Buddhist Mahayana Texts


Book Description

Buddhist Mahayana Texts by E. B. Cowell: E. B. Cowell presents a comprehensive collection of Mahayana Buddhist texts, offering readers a profound insight into the teachings and philosophy of this influential branch of Buddhism. Through carefully selected texts and thoughtful commentary, Cowell invites readers to explore the wisdom and spiritual depth of Mahayana Buddhism. Key Aspects of the Book "Buddhist Mahayana Texts": Mahayana Teachings: Cowell introduces readers to the core teachings and principles of Mahayana Buddhism, providing a deeper understanding of its spiritual essence. Textual Analysis: The book offers scholarly commentary and analysis of the selected texts, enriching readers' engagement with the ancient wisdom. Spiritual Exploration: "Buddhist Mahayana Texts" provides an opportunity for readers to embark on a spiritual journey through the profound teachings of Mahayana Buddhism. E. B. Cowell was a distinguished scholar and orientalist known for his expertise in Sanskrit literature and Buddhist philosophy. Born in 1826, Cowell's passion for Eastern studies led him to contribute significantly to the translation and interpretation of ancient texts. In "Buddhist Mahayana Texts," Cowell's expertise enables readers to delve into the spiritual depths of Mahayana Buddhism and gain insights into the profound wisdom of this ancient tradition.




Text as Father


Book Description

Alan Cole sheds new light on the origin & nature of Mahāyāna Buddhism with close readings of four well-known texts: the Lotus Sūtra, Diamond Sūtra, Tathāgatagarbha Sūtra, & Vimalakīrtinirdeśa.




The Heart Sutra


Book Description

An illuminating in-depth study of one of the most well-known and recited Buddhist texts, by a renowned modern translator The Prajna Paramita Hridaya Sutra is among the best known of all the Buddhist scriptures. Chanted daily by many Zen practitioners, it is also studied extensively in the Tibetan tradition, and it has been regarded with interest more recently in the West in various fields of study—from philosophy to quantum physics. In just a few lines, it expresses the truth of impermanence and the release of suffering that results from the understanding of that truth with a breathtaking economy of language. Kazuaki Tanahashi’s guide to the Heart Sutra is the result of a life spent working with it and living it. He outlines the history and meaning of the text and then analyzes it line by line in its various forms (Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tibetan, Mongolian, and various key English translations), providing a deeper understanding of the history and etymology of the elusive words than is generally available to the non-specialist—yet with a clear emphasis on the relevance of the text to practice. This book includes a fresh and meticulous new translation of the text by the author and Roshi Joan Halifax.




Popular Buddhist Texts from Nepal


Book Description

This book demonstrates how popular ritual texts and story narratives have shaped the religious life and culture of the only surviving South Asian Mahayana Buddhist society, the Newars of Kathmandu. It begins with an account of the Newar Buddhist community's history and its place within the religious environment of Nepal and proceeds to build around five popular translations, several of which were known across Asia: the Srngabheri Avadana, the Simhalasarthabahu Avadana, the Tara, the Mahakala Vratas, and the Pancaraksa. Lewis documents how the respective texts have been domesticated in Nepal's art and architecture, healing traditions, and rituals. He shows how they provide paradigmatic case studies that transcend the Nepalese context, illustrating universal practices or issues in all Buddhist communities, such as gender relations and stupa veneration, the role of merchants, ethnicity, violence, devotions to celestial bodhisattvas by kings and women, and the role of mantra recitations and healing rituals in the lives of Buddhists.




Buddhist Mahâyâna Texts


Book Description







Women in Buddhism


Book Description

"In seeking to explore the interrelationships between, and mutual influence of, varieties of sexual stereotypes and religious views of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, Women in Buddhism succeeds in drawing our attention to matters of philosophical importance. Paul examines the 'image' of women which arise in a number of Buddhist texts associated with Mahayana and finds that, while ideally the tradition purports to be egalitarian, in actual practice it often betrayed a strong misogynist prejudice. Sanskrit and Chinese texts are organized by theme and type, progressing from those which treat the traditionally orthodox and negative to those which set forth a positive consideration of soteriological paths for women. . . . In Women in Buddhism, Diana Paul may be forcing our consideration of the problem of female enlightenment. Thus the main purport and accomplishment of her scholarship is revolutionary."—Philosophy East and West




Mahayana Buddhism


Book Description

Originating in India, Mahayana Buddhism spread across Asia, becoming the prevalent form of Buddhism in Tibet and East Asia. Over the last twenty-five years Western interest in Mahayana has increased considerably, reflected both in the quantity of scholarly material produced and in the attraction of Westerners towards Tibetan Buddhism and Zen. Paul Williams’ Mahayana Buddhism is widely regarded as the standard introduction to the field, used internationally for teaching and research and has been translated into several European and Asian languages. This new edition has been fully revised throughout in the light of the wealth of new studies and focuses on the religion’s diversity and richness. It includes much more material on China and Japan, with appropriate reference to Nepal, and for students who wish to carry their study further there is a much-expanded bibliography and extensive footnotes and cross-referencing. Everyone studying this important tradition will find Williams’ book the ideal companion to their studies.




LANKAVATARA SUTRA


Book Description




Buddhist Mahayana Texts


Book Description

Excellent translations of basic works in later Buddhism feature the Buddha-Karita of Asvaghosha, concerning the life and teachings of the Buddha. Additional documents include the Larger and Smaller Sukhavati-vyuha, describing the Land of Bliss, the Vagrakkhedika, the Larger and Smaller Pragna, two kernel statements of the Mahayana, and the Meditation Sutra of Amida Buddhism.