Part 3
The Buddha said to Subhuti, “The bodhisattvas should surrender their minds thus: All kinds of sentient beings—be they born from eggs, born from wombs, born from moisture, or born from transmutation, be they material, immaterial, thinking or non-thinking, or neither thinking nor non-thinking, — I shall have them all enter perfect nirvana without remainder and thus liberate them all. Although I liberate innumerable, countless, infinite sentient beings, not a single sentient being is liberated in fact.”
“Why not? Subhuti, if the bodhisattvas have images of self, images of person, images of a being, images of a liver of life, they are not bodhisattvas.”
Commentary:
In this context, “all sentient beings” refers not only to living creatures but also to inanimate things like stones and pieces of wood. Other than the Buddha, nothing lies outside the realm of sentient beings. People often say it’s difficult enough to help even humans—beings we can communicate with—attain enlightenment. So how is it possible to lead all the sentient beings mentioned above to enlightenment, many of whom cannot even communicate with us? There is a saying: “When I attain enlightenment, the whole universe is enlightened along with me”. To attain enlightenment means not being deluded by forms or words—it means seeing and hearing all things just as they are. This way of seeing is referred to as seeing things as empty.
Now, “emptiness” doesn’t mean voidness. It means a state free from all conceptual discrimination. It’s such a complete and indescribable state that even opening one’s mouth to speak about it causes distortion. Calling it “sacred” would be to defile it. It is this unspeakable, perfect clarity that is also known as the true-Self, Buddha-nature, Tathāgata, nonduality, nirvāṇa, or the Pure Land. To see all things as empty is to see the Buddha; to reach this state is to enter nirvāṇa.
When enlightenment is attained, all conceptual distinctions fall away: there is no more one who attains nirvāṇa, no object of nirvāṇa, no sentient beings, no Buddhas, no self, no other. All sentient beings—including oneself and the entire universe—are seen as not separate, but one. This is what the expression “Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honoured one” refers to the realisation of nonduality and the state of Buddhahood.
Thus, when the sutra says, “I shall liberate all incalculable, innumerable, and boundless sentient beings,” it doesn’t mean changing the sentient beings themselves, but changing the way we see them—seeing them not as sentient beings but as Buddhas. This is why the Buddha said, “If a bodhisattva has images of self, images of person, images of sentient beings, or images of a liver of life, then he is not a true bodhisattva.” In short, to lead all sentient beings to nirvāṇa by liberating them from illusions doesn’t mean to transform them, but to perceive them rightly, as they truly are— the functions of the true-Self.
The various types of beings—those born from eggs, from wombs, from moisture, or spontaneously; beings with form or without form; beings with thought, without thought, or neither with nor without thought—are distinctions we make when we fail to see them as they really are. In true vision, these are all nothing but the functions of the true-Self.
That’s why ancient masters would say, “When I was deluded, even the Buddha or Maitreya seemed foolish. But now that I’ve attained enlightenment, even a cat or a white ox appears wise.” It is our own enlightenment that liberates all beings. And this is why the Buddha said, even though countless sentient beings are liberated, not a single sentient being has truly been liberated—because in the ultimate view of the enlightened, there are no beings to be liberated.
Disciple: “How should I liberate sentient beings?”
Master: “Don’t waste time liberating sentient beings that don’t exist—just serve the Buddha in front of you well.”
Disciple: “What is the Buddha in front of me?”
Master: “What? Say that again.”
Disciple: “What is the Buddha in front of me?”
Master: “I’m not deaf.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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