McRae, John

John R. McRae(1947 - 2011)

John R. McRae was a renowned expert on Chinese Chan who also possessed an extensive knowledge of the field of Buddhism in general. After getting a PhD at Yale University, he taught at Cornell and Indiana Universities before moving to Japan and teaching part-time at Komazawa University. As a specialist in East Asian Buddhism, he was especially interested in ideologies of spiritual cultivation and how they interact with their intellectual and cultural environments. His seminal work on Chinese Chan was The Northern School and the Formation of Early Chan Buddhism, (University of Hawai`i Press, 1986). This was later followed by Seeing through Zen: Encounter, Transformation, and Genealogy in Chinese Chan Buddhism, (University of California Press, 2003). He spent much of his career studying the life of the important Chan figure Shenhui (684–758), and was expecting to complete a manuscript on the topic before his untimely passing in October of 2011. John also completed a number of translations of Chinese Buddhist scriptural texts for the Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai's English translation series and served as Chair of the Publication Committee for the series until his passing.

For the DDB, John provided explanations for a number of terms derived from his research in Chinese Chan texts. (Source Accessed Nov. 27, 2019)

4 Library Items

Book

Record of the Transmission of Illumination by the Great Ancestor, Zen Master Keizan

The Denkōroku (Record of the Transmission of Illumination), together with Dogen Zenji's Shobogenzo (Treasury of the True Dharma Eye), is one of the fundamental texts of the Soto School. It is an exceptional record of the Zen ancestors that begins with Sakyamuni Buddha, extends through twenty-eight generations in India and twenty-three generations in China, and reaches to Dogen Zenji and Ejo Zenji. It provides instruction, in teisho format, about the causes and conditions whereby each awakened to the Way that was individually transmitted by the one Buddha and fifty-two ancestors. (Source: Sotozen.com)

Foulk, Griffith T., ed. Record of the Transmission of Illumination by the Great Ancestor, Zen Master Keizan. 2 vols. Tokyo: The Administrative Headquarters of Sōtō Zen Buddhism = Sōtōshū Shūmuchō, 2017–2018.

Foulk, Griffith T., ed. Record of the Transmission of Illumination by the Great Ancestor, Zen Master Keizan. 2 vols. Tokyo: The Administrative Headquarters of Sōtō Zen Buddhism = Sōtōshū Shūmuchō, 2017–2018.;Record of the Transmission of Illumination by the Great Ancestor, Zen Master Keizan;History;The doctrine of buddha-nature in Japanese Buddhism;Error: no local variable "MainNamePhon" has been set.;Error: no local variable "MainNameTib" has been set.;Error: no local variable "MainNameWylie" has been set.;Error: no local variable "AltNamesWylieRaw" has been set.;Error: no local variable "AltNamesTibRaw" has been set.;Error: no local variable "AltNamesOtherRaw" has been set.; William Bodiford;T. Griffith Foulk;Sarah J. Horton;John R. McRae;Record of the Transmission of Illumination by the Great Ancestor, Zen Master Keizan;Keizan

Article

Shen-hui and the Teaching of Sudden Enlightenment in Early Ch'an Buddhism

McRae, John R. "Shen-hui and the Teaching of Sudden Enlightenment in Early Ch'an Buddhism." In Sudden and Gradual: Approaches to Enlightenment in Chinese Buddhist Thought, edited by Peter N. Gregory, 227–78. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1991. First published 1987 by University of Hawai'i Press.

McRae, John R. "Shen-hui and the Teaching of Sudden Enlightenment in Early Ch'an Buddhism." In Sudden and Gradual: Approaches to Enlightenment in Chinese Buddhist Thought, edited by Peter N. Gregory, 227–78. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1991. First published 1987 by University of Hawai'i Press.

McRae, John R. "Shen-hui and the Teaching of Sudden Enlightenment in Early Ch'an Buddhism." In Sudden and Gradual: Approaches to Enlightenment in Chinese Buddhist Thought, edited by Peter N. Gregory, 227–78. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1991. First published 1987 by University of Hawai'i Press.;Shen-hui and the Teaching of Sudden Enlightenment in Early Ch'an Buddhism;Shen-hui and the Teaching of Sudden Enlightenment in Early Ch'an Buddhism;Zen - Chan;The doctrine of buddha-nature in Chinese Buddhism;Heze Shenhui; John R. McRae

Book

The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch (McRae)

Taishō 2008

Volume 48

The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch consists of a record of the teachings of Hui-neng, the Sixth Patriarch of the Chan School in China, recorded by his disciple Fahai, and is known by several abbreviated titles such as Platform Sūtra or Platform Sūtra of the Dharma Treasure. It proclaims the independence of the Southern School of Chan from the Northern School on such subjects as "sudden enlightenment" (Ch. dun-wu) and the external expression of one's real nature (Ch. jian-xing).

Source

Ch. Liuzu dashi fabao tan jing (六祖大師法寶壇經), Compiled in the Chinese by Zong-bao, as recorded by Fa-hai et al. 1 fascicle. (Source: BDK America)

McRae, John R., trans. The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. Translated from the Chinese of Zongbao (Taishō Volume 48, Number 2008). BDK English Tripiṭaka Series, vol. 73, no. 2. Berkeley, CA: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 2000. https://bdkamerica.org/product/the-platform-sutra-of-the-sixth-patriarch/.

McRae, John R., trans. The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. Translated from the Chinese of Zongbao (Taishō Volume 48, Number 2008). BDK English Tripiṭaka Series, vol. 73, no. 2. Berkeley, CA: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 2000. https://bdkamerica.org/product/the-platform-sutra-of-the-sixth-patriarch/.;The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch (McRae);The doctrine of buddha-nature in Chinese Buddhism;Zen - Chan;Huineng; John R. McRae;The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch

Book

The Sutra of Queen Śrīmālā of the Lion's Roar and the Vimalakīrti Sutra

Taishō 353

Volume 12

The Sutra of Queen Śrīmālā of the Lion's Roar

The Sutra of Queen Śrīmālā of the Lion's Roar, generally known by its abbreviated title of Śrīmālā-sūtra, was expounded by Śrīmālā, the daughter of King Prasenajit of Śrāvasti, under the inspiration of Śākyamuni. Its important subjects include the theory of the “One True Vehicle” and the dharmakāya. Distinguished from other sūtras with the leading role played by a woman, and with the guarantee given by Śākyamuni therein, the text celebrates the potential of all people to become Buddhas and provides textual authority to counteract cultural gender bias.

In Japan this sūtra is further distinguished by the commentary (Taishō 106) attributed to Prince Shōtoku, included in his “Commentaries on Three Sūtras” (Jp. San-gyō gi-sho).

Source:
Skt. Śrīmālādevīsiṃhanāda-sūtra, translated into the Chinese by Guṇabhadra as Shengman shizihou yisheng defang bianfang guang jing (勝鬘師子吼一乘大方便方廣經). 1 fascicle.

Taishō 475
Volume 14

The Vimalakīrti Sutra

In The Vimalakīrti Sutra the protagonist is a layman by the name of Vimalakīrti, well-versed in the profundities of Mahāyāna Buddhism. He happens to fall ill, and the sūtra starts from the point where Śākyamuni, hearing of his illness, asks his disciples to go to visit him. However, since each of the disciples has in the past been got the better of by Vimalakīrti in some way or other, they all refuse to go; so in the end it is Mañjuśrī who agrees to visit him in their stead. As a result a discussion on the profound teachings of the Mahāyāna unfolds between Vimalakīrti and Mañjuśrī. This sūtra is held in high regard in Japan, not least because Prince Shōtoku included a commentary on it (Taishō 107) in his Commentaries on Three Sūtras (San-gyō-gi-sho). Beyond that, the text has considerable appeal due to its dramatic contents, and is an important key to an understanding of the profound thought of Mahāyāna Buddhism.

Source:
Skt. Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra. Translated into the Chinese by Kumārajīva as Weimojie suoshuo jing (維摩詰所説經). 3 fascicles. (Source: BDK America)

Paul, Diana Y., and John R. McRae, trans. The Sutra of Queen Śrīmālā of the Lion's Roar and The Vimalakīrti Sutra. BDK English Tripiṭaka Series. Moraga, CA: BDK America, 2004. https://bdkamerica.org/product/the-sutra-of-queen-srimala-of-the-lions-roar-and-the-vimalakirti-sutra/.

Paul, Diana Y., and John R. McRae, trans. The Sutra of Queen Śrīmālā of the Lion's Roar and The Vimalakīrti Sutra. BDK English Tripiṭaka Series. Moraga, CA: BDK America, 2004. https://bdkamerica.org/product/the-sutra-of-queen-srimala-of-the-lions-roar-and-the-vimalakirti-sutra/.;The Sutra of Queen Śrīmālā of the Lion's Roar and the Vimalakīrti Sutra;Śrīmālādevīsūtra;Diana Y. Paul; John R. McRae;The Sutra of Queen Śrīmālā of the Lion's Roar (Taishō Volume 12, Number 353) and The Vimalakīrti Sutra (Taishō Volume 14, Number 475)