Commentaries on Lankavatara

Discuss and learn about the traditional Mahayana scriptures, without assuming that any one school ‘owns’ the only correct interpretation.
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Pringle
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Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 2:48 pm
Location: Birmingham, UK

Commentaries on Lankavatara

Post by Pringle »

Hello

I'm new to Dharmawheel so this is my first post!

I currently trying to study and work my way through the Lankavatara Sutra (red pine's translation)..........however it is making my head hurt a little bit! I'm getting through it slowly but surly and wondering if anyone knows of any good commentaries on the internet for it? I know Suzuki has done one, and i do reckon i'll buy it some point soon, but wondering if any one knows of any good commentaries i can find on the internet?

If someone could point me in the right direction, or give any help at all on the sutra it would be greatly appreciated :twothumbsup:
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Leo Rivers
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Re: Commentaries on Lankavatara

Post by Leo Rivers »

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The Lankavatara Sutra is the key classic for the Chan School of Buddhism, and it is considered to be the most difficult sutra to understand. For a thousand years in Chinese history, very few people ever had a close study into the five factors towards ultimate freedom of mind, the three elements of human nature qualities that form the reasons of existence, the eight senses of the ego consciousness that influence our reactions to the living environment, the truth of non-selfishness, and the always-changing status of materialized existence. The author tells about his own experience in comprehension of these refined elements through an adaptation of a Buddhist master's way of life.
http://www.amazon.com/Argumentation-Lan ... tara+sutraChinese text. I can't read it. I'm turning purple because the YBh is issued in 12 or so Chinese language texts
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Studies in the Lankavatara Sutra [Hardcover]
D. T. Suzuki (Author)
academic and, well, it's very DTS...
http://www.amazon.com/Studies-Lankavata ... 1M4DRBMTC8
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The Lankavatara Sutra [Kindle Edition]
Thomas Cleary (Author)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Lankavatara-S ... tara+sutradidn't know this existed, did you?

Useful comparison from "Vijnana's" review
I've been reading this translation along with the classic Suzuki translation and the Red Pine translation, and Cleary is somewhat easier to read and smoother than Suzuki (mostly because Cleary translates the vast-sounding names and technical jargon), but occasionally the translation is not in anything like readable English (see below), and it is worth noting that the Cleary translation has no apparatus, and no introduction, etc. I would certainly advise having the Suzuki translation (which has a long introduction) to hand and the Red Pine, if you are really going at this sutra. Even better would be to have the Suzuki "Studies in the LS", because in the back of it is a substantive glossary to his translation. The Red Pine translation has extensive notes, many of which refer to the Sanskrit original (Red Pine's is from the Chinese), that Red Pine admits he cannot read. For the interested reader, here are three versions of the same piece (from section VIII of Chapter II, in the Suzuki numbering):

Seeing the three realms of existence as caused by the impressions of mistaken ideas elaborated since beginningless time, by mindfulness of the non-origination of the imageless stage of buddhahood, having attained the ultimate truth first hand, the master of one's mind, having attained effortless practice, like a jewel of all colours, maintains certainty in the orderly combination of the steps of the stages by means of subtle created forms entering the minds of beings, through understanding mind alone. - Cleary

Who sees that the habit-energy of projections of the beginningless past is the cause of the three realms and who understands that the tathagata stage is free from projections or anything that arises, attains the personal realization of buddha knowledge and effortless mastery over their own minds. And like gems capable of reflecting every colour, they enter the subtlest thoughts of other beings and in their apparation bodies teach them `nothing but mind' while establishing them in the sequence of stages. -Red Pine

Perceiving that the triple existence is by reason of the habit-energy of erroneous discrimination and false reasoning that has been going on since beginningless time, and also thinking of the state of Buddhahood which is imageless and unborn, [the Bodhisattva] will become thoroughly conversant with the noble truth of self-realization, will become a perfect master of his own mind, will conduct himself without effort, will be like a gem reflecting a variety of colours, will be able to assume the body of transformation, will be able to enter into the subtle minds of all beings, and, because of his belief in Mind-only, will, by, gradually ascending the stages, become established in Buddhahood. - Suzuki

It is noticeable that there are different choices (e.g. is there one 'being' established in Buddhahood, or many?) being made here. Finally, it is worth noting that the Red Pine translation does not include the final chapters that were added on later to the core. Having slogged through the Sagathakam -- a miscellaneous grab bag of earlier sections and some additional thoughts that are occasionally intriguing -- I don't miss that one at least. The added chapter on meat eating is, however, worth reading.

:namaste:
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