The Great Prajna Paramita Sutra Volume 3

The Great Prajna Paramita Sutra, taught by the Buddha in sixteen assemblies in four places during twenty-two years and recorded posthumously by his disciples in six hundred fascicles with approximately five million words, is regarded as the largest canon in Buddhism. The translator has worked on this sutra since 2008 and has completed the whole text. The present version is, so far, the only complete presentation of this great sutra in English translated from the Chinese Da Bo Re Bo Luo Mi Duo Jing (600 Juan, or 600 fascicles), rendered from Sanskrit about 1,350 years ago (from 660 to 663) by Xuanzang (Hsüantsang, c. 602–664). This English translation appears as a set of thirty hardbound volumes, with twenty fascicles in each volume. A translator's introduction and an extensive glossary of terms are included in volume 1. The Great Prajna Paramita Sutra is important not only because of its extensive teaching but also because it demonstrates what the great bodhisattva, the great bodhisattva path of cultivation, and the great bodhisattva vehicle are. It also indicates how one should cultivate and learn to become a bodhisattvam -- and eventually a Buddha – transcending self-interest to reach a state of emptiness, selflessness, and nonattachment. This sutra depicts, manifests, and elaborates an entire learning process leading to Buddhahood. Regardless of where you are on the path to enlightenment, you will be nourished by the parables and dialogues within.

praj·na: transcendental wisdom pa·ra·mi·ta: ferrying over to the other shore; perfection The Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra are essential reading for those who practice Buddhism. Over the past thirteen centuries, however, the larger work to which they belong has been available only in Chinese. Now, for the first time, English speakers can access the first twenty fascicles of The Great Prajna Paramita Sutra, regarded as the largest canon in Buddhism. The Great Prajna Paramita Sutra demonstrates how one can become a bodhisattva -- and eventually a Buddha -- transcending self-interest to reach a state of emptiness, selflessness, and nonattachment. Regardless of where you are on the path to enlightenment, you’ll be nourished by the parables and dialogues within.

The Abhisamayalamkara summarizes all the topics in the vast body of the Prajnaparamita Sutras. Resembling a zip-file, it comes to life only through its Indian and Tibetan commentaries. Together, these texts not only discuss the "hidden meaning" of the Prajnaparamita Sutras—the paths and bhumis of sravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas—but also serve as contemplative manuals for the explicit topic of these sutras—emptiness—and how it is to be understood on the progressive levels of realization of bodhisattvas. Thus these texts describe what happens in the mind of a bodhisattva who meditates on emptiness, making it a living experience from the beginner's stage up through buddhahood. Gone Beyond contains the first in-depth study of the Abhisamayalamkara (the text studied most extensively in higher Tibetan Buddhist education) and its commentaries in the Kagyu School. This study (in two volumes) includes translations of Maitreya's famous text and its commentary by the Fifth Shamarpa Goncho Yenla (the first translation ever of a complete commentary on the Abhisamayalamkara into English), which are supplemented by extensive excerpts from the commentaries by the Third, Seventh, and Eighth Karmapas and others. Thus it closes a long-standing gap in the modern scholarship on the Prajnaparamita Sutras and the literature on paths and bhumis in mahayana Buddhism. The first volume presents an English translation of the first three chapters of the Abhisamayalamkara and its commentary by the Fifth Shamarpa. The second volume presents an English translation of the final five chapters and its commentary by the Fifth Shamarpa.

Buddha taught The Great Prajna Paramita Sutra in sixteen assemblies in four locations over twenty-two years. It was recorded posthumously by his disciples in six hundred fascicles of approximately five million words and is regarded as the largest canon in Buddhism. For the last decade, translator Naichen Chen has worked on this sutra, and it is the only complete English translation from the Chinese Da Bo Re Bo Luo Mi Duo Jing rendered from Sanskrit about 1,350 years ago by Xuanzang (Hsüan-tsang). This is the second volume in a multivolume set. The Great Prajna Paramita Sutra is important not only because of its extensive teaching, but because it explains what the great bodhisattva, the great bodhisattva path of cultivation, and the great bodhisattva vehicle are. It depicts, manifests, and provides guidance on how one should learn to become a bodhisattva—and eventually a Buddha—transcending self-interest to reach a state of emptiness, selflessness, and nonattachment. Regardless of where you are on the path to enlightenment, you will be nourished by its parables and dialogues.

Prajna: transcendental wisdom Paramita: ferrying over to the other shore; perfection Buddha taught The Great Prajna Paramita Sutra in sixteen assemblies in four locations over twenty-two years. It was recorded posthumously by his disciples in six hundred fascicles of approximately five million words and is regarded as the largest canon in Buddhism. This sutra depicts, manifests, and provides guidance on how one should learn to become a bodhisattva—and eventually a Buddha—transcending self-interest to reach a state of emptiness, selflessness, and nonattachment. Regardless of where you are on the path to enlightenment, you will be nourished by its parables and dialogues. “If the great bodhisattvas stay in a mind correspondent with the perfect knowledge of all perfect knowledge and adopt nonattainment as expediency to reflect on matter, feeling, thinking, action, and consciousness as impermanent, painful, selfless, impure, empty, formless, without aspiration, tranquil, far away, and so forth, and without arising and extinction, they do practice prajna paramita for the great bodhisattvas.” (Fascicle 77)

The Diamond Sutra, a mainstay of the Mahayana tradition, has fascinated Buddhists for centuries because of its insights into dualism and illusion: the "diamond" can cut through any obstacle on the road to enlightenment. In the Diamond Sutra, the Buddha responds to a disciple's question about how to become a Buddha. The Diamond that Cuts Through Illusion presents a dialogue between the Buddha and his disciple, Subhuti, which illuminates how our minds construct limited categories of thought. The answer: we must move beyond personal enlightenment to follow the path of the Bodhisattvas, fully enlightened beings who postpone Nirvana in order to alleviate the suffering of others. It offers us alternative ways to look at the world in its wholeness so we can encounter a deeper reality; develop reverence for the environment and more harmonious communities, families, and relationships; and act in the world skillfully and effectively. This revised edition includes Thich Nhat Hanh’s translation of the Sutra from the Chinese and, in his commentaries, his own diamond sharp insight, including new work on the environmental implications of the Diamond Sutra. A beautiful edition of one of Buddhism's central texts.

Lex Hixon's "contemplative expansion" of forty passages from the Prajnaparamita Sutra, the basic scripture of all schools of Mahayana Buddhism, yields a text of devotional beauty that is at once dramatic and uplifting. The text sets forth the Bodhisattva path to enlightenment. Features a foreword by renowned American Buddhist scholar Dr. Robert A. Thurman.

A pocket-sized presentation of the 3 most venerated sutras of Zen Buddhism—the Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra, and Platform Sutra—from a legendary practitioner and translator of Buddhist teachings Three classic Buddhist sutras, often linked to form a trio of texts that have been revered and studied for centuries, are now available together in this single volume. Red Pine, whose acclaimed translations these particular Buddhist texts are considered canon, provides a sensitive and assured treatment of the classic triumvirate in a gift-sized volume, perfect for sharing with anyone seeking guidance and peace. The Heart Sutra, with its profound and wide-reaching influence on Buddhism, offers the Prajnaparamita teaching of emptiness. The Diamond Sutra, said to contain answers to all questions of delusion and dualism, outlines the bodhisattva path followed by the Buddha. The Platform Sutra is an autobiography of Hui-neng, the controversial 6th Patriarch of Zen. His understanding of the fundamentals of a spiritual and practical life has served as the introduction to the teachings of Zen that students have been putting into practice for the past 1300 years. In addition to new translations of all three texts, Red Pine has included an introduction that ties all three together and just enough footnotes to explain what needs explaining but not enough to get in the way.

Sakyamuni Buddha taught Great Prajna Paramita in sixteen assemblies in four locations over twenty-two years. It was recorded posthumously by his disciples in six hundred fascicles of approximately five million words and is regarded as the largest canon in Buddhism. The Sanskrit original was translated into Chinese by Xuanzang (Hsüan-tsang) during the seventh century (from 660 through 663). This text is now available in English. The Great Prajna Paramita Sutra is important not only because of its extensive teaching, but because it explains what the great bodhisattva, the great bodhisattva path of cultivation, and the great bodhisattva vehicle are. It depicts, manifests, and provides guidance on how one should learn to become a bodhisattva—and eventually a Buddha—transcending self-interest to reach a state of emptiness, selflessness, and nonattachment. Regardless of where you are on the path to enlightenment, you will be nourished by its parables and dialogues.

The Diamond Sutra is a Mahayana (Buddhist) sutra from the "Perfection of Wisdom" genre, and emphasizes the practice of non-abiding and non-attachment. The full Sanskrit title of this text is the Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita. This new version by Daniel Scharpenburg is written to make the text more readily available to a modern audience.