The Three Realms of the Diamond Sutra

The Three Realms of the Diamond Sutra

I invariably chant sutras in a state of mind enlightening. When I chant, I am attached neither to the past mind, nor to the future mind, nor to the present. Privately, I think the word “obtained” in “the three minds can’t be obtained” means “attached to.” Of course, this is my personal opinion. Different people may have different understandings of a sutra.

Chanting sutras can elevate one’s personality; “be immersed in the sutra-pitaka and have wisdom as deep and wide as the ocean,” so to speak. Which sutra should we chant, then? And how should we chant it?

Which sutra to chant depends on what disease you have in your mind. For all sutras can lead us out of suffering and to happiness; they are equal and there should be no discrimination. But in the dharma one practices, appropriateness counts. If it is appropriate, it is a good dharma; if not, problems will arise. Before I entered into the Bright Mahamudra, I had been chanting the Diamond Sutra for years. In the end, I attained the emptiness of both subject and object, which was very close to the state of the true mind.

As to how to chant sutras, I have no idea how other people do it, so I can only talk about my own experience. I invariably chant sutras in a state of mind enlightening. When I chant, I am attached neither to the past mind, nor to the future mind, nor to the present. Privately, I think the word “obtained” in “the three minds can’t be obtained” means “attached to.” Of course, this is my personal opinion. Different people may have different understandings of a sutra. When you find that your mind is impermanent and falls into emptiness and that it can’t be grasped and has no everlasting self-nature, it means it is “unobtainable.” It is in the state of the unobtainability of the three minds – which is not a mere concept, but a way of life – that I chant sutras.

In the following sentences from the Diamond Sutra, – “They should develop a mind which does not abide in anything,” “Their minds should abide nowhere,” etc. – the word “abide” I interpret as “be attached to” as well. As “they should develop a mind which does not abide in anything,” the “three  minds” are unobtainable. In this state, you are likely to find your true mind. Needless to say, you must spend time with a reliable teacher, without whom you will miss the chance to recognize your true mind.

The main purpose of chanting sutras is to perceive and experience the state of the unobtainability of three minds and retain your unshakeable true mind in daily life. The two problems that a practitioner tends to encounter in chanting the Diamond Sutra are: first, he understands the realm in principle but fails to attain it in perception; second, he is able to retain his true mind when he is in seated meditation, but he fails to keep that state in daily life.

How can we extend the meditative state into daily life? By keeping in mind the three realms in the Diamond Sutra and practicing diligently. After seeing your true mind, try to bring about its marvelous functions in your daily activities.

First of all, you should understand what is meant by “All phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble and a shadow, like dew and lightning. Thus should you meditate upon them.” Everything before your eyes passes away as quickly as a dream, an illusion, a bubble and a shadow, for they are all causally produced. For example, you and I meet today, and you are leaving in a few days. Though it seems to be a phenomena, it is essentially empty and impermanent. Once you leave, the scene before your eyes disappears; like a dream, it is not eternal. Likewise, this house looks firm now, but an earthquake can ruin the whole city, not to mention a building. Even if it is not destroyed in an earthquake, it will be demolished and rebuilt within decades. You see, all phenomena are void of self-nature and are unobtainable, without fixed nature, so don’t cling to them. This is the first realm.

The second realm: “They should develop a mind which does not abide in anything.” To “abide” is to be attached to the thoughts in your mind. “Not abide in anything” means letting thoughts come and go as they will and not following them. “Develop a mind” is a marvelous function of the true mind. The true mind is not only-emptiness, but wisdom. With emptiness but without wisdom, you can’t attain liberation and you may even fall into the formless realm. Therefore, do things with the awareness of your true mind and act out your true mind.

The last realm: “If an arhat thinks, ‘I have obtained the enlightenment of an arhat,’ he will still grasp and hold on to the notion of an ego, a personality, a being and a life.” If a yogi says, “I have attained Mahamudra,” it indicates that he is still obsessed with what he has attained, that is, he isn’t fully achieved, because he has yet one more test to pass.

You should let go of the notion that you are achieved rather than attach yourself to it. In other words, if you, having knocked emptiness all into one, are still attached to emptiness, it is called attachment to dharma or attachment to phenomenal appearances. That is obsession in another form, which is another rope with which to bind yourself. Only when you are attached to nothing can there be ultimate liberation. With attachment, there is no liberation. If you, having attained Mahamudra, are attached to the illumination of Mahamudra, you will fall into the form realm; if you are attached to emptiness, you will fall into the formless realm; if you are attached to great bliss, you will fall into the desire realm. The true mind transcends all names and forms.

That’s why the Diamond Sutra is deemed a revealed doctrine scripture. When you not only understand the three realms in it in principle, but perceive and experience them physically, you are liberated. But some people say that the Diamond Sutra is too abstruse for the capacities of contemporary people.

It is not right. Dharma is like medicine. There are as many afflictions as there are methods of dealing with them. You shouldn’t say that no method but this one can deal with afflictions. For example, you shouldn’t say that, though pills of six drugs with rehmannia are good medicine, they don’t suit contemporary people. Likewise, since a certain dharma exists, it certainly will suit the capacities of certain people.

Some practitioners are particular about phenomena. For instance, they are concerned about such matters as the position of your fingers when performing the ritual of flicking wine or where you should direct your eyes when meditating, one foot away or further away. As a matter of fact, no matter where you flick wine, you can attain emptiness. For however you flick wine, that which is in your mind remains unchanged. It is far more vital to understand how to perceive your nature and how to liberate yourself.

One day, a few old ladies visited me. They had laid the mundane life aside and devoted their life to meditative practice for many years. I asked them, “What do you meditate for?” They didn’t know. I asked, “Do you know the purpose of your practicing?” Again, they didn’t know. “Haven’t someone told you that before?” I asked. “Never,” they replied. There are many like them, some of whom have lost faith and some dead – whey they were dying, they still didn’t know what they had been practicing and how to do it. That’s why I thought I should no longer keep silent; otherwise, I were doing them a great disservice. It was after this incident that I began to meet some people and tell them such things as the true meaning of liberation, the real purpose of Buddhist practice, and what state they must arrive at before they can attain liberation.

Practice in its outward form can never lead to liberation. The color of water is not the essence of water; its essence is something else. A few formal tricks certainly will not bring about liberation.

附录：聆听智慧的声音

《金刚经》的三种境界

我的所有诵经，都是在一种明心的状态下诵的。诵时，我不执著过去心，不执著未来心，当下也不执著。我私下认为，那‘三心’不可得的‘得’，就是执著的意思。当然，这是我个人的理解。对经典，不同的人有不同的理解。

诵经，是能升华人格的，所谓“深入经藏，智慧如海”。那么，要诵什么经，又该怎么诵呢？

诵什么经，主要看你的心得了什么病。因为，所有经典都能达到离苦得乐的效果，它们是平等的，并无分别。但修法，讲求对机。只要对机，就是好法；假如不对机，就会出现问题。我在契入光明大手印之前，一直诵《金刚经》，诵了多年，最后达到了能所俱空，这时，就接近了“真心”状态。

至于如何诵经，我不知道别人如何诵经，只讲讲我自己的心得。我的所有诵经，都是在一种明心的状态下诵的。诵时，我不执著过去心，不执著未来心，当下也不执著。我私下认为，那“三心”不可得的“得”，就是执著的意思。当然，这是我个人的理解。对经典，不同的人有不同的理解。当你发现，你的那个心其实是无常的，也归于空性，你抓是抓不住的，它没有永恒不变的自性，这就是“不可得”。我就是在这种“三心”不可得的状态下——它不是一种理念，而是一种生命状态——诵经的。

《金刚经》中所说的“应无所住而生其心”、“应生无所住心”等等，那个“住”字，我也理解为执著。因为“应无所住而生其心”，所以“三心”都不可得。在这种状态下，你就有可能找到真心。当然，一定要多亲近善知识。没有善知识的点拨，你就会错过认知真心的机会。

诵经的目的主要在于体悟“三心不可得”的那种状态，并在日常中保持如如不动的真心。诵读《金刚经》容易犯两种毛病：一是理上明白了，但体悟上没达到那种境界；二是座上修时可以安住真心，但是不能把那种状态贯穿到生活中去。

如何将那种状态贯穿到生活中去呢？就是记住《金刚经》中的三种境界，精进修行，见到真心后，在行住坐卧中，让真心生起妙用。

第一，要明白“一切有为法，如梦幻泡影，如露亦如电，应作如是观。”因为一切眼前的东西都像梦幻泡影一样，很快就会消失，它们都是因缘聚合之物。比如我和你今天见面了，过几天你就走了，虽然看上去有这个现象，但它本性是空的，不是永恒不变的。你一离开，这眼前的场景就消失了，像梦一样，不会永恒的。再比如，这所房子，你看起来很坚固，但大地震之后，城市都被毁掉了，可别提这楼房，即使不毁，几十年之后它也会被拆掉重修。所以一切都没有自性，都了不可得，那么就不要执著它。这是第一个境界。

第二个境界：“应无所住而生其心。”“住”就是执著心中的念头。“无所住”就是任其来者自来，去者自去，不跟念头走。“生其心”就是真心的妙用。真心不是顽空，而是智慧。只有空而没有智慧，就不可能解脱，还有可能会堕入无色界。所以，要在真心的观照下做事，用行为去体现那颗真心。

最后一个境界：“若阿罗汉作是念：我得阿罗汉道，即为著我、人、众生、寿者。”如果行者说“我证得了大手印”，那么他还执著于自己证得的那个东西，就没有真正成就，因为最后的一关还没有过。

要把你证得的那个名相也抛掉，不要执著。换句话说就是，当你将空性打成一片的时候，如果你还执著于那个空性，就是著法、著相。这是你的另一种执著，像给自己捆上了另外一道绳子。只有一切都不执著时，才是究竟解脱，有执著必无解脱。当你证得了大手印，而执著于大手印的“明”时，就堕入色界；执著于空性，就堕入无色界；执著于大乐，就会堕入欲界。真心是超越一切名相的。

所以说，《金刚经》是了义的经典，当你不但道理上明白其中的这三种境界，身体上也能体验到这三种境界的时候，也就解脱了。不过还有人说，《金刚经》太深奥，不适合现代人的根器。

这种说法并不正确。修炼之法相当于药，有多少种烦恼就有多少种对治的方法，你不能说只有这种法才能对治烦恼，其他的就不能。比如，你不能说六味地黄丸是个好药，但不适合现在的人吃。同样的道理，既然有这种法，就肯定会适合一些人的根器。

还有一些修行人总爱在事相上打转，总是讲一些诸如弹酒的时候要在什么位置，打坐的时候眼睛要看着哪里，是前面一尺，还是更远之类的东西。其实，酒往哪儿弹都能证得空性，因为无论你怎么弹，心中的那个东西是不会变的。要明白如何见性，如何解脱，这才是关键。

有一天，有几个老太太来找我，她们把世间的一切都抛下了，什么都不要了，修行了很多年。我问她们：“你们修的是什么？”她们说不知道。我又问：“你们知道自己修行的目的是什么吗？”她们也说不知道。我再问：“没有人给你们讲过吗？”她们说：“没有。”像她们这样的人有许许多多，有些人已经没信心了，有些人已经死了，死时他们仍然不知道自己在修什么，该怎么修。所以，那时候我觉得如果我再沉默的话，就对不起这些人。后来，我才开始接触了一些人，告诉了他们解脱的真正含义是什么，修行真正的目的是什么，达到什么样的境界才能解脱，等等。

单纯只在形式上修炼是绝对解脱不了的，比如水的颜色不是水的本质，水的本质是另外的东西。如果仅仅在形式上玩弄一些技巧，肯定是不可能解脱的。