The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch
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About this book
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 Chan (Zen) Buddhism. This translation is the definitive English version of the eighth-century Chan classic. Phillip B. Yampolsky has based his translation on the Tun-huang manuscript the earliest extant version of the work. A critical edition of the Chinese text is given at the end of the volume. Dr. Yampolsky also furnishes a lengthy and detailed historical introduction which contains much information hitherto unavailable even to scholars and provides the context essential to an understanding of Hui-nengs work. He gives an account of the history and legends of Chan Buddhism with particular attention to the traditions associated with Hui-neng quoting or summarizing the most important narratives. He then discusses the various texts of the Platform Sutra and analyzes its contents.
