The Value of the Diamond Sutra to the Aesthetics of Modern China
Yuyao Cheng
Communications in Humanities Research May 17, 2023 DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/4/20220598 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the Diamond Sutra contains an aesthetic ideology grounded in mindfulness toward life, living, nature, and almsgiving, and that its original mindfulness method, tied to the dharma of seeing reality (Vipassana), offers a corrective to the inward-focused Chineseized Vipassana dominant in modern Chinese society. |
Abstract
The aesthetic ideology in the Diamond Sutra and its value of it for modern Chinese society is empty in current research and is open to further discussion. Excavating the embodiment of the teachings of mindfulness in life, living, nature, and almsgiving in the Diamond Sutra is a step toward studying the aesthetic ideas in the Diamond Sutra. Mindfulness in Diamond Sutra is the way to correctly observe the outward world and thus correctly observe the inward self. In addition to righteousness, the Diamond Sutra also implies the dharma of seeing reality, which is the dharma of Vipassana. Chinese-localized Vipassana has long become the most popular Buddhist teaching in modern Chinese society because of its compatibility with traditional Chinese culture. For modern Chinese society, the way to change the status quo may be to shift from practicing the Chineseized Vipassana that focuses on inward reflection to practicing the original mindfulness method of the Diamond Sutra.