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The Perfection of Wisdom (Wheel Series, 1) Paperback – January 1, 1973

by Edward Conze (Editor)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 37 ratings
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After the Torah, the Koran and the Gospels, the Indian literature of "The Perfection of Wisdom" has had the greatest impact on the religious consciousness of mankind. Its composition extended for over seven hundred years, and here we offer the reader the first two works which were composed in South India between 100 B.C. and A.D. 100.

These documents are not only indispensable to those who wish to undersand the mentality of the East, they still carry a potent spiritual message; and those who desire to diminish their personal worries by the disciplined contemplation of spiritual truths could make no better choice.

". . .Finally one could also threat them as spiritual documents where are still capable of releasing spiritual insights among people separated from their original authors by two thousand years and vast disparities in intellectual and material culture. There is, however, a certain absurdity about interpreting spiritual matters in the abstract and in general terms, since everything depends on concrete conditions and the actual persons and their circumstances. Some will regard this literature as rather strange and alien, and may long for something more homespun. They will, I hope, allow me to retort with a remark that so endeared me to my students at Berkeley. Asked what Buddhism should do to become more acceptable to Americans, I used to enumerate with a smile a few concessions one might perhaps make respectively to the feminist, democratic, hedonistic, primivistic and anti-intellectual tendencies of American society. Though in the end I invariably recovered my nerve and reminded my listeners that it is not so much a matter of Dharma adjusting itself to become adaptable to Americans, but of Americans changing and transforming themselves sufficiently to become acceptable to the Lord Buddha." —Edward Conze, translator, preface.

Edward Conze (1904-1979) was an Anglo-German scholar best known for his translations of Buddist texts.
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  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Grey Fox Press
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1973
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.1 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0877040494
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0877040491
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grey Fox Press; F Fifth Printing Used edition (January 1, 1973)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0877040494
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0877040491
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.09 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 37 ratings

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Edward Dorn

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
37 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Grzegorz Jan Laskowski
5.0 out of 5 stars Does prajna wisdom justice!
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2018
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Being the only translation of the prajna paramita in 8,000 lines I find it very insightful. I have been studying the shorter Sutras, The Prajna Paramita in 300 lines (The Diamond Sutra) and the one page Heart Sutra for 11 years and really find the more fleshed out details of this longer, more fleshed out prajna paramita sutra helpful in a notoriously difficult 'topic'. For any serious student of the unbecomed ultimate, this is the Sutra for you. I really feel Edward Conze did justice to this Sutra in relation to what I studied on prajna wisdom.
6 people found this helpful
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M. Gonzales
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful and intricate sutra
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2015
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A beautiful and intricate sutra. Edward Conze was a prolific and skillful translator; I personally believe that he had a fine understanding of the meanings behind the sutras as well. The language is a little bit antiquated in some spots, dense in others, and those less well versed in Buddhist terms may need to look a few things up. That being said, it's still clear and accessible if a person puts in a bit of effort...and it is well worth it.
4 people found this helpful
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ulrike
5.0 out of 5 stars there is so much Wisdom and good guidance in it
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2014
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The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines and its Verse Summary is profound, and a treasure to study, there is so much Wisdom and good guidance in it, excellent too to read out loud in a group through turn taking. Nice to keep it wrapped in a silk cloth on an altar. Each time one reads it or repeats reading it, it's Wisdom deepens in the mind. It truly is a Blessing for mankind.
May you enjoy it too,
Ulrike
8 people found this helpful
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Claudia Webinger
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Mother Prajnaparamita
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2008
Edward Conze's translation of the Prajnaparamita Sutra in 8000 lines and of the even earlier verse form is still the only English translation of this beautiful and profound Buddhist text. It's a great gift that the scholar Conze devoted his life to the study of Prajnaparamita and made these texts available. For a more poetic and inspiring version of the Prajnaparamita Sutra I recommend Lex Hixon's "Mother of the Buddhas, Meditations on the Prajna Paramita Sutra."
15 people found this helpful
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Tom Rowen
5.0 out of 5 stars My review
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2019
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Excellent book
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Jerry G.
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2018
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Excellent text with informed commentary.
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Gary Ormsby
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2015
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This book is everything it has been said to be...
One person found this helpful
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DMH
1.0 out of 5 stars Book torn and old version
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2021
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Should have spent the extra $2 for brand new version.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars La madre del Mahayana
Reviewed in Italy on January 13, 2018
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Questo è considerato il primo Sutra sulla Perfezione della Saggezza, un testo denso e profondo su un'intuizione inedita in occidente ovvero che tutti i fenomeni sono privi di una realtà inerente, non c'è alcuna sostanza. Il fine però non è un'altra teoria sulla realtà ma la realizzazione della fine della nostra sofferenza, insoddisfazione intrinseca nel nonstro voler afferrare qualcosa che in se stesso non esiste, essendo il segno che attribuiamo ai fenomeni una nostra imposizione. Per chi conosce già il Buddhismo o per chi è seriamente intenzionato ad aprofondire. Un testo da studiare che aprirà un mondo se sapremo metterlo alla prova nelle nostre vite.
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ulrike
5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines & Its Verse Summary translated by Edward Conze
Reviewed in Canada on October 9, 2012
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This book is a wonderful guide to help all beings to full enlightenment so that we can attain that and help each other attain that too. It is a treasure to wrap in silk and place it on your alter. May it be available to all beings throughout all eons to help them. It could be read out loud by yourself or with a group a page or so and then meditated upon so that its Wisdom penetrates the mind deeply. It is something one can reread many many times. May you enjoy and benefit from it too and may it's Wisdom spread throughout the world.
2 people found this helpful
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Matt Jenkins
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Text
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 10, 2010
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This book contains the only complete translation, from the Sanskrit, of both the Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra (Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 lines) and the Ratnagunasancaya Gatha (considered a verse summary of the sutra itself).

The Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 lines is generally considered to be among the oldest of the Prajnaparamita group of texts and among the earliest of the Mahayana Sutras.

The renowned scholar Edward Conze (1904-1979) devoted his life to the translation of the Prajnaparamita sutras, or Perfection of Wisdom texts, which deal with the Buddhist doctrine of emptiness and the ultimate nature of reality.

This is not a particularly easy work and requires some effort on the part of the reader but as with any religious text this is no bad thing.

For those who are interested there is a "contemplative expansion" of 40 sections from the Sutra produced by Lex Hixon ( Mother of the Buddhas ), which I also highly recommend.

For those who are interested in other Prajnaparamita Sutras, the most popular texts from this group are the Diamond Sutra (Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra) and Heart Sutra (Prajnaparamita Hrdaya). There are a number of fine translations of both these Sutras available. Award winning translator Red Pine has produced translations and commentaries on both texts ( The Diamond Sutra: The Perfection of Wisdom  and  The Heart Sutra ). There are also texts with commentaries by Thich Nhat Hanh ( The Diamond That Cuts Through Illusion  and  Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra ). There is also a fine translation and commentary on the Diamond Sutra by Hsing Yun ( Describing the Indescribable: A Commentary of the Diamond Sutra ). All of these works I recommend.
7 people found this helpful
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Happy user
4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, but astonishing repetitive and tedious
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 19, 2014
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Beautifully written, but astonishing repetitive and tedious. If you read the first four or five chapters, the rest is redundant.
One person found this helpful
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Guhyavajra
1.0 out of 5 stars The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines and Its verse summary (Bibliotheca Indo-Buddhica)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 15, 2013
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I don't rate this edition at all. The binding is not right as the book fell apart as soon as I opened it. Then I couldn't get my money back instead Amazon gave me a credit for the book and then I have to join up Amazon. I don't want to belong to Amazon I just wanted to buy a book, so now I've done my £20 over what is a cheaply produced poor quality 3rd world production at 1st world prices backed up by a 1st world global corporation. Rubbish!!!! Back to the book shop for me.
4 people found this helpful
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