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དགེ་བའི་རྩ་བ་ཡོངས་སུ་འཛིན་པ།

Upholding the Roots of Virtue
Engaging in Means, Abandoning the Sublime Dharma, and Encouraging the Bodhisattva to Uphold It

Kuśala­mūla­saṃparigraha
འཕགས་པ་དགེ་བའི་རྩ་བ་ཡོངས་སུ་འཛིན་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
’phags pa dge ba’i rtsa ba yongs su ’dzin pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra “Upholding the Roots of Virtue”
Ārya­kuśala­mūla­samparigraha­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra

Toh 101

Degé Kangyur vol. 48 (mdo sde, nga), folios 1.a–227.b

ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛɪʙᴇᴛᴀɴ ʙʏ
  • Leki Dé
  • Prajñāvarman
  • Jñānagarbha
  • Yeshé Dé

Imprint

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

First published 2020

Current version v 1.2.28 (2024)

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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
+ 15 sections- 15 sections
· Chapter 1: The Setting
· Chapter 2: Praising the Magnificent Display of Miracles
· Chapter 3: Praising the Merits of Engendering the Mind of Awakening and Pursuing the Sacred Dharma
· Chapter 4: Praising the Engendering of the Mind of Awakening
· Chapter 5: The Gathering of Bodhisattvas
· Chapter 6: Perseverance in the Bodhisattva’s Conduct, Exalted Intention, and Pursuit of the Sublime Dharma
· Chapter 7: The Perfect Teaching on the Exalted Intention
· Chapter 8: Inspiring to Uphold, Expressing, and Training in Engendering the Mind of Awakening
· Chapter 9: Engaging in Means, Abandoning the Sublime Dharma, and Encouraging the Bodhisattva to Uphold It
· Chapter 10: Bodhisattva Conduct
· Chapter 11: The Perfect Declaration of Going Forth
· Chapter 12: The Pure Retinue
· Chapter 13: Accomplishing the Gates of the Teachings
· Chapter 14: The Action of Absorption
· Chapter 15: The Benefit of Entrustment
tr. The Translation
+ 16 chapters- 16 chapters
1. The Setting
2. Praising the Magnificent Display of Miracles
3. Praising the Merits of Engendering the Mind of Awakening and Pursuing the Sacred Dharma
4. Praising the Engendering of the Mind of Awakening
5. The Gathering of Bodhisattvas
6. Perseverance in the Bodhisattva’s Conduct, Exalted Intention, and Pursuit of the Sublime Dharma
7. The Perfect Teaching on the Exalted Intention
8. Inspiring to Uphold, Expressing, and Training in Engendering the Mind of Awakening
9. Engaging in Means, Abandoning the Sublime Dharma, and Encouraging the Bodhisattva to Uphold It
10. Bodhisattva Conduct
11. The Perfect Declaration of Going Forth
12. The Pure Retinue
13. Accomplishing the Gates of the Teachings
14. The Action of Absorption
15. The Benefit of Entrustment
16. Epilogue
c. Colophon
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

This sūtra, one of the longest scriptures in the General Sūtra section of the Kangyur, outlines the path of the Great Vehicle as it is journeyed by bodhisattvas in pursuit of awakening. The teaching, which is delivered by the Buddha Śākyamuni to a host of bodhisattvas from faraway worlds as well as a selection of his closest hearer students, such as Śāradvatī­putra and Ānanda, elucidates in particular the practice of engendering and strengthening the mind of awakening, as well as the practice of bodhisattva conduct for the sake of all other beings.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the guidance of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. Thomas Doctor and James Gentry produced the translation and Andreas Doctor compared the draft translation with the Tibetan and edited the text.

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


ac.­2

The generosity of the sponsors who made work on this text possible is gratefully acknowledged. Their dedication is as follows: For Huang Yi-Hsong, Huang Tsai Shun-Ching, and all sentient beings.


i.

Introduction

i.­1

Upholding the Roots of Virtue is one of the most extensive sūtras in the Tibetan Kangyur, spanning no fewer than 452 Tibetan pages. Apart from a brief summary of the text by Csoma de Körös in 1836,1 the sūtra has never, to our knowledge, received sustained scholarly attention. While the Sanskrit source text appears to have disappeared, we do have translations of this sūtra into Chinese and Tibetan. The Chinese translation, Fo shuo hua shou jing 佛說華手經 (Taishō 657), was produced by the renowned translator Kumārajīva (344–413 ᴄᴇ), who completed the translation toward the end of his life in 406, while residing in the former Chinese capital of Chang’an. The Tibetan translation was produced approximately four centuries later. This might suggest that the sūtra enjoyed some popularity in Indian Buddhist circles during the heyday of Great Vehicle thought and practice. Unfortunately, however, we have not been able to locate any citations from this sūtra in the commentarial works of Indian scholars. Complicating matters further, although the Chinese translation generally corresponds fairly closely with the Tibetan, the Chinese is divided into thirty-five chapters, but the Tibetan into only fifteen. Much remains to be explored, therefore, concerning the history of this sūtra’s formation and transmission.

Chapter 1: The Setting

Chapter 2: Praising the Magnificent Display of Miracles

Chapter 3: Praising the Merits of Engendering the Mind of Awakening and Pursuing the Sacred Dharma

Chapter 4: Praising the Engendering of the Mind of Awakening

Chapter 5: The Gathering of Bodhisattvas

Chapter 6: Perseverance in the Bodhisattva’s Conduct, Exalted Intention, and Pursuit of the Sublime Dharma

Chapter 7: The Perfect Teaching on the Exalted Intention

Chapter 8: Inspiring to Uphold, Expressing, and Training in Engendering the Mind of Awakening

Chapter 9: Engaging in Means, Abandoning the Sublime Dharma, and Encouraging the Bodhisattva to Uphold It

Chapter 10: Bodhisattva Conduct

Chapter 11: The Perfect Declaration of Going Forth

Chapter 12: The Pure Retinue

Chapter 13: Accomplishing the Gates of the Teachings

Chapter 14: The Action of Absorption

Chapter 15: The Benefit of Entrustment


Text Body

The Translation
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra
Upholding the Roots of Virtue

1.
Chapter 1

The Setting

[B1] [F.1.b]


1.­1

Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas!


1.­2

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was at the Kalandaka­nivāpa in the Veṇuvana, near Rājagṛha‍—an abode for those who practice concentration, an abode for those who do not abide, an abode for those who dwell in emptiness, an abode for those who dwell in signlessness, and an abode for those who dwell in wishlessness. The Blessed One was there together with a great saṅgha of one hundred thousand monks, all of whom talked only little, remained in solitude, and diligently practiced meditative seclusion.


2.
Chapter 2

Praising the Magnificent Display of Miracles

2.­1

Present within the gathering was a youth by the name of Padmaśrīgarbha. He now rose from his seat, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. Joining his palms, he bowed toward the Blessed One. As he faced the Blessed One, the following thoughts arose in his mind: “I wish to request the gateways of the Dharma from the Thus-Gone One. I wish to receive the vajra words. I wish to request the words for practice that are without interruption. I wish to request the words that overcome all other statements, the words of progressive discernment,12 the words wherein all teachings of the Dharma are contained. If the noble sons and daughters practice such a gateway seal, they will attain the stainless eye that sees all phenomena and they will gain expertise regarding the mind. Ah, Blessed One, in the past I have borne my armor through the accumulation of intentions and practical deeds. Thus, you will be aware of my roots of virtue from the past, arisen through the accumulation of intentions and applications.”


3.
Chapter 3

Praising the Merits of Engendering the Mind of Awakening and Pursuing the Sacred Dharma

3.­1

Present in the gathering was a certain Dṛḍhamati­kumāra­bhūta, who now rose from his seat, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. Joining his palms, he bowed toward the Blessed One and said, “Blessed One, with this gateway of the Dharma I have discovered something very precious. Blessed One, I shall henceforth practice this gateway of the Dharma in order to accomplish the Dharma. How so? From today on, Blessed One, I shall don a suitable armor to pursue and accomplish these Dharma teachings. In the future, in times to come, I shall never let my diligence wane until I have listened to the Dharma treasure of the Thus-Gone One’s domain.”


4.
Chapter 4

Praising the Engendering of the Mind of Awakening

4.­1

At that time there was in the east‍—beyond countless and limitless universes‍—a world known as Sound of Renown. Within that universe resided a thus-gone one, a worthy one, a perfect buddha known as Majestic Mountain. Abiding and remaining present there, he taught the Dharma. The blessed one, the thus-gone one, the worthy one, the perfect buddha Majestic Mountain had just prophesied that following himself the bodhisattva Luminous Sphere of Great Splendor, who was present in the gathering there, would awaken to unsurpassable and perfect buddhahood.


5.
Chapter 5

The Gathering of Bodhisattvas

5.­1

At that time there was in the east, beyond sixty-eight thousand innumerable universes, a universe known as Susthitamati, and within that universe resided a thus-gone one, a worthy one, a perfect buddha known as Sky Family. Abiding and remaining present there, he taught the Dharma. This blessed one had prophesied that a bodhisattva great being by the name of Candra would awaken to unsurpassable and perfect buddhahood. Also this bodhisattva great being, Candra, had noticed the light and heard the sound of the clear voice. [F.57.b] Now he approached the perfect buddha Sky Family and asked, “Blessed One, whose is this clear voice that we hear, and to whom does this radiance belong?”


6.
Chapter 6

Perseverance in the Bodhisattva’s Conduct, Exalted Intention, and Pursuit of the Sublime Dharma

6.­1

Aware of the great gathering of bodhisattvas, the blessed Śākyamuni now, while remaining on his seat, entered the absorption known as valiant progress. Emerging from that absorption, he entered the one known as the vajra essence. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as remaining within the abode without descriptions. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the single array. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the lion parasol. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as limitless accomplishment. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the yawning lion. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the king of light rays. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the essence of the earth. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as no observation. When he had emerged from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the manifestation of the lion. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the king of the sphere of the moon. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the single array. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as numerous light rays. Emerging from that absorption, [F.114.a] he next entered the one known as the ocean. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as practicing all seals and ascertaining the sphere of reality. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the display of infinite aspirations and focal points. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the limitless accomplishment that is primary with respect to all phenomena. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as accomplishing the single focal point. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as remaining within the abode of all phenomena. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the practice of the limitless light rays of noble lotus buddha. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the stainless seal of mastery with regard to all phenomena. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the royal seal of all phenomena. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as buddha emanations revealing the infinite leader. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the armor of all sentient beings going beyond suffering. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as all phenomena as the sphere of the thus-gone ones’ engagement. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as buddha emanations revealing the infinite leader. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as bringing all objects into buddhahood. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as ascertainment of all phenomena unhindered with regard to past, future, or present. [F.114.b] Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the buddha-leader’s mastery of all phenomena. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as truly compiling all dharmas. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the stable one. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as greatly increasing. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the immutable. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as unperturbed. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as viewing and regarding all phenomena. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as universal illumination. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as seeing as the same. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as viewing and regarding. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as not viewing. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as unhinderedness and non-appropriation with respect to all phenomena. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as possessing the faculties. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as ascertaining the inexhaustible as inexhaustible. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the inexhaustible focal point. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the single focal point. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the great array. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the infinite array. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the undaunted. [F.115.a] Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as invoking the roots of virtue of all sentient beings. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as actualizing the roots of virtue of all sentient beings. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as pursuing all dharmas. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as illuminating. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the pure experience of all phenomena. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as showing all phenomena. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the pure light of all bodhisattvas. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as purifying the unobscured eyes of all the hearers. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as producing pure roots of virtue in the entire retinue without obscuration. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as stopping the sufferings of the animal realm and the world of the Lord of Death. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as producing roots of virtue by means of great love throughout all buddha realms. Emerging from that absorption, he next entered the one known as the immovable. Then, while the Blessed One was dwelling in the immovable absorption, the gods of the pure realms praised him in these verses:


7.
Chapter 7

The Perfect Teaching on the Exalted Intention

7.­1

The Blessed One then said to the venerable Śāradvatī­putra, “Śāradvatī­putra, there are three things that bodhisattvas should do, in terms of which to consider correctly everything there is to do and not to do. What are these three things? Śāradvatī­putra, they are as follows.

7.­2

“Because of the very things not to be done, the first thing to do is to pursue the sublime Dharma fully. Śāradvatī­putra, bodhisattvas should furthermore pursue the teachings of the buddhas without measuring them, so that even when they hear the profound teachings of the buddhas, they will be unafraid, enthusiastically try to penetrate to their depths, and not abandon them.


8.
Chapter 8

Inspiring to Uphold, Expressing, and Training in Engendering the Mind of Awakening

8.­1

“Śāradvatī­putra, bodhisattvas endowed with such an exalted intention should persevere in the correct view of sameness. Correct view means freedom from partiality. Alternatively, Śāradvatī­putra, correct view is so called because it sees correctly. Śāradvatī­putra, correct view is also so called because of sameness. [F.156.b] This is because, Śāradvatī­putra, the eyes are nirvāṇa and there is no nirvāṇa other than the eyes. The eyes and nirvāṇa are thus nondual, meaning indivisible into two. They are alike. How are they alike? They are alike in that the eyes and nirvāṇa are identical. The eyes are devoid of eyes. Nirvāṇa is devoid of nirvāṇa. The eyes are devoid of nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa is devoid of eyes. The eyes and nirvāṇa are thus identical since neither ever existed. The same logic should also be applied to the ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Thus, the mind and nirvāṇa are alike. How are they alike? They are alike because mind and nirvāṇa are identical. Mind is devoid of mind. Nirvāṇa is devoid of nirvāṇa. Mind is devoid of nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa is devoid of mind. Mind and nirvāṇa are nondual, meaning indivisible into two. They are devoid of thought since they are nothing that can be examined. Being empty by way of emptiness‍—this, Śāradvatī­putra, is what is called the ‘correct view.’ Since that view makes them the same, it is called the ‘correct view.’ Since all these have come to be the same, it is called the ‘correct view.’


9.
Chapter 9

Engaging in Means, Abandoning the Sublime Dharma, and Encouraging the Bodhisattva to Uphold It

9.­1

Then, a beggar called Vijayarakṣa came into the assembly and sat down. Having risen from his seat, he draped his robe over one shoulder, bowed to the Blessed One with palms joined, and said, “Blessed One, I do not want to fall off such a cliff, nor argue with the Thus-Gone One, but I do want to awaken to unexcelled and perfect awakening. So I am wondering, Blessed One, how can I, a poor and destitute person, fully awaken to buddhahood when I live off the wealth of others, gaining the luxury of a home through negative conduct and hardship? Perfectly accomplishing awakening is for great, sāla tree-like warriors, brahmins, and householders.”

9.­2

The Blessed One said, “I do not especially teach to the warrior caste who are like a great sāla tree, or to those of the brahmin caste who are like a great sāla tree, or to those of the householder caste who are like a great sāla tree. Nor do I especially teach to nobles, to the wealthy, or to gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras, or mahoragas. Rather, whoever gives rise to the mind of awakening is worthy of veneration by the world with its gods.”

9.­3

“Blessed One,” said Vijayarakṣa, “from this time forth I give rise to the mind set on unexcelled and perfect awakening.”

The Blessed One replied to the beggar Vijayarakṣa, “Vijayarakṣa, you are following the example of the thus-gone ones. Excellent! Excellent!” [F.173.a] [B14]

9.­4

The beggar Vijayarakṣa then spoke to the Blessed One the following verses:

“I do not look for praise.
I do not seek to be respected by merchants.
I want sublime wisdom,
The unexcelled wisdom of awakening.
9.­5
“You are unexcelled in the world.
You are ever supreme in the world.
You are the sole protector and refuge of beings
Who are tormented by suffering.
9.­6
“Endowed with superior vision,
You have actualized the stainless Dharma,
Saving beings from saṃsāra,
And you teach the Dharma for their benefit.
9.­7
“Your supernatural power is infinite,
And your radiance, too, is infinite.
Your insight is supreme,
For you are exalted in all qualities.
9.­8
“I made the aspiration,
‘May I become like this!’
Yet I became discouraged,
Wondering who would give that to a pauper.
9.­9
“There are kings, householders, brahmins,
Gods, kinnaras‍—
Beings with supernatural powers and great brilliance‍—
Yet this is the foremost person among them.
9.­10
“How would anyone confer awakening,
To which the world has no access,
To paupers that survive
Off the wealth of others?
9.­11
“Knowing my mind,
You said to Śāriputra,
‘I have taught engendering the mind of awakening.
I have not taught it exclusively to those of the warrior caste,
9.­12
“ ‘Nor is it only for brahmins, merchants, or commoners.
I have not taught it exclusively to the low, the lofty, gods,
Or nāgas, yakṣas, or kinnaras.
Rather, I have taught it to those of pure intention.’
9.­13
“Hearing such teaching from the Thus-Gone One,
I was filled with strength, and spoke these words:
‘May I become a supreme savior of the earth,
Now that the mind set on awakening is born in me.’
9.­14
“The sky might fall, the earth might decay.
Likewise, Sumeru, the king of mountains, might decay
And the element of space might change.
Yet it is impossible for my intention to waver.
9.­15
“Even if all beings were to become māras,
And create obstacles for me
In order to thwart this intention, [F.173.b]
I would not relinquish it.
9.­16
“If there were some beings here
And if they were to say before me,
‘This sublime wisdom of awakening is so precious;
Who would give awakening to a pauper?’
9.­17
“Then I would reply,
‘You are poorer than I; I am not a pauper.
You have never had faith.
Since I do have faith, I will awaken.’
9.­18
“Awakening has no caste whatsoever.
Neither does it have any fruition, nor life force.
Rather, whoever bows to the mind of awakening
Bows to this unexcelled vehicle.
9.­19
“This mind of the supreme sage is the caste;
This is the seed; this, the fruition.
Having embarked upon the sacred and supreme vehicle,
One is trained by the buddhas and becomes awakened.
9.­20
“I have utterly abandoned my body, my life force,
And any indulgence in worldly play.
Instead, I am intent on the wisdom of awakening.
Having fully awakened, I will free beings.
9.­21
“To the Buddha, the Lord of Dharma, seated before me
I have proclaimed this here with a lion’s roar‍—
If I happen to be at all mistaken,
Will the Victorious One, out of love, let me know?”
9.­22

The Blessed One then responded to the beggar Vijayarakṣa in verse:

“In this the Buddha is utterly unmistaken.
This intention is unsurpassed.
Today you have abandoned that previous idea,
So you too will become a victorious one, a lord of Dharma.”
9.­23
Having heard the Thus-Gone One’s words,
He was ecstatic beyond measure‍—
Vijayarakṣa had faith in them
And ascended in the sky to a height of seven palm trees.
9.­24
At that moment the best among beings showed a smile.
Multiple exquisite blue and yellow colored lights
Issued forth from the Victorious One’s mouth
And dissolved into his own crown.
9.­25
Then, with his robe draped over one shoulder and his palms joined, [F.174.a]
Ānanda asked the best among humans:
“Lord, what was the cause of this? Well-Gone One, what were its conditions?
I ask this of the Victorious One, he with unobstructed wisdom.
9.­26
“Lord, Vijayarakṣa, looking so oppressed,
Appeared in the house of the Lord as a beggar.
Today, suspended in the sky at a height of seven palm trees,
He pays homage to the Victorious One.
9.­27
“Gods, nāgas, mahoragas,
Yakṣas, nonhuman kinnaras,
And humans join their palms toward him,
And, Lord, pay homage to Vijayarakṣa.
9.­28
“I ask the Lord of the World the reason for this.
For whom did the sage show his smile?
For whom was that explanation
On those that have embarked toward highest awakening?
9.­29
“Who abides in the wisdom of awakening?
For whom is that unexcelled intention present?
Who will reach the most sublime wisdom
And deliver beings from saṃsāra?
9.­30
“Who will then be present on the seat of awakening,
Vanquish Māra and his hordes,
And, having vanquished Māra and his hordes, abandon afflictions
And turn the sublime wheel of peace?
9.­31
“Who will possess the peerless wisdom?
Who will become of vast benefit
And then continue to turn the wheel further,
So that wisdom becomes everywhere unimpeded,
9.­32
“And the words of the best among humans are here disclosed?
Who then will possess those true words,
So that beings that are doubtful of the true wisdom,
Will no longer appear in these present times?
9.­33
“Who will possess the mind of perpetual equipoise?
You who reached the peace of awakening,
And know the minds of beings throughout the three times,
I beg you to explain the sublime and supreme Dharma!
9.­34
“Whose Dharma will, when taught,
Satiate the world with its gods?
Who will come to vanquish delusion
And gaze with an elephant’s gaze?
9.­35
“Who will possess the great saṅgha?
Who will purify this field?
Who will abandon all inopportune states,
And, endowed with leisure, long for the land beyond suffering?
9.­36
“Mighty One, when I ask about these matters, [F.174.b]
May the Lord of the World show a smile,
And, Guide of the World, explain these things to me,
For upon hearing them, all beings will be joyous!”
9.­37

The Blessed One then said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, when the smile was shown, the beggar Vijayarakṣa and likewise eighty quadrillion gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas gave rise to the mind set on unexcelled and perfect awakening and I then prophesied their unexcelled and perfect awakening.”

9.­38

The Blessed One then spoke these verses:

“When I explained this aim,
Those who embarked upon the supreme vehicle
Totaled eighty quadrillion beings‍—
They will all become victorious ones, supreme humans.
9.­39
“The beggar Vijayarakṣa, too,
Paid homage while seated before me.
He became elated and levitated into the sky.
He, in this way, also paid homage to me.
9.­40
“Since he has performed this deed,
He will henceforth never fall astray,
But perpetually attain leisure in each and every lifetime,
And continually behold the buddhas.
9.­41
“Having seen the most sublime beings,
He will pay homage to them as a cause of awakening.
He will then pay homage with flowers, incenses, and perfumes,
And with parasols and banners.
9.­42
“He will likewise pay homage to the victorious ones
With the best of garments and alms,
And with bedding, and then, with facilities.
Eventually, he will practice bodhisattva conduct there.
9.­43
“Having pleased the loving supreme beings,
He will pay homage to the victorious ones there,
And offer to those with unexcelled love
Seventy quadrillion gems.
9.­44
“Then the light from those gems will issue forth,
Spreading as far as eighty leagues.
The light issuing from the gems
Will pervade the light of the gems.68
9.­45
“Then for all the billion attendants
He will offer that many thrones [F.175.a]
And as many pedestals,
And make as many temples.
9.­46
“Built in all seven kinds of precious substances,
Each temple will measure a mile across.
Perpetually bedecking the loving ones and their hearers with adornments,
He will enthusiastically make offerings to them.
9.­47
“He will honor the victorious ones for three months.
For one hundred years he will perform
The end of the rainy season retreat ritual ceremony.
Then, as he goes forth, he will practice the sublime holy life.
9.­48
“Joyfully and respectfully,
He will pay homage to the victorious ones there.
Eventually, once he has practiced the conduct of awakening,
He will see all the victorious ones in the good eon.
9.­49
“He will behold more buddhas
Than there are sand grains in the river Ganges.
Who, inspired by beholding the buddhas,
Would not long for the wisdom of the noble ones?
9.­50
“Such is the inspiration from that intention
On which I have presently taught just a portion.
I was not then able to give any analogy
Of exactly how its qualities are.
9.­51
“Having been in cyclic existence for as many eons
As there are sand grains in the river Ganges,
He will henceforth reach the supreme vehicle
And become the victorious one called Garbhagaṇa.
9.­52
“His lifespan will be a thousand eons.
The layout of his land
Will be like the abode of the gods at the peak of Sumeru,
And Jambudvīpa too will be like that.
9.­53
“The victorious one Garbhagaṇa
Will then have an assembly of hearers
That numbers many billions‍—
As many as there are sand grains in the river Ganges.
9.­54
“Likewise, his assembly will contain as many beings
As there are sand grains in the river Ganges‍—
All worthy ones who have exhausted defilements and are free of the afflictions.
Having gained mastery, they will perfect supernatural power.
9.­55
“Just like Śāriputra, the fount of insight,
They will have the exalted wisdom to resolve questions.
They will be expert in abhidharma, sūtra, and vinaya,
And be supreme among hearers, just as I have prophesied.
9.­56
“The thus-gone one Garbhagaṇa
Will then double his assembly.
They will set out for supreme, sublime awakening, [F.175.b]
Just like Maitreya, who is also called Ajita.
9.­57
“They will also be confined by only one more birth
Before they reach unexcelled awakening.
Upon the occasion of their deaths,
They will realize awakening in different lands.
9.­58
“His assembly of valiant and stable-minded heroes
Will exceed even that.
At that time, in the unexcelled supreme vehicle,
They will be prophesied to become buddhas under Garbhagaṇa.
9.­59
“Even after the Thus-Gone One has passed,
His Dharma way will be present for an eon.
His remains will spread,
Just as at my passing‍—
9.­60
“Relics will thus form
From the thus-gone one Garbhagaṇa himself.
The relics of that buddha will remain
Precisely according to the devotion of beings.
9.­61
“They will rest in a stūpa called Jewel,
Adorned with banners, pillars, pavilions,
And stainless bells,
And thus ornament Jambudvīpa.
9.­62
“The beings that go to that stūpa
Will strew it with flowers.
The flowers will turn into canopies in the sky;
Such miracles as those will take place at that time.
9.­63
“To the people, according to their devotion for it,
The body of the Buddha will smile.
It will reveal itself from within the stūpa,
And having shown a smile, disappear.
9.­64
“Whoever sees light dissolve into the crown protuberance,
We will understand as prophesied for awakening.
Whoever sees light enter that victorious one’s mouth,
We will understand as prophesied to be a solitary buddha.
9.­65
“When the light enters the navel
Of the guide from inside the stūpa,
Those prophesied will attain nirvāṇa.
I understand that such miracles as those will take place.
9.­66
“The blessings of that victorious one will be present for an eon.
Thereafter everything will come to an end.
Nothing that is part of saṃsāra has permanence.
This teaching of the buddhas is impermanent and empty.”
9.­67

The venerable Śāradvatī­putra then said to the Blessed One, [F.176.a] “Blessed One, it is amazing that the beggar Vijayarakṣa, while in a reproachable state, is in possession of the irreproachable Dharma. Blessed One, who would reproach such a being?”

9.­68

The Blessed One said to the venerable Śāradvatī­putra, “Indeed, Śāradvatī­putra, who would reproach such a being but an immature, ordinary being with no learning? Śāradvatī­putra, with that in mind, I made the statement: ‘Aside from a thus-gone one, a person cannot apprehend another person’s level.’ Śāradvatī­putra, what do you think, was it the case, then, that previously the beggar Vijayarakṣa was worthy of veneration by gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans?”

9.­69

“It was not so, Blessed One,” replied Śāradvatī­putra. “That is because, Blessed One, the moment when the beggar Vijayarakṣa engendered the mind set on unexcelled and perfect awakening, he became worthy of veneration, worship, and homage, such that now, Blessed One, he is worthy of veneration by the world with its gods.”


9.­70

The Blessed One then said to the venerable Śāradvatī­putra, “Śāradvatī­putra, the unobstructed wisdom of a thus-gone one is not shared with the hearers and solitary buddhas. It is because of that, Śāradvatī­putra, that my hearers, who teach the Dharma to beings who want to respectfully listen to such a teaching, should proclaim at the very beginning the actual qualities of my wisdom. That is because those beings, having by all means heard the qualities of a thus-gone one’s wisdom so proclaimed, [F.176.b] will focus their minds on the wisdom of the Buddha, and in that way, be continuously in accord with the way of the Buddha.

9.­71

“Śāradvatī­putra, the beings who set out to benefit others are few. Śāradvatī­putra, very rare, extremely rare are those beings who set out to benefit others and to benefit themselves. Śāradvatī­putra, moreover, forget about those who set out to benefit others and to benefit themselves; rare, extremely rare, Śāradvatī­putra, are those who set out to benefit themselves and others.69 Śāradvatī­putra, even while trying to benefit themselves, immature and misapprehending beings cause themselves nothing but harm. This is because, Śāradvatī­putra, I have never seen or heard of anyone who is benefited, advantaged, unharmed, and unscathed by harming, disadvantaging, hurting, and injuring others‍—it is impossible. Śāradvatī­putra, it is for this reason that beings who set out to benefit themselves are so rare; such beings are so extremely rare. So extremely rare too are those beings who set out to benefit themselves and to benefit others. Śāradvatī­putra, it is for this reason that when certain beings flatter and disparage, such beings have not set out to benefit themselves or to benefit others. People like them, Śāradvatī­putra, are unwholesome. Śāradvatī­putra, those fools have set out on the wrong path. They have not set out to benefit themselves or to benefit others. Such inappropriate ones incur eight types of destruction. These eight types of destruction are: the destruction of relations, the destruction of place, the destruction of enjoyments, the destruction by fire, the destruction by royal authority, [F.177.a] the destruction of the sense fields, the destruction of the hells, and the destruction caused by the guardians of the hells.

9.­72

“They will also incur eight intense types of unhappiness. These eight are: (1) incurring the unhappiness of birth in the hells; (2) incurring the unhappiness of birth in the animal realm; (3) incurring the unhappiness of birth in the world of Yama; (4) incurring the unhappiness where even though one is born among humans, one assumes birth in a peripheral region, (5) or one is blind, deaf, one-eyed, missing a finger or hand, paralyzed on one side, or afflicted with any severe form of illness; (6) incurring the unhappiness where even though one is born with a fortune equal to other humans, and although one is born in a suitable place, one mingles with crooked people, disgraceful people, uncouth people, women, dependents, nirgrantha followers or proponents of other non-Buddhist groups, or someone with wrong view, who always engages in evil deeds, has impure physical, verbal, and mental actions, and who cannot be changed for the sake of the noble ones; (7) and incurring the unhappiness where even though one is born among humans, a thus-gone one does not appear there, or (8) the night before a thus-gone one does appear one dies and does not encounter his direct presence. These are the eight intense types of unhappiness that they incur.

9.­73

“Those who are born among hell beings have large and broad bodies, such that they will experience great torment. Those who are born among the animals, moreover, have large and broad bodies, and take huge bites, making it difficult to be nourished. [F.177.b] Wherever one is born there, one will commit a great many evil deeds. Born there, one might be a fish, a crocodile, an otter, a porpoise, or a timi fish. Beings catch them with hooks and hold them up, and then in order to kill them, they cut them and beat them. Even having been violated in this way, it is not enough to kill them. Rather, their bodies grow back and although they experience many different kinds of painful sensations, they still will not die. Elsewhere in the animal realm, one might take birth as a camel, ox, donkey, chicken, or pig. If one becomes a camel or an ox, one’s nose will be pierced and one will be loaded down with cargo, struck repeatedly with sticks, and led around on journeys. Angry and dejected, one will be forced to carry cargo, without any protection whatsoever. When one becomes physically weak from being burdened by cargo, one will be shorn of life and one’s flesh will be eaten. Such animals are thus described as ‘broad-bodied, lazy, difficult to nourish, with big bites, and ineffectual.’

9.­74

“Śāradvatī­putra, look at the manifestation of all the myriad undesirable and unpleasant effects from performing and accumulating negative deeds. Śāradvatī­putra, the Thus-Gone One would not be able to cover the maturation of non-virtuous deeds even were he to describe it for an eon or more. Śāradvatī­putra, in short, whoever sets out to interfere with a bodhisattva’s engendering of the mind of awakening, Śāradvatī­putra, will neither journey to nirvāṇa, nor have the excellent leisures. This is why, Śāradvatī­putra, you have protected yourself and thus attained the excellent leisures.

9.­75

“Śāradvatī­putra, the following four things are protection: Śāradvatī­putra, the Thus-Gone One is the protection for beings oppressed by fear. Śāradvatī­putra, the path of the noble ones is the protection for beings who have embarked on the wrong path. [F.178.a] Śāradvatī­putra, the applications of mindfulness are the protection that ensures negative deeds are not committed. Śāradvatī­putra, the mind of awakening is the protection of abandoning all unfavorable states. Those four things, Śāradvatī­putra, are protection.

9.­76

“Śāradvatī­putra, the following four things are happiness: seeing the Thus-Gone One, the excellent leisures, acquiring faith in the Dharma-Vinaya taught by the Thus-Gone One, and a proper and excellent view. Those four things, Śāradvatī­putra, are great happiness.

9.­77

“Śāradvatī­putra, the following four things are health: the health of the harmonization of the constituents of the great elements and humors; the health of proper reflection on the correct view; the health of acquiring faith in the Thus-Gone One’s teaching and thus acquiring all excellent kinds of happiness; and the health of being able to engender the mind set on immeasurable, countless beings attaining unexcelled and perfect awakening and thereby eradicating the afflictions. Those four things, Śāradvatī­putra, are health.

9.­78

“Śāradvatī­putra, the following four things are hope: the patient hoping to be healed, the starving hoping for sustenance, those in pain and oppressed by pain hoping to enjoy pleasure, and those who have embarked on the path of the great protector hoping for bliss. Those four things, Śāradvatī­putra, are hope.

9.­79

“Śāradvatī­putra, the following four things are strong attachments through which beings migrate to the lower realms: strong attachment to the body, strong attachment to life force, strong attachment to enjoyments, and strong attachment to objects of sensual desire. Those four, Śāradvatī­putra, are the strong attachments through which beings migrate to the lower realms.

9.­80

“Śāradvatī­putra, the following seven things are receptacles: the receptacle of undigested food, the receptacle of digested food, the receptacle of phlegm, the receptacle of bile, the receptacle of wind, the receptacle of view, and along the same lines, Śāradvatī­putra, the great receptacle, which is the object of sensual desire to which one is strongly attached. [F.178.b] For, Śāradvatī­putra, the object of sensual desire to which one is strongly attached consists of phlegm, pus, lymph, urine, feces, flesh, sinew, bone, blood, and marrow.”

9.­81

Also at that time, the householder called Vijayarakṣa joined the assembly and took a seat. His wife, called Rūpavatī, was exquisite, beautiful, and pleasing to behold, with a fine complexion and perfect figure. The householder Vijayarakṣa, being especially attached to her, said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, please do not say that objects of sensual desire are receptacles of feces and urine. I say this because, Blessed One, my wife called Rūpavatī does not have any feces or urine.”

9.­82

Understanding the householder’s exalted intention, the Blessed One manifested a woman that looked exactly like the householder’s wife Rūpavatī. Seeing her, the householder thought, “Why has my wife come here?” As the apparent wife approached, he asked her, “Why have you come to this assembly?”

“Householder,” she replied, “I have come to the Thus-Gone One to listen to the Dharma.”

9.­83

The householder Vijayarakṣa then took his wife by the hand, wrapped her in the folds of his garment, and both the householder Vijayarakṣa and his wife Rupāvatī took their seat. The Blessed One then produced the miraculous feat of having the woman defecate in the folds of his garment. The householder Vijayarakṣa, [F.179.a] unable to bear the stench of the feces, blocked his nose with his fingers and turned his face, looking around. To the right side of the householder Vijayarakṣa was the son of the Śākyas called Nanda, who asked the householder Vijayarakṣa, “Householder, why are you blocking your nose and turning away?”

9.­84

The householder Vijayarakṣa responded to Nanda, the son of the Śākyas, “Venerable, there is the stench of feces in this place. Do you not notice it too, just around here?”

9.­85

The Blessed One then performed a miraculous feat, which caused the son of the Śākyas Nanda and the fourfold retinue to clearly notice that the wife Rūpavatī had excreted feces in the folds of the garment. The son of the Śākyas Nanda then exclaimed to the householder Vijayarakṣa, “Look, householder! Your very own wife has defecated in the folds of your garment.”

9.­86

The householder Vijayarakṣa then turned to the son of the Śākyas called Vanadatta and said, “Vanadatta, I would look to see if my wife had excreted or urinated if I had some doubt about it. But how can I look when such a thing is impossible? Venerable one, this makes me think that perhaps you are the one who came carrying feces!”

9.­87

At that the son of the Śākyas became so enraged that he rose from his seat and shouted at the householder Vijayarakṣa, “Householder, you are so attached that I will start calling you ‘Householder Feces’! Householder, did you not take your wife by her hand and wrap her in the folds of your own garment? Householder, was it not precisely that which created the present circumstance? See the source of the stench with your own eyes! Householder, since you are so attached [F.179.b] and impertinent, I will give you the name ‘Householder Feces.’ As you sit there in feces, insulting others, you are no longer Vijayarakṣa. Householder, leave this retinue! Go away, householder! Vanish from this retinue, householder! Completely vanish, householder!”

9.­88

The householder then took his wife by the hands and demanded of her, “Conniving woman, how could you even get the idea to defecate in the folds of my garment?”

“Householder,” she replied, “such things happen when one takes a receptacle of feces and wraps it into the folds of one’s own garment.”

9.­89

Dejected, the householder Vijayarakṣa considered tossing the feces to the ground, but he could not. Instead he proceeded to smear it all over his body, and then said to the son of the Śākyas Vanadatta, “Venerable, tell me, what is the best way now to be completely free of the stench of this feces?”

9.­90

“Householder, you will indeed be completely free of this and other things,” said Vanadatta. “However, it would be most appropriate now for you to leave this place. This is because, householder, you will die from the stench of feces that accompanies your wife.”

9.­91

The householder Vijayarakṣa said to the son of the Śākyas Vanadatta, “Venerable, mendicants are known as ‘compassionate.’ Mendicants are known as ‘loving.’ So, being a ‘son of the Śākyas,’ I wonder how much of a special being you are.”

9.­92

The son of the Śākyas Vanadatta replied to the householder Vijayarakṣa, “Why should I be compassionate toward you? And why should I be loving toward you? When the Thus-Gone One was teaching the Dharma, you disagreed with him, and said, ‘My wife has neither feces nor urine.’ And thereafter you insulted me too, did you not? Householder, you need to look with your own eyes to see whether or not your wife has feces or urine.” [F.180.a]

The householder Vijayarakṣa then snapped at his wife, “Wife, you should go home!”

9.­93

Having sent his wife away, Vijayarakṣa said to the Śākya youth Vanadatta, “Venerable, I see the faults of women. I see the untrustworthiness of women. Vanadatta, I wish to go forth from home to homelessness.”

9.­94

The son of the Śākyas Vanadatta then said to the householder Vijayarakṣa, “Householder, fumigate and soak your body with all kinds of fragrances for one hundred years! If you do that you will later succeed in going forth under the Blessed One. This is because, householder, your body has become foul-smelling from the stench of feces.”

9.­95

The householder Vijayarakṣa then said to the son of the Śākyas Vanadatta, “Venerable, whether I fumigate myself for one year or a hundred years, who knows if, while occupied with precisely that, I will die, or the Blessed One will pass away? On the other hand, venerable, if I do receive ordination from the Blessed One, I will not enter villages, towns, countries, or royal palaces. I will instead frequent the wilderness, beg for alms, and wear poor quality religious robes. Therefore, who will smell the foul stench of a forest-dwelling miscreant like me?”

9.­96

The Blessed One then said to the householder, “Householder, do you wish to go forth from home to homelessness?”

“I do wish to, Blessed One,” he replied.

9.­97

The Blessed One said, “Monk, come join me, and live the holy life!” Once the householder, just at these words, had gone forth, he was dressed in ochre robes and his head was shaven as if seven days had passed, and he had an alms bowl in the palms of his hands.

9.­98

The Blessed One then taught him the Dharma, [F.180.b] teaching the noble truth of suffering, and, likewise, the noble truths of its origin, its cessation, and the path. Right away the monk gained the stainless and immaculate Dharma eye that sees phenomena. He had acquired the vocation, so the next morning he set out for the city of Rājagṛha wearing religious robes and carrying an alms bowl. While moving in rounds throughout the city of Rājagṛha for alms, he reached his own home and sat silently to one side for alms. His wife Rūpavatī saw that it was him, the householder Vijayarakṣa, who had taken ordination and come for alms wearing religious robes and carrying an alms bowl. She said, “Householder, you have acted inappropriately.”

9.­99

“Do you understand that you excreted and urinated in the folds of my garment and thus left my entire body with a foul stench?” replied the monk Vijayarakṣa.

9.­100

“Householder,” she said, “this thing that you are criticizing me for did not happen to you. Householder, I was forced by my father to follow him between our homes, and do not recall even showing my face outside of any door, let alone going to see the Blessed One at the Kalandaka­nivāpa in the Veṇuvana.”

9.­101

“I have as witnesses the Blessed One, the son of the Śākyas Vanadatta, and the fourfold assembly,” said Vijayarakṣa. “Do you not recall that you and I were apprehended by the son of the Śākyas Vanadatta and exiled from the assembly?”

9.­102

Then Māra, the evil one, sat down behind the householder and said, “Householder, this is not why you were exiled and caused to wander. It was due to a magical apparition. Monk, you should enjoy the five sense pleasures! Householder, you were deceived by the mendicant Gautama. He has allowed many monks to go forth and thus caused them to wander.” [F.181.a]

9.­103

“So, the reason I was made to smell foul was because of a magical apparition?” asked the monk Vijayarakṣa.

“Indeed,” he replied.

9.­104

“Then you are also a magical apparition,” said Vijayarakṣa. “And I too am a magical apparition. And all the teachings taught by the Thus-Gone One are also like a magical apparition.”

9.­105

At that point the woman purified the stainless and immaculate Dharma eye that sees phenomena. Having gained devotion and acquired conviction, she said, “Be happy, monk! Live the holy life! I will likewise go forth under the teaching of the Blessed One.”

9.­106

Based on precisely that true perspective regarding phenomena, the Blessed One said to the venerable Śāradvatī­putra, “Śāradvatī­putra, there are four qualities that bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to unexcelled and perfect buddhahood should abandon. What are these four? Śāradvatī­putra, bodhisattva great beings should abandon evil companions. Śāradvatī­putra, bodhisattva great beings should abandon association with women. Bodhisattva great beings should abandon the speech of nirgranthas and the spells of materialists. And, Śāradvatī­putra, bodhisattva great beings should abandon the degeneration of wrong view. Śāradvatī­putra, these four qualities should be abandoned by bodhisattva great beings. Śāradvatī­putra, I have never seen other qualities that create obstacles exactly as these four do.

9.­107

“Śāradvatī­putra, it is for this reason that those who have entered the Great Vehicle should abandon these four things. Having abandoned them, whoever wishes to fully awaken to unexcelled and perfect buddhahood [F.181.b] should then rely upon, cultivate, and develop four other things. What are these four? Śāradvatī­putra, they should rely upon, cultivate, and develop a relationship with a spiritual friend‍—either a buddha, bodhisattva, or hearer‍—who instructs upon and teaches the Dharma discourses of the Bodhisattva Collection. Śāradvatī­putra, moreover, in order to avoid association with women, bodhisattvas should rely upon, revere, and serve those who are renounced, those who have gone forth, and those who dwell in the forest. Śāradvatī­putra, moreover, in order to avoid materialists and the speech of nirgranthas, bodhisattvas should engage in the practice of receiving, mastering, and memorizing the teachings. Śāradvatī­putra, moreover, in order to avoid wrong view, bodhisattvas should rely upon and cultivate the correct view of great emptiness.”

9.­108

Once the Well-Gone One had thus spoken, the Teacher also imparted the following instructions:

“One should abandon association with women;
One should also abandon evil companions.
In order to avoid wrong view,
One should abandon materialists.
9.­109
“Whoever relies upon women,
Evil companions,
Materialists,
And wrong view,
9.­110
“Will, through relying upon such bad views, and the rest,
Immediately migrate to unfortunate states,
And find it exceedingly difficult to acquire
The leisures and excellent faith in the Buddha.
9.­111
“Whoever wants to rely on the evil
Will become absorbed in evil.
Those who partake of evil experience
Will migrate to evil destinies.
9.­112
“Whoever has set out for awakening
Should not rely upon women.
One should keep them at bay,
As one would a pig smeared with filth.
9.­113
“One should not rely on evil friends
Who teach what is at odds with Dharma.
By relying on conduct at odds with Dharma
One will be shrouded in unconscious70 oblivion.
9.­114
“One should not rely on materialists [F.182.a]
And what is held by nirgranthas.
They may teach71 ever so gently,
You will end up acquiring their perspective.
9.­115
“Once you have abandoned all those,
You should abandon wrong view.
I have taught here
That this is the root of saṃsāra.
9.­116
“If you abandon negative qualities,
And practice the conduct of a bodhisattva,
You will fully course in the supreme qualities
That were taught by me previously.
9.­117
“What connects you with that path
Are the act of going forth, pure conduct,
A sublime spiritual friend,
Buddhas, and hearers.
9.­118
“Upon the path you should rely on emptiness.
But within great emptiness there is no emptiness.
Perceiving empty phenomena
Is not to experience anything at all.
9.­119
“Phenomena and, likewise, perception
Will not bring about the perception of emptiness.
Emptiness is taught to be
That to which the world has no access.
9.­120
“If those whom I have previously trained
Practice the conduct of a bodhisattva,
They cannot be matched
By those of immature intellect, no matter how much they may know.
9.­121
“Whoever receives my Dharma,
And practices as a bodhisattva based on it,
Will not fall under the influence of others
When practicing bodhisattva conduct.
9.­122
“I teach the sublime Dharma,
Having realized those matters myself.
That which is unobstructed regarding emptiness
Is the true path.
9.­123
“What I realized beyond conception
While seated at the seat of awakening,
After overcoming the malicious Māra,
Is said to be reality.
9.­124
“I truly realized that,
And that is precisely what I have taught.
Because the wheel was turned,
I awakened to the supreme limit.
9.­125
“Whoever wants to destroy the malicious Māra,
Awaken to buddhahood,
And sit at the seat of awakening
Must rely on emptiness.
9.­126
“Whoever wants to turn
The wheel of the unexcelled Dharma,
And instruct the saṅgha in it,
Must rely on emptiness.
9.­127
“Whoever wants to be transformed
By the ten powers
And then fearlessly resound the lion’s roar
Must rely on emptiness. [F.182.b]
9.­128
“It was by relying continually on emptiness,
Whose renown and fame
Is widespread throughout all worlds,
That I reached the other shore.
9.­129
“Following my example,
The supremely wise bodhisattva
Should awaken to the sublime awakening
Of unexcelled wisdom.
9.­130
“Whoever follows my example,
Whether it be a monk or a nun,
Will attain sublime awakening
Just as I have attained it now.
9.­131
“This is not to be relied upon
By monks and nuns alone.
Any being that trains in it
Will easily discover awakening.
9.­132
“When relying on this sublime truth
I became free of attachment.
Through the unshared qualities
I awakened to the awakening of non-attachment.
9.­133
“When relying on those teachings,
Unhindered wisdom will not be meager.
That is the path toward awakening.
You should continually rely on emptiness.
9.­134
“Thus, to benefit beings,
A bodhisattva should train
In the teachings that show
All phenomena to be empty.”
9.­135

This concludes the ninth chapter.


10.
Chapter 10

Bodhisattva Conduct

10.­1

“Śāradvatī­putra, there are four qualities that bodhisattva great beings can possess to make them expert in resolving the nature of things as they are. They also give them an eloquence that is unobstructed, acute, limitless, and profound with respect to all dharmas. At that point the thus-gone ones comprehend their expertise in resolving things exactly as they are, as well as their acute and felicitous eloquence, and thus authorize them to guard the city of the Dharma for posterity.


11.
Chapter 11

The Perfect Declaration of Going Forth

11.­1

Then, seven years after a child called Vijayarakṣa was born, he joined that very same assembly and took his seat. The boy Vijayarakṣa now rose from his seat, bowed with palms joined to the Blessed One, and requested in verse:

11.­2
“I have heard the Dharma of the buddhas,
So I wish to request the armor.
The inspiration thus born in me
Compels me to think, may I too become like him!
11.­3
“Seer, through the gift of Dharma
I will invite all beings as guests.
I will speak in the words of the best of men.
I will do just that and nothing else.

12.
Chapter 12

The Pure Retinue

12.­1

“Ānanda, there are four qualities that bodhisattvas may have that will equip them with mindfulness, realization, intelligence, propriety, experience, and comportment. What are those four qualities? Ānanda, bodhisattvas apply effort to pursue such qualities. Once they have found them, they also become accomplished in those qualities. Adhering to them themselves, they also lead many other beings to uphold the same qualities. Leading them to uphold them, they also delight them with Dharma discourses and thus encourage them.”


13.
Chapter 13

Accomplishing the Gates of the Teachings

13.­1

Then, the bodhisattva Dṛḍhamati, who was seated in the assembly, rose from his seat, proffered his shawl, and said to the Blessed One, “I offer this garment to the Thus-Gone One as a Dharma covering to be offered to the awakened thus-gone ones of past, present, and future for the sake of eloquent explanations of this Dharma discourse, [F.210.b]/[F.211.b]83 and so that bodhisattva great beings who have perfectly embarked on bodhisattva conduct will become replete with buddha qualities.”


14.
Chapter 14

The Action of Absorption

14.­1

“Dṛḍhamati, if you have four qualities, they will enable you to accomplish that absorption and teach it to others. What are those four qualities? Apply diligence to attain that absorption and do not discard your efforts. When seated, enthusiastically preaching day and night, manifest the thus-gone ones seated at the supreme seat of awakening, or turning the wheel of Dharma, and likewise have no stinginess with Dharma. While giving the gift of Dharma, transform yourself and the audience members for the Dharma into the bodies of thus-one ones; for while one’s own body will be destroyed, those bodies do not abide anywhere at all, and teach the Dharma while not abiding anywhere. One should sit on the cushion observing that, with that kind of experience, and effecting that kind of transformation, and while seated in this manner, one should give the gift of Dharma.


15.
Chapter 15

The Benefit of Entrustment

15.­1

“Furthermore, Dṛḍhamati, in order to swiftly actualize the superknowledges, one should eagerly undertake the worship, restoration, and cleansing of stūpas. For, Dṛḍhamati, any noble son or daughter who cleans a stūpa of the thus-gone ones will acquire four pristine, excellent aspirations. What are those four aspirations? They are the pristine, excellent aspiration for one’s form; the pristine, excellent aspiration for perfect leisure; the pristine, excellent aspiration for the stability of one’s vows; and the pristine, excellent aspiration for beholding thus-gone ones.


16.

Epilogue

16.­1

Ānanda then rose from his seat, draped his shawl over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee and asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, what is the name of this Dharma discourse? How will it be upheld?”

16.­2

The Blessed One said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, you should uphold this Dharma discourse as Upholding the Roots of Virtue. You should also uphold it as Foundation of the Collection of Merit, or Aid to the Bodhisattvas, or The Inquiry Posed by the Bodhisattvas, or The Chapter that Resolves All Doubts.”


c.

Colophon

c.­1

Translated by the Indian preceptor Prajñāvarman and the translator Bandé Leki Dé, then revised and finalized by the Indian preceptors Prajñāvarman and Jñānagarbha, and the chief editor-translator Bandé Yeshé Dé.


n.

Notes

n.­1
Csoma de Körös 1836, p. 429. His summary of the sūtra was later published in French translation by Henri Léon Feer (1881).
n.­2
The dating of the Tibetan translation to the late eight to early ninth century is also attested by the text’s inclusion in the early ninth century Denkarma (ldan dkar ma) catalog, dated to c. 812 ᴄᴇ, which lists it among the “Miscellaneous Sūtras” (mdo sde sna tshogs) between eleven and twenty-six sections (bam po) long. Denkarma, F.296.b.6; see also Herrmann-Pfandt 2008, p. 43, no. 76.
n.­3
Poussin 1991, p. 193.
n.­4
Lamotte 2001, vol. IV, p. 1616.
n.­5
Gotra means both “family” and “class” but carries also the sense of “seed” or “fundamental element.” A sentient being’s capacity for progress on the path to liberation and awakening is thus determined by the particular type of gotra that the given being belongs to or possesses. For a classic discussion of the various gotras that in this way divide sentient beings into different classes based on their individual potentials, see Maitreya-Asaṅga’s Ornament of the Great Vehicle Sūtras (Mahā­yāna­sūtrālaṃkāra), chapter III (Sanskrit edition in Levi 1907).
n.­6
Or Kumbhīra, as attested by Edgerton in his Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary and by the Chinese 金毘羅 (Soothill-Hodous), although both sources list this figure as a yakṣa or a nāga rather than a monk disciple of the Buddha.
n.­7
The name Vasiṣṭha is based on the Chinese, 婆私 (Soothill-Hodous). The Tibetan reads thang la gnas/gnas pa.
n.­8
S: lhas mchod; D: las mchod. The Chinese confirms with 天敬. The back-translation of Marutpūjita is from Chandra Das.
n.­12
Tentative translation. D: rim par phye ba’i tshigs.
n.­68
Tentative translation. D: de tshe nor bu rnams kyi ’od ’byung ba/ /nor bu dag gi ’od du khyab par ’gyur.
n.­69
Tentative translation. D: sha ra dva ti’ bu yang gang dag gzhan la phan pa’i phyir dang bdag la phan pa’i phyir zhugs pa dag lta zhog gi / sha ra dva ti’ bu sems can gang dag bdag dang gzhan la phan pa’i phyir zhugs pa de dag ni dkon no/ /mchog tu rab tu dkon no.
n.­70
Y, K, and C: bral (“free from,” “separate from”); D: gral (“row”).
n.­71
Y, K: ci bstan; J, N, and C: ji bstan (“what is taught”); D: ji bsten (“what is relied upon”).
n.­83
Most available printings of the Degé Kangur have an error in the folio numbering from this point onward; the numbering error has been corrected in the displayed eKangyur pages but folio numbers in xylograph versions are likely to need increasing by one.

b.

Bibliography

’phags pa dge ba’i rtsa ba yongs su ’dzin pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. Toh 101, Degé Kangyur vol. 48 (mdo sde, nga), folios 1.a–227.b.

’phags pa dge ba’i rtsa ba yongs su ’dzin pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 48, pp. 3–580.

Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan [/ lhan] dkar gyi chos 'gyur ro cog gi dkar chag). Degé Tengyur, vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.

Csoma de Körös, Alexander. “Analysis of the Mdo.” Asiatic Researches 20 (1836): 429.

Edgerton, Franklin. Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Grammar and Dictionary, vols. 1–2. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1985.

Feer, Henri Léon. “Analyse du Kandjour: recueil des livres sacrés du Tibet par Alexandre Csoma de Körös.” Annales du Musée Guimet. Lyon: Imprimerie Pitrat Ainé (1881): 234–235.

Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Vienna: Verlag der österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.

Kumārajīva《佛說華手經》. “Kuśalamūlasamparigraha (Fo Shuo Hua Shou Jing).” In Taishō shinshū Daizōkyō 《大正新脩大藏經》, edited by Takakusu Junjiro, vol. 16, no. 657. Tokyo: Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō Kankōkai, 1988. Accessed via CBETA: T16n0657.

Lamotte, Étienne. The Treatise on the Great Virtue of Wisdom of Nāgārjuna (Mahā­prajñā­pāramitā­śāstra), vol. IV. Translated from the French, Le Traité de la grande Vertu de Sagesse de Nāgārjuna (Mahā­prajñā­pāramitā­śāstra), by Gelongma Karma Migme Chodron. Unpublished manuscript, 2001.

Levi, S. Mahāyāna-Sūtrālaṃkāra: Expose de la Doctrine du Grande Vehicule. Paris: Librarie Hononoré Champion, 1907.

Monier-Williams, M. A Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Delhi: Bharatiya G.N. (Educa Books), 2005.

Poussin, Louis de la Vallée. Abhidharmakośa­bhāṣyam, vol. I. Translated from the French translation by Leo M. Pruden. Berkeley: Asian Humanities Press, 1991.


g.

Glossary

Types of attestation for names and terms of the corresponding source language

AS

Attested in source text

This term is attested in a manuscript used as a source for this translation.

AO

Attested in other text

This term is attested in other manuscripts with a parallel or similar context.

AD

Attested in dictionary

This term is attested in dictionaries matching Tibetan to the corresponding language.

AA

Approximate attestation

The attestation of this name is approximate. It is based on other names where the relationship between the Tibetan and source language is attested in dictionaries or other manuscripts.

RP

Reconstruction from Tibetan phonetic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the Tibetan phonetic rendering of the term.

RS

Reconstruction from Tibetan semantic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the semantics of the Tibetan translation.

SU

Source unspecified

This term has been supplied from an unspecified source, which most often is a widely trusted dictionary.

g.­1

Ābhāsvara

Wylie:
  • ’od gsal
Tibetan:
  • འོད་གསལ།
Sanskrit:
  • ābhāsvara

A great bodhisattva.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 5.­203
g.­2

Abhava

Wylie:
  • srid pa med pa
Tibetan:
  • སྲིད་པ་མེད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • abhava

A buddha realm.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 5.­295
g.­3

Abhaya

Wylie:
  • mi ’jigs pa
Tibetan:
  • མི་འཇིགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • abhaya

A buddha.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­135
  • 5.­137
  • 5.­168
  • 5.­439
  • 5.­563
g.­7

abhidharma

Wylie:
  • chos mngon pa
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་མངོན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • abhidharma

The Buddha’s teachings regarding subjects such as wisdom, psychology, metaphysics, and cosmology.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 9.­55
  • 12.­25
  • g.­568
  • g.­1267
g.­16

absorption

Wylie:
  • ting nge ’dzin
Tibetan:
  • ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན།
Sanskrit:
  • samādhi

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In a general sense, samādhi can describe a number of different meditative states. In the Mahāyāna literature, in particular in the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras, we find extensive lists of different samādhis, numbering over one hundred.

In a more restricted sense, and when understood as a mental state, samādhi is defined as the one-pointedness of the mind (cittaikāgratā), the ability to remain on the same object over long periods of time. The Drajor Bamponyipa (sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa) commentary on the Mahāvyutpatti explains the term samādhi as referring to the instrument through which mind and mental states “get collected,” i.e., it is by the force of samādhi that the continuum of mind and mental states becomes collected on a single point of reference without getting distracted.

Located in 83 passages in the translation:

  • i.­13
  • i.­20-21
  • 1.­26
  • 1.­55-57
  • 1.­63
  • 1.­67
  • 1.­69-70
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­102
  • 2.­119
  • 3.­12
  • 4.­66
  • 4.­76
  • 4.­78
  • 5.­414
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­20
  • 6.­29-30
  • 6.­144
  • 6.­171
  • 6.­177
  • 8.­26
  • 8.­50
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­111
  • 11.­5
  • 12.­67
  • 13.­82-84
  • 13.­86-87
  • 13.­89-90
  • 13.­93-95
  • 13.­100
  • 14.­1-3
  • 14.­11-12
  • 14.­18
  • 14.­21
  • 14.­25-26
  • 14.­28-32
  • 14.­36
  • 14.­38
  • 14.­41
  • 14.­44-45
  • 14.­48
  • 14.­50
  • 14.­54-55
  • 14.­63-65
  • 14.­68-69
  • 15.­10
  • 15.­13
  • 15.­34
  • 15.­37
  • n.­11
  • g.­137
  • g.­206
  • g.­371
  • g.­372
  • g.­984
g.­35

Ajita

Wylie:
  • ma pham
Tibetan:
  • མ་ཕམ།
Sanskrit:
  • ajita

An epithet of the bodhisattva Maitreya.

Located in 33 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­5
  • 2.­13-14
  • 2.­48
  • 4.­9-10
  • 4.­12-31
  • 4.­58
  • 4.­68-69
  • 9.­56
  • n.­14
  • g.­213
  • g.­754
g.­58

Ānanda

Wylie:
  • kun dga’ bo
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་དགའ་བོ།
Sanskrit:
  • ānanda

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A major śrāvaka disciple and personal attendant of the Buddha Śākyamuni during the last twenty-five years of his life. He was a cousin of the Buddha (according to the Mahāvastu, he was a son of Śuklodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana, which means he was a brother of Devadatta; other sources say he was a son of Amṛtodana, another brother of King Śuddhodana, which means he would have been a brother of Aniruddha).

Ānanda, having always been in the Buddha’s presence, is said to have memorized all the teachings he heard and is celebrated for having recited all the Buddha’s teachings by memory at the first council of the Buddhist saṅgha, thus preserving the teachings after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa. The phrase “Thus did I hear at one time,” found at the beginning of the sūtras, usually stands for his recitation of the teachings. He became a patriarch after the passing of Mahākāśyapa.

Located in 72 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­3
  • i.­16
  • i.­19-20
  • i.­22
  • 1.­3
  • 2.­36-37
  • 2.­145
  • 5.­395-396
  • 5.­399
  • 5.­401
  • 5.­410
  • 9.­25
  • 9.­37
  • 11.­49
  • 11.­55-61
  • 11.­68
  • 11.­81-83
  • 11.­85
  • 11.­88
  • 11.­134-135
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­4
  • 12.­8
  • 12.­15
  • 12.­51
  • 12.­57-82
  • 13.­3-5
  • 13.­33
  • 15.­29
  • 16.­1-3
g.­82

applications of mindfulness

Wylie:
  • yang dag pa’i dran pa nye bar bzhag pa
Tibetan:
  • ཡང་དག་པའི་དྲན་པ་ཉེ་བར་བཞག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • samyak­smṛtyupasthānāni

Mindfulness of the body, feelings, the mind, and phenomena.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­79-80
  • 8.­26
  • 9.­75
  • 10.­28
  • 14.­29
  • g.­364
g.­189

Bodhisattva Collection

Wylie:
  • byang chub sems dpa’i sde snod
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའི་སྡེ་སྣོད།
Sanskrit:
  • bodhisattva­piṭaka

The collection of Great Vehicle teachings.

Located in 29 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­6
  • 2.­40
  • 2.­97
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­11
  • 3.­14
  • 4.­3
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­14
  • 5.­20
  • 5.­26
  • 5.­32
  • 5.­38
  • 5.­44
  • 5.­51
  • 5.­57
  • 5.­63
  • 5.­116
  • 5.­365
  • 5.­501
  • 5.­513
  • 5.­520
  • 5.­535
  • 6.­179
  • 6.­191
  • 6.­193
  • 9.­107
  • 13.­56
g.­209

buddha realm

Wylie:
  • sangs rgyas kyi zhing
Tibetan:
  • སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཞིང་།
Sanskrit:
  • buddhakṣetra

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

Located in 378 passages in the translation:

  • i.­9
  • i.­12
  • 1.­55
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­9
  • 2.­14
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­29
  • 2.­37-38
  • 2.­42
  • 2.­47
  • 2.­49-51
  • 2.­87
  • 2.­97
  • 2.­104
  • 2.­114
  • 2.­117-119
  • 2.­121-122
  • 2.­127
  • 3.­12
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­67
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­20
  • 5.­26
  • 5.­29
  • 5.­35
  • 5.­51
  • 5.­54
  • 5.­57
  • 5.­63
  • 5.­405
  • 5.­503
  • 5.­508
  • 5.­511
  • 5.­513-514
  • 5.­518
  • 5.­520
  • 5.­524-526
  • 5.­528-529
  • 5.­533
  • 5.­540
  • 5.­542
  • 5.­544
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­17
  • 6.­194
  • 7.­16
  • 10.­144
  • 11.­48
  • 11.­51
  • 11.­53-54
  • 11.­56
  • 11.­60
  • 13.­30
  • 13.­91
  • 13.­93
  • 14.­45
  • 14.­53
  • 15.­9-10
  • g.­2
  • g.­5
  • g.­8
  • g.­12
  • g.­14
  • g.­17
  • g.­18
  • g.­23
  • g.­27
  • g.­28
  • g.­29
  • g.­30
  • g.­32
  • g.­36
  • g.­40
  • g.­41
  • g.­43
  • g.­46
  • g.­47
  • g.­77
  • g.­78
  • g.­80
  • g.­81
  • g.­114
  • g.­116
  • g.­117
  • g.­123
  • g.­128
  • g.­134
  • g.­135
  • g.­136
  • g.­138
  • g.­164
  • g.­170
  • g.­171
  • g.­172
  • g.­173
  • g.­174
  • g.­175
  • g.­176
  • g.­180
  • g.­184
  • g.­185
  • g.­187
  • g.­190
  • g.­204
  • g.­207
  • g.­217
  • g.­219
  • g.­222
  • g.­224
  • g.­229
  • g.­231
  • g.­234
  • g.­235
  • g.­244
  • g.­245
  • g.­246
  • g.­248
  • g.­249
  • g.­250
  • g.­251
  • g.­254
  • g.­255
  • g.­256
  • g.­257
  • g.­258
  • g.­260
  • g.­261
  • g.­264
  • g.­265
  • g.­266
  • g.­267
  • g.­268
  • g.­269
  • g.­270
  • g.­277
  • g.­280
  • g.­285
  • g.­287
  • g.­291
  • g.­294
  • g.­296
  • g.­306
  • g.­308
  • g.­309
  • g.­313
  • g.­316
  • g.­317
  • g.­319
  • g.­320
  • g.­321
  • g.­322
  • g.­323
  • g.­330
  • g.­331
  • g.­332
  • g.­333
  • g.­334
  • g.­335
  • g.­337
  • g.­338
  • g.­339
  • g.­341
  • g.­343
  • g.­345
  • g.­348
  • g.­350
  • g.­354
  • g.­355
  • g.­357
  • g.­360
  • g.­376
  • g.­390
  • g.­391
  • g.­394
  • g.­396
  • g.­399
  • g.­405
  • g.­408
  • g.­410
  • g.­426
  • g.­431
  • g.­434
  • g.­445
  • g.­448
  • g.­454
  • g.­464
  • g.­469
  • g.­475
  • g.­481
  • g.­497
  • g.­502
  • g.­503
  • g.­508
  • g.­511
  • g.­512
  • g.­519
  • g.­531
  • g.­556
  • g.­559
  • g.­566
  • g.­579
  • g.­592
  • g.­596
  • g.­603
  • g.­609
  • g.­626
  • g.­648
  • g.­660
  • g.­663
  • g.­665
  • g.­669
  • g.­671
  • g.­684
  • g.­686
  • g.­689
  • g.­693
  • g.­696
  • g.­706
  • g.­720
  • g.­726
  • g.­728
  • g.­730
  • g.­733
  • g.­746
  • g.­755
  • g.­756
  • g.­763
  • g.­766
  • g.­770
  • g.­787
  • g.­788
  • g.­795
  • g.­799
  • g.­803
  • g.­818
  • g.­819
  • g.­837
  • g.­841
  • g.­842
  • g.­843
  • g.­854
  • g.­856
  • g.­862
  • g.­869
  • g.­870
  • g.­872
  • g.­873
  • g.­875
  • g.­878
  • g.­883
  • g.­885
  • g.­887
  • g.­897
  • g.­904
  • g.­910
  • g.­911
  • g.­916
  • g.­924
  • g.­932
  • g.­933
  • g.­947
  • g.­952
  • g.­954
  • g.­957
  • g.­958
  • g.­963
  • g.­983
  • g.­998
  • g.­1001
  • g.­1014
  • g.­1021
  • g.­1026
  • g.­1027
  • g.­1028
  • g.­1031
  • g.­1032
  • g.­1035
  • g.­1036
  • g.­1037
  • g.­1039
  • g.­1045
  • g.­1053
  • g.­1055
  • g.­1065
  • g.­1066
  • g.­1071
  • g.­1073
  • g.­1075
  • g.­1076
  • g.­1079
  • g.­1084
  • g.­1087
  • g.­1089
  • g.­1090
  • g.­1095
  • g.­1096
  • g.­1097
  • g.­1122
  • g.­1154
  • g.­1162
  • g.­1166
  • g.­1168
  • g.­1170
  • g.­1172
  • g.­1183
  • g.­1184
  • g.­1185
  • g.­1190
  • g.­1195
  • g.­1198
  • g.­1200
  • g.­1201
  • g.­1204
  • g.­1205
  • g.­1206
  • g.­1219
  • g.­1223
  • g.­1224
  • g.­1225
  • g.­1226
  • g.­1233
  • g.­1236
  • g.­1238
  • g.­1244
  • g.­1266
  • g.­1268
  • g.­1272
  • g.­1275
  • g.­1282
  • g.­1283
  • g.­1284
  • g.­1289
  • g.­1290
  • g.­1291
  • g.­1293
  • g.­1298
  • g.­1299
  • g.­1307
  • g.­1338
  • g.­1339
  • g.­1340
  • g.­1358
  • g.­1366
  • g.­1367
  • g.­1371
  • g.­1379
  • g.­1380
  • g.­1386
  • g.­1388
  • g.­1396
  • g.­1400
  • g.­1405
  • g.­1406
  • g.­1407
  • g.­1408
  • g.­1411
  • g.­1412
  • g.­1413
  • g.­1414
  • g.­1422
  • g.­1433
  • g.­1436
g.­216

Candra

Wylie:
  • zla ba
Tibetan:
  • ཟླ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • candra

A great bodhisattva.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­1
  • 5.­3-6
  • 5.­163
  • 5.­226
g.­237

concentration

Wylie:
  • bsam gtan
Tibetan:
  • བསམ་གཏན།
Sanskrit:
  • dhyāna

One-pointed mental stability.

Located in 31 passages in the translation:

  • i.­13
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­31
  • 1.­65
  • 2.­102
  • 5.­414
  • 6.­3
  • 6.­6-7
  • 6.­177
  • 7.­33
  • 8.­24
  • 8.­26
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­37-38
  • 10.­103
  • 11.­5
  • 11.­126
  • 11.­128
  • 13.­46
  • 14.­8
  • 14.­10
  • 14.­12
  • 14.­27
  • 15.­34
  • 15.­37
  • g.­197
  • g.­342
  • g.­739
g.­283

demigod

Wylie:
  • lha ma yin
Tibetan:
  • ལྷ་མ་ཡིན།
Sanskrit:
  • asura

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A type of nonhuman being whose precise status is subject to different views, but is included as one of the six classes of beings in the sixfold classification of realms of rebirth. In the Buddhist context, asuras are powerful beings said to be dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility. They are also known in the pre-Buddhist and pre-Vedic mythologies of India and Iran, and feature prominently in Vedic and post-Vedic Brahmanical mythology, as well as in the Buddhist tradition. In these traditions, asuras are often described as being engaged in interminable conflict with the devas (gods).

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­11
  • 1.­23
  • 1.­45
  • 1.­47-48
  • 2.­136
  • 7.­18
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­63
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­37
  • 16.­3
  • g.­488
g.­324

Dṛḍhamati

Wylie:
  • brtan pa’i blo gros
Tibetan:
  • བརྟན་པའི་བློ་གྲོས།
Sanskrit:
  • dṛḍhamati

A great bodhisattva and interlocutor in several long passages of this sūtra. Also called as Dṛḍhamati­kumāra­bhūta. Dṛḍhamati is the main interlocutor in the Śūraṃgamasamādhisūtra, Toh 132.

Located in 96 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • i.­20-22
  • 1.­6
  • 3.­2-7
  • 3.­10-22
  • 4.­10
  • 6.­124
  • 7.­108
  • 13.­1-3
  • 13.­32-35
  • 13.­53-62
  • 13.­64-65
  • 13.­67-91
  • 13.­93-95
  • 14.­1-4
  • 14.­8
  • 14.­11-12
  • 14.­14
  • 14.­22
  • 14.­24-28
  • 14.­67
  • 15.­1
  • 15.­22-23
  • 15.­26
  • 15.­44
  • 16.­3
  • g.­325
g.­325

Dṛḍhamati­kumāra­bhūta

Wylie:
  • brtan pa’i blo gros gzhon nur gyur ba
Tibetan:
  • བརྟན་པའི་བློ་གྲོས་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • dṛḍhamati­kumāra­bhūta

Another name for the great bodhisattva Dṛḍhamati.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­1
  • g.­324
g.­339

Enduring

Wylie:
  • mi mjed pa
Tibetan:
  • མི་མཇེད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • sahaloka

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The name for our world system, the universe of a thousand million worlds, or trichiliocosm, in which the four-continent world is located. Each trichiliocosm is ruled by a god Brahmā; thus, in this context, he bears the title of Sahāṃpati, Lord of Sahā. The world system of Sahā, or Sahālokadhātu, is also described as the buddhafield of the Buddha Śākyamuni where he teaches the Dharma to beings.

The name Sahā possibly derives from the Sanskrit √sah, “to bear, endure, or withstand.” It is often interpreted as alluding to the inhabitants of this world being able to endure the suffering they encounter. The Tibetan translation, mi mjed, follows along the same lines. It literally means “not painful,” in the sense that beings here are able to bear the suffering they experience.

Located in 71 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­6
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­40-41
  • 2.­43
  • 2.­97
  • 2.­101-102
  • 2.­122
  • 4.­3-4
  • 4.­6
  • 5.­2-3
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­10
  • 5.­14
  • 5.­17
  • 5.­20
  • 5.­23
  • 5.­26
  • 5.­29
  • 5.­32-33
  • 5.­35
  • 5.­38-39
  • 5.­41
  • 5.­44
  • 5.­47
  • 5.­51-52
  • 5.­54
  • 5.­57-58
  • 5.­60
  • 5.­63
  • 5.­116
  • 5.­119
  • 5.­365-367
  • 5.­370
  • 5.­403
  • 5.­422
  • 5.­501
  • 5.­504
  • 5.­508-509
  • 5.­511
  • 5.­513-514
  • 5.­516
  • 5.­518
  • 5.­520-521
  • 5.­523
  • 5.­526
  • 5.­528-529
  • 5.­531
  • 5.­533
  • 5.­535-536
  • 5.­538
  • 5.­540
  • 5.­542
  • 5.­544
  • g.­1020
g.­342

equipoise

Wylie:
  • snyoms ’jug
Tibetan:
  • སྙོམས་འཇུག
Sanskrit:
  • samāpatti

A state of mental equilibrium derived from deep concentration.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­57
  • 4.­59
  • 6.­4
  • 6.­20
  • 9.­33
  • 10.­122
g.­372

five powers

Wylie:
  • stobs lnga
Tibetan:
  • སྟོབས་ལྔ།
Sanskrit:
  • pañca­bala

Faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and insight as they manifest on the last two stages of the path of joining. See also “ten powers.”

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­35
  • g.­364
  • g.­896
  • g.­1280
g.­406

gandharva

Wylie:
  • dri za
Tibetan:
  • དྲི་ཟ།
Sanskrit:
  • gandharva

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A class of generally benevolent nonhuman beings who inhabit the skies, sometimes said to inhabit fantastic cities in the clouds, and more specifically to dwell on the eastern slopes of Mount Meru, where they are ruled by the Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. They are most renowned as celestial musicians who serve the gods. In the Abhidharma, the term is also used to refer to the mental body assumed by sentient beings during the intermediate state between death and rebirth. Gandharvas are said to live on fragrances (gandha) in the desire realm, hence the Tibetan translation dri za, meaning “scent eater.”

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­45
  • 1.­47-48
  • 2.­136
  • 7.­71
  • 7.­118
  • 8.­63
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­37
  • 9.­68
  • 16.­3
  • g.­389
g.­411

Garbhagaṇa

Wylie:
  • snying po’i tshogs
Tibetan:
  • སྙིང་པོའི་ཚོགས།
Sanskrit:
  • garbhagaṇa

A buddha.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 9.­51
  • 9.­53
  • 9.­56
  • 9.­58
  • 9.­60
g.­412

garuḍa

Wylie:
  • nam mkha’ lding
Tibetan:
  • ནམ་མཁའ་ལྡིང་།
Sanskrit:
  • garuḍa

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In Indian mythology, the garuḍa is an eagle-like bird that is regarded as the king of all birds, normally depicted with a sharp, owl-like beak, often holding a snake, and with large and powerful wings. They are traditionally enemies of the nāgas. In the Vedas, they are said to have brought nectar from the heavens to earth. Garuḍa can also be used as a proper name for a king of such creatures.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­45
  • 1.­47-48
  • 2.­136
  • 8.­21
  • 8.­63
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­37
g.­414

Gautama

Wylie:
  • gau ta ma
Tibetan:
  • གཽ་ཏ་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • gautama

The Buddha Śākyamuni.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 9.­102
  • g.­1020
g.­447

go forth

Wylie:
  • rab tu ’byung ba
Tibetan:
  • རབ་ཏུ་འབྱུང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • pravrajati
  • pravrajyā

To leave the life of a householder and embrace the life of a renunciant, by taking vows as a novice, monk, or nun at the vinaya or pratimokṣa level of Buddhist practice.

Located in 110 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­66
  • 2.­116
  • 2.­138
  • 4.­58
  • 4.­68
  • 6.­16
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­74
  • 6.­94-96
  • 6.­99
  • 6.­102-104
  • 6.­106
  • 6.­108-111
  • 6.­114
  • 6.­117-119
  • 6.­124
  • 6.­146-147
  • 6.­154-155
  • 6.­196-197
  • 7.­48
  • 7.­50
  • 7.­53-55
  • 7.­57
  • 7.­93
  • 7.­96
  • 7.­100-101
  • 7.­103-105
  • 7.­109-111
  • 7.­113
  • 7.­115
  • 7.­117-118
  • 7.­120-125
  • 7.­132
  • 9.­47
  • 9.­93-94
  • 9.­96-97
  • 9.­102
  • 9.­105
  • 9.­107
  • 9.­117
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­70
  • 10.­92-93
  • 10.­102
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­6
  • 11.­13-17
  • 11.­19
  • 11.­33-37
  • 11.­57-60
  • 11.­73
  • 11.­76
  • 11.­99-101
  • 11.­103
  • 11.­125
  • 11.­127-128
  • 11.­131-132
  • 11.­134
  • 12.­43
  • 12.­61
  • 13.­16
  • 14.­3
  • 14.­8-9
  • 14.­25
  • g.­1393
  • g.­1394
g.­482

hearer

Wylie:
  • nyan thos
Tibetan:
  • ཉན་ཐོས།
Sanskrit:
  • śrāvaka

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The Sanskrit term śrāvaka, and the Tibetan nyan thos, both derived from the verb “to hear,” are usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard to others.” Primarily this refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat seeking their own liberation and nirvāṇa. They are the practitioners of the first turning of the wheel of the Dharma on the four noble truths, who realize the suffering inherent in saṃsāra and focus on understanding that there is no independent self. By conquering afflicted mental states (kleśa), they liberate themselves, attaining first the stage of stream enterers at the path of seeing, followed by the stage of once-returners who will be reborn only one more time, and then the stage of non-returners who will no longer be reborn into the desire realm. The final goal is to become an arhat. These four stages are also known as the “four results of spiritual practice.”

Located in 95 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­3
  • i.­8
  • i.­15
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­11
  • 1.­17
  • 1.­23-24
  • 1.­54
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­30-31
  • 2.­50
  • 2.­138
  • 2.­140
  • 2.­143
  • 2.­145-146
  • 3.­6
  • 4.­25
  • 4.­27
  • 4.­30-31
  • 4.­78
  • 4.­80
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­76
  • 6.­130
  • 6.­133
  • 6.­174
  • 6.­180
  • 7.­22
  • 8.­2
  • 8.­8-9
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­13
  • 8.­18
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­67
  • 8.­69
  • 9.­46
  • 9.­53
  • 9.­55
  • 9.­70
  • 9.­107
  • 9.­117
  • 10.­23-25
  • 10.­27
  • 10.­38
  • 10.­93
  • 10.­97
  • 10.­146
  • 11.­72
  • 12.­24
  • 12.­61
  • 12.­81
  • 13.­11
  • 13.­83
  • 13.­91
  • 13.­93
  • 14.­44
  • 14.­49
  • 14.­52
  • 14.­58
  • 14.­60
  • 15.­41
  • 16.­3
  • g.­52
  • g.­58
  • g.­741
  • g.­742
  • g.­743
  • g.­744
  • g.­745
  • g.­767
  • g.­798
  • g.­821
  • g.­823
  • g.­825
  • g.­826
  • g.­1041
  • g.­1191
  • g.­1352
  • g.­1353
  • g.­1382
  • g.­1383
  • g.­1432
  • g.­1439
  • g.­1441
g.­552

innumerable

Wylie:
  • grangs med
Tibetan:
  • གྲངས་མེད།
Sanskrit:
  • asaṃkhyeya

A distinct number. 1 to the power of 60, according to the Abhidharmakośa.

Located in 114 passages in the translation:

  • i.­9
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­38
  • 2.­40
  • 2.­95
  • 2.­97
  • 2.­104
  • 2.­109
  • 2.­135
  • 2.­143
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­22
  • 4.­30
  • 5.­1-2
  • 5.­7-8
  • 5.­13-14
  • 5.­19-20
  • 5.­25-26
  • 5.­31-32
  • 5.­37-38
  • 5.­43-44
  • 5.­50-51
  • 5.­56-57
  • 5.­62-111
  • 5.­113
  • 5.­116
  • 5.­365
  • 5.­377
  • 5.­405
  • 5.­500-501
  • 5.­512-513
  • 5.­519-520
  • 5.­526-528
  • 5.­534-535
  • 5.­541
  • 5.­543
  • 5.­545
  • 6.­176
  • 8.­29-30
  • 8.­52-53
  • 8.­56
  • 10.­21
  • 10.­23
  • 12.­23
  • 12.­55
  • 12.­64
g.­553

insight

Wylie:
  • shes rab
Tibetan:
  • ཤེས་རབ།
Sanskrit:
  • prajñā

Transcendent awareness; the mind that sees the ultimate truth. One of the six perfections of bodhisattvas.

Located in 42 passages in the translation:

  • i.­20
  • 1.­19
  • 1.­25-26
  • 1.­45
  • 1.­48
  • 1.­65
  • 1.­70
  • 2.­61
  • 2.­77
  • 2.­84
  • 3.­12
  • 3.­21
  • 4.­76
  • 4.­78
  • 5.­400
  • 5.­414
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­30
  • 6.­121
  • 6.­144
  • 6.­171
  • 6.­177
  • 6.­180
  • 6.­190
  • 7.­25
  • 7.­33
  • 8.­23-24
  • 9.­7
  • 9.­55
  • 10.­111
  • 10.­114
  • 10.­122
  • 11.­5
  • 11.­28
  • 11.­59
  • 13.­47
  • g.­371
  • g.­372
  • g.­1111
g.­568

Jambudvīpa

Wylie:
  • ’dzam bu’i gling
Tibetan:
  • འཛམ་བུའི་གླིང་།
Sanskrit:
  • jambudvīpa

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The name of the southern continent in Buddhist cosmology, which can signify either the known human world, or more specifically the Indian subcontinent, literally “the jambu island/continent.” Jambu is the name used for a range of plum-like fruits from trees belonging to the genus Szygium, particularly Szygium jambos and Szygium cumini, and it has commonly been rendered “rose apple,” although “black plum” may be a less misleading term. Among various explanations given for the continent being so named, one (in the Abhidharmakośa) is that a jambu tree grows in its northern mountains beside Lake Anavatapta, mythically considered the source of the four great rivers of India, and that the continent is therefore named from the tree or the fruit. Jambudvīpa has the Vajrāsana at its center and is the only continent upon which buddhas attain awakening.

Located in 20 passages in the translation:

  • i.­9
  • i.­12
  • 1.­44
  • 2.­135
  • 6.­77
  • 6.­80
  • 6.­86
  • 6.­88
  • 6.­90
  • 6.­180-182
  • 8.­14
  • 9.­52
  • 9.­61
  • 11.­85
  • 11.­88
  • 13.­11
  • 13.­54-55
g.­592

Jñānabala

Wylie:
  • ye shes kyi stobs
Tibetan:
  • ཡེ་ཤེས་ཀྱི་སྟོབས།
Sanskrit:
  • jñānabala

A buddha realm.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­90
  • g.­1020
g.­593

Jñānagarbha

Wylie:
  • dz+nyA na gar bha
Tibetan:
  • ཛྙཱ་ན་གར་བྷ།
Sanskrit:
  • jñānagarbha

An Indian preceptor.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • c.­1
g.­609

Joy

Wylie:
  • dga’ ba
Tibetan:
  • དགའ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A buddha realm.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­251
  • 5.­344
  • 5.­361
  • 5.­492
  • 5.­547
  • 5.­570
  • 5.­572
  • g.­1020
g.­615

Kalandaka­nivāpa

Wylie:
  • bya ka lan da ka gnas
Tibetan:
  • བྱ་ཀ་ལན་ད་ཀ་གནས།
Sanskrit:
  • kalandaka­nivāpa

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A place where the Buddha often resided, within the Bamboo Park (Veṇuvana) outside Rajagṛha that had been donated to him. The name is said to have arisen when, one day, King Bimbisāra fell asleep after a romantic liaison in the Bamboo Park. While the king rested, his consort wandered off. A snake (the reincarnation of the park’s previous owner, who still resented the king’s acquisition of the park) approached with malign intentions. Through the king’s tremendous merit, a gathering of kalandaka‍—crows or other birds according to Tibetan renderings, but some Sanskrit and Pali sources suggest flying squirrels‍—miraculously appeared and began squawking. Their clamor alerted the king’s consort to the danger, who rushed back and hacked the snake to pieces, thereby saving the king’s life. King Bimbisāra then named the spot Kalandakanivāpa (“Kalandakas’ Feeding Ground”), sometimes (though not in the Vinayavastu) given as Kalandakanivāsa (“Kalandakas’ Abode”) in their honor. The story is told in the Saṃghabhedavastu (Toh 1, ch.17, Degé Kangyur vol.4, folio 77.b et seq.). For more details and other origin stories, see the 84000 Knowledge Base article Veṇuvana and Kalandakanivāpa.

Located in 32 passages in the translation:

  • i.­8
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­4-8
  • 1.­20
  • 1.­44-45
  • 1.­47
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­43
  • 2.­120
  • 4.­6
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­29
  • 5.­35
  • 5.­41
  • 5.­47
  • 5.­54
  • 5.­367
  • 5.­499
  • 5.­504
  • 5.­511
  • 5.­518
  • 5.­523
  • 5.­526
  • 5.­531
  • 5.­533
  • 9.­100
g.­657

kinnara

Wylie:
  • mi’am ci
Tibetan:
  • མིའམ་ཅི།
Sanskrit:
  • kinnara

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A class of nonhuman beings that resemble humans to the degree that their very name‍—which means “is that human?”‍—suggests some confusion as to their divine status. Kinnaras are mythological beings found in both Buddhist and Brahmanical literature, where they are portrayed as creatures half human, half animal. They are often depicted as highly skilled celestial musicians.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­45
  • 1.­47-48
  • 1.­66
  • 2.­136
  • 5.­585
  • 7.­118
  • 8.­63
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­9
  • 9.­12
  • 9.­27
  • 9.­37
  • 9.­68
  • 14.­39
g.­685

Leki Dé

Wylie:
  • legs kyi sde
Tibetan:
  • ལེགས་ཀྱི་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A Tibetan translator.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • c.­1
g.­731

lower realms

Wylie:
  • ngan song
Tibetan:
  • ངན་སོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • apāya

The states of hell beings, hungry ghosts (pretas), and animals.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­35
  • 5.­399
  • 6.­72
  • 6.­94
  • 7.­114
  • 9.­79
  • 10.­39
g.­737

Luminous Sphere of Great Splendor

Wylie:
  • ’od kyi dkyil ’khor gzi brjid phung po
Tibetan:
  • འོད་ཀྱི་དཀྱིལ་འཁོར་གཟི་བརྗིད་ཕུང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A great bodhisattva.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­11
  • 4.­1-4
  • 4.­6-8
g.­738

Magadha

Wylie:
  • ma ga dha
Tibetan:
  • མ་ག་དྷ།
Sanskrit:
  • magadha

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

An ancient Indian kingdom that lay to the south of the Ganges River in what today is the state of Bihar. Magadha was the largest of the sixteen “great states” (mahājanapada) that flourished between the sixth and third centuries ʙᴄᴇ in northern India. During the life of the Buddha Śākyamuni, it was ruled by King Bimbisāra and later by Bimbisāra's son, Ajātaśatru. Its capital was initially Rājagṛha (modern-day Rajgir) but was later moved to Pāṭaliputra (modern-day Patna). Over the centuries, with the expansion of the Magadha’s might, it became the capital of the vast Mauryan empire and seat of the great King Aśoka.

This region is home to many of the most important Buddhist sites, including Bodh Gayā, where the Buddha attained awakening; Vulture Peak (Gṛdhra­kūṭa), where the Buddha bestowed many well-known Mahāyāna sūtras; and the Buddhist university of Nālandā that flourished between the fifth and twelfth centuries ᴄᴇ, among many others.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­10
  • 11.­25
  • 11.­27
  • g.­75
  • g.­940
  • g.­1384
g.­752

mahoraga

Wylie:
  • lto ’phye chen po
Tibetan:
  • ལྟོ་འཕྱེ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahoraga

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Literally “great serpents,” mahoragas are supernatural beings depicted as large, subterranean beings with human torsos and heads and the lower bodies of serpents. Their movements are said to cause earthquakes, and they make up a class of subterranean geomantic spirits whose movement through the seasons and months of the year is deemed significant for construction projects.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­45
  • 1.­47-48
  • 2.­136
  • 2.­138
  • 5.­585
  • 8.­63
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­27
  • 9.­37
  • 9.­68
g.­754

Maitreya

Wylie:
  • byams pa
Tibetan:
  • བྱམས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • maitreya

A great bodhisattva, also named in this text by his epithet Ajita.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­52
  • 5.­285
  • 9.­56
  • n.­5
  • n.­14
  • g.­35
g.­757

Majestic Mountain

Wylie:
  • lhun po’i phung po
Tibetan:
  • ལྷུན་པོའི་ཕུང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A buddha.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­11
  • 4.­1-3
  • 4.­5-6
  • 5.­65
  • 5.­75
g.­765

Māra

Wylie:
  • bdud
Tibetan:
  • བདུད།
Sanskrit:
  • māra

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Māra, literally “death” or “maker of death,” is the name of the deva who tried to prevent the Buddha from achieving awakening, the name given to the class of beings he leads, and also an impersonal term for the destructive forces that keep beings imprisoned in saṃsāra:

(1) As a deva, Māra is said to be the principal deity in the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations (paranirmitavaśavartin), the highest paradise in the desire realm. He famously attempted to prevent the Buddha’s awakening under the Bodhi tree‍—see The Play in Full (Toh 95), 21.1‍—and later sought many times to thwart the Buddha’s activity. In the sūtras, he often also creates obstacles to the progress of śrāvakas and bodhisattvas. (2) The devas ruled over by Māra are collectively called mārakāyika or mārakāyikadevatā, the “deities of Māra’s family or class.” In general, these māras too do not wish any being to escape from saṃsāra, but can also change their ways and even end up developing faith in the Buddha, as exemplified by Sārthavāha; see The Play in Full (Toh 95), 21.14 and 21.43. (3) The term māra can also be understood as personifying four defects that prevent awakening, called (i) the divine māra (devaputra­māra), which is the distraction of pleasures; (ii) the māra of Death (mṛtyumāra), which is having one’s life interrupted; (iii) the māra of the aggregates (skandhamāra), which is identifying with the five aggregates; and (iv) the māra of the afflictions (kleśamāra), which is being under the sway of the negative emotions of desire, hatred, and ignorance.

Located in 67 passages in the translation:

  • i.­14
  • 1.­59
  • 5.­372
  • 6.­10
  • 6.­106
  • 6.­108
  • 6.­190-191
  • 6.­193-194
  • 7.­18
  • 7.­44
  • 7.­49
  • 7.­53
  • 7.­56
  • 7.­60-64
  • 7.­66-72
  • 7.­76
  • 7.­78-81
  • 7.­83-84
  • 7.­87-99
  • 7.­104-107
  • 8.­21
  • 8.­30
  • 9.­15
  • 9.­30
  • 9.­102
  • 9.­123
  • 9.­125
  • 10.­32
  • 10.­88
  • 10.­93
  • 11.­9
  • 12.­65
  • 12.­78
  • 14.­32
  • g.­812
  • g.­1010
g.­769

materialist

Wylie:
  • ’jig rten rgyang phen pa
Tibetan:
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་རྒྱང་ཕེན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • lokāyata

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Also called the Cārvāka school, it was an ancient Indian school with a materialistic viewpoint accepting only the evidence of the senses and rejecting the existence of a creator deity or other lifetimes. Their teachings now survive only in quotations by opponents. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­6-7
  • 9.­106-109
  • 9.­114
  • 10.­42
  • 10.­54
  • 10.­57
g.­792

mendicant

Wylie:
  • dge sbyong
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་སྦྱོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • śrāmana

Non-brahmanic spiritual practitioner.

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­19
  • 1.­36-39
  • 1.­41
  • 2.­64
  • 2.­79
  • 2.­82
  • 2.­138
  • 9.­91
  • 9.­102
  • n.­10
g.­814

nāga

Wylie:
  • klu
Tibetan:
  • ཀླུ།
Sanskrit:
  • nāga

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A class of nonhuman beings who live in subterranean aquatic environments, where they guard wealth and sometimes also teachings. Nāgas are associated with serpents and have a snakelike appearance. In Buddhist art and in written accounts, they are regularly portrayed as half human and half snake, and they are also said to have the ability to change into human form. Some nāgas are Dharma protectors, but they can also bring retribution if they are disturbed. They may likewise fight one another, wage war, and destroy the lands of others by causing lightning, hail, and flooding.

Located in 34 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­45-48
  • 1.­66
  • 2.­136
  • 2.­143
  • 5.­585
  • 6.­35
  • 6.­133
  • 7.­118
  • 8.­21-22
  • 8.­35
  • 8.­54
  • 8.­63
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­12
  • 9.­27
  • 9.­37
  • 9.­68
  • 14.­39
  • n.­6
  • g.­73
  • g.­327
  • g.­389
  • g.­413
  • g.­617
  • g.­759
  • g.­822
  • g.­1013
  • g.­1213
  • g.­1274
  • g.­1354
g.­821

Nanda

Wylie:
  • dga’ bo
Tibetan:
  • དགའ་བོ།
Sanskrit:
  • nanda

One of the Buddha’s foremost hearer disciples.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­3
  • 9.­83-85
g.­844

nirgrantha

Wylie:
  • gcer bu pa
Tibetan:
  • གཅེར་བུ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • nirgrantha

Another name for the Jain religious tradition.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­49
  • 8.­6
  • 9.­72
  • 9.­106-107
  • 9.­114
  • 10.­42
  • 10.­44
  • 10.­56
g.­871

Padmaśrīgarbha

Wylie:
  • pad ma dpal gyi snying po
Tibetan:
  • པད་མ་དཔལ་གྱི་སྙིང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • padmaśrīgarbha

The name of a young bodhisattva, who is one of the interlocutors of the Buddha in this text.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­9
  • 1.­6
  • 2.­1-2
  • 2.­6
g.­903

Prajñāvarman

Wylie:
  • pradz+nyA war ma
Tibetan:
  • པྲཛྙཱ་ཝར་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • prajñāvarman

An Indian preceptor.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • c.­1
g.­926

pure realms

Wylie:
  • gnas gtsang ma’i ris
Tibetan:
  • གནས་གཙང་མའི་རིས།
Sanskrit:
  • śuddhāvāsa

Five realms above the four form realms into which only noble beings are born.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 6.­1
g.­940

Rājagṛha

Wylie:
  • rgyal po’i khab
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་པོའི་ཁབ།
Sanskrit:
  • rājagṛha

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The ancient capital of Magadha prior to its relocation to Pāṭaliputra during the Mauryan dynasty, Rājagṛha is one of the most important locations in Buddhist history. The literature tells us that the Buddha and his saṅgha spent a considerable amount of time in residence in and around Rājagṛha‍—in nearby places, such as the Vulture Peak Mountain (Gṛdhrakūṭaparvata), a major site of the Mahāyāna sūtras, and the Bamboo Grove (Veṇuvana)‍—enjoying the patronage of King Bimbisāra and then of his son King Ajātaśatru. Rājagṛha is also remembered as the location where the first Buddhist monastic council was held after the Buddha Śākyamuni passed into parinirvāṇa. Now known as Rajgir and located in the modern Indian state of Bihar.

Located in 31 passages in the translation:

  • i.­8
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­4-8
  • 1.­44-45
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­43
  • 2.­120
  • 4.­6
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­29
  • 5.­35
  • 5.­41
  • 5.­47
  • 5.­54
  • 5.­367
  • 5.­499
  • 5.­504
  • 5.­511
  • 5.­518
  • 5.­523
  • 5.­526
  • 5.­531
  • 5.­533
  • 9.­98
  • g.­1384
g.­1009

Rūpavatī

Wylie:
  • gzugs dang ldan pa
Tibetan:
  • གཟུགས་དང་ལྡན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • rūpavatī

Wife of the householder Vijayarakṣa.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 9.­81-82
  • 9.­85
  • 9.­98
g.­1020

Śākyamuni

Wylie:
  • shAkya thub pa
Tibetan:
  • ཤཱཀྱ་ཐུབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • śākyamuni

The buddha in the realm of Enduring, who is the historical Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama. He was a muni (sage) from the Śākya clan.

Also a buddha in the realm of Joy and in the realm of Jñānabala.

Located in 83 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­3
  • i.­8-9
  • i.­11-22
  • 2.­6-8
  • 2.­10
  • 2.­39-41
  • 2.­97-98
  • 2.­100
  • 4.­3-4
  • 5.­2-3
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­14-15
  • 5.­20-21
  • 5.­26-27
  • 5.­32-33
  • 5.­38-39
  • 5.­44
  • 5.­51-52
  • 5.­57-58
  • 5.­60
  • 5.­63
  • 5.­90
  • 5.­116-117
  • 5.­119
  • 5.­365-367
  • 5.­372
  • 5.­422
  • 5.­492
  • 5.­501-502
  • 5.­513-514
  • 5.­516
  • 5.­520-521
  • 5.­528-529
  • 5.­531
  • 5.­535-536
  • 5.­538
  • 5.­585
  • 6.­1
  • n.­30
  • g.­339
  • g.­414
  • g.­619
  • g.­621
  • g.­624
  • g.­765
  • g.­827
  • g.­1287
  • g.­1374
g.­1041

Śāradvatī­putra

Wylie:
  • sha ra dwa ti’i bu
Tibetan:
  • ཤ་ར་དྭ་ཏིའི་བུ།
Sanskrit:
  • śāradvatī­putra

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the principal śrāvaka disciples of the Buddha, he was renowned for his discipline and for having been praised by the Buddha as foremost of the wise (often paired with Maudgalyā­yana, who was praised as foremost in the capacity for miraculous powers). His father, Tiṣya, to honor Śāriputra’s mother, Śārikā, named him Śāradvatīputra, or, in its contracted form, Śāriputra, meaning “Śārikā’s Son.”

Located in 238 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­3
  • i.­13-15
  • i.­17-18
  • 1.­3
  • 2.­103-112
  • 2.­116
  • 2.­119
  • 2.­125-126
  • 2.­128-131
  • 2.­133-134
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­12
  • 6.­18-21
  • 6.­44-48
  • 6.­50-53
  • 6.­74-76
  • 6.­80-84
  • 6.­89
  • 6.­109-110
  • 6.­124-129
  • 6.­131-138
  • 6.­163-170
  • 6.­172-182
  • 6.­189-190
  • 6.­193-194
  • 6.­197-198
  • 7.­1-6
  • 7.­9-10
  • 7.­12
  • 7.­14
  • 7.­16-20
  • 7.­22-23
  • 7.­29
  • 7.­43
  • 7.­60-61
  • 7.­83
  • 7.­96
  • 7.­98-99
  • 7.­105
  • 7.­107-109
  • 7.­127
  • 8.­1-14
  • 8.­16-39
  • 8.­41
  • 8.­43
  • 8.­46-48
  • 8.­50-70
  • 9.­67-71
  • 9.­74-80
  • 9.­106-107
  • 10.­1-3
  • 10.­18-42
  • 10.­54
  • 10.­72
  • 10.­92-93
  • 11.­20
  • 11.­24
  • 11.­33-34
  • 11.­38
g.­1062

Siddhārtha

Wylie:
  • don grub
Tibetan:
  • དོན་གྲུབ།
Sanskrit:
  • siddhārtha

A buddha.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­195
  • 5.­525
  • g.­1020
g.­1078

Sky Family

Wylie:
  • nam mkha’i rigs
Tibetan:
  • ནམ་མཁའི་རིགས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A buddha.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­1-2
  • 5.­4-5
  • 5.­518
g.­1082

solitary buddha

Wylie:
  • rang sangs rgyas
Tibetan:
  • རང་སངས་རྒྱས།
Sanskrit:
  • pratyekabuddha

An individual who, in their last life, attains realization by awakening to the nature of dependent arising without relying upon a spiritual guide.

Located in 16 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­17
  • 1.­23-24
  • 2.­30-31
  • 2.­138
  • 4.­27
  • 4.­81
  • 6.­128
  • 6.­133
  • 8.­69
  • 9.­64
  • 9.­70
  • 11.­72
  • 12.­61
  • 12.­81
g.­1084

Sound of Renown

Wylie:
  • rnam par bsgrags pa’i sgra
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་པར་བསྒྲགས་པའི་སྒྲ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A buddha realm.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.­1
g.­1232

supernatural power

Wylie:
  • rdzu ’phrul
Tibetan:
  • རྫུ་འཕྲུལ།
Sanskrit:
  • ṛddhi

The ability to make manifest miraculous displays evident to ordinary beings.

Located in 27 passages in the translation:

  • i.­16
  • 2.­137
  • 2.­140-142
  • 3.­16
  • 3.­21
  • 5.­369
  • 5.­414
  • 6.­23
  • 6.­171
  • 9.­7
  • 9.­9
  • 9.­54
  • 10.­103
  • 10.­136
  • 10.­140
  • 10.­143
  • 11.­12
  • 13.­7
  • 13.­18
  • 13.­20
  • 13.­22
  • 13.­26-27
  • 13.­29
  • 15.­17
g.­1266

Susthitamati

Wylie:
  • blo gros rab gnas
Tibetan:
  • བློ་གྲོས་རབ་གནས།
Sanskrit:
  • susthitamati

A buddha realm.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 5.­1
g.­1267

sūtra

Wylie:
  • mdo
Tibetan:
  • མདོ།
Sanskrit:
  • sūtra

The Buddha’s spoken discourses. Together with vinaya and abhidharma, sūtra constitutes one of the three classical divisions of the Buddha’s teachings. It is also often used as a category to contrast with the teachings of tantra.

Located in 41 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1-3
  • i.­6-8
  • i.­22
  • 2.­27
  • 2.­62
  • 2.­70
  • 2.­77
  • 2.­145
  • 3.­14-15
  • 6.­44
  • 6.­197
  • 8.­6
  • 9.­55
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­26
  • 10.­39
  • 10.­72
  • 12.­7
  • 13.­49
  • 14.­34
  • 14.­41-43
  • 14.­49
  • 14.­52
  • 15.­22
  • 15.­39
  • 15.­41-43
  • 16.­4
  • n.­1-2
  • n.­16
  • g.­324
g.­1280

ten powers

Wylie:
  • stobs bcu
Tibetan:
  • སྟོབས་བཅུ།
Sanskrit:
  • daśabala

The ten powers of a buddha (daśa­tathāgata­bala, de bzhin gshegs pa’i stobs bcu): (1) the power of knowing right from wrong (gnas dang gnas min mkhyen pa’i stobs), (2) the power of knowing the fruition of actions (las kyi rnam par smin pa mkhyen pa’i stobs), (3) the power of knowing various mental inclinations (mos pa sna tshogs mkhyen pa’i stobs), (4) the power of knowing various mental faculties (khams sna tshogs mkhyen pa’i stobs), (5) the power of knowing various degrees of intelligence (dbang po sna tshogs mkhyen pa’i stobs), (6) the power of knowing the paths to all rebirths (sarva­tragāmin­pratipāda­jñāna­bala, thams cad du ’gro ba’i lam mkhyen pa’i stobs), (7) the power of knowing the ever-afflicted and purified phenomena (kun nas nyon mongs pa dang rnam par byang ba mkhyen pa’i stobs), (8) the power of knowing past lives (sngon gyi gnas rjes su dran pa mkhyen pa’i stobs), (9) the power of knowing deaths and births (’chi ’pho ba dang skye ba mkhyen pa’i stobs), and (10) the power of knowing the exhaustion of the contaminations (zag pa zad pa mkhyen pa’i stobs). See also “five powers.”

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­12
  • 6.­9
  • 8.­61
  • 9.­127
  • 14.­35
  • g.­372
  • g.­896
  • g.­1281
  • g.­1350
g.­1287

thus-gone one

Wylie:
  • de bzhin gshegs pa
Tibetan:
  • དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • tathāgata

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A frequently used synonym for buddha. According to different explanations, it can be read as tathā-gata, literally meaning “one who has thus gone,” or as tathā-āgata, “one who has thus come.” Gata, though literally meaning “gone,” is a past passive participle used to describe a state or condition of existence. Tatha­(tā), often rendered as “suchness” or “thusness,” is the quality or condition of things as they really are, which cannot be conveyed in conceptual, dualistic terms. Therefore, this epithet is interpreted in different ways, but in general it implies one who has departed in the wake of the buddhas of the past, or one who has manifested the supreme awakening dependent on the reality that does not abide in the two extremes of existence and quiescence. It is also often used as a specific epithet of the Buddha Śākyamuni.

Located in 379 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­10-11
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­17-18
  • 1.­20-21
  • 1.­23-26
  • 1.­43
  • 1.­48
  • 1.­52
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­11-15
  • 2.­19
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­24-31
  • 2.­33-34
  • 2.­38
  • 2.­40-42
  • 2.­45
  • 2.­51-55
  • 2.­59-61
  • 2.­63
  • 2.­68-70
  • 2.­72
  • 2.­74
  • 2.­76
  • 2.­78-79
  • 2.­81
  • 2.­85-86
  • 2.­89
  • 2.­95
  • 2.­97
  • 2.­99
  • 2.­101
  • 2.­103-104
  • 2.­106-107
  • 2.­112-113
  • 2.­126-128
  • 2.­130
  • 2.­133
  • 2.­135
  • 2.­137-138
  • 2.­140-143
  • 2.­145-149
  • 2.­151
  • 3.­1-2
  • 3.­5-6
  • 3.­12-13
  • 3.­16
  • 3.­21-22
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­12
  • 4.­14-15
  • 4.­17-21
  • 4.­26
  • 4.­30-32
  • 4.­45-46
  • 4.­58
  • 4.­68
  • 5.­1-2
  • 5.­4-5
  • 5.­7-8
  • 5.­13-14
  • 5.­19-20
  • 5.­22
  • 5.­25-26
  • 5.­29
  • 5.­31-34
  • 5.­37-38
  • 5.­43-44
  • 5.­50-51
  • 5.­56-57
  • 5.­62-112
  • 5.­116
  • 5.­148
  • 5.­204
  • 5.­374
  • 5.­500
  • 5.­502
  • 5.­510-512
  • 5.­514
  • 5.­520
  • 5.­525
  • 5.­529
  • 5.­540
  • 5.­542
  • 5.­544-545
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­16-21
  • 6.­46-49
  • 6.­74
  • 6.­76
  • 6.­82-83
  • 6.­105
  • 6.­109-110
  • 6.­124
  • 6.­132-134
  • 6.­137-139
  • 6.­155
  • 6.­164
  • 6.­174-175
  • 6.­180-181
  • 6.­183
  • 6.­185-186
  • 6.­191-192
  • 6.­194
  • 6.­196-197
  • 7.­15
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­22-23
  • 7.­29
  • 7.­43
  • 7.­49
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­78
  • 7.­87-89
  • 7.­91
  • 7.­93
  • 7.­97
  • 7.­99
  • 7.­104
  • 7.­107
  • 7.­109
  • 8.­2-4
  • 8.­8-9
  • 8.­13
  • 8.­17
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­27-28
  • 8.­36-40
  • 8.­61
  • 8.­63-64
  • 8.­69-70
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­13
  • 9.­23
  • 9.­56
  • 9.­59-60
  • 9.­68
  • 9.­70
  • 9.­72
  • 9.­74-77
  • 9.­82
  • 9.­92
  • 9.­104
  • 10.­1-4
  • 10.­18
  • 10.­22-23
  • 10.­25-27
  • 10.­34
  • 10.­40
  • 10.­93-94
  • 11.­33
  • 11.­56
  • 11.­61
  • 11.­68
  • 12.­23
  • 12.­57
  • 12.­68-77
  • 13.­1-4
  • 13.­35
  • 13.­53-54
  • 13.­56
  • 13.­58
  • 13.­60
  • 13.­62-63
  • 13.­66
  • 13.­68-70
  • 13.­72-73
  • 13.­75-77
  • 13.­79
  • 13.­82-83
  • 13.­85-93
  • 13.­95
  • 14.­1
  • 14.­12
  • 14.­27
  • 15.­1-2
  • 15.­8-9
  • 15.­21
g.­1374

Vanadatta

Wylie:
  • nags sbyin
Tibetan:
  • ནགས་སྦྱིན།
Sanskrit:
  • vanadatta

A monk disciple of the Buddha Śākyamuni.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 9.­86
  • 9.­89-95
  • 9.­101
g.­1384

Veṇuvana

Wylie:
  • ’od ma’i tshal
Tibetan:
  • འོད་མའི་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • veṇuvana

The famous bamboo grove near Rājagṛha where the Buddha regularly stayed and gave teachings. It was situated on land donated by King Bimbisāra of Magadha and was the first of several landholdings donated to the Buddhist community during the time of the Buddha.

Located in 32 passages in the translation:

  • i.­8
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­4-8
  • 1.­44-45
  • 1.­47
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­43
  • 2.­120
  • 4.­6
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­29
  • 5.­35
  • 5.­41
  • 5.­47
  • 5.­54
  • 5.­367
  • 5.­499
  • 5.­504
  • 5.­511
  • 5.­518
  • 5.­523
  • 5.­526
  • 5.­531
  • 5.­533
  • 9.­100
  • g.­615
g.­1392

Vijayarakṣa

Wylie:
  • rnam par rgyal ba srung
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་པར་རྒྱལ་བ་སྲུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • vijayarakṣa

The name of a beggar who gives rise to the resolve set on awakening.

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • i.­16
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3-4
  • 9.­22-23
  • 9.­26-27
  • 9.­37
  • 9.­39
  • 9.­67-69
g.­1393

Vijayarakṣa

Wylie:
  • rnam par rgyal ba srung
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་པར་རྒྱལ་བ་སྲུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • vijayarakṣa

The name of a householder who goes forth.

Located in 19 passages in the translation:

  • i.­16
  • 9.­81
  • 9.­83-87
  • 9.­89
  • 9.­91-95
  • 9.­98-99
  • 9.­101
  • 9.­103-104
  • g.­1009
g.­1394

Vijayarakṣa

Wylie:
  • rnam par rgyal ba srung
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་པར་རྒྱལ་བ་སྲུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • vijayarakṣa

The name of a child who requests the Buddha to allow him to go forth.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • i.­18
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­13
  • 11.­21
  • 11.­24
  • 11.­28
  • 11.­33-34
  • 11.­38
  • 11.­47
  • 11.­55-56
g.­1402

vinaya

Wylie:
  • ’dul ba
Tibetan:
  • འདུལ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • vinaya

The Buddha’s teachings that lay out the rules and disciplines for his followers.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 9.­55
  • 9.­76
  • 12.­25
  • g.­447
  • g.­971
  • g.­1267
g.­1438

yakṣa

Wylie:
  • gnod sbyin
Tibetan:
  • གནོད་སྦྱིན།
Sanskrit:
  • yakṣa

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A class of nonhuman beings who inhabit forests, mountainous areas, and other natural spaces, or serve as guardians of villages and towns, and may be propitiated for health, wealth, protection, and other boons, or controlled through magic. According to tradition, their homeland is in the north, where they live under the rule of the Great King Vaiśravaṇa.

Several members of this class have been deified as gods of wealth (these include the just-mentioned Vaiśravaṇa) or as bodhisattva generals of yakṣa armies, and have entered the Buddhist pantheon in a variety of forms, including, in tantric Buddhism, those of wrathful deities.

Located in 19 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­45
  • 1.­47-48
  • 2.­136
  • 5.­585
  • 6.­35
  • 7.­71
  • 7.­74
  • 7.­81
  • 7.­85
  • 7.­118
  • 8.­63
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­12
  • 9.­27
  • 9.­37
  • 9.­68
  • n.­6
  • g.­389
g.­1442

Yeshé Dé

Wylie:
  • ye shes sde
Tibetan:
  • ཡེ་ཤེས་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Yeshé Dé (late eighth to early ninth century) was the most prolific translator of sūtras into Tibetan. Altogether he is credited with the translation of more than one hundred sixty sūtra translations and more than one hundred additional translations, mostly on tantric topics. In spite of Yeshé Dé’s great importance for the propagation of Buddhism in Tibet during the imperial era, only a few biographical details about this figure are known. Later sources describe him as a student of the Indian teacher Padmasambhava, and he is also credited with teaching both sūtra and tantra widely to students of his own. He was also known as Nanam Yeshé Dé, from the Nanam (sna nam) clan.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • c.­1
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    84000. Upholding the Roots of Virtue (Kuśala­mūla­saṃparigraha, dge ba’i rtsa ba yongs su ’dzin pa, Toh 101). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2024. https://84000.co/translation/toh101/UT22084-048-001-chapter-9.Copy
    84000. Upholding the Roots of Virtue (Kuśala­mūla­saṃparigraha, dge ba’i rtsa ba yongs su ’dzin pa, Toh 101). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee, online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2024, 84000.co/translation/toh101/UT22084-048-001-chapter-9.Copy
    84000. (2024) Upholding the Roots of Virtue (Kuśala­mūla­saṃparigraha, dge ba’i rtsa ba yongs su ’dzin pa, Toh 101). (Dharmachakra Translation Committee, Trans.). Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. https://84000.co/translation/toh101/UT22084-048-001-chapter-9.Copy

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