The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra
14. Leaving appearances: Nirvāṇa
Then Subhuti, upon hearing the sutra spoken, and deeply understanding its purport, wept and said to the Buddha, “How rare, World Honored One, is this sutra so profoundly spoken by the Buddha. From the time I obtained the wisdom eye until the present I have never before heard such a sutra. World Honored One, if someone hears the sutra with a pure mind of faith then he produces real mark. That person should be known to have accomplished the foremost and most rare merit and virtue.
“World Honored One, the real mark is no mark, therefore the Tathagata calls it the real mark.
“World Honored One, now as I hear this sutra I believe, understand, receive, and hold it without difficulty. If in the future, in the last five hundred years, there are living beings who when they hear this sutra believe, understand, receive, and hold it, such people will be foremost and most rare. And why? Such people will have no mark of self, no mark of others, no mark of living beings, and no mark of a life. And why? The mark of self is no mark. The mark of others, the mark of living beings, and the mark of a life are no marks. And why? Those who have relinquished all marks are called Buddhas.”
The Buddha told Subhuti, “So it is, so it is. If someone hears this sutra and is not frightened, or alarmed, or terrified, you should know that person is most rare. And why? Subhuti, the foremost paramita is spoken of by the Tathagata as no foremost paramita, therefore it is called the foremost paramita.
“Subhuti, the paramita of patience is spoken of by the Tathagata as no paramita of patience. Therefore it is called the paramita of patience. And why? Subhuti, it is as in the past when the King of Kalinga dismembered my body, at that time I had no mark of self, no mark of others, no mark of living beings, and no mark of a life.”
“And why? When I was cut limb from limb, if I had a mark of self, a mark of others, a mark of living beings, or a mark of a life, I would have been outraged.
“Subhuti, further I recall that in the past, for five hundred lives, I was the Patient Immortal. During all those lives I had no mark of self, no mark of others, no mark of living beings, and no mark of a life. For that reason, Subhuti, a Bodhisattva should, relinquishing all marks, produce the mind of anuttarasamyaksambodhi. He should produce that mind without dwelling in forms. He should produce that mind without dwelling in sounds, smells, tastes, tangible objects, or mental constructs. He should produce that mind that does not dwell anywhere. Any dwelling of the mind is no dwelling. Therefore the Buddha says, ‘The mind of a Bodhisattva should not dwell in forms when he gives.’ Subhuti, a Bodhisattva, to benefit all beings, should give thus. All marks are spoken of by the Tathagata as no marks, and all living beings are spoken of as no living beings. Subhuti, the Tathagata is one who speaks the truth, who speaks the actual, who speaks what is so, who does not speak what is false, who does not speak what is not so.
“Subhuti, the dharma obtained by the Tathagata is neither true nor false.
“Subhuti, a Bodhisattva whose mind dwells in phenomena when he gives is like a man who enters darkness, who cannot see a thing. A Bodhisattva whose mind does not dwell in phenomena when he gives is like a man with eyes in the bright sunlight who can see all kinds of forms.
“Subhuti, in the future, if a good man, or good woman, can receive, hold, read, and recite this Sutra, then the Tathagata by means of all Buddha-wisdom, will completely know and see that person. That person accomplishes measureless and boundless merit and virtue.
http://www.cttbusa.org/vajra/vajrasutra.asp
