co.

Table of Contents

s.

Summary

s.­1

The Teaching on the Great Compassion of the Tathāgata opens with the Buddha presiding over a large congregation of disciples at Vulture Peak. Entering a special state of meditative absorption, he magically displays a pavilion in the sky, attracting a vast audience of divine and human Dharma followers. At the request of the bodhisattva Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja, the Buddha gives a discourse on the qualities of bodhisattvas, which are specified as bodhisattva ornaments, illuminations, compassion, and activities. He also teaches about the compassionate awakening of tathāgatas and the scope of a tathāgata’s activities. At the request of a bodhisattva named Siṃhaketu, Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja then gives a discourse on eight dhāraṇīs, following which the Buddha explains the sources and functions of a dhāraṇī known as the jewel lamp. As the text concludes, various deities and Dharma protectors praise the sūtra’s qualities and vow to preserve and protect it in the future, and the Buddha entrusts the sūtra and its propagation to Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja. The sūtra is a particularly rich source of detail on the qualities of bodhisattvas and buddhas.

ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

This sūtra was translated by Anne Burchardi, with Dr. Ulrich Pagel acting as consultant. Tulku Dakpa Rinpoche, Jens Braarvig, and Tom Tillemans provided help and advice, and Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche provided inspiration. Anne Burchardi introduced the text, the translation and introduction were edited by the 84000 editorial team.


We gratefully acknowledge the generous sponsorship of May and George Gu, made in memory of Frank ST Gu. Their support has helped make the work on this translation possible.

Text Body

The Translation
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra
The Teaching on the Great Compassion of the Tathāgata
c.

Colophon

c.­1

This text was translated and edited by the Indian preceptor Śīlendrabodhi and the principal editor-translator, Bandé Yeshé Dé. It was reviewed and finalized in accordance with the new language reforms.

n.

Notes

n.­1
This text is known by two different Sanskrit titles: Tathāgata­mahā­karuṇā­nirdeśa (The Teaching on the Great Compassion of the Tathāgata) and Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja­sūtra (The Dhāraṇīśvararāja Sūtra).
n.­2
See Ye 2021.
n.­3
Taishō 398 is Da ai jing (大哀經), and the overall title of Taishō 397 is Dafangdeng da ji jing (大方等大集經). The version of the sūtra in the latter appears to be the version referenced in the Ratnagotra­vibhāgavyākhyā. A Japanese translation of Taishō 397 was published in 1934.
n.­4
Denkarma, folio 297.a.6. See also Herrmann-Pfandt (2008), pp. 56–57, no. 99.
n.­5
Phangthangma, p. 8.
n.­6
For information on the sections and the discourses of the sūtra see Pagel (2007b), pp. 92–96.
n.­7
In addition to the best known references mentioned below, the sūtra is cited in the Madhyamakāvatāra (Toh 3861, see La Vallée Poussin 1907–12, p. 426) and in the Sūtrasamuccaya (see Pāsādika 1989, 30.6–32.7, 129.1–130.14).
n.­8
The Ratnagotra­vibhāga (Toh 4024), also known from the other part of its title as the Mahā­yānottara­tantra­śāstra, theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma, and the Ratnagotra­vibhāgavyākhyā (Toh 4025) are to be found as Tibetan translations in the Tengyur. Tibetan translations of this text and its commentary were widely studied in Tibet, and the Ratnagotra­vibhāga still figures prominently in the curriculum of many Tibetan Buddhist monastic universities in exile, where it continues to be regarded as locus classicus for the study of buddha nature.
n.­9
A recent English translation of the Ratnagotra­vibhāga, with the citation mentioned here as verse I.2, can be seen on the Tsadra Foundation’s Buddha-Nature site. As noted above in n.­1, mentions and citations in the Ratnagotra­vibhāga and most of its commentaries refer to the Mahā­karuṇā­nirdeśa by its alternative titles Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja­sūtra (The Sūtra of Dhāraṇīśvararāja, Tib. gzungs kyi rgyal po’i mdo or gzungs kyi dbang phyug rgyal po’i mdo), or Dhāraṇīśvara­rāja­paripṛcchā (The Questions of Dhāraṇīśvararāja, Tib. dbang phyug rgyal pos zhus pa).
n.­10
On the seven vajra topics see also Johnston (1950), 3.15–17; Takasaki (1966), pp. 32, 146 et passim; and Pagel (2007b).
n.­11
That is, neither Tib. de bzhin gshegs pa’i snying po (Skt. tathāgatagarbha) nor the near-equivalent Tib. bde bar gshegs pa’i snying po (Skt. *sugatagarbha) occur here. It is worth noting, however, that the related term “unbroken lineage of the Three Jewels” (Tib. dkon mchog gsum gyi rigs rgyun, Skt. *ratna­trayagotra­tantra) occurs several times in the sūtra. An abbreviated version, “potential of the Three Jewels” (Skt. ratna­trayagotra), is found in the Ratnagotra­vibhāgavyākhyā, 25.8–10. Note also that the term “potential of the Jewels” (Skt. ratnagotra) is contained in the title of the Ratnagotra­vibhāga. These are closely related to the term “lineage of the Three Jewels” (Skt. triratna­vaṃśa), which is also found in Ratnagotra­vibhāgavyākhyā, 24.16–17. Both ratna­trayagotra and triratna­vaṃśa occur in the Ratnagotra­vibhāgavyākhyā in the section on buddha activity, which follows the famous analogy of the cleansing of the beryl gem.
n.­12
See Stearns (1999), p. 178, note 12.
n.­13
See Hookham (1991), p. 267.
n.­14
The Ratnagotra­vibhāgavyākhyā cites the cleansing of the gem (see Obermiller (1931), pp. 249–50, 119–20; Takasaki (1966), pp. 150–52) as well as the brief section that follows it describing tathāgata activity (see Obermiller (1931), pp. 283–84, 153–54 and Takasaki (1966), pp. 192–94).
n.­15
See Buddhavacana Translation Group, trans., Unraveling the Intent, Toh 106 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha).
n.­16
See Powers (1995), p. 141.
n.­17
See, e.g., Burchardi (2006) for a provisional list of these commentaries.
n.­18
See Brunnhölzl (2014).
n.­19
See Mathes (2003 and 2008).
n.­20
See Jens Braarvig and David Welsh, University of Oslo, trans. The Teaching of Akṣayamati, Toh 175 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha).
n.­21
See Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans. The Ornament of the Light of Awareness that Enters the Domain of All Buddhas, Toh 100 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2015), and for an example of the parallels between these texts see n.­38 On the recent research mentioned here, see Pagel (1994 and 1995) and Pagel and Braarvig (2006). Nakamura (1953), Ui (1959), and Takasaki (1974) had already noted the textual parallels between these four sūtras. Takasaki had proposed that the Akṣayamati­nirdeśa (The Teaching of Akṣayamati, Toh 175) and this sūtra “produced the raw material for the Bodhisattva­piṭaka.” Twenty years later, however, Pagel found little to support this proposition. The direction of intertextual borrowing has still to be clarified, and the textual parallels may instead point to a common pre-canonical source, as suggested by Braarvig (1993).
n.­22
See Pagel (2007a), pp. 168–69, 175–81.
n.­23
The lines from “mighty elephants…” to “…existence to an end” are not attested in the Skt. witness.
n.­24
The Skt. reads ārāmapatha, “delightful path” where the Tib. reads zhi gnas, “tranquil abiding.” This possibly attests to a variant among Sanskrit recensions that reads śamatha in place of ārāmapatha. The extant Skt. could be translated with “They follow the delightful path of the powerful higher knowledges in their pursuit of wisdom.” Skt. ºjñāna­karmānta­prasthāpanamahābhijñā­rāma­patha­caribhiḥ.
n.­25
The Sanskrit reads “four Brahmā abodes” (ºcaturbrāhma­vihāraº [sic]).
n.­26
This Sanskrit name is attested in the extant manuscript, and it indicates that the Degé and other versions of the Tibetan translation contain a scribal error in the reading rgyun (“continuous”) instead of rgyan (“ornament”) which is the Tibetan translation of alaṅkāra. The Peking Yongle and Narthang versions of the Tibetan translation also support the reading rgyan/alaṅkāra.
n.­27
This may refer to the teachings belonging to the paths of the śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva.
n.­28
Tib. gru tshul chos la gnyis med par zhugs kyang rgyal ba mtshungs par mkhyen. The sense of this passage is unclear.
n.­29
Tib. snrel zhi’i rgyud dang / spyi’u tshugs kyi rgyud thams cad dang. Here, the terms snrel zhi (Skt. vyatyasta) meaning “topsy-turvy” and spyi’u tshugs (Skt. ūrdhvapāda) meaning “having feet upward” are specified in Negi as names of certain mundane realms (Skt. lokadhātu), but further details are not provided. The terms also refer to related types of progression, i.e., nonsequential (or in mixed order) and upside-down (in reverse order), in the sequence of nine meditations, the four concentrations (Skt. dhyāna) belonging to the realm of forms, and the five meditative states (Skt. samāpatti) belonging to the formless realms. This seems to be the relevant understanding alluded to in this passage. See also the passage referenced by n.­35. For further details and pertinent references, see Ruegg (1989).
n.­30
Our translation of this line is tentative. We have added “what” to make it consistent with the line of questioning in the preceding two lines.
n.­31
The Degé Kangyur has rkyen phye bar sgrub pa (“[how] conditions may be differently established”). The Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, Choné, and Lhasa Kangyurs have rkyen nye bar sgrub (“[how] conditions are established/concluded”). The Degé reading makes the best sense.
n.­32
This may refer to the ninth of the nine concentrations (dhyāna), the state of cessation (nirodha­samāpatti) beyond feeling and perception. The line states, “Finally, it yields the nine and the concentrations of meditative absorption,” but has been reordered here to accord with this interpretation.
n.­33
“One has” is added for context. The Tibetan lacks a grammatical subject and verb here.
n.­34
Degé has chos kyi phung po ci bzhin phung po shes. Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, Choné, and Lhasa have ci zhig (“what”) instead of ci bzhin (“how”).
n.­35
On the terms “nonsequential progression” and “reverse progression,” see n.­29.
n.­37
Literally, the Tibetan reads “this like this” (’di ’dra ’di).
n.­38
The passage on awakening that starts here and continues down to 2.­229 is closely paralleled in The Ornament of the Light of Awareness that Enters the Domain of All Buddhas (Sarva­buddha­viṣayāvatāra­jñānālokālaṃkāra, Toh 100) from 1.76 to 1.95. The differences are that the dialog here is not with Mañjuśrī, as it is in Toh 100, and that for each description of awakening here the Buddha adds a statement about compassion.
n.­39
The passage on awakening that is paralleled in Toh 100 (see n.­38) ends here.
n.­40
thugs rje chen po la lta bas yongs su mi skyo ba. I take the la to be an ablative usage of la. Degé has yongs su skyo ba. Lhasa and Narthang have yongs su mi skyo ba, which has been followed here.
n.­41
The section of the text that starts here has a parallel in the Bodhisattva­piṭaka. Our translation of this passage was facilitated by Jens Braarvig, who kindly made his translation of that work available.
n.­42
Degé has skye dgu (where dgu is a pluralizer). Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, Choné, and Lhasa have skye bu.
n.­43
The translation of these two lines is tentative.
n.­44
Literally, “Vehicle of Conditions” (pratyāyayāna), a reference to the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle that derives from the understanding that pratyekabuddhas focus on the Dharma of dependent arising (pratītya­samutpāda) in order to understand the conditions of cyclic existence.
n.­45
Here, “words” (Tib. sgra, Skt. śabda) is a pejorative allusion to the vocation of śrāvakas (“hearers”), who are said to be primarily concerned with listening to discourses.
n.­46
This threefold division that categorizes all the beings alive at the start of a tathāgata’s appearance in the world (or in a new buddhafield) according to their receptivity to the teachings (already mentioned in 2.­286) is, elsewhere in this text and in other works, termed the “three categories” (trirāśi, phung po gsum). See The Play in Full (Lalitavistara, Toh 95) 25.­47; The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines (Pañca­viṃśati­sāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā, Toh 9) 42.­24, g.­1140, etc.; the Mahāvastu; and Mahāvyutpatti 7137.
n.­47
The syntax of this passage is highly intricate, and the translation is somewhat tentative though its sense is relatively clear.
n.­48
On this commonly cited analogy, see Higgins and Draszczyk (2016), vol. 2, p. 132, n. 326. The Tibetan term skyu ru ru (Skt. āmalaka/āmalakī) refers to an Indian gooseberry (Emblic myrobalan, Phyllanthus emblica), a translucent, pale green berry that has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine (usually prepared from the seeds) to cure diseases of phlegm, bile, and blood and to promote general physical health and calmness of mind (sattva). The term āmalaka also refers to a rock crystal (as attested by an alternative Tibetan translation shel sgong, “rock crystal”), likely named because it has a similar translucent property. The analogy of the Indian gooseberry placed in the palm of one’s hand has traditionally been used to illustrate either yogic perception where the clarity aspect (compared to a crystal) is emphasized (cf. Dharmottara’s Nyāyabinduṭīka 1.11) or omniscience, where seeing all aspects (presumably an analogy to seeing into the interior structure of the translucent berry) is emphasized (cf. * Ṡaḍaṅgayogapañjikā (Toh 1373, folio 244.b). For these two references, we are indebted, respectively, to contributions by Birgit Kellner (Austrian Academy of Sciences) and Péter Szántó (Leiden University) in an informative discussion thread on the Indology discussion forum entitled “An āmalakī in the palm of the hand.”
n.­49
These four types of fearlessness are presented in sequence corresponding to numbers 11 to 15.
n.­50
The three characteristics in this context are being born, being depleted, and enduring, as referenced above.
n.­51
The term gding ba (Skt. āstaraṇa) means cushion or mat. The Tibetan term can be a variant of gdeng ba, meaning confidence.
n.­52
The first two lines of this verse are not complete sentences, and there is no evident grammatical connection with the two lines that follow them.
n.­53
“Threefold manner” probably refers here to the three aspects of time: past, present, and future.
n.­54
The eight dhāraṇīs described here are listed among the twelve dhāraṇīs included in the Mahāvyutpatti (no. 748). Similar listings are found in the Ratnamegha (Toh 231) and the Tathāgataguṇajñānācintyaviṣayāvatāranirdeśa (Toh 185). For an informative discussion of these, see Pagel (2007a), pp. 151–91.
n.­55
In the set of four māras, the fourth māra is usually identified as the divine māra (devapūtramāra) and associated with the hindrances of pride and self-gratification.
n.­56
Prajñākūṭa’s name means “heap of insight.”
n.­57
“False views” has been supplied for the sake of clarification. The term rab sreg (nirdahana), translated as “incineration,” typically refers to the burning away of false views.
n.­58
We are unable to verify the identity of the seventh tathāgata.
b.

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[Jñānā­lokālaṃkāra] ’phags pa sangs rgyas thams cad kyi yul la ’jug pa’i ye shes snang ba’i rgyan zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya­sarva­buddha­viṣayāvatāra­jñānā­lokālaṃkāranāma­mahāyāna­sūtra). Toh 100, Degé Kangyur vol. 47 (mdo sde, ga), folios 276.a–305.a. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee (2015). [Full citation listed in secondary sources]

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Nāgārjuna. mdo kun las btus pa (Sūtrasamuccaya). Toh 3934, Degé Tengyur vol. 110 (dbu ma, ki), folios 148.b–215.a.

[Ratnamegha] ’phags pa dkon mchog sprin ces bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Āryaratnameghanāmamahāyānasūtra). Toh 231, Degé Kangyur vol. 64 (mdo sde, wa), folios 1.b–112.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee (2019). [Full citation listed in secondary sources]

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[Saṃdhinirmocana­sūtra] ’phags pa dgongs pa nges par ’grel pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya­saṃdhinirmocana­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra). Toh 106, Degé Kangyur vol. 49 (mdo sde, tsha), folios 1.b–55.b. English translation in Buddhavacana Translation Group (2020). [Full citation listed in secondary sources]

[Tathāgata­guṇa­jñānā­cintyaviṣayāvatāra­nirdeśa] ’phags pa de bzhin gshegs pa’i yon tan dang ye shes bsam gyis mi khyab pa’i yul la ’jug pa bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya­tathāgata­guṇa­jñānā­cintyaviṣayāvatāra­nirdeśa­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra). Toh 185, Degé Kangyur vol. 61 (mdo sde, tsa), folios 106.a–143.b. English translation in Liljenberg, Karen (2020). [Full citation listed in secondary sources]

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84000. The Teaching on the Great Compassion of the Tathāgata (Tathāgata­mahā­karuṇā­nirdeśa, de bzhin gshegs pa’i snying rje chen po nges par bstan pa/, Toh 147). Translated by Anne Burchardi and team. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023. https://84000.co/translation/toh147/UT22084-057-006-end-notes.Copy
84000. The Teaching on the Great Compassion of the Tathāgata (Tathāgata­mahā­karuṇā­nirdeśa, de bzhin gshegs pa’i snying rje chen po nges par bstan pa/, Toh 147). Translated by Anne Burchardi and team, online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023, 84000.co/translation/toh147/UT22084-057-006-end-notes.Copy
84000. (2023) The Teaching on the Great Compassion of the Tathāgata (Tathāgata­mahā­karuṇā­nirdeśa, de bzhin gshegs pa’i snying rje chen po nges par bstan pa/, Toh 147). (Anne Burchardi and team, Trans.). Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. https://84000.co/translation/toh147/UT22084-057-006-end-notes.Copy
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