The Diamond Sutra is a Mahāyāna (Buddhist) sutra from the genre of Prajñāpāramitā sutras. Translated into a variety of languages over a broad geographic range, the Diamond Sūtra is one of the most influential Mahayana sutras in East Asia, and it is particularly prominent within the Chan tradition, along with the Heart Sutra.
Front line of the Chinese Diamond Sūtra, printed in the 9th year of the Xiantong era of the Tang dynasty, i.e. 868 CE, the oldest known dated printed book in the world. British Library.
Frontispiece of the 'Diamond Sutra' written in Chinese, engraved and gilded on nephrite jade. China, 1732. Chester Beatty Library.
Statue of Kumārajīva in front of the Kizil Caves in Kuqa, Xinjiang province, China
A Nepalese sculpture of a vajra
Prajñāpāramitā means "the Perfection of Wisdom" or "Transcendental Knowledge" in Mahāyāna. Prajñāpāramitā refers to a perfected way of seeing the nature of reality, as well as to a particular body of Mahāyāna scriptures (sūtras) which discusses this wisdom.
A Tibetan painting with a Prajñāpāramitā sūtra at the center of the mandala
Prajñāpāramitā Devi, a personification of Transcendent Wisdom, Folio from a Tibetan 100,000 line Prajñāpāramitā manuscript
Tibetan Painting of Mañjuśrī bodhisattva with the sword of wisdom and a sūtra manuscript, which are common symbols of Prajñāpāramitā in Buddhist art
Prajñāpāramitā illustrated manuscript cover, circa 15th century
