The Buddhist Sutra Of Lotus Flower

To many Buddhists, The Lotus Sutra is one of the most important, if not the most important, sutras in the Buddhist canon. To the beginning student of Buddhism, however, The Lotus Sutra often presents a difficult challenge. For this reason, the authors have developed "An Introduction" to The Lotus Sutra, making it easy to understand this central scripture of Mahayana Buddhism.

The Lotus Sutra is regarded as one of the world's great religious scriptures and most influential texts. It's a seminal work in the development of Buddhism throughout East Asia and, by extension, in the development of Mahayana Buddhism throughout the world. Taking place in a vast and fantastical cosmic setting, the Lotus Sutra places emphasis on skillfully doing whatever is needed to serve and compassionately care for others, on breaking down distinctions between the fully enlightened buddha and the bodhisattva who vows to postpone salvation until all beings may share it, and especially on each and every being's innate capacity to become a buddha. Gene Reeves's new translation appeals to readers with little or no familiarity with technical Buddhist vocabulary, as well as long-time practitioners and students. In addition, this remarkable volume includes the full "threefold" text of this classic.

The Lotus Sutra is one of the most popular and influential Mahayana sutras, and the basis on which several schools of Buddhism were established.The oldest parts of the text (Chapters 1-9 and 17) were probably written down between 100 BC and 100 AD: most of the text had appeared by 200 AD. The earliest known Sanskrit title for the sutra is the Saddharma Pundarika Sutra, which translates to "the Lotus Flower Formula (or Rule) of Good Dharma." The Lotus Sutra presents itself as a discourse delivered by the Buddha toward the end of his life. The tradition in Mahayana states that the sutra was written down at the time of the Buddha and stored for five hundred years in a realm of nagas. After this they were reintroduced into the human realm at the time of the Fourth Buddhist Council in Kashmir.

This is the extended and annotated edition including * an extensive annotation of more than 10.000 words about the history and basics of Buddhism, written by Thomas William Rhys Davids The Lotus Sūtra is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sūtras, and the basis on which the Tiantai and Nichiren schools of Buddhism were established. This sutra is known for its extensive instruction on the concept and usage of skillful means – the seventh paramita or perfection of a Bodhisattva – mostly in the form of parables. It is also one of the first sutras to use the term Mahāyāna, or "Great Vehicle", Buddhism. Another concept introduced by the Lotus Sutra is the idea that the Buddha is an eternal entity, who achieved nirvana eons ago, but willingly chose to remain in the cycle of rebirth (samsara) to help teach beings the Dharma time and again. (courtesy of wikipedia.com) Contents: Buddhism The Lotus Sutra (Saddharma-Pundarîka) Chapter I. Introductory. Chapter Ii. Skilfulness Chapter Iii. A Parable. Chapter Iv. Disposition. Chapter V. On Plants. Chapter Vi. Announcement Of Future Destiny. Chapter Vii. Ancient Devotion. Chapter Viii. Announcement Of The Future Destiny Of The Five Hundred Monks. Chapter Ix. Announcement Of The Future Destiny Of Ânanda, Rahula, And The Two Thousand Monks. Chapter X. The Preacher. Chapter Xi. Apparition Of A Stûpa. Chapter Xii. Exertion. Chapter Xiii. Peaceful Life. Chapter Xiv. Issuing Of Bodhisattvas From The Gaps Of The Earth. Chapter Xv. Duration Of Life Of The Tathâgata. Chapter Xvi. Of Piety. Chapter Xvii. Indication Of The Meritoriousness Of Joyful Acceptance. Chapter Xviii. The Advantages Of A Religious Preacher. Chapter Xix. Sadâparibhûta. Chapter Xx. Conception Of The Transcendent Power Of The Tathâgatas. Chapter Xxi. Spells. Chapter Xxii. Ancient Devotion Of Bhaishagyarâga. Chapter Xxiii. Gadgadasvara. Chapter Xxiv. Chapter Called That Of The All-Sided One, Containing A Description Of The Transformations Of Avalokitesvara. Chapter Xxv. Ancient Devotion. Chapter Xxvi. Encouragement Of Samantabhadra. Chapter Xxvii. The Period (Of The Law, Dharmaparyâya).

‡a The Sutra of Lotus Flower of the Wonderous Dharma, popularly known as the Lotus Sutra, has been one of the foremost scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism since appearance of its superb translation to Chinese by Kumarajiva in 406 CE. Over the ensuing centuries, is centerpiece of the three sutras comprising the Threefold Lotus Sutra has thoroughly suffused East Asian civilization. This is the first English version of this religious classic tailored to the essential Buddhist practice of daily sutra recitation. In addition to providing an accurate translation faithful to the original text and following standard definitions of key Buddhist terminology, this innovative Threefold Lotus Sutra breaks new ground by employing more inclusive language to reflect present-day concepts of equalitynd human dignity in a diversified world.

This sutra is known for its extensive instruction on the concept and usage of skillful means – (Sanskrit: upaya, Japanese: hoben), the seventh paramita or perfection of a Bodhisattva – mostly in the form of parables. It is also one of the first sutras to use the term Mahayana, or "Great Vehicle", Buddhism. Another concept introduced by the Lotus Sutra is the idea that the Buddha is an eternal entity, who achieved nirvana eons ago, but willingly chose to remain in the cycle of rebirth (samsara) to help teach beings the Dharma time and again. He reveals himself as the "father" of all beings and evinces the loving care of just such a father. Moreover, the sutra indicates that even after the Parinirvana (apparent physical death) of a Buddha, that Buddha continues to be real and to be capable of communicating with the world. The idea that the physical death of a Buddha is the termination of that Buddha is graphically refuted by the movement and meaning of the scripture, in which another Buddha, who passed long before, appears and communicates with Shakyamuni himself. In the vision of the Lotus Sutra, Buddhas are ultimately immortal. A similar doctrine of the eternality of Buddhas is repeatedly expounded in the tathagatagarbha sutras, which share certain family resemblances with the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. In terms of literary style, the Lotus Sutra illustrates a sense of timelessness and the inconceivable, often using large numbers and measurements of time and space. Some of the other Buddhas mentioned in the Lotus Sutra are said to have lifetimes of dozens or hundreds of kalpas, while the number of Bodhisattvas mentioned in the "Earth Bodhisattva" chapter number in the billions, if not more. The Lotus Sutra also often alludes to a special teaching that supersedes everything else that the Buddha has taught, but the Sutra never actually states what that teaching is. This is said to be in keeping with the general Mahayana Buddhist view that the highest teaching cannot be expressed in words. The ultimate teaching of the sutra, however, is implied to the reader that "full Buddhahood" is only arrived at by exposure to the truths expressed implicitly in the Lotus Sutra via its many parables and references to a heretofore less clearly imagined cosmological order. Skillful means of most enlightened Buddhas is itself the highest teaching (the "Lotus Sutra" itself), in conjunction with the sutra's stated tenets that all other teachings are subservient to, propagated by and in the service of this highest truth and teaching aimed at creating "full Buddhas" out of pratyekabuddhas, lesser buddhas and bodhisattvas. The text also implies a parent-child relationship between the innumerable Buddhas and human beings and other types of beings, with an explicit indication that all religions and paths are in some way or another part of the skillful means of this highest teaching, which reaches its fullest expression in the Lotus Sutra. The various religious institutions and their doctrinal proponents notwithstanding, all paths are then, officially speaking, part of the skillful means and plan of Buddhism, thus the sutra's former disavowal of all competitive doctrinal disputes. Crucially, not only are there multiple Buddhas in this view, but an infinite stream of Buddhas extending through unquantifiable eons of time ("thousands of kotis of kalpas") in a ceaseless cycle of creations and conflagrations. In the vision set out in this sutra, moreover, not only are Buddhas innumerable, but the universe encompasses realms of gods, devas, dragons and other mythological beings, requiring numerous dimensions to contain them. Buddhas are portrayed as the patient teachers of all such beings.