This section is devoted to all generic as well as sectarian (non-Zen) Mahayana Writings. Here you'll find the Sutras which are the canon Mahayana scriptures acknowledged by all schools, and so are the Shastras, though these are treatises not attributed to the Buddha. The emphasis is primarily on Dzogchen and Mahamudra texts, due to the popularity of these schools in the West, whilst there will also be a representation from the early Madhyamika school.
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Buddhism – An Introduction – Do you know next to nothing about Buddhism? This is the place to start. Glossary - An excellent list of foreign words used in Mahayana parliance. A good way to understand the terminology of Mahayana Buddhism. The Dharma Essentials for Cultivating Stopping and Contemplation - The classic T'ien T'ai manuals, this detailed work is generally considered to be the primary guide to meditation within Chinese Mahayana Buddhism. The Main Road of the Triumphant Ones - A thorough exposition of how to meditate in the Mahamudra tradition, by The First Panchen Lama, Lozang-chokyi-gyeltsen. The Diamond Sutra – The most sacred sutra in Mahayana Buddhism, this is by many considered to be the most powerful scripture of all, containing the essential teaching of full enlightenment. The Heart Sutra – Another of the most important sutras of Mahayana Buddhism, illuminating the teaching on emptiness and form, the Heart Sutra is chanted everyday throughout most Zen monasteries. Shurangama Sutra - Yet another key sutra in the Mahayana Canon, this is generally considered to be the most complete teaching concerning the mind in the Mahayana Canon. (536 KB) The Lankavatara Sutra - An important encyclopedic work of Mahayanist thought and practice, including the bodhisattva vows, discipline, and compassion, this is the sutra Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen, based his teachings on. (194 KB) Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra- Another key sutra in Mahayana (Sometimes referred to as the "crown jewel of the Mahayana"), this is about Vimalakirti Nirdesa, the lay Bodhisattva and regarded as the main Sutra on the topic of non-duality. (251 KB) The Lotus Sutra - One of the primary (and longest) sutras in the Mahayana Canon, this sutra is described by many masters as the greatest and most profound sutra of all (568 KB), thoroughly covering all the Dharmas. The Great Parinirvana Sutra (excerpts) - An excerpt from another of the longest Mahayana sutras, this sutra tells about the time up to the Buddha's Great Parinirvana (Final Passing Away) and is one of the primary work on the Tathagatagarbha (Buddha-nature) doctrine. (172 KB) The Demonstration of the Inconceivable State of Buddhahood Sutra - A relatively unknown, although highly profound Sutra on the direct way teaching, of particular merit to Zen and Dzogchen students. The Srimala Devi Sutra [The Lion's Roar of Queen Srimala] - Another key Mahayana Sutra on the Bodhisattva Queen Srimala's great aspirations and vows, as well as her Lion's Roar on the different vehicles, the Four Noble Truths and its locus: The Tathagatagarbha (Buddha-nature) doctrine. The Gangottara Sutra - The Buddha talks with the laywoman Gangottara on the nature of Nirvana and non-discrimination. The Eight Awakenings Sutra – A Sutra on the eight truths about birth and death that cause great people to awaken. The Sutra of Forty-Two Sections - Another popular Mahayana Sutra. |
Advice from the Heart - Thirty pieces of genuine down-to-earth advice from the very heart by Longchenpa. The Jewel Ship - A thorough Dharma exposition on the spiritual advisor who teaches it, the student who follows the teaching, and the teaching to be learned, by Longchenpa. Naturally Liberated Mind, The Great Perfection (excerpts) - A highly profound teaching by Longchenpa, this is the first of three chapters, this one being aimed at liberation through sheer realisation. Establishing the Nature of Reality - A gatha on knowing the true nature of reality by Longchenpa. Orienting the Mind to the Dharma - By Longchenpa, on setting up the mind to properly embark on the path of the Dharma. Self Liberation Through Seeing With Naked Awareness - This treatise by Padmasambhava is a very important and essential key work for the understanding of the view of Dzogchen. The Mirror - Advice on Presence and Awareness - A precise and detailed instruction on the most essential aspect of Dzogchen practice by Namkhai Norbu, Ground, Path, and Fruition - An essential work about the view, meditation and action of Dzogchen, by Surya Das with Nyoshul Khenpo. The Song of the Four Mindfulnesses - A short teaching on four things that one should remain mindful of, by Kaysang Gyatso, the Seventh Dalai Lama. The Aspiration Prayer of Mahamudra - A gatha on the aspiration and essential meaning of Mahamudra, by Rangjung Dorje, The Third Gyalwang Karmapa. Tilopa's Mahamudra Instruction to Naropa in Twenty Eight Verses - The title speaks for itself... The 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas - By Gyelsay Togmay Sangpo (Geshe Sonam Rinchen), this work details all the practises a Bodhisattva in the making should train in. Advice from Me to Myself - A highly personal and down-to-earth poem by Patrul Rinpoche on how to practise. Most people should find it easy to relate to. The Foundations of Mahayana Buddhism - The list of all lists. A quick summary of all the Mahayana teachings, which is always good to have close at hand. Selected Verses From Nagarjuna - A selection of verses from Nagajuna's "Sixty Stanzas of Reasoning", "Seventy Stanzas of Emptiness", and "Refutation of Criticism" on the subject of emptiness. Mahayanavimsaka of Nagarjuna - One of the classic works of Nagarjuna, this is an essential work for understanding his Middle Path. Entrance to the Middle Way (selected verses) - Chandrakirti expounds on the degrees of emptiness that one must realise to fully penetrate to the nature of reality. A Direct Explanation of the Prajnaa-paramita Heart Sutra - A commentary on the Heart Sutra by the Zen master Han-shan. Hakuins' Commentary on the Heart Sutra - A selection from Hakuin's extensive commentary on the classic Heart Sutra. The Awakening of Faith - This powerful Shastra gives a detailed and profound account of early Mahayana teachings. An essential key work by Asvaghosha for understanding the doctrine of the Mahayana vehicle. (105 KB) The Mahayana Dharma-realm Without Distinction - An old Mahayana Shastra on the nature of the Bodhicitta, by Bodhisattva Sthiramati. Highly recommended for intermediate and advanced practitioners. Entering the Great Vehicle [Mahayana] - A Shastra by Sthiramati Bodhisattva on the meaning of Mahayana. The Ratnaguna-samcayagatha - A profound Shastra being a summarised verse-form of the perfection of wisdom (prajnaparamita). Well worth the read. The Trimsika (literally, 30 stanzas) - This work, written by Vasubandhu the co-founder of the Yogacara (consciousness-only) school, the predecedor of Zen, explains in detail about the nature of consciousness and the factors at work in the mind. Recommended for advanced practitioners. |
Miscellaneous Non-Buddhist Teachings The Mystical Theology - Dionysius the Areopagite teaches on how to realise the "Divine Darkness" of God. A Christian mystic teaching with a striking resemblance to Zen. Well worth the read. Seven Hermetic Principles – The East is not the only place where enlightenment can be found. Here are the ancient Greeks' take on things. |
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