Explanation of the Diamond Sutra: Section Twenty, Separation from Form and Marks

The true Tathāgata is without form and without marks. If one wishes to see the mind and perceive self-nature in order to see the true Tathāgata, one must not look at the Tathāgata's forms and marks; forms and marks are not the Tathāgata. Only by departing from forms and marks can one see the true Tathāgata.

Original text: 须菩提。于意云何。佛可以具足色身见不。不也。世尊。如来不应以具足色身见。何以故。如来说具足色身。即非具足色身。是名具足色身。须菩提。于意云何。如来可以具足诸相见不。不也。世尊。如来不应以具足诸相见。何以故。如来说诸相具足。即非具足。是名诸相具足。

Explanation: The World-Honored One said to Subhūti: Subhūti, what do you think? If sentient beings wish to see the true Buddha, should they see a Buddha with marks—complete with a fully endowed physical body? Should they behold the Buddha by means of his bodily marks? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One. One who wishes to see the true Tathāgata should not behold the Tathāgata by means of a fully endowed physical form; one should behold the true Tathāgata. Why is this said? Because, according to what You have taught, the fully endowed physical form is not truly a fully endowed physical body; it is merely provisionally named "fully endowed physical body."

The World-Honored One continued: Subhūti, what do you think—if sentient beings wish to see the Tathāgata, should they behold a Tathāgata endowed with all marks? By beholding a Tathāgata endowed with all marks, can one see the true Tathāgata? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One. When sentient beings behold the Tathāgata, they should not behold the Tathāgata by means of the full endowment of all marks. Why is this said? Because, according to what You have taught, the full endowment of all marks is not truly something endowed with all marks; it is merely provisionally named "endowed with all marks." Since the full endowment of all marks is only a provisional name without real substance, one cannot thereby see the true Tathāgata.

Because sentient beings are habituated to clinging to marks, they constantly discriminate the Tathāgata on the basis of various conditioned dharmas and marks, not knowing that the true Tathāgata is without marks. Out of compassion for sentient beings, the World-Honored One engaged in this dialogue with Subhūti to reveal that the true Buddha is without marks, and that one should not cling to a Tathāgata possessing all marks—doing so would result in seeing only the marks and not the true Tathāgata. The true Tathāgata is apart from all material form, apart from all marks, without shape and without marks—only this is the true Tathāgata.

The Tathāgata can be divided into the Tathāgata with a physical form and the Tathāgata without a physical form. The Tathāgata without a physical form is the Dharmakāya Buddha (dharma-kāya-buddha), the true Tathāgata, because He is the origin of all dharmas, forever unchanging, neither arising nor ceasing, truly real, eternally enduring and ever-present. He can transform and manifest boundless, immeasurable Tathāgatas with physical forms. Since all Tathāgatas with physical forms are conjured forth by the markless Dharmakāya Tathāgata, what is illusorily born can also illusorily cease—thus they are not the truly real Tathāgata.

Therefore the World-Honored One asked Subhūti: to see the true Tathāgata, must one see a Tathāgata endowed with all physical bodily marks? Can one see the Tathāgata by beholding His bodily form and marks? Subhūti immediately understood the Buddha's intent and promptly replied that it is not so. Why is it not so? Because the marks of a fully endowed physical body are not real marks, nor does there truly exist something that is a fully endowed physical body; all these marks are illusory transformations, merely given a provisional name for such illusory marks.

All the marks of physical bodies—the bodily marks of bodies whose marks are fully present—are conjured forth by the Dharmakāya Tathāgata, who possesses not even a trace of physical bodily marks. On the surface there appears to be existence, and He also has the various activities of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha). Yet the marks that appear to exist and the activities of the five aggregates are not real; they are all illusory false marks, empty marks. The existence is false existence, and the activities of the five aggregates are also illusorily manifested false marks—mere illusions. In their essence they are all the Dharmakāya Tathāgata; it is only by relying on the superficial appearance of the five-aggregate body that these illusory phenomena are given provisional names, for the convenience of sentient beings in distinguishing and addressing them, for the convenience of sentient beings in revering and making offerings, and for the convenience of sentient beings in practicing generosity (dāna) and cultivating merit.

The World-Honored One further asked Subhūti: if sentient beings wish to see the true Tathāgata, should they behold the Tathāgata by means of the full endowment of all dharma-marks? Subhūti immediately understood the World-Honored One's intent and promptly replied: No—one should not behold the Tathāgata as one endowed with all marks, should not consider that only a Tathāgata endowed with all marks is the true Tathāgata, and should not cling to any illusory forms and marks. A Tathāgata endowed with all marks is certainly a Tathāgata complete with the thirty-two marks and eighty excellent characteristics of a Buddha—that is a Tathāgata with marks.

All of these are the karmic retribution obtained through the World-Honored One's cultivation over three countless great kalpas, and all these marks are manifestations conjured forth by the markless Dharmakāya Tathāgata in accordance with various conditions. Where there is arising there is ceasing; therefore one who possesses the thirty-two marks is not the true Tathāgata, and the thirty-two marks are not real marks either. These thirty-two marks and eighty excellent characteristics appear on the surface to exist, but in truth they are only names, all manifested by the Dharmakāya Tathāgata; in essence they are the Dharmakāya Tathāgata, given provisional names merely for the convenience of sentient beings in recognizing, revering, and making offerings.

Then, in the Tathāgata endowed with physical bodily marks, endowed with the thirty-two marks, and endowed with the eighty excellent characteristics, can one see the true Tathāgata who is not endowed with physical bodily marks, not endowed with the thirty-two marks, and not endowed with the eighty excellent characteristics? This is certain; otherwise the Tathāgata's physical bodily marks would not manifest, the thirty-two marks would not manifest, much less be fully endowed. One may ask: within the five aggregates endowed with physical bodily marks, which one is the true Tathāgata? To seek the true Tathāgata, listen to this verse: Within the five-aggregate body the dragon hides its form; though the dragon hides, it constantly roars. Wishing to find the true dragon within the five aggregates, listen at the six cave mouths for the dragon's roar. The dragon constantly comes and goes at the six cave mouths, but sentient beings, clinging to marks, do not recognize the dragon. To recognize the dragon, remove the forms and marks; remove the forms and marks, and the true dragon appears.