Elucidating the Intent (Hardcover)

Gregory Forgues

ISBN 10: 1949163296 / ISBN 13: 9781949163292

Published by Wisdom Publications,U.S., Somerville, 2026

About this Item

Hardcover. The Buddha's final pronouncement on how to understand precisely the entirety of his teachings on key elements of meditative practice, the role of language in metaphysical insight, and the nature of enlightenment itself. Elucidating the Intent (Arya-samdhinirmocana-nama-mahayana-sutra) is a foundational text in the East Asian and Indo-Tibetan Buddhist canons that reveals vitally important points of practice and philosophy. Over eight chapters of deepening profundity, the Buddha dispels the confusion of his interlocutors on the fundamental aspects of meditation and liberation, making this a text treasured across these Buddhist traditions. With perfect precision, the Buddha clarifies his teachings, particularly those related to the nature of existence that he had propounded in the Perfection of Wisdom literature. Whereas in other teachings the Buddha elaborated extensive ethical principles for both monastics and laypersons, therein he declared all existent things to lack any essential nature or characteristic, which seemed to undermine these very principles. So, these interlocutors plead, elucidate the intent of these teachings. In so doing, the Buddha explains exactly how to balance the twin elements of Buddhist concern over the millennia: how to maintain intense meditative practice, disposition of universal compassion, and infallible ethics while simultaneously unraveling self-grasping habit patterns. Perfectly balanced, the Buddha explains, these two constitute the path to enlightenment. This text, then, could not be more critical to all Buddhist traditions, which is why it has remained a jewel for scholars and practitioners. Combining philological and philosophical accuracy in light of recent international scholarship, Gregory Forgues's rendering marks a significant advance over prior translations. This new rendering, with a brief introduction and extensive glossary, introduces a new generation of scholars and practitioners to its rich offerings. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781949163292

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Elucidating the Intent (Hardcover)
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications,U.S., Somerville
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1949163296
• ISBN 13: 9781949163292
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

The Buddha gives a systematic overview of his three great cycles of teachings (tridharmacakra), explains what his intent was in each of these cycles, and declares this foundational third-cycle sutra to be a presentation of his definitive intent.

In Elucidating the Intent, through a series of dialogues, the Buddha offers a complete and systematic teaching on the Great Vehicle (Mahayana), elucidating many difficult points regarding the ultimate and relative truths, the nature of reality, and the contemplative methods conducive to the attainment of complete and perfect awakening.

This sutra, authoritative for all Mahayana traditions, and especially fundamental for the Yogacara tradition, deals with the theory and practice of the entire bodhisattva path. Topics covered include: the secrets of mind (citta), thought (manas), and cognition (vijnana); the practices of mental stillness (samatha) and insight (vipasyans); as well as the uniquely third-cycle concepts of “subliminal cognition” (alayavijnana), and the three defining characteristics of phenomena: the imaginary defining characteristic (parikalpitalaksana), the other-dependent defining characteristic (paratantralaksana), and the actual defining characteristic (parinispannalaksana).

Combining philological and philosophical accuracy in light of recent international scholarship, Gregory Forgues’s translation marks a significant advance over prior versions. This new rendering, with a brief introduction and extensive glossary, introduces a new generation of scholars and practitioners to its rich offerings.

About the Author

Dr. Gregory Forgues is Director of Research at the Tsadra Foundation, prior to which he served as a member of the Open Philology Project at the University of Leiden. He completed his doctorate at the University of Vienna and in 2024 published the monograph Radical Nonduality: Ju Mipham Namgyal Gyatso’s Discourse on Reality.