Storied Sounds: Diamond Sutra & Tin Roof Rain (10 Hr)

A BEDTIME READING OF THE DIAMOND SUTRA CHAPTER ONE CONVOCATION OF THE ASSEMBLY This is what I heard.

At one time the Buddha was staying in the Jeta Grove,

Near the city of Shravasti.

With him there was a community of 1,

250 venerable monks and devoted disciples.

One day before dawn the Buddha clothed himself,

And along with his disciples took up his alms bowl and entered the city to beg for food door to door,

As was his custom.

After he had returned and eaten,

He put away his bowl and cloak,

Bathed his feet,

And then sat with his legs crossed and body upright upon the seat arranged for him.

He began mindfully fixing his attention in front of himself,

While many monks approached the Buddha and,

Showing great reverence,

Seated themselves around him.

CHAPTER TWO SUBHUTI REQUESTS THE TEACHING After a time a most venerable monk named Subhuti,

Who was sitting in the congregation,

Rose from his seat.

He uncovered his right shoulder,

Placed his right knee on the ground,

And as he joined his palms together he respectfully bowed and then addressed the Buddha.

Most Honored One,

It is truly majestic how much knowledge and wisdom your monks and disciples have been given through your most inspired teachings.

It is remarkable that you look after our welfare so selflessly and so completely.

Most Honored One,

I have a question to ask you.

If sons and daughters of good families want to develop the highest,

Most fulfilled and awakened mind,

If they wish to attain the highest perfect wisdom,

What should they do to help quiet their drifting minds and help subdue their craving thoughts?

The Buddha then replied,

So,

It is as you say,

Subhuti.

Monks and disciples have been favored with the highest favor by the Buddha.

The monks and disciples have been instructed with the highest instruction by the Buddha.

The Buddha is constantly mindful of the welfare of his followers.

Listen carefully with your full attention,

And I will speak to your question.

If sons and daughters of good families want to develop the highest,

Most fulfilled and awakened mind,

If they wish to attain the highest perfect wisdom and quiet their drifting minds while subduing their craving thoughts,

Then they should follow what I am about to say to you.

Those who follow what I am about to say here will be able to subdue their discriminative thoughts and craving desires.

It is possible to attain perfect tranquility and clarity of mind by absorbing and dwelling on the teachings I am about to give.

Then the Buddha addressed the assembly.

Chapter 3 The Awareness of All Living Beings All living beings,

Whether born from eggs,

From the womb,

From moisture,

Or spontaneously,

Whether they have form or do not have form,

Whether they are aware or unaware,

Whether they are not aware or not unaware,

All living beings will eventually be led by me to the final nirvana,

The final ending of the cycle of birth and death,

And when this unfathomable infinite number of living beings have all been liberated.

In truth,

Not even a single being has actually been liberated.

Why,

Subhuti?

Because if a disciple still clings to the arbitrary illusions of form or phenomena,

Such as an ego,

A personality,

A self,

A separate person,

Or a universal self existing eternally,

Then that person is not an authentic disciple.

Chapter 4 Unattached Practice of Charity Furthermore,

Subhuti,

In the practice of compassion and charity,

A disciple should be detached.

That is to say,

He should practice compassion and charity without regard to appearances,

Without regard to form,

Without regard to sound,

Smell,

Taste,

Touch,

Or any quality of any kind.

Subhuti,

This is how the disciple should practice compassion and charity.

Why?

Because practicing compassion and charity without attachment is the way to reaching the highest perfect wisdom.

It is the way to becoming a living Buddha.

Subhuti,

Do you think that you can measure all of the space in the eastern heavens?

No,

Most Honored One.

One cannot possibly measure all of the space in the eastern heavens.

Subhuti,

Can space in all the western,

Southern,

And northern heavens,

Both above and below,

Be measured?

No,

Most Honored One.

One cannot possibly measure all the space in the western,

Southern,

And northern heavens.

Well,

Subhuti,

The same is true of the merit of the disciple who practices compassion and charity without any attachment to appearances,

Without cherishing any idea of form.

It is impossible to measure the merit they will accrue.

Subhuti,

My disciple should let their minds absorb and dwell in the teaching I have just given.

Subhuti,

What do you think?

Can the Buddha be recognized by means of his bodily form?

No,

Most Honored One.

The Buddha cannot be recognized by means of his bodily form.

Why?

Because when the Buddha speaks of bodily form,

It is not a real form,

But only an illusion.

The Buddha then spoke to Subhuti,

All that has a form is elusive and unreal.

When you see that all forms are elusive and unreal,

Then you will begin to perceive your true Buddha nature.

Subhuti respectfully asked the Buddha,

Most Honored One,

In the future,

If a person hears this teaching,

Even if it is only a phrase or sentence,

Is it possible for that person to have a true faith and knowledge of enlightenment awaken in their mind?

Without a doubt,

Subhuti,

Even five hundred years after the enlightenment of this Buddha,

There will be some who are virtuous and wise,

And while practicing compassion and charity,

They will believe in the words and phrases of this sutra and will awaken their minds purely.

After they come to hear these teachings,

They will be inspired with belief.

This is because when some people hear these words,

They will have understood intuitively that these words are the truth.

But you must also remember,

Subhuti,

That such persons have long ago planted the seeds of goodness and merit that lead to this realization.

They have planted the seeds of good deeds and charity,

Not simply before one Buddhist temple,

Or two temples,

Or five,

But before hundreds of thousands of Buddhas and temples.

So,

When a person who hears the words and phrases of this sutra is ready for it to happen,

A pure faith and clarity can awaken within their minds.

Subhuti,

Any person who awakens faith upon hearing the words or phrases of this sutra will accumulate countless blessings and merit.

How do I know this?

Because this person must have discarded all arbitrary notions of the existence of a personal self,

Of other people,

Or of a universal self.

Otherwise,

Their minds would still grasp after such relative conceptions.

Furthermore,

These people must have already discarded all arbitrary notions of the non-existence of a personal self,

Other people,

Or a universal self.

Otherwise,

Their minds would still be grasping at such notions.

Therefore,

Anyone who seeks total enlightenment should discard not only all conceptions of their own selfhood,

Of other selves,

Or of a universal self,

But they should also discard all notions of the non-existence of such concepts.

When the Buddha explains these things using such concepts and ideas,

People should remember the unreality of all such concepts and ideas.

They should recall that in teaching spiritual truths,

The Buddha always uses these concepts and ideas in the way that a raft is used to cross a river.

Once the river has been crossed over,

The raft is of no more use and should be discarded.

These arbitrary concepts and ideas about spiritual things need to be explained to us as we seek to attain enlightenment.

However,

Ultimately these arbitrary conceptions can be discarded.

Think Subhūti.

Isn't it even more obvious that we should also give up our conceptions of non-existent things?

Chapter 7 No Attainment,

No Teaching Then Buddha asked Subhūti,

What do you think,

Subhūti?

Has the Buddha arrived at the highest,

Most fulfilled,

Most awakened and enlightened mind?

Does the Buddha teach any teaching?

Subhūti replied,

Nor is there any independently existing teaching that the Buddha teaches.

Why?

Because the teachings that the Buddha has realized and spoken of cannot be conceived of as separate,

Independent things,

And therefore cannot be described.

The truth in them is uncontainable and inexpressible.

It neither is,

Nor is it not.

What does this mean?

What this means is that Buddhas and disciples are not enlightened by a set method of teachings,

But by an internally intuitive process which is spontaneous and is part of their own inner nature.

Chapter 8 Real Merit Has No Merit Let me ask you,

Subhūti,

If a person filled over 10,

000 galaxies with the seven treasures for the purpose of compassion,

Charity,

And giving alms,

Would this person not gain great merit and spread much happiness?

Yes,

Most Honored One,

This person would gain great merit and spread much happiness,

Even though,

In truth,

This person does not have a separate existence to which merit could accrue.

Why?

Because this person's merit is characterized with the quality of not being merit.

The Buddha continued,

Then suppose another person understood only four lines of this sutra,

But nevertheless took it upon themselves to explain these lines to someone else.

This person's merit would be even greater than the other person's.

Why?

Because all Buddhas and all the teachings and values of the highest,

Most fulfilled,

Most awakened minds arise from the teachings in this sutra.

And yet,

Even as I speak,

Subhūti,

I must take back my words as soon as they are uttered,

For there are no Buddhas and there are no teachings.

Chapter 9 No Returning and Not Returning Buddha then asked,

What do you think,

Subhūti?

Does one who has entered a stream which flows to enlightenment say,

I have entered the stream?

No,

Buddha?

Subhūti replied.

A true disciple entering the stream would not think of themselves as a separate person that could be entering anything.

Only that disciple who does not differentiate themselves from others,

Who has no regard for name,

Shape,

Sound,

Odor,

Taste,

Touch,

Or for any quality,

Can truly be called a disciple who has entered the stream.

Buddha continued.

Does a disciple who is subject to only one more rebirth say to himself,

I am entitled to the honors and rewards of a once-to-be-reborn?

No,

Blessed one.

Once-to-be-reborn is only a name.

There is no passing away or coming into existence.

Only one who realizes this can really be called a disciple.

Subhūti?

Does a venerable one who will never more be reborn as a mortal say to himself,

I am entitled to the honor and rewards of a non-returner?

No,

Perfectly enlightened one.

A non-returner is merely a name.

There is actually no one returning and no one not returning.

Tell me,

Subhūti,

Does a Buddha say to himself,

I have obtained perfect enlightenment?

No,

Blessed one.

There is no such thing as perfect enlightenment to obtain.

If a perfectly enlightened Buddha were to say to himself,

I am enlightened,

He would be admitting.

There is an individual person,

A separate self and personality,

And would therefore not be a perfectly enlightened Buddha.

Subhūti then said,

Most honored one,

You have said that I,

Subhūti,

Excel amongst thy disciples in knowing the bliss of enlightenment,

In being perfectly content in seclusion,

And in being free from all passions.

Yet I do not say to myself that I am so,

For if I ever thought of myself as such,

Then it would not be true that I escaped ego delusion.

I know that in truth there is no Subhūti,

And therefore Subhūti abides nowhere,

That he neither knows nor does he not know bliss,

And that he is neither free from nor enslaved by his passions.

Chapter Ten Purify Thoughts from All the Senses The Buddha then continued,

What do you think,

Subhūti?

When I was in a previous life with Dipankara Buddha,

Did I receive any definite teaching or attain any degree of self-control,

Whereby I later became a Buddha?

No,

Honorable one.

When you were a disciple of Dipankara Buddha,

In truth you received no definite teaching,

Nor did you attain any definite degree of self-control.

Subhūti,

Know also that if any Buddha would say,

I will create a paradise,

He would speak falsely.

Why?

Because a paradise cannot be created,

Nor can it not be uncreated.

A disciple should develop a mind which is in no way dependent upon sights,

Sounds,

Smells,

Tastes,

Sensory sensations or any mental conceptions.

A disciple should develop a mind which does not rely on anything.

Therefore,

Subhūti,

The minds of all disciples should be purified of all thoughts that relate to seeing,

Hearing,

Tasting,

Smelling,

Touching and discriminating.

They should use their minds spontaneously and naturally,

Without being constrained by preconceived notions arising from the senses.

Suppose,

Subhūti,

A man had an enormous body.

Would the sense of personal existence he had also be enormous?

Yes indeed,

Buddha,

Subhūti answered.

His sense of personal existence would be enormous.

But the Buddha has taught that personal existence is just a name,

For it is in fact neither existence nor non-existence.

So,

It only has the name personal existence.

Chapter Eleven Merits of the Sutra Subhūti If there were as many Ganges rivers as the number of grains of sand in the Ganges,

Would you say that the number of grains of sand in all those Ganges rivers would be very many?

Subhūti answered,

Very many indeed,

Most honored one.

If the number of Ganges rivers were that large,

How much more so would be the number of grains of sand in all those Ganges rivers?

Subhūti,

I will declare a truth to you.

If a good man or a good woman filled over ten thousand galaxies of worlds with the seven treasures for each grain of sand in all those Ganges rivers and gave it all away for the purpose of compassion,

Charity and giving alms,

Would this man or woman not gain great merit and spread much happiness?

Subhūti replied,

Very much so,

Most honored one.

Subhūti,

If after studying and observing even a single stanza of this sutra,

Another person were to explain it to others,

The happiness and merit that would result from this virtuous act would be far greater.

Furthermore,

Subhūti,

If any person in any place were to teach even four lines of this sutra,

The place where they taught it would become sacred ground and would be revered by all kinds of beings.

How much more sacred would the place become if that person then studied and observed the whole sutra?

Subhūti,

You should know that any person who does that would surely attain something rare and profound.

Wherever this sutra is honored and revered,

There is a sacred site enshrining the presence of the Buddha or one of the Buddha's most venerable disciples.

Subhūti said to the Buddha,

By what name shall we know this sutra so that it can be honored and studied?

The Buddha replied,

This sutra shall be known as the diamond that cuts through illusion.

By this name it shall be revered and studied and observed.

What does this name mean?

It means that when the Buddha named it,

He did not have in mind any definite or arbitrary conception and so named it.

This sutra is hard and sharp,

Like a diamond that will cut away all arbitrary conceptions and bring ones to the other shore of enlightenment.

What do you think,

Subhūti?

Has the Buddha taught any definite teaching in this sutra?

No,

The Buddha has not taught any definite teaching in this sutra.

What do you think,

Subhūti?

Are there many particles of dust in this vast universe?

Subhūti replied,

Yes,

Many,

Most honored one.

Subhūti,

When the Buddha speaks of particles of dust,

It does not mean I am thinking of any definite or arbitrary thought.

I am merely using these words as a figure of speech.

They are not real,

Only illusion.

It is just the same with the word universe.

These words do not assert any definite or arbitrary idea.

I am only using the words as words.

Subhūti,

What do you think?

Can the Buddha be perceived by means of his 32 physical characteristics?

No,

Most honored one.

The Buddha cannot be perceived by his 32 physical characteristics.

Why?

Because the Buddha teaches that they are not real,

But are merely called the 32 physical characteristics.

Subhūti,

If a good and faithful person,

Whether male or female,

Has,

For the sake of compassion and charity,

Been sacrificing their life for generation upon generation,

For as many generations as the grains of sands in 3,

000 universes,

And another follower has been studying and observing even a single section of this sutra,

And explains it to others,

That person's blessings and merit would be far greater.

At that time,

After listening to this sutra,

Subhūti had understood its profound meaning and was moved to tears.

He said,

What a rare and precious thing it is that you should deliver such a deeply profound teaching.

Since the day I attained the eyes of understanding,

Thanks to the guidance of the Buddha,

I have never before heard teachings so deep and wonderful as these.

Most honored one,

If someone hears this sutra and has pure and clear confidence in it,

They will have a profound insight into the truth.

Having perceived that profound insight,

That person will realize the rarest kind of virtue.

Most honored one,

That insight into the truth is essentially not insight into the truth,

But is what the Buddha calls insight into the truth.

Most honored one,

Having listened to this sutra,

I am able to receive and retain it with faith and understanding.

This is not difficult for me,

But in ages to come,

In the last five hundred years,

If there is a person who hears this sutra,

Who receives and retains it with faith and understanding,

Then that person will be a rare one,

A person of most remarkable achievement.

Such a person will be able to awaken pure faith because they have ceased to cherish any arbitrary notions of their own selfhood,

Other selves,

Living beings,

Or a universal self.

Why?

Because if they continue to hold on to arbitrary conceptions as to their own selfhood,

They will be holding on to something that is non-existent.

It is the same with all arbitrary conceptions of other selves,

Living beings,

Or universal self.

These are all expressions of non-existent things.

Buddhas are Buddhas because they have been able to discard all arbitrary conceptions of form and phenomena.

They have transcended all perceptions and have penetrated the illusion of all forms.

The Buddha replied,

So it is,

Subhuti.

Most wonderfully blessed will be those beings who,

On hearing this sutra,

Will not tremble nor be frightened or terrified in any way.

And why?

The Buddha has taught this sutra as the highest perfection.

And what the Buddha teaches as the highest perfection,

That also the innumerable blessed Buddhas do teach.

Therefore,

Is it called the highest perfection.

Subhuti,

When I talk about the practice of transcendent patience,

I do not hold on to any arbitrary conceptions about the phenomena of patience.

I merely refer to it as the practice of transcendent patience.

And why is that?

Because when,

Thousands of lifetimes ago,

The prince of Kalinga severed the flesh from my limbs and my body,

I had no perception of a self,

A being,

A soul,

Or a universal self.

If I had cherished any of these arbitrary notions at the time my limbs were being torn away,

I would have fallen into anger and hatred.

I also remember,

Subhuti,

That during my 500 previous lives,

I had used life after life to practice patience and to look upon my life humbly,

As though I were a saint called upon to suffer humility.

Even then my mind was free of arbitrary conceptions of the phenomena of myself,

A being,

A soul,

Or a universal self.

Therefore,

Subhuti,

Disciples should leave behind all distinctions of phenomena and awaken the thought of the attainment of supreme enlightenment.

A disciple should do this by not allowing their mind to depend upon ideas evoked by the world of the senses,

By not allowing their mind to depend upon ideas stirred by sounds,

Odors,

Flavors,

Sensory touch,

Or any other qualities.

The disciple's mind should be kept independent of any thoughts that might arise within it.

If the disciple's mind depends upon anything in the sensory realm,

It will have no solid foundation in any reality.

This is why Buddha teaches that the mind of a disciple should not accept the appearances of things as a basis when exercising charity.

Subhuti,

As disciples practice compassion and charity for the welfare of all living beings,

They should do it without relying on appearances and without attachment.

Just as the Buddha declares that form is not form,

So he also declares that all living beings are,

In fact,

Not living beings.

Chapter Fifteen The Sutra is a Supreme Vehicle Subhuti,

If on the one hand a son or daughter of a good family gives up his or her life in the morning as many times as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River as an act of generosity,

And gives as many again in the afternoon and as many again in the evening,

And continues doing so for countless ages,

And if on the other hand another person listens to this sutra with complete confidence and without contention,

That person's happiness will be far greater.

But the happiness of one who writes this sutra down,

Receives,

Recites and explains it to others cannot even be compared,

It is so great.

Subhuti,

We can summarize by saying that the merit and virtue of this sutra is inconceivable,

Incalculable and boundless.

The Buddha has declared this teaching for the benefit of initiates on the path to enlightenment.

He has declared it for the benefit of initiates on the path to nirvana.

If there is someone capable of receiving,

Practicing,

Reciting and sharing this sutra with others,

The Buddha will see and know that person and he or she will receive immeasurable,

Incalculable and boundless merit and virtue.

Such a person is known to be carrying the supreme enlightenment attained by the Buddha.

Why?

Subhuti,

If a person is satisfied with lesser teachings than those I present here,

If he or she is still caught up in the idea of a self,

A person,

A living being or a universal self,

Then that person would not be able to listen to,

Receive,

Recite or explain this sutra to others.

Subhuti,

Wherever this sutra shall be observed,

Studied and explained,

That place will become sacred ground to which countless spiritually advanced beings will bring offerings.

Such places,

However humble they may be,

Will be revered as though they were famous temples and countless pilgrims will come there to worship.

Such a place is a shrine and should be venerated with formal ceremonies and offerings of flowers and incense.

That is the power of this sutra.

Furthermore,

Subhuti,

If a good man or good woman who accepts,

Upholds,

Reads or recites this sutra is disdained or slandered,

If they are despised or insulted,

It means that in prior lives they committed evil acts and as a result are now suffering the fruits of their actions.

When their prior life's evil acts have finally been dissolved and extinguished,

He or she will attain the supreme clarity of the most fulfilled and awakened mind.

Subhuti,

In ancient times before I met Dipankara Buddha,

I had made offerings to and had been attendant of all 84,

000 million Buddhas.

If someone is able to receive,

Recite,

Study and practice this sutra in a later,

More distant age,

Then the happiness and merit brought about by this virtuous act would be hundreds of thousands of times greater than that which I brought about by my service to the Buddhas in ancient times.

In fact,

Such happiness and merit cannot be conceived or compared with anything,

Even mathematically.

If I were to explain all this in detail now,

Some people might become suspicious and disbelieving and their minds may even become disoriented or confused.

Subhuti,

You should know that the meaning of this sutra is beyond conception and discussion.

Likewise,

The fruit resulting from receiving and practicing this sutra is beyond conception and discussion.

At that time,

The venerable Subhuti then asked the Buddha,

World Honored One,

May I ask you a question again?

If sons or daughters of a good family want to develop the highest,

Most fulfilled and awakened mind,

If they wish to attain the highest perfect wisdom,

What should they do to help quiet their drifting minds and master their thinking?

The Buddha replied,

Subhuti,

A good son or daughter who wants to give rise to the highest,

Most fulfilled and awakened mind must create this resolved attitude of mind.

I must help to lead all beings to the shore of awakening,

But after these beings have become liberated,

In truth I know that not even a single being has been liberated.

Why is this so?

If a disciple cherishes the idea of a self,

A person,

A living being or a universal self,

Then that person is not an authentic disciple.

Why?

Because in fact there is no independently existing object of mind called the highest,

Most fulfilled and awakened mind.

What do you think,

Subhuti?

In ancient times when the Buddha was living with Dipankara Buddha,

Did he attain anything called the highest,

Most fulfilled and awakened mind?

No,

Most Honored One.

According to what I understand from the teachings of the Buddha,

There is no attaining of anything called the highest,

Most fulfilled and awakened mind.

The Buddha said,

You are correct,

Subhuti.

In fact,

There does not exist any so-called highest,

Most fulfilled and awakened mind that the Buddha attains.

Because if there had been any such thing,

Dipankara Buddha would not have predicted of me.

In the future,

You will come to be a Buddha,

Known as the Most Honored One.

This prediction was made because there is in fact nothing to be attained.

Someone would be mistaken to say that the Buddha has attained the highest,

Most fulfilled and awakened mind because there is no such thing as a highest,

Most fulfilled or awakened mind to be attained.

Subhuti,

A comparison can be made with the idea of a large human body.

What would you understand me to mean if I spoke of a large human body?

I would understand that the Buddha was speaking of a large human body,

Not as an arbitrary conception of its being,

But as a series of words only.

I would understand that the words carried merely an imaginary meaning.

When the Buddha speaks of a large human body,

He uses the words only as words.

Subhuti,

It is just the same when a disciple speaks of liberating numberless sentient beings.

If they have in mind any arbitrary conception of sentient beings or of definite numbers,

Then they are unworthy of being called a disciple.

Subhuti,

My teachings reveal that even such a thing as is called a disciple is non-existent.

Furthermore,

There is really nothing for a disciple to liberate.

A true disciple knows that there is no such thing as a self,

A person,

A living being,

Or a universal self.

A true disciple knows that all things are devoid of selfhood,

Devoid of any separate individuality.

To make this teaching even more emphatic,

The Buddha continued,

If a disciple were to speak as follows,

I have to create a serene and beautiful Buddha field.

That person is not yet truly a disciple.

Why?

What the Buddha calls a serene and beautiful Buddha field is not in fact a serene and beautiful Buddha field.

And that is why it is called a serene and beautiful Buddha field.

Subhuti,

Only a disciple who is wholly devoid of any conception of separate selfhood is worthy of being called a disciple.

All thoughts are intangible.

The Buddha then asked Subhuti,

What do you think?

Does the Buddha have human eyes?

Subhuti replied,

Yes,

He has human eyes.

Does he have the eyes of enlightenment?

Of course,

The Buddha has the eyes of enlightenment.

Otherwise he would not be the Buddha.

Does the Buddha have the eyes of transcendent intelligence?

Yes,

The Buddha has the eyes of transcendent intelligence.

Does the Buddha have the eyes of spiritual intuition?

Yes,

Blessed one,

The Buddha has the eyes of spiritual intuition.

Does the Buddha have the eyes of love and compassion for all sentient beings?

Subhuti agreed and said,

You love all sentient life.

What do you think,

Subhuti?

When I referred to the grains of sand in the river Ganges,

Did I assert that they were truly grains of sand?

No,

Blessed one,

You only spoke of them as grains of sand.

Subhuti,

If there were as many Ganges rivers as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges,

And if there were as many Buddha lands as there are grains of sand in all those innumerable rivers,

Would these Buddha lands be considered numerous?

Very numerous indeed.

Subhuti,

I know the mind of every sentient being in all the host of universes,

Regardless of any modes of thought,

Conceptions or tendencies.

For all modes,

Conceptions and tendencies of thought are not mind,

And yet they are called mind.

Why?

It is impossible to retain a past thought,

To seize a future thought,

And even to hold on to a present thought.

Chapter 19 No merit is great merit.

The Buddha continued,

What do you think,

Subhuti?

If a follower were to give away enough treasures to fill 3,

000 universes,

Would a great blessing and merit incur to him or her?

Subhuti replied,

Honored one,

Such a follower would acquire considerable blessings and merit.

The Buddha said,

Subhuti,

If such a blessing had any substantiality,

If it were anything other than a figure of speech,

The most honored one would not have used the words blessings and merit.

Chapter 20 Transcending Physical Attributes Subhuti,

What do you think,

Should one look for Buddha in his perfect physical body?

No,

Perfectly enlightened one,

One should not look for Buddha in his perfect physical body.

Why?

The Buddha has said that the perfect physical body is not the perfect physical body.

Therefore,

It is called the perfect physical body.

Subhuti,

What do you think,

Should one look for Buddha in all his perfect appearances?

No,

Most honored one,

One should not look for Buddha in all his perfect appearances.

Why?

The Buddha has said perfect appearances are not perfect appearances.

Therefore,

They are called perfect appearances.

Chapter 21 No Truth Can Be Spoken Subhuti,

Do not maintain that the Buddha has this thought,

I have spoken spiritual truths.

Do not think that way.

Why?

If someone says the Buddha has spoken spiritual truths,

He slanders the Buddha due to his inability to understand what the Buddha teaches.

Subhuti,

As to speaking truth,

No truth can be spoken.

Therefore,

It is called speaking truth.

At that time,

Subhuti,

The wise elder,

Addressed the Buddha.

Most honored one,

Will there be living beings in the future who believe in this sutra when they hear it?

The Buddha said,

The living beings to whom you refer are neither living beings nor not living beings.

Why?

Subhuti,

All the different kinds of living beings the Buddha speaks of are not living beings,

But they are referred to as living beings.

Chapter 22 No Attainment Is Supreme Enlightenment Subhuti again asked,

Blessed one,

When you attained complete enlightenment,

Did you feel in your mind that nothing had been acquired?

The Buddha replied,

That is it exactly,

Subhuti.

When I attained total enlightenment,

I did not feel,

As the mind feels,

Any arbitrary conception of spiritual truth,

Not even the slightest.

Even the words total enlightenment are merely words.

They are used merely as a figure of speech.

Chapter 23 All Dharmas Are Equal Furthermore,

Subhuti,

What I have attained in total enlightenment is the same as what all others have attained.

It is undifferentiated,

Regarded neither as a high state nor a low state.

It is wholly independent of any definite or arbitrary conceptions of an individual self,

Other selves,

Living beings,

Or a universal self.

Subhuti,

When someone is selflessly charitable,

They should also practice being ethical by remembering that there is no distinction between one's self and the selfhood of others.

Thus,

One practices charity by giving not only gifts,

But through kindness and sympathy.

Practice kindness and charity without attachment,

And you can become fully enlightened.

Subhuti,

What I just said about kindness does not mean that when someone is being charitable,

They should hold on to arbitrary conceptions about kindness.

For kindness is,

After all,

Only a word,

And charity needs to be spontaneous and selfless,

Done without regard for appearances.

Chapter 24 The Merits of Transmitting the Sutra The Buddha continued,

Subhuti,

If a person collected treasures as high as three thousand of the highest mountains and gave them all to others,

Their merit would be less than what would accrue to another person who simply observed and studied this sutra and,

Out of kindness,

Explained it to others.

The latter person would accumulate hundreds of times the merit,

Hundreds of thousands of millions of times the merit.

There is no conceivable comparison.

Chapter 25 There Are No Beings to Liberate Subhuti,

Do not say that the Buddha has the idea,

I will lead all sentient beings to nirvana.

Do not think that way,

Subhuti.

Why?

In truth,

There is not one single being for the Buddha to lead to enlightenment.

If the Buddha were to think there was,

He would be caught in the idea of a self,

A person,

A living being,

Or a universal self.

Subhuti,

What the Buddha calls a self,

Essentially has no self in the way that ordinary persons think there is a self.

Subhuti,

The Buddha does not regard anyone as an ordinary person.

That is why he can speak of them as ordinary persons.

Chapter 26 Seek the Buddha not in form or sound Then the Buddha inquired of Subhuti,

What do you think,

Subhuti?

Is it possible to recognize the Buddha by the thirty-two physical marks?

Subhuti replied,

Yes,

Most honored one,

The Buddha may thus be recognized.

Subhuti,

If that were true,

Then Chakravartin,

The mythological king who also had the thirty-two marks,

Would be called a Buddha.

Then Subhuti,

Realizing his error,

Said,

Most honored one,

Now I realize that the Buddha cannot be recognized merely by his thirty-two physical marks of excellence.

The Buddha then said,

Should anyone,

Looking at an image or likeness of the Buddha,

Claim to know the Buddha and worship him,

That person would be mistaken,

Not knowing the true Buddha.

Chapter 27 Avoid nihilistic views However,

Subhuti,

If you think that the Buddha realizes the highest,

Most fulfilled and awakened mind and does not need to have all the marks,

You are mistaken.

Subhuti,

Do not think in that way.

Do not think that when one gives rise to the highest,

Most fulfilled and awakened mind,

One needs to see all objects of mind as nonexistent,

Cut off from life.

Please do not think in that way.

One who gives rise to the highest,

Most fulfilled and awakened mind does not contend that all objects of mind are nonexistent and cut off from life.

That is not what I say.

Chapter 28 Bodhisattvas do not accumulate merits The Buddha continued,

Subhuti,

If someone gives treasures equal to the number of sands on the shores of the Ganges River,

And if another,

Having realized the egolessness of all things,

Thereby understands selflessness,

The latter would be more blessed than the one who practiced external charity.

Why?

Because great disciples do not see blessings and merit as a private possession,

As something to be gained.

Subhuti inquired of the Buddha,

What do you mean great disciples do not see blessings and merit as a private possession?

The Buddha replied,

Because those blessings and merit have never been sought after by those great disciples,

They do not see them as private possessions,

But they see them as the common possession of all beings.

Chapter 29 Tathagata and Tathagata The Buddha said,

Subhuti,

If any person were to say that the Buddha is now coming or going or sitting up or lying down,

They would not have understood the principle I have been teaching.

Why?

Because while the expression Buddha means he who has thus come,

Thus gone,

The true Buddha is never coming from anywhere or going anywhere.

The name Buddha is merely an expression,

A figure of speech,

One who has thus gone,

Tathagata,

And one who has thus come,

Tathagata.

Chapter 30 The Nature of the World The Buddha resumed,

Subhuti,

If any good person,

Either man or woman,

Were to take three thousand galaxies and grind them into microscopic powder and blow it into space,

What do you think?

Would this powder have any individual existence?

Subhuti replied,

Yes,

As a microscopic powder blown into space,

It might be said to have a relative existence,

But as you use words,

It has no existence.

The words are used only as a figure of speech.

Otherwise,

The words would imply a belief in the existence of matter as an independent and self-existent thing,

Which it is not.

Furthermore,

When the Most Honored One refers to the three thousand galaxies,

He could only do so as a figure of speech.

Why?

Because if the three thousand galaxies really existed,

Their only reality would consist in their cosmic unity.

Whether as microscopic powder or as galaxies,

What does it matter?

Only in the sense of the cosmic unity of ultimate being can the Buddha rightfully refer to it.

The Buddha was very pleased with this reply and said,

Subhuti,

Although ordinary people have always grasped after an arbitrary conception of matter and galaxies,

The concept has no true basis.

It is an illusion of the mortal mind.

Even when it is referred to as cosmic unity,

It is unthinkable and unknowable.

Chapter Thirty-One Extinction of the Four Views The Buddha continued,

If any person were to say that the Buddha in his teachings has constantly referred to himself,

To other selves,

To living beings,

Or to a universal self,

What do you think,

Would that person have understood my meaning?

Subhuti replied,

No,

Blessed one,

That person would not have understood the meaning of your teachings.

For when you refer to those things,

You are not referring to their actual existence.

You only use the words as figures of speech,

As symbols.

Only in that sense can words be used.

For one,

Conceptions.

Two,

Ideas.

Three,

Limited truths.

And four,

Spiritual truths,

Have no more reality than have matter or phenomena.

Then the Buddha made his meaning even more emphatic by saying,

Subhuti,

When people begin their practice of seeking to attaining total enlightenment,

They ought to see,

To perceive,

To know,

To understand,

And to realize that all things and all spiritual truths are no-things,

And therefore they ought not to conceive within their minds any arbitrary conceptions whatsoever.

Chapter 32 All phenomena are illusions.

Buddha continued,

Subhuti,

If anyone gave to the Buddha an immeasurable quantity of the seven treasures sufficient to fill the whole universe,

And if another person,

Whether a man or woman,

In seeking to attain complete enlightenment,

Were to earnestly and faithfully observe and study even a single section of this sutra and explain it to others,

The accumulated blessing and merit of that latter person would be far greater.

Subhuti,

How can one explain this sutra to others without holding in mind any arbitrary conception of forms or phenomena or spiritual truths?

It can only be done,

Subhuti,

By keeping the mind in perfect tranquility and free from any attachment to appearances.

So I say to you,

This is how to contemplate our conditioned existence in this fleeting world,

Like a tiny drop of dew or a bubble floating in a stream,

Like a flash of lightning in a summer cloud or a flickering lamp,

An illusion,

A phantom,

Or a dream.

So is all conditioned existence to be seen.

Thus spoke Buddha.

Another translation on how to contemplate our conditioned existence in this fleeting world.

All conditioned phenomena are like dreams,

Illusions,

Bubbles,

Or shadows,

Like drops of dew or flashes of lightning.

Thusly,

Should they be contemplated.

The diamond that cuts through illusion.

A sleep story inspired by the Diamond Sutra.

Settle in now.

Let your body be heavy.

Let your thoughts be light.

And as you listen,

You don't have to do anything at all.

Just breathe in and out.

In the quiet rhythm of your breath,

The night begins to soften around you.

And somewhere beyond the edges of your room,

Beyond clocks,

Beyond schedules,

Beyond names,

There is a grove of trees that has been waiting for you.

A place that feels ancient and yet completely new.

A place where the air is cool and clean.

Where the leaves move gently,

As if they are breathing too.

And if you listen closely,

You may hear it.

The soft hush of countless beings resting.

The faint murmur of a world growing still.

Tonight,

You are going to walk into that grove.

Not with your feet,

Exactly,

But with your awareness.

And you will arrive without effort.

Because in dreams,

You don't need to travel far.

You only need to let go.

So let go now,

Just a little.

Let the day slip from your hands,

Like water returning to the river.

And in your mind's eye,

You begin to see it.

A wide open sky,

Dark and velvety,

Stretched over a quiet land.

A city sleeps in the distance.

Its lamps are few,

Its streets are empty.

And outside that city,

There is a grove called Jeddah Grove.

A sacred place of gathering,

A place of listening.

You walk toward it slowly,

As if the night itself is guiding you.

And there,

In the grove,

You see a community of monks and disciples resting together in peace.

There is no hurry here.

No pushing forward,

No pulling back.

Only presence.

In the center of the grove,

A simple seat has been arranged.

And upon it sits the Buddha,

Upright and still,

Like a mountain that does not need to move.

The air around him feels calm.

Not forced calm.

Not strained calm.

But the kind of calm that comes when nothing is being held too tightly.

You feel it in your chest.

A loosening.

A quiet permission.

And as you settle into the edge of the gathering,

You notice something else.

The Buddha has returned from walking for alms.

From moving through the world gently.

Receiving what is given,

And giving nothing but presence in return.

Now he rests.

He has washed his feet.

He has put away his bowl and cloak.

He has taken his seat.

And the grove feels like a deep breath held in kindness.

You sit too.

And in the silence,

A venerable monk rises.

His name is Subhuti.

He steps forward respectfully,

Uncovering his right shoulder,

Placing one knee to the ground,

Joining his palms together.

And in his voice,

There is devotion.

And something else too.

A longing.

A longing you may recognize.

The longing to understand how to live.

How to love.

How to wake up without clinging to anything that causes our suffering.

Subhuti speaks,

And his words float through the grove like lantern light.

He asks the Buddha a question.

If a person wishes to awaken.

If they wish to develop the highest mind.

How should they live?

How should they quiet the drifting mind?

How should they subdue craving thoughts?

And as Subhuti asks this,

You feel the question settle inside you too.

Because maybe you have asked it in your own way.

How do I stop gripping so tightly?

How do I stop being pulled by worry?

How do I stop running from myself?

The Buddha listens.

And then,

Gently,

He begins to answer.

Like a lullaby of wisdom,

He says,

Listen carefully.

The Buddha speaks of living beings.

All living beings.

Those born from eggs,

From wombs,

From moisture,

From mystery.

Those with form.

Those without form.

Those aware.

Those unaware.

He says that all living beings will be led to liberation.

And yet,

When they are liberated.

In truth,

Not even one being has been liberated.

The words sound like a paradox.

And yet,

The grove does not feel confused.

It feels clear.

Like the sky when clouds drift apart.

And something in you begins to understand without needing to explain.

The Buddha is pointing to something deep.

When you cling to the idea of a separate self,

A solid me,

You suffer.

When you cling to the idea of a separate other,

A solid them,

You suffer.

But when the mind loosens its grip,

Everything softens.

Even the boundaries.

Even the fears.

Even the old stories.

The Buddha continues.

He speaks of compassion,

Of charity,

Of giving.

But he says,

A disciple should practice charity without attachment to appearances.

Without attachment to form,

Sound,

Smell,

Taste,

Touch,

Or any quality at all.

And you can feel what that means.

To give without needing credit.

To love without needing proof.

To help without needing a story about who you are.

A deep exhale moves through you.

And the Buddha asks Subhuti about space.

Can you measure the space of the eastern heavens?

No.

Can you measure all the space?

West,

South,

North,

Above,

Below?

No.

And the Buddha says,

So it is with the merit of one who gives without attachment.

It cannot be measured.

In your mind,

Space opens wide.

Endless.

And you realize,

Some goodness cannot be counted.

Some peace cannot be weighed.

Some love cannot be tracked.

It simply spreads.

Like warmth through cold hands.

And now,

The Buddha asks,

Can the Buddha be recognized by bodily form?

Subhuti answers,

No.

Because when the Buddha speaks of bodily form,

It is not a real form.

But only an illusion.

The Buddha says,

All that has form is elusive and unreal.

When you see that all forms are elusive and unreal,

You begin to perceive your true Buddha nature.

And as you hear this,

You don't have to force yourself to understand.

You can simply let the words wash through you.

Like moonlight through curtains.

Like wind through grass.

All that has form is shifting.

Changing.

A wave.

Not a statue.

And you are also a wave.

A moving,

Changing life.

Not something you have to hold in place.

Not something you have to fix.

Just something you can allow.

Subhuti asks,

In the future,

If someone hears this teaching,

Even a phrase or sentence,

Can true faith awaken in them?

And the Buddha says,

Yes.

Even far in the future,

There will be those who hear this and awaken faith.

Because they have already planted goodness.

Already practiced charity.

Already softened their minds enough to recognize truth when it arrives.

And maybe that is you tonight.

Not because you are perfect.

Not because you have done everything right.

But because you are here.

Listening.

Resting.

Letting your mind become quiet enough to hear something gentle and true.

The Buddha offers a metaphor.

He says that teachings are like a raft used to cross a river.

Once you cross,

You do not carry the raft forever.

You set it down.

Even spiritual ideas,

Even teachings,

Must not be clung to.

And that thought itself is strangely freeing.

You don't have to grip wisdom like a possession.

You can receive it,

Let it help you cross,

And then let it go.

Even the idea of letting go,

You can let go of.

And now,

The night deepens.

The grove grows softer.

The Buddha asks Subhuti,

Has the Buddha attained the highest mind?

Does the Buddha teach a teaching?

And Subhuti answers,

There is no independently existing thing called the highest awakened mind.

And there is no independently existing teaching.

Truth cannot be contained or expressed.

It neither is nor is it not.

And as you hear this,

Your own thoughts begin to loosen.

You stop trying to pin reality down.

You stop trying to solve the night.

You simply rest in it,

Like floating,

Like drifting.

The Buddha speaks of merit again.

If someone filled ten thousand galaxies with treasures and gave them away,

Would they gain great merit?

Yes.

And yet,

That merit is characterized by not being merit.

The words are like a bell ringing in the quiet of your chest.

Not merit,

Not not merit.

Not self,

Not not self.

Not something,

Not nothing.

And you begin to feel the diamond edge of this teaching.

Not sharp like harm,

Sharp like clarity.

A diamond cuts through illusion.

Not to destroy you,

But to free you.

Now the Buddha speaks of the stages of awakening.

Entering the stream.

Once to be reborn.

Non-returner.

And each time,

Subhuti answers with the same spirit.

These are only names.

There is no one entering.

No one returning.

No one not returning.

And perhaps you feel the sweetness of that.

Because if there is no solid you to defend,

Then you can finally relax.

You don't have to protect an identity all night long.

You can simply be a breath,

A warmth,

A quiet awareness in the dark.

The Buddha says,

A disciple should develop a mind not dependent on sights,

Sounds,

Smells,

Tastes,

Sensations,

Or mental conceptions.

A mind that does not rely on anything.

And as you breathe,

You can practice this.

Not by pushing senses away,

But by letting them drift without grabbing.

A sound outside.

A thought inside.

A feeling in the body.

All of it can come and go.

Like wind moving through an open window.

You don't have to chase it.

You don't have to hold it.

Just let it pass.

The Buddha speaks of the many grains of sand in the Ganges.

So many.

So countless.

And he says,

Even studying a single stanza of this sutra and sharing it brings happiness and merit beyond measure.

And you realize,

This teaching isn't asking you to become someone special.

It is asking you to stop believing you are trapped as someone separate.

It is asking you to rest in the truth that you are not limited to the tight fist of me.

The grove is very quiet now.

The stars seem closer.

Subhuti asks what the sutra should be called.

And the Buddha says,

It is called the diamond that cuts through illusion.

And as he says it,

You imagine a diamond in the dark.

Not glittering like greed.

Not shining like something to own.

But clear.

Still.

Unbreakable.

A quiet clarity that cannot be burned by fear.

A quiet clarity that cannot be drowned by thought.

The Buddha says this diamond cuts away arbitrary conceptions.

And in your own mind,

You feel old concepts loosening.

Old labels.

Old burdens.

Old stories you've carried too long.

You don't need to throw them away violently.

They simply begin to fall from you like leaves letting go in autumn.

And now the story shifts.

The grove becomes a dream within a dream.

You are still there.

But you are also walking.

You find yourself wandering deeper into the Jeta Grove.

Past the gathering.

Past the soft glow of lanterns.

Past the place where words were spoken.

Now there is only moonlight.

And trees.

And the gentle path under your feet.

You walk until you come to a small stream.

The water is clear.

It moves without effort.

It does not cling to where it has been.

It does not worry about where it will go.

It simply flows.

And you sit beside it.

And in the flowing water,

You see reflections.

Not only of moonlight.

But of thoughts.

Old thoughts.

A worry you carried earlier today.

A moment of regret.

A fear about tomorrow.

A memory you didn't ask for.

You watch them shimmer on the surface of the stream.

And then the water moves.

And the reflections break apart.

Gone.

Not destroyed.

Not defeated.

Just released.

You breathe in.

And you remember.

It is impossible to retain a past thought.

To seize a future thought.

Even to hold onto a present thought.

So you don't have to.

You don't have to hold anything tonight.

Not even yourself.

Now,

As you rest beside the stream,

You notice a small lantern floating toward you.

It drifts gently on the water.

A simple paper lantern lit from within.

It comes close and you reach out.

Not to grab it.

Just to steady it.

And on the lantern,

There are words written softly.

It says,

All phenomena are illusions.

Like a drop of dew.

Like a bubble.

Like a flash of lightning.

Like a flickering lamp.

Like a phantom.

Like a dream.

You read the words slowly.

And as you read them,

Your eyelids feel heavier.

Your body feels warmer.

Your mind feels more spacious.

And you realize something very tender.

The Diamond Sutra isn't cold.

It isn't empty in a harsh way.

It is empty in a freeing way.

Like opening your hand after holding something too tightly.

Like unclenching.

Like letting your shoulders drop.

Like finally admitting,

I don't have to carry the whole world in my mind.

I can let the world be the world.

I can let myself be myself.

And not self.

And simply rest.

The lantern continues downstream.

And you watch it go.

It becomes smaller.

Softer.

A tiny star on the water.

Until it disappears around a bend.

And the stream keeps flowing.

And you,

In and out.

In the distance,

You hear the Buddha's voice again.

Not as words this time.

But as a feeling.

A gentle,

Quiet instruction without language.

Compassion is not something you force.

It arises naturally when you stop clinging to separation.

Charity is not something you do to become good.

It happens spontaneously when you stop needing to protect a self-image.

Patience is not something you achieve.

It is what remains when anger no longer has a solid self to defend.

And tonight,

You don't have to become perfect.

You don't have to become enlightened.

You don't have to solve the teachings.

You can simply let them be like the trees in the grove.

Present.

Now,

The dream grows even softer.

The grove fades gently into starlight.

The stream becomes a hush.

And you find yourself lying down.

Not on hard ground.

Not on stone.

But on something like a field of warm darkness.

As if the night itself has become a bed.

And behind them,

The sky.

Always the sky.

The Buddha's final teaching echoes like a lullaby.

All conditioned things are like dreams,

Illusions,

Bubbles,

Shadows.

Like dew drops or flashes of lightning.

Thus should they be contemplated.

So,

Yes.