Twenty-Five

"What do you think, Subhuti? You should not say that the Realized One entertains this thought: `I should liberate beings.' Subhuti, do not think this. Why? There really are no beings the Realized One liberates. If there were beings the Realized One liberates, then the Realized One would have self, person, being, and liver of life.

"Subhuti, the Realized Ome says that having self is not having self, yet ordinary people think they have self. Subhuti, the Realized One says ordinary people are not ordinary people, they are called ordinary people."[Thomas Cleary]

"Does a Tathagata ever think, 'I have liberated beings'? Never imagine this, Subhuti, for there is no being to be liberated by the Tathagata. If the Tathagata thought to liberate any being, a concept of self, entity or personality would have arisen in him. The Tathagata has taught that the concept of self is no concept. Nevertheless, common people cling to the concept of self. The Tathagata has taught that the common people are not common people, even though they are called `common people'."[Joshua Pritikin]

"Subhuti, what do you think? Does it occur to the Tathagata: `I rescue beings'? Surely, Subhuti, you should hold no such view. And why not? Subhuti, the being does not exist who is rescued by the Tathagata. Subhuti, if any being were rescued by the Tathagata, the Tathagata would be attached to a self. He would be attached to a being, attached to a life, and attached to a soul. `Attachment to self,' Subhuti, is said by the Tathagata to be no attachment. Yet foolish people remain attached. And `foolish people,' Subhuti, are said by the Tathagata to be no people. Thus are they called `foolish people.' [Or "That's what we mean when we say `foolish people.'"] [Red Pine]