Yang Ning’s Lectures on <the Diamond Sutra> – Segment 11. Unconditioned Supreme fortune/ Segment 12. Reverence for the True Dharma

Segment 11 / Unconditioned Supreme fortune The Buddha askes Subhūti: “Subhūti, do you think the number of grains of sand in the Ganges River is vast? If there were rivers as many as the grains of sand in the Ganges,would the total of grains of sand in all those rivers be vast? ” Subhūti responded, “Indeed, … Read more

Yang Ning’s Lectures on <the Diamond Sutra>  – Segment 10. the Adornment of the Pure Land

Segment 10 / The Adornment of the Pure Land The Buddha asked Subhūti, “What do you think? When the Tathāgata was in the presence of the Lamp- Light Buddha in the past, did he attain anything in the Dharma or not?” Subhūti responded, “No, World-Honoured One. The Tathāgata, in the presence of the Lamp-Light Buddha, … Read more

Yang Ning’s Lectures on <the Diamond Sutra> – Segment 9. the Form and the Emptiness of the Form

Segment 9 / The Form and the Emptiness of the Form The Buddha asked Subhūti, “What do you think, Subhūti? Can a stream-enterer (Sotapanna) think, ‘I have attained the fruit of stream-entry’?” Subhūti responded, “No, World-Honoured One! Why is that? Because a stream-enterer is described as one who has entered the stream, but in reality, … Read more

Yang Ning’s Lectures on <the Diamond Sutra> – Segment 8. the Birth According to Dharma

Segment 8 / The Birth According to Dharma The Buddha asked Subhūti, “What do you think? If a person were to fill the three thousand great thousand worlds with the seven treasures and offer them for almsgiving, would that good fortune be great?” Subhūti replied, “Extremely great, World-Honored One! Why? It is because the good … Read more

Yang Ning’s Lectures on <the Diamond Sutra> – Segment 7. Non-Attainment and Non-Speakable

Segment 7 / Non-Attainment and Non-Speakable The Buddha asked Subhūti, “What do you think? Does the Tathāgata attain the unsurpassed, complete equal and complete awareness (anuttara-samyak-sambodhi)? Does the Tathāgata have Dharma  that he teaches?” Subhūti responded, “According to my understanding of the Buddha’s teaching there is no fixed Dharma called ‘anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, ’nor is there any fixed Dharma that the Tathāgata teaches. Why is this so? Because the teaching of the Tathāgata cannot be clung to, and cannot be expressed, … Read more