Elaborations on Emptiness

Uses of the Heart SÅ«tra

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Eastern Religions, Buddhism
Cover of the book Elaborations on Emptiness by Donald S. Lopez, Jr., Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Donald S. Lopez, Jr. ISBN: 9781400884513
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: November 22, 2016
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
ISBN: 9781400884513
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: November 22, 2016
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

The Heart Sutra is perhaps the most famous Buddhist text, traditionally regarded as a potent expression of emptiness and of the Buddha's perfect wisdom. This brief, seemingly simple work was the subject of more commentaries in Asia than any other sutra. In Elaborations on Emptiness, Donald Lopez explores for the first time the elaborate philosophical and ritual uses of the Heart Sutra in India, Tibet, and the West.

Included here are full translations of the eight extant Indian commentaries. Interspersed with the translations are six essays that examine the unusual roles the Heart Sutra has played: it has been used as a mantra, an exorcism text, a tantric meditation guide, and as the material for comparative philosophy. Taken together, the translations and essays that form Elaborations on Emptiness demonstrate why commentary is as central to modern scholarship on Buddhism as it was for ancient Buddhists. Lopez reveals unexpected points of instability and contradiction in the Heart Sutra, which, in the end, turns out to be the most malleable of texts, where the logic of commentary serves as a tool of both tradition and transgression.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The Heart Sutra is perhaps the most famous Buddhist text, traditionally regarded as a potent expression of emptiness and of the Buddha's perfect wisdom. This brief, seemingly simple work was the subject of more commentaries in Asia than any other sutra. In Elaborations on Emptiness, Donald Lopez explores for the first time the elaborate philosophical and ritual uses of the Heart Sutra in India, Tibet, and the West.

Included here are full translations of the eight extant Indian commentaries. Interspersed with the translations are six essays that examine the unusual roles the Heart Sutra has played: it has been used as a mantra, an exorcism text, a tantric meditation guide, and as the material for comparative philosophy. Taken together, the translations and essays that form Elaborations on Emptiness demonstrate why commentary is as central to modern scholarship on Buddhism as it was for ancient Buddhists. Lopez reveals unexpected points of instability and contradiction in the Heart Sutra, which, in the end, turns out to be the most malleable of texts, where the logic of commentary serves as a tool of both tradition and transgression.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book Birds of New Guinea by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Cover of the book Strategic Reassurance and Resolve by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Cover of the book The Minds of Marginalized Black Men by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Cover of the book No Man's Land by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Cover of the book Racisms by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Cover of the book Cooking for Crowds by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Cover of the book 40 Years of Evolution by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Cover of the book Gurus, Hired Guns, and Warm Bodies by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Cover of the book The Maine Woods by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Cover of the book Capitalism without Capital by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Cover of the book Complexities by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Cover of the book Game Theory for Applied Economists by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Cover of the book The Propriety of Liberty by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Cover of the book The Collected Works of Spinoza, Volume II by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
Cover of the book The Butterfly Defect by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy