Book Reviews

SR No.: 269677
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: J W De Jong
Publisher: J W De Jong
Total Pages: 48
Language: English
Classification: Article
File Size: 5 MB

Page 40

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REVIEWS
in a book which I have not been able to see. It is not therefore possible to compare the two translations to see whether Gnoli has made any changes in his later translation. At all events, he certainly does not seem to have taken into account the readings of a recent edition of Nāgārjuna's work which was published in 1977! Also, in 1975 Yükei Matsunaga published a new edition of the Guhyasamaja-tantra which is not mentioned in Gnoli's bibliographical note 3 The book does not contain a list of abbreviations. Most of them will be easily understood by the specialist, but some may be rather puzzlesome for the general reader. For instance, p. 41 refers to the MPPS attributed to Nāgārjuna (ed. cit., pp. 1061-65). The work referred to is of course Lamotte's translation of the Mahaprajñāpāramitāśastra: Le traité de la grande vertu de sagesse, tome II (Louvain, 1949).
In the introduction (pp. 1-34), Gnoli explains the main doctrines of Mahāyāna Buddhism, of the Madhyama and Vijñanavāda schools, of Dignāga and Dharmakirti and of the Vajrayana. This book does not, however, contain any Vijñānavāda texts, nor works by Dignāga and Dharmakirti. It is to be hoped that Gnoli will fill this gap in a future volume of this series. This beautifully printed volume will be greatly welcomed by all those who know and admire the excellence of Gnoli's translations.
NOTES
1 Cf. OLZ 65 (1970), Sp. 72-83; IIJ 22 (1980), pp. 254-256. 2 Nāgārjuna, Mülamadhyamakakārikāh. Madras, The Adyar Library and Research Centre. See also IIJ 20 (1978), pp. 25-59, 217-252; Akira Saito, Textcritical Remarks on the Mulamadhyamakakärikä as Cited in the Prasannapada', Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies 33 (1985), pp. 846(24)-842(28). 3 'The Guhyasamāja-tantra: A New Critical Edition', Köyasan daigaku ronsò 10 (1975), pp. 1-130.
Australian National University
J. W. DE JONG
Michael Balk, Prajñāvarman's Udānavargavivarana. Transliteration of its Tibetan version (based on the xylographs of Chone/Derge and Peking) (Indica et Tibetica. Arbeitsmaterialien A). Bonn, Indica et Tibetica Verlag, 1984. Volume One, 5, XII, 554 pp.; Volume Two, 4,555-1088 pp. DN 150.00
The Udānavargavivaraņa (UVV) is a voluminous commentary on the Udānavarga.
Indo-Iranian Journal 30 (1987).