A Study of the Buddhabhūmyupadeśa

In this volume John Keenan provides access to an otherwise largely unstudied Mahāyāna text, the Buddhabhūmi-sūtra, along with two commentaries that interpret the sūtra in terms of Yogācāra thought: the Buddhabhūmivyākhyāna by Śīlabhadra, extant in Tibetan, and Bandhuprabha’s Buddhabhūmyupadeśa from the Chinese, which expands on Śīlabhadra’s text with additional explanation. Due to the influence of these two commentaries, the Buddhabhūmisūtra has traditionally been considered a Yogācāra text. In the course of his studies Keenan has come to understand this sūtra as an important part of the Indic literature of Pure Land Buddhism. His approach to the text thus provides a more expansive understanding of the historical origins of Pure Land thought and practice, as well as highlighting the interpretive processes through which sūtra texts can be mined for a variety of different meanings. This important study offers a resource for developing contemporary interpretations of Pure Land teachings.