The Diamond Sutra (Vajracchedika-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra), "The Perfection of Wisdom Sutra that Cuts like a Thunderbolt," is a short Mahayana sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom genre, which teaches the practice of the avoidance of abiding in extremes of mental attachment. A copy of the Diamond Sutra, found sealed in a cave in China in the early 20th century, is the oldest known dated printed book, with a printed date of 868. Since it can be read in approximately forty minutes, the Diamond Sutra is often memorized and ch ...

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Diamond Sutra

"An independent part of the Prajnaparamita Sutra, which attained great importance, particularly in East Asia. It shows that all phenomenal appearances are not ultimate reality but rather illusions, projections of one's own mind ... The work is called Diamond Sutra because it is 'sharp like a diamond that cuts away all unnecessary conceptualizations and brings one to the further shore of enlightenment.'"

 (The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen.)

 (See also: Diamond Sutra, Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

Diamond Sutra: A Mahayana Buddhist scriptural text that expounds the doctrine of the Perfection of Wisdom. The Diamond Sutra was written in India in Sanskrit and then carried into East Asia, where it was translated into Chinese (ca. 400) and became one of the most revered summaries of the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism.

(See also: Diamond Sutra, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Buddha-nature (originally in Sanskrit, "Buddha-dhatu" - "Buddha Element", "Buddha-Principle") is a doctrine important for many schools of Mahayana Buddhism. The Buddha-nature ("Buddha-dhatu") is taught to be a truly real eternal potential or principle, present in all sentient beings, for awakening and becoming Enlightened. The Buddha-nature doctrine relates to the possession by sentient beings of the innate buddha-mind or buddha-element ("Buddha-dhatu"), which is, prior to the full attainment of buddhahood, not fully actualized, or at ...

Including:

• Buddha-nature - Development of Buddha-nature
• Buddha-nature - Buddha-nature vs. atman

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There are a great variety of Buddhist texts. Buddhists place varying value on them: attitudes range from worship of the text itself, to dismissal of some texts as falsification of the ineffable truth. They therefore cannot be called "scripture" in the sense of other religions. The texts can be categorized in a number of ways, but the most fundamental division is that between canonical and non-canonical texts. The former, also called the Sutras (Sanskrit) or Suttas (Pali), are held to be, literally or metaphoricall ...

Including:

• Buddhist texts - Canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Texts of the Nikaya Schools
• Buddhist texts - Sutta
• Buddhist texts - Abhidharma
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Mahayana texts
• Buddhist texts - Perfection of Wisdom Texts
• Buddhist texts - Saddharma-pundarika
• Buddhist texts - Pure Land Sutras
• Buddhist texts - The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra
• Buddhist texts - Samadhi Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Confession Sutras
• Buddhist texts - The Avatamsaka Sutra
• Buddhist texts - Third Turning Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Tathagatagarbha class sutras
• Buddhist texts - Collected Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Transmigration Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Discipline Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Sutras Devoted to Individual Figures
• Buddhist texts - Proto-Mahayana Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - References
• Buddhist texts - Vajrayana Texts
• Buddhist texts - Buddhist tantras
• Buddhist texts - Other products of the Vajrayana literature

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The Heart of Perfect Wisdom Sutra or Heart Sutra (Sanskrit: Prajñāpāramitā Hridaya Sūtra, Chinese: 般若波羅蜜多心經, Buorebuoluomituo Xinjing) is a well known Mahāyāna Buddhist sutra. The Heart Sutra comes from the 3rd of Conze's four periods in the development of the Perfection of Wisdom literature. It is a very much contracted presentation of the ideas of the perfection of wisdom tradition which had ballooned up to 100,000 lines. Along with the Diamond Sutra the Heart Sutra is the main representat ...

Including:

• Heart Sutra - Content

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Buddhism is a very important religion in China and one of the three major schools of thought along with Confucianism and Taoism. It has affected and been affected by Chinese culture, politics, literature and philosophy for almost two millennia. For a more generalized discussion of Chinese religion, see religion in China. Buddhism in China - History of Buddhism in China. The arrival of Buddhism in China followed the first contacts between China and Central Asia which occurred with the opening of the Silk Ro ...

Including:

• Buddhism in China - History of Buddhism in China
• Buddhism in China - Relation to Confucianism and Daoism
• Buddhism in China - Local interpretation of Indian texts
• Buddhism in China - Buddhism gains political traction in the north
• Buddhism in China - Monks and rulers join forces
• Buddhism in China - Modern Chinese Buddhism
• Buddhism in China - Reference

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Buddhism Schools: The three main branches of Buddhism

Buddhism has evolved into myriad schools that can be roughly grouped into three types: Nikaya, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Of the Nikaya schools, only the Theravada survives. Each branch sees itself as representing a true, original teachings of the Buddha, and some schools believe that the dialectic nature of Buddhism allows its format, terminology, and techniques to adapt over time in response to changing circumstances, thus validating dharmic approaches different from their own.

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Also known as Tantric Buddhism, Mantrayana, Tantrayana, Esoteric Buddhism, Diamond Vehicle or True Words Sect. (Secret) Mantra vehicle is the name most commonly used in Tibetan scriptures. Vajrayāna Buddhism is often viewed as the third major 'vehicle' (Yana) of Buddhism, alongside the Hinayana and Mahayana. The Vajrayana is an extension of Mahayana Buddhism consisting not of philosophical differences, but rather the adoption of ad ...

Including:

• Vajrayana - Advantages of Vajrayana
• Vajrayana - Esoteric Transmission Initiation
• Vajrayana - Relationship with Mahayana
• Vajrayana - History of Vajrayana
• Vajrayana - India
• Vajrayana - China
• Vajrayana - Tibet and other Himalayan kingdoms
• Vajrayana - Japan
• Vajrayana - Indonesia and Malaysia
• Vajrayana - Mongolia

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Charles Muller is a translator specializing in East Asian philosophical texts. He has translated the following texts into English: Analects of Confucius Tao Te Ching Doctrine of the Mean Great Learning Mencius Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment Diamond Sutra Bulssi japbyeon (Array of Critiques Against Buddhism) Hyeonjeong non (Exposition of the Correct) Ijangui (Doctrine of the Two Hindrances) Other re

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Nondualism is the belief that dualism or dichotomy are illusory phenomenae. Examples of dualisms include self/other, mind/body, male/female, good/evil, active/passive, and many others. A nondual philosophical or religious perspective or theory maintains that there is no fundamental distinction between mind and matter, or that the entire phenomenological world is an illusion (with the reality being described variously as ...

Including:

• Nondualism - Terminology
• Nondualism - Nondualistic world views
• Nondualism - Nondual religious and spiritual traditions
• Nondualism - Zen
• Nondualism - Buddhism
• Nondualism - Dzogchen
• Nondualism - Advaita
• Nondualism - Taoism
• Nondualism - Individuals subscribing to a non-dual view of reality
• Nondualism - Ancient Western philosophers
• Nondualism - Medieval Western philosphers
• Nondualism - Modern Western philosophers
• Nondualism - Asian philosophers and spiritual leaders
• Nondualism - Authors
• Nondualism - Musicians
• Nondualism - Source

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Bill Porter, an American author who writes under the name Red Pine, is an acclaimed translator of and interpreter of Chinese texts. He lived in Taiwan and Hong Kong and has traveled in China. He now lives in Port Townsend, Washington. Bill Porter author - Works. The Zen Works of Stonehouse: Poems and Talks of a Fourteenth-Century Chinese Hermit (translator) Guide to Capturing a Plum Blossom by Sung Po-jen (translator) Diamond Sutra (translator and extensi ...

Including:

• Bill Porter author - Works
• Bill Porter author - External link

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Block printing is a special form of printing first developed in China. The earliest known example with an actual date is a copy of the Diamond Sutra from 868 A.D (currently in the British Museum), though the practice of block printing is probably about two thousand years old. The first step in block printing is the production of the original document. This is laid on a large, smooth wooden block and fixed into place, reversed. Next, craftsmen of various skill levels, ranging from master carvers for the fine work to less talente ...

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In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Womb Realm (Skt. garbhakosa-dhatu, Jp. 胎蔵界 taizōkai) is the metaphysical space inhabited by the Five Wisdom Kings. The Womb Realm is based on the Mahavairocana Sutra. The Womb Realm is a very popular subject for mandalas, and along with the Diamond Realm (vajradhatu) Mandala forms the Mandala of the Two Realms. Category: Buddhist philosophical concepts ...

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The Tathagatagarbha doctrine (tathāgatagarbha) teaches that each sentient being contains the effulgent Buddhic element or potential to become a Buddha. "Tathagata-garbha" means "Buddha Womb/ Buddha Matrix" or "Buddha Embryo", and this notion is explicated by the Buddha in the "Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra" as the "True Self" within all sentient beings - the unconditioned, boundless, nurturing, sustaining, deathless and diamond-like Self of Buddha, which is indiscernible to worldly, unawakened vision as a result of the masses of neg ...

Including:

• Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Tathagatagarbha in Zen
• Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Buddha-bots
• Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Texts

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868 - Events. 11 May: Printing of The Diamond Sutra, the oldest dated printed book. Aghlabid dynasty of Tunisia takes Malta. In Metz, Charles the Bald and Louis the German decide on a division of the lands of former emperor Lothar (now in possession of Lothar II and Louis II). In England Alfred the Great marries Ealhswith and goes to the aid of Burgred of Mercia, who is attacked by Danes. Ratramnus writes Contra Graecorum opposita. Establishment of ...

Including:

• 868 - Events
• 868 - Births
• 868 - Deaths

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Many religions and spiritual movements believe that their sacred texts (or scriptures) are the "Word of God", often feeling that the texts are wholly divine or spiritually inspired in origin. Even non-believers often capitalize the names of sacred scriptures as a mark of respect or tradition. Although ancient civilizations have produced handmade texts for thousands of years, the first printed scripture for wide distribution to the masses was The Diamond Sutra, ...

Including:

• Sacred text - Texts
• Sacred text - Views

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Diamond is one of the two best known forms (or allotropes) of carbon, whose hardness and high dispersion of light make it useful for industrial applications and jewelry (the other equally well known allotrope is graphite). Diamonds are specifically renowned as a mineral with superlative physical qualities - they make excellent abrasives because they can only be scratched by other diamonds, which also means they hold a polish extremely well and retain luster. About 130 million carats (26,000 kg) are mined annually ...

Including:

• Diamond - Material properties
• Diamond - Mechanical properties
• Diamond - Electromagnetic properties
• Diamond - Media
• Diamond - Natural history
• Diamond - Formation
• Diamond - Surfacing
• Diamond - Gemological characteristics
• Diamond - Carat
• Diamond - Clarity
• Diamond - Color
• Diamond - Cut
• Diamond - Cleaning
• Diamond - History
• Diamond - Record-holding diamonds
• Diamond - The diamond industry
• Diamond - Gem diamond industry
• Diamond - Industrial diamond industry
• Diamond - Diamond supply chain
• Diamond - Synthetics simulants and enhancements
• Diamond - Symbolism

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Gihwa, also known as Hamheo Teuktong (1376 - 1433) was a late Goryeo-early Joseon Buddhist monk of the Seon order, who was the leading Buddhist figure of his generation, also known as Hamheo. He was originally a Confucian scholar of the highest reputation, but he converted to Buddhism at the age of 21 upon the death of a close friend. He wandered among the Korean mountain monasteries, until he had the fortune of becoming the discipl ...

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Zongmi (宗密) (780 - 841), also commonly referred to by the monastic title of Guifeng (圭峰), was a Tang dynasty Buddhist scholar-monk, installed as fifth patriarch of the Huayan school as well as a patriarch of the Heze Chan lineage. He wrote a number of vitally important essays on the current situation of Buddhism in Tang China, and is one of the most important figures in East Asian Buddhist history in terms of providing modern scholars with a clear analysis of the development of Chan (Zen) and Huayan and the gener ...

Including:

• Zongmi - External link

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