The King of Samādhis Sūtra
Restraint of the Body, Speech, and Mind
Toh 127
Degé Kangyur, vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 1.b–170.b
- Śrīlendrabodhi
- Lotsawa Bandé Dharmatāśīla
Imprint
Translated by Peter Alan Roberts
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
First published 2018
Current version v 1.45.34 (2024)
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Table of Contents
Summary
This sūtra, much quoted in later Buddhist writings for its profound statements especially on the nature of emptiness, relates a long teaching given by the Buddha mainly in response to questions put by a young layman, Candraprabha. The samādhi that is the subject of the sūtra, in spite of its name, primarily consists of various aspects of conduct, motivation, and the understanding of emptiness; it is also a way of referring to the sūtra itself. The teaching given in the sūtra is the instruction to be dedicated to the possession and promulgation of the samādhi, and to the necessary conduct of a bodhisattva, which is exemplified by a number of accounts from the Buddha’s previous lives. Most of the teaching takes place on Vulture Peak Mountain, with an interlude recounting the Buddha’s invitation and visit to Candraprabha’s home in Rājagṛha, where he continues to teach Candraprabha before returning to Vulture Peak Mountain. In one subsequent chapter the Buddha responds to a request by Ānanda, and the text concludes with a commitment by Ānanda to maintain this teaching in the future.
Acknowledgements
Translated from the Tibetan, with reference to Sanskrit editions, by Peter Alan Roberts. The Chinese consultant was Ling-Lung Chen. Edited by Emily Bower and Ben Gleason.
This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The generous donation of an anonymous donor, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.
Text Body
The King of Samādhis, the Revealed Equality of the Nature of All Phenomena
Restraint of the Body, Speech, and Mind
Then the Bhagavān [F.151.a] said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, you should train by thinking, ‘I shall have self-control through physical restraint.’
“Young man, what is meant by physical restraint? That which is called ‘physical restraint’ is the physical restraint through which bodhisattva mahāsattvas are free of attachment to all phenomena.
“Young man, that which is called ‘physical restraint’ is the physical restraint through which bodhisattva mahāsattvas attain the thirty-two primary signs of a great being.
“That which is called ‘physical restraint’ is the physical restraint through which bodhisattva mahāsattvas attain the eighty secondary signs of a great being.
“Young man, that which is called ‘physical restraint’ is the physical restraint through which bodhisattva mahāsattvas attain the ten strengths, the four fearlessnesses, and the eighteen distinct qualities of a buddha.
“Young man, that which is called ‘physical restraint’ is the physical restraint through which bodhisattva mahāsattvas attain the three doorways to liberation. What are these three? They are emptiness, the absence of attributes, and the absence of aspiration. They attain those three doorways to liberation.
“Young man, that which is called ‘physical restraint’ is the physical restraint through which bodhisattva mahāsattvas attain the four great brahmavihāras. What are the four great brahmavihāras? They are great love, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity. They attain those four great brahmavihāras.
“Young man, that which is called ‘physical restraint’ is the physical restraint through which bodhisattva mahāsattvas attain the four discernments. What are the four discernments? They are the discernment of meaning, the discernment of phenomena, the discernment of definitions, and the discernment of eloquence. [F.151.b] They attain those four discernments.
“Young man, that which is called ‘physical restraint’ is the physical restraint through which bodhisattva mahāsattvas attain the thirty-seven aspects of enlightenment. What are the thirty-seven aspects of enlightenment? They are the four kinds of mindfulness, the four correct exertions, the four bases for miraculous powers, the five powers, the five strengths, the seven aspects of enlightenment, and the noble eightfold path. They attain those thirty-seven aspects of enlightenment.
“Young man, that which is called ‘physical restraint’ is the physical restraint through which bodhisattva mahāsattvas attain the state of great compassion, attain the state of great equanimity, and attain easeful examination and analysis of phenomena.
“Moreover, young man, that which is called ‘physical restraint’ is the physical restraint through which bodhisattva mahāsattvas desist from killing, taking what is not given, not maintaining celibacy, lying, slandering, harsh speech, idle talk, avarice, malice, and wrong views; desist from fraud in weights, fraud in measures, and fraud in wealth;1366 desist from capturing,1367 binding, restraining,1368 beating,1369 threatening,1370 severing,1371 impaling, and terrorizing; desist from desire and greed; desist from wild hand movements, wild leg movements, and unrestrained movements of the legs and arms; and desist from wicked habits of body, speech, or mind so that, like palm trees that have had their tops cut off, they will not arise again in the future.
“Therefore, young man, understand this teaching in the following way. [F.152.a] Young man, in the past, innumerable, vast, immeasurable, inconceivable, unfathomable countless eons ago, at that time and in those days, there appeared in the world the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Jñānaprabhāsa, who was perfect in wisdom and conduct, a sugata, a knower of the world, an unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, a teacher of devas and humans, a buddha, and a bhagavān.
“At that time and in those days, the lifespan of the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Jñānaprabhāsa was six hundred million years. He had a śrāvaka saṅgha of six hundred million arhats. There were countless bodhisattva mahāsattvas who held the supreme Dharma.
“Young man, at that time and in those days, there was a king named Viveśacintin. King Viveśacintin came with eight hundred million people into the presence of the Tathāgata. When he arrived he bowed his head down to the feet of the Tathāgata, circumambulated the Bhagavān three times, and sat down in one place. Once King Viveśacintin had sat down in one place, he honored the Tathāgata.
“Then the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha Jñānaprabhāsa, knowing the superior aspiration of King Viveśacintin and his followers, taught them from this Dharma teaching by chanting the following verses on entering through the doorway of the samādhi of physical restraint:
Then the Bhagavān said to Candraprabha, “Young man, you should train by thinking, ‘I will practice completely pure physical conduct in that way.’ Why is that? Because, young man, the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have completely pure physical conduct have no fear of the hells, of rebirth as an animal, of the realm of Yama, or of any other lower existences. They have no fear of water, and no fear of fire, of poison, of weapons, of lions, of tigers, of bears,1377 of elephants, of bulls, or of humans and nonhumans.
“Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have completely pure physical conduct can place the great billion-world universe on the palm of their hand and throw it up to the height of one palm tree, two palm trees, three palm trees, four palm trees, five palm trees, six palm trees, seven palm trees, or as high as they wish to throw it.
“Moreover, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have completely pure physical conduct attain the perfection of supreme miraculous powers. They have ripened the bases of miraculous powers, possess pure merit, and have detachment. They can go anywhere, have attained this samādhi, have completely perfected immaculate merit, and have unimpeded vision of all worlds, and therefore have gained miraculous powers. What is this attainment of miraculous powers? Through miraculous powers there is the perfection of the accomplishment of aspirations1378 and success.1379
“What kind of attainment of miraculous powers are these miraculous powers that are spoken of? [F.155.a] Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who possess miraculous powers experience a range of different kinds of miracles: they transform from one to many, from many to one, and from visible to invisible; they pass without impediment through house walls, through city walls, and through mountains; they travel through the air just like a bird; they dive into the ground and emerge from it, just as they would in water; they stand on water just like they would on the ground; they give off smoke and flames, just like a great blaze of fire; their bodies emit many thousands of trillions of great torrents of water, just like a great cloud that can extinguish the great fire of a thousand-billion world universe being on fire;1380 they grasp in their hands and polish the moon and the sun, which are so miraculous, powerful, and majestic; and just as they wish, their bodies have power over beings, as far up as those in Brahmā’s realm.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:1381
Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, you should train by thinking, ‘I will practice completely pure physical conduct in that way.’ Why is that? Because, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have completely pure physical conduct have a divine sense of hearing so that they can hear from afar the voices of devas, humans, beings in the hells, those reborn as animals, and those in the realm of Yama.
“Moreover, young man, you should train by thinking, ‘I will practice completely pure physical conduct in that way.’ Why is that? Because, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have completely pure physical conduct, while they are seated, with their divine sense of smell can smell from afar all the divine pleasant aromas of the Dharma that there are in all the worlds in the billion-world universe.”1385
Then again the Bhagavān said to Candraprabha, “Young man, you should train by thinking, ‘I will practice completely pure physical conduct in that way.’ Why is that? Because, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have completely pure physical conduct know accurately the motivation, conduct, and thoughts of other beings and individuals. They accurately know a mind that has desire to be a mind that has desire. They accurately know a mind that is without desire to be a mind that is without desire.
“It is the same as that for having anger and being without anger, having ignorance and being without ignorance, having craving and being without craving, [F.156.a] having grasping and being without grasping, having concentration and distraction, having error and no error, having greatness and no greatness, having clarity and no clarity, being valid and being invalid, being surpassable and unsurpassable, being in meditation and not being in meditation, and being liberated and not being liberated, and they accurately know a mind that has kleśas to be a mind that has kleśas, and they accurately know a mind that has no kleśas to be a mind that has no kleśas.
“Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have completely pure physical conduct remember previous lives in many ways: they remember one previous life, or two, or three, or four, or five, or ten, or twenty, or thirty, or forty, or fifty, or remember a hundred previous lifetimes. They remember a thousand lives, a hundred thousand lives, and so on, up to many quintillions of previous lives.
“They remember an eon of dissolution and an eon of origination, and so on up to many eons of dissolution and eons of origination.
“They remember one eon, and they remember a hundred eons, a thousand eons, a hundred thousand eons, and so on, up to remembering many quintillions of eons.
“They remember as many as ten million past lives, saying, ‘I was born as such and such a being, this was my name, this was my family, this was my caste, this was my color, this was the food that I ate, this was my livelihood, this is how long a lifespan was, this is how long I lived, and this was the happiness and suffering I experienced. Then when I died I was reborn as such and such; then when I died again I was reborn here.’
“They remember correctly the many different aspects of their previous lives, such as what appearance they had, the place where they lived, and the cause for that rebirth. [F.156.b]
“Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have completely pure physical conduct have divine vision, which surpasses human vision, so that they know accurately, according to the karma of beings, their deaths and their rebirths, whether they have good color or bad color, whether they are fortunate or unfortunate, whether it is a good rebirth or a bad rebirth, and whether they are going to the higher realms or the lower realms.
“They say, ‘These beings conducted themselves badly with their bodies, conducted themselves badly with their speech, and conducted themselves badly in their minds. They maligned the noble ones, had wrong views, and truly held those wrong views. Because of those causes, after they died they fell to the lower realms and were reborn in the hells. These beings conducted themselves well with their bodies, conducted themselves well with their speech, and conducted themselves well in their minds. They did not malign the noble ones, had correct views, and truly held those correct views. Because of those causes, after they died they went to the higher realms and were reborn in the paradises.’
“In that way they have the pure divine vision that transcends that of humans, so that they know correctly, according to the karma of beings, their deaths and their rebirths, whether they have good color or bad color, whether they are fortunate or unfortunate, whether it is a good rebirth or a bad rebirth, and whether they go to the higher realms or the lower realms.
“Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have completely pure physical conduct in one instant of wisdom accurately know, hear, see, and understand everything that is to be known, to be heard, to be seen, to be realized, and to be manifested.”1386
Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:
Then the Bhagavān said to Candraprabha, “Young man, you should train by thinking, ‘I will engage in completely pure conduct of speech in that way.’
“Young man, what is the restraint of speech? Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have completely pure conduct of speech attain the inconceivable, unimpeded buddha’s speech, which has sixty aspects. Young man, that is the restraint of speech.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of speech have the attainment of noble words. Young man, that is the restraint of speech.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of speech attain the thirty-two primary signs of a great being. Young man, that is the restraint of speech.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of speech attain the eighty secondary signs of a great being. Young man, that is the restraint of speech. [F.157.b]
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of speech attain the ten strengths of a tathāgata, the four fearlessnesses, and the eighteen distinct qualities of a buddha. Young man, that is the restraint of speech.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of speech attain the three doorways to liberation. What are these three? They are emptiness, the absence of attributes, and the absence of aspiration. They attain those three doorways to liberation. Young man, that is the restraint of speech.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of speech attain the four great brahmavihāras. What are the four great brahmavihāras? They are great love, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity. They attain those four great brahmavihāras. Young man, that is the restraint of speech.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of speech attain the four discernments. What are the four discernments? They are the discernment of meaning, the discernment of phenomena, the discernment of definitions, and the discernment of eloquence. They attain those four discernments. Young man, that is the restraint of speech.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of speech attain the thirty-seven aspects of enlightenment. What are the thirty-seven aspects of enlightenment? They are the four kinds of mindfulness, the four correct exertions, the four bases for miraculous powers, the five powers, the five strengths, the seven aspects of enlightenment, and the noble eightfold path. They attain those thirty-seven aspects of enlightenment. Young man, that is the restraint of speech.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of speech attain the state of great compassion, [F.158.a] attain the state of great equanimity, attain easeful examination, and attain the quality of being devoid of examination. Young man, that is the restraint of speech.
“Moreover, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of speech desist from killing, taking what is not given, not maintaining celibacy, lying, slandering, harsh speech, and idle talk. Those bodhisattva mahāsattvas desist from speaking untrue words to their parents and their teachers; from maligning the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha; and from any other words that are harmful words. They know those words to be like echoes. They perceive them to be like apparitions, mirages, hallucinations, and illusions, and in that way they do not objectify words, conceptualize them, become proud of them, view them, or become attached to them. Young man, that is the restraint of speech.”
Then the Bhagavān said to Candraprabha, “Young man, you should train by thinking, ‘I will engage in completely pure conduct of speech in that way.’ Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of speech have no fear of any lower realm and obtain the entire Dharma of the buddhas. They attain all the miraculous powers and higher cognitions of the buddhas. Young man, that is the restraint of speech.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:1389
Then the Bhagavān said to Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, you should train by thinking, ‘I shall be endowed with the restraint of the mind.’
“Young man, what is the restraint of the mind?1392 Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of the mind are without fear of the Dharma of the buddhas,1393 and have attained the unshakable, liberated mind. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of the mind obtain the samādhi that is like a vajra. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of the mind obtain the light rays that are called as bright as flames. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of the mind attain the perfect voice of a buddha, which has sixty aspects. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of the mind have the attainment of noble words. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of the mind attain the thirty-two primary signs of a great being. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of the mind attain the eighty secondary signs of a great being. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind. [F.159.b]
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of the mind attain the ten strengths of a tathāgata, the four fearlessnesses, and the eighteen distinct qualities of a buddha. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of the mind attain the three doorways to liberation. What are the three doorways to liberation? They are emptiness, the absence of attributes, and the absence of aspiration. They attain those three doorways to liberation. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of the mind attain the four great brahmavihāras. What are the four great brahmavihāras? They are great love, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity. They attain those four great brahmavihāras. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of the mind attain the four discernments. What are the four discernments? They are the discernment of meaning, the discernment of phenomena, the discernment of definitions, and the discernment of eloquence. They attain those four discernments. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of the mind attain the thirty-seven aspects of enlightenment. What are the thirty-seven aspects of enlightenment? They are the four kinds of mindfulness, the four correct exertions, the four bases for miraculous powers, the five powers, the five strengths, the seven aspects of enlightenment, and the noble eightfold path. They attain those thirty-seven aspects of enlightenment. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of the mind attain the state of great compassion, attain the state of great equanimity, and attain easeful examination [F.160.a] and the quality of being devoid of examination. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of the mind attain engagement in conduct with the wish to benefit others. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.
“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have the restraint of the mind do not associate with wrong views in order to desist from wrong views; they do not associate with avarice in order to desist from avarice; they do not associate with malice in order to desist from malice; they do not associate with laziness in order to desist from laziness; they do not wish to deceive their parents or their teachers; and they do not develop desire, anger, or ignorance and do not associate with them. They do not abandon the aspiration to enlightenment, they do not destabilize their superior aspiration, and also the bodhisattvas desist from all other harmful thoughts in their minds, and do not associate with them. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.
“They perceive the mind as being like a dream, being like a mirage, being like an apparition, and being like a hallucination, something that does not come from anywhere and does not go anywhere. They perceive happiness as being like a dream, perceive it as being impermanent like a dream, perceive it as being devoid of self like a dream, perceive it as being devoid of a soul like a dream, and they do not objectify it, conceptualize it, become proud of it, view it, or become attached to it. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.”
Then the Bhagavān said to Candraprabha, “Young man, you should train by thinking, ‘I will practice completely pure conduct of the mind in that way.’ Why is that? [F.160.b] Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have completely pure conduct of the mind avoid all unfavorable conditions and obtain the countless Dharma teachings of the buddhas. They obtain from all the buddhas the higher cognitions of the buddhas and the unshakable, liberated mind. Young man, that is the restraint of the mind.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān recited these verses:
Conclusion of the thirty-ninth chapter, “Restraint of the Body, Speech, and Mind.”1396 [B15]
Colophon
The Indian preceptor Śrīlendrabodhi, and the chief editor Lotsawa Bandé Dharmatāśīla, translated and revised this work. It was later modified and finalized in terms of the new translation.
Abbreviations
| BHS | Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit. |
|---|---|
| Chinese | Sixth century Chinese translation by Narendrayaśas (see introduction, i.7). |
| Commentary | Mañjuśrīkīrti (see bibliography). |
| Gilgit | Sixth to seventh century Sanskrit manuscript (see introduction i.9 and bibliography under Dutt). |
| Hodgson | Later Nepalese Sanskrit manuscript (see introduction i.9 and bibliography under Dutt). |
| Matsunami | Matsunami’s Sanskrit edition (see bibliography). |
| Shastri | Later Nepalese Sanskrit manuscript (see introduction i.9 and bibliography under Dutt). |
| Vaidya | Vaidya’s Sanskrit edition (see bibliography). |
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chos thams cad kyi rang bzhin mnyam pa nyid rnam spros pa ting nge ’dzin gyi rgyal po’i mdo (Sarvadharmasvabhāvasamatāvipañcitasamādhirājasūtra). Toh 127, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 1.a–175.b.
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———. Lhasa Kangyur (lha sa bka’ ’gyur) vol. 55 (mdo sde, ta), folios 1.b–269.b.
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Sanskrit Editions of the Samādhirājasūtra
Dutt, Nalinaksha. Gilgit Manuscripts Vol. II, part I. Calcutta: J. C. Sarkhel, 1941. [This Sanskrit edition in three volumes is based on the Gilgit manuscript but also includes and represents the two Nepalese manuscripts of Hodgson and Shastri, see Introduction i.9 and n.4.
———. Gilgit Manuscripts Vol. II, part II. Calcutta: J. C. Sarkhel, 1953.
———. Gilgit Manuscripts Vol. II, part III. Calcutta: J. C. Sarkhel, 1954.
Matsunami, Seiren (ed.). “Bonbun Gattō Zanma kyō.”.in TDKK [Memoirs of Taisho University, Department of Buddhism and Literature] vol. 60 (1975), pp. 188–244.
———. “Bonbun Gattō Zanma kyō.” in TDKK [Memoirs of Taisho University, Department of Buddhism and Literature] vol. 61 (1975), 761–796.
Vaidya, P. L., ed. Samādhirājsūtra. Darbhanga, India: The Mithila Institute of Post-Graduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning, 1961.
Other canonical references
Kangyur
da ltar gyi sangs rgyas mngon sum du bzhugs pa’i ting nge ’dzin gyi mdo (Pratyutpanna-buddha-samukhāsthita-samādhi-sūtra) [The Sūtra, The Samādhi of Being in the Presence of the Buddhas of the Present]. Toh 133, Degé Kangyur vol. 56 (mdo sde, na), folios 1.a–70.b.
dam pa’i chos pad ma dkar po’i mdo (Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the White Lotus of the Good Dharma]. Toh 113, Degé Kangyur vol. 67 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1.a–180.b. English translation in Roberts 2018.
de bzhin gshegs pa’i ye shes kyi phyag rgya’i ting nge ’dzin gyi mdo (Tathāgata-jñāna-mudrā-samādhi-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the Samādhi of the Seal of the Wisdom of the Tathāgatas]. Toh 131, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 230.b–253.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2020b.
dge ba’i rtsa ba yongs su ’dzin pa’i mdo (Kuśala-mūla-saparigraha-sūtra) [The Sūtra of Possessing the Roots of Goodness]. Toh 101, Degé Kangyur vol. 48 (mdo sde, nga), folios 1.a–227.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2020c.
de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi sku gsung thugs kyi gsang chen gsang ba ’dus pa zhe bya ba brtag pa’i rgyal po chen po (Sarva-tathāgata-kāyavākcitta-rahasyo guhyasamāja-nāma-mahā-kalparāja) [The Great King Entitled the Union of the Great Secrets: the Secret of the Body, Speech, and Mind of all the Tathāgatas]. Also known as the Tathāgataguhyaka Sūtra [The Sūtra of the Secret of the Tathāgatas] and the Guhysamaja-tantra. Toh 442, Degé Kangyur vol. 81 (rgyud, ca), folios 90.a–157.b.
gser ’od dam pa mdo sde’i dbang po’i rgyal po’i mdo (Suvarṇa-prabhāsottama-sūtrendrarāja-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the King Who Is the Lord of Sūtras: The Supreme Golden Light]. Toh 556, Degé Kangyur vol. 89 (rgyud, pa), folios 151.b–273.a.
lang kar gshegs pa’i mdo (Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra) [Entry into Laṅka Sūtra]. Toh 107, Degé Kangyur vol. 49 (mdo sde, ca), folios 56.a–191.b.
sangs rgyas rjes su dran pa (Buddhānusmṛti) [Being Mindful of the Buddha]. Toh 279, Degé Kangyur vol. 68 (mdo sde, ya), folios 55.a-55.b.
rab tu zhi ba rnam par nges pa’i cho ’phrul gyi ting nge ’dzin gyi mdo (Praśanta-viniścaya-prāthihārya-samādhi-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace]. Toh 129, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 174.b–210.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2020.
rgya cher rol pa’i mdo (Lalitavistara-sūtra) [The Play in Full]. Toh 95, Degé Kangyur vol. 46 (mdo sde, kha), folios 1.b–216.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2013.
sa bcu pa’i mdo (Daśabhūmika-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the Ten Bhūmis]. Chapter 31 of the Avataṃsaka, Toh 44. Degé Kangyur vol. 36 (phal chen, kha), folios 166.a–283.a. English translation in Roberts 2021b.
sdong po bkod pa (Gaṇḍavyūha) [The Stem Array]. Chapter 45 of the Avataṃsaka, Toh 44-45. Degé Kangyur vols. 37 and 38 (phal chen, ga-a), folios ga 274.b–363.a. English Translation in Roberts 2021a.
shes rab pha rol tu phyin pa brgyad stong pa (Aṣṭa-sāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra) [The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines]. Toh 12, Degé Kangyur vol. 33 (brgyad stong pa, ka), folios 1.b–286.a.
’od dpag med kyi bkod pa’i mdo (Amitābhavyūhasūtra) [The Array of Amitābha]. Also known as The Longer Sukhāvatīsūtra. Toh 49, Degé Kangyur vol. 39 (dkon brtsegs, ka), folios 237.b-270.a.
’od zer kun du bkye pa’i bstan pa’i mdo (Raśmisamantamuktanirdeśasūtra) [The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light]. Toh 55, Degé Kangur vol. 40 (dkon brtsegs, kha), folios 195.a–255.b.
tshong dpon bzang skyong gyis zhus pa’i mdo (Bhadrapāla-śreṣṭhi-paripṛccha-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the Questions of Bhadrapāla the Merchant]. Toh 83, Degé Kangyur vol. 44 (dkon brtsegs, cha), folios 71.a–94.b.
yang dag par spyod pa’i tshul nam mkha’i mdog gis ’dul ba’i bzod pa’i mdo (Saṃyagacārya-vṛtta-gagana-varṇa-vinaya-kṣānti-sūtra) [The Acceptance That Tames Beings with the Sky-Colored Method of Perfect Conduct]. Toh 263, Degé Kangyur vol. 67 (mdo sde ’a), folios 90.a–209.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2024.
Tengyur
Candrakīrti. dbu ma la ’jug pa (Madhyamakāvatāra) [Entering the Middle Way]. Toh 3861, Degé Tengyur vol. 102 (dbu ma ’a), folios 201.b–219.a.
———. dbu ma rtsa ba’i ’grel pa tshig gsal ba (Mūlamadhyamakavṛttiprasannapadā) [Clear Words: A Commentary on the Root Middle Way]. Toh 3860, Degé Tengyur vol. 102 (dbu ma, ’a), folios 1.a–200.a.
Dārika. ’khor lo sdom pa’i dkyil ’khor gyi cho ga de kho na nyid la ’jug pa (Cakrasaṁvaramaṇḍalavidhitattvāvatāra) [Entering the Truth: A Maṇḍala Rite of Cakrasamvara]. Toh 1430, Degé Tengyur vol. 20 (rgyud ’grel, wa), folios 203.b–219.b.
Kamalaśīla. sgom pa’i rim pa (Bhāvanākrama) [Stages of Meditation]. Toh 3915, 3916, and 3917, Degé Tengyur vol. 110 (dbu ma, ki), folios 22.a–41.b, 41.a–55.b, and 55.b–68.b.
Mañjuśrīkīrti. ’phags pa chos thams cad kyi rang bzhin mnyam pa nyid rnam spros pa ting nge ’dzin gyi rgyal po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo’i ’grel pa grags pa’i phreng ba zhes bya ba (Ārya-sarva-dharma-svabhāva-samatā-vipañcita-samādhi-rāja-nāma-mahāyāna-sūtra-ṭika-kīrti-mālā-nāma) [The Garland of Fame: A Commentary on The Mahāyāna Sūtra Entitled The King of Samādhis: The Revealed Equality of the Nature of All Phenomena]. Toh 4010, Degé Tengyur vol. 117 (mdo ’grel, nyi), folios 1.b–163.b.
———. Idem, in bstan ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Tengyur], 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). 120 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 1994–2008, vol. 117 (mdo ’grel, nyi), 752–1181.
Prajñākaramati. byang chub kyi spyod pa la ’jug pa’i dka’ ’grel (Bodhisattvacaryāvatārapañjikā) [Commentary on Difficult Points in Entering the Conduct of the Bodhisattvas]. Toh 3872, Degé Tengyur vol. 105 (dbu ma, la), folios 41.b–288.a.
Śāntideva. byang chub sems dpa’i spyod pa la ’jug pa (Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra) [Entering the Conduct of the Bodhisattvas]. Toh 3871, Degé Tengyur vol. 105 (dbu ma, la), folios 1.a–40.a.
———. bslab pa kun las btus pa (Śikṣasamuccaya) [Compendium of Training]. Toh 3939, Degé Tengyur vol. 111 (dbu ma, khi), folios 3.a–194.b.
Non-Canonical Tibetan Sources
Gampopa (sgam po pa bsod nams rin chen). dam chos yid bzhin nor bu thar pa rin po che’i rgyan. Kathmandu: Gam-po-pa Library, 2003.
Pekar Sangpo (pad dkar bzang po). bstan pa spyi’i rgyas byed las mdo sde spyi’i rnam bzhag bka’ bsdu ba bzhi pa zhes bya ba’i bstan bcos. Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2006.
Rinchen Palzang (rin chen dpal bzang). mtshur phu dgon gyi dkar chag kun gsal me long. Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 1995.
Tsongkhapa (tsong kha pa). lam rim chen mo. In rje tsong kha pa chen po’i gsung ’bum vol. 8, Zi ling: mtsho sngon mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 1999.
Western Publications
Bailey, D. R. Shackleton. The Śatapañcāśatka of Mātṛceta. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1951.
Cüppers, Cristoph. The IXth Chapter of the Samādhirājasūtra: A Text-Critical Contribution to the Study of Mahāyāna Sūtras. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1990.
Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans. (2013). The Play in Full (Lalitavistara, Toh 95). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
———, trans. (2020a). The Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace (Praśāntaviniścayaprātihāryasamādhi, Toh 129). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
———, trans. (2020b). The Absorption of the Thus-Gone One’s Wisdom Seal (Tathāgatajñānamudrāsamādhi, Toh 131). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
———, trans. (2020c). Upholding the Roots of Virtue (Kuśalamūlasaṃparigraha, Toh 101). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
———, trans. (2022). The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light (Raśmisamantamuktanirdeśa, Toh 55). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
———, trans. (2024). The Acceptance That Tames Beings with the Sky-Colored Method of Perfect Conduct (Samyagācāravṛttagaganavarṇavinayakṣānti, Toh 263). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
Dimitrov, Dragomir. “Two Female Bodhisattvas in Flesh and Blood,” in Aspects of the Female in Indian Culture. Marburg: Indica et Tibetica, 2004, pp. 3–30.
Gómez, Luis O. and Silk, Jonathan A. Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahāyāna Buddhist Texts. Ann Arbor: Collegiate Institute for the Study of Buddhist Literature and Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies, The University of Michigan, 1989.
Leslie, Julia. “A Bird Bereaved: The Identity and Significance of Valmiki’s Krauñcha,” in Journal of Indian Philosophy 26.5 (1998): 455–87.
Régamey, Konstanty. Philosophy in the Samādhirājasūtra. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1990.
Roberts, Peter Alan, trans. (2018). The White Lotus of the Good Dharma (Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, Toh 113). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
———, trans. (2021a) The Stem Array (Gaṇḍavyūha, Toh 44-45). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
———, trans. (2021b). The Ten Bhūmis (Daśabhūmika, Toh 44-31). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
Rockwell, John Jr. Samādhi and Patient Acceptance: Four Chapters of the Samādhirāja-sūtra, Translated from the Sanskrit and Tibetan. M.A. thesis, Naropa Institute, Boulder, Colorado, 1980.
Skilton, Andrew. “Dating the Samādhirāja Sūtra,” In Journal of Indian Philosophy 27: 635–52. Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1999.
Tatz, Mark. “Revelation in Mādhyamika Buddhism: Chapter Eleven of the Samādhirāja-sūtra (On Mastering the Sūtra).” Translated from the Tibetan with commentary. University of Washington, 1972.
Thrangu Rinpoche. King of Samadhi: Commentaries on the Samadhi Raja Sutra and the Song of Lodrö Thaye. Hong Kong, Boudhnath & Århus: Rangjung Yeshe Publications, 1994.