New Bodhisattva Sutra (新菩薩經)

About 新菩薩經

154 · about 1 min

The New Bodhisattva Sutra is a Buddhist scripture composed in China, with its specific author now unknown. It is believed to have been compiled during the period spanning the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties. This sutra reflects the historical context of social turmoil and frequent disasters at the time, capturing the people's yearning for protection through faith. Its main content emphasizes the merits of reciting the names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, foretells various calamities and anomalies, and encourages sentient beings to uphold precepts, cultivate practice, and copy scriptures to accumulate merit for averting disasters and resolving difficulties. Although this sutra does not originate from the original Indian Buddhist canon and is classified as an apocryphal scripture in orthodox Buddhism, it profoundly reflects the popularization and evolution of Bodhisattva faith among the Chinese populace. It holds significant historical and documentary value for studying the secularization of Chinese Buddhism and the religious life of the people.