Sutra's

Post Reply
Greg_the_poet
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2011 4:06 pm

Sutra's

Post by Greg_the_poet »

I practice Soto. I'm aware that Zen DE-emphasizes sutra's in favor of Zazen, but could anyone give me any sutra's that may help guide me along the path? I'm finding it really difficult only doing Zazen. I'm aware of the Heart sutra obviously, but what others would you recommend?
User avatar
Noah
Posts: 57
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2012 3:10 am

Re: Sutra's

Post by Noah »

I love the Sutras and any you choose will give you enough "food for thought" if you are trying to give your practice some more "content."
A few I believe you may like (because they rock) are:
Lankavatara Sutra, Diamond Sutra, Platform Sutra and most def- the White Lotus Sutra!! The Pali texts are great if you want a more "authentic" teaching from the Buddha's own mouth with less of the flair, I suggest the Dhammapada. The Mahayana Sutras are an experience with higher consciousness that cannot be prepared for, good luck! :D
It is all happening right now :)
User avatar
kirtu
Former staff member
Posts: 6997
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2010 5:29 pm
Location: Baltimore, MD

Re: Sutra's

Post by kirtu »

Greg_the_poet wrote:I practice Soto. I'm aware that Zen DE-emphasizes sutra's in favor of Zazen, but could anyone give me any sutra's that may help guide me along the path? I'm finding it really difficult only doing Zazen. I'm aware of the Heart sutra obviously, but what others would you recommend?

Why are you finding it difficult to practice zazen?

Actually different teachers have different views on reading sutras although even teachers who recommend it for some people deemphasize it relatively speaking.

The Heart Sutra and it's study are core medicine. Please try reading different versions and commentaries (Lopez is a good start).

Different sutras appeal to different people. Have you read the Lotus Stura, the Lamkaavatara Sutra, or the Avatamsaka Sutra? There are of course numerous other sutras some of which have just recently been translated. Conze's translations of the Prajnaparamita Sutra is in most libraries. Also the Pali Suttas are very helpful as well as the Dharmapada

Also readig the biographies of great masters is very helpful.

Kirt
“Where do atomic bombs come from?”
Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche
Nicholas Weeks
Posts: 4209
Joined: Mon Apr 06, 2009 4:21 am
Location: California

Re: Sutra's

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

Greg_the_poet wrote:I practice Soto. I'm aware that Zen DE-emphasizes sutra's in favor of Zazen, but could anyone give me any sutra's that may help guide me along the path? I'm finding it really difficult only doing Zazen. I'm aware of the Heart sutra obviously, but what others would you recommend?
This new translation of the Lankavatara Sutra, the fount of Ch'an, is now out:

http://zennist.typepad.com/zenfiles/201 ... sutra.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also, as far as books go, this gem of teachings from Bodhisattva Hsuan Hua, is hard to beat:

http://www.cttbusa.org/chan/chan.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also the Sixth Patriarch's Sutra with Master Hua's comments is excellent:

http://www.bttsonline.org/product.aspx?pid=125" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
May all seek, find & follow the Path of Buddhas.
User avatar
Astus
Former staff member
Posts: 8883
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 11:22 pm
Location: Budapest

Re: Sutra's

Post by Astus »

There are many kinds of sutras and different Zen traditions take different sutras as their source. Here is a non-definitive list of those that are available in English.

The common sutras among the different lineages: Vimalakirti Sutra, Diamond Sutra, Lotus Sutra, Avatamsaka Sutra, Nirvana Sutra
Sutras that are important mostly in China and Korea: Perfect Enlightenment Sutra, Shurangama Sutra, Vajrasamadhi Sutra
Treatises of great importance: Mahayana Sraddhotpada Shastra, Mahaprajnaparamita Shastra (partially translated)
1 Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?

2 If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.

3 Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.

4 With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.


1 Huangbo, T2012Ap381c1 2 Nirvana Sutra, T374p521b3; tr. Yamamoto 3 Mazu, X1321p3b23; tr. J. Jia 4 Yongjia, T2014p395c14; tr. from "The Sword of Wisdom"
User avatar
seeker242
Posts: 2092
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2012 2:50 pm
Location: South Florida, USA

Re: Sutra's

Post by seeker242 »

The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch Hui-neng is quite good. Ironically, Hui-neng was the teacher who locked the libraries and shredded sutras because people were to attached to them. :lol:
One should not kill any living being, nor cause it to be killed, nor should one incite any other to kill. Do never injure any being, whether strong or weak, in this entire universe!
Post Reply

Return to “Zen”