Diamond Sutra

Chapter 1: The Setting

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the Jeta Grove, near the city of Sravasti. With him there was a community of 1,250 venerable monks and devoted disciples.

One day before dawn, the Buddha clothed himself, and along with his disciples took up his alms bowl and entered the city to beg for food door to door, as was his custom. After he had returned and eaten, he put away his bowl and cloak, bathed his feet, and then sat with his legs crossed and body upright upon the seat arranged for him. He began mindfully fixing his attention in front of himself, while many monks approached the Buddha, and showing great reverence, seated themselves around him.

After a time a most venerable monk named Subhuti, who was sitting in the congregation, rose from his seat. He uncovered his right shoulder, placed his right knee on the ground, and as he joined his palms together he respectfully bowed and then addressed the Buddha: "Most Honored One, it is wonderful how you, the Tathagata, help the venerable ones and teach the Bodhisattvas. Most Honored One, how should good men and good women, who seek Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi (complete enlightenment) progress, and how should they control their thoughts?"

The Buddha replied: "Excellent, excellent! Subhuti, as you say, the Tathagata is ever-mindful and helpful to the venerable ones and teaches the Bodhisattvas. Listen with your full attention, and I will tell you how good men and good women who seek complete enlightenment should progress and how they should control their thoughts."

"Most Honored One, we are eager to hear your teachings."

The Buddha said to Subhuti: "All Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas should subdue their minds with the following method: Every type of sentient being, whether born from eggs, from wombs, from moisture, or by transformation; with or without form; with or without perception, or neither with nor without perception - I will lead all these beings to unbounded liberation and deliverance. Yet when all beings have been liberated, in truth no being has been liberated. Why is this, Subhuti? It is because if a Bodhisattva retains the idea of a 'self,' a 'person,' a 'living being,' or a 'life span,' that person is not a true Bodhisattva."

The Diamond Sutra is one of the most important texts in Mahayana Buddhism, belonging to the Prajñāpāramitā (Perfection of Wisdom) literature. It is called the "Diamond Cutter" because it cuts through all conceptual thinking and reveals the true nature of reality.

The sutra teaches that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence and that the true nature of reality is beyond conceptual understanding. It emphasizes the practice of generosity, patience, and wisdom without attachment to the idea of doing good deeds or achieving merit.

One of the most famous passages states: "All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow, like dew or a flash of lightning; thus we shall perceive them." This teaching helps practitioners understand the impermanent and illusory nature of all things.

The sutra also teaches the importance of developing the mind of enlightenment (bodhicitta) and practicing the six perfections (paramitas) without clinging to any concepts of self, others, or the practice itself.

The Diamond Sutra is one of the oldest printed texts in the world. The earliest known printed version dates back to 868 CE, discovered in the Dunhuang caves in China. This makes it a crucial document in the history of printing and Buddhist literature.

The text has been translated into many languages and has influenced Buddhist practice throughout Asia. It is particularly important in Chan (Zen) Buddhism, where it is often recited and studied as a means of cutting through delusion and realizing one's true nature.

The sutra's emphasis on emptiness and non-attachment has made it a cornerstone of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy, teaching practitioners to see beyond the surface of things and understand the deeper nature of reality.