Diamond Sutra

[Guest guest]

To understand the Mahayana view it helps to read

the Diamond Sutra. I think it is one of the most

concise and at the same time complete operation manuals

for phenomenal existence that was ever written down.

(

<a href=http://community.palouse.net/lotus/diamondsutra.htm

target=new>http://community.palouse.net/lotus/diamondsutra.htm</a> - this might

not be the best translation, only

the first link I found)<br><br>sample:

<br><br><br><br><br>"Section XXX. The Integral Principle<br>Subhuti, if a good

man or a good woman ground an infinite number of

galaxies of worlds to<br>dust, would the resulting minute

particles be many?<br>Subhuti replied: Many indeed,

World-honored One! Wherefore? Because if such were

really<br>minute particles Buddha would not have spoken of them as

minute particles. For as to this,<br>Buddha has declared

that they are not really such. "Minute particles" is

just the name given to<br>them. Also, World-honored

One, when the Tathagata speaks of galaxies of worlds,

these are<br>not worlds; for if reality could be

predicated of a world it would be a self-existent cosmos

and<br>the Tathagata teaches that there is really no such

thing. "Cosmos" is merely a figure of speech.<br>[Then

Buddha said]: Subhuti, words cannot explain the real

nature of a cosmos. Only common people fettered with

desire make use of this arbitrary method."