Commentary on the Diamond Sutra: The Dharmakāya Has No Marks, Twenty-Six

Original text: 须菩提。于意云何。可以三十二相观如来不。须菩提言。如是如是。以三十二相观如来。佛言。须菩提。若以三十二相观如来者。转轮圣王即是如来。须菩提白佛言。世尊。如我解佛所说义。不应以三十二相观如来。

Explanation: Subhūti, what do you think? When sentient beings contemplate the Tathāgata, should they contemplate the Tathāgata by way of the Buddha's thirty-two marks? Subhūti replied: Yes, it is so; sentient beings contemplate the Tathāgata by way of the Buddha's thirty-two marks. If possessing the thirty-two marks means being the Tathāgata, then one without the thirty-two marks is not the Tathāgata. The World-Honored One said: Subhūti, if one contemplates the Tathāgata by way of the thirty-two marks, then the wheel-turning sage king, who also possesses the thirty-two marks, would be the Tathāgata. Subhūti said to the World-Honored One: According to my understanding of the meaning of what the World-Honored You have taught, sentient beings should not contemplate the Tathāgata by way of the thirty-two marks. This is because those who have not yet become Buddhas, if they cultivate great merit, can also possess the thirty-two marks, and this makes it easy to misunderstand—mistaking the false for the true and failing to recognize the true Buddha.

The true Buddha is without marks; that which has marks is not the true Buddha. Out of compassion, the World-Honored One here not only once again breaks sentient beings' attachment to marks, but also points out to them the markless Tathāgata, so that when sentient beings engage in Chan investigation, they will no longer seek after marks and fall into misunderstanding. As stated earlier, the true Tathāgata—the Dharmakāya Tathāgata—does not have a single mark. The thirty-two marks cultivated through practice over three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas are obtained by the Sambhogakāya Buddha and by the Nirmāṇakāya; the Dharmakāya Buddha remains empty without any mark, attaining not a single dharma. Because the entire Diamond Sutra expounds the markless vajra mind, the tathāgatagarbha, and speaks of sentient beings' future Dharmakāya, the World-Honored One, from beginning to end, has been teaching sentient beings how to realize the markless Dharmakāya. Therefore, the World-Honored One everywhere explains the markless Dharmakāya Tathāgata, guiding sentient beings to awaken and enter the true reality of all dharmas.

From the very beginning of the sutra, the World-Honored One has continuously broken sentient beings' attachment to marks, so that all sentient beings may turn toward the Dharmakāya Tathāgata that is free of all marks, and become attuned to the true mind, the Dharmakāya Tathāgata of true reality—through Chan investigation, clearly finding their own naked and unadorned "true master," thereby finding the way home and obtaining a place to rest. The World-Honored One deliberately asked Subhūti whether, in seeing the true Buddha, one sees Him by way of the thirty-two marks; Subhūti also deliberately replied that sentient beings indeed all see the Tathāgata by way of the thirty-two marks. Thereupon the World-Honored One was prompted to explain in detail why one cannot see the Tathāgata by way of the thirty-two marks, and why the thirty-two marks are not real marks and do not correspond to the Dharmakāya Tathāgata.

In fact, is such a one the Tathāgata? Here the World-Honored One explains specifically: one who possesses the thirty-two marks is not the true Tathāgata. The thirty-two wondrous marks are obtained through the cultivation of merit. The wheel-turning sage king possesses immense merit and also has the thirty-two marks, yet is far from being a Buddha. Even Māra Pāpīyas can transform and display the thirty-two marks, impersonating Śākyamuni Buddha. Bodhisattvas of the eighth bhūmi and above can also manifest the thirty-two marks and can also deliver sentient beings with a Buddha's body. Therefore, if sentient beings wish to awaken to the true mind and attain Buddhahood, they must see the true Buddha, the Dharmakāya Tathāgata; yet the true Tathāgata has no thirty-two marks—one who has the thirty-two marks is not the true Buddha, the true Tathāgata.

Original text: 尔时。世尊而说偈言。若以色见我。以音声求我。是人行邪道。不能见如来。

Explanation: Hearing Subhūti speak thus, the World-Honored One spoke a verse: If one sees me, the Tathāgata, by means of form, or seeks me, the Tathāgata, by means of sounds, this person walks an erroneous path, not treading the right way, and cannot see the true Tathāgata.

This is the famous four-line verse in the Diamond Sutra. The World-Honored One tells us that to realize the Dharmakāya Tathāgata, we must be free of the marks of the six sense objects—form, sound, scent, taste, touch, and dharmas—and not see the Tathāgata by way of the marks of form, sound, scent, taste, touch, and dharmas, for the Tathāgata has no such marks. Thus, to see the Tathāgata, one cannot rely on the eyes or the ears: what the eyes see is the mark of form, not the Tathāgata; what the ears hear is the mark of sound, not the Tathāgata. These marks all run contrary to the Tathāgata; one must relinquish and set aside these marks in order to see the true Tathāgata. To relinquish and set aside does not mean annihilating these marks, but rather polishing the mind's eye so as not to take these marks as real, and amid these false appearances, recognizing that true and precious pearl—the tathāgatagarbha. Only this is walking the right path; only then can one see the Tathāgata and attain the Buddha Way.

Then how exactly is one to see the Tathāgata? Look, everyone, as I wave my hand to beckon you: Come quickly to the sutra hall to recite the sutras! When you see me wave my hand, do not attach to the illusory mark of my "Five-Finger Mountain," and do not attach to the moving appearances of my five aggregates. Set aside these illusory appearances of the five aggregates, and within these illusions, seek that which is not illusory and has no mark—the maṇi pearl. He moves up and down, in and out, back and forth within the mountain of the five aggregates; and yet He remains suchness, immovable, without the mark of moving up and down, without the mark of going in and out, without the mark of coming and going. He neither rises nor descends, neither exits nor enters, neither comes nor returns. He has been busying about within and without the mountain of the five aggregates for countless kalpas without pause, yet has never felt busy or weary—thus He comes as the Tathāgata and goes as the Tathāgata. He seems to come and seems to go, but in truth He neither comes nor goes, being originally suchness. Then how is one to see the Tathāgata? Watch me wave my hand again: Come, come, come—come recite the sutras!

Here there is no mark of the five aggregates, no mark of sentient beings, no mark of ordinary beings, no mark of bodhisattvas, no thirty-two marks, no mark of form, no mark of sound, no marks of the six sense objects. Setting aside these marks is itself the mark of the Tathāgata. Everyone, open your eyes wide and search carefully amid these illusory appearances!