18.

"Subhuti, what do you think? The Tathagata possesses the flesh eye, no?"

"Yes, World Honored One. The Tathagata possesses the flesh eye."

"Subhuti, what do you think? The Tathagata possesses the heavenly eye, no?"

"Yes, World Honored One. The Tathagata possesses the heavenly eye."

"Subhuti, what do you think? The Tathagata possesses the wisdom eye, no?"

"Yes, World Honored One. The Tathagata possesses the wisdom eye."

"Subhuti, what do you think? The Tathagata possesses the Dharma eye, no?"

"Yes, World Honored One. The Tathagata possesses the Dharma eye."

"Subhuti, what do you think? The Tathagata possesses the Buddha eye, no?"

"Yes, World Honored One. The Tathagata possesses the Buddha eye."

"Subhuti, what do you think? Take the sands in the Ganges River. The Buddha has spoken of these sands, no?"

"Yes, World Honored One. The Tathagata has spoken of these sands."

"Subhuti, what do you think? As there are sands in a single Ganges River, suppose there are Ganges Rivers equal in number to those sands, having Buddha realms numbering in each like those sands. These realms would be made rather many, no?"

"Incredibly many, World Honored One."

The Buddha said to Subhuti, "In those lands there are sentient beings with various kinds of minds, which the Tathagata fully knows. Why? The Tathagata has said that minds all are not minds, and so are called 'minds'. Why is that? Subhuti, past thoughts are unobtainable, present thoughts are unobtainable, and future thoughts are unobtainable."

19.

"Subhuti, what do you think? Suppose there is a person who filled the trichiliocosm with the seven treasures for the purpose of charity. This person, with these causes and conditions, would obtain many blessings, no?"

"Yes, World Honored One. This person, with these causes and conditions, would obtain incredibly many blessings."

"Subhuti, if that blessed deed were real, the Tathagata would not have said that this person would obtain many blessings. Since the blessed deed is not, the Tathagata says that the person would obtain many blessings.

20.

"Subhuti, what do you think? The Buddha can by means of the perfect form of his body be recognized, no?"

"No, World Honored One. The Tathagata should not by means of the perfect form of his body be recognized. Why? The Tathagata has said that the perfect form of his body is not a perfect form of body. It is called a perfect form of body."

"Subhuti, what do you think? The Tathagata can by means of the perfect signs be recognized, no?"

"No, World Honored One. The Tathagata should not by means of the perfect signs be recognized. Why? The Tathagata has said that the signs which are perfect are not signs which are perfect. They are called signs which are perfect."

21.

"Subhuti, do not say that the Tathagata composes this thought, 'I shall have an explanation of the Dharma.' Do not compose that thought. Why? If a person says that the Tathagata has an explanation of the Dharma, then they have slandered the Buddha, because they are unable to understand the reason for my speaking. Subhuti, the spoken Dharma lacks a Dharma which can be expressed. It is called a spoken Dharma."

At that time, the Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, isn't it doubtful that there will be sentient beings in generations yet to come who, hearing of this Dharma, will give birth to the faithful mind?"

The Buddha replied, "Subhuti, those are not sentient beings, nor are they not sentient beings. Why? Subhuti, the sentient beings who are sentient beings, the Tathagata has said, are not sentient beings. They are called sentient beings."

22.

Subhuti said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, the Buddha's attainment of the supremely unexcelled bodhi is because of nowhere attaining anything?"

The Buddha replied, "Yes, yes! Subhuti, in my supremely unexcelled bodhi, verily, there is not the slightest Dharma that can be attained. This is called the supremely unexcelled bodhi."

23.

"Furthermore, Subhuti, the Dharma is level, lacking high or low. This is called the supremely unexcelled bodhi. By means of being without self, without person, without sentient beings, and without a soul, the cultivation of all the good dharmas, then, is attained the supremely unexcelled bodhi. Subhuti, what is said to be the good dharmas, the Tathagata has explained to be non-dharmas. They are called good dharmas.

24.

"Subhuti, suppose that, like the Mount Sumerus of the trichiliocosm, a person has accumulated mounds of the seven treasures of such size and numbers as those Mount Sumerus for the purpose of charity. If a person, with this Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, even if only four lines of verse, receives, upholds, reads, and recites, and for another explains it, the former's blessed deed would not reach a hundredth of his own. A billionth part of his own, even, would be an insufficient estimation of it.

25.

"Subhuti, what do you think? Would you say that the Tathagata composes this thought, 'I shall save the sentient beings'? Subhuti, do not compose that thought. Why? Really, there are no sentient beings for the Tathagata to save. If there were sentient beings for the Tathagata to save, the Tathagata then would have a self, a person, sentient beings, and a soul. Subhuti, the Tathagata has explained that an existent self is then not a self. Mortal men regard their persons as being a self. Subhuti, mortal men, the Tathagata has explained, then, are not mortal men. They are called 'mortal men'."

26.

"Subhuti, what do you think? One can by means of the thirty-two signs examine the Tathagata, no?"

Subhuti replied, "Yes, yes. By means of the the thirty-two signs, one examines the Tathagata."

The Buddha said, "Subhuti, if by means of the thirty-two signs one examines the Tathagata, a [Dharma] wheel turning holy king, then, is this Tathagata."

Subhuti said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, the Tathagata, as I understand the Buddha's expressed meaning, should not be examined by means of the thirty-two signs."

At that time, the World Honored One proclaimed this gatha, saying,

"If via form one looks for the Tathagata

Or via the sound of the voice beseeches me,

This person walks a corrupt path

And is unable to recognize the Tathagata.

27.

"Subhuti, suppose you were to compose this thought, 'Because it is not by means of the perfect signs that the Tathagata has attained the supremely unexcelled bodhi'. Subhuti, do not compose that thought, 'Because it is not by means of the perfect signs that the Tathagata has attained the supremely unexcelled bodhi'. Subhuti, suppose you were to compose this thought, 'Initiating the supremely unexcelled bodhi is the spoken Dharma of nihilism'. Do not form that thought. Why? Initiating the supremely unexcelled bodhi cannot be said to be the Dharma of a nihilistic view.

28.

"Subhuti, suppose a bodhisattva filled worlds numbering like the sands of the Ganges River with the seven treasures, and accumulated it for the purpose of charity. Suppose, again, there is a person who knows every dharma is selfless and attains the complete perseverance of them. This bodhisattva would overcome the former bodhisattva's attainment of merit. Subhuti, the reason is because bodhisattvas do not receive blessed virtue."

Subhuti addressed the Buddha, saying, "World Honored One, how is it bodhisattvas do not receive blessed virtue?"

"Subhuti, the bodhisattva's composition of blessed deeds should not be clung to greedily. This is why is it is said 'not receiving blessed virtue'.

29.

"Subhuti, if there is a person who says the Tathagata comes, goes, sits, or lies down; this person would not understand my expressed meaning. Why? The Tathagata is without a place from whence to come, and also is without a place to which to go. That is why he is called a Tathagata."

30.

"Subhuti, suppose good sons and good daughters were to grind the trichiliocosm to dust grains. What do you think? These grains would become many, no?"

"Incredibly many, World Honored One. Why? If these myriad grains were really existent, the Buddha would not then speak of myriad grains of dust. Why is that? The Buddha has said the grains are then not grains of dust. These are called grains of dust. World Honored One, the Tathagata has said that the trichiliocosm then is not composed of worlds, these are called worlds. Why? If the worlds were really existent, then these would appear as a single conglomeration. The Tathagata has said that the appearance of a single conglomeration is not the appearance of a single conglomeration. This is called a single conglomeration."

"Subhuti, the appearance of a single conglomeration, then, is inexpressible. Only ordinary men cling greedily to the doings of their own persons.

31.

"Subhuti, suppose someone says the Buddha has spoken of a view of self, a view of a person, the view of sentient beings, or the view of a soul. Subhuti, what do you think? This person understands my expressed meaning, no?"

"No, World Honored One. This person would not understand the Tathagata's express meaning. Why? The World Honored One has said the view of a self, the view of a person, the view of sentient beings, and the view of a soul; then, are not the views of a self, a person, sentient beings, or of a soul."

"Subhuti, in the supremely unexcelled bodhi all dharmas thusly should be known, thus be viewed, and thus be faithfully understood as the unborn appearances of dharmas. Subhuti, the words 'dharma appearances,' the Tathagata has said, then, are not dharma appearances. This is called dharma appearances.

32.

"Subhuti, suppose there is a person who fills immeasurable asankhyas of worlds with the seven treasures and accumulates it for the purpose of charity. And suppose there are good sons and good daughters who initiate the bodhicitta, upholding from within this Sutra even just four lines of verse; receiving, upholding, reading, reciting, and for others giving extensive explanations of it. Their blessed virtue would overcome the other's. How would they for other people give extensive explanations? Without grasping onto the appearances of the absolute, without agitation. Why?

"All of the existent, conditioned dharmas

Are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows;

Like dew and also like lightning,

Thus should they be contemplated."

The Buddha having finished propounding this Sutra, the Venerable Subhuti, the bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, and upasikas, and everyone in the worlds of gods, humans, and asuras who had heard the Buddha's exposition were all greatly elated. Sincerely, they received and handed down the practice of the Diamond [Cutting] Perfection of Wisdom Sutra.

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