Diamond Sūtra

Part of the Perfection of Wisdom Sūtras (Prajnaparamita), first written down some time between the 2nd and the 5th century AD. The Diamond Sūtra (Vajracchedika – meaning thunderbolt sūtra but popularly known as the Diamond Sūtra) consists of 300 lines, the responses by the Buddha to questions put to him by Subhuti, one of his closest disciples. The text addresses such issues as the true nature of the Buddha, the meaning of his teachings, and the reality of the listener. The text has been very influential, especially in Chinese Buddhism, because of its discourse nature. A version produced in China AD 868 is the oldest surviving printed book.