Segment 13 / The Proper Way to accept and practice the Dharma
At that time, Subhūti askes the Buddha, “World-Honoured One, what should this Sutra be named, and how should we properly practice it?”
The Buddha replies, “This Sutra should be named the Vajra PrajnaParamita. It is by this name that you should accept and practice it. Why? Subhūti, what the Prajna Paramita Buddha speaks of, it is actually not Prajna Paramita but is merely called so.
Subhūti, do you think the Tathāgata has expounded the Dharma?” Subhūti responds, “World-Honoured One, the Tathāgata did not expound anything.”
The Buddha then inquires, “Subhūti, do you think the dust particles in the three thousand great thousand worlds are many?”
Subhūti replies, “They are indeed very many, World-Honoured One!”
The Buddha says, “Subhūti, what these dust particles the Tathāgata speaks of, they are not true dust particles; they are merely called dust particles. Similarly, the Tathāgata speaks of the world, but it is not truly the world—it is merely called the world.”
The Buddha askes, “Subhūti, do you think you can see the Tathāgata by relying on the thirty-two marks?” Subhūti replies, “No, World-Honoured One! Why? Because the Tathāgata says that the thirty-two marks are not truly marks, and they are merely called the thirty-two marks.” The Buddha then explains, “If a good man or woman were to give their life as almsgiving, as many times as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, their merit would be immense. However, if someone upholds this Sutra—by accepting, reciting, and explaining even just four-line verse of it to others—the fortune and blessing they gain is far greater.”
The central theme of this section is Subhūti’s inquiry to the Buddha: “World-Honoured One, what should this Sutra be called, and how should we uphold and practice it?” At this moment, Subhūti assumes that the teachings presented so far should be encapsulated in a name, which would aid people in remembering, understanding, and reciting the teachings. He seeks guidance from the Buddha on a name that would comprehensively reflect the content of the teachings shared up to this point.
The Buddha responds, “This Sutra should be called the Vajra Prajnaparamita, the Diamond Perfection of Wisdom, and you should believe, accept, and practice it according to the meaning embodied in this name.” Here, the Buddha uses the metaphor of a diamond to represent the teachings he has delivered. A diamond, being the hardest substance on earth, can cut through and destroy other materials without itself being harmed. The Buddha employs this metaphor to convey that his teachings, like a diamond, are indestructible, can eradicate one’s afflictions and misconceptions, leading one from the realm of samsara to the shore of liberation.
However, the Buddha immediately clarifies that there is no existence of such wisdom. The original text states: “Subhūti, do you think the Tathāgata expound the Dharma?” To which Subhūti replies, “World-Honoured One, the Tathāgata does not expound anything.”
In the scriptures, the Buddha often asks repetitive questions, reflecting both his compassion and profound understanding of his disciples. Before fully awakening and realizing the formless teaching of Buddha, many people may mistakenly believe they have woken up from a big dream already, only with partial understanding of some teaching, only to later become ensnared by attachments and delusions when confronted with new challenges or questions. Thus, the Buddha seeks to remind his disciples not to search for the Dharma outside themselves, in every single concept or nomenclature he mentioned, nor to become attached to the affirmations or distinctions he makes.
For instance, the question “Does the Tathāgata expound the Dharma?” is posed here to prevent disciples from becoming attached to the concept of the Dharma. This marks the second time the Buddha asks this question to Subhūti. The first instance occurs in the seventh Segment, after the Buddha describes the vast and inconceivable merit gained if people accept and practice this sutra, and all Buddhas have achieved realization from it. Concerned that his disciples might cling to the teachings of the Dharma and believe there is something attainable, and forget introspecting oneself, remaining unmovable, abide in calmly on the perception of emptiness. So the Buddha asks, “Does the Tathāgata expound anything of the Dharma?” In his first response, Subhuti answers, first, response, Subhūti answers “There is no fixed teaching that the Tathāgata can speak.” On this occasion, Subhūti responds, “The Tathāgata said nothing.”
Subhūti’s two responses can be understood from two perspectives. The first answer, “There is no fixed Dharma to be spoken,” refers to the conventional level, indicating that there is no static or permanent Dharma called the Buddha Dharma. Any teaching that helps sentient beings break free from attachments, awaken from delusions, and liberate themselves from the cycle of samsara is considered the Buddha Dharma. The Tathāgata teaches in accordance with circumstances and does not possess a fixed, unchanging method.
The second response, “The Tathāgata says nothing,” is rooted in the Tathāgata’s true state of emptiness. The emptiness of the Tathāgata represents our true nature, our self natue. Any phenomena manifesting in time and space when causes and conditions are fully met are illusions and constantly arising and passing away. Within them, there is no inherent self.
In Buddhist teachings, this illusory self is compared to a dream. People mistake the dream for reality, becoming the protagonist of the dream, ensnared in delusion, and caught in the cycle of birth and death. For those who have not awakened, listening to the Buddha’s teachings is akin to conversing with the Buddha in a dream. It is as if, in the dream, you are sick and the Buddha gives you medicine. But upon awakening, you realize that the Buddha did not actually administer medicine. The events of the dream, are neither real nor false. In the dream, you may indeed take medicine, but upon waking, you were never sick. The illness is revealed as an illusion and not real, it was simply a dream. Similarly, the act of the Buddha giving medicine in the dream is also an illusion, not real.
Therefore, when Subhūti says, “The Tathāgata says nothing,” it is from the perspective of the inherent emptiness of nature. If we fail to understand this, we may become confused. The Buddha has just expounded many profound teachings and used numerous descriptions, yet he repeatedly asserts, “The Tathāgata says nothing.” (Here, “Tathāgata” refers to our true nature of formlessness and without appearance)
The Buddha then continued his teaching to his disciples and asked Subhūti , “Subhūti , what do you think? In the three thousand great thousand worlds, is the number of dust particles many?” Subhūti replied, “Very many, World-Honoured One.” The Buddha responded, “Subhūti , There is no unchanging, true entity that exists for these dust particles. The Tathāgata simply assigns them a conventional name, calling them dust particles. Similarly, when we speak of the world, all worlds arise when causes and conditions are fully met, cease when those conditions and causes are no longer present. There is no permanent, unchanging world; it is merely a conventional designation for what appears, in conforming to worldly customs.”
In Buddhist teachings, the term “dust particles” is often employed as a metaphor to illustrate the vastness of the three thousand great thousand worlds, symbolising the co lexity and boundless nature of phenomena. Here, the Buddha continues to address the attachments and misconceptions that practitioners commonly encounter in their practice. These include questions such as: How can one cultivate the right aspiration? How can one give alms and endure insults? How should one view the attainment of Arhatship or the virtuous and Auspicious merits of a Bodhisattva? How can the Dharma be properly understood? Does the Tathāgata possess a fixed form and so on? These are the inquiries that disciples must face daily. To address these questions, they must adhere to the Buddha’s right perceptions, which will enable them to find peace in their practice and return to the true emptiness of the Tathāgata’s state as quickly as possible.
The Buddha now directs his disciples’ attention away from their immediate concerns to the immeasurable, boundless realms, as vast as the particles of dust. He explains that all things, including everything within the three thousand great thousand worlds, are merely provisional names. In the realm of the Tathāgata, these things are nothing but deluded thoughts of the mind. When such deluded thoughts arise, the world of dust and particles comes into being; when these deluded thoughts cease, the world of dust and particles, vanishes, like a dream.
The Buddha’s sudden shift in focus from the disciples ’immediate concerns to the infinite, boundless worlds is followed by a return to the thirty-two marks and eighty secondary characteristics of Buddha’s merit body. This body of merit may be something that some disciples unconsciously yearn to witness or revere, even afraid to make random speculations and comments. For some, the importance of these marks may surpass even that of the entire three thousand great thousand worlds.
The Buddha then asks Subhūti in the sutra, “Can sentient beings see the Tathāgata through the thirty-two marks?”
Subhūti responds, “World-Honoured One, sentient beings cannot see the Tathāgata through the thirty-two marks. Why? Because when the Buddha speaks of the Tathāgata possessing thirty-two auspicious marks, this is merely a manifestation in time and space when both merits, conditions and causes are fully met. It is not that the Tathāgata truly possesses any marks. These are simply conventional terms used for communication, according to worldly customs, to refer to the Tathāgata’s special marks.”
Buddha concerns that sentient beings may become attached to the Buddha’s physical form for searching self nature. This is the second time that Buddha asks the same question. The first instance occurs in the fifth Segment, where the Buddha asks Subhūti, “Can one see the Tathāgata through his physical form?” Subhūti answers, “No, one cannot.” Sentient beings must be liberated from various attachments and discriminations in order to realize their self nature—the Tathāgata within. They cannot fixate on the Tathāgata as any particular form in their minds.
If we believe that the Tathāgata possesses a fixed form that can be seen, achieving Buddhahood would involve a transformation from one form to another. We can never return to the emptiness, nor can we fully understand the Buddha’s state. Therefore, for those attached to forms, the Tathāgata teaches the principle of “formlessness” to help them relinquish their attachment to physical forms and appearances.
In the earlier discussion, the Buddha emphasised that one should not perceive the Tathāgata through a fixed, physical form, meaning that practitioners should avoid becoming attached to a specific, static appearance when attempting to perceive the Tathāgata. For instance, when people talk about Shakyamuni Buddha, some may form an image of the Buddha in their minds. While this is not inherently problematic, it becomes a misunderstanding if one becomes attached to the idea that the Tathāgata is exactly like that mental image.
If this perception is not clear, a practitioner might, during meditation, see an image of the Buddha appear before them and mistakenly believe they are approaching realization or have seen the true nature of the Tathāgata. Alternatively, they may strive to transform themselves into the imagined form of the Buddha in their minds.
In this Segment, the Buddha reiterates this teaching. He asks whether, if one does not conceptualise the Buddha as possessing a fixed, ordinary human body, one would still view the Buddha as having the thirty-two physical marks and eighty secondary characteristics. If, on the path to realization, a practitioner focuses on transforming themselves into such a form, or holds onto an imagined conception of the Tathāgata in such a form, they will never be able to return to the true emptiness. This is because the thirty-two marks and eighty secondary characteristics are also mere representations of merit, and all phenomena, are ultimately illusory and not real.
The thirty-two marks and eighty secondary characteristics represent the most perfected physical form a Bodhisattva can manifest after completing their cultivation on the path. When Shakyamuni Buddha was born, he already exhibited these characteristics in his body and vital energy channels. The scriptures also note that a universal monarch (Chakravartin) possesses the thirty-two marks, but not the eighty secondary characteristics. The form that a Buddha manifests across different times and spaces depends on the collective karma of sentient beings and their specific needs for realization.
Although the thirty-two marks and eighty secondary characteristics are merely transformed appearances of the Tathāgata, it is exceedingly difficult for those who have not perfected their merit to manifest such a flawless physical form. Even if one possesses supernatural abilities and can manifest such a form, the full expression of the eighty secondary characteristics would be beyond reach, for one must have attained complete mind perfection to achieve realization.
At the conclusion of this Segment, the Buddha states: “Subhūti, if a good man or good woman were to offer a body and life as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River as alms, and if another person were to believe in and accept this sutra, also practice accordingly, or even simply understand and explain a single four-line verse to others according to conditions, the fortune and blessing gained by the latter would far surpass that of the former.”
In all realms of all times and spaces, sentient beings hold their own body and life in the highest regard. As the saying goes, “Even an ant values its life.” However, a good man or woman, even if they were to offer their body and life for countless kalpas in pursuit of realization, would not accrue greater fortune and blessing, than one who accept and practice, a four-line verse of this sutra. Here, the Buddha emphasises that, while one may be willing to sacrifice their body and life for the Dharma, if not understanding the formless wisdom of the Buddha’s teachings, their delusions and attachments will continue to be influenced by external circumstances, perpetuating their cycle in samsara. In such a case, true realization remains elusive. If, believes in and accepts this sutra, one can awaken from the lost and delusion of all forms with a single thought, immediately realising their true nature and attaining Buddhahood, the Buddha highlights the crucial role of prajna wisdom to the practitioner.