The Diamond Sutra is an ancient Chinese scroll containing Buddhist teachings and is the oldest surviving dated and printed book. It measures over 868 feet and is on display at the British Museum. The text explains the nature of reality and perception, mental attachment, compassion, and the path to enlightenment. The scroll was hidden for centuries in the Mogao Grottoes and was rediscovered in 1900. It has been translated by many scholars and is a favorite for memorization and recitation among Buddhist monks.
The Diamond Sutra is a Buddhist scripture on an ancient Chinese scroll. Written in the Chinese language, the Diamond Sutra recounts a gathering of disciples to hear the Buddha’s teachings and is dated “the 15th of the fourth moon of the ninth year of Xiantong,” which translates to May 4, 9. Dated 11 years before the La Gutenberg Bible, the Diamond Sutra is the oldest surviving dated and printed book. Also known as the Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra, the scroll consists of seven panels of block-printed paper and measures more than 868 feet (587m) in length. The scroll is on display in the British Museum.
A sutra is a transcript of a talk that typically follows a standard format and includes the setting in which the talk is given, the circumstances of the meeting, and a mention of those present. It also presents the Buddha’s teachings and the effect of the teachings on the listeners. The text of the Diamond Sutra begins with the words “Thus, I have heard” and takes place immediately after the Buddha’s morning walk with his disciples to receive the day’s food donations. In response to a question posed by a monk named Subhuti, Buddha goes on to explain the nature of reality and perception, the errors of mental attachment, the importance of compassion, and the path to enlightenment.
The scroll itself has been hidden for centuries in the Mogao Grottoes near the military outpost of Dunhuang in northwest China. The site, also known as the Thousand Buddha Caves, served as a hiding place for a large collection of Buddhist texts during the Hsi-hsia invasion. A monk named Wang Yuan-lu rediscovered the texts behind a sealed chamber camouflaged by a mural some 850 years later, in 1900. In 1907, British archaeologist Sir Marc Aurel Stein bought 24 cases of manuscripts, including the Diamond Sutra.
Since its discovery, the Diamond Sutra has been translated by many scholars. The earliest known Chinese translation, which is also the translation contained in the Dunhuang Scroll, was by Kumarajiva in the 5th century. The signature at the end of the printed scroll reads: “Reverently made for universal free distribution by Wang Jie on behalf of his two parents.” The Buddhist Text Translation Society’s English translation is approximately 6,500 words. As a relatively short text in any language, the Diamond Sutra is a favorite for memorization and recitation among Buddhist monks.
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