The Lankavatara Sutra

The title Lankavatara could mean “entering Lanka”, possibly referring to Ceylon’s temporary Mahayana period. This suggests that this scripture’s doctrines may be compatible with Pali Buddhism. The Sanskrit text (1923), edited by Bunyu Nagjo, was Suzuki’s first translation of the Lankavatara Sutra. This book is an extraordinary coverage of Mahayana Buddhist topics, particularly the Yogacara type, but it is also of great interest to anyone who wants to learn more about Mahayana Buddhism. The world seems like a dream. The mind has created externals. This outpouring must be stopped if one wants to be free. A mature individual can understand and realize the true nature of the world. Alex Wayman, the editor of the book, said that it was a delight to see the famous translation of a work with incomparable content on matters important for Mahayana Buddhism appear in the Buddhist Tradition Series. While I have some reservations about the translation of some terms in this work, I believe it is important to make this translation available for all interested readers.