich Nhat Hanh says, “Because all objects of mind are neither high nor low, this is called ‘the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind.’ In our thoughts, the moon may be full or new, bright or dim, present or not present, but the moon itself has none of these characteristics. The moon is just the moon. All objects of the mind are equal.”

  Textual note: Yi-ching does not have api tu khalu punah (furthermore). Neither Kumarajiva, Bodhiruci, Paramartha, nor Yi-ching includes tatra (in which). For sama (undifferentiated), all Chinese translations have p’ing-teng (equal/level). For vishama (differentiated), Kumarajiva, Bodhiruci, Paramartha, and Yi-ching have kao-hsia (higher-lower/unequal).

  Without a self, without a being, without a life,

  without a soul, undifferentiated is this unexcelled,

  perfect enlightenment by means of which all

  auspicious dharmas are realized.

  The absence of the four perceptions of a self, a being, a life, and a soul is what the Buddha means by “undifferentiated.” If any of these attributes are present, a dharma is differentiated and is not undifferentiated. Undifferentiated means “devoid of attributes.” The only attribute of such an undifferentiated dharma is no attribute. But because of its absence of attributes, it is the source of all auspicious dharmas by means of which all beings are able to enter the sanctuary of enlightenment. Thus, in Chapter Five, the Buddha tells Subhuti the Tathagata can, indeed, be seen, but only by means of attributes that are no attributes.

  The Sanskrit word used here, kushala (auspicious), is derived from kusha, which is the name of the sacred grass used in ancient India by priests and fortune-tellers to assist them in gaining entrance to the unknown. This grass was also used by the Buddha and others for their meditation cushions. Thus, auspicious dharmas are those that arise from prajna, that are the fruit of wisdom, which is, itself, the fruit of meditation. As for which dharmas are auspicious, one of the gathas in the Dharmapada says: “Commit no wrongs / perform good deeds / and let your thoughts be pure / thus do all buddhas teach.”

  In the Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines, Subhuti asks the Buddha, “If all dharmas are undifferentiated, how can we distinguish auspicious from inauspicious dharmas?” The Buddha answers, “In the past when I cultivated the bodhisattva path, I did not grasp any dharmas. In the same manner, remaining unattached to all dharmas, bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom from the time they first give birth to the thought of enlightenment to when they finally realize unexcelled, perfect enlightenment. Exercising skill regarding the self-nature of all dharmas, they thereby attain enlightenment, teach other beings and create a buddhaland.” (72)

  Hui-neng says, “As for this dharma of enlightenment, from buddhas above to insects below, they all possess a kind of wisdom that does not differ from that of the Buddha. Hence, it is said to be equal and devoid of superior or inferior, for enlightenment is not partial. If you can just get free of the four perceptions [self, being, life, soul] and cultivate all auspicious dharmas, you will realize enlightenment. If you don’t get free of the four perceptions, even though you cultivate all auspicious dharmas, your thoughts of a self or a being striving to realize liberation will increase, instead. And this will never end. But once you get free of the four perceptions and cultivate all auspicious dharmas, liberation is within reach. Those who cultivate all auspicious dharmas have no impure attachment to any dharma. They aren’t moved or swayed by any situation. Nor do they desire, grasp, or love transcendent dharmas. Always and everywhere they practice expedient means that suit other beings and that are easily accepted. And they teach them true dharmas that lead them to realize enlightenment. Only this can be called cultivation. This is what is meant by cultivating ‘all auspicious dharmas.’”

  Te-ch’ing says, “As for rea
lizing enlightenment by cultivating auspicious dharmas, we only need to remain free of the four perceptions in our cultivation. Because such cultivation is no cultivation, such realization is no realization. And because nothing is realized, it is thus called a truly auspicious dharma.”

  Textual note: Bodhiruci does not include nir-atmatva (without a self-nature). Kumarajiva does not include vishama (undifferentiated). Although their versions differ here, Chinese translators ignore the instrumental case in the line that follows and read this thusly (Kumarajiva’s version includes the phrases in parentheses): “Because they have (it has) no self, no being, no life, and no soul, (this dharma is undifferentiated and is thus called ‘unexcelled, perfect enlightenment’), by cultivating all auspicious dharmas, they obtain unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.” In place of sarvaih kushalair dharmair abhi-sanbudhyate (by means of which all auspicious dharmas are realized), Paramartha has yu shih shan-fa chu-tsu yuan-man, te a-nuo-to-lo san-mao san-p’u-t’i (because auspicious dharmas are realized in their entirety, one obtains unexcelled, perfect enlightenment). Yi-ching has yi-ch’ieh shan-fa chieh cheng-chueh-liao, ku ming wu-shang cheng-teng cheng-chueh (because all auspicious dharmas are perfectly realized, it is therefore called “unexcelled, perfect enlightenment)”.

  And how so? Auspicious dharmas, Subhuti,

  ‘auspicious dharmas’ are spoken of by the

  Tathagata as ‘no dharmas.’ Thus are they called

  ‘auspicious dharmas.’”

  They are auspicious because they are efficacious in liberating others from suffering. They are also auspicious because they are undifferentiated and empty of anything to which anyone might become attached. Thus, they are no dharmas. However, although they are no dharmas, they are still used for liberating others. Hence, they are buddha dharmas. Although the Buddha does not tell us what he would include among efficacious dharmas, in other texts that focus on the bodhisattva path he includes the thirty-seven bodhi-pakshyas (aids to enlightenment), the six (or ten) paramitas (perfections), and the seven (or ten) bhumis (stages). Zen masters, no doubt, would include koans and tea.

  Asanga says, “Such means are unexcelled, these dharmas free of karma. Because they are impure, we call such dharmas pure.” (57) Vasubandhu comments, “A karmic dharma is an impure dharma, while a non-karmic dharma is a pure dharma.” (Note: some commentators add one or both of the first two lines of this verse to Asanga’s previous verse.)

  Hui-neng says, “If a person cultivates any auspicious dharma and expects a reward, it is not an auspicious dharma. While if a person completely carries out all six paramitas and ten-thousand practices without expecting any reward, this is called an ‘auspicious dharma.’”

  Sheng-yi says, “If what one practices is based on one’s nature, one practices all auspicious dharmas. Because one does not depart from one’s nature and grasps no form, such dharmas are said to be ‘no dharmas.’ But because such formless, auspicious dharmas alone can adorn one’s dharma body, they are also called ‘auspicious dharmas.’”

  Tao-yuan says, “What is meant by ‘auspicious dharmas’? The ten-thousand ways of practicing the six paramitas. Auspicious dharmas are not simply the ten virtues we practice within the Three Realms [such as not killing, not stealing, etc.]. Such virtues only result in rebirth in the heavens, not in buddhahood. Only by cultivating the manifold practices of the six paramitas, the karma-free seeds of auspicious dharmas, can you become a buddha, can you realize the karma-free fruit of auspicious dharmas.”

  Tao-ch’uan says, “Because they are free of the four perceptions, they are called auspicious dharmas.”

  Textual note: No Chinese translation includes tat kasya hetoh (and how so). Kumarajiva and Yi-ching do not include the repetition of kushala dharma (auspicious dharmas) at the beginning of this sentence, and Kumarajiva and Bodhiruci have fei-shan-fa (not auspicious dharmas) for adharma (no dharmas). Hsuan-tsang has an extra shan-fa (auspicious dharmas) at the end of the last line.

  Chapter Twenty-four: “Moreover, Subhuti, if a man or woman brought together as many piles of the seven jewels as all the Mount Sumerus in the billion worlds of the universe and gave them as a gift to the tathagatas, the arhans, the fully-enlightened ones, and a noble son or daughter grasped but a single four-line gatha of this dharma teaching of the perfection of wisdom and made it known to others, Subhuti, their body of merit would be greater by more than a hundredfold, indeed, by an amount beyond comparison.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  AFTER TELLING HIS DISCIPLES that bodies are no bodies and dharmas are no dharmas, the Buddha is concerned that those who don’t understand the differences among the five eyes might now choose to ignore the cultivation of a body of merit and the cultivation and dissemination of this teaching. Hence, he once again reminds Subhuti of the merit that results from understanding and making the “mother of buddhas” known to others. What could be more auspicious and yet at the same time transcend the limits of auspiciousness? Again, the emphasis is on skill-in-means in realizing the realization that is no realization and in teaching the teaching that is no teaching. Only such a realization and such a teaching can be called auspicious, and only a body that results from such realization and teaching is beyond comparison.

  Chao-ming titles this: “Merit and Wisdom beyond Compare.”

  Hui-neng says, “You can offer mountains of jewels, but there is no mountain that does not wear away. The great body of prajna wisdom is the true mountain of jewels. Thus follows a chapter on the merit and wisdom beyond compare.”

  Te-ch’ing says, “If auspicious dharmas are negated, what dharma is worthwhile? Below, the sutra says that understanding prajna is the worthiest of all. Even a billion mountains of jewels cannot compare to the merit from understanding one gatha about prajna. For prajna is free of conceptions, thus it has no limits and is beyond comparison.”

  “Moreover, Subhuti, if a man or woman brought

  together as many piles of the seven jewels as all the

  Mount Sumerus in the billion worlds of the universe

  and gave them as a gift to the tathagatas, the

  arhans, the fully-enlightened ones,

  This is the sixth such comparison: the first contrasted this teaching with an offering of enough jewels to fill the billion worlds of a single universe; the second was an offering of enough jewels to fill countless universes; the third was an offering of as many lives as there are grains of sand in the Ganges; the fourth was an offering of as many lives as there are grains of sand in the Ganges every day for endless kalpas; and the fifth contrasted this teaching with the merit from venerating countless buddhas. Here, the offering consists of enough jewels to equal all the Mount Sumerus in the universe. And since every world in a billion-world-system has a Mount Sumeru, a universe contains a billion Mount Sumerus. Latent in the use of such an image is the mountain of the self. Just as Sumeru is the greatest object in any world, the self is the greatest conception of any mind. Hence, this offering turns all the selves of the universe into piles of jewels and lays them before the tathagatas. This is why such an offering, contrary to what T’ung-li says below, is the greatest offering of all. And yet, such an offering cannot compare to giving this teaching to those who are not tathagatas.

  T’ung-li says, “Although this is the sixth such comparison, it only involves an offering of a billion mountains of jewels. This is inferior to the first comparison, not to mention the second through the fifth. What is the meaning of a subsequent offering being inferior? It is because before a person cultivates, belief and understanding are difficult. Once they understand, cultivation and realization are easy. When something is difficult, the comparison should be greater. When it’s easy, anything will do. Thus, the chapters on cultivation are now over. Still, a comparison can be used to lead others forward.”

  Hui-neng says, “The height and diameter of the Great Iron Mountain is 2,240,000 miles. The height and diameter of the Small Iron Mountain is 1,120,000. The height and diameter of Mount Sumeru
is 3,360,000 miles. These make up the three thousand-world systems of the universe. But in terms of meaning, the deluded thoughts of desire, anger, and ignorance each comprise an entire thousand-world system.” (Note: Sumeru is defined by some as the mountain at the center of the universe, which is how Hui-neng understands it, and by others as the mountain in the middle of every world in the universe, which is how Sheng-yi understands it and which is how the Buddha uses it here.)

  Sheng-yi says, “Mount Sumeru is 3,360,000 miles high and is the king of all mountains. A billion-world universe contains a billion Mount Sumerus. This is what is meant by ‘all the Mount Sumerus.’”