Can the Diamond Sutra in Buddhism repair damage to the body and mind?
The Diamond Sutra can thoroughly heal the damage to body and mind. Its core lies in using "Prajna wisdom" to break through all attachments and delusions, fundamentally healing suffering. In his lectures on the Diamond Sutra and various Q&A sessions, Master Hsuan Hua elaborated on how this classic text brings about transformation from the mind to the body:
1. Repairing mental damage: dismantling appearances and eliminating delusions and attachments.
Master Hsuan Hua pointed out that all suffering, anxiety, and emotional trauma in the world stem from human attachment.
Breaking free from the "three minds": The Diamond Sutra says, "The past mind is unattainable, the present mind is unattainable, and the future mind is unattainable." The Master explained that since the past is gone, the present cannot be retained, and the future has not yet arrived, if one can stop clinging to these three minds, the myriad thoughts and pains of the mind will immediately lose their anchor. Once attachments are let go, the wounds of the mind will naturally heal.
Healing "Dharma Illness": The Master once used the metaphor of "medicine" to describe Buddhism. He mentioned that people develop "mental illness" and "Dharma illness" because of their attachments. Practicing the Diamond Sutra is like using the most potent medicine of Vajra Prajna wisdom to dissolve the various calculations in one's heart regarding people and things.
2. The remedy for physical damage and illness: purification of karma and forbearance.
Regarding the common question from believers, "Why do I still suffer from illness despite taking refuge and reciting Buddha's name?", Venerable Master Hsuan Hua provided an answer from the perspective of cause and effect and practical cultivation:
Transforming Heavy Retribution into Lighter Suffering: The Diamond Sutra states that if one is despised while reciting this sutra, it is due to "past sins that should have led to rebirth in evil realms; however, because of this present-life contempt, these past sins are eradicated." The Venerable Master explains that reciting sutras can help eliminate past sins. Some physical ailments or misfortunes are actually the result of reciting sutras, transforming heavy negative karma into lighter real-life trials—a manifestation of karmic obstacle elimination.
Cultivating the Dharma of Forbearance: Venerable Master Hsuan Hua shared that he had been lecturing on the Diamond Sutra since he was 16 years old. He emulated the spirit of the "Forbearance Immortal" in the sutra, who did not harbor hatred even when his body was cut off by King Kali. He regarded all kinds of setbacks, insults, and suffering in life as tests of negative teachings. When your heart is free from anger and remains unmoved, physical and environmental damage cannot truly shake you, thus enabling you to cultivate an "indestructible body."
The Master once humorously and incisively pointed out that many people feel their body and mind are leaking and constantly damaged because they are preoccupied with calculating, discriminating, and getting angry in their "mind and consciousness," which leads to "damaging Dharma wealth and destroying merit."
A believer asked: It rained heavily yesterday, and many roofs in the city are leaking.
Master Hsuan Hua replied: Who caused you to have "leakage" (in your mind and nature)?
If you wish to repair the damage to your body and mind, when reciting the Diamond Sutra, you should not merely pursue literal sensations or supernatural powers, but rather practice it diligently in daily life, subduing your deluded mind. When your heart is no longer selfish, no longer resentful, and no longer "leaky," true physical and mental restoration and perfection will manifest in the present moment.
