「須菩提！ 汝勿謂如來作是念：『我當有所說法。』莫作是念， 何以故？若人言：『如來有所說法。』即為謗佛， 不能解我所說故。須菩提！說法者， 無法可說，是名說法。」
“Subhūti, do not say that it occurs to the Tathāgata, ‘I [mayā] have a spoken [deśita] Dharma.’ Do not compose this thought. Why? If someone says ‘The Tathāgata has a spoken [deśita] Dharma,’ then this is like slandering the Buddha, because what I [mayā] have spoken [deśita] cannot be understood. Subhūti, one who speaks the Dharma is unable to speak any dharma, and it is thus called speaking the Dharma [dharmadeśanā].”
Sanskrit: bhagavānāha- tatkiṃ manyase subhūte api nu tathāgatasyaivaṃ bhavati-mayā dharmo deśita iti ? subhūtirāha-no hīdaṃ bhagavan tathāgatasyaivaṃ bhavati-mayā dharmo deśita iti| bhagavānāha-yaḥ subhūte evaṃ vadet- tathāgatena dharmo deśita iti, sa vitathaṃ vadet| abhyācakṣīta māṃ sa subhūte asatodgṛhītena| tatkasya hetoḥ ? dharmadeśanā dharmadeśaneti subhūte nāsti sa kaściddharmo yo dharmadeśanā nāmopalabhyate||
Diamond Sūtra Discussion
No speaking, no dharma to speak 非說所說分
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No speaking, no dharma to speak 非說所說分
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Commentary
The Buddha says this to prevent attachment to the teachings.
The English word spoken translates the Chinese 说, Sanskrit deśita. This is a classical use of the Chinese word, which in modern Chinese literally just means to speak. However, elsewhere in the text where general conversation is meant the Chinese word 言 is used. Thus to 'speak the Dhárma' really means to teach the Dhárma. This is also conveyed by the Sanskrit compound dharmadeśanā, which is a compound form from the parts dharma + deśanā (English: instruction).
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爾時，慧命須菩提白佛言：「世尊！頗有眾生， 於未來世，聞說是法，生信心不？」佛言： 「須菩提！彼非眾生，非不眾生。 何以故？須菩提！眾生、眾生者，如來說非眾生，是名眾生。」
At that time, Living Wisdom Subhūti addressed the Buddha, saying, “Bhagavān, will there be sentient beings in the next era who will hear [śrutvā] this spoken dharma and give rise to a mind of belief?” The Buddha replied, “Subhūti, there will be neither sentient beings nor will there not be sentient beings [nāsattvāḥ]. Why? Subhūti, the sentient beings that the Tathāgata speaks of are not sentient beings, and are thus called sentient beings.”
Sanskrit: evamukte āyuṣmān subhūtirbhagavantametadavocat-asti bhagavan kecitsattvā bhaviṣyantyanāgate'dhvani paścime kāle paścime samaye paścimāyāṃ pañcaśatyāṃ saddharmavipralope vartamāne, ya imānevaṃrūpān dharmān śrutvā abhiśraddhāsyanti| bhagavānāha- na te subhūte sattvā nāsattvāḥ| tatkasya hetoḥ ? sattvāḥ sattvā iti subhūte sarve te subhūte asattvāstathāgatena bhāṣitāḥ| tenocyante sattvā iti||21||
At that time, Living Wisdom Subhūti addressed the Buddha, saying, “Bhagavān, will there be sentient beings in the next era who will hear [śrutvā] this spoken dharma and give rise to a mind of belief?” The Buddha replied, “Subhūti, there will be neither sentient beings nor will there not be sentient beings [nāsattvāḥ]. Why? Subhūti, the sentient beings that the Tathāgata speaks of are not sentient beings, and are thus called sentient beings.”
Sanskrit: evamukte āyuṣmān subhūtirbhagavantametadavocat-asti bhagavan kecitsattvā bhaviṣyantyanāgate'dhvani paścime kāle paścime samaye paścimāyāṃ pañcaśatyāṃ saddharmavipralope vartamāne, ya imānevaṃrūpān dharmān śrutvā abhiśraddhāsyanti| bhagavānāha- na te subhūte sattvā nāsattvāḥ| tatkasya hetoḥ ? sattvāḥ sattvā iti subhūte sarve te subhūte asattvāstathāgatena bhāṣitāḥ| tenocyante sattvā iti||21||
Commentary
Teaching the Dhárma was mentioned previously in Section 7 and is described in more depth here. When Subhūti reflects on the difficult nature of this teaching he wonders if anybody else will understand it. Subhūti asked the same question in Section 6 but has understanding has advanced since.
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