The Profound Meaning of the Diamond Sutra from the Perspective of Yogācāra (150)

Original text: 何以故。一切有为法。如梦幻泡影。如露亦如电。应作如是观。佛说是经已。长老须菩提。及诸比丘。比丘尼。优婆塞。优婆夷。一切世间天人阿修罗。闻佛所说。皆大欢喜。信受奉行。

Explanation: Why, when expounding the Diamond Sutra for others, should one not grasp at signs, remaining suchness immovable? Because all conditioned dharmas that arise through activity are like a dream; like an illusion; like a bubble; like a shadow; like dew; like a flash of lightning in the sky. Every bodhisattva, when facing all the conditioned dharmas of the world, should contemplate them in this way and regard all conditioned dharmas thus. After the World-Honored One finished expounding this Diamond Sutra, the principal recipient of the teaching, the Elder Subhūti, together with all the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās—the fourfold assembly—and all the devas and asuras of the entire world, having heard what the Buddha taught, all rejoiced greatly, believed, accepted, and put it into practice.

As the Dharma assembly was drawing to a close, the World-Honored One revealed the famous four-line verse to illustrate the illusory and unreal nature of all conditioned dharmas. Since all are illusory and unreal, bodhisattvas have no need to be entangled, to grasp, or to be carried along and stirred by them. It is like being in a dream: no matter how we grasp at all the people, affairs, objects, and principles within the dream, no matter how we are carried along and shaken by them, creating karmic actions, in the end there is ultimately nothing at all—not even the slightest fraction can be grasped. No one has ever obtained anything from a dream, so why weary the mind in vain? What benefit is there in it!

All conditioned dharmas are conjured forth by the tathāgatagarbha in dependence on conditions. It is like a magician: all the people, affairs, and objects formed by his thought suddenly appear in empty space, yet when the magician withdraws his thought, all these people, affairs, and objects ultimately return to emptiness. Why labor to seize them, vainly enslaving the mind? What benefit is there in it! All conditioned dharmas are bubbles born from the great ocean of the tathāgatagarbha, arising and perishing as foam within the great ocean of the tathāgatagarbha. All the people, affairs, objects, and principles in the world of the three realms are like bubbles in the ocean water—arising and ceasing, ceasing and arising again; birth and death all return to the great ocean. Why toil in vain grasping at bubbles, without seeing the great ocean?

All conditioned dharmas are like the moon's reflection falling into thousands of rivers and seas—seemingly present yet seemingly absent; they appear to be there, yet cannot be scooped out. Only ordinary worldlings, just like foolish monkeys, reach out their hands to scoop at them, finding nothing but emptiness. Bodhisattvas and the wise, with the eye of wisdom, contemplate this reflection—what is there to be seized? All conditioned dharmas are like morning dew: when the morning sun arises, they vanish in an instant, swiftly arising and swiftly perishing—what is there to cling to? All conditioned dharmas are also like lightning and thunder in the rain, flashing across the sky in an instant, in a moment leaving no trace. However much your soul remains startled, however terrified you may be, it has already vanished without a trace.

The World-Honored One taught that after awakening, bodhisattvas should constantly contemplate in this way; then their own minds will be pure, without grasping or attachment, untainted by a single speck of dust, clinging to not a single dharma. In this way they will accord with the true mind of suchness, following along with suchness, and will be able to attain supreme bodhi. With this mind of non-grasping and non-attachment, they expound the Diamond Sutra for sentient beings, delivering all beings to emerge together from the illusory dust, to extinguish together the illusory shadows, to enter together the great ocean of the wisdom of all buddhas, and to perfect together the wisdom of all aspects (sarvākārajñatā) of all buddhas.

To receive, uphold, and recite the Diamond Sutra in this way, and to expound the dharma of the tathāgatagarbha—among the sentient beings of the world, who could compare with such merit and wisdom, who could surpass it! To benefit oneself and benefit others in this way—is it not wonderful! Is it not joyous! Finally, when the World-Honored One finished expounding this sutra, the fourfold assembly and the great assembly of devas and humans all believed, all accepted, all upheld, and all practiced it—this is called believing, accepting, upholding, and practicing the Diamond Prajñāpāramitā Sutra expounded by the Tathāgata.