Donald S. Lopez Jr.

Donald S. Lopez Jr.

Donald S. Lopez, Jr. is the Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies at the University of Michigan. His books include The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism (with Robert E. Buswell, Jr.), The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Biography, and The Lotus Sutra: A Biography. He lives in Ann Abor, Michigan.

Recent Articles

Lots of Buddhas

In Sanskrit, the word buddha can mean “awakened,” “expanded,” and “understood.” It was the title bestowed on an itinerant teacher about whom little is known, apart from the teachings that have been attributed to him. The Buddha first appears in the rock edicts of Emperor Ashoka, who ruled India from 268 to 232 BCE. For…

The First Noble Truth of Baseball

In the Baseball Sutra, recently discovered by scholar Donald Lopez, the Buddha explains why he created a game where suffering and failure are the norm.

Group of lotuses.

What Actually Happens in the Lotus Sutra?

Donald S. Lopez, Jr. unpacks the Lotus Sutra, one of the most famous Buddhist scriptures, explaining how it came to be and how its influence has grown.