Diamonds are born deep within the earth, where tremendous heat, pressure, and time set the stage for a dazzling display. The large sutra on perfect wisdom isbn 0520053214 university of california mostly the version in 25,000 lines, with some parts from the versions in 100,000 and 18,000 lines 1985 edward conze. It was designed to be readable, understandable, and not overly laden with flowery language or titles and terms. Translated from the sanskrit by edward conze table of contents 01 history 02 lead all beings to nirvana 03 practice virtue 04 tagathas phenomenon attributes 05 ask about the future 06 explain dharma 07 merit is nonmerit 08 one who has entered, once returner, neverreturner, and one who is fully enlightened. The high master hsuan hua, professor of the tripitaka tripitakacarya and of the. A very small portion of the earths diamonds are considered to be gem quality. Buddhist wisdom by edward conze and the diamond sutra by red pine. 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 it is particularly prominent within the chan or zen tradition, along with the h. Indeed they are among the most popular sutras within the mahayana cannon as a whole. Like many buddhist sutras, the diamond sutra begins with the famous phrase, thus have i heard. Upon a time buddha sojourned in anathapindikas park by shravasti with a great company of. This is a scholarly work, highly recommended by many, and for great reason.
Sakyamuni buddha originally spoke the vajra sutra in india. Over the centuries the diamond acquired unique status as the ultimate gift of love, in myth and reality. The diamond sutra and the heart sutra by edward conze and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds. The verse form of this sutra is handed down to us under the name of. Suppose, o subhuti, that a person reaches even just a single feeling of faith for the words of a sutra such as this one. Edward conze is highly esteemed for his knowledge and wisdom in interpreting buddhist texts. A general explanation of the vajra prajna paramita sutra by dhyana master hsuan hua this translation has been prepared by the buddhist text translation society of the sinoamerican buddhist association, under the auspices of gold mountain dhyana monastery, 1731 15th street, san francisco. Wisdom publications translation of the diamond sutra with commentary 2000 isbn 9780861711604. That, of course, is putting it simply, as only buddhists can do.
The play in full tells the story of how the buddha manifested in this world and attained awakening as perceived from the perspective of the great vehicle. Sutra, considered an introduction to the lotus sutra, shakyamuni says. The diamond sutra prajnaparamita translated from the sanskrit by edward conze. Considerable attention has been devoted to the sanskrit versions of the sutra by edward conze,2 while the chinese versions of the text have been the. A copy of the chinese version of diamond sutra, found among the dunhuang. Also known by its sanskrit title vajracchedika, the diamond sutra posits that something is what it is only because of what it is not. The question of chapter 2 is repeated, and so is the answer of chapter 3. The diamond sutra in sanskrit and english translated from the sanskrit by edward conze om namo bhagavatyai aryaprajnaparamitayai. It is an important buddhist text that has a long and profound history. Every single diamond is a unique, inimitable miracle of nature. Buddhist wisdom books by edward conze librarything.
It is a thoughtful, semicoherent translation of two sutras from the sanskrit. Diamond prajna paramita sutra world digital library. The lectures sometimes refer to the books buddhist wisdom by edward conze and the diamond sutra by red pine, both of which give translations of the diamond sutra into english. As buddhist sutras go, 550 pages might be considered garrulous, but 550 words is practically a grunt. I own a number of copies of the diamond sutra but this is my favourite. The text goes on in a similar strain through its remaining section. Diamond sutra and the heart sutra by edward conze, thornton, john f. This finishes the first part of the diamond sutra as it is usually divided here and passes on to the second part. A general explanation of the vajra prajna paramita sutra. The lord dwelt at sravasti, in the jeta grove, in the garden of anathapindika, together with a large gathering of monks, consisting of 1,250 monks, and. Diamond sutra a new translation of the classic buddhist text. Once the rough stones emerge, they are literally transformed by imagination and artistry. The diamond sutra is the sutra on nonattachment or the perfection of wisdom. The diamond sutra 1 diamond sutra the full sanskrit title of this text is the vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra the vajra prajna paramita sutra.
English version of vajraccedikaprajnaparamitasutra, motilal banarsidass private ltd. Except for the 10 pages or so of the diamond sutra when conze offers no commentary at all, so impenetrable is the original text. Sacred texts series homage to the perfection of wisdom, the lovely, the holy. The opening gatha was composed by thich nhat hanh to precede the translation. Diamonds may be expensive, but they shouldnt cost lives. This new translation of the diamond sutra allows the reader to experience and comprehend this timeless buddhist text in a more contemporary language and style. The diamond sutra vajracchedikaprajnaparamitasutra has maintained a high degree of popularity in the mahayana buddhist tradition for over a millenium, especially in east asia, and most importantly within the east asian meditation chanseonzenthien school, where it has been recited, taught, and commented on extensively up to the present day. Jun 25, 2015 it is recited regularly at plum village practice centers around the world, as part of our daily sitting and chanting sessions.
If a person, via this perfection of wisdom sutra, even just four lines of verse, receives, upholds, reads, and recites, and for another explains it. Preaching the law in various different ways, i made use of the power of expedient means. History of diamonds diamonds are the most prized and highly valued of gemstones. The sutra, which is structured in twentyseven chapters, first presents the events surrounding the buddhas birth, childhood, and adolescence in the royal palace of his father, king. Nov 18, 2002 the diamond sutra, along with the heart sutra also available translated by red pine, are arguably the two most popular works of the prajnaparamita group of sutras. 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.
Profits from the trade in conflict diamonds, worth billions of dollars, were used by warlords and rebels. This complete scroll from the first year of the yifeng era 676 of the tang dynasty was unearthed in dunhuang, china. Early life edward conze was, as he admits, a man of his class and age 1979 i iv. The diamond sutra three major aspects of the diamond sutra the sutra is a record of a dialogue between the buddha and one of the ten great disciples, subhuti, in front of 1,250 buddhas followers. Honoring the diamond sutra wherever this sutra is honored and revered there is a sacred site enshrining the presence of the buddha or one of the buddhas most venerable disciples. Marz 1904 in forest hill, london borough of lewisham. The diamond sutra translated from the sanskrit by edward conze om namo bhagavatyai aryaprajnaparamitayai. Industrial diamonds in 1955, the production of synthetic diamonds in the form of grit became a reality.
Subhuti was known to best understand the true meaning of emptiness. Bhagavan sravastyam viharati sma jetavanenathapindadasyaarame mahata bhiksusamghena sarddham ardhatrayodasabhir. The diamond sutra vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra translated by edward conze zzz xqlyhuvdowkhrvrsk\ frp. It is a key object of devotion and study in zen buddhism. Chapter 17 was omitted by the translator, edward conze because, in his words. Prajnaparamita project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Opening the way for the enlightenment of all people t. A billionth part of the latters, even, would be an insufficient estimation of it. In fact, only about 15% of all diamonds pulled from the earth are gem quality.
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. The diamond sutra and the heart sutra by edward conze, thornton, john f. Diamonds with higher 4cs grades tend to be rarer, which can affect their price. However, it is important to remember that the 4cs are only four of the many characteristics of a diamond and that no two diamonds are the same, even if they share the same 4cs. License all sanskritrelated audio recordings, video recordings, and other downloadable content at the sanskrit site are licensed to you under a creative. For further commentary on this text, please see thich nhat hanh, the diamond that cuts through illusion parallax press, rev.
May 11, 2016 the diamond sutra, a sanskrit text translated into chinese, was one of 40,000 scrolls and documents hidden in the cave of a thousand buddhas, a secret library sealed up around the year 1,000. 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. Industrial grade natural diamonds are diamonds that are offcolor. The text was transmitted to china in the period of. The buddha said this sutra may be known as the diamond that cuts through illusion. 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. As i write this i am holding on my lap edward conzes translation of the large sutra on perfect wisdom which runs 665 pages. Throughout history they have been admired by royalty and worn as a symbol of strength, courage and invincibility.
Aug 02, 2009 the diamond sutra is one of the most historically important texts in the buddhist faith, in part because a copy of it is the oldest surviving dated printed book in the world 868 a. Translated from the sanskrit by edward conze table of contents 01 history 02 lead all beings to nirvana 03 practice virtue 04 tagathas phenomenon attributes 05 ask about the future 06 explain dharma 07 merit is nonmerit. In chapter l7 the sutra now veers back to its beginning. Conflict diamonds are those sold in order to fund armed conflict and civil war.
Diamond sutra, first printed book on 11 may 868 ce history. The diamond sutra, a sanskrit text translated into chinese, was one of 40,000 scrolls and documents hidden in the cave of a thousand buddhas, a secret library sealed up around the year 1,000. The diamond sutra and the heart sutra edward conze, thornton, john f. But in these more than forty years, i have not yet revealed the truth the lotus sutra and its opening and closing sutras, p. Such a person, o subhuti, has produced, and gathered safely into themselves, a mountain of merit beyond any calculation. A landmark publication when it first appeared in 1958, buddhist wisdom offered western readers a unique combination of both the diamond sutra one of the cornerstone texts of mahayana buddhism and the heart sutra, perhaps the most important of all buddhist texts, in a single authoritative volume. The whole sutra even in its long form is less than the average bookjacket blurb. Vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra is a mahayana sutra from the prajnaparamita sutras or perfection of wisdom genre. The lord dwelt at sravasti, in the jeta grove, in the garden of anathapindika, together with a large gathering of monks, consisting of 1,250 monks. The diamond sutra project gutenberg selfpublishing.
One day before noon, the bhagavan put on his patched robe and picked up his bowl and entered the. The diamond sutra is the worlds earliest dated printed book. 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 it is particularly prominent within the chan or zen tradition, along with the. The diamond sutra in sanskrit and english translated from the. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Homage to the perfection of wisdom, the lovely, the holy. When the buddha dharma was transmitted to china, the great patriarchs certified translations into chinese. 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. The diamond sutra in sanskrit and english translated from.
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