It is known as the diamond sutra because its teachings are said to be like diamonds that cut away all dualistic thought, releasing one from the attachment to objects and. William 18711947 was one of the earliest of european scholars to endeavour to make the truths of the buddhas teachings accessible to a western. This copy of the diamond sutra in chinese language, complete with a beautifully illustrated frontispiece, is the worlds earliest dated, printed book. English translation, by chung tai translation committee devanagari of the diamond sutra in the digital sanskrit buddhist canon. A typical english translation contains about 6,000 words, and an average reader could finish it in less than 30 minutes, easily. The title properly translated is the diamond cutter of perfect wisdom although it is usually just called the diamond sutra.
The world s oldest extant printed book all conditioned dharmas. Jun 25, 2019 the diamond sutra is one of the most revered texts of mahayana buddhism and a jewel of the worlds religious literature. The frontispiece of the diamond sutra from tang dynasty china, the worlds earliest dated printed book, ad 868 british museum on may 11, 868, the earliest dated printed book was issued, a chinese copy of the socalled diamond sutra, one of the most important textbooks of buddhism, originally written in the 1st c. The diamond sutra the book show abc radio national. The diamond sutra is one of the most revered texts of mahayana buddhism and a jewel of the world s religious literature. The diamond sutra is an ancient buddhist sermon that generation of buddhists have memorized and chanted since at least the fifth century. Five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds oldest dated printed book printed over 1,100 years ago, a chinese copy of the diamond sutra at the british library is one of the most. Printed copy of the diamond sutra the british library. The first chinese translation dates to the early 5th century, but, by this point, the 4th or 5th century monks asanga and vasubandhu seem to have already authored authoritative commentaries on its content the vajracchedika sutra was an influential work in. The oldest extant printed book is a work of the diamond sutra and dates back to 868 ad, during the tang dynasty. Moulam also translated the diamond sutra and the sutra of hui neng, two of the most treasured works of buddhist literature, the first of which is considered the oldest existing printed book in the world. He completed the first published english translation of the platform sutra of the sixth patriarch in 1930. The world s oldest copyleft book friday, may 11, 2012 at 2.
The worlds oldest dated book, the diamond sutra, was published by wang jie on behalf of his parents on the fifteenth of the fourth moon of the ninth year of xian long this day in 868. The diamond sutra, the worlds oldest printed book with a known date, was excavated in dunhuang. The diamond sutra is one of the most revered texts of mahayana buddhism. Ten of the oldest everyday items ever found ancient origins. Jun 28, 2016 the vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra has been translated from sanskrit into english variously as the diamond sutra, the diamond cutter sutra, the vajra sutra and the vajra cutter sutra. Few venture that the answer is a revered buddhist text called the diamond sutra, printed in 868 a. The diamond sutra and the sutra of huineng book depository. It was found in a holy site called the mogao or peerless caves or the caves of a thousand buddhas, which was a. Sep 27, 2018 the diamond sutra is one of the most revered texts of mahayana buddhism. Full text of the diamond sutra chin kang ching, or, prajnaparamita see other formats.
Price and wong moulam the diamond of perfect wisdom sutra. The image depicts the frontispiece to the worlds earliest dated printed book, the chinese translation of the buddhist text the diamond sutra. Five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds. The story of the worlds earliest dated printed book. On may 11, 868, the diamond sutra was published in northern china this priceless religious teaching survives as the oldest dated, printed book. Finding new meaning in one of the worlds oldest books since at least the fifth century, generations of buddhists have memorized and chanted the diamond sutra, a short mahayana buddhist scripture. In addition to the actual text of the diamond sutra this web site provides a diamond sutra background page which explains the origins of the diamond sutra and information about how this new translation was done. Five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds oldest dated printed book printed over 1,100 years ago, a chinese copy of the diamond sutra at the british library is. May 11, 2016 thinking of the diamond sutra, the oldest printed book may 11, 2016 james ford patheos explore the world s faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality.
The diamond sutra, composed in india in the fourth century ce, is one of the most treasured works of buddhist literature and is the oldest existing printed book in the world. This sutra a sanskrit word that means a religious teaching or sermon, in particular that of the buddha is commonly regarded as one of the most revered texts of mahayana buddhism. The vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra has been translated from sanskrit into english variously as the diamond sutra, the diamond cutter sutra, the vajra sutra and the vajra cutter sutra. The diamond sutra is one of the most revered texts of mahayana buddhism and a jewel of the worlds religious literature. See more ideas about books, buddhism and mahayana buddhism. What the diamond sutra, the worlds oldest printed book. Conserving the diamond sutra, idpukvideo published on 31 jan 20. A copy of the chinese version of diamond sutra, found among the dunhuang manuscripts in the early 20th century by aurel stein, was dated back to may 11, 868. Conrad walters, coauthor of journeys on the silk road, explains the symbolism behind the opening image of the worlds oldest printed book the diamond sutra of 868ad. Diamond sutra a new translation of the classic buddhist text. I wanted to read this book to learn more about the history of the silk road region. Buddhas secret library, and the unearthing of the worlds oldest printed book, picador australia, 2011, isbn 9781405040419. At the beginning of the 20th century, an abbot named wang yuanlu came to dunhuang area, discovered the sand covered stone grottoes, took up residence in one cave and began to clear out the others. Translated into a variety of languages over a broad geographic range, the diamond sutra is one of the most influential mahayana sutras in east asia, and it is particularly prominent within the chan or zen tradition, along with the h.
The diamond sutra goodreads meet your next favorite book. It is a key object of devotion and study in zen buddhism. Aug 02, 2009 the diamond sutra is one of the most historically important texts in the buddhist faith, in part because a copy of it is the oldest surviving dated printed book in the world 868 a. A landmark publication when it first appeared in 1958, buddhist wisdom offered western readers a unique combination of both the diamond sutra one of the cornerstone texts of mahayana buddhism and the heart sutra, perhaps the most important of all buddhist texts, in a single authoritative volume. This earliest datable printed book was the translation of the diamond sutra done by kumarajiva in 401. The diamond sutra of 868 now lives at the british library, whose turning the pages project includes close looks online at the worlds oldest printed book. The image depicts the frontispiece to the world s earliest dated printed book, the chinese translation of the buddhist text the diamond sutra.
It is an important buddhist text that has a long and profound history. Background of the diamond sutra diamond sutra a new. The manuscript of the vajracchedika found at gilgit, in studies in the literature of the great vehicle. The worlds oldest copyleft book friday, may 11, 2012 at 2. A typical english translation contains about 6,000 words, and an average reader. Our project is dedicated to republishing william gemmells 1912 translation of the diamond sutra, one of the earliest, most revered and widely read philosophical works in buddhist literature. British library, 2010 isbn 9780712350907 joyce morgan and conrad walters, journeys on the silk road. Belonging to the prajnaparamita, or perfect wisdom tradition, this sutra dates back to the year 868, centuries before the. Diamond sutra wikipedia diamond sutra from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia jump to navigation jump to search this article contains sp. Follow the silk road, book by book the new york times. Red pines translation of the diamond sutra the diamond sutra is a spiritual treasure and a key text of mahayana buddhism. Among the manuscripts was perhaps the oldest printed book actually a scroll in existence, the diamond sutra, dated 868. British library displays world s oldest printed book edward conze, the great scholar of the perfection of wisdom literature of which the diamond sutra is one of the most famous examples, identified occurrences of selfcontradiction in no fewer than seventeen of diamond sutra s thirtytwo short sections or chapters, and he did not even include.
Sanskrit heart sutra, buddhist texts, history of buddhism. The diamond sutra was printed by method of woodblock printing, a strenuous method in which the text to be printed would be carved into a woodblocks surface, essentially to be used to stamp the words onto the writing surface medium. The buddhist text known as the diamond sutra is believed to be the oldest surviving printed book in the world. It is, in the words of the british library, the earliest complete survival of a datedprinted book. The sixteenfoot buddhist scroll was discovered among the artifacts in the dunhuang caves, also mogao caves or caves of the thousand buddhas. Diamond sutra, first printed book on 11 may 868 ce history. British library, 2010 isbn 9780712350907 van schaik 201112. May 11, 2014 the worlds oldest dated book, the diamond sutra, was published by wang jie on behalf of his parents on the fifteenth of the fourth moon of the ninth year of xian long this day in 868. Vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra is a mahayana sutra from the prajnaparamita sutras or perfection of wisdom genre. Long before the gutenberg galaxy, the orient was already printing hidden gems of wisdom in the form of books. The first translation of the diamond sutra into chinese is thought to have been made in 401 ce by the venerated and.
The oldest complete printed and dated book is a buddhist text known as the diamond sutra, a name apparently suggested by the buddha himself, as the text is designed to cut like a diamond blade through worldly illusion to illuminate what is real and everlasting. The document was discovered in the mogao caves of dunhuang, china in the beginning of the 20th century by a taoist priest and dates back to 868 ad. The exact date of the composition of the diamond sutra in sanskrit is uncertainarguments for the 2nd and 5th centuries have been made. A copy of the chinese version of diamond sutra, found among the dunhuang manuscripts in the early 20th. The oldest printed text in the world is believed to be the diamond sutra, a book of mahayana buddhism that was found in a cave 1146 years ago. Thinking of the diamond sutra, the oldest printed book may 11, 2016 james ford patheos explore the worlds faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality. The sixteenfoot buddhist scroll was discovered among the artifacts in the dunhuang caves, also mogao caves or caves of the thousand buddhas in china. Prajna paramita heart sutra mantra with lyrics duration. The work, which offers meditations on illusion and perception, was originally written in sanskrit and first translated into chinese in 402 a. May 11, 2016 five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds oldest dated printed book printed over 1,100 years ago, a chinese copy of the diamond sutra at the british library is one of the most. A copy of the mahayana buddhism sacred text called the diamond sutra is the worlds earliest complete example of a dated printed book. Five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds oldest dated printed book no one is sure who wang jie was or why he had the diamond sutra printed. If you would like to know more about the diamond sutra as a buddhist teaching, one of the most accessible ways to learn is through videos by an american monk named hyungak paul muenzen.
According to national library of peking in 1961, the diamond sutra is described as. The sutra, which meditates on the illusory nature of the material world the central theme of buddhism, was originally written in sanskrit in india, from which it was translated to chinese in 401 ad. This sutra a sanskrit word that means a religious teaching or sermon, in particular that of the buddha is commonly regarded as one of the most revered. The very first printed book the diamond sutra scihi. English translation, lapis lazuli texts diamond sutra. The oldest printed text in the world the diamond sutra. Transforming the way we perceive the world by mu soenq gick here for the reluctant messenger host site the diamond sutra the walled city of dunhuang shachou was an outpost on the northwestern frontier, whose. Buddhist diamond sutra, translated into chinese by kumarajiva. This consists of a scroll, over 16 feet long, made up of a long series of printed pages. The story of the world s earliest dated printed book is a tale of a wandering buddhist monk, a devoted son and ambitious explorers. Price translated into english around 50 pages of the diamond sutra republished by shambhala publishers, 1990. Buddha channel best buddhism videos for buddhist 2,441,295 views 26. The diamond sutra project gutenberg selfpublishing. The diamond sutra, as described by the british library, is the worlds earliest complete survival of a dated printed book.
For dharma practitioners, the fact that the diamond sutra is the worlds oldest book should matter mostly to historians. Restoring the worlds oldest book, the diamond sutra. Jul 11, 2016 explore the many facets of the diamond sutra, the world s oldest dated, complete printed book with susan whitfield, director of the international dunhuang project. The diamond sutra is relatively short, only 6,000 words and is part of a larger canon of sutras or sacred texts in mahayana buddhism, the branch of buddhism most common in. A copy of the mahayana buddhism sacred text called the diamond sutra is the world s earliest complete example of a dated printed book. May 11, 2020 among these writings whose stacks stein claimed stood almost 10 feet high was a copy of the diamond sutra, the worlds oldest dated printed book, which was created in 868 and is. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Jun 19, 2016 no one is sure who wang jie was or why he had the diamond sutra printed. The diamond sutra is one of the most influential mahayana sutras in east asia, and is a key object of devotion and study in zen buddhism. English translation, by chung tai translation committee romanized sanskrit and devanagari of the diamond sutra in the digital sanskrit buddhist canon. The diamond sutra is the worlds earliest dated printed book. Jul 01, 2011 a history of the discovery of the world s oldest printed book the diamond sutra, and the westerner who took the book from the chinese and brought it to england.
Restoring the worlds oldest book, the diamond sutra bbc. Estimates for its date of composition range from the second century b. Also known by its sanskrit title vajracchedika, the diamond sutra posits that something is what it is only because of what it is not. Nov 05, 2012 conrad walters, coauthor of journeys on the silk road, explains the symbolism behind the opening image of the world s oldest printed book the diamond sutra of 868ad. Atrendtowardshortversions,whichincludestheheartand diamondsutras,occursinthefourthcenturyce. This relic of buddhism isnt the outright oldest book woodblock printing was invented some 200300 years prior but its the oldest surviving book with the. Made in 868 ad and written in chinese, the text contains a significant dialogue on perception, and is one of the most important sacred works of the buddhist faith. The story of the world s earliest dated printed book. It was produced on the 11 may 868, according to the western calendar.
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