Segment 20 / Detachment from Form and Phenomena“Subhuti, what do you think? Can the Buddha be seen with a perfectly endowed physical body?”
“No, World-Honored One. The Tathagata should not be seen by a perfectly endowed physical body. Why? Because the so-called perfectly endowed physical body is not really a perfectly endowed physical body; that is why it is called a perfectly endowed physical body.”
“Subhuti, what do you think? Can the Buddha be seen with perfectly endowed marks?”
“No, World-Honored One. The Tathagata should not be seen by perfectly endowed marks. Why? Because the so-called perfectly endowed marks are not really perfectly endowed marks and features; that is why it is merely called perfectly endowed marks.”
The meaning of this Segment is as follows: The Buddha then asked Subhūti, “Subhūti, what do you think? Can the Tathāgata be seen through a perfectly endowed physical body?”
Subhūti replied, “No, World-Honored One. The Tathāgata should not be seen through a perfectly endowed physical body. Why is that? The Tathāgata says that a perfectly endowed physical body is not that the Tathagata truly has such a physical form; it is merely a conventional designation for what is called a perfectly endowed physical body.”
The Buddha again asked Subhūti, Subhūti, what do you think? Can the Tathāgata be seen through being perfectly endowed with all marks?”
“Subhūti replied, No, World-Honored One. The Tathāgata should not be seen through being perfectly endowed with all marks. Why is that? The Tathāgata says that all marks perfectly endowed are not truly perfect endowments of marks; they are merely conventionally named as such.”
In this Segment, the Buddha raises a question similar to one he asked earlier in Segment Five. The original text says: “Subhūti, what do you think? Can the Tathāgata be seen by means of bodily form?” Subhūti replies, “No, World-Honored One. The Buddha has said, ‘Bodily form is not truly bodily form; it is merely named bodily form.’” At that time, the dialogue between the Buddha and Subhūti was meant to emphasize the illusory nature of all appearances, and that one should not cling to the Tathāgata as possessing any particular bodily form.
In Segment Thirteen, the Buddha asks Subhūti: What do you think? Can the Tathāgata be seen through the Thirty-two Marks?” Subhūti answers, “No, World-Honored One. The Buddha has said, ‘The Thirty-two Marks are not truly marks; they are merely named the Thirty-two Marks.’”
“That exchange in this Segment also arises from the Buddha’s concern that disciples might become attached to the meritorious marks of the Buddha. Yet, if one wishes to return to the true emptiness of the Tathāgata, clinging to the idea that the Buddha possesses the Thirty-two Marks will make such return impossible.
Now, here again the Buddha asks: Can the Buddha be seen through a perfectly endowed physical body? Can he be seen through being perfectly endowed with all marks?” “What, then, is the Buddha emphasizing this time?
Let us first discuss what is meant by “a perfectly endowed physical body.” In the preceding Segment, the Buddha had just spoken of the immeasurable and boundless worlds of Buddha-lands, and of the illusory nature of sentient beings’ minds. Now, following that, this Segment begins to speak of “a perfectly endowed physical body.” Some interpret the Buddha’s “perfectly endowed physical body” as a form composed of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—just like the physical body of an ordinary being in the Desire Realm. Others interpret it as a light-transformed body like those of beings in the Form Realm. Still others understand this ‘perfectly endowed physical body’ as the Buddha’s purple polished golden body, adorned with the thirty-two marks and eighty distinctive characteristics. There are also those who understand it as the Buddha’s boundless manifestations that respond to beings in various forms. However, the Buddha speaks the Dharma precisely to shatter the attachments of beings within the Three Realms and Six Paths.
Therefore, whatever “form of the Tathāgata” you are attached to in your own mind—that is what is meant here by “a perfectly endowed physical body.” In the same way, the Tathāgata is not to be seen through “being perfectly endowed with all marks.” Some interpret “perfectly endowed with all marks” as referring to all appearances throughout the Three Thousand Great Thousand World.
Others interpret it as the Five Aggregates, which in Buddhist teachings refer to what composes the “self”: form, feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness. The aggregate of “form” refers to physical phenomena, while the other four pertain to mental phenomena. It can be said that the comcept of the five aggregates in the Buddha’s teaching encompass all phenomena in the world.
When sentient beings first begin to practice, they are taught to contemplate emptiness upon perceiving form. However, while contemplating emptiness, one should perceive the perfect form. So now, the Buddha is dismantling the disciples’ notion of the non-duality of form and emptiness established in their mind.” This is because when disciples only understand the Tathāgata’s emptiness with mind, they may think that since emptiness is neither a void nor a denial or rejection of all things, then what should manifest together with the Tathāgata’s realm of emptiness must be a fully perfected form of the Buddha, or even the Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds, including every single mote of dust. However, if the disciples form a mental image of “the non-duality of form and emptiness,” they have already become attached to appearances.
For example, during my practice, I once entered a meditative state in which I myself transformed into light that pervaded the entire void and the entire Dharma realm. Within this light, the mind-consciousness of countless sentient beings—or even the entire Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds—appeared and vanished in an instant, all as if illusory.
There was also another state in which I suddenly transformed into a halo of light, within which sat a Buddha image—immovable, perfectly composed and dignified, with a purple-polished golden body. These states are not unusual; some practitioners with very strong penetrative insight may attain them through the understanding of the phrase “the non-duality of form and emptiness.” Some people’s states arise from cultivation in past lives; of course, there are also those that stem from the practitioner’s own realization, belonging to wholesome states, which can help break certain attachments of the practitioner.
But if I abide in these states, believing that I have realized the non-duality of form and emptiness, or have seen the Tathagata, or if I cling to any one state as the true realm of Tathagata’s true emptiness, then that is mistaken. The self-nature’s true emptiness is without gain or loss, unwavering as it is – fundamentally thusness, and no single state can fully express it. The “true realm of Tathagata’s emptiness” may appear extraordinary with the fullness of the five eyes and six supernatural powers; It may appear ordinary, such as in eating, drinking, excretion, and sleep, all of these are none other than the “true realm of Tathagata’s emptiness.”
Therefore, if a practitioner still holds in their mind or vision a realm as the Realm of the Tathāgata, and still harbors attachment to gain and loss, then this is mistaken. True emptiness is what the practitioner inherently possesses after breaking through all attachments and no longer clings to any marks or forms. At that time, the practitioner simply realizes the illusory nature of all things. Having understood that all phenomena are empty and illusory, the practitioner will no longer cling at every arising thought or intention, no more attachment, no longer be affected or confused by circumstances or appearances, and thus attains great freedom, which is called the Tathāgata.