The Diamond Sutra

1. This is what I have heard:

Once, the Buddha was staying at Anathapindikas retreat in the Jeta Grove near the city o
!ravasti, with a gathering o 1"#$ %onks. Ater dressing and %aking his &egging rounds in
the city and eating his one %ea', he sat with the %onks.
". The %onk !u&huti paid his respects to the Buddha and asked a (uestion: )*hat shou'd
one who wants to trave' the Bodhisattva path keep in %ind+,
-. The Buddha answered, )A Bodhisattva shou'd keep this in %ind: A'' creatures, whether
they are &orn ro% the wo%& or hatched ro% the egg, whether they transor% 'ike
&utter'ies or arise %iracu'ous'y, whether they have a &ody or are pure'y spirits, whether
they are capa&'e o thought or not capa&'e o thought: A'' o these I vow to he'p enter
nirvana &eore I rest there %yse'.
)But keep in %ind, !u&huti, that in rea'ity there is no such thing as an I who he'ps, and no
such thing as an other who% I he'p. A Bodhisattva who does not recogni/e this rea'ity is no
true Bodhisattva.
0. )A true Bodhisattva takes no p'easure in this act o co%passion and has no interest in
appearances. 1e si%p'y he'ps others se''ess'y.
)2an you %easure the east, the west, the north, and the south, !u&huti+,
)3o, 4ord.,
)3either can you %easure the %erit o so%eone who can he'p others without thought o
hi%se'.,
#. )!u&huti. 2an anyone te'' who is a Buddha on the &asis o physica' characteristics+,
)3o, 4ord. 5ou have taught that Buddhahood is not a %atter o physica' characteristics.,
)!o one who is concerned with appearances wi'' never see the Buddha, &ut one is not
concerned with appearances %ay.,
6. !u&huti asked, )4ord, wi'' there a'ways &e peop'e who understand your %essage+,
Buddha answered, )7ont dou&t it, !u&huti. There wi'' a'ways &e peop'e who, hearing the
%essage, wi'' adhere to the precepts and practice our way. Our %essage wi'' reach peop'e
si%p'y &ecause it is true. There wi'' co%e a ti%e when %any wi'' no 'onger need words,
&ut wi'' &e &eyond words. *e %ust a'' strive to go &eyond the words, &ecause words can
&e c'ung to, and we shou'd not c'ing to things. 8nderstand that the words o the Buddha are
'ike a rat &ui't to cross a river: *hen its purpose is co%p'eted, it %ust &e 'et &ehind i we
are to trave' urther.
9. )!o te'' %e, !u&huti. 1ave I taught the u'ti%ate teaching+,
)3o, 4ord. The u'ti%ate teaching is not so%ething which can &e taught, &ecause the
u'ti%ate teaching is not a thing which can &e grasped or c'ung to.,
:. The Buddha said, )Te'' %e, !u&huti. I so%eone gave away a universe u'' o treasures
to he'p others, wou'd he gain great %erit+,
)5es, 4ord. 1is %erit wou'd &e great. But you have a'so taught us that, in order or this act
o generosity to &e genuine, he wou'd not have thought o gaining %erit. In act, he wou'd
not have thought o hi%se' at a''.,
The Buddha said, )3ow, i so%eone understands and passes on even our sentences o %y
%essage to another, his generosity is even greater. 1e is not ;ust giving so%ething, he is
he'ping to create uture Buddhas.,
<. )Te'' %e, !u&huti. *ou'd so%eone who is &eginning to understand %y %essage say to
hi%se' =I have acco%p'ished so%ething grand+,
)3o, 4ord. !aying so%ething 'ike that wou'd %ean that the &eginner doesnt understand
that there is no ego there to take credit or anything at a''.,
)And wou'd so%eone who is high'y advanced in his understanding o %y %essage say to
hi%se' =I have acco%p'ished so%ething grand+,
)3o, 4ord. Anyone saying such a thing wou'd a'so &e saying that there is indeed an ego
that attains so%ething, and so%ething to attain. These are not the thoughts o so%eone who
understands your %essage.
)4ord, you have said that I have &een successu' in achieving peace and reedo% ro%
passions. In act, I no 'onger crave the status o a saint. I I did, I a% sure that you wou'd
never have thought so %uch o %e.>
1$. )!u&huti, I I say, =Bodhisattvas adorn the heavens,, wou'd I &e speaking the truth+,
)3o, 4ord. Adorn%ents are i''usions, and i''usions have no p'ace in the heavens.,
)And so Bodhisattvas shou'd rid their %inds o ego, and cease their preerences or one
odor or another, one sound or another, one sight or another. A Bodhisattva shou'd have no
attach%ent or aversion to anything.,
The Buddha asked, )!u&huti, i a %an had a &ody as huge as a %ountain, wou'd he &e a
great %an+,
)3o, 4ord. Because )a great %an, is on'y words, and &eing a great %an is an i''usion,
created &y the &e'ie in ego.,
...
1-. Then !u&huti asked the Buddha, )4ord, what sha'' we ca'' this ser%on+,
The Buddha answered, )2a'' it =The 7ia%ond !utra on the ?erection o *isdo%. 4ike a
dia%ond &'ade, it can cut through a'' de'usion.,
...
10. Then !u&huti sudden'y had a u'' awareness o the %eaning o the ser%on, and was
%oved to tears. )4ord, thank you or this ser%on. Anyone who hears it and understands it
with a pure %ind wi'' &e %oved &y it. @ven hundreds o years into the uture, its c'arity
wi'' &e appreciated.>
....
-". )!u&huti, i so%eone gave away enough treasure to i'' a universe, he wou'd sti'' not
gain as %uch %erit as so%eone who %anages to understand and pass on a ew 'ines o this
ser%on.
)!o what shou'd &e on ones %ind as one &egins the Bodhisattva ;ourney+
>4ike a a''ing star, 'ike a &u&&'e in a strea%,
4ike a 'a%e in the wind, 'ike rost in the sun,
4ike a 'ash o 'ightning or a passing drea% AA
!o shou'd you understand the wor'd o the ego.,
!u&huti and the rest o the %onks were i''ed with ;oy at hearing the Buddhas ser%on.