The Diamond Sutra and the Sutra of Hui-neng

Two classic Zen Buddhist texts that presentthefoundationalteachings of the tradition-now collected in one volume for the modern practitioner

The DiamondSutra, composed in India in the fourth century CE, is one of the most treasured works of Buddhist literature and is the oldest existing printed book in the world. It is known as the DiamondSutra because its teachings are said to be like diamonds that cut away alldualisticthought, releasing one from the attachment to objects and bringing one to the further shore of enlightenment. The format of this importantsutrais presented as a conversation between the Buddha and one of his disciples.

TheSutraof Hui-neng, also known as the PlatformSutra, contains the autobiography of a pivotal figure in Zen history and some of the most profound passages of Zen literature. Hui-neng(638-713) was the sixth patriarch of Zen in China but is often regarded as the true father of the Zen tradition. He was a poor, illiterate woodcutter who is said to have attained enlightenment upon hearing a recitation of the DiamondSutra. Together, these two scriptures present the central teaching of the Zen Buddhist tradition and are essential reading for all students of Buddhism.