MAHĀPIṬAKANewsletter New Series No. 22

January 1, 2017

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE ofthe ENGLISH TRANSLATIONof the CHINESE TRIPIṬAKA
Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai(Society for the Promotion of Buddhism)

Editor: Kenneth K. Tanaka

Table of Contents
Greetings from the New Chair of the Editorial Committee
By Kenneth K. Tanaka ......................................................................................... 1
Publishing Schedule
Published in 2016 ................................................................................................. 2
Forthcoming titles ................................................................................................. 2
Review:
The Nirvana Sutra(Translated by Mark Blum)
By HABATA Hiromi .............................................................................................. 3
Tendai Lotus Texts(Translated by KUBO, Logan, Yamada, Chappell, and ICHISHIMA)
By Robert Rhodes................................................................................................. 4
Report:Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion
By Kenneth K. Tanaka ......................................................................................... 6Committee Members ........................................................................................................ 7

Greetings from the New Chair of the Editorial Committee

Please allow me to express a few thoughts as the new Chair of the BDK English Tripitaka
Editorial Committee.
First of all, I wish to express my appreciation to Dr. Sengaku Mayeda, who had enoughconfidence in me to support my appointment as the new Chair. Dr. Mayeda served for 21 years as thesecond Chair of this project after taking over the helm after the untimely passing of the first Chair, Dr.
Shōyū Hanayama. It is truly a big pair of shoes to fill, for so much has been accomplished under Dr.
Mayeda’s leadership.
As of today, the translation project has completed 57% of the total of 7,185 Taisho pages thatneed to be translated (for Stage One). Hence, much work still lies ahead of us, inspiring us to focus
even more on the remaining texts in order to approach the colossal goals established by Rev. Dr. Yehan
Numata, the Founder of the Society for the Promotion of Buddhism.
Since taking this office, I have initiated a new round of translators’ survey to determine theprogress of the remaining texts and to respond to any questions and concerns from the translators.
Unfortunately, in the past year or so, aging, illness, and death among the translators have required usto locate new translators.
We may at times feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of our prodigious project, but I am
confident that with the continual financial and institutional backing by BDK and the hard work of
everyone involved (translators, reviewers, editors, and staff), we can and we will reach our goal tocomplete the remaining 3,088 Taisho pages in a timely manner. May I seek your continuing unstinting
support.
Best wishes,Kenneth K. Tanaka
Chair,
Editorial Committeeof the BDK English Tripitaka

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Publishing Schedule
Published in 2016:

1. MAITREYA AND MAÑJUŚRĪTHE SUTRA ON THE DESCENT OF MAITREYA BUDDHA AND HISENLIGHTENMENT(彌勒下生成佛經 Mirokugeshōjōbutsukyō, Taishō 454)
Translated by IIDA Shōtaro and Jane Goldstone
Introduction by SADAKATA Akira
THE SUTRA OF MAÑJUŚRĪ’S QUESTIONS(文殊師利問經 Monjushirimongyō, Taishō 468)
Translated by John R. McRae

2. THE CANONICAL BOOK OF THE BUDDHA’S LENGTHY DISCOURSES
Volume II(長阿含經 Jō-agongyō, Taishō 1)
Translated by Shohei Ichimura
Forthcoming titles:

1. THE COLLECTION FOR THE PROPAGATION AND CLARIFICATION OF
BUDDHISM
Volumes II(弘明集 Gumyōshū, Taishō 2102)Translated by Harumi Hirano Ziegler

2. THE CANONICAL BOOK OF THE BUDDHA’S LENGTHY DISCOURSES
Volume III(長阿含經 Jō-agongyō, Taishō 1)
Translated by Shohei Ichimura

3. *BODHISATTVA TEXTSTHE SCRIPTURE OF THE MERITS OF THE FORMER VOWS: MASTER OF
MEDICINE, BERYL RADIANCE TATHĀGATA(藥師琉璃光如来本願功徳經 Yakushirurikōnyorai-hongankudokukyō), Taishō 454)
Translated by IYANAGA Nobumi
THE SUTRA OF THE GIRL CANDROTTARA(月上女經 Gatsujōnyokyō, Taishō 480)
Translated by Rolf Giebel

4. THE DISCOURSE TO PRINCE CANDRAPRABHA(月燈三昧經 Gattōzanmaikyō, Taishō 639)
Translated by MURAKAMI Shinkan

5. THE SUTRA OF BRAHMA’S NET(梵網經 Bonmōkyō, Taishō 1484)
Translated by A. Charles Muller and Kenneth K. Tanaka

2Review:THE NIRVANA SUTRA
Volume I
Translated by Mark L. Blum
(BDK English Tripiṭaka Series, published in 2013)
HABATA Hiromi
University of Munich
The Chinese translation of the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, 大 般 涅 槃 經by 曇 無 讖(Dharmakṣema) is one of the most influential sūtras in East-Asian Buddhism. It is a valuable
contribution of Mark Blum to have completed a readable English translation. When Dharmakṣematranslated the text at the beginning of the fifth century, another translation by Fǎxiǎn 法顕 was
already in existence, which differed from Dharmakṣema’s translation in numerous places. Thedifferences between the two translations stimulated scholastic debates in fifth century China that
continues to the present time, in which the Tibetan translation and Sanskrit fragments are alsocompared. The variety of the extant materials reflects not only the different versions of the sūtra but
also the translation method of the translators.
The investigation into the Sanskrit fragments indicates that the text of the sūtra is quite peculiar
and sometimes difficult to understand. It is evident that the translators faced considerable difficulty atunderstanding the text and made enormous endeavor to offer a readable translation to their audience.
Translating a text into another language means interpreting it from its original cultural surroundings
into another one. Dharmakṣema was very successful in this challenging task, and his interpretation has
attracted his readers until now.
In the same way, Blum’s interpretation into English was meant to facilitate the readers
understanding; for example, he tried to identify several Sanskrit words on the basis of the Chinesetranslation, probably because some English readers would not be able to understand the terms andnames in Chinese. This difficult approach has occasionally led in his translation and notes to some
confusion concerning the version of the sūtra he translated. For example, “They scattered aśokaflowers over the Hiraṇyavatī River” (p. 20) from Dharmakṣema’s 以占婆花散熙連河, in which theflower 占婆花 stands certainly for campaka and not for aśoka as occurs in the corresponding
Sanskrit fragment. This kind of confusion should be revised in a future edition.
In places where the text is difficult to understand in the Chinese context, Dharmakṣema seemed
to have added his notes into his translation; for example, “one person may pick up a sword to injure
the Buddha and another person may take sandalwood paste to worship the Buddha, and the Buddha
looks upon these two [acts] with impartiality” (p. 79–80), which probably translates the short phrase3tathāgato vāsīcandanasamakalpa (Sanskrit fragment 17.4). Such an additional interpretation seems tobe inevitable for translations in general, in the same way Blum translates, “Through their power ofusing expedient means, they manifested themselves in their present bodies” (p. 6) from
Dharmakṣema’s 方便現身.
Dharmakṣema provided his Chinese audience with an understandable and attractive
interpretation through translating freely, not word-for-word from the rather abstruse original text, andBlum has now provided his English readers with a comprehensible and attractive translation, which
will surely benefit our understanding of the role of this sūtra in East Asian Buddhism.

TENDAI LOTUS TEXTS(無量義經 Muryōgikyō, Taisho 276)
Translated by KUBO Tsugunari and Joseph M. Logan(觀普賢菩薩行法經 Kanfugenbosatsugyōbōkyō, Taisho 277)
Translated by KUBO Tsugunari and Joseph M. Logan(妙法蓮華經憂波提舍 Myōhōrengekyō-upadaisha, Taisho 1519)
Translated by Terry R. Abbott-Yamada(天台四敎儀 Tendaishikyōgi, Taisho 1931)
Translated by David W. Chappell & ICHISHIMA Masao(BDK English Tripiṭaka Series, published in 2013)
Robert F. Rhodes
Professor, Otani University
Tiantai Lotus Texts contains four relatively short texts associated with either the Lotus Sutra orthe Tiantai school.
The first two texts, The Infinite Meanings Sutra and The Sutra Expounded by the Buddha on thePractice of the Way through Contemplation of the Bodhisattva All-embracing Goodness (hereafterContemplation of the Bodhisattva All-embracing Goodness Sutra), both translated by KUBO Tsugunari
and Joseph M. Logan, are generally considered to be “apocryphal sutras” created in China. However,they have proved quite influential because they have traditionally been called the Lotus Sutra’s“opening” and “closing” sutras, respectively, preached by the Buddha just before and after the Lotus
Sutra.
The Lotus Sutra states that, before he preached The Infinite Meanings Sutra, the Buddha
expounded a scripture called “Infinite Meanings.” Although the Lotus Sutra says nothing more about
The Infinite Meanings Sutra, it is most likely that this statement provided the impetus for the creationof the text translated here. This sutra proclaims that all who practice the Dharma-gate called “Infinite4Meanings”, which is equated with the teaching that all dharmas are tranquil and empty in both natureand aspect, will quickly gain supreme enlightenment. It also declares that this dharma-gate is infinite
in meaning because the desires of sentient beings are infinite.
The Contemplation of the Bodhisattva All-embracing Goodness Sutra is a fascinating text on themethod of undertaking repentance to achieve purification of the six sense-faculties and gain a vision ofthe Bodhisattva All Embracing Goodness or Samantabhadra. The title of this sutra is an obvious
allusion to the “Chapter on the Encouragements of the Bodhisattva All-embracing Goodness”, the final
chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The Contemplation of the Bodhisattva All-embracing Goodness Sutra
teaches that practitioners who focus their minds on the Bodhisattva All-embracing Goodness for three
weeks will gain an elaborate vision of the bodhisattva riding on a white six-tusked elephant. After thepractitioners undertake repentance, the bodhisattva will pat their heads and their sense-faculties will all
become completely purified. Incidentally, this repentance ritual became the basis of the Lotus Samādhi,one of the most important meditative practices of the Sino-Japanese Tiantai/Tendai school.
Due to the lack of space, I can only say just a few words about the last two translations in thisvolume. The third text, The Commentary on the Lotus Sutra attributed to Vasubandhu, has been ablytranslated by Terry Abbott. It is noted as the only extant Indian commentary on the Lotus Sutra. It is adense but engrossing text, filled with numerous Abhidharma-like lists, and is quite unlike any of theEast Asian Lotus commentaries.
Finally, A Guide to the Tiantai Fourfold Teachings, translated by ICHISHIMA Masao and DavidW. Chappell, has long been esteemed as the most authoritative outline to Tiantai Buddhist thought eversince it was written by the Korean monk Chegwan in the late tenth century. In this text, Chegwan
explains the main points of Tiantai Buddhism using the scheme of the “five periods and eightteachings”. Although modern scholars like SEKIGUCHI Shindai have convincingly argued that thisscheme does not accurately reflect the thought of Zhiyi, the founder of the Tiantai school, Chegwan’s
text still remains a valuable introduction to the Tiantai doctrinal system. It may also be added that anearlier version of this translation was published in 1983. Unfortunately, the older version wasextremely difficult to obtain. Hence the inclusion of this translation in this volume is extremely helpful
for everyone interested in Tiantai Buddhism.

5Report:Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion
Kenneth K. Tanaka
Professor, Musashino University
I had the pleasure of attending the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion held
November 18-22 in San Antonio, Texas. Held jointly with the Society of Biblical Literature, this year
also drew approximately 10,000 participants.
Not having to present a paper or to serve as a respondent, I had the distinct pleasure of feelingfree to attend many of the Buddhist related sessions, those sponsored by such groups as theBuddhist-Christian Studies, Buddhism in the West, and Japanese Religions. I was pleased that thepanel session sponsored by the International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies (of which I
currently serve as its President) was well attended and engaging. With each attendance at thesemeetings, I am made aware of the aging process, where I see more new, young faces taking up theplaces of we seniors.
I regretted that my lack of sufficient sleep stemming from the jet lag prevented me fromattending some of the plenary sessions, which included a session dealing with the “Donald Trump’s
stunning election victory and its impact on religion and religious institutions.” A friend who did attend
the session talked about the pastors from the midwest, who lamented the dissonance between theirown anti-Trump sentiments and the wide spread level of support for the new President-elect among
their church members!
Finally, along with Prof. Chuck Muller (the Chair of the Publication Committee of ourTranslation Project), I attended the annual dinner sponsored by BDK for the representatives of theuniversities with Numata Professorial Chairs. We were also able to meet with Prof. George Tanabe(President of BDK America) to discuss issues related to the BDK English Tripitaka Project; we agreed
that such meetings are extremely helpful for effectively moving the project forward. So, I will do mybest to attend the AAR meeting next year, to be held in Boston.

6Committee Members
Editorial Committee, Tokyo:
Kenneth K. Tanaka (Chairperson), Musashino University
ICHISHIMA Shōshin, Professor Emeritus, Taisho University
ISHIGAMI Zennō, Professor Emeritus, Taisho University
KATSURA Shōryū, Professor Emeritus, Hiroshima University
MAYEDA Sengaku, Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo
NAMAI Chishō, Koyasan University
NARA Yasuaki, Professor Emeritus, Komazawa UniversitySAITŌ Akira, International College for Postgraduate Buddhist Studies
SHIMODA Masahiro, The University of TokyoWATANABE Shōgo, Toyo University
YONEZAWA Yoshiyasu, Taisho University
Publication Committee, Berkeley:
A. Charles Muller (Chairperson), The University of Tokyo
Carl W. Bielefeldt, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University
Marianne Dresser, BDK America
Hudaya Kandahjaya, BDK America
Brian Kensho Nagata, BDK America
Robert H. Sharf, University of California, BerkeleyMAHĀPIṬAKANewsletter New Series No.22
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE ofthe ENGLISH TRANSLATION of the CHINESE TRIPIṬAKA
c/o Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism)
4-3-14 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0014, JAPAN
Tel: +81-3-3455-5851
Fax: +81-3-3798-2758
E-Mail:bdk@bdk.or.kp
URL: http://www.bdk.or.jp

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