Green Way

Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra

“You should know that such people will have planted good roots
With not just one Buddha, two Buddhas, three, four or five Buddhas,
But will have planted good roots with measureless millions of Buddhas.
All who hear such phrases and produce even one thought
Of pure faith are completely known and completely seen by the Tathagata.
Such living beings thus obtain measureless blessings and virtue.
And why?
Those living beings have no further mark of self, of others, of living beings,
Or of a life;
No mark of dharmas and no mark of no dharmas.
If your hearts grasp at marks, then that is attachment to self, to others, to living beings, and to a life.
For that reason you should not grasp at dharmas, nor should you grasp at no dharmas.
All you Bhiksus should know that the dharma which I speak is like a raft.
Even dharmas should be relinquished, how much the more so no dharmas.”
- The Buddha, The Diamond Sutra

“As I understand what the Buddha has said, there is no concrete dharma called
Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, and there is no concrete dharma which the Tathagata
has spoken. And why? The dharmas spoken by the Tathagata cannot be grasped
and cannot be spoken. They are neither dharmas nor no dharmas. And why?
Unconditioned dharmas distinguish worthy sages.”
- The Buddha, The Diamond Sutra

‘Tathagata’ means ‘thusness of all dharmas.’ “Dharmas” means, in various contexts, ‘truths,
scriptures, insights, teachings of the Buddha, words of wisdom, path to enlightenment, etc.’

Diamond Sutra A Chinese version of the Diamond Sutra is the world’s earliest complete survival
of a dated block printed book, made in 868 CE. This rare document is now in the British Museum
collection of early printed books.  

For a number of links to the Diamond Sutra, go to my Valley Spirit Journal entry for today,
or my previous entry titled ‘Honest Doubt.” For an extensive collection of Zen Poetry, and a
detailed bibliography and links on the subject, pleased go to my webpages on Zen Poetry

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