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The Diamond Sutra; Or Prajna-Paramita
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1913 edition. Excerpt: ... he saw it in a moment, intuitively, and yet in a manner the most absolutely perfect."--Eastern Monachism. Spence Hardy. 2 "Bhagavat said: If Subhuti, a Bodhisattva, should say, 'I shall create numbers of worlds, ' he would say what is untrue. And why? Because, O Subhuti, when Tathagata preached Subhuti replied, saying: "No! Honoured of the Worlds! And why? Because, kingdoms numbers of worlds, numbers of worlds indeed! they were preached by him as no numbers. Therefore they are called numbers of worlds."--The Vagrakkhedika. Max Muller. "Subhuti, what think you? are the various lands and territories of the Buddhas completely perfected by the Bodhisatwas who occupy them? No! World-honoured one! for this complete perfection of which we speak is after all no perfection at all, it is only an empty name."--Kin-Kong-King. Beal. "The wise man is always thinking: How can I and these beings become Buddhas? I will preach this true Law, upon which the happiness of all beings depends, for the benefit of the world."--Saddharma-Pundarika. H. Kern. The words Chuang-Yen, in a Buddhist sense, usually refer to the erection or adornment of temples and pagodas, almsgiving, or other work of merit. Used in conjunction with Fuh-Tu--Buddhist kingdoms, as exemplified by our text, Chuang-Yen appears to convey a much wider meaning. Perhaps it refers to a spiritual creation and adornment by charity and virtue, of kingdoms owning allegiance to the Lord Buddha. "In twelve years from the commencement of his public teaching, Buddha's doctrines had spread over sixteen Indian kingdoms."--Chinese Buddhism. Edkins. thus created would not in reality be Buddhist kingdoms,1 therefore 'the creation of numerous Buddhist kingdoms'...
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 868
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May 18, 2022
Red Pine's Translation Of The Diamond Sutra
The Diamond Sutra is a spiritual treasure and a key text of Mahayana Buddhism. Estimates for its date of composition range from the second century B.C. to the third century A.D. The original texts are in Chinese and Sanskrit. There are two related explanations for the title "Diamond Sutra": 1. the teaching of the sutra cuts through diamonds or 2. the sutra itself is the diamond that in its radiance and strength cuts through and illuminates everything. The text consists of 32 chapters (the chapter divisions are not in the original sources) and about 30 pages. The Diamond Sutra is one of the few texts of whatever type that will repay endless study and which can transform the life of the receptive reader.
Red Pine has produced a translation and commentary on the Diamond Sutra which help greatly in exploring it. The organization of the book bears discussing. The book opens with a translation of the sutra, unadorned by commentary, which consists of about 30 pages. The translation is followed by a Preface in which Red Pine gives some background on the text and on Buddhism, sketches out his interpretation of the text, and explains to the reader how he came to the Diamond Sutra over the years.
The longest section of the book consists of a commentary of about 400 pages arranged in 32 sections, one for each chapter of the Diamond Sutra. Each section begins with the text of the Chapter followed by Red Pine's commentary on the chapter as a whole. He then reproduces again a smaller portion of each chapter -- a paragraph, sentences, or sometimes only a phrase --and offers commentary on it. The commentaries are sometimes Pine's own. He also draws down a selection of the enormous commentary the Diamond Sutra has generated over the centuries. Some of this commentary dates from early Chinese sources and other portions of it are contemporary in origin. I found the various commentaries fascinating in themselves and useful in starting to approach the Diamond Sutra.
Pine also gives the reader familiar with the original sources an analysis of textual variations. More importantly, he offers the general reader a glossary of the many names, places and sources to which his commentary refers, which are likely to be unfamiliar to those approaching the Diamond Sutra for the first time.
There is a great deal in the commentary, and in the Diamond Sutra itself, comparing the teaching of the Sutra, with its emphasis on the Bodisattva, who works with compassion for the salvation of all sentient beings, with the earlier, Theravada, school of Buddhism, with its emphasis on the Arahant and on individual enlightenment. There is deep discussion in the Sutra on no-self, and on non-attachment. It is a text that will reward repeated meditation and readings.
Red Pine's book helped me and will help other readers begin with the Diamond Sutra and its difficult teachings.
Robin Friedman
The Diamond Sutra is a spiritual treasure and a key text of Mahayana Buddhism. Estimates for its date of composition range from the second century B.C. to the third century A.D. The original texts are in Chinese and Sanskrit. There are two related explanations for the title "Diamond Sutra": 1. the teaching of the sutra cuts through diamonds or 2. the sutra itself is the diamond that in its radiance and strength cuts through and illuminates everything. The text consists of 32 chapters (the chapter divisions are not in the original sources) and about 30 pages. The Diamond Sutra is one of the few texts of whatever type that will repay endless study and which can transform the life of the receptive reader.
Red Pine has produced a translation and commentary on the Diamond Sutra which help greatly in exploring it. The organization of the book bears discussing. The book opens with a translation of the sutra, unadorned by commentary, which consists of about 30 pages. The translation is followed by a Preface in which Red Pine gives some background on the text and on Buddhism, sketches out his interpretation of the text, and explains to the reader how he came to the Diamond Sutra over the years.
The longest section of the book consists of a commentary of about 400 pages arranged in 32 sections, one for each chapter of the Diamond Sutra. Each section begins with the text of the Chapter followed by Red Pine's commentary on the chapter as a whole. He then reproduces again a smaller portion of each chapter -- a paragraph, sentences, or sometimes only a phrase --and offers commentary on it. The commentaries are sometimes Pine's own. He also draws down a selection of the enormous commentary the Diamond Sutra has generated over the centuries. Some of this commentary dates from early Chinese sources and other portions of it are contemporary in origin. I found the various commentaries fascinating in themselves and useful in starting to approach the Diamond Sutra.
Pine also gives the reader familiar with the original sources an analysis of textual variations. More importantly, he offers the general reader a glossary of the many names, places and sources to which his commentary refers, which are likely to be unfamiliar to those approaching the Diamond Sutra for the first time.
There is a great deal in the commentary, and in the Diamond Sutra itself, comparing the teaching of the Sutra, with its emphasis on the Bodisattva, who works with compassion for the salvation of all sentient beings, with the earlier, Theravada, school of Buddhism, with its emphasis on the Arahant and on individual enlightenment. There is deep discussion in the Sutra on no-self, and on non-attachment. It is a text that will reward repeated meditation and readings.
Red Pine's book helped me and will help other readers begin with the Diamond Sutra and its difficult teachings.
Robin Friedman
July 19, 2025
This was another lengthy and informative analysis on a Buddhist sutra. The name diamond is used to symbolize a diamond that cuts through illusion and bettering of the Self, wisdom cultivation, and further concepts of emptiness similiar to the Heart Sutra. I would recommend this to learners Buddhism and this particular edition because it was translated by Red Pine who has done other translations, including The Heart Sutra which I just finished reading. Thanks!
January 23, 2013
The most profound piece of writing I have ever read!
July 13, 2016
This translation is suspiciously comprehensible. Normally when I read (accurate) sanskrit translations they are quite difficult to parse. We probably have Kumārajīva to thank for that. (the guy who translated the sanskrit into Chinese fluidly, and since no complete sanskrit version survives Im assuming most english translations rely on the Chinese translation)
Its one of the better works of mystical literature Ive ever read. In the same vein as the Tao te Ching. Dont believe in the existence of the self, others, the universe, or Brahman, and also dont disbelieve in such things. Dont have a concept of belief. Dont filter reality through conceptual categories. Just observe/exist/be. Even these words aren't accurately conveying the message, because words are conceptual tools. This is only a figure of speech. Interpret nothing literally. Don't even try to parse the metaphor intellectually. Somehow, this makes you enlightened? IDK. I'm still waiting to get hit by the thunderbolt.
Its one of the better works of mystical literature Ive ever read. In the same vein as the Tao te Ching. Dont believe in the existence of the self, others, the universe, or Brahman, and also dont disbelieve in such things. Dont have a concept of belief. Dont filter reality through conceptual categories. Just observe/exist/be. Even these words aren't accurately conveying the message, because words are conceptual tools. This is only a figure of speech. Interpret nothing literally. Don't even try to parse the metaphor intellectually. Somehow, this makes you enlightened? IDK. I'm still waiting to get hit by the thunderbolt.
November 27, 2014
Remarkable... beyond all reproach.
February 9, 2016
An online translation is available here
March 3, 2011
A sutra is a summary of something which can be relatively easily memorized, kind of like a poem. This is a discussion of a sutra of a gathering of Buddhists who are talking about philosophical issues. For example, "If there were as many rivers as there are grains of sand in the great river of Ganges, would the number of grains of sand in all those rivers be great?" Kind of like, "Are there different levels of infinity?" Although I think that there are benefits of Buddhism, especially in meditation, I am not interested in the types of discussions in this book.
January 22, 2021
Very difficult teaching to understand, but the commentaries did a good job explaining and giving context to it, which was very helpful in approaching this sutra.
July 17, 2023
“All things big and small are locked in an endless sleight of hand in which each negates the reality of the other. And yet we all look for something to grab. Sometimes, we grab the biggest thing we can find. Sometimes, we grab the smallest. The people of Shravasti offered the Buddha balls of rice. Were the balls of rice real, or the grains of rice? The Buddha ate what he found in his bowl. So, too, do Zen masters swallow the world and all its mountains and rivers. And the reason they can do this is because mountains and rivers do not themselves exist but are simply names we give to momentary combinations of causes and conditions that are themselves momentary combinations of causes and conditions: universes made of specks of dust made of specks of dust made of specks of dust that form universes that form universes that form universes. Zen masters swallow names and concepts, while the entities they represent change. If they did not, we would be in trouble. We would have no hope of liberation. But because nothing exists as an independent, permanent entity, there are no obstructions on the path to enlightenment. Foolish people, though, refuse to walk this path. They see nothing but obstructions. Buddhas see offerings and turn these offerings into dharmas.”
– Red Pine
“Following the Buddha’s Nirvana, Buddhists have had to deal with the problem of the Buddha’s apparent impermanence. Their solution, if it was not part of the Buddha’s original teaching, was to view buddhas as possessing three bodies: a real body, or dharma-kaya, a reward body, or sanbhoga-kaya, and an apparition body, or nirmana-kaya. Briefly stated, when a noble son or daughter sets forth on the bodhisattva path, they plant the seed that results in Buddhahood. When bodhisattvas become buddhas, they reap the fruit of their practice. Both the seed and the fruit are different aspects of a buddha’s reward, whose attributes are physical as well as spiritual, but are too perfect to be visible to the human eye. Having achieved enlightenment, buddhas manifest countless apparition bodies for use in the countless worlds where they teach and liberate others. These bodies are also physical and possess a set of visible attributes. But both the nirmana-kaya and the sanbhoga kaya are subject to creation and destruction, and are not real. They are not the body that the Buddha does not obtain and has never been without. Ultimately, however, these three bodies are one and the same, and the former two are seen as but manifestations of the latter, for the real body is not separate from anything, physical, psychological, or spiritual.”
– Red Pine
"Mold clay, carve wood, and paint some silk
add blue and green and gild it all with gold
but if you think the Buddha looks like this
the Goddess of Compassion will die from laughter."
- Tao-ch'uan
“Those who give birth to the thought of enlightenment should understand that all beings possess the buddha nature. They should see that the karma-free wisdom of all beings is already complete, and they should believe that the sacred source and true nature of all beings is free of birth and death. If they can realize this, they realize all wisdom. They do not give birth to thoughts of subject or object, or harbor images of understanding. Their mouths speak of formless dharmas, while their minds realize formless truths, and they constantly practice formless practices. Thus is it said that by not giving birth to the perception of a dharma, this is called the perception of a dharma.”
– Li Wen-hui
“Those who give birth to the thought of enlightenment should see that all beings have the buddha-nature. They should see that all beings already possess wisdom free of the seeds of passion. They should believe that all beings have no afflictions. They should believe that the nature of all beings is neither born nor destroyed. And although they cultivate all forms of wisdom and interact with others and help beings with expedient means, they don’t think about a subject or object. If they speak about the idealess dharma but still think about a subject or object, they have no perception of a dharma. Whereas, if they speak about the idealess dharma and think thoughts that have eliminated subject and object, this is called the perception of a dharma.”
– Hui-neng
“In the Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-five Thousand Lines, Subhuti asks [how to stand, walk, and control one’s thoughts on the bodhisattva path], and the Buddha answers, ‘Toward all beings maintain unbiased thoughts and speak unbiased words. Toward all beings give birth to thoughts and words of kindness instead of anger, compassion instead of harm, joy instead of jealousy, equanimity instead of prejudice, humility instead of arrogance, sincerity instead of deceit, compromise instead of stubbornness, assistance instead of avoidance, liberation instead of obstruction, kinship instead of animosity.”
– Red Pine
“When it’s time to eat, open your mouth. When it’s time to sleep, close your eyes.
My song goes:
‘My line hangs straight down one-thousand feet
after each wave come ten thousand more
fish aren’t hungry on a cold still night
my boat returns empty but full of moonlight.’”
– Tao-ch’uan
– Red Pine
“Following the Buddha’s Nirvana, Buddhists have had to deal with the problem of the Buddha’s apparent impermanence. Their solution, if it was not part of the Buddha’s original teaching, was to view buddhas as possessing three bodies: a real body, or dharma-kaya, a reward body, or sanbhoga-kaya, and an apparition body, or nirmana-kaya. Briefly stated, when a noble son or daughter sets forth on the bodhisattva path, they plant the seed that results in Buddhahood. When bodhisattvas become buddhas, they reap the fruit of their practice. Both the seed and the fruit are different aspects of a buddha’s reward, whose attributes are physical as well as spiritual, but are too perfect to be visible to the human eye. Having achieved enlightenment, buddhas manifest countless apparition bodies for use in the countless worlds where they teach and liberate others. These bodies are also physical and possess a set of visible attributes. But both the nirmana-kaya and the sanbhoga kaya are subject to creation and destruction, and are not real. They are not the body that the Buddha does not obtain and has never been without. Ultimately, however, these three bodies are one and the same, and the former two are seen as but manifestations of the latter, for the real body is not separate from anything, physical, psychological, or spiritual.”
– Red Pine
"Mold clay, carve wood, and paint some silk
add blue and green and gild it all with gold
but if you think the Buddha looks like this
the Goddess of Compassion will die from laughter."
- Tao-ch'uan
“Those who give birth to the thought of enlightenment should understand that all beings possess the buddha nature. They should see that the karma-free wisdom of all beings is already complete, and they should believe that the sacred source and true nature of all beings is free of birth and death. If they can realize this, they realize all wisdom. They do not give birth to thoughts of subject or object, or harbor images of understanding. Their mouths speak of formless dharmas, while their minds realize formless truths, and they constantly practice formless practices. Thus is it said that by not giving birth to the perception of a dharma, this is called the perception of a dharma.”
– Li Wen-hui
“Those who give birth to the thought of enlightenment should see that all beings have the buddha-nature. They should see that all beings already possess wisdom free of the seeds of passion. They should believe that all beings have no afflictions. They should believe that the nature of all beings is neither born nor destroyed. And although they cultivate all forms of wisdom and interact with others and help beings with expedient means, they don’t think about a subject or object. If they speak about the idealess dharma but still think about a subject or object, they have no perception of a dharma. Whereas, if they speak about the idealess dharma and think thoughts that have eliminated subject and object, this is called the perception of a dharma.”
– Hui-neng
“In the Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-five Thousand Lines, Subhuti asks [how to stand, walk, and control one’s thoughts on the bodhisattva path], and the Buddha answers, ‘Toward all beings maintain unbiased thoughts and speak unbiased words. Toward all beings give birth to thoughts and words of kindness instead of anger, compassion instead of harm, joy instead of jealousy, equanimity instead of prejudice, humility instead of arrogance, sincerity instead of deceit, compromise instead of stubbornness, assistance instead of avoidance, liberation instead of obstruction, kinship instead of animosity.”
– Red Pine
“When it’s time to eat, open your mouth. When it’s time to sleep, close your eyes.
My song goes:
‘My line hangs straight down one-thousand feet
after each wave come ten thousand more
fish aren’t hungry on a cold still night
my boat returns empty but full of moonlight.’”
– Tao-ch’uan
September 10, 2015
This book starts with a translation of the Diamond Cutter Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. The rest includes some commentary of the author's own, with liberal quotations from other commentaries and from other Buddhist and Daoist writings that have something to do with the point. The sutra is the Buddha's talk with one of his disciples about how bodhisattvas should think. It taught me that the basic idea that seems so central to Zen and so weird to me, that nothing is true or false, is not unique to it but is in other forms of Buddhism too. The commentary helps make the changes of emphasis and the reasons for them clearer as the Buddha keeps switching the focus between the emptiness of existence and the emptiness of non-existence, and gives a fascinating glimpses of Buddhist stories and history through side information, but a Buddhist commentary on a Buddhist text can only go so far toward explaining anything to a non-Buddhist like me.
October 24, 2009
fucking confusing and very scholarly and yet a very definitive exploration of this central buddhist text which is essentially a two thousand year old treaty on the theory of relativity and its application to the notion of saintliness and charity, contains both Sanskrit, Japanese and Chinese translations.
March 16, 2018
Can't review this one but recommend to everyone.
January 18, 2023
Who sees me by form,
Who seeks me in sound,
Perverted are his footsteps upon the way
For he cannot perceive the Tathāgata.
Who seeks me in sound,
Perverted are his footsteps upon the way
For he cannot perceive the Tathāgata.
February 16, 2023
“Thus shall ye think of all this fleeting world: As a star at dawn, a bubble in a stream, a flash of lightning in a summer cloud, a flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream.”
— Buddha - The Diamond Sutra / The Mahayana, Chapter 32.
— Buddha - The Diamond Sutra / The Mahayana, Chapter 32.
November 21, 2024
“Those who would now set forth on the bodhisattva path should thus give birth to this thought: ‘However many beings there are in whatever realms of being might exist, whether they are born from an egg or born from a womb, born from the water or born from the air, whether they have form or no form, whether they have perception or no perception or neither perception nor no perceptions, in whatever conceivable realm of being one might conceive of beings, in the realm of complete nirvana I shall liberate them all. And though I thus liberate countless beings, not a single being is liberated.’”
—
“No one can be called a bodhisattva who creates the perception of a self or who creates the perception of a being, a life, or a soul.”
—
“Fearless bodhisattvas do not create the perception of a self. Nor do they create the perception of a being, a life, or a soul. Nor [do they] create the perception of a dharma, much less a perception of no dharma. […] They do not create a perception nor no perception.”
—
“If these fearless bodhisattvas created the perception of a dharma, they would be attached to a self, a being, a life, and a soul. Likewise, if they created the perception of no dharma, they would be attached to a self, a being, a life, and a soul.”
—
“Whatever is said by the Tathagata to be a body of merit is said by te Tathagata to be no body. Thus does the Tathagata speak of a body of merit as a ‘body of merit.’”
—
“If instead of filling the billion worlds of this universe with the seven jewels and giving them as a gift to the tathagatas, the arhans, the fully-enlightened ones, this noble son or daughter grasped but one four-line gatha of this dharma teaching and made it known and explained it in detail to others, the body of merit produced would be immeasurably, infinitely greater.”
—
“Do those who find the river think, ‘I have attained the goal of finding the river’? […] Do those who are free from rebirth think, ‘I have attained freedom from rebirth’?’”
—
“Bhagavan, if I thought, ‘I have attained freedom from rebirth,’ the Tathagata would not have singled me out by saying, ‘Foremost among those who dwell free of passion is the noble son Subhuti. For he dwells nowhere at all.’”
—
“If any bodhisattva should thus claim, ‘I shall bring about the transformation of a world,’ such a claim would be untrue. And how so? The transformation of a world, Subhuti, the ‘transformation of a world’ is said by the Tathagata to be no transformation. Thus is it called the ‘transformation of a world.’”
—
“Fearless bodhisattvas should thus give birth to a thought that is not attached and not give birth to a thought attached to anything. They should not give birth to a thought attached to a sight. Nor should they give birth to a thought attached to a sound, a smell, a taste, a touch, or a dharma.”
—
“What the Tathagata proclaims as the best of perfections is, in truth, no perfection.”
—
“They should not give birth to a thought attached to dharma, nor should they give birth to a thought attached to no dharma. They should not give birth to a thought attached to anything. And why not? Every attachment is no attachment.”
—
“If a noble son or daughter should grasp this dharma teaching and memorize it, recite it, master it, and explain it in detail to others, the Tathagata will know them”
—
“The Tathagata will be aware of them, Subhuti, for all such beings produce a body of merit that has no limits, a body of merit that is inconceivable, incomparable, immeasurable and boundless. For all such beings as these, Subhuti, likewise wear enlightenment upon their shoulders. And how so? Subhuti, this dharma teaching cannot be heard by beings of lesser aspiration: not by those who mistakenly perceive a self, nor by those who mistakenly perceive a being, a life, or a soul.”
—
“Wherever this sutra is explained, that place shall be honored. Whether in the realm of devas, humans, or asuras, that place shall be honored with prostrations and circumambulations. That place shall be like a stupa.”
—
“Someone who sets forth on the bodhisattva path should give birth to the thought: ‘In the realm of complete nirvana, I shall liberate all beings. And while I thus liberate beings, not a single being is liberated.’”
—
“And how so? ‘Tathagata,’ Subhuti, is another name for what is truly real. ‘Tathagata,’ Subhuti, is another name for the dharma with no beginning. ‘Tathagata,’ Subhuti, is another name for the end of dharmas. ‘Tathagata,’ Subhuti, is another name for what never begins. And how so? No beginning, Subhuti, is the highest truth.”
—
“And beings, Subhuti, ‘beings’ are said by the Tathagata to be no beings. Thus are they called ‘beings.’ And thus does the Tathagata say ‘all dharmas have no self, all dharmas have no life, no individuality, and no soul.’”
—
“Subhuti, when a bodhisattva resolves on selfless dharmas as ‘selfless dharmas,’ the Tathagata, the Arhan, the Full-Enlightened One pronounces that person a fearless bodhisattva.”
—
“Streams of thought, Subhuti, what the Tathagata speaks of as ‘streams of thought’ are no streams. Thus are they called ‘streams of thought.’ And how so? Subhuti, a past thought cannot be found. A future thought cannot be found. Nor can a present thought be found.”
—
In the teaching of a dharma, Subhuti, in the ‘teaching of a dharma’ there is no such dharma to be found as the ‘teaching of a dharma.’“
—
“Who looks for me in form
who seeks me in a voice
indulges in wasted effort
such people see me not.”
—
“But surely, Bhagavan, this bodhisattva would obtain a body of merit! The Buddha replied, ‘They would, Subhuti, but without grasping it. Thus is it called obtaining.’”
—
”Those who set forth on the bodhisattva path know, see, and believe all dharmas but know, see, and believe them without being attached to the perception of a dharma. And why not? The perception of a dharma, Subhuti, the ‘perception of a dharma’ is said by the Tathagata to be no perception. Thus is it called the ‘perception of a dharma.’’’
—
“As a lamp, a cataract, a star in space
an illusion, a dewdrop, a bubble
a dream, a cloud, a flash of lightning
view all created things like this.”
—
“No one can be called a bodhisattva who creates the perception of a self or who creates the perception of a being, a life, or a soul.”
—
“Fearless bodhisattvas do not create the perception of a self. Nor do they create the perception of a being, a life, or a soul. Nor [do they] create the perception of a dharma, much less a perception of no dharma. […] They do not create a perception nor no perception.”
—
“If these fearless bodhisattvas created the perception of a dharma, they would be attached to a self, a being, a life, and a soul. Likewise, if they created the perception of no dharma, they would be attached to a self, a being, a life, and a soul.”
—
“Whatever is said by the Tathagata to be a body of merit is said by te Tathagata to be no body. Thus does the Tathagata speak of a body of merit as a ‘body of merit.’”
—
“If instead of filling the billion worlds of this universe with the seven jewels and giving them as a gift to the tathagatas, the arhans, the fully-enlightened ones, this noble son or daughter grasped but one four-line gatha of this dharma teaching and made it known and explained it in detail to others, the body of merit produced would be immeasurably, infinitely greater.”
—
“Do those who find the river think, ‘I have attained the goal of finding the river’? […] Do those who are free from rebirth think, ‘I have attained freedom from rebirth’?’”
—
“Bhagavan, if I thought, ‘I have attained freedom from rebirth,’ the Tathagata would not have singled me out by saying, ‘Foremost among those who dwell free of passion is the noble son Subhuti. For he dwells nowhere at all.’”
—
“If any bodhisattva should thus claim, ‘I shall bring about the transformation of a world,’ such a claim would be untrue. And how so? The transformation of a world, Subhuti, the ‘transformation of a world’ is said by the Tathagata to be no transformation. Thus is it called the ‘transformation of a world.’”
—
“Fearless bodhisattvas should thus give birth to a thought that is not attached and not give birth to a thought attached to anything. They should not give birth to a thought attached to a sight. Nor should they give birth to a thought attached to a sound, a smell, a taste, a touch, or a dharma.”
—
“What the Tathagata proclaims as the best of perfections is, in truth, no perfection.”
—
“They should not give birth to a thought attached to dharma, nor should they give birth to a thought attached to no dharma. They should not give birth to a thought attached to anything. And why not? Every attachment is no attachment.”
—
“If a noble son or daughter should grasp this dharma teaching and memorize it, recite it, master it, and explain it in detail to others, the Tathagata will know them”
—
“The Tathagata will be aware of them, Subhuti, for all such beings produce a body of merit that has no limits, a body of merit that is inconceivable, incomparable, immeasurable and boundless. For all such beings as these, Subhuti, likewise wear enlightenment upon their shoulders. And how so? Subhuti, this dharma teaching cannot be heard by beings of lesser aspiration: not by those who mistakenly perceive a self, nor by those who mistakenly perceive a being, a life, or a soul.”
—
“Wherever this sutra is explained, that place shall be honored. Whether in the realm of devas, humans, or asuras, that place shall be honored with prostrations and circumambulations. That place shall be like a stupa.”
—
“Someone who sets forth on the bodhisattva path should give birth to the thought: ‘In the realm of complete nirvana, I shall liberate all beings. And while I thus liberate beings, not a single being is liberated.’”
—
“And how so? ‘Tathagata,’ Subhuti, is another name for what is truly real. ‘Tathagata,’ Subhuti, is another name for the dharma with no beginning. ‘Tathagata,’ Subhuti, is another name for the end of dharmas. ‘Tathagata,’ Subhuti, is another name for what never begins. And how so? No beginning, Subhuti, is the highest truth.”
—
“And beings, Subhuti, ‘beings’ are said by the Tathagata to be no beings. Thus are they called ‘beings.’ And thus does the Tathagata say ‘all dharmas have no self, all dharmas have no life, no individuality, and no soul.’”
—
“Subhuti, when a bodhisattva resolves on selfless dharmas as ‘selfless dharmas,’ the Tathagata, the Arhan, the Full-Enlightened One pronounces that person a fearless bodhisattva.”
—
“Streams of thought, Subhuti, what the Tathagata speaks of as ‘streams of thought’ are no streams. Thus are they called ‘streams of thought.’ And how so? Subhuti, a past thought cannot be found. A future thought cannot be found. Nor can a present thought be found.”
—
In the teaching of a dharma, Subhuti, in the ‘teaching of a dharma’ there is no such dharma to be found as the ‘teaching of a dharma.’“
—
“Who looks for me in form
who seeks me in a voice
indulges in wasted effort
such people see me not.”
—
“But surely, Bhagavan, this bodhisattva would obtain a body of merit! The Buddha replied, ‘They would, Subhuti, but without grasping it. Thus is it called obtaining.’”
—
”Those who set forth on the bodhisattva path know, see, and believe all dharmas but know, see, and believe them without being attached to the perception of a dharma. And why not? The perception of a dharma, Subhuti, the ‘perception of a dharma’ is said by the Tathagata to be no perception. Thus is it called the ‘perception of a dharma.’’’
—
“As a lamp, a cataract, a star in space
an illusion, a dewdrop, a bubble
a dream, a cloud, a flash of lightning
view all created things like this.”
January 11, 2017
The Diamond Sutra is the sutra on non-attachment or the perfection of wisdom. That, of course, is putting it simply, as only Buddhists can do. 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. The gift this book gave me, was all the times it lead me to look something else up or read some other writing which gives a layer to the book that I love. Recommended, anything Red Pine.
January 24, 2016
I feel hesitant to rate a Holy Scripture as two stars, but I feel like I would be doing an injustice to such scriptures as The Bodhicaryavatara (which was a solid five stars in terms of insightful and profound works), by rating this any higher than a two. It has some good teachings, but if you're looking for a scripture to blow you away, this isn't it.
February 8, 2017
Đọc toàn quyển kinh Kim Cang, chúng ta thấy Phật phá sạch không còn sót một kiến chấp nào. Đây là quả bom, làm nổ tung hai ngọn núi kiến chấp của chúng sanh.
Như sao đêm, như mắt loạn, như ngọn đèn, như huyễn thuật, như sương mai, như bọt nước, như cơn mộng, như ánh chớp, như đám mây — những gì hữu vi nên được quán chiếu như vậy.
Như sao đêm, như mắt loạn, như ngọn đèn, như huyễn thuật, như sương mai, như bọt nước, như cơn mộng, như ánh chớp, như đám mây — những gì hữu vi nên được quán chiếu như vậy.
March 31, 2012
"The Diamond Sūtra is a short and well-known Mahāyāna sūtra from the "Perfection of Wisdom" genre, and emphasizes the practice of non-abiding and non-attachment." (wiki)
June 29, 2014
Read to go along with "Journeys on the Silk Road"
December 3, 2014
The Diamond sutra answered the questions, how should they walk, and how should they control their thoughts.
June 23, 2015
Good one
August 30, 2015
Mindblowing. One of my favourite classical Buddhist texts.
May 6, 2016
This conversation between Subhuti and the Buddha is an exercise in the importance of the "non" to enlightenment.
May 23, 2025
This is a wonderful sutra, or teaching from the historic Buddha, expertly presented by the accomplished translator Red Pine, It goes to the essence of Buddhism. It's often at the root of my meditation and I quoted from it in my new book, Lessons from the Mountaintop:
Clear Grace was ordained in Thay’s Zen school. It is part of Buddhism’s Mahāyāna tradition of Buddhism, which focuses on compassion for others. Its practitioners aspire to become bodhisattvas, spiritual masters who vow not to achieve individual enlightenment until they have helped all beings achieve enlightenment. Underlying this is the concept that we are all connected, all part of a whole. Thich Nhat Hahn called this interbeing, “the understanding that nothing exists separately from anything else.”
But in a contradiction worthy of a Zen koan, bodhisattvas are committed to that goal even though, as the Buddha told his disciple Subhuti in The Diamond Sutra, “there are no sentient beings to be liberated and no self to attain perfect wisdom.” This is the essence of the teaching of emptiness: “All that is form is an illusory experience.”
Clear Grace was ordained in Thay’s Zen school. It is part of Buddhism’s Mahāyāna tradition of Buddhism, which focuses on compassion for others. Its practitioners aspire to become bodhisattvas, spiritual masters who vow not to achieve individual enlightenment until they have helped all beings achieve enlightenment. Underlying this is the concept that we are all connected, all part of a whole. Thich Nhat Hahn called this interbeing, “the understanding that nothing exists separately from anything else.”
But in a contradiction worthy of a Zen koan, bodhisattvas are committed to that goal even though, as the Buddha told his disciple Subhuti in The Diamond Sutra, “there are no sentient beings to be liberated and no self to attain perfect wisdom.” This is the essence of the teaching of emptiness: “All that is form is an illusory experience.”
to-keep-reference
October 11, 2019La oración centrante es un ejercicio para dejar ir, eso es todo lo que es. Deja de lado todo pensamiento. Un contacto con el amor divino lo capacita a uno para poder tirar todos los placeres mundanos al cesto de basura. El reflexionar sobre comunicaciones de orden espiritual las desvirtúa. El Diamond Sutra nos dice todo “Trata de desarrollar una mentalidad que no se adhiera a nada”. Esto incluye visiones, éxtasis, locuciones, comunicaciones espirituales, dones psíquicos. Ninguno de ellos puede compararse en valor a la conciencia pura.
Mente Abierta Corazón Abierto Pág.56
Mente Abierta Corazón Abierto Pág.56
November 10, 2025
It’s so nice to come across an accessible intelligent and sympathetic translation of a very old Buddhist text. Completely astonishing that these ideas on reality were “discovered” by a man about 2500 years ago. Ideas that to me seem very similar to cutting edge theoretical physics. But what do I know, about Buddhism or physics.
It’s also interesting to know that the Buddha probably began teaching this sutra, the “perfection of wisdom”at quite an old age, possibly in his 60’s or 70’s.
Anyway this is a huge book, really a must read, on any spiritual journey. It’s also I think claims to be the first printed book in the world.
I wish I had come across it 20 years ago.
It’s a book to read and reread. A wonderful translation by Red Pine
It’s also interesting to know that the Buddha probably began teaching this sutra, the “perfection of wisdom”at quite an old age, possibly in his 60’s or 70’s.
Anyway this is a huge book, really a must read, on any spiritual journey. It’s also I think claims to be the first printed book in the world.
I wish I had come across it 20 years ago.
It’s a book to read and reread. A wonderful translation by Red Pine
April 28, 2018
The Diamond Sutra is the core of Zen Buddhism. On one level, it's obnoxious to read and hard to fully understand because it's so abstract. On the other hand, it's profound because it's so simple. It's basically 32 lessons bodhisattvas follow to achieve enlightenment. The root of everything is that this isn't really teaching anything. It's understanding that nothing exists and because of this everyone is free to be liberated because they aren't really attached to anything. Everything is empty. From there, the lessons make more sense because they're basically a guide to leading a meaningful, compassionate life. Tedious, yet rewarding reading.
October 26, 2021
In my view, the only sacred text that can be thought of as /true/ is that whose truth is utterly transcendental, lacking any trace of contingency whether historical, spatial, temporal, or even spiritual: It's truth must be inherent whether a reader be a baby, a wizard, a man, a woman, a creature from outer space, a creature that exists in seven dimensions, a bacterium, a mushroom, a demon, or a god.
The Diamond is precisely such a text, and the core text can be read in a space of half an hour.
Red Pine's rendering is lucid and approachable, with plenty of relevant and respected historical commentaries.
The Diamond is precisely such a text, and the core text can be read in a space of half an hour.
Red Pine's rendering is lucid and approachable, with plenty of relevant and respected historical commentaries.
July 18, 2018
Read this a while back and honestly it didn't do anything for me, in stark contrast to how the Heart Sutra affected me the first time I heard and read it. I felt like most of what it was trying to say, at great length, was less pleonastically summed up by Shakespeare with "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
I'll probably give it another chance at some point, it's possible that it just went over my head.
I'll probably give it another chance at some point, it's possible that it just went over my head.
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