Inter- Faiths Dialogue

Detachement > from discrimination

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L isten, Subhuti. Within these innumerable Buddha-lands there are every form of sentient beings with all their various mentalities and conceptions, all of which are fully known to the Tathagata, but not one of them is held in the Tathagata's mind as an arbitrary conception of phenomena. They are merely thought of. Not one of this vast accumulation of conceptions from beginningless time, through the present and into the never ending future, not one of them is graspable.

temple_buddhist

quote 2527 | The Maha Prajna Paramita
Diamond Sutra, 18, in Dwight Goddard, A Buddhist bible

S ubhuti, it is just the same when Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas speak of delivering numberless sentient beings. If they have in mind any arbitrary conception of sentient being or of definite numbers, they are unworthy to be called Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas. And why, Subhuti? Because the very reason why they are called Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas is because they have abandoned all such arbitrary conceptions. And what is true of one arbitrary conception is true of all conceptions. The Tathagata's teachings are entirely free from all such arbitrary conceptions as one's own self, other selves, living beings or a universal self.

temple_buddhist

quote 2526 | The Maha Prajna Paramita
Diamond Sutra, 17, in Dwight Goddard, A Buddhist bible

T he Lord Buddha continued:-For this reason, Subhuti, the minds of all Bodhisattvas should be purified of all such conceptions as relate to seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching and discriminating. They should use the mental faculties spontaneously and naturally, but unconstrained by any preconceptions arising from the senses.

temple_buddhist

quote 2521 | The Maha Prajna Paramita
Diamond Sutra, 10, in Dwight Goddard, A Buddhist bible

W hat do you think, Subhuti? Supposing a disciple who has attained the degree of Crotapanna (entered the stream), could he make any such arbitrary assertion as, 'I have entered the stream'?
Subhuti replied:-No, honored of the worlds. Because, while, by that measure of attainment, it means that he has entered the Holy Stream, yet, speaking truly, he has not entered anything, nor has his mind entertained any such arbitrary conception as form, sound, taste, odor, touch and discrimination. It is because of that degree of attainment that he is entitled to be called a Crotapanna.

What think you, Subhuti? Suppose a disciple has attained the degree of Sakradagamin (one more return), could he make any such arbitrary assertion as, 'I have attained the degree of Sakradagamin'?
No, Honored of the worlds. Because by the degree of Sakradagamin, it is meant that he is to be reborn but once more. Yet speaking truly, there will be no rebirth either in this world or in any oth`er world. It is because he knows this that he is to be called a Sakradagamin.
What think you, Subhuti? Suppose a. disciple has attained the degree of Anagamin (Never to return), could he hold within his mind any such arbitrary conception as, 'I have attained the degree of Anagamin'?
No, Honored of the worlds! Because by the degree of Ariagamin it means that he is never to return, yet, speaking truly,
one who has attained that degree never cherishes any such arbitrary conception and for that reason, he is entitled to be called, an Anagamin.

What think you, Subhuti? Suppose a disciple has attained the degree of Arahat (Fully enlightened), could he entertain within his mind any such arbitrary conception as, 'I have become an Arahat'?
No, Honored of the worlds. Because speaking truly, there is no such thing as a fully enlightened one. Should a disciple who has attained such a degree of enlightenment, cherish within his mind such an arbitrary conception as, 'I have become an Arahat,' he would soon be grasping after such things as his own selfhood, other selves, living beings and a universal self. 0 Blessed Lord! Thou hast said that I have attained the samadhi of 'non-assertion' and, therefore, have reached the climax of human attainment and, because of it, am an Arahat. If I had cherished within my mind the thought, 'I am an Arahat free from all desire'! My Lord could not have declared that Subhuti delights himself in the practice of silence and tranquility. But, speaking truly, I have cherished no such arbitrary thought, so my Lord could truly say, 'Subhuti delights himself in the practice of silence and tranquility.'

temple_buddhist

quote 2520 | The Maha Prajna Paramita
Diamond Sutra, 9, in Dwight Goddard, A Buddhist bible

T he Lord Buddha continued:-Do not think, Subhuti, that the Tathagata would consider within himself:-I will deliver human beings. That would be a degrading thought. Why? Because really there are no sentient beings to be delivered by the Tathagata. Should there be any sentient beings to be delivered by the Tathagata, it would mean that the Tathagata was cherishing within his mind arbitrary conceptions of phenomena such as one's own self, other selves, living beings and an universal self. Even when the Tathagata refers to himself, he is not holding in his mind any such arbitrary thought. Only terrestrial human beings think of selfhood as being a personal possession. Subhuti, even the expression 'terrestrial beings' as used by the Tathagata does not mean that there are any such beings. It is used only as a figure of speech.

temple_buddhist

quote 2519 | The Maha Prajna Paramita
Diamond Sutra, 25, in Dwight Goddard, A Buddhist bible

S ubhuti, if a Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, in practicing charity, conceives within his mind any of these arbitrary conceptions discriminating himself from other selves, he will be like a man walking in darkness and seeing nothing. But if the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, in his practice of charity, has no arbitrary conceptions of the attainment of the blessing and merits which he will attain by such practice, he will be like a person with good eyes, seeing all things clearly as in the bright sunshine.

temple_buddhist

quote 2518 | The Maha Prajna Paramita
Diamond Sutra, 14 C, in Dwight Goddard, A Buddhist bible

W hen engaged in thinking, he should definitely exclude all thoughts connected with the phenomena of sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, and all discriminations based upon them, keeping his thinking independent of all such arbitrary conceptions of phenomena. The mind is disturbed by these discriminations of sense concepts and the following arbitrary conceptions about them and, as the mind becomes disturbed, it falls into false imaginations as to one's self and its relation to other selves. It is for that reason that the Tathagata has constantly urged the Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas in their practice of charity not to be influenced by any arbitrary conceptions of phenomena such as sights, sounds, etc.

temple_buddhist

quote 2517 | The Maha Prajna Paramita
Diamond Sutra, 14 C, in Dwight Goddard, A Buddhist bible

T he perfect One is free from any theory, for the Perfect One has understood what the body is, and how it arises, and passes away. He has understood what feeling is, and how it arises, and passes away. He has understood what perception is, and how it arises, and passes away. He has understood what the mental formations are, and how they arise, and pass away. He has understood what consciousness is, and how it arises, and passes away.

temple_buddhist

quote 2481 | Buddha Sakyamuni
Majjhima Nikaya, 72

T herefore, I say, the Perfect One has won complete deliverance through the extinction, fading away, disappearance, rejection, and getting rid of all opinions and conjectures, of all inclination to the vainglory of I and mine.

temple_buddhist

quote 2480 | Buddha Sakyamuni
Majjhima Nikaya, 72

A nd I discovered that profound truth, so difficult to perceive, difficult to understand, tranquillizing and sublime, which is not to be gained by mere reasoning, and is visible only to the wise.

temple_buddhist

quote 2454 | Buddha Sakyamuni
Majjhima Nikaya, 26

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