Program

The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Translation Grants in Buddhist Studies, 2025

Project

Translation of Esoteric Buddhist Sutras and Ritual Commentaries

Department

Japanese Studies

Abstract

This project provides English and Hungarian translations of 15 shorter sutras—T 1119-1127; 1133-1136— and ritual commentaries, most of which were translated by Amoghavajra, who lived from 705–774. The texts are compiled in Vol. 20 of the Taisho Canon. Several factors influenced this selection. The main shared characteristic is their association with Vajrasattva and Samantabhadra. Other common features further underscore their coherence as a corpus. For example, all the texts belong to the Diamond Realm lineage, a connection explicitly noted in the titles of some texts—e.g., references to the Adamantine Peak. This project translates the texts and introduces their context and significance in the history of Chinese and Japanese Buddhism.