this is what I heard at one time the Buddha was staying in the Jetta Grove near the city of
srivasa tea with him there was a community of 1250 venerable monks and
devoted disciples one day before dawn the Buddha clothed himself and along
with his disciples took up his arms bole and entered the city to beg for food door to door as was his custom after he
had returned and eaten he put away his bowl and cloak bathed his feet and then
sat with his legs crossed and body upright upon the seat arranged for him
he began mindfully fixing his attention in front of himself while many monks
approached the Buddha and showing great reverence seated themselves around him
chapter 2
after a time a most venerable monk named su booty who was sitting in the congregation rose from his seat he
uncovered his right shoulder placed his right knee on the ground and as he joined his palms together he
respectfully bowed and then addressed the Buddha most honored one it is truly
majestic how much knowledge and wisdom your monks and disciples have been given through your most inspired teachings it
is remarkable that you look after our welfare so selflessly and so completely
most honored one I have a question to ask you if sons and daughters of good families
want to develop the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind if they wish to attain the highest perfect wisdom
what should they do to help quiet they're drifting minds and help subdue their craving thoughts the Buddha then
replied so it as he say Cebu tea monks and disciples
have been favored with the highest favored by the Buddha the monks and disciples have been instructed with the
highest instruction by the Buddha the Buddha is constantly mindful of the welfare of his followers listen
carefully with your full attention and I will speak to your question if sons and
daughters of good families want to develop the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind if they wish to attain the
highest perfect wisdom and quiet they're drifting mind while subduing their craving thoughts then they should follow
what I am about to say to you those who follow what I'm about to say here will
be able to subdue their discriminative thoughts and craving desires it is possible to attain perfect tranquility
and clarity of mind by absorbing and dwelling on the teachings that I am about to give then the Buddha addressed
the assembly
chapter three
all living beings whether born from eggs from the womb from moisture or spontaneously
whether they have form or do not have form whether they are aware or unaware
whether they are not aware or not unaware all living beings will
eventually be led by me to the final nirvana the final ending of the cycle of birth
and death and when this unfathomable infinite number of living beings have all been liberated in truth not even a
single being has actually been liberated why su bootie because if a disciple
still clings to the arbitrary illusions of form or phenomena such as an ego a
personality a self a separate person or a universal self existing eternally then
that person is not an authentic disciple
chapter four
furthermore savuti in the
practice of compassion and charity a disciple should be touched that is to say you should
practice compassion and charity without regard to appearances without regard to form without regard to sound smell taste
touch or any quality of any kind Cebu tea this is how the disciples should
practice compassion and charity why because practicing compassion and
charity without attachment it's the way to reaching the highest perfect wisdom it is the way to becoming a living
Buddha Cebu tea do you think that you can measure all of the space in the
eastern heavens no most honored one one cannot possibly measure all of the space
in the Eastern heavens Cebu tea can space in all the Western southern and
northern heavens both above and below be measured know most honored one one
cannot possibly measure all the space in the Western southern and northern heavens
well Cebu tea the same is true of the merit of the disciple who practices
compassion and charity without any attachment to appearances without
cherishing any idea of form it is impossible to measure the merit they will accrue Cebu tea my disciples should
let their minds absorb and dwell in the teachings I have just given
chapter five
subbu tea what do you think can the Buddha be recognised by means of his
bodily form no most honored one the Buddha cannot be recognized by means of
his bodily form why because when the Buddha speaks of bodily form it is not a
real form but only an illusion the Buddha then spoke to Cebu T all that has
a form is elusive and unreal when you see that all forms are elusive and
unreal then you will begin to perceive your true Buddha nature
chapter six
cebú T respectfully asked the Lord Buddha most honored one in the future if
a person hears this teaching even if it is only a phrase or sentence is it
possible for that person to have a true faith and knowledge of enlightenment awaken in their mind without a doubt
Cebu T even 500 years after the enlightenment of this Buddha there will
be some who are virtuous and wise and while practicing compassion and charity will believe in the words and phrases of
this sutra and will awaken their minds purely after they come to hear these teachings they will be inspired with
belief that is because when some people hear these words they will have understood intuitively that these words
are the truth but you must also remember cebu t that such persons have long ago
planted the seeds of goodness and merit that lead to this realization they have
planted the seeds of good deeds and charity not simply before one buddhist temple or two temples or five but before
hundreds of thousands of buddhas and temples so when a person who hears the
words and phrases of this sutra is ready for it to happen a pure faith and
clarity can awaken within their minds cebu tea any person who awakens faith
upon hearing the words or phrases of this sutra will accumulate countless blessings and merit how do I know this
because this person must have discarded all arbitrary notions of the existence
of a personal self of other people or of a universal self otherwise her minds
would still grasp after such relative conceptions furthermore these people
must have already discarded all arbitrary notions of a non existence of a personal self other people or a
universal self otherwise their minds would still be grasping at such notions
therefore anyone who seeks total enlightenment should discard not only
all conceptions of their own salford of other selves or of a universal self but they should
also discard all notions of the non-existence of such concepts when the
Buddha explains these things using such concepts and ideas people should remember the unreality of all such
concepts and ideas they should recall that in teaching spiritual truths the
Buddha always uses these concepts and ideas in the way that a raft is used to cross a river once the river has been
crossed over the raft is of no more use and should be discarded these arbitrary
concepts and ideas about spiritual things need to be explained to us as we seek to attain enlightenment however
ultimately these arbitrary conceptions can be discarded thanks abuti isn't it
even more obvious that we should also give up our conceptions of non existent things
chapter 7
then Buddha asks abuti what do you think's abuti as the Buddha arrived at the highest most fulfilled
most awakened and enlightened mind does the Buddha teach any teaching Sebu T
replied as far as I have understood the Lord Buddha's teachings there is no independently existing
object of mind called the highest most fulfilled awakened or enlightened mind
nor is there any independently existing teacher that the Buddha teaches why
because the teachings that the Buddha has realized and spoken of cannot be
conceived as separate independent things and therefore cannot be described the
truth in them is uncontainable and inexpressible it neither is nor is it
not what does this mean what this means is that Buddha's and disciples are not
enlightened by a set method of teachings but by an internally intuitive process
which is spontaneous and is part of their own inner nature
Chapter eight
let me ask you Cebu team if a person filled over ten thousand
galaxies with the seven treasures for the purpose of compassion charity and giving arms would this person not gain
great merit and spread much happiness yes most honored one this person would
gain great merit and spread much happiness even though in truth this person does not have a separate
existence to which merit could accrue why because this person's merit is
characterized with the quality of not being married the Buddha continued then
suppose another person understood only four lines of this Sutra but nevertheless took it upon themselves to
explain these lines to someone else this person's merit would be even
greater than the other person's why because all Buddha's and all the teachings and values of the highest most
fulfilled most awakened minds arise from the teachings in this Sutra and yet even
as I speak Cebu tea I must take back my words as soon as they are uttered for
there are no Buddha's and there are no teachings
chapter nine
Buddha then asked
what do you think Cebu tea does one who has entered the stream which flows to
enlightenment say I have entered the stream no Buddha su butI replied a true
disciple entering the stream would not think of themselves as a separate person that could be entering anything only
that disciple who does not differentiate themselves from others who has no regard for name shape sound odor taste touch or
for any quality can truly be called a disciple who has entered the stream
Buddha continued does a disciple who is subject to only one more rebirth say to
himself I am entitled to the honours and rewards of a once to be reborn no Lord
wants to be reborn is only a name there is no passing away or coming into
since only one who realizes this can really be called a disciple Cebu tea
does a venerable one who will never more be reborn as a mortal say to himself I
am entitled to the honor and rewards of a non returner know perfectly
enlightened one a non returner is merely a name there is actually no one returning and no one not returning tell
me Cebu tea does a Buddhist say to himself I have obtained perfect enlightenment no Lord there is no such
thing as perfect enlightenment to obtain if a perfectly enlightened Buddha were to say to himself I am enlightened he
would be admitting that he is an individual person a separate self and personality and would therefore not be
are perfectly enlightened Buddha Cebu tea then said most honored one you have
said that I Cebu tea excel amongst the disciples in knowing the Bliss of enlightenment in being perfectly content
in seclusion and in being free from all passions yet I do not say to myself that
I am so for if I ever thought of myself as such then it would not be true that I
had escaped ego delusion I know that in truth there is no Cebu T and therefore
su booty abides nowhere that he neither knows nor does he not know bliss and
that he is neither free nor enslaved by his passions
chapter 10
the blood then continued what do you think's abuti when I was in a previous life with
dippin Cara Buddha did I receive any definite teaching or attained any degree
of self-control whereby I later became a Buddha no honorable one when you were a
disciple of dipankar a Buddha in truth you received no definite teaching nor
did you attain any definite degree of self-control subbu T know also that if any Buddha
would say I will create a paradise he would speak falsely why because a
paradise cannot be created nor can it not be uncreated a disciple should
develop a mind which is in no way dependent upon sights sounds smells tastes sensory sensations or any mental
conceptions a disciple should develop a mind which does not rely on anything
therefore cebu t the minds of all disciples should be purified of all thoughts that relate to seeing hearing
tasting smelling touching and discriminating they should use their
mind spontaneously and naturally without being constrained by preconceived notions arising from the senses suppose
cebu t a man had an enormous body would the sense of personal existence he had
also be enormous yes indeed but a cebu t
answered his sense of personal existence would be enormous but the buddha has
taught that personal existence is just a name for it is in fact neither existence
nor non-existence so it only has the name personal existence
chapter 10
shibuthi if there were as many Ganges rivers as the number of grains of sand in the
Ganges would you say that the number of grains of sand in all those Ganges rivers would be very many cebu T
answered very many indeed tonight one if the number of Ganges rivers were that large how much more so
would be the number of grains of sand in all those Ganges rivers Sebu tea I will
declare a truth to you if a good man or good woman filled over ten thousand
galaxies of worlds with the seven treasures for each grain of sand in all those Ganges rivers and gave it all away
for the purpose of compassion charity and giving arms would this man or woman
not gain great merit and spread much happiness savuti replied very much so
most honored one subbu T if after
studying and observing even a single stanza of this Sutra another person were
to explain it to others the happiness and merit that would result from this virtuous act would be far greater
chapter twelve
furthermore Cebu T if any person in any place were to teach even four lines of this Sutra the place where
they taught it would become sacred ground would be revered by all kinds of beings how much more sacred would the
place become if that person then studied and observed the whole sutra cebu t you
should know that any person who does that would surely attain something rare and profound wherever this sutra is
honored and revered there is a sacred site enshrining the presence of the buddha or one of the buddhas most
venerable disciples
chapter 13
cebu t said to the buddha by what name shall we know this sutra so that it can be honored and
studied the Lord Buddha replied this Sutra shall be known as the diamond that
cuts through illusion by this name it shall be revered and studied and
observed what does this name mean it means that when the Buddha named it he
did not have in mind any definite or arbitrary conception and so named it
this Sutra is hard and sharp like a diamond that will cut away all arbitrary conceptions and bring
one to the other Shore of enlightenment what do you think Cebu tea has the
Buddha taught any definite teaching in this Sutra no Lord the Buddha has not
taught any definite teaching in this Sutra what do you think Cebu tea are there many particles of dust in this
vast universe Cebu tea replied yes many most honored one Cebu tea when the
Buddha speaks of particles of dust it does not mean I am thinking of any definite or arbitrary thought I am
merely using these words as a figure of speech they are not real only allusion it is
just the same with the word universe these words do not assert any definite
or arbitrary idea I am only using the words as words Cebu tea what do you
think can the Buddha be perceived by means of his thirty-two physical characteristics no most honored one the
Buddha cannot be perceived by his thirty-two physical characteristics why because the Buddha teaches that they are
not real but are merely called the thirty-two physical characteristics Cebu
tea if a good and faithful person whether male or female has for the sake
of compassion and charity been sacrificing their life for generation upon generation for as many generation
as the grains of sand in 3000 universes and another follower has been studying
and observing even a single section of this sutra and explains it to others
that person's blessings and merit would be far greater
chapter 14
at that time after listening to this sutra Cebu tea had understood its profound meaning and
was moved to tears he said what a rare and precious thing it is that you should
deliver such a deeply profound teaching since the day I attained the eyes of
understanding thanks to the guidance of the Buddha I have never before heard teaching so deep
and wonderful as these most honored one if someone hears this Sutra and has pure
and clear confidence in it they will have a profound insight into the truth
having perceived that profound insight that person will realize the rarest kind
of virtue most honored one that insight into the truth is essentially not
insight into the truth but is what the Buddha calls insight into the truth most
honored one having listened to this Sutra I am able to receive and retain it with faith and understanding this is not
difficult for me but in ages to come in the last 500 years if there is a person
who hears this Sutra who receives and retains it with faith and understanding
that that person will be a rare one a person of most remarkable achievement
such a person will be able to awaken pure faith because they have ceased to cherish any arbitrary notions of their
own selfhood other selves living beings or a universal self why because if they
continue to hold on to arbitrary conceptions as to their own self hood they will be holding on to something
that is non existent it is the same with all arbitrary conceptions of other
selves living beings or a universal self these are all expressions of non
existent things Buddha's are Buddhist because they have been able to discard all arbitrary conceptions of form and
phenomena they have transcended all perceptions and have penetrated the
illusion of all forms the Buddha replied so it is Sebu T most wonderfully blessed
will be those beings who on hearing this Sutra will not tremble nor be frightened
or terrified in any way and why the Buddha has taught this Sutra is the
highest perfection and what the Buddha teaches as the highest perfection that also the innumerable blessed Buddha's do
teach therefore it is called the highest perfection sooo booty when I talk about the
practice of transcendent patience I do not hold on to any arbitrary conceptions
about the phenomena of patience I merely refer to it as the practice of
transcendent patience and why is that because when thousands of lifetime's ago
the Prince of Kalinga severed the flesh from my limbs and my body I had no
perception of a self a being a soul or a universal self if I had cherished any of
these arbitrary notions at the time my limbs were being torn away I would have fallen into anger and hatred
I also remember sebou tea that during my five hundred previous lives I had used
life after life to practice patience and to look upon my life humbly as though I
were a saint called upon to suffer humility even then my mind was free of
arbitrary conceptions of the phenomena of myself our being a soul or a universal self therefore Cebu tea
disciples should leave behind all distinctions of phenomena and awaken the thought of the attainment of supreme
enlightenment a disciple should do this by not allowing their mind to depend
upon ideas evoke by the world of the senses by not allowing their mind to
depend upon ideas stirred by sounds odors flavours sensory touch or any
other qualities the disciples mind should be kept independent of any thought that might arise within it if
the disciples mind depends upon anything in the sensory realm it will have no
solid foundation in any reality this is why Buddha teaches that the mind of a
disciple should not accept the appearances of things as a basis when exercising charity Cebu tea as disciples
practice compassion and charity for the welfare of all living beings they should do it without relying up on appearances
and without attachment just as the Buddha declares that form is not form
so he also declares that all living beings are in fact not living beings
chapter 15
Cebu T if on the one hand a son or daughter of a good family gives up his or her life in the morning as many times
as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River as an act of generosity it
gives us many again in the afternoon and as many again in the evening and continues doing so for countless ages
and if on the other hand another person listens to this Sutra with complete
confidence and without contention that person's happiness will be far greater
but the happiness of one who writes this Sutra down receives recites and explains
it to others cannot even be compared it is so great Cebu tea we can summarize by
saying that the merit and virtue of this sutra is inconceivable incalculable and boundless the Buddha has declared this
teaching for the benefit of initiates on the path to enlightenment he has declared it for the benefit of initiates
all the path to Nirvana if there is someone capable of receiving practicing
reciting and sharing this Sutra with others the Buddha will see and know that
person and he or she will receive immeasurable incalculable and boundless
merit and virtue such a person is known to be carrying the supreme enlightenment
attained by the Buddha why Cebu tea if a person is satisfied with lesser
teachings than those I present here if he or she is still caught up in the idea
of a self a person a living being or a universal self then that person would
not be able to listen to receive recite or explain this Sutra to others Cebu tea
wherever this Sutra shall be observed studied and explained that place will
become sacred ground to which countless spirit advanced beings will bring offerings
such places however humble they may be will be revered as though there were
famous temples and countless pilgrims will come there to worship such a place
is a shrine and should be venerated with formal ceremonies and offerings of
flowers and incense that is the power of this Sutra
chapter 16
furthermore Cebu tea if a good man or woman who accepts upholds reads or recites this Sutra is
disdained or slandered if they are despised or insulted it means that in
Prior lives they committed evil acts and as a result are now suffering the fruits of their actions when their prior life's
evil acts have finally been dissolved and extinguished he or she will attain the supreme clarity of the most
fulfilled and awakened mind Cebu tea in ancient times before I met dipankar a
Buddha I had made offerings to and had been attendant of all eighty-four thousand million Buddha's if someone is
able to receive recite study and practice this Sutra in a later more
distant age then the happiness and merit brought about by this virtuous act would
be hundreds of thousands of times greater than that which I brought about by my service to the Buddha's in ancient
times in fact such happiness and merit cannot be conceived or compared with
anything even mathematically if I were to explain all of this in detail now
some people might become suspicious and disbelieving and their minds may even
become disoriented or confused Cebu tea you should know that the meaning of this
Sutra is beyond conception and discussion likewise the fruit resulting
from receiving and practicing this Sutra is beyond conception and discussion
chapter seventeen
at that time the venerable Cebu t-then asked the Buddha world honored one may I ask you a question again if
sons or daughters of a good family want to develop the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind if they wish to attain
the highest perfect wisdom what should they do to help quiet they're drifting minds and master their thinking the
Buddha replied Cebu tea a good son or daughter who wants to give rise to the
highest most fulfilled and awakened mind must create this resolved attitude of mind I must help to lead all beings to
the shore of awakening but after these beings have become liberated in truth I
know that not even a single being has been liberated why is this so if a
disciple cherishes the idea of a self a person a living being or a universal
self then that person is not an authentic disciple why because in fact
there is no independently existing object of mind called the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind what do you
think Cebu tea in ancient times when the Buddha was living with Japan kara Buddha
did he attain anything called the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind no most honored one according to what I
understand from the teachings of the Buddha there is no attaining of anything called the highest most fulfilled and awakened
mind the Buddha said you are correct Cebu tea in fact that does not exist any
so called highest most fulfilled and awakened mind that the Buddha attains because if there had been any such thing
Dabangg Carra Buddha would not have predicted of me in the future you will come to be a Buddha known as the most
honored one this prediction was made because there is in fact nothing to be attained someone would be mistaken to
say that the Buddha has attained the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind because there is no such thing as a
highest most fulfilled or awakened mind to be attained
cebú t a comparison can be made with the idea of a large human body
what would you understand me to mean if I spoke of a large human body I would
understand that the Lord Buddha was speaking of a large human body not at an arbitrary conception of its being but as
a series of words only I would understand that the words carried merely and imaginary meaning when the Buddha
speaks of a large human body he uses the words only as words Sebu T it is just
the same when a disciple speaks of liberating numberless sentient beings if
they have in mind any arbitrary conception of sentient beings or of definite numbers then they are unworthy
of being called a disciple Sebu T my teachings reveal that even such a thing
as is called a disciple is non-existent furthermore there is really nothing for
a disciple to live a true disciple knows that there is no such thing as self a person a living being or a universal
self the true disciple knows that all things are devoid of salford devoid of
any separate individuality to make this teaching even more emphatic the Lord
Buddha continued if a disciple were to speak as followed I have to create a
serene and beautiful Buddha field that person is not yet truly a disciple why
what the Buddha calls a serene and beautiful Buddha field is not in fact a
serene and beautiful Buddha field and that is why it is called a serene and beautiful Buddha field
Sebu t only a disciple who is wholly devoid of any conception of separate
salford is worthy of being called a disciple
chapter 18
the Buddha then asks
abuti what do you think does the Buddha have human eyes cebú T replied yes he
has human eyes does he have the eyes of enlightenment of course the Buddha has
the eyes of enlightened and otherwise he would not be the Buddha does the Buddha have the eyes of
transcendent intelligence yes the Buddha has the eyes of transcendent intelligence does the Buddha have the
eyes of spiritual intuition yes Lord the Buddha has the eyes of spiritual
intuition does the Buddha have the eyes of love and compassion for all sentient beings Sebu T agreed and said Lord you
love all sentient life what do you think cebu T when I referred to the grains of
sand in the river Ganges did I assert that they were truly grains of sand no
Blessed Lord you only spoke of them as grains of sand sebou T if there were as
many Ganges rivers as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges and if there
were as many Buddha lands as there are grains of sand in all those innumerable rivers would these Buddha lands be
considered numerous very numerous indeed Lord Buddha Sebu T I know the mind of
every sentient being in all the hosts of universes regardless of any modes of
thought conceptions or tendencies for all modes conceptions and tendencies of
thoughts are not mind and yet they are called mind why it is impossible to
retain a past thought to sees a future thought and even to hold on to a present
thought
chapter 19
the Buddha continued what do you think cebu t if a follower were to give away enough treasures to
fill three thousand universes would a great blessing and merit occur to him or
her cebu T replied honored one such a follower would acquire considerable
blessings and merit the Lord Buddha said Sebu t if such a blessing had any
substantiality if it were anything other than a figure of speech the most honored
one would not have used the words blessings and Jarrid
chapter 20
sebou tea what do you think should one look for Buddha in his perfect physical body no perfectly enlightened one one should
not look for Buddha in his perfect physical body why the Buddha has said
that the perfect physical body is not the perfect physical body therefore it
is called the perfect physical body cebu t what do you think
should one look for buddha in all his perfect appearances no most honored one
one should not look for buddha in all his perfect appearances why the Buddha
has said perfect appearances are not perfect appearances therefore they are
called perfect appearances
chapter 21
Cebu T do not maintain that the Buddha has this thought I have spoken spiritual
truths do not think that way why if someone says the Buddha has
spoken spiritual truths he slanders the Buddha due to his inability to understand what the Buddha teaches Cebu
T as to speaking truth no truth can be spoken therefore it is called speaking
truth at that time Cebu T the wise elder addressed the Buddha most honored one
will there be living beings in the future who believe this Sutra when they hear it the Buddha said the living
beings to whom you refer are neither living beings nor not living beings why
Cebu T all the different kinds of living beings the Buddha speaks of but not
living beings but they are referred to as living beings
chapter 22
Cebu T again asked blessed Lord when you attained complete enlightenment did you feel in
your mind that nothing had been acquired the Buddha replied that is it exactly
Cebu T when I attained total enlightenment I did not feel as the mind feels any
arbitrary conception of spiritual truth not even the slightest even the words
total enlightenment are mere words they are used merely as a figure of speech
chapter 23
furthermore to Booty what I have attained in total enlightenment is the same as what all others have attained it is undifferentiated regarded
neither as a high state nor a low state it is wholly independent of any definite
or arbitrary conceptions of an individual self other selves living beings or a universal self Sebu t when
someone is selflessly charitable they should also practice being ethical by remembering that there is no distinction
between oneself and the selfhood of others thus one practices charity by
giving not only gifts but through kindness and sympathy practice kindness
and charity without attachment and you can become fully enlightened Sebu t what
I just said about kindness does not mean that when someone is being charitable they should hold on to arbitrary
conceptions about kindness for kindness is after all only a word and charity
needs to be spontaneous and selfless done without regard for appearances
chapter 24
the Buddha continued cebu t if a person collected treasures as high as 3000 of the highest mountains and gave them all to others their merit
would be less than what would accrue to another person who simply observed and studied this sutra and out of kindness
explained it to others the latter person would accumulate hundreds of times the
merit hundreds of thousands of millions of times the merit there is no
conceivable comparison
chapter 25
sebou tea do not say that the Buddha has the idea I will lead all sentient beings into nirvana do not think that way cebu tea why in truth
there is not one single being for the Buddha to lead to enlightenment if the
Buddha were to think that there was he would be caught in the idea of herself a person a living being or a universal
self savuti what the Buddha calls herself essentially has no self in the
way that ordinary persons think there is a self cebú T the Buddha does not regard
anyone as an ordinary person that is why he can speak of them as ordinary persons
chapter 26
then the Buddha inquired of savuti what do you think's abuti is it
possible to recognize the buddha by the thirty-two physical marks cebu t replied
yes my stolen one the buddha may thus be recognized cebu t if that were true then
chakravartin the mythological king who also had the thirty-two marks would be
called a buddha then cebu t realizing
his error said most honored one now i realized that the buddha cannot be
recognized merely by his thirty-two physical marks of excellence the buddha said then should anyone looking at an
image or likeness of the buddha claim to know the buddha and worship him that
person would be mistaken not knowing the true buddha
chapter 27
however su booty if you think that the buddha realizes the highest most
fulfilled and awakened mind and does not need to have all the marks you are
mistaken cebu t do not think in that way do not think that when one gives rise to
the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind one needs to see all objects of
mind as Nanak cut off from life please do not think in that way one who gives rise to the
highest most fulfilled and awakened mind does not contend that all objects of mind are non-existent and cut off from
life that is not what I say
chapter 28
the Lord Buddha continued Sebu tea if someone gives treasures equal to the
number of sands on the shores of the Ganges River and if another having realized the egolessness of all things
thereby understands selflessness the latter would be more blessed than the
one who practiced external charity why because great disciples do not see
blessings and merit as a private possession as something to be gained cebu tea inquired of the Lord Buddha
what do you mean great disciples do not see blessings and merit as a private
possession the Buddha replied because those blessings and merit have never
been sought after by those great disciples they do not see them as private possessions but they see them as
the common possession of all beings
chapter 29
the Buddha said Sebu t if any person were to say that the Buddha is now
coming or going or sitting up or lying down they would not have understood the
principle I have been teaching why because while the expression Buddha
means he who has thus come thus gone the true Buddha is never coming from
anywhere or going anywhere the name Buddha is merely an expression a figure
of speech
chapter 30
Jthe Lord Buddha resumed Sebu T if any good person either man or woman were to take 3,000 galaxies
and grind them into microscopic powder and blow it into space what do you think
would this powder have any individual existence cebu t replied yes Lord as a
microscopic powder blown into space it might be said to have a relative existence but as you use words it has no
existence the words are used only as a figure of speech otherwise the words
would imply a belief in the existence of matter as an independent and self existent thing which it is not
furthermore when the most honored one refers to the 3000 galaxies he could
only do so as a figure of speech why because if the 3000 galaxies really
existed their only reality would consist in their cosmic unity whether as
microscopic powder or as galaxies what does it matter only in the sense of the
cosmic unity of ultimate being can the Buddha rightfully refer to it the Lord
Buddha was very pleased with this reply and said Cebu tea although ordinary people have always grasped after an
arbitrary conception of matter and galaxies that concept has no true basis
it is an illusion of the mortal mind even when it is referred to as cosmic
unity it is unthinkable and unknowable
chapter 31
the Lord Buddha continued if any person were to say that the Buddha in his teachings has constantly referred to himself to other selves two living
beings or to a universal self what do you think would that person have understood my meaning Sebu T replied no
Blessed Lord that person would not have understood the meaning of your teachings for when you referred to those things
you are not referring to their actual existence you only use the words as
figures of speech as symbols only in that sense can words be used for
conceptions ideas limited truths and spiritual truths have no more reality
than have matter or phenomena then the Lord Buddha made his meaning even more
emphatic by saying cebu t when people begin their practice of seeking to
attaining total enlightenment they ought to see to perceive to know to
understand and to realize that all things and all spiritual truths are no things and therefore they ought not to
conceive within their minds any arbitrary conceptions whatsoever
chapter 32
buddha continued cebu t if anyone gave to the buddha an immeasurable quantity of the seven treasures sufficient to fill the whole universe and if another person whether a
man or woman in seeking to attain complete enlightenment were to earnestly
and faithfully observe and study even a single section of this sutra and explain
it to others the accumulated blessing and merit of that latter person would be far greater cebu tea how can one explain
this sutra to others without holding in mind any arbitrary conception of forms or phenomena or spiritual truths it can
only be done cebu tea by keeping the mind in perfect tranquillity and free
from any attachment to appearances so i say to you this is how to contemplate
our conditioned existence in this fleeting world like a tiny drop of dew
or a bubble floating in a stream like a flash of lightning in a summer cloud or
a flickering lamp an illusion a phantom or a dream so is all conditioned
existence to be seen thus Spoke Buddha
The Diamond Sutra a new translation by Alex Johnson
chapter 1
this is what I heard at one time the Buddha was staying in the Jetta Grove near the city of srivasa tea with him there was a community of 1250 venerable monks and devoted disciples one day before dawn the Buddha clothed himself and along with his disciples took up his arms bole and entered the city to beg for food door to door as was his custom after he had returned and eaten he put away his bowl and cloak bathed his feet and then sat with his legs crossed and body upright upon the seat arranged for him he began mindfully fixing his attention in front of himself while many monks approached the Buddha and showing great reverence seated themselves around him
chapter 2
after a time a most venerable monk named su booty who was sitting in the congregation rose from his seat he uncovered his right shoulder placed his right knee on the ground and as he joined his palms together he respectfully bowed and then addressed the Buddha most honored one it is truly majestic how much knowledge and wisdom your monks and disciples have been given through your most inspired teachings it is remarkable that you look after our welfare so selflessly and so completely most honored one I have a question to ask you if sons and daughters of good families want to develop the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind if they wish to attain the highest perfect wisdom what should they do to help quiet they're drifting minds and help subdue their craving thoughts the Buddha then replied so it as he say Cebu tea monks and disciples have been favored with the highest favored by the Buddha the monks and disciples have been instructed with the highest instruction by the Buddha the Buddha is constantly mindful of the welfare of his followers listen carefully with your full attention and I will speak to your question if sons and daughters of good families want to develop the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind if they wish to attain the highest perfect wisdom and quiet they're drifting mind while subduing their craving thoughts then they should follow what I am about to say to you those who follow what I'm about to say here will be able to subdue their discriminative thoughts and craving desires it is possible to attain perfect tranquility and clarity of mind by absorbing and dwelling on the teachings that I am about to give then the Buddha addressed the assembly
chapter three
all living beings whether born from eggs from the womb from moisture or spontaneously whether they have form or do not have form whether they are aware or unaware whether they are not aware or not unaware all living beings will eventually be led by me to the final nirvana the final ending of the cycle of birth and death and when this unfathomable infinite number of living beings have all been liberated in truth not even a single being has actually been liberated why su bootie because if a disciple still clings to the arbitrary illusions of form or phenomena such as an ego a personality a self a separate person or a universal self existing eternally then that person is not an authentic disciple
chapter four
furthermore savuti in the practice of compassion and charity a disciple should be touched that is to say you should practice compassion and charity without regard to appearances without regard to form without regard to sound smell taste touch or any quality of any kind Cebu tea this is how the disciples should practice compassion and charity why because practicing compassion and charity without attachment it's the way to reaching the highest perfect wisdom it is the way to becoming a living Buddha Cebu tea do you think that you can measure all of the space in the eastern heavens no most honored one one cannot possibly measure all of the space in the Eastern heavens Cebu tea can space in all the Western southern and northern heavens both above and below be measured know most honored one one cannot possibly measure all the space in the Western southern and northern heavens well Cebu tea the same is true of the merit of the disciple who practices compassion and charity without any attachment to appearances without cherishing any idea of form it is impossible to measure the merit they will accrue Cebu tea my disciples should let their minds absorb and dwell in the teachings I have just given
chapter five
subbu tea what do you think can the Buddha be recognised by means of his bodily form no most honored one the Buddha cannot be recognized by means of his bodily form why because when the Buddha speaks of bodily form it is not a real form but only an illusion the Buddha then spoke to Cebu T all that has a form is elusive and unreal when you see that all forms are elusive and unreal then you will begin to perceive your true Buddha nature
chapter six
cebú T respectfully asked the Lord Buddha most honored one in the future if a person hears this teaching even if it is only a phrase or sentence is it possible for that person to have a true faith and knowledge of enlightenment awaken in their mind without a doubt Cebu T even 500 years after the enlightenment of this Buddha there will be some who are virtuous and wise and while practicing compassion and charity will believe in the words and phrases of this sutra and will awaken their minds purely after they come to hear these teachings they will be inspired with belief that is because when some people hear these words they will have understood intuitively that these words are the truth but you must also remember cebu t that such persons have long ago planted the seeds of goodness and merit that lead to this realization they have planted the seeds of good deeds and charity not simply before one buddhist temple or two temples or five but before hundreds of thousands of buddhas and temples so when a person who hears the words and phrases of this sutra is ready for it to happen a pure faith and clarity can awaken within their minds cebu tea any person who awakens faith upon hearing the words or phrases of this sutra will accumulate countless blessings and merit how do I know this because this person must have discarded all arbitrary notions of the existence of a personal self of other people or of a universal self otherwise her minds would still grasp after such relative conceptions furthermore these people must have already discarded all arbitrary notions of a non existence of a personal self other people or a universal self otherwise their minds would still be grasping at such notions therefore anyone who seeks total enlightenment should discard not only all conceptions of their own salford of other selves or of a universal self but they should also discard all notions of the non-existence of such concepts when the Buddha explains these things using such concepts and ideas people should remember the unreality of all such concepts and ideas they should recall that in teaching spiritual truths the Buddha always uses these concepts and ideas in the way that a raft is used to cross a river once the river has been crossed over the raft is of no more use and should be discarded these arbitrary concepts and ideas about spiritual things need to be explained to us as we seek to attain enlightenment however ultimately these arbitrary conceptions can be discarded thanks abuti isn't it even more obvious that we should also give up our conceptions of non existent things
chapter 7
then Buddha asks abuti what do you think's abuti as the Buddha arrived at the highest most fulfilled most awakened and enlightened mind does the Buddha teach any teaching Sebu T replied as far as I have understood the Lord Buddha's teachings there is no independently existing object of mind called the highest most fulfilled awakened or enlightened mind nor is there any independently existing teacher that the Buddha teaches why because the teachings that the Buddha has realized and spoken of cannot be conceived as separate independent things and therefore cannot be described the truth in them is uncontainable and inexpressible it neither is nor is it not what does this mean what this means is that Buddha's and disciples are not enlightened by a set method of teachings but by an internally intuitive process which is spontaneous and is part of their own inner nature
Chapter eight
let me ask you Cebu team if a person filled over ten thousand galaxies with the seven treasures for the purpose of compassion charity and giving arms would this person not gain great merit and spread much happiness yes most honored one this person would gain great merit and spread much happiness even though in truth this person does not have a separate existence to which merit could accrue why because this person's merit is characterized with the quality of not being married the Buddha continued then suppose another person understood only four lines of this Sutra but nevertheless took it upon themselves to explain these lines to someone else this person's merit would be even greater than the other person's why because all Buddha's and all the teachings and values of the highest most fulfilled most awakened minds arise from the teachings in this Sutra and yet even as I speak Cebu tea I must take back my words as soon as they are uttered for there are no Buddha's and there are no teachings
chapter nine
Buddha then asked what do you think Cebu tea does one who has entered the stream which flows to enlightenment say I have entered the stream no Buddha su butI replied a true disciple entering the stream would not think of themselves as a separate person that could be entering anything only that disciple who does not differentiate themselves from others who has no regard for name shape sound odor taste touch or for any quality can truly be called a disciple who has entered the stream Buddha continued does a disciple who is subject to only one more rebirth say to himself I am entitled to the honours and rewards of a once to be reborn no Lord wants to be reborn is only a name there is no passing away or coming into since only one who realizes this can really be called a disciple Cebu tea does a venerable one who will never more be reborn as a mortal say to himself I am entitled to the honor and rewards of a non returner know perfectly enlightened one a non returner is merely a name there is actually no one returning and no one not returning tell me Cebu tea does a Buddhist say to himself I have obtained perfect enlightenment no Lord there is no such thing as perfect enlightenment to obtain if a perfectly enlightened Buddha were to say to himself I am enlightened he would be admitting that he is an individual person a separate self and personality and would therefore not be are perfectly enlightened Buddha Cebu tea then said most honored one you have said that I Cebu tea excel amongst the disciples in knowing the Bliss of enlightenment in being perfectly content in seclusion and in being free from all passions yet I do not say to myself that I am so for if I ever thought of myself as such then it would not be true that I had escaped ego delusion I know that in truth there is no Cebu T and therefore su booty abides nowhere that he neither knows nor does he not know bliss and that he is neither free nor enslaved by his passions
chapter 10
the blood then continued what do you think's abuti when I was in a previous life with dippin Cara Buddha did I receive any definite teaching or attained any degree of self-control whereby I later became a Buddha no honorable one when you were a disciple of dipankar a Buddha in truth you received no definite teaching nor did you attain any definite degree of self-control subbu T know also that if any Buddha would say I will create a paradise he would speak falsely why because a paradise cannot be created nor can it not be uncreated a disciple should develop a mind which is in no way dependent upon sights sounds smells tastes sensory sensations or any mental conceptions a disciple should develop a mind which does not rely on anything therefore cebu t the minds of all disciples should be purified of all thoughts that relate to seeing hearing tasting smelling touching and discriminating they should use their mind spontaneously and naturally without being constrained by preconceived notions arising from the senses suppose cebu t a man had an enormous body would the sense of personal existence he had also be enormous yes indeed but a cebu t answered his sense of personal existence would be enormous but the buddha has taught that personal existence is just a name for it is in fact neither existence nor non-existence so it only has the name personal existence
chapter 10
shibuthi if there were as many Ganges rivers as the number of grains of sand in the Ganges would you say that the number of grains of sand in all those Ganges rivers would be very many cebu T answered very many indeed tonight one if the number of Ganges rivers were that large how much more so would be the number of grains of sand in all those Ganges rivers Sebu tea I will declare a truth to you if a good man or good woman filled over ten thousand galaxies of worlds with the seven treasures for each grain of sand in all those Ganges rivers and gave it all away for the purpose of compassion charity and giving arms would this man or woman not gain great merit and spread much happiness savuti replied very much so most honored one subbu T if after studying and observing even a single stanza of this Sutra another person were to explain it to others the happiness and merit that would result from this virtuous act would be far greater
chapter twelve
furthermore Cebu T if any person in any place were to teach even four lines of this Sutra the place where they taught it would become sacred ground would be revered by all kinds of beings how much more sacred would the place become if that person then studied and observed the whole sutra cebu t you should know that any person who does that would surely attain something rare and profound wherever this sutra is honored and revered there is a sacred site enshrining the presence of the buddha or one of the buddhas most venerable disciples
chapter 13
cebu t said to the buddha by what name shall we know this sutra so that it can be honored and studied the Lord Buddha replied this Sutra shall be known as the diamond that cuts through illusion by this name it shall be revered and studied and observed what does this name mean it means that when the Buddha named it he did not have in mind any definite or arbitrary conception and so named it this Sutra is hard and sharp like a diamond that will cut away all arbitrary conceptions and bring one to the other Shore of enlightenment what do you think Cebu tea has the Buddha taught any definite teaching in this Sutra no Lord the Buddha has not taught any definite teaching in this Sutra what do you think Cebu tea are there many particles of dust in this vast universe Cebu tea replied yes many most honored one Cebu tea when the Buddha speaks of particles of dust it does not mean I am thinking of any definite or arbitrary thought I am merely using these words as a figure of speech they are not real only allusion it is just the same with the word universe these words do not assert any definite or arbitrary idea I am only using the words as words Cebu tea what do you think can the Buddha be perceived by means of his thirty-two physical characteristics no most honored one the Buddha cannot be perceived by his thirty-two physical characteristics why because the Buddha teaches that they are not real but are merely called the thirty-two physical characteristics Cebu tea if a good and faithful person whether male or female has for the sake of compassion and charity been sacrificing their life for generation upon generation for as many generation as the grains of sand in 3000 universes and another follower has been studying and observing even a single section of this sutra and explains it to others that person's blessings and merit would be far greater
chapter 14
at that time after listening to this sutra Cebu tea had understood its profound meaning and was moved to tears he said what a rare and precious thing it is that you should deliver such a deeply profound teaching since the day I attained the eyes of understanding thanks to the guidance of the Buddha I have never before heard teaching so deep and wonderful as these most honored one if someone hears this Sutra and has pure and clear confidence in it they will have a profound insight into the truth having perceived that profound insight that person will realize the rarest kind of virtue most honored one that insight into the truth is essentially not insight into the truth but is what the Buddha calls insight into the truth most honored one having listened to this Sutra I am able to receive and retain it with faith and understanding this is not difficult for me but in ages to come in the last 500 years if there is a person who hears this Sutra who receives and retains it with faith and understanding that that person will be a rare one a person of most remarkable achievement such a person will be able to awaken pure faith because they have ceased to cherish any arbitrary notions of their own selfhood other selves living beings or a universal self why because if they continue to hold on to arbitrary conceptions as to their own self hood they will be holding on to something that is non existent it is the same with all arbitrary conceptions of other selves living beings or a universal self these are all expressions of non existent things Buddha's are Buddhist because they have been able to discard all arbitrary conceptions of form and phenomena they have transcended all perceptions and have penetrated the illusion of all forms the Buddha replied so it is Sebu T most wonderfully blessed will be those beings who on hearing this Sutra will not tremble nor be frightened or terrified in any way and why the Buddha has taught this Sutra is the highest perfection and what the Buddha teaches as the highest perfection that also the innumerable blessed Buddha's do teach therefore it is called the highest perfection sooo booty when I talk about the practice of transcendent patience I do not hold on to any arbitrary conceptions about the phenomena of patience I merely refer to it as the practice of transcendent patience and why is that because when thousands of lifetime's ago the Prince of Kalinga severed the flesh from my limbs and my body I had no perception of a self a being a soul or a universal self if I had cherished any of these arbitrary notions at the time my limbs were being torn away I would have fallen into anger and hatred I also remember sebou tea that during my five hundred previous lives I had used life after life to practice patience and to look upon my life humbly as though I were a saint called upon to suffer humility even then my mind was free of arbitrary conceptions of the phenomena of myself our being a soul or a universal self therefore Cebu tea disciples should leave behind all distinctions of phenomena and awaken the thought of the attainment of supreme enlightenment a disciple should do this by not allowing their mind to depend upon ideas evoke by the world of the senses by not allowing their mind to depend upon ideas stirred by sounds odors flavours sensory touch or any other qualities the disciples mind should be kept independent of any thought that might arise within it if the disciples mind depends upon anything in the sensory realm it will have no solid foundation in any reality this is why Buddha teaches that the mind of a disciple should not accept the appearances of things as a basis when exercising charity Cebu tea as disciples practice compassion and charity for the welfare of all living beings they should do it without relying up on appearances and without attachment just as the Buddha declares that form is not form so he also declares that all living beings are in fact not living beings
chapter 15
Cebu T if on the one hand a son or daughter of a good family gives up his or her life in the morning as many times as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River as an act of generosity it gives us many again in the afternoon and as many again in the evening and continues doing so for countless ages and if on the other hand another person listens to this Sutra with complete confidence and without contention that person's happiness will be far greater but the happiness of one who writes this Sutra down receives recites and explains it to others cannot even be compared it is so great Cebu tea we can summarize by saying that the merit and virtue of this sutra is inconceivable incalculable and boundless the Buddha has declared this teaching for the benefit of initiates on the path to enlightenment he has declared it for the benefit of initiates all the path to Nirvana if there is someone capable of receiving practicing reciting and sharing this Sutra with others the Buddha will see and know that person and he or she will receive immeasurable incalculable and boundless merit and virtue such a person is known to be carrying the supreme enlightenment attained by the Buddha why Cebu tea if a person is satisfied with lesser teachings than those I present here if he or she is still caught up in the idea of a self a person a living being or a universal self then that person would not be able to listen to receive recite or explain this Sutra to others Cebu tea wherever this Sutra shall be observed studied and explained that place will become sacred ground to which countless spirit advanced beings will bring offerings such places however humble they may be will be revered as though there were famous temples and countless pilgrims will come there to worship such a place is a shrine and should be venerated with formal ceremonies and offerings of flowers and incense that is the power of this Sutra
chapter 16
furthermore Cebu tea if a good man or woman who accepts upholds reads or recites this Sutra is disdained or slandered if they are despised or insulted it means that in Prior lives they committed evil acts and as a result are now suffering the fruits of their actions when their prior life's evil acts have finally been dissolved and extinguished he or she will attain the supreme clarity of the most fulfilled and awakened mind Cebu tea in ancient times before I met dipankar a Buddha I had made offerings to and had been attendant of all eighty-four thousand million Buddha's if someone is able to receive recite study and practice this Sutra in a later more distant age then the happiness and merit brought about by this virtuous act would be hundreds of thousands of times greater than that which I brought about by my service to the Buddha's in ancient times in fact such happiness and merit cannot be conceived or compared with anything even mathematically if I were to explain all of this in detail now some people might become suspicious and disbelieving and their minds may even become disoriented or confused Cebu tea you should know that the meaning of this Sutra is beyond conception and discussion likewise the fruit resulting from receiving and practicing this Sutra is beyond conception and discussion
chapter seventeen
at that time the venerable Cebu t-then asked the Buddha world honored one may I ask you a question again if sons or daughters of a good family want to develop the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind if they wish to attain the highest perfect wisdom what should they do to help quiet they're drifting minds and master their thinking the Buddha replied Cebu tea a good son or daughter who wants to give rise to the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind must create this resolved attitude of mind I must help to lead all beings to the shore of awakening but after these beings have become liberated in truth I know that not even a single being has been liberated why is this so if a disciple cherishes the idea of a self a person a living being or a universal self then that person is not an authentic disciple why because in fact there is no independently existing object of mind called the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind what do you think Cebu tea in ancient times when the Buddha was living with Japan kara Buddha did he attain anything called the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind no most honored one according to what I understand from the teachings of the Buddha there is no attaining of anything called the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind the Buddha said you are correct Cebu tea in fact that does not exist any so called highest most fulfilled and awakened mind that the Buddha attains because if there had been any such thing Dabangg Carra Buddha would not have predicted of me in the future you will come to be a Buddha known as the most honored one this prediction was made because there is in fact nothing to be attained someone would be mistaken to say that the Buddha has attained the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind because there is no such thing as a highest most fulfilled or awakened mind to be attained cebú t a comparison can be made with the idea of a large human body what would you understand me to mean if I spoke of a large human body I would understand that the Lord Buddha was speaking of a large human body not at an arbitrary conception of its being but as a series of words only I would understand that the words carried merely and imaginary meaning when the Buddha speaks of a large human body he uses the words only as words Sebu T it is just the same when a disciple speaks of liberating numberless sentient beings if they have in mind any arbitrary conception of sentient beings or of definite numbers then they are unworthy of being called a disciple Sebu T my teachings reveal that even such a thing as is called a disciple is non-existent furthermore there is really nothing for a disciple to live a true disciple knows that there is no such thing as self a person a living being or a universal self the true disciple knows that all things are devoid of salford devoid of any separate individuality to make this teaching even more emphatic the Lord Buddha continued if a disciple were to speak as followed I have to create a serene and beautiful Buddha field that person is not yet truly a disciple why what the Buddha calls a serene and beautiful Buddha field is not in fact a serene and beautiful Buddha field and that is why it is called a serene and beautiful Buddha field Sebu t only a disciple who is wholly devoid of any conception of separate salford is worthy of being called a disciple
chapter 18
the Buddha then asks abuti what do you think does the Buddha have human eyes cebú T replied yes he has human eyes does he have the eyes of enlightenment of course the Buddha has the eyes of enlightened and otherwise he would not be the Buddha does the Buddha have the eyes of transcendent intelligence yes the Buddha has the eyes of transcendent intelligence does the Buddha have the eyes of spiritual intuition yes Lord the Buddha has the eyes of spiritual intuition does the Buddha have the eyes of love and compassion for all sentient beings Sebu T agreed and said Lord you love all sentient life what do you think cebu T when I referred to the grains of sand in the river Ganges did I assert that they were truly grains of sand no Blessed Lord you only spoke of them as grains of sand sebou T if there were as many Ganges rivers as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges and if there were as many Buddha lands as there are grains of sand in all those innumerable rivers would these Buddha lands be considered numerous very numerous indeed Lord Buddha Sebu T I know the mind of every sentient being in all the hosts of universes regardless of any modes of thought conceptions or tendencies for all modes conceptions and tendencies of thoughts are not mind and yet they are called mind why it is impossible to retain a past thought to sees a future thought and even to hold on to a present thought
chapter 19
the Buddha continued what do you think cebu t if a follower were to give away enough treasures to fill three thousand universes would a great blessing and merit occur to him or her cebu T replied honored one such a follower would acquire considerable blessings and merit the Lord Buddha said Sebu t if such a blessing had any substantiality if it were anything other than a figure of speech the most honored one would not have used the words blessings and Jarrid
chapter 20
sebou tea what do you think should one look for Buddha in his perfect physical body no perfectly enlightened one one should not look for Buddha in his perfect physical body why the Buddha has said that the perfect physical body is not the perfect physical body therefore it is called the perfect physical body cebu t what do you think should one look for buddha in all his perfect appearances no most honored one one should not look for buddha in all his perfect appearances why the Buddha has said perfect appearances are not perfect appearances therefore they are called perfect appearances
chapter 21
Cebu T do not maintain that the Buddha has this thought I have spoken spiritual truths do not think that way why if someone says the Buddha has spoken spiritual truths he slanders the Buddha due to his inability to understand what the Buddha teaches Cebu T as to speaking truth no truth can be spoken therefore it is called speaking truth at that time Cebu T the wise elder addressed the Buddha most honored one will there be living beings in the future who believe this Sutra when they hear it the Buddha said the living beings to whom you refer are neither living beings nor not living beings why Cebu T all the different kinds of living beings the Buddha speaks of but not living beings but they are referred to as living beings
chapter 22
Cebu T again asked blessed Lord when you attained complete enlightenment did you feel in your mind that nothing had been acquired the Buddha replied that is it exactly Cebu T when I attained total enlightenment I did not feel as the mind feels any arbitrary conception of spiritual truth not even the slightest even the words total enlightenment are mere words they are used merely as a figure of speech
chapter 23
furthermore to Booty what I have attained in total enlightenment is the same as what all others have attained it is undifferentiated regarded neither as a high state nor a low state it is wholly independent of any definite or arbitrary conceptions of an individual self other selves living beings or a universal self Sebu t when someone is selflessly charitable they should also practice being ethical by remembering that there is no distinction between oneself and the selfhood of others thus one practices charity by giving not only gifts but through kindness and sympathy practice kindness and charity without attachment and you can become fully enlightened Sebu t what I just said about kindness does not mean that when someone is being charitable they should hold on to arbitrary conceptions about kindness for kindness is after all only a word and charity needs to be spontaneous and selfless done without regard for appearances
chapter 24
the Buddha continued cebu t if a person collected treasures as high as 3000 of the highest mountains and gave them all to others their merit would be less than what would accrue to another person who simply observed and studied this sutra and out of kindness explained it to others the latter person would accumulate hundreds of times the merit hundreds of thousands of millions of times the merit there is no conceivable comparison
chapter 25
sebou tea do not say that the Buddha has the idea I will lead all sentient beings into nirvana do not think that way cebu tea why in truth there is not one single being for the Buddha to lead to enlightenment if the Buddha were to think that there was he would be caught in the idea of herself a person a living being or a universal self savuti what the Buddha calls herself essentially has no self in the way that ordinary persons think there is a self cebú T the Buddha does not regard anyone as an ordinary person that is why he can speak of them as ordinary persons
chapter 26
then the Buddha inquired of savuti what do you think's abuti is it possible to recognize the buddha by the thirty-two physical marks cebu t replied yes my stolen one the buddha may thus be recognized cebu t if that were true then chakravartin the mythological king who also had the thirty-two marks would be called a buddha then cebu t realizing his error said most honored one now i realized that the buddha cannot be recognized merely by his thirty-two physical marks of excellence the buddha said then should anyone looking at an image or likeness of the buddha claim to know the buddha and worship him that person would be mistaken not knowing the true buddha
chapter 27
however su booty if you think that the buddha realizes the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind and does not need to have all the marks you are mistaken cebu t do not think in that way do not think that when one gives rise to the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind one needs to see all objects of mind as Nanak cut off from life please do not think in that way one who gives rise to the highest most fulfilled and awakened mind does not contend that all objects of mind are non-existent and cut off from life that is not what I say
chapter 28
the Lord Buddha continued Sebu tea if someone gives treasures equal to the number of sands on the shores of the Ganges River and if another having realized the egolessness of all things thereby understands selflessness the latter would be more blessed than the one who practiced external charity why because great disciples do not see blessings and merit as a private possession as something to be gained cebu tea inquired of the Lord Buddha what do you mean great disciples do not see blessings and merit as a private possession the Buddha replied because those blessings and merit have never been sought after by those great disciples they do not see them as private possessions but they see them as the common possession of all beings
chapter 29
the Buddha said Sebu t if any person were to say that the Buddha is now coming or going or sitting up or lying down they would not have understood the principle I have been teaching why because while the expression Buddha means he who has thus come thus gone the true Buddha is never coming from anywhere or going anywhere the name Buddha is merely an expression a figure of speech
chapter 30
Jthe Lord Buddha resumed Sebu T if any good person either man or woman were to take 3,000 galaxies and grind them into microscopic powder and blow it into space what do you think would this powder have any individual existence cebu t replied yes Lord as a microscopic powder blown into space it might be said to have a relative existence but as you use words it has no existence the words are used only as a figure of speech otherwise the words would imply a belief in the existence of matter as an independent and self existent thing which it is not furthermore when the most honored one refers to the 3000 galaxies he could only do so as a figure of speech why because if the 3000 galaxies really existed their only reality would consist in their cosmic unity whether as microscopic powder or as galaxies what does it matter only in the sense of the cosmic unity of ultimate being can the Buddha rightfully refer to it the Lord Buddha was very pleased with this reply and said Cebu tea although ordinary people have always grasped after an arbitrary conception of matter and galaxies that concept has no true basis it is an illusion of the mortal mind even when it is referred to as cosmic unity it is unthinkable and unknowable
chapter 31
the Lord Buddha continued if any person were to say that the Buddha in his teachings has constantly referred to himself to other selves two living beings or to a universal self what do you think would that person have understood my meaning Sebu T replied no Blessed Lord that person would not have understood the meaning of your teachings for when you referred to those things you are not referring to their actual existence you only use the words as figures of speech as symbols only in that sense can words be used for conceptions ideas limited truths and spiritual truths have no more reality than have matter or phenomena then the Lord Buddha made his meaning even more emphatic by saying cebu t when people begin their practice of seeking to attaining total enlightenment they ought to see to perceive to know to understand and to realize that all things and all spiritual truths are no things and therefore they ought not to conceive within their minds any arbitrary conceptions whatsoever
chapter 32
buddha continued cebu t if anyone gave to the buddha an immeasurable quantity of the seven treasures sufficient to fill the whole universe and if another person whether a man or woman in seeking to attain complete enlightenment were to earnestly and faithfully observe and study even a single section of this sutra and explain it to others the accumulated blessing and merit of that latter person would be far greater cebu tea how can one explain this sutra to others without holding in mind any arbitrary conception of forms or phenomena or spiritual truths it can only be done cebu tea by keeping the mind in perfect tranquillity and free from any attachment to appearances so i say to you this is how to contemplate our conditioned existence in this fleeting world like a tiny drop of dew or a bubble floating in a stream like a flash of lightning in a summer cloud or a flickering lamp an illusion a phantom or a dream so is all conditioned existence to be seen thus Spoke Buddha