Journal for the 11th of May, 2013

May 11th is a normal day for most people. For me, however, it is a different story. It is a different story because May 11th is the day my friend, Lisa, was born. Because it is my friend's birthday, May 11th is very different from my typical day. Instead of just sitting around in my room doing nothing I actually have to go out and do something. If today was not May 11th then it would have been just an average day. Besides Lisa's birthday, May 11th is special because on that day in the year 868 when the earliest dated printed book was printed. This book is called the Diamond Sutra. It emphasizes the practices of non-abiding and non-attachment. A Chinese copy of this book is the early known printed book. There are various known titles of the book depending on which language the book is translated to. The full history of the book is unknown. However, it is a very important book because it is crucial to understanding some of Buddha's teaching. Because of this reason the book is very well known in countries that have a lot of Buddhists, such as Korea, Japan, and China. Like other Buddhist sutra the Diamond Sutra begins with the words, "Thus I have heard,". Since May 11th is the day that Lisa was born and also the day that the Diamond Sutra was printed I think the Diamond Sutra will be a perfect birthday present for her. I'm not sure if Lisa is Buddhist but she is Chinese so there is a good chance that she is. Even if she is not Buddhist, she will be lucky to receive such an amazing gift as the Diamond Sutra, which will teach her how to live more like the Buddha and eventually reach enlightenment.

Works Cited
Soeng, Mu (2000-06-15). Diamond Sutra: Transforming the Way We Perceive the World. Wisdom Publications. p. 58. ISBN 9780861711604. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
"Sacred Texts: Diamond Sutra". Bl.uk. 2003-11-30. Retrieved 2010-04-01.