Is Śūraṅgama Sūtra authentic?

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StillJustJames
Posts: 24
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2020 10:34 pm

Re: Is Śūraṅgama Sūtra authentic?

Post by StillJustJames »

Khenpo Sodargye, the head of Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in Sichuan Province, China (pictured below), started teaching the Surangama Sutra in September of 2019. He is a Tibetan teaching Vajrayana in Chinese, a Dzogchen lineage holder, and he says the Surangama Sutra is one of the most important sutras in Buddhism, and he contradicts a lot of misinformation out in the world about the sutra in the several of the first videos. He also is quite strong about where the misinformation and slandering of this sutra came from. Their are 13 videos on YouTube of the teachings. He will be recommencing sometime soon, after his winter break.

My summary of the controversy:
Is the Surangama Sutra Authentic? https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secre ... 9786010417

Larung Gar:
Image

Surangama Videos (English translation)
01:
02: https://youtu.be/7gA0Cjc5GY8
03: https://youtu.be/cf3V4hK1R94
04: https://youtu.be/uMBUa0j3XIg
05: https://youtu.be/w9ivumatL64
06: https://youtu.be/tZen8YZ9VbM
07: https://youtu.be/-Tpc7GW6KzY
08: https://youtu.be/n-3x4OorShQ
09: https://youtu.be/bm36KrMv97Q
10: https://youtu.be/0M57gBqHt-w
11: https://youtu.be/afYo2WIECAI
12: https://youtu.be/hqND0K00a4I
13: https://youtu.be/9F1NrTS1VMg
Nicholas Weeks
Posts: 4209
Joined: Mon Apr 06, 2009 4:21 am
Location: California

Re: Is Śūraṅgama Sūtra authentic?

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

Thank you James. May this lead more Tibetan/Dzogchen followers to examine this wonderful Sutra!
May all seek, find & follow the Path of Buddhas.
StillJustJames
Posts: 24
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2020 10:34 pm

Re: Is Śūraṅgama Sūtra authentic?

Post by StillJustJames »

Nicholas Weeks wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2020 12:46 am Thank you James. May this lead more Tibetan/Dzogchen followers to examine this wonderful Sutra!
That is my hope as well, Nicholas.
StillJustJames
Posts: 24
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2020 10:34 pm

Re: Is Śūraṅgama Sūtra authentic?

Post by StillJustJames »

In case anyone is interested in reading the Surangama Sutra online, I published the translation made by Bhikshu Wai-tao and Dwight Goddard in 1938. This is the version that first inspired thousands of people in the United States to become interested in Buddhism. This translation's copyright expired and was not renewed, thus it is now in the public domain.

These links are to Medium.com which is hosting them. The links are "friends links" which bypass Medium's paywall, thus you can freely read the texts as you wish.

Preface By Dwight Goddard To The Buddhist Bible https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... e6afb26fa2

The Circumstances Of The Teaching https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... 3bcbf18283


Chapter One:
Chapter One—False Mind versus True Mind https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... d93d5093d8
Questions of King Prasenajit https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... 83f363610a
Questions by Ananda https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... 85311dc597
Questions That Arise in View of the Sole Reality of Essential Mind https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secre ... 74aaf0eeb6
Relations of Perceptions to the Four Great Elements https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... 2612783c11
Questions by Purna Answered https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... 3a434c23db
Instructions To Ananda https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... 103f1391d7

Chapter Two:
Chapter Two—Questions By Ananda As To How To Attain Enlightenment https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... 6ef46f39dc
The Defiling Presence Of All Conceptions https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... 65fb8bddb5
Spiritual Experiences Of Highest Bodhisattvas https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... 1429ff8b08
The Method Of Avalokitasvara Bodhisattva https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... eda76df1ea
Manjushri’s Summation https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... 63297c6240
Importance of Keeping the Precepts https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... 21bed0e30c
The Great Dharani https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... 7c8cfa5572
Final Words https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... dd9d8f4795


Chapter Four:
Giving Titles https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secret ... 0c1c9dc470
Nicholas Weeks
Posts: 4209
Joined: Mon Apr 06, 2009 4:21 am
Location: California

Re: Is Śūraṅgama Sūtra authentic?

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

Here is an older thread will several links, mainly to the BTTS-Master Hua versions:

viewtopic.php?t=45
May all seek, find & follow the Path of Buddhas.
tingdzin
Posts: 1948
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 7:19 am

Re: Is Śūraṅgama Sūtra authentic?

Post by tingdzin »

It is better if Buddhists disabuse themselves of the notion, as quickly as possible, that "Indian" = "authentic", or vice versa, or that so-called "Sanskrit originals" represent the most authentic version of a scripture. If one is interested in knowing why and simultaneously learning about the historical scope of the Mahayana tradition, I recommend Paul Williams' book "Mahayana Buddhism:the Doctrinal Foundations".
Last edited by GDPR_Anonymized001 on Sat Jan 25, 2020 7:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Removed last sentence, it that violated ToS.
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ryan_oliveira
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Aug 06, 2019 4:14 pm

Re: Is Śūraṅgama Sūtra authentic?

Post by ryan_oliveira »

StillJustJames wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2020 11:06 pm Khenpo Sodargye, the head of Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in Sichuan Province, China (pictured below), started teaching the Surangama Sutra in September of 2019. He is a Tibetan teaching Vajrayana in Chinese, a Dzogchen lineage holder, and he says the Surangama Sutra is one of the most important sutras in Buddhism, and he contradicts a lot of misinformation out in the world about the sutra in the several of the first videos. He also is quite strong about where the misinformation and slandering of this sutra came from. Their are 13 videos on YouTube of the teachings. He will be recommencing sometime soon, after his winter break.

My summary of the controversy:
Is the Surangama Sutra Authentic? https://medium.com/tranquillitys-secre ... 9786010417

Larung Gar:
Image

Surangama Videos (English translation)
01:
02: https://youtu.be/7gA0Cjc5GY8
03: https://youtu.be/cf3V4hK1R94
04: https://youtu.be/uMBUa0j3XIg
05: https://youtu.be/w9ivumatL64
06: https://youtu.be/tZen8YZ9VbM
07: https://youtu.be/-Tpc7GW6KzY
08: https://youtu.be/n-3x4OorShQ
09: https://youtu.be/bm36KrMv97Q
10: https://youtu.be/0M57gBqHt-w
11: https://youtu.be/afYo2WIECAI
12: https://youtu.be/hqND0K00a4I
13: https://youtu.be/9F1NrTS1VMg
How old is this version in Sanskrit of Surangama Sutra?
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Konchog Thogme Jampa
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Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2017 4:48 am
Location: Saha World/Hard to Take

Re: Is Śūraṅgama Sūtra authentic?

Post by Konchog Thogme Jampa »

I recited Surangama Mantra for a good while when I was practicing Commen Mahayana my source was Hsuan Hua CTTB

It's powerful, but I would say keep 5 precepts abstain from alcohol - minimum.
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