When translator and Buddhist teacher Ken McLeod first read the Diamond Sutra, or the Diamond-Cutter Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, he says his mind stopped. One of Buddhism’s most important texts, it is said to cut through illusion.

But the sutra is often translated for academic audiences and confusing to the average practitioner. In his new book, This Unexpected Jewel: Reading the Diamond Sutra, McLeod translates the sutra specifically for the practitioner. He offers instructions on how to read it (standing up and out loud) so that the text speaks directly to the reader. He also follows four translation principles: readability, clarity, integrity, and tone. 

Join McLeod on Tuesday, August 25 at 1 p.m. ET to learn more about these principles and his approach as a translator of this revered sutra, said to be the first book ever published. Examining a handful of key terms, he’ll walk us through some of his unconventional translations, and show us how the sutra as a whole cuts through conceptual thinking.