Diamond Sutra Reading

Wednesday January 1 2025, 1:00pm-2:30pm

Maybe when we first come to practice we thought some miracle would happen. The miracle actually is coming to practice; we still have to do the work of cutting through delusion. The Diamond Sutra gives very clear teaching for this, and it is especially clear when read aloud continuously in one sitting.

Here is a quote from Red Pine’s book on the Diamond Sutra.  The context is a verse talking about the perfection of forbearance. 

 “The Buddha is concerned that Subhuti’s understand of this teaching begins and ends with prajna (wisdom).  But prajna does not exist in isolation and cannot be practiced without practicing the other perfections. In this sutra, the Buddha focuses on three of the Six Perfections, namely, those that counteract the Three Poisons:  the perfection of charity, which counteracts the poison of desire, the perfection of wisdom, which destroys the poison of delusion, and the perfection of forbearance, which eliminates the poison of anger.  Although this sutra only mentions these three by name, each is closely related to the other perfections:  Charity with morality, forbearance with vigor, and wisdom with meditation. Thus, by focusing on these three, the sutra provides instruction in all six.  The reason the Buddha mentions forbearance here (in this chapter) is that without it, bodhisattvas will not be able to endure what is the most traumatic teaching they will ever experience or know.”

This sutra takes about an hour and a half to read straight through. Beverly will facilitate, inviting participants one at a time to read aloud a section; others, while muted, will read along in their homes. We will open with brief introductions and an orientation to the event, then just read, closing with an appropriate dedication. 

Paper copies of the translation by Price and Wong will be provided in the zendo and you can also find a pdf here.