New Book

[Guest guest]

TITLE: The Maha-Vairocana-abhisambodhi Tantra with Buddhaguhya's

Commentaries; PP 572;

TRANS: Stephen Hodge; PUB: RoutledgeCurzon; ISBN: 0-7007-1183-X; DOP:

30/08/02; PRICE: Not cheap - varies according to exchange rate

 

I am pleased to announce, after many false alarms, the final publication of

the above. As many will know, the MVT is an early Buddhist Tantra of

seminal importance for an understanding of the emergence and development of

Buddhist Tantrism. The book comprises a complete translation of the MVT

itself based on the Tibetan and Chinese translations with the few

fragmentary passages that survive in Sanskrit. Important variants between

the Tibetan and Chinese have been noted. The root text is interleaved with

a translation of Buddhaguhya's detailed Bhasya - an important milestone in

Buddhist Tantric studies as this is probably the first translation of a full

length commentary on any Tantra to have been published in any Western

language. The book also includes a translation of Buddhaguhya's

Pindartha - a concise guide to the doctrines and practices of the MVT. I

hope those who have waited so patiently will not be disappointed although a

number of infelicities in the book have inevitably gone noticed.

 

Best wishes,

Stephen Hodge