Diamond Sutra Platform Sutra

Author: Deng Yuying
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: The shining pearl in Buddhist scriptures, the Diamond Sutra, full title The Diamond Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom, is one of the most important scriptures in the Mahayana Prajna category. It means to cut off with the wisdom of the Diamond Sutra, enabling sentient beings to escape the Three Realms and attain liberation to reach the shore of the boundless cycle of life and death. Its main theme is to propagate the Buddhist doctrine of "emptiness and illusory existence." The four lines of verse at the end of the scroll, "All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows; like dew or lightning, they should be viewed in this way," embody the essence of this scripture. It is the record of Ananda, a Buddhist disciple, interpreting the answers of Shakyamuni Buddha and Subhuti on Buddhist doctrine.
The Platform Sutra, the only Chinese Buddhist scripture revered as a "sutra," full title The Platform Sutra of the Master of the Six Patriarchs, is the record of the enlightenment of the founder of Chan Buddhism, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, and his teachings on the Dharma. Its main theme is that the mind-nature is inherently pure, and the practice of the Dharma is centered on wu niàn (non-attachment), wu xiang (non-form), and wu zhu (non-abiding). This reflects the fundamental purpose and teachings of Chinese Chan Buddhism.