The Diamond Sutra And The Study Of Wisdom And Emptiness
The Diamond Sutra and theStudy of Wisdom andEmptinessBuddhism in Every Step 20Written by Venerable Master Hsing YunTranslated by Fo Guang Shan Translation Center
3456 S. Glenmark DriveHacienda Heights, CA 91745 U.S.A. April 2006 by Fo Guang ShanInternational Translation CenterAll rights reservedTranslated from the Chinese byF.G.S. International Translation CenterEdited and proofread byVenerable Miao Hsi and Louvenia OrtegaCover design and book layout byMei-Chi Shih and Kevin HsyehPrinted in Taiwan
Table of ContentsI.The Main Theme of theDiamond Sutra2II. The Understanding ofEmptiness in the DiamondSutra16III. Understanding Emptinessfrom the Viewpoint ofExistence22IV. Prajna in Daily Life27
The Diamond Sutra and theStudy of Wisdom andEmptinessThe subject of this booklet is the Diamond Sutraand the study of wisdom (prajna) and emptiness(sunyata). Emptiness cannot be expressed in words.However, in order to realize wisdom and the nature ofemptiness, we have to resort to some means ofspeaking about both of them. Although what we talkabout is really neither wisdom nor emptiness, if it cangive us a semblance of them, it will be of great help tous.-1-
I. The Main Theme of the Diamond SutraThe Diamond Sutra is a famous and popularBuddhist scripture. As soon as we mention the Diamond Sutra to people, they know we are talking aboutBuddhism, and conversely, it is often impossible todiscuss Buddhism without mentioning the DiamondSutra. Presently, many Buddhists read and recite theDiamond Sutra in the hope that misfortune will notbefall them and their lives will be both long andblessed. The Diamond Sutra is also recited to transfermerits to the deceased. During the Tang Dynasty, if aBuddhist layman wanted to get the necessary permission to become a monk, he had to pass an examination arranged by the government. One of themain subjects of this examination was the DiamondSutra. The Fifth Patriarch of Chan, Hongren, alsorecited the Diamond Sutra when he wanted to pass onthe Dharma to the Sixth Patriarch.The Diamond Sutra is not only highly esteemedin academic circles. It is also popular among thegeneral public. Everybody, from a revered monk toan average person, finds the Diamond Sutra indispensable in the study of Buddhism. The popularity of-2-
the Diamond Sutra can be traced to its profoundphilosophy, eloquent style, and applicability to thecultivation of the religious life.The Diamond Sutra contains a total of more than5,000 Chinese characters. Prince Chao Ming of theLiang Dynasty divided the text into thirty-two sections. I will try to state the main theme of the Diamond Sutra using the following phrases:a) Give without clinging to any notion; b) Deliverall beings without the notion of a self; c) Live withoutattachment; d) Cultivate without any expectation.A. Give without Clinging to Any NotionTo give without clinging to any notion refers tothe threefold emptiness of giving. It means that whengiving one should not have any idea of an "I" as thegiver, nor of an individual who receives the gift, norof things being given. Naturally, there should be noexpectation of being repaid for what one has given.The merit of this kind of giving, characterized by thethreefold emptiness mentioned above, is the utmost ingiving.-3-
Once the Chinese Broadcasting Company aired adrama that dealt with giving. A couple once found asmall stray dog in the snow. They decided to take itback home to raise it. Since the dog was found in thesnow, they named it Snowy. Soon, a bond developedbetween the dog and the couple. Every day, aroundthe time when the husband got off work from thefactory, the dog would greet him at the bus stationand accompany him back home. It was so punctualthat others started calling it "The Time-keeper."One night, a thief broke into the house. The dogwas very clever; it nabbed the thief and would not letgo of its grip until the couple had a chance to questionthe thief. As it turned out, the thief explained that hismother was sick, he had no money so he resorted tostealing to buy medicine for this mother. Since thereason for his stealing was to take care of his sickmother, the couple decided to let the thief go. Theyalso gave the thief some other things to take homewith him.After some time, the couple totally forgot aboutthis incident. However, things in this world are impermanent and ever changing. One day, an explosionoccurred at the factory where the husband was-4-
working, and he was killed on the job. Because of hissudden death, the household lost its main breadwinner, and life became very difficult. The wife had nochoice but to borrow money from her relatives andfriends to pay the bills. After a while, her relativesand friends started to avoid her. Her situation wentfrom bad to worse.One day, a man from the countryside called onher. He brought with him a goat, some vegetables,fuel, rice, oil, and salt as gifts for her. This man wasnone other than the thief that she and her husband hadhelped before. He had been deeply moved by thekindness of the couple and was worried that he couldnever repay them for the help they had extended tohim. When he came to know of the misfortune thathad befallen them, he knew it was the perfect time forhim to repay their kindness. From that time on and formany years afterwards, he continued to help the wifewith food and other necessities, and so saved herfrom the brink of despair.The wife thought, "When my husband was alive,we had many friends and relatives, but after he died,all of them went away one by one. On the contrary,this thief, whom we let go and to whom we gave out-5-
of kindness without any thought of recompense, hasnow come back to help me." Deeply touched, sherecalled the proverb, which says, "A flower plantedwith care does not bloom, whereas a willow plantedwithout much thought grows into a shady tree." Thisway of acting, without any thought of recompense, isindeed the cultivation of "giving without clinging toany notion."Giving for the purpose of getting fame, gainingwealth, avoiding the pain of being reborn into a suffering state of existence, or wishing for good healthand blessings is giving with clinging to form. Themerit of such giving is limited. If one practices givingwithout any regard to any gain to be had, to what thecost is, or to whether there is any recompense, it isgiving that is done completely because of the needs ofothers and is called "giving without clinging to anynotion." The merit from such giving is limitless.The Diamond Sutra says, "Cultivate givingwithout abiding in form, without abiding in smell,taste, touch, or mental objects." In our daily lives, ifwe talk, work, eat, and dress with compassion, we cando a lot of good and help people everywhere. However, we must not dwell on the notion that we are-6-
helping others and keep thinking about how muchgood we have done.Only by giving without clinging to any notioncan one attain limitless merit and be in accordancewith the spirit of the Diamond Sutra.B. Deliver All Beings without the Notion of aSelfIf one clings to any notion when giving, the meritgained will not be great. If we have the notion of aself when delivering others from the sea of suffering,we will not be able to develop our compassion. Onlywhen we develop great selfless compassion can wedeliver all living beings. The Diamond Sutra says, "Ishould master the mind in such a way that I will leadall types of living beings—whether born of egg,womb, moisture, or transformation, with or withoutform, with or without consciousness, or neither -remainder so that they are completelyfreed." There are countless types of living beings. "Todeliver living beings" does not mean to deliver only afew of them; it means to develop a heart and mind-7-
large and wide enough to deliver all beings withoutexception.The intention to deliver all living beings does notmean only the giving of food to those who havenothing to eat or the giving of clothes to those whohave nothing to wear. The provision of food andemotional support can only give momentary relief.To truly deliver living beings means to enable everybeing to enter Nirvana-without-remainder andthereby transcend the cycle of birth and death. If weare to deliver so many living beings and guide themto the shore of Nirvana, then we need to have a mindthat does not cling to the notion that any living beinghas been delivered. We must have a mind that is freefrom the dualistic notion of self versus others. Onlythen, can we truly deliver all beings.The Diamond Sutra says, "Even if an immeasurable, innumerable, and unlimited number of livingbeings have been delivered, in reality, no living beinghas been delivered." When a Bodhisattva deliverssentient beings, he or she must be without any notionof a self, any notion of others, any notion of livingbeings, and any notion of lifespan. Only then is ittruly delivering all beings. To deliver all sentient-8-
beings, one must develop a mind that is broad, that isfree of dualities and wrong ideas, and that is withoutany notion of a self. According to the Diamond Sutra,only through the delivering of living beings withoutthe notion of a self can one be attuned with prajna andcomprehend the nature of sunyata.In the Chan school, there is a koan (a collectionof public cases in Chan records) about a person asking Chan Master Weiguan, "Where is the Way?""Right before your eyes.""Why do I not see it?""You do not see it because you have the notion ofa self.""Because I have the notion of a self, I do not see it.Has the Master seen it?""The notion of ‘you,' in addition to the notion of aself, further keeps you from seeing.""If there is neither the notion of ‘you' nor the notion of a self, can it be seen?""If there is neither ‘you' nor ‘a self,' then whowants to see it?"When we speak of "selflessness," we do not meanthere is no such person as myself. "Selflessness" is arealm of the mind and prajna. It is a realm of being-9-
free from the bondage of the tangible, dualistic notionof relationship, of being able to transcend the relativeconcepts of self and others, and of being equal tospace and the universe. There is fundamentally nodifferentiation among the mind, the Buddha, andsentient beings: all living beings are beings in one'smind, all the Buddhas are Buddhas in one's mind, andall things are things in one's mind. Outside of themind, where can there be any living beings? If wethink like this, then although numerous beings arefreed, we do not think that a single being is freed.With such transcendental thinking, we are trulypractitioners of prajna and sunyata.C. Live without AttachmentTo live without attachment is to live withoutclinging to the external environment of the five desires (wealth, beauty, fame, food, and sleep) and thesix dusts (form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mentalobject). In every aspect of daily life—clothing, food,shelter, and transportation—we must live withoutgreed and attachment. The life of the Buddhist layman Vimalakirti was one of "living in a family, butbeing unattached to the three realms of existence;- 10 -
living with a wife, but always practicing pure living."The life he lived was indeed a life without attachment.To live without attachment does not mean that weshould abstain from living, but that we should leadour lives with an attitude that is captured in the saying,"If you are as unaffected as a wooden statue lookingat flowers and birds, then does it matter that tens ofthousands of things illusively surround you." If wecan live without attachment, then we can look at theworld like "a wooden statue looking at flowers andbirds" and be unaffected like a wooden statue. Wewill not be perturbed by the outside world, and wewill be freed from greed. This is to say that if we canlive without any clinging, then worldly fame andfortune, disputes between self and others, and concerns for gain or loss can no longer affect us. We canthen "pass through a grove of flowers without a singlepetal clinging to us." At that time we can indeed"meditate peacefully without being in a secludedplace," for "we will have a sense of coolness when thefires in our hearts are extinguished."Indeed, it is wise to look at the world withoutmaking comparisons, without being discriminating- 11 -
and calculating, for this enables us to enter the worldof nonattachment. When the mind has reached thestate of nonattachment, the heart can be as wide as theopen space of the universe. If we can attain this state,then we will no longer be affected by the trifles ofdaily life. The life without attachment as mentionedin the Diamond Sutra is really a life of utmost perfection. We should not, however, think that the typeof living alluded to in the Diamond Sutra is so mystical and unfathomable that it is beyond our reach. Onthe contrary, the teachings in the Diamond Sutra canhelp us lead an everyday life that transcends all material desires. It is up to us to experience the wisdomof nonattachment in our daily lives and to find out forourselves how we can purify our minds and improveour lives.D. Cultivate without Any ExpectationWhen there is nothing to acquire, then there istrue attainment; thus, it is only when we cultivatewithout expectation that we can attain enlightenment.It is said in the Heart Sutra, "There is no eye, ear,nose, tongue, body, or mind; there is no form, sound,smell, taste, touch, and no mental object. There is no- 12 -
realm of eye consciousness and no realm of mentalthoughts; there is no ignorance and there is no extinction of ignorance. There is no old age and death,and there is no extinction of old age and death. Thereis no suffering, no accumulation of suffering, no extinction of suffering, and no path (leading to the extinction of suffering). There is no knowledge and noacquisition of knowledge, because there is nothing toacquire." This is the real wisdom of the bodhisattva.Our nature is originally pure; it will shine withoutany enhancement or modification. Our nature isfundamentally pure and bright, fundamentally thesame as that of the Buddha. Our true nature is notsomething to be cultivated, something to be realized,or something to be acquired. It is only when wepractice without the notion of practicing, when werealize without the notion of realizing, that we aretruly enlightened."Nothingness" does not mean without anything.Actually, the value of the seemingly useless is thegreatest.Once, a person's eyes, nose, and mouth had ameeting. First the eyes said, "We, the eyes, are ofutmost importance to the body. Everything must be- 13 -
seen by us to know whether it is beautiful or not, bigor small, tall or short. Without eyes, walking aroundwould be very difficult. So we, the eyes, are veryimportant. But we have been improperly placed underthe eyebrows, which are of no use. It is just not fair!"Next, the nose said, "I, the nose, am the mostimportant. Only I can distinguish a good smell from afoul odor. The act of breathing is also dependent onme. If I do not let the breath pass through, everybodywill die. So I am the most important. As important asI am, I have been unfairly placed beneath the uselesseyebrows. I am most unhappy."Then the mouth said, "I am the most importantpart of the human body. I can speak; if not for me,there would not be any communication among people.I take in the food; if not for me, everybody would dieof hunger. Such an important part as myself has beenplaced in the lowest part of the face. The uselesseyebrows, however, have been put on the highest partof the face. This I cannot accept!"After the others had spoken, the eyebrows spokeslowly, "Please do not fight anymore. We, the eyebrows, are surely the most useless things; we admitdefeat. We are willing to be placed below you."- 14 -
Having said this, the eyebrows settled down belowthe eyes. Unfortunately, the person no longer lookedlike a human being. Next, they eyebrows settleddown below the nose. It was still horrible; it still didnot look like a human being. Then the eyebrows settled down below the mouth. This looked even moreghastly! The eyes, nose, and mouth huddled to discuss the situation again. They concluded that it wasbest if the eyebrows returned to their original place onthe face; it was the most appropriate spot for them.When the eyebrows returned to their original spot, theappearance was once again that of a human being.Thus, we can see that what appears to be the mostuseless thing can be indeed the most useful.The main theme of the Diamond Sutra is "no self,no notion, no cultivation, and no realization." This"no" is "emptiness," but emptiness does not have theusual meaning of without anything. Emptiness is thebasis of existence; emptiness is the non-dual "nothingness" which embraces both existence and nonexistence. Such "nothingness" is real "emptiness."This is the ultimate wisdom.- 15 -
II. The Understanding of Emptiness in theDiamond SutraEmptiness, or sunyata, as discussed in the Diamond Sutra is not the emptiness of which peopleordinarily speak. Most people think of emptiness andexistence as two distinct and dualistic concepts. Tothem, the existence of things cannot be characterizedas emptiness; to them, emptiness cannot possiblymean existence. This kind of dualistic emptiness isnot the emptiness that is discoursed in the DiamondSutra. The term "emptiness" as used in the DiamondSutra includes both existence and nonexistence. Infact, emptiness integrates existence and nonexistence.People ordinarily think that there is absolutely noemptiness within existence, and there is no existenceat all in emptiness. But the existence and nonexistence spoken of in the Diamond Sutra refers to thefact that existence is emptiness and emptiness is existence. Emptiness and existence are one and thesame, for existence and nonexistence are but twoaspects of emptiness.Let me use the analogy of a fist. When a hand isclosed into a fist, there is clearly the existence of a fist.But when we open our fingers, where is the fist? The- 16 -
fist, which was so clearly visible, is no longer there.But can you say that it is nonexistent? When the fivefingers close up, there is again a fist. The DiamondSutra says that existence and nonexistence are thesame thing. Existence is indeed nonexistence, andnonexistence is existence.In the discussion of emptiness, the Diamond Sutra says that there is nothing in this world that has thecharacter of never changing, the character of substantial being, and the character of independent existence. In fact, the so-called "emptiness" in theDiamond Sutra has the meaning of cause and condition.Emptiness is very difficult to comprehend. It is atruth that is difficult to understand. What is emptiness?Emptiness is the essence of the universe, theorigin of human life, and the source of the phenomenal world. Let us take Amitabha Buddha as apractical example of emptiness. Amitabha is emptiness because Amitabha is indeed Truth and Truth isAmitabha. So Amitabha is called emptiness. Thename Amitabha contains infinite significance. Forexample, Chinese Buddhists usually say "Omitofo,"- 17 -
the name of Amitabha. When you see a Mr. Wangcoming toward you, you immediately say, "Mr.Wang, Omitofo." This simply means, "Hi, Mr. Wang,good to see you here." When you meet a Mr. Lee onthe road in the morning, you say, "Mr. Lee, Omitofo."It means, "Good morning, Mr. Lee." Again, as a guestin someone’s house, at the time of taking leave, yousay, "I am leaving now, Omitofo." It means,"Good-bye, everybody." If you see somebody falldown, you say, "Oh my goodness, Omitofo." Thisshows your compassion and sympathy. In my owncase, when people give me something, I always say"Omitofo" to express my thanks.The significance of the word Amitabha is verybroad. This word stands for many other words. LikeAmitabha, the word "emptiness" includes everything.Just like a purse, it can contain many things onlyw
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