Feature: Lotus Sutra Manuscript Series Promoted by IOP
Commissioned by the Soka Gakkai to carry out research and editorship ofLotus Sutra texts, the Institute of Oriental Philosophy (IOP) has promoted thepublication of the Lotus Sutra Manuscript Series since 1997. The purpose ofthe project is to publish clear color facsimile editions and romanized texts ofthe precious manuscripts that are preserved in several places of the world, thus
making them more accessible to researchers and experts and contributing to thestudies of early Mahayana Buddhism centering around the Lotus Sutra.

Lotus Sutra Manuscript Series (1997–2011)

Among the critical editions of the Sanskrit Lotus Sutra that have been
published are works including the Kern-Nanjio edition (1908–12), theWogihara-Tsuchida edition (1934–35), and the Dutt edition (1953). However,considering what contemporary academic research demands, it is required tomake available critical editions that are more precise and reliable. In thisregard, with the works in the manuscript series, the IOP intends to provide
source materials essential for preparing such critical editions.
The series publications in the first phase (eight works) and the second phase(five works) have already been completed. As the start of the third phase, theGilgit Lotus Sutra Manuscripts from the National Archives of India, Facsimile
Edition was published in March 2012. With this new facsimile edition, theseries includes works that belong to all the three lineages of the Sanskrit Lotus
Sutra manuscripts, namely, the Nepalese manuscripts, the Gilgit manuscripts,
and the Central Asian manuscripts. In this issue of The Journal of Oriental
Studies are reprinted prefaces, remarks, and an introductory article that areincluded in the new facsimile edition.

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The following are the works thus far published (14 works):
1. Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Fragments from the Lüshun Museum Collection,
Facsimile Edition and Romanized Text (commonly called the Lüshun or
Otani manuscripts)		 Ancient fragments of the Central Asian manuscripts		 Issued in May 1997
2-1–2-3. Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Manuscript from the National Archives ofNepal (4-21) (commonly called N1)		 A text belonging to an ancient group of the Nepalese palm-leaf
manuscripts, estimated to have been copied in the 12th century		 Facsimile Edition (2-1): issued in November 1998		 Romanized Text 1 (2-2): issued in May 2001		 Romanized Text 2 (2-3): issued in March 2004	3. Fragments of a Manuscript of the Saddharmapuˆ∂ar¥kasËtra fromKhådaliq (commonly called the Khådaliq manuscript)		 An ancient text of a Central Asian manuscript		 Issued in May 2000
4. Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Manuscripts from Cambridge University Library(Add. 1682 and Add. 1683), Facsimile Edition (commonly called C3 andC4)		 Texts belonging to an ancient group of the Nepalese palm-leaf manuscripts,
estimated to have been copied in the 10th–11th centuries		 Issued in March 2002	5. Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Manuscript from University of Tokyo General Library(No. 414), Romanized Text (commonly called T8)		 A Nepalese paper manuscript, estimated to have been copied in the 17th–18th centuries)		 Issued in November 2003	6. Xixia Version of the Lotus Sutra from the Collection of St. Petersburg
Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy ofSciences (commonly called the St. Petersburg Xixia text)		 Only non-Sanskrit text in the series, estimated to be produced in a period
from the early 11th to the 13th centuries		 Issued in March 2005
7. Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Manuscript from the Royal Asiatic Society of GreatBritain and Ireland (No. 6), Romanized Text (commonly called R)		 A Nepalese paper manuscript		 Issued in March 2007
8. Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Manuscript from the Société Asiatique (No. 2),
Romanized Text (commonly called P3)		 A Nepalese paper manuscript		 Issued in March 2008
9. Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Manuscript from the British Library (Or. 2204),
Facsimile Edition (commonly called B)		 A text representing B Group, one of the ancient groups of the Nepalesepalm-leaf manuscripts, estimated to have been copied in the 11th–13thcenturies		 Issued in March 2009

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feature: lotus sutra manuscript series promoted by iop

10. Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Manuscript from Cambridge University Library (Add.
1684), Romanized Text (commonly called C5)		 A text belonging to an ancient group of the Nepalese palm-leaf
manuscripts, estimated to have been copied in 1064 or 1065		 Issued in March 2010
11. Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Manuscript from the British Library (Or. 2204),
Romanized Text (commonly called B)		 A text representing B Group in the Nepalese palm-leaf manuscripts,
estimated to have been copied in the 11th–13th centuries		 Issued in March 2011
12. Gilgit Lotus Sutra Manuscripts from the National Archives of India,Facsimile Edition (commonly called D1, D2, and D3)		 Gilgit manuscripts, estimated to have been copied in the 6th-7th centuries		 Issued in March 2012

Gilgit Lotus Sutra Manuscripts
from the National Archives of India,
Facsimile Edi­tion (2012)

In addition, the IOP has organized the exhibition, “Lotus Sutra—A Messageof Peace and Harmonious Coexistence,” in order to introduce in general terms
how the Lotus Sutra has been transmitted in history and what its contents are.
This exhibition has been held in nine countries and territories to date, and washeld in February and March 2012 in Madrid, Spain. Professor Carlos Rubio, anauthority on applied linguistics at the Universidad Com­plutense de Madrid andsupervising editor of the Spanish version of The Writings of Nichiren
Daishonin, was present at the opening of the exhibition and delivered a special
lecture to commemorate the beginning of the event. The content of his lecture isalso included in this issue.