co.

Table of Contents

s.

Summary

s.­1

In this sūtra a bodhisattva asks the Buddha how bodhisattvas should exert themselves after having given rise to the mind set on awakening. The Buddha replies by describing the ten virtuous actions and the motivation that bodhisattvas should engender when they engage in those practices. Next, after explaining how they should exert themselves in the ten perfections, the Buddha presents a detailed explanation of the perfection of generosity, focusing on the compassionate motivation that bodhisattvas cultivate while practicing it. A particular feature of this sūtra is how it details the significance of making different kinds of offering, in terms of the spiritual attainments, qualities of awakening, and other benefits that will result.

ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the guidance of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. Benjamin Collet-Cassart translated the text from Tibetan into English and wrote the introduction. Andreas Doctor compared the draft translation with the original Tibetan and edited the text. Anders Bjornback and Alex Yiannopoulos also assisted this project by sharing their draft translation of the first section of this sūtra with the other translators.

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

Text Body

The Translation
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra
The Perfection of Generosity
c.

Colophon

c.­1

This was translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian preceptor Prajñāvarman, the translator-editor Bandé Yeshé Dé, and others.

ab.

Abbreviations

C Coné (co ne) Kangyur
D Degé (sde dge) Kangyur
H Lhasa (zhol) Kangyur
J Lithang (’jang sa tham) Kangyur
K Peking (pe cin) Kangxi Kangyur
N Narthang (snar thang) Kangyur
S Stok Palace (stog pho brang) Manuscript Kangyur
Y Peking Yongle (g.yung lo) Kangyur
n.

Notes

n.­1
McCombs (2014), pp. 88–183. His thesis also includes an edited version of the full Tibetan text. Although McCombs’ study and translation of this sūtra only became available to us after we had completed our translation, we subsequently compared our translation to his and as a result were able to improve our rendering in several instances.
n.­2
See McCombs, “Mahāyāna and the Gift,” 94–95.
n.­3
See Denkarma, Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), F.298.a.5–6; also Lalou (1953), p. 322, n. 142. In the Denkarma, the sūtra is listed with the title ’phags pa sbyin pa’i pha rol tu phyin pa bstan pa.
n.­4
That text (Toh 183, Tib. sbyin pa’i phan yon bstan pa, Skt. Dānānuśaṃsā) is a short, two-page text that presents (like the present sūtra but with notable differences) the benefits associated with the practice of generosity by listing the karmic ripening generated by different types of offering. In the Stok Palace edition and other witnesses of the Thenpangma (them spangs ma) line of Kangyur collections, these two texts are cataloged disjointly, and this title is translated as sbyin pa’i legs pa, rather than sbyin pa’i phan yon bstan pa.
n.­5
In particular, Akṣayamati­nirdeśa­sūtra (Toh 175) and Bodhi­sattva­piṭaka­sūtra (Toh 56). See McCombs, “Mahāyāna and the Gift,” 98–99.
n.­6
The eight qualities of the best kind of water (a set frequently mentioned in the literature) are that it is cool, sweet, light, soft, clear, clean, pure, not upsetting to the stomach, and not irritatating to the throat.
n.­7
At this point the list of bodhisattvas continues and the names increase in length considerably. Although the text is clear that the following lines of this paragraph are indeed to be treated as a list of personal names, their meaning is somewhat unclear, and it is not evident precisely where individual names begin and end. Our rendering of the remainder of the bodhisattva names included in this section should therefore be viewed as tentative.
n.­8
S has no shad between those two elements, and mngon par shes pa is repeated in what follows: de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi yul la ’jug pa shes pa la mkhas pa mngon par shes pa / mngon par shes pa dpa’ bar ’gro ba’i ting nge ’dzin gyi mtha’i sgo bsgrub pa’i gzungs thob pa.
n.­9
S reads: zla ba ma.
n.­10
We have been unable to identify this tree (Tib. u thi ka).
n.­11
It seems that “emerald” is repeated twice in this list under different names (Tib. rdo’i snying po and ma rgad).
n.­12
The translation here is based on S, which treats these as separate items: kha dog bzang po / rgyas pa / mchog dang ldan pa. D reads: kha dog bzang po / rgyas pa mchog dang ldan pa.
n.­13
The abandonments of killing and wrong views are, respectively, the first and the last of the ten virtuous actions.
n.­14
This chapter colophon appears to provide an alternative title for the sūtra. See also i.­5.
n.­15
Translated based on S. D reads: sbyor ba.
n.­16
Tentative translation (Tib. sgrib pa thams cad gtan spong ba’ ’phags pa dang / lha’i tshangs pa’i gnas de bzhin gshegs pa’i gzims mal dang / ’phangs sbyin pa’i tshigs bla dags yin gyis).
n.­17
Y, K, and S read: bstan. J and N read: stan.
n.­18
Following Y, J, K, N, C, and H: dka’. D reads dga’.
n.­19
The Buddha’s crown protuberance (Skt. uṣṇīṣa) is described in canonical sources as being invisible, either because the light it emanates is brighter than the light of the sun, or because there is no one above the Buddha, and therefore no one can look down on him.
n.­20
Following Y, K, N, C, and H: gsung. D reads gsang.
b.

Bibliography

’phags pa sbyin pa’i pha rol tu phyin pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya­dāna­pāramitā­sūtra). Toh 182, Degé Kangyur vol. 61 (mdo sde, tsa), folios 77.a–95.b.

’phags pa sbyin pa’i pha rol tu phyin 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), 2006–2009, vol. 61, pp. 203–247.

’phags pa sbyin pa’i pha rol tu phyin pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya­dāna­pāramitā­sūtra). S 222, Stok Palace Manuscript Kangyur vol. 73 (mdo sde, za), folios 240.b–266.b.

’phags pa sbyin pa’i phan yon bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya­dānānuśaṃsā­nirdeśa­sūtra). Toh 183, Degé Kangyur vol. 61 (mdo sde, tsa), folios 95.b–96.b. English translation in Sakya Pandita Translation Group 2021.

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

Dayal, Har. The Bodhisattva Doctrine in Buddhist Sanskrit Literature. 1932. Reprint, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1970.

Lalou, Marcelle. “Les textes bouddhiques au temps du roi Khri-sroṅ-lde-bcan.” Journal asiatique 241 (1953): 313–52.

McCombs, Jason Matthew. “Mahāyāna and the Gift: Theories and Practices.” PhD diss., University of California, Los Angeles, 2014.

Rotman, Andy. Divine Stories: Divyāvadāna, Part I. Somerville: Wisdom Publications, 2008.

Sakya Pandita Translation Group, trans. The Teaching on the Benefits of Generosity (Dānānuśaṃsā, Toh 183). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021.

Yao, Fumi, trans. The Chapter on Medicines (Bhaiṣajyavastu, Toh 1-6). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021.

Table of Contents

Search this text

Spotted a mistake?

Please use the contact form provided to suggest a correction.

How to cite this text

The following are examples of how to correctly cite this publication. Links to specific passages can be derived by right-clicking on the milestones markers in the left-hand margin (e.g. s.1). The copied link address can replace the url below.

84000. The Perfection of Generosity (Dāna­pāramitā, sbyin pa’i pha rol tu phyin pa, Toh 182). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2024. https://84000.co/translation/toh182/UT22084-061-002-end-notes.Copy
84000. The Perfection of Generosity (Dāna­pāramitā, sbyin pa’i pha rol tu phyin pa, Toh 182). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee, online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2024, 84000.co/translation/toh182/UT22084-061-002-end-notes.Copy
84000. (2024) The Perfection of Generosity (Dāna­pāramitā, sbyin pa’i pha rol tu phyin pa, Toh 182). (Dharmachakra Translation Committee, Trans.). Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. https://84000.co/translation/toh182/UT22084-061-002-end-notes.Copy
Sponsor Translation