Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra
Vajra Sutra (Diamond Sutra)
■ Detailed Exposition by Living Buddha Lian-Sheng, Grandmaster Sheng-yen Lu
■ Translated into English by True Buddha School Vajra Sutra Translation Team
Six—The Right Faith is Extremely Rare
Subhuti asked the Buddha, “World-honored One, if sentient beings hear words and phrases of this teaching, will they truly believe in it?”
The Buddha told Subhuti, “Do not speak this way. During the five hundred years after Tathagata's parinirvana, there will be precept-holding people who are blessed, they will have faith in this truth and regard it as reality.
Know that these people have planted good seeds not only with one buddha, two buddhas, or three, four, five buddhas, but countless buddhas. When they hear these statements, they will immediately give rise to pure faith. Even if only for a moment, they will be seen and known by the Tathagata.
Subhuti, they will obtain immeasurable blessings and merits. Why? Because they do not hold onto any phenomena of self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan.
“No view of dharma, and no view of non-dharma. Why? Because if sentient beings hold onto phenomena, then they are grasping at self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan.
“If they hold the view of dharma, then they are attached to self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan. If they hold the view of non-dharma, then all the same, they are also attached to self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan. Why? Because one should not uphold dharma and one should not uphold non-dharma either.
“The following profundity is often spoken by the Tathagata: 'Bhikkus and all of you, know that my dharma teaching is like a raft. Even the dharma should be abandoned, let alone the non-dharma.'”
That's why in Buddhism, there is a statement, “just ignore it.” Ignore it! My statement can be described in three [Chinese] characters—None of my business! [applause] Just ignore it! The matter is still there, but [treat it as] none of my business!
Whether or not the True Buddha School exists in the future no longer concerns me once I, Sheng-Yen Lu, passes away. I would already be dead! Selamat pagi, selamat malam! [Grandmaster enjoys speaking these greetings in Indonesian. “Selamat” sounds like "Si Le Ma” in Mandarin which means “are you dead?”] Are you dead? One day, I will die. How will the True Buddha School concern you? It won't be. Does the True Buddha School exist? That's none of my business. What about if the True Buddha School does not exist anymore? None of my business, it's not related to me at all. Even “I” doesn't concern me, why would “I” be concerned for the True Buddha School? Think about it. What relationship does Sheng-Yen Lu have with True Buddha School? Nothing.
True Buddha School is just a name, and Sheng-Yen Lu is just a name too. All are just names; they are really nothing. There has never been anything to start with. And if they are gone in the future, that is as it should be. It does not matter. That's why I am always at peace and at ease, I have no such thought.
There are many reporters and interviewers asking me, “What's your plan? What would you do in the future? What kind of developments will the True Buddha School have? How many books will you write? How many paintings will you paint? What kinds of attainments?” etc. I just shook my head saying, “Nothing. I don't care.” [Grandmaster shakes his head.] That's none of my business. That's it. That's all I can say for the analogy.
Om mani padme hum.
