Jingangjing 金剛經

Jingangjing 金剛經, full title Jingang bore boluomi jing 金剛般若波羅密經, original Sanskrit title Vajracchedikā prajñāpāramitā sūtra,is an important Buddhist scripture. It was translated in the Later Qin empire 後秦 (384-417) by Kumārajīva (Ch. Jiumoluoshi 鳩摩羅什, 343–413).

Kumārajīva (also known as Kumārajīva-bhadra, Ch. Jiumoloshi-po 鳩摩羅什婆 or Jiumoloshi-po 鳩摩羅耆婆) was one of the most important translators of Buddhist scriptures in Chinese history. His father was of Indian origin, and he was born in the Western Regions in the kingdom of Kucha (Ch. Qiuci 龜茲). At the age of seven sui, he entered the monastic life with his mother. He initially studied Hīnayāna Buddhism, later turning to Mahāyāna under renowned masters. He read widely in Buddhist scriptures, achieved mastery of the Chinese language, and enjoyed great renown throughout Central Asia. In 401, emperor Yao Xing 姚興 (r. 393-415) dispatched envoys to escort him to Chang'an 長安 (present-day Xi'an 西安, Shaanxi), where he was received with the honors of a state preceptor (guoshi 國師). Together with his disciples, Kumārajīva translated 35 Buddhist works in 294 fascicles (according to another account, 74 works in 384 fascicles), including the Mahāprajñāpāramitā sutra (Ch. Dapin bore jing 大品般若經 or Da bore jing 大般若經) and the Lotus Sūtra (Ch. Fahuajing 法華經 or Miaofa lianhua jing 妙法蓮花經).

The text of the Jingangjing consists of one fascicle. The title employs the metaphor of a diamond (Sanskr. vajra, Ch. jingang 金剛), which is hard and indestructible, to symbolise the power of wisdom to cut through afflictions and delusions. The sutra belongs to the category of scriptures transmitting prajñā "wisdom". The Jingangjing is more concise than the Mahāprajñāpāramitā sutra, but more detailed than the "Heart Sutra" (Xinjing 心經). The Southern Zen tradition (Ch. Nanchanzong 南禪宗) reveres it as a principal canonical text.

The main theme of the sutra is that all phenomena in the world are empty in nature; one should not cling to or become attached to them. It exhorts people to cultivate enlightenment as early as possible and ultimately return to the realm of Buddhahood. The central teaching of the sutra emphasises that all things in the world are empty and illusory: "what is called true reality is precisely no reality" (shixiang zhe ze shi feixiang 實相者則是非相), and one should "detach from all forms" (li yiqie zhu xiang 離一切諸相) and "abide nowhere" (wu suo zhu 無所往) That is, people should not cling to or become attached to the phenomenal world. The sutra urges practitioners to attain enlightenment as early as possible and to enter the clear and awakened realm of Buddhahood.

Throughout history, it has attracted numerous commentaries and subcommentaries by Buddhist scholars, with interpretations varying widely. Apart from Kumārajīva's version, there are five other Chinese translations. Under the Northern Wei dynasty 北魏 (386-534), the monk Bodhiruci (Ch. Putiliuzhi 菩提留支; early 6th cent.) translated it in 509, and Paramārtha (Ch. Zhendi 真諦, 499-569), who lived in the Chen empire 陳 (557-589) in the south, also produced a translation; both versions bear the full title and consist of one fascicle. In the Sui period 隋 (581-618), Dharmagupta (Ch. Damojiduo 達摩笈多; d. 619) translated it under the title Jingang neng duan bore boluomi jing 金剛能斷般若波羅密經, also in one fascicle. In the Tang period 唐 (618-907), Xuanzang 玄奘 (602-664) produced a translation in 648, titled Neng duan jingang bore boluomi jing 能斷金剛般若波羅密經, and Yijing 義淨 (635-713) translated it in 703 under the title Neng duan jingang boro boluomiduo jing 能斷金剛般若波羅密多經, both likewise in one fascicle.

All six Chinese translations are included in Lü Cheng's 呂澂 (1896-1989) "Newly Compiled Chinese Buddhist Canon", Xinbian Hanwen dazangjing 新編漢文大藏經 (nos. 263－268). In the Buddhist Canon Taisho Daizokyo 大正大藏經, the Jingangjing has the number T0235.

In modern times, fragmentary manuscripts oyf the sutra were discovered in the Dunhuang cave library (Dunhuang shiku 敦煌石窟). One colophon identifies a manuscript as a copy made in 710. There also exists a woodblock-printed edition dated to 868, which is the earliest extant printed book with a verifiable date in the world. In 1907, it was taken by the British explorer Aurel Stein (1862-1943) and is now housed in the British Museum in London.

The text of the Jingangjing was, in 824, encarved into a stele (known as Jingangjing bei 金剛經碑), emulating the calligraphy of Liu Gongquan 柳公權 (778-865). The original stone has long since been lost, but in 1899, a Tang-period ink rubbing in the form of a scroll form was discovered at the Mogao Caves 莫高窟 in Dunhuang, which was a copy of Liu's calligraphy. Soon after its discovery, the scroll was taken abroad by the French explorer Paul Pelliot (1878-1945) and is now preserved in Paris (P4503). Within Chinese academic circles there have been differing opinions regarding both the calligraphic value of the work and the authenticity of this particular rubbing. Several editions of the rubbing have circulated, including versions published in Luo Zhenyu’s 羅振玉Molinxingfeng 墨林星鳳, and a facsimile issued by the Cultural Relics Publishing House (Wenwu Chubanshe 文物出版社). In 1979, the Shimen Book Company 市石門圖書公司 in Taibei, Taiwan, produced a finely printed edition for wider distribution.

The oldest commentary on the Jingangjing, titled Jingangjing zhu 金剛經注 or Jingang bore boluomi jing zhu 金剛般若波羅蜜經注, was written by Sengzhao 僧肇 (384-414). During the Tang period, Huijing 慧淨 compiled the commentary Jingangjing zhushu 金剛經注疏 (also known as Jingangjing zhu), and Huineng 慧能 (638-713) wrote the commentary Jingangjing jie 金剛經解 (also known as Jingangjing jieyi 金剛經解or Jinganggjing zhujie 金剛經注解, Jingangjing koujue 金剛經口訣 or Liuzu koujue 六祖口訣). The Yongle Emperor 永樂帝 (r. 1402-1424) of the Ming dynasty 明 (1368-1644) ordered the integration of 53 different commentaries, resulting in the compendium Jingangjing jizhu 金剛經集注 (Jingang bore boluomi jing jizhu 金剛般若波羅蜜經集注). Guangshen 廣伸 (1618) wrote another commentary, Jingangjing bi 金剛經鎞 (Jingang bore boluomi jing bi 金剛般若波羅蜜經鎞 or Jingang bi 金剛鎞).

Bodhiruci had compiled a philosophical treatise (abidharma) on the sutra, called Jingangjing lun 金剛經論 (Jingang bore boluomi jing lun 金剛般若波羅蜜經論 or Jingang bore jing lun 金剛般若經論; T1511).