Brahmā’s Question
Toh 158
Degé Kangyur, vol. 59 (mdo sde, ba), folios 1.a–10.b
- Jinamitra
- Bandé Yeshé Dé
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Table of Contents
Summary
In the middle of the night, while the Buddha Śākyamuni is immersed in meditation, Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, appears before him and asks him how bodhisattvas can quickly achieve full awakening. In response, the Buddha gives a teaching on mindfulness of the body. The following morning, when Brahmā has departed, the Buddha relays his teaching to the monks.
Acknowledgements
This text was translated by ErdeneBaatar Erdene-Ochir and Jed Forman.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. George FitzHerbert edited the translation and the introduction, and Dawn Collins copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
Introduction
In the middle of the night at Kūṭāgāraśālā, the monastery in the great forest grove near Vaiśālī, the Buddha is seated cross-legged, engaged in a progression of the four concentrations—proceeding through them forward and then backward—at the end of which he enters a meditative absorption which makes his whole body radiant. Far away in the brahmā heavens of the form realm, the great god Brahmā sees the Buddha’s radiance and leaves his heaven in order to ask him a question. Arriving there in an instant, he politely rouses the Buddha from his absorption with gentle verses of praise and then proceeds to ask his question. The arrival of Brahmā is especially noteworthy, considering that according to Buddhist literature, it was Brahmā who first beseeched the reluctant Buddha to teach, just after the latter had gained awakening.
Brahmā’s question on this occasion is simple: how many dharmas, or qualities, do bodhisattvas need in order to quickly reach the complete awakening of a buddha? The Bhagavān’s reply is surprising: one needs only one dharma and that dharma is mindfulness of the body.
Mindfulness of the body is the first of the four applications of mindfulness recognized throughout Buddhist literature—mindfulness concerning the body, mindfulness concerning feelings, mindfulness concerning the mind, and mindfulness concerning the nature of phenomena. In this discourse, it is the first of these that takes precedence, though mindfulness concerning the mind and mindfulness concerning phenomena are also addressed sequentially.
First, he speaks of mindfulness of the body in terms of being present and aware in undertaking daily activities like sitting, walking, lying down, and so on. He then explains mindfulness in terms of reflection on the transience and essencelessness of the physical body, which is prone to disease and illness, and will ultimately be reduced to something disgusting. Such reflection loosens attachment to the physical body, and being without attachment to the physical body and its trappings means living a materially simple life.
This leads to a presentation of mindfulness in terms of avoiding unvirtuous or unwholesome activities. In particular, these are the first three precepts: not killing, not taking what is not given, and avoiding lust. This section on maintaining a strict discipline is, however, softened by the proviso that the body also needs to be nurtured, since without a body a bodhisattva is unable to make use of the opportunities that this life affords.
The Buddha then explains how the six perfections may be used as antidotes to counter the mind’s natural tendencies toward negative mental states. The tendency to miserliness is countered by generosity, the tendency toward immorality by discipline, the tendency toward ill will by forbearance, the tendency toward indolence by effort, the tendency to distraction by concentration, and the tendency to incorrect understanding by wisdom. Particular attention is paid to the final two. The instruction on concentration, for example, includes a condensed account of how bodhisattvas use meditation focused on an object to stabilize the mind, and once it is stable, proceed to looking for the mind, and to objectless meditative equipoise. A further contemplation is offered in which one examines letters and words as a way of seeing the “hollowness” of phenomena, and through this, of experiencing all conditioned phenomena as dreamlike. In the scheme of the four applications of mindfulness, these reflections would correspond to the third and fourth applications of mindfulness concerning the mind and phenomena, respectively.
The instruction concerning wisdom also includes a contemplation in which the elements that make up our bodies—earth, water, fire, and wind—are analyzed as being the same as the elements that are external to our bodies, as a way of reducing attachment to our own physicality.
The Buddha then summarizes the teachings he has given to Brahmā in a short series of verses. These verses recapitulate three of the four applications of mindfulness that have already been covered: mindfulness concerning the body, concerning the mind, and concerning phenomena. The text does not seem to reference the application of mindfulness concerning feelings.
The next morning, when the Buddha recounts his encounter with Brahmā to the assembly of monks, Ānanda requests that he repeat the teaching for them, which he does. When Ānanda asks for the name of the discourse, the Buddha gives three possible names: Brahmā’s Question, The Teaching on the Applications of Mindfulness, and The Teaching on Heedfulness.
Brahmā’s Question was translated into Tibetan by the Indian preceptor Jinamitra and the Tibetan translator Bandé Yeshé Dé in the late eighth or the early ninth century. The translation is attested in both of the extant early ninth-century imperial catalogs of translated texts—the Phangthangma and the Denkarma.1 The Sanskrit original seems to have been lost. The sūtra does not appear to have been translated into Chinese and is not included in the Chinese Buddhist canon. A Mongolian translation from Tibetan is found in the Mongolian Kangyur. An English translation by Peter Skilling is included in his anthology of translations, Questioning the Buddha, published in 2021. No modern academic treatments have been identified.
The sūtra does not appear to have been widely cited in canonical commentarial works. Although there are numerous references in Tengyur works to “The Sūtra of Brahmā’s Questions” (Tib. tshangs pas zhus pa’i mdo), including in Śāntideva’s Śikṣāsamuccaya, these citations do not appear to relate to the present text. Some of the citations refer to other Kangyur texts with similar titles, such as The Questions of Brahmadatta (Toh 159),2 or The Questions of Brahmaviśeṣacintin (Toh 160),3 while others may be either misattributions or may relate to alternative pre-canonical versions of the current text that are no longer extant.
The central topic of the sutra, the applications of mindfulness, is treated in a number of Kangyur texts in terms that have considerable overlap with the present text, such as, for example, parts of the Perfection of Wisdom sūtras.4 There are also a number of Pali suttas that address the subject of mindfulness of the body.5
This English translation was made from the Tibetan text as found in the Degé Kangyur, in consultation with the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma), the Stok Palace Kangyur, and Peter Skilling’s English translation.
Text Body
Brahmā’s Question
The Translation
Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas!
Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was staying at Kūṭāgāraśālā in the great forest grove near Vaiśālī together with a great assembly of twelve thousand monks and a great many bodhisattva mahāsattvas.
In the middle of the night, the Bhagavān sat awake in a cross-legged position, settled in mindfulness. He entered the first meditative concentration, wherein joy and happiness arise from engaging in thought and scrutiny while in seclusion.6 Emerging from that, the Bhagavān entered the second meditative concentration, wherein joy and happiness arise from meditative absorption that involves no thought or scrutiny. [F.2.a] Emerging from that, the Bhagavān entered the third meditative concentration, wherein there is no attachment to joy, and one rests comfortably with mindfulness and equanimity. Emerging from that, the Bhagavān entered the fourth meditative concentration, wherein happiness is relinquished, and with suffering already having been relinquished, notions of mental comfort and mental discomfort subside and disappear, and there is only mindfulness and equanimity in which there is neither suffering nor happiness.7
Then the Bhagavān emerged from the fourth concentration and entered the third concentration; he emerged from the third concentration and entered the second concentration; he emerged from the second concentration and entered the first concentration. And when he had emerged from the first concentration, he entered the meditative absorption called displaying physical forms to beings in accordance with disciples’ capacities. As soon as he entered the meditative absorption displaying physical forms to beings in accordance with disciples’ capacities, the Bhagavān immediately radiated light, clear and bright.
Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, dwelling in the brahmā abodes, saw the Bhagavān shining with great radiance, clear and bright, beautifully adorned with the thirty-two marks of a great being. When he saw this, he disappeared from the brahmā world [F.2.b] and he appeared in the great forest, bathing it and everything in it in light, and he was seated before the Bhagavān, very close to him.
Then Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, thought to himself, “It is difficult to approach and difficult to understand buddha bhagavāns. Since the Bhagavān is immersed in meditative absorption, it would not be appropriate for me to rouse him from his meditation by making a noise like clearing my throat or saying something. Instead, I should politely request the Bhagavān to emerge from his meditation by addressing him in verse.” Assuring himself that this was the case, Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, and with his palms joined, he bowed towards the Bhagavān and, with his head still bowed, he urged the Bhagavān to emerge from his meditation with the following verses:
Thereupon, becoming aware of these verses of invocation uttered by Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, [F.3.a] the Bhagavān emerged from his meditative absorption while remaining cross-legged. Once he had emerged, the Bhagavān cleared his throat to summon Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world. When Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, saw that the Bhagavān had emerged from his absorption while remaining cross-legged, he approached the Bhagavān, circumambulated him three times, bowed his head at the feet of the Bhagavān, and sat down to one side.
Once seated, Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, said to the Bhagavān, “Were the Bhagavān to grant me a moment, I would like to request a teaching from the tathāgata, arhat, truly complete Buddha, regarding a certain point.” The Bhagavān replied to Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, “Brahmā, the Tathāgata always has time to grant you a teaching. Brahmā, you may ask the Tathāgata whatever you like, and I will oblige with a teaching that will delight you.”
Granted the opportunity by the Bhagavān, Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, do bodhisattva mahāsattvas require many dharmas to quickly reach the unsurpassable, truly complete awakening of buddhahood?” The Bhagavān replied to Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, “Brahmā, if bodhisattva mahāsattvas have just one dharma, they will quickly reach the unsurpassable, truly complete awakening of buddhahood. [F.3.b] What is that one dharma? It is mindfulness that observes the body. Brahmā, how do bodhisattvas mindfully observe the body? Brahmā, it is like this; when bodhisattvas think ‘I am going,’ they are mindful that they are going and recognize what they are doing exactly. When they come back, they are mindful that they are coming back, and they recognize what they are doing exactly. When they lie down, stand, walk, or sit, they are mindful that they are lying down, standing, walking, or sitting, and they recognize what they are doing exactly.
“Sitting alone in seclusion, absorbed inwardly, with a peaceful mind, they reflect on the body as follows: ‘Alas, the body is unstable, impermanent, and inherently weak. It is without essence, in constant flux, subject to disintegration, subject to destruction, dependently originated, like an illusion, and like a dewdrop. It is unstable and impure, maculated with pus, eventually overcome by wind and sun, at the end reduced to dust, and ultimately repulsive. It is vulnerable to many diseases, full of malignancy, beset by headaches, and is by its nature ruined by illness. This stinking, oozing pile of bones needs so much attentive care!’
“By being mindful, bodhisattvas analyze these faults of the body exactly as they are. In this way they are not attached to the body, they do not desire the body, and they do not grasp the body as theirs. Because they do not esteem the body, they are not attached to life, they do not desire life, and they do not grasp life as theirs. Without esteeming the body or life, they are content with the bare necessities when it comes to monastic robes, food, bedding, seating, medicines, and basic goods. [F.4.a] Every activity undertaken by those engaged in the spiritual life—even those that are beneficial or virtuous—are seen as empty, yet they do not grow weary and they do not despair, and their minds are not burdened with melancholy.
“When they go before preceptors or teachers, they are mindful and think, ‘To meet a preceptor is rare. To meet a teacher is rare. If I were to go there, and they were to mention or make me recall some wrong or unwholesome deed that I have committed, that would be bad.’
“That consideration is the cause, condition, and foundation for observing the precepts with respect, with scrupulousness, with wholesome deeds, with quiet composure, and with great thoroughness. Observing the precepts with respect, with scrupulousness, with wholesome deeds, with quiet composure, and with great thoroughness, they are able to go before preceptors and teachers without any anxiety or timidity. They are fearless and do not even show their burgeoning excitement. Why? Because they are respectful, deferential, and cautious, like a bride from a good family. Because they are cautious, they avoid each and every kind of fault and misdeed of the body.
“Brahmā, what are the faults and misdeeds of the body for bodhisattvas? Brahmā, killing is a fault and a misdeed of the body for bodhisattvas. Brahmā, for bodhisattvas taking what is not given and unchaste conduct are faults and misdeeds of the body. Brahmā, how do bodhisattvas renounce killing? [F.4.b] Brahmā, bodhisattvas do not kill living creatures under the sway of attachment, nor do they kill under the sway of hatred or delusion. They hold other sentient beings and other people dear, just as they hold themselves and those they love dear. They do not themselves kill other sentient beings or other people, nor do they cause others to kill, nor do they rejoice in any act of killing done by others. They do not themselves cut beings, nor do they cause others to cut them, nor do they rejoice in any cutting done by others. They do not themselves strike, nor do they cause others to strike, nor do they rejoice when others strike.
“How do they renounce taking what is not given? Brahmā, bodhisattvas have no desire for the worldly possessions of beings, such as gold, jewels, pearls, beryl, conch shells, crystal, coral, gold dust, silver, and so on, or for clothing, adornments of various kinds, cattle, grain, stores, or for any kind of pleasing thing. Since they do not even give them a thought, they do not steal or take them. They do not steal, nor do they cause others to steal, nor do they rejoice in the act of stealing. Whether they are in a city or a remote place, they do not take anything, not even a blade of grass, that has not been given to them.
“How do they renounce unchaste conduct? Brahmā, bodhisattvas always protect the doors of their sense faculties. They are thoroughly restrained. They only go to suitable places. They are mindful to be well guarded. They are mindful to always be guarded. And with such mindfulness, their minds are safeguarded. [F.5.a] They have control over their bodies and their speech. Being mindful to visit only suitable places, they develop the outlook that it would be preferable to take burning hot sand in their cupped hands and pour it into their own eyes than to look at a beautiful local woman with lust. Why? Because they have the thought that looking at a beautiful local woman in such a way will lead to their ruin and downfall, and to being miserable for a long time.
“With physical observation of the body like this, they maintain proper mindfulness toward food, drink, lodging, bedding, and seating. They make use of these things, but they do not relish them and they are not attached to them. If they find themselves really relishing them, then they should reflect like this: ‘That which appears to be pleasurable turns out to be the opposite—suffering. There is no conditioned entity in the three realms that can really bring happiness. Why? Because that which is conditioned is impermanent. How can those who are intelligent by nature find happiness in impermanent things?’
“Brahmā, if bodhisattvas are thoroughly engaged in practice and become oppressed by the sadness that ‘there is only suffering and no happiness,’ they should counter that affliction with the consideration that since this body requires regulation and development, it needs bribery for success.9 This body cannot be sustained with only painful exertion. It must be sustained with happy exertion. With a stable body through this life, one can achieve virtuous qualities.10 By analogy, a merchant who seeks profit may hire a thousand porters and compensate them well. He does not do so in order to enrich the porters with adornments, or in order to make them happy, but rather to have the loads carried. Similarly, when bodhisattvas eat food, they do not eat in order to beautify the body or to please the body, [F.5.b] but rather in order to be able to do those virtuous activities that require a body and that lead to liberation.
“Brahmā, if bodhisattvas are not able to understand the mind with the antidotes taught by the Tathāgata, then they should reflect as follows: ‘that which we call “the mind” is difficult to perfect. It grasps inappropriately. It is drawn toward saṃsāra and not toward that which is virtuous. It is drawn toward society and not toward seclusion. It is drawn toward pleasure and not toward suffering. It is drawn toward the joy of speaking and not toward the view of reality. It is drawn toward the impure and not toward the pure. It is hard to control, it is hard to catch, for it is baseless, void, hollow, momentary, and arises from combinations of causes and conditions. Who among those who are intelligent by nature would let themselves be led astray by the mind, which has such a nature?’ They think in this way and, by developing awareness of the mind like this, they make effort to tame the mind.
“In order to tame the tendency toward miserliness, they practice giving. Even giving a single mouthful of food, just a berry, a bean,11 or a grain of sesame, is enough, so long as it is offered to anyone, and not just to those whom one already holds dear or with whom one is already acquainted.12
“In order to tame the tendency toward immoral conduct, they guard their discipline and do not commit misdeeds of body, speech, or mind. They do not get mixed up with or stained by such faults. Also, those with moral discipline do not praise themselves or disparage others.
“In order to tame the tendency toward ill will, they cultivate forbearance. When they enter cities or towns, they take no notice of the abuse they receive. Even if they are struck, beaten, threatened, overpowered, and insulted, [F.6.a] they think nothing of it. Even if they are harangued by local people, saying, ‘Oh these śrāmaṇas with shaved heads are bad! Oh, these śrāmaṇas with ugly shaved heads are bad!’13—they think nothing of it. Even when they are slandered with false accusations, they accept it with forbearance and remain focused on what they have to do. And those with forbearance do not praise themselves or disparage others.
“In order to tame the tendency toward indolence, to attain those qualities oriented toward awakening that have not yet been attained, to develop those that have already been attained, to mature those that have been developed, to master those that have been matured, and to refine those that have been mastered, they apply effort. When acting for the sake of beings, they do not grow weary, they do not despair, and they do not lose heart. Whether it is to benefit an outcaste or a king, they will always go the distance for them, without prejudice. Whether bodhisattvas are offered some base, second-rate object by a miserable and destitute person, or a supremely wonderful gift by a prosperous and wealthy person, bodhisattvas have compassion. They praise them respectfully, encourage and reassure them, and accept the second-rate object. Why? Because it is not an easy thing for a miserable person to give a gift.
“In order to tame the tendency toward distraction, they develop stable meditative concentration. How do they practice concentration? Brahmā, first of all, bodhisattvas control their body well. Physically, they live in seclusion and avoid physical contact. [F.6.b] They give up excessive attachment to the body. When the body is lethargic or agitated, they are aware of it. They know what agrees with their body, what sustains it, and what makes it strong. Likewise, they control their speech well. They speak little and their answers are short. What they do say is meaningful and reasonable. They abandon any delight in frivolous talk. Likewise, they also control the mind well. They renounce all unwholesome thoughts.
“By purifying the three places14 in this way, they strive to make blue, yellow, red, and white visible forms disappear, not grasping at them as characteristics and not grasping at them as evidence.15 They do not grasp onto the characteristics of adornments and clothing or take them as indications of some object. They do not grasp onto the characteristics of various visible forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and tangible objects, or take them as indications. They do not grasp onto the characteristics of men, women, boys, and girls, nor take them as indications.
“They stay alone in seclusion, settle inwardly, and strive to make the mind stable. Whether taking repulsion as the object of meditation, loving-kindness as the object, or compassion as the object, any despondency that may arise is focused on in the same way, without any physical tension, and the flow of the in breath and the out breath is maintained without interruption so that the wind element is not disturbed. Their minds do not veer off and get distracted. Whether walking, lying, standing, or sitting, they stay with the object and they keep their mind focused on it.
“Brahmā, once bodhisattvas have achieved stability of mind when focused on an object, they enter meditative equipoise on the mind, in which even the mind is not apprehended as an object by the mind. [F.7.a] The one who is in meditative equipoise is not apprehended and the purpose of meditative equipoise is not apprehended. They think to themselves, ‘Alas! Foolish ordinary people are fixated on worthless, hollow things.’ This is called the special insight of bodhisattvas. With such insight, they neither engage with mental afflictions nor produce them anew. This is called the calm abiding of bodhisattvas.
“Brahmā, moreover, when bodhisattvas staying in seclusion are settled inwardly, they contemplate the names and letters they have heard and think about what is actually signified by words. When they examine words in this way, they see that letters are worthless and hollow. Having seen that letters are worthless and hollow, they see that names are worthless and hollow. They see that what is signified by a name is also worthless and hollow. They see that any forms that may appear are worthless and hollow. By seeing them as worthless and hollow, they correctly understand them. Because they correctly understand them, conditioned phenomena come to appear as dreamlike. Having examined phenomena in this way, they rest with their minds firmly established in great compassion toward sentient beings.
“In order to tame the tendency toward erroneous understanding, they cultivate wisdom. How do they cultivate it? They take as unerring all sūtras—whether expounded by means of relative truth or expounded by means of ultimate truth—that have been clearly and lucidly expressed.16 They reflect unerringly on what they have understood from the Dharma that has been unerringly taught therein. They apply themselves with effort to the yoga of meditation. With the strength of gnosis and wisdom in particular, they do not apprehend sentient beings, [F.7.b] they do not apprehend life, they do not apprehend hollowness, they do not apprehend people, they do not apprehend persons, they do not apprehend humankind, and they do not apprehend humanity.
“Nevertheless, they do not fall into the view of nihilism about everything. They carefully study imputed designations. With correct wisdom, they analyze the inner earth element and the outer earth element17 as being one. With correct wisdom, they likewise analyze the inner water element, fire element, wind element, and their outer counterparts, as being one. They see both kinds of elements as worthless and hollow. They see them as inanimate, essenceless, and as emptiness. Because they see them as such, just as they are not attached to the external elements, they are also not attached to the internal elements.
“With wisdom, they analyze visual consciousness and physical forms as being one. With wisdom, they analyze auditory consciousness and sounds, olfactory consciousness and smells, gustatory consciousness and tastes, and tactile consciousness and tangible objects as being one.
“Regarding the earth element, they recognize its solidity but also recognize its wetness, heat, and insubstantiality. Regarding the water element, they recognize its wetness but also recognize its solidity, heat, and insubstantiality. Regarding the fire element, they recognize its heat but also recognize its solidity, wetness, and insubstantiality. Regarding the wind element, they recognize its motility and they also recognize its buoyant motility. Regarding the space element, they recognize its insubstantiality and they recognize that it pervades everything. They recognize the consciousness element as being like an illusion; [F.8.a] they recognize it to be both mistaken and not mistaken. They recognize the visual consciousness as emptiness and visible forms as impermanence. They recognize the auditory consciousness as emptiness and sounds as impermanence. They recognize the olfactory consciousness as emptiness and smells as impermanence. They recognize the gustatory consciousness as emptiness and tastes as impermanence They recognize the tactile consciousness as emptiness and tangible objects as impermanence.
“Learned in wisdom, they have the wisdom that fully realizes and the wisdom that is sharp. They recognize those dharmas that are nonvirtuous and they recognize those dharmas that are virtuous. They recognize the dharmas that bring hearers their attainment. They recognize the dharmas that bring solitary realizers their attainment. They recognize the dharmas that bring bodhisattvas their attainment. They recognize the dharmas that bring buddhas their attainment.
“They recognize how the weak, middling, and strong ripening of nonvirtuous dharmas leads to rebirth as ghosts, animals, and hell beings. They recognize the weak, middling, and strong feelings of beings who are reborn in those realms. They recognize how the weak, middling, and strong ripening of virtuous dharmas leads to rebirth among gods or humans. And they recognize how the karmic fruits for those reborn there may be weak, middling, and strong.
“They recognize the dharmas that bring hearers their full attainment: actualizing the fruit of stream-entry, actualizing the fruit of being a once-returner, actualizing the fruit of being a non-returner, and actualizing the fruit of arhatship. [F.8.b] They recognize both liberation through wisdom and the twofold liberation.18 They recognize the dharmas that bring solitary realizers their full attainment. They recognize their karmic fruits and their peace. They recognize the dharmas that bring bodhisattvas their full attainment: they recognize the path of accumulation and the path of gnosis. Knowing them, they endeavor to progress on the path of accumulation and the path of gnosis.
They recognize the dharmas that bring the full attainment of buddhahood: great miraculous manifestation, great power, holiness, excellence, preeminence, and greatness, which are not shared by any hearer, solitary realizer, and bodhisattva, not to mention other sentient beings.
“In this way, they view all phenomena in accordance with the Dharma and properly maintain mindfulness, free from all sinful dharmas, and fully replete with virtuous dharmas. They commit no bodily harm, they are not thrown off by consciousness, they are not thrown off by mind, for they understand the complex of causes and fruits of dharmas just as they are.
“By analogy, virtuous dharmas spread like ocean waves. But unlike ocean waves that come in only to recede again, for bodhisattvas, those dharmas do not recede. Rather the virtuous dharmas grow like the waxing moon. But unlike how the waning moon recedes, for bodhisattvas, those dharmas do not recede. The virtuous dharmas grow like a raging torrent in the summertime. But unlike a torrent [F.9.a] that recedes when the summer is over, for bodhisattvas, those dharmas do not recede. Brahmā, bodhisattvas who train in this way will soon completely awaken to unsurpassable, truly complete buddhahood.”
Then, Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, conjured divine mandārava flowers and scattered them over the Bhagavān. Having strewn the flowers, he was delighted and rejoiced in what the Bhagavān had said. He circumambulated the Bhagavān three times and then departed from the Bhagavān’s presence.
After that, aware that dawn was breaking, the Bhagavān took a seat that had been prepared for him amongst the assembly of monks. Once seated, the Bhagavān said to the monks, “Monks, [F.9.b] last night in the middle of the night, not yet asleep, I was sitting alone in seclusion absorbed inwardly, when Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, came before me, bathing this great forest and everything in it with light. He praised me, he circumambulated me three times, and he sat down to one side. Once seated, Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, said to me, ‘Were the Bhagavān to grant me a moment, I would like to request a teaching from the tathāgata, arhat, truly complete Buddha, regarding a certain point.’ Monks, this was his request, and I replied to Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, ‘Brahmā, the Tathāgata always has time to grant you a teaching. Brahmā, ask the Tathāgata whatever you like, and I will oblige with a teaching that will delight you.’ Granted this opportunity, Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, asked me, ‘Bhagavān, do bodhisattva mahāsattvas require many dharmas to quickly reach the unsurpassable, truly complete awakening of buddhahood?’ I replied to Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, ‘Brahmā, if bodhisattva mahāsattvas have just one dharma, they will quickly reach the unsurpassable, truly complete awakening of buddhahood. What is that one dharma? It is mindfulness that observes the body.’ Then, monks, I taught Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, the causes, practices, and results of mindfully observing the body.”
Then, Venerable Ānanda said to the Bhagavān, “Wonderful, wonderful! [F.10.a] Please tell us what the Bhagavān taught to Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, for the benefit of many beings, for the happiness of many beings, for the benefit, health, and happiness of gods and humans! When new monks, who have only recently gone forth in the Dharma and Vinaya and have not held it for long, or good people who have only recently entered the Mahāyāna, listen to it, they will be delighted, will gain faith, and will maintain their effort in adhering to their training.” Then the Bhagavān explained to the monks the explanation he had given to Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world.
Afterward, Venerable Ānanda said to the Bhagavān, “The Bhagavān has spoken well. The Sugata has spoken well. Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, also spoke well when he came before the Bhagavān to request such a discourse and asked him to teach. Bhagavān, even if Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, possessed no root of virtue before, just by the root of virtue generated by requesting this discourse, he will quickly awaken to unsurpassable, truly complete awakening. Why? Because, Bhagavān, no hearer or solitary realizer is capable of realizing the limit and the end of this root of virtue. Why? Because, Bhagavān, Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, asked this question for the common benefit of all sentient beings.”
“Yes, Ānanda, it is as you say,” said the Bhagavān. Then Venerable Ānanda asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, what is the name of this Dharma discourse? [F.10.b] How should we remember it?” The Bhagavān replied, “You may remember it, Ānanda, as Brahmā’s Question. You may remember it as The Teaching on the Applications of Mindfulness. You may remember it as The Teaching on Heedfulness.”
When the Bhagavān had finished speaking, Venerable Ānanda, the monks, the bodhisattvas, the entire retinue, and the entire world with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas, rejoiced and praised what the Bhagavān had said.
This concludes The Noble Mahāyānasūtra “Brahmā’s Question.”
Colophon
Translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian preceptor Jinamitra and the chief editor and translator Bandé Yeshé Dé.
Notes
Bibliography
Source Text
’phags pa tshangs pas zhus pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Āryabrahmaparipṛcchānāmamahāyānasūtra). Toh 158, Degé Kangyur vol. 59 (mdo sde, ba), folios 1.a–10.b.
’phags pa tshangs pas zhus pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: Krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 59, pp. 3–23.
’phags pa tshangs pas zhus pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo Stok Palace Kangyur vol. 69 (mdo sde, tsha), folios 131.b–143.b.
Other Sources
Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan dkar gyi chos kyi ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag). Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.
Phangthangma (dkar chag ’phang thang ma). Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2003.
Mahāvyutpatti with sGra sbyor bam po gñis pa. Bibliotheca Polyglotta, University of Oslo. Input by Jens Braarvig and Fredrik Liland, 2010. Last accessed March 08 2024.
Buswell, Robert E., Jr., and Donald S. Lopez, Jr. The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2014.
Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.
Negi, J. S. Tibetan–Sanskrit Dictionary, (bod skad dang legs sbyar gyi tshig mdzod chen mo). 16 vols. Sarnath: Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, 1993–2005.
Skilling, Peter. Questioning the Buddha: A Selection of Twenty-Five Sutras. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2021.
Glossary
Types of attestation for names and terms of the corresponding source language
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Reconstruction from Tibetan phonetic rendering
This term is a reconstruction based on the Tibetan phonetic rendering of the term.
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arhat
- dgra bcom pa
- དགྲ་བཅོམ་པ།
- arhat
Bandé Yeshé Dé
- ye shes sdes
- ཡེ་ཤེས་སྡེས།
- —
beautiful local woman
- yul gyi bzang mo
- ཡུལ་གྱི་བཟང་མོ།
- janapadakalyāṇī AD
Bhagavān
- bcom ldan ’das
- བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས།
- bhagavat
brahmā abodes
- tshangs pa’i gnas
- ཚངས་པའི་གནས།
- brahmavihāra
Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world
- mi mjed kyi bdag po tshangs pa
- མི་མཇེད་ཀྱི་བདག་པོ་ཚངས་པ།
- brahmā sahāṃpatiḥ AD
Brahmā world
- tshangs pa’i ’jig rten
- ཚངས་པའི་འཇིག་རྟེན།
- brahmaloka
four applications of mindfulness
- dran pa nye bar gzhag pa bzhi
- དྲན་པ་ཉེ་བར་གཞག་པ་བཞི།
- catuḥsmṛtyupasthāna AD
hearer
- nyan thos
- ཉན་ཐོས།
- śrāvaka
Jinamitra
- dzi na mi tra
- ཛི་ན་མི་ཏྲ།
- —
Kūṭāgāraśālā
- khang pa brtsegs pa’i gnas
- ཁང་པ་བརྩེགས་པའི་གནས།
- kūṭāgāraśālā AD
liberation through wisdom
- shes rab kyi rnam par grol ba
- ཤེས་རབ་ཀྱི་རྣམ་པར་གྲོལ་བ།
- prajñāvimukti AD
mahāsattva
- sems dpa’ chen po
- སེམས་དཔའ་ཆེན་པོ།
- mahāsattva
mindfulness that observes the body
- lus kyi rjes su song ba’i dran pa
- ལུས་ཀྱི་རྗེས་སུ་སོང་བའི་དྲན་པ།
- kāyagatānusmṛti
non-returner
- phyir mi ’ong ba
- ཕྱིར་མི་འོང་བ།
- anāgamin
once-returner
- lan cig phyir ’ong ba
- ལན་ཅིག་ཕྱིར་འོང་བ།
- sakṛdāgāmin
Sahā world
- mi mjed
- མི་མཇེད།
- sahā
Śikṣāsamuccaya
- bslab pa kun las btus pa
- བསླབ་པ་ཀུན་ལས་བཏུས་པ།
- śikṣāsamuccaya
solitary realizer
- rang sangs rgyas
- རང་སངས་རྒྱས།
- pratyekabuddha
stream-entry
- rgyun du zhugs pa
- རྒྱུན་དུ་ཞུགས་པ།
- srotaāpanna
sugata
- bde bar gshegs pa
- བདེ་བར་གཤེགས་པ།
- sugata
taking what is not given
- ma byin par len pa
- མ་བྱིན་པར་ལེན་པ།
- adattādāna AD
tathāgata
- de bzhin gshegs pa
- དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ།
- tathāgata
thirty-two marks of a great being
- skyes bu chen po’i mtshan sum cu rtsa gnyis
- སྐྱེས་བུ་ཆེན་པོའི་མཚན་སུམ་ཅུ་རྩ་གཉིས།
- dvātriṃśanmahāpuruṣalakṣaṇāni
three realms
- khams gsum pa
- ཁམས་གསུམ་པ།
- traidhātuka
twofold liberation
- gnyis ka’i cha las rnam par grol ba
- གཉིས་ཀའི་ཆ་ལས་རྣམ་པར་གྲོལ་བ།
- ubhayatobhāgavimukti AD
unchaste conduct
- mi tshangs par spyod pa
- མི་ཚངས་པར་སྤྱོད་པ།
- —
Vaiśālī
- yangs pa
- yangs pa can
- ཡངས་པ།
- ཡངས་པ་ཅན།
- vaiśālī