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སྡོང་པོས་བརྒྱན་པ།

The Stem Array

Gaṇḍavyūha

ཤིན་ཏུ་རྒྱས་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ་སངས་རྒྱས་ཕལ་པོ་ཆེ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ལས་སྡོང་པོས་བརྒྱན་པའི་ལེའུ་སྟེ་བཞི་བཅུ་རྩ་ལྔ་པའོ།

shin tu rgyas pa chen po’i mdo sangs rgyas phal po che zhes bya ba las sdong pos brgyan pa’i le’u ste bzhi bcu rtsa lnga pa’o

“The Stem Array” Chapter from the Mahāvaipulya Sūtra “A Multitude of Buddhas”

Buddhāvataṃsakanāmamahāvaipulyasūtrāt gaṇḍavyūhasūtraḥ paṭalaḥ

Toh 44-45

Degé Kangyur, vol. 37 (phal chen, ga), folios 274.b–396.a; vol. 38 (phal chen, a), folios 1.b–363.a

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

First published 2021
Current version v 1.0.15 (2022)
Generated by 84000 Reading Room v2.16.15

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.

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co.

Summary

s.1

In this lengthy final chapter of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, while the Buddha Śākyamuni is in meditation in Śrāvastī, Mañjuśrī leaves for South India, where he meets the young layman Sudhana and instructs him to go to a certain kalyāṇamitra or “good friend,” who then directs Sudhana to another such friend. In this way, Sudhana successively meets and receives teachings from fifty male and female, child and adult, human and divine, and monastic and lay kalyāṇamitras, including night goddesses surrounding the Buddha and the Buddha’s wife and mother. The final three in the succession of kalyāṇamitras are the three bodhisattvas Maitreya, Mañjuśrī, and Samantabhadra. Samantabhadra’s recitation of the Samantabhadracaryāpraṇidhāna (“The Prayer for Completely Good Conduct”) concludes the sūtra.

ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.1

Translated by Peter Alan Roberts and edited by Emily Bower, who was also the project manager. Ling Lung Chen was consultant for the Chinese, and Tracy Davis copyedited the final draft. The translator would like to thank Patrick Carré and Douglas Osto, who have both spent decades studying and translating this sūtra, for their advice and help.

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

ac.2

The generous sponsorship of Richard and Carol Weingarten; of Jamyang Sun, Manju Chandra Sun and Siqi Sun; and of an anonymous donor, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.

Introduction

i.1

The Stem Array (Gaṇḍavyūha) is a unique sūtra in that most of its narrative takes place in South India, far from the presence of the Buddha. It follows the journey of the young Sudhana from teacher to teacher, or kalyāṇamitra (literally “good friend”), beginning with his meeting Mañjuśrī when that bodhisattva came to South India. Another unique characteristic is that Sudhana’s teachers include children, non-Buddhists, a courtesan, merchants, and so on, among them a number of women. His teachers are both humans and deities, including eight night goddesses around the Bodhi tree and the forest goddess of Lumbinī, the birthplace of the Buddha. These teachers are often described as having received teachings from numerous other buddhas. For example, the bhikṣu Sāgaramegha describes how he received, from a buddha who appeared out of the ocean, teachings that would take more than a kalpa to write out. The kalyāṇamitras are described as having realizations and miraculous powers that test the limits of the imagination.

Indian Origins of the Sūtra

The Gaṇḍavyūha Sūtra in China

Gaṇḍavyūha and Borobudur

The Gaṇḍavyūha Sūtra in Tibet

Translations into Western Languages

The Meaning of the Title as Translated into Tibetan

The Meaning of the Title Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra

Who Is Sudhana and What Is a Śreṣthin?

The Numbers

Challenges in the Translation

Detailed Summary of The Stem Array Sūtra

The Translation

The Noble Mahāvaipulya Sūtra “A Multitude of Buddhas”

Chapter 45: The Stem Array

Chapter 2

Samantabhadra

2.1

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra looked upon the great assembly of bodhisattvas, and in order to categorize, teach extensively, clarify, illuminate, and give instructions on the Tathāgata’s samādhi called the gaping lion, he taught those bodhisattvas in ten ways the Tathāgata’s samādhi called the gaping lion through the equality of the nature of the realm of phenomena with the element of space, the equality of the three times, the equality of the realm of phenomena, the equality of the realms of beings, the equality of all worlds, the equality of the continuum of karma, the equality of the thoughts of all beings, the equality of the aspirations of beings, the equality of the appearances of phenomena, the equality of the times for ripening beings, and the equality of the faculties of all beings. [F.301.b]

Chapter 3

Mañjuśrī

3.1

Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta was residing270 in his kūṭāgāra together with bodhisattvas who had the same conduct; vajrapāṇis who constantly followed him; devas with physical bodies whose minds aspired to serve all the buddhas and were dedicated to bringing power to the entire world; devas who walked on foot following their past aspirations; devas of the earth who aspired to hear the Dharma; devas of pools, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, wells, and rivers who were dedicated to great compassion; [F.314.a] devas of fire who brought illumination through the light of wisdom; devas of the air who wore precious crowns; devas of the directions who illuminated the directions with wisdom; devas of the night who were dedicated to eliminating the darkness of ignorance; devas of the day who were dedicated to producing the daylight of the tathāgatas; devas of the sky who were dedicated to orbiting271 in the sky of the entire realm of phenomena; devas of the ocean272 who were dedicated to rescuing beings from the ocean of existence; devas of mountains who were dedicated to gathering the accumulation of omniscience and whose minds had ascended to the summit273 of the roots of merit; devas of rivers who were dedicated to adorning all beings and who were dedicated to aspiring to the characteristics and supernatural power of all the buddhas; devas of towns who were dedicated to caring for the towns that are the minds of all beings; nāga lords who were devoted to and longed for the town of the omniscient Dharma;274 yakṣa lords who were engaged in protecting all beings; gandharva lords who were dedicated to increasing the power of joy in all beings; kumbhāṇḍa lords who were dedicated to preventing rebirth as pretas; garuḍa lords who were engaged in aspiring to bring all beings out of the ocean of existence; asura lords who had the aspiration to attain the body and power of the Tathāgata, which have transcended the entire world; mahoraga lords [F.314.b] who rejoiced in seeing the Tathāgata and bowed down to him; deva lords who had been saddened by saṃsāra and gazed with admiration; and lords of Brahmakāyika devas who bowed down with great respect.

Chapter 4

Meghaśrī

4.1

Then Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, eventually arrived at the land called Rāmāvarānta. Having arrived there, he traveled through the land of Rāmāvarānta. Enjoying the delightful pleasures that arose from his past roots of merit and through the power of vast karma, he came to Sugrīva Mountain. He climbed Sugrīva Mountain and, seeking the bhikṣu Meghaśrī, he went to its eastern side. In the same way, he went to its southern, western, northern, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, and northwestern sides, looking up and down for the bhikṣu Meghaśrī.

Chapter 5

Sāgaramegha

5.1

Then Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, contemplated the instruction of that kalyāṇamitra. He remembered the radiance of his wisdom.352 He analyzed that bodhisattva’s liberation. He reflected on353 the bodhisattva’s way of samādhi. He looked at the way of an ocean of bodhisattvas. He aspired toward the domain of buddhahood. He delighted in the direction of the vision of the buddhas. He contemplated the ocean of buddhas. He remembered the succession of buddhas. He comprehended that which is understood in the way of the buddhas.354 He looked into the sky of the buddhas.

Chapter 6

Supratiṣṭhita

6.1

Then Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, remembering the instructions of the kalyāṇamitra and the Dharma teaching called All-Seeing Eyes, contemplating the miracles of that tathāgata, keeping in his mind the clouds of the words and terms of that Dharma, [F.333.a] comprehending that ocean of Dharma gateways, observing the precepts of that Dharma, entering377 those ways of turning toward378 the Dharma, absorbed into the sky of that Dharma, purifying the range of that Dharma, and meditating on the precious continent379 of that Dharma, eventually arrived at Sāgaratīra in the Laṅka region.380 Wishing to see the bhikṣu Supratiṣṭhita, he looked for him in the eastern direction. In the same way, wishing to see the bhikṣu Supratiṣṭhita, he looked for him everywhere: in the southern direction, in the western direction, in the northern direction, in the northeastern direction, in the southeastern direction, in the southwestern direction, in the northwestern direction, above, and below.

Chapter 7

Megha

7.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, was filled with the power and might of faith in the Dharma. He was focused on the idea of following the Buddha; he was sincerely dedicated to the lineage of the Three Jewels; his mind illuminated the worlds of the three times;399 he was focused on following the great aspiration; he was continuously dedicated400 to saving all the realms of beings; his mind did not dwell on composite pleasures;401 he was devoted to contemplating the nature of all phenomena; he never deviated from the aspiration to purify all world realms; he dwelled without attachment in the circles of the assemblies of all the buddhas; he remembered the light of the Dharma;402 he remembered his kalyāṇamitras;403 and he proclaimed the lineage of freedom from desire.404

Chapter 8

Muktaka

8.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, then contemplated that power of retention of the bodhisattvas called the light that is the display of Sarasvatī, remembered that particular entry by the bodhisattvas into an ocean of languages, remembered that particular entry by the bodhisattvas into the way of subtlety,417 remembered that particular purity of the bodhisattvas through purification of the mind, accomplished that particular accomplishment by the bodhisattvas of creating the predispositions for roots of merit, purified that particular bodhisattva gateway for ripening, refined that particular bodhisattva wisdom that attracts beings, made firmer that particular pure strength of bodhisattva motivation, stabilized that particular strength of the superior motivation of the bodhisattvas, purified that lineage of bodhisattva aspiration, developed418 that particular goodness that is in the minds of the bodhisattvas, and entered into that particular commitment of the bodhisattvas.

Chapter 9

Sāgaradhvaja

9.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, contemplated the teaching of the head merchant Muktaka and dedicated himself to the instructions of the head merchant Muktaka. He followed the inconceivable bodhisattva liberations. He called to mind the inconceivable radiance of bodhisattva wisdom. He practiced entering and comprehending the inconceivable realm of the Dharma. He comprehended the inconceivable bodhisattva methods of gathering pupils. He reflected on the inconceivable miracles of the tathāgatas. He aspired to the inconceivable aggregation of buddha realms. He contemplated the display of the blessings of the buddhas. He examined the inconceivable majestic power of the display of samādhis and liberations. He was dedicated to entering inconceivable separate, unobscured world realms. He developed the aspiration for inconceivable, enduring bodhisattva activity. And he adopted the inconceivable continuum of bodhisattva activity and prayer.

10.

Chapter 10

Āśā

10.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, delighted by the qualities of the kalyāṇamitra, [F.364.b] sent forth by the kalyāṇamitra, empowered by the sight of the kalyāṇamitra, practicing the instructions of the kalyāṇamitra, remembering the words of the kalyāṇamitra,526 and contemplating the kalyāṇamitra with affection, saw kalyāṇamitras as the source of the Buddhadharma, saw kalyāṇamitras as the teachers of the Buddhadharma, saw kalyāṇamitras as masters527 in the Dharma of omniscience, and saw the kalyāṇamitras as eyes that look into the sky of buddhahood.

11.

Chapter 11

Bhīṣmottaranirghoṣa

11.1

Then Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, thinking of following the bodhisattva instructions, thinking of following the pure conduct of bodhisattvas, thinking of increasing the strength of the merit of bodhisattvas, thinking of the illumination of the power of seeing the buddhas, thinking of developing the power to attain the treasure of the Dharma, [F.376.a] thinking of increasing the power of accomplishing the great prayers, thinking of facing every direction in the realm of the Dharma, thinking of the illumination of the nature of the Dharma, thinking of the dispersal of all obscurations, thinking of looking at the realm of Dharma free of darkness, thinking of the motivation703 that is stainless and unbreakable like Nārāyaṇa’s704 precious vajra, and thinking of invincibility and unassailability in the face of all the māra armies, eventually arrived in the land of Nālayu.

12.

Chapter 12

Jayoṣmāyatana

12.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, was illuminated by the wisdom of the bodhisattva liberation called the banner of being invincible to others. He dwelled in the direct experience of the inconceivable range of the miraculous manifestations of the buddhas. He perceived the direct knowledge of inconceivable bodhisattva liberations. His mind was illuminated by the wisdom of inconceivable bodhisattva samādhis. He had attained the radiance of the wisdom of samādhi that is present at all times. He was illuminated by the range of samādhi, in which all perceptions are present and included. He had obtained the light of the wisdom that transcends all worlds. He had the direct perception of dwelling in the entire range of the three times.718 He was devoted to the wisdom that teaches equality without dualistic conceptions. He had the light of wisdom that pervaded719 throughout all objects of perception. He had mastered the treasury of aspiration for pure patience toward all that is heard.720 He had attained the definitive wisdom721 of patience for natural phenomena. His mind was never apart from meditation on the nature of the bodhisattva conduct722 of higher cognition. His mind was irreversibly progressing toward the power of omniscience. He had attained the illumination of the knowledge723 of the ten strengths. His mind was never content in its aspiration to hear the sound of the words of the realm of Dharma. [F.380.b] His mind had gained entry into the field of dwelling in omniscience. His mind had attained the infinite display of bodhisattva conduct. His mind was purified724 by the infinite domain of great725 bodhisattva prayers. He had the mind with direct perception of the limitless knowledge without limit or center of the unceasing network726 of world realms. He had the mind that never wearies in ripening and guiding the infinite ocean of beings. He saw the infinite range of bodhisattva conduct. He saw the infinite diversity of the different world realms. He saw the small and the vast objects of perception included within the infinite world realms. He saw the various networks of names that are the bases for infinite world realms. He saw the various infinite, differing relative designations and terms for infinite world realms. He saw the infinite, differing aspirations of beings. He saw the infinite, differing categories of beings. He saw the infinite practices for guiding and ripening beings. He saw the various infinite perceptions727 of the directions and times of beings. [F.381.a]

13.

Chapter 13

Maitrayaṇī

13.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, with inconceivable respect754 for kalyāṇamitras, with a pure, vast755 aspiration, intent on the Mahāyāna, aspiring to the wisdom of buddhahood, [F.388.a] following the Buddhadharma, longing to follow the kalyāṇamitras, practicing veneration of the Dharma,756 intent on unimpeded wisdom, with conviction in the highest goal, being within the range of the apogee of wisdom, comprehending the three times in a fraction of an instant, intent on the nondual apogee of space, having attained certainty in the apogee of nonduality, dwelling in the nonconceptual apogee of the realm of the Dharma, having entered the comprehension of the way that is the apogee of being free of obscurations, dedicated to the harmony that is the apogee of action,757 realizing that the apogee of the tathāgatas is without an apogee, dwelling in the nonconceptuality that is the apogee of the buddhas,758 and dedicated to the wisdom that disperses the network of conceptualizations of all beings, had a mind free from all attachment to realms, free from attachment to all the circles of followers of the buddhas, and practiced, without dwelling in any location, the purification of all buddha realms; he had the recognition that there is no self and no beings within all beings, comprehended that all sounds are like echoes,759 and was dedicated to the realization that all forms are the same as reflections of forms.

14.

Chapter 14

Sudarśana

14.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, contemplated the profound conduct of wisdom of the bodhisattvas, contemplated reaching the profound basis of the realm of phenomena, contemplated all773 profound subtle wisdom, contemplated the profound aspect of worldly conceptualization, contemplated the profound ground774 that is without creation, contemplated the profound ground of the stream of the mind, contemplated the profound ground of dependent origination, contemplated the profound true775 ground of nature, contemplated the profound true ground of the terminology776 of beings, contemplated the profound ground of the adorning array of the realm of phenomena, contemplated the profound ground of dependence on the processes of the body, and contemplated the profound ground of the various transformations of the body.

15.

Chapter 15

Indriyeśvara

15.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, recited,798 promulgated, presented,799 investigated, elucidated, reflected on, described, taught, contemplated, bestowed, understood, was immersed in, repeated again and again, realized, propounded, illuminated, and surveyed the teaching of the bhikṣu Sudarśana.

15.2

He eventually, with an entourage of devas, nāgas, yakṣas, and gandharvas, arrived at the city of Sumukha in the land called Śramaṇamaṇḍala.

16.

Chapter 16

Prabhūtā

16.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, had obtained the rain from the cloud of the instructions of the kalyāṇamitras.

16.2

He was like the ocean that never has too much rain from the clouds. The light from the sun of the wisdom of the kalyāṇamitras had caused the seedling of his powers to sprout from the ground of his ripened good karma.

16.3

The net of light rays from the full moon of the instructions of the kalyāṇamitras had brought ease to his mind and body.

17.

Chapter 17

Vidvān

17.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, had obtained the light of the liberation called the unceasing display of the treasure of merit. He contemplated that ocean of merit. He viewed that sky of merit. He obtained that heap of merit. He climbed that mountain of merit. He accumulated that store964 of merit. He immersed himself in that river of merit. [F.11.b] He descended the steps into the bathing place of that merit. He purified that field of merit. He looked at that treasure of merit. He thought of that way of merit. He paid attention965 to that tradition966 of merit. He purified that lineage of merit.

18.

Chapter 18

Ratnacūḍa

18.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, had conviction in that river of merit. He viewed that field of merit. He purified that mountain984 of merit. He climbed down that stairway to the bathing place of merit. He opened that treasury of merit. He viewed that treasure of merit. He purified that domain of merit. He carried away that heap of merit. He developed that strength of merit. He increased that power of merit.

19.

Chapter 19

Samantanetra

19.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, had perceived the visions of infinite buddhas. He had attained the companionship of infinite bodhisattvas. [F.19.b] He had been illuminated by the infinite ways of the paths of the bodhisattvas. His mind had certainty through being saturated by the infinite ways of the Dharma of the bodhisattvas.997 He purified the path of the infinite motivations of the bodhisattvas. He had attained the brilliance of the infinite faculties of the bodhisattvas. He dwelled in the infinite aspirations of the bodhisattvas. His mind followed the example of the infinite conduct of the bodhisattvas. He possessed the banner of the infinite invincibility of the bodhisattvas. He possessed the movement of the infinite light of wisdom of the bodhisattvas. He had attained the infinite illumination of the Dharma of the bodhisattvas.

20.

Chapter 20

Anala

20.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, remembered the succession of his kalyāṇamitras. He thought about the gateways of their instructions. He was content in his mind, thinking, “I have been accepted as a pupil by the kalyāṇamitras.” He observed in his mind, “I am under the protection of the kalyāṇamitras, and I will never regress in my progress toward the highest, complete enlightenment.” Thinking this, his mind was happy, his mind was serene, his mind was pleased, his mind was gladdened, his mind was delighted, his mind was joyful,1000 his mind was strong,1001 his mind was soothed, his mind was vast, his mind was adorned, his mind was unimpeded, his mind was unobscured, his mind was clear, his mind was composed, his mind had power, his mind had supremacy, his mind comprehended the Dharma, his mind pervaded the realms, his mind was adorned by the vision of the buddhas, and his mind never stopped focusing on the ten strengths.

21.

Chapter 21

Mahāprabha

21.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, remembered that illusion of wisdom. He contemplated the bodhisattva’s liberation that had the form of illusion. He examined the illusory aspect of the nature of phenomena. He comprehended the equality of the illusions of actions. He reflected on the equality of the illusions of phenomena. He comprehended the equality of the emanations that are ripened by the Dharma. He followed the inconceivable appearances that arise from wisdom. He accomplished the accomplishment of the illusions of infinite prayer. He purified the unimpeded conduct that has the true nature of an illusory manifestation. He analyzed the three times as having the characteristics of being composed of illusions.

22.

Chapter 22

Acalā

22.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, left the city of Suprabha, and having followed the road for a little while, he contemplated the instruction given to him by King Mahāprabha: he remembered the way of bodhisattva conduct called the banner of great love; he meditated on the light of the great samādhi called exercising power over the world; he realized1052 the variegated display of the lion throne and adornments of the pure bodhisattva body; he increased the inconceivable power and strength of bodhisattva aspiration and merit; [F.36.a] he made firm1053 the inconceivable way of bodhisattva wisdom that ripens beings; he reflected upon the inconceivable greatness of the general enjoyments of the bodhisattvas; he considered the inconceivable different aspects1054 of the bodhisattvas; he remembered the inconceivable pure ripening of beings by bodhisattvas; he thought about the inconceivable pure and perfect bodhisattva assembly of pupils; he had conviction in the inconceivable radiance of the bodhisattvas’ dedication to their duty to beings; and he attained happiness, powerful attraction, delight, contentment, deep joy, clarity of mind, brightness of mind, stability of mind, vastness of mind, and inexhaustibility of mind. He was in that way dedicated to remembering and thinking of the kalyāṇamitra.

23.

Chapter 23

Sarvagamin

23.1

Then Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, visualizing in his mind the upāsikā Acalā, remembering the instruction of the upāsikā Acalā, with conviction in and no doubt about what the upāsikā Acalā had taught, proclaimed, instructed, described,1080 sanctioned, established, explicated, stated, and elaborated upon it; he followed it, contemplated it, comprehended it, meditated on it, was absorbed in it,1081 was fixed upon it, understood it, illuminated it, and became equal to it.1082

24.

Chapter 24

Utpalabhūti

24.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, had no regard for his life or body; he had no regard for engaging in dedication to obtaining and possessing the pleasures of existence; [F.46.a] he had no regard for the objects of perception that beings delight in; he had no regard for forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures; he had no concern for enjoying retinues and pleasures; he had no regard for any of the pleasures of the power of kingship and sovereignty; he was focused on attaining the highest purification of a buddha realm for the pure ripening and guiding of all beings; he was focused on never being satisfied with the extent of his offering to, honoring, and serving all the tathāgatas; he was focused on all phenomena with the wisdom that knows their nature;1090 he was focused on the qualities of bodhisattvas so that there would be no decline in his practice, which had the entire ocean of those qualities as its goal; he was focused on the great prayers of all bodhisattvas so as to maintain bodhisattva conduct throughout all kalpas; he was focused on entering the ocean of the circles of the followers of all tathāgatas; he was focused on all gateways of bodhisattva samādhis so as to manifest the attainment of all countless bodhisattva samādhis through each samādhi gateway; he was focused on all the light of wisdom of all Dharma wheels so as to never be satisfied with the extent of his obtaining Dharma wheels from all the tathāgatas; and he was focused on the kalyāṇamitras, who are the source of qualities, because the kalyāṇamitras are the source of the qualities of the buddhas, the bodhisattvas, and others.

25.

Chapter 25

Vaira

25.1

When Sudhana set out on the path to Kūṭāgāra, he observed and contemplated how the path could be upward or downward, even or uneven,1096 dusty or free of dust, safe or hazardous,1097 difficult or unobstructed, and crooked or straight. He thought, “This journey to a kalyāṇamitra will be a cause for the practice of the bodhisattva path, will be a cause of the practice of the path of the perfections, and will be a cause of the path of benefiting all beings,1098 which will be a cause for turning all beings away from the precipice of attachment1099 and aversion, [F.49.a] of elation and depression;1100 will be a cause for turning all beings away from a perception1101 of inequality; will be a cause for removing the dust of the kleśas from all beings; will be a cause for clearing away the tree trunks, thorns, pebbles, and gravel of the various bad views of all beings; and, through their entering the unobscured realm of the Dharma, will be a cause for bringing them without hindrance to the palace of omniscience.

26.

Chapter 26

Jayottama

26.1

Then Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, whose mind spread great love throughout the immeasurable realm of beings; whose being was saturated with the tenderness1129 of great compassion; who had accumulated a vast array of the accumulations of merit and wisdom; who had become free of all the dust, darkness, dirt, and mire of the kleśas; who had realized the equality of all phenomena; [F.51.b] who was devoted to the path that leads1130 upward to omniscience; who had chosen1131 the gateway for entering into immeasurable good qualities; who had the exertion1132 of firm diligence that is unimpaired by any bad quality; who was filled1133 with the vast calmness1134 of inconceivable bodhisattva samādhis; who shone with the light of the sun of wisdom that eliminated all the darkness of ignorance; who scattered flowers of wisdom brought by the pleasant, cool breezes of methods; who followed the way of wisdom that emerged from an ocean of great aspirations; and who possessed the wisdom that permeated without impediment the entire realm of the Dharma‍—he had approached entry into the city1135 of faultless1136 omniscience, and he yearned for the bodhisattva path.

27.

Chapter 27

Siṃhavijṛmbhitā

27.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, set out for the town of Kaliṅgavana in the land of Śroṇāparānta and then arrived there. Searching for the bhikṣuṇī Siṃhavijṛmbhitā, as he roamed here and there he questioned the people he met. There were many hundreds of young men1154 and many hundreds of young women assembling and following in the streets, crossroads, and street junctions, together with many hundreds of men and many hundreds of women.

28.

Chapter 28

Vasumitrā

28.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, with his mind illuminated by that great light of wisdom, focusing upon the light of omniscience, regarding the light of the power of the true nature, strengthening the way of retention that is the treasure of what was known from the voices of all beings, increasing the way of retention that possesses the Dharma wheels of all the tathāgatas, supporting1204 the power of the great compassion that is a refuge for all beings, realizing the strength of the omniscience that comes from the gateway of the light of the way of all Dharmas, following the pure aspiration that pervades the domain of the vast realm of phenomena, shining with the light of wisdom that illuminates all the directions of phenomena, accomplishing the power of the higher knowledge that pervades the array of world realms in the ten directions of all phenomena, and fulfilling the aspirations of accomplishing undertaking all the practices, memories, and actions1205 of the bodhisattvas, eventually arrived at the city of Ratnavyūha in the land of Durga and searched for the courtesan Vasumitrā.

29.

Chapter 29

Veṣṭhila

29.1

Then Sudhana went to the town of Śubhapāraṃgama [F.66.a] and approached the householder Veṣṭhila. He bowed his head to his feet, stood before him, and, with his hands placed together in homage, said, “Ārya, I have developed the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment, but I do not know how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and in what way they should practice it.

30.

Chapter 30

Avalokiteśvara

30.1

Then Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, contemplating the instruction of the householder Veṣṭhila, knowing that treasury of bodhisattva aspiration, remembering that power of bodhisattva memory, keeping in his mind the power of that successive lineage of the way of the buddhas, comprehending the continuous succession of the lineage of the buddhas, remembering the names of the buddhas that he had heard,1245 being in accord with the way of the Dharma taught by the buddhas, comprehending the array of attainments through the Dharma1246 of the buddhas, having confidence in the proclamation1247 of complete buddhahood by the buddhas, and focused on the inconceivable activity of the tathāgatas, eventually came to the Potalaka Mountain. [F.69.a] He ascended the Potalaka Mountain and searched and searched for the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara.

31.

Chapter 31

Ananyagāmin

31.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, his mind having acquired Avalokiteśvara’s verses of wisdom,1267 had not had enough of gazing on the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, but so as not to disobey his instruction, Sudhana went to where the bodhisattva Ananyagāmin was.

31.2

He bowed his head to the feet of the bodhisattva Ananyagāmin. Then he stood before him and, with his hands placed together in homage, said, “Ārya, I have developed the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment, but I do not know how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and in what way they should practice it.

32.

Chapter 32

Mahādeva

32.1

Sudhana had a mind that followed the vast conduct of bodhisattvas. He had the nature of longing for the scope of the wisdom of the bodhisattva Ananyagāmin. He saw the special qualities of accomplishing great higher cognition. He had attained joy in the armor of stable diligence. He had the aspiration to follow the displays1270 of inconceivable liberations. He practiced the qualities of the bodhisattva level. He analyzed on the level of samādhi. He was established on the level of the power of retention. He engaged in the level of prayer. He trained in the level of discernment. He was accomplishing the level of power.

33.

Chapter 33

Sthāvarā

33.1

Then Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, eventually reached the goddess of the earth, Sthāvarā, in the land of Magadha’s bodhimaṇḍa. When he arrived there, one million earth goddesses proclaimed to one another, “Someone who will be a refuge for all beings is coming here! Someone who has the essence of the tathāgatas and who will break open the enclosing egg of ignorance of all beings is coming here! Someone who is in the family of the kings of Dharma and will attain the state of an unimpeded, stainless king of the Dharma is coming here! Someone who is a hero with the thunderbolt weapon that has the great power of wisdom and who will subdue the circle of opponents is coming here!”

34.

Chapter 34

Vāsantī

34.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, remembering the teaching of the earth goddess Sthāvarā, remembering the bodhisattva liberation called the essence of invincible wisdom, becoming adept in the meditation of bodhisattva samādhi, contemplating the way of the bodhisattva Dharma, analyzing the displays of bodhisattva liberation, viewing the very subtle wisdom of bodhisattva liberation, entering the ocean of the wisdom of bodhisattva liberation, with faith in the different wisdoms of bodhisattva liberation, realizing the mastery of the wisdom of bodhisattva liberation, and descending into the ocean of the wisdom of bodhisattva liberation, arrived at the location of the town of Kapilavastu.

35.

Chapter 35

Samantagambhīraśrīvimalaprabhā

35.1

Then Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, contemplating the night goddess Vāsantī’s first entry into the pure domain of aspiration to enlightenment, analyzing the arising of the essence of a bodhisattva, comprehending the ocean of bodhisattva prayer, purifying the bodhisattva path of perfections, overcoming the domain of the bodhisattva levels, augmenting the domain of bodhisattva conduct, following1324 an ocean of the setting-forth of bodhisattvas, looking at the ocean of the great illumination of omniscience, increasing the bodhisattva clouds of great compassion intent on saving all beings, and attaining the blessing of the completely good bodhisattva conduct and prayer of the night goddess Vāsantī that extends to the limits of all realms, went to the location of the night goddess Samantagambhīraśrīvimalaprabhā. Having reached her, he bowed his head to the feet of the night goddess Samantagambhīraśrīvimalaprabhā, circumambulated the night goddess Samantagambhīraśrīvimalaprabhā many hundreds of thousands of times, keeping her to his right, and then stood before her and, with palms together, said, “Āryā, I have developed the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment. However, I do not know how a bodhisattva practices on the level of a bodhisattva, how a bodhisattva sets forth, how a bodhisattva accomplishes.” [F.92.a]

36.

Chapter 36

Pramuditanayanajagadvirocanā

36.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, was blessed by the instruction of the kalyāṇamitra; his mind practiced the words of the kalyāṇamitra; his mind had the perception of the kalyāṇamitra as a physician and himself as a patient; [F.96.a] his mind was contented by focusing on the vision of the kalyāṇamitra; his mind had obtained the opportunity to disperse the mountain of obscurations to the vision of the kalyāṇamitra; his mind had attained, through seeing the kalyāṇamitra, entry into the ocean of the ways of the great compassion that saves all the realms of beings; his mind had attained, through seeing the kalyāṇamitra, the illumination by wisdom of the ocean of the ways of the realm of phenomena.

37.

Chapter 37

Samantasattvatrāṇojaḥśrī

37.1

Then Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, aspiring to the night goddess Pramuditanayanajagadvirocanā’s samādhi of the bodhisattva liberation called the banner of the power1431 of vast, stainless, completely good joy, comprehending it, understanding it, knowing it, believing in it, undertaking it, pervading it, recollecting it, remembering it, and meditating on it,1432 practicing the instruction of the kalyāṇamitra and memorizing the instruction given by the night goddess Pramuditanayanajagadvirocanā in order to maintain the continuity of the teaching of instruction, approached the night goddess Samantasattvatrāṇojaḥśrī. Through contemplating1433 seeing a kalyāṇamitra, through the domain of all his faculties,1434 by going from place to place1435 to obtain the sight of a kalyāṇamitra, through looking in all directions, through being intent on searching for a kalyāṇamitra, through being free from all pride, [F.113.b] through the prowess1436 of pleasing a kalyāṇamitra, through being resolved to create a great accumulation of merit, through having become single-mindedly intent upon a kalyāṇamitra,1437 and through all his roots of merit,1438 he had gained the unwavering motivation for a kalyāṇamitra’s conduct of skillful methods, had developed an ocean of the power of diligence for increasing reliance on a kalyāṇamitra, and had prayed to dwell with and follow kalyāṇamitras equally in all kalpas.

38.

Chapter 38

Praśantarutasāgaravatī

38.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, meditating on the night goddess Samantasattvatrāṇojaḥśrī’s bodhisattva liberation called the manifestations that guide beings that appear in all worlds, and contemplating it, having faith in it, engaging in it, increasing it, expanding it, augmenting it,1497 gaining power over it, illuminating it, and being absorbed in it, approached the night goddess Praśantarutasāgaravatī.

39.

Chapter 39

Sarvanagararakṣāsaṃbhavatejaḥśrī

39.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, was meditating on, familiarizing himself with,1529 and cultivating the bodhisattva liberation called the display in each instant of mind of the arising of the power of vast delight. He was following, remembering, [F.148.a] and comprehending the instruction and teachings of the night goddess Praśantarutasāgaravatī, remembering each word and letter, the numerous countless aspects, the knowledge of the aspects of the nature of phenomena, and he was relying on it through his memory, analyzing it with his intelligence, comprehending it with his understanding,1530 increasing it with his intellect, feeling it with his body, practicing it, and engaging in it, and eventually he arrived where the night goddess Sarvanagararakṣāsaṃbhavatejaḥśrī was.

40.

Chapter 40

Sarvavṛkṣpraphullanasukhasaṃvāsā

40.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, further meditating on, believing in,1554 and increasing the bodhisattva liberation called the entry into beautiful sounds and profound manifestations, went to where the night goddess Sarvavṛkṣpraphullanasukhasaṃvāsā was. He saw the night goddess Sarvavṛkṣpraphullanasukhasaṃvāsā seated upon a lion throne consisting of the saplings of precious trees, inside a kūṭāgāra made from the branches of all perfumed precious trees and encircled by an entourage of ten thousand night goddesses. [F.159.b]

41.

Chapter 41

Sarvajagadrakṣāpraṇidhānavīryaprabhā

41.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, went to where the night goddess Sarvajagadrakṣāpraṇidhānavīryaprabhā was. He saw the night goddess Sarvajagadrakṣāpraṇidhānavīryaprabhā in the center of her entourage, seated upon a throne that contained kings of jewels that illuminated the dwellings of all beings. She had a body covered completely in a net of jewels that illuminated the ways of the realm of phenomena. Her body revealed the images of the sun, the moon, and all the planets, stars, and constellations. She had a body that manifested to the perception of beings in accordance with their wishes. She had a body such that her own body was perceived by all beings as having the same form as their bodies. She had a body that manifested perceptions of a vast, centerless, edgeless ocean of skin colors. She had a body that manifested practicing all paths of the practice of conduct. She had a body that could be perceived from every kind of orientation.1627 She had a body that was present in all worlds, filling all directions with the sound of thunder from the cloud of the Dharma and with various miraculous manifestations. She had a body that reached throughout the realm of space, at all times looking at how to benefit all beings. She had a body that paid homage and bowed down at the feet of all tathāgatas. She had a body that came before all beings, aiding them in the accumulation of roots of merit. [F.180.a] She had a body that possessed the mindfulness of keeping and never deviating from the motivation to accomplish and fulfill the prayer to receive and possess clouds of Dharma directly from all the tathāgatas. She had a body that filled all principal and intermediate directions with light that had no edge or center. She had a body that manifested the illumination and the spreading light of the lamp of Dharma, dispelling the darkness in all beings. She had a body that manifested as a stainless body of the wisdom that phenomena are like illusions. She had a body that manifested as a Dharma body free of darkness and dust. She had a body that appeared with the nature of being an illusion. She had a mind free of darkness that had realized the true nature. She had attained the illumination in all aspects of the light of wisdom. She had a mental body that was completely free of illness and had no pain. She had appeared from the realm of the enduring and indestructible Dharma body. She had a body that was the pure body of the stainless true nature, the state completely without kleśas, and which had the nature of the unlocated blessing of the tathāgatas.

42.

Chapter 42

Sutejomaṇḍalaratiśrī

42.1

Then Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, remembering the instruction of the night goddess Sarvajagadrakṣāpraṇidhānavīryaprabhā and meditating on, comprehending, and augmenting the bodhisattva liberation called the origin of the roots of merit that inspire the ripening of all beings, eventually arrived at the Lumbinī Forest.

43.

Chapter 43

Gopā

43.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, left the presence of Sutejomaṇḍalaratiśrī, the Lumbinī Forest goddess, and went to the location of the great city of Kapilavastu. [F.219.b]

43.2

While meditating on, comprehending, increasing, practicing, purifying,1744 contemplating, and examining the bodhisattva liberation called the miraculous manifestations at the birth of bodhisattvas throughout all the perceptions of countless kalpas, he came to the assembly hall of the bodhisattvas called the Illuminating Light of the Realm of the Dharma.

44.

Chapter 44

Māyādevī

44.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, on the way to Māyādevī, undertaking the wisdom of practicing the scope of the activity of the buddhas, thought, “By what means can I see the kalyāṇamitras, honor them, meet them,1846 accompany them,1847 learn their qualities, know the field of their speech, understand the succession of their words, and possess the teachings of the kalyāṇamitras who have six āyatanas that have risen above all worlds; who have bodies that have transcended all attachments; who follow the path of unimpeded movement; who have pure Dharma bodies; who have bodies that are manifestations of illusory physical activities; who perform conducts in the world that are the illusions of wisdom; who have forms and bodies1848 from prayer;1849 who have bodies that are not born and do not cease; who have bodies that are neither true nor false; who have bodies that do not pass away or perish; who have bodies that do not originate and are not destroyed; who have bodies that have the single characteristic of having no characteristics; who have bodies that have no attachment to duality; who have bodies that are based on having no basis; who have bodies that do not decay1850 or diminish; [F.256.a] who have bodies without thoughts, like reflections; who have active bodies that are like dreams; who have bodies that do not depart, like the surface of a mirror; who have bodies that are established in peace, like the absence of directions; who have bodies that pervade all directions; who have bodies that have no differentiation between the three times; who have bodiless bodies of mind that are bodies without thought; who have bodies that have transcended the path of sight in all worlds; who have bodies that have been tamed through the path of completely good vision; and who have the unimpeded field of activity of space?”

45.

Chapter 45

Surendrābhā

45.1

Sudhana went to the paradise of the lord of Trāyastriṃśa and approached the deva maiden Surendrābhā, the daughter of the deva Smṛtimat. He bowed his head to the feet of the deva maiden Surendrābhā, circumambulated the deva maiden Surendrābhā many hundreds of thousands of times, keeping her to his right, and then stood before the deva maiden Surendrābhā with his palms together in homage and said, “Āryā, goddess, I have developed the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment, but I do not know how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and in what way they should practice it. Āryā, I have heard that you give instruction and teachings to bodhisattvas! I pray that you explain to me how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and how they should practice it!”

46.

Chapter 46

Viśvāmitra

46.1

Sudhana descended from the paradise of the lord of Trāyastriṃśa and eventually came to Viśvāmitra, the teacher of children, in the city of Kapilavastu. When he came to him, he bowed his head to the feet of Viśvāmitra, the teacher of children; circumambulated Viśvāmitra, the teacher of children, many hundreds of thousands of times, keeping him to his right; and then stood before Viśvāmitra, the teacher of children, with his palms together in homage and said, “Ārya, I have developed the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment, but I do not know how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and in what way they should practice it. Ārya, I have heard that you give instruction and teachings to bodhisattvas! Ārya, I pray that you explain to me how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and how they should practice it!” [F.273.b]

47.

Chapter 47

Śilpābhijña

47.1

Sudhana went to where Śilpābhijña, the head merchant’s son, was present. When he came to him, he bowed his head to the feet of Śilpābhijña, the head merchant’s son, then stood before Śilpābhijña, the head merchant’s son, with his palms together in homage and said, “Ārya, I have developed the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment, but I do not know how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and in what way they should practice it. Ārya, I have heard that you give instruction and teachings to bodhisattvas! Ārya, I pray that you explain to me how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and how they should practice it!”

48.

Chapter 48

Bhadrottamā

48.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, went to the town called Vartanaka in the region of Kevalaka and approached the kalyāṇamitra Bhadrottamā. When he approached the kalyāṇamitra Bhadrottamā, he bowed his head to her feet, and then he stood before the kalyāṇamitra Bhadrottamā with his palms together in homage and said, “Āryā, I have developed the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment, but I do not know how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and in what way they should practice it. [F.276.b] Āryā, I have heard that you give instruction and teachings to bodhisattvas! I pray that you explain to me how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and how they should practice it!”

49.

Chapter 49

Muktāsāra

49.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, eventually arrived in the southern region, and in the town of Bharukaccha he approached the goldsmith Muktāsāra. He bowed his head to the feet of the goldsmith Muktāsāra and then, standing before him with his palms together in homage, said, “Ārya, I have developed the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment, but I do not know how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and in what way they should practice it.

50.

Chapter 50

Sucandra

50.1

Sudhana went to the householder Sucandra, bowed his head to the feet of the householder Sucandra, stood before him, and, with his palms together in homage, said, “Ārya, I have developed the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment, but I do not know how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and in what way they should practice it. Ārya, I have heard that you give instruction and teachings to bodhisattvas! I pray that you explain to me how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and how they should practice it!”

51.

Chapter 51

Ajitasena

51.1

Sudhana eventually reached the town of Roruka and approached the householder Ajitasena, bowed his head to the feet of the householder Ajitasena, stood before him, [F.278.b] and, with his palms together in homage, said, “Ārya, I have developed the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment, but I do not know how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and in what way they should practice it. Ārya, I have heard that you give instruction and teachings to bodhisattvas! I pray that you explain to me how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and how they should practice it!”

52.

Chapter 52

Śivarāgra

52.1

Sudhana eventually reached the village of Dharma and approached the brahmin Śivarāgra. He bowed his head to the feet of the brahmin Śivarāgra, stood before him, and, with his palms together in homage, said, “Ārya, I have developed the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment, but I do not know how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and in what way they should practice it. Ārya, I have heard that you give instruction and teachings to bodhisattvas! I pray that you explain to me how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and how they should practice it!”

53.

Chapter 53

Śrīsaṃbhava and Śrīmati

53.1

Sudhana eventually reached the town of Sumanāmukha and approached the boy Śrīsaṃbhava and the girl Śrīmati. He bowed his head to their feet, stood before them with his palms together in homage, and said, “Āryas, I have developed the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment, but I do not know how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and in what way they should practice it. Āryas, I have heard that you give instruction and teachings to bodhisattvas! I pray that you explain to me how bodhisattvas should train in bodhisattva conduct and how they should practice it!”

54.

Chapter 54

Maitreya

54.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, his mind moistened by the instructions of the kalyāṇamitra, contemplated bodhisattva conduct. Thinking of how his many bodies in the past had failed to practice perfect conduct, he made resolute the strength of his body. Thinking of how his body and mind throughout the past, even though pure, were the worthless continuation of a saṃsāric mind, he applied the attention of his mind to conduct. Thinking how his actions throughout the past had been impure, had been devoted to the world, and were worthless hardships, he contemplated accomplishing in the present that which is very meaningful. [F.289.a] Thinking how throughout the past he had developed thoughts through incorrect examination, he generated the strength to create the correct examination of bodhisattva conduct. Thinking how his past bodies had a range of activity1973 dedicated to engaging in self-benefit, he made firm the strength of his superior, higher motivation to engage in benefiting1974 all beings. Thinking how in the past he had the flavorless conduct of continually seeking what was desired, he increased the great force of the power for attaining relief through engaging in obtaining the Dharma of the buddhas. Thinking how in the past he had engaged in conduct through an incorrect motivation, he purified1975 the flow of his mind in the present with a correct view that was free of error and with dedication to bodhisattva prayer. Thinking how in the past he fruitlessly had no diligence in his undertakings and practiced without diligence, in the present he motivated his mind and body by generating the diligence for remaining prepared to gather the Dharmas of the buddhas. Examining how he and others had been lost in the lower realms and1976 the five classes of beings, and thinking how in the past he had not taken care of his body, he increased a vast, powerful rejoicing and aspiration for maintaining a body with the power to accomplish all the Dharmas of the buddhas, take care of all beings, and serve all kalyāṇamitras. [F.289.b]

55.

Chapter 55

Mañjuśrī

55.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, after passing through a hundred and ten towns, came to the district called Sumanāmukha, where, while thinking of and looking for Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, he was aspiring and praying to see Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta and continually yearning to meet him.

55.2

Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, from a distance of a hundred and ten yojanas, extended his hand and placed it upon the head of Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, who was in the town of Sumanāmukha, and said, “Well done, well done, noble one! Someone who does not have the power of faith, who has a mind that wearies, who has thoughts of despondency, who abandons practice, who turns away from diligence, who is pleased by having a few qualities, who remains clinging to a single root of merit, who is not skilled in accomplishing the conduct and prayer, who is not in the care of a kalyāṇamitra, and who does not consider the buddhas is unable to know the true nature of phenomena in this way, or to know this kind of way and this kind of range of activity, or to know this kind of place or enter it, or to believe in it or examine it or understand it or attain it.”

56.

Chapter 56

Samantabhadra and “The Prayer for Completely Good Conduct”

56.1

Sudhana, the head merchant’s son, who had reverenced as many kalyāṇamitras as there are atoms in the world realms of a billion-world universe; who had the motivation to gather the accumulations for omniscience; who correctly held and practiced the instructions and teachings of all kalyāṇamitras; who in the presence of all kalyāṇamitras gave rise to the same aspiration as they did; who had the realization that pleased and was not displeasing to all kalyāṇamitras; who followed the ocean of the ways of the instructions and teachings of all kalyāṇamitras; who had the essence that arises from the ocean of the aspiration of great compassion; who had shone on all beings with the clouds of the ways of great love; who had a body that increased the power of great joy; who was active2179 in complete peace within the vast bodhisattva liberations; who had the vision focused on whatever emanates from all gateways;2180 who had perfected the practice of the ocean of the qualities of all tathāgatas;2181 who had followed the path of aspiration of all the tathāgatas;2182 who had increased the power of diligence in the accumulation of omniscience; who had a mind with the perfect development of the motivation and aspiration of all bodhisattvas; who had comprehended the succession of all the tathāgatas in the three times; [F.345.b] who had realized the ocean of the ways of the Dharmas of all buddhas; who had followed the ocean of the ways of the Dharma wheels of all the tathāgatas; who had the range of activity of manifesting the appearance of taking birth in all worlds; who had comprehended the ocean of the ways of the prayers of all bodhisattvas; who was established in bodhisattva conduct in all kalpas; who had attained the illumination of the scope of omniscience; who had increased all the powers of a bodhisattva; who had attained the illumination of the path to omniscience; who had attained the unobscured illumination of all directions; who had the realization that pervades the ways of the entire realm of phenomena; who had accomplished the illumination of the ways of all realms; who had engaged in the appropriate way with the activities of the vast extent of beings; who had demolished all the precipices and mountains of obscurations; who had followed the unobscured true nature of phenomena; who was active2183 in complete peace in the bodhisattva liberations that have the essence of all the surfaces and bases in the realm of phenomena; who was seeking the range of activity of all the tathāgatas; who had been blessed by all the tathāgatas; who was established in being active2184 in the range of activity of a bodhisattva; who had heard the name of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra; who had heard of his bodhisattva activity; who had heard of his special prayers; who had heard of his special entry and dwelling in the accomplishment of accumulation; who had heard of his special path of accomplishment and setting forth; [F.346.a] who had heard of his way of activity on the completely good level; who had heard of the accumulations of his level; who had heard of his power for attaining that level; who had heard of his ascending to that level; who had heard of his being established on that level; who had heard of his reaching that level through leaving the previous levels; who had heard of the range of activity of that level; who had heard of the blessings of that level; who had heard of his dwelling on that level; and who yearned and thirsted for the sight of the bodhisattva Samantabhadra; with a motivation as vast as space that had risen above all clinging; with a perfect meditation that perceived all2185 realms; with a mind that had transcended all attachments; with an unobscured range of activity in all phenomena; with an obstructed mind that pervaded the entire ocean of the directions; with an unobscured mind that ascended to the scope of perception of omniscience; with a pure mind that had the pure vipaśyanā that adorns a bodhimaṇḍa; with a perfectly distinct mind that comprehended the ocean of the Dharmas of all the buddhas; with a vast mind that pervaded all realms of beings in order to ripen and guide them; with an immense2186 mind that purified all buddha realms; with a measureless mind that manifested his appearance within the assemblies of the followers of all buddhas; and with an inexhaustible and endless mind that dwelled in all kalpas and had the conclusive strengths, fearlessnesses, and unique qualities of all the tathāgatas, Sudhana, in the bodhimaṇḍa, which had the supreme vajra as its essence, was seated upon a lotus seat that was a mass of all jewels, gazing at the lion throne that was the seat of the Tathāgata. [F.346.b]

Colophon

c.1

This was translated and revised by the Indian upādhyāyas Jinamitra and Surendrabodhi and by the chief editor Lotsawa Bandé Yeshé Dé and others.2232

Tibetan Editor’s Colophon

Tashi Wangchuk

c.2

A Multitude of Buddhas is the marvelous essence of the final, ultimate, definitive wheel from among the three wheels of the Sugata’s teaching. It has many other titles, such as The Mahāvaipulya Basket, The Earring, The Lotus Adornment, and so on.

c.3

It has seven sections:2233 A Multitude of Tathāgatas,2234 The Vajra Banner Dedication,2235 The Teaching of the Ten Bhūmis,2236 The Teaching of Completely Good Conduct,2237 [F.362.b] The Teaching of the Birth and Appearance of the Tathāgatas,2238 The Transcendence of the World,2239 and Stem Array.2240 These are subdivided into forty-five chapters.

c.4

According to Butön Rinpoché and others, it contains thirty-nine thousand and thirty verses, a hundred and thirty fascicles, and an additional thirty verses. In the Tshalpa Kangyur edition there are a hundred and fifteen fascicles, the Denkarma edition has a hundred and twenty-seven fascicles,2241 and present-day editions have various numbers of fascicles.2242

c.5

This sūtra was first received from Ārya Nāgārjuna by Paṇḍita Buddhabhadra and Paṇḍita Śikṣānanda (652–710), and they both translated it into Chinese. It is taught that Surendrabodhi and Vairocanarakṣita became principal editors for a Chinese translation.

c.6

As for the lineage of the text, there is the lineage from China: The perfect Buddha, Ārya Mañjuśrī, Lord Nāgārjuna, the two paṇḍitas mentioned above, and Heshang Tushun. Then the lineage continued through others until Üpa Sangyé Bum received it from Heshang Gying-ju. Then that lineage was passed on through Lotsawa Chokden and has continued up to the present time.

c.7

The lineage from India is as follows:

It was passed from Nāgārjuna to Āryadeva, and then Mañjuśrīkīrti, and so on, until Bari Lotsawa received it from Vajrāsana. It is taught that the lineage then continued through Chim Tsöndrü Sengé, the great Sakya Lord,2243 and so on.

c.8

However, I have not seen any other text or history of a translation made by any other lotsawa or paṇḍita other than those listed in the colophon to this translation into Tibetan.

c.9

The king of Jangsa Tham2244 had a complete Kangyur made that was based on the Tshalpa Kangyur. At the present time this is known as the Lithang Tshalpa Kangyur (1609–14). I considered this to be a reliable source and so have made it the basis for this edition. However, it has many omissions, accretions, and misspellings, and therefore I have at this time corrected it by seeking out many older editions.

c.10

There are variant Indian texts and conflicting translations, and I have not been able to ascertain from them a definitive single meaning or correct words. Nevertheless, this text is nothing but a valid edition.

c.11

There are varying translations of terms that have been left unrevised, as there is no contradiction in meaning. For example, it has rgyan instead of bkod pa;2245 ’byam klas instead of rab ’byams;2246 so so yang dag par rig pa instead of tha dad pa yang dag par shes pa;2247 thugs for dgongs pa;2248 [F.363.a] nyin mtshan dang zla ba yar kham mar kham dang instead of nyin mtshan dang yud du yan man dang;2249 and tha snyad instead of rnam par dpyod pa.2250

c.12

Sanskrit words have many cases and tenses, so that although the Tibetan lotsawas and paṇḍitas, who had the eyes of the Dharma, translated their meaning, their tenses, cases, and so on are difficult to discern. Those are the majority of the examples of uncertainty, and there are also a few other kinds, but they are nevertheless in accord with Tibetan grammar.

c.13

In most texts there are many archaic words, so that the meaning of the translation is not clear, but there is a consistency when those words are all in archaic Tibetan. However, there appears to have occurred in later times a strong adulteration of the text so that there is a mixture of archaic and modern forms. There are also unreliable placements of the shad mark that differentiates clauses, but all these have been left as they are because these faults are few and minor. Therefore, this revision has been diligently edited without becoming analogous to knocking down the ancient megaliths of the southern regions.

c.14

May this remain for the entire kalpa within the circle of the Cakravāla Mountains, as bright as the sun and moon, as the glory of the merit of nonsectarian beings and the precious teaching of the Buddha.

c.15

This was printed in the water tiger year called dge byed (1722),2251 in the presence of Tenpa Tsering (1678–1738), the divine Dharma king who rules in accordance with the Dharma, who has the vast, superior wealth of the ten good actions, and who is a bodhisattva as a ruler of humans and the source of happiness in the four regions of greater Tibet.

c.16

This was written by the attendant Gelong Tashi Wangchuk, who in the process of revision was commanded to become its supervisor.

c.17

Ye dharmahetuprabhavā hetun teṣān tathāgato hy avadat. Teṣāñ ca yo nirodha evaṃ vādī mahāśramanaḥ.

(The Tathāgata has taught those causes that are the causes for the arising of phenomena, and the great Śramaṇa, in that way, taught that which is their cessation.)

Notes

n.1

See colophon, c.3.

n.2

Pekar Zangpo, mdo sde spy’i rnam bzhag (2006), 18.

n.3

This depiction of Śākyamuni as a Vairocana emanation has its precedent in a sūtra that was never translated into Tibetan but exists in Chinese translation: the Brahmajālasūtra. This sūtra introduces the Buddha Vairocana as the primordial buddha who is the source of ten billion Śākyamunis who exist simultaneously in ten billion different worlds. This sūtra should not be confused with the Brahmajālasūtra that exists both in the Pali canon and in the Tibetan Kangyur (Toh 352).

n.4

See Peter Alan Roberts, trans., The Ten Bhūmis, Toh 44-31.

n.5

There is evidence for Mahāyāna sūtras originating in northern India. In his Genealogies of Mahāyāna Buddhism, Joseph Walser argues that the “core portion” of The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Toh 12, Aṣṭasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā) was most probably written in the second half of the first century in Mathura, which is located in present-day Uttar Pradesh. He also offers the tentative conclusion that it was written by “a Sarvāstivādin monk residing at Buddhadeva’s Guhavihāra outside of Maṭ.” See Walser (2018), 242.

n.6

Osto notes that Etienne Lamotte, Edward Conze, and Nalinaksha Dutt all regard the Mahāsāṃghika as the source of the Mahāyāna tradition. See Osto (2008), 157, n. 5. Paul Williams argues that at least some Mahāyāna sūtras emerged from the Mahāsāṃghika: “There can be no doubt that at least some early Mahāyāna sūtras originated in Mahāsāṃghika circles. In the lokottaravāda supramundane teachings we are getting very close to a teaching well-known in Mahāyāna that the Buddha’s death was also a mere appearance; in reality he remains out of his compassion, helping suffering humanity, and thence the suggestion that for those who are capable of it the highest religious goal should be not to become an Arhat but to take the Bodhisattva vows, embarking themselves on the long path to a supreme and totally superior Buddhahood.” See Williams (2009), 21. This view has been contested by a number of scholars, however, including Paul Harrison, who maintains in his “Searching for the Origins of the Mahāyāna: What Are We Looking For?” that it is impossible to draw a clear connection between the Mahāyāna and a single sect, maintaining instead that the Mahāyāna was a loose set of related movements that cut across Buddhist India. For a fine summary of scholarship concerning the origins of the Mahāyāna, see Osto (2008), 105–16.

n.7

Toh 127. See translation in Peter Alan Roberts, trans., The King of Samādhis Sūtra, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018.

n.8

Osto (2008), 108–9.

n.37

According to the Sanskrit. There is no division into chapters in the Tibetan, see Introduction i.65. In Śikṣānanda’s eighty-fascicle Chinese translation (hereafter, “the Chinese”), this is presented as the thirty-ninth sūtra in twenty-one fascicles, from 60 to 80. Each fascicle bears the title 入法界品 (ru fa jie pin), number 39, and a serial number ranging from 1 to 21; for example, fascicle 60 is entitled 入法界品第三十九之一 (ru fa jie pin di san shi jiu zhi yi), the first segment of the thirty-ninth sūtra, Entry into the Realm of the Dharma.

n.38

According to the Sanskrit and such Kangyurs as the Degé, which have shes pa dam pa’i ye shes. Lithang and Choné Kangyurs have shes rab dam pa’i ye shes. Yongle and Kangxi have ye shes rab dam pa’i ye shes.

n.39

According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has brtan pa dam pa’i ye shes.

n.40

According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. The Tibetan blo gros chen po’i gzi brjid appears to translate from mahāmatitejas.

n.41

This is followed in the Sanskrit by Samantaprabhatejas, which would have been translated into Tibetan as kun nas ’od gyi gzi brjid. The Chinese appears to have conflated these three similar names into one as 普吉祥威力 (pu ji xiang wei li).

n.42

Construction from the Tibetan. Not present in the Sanskrit or the Chinese.

n.43

According to the Sanskrit, the Chinese, and most Kangyurs, which have shin tu rnam par lta ba’i myig. Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné have rnam par dag pa’i in error for rnam par lta ba’i. In the Sanskrit this is followed by Avalokitanetra, which is absent in both the Chinese and the Tibetan, most likely the result of a scribal omission due to the similarity of the names.

n.44

In the Sanskrit and the Chinese this is followed by “the bodhisattva Samantanetra,” which is not present in the Tibetan.

n.45

The Sanskrit has “bodhisattva mahāsattva.” The Chinese ends all names with “bodhisattva.”

n.46

The Sanskrit has “bodhisattva mahāsattva.”

n.47

The Sanskrit has “bodhisattva mahāsattva.”

n.48

According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. Not present in the Tibetan, probably as the result of an accidental omission in the process of copying, because of the names being similar.

n.49

The Sanskrit has “bodhisattva mahāsattva.”

n.50

Occurs last in the list of -ketu names in Sanskrit.

n.51

The Sanskrit has “bodhisattva mahāsattva.”

n.52

According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. The Tibetan omits dhātu.

n.53

The Sanskrit has “bodhisattva mahāsattva.”

n.54

The Sanskrit has “bodhisattva mahāsattva.”

n.55

The Sanskrit has “bodhisattva mahāsattva.”

n.56

The Sanskrit has “bodhisattva mahāsattva.”

n.57

The Sanskrit has “bodhisattva mahāsattva.”

n.58

According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan ye shes ri bo’i blo appears to be translated from jñānaparvatabuddhi. The Chinese reads 須彌光覺 (xu mi guang jue).

n.59

In the Sanskrit the order of Vimalabuddhi and Asaṅgabuddhi are reversed.

n.60

The Chinese translation uses the term 成就 (cheng jiu), which means “accomplished.” Sanskrit: abhiniryāta.

n.61

The Sanskrit samantabhadrabodhisattvacaryāpraṇidhāna could also be interpreted, as is similarly found in Osto, as “the prayer for the bodhisattva conduct of Samantabhadra,” though this would more regularly be written as bodhisattvasamantabhadracaryāpraṇidhāna.

n.62

According to the Sanskrit. The translation of the word vijñaptiṣu, which would have been translated as rnam par rig byed, appears to have been inadvertently omitted in the Tibetan, either from the Sanskrit manuscript it was translated from or at an early stage in the copying of the text. The Chinese translation has 至處無限 (zhi chu wu xian, “who had been to countless places”).

n.63

According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. The Tibetan appears to have inadvertently omitted “of the buddhas.”

n.64

According to the Sanskrit guṇa. The word yon tan (the translation of guṇa) is absent in the Tibetan, and absent in the Chinese as well.

n.65

According to the Sanskrit anigṛhīta. The Tibetan translates as the vague mi gnas pa, which could be interpreted as “not dwelling” or “unlocated.” Similarly, the Chinese describes their manifestations as 無所依止 (wu suo yi zhi, “nondwelling”) because they are in accordance with the aspirations of beings.

n.66

According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. The Tibetan inadvertently omits “wisdom.”

n.270

According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. The Tibetan includes a negative myed pa.

n.271

From the Sanskrit praṭimaṇḍala. The Tibetan and the Chinese translate as “adornment.”

n.272

According to the Sanskrit sāgara and the Chinese. Translated into Tibetan as gang chen mtsho (“the lake that is big”) instead of the usual rgya mtsho (“vast lake”) as in the Mahāvyutpatti, perhaps because the synonym samudra is translated as rgya mtsho in this sentence and the translator wished to create a synonym. This term is made more obscure in Narthang, Choné, and Lhasa, where it is incorrectly written gangs chen mtsho (“great snow lake”).

n.273

The online Sanskrit (Vaidya) has kūṭāgara.

n.274

According to the Tibetan thams cad mkhyen pa’i chos, presumably from a Sanskrit manuscript that had sarvajñadharma. The Chinese has 一切智智無上法城 (yi qie zhi zhi wu shang fa cheng), which can mean “the towns of omniscient supreme Dharma,” probably a confluence of two Sanskrit terms sarvajñāna and sarvajñadharma, or “the towns of supreme Buddhadharma” or “the supreme town of omniscient Dharma.” The present Sanskrit has just sarvadharma (“all Dharmas”).

n.352

According to the Tibetan.

n.353

From the BHS anumārjan. The Tibetan translates as rjes su sbyang ba (“trained in”).

n.354

According to the Tibetan.

n.377

The Sanskrit avagāhyamāna has the stronger meaning of “being immersed in.”

n.378

From the Sanskrit āvarta. The Tibetan translation has le’u dang (“chapters and”) glong in all available editions of the Kangyur, apparently in error for klong (“expanse,” “whirlpool”) as in the Chinese translation 漩澓 (xuan fu, “whirlpools and undercurrents”).

n.379

This could possibly be an incorrect Sanskritization of the Middle-Indic dīpa, which could mean both “continent” and “lamp.”

n.380

According to the Tibetan gnas. The Sanskrit patha primarily means “road” but could also mean “region.”

n.399

According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “mind illuminated by the light of the three times” or “. . . by light in the three times,” which may have been translated from tryadhvāloka instead of tryadhvaloka. The meaning of the Chinese translation 念善知識普照三世 (nian shan zhi shi pu zhao san shi) is not clear; it may refer to the mind of the kalyāṇamitras or his own mind remembering the kalyāṇamitras.

n.400

From the Sanskrit yogaprasṛta. The Tibetan translates yoga as thabs (“method”). The Chinese merges this with the preceding one: “great aspirations to save all beings.”

n.401

According to the Sanskrit rati, the Chinese 欲性 (yu xing), and the Yongle, Narthang, and Lhasa dga’ ba. Degé and other Kangyurs have dge ba (“virtues”).

n.402

According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit and the Chinese have this first in the list of qualities.

n.403

According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit and the Chinese have this earlier in the list. The Chinese has merged this with an earlier item in the list: “his mind illuminated the worlds of the three times.”

n.404

According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit and the Chinese have this earlier in the list of Sudhana’s qualities.

n.417

According to the Tibetan and the Chinese. Not present in the Sanskrit.

n.418

According to the Sanskrit saṃbhāvayan and the Chinese. The Tibetan translates as bsam pa (“contemplate”). The Chinese translates as 思惟 (si wei, “ponder,” “think,” “consider theoretically”).

n.526

According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. Omitted in the Tibetan.

n.527

According to the Sanskrit ācāryāṇi and the Chinese. “Masters” or “teachers” is omitted in the Tibetan.

n.703

According to the Sanskrit aśaya and the Chinese 意 (yi). Omitted in the Tibetan.

n.704

The Tibetan appears to have translated this as an adjective (“very powerful”) for the vajra rather than the vajra’s owner. Nārāyaṇa here is ostensibly used as an alternative name for Indra. The Chinese omits “unbreakable” and “vajra” and translates the phrase as 寶莊嚴 (bao zhuang yan), a compound of the adjectives “precious” and “majestic” or of the nouns “jewel” and “ornament.”

n.718

According to the Sanskrit tryadhva. The Tibetan and the Chinese omit “the three times.”

n.719

According to the Sanskrit prasarita, the Chinese, and the Degé, Lhasa, and Narthang ’dal ba. Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné have the error ’dul ba.

n.720

According to the Tibetan. The present Sanskrit has sattvaśraddha (“beings-faith”). The Tibetan has mnyam pa thams cad (“all equality”), apparently a scribal error, while Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, Choné, and Stok Palace have mnyan pa thams cad (“all that is heard”), perhaps translating from a Sanskrit manuscript that had sarvaśrava or sarvaśruta. The Chinese has 凡所聞法皆能忍受, 清淨信解 (fan suo wen fa jie neng ren shou, qing jing xin jie, “He could retain all the Dharmas he had heard and understand with pure faith”), which appears to indicate a text that included both śraddha (retained in the Sanskrit manuscript) and śruta or śvara.

n.721

According to the Tibetan and the Chinese. The Sanskrit has “the light of definitive wisdom.”

n.722

According to the Tibetan and the Chinese. The Sanskrit has sarvatra, “all-pervading higher cognition.”

n.723

According to the Tibetan and the Chinese. The Sanskrit also has vidyut, “the lightning of the knowledge of the ten strengths.”

n.724

According to the Sanskrit pariśodhana, the Chinese, and the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné sbyangs. Degé has the error spyad. Stok Palace has sbyar.

n.725

According to the Sanskrit mahā and the Chinese. The Tibetan omits “great.”

n.726

From the Sanskrit “unceasing,” which could be taken as an adjective of “knowledge.” “Without limit or center” could be describing the network of world realms.

n.727

From the Sanskrit saṃjñāgata and in accord with the Chinese (“perceptions of limitless beings”). The Tibetan translates as mying (archaic spelling for “name”).

n.754

According to the Tibetan and the Chinese. Vaidya has gocaraniryāta (“setting forth into the inconceivable range of the kalyāṇamitras”).

n.755

From the Tibetan as rgya che (“vast”) in accord with the Chinese 廣大 (guang da). The Sanskrit udāra can mean “great,” “excellent,” etc.

n.756

According to the Tibetan.

n.757

According to the Sanskrit karma. The Tibetan appears to have translated from a manuscript that had dharma. The Chinese translation is based on kalpa, 一切劫無失壞際 (yi qie jie wu shi huai ji), literally “all kalpas are without destruction or dissolution,” which can mean “harmony in the apogee of kalpas.”

n.758

According to the Tibetan and the Chinese. Vaidya appears to have an omission so that the two sentences become one: “dwelling in the nonconceptuality that is the apogee of the tathāgatas.”

n.759

According to the Chinese. The Sanskrit vākpatha means “the range of speech,” translated literally into Tibetan as tshig gi lam (“path of words”). The Chinese has 響 (xiang), “echo.” Cleary and Carré translate it as “echo.”

n.773

According to the Sanskrit sarva. The Tibetan appears to have translated from a manuscript that had satva instead of sarva, resulting in “the profound subtle wisdom of beings.” The Chinese is the same as the Tibetan.

n.774

Here and in the rest of the paragraph, “ground” is according to the Sanskrit tala and the Chinese. The Tibetan translates as dbyings (“realm”). The Chinese interprets as 眾生所作行 (zhong sheng suo zuo xing, “conduct of beings”).

n.775

According to the Sanskrit satya, the Chinese, and the Narthang and Lhasa bden. Degé has dben (“isolation”). The Chinese appears to have combined this and the preceding phrase into one: 眾生如光影 (zhong sheng ru guang ying, “beings are like light and shadow”).

n.776

From the BHS vyavahāra and in accord with the Chinese. The Tibetan translates as rnam par dpyod pa (“analysis”).

n.798

From the Narthang and Stok Palace zlos. Degé has slos. The Sanskrit anumantrayan could mean “authorize.” Cleary has “apply.” The Chinese has “recalled and recited.”

n.799

According to the Sanskrit anuprayacchan. The Tibetan translates as bsdud pa (“collected,” “compiled”). Not present in the Chinese.

n.964

From the Sanskrit nicaya, which could also mean “accumulations.” The Tibetan translates as tshogs, which is also used to translate saṃbhāra, the regular term for the “accumulations.” The Chinese has 藏 (zang, “treasury,” “store”).

n.965

From BHS samanvāhara. The Tibetan translates as ’dzin.

n.966

From the BHS netrī, which, according to the Mahāvyutpatti, would be translated as lugs. Degé has chos (“Dharma”). Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné have tshogs.

n.984

According to the Tibetan ri bo and the Chinese 市中 (shi zhong). The Sanskrit has the specific Sumeru.

n.997

According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. The Tibetan omits “of the bodhisattvas.”

n.1000

From the BHS nandī. The Tibetan has sems mos pa (“aspiration”). The Chinese has fewer adjectives.

n.1001

From the Tibetan sems kyi shugs. Not present in the Sanskrit or the Chinese.

n.1052

From one of the meanings of the BHS abhinirhara. The Tibetan translates as bsgrubs pa (“accomplished”). This sentence is not present in the Chinese.

n.1053

According to the Sanskrit dṛḍhīkurvāṇaḥ, the Chinese 堅固 (jiang gu), and the Narthang and Stok Palace brtan. Degé, etc. have bstan (“teach”).

n.1054

From the Tibetan gnas rnam pa tha dad pa, while gnas could have other meanings, including “locations.” The Sanskrit has adhimātratā (“excessiveness”). Cleary has “measurelessness.” The Chinese has 差別相 (cha bie xiang), one of the common translations of adhimātratā. Here it can mean “different aspects.”

n.1080

From the Tibetan brjod pa, presumably from the Sanskrit varṇitam. Not present in Vaidya.

n.1081

From the Tibetan yongs su bsgom pa, which would have been translating paribhāvita. Not present in Vaidya or the Chinese, where the list is shorter.

n.1082

According to the Sanskrit samīkurvan and most Kangyurs, which read mnyam par bya ba byed pa. Degé has the error mnyam par bya ba myed pa. Cleary translates as “living up to it.” Not present in the Chinese.

n.1090

According to the Sanskrit svabhāva and the Chinese. The Tibetan has rang bzhin med (“absence of nature”), perhaps from a corruption in the Sanskrit. The Chinese has 證知諸法實性 (zheng zhi zhu fa shi xing, “realizing the true nature of all phenomena”), omitting the term wisdom.

n.1096

According to the Sanskrit viṣamatā and the Chinese. The Tibetan has the obscure thag thug. The Chinese lists four sets of opposites: upward-downward (literally, “high-low”), safe-dangerous, clean-dirty, and crooked-straight.

n.1097

According to the Chinese and the Sanskrit kṣema, though its opposite is missing in the Vaidya edition. The Tibetan has bde ba and mi bde ba (“pleasant and unpleasant”).

n.1098

According to the Tibetan and the French translation of the Chinese. Vaidya has anugrahajñāna, “the knowledge for benefiting.”

n.1099

According to the BHS meaning of anunaya, which has a negative sense. It was translated into Tibetan more positively as byams pa (“love” or “kindness”) according to its Classical Sanskrit meaning.

n.1100

From the BHS unnāmāvanāma translated into Tibetan as mthon dman du gyur pa (“become high [or] low”).

n.1101

From the Sanskrit mati. Translated into Tibetan as nan tan (“diligent practice”), perhaps from a text that read pratipatti.

n.1129

From the Sanskrit sneha, which can also mean “attachment” or “oiliness.” The Tibetan translates it as rlan pa (“wetness”). The Chinese uses two water-related verbs 潤澤 (run ze, “to moisten,” “to enrich”) to indicate the aspiration to benefit all beings with great compassion as does water.

n.1130

According to the BHS meaning of nimṇa, which can mean “aiming at” or “leading to.” Otherwise it has the meaning “downward,” and therefore this compound nimnonnata can mean “up and down” or “high and low.” The Tibetan appears to have tried to make sense of this by adding a negative thur med (“not downward”). It is possible to interpret the phrase to mean “the lower and higher part of the path to omniscience.” The Chinese translates as 心無高下 (xin wu gao xia, “mind is free from ‘high and low’ ”).

n.1131

From the Sanskrit uddhṛta. The Tibetan translates as zhugs pa (“enter,” “follow,” “engage in”). The Chinese has 拔不善刺 (ba bu shan ci) and 滅一切障 (mie yi qie zhang), “pulled out thorns of harmful qualities” and “eliminated all obstacles.”

n.1132

From the Sanskrit parākrama, which can also mean “advance,” and which the Tibetan translates as sngon du ’dor ba (“cast before”). The Chinese translates by the metaphor of 牆塹 (qiang qian), “walls and moats.”

n.1133

From the BHS samarpita. The Tibetan translates as rab tu byung ba (“completely arisen”).

n.1134

From the BHS vipulaprasrabdhi. Absent in the Tibetan. The Chinese translates by the metaphor of 園苑 (yuan yuan, “gardens and parks”).

n.1135

According to the Sanskrit pura and the Chinese 城 (cheng). The Tibetan translates as pho brang (“palace”).

n.1136

From the Sanskrit akṣunna. The Tibetan translates as thogs pa med pa (“unimpeded”) and as adverbial to “the act of entering.”

n.1154

According to the Sanskrit kumara. The Tibetan has rogs pa (“helpers”). The Chinese simply has “countless people said to him . . .”

n.1204

According to the Sanskrit upastambhayan and the Narthang rton. Other Kangyurs have ston (“demonstrate”). The Chinese translates as 得 (de, “attaining”).

n.1205

According to the Sanskrit karma, the Chinese 業 (ye), and the Narthang las. Other Kangyurs have the error lam (“path”).

n.1245

From the Sanskrit śrotrānugamam anusmaran. The Tibetan has rjes su ’brang (“follow”), connected to the names rather than the hearing. Not present in the Chinese.

n.1246

According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. The Tibetan and the Chinese omit “the Dharma.”

n.1247

From the Sanskrit vinardita (literally, “roar”) and the Chinese. The Tibetan has “the power that arises from the supremacy.” The Chinese has “having seen the buddhas attaining complete buddhahood.”

n.1267

According to the Sanskrit gāthā-labdha-citta and the Chinese. The Tibetan appears to have translated from a corrupt manuscript with jñāna-gāhālabdha, which is translated as ye shes kyi gting ma rnyed pa’i sems (“a mind that has not found the depth of the wisdom of Avalokiteśvara”). Omitted in the Chinese.

n.1270

According to the Sanskrit vikrīḍita and Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné brtse. Degé and others have rtse.

n.1324

According to the Tibetan rjes su ’brang and the Chinese 行 (xing), both presumably translating from anusaraṇa. The present Sanskrit has anusmaraṇa (“remembering”).

n.1431

According to the Sanskrit, and the earlier and following version in Tibetan. Here, the Tibetan has yon tan (“qualities”) instead of shugs (“power”), which would be the correct translation for vega. The Chinese omits “power” here.

n.1432

This list according to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has a variant list, as does the Chinese.

n.1433

According to the Tibetan rjes su sems pa, which appears to have translated anucintena. The present Sanskrit has anugatena (“following”). Based on the Chinese syntax, the search for Samantasattvatrāṇojaḥśrī starts with the phrase 一心願得見善知識 (yi xin yuan de jian shan zhi shi, “wished with single-minded resolution to see the kalyāṇamitra”).

n.1434

According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan appears to have “the domain of the faculty of contemplating seeing a kalyāṇamitra.” In the Chinese, the phrases “without forgetting it even for one moment” and “with all faculties undistracted” belong to the description of how Sudhana was remembering and honoring the teaching received from Pramuditanayanajagadvirocanā.

n.1435

According to the Sanskrit samudācāreṇa. Not present in the Tibetan or the Chinese.

n.1436

According to the Degé mthu, translating the Sanskrit vikrama. Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné do not have mthu (“power”). With the omission of a shad marker, the Tibetan appears to conjoin this with the following quality, although there is no genitive particle to do so. This and the preceding phrase are absent in the Chinese.

n.1437

From the BHS ekotībhāvagata. The Tibetan translates as rgyud kyi tshul gcig tu gyur pa, which could be translated as “being of one mind with.” In the Chinese this appears to be part of the first phrase describing the search for Samantasattvatrāṇojaḥśrī.

n.1438

According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits the word “all,” resulting in “the roots of merit of being of one mind with.” Not present in the Chinese.

n.1497

According to the Sanskrit prasaran. The Tibetan has mchod pa (“making offerings to it”). In Chinese, the list is shorter and omits this.

n.1529

The Tibetan rjes su sgom is apparently a translation for anubhava, which is not present in the Sanskrit or the Chinese.

n.1530

The Tibetan rig pa does not here translate vidyā but gati, which is most commonly used for states of existence, good or bad, but also for movement (hence the translation ’gro) and for classes of beings, in addition to having many other meanings. Here it has the meaning as in gatiṃgata.

n.1554

According to the Tibetan yid ches par bya ba. The Sanskrit has saṃbhāva (“produce,” “generate”). Not present in the Chinese.

n.1627

Not present in the Tibetan. The Chinese appears to agree with the Sanskrit.

n.1744

The Sanskrit follows uttāpayan (“purifying”) with parijayan (“cultivating”). Not present in the Chinese.

n.1846

This is followed in Sanskrit by anuprāptum (“follow”). The Chinese has “getting close to them, serving them, and making offerings to them.”

n.1847

This is followed in the Sanskrit by cāptuṃ (“be acquainted with”).

n.1848

The Sanskrit has “illusory forms and bodies” or “illusory form bodies.” The Chinese appears to translate this as two: 以如幻願而持佛身 (yi ru huan yuan er chi fo shen, “bodies from illusory prayers and blessings by the buddhas”) and 隨意生身 (sui yi sheng shen, “bodies born according to intention”).

n.1849

This is followed in Sanskrit by buddhādhiṣṭhānamanomayaśarīrāṇām (“bodies consisting of mind that have been blessed by the buddhas”).

n.1850

According to the Tibetan mi zad pa and the Chinese 不變壞 (bu bian huai), presumably translating akṣaya. Not present in the Sanskrit.

n.1973

According to the Tibetan yul, presumably translating from a manuscript that had viṣaya. The present Sanskrit has viṣama (“injurious,” “bad”). The Chinese concurs with the Tibetan.

n.1974

According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan and the Chinese do not have “benefiting.”

n.1975

According to the Sanskrit praiśodhayan. The Tibetan has rgyas (“increased”). The Chinese has “generated.”

n.1976

The Tibetan interprets the compound as meaning “the lower realms of the five classes of beings.” The Chinese does not have “lower realms.”

n.2179

From the Sanskrit vihārī and the Yongle, Kangxi, Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace spyod. Degé has dpyod (“analyze”). Translated as 安住 (an zhu), “abide.”

n.2180

According to Tibetan, Chinese, and Suzuki’s Sanskrit. The online Vaidya edition (in both Devanāgarī and Roman) has sukha (“bliss”) instead of mukha (“gateway”).

n.2181

According to the Tibetan. This clause is not present in the Sanskrit. The Chinese is similar to the Tibetan: “the vast qualities of all buddhas.”

n.2182

According to the Tibetan. This clause is not present in the Sanskrit. The Chinese has 入一切佛決定知見 (ru yi qie fo jue ding zhi jian, “enter or realize the definitive views of all buddhas”).

n.2183

From the Sanskrit vihārī and the Yongle, Kangxi, and Stok Palace spyod. Degé, Stok Palace, etc. have dpyod (“analyze”). The Chinese has 住於法界平等之地 (zhu yu fa jie ping deng zhi di, “dwell on the state of non-differentiation within the realm of phenomena”).

n.2184

From the Sanskrit vihārī. The Tibetan has dpyod (“analyze”). In the Chinese this and the preceding clauses appear to have been conjoined as 觀察普賢解脫境界 (guan cha pu xian jie tuo jing jie, “observe the scope of liberation of Samantabhadra”).

n.2185

According to the Sanskrit sarva and the Chinese 一切 (yi qie). The Tibetan omits “all.”

n.2186

According to the Sanskrit mahadgatena and the Yongle, Kangxi, Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace che. Degé has the homophone phye, evidently an error from transcription through dictation. The Chinese has 無量 (wu liang, “immeasurable”).

n.2232

Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace have “It was translated and revised by the chief editor Lotsawa Vairocanarakṣita.” Ngorchen Könchok Lhundrup ascribes the translation of the sūtra to Vairocanarakṣita. Urga agrees with Degé.

n.2233

This accords with the classification by Ngorchen Könchok Lhundrup in his sixteenth-century History of Buddhism.

n.2234

Chapters 1 to 27. According to Pekar Zangpo in his sixteenth-century Presentation of the Sūtras, this first section is divided into two sections: The Tathāgata Earring Sūtra (as a translation of Tathāgatāvataṃsaka-sūtra), which comprises chapters 1 to 11, and The Bodhisattvapiṭaka Sūtra (consisting of chapters 12 to 27), so that in his classification the Avataṃsaka Sūtra has eight sections.

n.2235

Chapters 28 to 30 according to Pekar Zangpo.

n.2236

Chapter 31 according to Pekar Zangpo.

n.2237

Chapters 32 to 42 according to Pekar Zangpo.

n.2238

Chapter 43 according to Pekar Zangpo.

n.2239

Chapter 44 according to Pekar Zangpo.

n.2240

Chapter 45 according to Pekar Zangpo. Chapter 45 is the sūtra translated here.

n.2241

According to the Denkarma in the Tengyur, it has the same number of fascicles and verses as quoted by Butön Rinpoché.

n.2242

This edition has 112.

n.2243

This refers to the Sakyapa hierarch Jetsün Drakpa Gyaltsen (rje btsun grags pa rgyal mtshan, 1147–1216).

n.2244

Yunnan. The king was Mutseng (or Muzeng, Muktsang) Karma Mipham Sönam Rapten (mu tseng/zeng karma mi pham bsod nams rab brtan) (1587–1646, r. 1598–1646). He was the tusi or ruler in the “native chieftain system” of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

n.2245

bkod pa is the usual translation of vyūha (“array,” “display,” etc.) as in the Mahāvyutpatti. This translation at times uses rgyan, which is usually a translation for alaṃkara, and so on, with the meaning of “adornment.”

n.2246

The usual translation for prasara (“vast extent,” etc.), as in the Mahāvyutpatti, is rab ’byams, while ’byam klas does not appear in that dictionary.

n.2247

These are both translations of pratisaṃvit (“discern,” “distinguish,” etc.).

n.2248

thugs normally translates citta (“mind”), while dgongs pa translates abhiprāya (“intention,” “outlook,” “regard,” etc.).

n.2249

This phrase, meaning “for a day and night,” or “for a waxing phase and a waning phase of a month,” occurs on folio 26.b within The Inconceivable Qualities of the Buddha (sang rgyas chos bsam mi khyab), which is the 39th chapter of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra.

n.2250

tha snyad usually translates vyavahāra, which in BHS means “a term or designation,” while rnam par dpyod pa usually translates vicāraṇa, etc. (“contemplation,” “analysis,” and so on).

n.2251

This is before the eighth Tai Situpa Chökyi Jungné (1700–1774) began his work on editing the Kangyur in 1729.

Bibliography

Kangyur Texts

sdong po bkod pa (Gaṇḍavyūha). Toh 44, ch. 45, Degé Kangyur vol. 37 (phal chen, ga), folios 274.b–396.a; vol. 38 (phal chen, a), folios 1.b–363.a.

sdong po bkod pa. 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), 2006–9, vol. 37, pp. 590–853; vol. 38, pp. 3–800.

sdong po bkod pa. Stok Palace Kangyur vol. 39 (phal chen, ca), folios 22.b–352.a; vol. 40 (phal chen, cha), folios 1.a–310.a.

sangs rgyas phal po che zhe bya ba shin tu rgyas pa chen po’i mdo (Buddhāvataṃsakanāmamahāvaipulyasūtra) [The Mahāvaipulya Sūtra “A Multitude of Buddhas”]. Toh 44, Degé Kangyur vols. 35–38 (phal chen, ka–a). Stok Palace Kangyur vols. 35–40 (phal chen, ka–cha).

dga’ bo la mngal na gnas pa bstan pa (Nandagarbhāvakrantinirdeśa) [The Sūtra on Being in the Womb That Was Taught to Nanda]. Toh 57, Degé Kangyur vol. 41 (dkon brtsegs, ga), folios 205.b–236.b.

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

snying rje chen po’i pad ma dkar po (Mahākaruṇāpuṇḍarīka) [White Lotus of Compassion Sūtra]. Toh 111, Degé Kangyur vol. 50 (mde sde, cha), folios 56.a–128.b.

ting nge ’dzin gyi rgyal po’i mdo (Samādhirājasūtra). Toh 127, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 1.b–170.b. English translation in Roberts (2018a).

dam pa’i chos pad ma dkar po (Saddharmapuṇḍarīka) [Lotus Sūtra/Lotus of the Good Dharma]. Toh 113, Degé Kangyur vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1.b–180.b. English translation in Roberts (2018b).

bde ba can gyi bkod pa (Sukhāvatīvyūha). Toh 115, Degé Kangyur vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), folios 195.b–200.b. English translation in Sakya Pandita Translation Group (2011).

rnam par snang mdzad chen po mngon par rdzogs par byang chub pa rnam par sprul pa byin gyis rlob pa shin tu rgyas pa mdo sde’i dbang po’i rgyal po (Mahāvairocanābhisambodhivikurvatīadhiṣṭhānavaipulyasūtraindrarājānāmadharmaparyāya). Toh 494, Degé Kangyur vol. 86 (rgyud, tha), folios 151.b–260.a.

phung po gsum pa’i mdo (Triskandhakasūtra) [The Confession of the Three Heaps]. Toh 284, Degé Kangyur vol. 68 (mdo sde, ya) folios 57.a–77.a.

byang chub sems dpa’i spyod yul gyi thabs kyi yul la rnam par ’phrul pa bstan pa (Bodhisattvagocaraupāyaviṣayavikurvāṇanirdeśa/Satyaka Sūtra) [The Teaching of the Miraculous Manifestation of the Range of Methods in the Field of Activity of the Bodhisattvas]. Toh 146, Degé Kangyur vol. 57 (mdo sde, pa), folios 82.a–141.b. English translation in Jamspal (2010).

tshangs pa’i dra ba’i mdo (Brahmajālasūtra). Toh 352, Degé Kangyur vol. 76 (mdo sde, aH), folios 70.b–86.a.

tshe dang ldan pa dga’ bo la mngal du ’jug pa bstan pa (Āyuṣmannandagarbhāvakrantinirdeśa) [The Sūtra on Entering the Womb That Was Taught to Āyuṣmat Nanda]. Toh 58, Degé Kangyur vol. 41 (dkon brtsegs, ga), folios 237.a–248.a. English translation in Kritzer 2021.

bzang po smon lam (Bhadracaryāpraṇidhāna). Toh 1095, Degé Kangyur vol. 101 (gzungs, waM), folios 262.b–266.a.

shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa stong phrag nyi shu lnga pa (Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā) [The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines]. Toh 9, Degé Kangyur vols. 26–28 (nyi khri, ka–ga).

sa bcu’i le’u (Daśabhūmika) [Ten Bhūmi Sūtra]. Toh 44, ch. 31, Degé Kangyur vol. 36 (phal chen, ga), folios 46.a–283.a. English translation in Roberts (2021).

sems kyi rgyal pos dris nas grangs la ’jug pa bstan pa. Toh 44, ch. 36, Degé Kangyur vol. 36 (phal chen, kha), folios 348.b–393.b. Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) Kangyur vol. 36 (phal chen, kha), pp. 807–25.

Sanskrit Editions of the Gaṇḍavyūha

Vaidya, P. L., ed. Gaṇḍavyūhasūtra. Darbhanga: Mithila Institute, 1960.

Gaṇḍavyūhasūtra. GRETIL edition input by members of the Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon Input Project, based on the edition by P. L. Vaidya. Gaṇḍavyūhasūtra. Darbhanga: The Mithila Institute, 1960. Last updated July 31, 2020.

Suzuki, D. T., and Hokei Idzumi, eds. The Gaṇḍavyūha Sūtra. rev. ed. Tokyo: Society for the Publication of Sacred Books of the World, 1949.

Chinese Editions of the Gaṇḍavyūha and Commentaries

Da fangguang fohuayan jing 大方廣佛華嚴經 (Avataṃsaka Sūtra), translated by Buddhabhadra. Taishō 278.

Da fangguang fohuayan jing 大方廣佛華嚴經 (Avataṃsaka Sūtra), translated by Śikṣānanda. Taishō 279.

Da fangguang fohuayan jing 大方廣佛華嚴經 (Avataṃsaka Sūtra), translated by Prajñā. Taishō 293.

Da fangguang fohuayan jing ru fajie pin 大方廣佛華嚴經入法界品 (Avataṃsaka Sūtra, Gaṇḍavyūha Chapter), translated by Divākara. Taishō 295.

Da fangguang fohuayan jing busiyi fo jingjie fen 大方廣佛華嚴經不思議佛境界分 (Avataṃsaka Sūtra, Chapter on The Teaching on the Inconceivability of the Buddhadharma), translated by Devaprajñā. Taishō 300.

Da fangguang fohuayan jing busiyi fo jingjie fen 大方廣佛華嚴經入法界品四十二字觀門 (Avataṃsaka Sūtra, Contemplation on the 42 Syllables of the Gaṇḍavyūha), translated by Amoghavajra. Taishō 1019.

Cheng Guan 澄觀. Da fangguang fohuayan jingshu 大方廣佛華嚴經疏 (Commentary on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra). Taishō 1735.

Translations of the Gaṇḍavyūha

Carré, Patrick. Soûtra de l’Entrée dans la dimension absolue. 2 vols.: I. Introduction et Traité de Li Tongxuan XXII–XL; II. Soûtra et glossaire. Plazac, France: Éditions Padmakara, 2019.

Cleary, Thomas. “Entry into the Realm of Reality” (chapter 39), in The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra, pp. 1135–1532. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1993.

Osto, Douglas (2010). “A New Translation of the Sanskrit Bhadracarī with Introduction and Notes.” New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies 12, no. 2 (2010): 1–21.

‍—‍—‍—(2020). “The Supreme Array Scripture.” D. E. Osto. Accessed July 6, 2021.

Related Works in Tibetan

Madhyavyutpatti (sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa). Toh 4347, Degé Tengyur, vol. 204 (sna tshogs, co) folios 131.b–160.a.

Mahāvyutpatti (bye brag tu rtogs par byed pa chen po). Toh 4346, Degé Tengyur vol. 204 (sna tshogs, co), folios 1.b–131.a.

Ngorchen Könchok Lhündrup (ngor chen dkon mchog lhun grub) and Ngorchen Sangyé Phuntsok (ngor chen sangs rgyas phun tshogs). Ngor chos ’byung: A History of Buddhism, being the text of dam pa’i chos kyi byung tshul legs par bshad pa bstan pa rgya mtshor ’jug pa’i gru chen zhes bya ba rtsom ’phro kha skon bcas. New Delhi: Ngawang Topgay, 1973.

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

Phangthangma (dkar chag ’phang thang ma). Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2003.

Situ Chökyi Jungné (si tu chos kyi ’byung gnas). “sde dge bka’ ’gyur gyi dkar chags.” In ta’i si tu pa kun mkhyen chos kyi ’byung gnas bstan pa’i nyin byed kyi bka’ ’bum, vol. 9, folios 1.b–224.b. Kangra, Himachal Pradesh: Palpung Sungrab Nyamso Khang, 1990.

Related Works in Other Languages

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

Carré, Patrick. Notes sur la traduction française de l’Avataṃsakasūtra. Forthcoming.

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

Edgerton, Franklin. Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Grammar and Dictionary. 2 vols. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1970.

Fontein, Jan (2012). Entering the Dharmadhātu: A Study of the “Gandavyūha” Reliefs of Borobudur. Leiden: Brill, 2012.

‍—‍—‍—(1967). The Pilgrimage of Sudhana: A Study of Gaṇḍavyūha Illustrations in China, Japan and Java. The Hague: Mouton, 1967.

Gifford, Julie A. Buddhist Practice and Visual Culture: The Visual Rhetoric of Borobodur. Abingdon: Routledge, 2011.

Gómez, Luis Óscar. “Selected Verses from the Gaṇḍavyūha: Text, Critical Apparatus, and Translation.” PhD diss., Yale University, 1967.

Gómez, Luis Óscar, and Hiram Woodward Jr., eds. Barabuḍur: History and Significance of a Buddhist Monument. Berkeley: Asian Humanities Press, 1981.

Hamar, Imre. “The History of the Buddhāvataṃsaka-sūtra: Shorter and Larger Texts.” In Reflecting Mirrors: Perspectives on Huayan Buddhism, edited by Imre Hamar, 139–68. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2007.

Harrison, Paul. “Searching for the Origins of the Mahāyāna: What Are We Looking For?” The Eastern Buddhist 28, no. 1 (1995): 48–69.

Kern, H. Saddharma-Puṇḍarīka or the Lotus of the Good Law. Sacred Books of the East 21. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1884.

Kim, Hyung-Hi. La carrière du Bodhisattva dans l’Avataṃsaka-sūtra: Materiaux pour l’étude de l’Avataṃsaka-sūtra et ses commentaires chinois. Bern: Peter Lang, 2013.

Kritzer, Robert, trans. The Sūtra on Entry into the Womb (Garbhāvakrāntisūtra, Toh 58). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021.

Jamspal, Lozang. The Range of the Bodhisattva, A Mahāyāna Sūtra: Ārya-bodhisattva-gocara, Introduction and Translation. New York: The American Institute of Buddhist Studies, Columbia University Center for Buddhist Studies, Tibet House US, 2010.

Lewis, Todd T. “Contributions to the Study of Popular Buddhism: The Newar Buddhist Festival of Guṃlā Dharma.” Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 16, no. 2 (Winter 1993): 309–54.

McMahan, David. “Transpositions of Metaphor and Imagery in the Gaṇḍavyūha and Tantric Buddhist Practice.” Pacific World Journal Third Series, no. 6 (Fall 2004): 181–94.

Monier-Williams, Monier. A Sanskrit–English Dictionary. Reprint of 1899 edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1976.

Osto, Douglas (2008). Power, Wealth and Women in Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism: The Gaṇḍavyūha-sūtra. Oxfordshire: Routledge Critical Studies in Buddhism, 2008.

‍—‍—‍—(2009a). “ ‘Proto-Tantric’ Elements in the Gaṇḍavyūha-sūtra.” Journal of Religious History 33, no. 2 (June 2009): 165–77.

‍—‍—‍—(2009b). “The Supreme Array Scripture: A New Interpretation of the Title ‘Gaṇḍavyūha-sūtra.’ ” Journal of Indian Philosophy 37 (2009): 273–90.

Ōtake, Susumu. “On the Origin and Early Development of the Buddhāvataṃsaka-Sūtra.” In Reflecting Mirrors: Perspectives on Huayan Buddhism, edited by Imre Hamar, 87–107. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2007.

Revianur, A. “Forms and types of Borobudur’s stupas.” In Cultural Dynamics in a Globalized World, edited by Melani Budianta et al., 577–84. New York: Routledge, 2018.

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

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

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

Sakya Pandita Translation Group, trans. The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī (Sukhāvatīvyūha, Toh 115). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2011.

Shastri, Bahadur Chand. “The Identification of the First Sixteen Reliefs on the Second Main-Wall of Barabudur.” Bijarden tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde van Nederlandsch-Indië (Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia) 89, no. 1 (January 1932): 173–81.

Steinkellner, E. Sudhana’s Miraculous Journey in the Temple of Ta Pho: The Inscriptional Text of the Tibetan Gaṇḍavyūhasūtra Edited with Introductory Remarks. Rome: Instituto italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente, 1995.

Tsugunari Kubo and Akira Yuyama, trans. The Lotus Sutra (Taishō Volume 9, Number 262). Berkeley: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 2007.

Un, Ko. Little Pilgrim. Berkeley: Parallax Press, 2005.

Van Norden, Bryan, and Nicholaos Jones. “Huayan Buddhism.” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2019 Edition).

Walser, Joseph. Genealogies of Mahāyāna Buddhism: Emptiness, Power and the Question of Origin. New York: Routledge, 2018.

Williams, Paul. Mahāyāna Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations. New York: Routledge, 2009.

Glossary

g.1

Ābharaṇacchatranirghoṣarāja

rgyan dang gdugs kyi dbyangs kyi rgyal po

རྒྱན་དང་གདུགས་ཀྱི་དབྱངས་ཀྱི་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Ābharaṇacchatranirghoṣarāja

A buddha in the distant past.

g.2

Abhāskara

nyi ma

ཉི་མ།

Abhāskara

The ninth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past.

g.3

Ābhāsvara

kun snang dang ba
gya nom snang ba

ཀུན་སྣང་དང་བ།
གྱ་ནོམ་སྣང་བ།

Ābhāsvara

The highest of the three paradises that correspond to the second dhyāna in the form realm. In other contexts, the Tibetan ’od gsal ba usually refers to Ābhāsvara, and the Tibetan gya nom snang ba would refer to Sudṛśa.

g.5

Abhijñāketu

mngon par shes pa’i dpal

མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པའི་དཔལ།

Abhijñāketu

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.15

Acalā

mi g.yo ba

མི་གཡོ་བ།

Acalā

A young upāsikā, the kalyāṇamitra of chapter 22.

g.18

Acalendrarāja

mi g.yo ba’i dbang po’i rgyal po

མི་གཡོ་བའི་དབང་པོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Acalendrarāja

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.38

Ajitasena

myi pham sde

མྱི་ཕམ་སྡེ།

Ajitasena

A householder, the kalyāṇamitra of chapter 51.

g.52

Anabhibhūtamukuṭa

zil gyis non pa myed pa’i cod pan

ཟིལ་གྱིས་ནོན་པ་མྱེད་པའི་ཅོད་པན།

Anabhibhūtamukuṭa

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.63

Ananyagāmin

gzhan du mi ’gro ba

གཞན་དུ་མི་འགྲོ་བ།

Ananyagāmin

A bodhisattva and the kalyāṇamitra of chapter 31.

g.64

Anāthapiṇḍada

skyabs myed pa la zas sbyin

སྐྱབས་མྱེད་པ་ལ་ཟས་སྦྱིན།

Anāthapiṇḍada

A wealthy merchant in the town of Śrāvastī who became a patron of the Buddha Śākyamuni. He bought Prince Jeta’s park, the Jetavana, to be the Buddha’s first monastery, a place where the monks could stay during the monsoon. Although his Sanskrit name is Anāthapiṇḍada, he is better known in the West by the alternative form Anāthapiṇḍika. Both mean “one who gives food to the destitute.” Pali: Anāthapiṇḍika.

g.122

Ārya

’phags pa

འཕགས་པ།

ārya

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

g.123

Āryā

’phags ma

འཕགས་མ།

āryā

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

g.124

Āryadeva

Ar+Ya de wa

ཨཱརྻ་དེ་ཝ།

Āryadeva

Third-century disciple of Nāgārjuna. His name is usually translated into Tibetan as ’phags pa lha.

g.130

Asaṅgabuddhi

chags pa myed pa’i blo

ཆགས་པ་མྱེད་པའི་བློ།

Asaṅgabuddhi

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.132

Asaṅgadhvaja

chags myed rgyal mtshan

ཆགས་མྱེད་རྒྱལ་མཚན།

Asaṅgadhvaja

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.137

Asaṅganetra

chags pa myed pa’i myig

ཆགས་པ་མྱེད་པའི་མྱིག

Asaṅganetra

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.140

Asaṅgasvara

chags pa myed pa’i sgra

ཆགས་པ་མྱེད་པའི་སྒྲ།

Asaṅgasvara

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.141

Asaṅgottarajñānin

chags myed dam pa’i ye shes

ཆགས་མྱེད་དམ་པའི་ཡེ་ཤེས།

Asaṅgottarajñānin

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.148

Asura

lha ma yin

ལྷ་མ་ཡིན།

asura

One of the six classes of living beings, sometimes included among the gods and sometimes among the animals. A class of nonhuman beings, sometimes misleadingly called demigods, engendered and dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility, who are metaphorically described as being incessantly embroiled in a dispute with the gods over the possession of amrita.

g.161

Avalokitanetra

Avalokitanetra

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī. See n.43.

g.162

Avalokiteśvara

spyan ras gzigs dbang phyug

སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་དབང་ཕྱུག

Avalokiteśvara

First appeared as a bodhisattva beside Amitābha in the Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra (The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī, Toh 115). The name has been variously interpreted. In its meaning as “the lord of avalokita,” avalokita has been interpreted as “seeing,” although, as a past passive participle, it is literally “lord of what has been seen.” One of the principal sūtras in the Mahāsāṃghika tradition was the Avalokita Sūtra, which has not been translated into Tibetan, in which the word is a synonym for enlightenment, as it is “that which has been seen” by the buddhas. In the early tantras, he was one of the lords of the three families, as the embodiment of the compassion of the Buddhas. The Potalaka Mountain in South India became important in Southern Indian Buddhism as his residence in this world, but Potalaka does not feature in the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra (The Basket’s Display, Toh 116), which is the most important sūtra dedicated to Avalokiteśvara.

g.167

Āyatana

skye mched

སྐྱེ་མཆེད།

āyatana

Twelve bases of sensory perception: the six sensory faculties (the eyes, nose, ear, tongue, body, and mind), which form in the womb and eventually have contact with the external six bases of sensory perception (form, smell, sound, taste, touch, and phenomena). This can also refer to the four meditative states associated with the formless realm: (1) infinite space, (2) infinite consciousness, (3) nothingness, and (4) neither perception nor nonperception.

g.172

Bari Lotsawa

ba ri lo tsA ba

བ་རི་ལོ་ཙཱ་བ།

Rinchen Drakpa (rin chen grags pa) 1040−1111 ᴄᴇ. He went to India at the age of fourteen and became a disciple of Vajrāsana. He later became the second head of the Sakya school.

g.181

Bhadrottamā

bzang mo’i mchog

བཟང་མོའི་མཆོག

Bhadrottamā

The kalyāṇamitra of chapter 48.

g.182

Bhagavat

bcom ldan ’das

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས།

bhagavān

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

g.184

Bharukaccha

rgyas pa’i ’gram

རྒྱས་པའི་འགྲམ།

Bharukaccha

A town in South India.

g.187

Bhikṣu

dge slong

དགེ་སློང་།

bhikṣu

A fully ordained monk.

g.188

Bhikṣuṇī

dge slong ma

དགེ་སློང་མ།

bhikṣuṇī

A fully ordained nun.

g.197

Bodhi tree

byang chub kyi shing

བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་ཤིང་།

Bodhivṛkṣa

The tree beneath which every buddha will manifest the attainment of buddhahood.

g.198

Bodhiketu

byang chub kyi dpal

བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་དཔལ།

Bodhiketu

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.199

Bodhimaṇḍa

snying po byang chub

སྙིང་པོ་བྱང་ཆུབ།

bodhimaṇḍa

The exact place where every buddha in this world will manifest the attainment of buddhahood. In our world, it is the spot beneath the Bodhi tree in the village presently known as Bodhgaya. Literally, “the essence of enlightenment.” Also translated elsewhere as byang chub kyi snying po.

g.200

Bodhimaṇḍacūḍa

byang chub dam pa’i gtsug phud

བྱང་ཆུབ་དམ་པའི་གཙུག་ཕུད།

Bodhimaṇḍacūḍa

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.201

Bodhimaṇḍamukuṭa

byang chub dam pa’i cod pan

བྱང་ཆུབ་དམ་པའི་ཅོད་པན།

Bodhimaṇḍamukuṭa

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.208

Brahmaghoṣa

tshangs pa’i dbyangs

ཚངས་པའི་དབྱངས།

Brahmaghoṣa

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.210

Brahmakāyika

tshangs ris
tshangs pa’i ris

ཚངས་རིས།
ཚངས་པའི་རིས།

Brahmakāyika

Brahmā’s paradise, the lowest of the three paradises that form the paradises of the first dhyāna in the form realm. Also called Brahmapārṣada.

g.211

Brahmaketu

tshangs pa’i dpal

ཚངས་པའི་དཔལ།

Brahmaketu

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.217

Brahmendracuḍa

tshangs pa’i dbang po’i gtsug phud

ཚངས་པའི་དབང་པོའི་གཙུག་ཕུད།

Brahmendracuḍa

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.218

Brahmendrarāja

tshangs pa’i dbang po’i rgyal po

ཚངས་པའི་དབང་པོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Brahmendrarāja

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.219

Brahmin

bram ze

བྲམ་ཟེ།

brāhmaṇa

A member of the priestly class or caste from the four social divisions of India.

g.224

Buddha realm

sangs rgyas kyi zhing

སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཞིང་།

buddhakṣetra

A pure realm manifested by a buddha or advanced bodhisattva through the power of their great merit and aspirations.

g.225

Buddhabhadra

byang chub bzang po

བྱང་ཆུབ་བཟང་པོ།

Buddhabhadra

359−429 ᴄᴇ. He was from North India and came to China in 408 and translated extensively. The Tibetan would more literally be sangs rgyas bzang po.

g.229

Butön Rinpoché

bu ston rin po che

བུ་སྟོན་རིན་པོ་ཆེ།

Butön Rinchen Drup (bu ston rin chen grub, 1290−364). A master of the Sakya school, he was an influential scholar, historian, and compiler and cataloger of the canon.

g.231

Cakravāla

khor yug
’khor yug

ཁོར་ཡུག
འཁོར་ཡུག

Cakravāla

“Circular Mass.” There are at least four interpretations of what this name refers to. In the Kṣitigarbha Sūtra it is a mountain that contains the hells. It is also equivalent to the Vaḍaba submarine mountain of fire, which is also said to be the entrance to the hells. The term cakravāla is also used to mean “the entire disk of a world,” including Meru and the paradises above it. More commonly, as in this sūtra, it is the name of the outer ring of mountains at the edge of the flat disk of a world, with Sumeru in the center. Yet it is has the nature of heat, like the Mountain Vaḍaba, in that the heat of the ring of mountains evaporates the ocean so that it does not overflow. Also called Cakravāḍa.

g.244

Candraśrī

zla ba’i dpal

ཟླ་བའི་དཔལ།

Candraśrī

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.248

Candrottarajñānin

zla ba dam pa’i ye shes

ཟླ་བ་དམ་པའི་ཡེ་ཤེས།

Candrottarajñānin

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.253

Chim Tsöndrü Sengé

mchims brtson seng

མཆིམས་བརྩོན་སེང་།

Late-eleventh to early-twelfth century. The text gives the shortened version of his name, which in full is mchims brtson ’grus seng ge. A disciple of Bari Lotsawa.

g.254

Chökyi Jungné

chos kyi ’byung gnas

ཆོས་ཀྱི་འབྱུང་གནས།

The eighth Tai Situpa in the Karma Kagyü tradition (1700−1777), he oversaw the creation of the Degé Kangyur.

g.255

Chokden

mchog ldan

མཆོག་ལྡན།

Chokden Lekpé Lodrö (mchog ldan legs pa’i blo gros), a Sakya master of the thirteenth century.

g.261

Courtesan

bcom pa ma

བཅོམ་པ་མ།

bhāgavatī

This term is used for a female devotee of Viṣṇu (bhagavat), but here is used as an honorific term for a courtesan. Bhaga can also mean “vulva” and is therefore also used in that way in compounds. This English is also used as a translation for gaṇika in chapter 43 (see n.1785).

g.264

Daśadikprabhaparisphuṭa

phyogs bcu snang bas rgyas par ’gengs pa’i gzi brjid

ཕྱོགས་བཅུ་སྣང་བས་རྒྱས་པར་འགེངས་པའི་གཟི་བརྗིད།

Daśadikprabhaparisphuṭa

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.267

Dependent origination

rten cing ’brel par ’byung ba

རྟེན་ཅིང་འབྲེལ་པར་འབྱུང་བ།

pratītyasamutpāda

The teaching that everything arises in dependence on something else, which is also applied to the entire process of life and death. This became standardized into twelve sequences of dependent origination, beginning with ignorance, followed by formation, and concluding in death. In the Pali suttas, this was more often taught as a greater number of successive sequences, commencing with ignorance and formation being simultaneous and codependent, like two sticks leaning against each other.

g.270

Deva

ལྷ།

deva

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

g.273

Devamukuṭa

lha’i cod pan

ལྷའི་ཅོད་པན།

Devamukuṭa

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.274

Devaprabha

lha’i ’od

ལྷའི་འོད།

Devaprabha

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.282

Devendrarāja

lha’i dbang po’i rgyal po

ལྷའི་དབང་པོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Devendrarāja

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.288

Dhāraṇīgarbha

sa’i snying po

སའི་སྙིང་པོ།

Dhāraṇīgarbha

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.289

Dharaṇīnirghoṣasvara

sa’i dbyangs kyi sgra

སའི་དབྱངས་ཀྱི་སྒྲ།

Dharaṇīnirghoṣasvara

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.290

Dharaṇīnirnādaghoṣa

sa sgra’i dbyangs

ས་སྒྲའི་དབྱངས།

Dharaṇīnirnādaghoṣa

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

g.294

Dharma

chos

ཆོས།

Dharma

A village in South India.

g.295

Dharma body

chos kyi sku
chos kyi lus

ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྐུ།
ཆོས་ཀྱི་ལུས།

dharmakāya
dharmaśarīr