The Lotus SutraColumbia University Press, 1993 - 359 pages 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 delimited in 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. As Watson notes, "The Lotus Sutra is not so much an integral work as a collection of religious texts, an anthology of sermons, stories and devotional manuals, some speaking with particular force to persons of one type or in one set of circumstances, some to those of another type or in other circumstances. This is no doubt one reason why it has had such broad and lasting appeal over the ages and has permeated so deeply into the cultures that have been exposed to it." |
Table des matières
Introduction | 1 |
Expedient Means | 21 |
Simile and Parable | 45 |
Belief and Understanding | 78 |
The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs | 95 |
Bestowal of Prophecy | 105 |
The Parable of the Phantom City | 115 |
Prophecy of Enlightenment for Five Hundred Disciples | 141 |
Distinctions in Benefits | 231 |
The Benefits of Responding with Joy | 243 |
Benefits of the Teacher of the Law | 249 |
The Bodhisattva Never Disparaging | 263 |
Supernatural Powers of the Thus Come One | 270 |
Entrustment | 275 |
Former Affairs of the Bodhisttva Medicine King | 278 |
The Bodhisattva Wonderful Sound | 288 |
Prophecies Conferred on Learners and Adepts | 152 |
The Teacher of the Law | 158 |
The Emergence of the Treasure Tower | 168 |
Devadatta | 180 |
Encouraging Devotion | 188 |
Peaceful Practices | 194 |
Emerging from the Earth | 210 |
The Life Span of the Thus Come One | 222 |
The Universal Gateway of the Bodhisattva Perceiver of the Worlds Sounds | 296 |
Dharani | 305 |
Former Affairs of King Wonderful Adornment | 310 |
Encouragements of the Bodhisattva Universal Worthy | 317 |
Glossary | 323 |
Index | 341 |
Expressions et termes fréquents
able accept and uphold adorned arhat asamkhya assembly asuras attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi attain Buddhahood become a Buddha benefits bodhi Bodhisattva Perceiver bodhisattvas and mahasattvas body Brahma kings Buddha wisdom Buddhahood Buddhism Burton Watson constantly Correct Law countless delight dharanis Dharma disciples doctrines dragon enlightenment entered extinction evil expedient means expound four kinds gained gandharvas Ganges sands hear heavenly and human incense Kashyapa kinds of believers Kumarajiva kumbhanda lapis lazuli living Lotus Sutra Mahakashyapa Maitreya mandarava Manjushri meaning once Medicine King monks multitude never nirvana offer alms paramitas passed into extinction persons praise pratyekabuddhas preach the Law preach this sutra pressed their palms pure reverence saha world sake samadhi saying Shakyamuni Buddha Shariputra shramaneras single mind small kalpas sons spoke in verse teach and convert thousand million tower transcendental powers understand unsurpassed uphold this sutra various Vehicle verse form voice-hearers voices Wonderful Law Wonderful Sound World-Honored World's Sounds yakshas
Fréquemment cités
Page xxii - standard romanization for all such words may be found in the Glossary at the back of the book. The Glossary will also