Oriental Studies (Apr 2018)
The Chapter «About Emptiness» from the Oirat Translation of «the Sutra of Golden Light»
Abstract
In Mahayana Buddhism there are several sutras devoted to the doctrine of Prajnaparamita, (the perfection of wisdom). One such sutra is «The Sutra of Golden Light». It was translated from Tibetan into Oirat by Zaya-Pandita in the middle of the XVIIth century. Today there are about 50 manuscripts’ copies in «clear writing» stored in scientific archives, and private collections in China, Mongolia and Russia. Mahayana texts of Prajnaparamita are based on teachings of emptiness. Chapter VI „About Emptiness“ and Chapter XXI «Final» of the text of «The Sutra of Golden Light» are devoted to this theme. The main idea of Chapter VI „About Emptiness“ is that a larger part of what is considered by a person as an obstacle, stems from the deep-seated grasping at his own existence and self-centeredness that it generates. The doctrine of emptiness is presented in this chapter in a clear and concise form for ordinary believers, untrained in the philosophy of Buddhism. The article contains the transliteration and Russian translation of the sixth Chapter «About emptiness» from the Oirat translation of «The Sutra of Golden Light».
