What was the first sutra you ever read ?

[ananda]

What was the first sutra you ever read and how well did you understand it ?

[Madhyama Pratipada]

For Mahayana Sutras, the Heart Sutra was my first. At the time, I am sure I did not understand it as well as I do today. After frequent reading, the meaning has become clearer. In spite of its brevity, there is always something new to learn.

[Karma Dondrup Tashi]

The Heart Sutra, and I still don't understand it.

[denice]

the heart sutra for me as well ,and everytime i read it i come away with the same answer in its simple form.... hold onto nothing /gain everything
buddha said everything is created by mind alone ...so when we stop creating (in our minds) and stop attaching to the thoughts .we see clearly .

the uncarved block of wood (the mind)
thoughts and societal beliefs carve the wood into something else very intricate makes it change form, sometimes makes one question what kind of wood ? or is it wood ?? is the change permanent ? isnt it possible to sand away the finish and smooth out the grooves to original form of the uncarved block of wood .

middle way ..the now .beginning doesnt matter ,the end doesnt matter .being mindfull in this moment yet do not attach to it let it pass.

[Nosta]

The Amitabha Sutra

[Enochian]

I don't get this thread.

Why do you need to read sutras, when Mādhyamaka (or if you must Yogacara philosophy) extracted the essence of the Sutras for you?

I feel sad for you guys who are trying to extract meaning out of the Heart Sutra, when its already been done by Nagarjuna, more than a millennium ago.

[denice]

there is no meaning to extract as that would mean attachment ....the question was first sutra ever read . sutras read before starting a true practice .
that being said there is nothing wrong with the joy of reading in general ,although as with anything else one should not attach to the words .
labeling or categorizing goes against oneness .
the work wasnt done for you
each being must do their own work .
though a path was left ,it still must be walked

[mudra]

To be honest I read bits and pieces of different sutras as a teenager but it was all a jumble.

The first sutra I 'consciously' read and studied was the Heart Sutra - I heard it recited for the first time by HHDL at the Borobudur in 1982, and promised myself I would learn it.

So over the years I did, and received teachings on it. And strangely enough, every time I reread my notes or think about it, it continues to expand.

Enochian - there are a lot of layers to this sutra. The Madhyamaka aspect is just one of them. I wouldn't dismiss it so lightly.

[Enochian]

Enochian - there are a lot of layers to this sutra. The Madhyamaka aspect is just one of them. I wouldn't dismiss it so lightly.

I am not dismissing the Heart Sutra.

The true bottom line meaning has already been extracted by Madhyamaka.

Thus no need to read it........Study Madhyamaka instead.

[kirtu]

Enochian - there are a lot of layers to this sutra. The Madhyamaka aspect is just one of them. I wouldn't dismiss it so lightly.

I am not dismissing the Heart Sutra.

The true bottom line meaning has already been extracted by Madhyamaka.

Thus no need to read it........Study Madhyamaka instead.

Reading sutras is very meritorious and develops wisdom and admiration for the Buddha and Bodhisattvas (and all the laypeople too) as well as compassion.

The Heart Sutra is the condensed meaning of the Prajnaparimita Sutras so it is bursting with revelations and meaning. In the Mahayana traditions and esp. the Japanese traditions it is often read everyday as a practice. Even in Tibetan Buddhism, the lineage most directly linked with studying commentary over source, it is often read daily in some monasteries and there is also a protection ceremony done at the end.

Another approach would be to read it, study it with commentary and contemplate it. We need to personally extract the meaning for ourselves. It is one of the most direct revelations of the ultimate truth available - a direct glimpse into the wisdom of the Buddha's.

Kirt

[mudra]

Enochian - there are a lot of layers to this sutra. The Madhyamaka aspect is just one of them. I wouldn't dismiss it so lightly.

I am not dismissing the Heart Sutra.

The true bottom line meaning has already been extracted by Madhyamaka.

Thus no need to read it........Study Madhyamaka instead.

Actually the entire outline of the path to enlightenment can also be found in there, and much more. Once you receive an explanation from the oral tradition which has come down from Maitreya>Asangha etc you might change your mind.

And you can still study Madhyamaka, and it would be good to receive transmissions and proper commentaries on that too.

[denice]

all sutras are profound in their simplicity .all the sutras lead to the same base teaching
everything is created by mind alone (suffering)
the mind should be kept independent of any thoughts that arise within it ( no attachment to thought in mind)
thoughts create actions that can cause suffering to all .past & future must fall away ,being mindful in the moment.(karma)

[Enochian]

The base meaning of the sutras is :

Everything exists as thoughtforms (appearances) merely designated upon causes and conditions. This applies to yourself, the Buddhas, the causes and conditions themselves, and even the principle of causality itself.

[denice]

yes in the mind

[mudra]

The base meaning of the sutras is :

Everything exists as thoughtforms (appearances) merely designated upon causes and conditions. This applies to yourself, the Buddhas, the causes and conditions themselves, and even the principle of causality itself.

That's true. And so is the fact that we are trapped by our delusions and need to work to free ourselves from them.

The true bottom line meaning has already been extracted by Madhyamaka.
Thus no need to read it........Study Madhyamaka instead.

We need to work with method and wisdom, according to the Buddha. And as the Heart Sutra contains much more than what you quote above, I will not limit myself to what you suggest is sufficient, but avail myself also of the instructions both implicit and hidden therein, and passed down to Arya Asangha by Maitreya. I am sure you will understand if I put more faith in my root lamas than you.

[pemachophel]

Dhammapada

[Silent Forest]

I first read some bits of sutras as teenager. They were without commentaries or guidance and didn´t understand much. Even knowing what they try to tell is far away from really understanding them (and being able to apply it to the own life). So I´d also say that I don´t fully understand them until today. The first sutra that seriously caught my attention was the diamond sutra.

[Thug4lyfe]

8 realisations of a Bodhisattva

[sangyey]

I remember when I first started to study Dharma I had read the Theravadin monk Bhikkhu Bodhi's 'Noble Eightfold Path' and I was really impressed so I bought and read his book 'In the Buddhas Words - An anthology of discourses from the Pali Canon' which is where I was first introduced to the Sutra's (Suttas ) and the Buddha's own words. I forget which sutra it was that I read first but I remember that it was really amazing and inspiring to read the Buddhas own words.

[Inge]

The Sutra of the Foremost Shurangama at the Great Buddha’s Summit Concerning the Tathagata’s Secret Cause of Cultivation, His Certification to the Complete Meaning and all Bodhisattvas’ Myriad Practices.