The Diamond Sutra (101) – Zen Fools
Part 31-2
“Subhuti, those who aspire to unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment should not dwell on images of things by knowing, seeing, and believing all things in this way. Subhuti, all images of things the Realised One said are not images of things but just called images of things.”
Commentary:
Knowing, seeing, and believing all things in this way means knowing, seeing, and believing all things as they are without being deluded by their forms, their names and their sounds. This is, in other words, to see things as if to see dreams. The reason why the Buddha preached his students not to dwell on images of things in this way is that seeing and hearing all things in this way is no other than unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment, seeing the Buddha, and reaching the Buddha land. This is why an ancient master said, “You are wrong even if you move even a step”, when he was asked how he could reach the Buddha land by one of his students.
If you can see these characters you are reading now as they are, or if you can see any single one of the things surrounding you now as it is, or if you hear any single one of all the sounds that reach your ears as it is, this is to see the Buddha and reach the Buddha land.
Student: “How do things look when I see them in this way?”
Master: “Although your eyes are full, there is not even a single thing.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
