New Publication: The King of Samādhis Sūtra

84000 is pleased to announce its newest publication:

ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན་རྒྱལ་པོའི་མདོ།
The King of Samādhis Sūtra
Samādhi­rāja­sūtra

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

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The King of Samādhis Sūtra

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The cultivation of generosity, or dāna—giving voluntarily with a view that something wholesome will come of it—is considered to be a fundamental Buddhist practice by all schools. The nature and quantity of the gift itself is often considered less important.