“The Diamond Sutra is the world’s oldest known complete and dated book. Published in China in A.D. 868, it was printed in ink with woodblocks onto paper sheets that were then assembled into a scroll.

Within the text, the title of the book is explained in this way:

Subhuti asked, ‘World Honored One, by what name should this Discourse be known?’

Buddha answered, ‘This Discourse should be known as The Vajracchedika Prajna Paramita—The Diamond Cutter of Transcendental Wisdom—for it is the Teaching that is hard and sharp like a diamond that cuts through misconception and delusion.’”

—translation by Edward Conze.