The Diamond Sutra

by Red Pine

  Subhuti said, “No, indeed, Bhagavan. No, indeed,

  Sugata. Such a claim would not be true. And why

  not? Bhagavan, when the Tathagata speaks of a

  view of a self, the Tathagata speaks of it as no view.

  Thus is it called a ‘view of a self.’”

  This concludes Subhuti’s education in the perfection of wisdom, which he learned so well he became the Buddha’s representative in teaching the paramita of prajna to the gods and his fellow shravakas in the other sutras that make up the perfection of wisdom scriptures. The teaching itself is quite simple. But we are very complex beings and easily misunderstand simple things. To free us from the views that bind us to the Wheel of Rebirth, the Buddha teaches dharmas, which are themselves views, and like all views, are empty at heart. But dharmas are views that counteract the views that rule our lives and that ensure our rebirth for countless more lives. For someone suffering from anger, the Buddha teaches compassion. For someone suffering from desire, he teaches morality. And for someone suffering from delusion, he teaches wisdom. No medication works for every individual or for every illness. There is no perfect medicine. Nor would a doctor want patients taking medication after their illness has been cured. Thus, the Buddha’s dharmas are no dharmas. For all dharmas are not only selfless, they are birthless.

  Te-ch’ing says, “At first we cling to seeing a body and mind comprised of the five skandhas and the appearance of the six sensations. And thus attached to an appearance, we practice charity in our search for the merit of buddhahood, which the Buddha breaks through with ‘no attachment.’ Next, we cling to the appearance of enlightenment, which the Buddha breaks through with ‘no attainment.’ Next, we cling to the appearance of practicing charity to purify a buddha land, which the Buddha breaks through with ‘no land to purify.’ Next, we cling to the appearance of a reward body produced by merit, which the Buddha breaks through with ‘a physical body of no attributes.’ Next, we once more cling to the appearance of the three bodies of the Tathagata, which the Buddha breaks through by saying that the apparition body is not real and the reward body is free of appearances. Next, we cling to the appearance of a dharma body, which the Buddha breaks through by saying that the dharma body has no appearance. Next, we cling to the appearance of the true self of a dharma body, which the Buddha breaks through by saying that all dharmas have no self. Next, we once more cling to the appearance of the three bodies of the Tathagata, which the Buddha breaks through by saying that they are not one and not multiple. Thus, one after the other, he breaks through our attachments and denies everything, until all perceptions are eliminated and no thought remains.”

  Sheng-yi says, “The Lankavatara Sutra says, ‘The view of views is the cause of ignorance. No view of views is nirvana.’ The view of views is putting one head on top of another, which is the cause of ignorance.”

  Textual note: For Subhuti’s answer, Kumarajiva repeats the question in the negative. All other Chinese editions, save that of Hsuan-tsang, limit themselves to a simple negative response. This is also the case in the Stein and Gilgit editions. Also, in Subhuti’s explanation, the Chinese translations of Kumarajiva, Bodhiruci, Paramartha, and Hsuan-tsang add the other views of a being, a life, and a soul, and in Hsuan-tsang’s case, his usual additional five views as well. The Khotanese does not have this section and repeats sections of Chapters Twelve and Thirteen in its place.

  The Buddha said, “Indeed, Subhuti, so it is. Those

  who set forth on the bodhisattva path know, see,

  and believe all dharmas but know, see, and believe

  them without being attached to the perception of

  a dharma. And why not? The perception of a dharma,

  Subhuti, the ‘perception of a dharma’ is said by

  the Tathagata to be no perception. Thus is it called

  the ‘perception of a dharma.’

  At the beginning of this sutra, Subhuti asked the Buddha how bodhisattvas should stand, how they should walk, and how they should control their thoughts. The Buddha now concludes that bodhisattvas should stand on what they know, which is the selflessness and birthlessness of all dharmas, they should walk on what they see, which is the dharma body of reality, and they should control their thoughts by believing this teaching of the perfection of wisdom. Except for “believe,” the Buddha uses the same language here that he uses in Chapter Fourteen and elsewhere. Just as buddhas jnata (know) those who practice this teaching by means of their buddha-knowledge, those who practice it jnata (know) all dharmas. Just as buddhas drista (see) those who practice this teaching by means of their buddha-vision, those who practice it drista (see) all dharmas. Thus, buddhas buddha (are aware) of those who adhimokta (believe) this teaching. But those who believe this teaching do so without attachment to any dharma. Once again, the image of a raft comes to mind. After crossing the river, if we continue to carry a dharma around, we only increase our suffering, instead of freeing ourselves from it. Thus, dharmas are dharmas, but they are also no dharmas. They are empty of any nature of their own, and if we remain attached to any aspect of them, they prevent rather than aid our liberation and the liberation of others. The biggest of all dharmas is buddhahood. But buddhahood is also another name for the biggest self of all. The focus of this sutra has been the attainment of buddhahood, but it has also been the practice of prajna by means of which we reach that goal while at the same time remaining unattached to it. Once across the river, we must leave the raft behind. The perfection of wisdom teaches us to know rafts, to see rafts, and to trust rafts, but it also teaches us to leave them behind. Thus do bodhisattvas know, see, and trust all dharmas.

  Cold Mountain says, “For an image of life and death / consider ice and water.” (100)

  Asanga says, “Dialectic knowledge and samadhi see right through apparitions of the buddha whose merit never ends.” (73)

  Li Wen-hui says, “Those who give birth to the thought of enlightenment should understand that all beings possess the buddha nature. They should see that the karma-free wisdom of all beings is already complete, and they should believe that the sacred source and true nature of all beings is free of birth and death. If they can realize this, they realize all wisdom. They do not give birth to thoughts of subject or object, or harbor images of understanding. Their mouths speak of formless dharmas, while their minds realize formless truths, and they constantly practice formless practices. Thus is it said that by not giving birth to the perception of a dharma, this is called the perception of a dharma.”

  Hui-neng says, “Those who give birth to the thought of enlightenment should see that all beings have the buddha-nature. They should see that all beings already possess wisdom free of the seeds of passion. They should believe that all beings have no afflictions. They should believe that the nature of all beings is neither born nor destroyed. And although they cultivate all forms of wisdom and interact with others and help beings with expedient means, they don’t think about a subject or object. If they speak about the idealess dharma but still think about a subject or object, they have no perception of a dharma. Whereas, if they speak about the idealess dharma and think thoughts that have eliminated subject and object, this is called the perception of a dharma.”

  Sheng-yi says, “All dharmas should be understood like this: all dharmas have no self, and all beings have the buddha nature. All dharmas should be seen like this: all dharmas are prajna, and the nature of blameless wisdom is possessed by us all. And all dharmas should be believed like this: afflictions are essentially empty. And while dharmas neither rise nor fall, the lifespan of a dharma is limitless. We use dharmas to cultivate. But once we realize the truth, the perception of a dharma is empty. This is called the true perception of a dharma.”

  Thich Nhat Hanh says, “All concepts co-arise and are empty of a separate self. If the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind is empty, then the perceptions of self and so on are also empty. So why should we discriminate or be afraid of them? All concepts are dharmas,
objects of mind, signs. Look deeply into one dharma, and you will see all dharmas. Once we understand that a concept is just a concept, we can go beyond that concept and be free of the dharma that concept represents.”

  Tao-ch’uan says, “When it’s time to eat, open your mouth. When it’s time to sleep, close your eyes. My song goes: ‘My line hangs straight down one-thousand feet / after each wave come ten thousand more / fish aren’t hungry on a cold still night / my boat returns empty but full of moonlight.’”

  Textual note: In place of bodhisattva-yana sanprasthita (those who embark on the bodhisattva path), Kumarajiva and Bodhiruci have fa a-nuo-to-lo san-mao san-p’u-t’i che (those who give birth to the thought of unexcelled, complete enlightenment). In the first occurrence of the series jnatavya (know), drashtavya (see), adhimoktavya (believe), the Gilgit edition does not have drashtavya and in the second occurrence omits jnatavya. The second occurrence of the series is missing in the Stein edition as well as in all Chinese translations, except for adhimoktavya, which is present in the editions of Paramartha, Dharmagupta, and Yi-ching. In place of na dharma-sanjna pratyupatisthati (without being attached to the perception of a dharma), Kumarajiva and Paramartha have pu-sheng fa-hsiang (without giving birth to the perception/appearance of a dharma). Müller alone adds na adharma-sanjna (and the perception of no dharma). In the penultimate sentence, Kumarajiva does not include the initial repetition of dharma-sanjna (the perception of a dharma). And at the very end, Hsuan-tsang adds an additional fa-hsiang (the perception of a dharma).

  Chapter Thirty-two: “Furthermore, Subhuti, if a fearless bodhisattva filled measureless, infinite worlds with the seven jewels and gave them as an offering to the tathagatas, the arhans, the fully-enlightened ones, and a noble son or daughter grasped but a single four-line gatha of this teaching of the perfection of wisdom and memorized, discussed, recited, mastered, and explained it in detail to others, the body of merit produced by that noble son or daughter as a result would be immeasurably, infinitely greater. And how should they explain it? By not explaining. Thus is it called ‘explaining.’

  “As a lamp, a cataract, a star in space an illusion, a dewdrop, a bubble a dream, a cloud, a flash of lightning view all created things like this.”

  “All this was spoken by the Buddha to the joy of the elder Subhuti, the monks and nuns, the laymen and laywomen, the bodhisattvas, the devas, humans, asuras and gandharvas of the world all of whom were greatly pleased with what the Buddha said.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  THIS SUTRA BEGAN with Subhuti thanking the Buddha for the example of his daily life and asking how he and the other disciples might attain such liberation. The Buddha then told Subhuti they must cultivate both wisdom and compassion by liberating all beings while remaining unattached to any perception of a being, any perception of a self, or any perception of liberation. In this final chapter, the Buddha sums up this teaching that combines wisdom and compassion: not only is it grasped without grasping, it is explained without explaining. Whoever explains this teaching like this does what a buddha does. This is why the Buddha gets up in the morning and goes to town. This is the way to buddhahood and the way of buddhahood, the magic seed that bears the magic fruit, the body we have never been without. This is the diamond body. Anything else is just an illusion.

  Chao-ming titles this: “Apparitions Are Not Real.”

  Hui-neng says, “One thought of resolution, and merit arrives just as fast. How can apparition bodies and illusory things suffice? When the true buddha is everywhere, one’s work is done. Thus follows a chapter on how apparitions are not real.”

  Asanga says, “When buddhas speak their dharmas, they don’t say their bodies are emanations. Because they don’t proclaim a self, thus their words are true.” (74) Vasubandhu comments, “But is it not said that buddhas speak their dharmas without end through emanations? How then can they abide in a nirvanic condition?”

  Te-ch’ing says, “Subhuti has already realized the totality of the dharma body but wonders that if it is not the dharma body that speaks the dharma but the apparition body, then the dharma spoken by the apparition body does not reach the state of the dharma body. How then could someone who holds onto this dharma obtain any merit? What follows explains that what is spoken by the apparition body is the true dharma because all three bodies are one and the same body.”

  ”Furthermore, Subhuti, if a fearless bodhisattva filled measureless, infinite worlds with the seven jewels and gave them as an offering to the tathagatas, the arhans, the fully-enlightened ones, and a noble son or daughter grasped but a single four-line gatha of this teaching of the perfection of wisdom and memorized, discussed, recited, mastered, and explained it in detail to others, the body of merit produced as a result would be immeasurably, infinitely greater.

  The Buddha returns to the comparison he has made throughout this sutra, whereby an offering of the most valuable objects in the world is compared to an offering of a single poem that expresses the truth. As the extent and value of material offerings have steadily increased, the fearless bodhisattva has been presented as the most likely member of the Buddha’s audience to understand the greater value of a good poem. How ironic that at the end of this sutra, the merit of a fearless bodhisattva fails to compare to that of an ordinary person. For even a fearless bodhisattva can become attached to the net of jewels of an illusory world. But the message the Buddha wants to leave with his audience is that the body of merit synonymous with the Buddha’s own diamond body is accessible to anyone, that such a body is a four-line gatha away.

  Seng-chao says, “The seven jewels are limited. A four-line gatha is inexhaustible.”

  Hui-neng says, “Although the merit from the seven jewels is great, it does not compare with someone who gives birth to the thought of enlightenment and takes a four-line gatha of this sutra and explains it to others. Their merit surpasses that of others by a hundred, a thousand, a millionfold. It is beyond compare.”

  Te-ch’ing says, “This explains how the apparition-body-buddha speaks the absolute dharma. Subhuti wonders if the dharma spoken by the apparition-body-buddha doesn’t attain the state of the dharma body how then can merit be obtained. The Buddha says that what the apparition body says is what the dharma body says because the three bodies aren’t different. Thus, if someone can take four lines of this dharma and explain it to others, their merit will be incomparable because they do not cling to appearances while abiding in the immutability of the absolute.”

  Textual note: In place of bodhisattva mahasattva (fearless bodhisattva), Kumarajiva and Yi-ching have jen (person). As elsewhere, neither Kumarajiva, Bodhiruci, Paramartha, nor Yi-ching includes any mention of the recipient of this offering. Yi-ching also has jen (person) for the second donor as well. After shan-nan-tzu shan-nu-jen (noble son or daughter), Kumarajiva and Bodhiruci have fa p’u-t’i-hsin-che (who gives birth to the thought of enlightenment). The Gilgit edition does not include dharma-paryayad (dharma teaching) nor skandha (body) in punya-skandha (body of merit). To the list of meritorious activities, Paramartha adds chiao-t’a hsiu-hsing (teach others to practice), while the Gilgit edition does not include vacayet (recite) or parebhyas ca vistarena sanprakashayet (explain in detail to others). Paramartha adds an extra shan-nan-tzu shan-nu-jen (noble son or daughter) to the last clause.

  And how should they explain it? By not explaining.

  Thus is it called ‘explaining.’

  “As a lamp, a cataract, a star in space / an illusion,

  a dewdrop, a bubble / a dream, a cloud, a flash of

  lightning / view all created things like this.”

  Most commentators and at least two translators interpret this gatha as an example of how this sutra should be explained. Müller, for example, places it before “thus is it called ‘explaining.’” And Kumarajiva prefaces it with “and how so?” to connect the gatha with “thus is it called ‘explaining.’” But no other edition, Chinese or Sanskrit, follows suit. This gatha, I suggest, is not meant
as an example of explaining this teaching, for the Buddha has just noted that the bodhisattva’s explanation is no explanation. This gatha is simply an offering given to us by the Buddha, the Buddha’s way of saying goodbye: “Until we meet again, here is something for your empty bowl: regard all things, all beings, this teaching, this sutra, this body of merit, this realization, regard them all as unreal.”

  It is also possible that this gatha doesn’t even belong here. The Perfection of Wisdom in Five Hundred Lines, which immediately precedes the Diamond Sutra in the Maha Prajnaparamita Sutra, ends with exactly the same comparison of merit, exactly the same explanation without explanation, and exactly the same gatha. Also, while this gatha provides a summary of the teaching regarding the empty and illusory nature of begging in the city, which is the subject of the Perfection of Wisdom in Five Hundred Lines, clearly it does not summarize the teaching of this sutra. If any single gatha “explains” this sutra, a better choice would be the gatha in Chapter Twenty-six. This gatha is simply “goodbye.”

  As to the relevance of these similes, a lamp shines brightly but can be extinguished by something as unsubstantial as the wind. A cataract presents images of flowers and other objects that turn out to be defects of vision. A star in the sky appears at dusk only to disappear at dawn. An illusion is nothing but a conjurer’s trick. A dewdrop seems such a perfect jewel but vanishes as soon as the sun appears. A bubble turns out to contain nothing. A dream enthralls us in its scenes, until we wake and wonder where it came from and where it went. A cloud forms out of thin air, never stops changing shape, and vanishes into nothing. And a flash of lightning stuns us with its brilliant light but reminds us of the brevity of what appears to be real.