the diamond sutra

I enjoyed the reading.  It gives a good snapshot view into the underlying philosophy of the Buddhist religion.  The concept that there is no self and there is no lack of self is particularly interesting.  Evert thing is and is not.  "the truth is ungraspable and inexpressible. it neither is nor is not."  It is hard to grasp this concept.  but that is the point, if one were to grasp it, that individual would attain true wisdom and become a Bodhisattva.  The only way to this higher state of being is through enlightenment.  In the beginning of the passage the author shows the reader the mindset of a person who seeks enlightenment but has the wrong idea of what it is that enlightenment really is.  Another concept involved in the text, reveals how the mind should be free from thoughts, only because the mind is conditioned to needing thoughts.  If the mind was free from its dependance of thoughts than it need not give them up.  "when I attained Absolute Perfect Enlightenment, I attained absolutely nothing.  It can't be attained it can only be received.  To attain something one must be in the act of doing to receive which will negate the reason for doing it in the first place.   I do not agree with the concepts involved in the text, for people to strive for something greater than themselves they must have exactly this. something to strive for.  without something to strive for and a mind free from thought we are essentially in a vegetative state. Plus no man can fully give up what he needs.  For example everyone depends on food, even if it is a pea for breakfast and a carrot for lunch.  Everyone also depends on water and oxygen and must sleep from time to time.  With that in mind it seems impossible to reach a state where the body, mind and spirit could ever be free from those things which it needs.  Unless the full manifestation of true enlightenment is only found in death.