Буддийская классика Древней Индии. Слово Будды и трактаты Нагарджуны

Androsov Valery

A Buddhist Classics of Ancient India. Buddha’s Teaching and Treatises of Nagarjuna

Translator: Androsov Valery

Москва, 2008, 512 p.

This book uncovers various aspects of Buddhism in a number of translations of classic texts from different traditions and times. It opens with the first teaching pronounced by Shakyamuni Buddha, Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, commonly known as “the Wheel of Dhamma Discourse” and two other Suttas from Pali cannon. The Great vehicle is represented by its quintessential texts, the Heart Sutra (Prajnaparamita Sutra) and the Diamond Sutra (Vajraccheddika-prajnaparamita-sutra), followed by a series of treatises from the heritage of Nagarjuna (2nd–3rd cent.). This kind of scholars is considered to be the Second Buddha and the founder of the Great Way (mahayana). This book contains his Sukrillekha, known as Friendly Communication of Nagarjuna-Bodhisatva to King Shatovahana; Ratnavali Raja-parikatha, or The Precious Garland: An Epistle to the King; Mahayanavimsika, Twenty Verses of the great Vehicle; Catuhstava, Four Hymns to the Buddhas. In the third chapter these four treatises are commented by the author of the book. The texts included into this collection are situated in an order “from simple to complex”, and demonstrate ethical, social and ideological, as well as philosophical, religious and mystical, sacral and ritual views of the Buddha, Nagarjuna and all ancient Buddhism. Although these views date back thousands of years, due to the moral strength and the secrets of Spirit they treasure, they still remain of current concern in the realities of the modern world. The main and essential innovation of the book is a representation and an exposition of the entire enormous dogmatic system of the early Buddhism and the Mahayana conveyed by words of their founders, i.e. Buddhas and Nagarjuna themselves. The work is a new word not only in Russian indology and buddhology, but also in world oriental studies. The book is of interest not only to Buddhists and experts on Buddhist studies, but also to all those concerned about spiritual traditions of the East.