[One Thousand Characters a Day] Diamond Sutra for Humanities Readers <2>

Editor's NoteThe original name of the Diamond Sutra is the Sanskrit "Vajra Chedika Prajnaparamita Sutra," translated into Korean as "Geumgangbanya Baramilgyeong (金剛般若波羅密經)." Here, "Geumgang" (Diamond) symbolizes the hardest substance in the world, a diamond, or something precious and valuable, representing the power to cut through and overcome anything. "Banya" means "wisdom," "Baramil" means "to complete" or "to cross over to the other side," and "Gyeong" means "sutra" or "scripture." In other words, the Diamond Prajnaparamita Sutra means "a scripture that leads one beyond the suffering of life through wisdom that can cut through anything like a diamond." Although Buddhism aims for liberation and nirvana, the ultimate destination for both practitioners and laypeople is "happiness." Kim Seong-ok, associate professor at Dongguk University and author of ＜The Diamond Sutra for Humanities Readers＞, earned his Ph.D. in 2011 with a dissertation on "Darmakirti's Theory of Self-Certainty." He has written papers such as "The Debate on Self-Awareness between the Yogacara and Madhyamaka Schools" and "Wonhyo's Position on Self-Discrimination," and recently has focused on viewing contemporary societal issues through Buddhism, including "The Future of Buddhist Economics in the Sharing Economy Era" and "Happiness Economics and Buddhism." Word count: 905 characters.

To achieve a goal, a method to practice it must be presented. In Mahayana Buddhism, the six paramitas?generosity (dana), morality (sila), patience (ksanti), diligence (virya), meditation (dhyana), and wisdom (prajna)?establish the virtues a bodhisattva should possess. As mentioned earlier, the meaning of "paramita" is "to cross over." Do you also remember that it means "to complete"? The path to cross the ocean of birth and death and reach nirvana is condensed into these six paramitas.

"Dana (generosity)" is the act of giving what one has to others without hesitation. "Sila (morality)" is to uphold precepts in body and mind, preventing evil deeds and performing good ones. "Ksanti (patience)" is to endure persecution or hardships with tolerance. "Virya (diligence)" means to make steady and correct efforts. "Dhyana (meditation)" is to correct the mind and reach a calm state. "Prajna (wisdom)" is the correct realization of the impermanence, suffering, and non-self of all things. The wisdom paramita is the source from which the other paramitas are accomplished and is the ultimate perfection. Through these six paramitas, a bodhisattva saves sentient beings and completes their own enlightenment. This can be seen as a Mahayana Buddhist adaptation of the Noble Eightfold Path found in early scriptures: right view, right speech, right thought, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

The ＜Diamond Sutra＞ discusses the paramitas of generosity, morality, and patience, but does not equally cover all six. This suggests that the sutra was established before the complete system of six paramitas was fully developed. Among them, generosity paramita is regarded as the "foremost," as it is repeatedly emphasized. No matter how deep one's faith, how well one observes precepts, or how diligently one practices meditation, without the practice of generosity, one cannot enter the path of the bodhisattva.

- Kim Seong-ok, ＜The Diamond Sutra for Humanities Readers＞, Bulgwang Publishing, 16,000 KRW