The Diamond Sutra: IV and V

The last line of section III

Subhuti, if a Bodhisattva, has “I” appearance, personal appearance, many birth appearances and a living person appearance (he or she)is consequently not being a Bodhisattva.

SECTION IV

Translation Shan jian

復 次須菩提、菩薩於法應無所住行於布施。

 所謂不住色布施。不住聲香味觸法布施。

Again, next in sequence, Subhuti, a Bodhisattava, with reference to Buddhist teaching, should not have that (mind) which dwells (when) performing Dana.

Actually meaning not dwelling in the appearance of Dana, "unable to resist sound, fragrance (and) touch," is the way of Dana.

何以故。若菩薩不住相布施。其福德不可思 量。

Why? Because hence if a Bodhisattva does not dwell in the appearance of Dana, his happiness and virtue cannot be considered measurable.

'須菩提、於意云何。東方    虛空可思量不。 不也世尊。

  須菩提、南西北方四維上下  虛空可思量不。 不也世尊。

Subhuti, then (can you) think and say why emptiness is not capable of (being) turned over in ones mind?

No World Honored One

Subhuti, South, North, West, the four directions, Zenith and Nadir emptiness is not capable (of being) turned over in one’s mind!

No World Honored One

須菩提, 菩薩 無住相布施福德, 亦復如是不可思量。

須菩提、菩薩  但應如所教住。

Subhuti, a Bodhisattva is not to dwell in the appearance of Dana  happiness (or) virtue

Also again thus, should not turn (these) over in his mind

but should comply with that which is the teachings on dwelling.

                               SECTION V

須菩提、於意云何。可以身相見如來不。

Subhuti, what do you think? Can  the Tathagata not be seen by means of His bodily form?'

不也世尊。不可以身相得見如來。

'No, World Honoured One, (One is) not able accordingly (by) body appearance to see the Tathagata appearance

 何以故。如來所說身相卽非身相。

 Why?   because  hence speaking of Tathagata Body appearance there is immediately no body appearance.

 佛吿須菩提、凡所有相皆是虛妄。

 Buddha -吿-- Subhuti all having appearance in all cases is empty and false

 若見諸相非相則見如來。

If seeing all appearance, (as) not having appearance, then the Tathagata appears.

Translation of E.B. Cowell, F. Max Mulller, and J. Takakusu

  'And again, O Subhûti, a gift should not be given by a Bodhisattva, while he believes in objects; a gift should not be given by him, while he believes in anything; a gift should not be given by him, while he believes in form; a gift should not be given by him, while he believes in the special qualities of sound, smell, taste, and touch.

 For thus, O Subhûti, should a gift be given by a noble-minded Bodhisattva, that he should not believe even in the idea of cause. And why? Because that Bodhisattva, O Subhûti, who gives a gift, without believing in anything, the measure of his stock of merit is not easy to learn.'

--'What do you think, O Subhûti, is it easy to learn the measure of space in the eastern quarter?'

Subhûti said: 'Not indeed, O Bhagavat.'--

Bhagavat said: 'In like manner, is it easy to learn the measure of space in the southern, western, northern quarters, below and above (nadir and zenith), in quarters and subquarters, in the ten quarters all round?'

Subhûti said: 'Not indeed,O Bhagavat.'

Bhagavat said: 'In the same manner, O Subhûti, the measure of the stock of merit of a Bodhisattva, who gives a gift without believing in anything, is not easy to learn. And thus indeed, O Subhûti, should one who has entered on the path of Bodhisattvas give a gift, that he should not believe even in the idea of cause.' 

V.

   'Now, what do you think, O Subhûti, should a Tathâgata be seen (known) by the possession of signs[1]?' Subhûti said: 'Not indeed, O Bhagavat, a Tathâgata is not to be seen (known) by the possession of signs. And why? Because what has been preached by the Tathâgata as the possession of signs, that is indeed the possession of no-signs.'

   After this, Bhagavat spoke thus to the venerable Subhûti: 'Wherever there is, O Subhûti, the possession of signs, there is falsehood; wherever there is no possession of signs, there is no falsehood. Hence the Tathâgata is to be seen (known) from no-signs as signs

Translation by Lobsang Chunzin & Michael Roach

And I say, o Subhuti, that a bodhisattva performs the act of

giving without staying in things. They perform the act of

giving without staying in any object at all. They perform the

act of giving without staying in things that you see. They

perform the act of giving without staying in sounds, and

without staying in smells, or tastes, or things that you touch,

or in objects of the thought.

O Subhuti, bodhisattvas perform the act of giving without

conceiving of any thing in any way as a sign. That is how

they give.

Why is it so? Think, o Subhuti, of the mountains of merit

collected by any bodhisattva who performs the act of giving

without staying. This merit, o Subhuti, is not something that

you could easily ever measure.

O Subhuti, what do you think? Would it be easy to measure

the space to the east of us?

And Subhuti respectfully replied, O Conqueror, it would not.

The Conqueror said,

And just so, would it be easy to measure the space in any of the main directions to the south of us, or to the west of us, or to the north of us, or above us, or below us, or in any of the other directions from us? Would it be easy to measure the space to any of the ten directions from where we now stand?

And Subhuti respectfully replied,Conqueror, it would not

Then the Conqueror said:

And just so, Subhuti, it would be no easy thing to measure the mountains of merit collected by any bodhisattva who performs the act of giving without staying.

Now Subhuti, what do you think? Should we consider

someone to be One Thus Gone, just because they possess the

totally exquisite marks that we find on a Buddha's body?

..

And Subhuti respectfully replied,

O Conquering One, we should not. We should not consider

anyone One Thus Gone just because they possess the totally

exquisite marks that we find on a Buddha's body. And why

not? Because when the One Thus Gone himself described the

totally exquisite marks on a Buddha's body, he stated at the

same time that they were impossible.

.

And then the Conqueror spoke to the junior monk Subhuti again, as

follows:

O Subhuti, what do you think? The totally exquisite marks on

a Buddha's body are, as such, are deceptive. The totally

exquisite marks on a Buddha's body are also not deceptive, but

only insofar as they do not exist. And so you should see the

One Thus Gone as having no marks, no marks at all.

Translation Shan jian

Again, next in sequence, Subhuti, a Bodhisattava, with reference to Buddhist teaching, should not have that (mind) which dwells (when) performing Dana.

Actually meaning not dwelling in the appearance of Dana, "unable to resist sound, fragrance (and) touch," is the way of Dana.

Why? Because hence if a Bodhisattva does not dwell in the appearance of Dana, his happiness and virtue cannot be considered measurable.

Subhuti, then (can you) think and say why emptiness is not capable of (being) turned over in ones mind?

No World Honored One

Subhuti, South, North, West, the four directions, Zenith and Nadir emptiness is not capable (of being) turned over in one’s mind!

No World Honored One

Subhuti, a Bodhisattva is not to dwell in the appearance of Dana  happiness (or) virtue

Also again thus, should not turn (these) over in his mind

but should comply with that which is the teachings on dwelling.

Subhuti, what do you think? Can  the Tathagata not be seen by means of His bodily form?'

'No, World Honoured One, (One is) not able accordingly (by) body appearance  see the Tathagata appearance

Why?   because  hence (on) the speaking of Tathagata Body appearance there is immediatly no body appearance.

Buddha -吿-- Subhuti: all having appearance, in all cases, is empty and false

If seeing all appearance, (as) not having appearance, then the Tathagata appears.

COMMENTARY in Construction