Chiang Hsun and the Diamond Sutra: The Aesthetics of Letting Go

"If you truly cannot let go, it means you have not yet reached the state where letting go is possible." So writes Chiang Hsun in To Let Go, To Hold On: Traveling with the Diamond Sutra.^[1] This work, which weaves together travel writing and Buddhist contemplation, is far more than a travelogue -- it is a philosophical journal on the impermanence of life. When a master aesthete encounters a scripture that has endured for millennia, what emerges is not abstruse doctrinal debate, but a tender meditation on everyday life, memory, and loss.

I. Why Chiang Hsun Connected with the Diamond Sutra

Chiang Hsun's affinity with the Diamond Sutra did not originate from religious conversion, but from a profound stirring of life experience. In 2014, he simultaneously published three works: To Let Go, To Hold On: Traveling with the Diamond Sutra, The Diamond Sutra: Hand-Copied by Chiang Hsun, and the audiobook A World of Dust Motes: Chiang Hsun Chants the Diamond Sutra,^[1][2][3] forming a complete "Diamond Sutra series." The birth of this series reflects Chiang Hsun's deep immersion in the Diamond Sutra -- not merely reading it, but copying it by hand, chanting it aloud, and carrying it along on his travels.

In To Let Go, To Hold On, Chiang Hsun reveals a pivotal catalyst: he began hand-copying the Diamond Sutra as a result of his repeated contemplation of the dialectic between "letting go" and "holding on." Life is filled with so much we cannot bear to release -- people we cherish, objects we treasure, moments we wish to preserve. Yet the Diamond Sutra's core teaching declares: "All phenomena are illusory. If you see that all phenomena are not phenomena, then you see the Tathagata."^[4] This deconstruction of "phenomena" directly challenges every attachment we cling to.

Chiang Hsun's experience with the Diamond Sutra is not the practice of a monastic, but the aesthetic contemplation of an intellectual and artist -- a contemporary practice that integrates Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist philosophies of life. He writes that each act of sutra copying is a dialogue with his own inner self; each journey is a rehearsal for impermanence. This approach of weaving Buddhism into daily life and artistic creation is precisely Chiang Hsun's distinctive "aesthetics of life."

II. Core Ideas of the Diamond Sutra

2.1 "All Phenomena Are Illusory"

The Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra (Diamond Sutra) is one of the most important scriptures in Mahayana Buddhism. Approximately five thousand characters in length, it was translated into Chinese by Kumarajiva during the Later Qin dynasty (402 CE).^[4] Framed as a dialogue between Subhuti and the Buddha, the sutra explores the path of prajna paramita -- wisdom that carries one to the other shore.

One of the sutra's most central insights is the deconstruction of "phenomena" (xiang). The Buddha declares:

"All phenomena are illusory. If you see that all phenomena are not phenomena, then you see the Tathagata."^[4]

The implications of this passage are profoundly far-reaching. "Phenomena" refers to the outward forms of all things -- the people, events, and objects to which we cling, as well as our sense of self-identity. The Buddha tells us that these "phenomena" are all "illusory" -- not that they do not exist, but that they are products of interdependent arising, possessing no eternal, unchanging essence. When we can see through the illusory nature of these "phenomena," we can "see the Tathagata" -- perceive the true face of reality.

Chiang Hsun offers a deeply personal reflection on this passage in To Let Go, To Hold On. He writes that the beautiful scenery encountered during travel and the people we meet are all "phenomena"; the reluctance we feel upon departure is also attachment to "phenomena." The Diamond Sutra teaches us to "see that all phenomena are not phenomena" -- not to become cold or indifferent, but to understand that precisely because everything is impermanent, each encounter in the present moment is all the more precious.

2.2 "Let the Mind Arise Without Abiding"

Another profoundly stirring teaching in the Diamond Sutra is:

"Let the mind arise without abiding."^[4]

This phrase holds a special place in the history of Chan (Zen) Buddhism. According to the Platform Sutra, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng attained enlightenment precisely upon hearing these words.^[5] "Without abiding" means the mind does not cling to any object -- it does not fixate on success or failure, gain or loss, praise or criticism. Yet "without abiding" is not "without mind"; rather, in a state of non-attachment, one is still able to "let the mind arise" -- maintaining a heart that is vital, awakened, and responsive to the present moment.

Chiang Hsun offers a unique interpretation of this phrase. He suggests that "without abiding" is a state of spiritual cultivation, while "let the mind arise" is the wellspring of artistic creation. An artist who clings to past achievements cannot create new works; but one who is entirely without engagement cannot generate the impetus to create. "Let the mind arise without abiding" describes precisely that state of being both transcendent and fully engaged.

2.3 "All Conditioned Phenomena Are Like Dreams, Illusions, Bubbles, and Shadows"

The Diamond Sutra concludes with a verse:

"All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows; like dew and like lightning -- thus should they be contemplated."^[4]

This four-line verse is the distilled essence of the Diamond Sutra. "Conditioned phenomena" refers to everything arising from causes and conditions, including our bodies, emotions, thoughts, achievements, and relationships -- everything we consider important. The Buddha employs six metaphors to describe their nature: dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, dew, and lightning. All these metaphors point to a single quality: transient, insubstantial, and destined to vanish.

Yet this contemplation of phenomena as "dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows" is not pessimism. Chiang Hsun observes in his book that precisely because life is dreamlike and illusory, we should treasure every moment all the more. The wisdom of the Diamond Sutra does not ask us to flee from life, but to face its gains and losses with a more lucid and liberated attitude.

III. Travel and Impermanence: Life Experiences in To Let Go, To Hold On

To Let Go, To Hold On: Traveling with the Diamond Sutra is Chiang Hsun's defining work combining Buddhist reflection with travel writing.^[1] In this book, he records numerous journeys -- from the temples of Kyoto to the museums of Europe, from the mountain forests of Taiwan to the banks of the Ganges in India. Each journey becomes an exercise in the practice of "letting go."

A central theme Chiang Hsun explores in the book is that travel itself is a metaphor for impermanence. When we leave familiar surroundings and set foot on unfamiliar land, we begin a succession of acts of "releasing" -- releasing daily habits, releasing familiar relationships, releasing our sense of control over time. And when the journey ends, we must once again release the beauty encountered along the way -- the landscapes, the encounters, the feelings of the moment.

Particularly moving is Chiang Hsun's writing about Kyoto. He has visited the city many times, each visit deepening his connection with it. Yet the Diamond Sutra reminds him: even the most profound connections will ultimately face parting. Letting go is a form of practice; holding on is human nature. The Diamond Sutra does not ask us to suppress the feeling of "holding on," but rather to perceive attachment within it, and through that awareness, discover the possibility of freedom.

One passage in the book is especially profound. Chiang Hsun describes the experience of copying a sutra in a temple: the brush tip touches the paper, ink marks gradually appear, and each character is a trace of the present moment. Once the copying is finished, the characters on the paper become the past, and the present is a fresh beginning. This simple act, it turns out, embodies the very essence of the Diamond Sutra's teaching of "without abiding."

IV. Memories of a Father and Views on Life and Death

In his 2021 essay "Father," published on United Daily News, Chiang Hsun tenderly recounts his relationship with his father and the life lessons brought by his father's passing.^[6] Though not lengthy, the essay distills decades of Chiang Hsun's contemplation on the subject of life and death.

Chiang Hsun's father was a traditional Chinese literatus who lived through war, displacement, and ultimately built a life in Taiwan. His father's passing was not merely a personal bereavement for Chiang Hsun, but a profound experience of "impermanence." In the essay, he recalls moments from his father's life -- the daily interactions, the subtle exchanges -- all of which have now become "phenomena" preserved in memory.

The Diamond Sutra states that "all phenomena are illusory," but this does not mean we should deny the value of memory. On the contrary, precisely because everything is impermanent, the moments that once truly existed become all the more precious. Chiang Hsun writes that his father's departure helped him understand more deeply what "letting go" truly means -- not forgetting, not indifference, but learning to release one's grasp within the depths of love.

This attitude toward life and death resonates deeply with the Diamond Sutra's teachings. The sutra says: "If you seek me through form, or pursue me through sound, you walk a misguided path and cannot see the Tathagata."^[4] His father's "form" (body) is no longer present, his father's "sound" has faded, but his father's spirit and influence continue in another way. This is perhaps a lived interpretation of "seeing that all phenomena are not phenomena is to see the Tathagata."

V. Death Contemplated Through an Aesthetic Lens

What makes Chiang Hsun distinctive is his ability to reinterpret the profound questions of philosophy and religion through an aesthetic lens. In his book This Life: Bodily Awakening, he explores the relationships among the body, the senses, and existence,^[7] and these explorations form a fascinating dialogue with the Diamond Sutra's concept of "emptiness."

The Diamond Sutra teaches "no mark of self, no mark of others, no mark of sentient beings, no mark of a lifespan,"^[4] seemingly denying the reality of the body and the self. Yet in This Life, Chiang Hsun emphasizes "bodily awakening" -- experiencing the beauty of the world through physical perception. Are these two perspectives contradictory?

Chiang Hsun's answer is: they are not. The "emptiness" of the Diamond Sutra is not nihilism, but "emptiness arising from dependent origination" -- all things come into being through the convergence of causes and conditions and possess no fixed, unchanging essence. The body is a product of dependent origination, but precisely because of this, it is capable of perceiving, experiencing, and creating. The very foundation of aesthetics lies in this bodily experience of interdependent arising.

In Six Lectures on Solitude, Chiang Hsun further explores six dimensions of loneliness: the solitude of desire, of language, of revolution, of violence, of thought, and of ethics.^[8] Each form of solitude arises from the human longing for connection and the impossibility of perfect connection. The wisdom of the Diamond Sutra offers a way to confront solitude: not to eliminate it, but to discover freedom within it.

Death is the ultimate solitude. In the face of death, we must release all connections, all attachments, all sense of "self." The Diamond Sutra's teaching prepares us for this ultimate moment: when we have learned to dwell "without abiding," death is no longer an ending but another form of liberation.

VI. The Spiritual Significance of Hand-Copying Sutras

The Diamond Sutra: Hand-Copied by Chiang Hsun is a singular work.^[2] In this book, Chiang Hsun copies the entire text of the Diamond Sutra with a calligraphy brush, each character inscribed by his own hand. This is not merely a work of calligraphy but a record of spiritual practice.

Sutra copying is an important form of practice in the Buddhist tradition. Long before the invention of printing, the transmission of scriptures depended upon hand-copying. Yet the significance of copying extends beyond the dissemination of text; it lies in the concentration and settling of mind that the copyist experiences in the process. Each character copied is a dialogue with the scripture; each passage completed is a purification of the spirit.

In Tranquil Years: Chiang Hsun's Daily Practice, Chiang Hsun discusses his daily cultivation,^[9] which includes sutra copying. He sees it as an exercise in "slowness" -- in an era that prizes efficiency and speed, spending hours or even days copying a single scripture is itself a form of reflection on modernity.

Another layer of meaning in hand-copied sutras lies in the aesthetic value of calligraphy itself. Drawing on his deep calligraphic training, Chiang Hsun transforms the Diamond Sutra into visual art. The content of the scripture and the form of the calligraphy achieve a unity here: the "emptiness" of the Diamond Sutra is embodied in the interplay of presence and absence in the brushstrokes; the "formlessness" of the Diamond Sutra is expressed in the natural flow of the brush.

A World of Dust Motes: Chiang Hsun Chants the Diamond Sutra, the audiobook, presents the Diamond Sutra through sound.^[3] Chiang Hsun chants the scripture himself, his voice steady and warm, conveying the sutra's wisdom to listeners through the auditory sense. Together, these three works -- writing, copying, and chanting -- constitute a complete sensory experience: sight, touch, and hearing all become pathways to approaching the Diamond Sutra.

VII. Contemporary Insights: How to Face Loss and Letting Go

Chiang Hsun's interpretation of the Diamond Sutra holds profound insights for people today. In this era of dramatic change, we experience various forms of "loss" every day -- loss of employment, loss of relationships, loss of health, loss of loved ones. How to face these losses is a life question that each of us must answer.

First, accept that impermanence is the essence of life. The Diamond Sutra repeatedly emphasizes: "All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows."^[4] This is not pessimism but an honest contemplation of the nature of things. When we accept impermanence, we are no longer excessively alarmed by change; when we understand that all things arise from the convergence of causes and conditions, we can face the ebbs and flows of life with a more open heart.

Second, "letting go" is a practice, not a mandate. Chiang Hsun acknowledges in To Let Go, To Hold On that "letting go" is not achieved overnight.^[1] We need not pretend we have already transcended, nor do we need to suppress feelings of reluctance. The true meaning of practice lies in becoming aware of our attachments within our reluctance, and then gradually, gently learning to release our grasp.

Third, "without abiding" is not heartlessness but a deeper love. The Diamond Sutra's "without abiding" is often misunderstood as coldness or detachment. In truth, genuine "without abiding" is a love free from possessiveness -- loving someone not because of what they can give us, but purely appreciating their existence; treasuring a relationship not out of fear of losing it, but out of gratitude for the encounter in the present moment.

Fourth, art and aesthetics can serve as a form of spiritual practice. Chiang Hsun's example shows us that approaching the Dharma need not require monastic life or formal conversion. Through artistic creation, aesthetic appreciation, and the experience of travel, we can equally touch the depths of existence. The wisdom of the Diamond Sutra can be realized in a painting, a poem, or a journey.

Fifth, confronting death is life's most important lesson. Modern society tends to avoid the topic of death, but through his remembrance of his father, his copying of the Diamond Sutra, and his reflections on impermanence, Chiang Hsun tells us: only by facing death squarely can we truly live. The Diamond Sutra says, "If you seek me through form, or pursue me through sound, you walk a misguided path and cannot see the Tathagata."^[4] This reminds us that the true meaning of life lies not in the perpetuation of the material, but in the awakening of the spirit.

VIII. Conclusion: The Life Lesson from Letting Go to Release

The encounter between Chiang Hsun and the Diamond Sutra was no accident. A lifelong seeker of beauty and a Buddhist scripture that deconstructs "phenomena" may appear contradictory, but they are in fact complementary. The Diamond Sutra teaches us that "all phenomena are illusory," yet Chiang Hsun shows us that precisely because "phenomena" are illusory, we should treasure every encounter, every present moment, and every instant of beauty all the more.

The four words "to let go, to hold on" distill the fundamental predicament of human existence. We are forever struggling between gain and loss, wavering between holding on and releasing. The wisdom of the Diamond Sutra does not ask us to become unfeeling, but rather to gradually discover the freedom of "letting go" within the depths of "holding on."

Perhaps the meaning of life lies not in how much we can ultimately "release," but in the journey between "unable to release" and "release." Each loss is a practice; each encounter is a gift. The final verse of the Diamond Sutra expresses it well: "All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows; like dew and like lightning -- thus should they be contemplated."^[4]

This verse does not ask us to abandon life, but to regard it with a more penetrating gaze. Dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows may indeed be illusory, but in the moment of their existence, they are still beautiful. Dew evaporates and lightning fades, but they once shone. The aesthetics of life may reside precisely in this posture of "knowing it is illusory, yet giving ourselves to it wholeheartedly."

Chiang Hsun traveled with the Diamond Sutra. The journey ended, but the Diamond Sutra remained. The sutra was copied, and the words became memory. The chanting concluded, and the sound returned to silence. Yet all those acts of reading, copying, and chanting became part of his life. This is perhaps the Diamond Sutra's most profound teaching: to let go is not to forget, but to allow everything to come naturally and go naturally, and in the coming and going, to maintain a clear and awakened heart.