The Diamond Sutra: Transforming the Way We Perceive the World

The Diamond Sutra is one of the most important works in the Buddhist religion. It is one of a number of great sutras that make up what would be considered the equivalent of the Christian Bible. This sutra, like all the sutras and much of the Oriental writing such as the Bhagavad-Gita, is written in the form of a conversation . . . in this case it's written between the Buddha and , a monk by the name of Sabuthi.Buddha is speaking to a large group of monks and others but the conversation is with this one individual.The book is very intelligently divided into three parts. The first part consists of a history of this sutra and Buddhism in general. And it very well written.The second part is the Diamond Sutra in a translated text and commentary and finally there is an appendix which consists of the raw text of the diamond Sutra. I find this an excellent way to put the commentary together.While the book itself is relatively short with only 167 pages., it manages to give a tremendous amount of valuable information about this delightful sutra.I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of historical data in this book. The author, Mu Soeng, gives a tremendous amount of historical background, as well as explains the differences in some of the various schools of Buddhism. This is most fascinating.This material is written in a very easy to understand way and it is exceptionally well researched.The background of the Diamond Sutra is well-documented in this book. Its relevance to the various schools of Buddhism are given quite a bit of space in the book, which I found very useful.The second part of the book is the translated text and commentary. I had some trouble with this section. But perhaps the reason I had this difficulty, is explained by the Buddha himself who said in this sutra, "This sutra will be called the . . . The Diamond -- Cutter Wisdom That has Gone Beyond, because it has the capacity to cut through illusions and afflictions and bring us to the sure awakening, and by this title you will know it"The Buddha also said in his discussion with Sabuthi (the monk Lord Bud dah was talking to in the sutra), that Sabuthi should know that the meaning of this sutra is beyond comprehension and discussion. He added that the fruit that results from receiving and practicing this sutra is beyond comprehension and discussion also.So perhaps the fact that many things in this sutra were still left esoteric is because that's the way it was intended to be.To give you an example of just one of the hundreds of areas that I felt were not commented upon enough for me understand is the following:"Therefore, Sabuthi, a bodhisattva, detaching him or herself from all ideas, should rouse the desire for utmost, supreme, and perfect awakening. He or she should produce thoughts that are unsupported by forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangible objects, or mind objects, unsupported by Dharma, unsupported by no-Dharma, unsupported by everything. And why? Because all supports are no supports. This is the reason why the Buddha teaches that the bodhisattva should practice generosity without dwelling on form. Sabuthi, the reason he practices generosity is to benefit all beings." The Buddha also says that there is no Dharma by which he has fully known the utmost, right, and perfect awakening. And the Dharma that he has fully known and demonstrated is neither grasped nor elusive. Therefore he teaches all dharmas are the Buddha's own special dharmas. Finally to give another example of the difficulty in understanding the sutra, allow me to quote one more time from the Diamond Sutra."Know, World Honored One, he does not, why? Because to create a harmonious Buddha field is not to create a harmonious Buddha field, and therefore he is known as creating a harmonious Buddha field."Now I realized that this is written eons ago. I know that it is esoteric in nature. But I would have liked the author to explain some of these areas better. I don't feel that a person should have to be a Buddhist scholar with many years background to be able to understand this lovely sutra. But having said that, I think the author has done a superior job in writing a book that explains the eloquence and the beauty and the deep richness of Buddhism. Further, he has described the history in such manner that it brings Buddhism alive and makes it very real for the reader.And so if a person is either well entrenched in Buddhism of any school, or if an individual is very interested in Buddhism and wants to gain a greater knowledge of it, I highly recommend this book. It is a wonderful work and well worth reading. I would advise the reader to read it more than one time, however. Because that will be the only way that he or she is going to be able to grasp the full meaning of both the commentary and this sutra.I would give another star to the book if only it could explain what more of the text means or even gave the reader a few options from which to choose. But this being an ancient text and esoteric at best, perhaps that can never be done.One should be aware too that Mu Soeng comes from the Zen tradition and some of the material cannot help but be colored by that. However, I found that he did an excellent job at being objective. So people from other traditions should be able to enjoy this book as well as people of the Zen tradition.

The author is thorough and clear in his extensive analysis and explanation of the Diamond Sutra. He elucidates the development of Buddhist thought throughout history beginning with the intellectual and social context of the Buddha himself. The sutra is analyzed and explained section by section. The author occasionally references western culture and ideas esp physics. An eye opening examination of Buddhism and the Diamond Sutra.

This is an excellent book. Mu Soeng writes with a clarity that makes very difficult concepts understandable. At the same time, he presents a work of excellent historical scholarship that will educate, inform, and even entertain those readers wanting greater depth in understanding the Diamond Sutra and Mahayana Buddhism.When I bought this book I expected a treatise that would clarify the philosophical depth of the Diamond Sutra. I was not disappointed. Mu Soeng's explanations of the Diamond Sutra clearly explain this paradoxical sutra without trivializing the material.I was surprised when I discovered the wealth of historical material in the book on the development of Mahayana thought and the bodhisattva ideal. Normally such material might bore me, but somehow Mu Soeng weaves an historical tale that infuses the story of the development of Mahayana Buddhism with a sense of excitement.I have studied and practiced Buddhism (Zen in particular) for almost 30 years. This is an excellent book that should be on the shelves of anyone who wants greater depth and clarity regarding the Diamond Sutra, the bodhisattva ideal, and Mahayana thought.

Deep and reader-friendly at the same time. It was recommended by a 50 year practitioner who said it was the most superior book on the Diamond Sutra he has encountered. I was very happy to get it and my understanding of this sutra has certainly deepened.

After reading the author's summation and teaching on the Heart Sutra, I was interested on his take of the Diamond Sutra. This book did not disappoint me. Mu Soeng explains a difficult piece of Buddhist "holy" scripture in logical, modern, and scientific terms (as much as is possible for Mahayana sutras).I wish I had purchased the hard copy of the book instead of the Kindle version however. Books like this require me to flip back and forth between pages and chapters and that is difficult to do with Kindle versions.

The Diamond Sutra is the core of the Buddhist Mahayana tradition and displays the paradoxical and mystical nature of Buddhism. Mu Soeng has written an extraordinary book for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. It is transformative for readers from almost any spiritual tradation, and the most articulate and absorbing commentary on the Buddhist Mahayana tradition as well as the Diamond Sutra. Thich Nhat Hanh's commentary on the same sutra pales by comparison. The book's first section is the most elaborate and remarkable exposition and history of Mahayana available in a popular text. Mu Soeng places both Buddhism and the Mahayana tradition in the historical and cultural context of the times, showing the remarkable creativity of the Buddha's views. His exposition of shunyata or emptiness is as close to human comprehension as we are likely to get.

I'm not very far into the book but am learning about the early years of Buddhism and how Mahayana Buddhism developed. Very interesting!

The book has one of the best discussions of Buddhist history and the divergence of "Hinayana" and "Mahayana" Buddhism around. It is worth reading the book just for that. It goes down as one of the few books I keep around for reference.

I can only recommend Mu Soeng's book to anybody with a serious interest in Buddhism; it is a scholarly tome that is lucid and offers a penetrating insight to the Diamond Sutra.Western Buddhists often appreciate the Diamond Sutra has been held in esteem by Buddhists for centuries but I suspect have little understanding of the text. I'll admit it baffled me for years. My occasional dip into it usually left me wondering how to get a handle on it but appreciative of it's final, famous verse - Thus shall you think of this fleeting world etc.Having read `The Diamond Sutra: Transforming the Way We Perceive the World ` my understanding has developed and I'm grateful for it's enrichment. The author's writing style is the model of clarity and he is aware of the postmodern debate. This is most definitely not a new age book, no wooly thinking here, no devotional aspect either just philosophical logic.

Having recently started meditating and bringing Buddhist teachings into my daily life this book was my perfect companion. Personally I did not find this book too scholarly even though I am a beginner, the overview of the historical context did pose some challenging new words but generally I understood what Soeng was saying. The highlight of this short book is obviously the commentary of the Sutra itself which is absolutely life changing to say the least. Bringing these teachings into your meditation leaves you with a far deeper and profound understanding of the Buddhas teachings and will therefore give you a very different way of viewing your life and your suffering. I read this book once in few days and am already considering re-reading it to refresh my memory of the Sutra for the benefit of myself and all others that I may pass these teachings onto.If you are choosing between this and Mu Soeng's commentary of the Heart Sutra I would choose this, its far more focused on the Buddhist teaching and history and draws less comparisons to Quantum Physics that at times create confusion due to the short explanations of very complex scientific theories.

Very readable and full of information including historical background. Worth reading