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ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོ་ལ་དད་པ་རབ་ཏུ་སྒོམ་པ།

Cultivating Trust in the Great Vehicle
The Characteristics of Trust

Mahā­yāna­prasāda­prabhāvana
འཕགས་པ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོ་ལ་དད་པ་རབ་ཏུ་སྒོམ་པ་ཅེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
’phags pa theg pa chen po la dad pa rab tu sgom pa ces bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra “Cultivating Trust in the Great Vehicle”
Ārya­mahā­yāna­prasāda­prabhāvana­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra

Toh 144

Degé Kangyur, vol. 57 (mdo sde, pa), folios 6.b–34.a

ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛɪʙᴇᴛᴀɴ ʙʏ
  • Yeshé Dé
  • Jinamitra
  • Dānaśīla

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

First published 2020

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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
tr. The Translation
+ 5 chapters- 5 chapters
p. Prologue
1. The Characteristics of Trust
+ 11 sections- 11 sections
· 1. Clarity
· 2. Saturation
· 3. Qualities
· 4. Possession
· 5. The Basis
· 6. Transcendence
· 7. The Root
· 8. Protection
· 9. Connection
· 10. Continuity
· 11. Perfection
2. Developing Trust
+ 12 sections- 12 sections
· 1. Causes
· 2. A Companion
· 3. Examination
· 4. Behavior
· 5. Familiarity
· 6. Absence of Weariness
· 7. Fulfillment
· 8. Composure
· 9. Insatiability
· 10. Solitude
· 11. Determining That the Teacher Is Genuine
· The Ten Limitless Features
3. Classifications of Trust
4. The Benefits of Trust
5. Conclusion
c. Colophon
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

In Cultivating Trust in the Great Vehicle, the Buddha Śākyamuni gives a discourse on the nature of trust (dad pa, prasāda) according to the Great Vehicle. The teaching is requested by a bodhisattva known as Great Skillful Trust, who requests the Buddha to answer four questions concerning the nature of trust in the Great Vehicle: (1) What are the characteristics of trust? (2) How is trust developed? (3) What are the different types of trust? (4) What are the benefits of having trust? Over the course of the sūtra, the Buddha answers all four questions, each in a separate chapter.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the guidance of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The translation was produced by Andreas Doctor, who also wrote the introduction. Thomas Doctor, Catherine Dalton, and Ryan Damron subsequently compared the draft translation with the original Tibetan and edited it.

ac.­2

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.


i.

Introduction

i.­1

Cultivating Trust in the Great Vehicle unfolds at Vulture Peak Mountain, where the Buddha, surrounded by a great number of bodhisattvas from the human and nonhuman realms and many monks and limitless other beings, gives a discourse on the nature of trust in the Great Vehicle. The teaching is requested by a bodhisattva known as Great Skillful Trust, who requests the Buddha to answer four questions concerning the nature of trust in the Great Vehicle:


Text Body

The Translation
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra
Cultivating Trust in the Great Vehicle

p.

Prologue

[B1] [F.6.b]


p.­1

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.


p.­2

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in Rājagṛha at Vulture Peak Mountain together with a great bodhisattva saṅgha of bodhisattva great beings [F.7.a] who had gathered there from various buddha realms. Every one of them had conquered the demons and all adversaries. They were far removed from the fluctuations of the habitual tendencies of all disturbing emotions and subsidiary disturbing emotions. They had attained the level of great mastery where one can demonstrate birth into existence at will. They had attained the power that springs from giving away their bodies and abodes throughout limitless eons. They had realized the limitless workings of the demons along with all obstacles. They knew the conduct that is the means for achieving all the aims of all beings. They had obtained the great power that comes from knowing all types of liberation. They were skilled in refuting all the claims of non-Buddhists. They were skilled in attracting large crowds by means of their great miraculous emanations. Through cultivating the immense perfections, they had attained all the features of great practitioners. Like the sky, their minds were unstained by worldly phenomena.


1.
Chapter 1

The Characteristics of Trust

1.­1

Noble son, the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle has eleven characteristics. These characteristics are: (1) clarity, (2) saturation, (3) qualities, (4) possession, (5) the basis, (6) transcendence, (7) the root, (8) protection, (9) the connection, (10) continuity, and (11) perfection.”

1. Clarity

1.­2

Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, how is clarity a characteristic of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

The Blessed One replied, “In this regard, noble son, the characteristic of clarity refers to the absence of four kinds of stains. If you wonder what the four types of stains are, they are the stains of hostility, insecurity, aversion, and doubt.

1.­3

“Noble son, once bodhisattvas have attained trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle, it will be impossible for them to become hostile toward the Great Vehicle, nor can they avoid feeling conviction in the profound and vast teachings. It will also be impossible for them to feel fear or panic toward the profound and vast Dharma, nor can they be skeptical or doubtful in this regard.”

1.­4

Then the bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust inquired, “Blessed One, how does a novice [F.8.b] bodhisattva, who is on the level of devoted engagement and knows the Dharma but has not yet gained understanding, relinquish doubt about the profound and vast Dharma of the Great Vehicle? How is such a bodhisattva freed from the stain of doubt?”

1.­5

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, bodhisattvas are not freed from the stain of doubt, or doubt regarding the profound and vast Dharma of the Great Vehicle through that knowledge which does not understand reality. However, due to their interest, which is kindled by other bodhisattvas, they are able to become free from the stain of doubt regarding the profound and vast Dharma of the Great Vehicle. In this way, novice bodhisattvas who are on the level of devoted engagement may consider the teachings of the profound and vast Dharma of the Great Vehicle to relate to the Thus-Gone One. In this way, they will think, ‘The Thus-Gone One imparted these teachings!’ and so they will feel devotion for the Thus-Gone One’s realization. In this way, they develop irreversible interest in the entire Dharma. Through the power of their interest that was kindled by other bodhisattvas, they will be without doubt, and thus freed from the stain of doubt regarding the profound and vast Dharma taught by the Thus-Gone One. This, noble son, is how you should view the characteristic of clarity concerning the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle.”

2. Saturation

1.­6

The bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, how is saturation a characteristic of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

1.­7

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, the characteristic of saturation refers to the body and the mind becoming saturated with feelings of happiness. This happiness and well-being in turn come from the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle. The happiness and well-being that are connected to the bodhisattvas’ trust satisfy body and mind. [F.9.a] In that way, they differ from the happiness and well-being that arise from the sense pleasures of those who revel in desire. The happiness and well-being experienced by beings who live in the form and formless realms similarly do not satisfy their bodies and minds. Why is that so? Their happiness and well-being do not bring peace.

1.­8

“Why do they not bring peace? The happiness and well-being that arise from sense pleasures and the happiness and well-being of those who revel in desire involve as much attachment and anger as pleasure. Therefore, they do not bring peace. They do not bring peace because they fluctuate. They do not bring genuine peace because of their tendency to doubt and question the truths. They do not bring genuine peace because they involve the limitless views that emerge as soon as one apprehends I and mine. They do not bring genuine peace because they are the root of mistaken subsidiary disturbing emotions, as well as distraction, excitement, dullness, carelessness, and shamelessness. They do not bring genuine peace because they are the root of the various karmic actions of the five types of beings. They do not bring genuine peace because they are subsumed within the truth of suffering and because they are fleeting.

1.­9

“Noble son, in this way, the physical and mental well-being that arise from the five sense pleasures do not bring genuine peace since they perpetuate the continuity of cause and effect related to the pollution of disturbing emotions, actions, and rebirth. Therefore, they do not satisfy the body or the mind. You should understand that it is not only the happiness and well-being that arise from the sense pleasures of those who revel in desire that do not bring genuine peace. Just so, in all these many ways, when those who live in the form and formless realms arise from the state of equilibrium, that does not bring genuine peace. Since these states of equilibrium provide no genuine peace, they satisfy neither body nor mind in the way that the Dharma-Vinaya of the noble ones does. [F.9.b]

1.­10

“On the other hand, the well-being that bodhisattvas feel when they have trust in the Great Vehicle is free from the disturbances of attachment or anger. It is free from any disturbances of elation and dejection. It is free from any disturbances caused by doubt and uncertainty with regard to the truths. It is free from any disturbances caused by the limitless views that emerge from apprehending I and mine. It is free from any disturbances caused by the mistaken subsidiary disturbing emotions, as well as distraction, excitement, dullness, carelessness, and shamelessness. It is free from any disturbances caused by performing the various actions of the five types of beings. It is free from any disturbances subsumed within the truth of suffering. In this way, since it is free from any disturbances within the sequence of cause and effect of the pollution of disturbing emotions, actions, and birth, it is genuinely peaceful. Since it is genuinely peaceful, it satisfies both the body and mind precisely in the way that the Dharma-Vinaya of the noble ones does. This, noble son, is the characteristic of saturation with respect to the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle.”

3. Qualities

1.­11

The bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, it is wonderful to hear about the characteristic of saturation with respect to the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle, as well as the meaning of physical and mental well-being!

1.­12

“Blessed One, I will apply myself to attaining that physical and mental well-being that arises from the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle. Blessed One, please tell me, what are the qualities with respect to the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle?”

1.­13

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, the bodhisattvas practice trust in the Great Vehicle with three qualities so that they can accomplish the Great Vehicle. [F.10.a] They are the quality of conviction, the quality of transformation, and the quality of delight.”

1.­14

Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, how does one adopt the quality of conviction concerning trust in the Great Vehicle that allows one to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

1.­15

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, a bodhisattva must first acknowledge the existence of the profound and vast Dharma teachings. Why? These teachings are the domain of the thus-gone ones, and they are what the thus-gone ones teach. Therefore, when the thus-gone ones fully awaken, that is not within the domain of logicians. In fact, when logicians hear these profound and vast teachings, they become alarmed, so how could they ever realize them? Therefore, these teachings are not within the domain of those who rely on logic. Just as with the awakening of the buddhas, so it is with the teachings they impart. Therefore, bodhisattvas must first develop trust through the quality of conviction and take interest in the profound and vast teachings of the blessed buddhas, as well as their result.”

1.­16

Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, how does the quality of transformation engender the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

1.­17

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, for bodhisattvas to develop the trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle, they must bring to mind all the profound and vast Dharma teachings and their numerous qualities. As they do so, they will undergo physical and mental transformations.”

1.­18

Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, what are the physical transformations that occur when bodhisattvas feel the trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

1.­19

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, [F.10.b] the physical transformations that occur when bodhisattvas feel the trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle are that the body hairs stand on end, that there is tingling, and that tears well up and flow from their eyes.”

1.­20

Great Skillful Trust replied, “Blessed One, what then are the mental transformations that arise when bodhisattvas feel the trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

1.­21

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, the mental transformation that occurs when bodhisattvas feel the trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle is the presence of a perfect and all-pervading well-being that emanates from the body.

“Noble son, this is how the quality of transformation engenders the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle.”

1.­22

Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, how does the quality of delight engender the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

1.­23

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, as for attaining the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle, you should think in this way: ‘In the past, limitless beings were born as humans and discovered the profound and vast Dharma due to their diligence and knowledge. In the future, other beings will likewise discover this. Even right now, limitless beings are taking birth as humans and discovering the profound and vast Dharma due to their diligence and knowledge. Now that I have also become a human and obtained these conditions, how could I let my diligence wane as I strive to attain this profound and vast Dharma?’ Thinking in this way, bodhisattvas should always and continuously develop trust in the profound and vast Dharma as it exists in all the many buddha realms. Doing so will make them truly delighted and inspired. Noble son, this is how the quality of delight engenders the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle.

1.­24

“This, noble son, is the characteristic of qualities, which engender the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle.”

4. Possession

1.­25

Great Skillful Trust asked, “Blessed One, [F.11.a] how is possession a characteristic of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

1.­26

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle arises when they possess limitless merit and wisdom. Why? Merit and wisdom are the basis for the welfare and benefit of all beings. Think of the worldly roots of virtue that lead to birth in a high caste, a beautiful appearance, birth in a wealthy family, a perceptive mind that is intelligent and aware, abundant living quarters and servants, long life, fame and power, birth in a family of rulers that is like a great sāla tree, birth in a family of brahmins that is like a great sāla tree, birth in a family of householders that is like a great sāla tree, birth in the family of the Four Great Kings, and birth in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Yāma Heaven, the Heaven of Joy, the Heaven of Delighting in Emanations, and the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations. These roots of virtue lead to birth as a universal monarch, a guardian of the world, Śakra, Māra, and Brahmā, and they also lead to birth in the realms from the concentrations of the form realm up to the realm of neither notion nor no notion at the peak of existence. However, these roots of virtue do not even constitute one percent of the roots of virtue that are embraced by merit and wisdom due to the trust in the Great Vehicle that allows one to accomplish the Great Vehicle. Nor do they measure one thousandth, or even one hundred thousandth of that. In fact, no number, fraction, enumeration, comparison, example, or illustration would suffice.

1.­27

“Why is that so? The reason is that all worldly roots of virtue are associated with the disturbances of attachment and anger. [F.11.b] They are associated with the disturbances of elation and dejection. They are related to the disturbance of harboring doubt and uncertainty with regard to the truths. They are related to the disturbance that involves the limitless views that emerge from apprehending I and mine. They are related to the disturbance that is comprised of the mistaken subsidiary disturbing emotions, as well as distraction, excitement, dullness, carelessness, and shamelessness. They are related to the disturbance that consists in performing the various actions of the five types of beings. They are related to disturbance because they are subsumed within the truth of suffering. Noble son, in this way all worldly roots of virtue are associated with the disturbances of the causal sequence of the pollution of disturbing emotions, actions, and birth, along with their effects.

1.­28

“On the other hand, the roots of virtue that are embraced by merit and wisdom due to their link with the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle are free from the disturbances of attachment and anger. They are free from the disturbances of elation and dejection. They are free from the disturbances of harboring doubts and uncertainty with regard to the truths. They are free from the disturbances of the limitless views that emerge by apprehending I and mine. They are free from the disturbances of the mistaken subsidiary disturbing emotions as well as distraction, excitement, dullness, carelessness, and shamelessness. They are free from the disturbances of performing the various actions of the five types of beings.

1.­29

“Noble son, in this way, the roots of virtue that are embraced by merit and wisdom due to their link with the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle are free from the disturbances that occur due to the causal sequence of the pollution of disturbing emotions, actions, and birth, along with their effects. [F.12.a] In this way, you should understand that they are superior to worldly roots of virtue.

1.­30

“Moreover, transcendent roots of virtue, which are obtained by observing the hearers’ and solitary buddhas’ discipline, absorption, knowledge, liberation, and liberated wisdom beyond learning, are surely not related to the disturbances of the causal sequence of pollution consisting of disturbing emotions, actions, and birth, along with their effects. However, since they exclusively produce personal benefits, their scope is lesser, and they are, moreover, exhausted within the realm of nirvāṇa free from residual aggregates.

1.­31

“The roots of virtue that are embraced by merit and wisdom due to their link with bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle are the source of benefit and happiness of all beings. In this way, as their objective is greater, they are not exhausted within the realm of nirvāṇa free from residual aggregates. Noble son, the roots of virtue that result from engaging with vast merit and wisdom while in possession of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle are therefore not only more exalted than worldly roots of virtue, they are also superior to transcendent roots of virtue. This, noble son, is the characteristic of possession with respect to the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle.”

1.­32

The bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, the roots of virtue that are embraced by merit and wisdom due to their link with the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle are of unsurpassed power!”

1.­33

The Blessed One said, “Noble son, yes, indeed. [F.12.b] As much as possible, bodhisattvas who strive for roots of virtue should apply themselves to possess such roots of virtue. These roots of virtue outshine all other roots of virtue, whether worldly or transcendent, and bestow all the splendors of the world. They accomplish the fruition and are even a necessary cause for that. In the end, they accomplish unexcelled and completely perfect awakening that is beyond exhaustion. Moreover, by means of the three vehicles, they allow limitless beings to leave all suffering behind and to find deliverance.”

5. The Basis

1.­34

The bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, how is the basis a characteristic of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

1.­35

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle is the basis for all beings. Why is that so? The teaching of the Great Vehicle is distinguished in terms of its skillful methods that benefit all beings and bring them happiness. When bodhisattvas notice that fact, they develop trust in the Great Vehicle. As the bodhisattvas trust the teaching, it causes them to joyfully follow that teaching. In this way, the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle becomes a basis for the benefit and happiness of all beings.

1.­36

“Noble son, when a bodhisattva great being gains trust in the Great Vehicle and begins to benefit all beings, it is unlike the assistance that parents, children, lovers, friends, and relatives show. Why is that so? Friends and relatives, such as one’s parents, mistake what actually harms their loved ones for being something beneficial, while that which is actually helpful is thought to be harmful. Similarly, they mistake the unpleasant for the pleasant and the pleasant for the unpleasant. In this way, they misunderstand what brings benefit and happiness, thinking that the harmful is helpful and the helpful is harmful. [F.13.a] Similarly, they think that misery is happiness and happiness is misery.

1.­37

“The bodhisattvas, however, rely on their trust in the Great Vehicle and teach the sacred Dharma to all beings, who are like their relatives. In that way, since they perceive clearly what is helpful and harmful, they are able to help everyone. Likewise, they know precisely what happiness and suffering are. Since they know about welfare and happiness without any error, they can achieve what is beneficial, avoid all that is harmful, accomplish what brings happiness, and avoid all that causes suffering. Therefore, trust in the Great Vehicle of the bodhisattvas is the basis for the benefit and happiness of all beings, and as such it is more exalted than anything else in the world.

1.­38

“Noble son, not only is it more exalted than all worldly things, it is also more exalted than anything that is beyond the world. Why? Although the hearers and solitary buddhas do emulate the bodhisattvas and benefit others, they do not personally feel compassion, nor do they assist on a vast scale. On the other hand, the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle benefits others on a vast scale due to their personal compassion. It performs limitless difficult deeds without any hesitation. Therefore, the basis for the bodhisattvas’ assistance is superior to the basis from which both supramundane and mundane beings give assistance. [F.13.b] This, noble son, is the characteristic of the basis with respect to the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle.”

6. Transcendence

1.­39

The bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, how is transcendence a characteristic of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

1.­40

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle causes beings in the lower realms to transcend all states of hell, the animal realm, and the hungry spirit realm.”

1.­41

The bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, how can this trust take a novice bodhisattva, who has entered the level of devoted engagement but is still far from the bodhisattva levels, beyond all lower realms?”

1.­42

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, one should understand that it is not only those who dwell on the bodhisattva levels for the sake of the Great Vehicle who are freed from the lower realms and obtain successive rebirths in the higher realms due to their trust in the Great Vehicle. Rather, those who have not yet attained these are freed from the lower realms due to their trust in the Great Vehicle. Noble son, bodhisattvas who have attained such trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle will continuously meet with buddhas and bodhisattvas in all their future lives. Therefore, bodhisattvas who apply themselves to listening to the Dharma and correctly reflecting on it will always take birth in circumstances where they can perfect the accumulations for awakening. [F.14.a] Noble son, since bodhisattvas transcend the higher realms by means of this teaching, what need is there to speak of the lower realms?”

1.­43

The bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, please explain that. We speak of bodhisattvas going beyond the lower realms, but should we not speak of them going beyond the higher realms?”

1.­44

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, bodhisattvas who have attained trust in the Great Vehicle are certainly freed from the lower realms. In this way, bodhisattvas who have attained trust in the Great Vehicle will gradually go beyond those births that are caused by karma and disturbing emotions, those births that are dictated by karma alone, and those births that serve only a lesser purpose for beings. Nevertheless, noble son, through this teaching, a bodhisattva understands that the higher realms are in fact the lower realms, while the lower realms are understood to be the higher realms. Why? Noble son, when a bodhisattva who lacks autonomy is born into the higher realms with little scope for serving beings, these should then be considered to be the lower realms. On the other hand, through the power of aspiration and motivated by their great compassion and the wish to guide beings, bodhisattvas may take birth among hell beings, animals, and hungry spirits. When that happens, these should then be considered to be higher realms.”

1.­45

The bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, please tell me, when bodhisattvas are born among hell beings, animals, and hungry spirits through the power of aspiration, do they experience suffering or delusion?”

1.­46

The Blessed One replied, “No, noble son, they do not. You should not see it in that way. Bodhisattvas who are born in the lower realms through the power of aspiration have surpassed the happiness of the four states of concentration, and so they abide joyfully. They are far beyond any worldly knowledge [F.14.b] and even the lesser transcendent knowledge. As such, they have entered the stream of the highest knowledge. Therefore, you should understand that they are striving for the well-being of beings. This is why I have said that if the stream of actions of a being is inconceivable, what need is there to consider that of a bodhisattva? This, noble son, is the characteristic of transcendence with respect to the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle.”

7. The Root

1.­47

The bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, how is the root a characteristic of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

1.­48

The Blessed One said, “Noble son, trust in the Great Vehicle of the bodhisattvas is the seed of all of the limitless qualities of the Buddha. It should also be understood as being the root of all the limitless qualities of a buddha. Why is that so? All the limitless qualities of the Buddha are found within and brought forth from the Great Vehicle. The bodhisattvas who have attained trust in the Great Vehicle hear them and apprehend them, and, as they observe the teachings in this way, their trust increases. In this regard all the bodhisattvas’ observations that produce faith contain seeds, and there are as many seeds as there are those observations. Therefore, the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle is said to be the root of all the limitless qualities of the Buddha. This, noble son, is the characteristic of the root with respect to the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle.”

8. Protection

1.­49

The bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, how is protection a characteristic of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

1.­50

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, when bodhisattvas have the trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle, they are protected because they abandon miserliness and no longer perpetuate it. [F.15.a] They are protected because they abandon bad behavior and no longer perpetuate it. They are protected because they abandon anger and no longer perpetuate it. They are protected because they abandon laziness and no longer perpetuate it. They are protected because they abandon distraction and no longer perpetuate it. They are protected because they abandon misguided intelligence and no longer perpetuate it. Therefore, their minds are thoroughly guarded and protected against all disturbing emotions, subsidiary disturbing emotions, and the agitations of adversaries.

1.­51

“Noble son, consider this analogy. A man dons strong armor in order to protect his body from getting wounded. Since he is protected by this armor, no enemy can harm him. Noble son, similarly, one may don the armor of the awakened mind that trusts the Great Vehicle so that one may accomplish the Great Vehicle. Thereby one is well protected and well equipped, so that no adversarial disturbing emotions, subsidiary disturbing emotions, or obscurations may inflict any harm. This, noble son, is the characteristic of protection with respect to the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle.”

9. Connection

1.­52

The bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, how is connection a characteristic of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

1.­53

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, when one is habituated to the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle so that one may accomplish the Great Vehicle, one will always follow the bodhisattvas’ way of life. Whether one walks or sits, lies down or stands up, sleeps or is awake, or is drunk or crazy, one will always maintain this trust in the Great Vehicle. Later, in other lifetimes, although the bodhisattvas may have forgotten their trust in the Great Vehicle, they will not give rise to any inferior or inappropriate attitudes. [F.15.b] Therefore, even if they were to associate with negative spiritual friends, such as the hearers and solitary buddhas, they would not get carried away. That being the case, how could any non-Buddhist views lead them astray? At that time, with just a few favorable conditions for developing the trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle, they will swiftly, forcefully, and steadily regain trust in the Great Vehicle. Their habitual tendency to trust the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle will only increase in future lives until they attain unsurpassed and completely perfect awakening. This, noble son, is the characteristic of connection with respect to the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle.”

10. Continuity

1.­54

The bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, how is continuity a characteristic of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

1.­55

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, when one attains the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle, the force of that trust inspires one to read, hear, recite, chant, and teach the Dharma of the Great Vehicle. One will also contemplate the Dharma and meditate on it. Noble son, bodhisattvas who apply themselves to hearing, contemplating, and meditating on the Dharma in this way will reap its fruits. As they apply themselves in this way while motivated by the approaching time of death, they attain a continuous trust in the Great Vehicle. This, noble son, is the characteristic of continuity with respect to the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle.”

11. Perfection

1.­56

The bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, how is perfection a characteristic of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

1.­57

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, the characteristic of perfection with respect to the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle is fourfold and refers to [F.16.a] perfect origin, perfect boundlessness, perfect benefit, and perfect freedom from regret.

1.­58

“Noble son, this differs from the trust that worldly non-Buddhists have in their own systems of learning, which is also a form of trust. The trust that the hearers and solitary buddhas have in their teachings is primarily for their own benefit, and it is therefore a lesser, imperfect type of trust that lacks the characteristics of the bodhisattvas’ trust.

1.­59

“The hearers will say, ‘The Blessed One has been good to me and taken care of me. The Blessed One has relieved me of so many of my troubles. The Blessed One has done so much good for me. The Blessed One has uprooted so many of my wrongdoings and nonvirtues. The Blessed One has fostered so much virtue in me.’ In this way, they develop trust in the Buddha primarily because he brings them so much benefit.7

1.­60

“Bodhisattvas, however, do not develop trust in this manner. They develop trust in the Buddha because he primarily brings benefit and happiness to all beings. Therefore, in terms of its rank, the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle is broader in scope. Being broader in scope, it is superior. And because it is superior, it is perfect.

1.­61

“Moreover, even a slight amount of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle will produce a medium degree of trust, and this medium degree of trust in turn develops into superior trust. Superior trust refers to the perfected form of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle.

1.­62

“Moreover, as the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle benefits all beings, it is perfect. Additionally, [F.16.b] the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle is perfect since it accomplishes all the boundless and inexhaustible qualities of the Buddha. This, noble son, is the characteristic of perfection with respect to the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle.

1.­63

“This, noble son, concludes the summary of all eleven characteristics of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle.”

1.­64

This concludes the first chapter on the various characteristics.


2.
Chapter 2

Developing Trust

2.­1

Then, the bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, how does one develop the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

2.­2

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, there are eleven aspects to developing the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle. Such trust develops based on (1) causes, (2) a companion, (3) examination, (4) behavior, (5) familiarity, (6) absence of weariness, (7) fulfillment, (8) composure, (9) insatiability, (10) solitude, and (11) determining that the teacher is genuine.”

1. Causes

2. A Companion

3. Examination

4. Behavior

5. Familiarity

6. Absence of Weariness

7. Fulfillment

8. Composure

9. Insatiability

10. Solitude

11. Determining That the Teacher Is Genuine

The Ten Limitless Features


3.
Chapter 3

Classifications of Trust

3.­1

Then the bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, what are the different aspects of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allow them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

3.­2

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, there are four aspects of the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle. If you wonder what they are, they are as follows: (1) the trust that comes from resting, (2) the trust that arises upon birth, (3) the trust that emerges at another time, and (4) the trust that appears naturally.


4.
Chapter 4

The Benefits of Trust

4.­1

At this point, the bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said, “Blessed One, what are the benefits of possessing the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle?”

4.­2

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, there are limitless benefits of having the bodhisattvas’ trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle. However, I shall indicate only a fraction of them here.


5.

Conclusion

5.­1

Then, the bodhisattva Great Skillful Trust said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, it is wonderful that, for those novice bodhisattvas who are engaged in inspired conduct, you have taught the perfect characteristics of the trust in the Great Vehicle along with the perfect ways that trust is developed, the perfect classifications of trust, and now also the perfect benefits. Blessed One, if one contemplates and practices based on these teachings, then the perfect, exalted, and limitless qualities of other bodhisattvas will also become apparent.”


c.

Colophon

c.­1

It was clarified, written down, and finalized by the Indian preceptors Jinamitra and Dānaśīla, the translator-editor Bandé Yeshé Dé, and others.


n.

Notes

n.­1
For an English translation, see Asaṅga (2001), pp. 190–92.
n.­2
On Butön’s claim, see below n.­3. A search for plausible variants of the sūtra title in the Kangyur and Tengyur collections resulted in only a single quotation (using the modified title dad pa rab tu bsgom pa’i mdo): Dharmamitra quotes the work in his Abhisamayālaṃkāra­kārikā­prajñā­pāramitopadeśa­śāstra­ṭīkā D 3796: vol. 87, folios 96.a7–96.b1.
n.­3
The only mention of this sūtra in English that we are aware of is a brief discussion found in Skilling (2000), pp. 323–24. Here, Skilling also mentions that “Kazunobu Matsuda has written (in Japanese) about the sūtra with reference to the Abhidharma­samuccaya and Vyākhyāyukti in his ‘On the two unknown Sūtras adopted by the Yogācāra School, based on a passage found in the writings of Bu ston and Blo gros rgyal mtshan,’ in Zuihō Yamaguchi (ed.): Buddhism and Society in Tibet, Tokyo 1986, pp. 269–89.” Unfortunately, we have been unable to consult Matsuda’s article for our work on this translation.
n.­4
Denkarma, 298.a.4. See also Herrmann-Pfandt (2008), pp. 75–76.
n.­5
Phangthangma (2003), p. 11.
n.­6
The phrase “trust in the Great Vehicle that allows them to accomplish the Great Vehicle,” which occurs repeatedly in this text, translates the Tibetan theg pa chen po’i phyir theg pa chen po la dad pa. This is a rather obscure expression that is difficult to understand conclusively without Sanskrit attestation. Therefore, our rendering of this phrase should be seen as somewhat tentative. The key term to understanding this phrase is the Tibetan term phyir, which typically means “because of,” “on account of,” or “for the sake of.” We have here understood this term to indicate that trust in the Great Vehicle is the factor that enables bodhisattvas to become successful in its practices. Significantly, in support of this interpretation, we also find a single occurrence in the Degé block print (folio 9.b.7) where the term phyir is replaced by slad du. This helps us narrow down the meaning as slad du has a narrower semantic range that normally is translated “for the sake of” or “on account of.” In this way we have arrived at our somewhat interpretive translation, which we nevertheless believe carries the intended meaning of this odd phrase.
n.­7
We have edited the text here to exclude what appears to be an instance of dittography. We have omitted the second occurrence of the line bdag la phan pa gtso bor byed pas sangs rgyas la dad pa skyed.
n.­8
A similar, though not identical, list of twenty-eight wrong views that bodhisattvas may fall into is found in the Abhidharma­samuccaya (Asaṅga 2001). See also the introduction.

b.

Bibliography

’phags pa theg pa chen po la dad pa rab tu sgom pa ces bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya­mahā­yāna­prasāda­prabhāvana­nāma­mahā­yāna­sūtra). Toh 144, Degé Kangyur vol. 57 (mdo sde, pa), folios 6.b–34.a.

’phags pa theg pa chen po la dad pa rab tu sgom pa ces 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), 2006–2009, vol. 57, pp. 20–85.

’phags pa theg pa chen po la dad pa rab tu sgom pa ces bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. Stok no. 228, Stok Palace Kangyur vol. 74 (mdo sde, ’a), folios 58.b–98.a.

dkar chag ’phang thang ma. Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2003.

Asaṅga. Abhidharmasamuccaya: The Compendium of the Higher Teaching (Philosophy). Translated by Walpola Rahula and Sara Boin-Webb. Fremont, CA: Asian Humanities Press, 2001.

Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan [/ lhan] dkar gyi chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag). Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.

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

Skilling, Peter. “Vasubandhu and the Vyākhyāyukti Literature.” Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 23, no. 2 (2000): 297–350.


g.

Glossary

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

AS

Attested in source text

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

AO

Attested in other text

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

AD

Attested in dictionary

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

AA

Approximate attestation

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

RP

Reconstruction from Tibetan phonetic rendering

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

RS

Reconstruction from Tibetan semantic rendering

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

SU

Source unspecified

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

g.­1

absence of characteristics

Wylie:
  • mtshan ma med pa
Tibetan:
  • མཚན་མ་མེད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • animitta

One of the three gateways to liberation along with emptiness and absence of wishes.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­24
  • 2.­64
  • 5.­7
  • g.­2
  • g.­15
g.­2

absence of wishes

Wylie:
  • smon pa med pa
Tibetan:
  • སྨོན་པ་མེད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • apraṇihita

One of the three gateways to liberation along with emptiness and absence of characteristics.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­24
  • 5.­7
  • g.­1
  • g.­15
g.­3

Acting with Trust

Wylie:
  • dad pas rab du ’jug pa
Tibetan:
  • དད་པས་རབ་དུ་འཇུག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A bodhisattva in the Buddha’s retinue.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • p.­3
g.­4

aggregates

Wylie:
  • phung po
Tibetan:
  • ཕུང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • skandha

The fivefold basic grouping of the components out of which the world and the personal self are formed.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­30-31
  • 5.­11
  • g.­66
g.­8

Brahmā

Wylie:
  • tshangs pa
Tibetan:
  • ཚངས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • brahmā

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A high-ranking deity presiding over a divine world; he is also considered to be the lord of the Sahā world (our universe). Though not considered a creator god in Buddhism, Brahmā occupies an important place as one of two gods (the other being Indra/Śakra) said to have first exhorted the Buddha Śākyamuni to teach the Dharma. The particular heavens found in the form realm over which Brahmā rules are often some of the most sought-after realms of higher rebirth in Buddhist literature. Since there are many universes or world systems, there are also multiple Brahmās presiding over them. His most frequent epithets are “Lord of the Sahā World” (sahāṃpati) and Great Brahmā (mahābrahman).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­26
g.­10

concentration

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

One of the six perfections.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­26
  • 2.­5
  • 4.­18
  • 5.­5
  • g.­52
g.­13

diligence

Wylie:
  • brtson ’grus
Tibetan:
  • བརྩོན་འགྲུས།
Sanskrit:
  • vīrya

One of the six perfections.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­23
  • 2.­5
  • 4.­17
  • g.­52
g.­14

discipline

Wylie:
  • tshul khrims
Tibetan:
  • ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས།
Sanskrit:
  • śīla

One of the six perfections.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­30
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­7
  • 4.­15
  • 5.­5
  • g.­52
g.­19

five types of beings

Wylie:
  • ’gro ba lnga
Tibetan:
  • འགྲོ་བ་ལྔ།
Sanskrit:
  • pañcagati

These comprise the gods and humans of the higher realms within saṃsāra, along with the animals, hungry spirits, and hell beings of the lower realms.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­8
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­27-28
g.­20

Four Great Kings

Wylie:
  • rgyal po chen po bzhi
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་པོ་ཆེན་པོ་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • caturmahārāja

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Four gods who live on the lower slopes (fourth level) of Mount Meru in the eponymous Heaven of the Four Great Kings (Cāturmahā­rājika, rgyal chen bzhi’i ris) and guard the four cardinal directions. Each is the leader of a nonhuman class of beings living in his realm. They are Dhṛtarāṣṭra, ruling the gandharvas in the east; Virūḍhaka, ruling over the kumbhāṇḍas in the south; Virūpākṣa, ruling the nāgas in the west; and Vaiśravaṇa (also known as Kubera) ruling the yakṣas in the north. Also referred to as Guardians of the World or World Protectors (lokapāla, ’jig rten skyong ba).

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­26
  • g.­27
g.­21

four states of concentration

Wylie:
  • bsam gtan bzhi
Tibetan:
  • བསམ་གཏན་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • caturdhyāna

The four levels of meditative absorption of form realm beings.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­46
g.­23

gandharva

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • p.­3
  • 5.­7
  • 5.­15
  • g.­20
g.­25

generosity

Wylie:
  • sbyin pa
Tibetan:
  • སྦྱིན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • dāna

One of the six perfections.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­5
  • 4.­14
  • g.­52
g.­27

Great King

Wylie:
  • rgyal po chen po
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་པོ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahārāja

See “Four Great Kings.”

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • g.­23
  • g.­69
g.­28

Great Skillful Trust

Wylie:
  • dad pa thabs chen
Tibetan:
  • དད་པ་ཐབས་ཆེན།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A bodhisattva in the Buddha’s retinue.

Located in 48 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1
  • i.­3
  • p.­3
  • p.­5
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­6
  • 1.­11
  • 1.­14
  • 1.­16
  • 1.­18
  • 1.­20
  • 1.­22
  • 1.­25
  • 1.­32
  • 1.­34
  • 1.­39
  • 1.­41
  • 1.­43
  • 1.­45
  • 1.­47
  • 1.­49
  • 1.­52
  • 1.­54
  • 1.­56
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­8
  • 2.­39
  • 2.­41
  • 2.­43
  • 2.­45
  • 2.­47
  • 2.­49
  • 2.­51
  • 2.­54
  • 2.­56
  • 2.­58
  • 2.­61
  • 3.­1
  • 4.­1
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­3-5
  • 5.­7
g.­30

Heaven of Delighting in Emanations

Wylie:
  • ’phrul dga’
Tibetan:
  • འཕྲུལ་དགའ།
Sanskrit:
  • nirmāṇarati

The fifth of the six heavens of the desire realm.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­26
g.­31

Heaven of Joy

Wylie:
  • dga’ ldan
Tibetan:
  • དགའ་ལྡན།
Sanskrit:
  • tuṣita

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Tuṣita (or sometimes Saṃtuṣita), literally “Joyous” or “Contented,” is one of the six heavens of the desire realm (kāmadhātu). In standard classifications, such as the one in the Abhidharmakośa, it is ranked as the fourth of the six counting from below. This god realm is where all future buddhas are said to dwell before taking on their final rebirth prior to awakening. There, the Buddha Śākyamuni lived his preceding life as the bodhisattva Śvetaketu. When departing to take birth in this world, he appointed the bodhisattva Maitreya, who will be the next buddha of this eon, as his Dharma regent in Tuṣita. For an account of the Buddha’s previous life in Tuṣita, see The Play in Full (Toh 95), 2.12, and for an account of Maitreya’s birth in Tuṣita and a description of this realm, see The Sūtra on Maitreya’s Birth in the Heaven of Joy, (Toh 199).

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­26
  • 4.­50
g.­32

Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations

Wylie:
  • gzhan ’phrul dbang byed pa
Tibetan:
  • གཞན་འཕྲུལ་དབང་བྱེད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • paranirmitavaśavartin

The sixth and highest of the six heavens of the desire realm.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­26
g.­33

Heaven of the Thirty-Three

Wylie:
  • sum cu rtsa gsum
Tibetan:
  • སུམ་ཅུ་རྩ་གསུམ།
Sanskrit:
  • trāyastriṃśa

The second heaven of the desire realm located above Mount Meru and reigned over by Indra and thirty-two other gods.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­26
  • 4.­48
  • g.­56
g.­35

hungry spirit

Wylie:
  • yi dags
Tibetan:
  • ཡི་དགས།
Sanskrit:
  • preta

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the five or six classes of sentient beings, into which beings are born as the karmic fruition of past miserliness. As the term in Sanskrit means “the departed,” they are analogous to the ancestral spirits of Vedic tradition, the pitṛs, who starve without the offerings of descendants. It is also commonly translated as “hungry ghost” or “starving spirit,” as in the Chinese 餓鬼 e gui.

They are sometimes said to reside in the realm of Yama, but are also frequently described as roaming charnel grounds and other inhospitable or frightening places along with piśācas and other such beings. They are particularly known to suffer from great hunger and thirst and the inability to acquire sustenance.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­40
  • 1.­44-45
  • g.­19
g.­42

knowledge

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

One of the six perfections.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­30
  • 1.­46
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­52
  • 4.­19
  • g.­52
g.­44

level of devoted engagement

Wylie:
  • mos pa spyod pa’i sa
Tibetan:
  • མོས་པ་སྤྱོད་པའི་ས།
Sanskrit:
  • adhimukticaryābhūmi

An early stage in a bodhisattva’s career during which they have developed a degree of conviction that is not yet informed by direct experience. The level of devoted engagement is said to comprise the first two of the five paths, those of accumulation and preparation, which lead up to the path of seeing. This level is also presented as the second of seven spiritual levels in the Bodhisattvabhūmi, which follows the initial level of the spiritual potential (gotrabhūmi).

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­3
  • p.­4
  • 1.­4-5
  • 1.­41
g.­48

Māra

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

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

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­26
g.­49

nāga

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • p.­3
  • 5.­7
  • g.­20
  • g.­24
g.­50

patience

Wylie:
  • bzod pa
Tibetan:
  • བཟོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • kṣānti

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A term meaning acceptance, forbearance, or patience. As the third of the six perfections, patience is classified into three kinds: the capacity to tolerate abuse from sentient beings, to tolerate the hardships of the path to buddhahood, and to tolerate the profound nature of reality. As a term referring to a bodhisattva’s realization, dharmakṣānti (chos la bzod pa) can refer to the ways one becomes “receptive” to the nature of Dharma, and it can be an abbreviation of anutpattikadharmakṣānti, “forbearance for the unborn nature, or nonproduction, of dharmas.”

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­4-5
  • 4.­16
  • g.­52
g.­51

peak of existence

Wylie:
  • srid pa’i rtse mo
Tibetan:
  • སྲིད་པའི་རྩེ་མོ།
Sanskrit:
  • bhavāgra

Refers to the realm of neither notion nor no notion, since it is the highest level in saṃsāra.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­26
g.­52

perfection

Wylie:
  • pha rol tu phyin pa
Tibetan:
  • ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • pāramitā

The trainings of the bodhisattvas, typically understood as the six trainings in generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and knowledge.

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • p.­2
  • 3.­12
  • 4.­14-19
  • g.­10
  • g.­13
  • g.­14
  • g.­25
  • g.­42
  • g.­50
g.­53

Rājagṛha

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • p.­2
  • 4.­48-50
  • g.­68
g.­54

realm of neither notion nor no notion

Wylie:
  • ’du shes med ’du shes med min
Tibetan:
  • འདུ་ཤེས་མེད་འདུ་ཤེས་མེད་མིན།
Sanskrit:
  • naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñā

The highest of the four formless realms, so termed because conceptions there are weak but not entirely absent.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­26
  • g.­51
g.­56

Śakra

Wylie:
  • brgya byin
Tibetan:
  • བརྒྱ་བྱིན།
Sanskrit:
  • śakra

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The lord of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (trāyastriṃśa). Alternatively known as Indra, the deity that is called “lord of the gods” dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. The Tibetan translation brgya byin (meaning “one hundred sacrifices”) is based on an etymology that śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu, one who has performed a hundred sacrifices. Each world with a central Sumeru has a Śakra. Also known by other names such as Kauśika, Devendra, and Śacipati.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­26
g.­68

Vulture Peak Mountain

Wylie:
  • bya rgod kyi phung po’i ri
Tibetan:
  • བྱ་རྒོད་ཀྱི་ཕུང་པོའི་རི།
Sanskrit:
  • gṛdhrakūṭaparvata

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The Gṛdhra­kūṭa, literally Vulture Peak, was a hill located in the kingdom of Magadha, in the vicinity of the ancient city of Rājagṛha (modern-day Rajgir, in the state of Bihar, India), where the Buddha bestowed many sūtras, especially the Great Vehicle teachings, such as the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras. It continues to be a sacred pilgrimage site for Buddhists to this day.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­1
  • p.­2
g.­69

yakṣa

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

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

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • p.­3
  • 5.­7
  • g.­20
g.­70

Yāma Heaven

Wylie:
  • mtshe ma
Tibetan:
  • མཚེ་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • yāma

The third of the six heavens of the desire realm. Also known as the Heaven Free from Strife (Tib. ’thab bral).

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­26
  • 4.­49
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    The cultivation of generosity, or dāna—giving voluntarily with a view that something wholesome will come of it—is considered to be a fundamental Buddhist practice by all schools. The nature and quantity of the gift itself is often considered less important.

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    84000. Cultivating Trust in the Great Vehicle (Mahā­yāna­prasāda­prabhāvana, theg pa chen po la dad pa rab tu sgom pa, Toh 144). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023. https://84000.co/translation/toh144/UT22084-057-003-chapter-1.Copy
    84000. Cultivating Trust in the Great Vehicle (Mahā­yāna­prasāda­prabhāvana, theg pa chen po la dad pa rab tu sgom pa, Toh 144). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee, online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023, 84000.co/translation/toh144/UT22084-057-003-chapter-1.Copy
    84000. (2023) Cultivating Trust in the Great Vehicle (Mahā­yāna­prasāda­prabhāvana, theg pa chen po la dad pa rab tu sgom pa, Toh 144). (Dharmachakra Translation Committee, Trans.). Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. https://84000.co/translation/toh144/UT22084-057-003-chapter-1.Copy

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