First published in 1912, William Gemmell's translation of The Diamond Sutra was one of the first books to introduce general readers in the West to Buddhism. A sacred Buddhist text, it recounts the Buddha's discourse to one of his disciples. It discusses fundamental Buddhist practices, including how food is to be consumed, begging for alms, and monastic vows. Gemmell's annotated translation presents information from the Asia experts of his day. The annotation also provides relevant parallels between Buddhist principles and Western spirituality.