The 'four thoughts' used by Vasubandhu in his commentary to the Diamond Sutra （T 1511.25.781c-782a） to outline Section Two of the Diamond Sutra，dividing it into four distinct passages （T 236.8.753a）. The title of each of the Four Thoughts is extracted from a verse of Asan%ga's Ode to the Diamond Sutra （T1514）， of which the Vasubandhu commentary is an annotation. This exegetical scheme used by Vasubandhu is usually found summarized in the Chinese exegetical texts. The Four Thoughts， and the passages they refer to are （using Bodhiruci's translation， T236/T1511）:
1） The 'Broadly Extensive Thought' （广大心）. Corresponds to: "诸菩萨生如是心。所有一切众生众生所摄 ..." to .".. 所有众生界众生所摄。" （T236.8.753a1-4）
2） The 'Supreme Thought' （第一心）. Corresponds to: "我皆令入无余涅槃而灭度之。" （T236.8.753a4-5）
3） The 'Eternal Thought' （常心）. Corresponds to: "如是灭度无量无边众生实无众生得灭度者。何以故。 须菩提。若菩萨有众生相即非菩萨。" （T236.8.753a1-7） Vasubandhu comments that the living beings are not different from the bodhisattva's own self， and so if a bodhisattva conceives of the living beings as being separate from himself then he is not a bodhisattva. "Thusly apprehending the myriad beings as his own body， the eternal is not abandoned." （T1511.25.782a）
4） The 'Undeluded Thought' （不颠倒）. Corresponds to: "何以故非。须菩提。若菩萨起众生相人相寿者相。 则不名菩萨。" （T236.8.753a7-8） Vasubandhu comments: "This makes plain the distant separation （of the bodhisattva） from， and accordingly the cessation of， a self which views the images of myriad beings， etc." （T 1511.25.782a） It should be noted that one must use a translation of the Diamond Sutra other than Kuma^raji^va's to follow the fourfold division， as Kuma^raji^va does not include the final conclusion to this section of the sutra. The commentary by Vasubandhu was translated into Chinese by Bodhiruci 菩提流支 （T1511-金刚般若波罗蜜经论） and Yijing 义净 （T1513-能断金刚般若波罗蜜多经论释）， and those two versions of the Diamond Sutra are used in each respectively. Yijing also extracted Asan%ga's Ode from a separate text （T1514）.