Jin Gang Jing (The Diamond Sutra)
The "Jin Gang Jing" or the "Diamond Sutra", also known as "Jingang Bo're Boluomi Jing" (Sanskrit: Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra), is an important classic of Mahayana Buddhism. The Diamond Sutra has seven Chinese translations, but the most popular and widespread of these was translated by Kumārajīva, a monk and translator from the ancient Kingdom of Kucha (in what is now Xinjiang, China). Many annotations and commentaries were written based on this version, which is still influential nowadays. The "Jin Gang Jing" is not a lengthy work, but it interpreted the profound "Bo're" concept in the early stage of Mahayana Buddhism in plain language. "Bo're" is the Chinese transliteration (Mandarin pinyin) of the Sanskrit "Prajñā," meaning wisdom, and in Mahayana Buddhism it refers to the special wisdom of knowing the truth of all things and their sources in the original way, through which one can free oneself and achieve Buddhahood. The "Jin Gang Jing" is a Buddhist classic that carries this wisdom. The wood- block-printed version of the Jin Gang Jing in the ninth year of the Xiantong reign of the Tang Dynasty (868) is the earliest traceable copy, delicately carved, printed, and well-preserved.
As a core classic of Mahayana Buddhism, the "Jin Gang Jing" has had a profound influence on all the sects of Chinese Buddhism. Hui Neng, the Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism, founded the Southern Chan school of Buddhism based on the "Jin Gang Jing", which has remained popular in China even to this day. In turn, under the influence of the "Jin Gang Jing",
Buddhism with Chinese features played an essential role in the emergence of Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty (960- 1279) and the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Art forms inspired by Chinese Chan Buddhism, such as Chan poetry, Chan paint- ings and Chan music won gradual acceptance from ancient officials and scholars, and helped shape aesthetic tastes and inform literary creation.
《金刚经》
《金刚经》全称《金刚般若波罗蜜经》，是大乘佛教的重要经典之一。《金刚经》有七种汉文译本，以西域僧人、翻译家鸠摩罗什（344—约411）的译本最为流行，在中国流通广泛，注疏众多，影响至今。这部经书篇幅不长、文字通俗、思想深刻，阐述了早期大乘佛教提倡的般若学说。“般若”是梵语“Prajñā”的音译，意为智慧，专指如实认识一切事物和万物本源从而解脱成佛的特殊慧识。《金刚经》就是阐述这种般若智慧的佛教典籍。唐朝咸通九年（868）的《金刚经》木刻本，是目前世界上有年代可考、刻印精细、保存完好的早期的雕版印刷精品。
《金刚经》作为大乘佛教的核心典籍，对中国佛教各宗派都有深远的影响。六祖慧能（638—713）一系的禅宗南宗更是以《金刚经》立宗，在中国佛教大为兴盛，并流行至今。深受《金刚经》影响的中国化佛教，对唐宋之后的思想文化尤其是对宋明理学影响巨大。以“禅”为特质的艺术形式，如禅诗、禅画、禅乐等逐渐得到古代官员和知识分子的认可，由此深刻影响了中国人的艺术审美和文学创作。