Book Description
This is a translation of a Buddhist scripture which was originally written in Sanskrit but is best known to Buddhists through Chinese versions. It is one of the most influential and popular texts of Maha¯ya¯na Buddhism, emphasizing the doctrine that there is only one path to enlightenment, the bodhisattva-path, and the principle that the Buddha is not to be delimited in time and space. The work is famous and beloved throughout the Far East for its parables, such as that of the burning house, that of the wayward son, and many others; for its presentation of abstract religious concepts in concrete images; for the innumerable fascinating beings which people the work; and for the charm, warmth, and directness of its style. This translation of the Lotus S¯utra has been made from the best known of the Chinese versions; however, it also includes translations of passages of the Sanskrit that are omitted from the Chinese versions or differ sharply from the Chinese.
About the author
Leon Hurvitz is a professor in the Department of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia. He spent time during the occupation of Japan as a translator and interpreter and later studied in Japan, specializing in early Chinese Buddhism.
