Complete edition of the prologue and epilogue sutras. Since its appearance in China in the 3rd century AD, the Lotus Sutra has been considered one of the most important scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism. Rich in splendid literary imagery and celebrated parables, it reveals that supreme enlightenment is inherent and accessible to all living beings. For the first time, the version traditionally known as the "Triple Lotus Sutra" is published in Italian. The volume opens with the Sutra of Innumerable Meanings, considered the prologue and divided into three chapters; followed by the Lotus Sutra and the Sutra of Universal Virtue, which is its epilogue. The Italian edition is based on the English translation by Burton Watson, professor of Asian Languages and Cultures at Columbia University, one of the foremost experts in ancient oriental languages, particularly Chinese and Japanese.The Italian edition is based on the English translation by Burton Watson  

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Daisaku Ikeda introduces us to an understanding of the Lotus Sutra, a fundamental text of Mahayana Buddhism, which states that the condition of Buddhahood is eternal and accessible to every person. Through a series of dialogues that examine the profound symbolic meanings of the sutra, Ikeda offers a contemporary and concrete interpretation of this text, which proves to be a key teaching for opening new perspectives for humanity at the dawn of the third millennium.The first volume examines the chapters from the first (Introduction) to the eleventh (The Apparition of the Treasure Tower).

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D. Ikeda’s lesson on Chapters II and XVI of the Lotus Sutra. The Lotus Sutra is one of the fundamental texts of Mahayana Buddhism. In Nichiren Daishonin’s interpretation, the Hoben (Expedient Means) chapter and the Juryo (Life Span of the Tathagata) chapter are considered the most important, those in which the Buddha sought to convey the essence of his teaching. Through a detailed study of the text of the two chapters, Daisaku Ikeda reiterates the essential elements of the Buddhist philosophy that refers to the tradition of the Lotus Sutra.

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The third and final volume of The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra covers chapters seventeen to twenty-eight. Particular emphasis is placed on the figure of the Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, who represents the ideal model of a Buddha's disciple dedicated to spreading his word, and the ceremony of entrustment, through which the Buddha confers upon all disciples the mission to propagate his teachings in future eras. Great attention is given to the twenty-first chapter, Supernatural Powers of the Tathagata, from which the elements that uniquely characterize the Lotus Sutra emerge once again: the absolute equality of living beings and the Buddha, and the fact that the enlightened life condition exists in every person's life.

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The second volume of commentaries on the Lotus Sutra covers the themes in chapters twelve through sixteen. These include the prediction of enlightenment for evil beings and for women, which was never considered possible in previous sutras. In addition, the chapter on the Lifespan of the Tathagata is examined in great depth, revealing the concept of the eternity of life and representing the heart of the entire sutra. This is an opportunity to approach topics of great philosophical importance, accompanied by Daisaku Ikeda’s profound intuition and extremely contemporary interpretations.

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