Segment 17. the Ultimate Non-SelfAt that time, Subhūti asked the Buddha, “World-Honoured One, how should a good man or good woman who has made the aspiration for Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi (unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness) dwell their mind calmly? How should they subdue their mind?” The Buddha replied, “Good man or good woman, one who has made the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness should think in this way: ‘I will liberate all sentient beings.’ However, after liberating all sentient beings, there will be no sentient being who is actually being liberated.
Why is this? Subhūti, if a Bodhisattvas hold the notion of self, person, sentient beings, or lifespan, then they are not truly a Bodhisattva.
Why is this? Subhūti, there is, in fact, no an entity has made the aspiration for the unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness.”
The Buddha continued, “Subhūti, what do you think? When Tathāgata was in the presence of the Lamp of the Buddha (Dipankara Buddha), was there an entity attaining the unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness?”
Subhūti replied, “No, World-Honoured One! According to my understanding of what the Buddha has taught, there was no an entiry attaining the unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness from the Lamp of the Buddha.” The Buddha affirmed, “Indeed, indeed, Subhūti! There is, in fact, no an entity such as Tathāgata attained the unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness. Subhūti, if there was an entity who attained the unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness, then the Lamp of the Buddha would not have predicted for me: ‘In the future, you will become a Buddha and be named Shakyamuni.’ Since there is in fact no an entity attained the unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness, that is why the Lamp of the Buddha predicted for me, saying: ‘In the future, you will become a Buddha and be named Shakyamuni.’
Why is this? The Tathāgata, it means all phenomena are suchness. If someone were to say, ‘The Tathāgata attains the unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness.’ Subhūti, there is actually no dharma the Buddha attains for the unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness. Subhūti, the unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness attained by the Tathāgata is neither real nor false. Therefore, the Tathāgata says: All dharmas are the Buddhadharma. Subhūti, when we speak of ‘all dharmas’, what is meant is that they are not truly ‘all dharmas’. This is why they are merely referred to as ‘all dharmas’. Subhūti, it is akin to the human body, which may be described as large, but is not truly large; it is merely called large.” Subhūti responded, “World-Honoured One, as you say, the human body may be called large, but it is not truly large, and that is why it is merely called large.”
The Buddha explained, “Subhūti, in the same way, if a Bodhisattva were to say, ‘I will liberate immeasurable sentient beings,’ that person would not truly be a Bodhisattva.
Why is this? Subhūti, there is no an entity or dharma called ‘Bodhisattva’. Therefore, the Buddha says: All dharma phenomena are with no self, with no person, with no sentient beings, and with no lifespan.” “Subhūti, if a Bodhisattva says, ‘I will adorn the Buddha’s land,’ that person is also not a Bodhisattva.
Why is this? As the Buddha says, ‘To adorn the Buddha’s land is not truly adorning, and that is why it is merely called adorning.’ Subhūti, if a Bodhisattva has realized there is no self, and all dharmas have no self either, then that person is truly a Bodhisattva.”
The Diamond Sutra opens with Subhūti’s question to the Buddha, which is presented as follows in the original text: “Good men and good women who aspire to the unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness, how should they abide, and how should they subdue their minds?” In Segment 17, Subhūti repeats his question to the Buddha, the original text is: “At that time, Subhūti said to the Buddha, ‘World-Honoured One, good men and good women who aspire to the unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness, how should they abide, and how should they subdue their minds?'”
Comparing the two contexts, we see that Subhūti’s question remains consistent, and the Buddha’s answer is largely the same. However, at the beginning of the sutra, the Buddha’s response is only partially addressed because the disciples’ minds still harbour numerous attachments and mistaken views that cannot be dispelled in a single, concise answer. By Segment 17, the Buddha’s answer is elaborated upon and builds on the teachings expounded earlier. Up to now, it is evident that Subhūti and the other disciples still retain an attachment to an underlying “essence” or “substance”, which has not yet been uprooted — namely, the attachment to the notion of “self”.
There is still an “heart” that can be spoken of in terms of both emptiness and existence — such as a “heart” that is immutable, a “heart” that is neither empty nor existent, and notions like “Tathāgata”, “true emptiness”, “self-nature”, and “Buddha” etc. These are still this kind of form existing within the minds of the disciples.
The Buddha, therefore, begins to dismantle their attachment to this fundamental “self” or “essence”. Buddha tells you that there is no an entity responsible for generating the aspiration for unsurpassed, compete equal and complete awareness. Whether this entity is referred to as the false self, the true self, an ordinary being, the void, or true emptiness, there is no such entity that generates the aspiration. At this moment, Subhūti and the other disciples will turn inward immediately and realize that there is nothing to cling to.
Additionally, it is important to note that The Diamond Sutra is a compilation of excerpts from the Buddha’s teachings delivered during the “Vajra Prajna Assembly”. The compiler has included Subhūti’s repeated questioning to help readers grasp the evolving focus of the Buddha’s teachings after the 17th Segment. Although the content of the Buddha’s responses remains largely consistent, the emphasis shifts. This should not be understood as the Buddha merely repeating the same answer to Subhūti’s questions during the Vajra Assembly. Some scholars suggest that Subhūti’s question here is directed at the beings of the fifth century after the Buddha’s parinirvana. However, based on the emphasis in the Buddha’s subsequent key point teaching on breaking attachments, I personally believe that the compiler intentionally structured the text in this way.
Now, let us consider the general meaning of Segment 17.
At this point, Subhūti asks the Buddha, “World-Honoured One, when good men or good women aspire to seek unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness, how should their mind ultimately abide? How should they subdue their afflictions and deluded thoughts?”
The Buddha responds Subhūti, “Good men or good women, who aspire to seek unsurpassed, complete equal and compete awareness, should first make the aspiration: ‘I will liberate all beings in the Three Realms and Six Paths, helping them escape the suffering of the cycle of birth and death and enter the peaceful and still Nirvana, the realm of the Tathāgata.’ Even though I have thus liberated all sentient beings, whereas, I should hold the perception that, in reality, not a single being has truly been liberated by me.”
“Why is this so? Subhūti, if a Bodhisattva has attachments to self, persons, sentient beings, or lifespan, then it is not a Bodhisattva.”
The question and answer above closely resemble those from Segment 2. However, the Buddha’s reply below is the key point that this Segment aims to refute: Who is truly generating the aspiration for surpassed, compete equal and complete awareness? Is there a real, unchanging mind or state that produces this aspiration? What is it that gives rise to this vow? Given that there is no self and no persons, who is making this vow? Or, is there an entiry of “remaining in its suchness, unmoving, neither arising nor ceasing, formless and shapeless” that is waiting to become complete and attain Buddhahood?
The original text states: “The Buddha told Subhūti, ‘In reality, there is actually no such an entity that can give rise to the aspiration for unsurpassed, compete equal and complete awareness.'” Here, the term “there is actually no an entity” refers to anything —a person, a mind, a realm, visible or invisible matter, or any other conceivable entity.