New Annotations and Full Translation of the Diamond Sutra

Author: Gao Yangjing Sanlong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The Diamond Sutra is a Buddhist classic. Its full title is "The Diamond Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom That Cuts Through Ill," also known as "The Sutra of the Diamond Prajna." It is commonly referred to as "The Diamond Sutra." It was first translated by (Kumarajiva) during the fourth year of Hongshi (402) in the Later Qin period. It consists of one volume. Subsequently, five other translations appeared: ① The "Sutra of the Diamond Prajna" translated by (Bodhiruci) during the Northern Wei period; ② The "Sutra of the Diamond Prajna" translated by (Paramartha) during the Southern Chen dynasty; ③ The "Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom That Cuts Through Ill" translated by (Darmakshita) during the Sui dynasty; ④ The "Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom That Cuts Through Ill" translated by (Xuanzang) during the Tang dynasty (also known as the ninth assembly of the "Great Prajna Sutra"); ⑤ The "Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom That Cuts Through Ill" translated by (Yijing) during the Tang dynasty. Additionally, there are Tibetan and Manchu translations. This sutra is based on the principle of one ultimate reality, with the doctrine of non-attachment, the purpose of dispelling doubts, and the teaching of Mahayana. The four lines of verse at the end of the text: "All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows; like dew or lightning—view them thus," are considered the essence of the sutra. It means that all things in the world are empty and illusory, and the "ultimate reality" is "neither right nor wrong." It teaches one to "distance oneself from all phenomena" and "remain unattached," meaning not to cling to or linger in the real world. Due to its nature of emptiness and wisdom, its explanation of the principle of "no self" in all phenomena, its moderate length—not overly vast or too brief—it has been widely propagated throughout history, especially by Zen Buddhism after Huineng. The Sanskrit manuscript of the Diamond Sutra has been discovered in China, Japan, Pakistan, Central Asia, and other regions. In places like Turpan in China, translations in languages such as Khotanese and Sogdian have also been unearthed. After its introduction to the West, it has been translated into many languages. In 1837, Hermann Hübschmann translated it into German based on the Tibetan version for the first time. In 1881, F. Max Müller revised and translated the Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan versions into English, included in "The Sacred Books of the East," Volume 49. In 1957, Edward Conze translated it into English again, included in "The Eastern Buddhist Series," Volume 8. Darduigen translated it into French based on the Sanskrit text, comparing it with the Manchu translation. Japanese scholars such as Uchida Hisao and Nakamura Chikazō have translated it into Japanese multiple times. The Diamond Sutra in this book is translated based on the version by Kumarajiva, with sentences, punctuation, and paragraphs arranged according to the dialogue format between the Buddha and monks. The annotations adopt a sentence-by-sentence approach, with occasional multi-sentence summaries. The full translation is the result of "new annotations," aiming to provide convenience for readers, helping them better understand the basic content of this Buddhist classic.