I studied this book on and off for 6 months and i will continue to come back to it as being definitive on the subject. One of the worlds oldest cities, varanasi is the most sacred place for hindus. Finding new meaning in one of the worlds oldest books since at least the fifth. Everything you need to know about the ancient diamond sutra. The story of the worlds earliest dated printed book at. The british library 25 october 2019 23 february 2020 will explore the roots, philosophy and contemporary relevance of buddhism from its beginnings in north india in the 6th century bc to having over 500. The diamond sutra is a teaching from the buddha himself. Price translated into english around 50 pages of the diamond sutra republished by shambhala publishers, 1990. Found in cave 17, also known as the library cave, it was one of a cache of some 40,000 objects that were sealed up. The story of the worlds earliest dated printed book wood, frances, barnard, mark on. Of all the sutras that teach this teaching, this is the diamond. The oldest printed text in the world the diamond sutra. The book of job is a powerful and ultimately lifeaffirming book. Vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra is a mahayana buddhist.
The worlds oldest copyleft book friday, may 11, 2012 at 2. Among the manuscripts was perhaps the oldest printed book actually a scroll in existence, the diamond sutra, dated 868. The vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra has been translated from sanskrit into english variously as the diamond sutra, the diamond cutter sutra, the vajra. Five things to know about the diamond sutra, the world s 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. Copying and recitation of the diamond sutra was a widespread devotional practice, and stories attributing miraculous powers to these acts are recorded in chinese, japanese, tibetan, and mongolian sources. Ask people to name the worlds oldest printed book and the common reply is gutenbergs bible. In the centuries that followed, all memory of this vast storehouse seems to have been lost, but the precious artifacts survived in safety until the 20th century, when they were rediscovered by an appreciating world. Few venture that the answer is a revered buddhist text called the diamond sutra, printed in 868 a.
The lotus sutra gene reeves translator the lotus sutra is regarded as one of the worlds great religious scriptures and most influential. It was there that he discovered a printed copy of the diamond sutra, the worlds oldest printed text, dating to ad 868, along with 40,000 other scrolls all removed by gradually. The 5 best books on buddhism to enlighten your life ism book. Becoming a buddha through meditation osho classics. 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. The diamond sutra is an ancient buddhist text discovered in dunhuang, china.
That, of course, is putting it simply, as only buddhists can do. Diamond sutra a new translation of the classic buddhist text. The diamond sutra can be read in its entirety in about 40 minutes and is often memorized and cited in buddhist monasteries. The extraordinary discovery of the worlds oldest book posted. In this sutra, a part of the larger wisdom sutras, buddha answers questions asked by subhuti, one of his disciples. The buddhist text known as the diamond sutra is believed to be the oldest surviving printed book in the world. Printed over 1,100 years ago, a chinese copy of the. Since at least the fifth century, generations of buddhists have memorized and chanted the diamond sutra, a short mahayana buddhist scripture.
Home buddhist art buddhist manuscripts on show at the british library. The book unwittingly came to light when a chinese monk clea. This copy of the diamond sutra in chinese language, complete with a beautifully illustrated frontispiece, is the world s earliest dated, printed book. Thinking of the diamond sutra, the oldest printed book james ford. At one time the buddha was staying in the jeta grove, near the city of sravasti. There are various translations of the diamond sutra. With him there was a community of 1,250 venerable monks and devoted disciples. But the text one of the bibles oldest can sometimes seem puzzling to modern audiences.
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. Or that by the time gutenberg got ink on his fingers nearly 600 years later. 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, as described by the british library, is the worlds earliest complete survival of a dated printed book. The vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra has been translated from sanskrit into english variously as the diamond sutra, the diamond cutter. It was found in a holy site called the mogao or peerless caves or the caves of a thousand buddhas, which was a major.
Essential meditations with eckhart tolle points the way toward this quiet. In this book, he describes a method for success using the buddhist teachings from tibetan lamas, spiritual teachers, he has encountered in his own life. The diamond sutra by anonymous goodreads share book. Long before the dunhuang discovery, the diamond sutra has been one of. It was the inspiration of hui neng, one of the early founders of chan or zen buddhism. Stein, something of a reallife indiana jones, bribed or persuaded wang yuanlu to give him some of the texts, including the diamond sutra, the worlds oldest printed book actually, a scroll five metres long, now in the british library. The work, which offers meditations on illusion and perception, was originally. The complete idiots guide to hinduism, 2nd edition ebook.
The diamond sutra is the earliest book to which a printing date can be. Here is one which has been posted on usenet, and then links to several others. Meditations on the prajnaparamita sutra 9780835606899. The very first printed book the diamond sutra scihi. Five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds. The diamond sutra is the sutra on nonattachment or the perfection of wisdom. Five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds oldest dated printed book. The gospel according to jesus audiobook by stephen. This book is the offering of no mind, born of compassion for all suffering beings. The worlds oldest surviving printed work is the diamond sutra a buddhist text dated to 868ad. Read the complete idiots guide to hinduism, 2nd edition a new look at the worlds oldest religion by linda johnsen available from rakuten kobo. Buddhist manuscripts on show at the british library by buddhism now on 29 october 2019 0. This copy of the diamond sutra in chinese language, complete with a beautifully illustrated frontispiece, is the worlds earliest dated, printed book.
For dharma practitioners, the fact that the diamond sutra is the worlds oldest book should matter mostly to historians. 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 silly monkeys, a buddhist fable by buddhism now on 7 december 2012 3 the jataka tales are dated between 300 bc and 400 ad. Susan whitfield, the director of the international dunhuang project, took the audience on a journey of exploration of the many facets of the diamond sutra a sacred mahayana buddhist text, which dates from 868 and is the worlds oldest dated complete printed book. The oldest known printed book in the world 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. Ask people to name the world s oldest printed book and the common reply is gutenbergs bible. Finding new meaning in one of the world s oldest books. The colophon says it was completed on the equivalent of may 11, 868 c. Five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds oldest. Printed copy of the diamond sutra the british library. It begins with the diamond sutra, known in sanskrit as the arya vajracchedika nama prajnaparamita mahayana sutra. 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 date it was published printed on it. Few venture that the answer is a revered buddhist text call.
Rare ancient buddhist text discovered in doomed temple. The manuscript was one of many discovered in the mogao caves of dunhaung, china a daoist monk, wang yuanlu, discovered the socalled dunhaung manuscripts in 1900. Diamond sutra, first printed book on 11 may 868 ce history. The eighth century japanese chronicle the shoku nihongi records that they were printed between 764 and 770 on the orders of empress shotoku as an act. Now, if you ask people to name the worlds oldest printed book the most common reply is gutenbergs bible, but buddhist texts, the diamond sutra for example, that was printed in ad 868, was compiled about 550 years before gutenberg was born. Byron katie illuminates one of the most profound ancient buddhist texts, the diamond sutra. What the diamond sutra, the worlds oldest printed book. It is, in the words of the british library, the earliest complete survival of a dated printed book. One of the best known commentaries is the exegesis on the diamond sutra by huineng, the sixth patriarch of the chan school. Smart news keeping you current five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds oldest dated printed book printed over 1,100 years ago, a. 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. Restoring the worlds oldest book, the diamond sutra. This brilliant new treatment of the worlds oldest epic is a literary event on par with seamus heaneys wildly popular beowulf translation. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
Sutras are very important to buddhism, a religion that developed in what is now india and spread to china hundreds of years before the diamond sutra was printed in 868 ce. The diamond sutra is the worlds earliest dated printed book. It was produced on the 11 may 868, according to the western calendar. It has retained a high degree of popularity in the mahayana buddhist tradition for more than a thousand years, especially in east asia. The original sixteenfoot scroll can be seen at the london british museum. On may 11, 868, the diamond sutra was published in northern china this priceless religious teaching survives as the oldest dated, printed book. A bible study course gives you an insightful look into how job can transform your faith today. They are like short meditations on the delicate nature of these treasures. The extraordinary discovery of the buddhist diamond sutra the.
At one time the buddha stayed at anathapindakas garden in the grove of jeta in the kingdom of sravasti. It was found in a holy site called the mogao or peerless caves or the. And yet because its no mind, it has room for compassion. Buddhist manuscripts on show at the british library. Printed by johannes gutenberg, in mainz, germany, it is considered to be oldest printed book using movable type in the west though in china there were examples of book printing many centuries earlier, such as the diamond sutra. An illuminating quote from the diamond sutra for meditation. The term tantra, in the indian traditions, also means any systematic broadly applicable text, theory, system, method, instrument, technique or practice. It was produced some 600 years before gutenbergs movable type printing in europe, and is clearly the product of a. It is an important buddhist text that has a long and profound history. Diamond sutra is now recognized as one of the worlds great literary jewels.