The Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom: With the Divisions of the Abhisamayalankara (Center for South and Southeast Asia Studies, UC Berkeley)

Center for South and Southeast Asia Studies, UC Berkeley

by Edward Conze

Some 2000 years ago Buddhism experienced a major reformation through a movement called the Mahayana, or "Great Vehicle," which dominated religious through in much of Asia for many centuries and still exerts considerable influence. The basic Mahayana texts, sermons ascribed to the Buddha and called "sutras" in Sanskrit, discussed the "perfect wisdom." The "Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom" took shape between 50 and 2000 A.D. in southern India during one of the most momentous outbursts of religious creativity in human history.

Genres: Buddhism

Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Eberhart Julius Dietrich Conze, who published as Edward Conze, studied Indian and comparative philosophy at the universities of Bonn and Hamburg. He later lectured in psychology, philosophy, and comparative religion at Oxford, held a number of academic appointments, and served as Vice-President of the Buddhist Society.

Reviews

[Mengsen Zhang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally finished this large book! This is a very clarifying read if you have been interested in Mahayana philosophy and missing something that ties everything together. This book is very comprehensive and the exposition is direct. You may find it repetitive at times but that's kind of the point.