• The Collection
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  • Discourses
  • General Sūtra Section

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དམ་པའི་ཆོས་པད་མ་དཀར་པོ།

The White Lotus of the Good Dharma
The Introduction

Saddharma­puṇḍarīka
དམ་པའི་ཆོས་པད་མ་དཀར་པོ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
dam pa’i chos pad ma dkar po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Mahāyāna Sūtra “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma”
Saddharma­puṇḍarīka­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra
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Toh 113

Degé Kangyur, vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1.b–180.b

Translated by Peter Alan Roberts
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

First published 2018
Current version v 1.2.12 (2022)
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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
+ 9 sections- 9 sections
· Introduction
· The Lotus Sūtra in India
· The Sūtra in China and Beyond
· The Sūtra in Tibet
· Translations into Western Languages
· This Translation
· Translation of the Title
· Translation of Specific Terms
· Detailed Summary of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma”
tr. The Translation
+ 27 chapters- 27 chapters
1. The Introduction
2. Skill in Methods
3. The Parable
4. The Aspiration
5. Herbs
6. The Prophecies to the Śrāvakas
7. The Past
8. The Prophecy to the Five Hundred Bhikṣus
9. The Prophecies to Ānanda, Rāhula, and Two Thousand Bhikṣus
10. The Dharmabhāṇakas
11. The Appearance of the Stūpa
12. Resolutions
13. Dwelling in Happiness
14. The Bodhisattvas Emerging Out of the Ground
15. The Lifespan of the Tathāgata
16. The Extent of the Merit
17. Teaching the Merit of Rejoicing
18. The Benefits of the Purity of the Six Āyatanas
19. Sadāparibhūta
20. The Tathāgata’s Miracles
21. Dhāraṇīs
22. The Past of Bhaiṣajyarāja
23. Gadgadasvara
24. Facing Everywhere: The Teaching of the Miracles of Avalokiteśvara
25. The Past of King Śubhavyūha
26. Samantabhadra’s Encouragement
27. The Entrusting
c. Colophon
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
+ 7 sections- 7 sections
· Tibetan Editions of the Sūtra
· Sanskrit Editions of the Sūtra
· Translations of the Sūtra
· Other Kangyur Texts
· Tengyur Texts
· Secondary Tibetan Sources
· Secondary Non-Tibetan Sources
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, popularly known as the Lotus Sūtra, is taught by Buddha Śākyamuni on Vulture Peak to an audience that includes bodhisattvas from countless realms, as well as bodhisattvas who emerge from under the ground, from the space below this world. Buddha Prabhūtaratna, who has long since passed into nirvāṇa, appears within a floating stūpa to hear the sūtra, and Śākyamuni enters the stūpa and sits beside him. The Lotus Sūtra is celebrated, particularly in East Asia, for its presentation of crucial elements of the Mahāyāna tradition, such as the doctrine that there is only one yāna, or “vehicle”; the distinction between expedient and definite teachings; and the notion that the Buddha’s life, enlightenment, and parinirvāṇa were simply manifestations of his transcendent buddhahood, while he continues to teach eternally. A recurring theme in the sūtra is its own significance in teaching these points during past and future eons, with many passages in which the Buddha and bodhisattvas such as Samantabhadra describe the great benefits that come from devotion to it, the history of its past devotees, and how it is the Buddha’s ultimate teaching, supreme over all other sūtras.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

The White Lotus of the Good Dharma Sūtra was translated from Tibetan with reference to the Sanskrit by Peter Alan Roberts. Ling Lung Chen was the consultant for the Chinese versions. Emily Bower was the project manager and editor. Ben Gleason was the proofreader.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.


ac.­2

The generous sponsorship of May & George Gu, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.


i.

Introduction

Introduction

i.­1

The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, popularly known as the Lotus Sūtra, not only contains one of the fullest expressions of the transcendent nature of the Buddha, but also, through its successive descriptions of astonishing events and its vivid parables, is imbued with a distinctive literary power of its own. The sūtra inspired a devoted following in India, but it is above all in east Asia that it has been particularly popular. There it has been the impetus for a range of exquisite artistic and architectural forms, and indeed, whole traditions of study and practice that thrive to this day. An extensive body of literature, too‍—both scholarly and popular‍—is based upon the sūtra.1

The Lotus Sūtra in India

The Sūtra in China and Beyond

The Sūtra in Tibet

Translations into Western Languages

This Translation

Translation of the Title

Translation of Specific Terms

Detailed Summary of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma”


The Translation
The Mahāyāna Sūtra
The White Lotus of the Good Dharma

1.
Chapter 1

The Introduction

[B1] [F.1.b]


1.­1

Homage to the buddhas and the bodhisattvas.


1.­2

Thus have I heard at one time.56 The Bhagavān was dwelling on Vulture Peak in Rājagṛha together with a great saṅgha of twelve hundred bhikṣus,57 all of whom were solely arhats whose defilements had ceased; who were without kleśas; who had mastered themselves; who had liberated minds; who had completely liberated wisdom; who were noble beings;58 who were great elephants;59 who had done what had to be done; who had accomplished what had to be accomplished; who had put down their burden; who had reached their goals; who had ended engagement with existence; and who had liberated their minds through true knowledge, had perfectly attained all the powers of the mind, were renowned for their higher knowledge,60 [F.2.a] and were mahāśrāvakas.

1.­3

They were Brother Ājñāta­kauṇḍinya, Brother Aśvajit, Brother Vāṣpa, Brother Mahānāman, Brother Bhadrika, Brother Mahākāśyapa, Brother Uru­vilvā­kāśyapa, Brother Nadīkāśyapa, Brother Gayākāśyapa, Brother Śāriputra, Brother Mahā­maudgalyāyana, Brother Mahākātyāyana, Brother Aniruddha, Brother Revata, Brother Kapphiṇa, Brother Gavāṃpati, Brother Pilindavatsa, Brother Bakkula, Brother Mahākauṣṭhila, Brother Bharadvāja, Brother Nanda,61 Brother Upananda, Brother Sundarananda, Brother Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra, Brother Subhūti, Brother Rāhula, and other great śrāvakas; and the student Brother Ānanda; and also two thousand bhikṣus who were in training and had transcended training; and six thousand bhikṣuṇīs such as Mahāprajāpatī and bhikṣuṇī Yaśodharā, the mother of Rāhula, and her followers.

1.­4

Also present were eighty thousand bodhisattvas, all of whom were irreversible from great enlightenment; had attained retention; remained in great eloquence; turned the irreversible wheel of the Dharma; had attended many hundred thousands of buddhas; had planted the roots of merit with many hundred thousands of buddhas; [F.2.b] had praised many hundred thousands of buddhas whose bodies, speech, and minds were pervaded with love; and who were adept in entering the wisdom of the tathāgatas, had great wisdom, had fully realized the perfection of wisdom, were renowned in many hundreds of thousands of worlds, and had liberated many hundred thousands of hundred thousands of millions of beings. They were the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva Mahā­sthāma­prāpta, the bodhisattva Sarvārthanāman, the bodhisattva Nityodyukta, the bodhisattva Anikṣiptadhura, the bodhisattva Ratnapāṇi, the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajya­samudgata, the bodhisattva Vyūharāja, the bodhisattva Pradānaśūra, the bodhisattva Ratnacandra, the bodhisattva Ratnaprabha, the bodhisattva Pūrṇacandra, the bodhisattva Mahāvikrāmin, the bodhisattva Anantavikrāmiṇ, the bodhisattva Trailokya­vikrāmiṇ, the bodhisattva Mahāpratibhāna, the bodhisattva Satata­samitābhiyukta, the bodhisattva Dharaṇīdhara, the bodhisattva Akṣayamati, the bodhisattva Padmaśrī, the bodhisattva Nakṣatrarāja, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Siṃha. Also present were the sixteen excellent men, such as Bhadrapāla. They were Bhadrapāla, Ratnākara, Susārthavāha, Naradatta,62 Guhyagupta, Varuṇadatta, Indradatta, Uttaramati, [F.3.a] Viśeṣamati, Vardhamānamati, Amoghadarśin, Susaṃprasthita, Su­vikrānta­vikrāmiṇ, Anupamamati, Sūryagarbha, and Dharaṇīṃdhara.

These and the other eighty thousand bodhisattvas were present there.

1.­5

Also present was Śakra, the lord of the devas, with his retinue of twenty thousand devas, such as the deva Candra, the deva Sūrya, the deva Samantagandha, the deva Ratnaprabha, the deva Avabhāsaprabha, and the rest of the twenty thousand devas.

Also present were the four mahārājas and their retinue of thirty thousand devas: Mahārāja Virūḍhaka, Mahārāja Virūpākṣa, Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa, the deva Īśvara, the deva Maheśvara, and a retinue of thirty thousand devas.

1.­6

Also present were Brahmā, the lord of the Sahā world realm, with a retinue of twelve hundred Brahmakāyika devas: the brahmā Śikhin, the brahmā Jyotiṣprabha, and the rest of the one thousand two hundred Brahmakāyika devas.

Also present were the eight nāga kings‍—the nāga kings Nanda, Upananda, Sāgara, Vāsuki, Takṣaka, Manasvin, Anavatapta, and Utpalaka‍—together with a retinue of many trillions of nāgas.

1.­7

Also present were the four kinnara kings‍—the kinnara king Druma, the kinnara king Mahādharma, the kinnara king Sudharma, and the kinnara king Dharmadhara‍—together with a retinue of many trillions of kinnaras.

Also present were devas who were of the four classes of gandharvas‍—Manojña, Manojñasvara, Madhura, and the gandharva Madhurasvara‍—together with a retinue of many trillions63 of gandharvas.

1.­8

Also present were the four lords of the asuras‍—the asura lords Bali, Kharaskandha, Vemacitrin, [F.3.b] and Rāhu‍—together with a retinue of many trillions of asuras.

Also present were the four garuḍa lords‍—the garuḍa lords Mahātejas, Mahākāya, Mahāpūrṇa, and Maha­rddhi­prāpta‍—together with many trillions of garuḍas.

Also present was King Ajātaśatru of Magadha, the son of Vaidehī.


1.­9

At that time, the Bhagavān, surrounded by the fourfold assembly, was esteemed, honored, revered, respected, offered to, praised, and venerated. He had taught the Dharma teaching of the great extensive sūtra called The Great Elucidation, which is an instruction for bodhisattvas that is possessed by all the buddhas.

Sitting cross-legged on that Dharma seat, he entered the samādhi named the state of infinite instruction; his body became motionless and his mind became motionless.

1.­10

As soon as the Bhagavān entered that state there fell a rain of coral tree flowers, great coral tree flowers, and spider lily and great spider lily flowers,64 that fell upon the Bhagavān and his fourfold assembly. The whole buddha realm shook in six ways: it moved, moved strongly, quaked, quaked strongly, shuddered, and shuddered strongly. Then at that time the bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs, the upāsakas and upāsikās, the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and nonhumans, kings of regions, bala­cakra­vartins, and cakravartins of the four continents, together with their retinues who were gathered in that assembly, [F.4.a] were all gazing upon the Bhagavān with wonder, amazement, and joy.

1.­11

Then at that time, a light ray shone from the ūrṇā hair between the Bhagavān’s eyebrows into eighteen thousand buddha realms in the eastern direction. The light of that light ray pervaded all those buddha realms from the great Avīci hell up to the apex of existence. It illuminated all beings without exception in the six classes of existence in those buddha realms. It also illuminated the buddha bhagavāns who resided, lived, and remained in those buddha realms. The Dharma that those buddha bhagavāns taught was heard by all without exception.

1.­12

It illuminated in those buddha realms all the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, yogins, and yogācāras, both those who had attained the result and those who had not attained the result.

It illuminated in those buddha realms the bodhisattvas and mahāsattvas who practiced bodhisattva conduct through being skilled in methods, due to the many various ways of listening to the teachings, having objectives, and having aspirations.

It illuminated in those buddha realms the stūpas made of precious materials that contained the relics of the buddha bhagavāns who had passed into nirvāṇa.

1.­13

Then bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya thought, “Oh! The Tathāgata has shown this great miraculous sign. Why did the Bhagavān show this kind of great miraculous sign? The Bhagavān, while resting in this samādhi, [F.4.b] has revealed these kinds of inconceivable, marvelous, amazing, great miracles. Who can answer my question as to what this means? This Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta has served previous jinas, has planted the roots of merit, and has attended many buddhas. This Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta has also previously seen this kind of sign from past tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas, and he has previously heard numerous accounts of the great Dharma. I should ask Mañjuśrī.”

The bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs, the upāsakas and upāsikās, and the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans saw this light that was the great miraculous sign of the Bhagavān and were amazed, astonished, and intrigued.

1.­14

They thought, “Whom shall we ask about this great miraculous sign revealed by the Bhagavān?”

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya instantaneously knew the thoughts in the minds of the fourfold assembly, and inquired of Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, what was the cause and what the reason for the Bhagavān manifesting this wonderful illumination through a marvelous, astonishing, miraculous light that revealed these eighteen thousand beautiful, supremely beautiful buddha realms, among which are the tathāgatas and also the followers of the tathāgatas?”

1.­15

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya then spoke these verses to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta: [F.5.a]

“Mañjuśrī, for what reason
Did this guide of men emit this single ray of light,
This greatly illuminating light
From the ūrṇā hair between his eyebrows? {1}
1.­16
“The rejoicing devas sent down
A great rain of sandalwood powder,
Divine, delightful perfumes,
And coral tree and spider lily flowers. {2}
1.­17
“They beautified this entire earth
And this fourfold retinue was filled with joy.
This entire realm shook terrifyingly
In six different ways. {3}
1.­18
“The light ray in the eastern direction
Filled eighteen thousand realms.
Those beautiful realms, the color of gold,
Were all illuminated in an instant. {4}
1.­19
“All the beings that are in those realms
From Avīci up to the highest existence,
Those who are in the six classes of beings,
Who pass away and are reborn in them, {5}
1.­20
“And also their various kinds of karma,
Their happy and unhappy existences are visible.
The good, the bad, and similarly the neutral,
Have all been seen by those who are present here. {6}
1.­21
“I see the buddhas, the lion-like lords of humans,
Teaching and revealing the Dharma,
Giving teachings to many millions of beings,
Speaking in verses with melodious voices. {7}
1.­22
“Each in their own realm gives forth
Their profound, vast, and marvelous speech.
They are teaching this Buddhadharma
Through trillions of parables and reasons. {8}
1.­23
“They teach the ultimate peace of nirvāṇa
To those beings that are afflicted by suffering,
Who are weary of birth and aging, and have no knowledge,
Saying, ‘Bhikṣus, this is the end of suffering.’ {9}
1.­24
“They teach the Pratyeka­buddha­yāna,65
Describing this way of the Dharma
To those humans who have attained vast power,
Who have reached it through merit and seeing the buddhas. {10}
1.­25
“Also, they praise enlightenment
To those who are the offspring of the sugatas,
Who are seeking for the highest wisdom,
And accomplish various activities throughout all times. {11}
1.­26
“Mañjughoṣa, while I am present here [F.5.b]
I see and hear such things that are there.
I shall describe merely an indication
Of billions66 of other different perceptions. {12}
1.­27
“I see within those many realms
Bodhisattvas as numerous as the Ganges sands.
They number not less than a thousand million
And give rise to enlightenment through various kinds of diligence. {13}
1.­28
“Some in that way give away gifts
Of wealth, money, gold, and silver;
Pearl jewelry, mother of pearl,67 and coral;
Male slaves, female slaves, chariots, horses, and sheep. {14}
1.­29
“Similarly, with a joyful mind they give
The gifts of palanquins adorned with jewels,
Dedicating this toward supreme enlightenment,
Saying, ‘May we attain that yāna!’68 {15}
1.­30
“Through this kind of giving of gifts
May I also quickly become one who has attained
That unique supreme yāna within the three realms,
Which is the Buddhayāna praised by the sugatas. {16}
1.­31
“Some of them similarly make gifts
Of chariots that are drawn by four horses,
With seats adorned by flowers and banners,
With flags of victory made of precious materials. {17}
1.­32
“Some give their sons and similarly their wives,69
And some give their own beloved flesh,
And, seeking this highest enlightenment,
They give their hands and feet when requested. {18}
1.­33
“Some give their heads and some their eyes,
And some give their perfect bodies.
They give these gifts with a serene mind,
Intent upon the wisdom of the tathāgatas. {19}
1.­34
“Mañjuśrī, I have seen some
Who forsake their prosperous kingdoms,
Giving up their harems, and likewise
All continents and all ministers and relatives. {20}
1.­35
“They come before the guides of the worlds
And for the highest peace they ask about the Dharma.
They put on the saffron robes
And shave off their hair and moustaches. {21}
1.­36
“I see some bodhisattvas
Who are bhikṣus living in the forests,
Dwelling in empty, solitary places,
Delighting in reciting the teachings. {22}
1.­37
“I see some bodhisattvas [F.6.a]
Who are dwelling resolutely in the mountains,
Meditating on this wisdom of the buddhas,
Contemplating it and observing70 it. {23}
1.­38
“Some give up all sensory pleasures
And meditate while having pure conduct.
Having developed the five higher knowledges
These children of the sugatas live in solitude. {24}
1.­39
“Some resolute ones, standing with legs together,
Join their palms in homage before the guides.
Feeling joy, with thousands of verses,
They praise the king who is the Lord of Jinas. {25}
1.­40
“Some who are fearless, mindful, and tamed
Are endowed with the wisdom of subtle conduct.
They ask the lords of humans about the Dharma,
And having listened to it, they become holders of the Dharma. {26}
1.­41
“I see some children of lords of jinas
In meditation here and there,
Teaching the Dharma to many millions of beings,
With many millions of parables and reasons. {27}
1.­42
“They are joyfully teaching the Dharma
And are inspiring many bodhisattvas.
They vanquish the māras with their armies and chariots,71
And they are loudly beating the drum of the Dharma. {28}
1.­43
“I see some who follow the teaching of the sugatas,
To whom humans, maruts, yakṣas and rākṣasas make offerings.
These children of the sugatas are not astonished,
Have no pride, are peaceful, and have peaceful conduct. {29}
1.­44
“They are primarily living in forests, but also
Their bodies are shining with light
That brings beings out from the hells
And also inspires them toward enlightenment. {30}
1.­45
“Some children of the jinas are maintaining diligence,
Forsaking completely all sleep.
Wandering around, living in forests,
Through diligence they are established in the highest enlightenment. {31}
1.­46
“Some are maintaining unimpaired, correct conduct
That is always as pure as a precious jewel.
Some have completely perfect conduct
And through conduct are established in the highest enlightenment. {32}
1.­47
“Some children of the jinas have the power of patience;
They have patience toward proud, aggressive72 bhikṣus, [F.6.b]
And similarly patience toward abuse and threats.73
Through patience they are established in the highest enlightenment. {33}
1.­48
“I see some bodhisattvas
Who forsake all delight in amusements.
They forsake foolish companions
And are steadfast in delighting in the company of noble ones. {34}
1.­49
“Having forsaken the mind’s distractions
They practice meditation with a one-pointed mind
For billions of years in forests and in mountains,
And through meditation are established in the highest enlightenment. {35}
1.­50
“And similarly there are those who give gifts
Of food and drink‍—both hard food and soft food‍—
And medicine for illness, not a little but a great amount,
Directly to the jinas and their saṅghas of students. {36}
1.­51
“They give thousands of millions of robes
Of the value74 of millions of millions.
They give robes with priceless value
Directly to the jinas and their saṅghas of students. {37}
1.­52
“They create billions of monasteries
Made from jewels and likewise sandalwood,
Adorned by a plenitude of seats and beds
That they donate directly to the sugatas. {38}
1.­53
“Some give, as places for resting during the day,
Beautiful, pure parklands
With a variety of flowers and fruits
To the Supreme Being and his disciples. {39}
1.­54
“With a feeling of joy they are giving
Various different gifts such as these.
Having given them they strive for enlightenment with diligence
And through generosity are established in the highest enlightenment. {40}
1.­55
“Some are teaching the Dharma of peace
Through many trillions of parables and reasons;
They are teaching billions of beings
And through knowledge are established in the highest enlightenment. {41}
1.­56
“Knowing the Dharma that is without activity,
They have entered nonduality, which is the same as space.
The children of the sugatas who are without attachment,
Through wisdom are established in the highest enlightenment. {42}
1.­57
“I see others,75 Mañjughoṣa, following the teachings
Of sugatas who have passed into nirvāṇa. [F.7.a]
Many resolute bodhisattvas appear
Who honor the relics of the jinas. {43}
1.­58
“I see thousands of millions of stūpas,
As numerous as the sands of the Ganges.
They continually adorn millions of realms
And are created because of the children of the jinas. {44}
1.­59
“Thousands of millions of parasol standards
Made of the seven precious materials are erected.
In height they are five thousand yojanas
And their circumference is two thousand yojanas. {45}
1.­60
“Always with beautiful banners of victory
And the constant sound of bells and little bells,76
Humans, maruts, rākṣasas, and yakṣas make offerings
With flowers, perfumes, and similarly with music. {46}
1.­61
“The children of the sugatas are those who cause
These kinds of offerings to be made to the relics of the jinas,
Just as the blossoming coral trees
Beautify the ten directions. {47}
1.­62
“I and many millions of beings
Present here have seen all that;
The Jina, with this single light ray from his visage,
Has made this world and its devas blossom. {48}
1.­63
“Oh! The vast immaculate wisdom‍—
Oh! Of the powerful Supreme Being‍—
The one who today emitted a single light ray
And revealed many thousands of realms! {49}
1.­64
“We are amazed to have seen such a sign
As this, which is marvelous and immeasurable.
Tell us, Mañjusvara, the meaning of this sign
And eliminate77 the doubts of the bodhisattvas.78 {50}
1.­65
“This delighted fourfold retinue
Is looking at you, hero, and at me.
Why did this Sugata today
Emit this kind of light?79 {51}
1.­66
“You, son of the sugata, give an explanation
That will bring joy and dispel doubt.
For what reason has there been
This emission of a vast light ray?80 {52}
1.­67
“Lord of the World, will you teach
The supreme qualities attained by the Sugata,
The supreme being, at the Bodhimaṇḍa?
Bodhisattva, will you explain them? {54}
1.­68
“The many thousands of revealed realms [F.7.b]
Are adorned by various brilliant jewels,
And buddhas with infinite vision are revealed.
This certainly has no little81 cause.” {55}
1.­69
Maitreya thus questioned the son of the Jina
To the delight of the humans, maruts, yakṣas, and rākṣasas.
The fourfold assembly waited there
For the explanation that Mañjusvara would give. {56}
1.­70

Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya and the complete assembly of bodhisattvas, “Noble sons, the Tathāgata’s intention is to relate a great Dharma teaching.

“Noble sons, the Tathāgata’s intention is to send down a great Dharma rain, to sound the great Dharma drum, to erect the great Dharma banner, to light the great Dharma lamp, to blow the great Dharma conch, and to beat the great Dharma bherī drum.82 Noble sons, that is the intention the Tathāgata has formed today.

1.­71

“Noble sons, from previous tathāgatas there has come illumination with a light ray like this, and I think that just as it was revealed to me,83 just as I have seen an omen of this kind in the past from previous tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas, this tathāgata, too, intends to give a great Dharma teaching, to make others hear a great Dharma teaching, and has therefore created such an omen. Why is that? The Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha has revealed a miraculous omen of this kind, this illumination from a ray of light, because he intends to teach the Dharma that is not in accord with the entire world.

1.­72

“Noble sons, I remember that in a past time, even further back beyond incalculable, numberless, immeasurable, inconceivable, vast, completely countless asaṃkhyeya eons ago, [F.8.a] at that time, in that era, there appeared in the world the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Candra­sūrya­pradīpa.

1.­73

“He taught the Dharma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end; has excellent meaning and excellent words; and is unalloyed, complete, pure, perfected, and concerns pure conduct.

1.­74

“To the śrāvakas he taught the Dharma conjoined with the four truths of the āryas, and nirvāṇa as the ultimate goal, as well as the process of dependent origination, in order that they might transcend birth, aging, sickness, death, misery, lamentation, suffering, unhappiness, and distress.

1.­75

“To the bodhisattva mahāsattvas he taught the Dharma that commences with the highest, complete enlightenment conjoined with the six perfections, and concludes with omniscient wisdom.

1.­76

“Noble sons, subsequent to that tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha Candra­sūrya­pradīpa, there appeared in the world a tathāgata, arhat, perfectly enlightened buddha who was also named Candra­sūrya­pradīpa.

1.­77

“Ajita, in this way there appeared sequentially tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas who had the same name, Candra­sūrya­pradīpa, and the same family and same clan, which means there were twenty thousand tathāgatas of the Bharadvājasa family.

“Ajita, from the first of those twenty thousand tathāgatas until the last of those tathāgatas they taught the Dharma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end; [F.8.b] has excellent meaning and excellent words; and is unalloyed, complete, pure, perfected, and concerns pure conduct.

1.­78

“To the śrāvakas they taught the Dharma that has the four truths of the āryas and dependent origination, so that the śrāvakas might transcend the troubles of birth, aging, illness, death, misery, wailing, suffering, and unhappiness, and conclude in nirvāṇa.

“To the bodhisattvas mahāsattvas they taught the Dharma that commences with the six perfections and the highest, complete enlightenment, and concludes with omniscient wisdom.

1.­79

“Ajita, in this way, when the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candra­sūrya­pradīpa was previously a young man living in the capital, who had not yet entered homelessness, he had eight sons. The names of those princes were Mati, Sumati, Anantamati, Ratnamati, Viśeṣamati, Vi­mati­samuddhāṭin, Ghoṣamati, and Dharmamati.

“Ajita, those eight princes who were the sons of Bhagavān Candra­sūrya­pradīpa had great miraculous powers. Each one of them acquired and possessed four great continents and was the king of them. When they knew that the Bhagavān had abandoned the capital and heard that he had attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, they forsook all royal enjoyments and followed the Bhagavān into homelessness, and they all became dedicated to the highest, complete enlightenment and became dharmabhāṇakas. Those princes constantly maintained celibacy and planted roots of merit with many hundreds of thousands of buddhas.

1.­80

“Ajita, when the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candra­sūrya­pradīpa [F.9.a] had taught the Dharma teaching of the great extensive sūtra called The Great Elucidation, which is an instruction for bodhisattvas that is possessed by all the buddhas, then at that time, at that instant, that very moment, among that gathered assembly, sitting cross-legged upon the great Dharma seat, he rested in meditation in the samādhi named the basis of infinite elucidation; his body became motionless and his mind became motionless.

1.­81

“As soon as the Bhagavān rested in meditation there fell onto the Bhagavān a great rain of coral tree flowers, great coral tree flowers, spider lily flowers, great spider lily flowers, and divine flowers, which were scattered upon the Bhagavān and his assembly.

“The complete buddha realm shook in six ways: it moved, moved strongly, quaked, quaked strongly, shuddered, and shuddered strongly. Then at that time the bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs, the upāsakas and upāsikās, the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and nonhumans, kings of regions, cakravartins, and cakravartins of the four continents, together with their retinues who were gathered in that assembly, were all gazing upon the Bhagavān with wonder, amazement, and joy.

1.­82

“Also at that time, a light ray shone from the ūrṇā hair between the Bhagavān’s eyebrows to twenty thousand buddha realms in the eastern direction. The light of that light ray pervaded all those buddha realms. Ajita, it was just like how these buddha realms are illuminated now. [F.9.b]

“Ajita, at that time, there were two hundred million bodhisattvas among the Bhagavān’s followers; those who were listening to the Dharma in that assembly saw the world illuminated by the radiance of that great light ray and were amazed, astonished, and intrigued.

1.­83

“Ajita, at that time, in that Bhagavān’s teaching there was a bodhisattva mahāsattva named Varaprabha who had eight hundred students. The Bhagavān arose from that samādhi and taught the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, first to the bodhisattva Varaprabha. For sixty whole intermediate eons he taught while sitting on the one seat with a motionless body and a motionless mind. The entire assembly also remained seated on the same seats with motionless bodies and motionless minds, listening to the Dharma from the Bhagavān for sixty eons. There was not a single being within that assembly who became fatigued and there were none whose minds became wearied.

1.­84

“When the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candra­sūrya­pradīpa had taught for sixty intermediate eons the Dharma teaching of the great extensive sūtra called The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, which is an instruction for bodhisattvas that is possessed by all the buddhas, then in that moment he announced his parinirvāṇa in front of the world with its many beings, including devas, māras, and Brahmā. He said, ‘Bhikṣus, tonight at midnight the tathāgata will pass away into the state of nirvāṇa that has no remainder of the skandhas.’

1.­85

“Then, Ajita, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candra­sūrya­pradīpa gave the prophecy of the highest, complete enlightenment to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Śrīgarbha84 [F.10.a] and declared to the assembly, ‘Bhikṣus, this bodhisattva mahāsattva Śrīgarbha will after me attain the highest, complete enlightenment and become the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Vimalanetra.’

“Then, Ajita, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Candra­sūrya­pradīpa that evening at midnight passed away into the state of nirvāṇa that has no remainder of the skandhas. The bodhisattva mahāsattva Śrīgarbha took up the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma and for eighty intermediate eons taught the teaching of that bhagavān who had passed into nirvāṇa.

1.­86

“Ajita, the eight sons of that bhagavān, such as Mati, became students of the bodhisattva Śrīgarbha. He ripened them for the highest, complete enlightenment. Subsequently they all saw a hundred thousand quintillion buddhas, honored them, and attained the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. The last of them became the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Dīpaṃkara.

1.­87

“One of the eight hundred students yearned for gain, yearned for honor, yearned for prestige, and desired fame, so the words and letters that had been taught did not engross him or take root in him. He became known as Yaśaskāma. Through the merit he had previously acquired, he pleased many quintillions of buddhas, and having pleased them he honored them, venerated them, respected them, made offerings to them, worshiped them, and revered them. [F.10.b]

1.­88

“At that time, Ajita, the bodhisattva Śrīgarbha was a dharmabhāṇaka. Do not have any doubt or uncertainty that he was someone else. Why is that? It is because at that time I was the dharmabhāṇaka Śrīgarbha. The bodhisattva Yaśaskāma had become lazy. Ajita, at that time, on that occasion, you were the lazy bodhisattva Yaśaskāma.

“Ajita, when in this teaching I saw the light ray of this kind that was the Bhagavān’s omen, I thought that the Bhagavān intended to teach the great extensive sūtra, the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”

1.­89

Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta taught that meaning extensively, at that time reciting these verses:

“I remember a time in the past,
Inconceivable, innumerable eons ago,
When there was a jina, a supreme being,
Whose name was Candra­sūrya­pradīpa.85 {57}
1.­90
“That guide of beings taught the good Dharma
And guided countless millions of beings.
He established many countless billions
Of bodhisattvas in wisdom.86 {58}
1.­91
“When that guide had been a prince,
He had eight sons at that time.
When they saw the great muni’s renunciation
They gave up all desires and themselves became renunciants. {59}
1.­92
“That lord of the world taught the Dharma,
The Supreme Infinite Teaching Sūtra.
It was also named The Very Extensive Sūtra,
And he taught it to billions of beings. {60}
1.­93
“As soon as that guide had taught
He sat cross-legged, and in that instant
The best of munis, sitting on the Dharma throne,
Meditated in the samādhi of the supreme infinite teaching. {61}
1.­94
“There fell a rain of divine flowers and coral tree flowers,
There was the sound of drums without drums being beaten,
And devas and yakṣas were present in the sky,
Making offerings to the supreme human. {62} [F.11.a]
1.­95
“At that moment the entire world shook.
There was then this wonder and marvel:
The Guide emitted a single, very beautiful
Ray of light from between his eyebrows. {63}
1.­96
“That ray of light shone into the east
And illuminated and beautified all the worlds
In the entirety of eighteen thousand realms,
Revealing the deaths and births of beings. {64}
1.­97
“Some realms that were made of jewels,
And some that were the color of beryl,
And various beautiful realms were revealed
Through the power of the Guide’s light ray. {65}
1.­98
“The devas and humans, the yakṣas and nāgas,
The apsarases, gandharvas, and kinnaras
Who were engaged in offering to the Sugata,
Were revealed to also be offering in those realms. {66}
1.­99
“The self-arisen buddhas themselves were visible,
As beautiful as pillars of gold.
Like gold in the midst of beryls,
They taught the Dharma in the midst of their followers. {67}
1.­100
“The śrāvakas there were beyond number;
Those śrāvakas of the sugatas were numberless.
All in each of those realms of those guides87
Were made visible by the light of the light ray. {68}
1.­101
“Children of the lords of men were revealed
Who were residing and practicing in the mountains,
Who were diligent, with unimpaired conduct,
Had faultless conduct, and were like precious jewels. {69}
1.­102
“Bodhisattvas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges
Were all revealed by that light ray.
They had given away all their possessions,
Were resolute, had the power of patience, and delighted in meditation. {70}
1.­103
“The heart children of the sugatas were revealed;
They were immovable and unshakable,
Patient, delighting in meditation, and resting in samādhi,
Established through meditation in the highest enlightenment. {71}
1.­104
“Those at the level of true peace, who were without defilements
And who had great knowledge, were revealed.
They also taught the Dharma in many worlds,
Having such an activity through the power of the sugatas. {72}
1.­105
“When the fourfold assembly of protectors
Saw this power of Candrārkadīpa,88
They all were filled with joy [F.11.b]
And asked each other, ‘What is this?’ {73}
1.­106
“Not long after the humans, maruts, and yakṣas made offerings,
The Guide of the World arose from samādhi
And he said at that time these words to Varaprabha,
The wise dharmabhāṇaka bodhisattva: {74}
1.­107
“ ‘You who are wise, who are the eyes and path for the world,
You who are a trustworthy holder of my Dharma,
You who have been a witness to my Dharma treasure,
Teach it so that it will be of benefit to beings.’ {75}
1.­108
“The numerous bodhisattvas were heartened89 by this,
Were filled with joy, and praised and lauded him.
Then throughout an entire sixty intermediate eons
That jina taught the supreme Dharma. {76}
1.­109
“The supreme highest Dharma that the protector of the world
Taught while he was seated upon a single seat,
All of it was held by the son of the jina,
By the dharmabhāṇaka Varaprabha. {77}
1.­110
“That jina taught the supreme Dharma
And brought happiness to many beings.
Then on that day the guide declared
Before the whole world and its devas: {78}
1.­111
“ ‘I have taught this method of the Dharma;
I have explained exactly the nature of the Dharma.
Bhikṣus, today is the time of my nirvāṇa‍—
It will be at midnight on this night. {79}
1.­112
“ ‘Be dedicated to this my teaching,
Attentively, and with deep faith;
Even during the passing of a quintillion eons
It is difficult to find a jina, a great rishi.’ {80}
1.­113
“As soon as they heard the word nirvāṇa
Spoken by that supreme human,
The many children of the Buddha were distressed
And they experienced the greatest suffering. {81}
1.­114
“The king, the lord of humans,
Reassured the countless millions of beings:
‘Bhikṣus, do not be afraid of my nirvāṇa.
There will come a buddha after me. {82}
1.­115
“ ‘This wise bodhisattva Śrīgarbha,
Who has realized the immaculate wisdom,
Will reach the highest, supreme enlightenment,90
And he will become the jina Vimalāṅganetra.’91 {83}
1.­116
“At midnight of that night, causes ended
And he was extinguished92 like a flame.
His relics were very extensive; [F.12.a]
There were endless quintillions of stūpas. {84}
1.­117
“The bhikṣus and likewise the bhikṣuṇīs
Who were established in the path to supreme enlightenment
And were dedicated to the teaching of that Sugata
Were not few, but were as numerous as the Ganges sands. {85}
1.­118
“At the time, the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu
Varaprabha, who held his teaching,
Taught the supreme Dharma of that teaching93
During the entirety of eighty intermediate eons. {86}
1.­119
“He had eight hundred students,
And he ripened all of them.
They saw many millions of buddhas
And they honored those great sages. {87}
1.­120
“During that time, they practiced appropriately
And then they became buddhas in many worlds.
One after another, according to their sequence,
They prophesied the next one’s supreme enlightenment. {88}
1.­121
“In that succession of buddhas
The last one was Dīpaṃkara,
The sage, supreme deva, revered by multitudes,94
Who guided ten billion beings. {89}
1.­122
“In the past, the Sugata’s son
Who taught the Dharma, Varaprabha,
Had a student who was idle and covetous
And desirous of gain and the prestige of knowledge. {90}
1.­123
“He had an overwhelming longing for fame
And wandered from town to town.
He thus received the entire recitation of the teaching
But at that time he had not grasped the teaching. {91}
1.­124
“He thus gained this name of Yaśaskāma,
Which became renowned everywhere.
And he, through having accomplished
This good karma95 that was adulterated,96 {92}
1.­125
“He served ten billion buddhas
And made vast offerings to them.
Through thus practicing appropriately
He has here seen Buddha Śākyasiṃha. {93}
1.­126
“He will here become one who is in his final lifetime
And will subsequently attain supreme enlightenment.97
He will become a bhagavān in the Maitreya family
And he will guide ten billion beings. {94}
1.­127
“You were the one who, in that way,
Was the person idle during the time
Of the teaching of that sugata who had passed into nirvāṇa,
And at that time, I was the dharmabhāṇaka. {95} [F.12.b]
1.­128
“I, through that cause and that basis,98
Have seen today the same kind of omen
As the celebrated omen of the wisdom,
Which I previously saw at that time. {96}
1.­129
“The constant Lord of Jinas with all-seeing eyes,
The Śākya emperor who has seen the ultimate truth,
Also has the wish to speak and to give
The supreme teaching that I heard at that time. {97}
1.­130
“That omen will today be fulfilled:
Śākyasiṃha will be establishing
The skillful method of the guides;
The seal on the nature of phenomena will be taught. {98}
1.­131
“Be dedicated, have good aspiration, and place palms together;
The compassion that benefits the world will be taught.
An endless rain of the Dharma will fall,
Which will please those who are established in the cause of enlightenment. {99}
1.­132
“Whatever doubts there may be,
Whatever uncertainty or vacillation
They will be eliminated in those born from wisdom,
In the bodhisattvas fixed upon enlightenment.” {100}
1.­133

This concludes “The Introduction,” the first chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [B2]


2.
Chapter 2

Skill in Methods

2.­1

Then the Bhagavān mindfully and knowingly arose from that samādhi. Having arisen from it, he addressed Brother Śāriputra.99

“Śāriputra, the wisdom of the buddhas, which is profound, difficult to see, and difficult to understand, has been realized by the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas. It is difficult for all śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas to know. Why is that? Śāriputra, the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas have served many hundred thousand quintillions of buddhas; they have practiced for the highest, complete enlightenment with many hundred thousand quintillions of buddhas; they have followed them for a long time; they have been diligent; [F.13.a] they have obtained marvelous, amazing Dharma; and they know the Dharma that is difficult to know.


3.
Chapter 3

The Parable

3.­1

Then at that time, Śāriputra felt contented, delighted, elated, and joyful. With happiness and gladness he bowed with palms together toward the Bhagavān. Facing the Bhagavān, gazing solely upon the Bhagavān, he said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, I am astonished and amazed. I am overjoyed to have heard this kind of speech from the Bhagavān.

3.­2

“Why is that? Bhagavān, it is because I have never heard this kind of Dharma from the Bhagavān. When I saw other bodhisattvas and heard the names of the buddhas that those bodhisattvas will become in the future, and yet, still had not heard this kind of Dharma teaching from the Bhagavān, I imagined that I was deprived of that kind of vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom,169 and was extremely grieved and extremely distressed. [F.25.a]


4.
Chapter 4

The Aspiration

4.­1

Then Brother Subhūti, Brother Mahākātyāyana, Mahākāśyapa, and Mahā­maudgalyāyana, having heard from the Bhagavān this kind of Dharma that they had never heard before, and having heard directly from the Bhagavān the prophecy of Brother Śāriputra’s attainment of the highest, supreme enlightenment, were amazed, astonished, and overjoyed.

At that time they rose from their seats, approached the Bhagavān, uncovered one shoulder, knelt on their right knees, and with palms together in homage to the Bhagavān, looking directly at the Bhagavān, they inclined their bodies, they bowed their bodies, they bowed well, bowed perfectly.


5.
Chapter 5

Herbs

5.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to Brother Mahākāśyapa and the other great sthaviras, “Excellent! Excellent, Kāśyapa! It is excellent, Kāśyapa, that you have praised the true qualities of the Tathāgata. Kāśyapa, those are qualities of the Tathāgata. There are immeasurably and innumerably more than those. It would not be easy to enumerate them entirely even in countless eons.


6.
Chapter 6

The Prophecies to the Śrāvakas

6.­1

When the Bhagavān had finished reciting those verses, he announced to the complete saṅgha of bhikṣus, “Oh bhikṣus! I declare to you,278 I make it known to you, that this śrāvaka bhikṣu of mine, Kāśyapa, will serve three hundred billion buddhas, will venerate them, honor them, make offerings to them, praise them, and respect them.279 He will hold the Dharma of those buddha bhagavāns. [F.55.a] In his last life, in an eon named Mahāvyūha, in a world named Avabhāsaprāptā, he will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct,280 the sugata, the one who knows the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Raśmiprabhāsa. His lifespan will be twelve intermediate eons. His Dharma will remain for twenty intermediate eons, and the outer form of his Dharma will remain for a further twenty intermediate eons. His buddha realm will be pure and clean, without stones, pebbles, or gravel, without chasms or cliffs, without drains or cesspools.281 It will be flat, pleasant, beautiful, delightful, made of beryl, adorned by jewel trees, divided eightfold like a checkerboard by golden cords,282 and filled with flowers. There will be many hundred thousands of bodhisattvas there. There will be countless hundred thousand quintillions of śrāvakas there. The evil Māra and his followers will not appear there. Even if Māra and Māra’s followers were to appear there they would become dedicated to maintaining the Dharma taught by the bhagavān tathāgata Raśmiprabhāsa.”


7.
Chapter 7

The Past

7.­1

“Bhikṣus, in the past, in a time gone by, beyond and even further beyond the most countless, innumerable, incalculable, unquantifiable, inconceivable asaṃkhyeya eons ago, at that time, in that era, in an eon named Mahārūpa, in a world named Saṃbhavā, there appeared in that world the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū.


8.
Chapter 8

The Prophecy to the Five Hundred Bhikṣus

8.­1

Brother Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra, having heard directly from the Bhagavān about this wisdom insight into skillful methods, about the teachings with implied meaning, and having heard the prophecies made to the great śrāvakas, and having heard of the connections with the past, and having heard of the preeminence of the Bhagavān, was astonished and amazed, without worldly concerns, and filled with delight and joy. Then with great delight and joy and great reverence for the Dharma, he rose from his seat, bowed down to the feet of the Bhagavān, [F.75.b] and thought, “Bhagavān, it is wonderful! Sugata, it is wonderful! The tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas accomplish that which is extremely difficult‍—they teach the Dharma to beings according to the different concerns of the world, through many wisdom insights into skillful methods, and they liberate330 beings attached to this and that.331 Bhagavān, what are we able to do? The Tathāgata is the one who knows our aspirations and our past.”


9.
Chapter 9

The Prophecies to Ānanda, Rāhula, and Two Thousand Bhikṣus

9.­1

At that time, Brother Ānanda thought, “May I obtain a prophecy like these!” Thinking that, contemplating it, and wishing for it, he rose from his seat and bowed down to the Bhagavān’s feet. Brother Rāhula also, thinking, contemplating, and wishing for the same thing, bowed down to the Bhagavān’s feet, and they said, “Bhagavān, may we have such an opportunity! Sugata, may we have such an opportunity! Bhagavān, you are our father, our progenitor, our refuge, our support, and our protector. Bhagavān, we are honored by the world with its devas, humans, and asuras as the sons of the Bhagavān, the attendants of the Bhagavān, and the keepers of the Dharma treasure of the Bhagavān. Therefore, Bhagavān, it would be fitting if the Bhagavān were quickly to give us the prophecy of our attainment of the highest, complete enlightenment.”


10.
Chapter 10

The Dharmabhāṇakas

10.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja and eighty thousand other bodhisattvas, “Bhaiṣajyarāja, do you see this assembly’s numerous devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and nonhumans, bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas and upāsikās, and followers of the Śrāvakayāna and the Bodhisattva­yāna who have heard this Dharma teaching directly from the Tathāgata?” [F.84.a]


11.
Chapter 11

The Appearance of the Stūpa

11.­1

Then a stūpa made of the seven precious materials arose from the center of the assembly, directly in front of the Bhagavān. It was five hundred yojanas tall and of a corresponding circumference. Having risen up, it remained suspended in the air, bright and beautiful, adorned with five thousand encircling railings358 covered in flowers, and beautified by many thousands of toraṇas, hung with thousands of sacred flags and banners of victory, [F.89.a] hung with thousands of strings of jewels, hung with thousands of streamers and bells, and emitting the aroma of bay leaves and sandalwood. That aroma spread throughout the entire all-containing world. Its crowning parasol reached as high as the palaces in the paradises of the Four Mahārājas. It was made of the seven precious materials, which are gold, silver, beryl, white coral, emerald, red pearl, and chrysoberyl. At the stūpa, devas of the Trāyastriṃśa paradise scattered coral tree and great coral tree flowers on the precious stūpa, bestrewing it with them, and covering it with them.


12.
Chapter 12

Resolutions

12.­1

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāpratibhāna, together with a following of two hundred thousand bodhisattvas, facing the Bhagavān, said, “Bhagavān, have no concern over this matter. Bhagavān, we will teach, we will expound this Dharma teaching to beings after the nirvāṇa of the Tathāgata.

“Bhagavān, in that time beings will be wicked, have few roots of merit, be arrogant, be devoted to gain and honor, engage in roots of demerit, be difficult to guide, have no interest, and be filled with disinterest, but, Bhagavān, we will demonstrate the power of patience and in that time we will teach this sūtra, we will uphold it, we will expound it, we will write it out, we will honor it, we will venerate it, and we will make offerings to it. Bhagavān, we will cast aside body and life and teach this sūtra. Therefore, Bhagavān, have no concern.”


13.
Chapter 13

Dwelling in Happiness

13.­1

Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, what these bodhisattva mahāsattvas are resolved to do because of their reverence for the Bhagavān is a difficult task, extremely difficult. Bhagavān, how should these bodhisattva mahāsattvas expound this Dharma teaching in the later times, in a later era?”

The Bhagavān said to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should expound this Dharma teaching in the later times, in a later era, by maintaining four qualities. What are these four?


14.
Chapter 14

The Bodhisattvas Emerging Out of the Ground

14.­1

Then the bodhisattvas who had arrived from other world realms, who were as numerous as the grains of sand in eight Ganges Rivers, stood up in the circle of the assembly, bowed to the Bhagavān with hands together in homage, and said these words:

“Bhagavān, if the Bhagavān will permit us, [F.111.a] after the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, we too will teach this Dharma teaching in the Sahā world realm. We will read it, write it, and make offerings to it. We shall be dedicated to this Dharma teaching. Bhagavān, teach well this Dharma teaching to us.”


15.
Chapter 15

The Lifespan of the Tathāgata

15.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the complete assembly of bodhisattvas, “Noble ones, have faith and certainty in the true words that I, the Tathāgata, will speak.”

The Bhagavān said a second time, and a third time, to those bodhisattvas, “Noble ones, have faith and certainty in the true words that I, the Tathāgata, will speak. Noble ones, have faith and certainty in the true words that I, the Tathāgata, will speak.”


16.
Chapter 16

The Extent of the Merit

16.­1

When the teaching of the Tathāgata’s lifespan was taught it benefited innumerable, countless beings. The Bhagavān said at that time to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Ajita, when the Dharma teaching that teaches the Tathāgata’s lifespan was given, a hundred thousand quintillion bodhisattvas, as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty-eight Ganges Rivers, developed receptivity to the birthlessness of phenomena.


17.
Chapter 17

Teaching the Merit of Rejoicing

17.­1

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya asked the Bhagavān, [F.129.a] “Bhagavān, if a noble man or noble woman rejoices after hearing this Dharma teaching explained, how much merit, Bhagavān, does that noble man or noble woman create?” And at that time the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya also addressed to him this verse:

17.­2
“After the nirvāṇa of the great Hero,
How much merit will there be
For someone who listens to this kind of sūtra,
And having heard it, rejoices?” {1}

18.
Chapter 18

The Benefits of the Purity of the Six Āyatanas

18.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Satata­samitābhiyukta, “If any noble man or noble woman possesses, reads, teaches, or asks questions about this Dharma teaching, that noble man or noble woman will gain eight hundred qualities of the eyes, will gain twelve hundred qualities of the nose, will gain eight hundred qualities of the ears, will gain twelve hundred qualities of the tongue, will gain eight hundred qualities of the body, and will gain twelve hundred qualities of mind.


19.
Chapter 19

Sadāparibhūta

19.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahā­sthāma­prāpta, “Mahā­sthāma­prāpta, you should know that this Dharma teaching is like this: Whoever rejects this Dharma teaching, and scolds, rebukes, and speaks crudely489 and harshly to the bhikṣus, [F.139.b] bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess such a sūtra as this, will experience the undesirable result ripening from that, which is that they will be unable to speak words. Whoever possesses such a sūtra as this, reads it, studies it, teaches it, and teaches it extensively to others will have the desirable result ripening from that, which is, as I have said before, that they will attain purified eyes, nose, ears, tongue, body, and mind.


20.
Chapter 20

The Tathāgata’s Miracles

20.­1

Then those hundreds of millions of quintillions of bodhisattvas who had emerged from the ground, as numerous as the atoms in a world realm, placed their hands together in homage and said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, we will teach this Dharma teaching in all the buddha realms where the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, and in the buddha realms where the Bhagavān will pass into nirvāṇa.


21.
Chapter 21

Dhāraṇīs

21.­1

498Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja rose from his seat, removed his upper robe from one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, [F.147.a] and with his hands together in homage bowed toward the Bhagavān and said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, how much merit will a noble man or noble woman generate by carrying this Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma on their body or making a text of it?”


22.
Chapter 22

The Past of Bhaiṣajyarāja

22.­1

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Nakṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, through what cause is the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja active in this Sahā world realm? Bhagavān, he must have undergone many hundred thousands of quintillions of hardships. I request the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha to speak of just a fraction of what the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja has practiced, so that those who have heard the Bhagavān‍—the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and nonhumans, and the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have arrived here from other world realms and these great śrāvakas‍—will all be pleased, delighted, and happy.”


23.
Chapter 23

Gadgadasvara

23.­1

Then at that time the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni emitted light from the ūrṇā hair between his eyebrows, which was a sign of a great being. That light shone throughout hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha realms in the east, which were as numerous as the grains of sand in eighteen Ganges Rivers. Beyond those hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha realms, which were as numerous as the grains of sand in eighteen Ganges Rivers, there was the world realm named Vairocana­raśmi­prati­maṇḍitā, in which there lived, was present, and remained the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Kamala­dala­vimala­nakṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña. He was accompanied and revered by an immeasurably great saṅgha of bodhisattvas. Then the ray of light emitted by the bhagavān tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni from his ūrṇā hair shone at that time throughout the world realm Vairocana­raśmi­prati­maṇḍitā.


24.
Chapter 24

Facing Everywhere: The Teaching of the Miracles of Avalokiteśvara

24.­1

596Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Akṣayamati rose from his seat, removed his upper robe from one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, and with his hands together in homage bowed toward the Bhagavān and asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, why is the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara called Avalokiteśvara?” [F.164.b]

24.­2

The Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Akṣayamati, “Noble one, if the hundred thousand quintillion beings in this world who are experiencing suffering were to hear the name of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara they would all become freed from that mass of suffering.


25.
Chapter 25

The Past of King Śubhavyūha

25.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the all-inclusive assembly of bodhisattvas, “Noble ones, in the past, in a time gone by, countless eons ago, at that time, in that era, in an eon named Priyadarśana, in a world named Vairocana­raśmi­prati­maṇḍitā, there appeared in that world the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world’s beings, the unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Jala­dhara­garjita­ghoṣa­susvarana­kṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña­.


26.
Chapter 26

Samantabhadra’s Encouragement

26.­1

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra, leading a following of countless bodhisattva mahāsattvas, and leading a following of countless devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, came from the east, and the realms shook, a rain of lotuses fell, and a hundred thousand quintillion musical instruments played. With the great power of a bodhisattva, with the great manifestations of a bodhisattva, with the great miraculous power of a bodhisattva, with the great majesty636 of a bodhisattva, with the great brilliant magnificence of a bodhisattva, with the great way637 of a bodhisattva, with the great miracles of a bodhisattva, and with the great miraculous manifestation of leading a following638 of devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans‍—it was with such an inconceivable miraculous manifestation that the bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra came to this Sahā world realm.


27.
Chapter 27

The Entrusting

27.­1

Then the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni [F.179.b] rose from his Dharma seat and manifested the miracle of his right hand taking hold of the right hands of those in the entire gathering of bodhisattvas. At that time he said, “Noble ones, this highest, complete enlightenment that I accomplished after a hundred thousand quintillion asaṃkhyeya eons I place in your hands: I entrust it to you, I present it to you, and I pass it on to you. Noble ones, you should do whatever will make it extensively widespread.”


c.

Colophon

c.­1

Translated, revised, and finalized by the Indian Upādhyāya Surendrabodhi and the chief editor Lotsawa Bandé Nanam Yeshé Dé.


n.

Notes

n.­1
See Jamieson (2002) for a list of the numerous scholarly works.
n.­2
Karashima (2015).
n.­3
Dessein (2009): 36–37.
n.­4
Zhongxin (1997).
n.­5
Karashima (2001).
n.­6
Karashima (2001): 212.
n.­7
Lopez (2016): 21.
n.­8
Deeg (1999).
n.­56
There have been two ways to interpret this traditional beginning of a sūtra, with such Indian masters as Kamalaśīla claiming that both are equally correct. The alternative interpretation is “Thus have I heard: at one time, the Bhagavān…,” and so on. The various arguments, both traditional and modern, for either side are given by Brian Galloway in “Thus have I heard: At one time…,” Indo-Iranian Journal 34, no. 2 (April 1991): 87–104.
n.­57
This figure is from the Sanskrit. The Tibetan in all Kangyurs has twelve thousand, as do the Chinese translations by Kumārajīva (T.262, early fifth century) and by Jñānagupta and Dharmagupta (T.264, early seventh century). The Chinese translation by Dharmarakṣa (T.263, late third century), however, has 1,200 like the Sanskrit, while the other early Chinese translation, which is anonymous, has 42,000 (大比丘眾四萬二千人俱).
n.­58
Sanskrit ājāneya; Tibetan cang shes. Ājāneya was incorrectly defined as meaning “all-knowing” and was translated therefore into Tibetan as cang shes (“all-knowing”). The term ājāneya was primarily used for thoroughbred horses, but was also applied to people in a laudatory sense.
n.­59
This term probably has its origins in being a translation into Sanskrit from the Middle Indic mahānāga, the Sanskrit equivalent of which should have been mahānagna, which has the meaning of “a great champion, a man of distinction and nobility.”
n.­60
According to the BHS abhi­jñatābhijña­ta, where the same word is repeated with different meanings. The Tibetan translates both identically in most Kangyurs as mngon par shes pa mngon par shes pa, and in others such as Degé and Lhasa as mngon par shes pas mngon par shes pa.
n.­61
According to the Tibetan. Sanskrit: Mahānanda.
n.­62
According to the Sanskrit, Yongle, Lithang, Narthang, Choné, Lhasa, and Stok Palace Kangyurs. The Degé and Comparative Edition have mes byin (“given by fire”) in error for mis byin (“given by men”).
n.­63
According to the Tibetan (literally “hundred thousand ten millions”). The Sanskrit omits the koṭī (“ten million”).
n.­64
The Sanskrit has additionally “divine flowers” and “great flowers.”
n.­65
The Sanskrit is simply pratyekayāna.
n.­66
Literally “a thousand ten-millions” or “tens of billions.”
n.­67
From the Sanskrit śaṅkhaśilā, though the meaning is uncertain. The Tibetan is man shel, which appears to indicate a form of crystal.
n.­68
According to the Sanskrit, which accords with the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, and Choné Kangyurs. The Degé and Stok Palace read: “supreme yāna” (theg mchog).
n.­69
According to the Tibetan. Sanskrit: putrī (“daughters”).
n.­70
From the Sanskrit upalakṣayanti and the Stok Palace nye bar rtog par byed. The Degé and all other versions recorded in the Comparative Edition read: nye bar rtogs par byed.
n.­71
From the Sanskrit sabalaṃ savāhanaṃ. The Tibetan translates the words as “with their strength and steeds.”
n.­72
According to the Tibetan; “aggressive” is absent from the Sanskrit.
n.­73
According to the Tibetan. Sanskrit: “And similarly toward abuse, criticism, and threats.”
n.­74
According to the Sanskrit mūlya. The Tibetan has ri (“mountain”) in error for rin (“value”).
n.­75
According to the Tibetan, presumably translating from anya. The Sanskrit has bhūya (“many”).
n.­76
According to the Tibetan. Sanskrit: “and the constant sound of a multitude of bells.”
n.­77
According to the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné Kangyurs: sol. The Degé and Stok Palace read: rtsol.
n.­78
According to the Tibetan. Sanskrit: “Dispel our curiosity, son of the Buddha!”
n.­79
According to the Tibetan. In the Sanskrit, the second half of this verse is the first half of verse 52, and vice versa.
n.­80
According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit here repeats the first half of verse 49. The equivalent Sanskrit for these lines forms the second half of verse 53.
n.­81
According to the Stok Palace Kangyur, cung, which accords with the Sanskrit alpa. The Degé and all other witnesses recorded in the Comparative Edition read: chud.
n.­82
Sanskrit: bherī. There is a variety of kettledrums and the bherī is described as a conical or bowl-shaped kettledrum, with an upper surface that is beaten with sticks.
n.­83
According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan appears to have translated pratibhāti as the noun spobs pa.
n.­84
It becomes evident that this is another name for Varaprabha.
n.­85
In the verse the Sanskrit is candrasya sūryasya pradīpa (“The lamp of the sun [and] of the moon”).
n.­86
Sanskrit: “many bodhisattvas in the highest wisdom of buddhahood.”
n.­87
According to the Sanskrit, where vināyakānāṃ is clearly plural. Otherwise, one would assume from the Tibetan that this is referring to Śākyamuni’s light ray, as it preserves the order of the Sanskrit so so’i zhing du rnam par ’dren pa yi instead of rnam par ’dren pa yi so so’i zhing du.
n.­88
This is a synonym for Candra­sūrya­pradīpa, presumably used to match the meter of the verse.
n.­89
According to the Sanskrit saṃsthapayitvā, literally translated into Tibetan as kun bkod, which would be “completely established or arranged,” the primary meaning of the Sanskrit word.
n.­90
According to the Sanskrit. There appears to be an error in the Tibetan, which reads “my enlightenment.”
n.­91
According to the Tibetan and Chinese. The Sanskrit has Vimalāgranetra (“Stainless Highest Eyes”) instead of Vimalāṅganetra (“Stainless Limbs and Eyes”). This is synonymous with Vimalanetra.
n.­92
Nirvāṇa means the state of being extinguished, and often in this sūtra, as here, is the past passive participle of the verb “to extinguish”: parinirvṛta. It has here been translated into English as “extinguished” to make intelligible the reference to a flame.
n.­93
According to the Sanskrit śāsane. The Tibetan has bskal pa (kalpa, “eon”) instead.
n.­94
According to the Stok Palace Kangyur, mang pos mchod, which accords with the Sanskrit saṃghapūjita. The Degé and other Kangyurs recorded in the Comparative Edition instead read mang po’i mchog.
n.­95
According to the Tibetan and Chinese. The Sanskrit has tenākuśalena (“through that not-good karma”).
n.­96
The Tibetan ’dren mar is an alternative form of ’dres mar, “mixed,” as it reflects the Sanskrit kalmāṣabhūtena (“mixed,” “alloyed,” or “spotted”).
n.­97
According to Tibetan. Sanskrit: “He will attain the highest, supreme enlightenment.”
n.­98
According to the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, Choné, Lhasa, and Stok Palace Kangyurs: gzhis. The Degé has bzhis (“through four”).
n.­99
According to the Sanskrit. Tibetan: Śāridvataputra.
n.­169
According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has “deprived of the scope of wisdom of the tathāgatas, and of the vision of their wisdom.”
n.­278
According to the BHS ārocayāmi. The Tibetan mos par bya could be interpreted as “make you aspire.”
n.­279
According to the Sanskrit. The last two activities are absent from the Tibetan, but when this passage is repeated further on in this chapter they are included in the Tibetan, and so there appears to be an unintended omission here.
n.­280
According to the commentary this refers to the eightfold path, with wisdom being the right view and conduct being the other seven aspects of the path.
n.­281
According to the BHS gūtholigalla. The Tibetan translates obscurely as sme ba (“spots”).
n.­282
See n.­179.
n.­330
According to the Sanskrit pramocayanti and, in part, the Stok Palace Kangyur ’grol ba. The other Tibetan versions consulted have ’grel ba; a Tibetan translation of the causative Sanskrit verb form would more likely be sgrol ba.
n.­331
The syntax is according to the Sanskrit; the Tibetan reverses the order of the sentences.
n.­358
According to the Sanskrit vedikā. The Tibetan translates as stegs bu, “platforms,” Burnouf as “balconies,” and Kern as “terraces.” However, vedikā here refers to the railings in which the toraṇas, or “gateways,” are set. While the vedikās do serve as railings for elevated platforms, which serve as circumambulatory walkways, they also encircle the stūpa on the surrounding flat ground.
n.­489
According to the Tibetan tshogs par mi dbyung ba (“unfit for a gathering”), which will have been a translation of asabhya. The Sanskrit has asatya (“falsely”), which appears to have been the source of the Chinese translation.
n.­498
In the Chinese translation this chapter is later, following the chapter on Avalokiteśvara.
n.­596
“Facing everywhere” in the chapter title is translated according to the Sanskrit samantamukha, which has also became an epithet for the many-faced forms of Avalokiteśvara. The Tibetan translates as kun nas sgo (taking the alternative meaning of “door” from mukha) which could be literally translated as “doors on all sides.” However, in the Mahāvyutpatti we find samanta-spharaṇa-mukha translated as bzhin kun tu khyab pa (“face that pervades everywhere”). Other translations have included “all-sided one” and “all-sidedness.” Burnouf translates as “Celui dont la face regarde de tous les côtés,” correcting his earlier translation based on a misreading of samantamukha as samantasukha (“complete bliss”). The meaning, however translated, refers to Avalokiteśvara regarding all beings.
n.­636
According to the Sanskrit. “Great” is absent from the Tibetan. The Sanskrit mahata bodhi­sattva­māhātmyena manages to keep the two similar words apart.
n.­637
According to the Sanskrit mahatā bodhi­sattvayānena. The Tibetan could be interpreted to mean specifically the mahāyāna.
n.­638
“leading a following” is absent from the Tibetan.

b.

Bibliography

Tibetan Editions of the Sūtra

dam chos padma dkar po’i mdo (Saddharma­puṇḍarīka­sūtra) [The White Lotus of the Good Dharma]. Toh 113, Degé Kangyur, 103 vols. New Delhi: Karmapae Chodhey Gyalwae Sungrab Patrun Khang, 1976–79, vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1a–180b.

‍—‍—‍—. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–2009, vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), pp. 3–427.

‍—‍—‍—. Choné Kangyur (co ne bka’ ’gyur). 108 vols. Choné: co ne par khang, 1926, vol. 31 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1–212b.

‍—‍—‍—. Lhasa Kangyur (lha sa bka’ ’gyur). 100 vols. Lhasa: zhol bka’ ’gyur par khang, 1934, vol. 53 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1b–285b.

‍—‍—‍—. Narthang Kangyur (snar thang bka’ ’gyur). 102 vols. Narthang: snar thang par khang, eighteenth century, vol. 53 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1b–281b.

‍—‍—‍—. Stok Palace Kangyur (stog pho brang bris ma bka’ ’gyur). 109 vols. Leh: smad rtsis shes rig dpe mdzod, 1975–80. vol. 67 (mdo sde, ma), folios 1a–270b.

‍—‍—‍—. Urga Kangyur (ur ga bka’ ’gyur). New Delhi: International Academy of Indian Culture, 1990–94. vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1a–180b.

Khangkar, Tsultrim Kelsang (ed.) bod gyur dam pa’i chos padma dkar po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo: Tibetan Translation of Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra. Nyin bod nang rig deb grangs (Japanese and Tibetan Buddhist Culture Series) XI. Kyoto: Tibetan Buddhist Culture Association, 2009.

Sanskrit Editions of the Sūtra

Zhongxin, Jiang. Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Fragments from the Lüshun Museum Collection. Tokyo: Sōka Gakkai, 1997.

Vaidya, P. L. Saddharma­puṇḍarīka­sūtra. Darbhanga: The Mithila Institute of Post-Graduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning, 1960.

Watanabe, Shōkō. Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Manuscripts Found in Gilgit. Tokyo: Reiyukai, 1972–75.

Wogihara, Unrai and Tsuchida, Chikao. Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtram: Romanized and Revised Text of the Bibliotheca Buddhica publication by consulting a Sanskrit Ms. & Tibetan and Chinese translations. Tōkyō: Seigo-Kenkyūkai, 1934–35.

Translations of the Sūtra

Borsig, Margareta von. Lotos-Sutra: Das Große Erleuchtungsbuch des Buddhismus. Freiburg: Herder, 2003.

Burnouf, Eugene. Le lotus de la bonne loi. Paris: L’imprimerie Nationale, 1852.

Hurvitz, Leon. Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma. New York: Columbia University Press, 1976.

Katō, Bunnō. “The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law.” In The Threefold Lotus Sutra, translated by Bunnō Katō, Yoshirō Tamura, and Kōjirō Miyasaka, with revisions by W. E. Soothill, Wilhelm Schiffer, and Pier P. Del Campana, 18–213. New York and Tokyo: Weatherhill and Kosei, 1993.

Kern, H. Saddharma-Puṇḍarīka or the Lotus of the Good Law. Sacred Books of the East XXII. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1884.

Kubo, Tsugunari and Akira Yuyama. The Lotus Sutra. Berkeley: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research (revised second edition), 2007.

Montgomery, Daniel B. The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma. Tokyo: Nichiren Shu Headquarters, 1991.

Murano, Senchū. The Lotus Sutra: Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma. Hayward, CA: Nichiren Buddhist International Center, 1974.

Reeves, Gene. The Lotus Sutra: A Contemporary Translation of a Buddhist Classic. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2008.

Soothill, W.E. The Lotus of the Wonderful Law, or The Lotus Gospel. Richmond: Curzon Press, 1987.

Watson, Burton. The Lotus Sutra. New York: Columbia University Press, 1993.

Other Kangyur Texts

rgya cher rol pa’i mdo (Lalita­vistara­sūtra, Toh 95. Degé Kangyur vol. 46 (mdo sde, kha), folios 1b–216b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation committee (2013).

ting nge ’dzin gyi rgyal po’i mdo (Samādhi­rāja­sūtra), Toh 127, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 1a–175b. English translation in Roberts (2018).

de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi gsang ba’i mdo (Tathāgata­ghuyaka­sūtra) [The Secret of the Tathāgatas Sūtra]. Toh 443, Degé Kangyur vol. 81 (rgyud, ca), folios 90a–157b.

phal po che’i mdo (Avataṁsaka­sūtra) [A Multitude of Buddhas Sūtra]. Toh 44, Degé Kangyur vols. 35–38 (phal chen, ka–a), folios ka 1a–nga 363a.

lang kar gshegs pa’i mdo (Laṅkā­vatāra­sūtra) [The Entry into Laṅka Sutra]. Toh 107, Degé Kangyur vol. 49 (mdo sde, ca), folios 56a–191b.

shes rab pha rol tu phyin pa brgyad stong pa (Aṣṭa­sāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā) [The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Verses]. Toh 12, Degé Kangyur vol. 33 (brgyad stong pa, ka), folios 1b–286a.

sa bcu pa’i mdo (Daśa­bhūmika­sūtra) [The Sūtra of the Ten Bhūmis]. Chapter 31, in Toh 44, Degé Kangyur vol. 36 (phal chen, kha), folios 166a–283a. English translation in Roberts (2021).

gser ’od dam pa’i mdo (Su­varṇa­prabhā­sūtra) [The Golden Light Sūtra]. Toh 556, Degé Kangyur vol. 89 (rgyud, pa), folios 151b–273a.

Tengyur Texts

Abhayākaragupta. thub pa’i dgongs pa’i rgyan (Muni­matālaṁkāra). Toh 3903, Degé Tengyur vol. 210 (dbu ma, a), folios 73b–293a.

Asaṅga. theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma’i bstan bcos rnam par bshad pa (Mahāyānottara­tantra­śāstra­vyākhyā). Toh 4025, Degé Tengyur vol. 225 (sems tsam, phi), folios 74b–129a.

Candrakīrti. dbu ma la ’jug pa’i bshad pa (Madhyamakāvatāra­bhāṣya). Toh 3862, Degé Tengyur vol. 204 (dbu ma, ’a), folios 220b–348a.

‍—‍—‍—. byang chub sems dpa’i rnal ’byor spyod pa bzhi brgya pa’i ’grel pa (Bodhi­sattva­yoga­caryā­catuḥ­śataka­ṭīkā) Toh 3865, Degé Tengyur vol. 205 (dbu ma, ya), folios 30b–239a.

Daṃṣṭrāsena, Vasubandhu, or neither. shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa ’bum pa dang nyi khri lnga stong pa dang khri brgyad stong pa’i rgya cher bshad pa (Śata­sāhasrikā­pañca­viṁśati­sāhasrika­ṣṭāda­śasāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā­bṛhaṭṭīkā). Toh 3808, Degé Tengyur vol. 93 (sher phyin, pha), folios 1a–292b. English translation in Sparham (2022).

Dharmamitra. tshig rab tu gsal ba (Prasphuṭapadā). Toh 3796, Degé Tengyur vol. 87 (sher phyin, nya), folios 1a–110a.

Jānavajra. de bzhin gshegs pa’i snying po’i rgyan (Tathāgata­hṛdayālaṁkāra). Toh 4019, Degé Tengyur vol. 224 (mdo ’grel, pi), folios 1a–310a.

Kamalaśīla. shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa bdun brgya pa rgya cher bshad pa (Sapta­śatikā­prajñā­pāramitā­ṭīkā). Toh 3815, Degé Tengyur vol. 95 (sher phyin, ma), folios 89a–178a.

Maitreya-Asaṅga. theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma’i bstan bcos (Mahāyānottara­tantra­śāstra) [A Mahāyāna Treatise on the Supreme Continuum]. Toh 4024, Degé Tengyur vol. 225 (sems tsam, phi), folios 54b–73a.

Nāgārjuna. mdo kun las btus pa (Sūtrasamuccaya). Toh 3934, Degé Tengyur vol. 212 (dbu ma, ki), folios 148b–215a.

Saitsalak (sa’i rtsa lag, Kuiji, Pṛthivībandhu). dam pa’i chos padma dkar po’i ’grel pa. Toh 4017, Degé Tengyur, vol. 120 (mdo ’grel, di), folios 175b–302a.

‍—‍—‍—. dam pa’i chos padma dkar po’i ’grel pa. bstan ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Tengyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 120 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 1994–2008, vol. 69 (mdo sde, di, vol. 135), pp. 476–826.

Śāntideva. bslab pa kun las btus pa (Śikṣāsamuccaya). Toh 3940, Degé Tengyur vol. 111 (dbu ma, khi), folios 3a–194b.

Vasubandhu. theg pa chen po bsdus pa’i ’grel pa (Mahā­yāna­saṁgraha­bhāṣya). Toh 4050, Degé Tengyur vol. 225 (sems tsam, yi), folios 121b–190a.

Wantsik (wan tshig, Yuan Tso). dgongs pa zab mo nges par ’grel pa (Gambhīra­saṁdhi­nirmocana­sūtra­ṭīkā). Toh 4016, Degé Tengyur vols. 220–22 (mdo ’grel, ti–ti), folios ti 1a–di 175a.

Secondary Tibetan Sources

Lodrö Gyaltsen (blo gros rgyal mtshan). dam chos pad dkar gyi tshig don la gzhan gyi log par rtog pa dgag pa. In Sa skya bka’ ’bum vol. 15, Kathmandu: Sachen International, 2006, folios 469–485.

Butön Rinchen Drup (bu ston rin chen grub). bde bar gshegs pa’i bstan pa’i gsal byed chos kyi ’byung gnas gsung rab rin po che’i mdzod. In The Collected Works of Bu-ston. Edited by Lokesh Chandra from the collections of Raghu Vira. 28 volumes. Zhol bka’ ’gyur par khang edition. New Delhi: International Academy of Indian Culture, 1965–71, 633–1056.

Changkya Rölpai Dorjé (lcang skya rol pa’i rdo rje). dam chos pad ma dkar po’i kha byang. In lcang skya rol pa’i rdo rje’i gsung ’bum, vol. 5 (ca), Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 2003, folios 525–532.

Pekar Zangpo (pad dkar bzang po). ’phags pa dam chos padma dkar po’i mdo. In mdo sde spyi’i rnam bzhag, Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2006, pp. 187–189.

Secondary Non-Tibetan Sources

Abbott, Terry Rae. “Vasubandhu’s Commentary on the Saddharma­puṇḍarīka­sūtra: A Study of its History and Significance.” PhD diss., University of California at Berkeley, 1985.

Boucher, Daniel. “Dharmarakṣa and the Transmission of Buddhism to China.” Asia Major 19 (2006): 13–37.

Deeg, Max. “The Saṅgha of Devadatta: Fiction and History of a Heresy in the Buddhist Tradition.” Journal of the International College for Advanced Buddhist Studies (March 31, 1999): 195–230.

Dessein, Bart. “The Mahāsāṃghikas and the Origins of Mahāyāna Buddhism: Evidence Provided in the *Abhi­dharma­mahā­vibhāṣa­śāstra.” The Eastern Buddhist 40, no. 1 (2009): 25–61.

Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans. The Play in Full (Lalita­vistara, Toh 95). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2013.

Galloway, Brian. “Thus have I heard: At one time….” Indo-Iranian Journal 34, no. 2 (April 1991): 87–104.

Groner, Paul and Jacqueline I. Stone. “Editors’ Introduction: The Lotus Sutra in Japan.” Japanese Journal of Religious Studies vol. 41, no. 1 (2014): 1–23.

Hanh, Thich Nhat. Peaceful Action, Open Heart: Lessons from the Lotus Sutra. Berkeley: Parallax Press, 2008.

Heirman, Ann. “Yijing’s View on the Bhikṣunīs’ Standard Robes.” Chung-Hwa Buddhist Journal 21 (2008): 145–158.

Hinüber, Oskar von. “A Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra Manuscript from Khotan: The Gift of a Pious Khotanese Family.” Journal of Oriental Studies 24 (2014): 134–156.

‍—‍—‍—. “The Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra at Gilgit: Manuscripts, Worshippers, and Artists.” Journal of Oriental Studies22 (2012): 52–67.

‍—‍—‍—. Bronzes of the Ancient Kingdom of Gilgit and Royal Patronage in Early North-Western India and Pakistan. Online lecture: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2010).

Jamieson, R. C. “Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Manuscripts from Cambridge University Library (Add. 1682 and Add. 1683).” Journal of Oriental Studies 12, no. 6 (2002): 165–173.

Jeffus, Ryusho. Lotus Sutra Practice Guide: 35-Day Practice Outline. Charlotte, NC: Myosho-ji, 2012.

Karashima, Seishi. “Who Composed the Mahāyāna Scriptures?‍—the Mahāsāṃghikas and Vaitulya Scriptures.” ARIRIAB XVIII (2015): 113–162.

‍—‍—‍—. “Some Features of the Language of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra.” Indo-Iranian Journal 44 (2001): 207–230.

Kim, Young-ho. Tao-sheng’s Commentary on the Lotus Sūtra: A Study and Translation. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1990.

Lancaster, L. R. The Korean Buddhist Canon: A Descriptive Catalogue.

Laufer, Berthold. “Sanskrit Karketana.” Mémoires de la Société de Linguistique 22 (1922): 43–46.

Lopez Jr., Donald S. The Lotus Sutra: A Biography. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2016.

Miller, Robert, et al. The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1, ch. 1). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018.

Mookerji, Radha Kumud. Ancient Indian Education: Brahmanical and Buddhist. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1989.

Reeves, Gene. The Stories of the Lotus Sutra. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2010.

Roberts, Peter Alan, trans. The King of Samādhis Sūtra (Samādhi­rāja­sūtra, Toh 127). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018.

‍—‍—‍—, trans. The Ten Bhūmis (Daśabhūmika, Toh 44-31). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021.

Sparham, Gareth, trans. The Long Explanation of the Noble Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand, Twenty-Five Thousand, and Eighteen Thousand Lines (*Ārya­śata­sāhasrikā­pañca­viṃśati­sāhasrikāṣṭā­daśa­sāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā­bṛhaṭṭīkā, Toh 3808). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2022.

Schoening, Jeffrey. “Translated Sutra Commentaries in Tibet.” In Tibetan Literature: Studies in Genre, edited by José Cabezón and Roger Jackson, 111–124. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion, 1996.

Silk, Jonathan Alan. “The Yogācāra Bhikṣu.” In Beiju: Buddhist Studies in Honor of Professor Gadjin M. Nagao, edited by J. Silk, 256–314. Studies in the Buddhist Traditions 3. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1997.

Suguro, Shinjō. Introduction to the Lotus Sutra. Fremont, CA: Jain Publishing Company, 1998.

Tanabe, George J. and Willa Jane Tanabe. The Lotus Sutra in Japanese Culture. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1989.

Teiser, Stephen F. and Jacqueline I. Stone. Readings of the Lotus Sūtra. New York: Columbia University Press, 2009.

Tiantai Lotus Texts. BDK English Tripiṭaka Series. Berkeley, CA: Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai America, 2013, 93–149.

Tola, Fernando and Carmen Dragonetti. Buddhist Positiveness: Studies on the Lotus Sūtra. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2009.

Winder, Marianne. “Vaidurya.” Studies on Indian Medical History (1987): 85–94.

Yuyama, Akira. A Bibliography of the Sanskrit Texts of the “Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra.” Canberra: Faculty of Asian Studies in Association with Australian National University Press, 1970.

Zengwen, Yang. “Saddharmapundarikasutra in Chinese History and its Significance in the 21st Centry.” Journal of Oriental Studies vol. 10 (2000): 10–20.

Zhongxin, Jiang. Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Fragments from the Lüshun Museum Collection (Tokyo: Sōka Gakkai, 1997).


g.

Glossary

Types of attestation for Sanskrit names and terms

AS

Attested in source text

This term is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript used as a source for this translation.

AO

Attested in other text

This term is attested in other Sanskrit manuscripts of the Kangyur or Tengyur.

AD

Attested in dictionary

This term is attested in Tibetan-Sanskrit dictionaries.

AA

Approximate attestation

The attestation of this name is approximate. It is based on other names where Tibetan-Sanskrit relationship is attested in dictionaries or other manuscripts.

RP

Reconstruction from Tibetan phonetic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the Tibetan phonetic rendering of the term.

RS

Reconstruction from Tibetan semantic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the semantics of the Tibetan translation.

SU

Source Unspecified

This term has been supplied from an unspecified source, which most often is a widely trusted dictionary.

g.­1

Ābhāsvara

  • ’od gsal
  • འོད་གསལ།
  • ābhāsvara

The highest of the three paradises that are the second dhyāna paradises in the form realm.

2 passages contain this term:

  • 18.­19
  • 18.­54
g.­2

Abhi­jñā­jñānābhi­bhū

  • mngon shes ye shes zil gnon
  • མངོན་ཤེས་ཡེ་ཤེས་ཟིལ་གནོན།
  • abhi­jñā­jñānābhi­bhū

A shorter form of the name of Buddha Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū.

2 passages contain this term:

  • 7.­6
  • 7.­141
g.­3

Abhijñaprāpta

  • mngon par shes thob
  • མངོན་པར་ཤེས་ཐོབ།
  • abhijñaprāpta

A short form of Sāgara­vara­dhara­buddhi­vikrīḍitābhijña, the name that Ānanda will have when he is a buddha.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 9.­8
g.­15

Ajātaśatru

  • ma skyes dgra
  • མ་སྐྱེས་དགྲ།
  • ajātaśatru

A king of Magadha, the son of King Bimbisāra and Queen Vaidehī. He reigned during the last ten years of the Buddha’s life and about twenty years after. He overthrew his father and through invasion expanded the kingdom of Magadha. According to the Buddhist tradition he was murdered by his own son Udayabhadra.

2 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­8
  • g.­446
g.­16

Ajita

  • ma pham pa
  • མ་ཕམ་པ།
  • ajita

The other name of Maitreya, the bodhisattva who became Śākyamuni’s regent and is prophesied to be the next buddha, the fifth buddha in the fortunate eon. In early Buddhism he appears as the human disciple Maitreya Tiṣya, sent to pay his respects by his teacher. The Buddha gives him the gift of a robe and prophesies he will be the next buddha, while his companion Ajita will be the next cakravartin. As a bodhisattva in the Mahāyāna he has both these names.

40 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­77
  • 1.­79-80
  • 1.­82-83
  • 1.­85-86
  • 1.­88
  • 14.­49
  • 14.­55-56
  • 16.­1
  • 16.­25-27
  • 16.­48-56
  • 16.­59-61
  • 17.­3-8
  • 17.­10-13
  • 17.­15-16
  • g.­235
g.­17

Ājñāta­kauṇḍinya

  • kun shes kauN+di n+ya
  • ཀུན་ཤེས་ཀཽཎྡི་ནྱ།
  • ājñāta­kauṇḍinya

See “Kauṇḍinya.”

4 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­3
  • 2.­26
  • 8.­50
  • g.­182
g.­20

Akṣayamati

  • blo gros mi zad pa
  • བློ་གྲོས་མི་ཟད་པ།
  • akṣayamati

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

16 passages contain this term:

  • i.­62
  • 1.­4
  • 24.­1-2
  • 24.­9
  • 24.­11-12
  • 24.­14-16
  • 24.­18-19
  • n.­599-600
  • n.­602
  • n.­612
g.­24

Amoghadarśin

  • mthong ba don yod
  • མཐོང་བ་དོན་ཡོད།
  • amoghadarśin

One of “the sixteen excellent men.”

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­4
g.­27

Ānanda

  • kun dga’ bo
  • ཀུན་དགའ་བོ།
  • ānanda

Buddha Sākyamuni’s cousin, who was his attendant for the last twenty years of his life. He was the subject of criticism and opposition from the monastic community after the Buddha’s passing, but eventually succeeded to the position of the patriarch of Buddhism in India after the passing of the first patriarch, Mahākāśyapa.

20 passages contain this term:

  • i.­47
  • 1.­3
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­5-7
  • 9.­13-15
  • 9.­24-26
  • 9.­34
  • g.­3
  • g.­31
  • g.­32
  • g.­246
  • g.­344
  • g.­345
g.­29

Anantamati

  • mtha’ yas blo gros
  • མཐའ་ཡས་བློ་གྲོས།
  • anantamati

A prince in the distant past.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­79
g.­30

Anantavikrāmiṇ

  • mtha’ yas gnon
  • མཐའ་ཡས་གནོན།
  • anantavikrāmiṇ

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­4
g.­33

Anavatapta

  • ma dros pa
  • མ་དྲོས་པ།
  • anavatapta

The nāga king who is said to dwell in Lake Mansarovar near Kailash.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­6
g.­34

Anikṣiptadhura

  • brtson pa mi gtong ba
  • བརྩོན་པ་མི་གཏོང་བ།
  • anikṣiptadhura

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­4
g.­35

Aniruddha

  • ma ’gags pa
  • མ་འགགས་པ།
  • aniruddha

The Buddha’s cousin, and one of his ten principal pupils. Renowned for his clairvoyance.

2 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­3
  • 8.­31
g.­36

Anupamamati

  • dpe med blo gros
  • དཔེ་མེད་བློ་གྲོས།
  • anupamamati

One of “the sixteen excellent men.”

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­4
g.­38

apsaras

  • lha mo
  • ལྷ་མོ།
  • apsaras

Popular figures in Indian culture, they are said to be goddesses of the clouds and water.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­98
g.­39

arhat

  • dgra bcom pa
  • དགྲ་བཅོམ་པ།
  • arhat

Used as both as an epithet of the Buddha and the final accomplishment of early Buddhism, or the Hīnayāna.

213 passages contain this term:

  • i.­11
  • i.­46
  • i.­55
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­71-72
  • 1.­76-77
  • 1.­79-80
  • 1.­84-86
  • 2.­1-3
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­51
  • 2.­53-59
  • 2.­61-64
  • 2.­153
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­29
  • 3.­31
  • 3.­34
  • 3.­54
  • 3.­65
  • 3.­70
  • 3.­74-76
  • 4.­86
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­5-6
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­50
  • 5.­57
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­12
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­34
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­17
  • 7.­19
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­47
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­79
  • 7.­90
  • 7.­102
  • 7.­105
  • 7.­108
  • 7.­113
  • 7.­115-118
  • 7.­122
  • 7.­126-129
  • 7.­138-140
  • 7.­185-186
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­45
  • 8.­49
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­5-6
  • 9.­13
  • 9.­17-19
  • 9.­25
  • 10.­5
  • 10.­31
  • 11.­7-8
  • 11.­10
  • 11.­14
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­24-27
  • 11.­61
  • 11.­82-83
  • 12.­5-6
  • 13.­13
  • 13.­60
  • 13.­62-63
  • 14.­5-6
  • 14.­47-48
  • 14.­50
  • 15.­6
  • 16.­8
  • 17.­7
  • 17.­9-11
  • 17.­21
  • 18.­30
  • 19.­2-8
  • 19.­11
  • 19.­13
  • 19.­15
  • 19.­17-18
  • 20.­4-6
  • 20.­8-9
  • 21.­10
  • 22.­1-5
  • 22.­11
  • 22.­13
  • 22.­16-18
  • 22.­29
  • 22.­35
  • 22.­41
  • 23.­1-5
  • 23.­7
  • 23.­9-15
  • 23.­23
  • 23.­25-26
  • 24.­16
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­4
  • 25.­6
  • 25.­9
  • 25.­15
  • 25.­18-20
  • 25.­23-30
  • 26.­2
  • 26.­18
  • 27.­1
  • 27.­4-6
  • n.­246
  • n.­451
  • n.­591
  • g.­45
  • g.­77
  • g.­147
  • g.­182
  • g.­217
  • g.­295
  • g.­357
  • g.­423
g.­40

ārya

  • ’phags pa
  • འཕགས་པ།
  • ārya

Generally has the common meaning of a noble person, one of a higher class or caste. In Dharma terms it means one who has gained the realization of the path and is superior for that reason.

15 passages contain this term:

  • i.­2
  • i.­45
  • 1.­74
  • 1.­78
  • 3.­50
  • 3.­71-72
  • 3.­75
  • 3.­138
  • 13.­62-63
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­86
  • 19.­3
  • n.­184
g.­41

asaṃkhyeya

  • grangs med pa
  • གྲངས་མེད་པ།
  • asaṃkhyeya

The designation of a measure of time on the scale of eons, literally meaning “incalculable.” The number of years in such an eon differs in various sūtras that give a number. Also, twenty intermediate eons are said to be one incalculable eon, and four incalculable eons are one great eon. In that case those four incalculable eons represent the eons of the creation, presence, destruction, and absence of a world. Buddhas are often described as appearing in a second incalculable eon.

6 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­72
  • 7.­1
  • 19.­2
  • 27.­1-2
  • n.­592
g.­44

asura

  • lha ma yin
  • ལྷ་མ་ཡིན།
  • asura

The asuras are the enemies of the devas, fighting with them for supremacy.

54 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­8
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­81
  • 3.­46
  • 5.­5-6
  • 6.­28
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­48
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­68
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­79
  • 7.­90
  • 7.­94
  • 7.­102
  • 7.­142
  • 7.­144
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­36
  • 11.­6
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­19
  • 11.­21
  • 11.­71
  • 11.­103
  • 13.­81
  • 15.­3
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­17
  • 18.­41
  • 18.­70
  • 18.­81
  • 18.­89
  • 19.­3
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­6
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­3
  • 22.­20
  • 23.­19
  • 24.­16
  • 24.­23
  • 24.­30
  • 26.­1
  • 27.­6
  • n.­319
  • g.­54
  • g.­185
  • g.­316
  • g.­461
g.­45

Aśvajit

  • rta thul
  • རྟ་ཐུལ།
  • aśvajit

The son of one of the seven brahmins who predicted that Śākyamuni would become a great king. He was one of the five companions with Śākyamuni in the beginning of his spiritual path, abandoning him when he gave up asceticism, but then becoming one of his first five pupils after his buddhahood. He was the last of the five to attain the realization of a “stream entrant” and became an arhat on hearing the Sūtra on the Characteristics of Selflessness (An­ātma­lakṣaṇa­sūtra), which was not translated into Tibetan. Aśvajit was the one who converted Śariputra and Maudgalyāyana into becoming followers of the Buddha.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­3
g.­46

Avabhāsaprabha

  • snang ’od
  • སྣང་འོད།
  • avabhāsaprabha

A deity in the retinue of Śakra.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­5
g.­47

Avabhāsaprāptā

  • snang ba thob pa
  • སྣང་བ་ཐོབ་པ།
  • avabhāsaprāptā

“Attainment of Light,” the world in which Kāśyapa will become a buddha.

2 passages contain this term:

  • i.­44
  • 6.­1
g.­49

Avalokiteśvara

  • spyan ras gzigs dbang phyug
  • སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་དབང་ཕྱུག
  • avalokiteśvara

First appeared as a bodhisattva beside Amitābha in the Sukhāvati Sūtra. The name has been variously interpreted. In “The lord of Avalokita,” Avalokita has been interpreted as “seeing,” although, as a past passive participle, it is literally “lord of what has been seen.” One of the principal sūtras in the Mahāsāṃghika tradition was the Avalokita Sūtra, which has not been translated into Tibetan, in which the word is a synonym for enlightenment, as it is “that which has been seen” by the buddhas. In the early tantras, he was one of the lords of the three families, as the embodiment of the compassion of the buddhas. The Potalaka Mountain in southern India became important in southern Indian Buddhism as his residence in this world, but Potalaka does not yet feature in the Kāraṇḍa­vyūha Sūtra, which emphasized the premeninence of Avalokiteśvara above all buddhas and bodhisattvas and introduced the mantra oṁ maṇi­padme hūṁ.

50 passages contain this term:

  • i.­27
  • i.­62
  • 1.­4
  • 24.­1-19
  • 24.­22-33
  • 24.­40-44
  • 24.­50-51
  • 24.­53
  • n.­498
  • n.­596
  • n.­600
  • n.­602-603
  • n.­606
  • n.­620
  • g.­154
g.­50

Avīci

  • mnar med
  • མནར་མེད།
  • avīci

The lowest hell, the eighth of the eight hot hells.

9 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­11
  • 1.­19
  • 3.­152
  • 18.­2
  • 18.­7
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­23
  • 18.­77
  • 19.­19
g.­52

Bakkula

  • bakku la
  • བཀཀུ་ལ།
  • bakkula

From a wealthy brahmin family, Bakkula is said to have become a monk at the age of eighty and lived to be a hundred and sixty! He is also said to have had two families, because as a baby he was swallowed by a large fish and the family who discovered him alive in the fish’s stomach also claimed him as their child. The Buddha’s foremost pupil in terms of health and longevity. It is also said he could remember many previous lifetimes and was a pupil of the previous buddhas Padmottara, Vipaśyin, and Kāśyapa.

2 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­3
  • 8.­31
g.­53

bala­cakra­vartin

  • stobs kyi ’khor los sgyur ba
  • སྟོབས་ཀྱི་འཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བ།
  • bala­cakra­vartin

A cakravartin is a king who rules over at least one continent, and gains his territory by the rolling of his magic wheel over the land. Therefore he is called a “king with the revolving wheel.” This is as the result of the merit he has accumulated in previous lifetimes. A bala­cakra­vartin king is a lesser kind of cakravartin who has attained his dominion through his great might and his powerful army.

7 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­10
  • 13.­61
  • 13.­63-64
  • 13.­68
  • 18.­34
  • 18.­65
g.­54

Bali

  • stobs can
  • སྟོབས་ཅན།
  • bali

Bali wrested control of the world from the devas, establishing a period of peace and prosperity with no caste distinction. Indra requested Viṣṇu to use his wiles so that the devas could gain the world back from him. He appeared as a dwarf asking for two steps of ground, was offered three and then traversed the world in two steps. Bali, keeping faithful to his promise, accepted the banishment of the asuras into the underworld. A great Bali festival in his honor is held annually in southern India. In The Basket Display (Kāraṇḍa­vyūha Sūtra, Toh 116), he is described as abusing his power by imprisoning the kṣatriyas, so that Viṣṇu has just cause to banish him to the underworld.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­8
g.­55

Bandé

  • ban de
  • བན་དེ།
  • bande

A Middle Indic word derived from the Sanskrit bhadanta. Meaning “venerable one” it is a term of respectful title for Buddhist monks.

1 passage contains this term:

  • c.­1
g.­57

bay leaves

  • ta ma la’i ’dab ma
  • ཏ་མ་ལའི་འདབ་མ།
  • tamālapatra

Cinnamomum tamala, which is specifically the Indian bay leaf. Called tamalpatra in Marathi, and tejpatta in Hindi. The Sanskrit and Marathi means “dark-tree leaves.” Also called Malabar leaves, after the name of the northern area of present-day Kerala in southwest India.

3 passages contain this term:

  • 11.­1
  • 18.­27
  • 18.­32
g.­59

beryl

  • bai dU rya
  • བཻ་དཱུ་རྱ།
  • vaiḍūrya

Although this has often been translated as lapis lazuli, the descriptions and references in the literature, both Sanskrit and Tibetan, match beryl. The Pāli form is veḷuriya. The Prākrit form verulia is the source for the English beryl. This normally refers to the blue or aquamarine beryl, but there are also white, yellow, and green beryls, though green beryl is called “emerald.”

25 passages contain this term:

  • i.­56
  • 1.­97
  • 1.­99
  • 2.­106
  • 3.­30
  • 3.­39
  • 4.­6
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­34
  • 9.­5
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­22
  • 11.­71
  • 13.­61
  • 16.­49
  • 17.­5
  • 18.­76
  • 18.­79
  • 22.­3
  • 24.­3
  • g.­98
  • g.­376
g.­61

Bhadrapāla

  • bzang skyong
  • བཟང་སྐྱོང་།
  • bhadrapāla

One of “the sixteen excellent men.” A bodhisattva who appears prominently in certain sūtras, such as The Samādhi of the Presence of the Buddhas, and perhaps also the merchant of that name who is the principal interlocutor in The Questions of Bhadrapāla the Merchant (tshong dpon bzang skyong gyis zhus pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo, toh 83).

2 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­4
  • 19.­20
g.­62

Bhadrika

  • bzang po
  • བཟང་པོ།
  • bhadrika

One of the five companions of Śākyamuni in asceticism, who abandoned him when he renounced asceticism. Later they became the Buddha’s first five pupils, with Bhadrika the second of them to become his follower.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­3
g.­63

bhagavān

  • bcom ldan ’das
  • བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས།
  • bhagavān

“One who has bhaga,” which has many diverse meanings, including good fortune, happiness, and majesty. In the Buddhist context, it means one who has the good fortune of attaining enlightenment.

408 passages contain this term:

  • i.­63
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­9-14
  • 1.­72
  • 1.­79-86
  • 1.­88
  • 1.­126
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­26-27
  • 2.­39
  • 2.­41-43
  • 2.­47-50
  • 3.­1-5
  • 3.­12
  • 3.­27
  • 3.­29-30
  • 3.­34
  • 3.­36
  • 3.­45-46
  • 3.­53-54
  • 3.­64-65
  • 3.­77
  • 4.­1-15
  • 4.­20-22
  • 4.­24-32
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­30
  • 5.­59-60
  • 5.­70
  • 5.­74
  • 5.­80
  • 6.­1-2
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­19-20
  • 6.­28-29
  • 6.­34-35
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­3-4
  • 7.­6
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­15-17
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­42-43
  • 7.­47-49
  • 7.­51
  • 7.­60-62
  • 7.­66-67
  • 7.­69
  • 7.­75-76
  • 7.­79-80
  • 7.­82
  • 7.­90-91
  • 7.­102-103
  • 7.­105
  • 7.­108
  • 7.­110
  • 7.­113
  • 7.­115-118
  • 7.­120
  • 7.­122-125
  • 7.­131-132
  • 7.­141
  • 7.­144
  • 7.­163
  • 8.­1-4
  • 8.­7-8
  • 8.­28-30
  • 8.­32
  • 8.­45
  • 8.­47-49
  • 8.­58-59
  • 9.­1-3
  • 9.­5-7
  • 9.­13-14
  • 9.­17-18
  • 9.­20
  • 9.­24-26
  • 9.­31-32
  • 10.­1-2
  • 10.­11
  • 10.­38
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­6-7
  • 11.­9-14
  • 11.­16-17
  • 11.­23-30
  • 11.­44
  • 11.­71
  • 11.­75
  • 11.­84-86
  • 11.­94-95
  • 11.­99-100
  • 11.­104
  • 12.­1-3
  • 12.­5-13
  • 12.­27
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­10
  • 13.­36
  • 13.­53
  • 13.­65
  • 14.­1-3
  • 14.­5
  • 14.­7-8
  • 14.­10-11
  • 14.­13
  • 14.­16-18
  • 14.­47-51
  • 14.­55
  • 14.­57
  • 14.­65-69
  • 14.­75
  • 14.­79
  • 15.­1-3
  • 15.­5-6
  • 15.­17-18
  • 16.­1
  • 16.­7-8
  • 16.­25
  • 16.­28
  • 16.­62
  • 16.­86
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­3
  • 17.­9-10
  • 17.­16-17
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­3
  • 18.­22
  • 18.­31
  • 18.­66-67
  • 18.­79
  • 18.­87
  • 19.­1-6
  • 19.­15
  • 19.­18
  • 19.­22
  • 20.­1-4
  • 20.­6-8
  • 20.­10
  • 21.­1-4
  • 21.­6-8
  • 21.­10-11
  • 21.­13-14
  • 21.­16-18
  • 21.­20
  • 21.­24
  • 22.­1-4
  • 22.­7
  • 22.­9-11
  • 22.­13-14
  • 22.­16-21
  • 22.­35-36
  • 22.­41
  • 23.­1
  • 23.­3-5
  • 23.­7-17
  • 23.­23
  • 23.­25-26
  • 24.­1-2
  • 24.­8-12
  • 24.­14
  • 24.­16
  • 24.­51-52
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­3-4
  • 25.­6
  • 25.­9-11
  • 25.­15
  • 25.­18-20
  • 25.­23-30
  • 26.­2-6
  • 26.­8
  • 26.­10-18
  • 27.­1-2
  • 27.­4-6
  • n.­56
  • n.­219
  • n.­365
  • n.­372
  • n.­591
  • n.­599
g.­64

Bhaiṣajyarāja

  • sman gyi rgyal po
  • སྨན་གྱི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
  • bhaiṣajyarāja

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

47 passages contain this term:

  • i.­48
  • i.­50
  • i.­59-60
  • i.­63
  • 1.­4
  • 10.­1-10
  • 10.­26-37
  • 12.­1
  • 21.­1-4
  • 21.­7
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­22-23
  • 22.­34-35
  • 22.­37
  • 22.­41-42
  • 23.­3
  • 23.­26
  • 25.­33-34
  • n.­499
g.­65

Bhaiṣajya­samudgata

  • sman yang dag ’phags
  • སྨན་ཡང་དག་འཕགས།
  • bhaiṣajya­samudgata

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

5 passages contain this term:

  • i.­63
  • 1.­4
  • 23.­3
  • 25.­33-34
g.­66

Bharadvāja

  • bha ra dwa dza
  • བྷ་ར་དྭ་ཛ།
  • bharadvāja

One of the principal śrāvaka pupils of Śākyamuni. It is said that his previous lives had been in hells and then as a human he had only stones to eat because of his mistreatment of his mother in one lifetime.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­3
g.­67

Bharadvājasa

  • bha ra dwa dza
  • བྷ་ར་དྭ་ཛ།
  • bharadvājasa

The name of a long enduring family in the distant past in which twenty thousand buddhas appeared.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­77
g.­69

bhikṣu

  • dge slong
  • དགེ་སློང་།
  • bhikṣu

Fully ordained buddhist monk.

221 passages contain this term:

  • i.­40
  • i.­46-47
  • i.­50
  • i.­63
  • 1.­2-3
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­12-13
  • 1.­23
  • 1.­36
  • 1.­47
  • 1.­81
  • 1.­84-85
  • 1.­111
  • 1.­114
  • 1.­117-118
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­41
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­62-63
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­152
  • 3.­34
  • 3.­46
  • 3.­53-54
  • 3.­146
  • 3.­151
  • 3.­183
  • 4.­2
  • 6.­1-3
  • 6.­6
  • 6.­19-20
  • 6.­28-29
  • 6.­34
  • 7.­1-5
  • 7.­12-13
  • 7.­15
  • 7.­17-19
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­32-33
  • 7.­35-37
  • 7.­41-43
  • 7.­47
  • 7.­49
  • 7.­51-54
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­62
  • 7.­66-67
  • 7.­69-72
  • 7.­74-76
  • 7.­79-80
  • 7.­82
  • 7.­84-86
  • 7.­89-91
  • 7.­102-103
  • 7.­105-106
  • 7.­108
  • 7.­110-129
  • 7.­131-140
  • 7.­172
  • 7.­184
  • 7.­188
  • 8.­2-8
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­49
  • 8.­62
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­7
  • 9.­25
  • 9.­34
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­36
  • 10.­50
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­29-30
  • 11.­59
  • 11.­71
  • 11.­80-84
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­19
  • 12.­21
  • 12.­24
  • 12.­27
  • 13.­4
  • 13.­7
  • 13.­13
  • 13.­23
  • 13.­32
  • 13.­35
  • 13.­39
  • 13.­46
  • 13.­49
  • 13.­59-60
  • 13.­80
  • 15.­7
  • 15.­11
  • 15.­24
  • 16.­53
  • 16.­55
  • 16.­79
  • 17.­3
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­20
  • 18.­55-56
  • 18.­65
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­6-10
  • 19.­12
  • 19.­18
  • 19.­23-24
  • 19.­29-30
  • 20.­2
  • 22.­40
  • 23.­11
  • 23.­18
  • 24.­45
  • 25.­29-30
  • 26.­4-5
  • 26.­8
  • 26.­19-22
  • 26.­24
  • n.­283
  • g.­149
  • g.­219
  • g.­262
  • g.­267
  • g.­406
  • g.­436
  • g.­442
g.­70

bhikṣuṇī

  • dge slong ma
  • དགེ་སློང་མ།
  • bhikṣuṇī

Fully ordained buddhist nun.

48 passages contain this term:

  • i.­50
  • i.­63
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­12-13
  • 1.­81
  • 1.­117
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­62
  • 2.­65
  • 3.­46
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­36
  • 10.­50
  • 12.­3-4
  • 12.­6-7
  • 12.­9
  • 13.­4
  • 13.­7
  • 13.­14
  • 13.­39
  • 13.­49
  • 13.­60
  • 13.­80
  • 17.­3
  • 18.­65
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­7-10
  • 19.­12
  • 19.­18
  • 19.­20
  • 19.­29-30
  • 20.­2
  • 23.­18
  • 26.­4
  • 26.­8
  • g.­219
  • g.­380
  • g.­493
g.­76

Bodhimaṇḍa

  • byang chub snying po
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་སྙིང་པོ།
  • bodhimaṇḍa

The exact place where every buddha in this world will manifest the attainment of buddhahood. The spot beneath the Bodhi tree in the village presently known as Bodhgaya. Literally “the essence of enlightenment.”

26 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­67
  • 2.­8
  • 2.­29
  • 2.­140
  • 3.­14
  • 3.­133
  • 7.­13-16
  • 7.­19
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­90
  • 7.­141
  • 13.­89
  • 14.­65
  • 15.­3
  • 16.­45-46
  • 16.­60
  • 20.­9
  • 20.­19
  • 22.­40
  • 26.­20
g.­77

bodhisattva

  • byang chub sems dpa’
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ།
  • bodhisattva

A person who is dedicated not merely to gaining liberation through attaining the state of an arhat, but to becoming a buddha. A name created from the Sanskritization of the middle-Indic bodhisatto, the Sanskrit equivalent of which was bodhisakta, “one who is fixed on enlightenment.”

449 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­10
  • i.­39
  • i.­41-43
  • i.­47-54
  • i.­56-65
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­12-15
  • 1.­27
  • 1.­36-37
  • 1.­42
  • 1.­48
  • 1.­57
  • 1.­64
  • 1.­67
  • 1.­70
  • 1.­75
  • 1.­78
  • 1.­80
  • 1.­82-86
  • 1.­88
  • 1.­90
  • 1.­102
  • 1.­106
  • 1.­108
  • 1.­115
  • 1.­132
  • 2.­8
  • 2.­10
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­21
  • 2.­77
  • 2.­95
  • 2.­115
  • 2.­149
  • 2.­158
  • 2.­167
  • 3.­2-3
  • 3.­13
  • 3.­26-29
  • 3.­31-34
  • 3.­40
  • 3.­73
  • 3.­128
  • 3.­133
  • 3.­137
  • 3.­146
  • 4.­3-4
  • 4.­29-31
  • 4.­70
  • 5.­51
  • 5.­59
  • 5.­71
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­8
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­24
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­33-34
  • 6.­42
  • 7.­11
  • 7.­115
  • 7.­121
  • 7.­124-125
  • 7.­131-132
  • 7.­134
  • 7.­162
  • 8.­3-4
  • 8.­7-10
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­35
  • 8.­48
  • 9.­4
  • 9.­9
  • 9.­12-13
  • 9.­25
  • 9.­29
  • 10.­1-2
  • 10.­18
  • 10.­29
  • 10.­31-33
  • 10.­35
  • 10.­57
  • 11.­6-7
  • 11.­9-12
  • 11.­14
  • 11.­24
  • 11.­71
  • 11.­85-89
  • 11.­94
  • 11.­98
  • 11.­101-102
  • 11.­104
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­4-6
  • 12.­10-11
  • 12.­13
  • 13.­1-5
  • 13.­7-10
  • 13.­27
  • 13.­35
  • 13.­49
  • 13.­51-52
  • 13.­56
  • 13.­59-60
  • 13.­63
  • 13.­66
  • 14.­1-11
  • 14.­13-14
  • 14.­16-19
  • 14.­22-23
  • 14.­28
  • 14.­30
  • 14.­33
  • 14.­38
  • 14.­41
  • 14.­43
  • 14.­45-50
  • 14.­55-58
  • 14.­64-67
  • 14.­69
  • 14.­72
  • 14.­75
  • 14.­79-80
  • 15.­1-2
  • 15.­5-6
  • 15.­19
  • 16.­1-9
  • 16.­21
  • 16.­25
  • 16.­30
  • 16.­43
  • 16.­49
  • 16.­57
  • 16.­59
  • 16.­87
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­3
  • 17.­9-10
  • 17.­15
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­9-10
  • 18.­21-22
  • 18.­26
  • 18.­30
  • 18.­35-36
  • 18.­46
  • 18.­52
  • 18.­54-55
  • 18.­57
  • 18.­59
  • 18.­76
  • 18.­78
  • 18.­83
  • 18.­85
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­3
  • 19.­6-11
  • 19.­13-15
  • 19.­18-21
  • 19.­23
  • 19.­27-28
  • 20.­1-4
  • 20.­6
  • 20.­8
  • 20.­16
  • 20.­22-23
  • 21.­1-2
  • 21.­4
  • 21.­7-9
  • 22.­1-11
  • 22.­13-14
  • 22.­16-24
  • 22.­30
  • 22.­35-36
  • 22.­38
  • 22.­41
  • 23.­1-10
  • 23.­13-27
  • 24.­1-17
  • 24.­51
  • 25.­1-2
  • 25.­30-32
  • 26.­1-6
  • 26.­8
  • 26.­10-12
  • 26.­15
  • 26.­18
  • 26.­25
  • 27.­1-2
  • 27.­4
  • 27.­6
  • 27.­9
  • n.­86
  • n.­219-220
  • n.­363
  • n.­412
  • n.­420
  • n.­464
  • n.­490
  • g.­16
  • g.­20
  • g.­28
  • g.­30
  • g.­34
  • g.­49
  • g.­61
  • g.­64
  • g.­65
  • g.­78
  • g.­111
  • g.­124
  • g.­142
  • g.­157
  • g.­220
  • g.­227
  • g.­229
  • g.­231
  • g.­235
  • g.­241
  • g.­242
  • g.­270
  • g.­271
  • g.­282
  • g.­288
  • g.­301
  • g.­302
  • g.­313
  • g.­325
  • g.­330
  • g.­331
  • g.­342
  • g.­354
  • g.­369
  • g.­371
  • g.­375
  • g.­379
  • g.­388
  • g.­390
  • g.­407
  • g.­427
  • g.­449
  • g.­452
  • g.­456
  • g.­481
  • g.­483
  • g.­485
  • g.­492
g.­78

Bodhisattva­yāna

  • byang chub sems dpa’i theg pa
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའི་ཐེག་པ།
  • bodhisattva­yāna

The way or vehicle of the bodhisattvas.

17 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­54
  • 3.­70-71
  • 7.­123
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­32
  • 10.­35
  • 13.­49-50
  • 14.­67-68
  • 22.­23-24
  • 22.­28
  • 22.­31
  • 22.­34
  • 22.­40
g.­79

Brahmā

  • tshangs pa
  • ཚངས་པ།
  • brahmā

The personification of the universal force of Brahman, the deity in the form realm, who was during the Buddha’s time considered the supreme deity and creator of the universe. In the cosmogony of many universes, each with a thousand million worlds, there are many Brahmās.

64 passages contain this term:

  • i.­38
  • i.­45
  • i.­58
  • 1.­6
  • 1.­84
  • 2.­142
  • 3.­27
  • 3.­46
  • 5.­38
  • 7.­33-35
  • 7.­37
  • 7.­41-42
  • 7.­52-54
  • 7.­60-61
  • 7.­70-72
  • 7.­74-75
  • 7.­84-86
  • 7.­89-90
  • 7.­105
  • 7.­147-148
  • 7.­151
  • 11.­53
  • 11.­98
  • 16.­8
  • 16.­17
  • 16.­21
  • 16.­54
  • 16.­64
  • 17.­14
  • 17.­32
  • 18.­19
  • 18.­53
  • 18.­64
  • 18.­74
  • 20.­4
  • 20.­11
  • 22.­19
  • 22.­28
  • 23.­17
  • 24.­12
  • 24.­41
  • 25.­9
  • n.­295
  • n.­627
  • g.­81
  • g.­82
  • g.­83
  • g.­169
  • g.­207
  • g.­277
  • g.­378
g.­82

brahmakāyika

  • tshangs ris
  • ཚངས་རིས།
  • brahmakāyika

Brahmā’s paradise. The lowest of the three paradises that form the paradises of the first dhyāna in the form realm. Also refers to the devas who live there.

6 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­6
  • 4.­86
  • 7.­15
  • 18.­30
  • 18.­64
  • 22.­28
g.­85

brother

  • tshe dang ldan pa
  • ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ།
  • āyuṣmat

Literally “long-lived.” A title referring to an ordained monk.

39 passages contain this term:

  • i.­8
  • i.­63
  • 1.­3
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­27-28
  • 2.­39-41
  • 2.­43-44
  • 2.­47
  • 2.­49
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­27
  • 3.­46
  • 3.­53-54
  • 4.­1
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­59-60
  • 6.­11
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­29
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­14
  • 9.­17
  • 9.­24
  • 19.­7-8
  • 25.­20
  • g.­101
  • g.­149
  • g.­267
  • g.­338
  • g.­442
  • g.­480
g.­86

buddha

  • sangs rgyas
  • སངས་རྒྱས།
  • buddha

Literally “Awakened One” in Sanskrit, the Tibetan translation interprets this as one who is “purified and perfected.”

461 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1-5
  • i.­10-11
  • i.­14
  • i.­23
  • i.­38-65
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­9-14
  • 1.­21
  • 1.­24
  • 1.­37
  • 1.­68
  • 1.­72
  • 1.­79-82
  • 1.­84
  • 1.­86-87
  • 1.­99
  • 1.­113-114
  • 1.­119-121
  • 1.­125
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­6-7
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­39
  • 2.­62
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­69
  • 2.­73-74
  • 2.­77-79
  • 2.­82
  • 2.­85
  • 2.­93
  • 2.­98
  • 2.­120-121
  • 2.­123
  • 2.­125
  • 2.­127
  • 2.­129-132
  • 2.­145-146
  • 2.­148
  • 2.­160
  • 2.­165
  • 2.­172
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­14
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­19
  • 3.­22
  • 3.­25
  • 3.­27-29
  • 3.­32-35
  • 3.­37
  • 3.­40
  • 3.­51-52
  • 3.­130-131
  • 3.­150
  • 3.­156
  • 3.­161
  • 3.­176
  • 3.­179-180
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­68-69
  • 4.­71
  • 4.­73-74
  • 4.­81-82
  • 4.­91
  • 5.­27
  • 5.­42
  • 5.­55
  • 5.­80
  • 5.­104
  • 6.­1-2
  • 6.­12
  • 6.­15-16
  • 6.­19-21
  • 6.­24
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­32-34
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­40
  • 7.­57
  • 7.­59
  • 7.­63
  • 7.­73
  • 7.­88
  • 7.­91
  • 7.­95
  • 7.­99
  • 7.­112
  • 7.­115
  • 7.­123-125
  • 7.­138
  • 7.­168
  • 7.­189
  • 8.­3-7
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­15-16
  • 8.­19
  • 8.­21
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­33-34
  • 8.­36
  • 8.­41
  • 9.­2-6
  • 9.­13-14
  • 9.­17-18
  • 9.­21
  • 9.­25
  • 9.­27-28
  • 10.­3
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­56-57
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­10-14
  • 11.­16
  • 11.­18-20
  • 11.­22-23
  • 11.­29
  • 11.­35-36
  • 11.­40
  • 11.­84-85
  • 11.­103
  • 12.­4-6
  • 12.­23
  • 13.­23
  • 13.­57
  • 13.­60
  • 13.­63
  • 13.­71
  • 14.­13
  • 14.­27
  • 14.­48
  • 14.­64-65
  • 15.­28
  • 15.­40
  • 16.­7-8
  • 16.­29
  • 16.­33
  • 16.­49
  • 16.­58
  • 16.­86
  • 17.­16