Nan Huaijin Selected Works (Volume 8) (Volume 8)

Author: Nan Huaijin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Nan Huaijin, a renowned scholar with international acclaim, was born in 1918 into a scholarly family in Leqing County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. At 85 years old, he was nurtured by his parents in his early years and studied the classics and the Hundred Schools of Thought in his youth. When the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out, the young Nan Huaijin took up arms and served on the southwestern frontier. Later, he returned to Sichuan and taught at the Central Military Academy and Jinling University. With exceptional talent and detachment from worldly matters, he often traveled with straw sandals and bamboo canes, exploring famous mountains and rivers, seeking out eminent monks and scholars. He once retreated to the Pingping Temple on Mount Emei for three years of seclusion, thoroughly reading the vast Great Treasury of the Mahayana Sutras. He then traveled to Tibet, studying with masters of Vajrayana Buddhism and gaining deep insights into the various schools of Tibetan Buddhism. After leaving Tibet, he moved to Kunming, initially teaching at Yunnan University and later at Sichuan University. After the war, he returned to his hometown. Soon after, he retired to Mount Tianzhu in Hangzhou and Mount Lu in Jiangxi, dedicating himself to scholarship. After moving to Taiwan, he was appointed to teach at Cultural University, Fu Jen University, and other universities and research institutes, spreading his knowledge to Japan, the United States, and Central and South America. In recent years, he has resided in Hong Kong, contributing significantly to cultural exchange between the mainland and Taiwan. Nan Huaijin is well-versed in classics, history, and philosophy, bridging Eastern and Western cultures with profound knowledge and a vast body of writings. Especially notable is his approach of combining classics with historical analysis to explain the teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. His works are rich in references, vivid in expression, and deeply insightful, making him a beloved figure among readers across all levels in both mainland China and Taiwan. Fudan University Press is the earliest publisher of Nan Huaijin’s works in China and the publisher with the most extensive and varied collection of his writings. They have published a total of twenty-four works, most of which are his representative works. With the authorization of the author and the original publisher, these works have been compiled into ten volumes, beautifully bound to meet the needs of readers for reading and collecting. The contents of each volume are as follows:
Volume 1: The Analects Decoded
Volume 2: The Way of Lao Tzu and Confucius, Mencius Unbound
Volume 3: The I Ching Unbound, Commentary on the I Ching Systematic Transmission
Volume 4: Zen and Taoism, Taoism, Vajrayana Buddhism, and Eastern Mysticism, Meditation for Self-Cultivation and Immortality
Volume 5: Exploring the Zen Sea, Zen Talks, An Outline of the Development of Buddhism in China, An Outline of the Development of Taoism in China
Volume 6: Experiences from History, A Generation That Is Both New and Old, General Remarks on Chinese Culture
Volume 7: How to Practice and Attain Enlightenment, The Perspective of the Sariputra’s Healing of the World Sutra, Basic Beliefs of a Buddhist
Volume 8: What the Diamond Sutra Means, A Contemporary Interpretation of the Lingyin Sutra
Volume 9: A Brief Explanation of the Great Awakening Sutra, Initial Practices of Mindfulness and Wisdom, A Contemporary Interpretation of the Lengya Sutra
Volume 10: The Original Meaning of the Great Learning
Fudan University Press, July 3, 2003
The Diamond Sutra is one of the representative classics of early Mahayana Buddhism and a key text in the Prajnaparamita category. Its full title is the Sutra of the Diamond Prajnaparamita ( is sometimes written as ). It is a single-volume text translated by the monk Kumārajīva in the sixth year of the Hongshi era (426 CE). After its publication, it quickly spread throughout society, with over one hundred commentaries, summaries, annotations, poetic verses, explanations, and other interpretations. The text primarily discusses the theory that "all spoken phenomena are not all phenomena" and the concept of "emptiness and illusory existence" of all phenomena (both physical and psychological). This book is a lecture record by the renowned scholar Nan Huaijin on the Diamond Sutra. Based on the classification by the (Liang Dynasty Prince Zhaoming), Nan Huaijin divides the Diamond Sutra into thirty-two chapters (equivalent to chapters) and explains each one. Each chapter concludes with a verse summarizing his research insights. The book provides a thorough analysis of the difficult passages in the Diamond Sutra. With the authorization of the author and the original publisher, Taiwan Lao Gu Cultural Enterprises, this book has been revised and published as the latest edition (2nd printing, 3rd edition, January 2001) for study.
The Lingyin Sutra is an important classic revered by the Chan and Pure Land schools of Buddhism in China. Since the Tang Dynasty, there have been over one hundred commentaries on it, and its recitation, study, and practice are widespread. The famous "Lingyin Dharma Assembly" is based on this text. The full title of the Lingyin Sutra is the Sutra of the Great Buddha’s Crown, the Secret Cause of Enlightenment for the Practice and Attainment of Buddhahood by All Bodhisattvas, the Chief of Ten Thousand Practices, translated by the Tang Dynasty monk Pāramitī. The text primarily discusses the theory of "root and dust are of the same origin, and liberation and bondage are not two" and the "twenty-five methods of perfect penetration." The Ming Dynasty monk Zhixu once praised it as "the guiding light of the Dharma, the essence of the nature and form, the core of the Dharma for one’s generation, and the true seal for becoming a Buddha." (, Volume 11). This book is a full-length contemporary interpretation of the Lingyin Sutra by the renowned scholar Nan Huaijin, including the original text, annotations, translation, and commentary (indicated in parentheses). The translation strives for accuracy, elegance, and clarity, updating ancient wisdom for modern readers, making it a high-quality colloquial reading of the Lingyin Sutra. With the authorization of the author and the original publisher, Taiwan Lao Gu Cultural Enterprises, this book has been revised and published as the latest edition (1st printing, 35th printing, March 2001) for study.