Also known as the Diamond Sutra (Jin Gang Jing), explains the principle and tendency of the emptiness of nature. Includes commentary. 2nd edition.

The Venerable Master Hsuan Hua (Xuanhua, 1918-95) was one of the most eminent Chinese Buddhist masters of the twentieth century. Born in Manchuria, he resolved to become a monk at the age of eleven, and at the age of nineteen, while meditating at his mother's grave, he had a vision of the Sixth Chan Buddhist Patriarch Huineng (638-713 C.E.), who gave him the mission of bringing Buddhism to the Western world. Master Hua came to San Francisco in 1962. He taught there for more than thirty years, emphasizing the primacy of the monastic tradition, the essential role of moral education, the need for Buddhists to ground themselves in traditional spiritual practice and authentic scripture, and the importance of respect and understanding among religions.

Contents: THE VAJRA PRAJNA PARAMITA SUTRA: A general explanation by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua
On The English Translation	vii
How The Translation Was Made	x
The Eight Guidelines of BTTS	xiv
The Title	1
The Translator	11
1. The Reasons for the Dharma Assembly	17
2. Subhuti's Request	33
3. The Orthodox Doctrine of the Great Vehicle	42
4. Wonderful Conduct Without Dwelling	53
5. The "Thus" Principle of Genuine Seeing	57
6. Proper Belief Is Rare	59
7. Nothing Attained, Nothing Spoken	64
8. Relying on Dharma They Come Forth	67
9. The One Mark Is No Mark	72
10. The Adornment of Pure Lands	81
11. The Supremacy of Unconditioned Blessings	85
12. Revering the Orthodox Teaching	91
13. Receiving and Holding "Thus" Dharma	98
14. Still Extinction Apart From Marks	107
15. The Merit and Virtue of Holding the Sutra	125
16. Karmic Obstructions Can Be Purified	131
17. Ultimately There Is No Self	137
18. One Substance Regarded As Identical	145
19. The Dharma Realm Penetratedand Transformed	151
20. Apart from Form and Apart from Marks	153
21. Spoken Yet Not Spoken	155
22. There Is No Dharma Which Can Be Obtained	159
23. The Pure Mind Practices Good	161
24. Blessings and Wisdom Beyond Compare	163
25. Transformations Without What Is Transformed	165
26. The Dharma Body Has No Marks	167
27. Not Cut Off and Not Extinguished	170
28. No Reception and No Greed	172
29. The Stillness of the Awesome Manner	174
30. The Totality of Principle and Marks	178
31. Neither Knowing Nor Seeing Is Produced	182
32. The Response and Transformation Bodies Are Unreal	189
Index	197