Commentary on the Diamond Sutra: Why the Perfection of Patience Is Not the Perfection of Patience

Chapter Fourteen: The Extinction of Appearances and the Attainment of Quiescence Original Text: For what reason? Subhuti, just as in the past when King Kali dismembered my body, at that time, I had no notion of self, no notion of person, no notion of sentient beings, no notion of a life span. Why? Because at that time when I was dismembered limb by limb, if I had notions of self, person, sentient beings, or a life span, hatred and resentment would have arisen. Subhuti, I also recall that in the past, for five hundred lifetimes, I was an Ascetic of Forbearance. Throughout those lifetimes, I had no notion of self, no notion of person, no notion of sentient beings, no notion of a life span.

Explanation: Why is the Perfection of Forbearance (ksanti-paramita) not the Perfection of Forbearance? Subhuti, for example, when I was dismembered by King Kali in the past, within my mind at that time, there was no notion of self, no notion of person, no notion of sentient beings, no notion of a life span. Why is it said that there was none? Because when my body was dismembered limb by limb in the past, if I had notions of self, person, sentient beings, and a life span in my mind, hatred and resentment would have arisen. Subhuti, I also recall that in the past, for five hundred lifetimes, I was an Ascetic of Forbearance. Throughout those five hundred lifetimes, within my mind, there was no notion of self, no notion of person, no notion of sentient beings, no notion of a life span.

When the World-Honored One was dismembered by King Kali in the past, because His mind had no notion of self, no notion of person, and no notion of sentient beings, He did not give rise to hatred towards King Kali. If the World-Honored One had the notion of self, He would have felt, "I am being dismembered, I am suffering." Because of the suffering, hatred would have arisen. If the World-Honored One had the notion of person or sentient beings, He would have felt, "King Kali ordered his attendants to dismember and damage my body, causing painful sensations in my body," and He would have given rise to hatred towards King Kali and his attendants. However, the World-Honored One at that time truly had no notion of self, no notion of person, and no notion of sentient beings. Even though King Kali dismembered His body limb by limb, the World-Honored One did not give rise to any hatred. Outwardly, it appeared that the World-Honored One was practicing forbearance and possessed the Perfection of Forbearance. In reality, the World-Honored One was not forbearing, because His mind was free from appearances. Thus, He did not feel insulted, nor was there any need to forbear. Therefore, there was no forbearance, no Perfection of Forbearance.

In past lives, for five hundred lifetimes, the World-Honored One was an Ascetic of Forbearance, specifically cultivating the Perfection of Forbearance. Yet, because the World-Honored One had no notion of self, no notion of person, and no notion of sentient beings, He did not feel insulted, nor did He feel there was anything to forbear. The Perfection of Forbearance had no appearance of forbearance; thus, the World-Honored One's Perfection of Forbearance was not the Perfection of Forbearance. If the World-Honored One had these notions in His mind, He would have needed to forbear, and then He would have had the Perfection of Forbearance. Therefore, what is called the Perfection of Forbearance is not the Perfection of Forbearance. This is the state of one who has perfected the practice of forbearance. Those who have not yet perfected the practice of forbearance still have the appearance of forbearance and may possess the Perfection of Forbearance.

Similarly, for one who practices the Perfection of Giving (dana-paramita), if the mind has no notion of self, no notion of person, no notion of sentient beings, and no notion of a life span, one does not feel that "I am giving," nor does one dwell on whom I give to or what wealth or items I give. There is no appearance of giving, nor is there the Perfection of Giving. The mind is empty, pure, vast, and unobstructed. The merit attained is the greatest, immeasurable and boundless. For one who upholds precepts (sila), if the mind has no notion of self, no notion of person, no notion of sentient beings, and no notion of a life span, then there is no appearance of "I am upholding precepts," no appearance of the precepts being upheld, and thus no appearance of the Perfection of Precepts (sila-paramita). When there are no precepts to guard or uphold, that is true upholding of precepts, free from burden, with a mind empty and unobstructed. It is the same for those who cultivate the Perfection of Diligence (virya-paramita), the Perfection of Meditative Concentration (dhyana-paramita), and the Perfection of Wisdom (prajna-paramita). With no notion of self, no notion of person, no notion of sentient beings, and no notion of a life span, there is no appearance of the Perfection of Diligence, no appearance of the Perfection of Meditative Concentration, no appearance of the Perfection of Wisdom, and no appearance of practice. This is true diligence, true meditative concentration, and true wisdom.

Due to the realization attained through wisdom and meditative concentration, the World-Honored One had exhausted the aggregate of sensation (vedana-skandha). Thus, His body could be without sensory feeling. Therefore, when His body was dismembered, there was no sensation of pain. Only then could He endure having His limbs dismembered without fainting. If the World-Honored One had had the notion of person and sentient beings at that time, He would have been very angry with King Kali, thinking, "This person is humiliating me, being cruel and tyrannical towards me." Then He would have given rise to hatred towards King Kali, cursed King Kali, and sought revenge against King Kali and his men. If the World-Honored One had had the notion of a life span at that time, He would have resisted fiercely to prevent King Kali and the executioners from dismembering and destroying His body. For dismemberment signified impending death; life would disappear, and that lifespan would end. Yet the World-Honored One did not resist then, nor did He give rise to hatred. This proves that the World-Honored One was free from the four notions at that time.

At that time, the World-Honored One was a Bodhisattva free from the four notions, a Bodhisattva practicing the Six Perfections (paramitas). He manifested as the Ascetic of Forbearance to cultivate the practice of forbearance. He had been cultivating free from the four notions for five hundred lifetimes.