The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra

As a hit-and-miss Buddhist practitioner and amateur world-religions scholar of some thirty or forty years, alas with only a B.A. in Philosophy to show for it all, I must say that having gotten about a hundred-or-two pages into this 1600-page divine monster, that it is one of the greatest projects of religious literature of all times. As a man with OCD and a hungry interest for every detail, I start out every book by reading every word in the glossary and index, ever appendix, every introduction, etc. Usually, by the time I finish all the ancillary materials in a major religious text, I see the range of the work and am usually disappointed. However, being the product of the workaholic, puritanical, guilt-ridden, self-loathing, production-oriented society that I am, I will finish a work, however lugubrious the task may appear, often, in a hypochondriac way, stating to myself, "How will I ever live long enough to finish this?"But in spite of all these considerations, I have great news on a kid of "so-far" basis. Even the hundreds of pages of ancillary materials are great, and, far from making the prospect of actually finishing this leviathan seem daunting, I actually hunger for it more as I learn more about this. I have read Copleston's entire 4,000-page History of Western Philosophy and several thousand pages of the University of Chicago's ongoing Mahabharata, (that is, I've finished reading all they have been able to produce up to this point), and of course the 3,000 pages of Proust. Incidentally, I've read the Koran Twice, the Torah a dozen times, the New Testament a hundred times, and the entire Bible three times, etc., etc., and yet never has any scripture of this massive size felt so energetic. I've read the entire Rig Veda and countless other sutras, commentaries, and so on; and many of the smaller ones, like the Diamond Sutra, and the Gita, sizzle with life and quickly and easily raise one's consciousness. However, the long sutras tend to be even more self-indulgent than my own poetry, [...], and other long scriptures are so self-referential and self-praising that they become anti-climatic, (not that I could blame anyone for these qualities, since my own work is based entirely on my ego). That is, they say over and over again, "I shall present something great to you for 900 pages," but then, after all, fail to. I don't believe this will be the case with this book, which becomes more like a divine psychedelic acid trip with every page I turn. I was put off by the length of this, (since I'm always in so many huge, thousand-plus-page projects), that I kept evading this one. And also the sheer expense of a book which, when not on sale, lists for $100! put me off as I am understandably very poor due to the fact that my utter self-absorption makes it difficult for me to succeed in a real-world job.This review is, to some extent, a speculative review, (since Amazon sent an email asking for a review two weeks after I got it, which may be about two years before I finish it.) And I've decided to give a "progress report" based on my vast experience and my high-percentage intuition. (Please excuse the immense arrogance of my whole approach here, but I am shockingly arrogant, so, for now, that will be the kind of writing I will do.) Stunningly, I am essentially claiming to know, by sampling a couple of hundred pages, that the following 1400 pages will be great. However, I think I know it will be great, having been down these roads so many times with similar projects, and based on what I always end up knowing this far into any game, to use a football analogy. My prediction is that I will continue to be very pleased with the remaining pages as I was from the first page.If, for some reason I end up wrong, or my overview changes as I plunge deeper into this abyss of bliss and cosmosity, I shall write another review recanting it all. But for now, someone has to try to say something in something resembling real-world time. And so I give you this preemptive, know-it-all review and basically request your blind faith at this point, (as I must do, I suppose, in all my romances as well). Many blessings to you all. May you all end up more humble than me, if for no other reason than that will enable me to get more publicity than the rest of you.

A huge book that may never get fully read by me, but it is nice to explore a foundational text and get an inkling of enlightenment. The book is very affordable for its size, however the trade off to that is the book itself isn’t built to last. As an aside, the book came very loose in a box with no bubble wrap or packing peanuts or paper or anything to protect it in transit. This is my first book through Amazon, I hope my next book purchase is given a little more packaging protection.

I'd give this 3.5 stars if Amazon had a half-star rating system.This review is primarily regarding Cleary's translation, his choice of wording, and tone. Cleary has an off-putting way of speaking down to his readers, in a way that is less encouraging and more criticizing than other translators and teachers; I found this to be true of his translation of the Blue Cliff Record as well. The revered Zen masters of the past have deftly utilized the critical approach in a significantly more constructive and empowering way. Additionally, I find his use of the word "occult" to be inappropriate and misleading (due to the baggage this word carries) and does not fit well within the context of the Buddha's sutras.The Sutra itself, as far as this particular translation goes, is incredibly dense and often repeats the same things ad nauseum with slightly altered wording. As an avid reader and fan of the Pali Canon, I'm not a stranger to the use and benefits of repetition to firmly plant the Buddha's seeds of wisdom deep within our consciousness, but in this instance it becomes a chore to read and difficult to maintain motivation and focus; I found myself nearly dozing off several times. The lists of the qualities and accomplishments of the enlightening beings, Buddha Shakyamuni, and Vairocana Buddha are of course well-deserved and displays sincere reverence to the wisdom and compassion of our great teachers. There are some excellent gems of wisdom to be found in this mighty tome, and anyone with the dedication and perseverance to complete it will no doubt find benefit from it. Translating this text was a massive undertaking and although I have a few qualms with it, I greatly appreciate the effort and dedication that went into this.In summary, I would recommend reading and studying solid translations of the Lotus and Surangama (or Shurangama) Sutras over this translation of the Avatamsaka, as much of the same wisdom can be found in them with considerably less repetition and Cleary's demeaning tone. Perhaps someday a translator as skilled and approachable as Kazuaki Tanahashi or Red Pine will try their hand at the Avatamsaka, that would genuinely be a sincere delight to read!May you be happy and healthy, may all beings be happy and healthy!

This is a magic book. For me it took a while to get into it, but it really works on you -- brings you into a Mahayana world where enlightened or enlightening beings of all kinds are everywhere. It's not really linear -- it's not psychological -- it's not a commentary -- I find it's best to read it out loud. Reading it is a practice. I skipped the intro, being a very long time practitioner, but I'm going back to read it. Most of the classes of beings being described and quoted are not familiar to me. Just reading this book opens up your mind. It's atmospheric. It may be unfamiliar at first, but for me, I just kept going and have found its deeply transforming.

I am not a Buddhist, although I am learning more about Buddhism. I have bought various texts including the Dhammapada and The Way of the Bodhisattva. I decided to get this book mainly because of the other good reviews. I will say that the book does seem to have a power of it's own. On the shelf, the eye is drawn to it beyond all of the others there. Truth be told, I have so far read no more than 20 of the 1643 pages. This is a reflection on modern life, where it is more difficult to focus due to the many distractions. I hope that as I progress, I will be able to read and reflect more.

I have hankered after this sutra for a very long time, but could never quite justify the price. But I managed to find a secondhand copy through Amazon at a significant discount, and it is everything I had hoped for. - vast in scope, immensely varied in its language and imagery and profound in its teaching. It's not a sutra for the beginner, but there are literally years of reading and reflection in its pages.

This powerful book is actually my favourite spiritual book I've ever owned. It's an absolute treasure on my bookshelf and I often find myself seeking solace in its pages.With such a book as this, it can transform, it can brighten and it can bring you peace. It is worthy of being called "a holy book"... unlike some others I can mention....So with that in mind, I learned much about the Buddhist thought from this excellent translation by Thomas Cleary. He also translates excellently to English other works. But this one is my favourite of his.The book itsself is well made, feels like a special book, hardcover. Thick and well bounded. Pages are light, and words are beautiful. Can't go wrong.

This Sutra is quite obviously the most precious Sutra there is. If you are buying this sutra its not for the concern of the price tag, there is no price on these teachings. The Dalai Lama himself has this book at his side throughout his practice. Its a must buy for anyone who is taking on the practice of Buddhism.

Expensive, but life changing!Been after this for ages and finaly spashed out and wow....what a book!