The Diamond Sutra: Translated by the Indian Tripiṭaka Master of the Yao Qin Dynasty

This is what I heard:

1. The Buddha was once in the Jetavana Monastery in Śrāvastī, accompanied by 1,250
major disciples. At that time the World-Honored One, when mealtime came, put on his
robe, took his begging bowl in hand, and went into the city of Śrāvastī to beg for
food. He then returned to the monastery, and when he had finished eating, put away
his robe and begging bowl, washed his feet, spread his sitting mat and sat down.

2. At that time the elder monk Subhūti, who was among the disciples, having risen
from his seat, bared his right shoulder, pressed his right knee to the ground,
brought his palms together in a gesture of reverence, and addressed the Buddha in
these words: "How rare and wonderful, World-Honored One, the way the Thus Come One
carefully takes thought of the bodhisattvas, how he carefully gives instruction to
the bodhisattvas. World-Honored One, if these good men and good women wish to set
their minds on the attainment of supreme and perfect enlightenment, how should they
live, how should they discipline their minds?"
The Buddha said, "Excellent, excellent, Subhūti. It is just as you say, how the
Thus Come One carefully takes thought of the bodhisattvas, how he carefully gives
instruction to the bodhisattvas. Now you must listen care-fully and I will explain
to you how good men and good women who wish to set their minds on the attainment of
supreme and perfect enlightenment should live, and how they should discipline their
minds."
"By all means, World-Honored One! I am eager to hear it."

3. Then the Buddha said to Subhūti, "The bodhisattvas, the mahāsattvas, should
train their minds to think in this way. All living creatures, whether born from
eggs or from the womb, whether produced from moisture or from transformation,
whether they have form or are without form, whether they have thought, are without
thought, or are neither with or without thought —all these I will cause to pass
over into the extinction of the nirvana of no remainder. In this way I will cause
an immeasurable, a countless, a bound-less number of living creatures to enter
extinction. And yet, in truth, no living creature will be enabled to enter
extinction. Why? Because, Subhūti, if the bodhisattvas entertain any thought of
something that has the marks of a self, something that has the marks of a being,
something that has the marks of a living creature, or something that has the marks
of an individual, then they are not bodhisattvas."

4. "Next, Subhūti, when the bodhisattvas carry out almsgiving, they should have no
feelings of attachment to a dharma or thing.8 They should have no attachment
regarding the color or form of their almsgiving. They should have no attachment
regarding the sound, scent, taste, feel, or dharma nature of their almsgiving.
Subhūti, the bodhisattvas should carry out almsgiving in this way, paying no mind
to the form it may take."
"Why? Because if the bodhisattvas pay no mind to the form in their almsgiving,
then the good fortune they receive will be beyond measuring."
"Subhūti, what do I mean by this? The limits of the eastern sky―can they be
measured?"
"No, World-Honored One."
"Subhūti, can the limits of the sky to the south, the west, the north, the sky
in the four directions, or up or down—can they be measured?"
"No, World-Honored One."
"Subhūti, when the bodhisattvas bestow alms without thinking about the form,
then the good fortune they receive will in the same way be beyond measuring.
Subhūti, the bodhisattvas have only to deal with attachment in the manner that I
have taught them."

5. "And Subhūti, what do you think? Can the Thus Come One be seen in terms of his
bodily marks?"
"No, World-Honored One. The Thus Come One cannot be seen in terms of bodily
marks. Why? Because the Thus Come One has said that bodily marks are in fact no
bodily marks."
The Buddha then said to Subhūti, "Wherever there are such bodily marks, in every
case they are all empty falsehoods. But if one sees that bodily marks are no bodily
marks, then one sees the Thus Come One."

6. Subhūti then said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, if living beings hear
pronouncements and passages of scripture such as this, will they be able to believe
and have faith in them?"
The Buddha said to Subhūti, "You must not speak in such a way! In the latter
five-hundred-year period after the Buddha has passed into nirvana, those who abide
by the precepts and seek good fortune, encountering these passages of scripture,
will be able to embrace them with a believing mind and accept them as the truth.
For you should understand that these persons have not planted the seeds of good
understanding under one buddha, two buddhas, or three, four, or five buddhas. They
have already planted the seeds of good understanding under countless thousands and
ten thousands of buddhas. When they hear passages of scripture such as this, they
will accept them at once with the purest faith."
"Subhūti, the Thus Come One in all cases knows and in all cases has seen how
these living beings have in this way gone about gaining unlimited good fortune. How
do I know this? Because they never entertained the thought of a self, a being, a
living creature, or an individual, nor the thought of a dharma, or of what is not a
dharma. Why do I say this? Because if any of these living beings in their minds had
seized upon such a thought, then they would be clinging to the concept of a self, a
being, a living creature, or an individual. And if by entertaining such a thought
they would be clinging to the concept of a self, a being, a living creature, or an
individual, then what follows? If they entertained the thought of that which is not
a dharma, they would likewise be clinging to the concept of a self, a being, a
living creature, or an individual. Therefore, one should not seize on the idea of a
dharma, or on the idea of what is not a dharma. This is the reason why the Thus
Come One constantly declares that you monks should understand this—that the
teachings that I expound are to be likened to a raft. The idea of a dharma must be
cast aside, to say nothing of the idea of what is not a dharma."

7. "Subhūti, what do you think? Does the Thus Come One attain supreme and perfect
enlightenment? Does the Thus Come One preach that it is a dharma?"
Subhūti replied in these words: "If I have understood the meaning of the
Buddha's preaching, he has never posited the existence of a particular dharma such
as supreme and perfect enlightenment. The Thus Come One has never posited the
existence of any particular dharma at all. Why? Because the dharmas that the Buddha
expounds are in all cases not something that can be acquired, not something that
can be expounded. They are not dharmas, and they are not not dharmas. Why do I say
this? Because all the wise and holy ones in all cases deal in an unconditioned
dharma that is expressed in terms of the conditional."

8. "Subhūti, what do you think? If a person were to fill the thousand-millionfold

world with the seven treasures as an offering of alms, that person would gain great
fortune, would he not?"
Subhūti replied, "Very great good fortune, World-Honored One. Why? Because such
good fortune does not partake of the nature of good fortune. Therefore, the Thus
Come One has said that such a person attains great good fortune."
"But," the Buddha said, "if persons accept so much as one four-line verse from
this sutra and expound it to others, then the good fortune they receive is even
greater. Why? Subhūti, all the dharmas of the buddhas and of the supreme and
perfect enlightenment of the buddhas—all these derive from this sutra. Subhūti,
what are called buddha dharmas are in fact not buddha dharmas."
9. "Subhūti, what do you think? Can those who are stream-winners think to
themselves, 'I have attained the level of stream-winner,' or can they not?" Subhūti
replied, "No, they cannot, World-Honored One. Why? Because the term stream-winner
means one who has entered the stream; but there is no stream to enter. Such a
person does not enter the stream of forms, sounds, scents, tastes, feelings, or
dharmas. This is called a stream-winner." "Subhūti, what do you think? Can those
who are once-returners think to
themselves, 'I have attained the level of once-returner,' or can they not?" Subhūti
replied, "No, they cannot, World-Honored One. Why? Because a once-returner is one
who returns only once more. But in fact there is no returning. This is called a
once-returner."
"Subhūti, what do you think? Can those who are non-returners think to
themselves, 'I have attained the level of a non-returner,' or can they not?"
Subhūti replied, "No. they cannot, World-Honored One. Why? Because a non-returner
is one who does not return, but in fact there is no such thing as returning. This
is called a non-returner."
"Subhūti, what do you think? Can those who are arhats think to themselves, 'I
have attained the level of arhat,' or can they not?"
Subhūti replied, "No, they cannot, World-Honored One. Why? Because in fact there
is no such thing called an arhat. World-Honored One, if arhats thought to
themselves, 'I have attained the level of arhat,' then they would be clinging to
the concept of a self, a being, a living creature, an individual."
"World-Honored One, you, the Buddha, have declared that I deserve to be called
foremost among those in strifeless concentration, that I am foremost among arhats
free of desire. But I never think to myself, 'I am an arhat free of desire.' World-
Honored One, if I thought to myself, 'I have attained the arhat path,' then the
World-Honored One would not have said to me, 'Subhūti delights in carrying out the
practice of strifeless concentration. Because for Subhūti there is in fact no such
practice, I declare that Subhūti delights in the practice of strifeless
concentration.'"

10. The Buddha said to Subhūti, "What do you think? Did the Thus Come One in the
past gain any dharma from the Buddha Dīpaṃkara, or did he not gain any dharma?"
"World-Honored One, when the Thus Come One was with the Buddha Dīpaṃkara, in
fact he did not gain any dharma."
"Subhūti, what do you think? Do the bodhisattvas adorn the buddha lands, or do
they not?"
"No, World-Honored One. Why? Because to adorn the buddha lands is not to adorn
them. This is called adorning."
"Therefore, Subhūti, the bodhisattvas, the mahāsattvas, should in this way
cultivate minds that are pure and clear and should not cultivate minds that are
attached to forms, nor should they cultivate those that are attached to sound,
scent, taste, feeling or dharmas. They should cultivate minds that are attached to
nothing."
"Subhūti, suppose there was a person whose body was the size of Sumeru, the king
of mountains. What do you think? Could such a body be called big or not?"
Subhūti replied, "Very big, World-Honored One. Why? Because the Buddha has said
that what is not a body—this is called a big body."

11. "Subhūti, suppose there were as many Ganges Rivers as there are sands in the
Ganges, and suppose one counted all the grains of sand in all these Ganges. What do
you think? Would the sands of these Ganges be many or not?"
Subhūti replied, "Very many, World-Honored One. The number of Ganges Rivers
alone would be too many to be counted, to say nothing of the sands in them."
"Subhūti, I will now tell you the truth of the matter. If good men and good
women should take the seven treasures and, using them as alms, fill as many
thousand-millionfold worlds as there are sands in the Ganges, would they gain great
good fortune or would they not?"
Subhūti replied, "Very great, World-Honored One."
 The Buddha then said to Subhūti, "If good men and good women should accept and
uphold just one four-line verse from this sutra and teach it to others, then the
good fortune they gained would be even greater."

12. "Moreover, Subhūti, if someone proceeds to expound even one four-line verse
from this sutra, you should know that the place where this is done is one where all
the heavenly beings, human beings, and asuras in the world should offer alms as
they would to a stupa of the Buddha. And how much more is this so if that person is
fully able to accept, uphold, read, and recite the sutra. Subhūti, you should know
that such a person brings to fulfillment the foremost, the most wonderful of all
teachings. And that wherever this sutra exists, it is as though the Buddha himself
were there, or his most venerable disciples."

13. At that time Subhūti said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, by what name
should this sutra be known, and how should we honor and uphold it?"
The Buddha said to Subhūti, "This sutra should be called 'The Diamond Perfection
of Wisdom,' and by that name you should honor and uphold it. And why is this?
Subhūti, the perfection of wisdom that the Buddha expounds is not a perfection of
wisdom. Subhūti, why do I say this? Does the Thus Come One expound the existence of
dharmas, or does he not?"
Subhūti said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, the Thus Come One does not
expound anything."
"Subhūti, what do you think? The dust particles in the thousand-million-fold
world—are they many or not?"
Subhūti replied, "They are very many, World-Honored One."
"Subhūti, these dust particles that the Thus Come One expounds are not dust
particles. These are called dust particles. And what the Thus Come One expounds as
a world is not a world. This is called a world."
"Subhūti, what do you think? Can the Thus Come One be seen in the thirtytwo
bodily marks?"
"No, World-Honored One. The Thus Come One cannot be seen in the thirtytwo bodily
marks. Why? Because the Thus Come One teaches us that the thirty-two bodily marks
are not bodily marks. These are called the thirty-two bodily marks."
"Subhūti, suppose there were good men and good women who gave their bodies and
lives as a form of almsgiving for as many times as there are sands in the Ganges.
Much greater would be the good fortune gained by a person who accepted and upheld
one four-line verse of this sutra and taught it to others!"

14. At that time, Subhūti, hearing the Buddha speak in such a way about this sutra,
achieved a profound understanding. Shedding tears of compassion, he said to the
Buddha, "How rare and wonderful, World-Honored One, is the way in which you expound
this most profound sutra. From times past, I have gained the eyes of wisdom, but I
have never heard you expound a sutra such as this. World-Honored One, if there are
persons who hear this sutra and embrace it with the purity of a believing mind,
then they will come to understand the true form of reality. One should know, then,
that such persons will acquire the foremost, the most wonderful blessings. World-
Honored One, this true form is not a form at all. Therefore the Thus Come One
expounds it, calling it the true form."
"World-Honored One, now that I have heard you expound a sutra such as this, it
is not at all difficult for me to believe, understand, accept and uphold it. But in
times to come, in the latter five-hundred-year period, if there are living beings
who are able to hear this sutra and believe, understand, accept and uphold it, then
they will be most wonderful persons indeed. Why? Because such persons will be free
of the thought of a self, a being, a living creature, or an individual. Why?
Because the concept of a self is not a concept at all. The concept of a being is
not a concept at all. The concept of a living creature, the concept of a soul, is
no concept at all. Why? Because when one has freed oneself from all such concepts
of form, then the person may be called one of the buddhas."
The Buddha said to Subhūti, "Just so, just so! If there is a person who is able
to hear this sutra without alarm, without fear, without misgivings, then you should
know that this person is most wonderful. Why? Subhūti, what the Thus Come One
expounds as the foremost perfection is not the foremost perfection. This is called
the foremost perfection."
"Subhūti, the pāramitā or perfection of forbearance as preached by the Buddha is
not the perfection of forbearance. Why? When long ago I was subjected to bodily
mutilation by King Kāli, at that time I had no thought of a self, a being, a living
creature, an individual. Why? Because at that time in the distant past when I was
being dismembered limb by limb, if I had had a thought of a self, a being, a living
creature, or an individual, then I would have been filled with anger and hatred."
"Subhūti, when I think back to those five hundred years when I was an ascetic
named Kṣāntivādin or Forbearance, at that time I had no thought of a self, a being,
a living creature, or an individual. Therefore, Subhūti, bodhisattvas should free
themselves from all such concepts of form, and should set their minds on the
attainment of supreme and perfect enlightenment. In their minds they should have no
attachment to form. In their minds they should have no attachment to sound, scent,
taste, feeling, or dharmas. They should cultivate a mind that is without
attachment. If their minds have attachments, these should become non-attachments.
Therefore I have said that bodhisattvas should in their minds have no attachments
regarding the form of their almsgiving. Subhūti, in order for bodhisattvas to
profit and enrich all living beings, they should carry out their almsgiving in this
manner."
"The Thus Come One preaches that all forms are in fact not forms. And he also
preaches that all living beings are not living beings. Subhūti, the Thus Come One
speaks true words, real words, words that are so, words not wild, not deviant."
"Subhūti, the dharma that the Thus Come One has acquired—this dharma is without
truth and without falsehood. Subhūti, if bodhisattvas when they carry out
almsgiving should in their minds have any attachment to a dharma, they would be
like persons who enter a dark place and are unable to see. But if bodhisattvas when
they carry out almsgiving have in their minds no attachment to a dharma, they will
be like persons whose eyes are illumined by the rays of the sun and who can
distinguish all kinds of colors."
"Subhūti, in times to come, if there are good men and good women who can accept,
uphold, read, and recite this sutra, then the Thus Come One, through his buddha
wisdom, will know and recognize all of them. He will see them all and all of them
will attain blessings boundless and beyond measure."

15. "Subhūti, suppose there were good men and good women who in the first part of
the day gave their bodies as a kind of alms for as many times as there are sands in
the Ganges, that in the middle part of the day they again gave their bodies as alms
for as many times as there are sands in the Ganges, and that in the latter part of
the day they once more gave their bodies as alms for as many times as there are
sands in the Ganges, and they continued to give their bodies as alms for a hundred,
a thousand, ten thousand, a million kalpas. But if there were a person who, hearing
this sutra, responded with a believing mind and did not question it, then that
person's good fortune would surpass that of the other persons I have described. And
how much more is this so if that person copies, accepts, upholds, reads, and
recites this sutra and explains and preaches it to others!"
"Subhūti, I speak in all earnestness. This sutra confers unimaginable,
indescribable blessings, blessings that are beyond measure. The Thus Come One
preaches it for those who would set out on the great vehicle path, who would follow
the greatest vehicle of all. If there are persons who can accept, uphold, read and
recite it and expound it widely for the sake of others, the Thus Come One will
recognize all such persons, he will see all such persons and they will all attain
blessings that are boundless and beyond measure, that are unimaginable,
indescribable. Persons such as these are capable of shouldering the supreme and
perfect enlightenment of the Thus Come One. Why? Because, Subhūti, if one delights
in a lesser dharma and is attached to the thought of a self, a being, a living
creature, or an individual, then such a person is not capable of hearing,
accepting, reading and reciting this sutra and preaching and explaining it to
others."
"Subhūti, whatever the place may be, if this sutra is there, then all the
heavenly beings, human beings and asuras in the world should offer alms to it. You
should know that such a spot is like a stupa, where all should reverently bow in
obeisance, should circle it and shower it with flowers and incense."

16. "Furthermore, Subhūti, when good men and good women accept, uphold, read and
recite this sutra, if they should be treated by others with derision and contempt,
it is because in a past existence they created bad karma that would cause them to
be reborn into an evil path. But because now in this existence they are treated by
others with contempt, that bad karma from a past existence will be wiped out.
Hence, they will attain supreme and perfect enlightenment.
"Subhūti, I recall how, countless asaṃkhya kalpas in the past, before the time
of the Buddha Dīpaṃkara, I was able to encounter eight hundred, four thousand, ten
thousand, a million nayutas of buddhas. To each and every one of these I gave alms
and served them diligently, never daring to be remiss. But if, in a latter age,
there is a person who can receive, uphold, read and recite this sutra, the
blessings that person receives will be more than a hundred times the blessings I
received by paying alms to all those buddhas. Those blessings will be a thousand,
ten thousand, a million times greater, greater than it is even possible for numbers
to be calculated or analogies to be expressed. Subhūti, if there are good men and
good women in a latter age who accept, uphold, read and recite this sutra—if I were
to describe in full the blessings they would receive, then people who listened to
me would become confused and dumbfounded in their minds, would be doubtful and fail
to believe me. Subhūti, you should understand that this sutra is indescribable in
import, and the results it brings too are indescribable."

17. At that time Subhūti said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, if good men and
good women set their minds on the attainment of supreme and perfect enlightenment,
how should they live, how should they discipline their minds?"
The Buddha said to Subhūti, "If good men and good women hope to attain supreme
and perfect enlightenment, they should cultivate minds that think in this way: 'I
must save all living beings. And when I have saved all living beings, there will
not in fact be a single living being who has been saved.'"
"Why do I say this? Because, Subhūti, if the bodhisattvas have any thought of a
self, a being, a living creature, or an individual, then they are not bodhisattvas.
Why? Because, Subhūti, there is no such dharma as the attainment of supreme and
perfect enlightenment."
"Subhūti, what do you think? When the Thus Come One was with the Buddha
Dīpaṃkara, was there any such thing as the attainment of supreme and perfect
enlightenment?"
"No, World-Honored One. If I have understood the meaning of the Buddha's
preachings, when the Buddha was with the Buddha Dīpaṃkara, there was no such thing
as the attainment of supreme and perfect enlightenment."
The Buddha said, "Just so, just so! Subhūti, in truth there is no such thing as
the Thus Come One's attaining supreme and perfect enlightenment. Subhūti, if there
were such a thing as the Thus Come One's attaining supreme and perfect
enlightenment, then the Buddha Dīpaṃkara would not have prophesized my attainment
of enlightenment, nor would he have said to me, 'In a future existence you will
become a buddha and will be called Śākyamuni.' But because in truth there is no
such thing as the attainment of supreme and perfect enlightenment, therefore the
Buddha Dīpaṃkara gave me a prophecy of enlightenment, saying, 'In a future
existence you will become a buddha called Śākyamuni.'"
"Why do I say this? To the Thus Come One, all dharmas are 'thus' in nature.
Suppose there should be someone who says that the Thus Come One has attained
supreme and perfect enlightenment. Subhūti, in truth there is no such thing as the
attainment of supreme and perfect enlightenment. Subhūti, the supreme and perfect
enlightenment that the Thus Come One has attained—in it there is no truth and no
falsehood. Therefore the Thus Come One preaches that all dharmas are all of them
buddha dharmas.
Subhūti, what I speak of as 'all dharmas' are not 'all dharmas.' So one calls
them 'all dharmas.' Subhūti, suppose I should say it is like a person who is big
and tall in body."
Subhūti said, "World-Honored One, if the Thus Come One says that a person is big
and tall in body, then that means that that person is not big in body. This is
called a big body."
"Subhūti, the bodhisattvas are the same as this. If one of them were to say, 'I
am going to save a countless number of living beings,' then one could not call that
person a bodhisattva. Why? Because, Subhūti, there is no such dharma called a
bodhisattva. Therefore the Buddha teaches that, with regard to all dharmas, there
is no self, no being, no living creature, no individual."
"Subhūti, if a bodhisattva were to say, 'I will adorn the buddha lands,' he
cannot be called a bodhisattva. Why? Because the Buddha teaches that to adorn the
buddha lands is not to adorn them. This is called adorning. Subhūti, if the
bodhisattvas thoroughly understand that there is no such thing as a self, then the
Thus Come One declares that they are truly worthy to be called bodhisattvas."

18. "Subhūti, what do you think? Does the Thus Come One possess the physical eye?"
"Just so, World-Honored One. The Thus Come One possesses the physical eye."
"Subhūti, what do you think? Does the Thus Come One possess the heavenly eye?"
"Just so, World-Honored One. The Thus Come One possesses the heavenly eye."
"Subhūti, what do you think? Does the Thus Come One possess the wisdom eye?"
"Just so, World-Honored One. The Thus Come One possesses the wisdom eye."
"Subhūti, what do you think? Does the Thus Come One possess the dharma eye?"
"Just so, World-Honored One. The Thus Come One possesses the dharma eye."
"Subhūti, what do you think? Does the Thus Come One possess the buddha eye?"
"Just so, World-Honored One. The Thus Come One possesses the buddha eye."
"Subhūti, what do you think? Regarding the sands of the Ganges, does the Buddha
teach that they are sands or not?"
"Just so, World-Honored One. The Thus Come One teaches that they are sands."
"Subhūti, what do you think? Suppose there were as many Ganges Rivers as there
are sands in the Ganges. And suppose there were as many buddha worlds as there are
sands in all these Ganges Rivers. Would they be many or would they not?"
"They would be very many, World-Honored One."
The Buddha then said to Subhūti, "The different types of minds possessed by the
living beings in these various lands—the Thus Come One knows them all. Why? Because
the Thus Come One teaches that these various types of minds are all of them not
minds. So they are called minds. Why do I say this? Subhūti, past mind cannot be
gotten hold of, present mind cannot be gotten hold of, future mind cannot be gotten
hold of."
19. "Subhūti, what do you think? If a person were to fill the thousand-millionfold
world with the seven treasures as an offering, would that person as a consequence
gain much good fortune, or would he not?"
"Just so, World-Honored One. That person would in consequence of this gain very
much good fortune."
"Subhūti, if the good fortune were true good fortune, then the Thus Come One
would not teach that the amount of fortune gained is great. Because there is no
such thing as good fortune. Therefore, the Thus Come One teaches that the amount of
good fortune is great."

20. "Subhūti, what do you think? Can the fully-formed material body of the Buddha
be seen or not?"
"No, World-Honored One. The Thus Come One does not think it proper for his
fully-formed material body to be seen. Why? Because the Thus Come One teaches that
the fully-formed material body is not a fully-formed material body. This is called
the fully-formed material body."
"Subhūti, what do you think? Can the fully-formed bodily marks of the Thus Come
One be seen or not?"
"No, World-Honored One. The Thus Come One does not think it proper for his
fully-formed bodily marks to be seen. Why? Because the Thus Come One teaches that
his bodily marks when fully-formed are not fully-formed. This is called bodily
marks fully-formed."

21. "Subhūti, you must not say that the Thus Come One entertains any such thought
as the following. If someone should assert that I teach something that is a dharma,
I reply that he should have no such thought. Why? Because if someone claims that
the Thus Come One teaches the existence of a dharma, then he is slandering the
Buddha. He is unable to understand my teachings, that is the reason. Subhūti, to
teach a dharma is to teach that there is no dharma that can be taught—that is the
proper teaching. This is called the teaching of a dharma."
At that time the venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, if
the living beings of a future age hear this preaching of a dharma, will they
respond with a believing mind, or will they not?"
The Buddha said, "Subhūti, these are not living beings, and they are not not
living beings. Why? Subhūti, living beings, living beings—the Thus Come One teaches
that they are not living beings. These are called living beings."

22. Subhūti said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, when the Buddha attained
supreme and perfect enlightenment, did he attain nothing at all?"
"Just so, just so, Subhūti. When I attained supreme and perfect enlightenment,
there was not even the smallest dharma for me to attain. This is called the
attainment of supreme and perfect enlightenment."

23. "Furthermore, Subhūti, this dharma is uniform in nature—it has no higher or

lower degree. So it is called supreme and perfect enlightenment. This is because it
knows no self, no being, no living creature, no individual. When one cultivates all
good dharmas, then one will attain supreme and perfect enlightenment. And what are
called good dharmas the Thus Come One teaches are not good dharmas. These are
called good dharmas."

24. "Subhūti, suppose a person were to gather together the seven treasures in an
amount equal to all the Mount Sumerus, king of mountains, that exist in the
thousand-millionfold world and offer them as alms. And suppose that another person
took this Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, or even just one four-line verse from it,
accepted, upheld, read, recited, and taught it to others. The good fortune gained
by the former person would not amount to one part in a hundred of that gained by
the latter. That gained by the latter could not be measured in hundreds, thousands,
ten thousands, or millions: it would be beyond the possibility of numbers to be
calculated or analogies to be expressed."
25. "Subhūti, what do you think? You should never say of the Thus Come One that he
thinks to himself, 'I will save living beings.' Subhūti you must not think any such
thing. Why? Because in truth there are no living beings for the Thus Come One to
save. If there were any living beings for the Thus Come One to save, then the Thus
Come One would have thoughts of a self, a being, a living creature, an individual.
But, Subhūti, the Thus Come One teaches that what has a self does not have a self.
All ordinary persons believe that they have a self. But, Subhūti, the Thus Come One
teaches that ordinary persons are not ordinary persons."

26. "Subhūti, what do you think? Can one use the thirty-two bodily marks as a means
to view the Thus Come One, or can one not?"
Subhūti said to the Buddha, "Just so, just so. Through the thirty-two bodily
marks one may view the Thus Come One."
The Buddha said, "If one could see the Thus Come One through the thirty-two
bodily marks, then a wheel-turning king would be a Thus Come One!"
Subhūti said to the Buddha, "Then if I understand the Buddha's teachings
correctly, one should not be able to view the Thus Come One through the thirty-two
bodily marks."
At that time, the World-Honored One recited this verse:

Those who look for me in forms,

who seek me in the sound of a voice—
those persons walk an erroneous way,
they can never see the Thus Come One.

27. "Subhūti, suppose you were to think, 'It is not because the Thus Come One was
fully endowed with the bodily marks that he was able to attain supreme and perfect
enlightenment!' Subhūti, you should never think, 'It was not because the Thus Come
One was fully endowed with the bodily marks that he was able to gain supreme and
perfect enlightenment!' Or, Subhūti, suppose you were to think that those who wish
to attain supreme and perfect enlightenment teach that one should assume the marks
of one who cuts off and annihilates all dharmas. You should not think such a
thought. Why? Because those who have set their minds on the attainment of supreme
and perfect enlightenment do not teach that, with regard to dharmas, one should
assume the marks of one who cuts off or annihilates them."

28. "Subhūti, suppose a bodhisattva were to fill as many worlds as there are sands
in the Ganges with the seven treasures and offer them as alms. And suppose there
were a person who understood that all dharmas are without a self and thus were able
to carry out the pāramitā of forbearance. The blessings gained by this person would
exceed those of the bodhisattva just described. Subhūti, this is because the
bodhisattvas do not receive good fortune."
Subhūti said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, why do the bodhisattvas not
receive good fortune?"
"Subhūti, the bodhisattvas must not be greedy to receive good fortune for their
actions. That is why I teach that they do not receive good fortune."

29. "Subhūti, if there is a person who says, 'The Thus Come One—he comes, he goes,
he sits, he lies down,' then that person does not understand the meaning of my
teachings. Why? Because the Thus Come One has nowhere he comes from and nowhere he
goes to. Therefore he is called the Thus Come One."

30. "Subhūti, suppose good men and good women were to take the thousand-millionfold
world and pound it into fine dust. What do you think? Would the fine dust particles
be many or not?"
"Very many, World-Honored One. Why? Because, if these many dust particles really
existed, then the Buddha would not teach that they are dust particles. Why do I say
this? The Buddha teaches that dust particles are not dust particles. These are
called dust particles."
"World-Honored One, the Thus Come One teaches that the thousand-millionfold
world is not a world. This is called a world. Why? If one believed that the world
really existed, this would be the mark of an attachment to an entity. But the Thus
Come One teaches that the mark of an attachment to an entity is not the mark of an
attachment to an entity. This is called the mark of an attachment to an entity."
"Subhūti, the mark of an attachment to an entity must not be taught. But
ordinary people in their greed are attached to such a mark."

31. "Subhūti, suppose someone were to say that the Buddha teaches views such as a
view of a self, a being, a living creature, or an individual. Subhūti, what do you
think? Has this person understood the meaning of my teachings, or has he not?"
"World-Honored One, this person has not understood the meaning of the Thus Come
One's teachings. Why? The World-Honored One teaches that views such as those of a
self, a being, a living creature, or an individual are not views of a self, a
being, a living creature, or an individual. These are called views of a self, a
being, a living creature, or an individual."
"Subhūti, those who have set their minds on the attainment of supreme and
perfect enlightenment should, with regard to all dharmas, understand them in this
way, view them in this way, believe and interpret them in this way and not suppose
there is something that has 'the appearance of a dharma.' Subhūti, what I have
termed the appearance of a dharma—the Thus Come One teaches that it is not the
appearance of a dharma. This is called the appearance of a dharma."

32. "Subhūti, suppose there were a person who filled the worlds, countless asaṃkhya
in number, with the seven treasures, and took them and offered them as alms. And
suppose that good men and good women, having set their minds on becoming
bodhisattvas, took this sutra, even just one four-line verse of it, accepted,
upheld, read, and recited it and preached and expounded it to others. The good
fortune they received would exceed that of that other person."
"And how should they preach and expound it to others? Never troubling about
appearances, in accordance with suchness, unmoving. Why?

Because all conditioned dharmas

are like dreams, phantoms, bubbles, shadows,
like dew, or again like lightning—
in this way should you view them."

When the Buddha had finished preaching this sutra, the elder monk Subhūti, along
with the monks, nuns, male and female lay believers, and the heavenly and human
beings and asuras in all the worlds, having heard the preaching of the Buddha, were
all filled with great delight and joy. They believed, accepted, honored and carried
out this Diamond Perfection of Wisdom Sutra.