Special Topics
Receive and Uphold the Buddha’s Teaching by Reading Sutras
Buddhist sutras are the Buddha's teachings as compiled by his disciples. More than 2500 years ago, the Buddha preached the Dharma mostly in the areas along the Ganges River. By answering people's life questions to help them resolve their afflictions, the Buddha demonstrated his wisdom to guide and transform sentient beings, as recorded in the sutras. The Chinese Buddhist canon as we can see today consist of works translated by great ancient Buddhist practitioners, including renowne...
How Were Buddhist Sutras Formed?
Buddhist sutras contain the Dharma as taught by the Buddha. Have you ever wondered how they were formed? Which sutra is the earliest? Before the introduction of paper, what were the sutras written on? Some 2,500 years ago during the Buddha's lifetime, the Buddha's teaching was passed on orally; there were actually no written records of it. 90 days after the Buddha's parinirvana, his disciples assembled at the Saptaparni Cave under the Vulture Peak near the current Rajgir (Sansk...
Characteristics of Buddhist Sutras: Their Fundamental Structure
When we want to read a Buddhist sutra, as long as we grasp its basic structure, know its basic elements, and have a basic understanding of its characteristics, we should be able to realize its main theme and essence. Firstly, apart from the Dharma taught by the Buddha, Buddhist sutras may also contain statements from the Buddha's disciples, gods and immortals. Supported and confirmed by the Buddha, these statements should also be regarded as the jewels of Dharma and Buddhist sutras. Th...
Methods of Reading the Sutras
Preparation for Sutra Reading 1. Mindset Why do we read sutras? The main purpose of reading sutras is not to acquire Buddhist knowledge or for academic purposes. Rather, we take the sutra as a mirror to reflect on our own speech and actions, to determine whether they are in accordance with the Buddha’s teachings. We are then able to adjust our behavior accordingly. This is why we read sutras. 2. Approaches As Master Sheng Yen mentioned in his book, Chan Gate (禪門), there are fo...
Sutras Mahayana
The Heart Sutra 1. The Causes and Conditions of Expounding the Teachings The Heart Sutra, which expounds the concept of emptiness in Mahayana Buddhism, is the most condensed and widely-circulated sutra among the Buddhist classics. The Chinese version that has been passed on and most commonly recited was translated by Master Xuan Zang from the Tang Dynasty. This sutra was expounded at the Vulture Peak ( Grdhrakuta in Sanskrit or Ling Jiou Shan in Chinese) in Rajgir. At that time, the...