The diamond that cuts through illusion: commentaries on the Prajñaparamita Diamond Sutra

pt. 1. The dialectics of Prajñaparamita -- pt. 2. The language of nonattachment -- pt. 3. The answer is in the question -- pt. 3. Mountains and rivers are our own body. A beautiful edition of an essential Buddhist text, the Diamond Sutra—with Thich Nhat Hanh's own diamond-sharp insights on living harmoniously with our environment, communities, and families. The Diamond Sutra, a mainstay of the Mahayana tradition, has fascinated Buddhists for centuries because of its insights into dualism and illusion: the “diamond” can cut through any obstacle on the road to enlightenment. In The Diamond That Cuts Through Illusion, the Buddha and his disciple Subhuti teach us how to cut through our dualistic ways of looking at the world in order to have a deeper contact with the wondrous reality that is inside and all around us. In his lively and penetrating commentaries, Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how this understanding leads to a deep reverence for the environment, and he applies the Buddha's teachings to our own experience, giving practical examples from community and family life, couple relationships, and social service. The Diamond Sutra offers the Buddha's insights on dualism and illusion. He speaks of how to develop the insight, the "diamond," that can cut through any obstacle on the road to enlightenment. This sutra presents a dialogue between the Buddha and his disciple Subhuti that illuminates how our minds construct limited categories of thought. Thich Nhat Hanh's commentary on the text shows how we must move beyond personal enlightenment to become fully enlightened beings who work to alleviate the suffering of others. Nhat Hanh writes about the daily applications of the sutra and how we can use its wisdom to encounter a deeper reality and act in the world skillfully and effectively. In The Diamond That Cuts Through Illusion , the Buddha and his disciple Subhuti teach us how to cut through our dualistic ways of looking at the world in order to have a deeper contact with the wondrous reality that is inside us and all around us. In his lively and penetrating commentaries, Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how this understanding, which he calls "the dialectics of the Prajnaparamita," leads to a deep reverence for the environment, and he applies these teachings of the Buddha to our own experience, giving practical examples from community and family life, couple relationships, and social service. The Diamond Sutra has fascinated Buddhists for centuries because of its insights into dualism and illusion. It illuminates how our minds construct limited categories of thought. It offers us alternative ways to look at the world in its wholeness so we can encounter a deeper reality; develop reverence for the environment and more harmonious communities, families, and relationships; and act in the world skillfully and effectively. In his trademark style of making even the most esoteric teachings accessible and meaningful for our every day life, Thich Nhat Hanh writes with great humor, even about