The Lotus Sutra Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $15.80 You Save: $9.15 (37%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $3.64 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Lotus Sutra
Book Review: Make this the last Sutra to read
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this in the hope, I guess, of finding out more about Mahayana Buddhism, having read a little on the 'Lesser' vehicles such as Zen. What I found in this sutra was a self referencing text with little to offer in terms of teachings you could hold in your hand. This is not to say that Burton Watson didn't do a good job in the translation. (I would have no idea how close it would be to any original text) My problem lies with the message itself. Whereas most sutras I've read will give practical information regarding morals or metaphysical concepts, this text seems only intent on proclaiming that one should have faith alone in the Lotus sutra, as an expedient & most efficient way to enter final extinction. However what the 'lotus sutra' actually is remains a mystery even after the last page is turned. Despite many promises of the 'lotus' about to be revealed by the Buddha, you eventually get to the point in the book where it starts talking in terms of 'Having thus expounded this most wonderful sutra' & wondering where you missed the turnoff.
The whole book is like an artichoke without a heart. It does however talk of such things as the benefit of parable & simile as ways of describing this elusive message. Perhaps the message may in fact be Zen like in the sense that it cannot be held & can only be talked around, however as an inquiring mind I found this book of faith wanting. If I had no prior Buddhist concepts of 'oneness', 'emptiness' & such things as the eight fold path, the lotus Sutra would be useless as it only refers to such concepts, & spends no time explaining them, not even in simile form as is utilized in Zen. For this reason, despite this being a book written with simplicity, I would recommend it to people only with prior understanding of Buddhist ideas. Having said all that, I might just be missing the point. Perhaps the message of this sutra is in fact not to be disillusioned at how infinitely difficult it may be to become enlightened but to simply have faith that you already are, (even if this is a reference to the future) & hence you only need to ...(?)
If anything, it is a richly written text spanning countless eons & including innumerable beings. It uses such symbolism to suggest the infinite nature of time, matter & mind & reminds us that we are very small indeed. It is in fact an enjoyable read & does imbue a sense of 'Right action' & 'Noble thought'. It is certainly a worthwhile read for those with some Buddhism under their belt.
Book Review: Masterpiece of Buddhism - Masterfully Translated by Watson
Summary: 5 Stars
This new 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.
Book Review: Probably the strangest book I've ever read...
Summary: 2 Stars
First, let me say that Burton Watson is a genius in the field of translating Eastern Classics. His interpretation of Chuang Tzu is one of the most beautiful and compelling books I've ever read. His version of "The Lotus Sutra" is well translated and very readable also, but the subject matter itself is so over-the-top I had a hard time swallowing it.
To say it's a story of mythic proportions would be understating it. In some ways it's hard to believe how important this sutra is to the Mahayana tradition. I'm no Buddhist scholar, but I have read a number of books on the subject, as well as several English translations of both Mahayana and Therevadin sutras. Buddhism is a beautiful, appealing religion (or philosophy, if you wish), worthy of deep study and consideration. A recent reading of some Zen liturature was what led me to this sutra. I began reading some of Eihei Dogen's "Shobogenzo" and soon realized I needed to read this sutra to fully appreciate some of his sermons. There are several parables in this work that are very beautiful - I recognised one from another work (a Buddhist version of the 'Prodigal Son' is in this Sutra - also in Paul Carus' "Gospel of Buddha"). There are definitely some beautiful, important passages in this sutra.
All that being said, the amazing, super-colossal, extra-gradiose, fantastical nature of the sutra, for the most part, just plain turned me off. I'm not sure what was up with the originators of this sutra, but I just didn't get it. Very little was said of actual value (I guess they assume the reader gets any significant morals, etc. from all the other sutras). Much is said about how great the sutra is, but there is little in the text to substantiate these claims! Maybe it's just my cynical Western Mind - or maybe it was just my mood.
Nonetheless, if you're serious about gaining deeper insight into Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, I'm pretty sure this is one of those sutras you'll want to read - and Burton Watson makes it a pleasant trip!
Book Review: Quick and Easy
Summary: 5 Stars
It was easy to order and the product arrived promptly with great service if anything were to happen in shipment.Book Review: Required medicine for the modern age.
Summary: 5 Stars
Since the publication of this translation of the Lotus Sutra, I have carefully studied it with the spirit of bodhisattva. The metaphors and phrasing of this translation are striking, and the universal spirituality of this sutra are obvious. An earlier reviewer from Australia remarked how this translation contained strategic omissions because of the SGI connection. This comment is a lie prefabricated by the writer who is obviously a Nikken sect rogue. This comment to disparage the translation is a diversion to counter the sutra's promise of attaining Buddhahood directly without intermediates such as priests (Nikken and Nichren Shoshu). One cannot help but be directed to the One Great Vehicle described in the the Expedient Means chapter. This chapter refutes the Australian critic in that Shakyamuni declared that the Three Vehicles of Learning, Realization, and Bodhisattva were to be replaced by the One Great Vehicle of Buddhahood. Shame shame, Mr. Australian critic.