January 2009

Lotus Sutra Published in Spanish

On January 19 a Spanish translation of The Threefold Lotus Sutra, titled El Sutra del Loto, was published in Spain as a joint project by the Spanish publisher Ediciones Sigueme in Salamanca and Kosei Publishing Co. in Tokyo. With the editorial assistance of Kosei Publishing Co., Rev. Juan C. Masiá translated the sutra, one of the most important scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism, and Ediciones Sigueme undertook the book's production and distribution in Spain.

Rissho Kosei-kai launched the project to spread knowledge of the Lotus Sutra among Spanish-speakers worldwide. Rissho Kosei-kai, through its affiliated Kosei Publishing Co., has already published The Threefold Lotus Sutra in a number of languages, including English, French, German, Dutch, and Russian.

A Spanish Catholic priest, Rev. Masiá is a former professor of ethical theology and the history of philosophy on the Faculty of Theology at Sophia University in Tokyo. Currently he teaches at St. Thomas University in Hyogo Prefecture in western Japan. For years he has been an active member of the Peace Research Institute affiliated with the Japanese Committee of the World Conference of Religions for Peace.

In his translation, Rev. Masiá took great care with meter and diction, especially in the verse sections, while preserving the original meaning, to smoothly convey the sutra's message. At the end of the book he provides a glossary of basic Buddhist terms.

Rev. Masiá is now translating into Spanish the commentary on the Lotus Sutra by Rissho Kosei-kai's founder, Rev. Nikkyo Niwano, to be published in 2010. The founder's commentary was published in English in 1976 under the title Buddhism for Today.