Thoughts about the Diamond Sutra

Howard Pashenz (Suffolk Institue for Eastern Studies)
suffolki@aol.com

Sensei Edgar Kann, a Zen monk as well as an Aikido instructor, recently gave a talk at Stony Brook University on the Diamond Sutra. This is a famous discourse said to have been given 25 centuries ago by Shakyamuni Buddha. The name "Diamond Sutra" refers to the hardness of a diamond, and its ability to "cut through" everything else that is relatively softer. Here it is directed specifically towards destroying the illusions that the thinking process itself creates.

This radical approach makes this teaching so difficult to understand. It requires looking beyond language; to a non-verbal, non-conceptual understanding of our present, immediate existence. It leads to differentiating knowledge from "Eternal Wisdom".

One of the most puzzling teachings of the sutra, repeated many times, refers to the way a "truly enlightened being" views existence. It states that the ideas of, "a self, a person, a living being, and a life span" must be given up. This does not seem to make any sense at all. My life seems based on the presence of a self that hopefully acts in a kind, efficient, beneficial, loving fashion. Without this "self", or ego, how could there be any social existence at all?

The only explanation I can imagine is that there are not one, but TWO levels of existence in each of our lives. One level, the familiar one, is based on thinking and language. There is always a subject, "I", that is separate, and in opposition to anything externalized as objective. Our "I" is trained from childhood to perceive everything outside its boundaries; label it, judge and evaluate it, etc., in terms of whether it will be harmful or beneficial. We gradually develop particular personalities; with individual values, needs, and philosophies learned from our family and the overall culture in which we reside.

But there is a primary, more basic level; that existed before there was any language. We assume life began when the egg and sperm joined in the womb, and then followed an amazing path of development leading to the emergence of a complete human being. This path of development is based on a "Wisdom" of unimaginable proportions. The cells knew exactly how to divide and reproduce, and then become specialized to form separate integrated organs and organ systems. "Something" knew how to direct the bringing of oxygen and nourishment to each cell, and then remove and eliminate the waste products. And this Ònon-locatable wisdomÓ continues to maintain our basic existence every moment of our lives. Here is the other, secondary but really primary, level of our existence. And this basic "life force" cannot be located by thought. Thinking requires the presence of a life force that operates and maintains the central nervous system, the brain and spinal cord. The "self, person, living being, and life span" are only complex IDEAS that have emerged from this underlying life force Ð they are not near the level of that primordial natural wisdom from where ideas originate.

Then the next question is, "How do I reach this basic level?" But a more productive way of asking that question is, "What is preventing me from knowing this level right now if it is actually there?" The answer must be, "The Thinking Itself". Well then, "How do I negate, or bypass the thinking process?" It seems like this questioning can become interminable; since it always remains within the thinking realm. This is where a practice of meditation becomes necessary. Buddhist meditation shifts the focus of attention from thinking to BEING. For example, one meditative task might be to focus on the breathing, the inhalation and the exhalation. Rather than examining the breathing in terms of long or short, ease or difficulty, etc. one BECOMES the breath. It is the "observing self" that makes the breath into an object to be analyzed. This is different from simply being present, as the breath "does its thing".

This basic form of meditation on the breathing sounds simple but is extremely difficult, and takes years of practice. When beginning meditation to observe the breath, thoughts keep coming in almost incessantly. It is amazing to see how difficult it is to control and direct the thinking mind. It seems just like first learning to walk; falling down and then just getting up to try again.

Why go through all this turmoil and difficulty? What is the valuable end result? The answer is that thinking and suffering are intertwined. We suffer because of "a self, a person, a living being, or a life span". If there were no self or other, there would be nothing missing and no need to achieve. If there was no idea of a life span we wouldnÕt be concerned with death or methods of maintaining life. There would just be a pleasant smiling as life continued to spontaneously unfold.

Now how does this apply to our Aikido practice? I think the "two levels" are also there. The first level is learning the details of technique, foot and hand placement, etc. Here is where thinking is necessary. But after the techniques have been repeated innumerable times, the body gets to know them "by feeling rather than thinking". The techniques almost reach the level of reflexes, controlled by the lower brain rather than the cortex. Then, when uke attacks, nageÕs response is automatic; without the need for thinking. As Bob Nadeau would often say, "The body knows". Then the body can respond with its own wisdom and all kinds of techniques emerge themselves. And each Aikidoist develops his or her own Aikido that is different from anyone elses; though the differences may be so subtle that they can not be observed physically. This is approaching the spiritual and meditative practice of our art.