Diamond Sutra
Type:
Scrolls,
Printed materials
Date:
868
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
China
Medium:
Paper
Dimensions:
27.6 × 499.5 cm
Description:
The Diamond Sutra is a woodblock-printed scroll that was discovered in a sealed and hidden cave near Dunhuang (present-day Northwest China), part of an entire complex of caves called the Mogao Caves, or Caves of a Thousand Buddhas. The site was a major Buddhist center and important Silk Roads junction from the fourth to the fourteenth century. Cave 17, sometimes called the Library Cave, was discovered in 1900. It had tens of thousands of manuscripts, paintings, and other artifacts that were sealed away for unknown reasons shortly after the year 1000. The Diamond Sutra is the most famous text from the Library Cave. It is the earliest printed book with a date on it: 11 May 868, according to the Western calendar. It also includes a colophon that is the earliest "public domain" declaration: "On the 15th day of the 4th month of the 9th year of the Xiantong reign period, Wang Jie had this made for universal distribution on behalf of his two parents." The frontispiece image shows a crowd surrounding Buddha, who is addressing his elderly disciple Subhuti and explaining how to achieve enlightenment.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
6
Repository and Online Resources:
• See the full Diamond Sutra on the British Library's website.
• Learn about The International Dunhuang Project: The Silk Road Online.
