The Diamond Sutra, also known in Sanskrit as the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, is perhaps the most popular and profound teaching of the Buddha within the Mahayana lineages of Southeast Asia and the Vajrayana lineages of the Himalayan region. The sutra dates to 868 CE and is considered by scholars to be one of the first published books. The exact date of the earliest translation is unknown, but it is thought to be between the second and fifth centuries. It has been widely studied and translated into many languages, and copying and reciting the sutra is a devotional practice said to confer many benefits. Many stories exist of miraculous transformations of those who copy and recite the sutra.

The discourse itself is a profound conversation between Shakyamuni Buddha (a common Tibetan name for the historical Buddha) and Subhuti, a senior monk and one of Buddha's ten primary disciples. The large gathering took place in a royal park in the kingdom of Shravasti. The ultimate foundation of this teaching is the premise that the nature of reality is illusory and that there is no permanent self or identity. The dialogue explores, in greater depth, the paradoxical nature of reality with the goal of discarding attachment to unenlightened viewpoints.

This present volume includes helpful introductory quotations and commentary along with two excellent translations by Muller and Gemmell. While the contents of this book are not easily absorbed without deeper study of the Buddhist canon, its dual translations are an important addition to any library of foundational spiritual teachings that shape human perception of the nature of reality. Buddhists may find this work of great use in their faith.

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