| Diamond Sutra

SUTRA ON TRANSMITTER WISDOM,
CUT OFF ERRORS WITH A DIAMOND SCEPTER
(VAJRACHCHEDIKA PRAGNA-PARAMITA SUTRA),
OR THE DIAMOND PRAJNA-PARAMITA SUTRA

Vajrachchedika Prajna Paramita Sutra , better known in Europe as the Diamond Sutra, is one of the most famous and revered sutras of Mahayana Buddhism. Along with the “Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra”, it belongs to the short Prajnaparamita sutras, which are a statement of the essence of the doctrine of Transcendental Wisdom. This sutra appeared in India around the 3rd century. n. e., but no later than the middle of the 4th century, and was translated into Chinese by Kumarajiva at the turn of the 4th and 5th centuries.

This translation was made by E. A. TORCHINOV from the Chinese version of Kumarajiva. This text differs from the critical Sanskrit text published by the English Buddhist scholar E. Conze, and reflects an earlier stage in the formation of the Sanskrit sutra text. For this edition, the translation has been rechecked against the original and corrected.

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That's how I heard it. Once Buddha lived in the Jeta Grove in Anathapindada's garden. Along with him there was a great community of bhikkhus 1 - a total of one thousand two hundred and fifty people. When the time for the meal approached, the Most Excellent One in the World 2 got dressed, took his patra and went to the great city of Shravasti 3 for alms. After collecting alms, he returned back and had a meal, after which he took off his morning robe and put aside his patra, washed his feet, prepared a place for himself and sat down. After which the eldest Subhuti 4, who was among the members of the community, stood up from his seat, exposed his right shoulder, bowed his right knee, respectfully folded his palms and turned to the Buddha: “It is amazing, O Most Excellent One in the World, that Thus Coming 5 with his goodness protects all the bodhisattvas, mercifully treats to all bodhisattvas. O Most Excellent One in the World, what should a good son or a good daughter be in, 6 who has aspirations to attain annutara samyak sambodhi, 7 how should they master their consciousness?”

Buddha replied: “Well said, well said. Yes, Subhuti, it is as you say. Thus, the One who comes with his goodness protects all bodhisattvas and treats all bodhisattvas with mercy. Now delve into my words and comprehend what I will tell you about what a good son or a good daughter should be in, who has the desire to achieve anuttara samyak sambodhi, how they should master their consciousness.”

“So, O World Honored One, I wish to hear your instructions.”

The Buddha said to Subhuti: “All bodhisattvas-mahasattvas 8 should master their consciousness in this way: no matter how many beings there are, they should think, born from eggs, born from the womb, born from dampness or born as a result of magical transformations, having a physical appearance or not having it , thinking and not thinking, or not thinking and not not thinking, I must bring all of them to residue-free nirvana 9 and destroy their suffering, 10 even if we are talking about an uncountable, immeasurable and infinite number of living beings. However, in reality, no living being can achieve the nirvana of eliminating suffering. And for what reason?

If a bodhisattva has the concept of “I”, the concept of “personality”, the concept of “being” and the concept of “eternal soul”, then he is not a bodhisattva. Subhuti, a bodhisattva established in the Dharma, 11 should not give while being attached to anything, should not give while being attached to the visible, should not give while being attached to what is heard, smelled, tasted, touched or being attached to dharmas. Subhuti, the bodhisattva who gives in this way, does not have any ideas. 12 And for what reason? If a bodhisattva, having no ideas, makes a gift, then the goodness of happiness 13 he gains cannot even be mentally imagined. And for what reason? Subhuti, do you think it is possible to mentally measure the dimensions of space in the eastern direction?”

“Subhuti, can the dimensions of space in the southern, western and northern directions, as well as the dimensions of space in all intermediate directions, be mentally measured?”

“No, O Most Excellent One in the World.”

“Subhuti, this is the goodness of happiness acquired by that bodhisattva who, having no ideas, gives, also cannot be mentally imagined. Subhuti, bodhisattvas should follow the teaching that I have just preached. Subhuti, do you think it is possible to recognize the Thus Come One by his bodily image?”

“No, O Most Excellent One in the World, one cannot recognize the Thus Coming One by his bodily image. And for what reason? What He Who Thus Come preached as a bodily image is not a bodily image.”

Buddha said to Subhuti: “When there is an image, there is also delusion. If you look at this from the point of view of an image that is not an image, then you will recognize the One Who Comes Thus.”

Subhuti said to the Buddha: “O World Honored One, will true faith be born in beings if they hear such speeches?”

Buddha told Subhuti: “Don't say that. Five hundred years after the death of Thus Coming 14 there will appear people who adhere to good vows, in which a careful study of such speeches can generate a mind full of faith, if they treat the meaning of these speeches as truth. Know that the good roots of these people were not cultivated by one Buddha, not two Buddhas, not three, or four, or five Buddhas, but countless thousands and myriads of thousands of Buddhas were cultivated by their good roots. And these will be people who, having heard and carefully studied these speeches, will achieve a single aspiration that will give rise to pure faith in them. Thus, the Coming One knows for sure, sees for sure that beings will thus gain an immeasurable amount of the goodness of happiness. And for what reason? For the reason that for these beings there will be neither the concept of “I”, nor the concept of “personality”, nor the concept of “being”, nor the concept of “eternal soul”, and also there will be neither the concept of “dharma” nor representations of “non-dharma”. 15 And for what reason? If the consciousness of beings grasps the idea, then they clothe themselves in “I”, “personality”, “being”, in the “eternal soul”. If the concept of “dharma” is grasped, then it is then that they clothe themselves in “I”, “personality”, “being” and in the “eternal soul”. And for what reason? If the concept of “non-dharma” is grasped, then they are clothed in “I”, “personality”, “being” and in the “eternal soul”. It is for this very real reason that Thus Come One has often preached to you and other bhikkhus: “Those who know that I preach Dharma like a raft should give up praising dharmas, and especially non-dharmas.”

Subhuti, what do you think, has the Thus Come One achieved anuttara samyak sambodhi and has the Thus Come One preached any Dharma?”

Subhuti said: “If I understand the meaning of what the Buddha preached, then there is no fixed Dharma that is called “annutara samyak sambodhi” and there is also no fixed Dharma that the Thus Come One can preach. The Dharma that Thus Come One preached cannot be taken and cannot be preached. It is neither Dharma nor non-Dharma. And why is this so? All wise individuals 16 differ from all others in that they rely on inactive dharmas.” 17

“Subhuti, what do you think, if a person fills three thousand great thousand worlds 18 with seven treasures 19 and thus makes a donation, how much goodness of happiness will he receive as a reward?”

Subhuti replied: “Extremely much, O World Honored One. And for what reason? Because the goodness of happiness is not, again, the nature of happiness. And for this reason He Who Comes Thus preached that they would receive much goodness and happiness.”

“And if there is also a person who firmly grasps everything in this sutra and takes from this sutra only one gatha of four verses and preaches it to other people, then his goodness of happiness will surpass any other. And for what reason? Because from this sutra all the Buddhas and the Dharma anuttara samyak sambodhi of all Buddhas originated.

Subhuti, what is called Buddha Dharma, is not Buddha Dharma. 20

Subhuti, what do you think, can Srotapanna 21 have the thought: “Have I achieved the fruit of stream entry or not?”

Subhuti said: “Oh no, World Excellent One! And for what reason? This name is used to call one who has entered the stream, but in reality he has not entered anywhere; he has not entered into the seen, heard, smelled, tasted, touched and dharmas. This is called “being srotapann”.

“Subhuti, do you think that Sakridagamin 22 can have such a thought: “Have I found the fruit of Sakridagamin or not?”

Subhuti said: “Oh no, World Honored One. And for what reason? This name is used to describe the one who returns once, but in reality there is no return. This is called “being a sacridagamin.”

“Subhuti, what do you think, can an anagamin have such a thought: 23 “Have I found the fruit of an anagamin or not?”

Subhuti said: “Oh no, World Honored One. And for what reason? Anagamin is one who does not return, but in reality there is no return. This is called “being anagamin.”

“Subhuti, what do you think, can an arhat 24 have such a thought: “Have I achieved arhatship or not?”

Subhuti said: “Oh no, World Honored One. And for what reason? In reality there is no yardstick to measure arhatship. O World Excellent One, if an arhat had the thought: “I have achieved arhatship,” then he would clothe himself in the concepts of “I,” “personality,” “being,” “eternal soul.” O World Honored One, the Buddha said that I have achieved undeniable samadhi and that I am the first among men, the first desire-free arhat, but I have no thought that I have achieved arhatship. O Most Excellent One in the World, otherwise it would not be said that Subhuti is active in aranya, 25 but Subhuti does not actually act anywhere and because of this it is said that Subhuti acts in aranya.”

The Buddha said to Subhuti: “Do you think there is anything in the Dharma that Thus Come One first received from the Buddha Lighting the Lamp?” 26

“O Most Excellent One in the World, in reality the Thus Come One did not receive from the Buddha Lighting the Lamp anything that was in the Dharma.”

“Subhuti, do you think the bodhisattva adorns the lands of Buddha 27 or not?”

“No, O Most Excellent One in the World. And for what reason? The one who decorates the Buddha lands does not decorate them, which is why they call it decoration.”

“For this reason, Subhuti, all bodhisattva-mahasattvas must thus generate within themselves pure consciousness, not attached to the visible, not attached to the heard, not attached to the smell, not attached to the taste, not attached to the tangible, not attached to dharmas ; they must give rise to such consciousness. They must not be attached to anything and give birth to this consciousness.

Subhuti, what do you think, if there is a person whose body is like the world mountain Sumeru, the king of mountains, will his body be large?”

“Exceedingly great, O Most Excellent One in the World. And for what reason? Buddha said that there is no body called the great body.”

“Subhuti, what do you think, if there were as many Ganges as there are grains of sand in one Ganges, then there would be many grains of sand in these Ganges or not?”

“Exceedingly many, O Most Excellent One in the World. There are already countless numbers of these Ganges, and even more so the grains of sand in them.”

“Subhuti, I now truly ask you that if a good son or a good daughter fills with the seven treasures as many three thousand great thousand worlds as there are countless grains of sand in these Ganges, then through this giving will they receive much goodness of happiness?”

The Buddha said to Subhuti: “If a good son or good daughter takes at least one four-verse gatha from this sutra, memorizes it and preaches it to other people, then the goodness of happiness they acquired will exceed that earned by the previous donation. I will also say, Subhuti, you should know that the place where the four-verse gatha was taken from this sutra should be cherished by all the celestials and asuras of 28 all worlds as the place where the Buddha pagodas are located. 29 Moreover, if a person takes, memorizes and reads the entire text, Subhuti, and studies it, then one should know that this person will succeed in comprehending the highest, first and most amazing Dharma, and the place where this sutra is located is the seat of the Buddha or his venerable disciple."

Then Subhuti said to the Buddha: “O World Honored One, what should this sutra be called? How should I perceive it?”

The Buddha said to Subhuti: “The name of this sutra is Prajna Paramita, 30 and under this name and in accordance with it you should perceive it. And why is this so? Subhuti, when Buddha preached prajna-paramita, then it was not prajna-paramita. Subhuti, do you think the Thus Come One preached any Dharma?”

Subhuti said to the Buddha: “There is nothing that One Thus Come preaches.”

“Subhuti, what do you think, are there many grains of dust in three thousand great thousand worlds?”

Subhuti said: “Exceedingly many, O World Honored One.”

“Subhuti, the Thus Come One preached about all specks of dust as non-specks. 31 These are called specks of dust. Thus the Coming One preached about worlds as non-worlds. These are called worlds. Subhuti, what do you think, is it possible to recognize the Thus Coming One by thirty-two bodily signs?”

“No, O Most Excellent One in the World, it is impossible to recognize the Thus Coming One by thirty-two bodily signs. And for what reason? Thus the Coming One taught about thirty-two signs as non-signs. This is what is called the thirty-two signs.”

“Subhuti, let a good son or a good daughter sacrifice their lives as many times as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, and let some person preach to people even one gatha in four verses extracted from this sutra, and his happiness will be many times greater.” .

Then Subhuti, having comprehended the depth of the preached sutra, shed tears and said to the Buddha: “Amazing, O Most Excellent One in the World! From the deep meaning of the sutra spoken by the Buddha, the eye of wisdom opened in me. I have never heard such a sutra before. World Excellent One, if there is a person who hears this sutra, his faith-filled mind will be purified and then a true understanding will be born in him, and I know that then he will achieve the most excellent and amazing merit. But this true representation will no longer be a representation. For this reason the Thus Come One called it a true representation. O Most Excellent One in the World! Now I have been privileged to hear such a sutra. It is not difficult to believe in her and accept her teachings. If in subsequent times, five centuries from now, there will be such beings who hear this sutra, believe in its teaching and accept it, then these people will be most worthy of admiration! And how? These people will not have the concept of “I”, the concept of “personality”, the concept of “being”, the concept of “eternal soul”. And how? They will remove all ideas and then they will be called Buddhas.”

Buddha said to Subhuti: “It is so. This is true. If there are also people who hear this sutra and are not stunned, horrified, or afraid, then they will be people who are extremely worthy of admiration. And for what reason? Subhuti, Thus Coming preached about the first paramita 32 as a non-first paramita. This is called the first paramita.

Subhuti, about the perfection of patience 33 Thus the Coming preached as about the non-paramita of patience. And for what reason? Previously, when the Kalinga king cut my flesh, 34 I did not have the concept of “I,” the concept of “personality,” the concept of “being,” the concept of “eternal soul.” And for what reason? If during these events I had the ideas of “I”, “personality”, “being”, “eternal soul”, then malice and anger would necessarily have been born in me. Subhuti, moreover, I remember that five hundred births ago I was a hermit full of patience. At that time I also did not have the concept of “I”, the concept of “personality”, the concept of “being”, the concept of “eternal soul”. And therefore, Subhuti, a bodhisattva must remove all ideas and images and strive to achieve annuttara samyak sambodhi. It should not generate a consciousness attached to the visible, it should not generate a consciousness attached to the heard, smelled, tasted, touched and dharmas. It must generate a consciousness that is not attached to anything. If consciousness is attached to something, then it is then that it is not attached. For this reason, the Buddha says that the consciousness of a bodhisattva should not be attached to the visible and only in this case should he give.

Subhuti, a bodhisattva must give in this way for the benefit of all beings. Thus, the Coming One taught about all ideas as non-ideas, and also taught about all beings as non-beings.

Subhuti, Thus Coming speaks true speeches, speaks valid speeches, speaks proper speeches; he does not utter false speeches, he does not utter unrighteous speeches. Subhuti, in the Dharma that the Thus Come One has acquired, in this Dharma there is neither essence nor emptiness. If the bodhisattva's thought is attached to the dharmas when giving, then he is like a person who has entered darkness and sees nothing. If the bodhisattva's thought is not attached to dharmas when making a giving, then he is like a sighted person who sees various colors in the clear light of the sun.

Further, Subhuti, if in the future a good son or a good daughter can take this sutra, read it and memorize it, then the One Who Comes by the wisdom of the Buddha will know all these people, will see all these people. And then they will gain countless and unlimited merits.

Subhuti, if a good son or a good daughter would sacrifice his life in the morning as many times as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, would sacrifice his life at noon as many times as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, would sacrifice his life in the evenings as many times as grains of sand in the Ganges, and if they sacrificed their lives countless billions and trillions of times, and if another person heard this sutra and his mind, filled with faith, did not resist its teaching, then the happiness he gained would surpass the happiness gained by the previously mentioned people. And even more so this applies to those people who write it down, take it, read it, memorize it and preach it to all people. Subhuti, based on this, one should speak about it, preaching it. This sutra has superconceivable, beyond any name and limitless merits. Thus the Coming One preaches it for the followers of the Great Chariot, 35 for the followers of the Highest Chariot. If there are people who can take it, read it, memorize it all and preach it to other people, then the One Who Comes will know all these people, will see all these people, and they will gain innumerable, beyond all name and boundless merits. In this way people will gain the anuttara samyak sambodhi of the Thus Coming. And for what reason? O Subhuti, if people who rejoice in the small Dharma 36 grasp the view of the existence of the “I,” the view of the existence of the “person,” the view of the existence of the “being,” the view of the existence of the “eternal soul,” then they will they will not be able to hear this sutra and understand it, they will not be able to read and memorize it, they will not be able to preach it to other people. Subhuti, all those places where this sutra is available should be revered by the celestials and asuras of all worlds. You should know that these places will then become worthy of veneration, like the sites of pagodas, worthy of walking around with all kinds of incense and flowers. And again, Subhuti, even if a good son or a good daughter, who has memorized, read and studied this sutra, will be despised by people, if these people will be despised because of committing atrocities in previous lives, leading along the path of evil, 37 then all the same in this life the consequences of those bad deeds will be destroyed and these people will achieve anuttara samyak sambodhi.

Subhuti, I remember that in the past, countless kalpas 38 ago, even before the Buddha Lighting the Lamp, there were a total of eight hundred and forty-three-nine trillion other Buddhas whom I revered, and this reverence did not pass without a trace. And again, Subhuti, if any person in subsequent times can memorize, read and study this sutra, then the merits he gains will be so much greater than my merits from honoring all the Buddhas of the past that these merits of mine will not amount to even one hundredth of them, and all these merits, even if counted to the ten thousandth or millionth part of them, will still be so superior to my merits that they cannot even be compared with them.

Subhuti, if a good son or a good daughter in later times memorizes, reads and studies this sutra, then their merit will truly be as I have said. But there will also be those whose minds, when listening to her, will become clouded, they will be overcome by doubts and they will not believe. Subhuti, you should know that just as the meaning of this sutra cannot be appreciated by the mind, so its fruit cannot be assessed by the mind.”

Then Subhuti asked the Buddha: “O World Honored One, when a good son or a good daughter has the aspiration to achieve annutara samyak sambodhi, what should they remain in, how should they master their consciousness?”

The Buddha said to Subhuti: “A good son or a good daughter who has the aspiration to achieve annutara samyak sambodhi should have the following thought: “I must bring about the destruction of suffering in nirvana to all living beings. After the elimination of suffering from all living beings in Nirvana, in fact, it turns out that not a single living being has achieved the elimination of suffering in Nirvana. And for what reason? If a bodhisattva has the concept of “I”, the concept of “personality”, the concept of “being”, the concept of “eternal soul”, then he is not a bodhisattva. This is the reason, Subhuti, that there is no possibility of becoming one who has the aspiration to achieve anuttara samyak sambodhi.

Subhuti, do you think the Thus Come One had a way to obtain anuttara samyak sambodhi from the Buddha Lighting the Lamp?”

“No, O Most Excellent One in the World. If I understand the meaning of what the Buddha said, then the Buddha had no way to obtain anuttara samyak sambodhi from the Lighting the Lamp Buddha.”

Buddha said: “It is so, it is so. In reality, Subhuti, there is no way by which the Thus Come One can attain anuttara samyak sambodhi. Subhuti, if there were a way by which the Thus Come One could attain anuttara samyak sambodhi, then the Buddha Lighting the Light could not say about me: “In the future you will become a Buddha named Shakyamuni.” And thus, in reality there is no way to achieve anuttara samyak sambodhi. And for this reason, the Lighting Lamp Buddha said about me: “In the future you will become a Buddha named Shakyamuni.” And for what reason? Thus the Coming One is the true reality of the nature of all dharmas. 40 If people say that Thus Come One attained anuttara samyak sambodhi, then it should be understood that in reality there is no way by which the Buddha could attain anuttara samyak sambodhi. In that annutara samyak sambodhi that the One Thus Coming has acquired, there is neither essential nor empty. And for this reason, Thus Come One taught that all dharmas are the dharmas of the Buddha. Subhuti, what is spoken of as all dharmas is not all dharmas. Subhuti, this can be compared to a person having a huge body.”

Subhuti said: “O World Honored One, if the Thus Come One speaks of a huge body, then his words do not refer to a huge body. This is what is called a huge body.”

“Subhuti, the same applies to the bodhisattva. If he says: “I will bring all countless living beings to the destruction of suffering and the peace of nirvana,” then he cannot be called a bodhisattva. And for what reason? Subhuti, in reality there is no way to be called a bodhisattva. This is the reason why the Buddha said that all dharmas are devoid of the essence of "I", devoid of such an essence as "personality", devoid of such an essence as "being", devoid of such an essence as the "eternal soul".

Subhuti, if a bodhisattva has the thought: “I adorn the lands of the Buddha,” then he cannot be called a bodhisattva. Thus the Coming One preached that he who adorns the lands of Buddha does not adorn them. This is called decoration. Subhuti, if a bodhisattva is convinced that dharmas are immaterial, being devoid of “I,” then the Thus Come One calls him a real bodhisattva.

Subhuti, what do you think, does the Thus Come One have a bodily eye?”

“It is so, O Most Excellent One in the World, Thus He Who Comes has a bodily eye.”

“Subhuti, what do you think, does the Thus Come One have the divine eye?”

“It is so, O Most Excellent One in the World, Thus He Who Comes has the divine eye.”

“Subhuti, what do you think, does He Who Thus Comes have the eye of wisdom?”

“It is so, O Most Excellent One in the World, He Who Thus Comes has the eye of wisdom.”

“Subhuti, do you think that one who comes like this has the dharma eye?”

“It is so, O Most Excellent One in the World, He Who Thus Comes has the dharma eye.”

“Subhuti, do you think He Who Comes Thus Has the Eye of the Buddha?”

“It is so, O Most Excellent One in the World, Thus He Who Cometh has the eye of the Buddha.”

“Subhuti, what do you think about the grains of sand that are in the Ganges, did the Thus Come One speak of grains of sand?”

“This is so, O most excellent one in the World, Thus He Who Come said that these are grains of sand.”

“Subhuti, what do you think, if there were as many Ganges as there are grains of sand in one Ganges, and the number of grains of sand in these Ganges were equal to the number of Buddha worlds, then how many of these worlds would there be?”

“Exceedingly many, O Most Excellent One in the World.”

The Buddha said to Subhuti: “No matter how many thoughts the creatures in the lands and countries of these worlds have, the Thus Come One knows them all. And for what reason? Thus, the Coming One spoke of all thoughts as non-thoughts, which is why they are called thoughts. For what reason? Subhuti, you cannot find a past thought, you cannot find a conceivable thought in the present, you cannot find a future thought.

Subhuti, what do you think, if a person fills three thousand great thousand worlds with seven treasures and offers them as a gift, then for this reason how much happiness will he gain?”

“Yes, O Thus Come One, for such a reason this person will gain extremely much happiness.”

“Subhuti, if the attainment of happiness actually exists, then the Thus Come One did not say that much goodness of happiness is attained. Due to the fact that the goodness of happiness has no reason, Thus the One Who Comes said that a lot of goodness of happiness is gained.

Subhuti, what do you think, is it possible to recognize the Thus Come One by all his visible appearance?”

“No, not so, O Most Excellent One in the World. One should not recognize the Thus Come One by all his visible appearance. And for what reason? So the Coming One preached about his entire visible appearance as not his entire visible appearance. That’s why they call him his whole visible appearance.”

“Subhuti, what do you think, is it possible to recognize the Thus Come One by the totality of all his signs?”

“Oh no, World Excellent. One should not recognize the Thus Coming by the totality of all his signs. And for what reason? So the Coming One said that the totality of all signs is not a totality. This is called the totality of all characteristics.”

“Subhuti, do not say that the Thus Come One has such a thought: “There is a Dharma that I preach.” You can't have such a thought. And for what reason? If people say that there is a Dharma that the Thus Come One preaches, then they are slandering the Buddha for the reason that they cannot understand what I preach. Subhuti, the preacher of Dharma, has no Dharma to preach. This is called preaching the Dharma.”

Then Subhuti, who had gained wisdom, said to the Buddha: “O World-Excellent One, in the days to come, will there be beings who hear the preaching of this Dharma in whom it will give rise to the thought of faith?”

“Subhuti, they are neither beings nor non-beings. And for what reason? Subhuti, the Thus Coming One spoke of beings as if they were not beings. That’s why they are called creatures.”

Subhuti said to the Buddha: “O World Honored One, in that anuttara samyak sambodhi that the Buddha acquired, there is nothing that can be gained.”

“That's true, that's true. Subhuti, as for the anuttara samyak sambodhi that I have acquired, then truly there is not even the slightest way in which one could achieve what is called anuttara samyak sambodhi.

Moreover, Subhuti, this Dharma is equal, there is neither high nor low in it. This is what is called anuttara samyak sambodhi and because of this it is devoid of “I”, devoid of anything corresponding to the concepts of “I”, “personality”, “being” and “eternal soul”. Perfect all good dharmas 41 and then you will achieve anuttara samyak sambodhi. Subhuti, the One So Coming spoke about good dharmas as not good. They are called good dharmas.

Subhuti, if any person collects seven treasures in such quantity as in three thousand great thousand worlds there are the royal mountains of Sumeru, and offers them as a gift, and if another person extracts from this Prajnaparamitic sutra at least one gatha in four verses, memorizes, reads, studies and preaches it to other people, then the amount of goodness of happiness received in the first case will not amount to one hundredth of the goodness of happiness received for the second donation, will not amount to one hundred billionth of this goodness of happiness, and their number cannot even be compared.

Subhuti, what do you think, you are not saying that the Thus Come One has such a thought: “I will transport all beings to nirvana.” Subhuti, you cannot have such a thought. And for what reason? In reality, there are no beings who would be transported by the Thus Come One, for if there were beings whom the Thus Come One would transport to nirvana, then there would be an “I”, and a “personality”, and a “being”, and an “eternal soul”. Subhuti, when the Thus Come One said that there is a “I”, then it did not mean that there is a “I”. However, ordinary lay people believe that there is a “I”. Subhuti, when the Thus Come One spoke about ordinary people, then this then meant not ordinary people. This is what we call ordinary people. Subhuti, what do you think, is it possible to distinguish the Thus Come One by the presence of thirty-two signs?”

Subhuti said: “It is so, it is so. One can distinguish the Thus Coming by the presence of thirty-two signs.”

The Buddha said: “Subhuti, if the Thus Come One is distinguished by the presence of thirty-two signs, then the Perfect King Turning the Wheel 42 would also be the Thus Come One.”

Subhuti said to the Buddha: “O World Honored One, if I have understood the meaning of what the Buddha preached, then the Thus Come One should not be distinguished by the presence of thirty-two signs.”

Then the Most Excellent One in the World uttered the following verse:

If someone recognizes me by my appearance
Or looking for me by the sound of a voice,
Then this person is on the wrong path,
It is impossible for him to see the Thus Coming One.

43

“Subhuti, if you have such a thought: “Thus the One Who Comes, thanks to the totality of signs, has achieved anuttara samyak sambodhi,” then, Subhuti, reject such a thought. Thus, the Coming One, not due to the presence of a set of signs, acquired anuttara samyak sambodhi.

If, Subhuti, you have the following thought: “Those who aspire to achieve anuttara samyak sambodhi preach about all dharmas as destroying and eliminating all ideas,” then reject such a thought. And for what reason? Those who have aspirations for anuttara samyak sambodhi never preach about dharmas, that they destroy and eliminate all ideas.

Subhuti, if a Bodhisattva fills the whole world with seven treasures as many as the grains of sand in the Ganges, and thus makes a gift, and if any person realizes that all dharmas are immaterial, being devoid of self, and through this achieves perfection in patience, the happiness received by this bodhisattva will surpass the merits of the previous one. And for what reason? Because, Subhuti, bodhisattvas do not receive the goodness of happiness through this.”

Subhuti said to the Buddha: “Tell me, O World Honored One, how is it that bodhisattvas do not receive the goodness of happiness?”

“Subhuti, a bodhisattva should not be greedy for the goodness of happiness he has earned. For this reason, they call it not receiving the goodness of happiness.

Subhuti, if anyone says that the Thus Come One has come or gone, sits or lies, then that person does not understand what I preach. And for what reason? The So Coming One does not come from anywhere and does not go anywhere, which is why he is called the So Coming One. 44

If a good son or a good daughter turns three thousand great thousand worlds into dust, then how many grains of dust do you think there will be in such a cluster?”

“Exceedingly many, O Most Excellent One in the World. And for what reason? If clusters of dust particles actually existed, then the Buddha would not have said that they were clusters of dust particles. And how? When the Buddha preached about clusters of dust particles, then they were non-clusters of dust particles. O Most Excellent One in the World, when the Thus Come One preached about three thousand great thousand worlds, these were not worlds, these are what are called worlds. And for what reason? If the worlds actually existed, then this would be a representation of their harmony in unity. When the Thus Come One preached about representing their harmony in unity, it was not representing their harmony in unity. This is what is called the representation of their harmony in unity.”

“Subhuti, the idea of ​​their harmony in unity is something that cannot be preached, but ordinary profane people are greedy for such things.

Subhuti, if people say that Thus Come One preached the view that “I”, “personality”, “being” and “eternal soul” exist, then do you think, Subhuti, did those people understand the meaning of what I preach?"

“O Most Excellent One in the World, those people did not understand the meaning of what the Thus Come One preached. And for what reason? When the Most Excellent One in the World preached the view of the presence of “I”, the view of the presence of “personality”, the view of the presence of “being”, the view of the presence of the “eternal soul”, then this was not the view of the existence of “I”, it was not the view of the presence of a “personality,” was not the view of the presence of a “being,” was not the view of the presence of an “eternal soul.” 45

“Subhutis who have the aspiration to achieve annutara samyak sambodhi must cognize all dharmas in this way, must consider them in this way, believe in them and understand them in this way: the concept of “dharma” is not born. Subhuti, what is called the concept of “dharma”, Thus Come One preached as the non-representation of “dharma”. This is what is called the “dharma” performance.

Subhuti, if any person, over the course of countless kalpas, fills the worlds with seven treasures and offers them as a gift, and if a good son or good daughter, who has the aspiration to become a bodhisattva, extracts from this sutra at least one gatha in four verses, memorizes it, reads , study it and preach it in detail to other people, the happiness they gained will surpass the happiness gained from the previous giving. Tell me, how will they explain it to other people? Without holding on to any idea, and then the true reality, as it is, will not be shaken. 46 And for what reason?

Like a dream, an illusion,
Like reflections and bubbles on the water,
Like dew and lightning -
This is how one should look at all active dharmas.”

When the Buddha finished preaching this sutra, the elder Subhuti, all the bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, upasaka and upasika, 47 all the celestial beings and asuras of this world received with great joy everything preached by the Buddha, believed in this teaching and began to follow it.

DIAMOND PRAJNA-PARAMITA SUTRA

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or Diamond Vehicle) is a complex of teachings and meditation techniques that includes the Mahayana traditions, including Vajrayana. This branch of Buddhism originated in the 7th century in Tibet and then spread throughout the Himalayan region.

Tibetan Buddhism practices mainly tantric practices. Tantra is a Sanskrit word that means continuity. Tantra points primarily to the unchanging nature of the mind, an awareness that is beyond all limitations, that is neither born nor dies, that is continuous from beginningless time to final enlightenment.

The scriptures that teach about the unchanging, vajra nature of the mind are called tantras, and the body of knowledge and methods that directly reveal the nature of the mind is considered the third “vehicle” of Buddhism, which is known as Tantrayana or Vajrayana. In Buddhism, the Sanskrit word vajra means indestructibility like a diamond and enlightenment like a momentary clap of thunder or a flash of lightning. Therefore, the word "Vajrayana" can be literally translated as "Diamond Chariot" or "Thunder Chariot". Vajrayana is sometimes considered the highest stage of Mahayana - the “Great Vehicle” of Buddhism. The Vajrayana path allows one to achieve liberation within one human life.

Currently, Vajrayana is widespread in Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan, Nepal, Buryatia, Tuva, and Kalmykia.

Vajrayana is practiced in some schools of Japanese Buddhism (Shingon), and in recent decades in India and Western countries. All four schools of Tibetan Buddhism existing today (Nyingma, Kagyu, Gelug and Sakya) belong to the Vajrayana. Vajrayana is a path of transformation of our ordinary mind, based on the motivation and philosophy of the Great Vehicle, but with a special outlook, behavior and methods of practice. The main methods in Vajrayana are visualization of images of deities, or yidams, and in particular, visualization of oneself in the image of a deity to transform one’s “impure” passions, or emotions, into “pure” ones, reading mantras, performing special hand gestures - mudras, and honoring the Teacher. The ultimate goal of practice is to reconnect with the nature of our mind. To practice in Vajrayana, it is necessary to receive instructions from a realized Teacher. The necessary qualities of a practitioner are the motivation of compassion for all beings, understanding of the emptiness of perceived phenomena, and pure vision.

In addition, Tibetan Buddhism inherited a fairly extensive Hindu iconography, as well as numerous deities from the pre-Buddhist Bon religion.

Needless to say, there are a great many different Deities, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in Tibetan Buddhism. In addition, each of them can appear to us in a variety of manifestations, significantly different from each other visually. Understanding the intricacies of Tibetan iconography is sometimes difficult even for a specialist.

Characteristic of Tibetan Buddhism is the tradition of transmitting teachings, spiritual and secular power within the lines of rebirths (tulkus) of prominent Buddhist figures. In its development, this idea led to the unification of spiritual and secular power in the line of the Dalai Lamas.

Here are the images most often found in the monasteries of Tibet.

Major figures of Tibetan Buddhism

Buddha

Buddha Shakyamuni (Skt. , literally “Awakened sage from the Shakya (Sakya) clan” - spiritual teacher, legendary founder of Buddhism.

Given at birth the name Siddhattha Gotama (Pali) / Siddhartha Gautama (Sanskrit) (“descendant of Gotama, successful in achieving goals”), he later became known as the Buddha (literally “Awakened One”) and even the Supreme Buddha (Sammāsambuddha). He is also called: Tathāgata (“one who thus came”), Bhagavan (“lord”), Sugata (Right Walker), Jina (Winner), Lokajyeshtha (World Honored One).

Siddhartha Gautama is a key figure in Buddhism and is its founder. Stories about his life, his sayings, dialogues with his disciples and monastic precepts were summarized by his followers after his death and formed the basis of the Buddhist canon - the Tripitaka. Buddha is also a character in many dharmic religions, in particular Bon (late Bon) and Hinduism. In the Middle Ages, in the later Indian Puranas (for example, in the Bhagavata Purana), he was included among the avatars of Vishnu instead of Balarama.

Most often depicted in the lotus position, sitting on a lotus throne, above the head, like all Buddhas and saints, a halo, meaning enlightened nature, hair, usually blue, tied into a bump on the crown, holding a begging bowl, right hand touches the ground. Often depicted surrounded by two students.

Supernatural Qualities of Buddha

The texts recounting the life and deeds of the Buddha constantly mention that he could communicate with gods, demons and spirits. They came to him, accompanied him and talked with him. Buddha himself ascended to the world of the celestials and read his sermons there, and the gods, in turn, repeatedly visited his cell on earth.

In addition to ordinary vision, the Buddha had a special eye of wisdom in his forehead and the ability to see everything. According to tradition, this eye gave the Buddha the ability to see the past, present and future; the eightfold (or middle) path; the intentions and actions of all creatures living in all worlds of the Universe. This quality is referred to as the six-factor knowledge of the Buddha.

In turn, the Buddha's omniscience is divided into 14 types: knowledge of the four truths (the presence of suffering, the cause of suffering, liberation from suffering and the path leading to liberation from suffering), the ability to achieve great compassion, knowledge of the constant variability of existence, knowledge of the double miracle and other types knowledge.

Buddha could descend underground, ascend to heaven, fly through the air, evoke fiery mysteries, and take on any form. On his body there were 32 large and 80 small marks characteristic of the Buddha, including moles endowed with magical properties.

Buddha achieved enlightenment at the age of 35. He preached throughout northeast India for 45 years. When he was 80 years old, he told his cousin Ananda that he would be leaving soon. This is described in detail in Parinibbana - Suttan. Of the five hundred monks, despite the fact that there were many arhats among them, only Anuruddha was able to understand the state of the Buddha. Even Ananda, who achieved the ability to see the worlds of the gods, perceived it incorrectly. The Buddha repeated several times that the Awakened One, if he wants, can remain in this world for more than a kalpa. If Ananda had asked the Buddha to stay, he would have stayed. But Anada said that everything was fine in the community and the Awakened One could leave this world. A few weeks later, the Buddha accepted a donation of poor quality food. According to one version, these were poisonous mushrooms. He said that "only the Awakened One can accept this donation." After a short time, he lay down on his right side in a grove of sal trees, accepted the last student as a monk, and went to Parinirvana. His last words were:

Everything created is subject to the law of destruction
Achieve your goals through non-promiscuity.

The birthday of Buddha Shakyamuni is a national holiday of the Republic of Kalmykia.

Buddha of the past, incarnated on earth before Shakyamuni Buddha. According to legend, he spent 100,000 years on earth. Often depicted together with the Buddha of the Future (Maitreya) and the Buddha of our time (Shakyamuni). Hands are most often depicted as a protective mudra.

Amitābha or Amitā Buddha (Sanskrit: अमिताभा, Amitābha IAST, “limitless light”) is the most revered figure in the Pure Land school of Buddhism. He is believed to have many worthy qualities: he explains the universal law of existence in the Western Paradise and takes under his protection all who sincerely appeal to him, regardless of their origin, position or virtues.

One of the Dhyani Buddhas, or Buddha of Infinite Light, is known as Amida Buddha in Far Eastern Buddhism. The Panchen Lama of Tibet (second in command after the Dalai Lamas) appears as the earthly incarnation of Amitabha. Depicted in red, in the lotus position on a lotus throne, hands in the mudra of classical meditation, holding a begging bowl. The Pure Land cult of this Buddha is known under the name Sukhovati or Western Paradise. Sukhavati is the paradise of Buddha Amitabha. (Tib. de va chen)

Sukhavati is a magical land-kshetra created by Dhyani Buddha Amitabha. Once upon a time, Amitabha was a bodhisattva and made a vow, having achieved Buddhahood, to create his own country, which would be called Sukhavati - Happy Country.

It is located immeasurably far from our world, and only those born in the lotus live in it - bodhisattvas of the highest level. They live there indefinitely, enjoying peace and boundless happiness among the fertile land, life-giving waters, surrounding the wonderful palaces of the inhabitants of Sukhavati, built from gold, silver, and precious stones. There are no natural disasters in Sukhavati, and its inhabitants are not afraid of the inhabitants of other areas of samsara - predatory animals, warlike asuras or deadly pretas. Besides Sukhavati, located in the western direction of the Buddhist universe, there are other worlds created by the spiritual power of other dhyani buddhas.

Bodhisattva Amitayus (Tib. tse dpag med) is an image of the deity of long life, called “Tse pag med” in Tibetan, and invoked in practices and rituals of life extension.

Buddha of Endless Life, a special form of Amitabha. Bodhisattva Amitayus is located in the Western part of the Mandala and represents the Padma (Lotus) family. He sits on a peacock throne; in hands folded in a meditation pose he holds a vase with the nectar of long life. A believer who constantly recites the Amitayus mantra can gain long life, prosperity and well-being, and also avoid sudden death.

Manla - Buddha of Medicine, (Tib. smanbla)

The full name of the Medicine Buddha is Bhaishajyaguru Vaiduryaprabha, Healing Teacher of Lapis Lazuli Radiance Manla. Like Buddha Shakyamuni and Amitabha, he wears the robes of a monk and sits on a lotus throne. His left hand is in the mudra of meditation, holding a monastic alms vessel (patra) filled with nectar and fruits. The right hand rests on the knee with an open palm, in the mudra of bestowing blessings and holding the stem of myrobalan (Terminalia chebula), a plant known as the king of all medicines due to its effectiveness in treating mental and physical diseases.

The most distinctive feature of the Medicine Buddha is its color, a deep blue lapis lazuli. This gemstone has been highly revered by Asian and European cultures for more than six thousand years and, until recently, its value rivaled and sometimes exceeded that of a diamond. An aura of mystery surrounds this gem, perhaps because the main mines are located in the remote Badakshan region of northeastern Afghanistan.

Healing Master of Lapis Lazuli Radiance Manla is one of the most revered Buddhas of the Buddhist pantheon. The sutras in which he appears compare his Pure Land (abode) to Amitabha's western paradise, and rebirth there is considered as high as rebirth in the Buddhist paradise of Sukhavati. Reciting Manla's mantra, or even simply repeating his holy name, is believed to be sufficient to liberate one from the three low births, protect one from the dangers of the sea, and remove the danger of untimely death.

Dhyani Buddha

Akshobya Amoghasiddhi

Ratnasambhava Vairochana

There are 5 Dhyani Buddhas in total, each with its own color and different hand position (mudra), in addition, the image of each of the Buddhas has special attributes. Dhyani of Buddha - Vairochana (Nampar Namtse), Akshobhya (Mikyeba or Mathrukpa), Ratnasambhava (Rinchen Jungne), Amogasiddhi (Donye Drupa), Amitabha.

Shakyamuni is the Buddha of our historical period. To understand his image we must realize what “Buddha” is.

The Buddha is both a human being and a divine being, whether in male or female form, who has "awakened" from the ignorance of sleep and purified all negativity, and is also the one who has "extended" his limitless power and compassion.

Buddha is a form of being that has reached the highest perfection. He is perfect wisdom (experiencing the true nature of reality) and perfect compassion (embodiing the desire for the good of all).

Buddhahood goes beyond suffering and death, and includes the perfect ability to experience and transmit happiness to all living beings.

He is often depicted sitting in a European pose on a raised platform similar to a chair or armchair. Sometimes he is depicted on a white horse. Sometimes he is depicted sitting in the traditional Buddha pose, with his legs crossed, or in lalitasana (a pose where one leg hangs down, sometimes resting on a smaller lotus, and the other lies as in the usual position of a Buddha).

Maitreya is decorated with decorations. If there is a crown on his head, then it is crowned with a small stupa (chaitya, chorten; a structure symbolizing the Universe in Buddhism). His body is golden yellow in color and he wears monastic robes. Hands folded in dharmachakra mudra (gesture of expounding Buddhist law). There is a form of Maitreya with three faces and four arms. One of his left hands holds a nagkesvara (saffron) flower, the position of one of his right hands is varada mudra (a gesture of giving a boon), the other two hands are folded at the chest in dharmachakra mudra, or in other gestures.

Maitreya is recognized by all sects of Buddhism. His name is often mentioned in commentaries in Buddhist literature.

It is believed that Arya Asanga listened directly to and wrote down the five treatises of Maitreya. As a result of long ascetic practice, Asanga was cleared of mental obscurations, and Maitreya appeared to him.

Another point of view also deserves attention: Maitreya Buddha is a bodhisattva, he can incarnate where he is most needed, the emanations of a Buddha can simultaneously reside in different worlds.

Bodhisattvas

Voted to achieve Bodhi (Enlightenment) and be reborn again and again until all living beings are saved. Thus, Bodhisattvas, unlike Buddhas, do not finally go to Nirvana after achieving enlightenment.

Bodhisattva of Compassion. Avalokiteshvara (Tib.: Chenrezi) means “compassionate gaze” or “Lord looking from above.” He shows infinite love and compassion for all living beings. The bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara was once one of the disciples of Buddha Shakyamuni, and the Buddha predicted that Avalokiteshvara would play an important role in the history of Tibet. In ancient times, the Tibetans were a warlike people, distinguished by extreme ferocity, and no one dared to influence them, with the exception of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. He said he would try to “bring light to this whole bloodthirsty country.” It so happened that Avalokitesvara chose the Tibetans, and not vice versa. Later, Chenrezig was recognized as the divine patron of the Land of Snow, and the Dalai Lamas and Karmapas began to be considered his emanations. Avalokiteshvara is the spiritual son of the Buddha Amitabha, and the figure of Amitabha is often depicted on thangkas above his head.

Avalokiteshara can manifest himself in 108 forms: as a Buddha, in monastic clothes, with a “third eye” and ushnisha; wrathful manifestation – White Mahakala; tantric form of red color with four arms; a form with a dark red body in conjunction with a rose-red humour, etc.

The most common form is with four arms. Chenrezig's body is white, his two main hands are folded in front of his chest in a gesture of request, supplication, this demonstrates his desire to help all beings transcend suffering. Between his hands he holds a transparent wish-fulfilling jewel, this means goodwill towards all types of beings: asuras, humans, animals, spirits, inhabitants of hell. In the upper right hand there is a crystal mala rosary with 108 beads (a reminder of the Chenrezig mantra). In the left hand, at shoulder level, there is a blue utpala flower (a symbol of purity of motivation). The skin of an antelope is thrown over the left shoulder (as a reminder of its qualities: the antelope shows special love for children and is very hardy).

The hair is pulled back into a bun, with some of the hair falling over the shoulders. The Bodhisattva is dressed in silk robes and decorated with five types of jewelry. He sits in the lotus position on the lunar disk, below the lunar disk is the solar disk, below is a lotus, usually of a natural shape.

There are many variants of images of Avalokiteshvara, the most popular is the four-armed form (Tonje Chenpo), where he is depicted sitting on a lunar disk resting on a lotus flower, the body of the Bodhisattva is white, in his hands he holds a rosary and a lotus flower, a symbol of compassion. Another popular form is the thousand-armed Bodhisattva (Chaktong Jentong) with eleven heads.

Manjushri - Bodhisattva of Great Wisdom, is a symbol of the Mind of all Buddhas. The body is most often yellow, with a crown on the head. To save sentient beings, he manifests himself in five peaceful and wrathful forms. In his right hand, Manjushri holds the sword of Wisdom, which cuts through ignorance, and in his left hand, a lotus stem on which rests the Prajnaparamita Sutra - the Sutra of Transcendental Wisdom. Ancient manuscripts describe the residence of Manjushri, which is located on the five peaks of Wutai Shan, northwest of Beijing. Since ancient times, thousands of Buddhists have made pilgrimages to the foot of these peaks. It is believed that a believer who worships Manjushri gains deep intelligence, good memory and eloquence.

In the lower left corner of the tank is depicted Avalokiteshvara, the embodiment of the infinite compassion of all Buddhas. His first two hands are clasped together at his heart in a gesture imploring all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to care for and protect all living beings and protect them from suffering. In them he holds the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel - a symbol of Bodhichitta. In his other right hand, Avalokiteshvara holds a rosary made of crystal and symbolizing his ability to liberate all beings from Samsara through the practice of reciting the six-syllable mantra OM MANI PADME HUM. In his left hand he holds the stem of a blue utpal lotus, symbolizing his impeccable and compassionate motivation. The fully bloomed utpala flower and two buds show that the compassionate wisdom of Avalokiteshvara permeates the past, present and future. A wild deer skin is draped over Avalokiteshvara's left shoulder, representing the kind and gentle nature of the compassionate Bodhisattva and his ability to subdue delusion.

On the right is Vajrapani, the Bodhisattva of Great Power. Body color is dark blue, holds a golden vajra in his right hand, stands on a lotus and a solar disk in the fire of wisdom. This triad - Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri and Vajrapani symbolizes the Compassion, Wisdom and Power of all Enlightened Ones. Above the entire group, in the deep blue sky, is Shakyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of our time. To his left is Je Tsonghawa, the founder of the Gelug-pa school. On the right is His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV.

Green Tara (Tib. sgrol ljang ma)

Green Tara is the most effective and active manifestation of all Taras. The green color of her body indicates that she belongs to the family (genesis) of the Amogasiddhi Buddha, the transcendental Buddha who occupies the northern side of the Mandala.

She sits on a lotus, solar and lunar discs in an elegant pose. Her right leg comes down from the seat, thereby symbolizing Tara's readiness to instantly come to the rescue. The left leg is bent and in a state of rest (skrit. lalitasana). With a graceful movement of her hands she holds blue lotus flowers (skrit. utpala).

It is believed that Green Tara appeared from the teardrop of the right eye of Bodhisattva Aryabala. The color of her body symbolizes activity and instant fulfillment of any request of the believer.

Bodhisattva in female incarnation, a special female manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, which according to legend arose from his tears. Symbolizes Purity and Abundance and is considered a special protector of Tibet, very popular among the population, since Tibetans believe that Tara fulfills wishes. White Tara represents day, green Tara represents night.

The name "Tara" means "Savior". It is said that her compassion for all living beings, her desire to save everyone from the torment of Samsara, is stronger than a mother’s love for her own children.

Just as Manjushri is the Bodhisattva of the Great Wisdom of all Enlightened Ones (Buddhas), and Avalokiteshvara is the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion, so Tara is the Bodhisattva who represents the magical activity of all Buddhas past, present and future.

White Tara has seven eyes - one on each palm and feet, and three on her face, which symbolizes her omniscience of suffering in the entire Universe.

Just like Green Tara, White Tara's mudra (gesture) signifies the granting of salvation, and the lotus flower she holds in her left hand is a symbol of the Three Jewels.

Protector Deities

Special forms of beings sworn to protect the Dharma. These can be both angry manifestations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and demon beings (Dharmapala and Iydams), converted by Guru Rinpoche (Padmasabhava) and also taking the vow of protectors of the Teaching.

Chokyeng (Four Protector Deities)

They are responsible for the 4 cardinal directions and are often depicted at the entrance to Tibetan monasteries.

Vajrabhairava or simply - Bhairava, literally - "Terrifying"), also known as Yamantaka (Skt. Yamāntaka; Tib. gshin rje gshed, lit. "Crusher of the Lord of Death", "Destroyer of the Ruler of Death", "Destroyer of Yama") - acts as the wrathful manifestation of the bodhisattva Manjushri. Yamantaka is also a yidam and dharmapala in Vajrayana Buddhism.

In the root Bhairava Tantra, Manjushri takes the form of Yamantaka to defeat Yama. Since Manjushri is the bodhisattva of wisdom, we can understand the allegory of the killing of Yama as the victory of wisdom over death, as the achievement of Liberation, breaking the chain of reincarnations.

The name of the yidam Vajrabhairava suggests that early Buddhist practices borrowed some features of Shaivism. The very name Bhairava (“Terrible”) is one of the names of Shiva (who is often called Mahabhairava - “Great Terrible”), a hypostasis in which he appears as a god of frenzied madness, dressed in the bloody skin of an elephant, leading a wild dance of monstrous spirits. Shiva's companion is a bull, his attribute (sometimes a hypostasis) is a naked lingam (phallus), his weapon is a trident, his necklaces are made of human skulls or heads.

Another name of Vajrabhairava is Yamantaka (“Overcoming Yama”), Yamari (“Enemy of Yama”), is considered to be a manifestation of the wrathful aspect of the bodhisattva Manjushri, which he accepted in order to defeat the raging king of the underworld. At the philosophical level, this victory is understood as the triumph of the diamond wisdom of the highest reality over evil, ignorance, suffering and death.

The Yamantaka cult is closely connected with Tsongkhapa, and since they are both emanations of the bodhisattva Manjushri, the entire Gelukpa school is under the patronage of the Yamantaka yidam.

Tibetans call Mahakala “Great Black Protector” or “Great Black Compassion”; he is both an idam and a dharmapala. The Mahakala Tantra dedicated to him, brought to Tibet in the 11th century by the translator Rinchen Sangpo, was written, according to legend, by the great yogi Shavaripa, who invoked the god during his meditation in a South Indian cemetery.

Mahakala in his basic, six-armed form is one of the main patrons of Tibet. There are seventy-five forms of this deity in total. The six-armed one, also called Jnana Mahakala, is especially powerful in defeating enemies. The practice of Mahakala pursues two goals: the highest - achieving Enlightenment, as well as eliminating obstacles, increasing strength and knowledge, and fulfilling desires.

Hayagriva (Sanskrit: हयग्रीव, literally “horse neck”; i.e. Hayagriva) is a character in Hindu mythology (in modern Hinduism usually as an incarnation of Vishnu) and the Buddhist figurative system (as the “wrathful protector deity of the Teaching,” dharmapala), also found in ancient Jainism. In archaic statues of Hinduism it is represented with a human body and a horse's head, in Buddhism a small horse head (or three heads) is depicted above a human face(s).

Hayagriva became a popular image in Buddhism (in Tibet and Mongolia under the name Damdin, in Japan as Bato-kannon). He appears many times in Tibetan Buddhism: in connection with the figures of Padmasambhava, the 5th Dalai Lama, and as the main deity of the Sera Monastery.

The origins of the image are associated with the ancient Aryan cult of the horse (cf. the cult of the horse in the Ashvamedha sacrifice). It was apparently later reinterpreted during the codification of the Vedas and the development of Vaishnavism and Buddhism. Among the Tibetans and Mongols, the image of Hayagriva is also associated with such a blessing as the multiplication of herds of horses.

Considered to be the wrathful manifestation of Buddha Amitabha. Often depicted in red.

Vajrapani (Sanskrit vajra - “thunderbolt” or “diamond”, and pāṇi - “in the hand”; that is, “holding the vajra”) is a bodhisattva in Buddhism. He is the protector of Buddha and a symbol of his power. Widely found in Buddhist iconography as one of the three guardian deities surrounding the Buddha. Each of them symbolizes one of the virtues of the Buddha: Manjushri is the manifestation of the wisdom of all Buddhas, Avalokiteshvara is the manifestation of the compassion of all Buddhas, Vajrapani is the manifestation of the power of all Buddhas, just as Manjushri is the Bodhisattva of the Great Wisdom of all Enlightened Ones; Avalokitesvara is the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion, and Tara is the Bodhisattva who represents the magical activity of all Buddhas past, present and future. For the practitioner, Vajrapani is the wrathful idam (meditation deity) who symbolizes victory over all negativity.

Palden Lhamo is the primary protector in Tibetan Buddhism and the only female deity among the group of Eight Dharma Protectors (skrit: Dharmapalas). The female embodiment of Mahakala. She is especially influential in the Gelugpa school, for whose followers Lhamo is the special protector of Lhasa and the Dalai Lama. Her reflection appears on a lake known as Lhamo Latso, located one hundred and fifty kilometers southeast of Lhasa. This lake is famous for predicting the future reflected on its surface. Palden Lhamo (Sk. Shri Devi) is the Tibetan concept of a terrifying black Indian goddess. Legends unite her with both Tara and Saraswati. On the mule's rump hangs a ball of magical threads made from a weapon twisted into a ball. Here is also the eye that appeared when Lhamo pulled out the spear that her husband, the king of the cannibals, threw at her when she left Ceylon. The deities accompanying Lhamo are the Crocodile-headed Dakini (Skt. Makaravaktra) leading the mule, and the Lion-headed Dakini (Skr. Simhavaktra) behind her.

Chakrasamvara or Korlo Demchog / Khor-lo bDe-mchog, lit. “Circle of Supreme Bliss”) is the deity of meditation, the main yidam in the Chakrasamvara Tantra. Deity, patron of one of the highest tantras of Buddhism, the Chakrasamvara Tantra. Chakrasamvara Tantra was preached by Buddha Shakyamuni in the land of Dakinis. In India, this teaching was revived thanks to the yogi Luyipa, who, in a state of samadhi, received instructions on Chakrasamvara from the dakini Vajravaraha. The tradition of Chakrasamvara has survived to this day. The main focus of the Chakrasamvara Tantra is on generating four types of bliss (associated with the main chakras in the subtle body of a person). This is typical for mother tantras, which include the Chakrasamvara tantra. It is easily practiced by people with artistic inclinations. Chakrasamvara has two main forms: with two or with twelve arms. In both cases he is depicted in union with the spiritual consort of Vajravaraha (Tib. Dorje Pagmo). Their union is a symbol of the unity of emptiness and bliss. Samvara's body is blue. He wears a tiger skin wrapped around his waist and an elephant skin. His four faces (in twelve-armed form) are yellow, blue, green and red. On it are bone decorations, a tiger with five skulls (a symbol of the five enlightened families), and a garland of 51 human heads. Vajravarahi is depicted in red color and has one face and two arms. Hugging her husband, she holds a kapala and degug in her hands.

Historical characters

Guru Padmasambhava, is the first main teacher of the tantric tradition in Tibet. Shakyamuni Buddha promised to be reborn in the form of Guru Padmasambhava to spread the Vajrayana teachings in this world. The Buddha predicted the actions of Padmasambhava nineteen times in the sutras and tantras. Exactly as prophesied, Guru Padmasambhava was miraculously born in a lotus flower in northwestern India, in the land of Uddiyana, eight years after the passing of Shakyamuni Buddha, approximately 500 BC.

Guru Padmasambhava appeared in the lotus as an eight-year-old boy. King Indrabhuti came to see him and asked him five questions: “Where did you come from? Who is your father? Who is your mother? What do you eat? What are you doing?" Guru Padmasambhava replied, “I have emerged from the unborn state, dharmadhatu. My father's name is Samantabhadra and my mother's name is Samantabhadri. My food is dualistic thoughts, and my work is labor for the benefit of all living beings.” When the king heard these answers, he became very happy and asked Guru Padmasambhava to go with him to the palace and live there as his son. Guru Padmasambhava went to the palace and lived there for many years. After leaving the palace, he fulfilled the prophecy of Buddha Vajrasattva: he traveled to various places in India, lived in cemeteries and performed various forms of meditation. He was already enlightened, but he performed these practices to demonstrate that meditation leads to enlightenment.

Guru Padmasambhava occupies a special place among Tibetan Buddhist schools, most of which trace their transmissions and blessings directly from him. He is the embodiment of all enlightened beings. Of course, all Buddhas work for the benefit of sentient beings, but because Guru Padmasambhava made the Vajrayana teachings available to us, he is considered a special Buddha of our era.

Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), founder of the Gelug school (Tib. dGe-lugs-pa or dGe-ldan-pa), which also became widespread in Mongolia and Buryatia (XVI-XVII centuries).

In 1403 in the Radeng Monastery (Tib. Rwa-sgreng), which belonged to the Kadampa school, Tsongkhapa compiled two fundamental texts of the “new Kadampa” (as the Gelukpa school is called in the Tibetan tradition): “Lam-rim cheng-mo” (“Great Steps of the Path”) and “Ngag-rim” (“Stages of Mantra”).

In 1409 Tsongkhapa established the “great service” (Tib. smon-lam chen-mo, Sanskrit mahвpraтidhana) in Lhasa, and also decorated the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in the main temple of Lhasa - Jo-khang (Tib. Jo-khang) with gold and turquoise.

The fifth Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso (lived 1617-1682) is the most famous Dalai Lama in the history of reincarnations, also nicknamed the “Great Fifth”. Under his rule, a centralized theocratic form of government was established. He also became famous for his numerous religious treatises in the Gelug and Nyingma traditions.

The future Dalai Lama was born in Tibet in the Chinwar Tagtse area of ​​Thargyey district (Central Tibet) on the 23rd day of the 9th lunar month of 1617. In 1642, the Dalai Lama was placed on the throne of Shigatse. The ruler of the Oirat Khoshout tribe, Gushi Khan, announced that he would grant him supreme power over Tibet, which marked the founding of a new (after the Sakya school) Tibetan theocracy. Lhasa was declared the capital, as well as the seat of government, where construction of the Potala Palace began in 1645. In 1643, the 5th Dalai Lama received diplomatic recognition from Nepal and Sikkim as the political head of the Tibetan state. From childhood, the Fifth Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso, was calm and serious, and then showed himself to be courageous and decisive. A man of few words, he was always persuasive. As a Gelug, he supported prominent lamas of other traditions, for which he was subject to considerable criticism. He ignored her because he preferred to be familiar with the beliefs and teachings of his rivals rather than remain ignorant of them... He was compassionate towards his subjects and could be ruthless in suppressing rebellions. In his work on issues of secular and spiritual life, he notes that there is no need to sympathize with a person who should be executed for his crimes.

* * *

Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso figures prominently in the Nyingmapa lineage, and Dudjom Rinpoche wrote about him in his famous History of the Nyingma School, placing him among other important tertons. This reference is related to his revelations of the pure vision of Gyachen Nyernga, which means the Twenty-Five Sealed Teachings.

Those times were characterized by religious and political conflicts between Tibetan religious traditions. Khoshout Khan Gushi, the patron of the Gelug tradition, crushed the opposition in Kham, Shigatse and other regions. Some of the monasteries were reorganized into Gelug monasteries, several monasteries were destroyed. In particular, the monastery of the late Taranatha was destroyed. Khan Gushi transferred all power in Tibet to the V Dalai Lama. In 1645, construction of the Potala Palace began in Lhasa. In 1652, at the invitation of the Shunzhi Emperor, the Dalai Lama arrived in Beijing at the Yellow Palace, specially built for him. The Emperor bestowed upon him the title of "Penetrating, thunder-scepter-bearing, ocean-like lama", receiving in return the title of "Heavenly God, Manjushri, the Supreme, the Great Lord."

The prophecies of several revelations of pure vision speak of the Fifth Dalai Lama as the embodiment of the enlightened activity of King Trisong Detsen.

He felt a deep connection with the Nyingma tradition and Guru Padmasambhava, and among his most important teachers were such great Nyingma masters as Tsurchen Choying Rangdrol, Khenton Paljor Lhundrup, Terdag Lingpa and Minling Terchen Jyurme Dorje.

He departed from this world in his sixty-sixth year (1682) at the Potala residence while meditating on Kurukulla, the deity associated with the powers of mastery and subjugation. This was seen as an auspicious sign and an indication of the strength of his enlightened activities in the future.

However, his death was concealed for political purposes for 15 years by his prime minister, who found a double to replace him.

[Son'-tsen Gam-po]) was the thirty-third king of the Chogyal dynasty (Tib. chos rgyal = Skt. dharmarāja - "King of Dharma"), and he was the first of the three great Dharmaraja kings who spread Buddhism in Tibet. He was also called Tride Songtsen and Tri Songtsen (Tib. khri lde srong btsan, khri srong btsan). According to Budon Rinchendub, Songtsen Gampo's lifetime was 617–698 AD. Under him, the first Buddhist temples were built. The famous temple of Lhasa, Rasa Trulnang, was built. This temple was later renamed Jokhang (Tib. jo khang - “Temple of Jowo”).

On thangkas, Songtsen Gampo is depicted as a king sitting on a throne. In his hands is often depicted the Wheel of the Law and a lotus flower, on his head is an orange or gold turban, on top of which is depicted the head of Buddha Amitabha. Usually, two wives are depicted next to him: on the left side - Wencheng, on the right side - Bhrikuti.

The grandson of Songtsen Gampo, the next Tibetan monarch, patron of Buddhism, under him the first Samye monastery was built. He was the thirty-seventh king of the Chogyal dynasty. Time of his life: 742–810. King Trisong Detsen was the second great Dharmaraja of Tibet after Songtsen Gampo. With the assistance of this king, Buddhism spread widely in the Land of Snows. Trisong Detsen invited Padmasambhava, Shantarakshita, Vimalamitra and many other Buddhist teachers from India to Tibet(*). During his reign, the first Tibetans took monastic vows, pandits and Lotsawas(**) translated many Buddhist texts, and numerous centers for spiritual practice were established.

* It is said that during his reign, Trisong Detsen invited one hundred and eight Buddhist teachers to Tibet.

** Lotsawa (Tib. lo tsa ba - translator) Tibetans called translators who translated Buddhist texts into Tibetan. They worked closely with the Indian pandits. Buddhist scholars were called pandits

Tibetan yogi and mystic of the 11th century (1052-1135). Teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, famous yogi practitioner, poet, author of many songs and ballads that are still popular in Tibet, one of the founders of the Kagyu school. His teacher was Marpa the translator. From the age of forty-five he settled in the Drakar Taso (White Rock Horse Tooth) cave and also became a traveling teacher. Milarepa mastered numerous meditation practices and yogic practices, which he passed on to his students.

*The history of the Potala, the palace of the Dalai Lamas, dates back to the 7th century, when King Songtsen Gampo ordered the construction of a palace in the center of Lhasa, on Red Mountain. The name of the palace itself comes from Sanskrit, and means “Mystical Mountain”. Later, the Fifth Dalai Lama, who united the scattered feudal principalities into a single state, for which he was popularly nicknamed “The Great,” rebuilt and enlarged the palace. The Potala is located at 3,700 meters above sea level, its height is 115 meters, divided into 13 floors, with a total area of ​​more than 130,000 square meters. There is no exact data on how many rooms and halls there are in the Potala. Their number is “several over a thousand,” and there are very few people who have been able to get around them all. The Potala Palace is included in the UN World Heritage Book.

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Sutra means “thread” in Sanskrit. Just as pearls are strung on a thread, so the knowledge in the sutras is strung on the “thread” of the narrative. The sutras originated in India, where they briefly and succinctly expressed the essence of the teaching in a form convenient for oral transmission.

In contrast, the sutras of Buddhism are narrative in nature and contain hidden meanings, tricks that allow every living being to explain the truth in a language they understand. Instructive stories about ordinary people, about great kings, wise teachers, about beings of all worlds hide the boundless wisdom and Teachings of the Buddha.

Sutra in Buddhism is one of the twelve classes of sacred texts: sutras, geya, vyakarana, gatha, udana, nidana, avadana, itivrittaka, jataka, vaipulya, yudbhutadharma and upadesa.

The Buddhist sutras were created to eradicate all doubts regarding the Three Jewels and the Absolute Truth and to guide sentient beings on the path to freedom from suffering.

Origin of Buddhist Sutras

The sutras were first written down at the first Buddhist council as part of the Tripitaka - three baskets: Sutra Pitaka, Vinaya and Abhidharma. This name stuck due to the fact that the notes were inscribed on palm leaves and placed in large baskets. During the life of Shakyamuni Buddha there was no need to systematize the Teachings or instructions, since it was always possible to turn to the “original source”. However, after the Buddha passed into parinirvana, his teachings began to be interpreted differently, and the rules of conduct in the monastic community began to be abolished at their own discretion. Therefore, in order to preserve the Dharma and Vinaya - a set of instructions for monks, a council of the wisest teachers who had achieved arhatship - complete liberation from obscurations and achieved enlightenment - was convened.

At this meeting, all the teachings of the Victorious One that had ever been heard and his conversations with his disciples were expounded by Ananda, one of the main disciples of the Buddha. Ananda was the Buddha's personal assistant and was almost always by his side, and he also had a phenomenal memory, which allowed him to thoroughly expound the teachings. Therefore, all sutras begin with the words: “Thus I have heard.”

Some of the Buddhist sutras were hidden so that at the right time the tertons - the discoverers of treasures - could discover them and write them down in a form accessible to people. Thus, the prajna paramita was found in the palace of the king of the nagas (wonderful snakes) by the great philosopher Nagarjuna.

Basic Buddhist Sutras

There are a huge number of sutras, since the Teaching was not the same for everyone, but was given depending on the qualities of the mind of each living being.

The most famous Buddhist sutras are the Lankavatara Sutra, Sandhinirmocana Sutra, Mahaparinirvana Sutra, Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra and others, many of which are presented in this section.

However, the quintessence of the Buddha's Teaching is contained in one sutra - the Saddharmapundarika Sutra, or the Lotus Flower Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma. This teaching was pronounced by the Victorious One over Mount Gridhrakuta (Mountain of the Sacred Eagle). This sutra outlines the path to enlightenment available to all living beings, “the repository of the deepest secrets.”

Why study the sutras?

Even during the time of the first ancient university of Nalanda, those entering the study first of all memorized the teachings and only then comprehended their deep essence. Very often the “body” of a sutra is found between the lines, and one can only gain the wisdom hidden in simple words through one’s own life experience.

The craving for learning and spiritual self-development passes from life to life, and, turning to the great ancient teachings, you can feel the response, as if you had already studied them. Thus, many tulkus (consciously reborn realized souls) of Tibet, at a young age, memorized the texts of the sutras with amazing ease, as if recalling them from past incarnations.

What you fill your inner world with will have a direct impact on you. The opportunity to come into contact with the Teachings of the Buddha - an enlightened being who has achieved liberation - will help sow the necessary “seeds” for the future for spiritual self-improvement and will allow you to follow the Dharma.

By re-reading the sutras, each time you will be able to find in them new knowledge and wisdom that are necessary at a given period, previously unnoticed.

The Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra (or simply the Heart Sutra) is one of the most popular in Mahayana Buddhism. It sets out in a condensed form the ideas of perfect wisdom (prajnaparamita), and is one of the shortest texts of the prajnaparamita cycle. In Sanskrit, its name sounds like “Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra” (प्रज्ञपारमिता हॄदयसूत्र, Prajñāpāramitā Hridaya Sūtra), in Chinese -般若波羅蜜多心經 god bolomido xin jing.

The Sanskrit text of the Heart Sutra consists of 14 slokas; The sloka, in turn, includes 32 syllables. The Chinese translation by Xuanzang consists of only 260 characters. But despite its small size, it expresses the whole essence of the Prajnaparamita Sutras, some of which number up to 100 thousand slokas.

Sanskrit text of the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra, from the collection of Paul Pelliot

The Heart Sutra is most popular in the countries of the East Asian region - Vietnam, Japan and Korea, as well as in Tibet.

According to most researchers, the Heart Sutra was created in the 1st century AD. on the territory of the Kushan Empire. It may have been written by a Sarvastivadin or former Sarvastivadin monk. The earliest recording of the sutra is believed to be a Chinese translation by the monk Zhiqian 支謙 (c. 222-252) from Yuezhi (月支 or 月氏, Central Asia). Kumarajiva (鸠摩罗什, 344/350-409/411) re-translated this text. The next translation was made by Xuanzang (玄奘, 602-664) in 649 and was close to Kumarajiva's translation; Zhiqian's translation had already been lost by that time. One biography states that Xuanzang learned about this text from one of the inhabitants of Sichuan province and subsequently sang it in moments of danger during his journey to the West.

A number of researchers also believe that the Heart Sutra was originally intended as a dharani 咒 zhou(analogous to a mantra). So, Zhiqian's version is called 摩訶般若波羅蜜咒經 mohe godbolomi zhou jing, “Sutra Dharani of the Mahaprajnaparamita”, Kumarajiva - 摩訶般若波羅蜜大明咒經 God Bolomi Daming Zhou Jing, "Sutra Dharani of the Great Enlightenment of the Mahaprajnaparamita." Xuanzang was the first to include “Heart Sutra” (心经) in its title xinjing): 般若波羅蜜多心經 god bolomido xinjing- “Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra.” Also, no Sanskrit manuscripts of this text have yet been found that would call it a “sutra”.

A number of Tibetan translations add the word “Bhagavati” bhagavatī to the name - the epithet of Prajnaparamita as a goddess: “Victorious” (Bhagavatīprajñāpāramitāhṛdaya, བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་མ​ པོ, bcom ldan 'das ma shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa'i snying po, "The Heart of Bhagavati of Perfect Wisdom").

The text "Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra" carved on the wall of the terrace in,

Philosophy of the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra

The Heart Sutra differs from others in that the teaching does not come from the mouth of the Buddha himself, which is traditional for all sutras, but from the bodhisattva of compassion Avalokiteshvara. The presence of Avalokiteshvara is not common in the early Prajnaparamita texts; Subhuti and Buddha are usually mentioned there (the latter is mentioned only in the complete versions of the Heart Sutra). It is also unusual that Avalokiteshvara turns to Shariputra, who was, according to Scripture and the texts of Sarvastivada and other early Buddhist schools, the herald of Abhidharma (as the author of the treatise Dharma-skandha as part of the Abhidharma), and, according to tradition, it was Shariputra who the Buddha revealed the teaching Prajnaparamita (Highest Wisdom). These and other features of the text have given reason for a number of researchers to consider the “Heart Sutra” to be of Chinese origin.

The Heart Sutra describes the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara's experience of realizing true reality, which is empty. According to Bill Porter (alias Red Pine), a researcher of Taoism and Chinese Buddhism, it is a response to the Sarvastivada teaching that dharmas are real.

Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra. Calligraphy by Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322)

(translation from Chinese and comments by E.A. Torchinov)

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, while performing deep prajna paramita, clearly saw that all five skandhas were empty. Then he got rid of all suffering by crossing to the other side.

Shariputra! The sense-perceptible is not different from emptiness. Emptiness is no different from what is sensed. Sensibly perceived is emptiness. Emptiness is what is sensed. Groups of feelings, ideas, formative factors and consciousness are also exactly like that.

Shariputra! For all dharmas, emptiness is their essential characteristic. They are not born and do not die, are not polluted and not purified, do not increase or decrease. Therefore, in emptiness there is no sense group, no group of feelings, ideas, formative factors and consciousness, no faculties of visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile and mental perception, no visible, audible, smelt, tasted, tactile and no dharmas; there is nothing from the sphere of visual perception to the sphere of mental perception.

There is no ignorance and there is no cessation of ignorance, and so on until the absence of old age and death and the absence of cessation of old age and death. There is no suffering, no cause of suffering, no annihilation of suffering and no path leading to the cessation of suffering. There is no wisdom, and there is no gain, and there is nothing to be gained.

Because bodhisattvas rely on prajna paramita, there are no obstacles in their consciousness. And since there are no obstacles, there is no fear. They removed and overthrew all illusions and achieved final nirvana. All the Buddhas of the three times, due to their reliance on prajna-paramita, achieved anuttara samyak sambodhi.

Therefore, know that prajna-paramita is a great divine mantra, this is a mantra of great awakening, this is the highest mantra, this is an incomparable mantra, endowed with the true essence, and not empty. That is why it is called the prajna-paramita mantra. This mantra says:

Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi, matchmaker!

The Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra is complete.

Avalokiteshvara (Chinese Guanshiyin - Contemplating the Sounds of the World) is the great bodhisattva of Mahayana Buddhism, a symbol of great compassion. His Chinese name is a translation of the oldest Sanskrit form "Avalokitesvara" (or Avalokitasvara), i.e. "Attentive to the Sounds of the World", while the later "Avalokitesvara" means "Lord Hearing the World". Shariputra is one of the Buddha's most prominent disciples, the "Standard Bearer of the Dharma." Here are listed five skandhas (Chinese yun), i.e., groups of elementary instantaneous psychophysical states (dharmas) that form the empirical personality: rupa skandha (se) - a group of sensually perceived; vedana skandha (show) - sensitivity group (pleasant, unpleasant, neutral); samjna skandha (syan) - group of forming ideas and making distinctions; samskara skandha (sin) - a group of formative factors, the volitional aspect of the psyche that forms karma and vijnana skandha (shi) - a group of consciousness. Here the indriyas are listed - the six organs, or abilities of sensory perception, which include the “mind” - manas. The objects of sense perception (visaya) are listed here. By “dharmas” here we mean “intelligible” as the object of manas. This contains a condensed enumeration of the elements of the psyche (dharmas), classified according to dhatus (tse) - sources of consciousness, including the ability of perception and its object (twelve dhatus). This contains a condensed enumeration of the twelve elements of cause-dependent origin (pratitya samutpada), the teaching of which was one of the primary foundations of early Buddhism. Ignorance (avidya; u min) is the first element of dependent origination, old age and death are the last. Between them are the following elements (links - nidana): attraction - volition, consciousness, name and form (mental and physical), six bases of sensory perception, contact of the senses with their objects, a feeling of pleasant, unpleasant or neutral, lust, desire for what is desired , fullness of life, new birth (in turn leading to old age and death). Here the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism are listed and denied (at the level of absolute truth): the truth about the universality of suffering, the truth about the cause of suffering, the truth about the cessation of suffering, and the truth about the path to the cessation of suffering (that is, to Nirvana). That is, Buddhas of the past, present and future. Complete and complete awakening (enlightenment), China. anoudolo sanmao sanputi - the highest goal of Mahayana Buddhism, achieving Buddhahood. The mantra in Chinese reading looks like: Jidi, jidi, bolojidi, bolosenjidi, paths, sapohe! Its conventional translation: “Oh, translating beyond, translating beyond, leading beyond, leading beyond the boundless to awakening, glory!”

Chinese text of the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra

(with pinyin transcription)

般若波羅蜜多心經
Bōrě bōluómìduō xīn jīng

唐三藏法師玄奘譯
Táng sānzàng fǎshī xuánzàng yì

觀自在菩薩行深般若波羅蜜多時，照見五蘊皆空，度一切苦厄。
Guānzì zài púsà xíng shēn bōrě bōluómìduō shí, zhàojiàn wǔ yùn jiē kōng, dù yīqiè kǔ è.

「舍利子！色不異空，空不異色；色即是空，空即是色。
Shèlìzi! Sè bù yì kōng, kōng bù yì sè; sè jí shì kōng, kōng jí shì sè.

受、想、行、識，亦復如是 。
Shòu, xiǎng, xíng, shí, yì fù rúshì.

「舍利子！是諸法空相，不生不滅，不垢不淨，不增不減。
Shèlìzi! Shì zhū fǎ kōng xiāng, bù shēng bù miè, bù gòu bù jìng, bù zēng bù jiǎn.

是故，空中無色，無受、想、行、識；
Shì gù, kōng zhōng wú sè, wú shòu, xiǎng, xíng, shí;

無眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意；
wú yǎn, ěr, bí, shé, shēn, yì;

無色、聲、香、味、觸、法；
wú sè, shēng, xiāng, wèi, chù, fǎ;

無眼界，乃至無意識界；
wú yǎnjiè, nǎizhì wú yìshíjiè;

無無明亦無無明盡，乃至無老死亦無老死盡；
wú wú míng yì wú wú míng jǐn, nǎizhì wú lǎosǐ yì wú lǎosǐ jǐn;

無苦、集、滅、道；無智，亦無得。
wú kǔ, jí, miè, dào; wú zhì, yì wú dé.

「以無所得故，菩提薩埵依般若波羅蜜多故，心無罣礙；
Yǐ wú suǒ dé gù, pútísàduǒ yī bōrě bōluómìduō gù, xīn wú guà ài;

無罣礙故，無有恐怖，遠離顛倒夢想，究竟涅槃。
Wú guà ài gù, wú yǒu kǒng bù, yuǎn lí diān dǎo mèngxiǎng, jiù jìng nièpán.

三世諸佛依般若波羅蜜多故，得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。
Sān shì zhū Fó yī bōrě bōluómìduō gù, dé ānòuduōluó sānmiǎo sānpútí.

「故知般若波羅蜜多，是大神咒，是大明咒，是無上咒，是無等等咒，能除一切苦真實不虛，故說般若波羅蜜多咒。」
Gùzhī bōrě bōluómìduō, shì dàshén zhòu, shì dàmíng zhòu, shì wú shàng zhòu, shì wú děng děng zhòu, néng chú yīqiè kǔ zhēnshí bù x ū, gù shuō bōrě bōluómìduō zhòu.

即說咒曰：
Jí shuō zhòu yuē:

「揭帝　揭帝　般羅揭帝 般羅僧揭帝　菩提　僧莎訶」
Jiēdì jiēdì bānluó jiēdì bānluó sēng jiēdì pútí sēng shā hē

般若波羅蜜多心經
Bōrě bōluómìduō xīnjīng

In conclusion, a very beautiful rendition of the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra in Chinese:

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SUTRA OF THE HEART OF PRAJNAPARAMITA

Bodhisattva Avalokita,
Plunging into the depths of knowledge,
He illuminated the five skandhas with the radiance of his wisdom
And I saw that they were all equally empty.
After this insight, he overcame his suffering.

Listen, Shariputra,
Form is emptiness, emptiness is form,
Form is nothing but emptiness
Emptiness is nothing more than form.
The same is true for feelings,
Perceptions, mental activity and consciousness.
Listen, Shariputra,
All dharmas have the properties of emptiness.
They are neither created nor destroyed,
Not contaminated or cleaned,
They do not increase or decrease.

So, in the void
There is no form, no feelings, no perceptions,
No mental activity, no consciousness.
No dependent origination
No eye, no ear, no nose,
No language, no body, no mind.
No form, no sound, no smell,
No taste, no touch, no mental objects.
There is no sphere of elements starting from the eyes
And ending with consciousness.

And there is no fading of it, starting from ignorance
And ending with death and decay.
There is no suffering and there is no source of suffering,
There is no end to suffering
And there is no way to end suffering.
There is no wisdom and no achievement.

Since there is no achievement, then bodhisattvas,
Based on perfect wisdom,
They do not find obstacles in their mind.
Having no obstacles, they overcome fear,
Eternally freed from delusions
And they achieve true nirvana.
Thanks to this perfect wisdom,
All Buddhas past, present and future
Enter into complete, true and complete enlightenment.

Therefore, one should know that perfect wisdom
Expressed in an unrivaled mantra,
With the highest mantra that destroys suffering,
Flawless and truthful.
So, the prajnaparamita mantra
Must be proclaimed. This is the mantra:

Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.

Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.

SUTRA OF LOVE

Anyone who wants to achieve peace
Must be humble and honest
Speak with love, live in peace
And without worries, simply and happily.
Let nothing be done that does not receive the approval of the wise.

And that's what we're thinking about.
May all beings be happy and safe.
Let there be joy in their hearts.
May all beings live safely and peacefully:
Creatures weak and strong, high and low,
Big or small, far or near,
Visible or invisible, already born
Or not yet born.
May they all remain in perfect peace.
Let no one harm any other.
Let no one become dangerous to another.
Let no one be evil and hostile,
Will not wish harm to others.

Just like a mother loves her only child
And he is protected at the risk of his life,
We develop love without borders
To everything living in nature.
Let this love fill the whole world
And will not meet any obstacles.
Let hostility and enmity leave our hearts forever.

If we are awakened, we stand or walk, we lie or sit,
In our hearts we keep love without borders
And this is the noblest path of life.
Who has experienced love without borders,
Free yourself from passionate desires,
Greed, false judgments,
Will live in true intelligence and beauty.

And will undoubtedly transcend the limits of birth and death
up

SUTRA ON HAPPINESS

He lived in the Anathapindika monastery in the Jeta grove near Shravasti.
By nightfall the deity appeared - his beauty and brilliance illuminated the entire Djet grove with a radiant sparkle.
Having paid homage to the Buddha, the deity addressed him with verses:
“Many people and gods strive to know that which is beneficial, that which brings happiness in life and peace.

Give us instructions on this, Tathagata."

(Buddha's answer:)

"Don't mess with fools,
Live in the community of the wise,
Respect those who deserve respect
This is great happiness.

Live in good places
Grow the seeds of kindness
Understand that you are on the right track,
This is great happiness.

Strive for knowledge
Possess mastery of work and craft,
Know how to follow instructions
This is great happiness.

Support mother and father
Cherish your entire family,
To have a job that I love,
This is great happiness.

Live right
Be generous in gifts for family and friends,
And behave impeccably
This is great happiness.

Prevent bad behavior
Avoiding alcohol and drugs,
Do good deeds
This is great happiness.

Be modest and polite
Live a simple life and be grateful,
Don't miss the opportunity to learn the Dharma,
This is great happiness.

Be open to all changes
Meet monks
And carry out Dharma discussion,
This is great happiness.

Show attention and diligence in life,
Comprehend the Noble Truths,
And reach Nirvana,
This is great happiness.

Live in this world
Without exposing your heart to the worries of the world,
And, throwing away sorrows, remain calm,
This is great happiness.

Those who follow the Happiness Sutra
Wherever they go, they remain invincible,
They will always be lucky and safe,
This is great happiness."

SUTRA ON THE MIDDLE PATH

I heard these words of Buddha once when Mr.
stayed in a forest shelter in the Nala area. Came at that time
Venerable Kaccchayana visited him and asked:
"The Tathagata spoke about right vision. What is right vision?
How can the Tathagata describe the right vision?"

The Buddha replied to the venerable monk: "Worldly people tend to fall into
influenced by one of two opinions: opinions about the existence
and opinions about non-existence. This happens because their perception is wrong.
O Kaccayana, people's erroneous perceptions lead them to believe that
existence and non-existence. Many people are limited in their
manifestations of discrimination and preference, as well as acquisitiveness and
affection.
Those who go beyond acquisitiveness and attachment,
they no longer imagine or retain in their thoughts the concept of their own self.
They understand, for example, that suffering occurs when
conditions are created and suffering fades away when the conditions for suffering
no longer exist. They are not subject to any doubt.
Understanding does not come to them from other people. This is their own deep comprehension. This deep realization is called "right seeing" and this way of deep realization can be described by the Tathagata as "right seeing".

So what is it like? When a person of deep insight
observes the coming of existence in the world, he does not have a thought
about non-existence. As he watches the fading of existence,
he does not have the thought of existence. O Kaccayana, vision of the world
as existing is one extreme, and seeing the world as not existing is the other extreme. The Tathagata avoids these extremes and teaches that the Dharma resides in the Middle Way.

The Middle Way states
what it is, because that is,
this is not there because that is not there.

Because there is ignorance, there is an urge (for birth).
Because the impulse is there, the consciousness is there.
Because consciousness is there, body and mind are there.
Because there is body and mind, there are six senses.
Because there are six senses there, there is contact.
Because there is contact there, there is sensation.
Because there is a feeling there, there is a (passionate) desire.
Because there is desire, there is attachment.
Because there is attachment there, there is a desire (for life).
Because there is aspiration, there is (new) birth.
Because there is birth, there is old age and death,
grief and sorrow.

This is how a lot of all kinds of suffering arises.

With the extinction of ignorance, the urge (to give birth) ceases.
With the extinction of the impulse, consciousness ceases.
And birth, old age and death finally cease,
grief and sorrow.

This is how a lot of all kinds of suffering ends.

After Venerable Kaccayana listened to the Buddha,
he became enlightened and freed from grief and sadness.
He managed to untie his attachments and achieved Arhatship.

This is great happiness."

SUTRA OF KNOWING THE BEST REMEDY FOR LIVING ALONE

I heard these words of Buddha once when Mr.
stayed in the Jet Grove monastery in the city of Shravasti.
He called all the monks and addressed them:
"Bhikkhu!" and the monks replied: “We are here.”
The Blessed One instructed: “I will teach you what is called
"knowing the best way to live alone."
I'll start with a brief explanation and then go into more detail.
O monks, deign to listen carefully."
- “Blessed One, we are listening” (the monks answered).
Buddha taught:

"Don't stay in the past
Don't get lost in the future.
The past has already passed, the future has not yet arrived.
Looking deeply into life
What she is right here and now,
The follower remains free and immutable.
We must be diligent today
It will be too late to wait until tomorrow.
Death comes so unexpectedly.
How can we make a deal with her?
A man is called wise
If he knows how to be aware
And day and night, he knows the best remedy
How to live alone.

O monks, what do we call “staying in the past”?
When someone remembers



The state of his mental actions remains a thing of the past.

When he remembers these things and his mind is tied and burdened

then this person remains in the past.

O monks, what does it mean to “not remain in the past”?
When someone remembers
About the state of your body in the past,
That state of his feelings remains in the past.
The state of his perceptions remains in the past.
The state of his mental actions remains in the past,
His state of consciousness remains in the past.
When he remembers these things, but his mind is not bound and subdued
these things that belong to the past,
then this person does not remain in the past.

O monks, what does it mean to be lost in the future?






When he imagines these things and his mind is burdened
and immersed in dreams of these things that are in the future,
then that person is lost in the future.

O monks, what does it mean to not get lost in the future?
When someone introduces
The state of your body in the future,
That state of his feelings is lost in the future.
The state of his perceptions is lost in the future.
The state of his mental actions is lost in the future.
His state of consciousness is lost in the future.
When he imagines these things, but his mind is not burdened
and not immersed in dreams about these things,
then this person is not lost in the future.

O monks, what does it mean to be involved in the present?
When someone doesn't study and master
Anything about the Awakened One

Or about a community that lives in harmony and awareness.
When such a person knows nothing

“This body is myself, I am this body.
These feelings are myself, I am these feelings.
These perceptions are myself, I am these perceptions.
These mental actions are myself, I am these
mental actions.
This consciousness is myself, I am this consciousness."
Then that person is involved in the present.

O monks, what does it mean to not be involved in the present?
When someone studies and masters
Anything about the Awakened One
Or about the teaching of love and understanding
Or about a community that lives in harmony and awareness.
When such a person knows
He thinks about noble teachers and their teachings:
“This body is not myself, I am not this body.
These feelings are not me, I am not these feelings.
These perceptions are not myself, I am not these perceptions.
These mental actions are not myself, I am not
these mental actions.
This consciousness is not myself, I am not this consciousness."
Then that person is not involved in the present.

O monks, I have presented a brief explanation
and a detailed exposition of the knowledge of the best means of living alone."

This is what the Buddha taught, and the monks diligently implemented his teaching.

ANIRUDDHA SUTRA

I heard these words of Buddha once when Mr.
stayed in a vast forest near the city of Vaishali in the House
with a Pointed Roof. At that time, not far from this place
The Venerable Aniruddha was in solitude in the forest.
One day several hermits came to the Venerable Aniruddha.
After mutual greetings, they asked the monk:

Venerable Aniruddha, the Tathagata is the only one
who is praised for achieving the greatest fruit of Awakening.
He must explain to you four such statements:





ceases to exist.
Tell us which of these statements is true?

Venerable Aniruddha replied:
- Friends, Tathagata, World-Revered, One and Only,
who has achieved the greatest fruit of Awakening has never claimed
these four provisions and did not talk about them.

When the hermits heard the answer of Venerable Aniruddha, they said:

Perhaps this monk only recently became a monk,
if he became a monk a long time ago, he must be slow-witted.

The hermits left Venerable Aniruddha and were not satisfied
his answer. They thought that he either became a monk recently,
or was stupid.
When the hermits left. Venerable Aniruddha thought:

If the hermits asked me how I should answer them,
to tell the truth and convey the Buddha's teachings correctly?
How should I respond in accordance with the true Dharma,
so that adherents of the Buddha's path will not be condemned?

Aniruddha went to the place where the Buddha was.
He bowed to Buddha and said words of greeting.
After this, he told Buddha what had happened.
Buddha asked him:

Do you think, Aniruddha, is it possible to find the Tathagata?
in the form of a form?

- Is it possible to find the Tathagata outside of form?
- No World-Revered, The Only One
- Is it possible to find the Tathagata in the form of feelings, perceptions,
mental activity or consciousness?
- No, World-Revered, The Only One.
- Is it possible to find the Tathagata outside of feelings, perceptions, mental
activity or consciousness?
- No, World-Revered, The Only One.
- That's right, Aniruddha, do you now think there is
Tathagata is something that transcends forms, feelings, perceptions,
mental activity or consciousness?
- No, World-Revered, The Only One.

If you, Aniruddha, cannot find the Tathagata while he is still alive,
then how can you find the Tathagata in four statements:
1. After death, the Tathagata continues to exist.
2. After death, the Tathagata ceases to exist.
3. After death the Tathagata continues to exist and
simultaneously ceases to exist.
4. After death, the Tathagata does not continue to exist and does not
ceases to exist.
- No, World-Revered, The Only One.
- That's right, Aniruddha. The Tathagata only taught and spoke about one thing:

about suffering and the end of suffering.

SUTRA OF COMPLETE MINDFULNESS OF BREATHING

When the full moon day arrived, Buddha sat in the open air,
looked around the meeting of monks and began to speak:

"Venerable monks, our community is pure and full of goodness.
In its essence there is no useless and boastful talk,
therefore it is worthy of offerings and can be considered a field of merit.
Such a community is rare and any wanderer who seeks it, regardless
depending on how long he wanders, he will find its merits.
O monks, the method of Full Mindfulness of Breathing,
if it is developed and carried out constantly,
will give great reward and bring invaluable benefits.
It will lead to success in the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.
If the Four Foundations of Mindfulness method is developed
and perform constantly, it will lead to success in execution
The Seven Ingredients of Awakening. Seven Ingredients of Awakening
if they are developed and carried out constantly, they will lead
to the development of understanding and to the liberation of the mind.
What is the method of development and constant implementation
Full attentiveness to the breath, which will give
great reward and will bring invaluable benefits?
Monks, this is similar to when a practitioner goes into the forest.
or to the foot of a tree or to any secluded place,
sits down steadily, taking a lotus position,
and keeps his body perfectly straight.
By inhaling he knows that he is inhaling and by exhaling he knows that he is
exhales.

1. Inhaling with a long breath, he knows:
“I breathe in with a long breath.”
Exhaling a long exhale, he knows:
“I exhale in a long exhale.”

2. Inhaling a short breath, he knows:
“I take a short breath.”
Exhaling a short exhale, he knows:
“I exhale in a short exhale.”

3. “I breathe in and I am aware of my whole body.
I exhale and I am aware of my whole body."
So he does it.

4. “I inhale and bring my entire body to a state of calm and peace
I exhale and bring my whole body to a state of calm and peace."
so he does it.

5. “I breathe in and feel joy.
I exhale and feel joy."
So he does it.

6. “I breathe in and feel happy.
I exhale and feel happy."
So he does it.

7. “I breathe in and become aware of the activity of the mind within me.
I exhale and become aware of the activity of the mind within me."
It performs like this.

8. “I inhale and bring the activity of the mind within me to a state
peace and quiet."
I exhale and bring the activity of the mind within me to the state
peace and quiet."
It performs like this.

9. “I breathe in and become aware of my mind.
I exhale and become aware of my mind."
It performs like this.

10. “I inhale and bring my mind to a state of happiness and peace.
I exhale and bring my mind to a state of happiness and peace."
It performs like this.

11. “I breathe in and focus my mind.
I exhale and focus my mind."
It performs like this.

12. “I breathe in and empty my mind.
I exhale and free my mind."
It performs like this.

13. “I inhale and observe the transitory nature of all dharmas.
I exhale and observe the transitory nature of all dharmas.
It performs like this.

14. “I inhale and observe the extinction of all dharmas.
I exhale and observe the fading of all dharmas.
It performs like this.

15. “I breathe in and contemplate liberation.
I exhale and contemplate liberation."
He will perform like this.

16. “I breathe in and contemplate the abandonment of everything.
I exhale and contemplate the abandonment of everything."
He performs in a similar manner.

Complete mindfulness of breathing, if developed
and carry out constantly according to these instructions,
will give great reward and bring great benefit."