Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma

by Leon Hurvitz (Translator)

Originally published in 1976, Leon Hurvitz's monumental translation of the Lotus Sutra is the work scholars have preferred for decades. Hailed by critics as an "extraordinary" and "magnificent" achievement, Hurvitz's translation is based on the best known Chinese version of the text and includes passages of the original Sanskrit that were omitted from the Chinese.

Beloved for its mythology and literary artistry, the Lotus Sutra is one of the most popular and influential texts of Mahayana Buddhism, asserting that there is only one path to enlightenment, the bodhisattva path, and that all followers without exception can achieve supreme awakening. The text argues that the Buddha cannot be delimited by time and space and that a common intent underlies the diversity of Buddhist teachings. Through parables of the burning house, the wayward son, and other tales that have come to be known throughout East Asia, the sutra skillfully concretizes abstract religious concepts and clarifies bold claims about the Buddhist tradition. Urging devotees to revivify doctrine through recitation and interpretation, the sutra powered an organic process of remaking that not only kept its content alive in the poetry and art of premodern Asia but also introduced new forms of practice and scriptural study into contemporary Buddhism. Stephen F. Teiser's foreword addresses this vital quality of the sutra, discusses its background, and reflects on the enduring relevance of Hurvitz's critical work.

Genres: Buddhism, Religion, School

416 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1975

Reviews

[Pro Mukherjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I experienced this in conjunction with Thich Nhat Hanh’s “Peaceful Action, Open Heart” (lessons from the Lotus Sutra).

I am not sure if I can say I “read” the book - to me it was/is more of a direct experience. A wonderful and enriching one.

[Mindy McAdams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent translation of the Lotus Sutra, not from the Sanskrit but from the Chinese of Kumarajiva. The reasons are explained in the Preface. In short, because this sutra is very influential in China, Korea and Japan, translating from the Chinese provides English language readers with a version that is closer to the one used in those countries, instead of the original Sanskrit. This edition was published by Columbia University Press in 2009.

There is no commentary in this book. The copious endnotes are all about the language and translation choices. There are footnotes to explain some terms, but I have to assume a person unfamiliar with Buddhist thought would feel somewhat lost. This is not an introductory text.

In this sutra, the Buddha delivers a very important teaching about the path to supreme perfect enlightenment. He is surrounded by an audience of many human followers and beings from other realms as well. He explains to them that all beings can become Buddhas. Other Buddhas also come to hear the teaching, because it is so marvelous and rare.

Some passages are very beautiful. For example, the Buddha reminds us that rain falls equally on all the plants, but various grasses and trees take in the moisture differently. Then, in verse:

The Buddha's undifferentiating preaching
Is, like the rain, of a single flavor,
In accord with the beings' natures
Differently received,
Just as what those grasses and trees
Receive is in every case different.
(p. 101)

This text is a combination of prose and verse in nearly equal amounts. Most of the prose is repeated in verse, in the same chapter. The Preface explains that this may be a consequence of how the oral version was recorded in writing, but in any case, there is a lot of repetition -- yet it is clear how the two forms complement each other. I took my time reading it -- the sutra proper is 309 pages long -- and for me I think that was a good practice.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

essential translation of the lotus sutra, including elements of both the Chinese and Sanskrit versions

[Judith the Book Gobbler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read, read, read, studying!!

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and highly regarded translation of a critical Mahayana text.

[Ceef · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated Hurvitz's translation (which gives a clear sense of the underlying Chinese, and also provides helpful footnotes detailing the spots where it diverges from the Sanskrit), but found the text itself rather insufferable (in parts). While it was plagued with repetition and hyperbole, it also included some rather inventive and ingenious parables and metaphors. I can certainly see why it is such an important text for East Asian Buddhism, even if it was kind of a unpleasant to slog through it.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buddhism arrives in China from India around 200 CE, introduced mainly by merchants with only a basic understanding of the doctrine, and translation problems arise. Many different branches of Buddhism develop, which throughout history cause tensions. As a way to reconcile the heterodoxy, the burning house parable in the Lotus Sutras describe the T'ien Tai Buddhist belief that reality is composed of many essentially existent dharmas. Hinyana (lesser vehicles) all lead to Ekayana (one vehicle).

[Alexander Rolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Islam needs a complete makeover, the way this sutra flipped Buddhism on its head. "What the Buddha said was a trick!"