From The Sutra of Hui-Neng, Grand Master of Zen: With Hui-Neng's Commentary on the Diamond Sutra. Everything italicized is from the Diamond Sutra proper, the rest is Hui-Neng's commentary. Let me know what you guys think of Hui-Neng's commentary.
"Why? Subhuti, if bodhisattvas have images of self, images of person, images of a being, images of a liver of life, they are not bodhisattvas."
The buddha-nature of ordinary beings has no difference, but they do not enter remainderless nirvana because they have four images. If they have four images, they are ordinary beings; without them, they are buddhas. When confused, buddhas are ordinary beings; when enlightened, ordinary beings are buddhas.
When confused people slight everyone on account of having wealth, education, and social status, that is called self-image.
Even if they practice benevolence, duty, courtesy, intelligence, and faith, if they are conceited about it and do not practice universal respect, saying in effect, "I know how to practice benevolence, duty, courtesy, intelligence, and faith, so I don't need to respect you," this is called an image of a person.
Claiming good things for oneself and passing bad things off onto others is called an image of a being.
Discrimination among things, grasping and rejecting, is called an image of a liver of life.
These are the four images of ordinary people.
Religious practitioners also have four images. When there are subject and object in the minded one slights beings, this is called self-image. Presuming upon observance of precepts and slighting those who break precepts is called an image of person. Disdaining the miseries of the three mires and wishing to be born in the hearings is an image of a being. Diligent practice of good deeds out of the love for long life, without forgetting attachments, is an image of a liver of life. Those who have these four images are ordinary beings; those without these four images are buddhas.
u/Nimtrix1849 Thoughts:
In the previous part Hui-Neng told us that the buddha-nature entertains no notion of self-image. This verse expands on that, adding the image of person, image of being and the image of liver of life. Tell me, dropping everything that defines us as a self, person, being or liver of life, what are we?
The name of this chapter is: "The True Source of the Great Vehicle." What is the true source?
Submitted June 11, 2019 at 08:40PM by Nimtrix1849 http://bit.ly/2K82r3f
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