The Diamond Sutra

by Red Pine

  Asanga says, “The nirvana realized by the Tathagata is not created and not something else. These nine created things should thus be viewed with wisdom.” (75)

  Asanga says, “Thus do we examine: views, appearances, and cognition, places, bodies, functions, past and present and what has yet to come.” (76)

  Asanga says, “Examine all appearances, their functions, and their changes and remain untouched by created things.” (77)

  Hui-neng says, “Speaking dharmas with skillful and expedient means, considering people’s faculties and capacities and using whatever works—this is what is called explaining to others. Also, those who listen to dharmas exhibit many kinds of appearance. One must not discriminate but simply maintain an utterly empty mind that accords with the truth. As to what accords with the truth and doesn’t waver from it, no thought of attaining, no thought of gain or loss, no thought of the future, no thought of creating or destroying. Dreams are our false bodies. Illusions are our false thoughts. Bubbles are our afflictions. Shadows are our karmic obstructions. The karma of dreams, illusions, bubbles and shadows are created dharmas. Uncreated dharmas are those that are real and free of name or appearance. Those who are enlightened are free of karma.”

  Textual note: After kathan ca sanprakashayet (how should they explain it), Kumarajiva has pu-chu yu hsiang (without clinging to appearances) in place of yatha na prakashayet (by not explaining), which appears in all other Chinese translations, the Conze and Stein Sanskrit editions and the Khotanese. Following this, Kumarajiva and Paramartha add ju-ju putung (like reality, unmoving), which appears in no other edition. In his gatha, Kumarajiva replaces abhra (clouds) with ying (shadows) but does not include dipa (lamps), timira (cataracts), or akasa taraka (stars in space), giving him six instead of nine similes. The last line of the gatha has been moved to the beginning in all Chinese editions as well as in Conze’s Sanskrit text. Finally, Müller’s edition places tenocyate sanprakashayed iti (thus is it called “explaining”) at the end of the gatha.

  All this was spoken by the Buddha to the joy of the

  elder Subhuti, the monks and nuns, the laymen and

  laywomen, the bodhisattvas, the devas, humans,

  asuras and gandharvas of the world, all of whom

  were greatly pleased with what the Buddha said.

  Although this concluding section is not part of the teaching, it is nevertheless noteworthy for its inclusion of nuns as well as laymen and laywomen among the audience. Clearly, the Buddha’s teaching by this time had progressed beyond the group of ascetics that formed the core of his early disciples. Gandharvas, too, are present, as they are the celestial guardians of the Truth.

  Ananda’s (or was it Vashpa’s) recollection of this sermon ends with “the Buddha said.” Near the end of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines, the Buddha turns to his attendant and says, “Ananda, I once more entrust and transmit to you this perfection of wisdom so that it will long endure and not disappear. If you should forget all other teachings you have heard me speak, that would be a minor fault. But if you should forget but a single verse of this perfection of wisdom, that would be a serious fault, and it would displease me greatly. For as the Tathagata has said, ‘This perfection of wisdom is the mother, the creator, the source of all buddhas of the past, the present and the future.’ Therefore, Ananda, I entrust and transmit to you this perfection of wisdom so that it may long endure and not disappear.” (28)

  Textual note: Kumarajiva and Bodhiruci do not include attamanas (to the joy of). Müller attributes this rapture to the Buddha, while Conze attributes it to Subhuti. Kumarajiva and Paramartha do not include bodhisattvas and gandharvas in this list. Neither Dharmagupta nor Hsuan-tsang include bodhisattvas nor does the Khotanese or the Stein edition. Yi-ching does not include gandharvas. After abhyanandan (were greatly pleased), Kumarajiva, Bodhiruci, Paramartha, and Hsuan-tsang have hsin-shou feng-hsing (believed it and put it into practice). The last sentence appears in the Chinese translation of Dharmagupta as well as in the Sanskrit and Tibetan editions. A mantra is also added to the end of Kumarajiva’s edition as well as to the Tibetan, though the mantras differ. Kumarajiva has Namo bhagavate prajna-paramitaye om iriti ishri shrotra vishaya svaha. The Tibetan has Namo bhagavate prajna-paramitaye om natad-tita ilishi-ilishi milishi-milishi bhinayan-bhinayan namo bhagavate pradtyamprati iriti-iriti miriti-miriti shuriti-shuriti ushuriushuri bhuyuye-bhuyuye svaha.

  NAMES, TERMS & SOURCES:

  ALL SANSKRIT WORDS have been romanized without their usual diactrical marks. Also, to approximate actual pronunciation, the ş and ś have been written as sh, and the m . has not been distinguished from n. To avoid confusion with other words, I have left c unchanged, even though its usual pronunciation approximates ch. All Chinese words have been romanized according to the Wade-Giles system of romanization, except for place names, in which case I have deleted all aprostrophes and dashes.

  Agamas . Hundreds of short sutras in Sanskrit similar but not identical to the Pali Nikayas. They are said to represent the teaching of the Buddha during the period following his Enlightenment and have been edited into several compilations for which translations exist in Tibetan and Chinese.

  Akshobya. The buddha who presides over the buddha land to the east. His name means “immovable.” He appears in the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (28) and in the Lotus Sutra (7).

  Amita Sutra , aka Amitayusha-vyuha. This is one of the basic texts of the Pure Land school of Buddhism, which teaches focusing on the name of Amita Buddha and rebirth in Amita’s Western Paradise. It was translated into Chinese a dozen times and was first translated into English by Müller, Buddhist Mahayana Texts (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1894.)

  An-agamin. Third of four stages of Hinayana practice, it means “no return” and refers to those whose attainment frees them of rebirth as humans but requires one more birth in the realm of gods, from which they then enter nirvana.

  Ananda(b. 432 B.C.). Shakyamuni’s cousin and attendant, who repeated the Buddha’s sutras from memory at the First Council. He is also ranked as the Second Indian Patriarch of Zen after Kashyapa.

  Anathapindada GardenThe retreat outside the capital of Shravasti where this sutra was spoken. It was named for Sudatta, Anathapindada (the Benefactor), who donated the land to the Buddha’s order after buying it from Prince Jeta.

  Arana Vibhanga Sutra . One of the many sutras that make up the Madhyama Agama Sutra, where it is number 169.

  Arhanaka arhat, arhant. The fourth of the four stages of Hinayana practice. It means “worthy of offerings” and “slayer of the enemy” and was one of the ten titles of every buddha. It also means “free from rebirth,” which is the meaning emphasized in Chapter Nine.

  Asanga(c. 290-360 A.D.). Buddhist monk who received a series of teachings from Maitreya that became the basis of the Yogacara, or Pure Cognition, school, which he co-founded with his younger brother Vasubandhu. His verse commentary on the Diamond Sutra, the earliest known commentary, was translated into Chinese twice, once by Dharmagupta and again by Yi-ching. An English translation along with the Sanskrit and Chinese texts was published by Giuseppe Tucci in Minor Buddhist Texts (Rome: IsMEO, 1956).

  Ashoka(304-232 B.C.). Ruler of all of India whose reign began a little over a century after the Buddha’s Nirvana, or around 270 B.C. After converting to Buddhism, he was instrumental in spreading the religion throughout the subcontinent and adjacent kingdoms.

  Asita. Indian sage who visited Shakyamuni after his birth and predicted his future buddhahood.

  AsurasOne of six major categories of being, they represent the more fortunate karmic outcome of the poison of anger and make war on the devas in the heavens, from which they were driven out. They are, however, able to understand the Dharma and are among its greatest and fiercest protectors.

  Avatamsaka Sutra . Called the “King of Sutras,” it was the first sutra spoken by the Buddha following his Enlightenment and was delivered to an audience of deities. It is the Budd
ha’s most extensive expression of the doctrine of unity and multiplicity and the basic text of the Huayen school of Chinese Buddhism. There are two translations in Chinese, one in sixty chapters, one in eighty. My quotes are from the version in sixty chapters. There is also an English translation by Thomas Cleary: The Flower Ornament Sutra (Boston: Shambhala, 1993). Another translation was published in serial form by the Buddhist Text Translation Society under the direction of Hsuan-hua.

  Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana . This seminal work, attributed to one of two men named Ashvaghosha, was written in the third century A.D. and codifies the principal philosophical issues dealt with by the Mahayana. It reads, however, more like a series of lecture notes and is not easy to grasp without a commentary. Several English translations exist, including those of D. T. Suzuki, Acvaghosha’s Discourse on the Awakening of Faith, Chicago (Open Court, 1900), and Yoshito Hakeda, Awakening Faith (New York: Columbia, 1967).

  Bhagavan. One of the ten titles of every buddha, it means “one who bestows prosperity.”

  Bhikshu. A Buddhist monk. The word means “one who begs.”

  BodhgayaPlace of the Buddha’s Enlightenment on the banks of the Nairanjana River south of the town of Gaya in southern Bihar.

  Bodhidharma(d. 528). Indian monk who brought Zen to China and transmitted this teaching to Hui-k’o. Writings attributed to the Zen patriarch can be found in The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma , translated by Red Pine (San Francisco: North Point, 1989).

  Bodhiruci(fl. sixth century). Indian monk who arrived in Loyang in 508 and translated numerous Buddhist works, including the Diamond Sutra and Vasubandhu’s commentary to Asanga’s verse commentary, Chin-kang po-juo po-lo-mi-ching lun, from which I have translated selected portions. He is ranked as one of the greatest translators of Buddhist works into Chinese.

  BodhisattvaA “spiritual warrior” who resolves to attain buddhahood in order to liberate others and who is thus the paragon of Mahayana Buddhism.

  Caitya. Originally, this referred to a “place of incense” and included sacred springs, trees, and religious sanctuaries. It also included memorial mausoleums and was eventually confused with the word “stupa,” in which case it was a structure that contained the cremated remains of eminent monks.

  Chang Wu-chin(fl. seventh century). T’ang-dynasty prime minister and author of a no-longer extant commentary on the Diamond Sutra, portions of which are quoted by Hung-lien.

  Chao-chou(778-897), aka Ts’ung-nien. Disciple of Nan-ch’uan and student of Huang-po, he helped establish “southern” Zen in North China. His recorded sayings are a staple of every koan collection.

  Chao-ming, aka Hsiao-t’ung. Crown Prince and eldest son of Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty (502-556). In addition to devoting himself to meditation and the study of the Diamond Sutra, he compiled one of China’s great literary anthologies, the Wen-hsuan. He is also responsible for the chapter divisions of the Diamond Sutra. His retreat can still be visited in the hills south of Chenchiang not far from where Bodhidharma crossed the Yangtze on a hollow reed and headed north.

  Ch’en Hsiung(fl. 1109). Scholar-official of whom little is known. His last post was as governor of Hsiangchou in South China. His commentary is quoted by Hung-lien.

  Chi-fo(fl. twentieth century), aka Feng-seng. His commentary, entitled Chin-kang po-juo po-lo-mi-ching pai-hua chu-chieh, was written in 1938 and is based on an earlier commentary entitled T’ungsu-chi-chu . Also published as Chin-kang-ching chih-chieh.

  Chiang Wei-nung(1871-1938). Buddhist layman and student of Tantric Buddhism who oversaw the editing and transcription of that portion of the Tunhuang manuscripts that ended up at the Beijing Library. His commentary on the Diamond Sutra is one of the most extensive and insightful of the twentieth century: Chin-kang-ching chiang-yi.

  Chih-ch’an(fl. second century A.D.), aka Lokakshema. Central Asian monk who arrived in China in 147 and worked on translations in Loyang during the period 178-189. His translation of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Tao-hsing po-juopo-lo-mi-ching ) marked the beginning of the transmission of the perfection of wisdom teachings in China. He also translated the Pratyutpannabuddha Sammukhavasthita Vajrasamadhi Sutra, the first Pure Land scripture to appear in Chinese.

  Chih-ch’ien(fl. third century A.D.). Central Asian monk who worked on translations between 222-253 in the Nanking area. Among his forty-nine translations was a second version of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ta-ming-tu wu-chiching ).

  Chih-yi(538-597), aka Chih-che. Enlightened while reading the Lotus Sutra, he later moved to the Tientai Mountains, and is revered as founder of the Tientai school of Buddhism. He also developed the scheme whereby all the Buddha’s teachings were seen as progressing through a series of stages as the understanding of his audience developed, ending with the Lotus and Nirvana sutras.

  Chinkang Samadhi Sutra . Although the translator is unknown, this sutra was translated sometime during the Northern Liang dynasty (397-439). Despite its brevity, it incorporates many basic Mahayana teachings.

  Ch’ing-yuan(d. 740), aka Hsing-szu. Disciple of Hui-neng and considered by some as the Seventh Zen Patriarch. He was also the teacher of Shih-t’ou, the patriarch of the Japan’s Soto Zen lineage.

  Chu-hung(1532-1612), aka Lien-ch’ih. One of the four great Buddhist masters of the Ming dynasty and a major patriarch of the Pure Land sect. When he first became a monk, he worked every day on the phrase “life and death alone are important,” which he finally understood when a teacup slipped from his hand and shattered on the ground.

  Chuang-tzu(369-286 B.C.), aka Chuang Chou. Author of the collection of Taoist fables and allegories that bears his name. He is ranked after Lao-tzu among the patriarchs of Taoism. His collection has been translated several times, including most recently by Burton Watson, The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu (New York: Columbia, 1968).

  Chuantenglu ,aka Transmission of the Lamp. The basic reference for biographical information and teachings of T’ang-dynasty Zen monks, compiled by Tao-yuan and published in 1004. Selected passages have been translated into English by Chang Chung-yuan in Original Teachings of Ch’an Buddhism (New York, Pantheon Books, 1969) and by Andy Ferguson, Zen’s Chinese Heritage (Boston: Wisdom, 2000).

  Cold Mountain(c.730-850), aka Han-shan. Hermit poet of the Tientai Mountains claimed by both Buddhist and Taoist orders. His complete poems, along with those of Feng-kan and Shih-te, can be found in The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain, translated by Red Pine (Port Townsend, Wash.: Copper Canyon Press, 2000).

  Complete Enlightenment Sutra Translated into Chinese by Buddhatrata in the seventh century, this is one of the few sutras considered suitable for instruction in the Zen sect. An English translation and commentary was published by Sheng-yen (Boston: Shambhala, 1998).

  Confucius(551-479 B. C.). Chinese sage whose teachings emphasize the harmony of human relations and the cultivation of such virtues as human kindness, justice, and propriety. His recorded sayings are contained in the Lunyu (Analects), which is one of the four books Chinese school children once had to learn by heart. A number of English translations exist. My numbers follow those used by James Legge, The Chinese Classics, v.1 (Hong Kong: private printing, 1861).

  Conze, Edward (1904-1979). Western scholar of Buddhism who devoted most of his academic career to studying, translating, and teaching the prajna-paramita texts. Among his translations are Buddhist Wisdom Books: The Diamond and Heart Sutras (New York: Harper Collins, 1972); Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (San Francisco: Four Seasons, 1973); and The Large Sutra of Perfect Wisdom (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1975). Although it is not easy to find a copy, his Materials for a Dictionary of the Prajnaparamita Literature (Tokyo: Suzuki Research Foundation, 1967), is an essential reference tool.

  Dashabhumika Sutra . Translated into Chinese by Kumarajiva and Buddhayashas c. 405, this is essentially the same text as the chapter of the same title in the Avatamsaka Sutra. It lists the ten stages of a bodhisat
tva’s career, associating each with various aspects of the major conceptual schemes of Mahayana Buddhism, such as the paramitas.