This Unexpected Jewel

In This Unexpected Jewel, Ken McLeod offers a fresh and highly readable translation of the Diamond Sutra, one of the most revered texts in the Buddhist tradition. Trained in the Tibetan tradition and translating from the Tibetan, McLeod approaches the Diamond Sutra not as a philosophical treatise but as a series of pointing out instructions, that is, ways to cut through conceptual thinking to the essence of what we are. In short, it is a translation for practitioners crafted by a long-term practitioner and teacher. This book is a guide for those who aspire to the bodhisattva ideal and seek to experience life as it is, not as they imagine it to be. It offers a devotional and experiential encounter with a text that for centuries has confounded those who rely on conceptual thinking, stopped the minds of beginners and masters alike, and revealed the possibility of a totally different way of living. Through clear, natural language and careful word choice that reflect both the text's spiritual depth and conversational tone, McLeod opens a way for modern readers to experience directly the ineffable clarity that is this sutra's essential teaching.

Ken McLeod is known for his clear, contemporary approach to Buddhist practice. His writings, including Wake Up to Your Life and Reflections on Silver River, offer practical guidance rooted in personal experience. He now lives in Northern California, where he practices archery, hikes, and writes. For more, see unfetteredmind.org.