Mahāyāna Sūtras | Zen Sūtras

Prajna Paramita Hridaya Sutra

This is the great Prajna Paramita Hridaya Sutra, or Ultimate Heart’s Wisdom Sutra. Although during his second turning of the Dharma wheel at Rajagriha Buddha gave many sutras on Prajnaparamita or Ultimate Wisdom and emptiness, Prajna Paramita Hridaya sutra contains a concise record on the essence of teachings. It has gained a great popularity and chanted every day in almost all Zen centres and other

Diamond Sūtra

The Diamond Sūtra is the popular shortened name of the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, a Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtra from the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras or 'Perfection of Wisdom' genre. Translated into a variety of languages over a broad geographic range, the Diamond Sūtra is one of the most influential Mahāyāna Sūtras in East Asia, and it is particularly prominent within the Chan (or Zen) tradition, along with the

Diamond Sūtra

The Diamond Sūtra is the popular shortened name of the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, a Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtra from the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras or 'Perfection of Wisdom' genre. Translated into a variety of languages over a broad geographic range, the Diamond Sūtra is one of the most influential Mahāyāna Sūtras in East Asia, and particularly within the Chan (or Zen) tradition, along with the Heart Sūtra.

Sūtra of Forty-Two Sections

The Sūtra of Forty-two Sections (also called the Sūtra of Forty-two Chapters is often regarded as the first Indian Buddhist Sūtra translated into Chinese. However, according to some opinions, this collection of aphorisms may have appeared some time after the first attested translations, and may even have been compiled in Central Asia or China. It was translated by Kāśyapa Mātaṇga and Dharmarātna in 67 CE

The Bequeathed Teaching Sūtra

The Bequeathed Teaching Sūtra, was translated into Chinese around 400 C.E. by Kumārajīva and became an influential text often cited and commented on among Chinese Buddhists. In Chan (Zen) communities in particular, it was considered a basic reference, taught and studied through the ages. The brief Bequeathed Teaching Sūtra is a lesson on monastic discipline presented as Buddha’s last teaching just before his demise: