Three Short Treatises collects brief and important explorations in Mahayana Buddhism. "A Mahayana Demonstration on the Theme of Action" is Vasubandhu's meditation on karma, here translated from the earlier Chinese translation of Xuan-zhuang. The work presents a systematic view of various theories on karma from the perspective of the Mind Only school. "Essays of Sengzhao" presents four works by Sengzhao, an important disciple of Kumarajiva; the collection is said to have exerted considerable influence on later Chinese Buddhism, in part because it relates issues in Buddhist doctrine to traditional Chinese philosophy. "The Treatise on the Origin of Humanity" by Zong-mi explores the basis of human existence in the context of Confucianism, Taoism, Theravada, and certain Mahayana understandings-which he finds unsatisfactory-to present what he considers a true Mahayana view of human existence.

Three Short Treatises by Vasubandhu, Sengzhao and Zongmi, John P. Keenan, Rafal Felbur and Yun Hua Jan, BDK America, Hardcover, 450 pp, $45.00

John P. Keenan is professor emeritus of religion at Middlebury College and a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont. His previous works include The Emptied Christ of Philippians: Mahayana Meditations; The Meaning of Christ: A Mahayana Theology; The Gospel of Mark: A Mahayana Reading; A Study of the Buddhabhumyupad�sa: The Doctrinal Development of the Notion of Wisdom in Yogacara Thought; and Grounding Our Faith in a Pluralist World�With a Little Help from Nagarjuna.

Prior to joining the Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies, Rafal Felbur was a Postdoctoral Researcher in "The Composition of Buddhist Scriptures: Open Philology" project led by Professor Jonathan Silk at the Leiden Institute for Area Studies.

Jan Yun-hua was a Chinese language researcher, teacher and author. He was associated with McMaster University in Canada. He was born on 15 March 1923 in China and grew up and spent his early life there. He met Siu-fung Wong, when they were both students.