1.26.2009

a system of teaching has no meaning


"The Lord Buddha then warned Subbhuti, saying "Subhuti, do not think that the Tathagata ever considers in his own mind: I ought to enunciate a system of teaching for the elucidation of the Dharma. You should never cherish such a thought. And why? because if any disciple harbored such a thought he would not only be misunderstanding the Tathagata's teaching, but he would be slandering him as well. Moreover, the expression 'a system of teaching' has no meaning; for Truth (in the sense of Reality) cannot be cut up into pieces and arranged into a system. The words can only be used as a figure of speech."


-Diamond Sutra