Readings of the Platform Sutra (Columbia Readings of Buddhist Literature)

The Platform Sutra comprises a wide range of important Chan/Zen Buddhist teachings. Purported to contain the autobiography and sermons of Huineng (638--713), the legendary Sixth Patriarch of Chan, the sutra has been popular among monastics and the educated elite for centuries. The first study of its kind in English, this volume offers essays that introduce the history and ideas of the sutra to a general audience and interpret its practices. Leading specialists on Buddhism discuss the text's historical background and its vaunted legacy in Chinese culture. Incorporating recent scholarship and theory, chapters include an overview of Chinese Buddhism, the crucial role of the Platform Sutra in the Chan tradition, and the dynamics of Huineng's biography. They probe the sutra's key philosophical arguments, its paradoxical teachings about transmission, and its position on ordination and other institutions. The book includes a character glossary and extensive bibliography, with helpful references for students, general readers, and specialists throughout. The editors and contributors are among the most respected scholars in the study of Buddhism, and they assess the place of the Platform Sutra in the broader context of Chinese thought, opening the text to all readers interested in Asian culture, literature, spirituality, and religion. Columbia University Press CONTENTS......Page 6 Preface / MORTEN SCHLÜTTER AND STEPHEN F. TEISER vii......Page 8 1. Introduction: The Platform Sūtra , Buddhism, and Chinese Religion, MORTEN SCHLÜTTER 1......Page 14 2. The Figure of Huineng, JOHN JORGENSEN 25......Page 38 3. The History and Practice of Early Chan, HENRIK H. SØRENSEN 53......Page 66 4. The Platform Sūtra as the Sudden Teaching, PETER N. GREGORY 77......Page 90 5. Transmitting Notions of Transmission, WENDI L. ADAMEK 109......Page 122 6. Ordination and Precepts in the Platform Sūtra, PAUL GRONER 134......Page 147 7. The Platform Sūtra and Chinese Philosophy, BROOK ZIPORYN 161......Page 174 Character Glossary 189......Page 202 Bibliography 195......Page 208 Contributors 209......Page 222 Index 211......Page 224 Essays That Introduce The History And Ideas Of The Sūtra To A General Audience And Interpret Its Practices--jacket. Introduction : The Platform Sūtra, Buddhism, And Chinese Religion / Morten Schlütter -- The Figure Of Huineng / John Jorgensen -- The History And Practice Of Early Chan / Henrik H. Sørensen -- The Platform Sūtra As The Sudden Teaching / Peter N. Gregory -- Transmitting Notions Of Transmission / Wendi L. Adamek -- Ordination And Precepts In The Platform Sūtra / Paul Groner -- The Platform Sūtra And Chinese Philosophy / Brook Ziporyn. Edited By Morten Schlütter & Stephen F. Teiser. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This anthology of secondary readings of The Platform Sutra is designed to introduce the undergraduate to one of the most popular and influential Chan (Zen) Buddhist texts. The sutra purportedly contains the teachings of Huineng (638-713), the sixth patriarch of China and the father of the Chan movement. Though recent research suggests that the work has little connection to Huineng, it does date to the eighth century and has had enduring popularity among monastics and the educated elite.Essays in the book include an overview of Chan Buddhism in China, the importance of The Platform.. This anthology of secondary readings of The Platform Sutra is designed to introduce the undergraduate to one of the most popular and influential Chan (Zen) Buddhist texts. The sutra purportedly contains the teachings of Huineng (638-713), the sixth patriarch of China and the father of the Chan movement. Though recent research suggests that the work has little connection to Huineng, it does date to the eighth century and has had enduring popularity among monastics and the educated elite. Essays in the book include an overview of Chan Buddhism in China, the importance of The Platform "Essays that introduce the history and ideas of the sūtra to a general audience and interpret its practices." (book jacket)