《圓覺經》全名《大方廣圓覺修多羅了義經》,透過文殊師利等十二位菩薩與佛陀的問答,宣說如來圓覺妙理,揭櫫一切眾生具足圓覺妙心,是指引如何修行成佛的經典。《圓覺經》廣受唐代天台、華嚴、禪宗、密宗重視,北宋郭印提出佛教四書,清末吳坤修甄選釋氏十三經,它從未缺席,又早早流布高麗與鎌倉時代的朝鮮、日本。該經一卷之薄,允為東亞漢傳佛教「經中之睛」。是次新注新譯,深度利用東亞文獻以校勘、輯佚,紹述唐僧玄奘忠於原典及思想、語言原貌之傳統,從佛學乃至文學角度,予以精當闡釋,化深奧為易懂,內容至簡至要。〈導讀〉一文更明析該經結構、善本、善注、文體,乃至東亞古典時代地位諸議題。研讀佛教經典者,切莫錯過。The Sūtra of Perfect Englightenment 圓覺經, whose full title is The Nītârtha Sūtra on the canon of the great and expansive Perfect Enlightenment (Dà fāngguăng yuánjué xiūduōluó liǎoyì jīng) 大方廣圓覺修多羅了義經, uses a conversation between the Buddha and twelve Bodhisattvas, led by Mañjuśrī, to promulgate the wondrous doctrine of perfect enlightenment. It discloses that all sentient beings have an innate mind of perfect enlightenment, and guides them on how to train to attain Buddhahood. In the Tang dynasty, the Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment was held in high esteem by the Tiantai, Huayan, Chan, and Vajrayāna (Esoteric) schools. And it was listed in the four Buddhist classics proposed by the Northern Song’s G
古印度「民間寓言故事集」;與希臘伊索寓言並稱寓言文學的寶典-------------------------------民初知名作家夏丏尊根據日譯本《南傳大藏經》之《小部經典‧本生經》重譯。《本生經》是公元前三世紀佛教僧侶改編自民間故事的印度佛教經典;德裔英國佛教學者里斯•戴維茲(Thomas Rhys Davids, 1843―1922)指出:「在現有的民間故事集中,最重要的最古老的民間故事集是《佛本生故事集》」。本生即釋迦牟尼在成佛以前,只是一個菩薩,還逃不出輪迴,必須經過無數次轉生才能成佛的前世故事。書中介紹佛陀的遠因緣、不遠因緣及近因緣,以及本生因緣故事。每篇均有序分(說明人或動物、樹神以及事、地)、主分(過去因緣)、結分(把本生的今昔聯結起來),並採用詩(偈語)文結合的形式,中間夾雜詩句來闡述佛陀本懷。譯筆優美流暢,在今日仍為普遍傳閱的重要佛教讀本。