A Sino-Korean Diamond Sutra Gatha Chant

geu-eum gang ban ya ba ra mil gyeong. bul
chwi eo sang yeo yeo bu dong ha i go
il che yu wi beop yeo mong hwan po yeong
yeo ro yeong nyeo jeon eung jang nyeo si gwan

A less accurate but more user friendly romanization:

gu-um gang ban ya ba ra mil gyong bul
chi o sang yo yo bu dong ha i go
il che yu wi bop yo mong hwan po yong
yo ro yong nyo jon ung jang nyo shi gwan

Literally:
Diamond Prajna Paramita Sutra. Not
dependent on appearances, immovable suchness. Why?
All impermanent dharmas like dream phantom bubble shadow,
like dew also like lightning, should constructed like this perceive.

金剛般若波羅蜜經, 不
取於相,如如不動。何以故?
一切有爲法 如夢幻泡影
如露亦如電 應作如是觀

This can be chanted/sung to the rhythm/tune of the following popular English language chant based rather loosely on the Diamond Sutra Gatha (this “translation” is sometimes attributed to Red Pine, and sometimes to Thich Nhat Hanh):
“So you should view this fleeting world
A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream
A flash of lightning in a summer cloud
A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.