The Diamond Cutter Sutra is one of the most famous Buddhist books of all time; it was taught by the Buddha 25 centuries ago, and then spread throughout India, China, Tibet, Japan, and many other countries. The Chinese edition seen here is the oldest printed book in the world with a date inside.
The sutra focuses on the concept of emptiness, which is a key to success and happiness in the modern world, if we get a good explanation of how to apply it at work and at home.
Emptiness has been widely misunderstood though, throughout history—and there are very few clear explanations of the Diamond Cutter. Perhaps the best ever written is Sunlight on the Path to Freedom, by Choney Lama Drakpa Shedrup, a Tibetan sage who lived 1675-1748.
Our first complete woodblock manuscript for this masterpiece was discovered in the Oriental Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences by staff of the Asian Classics Input Project. The translation has been completed by Elizabeth van der Pas and Geshe Michael Roach, who is an honors graduate of Princeton University and the first westerner in the 600-year history of Sera Mey Tibetan Monastery to be awarded the title of Geshe, or “Master of Buddhism.”
This is the first translation of this crucial explanation ever undertaken into English; it includes a wonderful summary on the idea of emptiness, and how this can be used in real life. The work was the basis for Geshe Michael’s modern business bestseller, The Diamond Cutter: The Buddha on Managing Your Business & Your Life.