The Ideal of Becoming a Buddha: Entering the Diamond Sutra

Have you ever wondered, "One day, will I become a Buddha?" This question might sound remote, yet it is precisely the starting point that the Venerable Subhuti raised before the Buddha in the Diamond Sutra. It is not a small dream, but the ultimate ideal of a practitioner. Today, let us listen to Venerable Thích Chân Quang open the door to the Diamond Sutra through three foundational issues.

**Subhuti's Three Great Questions**

Venerable Subhuti asked the Buddha, "When a good man or a good woman resolves their mind on anuttara samyak sambodhi, on what basis of teaching should they rely to practice, and how should they subdue their own mind?" Master Chân Quang analyzes that this question contains three logical and interlocking issues.

First, the ideal of practice—aiming for enlightenment and liberation. Second, the doctrinal basis—relying on the system of the Buddha's teachings (Dharma) for cultivation. Third, the method for gathering the mind—specifically bringing the mind to meditative concentration.

The Master emphasizes, "These three main issues presented in the Diamond Sutra are very logical and very tightly connected. We must have an ideal for practice in Buddhism that aims at a clear target: the attainment of enlightenment and liberation."

**A Great Ideal Requires Great Wisdom and a Great Heart**

When people hear about "practicing to become a Buddha," many find it alien and intimidating. Yet there are those who dare to dream it. The Master explains, "The person who dares to think about monastic life feels within their heart a desire to live a saintly life, to be pure, to observe the precepts, and to understand the teachings deeply, which is why they dare to think so." To dare to dream of becoming a Buddha, we need both wisdom and compassion.

"A great wisdom gives rise to a great ideal. A great heart also gives rise to a great ideal."

This wisdom does not come naturally. The Master reminds us that if over countless kalpas we have sincerely revered the Buddha, the seed of enlightenment lies deep in our hearts and cannot be lost. If we have not yet developed this, we can cultivate it by daily paying homage to Buddha statues with heartfelt sincerity, viewing the statue as if the Buddha were truly present. "Ten years of earnest prostration to a Buddha statue with complete devotion equals one meeting with the true Buddha."

**Non-Attachment: Avoiding Wrong Views**

The Diamond Sutra teaches, "One should give rise to a mind that does not abide anywhere." This may sound strange, but the Master offers a caution.

"If we do not understand this carefully, we risk becoming destroyers of the entire Buddhist path. Whenever we dismiss everything said as not the ultimate truth, we are like someone holding a hammer and chisel, striking and demolishing Buddhism."

He references the story of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng: "Not established on words and letters" is itself expressed in words. Similarly, "non-abiding" is itself a form of abiding in non-abiding. The crucial point is to abide in what is correct. Abiding incorrectly leads to stagnation; abiding correctly leads to peace and stability.

**Gathering the Mind in Meditation: An Urgent Requirement**

Subhuti's third question was about "how to subdue the mind," which the Master calls the vital, life-and-death issue. In Buddhism, the gathering of the mind into meditative concentration is a compulsory requirement. Without it, even if we understand many sutras, we remain outsiders.

"If one does not make the resolve to gather the mind in meditative concentration, this person will forever be a guest in Buddhism. Because standing outside the door means being a guest. Only when one steps inside the house does one become part of the household."

The Master expresses sadness seeing many Buddhists who go to temples to make offerings for blessings from merit but do not spend time sitting in meditation. He reminds us that the Buddha attained the Way through meditation, yet his disciples do not follow this practice. Let us start today by turning back to our own minds, finding ways to subdue delusive thoughts, and laying the foundation for enlightenment.

The Diamond Sutra is a scripture for those with a great ideal. Yet that ideal is not remote if we know how to rely on wisdom and compassion, and to practice gathering the mind every day. Please do not be afraid. Let us begin with a smile, a peaceful breath, and the aspiration to become a Buddha from this very moment.