The Diamond Sutra (102) – Zen Fools
Part 32-1
“Subhuti, suppose someone filled infinite incalculable numbers of worlds with precious substances and used these to give in charity. Now suppose a good man or a good woman who has awakened the inspiration for enlightenment holds this Sutra, even so much as the equivalent of a four-line verse, accepts and holds it, reads and recites it, and expounds it for others, the blessing in this will exceed the former.
Commentary:
As mentioned repeatedly in the preceding parts, accepting and holding this Sutra means to realise that everything, including ourselves, is this Sutra, and reading and reciting it signifies to be aware that every sound is the Dharma talk preached by the true-Self. In other words, he who can accept, hold, read and recite this Sutra is one who has realised that he himself is this Sutra itself.
It follows from this that he who knows that he is one with this Sutra sees the true-Self even when he donates a small thing, whilst he who is unaware that he is this Sutra is still deluded by illusions of infinite incalculable numbers of worlds filled with precious substances when he uses these to give in charity.
Student: “Why does the blessing of expounding this Sutra, or a four-line verse to others exceed that of giving infinite incalculable numbers of worlds filled with precious substances in charity?”
Master: “Because one gram of gold is more valuable than an illusion of hundreds of tons of gold.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
