Customer Reviews

The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra

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The Avatamsaka Sutra (The Sutra of the Garland of Flowers) is among the largest and greatest of the scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism. It is 12 volumes in Chinese, and 1600 pages in this English edition published by Shambhala. As with most Mahayana scriptures, it treats Buddha not as merely a man of ancient India, but as a cosmic principle. Differing from the austere and non-theist Theravada scriptures, it is full of gods and goddesses, heavens, jewelled trees and imaginary beings. The Avatamsaka Sutra became very influential in Chinese Buddhism, and was responsible for the creation of the Hua-Yen school.

This edition by Thomas Cleary, THE FLOWER ORNAMENT SCRIPTURE, is excellent. It includes not only his translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra, but also a book subsequently pinned onto it (the 400-page Gandhavyuha, or "Entry into the Realm of Reality"), the Chinese mystic Li Tongxuan's seventh-century commentary on the Gandhavyuha, a glossary of difficult Mahayana concepts, and an incredibly helpful translator's introduction.

Dr. Cleary ranks among the foremost translators of Asian religious literature and always succeeds in translating works clearly and precisely. In THE FLOWER ORNAMENT SCRIPTURE, his years of experience have enabled him to produce a stunning translation, and I can only admire his persistence in translating such a massive work.

This edition is really a treasure for Buddhist students. Or, should I say, serious students and scholars. At 1600 pages and a high cost (though much more inexpensive than several years ago), this tome is for the dedicated. THE FLOWER ORNAMENT SCRIPTURE, however, is an excellent translation. Dr. Cleary has benefitted Westerners greatly through his singular translation.

A book translated by Thomas Cleary is worth its weight in gold... and then some. The Avatamsaka Sutra is a powerful and profound piece of work worth the investment of time to ponder, and meditate upon. I sat down one summer evening, to begin the journey, and after the first few pages I was transformed by the beauty and wisdom I found woven within the words of Mr. Cleary's absorbing translation. In my opinion: this is the apex of ALL Buddhist text.

For anyone interested in the highest, most lucid and profound written teachings of the Mahayana, Cleary's translation of the Avatamsaka-sutra is essential reading. Every line is beautifully rendered, and the only problem I have with it is the translation of "bodhisattva" to "enlightening being," which is accurate but not usually done. Aside from that petty qualm, however, this book is perfect. Even the physical design is very well crafted and aesthetically pleasing. This is surely Shambhala's and Tom Cleary's masterpiece.

Thomas Cleary is one of the best all-round translators of East Asian and Sanskrit literature, as well as Buddhist, Daoist, and Confucian writings. If I have the option of purchasing a work I have never read before in various translations, I will gladly go with Cleary. Some of his works, such as the astonishing edition of the Art of War and his beautifully poetic rendering of the Zhuangzi are the best of their kind, while others (particularly his translations of Zen literature) are rather lacking and weak. This mammoth translation of the Buddhavatamsaka-sutra, however, represents the best (in my opinion) in Sanskrit Buddhist translation. All English speaking Mahayana Buddhists owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Clearly, for rendering one of the largest, most elaborate, and most important Buddhist scriptures into English, with a flair of style and poetic imagery that surpasses almost anything else I've read in Buddhist sutra translations. The Avatamsaka Sutra, or the Flower Garland (Flower Ornament) Sutra is the earliest sutra spoken by the Buddha. It is, along with the Lotus Sutra and the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, one of the most important teachings of the Buddha. The Chinese Huayan (Jap. Kegon) School (Huayan/Kegon: Avatamsaka), one of the most prominent and influential schools in the history of Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, is based on this scripture, which emphasizes the mutually unobstructed interpenetration the Dharma realm, the interactions between principle and phenomenal worlds. The Avatamsaka Sutra is one of the Vaipulya Sutras, meaning that it is, in effect, an incredibly large sutra comprised of several smaller sutras (other Vaipulya Sutras include: the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, the Jewel Heap Sutra, and the Nirvana Sutra). Because of its incredible length, many of the English translations are available only as partial translations, or translations of particularly important sections. Here, however, Cleary has translated the entire sutra, which takes up almost 1500 pages. However, it is a must-have for any English Mahayana scholars. Readers may be amazed at the vast range displayed throughout the sutra. Some chapters are elaborate, miraculous, and joyful in nature (as is much of the Lotus Sutra), while others are strongly philosophical in a style reminiscent of the Hinayana or Perfection of Wisdom Sutras. Especially important are the chapters concerning the Ten Stages (Dashabhumika-sutra) of the Bodhisattva Path, the Ten Devotions, the Ten Practices, the Ten Concentrations, the Ten Acceptances, and the Ten Abodes. The second-to-last chapter is a magnificent summation of Mahayana doctrine and the practice of the Buddhas. The final chapter (which takes up 400 pages by itself) is the "Entry Into the Realm of Reality" (GAnda-vyuha), which is the most famous section of the book. It describes the pilgrimage of the young Sudhana, guided by Manjushri, as he requests the teachings of 53 masters, including the future Buddha. The final section of the Ganda-vyuha occurs when Sudhana meets Samantabhadra (Universally Good), and concerns the Ten Vows of Samantabhadra, which is, by itself, probably the most important and available part of the book (numerous translations of this one section exist on the internet). All in all, I thank Thomas Cleary for finally allowing me to read the complete Flower Garland Sutra (a task which I have been unable to accomplish for years, due to the lack of availability of complete translations). Stunning.

The Flower Ornament Sutra (FOS) is often overlooked because it is not as available (now out of print probably as a result of not being widely used by the laity), but it is a superb Sutra a comprehensive (if any single text can be called truly comprehensive)expression of Buddhist (particularly Mahayanist)Vision. I say "vision" rather than "thought" or "philosophy" because FOS is first and foremost an inducer of meditative trance or vision, rather than a doctrine or treatise. One reads The FOS to experience the Buddha consciousness in a very personal, mystical way, not to "understand" it intellectually.

Thomas Cleary's translation is probably the most accessible to the American mind and heart. I haven't read all other translations, only a few are available here in the USA it seems. One caution: I would beware of "contemporary" or "condensed" versions of FOS, if you find them, because these adaptions to contemporary mind will surely lose the original consciousness, some of which is undoubtedly lost already even in a careful translation like Cleary's. That consciousness is why you would read FOS in the first place.

Better to go to the source, however formal or repetitive and overcome any initial sense of "boredom" you might feel. With FOS you should suspend logical critical mind in favor of an open and receptive heart. The deeper you go in this way the more vivid and profound the "vision" becomes.

Ultimately it is like a spark. At some point the spark jumps to you and lives in you independently of the text - or it doesn't. FOS is an instrument to self-discovery not a "reality" to cling to. Any Buddhist knows this, but FOS is a very valuable, effective and precious instrument of delight and enlightenment if you are open to it.

The hardback version I got published by Shambala is beautiful, as good a copy as you could hope to find these days. Highly, highly recommended.

This translation is a mind and spirit expanding explication of the world of Buddhism. My advice to all who have the great good fortune to have the opportunity to have this book is buy it immediately. My secong piece of advice is to read it aloud. It most definitely changes your state and expands your mind. I have owned if for 10 years and given away three copies to friends. No one has ever been disappointed. The introduction alone is worth the price of the book.

Mr. Cleary has done humanity a great service by translating this wonderful text. Mahayana buddhists regard this book as the "king of all kings." The Buddha spoke this sutra during the first 21 days after his enlightenment. He spoke it for bodhisattvas, as a rising sun can only be seen by high mountains. After this, the Buddha "hid the actual and revealed the provisonal." The story of how this sutra first came to the humans is fascinating. Supposedly, Nagajuna, during his meditation, revisited the dragon king's library. There, he saw three versions of the Avatamsaka-long, medium, and short. Nagajuna read the short version and memorized it. When he came out of his meditation, he wrote the sutra from memory, which became more or less the Avatamsaka sutra translated here. Must read for any serious Buddhist practioner or scholar. This sutra has it all.

Thomas Cleary has set a new mark (even by his standards) for translations, and translators.

The Chinese literally spent centuries translating this massive corpus from the Sanskrit, yet, for Cleary, it is simply one of a plethora of great translations in his remarkably prolific career.

D.T Suzuki opinioned that this, the greatest text of Mahayana Buddhism, was so massive that it would never be fully translated into English. Cleary has not only translated this massively influencial text, he has furnished it with a wealth of Reader's "aids." His glossary alone is worth the price of the book.

In his in-depth introduction, Dr. Cleary shares his extensive knowledge on the history, of this text, its influence on Zen (Ch'an) Buddhism, Tendai, and other Mahayana Schools. He also provides "summary outlines" for each chapter.

He prepares the reader with lucid introductions to the language, philosophy, and practice methods contained throughout the book. He explains how the first five "Patriarchs" of Huayen Buddhism interpretated and developed their thought around the stunning array of Buddhist teachings, insights, and expressions contained in this mammoth volume.

It took me nearly two years to read this remarkable book the first time-it was, without a doubt, the most fascinating reading experience of my life. This book has remained on my continuous reading list for years now, but it is always new.

Thank you Thomas Cleary! Thank you!

Having followed the translations of Thomas Cleary for many years, I must say that this one is by far his best. Every word has its original power and profundity that can only survive into English from Thomas Cleary's careful touch. This sutra is essential reading for all students of Mahayana Buddhism.

Although I'm sure I'm quite ignorant of the larger context of this book, if I could only take one book into a cell for the remainder of my life, I would choose this. At the rate of a few pages most evenings (aloud) I'm half way through and looking forward to beginning again, more slowly next time. They say that if you study Lam-rim, it helps you with any Buddhist teachings you might come across. For this reason, I find every page filled with gems. I had owned it for two years before I returned from a Tibetan Buddhist retreat and discovered that the final pages are "The Noble King of Vows of the Conduct of Samantabhadra".