Diamond Sutra – there is really no Dharma to gain – 金刚经 – 得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提，为无所得

In a typical learning process, we receive some information, digest it intellectually or follow it experimentally, then it become part of us as an integrated part of our life.  Very often, we consider it a gain after we learn something.  However, in this sutra, after telling us that there is really no Dharma to teach, and that there is no Buddha who had taught any Dharma, the Buddha shared in this chapter that in his realization, there is really no Dharma to gain…  Why is it so?

Furthermore, in our earlier discussion, we also recalled that the Buddha said that everything is teaching to enlightenment.  So in the end, is there a Buddha who shared the state of enlightenment and pathway towards it? … If there is really nothing being shared and no one who can really gain from these teachings, how can we as spiritual students received and integrate these information into our lives?

A possible way to resolve the above paradoxes is shared in our earlier post: how does bodhisattva do charity.  If we can apply the same approach we use to do charity in learning, then we can proceed safely without deepening our confusion to/from the temporary self.

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无法可得分第二十二

NO DHARMA CAN BE OBTAINED, TWENTY-TWO

须菩提白佛言：世尊！佛得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提，为无所得耶？
Subhuti said to the Buddha: “World Honored One, does your (own) attainment of Supreme Enlightenment (Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi) mean that you have not gained anything whatsoever?”

如是，如是。须菩提！
我于阿耨多罗三藐三菩提乃至无有少法可得，是名阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。
The Buddha replied: “Just so, Subhuti, just so, I have not gained even the least Dharma from Supreme enlightenment, and this is called Supreme Enlightenment.”在一个典型的学习过程中，我们首先会收到一些信息，通过理智上的消化，或者是经验上的体验，最后就会融合成为我们生活中的一部分。 很多时候，我们会认为这个学习的结果是一种得益。 然而，在此经典中，佛陀告诉我们，实在没有任何佛法可以教导，也没有一个佛陀教了任何佛法，在本章中，佛陀更说以他的认知，在正知正觉中，实在没有任何佛法可得。为什么是这样呢？

此外，在我们前面的讨论，我们还记得佛陀曾说，一切法皆是佛法。 那么，到底有没有一个佛分享过真理的状态和道路？ …如果实在没有什么可以被共享，也没有任何人可以从这些教导中真正得到任何东西，我们作为心灵学生应如何面对和接收这些信息？并融合到我们生活之中？

解决上述矛盾的一个可能的办法是参考我们早期的共享：菩萨如何布施？。如果我们能将我们用于布施的方法用于学习上，那么我们就可以放心地学习，并同时能避免加深我们对于我和法的困惑。

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无法可得分第二十二

须菩提白佛言：世尊！佛得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提，为无所得耶？

如是，如是。须菩提！

我于阿耨多罗三藐三菩提乃至无有少法可得，是名阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。