The Diamond Sutra (Chin-Kang-Ching) or Prajna-Paramita

Unknowntranslated Bywilliam Gemmell

Read by John Greenman

The Diamond Sutra, also known as the ‘Diamond Cutter Sutra’ or ‘Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra,’ is a remarkable Buddhist text and is considered the world's oldest printed book. It holds immense historical, religious, and cultural significance. In the words of the British Library, it's “the earliest dated printed book.” Originally written in Sanskrit, The Diamond Sutra was discovered in 1900 within "The Cave of a Thousand Buddhas," a hidden library in Dunhuang, China.

The Sutra is a record of the dialogues between the Buddha and Subhuti, his devoted disciple. Their discussions delve into foundational Buddhist doctrines like "emptiness" and "nirvana". The work's major thesis is that "wisdom", akin to a diamond, empowers practitioners to see the genuine essence of reality and free themselves from suffering.

For access to the extensive reference notes, please see online text.

Special thanks to Kazbek for the Italian poetry he recorded, found in the introduction.
(Summary by John Greenman and Wikipedia) (1 hr 58 min)

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