Continuing my complaint that people keep assuming the Diamond Sutra is mostly about impermanence, when it isn't -- I started to write a blog post, but it got long enough I turned it into an article. So here is "The Deeper Meaning of the Diamond Sutra: It's Not About Impermanence." Those of you who express puzzlement when I say the sutra is not about impermanence, please read. You can leave comments here.
Now, I do not even pretend that I thoroughly understand the sutra myself, or that anything I say about it is the last word. I doubt there will ever be a last word. This is a deep and subtle text that takes a long time to sink into. But what I do perceive tells me plainly that if you think the sutra is just about impermanence, you haven't seen its meaning at all.
Beyond my argument, I suggest that people try a simple exercise. One, completely clear your mind of any assumptions about what the sutra is about. Two, Assume that the sutra actually ends just before the "bubble in a stream" verse -- which it may actually have, originally, according to some scholars. Now, read it. What do you see?
Not much about impermanence, I suspect. Now, you may not grasp what is being said in the sutra, which is understandable. This is a steep sutra. But I don't see how anyone could read this sutra without putting it through a pre-constructed "impermanence" filter and still say it is mostly about impermanence.
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