[Buddha-l] The Śūraṅgama Sūtra: A New Translation

[Jason Tseng]

Hi, Curt.  It's an entirely new translation of the Surangama Sutra, in one
single volume, with excerpts from the commentary by the Ven. Master Hsuan
Hua in explanatory footnotes, along with a lengthy introduction.  The 2003
"Sutra Text and Supplements" is from an older translation, with only the
text and no commentary.
Cheers,
--Jason

On Thu, Jul 30, 2009 at 5:24 PM, Curt Steinmetz <curt at cola.iges.org> wrote:

> Wow - this looks very impressive. Could you explain how this differs
> from the 2003 "Sutra Text and Supplements Only" edition?
>
> Curt
>
> Jason Tseng wrote:
> > Hi, list members, Sorry to briefly interrupt your discussion.  I like to
> > inform you about the publication of:
> >
> >
> > The Śūraṅgama Sūtra: A New Translation
> >
> > With Excerpts from the Commentary
> >
> > by the Venerable Master Hsüan Hua.
> >
> > Ukiah, CA: Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2009.
> >
> >
> >
> > The complete text of the Sūtra is now available in this entirely new
> > single-volume English translation.
> >
> >
> >
> > “A must for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the
> > Buddhist teaching.”
> >
> > Huston Smith, author of The World’s Religions and Why Religion Matters.
> >
> >
> >
> > The Śūraṅgama Sūtra (T. 945) has been held in great esteem in the
> Mahayana
> > Buddhist countries of East Asia for over a thousand years. Its appeal
> lies
> > in the broad scope of its teachings and in the depth and clarity of its
> > prescriptions for contemplative practice. Its wealth of theoretical and
> > practical instruction in the spiritual life often made it the first major
> > text to be studied by newly ordained monks, particularly in the Chan
> School.
> > The new translation, prepared by members of the Buddhist Text Translation
> > Society, is enhanced by excerpts from the commentary by the Venerable
> Master
> > Hsüan Hua (Xuanhua).
> >
> >
> >
> > More advance praise for the new translation:
> >
> >
> >
> > “The Śūraṅgama Sūtra is one of the seminal scriptures of Chinese
> Buddhism,
> > particularly influential among followers of the Chan (Zen) school. This
> new
> > translation by long-term Buddhist practitioners combines scholarly rigor
> > with the flavor of personal commitment. The translation is further
> enhanced
> > by inclusion of the lucid commentary on the sutra by the Tripitaka Master
> > Hsüan Hua, one of the pioneers in bringing Chinese Buddhism to the West.”
> >
> > Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, translator of the Middle Length Discourses (Majjhima
> > Nikaya) and the Connected Discourses (Samyutta Nikaya)
> >
> >
> >
> > “When people ask about the Buddha’s teachings on meditation, in addition
> to
> > the core texts on the subject in the Pali Canon (the scriptures of the
> > Southern School), I frequently cite the Śūraṅgama Sūtra as being of
> > inestimable value. It spells out certain aspects of the meditative
> process
> > in uniquely clear and helpful ways. ...In particular I have employed the
> > Sutra’s teachings concerning the     meditation on hearing as a central
> > element of my spiritual training for more than twenty-five years.... This
> > lucid, accessible and reliable translation of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, with
> its
> > commentarial notes by the highly esteemed Master Hsüan Hua, will be a
> > distinctive and precious addition to the bookshelves of not only those
> > interested in Buddhist philosophy as an academic discipline but, more
> > importantly, to those who wish to liberate their own hearts and minds for
> > the benefit of themselves and all other living beings.”
> >
> > Ajahn Amaro Bhikkhu, co-abbot of Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery.
> >
> >
> >
> > “The Buddhist Text Translation Society has given us a greatly improved
> > rendering of one of the most important and profound Mahayana texts in the
> > entire Buddhist Canon. During the past thousand years, the Śūraṅgama
> Sūtra
> > has been used perhaps more than any other single text in the transmission
> of
> > the Dharma by Chinese and other East Asian masters. This eminently
> readable
> > and clearly annotated English translation constitutes a significant
> > contribution not only to the study but also to the practice of Buddhism
> in
> > the West.”
> >
> > Bill Porter (“Red Pine”), translator of the works of Chinese poets
> >
> > and Buddhist masters, including The Collected Poems of Cold Mountain
> >
> > and The Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma.
> >
> >
> >
> > 554 pages, with a foreword by Rev. Heng Sure, an extensive introduction,
> > explanatory footnotes, and index.
> >
> > Publication date: August 15, 2009.
> >
> > ISBN-13: 978-0-88139-962-2
> >
> > Price: Hardcover edition $30; with slipcover $50.
> >
> >
> >
> > Available directly from the Buddhist Text Translation Society
> > http://bttsonline.org/product.aspx?pid=393, Amazon.com, and independent
> > bookstores.
> >
> >
> >
> > More information about this new translation is available on the Internet
> at
> > http://surangama.drba.org/.
> >
> >
> >
> > It is available for class use at a special discounted price of $15 for
> > full-time students when purchased directly through the Buddhist Text
> > Translation Society’s website (bttsonline.org).
> >
> > Please forward to this to anyone who you think would be interested.
>  Thanks!
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
>
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