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The Nirvana Sutra Volume I

Translation of Great Nirvāṇa Mahāyāna Sūtra

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Taishō 374
Volume 12

The Nirvana Sutra deals with the teachings given by Śākyamuni shortly before his death (mahāparinirvāṇa). Nirvāṇa means "extinguishing the flames of passion and attaining the state of enlightenment." Since Śākyamuni attained enlightenment at the age of 35, he did in fact already enter nirvāṇa at this time. But because it was considered impossible to completely extinguish the passions while retaining a physical body, Śākyamuni’s death came to be called mahāparinirvāṇa, i.e. "the state of great serenity in which the flames of passion have been completely extinguished." The sūtra gives the teachings expounded by Śākyamuni immediately before his death. As it contains episodes relating to events before and after his death, it also has value as historical source material.

Source

Skt. Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, translated into the Chinese by Dharmakṣema as Da banniepan jing (大般涅槃經). 40 fascicles. (Source: BDK America)

Citation	Blum, Mark L., trans. The Nirvana Sutra (Mahāparinirvāṇa-Sūtra). Vol. 1. BDK English Tripiṭaka Series. Moraga, CA: BDK America, 2015. https://bdkamerica.org/product/the-nirvana-sutra-vol-i/.

Contents

• A Message on the Publication of the English Tripiṭaka, NUMATA Yehanv
• Editorial Foreword, MAYEDA Sengakuvii
• Publisher’s Foreword, A. Charles Mullerix
• Translator’s Introduction, Mark L. Blumxiii
• The Nirvana Sutra, Volume I
• Fascicle I
  • Chapter One. Longevity: Part 13
• Fascicle II
  • Chapter One. Longevity: Part 231
• Fascicle III
  • Chapter One. Longevity: Part 369
  • Chapter Two. The Adamantine Body 91
  • Chapter Three. The Virtues of the Name 103
• Fascicle IV
  • Chapter Four. The Nature of the Tathāgata: Part 1107
• Fascicle V
  • Chapter Four. The Nature of the Tathāgata: Part 2135
• Fascicle VI
  • Chapter Four. The Nature of the Tathāgata: Part 3169
• Fascicle VII
  • Chapter Four. The Nature of the Tathāgata: Part 4201
    • [The Four Inversions]224
    • [The Five Parables on Buddha-nature]226
• Fascicle VIII
  • Chapter Four. The Nature of the Tathāgata: Part 5235
    • [The Garland of Letters]253
• Fascicle IX
  • Chapter Four. The Nature of the Tathāgata: Part 6271
• Fascicle X
  • Chapter Four. The Nature of the Tathāgata: Part 7305
  • Chapter Five. The Query of the Entire Assembly313
• Notes339
• Glossary365
• Bibliography375
• Index383
• A List of the Volumes of the BDK English Tripiṭaka (First Series)425