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The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra
SUBHUTI’S REQUEST
CHAPTER 2
Sutra:
At that time the Elder Subhuti arose from his seat in the assembly, uncovered his right shoulder, placed his right knee on the ground, put his palms together with respect and said to the Buddha,
Commentary:
After Shakyamuni
Buddha had put away his robe and bowl, washed his face, arranged his seat and sat down, an Elder named Subhuti stood up in the assembly. There are Three Kinds of Elders: the elder in years, the dharma-nature elder, and the elder in blessings and virtue.
1. The elder in years must be old and have held the precepts for a long time, as had Mahakasyapa, the oldest and longest precepted of those in Shakyamuni
Buddha’s dharma assembly. There are three grades of elders in years:
a) low rank, those who have held precepts for at least ten years;
b) middle rank, those who have held precepts for more than twenty years; and
c) high rank, those who have held precepts for more than thirty years.
2. The dharma-nature elder may be young, but he must possess great wisdom and be able to lecture sutras and speak dharma with sufficient power to teach and transform living beings. His stature comes from his deep understanding of dharma, his penetration of wonderful principle, and his unobstructed eloquence. For example, the Buddha’s disciple Shariputra mastered the entire Buddhadharma in just seven days and became an elder at the age of eight. At that time he mounted the high seat and spoke dharma, totally confounding the best debaters from the five parts of India. All they could do was prostrate themselves before the eight-year-old child and confess themselves defeated. Of all Shakyamuni
Buddha’s disciples, Shariputra was foremost in wisdom and had unobstructed eloquence.
There are Four Kinds of Unobstructed Eloquence: of phrasing, principle, dharma and delight in speech.
a) Unobstructed eloquence of phrasing enables one to answer any question, however difficult, without perplexity.
b) Unobstructed eloquence of principle is a necessary complement to that of phrasing, because along with having limitless powers of debate, one must always speak in accordance with principle.
c) Unobstructed eloquence of dharma means that no matter what is said, one can counter with a higher principle. There is a saying, “Everything is the Way. Left and right meet the source.”
d) Unobstructed eloquence of delight in speaking enable one to obtain the Delight in Speech Samadhi. Then, even if the audience is unwilling to listen, one’s words flow like water and no one can resist the current.
3. The elder in blessings and virtue must have the reward from having planted blessings and acted with virtuous conduct.
Elder is a term of respect and definitely not a title one assigns oneself saying, “I am an elder. Everyone should call me ‘Elder.’” Subhuti, the elder in the Vajra Prajna Dharma Assembly, was an elder in years, a dharma-nature elder, and an elder in blessings and virtue.
Subhuti has three meanings: “empty-born,” “well-manifest,” and “good luck.” In Subhuti’s household there were one hundred eight storehouses filled with the Seven Precious Gems: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, mother-of-pearl, red pearls, and carnelian. When Subhuti was born, it was found that the storehouses were entirely empty. One after another the vaulted doors were opened to reveal absolutely nothing within. “Who has stolen my jewels?” cried Subhuti’s distraught father. “We had such wealth and now are penniless. What is the meaning of this son?” He went to a diviner who calculated that the disappearance of the jewels and the birth of the child had been simultaneous, and so his father called the infant “empty born.” Analyzing the child’s birth-chart, the diviner declared it very lucky, whereupon the child was further named “good luck.” Seven days after Subhuti’s birth, all of the family wealth reappeared in the one hundred eight storerooms. That moved the father to rename his son “well-manifest.” Subhuti grew up while Shakyamuni
Buddha was in the world teaching and transforming living beings, and he left home under the Buddha.
Subhuti arose from his seat in the assembly. From among the thousands of millions of billions of men and gods in the assembly, Subhuti got up from his seat. He saw Shakyamuni
Buddha sitting there in a state which can only be described as “thus, thus, unmoving, completely and eternally bright,” and he knew the Buddha was presenting the dharma of prajna wisdom. For in his daily routine – walking, standing, sitting, and lying down – Shakyamuni
Buddha always taught real mark prajna, contemplative prajna, and literary prajna.
The wonderful door of prajna can only be entered by means of wisdom. Subhuti’s wisdom, blessings, and virtue were complete, and so he understood that the Buddha was teaching the dharma door of real mark prajna. For that reason he arose from his seat in the assembly and uncovered his right shoulder. According to Indian custom, uncovering the right shoulder was a gesture of utmost respect, and Chinese monks, honoring the custom, left the right shoulder bare in their adaptation of the Indian robe.
The Chinese modified the robe slightly in other respects, however, using shades of dark brown for the five and seven piece robes rather than the saffron color worn by the sangha of India, Thailand, Burma, and Ceylon. Also, since the climate of China is colder than that of India, monks needed additional clothing under their robes for added warmth. But with the robe not directly against their skin, they were not aware if it came loose. Patriarch Bodhidharma therefore designed a clasp on the left shoulder to secure the robe, and the clasp became a standard part of Chinese robe design.
Subhuti uncovered his right shoulder, placed his right knee on the ground, put his palms together with respect, and said to the Buddha. The ritual performed in requesting dharma symbolizes the purity of the Three Karmas:
1. Uncovering the right shoulder and placing the right knee
on the ground represents the purity of body karma.
2. Placing the palms together respectfully represents pure
mind karma.
3. Verbalizing the request indicates the karma of the mouth
is pure.
Sutra:
“How rare, World Honored One, is the Tathagata who remembers and protects all Bodhisattvas and causes them to be well-endowed.
Commentary:
The rare occurrence Subhuti refers to is the appearance of a Buddha, a World Honored One. Shakyamuni
Buddha had arranged his seat and sat down without saying a word. Was Subhuti making something out of nothing, making waves where there was no wind, setting up wrong where there had not even been a right, placing a head on top of a head, adding a mark to a mark; was he just looking for trouble? If the Buddha had spoken a principle or made a sign it might have made sense to respond, “How rare, World Honored One,” but all Shakyamuni
Buddha had done was arranged his seat and sat down.
This passage merits very special attention, for the main point of the Vajra Sutra is right here. By the time Shakyamuni
Buddha had arranged his seat and sat down, he had already finished teaching dharma. That is why Subhuti uttered his words of praise. For Shakyamuni Buddha had taught the prajna of real mark which is apart from the mark of the spoken word, apart from the mark of the written word, apart from the mark of the conditioned mind, apart from each and every mark. Only sages who had certified to the fruit understood: common people were not up to it. Realizing that, Subhuti hoped Shakyamuni
Buddha would speak a provisional teaching, an expedient dharma of literary prajna, for the sake of living beings. That is why he prefaced his request for dharma by saying, “How rare is the World Honored One.” Truly rare is the Tathagata. Rarely is there a World Honored One. The real mark prajna is a protection and an endowment for all Bodhisattvas. The dharma is extremely wonderful.
Sutra:
“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?”
Commentary:
Since Subhuti was requesting dharma on behalf of living beings, he repeated his address to the World Honored One, “Shakyamuni
Buddha, World Honored One,” he said, “you have already taught real mark prajna, but most living beings have not understood or clearly recognized it. Please, World Honored One, teach it once again for living beings in the future Dharma Ending Age. If men and women of good conduct resolve their minds on anuttarasamyaksambodhi…”
Anuttarasamyaksambodhi is a Sanskrit word which means “unsurpassed, proper and equal, right enlightenment.” The term is not translated because it is an honorific designation for the ultimate fruit, that of Buddhahood. Anuttara means “unsurpassed.” Samyak is translated as “proper and equal,” and sambodhi means “right enlightenment.” Right enlightenment is testified to by those of the two vehicles, and it is what differentiates them from common unenlightened people. The proper and equal enlightenment of the Bodhisattvas differs from the right enlightenment of the two vehicles in that those who have it have testified to an enlightenment equal to the Buddha’s. It is, however, still not the unsurpassed enlightenment. Once they have testified to proper and equal enlightenment, Bodhisattvas are called “surpassed lords.” The Buddha is known as the “unsurpassed lord,” because there is nothing above him. The Dharma Masters of great virtue who translated sutras in the past retained the original Sanskrit name of the Buddha’s position, and Dharma Masters who followed them honored the decision in their own translations.
Subhuti asked the Buddha, “If someone resolves his mind on anuttarasamyaksambodhi, how should he dwell?” Which means, how can he eternally dwell in his true mind? “How should he subdue his mind?” How can he tame all false, vain thoughts? How can he subdue his greed? How can he tame his enmity? How can he conquer his stupidity? That is what is meant by subduing his mind. The evil heart must be conquered, just as if one were fighting to win a war.
“How does one conquer greed, anger, and stupidity?” One counters them with morality, concentration and wisdom.
Greed, anger and stupidity are morality, concentration and wisdom, and vice versa. It is a matter of how one uses them. For example, one can use money to buy marijuana and get high, or he can use the money to help someone else. Relieving someone else’s
suffering is a far better use of money than selfishly smoking marijuana. It is the same money; only the use differs.
So it is with greed, anger and stupidity; morality, concentration and wisdom. When one understands how to use them, they are morality, concentration and wisdom; when one is so deluded that one cannot make them function, they are greed, anger and stupidity. Ice does not differ from water, and water does not differ from ice. Just as water is ice and ice is water, so too afflictions are Bodhi and Bodhi is afflictions. Bodhi and afflictions are not two. If one cannot use it, Bodhi changes to afflictions; if one can, afflictions become Bodhi. However,
What is spoken is dharma.
What is practiced is the Way;
Even if you speak extremely well,
With no real practice, there is no real Way.
One must actually go and do it. One must honestly, truly, rely on the Buddhadharma and cultivate.
Relentlessly cultivating morality, concentration and wisdom, and putting to rest greed, anger and stupidity, are the means to subdue the mind. When one subdues the false mind, the true mind eternally dwells as a matter of course. The “eternally dwelling true mind, clear nature, bright substance” results from putting to rest the false mind, which allows the true mind to manifest.
Sutra:
The Buddha said, “Good indeed, good indeed, Subhuti. It is as you say. The Tathagata remembers and protects all Bodhisattvas and causes them to be well-endowed. Now listen attentively; I shall tell you. A good man, or good woman, who resolves his mind on anuttarasamyaksambodhi should thus dwell, should thus subdue his mind.”
“Yes, certainly, World Honored One. I want to hear. I am delighted to listen.”
Commentary:
Shakyamuni
Buddha, delighted that Subhuti came to request dharma for the sake of living beings, praised him saying, “Good indeed, good indeed. Ah, you, Subhuti, you are truly good. I really like you. You are my good disciple. It is as you have said, I, the Tathagata, remember and protect all Bodhisattvas and cause them to be well-endowed by teaching the dharma-door of prajna. You should pay particular attention. Listen well to what I teach you now. Do not let it be like wind in your ears. If I speak the wonderful dharma-door of prajna for you, and you let it go in one ear and out the other, that is just a waste of the Tathagata’s blood and sweat. Listen well. A good man or good woman who resolves his mind on anuttarasamyaksambodhi should Thus dwell in his true mind, Thus subdue his false mind.” The essential place in the Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra lies in the word Thus. At that point Shakyamuni
Buddha gave an indication which is not apparent in the literature.
“What was it like?”
It was Thus. At that point,
The road of words and language is cut off.
The place of the mind’s working is extinguished.
The presence of words in the mouth ends. The conditioned deliberation of the mind vanishes. Thus is “like this.” The wordless teaching instructs one to investigate dhyana and sit in meditation. One should dwell Thus. Dwell at the place that is Thus. One’s true mind dwells at that place. One should subdue one’s thoughts Thus. One can investigate dhyana and, using the skill of still consideration, naturally subdue one’s false mind. Therefore Thus represents no obvious sign which emerges, but rather indicates a manner.
“What manner is that?”
It is the lack of manner inherent in markless prajna, and it constitutes real mark prajna.
Subhuti understood. Not only did he understand, he thought that future living beings also could understand so he replied, “Yes.”
His affirmative declaration was the same as that once used by Confucius’ disciple Zeng.
The Master said, “Shen, my Way is threaded through by one.”
Zeng replied, “Yes.”
The Master left and the disciples questioned, “What did the Master say?”
Zeng said, “The Way of the Sage is that of loyalty and reciprocity.”
Confucius said, “There is one true principle which runs through my Way. That is my Way.”
To which his disciple exclaimed, “Yes!” When asked what the Master meant, Zeng merely replied, “The Sage’s Way is one of loyalty and reciprocity.”
When Shakyamuni
Buddha instructed that living beings should dwell Thus, should Thus subdue their minds, Subhuti also exclaimed, “Yes,” and added, “certainly!” for emphasis. Then he reaffirmed his desire to hear Shakyamuni
Buddha’s teaching.
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