10: More On How Bodhisattvas Think, and a Visualization / THE DIAMOND SUTRA

   “The Buddha again spoke, saying “Subhuti, think!  Did I, the Inconceivably Dynamic, Transcendent-yet-Appearing Individual, receive the transmission of spiritual wisdom in the past, when I was under the tutelage of the master Dipankara Buddha?”

   “No World-Honored One! You, the Inconceivably Dynamic, Transcendent-yet-Appearing Individual, did not receive the the transmission transmission of spiritual wisdom, when you were under the tutelage of the master Buddha Dipankara.”

   “And Subhuti! Aren’t bodhisattvas supposed to be transforming the world? Well, whoever believes that is way off base. Because, in actuality, there is no such thing as a transforming the world. By knowing this, bodhisattvas are able to transform the world!

   “Which  goes to show, Subhuti, that anyone aspiring to be a bodhisattva should think without clinging to the thoughts thus created. They should also refrain from making up thoughts with any sense that they are real, regardless whether the thoughts pertain to visions, sounds, smells, flavors, feelings, or anything whatsoever. Aspirants to bodhisattvahood should just make up thoughts that lack the proclivity to grasp onto thoughts as though they were substantial or real.

   “Now try it! Make up a god-like superman with a fantastically ideal sort of body, like the beatific Mount Sumeru! Now, Subhuti, what do you think? Isn’t your superman quite amazing?”

   “Oh yes, World-Honored One, amazing indeed! The fantastic superman that I’m imagining is neither really somebody, nor is he not sombody! And yes, with out a doubt, he is amazing!


                 The Vajracchedika Prajna Paramita Sutra--on the essence of wisdom
                      The Lotus Version by permission
                      Featuring the Buddha in a discussion with his disciple, Subhuti
                      Recorded by the disciple Ananda  

Song of Hui-Neng

You want to teach these foolish folks?
Proceed to exorcize their doubt
You'll need to be quite skillful blokes
And then their wisdom will come out

The place of waking, it's right here
Yet in a way fools cannot see
So please don't run away in fear
To find a world that cannot be

The views of men as in our world
Or thoughts of truth from higher mind
To know that these, they both must go
It's then you'll leave distress behind

Then this, the straight-talk waking up
Known as the wondrous Greater Way
That leave's confusion's endless cup,
For a waking that could come today

songs and poems © sol ta triane, 2012

9: Clarifying Levels of Spiritual Practitioners

“Subhuti! What do you think? Would someone who entered the stream of advanced spirituality think, ‘I’m a stream-enterer?’”

Subhuti said, “No, World-Honored One. And the reason why they wouldn’t think it, is that a person who has entered the stream knows that stream-enterers haven’t actually entered anything. They would know that they have really gained entry to a new paradigm of vision, sound, smell, taste, or feeling. They would know that they have not actually entered anything at all. That’s what makes them stream-enterers!”

“Subhuti! What do you think? Would people called a once-more returners have the thought that they had accomplished the level of a once-more returner?”

Subhuti said, “No, World Honored One. They wouldn’t think that way, because these once-more returners, though their name implies it, don’t actually return. Being capable of this understanding, they are honored with the title of once-more returner.”

“Subhuti! Does a non-returner think that they have attained the spiritual qualification of never again having to reincarnate?”

Subhuti replied, “No, World-Honored One. Although the name implies that they don’t return, their mind remains free of believing in a self that returns.”

“Subhuti! Would an arhat think something like ‘I’ve accomplished the level of arhat?’”

Subhuti said, “No, World-Honored One! They wouldn’t, because there is really no such thing as an Arhat. If an arhat thought that they had accomplished attaining the level of an arhat, that would mean that they would be attached to an idea of a self, or to one of being a being, or of someone living a life or to an idea of some sort of an eternal personage.  Most Holy and World-Honored One, you have mentioned that I, Subhuti, am the most accomplished in the meditative continuum that ends grasping on to desires. True enough. Free from desires, I entertain no thought of freedom from desires. O Great One! If I thought about how I had done something to establish a level of arhatship, or believed that I had accomplished the attainment of freedom from desires, then you would have never confirmed that I attained it!

“A whole 'nother way of putting it is, that since I live a carefree spiritual life in the wildness, beyond concepts about forest wandering ascetics, that makes me a forest-wandering yogi.


                The Vajracchedika Prajna Paramita Sutra--on the essence of wisdom
                      The Lotus Organization Version by permission
                      Featuring the Buddha in a discussion with his disciple, Subhuti
                      Recorded by the disciple Ananda  

8: How to Make a Connection With the Source of All Buddhas

   “Subhuti! Do you think that if someone gave gifts of tremendous value, the volume of which filled a trillion universes, to those awakened individuals who capably help all beings, that it would create an outrageous accumulation of goodness?”

   “Yes, World-Honored One. There would be an outrageous amount of good created by doing that, which you would say is not really any good.”

   “If, Subhuti, instead anybody learned a few lines from what I’m telling you, thought about them and shared them with others, the goodness thus created would be vastly greater.

   “And the reason it would be so much greater is this; that to even begin to familiarize yourself with this information is synonymous to making a connection with the Source out of which arises every awakened individual. In fact, this teaching, at-one with the Source of all awakened individuals, is not really a teaching, nor are there awakened individuals! Do this then, so that you too may be acquainted with the Source out of which arises all enlightened beings!”

                The Vajracchedika Prajna Paramita Sutra--on the essence of wisdom
                      The Lotus Version by permission
                      Featuring the Buddha in a discussion with his disciple, Subhuti
                      Recorded by the disciple Ananda   

7: The Ineffable Source of All Buddhas

“Do you think that I am the Inconceivably Dynamic, Transcendent-Yet-Appearing One by the virtue of my fully realizing the meaning of unexcelled perfect enlightenment? Don’t I also teach others to do the same?”

Subhuti answered, “No and no, World-Honored One! You have told us that you really didn’t attain any realization of unexcelled perfect enlightenment, much less show others how to proceed. You said that the nature of the teaching is that it is beyond mental analysis--there is nothing therein that can be bestowed.

"Therefore, all buddhas originate out of That Which Is Beyond Being Analyzable.”


                 The Vajracchedika Prajna Paramita Sutra--on the essence of wisdom
                      The Lotus Version by permission
                      Featuring the Buddha in a discussion with his disciple, Subhuti
                      Recorded by the disciple Ananda  

6: How To Recognize Bodhisattvas By Noting What They Believe

Then the venerable Subhuti posed this question to the Buddha: “World-Honored One! Will there be any people in the future, in the latter, degraded age, who will come in contact with a transcription of your teachings, such as this one, and who will be capable of understanding it?”

The Buddha replied, “Subhuti! Don’t ask me if any people of the future will be capable of understanding a transcription of a teaching like the one I’m giving you here today! Without any doubt, there will be people, bodhisattvas most courageous and capable, who will understand the meaning of a teaching like the one I‘m giving here today!

“So, don’t be afraid! These fearless bodhisattvas are going to do fine! Although they obviously aren’t going be taught by me personally, they will nonetheless have been well-equipped through the preparation that was accomplished under a vast network of enlightened beings. Being predisposed, they’re going to become bodhisattvas upon the hearing of this teaching, a transcription of what I’m telling you here today!

 “Subhuti! An inconceivably dynamic, transcendent-yet-appearing type of individual knows about these bodhisattvas-to-be, through his intuition. An inconceivably dynamic, transcendent-yet-appearing type of individual can envision what it is going to happen with them, by means of his visionary capacity. Thus, an inconceivably dynamic, transcendent-yet-appearing type of individual is able to know what will happen with these people.

“Therefore, I know about these future bodhisattvas, that they will be a source of unfathomably great goodness!

 “But does a mere summarization of these people’s past and future auspicious activities in itself add up to mean that they are going to become bodhisattvas? No. We could only know about the bodhisattvas’ unfoldment to come, if we could know that they won’t be clinging to an idea of a self, to thoughts of being a being, or to thoughts that make claim of an existence of an eternal personality.

“Subhuti! You should know that these bodhisattvas won’t even be holding on to thoughts about spiritual teachings, much less to ones about no spiritual teachings. By taking note of their non-grasping, we can know for certain that these future people will be bodhisattvas! We can know that they are going to be the kind of people who aren’t going to be grasping on to ideas about ultimate truth, much less ones about no ultimate truth!

“Then again, Subhuti,  think about how we could know for certain that these people aren’t going to be grasping on to their ideas about spiritual teachings? If it turned out that these people were going to be grasping on to ideas about spiritual teaching, then that would mean they would also be attached to an idea of a self, an idea of being a being, or to one of some sort of an eternal personality, so they couldn’t be bodhisattvas. If they held beliefs that there was no meaning or no spiritual teaching, then that would similarly go to show that they believe in a set self, that thinking you are being is the same as being, or that personal characteristics somehow remain fixed.
     “But the question may remain: Are these people of the future going to be grasping on to an idea of a spiritual teaching? Subhuti! I can see that these unstoppable folks will become bodhisattvas —  the kind of people who don’t cling either to spiritual ideas or to thoughts that there is no spirituality!
     “And it is in this context that I have described the true spiritual teaching as a raft — a means to the other shore.”


                 The Vajracchedika Prajna Paramita Sutra--on the essence of wisdom
                      The Lotus Version by permission
                      Featuring the Buddha in a discussion with his disciple, Subhuti
                      Recorded by the disciple Ananda 

5: How to Identify an Inconceivably Dynamic, Transcendent-Yet-Appearing Individual ------ (A Tathagata)

“Subhuti! Do you think you could identify someone as an inconceivably dynamic, transcendent-yet-appearing individual by taking note of their special personal characteristics?”

Subhuti replied, “No, I couldn’t, World-Honored One, because it’s not possible to identify someone as an inconceivably dynamic, transcendent-yet-appearing individual by taking note of special personal characteristics. I know that, because you, World-Honored One, say that characteristics are in actuality not really characteristics.”

The Buddha replied, “Subhuti! To believe that phenomenal characteristics are a bona fide reality is to be self-deceived, but to note that what seem to be characteristics neither exist nor don’t exist, is to have understanding. When you understand that there aren’t any characteristics that are existing, much less any not existing, you will be able to note the illusory-like quality of a buddha’s characteristics and thus identify an inconceivably dynamic, transcendent-yet-appearing individual!”

                 The Vajracchedika Prajna Paramita Sutra--on the essence of wisdom
                      The Lotus Version by permission
                      Featuring the Buddha in a discussion with his disciple, Subhuti
                      Recorded by the disciple Ananda 

4: The Great Result of Giving Without Attachment

“When a person who aspires to be a bodhisattva helps others they should do so without clinging to anything about the act. They should help others and not cling to ideas or expectations. In giving they shouldn’t hold on to how things seem to appear, smell, sound, feel or taste—they shouldn’t hold on to anything, for that matter.

“And why do you think they would need to be giving in that manner, Subhuti? By helping others without grasping, bodhisattvas cause an inconceivable amount of goodness!

“Now, Subhuti! Think! Can you fathom the span of space that goes in an eastward direction?”

“No, World-Honored One, I can’t conceive of that span of space.”

“How about the space that goes southward, westward, northward, or the space going straight up or down? Can you fathom those vast spans of space?”

“No, World-Honored One, I can’t fathom those kinds of distances.”

“Subhuti! The amount of goodness produced by a bodhisattva’s unattached charity would be similarly inconceivable. Those who want to become bodhisattvas need to act and follow these instructions.”

                 The Vajracchedika Prajna Paramita Sutra--on the essence of wisdom
                      The Lotus Version by permission
                      Featuring the Buddha in a discussion with his disciple, Subhuti
                      Recorded by the disciple Ananda 

3: What to Do to Become a Bodhisattva

Then the Buddha spoke, saying, “Subhuti! Anyone who wishes to attain bodhisattvahood should use their minds and think this thought:

I shall liberate every single being, whether born from an egg or a womb, whether born in water or in the air, whether distinct in shape or amorphous, whether they are the kind that have some degree of conceptual thinking or thought-free ones, taking each and every one to a state of absolute perfect nirvana! And, though I bring every being into absolute perfect nirvana, I need to realize, in actuality, that those beings being brought aren’t beings—which means that no one is being brought into the state of absolute perfect nirvana!

“Now, Subhuti! You may be wondering why potential bodhisattvas would need to create a thought like this. They need to do it, because as long as they hold to the idea of self-existence—that beings are actually being something, that lives are lived or that there are eternal personalities—they won’t be able to be bodhisattvas!”

                 The Vajracchedika Prajna Paramita Sutra--on the essence of wisdom
                      The Lotus Version by permission
                      Featuring the Buddha in a discussion with his disciple, Subhuti
                      Recorded by the disciple Ananda 

4: The Great Result of Giving Without Attachment

2: Subhuti’s Request to Explain the Teaching

The very venerable monk named Subhuti was there in attendance. He stood up out of the group and uncovered his right shoulder. Kneeling upon his right knee and joining his palms together he implored,

“How amazing, World-Honored One, the highly creative manner in which you work with bodhisattvas — able to confide to them that which is foremost in value! But please tell us, how can a man or a woman of integrity take the steps to becoming a bodhisattva and receive your training toward an unsurpassed and perfect enlightenment? What kind of practices do they need to do? How should they be conducting themselves? Is there a proper way for them to be thinking?”

                 The Vajracchedika Prajna Paramita Sutra--on the essence of wisdom
                      The Lotus Version by permission
                      Featuring the Buddha in a discussion with his disciple, Subhuti
                      Recorded by the disciple Ananda