Section 21
Original Sanskrit
भगवानाह । तत्किं मन्यसे सुभूते अपि नु तथागतस्यैवं भवति मया धर्मो देशित इति । सुभूतिराह । नो हीदं भगवन् तथागतस्यैवं भवति मया धर्मो देशित इति । भगवानाह । यः सुभूते एवं वदेत्तथागतेन धर्मो देशित इति स वितथं वदेत् अभ्याचक्षीत मां स सुभूतेऽसतोऽग्रहीतेन । तत्कस्य हेतोः । धर्मदेशना धर्मदेशनेति सुभूते नास्ति स कश्चिद्धर्मो यो धर्मदेशना नामोपलभ्यते ॥
एवमुक्ते आयुष्मान्सुभूतिर्भगवंतमेतदवोचत् । अस्ति भगवन्केचित्सत्त्वा भविष्यंत्यनागतेऽध्वनि पश्चिमे काले पश्चिमे समये पश्चिमायां पंचशत्यां सद्धर्मविप्रलोपे वर्तमाने य इमानेवंरूपान्धर्मान्श्रुत्वाभिश्रद्धास्यंति । भगवानाह । न ते सुभूते सत्त्वा नासत्त्वाः । तत्कस्य हेतोः । सत्त्वाः सत्त्वा इति सुभूते सर्वे ते सुभूते असत्त्वास्तथागतेन भाषिताः । तेनोच्यंते सत्त्वा इति ॥२१॥
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.
"What do you think, Subhūti? Does it occur to the Tathāgata that 'I have taught a dharma'?" The venerable Subhūti answered: "No, Blessed One, it does not occur to him so." The Blessed One said: "Whoever, Subhūti, says that the Tathāgata has taught a dharma speaks falsely, and misrepresents me, grasping at what is not. Why? 'The teaching of dharma, the teaching of dharma': no dharma can be found that is called the teaching of dharma."
The venerable Subhūti then said to the Blessed One: "Blessed One, will there be beings in the future, in the last age, in the last five hundred years when the true teaching has declined, who will hear such a teaching and place their faith in it?" The Blessed One said: "They are neither beings nor non-beings, Subhūti. Why? 'Beings, beings': Subhūti, the Tathāgata has spoken of all of them as non-beings; therefore they are called beings." [21]
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.
"Subhūti, what do you think? Does the Tathāgata think, 'I have taught a teaching'?" The elder Subhūti said: "No, Blessed One, he does not think that." The Buddha said: "Subhūti, whoever says that the Tathāgata has taught a teaching is saying something false, and is slandering me. He is holding on to something that is not there. Why? When people speak of 'teaching a teaching,' there is no teaching that can be found under that name."
Then the elder Subhūti said to the Buddha: "Blessed One, in the future, in the last age and the last five hundred years, when the true teaching has declined, will there be beings who hear such a teaching and believe it?" The Buddha said: "They are neither beings nor non-beings, Subhūti. Why? When the Tathāgata says 'beings, beings,' Subhūti, he means that all of them are not beings. That is why they are called beings." [21]
About this section
Section 21 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 21 of 32 in the work, which is kept in the Buddhist tradition.
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