Buddhist Mahāyāna Texts
Overview
Buddhist Mahāyāna Texts (1894) is a comprehensive anthology of major Mahayana Buddhist scriptures published by Oxford’s Clarendon Press. This 484-page volume brings together translations by three distinguished scholars: Edward B. Cowell’s rendering of Aśvaghoṣa’s Buddhacarita (life of the Buddha in epic poetry), F. Max Müller’s translations of the larger and smaller Sukhāvatī-vyūha sutras, the Vajracchedikā (Diamond Sutra), and Prajñāpāramitā-hṛdaya-sūtra (Heart Sutra), and Junjiro Takakusu’s translation of the Amitāyurdhyāna-sūtra. Together, these texts represent core scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism, encompassing Pure Land devotional literature, Prajnaparamita wisdom teachings, and poetic hagiography.
About the Authors and Translators
This volume represents a collaboration between leading scholars of Buddhist studies. Aśvaghoṣa (c. 80-150 CE) was one of ancient India’s greatest Buddhist poets and philosophers, whose Buddhacarita combines literary artistry with doctrinal exposition. Edward B. Cowell (1826-1903) was a distinguished Cambridge Orientalist who specialized in Sanskrit literature. Friedrich Max Müller (1823-1900), the renowned German-British philologist, directed the Sacred Books of the East series and pioneered the academic study of comparative religion. Junjiro Takakusu (1866-1945) was a pioneering Japanese Buddhist scholar who brought Japanese scholarly traditions into dialogue with European orientalism. This international collaboration reflected the growing global nature of Buddhist studies in the late nineteenth century.
Historical Context
Published in 1894, this anthology appeared during a period when European and Japanese scholars were collaborating to make Buddhist texts available to international audiences. The inclusion of Japanese scholarship through Takakusu’s work represented recognition that Asian scholars brought indispensable linguistic and cultural expertise to Buddhist studies. The late nineteenth century saw increased Western access to Mahayana texts preserved in Sanskrit, Chinese, and Tibetan, revealing the philosophical and devotional diversity of Buddhist traditions beyond Theravada. This volume made foundational Mahayana texts accessible to English-speaking scholars and practitioners, contributing to Western understanding of East Asian Buddhism’s textual foundations.
Literary and Cultural Significance
This anthology brought together some of Mahayana Buddhism’s most influential texts, each representing different aspects of the tradition. Aśvaghoṣa’s Buddhacarita demonstrated Buddhism’s sophisticated literary culture and its ability to deploy classical Sanskrit poetry for religious purposes. The Pure Land sutras (Sukhāvatī-vyūha and Amitāyurdhyāna) presented the devotional dimension of Mahayana, emphasizing faith in Amitābha Buddha’s compassionate vow to save all beings. The Diamond and Heart Sutras exemplified Prajnaparamita literature’s philosophical exploration of emptiness and wisdom. By presenting these diverse texts together, the volume illustrated Mahayana Buddhism’s multifaceted nature, encompassing philosophy, devotion, and narrative. The work significantly influenced Western understanding of Buddhism’s diversity and contributed to the development of Buddhist studies as an academic field, while also serving as a resource for Western Buddhist practitioners seeking authoritative translations of foundational texts.