The story of the worlds earliest dated printed book. The diamond sutra, as described by the british library, is the worlds earliest complete survival of a dated printed book. Diamond sutra, the worlds oldest dated printed book numerical. It was found in a holy site called the mogao or peerless caves or the caves of a thousand buddhas, which was a. A chinese version of a key text in the mahayana buddhist tradition, this diamond sutra found among. Five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds oldest dated printed book printed over 1,100 years ago, a chinese copy of the diamond sutra at the british library is one of the most. Five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds. This sutra a sanskrit word that means a religious teaching or sermon, in particular that of the buddha is commonly regarded as one of the most revered texts of mahayana buddhism. Here are some of the oldest surviving books in the world. It was produced on the 11 may 868, according to the western calendar. Five things to know about the diamond sutra, the worlds oldest. Restoring the worlds oldest book, the diamond sutra bbc.
It is, in the words of the british library, the earliest complete survival of a dated printed book. This relic of buddhism isnt the outright oldest book woodblock printing was invented some 200300 years prior but its the oldest surviving book with the date it was published printed on it. On may 11, 868, publishers in china printed the diamond sutra, today the oldest surviving dated, printed book. The precision with which one can date the creation of this book is purely down to the fact that it gives us its publication datethe only such case on this list it is, according to the british library, where it now resides, the earliest example of a dated, printed book in the world. Made in 868 ad and written in chinese, the text contains a significant dialogue on perception, and is one of the most important sacred works of the buddhist faith. The vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra has been translated from sanskrit into english variously as the diamond sutra, the diamond cutter sutra, the vajra sutra and the vajra cutter sutra. Restoring the worlds oldest book, the diamond sutra. Thus the oldest book in the world must surely be the gutenberg bible oldest printed book in the west, from c. Translated into a variety of languages over a broad geographic range, the diamond sutra is one of the most influential mahayana sutras in east asia, and it is particularly prominent within the chan or zen tradition, along with the. Vajracchedika prajnaparamita sutra is a mahayana sutra from the prajnaparamita sutras or perfection of wisdom genre. Equally incorrect are websites whose claims are based on the premise that a book is a printed object. Printed over 1,100 years ago, a chinese copy of the. Printed copy of the diamond sutra the british library.
The buddhist text known as the diamond sutra is believed to be the oldest surviving printed book in the world. The diamond sutra is the worlds earliest dated printed book. In addition to the actual text of the diamond sutra this web site provides a diamond sutra background page which explains the origins of the diamond sutra and information about how this new translation was done. Oldest printed book published national geographic society. Diamond sutra a new translation of the classic buddhist text. This copy of the diamond sutra in chinese language, complete with a beautifully illustrated frontispiece, is the worlds earliest dated, printed book. Do you, however, know which the oldest dated printed book still in existence even today is. It is an important buddhist text that has a long and profound history. The diamond sutra, the earliest surviving dated complete printed.
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