THE LOTUS SUTRA REVISED 2ND EDITION: Revised Edition (Bdk English Tripitaka) Hardcover – Import, 30 April 2007

BDK America brings us another classic Buddhist text in English translation with this edition of the Lotus Sutra. If you don't know anything about Buddhism in general or the Lotus Sutra in particular, this is going to be a challenging read. It's chock full of Sanskrit names and expressions, some terminology of which is defined in a glossary at the back, though many words do not receive this courtesy. The reader is also left to their own devices with regards to pronunciation; do your best!The Lotus Sutra consists of 28 chapters. I recommend doing some outside reading to better understand the time frames in which it was written, how the chapters are grouped and relate to each other, and how scholars divide the chapters into sections. It's possible to understand the meaning of the text on your own, but it might be useful to have a reference volume handy in case you're having trouble understanding the big takeaways. There is a lot of repetition in The Lotus Sutra, along with some parts that seem contradictory, frivolous, or downright absurd. Even more surprising, the entire book consists of Buddhas talking about how great the Lotus Sutra is, without ever presenting the Lotus Sutra itself; as such, it has been considered by many to be a Sutra about nothing, a debate which has raged for hundreds of years.I'm trying to condense two thousand years of religious commentary down to a short Amazon review, which isn't easy, but also I'm not an expert, I'm just a normal person. I went into this book cold, with no knowledge, and it was challenging at takes to keep going. I made it through out of sheer determination and willpower, but other readers may not feel as compelled. There are some wonderful English-language books that shed light on the Lotus Sutra, such as Yoshiro Tamura's Introduction to the Lotus Sutra and Two Buddhas Seated Side by Side by Donald S. Lopez, Jr. and Jacqueline Stone, which I read only after my first traipse through the garden of the Lotus Sutra. Even just reading the Wikipedia page will be immeasurably helpful for making sense of this wild and wonderful religious text.I haven't read any other translations or editions, so based solely off my experience with this one specific work, I think it's pretty good. One of the craziest things I've ever read. It's one of the most influential religious works of all time in Asia and can still offer a lot of meaning to us today.

The most perfect text in the history of the universe.

Fast shipping. Very good book. Priceless knowledge.

I enjoyed the translation. The book itself is very well made. I was opening it and making lots of notes, toting it around, shoving it in and out of my backpack and it doesn't show a single dent or wrinkle. The pages are thicker paper too, which is good for underlining and notes. I can't see the underlines through the paper.

I am very pleased with the condition of the book, I am looking forward to reading it, and would definitely buy other books from this seller in the future.