The Vajra (Diamond) Sutra

April 29 lecture©
as outlined by a Buddhist monk
(Listen ‘live’ or recorded audio explanations at
www.wondrousdharma.org)

Q&A How did the mountains come about? It came

from images projected by our confused mind.

S 30 The principle of a unity of appearances

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 Verse for opening a sutra
• Homage to the Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra and the
Vajra assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas (3x)

• The unsurpassed, deep, profound, subtle, wonderful

Dharma,
• In a hundred thousand million eons, is difficult to
encounter,
• Now that I’ve come to receive and hold it, within my
sight and hearing,
• I vow to fathom the Thus Come One’s true and
actual meaning.

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 Q&A
Question: How did the mountains come about? Mountains are
images from our confused mind…
Answer:

The relevance of this question to the study of prajna wisdom is

a. It will help us understand “all dharmas are devoid of self” s 28

b. It will explain the unity of appearances in s 30.

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 Q&A

c. It will help us to “understand and not set up appearances

of dharmas” in s 31

d. It will help us understand that this universe is like illusion

and bubbles s 32

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 Q&A

• Knowing the emptiness in the origin of mountains, we

would in our daily life:
1. Perceive conditioned dharmas (everything) as
appearances caused by false thinking (to avoid setting
up appearances) s 31

2. Contemplate conditioned dharmas (everything) as empty

by not grasping and being unmoved by them. S 32

3. The false universe comes into being out of true

emptiness because of disturbance in the minds; hence
the importance to quiet or cease the mad false thinking 5
mind.
 Q&A
4. Understanding the origin of the four elements – the disturbance
in the minds creates the elements of wind and firm attachment
create element of earth. From wind and earth, creates the
element of fire and the three elements creates the element of
water.
• As such to return home to our original nature, we reverse it by:
– Not being attached (the cause of earth element)

– Unmoving (the cause of wind element)

• The two essentially are the conclusion of the Vajra Sutra in s

32.

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 Q&A

• Let us consider the two elements of fire and water and later on explain their
origin
• As fire flares up and water descends, their interaction
brings about solidity. From the primary element water, the
ocean comes into being while the continents and islands
come into being from the primary element earth.

• Thus fire sometimes emerges from the oceans and rivers

and streams flow across the lands.

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 Q&A
• Mountains form where the primary element fire is stronger
than the primary element water, thus rocks gives of sparks
when struck and melts when heated.

• Vegetation grows where the primary element water is

stronger than the primary element earth; thus the trees and
grasses are reduced to ash when burned and exude liquid
when they are compressed.

• The foregoing explains the origin of continents, mountains and grasses and
trees (earth elements) and seas (water element) How does fire and water
arise? How does the other elements wind comes about?

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 Q&A

• Before explaining how the 4 elements comes about, the source

of all the arisal of the world is caused by…

• “Further, Purna, you should know that beings’ deluded

understanding is due simply to the error of adding an
understanding to inherent enlightenment.”

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 Q&A

• Nothing need be added to true enlightenment but once an

understanding is added nevertheless, that understanding
must understand something.

• Once the category of ‘something understood’ (object or the

creation of karma) is mistakenly established in the mind, the
category ‘that which understands’ (the sense faculty or the
appearance of turning). is mistakenly established as well.

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 Q&A
• These distorted interactions together produce the seeds
that become the causes for the perpetuation of the world of
perceived objects. (the mountains, the rivers and the great earth)

• After the falseness of ‘something understood’ (an object) is

established (creation of karma), ‘that which understands’ or the
faculty of understanding (false ability – appearance of turning)
become attached to the object. So it is that the ear-faculty is
aware only of sounds, and the eye-faculty is confined to visible
objects.

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 Q&A
• Once a light of understanding is added to enlightenment,
the darkness of the element space appears; and the
interaction of these two complements generates a
disturbance in the mind. That disturbance is the becomes
the disk of wind, that is the primary element wind and this
disk then supports the world of perceived objects

• From the foregoing attachments… “there arise a firm

attachment to that understanding, and this firm attachment
is categorized as solidity. This solidity is the disk vajra,
which is the essence of the primary element earth.”

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 Q&A

• The wind and earth rub together; then there is the light of
fire which is changeable by nature.

• Moisture arises from the shining of the disk of vajra

(earth) and turns to vapor in the presence of fire. The
vapor is the element water.

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 Q&A

• The four elements pervades the universe at various

degrees depending upon the coming together of karmic
consciousness (ripening of karma).
• For example,
• there is moisture in the air; some areas are arid some
damp,
• rockets get heated in outer space,
• when rocks are hit together, they generate sparks of fire.

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 Q&A

Here is how Manjusri Bodhisattva in the Shurangama

assembly describes in verses:
• Clear is the oceanic nature of enlightenment;
• Flawlessly clear it is, and wondrous at its origin.
• But from within that fundamental mind that understands,
• Objects appear and with creation of these objects then
• The fundamental understanding disappears.

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 Q&A

• When from confusion and delusion, empty space

appears;
• And all worlds come into being clinging to that space;
• Due to delusion, clarity will turn to solid land;
• Due to false awareness beings then come forth as well.

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 Q&A

• And thus does space arise within the great enlightenment,

• Appearing like a solitary bubble on the sea,
• And thus do beings with outflows and the worlds uncountable
• Arise within that empty space and when space disappears –
• And when the bubble bursts – could the three realms not
vanish also?

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 S 30 The principle of a unity of appearances

Sutra: Subhuti, suppose a good man or good woman

were to pulverize a threefold great thousand world
system into fine particles of dust. What do you think,
would those fine particles of dust be many?”
Comments:
• The large comes from the gathering of the minute
particles of dust that borders on emptiness.
• If a particle of dust is cut into 7 sections, then it becomes
emptiness.
• Form is emptiness.
• A gathering of emptiness would then become form.
• Emptiness is form.
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 S 30 The principle of a unity of appearances

Sutra: Subhuti said, “Very many World Honored One.

Why? If those fine particles of dust did exist, the
Buddha would not have called them fine particles of
dust. Why is this? Fine particles of dust are not fine
particles of dust. Therefore they are called fine
particles of dust.”
Comments:
• The fine particles of dust is similar to atoms which
borders on emptiness.
• A fine particle of dust has no self nature.
• Hence “Fine particles of dust are not fine particles of
dust” because they are empty without self nature.
• Yet they are called fine particles of dust; it is just a name.
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 S 30 The principle of a unity of appearances

Sutra: World Honored One, what the Buddha spoke of a

threefold great thousand world system is not a world
system. Therefore it is called a world system.”
Comments:
• The large world system is a gathering of the fine
particles of dust.
• As the fine particles of dust has no self nature, the same
applies to the world system.
• Hence world system is not world system yet it is given a
name just to describe it only.

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 S 30 The principle of a unity of appearances
Sutra: Why? If world systems actually existed, that would
constitute a unity of appearances. What the Thus Come
One speaks of a unity of appearances is not a unity of
appearances. Therefore it is called a unity of
appearances.”
Comments:
• World systems do not exist because one fine particles of dust is
empty and a gathering of fine dust is also empty.
• There is essentially no gathering of fine particles of dust
because the many comes from the one which is empty.
• In the emptiness of a gathering of empty fine dusts, there is not
even one fine dust. Why is this?

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 S 30 The principle of a unity of appearances
• It is because emptiness itself is an appearance and when you
empty emptiness, you have nothing at all that corresponds to
Reality.

• Thus there is “no emptiness” and “no form”

• World systems actually don’t exist because there is “no form”.

• There is no appearance of world systems because there is
“no emptiness” because Reality is without appearance and
emptiness is an appearance.

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 S 30 The principle of a unity of appearances

Sutra: Why? If world systems actually existed, that

would constitute a unity of appearances. What the
Thus Come One speaks of a unity of appearances is
not a unity of appearances. Therefore it is called a
unity of appearances.”
Comments:
Here is another approach to explain:
• A world system is a gathering of fine dust.
• A fine dust is empty because when fine dust are split into
7 parts, it becomes emptiness.
• Yet this emptiness of a fine dust is a false emptiness
because it came from form which is an appearance.
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 S 30 The principle of a unity of appearances

• Therefore we have to empty the false emptiness to arrive

at a state of ‘no form’ and ‘no emptiness’
• The state of ‘no form’ and ‘no emptiness’ corresponds to
Reality which is ‘without appearance’.

• We know that a gathering of appearance is false which

explains “Thus Come One speaks of a unity of
appearances is not a unity of appearances”
• And so world system never existed.

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 S 30 The principle of a unity of appearances

• Though Reality corresponds to “Thus Come One

speaks of a unity of appearances is not a unity of
appearances”,…

• Yet it is called “it is called a unity of appearances.” so

long as we understand the nature of this appearance is
false and take it for what it is as a name to describe it.

• What do you mean by taking a “a unity of appearances”

for what it is?....

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 S 30 The principle of a unity of appearances

• Appearances are appearances; a world system is a

world system, form is emptiness, emptiness is form –
don’t be attached to it.
• Therefore, s 30 concludes with the Buddha saying:
• “Subhuti, a unity of appearances cannot be
expressed, but common people become greedily
attached to such things.”

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 S 30 The principle of a unity of appearances

Sutra: “Subhuti, a unity of appearances cannot be

expressed, but common people become greedily
attached to such things.”
Comments:
• Is it a case it refers to world systems only?

• No, when the Buddha teaches the above, we are

supposed to contemplate that all appearances such as
our body, our thoughts, mountains and rivers take it for
what it is as an illusion and not be attached to
appearances.
• This is exactly the teaching principle of the next section
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31.
 S 30 The principle of a unity of appearances

• Everything we see, know and hear are all appearances

and they are in truth empty and false.

• All appearances are empty and false is Reality; the

genuine discernment of the principle of Thusness in s 5.

• The foregoing explains the extract of one appearance or the One

Vehicle from the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra: “The
Thus Come One knows the Dharma of one appearance,
….. the appearance of ultimate Nirvana which is
constantly still and extinct and which in the end returns
to emptiness.”
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 S 30 The principle of a unity of appearances

• Therefore the Buddha follows up with s 31 teaching us

that everything in this world are appearances and
cautions us not to set up appearances.

• How do we not set up appearances? The answer is

given in section 32 the concluding part of the Vajra
Sutra.

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 Dedication of merit
• May every living beings,
• Our minds as one and radiant with light
• Share the fruits of peace, with heart of goodness
luminous and bright.
• If people hear and see, how hands and hearts can find in
giving unity
• May their minds awake, to great compassion, wisdom
and to joy.
• May kindness find reward; may all who sorrow leave their
grief and pain;
• May this boundless light break the darkness of their
endless night.
• Because our hearts are one, this world of pain turns into
paradise;
• May all become compassionate and wise (2x) 30