Buddhism a to z Page
Buddhism A to Z by Ron Epstein and Venerable Master Hsuan Hua
Return to Buddhism A to Z Index, Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, Buddhist Text Translation Society (BTTS), Buddhism A to Z Bibliography
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List of Introductory Readings
For a general understanding of basic Buddhist teachings, start with the entries in Group I, then move on to Group II, and so forth. If you want information on a particular topic, read the specific entry that most closely approximates your topic, then check the entries listed after the "SEE ALSO" at the end of the entry, then check the sources listed for that entry in Appendix A: Additional Reference Material for Entries.
Group I
Group I:
* karma
* rebirth
* Enlightenment
* Buddha
* Thus Come One
* Dharma/dharma
Group II
Group II:
* Arhat
* Four Holy Truths (Four Noble Truths)
* Eightfold Path
* Twelvefold Conditioned Arising (Twelve Links of Dependent Arising)
* Bodhisattva
* pāramitā (paramita)
* Six Pāramitās (Six Paramitas)
Group III
Group III:
* Six Spiritual Powers
* Six Paths of Rebirth
* Ten Dharma Realms
* Five Skandhas
* Eighteen Realms
* Five Moral Precepts
Group IV
Group IV:
* meditation
* mindfulness
* Four Applications of Mindfulness
* lotus posture
* samadhi
* Chan School
* Four Dhyānas
* Four Formless Realms
Group V
Group V:
* Five Types of Buddhist Study and Practice
* Mahayana and Hinayana Compared
* Pure Land
* Buddha Recitation
* Eight Consciousnesses
* One Hundred Dharmas
* emptiness
Group VI
Group VI:
* demon
* lineage
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Technical Notes
Many passages from BTTS publications have been slightly edited and/or retranslated without each specific instance being indicated. In quoted passages some attempt, though not an exhaustive one, has been made to standardize terminology. The following conventions have been adopted:
Two slightly different conventions of romanization have been used for Sanskrit words depending upon whether or not they are treated as English. For those treated as English no diacritical marks will be used, and so the spelling is that English spelling closest to the pronunciation.
The following Sanskrit Buddhist terms have been treated as English words: Arhat, Bhikshu, Bhikshuni, Bodhisattva, Buddha, Dharma, Hinayana, karma, Mahayana, Nirvana, PratyekaBuddha, samadhi, Sangha, stupa, sutra, Theravada.
Other Sanskrit words have been italicized to indicate that they have not yet become part of the English language, e.g. asura, bodhi, dhyāna, kalpa, pāramitā, Prajñā, śarīra, skandha, śramaṇa, śrāvaka, upāsaka, upāsikā, vajra. Of course other less well-known non-English terms are also italicized. However, when such foreign terms occur in proper names, they are capitalized but not italicized, e.g. Ānanda, Avataṃsaka, Tathāgata.
Sanskrit terms are pluralized as though they were English, e.g. asuras, Six Pāramitās.
Pinyin is used for the romanization of Chinese words, except for some proper names which retain familiar romanizations. See Appendix C for Comparative Tables of Romanization: Pinyin/Wade-Giles/Yale.
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Abbreviations of BTTS Publications
* AS - Amitābha Sutra (Amitabha Sutra)
* BNS - Brahma Net Sutra
* BRF - Buddha Root Farm
* CL - Cherishing [[Life
* CPL - Ch'an and Pure Land Dharma Talks (reprinted in LY, vol. 2)
* DFS - Dharma Flower Sutra (Lotus Sutra)
* DS - Dhāraṇī Sutra (Dharani Sutra)
* EDR - Entering the Dharma Realm (FAS, ch. 39)
* FAS - Flower Adornment Sutra (Avatamasaka or Flower Ornament)
* FASP - Flower Adornment Sutra Prologue
* FASVP - Flower Adornment Sutra Verse Preface
* FHS - Filiality - The Human Source
* HR - Human Roots
* HS - Heart Sutra (Prajna Paramita Sutra)
* LY - Listen to Yourself, Think Everything Over
* NS - Nirvana Sutra (unpublished draft translation)
* NTC - News from True Cultivators
* OYE - Open Your Eyes, Take a Look at the World
* PB - Pictorial Biography of the Venerable Master Hsu Yun
* PDS - Proper Dharma Seal
* PS - Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra
* RH - City of 10,000 Buddhas Recitation Handbook
* RHS - Records of High Sanghans
* RL - Records of the Life of the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua
* S42 - Sutra in Forty-Two Sections
* SE - Song of Enlightenment
* SM - Śūraṅgama Mantra Commentary (Shurangama Mantra Commentary)
* SPV - Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva
* SS - Śūraṅgama Sutra (Shurangama Sutra)
* SV - Śrāmaṇera Vinaya and Rules of Deportment (Shramanera Vinaya)
* TD The Ten Dharma Realms Are not Beyond a Single Thought
* TS - Three Steps One Bow
* TT - Herein Lies the Treasure Trove
* UW - Universal Worthy's Conduct and Vows (FAS, Chapter 40)
* VBS - Vajra Bodhi Sea
* VS - Vajra Sutra (Diamond Sutra)
* WM - Water Mirror Reflecting Heaven
* WOH - With One Heart Bowing to the City of 10,000 Buddhas
* WPG - World Peace Gathering
* Volume - numbers are indicated by Roman numerals.
* CWSL - Hsüan-Tsang. Ch'eng Wei-shih Lun; The Doctrine of Mere-Consciousness.
* DPPN - Malalasekera, G.P., ed. Dictionary of Pāli Proper Names (Pali Text Society).
* EB - Malalasekera, G.P., ed. Encyclopedia of Buddhism
* HYSC - Huayan Shuchao (National Master Qingliang's Commentary on the Flower Adornment Sutra)
* PTSD - Rhys Davids, T. W., ed. The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary.
T. - Takakusu and Watanabe, eds. Taisho shinshu Daizokyo.
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