Download Books The Diamond Sutra Online

Specify Books Concering The Diamond Sutra

Original Title:

Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra ASIN B001MV7DRE

The Diamond Sutra

Anonymous

Kindle Edition | Pages: 288 pages

Rating: 4.37 | 799 Users | 47 Reviews

Itemize Epithetical Books The Diamond Sutra

Title	:	The Diamond Sutra
Author	:	Anonymous
Book Format	:	Kindle Edition
Book Edition	:	Special Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 288 pages
Published	:	(first published 868)
Categories	:	Religion. Buddhism. Philosophy. Zen. Spirituality. Classics

Chronicle During Books The Diamond Sutra

Red Pine's Translation Of The Diamond Sutra

The Diamond Sutra is a spiritual treasure and a key text of Mahayana Buddhism. Estimates for its date of composition range from the second century B.C. to the third century A.D. The original texts are in Chinese and Sanskrit. There are two related explanations for the title "Diamond Sutra": 1. the teaching of the sutra cuts through diamonds or 2. the sutra itself is the diamond that in its radiance and strength cuts through and illuminates everything. The text consists of 32 chapters (the chapter divisions are not in the original sources) and about 30 pages. The Diamond Sutra is one of the few texts of whatever type that will repay endless study and which can transform the life of the receptive reader.

Red Pine has produced a translation and commentary on the Diamond Sutra which help greatly in exploring it. The organization of the book bears discussing. The book opens with a translation of the sutra, unadorned by commentary, which consists of about 30 pages. The translation is followed by a Preface in which Red Pine gives some background on the text and on Buddhism, sketches out his interpretation of the text, and explains to the reader how he came to the Diamond Sutra over the years.

The longest section of the book consists of a commentary of about 400 pages arranged in 32 sections, one for each chapter of the Diamond Sutra. Each section begins with the text of the Chapter followed by Red Pine's commentary on the chapter as a whole. He then reproduces again a smaller portion of each chapter -- a paragraph, sentences, or sometimes only a phrase --and offers commentary on it. The commentaries are sometimes Pine's own. He also draws down a selection of the enormous commentary the Diamond Sutra has generated over the centuries. Some of this commentary dates from early Chinese sources and other portions of it are contemporary in origin. I found the various commentaries fascinating in themselves and useful in starting to approach the Diamond Sutra.

Pine also gives the reader familiar with the original sources an analysis of textual variations. More importantly, he offers the general reader a glossary of the many names, places and sources to which his commentary refers, which are likely to be unfamiliar to those approaching the Diamond Sutra for the first time.

There is a great deal in the commentary, and in the Diamond Sutra itself, comparing the teaching of the Sutra, with its emphasis on the Bodisattva, who works with compassion for the salvation of all sentient beings, with the earlier, Theravada, school of Buddhism, with its emphasis on the Arahant and on individual enlightenment. There is deep discussion in the Sutra on no-self, and on non-attachment. It is a text that will reward repeated meditation and readings.

Red Pine's book helped me and will help other readers begin with the Diamond Sutra and its difficult teachings.

Robin Friedman

Rating Epithetical Books The Diamond Sutra

Ratings: 4.37 From 799 Users | 47 Reviews

Notice Epithetical Books The Diamond Sutra

The most profound piece of writing I have ever read!

fucking confusing and very scholarly and yet a very definitive exploration of this central buddhist text which is essentially a two thousand year old treaty on the theory of relativity and its application to the notion of saintliness and charity, contains both Sanskrit, Japanese and Chinese translations.

The Diamond sutra answered the questions, how should they walk, and how should they control their thoughts.

The Diamond Sutra, in conjunction with the dramatically shorter Heart Sutra, is arguably the ideal embodiment of Mahayana Buddhism within a single sutra: it sets out what Mahayana Buddhism stands for, details how it differs from the non-Mahayana Buddhist schools, and does so beautifully. For those unfamiliar with Buddhist literature, there is no one Buddhist bible that you can hold in your hand; the Buddhist corpus of texts span the length of multiple sets of encyclopedias.Like seemingly all

The Diamond Sutra is the sutra on non-attachment or the perfection of wisdom. That, of course, is putting it simply, as only Buddhists can do. 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. The gift this book gave me, was all the times it lead me to look something else up or read some other writing which gives a layer to the book that I love. Recommended, anything Red Pine.

An online translation is available here

I feel hesitant to rate a Holy Scripture as two stars, but I feel like I would be doing an injustice to such scriptures as The Bodhicaryavatara (which was a solid five stars in terms of insightful and profound works), by rating this any higher than a two. It has some good teachings, but if you're looking for a scripture to blow you away, this isn't it.