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The Diamond Sutra · 5 of 30
Chapter 7
The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “What think you? Has the Lord Buddha really attained to supreme spiritual wisdom? Or has he a system of doctrine which can be specifically formulated?”
Subhuti replied, saying: “As I understand the meaning of the Lord Buddha’s discourse, he has no system of doctrine which can be specifically formulated; nor can the Lord Buddha express, in explicit terms, a form of knowledge which can be described as supreme spiritual wisdom. And why? Because, what the Lord Buddha adumbrated in terms of the Law, is transcendental and inexpressible. Being a purely spiritual concept, it is neither consonant with Law, nor synonymous with anything apart from the Law. Thus[1] is exemplified the manner by which wise disciples and holy Buddhas, regarding intuition[2] as the Law of their minds, severally attained to different planes of spiritual wisdom.”[3]
[1] “So it appears that all the sages and wise men who have lived have all adopted this mode of diffusive doctrine [doctrine which admits of no particular distinction (_wou-wei)], and hence the differences which have occurred.”—Kin-Kong-King. Beal.
[2] The Chinese text “i-wu-wei-fah,” is explained by a learned expositor as tsz-ran-choih-sing—the intuitive faculty.
[3] “Because that thing which was known or taught by the Tathagata is incomprehensible and inexpressible. It is neither a thing nor no-thing. And why? Because the holy persons are of imperfect power.”—The Vagrakkhedika. Max Müller.
Asked of Guide
Why does Subhuti say the Buddha has no formulable system or expressible supreme wisdom?
Subhuti says the Buddha’s teaching is “transcendental and inexpressible,” so any fixed formulation misses its nature. The chapter frames the Law as an intuitive, mind-based realization—“the intuitive faculty”—that cannot be captured as a concrete doctrine or a describable thing.
This passage portrays all Buddhas and wise disciples as arriving at different planes of wisdom through that same ineffable intuition, which explains the diversity of expression. If you want a parallel, the Vagrakkhedika (the Prajñāpāramitā literature) makes the same point: ultimate truth eludes conceptualization and so resists propositional systems.
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