The Diamond Sutra

INTRODUCTION

if this metaphysical treatise A formal piece of writing dealing with the nature of reality and existence. hardly deserved the world-wide reputation which it has attained." Regarding this descriptive "world-wide reputation," devout Buddhists might suggest in extenuation As a partial justification., that throughout many centuries, the "spiritual wisdom" of The Diamond Sutra produced in countless minds a "conscious blessedness of perfect peace." This "spiritual wisdom" also appeared to be a "strong incentive to holiness," and a grateful inspiration to those who had entered "the path which leads to Nirvana The ultimate state of spiritual liberation and peace in Buddhism, signifying the end of suffering.." In a few renowned monasteries of Central China, our Buddhist friends frequently affirmed that, by contemplating the "spiritual wisdom" of The Diamond Sutra, the mind would inevitably become "transfused with the mellow light of imperishable truth."

In the preface to The Diamond Cutter original: "The Vagrakkhedika," the Sanskrit title meaning the "Diamond-Cutter" of ignorance., Max Müller Friedrich Max Müller (1823–1900) was a famous German-born scholar who pioneered the study of Eastern religions in the West. made a critical observation regarding certain peculiarities of "style" adopted in this treatise by the Buddhist philosophers who wished to convince their hearers of the truth of their philosophy. From the Sanskrit The primary liturgical language of ancient Indian Buddhism. text, perhaps it is difficult to realize fully what Ashvaghosha original: "Asvaghocha," an influential Indian Buddhist philosopher and poet of the 2nd century.¹ described as the "persuasiveness of Buddha's eloquence";² yet we may quite appreciate the academic instinct of Kumarajiva The monk introduced on the previous page who first translated this sutra into Chinese around 400 AD., whose work on The Diamond Sutra bears evidence of a laudable endeavor to produce a classic, which in the Chinese language is almost entirely beyond reproach.

In all our aspirations to translate or to interpret Buddhist texts, perhaps it might prove advantageous to

¹ The Chinese Ma-Ming This is the Chinese name for Ashvaghosha, which literally means "Horse-Voice" or "Horse-Cry.".
² Compare the Chinese text of The Awakening of Faith original: "Chi-Sin-Pien," a foundational text in East Asian Buddhism..