Tang · by 楊仙鸖撰
2,933 · about 10 min
The Sutra of Repaying Kindness through Vajra Wisdom in Twelve Sections, composed by Yang Xianhe of the Tang Dynasty, is a scripture that expounds upon the Buddhist teaching of repaying kindness and the Vajra Dharma method. This sutra emerged during the flourishing period of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty, integrating Confucian filial piety with Buddhist cultivation principles. The entire text is divided into twelve sections, with its core content emphasizing that sentient beings should repay the four profound kindnesses—the kindness of parents, the kindness of all beings, the kindness of the nation and land, and the kindness of the Triple Gem (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha). It combines this with the Prajñā (Wisdom) of the Vajracchedikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra (Diamond Sutra), guiding practitioners to cultivate Bodhicitta through the practice of knowing and repaying kindness. The scripture embodies the characteristic of Chinese Buddhism in harmonizing worldly ethics with transcendental cultivation. Although not an original Indian canon, it holds a significant position within the Chinese Buddhist ethical system, providing lay practitioners with a timely and appropriate basis for cultivation.