Segment 25 / Transformation Without TransformationThe Buddha says to Subhūti, “What do you think? You should not say the Tathagata has this thought, I should liberate sentient beings. Do not think in this way, Subhūti. Why is this? In reality, there are no sentient beings for the Tathāgata to liberate. If there were sentient beings to be liberated, the Tathāgata would possess the concepts of self, person, sentient being, and lifespan.”
The Tathāgata continues, “Subhūti, the so-called self, it is not the true self, although ordinary beings believe there is a self. Subhūti, the Tathagata says ordinary beings are not, but are merely called ordinary beings.
The general idea of this Segment is that the Buddha said, “Subhuti, what do you think? You should not think that the Tathagata has such a thought that he should liberate sentient beings. Do not think in this way. Why is that? In fact, there are no sentient beings that are liberated by the Tathagata. If there was a sentient being who attains Buddhahood because of the Tathagata, then the Tathagata would have the characteristics of the self, persons, sentient beings, and the lifespan.
“Subhuti, when the Tathagata speaks of the “self”, there is in fact no truly unchanging self. However, ordinary people believe that there really is a “self” existing.”
“Subhuti, when the Tathagata speaks of ordinary people, there is no truly unchanging ordinary person in reality. It is just a nominal term for ordinary people in accordance with worldly conventions.”
In this Segment, the mode of the dialogue between the Buddha and Subhuti is the same as that in the 21st Segment. The original text of the 21st Segment reads: “Subhuti, do not think that the Tathagata has the thought that ‘I should expound the Dharma.’ “The original text of this Segment reads: “Subhuti, what do you think? Do not think that the Tathagata has the thought that ‘I should liberate sentient beings.’ “
At the beginning of the Diamond Sutra, the Buddha and Subhuti have already discussed this issue. The Buddha tells his disciples that they should vow to liberate all sentient beings in the Three Realms and the Six Paths, and they should have the perception that “in reality, there are no sentient beings to be liberated.” Otherwise, they will be attached to the characteristics of the self, others, sentient beings, and the lifespan.
Now the Buddha brings up this issue again and tells his disciples that in the state of the Tathagata’s ultimate emptiness, not a single thought arises of liberate sentient beings. Why is that? In the ultimate emptiness of the Tathagata, there is no sentient beings that need to be liberated by the Tathagata. From the perspective of the Tathagata, sentient beings are upside down in the cycle of reincarnation of illusory, false and unreal. In essence, they are no different from the Buddha, and so are all phenomena.
Therefore, the Buddha says, “In reality, there are no sentient beings to be liberated by the Tathagata. If there were sentient beings to be liberated by the Tathagata, the Tathagata would possess the characteristics of the self, persons, sentient beings, and the lifespan. In that case, he could no longer be called the Tathagata.”
From Segment 17 onward in the Diamond Sutra, although the questions posed may appear repetitive in relation to earlier Segments, the focus of the Buddha’s teachings shifts to address different facets of the disciples’ attachments. As the obstacles within the disciples ’minds are gradually cleared layer by layer, when the state of an empty and clear mind presents itself, the Buddha continues to expound on the state of Buddhahood. It is essential to recognize that while we may remain ensnared in delusion, the practice and realization of the Dharma must ultimately be rooted in the perspective of Buddhahood to overcome our ignorance.
From the ultimate standpoint, the path to Buddhahood and its fruition are not distinct. In essence, sentient beings are the Buddha, self-nature, the Buddha, and sentient beings have no differences. However, because we don’t know this truth, neither can we fully benefit from it. The Buddha’s continuous revelation of the Tathāgata’s true emptiness let us to see our original nature, the most perfect and untainted state of origin, with partial understanding of the Buddha’s fruition state, one dispels corresponding portions of the ignorance.
Throughout the entire process of practicing and realizing the Dharma, one should adopt the perspective of the Tathāgata’s true emptiness as the foundation for both practice and cultivation. Only from this perspective can one return to the source. If, however, one continues to rely on worldly theories and human-centric views while practicing the Dharma, even if one follows all 84,000 methods, one will fail to return to the source of life and will not achieve the unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness.
In this Segment, the Buddha states, “In the true emptiness of the Tathāgata, there is not a single thought of that I should liberate sentient beings,” because in the realm of true emptiness, there are no sentient beings. Sentient beings, in their essence, are not distinct from the Buddha. The Buddha elaborates further, saying, “When the Tathāgata speaks of self, it does not refer to a real true self, but ordinary beings mistakenly take as real. Subhuti, the so-called ordinary beings, the Tathāgata says they are not ordinary being.”
Reflecting on these teachings, I am reminded of the famous account of the Buddha’s birth, when Sakyamuni Buddha emerged from his mother’s right side. At that moment, the earth trembled, dragons and celestial beings showered flowers and poured water in reverence. As the Buddha took seven steps, a lotus flower bloomed beneath each foot. He then pointed to the heavens and the earth and declared, “In the heavens above and the earth below, I alone am to be revered.”
At this point, let us set aside the question of whether humans are capable of perceiving this realm, as it is a state universally acknowledged by both Hinayana and Mahāyāna practitioners of Buddhism, without dispute.
A friend who has just begun studying Buddhism posed a question: “Isn’t Buddhism centered around the concept of no-self? Then why did the Buddha say ‘In the heavens above and the earth below, I alone am to be revered’ when he was born?” This question requires us to understand of the true emptiness of the Tathāgata’s realm, which, in essence, it is the original nature of every individual—our true self.
The physical body in this three-dimensional world is merely a temporary and conditional manifestation, while the constantly shifting consciousness we experience is but a false mind. Upon realizing the truth, both this “false appearance” and “false mind” will no longer deceive us. This represents the true emptiness of the Tathāgata’s realm.
Therefore, the “I” in the Buddha’s statement, “I alone am to be revered,” refers to the same “self” possessed by every sentient being. The difference lies in the fact that sentient beings, entangled in delusion and confusion, fail to recognize this truth. If sentient beings cling to this “false appearance” and “false mind,” they will remain trapped in Samsara, subject to its cyclical changes and decay. Their attachment to these illusions leads to endless suffering and affliction. How can the “false appearance” and “false mind” bring peaceful mind, eternal happiness, or joy? Thus, the Buddha says, “When the Tathāgata speaks of “self”, ’it does not refer to a true self; whereas, ordinary beings mistakenly perceive the existence of such a self.”
The Buddha then continues: “Subhūti, when the Tathagata speaks of the “self”, there is in fact no truly unchanging self. Buddha speaks from the fruition point view of Buddhahood, where the realm of true emptiness is beyond words and concepts. Language, by its nature, is inherently limited and cannot fully encapsulate the ultimate truth of the Tathāgata. So whenever the Tathagata teaches, he always clarifies and corrects every his previous sentence that is not ultimate and incomplete. While earlier, the Buddha mentioned how ordinary beings mistakenly identify the “false self” as the true self, at the beginning of this Segment, he asserts that there are no sentient beings—ultimately, all beings are Buddhas. Now, when introducing the concept of “ordinary beings,” the Buddha immediately follows by explaining that this term does not refer to any true, “ordinary being.” Instead, “ordinary beings” are merely conventional designations used for communication it is only a false name.
Once again, the Buddha is deconstructing the concept of “ordinary beings” within the minds of his disciples. They should not cling to the idea of real sentient beings or true ordinary beings, for attachment to these concepts will inevitably lead to attachment to the concept of Buddha. This is why, in the next Segment, the Buddha will address the question of the thirty-two marks of a Buddha. However, in this Segment, the Buddha’s focus is not on deconstructing these marks or appearances; rather, he is teaching his disciples that in the true emptiness of the Tathāgata’s realm, there is ultimately no “self,” so, not a single thought or a single dharma arises.