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Hidden for centuries in a sealed-up cave in northwest China, this copy of the 'DiamondSutra' is the world's earliest complete survival of a dated printed book. It was made in AD 868. Seven strips of yellow-stained paper were printed from carved wooden blocks and pasted together to form a scroll over 5m long. Though written in Chinese, the text is one of the most important sacred works of the Buddhist faith, which was founded in India, and was originally expressed in Sanskrit.

This one-hour recording includes the following sections:

1. CONVOCATION OF THE ASSEMBLY
2. SUBHUTI MAKES A REQUEST
3. THE BODHISATTVA'S VOW
4. HOW A BODHISATTVA PRACTICES CHARITY
5. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TATHAGATA
6. THE FUTURE OF THESE TEACHINGS
7. NO ATTAINMENT, NO TEACHING
8. REAL MERIT HAS NO MERIT
9. THE FOUR LESSER VEHICLE REALIZATIONS
10. AROUSING THE PURE ASPIRATION WITHOUT ABIDING
11. MERITS OF MEMORIZING THIS SUTRA
12. NAMING OF THE SUTRA
13. TRUE CHARACTERISTICS ARE NOT CHARACTERISTICS
14. THE SUTRA IS NOT FOR LESSER VEHICLE PRACTITIONERS
15. PURGATION THROUGH SUFFERING OF BAD KARMA
16. DEFINING THE BODHISATTVA
17. PHYSICAL AND MENTAL FACULTIES ARE UNOBTAINABLE
18. NO MERIT IS GREAT MERIT
19. DISCERNING THE BUDDHA IN FORM
20. NO DHARMA IS DHARMA, NON-LIVING BEINGS ARE LIVING BEINGS
21. THE ATTAINABILITY OF PEERLESS PERFECT ENLIGHTENMENT
22. THE ROLE OF GOOD FACTORS
23. MERITS OF TRANSMITTING THE SUTRA ARE FAR GREATER THAN THOSE OF CHARITY
24. NO SENTIENT BEINGS FOR THE TATAGATA TO SAVE
25. TRYING TO DISCERN THE BUDDHA BY HIS BODILY CHARACTERISTICS
26. ATTAINMENT OF ENLIGHTENMENT BASED ON BODILY CHARACTERISTICS
27. BODHISATTVAS DO NOT APPROPRIATE MERIT
28. THE TATHAGATA DOES NOT COME OR GO
29. THE STATUS OF COMPOSITE THINGS
30. WRAPPING UP THE FOUR VIEWS
31. CONCLUSION

 

 

 

The Diamond Sutra Sung in English
Audio Book

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The Diamond Sutra Sung in English
Book and e-book with lyrics from the audiobook