Table of Contents

Introduction: Ch'an in the Eighth Century I. The Formation of the Legend The Lankavatara School Shen-hui II. The Birth of a Patriarch: Biography of Hui-neng III. The Making of a Book: The Platform Sutra IV. Content Analysis The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch The Tun-Huang Text

Promotional Information

The Platform Sutra records the teachings of Hui-neng, the Sixth Patriarch, who is revered as one of the two great figures in the founding of Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism. This translation is the definitive English version of the eighth-century Ch'an classic. Dr. Yampolsky also furnishes a lengthy and detailed historical introduction that provides the context essential to an understanding of Hui-neng's work.

About the Author

Phillip B. Yampolsky was Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Columbia University until his death in 1996.

Reviews

(This) translation of one of the most famous of all Chinese Ch'an texts is certainly the best rendition so far. Without sacrificing scholarly accuracy, Yampolsky has produced a lucid and idiomatic translation which even the layman can enjoy. Books Abroad Remarkable... Dr. Yampolsky's study is characterized by a clarity of presentation and a thoroughness of exploration of Chinese and Japanese sources. Literature East and West As an initiation into the international field of foundational scholarly research on the Platform Sutra Yampolsky's detailed and illuminating introductory remarks to his carefully nnotated translation remain indispensable... -- T.H. Barrett, SOAS, University of London Journal of Bulletin of School of Oriental and African Studies