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The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra
ULTIMATELY THERE IS NO SELF
CHAPTER 17
Sutra:
Then Subhuti said to the Buddha, “World Honored One, if a good man, or good woman, resolves his mind on anuttarasamyaksambodhi, how should he dwell, how should he subdue his mind?”
The Buddha told Subhuti, “A good man, or good woman, who has resolved his mind on anuttarasamyaksambodhi should think thus: ‘I should take all living beings across to extinction. Yet when all living beings have been taken across to extinction, there actually is not a single living being who has been taken across to extinction.’ And why? Subhuti, if a Bodhisattva has a mark of self, a mark of others, a mark of living beings, or a mark of a life, then he is not a Bodhisattva. For what reason? Subhuti, actually there is no dharma of resolving the mind on anuttarasamyaksambodhi.
“Subhuti, what do you think? While the Tathagata was with Burning Lamp Buddha, was there any dharma of anuttarasamyaksambodhi attained?”
“No, World Honored One. As I understand what the Buddha has said, while the Buddha was with Burning Lamp Buddha there was no anuttarasamyaksambodhi attained.”
Commentary:
When Subhuti heard the Buddha praise the inconceivable merit and virtue of the sutra and the resulting retribution from receiving, holding, reciting, and speaking the sutra for others as equally inconceivable, he asked, “How can all the good men and good women who have resolved their minds on unsurpassed, proper and equal, right enlightenment enable their minds not to dwell anywhere? How can they separate from all marks and subdue their minds?”
In a previous section of the text Subhuti had asked the same question of the Buddha. At that time Subhuti was actually asking how he himself could resolve his mind on anuttarasamyaksambodhi. It was for self-benefit. Now he is asking how all living beings everywhere can resolve their minds on anuttarasamyaksambodhi, how they can tame their minds, and where their minds should dwell.
The Buddha answered that people who have resolved their minds on the unsurpassed, proper and equal, right enlightenment should take all living beings across to extinction – rescue and liberate all living beings so they can realize the Buddha Way. But, the Buddha further pointed out, after having taken them all across to extinction, a Bodhisattva does not recognize any living being as having been taken across. He does not have any attachment. If a Bodhisattva says, “I am able to take living beings across to extinction,” he has a mark of self. If he says, “I can take others across,” he has a mark of others. With a self taking others across, the mark of living beings arises. Once there is division into one’s own enlightenment and the enlightenment of others, there is the mark of a life. However, there is no one who takes beings across, nor are there any beings who are taken across, nor is there an act of taking them. One should not then be attached to such marks. If there is attachment, then not only has one not attained to the emptiness of phenomena, one has not even attained to the emptiness of people, and he is not a Bodhisattva.
Subhuti, actually there is no dharma of resolving the mind on anuttarasamyaksambodhi. Originally there is not one dharma which can be obtained. Resolving the mind on anuttarasamyaksambodhi is just an expression, nothing more. “There basically is not one thing: so where can dust alight?” However, the Buddha realized that living beings might become skeptical and say, “Since there is no dharma of anuttarasamyaksambodhi – no dharma of realizing Buddhahood – which can be attained, then why does one need to be resolved?” The Buddha therefore further explained: “When Burning Lamp Buddha gave me a prediction, did I obtain a dharma of anuttarasamyaksambodhi? Was there any dharma which I attained?” Understanding that according to the doctrine of prajna there is no dharma which can be attained, Subhuti answered, “No, World Honored One.” But then he qualified his statement with the words “As I understand what the Buddha has said,” indicating he did not dare make an absolute statement. “This is how I look at it,” he said, “but I do not know if I am right or not. There is not the slightest dharma of unsurpassed, proper and equal, right enlightenment which can be attained.”
Sutra:
The Buddha said, “So it is, so it is, Subhuti. There actually was no dharma of anuttarasamyaksambodhi which the Tathagata attained. Subhuti, if there had been a dharma of anuttarasamyaksambodhi which the Tathagata attained, then Burning Lamp Buddha would not have given me the prediction, ‘You will in the future attain Buddhahood and be named Shakyamuni.’ Since there actually was no dharma of anuttarasamyaksambodhi attained, Burning Lamp Buddha gave me the prediction saying these words, ‘You will in the future attain Buddhahood and be named Shakyamuni.’
Commentary:
The Buddha replied to Subhuti’s statement in the affirmative. “So it is, Subhuti, yes. You explain dharma that way; I also explain dharma that way. There actually was no dharma.” There was absolutely no dharma of anuttarasamyaksambodhi which the Tathagata attained. Subhuti, you should not give rise to doubt and think that when the Buddha dwelt at the time of Burning Lamp Buddha that he obtained some secret dharma. That would be a mistake. When Shakyamuni Buddha met Burning Lamp Buddha, at the end of his second asamkhyeya kalpa of cultivation, there was no secret dharma of unsurpassed, proper and equal, right enlightenment attained.
“Subhuti,” said the Buddha, “if there had been such a dharma, then Burning Lamp Buddha would not have bestowed a prediction and a name upon me. If I had obtained even the slightest dharma, he would not have said, ‘In the future in the Saha world, you will become a Buddha named Shakyamuni.’” The Sanskrit name Shakyamuni translates as “One who is Capable of Humaneness” and “The Still and Silent One.” “Capable of Humaneness” means he accords with conditions and it represents movement. “Still and Silent” means he is unmoving, and it represents stillness. Although he accords with conditions, he is unmoving. Although he is unmoving, he accords with conditions. Movement does not obstruct stillness; stillness does not obstruct movement. Movement and stillness are both within rabla.
There actually is no dharma in the fruit position of the unsurpassed, proper and equal, right enlightenment which can be attained.
Why?
You personally cultivate and personally certify to the position. It is not obtained from outside, because basically you already have it. It is not that you become involved in external conditions or rely on external strength. The conditions and the strength are within you. You cultivate and you can attain. Of course to say you attain is just a manner of speaking, because basically you never lost anything in the first place so it is not possible for you to attain anything. Since it was that way for Shakyamuni Buddha, Burning Lamp Buddha gave him a prediction and a special name.
Sutra:
“And why? ‘Tathagata’ means the thusness of the dharma. If someone were to say the Tathagata attains anuttarasamyaksambodhi, Subhuti, actually there is no dharma of anuttarasamyaksambodhi which the Buddha attains. Subhuti, the anuttarasamyaksambodhi which the Tathagata attains, in that, there is neither true nor false. For that reason the Tathagata speaks of all phenomena as Buddhadharmas. Subhuti, all phenomena are spoken of as no phenomena. Therefore they are called phenomena.
Commentary:
Tathagata, which translates as Thus Come One, means that the dharma is “Thus.” The dharma is in a state of unmoving suchness.
What does unmoving suchness look like?
It has no appearance. Therefore it further says that there is no dharma which can be attained. If you attained a dharma, what would it look like? Would it be green? Yellow? Red? White? Long? Short? Square? Round? When there is no name, no color, and no appearance, then the dharma is thus. If there is a dharma which can be attained, then it is not thus. If there is any apparent dharma, then it is not thus.
Actually there is not the slightest dharma which can be attained. There is no dharma of unsurpassed, proper and equal, right enlightenment which the Buddha can attain.
The anuttarasamyaksambodhi which the Tathagata attains. If you force it and say that the Tathagata attains something called anuttarasamyaksambodhi, that anuttarasamyaksambodhi is neither true nor false. Being neither true nor false, it is the final meaning of the Middle Way; it is real mark prajna.
Therefore the Tathagata says that although there is no dharma which can be attained, yet all dharma are Buddhadharmas. There is nothing outside the Buddhadharma. Therefore all teachings are
Buddhist. They do not go beyond the Buddha’s teaching, because the Buddha’s teaching contains all things. Buddhadharma is the totality of the dharma. Buddhism is the totality of all other teachings. All schools and teachings are born from within the Buddha’s teaching. Since they are all born from Buddhism, in the future they will again return to Buddhism.
Therefore it is unnecessary to ask to what religion a person belongs. No matter what school, or sect, or teaching, or religion one believes – none goes beyond Buddhism. The essential point is to have faith in something. Then although you may believe various teachings, switching back and forth from this one to that one, in the end you will certainly return to Buddhism. The Buddhadharma is that great. Although it says there is no dharma which can be attained, nonetheless there is not one dharma which is not the Buddhadharma. And since the Buddhadharma is ultimately unattainable, how could a single dharma be attained?
Subhuti, all phenomena are spoken of as no phenomena. When spoken from the point of view of common truth, all phenomena exists. If spoken of from the point of view of actual truth, no phenomena exists. Therefore they are called phenomena. When spoken from the point of view of the Middle Way, all phenomena are false names and nothing more, and in that way they are the final meaning of the Middle Way.
Sutra:
“Subhuti, it is like a person’s big body.”
Subhuti said, “World Honored One, the person’s big body is spoken of by the Tathagata as no big body, therefore it is called a big body.”
“Subhuti, a Bodhisattva is also thus. If he were to say, ‘I should take measureless living beings across to extinction,’ then he would not be called a Bodhisattva. And why? Subhuti, there actually is no dharma called a Bodhisattva. For that reason the Buddha spoke of the dharma as being devoid of self, devoid of others, devoid of living beings, and devoid of a life.
“Subhuti, if a Bodhisattva were to say, ‘I shall adorn Buddhalands,’ he would not be called a Bodhisattva. And why? The adornment of Buddhalands is spoken of by the Tathagata as no adornment. Therefore it is called adornment. Subhuti, if a Bodhisattva comprehends that all dharmas is devoid of self, the Tathagata calls him a true Bodhisattva.
Commentary:
“Now, Subhuti, why did I say that the dharma is no dharma but is just called dharma? I will give you an example: It is like a person’s big body.”
Subhuti heard the Buddha say those words and understood that the Tathagata was speaking of the dharma body. He replied, “The big body spoken of by the Tathagata is no big body.” The dharma body is devoid of marks, and since it has no marks, one cannot call it a big body. Therefore it is called a big body. If one uses a false name, one can call it a big body, and that is all.
Shakyamuni Buddha again called to Subhuti and said, “A Bodhisattva is also thus.” If he has a self and relies on the word “I” so that he says, “I take living beings across and liberate them,” then he is not a Bodhisattva.
“Subhuti, if a Bodhisattva says ‘I shall adorn Buddhalands,’ then he is not called a Bodhisattva. Why? He still has an attachment to self and to the adornment. ‘I am one who can adorn. The Buddhaland is what I adorn.’ As long as he attaches to subject and object, he has not realized the emptiness of the mark of self.”
Bodhisattvas take living beings across and do not attach to the mark of living beings. Not only do they not attach to the mark of living beings, they also do not attach to the mark of a Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva himself is also the mark of living beings. So not attaching to self is also not attaching to living beings. When a Bodhisattva adorns Buddhalands, there is neither one who can adorn nor that which is adorned. When it is done, it is done. It is not necessary to harbor thoughts of the merit gained.
When an ordinary person does meritorious deeds he becomes attached to subject and object. “I did that meritorious deed. He is the recipient of my good deed.” That is the way a common person thinks.
Bodhisattvas should adorn Buddhalands without the thought of adornment. That is not to say they should not adorn Buddhalands. It means they should adorn them as if they had done nothing.
To adorn a Buddhaland is to cause the country of a Buddha to be especially beautiful. Our offerings of flowers, fruit, and incense to the Triple Jewel are adornments of Buddhalands. That is not to say you should not adorn Buddhalands. It means you should adorn them, and yet not adorn them. Offerings to the Triple Jewel of flowers, fruit, and incense also serve as adornments for Buddhalands.
From the point of view of common truth there is adornment of Buddhalands. From the point of view of actual truth there is no adornment. If viewed from the doctrine which is perfectly fused without obstruction, adornment is merely a name and nothing more. So it is said,
Within the doors of Buddha-work
Not one dharma is rejected.
In the nature of true suchness
There is not one mote of dust.
Within the doors of Buddhahood there is no dharma which is not Buddhadharma. Every dharma one takes up is Buddhadharma. And yet in the nature of true suchness not even the finest dust mote is established. If a Bodhisattva can comprehend the state in which all dharma has no self, then the Tathagata calls him an authentic Bodhisattva.
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