“Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata attain anuttara samyaksambodhi? Does the Tathagata speak dharma?”
Subhuti replied, “In my understanding of the meaning of the Buddha’s teaching, there is no fixed dharma called anuttara samyaksambodhi, and there is no fixed dharma to be spoken by the Tathagata. Why?
“Because all teachings of the Tathagata cannot be held and cannot be spoken. They are not dharma, and they are not non-dharma.
“Thus, all sages are distinguished through the unconditioned dharma.”
The mind of the past is unattainable,
the mind of the present is unattainable,
and the mind of the future is also unattainable.
Which mind can you attain?
It is the mind of unattainability.
Why?
The answer is in this exposition of the Vajra Sutra.
September 26, 2021
For chapter seven, I will first discuss the title, Nothing Gained, Nothing Spoken. When Bodhidharma went to the Middle Kingdom (China), people invited him to give a dharma teaching. He agreed; he got on the dharma throne, took something that looked like this clipboard, lifted it, and slammed it on the table. He then got off the dharma throne, just like that. That’s all there was to his dharma teaching. I can do it too. Next time I perform a homa ceremony, I will get up here, ring the vajra bell, and that will be the end of the dharma teaching. Then I will get down from the dharma seat and leave.
Giving a dharma teaching is the same as not giving a dharma teaching. Attaining something is the same as not attaining anything.
Nothing Gained, Nothing Spoken.
Subhuti was incredible! He was the first and foremost in the realization of the empty-nature and has attained the realm of empty-nature. But had he actually attained it? No, because attaining empty-nature is the same as not attaining empty-nature. [Because empty-nature has always been inherently there.] This is called nothing gained.
Have any of you attained empty-nature? No? The one who has attained empty-nature will not say that they have attained it. [Because empty-nature is just a term.] Anuttara samyaksambodhi is also a mere term.
See? Nothing Gained, Nothing Spoken. Nobody gains anything and nobody loses anything. Someone asks, “Grandmaster, you say nothing to gain and nothing to lose. One cannot get anything, and thus one does not lose anything. Since there is nothing to gain, why do we cultivate spiritually?” Is there no need to cultivate? If that is the case, we can just go out and play, climb the mountain, or play in the water, right? I can take you hiking in the mountains, such as the mountain of pillows [slang for going to sleep]. We can climb Mount Shamao behind the Rainbow Temple. It is nice there, with small waterfalls, bridges, flowing water, and a flat sandy beach. “Ancient road, the west wind, gaunt horse…” very poetic!
You might say, “Let’s just play around and have fun in our lives. Why do we need to cultivate spiritually? You tell us that there is nothing to gain, so why do we need to cultivate?”
Of course one must cultivate spiritually! Only by cultivating will you understand that there is nothing to gain. If you don’t cultivate, how will you understand that there is nothing to gain? Only when you have cultivated to the utmost will you realize that you have not gained anything. This is your verification [of the concept]. When you realize that you have not gained anything and truly comprehend that everything is unattainable, you will confirm that there is truly nothing to gain.
It is written in the Vajra Sutra that the mind of the past is unattainable, the mind of the present is unattainable, and the mind of the future is also unattainable. Which mind can you attain? Can you attain any mind at all?
An old lady sold snacks on a mountain road. A monk was climbing the mountain in search of a master and stopped to buy some snacks. [Snacks in Chinese is dianxin, which literally means “a little bit of heart-mind” and is a play on words of “pointing to the mind.”] The old lady said, “I am selling snacks; if you can answer my question, you get a free snack.”
“The mind of the past is unattainable, the mind of the present is unattainable, and the mind of the future is unattainable. What mind can you attain?” [“What mind do you want?” is a homophone of “What snack would you like?”] The monk could not answer. The old lady said, “See, another one bites the dust.” Nobody could answer her question. The old lady said, “The mind of the past is unattainable, the mind of the present is unattainable, and the mind of the future is unattainable. What kind of mind can you have? If you can answer correctly, I will give you a free snack. If you cannot, there is nothing for you.”
Very simply, the answer is “the mind of unattainability.” The mind of unattainability is the only mind there is.
If I were asked this question, I would just take a snack and leave since I would only want to eat the snack [laughs]. That is called being in the moment, and at that moment, I just wanted to eat her snacks. Nowadays many Zen followers talk about being in the moment—the here and now. Let me tell you, being in the moment is also a wrong answer. Being in the moment means you have the mind of the present. We just said that the mind of the present is unattainable. So being in the present moment is also wrong. What is the right answer? The correct answer is unattainability.
Today I am explaining the title of this chapter. Just now I talked about Nothing Gained. Next is
Nothing Spoken.
Why do we want to discuss buddhadharma when there is no buddhadharma? According to the Vajra Sutra, empty-nature inherently exists, buddhanature inherently exists, and they are not the results of spiritual cultivation. Earlier, I spoke about how buddhanature is not something to be cultivated. Buddhanature is inherently there, and it is not attained through practice. This is very profound.
Nothing Spoken. Sakyamuni Buddha has spoken dharma for forty-nine years, yet in fact, he has spoken nothing. It is written in the Vajra Sutra, “Anyone saying that the Buddha has spoken dharma slanders the Buddha.” Very profound, indeed.
The intrinsic suchness of all dharma (dharmata) lies within this. Nothing Gained, Nothing Spoken applies to intrinsic suchness, buddhanature, empty-nature. All you need to do is to directly recognize the buddhanature—empty-nature.
Let me now ask everyone. In this world, what have you gained? What kinds of things can you gain or own? Anything? Anybody? Here is a simple example. How old is the youngest one here? Tenzin Gyatso, you are the youngest here! How old are you? Nineteen. Let me ask you, what will you gain in a hundred years? “Nothing gained,” [Tenzin answers.] That is right! Please be seated. So, why do you still study then?
Is there anyone who can gain anything? Nobody, because there is nothing to gain. I explained this already. Is it still not clear to you? Do you think the money you earn is yours? It is not yours! What you ate during lunch is both yours and not yours, because it will come out shortly afterward. What do you gain, really?
Thus the Vajra Sutra states that everything conditioned is like illusions, dreams, bubbles, and shadows. Everyone is desperately working to earn money, fighting to become the boss and a leader of the leagues. In Jin Yong’s kungfu novels, everyone fights to be the chief. Who is the martial arts leader now? The United States has been number one for a while, but it cannot last forever. Nothing can. Who can be the leader forever? This world, too, is everchanging and impermanent. In Buddhism, we talk about impermanence—nothing stays. Do you think you will always be the lord of the martial arts leagues?
Let me ask you, what kinds of things will you gain in this world? None. Therefore we say that there is nothing to gain. Since nothing can be gained, what is there to speak about? There is no need to speak. Even though Sakyamuni Buddha has spoken dharma for forty-nine years, nothing has been spoken. Nothing spoken refers to this.
Grandmaster has spoken dharma for so many years, but it is equivalent to nothing being spoken. Buddhadharma is spoken to make you understand and recognize that there is “nothing gained and nothing spoken.” Once you comprehend that nothing can be gained, then your heart and mind will be serene, and the world will truly be peaceful. But if you think that there is something to gain, there will be wars, disputes, conflicts, fights, and the like.
My guru told a story about maggots fighting in a cesspool. The white grubs fight endlessly with each other. Nowadays there are no more dung pits on the sides of the fields because we use chemical fertilizers. In rural areas we used to squat over the cesspool when we were young. We saw those maggots underneath fighting each other. Did they gain anything? They all end up the same. Human beings too are as such! What is the fight for?
There is nothing to gain! When you understand this, you will be at peace and at ease. Your mind remains even-keeled, you don’t fight, and you don’t worry because the outcome of the games is the same for everyone. If you recognize and comprehend that there is nothing to gain, you are a true spiritual cultivator. Remember, fundamentally there really is nothing to gain!
Who can gain anything? Do you think you own a house? But the house survives longer than you! When Grandmaster leaves the world one day, the Tantric Quarters will still be there and so will the Rainbow Villa. My ashes will be placed in the Twin Lotus Realm Columbarium. You bought a spot in the columbarium and think that it’s yours, but not necessarily. There is nothing you own. Thus, there is nothing to gain and nothing to lose.
The true dharma cannot be spoken. When we talk about dharma, we talk about tools. Last time I said that buddhadharma is just like a raft; even dharma should be forsaken, much less non-dharma. Even true buddhadharma should be abandoned eventually, let alone the non-dharma. I said this yesterday. Hence, everyone should have peace of mind and let no thoughts arise. No thoughts and no interference. This is spiritual cultivation!
Nonetheless, don’t think that Grandmaster does not care for my children or grandchildren because of this. It’s not that I don’t love them, because I do! They are my children, so of course I love them. But do you know that your children are karmic creditors from your past lives? Some are due to positive affinities, so they treat you nicely. Some are due to negative affinities, and who knows they might even kill you! It is all about affinity! Affinities and karma from many lifetimes control our lives.
When you comprehend the buddhadharma, you will understand that there is nothing to gain. Consequently, your mind will be at peace. You still love your children and grandchildren, and you are not being heartless. I want to deliver them and guide them onto the path, but it also depends on their own affinities. As of now, they are still attached to worldly things, grasping at mundanity. They do not comprehend that there is nothing to gain and nothing to lose.
When you truly comprehend nothing gained and nothing spoken, you will naturally cultivate spiritually. If nothing can be gained, why are you stealing from others? Why do you still fulfill your sensual pleasures? If you have enough already, why do you want to hoard or save more things? Why do you still want them? They are poisons, you know! Sakyamuni Buddha says that they are like poisonous snakes.
Why don’t we just be in the state of intrinsic suchness? What shall come will come, and what shall go will go! What shall be received will be received, and what shall not be taken will not be taken. This applies to all material things, as well as to sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, and so forth. This is the key meaning of the Vajra Sutra. Today I am expounding on chapter seven, Nothing Gained, Nothing Spoken.
Om mani padme hum.
Are ants on your mind?
Sometimes they are and sometimes not.
Do you give dharma teachings to ants?
Do ants give dharma teachings?
From a bigger perspective, human beings are just like ants.
We can think along the same lines:
Do human beings give dharma teachings?
October 2, 2021
Let us continue to discuss chapter seven—Nothing Gained, Nothing Spoken. Last time I explained Nothing Gained for the whole night. Now I will continue to discuss Nothing Spoken.
“…all teachings of the Tathagata cannot be held and cannot be spoken.”
Subhuti meant that since dharma cannot be held, it cannot be spoken. Before we move on, let us first talk about fixed dharma.
“…there is no fixed dharma called anuttara samyaksambodhi, and there is no fixed dharma to be spoken by the Tathagata.”
Did you know that dharma is not fixed? Can you invent a dharma? You can if you are a tantric lineage guru. Tantric Buddhist dharmas are transmitted through lineage gurus, who are able and allowed to create new dharmas. Many new dharmas have emerged over time and they are not cast in stone. Since dharma is dynamic, we say that dharma is not fixed. In fact, none of the dharma is fixed.
Ponder this: there is no fixed dharma to be spoken by the Tathagata. Sakyamuni Buddha often speaks on “unspeakability.” Because there is no fixed dharma, it cannot be spoken.
“Because all teachings of the Tathagata cannot be held and cannot be spoken. They are not dharma, and they are not non-dharma.”
Dharma is not dharma, but it is also not non-dharma. Since dharma is not dharma, then it must be non-dharma, right? Wrong! Why? Let me ask you. What is non-dharma? And what is not non-dharma? Why did Subhuti say that all the dharma spoken by the Tathagata is neither dharma nor non-dharma?
We have discussed non-dharma, which includes the practices to generate blessings, fortune telling, face reading, divination, astrology, predictions, Yi Zhang Qing, Purple Star Astrology (Zi Wei Dou Shu), Huang Ji Ming Shu, Chinese Bone Weight Astrology (Cheng Liang of Yuan Tiangang), fengshui, and the Geomancy of Li Chunfeng. All of these are considered non-dharma.
Have you ever wondered why a buddha is also referred to as a tathagata? The word tathagata is Sanskrit. Tatha means “thus,” and gata can mean “come” or “go.” In Chinese, tathagata is translated as rulai. But what does it truly mean? Some might say it means “no coming and no going,” but that’s not it. As I previously explained, tathagata (rulai) means “seemingly come,” while ruqu means “seemingly go.” The term “ru” indicates that it is an appearance or seeming. Therefore, tathagata means “seemingly come.” [It implies an illusory manifestation or appearance of a buddha in the world.]
What is not non-dharma? It seems to be dharma, and at the same time it also does not seem to be dharma. Likewise, it may seem that dharma has been spoken, and yet it also seems that it has not been spoken. Has any dharma been spoken? No, nothing has ever been spoken. Nothing is spoken in the highest realm.
For this reason, when Bodhidharma was invited to speak on dharma, he got on and off the dharma seat without uttering a word. People knew about Bodhidharma’s enlightenment, so they invited him to speak dharma when he left his seclusion. He practiced in seclusion by facing a wall at Mount Songshan behind the Shaolin Temple for nine years.
[Just like him, I can say that] I don’t have anything to say. That’s it! There is no dharma to be spoken, and no dharma is being spoken. The fact is that nothing has ever been said. Bodhidharma demonstrated that dharma cannot be spoken. Getting on the dharma seat and then getting off it without saying anything was his dharma teaching. This is the highest realm!
Let me explain. As we all know, there are many countries on Earth, and within each country there are numerous people, houses, cars, and more. I have noticed that America and China, which are both considered major countries, have conflicts with each other. Since I am not involved in political matters, I am not sure what they are up to or why they must fight. What are they vying for? It appears that they are competing to be on top, like the way characters in kungfu novels contend for the position of lord in the martial arts world.
But of course, their fighting is irrelevant to me. They fight their fights, and I live my life—because in the highest realm there are no countries, no Earth, no sentient beings, no people, and no leaders of leagues. This is very profound, indeed. Contemplate it!
Do you see ants? Yes, we often see ants crawling around. Do ants fight with one another? Red ants versus black ants? Big ants versus small ants? Mountain ants versus flatland ants? During my youth, I lived in Kaohsiung Electric Power Company’s dormitory and saw ants engaging in fierce battles. Two groups of ants approached each other from opposite directions, biting and killing each other until only remnants were left behind. So yes, ants of different colors and sizes do fight each other.
Ants seem to exist in your eyes, yet they also seem to not exist. Are you always aware of the ants and their countries? Studies of the animal kingdom indicate that ants live in colonies—countries. For their own benefit, they fight with each other, just like humans.
Now do you give dharma teachings to ants? Do ants speak on dharma? The same question can be asked of human beings: Do humans speak on dharma? Think about it. From a broader perspective, human beings are just like ants. This is not non-dharma. This example might not be what you expect the Vajra Sutra to be. But it is true that the Vajra Sutra annihilates everything.
Do you ever gain anything at all? I asked Tenzin Gyatso earlier what he would gain a hundred years from now. He replied that he would gain nothing. I then asked him why he still studies if there is nothing to gain, and he could not answer. The correct response is “Because I want to become more knowledgeable so I can understand what Grandmaster is talking about, such as comprehending that there is nothing gained and nothing spoken.”
Everyone should understand why there is “nothing gained and nothing spoken,” which is why Grandmaster reiterates it. Sakyamuni Buddha seems to give dharma teachings, yet at the same time, it seems like he does not give any dharma teachings. This is the ultimate reality.
Why is this so? Subhuti said,
“…all sages are distinguished through the unconditioned dharma.”
This statement is crucial. What is unconditioned dharma? Unconditioned means without any conditions. It means doing things without any reason, motive, or expectation—no whys.
In contrast, the following examples illustrate conditional actions: A person desires recognition for their good deeds. After helping many people and performing great charity, they seek acknowledgment in newspapers or on television. They feel gratified when they see themselves doing good deeds. They are not interested in performing charitable acts discreetly, without anyone knowing. These actions are all conditional and do not represent unconditioned dharma.
Jesus expresses the unconditioned dharma by saying, “Do not let the left hand know the good deeds that the right hand does.” This statement essentially embodies the threefold wheel of intrinsic emptiness. Jesus must have been a very wise teacher.
In unconditioned dharma, there are no reasons or conditions behind one’s actions. Everything is done without any intentions or expectations. If even a small condition is attached to an action, it becomes conditioned. Sages act without conditions, but there are varying degrees of unconditioned dharma. This is what distinguishes the sages from one another.
In unconditioned dharma, you do everything without any conditions—there are no whys. Acting with a motive, even if it is very minor, is conditioned. In unconditioned dharma, you just naturally do good without any reasons. You always do good and avoid evil. You do it and forget it. Once you do it, it’s as if you have not done so. Even after you speak, it’s as if you have not spoken. You can determine the purity of your unconditioned dharma by observing if you still “hold” anything, since unconditioned dharma does not hold anything.
In Tantric Buddhism there are so-called purity levels. What is your purity level? How pure are you? True unconditioned dharma is when you are completely pure.
[At the start,] when your purity reaches level two, you will ascend to the second ground of bodhisattvahood. If your purity is at level four, you are at the fourth ground. A bodhisattva of the eighth ground has purity level eight, and so forth. If your purity is at level twelve and a half, you are a bodhisattva of the twelfth and a half ground. Once you achieve the purity of the thirteenth level, you will reach the ground of the Five Dhyani Buddhas. Adharma Buddha—the Primordial Buddha—is at purity level sixteen.
Within our body there are five cakras that represent ten grounds. Each cakra corresponds to two grounds. When you open the sacral cakra, you reach the second ground; the navel cakra, the fourth ground; the heart cakra, the sixth ground; the throat cakra, the eighth ground; and the brow cakra, the tenth ground. When you open the crown cakra, you reach the twelfth ground, and upon opening the crown protuberance (usnisa), you reach the twelfth and a half ground. This is how you rise all the way to buddhahood. Differentiating between the grounds is what distinguishes the sages through the unconditioned dharma.
Ask yourself how much you have purified yourself. What is your purity level? Avoid being a mundane person who does charity solely to gain recognition, holding a press conference, showing off to the media, and saying, “See, I have done good deeds. Everybody knows that I am a good person.” Such a mundane person is not qualified to become a bodhisattva or a buddha. They can only go to the heavens.
What is a bodhisattva? A bodhisattva is always there for others, essentially only thinking for the sake of others and never for themselves. Only then can they be called a bodhisattva. Conversely, if one is always thinking of oneself, they hold onto the “self” and are not considered a bodhisattva. The most they can attain is limited to the human and heavenly realms.
Bodhisattvas consistently think for the benefit of others and never for themselves. They never think of “I.” Only then can they be called bodhisattvas. Nevertheless, even bodhisattvas are differentiated by their levels of purity.
Do you now understand how all sages are distinguished through the unconditioned dharma, and what is non-dharma and not non-dharma? The Vajra Sutra is incredibly deep and profound. Do not underestimate it. Do you think it is easy to explain? It is far from easy to explain!
Om mani padme hum.
A bodhisattva never thinks of themselves as bodhisattva
because they have ceased to think about themselves.
On the contrary,
if you think that you are a bodhisattva,
then you still “hold” onto something,
and you still have a “self.”
Then, obviously, you are not a bodhisattva.
October 3, 2021
Let me clarify a few key points from chapter seven—Nothing Gained, Nothing Spoken. Golden Mother told me during my dharma practice last night, “Not everybody understood your explanation. You must clarify.” I told her that I doubted they would understand even if I elaborated on it. She advised me to use analogies to explain, in the same way Sakyamuni Buddha did when giving dharma teachings. The Buddha asked,
“Does the Tathagata attain anuttara samyaksambodhi? Does the Tathagata speak dharma?”
Subhuti replied, “In my understanding of the meaning of the Buddha’s teaching, there is no fixed dharma called anuttara samyaksambodhi…”
I’ve explained what anuttara samyaksambodhi is. It’s perfect enlightenment. Indeed, when one is in the state of anuttara samyaksambodhi, one has no need to broadcast it. Proclaiming that you have attained anuttara samyaksambodhi only indicates that you have not attained it. The one with true attainment will not announce it.
It is a simple concept. A bodhisattva does not think or say they are a bodhisattva; they do not focus on themselves. If you claim to be a bodhisattva, you are not a true bodhisattva because you still “hold” onto a notion. Easy to understand, right? When one is already a bodhisattva, they need not say they are a bodhisattva. They no longer think about themselves, so they will not think about whether they are a bodhisattva. This is what the Buddha teaches.
“Because all teachings of the Tathagata cannot be held and cannot be spoken. They are not dharma, and they are not non-dharma.”
You now understand the term non-dharma, but you might not yet understand not non-dharma. Yesterday I explained it to be both existent and nonexistent. But Golden Mother found this explanation too vague and recommended using logic for clarification. Let me clarify non-dharma and not non-dharma again. Hopefully you will understand them better.
We know this logic: A white horse is a horse, but a horse is not [necessarily] a white horse. While a white horse is indeed a horse, not all horses are white. Why? Because a horse can be white, black, brown, or multi-colored, and there are different types of horses. This is easy to understand.
By the same logic, we say that generosity is buddhadharma, but buddhadharma is not generosity. It is wrong to say that buddhadharma is generosity because buddhadharma encompasses many other things—everything. Likewise, saying “not non-dharma is dharma” is incorrect.1A double negation does not create an affirmative statement.
During a dharma teaching at the main chapter in Kaohsiung, I made the statement, “Tzu Chi is buddhadharma, but buddhadharma is not Tzu Chi.” A Tzu Chi member stood up and indicated that I was wrong. He claimed that Tzu Chi is buddhadharma and buddhadharma is Tzu Chi. I suggested that he seek clarification from Master Cheng Yen,2Master Cheng Yen is the founder of the Tzu Chi Foundation. who is my elder dharma sister, as we are both disciples of Master Yin Shun. Master Yin Shun’s Huayu Temple was located next to my townhouse in the Jingwu Community in Taichung, and the temple later acquired the property. Master Ming Sheng, who was Master Yin Shun’s personal attendant at the time, now resides in the townhouse. We are quite close, and we refer to him as our dharma uncle.
Generosity and endurance are part of buddhadharma, but buddhadharma is not merely generosity or endurance. Buddhadharma is vast and includes everything. Not non-dharma seems like buddhadharma, but buddhadharma is not just that. Buddhadharma is all-encompassing.
Golden Mother explained not non-dharma using an example: generosity is buddhadharma, but buddhadharma is not [solely] generosity. Endurance is buddhadharma, but buddhadharma is not [merely] endurance. Because buddhadharma is vast and more than just the above, right? Everything is buddhadharma; anything you point to is buddhadharma. Therefore, it is wrong to say that buddhadharma is endurance, and for that matter, it is wrong to say that buddhadharma is not non-dharma. The correct explanation is that not non-dharma is buddhadharma, but buddhadharma is not not non-dharma. What is not non-dharma? Not non-dharma seems like buddhadharma, but it is also not entirely buddhadharma.
“Thus, all sages are distinguished through the unconditioned dharma.”
Golden Mother told me to also clarify this part. Let’s take bodhisattvas as an example. In the four sagely realms, the arhats, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and buddhas are all sages. A bodhisattva is a sage by means of the unconditioned dharma. What is unconditioned dharma? It is living according to one’s bodhicitta, performing good deeds naturally and unconditionally, without any reasons. A bodhisattva generates bodhicitta and does everything accordingly. There is no [other] reason for their actions.
Are there any differences among the bodhisattvas? Yes, there are differences! There are different grounds of bodhisattvahood, from the first to the tenth. The first ground is called the Ground of Joy; the second ground, the Ground of Radiant Intellect…the seventh ground, the Ground of Far Travel; the eighth ground, the Immovable Ground; the tenth ground, the Ground of Dharma Clouds; and so forth. Bodhisattvas are differentiated by the extent of their unconditioned dharma. Which ground bodhisattva are you?
There are different grounds of bodhisattvahood, and likewise for arhatship. I will explain more about the arhats as we progress in the Vajra Sutra. The so-called arhat is the sage at the highest level of arhatship. There are four levels of arhatship: arhats living in samsara (stream-enterer), arhats with one more return before becoming sagely arhats (once-returner), non-returning arhats in the non-returning heavens (non-returner), and the sagely arhats. These are the four levels of arhatship, so there are differences among them too.
There are also differences among the buddhas. The Primordial Buddha is at the sixteenth ground, and the Five Dhyani Buddhas are at the thirteenth ground. The Thousand-Armed Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is equivalent to a buddha and is at the eleventh ground. He has eleven faces, including Amitabha Buddha’s face at the peak, so he is also referred to as the Eleven-Faced Avalokitesvara. He is a buddha of the eleventh ground [according to the Mahayana tradition].
Now is this clear? This ends my exposition on chapter seven—Nothing Gained, Nothing Spoken.
Om mani padme hum.
