co.

Table of Contents

s.

Summary

s.­1

This sūtra, much quoted in later Buddhist writings for its profound statements especially on the nature of emptiness, relates a long teaching given by the Buddha mainly in response to questions put by a young layman, Candraprabha. The samādhi that is the subject of the sūtra, in spite of its name, primarily consists of various aspects of conduct, motivation, and the understanding of emptiness; it is also a way of referring to the sūtra itself. The teaching given in the sūtra is the instruction to be dedicated to the possession and promulgation of the samādhi, and to the necessary conduct of a bodhisattva, which is exemplified by a number of accounts from the Buddha’s previous lives. Most of the teaching takes place on Vulture Peak Mountain, with an interlude recounting the Buddha’s invitation and visit to Candraprabha’s home in Rājagṛha, where he continues to teach Candraprabha before returning to Vulture Peak Mountain. In one subsequent chapter the Buddha responds to a request by Ānanda, and the text concludes with a commitment by Ānanda to maintain this teaching in the future.

ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

Translated from the Tibetan, with reference to Sanskrit editions, by Peter Alan Roberts. The Chinese consultant was Ling-Lung Chen. Edited by Emily Bower and Ben Gleason.

This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.


ac.­2

The generous donation of an anonymous donor, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.

The Translation
The Mahāyāna Sūtra
The King of Samādhis, the Revealed Equality of the Nature of All Phenomena
37.
Chapter 37

Teaching the Aggregate of Correct Conduct

37.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood should hear the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, should obtain it, study it, keep it, recite it, disseminate it, transmit it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, and in other ways make it widely known. They should also maintain the aggregate of correct conduct.”

Thereupon the Bhagavān recited the following verses:

37.­2
“Bodhisattvas who maintain the aggregate of correct conduct,
Who practice the conduct wishing for benefit,
Will quickly go to the Abhirati buddha realm,
Attain patience, and become kings of the Dharma. {1}
37.­3
“Therefore, be agreeable without malice,
And always be pleasant to everyone.
Having seen countless glorious buddhas
You will reach enlightenment and become a lord of Dharma. {2}
37.­4
“Therefore, having heard this supreme benefit,
And having seen bhikṣus who have excellent correct conduct,
A wise person would always depend upon them
And quickly become one who has attained the samādhi. {3}
37.­5
“If there were an incalculable, immeasurable treasure
Filled with the seven precious jewels, [F.142.a]
And if there were realms as numerous as the sands of the Ganges
That were filled with those precious jewels, {4}
37.­6
“And if there were a bodhisattva who aspired to generosity,
Who made a gift of these every single day,
And made this gift continuously
For as many eons as there are sands of the Ganges, {5}
37.­7
“That entire gift would not produce a fraction
Of the accumulation of merit that is obtained
By the bodhisattva who, having heard this samādhi,
Becomes a holder of this supreme treasure of the sugatas. {6}
37.­8
“This supreme, incomparable accumulation of merit
Is the source of the immeasurable treasure of wisdom.
A person who has the appropriate faith
Should possess this supreme, stainless samādhi. {7}
37.­9
“Bodhisattvas will have great riches
Through possessing this stainless peace of samādhi.
They will be a great ocean of the wealth of hearing the Dharma.
The merit of this is beyond any measure. {8}
37.­10
“Bodhisattvas are said to be those who have become developed1319
Through the supreme, inconceivable Dharma.1320
The ones who teach this samādhi
Never doubt enlightenment. {9}
37.­11
“The ones who have become teachers for the world, guides,
Buddhas, self-arisen, having great compassion,
Have attained a supreme accumulation of merit,
Which is inconceivable and beyond any measure. {10}
37.­12
“In this billion-world universe there is not to be found
Any being superior1321 to them,
Or who is their equal in the accumulation of merit
And unrivaled, inconceivable wisdom. {11}
37.­13
“There is no one who can equal their wisdom
Other than one who has heard this samādhi,
Possesses it, recites it, and understands it,
And seeks the unequaled enlightenment of buddhahood.1322 {12}
37.­14
“Young man, if the amount of merit that is obtained
By those who possess and recite this samādhi
Were to become a phenomenon that has form,
It would be too great to be contained within these many worlds. {13}
37.­15
“Therefore, young man, the bodhisattvas
Who wish to make an offering to all the buddhas,
The tathāgatas of the past and present, [F.142.b]
Should possess and recite this samādhi. {14}
37.­16
“This is the enlightenment of the tathāgatas.
Young man, have faith in my words.
The tathāgata does not speak untrue words;
He does not tell lies, like beings do. {15}
37.­17
“Throughout countless hundreds of eons in the past
I purified myself of believing in a self
And practiced the supreme bodhisattva conduct
Because I was seeking this samādhi. {16}
37.­18
“Therefore listen to this treasure of the Dharma
From which trillions of sūtras arise.
This is a vast, inconceivable aggregation of merit
Through which buddha wisdom will quickly be attained. {17}
37.­19
“That which is taught by the wise, fearless ones
Is the supreme sūtra among all sūtras
And the source of inconceivable virtues.
It is a Dharma for which no end can be found. {18}
37.­20
“It may be possible to break apart and cut to pieces
A billion-world universe and count its atoms,
But it is not possible to count the innumerable
Hundreds of sūtras that they constantly teach. {19}
37.­21
“It may be possible to count the inhalations and exhalations
Of all the beings that are in this buddha realm,
But it is not possible to know the limit of the sūtras
Taught by those who are established in this samādhi. {20}
37.­22
“It may be possible to count the beings
In as many buddha realms as there are Ganges sands,
And the thoughts that arise in those beings’ minds,
But the sūtras constantly taught by such people cannot be counted. {21}
37.­23
“One may be able to count, over millions of eons,
All the grains of sand in the great ocean,
And of sand in the rivers, ponds, and pits,
But one cannot know the extent of the sūtras they expound. {22}
37.­24
“One may be able to count out, with the tip of the hundredth part of a hair,
The masses of water ever present
In many millions of buddha realms,
But one cannot count the different aspects of their speech. {23}
37.­25
“One may be able to count after many millions of eons
All the beings who have appeared in the past
Who have cherished their own bodies,
But one cannot know the extent of the sūtras they have accomplished. {24}
37.­26
“It may be possible to count all the sounds made by all creatures,
By all beings who are living in the ten directions,
But one cannot count the number of sūtras
That are uninterruptedly taught by them. {25} [F.143.a]
37.­27
“They know how to teach the entire Dharma.
They are skilled in etymologies, teaching, and the meaning of words.
They have trained in the way of definitive knowledge,
Have vast understanding, and constantly have joyful wisdom. {26}
37.­28
“They have analytic comprehension, cognize vast meaning,
And they always know the conceivable and inconceivable.
They know all the languages spoken on the earth
And with those words teach without attachment to them. {27}
37.­29
“The dharmabhāṇakas teach unobstructedly.
They teach all beings without attachment.
They are skilled in the words of answering questions,
And thus they know the ultimate truth. {28}
37.­30
“Without attachment they teach
Countless millions of teachings from within one sūtra.
Without attachment they are skilled in teaching and the meaning of words;
Without attachment they teach in the middle of the assembly. {29}
37.­31
“The ones who are established in this samādhi
Have become unshakable bodhisattvas.
They have attained unique strength in the Dharma
So that they can benefit many millions of beings. {30}
37.­32
“Just as Sumeru, unshakable and immovable,
Cannot be shaken by the winds,
In that way the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus
Cannot be shaken by any opponent. {31}
37.­33
“It may be possible for the winds to shake
Those mountains declared to be unshakable
In the worlds of this billion-world universe,
But the bhikṣus dwelling in emptiness cannot be shaken. {32}
37.­34
“The ones who are constantly engaged with emptiness
Are those who certainly dwell with the buddhas.
They know with certainty the emptiness of phenomena
And cannot be swayed by any opponent. {33}
37.­35
“They cannot be shaken by any opponent,
And they cannot be overcome by any opponent.
They teach this peace, this samādhi,
And are invincible and irreproachable. {34}
37.­36
“Having taught this peace, this samādhi,
They have the realization of emptiness
And they have no doubt in any of the Dharma,
And continuously remain in endless wisdom. {35}
37.­37
“Attaining the strengths and the aspects of enlightenment
Is not difficult for those who have obtained and recited this samādhi.
It is not difficult to attain the inconceivable
Discernments, miracles, and higher cognitions. {36} [F.143.b]
37.­38
“Within created existences, with infinite wisdom
It is not difficult for them to see the jinas.
The ones who possess this samādhi will see
Countless quintillions of buddhas. {37}
37.­39
“They will hear this peace, this samādhi,
Directly from all of those jinas.
They will reach the perfection of the discernments and powers,
And will possess the supreme wisdom of the buddhas. {38}
37.­40
“If all the worlds in the billion-world universe
Were to be filled with precious jewels,
With the wealth of divine, supreme precious jewels
From the depths to the summit of existence, {39}
37.­41
“And if all of the various, infinite realms
Were covered with gold from the Jambu River
From the depths to the summit of existence,
And all of it were given as an offering to the jinas, {40}
37.­42
“And if all of the various beings there are
Made this offering to them for endless eons,
Making this gift, giving constantly to the buddhas
And creating this accumulation of generosity for the sake of enlightenment, {41}
37.­43
“And if there were a bhikṣu who rejoiced in emptiness
And with hands together paid homage to those with the ten strengths,
Then the former accumulation of generosity would not even be a fraction
Of that of the bodhisattva who rejoiced in emptiness. {42}
37.­44
“The supreme being has given the example
Of a person with merit who has that attainment,
Develops vast faith, and performs acts of generosity
In seeking the unequaled enlightenment of buddhahood. {43}
37.­45
“All that generosity cannot be even a hundredth
Of the accumulation of merit that is acquired
By someone who with a pleased mind obtains
One four-line verse of this supreme excellent samādhi. {44}
37.­46
“Bodhisattvas who, wishing to benefit, practice generosity,
But who have not heard this peace, this stainless samādhi,
Will not quickly attain the wisdom of buddhahood;
But having heard it they will quickly attain the wisdom of buddhahood. {45}
37.­47
“Bodhisattvas who rejoice in this lineage
Of those who, having attained this level of supreme peace,1323
Have heard1324 the stainless samādhi, will gain understanding
And will quickly attain the wisdom of buddhahood.1325 {46}
37.­48
“They have obtained such a treasure as infinite realms
That are as numerous as the Ganges sands, [F.144.a]
Filled with precious jewels
Both human and divine. {47}
37.­49
“Bodhisattvas who obtain this samādhi
And who always insatiably study it
Have gained a wealth, a treasure of precious jewels.
That is a treasure difficult to acquire. {48}
37.­50
“Someone with knowledge will never rejoice
In gaining a kingdom that has vast wealth,
But bodhisattvas are overjoyed and thrilled
To have obtained this stainless samādhi.1326 {49}
37.­51
“They become constant holders of
The Dharma of all the omniscient buddhas
And thus they hold the supreme way of the Dharma
During the final age of degeneration.
They are holders of the treasure of the Dharma and great realization;
They are holders of the treasure of omniscience.
They bring happiness to quintillions
Of beings through the words of the Dharma.1327 {50}
37.­52
“They are people who have gained the wealth of correct conduct,
Who have understanding and the wealth of the trainings.
They maintain the discipline of correct conduct
And they rejoice in seedlings of the tree of the Dharma.
They are holders of the precious orange Dharma robes
And they are constantly happy in homelessness.
They are unequaled in benefiting beings
And they are established in omniscience. {51}
37.­53
“They are tamed and are tamers of untamed beings.1328
They are constantly in the state of being tamed.
They are tamed and follow those who are perfectly tamed.1329
They have pacified senses‍—perfectly pacified.
They constantly awaken with the sound of the Dharma
Those beings who are asleep, who are fast asleep,
And having awakened those beings they establish them
In the supremely good jewel of the Dharma. {52}
37.­54
“They become lords of generosity
Who are constantly giving freely.
They are wise and do not associate with the envious,
And they always rejoice in great generosity.
When they see poor and suffering beings
They content them with possessions.
They are constantly focused on omniscience
In order to bring benefit and happiness to beings. {53}
37.­55
“They constantly train in wisdom
And beat loudly the drum of the Dharma.
They cut through the creepers of doubt in all beings
And are constantly engaged in wisdom.
They are stainless, well-learned holders of the Dharma.
They are wise and have understanding.
They sit upon a seat within the assembly [F.144.b]
And they teach millions of sūtras. {54}
37.­56
“They are greatly learned and hold what they have learned;
They are holders of the Dharma of the buddhas.
They are holders of the treasure that is the Dharma
And they rejoice in the treasury of the Sage.
They have become possessors of immense wisdom
And they are constantly giving rise to vast joy.
They teach the peace of the supreme Dharma,
Which is subtle, liberating,1330 and difficult to see. {55}
37.­57
“They know what is Dharma and what is not.
They are gentle, wise, and remain within the Dharma.
They are unequaled teachers of the kingdom of the Dharma
And constantly practice the supreme, unequaled Dharma.
They are devoted to the excellent Dharma
And maintain veneration of the guru.
They dwell in the supreme city of the Dharma.
They who are wise raise up the banner of the Dharma. {56}
37.­58
“When they see beings who are proud,
Arrogant,1331 and constantly heedless,
Who are on a destructive, wrong path,
Who are following the path of saṃsāra,
They have vast love and compassion for them
While remaining in joy and equanimity.
They teach them the supreme eightfold path
Of peace that is difficult to see. {57}
37.­59
“They build the strong ship of the Dharma
To save and carry the many beings
Who have fallen into the great ocean
And into the rivers of saṃsāra.
Armored in the strengths, powers, and aspects of enlightenment,
They set out upon the ship of the Dharma,
And they always easily and without fear
Bring beings to the far shore.1332 {58}
37.­60
“They practice the discipline of the supreme medicine.
They are physicians who possess the supreme medicine.
They have perfectly attained liberation through knowledge and wisdom,
And they dispense the medicine of the good Dharma.
When they see sick beings
Afflicted by many illnesses,
They give them the medicine of the Dharma
And they heal them through the Dharma. {59}
37.­61
“They are lords of the world, sovereigns of speech,
And they defeat their adversaries in debate.
They shine with the light of omniscience.
They have understanding and are on the level of the highest wisdom.
They are heroes with the strength of wisdom that defeats other strengths. [F.145.a]
They are praised by those who have wisdom.
With their wisdom they bring happiness to many
Trillions of beings, establishing them in the Dharma. {60}
37.­62
“They are the masters, the leaders of merchant caravans,1333
Who are dedicated to protecting beings from misfortune.1334
When they see beings bewildered on a path of jewels
Who are constantly caught in the trap of Māra,
They explain to them the supreme path
Of constant peace, happiness, and emancipation.
Through that path of wisdom
The wise ones guide many billions of beings. {61}
37.­63
“They are a sanctuary, they are a shelter,
They are a refuge; they are eyes and a lamp.
They give freedom from fear to those who are afraid.
They constantly bring relief to those who are fearful.
When they know of beings in great suffering,
Of beings who have been completely blind from birth,1335
With the precious teachings on correct training
They shine the light of the Dharma. {62}
37.­64
“They are the best artisans in the world,
Who benefit beings with their craft.
They always make beings happy
Through being well trained in their craft.
They have attained perfection in the supreme training
And are completely skilled, with wondrous attainment in the world.
They who are established in enlightenment
Have realization and give sight to the world. {63}
37.­65
“They never cease longing to listen
To the supreme, unequaled Dharma of the buddhas.
They have perfected conduct, patience, and samādhi,
And have heard the profound Dharma.
They never cease wishing to teach
The precious Dharma of peace.
They send down a rain of methods for liberation,
Satisfying beings with the rain of the Dharma. {64}
37.­66
“However many beings, wise ones,
Come to them for the sake of the Dharma,
Thinking, ‘We will listen to the true, honest path
Of the supreme jewel of the excellent Dharma,’
The realized ones cut through their doubts
And bring them happiness through the Dharma.
They have perfect conduct, patience, and samādhi,
And they know the aspirations of beings. {65}
37.­67
“They have wisdom, the perfection of the highest wisdom,
And they are wise concerning the aspirations of beings.
They know the motivations and conduct of other beings [F.145.b]
And they know what should be said to them.
Through their speaking words of wisdom
Millions of beings attain the sight of the supreme Dharma.
They have attained the perfection of the highest wisdom
And they give the teachings of the path. {66}
37.­68
“Even billions of māras cannot know
The minds of those wise ones,
Just as no one can know the path
That a bird has flown through the air.
They are peaceful, tamed, tranquil, have the power of wisdom,
And are established in superior wisdom.
They are heroes, leaders who have destroyed Māra
And realized the peace of enlightenment. {67}
37.­69
“They have attained perfect miraculous powers
And are always traveling to hundreds of realms.
They see many quintillions of buddhas,
As numerous as the sands of the Ganges.
Their sight is free of impediment
And they see many forms in the ten directions.
They are guides for all the beings
Who are present throughout the ten directions. {68}
37.­70
“If one were to describe the entirety of their benefits,
Even if one spoke with eloquence
For many billions of eons,
One could not finish praising their past conduct.
Any human who possesses
This unequaled, stainless samādhi
Has the inexhaustible wealth of the buddhas
And an extremely vast ocean of wisdom.”1336 {69}
37.­71

Conclusion of the thirty-seventh chapter, “Teaching the Aspect of Correct Conduct.”

c.

Colophon

c.­1

The Indian preceptor Śrīlendrabodhi, and the chief editor Lotsawa Bandé Dharmatāśīla, translated and revised this work. It was later modified and finalized in terms of the new translation.

ab.

Abbreviations

BHS Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit.
Chinese Sixth century Chinese translation by Narendrayaśas (see introduction, i.­7).
Commentary Mañjuśrīkīrti (see bibliography).
Gilgit Sixth to seventh century Sanskrit manuscript (see introduction i.­9 and bibliography under Dutt).
Hodgson Later Nepalese Sanskrit manuscript (see introduction i.­9 and bibliography under Dutt).
Matsunami Matsunami’s Sanskrit edition (see bibliography).
Shastri Later Nepalese Sanskrit manuscript (see introduction i.­9 and bibliography under Dutt).
Vaidya Vaidya’s Sanskrit edition (see bibliography).
b.

Bibliography

Tibetan Editions of the Samādhirājasūtra

chos thams cad kyi rang bzhin mnyam pa nyid rnam spros pa ting nge ’dzin gyi rgyal po’i mdo (Sarva­dharma­svabhāva­samatāvipañcita­samādhirāja­sūtra). Toh 127, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 1.a–175.b.

‍—‍—‍—. 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. 55, pp. 3–411.

‍—‍—‍—. Lhasa Kangyur (lha sa bka’ ’gyur) vol. 55 (mdo sde, ta), folios 1.b–269.b.

‍—‍—‍—. Narthang Kangyur (snar thang bka’ ’gyur) vol. 55 (mdo sde, ta), folios 1.b–273.b.

‍—‍—‍—. Shelkar Drima Kangyur (shel mkhar bris ma bka’ ’gyur) vol. 54 (mdo sde, ja), folios 157.a–436.a.

‍—‍—‍—. Stok Palace Kangyur (stog pho brang bris ma bka’ ’gyur) vol. 58 (mdo sde, ja), folios 145.a–405.a.

‍—‍—‍—. Urga Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), 1.b–170.a.

Sanskrit Editions of the Samādhirājasūtra

Dutt, Nalinaksha. Gilgit Manuscripts Vol. II, part I. Calcutta: J. C. Sarkhel, 1941. [This Sanskrit edition in three volumes is based on the Gilgit manuscript but also includes and represents the two Nepalese manuscripts of Hodgson and Shastri, see Introduction i.­9 and n.­4.

‍—‍—‍—. Gilgit Manuscripts Vol. II, part II. Calcutta: J. C. Sarkhel, 1953.

‍—‍—‍—. Gilgit Manuscripts Vol. II, part III. Calcutta: J. C. Sarkhel, 1954.

Matsunami, Seiren (ed.). “Bonbun Gattō Zanma kyō.”.in TDKK [Memoirs of Taisho University, Department of Buddhism and Literature] vol. 60 (1975), pp. 188–244.

‍—‍—‍—. “Bonbun Gattō Zanma kyō.” in TDKK [Memoirs of Taisho University, Department of Buddhism and Literature] vol. 61 (1975), 761–796.

Vaidya, P. L., ed. Samādhirājsūtra. Darbhanga, India: The Mithila Institute of Post-Graduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning, 1961.

Other canonical references

Kangyur

da ltar gyi sangs rgyas mngon sum du bzhugs pa’i ting nge ’dzin gyi mdo (Pratyutpanna-buddha-samukhāsthita-samādhi-sūtra) [The Sūtra, The Samādhi of Being in the Presence of the Buddhas of the Present]. Toh 133, Degé Kangyur vol. 56 (mdo sde, na), folios 1.a–70.b.

dam pa’i chos pad ma dkar po’i mdo (Saddharma­puṇḍarīka-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the White Lotus of the Good Dharma]. Toh 113, Degé Kangyur vol. 67 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1.a–180.b. English translation in Roberts 2018.

de bzhin gshegs pa’i ye shes kyi phyag rgya’i ting nge ’dzin gyi mdo (Tathāgata-jñāna-mudrā-samādhi-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the Samādhi of the Seal of the Wisdom of the Tathāgatas]. Toh 131, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 230.b–253.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2020b.

dge ba’i rtsa ba yongs su ’dzin pa’i mdo (Kuśala-mūla-saparigraha-sūtra) [The Sūtra of Possessing the Roots of Goodness]. Toh 101, Degé Kangyur vol. 48 (mdo sde, nga), folios 1.a–227.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2020c.

de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi sku gsung thugs kyi gsang chen gsang ba ’dus pa zhe bya ba brtag pa’i rgyal po chen po (Sarva-tathāgata-kāyavākcitta-rahasyo guhyasamāja-nāma-mahā-kalparāja) [The Great King Entitled the Union of the Great Secrets: the Secret of the Body, Speech, and Mind of all the Tathāgatas]. Also known as the Tathāgata­guhyaka Sūtra [The Sūtra of the Secret of the Tathāgatas] and the Guhysamaja-tantra. Toh 442, Degé Kangyur vol. 81 (rgyud, ca), folios 90.a–157.b.

gser ’od dam pa mdo sde’i dbang po’i rgyal po’i mdo (Suvarṇa-prabhāsottama-sūtrendrarāja-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the King Who Is the Lord of Sūtras: The Supreme Golden Light]. Toh 556, Degé Kangyur vol. 89 (rgyud, pa), folios 151.b–273.a.

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

sangs rgyas rjes su dran pa (Buddhānusmṛti) [Being Mindful of the Buddha]. Toh 279, Degé Kangyur vol. 68 (mdo sde, ya), folios 55.a-55.b.

rab tu zhi ba rnam par nges pa’i cho ’phrul gyi ting nge ’dzin gyi mdo (Praśanta-viniścaya-prāthihārya-samādhi-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace]. Toh 129, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 174.b–210.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2020.

rgya cher rol pa’i mdo (Lalitavistara-sūtra) [The Play in Full]. Toh 95, Degé Kangyur vol. 46 (mdo sde, kha), folios 1.b–216.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2013.

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

sdong po bkod pa (Gaṇḍavyūha) [The Stem Array]. Chapter 45 of the Avataṃsaka, Toh 44-45. Degé Kangyur vols. 37 and 38 (phal chen, ga-a), folios ga 274.b–363.a. English Translation in Roberts 2021a.

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

’od dpag med kyi bkod pa’i mdo (Amitābha­vyūha­sūtra) [The Array of Amitābha]. Also known as The Longer Sukhāvatīsūtra. Toh 49, Degé Kangyur vol. 39 (dkon brtsegs, ka), folios 237.b-270.a.

’od zer kun du bkye pa’i bstan pa’i mdo (Raśmi­samantamukta­nirdeśa­sūtra) [The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light]. Toh 55, Degé Kangur vol. 40 (dkon brtsegs, kha), folios 195.a–255.b.

tshong dpon bzang skyong gyis zhus pa’i mdo (Bhadrapāla-śreṣṭhi-paripṛccha-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the Questions of Bhadrapāla the Merchant]. Toh 83, Degé Kangyur vol. 44 (dkon brtsegs, cha), folios 71.a–94.b.

yang dag par spyod pa’i tshul nam mkha’i mdog gis ’dul ba’i bzod pa’i mdo (Saṃyagacārya-vṛtta-gagana-varṇa-vinaya-kṣānti-sūtra) [The Sūtra on Patience with the Discipline Through Practicing in a Way that is Like The Colour of the Sky]. Toh 263, Degé Kangyur vol. 67 (mdo sde ’a), folios 90.a–209.b.

Tengyur

Candrakīrti. dbu ma la ’jug pa (Madhyamakāvatāra) [Entering the Middle Way]. Toh 3861, Degé Tengyur vol. 102 (dbu ma ’a), folios 201.b–219.a.

‍—‍—‍—. dbu ma rtsa ba’i ’grel pa tshig gsal ba (Mūla­madhyamaka­vṛtti­prasanna­padā) [Clear Words: A Commentary on the Root Middle Way]. Toh 3860, Degé Tengyur vol. 102 (dbu ma, ’a), folios 1.a–200.a.

Dārika. ’khor lo sdom pa’i dkyil ’khor gyi cho ga de kho na nyid la ’jug pa (Cakra­saṁvara­maṇḍala­vidhi­tattvāvatāra) [Entering the Truth: A Maṇḍala Rite of Cakrasamvara]. Toh 1430, Degé Tengyur vol. 20 (rgyud ’grel, wa), folios 203.b–219.b.

Kamalaśīla. sgom pa’i rim pa (Bhāvanākrama) [Stages of Meditation]. Toh 3915, 3916, and 3917, Degé Tengyur vol. 110 (dbu ma, ki), folios 22.a–41.b, 41.a–55.b, and 55.b–68.b.

Mañjuśrīkīrti. ’phags pa chos thams cad kyi rang bzhin mnyam pa nyid rnam spros pa ting nge ’dzin gyi rgyal po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo’i ’grel pa grags pa’i phreng ba zhes bya ba (Ārya-sarva-dharma-svabhāva-samatā-vipañcita-samādhi-rāja-nāma-mahāyāna-sūtra-ṭika-kīrti-mālā-nāma) [The Garland of Fame: A Commentary on The Mahāyāna Sūtra Entitled The King of Samādhis: The Revealed Equality of the Nature of All Phenomena]. Toh 4010, Degé Tengyur vol. 117 (mdo ’grel, nyi), folios 1.b–163.b.

‍—‍—‍—. Idem, in 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. 117 (mdo ’grel, nyi), 752–1181.

Prajñākaramati. byang chub kyi spyod pa la ’jug pa’i dka’ ’grel (Bodhi­sattva­caryāvatāra­pañjikā) [Commentary on Difficult Points in Entering the Conduct of the Bodhisattvas]. Toh 3872, Degé Tengyur vol. 105 (dbu ma, la), folios 41.b–288.a.

Śāntideva. byang chub sems dpa’i spyod pa la ’jug pa (Bodhi­sattva­caryāvatāra) [Entering the Conduct of the Bodhisattvas]. Toh 3871, Degé Tengyur vol. 105 (dbu ma, la), folios 1.a–40.a.

‍—‍—‍—. bslab pa kun las btus pa (Śikṣasamuccaya) [Compendium of Training]. Toh 3939, Degé Tengyur vol. 111 (dbu ma, khi), folios 3.a–194.b.

Non-Canonical Tibetan Sources

Gampopa (sgam po pa bsod nams rin chen). dam chos yid bzhin nor bu thar pa rin po che’i rgyan. Kathmandu: Gam-po-pa Library, 2003.

Pekar Sangpo (pad dkar bzang po). bstan pa spyi’i rgyas byed las mdo sde spyi’i rnam bzhag bka’ bsdu ba bzhi pa zhes bya ba’i bstan bcos. Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2006.

Rinchen Palzang (rin chen dpal bzang). mtshur phu dgon gyi dkar chag kun gsal me long. Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 1995.

Tsongkhapa (tsong kha pa). lam rim chen mo. In rje tsong kha pa chen po’i gsung ’bum vol. 8, Zi ling: mtsho sngon mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 1999.

Western Publications

Bailey, D. R. Shackleton. The Śatapañcāśatka of Mātṛceta. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1951.

Cüppers, Cristoph. The IXth Chapter of the Samādhirājasūtra: A Text-Critical Contribution to the Study of Mahāyāna Sūtras. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1990.

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

‍—‍—‍—, trans. (2020a). The Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace (Praśānta­viniścaya­prātihārya­samādhi, Toh 129). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

‍—‍—‍—, trans. (2020b). The Absorption of the Thus-Gone One’s Wisdom Seal (Tathāgata­jñāna­mudrā­samādhi, Toh 131). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

‍—‍—‍—, trans. (2020c). Upholding the Roots of Virtue (Kuśala­mūla­saṃparigraha, Toh 101). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

‍—‍—‍—, trans. (2022). The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light (Raśmisamanta­mukta­nirdeśa, Toh 55). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

Dimitrov, Dragomir. “Two Female Bodhisattvas in Flesh and Blood,” in Aspects of the Female in Indian Culture. Marburg: Indica et Tibetica, 2004, pp. 3–30.

Gómez, Luis O. and Silk, Jonathan A. Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahāyāna Buddhist Texts. Ann Arbor: Collegiate Institute for the Study of Buddhist Literature and Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies, The University of Michigan, 1989.

Leslie, Julia. “A Bird Bereaved: The Identity and Significance of Valmiki’s Krauñcha,” in Journal of Indian Philosophy 26.5 (1998): 455–87.

Régamey, Konstanty. Philosophy in the Samādhirājasūtra. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1990.

Roberts, Peter Alan, trans. (2018). The White Lotus of the Good Dharma (Saddharma­puṇḍarīka, Toh 113). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

‍—‍—‍—, trans. (2021a) The Stem Array (Gaṇḍavyūha, Toh 44-45). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

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

Rockwell, John Jr. Samādhi and Patient Acceptance: Four Chapters of the Samādhirāja-sūtra, Translated from the Sanskrit and Tibetan. M.A. thesis, Naropa Institute, Boulder, Colorado, 1980.

Skilton, Andrew. “Dating the Samādhirāja Sūtra,” In Journal of Indian Philosophy 27: 635–52. Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1999.

Tatz, Mark. “Revelation in Mādhyamika Buddhism: Chapter Eleven of the Samādhirāja-sūtra (On Mastering the Sūtra).” Translated from the Tibetan with commentary. University of Washington, 1972.

Thrangu Rinpoche. King of Samadhi: Commentaries on the Samadhi Raja Sutra and the Song of Lodrö Thaye. Hong Kong, Boudhnath & Århus: Rangjung Yeshe Publications, 1994.