The Diamond Sutra (100) – Zen Fools

wpadminAugust 4, 2025

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Part 31-1

“Subhuti, if someone says that the Buddha expounded the idea of self, the idea of person, the idea of sentient being, the idea of a liver of life, do you think this person understands the principles I expounded?”

“World Honoured One, this person does not understand the principles expounded by the Realised One. Why? The World Honoured One says that the idea of self, the idea of person, the idea of a sentient being, and the idea of a liver of life are not an idea of self, an idea of person, an idea of an sentient being and an idea of a liver of life, but they are just called the notion of self, the notion of person, the notion of a sentient being, and the notion of a liver of life.”

Commentary:

According to literal and secular interpretations, it is true that the Buddha mentioned such words in part 15-4: “Why? Subhuti, those who take pleasure in small dharmas are attached to the idea of self, the idea of person, the idea of a being, and the idea of a liver of life; so they cannot accept this Sutra, read or recite it, or explain it to others.”

However, anyone who believes that the Buddha said such words fails to grasp the crux of the words preached by the Buddha, because all the words spoken by the Buddha are nothing but a finger pointing to the true-Self, or a vessel for delivering the true-Self. This is why trying to see the true-Self by being immersed in words is likened to struggling to squeeze juice from a dry stick. It is said that accepting the Buddha’s words verbally and passing them on to others in the same way is said to slander the Buddha and cause harm to the Buddha’s body.

Student: “If the Buddha didn’t expound such ideas as mentioned, what did he expound?”

Master: “He didn’t expound but revealed the true-Self.”