co.

Table of Contents

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.

Text Body

The Translation
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra
Upholding the Roots of Virtue
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.­9
“Basis of worship,” here and throughout this passage, renders the Tibetan term mchod rten, which can render the Sanskrit stūpa or caitya. The Chinese has 塔廟, which typically renders stūpa.
n.­10
Tentative translation. D: ji ltar mkha’ la nam yang lag pa mi thogs dang // rdul dang du ba rnams kyis gos par mi ’gyur dang // ji ltar lam ni nam yang byed par mi ’gyur ba // chos la de bzhin mos pa rnams ni dge sbyong yin. The corresponding Chinese verse reads: “Just as space is unobstructed and cannot be sullied by smoke or dust, so is the Dharma of the mendicant originally pure and unalterable (如空無障礙，煙塵不能污，沙門法如是，本淨無變異。).
n.­11
Tentative translation. D: ji ltar sangs rgyas spyan mchog gis // khams gsum shes la ma chags ’jug pa bzhin // dngos dang dngos med mnyam tshungs yid dang ldan // yang dag brtson zhing rang gi mig la gnas // gang tshe rgyal ba ting ’dzin der gnas te // de ring de dag kun gyis thob snyam bgyid. The Chinese reads: “With a mind of equanimity regarding existence and nonexistence / you have thus attained the buddha eye, which can see everywhere throughout the three realms without hindrance. Because the Buddha has entered this absorption, it has caused us too to attain this eye” (等心於有無，因是得佛眼，能於三界中，普見無障礙。佛入三昧故，令我得是眼).
n.­12
Tentative translation. D: rim par phye ba’i tshigs.
n.­13
It is not obvious from the text how the many flowers come about. Perhaps the original flower is instantly multiplied. The Chinese is likewise confusing: “Then all the bodhisattvas wished to scatter this utpala flower throughout the ten directions, and the Buddha touched each flower with his hand and a complete buddha body appeared at the center of each” (時諸菩薩 以此蓮華欲散十方，佛以手摩一一華中佛 身悉現).
n.­14
Ajita is another name for the bodhisattva Maitreya.
n.­15
Tentative translation. D: mig yor gyi gnas la ’jig rten mi gnas te / ’phags pa rnams dang tha mi dad pa’i slad du’o.
n.­16
This is a somewhat tentative translation. D reads: de dag gis rnam par mi rtog cig kun nas nyon mongs pa med la / snang ba med pa’i byang chub lam zhugs pa’i de bzhin gshegs pa rnams kyi de bzhin gshegs pa’i gter dang / chos kyi gter bstan pa’i chos kyi rnam grangs de thos nas skrag cing dngang la dngang bar ’gyur zhing g.yang sa chen por yang ltung bar ’gyur ro. This rendering follows the variant reading of S, which here has “awakening is not accessed” (byang chub la ma zhugs), rather than D: “entered the path of awakening” (byang chub lam zhugs). The Chinese concurs more with S, which makes more sense in the context; the Chinese does not have “path,” and instead reads: “[they] will hear this sūtra teaching that the awakening of all buddhas is not gained, not lost, beyond thought, beyond defilement, beyond illumination, concurs with thus, [but is] transmitted by the Buddha” (聞是經說諸佛菩提無得、無失、無有分別、無垢、無 明，隨順於如，佛所囑累。).
n.­17
For this and the previous two paragraphs the translation remains tentative.
n.­18
Tentative translation. D: bcom ldan ’das bdag gis dus ’gyur ba yang glo par ma chud cing bdag cag yun ji srid nas drangs pa’am / yun ji srid nas khrid pa yang skad cig gcig dang / thang cig gcig tsam yang glo bar ma chud la / yud tsam gcig kyang rjes su mi dran lags kyang bdag ni ’di snyam sems lags te.
n.­19
The translation of this paragraph remains tentative.
n.­20
We have not been able to find reference to this type of enumeration elsewhere.
n.­21
Following C, J, N, K, Y, and H: rtun. D: rtul.
n.­22
Following C, N, P, and Y: rin chen. D: rir chen.
n.­23
Reading dgyes rather than bged.
n.­24
The translation of these verses spoken by Aśoka remains tentative.
n.­25
Following C, J, N, K, Y, and H: sems kyi. D: sems kyis.
n.­26
Tentative translation. D: gang dag mig dang gzugs gnas shing // tshor ba dang ni ’du shes gnas // ’du byed la yang gnas nas su // bdag nyid rnam shes ma byas pa.
n.­27
Tentative translation. D: bzod pa ’di ’dra de skye pa // blo gros bstan pas bzod du zad // bong ba’i chad pas mtshon chad la // de dag mi mjed can du ’gyur.
n.­28
While each of the previous passages of this type have been listed in full, the text from this point on makes it clear that readers should infer a similar subject matter in the following abbreviated instances.
n.­29
Following C, J, N, K, Y, and H: rgyal tshab nad yan. D: rgyal mtshan sa yan.
n.­30
Although there is no exact indication of where the shift occurs, the speaker of the following verses at some point appears to change from being the emanated bodhisattvas to the Buddha Śākyamuni.
n.­31
At this point the verses spoken by the bodhisattvas appear to end, such that the following verses are spoken by the Buddha.
n.­32
Tentative translation. D: gang dag gcer bu’i sems can ma gtogs par // thos nas su zhig dga’ ba skye mi ’gyur // sangs rgyas kyis kyang de ni yong ma gsungs // ’on kyang de dag dge dang ldan par ’gyur.
n.­33
Amogha (Tib. don yod) means “meaningful.”
n.­34
The name “Infinite Armor” (go cha mtha’ yas) is repeated in the original text.
n.­35
It is not quite clear which three classes are intended here. D: thub pa khams gsum nges ’byung rigs gsum ldan .
n.­36
D: bag chags kyi mtsham sbyor ba ma lus pa nyid rjes su ’thob par ’gyur ba ste.
n.­37
Tentative translation. D: de bzhin gshegs pas ’khor lo’i tshad tsam la gzigs na yang de lho nub kyi phyogs mtshams nas dpag tshad drug cu rtsa gnyis su sa yongs su g.yos par ’gyur ro.
n.­38
Y, K, N, and H: na (“if”); D: nas (gerundive).
n.­39
Y, K, N, and H: na (“if”); D: nas (gerundive).
n.­40
Y, K, C, and U: nges (“conviction,” “certainty,” “ascertainment”); D: des (“gentleness,” “mildness”).
n.­41
The translation of the following paragraph is tentative.
n.­42
Y, K, N, and H: nges; D: des.
n.­43
The translation of the final two lines of this verse is tentative. D: gang dag phug nas brten pa rnams/ /de dag gis ni lus mi shes.
n.­44
According to MW. D: dha nu ska ri. The Mahāvyutpatti has dhānuṣkārī.
n.­45
This perhaps refers to mandārava and mahāmandārava, which the Mahāvyutpatti lists consecutively.
n.­46
Y, K, and H: rang gi; D: rang gis.
n.­47
Y, J, K, N, C, and H: bstan (“teach”); D: brtan (“stable,” “stabilize”).
n.­48
A more expanded analogy using the single taste of water collected in the ocean (but to illustrate slightly different points) can be seen at 8.­23.
n.­49
Translation of this verse is tentative. D: ji ltar rgyal srid rab bsngags na/ /bzhin ’dzun khro bar mi bgyis lags/ /de dag gi ni rnam rgyal der/ /sangs rgyas mthong ba’ang rnyed par ’gyur.
n.­50
Literally “armor” (Tib. go cha, Skt. saṃnāha). Y, J, K, N, C, and H all have “procedure” (cho ga). We have translated based on D (go cha, “armor”) in light of its appearance in the passage immediately following.
n.­51
gnyi ga’i cha las rnam par grol ba (ubhayato­bhāga­vimukta). Edgerton cites La Valle Poussin’s summary of the Abhidharmakośa’s interpretation of this phrase as “delivered from the obstacle of the passions (“impurities,” kleśāvaraṇa), and from the obstacle to (the eight) vimokṣa .”
n.­52
J, N, C, and H: spyod par; D: sbyong bar; Y, K: spong bar.
n.­53
Y, J, K, C, and H: gtong bar; N: gtang bar; D: gtod par.
n.­54
Y, J, K, N, and C: gtor ba; D: gtod pa.
n.­55
Y, J, N, and C: gtor bar; D: gtong bar; H: gtod par.
n.­56
Y, K, and H: +mi.
n.­57
There is a play on words here between “elements” (mahābhūta) and “unborn” (abhūta).
n.­58
Y, J, K, N, and H: ma bsten; D: bsten.
n.­59
Y, K, and H: ki; D: kyis.
n.­60
Tentative translation. D: rtsa ’jings.
n.­61
Y, K, N, C, U, and H: po; D: mo.
n.­62
Tentative translation. D: bcom ldan ’das su sangs rgyas la skyabs su mi mchi/ chos la skyabs su mi mchi/ dge ’dun la skyabs su mi mchi ba des chos nyid de kun du ’tshal lags so.
n.­63
Y, J, K, and C: de dag thams cad kyang rgya mtsho chen po rab tu gnas pa na nor bu rin po che de dag ni rin thang gdab du yod pa’am / rin thang gdab tu med pa yin pa de lta bur shes par bya ba yin zhing. N: de dag thams cad kyang rgya mtsho chen po na rab tu gnas pa na nor bu rin po che de dag ni rin thang gdab du yod pa’am / rin thang gdab tu med pa yin pa de lta bur shes par bya ba yin zhing.
n.­64
U, H: gi; D: gis.
n.­65
This is a poetic synonym for either “ocean” or “ground.” The term reappears below as an explicit epithet for “ocean.”
n.­66
D: kun bged pa. This term is unattested in all lexicons, but present in several other texts of the Kangyur editions. Judging by the other contexts in which it appears, it might be related to the verb ’gyed = “to send,” “give,” “distribute,” “emanate,” or “argue.”
n.­67
Y, J, K, N, C, and H: klog pa (Mahāvyutpatti = vācana: “to cause to recite,” “the act of recitation,” “reading,” “declaring”); D: zlog par (“to repeal, avert”).
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.­72
Tentative translation. D: bcom ldan ’das slad kyis ni bcom ldan ’das las thos nas re zhig gang gis sems can ’ga’ yang bgyid pa de la ’jog pa’i mthu bdag bcag la ma mchis so.
n.­73
rigs pa dang grol ba here and below describes two qualities of pratibhāna (spobs pa), “inspired speech,” or “eloquence,” which is a requisite quality of a qualified Dharma preacher: the ability to preach the Dharma in a “coherent” (yukta) and “free,” as in “fluid” and “fluent” (mukta), manner.
n.­74
Y, K, N, and H: bsal; D: bstsal.
n.­75
Y, K: chog (“sufficient”); D: mchog (“supreme”).
n.­76
Tentative translation. D: bstan pa ’di ni brjod byas te/ /blo ngan dus ni drang po yin.
n.­77
Tentative translation. D: ji ltar chags par blta bya dang/ /de yi gnas pa yod min bzhin.
n.­78
N, C, and H: bsal; D: bstsal.
n.­79
Tentative translation. D: yi ge ji bzhin phyag rgya grangs.
n.­80
The translation of the first two lines of this verse is tentative. D: rab drag las can ser skya ljang ku skras/ /kas bub bum pa’i nang du rab tu ’jug.
n.­81
The translation of the final two lines of this verse is tentative. D: de yi sems la nam yang ni/ /yongs su gdung ba byung ma gyur.
n.­82
U, H: la. D: las.
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.
n.­84
Y, K: las. D: la.
n.­85
Y, J, K, N, C, and H: glo bur. D: blo bul. We have interpreted this term as a translation of āgantu (“guest”) rather than the more common akasmāt (“causeless,” “unforeseen,” “unexpected,” “sudden”).
n.­86
The translation of this verse is tentative. D: byang chub spyad pa spyod pa dag kyang mthong/ /sangs rgyas zhing ’di ni ni dpa’ bog cig/ /gang zhig chos gos thogs nas gnas pa lags/ ma bslabs pa yis ’di la ji ltar bslab.
n.­87
U, H: pa; D: pa’i.
n.­88
Y, J, K, N, C, and H: tsam; D: snyam.
n.­89
Tentative translation. D: brtan pa’i blo gros phyi ma’i tshe phyi ma’i dus lnga brgya pa tha ma la bab pa na/ gang las ting nge ’dzin de thos pa’i byang chub sems dpa’ de ni ting nge dzin des nges par ’byung ba yin zhing/ dge sbyong de’i spobs pa mtha’ yas pa yin par de’i mtha’ khong du chud par bya’o.
n.­90
yul. Alternatively, this might be translated as “They fully know objects.”
n.­91
The translation of the preceding three verses is tentative. D: gang gis de ni thob ’gyur ba’i/ ting ’dzin nga yis bshad pas na/ phyi nas ’chad pa su yi yang/ /bzhin la de ni lta mi ’gyur/ lha dang klu dang mi’am ci/ /mi dang mi ma yin rnams kyang/ bshad pas de yi gdong du lta/ /mang por rnam par lta bar ’gyur/ gang dag de yis gang nas thob/ de la des ni ji ltar bslabs/ ji ltar chos kyis khyad par ’phags/ mdo sde de ni rab bshad pas/ de dag bsam pa shes par ’gyur.
n.­92
Y, J, K, N, C, and H: yi; D: yis.
n.­93
The translation of the final two lines of this verse is tentative. D: dmigs pa’i rab tu dbye ba yis/ /ji ltar sprul pa ’byung ba bzhin.
n.­94
Y and K are missing this line: kha cig byang chub phyir ni spyod snyam byed.
n.­95
Y, J, K, N, C, and H: nga; D: de.
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.

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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-end-notes.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-end-notes.Copy
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