The Diamond Sutra says that we should have “no notion of self, no notion of others, no notion of sentient beings, and no notion of longevity.”

Buddhism often speaks of the doctrine of “non-self,” the lack of an inherent self-identity, and equates it with emptiness. “Non-self” means that all things arise from causes and conditions, and have no independent self-nature.

In order for something to rightly be called a “self,” it must possess the following four conditions: autonomy, permanency, universality, and freedom. However, if the self is formed through causes and conditions related to the four great elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, it could not exist apart from them and is thus not autonomous. The self also exists only temporarily through the process of dependent origination, so it is not permanent. The self is obstructed everywhere, so it is not universal, and because the self is subject to the karmic effects of suffering, it is not free. The existence of the “self” is like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow, or like dew and lightning. It is merely a temporary self, formed by the combination of the five aggregates, which has no truly real nature. However, we must make use of this temporary self in order to find the true self of prajna.

By advocating “no notion of self, no notion of others, no notion of sentient beings, and no notion of longevity,” the Diamond Sutra is actively building a world that is permanent, blissful, pure, and that has an independent self through the process of negation. Only when there is no self, no duality, no disputes, no suffering, and no barriers, can the permanent “true self” manifest.

“All great bodhisattvas should subdue their minds in the following manner: Of all sentient beings, be they born of eggs, wombs, moisture, or transformation, or whether they have form, or not form, or whether they are able to perceive, or do not perceive, or are neither able to perceive or not perceive, I cause them to enter nirvana without remainder, liberating them. Thus by liberating infinite, immeasurable, limitless sentient beings, in reality, no sentient beings are liberated:’

“And why is this? Subhuti, if a bodhisattva has the notion of a self, the notion of others, the notion of sentient beings, or the notion of longevity, then he is not a bodhisattva.”

When we give while attached to notions, we cannot gain great merit, just as when we attempt to liberate others while attached to the notion of self, we cannot develop compassion for those we liberate. Only when we develop great compassion that is unattached to the notion of self does it become possible to broadly liberate all living beings. There are many varieties of living beings, infinite varieties in fact. We should have no thought of discrimination when it comes to liberating living beings. We should generate an expansive aspiration to completely liberate all living beings.

“Subhuti, suppose a bodhisattva gave a quantity of the seven treasures capable of filling as many worlds as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River; if a bodhisattva knows that all phenomena are without self and thereby attains patience the virtue he attains is superior. Subhuti, this is because all bodhisattvas do not receive this merit.”

Subhuti said to the Buddha, “World-honored One, why is it that bodhisattvas do not receive merit?”

“Subhuti, the merit of a bodhisattva should not be attached to. That is why it is said that they do not receive merit.”

In the sutras the Buddha sometimes refers to this world as the “Saha World;’ or suopo (娑婆) in Chinese, meaning “endurance” This world is called “endurance” because it is filled with affliction and suffering that we must endure in order to accomplish anything. In this instance, “endurance” also means patience: being patient with both the circumstances which support us and oppose us while remaining free from anger and abiding securely in the truth without being perturbed. Patience can be divided into three kinds: patience for life, patience for phenomena, and patience for the non-arising of phenomena. The phrase “attains patience” that appears in the above passage from the Diamond Sutra refers to patience for the non-arising of phenomena.

What is patience? Patience is recognition and acceptance. Patience is engaging in, dealing with, clearing up, and dissolving away. One example is when a father returns home and his son makes a fuss and says, “Dad, kneel down for me so I can play horsey!” and the father then really does kneel down to let his son ride on his back and play horsey. Not only is the father not off ended, but he even laughs heartily because he loves his son; otherwise, he might have even given him a few slaps in the face.

Patience for life is recognizing the bitterness and sweetness of all life’s experiences and the vagaries of interpersonal relationships, then taking responsibility for them and reconciling the affliction of past grievances. We must have patience for life if we hope to be able to sustain our lives and live freely. For example, if you have a job you may need to get up early in the morning to catch the bus, deal with the pain and exhaustion of sitting in traffic, put up with cold and hot weather, and endure lack of sleep. Once you get to work there may even be differences of opinion, favoritism, and grudges among your coworkers. Patience is the power of wisdom.

Patience for phenomena is coming to terms with the greed, hatred, delusion, and preconceptions in one’s own mind by realizing that birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, pain, wealth and position, as well as transient human sentiment all arise and cease due to causes and conditions. The mind can find repose in this truth and no longer be affected by the arising and ceasing of those phenomena. Only by gaining insight into the inherent emptiness of dependent origination, is one able to gain the prajna wisdom that comprehends the principles behind phenomena and the nature of human emotion. For example, if someone curses me and calls me a bastard, I can laugh and think, “Ha ha, so I’m a bastard” or “Amitofo, thanks!” and not take offense. Then again, do I really become a bastard just because someone calls me that? Certainly not! This is transcending names and labels. By not stooping down to their level the person who utters the abuse becomes the bastard and not me. It is just as the Sutra in Forty-two Sections states:

For the wicked to harm the virtuous would be like raising one’s head and spitting at the sky; the spittle does not reach the sky, but falls back upon oneself. Or it is like throwing dust against the wind; the dust does not go someplace else, but collects upon oneself instead.

Patience for the non-arising of phenomena is the understanding that, fundamentally, nothing arises or ceases, for nothing inherently exists. Since all phenomena do not arise, in essence there is no need to be patient. This is the patience of non-patience. This is why bodhisattvas are not limited by the notion of merit, because bodhisattvas benefit living beings based on the aspiration for enlightenment rather than craving merit that may benefit themselves. Thus their generosity is free of attachment to notions. A noble bodhisattva who has attained patience and whose mind does not abide in phenomena will retain his virtue and it will not flow away, while a bodhisattva who is only concerned with giving treasures will have his merit flow away.

In the above passage the Buddha depicts several stages along the bodhisattva path. If a bodhisattva gives” a quantity of the seven treasures capable of filling as many worlds as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River;’ it is impossible to calculate the merit of such a gift. Bodhisattvas at this level know that external phenomena are not real, but they have yet to attain the patience of the non-arising of phenomena, because subtle traces of delusion still remain in their minds. Thus they give while attached to notions, and still lack the understanding of the doctrine of non-self.

However, a bodhisattva who understands that all phenomena lack an independent self, but instead are empty and arise out of causes and conditions, will be free from greed and have no need to acquire external things, nor will he be perturbed by the outside world. This is how the bodhisattva attains the patience of the non-arising of phenomena. By internally “abiding in the mind of non-abiding;’ the bodhisattva can then expand the Buddha’s mission by liberating living beings with no notion of people, and attain Buddhahood with no notion of self.

After fully understanding “non-self” a bodhisattva no longer receives merit or yearns for nirvana, and is thus is said to be free from desire. When we say that they do not “receive merit” it does not mean that bodhisattvas reject the idea of cause and effect, but rather that they do not crave merit and are free from the type of delusion and discrimination which takes a calculating attitude towards accruing merit. A bodhisattva who has attained patience for the non-arising of phenomena means he is without a “self” and without notions. He is not attached to a sense of self, nor is he attached to the notion of giving or the notion of merit. This is what it really means to understand “all phenomena are without self.”

One day a devotee came to see Chan Master Ikkyu and poured out his troubles:

“Master, I can’t go on living;’ he said, ”I’m going to kill myself!”

“Your life was going well, why would you want to commit suicide?”

“Oh master, ever since my business failed the debts have been piling up. My creditors are making it impossible for me to go on. Only death will put an end to it.”

Chan Master Ikkyu replied, “Are you really telling me that there is no other way out except death?”

The devotee painfully said, “There isn’t. I have nothing left except my young daughter. I have reached the end of my rope.”

Chan Master Ikkyu had a sudden inspiration.

“Ah, I have an idea: you can marry your daughter to someone. Find a handsome, well-off son-in-law and he can help pay off your debts:’

The devotee shook his head and said, “But master, my daughter is only eight years old. How can she marry anyone?”

“Then let me marry your daughter! I’ll be your son-in-law and help you pay off your debts:’

The devotee was shocked, “You … you simply must be joking! I revere you as my teacher, how can you become my son-in-law?”

But Chan Master Ikkyu had a plan. He waved the devotee off and said, “It will be alright. Nothing more needs be said: go home right now and announce the marriage. When the time comes to receive the bride, I will come to your house and become your son-in-law. Now hurry along.”

This businessman-cum-disciple had confidence in the Chan master’s wisdom, so he returned home and made the announcement at once: on such and such a date, Chan Master Ikkyu would be coming to his home to marry his daughter. As the news spread, it became a sensation throughout the city.

Finally the day to receive the bride came, and the area surrounding the home was packed so tightly with curious on-lookers that they could hardly move. Upon arriving at the scene, Chan Master Ikkyu gave the order that a table be placed in front of the gate with a writing brush, paper, an ink stick, and an ink stone. With a crowd in front of him, the Chan master wielded the writing brush, and as everyone marveled at how wonderful the master’s calligraphy was, they jostled with one another to get a better view and buy his works. The crowd seemingly forgot all about why they had come in the first place. The upshot of all of this was that the money from people buying the calligraphy filled several baskets.

The Chan master turned and asked his devotee, “Is this enough money to pay off your debts?”

The devotee was so happy that he knelt down and bowed his head to the ground again and again, “Master, you are truly a miracle worker to have made so much money appear all of a sudden!”

Chan Master Ikkyu gave a sweep of his long, billowy sleeves and said, “Problem solved. I won’t be your son-in-law after all, so I better remain your teacher. Goodbye.”

Chan Master Ikkyu did not cling to the appearance of his own self-image, and for that reason alone he was able to liberate the devotee without attachment to the notion of self by applying skillful wisdom.

Source: Hsing Yun. Four Insights for Finding Fulfillment: A Practical Guide to the Buddha’s Diamond Sutra. Los Angeles: Buddha’s Light Publishing, 2012.