Why Are the Marks of Self, Others, Sentient Beings, and Life Span Considered Non-Marks?

Original text: If in the future world, during the latter five hundred years, there are beings who hear this sutra, believe, understand, accept, and uphold it, such a person will be foremost and most rare. Why is this so? This person has no perception of self, no perception of person, no perception of sentient beings, and no perception of a life span. Why is this? Because the perception of self is not a perception, the perception of person, the perception of sentient beings, and the perception of a life span are not perceptions. Why is this? One who is separated from all perceptions is called a Buddha.

Explanation: If during the five hundred years before the Dharma's extinction in the future world, there are still sentient beings who can hear this Diamond Sutra, develop pure faith, correctly understand the vajra mind, accept and uphold the Diamond Sutra, such a person will be foremost and most rare. Why is this person foremost and most rare? Because this person has already eliminated the perception of self, perception of person, perception of sentient beings, and perception of a life span. Why has this person eliminated these four perceptions? Because the perception of self is not a real perception, the perception of person is not a real perception, the perception of sentient beings is not a real perception, and the perception of a life span is not a real perception. Why is this said? Because every Buddha is separated from all perceptions; only those separated from all perceptions are called Buddhas.

In the latter five hundred years when the Dharma is about to perish, the world becomes more turbid and evil, sentient beings' afflictions grow heavier, and their wholesome roots become even scarcer. If during this time there are still sentient beings who can hear the Diamond Sutra, their wholesome roots and merits must be profound indeed. After hearing it, they deeply believe and accept it, realize the vajra mind, protect and propagate the Diamond Sutra. Such a person possesses extremely profound wholesome roots, being a long-cultivated Bodhisattva who is most rare, no longer an ordinary person. After realizing the vajra mind and understanding the emptiness of the five aggregates, this person no longer harbors perceptions of self, person, sentient beings, or life span in their mind. These perceptions depend on the five aggregates; once the five aggregates are empty, the four perceptions vanish, and virtuous characteristics manifest, making them a rare sage.

Why can the four perceptions disappear? Because the four perceptions were never truly existent; they are illusory appearances produced by the vajra mind. Therefore, they are characterized by arising and ceasing, empty and unobtainable. If they were real perceptions, they could not be emptied; no matter how much effort one exerted, these perceptions could not be made to disappear. After realizing the vajra mind, when encountering conditions and objects, one directly observes that the perception of self arises from the vajra mind, the perception of person arises from the vajra mind, the perception of sentient beings arises from the vajra mind, and the perception of a life span also arises from the vajra mind. Thus, the four perceptions gradually exhaust themselves, and the wisdom of emptiness deepens progressively. Gradually emptying other dharmic appearances until all dharmic appearances are completely emptied, one then accomplishes the Buddha Way.

Therefore, the Buddha said: "Separated from all perceptions, one is called a Buddha." Here, "Buddha" has two meanings: first, referring to the manifestation-body Buddha with the five aggregates; second, referring to the Dharma-body Buddha. The Dharma-body Buddha has been separated from all perceptions since beginningless time, empty without a single appearance, formless and without characteristics, without characteristics of color, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas, and cannot be perceived by the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind. At this stage, the manifestation-body Buddha is also separated from all perceptions, empties all appearances, and does not cling to any appearances. When the manifestation-body Buddha's mind accords with the Dharma-body Buddha's nature, equally pure and unconditioned, only then is it the perfectly accomplished Buddha.