Section 17
Original Sanskrit
अथ खल्वायुष्मान्सुभूतिर्भगवंतमेतदवोचत् । कथं भगवन्बोधिसत्त्वयानसंप्रस्थितेन स्थातव्यं कथं प्रतिपत्तव्यं कथं चित्तं प्रग्रहीतव्यं । भगवानाह । इह सुभूते बोधिसत्त्वयानसंप्रस्थितेनैवं चित्तमुत्पादयितव्यं सर्वे सत्त्वा मयानुपधिशेषे निर्वाणधातौ परिनिर्वापयितव्याः । एवं च सत्त्वान्परिनिर्वाप्य न कश्चित्सत्त्वः परिनिर्वापितो भवति । तत्कस्य हेतोः । सचेत्सुभूते बोधिसत्त्वस्य सत्त्वसंज्ञा प्रवर्तेत न स बोधिसत्त्व इति वक्तव्यः । जीवसंज्ञा वा यावत्पुद्गलसंज्ञा वा प्रवर्तेत न स बोधिसत्त्व इति वक्तव्यः । तत्कस्य हेतोः । नास्ति सुभूते स कश्चिद्धर्मो यो बोधिसत्त्वयानसंप्रस्थितो नाम ॥
तत्किं मन्यसे सुभूते अस्ति स कश्चिद्धर्मो यस्तथागतेन दीपंकरस्य तथागतस्यांतिकादनुत्तरां सम्यक्संबोधिमभिसंबुद्धः । एवमुक्ते आयुष्मान्सुभूतिर्भगवंतमेतदवोचत् । यथाहं भगवन्भगवतो भाषितस्यार्थमाजानामि नास्ति स भगवन्कश्चिद्धर्मो यस्तथागतेन दीपंकरस्य तथागतस्याहतः सम्यक्संबुद्धस्यांतिकादनुत्तरां सम्यक्संबोधिमभिसंबुद्धः । एवमुक्ते भगवानायुष्मंतं सुभूतिमेतदवोचत् । एवमेतत्सुभूते एवमेतत् नास्ति सुभूते स कश्चिद्धर्मो यस्तथागतेन दीपंकरस्य तथागतस्याहतः सम्यक्संबुद्धस्यांतिकादनुत्तरां सम्यक्संबोधिमभिसंबुद्धः । सचेत्पुनः सुभूते कश्चिद्धर्मस्तथागतेनाभिसंबुद्धोऽभविष्यत् न मां दीपंकरस्तथागतो व्याकरिष्यद्भविष्यसि त्वं माणवानागतेऽध्वनि शाक्यमुनिर्नाम तथागतोऽर्हन्सम्यक्संबुद्ध इति । यस्मात्तर्हि सुभूते तथागतेनार्हता सम्यक्संबुद्धेन नास्ति स कश्चिद्धर्मो योऽनुत्तरां सम्यक्संबोधिमभिसंबुद्धस्तस्मादहं दीपंकरेण तथागतेन व्याकृतो भविष्यामि त्वं माणवानागतेऽध्वनि शाक्यमुनिर्नाम तथागतोऽर्हन्सम्यक्संबुद्धः ॥
तत्कस्य हेतोस्तथागत इति सुभूते । भूततथताया एतदधिवचनं । तथागत इति सुभूते । अनुत्पादधर्मताया एतदधिवचनं । तथागत इति सुभूते । धर्मोच्छेदस्यैतदधिवचनं । तथागत इति सुभूते । अत्यंतानुत्पन्नस्यैतदधिवचनं ॥
तत्कस्य हेतोः । एष सुभूतेऽनुत्पादो यः परमार्थः । यः कश्चित्सुभूत एवं वदेत्तथागतेनार्हता सम्यक्संबुद्धेनानुत्तरा सम्यक्संबोधिरभिसंबुद्धेति स वितथं वदेत् अभ्याचक्षीत मां स सुभूते असतोऽग्रहीतेन । तत्कस्य हेतोः । नास्ति सुभूते स कश्चिद्धर्मो यस्तथागतेनानुत्तरां सम्यक्संबोधिमभिसंबुद्धः । यश्च सुभूते तथागतेन धर्मोऽभिसंबुद्धो देशितो वा तच्च न सत्यं न मृषा । तस्मात्तथागतो भाषते सर्वधर्मा बुद्धधर्मा इति । तत्कस्य हेतोः । सर्वधर्मा इति सुभूते अधर्मास्तथागतेन भाषिताः । तस्मादुच्यंते सर्वधर्मा बुद्धधर्मा इति ॥
तद्यथापि नाम सुभूते पुरुषो भवेदुपेतकायो महाकायः । आयुष्मान्सुभूतिराह । योऽसौ भगवंस्तथागतेन पुरुषो भाषित उपेतकायो महाकाय इति अकायः स भगवंस्तथागतेन भाषितः । तेनोच्यत उपेतकायो महाकाय इति ॥
भगवानाह । एवमेतत्सुभूते । यो बोधिसत्त्व एवं वदेदहं सत्त्वान्परिनिर्वापयिष्यामीति न स बोधिसत्त्व इति वक्तव्यः ।
तत्कस्य हेतोः । अस्ति सुभूते स कश्चिद्धर्मो यो बोधिसत्त्वो नाम । सुभूतिराह । नो हीदं भगवन् नास्ति स कश्चिद्धर्मो यो बोधिसत्त्वो नाम । भगवानाह । सत्त्वाः सत्त्वा इति सुभूते असत्त्वास्ते तथागतेन भाषितास्तेनोच्यंते सत्त्वा इति । तस्मात्तथागतो भाषते निरात्मानः सर्वधर्मा निर्जीवा निष्पोषा निष्पुद्गलाः सर्वधर्मा इति ॥
यः सुभूते बोधिसत्त्व एवं वदेदहं क्षेत्रव्यूहानिष्पादयिष्यामीति स वितथं वदेत् । तत्कस्य हेतोः । क्षेत्रव्यूहा क्षेत्रव्यूहा इति सुभूते अव्यूहास्ते तथागतेन भाषिताः । तेनोच्यंते क्षेत्रव्यूहा इति ॥
यः सुभूते बोधिसत्त्वो निरात्मानो धर्मा निरात्मानो धर्मा इत्यधिमुच्यते स तथागतेनार्हता सम्यक्संबुद्धेन बोधिसत्त्वो महासत्त्व इत्याख्यातः ॥१७॥
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Sanskrit of F. Max Müller’s 1881 Anecdota Oxoniensia edition, all 32 sections, with the printed section numbers kept.
Then the venerable Subhūti asked the Blessed One: "Blessed One, how should one who has set out on the bodhisattva vehicle stand? How should he walk? How should he hold the mind?" The Blessed One said: "Here, Subhūti, one who has set out on the bodhisattva vehicle should bring forth the mind in this way: 'All living beings I must bring to final extinction in the realm of nirvāṇa without remainder.' And when beings have been led to extinction in this way, not one being has been extinguished. Why? If a bodhisattva's perception of a being were to arise, he should not be called a bodhisattva. If the perception of a living soul, or the perception of a person, were to arise in him, he should not be called a bodhisattva. Why? There is, Subhūti, no dharma called 'one who has set out on the bodhisattva vehicle.'"
"What do you think, Subhūti? Is there any dharma that the Tathāgata awakened to, as unsurpassed perfect awakening, in the presence of the Tathāgata Dīpaṃkara, the Worthy, the Perfectly Awakened?" The venerable Subhūti answered: "As I understand the meaning of what the Blessed One has said, there is no dharma that the Tathāgata awakened to, as unsurpassed perfect awakening, in the presence of the Tathāgata Dīpaṃkara, the Worthy, the Perfectly Awakened." The Blessed One said: "So it is, Subhūti, so it is. There is no dharma that the Tathāgata awakened to, as unsurpassed perfect awakening, in the presence of the Tathāgata Dīpaṃkara. And if, Subhūti, the Tathāgata had awakened to any dharma, Dīpaṃkara, the Tathāgata, would not have predicted of me: 'You, young man, will in a future age be a Tathāgata named Śākyamuni, the Worthy, the Perfectly Awakened.' But because the Tathāgata awakened to no dharma as unsurpassed perfect awakening, therefore Dīpaṃkara, the Tathāgata, predicted of me: 'You, young man, will in a future age be a Tathāgata named Śākyamuni, the Worthy, the Perfectly Awakened.'"
"Why, Subhūti, is he called the Tathāgata? 'Tathāgata', Subhūti, is a name for true suchness; it is a name for the nature in which nothing arises; it is a name for the cutting off of dharmas; it is a name for what has never at all arisen. Why? This, Subhūti, is non-arising, which is the ultimate truth. Whoever says that the Tathāgata has attained unsurpassed perfect awakening speaks falsely and misrepresents me, grasping at what is not. Why? Subhūti, there is no dharma that the Tathāgata awakened to as unsurpassed perfect awakening. Subhūti, the dharma that the Tathāgata has fully awakened to and taught is neither true nor false. Therefore it is said: 'All dharmas are Buddha-dharmas.' Why? 'All dharmas,' Subhūti: the Tathāgata has spoken of them as no-dharmas; therefore it is said: 'All dharmas are Buddha-dharmas.'"
"Suppose, Subhūti, a person had a body, a great body." The venerable Subhūti said: "That person of whom the Tathāgata has spoken as 'a body, a great body': the Tathāgata has said he is no body; therefore he is called 'a body, a great body.'"
The Blessed One said: "So it is, Subhūti. A bodhisattva who says, 'I will lead beings to final nirvāṇa,' should not be called a bodhisattva. Why? Is there, Subhūti, any dharma called a bodhisattva?" "No, Blessed One, there is no dharma called a bodhisattva." The Blessed One said: "'Beings, beings,' Subhūti: the Tathāgata has spoken of them as non-beings; therefore they are called beings. Therefore the Tathāgata says: 'All dharmas are without a self, without a living soul, without a nourisher, without a person.'"
"Subhūti, a bodhisattva who says, 'I will bring about the adornment of lands,' speaks falsely. Why? 'Adornment of lands, adornment of lands': Subhūti, the Tathāgata has spoken of them as no adornment; therefore they are called the adornment of lands."
"Subhūti, the bodhisattva who is convinced that 'dharmas are without a self, dharmas are without a self' is declared by the Tathāgata, the Worthy, the Perfectly Awakened, to be a bodhisattva, a great being." [17]
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Sanskrit, covering all 32 sections with the printed section numbers.
The elder Subhūti asked the Buddha: "Blessed One, how should a person who has set out on the bodhisattva path live? How should they walk? How should they direct their mind?" The Buddha said: "Subhūti, a person on the bodhisattva path should develop the mind like this: 'I must bring all living beings to the final peace of nirvāṇa, where nothing is left behind.' When beings have been led to that peace in this way, not one being has really been led there. Why? If a bodhisattva still thought of a being, he should not be called a bodhisattva. Subhūti, no one who still thinks of a living soul, or a person, should be called a bodhisattva. Why? There is no such thing as one who has 'set out on the bodhisattva path.'"
"Subhūti, what do you think? Is there any teaching that the Tathāgata awakened to, as the highest and complete awakening, in the presence of the Tathāgata Dīpaṃkara, the Worthy, the Fully Awakened One?" Subhūti said: "As I understand what the Blessed One has said, there is no teaching that the Tathāgata awakened to, as the highest and complete awakening, in the presence of the Tathāgata Dīpaṃkara." The Buddha said: "So it is, Subhūti, so it is. There is no teaching that the Tathāgata awakened to, as the highest and complete awakening, in the presence of the Tathāgata Dīpaṃkara. And if I had awakened to any teaching, Dīpaṃkara would not have said to me, 'Young man, in a future age you will be a Tathāgata named Śākyamuni, the Worthy, the Fully Awakened One.' But because there is no teaching that the Tathāgata awakened to as the highest awakening, Dīpaṃkara said to me, 'Young man, in a future age you will be a Tathāgata named Śākyamuni, the Worthy, the Fully Awakened One.'"
"Why, Subhūti, is he called a Tathāgata? 'Tathāgata', Subhūti, is a name for true suchness. It is a name for the nature in which nothing arises. It is a name for the cutting off of teachings. It is a name for what has never at all arisen. Why? This, Subhūti, is non-arising, which is the ultimate truth. Whoever says that the Tathāgata has reached the highest awakening is speaking falsely, and he is misrepresenting me, holding on to something that is not there. Why? Subhūti, there is no teaching that the Tathāgata awakened to as the highest awakening. Subhūti, the teaching that the Tathāgata fully understood and taught is neither true nor false. That is why it is said, 'all teachings are the Buddha's teachings.' Why? 'All teachings,' Subhūti: the Tathāgata has spoken of them as no teachings. That is why it is said, 'all teachings are the Buddha's teachings.'"
"Subhūti, suppose a person had a body, a great body." Subhūti said: "That person of whom the Tathāgata has spoken as 'a body, a great body': the Tathāgata has said he is no body. That is why he is called 'a body, a great body.'"
The Buddha said: "So it is, Subhūti. A bodhisattva who says, 'I will lead beings to final nirvāṇa,' should not be called a bodhisattva. Why? Is there, Subhūti, any thing called a bodhisattva?" "No, Blessed One, there is no thing called a bodhisattva." The Buddha said: "'Beings, beings,' Subhūti: the Tathāgata has spoken of them as non-beings. That is why they are called beings. That is why the Tathāgata says, 'all teachings are without a self, without a living soul, without a nourisher, without a person.'"
"Subhūti, a bodhisattva who says, 'I will make the lands beautiful,' is not telling the truth. Why? When the Tathāgata speaks of the beauty of lands, he means it is not really beauty. That is why it is called the beauty of lands."
"Subhūti, the bodhisattva who is convinced that 'things are without a self, things are without a self' is declared by the Tathāgata, the Worthy, the Fully Awakened One, to be a bodhisattva, a great being." [17]
About this section
Section 17 is part of Diamond Sutra (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra) by Unknown. This page sets the Sanskrit original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is section 17 of 32 in the work, which is kept in the Buddhist tradition.
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