description Diamond Sutra Overview
The Diamond Sutra is a Chinese Buddhist scripture dating to 868 AD. It represents the world’s oldest dated printed book, created through woodblock printing techniques. Discovered in the Dunhuang caves, this artifact offers significant insight into early printing methods and provides a vital text for Buddhists and historians studying ancient Chinese culture and religious practices.
insights Ranking position
Diamond Sutra ranks #29 of 235 in the Artifact ranking, behind First Folio (Shakespeare, Folger copy), ahead of The Kiss (Klimt).
help Diamond Sutra FAQ
Why is the Diamond Sutra called the oldest printed book?
Its colophon gives a date corresponding to May 11, 868, making it the earliest known complete printed book with an explicit date. Earlier printed fragments survive, so it is not necessarily the first text ever printed.
How was the Diamond Sutra printed?
Its Chinese text and frontispiece were printed from carved wooden blocks onto paper sheets. The sheets were joined into a scroll rather than bound in the later codex format.
Who commissioned the surviving 868 copy?
The colophon says Wang Jie had it made for free distribution in honor of his parents. The text is a Mahayana Buddhist sutra concerned with wisdom and the impermanence of fixed concepts.
Where was the Diamond Sutra discovered and where is it now?
The scroll was found in the sealed Library Cave at Mogao near Dunhuang, China, and was acquired by explorer Aurel Stein in 1907. It is now held by the British Library in London.
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