Mahayana Reading List

General discussion, particularly exploring the Dharma in the modern world.
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Hickory Mountain
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Mahayana Reading List

Post by Hickory Mountain »

I'm currently trying to figure out what texts I want to put particular effort into studying over the next few months. I'm currently reading the Surangama Sutra (With this lovely translation.) and Tsongkhapa's Ocean of Wisdom (With Geshe Ngawang Samten and Jay Garfield's translation.) But I would be very interested to know what texts people on here consider particularly important to study.
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Lotus_Bitch
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Re: Mahayana Reading List

Post by Lotus_Bitch »

BTTS's most recent effort in translating the "Surangama Sutra": http://www.buddhisttexts.org/surangama.html. Tsongkhapa's "Lam Rim Chen Mo" and his commentary on the "Abhisamayalamkara" if acquiring it is not an issue: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/089581991 ... ot_redir=1
Many meditators know how to meditate,
But only a few know how to dismantle [mental clinging].
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Johnny Dangerous
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Re: Mahayana Reading List

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

http://hoavouu.com/images/file/AkMNdk9R ... allace.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

-Khunu Lama
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Jechan
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Re: Mahayana Reading List

Post by Jechan »

Hi,
If you want to study Buddhist texts you cant go by The Lotus Sutra - the sutra which converts and instructs the Bodhisattvas.
Heres a link:
http://www.english.fgs2.ca/sites/defaul ... 0Sutra.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
南無妙法蓮華経
Arjan Dirkse
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Re: Mahayana Reading List

Post by Arjan Dirkse »

There is an enormous number of works to choose from, but it depends very much on what direction within Mahayana Buddhism you're most interested in. For "general Mahayana" probably the works of Nagarjuna...personally I've enjoyed the Batchelor translation of "Verses from the Center" but another probably more literal translation of the same work is the one by Garfield, The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way.

Another work by Nagarjuna is Letter from a Friend.

Candrakirti's commentary to Nagarjuna's work called the Madhyamakavatara is an important work.

Then there is the classic work on the Bodhisattva path by Shantideva, the Bodhicaryavatara.

There is also Ashvagosha's Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana, which I haven't read but which is supposed to be good.

As for the sutras, I think the Lotus Sutra might be the most influential Mahayana sutra, although it is probably more important in east Asian Mahayana than in Tibetan. There are several translations available.

Other important sutras are the Prajnaparamita sutra, the Avatamsaka sutra, the Lankavatara sutra and the Vimalakirti sutra. The Pure Land sutras are of paramount importance mostly for (obviously) the Pure Land schools.

There is a translation of the Prajnaparamita sutra by Conze although frankly I found that completely unreadable. Both the Heart sutra and the Diamond sutra are said to be reworkings of some of the core concepts of the Prajnaparamita, and they're both extremely short, and easy to come by. The other sutras I mentioned are also easy to find in translation.

Other than that I guess it completely depends on what direction you are most interested in. For Zen, Dogen's work and Linji's Record are indispensable, as well as some of the koan collections.
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