| Abstract: | The Diamond Sutra is the most commonly cited Buddhist text in Taiwan. It was composed in India and written in Sanskrit in the 2nd century, and it has been translated into Chinese several times. Among these translations, Kumarajiva's version (A.D. 407) is the most famous. This study aims at demonstrating the central value of one of the most important themes of the Diamond Sutra and indeed of the Prajna-Paramita Sutras. This article will not only provide a definition of the Diamond Sutra's title, but also discuss the theme of the accumulation of merits, the reasons for this theme's predominance in the Prajna-Paramita Literature, and its influence on both Chinese printing and on the Diamond Sutra's diffusion. |
