Diamond Sutra: Thoughts
Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra
(Diamond Cutter Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra)
CONTINUED - Chapters 21-32
Chapter 21
“Subhūti, do not think the Tathāgata has the idea, ‘I will teach the dharma.’ If someone says the Tathāgata teaches the dharma, that person does not understand my meaning. In the dharma taught by the Tathāgata, there is no dharma that can be grasped or stated — thus it is called ‘teaching the dharma.’
Subhūti, generosity should be practiced without abiding in appearances.”
Chapter 21 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha tells Subhūti not to think that the Tathāgata harbors the idea “I will teach the dharma.” If someone claims the Tathāgata teaches the dharma, they have misunderstood. In the dharma taught by the Tathāgata, there is no dharma that can be grasped or stated — and for that reason, it is conventionally called “teaching the dharma.” The Buddha then reiterates that generosity (dāna) should be practiced without abiding in appearances.
Key Terms
- Tathāgata — “Thus-come” or “Thus-gone”; the Buddha, understood here as one who is beyond arising and ceasing, beyond fixed selfhood.
- Dharma (dharma) — Here meaning both “phenomenon” and “teaching”; in this context, it refers to the liberating truth the Buddha points to, which cannot be grasped conceptually.
- Grasping (upalambha) — The mental act of clinging to or holding as truly existent.
- Dāna — Generosity or giving; the first of the six perfections (pāramitā), perfected when freed from clinging to appearances (nimitta).
- Nimitta — “Sign” or “appearance”; any conceptual marker or perceptual image to which one could attach notions of self or reality.
Doctrinal Significance
Non-possession of teaching — The Buddha’s refusal to claim authorship or possession of a teaching emphasizes that the dharma is not a personal creation but the natural truth realized through awakening.
Emptiness of dharmas — Since no dharma can be ultimately grasped, even the teaching itself is empty of inherent existence; it is a skillful means (upāya) rather than a fixed doctrine.
Deconstructing the teacher–teaching dichotomy — By rejecting the idea that the Buddha “teaches,” the sūtra undermines dualistic thinking about giver and receiver of wisdom.
Parallel with generosity — The reminder about dāna links non-grasping in teaching with non-grasping in giving; both are perfected through freedom from appearances (animitta).
Guarding against reification — Even calling something “teaching the dharma” is acknowledged as a conventional expression (prajñapti), preventing the student from mistaking the words for the reality they point to.
Chapter 22
“Subhūti, can the Tathāgata be seen by the possession of marks?”
“No, World-Honored One.”
“The Tathāgata says that the possession of marks is not the possession of marks — therefore it is called the possession of marks.
Wherever this sūtra is, offerings should be made; those who uphold it are supported by all buddhas and obtain immeasurable merit.”
Chapter 22 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha asks whether the Tathāgata can be seen by the possession of marks (lakṣaṇa). Subhūti replies no. The Buddha explains that what he calls “possession of marks” is not truly possession of marks — and for that reason it is conventionally called possession of marks. He then states that wherever this sūtra is found, offerings should be made; those who uphold it are supported by all buddhas and obtain immeasurable merit.
Key Terms
- Tathāgata — “Thus-come” or “Thus-gone”; an epithet for the Buddha emphasizing non-arising and non-abiding.
- Lakṣaṇa — Physical “marks” or “characteristics,” especially the thirty-two major marks (dvātriṃśad mahā-puruṣa-lakṣaṇāni) traditionally said to adorn a great person or a buddha.
- Nāma-dharma — Name-based designation; here the “possession of marks” is acknowledged as a conventional label without ultimate reality.
- Upholding (dhāraṇa) — To remember, recite, protect, and live in accordance with a teaching.
- Offerings (pūjā) — Acts of reverence such as incense, flowers, food, or respectful conduct made toward a sacred object, place, or teaching.
Doctrinal Significance
Negation of form-based recognition — The rejection of identifying the Buddha through marks dismantles reliance on outward signs for spiritual understanding.
Conventional designation — The phrase “possession of marks” is retained as a name for communicative purposes, but its emptiness is affirmed to avoid reification.
Primacy of the dharma over the body — The Buddha’s physical form is not the definitive indicator of awakening; the truth of the dharma transcends bodily characteristics.
Sūtra as sacred presence — The teaching itself is declared worthy of offerings and veneration, paralleling the reverence shown to the Buddha in person.
Merit through upholding — Upholding and propagating the sūtra aligns the practitioner with the support of all buddhas, generating immeasurable merit (puṇya) — yet such merit is still to be understood as empty of inherent existence.
Chapter 23
“Subhūti, if a person reduced as many worlds as there are in the universe into particles of dust — are those particles many?”
“Very many, World-Honored One.”
“If those particles were real, the Tathāgata would not speak of them as particles. The Tathāgata says they are not particles — therefore they are called particles. Likewise, what the Tathāgata calls ‘worlds’ are not worlds — therefore they are called worlds.”
“Subhūti, can the Tathāgata be perceived by the thirty-two marks?”
“No, World-Honored One. They are not the thirty-two marks — therefore they are called the thirty-two marks.”
Chapter 23 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha asks Subhūti to imagine reducing as many worlds as exist in the universe into particles of dust, and whether those particles would be many. Subhūti affirms they would. The Buddha explains that if those particles were ultimately real, he would not call them particles — what he calls “particles” are not particles, therefore they are called particles. Likewise, what he calls “worlds” are not worlds, therefore they are called worlds. He then reiterates that the Tathāgata cannot be perceived by the thirty-two marks, because they are not the thirty-two marks — therefore they are called the thirty-two marks.
Key Terms
- Paramāṇu — “Particle” or “atom”; here representing the smallest conceivable unit of matter, used as an example to deconstruct notions of ultimate substance.
- Lokadhātu — “World-system”; the entirety of a cosmological domain consisting of multiple world-realms according to Buddhist cosmology.
- Lakṣaṇa — “Mark” or “characteristic”; in this context the thirty-two major marks (dvātriṃśad mahā-puruṣa-lakṣaṇāni) traditionally said to be present on a buddha.
- Upādāya prajñapti — A conceptual designation or dependent naming, applied to phenomena for conventional communication without implying inherent existence.
Doctrinal Significance
Deconstruction of matter — By analyzing particles and worlds, the Buddha undermines the idea that they exist as discrete, inherently existent entities. Even the smallest “unit” is a designation based on mental designation..
Relativity of naming — Terms such as “particle” or “world” operate at the level of conventional truth (saṃvṛti-satya), serving communicative needs while remaining empty of inherent nature (śūnyatā).
Scale and emptiness — Whether contemplating the vastness of countless worlds or the minuteness of particles, the teaching points equally to their emptiness, emphasizing that size is irrelevant to ultimate truth.
Parallel with perception of the Buddha — Just as physical objects are not ultimately what they appear, so too the Buddha’s nature cannot be captured by physical marks, even the exalted thirty-two marks.
Guarding against reification — The repeated formula “are not… therefore they are called…” functions as a deliberate teaching strategy to avoid turning conceptual labels into absolute realities.
Chapter 24
“As with particles and worlds — the names are provisional; ultimately they are not fixed entities.
The thirty-two marks are not the thirty-two marks — therefore they are called the thirty-two marks.”
Chapter 24 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha restates that names like “particles” and “worlds” are provisional designations, not fixed or ultimately real entities. Likewise, the thirty-two marks of a great being are not truly the thirty-two marks — therefore they are conventionally called the thirty-two marks.
Key Terms
- Saṃvṛti-nāma — Conventional name or designation; here indicating that linguistic labels serve communication but do not denote an inherent essence.
- Nihsvabhāva — “Without own-being” or “without intrinsic nature”; the state of all dharmas, which exist dependently and lack an independent, fixed identity.
- Mahā-puruṣa-lakṣaṇa — “Great person’s marks”; the thirty-two bodily characteristics traditionally attributed to a fully awakened Buddha.
- Upādāya prajñapti — Designation based on dependence; terms like “particle” or “world” function through relational naming, not inherent existence.
Doctrinal Significance
Reinforcement through repetition — This chapter functions as a pedagogical refrain, reasserting the emptiness of both micro (particles) and macro (worlds) scales, and linking this insight to the understanding of the Buddha’s form.
Equal emptiness of scale — Whether infinitesimal (paramāṇu) or vast (lokadhātu), all phenomena share the same lack of inherent existence; size is irrelevant to their ultimate nature.
Buddha’s marks as expedient means — The thirty-two marks are upheld in traditional descriptions to inspire devotion and convey symbolic meaning, yet the Diamond Sūtra undermines their literalism, teaching that ultimate recognition of a Buddha is through realization of dharma, not physical traits.
Guarding against subtle attachment — Even noble symbols like the thirty-two marks can become objects of clinging; recognizing them as conventional preserves the practitioner from conflating symbols with ultimate reality.
Chapter 25
“If someone filled innumerable world-systems with the seven treasures and gave them away, and if another upheld even a four-line verse of this sūtra and explained it to others, the latter’s merit would be far greater.
How should it be explained? Without grasping at forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations, or dharmas. Seeing that all forms are illusions is seeing the Tathāgata.”
Chapter 25 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha compares two forms of merit: the vast material generosity of offering countless treasures versus the merit from upholding and teaching even a brief verse of this sūtra. The latter surpasses the former, provided it is explained without grasping at sensory objects or mental constructs. True vision of the Tathāgata is the insight that all forms are illusions.
Key Terms
- Saptaratna — The “seven treasures,” a traditional list including gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, coral, red pearls, and agate; here representing the highest forms of worldly wealth.
- Upādāya prajñapti — Designation based on relational dependence; all dharmas, including sensory phenomena, exist only conventionally.
- Śaḍāyatana — The six sense bases: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind; the sūtra lists the corresponding sensory objects to encompass the full scope of experience.
- Māyopama — “Like an illusion”; a simile for the illusory nature of all conditioned appearances.
Doctrinal Significance
Primacy of Dharma over material giving — While generosity (dāna) is a perfection, the transmission of wisdom that reveals the nature of reality has immeasurably greater merit, because it leads directly to liberation.
Non-grasping in teaching — The act of explaining the sūtra must be free from attachment to the six sensory fields; otherwise, the teaching remains bound by saṃsāric perception.
Seeing the Tathāgata — The Buddha equates seeing him with seeing the illusory nature of all forms; recognition of the Buddha is a realization, not a visual or sensory event.
Equality of all forms in emptiness — This passage completes a recurring theme: to regard any form as ultimately real — whether gross or subtle — is to miss the essence of awakening.
Chapter 26
“If someone says the Tathāgata comes or goes, sits or lies down, that person does not understand. ‘Tathāgata’ has no coming or going.
To explain this sūtra, do not grasp at form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharma — because all forms are illusions.”
Chapter 26 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha rejects any characterization of the Tathāgata in terms of movement or spatial location. He reinforces that explaining this sūtra must be done without grasping at any sensory object or conceptual dharma, because all forms are illusions.
Key Terms
- Tathāgata — “Thus-Come” or “Thus-Gone”; in Mahāyāna usage, it points to the Buddha’s ultimate nature as beyond arising and ceasing, free from spatial-temporal predicates.
- Āgama / gamana — Coming and going; here negated in the ultimate sense to deny the applicability of ordinary verbs of motion to the awakened one.
- Śaḍviṣaya — The six sensory objects: rūpa (form), śabda (sound), gandha (smell), rasa (taste), spraṣṭavya (tactile object), and dharma (mental object).
- Māyopama — “Like an illusion,” emphasizing the non-substantiality and dependent-arising nature of all perceptual appearances.
Doctrinal Significance
Non-locality of the Buddha — By denying coming or going, the sūtra affirms the Buddha’s realization of dharmadhātu, the all-pervading nature of reality, in which notions of place or movement are purely conventional designations.
Guarding against reification in teaching — The warning to avoid grasping at sensory or mental phenomena when explaining the sūtra prevents a teacher from turning the Dharma into another object of attachment.
Pedagogical refrain — The return to “all forms are like illusions” re-emphasizes the central Mahāyāna insight of śūnyatā (emptiness) and prajñā (wisdom), aligning this chapter with previous admonitions in Chapters 7, 25, and earlier.
Practice application — This teaching cautions practitioners against projecting inherent existence onto the Tathāgata or onto the Dharma itself, reminding them that both are skillful means (upāya), not fixed realities.
Chapter 27
“A bodhisattva does not create perceptions of self, being, life, or soul. The merit of explaining even a four-line verse of this sūtra for others surpasses that of giving treasures filling immeasurable worlds.”
Chapter 27 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha affirms that a bodhisattva does not generate perceptions tied to ātman (self), sattva (being), jīva (life), or pudgala (soul). He then emphasizes the incomparable merit of explaining even a brief portion of this sūtra, surpassing that of giving treasures filling immeasurable worlds.
Key Terms
- Bodhisattva — A being dedicated to awakening (bodhi) for the benefit of all sentient beings, guided by prajñā(wisdom) and karuṇā (compassion).
- Ātman — Self; the concept of an inherent, permanent identity, which Mahāyāna rejects as ultimately unreal.
- Sattva — Being; a sentient existence viewed through conventional designation but empty in ultimate truth.
- Jīva — Life-principle; in some Indian contexts, the animating essence—denied here as independent.
- Pudgala — Person or soul; a doctrinal target for negation, especially against certain schools that posited a “person” distinct from the aggregates.
Doctrinal Significance
Non-arising of self-based views — The fourfold negation (self, being, life, soul) is a recurrent refrain in the Diamond Sūtra, dismantling subtle forms of grasping at identity from coarse to refined.
Merit hierarchy — The sūtra consistently ranks the merit of preserving, reciting, and teaching it above vast acts of material generosity. This reflects the Mahāyāna valuation of wisdom-giving (dharma-dāna) as surpassing wealth-giving (āmiṣa-dāna).
Pedagogical emphasis — By repeating the comparison with “immeasurable treasures,” the Buddha reinforces the listener’s recognition of the sūtra’s transformative role as the source of all buddha-dharma (cf. Ch. 19).
Practical takeaway for practitioners — The focus is not merely on preaching but on embodying non-clinging insight. A person could recite and explain the sūtra mechanically yet still grasp at identity—true benefit arises only when the teaching flows from the absence of such grasping.
Chapter 28
“If a bodhisattva holds perceptions of self, being, life, or soul, he is not a true bodhisattva. He should practice giving without abiding in the six fields; such merit is inconceivable.”
Chapter 28 Commentary
Text recap
A bodhisattva who holds perceptions of ātman (self), sattva (being), jīva (life), or pudgala (soul) is not a true bodhisattva. True practice requires giving without abiding in the six fields of sensory contact; such merit is declared inconceivable.
Key Terms
- Ātman — Self; the notion of an inherently existing identity.
- Sattva — Being; a conventional label for sentient existence, empty of intrinsic essence.
- Jīva — Life-principle; here negated as a substantial or permanent entity.
- Pudgala — Person or soul; rejected in the Madhyamaka view as an independent reality.
- Six fields — The six sense bases (ṣaḍāyatana): form (rūpa), sound (śabda), smell (gandha), taste (rasa), touch (spraṣṭavya), and mental objects (dharma).
Doctrinal Significance
Identity-view as a disqualifier — The text bluntly states that a bodhisattva who clings to self-based notions is not genuinely enacting the bodhisattva path. The absence of such perceptions is not optional but constitutive of the path itself.
Giving without sensory fixation — “Without abiding in the six fields” points to a form of generosity (dāna) that is free from attachment to perceptual objects or the act of giving itself. This aligns with earlier chapters (e.g., Ch. 16, Ch. 17) that treat non-abiding as essential to merit.
Merit as inconceivable — As with prior sections, the sūtra links the depth of merit to the depth of insight into emptiness (śūnyatā), not to the magnitude of material offering. The merit is “inconceivable” because it cannot be measured by conventional criteria—it operates in the domain of the unconditioned (asaṃskṛta).
Pedagogical reinforcement — The sūtra repeats the fourfold negation and the emphasis on merit without attachment, underscoring their centrality through cumulative repetition across chapters.
Chapter 29
“It is wrong to say the Tathāgata teaches a view of self, being, life, or soul. What the Tathāgata calls ‘dharma’ is not dharma — therefore it is called dharma.
Bodhisattvas who give without abiding in form have inconceivable, immeasurable merit.”
Chapter 29 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha states it is incorrect to say that the Tathāgata teaches a view involving ātman (self), sattva (being), jīva (life), or pudgala (soul). Furthermore, what the Tathāgata calls “dharma” is not dharma in any fixed, ultimate sense — thus it is called dharma. Bodhisattvas who give without abiding in form (rūpa) possess merit that is inconceivable and immeasurable.
Key Terms
- Ātman — Self; the notion of an inherently existing personal identity.
- Sattva — Being; a conventional label for living existence, devoid of intrinsic essence.
- Jīva — Life-force or principle; negated as a permanent entity in the Buddhist view.
- Pudgala — Soul or personhood; a substantialist concept rejected in Madhyamaka and most early schools.
- Dharma — Here in two senses: (1) phenomena or teachings; (2) “law” or “truth.” The statement “dharma is not dharma” marks the distinction between conventional designations and ultimate reality.
- Rūpa — Form; the first of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha), representing material phenomena.
Doctrinal Significance
Denial of substantialist views — The Tathāgata is not a proponent of any doctrine that affirms inherent identity in self or others. This rejection is central to anātman teaching and serves as a safeguard against reifying the Buddha’s words into metaphysical dogmas.
Twofold truth application — “What the Tathāgata calls dharma is not dharma” applies the Madhyamaka two-truths framework: conventional terms are used for pedagogical purposes, but ultimately these referents are empty of inherent existence (niḥsvabhāva).
Non-abiding generosity — By connecting the doctrinal negation of fixed dharma with the practice of non-abiding giving, the sūtra reasserts that realization of emptiness transforms ethical conduct, making merit boundless and beyond conceptual measure.
Merit as function of view — This section emphasizes that the immeasurable merit of a bodhisattva’s gift is not merely in the act itself, but in the view (dṛṣṭi) that informs it — namely, the absence of fixation on giver, gift, and recipient.
Chapter 30
“If a bodhisattva says, ‘I will liberate beings,’ he is not a true bodhisattva.
There is no fixed dharma called ‘bodhisattva.’ ‘Adorning buddha-lands’ is not adorning buddha-lands — therefore it is called adorning buddha-lands.”
Chapter 30 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha explains that if a bodhisattva thinks, “I will liberate beings,” he is not a true bodhisattva. This is because there is no fixed dharma that can be identified as “bodhisattva.” Similarly, “adorning buddha-lands” is not truly adorning buddha-lands — thus it is conventionally called adorning buddha-lands.
Key Terms
- Bodhisattva — A being dedicated to attaining complete awakening (anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi) for the benefit of all sentient beings, without clinging to the notion of a separate self or others.
- Buddha-kṣetra — Buddha-land or pure land; a realm purified and adorned by the vows and practices of a buddha for the benefit of beings.
- Anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi — Utmost, complete, and perfect awakening; the final realization of a buddha.
- Adorning (vyūha) — The cultivation of virtues and wisdom that “beautify” or “perfect” a realm, but understood here as empty of inherent essence.
Doctrinal Significance
Non-appropriation of beings — The teaching dismantles the subtle egoism that can arise even in altruistic intention. To think “I will liberate beings” presupposes a truly existent “I” and “beings” to be liberated, which contradicts the bodhisattva’s realization of śūnyatā (emptiness).
No fixed dharma of bodhisattva — The identity “bodhisattva” is a skillful designation, not an ultimate entity. In ultimate analysis, there is no independently existing role or self performing the work of awakening.
Purity of intention in the vow — The rejection of reified “adorning” emphasizes that compassionate activity should arise spontaneously from wisdom, without conceptual overlay or attachment to result. The activity is “called” adorning only by convention (prajñapti), not by intrinsic reality.
Union of wisdom and compassion — The bodhisattva ideal operates within this paradox: one works tirelessly for beings while knowing there are no beings to save. This is the heart of the Prajñāpāramitā approach, preventing both nihilism and reification.
Chapter 31
“A bodhisattva abandons perceptions and gives without the mind abiding anywhere — otherwise it is like moving in darkness. Without abiding, it is like seeing forms in bright light.
Good men and women who uphold this sūtra will be known and seen by the Tathāgata and will gain immeasurable merit.”
Chapter 31 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha teaches that a bodhisattva should give without allowing the mind to “abide” anywhere. If the mind clings to a place, object, or concept, it is like moving in darkness. Without abiding, the mind is unobstructed, like seeing forms clearly in bright light. Those who uphold this sūtra are known and seen by the Tathāgata and gain immeasurable merit.
Key Terms
- Anupalambha — Non-apprehension or non-abiding; the absence of mental fixation on any object, concept, or state.
- Abiding (avasthāna) — To take a mental stance or rest on something, thereby generating attachment or identification.
- Merit (puṇya) — Positive karmic potential arising from wholesome deeds, here understood as purified of attachment, thus boundless.
- Tathāgata — “Thus-Come” or “Thus-Gone One,” a title of the Buddha emphasizing realization beyond dualistic coming and going.
Doctrinal Significance
Non-abiding as the heart of giving — The phrase “mind not abiding anywhere” echoes the famous Vajracchedikā verse that all wholesome activity, especially giving (dāna), must be performed without mental fixation. This is the practical application of śūnyatā in daily conduct.
Light vs. darkness metaphor — Darkness represents activity veiled by ignorance and clinging, where generosity is obscured by concepts of self, giver, and recipient. Light symbolizes unobstructed awareness where generosity flows naturally without conceptual construction.
Seeing and being seen by the Tathāgata — To be “known and seen” by the Tathāgata is a figurative way of saying that one’s conduct resonates fully with the awakened state. Upholding the sūtra integrates one’s practice with the mind of awakening itself.
Merit without measure — Just as in earlier chapters, merit is emphasized not in terms of quantity of gifts or outward form, but in terms of purity of mind. Freedom from abiding allows the merit to be immeasurable because it is not limited by conceptual frameworks.
Chapter 32
“If countless worlds were reduced to particles, those particles are not real particles — therefore they are called particles. Worlds are not worlds — therefore they are called worlds.
Giving the seven treasures filling immeasurable worlds is less than upholding even a four-line verse of this sūtra and explaining it without grasping at the six fields.
All conditioned phenomena
Are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow,
Like dew or lightning;
Thus should you view them.”
After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the elder Subhūti, the monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, and all beings — devas, humans, asuras — rejoiced greatly, accepted it, and practiced accordingly.
Chapter 32 Commentary
Text recap
The Buddha teaches that if countless worlds were reduced to particles, neither the particles nor the worlds are ultimately real; these are designations without intrinsic essence. Giving treasures filling immeasurable worlds is still less meritorious than upholding and explaining even a four-line verse of this sūtra without grasping at the six sensory fields. He concludes with the famous verse:
All conditioned phenomena
Are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow,
Like dew or lightning;
Thus should you view them.
After hearing this teaching, Subhūti, the monastic and lay disciples, and beings from many realms rejoiced, accepted, and practiced accordingly.
Key Terms
- Saṃskṛta-dharma — Conditioned phenomena; compounded events or things arising from causes and conditions, subject to change and cessation.
- Upādāna — Grasping or attachment; here applied to the six sensory fields (ṣaḍāyatana), meaning fixation on sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations, or mental objects.
- Nāma-prajñapti — Name designation; the attribution of names to phenomena that have no inherent nature.
- Māyopama — “Like an illusion”; a classic Mahāyāna analogy stressing the insubstantiality of phenomena.
Doctrinal Significance
Final assertion of emptiness and non-abiding — The repeated deconstruction of “particles” and “worlds” closes the sūtra’s method of revealing emptiness: all levels of analysis dissolve into name-only conventions.
Supremacy of teaching the sūtra — As throughout the text, merit is measured not by material magnitude but by the profundity and purity of transmission of the Dharma. Non-grasping at the six fields ensures the teaching is not bound by conceptual distortions.
The six similes of impermanence — Dream (svapna), illusion (māyā), bubble (phena), shadow (chāyā), dew (tārakā in some recensions, here as morning dew), and lightning (vidyut). Each illustrates a different facet of transience and insubstantiality: fleeting duration, deceptive appearance, fragility, dependence on conditions, rapid vanishing, and sudden disappearance.
Soteriological vision — The famous verse is a meditative instruction: one should train perception to see all conditioned dharmas in this way. This perception undermines clinging and prepares the mind for direct realization of the unconditioned.
Communal assent — The sūtra closes with universal rejoicing among devas, humans, and asuras, symbolizing that the Dharma of emptiness transcends domains and is accessible to all beings when conditions align.