6 June 2004: About the Diamond-Cutter Sutra (1)

Home

Buddhist Hour Radio Broadcast on Hillside 88.0 FM
Buddhist Hour Script 332 for Sunday 6 June 2004

This script is entitled: About the Diamond-Cutter Sutra (1)

Today we attempt to shine some light on the Diamond -Cutter Sutra.

We shall concentrate on the first part of the Sutra.

We include quotes from the readings provided for the on-line study course - Course VI: The Diamond-Cutter Sutra, Level 1 of Middle Way Philosophy (Madhyamika) presented by The Asian Classics Institute.

Members at our Centre commenced the study of this on-line course on 7 May 2004 and we have just completed Class five of the eleven class series.

The reading contains selections from the commentary titled " Sunlight on the Path to Freedom, written by Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup (1675 - 1748) of Sera Mey Tibetan Monastery.

We request the blessings of the Buddha Lineage holders for the Diamond Cutter Sutra so that we may come to fully understand the Sutra.

The Buddha Lineage holders are:

Buddha
Maitreya 500BC
Manjushri 500BC
Asanga 350AD
Nagajuna 200AD
Haribhadra 800AD
Chandrakirti 650AD
Suvarnadripa 1000AD (lived in Indonesia)
Atisha 982 - 1054AD
Drompton Je 1005 - 1054AD
Geshe Drolungpa 1100AD
Je Tsong Kapa 1357 - 1419
Ngawang Drakpa C.1410
Gyaltsab Je 1364 - 1432
Kedrup Je 1365 - 1430
His Holiness the 3rd Dalai Lama 1543 - 1588
The 1st Panchen Lama 1567 - 1662
His Holiness the 5th Dalai Lama 1617 - 1682
The 2nd Panchen Lama 1663 - 1737
Pabonka Rinpoche 1878 - 1941
Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche 1901 - 1981
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama 1935 -
Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Tharchin 1921 -
Geshe Michael Roach 1952 -

The Sutra begins:

Offering The Mandala

Here is the great Earth,
Filled with the smell of incense,
Covered with a blanket of flowers,

The Great Mountain,
The Four Continents,
Wearing a jewel,
Of the Sun, and Moon.

In my mind I make them
The Paradise of a Buddha,
And offer it all to You.

By this deed
May every living being
Experience
The Pure World.

Idam guru ratna mandalakam niryatayami.

Refuge and The Wish

I go for refuge
To the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
Until I achieve enlightenment.

By the power
Of the goodness that I do
In giving and the rest,

May I reach Buddhahood
For the sake
Of every living being

Dedication of the Goodness of a deed

By the goodness
Of what I have just done
May all beings

Complete the collection
Of merit and wisdom,

And thus gain the two
Ultimate bodies
That merit and wisdom make.

A Buddhist Grace

I offer this
To the Teacher
Higher than any other,
The precious Buddha.

I offer this
to the protection
Higher than any other,
The precious Dharma.

I offer this
To the guides
Higher than any other,
The precious Sangha.

I offer this
To the places of refuge,
To the Three jewels,
Rare and supreme.

Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup writes in his commentary:

"Here I will, with great feelings of faith and in keeping with my own capacity, offer a commentary in explanation of the Perfection of Wisdom in 300 Verses, more commonly know as the Diamond - Cutter. It would seem that this text is rather difficult to comment on correctly, for a number of reasons.

First of all the work is largely devoted to elucidating the meaning of the absences of self-nature.

Moreover, Lord Buddha repeats himself quite a number of times during the teaching.

Here begins the Diamond Cutter Sutra.

The Significance of the name Diamond Cutter Sutra.

"In Sanskrit language of India the text is called the Arya Vajra Chedaka Nama Prajnya Mahayana Sutra.

In the Tibetan language the text is called Pakpa Sherab Kyi Paroltu Chinpa Dorje Chupa Shejawa Tekpa Chenpoy Do.

In the English language it is called "An exalted Sutra of the Greater Way on the perfection of wisdom, entitled "The Diamond - Cutter."

The word Sutra in the title means the teaching of an enlightened being.

The worldly god named Hundred Gifts, or India, wields a diamond bolt, which no physical object in the entire world can destroy.

A mere touch of this bolt though can reduce mountains of stone and other such entities to piles of dust. The subject of this work is the actual perfection of wisdom; that is the wisdom with which one perceives emptiness.

The point of the title is that the antithesis of this wisdom can never affect it in the least; and that the wisdom, on the other hand, cuts from the root everything involved with the mental afflictions, and each and every suffering

Geshe Michael Roach explains that in conventional terms the diamond is the most perfect thing that we have in this world. It is structurally perfect. Nothing can destroy a diamond.

Yet once one has the perfection of wisdom, one can perceive ultimate reality directly. This experience can only be compared to the most perfect thing we know of - a diamond, and yet this experience of ultimate reality is more perfect than a diamond.

I bow down to all Buddhas and bodhisattvas.

The meaning here is obvious - the translator's obeisance.

These words once I heard. The Conqueror was residing at Shravasti, in the park of Anatapindada in the gardens of Prince Jeta. In convocation with him was a great gathering of 1,250 monks who were listeners, as well as an immense number of bodhisattvas who were great beings.

This is setting the scene. The speaker is the person who complied the words of this text, who says, "I heard" the following.

Once, means "at a certain time". The Conqueror means the Buddha Sakyamuni when he was staying at Shravasti, which was one of the six great cities in India.

This particular city was located in the domain of King Prasenajita, and contained a particularly excellent site - the exquisite gardens of one known as Prince Jetavan.

There came a time, several years after the Conqueror attained his enlightenment, when a certain householder by the name of Anatapindada resolved that he would construct a large, wondrous temple where the Lord Buddha and his retinue could reside on a regular basis.

To this end he approached Prince Jetavan and purchased his gardens by paying him many thousands of gold coins, enough in fact to fill the gardens themselves.

Jetavan as well offered to the Conqueror a parcel of land that had been part of the quarters for the caretakers of the property.

In these gardens Anatapindada, availing himself of the abilities of Shariputra, directed artisans from the lands of both gods and men to construct an extraordinary park.

When the park was completed, the Conqueror, perceiving that Jetavan wished it, named the main temple after him.

Anatapindada, by the way, was a great being who had purposely taken birth as someone who could act as the Teacher's sponsor. He had the power to see deposits of precious gems and metals deep under the water or below the earth itself, and could utilize these riches whenever he wished.

We return again now to the Sutra:

In the morning then the Conqueror donned his monk's robes and outer shawl, took up his sage's bowl, and entered the great city of Shravasti for requesting his meal.

After collecting the food, he returned from the city and partook of it. When he had finished eating he put away his bowl and shawl, for he was a person who had given up eating in the latter part of the day.

Lord Buddha then washed his feet and seated himself on a cushion that had been set forth for him. He crossed his legs in the full lotus position, straightened his back, and placed his thoughts into a state of contemplation.

The commentary for this section is as follows:

In the morning the Conqueror - all for the sake of his disciples - donned the three parts of a monks' attire, took up his sage's bowl, and went to the great city of Shravasti, in order to request his meal. He accepted his food and then, after coming back, partook of it.

When he had finished eating, he put away his bowl and so on, for he was a person who had given up the later meal; that is, who would never go to request a meal in the latter part of the day.

He washed his feet, bathed them, and then seated himself on a cushion that had been placed there for him. He readied himself knowing he was about to deliver a teaching.

Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup explains it is important to speak a bit here about the fact that the conqueror went to request food. As far as the Buddha is concerned, there is no need to go and ask for his meal. Rather, he does so only so that his disciples will have an opportunity to collect masses of good karma, or else in order to give instruction in the Dhamma, for some similar reason.

The Sutra goes on: Then a great number of monks advanced towards the Conqueror and, when they had reached his side, bowed and touched their heads to his feet.

They circled him in respect three times, and seated themselves to one side.

At this point the junior monk Subhuti was with this same group of disciples, and took his seat with them.

The route text is saying here that a great number of monks approached the conqueror and circled him in respect three times and sat down altogether. The respected elder named Subhuti was with them.

Then the junior monk Subhuti rose from his cushion, dropped the corner of his upper robe from one shoulder in a gesture of respect, and knelt with his right knee to the ground. He faced the Conqueror, joined his palms at his heart, and bowed. Then he beseeched the Conqueror, in the following words:

Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup explains that the route text describes the great respect shown by Subhuti as he approaches the conqueror to make a request. Subhuti goes on to request as follows:

O Conqueror, the Buddha, the One Gone Thus, the Destroyer of the Foe, the Totally Enlightened One has given much beneficial instruction to the bodhisattvas who are great beings.

All the instruction he has ever given has been of benefit. And the One Gone Thus, the Destroyer of the Foe, the Totally Enlightened One, has as well instructed these bodhisattvas who are great beings by granting them clear direction.

All the clear direction he has ever granted, o Conqueror, has been a wondrous thing. It is, o Conqueror, a wondrous thing.

Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup comments that Subhuti beseeches the Buddha saying that all the instructions that the Buddha has given to Bodhisattvas has been of the highest benefit, the ultimate help for both their present and future lives. Whatever instructions the Buddha has ever given, all of it have been of this same benefit.

A Bodhisattva is someone who has vowed to become fully enlightened so they can help all living beings become fully enlightened.

Clear direction means that the Conqueror has directed the bodhisattvas towards the source, towards the dharma and towards the commands.

In Master Kamalashila's thinking the word "source" would refer to the directing a disciple to a spiritual guide.

The word "dharma" would signify how this guide leads his disciple to engage in what is beneficial.

And the "commands" would describe the Buddha's directions: " You, my Bodhisattvas, must act to help all living beings".

Subhuti then tells the Conqueror how wondrous this is and so on.

And now, O Conquering One, what of those who have entered well into the way of the bodhisattva? How shall they live? How shall they practice? How should they keep their thoughts?

Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup explains that this brings us to the actual way in which the Sutra was requested. Subhuti asks the Conqueror, "What of those who have entered well into the way of the bodhisattvas?" He phrases his questions in three sections:"How shall they live? How shall they practice? How should they keep their thoughts?

We go on to the Buddha's reply:

This did Subhuti ask, and then the Conqueror spoke the following words, in reply to Subhuti's question:

O Subhuti, it is good, it is good. O Subhuti, thus it is, and thus is it: the One Thus Gone has indeed done benefit to the bodhisattvas who are great beings, by granting them beneficial instruction.

The One Thus Gone has indeed given clear direction to the bodhisattvas who are great beings, by granting them the clearest of instruction.

Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup in his commentary says that the Conqueror is greatly pleased by the request that Subhuti makes to him, and so says, "it is good". Then he provides his affirmation of the truth of what Subhuti has spoken.

And since it is so, o Subhuti, listen now to what I speak, and be sure that it stays firmly in your heart, for I shall reveal to you how it is that those who have entered well into the way of the bodhisattva should live, and how they should practice, and how they should keep their thoughts.

Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup explains that the Buddha is saying never forget what I am going to tell you - keep it in your heart, listen well.

And Subhuti replies…

"Thus shall I do," replied the junior monk Subhuti, and he sat to listen as instructed by the Conqueror. The Conqueror too then began, with the following words:

Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup explains that Subhuti is only posing as a disciple - he is actually an emanation of Manjushri - a great enlightened being come to help you in making the request for the teaching.

The Sutra goes on with the Buddha's reply:

Subhuti, this is how those who have entered well into the way of the bodhisattva must think to themselves as they feel the Wish to achieve enlightenment:

I will bring to nirvana the total amount of living beings, every single one numbered among the ranks of living kind:

those who were born from eggs, those who were born from a womb, those who were born through warmth and moisture, those who were born miraculously, those who have a physical form, those with none, those with conceptions, those with none, and those with neither conceptions nor no conceptions.

However many living beings there are, in whatever realms there may be, anyone at all labeled with the name of "living being," all these will I bring to total nirvana, to the sphere beyond all grief, where none of the parts of the person are left at all.

Yet even if I do manage to bring this limitless number of living beings to total nirvana, there will be no living being at all who was brought to their total nirvana.

Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup explains that the root text is saying, Subhuti this is how those who are bodhisattvas must think to themselves first, as they feel the wish to achieve enlightenment:

They should think " whatever realms there may be, and however many living beings there are, they reach infinity, they are countless.

If one were to classify those numbered among the ranks of living kind by type of birth, there would be four:

Those who were born from eggs, those born from a womb
those born through warmth and moisture, those born miraculously.

Then, another classification - there are the sentient beings in the desire realms and the form realms: those who have physical form.

There are also the beings in the formless realms: those with no physical form.

There are those with conceptions - meaning the beings who live in all the levels except the ones known as the great result and the peak existence.

There are those with no conceptions which refers to a portion of beings who resident at the level of the great result.

In addition are the beings who are born at the level of the peak result of existence: those with no course minds of conceptions but who on the other hand are not such that they have not subtle conceptions.

The point is that the Buddha is speaking about all living beings and anyone at all labeled with the name of living being.

The Buddha is saying anyone that you think of as a living being.

The bodhisattva must think " all these will I bring to total nirvana, to the sphere beyond grief, where one no longer remains in either of the extremes - and where none of the two kinds of obstacles and none of the sufferings heaps of parts to the person are left at all"

To summarize, these bodhisattvas must develop the wish for the sake of bringing all these different living beings to total nirvana. To a stage beyond sorrow, to bring them to Buddhahood.

The Sutra continues with the Buddha's reply…

Why is it so? Because, Subhuti, if a bodhisattva were to slip into conceiving of someone as a living being, then we could never call them a "bodhisattva.”

Why is it so? Because, o Subhuti, if anyone were to slip into conceiving of someone as a living being, or as something that lives, or as a person, then we could never call them a "bodhisattva.”

In the Sutra the Buddha says that one should wish to bring all living beings to total enlightenment, yet one should know, that when one has done this, no living beings were brought to total enlightenment.

Geshe Michael Roach explains that the Buddha is talking about how we perceive "living beings".

In Buddhist terms we talk about there being no permanent self - in Pali, this is named annatta.

In Buddhist terms, we are a collection of five groups:

Rupa: body,
Vinyannam: Mind - consciousness and
Mind objects - Vedana: feelings, Sanna: perceptions and Sankara: thoughts.

We are the result of our past body action, speech action and thought action.

On top of this we develop an innate self-nature called "I".

So we are five groups plus an ego called "I".

The "I" is just an illusionary idea that we have of our self constructed by taking information from the five groups and saying "I feel this…" "I think this…" "I know this……"

These five groups arise and fall and have no awareness of "I".

The body has no awareness of being a body. Feelings have no awareness of being sad or happy or angry. Thoughts just come into your mind triggered by something you see or smell or from a previous thought.

The quality and nature of our five groups is dependent on the result of our past actions.

So, the Buddha is saying in the Sutra that one must always see living beings in their true nature - as five groups resulting from their past actions and an "I" and wish to bring them to full enlightenment.

Since there is no permanent self that exists for each of those living beings - one must realize that "no permanent being" was brought to full enlightenment.

Geshe Michael Roach explains that no living being has a true self-nature that exists from there own side. They are a result of there past actions of body speech and mind.

And the way we see living beings is because of our past actions that have resulted in our five-group formation that sees those beings as they are.

Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup explains that Lord Buddha wants us to understand that this Wish for enlightenment must be imbued with that correct view wherein you perceive that nothing has a self-nature.

This is why he states that we must develop a wish for enlightenment where we intend to lead limitless numbers of living beings to the total nirvana and if we do manage to do so, we must know that there will be no living being at all who achieved it, and who also existed ultimately.

May all beings be well and happy and come to know the ultimate reality to come out of suffering forever.

Today's Buddhist Hour Broadcast script was prepared by Anita M. Hughes, Julian Bamford and Max Svensson.

Next week on the Buddhist Hour program number 333 we will continue to explain the Diamond Cutter Sutra, using commentaries by the great Buddhist masters.

Reference

Reading one and Two, The Diamond-Cutter Sutra. Course VI. Level 1 of Middle Way Philosophy (Madhyamika) The Asian Classics Institute. Taught by Geshe Michael Roach New York USA online at www.world-view.org.

"Diamond Cutter Sutra" An Exalted Sutra of the Greater Way on the Perfection of Wisdom.

Translation of this sutra from Sanskrit into Tibetan, and its update into the newer translation standard, were completed by the Indian Master Shilendra Bodhi and Yeshe De. The translation from Tibetan into English was completed by the American Geshe Lobsang Chunzin, Michael Roach, with the assistance of the American woman with lifetime vows, Christine McNally, in the gardens of Prince Jeta, during the opening days of the third millennium after Christ.

This paper is for Free Distribution. It contains Buddha Dhamma material and is provided for the purpose of research and study.

Permission is given to make printouts of this publication for FREE DISTRIBUTION ONLY. Please keep it in a clean place.

"The gift of Dhamma excels all other gifts".

Statistics:

Words: 3342
Characters: 15666
Paragraphs: 195
Sentences: 146

Averages:

Sentence per paragraph: 1.3
Words per sentence: 18.9
Characters per word: 4.5

Readability:

Passive sentences: 8% (<12 sentences)
Fleisch Reading Ease: 63.6%
Fleisch Kincaid Grade Level: 9.0

Disclaimer

As we, the Chan Academy Australia, Chan Academy being a registered business name of the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd., do not control the actions of our service providers from time to time, make no warranty as to the continuous operation of our website(s). Also, we make no assertion as to the veracity of any of the information included in any of the links with our websites, or another source accessed through our website(s).

Accordingly, we accept no liability to any user or subsequent third party, either expressed or implied, whether or not caused by error or omission on either our part, or a member, employee or other person associated with the Chan Academy Australia (Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd.)

For more information, contact the Centre or better still, come and visit us.