The Profound Meaning of Consciousness-Only in the Diamond Sutra (140)

The One Combined Mark, Thirty

Original text of the Diamond Sutra: 须菩提。若善男子。善女人。以三千大千世界碎为微尘。于意云何。是微尘众宁为多不。须菩提言。甚多。世尊。何以故。若是微尘众实有者。佛即不说是微尘众。所以者何。佛说。微尘众。即非微尘众。是名微尘众。世尊。如来所说三千大千世界。即非世界。是名世界。何以故。若世界实有者。即是一合相。如来说。一合相。即非一合相。是名一合相。须菩提。一合相者。即是不可说。但凡夫之人贪著其事。

Explanation: This chapter of the Diamond Sutra mainly introduces the combined mark (一合相). The Buddha says that the combined mark is a non-mark; a non-mark is a false and illusory mark, merely a provisional name, a false mark. What is a combined mark? This chapter mainly introduces the trichiliocosm (three-thousandfold great thousand worlds) in which we live—it is a combined mark. This combined mark does not truly exist; it is a false mark assembled from various marks. Of what is a trichiliocosm assembled? A trichiliocosm is assembled from one thousand medium-thousand worlds; a medium-thousand world is assembled from one thousand small-thousand worlds; a small-thousand world is assembled from one thousand unit worlds. A unit world is composed of the four great seas, plus the four great continents, plus Mount Sumeru, plus the sun, moon, and devas, plus the six heavens of the desire realm, plus the first dhyāna heaven of the form realm—together these constitute a unit world. One thousand unit worlds plus the second dhyāna heaven constitute a small-thousand world; one thousand small-thousand worlds plus the third dhyāna heaven constitute a medium-thousand world; a medium-thousand world plus the fourth dhyāna heavens and the four formless heavens constitute a trichiliocosm.

Therefore, this trichiliocosm is a combined mark, and a combined mark is an illusory mark put together. It is a composite of individual partial marks and scattered marks assembled together into one overall mark—this is called a combined mark. What about a unit world? It, too, is assembled: it includes the four great seas; beneath the four great seas are the seven golden mountains, and beneath the seven golden mountains are the hells; above the four great seas are the four great continents, namely Pūrvavideha in the east, Aparagodānīya in the west, Jambudvīpa in the south, and Uttarakuru in the north; the four great continents lie above the four great seas, in the four directions at the foot of Mount Sumeru.

Mount Sumeru stands in the midst of the four great seas, extending halfway down to the seabed of the four great seas and rising the other half above them, in the shape of a three-dimensional cone. In the middle of Mount Sumeru is the Heaven of the Four Great Kings; the heavens of the Four Great Kings—the northern, southern, eastern, and western heavenly kings' heavens where the Four Great Kings dwell—are located on the four sides of the mountainside halfway up Mount Sumeru. At the summit of Mount Sumeru is the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven; the Heaven of the Thirty-Three where Śakra Devānām Indra resides is there. Further up are the other four heavens of the desire realm, and above the four heavens of the desire realm is the first dhyāna heaven of the form realm. All of this together forms a unit world.

In a unit world, each constituent component is itself a composite mark. For example, our planet Earth is assembled from mountains, rivers, and the great earth, as well as trees, flowers, grasses, houses, and the like; it is also assembled from the various lands of each country. Each individual country is likewise a combined mark, likewise assembled; it is also composed of such marks as mountains and rivers, trees, houses, and land. Furthermore, a country is assembled from its various provinces, prefectures, and counties, and each province, each prefecture and county, is also assembled; down to each individual household, each family dwelling is also assembled; even all the items within each household are also assembled. Matter can be further subdivided, and ultimately can be divided into particles of fine dust.

Therefore, this trichiliocosm, taken as a whole, is assembled; even the most minute parts of each component are assembled—all are combined marks. A small world is a combined mark; a medium world is also a combined mark; a great world even more so is a combined mark. This entire trichiliocosm is all combined marks, all assembled. Since it is assembled, this world is not real; it is merely a provisional name, a concept. All forms whatsoever arise from the tathāgatagarbha transmitting the seeds of the four great elements, forming the tiniest particles of fine dust; these dust particles then gather together to form various materials; materials gather together to form larger material divisions; and these divisions assemble together to form one unit world after another, one mountain, river, great earth, palace, and so on after another—all of these are composite marks. As long as something is a composite mark, it is a non-mark, it is false and illusory, not a real mark.