Part 13-1, 2
Then Subhuti said to the Buddha. “World Honoured One, what is this sutra to be called? How should we uphold it?” The Buddha said to Subhuti, “This sutra is named Diamond Prajnaparamita; you should uphold it by this name. Why? Subhuti, the prajnaparamita explained by the Buddha is not prajnaparamita but just called prajnaparamita.”
Commentary:
When we speak of this Sutra, we are literally referring to the sermon titled The Diamond Sutra for Attaining Wisdom delivered by Sakyamuni Buddha at the Jetavana Monastery in Sravasti.
Diamond symbolises the ultimate strength that neither breaks nor changes.
Wisdom here means the perfection of wisdom.
Thus, it signifies unchanging, perfect wisdom, or the attainment of unchanging, perfect wisdom.
The core of Buddha’s teaching that we must keep in mind is that all things are empty — meaning non-dual, or that all things are one. Regardless of what the Buddha said, the purpose of his words was to reveal Emptiness, the Buddha-nature, which is non-dual.
As the Avatamsaka Sutra says, “The Buddha fills the world with a subtle voice, preaching the Dharma for countless eons; yet all those teachings are contained within a single word.”
This means that although terms like this Sutra or Wisdom, may sound different and seem to carry different meanings, they are merely expedient means created by the Buddha to help sentient beings recognise the formless and nameless Buddha-nature. In essence, they are all functions of the true-Self, Buddha-nature, we should know without being deluded by words.
This is why in part 8-3, it is said: “What is called the Buddha Dharma is not the Buddha Dharma.” In part 10-2, Subhuti says, “Adornment is not adornment; it is merely named adornment.” Similarly, the Buddha said, “Perfect Wisdom is not Perfect Wisdom; it is merely named Perfect Wisdom,” warning us not to be deceived by the words themselves. In other words, there is no separate, special thing called Diamond Sutra; rather, he is pointing to the very source from which the sound of those words arises. That source is the True Sutra that the Buddha intended, and one must clearly realise this.
As an ancient Zen master once said:
Everyone possesses their own Sutra,
but as it has no form or letters,
no one knows how to read it.
One who can read that Sutra
will enter Nirvana without birth or death,
will not seek the path of a Bodhisattva,
nor strive to become a Buddha.
Disciple: “How should I uphold this Sutra?”
Master: “See it as you wish, but I do not permit you to uphold it.”
Disciple: “Why do you forbid upholding it?”
Master: “To uphold it is to defile it.”
One should have no place where the mind abides.
To uphold is to abide.
If you abide, it is no longer Perfect Wisdom.
Koan:
When Joshu visited Yunju, Yunju said, “You are getting on in years; why do you not find a place to stay?”
“Where is the place I should stay?” Joshu asked.
Yunju replied, “There is an old temple site at the foot of the mountain.”
“Then why don’t you, Master, stay there yourself?” Joshu countered.
At this, Yunju remained silent.
Joshu then went to Sooyou. Sooyou also said, “You are getting on in years; why do you not find a place to stay?”
Joshu said, “Where is the place I should stay?”
“You are so old, yet you still do not even know where you should stay!” Sooyou replied.
Question 1: What is the meaning of Joshu’s response to Yunju: “Why don’t you, Master, stay there yourself?”
Question 2: What is the meaning of Sooyou’s remark: “You are so old, yet you still do not even know where you should stay!”?
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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