Part 7-1
The Buddha asked Subhuti, “Subhuti, what do you think—has the Realised One attained unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment? Has the Realised One preached any Dharma?” Subhuti said. “As I understand the principles expounded by you, the Realised One, there is no fixed Dharma called unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment, and there is no fixed Dharma worth mentioning that the Realised One preached.”
Commentary:
‘Dharma’ has multiple meanings; the true-Self, things, and the Buddha’s teaching. The Dharma’ in ‘there is no fixed Dharma called unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment’ means ‘a thing’, and so this sentence signifies ‘there is no fixed thing called unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment’. The ‘Dharma’ in ‘there is no fixed Dharma worth mentioning that the Realised One preached’ means the Buddha’s teaching, therefore this sentence implies ‘there is no fixed Buddha’s teaching worth mentioning that the Realised One preached’.
This shows what enlightenment is and what Dharma talk is. Enlightenment means the capability to see and hear everything as it is without being deluded by any words and forms, which is also referred to as seeing everything as empty. When we see everything as empty, everything, including us, is one as Emptiness, and there is nothing but Emptiness. Emptiness is the state free from words and forms, which is referred to as the true-Self, Nirvana, Oneness, the Buddha, non-I, the Pure Land, and the middle-Path. This is the essence of everything and this is why it is said in Buddhism that everything is equal as the Buddha. In the state of Emptiness, that is, when we see everything as empty, there is nothing to see or hear other than Emptiness and there is not just nothing to gain or lose but also no gainer or loser.
In this state even the word ‘the Buddha’ is no more than grime to taint the Pure Land, because it is no more than an imaginary label used as an expedient for the sake of convenience to express the state. This is why it is said that there is no Buddha in the Pure Land. In the state of Emptiness there is neither enlightenment nor one who attained it, nor is there not only the Dharma but also one who preached the Dharma.
This is why ancient masters would say that before enlightenment, there are Dharma teaching to learn, enlightenment to attain and the Buddha to see but that after enlightenment, there is no Dharma teaching to learn, no enlightenment to attain and no Buddha to see.
Student: “If the Buddha didn’t preach any Dharma, what are all the Buddhist Sutras we read?”
Master: “They are not the Sutras.”
Student: “If they are not the Sutras, what is the Sutra?”
Master: “The Sutra is without pages and words.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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