Dharma StreamSegment 7 / Non-Attainment and Non-Speakable
The Buddha asked Subhūti, “What do you think? Does the Tathāgata attain the unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness (anuttara-samyak-sambodhi)? Does the Tathāgata have Dharma that he teaches?” Subhūti responded, “According to my understanding of the Buddha’s teaching there is no fixed Dharma called ‘anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, ’nor is there any fixed Dharma that the Tathāgata teaches. Why is this so? Because the teaching of the Tathāgata cannot be clung to, and cannot be expressed, it is neither Dharma nor Non-Dharma. Why is this? All sages and saints differ only in their application of the unconditioned Dharma.
In this Segment, the Buddha begins by posing questions to Subhūti, stemming from a previous inquiry by Subhūti himself: for sentient beings who aspire to attain the unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness of Buddhahood, how should one cultivate so that the mind may dwell in calm free from afflictions and obstacles, and achieve swift realization? The Buddha addresses several key points: one should not cling to marks when making vows, nor when practicing giving or renunciation; one should not be attached to the physical form when perceiving the true nature; and all phenomena lack inherent, fixed characteristics. The Dharma itself is also without a fixed, definable doctrine, and one should not cling to the Buddha’s form and to the Dharma he teaches.
When the disciples hear this teaching, they should come to a clear understanding of the correct path attaining Buddhahood. However, there is the potential for misunderstanding, where they might become attached to the idea of “a state of Buddhahood to attain” or “a fixed Dharma to grasp,” without truly letting go of all conceptual attachments and directly realizing the principle of emptiness. Therefore, the Buddha suddenly poses a question to Subhūti, along with all the disciples present: “Within your heart, you seek to attain Buddhahood, but do you truly believe that the Tathāgata has a Buddhahood that can be attained? In what I have just taught, or in my usual teachings, is there truly a fixed Dharma that can be taught?
Subhūti, recognised as the foremost in understanding emptiness among the Buddha’s chief disciples, clearly grasps the Buddha’s intent behind Buddha’s question. He immediately responds: “Based on my understanding of all that the Buddha has taught, there is no such thing as a ‘unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness ’or Buddhahood to be attained, nor is there a fixed Dharma called the Buddha’s teaching that the Tathāgata routinely expounds. All the teachings and methods offered by the Tathāgata are skilful means, tailored to address the attachments of sentient beings, much like a doctor prescribing different treatments for different ailments. Therefore, the Buddha’s teachings do not possess a fixed doctrine, and sentient beings should not cling to any single method as the Buddha’s doctrine. The highest truth cannot be expressed in words. When sentient beings no longer cling to forms, let go of all attachments, and return to their original nature, and that it is. All the Buddha’s words are simply guiding signs to help sentient beings find their way back. Sentient beings should not conceive of a Dharma to be attained, nor should they reject the Buddha’s teaching, assuming that without the guidance of right perceptions, without practice or cultivation, they could return to the origin.”
In this passage, the Buddha’s question to Subhūti and the assembly of disciples is also directed towards us, the listeners of the Dharma today. The Buddha is asking: “In your mind, are you thinking, ‘If I practice for a few more years, I will attain a boundless, powerful Buddhahood’? Are you acquiring the Buddha’s teachings as though you were obtaining a doctoral degree, or learning a theory called ‘unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness’?” This is not the case. Why is there no Buddhahood to be attained, and why is there no fixed Dharma to be spoken by the Tathāgata? It is because all sentient beings are inherently Buddhas. Their attachments, their cycles of birth and death, and even their pursuit of the path are all mere dreams.
For example, when a person lies in bed and dreams, he may transform into a cat or a dog, travel vast distances, or witness various landscapes etc. However, upon waking, he is still the same person; he has not actually changed into someone or something else. The process by which sentient beings become Buddhas is analogous. When attachments are relinquished, and the mind no longer clings to forms, it immediately awakens from the dream and naturally returns to its inherent Buddha-nature. This is not a transformation from a sentient being into a Buddha, nor the cultivation of a Buddha-fruit of a common person that makes one become a Buddha.
Therefore, the Tathāgata ultimately has nothing to attain, and there is no supreme fruit of glorious Buddhahood awaiting sentient beings to obtain. the Tathāgata has said nothing, and sentient beings should not be attached to Buddha’s teaching. The Tathāgata embodies true emptiness, and true emptiness transcends words and language, as well as the faculties of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. This is why the Tathāgata has said nothing.
When each sentient being releases their discriminative attachments and returns to the state of true emptiness, they will come to understand that all former attachments, distinctions, and even practicing the Bodhisattva path, giving alms or making vows, and so forth were merely mistaken perceptions arising from the attachments of sentient beings.
For instance, if a person suffers from an eye disease and perceives a flower floating in the air, he may repeatedly ask the Buddha, “How did this flower come into being? How long does it take to bloom? Why is it red? How is it different from other flowers? When will it wither?” The Buddha, like a doctor, speaks of the flower only so that the person may place his trust in Him, settle by His side, and be healed of the ailment in his eyes.
Once the illness is cured, the flower vanishes on its own, and the person no longer debates whether it is real or false. When others once claimed that the flower was an illusion he would argue strongly, or can’t help but dwell on it, weighing whether it was real or imaginary, true or false. All the questions and discussions about the flower, once shared with the doctor or others, can now be quietly understood and set aside with a smile, as everyone peacefully acknowledges that it was simply an illusion.
Sentient beings, by their intrinsic nature, are the Tathāgata, and their true essence is emptiness. It is akin to a person with disease eyes seeing a flower unable to recognise its true reality. Once sentient beings relinquish their attachments and cease clinging to forms, their “illness” is healed. The form of self and form of the Buddha disappear, much like the vanishing flower.
There is no distinction between you and the Buddha; you are originally the Buddha. At that moment, all notions such as striving for Buddhahood or following the Bodhisattva path are recognised as mere discourse between the doctor and the patient regarding the flower, with only one purpose: to guide the practitioner to rest in the Buddha’s view, thereby awakening from the dream of sentient beings, piled up with attachments and clinging.
Thus, the Tathāgata has said nothing. If sentient beings cling to the Buddha’s words and writings, they are cannot return to the state of true emptiness.
In this Segment, when the Buddha questions Subhūti, if the minds of sentient beings are clear and pure, they will perceive that the Buddha is continually expounding while abiding in the realm of true emptiness and the unconditioned.
The Buddha’s intention is to awaken sentient beings from their delusive dreams. While sentient beings remain deluded, both the Buddha and the Dharma are part of their dream. Consequently, the Buddha ultimately affirms Subhūti’s response, stating: All the saints and sages in this world are in truth the same. They teach different methods and display various forms to sentient beings, but in essence, they are the same. They are all rooted in the realm of true emptiness, demonstrating different expressions. The original statement reads: “All saints and sages rely upon the unconditioned Dharma, yet they manifest distinctions.”
Here, “unconditioned Dharma” does not refer to the concept established in contrast to “conditioned dharmas.” Rather it points to the realm of true emptiness of the Tathāgata’s dharmas, which are by nature unborn and unceasing, pure and unconditioned.