The Dawn of Chinese Pure Land Buddhist Doctrine

📘 Book Details

• Author: Kenneth K. Tanaka

• Publisher: Sri Satguru Publications

• Language: English

• Edition: 1995

• ISBN: 9788170304463

• Pages: 328

• Cover: Hardcover

• Dimensions: 22 cm × 14.5 cm

English Description

A groundbreaking study of the origins of Pure Land Buddhism in China, centered on the earliest known commentary of the Visualization Sutra.

🔹 About the Book:

This volume offers a comprehensive translation and scholarly analysis of Hui-yuan’s Commentary on the Sutra of Visualization on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, the oldest extant commentary on this pivotal Pure Land Buddhist text. Kenneth K. Tanaka presents not only an accessible English translation of this crucial work but also a deep exploration of the historical, philosophical, and doctrinal foundations of the Pure Land tradition in Chinese Buddhism.

Drawing on extensive research, including modern Japanese scholarship, this book offers insights into the development, influence, and legacy of Hui-yuan’s interpretation, especially his impact on later figures like Shan-tao, and on the formation of Pure Land orthodoxy in East Asia.

🔹 Critical Acclaim:

“This is breaking new ground… Pure Land Buddhism became the most important kind of Buddhism in China and Japan in terms of mass appeal.”
— Robert G. Henricks, Dartmouth College

“The translation, as well as the discussion on historical and doctrinal issues, is excellent.”
— Sung Bae Park, SUNY Stony Brook

“The book presents the whole Chinese Pure Land Buddhist movement at its inception… insightful and well-researched.”
— Kenneth K. Inada, SUNY Buffalo

🧘♂️ Why This Book Matters:

• First complete English translation of a seminal Pure Land text

• Essential reading for Buddhism scholars, translators, and practitioners

• Offers an in-depth look at early Chinese Buddhist philosophy and exegesis

• Clarifies the doctrinal foundations and historical context of East Asian Pure Land Buddhism

📖 About the Author:

Kenneth K. Tanaka is Associate Professor and the Rev. Yashitaka Tamai Professor of Jodo-Shinshu Buddhist Studies at the Institute of Buddhist Studies, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. He is also the Editor of the Pacific World: The Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies.