It contains the essential teachings of mahayana, stressing the doctrine of the transcendental nature of the buddha, the ideal of the boddhisattva, and the possibility of universal liberation. The lotus sutra of the wonderful dharma, in eight volumes and twentyeight chapters, translated by kumarajiva in 406 ce. May 19, 2017 lopez opens the book with a succinct overview of the content of the lotus sutra, skillfully setting the stage for the following chapters on the lotus sutra in india, china, japan, across the atlantic though actually from india and nepal to europe and then to boston, and finally on the lotus sutra in the twentieth century and its journey. This book is a distillation of his decades of reflection about the lotus sutra in the most accessible way. Although we could find enough answers to this question to fill a book, in the final analysis all those answers can be condensed to just.
The lotus sutra audiobook by hendrik kern, nicolas. The buddha emerges from his samadhi and he straightway begins to extol his buddhaknowledge which he says can only be understood by another buddha. It explores the historical, social and cultural factors that encouraged religious harmony and fostered establishment of the idea of integration in the lotus sutra. The lotus sutra is the revelation of the essential mystery of the tathagata, conceived in the interiority of his own enlightened mind. Experience of buddhism chapter 4 145205 study guide by acetrainerannie includes 42 questions covering vocabulary, terms and more. The lotus sutra second revised edition the lotus sutra is one of the most important of all the mahayana sutras. Saddharmapundarika sutram the lotus sutra a rare book. Composed in india in the first centuries of the common era, it is renowned for its inspiring message that all beings are destined for supreme enlightenment.
Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The lotus sutra translations from the asian classics. Wang argues that the explosion of art inspired by the lotus sutra, starting from the 7th and 8th centuries in china, was a confluence of text and the topography of the chinese medieval mind in which the latter dominated. Innumerable meanings, the lotus flower of the wonderful law, and meditation on the bodhisattva universal virtue.
The stories of the lotus sutra is a delightful introductory book of the lotus sutra explained through the many stories and parables found in the lotus sutra. In the heart sutra sariputra was explained the concept of shunyata by avalokiteshwara bodhisattva. A comprehensive resource for zen and buddhism practitioners. Preface soon after taking charge of the asiatic society as its general secretary, the veteran anti quarian prof. This contribution to book is brought to you for free and open access by the faculty scholarship at. It is the most dramatic, complex, fantastical and powerful chapter of the entire sutra and heralds a moving change in its tone. In the ponds there are lotus flowers as large as carriage wheels that are blue colored with a blue sheen, yellow. Lotus sutra, chapter 3 a dialogue between sariputra and avalokitesvara is also the context of the heart sutra, a brief but essential text in the mahayana buddhist tradition. Most were written between 100 bce and 500 ce, although some could have been written later than that. The lotus sutra is arguably the most famous of all buddhist scriptures. Kerns translation of the lotus sutra is interesting, hence the 4star rating. The lotus sutra is one of the most important mahayana texts and the most widely read, chanted and revered, particularly in asian buddhist countries, notably china and japan. For example, the lotus sutra is the only scripture accepted by the nichiren, but it plays no part in tibetan buddhism. Buy the lotus sutra bdk english tripitaka 2nd revised edition by tsugunari kubo, akira yuyama isbn.
Its also nonscholar friendly, making it a good choice for more casual studiers of buddhism. Whats being evaluated here is the translation and presentation of the work. The lotus sutra and other mahayana sutras claim to be the word of the buddha. Sariputra then asks the buddha to explain his teachings for the benefit of other beings, prompting the buddha to teach the lotus sutra. Berkeley, calif numata center for buddhist translation and research. The sutra of innumerable meanings, the sutra of the lotus flower of the wonderful law, and the sutra of meditation on the bodhisattva universal virtue was translated by bunno kato, yoshiro tamura, and kojiro miyasaka with revisions by w. Primary source document with questions dbqs s e l e c t i o n f r o m t h e l o t u s sutra. It is the root text, so to speak, of the pure land schools, which. Here, lopez provides what he calls the plot summary of the lotus sutra. The lotus sutra more than any other work is responsible for the distinctiveness of east asian buddhism.
Based on this research, the general scholarly consensus is that the lotus sutra took shape in four phases described here using the chapter numbers in kumarajivas translation plus the devadatta chapter inserted as chapter twelve. Kindle ebooks can be read on any device with the free kindle app. Understanding amitabha buddha sutra from the perspective of the lotus sutra amitabha buddha, or amida buddha, is the buddha of special reverence in pureland. The pureland of amitabha is just like a imaginary city. For many east asian buddhists, the lotus sutra contains the ultimate and complete teaching of the buddha and. Inclusive and exclusive readings of the lotus sutra uk. Buy the threefold lotus sutra new edition by kato, b. The lotus sutra has been regarded for centuries as one of the most important teachings in mahayana buddhism.
Lotus sutra is unlike pli scriptures being accepted by theravada buddhism. Sep 15, 2007 source elements of the lotus sutra is a study of integration, the central idea of the lotus sutra. The lotus sutra is regarded by many others as a religious classic of great beauty and p. His most recently published book is the stories of the lotus sutra.
In it, shakyamuni expounds the ultimate truth of life to which he was enlightened. In translating the chinese text into english we used the kasuga edition of kumarajivas version of the lotus sutra as the basic text, rather than the taisho edition. Find inspiration and wisdom to help you find yourself. Thereupon, the buddha emerges from his trance and starts talking to his disciple sariputra. Known as the king of sutras, the lotus sutra is one of the most influential texts. Buy the lotus sutra translations from the asian classics new ed by watson, burton isbn.
The lotus sutra translated by burton watson chapter twelve. Th is new translation, freely available to all seekers, includes the oral comments of several contemporary senior monks. Lotus sutra is very important to some mahayana schools but ignored by others. In particular the concept of one vehicle, which permeates the work, has had great influence on multiple schools. At that time the buddha addressed the bodhisattvas, the heavenly and human beings, and the four kinds of believers saying.
Pdf the lotus sutra download full pdf book download. With very few exceptions the readings in these two editions are almost. A great pedagogical tool, lopezs book is also an enjoyable read for anyone interested in buddhism and eastern religion, or the global reach of a single sacred text. Mar 04, 2017 the meaning of the lotus sutra is i devote my life to the mystic law of the lotus sutra. Reeves is currently working on a buddhist natural theology which attempts to relate the process philosophy of a. And the supplemented lotus sutra of the wonderful law says that one who accepts and upholds the name of the lotus sutra will enjoy immeasurable good fortune. This article provides a brief summary and background. Here, donald lopez provides an engaging and accessible biography of this enduring classic. This book goes beyond theory to show how to bring these teachings into practice in daily life. The lotus sutra proclaims that a unitary intentunderlies the diversity of. Saddharmapuarika sutra, literally sutra on the white lotus of the sublime dharma 1 is one of the most popular and influential mahayana sutras and the basis on which the tiantai, tendai, cheontae, and nichiren schools of buddhism were established. This combination of the burton translation of the lotus sutra, and the commentaries of rev. Dec 02, 2008 he is the translator from chinese into english of the lotus sutra.
Chapter 2 tactfulness from the sutra of the lotus flower of. Great book for for anyone interested in buddhism to read. Bimbamana of gautamiyasastra as heard by sariputra by. Profound and immeasurable is the wisdom of the buddhas. The lotus sutra translated by burton watson including rev. It also is the very sutra that fulfilled the ultimate purpose of his advent in this world. The heart sutra is of mahayana buddhism, and is often cited as a most popular buddhist scripture. Chapter 11, apparition of a stupa, is the halfway mark of the lotus sutra. Reeves is currently working on a buddhist natural theology which. Now when the buddha emits this beam of brightness he is helping to reveal the meaning of the true entity of phenomena. Different divisions of mahayana buddhism emphasize different sutras, but some texts, like the lotus sutra and heart sutra, are important to most branches of mahayana. Saddharmapuarikasutra scripture of the white lotus of the marvelous law into chinese in 406 c. After the buddha spoke this sutra, sariputra and all the bhiksus, all the gods, men, and asuras, and others from all the worlds, hearing what the buddha had said, joyously welcomed, faithfully accepted, bowed and withdrew.
Jan 29, 2011 from legacy of perfect enlightenment, book one, secrets of the lotus sutra by harvey kraft the buddha repeatedly in different ways cautions sariputra that there is no way a nonbuddha can fully understand this law and that the law can only be taught to a bodhisattva. The lotus sutra is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential sutras, or sacred scriptures, of buddhism. Shokai kanai, was my idea of making the actual sutra more readable and understandable. A thirdcentury mahayana text, this is used and revered in several traditions. Recollection of death also serves as a useful preparation for the time when one actually has to face death. It is a translation of the lotus sutra expedient means and life span chapters. Anyone who hears single verseword of lotus will become a buddha slandering buddha is bad, but slandering lotus is worstpresents the practices of teaching the sutra which includes accepting, embracing, reading, reciting, copying, explaining, propagating it, and living in. E the text used for the english translations of today.
Lotus sutra, lotus of the good law or true doctrine sutra, one of the earlier mahayana buddhist texts venerated as the quintessence of truth by the japanese tendai chinese tientai and nichiren sects. Other complete english translations of the lotus sutra. Shariputra, who represented the lesser vehicle appeared ridiculed. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system. The vimalakirti sutra is a popular and influential mahayana buddhist scripture. Why is the lotus sutra esteemed as the foremost and most wonderful teaching for humankind. Essays on the lotus sutra, which he edited, was published in 2002. He translated a sanskrit version of the lotus sutra into english in the 1880s.
Whitehead and charles hartshorne with the buddhism of the lotus sutra. Theres not a whole lot in it about the lotus sutra, but it gives a valuable overview to the history of the transmissions and translations in general, and is a fascinating read. The lotus sutra has had an outsized influence on japanese buddhist poetry. Kalidas nag hunted up as usual with him the old neglected files of the society and found out among heaps of old papers a few valuable treasures one of which was a typescript of a fragmentary text of the saddbarmapundarika prepared by the russian scholar nd. I find that the translation by itself is sometimes difficult to read in context, and the. In fact, amitabha sutra is one of the many expedient teachings expounded by shakyamuni buddha to enable all to attain buddhahood. This probably isnt the best place to pick up the basics of. Thus, the lotus sutra is the direct manifestation of enlightenment itself, whereas the pali canon manifests enlightenment through the conditionality of unenlightened and samsaric experience. The hokekyo lotus sutra not merely represents all the teachings of shakyamuni which were revealed for the period of fifty years since he had attained enlightenment. The heart sutra online three versions the gold scales. Overall, burton watsons translation is a good, nonoffensive goto edition pretty easily found in print. Once upon a time the lord was staying at ragagriha, on the gridhrakuta mountain, with a numerous assemblage of monks, twelve hundred monks, all of them arhats, stainless, free from depravity, selfcontrolled, thoroughly emancipated in thought and knowledge. The lotus sutra of the correct law says that, if one hears this sutra and proclaims and embraces its title, one will enjoy merit beyond measure.
Within the buddhist canon, the lotus sutra is one text that should be read as a whole. Dec 10, 2017 10 books on the interpretation and practice of the lotus sutra understanding the lotus sutra can be an uphill task for beginners who wish to discover the hidden wisdom of the lotus sutra. I found the glossary in the back helpful to understand some of the buddhist jargon both english and sanskrit used in the translation. In this fun, engaging, and plainenglish book, gene reevesthe translator of wisdoms critically acclaimed and bestselling edition of the lotus sutra presents the most memorable and remarkable of the lotus sutra s many stories and parables, along with a distillation of his decades of reflection on them in an accessible, inspiring, and naturally. Th e sutra of the medicine buddha is among the most popular texts in east asia, along with the amitabha, the ksitigarbha and the lotus sutras. The buddhas statement is disconcerting to sariputra. Most of the mahayana sutras, which number over two thousand, were written between 200 bce and 200 ce, the period in which mahayana buddhism developed. The sanskrit text kern used was probably later than the one which kumarajiva translated into chinese around 406 c.
T h e d a u g h t e r o f t h e dragon king introduction the lotus sutra is the most popular and influential buddhist scripture in east asia. The signs now are like those of the earlier auspicious portent, this is an expedient means used by the buddhas. The work has both literary and philosophical merit, combining verse and parables with clarity of insight, earning it a permanent spot in the history of buddhism. The lotus sutra, revised second edition bdk america. Lotus sutra project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Tina turner lotus sutra purity of mind 2h meditation. The lotus sutra book by gautama buddha thriftbooks. Chapter 2 tactfulness from the sutra of the lotus flower. Its a seminal work in the development of buddhism throughout east asia and, by extension, in the development of mahayana buddhism throughout the world. The lotus sutra is regarded as one of the worlds great religious scriptures and most influential texts. The buddha also promises sariputra that he will attain buddhahood. The lotus sutra is neither a fairy tale nor a novel of science fiction.
A guide to the threefold lotus sutra rissho koseikai. His name frequently appears in the jataka tales which gives the stories of the buddhas previous lives. Unless all the online kern versions picked up a typo and the actual kern text in book form differs, then it may refer to great teachers whose name often use the suffix ritra, my own kern book is in a box somewhere it may be related to a general brahman term rta, meaning. Tina turner lotus sutra purity of mind 2h meditation youtube. Lecture on the sutra hoben and juryo chapters by josei toda. Motifs from the lotus sutra figure prominently in the dunhuang caves built in the sui era. Again, sariputra, at a future period, after innumerable, inconceivable, immeasurable. This combination of the burton translation of the lotus sutra, and the commentaries of. The goddess challenges sariputra to transform from his female body, and sariputra answers there is nothing to transform.
Unfortunately, the lotus sutra is one of the most challenging buddhist texts to read due to its length, depth, and difficult prose style. The supplemented lotus sutra of the wonderful dharma, in seven volumes and twentyseven chapters, a revised version of kumarajivas text, translated by jnanagupta and dharmagupta in 601 ce. There has been a great deal of philological research on the lotus sutra, much of it by japanese scholars of sanskrit. The sutras key message is that buddhahood, the supreme state of life characterized by boundless compassion, wisdom and courage, is. In the lotus sutra buddha predicted that someday sariputra too would become a buddha. The lotus sutra is one of the most popular and influential mahayana sutras, and the basis on. Each book in the series is crafted to provide for each buddhist text the. As it happens i gave a series of four onehour talks at the riverview dharma centre on the lotus sutra, which i plan to publish soon as the treasure house of secrets. This probably isnt the best place to pick up the basics of mahayana buddhism, but culturally its important. The layout of the book is attractive, and the typeface is extremely readable. In the lotus sutra, the buddha starts talking about the higher wisdom of buddhas and his use of skillful means sanskrit. They are sacred words, phrases, parables transmitted. The lotus sutra ebook by 9780861719877 rakuten kobo. Dec 31, 2017 understanding amitabha buddha sutra from the perspective of the lotus sutra amitabha buddha, or amida buddha, is the buddha of special reverence in pureland.
The imagery alone can be very tiring if youre new to buddhism, and dont understand half of whats going on. A biography, donald lopez promises to trace the various roles of the lotus sutra as it has traversed the globe and he delivers. The lotus sutra bucknell digital commons bucknell university. Nichiren shoshu buddhism gongyo sutra recitation myosenji temple official version duration. It provides a line by line explanation of these 2 amazing sutras and a great way to really deepen your understanding of buddhism. The lotus sutra is a collection of mostly devotional sermons, and watson renders the poetry beautifully. Sariputra in the mahayana sutras the mahayana sutras are scriptures of mahayana buddhism.
Its ideas and images are writ large in great works of chinese and japanese literature such as the dream of the red chamber and the tale of genji. Mar 27, 2000 in the lotus sutra version of buddhism, the buddha is personalized, less elite and more appealing to laypeople. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval. In the vimalakirti sutra, to make a point that gender does not make any difference to attaining nirvana, the goddesss switches bodies with sariputra. Its sanskrit name is prajnaparamita hridaya the word sutra is not present in known sanskrit manuscripts. The sutras are not books written by sakyamuni buddha nor recorded by someone else. Sariputra, in the upper region there is brahma voice buddha, constellation king buddha, foremost.
Yet the lotus is not affected by the dirty water, for it merely rolls of its petals. Immeasurable kalpas in the past, i sought the lotus sutra without ever flagging. Apr 01, 2007 buy the lotus sutra bdk english tripitaka 2nd revised edition by tsugunari kubo, akira yuyama isbn. Chapter 4, faith and understanding four senior disciples address the. The daimoku of the lotus sutra wnd i nichiren buddhism. As the concluding exercise among the body contemplations, a regular recollection of death can lead to the realization that death is fearful only to the extent to which one identifies with the body. The lotus sutra has essentially defined east asian buddhism with its imagery, devotional passages, and ideas regarding equality between men and women as well as enlightenment for all beings. Nichiren shoshu myosenji buddhist temple 351,685 views.
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