The diamond sutra, along with the heart sutra also available translated by red pine, are arguably the two most popular works of the prajnaparamita group of sutras. The play in full tells the story of how the buddha manifested in this world and attained awakening as perceived from the perspective of the great vehicle. Also known by its sanskrit title vajracchedika, the diamond sutra posits that something is what it is only because of what it is not. Transforming the way we perceive the world by mu soenq gick here for the reluctant messenger host site the diamond sutra the walled city of dunhuang shachou was an outpost on the northwestern frontier, whose. The diamond sutra, a sanskrit text translated into chinese, was one of 40,000 scrolls and documents hidden in the cave of a thousand buddhas, a secret library sealed up around the year 1,000. It is an important buddhist text that has a long and profound history. The diamond sutra 1 diamond sutra the full sanskrit title of this text is the vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra the vajra prajna paramita sutra. According to the british library, it is the earliest complete survival of a dated printed book. The diamond sutra project gutenberg selfpublishing. Five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds. A billionth part of the latters, even, would be an insufficient estimation of it. Le sutra du diamant enseignement du bouddha narration, lecture audio duration.
When the buddha dharma was transmitted to china, the great patriarchs certified translations into chinese. Honoring the diamond sutra wherever this sutra is honored and revered there is a sacred site enshrining the presence of the buddha or one of the buddhas most venerable disciples. Translated into a variety of languages over a broad geographic range, the diamond sutra is one of the most influential mahayana sutras in east asia, and it is particularly prominent within the chan or zen tradition, along with the h. Like many buddhist sutras, the diamond sutra begins with the famous phrase, thus have i heard. The lankavatara sutra minnesota zen meditation center. Bhagavan sravastyam viharati sma jetavanenathapindadasyaarame mahata bhiksusamghena sarddham ardhatrayodasabhir. A page from the diamond sutra, printed in the 9th year of xiantong era of the tang dynasty, i. This excellent second edition of the diamond prajnaparamita sutra contains both the english and chinese text as well as annotations. The diamond sutra is the worlds earliest dated printed book. That, of course, is putting it simply, as only buddhists can do. Subhuti was known to best understand the true meaning of emptiness. Homage to the perfection of wisdom, the lovely, the holy. Once upon a time, the buddha sojourned in the jetavana park near sravasti with an assembly of twelve hundred and fifty bhiksus. A general explanation of the vajra prajna paramita sutra.
His holiness the dalai lamas two day teaching on the diamond cutter sutra from bodhgaya, bihar, india on january 2223, 2018. Some very funny parts to this talk and some excellent evocations of rigorous dharma practice as part of the everyday business of life. The diamond sutra in sanskrit and english translated from the sanskrit by edward conze om namo bhagavatyai aryaprajnaparamitayai. Biography bill porter aka red pine is widely recognized as one of the worlds preeminent translators of chinese poetry and religious texts.
After putting on robes, begging for food and eating, subhuti addressed the buddha respectfully. The lankavatara sutra introduction the lankavatara sutra sutra on the descent to lanka is an unsystematic and partial overview of the one path teaching of mahayana buddhism. I studied this book on and off for 6 months and i will continue to come back to it as being definitive on the subject. Its purpose is to lead advanced bodhisattvas to final selfrealization, that is, to be a tathagata see below. Jun 27, 2018 le sutra du diamant enseignement du bouddha narration, lecture audio duration. He was there together with a gathering of 1250 monks. In this sutra buddha is teaching his followers to cut off their doubts about this thunderbolt mind in order to realize it. Dabei beantwortet er fragen seines anhangers subhuti. Chapter 03 all living beings, whether born from eggs, from the womb, from moisture, or spontaneously. In indian sanskrit language, arya vajracchedika nama prajnaparamita mahayana sutra in tibetan, phags pa shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa rdo rje gcod pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen poi mdo in english, the noble mahayana sutra on the wisdom gone beyond called the diamond cutter i bow to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas. Vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra is a mahayana sutra from the prajnaparamita sutras or perfection of wisdom genre. The diamond sutra three major aspects of the diamond sutra the sutra is a record of a dialogue between the buddha and one of the ten great disciples, subhuti, in front of 1,250 buddhas followers.
In indian sanskrit language, arya vajracchedika nama. Vajracchedika signifie le diamant qui coupe les afflictions, lignorance et lillusion. The diamond sutra the sutra of transparent wisdom 1. Commentary on chapter 1 the reasons for the dharma assembly thus i have heard. The diamond perfection of wisdom sutra the vajracchedikaprajnaparamita sutra thus have i heard. The opening gatha was composed by thich nhat hanh to precede the translation. Once the bhagavan was dwelling near shravasti at anathapindada garden in jeta forest together with the full assembly of 1250 bhikshus and a great many fearless bodhisattvas. Vajracchedikaprajnaparamitasutra, vajra prajna paramita sutra, vajracchedika sutra, trisatika prajnaparamita. It was designed to be readable, understandable, and not overly laden with flowery language or titles and terms. At one time the buddha was staying in the park anatapindika.
Which path must bodhisattvas, motivated men and women who seek for enlightenment. The diamond sutra in sanskrit and english translated from the. At one time the buddha was staying in the jeta grove of the garden of the benefactor of orphans and the solitary together with a gathering of great bhiksus, twelve hundred fifty in all. One day before noon, the bhagavan put on his patched robe and picked up his bowl and entered the. Upon a time buddha sojourned in anathapindikas park by shravasti with a great company of bhikshus, even twelve hundred and fifty. It is one of the most profitable practices, because the root of all sufferings, yours and others, is the ignorance holding the i as truly existent, even though it is empty of that. Jejim obsahem je uceni o bezpodstatnosti vsech jevu, obklopujicich cloveka nebo probihajicich v jeho mysli. Barth verlag 1999, buddhismus, meditation, mind, spirit, german deutsch. Jun 25, 2015 this translation of the diamond that cuts through illusion, sometimes known simply as the diamond sutra, has been prepared by thich nhat hanh from the vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra in sanskrit, and the chinese taisho revised tripitaka, no. The aim of this sutra is to reveal the buddhas thunderboltvajra mind. The buddha said this sutra may be known as the diamond that cuts through illusion. Nov 18, 2002 the diamond sutra, along with the heart sutra also available translated by red pine, are arguably the two most popular works of the prajnaparamita group of sutras.
Cheng kuan, 53rd generation acharya of the shingon sect. This new translation of the diamond sutra allows the reader to experience and comprehend this timeless buddhist text in a more contemporary language and style. Diamond sutra a new translation of the classic buddhist text. Of all the sutras that teach this teaching, this is the diamond. Indeed they are among the most popular sutras within the mahayana cannon as a whole. The diamond sutra of 868 now lives at the british library, whose turning the pages project includes close looks online at the worlds oldest printed book. The sutra, which is structured in twentyseven chapters, first presents the events surrounding the buddhas birth, childhood, and adolescence in the royal palace of his father, king. Aug 02, 2009 the diamond sutra is one of the most historically important texts in the buddhist faith, in part because a copy of it is the oldest surviving dated printed book in the world 868 a.
The essential principle of the diamond sutra is to dispel grasping to anything as substantial existing absolutely independently so that sentient beings would not fall into delusion and suffering that are rooted in artificial duality, and sentient beings that are grasping to forms and selflimited may be liberated. Diamond sutra, brief and very popular mahayana buddhist text widely used in east asia and perhaps the best known of the 18 smaller wisdom texts that together with their commentaries are known as the prajnaparamita perfection of wisdom. Handwritten diamond sutra zhang jizhi song dynasty 1253. I own a number of copies of the diamond sutra but this is my favourite. With his customary dry wit and sharp eye he leads us on the crazy paving path through the diamond sutra a text guaranteed to turn your world upsidedown.
The high master hsuan hua, professor of the tripitaka tripitakacarya and of the. In addition to the actual text of the diamond sutra this web site provides a diamond sutra background page which explains the origins of the diamond sutra and information about how this new translation was done. Patri k velmi oblibenym sutram, ve vychodni asii patri k nejoblibenejsim vubec. His holiness speaks in tibetan with an english translation available. If a person, via this perfection of wisdom sutra, even just four lines of verse, receives, upholds, reads, and recites, and for another explains it. Sakyamuni buddha originally spoke the vajra sutra in india. The diamond sutra in sanskrit and english translated from. A general explanation of the vajra prajna paramita sutra by dhyana master hsuan hua this translation has been prepared by the buddhist text translation society of the sinoamerican buddhist association, under the auspices of gold mountain dhyana monastery, 1731 15th street, san francisco.
395 620 803 477 1515 65 1424 431 629 636 840 1079 906 745 172 957 1205 232 717 53 622 372 71 918 339 1239 639 1459 1198 1250 446 374