Bodhisattva and Sunyata (in the Early and Developed Buddhist Traditions)

If the history of humankind is the history to seek for the object of the freed and bliss truth, then the doctrine of Sunyata is the very object for that purpose. The doctrine of Sunyata is the basis, the great confidence not only for the 21th century but also for next ones in the view to build, upgrade and improve man and society as well as return to man and society whatever was lost by their unintention or intention. Sunyata is a door for us to abide in deliberation, true nature.

The Bodhisattva is a compassionate being. He teaches one to be kind to all other sentient beings. The cause of human degeneration is selfishness, born of ignorance and conceit that destroy the sacredness of our destined role. It does not understand the way of extricating oneself from the mire of brutal systems that we fall prey, again and again, to our helpless state of misery. If we could imbibe the ideal of the Bodhisattva in our customary life we can awaken our hidden energy to many useful purposes. It is we who can manage the state in a viable way to make our future bright.

Dr. Bhikkhuni Gioi Hong (world name Sunyata Pham) was born in 1963 in Binh Tuy, Vietnam and ordained at the age of fifteen under the great master, the Most Venerable Bhikkhuni Hai Trieu Am. In 1994, she received a Bachelor's Degree in Literature from Sai Gon University. She studied in India for ten years and in 2003, graduated with a PhD in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Delhi, India. In 2005, she settled down in the United States and in 2015, she earned a second Bachelor's Degree in Literature at the University of Riverside, California.

Currently, she is pursuing a degree in the Master of Arts Program at the University of California, Riverside and works as a lecturer at the Vietnam Buddhist University in HCM City. She favors quietly reflecting on Dharma, and that leads her to write, as well as translate, Buddhist books and lyrics for music albums on her Bao Anh Lac Bookshelf.

In 2000, she established Huong Sen Temple, Binh Chanh, Sai Gon. Viet Nam. In 2010, she founded Huong Sen Temple in Perris, California, USA, where she serves as abbess.

As the book title indicates, 'Bodhisattva and Sunyata in the Early and Developed Buddhist Traditions" by Bhikkhuni Dr. Gioi Huong, is a comprehensive and authoritative studies on two most influential concepts of Mahayana Buddhism, namely, 'Bodhisattva (Pali: Bodhisatta, Chinese:) and Sunyata (Pali: Sunnata, Chinese: ). The book has nine chapters, the divided into two parts, out of which two chapters concerning with the concept of Sunyata, while the rest with Bodhisattva.

In this third revised and enlarged edition, a very few changes have been made, minor errors have been corrected and lots of Chinese characters which are equivalent Pali works have been added by the author.

The two concepts most profound, sublime and influential of all Mahayana texts are the concepts of Bodhisattva and Sunyata. In fact, both concepts had their seeds first in the Pali Nikayas. In other words, while reading this book, the reader can discover the doctrines of Mahayana along with those of Pali Nikaya which are essentially the same in origin, nature and purpose. He can also recognize how the term Sunyata sounds negative but the true meaning of it made Bodhisattva who becomes so positive and affirmative.

**Contents and Sample Pages**