20 June 2004: About the Diamond-Cutter Sutra (3)

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Buddhist Hour Script 334 for Sunday 20 June 2004

This script is entitled: About the Diamond-Cutter Sutra (3)

Today we will continue reading the Vajracchedika Prajna-paramita Sutra commenced in last week's program.

Vajracchedika Prajna-paramita Sutra was translated into English from Chinese by Upasaka Lu Kuan-yu. (Charles Luk).

We will then attempt to shine some further light on the Diamond - Cutter Sutra. As in previous weeks drawing from quotes from the readings provided for the on-line study course - Course VI: The Diamond-Cutter Sutra, Level 1 of Middle Way Philosophy (Madhyamika) as taught by Geshe Michael Roach and presented by The Asian Classics Institute at www.world-view.org.

To begin we request the blessings of the Buddha Lineage holders for the Diamond Cutter Sutra so that we may come to fully understand the Sutra.

The Buddha Lineage holders are:

Buddha
Maitreya 500BC
Manjushri 500BC
Asanga 350AD
Nagajuna 200AD
Haribhadra 800AD
Chandrakirti 650AD
Suvarnadripa 1000AD (lived in Indonesia)
Atisha 982 - 1054AD
Drompton Je 1005 - 1054AD
Geshe Drolungpa 1100AD
Je Tsong Kapa 1357 - 1419
Ngawang Drakpa C.1410
Gyaltsab Je 1364 - 1432
Kedrup Je 1365 - 1430
His Holiness the 3rd Dalai Lama 1543 - 1588
The 1st Panchen Lama 1567 - 1662
His Holiness the 5th Dalai Lama 1617 - 1682
The 2nd Panchen Lama 1663 - 1737
Pabonka Rinpoche 1878 - 1941
Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche 1901 - 1981
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama 1935 -
Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Tharchin 1921 -
Geshe Michael Roach 1952 -

The Sutra begins:

Offering The Mandala

Here is the great Earth,
Filled with the smell of incense,
Covered with a blanket of flowers,

The Great Mountain,
The Four Continents,
Wearing a jewel,
Of the Sun, and Moon.

In my mind I make them
The Paradise of a Buddha,
And offer it all to You.

By this deed
May every living being
Experience
The Pure World.

Idam guru ratna mandalakam niryatayami.

Refuge and The Wish

I go for refuge
To the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
Until I achieve enlightenment.

By the power
Of the goodness that I do
In giving and the rest,

May I reach Buddhahood
For the sake
Of every living being

Dedication of the Goodness of a deed

By the goodness
Of what I have just done
May all beings

Complete the collection
Of merit and wisdom,

And thus gain the two
Ultimate bodies
That merit and wisdom make.

A Buddhist Grace

I offer this
To the Teacher
Higher than any other,
The precious Buddha.

I offer this
to the protection
Higher than any other,
The precious Dharma.

I offer this
To the guides
Higher than any other,
The precious Sangha.

I offer this
To the places of refuge,
To the Three jewels,
Rare and supreme.

The Vajracchedika Prajna-paramita Sutra continues with the Buddhas words:

‘Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess human eyes?’

‘Yes, World Honoured One, the Tathagata possesses human eyes.’

‘Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess deva eyes?’

‘Yes World Honoured One, the Tathagata possesses deva eyes.’

‘Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess wisdom eyes?’

‘Yes, World Honoured One, the Tathagata possesses wisdom eyes?’

‘Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess Dharma eyes?’

‘Yes, World Honoured One the Tathagata possesses Dharma eyes?’

‘Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata posses Buddha eyes.’

‘Yes, World Honoured One, the Tathagata possesses Buddha eyes.’

‘Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata say that the sand-grains in the Ganges are sand-grains.’

‘Yes, World Honoured One, the Tathagata says they are sand-grains.’

‘Subhuti, what do you think? If there were as many Ganges rivers as sand-grains in the Ganges, and if there were as many Buddha realms as sand-grains of all these Ganges rivers, would there be many world systems?’

‘Many, World Honoured One!’

The Buddha said: ‘The living beings in all these world systems have many different minds which are all known to the Tathagata. Why? Because the minds the Tathagata speaks of are not minds, but are (expediently) called minds. And why? Because, Subhuti, neither the past, the present nor the future mind can be found.

‘Subhuti, what do you think? If someone filled the universe with the seven treasures and gave all away in his practice of dana, would this (good) cause enable the giver to gain a great merit?’

‘Yes, World Honoured One, because of this (good) cause the giver would gain great merit?’

‘Subhuti, if the merit was real, the Tathagata would not say it was great. He says it was great. He says so because there is no merit.’

‘Subhuti, what do you think? Can the Buddha be perceived by His completely perfect physical body (rupa-kaya)?’

‘No, World Honoured One, the Tathagata should not be perceived. Why? Because the Buddha says the completely perfect rupa-kaya.’

‘Subhuti, what do you think? Can the Tathagata be perceived by His completely perfect forms?’

‘No, World Honoured One, the Tathagata should not be so perceived, because the Tathagata says the completely perfect forms are not, but are called completely perfect forms?,

‘No, World Honoured One, the Tathagata should not be so perceived, because the Tathagata says the completely perfect forms are not, but are called completely perfect forms.’

‘Subhuti, do not say that the Tathagata thinks: “I must expound the Dharma”. Do not have such a thought. Why? Because if someone says so, he will really slander the Buddha and be unable to understand my teaching. Subhuti, when (the Tathagata) expounds the Dharma, there is really no Dharma to teach: but this is (expediently) called teaching the Dharma.’

‘Then the wise Subhuti said to the Buddha: ‘World Honoured One, will there be in future ages living beings who will believe this Dharma when they hear it?’

The Buddha said: ‘Subhuti, the living beings (you just mentioned) are neither living nor not living beings. Why? Because, Subhuti, the Tathagata says these living beings are not (really), but they are (expediently), called living beings.’

Subhuti said to the Buddha: ‘World Honoured One, does your (own) attainment of Supreme Enlightenment (Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi) mean that you have not gained anything whatsoever?’

The Buddha replied: ‘Just so, Subhuti, just so, I have not gained even the least Dharma from Supreme Enlightenment, and this is called Supreme Enlightenment. Furthermore, Subhuti, this Dharma is universal and impartial; wherefore it is called Supreme Enlightenment. The practice of all good virtues (Dharmas), free from attachment to an ego, a personality, a being and a life, will result in the attainment of Supreme Enlightenment. Subhuti, the so-called good virtues (Dharmas), the Tathagata says, are not good, but are (expediently) called good virtues.

Subhuti, if (on the one hand) a man, in his practice of charity (dana) gives away the seven treasures piled up in a heap as great as all the Mounts Sumeru in the Universe put together, and (on the other hand) another man receives, holds (in mind), reads and recites even a fourline stanza of this Prajna-paramita Sutra, and expounds it to others, the merit resulting from the former’s dana will not be worth one-hundredth, one-thousandth, one-ten-thousandth and one-hundredth thousandth part of that obtained by the latter, as no conceivable comparison can be made between the two.

‘Subhuti, what do you think? You should not say the Tathagata has this thought (in His mind): “I should liberate living beings.” Subhuti, you should not think so. Why? Because there are really no living beings whom the Tathagata can liberate. If there were, the Tathagata would hold (the concept of) an ego, a personality, a being and a life. Subhuti, (when) the Tathagata speaks of an ego, there is in reality no ego, although common men think so. Subhuti, the Tathagata says common men are not, but are (expediently) called, common men.

Subhuti, what do you think? Can the Tathagata be recognised by His thirty-two physical characterisitics?

Subhuti replied: ‘Yes, yes, he can.’
The Buddha said: ‘Subhuti, if the Tathagata can be recognised by His thirty-two physical characteristics, a world ruler (cakravarti) would be the Tathagata.’

Subhuti said to the Buddha: ‘World Honoured One, as I understand your teaching, the Tathagata cannot be recognised by His thirty-two physical characteristics.’

Thereupon, the World Honoured One recited the following gatha:

He who sees me by outward appearance
(And) seeks me in sound,
Treads the heterodox path
(And) cannot perceive the Tathagata.
‘Subhuti, if you have (in your mind) this thought: “The Tathagata does not rely on His possession of characteristics to obtain supreme Enlightenment,’ Subhuti, banish that thought. Subhuti, if you think it while developing the Perfect Enlightenment Mind, you will not advocate the annihilation of all Dharmas. Do not have such a thought. Why? Because one who develops the Supreme Enlightenment Mind, does not advocate the annihilation (of things).

‘Subhuti, if (on the one hand) a Bodhisattva gave in his practice of dana, all the seven treasures in quantities sufficient to fill worlds as many as sand-grains in the Ganges, and (on the other hand) another man comprehended that all dharmas were egoless and thereby achieved perfection of patience (ksanti), the latter’s merit would surpass that of the former. Why? Because, Subhuti, all Bodhisattvas do not receive reward for their merits.

Subhuti asked the Buddha: ‘World Honoured One, why do Bodhisattvas not receive reward for their merits?’

‘Subhuti, Bodhisattvas should have no longing and no attachment when the practise meritorious virtues; therefore, the do not receive a reward.’

‘Subhuti, if someone says the Tathagata comes or goes, sits or lies, he does not understand what I mean. Why? Because the Tathagata has neither whence (to come) nor whither (to go); therefore he is called the Tathagata.

‘Subhuti, what do you think? If a virtuous man or woman reduced to dust all the worlds in the Universe, would those particles of dust be many?’

Subhuti replied: ‘Many, World Honoured One. Why? Because if they really existed, the Buddha would not say they were particles of dust. And why? Because when the Buddha speaks of particles of dust, they are not, but are (expediently) called, particles of dust. World Honoured One, when the Tathagata speaks of worlds, they are not, but are (expediently) called worlds. Why? Because if they really exist, they are just agglomerations. The Tathagata speaks of agglomerations which are not, but are (expediently) called agglomerations.’

‘Subhuti, that which is called an agglomeration cannot be spoken of, but the vulgar man has longing for and attachment to this thing.

‘Subhuti, what do you think? If someone says: “The Buddha speaks of the view of an ego, a personality, a being and a life”, Subhuti, does that person understand what I mean?’

‘No, World Honoured One, that person does not understand. Why? Because (when) the Tathagata speaks of the view of an ego, a personality, a being and a life, it is not really, (but) is (expediently) called the view of an ego, a personality a being and a life’.

‘Subhuti, he who develops the Supreme Enlightenment Mind, should thus know, see, believe and comprehend (all things); he should not set up the perception of things (dharma-laksana) in his mind. Subhuti, the so-called form of things (dharma-laksana), the Tathagata says is not, but is, (expediently) called the form of things.

‘Subhuti, if on the one-hand, someone gave away in alms (dana) the seven treasures in quantities sufficient to fill all the worlds in uncountable aeons, and if on the other hand, a virtuous man or woman developed the Bodhi-mind, and received, held (in mind) read and recited even a four line stanza of this sutra and expounded it to others, the latter’s merit would surpass that of the former. In what manner should it be taught to others? By teaching it without attachment to form with the immutability of the absolute.

‘Why is it? Because:
All phenomena are like
A dream, an illusion, a bubble and a shadow,
Like dew and lighting.
Thus should you meditate upon them.’

When the Buddha had finished expounding this sutra, the elder Subhuti, together with bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas, and all the worlds of devas, men and asuras who had listened to His teaching, were filled with joy and believed, received and observed it.

That concludes the reading of the Vajracchedika Prajna-paramita Sutra.

We now return to our selection of readings from the Diamond Cutter Suttra, as spoken by the Buddha, with a selection of readings taken from "Sunlight on the Path to Freedom", a commentary written by Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup (1675-1748) of Sera Mey Tibetan Monastery.

Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup words of introduction to his commentary on the Diamond Cutter Sutra began in the following manner:

"Here I will, with great feelings of faith and in keeping with my own capacity, offer a commentary in explanation of the Perfection of Wisdom in 300 Verses, more commonly known as the Diamond - Cutter.

He begins:

For a person to feel a Wish for enlightenment which is complete in every necessary characteristic, it is not sufficient simply to intend to lead all other sentient beings to a state of Buddhahood.

Rather, you must have the desire that you yourself reach this state as well.

This is exactly why Maitreya stated that "The Wish for enlightenment consists of the intention to reach total enlightenment for the sake of others." The part about "the sake of others" is meant to indicate that you must intend to lead other beings to nirvana, whereas the part about the "intention to reach total enlightenment" means that you must intend to reach perfect Buddhahood yourself.

Choney Lama notes that Lord Buddha wants to understand that this Wish for enlightenment must be imbued with that correct view wherein you perceive that nothing has a self-nature. This is why He states that we must develop a Wish for enlightenment where we intend to lead this limitless number of beings to the nirvana beyond both extremes, but where at the same time we realize that even if we do manage to bring them to this total nirvana, there will be no living being at all who achieved it, and who also existed ultimately.

The Tibetan term for "nirvana" means "passing beyond sorrow." The "sorrow" mentioned here refers to the pair of karma and mental afflictions, as well as to the suffering. The nirvana to which you wish to bring beings then refers to a state of escaping from the combination of Karma and bad thoughts, along with suffering: it means to go beyond them.

The commentary explains this is why the unusual Tibetan verb here refers not only to nirvana, but to the act of bringing someone to nirvana as well.

The root text at this point is meant to indicate that ordinary beings can possess something that approximates the ultimate Wish for enlightenment. It is also indicating the existence of the actual Wish for enlightenment, which only realized beings possess.

Now each and every existing object, be it part of the afflicted part of existence or part of the pure side, is established as existing only by virtue of terms. If one performs an analysis with reasoning which examines an object in an ultimate sense, no object can bear such examination, and we fail to locate what we gave our label. Here the thing we deny is easier to deny if we can identify it clearly. As such I will speak a bit about what this thing we deny is like.

Generally speaking there are a great number of different positions that exist about what the object we deny exactly is. Here though I will give my explanation according to the position of the Consequence section of the Middle Way school.

A certain sutra says that "They are all established through concepts." The commentary to the Four Hundred too contains lines such as the one which says," It is only due to the existence of concepts that existence itself can exist, and…" The Lord, in his Illumination of the True Thought, says as well that "These lines (from the sutra) are describing how all existing things are established by force of concepts; and we see many other such statements, that all existing objects are simply labeled with our concepts, and are established only by force of concepts.

There is a metaphor used to describe how all things are labeled with our concepts. When you put a rope with a checkered pattern on it in a dark corner, some people might get the impression that it’s a snake. The truth at this point though is that nothing about the rope is a snake: neither the rope as a whole, nor the parts of the rope. Nonetheless the person thinks of the rope as a snake, and this snake is an example of something which only makes its appearance as something labeled with a concept.

In the same way, the heaps of parts that make us up serve as a basis for us to get the impression "This is me." There is nothing essentially separate components, that we could establish as being an actual representation of "me." At the same time though there is nothing else, nothing essentially separate from these heaps of parts to ourselves, that we could consider an actual representation of "me" either. As such, this "me" is merely something labeled upon the heaps of parts that make us up; there is nothing which exists by its own essence.

Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup notes that this too is the point being made in the String of Precious Jewels, by the realised being Nagarjuna:

If it's true that the persona is not the element
Of earth, nor water, nor fire, nor wind,
Not space, or consciousness, not all of them,
Then how could he ever be anything else?

The part of the verse that goes from "not earth" up to "not consciousness" is meant to deny that you could ever establish a self-nature of the person in any of the six elements that make up a persona, considered separately. The words "not all of them" are meant to deny that you could establish such a self-nature in the collection of the six elements, considered as a whole. The final line of the verse denies that there could be any self-nature which was essentially separate from these same elements.

Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup poses the question:

How then do we establish the existence of the persona (which in this case simply means "person" )? The same work says:

Because the persona includes all six
Elements, he's nothing that purely exists;
Just so, because they include their parts,
None of these elements purely exist.

Given the reason stated above, the persona is nothing more than something labeled upon the six elements that make him up - he does not though purely exist.

Just so none of these elements themselves exist purely, for they too are simply labeled upon the parts that they include.

This same reasoning can be applied to the heaps of parts that make up a person, and all other objects as well: you can say about all of them that, because they are labeled on their parts and their whole, they do not exist independently.

As an example, a water pitcher is something labeled on its spout and base and other parts; the spout and base and such in turn are labeled on their parts and whole; and so on - the same pattern applies to all physical objects. Mental things too are labeled on the mental events of successive moments, and through the objects towards which they function, and so on. Even uncaused phenomena are labeled upon the respective bases that take their labels. All this I have covered before, in other writings.

The commentary notes that given the above, there does not exist anything which does not occur in dependence, or which is not labeled through a dependent relationship. Therefore the point at which we can say something is the object denied by our search for a hypothetical self-existent thing would be any time that thing existed without having been labeled through a dependent relationship. This too is why the Root Text on Wisdom states:

No object which does not occur
Through dependence even exists at all;
As such no object could exist
At all if it weren't empty.

In short, when you search for the thing given the name of "self" or "me" you will never find anything; despite this, the fact that things can do something is completely right and proper, in the sense of an illusion, or magic. And this fact applies to each and every existing thing there is. As the shorter (Sutra on the Perfection of Wisdom) states,

You should understand that the nature of every single living is the same as that of the "self."

You should understand that the nature of all existing objects is the same as that of every living being.

The King of Concentration says as well,
You should apply what you understand about how
You think of your "self" to every thing there is.

All this is true as well for objects like the perfection of giving and so on: they exist only though being labeled with a term, and are empty of any natural existence. Lord Buddha makes statements like "Perform the act of giving without believing in any object at all."

Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup states this is the most important thing for us to learn: so long as we are still not free of the chains of grasping to things as truly existing, and so long as we have yet to grasp the meaning of emptiness, then we will never be able to achieve freedom, even if the Buddha should appear himself and try to lead us there.

Next week we will continue in our readings to shine more light on the Diamond Cutter Sutra from some of the great Masters.

May all beings be well and happy and come to know the ultimate reality to come out of suffering forever.

Today's Buddhist Hour Broadcast script was prepared by Anita M. Hughes, Julian Bamford, Leila Igracki, Lainie Smallwood and Julie O'Donnell.

Reference

Reading Two, The Diamond-Cutter Sutra. Course VI. Level 1 of Middle Way Philosophy (Madhyamika) The Asian Classics Institute. Taught by Geshe Michael Roach New York USA online at www.world-view.org.

"Diamond Cutter Sutra" An Exalted Sutra of the Greater Way on the Perfection of Wisdom.

Translation of this sutra from Sanskrit into Tibetan, and its update into the newer translation standard, were completed by the Indian Master Shilendra Bodhi and Yeshe De. The translation from Tibetan into English was completed by the American Geshe Lobsang Chunzin, Michael Roach, with the assistance of the American woman with lifetime vows, Christine McNally, in the gardens of Prince Jeta, during the opening days of the third millennium after Christ.

Vajracchedika- Prajna-paramita Sutra, translated into Chinese from Sanskrit by Kumarajiva. Pages 1-23. Translated into English from Chinese by Upasaka Lu Kuan-yu. (Charles Luk). Printed by H. K. Buddhist Book Distributor.

Statistics:

Words: 3676
Characters: 17,946
Paragraphs: 189
Sentences: 588

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