Rebirth Views in the Surangama Sutra

Rebirth Views in the Surangama Sutra examines the profound philosophical ideas of the ultimate enlightened ideology contained in the Surangama Sutra. It points to the mind of illusion that leads to reincarnation and suffering and shows us how to escape.

Just as a gardener selects the most beautiful flowers that she knows will please the recipient, contents of this book mention only rebirth views in the Surangama Sutra.

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.

I have had the good fortune to read many books. These books play the role of my teachers. They are as close as my siblings, family, or friends. I can meet with the books any time and anywhere in the morning, afternoon, evening, or midnight. With the moonlight shining through the windows of the meditation room, the books are available in front of me and I can read delightedly. If there is a question, I just open the book; there is the right answer. The book plays the role of informing readers of right and wrong.

From reading scriptures and books, I became interested in translating and writing. Venerable Bhikkhunĩ Gioi Huong asked me to write an introduction to this book entitled Rebirth Views in the Surangama Sutra, which is her ninth work. It was first published in 2008 and so far, has been reprinted four times in nine years, and each publication was not less than 2,000 copies. Most readers are in Vietnam, USA, and other parts of the world. This time, I tried to read it for two days, six hours per day. Usually with a book as large as this one, I only need three to four hours to read, but because she wanted me to look carefully, as well as fix some spelling mistakes, it took some of my time. There are no faults worth complaining about, but because the content of the scripture is so deep, it took more time to experience and reflect on it.

**Contents and Sample Pages**