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Interpretation of the Diamond Prajñā Pāramitā Sūtra · Chapters 17-24

Category: Buddhist Scriptures
Tag: Diamond Sutra

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第十七品 究竟無我分

爾時，須菩提白佛言：「世尊！善男子、善女人，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，云何應住？云何降伏其心？」佛告須菩提：「善男子、善女人，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心者，當生如是心，我應滅度一切眾生。滅度一切眾生已，而無有一眾生實滅度者。何以故？須菩提！若菩薩有我相、人相、眾生相、壽者相，則非菩薩。所以者何？須菩提！實無有法發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心者。」「須菩提！於意云何？如來於燃燈佛所，有法得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不？」「不也，世尊！如我解佛所說義，佛於燃燈佛所，無有法得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。」佛言：「如是！如是！須菩提！實無有法如來得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。須菩提！若有法如來得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提者，燃燈佛則不與我授記：汝於來世，當得作佛，號釋迦牟尼。以實無有法得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，是故燃燈佛與我授記，作是言：『汝於來世，當得作佛，號釋迦牟尼。』何以故？如來者，即諸法如義。若有人言：『如來得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提』。須菩提！實無有法，佛得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。須菩提！如來所得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，於是中無實無虛。是故如來說：一切法皆是佛法。須菩提！所言一切法者，即非一切法，是故名一切法。須菩提！譬如人身長大。」須菩提言：「世尊！如來說：人身長大，則為非大身，是名大身。」「須菩提！菩薩亦如是。若作是言：『我當滅度無量眾生』，則不名菩薩。何以故？須菩提！實無有法名為菩薩。是故佛說：一切法無我、無人、無眾生、無壽者。須菩提！若菩薩作是言，『我當莊嚴佛土』，是不名菩薩。何以故？如來說：莊嚴佛土者，即非莊嚴，是名莊嚴。須菩提！若菩薩通達無我法者，如來說名真是菩薩。」

Interpretation: Subhuti once again raises the question of "how should one abide, and how should one subdue the mind," and the Buddha provides a deeper answer. The Buddha emphasizes that one who develops the Bodhi mind should vow to liberate all sentient beings, but at the same time, realize that "in reality, not a single sentient being is actually liberated." This is because if a bodhisattva still clings to the "four marks" (self, person, being, life-span), they are not a true bodhisattva. The Buddha then points out that there is truly no dharma that can be attained as "Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi." He uses his own experience of receiving a prediction from Dīpaṃkara Buddha as an example: if he had attained any real dharma at that time, Dīpaṃkara Buddha would not have predicted his future Buddhahood. This emphasizes that ultimate enlightenment is "no attainment," meaning it transcends all attachments. The Buddha explains that "Tathāgata means the thusness of all dharmas," indicating that the essence of the Tathāgata is the ultimate reality of all phenomena, which is "thusness, unmoving." The true Buddha-dharma is "neither real nor unreal," transcending the duality of existence and non-existence. Therefore, "all dharmas are the Buddha's Dharma," but these "all dharmas" are also "not all dharmas; they are called all dharmas," emphasizing their empty nature. The Buddha again uses the analogy "a large human body is not a large body; it is called a large body" to show that physical form is illusory. Finally, he concludes that if a bodhisattva clings to thoughts like "I will liberate countless beings" or "I will adorn a Buddha-land," they are not a true bodhisattva, because the essence of a bodhisattva is also selfless and markless. Only a bodhisattva who has thoroughly realized the dharma of non-self is called a true bodhisattva.

第十八品 一體同觀分

「須菩提！於意云何？如來有肉眼不？」「如是，世尊！如來有肉眼。」「須菩提！於意云何？如來有天眼不？」「如是，世尊！如來有天眼。」「須菩提！於意云何？如來有慧眼不？」「如是，世尊！如來有慧眼。」「須菩提！於意云何？如來有法眼不？」「如是，世尊！如來有法眼。」「須菩提！於意云何？如來有佛眼不？」「如是，世尊！如來有佛眼。」「須菩提！於意云何？如恆河中所有沙，佛說是沙不？」「如是，世尊！如來說是沙。」「須菩提！於意云何？如一恆河中所有沙，有如是等恆河，是諸恆河所有沙數，佛世界如是，寧為多不？」「甚多，世尊！」佛告須菩提：「爾所國土中，所有眾生，若干種心，如來悉知。何以故？如來說：諸心皆為非心，是名為心。所以者何？須菩提！過去心不可得，現在心不可得，未來心不可得。」

Interpretation: This chapter begins with the Buddha's "five eyes" to explain that the Buddha, with his perfect wisdom, can see through all reality. The Buddha asks Subhuti in turn about the physical eye, the heavenly eye, the wisdom eye, the Dharma eye, and the Buddha eye, and Subhuti affirms each one. These five eyes represent the various levels of seeing, from an ordinary being to a Buddha: the physical eye sees form, the heavenly eye sees near and far, coarse and fine, the wisdom eye sees the arising and ceasing and impermanence of all dharmas, the Dharma eye sees the expedient means for the liberation of all beings, and the Buddha eye perfectly illuminates the ultimate reality of all dharmas without obstruction. Next, the Buddha again uses the "sands of the Ganges" and "as many Ganges rivers as there are grains of sand" to describe the boundless number of Buddha-worlds. The key point is that the Buddha knows all the "various kinds of minds" of the beings in these countless lands. But the Buddha immediately adds, "The Tathāgata says all minds are not minds; they are called minds." This reveals that the nature of the mind is empty, not a real entity. He further emphasizes with "the past mind is unobtainable, the present mind is unobtainable, the future mind is unobtainable" that all thoughts are illusory and cannot be grasped; the past has ceased, the future has not arrived, and the present does not stay, thereby teaching us to contemplate the impermanent and empty nature of the mind.

第十九品 法界通化分

「須菩提！於意云何？若有人滿三千大千世界七寶以用布施，是人以是因緣，得福多不？」「如是，世尊！此人以是因緣，得福甚多。」「須菩提！若福德有實，如來不說得福德多；以福德無故，如來說得福德多。」

Interpretation: This chapter once again compares the merit gained from giving worldly treasures with the supremacy of the Prajñā teachings. The Buddha brings up again the immense merit gained by giving the seven treasures that fill a three-thousand-great-thousand world system, and Subhuti confirms that the merit is very great. However, the Buddha immediately points out the core idea: "If merit had a real existence, the Tathāgata would not say the merit is great; because merit is without existence, the Tathāgata says the merit is great." This sentence is one of the most important ideas in the Diamond Sutra. It does not negate the merit of giving, but reveals from an ultimate perspective that all worldly, conditioned merit is illusory, subject to arising and ceasing. If one clings to merit as "real," then it is limited, and the Buddha would not call it "great." It is precisely because the nature of merit is empty, and one does not cling to the mark of merit, that such merit is infinite, boundless, and truly "great." This teaches us to maintain the wisdom of the "three wheels of emptiness" (no giver, no receiver, no gift) even while performing good deeds and accumulating merit.

第二十品 離色離相分

「須菩提！於意云何？佛可以具足色身見不？」「不也，世尊！如來不應以具足色身見。何以故？如來說：具足色身，即非具足色身，是名具足色身。」「須菩提！於意云何？如來可以具足諸相見不？」「不也，世尊！如來不應以具足諸相見。何以故？如來說：諸相具足，即非具足，是名諸相具足。」

Interpretation: This chapter delves deeper into the issue of how to "see the Tathāgata." The Buddha asks Subhuti whether one can see the Tathāgata through his perfect and majestic "physical body" (rūpakāya) or his "complete marks" (the thirty-two major and eighty minor marks). Subhuti clearly answers "No," explaining that what the Tathāgata calls the "complete physical body" and "complete marks" are themselves "not a complete physical body" and "not complete," but are merely names established for the convenience of beings. This again emphasizes the core idea of the Diamond Sutra: "All that has a mark is illusory." The true Tathāgata is the Dharma-body, the formless and markless ultimate reality, which transcends all external forms and characteristics. To seek the Buddha by clinging to these external marks is to mistake the means for the end.

第二十一品 非說所說分

「須菩提！汝勿謂如來作是念：『我當有所說法。』莫作是念，何以故？若人言：如來有所說法，即為謗佛，不能解我所說故。須菩提！說法者，無法可說，是名說法。」爾時，慧命須菩提白佛言：「世尊！頗有眾生，於未來世，聞說是法，生信心不？」佛言：「須菩提！彼非眾生，非不眾生。何以故？須菩提！眾生眾生者，如來說非眾生，是名眾生。」

Interpretation: This chapter aims to demolish the attachment to "preaching" itself. The Buddha sternly warns Subhuti not to think that the Tathāgata has a "Dharma that has been preached." If someone clings to the idea that "the Tathāgata has preached a Dharma," they are slandering the Buddha because they have not truly understood the meaning of the Dharma. True "preaching" transcends words and language; there is no real dharma to be spoken, hence "no dharma can be spoken; this is called preaching." This is the state where "words cannot reach, and the mind's activities cease." Then, Subhuti asks if beings in a future age will be able to have faith in such a profound teaching. The Buddha's reply is: "They are not sentient beings, and they are not non-sentient beings." He explains, "What the Tathāgata calls sentient beings are not sentient beings; they are called sentient beings." This again applies the "is not... is called..." formula, meaning that "sentient being" is just a conventional name arising from causes and conditions, with no real substance. Therefore, in their true nature, they are not real beings, nor are they a nihilistic nothingness. Truly understanding this point demolishes the attachment to the mark of a sentient being.

第二十二品 無法可得分

須菩提白佛言：「世尊！佛得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，為無所得耶？」佛言：「如是，如是。須菩提！我於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提乃至無有少法可得，是名阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。」

Interpretation: This chapter is a direct and concise summary of the Diamond Sutra's idea of "no attainment." Subhuti directly asks the Buddha if, in attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, he truly "attained nothing." The Buddha firmly replies, "So it is, so it is." He further emphasizes, "In Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, I have not attained even the slightest dharma; this is called Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi." This sentence reveals the essence of realizing Buddhahood: it is not about obtaining some entity, some knowledge, or some state, but a complete letting go, a complete liberation, a return to the originally pure state of one's own nature. Because the nature of all dharmas is empty, there is nothing real that can be "attained." The so-called "supreme, perfect enlightenment" is precisely so because there is no real dharma to be attained or clung to; thus, its substance is perfectly complete.

第二十三品 淨心行善分

復次，須菩提！是法平等，無有高下，是名阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；以無我、無人、無眾生、無壽者，修一切善法，即得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。須菩提！所言善法者，如來說即非善法，是名善法。

Interpretation: Following the previous chapter, this one explains how to attain Bodhi by practicing good deeds with a pure mind. The Buddha points out that the true great Dharma (Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi) is "equal, without high or low"; it does not discriminate and is free from a discriminating mind. To realize this equal Dharma, the key is to "cultivate all good dharmas" with a mind free from the concepts of self, person, being, and life-span. This explains the core of the bodhisattva path: on the foundation of demolishing the attachment to the four marks, one does not abandon worldly activities but actively practices all good deeds that benefit sentient beings. The "cultivation of all good dharmas" here is based on Prajñā wisdom, not a practice that clings to the mark of goodness. Therefore, the Buddha again uses the "is not... is called..." formula to remind us: "What is called a good dharma, the Tathāgata says is not a good dharma; it is called a good dharma." A true good dharma is not one whose form or merit is clung to, but a pure good dharma whose nature is empty and unstained.

第二十四品 福智無比分

「須菩提！若三千大千世界中所有諸須彌山王，如是等七寶聚，有人持用布施；若人以此《般若波羅蜜經》，乃至四句偈等，受持讀誦、為他人說，於前福德百分不及一，百千萬億分，乃至算數譬喻所不能及。」

Interpretation: This chapter once again uses an extreme analogy to re-emphasize that the merit of upholding and propagating the Diamond Sutra far surpasses that of material giving. The Buddha imagines someone taking a collection of the seven treasures as vast and numerous as all the Mount Sumerus in a three-thousand-great-thousand world system and giving it away. This describes the largest scale of material giving imaginable in the world. However, the Buddha contrasts this by pointing out that if someone can uphold, read, and recite this Prajñāpāramitā Sutra, even just a four-line gatha, and explain it to others, the merit they gain, when compared to the former material giving, is such that "the former merit does not compare to one part in a hundred, one part in a hundred thousand million billion, or even to any number or analogy." This shows that the value and merit of the Prajñā wisdom explained in the Diamond Sutra are incomparably great, surpassing all conditioned worldly merits, because it is the fundamental wisdom that directly points to liberation and Buddhahood.