The Lotus Sūtra in Tibetan script

Although the Lotus Sutra is an extremely important scripture in Mahayana Buddhism, its content is not as voluminous as the Prajnaparamita Sutras, Avatamsaka Sutra, or the Maharatnakuta Sutra. Therefore, in the Tibetan "Kanjur" canon, it is not classified as an independent category but rather included in the "General Sutra" section (sdo sna tshogs). However, in 1669 complete manuscript of the "Dragon Canon" (Lung Zang), the Lotus Sutra is listed as the first scripture in the "General Sutra" (Ju) section, under the 67th case (函). The 11th-century Tibetan historical text, "The Account of Ba," (dba' bzhed) records that the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo dispatched his minister Thonmi Sambhota to India to learn Sanskrit. Thonmi Sambhota brought back a Sanskrit version of the Lotus Sutra to Tibet, but it was not yet translated. Another historical text, "The Testament of Ba" (bka' chems ka khol ma), lists this scripture as one of the 21 sutras related to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. The extant Tibetan translations of the Lotus Sutra found in the "Kanjur" canon were jointly translated in the early 9th century by the Indian monk Surendrabodhi (天帝覺) and the Tibetan translator Namnay Yeshe De (智軍). Additionally, incomplete Tibetan translations with unknown translators have been discovered in Dunhuang and Khotan. These Tibetan translations, despite differences in terminology, have fundamentally similar content, consisting of 27 chapters like the Sanskrit version. According to contemporary scholars' analysis based on textual criticism, the Tibetan translations are closer to Sanskrit manuscripts from Gilgit and Nepal, differing more from those from Central Asia. In the transmission of Tibetan Buddhism, although the Lotus Sutra may not hold the same level of importance as it does in East Asian Buddhism, its expounding of the "One Vehicle" perspective is still highly valued by Tibetans. All Tibetan Buddhist schools consider it as a scripture of profound significance. Moreover, Indian Madhyamaka masters have frequently referenced the Lotus Sutra in their teachings. For instance, Kamalaśīla (late 9th century) in his "Madhyamakāloka" and Atiśa (982-1054) in his "Mahāsūtrasamuccaya" have quoted from the Lotus Sutra. Given that the Middle Way School (Madhyamaka) is considered the highest view in Tibetan Buddhism, the Lotus Sutra holds considerable importance and is frequently cited. Furthermore, the "Commentary on the Lotus Sutra" by Xuanzang's direct disciple Kuiji (632-682) was translated into Tibetan and, although only the commentary on the Chapter 11 remains, it is still highly regarded by Tibetans and included in the Tengyur canon. (Liu Guowei)