Search found 44 matches

by longjie
Mon Feb 16, 2015 4:04 am
Forum: Sūtra Studies
Topic: Studying The Heart Sutra (Prajñāpāramitā Hṛdaya)
Replies: 21
Views: 10826

Re: Studying The Heart Sutra (Prajñāpāramitā Hṛdaya)

In the process, had a poke around a lot of modern takes on the text, in particular translations and commentaries in English. A lot of wishy washy stuff floating around, I thought--pick your favorite system of thought, and plug the Heart-Cipher into it until it says want you want it to say. Very tru...
by longjie
Mon Feb 16, 2015 3:45 am
Forum: East Asian Buddhism
Topic: "Gateless Gate" a correct translation?
Replies: 9
Views: 3191

Re: "Gateless Gate" a correct translation?

The simplest and most straightforward translation of "wu men" is just "no gate."

It's true that sometimes "wu" can imply emptiness, but to translate it as "emptiness" can be a stretch...
by longjie
Sat Nov 22, 2014 2:58 am
Forum: Sūtra Studies
Topic: Translation Award for Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi
Replies: 14
Views: 4983

Re: Translation Award for Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi

Exceedlingly well deserved. A great man. All of us who like to lament about Buddhism in the West should remember Bhikku Bodhi. There are a few hundred Mahayana sutras, but how many have been translated into English? Just a few, and the reason is because there is no market for them. Christianity has...
by longjie
Thu Nov 20, 2014 11:24 pm
Forum: East Asian Buddhism
Topic: Who is Cundi?
Replies: 16
Views: 12555

Re: Who is Cundi?

In the other translation it goes: "Dharani which is the heart of Cundi the mother of seventy million Buddhas, etc..." It seems to be a question of interpretation, if you want to see it as a dharani floating in empty space, or as a dharani which is the heart of Cundi the mother of seventy ...
by longjie
Wed Nov 19, 2014 2:48 pm
Forum: East Asian Buddhism
Topic: Who is Cundi?
Replies: 16
Views: 12555

Re: Who is Cundi?

The earliest text I know of related to Cundi is the Karandavyuha Sutra. In that sutra, a bodhisattva seeks samadhi using the mantra "om manipadme hum." At the end of the sutra, the bodhisattva achieves this samadhi and then seven kotis of buddhas reply in one voice with the Cundi mantra, s...
by longjie
Mon Nov 17, 2014 3:19 am
Forum: Sūtra Studies
Topic: A CONCISE RATNAKŪṬA (Jewel Heap Sutra) CONCORDANCE
Replies: 16
Views: 7706

Re: A CONCISE RATNAKŪṬA (Jewel Heap Sutra) CONCORDANCE

it's full of no-nonsense early [emphisis mine] Mahayana Buddhism straight from India. So much of what became considered the "Mahayana" and "Sutrayana" in the later traditions seems more like scholasticism to me. Early Mahayana is more... Interestingly, there must have been many ...
by longjie
Tue Nov 11, 2014 3:27 pm
Forum: Sūtra Studies
Topic: A CONCISE RATNAKŪṬA (Jewel Heap Sutra) CONCORDANCE
Replies: 16
Views: 7706

Re: A CONCISE RATNAKŪṬA (Jewel Heap Sutra) CONCORDANCE

Speaking of the Gangottara Sutra, this has just gone up today: http://lapislazulitexts.com/tripitaka/T11_0310_31" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Thank you! I needed some good news - how did you know? :namaste: Ha, I also really like the Maharatnakuta -- it's full of no-nons...
by longjie
Mon Nov 03, 2014 4:58 am
Forum: Sūtra Studies
Topic: A CONCISE RATNAKŪṬA (Jewel Heap Sutra) CONCORDANCE
Replies: 16
Views: 7706

Re: A CONCISE RATNAKŪṬA (Jewel Heap Sutra) CONCORDANCE

Speaking of the Gangottara Sutra, this has just gone up today: http://lapislazulitexts.com/tripitaka/T11_0310_31 :reading: It needs a bit of polishing and editing yet, but at least it's out there now. Nothing is ever perfect the first time. I've been editing and reviewing my Diamond Sutra periodical...
by longjie
Tue Sep 09, 2014 12:12 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Heart Sutra -- why study it?
Replies: 51
Views: 11871

Re: Heart Sutra -- why study it?

On the matter of accumulation, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Mañjuśrīparivarta Sūtra has this to say... Mañjuśrī said, “If one is able to abide in Prajñāpāramitā thusly, then one’s good roots neither increase nor decrease, just as all dharmas neither increase nor decrease, and the characteristic of the nat...
by longjie
Tue Sep 09, 2014 12:11 pm
Forum: Sūtra Studies
Topic: A STUDY GUIDE TO PURSUING THE MAHĀRATNAKŪṬA SŪTRA COLLECTION
Replies: 9
Views: 4002

Re: A STUDY GUIDE TO PURSUING THE MAHĀRATNAKŪṬA SŪTRA COLLEC

Thanks for the Xumoti Jing (須摩提經) add! I am fascinated by the "little girl" or "just a woman" Wisdom Teacher trope in this literature. Was it a theatrical conciet in which the Teacher giving the sutra was saying "if a GIRL can get it, why can't you?" or Repressed anxie...
by longjie
Mon Sep 08, 2014 2:43 am
Forum: Sūtra Studies
Topic: A STUDY GUIDE TO PURSUING THE MAHĀRATNAKŪṬA SŪTRA COLLECTION
Replies: 9
Views: 4002

Re: A STUDY GUIDE TO PURSUING THE MAHĀRATNAKŪṬA SŪTRA COLLEC

I have 2 questions for you. #! I have been told by someone who knows Bill Gates, Gates has an operation set up with about 125 lawyers which searched uncopywritten patients and photos and music and stuf and regesters them on sec. I knew personally a man in Eugene Oregon that wrote a driver for a mod...
by longjie
Sun Sep 07, 2014 4:07 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Heart Sutra -- why study it?
Replies: 51
Views: 11871

Re: Heart Sutra -- why study it?

Pratyekabuddhas do not seem to have their own turning in the Samdhinirmocana Sutra. According to the relevant sutra passage, the first turning is for the sravakas, the second turning is for the bodhisattvas, and the third turning is for all vehicles. The contents of the last two turnings is said to...
by longjie
Sat Sep 06, 2014 11:50 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Heart Sutra -- why study it?
Replies: 51
Views: 11871

Re: Heart Sutra -- why study it?

In the 3th turning teachings, the Buddha taught about a no-conditioned self... No, actually he didn't. For example, in the Y ogācārabhūmi viniścayasaṁgrahanī , Āryāsanga considers that the three vehicles being discussed by the three turnings are really śravakayāna, pratyekabuddhayāna and the mahāyā...
by longjie
Sat Sep 06, 2014 4:51 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Heart Sutra -- why study it?
Replies: 51
Views: 11871

Re: Heart Sutra -- why study it?

The Heart Sutra does not give a lot of context, but the Diamond Sutra certainly explains why it should be studied. Subhūti, if the mind of a bodhisattva dwells in dharmas when practicing giving, then this is like a person in darkness who is unable to see anything. However, if the mind of a bodhisatt...
by longjie
Sat Sep 06, 2014 3:04 pm
Forum: Sūtra Studies
Topic: A STUDY GUIDE TO PURSUING THE MAHĀRATNAKŪṬA SŪTRA COLLECTION
Replies: 9
Views: 4002

Re: A STUDY GUIDE TO PURSUING THE MAHĀRATNAKŪṬA SŪTRA COLLEC

Nice job with the study guide. I just wanted to add that I have a few from the Maharatnakuta Sutra available here:

http://lapislazulitexts.com/tripitaka#ratnakuta

Hopefully we can continue to add more translations in the future.

:namaste:
by longjie
Sun Feb 16, 2014 11:25 pm
Forum: Language
Topic: CamelCase as a possible solution to Sanskrit Compound issues
Replies: 29
Views: 8084

Re: CamelCase as a possible solution to Sanskrit Compound is

The Diamond Sutra gives hints that early Mahayana Buddhists also had similar interpretations of 'tathagata' (section 29): Subhūti, if someone says that the Tathāgata comes, goes, sits, or lies down, then this person does not understand the meaning of my teachings. Why? The Tathāgata is one who neith...
by longjie
Sun Feb 16, 2014 1:21 pm
Forum: Language
Topic: Major Translations Forthcoming
Replies: 18
Views: 6348

Re: Major Translations Forthcoming

Huifeng wrote:Thanks Will. (I also just received this notification.)

This is really amazing, an incredible contribution to the Mahayana Dharma in the English language.

~~Huifeng :namaste:
:twothumbsup: It really is amazing work.

Now all we need are Mahayana Buddhists to read it. :tongue:
by longjie
Sun Feb 16, 2014 1:15 pm
Forum: Language
Topic: CamelCase as a possible solution to Sanskrit Compound issues
Replies: 29
Views: 8084

Re: CamelCase as a possible solution to Sanskrit Compound is

CamelCase seems ambiguous to me. I didn't know what I was looking at when I first saw it. I'm not sure exactly what the purpose of this would be (I would hope not to put in a finished translation). But in some intermediate form , this type of "syntactic sugar" might be helpful. For example...
by longjie
Wed Dec 11, 2013 4:25 am
Forum: East Asian Buddhism
Topic: Differences between Chan and Zen? If any?
Replies: 19
Views: 15838

Re: Differences between Chan and Zen? If any?

Chinese Chan is pretty straight up early and mid period Mahayana Buddhism: It's got celibate monastics who take sramanera/ika, bhiksu/ni and bodhisattva precepts; It's got the regular Buddhist world view, ie. cyclic existence and rebirth, karma and karmic result, etc.; It's got a strong basis in Ma...
by longjie
Thu Oct 24, 2013 10:51 am
Forum: East Asian Buddhism
Topic: Provenance of Pure Land Practice
Replies: 233
Views: 43160

Re: Provenance of Pure Land Practice

Great post. :namaste: My concern has mostly been with interpretations that emphasize faith (sometimes) at the detriment of meditation. As I understand it, Huiyuan and Tanluan were both concerned with approaching Pure Land from a general Mahayana standpoint, and they were very interested in meditatio...

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