Aug 02, 2009 finding new meaning in one of the worlds oldest books since at least the fifth century, generations of buddhists have memorized and chanted the diamond sutra, a short mahayana buddhist scripture. World honored one, if an arhat should give rise to the thought, i have attained the realization of the arhat, this means that he is attached to the notions of a self, a person, a sentient being, or a life span. Jan 27, 2005 diamond sutra explained nan huaichin, pia giammasi on. Its purpose is to lead advanced bodhisattvas to final selfrealization, that is, to be a tathagata see below. Diamond sutra, sanskrit vajraccedikasutra diamond cutter 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. Huineng was an illiterate woodcarver who suddenly became enlightened upon hearing someone reciting the diamond sutra on a streetcorner, thus the two books are often published together. This excellent second edition of the diamond prajnaparamita sutra contains both the english and chinese text as well as annotations. However, in order to realize wisdom and the nature of emptiness, we have to resort to some means of speaking about both of them. The diamond sutra and the study of wisdom and emptiness the subject of this booklet is the diamond sutra and the study of wisdom prajna and emptiness sunyata.
With this in mind, i am wondering for people who are experienced with mahayana sutras who can tell me which translations will be better to start with for the diamond sutra, which translations might be a blind alley despite seeming wellwritten many exist for suttas, which ones prove to be worthy of careful attention, and so on. Sometimes it happens that we live as it were, we dwell very much in the present. The story of the worlds earliest dated printed book. Welcome,you are looking at books for reading, the the heart sutra, you will able to read or download in pdf or epub books and notice some of author may have lock the live reading for some of country. Diamond sutra explained by master nan huaichin part 2 in. The diamond sutra the diamond that cuts through illusion a new translation in english by alex johnson read by chris johnys. Smart news keeping you current five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds oldest dated printed book printed over 1,100 years ago, a. Jun 25, 2019 the diamond sutra played an important role in the life of huineng 6387, the sixth patriarch of chan. Cheng kuan, 53rd generation acharya of the shingon sect. Subhuti, who was sitting in the congregation, rose from his seat. Master nan huaichins discourses on the treasured buddhist diamond sutra bring together a lifetimes personal cultivation experience that crosses into every single school of esoteric and spiritual practice.
As a teacher, i know that nothing can really be taught. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Though i continued to have contact with christianity, at least from time to time, henceforth i was in contact with it as a buddhist. This copy of the diamond sutra is the worlds earliest complete and dated, printed book. Ebook the vajra paramita sutra buddhist text translation. One time the buddha was staying at the garden retreat of anathapindada, in the jeta grove near sravasti, with a great bhiksu congregation of 1,250 people. 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. This passage explains that nonexistent dharmas are not nonexistent. He found one and revised its format so that my computer can make use of it. Jul 17, 2019 open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Some very funny parts to this talk and some excellent evocations of rigorous dharma practice as part of the everyday business of life.
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 is particularly prominent within the chan. The diamond sutra, simplified selfdiscovery portal. 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 diamond sutra of 868ad was the jewel among thousands of scrolls, documents and painted silks that explorer aurel stein obtained from a. The diamond sutra in sanskrit and english translated from the. 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. Because, subhuti, from this discourse issue forth all the buddhas and the consummation of incomparable enlightenment teachings of all the buddhas. All living beings, whether born from eggs, from the womb. 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 buddha on managing your business and your life. Welcome,you are looking at books for reading, the the heart sutra, you will able to read or download in pdf or epub books and notice some of author may have lock the live reading for.
Jan 07, 2018 the diamond sutra vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra is one of the prajnaparamita perfection of wisdom sutras of mahayana buddhism. Translated by tripitaka master hsuan tsang commentary by. The diamond sutra 1 diamond sutra the full sanskrit title of this text is the vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra the vajra prajna paramita sutra. Therefore, i asked hung kwok sing in hong kong to look for a computer file of the diamond sutra from materials that were already posted on internet. The buddha said this sutra may be known as the diamond that cuts through illusion. 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. The teacher is just there to help them in the process of selfdiscovery. Although words cannot express truth, they can be catalysts for the advent of awakening, as huineng describes his first hearing of the diamond sutra and as two friends and fellow students of richard rose found out in 1999, one upon reading something written by alfred pulyan, the other when reading something written by franklin merrellwolff. The vajra prajna paramita sutra also known as the vajracchedika or diamond sutra based on audio recordings of lectures given by master hua at the buddhist lecture hall in san francisco, 1968 paperback price. The diamond sutra and the sutra of huineng by huineng. The diamond sutra in sanskrit and english translated from the sanskrit by edward conze om namo bhagavatyai aryaprajnaparamitayai. It is a process of systematically encountering, examining, and. It is convenient to use computer to sort out key points in the sutra. Diamond sutra explained nan huaichin, pia giammasi on.
To begin reading the diamond sutra just click here for the first page. Nonexistence and not nonexistence is the principle and tendency of the middle way. Y the previous passage explained that existent dharmas are non existent. 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 is particularly. Like many buddhist sutras, the diamond sutra begins with the famous phrase, thus have i heard. The opening gatha was composed by thich nhat hanh to precede the translation. The diamond sutra project gutenberg selfpublishing. Diamond sutra a new translation of the classic buddhist text. Kumarajivas version of the lotus sutra as the basic text, rather than the taisho edition. It is an important buddhist text that has a long and profound history.
The story of the worlds earliest dated printed book wood, frances, barnard, mark on. Subhuti, what is called the religion given by buddha is not, in fact buddha religion. Initially, his aim was to explain the heart sutra, but he commented, likewise, on the lotus sutra. Diamond sutra explained by master nan huaichin part 2. The diamond sutra of 868ad was the jewel among thousands of scrolls, documents and painted silks that explorer aurel stein obtained from a hidden library cave near dunhuang in 1907. It is recorded in huinengs autobiography that when he was an adolescent selling firewood in a marketplace, he heard someone reciting the diamond sutra and immediately became enlightened.
The diamond sutra is a sacred buddhist scripture on an ancient chinese scroll. With very few exceptions the readings in these two editions are almost exactly the same in meaning, and the differences are too slight to have any sig nificant effect on the translation. 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. Upon a time buddha sojourned in anathapindikas park by shravasti with a great company of bhikshus, even twelve hundred and fifty. The diamond sutra in sanskrit and english translated from. Vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra is a mahayana buddhist sutra from the prajnaparamita sutras or perfection of wisdom genre.
For even at that time, subhuti, there will be bodhisattvas who are gifted with good. The diamond sutra played an important role in the life of huineng 6387, the sixth patriarch of chan. The diamond sutra rings like the clearest bell so beautiful. Five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds. One day before noon, the bhagavan put on his patched robe and picked up his bowl and entered the. The diamond sutra vajracchedika prajnaparamita diamond cutting transcendent wisdom translated by paul harrison a shooting star, a clouding of the sight, a lamp, an illusion, a drop of dew, a bubble, a dream, a lightnings flash, a thunder cloudthis is the way one should see the conditioned. 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.
Impermanence was expounded by the historical buddha in the first turning teachings, and the diamond is opening a door to something beyond that. The diamond sutra says that the buddha taught for decades, yet nothing is really taught. Diamond sutra home page links to individual chapters of the diamond sutra this is what i heard. We will continue our discussion of diamond sutra explained by master nan huaichin. Written in the chinese language, the diamond sutra chronicles a gathering of disciples to hear the teachings of buddha and is dated the 15th of the 4th moon of the 9th year of. 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. It is recorded in huinengs autobiography that when he was an adolescent selling firewood in a marketplace, he heard someone reciting the. And sometimes again we allow ourselves the luxury if you like of just floating back into the past, not to say drifting back into the.
The yoga sutras of patanjali succinctly outlines the art and science of yoga meditation for selfrealization. Printed copy of the diamond sutra the british library. The old master explained the sutra directly, eluding conventional restrictions. The diamond sutra and the study of wisdom and emptiness. It seems the consensus of opinion of the great minds of the world, and it has been nearly demonstrated by researchers into physical nature, that we are the outcome. The work, which offers meditations on illusion and perception, was originally written in sanskrit and first translated into chinese in 402 a. The students have to discover things by themselves. See this and more treasures of the british library. Nan huaichin was born march 18, 1918, to a scholarofficial family in yueqing county, wenzhou city, zhejiang province. The diamond sutra is the worlds earliest dated printed book. In his youth, nan received a classical education that. Yoga sutras of patanjali swami jnaneshvara bharati page 2 of 63 04 yoga sutras of patanjali interpretive translation presented by swami jnaneshvara bharati.