The Lotus Sutra

This poetic adaptation of the Lotus Sutra is faithful to the English translation by Dutch scholar Hendrik Kern (Oxford 1909) from a Sanskrit manuscript written on palm leaves found in Napal in 1039. This poem is not based on the Chinese version of Kumarajiva. The poem is presented in two column format in easily readable lines of verse for daily sutra reading and recitation. The stanza numbers were unembedded from the text. The original introduction and footnotes were omitted. Comments and notes were incorporated when they were applicable. Sanskrit names and terms are set with modern diacritical marks. An index with expanded entries is included. The Lotus Sutra is also known as the Saddharma-Pundarika Sutra or the Lotus of the True Law. It is one of the most important and influential scriptures and literary works in Mahayana Buddhism. This religious classic is adored, revered, and subject to intense veneration by millions who use it as a manual for prayer, chanting, and meditation. This major treatise in Mahayana Buddhism places greater emphasis on devotion and worship than meditation or other practices. This sutra has an extensive cast of characters including the Buddha and other innumerable Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, gods, and humans in vast, cosmic, and fantastic settings for the telling of parables, stories, and sermons. The ‘One Vehicle’ concept of Mahayana Buddhism is explained. In the manuscript it is stated that a person derives great merit from reading, writing, and the propagation of the Lotus Sutra.