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སྦྱིན་པའི་ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ།

The Perfection of Generosity

Dānapāramitā

འཕགས་པ་སྦྱིན་པའི་ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།

’phags pa sbyin pa’i pha rol tu phyin pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo

The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra “The Perfection of Generosity”

Āryadānapāramitānāmamahāyānasūtra

Toh 182

Degé Kangyur, vol. 61 (mdo sde, tsa), folios 77.a–95.b.

Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

First published 2019
Current version v 1.18.16 (2021)
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co.

Summary

s.1

In this sūtra a bodhisattva asks the Buddha how bodhisattvas should exert themselves after having given rise to the mind set on awakening. The Buddha replies by describing the ten virtuous actions and the motivation that bodhisattvas should engender when they engage in those practices. Next, after explaining how they should exert themselves in the ten perfections, the Buddha presents a detailed explanation of the perfection of generosity, focusing on the compassionate motivation that bodhisattvas cultivate while practicing it. A particular feature of this sūtra is how it details the significance of making different kinds of offering, in terms of the spiritual attainments, qualities of awakening, and other benefits that will result.

ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.1

This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the guidance of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. Benjamin Collet-Cassart translated the text from Tibetan into English and wrote the introduction. Andreas Doctor compared the draft translation with the original Tibetan and edited the text. Anders Bjornback and Alex Yiannopoulos also assisted this project by sharing their draft translation of the first section of this sūtra with the other translators.

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

Introduction

i.1

The Perfection of Generosity belongs to the general sūtra section of the Tibetan Kangyur. It does not appear to have been translated into Chinese, and we have not come across any mention of its title in Indian commentarial works. It does not seem, therefore, to have had a particularly influential role in Buddhist India. Until recently, it had also not attracted notable attention in modern scholarship. In 2014, however, Jason McCombs included a full translation of The Perfection of Generosity, along with an introduction to the text, in his doctoral dissertation.1

The Translation

The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra

The Perfection of Generosity

[How Bodhisattvas Exert Themselves in the Ten Virtuous Actions]

[F.77.a]

1.1

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

1.2

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One, in order to benefit his kinsmen and the local people, was residing in the parks of King Śuddhodhana in the city of Kapilavastu, parks adorned with many hundreds of thousands of trees of different types, such as sāla, palmyra, tamāla, karṇikāra, juniper, walnut, kharjūra, śipan, nīpa, mango, pear, āmalakī, wood apple, pomegranate, elephant apple, plantain, banyan fig, goolar fig, myrobalan, aśvattha, vārśika, nutmeg, dhanuṣkarī, rosewood, magnolia, aśoka, taraṇi, pāṭalā, śiriṣa, and arjun trees. The parks were beautified by cascading streams, waterfalls, lakes, pools, ponds, and springs of fragrant water filled with purple, pink, red, and white lotus flowers. There one could hear the calls of geese, peacocks, cranes, ducks, cuckoos, ospreys, parrots, grouse, pheasants, partridges, nightingales, and wild ducks. Countless honeybees buzzed in the air. The water in the parks possessed eight special qualities6 and was limpid, flavorful, cool, pristine, and pure. The grass was green, soft and tender, and as pleasing to the touch as silk, wool, cotton, raw silk, kācilindika cloth, and linen. Those fine parks were beautiful, clean, and free of any stones, pebbles, gravel, dirt, mud, or refuse. They were also home to various wild animals, such as śarabha, spotted deer, monkeys, cats, brown bears, rabbits, black bears, [F.77.b] hyenas, and a number of different birds. Hundreds of thousands of other beings were also present, such as gods and goddesses of the night, guardians of the world, Varuṇa, Śiva, Yama, Virūḍhaka, Kubera, Śakra, Virūpākṣa, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra, as well as asuras, garuḍas, gandharvas, kinnaras, and mahoragas.

[How Bodhisattvas Exert Themselves in the Ten Perfections]

2.1

“Furthermore, noble son, [F.84.a] after having first given rise to the mind set on awakening, bodhisattva great beings should exert themselves in the ten perfections. What are those ten? They are the perfections of generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, insight, skillful means, aspiration, power, and wisdom. Noble son, how do bodhisattva great beings exert themselves in those ten perfections? Noble son, bodhisattva great beings practice generosity, observe discipline, cultivate patience, engender diligence, rest in concentration, cause insight to blaze, become skilled in means, form aspiration prayers, apply the powers, and embrace wisdom.

Colophon

c.1

This was translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian preceptor Prajñāvarman, the translator-editor Bandé Yeshé Dé, and others.

ab.

Abbreviations

C	Coné (co ne) Kangyur
D	Degé (sde dge) Kangyur
H	Lhasa (zhol) Kangyur
J	Lithang (’jang sa tham) Kangyur
K	Peking (pe cin) Kangxi Kangyur
K_Y	Peking Yongle (g.yung lo) Kangyur
N	Narthang (snar thang) Kangyur
S	Stok Palace (stog pho brang) Manuscript Kangyur

Notes

n.1

McCombs (2014), pp. 88–183. His thesis also includes an edited version of the full Tibetan text. Although McCombs’ study and translation of this sūtra only became available to us after we had completed our translation, we subsequently compared our translation to his and as a result were able to improve our rendering in several instances.

n.2

See McCombs, “Mahāyāna and the Gift,” 94–95.

n.3

See Denkarma, Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), F.298.a.5–6; also Lalou (1953), p. 322, n. 142. In the Denkarma, the sūtra is listed with the title ’phags pa sbyin pa’i pha rol tu phyin pa bstan pa.

n.4

That text (Toh 183, Tib. sbyin pa’i phan yon bstan pa, Skt. Dānānuśaṃsā) is a short, two-page text that presents (like the present sūtra but with notable differences) the benefits associated with the practice of generosity by listing the karmic ripening generated by different types of offering. In the Stok Palace edition and other witnesses of the Thenpangma (them spangs ma) line of Kangyur collections, these two texts are cataloged disjointly, and this title is translated as sbyin pa’i legs pa, rather than sbyin pa’i phan yon bstan pa.

n.5

In particular, Akṣayamatinirdeśasūtra (Toh 175) and Bodhisattvapiṭakasūtra (Toh 56). See McCombs, “Mahāyāna and the Gift,” 98–99.

n.6

The eight qualities of the best kind of water (a set frequently mentioned in the literature) are that it is cool, sweet, light, soft, clear, clean, pure, not upsetting to the stomach, and not irritatating to the throat.

n.7

At this point the list of bodhisattvas continues and the names increase in length considerably. Although the text is clear that the following lines of this paragraph are indeed to be treated as a list of personal names, their meaning is somewhat unclear, and it is not evident precisely where individual names begin and end. Our rendering of the remainder of the bodhisattva names included in this section should therefore be viewed as tentative.

n.8

S has no shad between those two elements, and mngon par shes pa is repeated in what follows: de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi yul la ’jug pa shes pa la mkhas pa mngon par shes pa / mngon par shes pa dpa’ bar ’gro ba’i ting nge ’dzin gyi mtha’i sgo bsgrub pa’i gzungs thob pa.

Bibliography

’phags pa sbyin pa’i pha rol tu phyin pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Āryadānapāramitāsūtra). Toh 182, Degé Kangyur vol. 61 (mdo sde, tsa), folios 77.a–95.b.

’phags pa sbyin pa’i pha rol tu phyin pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. 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. 61, pp. 203–247.

’phags pa sbyin pa’i pha rol tu phyin pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Āryadānapāramitāsūtra). S 222, Stok Palace Manuscript Kangyur vol. 73 (mdo sde, za), folios 240.b–266.b.

’phags pa sbyin pa’i phan yon bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Āryadānānuśaṃsānirdeśasūtra). Toh 183, Degé Kangyur vol. 61 (mdo sde, tsa), folios 95.b–96.b. English translation in Sakya Pandita Translation Group 2021.

Denkarma (ldan dkar ma), pho brang stod thang ldan dkar gyi chos kyi ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag. Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur, vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), F.294.b–310.a.

Dayal, Har. The Bodhisattva Doctrine in Buddhist Sanskrit Literature. 1932. Reprint, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1970.

Lalou, Marcelle. “Les textes bouddhiques au temps du roi Khri-sroṅ-lde-bcan.” Journal asiatique 241 (1953): 313–52.

McCombs, Jason Matthew. “Mahāyāna and the Gift: Theories and Practices.” PhD diss., University of California, Los Angeles, 2014.

Rotman, Andy. Divine Stories: Divyāvadāna, Part I. Somerville: Wisdom Publications, 2008.

Sakya Pandita Translation Group, trans. The Teaching on the Benefits of Generosity (Dānānuśaṃsā, Toh 183). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021.

Yao, Fumi, trans. The Chapter on Medicines (Bhaiṣajyavastu, Toh 1-6). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021.

Glossary

g.1

Ājñātakauṇḍinya

kun shes kauN+di n+ya

ཀུན་ཤེས་ཀཽཎྡི་ནྱ།

Ājñātakauṇḍinya

One of the five ascetics who later became the first five disciples of the Buddha.

g.2

Ākāśagarbha

nam mkha’ snying po

ནམ་མཁའ་སྙིང་པོ།

Ākāśagarbha

One of the eight main bodhisattvas, the heart sons of the Buddha.

g.3

Ānanda

kun dga’ bo

ཀུན་དགའ་བོ།

Ānanda

The Buddha’s cousin and principal attendant.

g.6

Aspiration

smon lam

སྨོན་ལམ།

praṇidhāna

One of the ten perfections.

g.21

Concentration

bsam gtan

བསམ་གཏན།

dhyāna

One of the six or ten perfections.

g.26

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

yul ’khor srung

ཡུལ་འཁོར་སྲུང་།

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

One of the four great kings.

g.27

Diligence

brtson ’grus

བརྩོན་འགྲུས།

vīrya

One of the six or ten perfections.

g.28

Discipline

tshul khrims

ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས།

śīla

One of the six or ten perfections.

g.36

Generosity

sbyin pa

སྦྱིན་པ།

dāna

The first of the six or ten perfections, often explained as the essential starting point and training for the practice of the others.

g.40

Insight

shes rab

ཤེས་རབ།

prajñā

One of the six or ten perfections.

g.43

Kācilindika

ka tsa lin di ka

ཀ་ཙ་ལིན་དི་ཀ།

kācilindika
kācalindika

An epithet for softness, usually applied to cloth, and probably in reference, directly or metaphorically, to the down of the kācilindika bird. See Lamotte, Etienne. La Concentration de la Marche Héroïque. Bruxelles: Peeters (1975), p. 261, n. 321. The Mahāvyutpatti includes the term using the variant spelling kācalindika.

g.45

Kapilavastu

ser skya’i gnas

སེར་སྐྱའི་གནས།

Kapilavastu

The capital city of the Śākya kingdom, where the Buddha grew up.

g.48

Kubera

lus ngan po

ལུས་ངན་པོ།

Kubera

One of the four great kings, also known as Vaiśravaṇa.

g.66

Patience

bzod pa

བཟོད་པ།

kṣānti

One of the six or ten perfections.

g.68

Power

stobs

སྟོབས།

bala

One of the ten perfections.

g.69

Powers

dbang po

དབང་པོ།

indriya

Faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and knowledge. These are among the thirty-seven factors of awakening.

g.87

Śakra

brgya byin

བརྒྱ་བྱིན།

Śakra

The lord of the gods.

g.90

Śarabha

ldang sko ska

ལྡང་སྐོ་སྐ།

śarabha

Mythical eight-legged lion.

g.94

Śiva

zhi ba

ཞི་བ།

Śiva

One of the main Hindu gods.

g.95

Skillful means

thabs

ཐབས།

upāya

One of the ten perfections.

g.101

Śuddhodhana

zas gtsang

ཟས་གཙང་།

Śuddhodhana

King of Kapilavastu and father of the Buddha.

g.111

Varuṇa

chu lha

ཆུ་ལྷ།

Varuṇa

One of the guardian deities.

g.112

Virūḍhaka

’phags skyes po

འཕགས་སྐྱེས་པོ།

Virūḍhaka

One of the four great kings.

g.113

Virūpākṣa

mig mi bzang

མིག་མི་བཟང་།

Virūpākṣa

One of the four great kings.

g.115

Wisdom

ye shes

ཡེ་ཤེས།

jñāna

One of the ten perfections.

g.116

Yama

gshin rje

གཤིན་རྗེ།

Yama

The lord of death.

g.118

Yeshé Dé

ye shes sde

ཡེ་ཤེས་སྡེ།

A prolific Tibetan translator active during the late eighth and early ninth centuries.

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The Perfection of Generosity

Toh 182

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