The Vimalakirti Sutra

Originally written in Sanskrit, this sutra is one of the most influential works in the Mahāyāna canon. This beautiful translation of Kumarajiva's popular Chinese version highlights the sutra's frequent touches of humor, the liveliness of its episodes, and its eloquent, orderly exposition of basic Mahāyāna tenets. Watson includes a brief history of early Buddhism and an introduction to the doctrine of non-dualism, a key tenet in Mahāyāna thought.

Journal for Asian Studies

A new translation of any of the classics . . . from the hand of Burton Watson is an event to be welcomed with gratitude.

Burton Watson is one of the world's best-known translators from the Chinese and Japanese. His translations include The Lotus Sutra, Chuang Tzu: Basic Writings, Ryôkan: Zen Monk-Poet of Japan, Saigyô: Poems of a Mountain Home, and The Columbia Book of Chinese Poetry: From Early Times to the Thirteenth Century, all published by Columbia.