Tathagata in Chinese is “如来”, which means “as is”, or “as is originally is”. This “original is” is a state prior to all mentalizations and descriptions, and is beyond the descriptions of coming and going, sitting or lying, a he or a she, etc, which are identifications built on the notions of time and space, and on the notion of “self” vs. others. Therefore, whoever say here comes the Tathagata, or the Tathagata is sitting, lying, eating, or even teaching, does not really understand the real meaning of Tathagata.
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威仪寂静分第二十九
THE QUIESCENCE OF HIS AWESOME DEMEANOR, TWENTY-NINE
须菩提！若有人言：如来若来若去、若坐若卧，是人不解我所说义。
何以故？如来者，无所从来，亦无所去，故名如来。
“Subhuti, if someone says the Tathagata comes or goes, sits or lies, he does not understand what I mean.
“Why? Because the Tathagata has neither whence (to come) nor whither (to go); therefore, He is called the Tathagata.“如来”，如此而来，亦如此而去，有来就有去；无从所来，亦无所去，就如本来，就是如来。这个“如来”，是在所有概念和描述出现之前的本来状态，是超越一切来去，坐卧，时空，人我等概念之上（但也包括他们）。 因此佛陀说，谁说这里来了个如来，这个如来在吃饭睡觉和干吗的，并不了解如来真正的意义。
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威仪寂静分第二十九
THE QUIESCENCE OF HIS AWESOME DEMEANOR, TWENTY-NINE
须菩提！若有人言：如来若来若去、若坐若卧，是人不解我所说义。
何以故？如来者，无所从来，亦无所去，故名如来。
“Subhuti, if someone says the Tathagata comes or goes, sits or lies, he does not understand what I mean.
“Why? Because the Tathagata has neither whence (to come) nor whither (to go); therefore, He is called the Tathagata.
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