This Sutra, more commonly known in English as the Lotus Sutra (Sanskrit: Saddharma-pundarika-sutra), is one of the major Buddhist texts of East Asia. It was spoken in the last period of Shakyamuni Buddhas life, proclaiming the ultimate principles of the Dharma, which unites all previous teachings into one. With many parables e.g. those of the burning house, the lost son, and the rain the Buddha teaches that all beings can become fully enlightened and that this achievement, and not that of becoming Shravakas or Pratyekabuddhas, has always been the ultimate intent of his teaching. This Sutra also includes separate chapters on several important bodhisattvas within the Mahayana tradition, such as Avalokiteshvara (Guan Shi Yin Pu Sa) and Samantabhadra (Pu Xian Pu Sa). There are many other translations in English of the Lotus Sutra. The uniqueness of this sixteen volume series is that all twenty-eight chapters include extensive commentary by the late Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua, whose accessible explanations show this ancient text s meaning as instruction for practice of the spiritual path in the modern world. The English translation of this Sutra and the commentary of Master Hua was done by the Buddhist Text Translation Society (BTTS). The translation process of the Society is modeled after the translation assemblies of earlier times and publishes work only after it has passed through four committees for primary translation, revision, editing, and certification. The leaders of these committees are bhikshus (monks) and bhikshunis (nuns) who have devoted their lives to the study and practice of the Buddha s teachings. For that reason, works published by the Society emphasize the practical applications of the Buddha s teachings. Volume 2 starts the translation of the Chapter 1 of the Sutra. On Vulture Peak, a great assembly has gathered to hear Shakyamuni Buddha speak. This sets the stage for the rest of the Sutra. Chinese version: Miao Fa Lian Hua Jing: 735 p, 1997, 0-88139-429-7, $20.00, Hardcover, text only with pinyin for chanting. Miaofa Lianhua Jing Qianshi: ISBN: 978-986732-839-7, 10 volumes Chinese text with explanation. - from Amzon