The Tathāgata Refutes the Mark of Minute Particles and the Mark of World-Systems

Original text of the Diamond Sutra: 须菩提。于意云何。三千大千世界所有微尘。是为多不。须菩提言。甚多。世尊。须菩提。诸微尘。如来说非微尘。是名微尘。如来说世界。即非世界。是名世界。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Subhūti, what do you think of this—are all the particles of dust in the trichiliocosm numerous? Subhūti replied: Very numerous, World-Honored One. The Buddha said: Subhūti, all these particles of dust—the Tathāgata has said they are not particles of dust; they are merely called particles of dust. As for the world the Tathāgata has spoken of, it is not a world; it is merely called a world.

The great chiliocosm formed by the aggregation of countless particles of dust is the external space in which the five aggregates of sentient beings exist; it is the material form (rūpa) aspect of the mundane world. At this point, the Tathāgata has refuted the dharma-characteristics of this material form. So, does the world of the five aggregates in the mundane realm have any true characteristic? It has no true characteristic; it is entirely an illusory false appearance, provisionally named "world," provisionally named "mundane realm," provisionally named "secular world," and provisionally named "five aggregates." Since the five aggregates are merely provisional names, then all the endeavors carried out by the five aggregates—generating bodhicitta, practicing the bodhisattva path to benefit oneself and others, expounding the Dharma to liberate sentient beings, realizing and attaining the Dharma, achieving the bodhisattva fruit as well as the Buddha fruit, and establishing Buddha-lands—all of these are illusory and empty, without any true characteristic. Then, in this illusory world, what is there for you, me, her, or him to be attached to? What is there to grasp and refuse to let go of?

Why do all these false appearances and provisional names exist? Because of that indestructible vajra mind (Vajracitta). He has brought all these dharmas into being through causes and conditions; whatever comes into being must perish, whereas only what exists originally by itself will never decay and perish. Sentient beings, for countless eons without beginning, have not recognized the truth, and so they have taken the false appearances to be the truth and grasped at them; this is why there is the suffering of birth-and-death and saṃsāra. Now that we have studied and cultivated this vajra Dharma, we should realize the true characteristic as soon as possible, return to our true nature, reach the other shore of nirvāṇa, and no longer transmigrate through birth and death.