Selected Works of Nan Huaijin (Volume 8) What the Diamond Sutra Says · Interpretation of the Meaning of the Great Wisdom of Lengyan

Author: Nan Huaijin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-09-17
Features: The Diamond Sutra is one of the representative classics of early Mahayana Buddhism and also a summary of the Prajnaparamita scriptures. Its full title is the Diamond Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom (the character "" in the title can also be written as ""), consisting of one volume, translated by the famous monk Kumārajīva in the sixth year of the Hongshi era (426 AD). After its publication, it quickly gained widespread popularity, leading to over one hundred different commentaries, summaries, annotations, poetic verses, sermons, notes, selections, collections, explanations, classifications, clarifications, and interpretations. The text primarily discusses the theory that "all spoken phenomena are not all phenomena" and the concept that all phenomena (both physical and psychological) are "emptiness and illusory existence." This book is a lecture record by the renowned scholar Nan Huaijin on the Diamond Sutra. Based on the division by Emperor Zhaoming of the Liang Dynasty, the Diamond Sutra is divided into thirty-two chapters, each of which is explained in detail. Each chapter concludes with a poetic verse to summarize the author's insights. The difficult parts of the Diamond Sutra are thoroughly analyzed and explained. With the authorization of the author and the original publishing house, Taiwan Lao Gu Cultural Enterprise Company, this revised edition (second edition, third printing, January 2001) is published for research purposes.
The Leng Yan Sutra is an important classic revered by the Chan and Pure Land schools of Buddhism in China. Since the Tang Dynasty, there have been over one hundred commentaries on it, and its recitation, study, and practice are widespread both within and outside temples. The famous "Leng Yan Dharma Meeting" is based on this text. The full title of the Leng Yan Sutra is the Great Top of Buddha's Secret Cause for Cultivation and Enlightenment, the Essential Dharma for All Bodhisattvas, the Chief Leng Yan Practice of Ten Thousand Actions. It consists of ten volumes, translated by the Tang Dynasty monk Pāramitī. The text primarily discusses the theory that "roots and dust are of the same origin, and liberation and bondage are not two," as well as the "twenty-five methods of perfect penetration." The Ming Dynasty monk Zhixu once praised it as "the south of the religion, the essence of the nature and form, the core of the dharma for one generation, and the true seal for becoming a Buddha and founding a lineage" (from Understanding the Buddhist Canon). This book is a modern interpretation of the essence of the Leng Yan Sutra by the renowned scholar Nan Huaijin, including the original text, annotations, translation, and commentary (indicated in parentheses). The translation strives for faithfulness, elegance, and clarity, presenting ancient wisdom in a modern context, making it a high-quality colloquial reading of the Leng Yan Sutra. With the authorization of the author and the original publishing house, Taiwan Lao Gu Cultural Enterprise Company, this revised edition (first edition, thirty-fifth printing, March 2001) is published for research purposes.