Teaching, Translating and Publishing Buddhism for the 21st Century
PRAJÑĀ: Perfect Wisdom
An 8-week advanced sutra study course on the Vajra Sutra
Tuesday evenings, 7:00 - 8:30pm (Pacific)
September 30 - November 18, 2025
Tuition: Sliding scale ($375 to $275- includes an advanced copy of the sutra)
All Classes are held live on Zoom with recordings of every class available for participants afterwards
DESCRIPTION
The Vajra Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (the 'Diamond Sutra') is, without a doubt, the most important Mahayana Buddhist sutra. It is the philosophical foundation for many schools of Buddhism, and it is one of the oldest known Buddhist texts of any tradition. I have been translating and teaching the Vajra Sūtra from Chinese editions (and retranslating and retranslating) for over twenty years, endlessly tinkering with every word, attempting to capture the essence of this enigmatic sutra. This year, the Lotus Underground initiated a publishing project to produce a series of standardized translations of Buddhist sutras, and we are starting with a new version of this seminal text. The course will be a close reading of the Vajra Sūtra using this new translation. We will also discuss the texts’ possible origins, its place within the broader context of Buddhism, and its contemporary use and related practices. Participants will be the first to receive a advanced copy of the first Lotus Underground Standardized Edition.
A SACRIFICE OF MONKS
Historical fiction novel by Michael C. Owens
Now available!
DESCRIPTION
A Sacrifice of Monks is a novel about Kong Zang, a young Chinese Buddhist monk trying to survive the “Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution” of the Tang Dynasty. One of the largest religious expulsions in Chinese history that resulted in the near extinction of Buddhism in China, an event that reached its apogee 845 A.D., the year the story takes place. Several of the main characters are historical figures including: the Tang Dynasty Emperor, Wuzong, a Zealot who commanded the persecution during his brief five-year reign; Li Deyu, the Confucian statesman and poet who directed the persecution on behalf of the Emperor; and Zhao Guizhen, a Taoist wizard-priest who was poisoning the Emperor with elixirs of immortality and blaming Buddhism for their ineffectiveness. A minor yet significant character is also Ennin, a Japanese Buddhist monk who was pilgrimaging in China during the years of this persecution, whose travel diary is one of the primary sources for this novel.
Video recordings of past LUSB courses are now available to take
In gratitude to the LUSB community, the following recordings of the below past courses are available to order on a sliding scale fee ($50 - $300). Further descriptions of classes available here.
Mother of Buddhas (8,000 line Prajñā Sutra)
Saṃdhinirmocana Sutra
Universal Gateway to the Inconceivable Sutra
Dharma Study Courses
Emptiness
Suchness
Mind-Only
Ten Bodhisattva Stages
Acts of Remembrance: Intro to Mindfulness
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