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Bhikkhu Sujato's recent, free, public domain translation of Buddha's Sutta Nipata. Powerful blessings when read. Even more so when understood & practiced.

https://readingfaithfully.org/sutta-...e-epub-kindle/

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skull

Thanks Skull, as an accomplishment,

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipi...snp/index.html

A large sangha of bodhisattvas planned to visit our realm to praise Sakyamuni Buddha. The Padmanetra Buddha in their realm warned them that our Endurance realm was not as sacred & holy as theirs -- so be careful He said in Jewel Cloud Sutra 1.23-24:

Quote:

"Once you are in that realm, be careful. Why? Because among the beings of that realm desire, anger, and dullness are rife. They have no regard for mendicants and no regard for brahmins. They have no concern for their fathers, no concern for their mothers. Numerous are their wishes that run counter to the Dharma. They are spiteful, savage, and malicious. They are impudent and haughty, easily carried away, and full of craving. They are lazy, unkind, and evil. They are tied down by envy and miserliness and suffer from an abundance of afflictions. It is among such beings that Sakyamuni thus-gone one teaches the Dharma.”

“Blessed One,” replied the bodhisattvas, “teaching the Dharma among such sentient beings is a tremendous feat displayed by Sakyamuni thus-gone one.”

“Yes, it is,” the Blessed One Padmanetra agreed. “Noble children, teaching the Dharma among such sentient beings is indeed a tremendous feat displayed by that thus-gone one. Moreover, noble children, when sentient beings within such a world of rampant afflictions give rise to just a single virtuous mind state then they also display a tremendous feat. Why? Well, what would be amazing about finding pure beings in pure worlds? On the other hand, it is indeed a wonder when anyone in a world of rampant afflictions is able, ever so briefly, to engender faith, or go for refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, or purely observe discipline. However, it is an even greater wonder if, even for just a moment, they can attain a mind free from desire. Still, the greatest wonder of all is if they can briefly develop compassion and give rise to the mind of unexcelled and complete awakening.”

“The Blessed One is amazing!” the bodhisattvas responded. “The Thus-Gone One Sakyamuni is amazing!”

A major Mahayana sutra on the Perfection of Wisdom just came out from the 84000 translation project!

https://read.84000.co/translation/toh10.html

A difficult sutra for most folks, so here is a little from Sparham's introductory matter:

Quote:

Modern readers unfamiliar with the sacred tradition set forth in the
fundamental texts can read, for example, Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi’s In the
Buddha’s Words. Alternatively, the fundamental texts can be learned from the
Eighteen Thousand, which presents them in a very clear and accessible
manner. But a modern reader unfamiliar with the dharmas set forth in the
fundamental texts can get confused, because at the same time that the
Eighteen Thousand is setting them forth with veneration, it is exhorting the
reader to reject them as an object of attachment.

Thus, chapter 3 of the Eighteen Thousand begins with the monk Śāriputra
asking, “How then should bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection
of wisdom?” to which the Lord responds, “They do not see form. Similarly,
they do not see feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness
either.” “They do not see” means that they reject it as an object of
attachment. It does not mean that the aggregates, and so on, are not there or
are not something they should know. Worthy ones obviously know the
aggregates and so on, because it is the basic teaching of the truth of
suffering, the first words the Buddha Śākyamuni uttered to the five
companions when he returned to the Deer Park outside Vārāṇasī after
reaching awakening.

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With the full moon this evening, we mark the celebration of the Buddha's birth, awakening, and parinirvāṇa, known in Tibetan as Saga Dawa Düchen. This offers us all a wonderful opportunity to remember the Buddha with joyful practice!

We consider 84000’s vision and work to be a unique celebration of the Buddha’s awakening, and on this auspicious day, we are very pleased to release our newest publication: The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines.

https://read.84000.co/translation/toh9.html#toc

Quote:

Summary:
The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines is among the most important scriptures underlying both the “vast” and the “profound” approaches to Buddhist thought and practice. Known as the “middle-length” version, being the second longest of the three long Perfection of Wisdom sūtras, it fills three volumes of the Kangyur. Like the two other long sūtras, it records the major teaching on the perfection of wisdom given by the Buddha Śākyamuni on Vulture Peak, detailing all aspects of the path to enlightenment while at the same time emphasizing how bodhisattvas must put them into practice without taking them‍—or any aspects of enlightenment itself‍—as having even the slightest true existence.

A reminder of how to find & download any Kalavinka Press translation, such as the Avatamsaka Sutra for free. Of course the printed volumes can be bought also:

http://kalavinka.org/Jewels/jewels_toc.htm