Buddhist Mahayana Texts

Buddhist Mahâyâna Texts
Translated by E. B. Cowell, F. Max Müller and J. Takakusu

Part I: The Buddha-karita of Asvaghosha

THE Sanskrit text of the Buddha-karita was published at the beginning of last year in the 'Anecdota Oxoniensia,' and the following English translation is now included in the series of 'Sacred Books of the East.' It is an early Sanskrit poem written in India on the legendary history of Buddha, and therefore contains much that is of interest for the history of Buddhism, beside its special importantance as illustrating the early history of classical Sanskrit literature.

Part II:THE LARGER SUKHÂVATÎ-VYÛHA.

ACCORDING to the census of 1891 Japan has about forty millions of inhabitants, of whom more than thirty millions are Buddhists. Of these Buddhists the Shin-shiu sect claims about ten millions of followers, with 19,208 temples, and 11,958 preachers, with ten chief priests, and 3,593 students. The books on which the members of this sect chiefly found their faith are the two Sukhâvatî-vyûhas, the large and the small, and the Amitâyur-dhyâna-sûtra. They are sometimes called the Large Sûtra, the Small Sûtra, and the Sûtra of Meditation