The Lotus Sutra Summary and Reviews

The Lotus Sutra

The Lotus Sutra
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Book Summary Information

Translator: Burton Watson
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1993-04-15
ISBN: 0231081618
Number of pages: 359
Publisher: Columbia University Press

Book Reviews of The Lotus Sutra

Book Review: A Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars

This translation of the most important scripture in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition has a special value. Not only is it reliable, but Burton Watson's rendition all but sings.

Translated directly from the Chinese Kumarajiva version, regarded as the most historically legitimate version, this complete and straightforward Lotus Sutra is recommended for its accessibility and its seriousness of purpose.

Since its appearance in China in the third century, the Lotus Sutra has been regarded as one of the most illustrious scriptures in the Mahayana Buddhist canon. The object of intense veneration among generations of Buddhists in China, Korea, Japan, and other parts of East Asia, it has attracted more commentary than any other Buddhist scripture and has had a profound impact on the great works of Japanese and Chinese literature.

Conceived as a drama of colossal proportions, the text takes on new meaning in Burton Watson's translation. Depicting events in a cosmic world that transcends ordinary concepts of time and space, The Lotus Sutra presents abstract religious concepts in concrete terms and affirms that there is a single path to enlightenment--that of the bodhisattva--and that the Buddha is not to be limited by time and space.

Filled with striking imagery, memorable parables, and countless revelations concerning the universal accessibility of Buddhahood, The Lotus Sutra has brought comfort and wisdom to devotees over the centuries and stands as a pivotal text in world literature.

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