The Diamond Sutra (Electronic book text)

The Diamond Sutra is a short and well-known Mahayana sutra from the Prajnaparamita, or "Perfection of Wisdom" genre, and emphasizes the practice of non-abiding and non-attachment. Note that the title properly translated is the Diamond Cutter of Perfect Wisdom although it is popular to refer to it as the Diamond Sutra. A copy of the Chinese version of Diamond Sutra, found among the Dunhuang manuscripts in the early 20th century and dated back to 868, is, in the words of the British Library, "the earliest complete survival of a dated printed book." In the sutra, the Buddha has finished his daily walk with the monks to gather offerings of food, and he sits down to rest. Elder Subhuti comes forth and asks the Buddha a question. What follows is a dialogue regarding the nature of perception. The Buddha is generally thought to be trying to help Subhuti unlearn his preconceived, limited notions of the nature of reality and enlightenment.