The Profound Yogācāra Meaning of the Diamond Sutra (103)

Original text:须菩提。譬如人身长大。须菩提言。世尊。如来说人身长大。即为非大身。是名大身。

Explanation: The World-Honored One said: Subhūti, for example, the greatness and loftiness of the human body is just one dharma among all dharmas. Subhūti replied: World-Honored One, the mark of the greatness and loftiness of the human body as spoken by the Tathāgata is not truly a great body; it is merely given the name "great body." Why is the great body spoken of by the Tathāgata not a great body? Because the size and appearance of the human body is only an illusory appearance conjured up by the tathāgatagarbha; it has no substance, and there is no substantial mark of size. It is an illusory appearance piled up by the tathāgatagarbha using the seeds of the four great elements. Its size and length are all spoken of relatively; one must refer to some object for comparison before it can be designated as large or small, long or short. And the object of comparison is also not real, having no dependability or comparability. Therefore, the greatness and loftiness of the human body is not a great body; it is a great body in name only, with no real talk of substantial size.

Original text: 须菩提。菩萨亦如是。若作是言。我当灭度无量众生。即不名菩萨。何以故。须菩提。实无有法名为菩萨。是故佛说一切法无我无人无众生无寿者。

Explanation: Subhūti, it is the same with bodhisattvas: only when the mind does not attach to any dharma-mark, yet one practices the bodhisattva's practice, is one a true bodhisattva. If a bodhisattva makes a vow to save sentient beings, saying: "I shall liberate immeasurable sentient beings," then such a bodhisattva is not yet a true bodhisattva, not yet having realized the true reality or entered into true reality. Why is this said? Subhūti, because in the ground of ultimate truth, there is no dharma that can be called a bodhisattva or called a self. Therefore, the Buddha said that among all dharmas there is no self, no person, no sentient being, and no life span—these four marks.

A true bodhisattva is one who has already realized the true reality. Having realized the true reality, the bodhisattva should no longer grasp at worldly marks in the mind. What is called worldly marks are the four marks. First, a bodhisattva should not have a mark of self, and then there should be no further mark of a bodhisattva, nor any mark of sentient beings to be saved. These marks are the marks of the five aggregates (pañcaskandha), all illusory appearances conjured up by the tathāgatagarbha, not really existent dharmas—just like the images of cats and dogs conjured by the white clouds in the sky, where there are no real cats or dogs to be grasped; they are all just appearances of white clouds. A true bodhisattva should not grasp at the mark of a bodhisattva, should not grasp at the mark of self, and should not grasp at the mark of sentient beings, yet should still have the mind to save immeasurable sentient beings; one must practice these bodhisattva deeds with a mind without attachment.