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THE DIAMOND SUTRA

The Lord Buddha, in declaring the "un- reality of phenomena," also affirmed "that the whole realm of sentient life is ephemeral and illusory."1

"Subhuti, the sayings of the Lord Buddha are true, credible, and immutable. His utter- ances are neither extravagant nor chimerical. Subhuti, the plane of thought to which the Lord Buddha attained, cannot be explained in terms synonymous with reality or non-reality."

"Subhuti, in the exercise of charity, if the mind of an enlightened disciple is not inde- pendent of every Law, he is like unto a person having entered impenetrable darkness, and to whom every object is invisible. But an enlightened disciple, discharging the exercise of charity with a mind independent of every Law, is like unto a person having the power of vision, in the meridian glory of the sun- light, and to whom every object is visible."

61 Subhuti, in future ages, if a good disciple, whether man or woman, rigorously studies and


1 Literally, "Every form of phenomena is really not phenomena; every form of sentient life is in reality not sentient life."

2 The Buddhist term, Fah (Law).

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