Download or read book The Illustrated Lotus Sutra written by Gene Reeves and published by Wisdom Publications. This book was released on 2019-10-22 with total page 544 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Renowned and beloved the world over, a peerless contemporary translation of one of Buddhism’s most important texts comes alive with over 110 full-page illustrations by a multiple award-winning artist. The Lotus Sutra is regarded as one of the world’s great religious scriptures and most influential texts. It’s a seminal work in the development of Buddhism throughout East Asia and, by extension, in the development of Mahayana Buddhism throughout the world. Taking place in a vast and fantastical cosmic setting, the Lotus Sutra places emphasis on skillfully doing whatever is needed to serve and compassionately care for others, on breaking down distinctions between the fully enlightened buddha and the bodhisattva who vows to postpone salvation until all beings may share it, and especially on each and every being’s innate capacity to become a buddha. This illustrated edition features more than 110 full-page and two-page illustrations by a world-renowned and award-winning artist, and brings the fantastical and image-filled world of the Lotus Sutra vividly to life. Demi’s illustrations are both classical and contemporary in feel, perfectly complementing Reeves’s masterful and modern translation.
Download or read book Shaping the Lotus Sutra written by Eugene Yuejin Wang and published by University of Washington Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 550 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Lotus Sutra has been the most widely read and most revered Buddhist scripture in East Asia since its translation in the third century. The miracles and parables in the "king of sutras" inspired a variety of images in China, in particular the sweeping compositions known as transformation tableaux that developed between the seventh and ninth centuries. Surviving examples in murals painted on cave walls or carved in relief on Buddhist monuments depict celestial journeys, bodily metamorphoses, cycles of rebirth, and the achievement of nirvana. Yet the cosmos revealed in these tableaux is strikingly different from that found in the text of the sutra. Shaping the Lotus Sutra explores this visual world. Challenging long-held assumptions about Buddhist art, Eugene Wang treats it as a window to an animated and spirited world. Rather than focus on individual murals as isolated compositions, Wang views the entire body of pictures adorning a cave shrine or a pagoda as a visual mapping of an imaginary topography that encompasses different temporal and spatial domains. He demonstrates that the text of the Lotus Sutra does not fully explain the pictures and that a picture, or a series of them, constitutes its own "text." In exploring how religious pictures sublimate cultural aspirations, he shows that they can serve both political and religious agendas and that different social forces can co-exist within the same visual program. These pictures inspired meditative journeys through sophisticated formal devices such as mirroring, mapping, and spatial programming - analytical categories newly identified by Wang. The book examines murals in cave shrines at Binglingsi and Dunhuang in northwestern China and relief sculptures in the grottoes of Yungang in Shanxi, on stelae from Sichuan, and on the Dragon-and-Tiger pagoda in Shandong, among other sites. By tracing formal impulses in medieval Chinese picture-making, such as topographic mapping and pictorial illusionism, the author pieces together a wide range of visual evidence and textual sources to reconstruct the medieval Chinese cognitive style and mental world. The book is ultimately a history of the Chinese imagination. Read an interview with the author: http: //dgeneratefilms.com/cinematalk/cinematalk-interview-with-professor-eugene-wang-on-chinese-art-and-film/
Download or read book The Lotus Sutra written by and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-04-14 with total page 504 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Lotus Sutra is regarded as one of the world's great religious scriptures and most influential texts. It's a seminal work in the development of Buddhism throughout East Asia and, by extension, in the development of Mahayana Buddhism throughout the world. Taking place in a vast and fantastical cosmic setting, the Lotus Sutra places emphasis on skillfully doing whatever is needed to serve and compassionately care for others, on breaking down distinctions between the fully enlightened buddha and the bodhisattva who vows to postpone salvation until all beings may share it, and especially on each and every being's innate capacity to become a buddha. Gene Reeves's new translation appeals to readers with little or no familiarity with technical Buddhist vocabulary, as well as long-time practitioners and students. In addition, this remarkable volume includes the full "threefold" text of this classic.
Download or read book The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras written by Burton Watson and published by Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House. This book was released on 2023-08-06 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Lotus Sutra clearly and definitively reveals the buddha nature that is an integral part of the lives of all people. And it makesclear that the Buddha desires and acts so that all people, by opening up this buddhanature inherent within themselves, mayattain the state of buddhahood forthemselves. The sutra further stresses that the continued observance of such action is the true mission of the bodhisattva, and never ceases to praise the observance of this practice.
Download or read book Art of the Lotus Sutra written by Tamura Kurata and published by Kosei Publishing Company. This book was released on 1989-12-15 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Lotus Sutra, one of the principal scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism, is at once a great work of literature and a profound religious classic, containing the core and culmination of the historical BuddhaÆs ageless teaching of compassion and the way to achieve liberation from suffering. For more than fourteen hundred years, since its introduction into Japan early in the sixth century, the Lotus Sutra has been a rich source of subjects and themes for the countryÆs artists. Generations of priests, nuns and lay believers confident in the sutraÆs promise of spiritual reward for those who revere it and pay it homage have made opulent transcriptions of it, fashioned lavishly ornamented vessels for its preservation, and commissioned votive art depicting its narratives and religious teachings. As Art of the Lotus Sutra eloquently reveals, the range of artistic expression inspired by the Lotus Sutra is astonishing: miniature altars, bronzes, lacquerware, vibrant mandalas, wall paintings, hanging scrolls, narrative picture scrolls, and sculptures, as well as embroidered, handwritten and printed copies of the sutra itself. Much has been written in Japanese about the Lotus Sutra and the magnificent artworks related to it, but not until Bunsaku Kurata and Yoshiro Tamura compiled the present book was it possible to bring this material together in a single volume in English.
Download or read book Drama of Cosmic Enlightenment written by Sangharakshita and published by Windhorse Publications. This book was released on 2014-05-13 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the White Lotus Sutra, bursting with symbols, imagery and myths, we meet the Buddha as a story-teller. This sutra tells the greatest of all stories, that of human life and human potential. This great story takes the cosmos as its stage and all sentient beings as its players. This delightfully illustrated commentary on one of the most influential, revered and well-loved Buddhist scriptures brings these stories vividly to life and shows how they relate to our own spiritual quest.
Download or read book Introduction to the Lotus Sutra written by Yoshiro Tamura and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-07-15 with total page 157 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Lotus Sutra--one of the most popular Buddhist classics--is here accessibly introduced by one of its most eminent scholars. "Soon after entering university in December of 1943, I was sent to the front as a student soldier. I wondered if I were allowed to bring but a single book on the trip, possibly to my death, which would I want to bring. It was the Lotus Sutra" -- from the author's Preface. Having developed a lifelong appreciation of the Lotus Sutra -- even carrying a dog-eared copy with him through service in World War II -- Yoshiro Tamura sought to author an introduction to this beloved work of Buddhist literature. Tamura wanted it to be different than other basic explorations of the text; his introduction would be plain-spoken, relevant and sensitive to modern concerns, and well-informed by contemporary scholarship. He succeeded marvelously with Introduction to the Lotus Sutra, which Gene Reeves -- Tamura's student and translator of the popular English edition of The Lotus Sutra -- translates and introduces in English for the first time here. Tackling issues of authenticity in the so-called "words of Buddha," the influence of culture and history on the development of the Lotus Sutra, and the sutra's role in Japanese life, Introduction to the Lotus Sutra grounds this ancient work of literature in the real, workaday world, revealing its continued appeal across the ages.
Download or read book I See You Mara written by Josh Bartok and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-09-14 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If Dr. Seuss were drawing on classical Buddhist texts for inspiration, this is what he’d write—with playful yet classic illustrations by the team behind I See You, Buddha, to which this book is a standalone companion. Destined to be classic, I See You, Mara! is a beautifully illustrated tale from the Buddhist sutras that will help kids learn how to better relate to their most difficult thoughts and feelings—including fear, self-doubt, and all kinds of insecurities. The story is told in the memorable and engaging rhyming verse in the tradition of Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein, and illustrated in a traditional and yet light-hearted style by the renowned and award-winning illustrator of I See You, Buddha! and Wisdom’s Illustrated Lotus Sutra, and many other books. Mara is a character from the Buddhist tradition who is the personification of the mind that causes suffering, also known as delusion. I See You, Mara! provides time-tested tools for dispelling the voice of fear, doubt, and inadequacy that arises for all of us.
Download or read book The Stories of the Lotus Sutra written by Gene Reeves and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-11 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Lotus Sutra" is one of the world's great religious scriptures and most influential texts. It has been a seminal work in the development of Buddhism throughout East Asia and, by extension in the development of Mahayana Buddhism throughout the world. Taking place in a vast and fantastical cosmic setting, the Lotus Sutra places emphasis on skillfully doing whatever is needed to serve and compassionately care for others, on breaking down sharp distinctions between the ideals of the fully enlightened buddha and the bodhisattva who vows to postpone personal salvation until all beings may share it together, and especially on each and every being's innate capacity to become a buddha.
Download or read book Accounts and Images of Six Kannon in Japan written by Sherry D. Fowler and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2016-11-30 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Buddhists around the world celebrate the benefits of worshipping Kannon (Avalokiteśvara), a compassionate savior who is one of the most beloved in the Buddhist pantheon. When Kannon appears in multiple manifestations, the deity’s powers are believed to increase to even greater heights. This concept generated several cults throughout history: among the most significant is the cult of the Six Kannon, which began in Japan in the tenth century and remained prominent through the sixteenth century. In this ambitious work, Sherry Fowler examines the development of the Japanese Six Kannon cult, its sculptures and paintings, and its transition to the Thirty-three Kannon cult, which remains active to this day. An exemplar of Six Kannon imagery is the complete set of life-size wooden sculptures made in 1224 and housed at the Kyoto temple Daihōonji. This set, along with others, is analyzed to demonstrate how Six Kannon worship impacted Buddhist practice. Employing a diachronic approach, Fowler presents case studies beginning in the eleventh century to reinstate a context for sets of Six Kannon, the majority of which have been lost or scattered, and thus illuminates the vibrancy, magnitude, and distribution of the cult and enhances our knowledge of religious image-making in Japan. Kannon’s role in assisting beings trapped in the six paths of transmigration is a well-documented catalyst for the selection of the number six, but there are other significant themes at work. Six Kannon worship includes significant foci on worldly concerns such as childbirth and animal husbandry, ties between text and image, and numerous correlations with Shinto kami groups of six. While making groups of Kannon visible, Fowler explores the fluidity of numerical deity categorizations and the attempts to quantify the invisible. Moreover, her investigation reveals Kyushu as an especially active site in the history of the Six Kannon cult. Much as Kannon images once functioned to attract worshippers, their presentation in this book will entice contemporary readers to revisit their assumptions about East Asia’s most popular Buddhist deity.
Download or read book Buddhism written by Kevin Trainor and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2004 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this strikingly illustrated and authoritative volume, readers have an introduction to one of the world's greatest living faiths. 200 color photos, maps & drawings.
Download or read book Introduction to the Lotus Sutra written by Shinjō Suguro and published by Jain Publishing Company. This book was released on 1998 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To many Buddhists, The Lotus Sutra is one of the most important, if not the most important, sutras in the Buddhist canon. To the beginning student of Buddhism, however, The Lotus Sutra often presents a difficult challenge. For this reason, the authors have developed "An Introduction" to The Lotus Sutra, making it easy to understand this central scripture of Mahayana Buddhism.
Download or read book Diamond Sutra Narratives written by Chiew Hui Ho and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2019-07-08 with total page 534 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Diamond Sutra Narratives, Chiew Hui Ho explores Diamond Sutra devotion and its impact on medieval Chinese religiosity, uncovering the complex social history of Tang lay Buddhism through the laity’s production of parasutraic narratives and texts.
Download or read book Miracles of Book and Body written by Charlotte Eubanks and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This is an exciting exploration of the world of Buddhist attitudes towards religious texts, from Indian scriptures to Japanese medieval tales. Its emphasis on discursive strategies—how Buddhist texts function and what they expect of their readers/users (especially, the connection between books, their content, and their readers' bodies)—is a welcome new perspective."—Fabio Rambelli, author of Buddhist Materiality "Miracles of Book and Body is fluidly written and engaging. This book brings the reader to an awareness of the range and foci of medieval 'popular' readings of sutra literature, and Eubanks provides an important perspective to interpreting these narratives that is original and stimulating."—Thomas W. Hare, author of Zeami: Performance Notes "Charlotte Eubanks' sophisticated, insightful and readable study of the physicalities of sutra texts and sutra recitation makes sense of some of the strangest phenomena in medieval Japan. By disentangling the literal and metaphorical meanings in Buddhist setsuwa, Eubanks explains such things as how memorizing a text is an embodiment thereof, how texts can become sentient beings, and why the scroll is an appropriate format for recording dharma. Her work is both important and engaging."—Margaret H. Childs, University of Kansas "Drawing on an impressive range of Mahayana scriptures and medieval Japanese didactic tales, Eubanks unpacks recurrent tropes correlating text and flesh to reveal surprising connections among the literary, material, and ritual dimensions of Buddhist textual culture. Elegantly written and theoretically astute, this volume will be welcomed not only by specialists in Buddhist literature but also by readers interested in broader issues of text-based religious practice."—Jacqueline Stone, author of Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism
Download or read book I See You Buddha written by Josh Bartok and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-11-17 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If Dr. Seuss were drawing on classical Buddhist texts for inspiration, this is what he’d write—with playful yet traditional illustrations by the award-winning artist behind The Empty Pot, whose books have sold half a million copies. Destined to be a classic. An instant classic, this book will help children (and their parents) learn patience and to see the good in everyone—including themselves! It will also help children meet difficult circumstances, such as being sick, doing chores, and not getting everything they want—and help them overcome low self-esteem and negative self-talk. I See You, Buddha is based on a chapter in the Lotus Sutra, one of the most influential Buddhist texts worldwide—a classical scripture that has inspired a whole genre of works, especially in Japan, known as Lotus Literature. The Lotus Sutra teaches the way of the bodhisattva—a being engaged in compassionate, enlightened activity in the service of all—by offering examples of what this activity might look like in the world. One such model in the text is Bodhisattva Never Disrespectful (or Never Disparaging), who, despite troubling encounters with and even harsh treatment from others, bows down respectfully to everyone, recognizing their Buddha nature and honoring their own journeys along the bodhisattva path to enlightenment—whether they know they’re future buddhas or not!
Download or read book Buddha Nature written by Maitreya and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2018-08-14 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Buddha's definitive teachings on how we should understand the ground of enlightenment and the nature and qualities of buddhahood. All sentient beings, without exception, have buddha nature—the inherent purity and perfection of the mind, untouched by changing mental states. Thus there is neither any reason for conceit nor self-contempt. This is obscured by veils that are removable and do not touch the inherent purity and perfection of the nature of the mind. The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra, one of the “Five Treatises” said to have been dictated to Asanga by the Bodhisattva Maitreya, presents the Buddha’s definitive teachings on how we should understand this ground of enlightenment and clarifies the nature and qualities of buddhahood. This seminal text details with great clarity the view that forms the basis for Vajrayana, and especially Mahamudra, practice.
Download or read book The Lotus Sutra Saddharma Pundarika Annotated Edition written by Johan Hendrik Caspar Kern and published by Jazzybee Verlag. This book was released on 2012 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the extended and annotated edition including * an extensive annotation of more than 10.000 words about the history and basics of Buddhism, written by Thomas William Rhys Davids The Lotus Sūtra is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sūtras, and the basis on which the Tiantai and Nichiren schools of Buddhism were established. This sutra is known for its extensive instruction on the concept and usage of skillful means – the seventh paramita or perfection of a Bodhisattva – mostly in the form of parables. It is also one of the first sutras to use the term Mahāyāna, or "Great Vehicle", Buddhism. Another concept introduced by the Lotus Sutra is the idea that the Buddha is an eternal entity, who achieved nirvana eons ago, but willingly chose to remain in the cycle of rebirth (samsara) to help teach beings the Dharma time and again. (courtesy of wikipedia.com) Contents: Buddhism The Lotus Sutra (Saddharma-Pundarîka) Chapter I. Introductory. Chapter Ii. Skilfulness Chapter Iii. A Parable. Chapter Iv. Disposition. Chapter V. On Plants. Chapter Vi. Announcement Of Future Destiny. Chapter Vii. Ancient Devotion. Chapter Viii. Announcement Of The Future Destiny Of The Five Hundred Monks. Chapter Ix. Announcement Of The Future Destiny Of Ânanda, Rahula, And The Two Thousand Monks. Chapter X. The Preacher. Chapter Xi. Apparition Of A Stûpa. Chapter Xii. Exertion. Chapter Xiii. Peaceful Life. Chapter Xiv. Issuing Of Bodhisattvas From The Gaps Of The Earth. Chapter Xv. Duration Of Life Of The Tathâgata. Chapter Xvi. Of Piety. Chapter Xvii. Indication Of The Meritoriousness Of Joyful Acceptance. Chapter Xviii. The Advantages Of A Religious Preacher. Chapter Xix. Sadâparibhûta. Chapter Xx. Conception Of The Transcendent Power Of The Tathâgatas. Chapter Xxi. Spells. Chapter Xxii. Ancient Devotion Of Bhaishagyarâga. Chapter Xxiii. Gadgadasvara. Chapter Xxiv. Chapter Called That Of The All-Sided One, Containing A Description Of The Transformations Of Avalokitesvara. Chapter Xxv. Ancient Devotion. Chapter Xxvi. Encouragement Of Samantabhadra. Chapter Xxvii. The Period (Of The Law, Dharmaparyâya).
