co.

Table of Contents

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.

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

23.­2

In that Vairocana­raśmi­prati­maṇḍitā world realm there was the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara, who had through his past roots of merit seen such light rays from many tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas. The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara had attained many samādhis: the samādhi of the crest adornment of the victory banner, the samādhi of the white lotus of the good Dharma, the samādhi of the stainless gift, the samādhi of the play of the king of stars, the samādhi like-the-wind, the samādhi of the seal of knowledge, the samādhi of the lamp of the moon, [F.158.b] the samādhi of skill in all sounds, the samādhi of the accumulation of all merit, the samādhi of possessing faith, the samādhi of the display of miraculous powers, the samādhi of the torch of knowledge, the samādhi of the king of arrays, the samādhi of stainless light, the samādhi of stainless essence, the samādhi of completion through water,583 the samādhi of the disk of the sun, and so on, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara having attained hundreds of thousands of quintillions of samādhis, as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River.

23.­4

Then the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Kamala­dala­vimala­nakṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña [F.159.a] said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara, “Noble one, when you go to the world realm Sahā and have arrived there, do not perceive it as inferior. Noble one, the world realm Sahā is uphill and downhill, made of earth, crowded with dark mountains, and filled with cesspools.584 The bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni has a short body; the bodhisattva mahāsattvas have short bodies also. Noble one, the body you have gained is forty-two thousand yojanas high. Noble one, my body is sixty-eight hundred thousand yojanas high. Noble one, you are handsome, attractive, with an excellent body that has an excellent color and is perfectly developed. You have exceptional splendor from a hundred thousand merits. Therefore, noble one, when you go to the Sahā world realm, do not perceive that tathāgata, those bodhisattvas, or that buddha realm as inferior.”

23.­5

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara said to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Kamala­dala­vimala­nakṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña, “Bhagavān,585 I go to the Sahā world realm through the Tathāgata’s blessing, through the Tathāgata’s development of power, the Tathāgata’s display, the Tathāgata’s arrays, and the Tathāgata’s superior wisdom.”

23.­6

Then at that time the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara, without departing from that buddha realm, without rising up from his seat, entered samādhi in this way. [F.159.b] As soon as the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara entered samādhi, at that moment, in front of the Dharma seat of the Tathāgata on Vulture Peak in the Sahā world realm there appeared eighty-four hundred thousand quintillion lotuses with gold stems, silver petals, and pericarps the color of flame of the forest flowers.586

23.­7

When Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta saw that array of lotuses he asked the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni, “Bhagavān, of whose coming are these eighty-four hundred thousand quintillion lotuses with gold stems, silver petals, and pericarps the color of flame of the forest flowers an omen?”

The Bhagavān answered Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, these are an omen that the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara, accompanied by a hundred thousand quintillion bodhisattvas, will come to this Sahā world realm from the east from the world realm Vairocana­raśmi­prati­maṇḍitā, which is the buddha realm of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Kamala­dala­vimala­nakṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña, in order to see me, to pay homage to me, to honor me, and to listen to this Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”

23.­8

Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, what accumulation of good karma has that noble one created such that through that creation of an accumulation of good karma he has attained this excellence? Bhagavān, what samādhi has that bodhisattva practiced? Bhagavān, we should587 listen to what that samādhi is. Bhagavān, we should practice that samādhi. [F.160.a] What is that bodhisattva mahāsattva like? What is his color? What is his form? What kind of characteristics588 does he have? What kind of shape does he have? What kind of practice does he have? We should see what this bodhisattva is like. Bhagavān, what cause will inspire this bodhisattva mahāsattva to come to the Sahā world realm? I request that the Tathāgata create that cause.”

23.­9

Then at that time the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni requested of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, who had passed into nirvāṇa, “Bhagavān, create a cause to inspire the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara to come to this Sahā world realm.”

Then at that time the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna created this cause to invoke the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara: “Come, noble one, to this Sahā world realm! This Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta will delight in seeing you!”

23.­10

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara bowed his head to the feet of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Kamala­dala­vimala­nakṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña, circumambulated him three times and, leading a retinue of a hundred thousand quintillion bodhisattvas, they all at the same time vanished from the Vairocana­raśmi­prati­maṇḍitā world realm and came to this Sahā world realm. The worlds shook. [F.160.b] A rain of lotuses fell. A hundred thousand quintillion musical instruments played. Gadgadasvara arrived in the sky at the height of seven palm trees, leading a retinue of bodhisattvas, residing in a kūṭāgāra made of the seven precious materials, with eyes that were like the petals of a blue lotus; with a face that was superior to a hundred thousand quintillion moons;589 with a body the color of gold; with a body adorned by a hundred thousand merits, shining with splendor, with an exceptional brilliance; with a body adorned by the signs of a superior being; and with a body as indestructible as Nārāyaṇa’s.

He came to where Vulture Peak is in the Sahā world realm, and having arrived he descended from the kūṭāgāra and, holding a string of pearls worth a hundred thousand silver coins, he approached the Bhagavān and bowed his head down to the Bhagavān’s feet, circumambulated him seven times, and gave the string of pearls to the Bhagavān as an offering.

23.­11

When Gadgadasvara had given the string of pearls to the Bhagavān he said to him, “Bhagavān, the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Kamala­dala­vimala­nakṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña asks after your welfare, saying, ‘Are you free from harm, free from distress, and in good health?590 Do you remain strong and happy?’ The bhagavān asks, ‘Bhagavān, do you have that which you must be patient with? That you have to wait for? Are your elements in harmony? Are the beings who follow you able to understand easily? Are they easy to guide? Are they easy to nurture? Do they wish for purity? Do they avoid the conduct of very strong desire? Do they avoid the conduct of very strong anger? Do they avoid the conduct of very strong ignorance? Bhagavān, are your beings without strong envy? Are they without greed? Do they have no disrespect for their mothers? Do they have no disrespect for their fathers? Do they have no disrespect for bhikṣus? Do they have no disrespect for brahmins? [F.161.a] Do they have no wrong views? Do they not have untamed minds? Do they not have uncontrolled senses? Bhagavān, have your beings banished the adversary who is Māra? Has the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, who has passed into nirvāṇa, and who resides in a stūpa made of the seven precious materials, come to the Sahā world realm in order to listen to the Dharma?’

23.­12

“The bhagavān also asked the bhagavān, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, ‘Bhagavān, Tathāgata591 Prabhūtaratna, do you have that which you must be patient with? That you have to wait for? Bhagavān Tathāgata Prabhūtaratna, are you going to remain long? We also wish to see the body that is the relic of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, and therefore may the Tathāgata reveal well the body that is the relic of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna.’ ”

23.­13

Then the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni said to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, who had passed into nirvāṇa, “Bhagavān, this bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara has come wishing to see the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, who has passed into nirvāṇa.”

Then the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara, “Noble one, [F.161.b] it is excellent that you have come because you wish to see the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni and myself, to listen to The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, and to see Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta.”


23.­14

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Padmaśrī asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, what kind of roots of merit has the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara created in the past, and in the presence of which tathāgata?”

Then the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni replied to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Padmaśrī, “Noble one, in the past, in a time gone by,592 in an eon called Priyadarśa, in the world realm Sarva­rūpa­saṃdarśanā, 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 Megha­dundubhi­svara­rāja.

23.­15

“Noble one, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara, for eighty-four thousand years, made an offering with a hundred thousand musical instruments to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Megha­dundubhi­svara­rāja, and gave him eighty-four thousand bowls made of the seven precious materials.

“Noble one, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara attained that kind of faith593 in the teaching of Tathāgata Megha­dundubhi­svara­rāja. If you are you uncertain, unsure, or undecided, thinking that it was someone else who at that time, on that occasion, made an offering to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Megha­dundubhi­svara­rāja, [F.162.a] and gave him those eighty-four thousand bowls, noble one, do not have such a view. Why is that? Noble one, the one who made the offering to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Megha­dundubhi­svara­rāja, and gave him those eighty-four thousand bowls, was this bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara.

23.­16

“Noble one, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara honored many buddhas, generated roots of merit, and trained under many hundreds of thousands of buddhas. This bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara has seen as many buddha bhagavāns in the past as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River.

“Bhagavān, I see him,” replied Padmaśrī. “Sugata, I see him.”

“Padmaśrī,” said the Bhagavān, “this bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara teaches this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma in many forms: He teaches this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma sometimes in the form of Brahmā, sometimes in the form of Śakra, sometimes in the form of Īśvara, sometimes in the form of Maheśvara,594 sometimes in the form of a general, sometimes in the form of Vaiśravaṇa,595 sometimes in the form of a cakravartin, sometimes in the form of a king of a region, sometimes in the form of a head merchant, sometimes in the form of a householder, sometimes in the form of a townsman, and sometimes in the form of a brahmin.

23.­18

“The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara teaches beings this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma [F.162.b] sometimes in the form of a bhikṣu, sometimes in the form of a bhikṣuṇī, sometimes in the form of an upāsaka, sometimes in the form of an upāsikā, sometimes in the form of the wife of a head merchant, sometimes in the form of the wife of a householder, sometimes in the form of the wife of a townsman, sometimes in the form of a boy, and sometimes in the form of a girl.

“Noble one, through teaching in these numerous forms, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara teaches beings this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.

23.­19

“The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara teaches this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma to beings, teaching some in the form of an asura, some in the form of a garuḍa, some in the form of a kinnara, and to some in the form of a mahoraga.

“The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara is even the protector of beings in the unfortunate existences of the hells, rebirths as animals, and the realm of Yama.

23.­20

“The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara even teaches this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma to the beings in the royal harems by manifesting in the form of a woman.

“The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gagdadasvara teaches the Dharma to beings in this Sahā world realm by teaching this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.

“Padmaśrī, the bodhisattva [F.163.a] mahāsattva Gadgadasvara is a protector of the beings who have been born into the Sahā world realm. The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara has emanated in such numerous forms in this Sahā world realm and taught beings this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.

23.­21

“The miraculous powers of this excellent being do not decline. His wisdom does not decline. Noble one, the lights of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara’s wisdom illuminate this Sahā world realm. And in other world realms as numerous as the sand grains in the Ganges River, he has taught the Dharma in the form of a bodhisattva for the beings who are to be guided by a bodhisattva. He has taught the Dharma as a śrāvaka for the beings who are to be guided by a śrāvaka. He has taught the Dharma as a pratyeka­buddha for the beings who are to be guided by a pratyeka­buddha. He has taught the Dharma as a tathāgata for the beings who are to be guided by a tathāgata. And so on up to manifesting the relics of a tathāgata for beings who are to be guided by the relics of a tathāgata. And so on up to passing into nirvāṇa for beings who are to be guided by his passing into nirvāṇa.

23.­22

“Padmaśrī, in that way the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara has attained the development of the power of wisdom.”

23.­23

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Padmaśrī asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, what samādhi does the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara remain in for this creation of roots of merit? What is the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara’s samādhi for guiding this many beings?” [F.163.b]

The bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni replied to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Padmaśrī, “Noble one, the samādhi that the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara remains in so as to benefit in that way countless beings is this samādhi called manifestation of all forms.”


23.­24

When this “Gadgadasvara” chapter was taught, the eighty-four hundred thousand quintillion bodhisattvas who had come with the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara into this Sahā world realm all attained the samādhi called manifestation of all forms. Also, the countless bodhisattva mahāsattvas who dwelled in this Sahā world realm attained the samādhi called manifestation of all forms.

23.­25

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara made vast, extensive offerings to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni and to the stūpa of the relics of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna. Then he entered his kūṭāgāra made of the seven precious materials. The realm shook, a rain of lotuses fell, and there was the music of a hundred thousand quintillion musical instruments. Leading his retinue of a hundred thousand quintillion bodhisattvas, they returned together to their own buddha realm.

23.­26

When they had arrived there, he said to [F.164.a] the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Kamala­dala­vimala­nakṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña, “Bhagavān, I have benefited beings in the Sahā world realm. I also saw the stūpa of the relics of the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, and paid homage to it. I also saw and paid homage to the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni. I also saw Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta. I also saw the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, who has attained the might of the power of diligence, and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Pradānaśūra. All those eighty-four hundred thousand quintillion bodhisattvas attained the samādhi called manifestation of all forms.”

23.­27

When the chapter of the coming and going of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gadgadasvara was being taught, forty-two thousand bodhisattvas attained receptivity to the nonarising of phenomena, and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Padmaśrī attained the white lotus of the good Dharma samādhi.

23.­28

This concludes “Gadgadasvara,” the twenty-third chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [B13]

c.

Colophon

c.­1

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

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.

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‍—‍—‍—. 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).

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