Buddhism on the ground
Buddhist texts: The Diamond Sūtra
When Wang Yuanlu opened up the Library Cave in Dunhuang, he discovered tens of thousands of manuscripts there. These paper and silk manuscripts managed to survive a millennium untouched, thanks to the dry desert air. Among these were government and legal documents, astronomical charts, medical texts, literature, historical records and much more. The majority of these documents however were Buddhist texts.
Many of these texts were important Buddhist sutras, i.e. the words, sermons and lectures of the historical Buddha recorded in scripture. One of the most significant sutras discovered in the Library Cave was a Chinese copy of the Diamond Sutra.
The Diamond Sutra
This copy of the Diamond Sutra is the world’s earliest dated printed book, and was made in 868 CE.
The text printed on this scroll is one of the most important sutras in Mahayana Buddhism. In Sanskrit, the Diamond Sutra is known as the Vajracchedika Sutra, which roughly translates to ‘The Diamond that Cuts through Illusion’. This refers to the Buddhist concept of Prajna – the wisdom that, like an indestructible diamond, cuts through ignorance and reveals the nature of reality. The Diamond Sutra is the most famous of the Prajnaparamita or Perfection of Wisdom sutras.
The Diamond Sutra frontispiece
This Chinese copy of the Diamond Sutra, complete with an ornate illustrated ‘frontispiece’, is the world’s earliest dated, printed book. It was one of the most significant ancient Buddhist manuscripts discovered in Mogao Cave 17, or ‘the Library Cave’ at Dunhuang.
The Diamond Sūtra was first translated from Sanskrit into Chinese around 400 CE. As noted in the colophon (a note at the end of the scroll), the production of this copy was sponsored by Wang Jie and completed 11 May 868. The text was woodblock printed onto seven sheets of yellow-dyed paper and joined together to form a 5-metre horizontal long scroll.
The Diamond Sutra is one of the most important sutras in Mahayana Buddhism. In Sanskrit, it is known as Vajracchedika Sutra, which roughly translates to ‘The Diamond that Cuts through Illusion’. This refers to the Buddhist concept of Prajna – the wisdom that, like an indestructible diamond, cuts through ignorance and reveals the nature of reality. The text itself takes the form of a conversation between the Buddha and his disciple Subhuti, who discuss the Buddhist belief that the material world is an illusion.
What does the sutra tell us?
The picture before the main text of the Diamond Sutra is called a frontispiece. It shows the Buddha preaching to his followers, and in particular to Subhuti, his elderly disciple. The sutra is presented as a dialogue between the Buddha and Subhuti concerning a central Buddhist belief: that the material world is an illusion. The recognition of this, along with the practice of the Buddhist path, leads to enlightenment.
Sutras were often recited or chanted as another means of gaining merit, and the Diamond Sutra was popular because it was relatively short and easy to memorise for this purpose. Before the main text of the sutra are instructions for chanting the sutra aloud, advising one to first recite the mantra for purifying the karma of the mouth. Like all sutras, The Diamond Sutra begins with the phrase ‘Thus I have heard’, which indicates that the words have come from the Buddha himself.
How and why was it made?
Buddhists in China began to use printing technology from the 8th century onwards. Each section of this Diamond Sutra was printed separately using wood blocks, on fine paper made from hemp and mulberry. They were then joined together to form a 5-metre long horizontal scroll.
Colophon from the Diamond Sutra
This is a colophon from a Chinese copy of the Diamond Sutra, the world’s earliest dated, printed book. This Buddhist scripture is one of the most influential sutras in Mahayana Buddhism.
A colophon is a brief note in a manuscript that contains information about the work’s publication, authorship, or printing. The colophon at the end of this copy of the Diamond Sutra tells us a lot about when and why it was created. It reads ‘Reverently made for universal distribution by Wang Jie on behalf of his two parents on the fifteenth day of the fourth month of the ninth year of the Xiantong reign’. In the western calendar, this date translates to the 11 May 868. In Buddhism, spreading the word of the Buddha is an important way of earning karmic merit. It is believed that the printing and copying of Buddhist texts is one way of doing this. By sponsoring the printing of this scroll in their names, Wang Jie would have acquired merit for both his parents and himself.
The date of this item is printed in the colophon, a note printed at the end of the scroll, giving information about the date and the sponsor of the sutra. The colophon reads, ‘Reverently made for universal distribution by Wang Jie on behalf of his two parents on the fifteenth day of the fourth month of the ninth year of the Xiantong reign’. This is the Chinese calendar equivalent of 11 May 868.
Although there are earlier examples of printing, this is the earliest date found in a complete printed text, making this copy of the Diamond Sutra the first example of this.
