The Profound Meaning of the Diamond Sutra from the Consciousness-Only Perspective (143)

Original text: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: The World-Honored One said: Why is this said? Because if the world truly existed, then this world would be a composite whole (a "collective unity"). The composite whole spoken of by the Tathāgata is not a real mark; there is no real composite whole—it is merely called a composite whole in name. If this world truly existed, it would ultimately be a composite whole formed of countless, countless particles of dust. The Tathāgata says this composite whole is not a truly existent composite whole, and there is no truly existing thing called a composite whole—all is illusory, and in essence all is the nature of the tathāgatagarbha. Therefore, a false name is also given to the composite whole, calling it a composite whole as well. Subhūti, a composite whole is something that cannot be spoken of and cannot be expressed; yet ordinary beings all greedily cling to these marks.

The Buddha said that the composite whole formed by material particles, fine particles, and minute dust—this composite whole has nothing worth speaking of. Because all are bodies falsely combined of the four great elements, without any mark of real existence, not real, all conjured forth by the tathāgatagarbha. All are marks of the tathāgatagarbha, and their essence is also the tathāgatagarbha. Since this is so, there is no composite whole that can be spoken of; thus the composite whole is unspeakable, and there is no need to cling to it. Because it is not real—all marks are subject to arising and ceasing, illusory. But regarding these illusory false marks of arising and ceasing, ordinary beings, for beginningless kalpas, have constantly greedily clung to these illusory false marks, believing them to be real and not false. Ordinary beings habitually cling to the realms of the six sense objects, yet the realms of the six sense objects are also false marks combined from matter and the particles of the four great elements, not truly existent, without any real mark. They are merely a name; ordinary beings do not know this, and thus often greedily cling to these nominal false marks.

Ordinary beings, for beginningless kalpas, have constantly clung to the lands and worlds in which they live and their living environments; in fact, these are all formed from material particles—all are merely composite wholes, all illusory, subject to arising, ceasing, and change, all formed, sustained, and held by the tathāgatagarbha transmitting the seeds of the four great elements, outputting them moment after moment. Without the tathāgatagarbha, there would be none of these composite wholes. In fact, all are marks of the tathāgatagarbha; these marks are not truly existent, all being falsely combined, conjured illusory marks, just like things appearing in dreams or conjured illusions in empty space—like marks in a dream, like flowers in the sky—not real. But ordinary beings do not know this point, do not know this fact, and take all the marks they contact to be entirely real. Then they greedily cling to, attach to, and fuss over them; and because of this greedy clinging, attachment, and fussing, they are bound by these false marks, bound within the saṃsāra of birth and death in the six realms of rebirth, unable to attain liberation.

Therefore the Buddha said that ordinary beings (that is, ignorant people) do not know the true reality of all dharmas, but only single-mindedly cling to illusory false marks. Only when sentient beings learn the true Mahāyāna dharma of ultimate reality, and know that the entire world—the environment we depend on for survival, the people, affairs, objects, and principles we contact—are all illusory marks formed by the tathāgatagarbha transmitting seeds, with an essence that is all the mark of the tathāgatagarbha, not truly existent—only by realizing this fact and truth can sentient beings' tendency toward greedy clinging be lightened and eliminated; then the cause of birth and death is also eliminated, and sentient beings can emerge from the cycle of birth and death in saṃsāra.