Lankavatara Sutra

At the seventh place in the list of the most sacred texts of Buddhism, we have the Lankavatara Sutra, which is a significant text in Mahayana Buddhism, particularly within the Zen tradition. In the Lankavatara Sutra, the Buddha has a conversation with one of his students, Mahāmati, on this imaginary island called Laṅkā. They talk about deep things like the mind, consciousness, and what's really real in the world.

One of the central themes of the Lankavatara Sutra is the idea of "mind-only" (cittamatra), which asserts that everything we experience is a product of our mind. The sutra challenges conventional notions of an external, independently existing world and encourages practitioners to understand the true nature of their perceptions.

Another important concept is "tathagatagarbha," which is like the potential for becoming a Buddha that exists in everyone. The sutra suggests that we all have this special quality within us, waiting to be discovered through spiritual practice and understanding.

Even though the Lankavatara Sutra might not be as famous as some other Buddhist texts, it has had a big impact on Zen Buddhism and the broader Mahayana tradition. This sacred text delves into various stages of spiritual realization and emphasizes direct experience over intellectual understanding. Throughout the sutra, the Buddha gives advice on realizing our true selves, changing from within, and gaining wisdom. It aims to inspire practitioners to go beyond attachment to concepts and words, pointing to a direct and immediate realization of enlightenment.

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Lankavatara-Sutra-Translation-Commentary/dp/1619020998

Link to read: https://terebess.hu/english/lankavatara-sutra.pdf