The Diamond Sutra is a well-known Buddhist work of thirty-two chapters, taking the form of a dialogue between the Sakyamuni Buddha and the disciple, Subhuti. It comes from a Mahayana school of Buddhism known as the perfection of wisdom school (Prajñāpāramitā), and therefore is also known as part of the Prajñāpāramitā Sutras.
The Diamond Sutra or "Diamond Cutter" is unique because it involves a dialogue between an apparently enlightened being and a mere disciple. In contrast, other dialogues within the collection are usually between the Buddha and other achieved bodhisattvas.¹
The Diamond Sutra says that all we take for reality is a projection or illusion of the mind. Reality, it claims, is sunyata (emptiness). The text doesn't mention a personal God as portrayed in Western religions and advocates additional Buddhist beliefs like:
¹ S. G. F. Brandon ed., A Dictionary of Comparative Religion (1971), p. 507.
² http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_Sutra
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| A page from the Diamond Sutra, printed in the 9th year of Xiantong Era of the Tang dynasty, i.e. 868 CE. Now located in the British Library, this sutra was discovered at the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang. |
The Diamond Sutra or "Diamond Cutter" is unique because it involves a dialogue between an apparently enlightened being and a mere disciple. In contrast, other dialogues within the collection are usually between the Buddha and other achieved bodhisattvas.¹
The Diamond Sutra says that all we take for reality is a projection or illusion of the mind. Reality, it claims, is sunyata (emptiness). The text doesn't mention a personal God as portrayed in Western religions and advocates additional Buddhist beliefs like:
- the value of detachment
- non-abiding (avoiding conditioned mental constructs)
- dispensing with the notion of the self
Opinion
Buddhism may be compelling in that it invites us to step away from our reactive lives and be calm and 'centered' no matter what happens. But for me, believing in those ideas was only the beginning of my spiritual quest. In Catholicism, I experience a higher, grander, and far greater presence that Buddhism does not access and seems oblivious to.
When we are touched by the Holy Spirit, our unique individuality is abundantly clear. And the power and intelligence of God make the Buddhist claims look small and limiting. Buddhism may be trendy among some Western folk. But I suspect that they are attracted to the same thing that attracted me when I was a lively teenager. The promise of tranquility amidst a somewhat restless mind.
Again, for me, there's much more. But for some reason, not everyone can see that.
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¹ S. G. F. Brandon ed., A Dictionary of Comparative Religion (1971), p. 507.
² http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_Sutra
Related » Heart Sutra
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