Audiobook5 hours
The Diamond Sutra, The Heart Sutra, The Sutra of Hui Neng: Three Key Prajna Paramita Texts from the Zen Tradition
Published by Ukemi Audiobooks from W. F. Howes Ltd
Narrated by Ratnadhya
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
()
About this audiobook
These three sutras are the most important texts for the Chan (Chinese) and Zen (Japanese) Buddhist traditions, though they are very different in character and provenance. The Diamond Sutra (Vajracheddika Prajña Paramita Sutra in Sanskrit) has the distinction of being 'the earliest complete survival of a dated (11 May 868) printed book'. It was found in the Dunhuang Caves in China in 1900.
The title, Diamond Cutter, outlines its purpose, which is to cut through ignorance to attain to perfect wisdom or ultimate reality. It is a relatively concise Mahayana text, using the Six Perfections (generosity, virtue, patience, spiritual vigour or energy, meditation and wisdom) to realise no-self and the emptiness of all phenomena.
Its origin is uncertain - even its date falls into a wide spectrum of somewhere between second and fifth centuries. The sutra is set in the context of a teaching given by the Buddha to the bhikkhu Subhuti who has asked for advice how to attain ‘supreme perfect enlightenment'. The translation used for this recording is by Wai-Tao. The Heart Sutra, another Mahayana text, is very different. It is short - barely 500 words - and is chanted, recited or read daily by many Buddhist communities across a wide range of traditions throughout the world.
It is placed in a teaching given by the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokitesvara to the bhikkhu Šariputra. Despite its brevity, it is rich in meaning and reference, covering a number of Buddhist formulations, including the five skandhas (form, feeling, perception, formation and consciousness) and the Four Noble Truths. The core message of the Sutra is ‘form is emptiness, emptiness is form' - again the declaration that all phenomena are empty. Its origin (likely before sixth century) and even original language is unknown, scholars differing on whether it was first written in Sanskrit or Chinese.
The Nalanda translation is used here. The Sutra of Hui Neng is the longest of these three works, and is different again. It is a remarkable document, telling the history of the Sixth Chan Patriarch, Hui Neng (638-713), a semi-legendary teacher who, though uneducated and illiterate, gained enlightenment when accidentally hearing The Diamond Sutra being recited. Also called The Platform Sutra (Buddhist teachers in China traditionally preached from a podium) Hui Neng relates his history and his exegesis of The Diamond Sutra. In contrast to the two preceding works, The Sutra of Hui Neng is an unusually informal text, with the personality of the Sixth Patriarch coming across the intervening centuries with affecting immediacy. The translation is by Wong Mou-Lam. The three sutras are read with clarity and understanding by Ratnadhya.
The title, Diamond Cutter, outlines its purpose, which is to cut through ignorance to attain to perfect wisdom or ultimate reality. It is a relatively concise Mahayana text, using the Six Perfections (generosity, virtue, patience, spiritual vigour or energy, meditation and wisdom) to realise no-self and the emptiness of all phenomena.
Its origin is uncertain - even its date falls into a wide spectrum of somewhere between second and fifth centuries. The sutra is set in the context of a teaching given by the Buddha to the bhikkhu Subhuti who has asked for advice how to attain ‘supreme perfect enlightenment'. The translation used for this recording is by Wai-Tao. The Heart Sutra, another Mahayana text, is very different. It is short - barely 500 words - and is chanted, recited or read daily by many Buddhist communities across a wide range of traditions throughout the world.
It is placed in a teaching given by the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokitesvara to the bhikkhu Šariputra. Despite its brevity, it is rich in meaning and reference, covering a number of Buddhist formulations, including the five skandhas (form, feeling, perception, formation and consciousness) and the Four Noble Truths. The core message of the Sutra is ‘form is emptiness, emptiness is form' - again the declaration that all phenomena are empty. Its origin (likely before sixth century) and even original language is unknown, scholars differing on whether it was first written in Sanskrit or Chinese.
The Nalanda translation is used here. The Sutra of Hui Neng is the longest of these three works, and is different again. It is a remarkable document, telling the history of the Sixth Chan Patriarch, Hui Neng (638-713), a semi-legendary teacher who, though uneducated and illiterate, gained enlightenment when accidentally hearing The Diamond Sutra being recited. Also called The Platform Sutra (Buddhist teachers in China traditionally preached from a podium) Hui Neng relates his history and his exegesis of The Diamond Sutra. In contrast to the two preceding works, The Sutra of Hui Neng is an unusually informal text, with the personality of the Sixth Patriarch coming across the intervening centuries with affecting immediacy. The translation is by Wong Mou-Lam. The three sutras are read with clarity and understanding by Ratnadhya.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 1, 2019
ISBN9781004133864
Related to The Diamond Sutra, The Heart Sutra, The Sutra of Hui Neng
Related audiobooks
The Lankavatara Sutra Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Gateless Gate: Sacred Writings of Zen Buddhism Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What the Buddha Taught Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Spirit of Zen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bodhicaryavatara: A Guide to the Buddhist Path to Awakening Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStill, in the City: Creating Peace of Mind in the Midst of Urban Chaos Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Voice of the Buddha Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lives of the Buddha with Sarah Shaw: The Buddha recalls his previous lives Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Early Teachings of the Buddha with Sarah Shaw Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Hundred Remedies of the Tao: Spiritual Wisdom for Interesting Times Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Quiet Mind: A Journey through Space and Mind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What's Beyond Mindfulness?: Waking Up to this Precious Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Path of Aliveness: A Contemporary Zen Approach to Awakening Body and Mind Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat is the Dharma?: The essential teachings of the Buddha Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsZen Meditation: How to Practice Zen Meditation and Achieve Inner Peace Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insights from an Ancient Tradition: Medicine, Science and Spirituality in the Light of Vipassana Meditation Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Teachings of the Vajra Regent and Named Successor to Chögyam Trungpa Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsZen: The Art of Happiness With Mindfulness & Meditation - A Buddhism Way of Life to Living Life Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Meditation: The Buddhist Way Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Path to Enlightenment Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Five Mental Hindrances and Their Conquest: Selected Texts from the Pali Canon and the Commentaries Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Essence of Buddhism: Buddhism presented in way that appeals to the modern, scientific socially conscious disciple! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsApproaching the Buddhist Path (The Library of Wisdom and Compassion) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Lotus Sutra: The White Lotus Sutra of the True Dharma Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dhammapada, The Udana, The Itivuttaka: Key Texts from the Khuddaka Nikaya Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Dhammapada: The Sayings of the Buddha Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Buddhism For You
Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5No Death, No Fear: Comforting Wisdom for Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Barn at the End of the World: The Apprenticeship of a Quaker, Buddhist Shepherd Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Peace Is Every Breath: A Practice for Our Busy Lives Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Buddhism Is Not What You Think: Finding Freedom Beyond Beliefs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Art of Communicating Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Buddhist Boot Camp Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Thoughts Without a Thinker: Psychotherapy from a Buddhist Perspective Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Buddhism 101: From Karma to the Four Noble Truths, Your Guide to Understanding the Principles of Buddhism Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to See Yourself As You Really Are Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Living Buddha, Living Christ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5True Refuge: Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Zen in the Art of Archery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Being Peace Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Turning the Mind Into an Ally Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Creating True Peace: Ending Violence in Yourself, Your Family, Your Community, and the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Trauma of Everyday Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Go Slowly, Breathe and Smile: Dharma Art by Rashani Rea with the Wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Diamond Sutra, The Heart Sutra, The Sutra of Hui Neng
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
1 rating0 reviews