The Diamond Sutra

by Elder Subhuti, Trepitaka Kumarajiva (Translator)

The Diamond Sutra is a Mahayana sutra from the Prajnaparamita, or "Perfection of Wisdom" genre, and emphasizes the practice of non-abiding and non-attachment. The full Sanskrit title of this text is the Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra. A copy of the Chinese version of Diamond Sutra, found among the Dunhuang manuscripts in the early 20th century and dated back to May 11, 868, is, in the words of the British Library, "the earliest complete survival of a dated printed book." The first translation of the Diamond Sutra into Chinese is thought to have been made in 401 CE by the venerated and prolific translator Kumarajiva.Subhuti was one of the Ten Great Sravakas of Sakyamuni Buddha, and foremost in the understanding of emptiness. In Sanskrit, his name literally means "Good Existence". He is also sometimes referred to as or "Elder Subhuti" . He was a contemporary of such famous arhats as Sariputra, Mahakasyapa, Mahamaudgalyayana, Mahakatyayana, and Ananda.Kumarajiva (334–413 CE) was a Kuchean Buddhist monk from the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Kucha, (now in presenet day Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang, China) a scholar, and translator. He first studied teachings of the Sarvastivada schools, later studied under Buddhasvamin, and finally became a Mahayana adherent, studying the Madhyamaka doctrine of Nagarjuna. Kumarajiva settled in Chang'an, which was the imperial capital of China. He is mostly remembered for the prolific translation of Buddhist texts written in Sanskrit to Chinese he carried out during his later life.

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 24, 2013

Reviews

[Lloyd Earickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I think most people associate Buddhism with India, it has also historically had a strong presence in China, and it is because of China that The Diamond Sutra ended up on my reading list. When I picked it up, the only thing I knew about it was that a copy of it was the oldest existing printed book. The information at the front informed me that it was a Buddhist text, and that it was going to tell me about enlightenment. With that, I went into one of the shortest books I've read in a very long time.

Buddhism, like the Bhagavad Gita, is said to be closely related in many ways to Christianity's New Testament, but while I didn't gather much of that from the Bhagavad Gita, I definitely heard those echoes while reading The Diamond Sutra. It reminded me of nothing so much as a New Testament parable formatted like a Socratic dialogue. The text is supposed to be a conversation between the Buddha and Subhuti (apologies to anyone who is more familiar with Buddhism if I'm referencing or explaining things incorrectly), regarding how to attain a state of what I would describe as non-entity.

While easy enough to read, it was definitely not easy to understand, full of apparent contradictions and initially obvious statements that are upon further reflection completely opaque. I suspect that I would have to learn more about Buddhism as a whole, and work with these ideas for much longer, before I could really appreciate what is being said herein.

There isn't really a lot else for me to say. This was an interesting read, and very quick, but I personally found it less interesting than the other historical works that I've been consuming over the past year or so. If it weren't for the interest of it being the oldest printed book, I doubt if I'd have chosen to read it, and unless you are more deeply conversant with Buddhism than I am, I don't know that you'll get a lot out of it, either. Still, it is short, so it can't hurt to give it a try.

[Steven]

Okay, one might thing it's odd NOT to recommend a short, classic Buddhist piece that is one of the most ancient texts in the tradition. And yet, I found myself reading this work thinking that I wasn't getting much out of it. Not that I'm already thoroughly saturated with vast knowledge of Buddhist/Taoist ideology and couldn't learn a few things, I just didn't get them here, nor do I think even a first-time practitioner/reader would glean a lot here about the value-less values of selflessness that it promotes.

Just like Christianity, there are times that Buddhism weirdly and counter-intuitively encourages people to be precisely the opposite of what the faith expounds. In Christianity, a smug hypocrisy of judgmental righteousness that runs counter to Christ's message, in Buddhism, a kind of self-absorbed laziness that promotes the very selfishness that is meant to be abandoned. But enough of my soapboxing, the Diamond Sutra didn't clarify my mind or move me in a better place.

[REID NUTTING · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, the gift of ears to hear....

.....Why? Because I have no ears to hear, thus, it is said, I have ears to hear.
So obvious, and, yet, so not obvious......Why? Because it is so obvious and, yet, so not obvious, that it can be said to be obvious, and, yet, so not obvious.