DIAMOND CUTTER Sutra on First Wheel-turning Day

Join us for a recitation of the DIAMOND CUTTER SUTRA on one of the holiest days of the Buddhist calendar – the anniversary of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s first teaching.

It is recounted that for seven weeks after his enlightenment, the Buddha did not teach. After this period, Indra and Brahma offered a dharmachakra and a conch shell and requested Guru Shakyamuni Buddha to teach. Accepting, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha then turned the Wheel of Dharma for the first time at Sarnath, by teaching the four noble truths.

This short sutra cuts through the very root of all confusion and suffering, and is the essence of the Buddhist view. It is one of the most well-known sutras of Mahayana Buddhism, framed as a discourse on the Buddhist concept of emptiness, the ‘wisdom gone beyond’. Composed as a lively conversation between the Buddha and Subhuti, this text illustrates again and again the emptiness of inherent existence. Almost lost to civilisation, it was re-discovered in caves in the late 1800’s and only fully translated just a short decade ago.

The merits created today are magnified many millions of times. Join in the community recitation dedicated to creating world harmony, and to the health and long life of HH the Dalai Lama and Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche. We will also offer delicious chai, and make personal and dedications.

The Diamond Cutter Sutra is unbelievable. It is one of the most profitable practices, because the root of all sufferings, yours and others, is the ignorance holding the “I” as truly existent, even though it is empty of that; and the ignorance holding the aggregates as truly existent, even though they are empty of that. The only antidote to cut that, to get rid of that, and through which to achieve liberation, the total cessation of the causes of suffering – delusions and karma – is the wisdom realizing emptiness. This is the subject of the Diamond Cutter Sutra: emptiness. So, each time you read it, it leaves such a positive imprint. Without taking much time, without much difficulty, it is easy to actualize wisdom.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

This event is hosted by:

Download the text:
https://ltc-pdf.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/Diamond+Cutter+Sutra+LTC+A4.pdf

More about the sutra from LYWA:
https://www.lamayeshe.com/advice/diamond-cutter-sutra

FPMT translations and other versions: https://fpmt.org/education/teachings/sutras/vajra-cutter-sutra/

Benefits as described by HH the Dalai Lama:
https://www.dalailama.com/news/2018/the-diamond-cutter-sutra

Support our Sangha:
Today we celebrate International Sangha Day, so it is an especially significant day to donate to our wonderful LTC nuns.