We all have heard or read the story about the 6th Patriarch Huineg, how he got awakened upon hearing the Diamond Sutra. How that after it really sunk in, he was able to make that poem..."no mirror for dust to alight." Quite a few Zen Masters where inspired by the Diamond Sutra.
Sometimes I will use a saying from it for myself but not directly know where I heard such a thing. Then remember after I happen to stumble across the sutra again. I would like to point out how there seems to be a theme about "hearing" this Sutra. Huieng was awaken upon hearing, the other's mentioned below have had mind opening conversations based upon one line or generality of the Diamond Sutra.
Clearly they where as intimately familiar with it as any of us might be in a crowd of friends sharing enjoyment of the same movie together. Each their own way to pick a thing out and bring it into discussion. Do you ever wonder, were sutras , being collected in temple libraries, the only thing there was to read? And it is fairly common knowledge that just up till about 500 years ago or less, it was normal to read out loud even by yourself. SO if you ever wondered, how the monk asked if so and so was reading the Diamond Sutra, that's why. He was speaking it out loud.
Let's hear some of the conversations around the Diamond Sutra that some zen masters have had.
Zen Master Yunmen #275
The Master asked a monk, "Are you reading the Diamond Sutra?"
The monk replied, "Yes."
Quoting this scripture the Master said,
All objects (dharmas) are no-objects; just this is called "all objects."
Then he held up his fan and said, "You call this a fan. That's a concept. I hold it up — but where is it? What good is it to be overwhelmed by delusive thoughts from morning till night?
IZM- have you ever puzzled over over the "what do you call it" type koans? The cheat sheet is probably in the Diamond Sutra.
Sayings of Layman P'ang #50: The Message of the Diamond Sutra
The Layman dropped in at a temple where a priest was giving a public lecture on the Diamond Sutra. When the priest came to the part that says "There is no I and there is no other," the Layman asked the priest, "About the part that says, ‘There is no I and there is no other,' who then is lecturing now and who is listening to it?"
The priest did not reply, so the Layman said, "I am only a layperson, but I have a rough idea about the teaching involved."
The priest said, "So what are the Layman's thoughts about it?"
The Layman then composed a verse:
"There is no I and there is no other."
How can there be intimacy or estrangement?
I recommend giving up trying to get there by meditation,
But rather, directly seizing the reality at hand.
The message of the Diamond Sutra is:
Nothing is excluded from our experienced world.
From beginning to end,
It inevitably exposes our false identities.
Upon hearing this verse, the priest was delighted and expressed his gratitude.
Wherever the Layman went, Whether it was a place he frequented or was just passing through, his actions were always appropriate to the situation. He was always unpredictable and spontaneous.
IZM- Wow, so much impact from such a little Sutra. What do you think, Rzen? Does this little sutra have any distinct or definite teaching? How can it inspire such understanding? I mean , it does not to that to me when I read it. Maybe someone should read it out loud to me.
Or let the next speaker explain for me, to me.
On the Transmission of Mind (Huangbo) #8
Our original Buddha-Nature is, in highest truth, devoid of any atom of objectivity. It is void, omnipresent, silent, pure; it is glorious and mysterious peaceful joy - and that is all.
Enter deeply into it by awaking to it yourself. That which is before you is it, in all its fullness, utterly complete. There is naught beside. Even if you go through all the stages of a Bodhisattva's progress towards Buddhahood, one by one; when at last, in a single flash, you attain to full realization, you will only be realizing the Buddha-Nature which has been with you all the time; and by all the foregoing stages you will have added to it nothing at all.
[Enlightenment must come in a flash, whether you have passed through the preliminary stages or not, so the latter can well be dispensed with, except that, for reasons unconnected with Enlightenment, Zen requires of adepts an attitude of kindness and helpfulness towards all living creatures.] You will come to look upon those aeons of work and achievement as no better than unreal actions performed in a dream.
That is why the Tathagata said: 'I truly attained nothing from complete, unexcelled Enlightenment. Had there been anything attained, Dipamkara Buddha would not have made the prophecy concerning me.'
[This quotation refers to the Diamond Sutra, as do many of the others either directly or indirectly. Dipamkara Buddha, during a former life of Gautama Buddha, prophesied that he would one day attain to Buddhahood. Huang Po means that the prophecy would not have been made if Dipamkara Buddha had supposed that Gautama Buddha's Enlightenment would lead to the actual attainment of something he had not already been from the very first; for then Enlightenment would not have led to Buddhahood, which implies a voidness of all distinctions such as attain-er, attained, non-attain-er and non-attained.]
He also said: 'This Dharma is absolutely without distinctions, neither high nor low, and its name is Bodhi.' It is pure Mind, which is the source of everything and which, whether appearing as sentient beings or as Buddhas, as the rivers and mountains of the world which has form, as that which is formless, or as penetrating the whole universe, is absolutely without distinctions, there being no such entities as selfness and otherness."
IZM- Yup, that is all pretty clear there HungBo-Po. Guess I don't have to read that ole Sutra anyway. You all make it so clear. No self, No other, nothing gained, had it the whole time. But people still keep getting something outta reading that darn rag. Can't we just listen to you zen masters tell us about it?
Sayings of Joshu #385
Joshu was reading the Diamond Sutra when a monk asked, "It is said that all the various Buddhas, all the wisdom of the Buddhas, everything derives from this sutra. What is this sutra?"
Joshu said, "Kongohanyaharamitakyo. 'I have heard that Buddha was once in the country of Shaei...''"
The monk said, "That's not it."
Joshu said, "I cannot possibly revise the sutra of my own accord."
IZM- I hear ya Mr.Joshu. Well maybe you can present it in a new a hilarious ways, Mr Joshu. Like, starting from a more realistic place. Subiti and Buddha sitting together having a conversation. Rzenners, when was the last time you heard the Diamond sutra?
Do you hold it in any reverence, (trick question), I mean does it speak to you, help you quiet your mind? Have you floated that raft down stream?
How about this one......
If you have not heard this sutra before, ( and I do not mean read it many times in your head or chanted it in some other language) I have went ahead and recorded an art project style reading for any who will like to give it a try.
If you have read this sutra before...well you haven't tried mine.
I have had a bit of inspiration form u/golden_eyebrow when he was speaking of seeing these sutras, and writings with more of a storybook view. Well, if I misunderstood him it got me churning about, as I alluded to before, if the sutras where the only reading material available, surely there was a comedian in the monastery. I wonder how many different ways it might be read out.
I have my own fun way. I give Buddha his own voice and personality. I have tried to listen to other people read out or dramatize Scriptures and Sutras and they tend to make things overly reverent. Saccharin respectful. Bombastically voiced word of law and wisdom.
Not like it might have really been. Two persons into seeking truth and stuff talking. Or in my case, putting on a musical. If you are so daring, I invite you to a fresh take into what all the hub bub was that these Zen Master's just could not get enough of.
The link is to My Play list called No Subuti Sutra. There are four acts, respectively 14,16, 23 and 20 min in length.
Remember it is art, not blasphemy. Warning do not expect a professional quality production, it was improv and any time I do it hereafter it will be improv. Just look at it this way. If i ever become a famous entertainer going temple to temple reading sutras for monks, then you will have the pleasure of knowing that what you are about to view will become the lost original tract. Your memory here today, or any day you view these, will be collector's items.
Play list https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJDMLIO3138& list=PLDjrcczMXmUI0FTjbD24mo5kN0cEShitV
Or individually....
Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJDMLIO3138
Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZI315m-LwE
Part 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNy3bGH01Ec
Part 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni5lhLLZA1Q
