Specialists in Buddhist philosophy, art, and history of religion outline the major ideas and controversies surrounding the Lotus Sutra and map its manifestations in ritual performance, ascetic practice, visual representations, and social action. Essays survey the Indian context in which the sutra was produced, its compilation and translation history, and its influence across China and Japan. A Chinese and Japanese character glossary, notes on Western translations of the text, and a synoptic bibliography round out the volume.

Stephen F. Teiser is D. T. Suzuki Professor in Buddhist Studies at Princeton University. His research focuses on the interaction between Buddhism and Chinese forms of religion. His book Reinventing the Wheel: Paintings of Rebirth in Medieval Buddhist Temples received the Stanislas Julien Prize from the Institut de France.

Jacqueline I. Stone is professor of Japanese religions at Princeton University. Her primary research centers on medieval Japanese Buddhism, especially the Tendai and Nichiren Buddhist traditions. Her book Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism received the American Academy of Religion Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion (Historical Studies).