Book review, Lotus Sutra.
The purpose of this writing assignment is to examine critically an important primary source, which helps us to learn about the central teachings of Buddhism. The Lotus Sutra is arguably the most famous of all Buddhist sutras and contains the central teachings of Mahayana Buddhism. For your writing assignment, read one of the chapters in the Lotus Sutra and discuss the important Buddhist teachings illustrated – refer to key Buddhist terms and provide good details. Be sure to include a brief discussion on the history, compilation, and importance of the Lotus Sutra in the Mahayana tradition. Be sure to include good background information of the book itself and its significance in your intro, then lead into a focused thesis, followed by clear supporting arguments, and insightful conclusion. Good papers will demonstrate good exegetical (i.e. pulling meaning out of the text) analyses of stanzas, reflecting key Buddhist principles. Make sure to come up with a catchy title (e.g. “The Dragon Girl Who Attained Enlightenment”) for your paper and don’t forget to cite where appropriate, using MLA or APA style (APA recommended; see APA citation samples via link in CSUN library website