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This Unexpected Jewel - Reading the Diamond Sutra
Ken McLeod, author of The Magic of Vajrayana and Wake Up to your Life
Original Date: Thursday, December 4, 2025
One of the more innovative Buddhist teachers today, Ken McLeod is known for his clear explanations, poetic translations, and pragmatic approach to practice. His emphasis on the importance of consistent practice has helped people from all walks of life find meaning and understanding through their daily discipline.
The first book ever to be printed, The Diamond Sutrai> was widely revered in China. It is the backbone of the Zen traditions in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, and now in both Europe and this country. For centuries, this enigmatic text 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. Ken's presentation, replete with stories and Q&A opportunities, promises to be a lively event — an experiential encounter with one of the most important texts in the Buddhist canon.
For three decades, Ken taught in Los Angeles through individual interviews, classes and courses on traditional texts, and retreats in the mountains outside LA. He is now retired and living in Sonoma County. His best-known books are Wake Up to Your Lifei> (2001), a virtual encyclopedia of meditation practices; Reflections on Silver River (2014), a brilliant contemporary on the much beloved text; The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, and The Magic of Vajrayana (2023), an experiential approach to the heart of Tibetan Buddhism. Copies of his own translation of the Diamond Sutra, This Unexpected Jewel, will be available at the event.
