須菩提 於意云何 佛可以具足色身見不 不也世尊 如來不應以具足色身見 何以故 如來說具足色身 即非具足色身 是名具足色身 須菩提 於意云何 如來可以具足諸相見不 不也世尊 如來不應以具足諸相見 何以故 如來說諸相具足 即非具足 是名諸相具足
xū pú tí yú yì yún hé fó kě yǐ jù zú sè shēn jiàn bù bù yě shì zūn rú lái bù yīng yǐ jù zú sè shēn jiàn hé yǐ gù rú lái shuō jù zú sè shēn jí fēi jù zú sè shēn shì míng jù zú sè shēn xū pú tí yú yì yún hé rú lái kě yǐ jù zú zhū xiāng jiàn bù bù yě shì zūn rú lái bù yīng yǐ jù zú zhū xiāng jiàn hé yǐ gù rú lái shuō zhū xiāng jù zú jí fēi jù zú shì míng zhū xiāng jù zú
Key Message
Even the Buddha's most perfect and sacred form must not become an object of clinging. Only by transcending form and marks can the true Tathāgata be seen.
▸Section 20 presents two closely parallel exchanges in which the Buddha presses Subhūti on whether the Tathāgata can be perceived through the perfection of his physical body (jùzú sèshēn 具足色身) and through the perfection of all his marks (jùzú zhūxiāng 具足諸相).
Section 20 presents two closely parallel exchanges in which the Buddha presses Subhūti on whether the Tathāgata can be perceived through the perfection of his physical body (jùzú sèshēn 具足色身) and through the perfection of all his marks (jùzú zhūxiāng 具足諸相). In both cases Subhūti answers decisively: No. The Tathāgata should not be seen through the perfection of his physical form, nor through the completeness of his marks. The reason, in each case, is stated through the Diamond Sutra's signature 'is-not/is-named' logic: 'The perfection of the physical body spoken of by the Tathāgata is in truth not perfection of the physical body — it is only called perfection of the physical body.' The teaching of Section 5 — 'whatever has form is illusory' — is here applied with precise focus to the Buddha's own body, showing that even the most sacred form imaginable must not become an object of attachment. Seeing the Tathāgata requires transcending both form (lísè 離色) and marks (lí xiāng 離相).