New Commentary and Publication: The Sūtra of The Teaching of Vimalakīrti

In celebration of Saga Dawa, the month in which many Buddhists commemorate the birth, enlightenment and passing of Shakyamuni Buddha, Khyentse Foundation and 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha are pleased to announce the launch of The Sūtra of The Teaching of Vimalakīrti. The book is offered in two sections, a prefatory commentary by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, “A Celebrity Falls Sick,” and a new 84000 edition of Robert A. F. Thurman’s English translation of the acclaimed Buddhist sūtra, The Teaching of Vimalakīrti.

Robert Thurman on his latest translation of the Sūtra of the Teaching of Vimalakīrti

Meet sūtra of “The Teaching of Vimalakīrti” translator Robert A. F. Thurman and hear what he has to say about the first request for him to translate the Vimalakīrtisūtra, the impact of the subsequent discovery of its Sanskrit edition, the effort of 84000 to translate the Kangyur and Tengyur, and more. In the following interview, Thurman stresses the sūtra’s importance in introducing people to Mahāyāna teachings on emptiness and “and even, tangentially, to the esoteric teachings.”

Adopting and Adapting an Already Published Translation

John Canti, 84000 Editorial Chair, shares his experience with the unique challenges and opportunities that arise from working with a sūtra translation that has already been in circulation for many years. In reference to Robert Thurman’s existing translation of The Teaching of Vimalakīrti, Canti says, “The task was to try to bring Thurman’s translation into the same format and overall approach... while at the same time to avoid too much modification that might have spoiled the qualities of the originally published work.”