Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Most excellent!, March 6, 2006
This review is from: The Threefold Lotus Sutra (Paperback)
This is, simply, a fantastic piece of literature, and a first-rate exposition of Dharma. I appreciate this translation for the scholarship behind it, and the process that brought it into being; this was produced by a team of translators dedicated to ironing out imprecisions and ideosyncracies. And it's beautifully printed.
Believe the hype, if it's in you to do so, and read this one with great care. May you have the good fortune to meet with this text and a teacher who can explain it to you. (Tendai.)
May beings benefit!
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28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A personal guided tour where other translations are roadmaps, July 17, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: The Threefold Lotus Sutra (Paperback)
The jewel of the lotus, the core secrets of true Buddhism, is hidden within innumerable petals, but is not invisible. Yet, it shouldn't be further obscured by poor translation. The Bunno Kato translation of the THREEFOLD LOTUS SUTRA is a laser through fog which illuminates the jewel to those who look for it, read this book and understand with wisdom. Those who come to this book seeking the "what" of Buddhism, will find the "why" and "how" of all existence! They will find the "how to" of creating ethical values in their lives. They will discover the utility of practice, study, faith, behind the sutra's Japaneese language title, NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO. The clarity of the Bunno Kato translation is a manifestation of Buddha Wisdom and Bodhisatva mercy (if unfamiliar with those technical concepts, read the book). In this translation, the profound eloquence of the prose sections educate and inspire; the musical lyrics of the poetry s! ections sing. While, there are noble attempts by others to translate this sutra, they are a tourist's roadmap to this translation's personal guided tour. Delight yourself, borrow the other translations, from your local library. Invest in this book.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent presentation of the Buddha's greatest teachings, April 5, 2007
This review is from: The Threefold Lotus Sutra (Paperback)
This is certainly one of the best Buddhist books available to the English-speaking reader. Not only is the translation of the Lotus Sutra clear and excellent, but this version includes two other sutras, the "Prologue" Sutra of Innumerable Meanings and the "Epilogue" Universal Virtue Sutra, which traditionally accompany the Lotus Sutra in East Asian countries but are not easy to find in English translation.
This version comes with a glossary to explain Sanskrit terms which appear in the Sutras, which is quite helpful. Although the translation to English is done well, this is not the kind of book you can just pick up and read, and clearly understand. It gradually becomes clearer with time, and you could read the Lotus Stura a thousand times and discover something new every time. To accompany this book, particularly if you are new to Buddhism, I would recommend a good commentary, such as "Buddhism for Today" by Nikkyo Niwano, to study along with it to explain some of the allegory and hyperbole one finds in this and other ancient Buddhist literature, the symbolism behind it, and how we can apply these ancient teachings to make our lives and our world better.
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