The Diamond Sutra (24)

Part 8-1

“Subhuti, what do you think—if someone gives seven kinds of treasures in charity that are sufficient to fill a billion-world universe, would this person gain many blessings?”

Subhuti said, “Very many, World Honoured One. Why? These blessings are not of the nature of blessing; therefore the Realised One says the blessings are many.”

The Buddha said, “If anyone accepts and holds even a single four-line verse from this Sutra, and tells it to others, the blessing exceeds the aforementioned.”

Commentary:

No matter how much valuable treasure we may give in charity, it is no better than making good karma unless we are aware that it is empty. Good karma, no matter how much it may be, is supposed not only to come to an end but also to be accompanied by bad karma since there cannot be good karma without bad karma.

We should know that ‘this Sutra’ doesn’t imply the text that is printed on paper or on silk, or carved on wood or on rock but the true-Self, Emptiness that is the essence of our being and that a four-line verse from this Sutra signifies the function of the true-Self whether it is a movement, or a sound.

As mentioned in earlier parts, everything, ourselves included, is the true-Self, the Buddha, and every movement and every sound of it is the function of the true-Self. It follows from this that not just everything we see and hear but all actions and sounds we make as well are a four-line verse.

So, ‘accepting and holding even a single four-line verse from this Sutra and telling it to others’ doesn’t mean to accept and hold even a literal verse from the material Sutra and tell it to others. Rather, just as the Lotus Sutra says that once we realise the true-Self, no matter what words we may read, or speak such as mundane books, political discourses, wealth, or careers, they will be a Dharma talk, we, aware that everything we see and hear is the Buddha’s Dharma talk, should know that all actions and sounds made by us are no other than four-line verses.

Student: “What is a four-line verse?”

Master: “It can’t be dictated.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway