Vajrakkhedika (Diamond Cutter) · 14 of 19 · tr. E.B. Cowell, F. Max Müller, and J. Kakakusu
Section 1n
This prophecy is supposed to have been addressed by Dîpankara to S âkyamuni, before he had become a Buddha.] perfect knowledge has been known, he would speak an untruth, and would slander me, O Subhûti, with some untruth that he has learned.
And why?
Because there is no such thing, O Subhûti, as has been known by the Tathâgata with regard to the highest perfect knowledge.
And in that, O Subhûti, which has been known and taught by the Tathâgata, there is neither truth nor falsehood.
Thetefore the Tathâgata preaches: "All things are Buddha-things." And why?
Because what was preached by the Tathâgata, O Subhûti, as all things, that was preached as no-things; and therefore all things are called Buddha-things.
'Now, O Subhûti, a man might have a body and a large body.' The venerable Subhûti said: That man who was spoken of by the Tathâgata as a man with a body, with a large body, he, O Bhagavat, was spoken of by the Tathâgata as without a body, and therefore he is called a man with a body and with a large body.' Bhagavat said: 'So it is, O Subhûti; and if a Bodhisattva were to say: "I shall deliver all beings," he ought not to be called a Bodhisattva.
And why?
Is there anything, O Subhûti, that is called a Bodhisattva?' Subhûti said: 'Not indeed, Bhagavat, there is nothing which is called a Bodhisattva.' Bhagavat said: 'Those who were spoken of as beings, beings indeed, O Subhûti, they were spoken of as no-beings by the Tathâgata, and therefore they are called beings.
Therefore the Tathâgata says: "All beings are without self all beings are without life, without manhood, without a personality." [1.
Sans croissance, Harlez; see Childers, s.v.
poriso.] 'If, O Subhûti, a Bodhisattva were to say: "I shall create numbers of worlds," he would say what is untrue.
And why?
Because, what were spoken of as numbers of worlds, numbers of worlds indeed, O Subhûti, these were spoken of as no-numbers by the Tathâgata, and therefore they are called numbers of worlds.
'A Bodhisattva, O Subhûti, who believes that all things are without self, that all things are without self, he has faith, he is called a noble-minded Bodhisattva by the holy and fully enlightened Tathâgata.' (17) XVIII.
Describing the divine only by negation—God transcends all positive categories and concepts; the via negativa.
The passage defines the Tathagata primarily through negation ('no-origin', 'destruction of all qualities', 'nothing that has been adopted'), aligning with the via negativa.
Eckhart's Abgeschiedenheit/Gelassenheit — radical letting-go of will, image, and grasping that opens the soul to God; distinct from inner_silence (quietness) and from material renunciation, and adjacent to Sufi tark and Buddhist non-grasping as a practice rather than a metaphysical claim.
The passage advocates radical letting-go of concepts like 'Bodhisattva' and 'beings' to realize true suchness.
Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.
The logic that non-attainment ('nothing adopted') is the condition for prophesied enlightenment utilizes dialectical paradox to destabilize conventional understanding.
Eckhart's radical reading of Matthew 5:3 — the saint as one who wants nothing, knows nothing, and has nothing, having emptied even the will and the self with which to receive God; distinct from renunciation_of_wealth (material poverty).
The Tathagata is described as having 'nothing that has been adopted', aligning with the concept of spiritual poverty or emptiness of will.
The Buddhist doctrine that all phenomena lack independent self-nature; emptiness as the positive recognition that things arise only in dependence on conditions — distinct from kenoma's mere deficiency.
[auto] The passage centrally defines reality through emptiness, stating all things are 'no-things' and beings are 'without self' or 'without life'.