The Diamond Sutra
William Gemmell (translator)
517 passages indexed from The Diamond Sutra (William Gemmell (translator)) — Page 8 of 11
License: Public Domain
The Diamond Sutra, passage 25
_“Nel ciel che più della sua luce prende Fu’io; e vidi cose che ridire Nè sa nè può qual di lassù discende;”_
The Diamond Sutra, passage 161
[1] “The first of six Paramita—charity, morality, endurance, energy, contemplation, wisdom—cardinal virtues, or means of progressing towards Nirvana. The virtue of religious charity, implying all kinds of self-denying acts, almsgiving, sacrifice, etc.”—_Handbook of Chinese Buddhism_. Eitel.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 238
[7] “Explained by _Fuh-Ko_—the Fruit of Buddha (Buddhaphalam). The original meaning of Arhat (deserving, worthy) is overlooked by most Chinese commentators, who explained the term as if it were written _Ari-Hat_—Destroyer of the Enemy. The following two explanations are given, _Shah-Tseh_—Destroying the Enemy, and _Puh-Seng_—not to be reborn, _i.e._, except from transmigration.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 376
The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “If an enlightened disciple were to speak in this wise, ‘I shall create numerous Buddhist kingdoms,’ he could not be designated ‘fully enlightened.’ And why? Because, the Lord Buddha, discoursing upon ‘creating numerous Buddhist kingdoms,’ did not affirm the idea of creating numerous ‘material’ Buddhist kingdoms, hence the ‘creation of numerous Buddhist kingdoms’ is merely a figure of speech. Subhuti, the Lord Buddha declared that a disciple may be regarded as ‘truly enlightened,’ whose mind is thoroughly imbued with the Law of non-individuality.”[10]
The Diamond Sutra, passage 245
[10] “The man for whom there is nothing upon which he depends, who is independent, having understood the _Dhamma_ (Law), for whom there is no desire for coming into existence or having existence—him I call calm.... He has overcome desire.”—_Dhammapada_. Max Müller.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 350
Subhuti, in whatever place there is a repository for this Scripture, the whole realm of spiritual beings ought to adore it; and reverencing it as a sacred shrine,[5] ceremoniously surround it, scattering profusely sweet-scented flowers, and pure odours of fragrant incense.”[6]
The Diamond Sutra, passage 249
Its members reside constantly in cemeteries, and are prohibited to approach a village within hearing distance of the lowing of a cow. They are probably called after the Hindoo caste _Matanga_. The third class, or the _Danataka Aranyaka_, is formed by hermits living on the sea beach or on half-tide rocks.”—_Handbook of Chinese Buddhism_. Eitel.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 224
The Lord Buddha enquired of Subhuti, saying: “What think you? May a Scrotapatti[1] (having entered the stream which bears on to Nirvana) thus moralise within himself, ‘I have obtained the fruits[2] commensurate with the merit of a Scrotapatti’?” Subhuti replied, saying: “No! Honoured of the Worlds! And why? Because, Scrotapatti is simply a descriptive term signifying ‘having entered the stream.’ A disciple who avoids the seductive phenomena of form, sound, odour, taste, touch, and Law,[3] is named a Scrotapatti.”
The Diamond Sutra, passage 314
“Subhuti, what the Lord Buddha referred to as the first _Paramita_[9] (charity), is not in reality the first _Paramita_, it is merely termed the first _Paramita_”
The Diamond Sutra, passage 26
_“Perchè, appressando sè al suo disire, Nostro intelletto[14] si profonda tanto, Che retro la memoria non può ire.”_[15]
The Diamond Sutra, passage 288
[5] “The praises of the _Bana_ (Law) are a favourite subject with the native authors....
The Diamond Sutra, passage 387
The familiar word Buddha, seems to convey to devout Buddhist minds, a meaning consonant with the ethical idea of Love, as understood generally by the followers of Christ. Within it are potential spiritual elements, which, according to their judgment, perfectly fulfil the Law. The Chinese text, _Ju-Lai-che, chi-chu-fah-ru-i_, may bear the following interpretation, _Buddha is the One in whom all Laws become intelligible_.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 204
[10] Compare an idea expressed by the apostle Paul, “wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.” Note, also, the similarity of a metaphor employed in Christian anthology, “We shall meet on that beautiful ‘shore.’”
The Diamond Sutra, passage 455
[2] Subhuti failed to apprehend the idea as expressed by the Lord Buddha, and inadvertently replied, saying: “Even so, Even so.”—_Chinese Annotation_.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 62
Again, in the seventeenth chapter of _The Diamond Sutra_, it is declared that in the word “Buddha,” every Law is intelligibly comprehended.[40] To Western minds, it might become necessary to resist a natural inclination to ascribe to those elements of thought, an influence which had its inception in a nation other than the Indian.[41] But, lest we should appear to detract from the native glory of Sakyamuni Buddha, perhaps it might prove opportune to remark, that there is sufficient evidence in the ancient Vedic hymns, Upanishads, etc., to indicate clearly the probable starting-points in the evolution of his thought.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 228
if an Arhat thus meditates within himself, ‘I have obtained the condition of an Arhat,’ there would be obvious recurrence of such arbitrary concepts as an entity, a being, a living being, and a personality. Honoured of the Worlds!
The Diamond Sutra, passage 262
“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 Diamond Sutra, passage 79
Rhys Davids justly observed that “to the pious Buddhist it is a constant source of joy and gratitude that ‘the Buddha,’ not only then, but in many former births, when emancipation from all the cares and troubles of life was already within his reach, should again and again, in mere love for man, have condescended to enter the world, and live amidst the sorrows inseparable from finite existence.”[47] Perhaps in a more general sense the idea of reincarnation appealed strongly to the imagination of Wordsworth, when he was inspired to write these familiar, yet exquisite, lines:—
The Diamond Sutra, passage 108
[22] Max Müller suggests that Samgna and Dharma “correspond in many respects to the Vedantic Namarupe”—in Chinese Ming-Seh—name, form, or characteristic.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 1
LONDON KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & CO., LTD. BROADWAY HOUSE, 68–74 CARTER LANE, E.C. 1912
The Diamond Sutra, passage 115
“I am not known To evil-doers, ... nor to those Whose mind is cheated by the show of things.”
The Diamond Sutra, passage 431
[2] “Within it first arose desire, the primal germ of mind, Which nothing with existence links, as sages searching find. The cord, transversely stretched, that spanned this universal frame, Was it beneath? was it above? can any sage proclaim?”
The Diamond Sutra, passage 481
“Because, what was preached as a mass of many atoms by the Tathagata, that was preached as no-mass of atoms by the Tathagata, and therefore it is called ‘a mass of many atoms.’”—_The Vagrakkhedika_. Max Müller.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 220
[5] “Faith is in the world the best property for a man; _Dhamma_ (the Law), well observed, conveys happiness; truth, indeed, is the sweetest of things; and the life they call the best which is lived with understanding.”—_Sutta-Nipata_. Fausböll.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 242
In the moral philosophy of Mencius there is inculcated a principle of having few desires (_Kwa-Yuh_), and Chinese Buddhists frequently institute comparisons between those “few desires” and “no desires” of the Arhats.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 425
Although these are ordinarily referred to as sentient beings, there are spiritual elements in their real natures, which place them in a category only imperfectly described by the term “sentient beings”; but possessing also evident material qualities, it might be an error to assert that these are not “sentient beings”; hence the declaration of the Lord Buddha, “they are merely termed sentient beings.”—_Chinese Annotation_.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 400
The Lord Buddha enquired of Subhuti, saying: “What think you? If there were as many rivers Ganges as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, and if there were as many Buddhist worlds as the grains of sand in those innumerable rivers, would these Buddhist worlds be numerous?” Subhuti replied, saying: “Honoured of the Worlds! these Buddhist worlds would be very numerous.”
The Diamond Sutra, passage 273
The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “If there were rivers Ganges as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, would the aggregate grains of sand[1] be of considerable number?” Subhuti replied, saying: “Of very considerable number, Honoured of the Worlds! The rivers Ganges alone would be innumerable, and much more innumerable would be the grains of sand.”
The Diamond Sutra, passage 141
[12] “The fifth of the twelve sacred observances of the Chinese is called in Sanscrit Khaloupas’ Waddhaktinka, and is said to enjoin that the food obtained by the mendicant is to be divided into three portions: one to be given to any person whom he sees to be suffering from hunger, and a second to be carried to some quiet place in the forest, and placed upon a stone for the birds and beasts.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 338
“I and thou, O Arjuna! have passed through many transmigrations. I know all these.... Even though I am unborn, of changeless essence, and the lord also of all which exist, yet, in presiding over nature (Prakrita), which is mine, I am born by my own mystic power (Maya). For whenever there is a relaxation of duty, ... and an increase of impiety, I then reproduce myself for the protection of the good.... I am produced in every age.”—_Bhagavad-Gita_. J. Cockburn Thomson.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 189
“Subhuti, the Lord Buddha by his prescience,[8] is perfectly cognisant of all such potential disciples, and for these also there is reserved an immeasurable merit. And why? Because, the minds of these disciples will not revert to such arbitrary concepts of phenomena as an entity, a being, a living being, a personality, qualities or ideas coincident with Law, or existing apart from the idea of Law. And why?
The Diamond Sutra, passage 504
[6] “The vow of ‘obedience’ was never taken by the Buddhist monks and nuns, and in this it may be noticed a fundamental difference between them and monastic orders in the West: mental culture, not mental death, was the aim set before the Buddhist ascetic by the founder of his faith.”—_Buddhism_. T. W. Rhys Davids.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 113
[36] Fah-Shen—the Law, or spiritual body. Compare Shen-Shen, the term usually employed in the Chinese rendering of the New Testament Scriptures to denote the spiritual body.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 515
The original printed text scans can be found at: https://archive.org/details/cu31924022914588.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 251
[13] “The _Sramana_ (Buddhist monk) who sets himself to overcome the evils of existence, retires from all intercourse with the world, and either practises meditation, simply, or joins with it the practice of Kasina (an ascetic exercise to free the mind from all agitation), by which he is enabled to attain to _Nimitta_ (inward illumination), which is represented as being a mental illumination that brings with it, in various degrees of perfection, the state of mind called _Samadhi_ (absolute self-abstraction). This result of profound meditation includes undisturbed tranquillity, and equanimity the most entire, and in its superior degree it produces unconsciousness.”—_Eastern Monachism_. Spence Hardy.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 255
The Lord Buddha, continuing, addressed Subhuti, saying: “Enlightened disciples ought therefore to engender within themselves a pure and holy mind; they ought not to depend on the phenomena of form, sound, odour, taste, touch, or Law; they ought to sedulously cultivate a mind independent of every material aid.”
The Diamond Sutra, passage 394
The Lord Buddha enquired of Subhuti, saying: “What think you? Does the Lord Buddha possess the physical eye?” Subhuti assented, saying: “Honoured of the Worlds! the Lord Buddha truly possesses the physical eye.”
The Diamond Sutra, passage 393
In the _Mo-Wei-Sutra_, the ordinary concepts of an entity, a being, a living being, or a personality, are referred to as _blots_ or _stains_ upon the mind.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 346
The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “If a good disciple, whether man or woman, in the morning, at noonday, and at eventide, sacrificed lives innumerable as the sands of the Ganges, and thus without intermission throughout infinite ages; and if another disciple, hearing this Scripture proclaimed, steadfastly believed it, his felicity would be appreciably greater than the other. But how much greater must be the felicity of a disciple who transcribes the sacred text, observes its precepts, studies its Laws, and repeats the Scripture that others may be edified thereby?”
The Diamond Sutra, passage 71
Within the realm of Buddhist philosophy, the doctrine of reincarnation is conspicuous by reason of its peculiarly attractive charms. On first acquaintance, the European mind may be somewhat “startled” to discover, that a satisfactory explanation of the interminable evolution of life, is sought for by the earnest Buddhist in the theory of reincarnation.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 166
The giving of alms softens the mind, and brings it into subjection, by which the ascetic is prepared for the exercise of the rites he is afterwards to practise.... The faithful are required to give in alms of that which they have honestly earned by their own personal exertions.... There must be a willing mind respecting that which they offer, from the time that the intention of making the offering is formed to the time when it is presented, as well as after it has been made....
The Diamond Sutra, passage 68
“_What hath been bringeth what shall be, and is, Worse—better—last for first and first for last: The Angels in the Heavens of Gladness reap Fruits of a holy past._”
The Diamond Sutra, passage 64
In _The Diamond Sutra_ it may be observed that incidental reference is made by Sakyamuni Buddha to the doctrines of Karma and Reincarnation. It seems to be an old truth to which expression is given in the _Epistle to the Galatians_: “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”[45]
The Diamond Sutra, passage 183
But in later ages, when the combined influence of Sivaism, which ascribed to Siva a threefold body (called _Dharmakaya_—essence, _Sambhogakaya_—reflex intelligence, and _Nirmanakaya_—practical issue of his intelligence), and that of Brahmanism with its Trimurti, gave rise to the Buddhist dogma of a Triratna (_San-Pao_—the precious Buddha, the precious Law, and the precious Priesthood), trichotomism was taught with regard to the nature of all Buddhas.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 505
“_As when men, travelling, feel a glorious perfume sweet Pervading all the country side, and gladdening them, infer at once, ‘Surely ’tis giant forest trees are flowering now!’ So, conscious of this perfume sweet of righteousness That now pervades the earth and heavens, they may infer: ‘A Buddha, infinitely great, must once have lived!’_”
The Diamond Sutra, passage 186
Subhuti enquired of the Lord Buddha, saying: “Honoured of the Worlds! In future ages, when this scripture is proclaimed, amongst those beings destined to hear, shall any conceive within their minds a sincere, unmingled faith?”[1]
The Diamond Sutra, passage 170
“The very nature of phenomena demonstrates that they must have had a beginning, and that they must have an end.”—_Lay Sermons_. Huxley.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 216
[2] “Very considerable indeed, world-honoured one! But why so? This merit being in its very character of the nature of that which is no merit at all, so Tathagata speaks of it as being ‘much.’”—_Kin-Kong-King_. Beal.
The Diamond Sutra, passage 144
Upon that occasion, the venerable Subhuti[1] occupied a place in the midst of the assembly. Rising from his seat, with cloak arranged in such manner that his right shoulder was disclosed, Subhuti knelt upon his right knee, then pressing together the palms of his hands, he respectfully raised them towards Lord Buddha, saying: “Thou art of transcendent wisdom, Honoured of the Worlds! With wonderful solicitude, Thou dost preserve in the faith, and instruct in the Law, this illustrious assembly of enlightened disciples.[2] Honoured of the Worlds! if a good disciple, whether man or woman,[3] seeks to obtain supreme spiritual wisdom,[4] what immutable Law shall sustain the mind of that disciple, and bring into subjection every inordinate desire?”[5]
The Diamond Sutra, passage 236
[6] “Not returning, or not being reborn in the world of desire. The third degree of Buddhistic saintship, the third class of Aryas, embracing all those who are no more liable to be reborn as men, though they are to be born once more as Devas, when they will forthwith become Arhats and enter Nirvana.”—_Handbook of Chinese Buddhism_. Eitel.