Diamond Sutra: Thoughts
Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra
(Diamond Cutter Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra)
CONTINUED - Chapters 11-20
Chapter 11
“Furthermore, Subhūti, when a bodhisattva gives a gift, he should not be attached to the notion of a self, a being, a life, or a soul.
Why? Subhūti, the Tathāgata says a bodhisattva should not be attached when giving gifts. This is for the benefit of all beings, yet without attachment to appearances.
What do you think, Subhūti — is the space in the eastern direction measurable?”
“No, World-Honored One.”
“And in the southern, western, and northern directions, the four intermediate directions, the zenith, and the nadir — is it measurable?”
“No, World-Honored One.”
“Subhūti, likewise, the merit of a bodhisattva who gives without attachment is inconceivable and immeasurable. This is how a bodhisattva should give.”
Chapter 11 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha teaches that when a bodhisattva gives, they should not be attached to the notions of a self (ātman), a being (sattva), a life (jīva), or a soul/person (pudgala). Giving should be done for the benefit of all beings, but without attachment to appearances (nimitta). To illustrate the immeasurable nature of such merit, the Buddha compares it to the immeasurable space in all directions.
Key Terms
- Dāna — Generosity; the first of the six perfections (ṣaṭ-pāramitā), here explicitly tied to the insight of emptiness.
- Ātman / Sattva / Jīva / Pudgala — The “four notions” negated repeatedly in the sūtra: self, being, life-principle, and person.
- Nimitta — Appearance, sign, or perceptual marker; attachment to nimitta in giving leads to subtle clinging.
- Apratiṣṭhita-dāna — “Non-abiding giving”; generosity free from grasping at giver, gift, or recipient.
- Anupalambha — Non-apprehension; the absence of mental seizing of any dharma as inherently existent.
- Aprameya / Acintya — Immeasurable / inconceivable; terms used to describe the merit of non-attached giving.
Doctrinal Significance
No-self in giving — The bodhisattva’s generosity is purified by the absence of the four notions, aligning dāna with the realization of emptiness.
Freedom from appearances — Not clinging to nimitta prevents generosity from becoming a transaction conditioned by self-image or the desire for recognition.
Benefit without ownership — Actions for the welfare of beings are performed without appropriation of results or fixation on the identity of giver/receiver.
Merit beyond measure — The space analogy conveys that merit from non-attached giving transcends quantification, being grounded in boundless mind.
Integration of compassion and wisdom — This chapter links the perfection of generosity (dāna-pāramitā) with the perfection of wisdom (prajñā-pāramitā), making clear that true giving is inseparable from insight into emptiness.
Chapter 12
“Subhūti, what do you think? Can the Tathāgata be recognized by the possession of physical marks?”
“No, World-Honored One. The Tathāgata cannot be recognized by the possession of physical marks. Why? Because what the Tathāgata calls the possession of physical marks is not the possession of physical marks.”
The Buddha said, “In any place where this sūtra is spoken, that place should be honored as a Buddha-shrine by devas, humans, and asuras. How much more so a person who can uphold and recite it — such a person accomplishes the rarest and most virtuous dharma.”
Chapter 12 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha asks if the Tathāgata can be recognized by the possession of physical marks (mahāpuruṣa-lakṣaṇa). Subhūti replies no, because what the Tathāgata calls possession of physical marks is not ultimately such possession. The Buddha then declares that any place where this sūtra is taught should be honored as a Buddha-shrine (caitya) by devas, humans, and asuras, and even more so the person who upholds and recites it — such a person accomplishes the rarest and most virtuous dharma.
Key Terms
- Tathāgata — “Thus-Come” or “Thus-Gone One”; a title for the Buddha indicating realization beyond conceptual extremes.
- Mahāpuruṣa-lakṣaṇa — The thirty-two major physical marks of a great being, traditionally ascribed to Buddhas and universal monarchs.
- Nāma-dharma — Conventional designation; the marks are named and described, but are empty of intrinsic existence.
- Caitya — A shrine, stupa, or sacred site commemorating the Buddha; here extended metaphorically to any place the sūtra is expounded.
- Uphold and recite (dhārayati / paṭhati) — To preserve in memory, maintain, and orally recite the text as part of practice.
- Rare and virtuous dharma (asādhāraṇa-śīla-dharma) — Exceptional conduct and realization not easily accomplished by ordinary beings.
Doctrinal Significance
Beyond physical marks — The Buddha’s true nature (dharmakāya) cannot be captured by sensory perception, even through the exalted marks described in scripture.
Non-reification of symbols — Physical signs, like all dharmas, are dependently arisen and empty; their purpose is skillful means, not ultimate definition.
Sanctifying the Dharma itself — The teaching elevates the Dharma to equal or greater reverence than relics or images, shifting focus from form to realization.
Practitioner as sacred site — One who upholds and recites the sūtra becomes, in effect, a living caitya, embodying the presence of the Buddha in the world.
Integration of wisdom and merit — The combination of study, memorization, and transmission of the Prajñāpāramitā generates vast merit inseparable from insight into emptiness.
Chapter 13
Then Subhūti asked, “World-Honored One, by what name should this sūtra be known, and how should we uphold it?”
The Buddha said, “This sūtra should be known as the Diamond Cutter Perfection of Wisdom (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā). By this name you should uphold it.
Why? Subhūti, what the Tathāgata calls the Perfection of Wisdom is not the Perfection of Wisdom — therefore it is called the Perfection of Wisdom.”
Chapter 13 Commentary
Text recap
Subhūti asks what name this sūtra should bear and how it should be upheld. The Buddha replies that it should be called the “Diamond Cutter Perfection of Wisdom” (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā), and by this name it should be upheld. He adds that what the Tathāgata calls the Perfection of Wisdom (prajñā-pāramitā) is not, in the ultimate sense, the Perfection of Wisdom — therefore it is called the Perfection of Wisdom.
Key Terms
- Vajracchedikā — “Diamond Cutter”; vajra denotes the indestructible and adamantine, while cchedikā means cutter or cleaver. The metaphor indicates the power of this wisdom to cut through delusion.
- Prajñā-pāramitā — “Perfection of Wisdom”; the transcendence of all conceptual fabrication, realizing the emptiness of all dharmas.
- Nāma-dharma — Conventional designation; the title is a useful label, not an ultimately existent entity.
- Uphold (dhārayati) — To preserve, memorize, and protect the sūtra as a living teaching, ensuring its transmission.
- Two-truths expression — The formula “X is not X, therefore it is called X” applies here to prevent reification of the Perfection of Wisdom itself.
Doctrinal Significance
Naming as skillful means — The name “Diamond Cutter” captures the function of this wisdom: to shatter the hardness of ignorance without itself being a graspable object.
Perfection of Wisdom beyond concept — Even the highest wisdom, when named or conceived, is already reduced to conventional truth; the ultimate is beyond designation.
Upholding as practice — Preserving the sūtra is not only textual care but embodying its insight through practice and teaching.
Guard against attachment to the Dharma — By negating the ultimate status of prajñā-pāramitā, the Buddha prevents it from becoming a new object of clinging.
Integration of form and emptiness — The name and the text exist as forms (rūpa), but their purpose is to reveal the formless reality they point toward.
Chapter 14
“Subhūti, if good men or good women uphold this sūtra and are looked down upon, it is because of their past karmic faults. By undergoing this in the present, those faults are extinguished and they will attain unsurpassed, complete awakening.
I remember that long ago, before Dīpaṅkara Buddha, I encountered and honored countless hundreds of thousands of millions of nayutas of buddhas. If someone can uphold this sūtra in the time of the final dharma, their merit will surpass mine from that time.
If I were to explain that merit in detail, beings would be astonished and doubtful. That merit is immeasurable.”
Chapter 14 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha tells Subhūti that if a person upholding this sūtra is looked down upon, it is due to past karmic faults. By enduring such treatment in the present, those faults are extinguished, leading toward unsurpassed, complete awakening (anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi). The Buddha recalls honoring countless buddhas before Dīpaṅkara Buddha, yet says that someone who upholds this sūtra in the time of the final dharma (pāścimadharma) will surpass the merit he gained then. If the Buddha were to explain that merit in detail, beings would be astonished and doubtful, as it is immeasurable.
Key Terms
- Karma (karman) — Action and its moral causation; here, past negative karma manifests as social disparagement.
- Anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi — Unsurpassed, complete, perfect awakening; the ultimate realization of a Buddha.
- Dīpaṅkara Buddha — The Buddha of a past age, before whom Śākyamuni made his bodhisattva vow.
- Nayuta — An extremely large numerical unit, used to indicate inconceivable numbers of buddhas.
- Pāścimadharma / Mofa — The “final dharma” age; the degenerate era after the Buddha’s passing, characterized by declining capacity to understand and practice the Dharma.
- Aprameya — Immeasurable; often paired with acintya (inconceivable) to describe the scale of merit or wisdom.
Doctrinal Significance
Adversity as purification — Social scorn toward the Dharma-bearer is reframed as a means of exhausting residual negative karma, transforming hardship into progress toward awakening.
Temporal context of merit — Upholding the sūtra in the final dharma age, when understanding is rare, yields greater merit than even the vast acts of devotion in past eons.
Merit beyond conceptual grasp — The immeasurable nature of this merit underscores that it cannot be calculated or compared in ordinary terms.
Encouragement for perseverance — This teaching motivates practitioners to continue upholding the sūtra despite societal disregard or hostility.
Linking past and present vows — By recalling his own service to countless buddhas, the Buddha connects his historical path with the contemporary practice of the sūtra, showing the same aspiration at work.
Chapter 15
“Subhūti, if someone in the morning gave up as many lives as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, and did the same at noon and in the evening, for countless aeons, and if another person upheld even a four-line verse of this sūtra and explained it to others, the latter’s merit would surpass the former’s.
When explaining it, do not grasp at dharma and do not grasp at non-dharma. Why? What the Tathāgata calls dharma is not dharma — therefore it is called dharma.”
Chapter 15 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha compares two acts of merit: one person who gives up as many lives as there are grains of sand in the Ganges three times a day for countless aeons, and another who upholds even a single four-line verse of this sūtra and explains it to others. The latter’s merit surpasses the former’s. The Buddha adds that in explaining the sūtra, one should not grasp at dharma or at non-dharma, because what the Tathāgata calls dharma is not ultimately dharma — therefore it is called dharma.
Key Terms
- Ganges sands — A standard Mahāyāna metaphor for an incalculable number, symbolizing boundless generosity or vast scale.
- Aeon (kalpa) — An immeasurably long period of time, used to convey extreme temporal scope.
- Four-line verse (catuṣpada gāthā) — The smallest formal unit of verse in the sūtra, representing the distilled Dharma in mnemonic form.
- Dharma / Adharma — Phenomenon/teaching vs. non-phenomenon/non-teaching; here, both are to be approached without fixation.
- Anupalambha — Non-apprehension; the state of not seizing upon dharmas as inherently existent or nonexistent.
- Twofold emptiness — The emptiness of dharmas and of their negation, avoiding reification of either side.
Doctrinal Significance
Primacy of wisdom over sacrifice — Even extreme acts of self-offering cannot match the merit of transmitting liberating wisdom grounded in prajñā.
Teaching without attachment — Explaining the sūtra requires freedom from clinging to either affirmation or negation, embodying the middle way (madhyamā pratipad).
Dharma as conventional designation — The formula “X is not X, therefore it is called X” underscores that even the teaching itself is empty, used as a skillful means (upāya).
Integration of dāna and prajñā — Giving the Dharma unites generosity and wisdom, producing immeasurable merit while remaining unattached to outcome.
Guard against subtle views — The warning against grasping at “non-dharma” is as important as avoiding grasping at “dharma,” preventing the practitioner from falling into nihilism.
Chapter 16
“Subhūti, a bodhisattva should not create the perception of a self, a being, a life, or a soul. He should practice giving without abiding in forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations, or dharmas.
Giving without abiding in appearances yields inconceivable and immeasurable merit.”
Chapter 16 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha instructs that a bodhisattva should not generate the perception of a self (ātman), a being (sattva), a life (jīva), or a soul/person (pudgala). Giving should be practiced without abiding in the six sensory objects — forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations, or dharmas (mental objects). Giving without attachment to these appearances produces inconceivable (acintya) and immeasurable (aprameya) merit.
Key Terms
- Four notions — Ātman, sattva, jīva, pudgala; the conceptual identities negated throughout the sūtra to remove self-grasping.
- Ṣaḍ-viṣaya — The six sensory objects corresponding to the six sense bases: visual forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations, and mental objects.
- Abiding (pratiṣṭhita) — To fix the mind upon or dwell in; here, to grasp or cling to an object of the senses or the mind.
- Apratiṣṭhita-dāna — Non-abiding giving; generosity performed without mental fixation on giver, gift, or recipient.
- Acintya / Aprameya — Inconceivable / immeasurable; terms indicating the limitless nature of merit when generosity is free from attachment.
Doctrinal Significance
Union of emptiness and generosity — True bodhisattva giving is grounded in the insight that neither giver, recipient, nor gift possesses inherent existence.
Freedom from the sixfold field — By not abiding in sensory or mental objects, the practitioner avoids the subtle clinging that limits merit and perpetuates saṃsāra.
Merit as a function of non-clinging — The immeasurable merit arises precisely because the giving is unconditioned by self-interest or perceptual fixation.
Direct application of Prajñāpāramitā — This is a practical expression of the perfection of wisdom: acting compassionately while remaining unattached.
Consistency with earlier chapters — This teaching extends Chapter 11’s emphasis on giving without attachment, reinforcing the sūtra’s core theme of non-abiding in all acts.
Chapter 17
The Buddha said, “Subhūti, if someone says that the Tathāgata comes, goes, sits, or lies down, that person does not understand my meaning. Why? ‘Tathāgata’ means one who does not come from anywhere and does not go anywhere — therefore he is called the Tathāgata.
Subhūti, if a bodhisattva gives without abiding in appearances, his merit is immeasurable. What do you think — is the space in the eastern direction measurable?”
“No, World-Honored One.”
“And in the southern, western, northern, the four intermediate directions, the zenith, and the nadir — is it measurable?”
“No, World-Honored One.”
“Likewise, the merit of a bodhisattva who gives without abiding in appearances is immeasurable.”
Chapter 17 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha tells Subhūti that anyone who says the Tathāgata comes, goes, sits, or lies down does not understand his meaning. “Tathāgata” refers to one who neither comes from anywhere nor goes anywhere — hence the name. The Buddha then states that the merit of a bodhisattva who gives without abiding in appearances (nimitta) is immeasurable, comparing it to the immeasurable nature of space in all directions.
Key Terms
- Tathāgata — “Thus-Come One” or “Thus-Gone One”; here defined as one who neither originates from nor proceeds to any fixed point, reflecting the non-dual realization beyond time and space.
- Coming and going — Conventional expressions implying arising and ceasing; in ultimate truth (paramārtha-satya), the Tathāgata transcends such conceptual opposites.
- Nimitta — Appearance, sign, or perceptual marker; clinging to nimitta in giving limits the act with conceptual fixation.
- Apratiṣṭhita-dāna — Non-abiding giving; generosity that is unbound by notions of giver, gift, or recipient, or by sensory and mental appearances.
- Aprameya — Immeasurable; a quality ascribed to the merit generated when action is free from clinging.
Doctrinal Significance
Tathāgata beyond spatial-temporal predicates — The Buddha’s nature is not confined to concepts of movement or location, reflecting the realization of emptiness and dependent origination.
Direct negation of reified identity — By denying coming and going, the teaching undermines subtle notions of the Buddha as a fixed, substantial entity.
Parallels between non-abiding and non-locality — Just as the Tathāgata is not bound to spatial-temporal limits, the bodhisattva’s generosity is not bound to appearances.
Space as a metaphor for boundlessness — The immeasurability of space illustrates the limitless merit of action grounded in emptiness and compassion.
Continuation of core theme — This chapter reinforces the recurring linkage between prajñā (wisdom) and dāna(generosity), showing both as expressions of non-abiding.
Chapter 18
“Subhūti, what do you think? Can the Tathāgata be seen by means of the thirty-two marks?”
“No, World-Honored One. The Tathāgata cannot be seen by means of the thirty-two marks. Why? Because what the Tathāgata calls the thirty-two marks are not the thirty-two marks — therefore they are called the thirty-two marks.”
“Wherever this sūtra is found, that place is worthy of veneration by devas, humans, and asuras.”
Chapter 18 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha asks whether the Tathāgata can be seen through the thirty-two marks (mahāpuruṣa-lakṣaṇa). Subhūti answers no, because what the Tathāgata calls the thirty-two marks are not ultimately the thirty-two marks — hence they are called the thirty-two marks. The Buddha concludes that wherever this sūtra is found, that place is worthy of veneration by devas, humans, and asuras.
Key Terms
- Mahāpuruṣa-lakṣaṇa — The thirty-two major physical marks attributed to a “great person” in Buddhist cosmology, including features like the ushnīṣa, long earlobes, and webbed fingers.
- Nāma-dharma — Name-based designation; a term used for conventional labels that do not point to inherently existent entities.
- Tathāgata — Here emphasized as a reality that cannot be reduced to physical attributes, no matter how exalted.
- Caitya — A shrine or sacred site; in this context, any location where the sūtra is present takes on the sanctity of a Buddha-shrine.
- Devas, humans, asuras — Beings across different realms of rebirth who are capable of reverence and respect toward the Dharma.
Doctrinal Significance
Form is not the ultimate — Even the traditionally revered marks are empty of intrinsic existence and cannot define or capture the Buddha’s reality.
Skillful means in description — The thirty-two marks are maintained in teachings as symbolic and didactic, not as ultimate identifiers.
Recognition of the Dharma over form — The Buddha equates the presence of the sūtra itself with the presence of the Buddha, shifting reverence from physical form to liberating truth.
Universal sanctity — Declaring the sūtra’s location as worthy of veneration elevates the act of preserving and transmitting the Dharma to the highest merit.
Continuity with earlier chapters — Reiterates the theme from Chapter 12 that the ultimate recognition of the Buddha lies in wisdom and realization, not in sensory perception.
Chapter 19
“Subhūti, if a person filled countless world-systems with the seven treasures and gave them away, and if another person upheld even a four-line verse of this sūtra and explained it to others, the latter’s merit would be far greater.
Why? Because all buddhas and the dharma of unsurpassed awakening arise from this sūtra. What is called ‘Buddha-dharma’ is not a fixed Buddha-dharma.”
Chapter 19 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha compares two acts of merit: filling countless world-systems with the seven treasures and giving them away, versus upholding even a four-line verse of this sūtra and explaining it to others. The merit of the latter is far greater. This is because all buddhas and the dharma of unsurpassed awakening (anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi-dharma) arise from this sūtra. The Buddha adds that what is called “Buddha-dharma” is not a fixed or inherently existent Buddha-dharma — therefore it is called Buddha-dharma.
Key Terms
- Seven treasures (sapta-ratna) — Gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, coral, red pearls, and agate; symbols of immense worldly value.
- Four-line verse (catuṣpada gāthā) — The smallest memorized unit of the sūtra, capable of conveying its essential teaching.
- Anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi-dharma — The dharma of unsurpassed, complete, perfect awakening; the ultimate realization embodied by a Buddha.
- Buddha-dharma — The teaching and truth realized by Buddhas; here explicitly negated as having fixed or inherent essence.
- Nāma-dharma — Conventional naming; a label used for pragmatic communication but empty of self-nature.
Doctrinal Significance
Wisdom surpasses material generosity — The highest merit comes from transmitting liberating insight, not from amassing or distributing material wealth.
Source of all Buddhas — The sūtra’s teaching of emptiness and non-abiding is the ground from which all awakened ones and their realization emerge.
Non-essentialist view of the Dharma — By stating that “Buddha-dharma” is not fixed, the Buddha prevents the reification of even the liberating teaching itself.
Integration of giving and teaching — Sharing the Dharma is presented as the supreme form of dāna (generosity), uniting compassion and wisdom.
Paradox as pedagogy — The formula “X is not X, therefore it is called X” functions as a direct pointer to the emptiness of conceptual constructs, keeping the practitioner from clinging to names.
Chapter 20
“Subhūti, does a stream-enterer think, ‘I have attained the fruit of stream-enterer’?”
“No, World-Honored One. ‘Stream-enterer’ is merely a name — there is no entering of a self, being, life, or soul.”
The same is said for once-returners, non-returners, and arhats: they do not think, “I have attained a fruit.”
Chapter 20 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha asks whether a stream-enterer (srota-āpanna) thinks, “I have attained the fruit of stream-enterer.” Subhūti answers no, because “stream-enterer” is merely a conventional name, and there is no entering of a self (ātman), being (sattva), life (jīva), or soul/person (pudgala). The same applies to once-returners (sakṛdāgāmin), non-returners (anāgāmin), and arhats — they do not conceive, “I have attained a fruit.”
Key Terms
- Srota-āpanna — “Stream-enterer”; one who has entered the stream of the noble eightfold path, assured of liberation within seven lifetimes.
- Sakṛdāgāmin — “Once-returner”; destined for only one more rebirth in the human realm before liberation.
- Anāgāmin — “Non-returner”; one who will not return to the human realm, destined for awakening in a higher realm.
- Arhat — “Worthy one”; one who has destroyed all defilements (kleśa) and is liberated from saṃsāra.
- Four notions — Ātman, sattva, jīva, pudgala; conceptual identities rejected throughout the sūtra to dismantle self-grasping.
- Nāma-dharma — Name-based designation; “fruit” or attainment is a label without intrinsic reality.
Doctrinal Significance
Non-conceit of attainment — Even genuine spiritual realization is free from the notion “I have attained,” preventing subtle ego-clinging.
Conventional vs. ultimate truth — The titles of the four stages are pragmatic labels, not ultimate realities possessed by a self.
Selflessness across all stages — The negation of the four notions applies equally to beginner and advanced stages, showing continuity in the path.
Guard against spiritual pride — This teaching directly undermines pride, which can arise even in accomplished practitioners.
Emptiness of the path itself — Just as dharmas are empty, the fruits of the path are also without inherent existence, ensuring the practitioner avoids fixation at any stage.