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  PRINCIPLES
» zen & buddhism   » the four noble truths   » the eightfold path   » karma & reincarnation   » sutras   » FAQ's   » glossary of terms
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DIAMOND SUTRA - Chapter 20. Examples of Misinterpretations

Tat kim manyase Subhute laksana-sampada Tathagatena-anuttara samyaksambodhir abhisambuddha? Na khalu punas te Subhute evam drastavyam. Tat kasya hetoh? Na hi Subhute laksana-sampada Tathagatena-anuttara samyaksambodhir abhisambuddha syat.
What do you think, Subhuti, has the Tathagata fully known the utmost, right and perfect enlightenment through his possession of marks? Not so should you see it, Subhuti. And why? Because the Tathagata could surely not have fully known the utmost, right and perfect enlightenment through his possession of marks.

Na khalu punas te Subhute kascid evam vaded: Bodhisattva-yana-samprasthitaih kasyacid dharmasya vinasah prajnapta ucchedo veti. Na khalu punas te Subhute evam drastavyam. Tat kasya hetoh? Na bodhisattva-yana-samprasthitaih kasyacid dharmasya vinasah prajnapto nocchedah.
Nor should anyone, Subhuti, say to you, 'those who have set out in the Bodhisattva-vehicle have conceived the destruction of a dharma, or its annihilation'. Not so should you see it, Subhuti! For those who have set out in the Bodhisattva-vehicle have not conceived the destruction of a dharma, or its annihilation.

Yas ca khalu punah Subhute kulaputro va kuladuhita va ganganadi-valuka-samaml lokadhatun saptaratna-paripurnan krtva Tathagatebhyo'rhadbhyah samyaksambuddhebhyo danam dadyat, yas ca bodhisattvo niratmakesv anutpatti-kesu dharmesu ksantim pratilabhate, ayam eva tato nidanam bahutaram punya-skandham prasaved aprameyam asamkhyeyam.
And again, Subhuti, if a son or daughter of good family had filled with the seven precious things as many world systems as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges, and gave them as a gift to the Tathagatas, Arhats, fully Enlightened Ones, and if on the other hand a Bodhisattva would gain the patient acquiescence in dharmas which are nothing of themselves and which fail to be produced, then this latter would on the strength of that beget a greater heap of merit, immeasurable and incalculable.

Na khalu punah Subhute bodhisattvena mahasattvena punya-skandhah parigrahitavyah. Ayusman Subhutir aha: Nanu Bhagavan bodhisattvena punyaskandhah parigrahitavyah? Bhagavan aha: Parigrahitavyah Subhute nodgrahitavyah. Tenocyate parigrahitavya iti.
Moreover, Subhuti, the Bodhisattva should not acquire a heap of merit. Subhuti said: Surely, O Lord, the Bodhisattva should acquire a heap of merit? The Lord said: 'Should acquire', Subhuti, not 'should seize upon.' Therefore is it said, 'should acquire'.

Api tu khalu punah Subhute yah kascid evam vadet: Tathagato gacchati vagacchati va, tisthati va nisidati va sayyam va kalpayati, na me Subhute sa bhasitasya-artham ajanati. Tat kasya hetoh? Tathagata iti Subhute ucyate na kvacid-gato na kutascid agatah. Tenocyate Tathagato 'rhan samyaksambuddha iti
Whosoever says that the Tathagata goes or comes, stands, sits or lies down, he does not understand the meaning of my teaching. And why? 'Tathagata' is called one who has not gone anywhere, nor come from anywhere. Therefore is he called 'the Tathagata, the Arhat, the fully Enlightened One'.

Yas ca khalu punah Subhute kulaputro va kuladuhita va yavantas trisahasra-mahasahasre lokadhatau prthivi-rajamsi tavatam lokadhatunam evamrupam masim kuryat yavad evam asamkhyeyena viryena tad yathapi nama paramanu-samcayah, tat kim manyase Subhute api nu bahuh sa paramanu-samcayo bhavet? Subhutir aha: Evam etat Bhagavann, evam etat Sugata, bahuh sa paramanu-samcayo bhavet. Tat kasya hetoh? Saced Bhagavan bahuh paramanu-samcayo 'bhavisyat, na Bhagavan avaksyat paramanu-samcaya iti. Tat kasya hetoh? Yo 'sau Bhagavan paramanu-samcayas Tathagatena bhasitah, a-samcayah sa Tathagatena bhasitah. Tenocyate paramanu-samcaya iti.
And again, Subhuti, if a son or daughter of good family were to grind as many world systems as there are particles of dust in this great world system of 1,000 million worlds, as finely as they can be ground with incalculable vigour, and in fact reduce them to something like a collection of atomic quantities, what do you think, Subhuti, would that be an enormous collection of atomic quantities? Subhuti replied: So it is, O Lord, so it is, O Well-Gone, enormous would that collection of atomic quantities be! And why? If, O Lord, there had been an enormous collection of atomic quantities, the Lord would not have called it an 'enormous collection of atomic quantities'. And why? What was taught by the Tathagata as a 'collection of atomic quantities', as a no-collection that was taught by the Tathagata. Therefore is it called a 'collection of atomic quantities'.

Yas ca Tathagatena bhasitas trisahasramahasahasro lokadhatur iti, a-dhatuh sa Tathagatena bhasitah. Tenocyate trisahasramahasahasro lokadhatur iti. Tat kasya hetoh? Saced Bhagavan loka-dhatur abhavisyat, sa eva pinda-graho 'bhavisyat, yas caiva pinda-grahas Tathagatena bhasitah, a-grahah sa Tathagatena bhasitah. Tenocyate pinda-graha iti. Bhagavan aha: Pinda-grahas caiva Subhute 'vyavaharo 'nabhilapyah. Na sa dharmo na-adharmah, sa ca balaprthagjanair udgrhitah.
And what the Tathagata taught as 'the world system of 1,000 million worlds', that he has taught as a no-system. Therefore is it called 'the world system of 1,000 million worlds'. And why? If, O Lord, there had been a world system, that would have been a case of seizing on a material object, and what was taught as 'seizing on a material object' by the Tathagata, just as a no-seizing was that taught by the Tathagata. Therefore is it called 'seizing on a material object'. The Lord added: And also, Subhuti, that 'seizing on a material object' is a matter of linguistic convention, a verbal expression without factual content. It is not a dharma nor a no-dharma. And yet the foolish common people have seized upon it.

Tat kasya hetoh? Yo hi kascit Subhuta evam vaded: Atma-drstis Tathagatena bhasita sattva-drstir jiva-drstih pudgala-drstis Tathagatena bhasita, api nu sa Subhute samyagvadamano vadet? Subhuti aha: No hidam Bhagavan no hidam Sugata, na samyag-vadamano vadet. Tat kasya hetoh? Ya sa Bhagavann atma-drstis Tathagatena bhasita, a-drstih sa Tathagatena bhasita. Tenocyata atma-drstir iti. Bhagavan aha: Evam hi Subhute bodhisattva-yana-samprasthitena sarva-dharma jnatavya drastavya adhimoktavyah. Tatha ca jnatavya drastavya adhimoktavyah yatha na dharma-samjna pratyupasthahe. Tat kasya hetoh? Dharma-samjna dharma-samjneti Subhute a-samjnaisa Tathagatena bhasita. Tenocyate dharma-samjneti.
And why? Because whosoever would say that the view of a self has been taught by the Tathagata, the view of a being, the view of a living soul, the view of a person, would he, Subhuti, be speaking right? Subhuti replied: No indeed, O Lord, no indeed, O Well-Gone, he would not be speaking right. And why? That which has been taught by the Tathagata as 'view of self', as a no-view has that been taught by the Tathagata. Therefore is it called 'view of self'. The Lord said: It is thus, Subhuti, that someone who has set out in the Bodhisattva-vehicle should know all dharmas, view them, be intent on them. And he should know, view and be intent on them in such a way that he does not set up the perception of a dharma. And why? 'Perception of dharma, perception of dharma, 'Subhuti, as no-perception has this been taught by the Tathagata. Therefore is it called 'perception of dharma'.

End of DIAMOND SUTRA - Chapter 20. Examples of Misinterpretations horizotal line T.o.C . Previous Chapter « | . 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. | » Next Chapter



 



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