The Diamond Sutra 2 (50)

Part 14-9

“Subhuti, when I also recall the past when I was an ascetic of patience for five hundred lives, I had no image of self, no image of person, no image of sentient being, no image of a liver of life during all that time as well.”

Commentary:

In the preceding part14-8, the Buddha said: “When my body was being cut piece by piece by King Kali, I had no image of a self, a person, a sentient being, or a liver of life. Had I held such images, I would surely have given rise to anger and resentment.” We must understand why the Buddha repeats these same words here, despite having already stated that he has transcended all images.

There is a saying that a true disciple of the Buddha is one who can recognise the Buddha among a hundred blades of grass.

Just as only a loyal official who serves the king closely all the time can recognise the King immediately, even when the King is disguised in rags to observe the commoners in a crowded marketplace, a true Buddhist must be able to see the true-Self among a hundred blades of grass that represents all things in the universe. A true Buddhist is one who, while seeing and hearing all forms, can recognise the true-Self hidden within them, without being deluded by the images of self, person, sentient being, or a liver of life. A Buddhist must be able to read or hear the Buddha’s sermons without being deceived by the words, and recognise the Buddha hidden inside the language.

Once, a head monk visited a layman’s house to ask for an offering. The layman said, “I will give an offering only if you answer my question properly,” and then wrote the character for ‘Heart’ and asked: “What character is this?”

The monk replied, “It is the character for ‘Heart’.”

The layman then turned to his wife and asked her the same question. She replied, “It is the character for ‘Heart’.”

The layman remarked, “My wife is also fit to be a head monk.”

When the monk remained silent, the layman gave no offering.

As this story illustrates, anyone can read the scriptures according to the letters, but few can see the Buddha within the scriptures. Reading the scriptures while being deceived by words is, as mentioned before, the same as becoming King Kali and cutting the Buddha’s body. A true Buddhist must not be deceived by speech but must see the true-Self within the written words.

How would you have answered the layman’s question in that dialogue?

Disciple: “Why did the Buddha repeat the statement that he has transcended all images?”

Master: “Because you only see and hear the images.”

Only when I transcend all images

Will the Buddha also transcend all images.

Koan:

A monk asked Lingyun, “What is the Great Meaning of the Buddha Dharma?”

Lingyun replied, “The matter of the donkey has not yet been finished, but the matter of the horse has already arrived.”

When the monk failed to grasp the meaning and asked for further instruction, Lingyun said, “The splendid radiance moves every night, but few meet the True Spirit.”

Question 1: What is the difference between the matter of the donkey and the matter of the horse?

Question 2: How does one distinguish between the splendid radiance and the True Spirit that appear every night?

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway