Jin Gang Jing (The Diamond Sutra)

The "Jin Gang Jing" or the "Diamond Sutra", also known as "Jingang Bo're Boluomi Jing" (Sanskrit: Vajracchedikā Praj?āpāramitā Sūtra), is an important classic of Mahayana Buddhism. The Diamond Sutra has seven Chinese translations, but the most popular and widespread of these was translated by Kumārajīva, a monk and translator from the ancient Kingdom of Kucha (in what is now Xinjiang, China). Many annotations and commentaries were written based on this version, which is still influential nowadays. The "Jin Gang Jing" is not a lengthy work, but it interpreted the profound "Bo're" concept in the early stage of Mahayana Buddhism in plain language. "Bo're" is the Chinese transliteration (Mandarin pinyin) of the Sanskrit "Praj?ā," meaning wisdom, and in Mahayana Buddhism it refers to the special wisdom of knowing the truth of all things and their sources in the original way, through which one can free oneself and achieve Buddhahood. The "Jin Gang Jing" is a Buddhist classic that carries this wisdom. The wood- block-printed version of the Jin Gang Jing in the ninth year of the Xiantong reign of the Tang Dynasty (868) is the earliest traceable copy, delicately carved, printed, and well-preserved.

As a core classic of Mahayana Buddhism, the "Jin Gang Jing" has had a profound influence on all the sects of Chinese Buddhism. Hui Neng, the Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism, founded the Southern Chan school of Buddhism based on the "Jin Gang Jing", which has remained popular in China even to this day. In turn, under the influence of the "Jin Gang Jing",

Buddhism with Chinese features played an essential role in the emergence of Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty (960- 1279) and the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Art forms inspired by Chinese Chan Buddhism, such as Chan poetry, Chan paint- ings and Chan music won gradual acceptance from ancient officials and scholars, and helped shape aesthetic tastes and inform literary creation.

《金剛經》

《金剛經》全稱《金剛般若波羅蜜經》，是大乘佛教的重要經典之一。《金剛經》有七種漢文譯本，以西域僧人、翻譯家鳩摩羅什（344—約411）的譯本最為流行，在中國流通廣泛，注疏眾多，影響至今。這部經書篇幅不長、文字通俗、思想深刻，闡述了早期大乘佛教提倡的般若學說。“般若”是梵語“Praj?ā”的音譯，意為智慧，專指如實認識一切事物和萬物本源從而解脫成佛的特殊慧識。《金剛經》就是闡述這種般若智慧的佛教典籍。唐朝咸通九年（868）的《金剛經》木刻本，是目前世界上有年代可考、刻印精細、保存完好的早期的雕版印刷精品。

《金剛經》作為大乘佛教的核心典籍，對中國佛教各宗派都有深遠的影響。六祖慧能（638—713）一系的禪宗南宗更是以《金剛經》立宗，在中國佛教大為興盛，并流行至今。深受《金剛經》影響的中國化佛教，對唐宋之后的思想文化尤其是對宋明理學影響巨大。以“禪”為特質的藝術形式，如禪詩、禪畫、禪樂等逐漸得到古代官員和知識分子的認可，由此深刻影響了中國人的藝術審美和文學創作。