The Gold Sutra

In this very brief sutra, The Gold Sutra (Skt. Suvarṇasūtra; Tib.གསེར་གྱི་མདོ་, Wyl. gser gyi mdo), Venerable Ananda asks the Buddha about the nature of the mind of awakening, the aspiration to attain the awakening of a buddha for the benefit of all beings. The Buddha explains that the mind of awakening is like gold because it is pure. He also teaches the analogy that just as a smith shapes gold into various forms, yet the nature of the gold itself does not change, so too the mind of awakening manifests in various unique ways, yet the nature of the mind of awakening itself does not change. The Buddha then proclaims a single four-line verse that in a few words clearly expresses the nature of the mind of awakening and the way to practise it. .

Text

The Tibetan translation of this sutra can be found in the General Sutra section of the Tibetan Dergé Kangyur, Toh 125

• English translation: The Gold Sutra