• The Collection
  • The Kangyur
  • Discourses
  • General Sūtra Section

This rendering does not include the entire published text

The full text is available to download as pdf at:
https://read.84000.co/data/toh127_84000-the-king-of-samadhis-sutra.pdf

ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན་གྱི་རྒྱལ་པོའི་མདོ།

The King of Samādhis Sūtra
Introduction

Samādhi­rāja­sūtra
འཕགས་པ་ཆོས་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་རང་བཞིན་མཉམ་པ་ཉིད་རྣམ་པར་སྤྲོས་པ་ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན་གྱི་རྒྱལ་པོ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
’phags pa chos thams cad kyi rang bzhin mnyam pa nyid rnam par spros pa ting nge ’dzin gyi rgyal po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The King of Samādhis, the Revealed Equality of the Nature of All Phenomena”
Ārya­sarva­dharma­svabhāva­samatāvipañcita­samādhi­rāja­nāma­mahā­yāna­sūtra
84000 logo

Toh 127

Degé Kangyur, vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 1.b–170.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 1.45.25 (2022)
Generated by 84000 Reading Room v2.17.7

84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha is a global non-profit initiative to translate all the Buddha’s words into modern languages, and to make them available to everyone.

Logo for the license

This work is provided under the protection of a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution - Non-commercial - No-derivatives) 3.0 copyright. It may be copied or printed for fair use, but only with full attribution, and not for commercial advantage or personal compensation. For full details, see the Creative Commons license.

Options for downloading this publication

This print version was generated at 5.52pm on Monday, 13th March 2023 from the online version of the text available on that date. If some time has elapsed since then, this version may have been superseded, as most of 84000’s published translations undergo significant updates from time to time. For the latest online version, with bilingual display, interactive glossary entries and notes, and a variety of further download options, please see
https://read.84000.co/translation/toh127.html.


co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
+ 4 sections- 4 sections
· History of the Sūtra
· The Contents
· The Translation
· Outline
tr. The Translation
+ 40 chapters- 40 chapters
1. The Introduction
2. Śālendrarāja
3. Praise of the Buddha’s Qualities
4. Samādhi
5. Ghoṣadatta
6. Cultivating the Samādhi
7. The Attainment of Patience
8. Buddha Abhāva­samudgata
9. The Patience of the Profound Dharma
10. The Entry into the City
11. Becoming a Keeper of the Sūtra
12. The Training According to the Samādhi
13. The Teaching of the Samādhi
14. The Buddha’s Smile
15. The Elucidation of the Buddha’s Smile
16. The Past
17. The Entranceway to the Samādhi That Is Taught by Many Buddhas
18. The Entrustment of the Samādhi
19. The Teaching of the Inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha
20. Indra­ketu­dhvaja­rāja
21. The Past
22. The Teaching on the Body
23. The Teaching on the Tathāgata’s Body
24. The Inconceivable Tathāgata
25. Engaging in Discernment
26. Rejoicing
27. The Benefits of Generosity
28. The Teaching on Correct Conduct
29. Ten Benefits
30. Tejaguṇarāja
31. Benefits
32. The Teaching on the Nature of All Phenomena
33. The Benefits of Possessing the Sūtra
34. Kṣemadatta
35. Jñānāvatī
36. Supuṣpacandra
37. Teaching the Aggregate of Correct Conduct
38. Yaśaḥprabha
39. Restraint of the Body, Speech, and Mind
40. [Untitled]
c. Colophon
ab. Abbreviations
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· Tibetan Editions of the Samādhirājasūtra
· Sanskrit Editions of the Samādhirājasūtra
· Other canonical references
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· Kangyur
· Tengyur
· Non-Canonical Tibetan Sources
· Western Publications
g. Glossary

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.


i.

Introduction

i.­1

The Samādhi­rāja­sūtra, or King of Samādhis Sūtra, is one of the earlier Mahāyāna sūtras to appear in India. It contains teachings on emptiness, bodhisattva conduct, and mendicancy, as well as tales of previous lifetimes and prophecies for the future. Its teaching on emptiness is much quoted by such Mādhyamaka masters as Candrakīrti and Śāntideva, as well as in later Buddhist literature.

i.­2

The samādhi of the title does not simply refer to meditation, but is used to designate both the sūtra itself and an entire range of Buddhist practices for conduct, meditation, motivation, and realization. The sūtra enumerates over three hundred of the samādhi’s qualities. One of the samādhi’s main descriptive epithets is given in the long form of the title itself as “the revealed1 equality of the nature of all phenomena.” However, far from being a systematic textbook on the features of any one practice or doctrine, the sūtra has a complex, convoluted structure and includes long narrative passages. These not only relate the Buddha’s interactions with Candraprabha, the main interlocutor, but also tell lengthy stories in mixed prose and verse from the Buddha’s past lives‍—in his own words‍—exemplifying the points he teaches. Interspersed in these narratives, often in the form of verse teachings given by past tathāgatas, are some of the profound statements on the nature of phenomena, and on the essential points of the path, for which the sūtra is justly celebrated.

History of the Sūtra

i.­3

As is the case for most sūtras, it is impossible to be sure when this work first appeared in writing; indeed, the sūtra is very likely a compilation of earlier shorter works. None of the complete extant Sanskrit manuscripts can be dated to earlier than the sixth century. There is, however, a reference to it in the Sūtrasamuccaya, a work attributed to Nāgārjuna (second or third century) although the attribution is not universally accepted. There is even a claim that the King of Samādhis Sūtra was translated into Chinese in 148 ᴄᴇ, but this, too, is disputed. The mention of a Samādhirāja in Asaṅga’s fourth century Mahā­yāna­saṃgraha may be a reference to the sūtra.

i.­4

At least two shorter independent works that may have existed earlier appear to have been incorporated into the King of Samādhis Sūtra. One is a text entitled Mahā­prajñā­samādhi­sūtra (The Sūtra of the Samādhi of Great Wisdom) or Mañjuśrī­bodhi­sattva­cāryā (The Bodhisattva Conduct of Mañjuśrī). It is a teaching on the six perfections that must have existed as early as the fifth century, as it was translated into Chinese by Shih Sien-kung (420–479). It corresponds to chapters 27–29 of the King of Samādhis Sūtra in the Tibetan version, except that the Mahā­prajñā­samādhi­sūtra has Mañjuśrī as the recipient of the teaching instead of Candraprabha (both bodhisattvas have the title Kumārabhūta).

i.­5

The other is chapter 36 of the Tibetan version of the King of Samādhis Sūtra, which also appears to have originally been an independent text; its interlocutor is Ānanda, whose name in this case was not changed to that of Candraprabha.

i.­6

Candraprabha, the principal interlocutor in the sūtra, appears in a number of other sūtras, but particularly in the Raśmi­samanta­mukta­nirdeśa­sūtra, Toh 55 in the Heap of Jewels (Ratnakūṭa) section of the Kangyur, in which, as in the King of Samādhis Sūtra, he is depicted as inviting the Buddha to his home and making elaborate preparations for the visit.2 Most of the qualities of the samādhi described in the King of Samādhis Sūtra also appear within the list of the qualities of a samādhi in The Sūtra of the Samādhi of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace.3

i.­7

The entire sūtra was translated into Chinese by Narendrayaśas in 557. Narendrayaśas (517–589) was a much-traveled Indian monk from Orissa who arrived in China in 556. This Chinese version is widely known under an alternative title, Candra­pradīpa­samādhi­sūtra (The Sūtra of the Samādhi of the Lamp of the Moon, Taishō 639); this title is closely related to the alternative title used in some Indian commentaries (see below). Narendrayaśas’s translation is divided into ten chapters, in contrast to the forty of the Tibetan. There are fragments of three Sanskrit manuscripts from central Asia, dated to the fifth or sixth centuries, that correspond to this version, but no complete manuscript has survived.

i.­8

The ninth century Tibetan translation of the sūtra in the Kangyur was made from a Sanskrit version no longer extant, but longer than the one translated into Chinese. The Tibetan was translated during the reign of King Ralpachen (815–838) by Śīlendrabodhi and Chönyi Tsultrim (who used the Sanskrit version of his name, Dharmatāśīla).

i.­9

The earliest complete Indian manuscript to have survived is the one discovered in 1938 in the ruins of a library near Gilgit. It is dated, from the calligraphy of its Gupta script, to the sixth century. It has some additional verses that do not appear in the Chinese version, but is significantly shorter than the Tibetan translation, with fewer verses and prose passages. Much closer to the Tibetan is a group of twelve later Sanskrit manuscripts found in Nepal, including the one referred to here as the Hodgson manuscript; another group of Nepalese manuscripts contain additional material usually not found in the Tibetan, and includes the one referred to here as the Shastri manuscript.4

i.­10

In the Sanskrit versions, much of the sūtra is composed of verse in a highly distinctive Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit (BHS). The prose is in what appears to be classical Sanskrit in terms of spelling and case endings, but the vocabulary includes words that are only found in BHS, or words that exist in classical Sanskrit but have a different meaning in BHS.

i.­11

The number of chapters, as well as where the chapter breaks occur, varies in these different versions and manuscripts. The Chinese text is divided into only ten chapters. The Tibetan version is often referred to as having thirty-eight chapters, but a closer look reveals that there are two additional untitled final chapters. The Tibetan, unlike the Sanskrit versions, does not make a final chapter from the conclusion, and does not divide its chapter 39 on the restraint of the body, speech, and mind into three chapters, but it does make a short chapter 22 from what, in the Sanskrit, constitutes the end of chapter 21.

i.­12

The sūtra is quoted in a number of Indian treatises as well as many Tibetan works. Indian authors such as Candrakīrti and Śāntideva referred to it by the title Candra­pradīpa­sūtra (zla ba sgron ma’i mdo); other authors used the title Samādhirāja. The earliest known quotations from the sūtra were made by Candrakīrti in the seventh century; he quoted from it twenty times in his Prasannapadā (Clear Words), and also in his Madhyamakāvatāra (Entering the Middle Way). He also quoted verses that appear only in the longer version of the sūtra, and not in the manuscript that was translated into Tibetan in the early ninth century. It would therefore seem that variants of the sūtra already coexisted in India in the seventh century.

i.­13

Candrakīrti is followed by Śāntideva in the late seventh to early eighth century, who quotes it twenty times in his Śikṣasamuccaya (Compendium of Training).

i.­14

The sūtra, particularly its verses on emptiness, is quoted by other prominent Indian authors such as Prajñākaramati in his Bodhi­sattva­caryāvatāra­pañjikā (Commentary on Difficult Points in “Entering the Conduct of the Bodhisattvas”), which is a commentary on Śāntideva’s Bodhi­sattva­caryāvatāra (Entering the Conduct of the Bodhisattvas) and Kamalaśīla’s Bhāvanākrama (Stages of Meditation).

i.­15

A passage from chapter 3 in which the Buddha summarizes for Candraprabha the qualities of a tathāgata (3.­3) seems to have been the source for the short Kangyur sūtra Remembering the Buddha (Buddhānusmṛti, sangs rgyas rjes su dran pa, Toh 279), which reproduces verbatim the Tibetan translation of the passage and is therefore unlikely to be a parallel translation from an independent Sanskrit original (although that is not impossible). This widely known and much recited text is part of a set of three such works (Toh 279–281), one for each of the Three Jewels, and often reproduced as a single work with the title Remembering the Three Jewels. However, the passages on the Dharma and Saṅgha are not drawn from the King of Samādhis.

i.­16

The King of Samādhis is also quoted in many treatises on tantras, and its recitation is prescribed in maṇḍala ritual texts. For example, the Maṇḍala Rite of Cakrasamvara says that four sūtras should be recited, one in each of the four main directions around the maṇḍala. The sūtras are the Prajñāparāmitā (Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Verses); Gaṇḍavyūha (Array of Trees), which is the last chapter of the Avataṃsaka; Laṅkāvātara (Entry into Laṅka); and Samādhirāja (King of Samādhis).5

i.­17

These four sūtras are among the nine principal works that came to be considered the most important in Nepalese Buddhism; they are frequently recited, and offerings are made to them. The other five sūtras in this group are the Saddharma­puṇḍarīka (The White Lotus of the Good Dharma), Lalitavistara (The Play in Full), Tathāgata­guhyaka (The Secret of the Tathāgatas), Suvarṇaprabha (The Golden Light), and Daśabhūmika (The Ten Bhūmis).

i.­18

In China, the King of Samādhis‍—unlike the White Lotus of the Good Dharma‍—never gained any great prominence, and no commentary was translated.

i.­19

In Tibet, although its existence was well known through its use as a source of quotations, the sūtra itself was not particularly studied, nor were its admonitions to dedicate oneself to its recitation and follow a life of extreme mendicancy followed. Nevertheless, more than two hundred years after it had been translated into Tibetan, the King of Samādhis Sūtra did gain a certain importance within the circle of students who followed Atiśa Dipaṃkaraśrījñāna (980–1054) and became the founders of the Kadampa tradition, which emphasized the bodhisattva path of the Mahāyāna sūtras. Atiśa’s translator and guide Nagtsho Lotsawa translated a commentary on the King of Samādhis Sūtra by the Indian master Mañjuśrīkīrti entitled Kīrtimālā (The Garland of Fame). Mañjuśrīkīrti may be the same person as the student of Candrakīrti with that name, although that would seem unlikely given the definite influence of the Yogacāra tradition in his work.6 Moreover, Nagtsho’s Tibetan translation of the commentary incorporates the earlier Tibetan translation of the sūtra itself‍—another indication that Mañjuśrīkīrti’s original commentary was written for the same version of the sūtra in Sanskrit that had been translated into Tibetan, and not the longer version that Candrakīrti quoted from.

i.­20

Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa tradition, which was based on the Kadampa tradition, quotes from the sūtra thirteen times in his Lamrim Chenmo (Great Graduated Path), and his student Khedrup Jé also relied upon it as a major source of quotations. The sūtra is also much quoted in the best known commentarial works of the great scholars of all traditions, including several of the early Sakya masters, Longchenpa, Minling Terchen, and Drikung Chökyi Trakpa, as well as those of later authors like Jamgön Kongtrul, Mipham, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, and Jigme Tenpai Nyima.

i.­21

Some of the quotations from the sūtra in the Tibetan commentarial literature are ascribed to it erroneously, such as the one-line quotation on buddha nature (an idea barely even mentioned in the sūtra), in the first few lines of Gampopa’s text on the graduated path, An Adornment for the Precious Path to Liberation. Similarly, an eight-line prophecy concerning the Karmapa incarnations is frequently ascribed to the sūtra even though it is not to be found in any extant version, even as a paraphrase.7 Among the other reasons why the sūtra is revered in the Kagyu tradition, the monastic lineage of which was founded by Gampopa, is perhaps that Gampopa’s Kadampa teacher Potowa is said to have identified him as the rebirth of Candraprabha, the interlocutor of the King of Samādhis. Gampopa used the name Da-ö Shönnu (zla ’od gzhon nu, the Tibetan for Candraprabha Kumāra) in his colophons, and later teachers sometimes referred to him by that name. Since Gampopa himself is nevertheless not known to have been a promulgator of the sūtra, in order to conform to the prophecy it has been claimed that it represents a sūtra version of Gampopa’s Mahāmudrā teaching‍—but not explicitly so, and indeed the reader will not find any such doctrinal elements that set its viewpoint particularly apart from that of the Perfection of Wisdom sūtras.

The Contents

i.­22

The sūtra portrays a form of Buddhism that emphasized mendicancy, living at the foot of trees in forests, and so on, in opposition to less austere Buddhist ways of life. It considers nirvāṇa impossible to attain for householders, and likens nirvāṇa to a flame being extinguished, bringing any activity to an end. In it, the Buddha emphasizes again and again the vast number of eons during which he and other tathāgatas practiced before attaining enlightenment.

i.­23

It contains prophecies describing the very time when the sūtra itself is being disseminated in India, saying it will be rejected and denounced by other monks. As well as its strong promotion of mendicancy, insisting that a bhikṣu should remain in the forest and have no possessions, it condemns the corruption of bhikṣus who accumulate possessions and visit laypeople’s homes to teach them there. Its strict adherence to the forest lifestyle, and its condemnation of bhikṣus who do not follow it, would not have found wide favor in some of the Buddhist establishments of that time. The sūtra also addresses the known problem of that time of destitute people who joined the ranks of Buddhist monks in order to receive material support for themselves, without having any genuine dedication to or understanding of the teaching.

i.­24

This is one example of how the sūtra shows evidence of the conditions prevailing at the time and place it was promulgated. Another‍—one of its less appealing aspects for our present age, but one that is typical of many early Mahāyāna sūtras‍—is its attitude toward women: the bodhisattva is always male, as is explicit in the Sanskrit (although in this translation frequent use has been made of the plural to render bodhisattvas’ male gender less obvious). Women often appear as property that is given away, and the noble kings have harems as well as slaves, though the Tibetan did not have the term to translate antapuraḥ (harem) and used the more palatable “retinue of queens.” However, women are still seen as capable of being devotees of the path of the sūtra, and in particular there is the tale of Princess Jñānāvatī, who cuts off the flesh from her thigh so as to heal her sick bhikṣu teacher. But in every such case this means that the woman will gain a male rebirth so that she may be able to continue on the path to enlightenment.

i.­25

The sūtra also mentions the sacrificial offering of burning a hand (which is, however, then miraculously reconstituted). This passage, along with similar accounts in other sūtras, has inspired the Tibetan tradition of burning a finger as an offering.

i.­26

The sūtra has several references linking it with South India. It contains references to South Indian music, and the nominative -u ending is a characteristic of South India. More significantly, in the post-Gilgit additional verses there is a special emphasis given to Rishi Ananta, who was highly revered in the south.

i.­27

There are several doctrinal indicators to the period in which it appeared. This being an early Mahāyāna sūtra, there is no mention in the King of Samādhis of the saṃbhogakāya or nirmāṇakāya, but only dharmakāya and rūpakāya; the doctrine of three kāyas came to prominence later. Nor is there any real mention of the tathāgatagarbha, or buddha nature, another notion developed in later works.

i.­28

Although there is mention in both the Gilgit and Chinese versions of Buddha Amitābha and his realm Sukhāvatī, Amitābha’s accompanying bodhisattvas Avalokiteśvara and Mahāstāmaprapta are noticeable by their absence, indicating that the sūtra dates back to a time before their rise to prominence, and possibly to a time even before the appearance of the longer Sukhāvatīsūtra. However, as might be expected, both bodhisattvas do appear in the additional verses of the later Sanskrit versions, and therefore the Tibetan, too. As a pair, however, they still have equal status, as they frequently do in Mahāyāna sūtras before the rise of Avalokiteśvara to preeminence by the fourth or fifth century.

i.­29

Some of the later additional verses, too, include references to the ten bodhisattva bhūmis that are unlikely to have been in the earliest version, as the Perfection of Wisdom tradition, as well as the early Yogacāra of Asaṅga, mention only seven bhūmis.

i.­30

A particular feature that the sūtra shares with quite a large number of other Mahāyāna sūtras, such as the White Lotus of the Good Dharma Sūtra, is that it promotes itself as the core focus of a bodhisattva’s practice, stating that the bodhisattva should recite it, promulgate it, and so on.

The Translation

i.­31

Given the significant differences between the versions of this sūtra in Sanskrit, Chinese, and Tibetan, an English translation could never represent all versions equally, and necessarily involves a selective approach based on stated principles. In this translation of the King of Samādhis, we have chosen to stay as close as possible to the Tibetan of the Kangyur, which has more content than both the Chinese translation and the Gilgit manuscript. However, we have compared the Tibetan closely to the Chinese and Gilgit versions, along with the two longer Nepalese Sanskrit manuscripts identified in this translation as Shastri and Hodgson (see above). Discrepancies between the versions are recorded in the notes.

i.­32

Where there are significant discrepancies, the Tibetan has been favored in the translation wherever possible, as it probably represents a particular Sanskrit version that has not survived. In some instances, however, adhering to the Tibetan would have caused problems regarding the meaning of the text, and here the Sanskrit reading has been preferred. Consulting the other versions has also been indispensable in clearing up ambiguities, variations in the Tibetan between the different Kangyurs, and the occasional error in the Tibetan, the results of scribal corruption or adopting the wrong meaning of a word, such as the classical Sanskrit meaning instead of the BHS meaning. Also of great help has been clarification from the Chinese translation that Ling-Lung Chen has been able to provide. In one case, the Chinese preserves an uncorrupted version of a passage in which “nature” was later replaced by “past,” resulting in a peculiar set of verses with a peculiar meaning.

i.­33

A particular difficulty was the list of qualities of the samādhi given in chapter 1. They are defined in order in chapter 40, and also in Mañjuśrīkīrti’s commentary on the sūtra, which itself was useful in ascertaining the intended meaning of these words. However, there are discrepancies between these three versions in Tibetan, as well as with the qualities as listed in the Sanskrit versions of the sūtra.

i.­34

Much invaluable work has already been done on this sūtra by present-day Western scholars. Konstanty (also Constantin) Régamey planned an erudite translation of the entire sūtra based on Tibetan, Sanskrit, and Chinese, which was interrupted by the effects of World War II in Poland. However, we are fortunate that copies of his translation of chapters 8, 19, and 22 survived the destruction of his work.

i.­35

Nalinaksha Dutt published an edition of the Gilgit manuscripts with comparison to two later Nepalese manuscripts in the 1940s and ’50s. Luis Gómez and Jonathan Silk published a translation of the first four chapters in 1989. John Rockwell translated chapters 4, 5, 7, and 9 in 1980. Christoph Cüppers translated the ninth chapter in 1990, and Mark Tatz translated the eleventh chapter in 1972. Finally, Andrew Skilton’s research into the various versions of the Samādhirāja Sūtra, in several publications from 1999 onwards, has been very illuminating and has been particularly useful for this introduction.

Outline

i.­36
Chapter 1: The Introduction

The Buddha Śākyamuni is on Vulture Peak Mountain outside Rājagṛha with a great gathering of bhikṣus and bodhisattvas. Candraprabha asks him for instruction. The Buddha states that evenness of mind is the one quality that will bring enlightenment and the attainment of the samādhi called the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, which is described as having an array of qualities that covers all the various aspects of the path. On hearing this, a multitude of beings attain various stages of realization; the earth shakes, and a radiance illuminates the universe.

i.­37
Chapter 2: Śālendrarāja

The Buddha tells Candraprabha in both prose and verse how in a past life he was a cakravartin named Bhīṣmottara who for quintillions of eons honored successive buddhas on Vulture Peak Mountain and received the teaching of this sūtra from all of them. The last of those buddhas was Śālendrarāja. The Buddha says that serving the buddhas in this way is necessary for the attainment of buddhahood. He says that those who uphold this sūtra in the future will be reborn in Sukhāvatī.

i.­38
Chapter 3: Praise of the Buddha’s Qualities

The Buddha tells Candraprabha about the qualities of a tathāgata, and explains that they can be attained through this sūtra. Then, in verse, he describes his acts of generosity in past lives and his search for this sūtra. He describes the benefits of the sūtra and condemns those in the future who teach but do not practice. Candraprabha vows to uphold this teaching in the future.

i.­39
Chapter 4: Samādhi

Candraprabha asks what is meant by samādhi. The Buddha explains that it means the attainment of realization, the elimination of the kleśas, correct conduct, renunciation, and other such qualities. Then the Buddha describes in verse the nature and result of practicing this samādhi.

i.­40
Chapter 5: Ghoṣadatta

The Buddha tells Candraprabha that the practitioner should abandon all worldly ties and his home. He then describes how in the past there was a buddha named Ghoṣadatta. A king named Mahābala and his subjects make extensive offerings to him. However, the king realizes that his subjects have made the offerings with the hope for material benefits in future lives. Buddha Ghoṣadatta recites verses on how it is necessary to abandon one’s home and all material possessions. King Mahābala becomes a bhikṣu, and in subsequent lifetimes serves two hundred million buddhas and hears the teaching of this sūtra from them all. He eventually becomes a buddha named Jñānaśūra. Mahābala’s subjects, who also became bhikṣus, all become buddhas named Dṛḍhaśūra.

i.­41
Chapter 6: Cultivating the Samādhi

The Buddha tells Candraprabha that many offerings should be made to the Buddha but without the concept of a giver or recipient and that the merit that ensues should be dedicated to attaining enlightenment. Then, knowing that there is no birth, death, or anyone who is a bodhisattva, they will be impervious to the attacks or persuasions of the māras.

i.­42
Chapter 7: The Attainment of Patience

The Buddha tells Candraprabha that a bodhisattva needs to attain three kinds of patience. The first patience is to maintain the Dharma by not arguing, and so on; to know that everything is an illusion; to know the sūtras; to have no doubt; to have no anger toward tīrthikas; to speak truthfully; never to abandon the path to buddhahood; and to master worldly skills. The second patience is having undisturbed śamatha and vipaśyanā, being in meditation during all activity, attaining the five higher cognitions, having miraculous powers, and remembering every word that is taught. With the third patience the bodhisattva can see all other worlds, has a golden body, teaches millions of beings, receives the prophecy of his buddhahood, and being aware of emptiness he remains unaffected by praise or blame, loss or gain.

i.­43
Chapter 8: Buddha Abhāva­samudgata

The Buddha tells Candraprabha that the bodhisattva has to attain the wisdom of the nonexistence of phenomena so that he will have no desire. He adds that in the past there was a buddha named Abhāva­samudgata, who at birth levitated and declared the nonexistence of all phenomena, following which all the sounds in the world made the same declaration. Later, a prince named Mahā­karuṇā­cintin became one of his bhikṣus, received the teaching of this sūtra, and thereby after twenty eons became a buddha named Suvicintitārtha.

i.­44
Chapter 9: The Patience of the Profound Dharma

The Buddha tells Candraprabha that all the buddhas have attained buddhahood as a result of practicing the teaching of this sūtra. He says that the patience of the Dharma is attained through realizing that everything is like a dream or an illusion, so that there is no desire, anger, or ignorance. He teaches that one should avoid association with fools, and with those who have become bhikṣus as a source of livelihood. He teaches that one should not only give the teachings but also practice and realize them.

i.­45
Chapter 10: The Entry into the City

Candraprabha praises the teaching and aspires to it. The Buddha places his hand on Candraprabha’s head and Candraprabha instantly realizes quintillions of samādhis. Candraprabha praises the Buddha and invites him to come for his midday meal at his home. The Buddha assents by remaining silent. Candraprabha then has the road to his home cleaned and divinely adorned. Throughout the night, he prepares a sumptuous meal. He then adorns the city and his own home. Accompanied by bodhisattvas and citizens he goes to Vulture Peak Mountain to invite the Buddha to his home. The Buddha proceeds there accompanied by a multitude of deities. The ground shakes as he takes his first step into the city. Everyone in the world becomes happy and deities make vast offerings.

i.­46
Chapter 11: Becoming a Keeper of the Sūtra

The Buddha and his saṅgha are served food at Candraprabha’s home. When the Buddha has finished eating, Candraprabha praises him, aspires to become a buddha, and requests teaching that will enable him to accomplish that. The Buddha states that only one quality is necessary, which is the knowledge of the insubstantial nature of phenomena. He also describes the vast merit and good results that come from knowing even one verse of this sūtra. Candraprabha aspires to be a keeper of this sūtra in the future. The Buddha prophesies to many millions of beings who are present that they will attain buddhahood after more than four million eons have passed.

i.­47
Chapter 12: The Training According to the Samādhi

The Buddha teaches Candraprabha that the mind has no nature of its own, and that the nature of the mind is the nature of the buddhas. The bodhisattva who knows that teaching is free from all bondage and masters all the skills of words and teaching.

i.­48
Chapter 13: The Teaching of the Samādhi

The Buddha teaches that a bodhisattva should be skilled in teaching this samādhi, which is nonconceptual. The bodhisattva should be free of illusion and have great compassion.

i.­49
Chapter 14: The Buddha’s Smile

Candraprabha, inspired by the teaching, recites verses praising how the Buddha has practiced, how true and supreme his words are, and how many different kinds of beings have gathered to listen to him. The Buddha smiles and Maitreya asks him the reason why.

i.­50
Chapter 15: The Elucidation of the Buddha’s Smile

The Buddha explains to Maitreya that Candraprabha has in previous lives seen ten thousand million buddhas in this very city of Rājagṛha, and has received this same teaching on samādhi. He will also teach this samādhi in the future. He will see many buddhas and will eventually become a buddha named Vimalaprabha. Candraprabha on hearing this levitates with joy and praises the Buddha and rejoices in his good fortune.

i.­51
Chapter 16: The Past

The Buddha tells Candraprabha that the samādhi of this sūtra frees beings from all illness and lower rebirths. The Buddha adds in verse that in a past life he was a prince named Mati who had an incurable illness. A bhikṣu named Brahmadatta, who was a previous life of Buddha Dīpaṃkara, taught him the samādhi and he was cured. Then the Buddha prophesies that in the future there will be bhikṣus with worldly desires and conduct, and when they die they will be reborn in the lower existences.

i.­52
Chapter 17: The Entranceway to the Samādhi That Is Taught by Many Buddhas

The bodhisattva Maitreya tells the Buddha he is going to Vulture Peak Mountain in order to prepare offerings to the Buddha. When he arrives there he transforms it into a flat, divinely adorned ground with a throne in its center. Then he returns to Candraprabha’s home and describes what he has created. The Buddha returns to the mountain and sits on the throne. Candraprabha and millions of others also come to the mountain and Candraprabha requests a teaching. The Buddha describes four qualities necessary for attaining the samādhi of this sūtra: the first is calmness and self-restraint, the second is correct conduct, the third is fear of the three realms, and the fourth is devotion to the Dharma and benefiting others. Then in verse the Buddha describes a succession of buddhas within two eons of the distant past. He states that whoever hears their names will quickly attain this samādhi. Then he recounts that they were followed by a buddha named Narendraghoṣa. At that time the Buddha was a king named Śirībala, who with five hundred sons received this samādhi teaching from Narendraghoṣa. He and his sons all became bhikṣus. Śirībala was then reborn as the son of King Dṛḍhabala. The prince, remembering millions of previous lives, asks if the Buddha Narendraghoṣa is still alive, and describes and praises his teaching of this samādhi. King Dṛḍhabala brings his son, along with millions of other people, to that buddha, hears the teaching, and becomes a bhikṣu. Sixty eons later King Dṛḍhabala becomes Buddha Padmottara, and all his subjects who became bhikṣus all eventually become buddhas who all have the same name: Ananta­jñānanottara. The five hundred sons became the five hundred students of Śākyamuni who would in future times teach this sūtra. King Dṛḍhabala and his queen also became the Buddha’s parents: Śuddhodana and Māyādevī.

i.­53
Chapter 18: The Entrustment of the Samādhi

The Buddha tells Candraprabha that a bodhisattva who possesses this samādhi has four qualities: unsurpassable merit, being invincible to adversaries, unlimited wisdom, and an unending eloquence. Candraprabha asks the Buddha who will listen to this samādhi in the future. The Buddha says that only bhikṣus with pure mendicancy will have faith in it. Those who reject it will have incalculable bad karma. Candraprabha vows to promulgate the sūtra in a future life and endure the abuse of those with no faith in it. Eight hundred others also vow to uphold the sūtra and eight hundred million deities vow to protect them. The Buddha gives his blessing, the world shakes, and the Buddha prophesies the buddhahood of the millions of beings who have listened to the sūtra.

i.­54
Chapter 19: The Teaching of the Inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha

The Buddha teaches Candraprabha that it is through this samādhi that the inconceivable Dharma is attained. Candraprabha, listening to the teaching, attains that samādhi. A thousand million worlds shake as a result. A multitude of devas rejoice that they have also heard this teaching. The gandharva Pañcaśikha with five hundred other gandharvas fly down to Vulture Peak Mountain and play music as an offering. The Buddha causes the teaching of the inconceivable Dharma to come from the sound of their music. The teaching describes the unreality of existence and the benefits of nonattachment and equanimity.

i.­55
Chapter 20: Indra­ketu­dhvaja­rāja

In this short chapter the Buddha instructs Candraprabha on gaining great compassion and depending on a spiritual guide. There are also eleven verses on the teaching of emptiness by a buddha in the past named Indra­ketu­dhvaja­rāja.

i.­56
Chapter 21: The Past

In the prose introduction, the Buddha instructs Candraprabha on accumulating merit and avoiding the influence of bad companions. The verses describe how in the distant past, a king came across two renunciants in the forest and was inspired by them. However, bhikṣus who disliked their ascetic lifestyle and views urged the king to kill or banish them. A goddess who looked after the king’s benefit countered their influence. They succeeded in influencing the king’s brother and he led an army to the forest. The deities of the forest massacred them and all involved in the plot were reborn in hell. The Buddha explains that the two monks were Buddha Dīpaṃkara and himself, the king was Maitreya, and Candraprabha was the goddess.

i.­57
Chapter 22: The Teaching on the Body

In this very brief chapter, the Buddha instructs Candraprabha not to have attachment to body or life. Those who avoid such attachment will attain buddhahood. Those who do have these attachments will commit bad actions and go to hell after death.

i.­58
Chapter 23: The Teaching on the Tathāgata’s Body

The Buddha teaches Candraprabha that a buddha should not be identified as his rūpakāya or form body, but as the dharmakāya, the “Dharma body,” which is indescribable and unquantifiable. Even though someone sees the physical presence of a buddha, that is a manifestation of the dharmakāya, and it is the dharmakāya that is the Buddha’s true body, which cannot be perceived as having any features or actions.

i.­59
Chapter 24: The Inconceivable Tathāgata

The Buddha teaches Candraprabha that through this sūtra a bodhisattva can gain four kinds of discernment: discernment of phenomena, of meaning, of definitions, and of confident speech. He then gives a long explanation of the discernment of phenomena, in which successive qualities are explained in relation to four aspects: the composite teaching, the composite, the kleśas, and purification. For each of these there is an inconceivable number of each quality. The second, third, and fourth discernments are explained in single brief sentences. The concluding verses state that the Buddha has innumerable qualities, and exhort the teaching of this sūtra.

i.­60
Chapter 25: Engaging in Discernment

The Buddha teaches Candraprabha in greater depth on the discernment of phenomena, emphasizing that there is no difference between the nature of phenomena and enlightenment, and specifying that there is no difference between the nature of the skandhas and enlightenment. Then in verse he teaches the emptiness of phenomena and nirvāṇa, and that his true body is not his “form body,” the rūpakāya, but his dharmakāya, and therefore the only one who has truly seen a buddha is one who has seen the dharmakāya, who has seen emptiness. There follows a condemnation of bhikṣus of the future who will be concerned with gain and honors, and will teach and become involved with laypeople, and are destined for the hells. However, there should be no anger toward them; they should be treated with respect. There is also advice on humility and circumspection in giving teachings, as to who should be taught and what kind of teaching should be given. There is also an exhortation to make offerings, but also that the merit gained from this sūtra is far more vast than the most extensive offerings.

i.­61
Chapter 26: Rejoicing

The Buddha teaches Candraprabha that a bodhisattva must be skillful in methods, which he defines as rejoicing in the merit of beings. Then in verse he describes rejoicing in various kinds of good actions and the benefits of mendicancy, and concludes by saying that being careful is the root of all of these.

i.­62
Chapter 27: The Benefits of Generosity

In this brief chapter, the Buddha teaches Candraprabha that a careful bodhisattva practices the six perfections. Then he teaches the ten benefits that come from practicing the first of these: generosity.

i.­63
Chapter 28: The Benefits of Correct Conduct

In this very brief chapter, the Buddha teaches ten benefits that come from practicing the second of the six perfections: correct conduct.

i.­64
Chapter 29: Ten Benefits

The Buddha teaches the benefits that come from the remaining four perfections: patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom. They are followed by the benefits of becoming very learned in the Dharma, giving the Dharma to others, maintaining the knowledge of emptiness, maintaining detachment in meditation, remaining in solitude, and following a mendicant lifestyle and begging for alms. The Buddha concludes by stating that such a bodhisattva will obtain, through the supernatural higher cognitions, the treasure of the buddhas because he will be able to see them all. And he will attain the treasure of the Dharma because he can hear the buddhas teaching. He will attain the treasure of wisdom because he remembers the teaching and knows how to give it to others. Finally, he will attain the treasure of knowing the past, present, and future of beings.

i.­65
Chapter 30: Tejaguṇarāja

The Buddha tells Candraprabha that he should be dedicated to this sūtra and live alone in the forest. In the verse he tells how, in the distant past, there was a buddha named Tejaguṇarāja and at that time Buddha Śākyamuni was a world ruler named Dṛdhadatta. When he heard the teaching of the King of Samādhis Sūtra, he and the entire population of the world became bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs who were supported by the devas. The Buddha describes the nature of degenerate Dharma teachers in future times, who do not practice mendicancy. He prescribes making images of the Buddha, making offerings to him, and aspiring to the teaching of this sūtra. The Buddha then describes the various great qualities that those who possess this sūtra will have.

i.­66
Chapter 31: Benefits

In this brief chapter, the Buddha teaches that the one who wishes to teach all beings in their various languages should be dedicated to this sūtra. In eleven verses, he describes various benefits, and particularly the qualities of speech, that will be gained.

i.­67
Chapter 32: The Teaching on the Nature of All Phenomena

The Buddha teaches that a bodhisattva who wishes to know the nature of phenomena should be dedicated to this sūtra. He describes in verse the compassion, patience, ability to remember and teach, generosity, and diligence that is the nature of the bodhisattva who realizes the nature of phenomena, which is peace and emptiness. He states that this is the path he followed, and encourages all to follow his example. He states that those who reject the path to enlightenment spend eons in the hells, but those who teach and protect this sūtra in future times will quickly attain enlightenment.

i.­68
Chapter 33: The Benefits of Possessing the Sūtra

The Buddha teaches that dedication to this sūtra will bring the higher cognitions of all phenomena. This is then explained through almost three hundred verses in the Tibetan version. He teaches that the higher cognitions are gained by having no attachment, either to samādhi or worldly things, and by having no pride. The higher cognitions are the realization that there is no substance to anything, even the Buddha’s words. This realization of emptiness brings buddhahood, which does not exist on the level of words. Buddhahood has no form; it is the dharmakāya. It transcends every kind of conceptual identification. Those without this understanding believe they have made spiritual progress but still have desire, particularly for women.

i.­69

Those who have the realization manifest pure realms. While communicating with words, they transcend thought and concepts, have miraculous powers, and do not age. Ordinary humans who delight in this sūtra will proceed to enlightenment and will meet Buddha Maitreya. Maintaining this sūtra in the degenerate age is the greatest offering to the buddhas. Women who have faith in a single verse from it will never be reborn as women. The bodhisattvas who realize this samādhi will have inconceivable qualities and attain buddhahood at Bodhgaya.

i.­70

Other bodhisattvas will come to hear them teaching and those bodhisattvas will adorn the world, transforming it into a pure realm. Lotuses and birds throughout countless realms will emit the words of the Dharma. The bodhisattva who practices this sūtra has immaculate conduct and at death will go to Sukhāvatī, and in the degenerate age will be the protector of the Dharma.

i.­71
Chapter 34: Kṣemadatta

The Buddha teaches that the bodhisattva who wishes to attain this sūtra’s samādhi and enlightenment should make extensive offerings to a living buddha or to a stūpa containing his relics, and relates a story as an example. The story is about a king named Śrīghoṣa who made extensive offerings to millions of stūpas containing the relics of Buddha Ghoṣadatta‍—presumably the same buddha who appears in chapter 5. One night he offers millions of lamps to the stūpas. On seeing this, a young bodhisattva named Kṣemadatta makes a lamp out of his hand by wrapping it in cloth and dousing it in sesame oil. The light from this lamp eclipses all the other light offerings, and the hand is burned away. The king and his queens leap from their high palace roof to go and see this, but are not hurt thanks to intervention by deities. The king approaches Kṣemadatta, admires him, and expresses sorrow for the loss of his hand. Kṣemadatta recites a verse on emptiness, and because of the truth of his words, his hand grows back and there are other miracles. The Buddha then states that he was Kṣemadatta and that Maitreya was King Śrīghoṣa.

i.­72
Chapter 35: Jñānāvatī

The Buddha instructs Candraprabha on four kinds of dedication of merit from acts of generosity. He then states that a bodhisattva should give even his own flesh to heal a teacher of the Dharma from illness. He then tells the story of how, eons ago, Princess Jñānāvatī followed the instructions given to her in a dream, which were to use her own flesh and blood to treat her sick Dharma teacher. He was miraculously cured, and she was miraculously unharmed, despite having cut off her own flesh. The Buddha states that he was that princess in a previous lifetime, her father the king was Maitreya, and the Dharma teacher became Buddha Dīpaṃkara.

i.­73
Chapter 36: Supuṣpacandra

In this chapter, one of the longest in the sūtra, there is no mention of Candraprabha. Instead, Ānanda requests teaching from the Buddha, and the Buddha states that a bodhisattva must have equanimity and not cease in his progress to enlightenment, no matter what suffering he endures. The Buddha gives the example of Supuṣpacandra. In an eon long ago, Buddha Ratna­padma­candra­viśuddhābhyud­gata­rāja attained enlightenment, liberated countless beings, and passed into nirvāṇa all in one day. During the last five hundred years of his teaching, all bodhisattvas had been exiled to Samantabhadra Forest. Supuṣpacandra was with them as their teacher, but saw that the time had come to teach other beings, even if it cost him his life. In the story, he leaves alone and eventually reaches the capital, where, in the course of a week, he establishes countless beings on the path to enlightenment, including King Śūradatta’s harem of eighty thousand queens, and all his thousand sons. On the seventh day, when the king is in a large procession heading to a park, he witnesses the devotion of the populace, and his own family, to a bhikṣu who is standing by the road. Consumed with jealousy, he orders his executioner to slay the bhikṣu. The executioner cuts him up into eight pieces. When the king is returning to his capital after a week he sees that the body parts have not decayed. Also the townspeople and the bodhisattvas of the forest have come and discovered the death. Filled with remorse, the king arranges a cremation and the building of a stūpa for the relics, and for thousands of years makes offerings, confesses his crime, and keeps perfect discipline. Nevertheless, he is reborn in hell and for millions of eons experiences various mutilations and sufferings as a result of his action. The Buddha then states that King Śūradatta was one of his own previous lives, and Supuṣpacandra subsequently became Buddha Padmottara.

i.­74
Chapter 37: Teaching the Aggregate of Correct Conduct

The Buddha says to Candraprabha that a bodhisattva should also have correct conduct, and then recites verses, stating that possessing and reciting this sūtra, even one verse of it, has greater merit than eons of generosity, and that it contains an incalculable number of teachings. Then the qualities are described of the bhikṣu bodhisattva who has this sūtra, concluding by saying that many eons would not suffice to describe them all.

i.­75
Chapter 38: Yaśaḥprabha

The Buddha says to Candraprabha that a bodhisattva should dedicate himself to ending the kleśas, gaining merit, and generating roots of goodness out of an aspiration for buddhahood. Then in verse he tells the story of how, many eons ago, there was a buddha named Gaṇeśvara. The king Varapuṣpasa listened to his teachings on emptiness and with his five hundred sons became ordained. In a later time, after Gaṇeśvara’s nirvāṇa, there was a prince named Puṇyamatin who was a student of a bhikṣu named Yaśaḥprabha, who had a great following. Other bhikṣus, who were jealous of him, tried to kill him. But because of the power of the truth of his teachings, their weapons changed to flowers. The Buddha explains that at that time, he was Yaśaḥprabha, Maitreya was Puṇyamatin, and King Varapuṣpasa later became Buddha Padmottara. The Buddha subsequently extols the virtues of patience. Then Śākyamuni gives teachings on how to practice the path to buddhahood.

i.­76
Chapter 39: Restraint of the Body, Speech, and Mind

The Buddha teaches to Candraprabha all the various qualities, manners, and results of restraining the body. He tells the story of how, many eons ago, at the time of Buddha Jñānaprabhāsa, there lived King Viveśacintin, who received from him this teaching on physical restraint, given in verse form. The king became a bhikṣu, and the Buddha states that the king was one of his own previous lives. The Buddha then gives a description of the restraint of the speech and the mind‍—its conduct, wisdom, and results.

i.­77
Chapter 40: [Untitled]

The Buddha gives definitions for all the qualities of the samādhi that were given in chapter 1. There are some variances, particularly of omission, but the qualities are said by the Buddha to number three hundred.

i.­78

Then miraculous events mark the conclusion of the sūtra, and Ānanda asks for its name and promises to preserve it. The whole world including the devas in the form realm rejoice.


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

1.
Chapter 1

The Introduction

[F.1.b] [B1]


1.­1

I pay homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.8


1.­2

Thus have I heard at one time: The Bhagavān was residing at Vulture Peak Mountain in Rājagṛha together with a great bhikṣu saṅgha of a full hundred thousand bhikṣus, and together with eighty quintillion9 bodhisattvas,10 all of whom had one rebirth remaining, were renowned for their higher cognitions,11 and had gathered there from the worlds in the ten directions; they had complete mastery12 of the dhāraṇīs13 and sūtras; they satisfied all beings with the gift of the Dharma; they were skilled in speaking of the wisdom of the higher cognitions; they had attained the highest perfection of all the highest perfections; [F.2.a] they were skilled in the knowledge of remaining in all bodhisattva samādhis and samāpattis; they had been praised, extolled, and lauded by all the buddhas;14 they were skilled in miraculously going to all buddha realms; they were skilled in the knowledge of terrifying all māras;15 they were skilled in the correct knowledge of the nature of all phenomena; they were skilled in the knowledge of the higher and lower capabilities of all beings; they were skilled in the knowledge of accomplishing the activity of offering to all the buddhas; they were unstained by any of the worldly concerns; they had perfectly adorned bodies, speech, and minds;16 they wore the armor of great love and great compassion; they had great undiminishing diligence throughout countless eons; they roared the great lion’s roar; they could not be defeated by any opponent;17 they were sealed with nonregression; and they had received the consecration of the Dharma from all buddhas.18 They were the bodhisattva mahāsattvas Meru, Sumeru, Mahāmeru,19 Meru­śikhara­dhara,20 Meru­pradīpa­rāja, Merukūṭa, Merudhvaja, Merurāja,21 Meru­śikhara­saṁghaṭṭana­rāja,22 Merusvara, Megharāja, Dundubhisvara, Ratnapāṇi,23 Ratnākara, Ratnaketu, Ratnaśikhara, Ratnasaṁbhava, Ratnaprabhāsa, Ratnayaṣṭi, Ratna­mudrā­hasta, Ratnavyūha, Ratnajāli, Ratnaprabha, Ratnadvīpa, [F.2.b] Ratiṁkara, Dharmavyūha, Vyūharāja, Lakṣaṇa­samalaṁkṛta, Svaravyūha, Svara­viśuddhi­prabha, Ratnakūṭa, Ratnacūḍa,24 Daśa­śata­raśmihutārci,25 Jyotirasa, Candrabhānu, Saha­cittotpāda­dharma­cakra­pravartin, and Śubha­kanaka­viśuddhi­prabha, the bodhisatta mahāsattva Satatam­abhayaṁdad,26 and all the bodhisattva mahāsattvas of the Good Eon, such as the bodhisattva mahāsattva Ajita,27 and the sixty with incomparable minds,28 such as Mañjuśrī, and the sixteen good beings,29 such as Bhadrapāla,30 and the Four Mahārājas and the other Cāturmahā­rāja­kāyika devas, and so on31 up until Brahmā and the other Brahmakāyika devas. In addition there were also devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, who were all illustrious32 and renowned as being very powerful.33


2.
Chapter 2

Śālendrarāja

2.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, I remember that in the past, when I was practicing the conduct of a bodhisattva, I became a cakravartin. I desired this samādhi and I desired to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. For many hundred thousand quintillions172 of eons on this Vulture Peak Mountain I served, venerated, revered, honored, worshiped, and made offerings to many countless, innumerable tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas with the presentation of many hundred thousand quintillions of every kind of jewel, and various kinds of beautiful flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, parasols, banners, flags, music, musical instruments, flags of victory, and precious monasteries.173


3.
Chapter 3

Praise of the Buddha’s Qualities

3.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, therefore, if bodhisattva mahāsattvas wish to teach the buddha qualities as described by the Tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha, without any loss of meaning or words, and for all their words to come forth as those of the Buddha, then those bodhisattva mahāsattvas, young man, [F.10.a] should, for the sake of all beings, obtain197 this samādhi, understand198 it, preserve it,199 recite it to others,200 promote it,201 proclaim it,202 chant it,203 meditate on it with unadulterated204 meditation, promulgate it,205 and make it widely known to others.206


4.
Chapter 4

Samādhi

4.­1

Then the youth Candraprabha [F.12.b] rose from his seat, removed his robe from one shoulder, and, kneeling on his right knee with palms placed together, he bowed toward the Bhagavān and made this request: “If the Bhagavān will give me an opportunity to seek answers to them, I have a few questions for the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha.”


5.
Chapter 5

Ghoṣadatta

5.­1

Then the Bhagavān again addressed the youth Candraprabha, saying, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should think that they are like someone whose hair and clothes are on fire, and they should cast off father, mother, [F.14.b] son, daughter, family, kinsmen, relatives, kindred, wife, and so on, as if they were fire, throw away all the pleasures of a kingdom as if they were a lump of phlegm, turn toward solitude, and depart from home.


6.
Chapter 6

Cultivating the Samādhi

6.­1

The Bhagavān now said to the youth Candraprabha,300 “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should cultivate this samādhi.

6.­2

“Young man, what is the cultivation of this samādhi? [F.18.b] Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas with a compassionate mind are dedicated to making offerings to the tathāgatas, whether living or passed into nirvāṇa, of Dharma robes, alms, seat and bedding, medicines for when ill, and of monastic utensils, and of flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, aromatic powders, clothing, parasols, banners, and flags, and of music and musical instruments. They dedicate that root of merit to the attainment of samādhi. They do not make offerings to a tathāgata with the hope for anything at all‍—not with the hope for anything they desire, nor with the hope for any enjoyment, nor with the hope for a higher existence, nor with the hope for followers‍—but do so with the Dharma in mind. They do not even, with that wish, perceive the Tathāgata as the dharmakāya, let alone perceiving him as the rūpakāya.


7.
Chapter 7

The Attainment of Patience

7.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should become skilled in the wisdoms of the three kinds of patience. They should know the first patience. They should know the second patience. They should know the third patience. They should become skilled in the differences between the three kinds of patience and skilled in the differences between the wisdoms of the three kinds of patience.


8.
Chapter 8

Buddha Abhāva­samudgata

8.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should become skilled in the wisdom of the nonexistent nature of all phenomena.

8.­2

“Young man, what is being skilled in the wisdom of the nonexistent nature of all phenomena? Bodhisattva mahāsattvas know that all phenomena have no existence, have no essence, have no attributes, have no characteristics, have no origin, have no cessation, have no words, are empty, are primordial peace, and are pure by nature.


9.
Chapter 9

The Patience of the Profound Dharma

9.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, [F.24.b] “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood and liberate all beings from the ocean of existence should hear this king of samādhis, in which the equality of the nature of all phenomena is revealed, which is praised by all the buddhas and is the mother of the tathāgatas. They should obtain it, preserve it, understand it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgate it, and make it widely known to others.


10.
Chapter 10

The Entry into the City

10.­1

The Bhagavān then said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, you should be someone who makes practice essential, and always trains in that way. Why is that? Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who make practice essential will not even find it difficult to attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, not to mention attaining this samādhi.”


11.
Chapter 11

Becoming a Keeper of the Sūtra

11.­1

The Bhagavān came to the street on which was the home of the youth Candraprabha, and soon arrived at the home of the youth Candraprabha. Once he had arrived, he sat on the seat prepared for him. The saṅgha of bodhisattvas and the saṅgha of bhikṣus also sat on the appropriate seats that had been arranged for each of them.

11.­2

Then the youth Candraprabha, knowing that the Bhagavān, the saṅgha of bodhisattvas, and the saṅgha of bhikṣus were seated, [F.39.b] himself presented and served a series of great offerings: numerous excellent foods, with hundreds of flavors to savor as they chewed, licked, sucked, and drank.


12.
Chapter 12

The Training According to the Samādhi

12.­1

“Young man, those are the qualities and benefits that bodhisattvas who know the nature of all phenomena will have. They will describe the true, excellent qualities of the tathāgatas. They will not falsely say that which is untrue about the tathāgatas. Why is that? It is because they know perfectly that nature, which is the nature through which a tathāgata comes to be.531 They know the infinite qualities of a buddha. Why is that? Young man, the qualities of a buddha are infinite, inconceivable, beyond thought. They cannot be conceived or measured. Why is that? The mind, young man, is taught to be without a nature of its own,532 to be without form.533 Young man, that nature of the mind is also the nature of the qualities of a buddha. That nature of the qualities of a buddha is also the nature of the tathāgatas, and that is the nature of all phenomena.


13.
Chapter 13

The Teaching of the Samādhi

13.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should be skilled in teaching this samādhi.

13.­2

“Young man, what is the teaching of this samādhi? It is the true nature of all phenomena; it is equality; it is the absence of inequality; it is devoid of notions; it is devoid of concepts; it is devoid of creation; it is devoid of arising; it is devoid of production; it is devoid of cessation; it is the termination of notions, concepts, and assumptions; it is devoid of an object for the mind; it is devoid of a focus of the mind;547 it is the termination of designations; it is the termination of concepts from analysis; it is the termination of desire, anger, and ignorance; it is without a limited or limitless focus of the mind; it is the termination of any focus of the mind; it is the knowledge of the nature of the skandhas, dhātus, and āyatanas; it is the state of accomplishing the field of activity that is the performance of the conduct of mindfulness, understanding, comprehension, conscience, and stability; it is the level of freedom from corruptions;548 it is the level of peace; it is the termination of all conceptual elaboration; it is the training of all bodhisattvas; it is the field of activity of all tathāgatas; [F.45.a] and it is the perfection of all good qualities.


14.
Chapter 14

The Buddha’s Smile

14.­1

Then the youth Candraprabha rose from his seat, removed his robe from one shoulder, and, kneeling on his right knee, [F.46.b] with palms placed together he bowed toward the Bhagavān and said to him,569 “Bhagavān, it is marvelous that the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha has taught the equality that is the nature of all phenomena, which is the samādhi that all bodhisattvas train in.


15.
Chapter 15

The Elucidation of the Buddha’s Smile

15.­1

At that time the Bhagavān spoke these appropriate verses to Bodhisattva Maitreya:

15.­2
“This youth, Candraprabha,
Has praised the Buddha with unequaled joy.
He described the unique superior qualities of the buddhas.
All the time he is reciting their praises.613 {1}
15.­3
“In this very city of Rājagṛha in the past
He has seen ten thousand million buddhas.
In the presence of all those jinas
He asked about this supreme samādhi of peace. {2}

16.
Chapter 16

The Past

16.­1

The Bhagavān then said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas thus wish to liberate all beings from all the suffering of existence. They wish to establish beings in the noble, unsurpassable bliss and joy of samādhi. Therefore they should hear this king of samādhis, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, obtain it, understand it, preserve it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgate it, and make it widely known to others.


17.
Chapter 17

The Entranceway to the Samādhi That Is Taught by Many Buddhas

17.­1

When the Bhagavān had finished speaking, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, who was seated there, in his mind recited this verse to the Bhagavān.637

17.­2
“I am going, Tathāgata,638 to the king of mountains,
Gṛdhrakūṭa, which is always the residence of the buddhas.
When I have gone there, lamp of the world,639
I will make inconceivable offerings to you.” {i}
17.­3

The Bhagavān knew the thoughts that were in the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya’s mind, and from his own mind sent this verse to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya:


18.
Chapter 18

The Entrustment of the Samādhi

18.­1

The Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, in that way know that there are four beneficial qualities possessed by bodhisattva mahāsattvas who obtain this samādhi, understand it, preserve it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, and make it widely known to others.

18.­2

“What are those four beneficial qualities? They will be unsurpassable in merit, they will be undefeatable by opponents, they will have unlimited wisdom, and they will have unending confidence of speech.


19.
Chapter 19

The Teaching of the Inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha

19.­1

The Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, in that way bodhisattva mahāsattvas, having heard the inconceivable and measureless benefits of the qualities that come from the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, through wishing not to be fearful, wishing not to be terrified, and not to be gripped by terror, will become learned in the teaching of the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Aspire to the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Be wise in asking questions about the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Be wise in seeking the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Do not be fearful, do not be terrified, and do not be gripped by terror on hearing the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha.” [F.67.b]


20.
Chapter 20

Indra­ketu­dhvaja­rāja

20.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, in that way bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this Dharma teaching of entering great compassion and wish to attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood quickly should rely upon all roots of merit, training, qualities, and completely pure conduct.

20.­2

“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have few involvements, avoid bad companions, rely on kalyāṇamitras, have an inquiring nature, unrelentingly seek the Dharma, have the Dharma as their goal, desire the Dharma, delight in the Dharma, obtain the Dharma, and practice the Dharma in accord with the Dharma will, young man, develop great compassion for beings and will develop the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment.


21.
Chapter 21

The Past

21.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should entertain no misgivings about all the teachings on the root of merits, the training, and the qualities.759 They should have few involvements, avoid bad companions, rely on kalyāṇamitras, have an inquiring nature, unrelentingly seek the Dharma, have the Dharma as their goal, desire the Dharma, delight in the Dharma, obtain the Dharma, and practice the Dharma in accord with the Dharma. They should perceive every buddha and bodhisattva as the teacher. They should with joy and veneration perceive as the teacher the person from whom they hear this Dharma teaching.


22.
Chapter 22

The Teaching on the Body

22.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should have no attachment to their life or body. Why is that? Because, young man, beings accomplish bad actions due to attachment to their lives and bodies.783


23.
Chapter 23

The Teaching on the Tathāgata’s Body

23.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should not know the Tathāgata to be the rūpakāya.785 Why is that? It is because the Buddha Bhagavān manifests because of the dharmakāya and does not manifest because of the rūpakāya. [F.74.a]


24.
Chapter 24

The Inconceivable Tathāgata

24.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, [F.76.b] “Young man, aspiring bodhisattva mahāsattvas think, ‘How can I make manifest the four discernments? What are these four? They are the discernment of meaning, the discernment of phenomena, the discernment of definitions, and the discernment of eloquence. I shall manifest these four!’ On having this thought, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should obtain this samādhi, understand it, preserve it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, and make it widely known to others.


25.
Chapter 25

Engaging in Discernment

25.­1

“Young man, how do bodhisattva mahāsattvas who practice that discernment of phenomena, who view phenomena as phenomena, attain the highest, complete enlightenment?

“Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who practice that discernment of phenomena, who view phenomena as phenomena, do not perceive enlightenment as other than form. They do not approach enlightenment as other than form. They do not seek enlightenment as other than form. They do not attain enlightenment as other than form. They do not inspire beings to an enlightenment that is other than form. They do not see a tathāgata as other than form. They see a tathāgata in this way: ‘The Tathāgata is the fearlessness that is the nature of form.’ They do not see the tathāgata as other than form, as other than the nature of form. They do not see the nature of form as other than the tathāgata. The nature of that which is called form and that of the tathāgata are nondual. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas who see in that way are engaging in the discernment of phenomena.


26.
Chapter 26

Rejoicing

26.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should be skillful in methods. [F.87.a]882

26.­2

“Young man, in what way should bodhisattva mahāsattvas be skillful in methods? For that, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas focus their minds upon all beings. Those bodhisattva mahāsattvas rejoice in whatever roots of merit and accumulations of merit all beings have. Three times every day and three times every night they rejoice in whatever roots of merit and accumulations of merit all beings have, and the roots of merit and accumulation of merit that come from their taking omniscience as the focus of their aspiration they donate to all beings.


27.
Chapter 27

The Benefits of Generosity

27.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, as it has been said, ‘Be careful,’ you, young man, should consequently train in that way. Why is that? Because, young man, for bodhisattva mahāsattvas who are careful, the highest, complete enlightenment is not difficult to attain, let alone this samādhi.

27.­2

“Young man, in what way should bodhisattva mahāsattvas be careful? For that, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should have perfectly pure conduct. Young man, in what way should bodhisattva mahāsattvas have perfectly pure conduct? For that, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have perfectly pure conduct, never separating from an all-knowing mind, should practice the six perfections. Listen, for I shall teach you their benefits.


28.
Chapter 28

The Teaching on Correct Conduct

28.­1

“Young man, there are ten benefits for bodhisattva mahāsattvas from perfectly pure, correct conduct. What are the ten benefits? They are: [1] they devote890 themselves to wisdom and perfect it; [2] they follow the example of the buddhas; [3] they do not criticize the wise; [4] they do not waver from their vows; [5] they maintain their practice; [6] they turn away891 from saṃsāra; [7] they are led to attain nirvāṇa;892 [8] they live without faults arising; [F.89.a] [9] they attain samādhi; and [10] they will never be poor.893


29.
Chapter 29

Ten Benefits

29.­1

“Young man, there are ten benefits for bodhisattva mahāsattvas from maintaining patience and being kind. [F.89.b] What are these ten? They are: [1] they are not burned by fire; [2] they are not slain by weapons; [3] they are not affected by poison; [4] they do not drown in water; [5] the devas protect them; [6] they attain a body adorned by the primary signs of a great being; [7] all the doorways to their rebirth in lower existences are closed; [8] it is not difficult for them to be reborn in the paradise of Brahmā; [9] they are happy day and night; and [10] their physical sensations of comfort and pleasure are never lost.


30.
Chapter 30

Tejaguṇarāja

30.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, you should train in this way, thinking, ‘I will abandon even the pleasures of the kingship of a divine cakravartin and enter homelessness.’

30.­2

“Young man, having entered homelessness you should maintain the disciplines of mendicancy, live in solitude, and develop perfect mildness and patience.


31.
Chapter 31

Benefits

31.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who think, ‘I shall understand the languages of all beings and, knowing their higher or lesser capabilities, I will teach them the Dharma,’ those bodhisattva mahāsattvas should listen to the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, learn it, understand it, keep it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgate it, and make it widely known to others.”


32.
Chapter 32

The Teaching on the Nature of All Phenomena

32.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wonder, ‘How can I know the nature of all phenomena?’ should listen to this samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, learn it, understand it, keep it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgate it, and make it widely known to others.”


33.
Chapter 33

The Benefits of Possessing the Sūtra

33.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish to train in purifying1056 the great higher cognition of all phenomena should listen to the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, learn it, understand it, keep it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgate it, and make it widely known to others.1057


34.
Chapter 34

Kṣemadatta

34.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha,1161 “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should abide in the absence of attributes and be dedicated to making vast offerings to a present tathāgata or to the stūpa of a tathāgata who has passed into nirvāṇa.


35.
Chapter 35

Jñānāvatī

35.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should plant roots of merit and apply themselves to practicing generosity through the Dharma or generosity through material things.

35.­2

“Those bodhisattva mahāsattvas should dedicate that generosity through four prayers of dedication.


36.
Chapter 36

Supuṣpacandra

36.­1

Then at that time Brother Ānanda rose from his seat, [F.125.b] removed his robe from one shoulder, and, kneeling on his right knee, with palms placed together he bowed toward the Bhagavān and made this request: “If the Bhagavān will give me an opportunity to seek answers to them, I have a few questions for the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha.”

36.­2

The Bhagavān addressed Brother Ānanda, saying, “That is why, Ānanda, I am seated upon this seat. Ask whatever question you wish to the Tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha, and I shall gratify you with answers to each and every question you have asked.”


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.”


38.
Chapter 38

Yaśaḥprabha

38.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for these and countless other wonderful1337 and marvelous bodhisattva qualities, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should hear this revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena samādhi and obtain it, understand it, preserve it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgate it,1338 and make it widely known to others. [F.146.a]


39.
Chapter 39

Restraint of the Body, Speech, and Mind

39.­1

Then the Bhagavān [F.151.a] said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, you should train by thinking, ‘I shall have self-control through physical restraint.’

39.­2

“Young man, what is meant by physical restraint? That which is called ‘physical restraint’ is the physical restraint through which bodhisattva mahāsattvas are free of attachment to all phenomena.


40.
Chapter 40

[Untitled]

40.­1

“Young man, what is purity of action? Seeing the three existences as being like a dream and becoming free of desire. Young man, that is purity of action.

40.­2

“Young man, what is the transcendence of the mind’s fixation on perceptions? It is knowing that the skandhas, dhātus, and āyatanas are like illusions, and renouncing them. That is the transcendence of the mind’s fixation on perceptions.


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).

n.

Notes

n.­1
According to the BHS vipañcita. The Tibetan translates as rnam par spros pa.
n.­2
See Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans., The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light, Toh 55 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2022).
n.­3
Toh 129, see bibliography.
n.­4
Brian Houghton Hodgson (1801–1894) was a linguist, ethnologist, naturalist, and diplomat who lived in Nepal from 1824 to 1844, becoming British Resident; among his many other activities, he studied and collected Sanskrit Buddhist texts. Haraprasad Shastri (1853–1931) was an Indian Sanskrit scholar and historian who visited Nepal several times, also collecting and publishing manuscripts. Both scholars were associated with the Asiatic Society in Kolkata. The Sanskrit edition of the sūtra published by Dutt (as one of a series centered on the Gilgit manuscripts; see bibliography) is not only based on the Gilgit manuscript, but also represents the Hodgson and Shastri manuscripts, which Dutt refers to, respectively, as manuscripts A and B.
n.­5
Vibhuticandra; dpal bde mchog gi dkyil ’khor kyi cho ga; Śrī-samvara-maṇḍala-vidhi. Toh 1511, Degé Tengyur, Vol. 22, (rgyud, zha), 322b. 308b–334a.
n.­6
The Yogacāra tradition of Asaṅga and his followers has philosophical viewpoints quite distinct from those of the Mādhyamika tradition, of which Candrakīrti was perhaps the most uncompromising proponent.
n.­7
The Tibetan of the quote is: nga ’das lo ni nyis stong na / gdong dmar yul du bstan pa ’byung / spyan ras gzigs kyi gdul byar ’gyur / de yi bstan pa’i snyigs ma la / byang chub sems dpa’ seng ge’i sgra / karma pa zhes ba ba ’byung / ting ’dzin dbang thob ’gro ba ’dul / mthong thos dran regs bde la bkod (Rinchen Palzang, p. 650).
n.­8
This line of homage, as is customary for Kangyur texts, was added by the Tibetan translators, and therefore does not appear in the Sanskrit or Chinese. The Gilgit Sanskrit manuscript has 12 initial verses, Hodgson 14 verses, and Shastri 43 verses, none of which are in the Tibetan.
n.­9
This number depends on whether niyuta is taken to mean “one million,” as in Classical Sanskrit, or “a hundred thousand million,” as is found in BHS. The Tibetan has chosen the latter meaning, translating it as khrag khrig. Therefore the resulting number in Tibetan is “ten million [times] a hundred thousand million times eighty,” i.e., eighty million million million (eighty quintillion in the American or short scale system) (bye ba khrag khrig phrag brgyad bcu, apparently translating koṭiniyutena aśityā). The translation of the commentary by Mañjuśrīkīrti, however, has khrag khrig phrag brgyad bcu: “a hundred thousand million times eighty,” which would be eight million million, i.e., eight trillion. The Vaidya Sanskrit edition has niyuta­śata­sahasrena aśītyā which would be literally “a hundred thousand million [times] a hundred [times] a thousand times eighty,” which comes to eight hundred thousand million million, i.e., eight hundred thousand trillion. However if niyuta is taken as only one million, this would be eight million million, i.e., eight trillion, which would agree with the resulting number in Mañjuśrīkīrti’s commentary. The Dutt edition of the Gilgit manuscript has aśityā ca bodhisattva-niyutaiḥ and accordingly the translation of Gómez et al. is “eighty million,” where niyuta has presumably been given the value of one million. The Chinese simply transliterates as na-yo-ta. The Chinese tradition gives numerous, widely differing explanations of what this number means.
n.­10
In the Chinese the description of the bodhisattvas and the list of names do not appear. The Chinese continues at this point with Ajita.
n.­11
According to the BHS abhi­jñābhijñātair. The Tibetan, translating both abhijña and abhijñāta as mngon par shes pa, has mngon par shes pas mngon par shes pa. However, the translation of the commentary has a preferable translation of the second abhijñāta: rab tu grags pa.
n.­12
According to the BHS gatiṃgata. The Tibetan translates as rtogs par khong du chud pa.
n.­13
According to the commentary these are not only the dhāraṇī in recited form, but comprise the four kinds of retention (dhāraṇī): the recited dhāraṇī sentences and phrases themselves, the retention of the memory of the words of all teachings given, the retention of the memory of the meaning of these teachings, and the retention of the realization gained through meditation on that meaning.
n.­14
According to the Tibetan, though the Sanskrit compound could also be interpreted to mean “who had praised, extolled, and lauded all the buddhas.”
n.­15
According to the Tibetan and the commentary. The Sanskrit could also be interpreted, as in Gómez et al., as “knowing all the terrors [that come from] the māras.”
n.­16
According to the commentary, this means “adorned by the ten good actions: three of body, four of speech, and three of mind,” or, among the primary and secondary signs of a great being: “the voice of Brahmā, and the mind’s realization of the nature of beings so that they may be guided.”
n.­17
According to most Kangyurs, the commentary, and the Sanskrit. The Degé has kyi instead of kyis.
n.­18
According to the commentary, this means the bodhisattvas are on the tenth bhūmi, as taught in the Sūtra of the Ten Bhūmis. The ten-bhūmi system does not appear in the Gilgit version or the Chinese but does in the later Sanskrit versions and the Tibetan.
n.­19
According to the Sanskrit. Absent from the Tibetan.
n.­20
According to the Tibetan lhun po’i rtse mo ’dzin and Matsunami. Vaidya: Meruśikhariṁdhara. Dutt: Meruśikharindhara.
n.­21
According to the Tibetan lhun po’i rgyal po and Matsunami. Dutt: Merugāja. Does not appear in Hodgson.
n.­22
According to the Tibetan and Matsunami. Dutt: Meruśikhare saṁghaṭṭanarājena. Hodgson: Meruśikhare saṃghaḍanagajena. Shastri: Meruśikhare saṃghaṭanagajena.
n.­23
According to the Sanskrit. Absent in the Tibetan.
n.­24
According to the Sanskrit. Absent in the Tibetan.
n.­25
According to the Tibetan (nyi ma me’i ’od ’phro can) and the Hodgson. The Tibetan takes daśaśataraśmi, “a hundred thousand rays,” as an epithet of the sun and translates it simply as nyi ma (“sun”). Gilgit and Shastri: Daśaśataraśmikṛtārci with huta (“fire,” equivalent to the Tibetan me) replaced by kṛta (“made,” “created”).
n.­26
According to the Tibetan and Hodgson. Vaidya: Satatam­abhayaṁdadāna. Dutt has both versions.
n.­27
Another name for Maitreya, the bodhisattva who will be the fifth buddha of the Good Eon.
n.­28
According to the Sanskrit anupamacitta. The Tibetan has dpe med sems dpa’, whereas one would expect dpe med sems pa. The Sūtra of the Samādhi of the Seal of the Wisdom of the Tathāgatas (see bibliography) refers to this group as sems dpa’ dpe med pa, naming two of them: Pramodyarāja (mchog tu dga’ ba’i rgyal po) and Mañjuśrī (Degé Kangyur, vol. 55, F.248.a). The Sūtra of Possessing the Roots of Goodness (see bibliography) refers to byang chub sems dpa’ dpe med pa sems pa (“bodhisattvas with incomparable minds”), with Bhadrapāla being the one that is named (Degé Kangyur, vol. 48, F.48.a). Bhadrapāla is also listed as one of a group of five hundred bodhisattvas in that sūtra (F.22.b).
n.­29
This is referencing a group of beings that is listed in the White Lotus of the Good Dharma Sūtra (Degé Kangyur, vol. 67, 2.b). In that sūtra Bhadrapāla is also listed as one of a group of fifty bodhisattvas (F.142.b).
n.­30
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 Sūtra of the Questions of Bhadrapāla the Merchant (see bibliography).
n.­31
This refers to the standard list of god realms beginning with the lowest, that of the Four Mahārājas.
n.­32
According to the Sanskrit udārodārair, which repeats udāra. The Tibetan translates as “vast and illustrious.”
n.­33
According to the Sanskrit, which uses repetition to state that each one of them has that quality, maheśākhya­maheśākhyair. The Tibetan translates as “very powerful and renowned to be very powerful.”
n.­172
Literally, “ten million times a hundred thousand times a hundred thousand million.”
n.­173
According to the Sanskrit vihāra. Tibetan: gtsug lag khang. These are equivalents in the Mahāvyutpatti, but gtsug lag khang can also mean “temple” in Tibetan.
n.­197
From the Sanskrit udgrahītavya. Tibetan: gzung.
n.­198
From the BHS paryavāptavya. Tibetan: kun chub pa.
n.­199
From the Sanskrit dhārayitavya. Tibetan: bcang.
n.­200
From the Sanskrit vācayitavya. Tibetan: klog.
n.­201
From the Sanskrit pravartayitavya. Tibetan: rab tu gdon pa.
n.­202
From the Sanskrit uddeṣṭavya. Tibetan: lung mnod par bya.
n.­203
From the Sanskrit svādhyātavya. Tibetan: kha ton du bya.
n.­204
From the Sanskrit araṇa, which also means “passionless, sinless, without impurity.” This is regularly translated into Tibetan as nyon mongs, which is also used to translate kleśa. Gómez et al. have interpreted it as “being in solitude,” presumably from an edition with araṇya (“solitude”).
n.­205
From the Sanskrit bahulīkartavya. Tibetan: mang du bya.
n.­206
From the Sanskrit parebhyaśca vistarena saṃprakāśayitavya. Tibetan: gshan dag la yang rgya cher rab tu bstan par bya. This entire list is simplified in the Chinese to three elements: “should recite, uphold / retain, and explain it to others widely.”
n.­300
Not in the Gilgit or Chinese.
n.­531
From the Sanskrit prabhāvyate. The Tibetan appears to have translated from a manuscript with something like pravbhidyate or prabhedyate (“divide,” “categorize”).
n.­532
According to the Sanskrit, the commentary, and the Chinese. The Tibetan translates as “the nature of the mind is without form,” presumably translating from svabhāvam arūpyam as a corruption of niḥsvabhāvam arūpyam.
n.­533
The Chinese adds “and cannot be seen.”
n.­547
The Sanskrit manasikāra and the Tibetan yid la byed pa can mean, according to context, “fixed attention,” “concentration,” “focused reflection,” etc. The commentary states that the samādhi being devoid of such factors is in relation to mind and thoughts, subject and object, action and object, and so on. The negative of the term (amanasikāra, yid la mi byed pa) was later adapted into the mahāmudrā tradition.
n.­548
The BHS term raṇā is synonymous with kleśa, and both are translated into Tibetan as nyon mongs.
n.­569
Chinese: “Then the youth Candraprabha said these words to the Bhagavān.”
n.­613
The Chinese has 47 consecutive verses: the first 16 verses are in chapter 15 of the Tibetan-Sanskrit version and the remaining 31 verses are in chapter 16.
n.­637
This entire opening section about Maitreya and his miraculous activities does not appear in the Gilgit manuscript and therefore not in the Vaidya either. The Tibetan follows the version in the Hodgson manuscript.
n.­638
According to the Sanskrit, where tathāgata is clearly in the vocative and the verb “to go” is in the first-person singular.
n.­639
According to the Tibetan. Sanskrit: “Lamp of the three worlds.”
n.­759
According to the Tibetan, in which the verb here is gdon mi za bar bya’o. The Sanskrit of the Hodgson and Shastri manuscripts has “…should depend upon the duties and qualities of the training that is the root of all merit” (śikṣāguṇa­dharmaniśrita). They also have at this point “…should have pure conduct through depending on roots of merit…” and so on. The Gilgit manuscript chapter is composed only of the verses.
n.­783
The Chinese adds: “Therefore, bodhisattvas should know about the dharmakāya and the rūpakāya.” The rest of this chapter does not appear in the Chinese.
n.­785
This paragraph does not appear in the Chinese.
n.­882
Beginning of fascicle 6 of the Taisho ed., and fascicle 7 of the Song, Yuan, Ming, Gong, and Sheng eds.
n.­890
From the BHS anuparivārayati and according to the definition in the commentary. The Tibetan translates with the alternative meaning of “encircling” or “surrounding.” The Gilgit version has pariśodhayati (“purifies”). The Chinese translates this sentence as “They will perfect wisdom of all kinds.” 滿足一切智 (man zu yi qie zhi).
n.­891
According to the Sanskrit, the commentary, and most Kangyurs, except for the Degé which has ’byor pa in error for ’byol ba. Chinese: “They abandon all concern about life and death.” 棄捨生死 (qi she sheng si).
n.­892
Tibetan: thob par byed pa (“cause to obtain”). Sanskrit: arpayati (see Mahāvyutpatti 7428). Chinese: “They long for the joy of nirvāṇa,” 慕樂涅槃 (mu le nie pan).
n.­893
Chinese: “They will not lack faith or wealth,” 不乏信財 (bu fa xin cai).
n.­1056
According to the Tibetan byi dor bya ba yongs su sbyang ba. The Sanskrit pari­karma­dhāraya could be translated as “maintaining or gaining the preparation for.”
n.­1057
This paragraph is in a simpler form in the Gilgit and Chinese.
n.­1161
In the Gilgit manuscript, the prose is absent from this point until “Young man, in the past…” (34.­7).
n.­1337
According to the Tibetan. Sanskrit: “immeasurable.”
n.­1338
According to the Sanskrit bahulīkartavya. The Tibetan mang du bya, a regular element in this list elsewhere, is missing here.

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.


g.

Glossary

g.­1

Ābhāsvara

  • —
  • —
  • Ābhāsvara

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

1 passage contains this term:

  • 10.­121

Links to further resources:

  • 25 related glossary entries
g.­2

Abhāva

  • dngos po med pa las byung
  • dngos po med pa las byung ba
  • དངོས་པོ་མེད་པ་ལས་བྱུང་།
  • དངོས་པོ་མེད་པ་ལས་བྱུང་བ།
  • Abhāva
  • Abhāva­samudgata

A buddha countless eons in the past.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 8.­22
g.­3

Abhirati

  • mngon par dga’ ba
  • མངོན་པར་དགའ་བ།
  • Abhirati

The realm of Buddha Akṣobhya, beyond countless buddha realms in the eastern direction.

5 passages contain this term:

  • 11.­74
  • 37.­2
  • n.­529
  • n.­1431
  • g.­14

Links to further resources:

  • 17 related glossary entries
g.­5

Absence of attributes

  • mtshan ma ma mchis pa
  • mtshan ma med pa
  • མཚན་མ་མ་མཆིས་པ།
  • མཚན་མ་མེད་པ།
  • animitta

The absence of the conceptual identification of perceptions. Knowing that the true nature has no attributes, such as color, shape, etc. One of the three doorways to liberation.

19 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­45
  • 4.­23
  • 14.­86
  • 23.­3
  • 30.­23
  • 33.­20
  • 33.­269
  • 34.­1
  • 34.­2
  • 34.­5
  • 36.­109
  • 39.­6
  • 39.­25
  • 39.­26
  • 39.­96
  • 39.­128
  • 39.­144
  • g.­132
  • g.­145

Links to further resources:

  • 36 related glossary entries
g.­9

Aggregate of correct conduct

  • tshul khrims kyi phung po
  • ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས་ཀྱི་ཕུང་པོ།
  • —

One of the five undefiled aggregates (zag med kyi phung po lnga), the others being the aggregates of concentration (samādhi), discriminative awareness (prajñā), liberation (vimukti), and insight of the primordial wisdom of liberation (vimukti­jñāna­darśana).

8 passages contain this term:

  • i.­74
  • 1.­14
  • 1.­17
  • 33.­2
  • 33.­295
  • 37.­1
  • 37.­2
  • n.­1060

Links to further resources:

  • 5 related glossary entries
g.­12

Ajita

  • mi pham pa
  • མི་ཕམ་པ།
  • Ajita

The other name of Maitreya (or Maitraka), the bodhisattva who will be the fifth buddha of the Good Eon.

9 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 10.­58
  • 15.­5
  • 17.­4
  • 17.­13
  • 34.­63
  • n.­10
  • n.­640
  • g.­259

Links to further resources:

  • 8 related glossary entries
g.­17

Amitābha

  • ’od dpag mad
  • འོད་དཔག་མད།
  • Amitābha

The buddha of the western realm of Sukhāvatī. In the sūtras more commonly known as Amitāyus.

8 passages contain this term:

  • i.­28
  • 2.­35
  • 30.­119
  • 33.­286
  • 33.­291
  • g.­18
  • g.­45
  • g.­447

Links to further resources:

  • 37 related glossary entries
g.­20

An Adornment for the Precious Path to Liberation

  • dam chos yid bzhin nor bu thar pa rin po che’i rgyan
  • དམ་ཆོས་ཡིད་བཞིན་ནོར་བུ་ཐར་པ་རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་རྒྱན།
  • —

A celebrated text on the graduated path by Gampopa, also known as the Dakpo Thargyen (dwags po thar rgyan).

1 passage contains this term:

  • i.­21
g.­21

Ānanda

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

Buddha Śākyamuni’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, Mahākaśyapa.

27 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­5
  • i.­73
  • i.­78
  • 2.­20
  • 10.­64
  • 36.­1
  • 36.­2
  • 36.­3
  • 36.­4
  • 36.­5
  • 36.­6
  • 36.­7
  • 36.­8
  • 36.­9
  • 36.­11
  • 36.­13
  • 36.­15
  • 36.­16
  • 36.­136
  • 36.­140
  • 36.­141
  • 36.­221
  • 40.­156
  • 40.­157
  • 40.­158
  • n.­1313

Links to further resources:

  • 78 related glossary entries
g.­22

Ananta

  • mtha’ yas
  • མཐའ་ཡས།
  • Ananta

One of the principal nāga kings. Also known as Śeṣa or Anataśeṣa. Considered the source of Patañjali grammar in Buddhism. In Vaiśnavism he is the serpent that Viṣṇu rests upon in between the creations of worlds.

4 passages contain this term:

  • i.­26
  • 10.­133
  • n.­195
  • n.­210

Links to further resources:

  • 5 related glossary entries
g.­24

Ananta­jñānanottara

  • ye shes bla ma mtha’ yas pa
  • ཡེ་ཤེས་བླ་མ་མཐའ་ཡས་པ།
  • Ananta­jñānanottara

2 passages contain this term:

  • i.­52
  • 17.­195
g.­33

Arhat

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

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

53 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­6
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­3
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­5
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­2
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­6
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­9
  • 5.­10
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­13
  • 5.­17
  • 5.­29
  • 5.­31
  • 5.­32
  • 5.­34
  • 5.­36
  • 5.­40
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­16
  • 8.­17
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­7
  • 14.­1
  • 17.­18
  • 17.­19
  • 18.­33
  • 18.­35
  • 19.­9
  • 34.­7
  • 34.­8
  • 35.­9
  • 36.­1
  • 36.­2
  • 36.­9
  • 36.­10
  • 36.­11
  • 39.­12
  • 39.­13
  • 39.­15
  • 39.­20
  • 40.­152
  • g.­55
  • g.­73
  • g.­225
  • g.­495

Links to further resources:

  • 96 related glossary entries
g.­35

Asaṅga

  • thogs med
  • ཐོགས་མེད།
  • Asaṅga

Indian master of the fourth century ᴄᴇ, and a major founder of the Yogācāra school of Buddhism.

4 passages contain this term:

  • i.­3
  • i.­29
  • n.­6
  • n.­145

Links to further resources:

  • 8 related glossary entries
g.­40

Asura

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

The asuras, sometimes called the demi-gods or titans, are the enemies of the devas, fighting with them for supremacy. They are powerful beings who live around Mount Sumeru, and are usually classified as belonging to the higher realms.

34 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 2.­32
  • 7.­21
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­31
  • 10.­37
  • 10.­42
  • 10.­51
  • 10.­68
  • 10.­104
  • 10.­107
  • 10.­130
  • 10.­160
  • 10.­161
  • 11.­46
  • 11.­64
  • 14.­36
  • 14.­41
  • 17.­16
  • 31.­9
  • 34.­14
  • 34.­22
  • 36.­65
  • 36.­187
  • 36.­208
  • 38.­17
  • 40.­158
  • n.­452
  • g.­50
  • g.­303
  • g.­349
  • g.­393
  • g.­511
  • g.­518

Links to further resources:

  • 106 related glossary entries
g.­42

Atiśa

  • jo bo rje
  • ཇོ་བོ་རྗེ།
  • Atiśa

The Bengali Buddhist master (980–1054) who came to Tibet, and whose pupils founded the Kadampa tradition.

2 passages contain this term:

  • i.­19
  • g.­301
g.­45

Avalokiteśvara

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

First appeared as a bodhisattva beside Amitābha in the Sukhāvatī 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 Mahāsamghika 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 is 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 (Toh 116), which emphasized the preeminence of Avalokiteśvara above all buddhas and bodhisattvas and introduced the mantra oṃ maṇipadme hūṃ.

4 passages contain this term:

  • i.­28
  • 10.­38
  • 10.­57
  • 14.­73

Links to further resources:

  • 58 related glossary entries
g.­48

Āyatana

  • skye mched
  • སྐྱེ་མཆེད།
  • āyatana

Sometimes translated “sense-fields” or “bases of cognition,” the term usually refers to the six sense faculties and their corresponding objects, i.e. the first twelve of the eighteen dhātu. Along with skandha and dhātu, one of the three major categories in the taxonomy of phenomena in the sūtra literature.

15 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­27
  • 1.­29
  • 3.­4
  • 4.­5
  • 13.­2
  • 17.­89
  • 17.­94
  • 17.­95
  • 40.­2
  • 40.­5
  • 40.­22
  • 40.­44
  • n.­262
  • g.­124
  • g.­417

Links to further resources:

  • 58 related glossary entries
g.­51

Bandé

  • ban de
  • བན་དེ།
  • (vanda)

A term of respect for Buddhist monks: bandé in Tibet and Nepal, bhante in the Pali tradition. A middle-Indic word, it is said to be derived from vande, the BHS vocative form of the Sanskrit vanda, meaning praiseworthy or venerable, although bhante is said to be a contraction of the vocative bhadante, derived from a respectful salutation.

1 passage contains this term:

  • c.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 2 related glossary entries
g.­54

Bhadrapāla

  • bzang skyong
  • བཟང་སྐྱོང་།
  • Bhadrapāla

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Head of the “sixteen excellent men” (ṣoḍaśasatpuruṣa), a group of householder bodhisattvas present in the audience of many sūtras. He appears prominently in certain sūtras, such as The Samādhi of the Presence of the Buddhas (Pratyutpannabuddha­saṃmukhāvasthita­samādhisūtra, Toh 133) and is perhaps also the merchant of the same name who is the principal interlocutor in The Questions of Bhadrapāla the Merchant (Toh 83).

3 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • n.­28
  • n.­29

Links to further resources:

  • 22 related glossary entries
g.­57

Bhikṣu

  • dge slong
  • དགེ་སློང་།
  • bhikṣu

Fully ordained Buddhist monk.

203 passages contain this term:

  • i.­23
  • i.­24
  • i.­36
  • i.­40
  • i.­43
  • i.­44
  • i.­51
  • i.­52
  • i.­53
  • i.­56
  • i.­60
  • i.­65
  • i.­73
  • i.­74
  • i.­75
  • i.­76
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­62
  • 3.­27
  • 5.­9
  • 5.­10
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­13
  • 9.­7
  • 10.­13
  • 10.­15
  • 10.­42
  • 10.­51
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­3
  • 16.­5
  • 16.­8
  • 16.­10
  • 16.­12
  • 16.­35
  • 17.­16
  • 17.­165
  • 17.­168
  • 18.­31
  • 18.­45
  • 18.­51
  • 20.­18
  • 20.­19
  • 21.­14
  • 21.­16
  • 21.­24
  • 21.­26
  • 21.­29
  • 21.­37
  • 25.­30
  • 30.­7
  • 30.­40
  • 30.­119
  • 34.­44
  • 34.­52
  • 34.­55
  • 34.­56
  • 34.­62
  • 34.­64
  • 35.­8
  • 35.­12
  • 35.­14
  • 35.­15
  • 35.­16
  • 35.­17
  • 35.­18
  • 35.­19
  • 35.­21
  • 35.­22
  • 35.­23
  • 35.­24
  • 35.­25
  • 35.­30
  • 35.­33
  • 35.­34
  • 35.­36
  • 35.­39
  • 35.­41
  • 35.­43
  • 35.­53
  • 35.­59
  • 35.­60
  • 35.­68
  • 35.­72
  • 35.­78
  • 36.­14
  • 36.­18
  • 36.­45
  • 36.­46
  • 36.­47
  • 36.­48
  • 36.­51
  • 36.­52
  • 36.­53
  • 36.­54
  • 36.­55
  • 36.­57
  • 36.­59
  • 36.­60
  • 36.­63
  • 36.­66
  • 36.­67
  • 36.­68
  • 36.­69
  • 36.­70
  • 36.­71
  • 36.­72
  • 36.­73
  • 36.­74
  • 36.­75
  • 36.­76
  • 36.­77
  • 36.­80
  • 36.­81
  • 36.­83
  • 36.­84
  • 36.­85
  • 36.­86
  • 36.­87
  • 36.­88
  • 36.­89
  • 36.­90
  • 36.­91
  • 36.­92
  • 36.­93
  • 36.­95
  • 36.­96
  • 36.­98
  • 36.­101
  • 36.­106
  • 36.­107
  • 36.­108
  • 36.­112
  • 36.­143
  • 36.­148
  • 36.­150
  • 36.­151
  • 36.­152
  • 36.­153
  • 36.­154
  • 36.­156
  • 36.­157
  • 36.­170
  • 36.­174
  • 36.­175
  • 36.­193
  • 36.­194
  • 36.­195
  • 36.­205
  • 36.­210
  • 36.­211
  • 36.­212
  • 36.­213
  • 36.­214
  • 37.­4
  • 37.­32
  • 37.­33
  • 37.­43
  • 38.­17
  • 38.­50
  • 38.­51
  • 38.­53
  • 38.­54
  • 38.­55
  • 38.­56
  • 38.­57
  • 38.­58
  • 38.­59
  • 38.­60
  • 38.­61
  • 38.­63
  • 38.­64
  • 38.­65
  • 38.­66
  • 38.­67
  • 38.­69
  • 38.­71
  • 38.­72
  • 38.­75
  • 38.­79
  • 38.­80
  • 38.­81
  • 39.­58
  • 40.­158
  • n.­171
  • n.­237
  • n.­238
  • n.­239
  • n.­241
  • n.­475
  • n.­492
  • n.­774
  • n.­1165
  • n.­1189
  • n.­1236
  • n.­1237
  • n.­1240
  • n.­1305
  • n.­1351
  • g.­170
  • g.­319

Links to further resources:

  • 44 related glossary entries
g.­58

Bhikṣuṇī

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

Fully ordained Buddhist nun.

9 passages contain this term:

  • i.­65
  • 1.­62
  • 18.­51
  • 30.­40
  • 34.­55
  • 36.­18
  • 38.­55
  • 38.­79
  • 40.­158

Links to further resources:

  • 18 related glossary entries
g.­65

Bhīṣmottara

  • ’jigs pa’i bla ma
  • ’jigs mchog
  • འཇིགས་པའི་བླ་མ།
  • འཇིགས་མཆོག
  • Bhīṣmottara

The name of both a previous life of Buddha Śākyamuni as a king (translated as ’jigs pa’i bla ma) and the name of one of the buddhas (translated as ’jigs mchog) that Śākyamuni received the samādhi teaching from in a previous life.

3 passages contain this term:

  • i.­37
  • 2.­12
  • 17.­48
g.­67

Bhūmi

  • sa
  • ས།
  • bhūmi

Literally “grounds” in which qualities grow, and also it means “levels.” Bhūmi refers specifically to levels of enlightenment, especially the ten levels of the enlightened bodhisattvas. Also translated here as “level.”

20 passages contain this term:

  • i.­29
  • 30.­122
  • 31.­12
  • 32.­27
  • 36.­184
  • n.­18
  • n.­549
  • n.­1091
  • n.­1451
  • g.­90
  • g.­102
  • g.­127
  • g.­175
  • g.­241
  • g.­263
  • g.­330
  • g.­331
  • g.­412
  • g.­424
  • g.­498

Links to further resources:

  • 25 related glossary entries
g.­73

Bodhisattva

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

A person who is dedicated not merely to attaining 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.”

562 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1
  • i.­4
  • i.­19
  • i.­24
  • i.­28
  • i.­29
  • i.­30
  • i.­36
  • i.­41
  • i.­42
  • i.­43
  • i.­45
  • i.­47
  • i.­48
  • i.­52
  • i.­53
  • i.­59
  • i.­61
  • i.­62
  • i.­64
  • i.­67
  • i.­69
  • i.­70
  • i.­71
  • i.­72
  • i.­73
  • i.­74
  • i.­75
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­20
  • 1.­21
  • 1.­22
  • 1.­25
  • 1.­26
  • 1.­49
  • 1.­50
  • 1.­52
  • 1.­54
  • 1.­55
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­8
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­27
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­38
  • 4.­19
  • 4.­22
  • 4.­31
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­9
  • 5.­10
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­37
  • 5.­42
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­6
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­18
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­27
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­3
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­21
  • 7.­22
  • 7.­23
  • 7.­24
  • 7.­27
  • 7.­30
  • 7.­31
  • 7.­39
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­2
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­18
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­5
  • 9.­6
  • 9.­7
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­13
  • 10.­15
  • 10.­38
  • 10.­41
  • 10.­42
  • 10.­51
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­12
  • 11.­19
  • 11.­22
  • 11.­24
  • 11.­25
  • 11.­27
  • 11.­35
  • 11.­41
  • 11.­42
  • 11.­43
  • 11.­48
  • 11.­51
  • 11.­75
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­4
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­2
  • 13.­3
  • 13.­16
  • 13.­18
  • 13.­24
  • 13.­25
  • 13.­30
  • 13.­31
  • 14.­1
  • 14.­55
  • 14.­71
  • 14.­72
  • 14.­73
  • 15.­1
  • 15.­4
  • 16.­1
  • 16.­3
  • 16.­10
  • 16.­21
  • 16.­25
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­3
  • 17.­5
  • 17.­10
  • 17.­16
  • 17.­17
  • 17.­20
  • 17.­21
  • 17.­22
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­24
  • 17.­25
  • 17.­61
  • 17.­64
  • 17.­86
  • 17.­136
  • 17.­142
  • 17.­150
  • 17.­157
  • 17.­189
  • 17.­196
  • 17.­200
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­3
  • 18.­5
  • 18.­8
  • 18.­40
  • 18.­52
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­2
  • 19.­3
  • 19.­5
  • 19.­7
  • 20.­1
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­3
  • 20.­4
  • 20.­5
  • 20.­6
  • 20.­7
  • 20.­15
  • 21.­1
  • 21.­2
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­2
  • 23.­1
  • 23.­2
  • 24.­1
  • 24.­5
  • 24.­6
  • 24.­7
  • 24.­8
  • 24.­9
  • 24.­10
  • 24.­11
  • 24.­12
  • 24.­13
  • 24.­14
  • 24.­15
  • 24.­16
  • 24.­17
  • 24.­18
  • 24.­19
  • 24.­20
  • 24.­21
  • 24.­22
  • 24.­23
  • 24.­24
  • 24.­25
  • 24.­26
  • 24.­27
  • 24.­28
  • 24.­29
  • 24.­30
  • 24.­31
  • 24.­32
  • 24.­33
  • 24.­34
  • 24.­35
  • 24.­36
  • 24.­37
  • 24.­38
  • 24.­39
  • 24.­40
  • 24.­41
  • 24.­42
  • 24.­43
  • 24.­44
  • 24.­45
  • 24.­46
  • 24.­47
  • 24.­48
  • 24.­49
  • 24.­50
  • 24.­51
  • 24.­52
  • 24.­53
  • 24.­54
  • 24.­55
  • 24.­56
  • 24.­57
  • 24.­58
  • 24.­59
  • 24.­60
  • 24.­61
  • 24.­62
  • 24.­63
  • 24.­74
  • 24.­77
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­2
  • 25.­38
  • 26.­1
  • 26.­2
  • 26.­3
  • 26.­5
  • 26.­8
  • 27.­1
  • 27.­2
  • 27.­3
  • 27.­4
  • 28.­1
  • 28.­2
  • 29.­1
  • 29.­2
  • 29.­9
  • 29.­10
  • 29.­14
  • 29.­15
  • 29.­20
  • 29.­21
  • 29.­22
  • 29.­26
  • 29.­30
  • 29.­31
  • 29.­41
  • 29.­42
  • 29.­50
  • 29.­51
  • 29.­61
  • 29.­62
  • 29.­69
  • 29.­73
  • 29.­74
  • 29.­84
  • 29.­85
  • 29.­86
  • 29.­94
  • 29.­95
  • 29.­102
  • 29.­103
  • 29.­104
  • 29.­105
  • 29.­106
  • 29.­107
  • 30.­47
  • 30.­48
  • 31.­1
  • 31.­2
  • 32.­1
  • 33.­1
  • 33.­3
  • 33.­19
  • 33.­23
  • 33.­48
  • 33.­51
  • 33.­52
  • 33.­83
  • 33.­86
  • 33.­96
  • 33.­120
  • 33.­123
  • 33.­160
  • 33.­166
  • 33.­168
  • 33.­178
  • 33.­190
  • 33.­195
  • 33.­208
  • 33.­209
  • 33.­211
  • 33.­215
  • 33.­217
  • 33.­218
  • 33.­220
  • 33.­222
  • 33.­224
  • 33.­231
  • 33.­236
  • 33.­245
  • 33.­247
  • 33.­258
  • 33.­261
  • 33.­278
  • 33.­280
  • 33.­281
  • 33.­282
  • 33.­283
  • 33.­287
  • 33.­295
  • 33.­296
  • 34.­1
  • 34.­2
  • 34.­4
  • 34.­5
  • 34.­10
  • 34.­11
  • 34.­12
  • 34.­13
  • 34.­14
  • 34.­15
  • 34.­16
  • 34.­17
  • 34.­20
  • 34.­21
  • 34.­23
  • 34.­24
  • 34.­63
  • 35.­1
  • 35.­2
  • 35.­7
  • 35.­8
  • 35.­63
  • 35.­67
  • 35.­70
  • 36.­4
  • 36.­6
  • 36.­7
  • 36.­8
  • 36.­14
  • 36.­15
  • 36.­16
  • 36.­17
  • 36.­18
  • 36.­20
  • 36.­32
  • 36.­33
  • 36.­102
  • 36.­117
  • 36.­118
  • 36.­119
  • 36.­121
  • 36.­122
  • 36.­123
  • 36.­128
  • 36.­134
  • 36.­136
  • 36.­140
  • 36.­142
  • 36.­188
  • 36.­219
  • 36.­221
  • 36.­222
  • 37.­1
  • 37.­2
  • 37.­6
  • 37.­7
  • 37.­9
  • 37.­10
  • 37.­15
  • 37.­17
  • 37.­31
  • 37.­43
  • 37.­46
  • 37.­47
  • 37.­49
  • 37.­50
  • 38.­1
  • 38.­65
  • 39.­2
  • 39.­3
  • 39.­4
  • 39.­5
  • 39.­6
  • 39.­7
  • 39.­8
  • 39.­9
  • 39.­10
  • 39.­11
  • 39.­13
  • 39.­45
  • 39.­60
  • 39.­62
  • 39.­63
  • 39.­64
  • 39.­65
  • 39.­68
  • 39.­69
  • 39.­71
  • 39.­72
  • 39.­73
  • 39.­75
  • 39.­79
  • 39.­82
  • 39.­83
  • 39.­85
  • 39.­91
  • 39.­92
  • 39.­93
  • 39.­94
  • 39.­95
  • 39.­96
  • 39.­97
  • 39.­98
  • 39.­99
  • 39.­100
  • 39.­101
  • 39.­102
  • 39.­103
  • 39.­116
  • 39.­117
  • 39.­120
  • 39.­121
  • 39.­122
  • 39.­123
  • 39.­124
  • 39.­125
  • 39.­126
  • 39.­127
  • 39.­128
  • 39.­129
  • 39.­130
  • 39.­131
  • 39.­132
  • 39.­133
  • 39.­134
  • 39.­136
  • 40.­21
  • 40.­28
  • 40.­30
  • 40.­63
  • 40.­106
  • 40.­110
  • 40.­114
  • 40.­122
  • 40.­126
  • n.­9
  • n.­10
  • n.­18
  • n.­27
  • n.­28
  • n.­29
  • n.­30
  • n.­81
  • n.­159
  • n.­160
  • n.­162
  • n.­182
  • n.­193
  • n.­231
  • n.­304
  • n.­313
  • n.­324
  • n.­330
  • n.­339
  • n.­340
  • n.­341
  • n.­342
  • n.­343
  • n.­430
  • n.­600
  • n.­783
  • n.­871
  • n.­889
  • n.­915
  • n.­1017
  • n.­1018
  • n.­1019
  • n.­1020
  • n.­1021
  • n.­1022
  • n.­1023
  • n.­1024
  • n.­1025
  • n.­1026
  • n.­1098
  • n.­1118
  • n.­1193
  • n.­1251
  • n.­1293
  • n.­1320
  • n.­1423
  • n.­1451
  • g.­12
  • g.­19
  • g.­45
  • g.­67
  • g.­90
  • g.­102
  • g.­127
  • g.­138
  • g.­139
  • g.­158
  • g.­175
  • g.­182
  • g.­198
  • g.­237
  • g.­252
  • g.­256
  • g.­259
  • g.­263
  • g.­265
  • g.­266
  • g.­282
  • g.­285
  • g.­321
  • g.­330
  • g.­331
  • g.­334
  • g.­356
  • g.­359
  • g.­412
  • g.­419
  • g.­424
  • g.­428
  • g.­449
  • g.­485
  • g.­498
  • g.­531

Links to further resources:

  • 33 related glossary entries
g.­74

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 in India to be the supreme deity and creator of the universe.

28 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 1.­50
  • 8.­13
  • 10.­54
  • 10.­68
  • 10.­103
  • 10.­122
  • 14.­41
  • 14.­42
  • 14.­82
  • 14.­96
  • 17.­137
  • 23.­32
  • 29.­1
  • 29.­5
  • 29.­7
  • 30.­114
  • 31.­10
  • 36.­54
  • 39.­65
  • 39.­69
  • 40.­112
  • n.­16
  • n.­149
  • n.­480
  • n.­662
  • g.­79
  • g.­86

Links to further resources:

  • 125 related glossary entries
g.­76

Brahmadatta

  • tshangs pa byin
  • ཚངས་པ་བྱིན།
  • Brahmadatta
  • Svara­brahma­datta

A monk who was a previous incarnation of Buddha Dīpaṃkara.

5 passages contain this term:

  • i.­51
  • 16.­5
  • 16.­6
  • 16.­8
  • 17.­46

Links to further resources:

  • 2 related glossary entries
g.­79

Brahmakāyika

  • tshangs ris
  • ཚངས་རིས།
  • Brahmakāyika

The lowest of the three paradises that are the paradises of the first dhyāna in the form realm. The class of devas who live in the paradise of Brahmā.

3 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 10.­122
  • 36.­65

Links to further resources:

  • 23 related glossary entries
g.­91

Brother

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

A respectful form of address between monks and also lay companions of equal standing. Literally: one who has a [long] life.

22 passages contain this term:

  • i.­56
  • 21.­23
  • 21.­24
  • 21.­26
  • 21.­27
  • 21.­28
  • 21.­37
  • 25.­47
  • 36.­1
  • 36.­2
  • 36.­3
  • 36.­4
  • 36.­18
  • 36.­19
  • 36.­140
  • 36.­141
  • 40.­156
  • 40.­157
  • 40.­158
  • n.­778
  • g.­304
  • g.­374

Links to further resources:

  • 14 related glossary entries
g.­92

Buddha qualities

  • sangs rgyas kyi chos
  • སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཆོས།
  • buddhadharmāḥ

The specific qualities of a buddha; may sometimes be used as a general term, and sometimes referring to sets such as the ten strengths, the four fearlessnesses, the four discernments, the eighteen distinct qualities of a buddha, and so forth; or, more specifically, to another set of eighteen: the ten strengths; the four fearlessnesses; mindfulness of body, speech, and mind; and great compassion.

Alternatively, in the context of this sūtra, see 3.­2-3.­4.

15 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­1
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­26
  • 4.­13
  • 12.­1
  • 17.­69
  • 29.­40
  • 31.­12
  • 38.­95
  • 38.­100
  • 39.­47
  • 39.­54
  • n.­131

Links to further resources:

  • 7 related glossary entries
g.­95

Cakravartin

  • ’khor los sgyur ba
  • འཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བ།
  • cakravartin

A king with a magical wheel‍—wherever it rolls becomes his kingdom, so that he may rule over one to four continents.

11 passages contain this term:

  • i.­37
  • 2.­1
  • 10.­145
  • 17.­198
  • 18.­16
  • 30.­1
  • 33.­169
  • 33.­210
  • 36.­62
  • g.­199
  • g.­259

Links to further resources:

  • 58 related glossary entries
g.­96

Candrabhānu

  • zla ba’i ’od zer
  • ཟླ་བའི་འོད་ཟེར།
  • Candrabhānu

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­2
g.­97

Candrakīrti

  • zla ba grags pa
  • ཟླ་བ་གྲགས་པ།
  • Candrakīrti

A prominent seventh-century master of the Madhyamaka (Middle Way) tradition.

6 passages contain this term:

  • i.­1
  • i.­12
  • i.­13
  • i.­19
  • n.­6
  • n.­966

Links to further resources:

  • 2 related glossary entries
g.­99

Candraprabha

  • zla ’od
  • ཟླ་འོད།
  • Candraprabha

The young man of Rājagrha who is the principal interlocutor for the Samādhirājasūtra. He is frequently addressed as “youth” or “young man,” (Skt. kumāra; Tib. gzhon nu); see “the youth Candraprabha.”

72 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­2
  • i.­4
  • i.­5
  • i.­6
  • i.­15
  • i.­21
  • i.­36
  • i.­37
  • i.­38
  • i.­39
  • i.­40
  • i.­41
  • i.­42
  • i.­43
  • i.­44
  • i.­45
  • i.­46
  • i.­47
  • i.­49
  • i.­50
  • i.­51
  • i.­52
  • i.­53
  • i.­54
  • i.­55
  • i.­56
  • i.­57
  • i.­58
  • i.­59
  • i.­60
  • i.­61
  • i.­62
  • i.­65
  • i.­72
  • i.­73
  • i.­74
  • i.­75
  • i.­76
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­8
  • 4.­3
  • 10.­6
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­21
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­30
  • 10.­32
  • 10.­35
  • 10.­38
  • 10.­50
  • 10.­62
  • 14.­3
  • 15.­2
  • 15.­7
  • 15.­11
  • 16.­4
  • 17.­20
  • 18.­41
  • 39.­62
  • 39.­73
  • 39.­90
  • 39.­102
  • 39.­119
  • 39.­136
  • n.­231
  • n.­383
  • n.­403
  • n.­412
  • n.­530
  • g.­527

Links to further resources:

  • 4 related glossary entries
g.­100

Cāturmahā­rāja­kāyika

  • rgyal po chen po bzhi’i ris
  • རྒྱལ་པོ་ཆེན་པོ་བཞིའི་རིས།
  • Cāturmahā­rāja­kāyika

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the heavens of Buddhist cosmology, lowest among the six heavens of the desire realm (kāmadhātu, ’dod khams). Dwelling place of the Four Great Kings (Caturmahārāja, rgyal chen bzhi), traditionally located on a terrace of Sumeru, just below the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Each cardinal direction is ruled by one of the Four Great Kings and inhabited by a different class of nonhuman beings as their subjects: in the east, Dhṛtarāṣṭra rules the gandharvas; in the south, Virūḍhaka rules the kumbhāṇḍas; in the west, Virūpākṣa rules the nāgas; and in the north, Vaiśravaṇa rules the yakṣas.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­2

Links to further resources:

  • 30 related glossary entries
g.­110

Daśa­śata­raśmihutārci

  • nyi ma me’i ’od ’phro can
  • ཉི་མ་མེའི་འོད་འཕྲོ་ཅན།
  • Daśa­śata­raśmihutārci

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­2
g.­111

Deva

  • lha
  • ལྷ།
  • deva

A being in the paradises from the base of Mount Meru upward. Also can refer to a deity in the human world.

177 passages contain this term:

  • i.­54
  • i.­65
  • i.­78
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­50
  • 1.­62
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­33
  • 3.­3
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­44
  • 7.­3
  • 7.­21
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­36
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­13
  • 8.­22
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­14
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­25
  • 10.­31
  • 10.­37
  • 10.­42
  • 10.­51
  • 10.­54
  • 10.­68
  • 10.­77
  • 10.­79
  • 10.­94
  • 10.­99
  • 10.­100
  • 10.­101
  • 10.­103
  • 10.­104
  • 10.­107
  • 10.­119
  • 10.­120
  • 10.­121
  • 10.­122
  • 10.­123
  • 10.­124
  • 10.­127
  • 10.­157
  • 10.­158
  • 10.­159
  • 10.­160
  • 10.­161
  • 10.­166
  • 11.­46
  • 11.­55
  • 11.­64
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­3
  • 12.­20
  • 14.­29
  • 14.­33
  • 14.­36
  • 14.­39
  • 14.­41
  • 14.­42
  • 14.­46
  • 14.­79
  • 14.­82
  • 14.­85
  • 14.­90
  • 14.­92
  • 15.­9
  • 15.­18
  • 17.­6
  • 17.­8
  • 17.­16
  • 17.­58
  • 17.­64
  • 17.­74
  • 17.­75
  • 17.­137
  • 17.­186
  • 17.­195
  • 18.­44
  • 18.­49
  • 19.­6
  • 19.­9
  • 19.­14
  • 19.­18
  • 19.­34
  • 20.­15
  • 21.­2
  • 23.­15
  • 23.­32
  • 23.­33
  • 24.­13
  • 29.­1
  • 29.­4
  • 29.­6
  • 29.­9
  • 29.­11
  • 29.­16
  • 30.­6
  • 30.­40
  • 30.­93
  • 30.­95
  • 30.­113
  • 31.­3
  • 31.­9
  • 33.­130
  • 33.­170
  • 33.­274
  • 34.­7
  • 34.­13
  • 34.­14
  • 34.­19
  • 34.­20
  • 34.­22
  • 34.­35
  • 34.­42
  • 34.­43
  • 34.­49
  • 34.­50
  • 34.­52
  • 34.­61
  • 35.­9
  • 35.­51
  • 36.­9
  • 36.­53
  • 36.­54
  • 36.­65
  • 36.­77
  • 36.­78
  • 36.­101
  • 36.­106
  • 36.­114
  • 36.­131
  • 36.­146
  • 36.­158
  • 36.­171
  • 36.­187
  • 36.­208
  • 38.­10
  • 38.­17
  • 38.­51
  • 38.­85
  • 39.­12
  • 39.­56
  • 39.­71
  • 40.­111
  • 40.­115
  • 40.­153
  • 40.­158
  • n.­242
  • n.­310
  • n.­394
  • n.­466
  • n.­477
  • n.­479
  • n.­480
  • n.­485
  • n.­575
  • n.­581
  • n.­584
  • n.­662
  • n.­747
  • n.­773
  • n.­1002
  • n.­1003
  • g.­32
  • g.­40
  • g.­79
  • g.­89
  • g.­180
  • g.­383
  • g.­444

Links to further resources:

  • 61 related glossary entries
g.­114

Dhāraṇī

  • gzungs
  • གཟུངས།
  • dhāraṇī

See “retention.”

13 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 10.­7
  • 13.­26
  • 17.­98
  • 17.­154
  • 26.­17
  • 32.­4
  • n.­13
  • n.­311
  • n.­540
  • n.­1042
  • n.­1052
  • g.­373

Links to further resources:

  • 94 related glossary entries
g.­118

Dharmakāya

  • chos kyi sku
  • ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྐུ།
  • dharmakāya

In distinction to the rūpakāya, or “form body” of a buddha, this is the eternal, imperceivable realization of a buddha. In origin it was a term for the presence of the Dharma, and has come to be synonymous with the true nature.

22 passages contain this term:

  • i.­27
  • i.­58
  • i.­60
  • i.­68
  • 4.­24
  • 6.­2
  • 10.­11
  • 12.­8
  • 23.­1
  • 23.­3
  • 23.­28
  • 23.­40
  • 23.­41
  • 25.­11
  • 25.­12
  • 30.­124
  • 33.­36
  • n.­159
  • n.­783
  • n.­1071
  • g.­377
  • g.­476

Links to further resources:

  • 31 related glossary entries
g.­121

Dharmatāśīla

  • chos nyid tshul khrims
  • ཆོས་ཉིད་ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས།
  • Dharmatāśīla

The 9th century Tibetan translator of this text.

2 passages contain this term:

  • i.­8
  • c.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 5 related glossary entries
g.­122

Dharmavyūha

  • chos bkod pa
  • ཆོས་བཀོད་པ།
  • Dharmavyūha

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­2
g.­124

Dhātu

  • khams
  • ཁམས།
  • dhātu

Often translated “element,” commonly in the context of the eighteen elements of sensory experience (the six sense faculties, their six respective objects, and the six sensory consciousnesses), although the term has a wide range of other meanings. Along with skandha and āyatana, one of the three major categories in the taxonomy of phenomena in the sūtra literature.

13 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­27
  • 1.­29
  • 3.­4
  • 13.­2
  • 17.­89
  • 17.­94
  • 40.­2
  • 40.­4
  • 40.­22
  • 40.­44
  • 40.­69
  • g.­48
  • g.­417

Links to further resources:

  • 56 related glossary entries
g.­128

Dīpaṃkara

  • mar me mdzad
  • མར་མེ་མཛད།
  • Dīpaṃkara

A previous buddha who gave Śākyamuni the prophecy of his buddhahood.

10 passages contain this term:

  • i.­51
  • i.­56
  • i.­72
  • 10.­45
  • 16.­10
  • 21.­35
  • 32.­30
  • 35.­69
  • n.­1194
  • g.­76

Links to further resources:

  • 34 related glossary entries
g.­130

Discernment

  • so so yang dag par rig pa
  • སོ་སོ་ཡང་དག་པར་རིག་པ།
  • pratisaṃvida

There are four: the discernments of meaning, phenomena, definitions, and eloquence.

31 passages contain this term:

  • i.­59
  • i.­60
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­39
  • 17.­90
  • 24.­1
  • 24.­2
  • 24.­64
  • 24.­65
  • 24.­74
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­2
  • 25.­70
  • 29.­73
  • 29.­78
  • 29.­82
  • 30.­7
  • 37.­37
  • 37.­39
  • 39.­8
  • 39.­50
  • 39.­98
  • 39.­107
  • 39.­130
  • 39.­142
  • 40.­12
  • 40.­24
  • 40.­58
  • n.­851
  • n.­904
  • g.­92

Links to further resources:

  • 22 related glossary entries
g.­131

Disciplines of mendicancy

  • sbyangs pa’i yon tan
  • sbyangs dag
  • sbyangs tshul
  • སྦྱངས་པའི་ཡོན་ཏན།
  • སྦྱངས་དག
  • སྦྱངས་ཚུལ།
  • dhūtaguṇa
  • dhūta

Ascetic practices that are optional for monks and nuns or undertaken only for a defined time period. They are traditionally listed as being twelve in number: (1) wearing rags (pāṃśukūlika, phyag dar khrod pa), (2) (in the form of only) three religious robes (traicīvarika, chos gos gsum), (3) (coarse in texture as) garments of felt (nāma[n]tika, ’phyings pa pa), (4) eating by alms (paiṇḍapātika, bsod snyoms pa), (5) having a single mat to sit on (aikāsanika, stan gcig pa), (6) not eating after noon (khalu paścād bhaktika, zas phyis mi len pa), (7) living alone in the forest (āraṇyaka, dgon pa pa), (8) living at the base of a tree (vṛkṣamūlika, shing drungs pa), (9) living in the open (ābhyavakāśika, bla gab med pa), (10) frequenting cemeteries (śmāśānika, dur khrod pa), (11) sleeping sitting up (naiṣadika, cog bu pa), and (12) accepting whatever seating position is offered (yāthāsaṃstarika, gzhi ji bzhin pa); this last of the twelve is sometimes interpreted as not omitting any house on the almsround, i.e. regardless of any reception expected. Mahāvyutpatti, 1127-39.

9 passages contain this term:

  • 9.­7
  • 17.­94
  • 29.­94
  • 29.­95
  • 29.­96
  • 30.­2
  • 30.­7
  • 30.­50
  • 34.­66

Links to further resources:

  • 16 related glossary entries
g.­133

Dṛḍhabala

  • stobs brtan
  • སྟོབས་བརྟན།
  • Dṛḍhabala

A king in the time of Buddha Ghoṣadatta. Also the father of the rebirth of King Śirībala in the time of Buddha Narendraghoṣa.

8 passages contain this term:

  • i.­52
  • 5.­7
  • 5.­43
  • 17.­84
  • 17.­161
  • 17.­190
  • 17.­198
  • g.­319
g.­134

Dṛdhadatta

  • brtan pas byin
  • བརྟན་པས་བྱིན།
  • Dṛdhadatta

A king in the distant past.

4 passages contain this term:

  • i.­65
  • 30.­16
  • 30.­35
  • 30.­63
g.­135

Dṛḍhaśūra

  • dpa’ brtan
  • དཔའ་བརྟན།
  • Dṛḍhaśūra

The name of all the buddhas who had been followers of King Mahābala in a previous lifetime.

3 passages contain this term:

  • i.­40
  • 5.­36
  • 5.­53
g.­138

Dundubhisvara

  • rnga dbyangs
  • རྔ་དབྱངས།
  • Dundubhisvara

A bodhisattva who only appears in Mahāyāna sūtras. It is also a name for various buddhas, including an alternative name for Buddha Amoghasiddhi. Incorrectly translated as mngon par ’byung dka’

2 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 10.­38
g.­144

Eloquence

  • spobs pa
  • སྤོབས་པ།
  • pratibhāna

The Tibetan word literally means “confidence” or “courage” but it refers to confident speech, to being perfectly eloquent.

29 passages contain this term:

  • i.­53
  • 1.­50
  • 2.­34
  • 3.­4
  • 11.­13
  • 17.­62
  • 17.­66
  • 17.­131
  • 17.­140
  • 17.­147
  • 24.­1
  • 24.­38
  • 24.­46
  • 24.­65
  • 25.­65
  • 26.­17
  • 30.­120
  • 32.­13
  • 32.­15
  • 33.­146
  • 34.­11
  • 35.­15
  • 37.­70
  • 39.­8
  • 39.­98
  • 39.­130
  • 40.­117
  • n.­509
  • g.­130

Links to further resources:

  • 18 related glossary entries
g.­145

Emptiness

  • stong pa nyid
  • སྟོང་པ་ཉིད།
  • śūnyatā

In the Mahāyāna this is the term for how phenomena are devoid of any nature of their own. One of the three doorways to liberation along with the absence of aspiration and the absence of attributes.

101 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1
  • i.­14
  • i.­42
  • i.­55
  • i.­60
  • i.­64
  • i.­67
  • i.­68
  • i.­71
  • i.­75
  • 1.­45
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­16
  • 4.­23
  • 6.­26
  • 7.­9
  • 7.­32
  • 9.­48
  • 9.­49
  • 9.­54
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­110
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­35
  • 11.­41
  • 11.­42
  • 11.­48
  • 12.­6
  • 14.­10
  • 14.­13
  • 14.­63
  • 14.­81
  • 14.­86
  • 16.­29
  • 17.­62
  • 17.­72
  • 17.­129
  • 19.­27
  • 23.­4
  • 25.­15
  • 25.­16
  • 25.­17
  • 26.­17
  • 29.­61
  • 29.­62
  • 29.­67
  • 30.­34
  • 30.­87
  • 30.­127
  • 32.­8
  • 33.­20
  • 33.­23
  • 33.­51
  • 33.­87
  • 33.­223
  • 33.­225
  • 33.­235
  • 33.­269
  • 33.­294
  • 34.­5
  • 34.­48
  • 37.­33
  • 37.­34
  • 37.­36
  • 37.­43
  • 38.­59
  • 38.­60
  • 38.­61
  • 38.­64
  • 38.­66
  • 38.­78
  • 38.­80
  • 38.­82
  • 38.­99
  • 38.­103
  • 39.­6
  • 39.­25
  • 39.­30
  • 39.­96
  • 39.­128
  • 39.­144
  • 40.­21
  • 40.­102
  • 40.­119
  • 40.­134
  • n.­267
  • n.­315
  • n.­391
  • n.­700
  • n.­883
  • n.­931
  • n.­936
  • n.­937
  • n.­943
  • n.­1061
  • n.­1063
  • n.­1419
  • g.­38
  • g.­132
  • g.­242

Links to further resources:

  • 34 related glossary entries
g.­149

Fearlessness

  • mi ’jigs pa
  • མི་འཇིགས་པ།
  • vaiśaradya

This refers to the four confidences or fearlessnesses of the Buddha: confidence in having attained realization, confidence in having fully eliminated all defilements, confidence in teaching the Dharma, and confidence in teaching the path of aspiration to liberation.

20 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­7
  • 1.­45
  • 1.­55
  • 2.­28
  • 17.­61
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­2
  • 34.­48
  • 39.­5
  • 39.­95
  • 39.­109
  • 39.­127
  • 39.­142
  • 40.­24
  • 40.­93
  • 40.­129
  • n.­77
  • n.­1411
  • n.­1461
  • g.­92

Links to further resources:

  • 22 related glossary entries
g.­155

Gampopa

  • sgam po pa
  • སྒམ་པོ་པ།
  • —

Gampopa Sonam Rinchen (sgam po pa bsod nams rin chen, 1079–1153). A disciple of Milarepa, and the founder of the monastic Kagyu tradition; also known as Dakpopa (dwags po pa) or Dakpo Lharjé (dwags po lha rje).

2 passages contain this term:

  • i.­21
  • g.­20
g.­160

Gandharva

  • dri za
  • དྲི་ཟ།
  • gandharva

A race of deities who are particularly known to be musicians.

21 passages contain this term:

  • i.­54
  • 1.­2
  • 10.­31
  • 10.­42
  • 10.­51
  • 11.­46
  • 17.­16
  • 19.­8
  • 19.­9
  • 19.­10
  • 19.­11
  • 19.­34
  • 34.­22
  • 36.­15
  • 40.­158
  • n.­733
  • n.­738
  • g.­32
  • g.­125
  • g.­148
  • g.­321

Links to further resources:

  • 114 related glossary entries
g.­163

Gaṇeśvara

  • tshogs kyi dbang phyug
  • ཚོགས་ཀྱི་དབང་ཕྱུག
  • Gaṇeśvara

A name that appears twice in the list of buddhas from whom Śākyamuni in previous lifetimes received the Samādhirāja, and who is described in particular in chapter 38.

6 passages contain this term:

  • i.­75
  • 17.­36
  • 17.­37
  • 17.­53
  • 38.­6
  • 38.­73
g.­169

Garuḍa

  • khyung
  • ཁྱུང་།
  • garuḍa

A supernatural being that is a gigantic bird with humanoid features.

12 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 10.­31
  • 10.­42
  • 10.­51
  • 10.­156
  • 10.­160
  • 11.­46
  • 14.­83
  • 17.­16
  • 17.­138
  • 34.­22
  • n.­1270

Links to further resources:

  • 79 related glossary entries
g.­171

Ghoṣadatta

  • dbyangs byin
  • དབྱངས་བྱིན།
  • Ghoṣadatta

A buddha in the distant past.

22 passages contain this term:

  • i.­40
  • i.­71
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­6
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­9
  • 5.­10
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­13
  • 5.­16
  • 5.­17
  • 5.­29
  • 5.­31
  • 5.­35
  • 5.­39
  • 5.­56
  • 34.­7
  • 34.­8
  • g.­133
  • g.­248
g.­176

Good beings

  • skyes bu dam pa
  • སྐྱེས་བུ་དམ་པ།
  • satpuruṣa

2 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 17.­134

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­177

Good Eon

  • skal pa bzang po
  • སྐལ་པ་བཟང་པོ།
  • Bhadrakalpa
  • Bhadraka

Our present eon in which over a thousand buddhas will appear. The meaning is “good” because of the number of buddhas that will appear. In the sūtra, it is usually called bhadraka.

5 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 10.­60
  • n.­27
  • g.­12
  • g.­259

Links to further resources:

  • 15 related glossary entries
g.­179

Gṛdhrakūṭa

  • rgod kyi phung po
  • རྒོད་ཀྱི་ཕུང་པོ།
  • Gṛdhrakūṭa

See “Vulture Peak.”

9 passages contain this term: