Customer Reviews

The Lotus Sutra: A Contemporary Translation of a Buddhist Classic

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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Dr. Reeves is a well known and respected teacher of the 'threefold' Lotus Sutra (Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma and the Sutra of Meditation on the Practice of Universal Wisdom. I have been a Rissho Kosei-kai member and Buddhist for twenty-four years. In my years of Dharma study, I have become familiar with a couple of translations of the Lotus Sutra, especially Watson (SGI) and Kato (RKK) translations. But unlike other translations of the Lotus, Reeves includes the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings and the Sutra of Meditation of the Practice of Universal Virtue in his Lotus Sutra. I deeply respect his choice since these two sutras underscore the importance of the Lotus' teachings. I can say unequivocally that the Reeves translation is the easiest to read and comprehend. Dr. Reeves does admit to flaws in his translation, but I know for a fact that he took several years painstakingly reviewing the original Kumarajiva Chinese, Japanese and English translations of the Lotus. If the reader finds any flaws or has questions regarding the Reeves' translation s/he may compare and contrast Reeves' with another of the reader's choice. However, though I am not a scholar, but a Japanese Ekayana-Nichiren Buddhist that has been practicing for twenty-four years, I can wholeheartedly endorse Dr. Reeves' translation as superior enough to stand on its own. Gasshou.

The clarity of Reeves translation of the Lotus Sutra is very impressive. He brings out the heart of the Lotus Sutra while remaining relatively easy to follow and understand. One of the first things that stuck me was that this was done by someone who deeply thought and meditated on the meaning of the text. Reeve's work is far beyond the level of "just write it in English and move on after a bit of proofreading." I do quite a bit of translating myself, and it's clear that this is the work of someone who has come back to the text time and again, asking himself, "but what's it really saying?!"

I've studied the Kato edition of the Lotus Sutra for nearly 25 years, and enjoyed it's old-fashioned feel, but this is the version of the Lotus Sutra I'll be reading from now on.

Our book club is so enjoying the books,they are in excellent condition and the delivery was speedy. Reeves translation is quite remarkable and well understood by those seeking enlightement. We love it

Rose Munoz

If I were strictly going by the philosophical and moral content of this book, I would give it 2 stars, but because it indicates something illuminating about Mahayana Buddhism I can give it three. First the weakness of this book: it drones on about endless eons of time, about absurdly numerous billions and billions of Bodhisattvas, bestowing empty praise and formulaic sermons that really have very little substance. In terms of moral depth, and even the depth of Buddhist thought, much of this text remains at a tediously superficial level. Second, its strength: by a study of this book, one does appreciate how Mahayana, by declaring innumerable Bodhisattvas to have exited, and by affirming a complexity of teachings (all contained in the One Great Vehicle) is making an argument against Theravada Buddhism. Additionally, the (too often tedious) glorification, ornamentation, and fantastically wonderful beings the sutra describes illustrate how it may have been also competing with the wonders of Hinduism and its deities. Some valuable moral gems are scattered throughout, though far too few, and choked by the weeds of empty verses, flatulent praise and pious rhetoric. A serious scholar of Buddhism can learn from this text, but only if repetitive statements of hollow glorification can be endured. In a nutshell: study elsewhere first about Buddhism, and it will better prepare you to find some meaning in the Lotus Sutra. Final comment: this translation at least is rendered into a very readable composition.