རིན་པོ་ཆེ་ཏོག་གི་གཟུངས།
The Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī
Notes
Ratnaketudhāraṇī
འཕགས་པ་འདུས་པ་ཆེན་པོ་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་ཏོག་གི་གཟུངས་ཤེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
’phags pa ’dus pa chen po rin po che tog gi gzungs shes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī” from the Great Collection
Āryamahāsannipātaratnaketudhāraṇīnāmamahāyānasūtra
Toh 138
Degé Kangyur, vol. 56 (mdo sde, na), folios 187.b–277.b
ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛɪʙᴇᴛᴀɴ ʙʏ
- Śilendrabodhi
- Yeshé Dé
Imprint
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 1.0.29 (2024)
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Table of Contents
Summary
The Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī is one of the core texts of the Mahāsannipāta collection of Mahāyāna sūtras that dates back to the formative period of Mahāyāna Buddhism, from the first to the third century ᴄᴇ. Its rich and varied narratives, probably redacted from at least two independent works, recount significant events from the lives, past and present, of the Buddha Śākyamuni and some of his main followers and opponents, both human and nonhuman. At the center of these narratives is the climactic episode from the Buddha’s life when Māra, the personification of spiritual death, sets out to destroy the Buddha and his Dharma. The mythic confrontation between these paragons of light and darkness, and the Buddha’s eventual victory, are related in vivid detail. The main narratives are interwoven with Dharma instructions and interspersed with miraculous events. The text also exemplifies two distinctive sūtra genres, “prophecies” (vyākaraṇa) and “incantations” (dhāraṇī), as it includes, respectively, prophecies of the future attainment of buddhahood by some of the Buddha’s followers and the potent phrases that embody the Buddha’s teachings and are meant to ensure their survival and the thriving of its practitioners.
Acknowledgements
This translation was produced by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. Wiesiek Mical translated the extant parts from the Sanskrit and wrote the introduction. Timothy Hinkle compared the translation from the Sanskrit against the Tibetan translation and translated from the Tibetan the parts that are lost in the original Sanskrit.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The generous sponsorship of Twenty and family, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is gratefully acknowledged. They would like to dedicate their sponsorship to Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche.
Text Body
The Translation
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra
The Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī
from the Great Collection
The Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī
from the Great Collection
Homage
Homage to the thus-gone Splendorous with the Gentle Glow of Light and Fragrance!
Homage to the one with the melodious voice of Mahābrahmā!
Having paid homage to him, one should employ the dhāraṇī called unharmed by the assemblies of Māra. May I accomplish the following mantra:11
Avāme avāme amvare amvare {TK4} parikuñja naṭa naṭa puṣkaravaha jalukha khama khaya ili mili kili mili kīrtipara mudre mudramukhe svāhā! {TK5}
Colophon
Because of the special merit that I have accumulated when refining, with all my devotion, care, and a joyous mind,
Adorned with words of the Sage’s doctrine, clear in meaning, and resplendent with great qualities!
Tibetan Translators’ Colophon
This sūtra was translated by the Indian preceptor Śilendrabodhi and the translator-editor Yeshé Dé. It was later standardized in line with the new terminological register.
Notes
Braarvig 1993.
Kurumiya 1978.
Denkarma, folio 297.a.4. See also Herrmann-Pfandt (2008), p. 52, no. 91.
Phangthangma, p. 7 (with abbreviated title ’phags pa rin po che’i tog).
Interestingly, the catalog of the Narthang Kangyur records the tradition that The Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī was first translated into Tibetan by Tönmi Sambhoṭa (thon mi sam+b+ho Ta), the legendary seventh century minister and scholar credited with the development of the Tibetan alphabet during the reign of King Songtsen Gampo (ca. 617–650). See Narthang Catalog, folio 14.a.1, and Skilling 1997, p. 89.
Lamotte 2001, pp. 1541–42.
This information is based on a private communiqué from Peter Skilling, who does not recall seeing the feminine form vyākaraṇī in any other sūtra.
Toh 1-1, 1.233 et seq.; see translation in Miller et al. (2018). The Chapter on Going Forth contains a much longer and more detailed account of the story of Upatiṣya and Kaulita (Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana), but the culmination of their story in their encounter with Aśvajit and meeting with the Buddha is related in the present text with a little more detail, including some verses of which the Vinayavastu account has much briefer equivalents. The main additional element in the story in the present version—the advent of Māra following that meeting with Aśvajit—is of course the narrative theme that ties together all the component parts of The Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī.
Skt. dharmanetrī; Tib. chos kyi tshul.
The following section, up to “I must make them embrace the view of the evil one” at 1.19, has been translated entirely from the Tib., filling a lengthy lacuna in the Skt. text.
Because of their magical character, uncertain readings, and the extent of corruption, the Sanskrit dhāraṇī formulae in this text would be impossible to translate in full. Although some individual words and phrases are intelligible, it would be risky to attempt a coherent translation—the alliterations (which possibly are part of the magic), for example, would be impossible to replicate in English. These dhāraṇīs have therefore been quoted throughout the translation in the original Sanskrit, with some editorial emendments that affect mainly word divisions and orthography. These emendments by no means make the Sanskrit text correct or even consistent, and have not been reported in the critical apparatus.
The Buddha and his hearer disciples are often compared to elephants or “great elephants” (mahānāga).
Tib. kun tu rgyu ba (Skt. parivrājaka). “Wandering mendicants” is a generic designation for the flourishing communities of mendicants of various religious outlooks who lived as wandering spiritual seekers (śramaṇa) in India during the time of the Buddha. Often, these wandering practitioners of various religious paths would interact with one another and exchange views and practices, such as what we hear about in this scripture.
Tib. gang gi chos read as gang gis chos in accordance with the other instance just above.
This is an expanded version of the well-known and widely quoted stanza, sometimes called “the essence of dependent arising” (rten ’brel snying po), which, in Sanskrit, reads, ye dharmā hetuprabhavā hetuṃ teṣāṃ tathāgato hy avadat | teṣāṃ ca yo nirodha evaṃvādī mahāśramaṇaḥ. One source of this stanza is found in a parallel version of the present narrative in the Chapter on Going Forth (Pravrajyāvastu) chapter of the Vinayavastu, Toh 1-1, folios 33.a–b (see Miller 1.236). The formula in Sanskrit and Pali has acquired the status of a dhāraṇī and is ubiquitous in Buddhist Asia as a seal at the end of texts, rolled into scrolls in stūpas, or used in rituals (sometimes with oṁ at the beginning and svāhā at the end). See also The Sūtra on Dependent Arising (Toh 212), in which the Buddha explains and recommends its use in the construction of stūpas. It should be noted that there are several quite significantly different renderings of the verse in Tibetan—compare, for example, the version in the present text and the one in Toh 1-1. Unfortunately, this stanza is missing in the available Sanskrit portions of The Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī (including the Gilgit manuscript which begins from folio 4.a).
The thousand monks who used to have matted hair is a reference to the one thousand non-Buddhist mendicants who are said to have converted en masse to the Buddha’s teaching and who, at this early point, made up the Buddha’s entire saṅgha. The thousandfold congregation comprised the five hundred followers of Urubilvā-Kāśyapa and the five hundred followers of his two brothers (who each had 250 followers), all practicing beforehand at different points along the River Nairañjana. This is recounted in the Saṅghabhedavastu chapter of the Vinayavastu (Toh 1-17, folio 56.a et seq.; 84000 translation currently in progress). The implication here is that the Buddha had only recently arrived in Rājagṛha for the first time, at Bimbisāra’s invitation.
Here begins the translation from the Skt.
“The view of the evil one” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna). Incidentally, it seems a little odd that Māra refers to himself as the “evil one.”
The Tib. reads, “What I said before about causes and productive causes is false.”
Skt. mṛtyu; Tib. ’chi bdag.
The Tib. reads, “Knowing the supreme teachings that captivate the minds of the wise and terminate the three sufferings, / No one anywhere could shake us from this knowledge.”
Instead of “owing to the Thus-Gone One… the wandering mendicant’s life,” the Tib. has “the wandering mendicant’s life of the Thus-Gone One.”
“Sickness” has been supplied from the Tib.
“Five hundred” is missing from the Tib.
“Stable… hard” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“Making a great din” has been supplied from the Tib.
The Tib. is missing “hundreds.”
Here, the Tib. renders the Skt. viśārada, defined in Edgerton’s dictionary as “fearlessness,” as “fearless insight,” which could be more correct.
The Skt. prefix upa functions as the English “Jr.” Hence Upatiṣya means “Tiṣya, Jr.”
I.e., the “son of Śāri.”
The sentence beginning “Some people know me” is absent in the Tib.
The most complete story of Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana going forth can be found in the Pravrajyāvastu.
The phrase “who convey,” which fills the lacuna in the Skt. text, has been partially reconstructed from the Tib., which, however, is not very clear (gang dag bstan bcos don spyod mkhas pa rig pa’i pha rol song).
The phrase “and clear” has been supplied from the Tib., filling in the lacuna in the Skt. text.
The Tib. has, “Your path brings beings to the lower realms and causes them to discover an ocean of suffering.”
The Tib. has, “What more can you say, O garrulous, reckless liar with the voice of a jackal?”
The Tib. for this verse is, “Has someone arrived today that upset you?”
“Why won’t you have fun?” has been supplied from the Tib., filling in the lacuna in the Skt. text.
Tib. “He has the lassos of generosity, yogic discipline, contemplation, aspiration, and compassion. / He brandishes the supreme bow and arrow of emptiness and signlessness. / In accordance with the path to absolute peace and escape from saṃsāra, / He is the teacher of how to repel saṃsāra entirely.”
The Tib. adds at this point (after a comma) “applying themselves according to the precepts” (cho ga bzhin du zhugs nas).
The Tib. adds “incense” after “perfume.”
The phrase “and were overjoyed” has been supplied from the Tib., filling in the lacuna in the Skt. text.
The Tibetan of this half-stanza is unclear. It seems to be “The single eye for beings that dries up all rivers of craving, / Seeing the whole world that lacks eye[sight]…”
The Tibetan of this verse is unclear: byang chub yan lag rin chen dri med nor gsung sgron.
In the Tib., this verse is “Hasten to the refuge provided by the compassionate one.”
“Along with their retinues” is missing from the Tib.
“With their retinues” is missing from the Tib.
“Became even more enraged” has been supplied from the Chinese (Skt. lacuna; cf. K, p. 14, n. 1).
“Commoners’ ” is a tentative translation of the Tib. dmangs phal shing (Skt. lacuna).
“Our sons and legions” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The reading “scorched by fire with flaming tongues” follows the Tibetan. Skt. has only aṅgāreṇa vayaṃ (lacuna), “by embers, we…”
The reading “taken refuge” (supported by the Tib.) has been obtained by emending śaramaṃ in Kurumiya’s edition to śaraṇaṃ.
“After being entrusted to me” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna); this is a tentative translation of nga la dpang btsugs nas, assuming that dpang is a misspelling of pang.
“With his magic” is missing from the Tib.
Tib. “Then, 1.2 quintillion of Māra’s attendants rose up, stretching upward for 84,000 leagues. They manifested violent magical displays of power and dominion, filling the entire space above the four continents with black clouds, violent black winds, and meteors. They slammed the king of mountains, Sumeru, with their hands, making all four continents shake violently.”
The Tib. has “conjured up a rain of stones a league in size.”
The Tib. has, “They also conjured up and released a great rain of swords, clubs, stones, lances, javelins, razors, blades similar to razors, axes, blades similar to axe blades, axe blades, (unclear), and terribly (unclear)—a rain of solid, hard, rough, and sharp objects.”
The Tib. has “turned into a rain of celestial flowers [such as] blue, pink, and red varieties of lotus, māndārava, and great māndārava.”
The Tib. adds here, “The land of Aṅga-Magadha was not struck by any of the falling meteors; rather, through his blessings a rain fell.”
The passage has been abbreviated here by the Skt. scribe. The source passage has not been located.
Literally, “endowed with a cranial protuberance (uṣṇīṣa) that cannot be [fully] seen when looked at.” This alludes to the belief in the wide-ranging powers of the Buddha’s uṣṇīṣa. Since it extends all the way to the realm of gods, thereby enabling the Buddha to control all the realms with his body, its full extent cannot be seen from earth. The Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa elaborates on the powers of the Buddha’s uṣṇīṣa at considerable length. See Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans., The Noble Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī, Toh 543 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2020), 14.2–3 et passim.
Here the Tib. repeats the entire list as above.
The Tib. does not mention bowing.
In the Tib. the number is 20,000, and in the Chinese 22,000.
“In his presence” is missing from the Tib.
The part about causes and results is unclear in both the Skt. and the Tib. The Tib. seems to be saying “cause and result from accumulation.”
In the Tib., these three verses are,“You destroy, O protector of worlds, the disease of ignorance / Wherein one is caught by the sense objects in existence, / Which are like an illusion, a mirage, or the moon reflected in water.”
This line has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
In the Tib., this verse is “May the flowers we tossed in all directions / Become parasols / Eternally providing happiness, / Floating above the crown of the best of bipeds.”
The Tib. is somewhat different; it interprets the Skt. svaramaṇḍala (“lute”) literally as the “maṇḍala of sound,” which gives in translation, “They also heard the speech of the blessed buddhas’ melodious maṇḍalas.”
Prasāda (“faith”) is translated into the Tib. as “admiration and devotion.”
Instead of “ten trillion” the Tib. has “one quintillion.”
“Let alone kill him” is absent from the Skt.
In this address, the Tib. explicitly includes women; the Skt. just has “noble sons.” The same applies to the next four occurrences of “noble son(s).”
The Tib. says, “They must not grasp, give up, accept, dwell upon, appropriate, conceive of, or conceptualize any phenomenon, so that when they are training in the perfection of generosity, they do not give up, grasp, accept, appropriate, dwell upon, conceive of, or conceptualize the fruits of generosity.”
The passage has been abbreviated here by the Skt. scribe. The last clause, starting from “when they are training,” should be repeated for all the remaining perfections, up to and including the perfection of insight.
The Skt. words used here for being, the vital principle, and individual soul or personhood (sattva, jīva, poṣa, and puḍgala respectively) are near synonyms. They denote or imply an individual being or individual existence.
The passage has been abbreviated here by the Skt. scribe. The omitted part is to be supplied from the corresponding passage above.
The Tib. has “beings or the realm of beings.”
The passage has been abbreviated here by the Skt. scribe. The omitted part is to be supplied from the corresponding passage above.
The passage has been abbreviated here by the Skt. scribe. The omitted part is to be supplied from the corresponding passage above.
The Tib. has “conceptualize the occurring, remaining, or arising of the causes, conditions, reference points, or the ripening of the fruits of the threefold universe, three times, aggregates, elements, or sense bases.”
“Void” reflects the Tib. reading; the Skt. has, depending on how the sandhi is resolved, either “separate” or “not separate.”
“Without characteristics” seems to be listed twice.
For “neither friendly nor hostile” (which as a translation may be problematic), the Tib. has “not directional, not antidotes.”
“Appropriation, becoming, and birth” are the ninth through eleventh links in the chain of dependent origination. The Tib., however, has the “birth, craving, and appropriation of beings.”
“This shore and the other” refers to saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, i.e., conditioned existence and liberation.
Instead of “rocks,” the Tib. has “charnel ground,” reflecting the reading śmaśānaṃ rather than śmānaṃ.
The reading “without darkness” (atamas) is supported by the Chinese translation; the Tib., however, reads “indescribable.”
The Tibetan nyams par yang mi bgyid pa (“not subject to deterioration”) makes better sense in the present context than the Skt. na sāmīcīkaroti (“one does not pay respect”).
The “students and the adepts” (śaikṣa and aśaikṣa, literally “training” and “no more training”) could be referring to the five Mahāyāna paths.
The reading “one does not analyze” has been obtained by emending Kurumiya’s vivekanayena to vivekanaye na. The Tib. has “one does not analyze or cling.”
This statement is equally vague and unclear in the Skt. and in the Tib.
This statement has been supplied from the Tib. (which happens to be unclear), filling in the lacuna in the Skt. text.
The Tib. seems to be rendering this as, “How should one increase and accumulate all of the ornaments of awakening?”
Possibly the Sāṅkhya concepts of rajas and tamas are meant here.
The Tib. omits “all the thus-gone ones.”
This sentence is very unclear in both the Skt. and the Tib. The Skt. is possibly corrupt.
The past, present, and future.
In the Tib., this passage, starting from “It is because all phenomena… ,” could be read as, “Since phenomena are of the nature of being devoid of any attachment, they are all without imputation. They constitute the limit of nonarising and nonceasing; the ultimate limit where neither ignorance nor nirvāṇa arise; the ultimate limit where neither space nor nirvāṇa arise; the ultimate limit where all phenomena are inexpressible and in which beings are also inexpressible; the limit where all phenomena are insubstantial; the limit where the three times, the three realms of existence, and all the aggregates are nothing whatsoever; the limit where the three formations are emptiness; and the limit where the phenomenal aggregates, ripened aggregates, and the amassing or diminishing aggregates are insubstantial.”
In the Tib., the last sentence could be read as, “Bodhisattva great beings attain omniscience when they are fully endowed with the understanding of the facts of emptiness, the ultimate reality, the meaning of the inexpressible, and the truth of all phenomena.”
This number in the Tib. is 9.2 quintillion.
It is not clear who “these” twenty thousand bodhisattvas are. Possibly the twenty thousand of Māra’s children mentioned in the previous paragraph, who have now entered the bodhisattva path.
The Tib. adds “servants” after “harem.”
Instead of “subtle mind” (sūkṣmamati), the Tib. has “peaceful intellect.”
This line in the Tib. reads, “Destroyer of the suffering of death, transmigration, sickness, aging, and birth.”
Instead of “subtle mind” (sūkṣmamati), the Tib. has “peaceful intellect.”
“Uncaused” is missing from the Tib.
Instead of “subtle mind” (sūkṣmamati), the Tib. has “peaceful intellect.”
The “single principle” is perhaps the same as the one described above for attaining omniscience.
The Tib. has “death and transmigration.”
In the Tib. this verse reads, “Blessed One! How does female birth come about?” The Skt. reading, however, is confirmed by the Chinese.
“Right here and now” is the Tib. reading. The Skt. seems to be saying, “as it is like space.”
To obtain the reading “It has great magical power,” as found in the Tib., one needs to emend mahārthikā in Kurumiya’s edition to maharddhikā.
“ Nonhuman beings” is missing from the Tib.
It is not completely clear whether it is the ascetic sitting on the throne or whether the text is placed on the throne.
As before, it is not clear whether it is the ascetic sitting on the throne, or the text is placed on the throne.
The Skt. text breaks off here (and resumes again at °le hihile down below), as one folio is missing from G. The translation of the missing part has been supplied from the Tib.
In some Tibetan versions, the narrative about the thus-gone Splendorous continues up to this point, i.e., it is he who is seen at the distance of an arrow shot and then recites the dhāraṇī. The Buddha Śākyamuni then recites the same dhāraṇī as part of his own narrative. In this version, the Buddha possibly replicates, at this stage in the narrative, the actions of the thus-gone Splendorous by making the earth shake, appearing in front of all the beings, and reciting the dhāraṇī himself.
The first part of the dhāraṇī (up to °le hihile) is based on the reconstruction by Dutt, who reconstructed it on the basis of the Tib. (the original Skt. is absent due to a missing manuscript folio).
Up to this point the text of this dhāraṇī has been reconstructed by Dutt, and the following part by Kurumiya.
The last part of the dhāraṇī constitutes a request to have the karma of being reborn as a woman purified and to subsequently acquire male characteristics.
“And our disenchantment” has been supplied from the Tib.
“Along with her retinue” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
Instead of “thus-gone one,” the Tib. has “monk.”
“And from some the male” is absent from the Tib.
“The ending of birth, death, and transmigration” is based on the Tib. The Skt. could be interpreted as “a high birth from which there is no falling back.”
“A vow breaker” is omitted in the Tib.
The expression “in the fruit” (phale) is unclear. It would be natural to take phale as standing for phalayāne (following after the preceding solitary buddha yāne and hearer yāne). The term phalayāna (“fruition vehicle” or “resultant vehicle”) later became applied to the tantric vehicle (tantrayāna).
The Tib. reads, “thus changing their female sex organs and establishing them in the state of being men.”
Instead of “near the Thus-Gone One” (tathāgatasyāntike), the Tib. has “about the Thus-Gone One.”
The list, here abbreviated by the Skt. scribe, is meant to include all the stages of the Buddha’s life.
The Tib. reads, “You should not think that the king Utpalavaktra who did [these things] is someone unknown to you. If you are uncertain, vacillating, or doubtful, do not think that way. Why not? It was I who was at that time the king Utpalavaktra, universal monarch ruling over the four continents.”
This sentence is not completely clear. The Tib. reads, “It was I who acted as the male power.”
The Tib. reads, “You should not think that the chief queen Surasundarī who went forth at that time is someone unknown to you. If you are uncertain, vacillating, or doubtful, do not think that way. Why not? It was the bodhisattva great being Maitreya who was at that time the chief queen Surasundarī.”
The Tib. reads, “O good people, you should not think that the soldier Kumārabhṛta, with his retinue of tens of millions of doubt-filled beings who said unpleasant things about the Buddha, is someone unknown to you. If you are uncertain, vacillating, or doubtful, do not think that way. Why not? It was this very Māra, the evil one, who was at that time the soldier Kumārabhṛta.”
“Overcome with grief” (śokāgāre niṣaṇṇa) has been translated into the Tib. literally as “sitting in the house of grief.”
In the Tib., this verse reads, “A supreme one, he emanates the threefold existence.”
“He does not belong anywhere” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“To kill him” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The three feelings are those of those of pleasure, pain, and indifference.
It is not quite clear what type of social engagements are meant, but the Skt. word used (saṃsarga) could suggest the sexual. The Tib. is vague.
In the Tib. this verse is longer and a little different: “I will throw terribly sharp vajras, / Spears, swords, and hammers. / When these flaming missiles strike him, / The scion of the Śākyas will be crushed to dust.”
In the Tib., the last two sentences are, “We will immediately show whatever magical powers we have at our disposal to the monk Gautama. Know that [we will do this].”
The Tib. reads, “You must engage with him in conversation at great length about many edifying topics.”
The Tib. has “to dispel their hunger.”
In the Tib. the last verse reads, “Confused and senseless, they will be scattered by our magical power, running off into different directions.”
It is indicated in the Skt. text that this last sentence ought to be expanded into the corresponding passage from the section on Venerable Śāriputra above, with the substitution of names.
This verse in absent in the Skt. text; it has been supplied from the Tib. To preserve the verse numbering as in the Kurumiya edition, no separate number has been given to it here.
Instead of “fast flows the water,” the Tib. has, “like the swiftly moving, rough water on a steep slope.”
The expression “likewise, as before” (Skt. peyālam; Tib. de bzhin du sbyar) signifies that the passage “Life passes quickly, my friends; fast flows the water. A naive person doesn’t know this—” is elided and to be repeated in the text that follows (the next three stanzas).
The translation here follows the Tib. G has “deceits of illusion.”
The Tib. could be interpreted as, “The ultimate reality is empty and free from all limits.”
The Skt. of the last two lines is very unclear. The last two lines in the Tib. seem to be, “Being led along through practicing the path of awakening, awakening is found. / It is taught that undeluded reality itself is protected in the Dharma.”
The Tib. reads instead, “Under the influence of bad friends, we have never heard these teachings before.”
“Through delusion and ignorance” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
A kind of gem, reddish in color (Edgerton).
The Tib. adds at this point, “Its scent surpassed divine incense. It occurred through world-transcending roots of virtue.”
Instead of “various stanzas with words rich in meaning,” the Tib. reads, “various words, meaning, and verse.”
The phrase “has come” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The Tib. reads, “Upatiṣya and Kaulita, proficient in moral precepts, are guided by [this] teacher. / They are knowledgeable and skilled in many treatises, and their final aim is the Dharma.”
The “three types” are the instructions in the vināya (disciplinary code), the sūtra (collection of discourses), and the abhidharma (the science of the mind and phenomena).
The “three stains” are the stains of ignorance, hatred, and greed.
The phrase “will teach everything today” has been supplied from the Tib.; the Skt. seems to be saying “will now depart.”
Instead of “reveals,” the Tib. has “sees.”
“Follow from” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The Tib. has “preacher of the six seeds.” It is not clear what the “six seeds” refers to, possibly the six perfections.
Instead of “essential teachings” (sāradharma), the Tib. has “transcendent (pha rol) teachings.”
“He defeats those who live in the city” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
It is not clear what the “six supreme goals” (ṣaḍuttamārtha) refers to. Possibly the six perfections.
The Skt. duranta can mean “leading to a bad end” and “infinite.” This is not reflected in the Tibetan, which we have followed here.
It is unclear what “signs of the thirteen aspects” refers to.
This line in the Tib. reads, “For those who are attached to their concepts about form and so on.”
Instead of “train in behavior” (vinītaceṣṭāḥ),” the Tib. has “curb/discipline their deceit/fickleness.”
The phrase “without agent and without action” is provided from the Tibetan and Chinese (Skt. lacuna).
In the Tib., this verse reads, “If those who meditate on all phenomena in this world as empty, / Being without agent and action, / Abandon their wishes, they will reach / Unsurpassed awakening of the sky-like nature.”
The translation of asama as “out-of-character” is uncertain. The Tib. seems to be saying in this verse something different altogether: “Listen to my words with minds of unchanging [fealty]!”
The Tib. reads, “He with power and might, whose qualities are totally immaculate, / Lives in this world in order to stabilize beings.”
Instead of “lotus,” the Tib. has “something sublime” (dam pa).
The Tib. reads “there is no other supreme refuge.”
The Tib. reflects the reading vadana (“face”) rather than vacana (“speech,” “words”), the reading of G, which has been adopted here.
The Tib. reads, “We, [on the other hand,] are scared and terrified.”
In the Tib., this verse reads, “We should go to see [him] with eagerness and faith, in the city where he’s come.”
Instead of “devotion,” the Tib. has “enthusiasm.”
This seems to refer to four kings of the mundane (phal pa), i.e., human, realm as distinct from the four great heavenly kings just mentioned, but we cannot confirm their identities.
This and the next five items belong to the seven precious emblems of royalty (saptaratna, “seven precious ones”), which comprise a precious wheel, precious wish-granting jewel, precious queen, precious minister, precious elephant, precious general, and precious horse.
The Tib. has “dangling white ornaments.”
Tib. “dangling green ornaments.”
“Strings of pearls” is omitted in the Skt.
The Tib. has “dangling ornaments.”
The Tib. reads, “If these beings would just acknowledge [me], I could disturb their minds.”
“My merit” is missing from the Tib.
The “fivefold noose” metaphorically refers to the five aggregates (cf. 5.40: “By totally comprehending the five aggregates, one is freed from their noose”).
The reading “refuge, and defender of the world” is taken from the Tib. The Skt. seems to be saying “refuge from the ways of the world.”
“Birth” has been supplied from the Tib.
The reading “O sage” (supported by the Tib.) has been obtained by emending Kurumiya’s reading muner to mune.
“The greatest and most important being” has been supplied from the Tib., as the Skt. is unclear.
“Instructions” is not in the Tib.
Instead of “mounted forces,” the Tib. has “youthful forces.”
The reading “destruction” is based on G’s saṃkṣyaṃ (unmetrical), read as saṃkṣayaṃ.
The Tib. reads, “O you who have accomplished the ten strengths.”
The Tib. reads “each more fierce and cruel than the other.”
This phrase might not have an English equivalent. “To pull one’s hair” would perhaps be the closest expression in English.
The Skt. phrase “Give comfort… to all those who draw breath” involves a play on words, as the Skt. āśvāsaya (“give them comfort”) literally means “make them breathe freely.”
“Gifts” here includes the sacrifices of one’s own life and limb for the sake of others.
Instead of “Cakravāḍa range,” the Tib. has “Mount Meru.”
The “self-arisen ones” are the thus-gone ones.
Instead of “absolute truth,” the Tib. has “supreme path.”
This line is missing from all Tibetan editions. The “great fears,” sometimes the “four great fears,” are probably the fears of death, old age, sickness, and birth.
This line is missing from all Tibetan editions.
The translation of the last two lines is based on the Tib., as the Skt. is a little unclear.
The eight qualities of water are that it is cool, sweet, light, soft, clear, pleasant, wholesome, and soothing.
“Preaches wherever he travels” is based on the Tib.
This verse has been translated based on the Tib., as the Skt. is not completely clear.
A species of aquatic bird; the name madgu (from √majj) suggests submerging or diving.
In the Tib., the Skt. pratidarśaya is translated as “teach [them] individually.”
The Tib. is unclear; it seems to be saying, “Should calamity befall the hundred guides.”
The name Siddhartha (siddhārtha) is here paraphrased as Prāptārtha, which has the same meaning, “one who has accomplished their purpose.”
The Tib. reads, “I will show the immaculate and authentic path.”
In the Tib., possibly reflecting a different Skt. reading, this verse is, “I will summon them by a great miracle.”
The translation of this verse is based on the Tib., as the Skt. is unclear.
It is not clear what the “sun of death” (mṛtyusūrya) refers to.
The Tib. adds “fragrant oils” after “garlands.”
The context and the Chinese translation suggest that they covered the road with these items. G, however, which seems corrupt, suggests that it was the Blessed One.
The Tib. adds “pearl garlands” after “celestial cloth.”
The eight qualities of water are that it is cool, sweet, light, soft, clear, pleasant, wholesome, and soothing.
The narrative here ties in with verse 3.18 and the preceding paragraph.
Four folios of the Skt. manuscript are missing at this point. The following text up to the end of verse 4.107 has been translated entirely from the Tib.
Measurement by fingers (Skt. aṅgulipramāṇa) was used in ancient Indian medical science to divide and measure the individual sections of the body. The basic unit is the breadth of a finger.
This seems to refer to a distance of four fingers, but it is not clear where the point of reference is.
This seems to refer to a distance of four fingers, but, again, it is not clear where the point of reference is.
The point of reference is actually not specified; it could be “from the neck,” “toward the neck,” “up the neck,” etc.
Again, the point of reference is not specified and the phrase is unclear. The text actually says “the other half finger.”
Again, the point of reference for this measurement is not specified.
Again, the point of reference for this measurement is not specified.
Translation tentative. Tib. myur du bdag khyim zhig par bgyid.
Again, the point of reference for this measurement is not specified.
There seems to be some inconsistency here, as, according to verse 4.67, the Buddha himself was born under the constellation Puṣyā.
Translation tentative. Tib. yang dag dga’ bya drug smra zhing.
It is unclear what the “three phenomena” refers to, but perhaps to the threefold taxonomy of phenomena, namely the aggregates (skandha), sense bases (āyatana), and elements (dhātu).
The translation from the Skt. resumes here.
This paragraph, because of several lacuna in the Skt. text, has been translated based on the Tib. Some parts of it remain unclear.
The phrase “holding a flower” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The phrase “world with the light from your eye of wisdom” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
This line has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The clause “I prostrate to you today” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
This line has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
These two lines have been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
Instead of the “net of craving,” the Tib. has “ocean of views.”
“Please tell me, O best of humans” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The translation of this verse is partially based on the Tib., as the Skt. text includes a number of lacuna.
The translation of this verse is partially based on the Tib., as the Skt. text includes a number of lacunae.
The Tib. reads, “May they attain the wisdom of the essential nature that is endowed with the quintessence of the sense faculties.”
Supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
This line has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The last two lines have been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The translation of this verse is partially based on the Tib., as the Skt. text includes a number of lacunae.
The translation of this verse is partially based on the Tib., as the Skt. text includes a number of lacunae.
The translation of this verse is partially based on the Tib., as the Skt. text includes a number of lacunae.
The translation of this verse is partially based on the Tib., as the Skt. text includes a number of lacunae.
The Tib. has “parasol in the sky.”
This line has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The earth is personified here as the goddess Vasundhurā, which could be either a corruption of vasundharā (“holder of riches”) or a correct variant of her name, meaning “laden (dhurā) with riches.”
“Bow her head to your feet” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
Tib. “trichiliocosm” (Skt. lacuna).
The translation of the Tib. yid skyo as “moved” is slightly problematic; the corresponding Skt. text is missing.
The translation of this paragraph is partially based on the Tib., as the Skt. includes a number of lacunae.
The translation of this paragraph is partially based on the Tib., as the Skt. includes a number of lacunae.
The phrase “those beings who were capable of being guided by buddhas” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The phrase “For this occasion, the Blessed One” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The last half-stanza is translated based on the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
We cannot provide the location for the next page number (TK129), as the relevant page from our copy of Kurumiya 1979 was missing.
Two folios of the Sanskrit manuscript are missing at this point (they are missing in the TK edition of the Tibetan canon as well). The missing part has been translated entirely from the Degé edition.
In some classifications, our impure world is also part of a buddha field. The same may be true for other impure worlds.
Translation tentative. Tib. rtsig pa med pa.
What follows is the list of the thirty-seven factors of awakening.
The Sanskrit page number is repeated, as the Skt. text resumes on the same page after a long lacuna.
Translation from the Skt. resumes here.
“And took their seats” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
This line has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“I never stop anyone” has been partially supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
This line has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The phrase “fivefold noose” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“I am liberated and thus liberate beings” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
This line has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“Cast away all your doubts” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
This line has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
This line has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
This line has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The phrase “to cultivate emptiness” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
Reading puṣpa˚ (“flowers”) as puṣya˚ (“to be fostered”), against the Tib. reading, which reflects puṣpa˚.
The translation of this verse is based mainly on the Tib. because of extensive lacunae in the Skt. text.
It is not obvious what the three stains are, but presumably hatred, desire, and ignorance.
This line has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The “threefold liberation” is defined differently in different Buddhist systems. Here it most likely means (1) freedom from moral depravities (āsrava), (2) from conditioned existence, and (3) from ignorance.
The three types of restraint are the restraints of the body, speech, and mind.
The translation of this verse is based mainly on the Tib. because of extensive lacunae in the Skt. text.
This line has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The translation of this and the remaining verses in this section (up to verse 34) is based mainly on the Tib. because of extensive lacunae in the Skt. text.
Jvara (“fever”) is used here in the sense of mental anguish.
The translation of this paragraph is partly based on the Tib. because of frequent lacunae in the Skt. text.
The phrase “Jyotīrasa, the great bodhisattva being” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The phrase “made of the seven precious gems” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The phrase “with hands folded” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
This and the following two verses have been translated partly based on the Tib. because of frequent lacunae in the Skt. text.
From this point up to “the remainder of the aggregates” in chapter 7, the translation has been made entirely from the Tib., as two folios of the Skt. manuscript are missing.
The translation here is very tentative. Tib. sa ni ’dom do ’phang tsam rdo bdag gis gang bar byas.
The translation from the Skt. resumes at this point, but still relies heavily, in this and the next paragraphs, on the Tib. because of frequent lacunae in the Skt. text.
In the Tib., this list reads “weeks, constellations, days, nights, months, fortnights, seasons, and years.”
The Tib. translates adhiṣṭhāna as “blessing”; in the context of manufacture, though, this should perhaps be taken in its more literal meaning of “supervision.”
In the Tib., this sentence seems to come after the next.
This entire paragraph, which describes the exposition that is going to be given, could be read, in the Tib., as a description of the Buddha’s actions instead. The Skt. grammar, however, seems to preclude this interpretation.
The next few occurrences of this phrase have been shortened to just “this exposition.”
The passage has been abbreviated here by the Skt. scribe. The source passage has not been located.
The passage has been abbreviated here by the Skt. scribe. The omitted part is meant to be supplied from the identical passage two paragraphs above (5.79), starting with “completely destroys the forces” and ending with “remainder of the aggregates.”
The Skt. seems to be saying “during the same eon.”
In the Tib. translation, this paragraph comes before the (previous) paragraph on wind, reflecting the usual order in which the four elements are listed.
It is unclear what these three predispositions are, but perhaps the predisposition to ignorance, greed, and hatred.
The passage from “He is able to know anything at all about any being” (just above), up to this point has been supplied from the Tib., filling in the lacuna in the Skt. text.
This paragraph has been translated in part from the Tib. because of the lacuna in the Skt. text.
The passage here has been abbreviated by the Skt. scribe. The omitted part is to be supplied from the matching passage above.
The passage here has been abbreviated by the Skt. scribe. The omitted part is to be supplied from the matching passage above.
The passage here has been abbreviated by the Skt. scribe. The omitted part is to be supplied from the matching passage above.
The Skt. word for “throne” is here siṃhāsana (“lion seat”), which can just mean a royal seat or throne, or perhaps a throne supported by lions.
The last clause, starting from “some directed their minds,” has been supplied from the Tib. because of the lacuna in the Skt. text.
The Tib. reads “who have gathered here from all directions!”
This line has been supplied from the Tib. because of the lacuna in the Skt. text. It is possible that the phrase “of supreme austerity” is not a description of the bodhisattvas, but of the worthy ones.
This line has been translated based on the Tib. because of the lacuna in the Skt. text.
This line has been translated based on the Tib. because of the lacuna in the Skt. text.
Parts of this verse have been supplied from the Tib. because of the lacunae in the Skt. text.
Parts of this verse have been supplied from the Tib. because of the lacunae in the Skt. text.
Instead of “skill,” the Tib. has “fearlessness.”
“Allows escape from all the domains of Māra” has been supplied from the Tib., filling in the lacuna in the Skt. text.
“Brings one to omniscient wisdom, frees one from all fears” has been supplied from the Tib., filling in the lacuna in the Skt. text.
Instead of “demeanor” and “steadfastness,” the Tib. has “realization” and “inspiration.”
The Tib. here reads “brings on skill in illuminating wisdom.”
Here the passage has been abbreviated by the Skt. scribe. The omitted part is to be supplied from an unidentified location.
The phrase “beings into contact with charismatic splendor, health, enjoyments, strength” has been supplied from the Tib. because of the lacuna in the Skt. text.
“To defeat all enemies; to ensure good harvests” has been supplied from the Tib. because of the lacuna in the Skt. text.
Parts of this sentence have been supplied from the Tib. because of the lacunae in the Skt. text.
Large chunks of this paragraph have been supplied from the Tib. because of the lacunae in the Skt. text.
The phrase “he placed in the hands of” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The word “remaining” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The passage starting from “Please come to my buddha field” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“Weariness” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“Veiled by the dark veil of ignorance, been thrown into the darkness of afflictions” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The translation of this sentence is based on the Tib. because of a number of lacunae in the Skt. text.
The part “. . . deserted towns, or charnel grounds. I make my bedding from hemp, sticks, and leaves—rough, stale-smelling, and unpleasant to the touch” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“Donning the armor” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The three types of activity are actions committed with the body, the speech, or the mind. The phrase “with monks” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“Filled with envy” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“Indulging in sex” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“Boldly approach” (parākramanti) is not in the Tib. text.
The Tib. adds “wild pigs” after “wolves.”
“My houses, monasteries, and temples” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“Foul odors” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
It is not completely clear which blessed buddhas are which, but it seems that Buddha Śākyamuni is now addressing the buddhas who have gathered in his own buddha field and speaks about the buddhas of the past, using them as an example.
Instead of “to suppress the proclamations of all the hostile preachers of other doctrines,” the Tib. reads “to destroy enemies and obstructers in a fashion that accords with the Dharma.”
“Evil spirits, blind infatuation, bad dreams, and bad omens” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“Contemplation,” “devotion,” and “stability” are absent in the Skt. text; they have been supplied from the Tib.
The passage is abbreviated here; the source passage is two paragraphs above.
The word “unobstructed” is not in the source passage.
In place of “annihilation,” the Tib. has “fearless” (the two are spelled in Tib. almost the same, ’jig and ’jigs respectively).
“To ensure the continuity of the lineage of the Three Jewels” is missing from the Tib.
The passage is abbreviated here; the source passage is three paragraphs above.
The word “unobstructed” is not in the source passage.
The list of the qualities of the dhāraṇī is abbreviated here; the missing part is to be supplied from the similar list(s) elsewhere, but the source passage could not be located.
The Tib. has “thirty-six times.”
The last sentence is missing from the Tib.
Instead of “body,” the Tib. reads “eye.”
The passage has been abbreviated here by the Skt. scribe. The source passage has not been located; it could be any of the passages above that list the qualities of the dhāraṇī-seal called the terminator of birth…”
The maṇḍala of sound that conveys words (Skt. svaramaṇḍalavāgvyāhāra) seems to be the name of the magical ability to make one’s words heard over a distance without a weakening or distortion of the sound. The phrase “maṇḍala of sound” (svaramaṇḍala) is not completely clear. Our translation here presumes that it is the magical medium that conveys the sound of spoken words over any distance. The other meaning of svaramaṇḍala, that of a “lute,” is unlikely in this context.
The list has been abbreviated here by the Skt. scribe; the full list should include the remaining classes of nonhuman beings: gods, nāgas, and so forth. The same should be assumed for other abbreviated lists of nonhuman beings below.
After “confuse,” the Tib. adds “freeze, befuddle.”
It is unclear what these three predispositions are, but perhaps the predispositions to ignorance, greed, and hatred. The last part of this sentence, starting from “characterized,” is missing from the Tib.
In the Tib., the last sentence begins, “If he does not get attached to them, why then do you, sister…”
In the Tib., three categories of persons are mentioned: Dharma teachers, students, and those established in the proper conduct.
The phrase “reverse their aggressive intentions and take the pledge” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
In the Tib., three categories of persons are mentioned: Dharma teachers, students, and those established in the right conduct.
“These mantras” implies that the above dhāraṇī consists of individual mantras, which is consistent with the structure of this dhāraṇī.
The Tib. interprets this as going blind; however, the eyeballs bursting or being otherwise destroyed is a common theme in the tantras in similar contexts.
The list has been abbreviated here by the Skt. scribe; the full list should include the lords of the remaining classes of nonhuman beings: gods, nāgas, and so forth.
“The great trichiliocosm” is missing from the Tib.
The Tib. interprets this as going blind; however, the eyeballs bursting or being otherwise destroyed is a common theme in the tantras in similar contexts.
From this point onward, certain passages in the source texts have been elided and refer to text that the reader will have to infer. It is not always clear precisely what this text may be, so we have indicated this in the translation by ellipses, rather than supplying the text from other passages.
Following the parallel with the dry land dwellers, it would seem that the evil aquatic beings would also fall into clefts in the earth (in the bottom of the sea?).
Instead of “protect,” the Tib. reads “ripen.”
Everything from this point up to the point indicated by n.422 in chapter 10 has been translated entirely from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
Translation tentative. Tib. chos smra ba de’i spobs pa rigs pas nye bar bsgrub par bgyi’o.
This name seems somewhat dubious.
The “five points of the body” are here the forehead, the elbows, and the knees.
Here and in the following, “four hundred and four” translates the Tib. brgya rtsa bzhi, which in itself only means “one hundred and four.” However, given that the number of illnesses enumerated in classical Indian medicine is four hundred and four, we have read the Tib. as a contraction of bzhi brgya rtsa bzhi.
The total count of these “sets of medicinal treatments” far exceeds the number one thousand and four.
Here “aroma” tentatively translates snar stsal ba.
The phrase “to be able to bring beings to maturity by means of employing earth ” has been added to fit the pattern of employing each of the five elements found in this section.
The Skt. of this mantra, like that of the others in this text, is quite corrupt. Possibly all the occurrences of °vava should be °vaha.
Translation fom the Skt. resumes here.
“Throughout the three times” has been supplied from the Tib.
“And protect it” is absent from the Tib.
“And protect it” has been supplied from the Tib.
In the Tib. this list is “hamlets, villages, towns, cities, states, mountain cliffs, royal cities, isolated places…”
Reference is here made to this text—the Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī—one of the Mahāsannipāta sūtras. This reference occurs several times throughout this chapter.
I.e., will be reborn in the realms of Śakra or Brahmā. In place of “as your companions,” the Tib. reads “equal in fortune to you.”
The Tib. indicates that the list was abbreviated at this point; the full list should include the lords of the remaining classes of nonhuman beings: gods, nāgas, and so forth.
In place of “protect… and glorify,” the Tib. reads, “teach, care for, and protect.”
Skt. āvāhayiṣtāmaḥ (“we will cause to move/drive”); Tib. rgyu bar bgyi (“set in motion”).
“An abundance of water” (augha) is missing from the Tib.
The Tib. reads “waterfalls, springs, lakes, and ponds.”
“And [other] crops” is missing from the Tib.
“We will ensure the longevity that arises from glory and merit” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“And will spurn evil ones” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“Idle curiosity” is the translation of the Skt. kautuka, which is rendered into the Tib. as “entertainment.” Here it probably means chasing after anything that arouses curiosity or is amusing, but not necessarily beneficial.
The Tib. reads, “We will strive for infinite eons to ensure that this Dharma method is taught authentically.”
“In order to quell the pain of beings” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
“Overwhelmed by the thieves and rogues of the afflictions” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
The beginning of this paragraph up to this point the translation relies heavily on the Tib. because of frequent lacunae in the Skt. text; from this point on, up to the words “we will encourage any Dharma teacher” at the end of 11.11, the translation is entirely from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
Translation tentative. Tib. bdag dang gzhan gnyi ga’i nyon mongs pa’i las yongs su sbyang ba’am.
Translation from the Skt. resumes here.
Missing passages from the Skt. text corresponding to the translated section beginning with “I entrust you with the responsibility…” at {K159} to this point have been supplied from the Tib.
Gaps in this paragraph have been filled in using the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
Gaps in this paragraph have been filled in using the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
From this point, up to the words “the loss of their magical powers” near the end of 11.18, the translation is mostly from the Tib. (Skt. lacunae).
Translation from the Skt. resumes here.
In place of “the waters were stirred,” the Tib. reads “the clouds billowed.”
The translation of the last sentence is based on the Tib. and the Chinese. The Skt. reads, “Trembled also Māra along with his retinue. However, the gods, the kaṭapūtanas, and the bodhisattvas, who attained acceptance, did not tremble.”
“The dark faction defeated” has been supplied from the Tib. (Skt. lacuna).
In place of “jackal,” the Tib. reads “goat.”
In place of “Starlight,” the Tib. reads “Firelight.”
“Wicked” is missing from the Tib.
The translation of this sentence is based on the Tib. The Skt. reads, “According to their different inclinations, I establish them in the Three Jewels as non-returners.”
“Have no faith” is the Tib. reading; the Skt. has “have unshakable faith,” and the Chinese, “have pure faith.”
The Skt. includes an additional sentence here: “Most [beings] thus fall into the realm of the wicked yakṣas… and kaṭapūtanas,” which seems to be an unnecessary reiteration.
The Skt. has at this position, against the Tib. and the Chinese, the words “O Blessed One!”
The Tib. reads “gently cause” but omits “gentleness and kindness” later on in this sentence.
The Tib. reads “gently pacify.”
The meaning of vajrakhavasarī is unclear. Here it has been translated as vajra-kha-avasarī (“vajra-sky-expanding”); it seems to be translated into the Tib. as inserting thought into the vajra sky.
“Quotidian through quartan” is a reference to malarial fever that recurs every day, or every second, third, or fourth day.
“Meaning, words, and letters” (arthapadavyañjana) seems to be a stock phrase implying the completeness of the speech conveyed through the maṇḍala of sound that conveys words: this maṇḍala conveys speech on three levels, namely the letters that form words, the words, and the meaning that the words convey.
The vocative meaning, “O noble son,” has been obtained by restoring the G reading kulaputrebhir (BHS sandhi, kulaputra + ebhir) against the K reading kulaputrair.
“Are extremely terrifying” is missing from the Tib.
The reading “returning” was obtained by emending the Skt. gagana to gamana (supported by the Tib. and the Chinese).
The passage from “who read it…” up to this point has been supplied from the Tib.; it is absent in the Skt. text.
In place of “the [negativity of] the dark age,” the Tib. reads “the turbidity of struggle.”
The following division into ten has been introduced when translating this list into English and may be different from what was originally intended.
“You will duly set these beings apart” (nyāyataḥ parīttāḥ) seems to be missing from the Tib.
The Tib. reads, “You will avert that which is harmful to them.”
The Tib. reads “faultless memory, intellect, understanding, and eloquence.”
The “profound acceptance” (gambhirakṣānti) is an abbreviation of the type of kṣānti called “the acceptance that does not fear the profound meaning (i.e., emptiness)” (zab mo’i don la mi skrag pa’i bzod pa).
It is not clear what the “three things” are, but perhaps the three notions of subject, object, and action.
“Pure” (śuddha) is supported by the Chinese, but the Tib. reflects the reading kevalam (“only”).
The following division into ten has been introduced when translating this list into English and may be different from what was originally intended.
The Tib. reads, “[This buddha field is a product] of the great power of the blessed buddhas.” The Skt. reading is, however, supported by the Chinese.
The Skt. pratipanna means “who have met with” with the sense perhaps of “who have adopted.” The Tib. reads “who earnestly practice.”
This verse has been supplied from the Tib. It is absent in the Skt. text.
This name is reflected in the Tib. and the Chinese translations; the Skt., however, has a shorter version, Virajabalavikrāmin.
Bibliography
Primary literature (manuscripts and editions)
Sanskrit
Dutt, Nalinaksha, ed. Gilgit Manuscripts. Vols. 1–4. Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications, 1984.
Kurumiya, Yenshu, ed. Ratnaketuparivarta: Sanskrit Text. Kyoto: Heirakuji-shoten, 1978.
Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī—the Gilgit manuscript. National Archives of India, New Delhi.
Tibetan
’phags pa ’dus pa rin po che tog gi gzungs shes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. Toh 138, Degé Kangyur vol. 56 (mdo sde, na), folios 187.b–277.b.
’phags pa ’dus pa rin po che tog gi gzungs shes 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. 56, pp. 509–734.
Kurumiya, Yenshu, ed. ’Dus Pa Chen Po Rin Po Che Tog Gi Gzungs, ’Dus Pa Chen Po Dkon Mchog Dbal Zes Bya Ba’i Gzungs: being the Tibetan translation of the Ratnaketu Parivarta. Kyoto: Heirakuji-shoten, 1979.
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.
Narthang Catalog (bka’ ’gyur dkar chag ngo mtshar bkod pa rgya mtsho’i lde mig). Narthang Kangyur vol. 102 (dkar chag), folios 1.a–124.a.
Phangthangma (dkar chag ’phang thang ma). Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2003.
Translations and secondary literature:
Braarvig, Jens (1993). Akṣayamatinirdeśasūtra. Vol. 2, The Tradition of Imperishability in Buddhist Thought. Oslo: Solum Verlag, 1993.
———(1985). “Dhāraṇī and Pratibhāna: Memory and Eloquence of the Bodhisattvas.” The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 8, no. 1: 17–29. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1985.
Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Vienna: Verlag der österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.
Lamotte, Étienne. The Treatise of the Great Virtue of Wisdom of Nāgārjuna (Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra). Translated from the French by Karma Migme Chodron, 2001.
Mak, Bill M. “Ratnaketu-parivarta, Sūryagarbha-parivarta, and Candragarbha-parivarta of Mahāsannipātasūtra (MSN): Indian Jyotiṣa through the lens of Chinese Buddhist Canon.” Paper presented at the World Sanskrit Conference, New Delhi, January 8, 2012.
Miller, Adam T. “To Feel Like We Feel: Reading the Precious Banner Sūtra as Affective Regime.” PhD dissertation. University of Chicago, 2022.
———(2013). “The Buddha Said That Buddha Said So: A Translation and Analysis of ‘Pūrvayogaparivarta’ from the Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī Sūtra.” MA thesis. University of Missouri-Columbia, 2013.
Miller, Robert, et al., trans. The Chapter on Going Forth (Pravrajyāvastu, Toh 1-1). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018.
Negi, J. S. Bod skad daṅ Legs-sbyar gyi tshig mdzod chen mo. Tibetan-Sanskrit Dictionary. Sarnath: Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, 1993.
Skilling, Peter. “From bKa’ bstan bcos to bKa’ ’gyur and bsTan ’gyur.” In Transmission of the Tibetan Canon: Papers Presented at a Panel of the 7th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Graz 1995, edited by Helmut Eimer, 87–111. Vienna: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1997.
Ui, Hakuju. A catalogue-index of the Tibetan Buddhist canons (Bkaḥ-ḥgyur and Bstan-ḥgyur). Sendai: Tōhoku Imperial University, 1934.