Quote from Describing the Indescribable
Describing the Indescribable: A Commentary on the Diamond Sutra
by Hsing Yun, translated by Tom Graham
Wisdom Publications, Boston, Massachusetts, 2001. 210 pp."The Buddha was a great communicator. He never hid his meaning or tried to confuse his listeners. Buddhist sutras, which are records of talks given by the Buddha, are models of clarity, insight, and intelligence. The Chinese translation of the Diamond Sutra, on which this commentary is based, is revered in East Asia largely because it possesses an uncanny clarity that almost makes us see through time to the Jeta Grove where the Buddha gave this famous talk." (from the translators preface, p. vii)
"Historically, Chinese Buddhism has been influenced by two streams of thought. One stream is concerned with karma, rebirth, and the many factors that condition our lives, while the other stream is concerned with the Buddha's teachings on wisdom and emptiness. The first stream explains life in this world and the things that condition it, while the second stream teaches us how to comprehend the mind of a buddha." (from Introduction by Hsing Yun, p. 1)
"The Buddha said to Subhuti, 'All great bodhisattvas should subdue their minds in the following manner: they should realize as they vow to save all sentient beings that in truth there are no sentient beings to be saved. And they should realize as they vow to save all of the infinite, innumerable, illimitable sentient beings that in reality there are no sentient beings to be saved. When they vow to lead them all to nirvana without remainder--be they born of eggs, wombs, moisture, or transformation, or whether they have form, or no form, or whether they are able to perceive, or do not perceive, or cannot perceive, or will not perceive--they should realize that in truth there are no sentient beings to be led to nirvana.'
'And why is this? Subhuti, if a bodhisattva has lakshana of self, lakshana of human beings, lakshana of sentient beings, or lakshana of a soul, then he is not a bodhisattva.' " (p. 6)
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Commentary -- 3. The Heart of the Mahayana (continued)
"The most commonly used word in the Diamond Sutra is lakshana (Chinese: hsiang). It is important to understand what is meant by this word if one wants to understand this sutra. Lakshana is often translated in English as 'mark,' or 'sign,' or 'characteristic.' Since these English words have their own histories and associations, using them can lead to many misunderstandings. In this translation, we will simply use the word lakshana.
The word lakshana occurs eighty-four times in the Diamond Sutra. It is always associated with an act of perception, cognition, or thought. One of the principle teachings of this sutra is that all of our 'normal' thoughts and perceptions are composed of nothing more than delusive lakshana. In this sutra, the Buddha shows us how this is so, why this is so, and what to do about it.
Generally speaking, the word lakshana in Buddhism refers to deluded awareness. Lakshana might be thought of as the building blocks of delusion; they can be thoughts, perceptions, memories, dreams, emotions, or any other element of awareness. Deluded lakshana arise, abide, and disappear. Though they have no self nature, they are exceptionally entrancing, and so we cling to them and bring suffering to ourselves." (pp. 46-47)
-- submitted by Jennifer Knight