The Great Realizations: A Commentary on the Eight Realizations of a Bodhisattva Sutra

The Eight Realizations of a Bodhisattva Sutra allows us to see the world as a bodhisattva does: complete with its share of difficulties and troubles, but also equip with endless opportunities to become wiser and more compassionate. The Great Realizations is a new English translation and commentary that weaves the teachings of this essential sutra into the larger Buddhist tradition. With teachings on how to find contentment, the importance of diligence, and the benefits of generosity, The Great Realizations is an ideal starting point for those interested in Buddhism, as well as a faithful companion for those committed to Buddhist practice.

Venerable Master Hsing Yun is a Chinese Buddhist monk, author, philanthropist, and founder of the Fo Guang Shan monastic order, which has branches throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Ordained at the age of twelve in Jiangsu Province, China, Master Hsing Yun has spent his over seventy years as a Buddhist monk building what he calls Humanistic Buddhism: Buddhism that meets the needs of people and is integrated into all aspects of life.

In 1949, Master Hsing Yun came to Taiwan and began to nurture the new burgeoning Buddhist culture in Taiwan. He served as an editor and contributor to many Buddhist magazines and periodicals, authoring the daily columns Between Ignorance and Enlightenment, Dharma Words, and Hsing Yun s Chan Talk, as well as starting his own Buddhist magazine, Awakening the World, in 1957, and the first daily Buddhist newspaper, the Merit Times, in 2000. Master Hsing Yun authored many important works including the Song of Silence, the Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha, and National Master Yulin. Master Hsing Yun also edited and sponsored the Fo Guang Encyclopedia, the most authoritative Buddhist reference work in the Chinese language. His contributions have reached as far as sponsoring Buddhist music and art, to creating Buddhist programming for television, radio, and the stage.