While staying at Vulture Peak Mountain near Rājagṛha with a large audience of different types of beings, the Buddha teaches the venerable Mahākāśyapa about many other buddhas, buddhafields, and the bodhisattvas therein, which exist billions of world systems away from our own world. Simply recalling the names of these buddhas and bodhisattvas will have wondrous results for Mahāyāna practitioners.
This translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The text was translated, edited, and introduced by the 84000 translation team. The initial draft was completed by Sophie McGrath and reviewed by Laura Goetz. George FitzHerbert edited the translation and the introduction, and Dawn Collins copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Achakshus Jun Wang & Pushpangana Ivy Liu.
In this short sūtra the Buddha guides the venerable Mahākāśyapa on a descriptive tour through the universe. He details the other buddhas in distant buddhafields and makes prophecies for the bodhisattvas therein. The main purpose is to make known the names of these other buddhas and bodhisattvas so that Mahāyāna practitioners may experience extraordinary results from simply remembering them.1
In The Buddha’s Crown, our present world, the buddhafield2 of Śākyamuṇi Buddha, is the central locus from which all the others are described.
Some of the buddhas, buddhafields, and bodhisattvas named in this sūtra are also mentioned in Perfection of Wisdom sutras that are extant in Sanskrit3 and, on that basis, their Sanskrit names have been given. Others, however, appear to be unique to this teaching. Since there is no known Sanskrit witness for The Buddha’s Crown itself, the names of these buddhas, buddhafields, and bodhisattvas have been translated into English rather than backtranslated into Sanskrit.
The colophon to the Tibetan states that the sūtra was translated into Tibetan by the Indian preceptor Śākyasiṃha and the lotsāwa Devendrarakṣita. Since it is listed in the Phangthangma (’phang thang ma)4 and Denkarma (ldan dkar ma)5 catalogs of translated texts, we can conclude that it was translated no later than the early ninth century. It had earlier been translated into Chinese by Dharmarakṣa (c. 233–310
The present translation is based on the version of the Tibetan translation found in the Degé Kangyur, with reference to the variants recorded in the Comparative Edition (Tib. dpe bsdur ma) and to the version found in the Stok Palace Kangyur..
[F.29.b]Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!
Thus did I hear at one time.[F.30.a] The Blessed One was residing at Vulture Peak Mountain near Rājagṛha together with a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks, all arhats who had exhausted the contaminants, along with a great retinue of bodhisattvas, including Maitreya, Mañjuśrī, and so forth, and many hosts of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, sages, vidyādharas, and goddesses.
At that time, the Blessed One said to the venerable Mahākāśyapa, “Mahākāśyapa, I shall reveal the causes that thoroughly ripen the roots of virtue of beginner bodhisattvas, so listen and pay full attention. I shall explain them to you.”
“Excellent, Blessed One,” replied the venerable Mahākāśyapa, and he listened to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said, “Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond as many world systems as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, there is a world system called Samādhyalaṃkṛtā. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Samādhihastyuttaraśrī currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, in that buddhafield there is a bodhisattva great being called Vijayavikrāmin.6 In that place, when that tathāgata has passed beyond, the bodhisattva will fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood and will appear in that world as the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha called Eternal Glorious Sacred Elephant of Samādhi.7
“Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna[F.30.b] and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Samādhihastyuttaraśrī and of the bodhisattva great being Vijayavikrāmin will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. They will rid themselves of one hundred eons within saṃsāra. They will come to hold an unfathomable heap of merit. They will come close to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond as many world systems as there are grains of sand in two Ganges Rivers, there is a world system called Bodhimaṇḍalālaṃkārasurucitā. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Padmottaraśrī currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, in that buddhafield there is a bodhisattva great being called Padmahasta.8 When the tathāgata has passed beyond, that bodhisattva, too, will fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood and will appear in that world as the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha called Parasol King of the Sacred Lotus.
“Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Padmottaraśrī and of the bodhisattva great being Padmahasta will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. Like lotuses, they will be untainted by the unvirtuous qualities of all worlds. Like lotuses that have risen from the water, they will be elevated. Their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect[F.31.a] buddhahood will be irreversible. They will rid themselves of thirty eons within saṃsāra. They will come close to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. They will come to hold an unfathomable heap of merit.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond as many world systems as there are grains of sand in three Ganges Rivers, there is a world system called Vigatarajasaṃcayā. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Sūryamaṇḍalaprabhāsottaraśrī currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, in that buddhafield there is also a bodhisattva great being called Sūryapratibhāsa.9 When the tathāgata has passed beyond, that bodhisattva will fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood and will appear in that world as the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha called Having a Body Replete with the Excellent Marks and Every Sublime Glory.
“Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Having a Body Replete with the Excellent Marks and Every Sublime Glory and of the bodhisattva great being Sūryapratibhāsa will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. Possessing all virtuous qualities, they will be as radiant as the sun. It should be known that they will be without any fear of falling into the three lower realms. They will come close to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. They will rid themselves of a thousand eons within saṃsāra.[F.31.b] Their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood will be irreversible.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond as many world systems as there are grains of sand in four Ganges Rivers, there is a world system called Vaśībhūtā.10 The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Sacred Single Jeweled Parasol currently resides, lives, and passes time there.
“Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna, and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Sacred Single Jeweled Parasol will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. They will not be born in poor families. They will not be born in destitute families. In every rebirth, they will only be born in families of the royal caste. They will never be without a father, without a mother, or without possessions, and nor will they be afflicted by illness. They will come close to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. They will rid themselves of thirty thousand eons within saṃsāra. Their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood will be irreversible.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond as many world systems as there are grains of sand in five Ganges Rivers, there is a world system called Accumulation of Utter Purity. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Glorious Subjugator through Sacred Samādhi currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, when the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Glorious Subjugator through Sacred Samādhi was previously[F.32.a] training in bodhisattva conduct, he made the following great aspiration: ‘May it be that any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers my name, when they are reborn in worldly existence, will go forth as a renunciant in every lifetime. Having gone forth as a renunciant, may they achieve a thousand samādhis.11 May they achieve a trillion samādhis through just a single samādhi. May they, furthermore, not decline from those samādhis. May they attend to the ten thousand buddhas who have passed into parinirvāṇa and the Dharma teachers of the past. As with those of the past, may they do the same with respect to those that have arisen in the present. May their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood be irreversible. In every lifetime may they rid themselves of a thousand eons within saṃsāra. May they come close to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.’
“Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Glorious Subjugator through Sacred Samādhi will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. Through a single samādhi they will achieve a trillion samādhis.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond thirty-thousand buddhafields, there is a world system called Variegated. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Glorious King Elevated by a Resplendent Jewel Maṇḍala currently resides, lives, and passes time there.
“Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Bodhisattva Vehicle[F.32.b] and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Glorious King Elevated by a Resplendent Jewel Maṇḍala will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. Without being dispersed, they will have intelligence, insight, splendor, and qualities. They will have words and eloquence that cannot be defeated. These noble sons and noble daughters will possess such qualities. When they teach the Dharma, the form of the Buddha will be present before them. They will not be dispersed by countless billions of teachings which they have not heard or received transmission for. They will possess such words and eloquence that cannot be defeated.12 By all means, they will be Dharma teachers whose progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood is irreversible. They will rid themselves of countless trillion eons within saṃsāra. They will come to hold an unfathomable heap of merit.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond forty thousand buddhafield world systems, there is a world system called Jeweled. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Glorious Illumination of Jeweled Flowers currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Glorious Illumination of Jeweled Flowers will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, remain and teach the Dharma. If they so wish, their speech will be heard throughout Jambudvīpa. If they so wish, their speech will be heard throughout the worlds of the great trichiliocosm. When explaining the Dharma,[F.33.a] they will teach sentient beings each according to their inclinations such that, come what may, their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood will be irreversible. They will rid themselves of sixty thousand eons within saṃsāra.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond sixty-thousand world systems, there is a world system called Precious. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Jewel Essence currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Jewel Essence will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. They will attain the seven precious things, the precious branches of awakening.”
“Mahākāśyapa, to the south of this buddhafield, beyond thirty thousand buddhafields, there is a world system called Pleasant Sound. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Subjugator of Limitless States currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Subjugator of Limitless States will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. They will attain the samādhi of bodhisattvas called pure moon disk. While remaining in that, they will see, in the southern direction, as many blessed buddhas as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River.[F.33.b] Likewise, in the south, west, north, south-east, south-west, north-west, north-east, below, and above, in all ten directions, they will see as many blessed buddhas as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River. They will correctly understand the Dharma taught by them. They will always please the buddhas who appear. Until they reach final awakening, they will never be separated from those blessed buddhas. Their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood will be irreversible. They will rid themselves of thirty-five thousand eons within saṃsāra. They will come to hold an unfathomable heap of merit.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the south of this buddhafield, beyond thirty-five thousand buddhafields, there is a world system called Fragrant Supreme Perfume. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha King of Limitless Supreme Perfume currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, the tathāgata King of Limitless Supreme Perfume previously made this aspiration. What was the aspiration he previously made? ‘May any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers my name, have these good qualities: Through every rebirth, may they recall their past and observe pure conduct. With bodies adorned with the thirty-two marks of a great being, may they appear in other buddhafields and proceed correctly to them. Moreover, may I cause them to become fully enlightened. If this great earth were engulfed by flames, may they be extinguished and jewels appear in their place.[F.34.a] May the hopes of sentient beings who make requests never be dashed. May their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood be irreversible. May they rid themselves of thirty thousand eons within saṃsāra, and may they come to hold an unfathomable heap of merit.’
“Mahākāśyapa, to the south of this buddhafield, beyond as many world systems as there are grains of sand in eight Ganges Rivers, there is a world system in which the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Sacred Jewel currently resides, lives, and passes time. Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Sacred Jewel will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. While they are still in the womb the blessed buddhas will see them, and they will see the blessed buddhas, and will please them. Those blessed buddhas will tell them, ‘Noble child, you will surely awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. Noble child, your progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood is irreversible. Noble child, while still in the womb you will cause other gods, nāgas, and yakṣas, too, to fully ripen into unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood and rid themselves of a thousand eons within saṁsāra.’ They will come to hold an unfathomable heap of merit.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the west of this buddhafield, beyond as many world systems as there are grains of sand in three Ganges Rivers, there is a world system called Distinguishing the Distinguished.[F.34.b] The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha called Great Radiant Power currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Great Radiant Power will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. They will also achieve the samādhi of bodhisattvas called glorious supreme light of the sun disk. Remaining in this samādhi they will behold buddhafields as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River and will see as many blessed buddhas. Likewise, Mahākāśyapa, the benefits of all the good qualities of bodhisattvas who are like Ajita will arise for them. Mahākāśyapa, if any woman remembers the name of that tathāgata, it will be her last existence as a woman, and after she dies, she will attain rebirth as a man. Thus, remembering the name of the tathāgata Great Radiant Power serves a great purpose.”
Then, the Tathāgata spoke this verse:
“Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of this tathāgata will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. They will rid themselves of uncountable eons within saṃsāra They will also come to hold an unfathomable heap of merit.[F.35.a] They will come close to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.
“Mahākāśyapa, beyond this buddhafield to the north, the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Sacred Jewel currently resides, lives, and passes time. Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of the tathāgata Sacred Jewel will generate great merit. Mahākāśyapa, if a noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna was to give away a pile of gold the size of Mount Meru, king of mountains, as an offering to the blessed buddhas, and make similar offerings for a hundred billion trillion years, they would not come close to achieving even a hundredth of the roots of virtue that are accrued from recalling the name of this buddha. They would not come close to even a thousandth, or a hundred thousandth, or any number, fraction, or analogy. If those who recollect the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Sacred Jewel possess something truly excellent, it is this alone.”
Then the Blessed One spoke these verses:
After the Blessed One spoke thus, the monks, bodhisattvas, the elder Mahākaśyapa, and the world together with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced in and thoroughly praised what the Blessed One had said.
This concludes the great exposition of the great Dharma discourse, the noble Mahāyāna sūtra “The Buddha’s Crown.”
Translated, edited, and finalized by the great Indian preceptor Śākyasiṃha and the translator Bandé Devendrarakṣita.
While staying at Vulture Peak Mountain near Rājagṛha with a large audience of different types of beings, the Buddha teaches the venerable Mahākāśyapa about many other buddhas, buddhafields, and the bodhisattvas therein, which exist billions of world systems away from our own world. Simply recalling the names of these buddhas and bodhisattvas will have wondrous results for Mahāyāna practitioners.
This translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The text was translated, edited, and introduced by the 84000 translation team. The initial draft was completed by Sophie McGrath and reviewed by Laura Goetz. George FitzHerbert edited the translation and the introduction, and Dawn Collins copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Achakshus Jun Wang & Pushpangana Ivy Liu.
In this short sūtra the Buddha guides the venerable Mahākāśyapa on a descriptive tour through the universe. He details the other buddhas in distant buddhafields and makes prophecies for the bodhisattvas therein. The main purpose is to make known the names of these other buddhas and bodhisattvas so that Mahāyāna practitioners may experience extraordinary results from simply remembering them.1
In The Buddha’s Crown, our present world, the buddhafield2 of Śākyamuṇi Buddha, is the central locus from which all the others are described.
Some of the buddhas, buddhafields, and bodhisattvas named in this sūtra are also mentioned in Perfection of Wisdom sutras that are extant in Sanskrit3 and, on that basis, their Sanskrit names have been given. Others, however, appear to be unique to this teaching. Since there is no known Sanskrit witness for The Buddha’s Crown itself, the names of these buddhas, buddhafields, and bodhisattvas have been translated into English rather than backtranslated into Sanskrit.
The colophon to the Tibetan states that the sūtra was translated into Tibetan by the Indian preceptor Śākyasiṃha and the lotsāwa Devendrarakṣita. Since it is listed in the Phangthangma (’phang thang ma)4 and Denkarma (ldan dkar ma)5 catalogs of translated texts, we can conclude that it was translated no later than the early ninth century. It had earlier been translated into Chinese by Dharmarakṣa (c. 233–310
The present translation is based on the version of the Tibetan translation found in the Degé Kangyur, with reference to the variants recorded in the Comparative Edition (Tib. dpe bsdur ma) and to the version found in the Stok Palace Kangyur..
[F.29.b]Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!
Thus did I hear at one time.[F.30.a] The Blessed One was residing at Vulture Peak Mountain near Rājagṛha together with a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks, all arhats who had exhausted the contaminants, along with a great retinue of bodhisattvas, including Maitreya, Mañjuśrī, and so forth, and many hosts of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, sages, vidyādharas, and goddesses.
At that time, the Blessed One said to the venerable Mahākāśyapa, “Mahākāśyapa, I shall reveal the causes that thoroughly ripen the roots of virtue of beginner bodhisattvas, so listen and pay full attention. I shall explain them to you.”
“Excellent, Blessed One,” replied the venerable Mahākāśyapa, and he listened to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said, “Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond as many world systems as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, there is a world system called Samādhyalaṃkṛtā. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Samādhihastyuttaraśrī currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, in that buddhafield there is a bodhisattva great being called Vijayavikrāmin.6 In that place, when that tathāgata has passed beyond, the bodhisattva will fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood and will appear in that world as the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha called Eternal Glorious Sacred Elephant of Samādhi.7
“Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna[F.30.b] and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Samādhihastyuttaraśrī and of the bodhisattva great being Vijayavikrāmin will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. They will rid themselves of one hundred eons within saṃsāra. They will come to hold an unfathomable heap of merit. They will come close to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond as many world systems as there are grains of sand in two Ganges Rivers, there is a world system called Bodhimaṇḍalālaṃkārasurucitā. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Padmottaraśrī currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, in that buddhafield there is a bodhisattva great being called Padmahasta.8 When the tathāgata has passed beyond, that bodhisattva, too, will fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood and will appear in that world as the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha called Parasol King of the Sacred Lotus.
“Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Padmottaraśrī and of the bodhisattva great being Padmahasta will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. Like lotuses, they will be untainted by the unvirtuous qualities of all worlds. Like lotuses that have risen from the water, they will be elevated. Their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect[F.31.a] buddhahood will be irreversible. They will rid themselves of thirty eons within saṃsāra. They will come close to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. They will come to hold an unfathomable heap of merit.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond as many world systems as there are grains of sand in three Ganges Rivers, there is a world system called Vigatarajasaṃcayā. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Sūryamaṇḍalaprabhāsottaraśrī currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, in that buddhafield there is also a bodhisattva great being called Sūryapratibhāsa.9 When the tathāgata has passed beyond, that bodhisattva will fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood and will appear in that world as the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha called Having a Body Replete with the Excellent Marks and Every Sublime Glory.
“Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Having a Body Replete with the Excellent Marks and Every Sublime Glory and of the bodhisattva great being Sūryapratibhāsa will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. Possessing all virtuous qualities, they will be as radiant as the sun. It should be known that they will be without any fear of falling into the three lower realms. They will come close to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. They will rid themselves of a thousand eons within saṃsāra.[F.31.b] Their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood will be irreversible.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond as many world systems as there are grains of sand in four Ganges Rivers, there is a world system called Vaśībhūtā.10 The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Sacred Single Jeweled Parasol currently resides, lives, and passes time there.
“Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna, and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Sacred Single Jeweled Parasol will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. They will not be born in poor families. They will not be born in destitute families. In every rebirth, they will only be born in families of the royal caste. They will never be without a father, without a mother, or without possessions, and nor will they be afflicted by illness. They will come close to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. They will rid themselves of thirty thousand eons within saṃsāra. Their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood will be irreversible.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond as many world systems as there are grains of sand in five Ganges Rivers, there is a world system called Accumulation of Utter Purity. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Glorious Subjugator through Sacred Samādhi currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, when the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Glorious Subjugator through Sacred Samādhi was previously[F.32.a] training in bodhisattva conduct, he made the following great aspiration: ‘May it be that any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers my name, when they are reborn in worldly existence, will go forth as a renunciant in every lifetime. Having gone forth as a renunciant, may they achieve a thousand samādhis.11 May they achieve a trillion samādhis through just a single samādhi. May they, furthermore, not decline from those samādhis. May they attend to the ten thousand buddhas who have passed into parinirvāṇa and the Dharma teachers of the past. As with those of the past, may they do the same with respect to those that have arisen in the present. May their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood be irreversible. In every lifetime may they rid themselves of a thousand eons within saṃsāra. May they come close to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.’
“Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Glorious Subjugator through Sacred Samādhi will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. Through a single samādhi they will achieve a trillion samādhis.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond thirty-thousand buddhafields, there is a world system called Variegated. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Glorious King Elevated by a Resplendent Jewel Maṇḍala currently resides, lives, and passes time there.
“Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Bodhisattva Vehicle[F.32.b] and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Glorious King Elevated by a Resplendent Jewel Maṇḍala will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. Without being dispersed, they will have intelligence, insight, splendor, and qualities. They will have words and eloquence that cannot be defeated. These noble sons and noble daughters will possess such qualities. When they teach the Dharma, the form of the Buddha will be present before them. They will not be dispersed by countless billions of teachings which they have not heard or received transmission for. They will possess such words and eloquence that cannot be defeated.12 By all means, they will be Dharma teachers whose progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood is irreversible. They will rid themselves of countless trillion eons within saṃsāra. They will come to hold an unfathomable heap of merit.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond forty thousand buddhafield world systems, there is a world system called Jeweled. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Glorious Illumination of Jeweled Flowers currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Glorious Illumination of Jeweled Flowers will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, remain and teach the Dharma. If they so wish, their speech will be heard throughout Jambudvīpa. If they so wish, their speech will be heard throughout the worlds of the great trichiliocosm. When explaining the Dharma,[F.33.a] they will teach sentient beings each according to their inclinations such that, come what may, their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood will be irreversible. They will rid themselves of sixty thousand eons within saṃsāra.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the east of this buddhafield, beyond sixty-thousand world systems, there is a world system called Precious. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Jewel Essence currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Jewel Essence will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. They will attain the seven precious things, the precious branches of awakening.”
“Mahākāśyapa, to the south of this buddhafield, beyond thirty thousand buddhafields, there is a world system called Pleasant Sound. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Subjugator of Limitless States currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Subjugator of Limitless States will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. They will attain the samādhi of bodhisattvas called pure moon disk. While remaining in that, they will see, in the southern direction, as many blessed buddhas as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River.[F.33.b] Likewise, in the south, west, north, south-east, south-west, north-west, north-east, below, and above, in all ten directions, they will see as many blessed buddhas as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River. They will correctly understand the Dharma taught by them. They will always please the buddhas who appear. Until they reach final awakening, they will never be separated from those blessed buddhas. Their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood will be irreversible. They will rid themselves of thirty-five thousand eons within saṃsāra. They will come to hold an unfathomable heap of merit.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the south of this buddhafield, beyond thirty-five thousand buddhafields, there is a world system called Fragrant Supreme Perfume. The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha King of Limitless Supreme Perfume currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, the tathāgata King of Limitless Supreme Perfume previously made this aspiration. What was the aspiration he previously made? ‘May any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers my name, have these good qualities: Through every rebirth, may they recall their past and observe pure conduct. With bodies adorned with the thirty-two marks of a great being, may they appear in other buddhafields and proceed correctly to them. Moreover, may I cause them to become fully enlightened. If this great earth were engulfed by flames, may they be extinguished and jewels appear in their place.[F.34.a] May the hopes of sentient beings who make requests never be dashed. May their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood be irreversible. May they rid themselves of thirty thousand eons within saṃsāra, and may they come to hold an unfathomable heap of merit.’
“Mahākāśyapa, to the south of this buddhafield, beyond as many world systems as there are grains of sand in eight Ganges Rivers, there is a world system in which the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Sacred Jewel currently resides, lives, and passes time. Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Sacred Jewel will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. While they are still in the womb the blessed buddhas will see them, and they will see the blessed buddhas, and will please them. Those blessed buddhas will tell them, ‘Noble child, you will surely awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. Noble child, your progress toward unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood is irreversible. Noble child, while still in the womb you will cause other gods, nāgas, and yakṣas, too, to fully ripen into unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood and rid themselves of a thousand eons within saṁsāra.’ They will come to hold an unfathomable heap of merit.
“Mahākāśyapa, to the west of this buddhafield, beyond as many world systems as there are grains of sand in three Ganges Rivers, there is a world system called Distinguishing the Distinguished.[F.34.b] The tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha called Great Radiant Power currently resides, lives, and passes time there. Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Great Radiant Power will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. They will also achieve the samādhi of bodhisattvas called glorious supreme light of the sun disk. Remaining in this samādhi they will behold buddhafields as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River and will see as many blessed buddhas. Likewise, Mahākāśyapa, the benefits of all the good qualities of bodhisattvas who are like Ajita will arise for them. Mahākāśyapa, if any woman remembers the name of that tathāgata, it will be her last existence as a woman, and after she dies, she will attain rebirth as a man. Thus, remembering the name of the tathāgata Great Radiant Power serves a great purpose.”
Then, the Tathāgata spoke this verse:
“Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of this tathāgata will, when they are reborn in worldly existence, recall their past lives. They will rid themselves of uncountable eons within saṃsāra They will also come to hold an unfathomable heap of merit.[F.35.a] They will come close to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.
“Mahākāśyapa, beyond this buddhafield to the north, the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Sacred Jewel currently resides, lives, and passes time. Mahākāśyapa, any noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna and remembers the name of the tathāgata Sacred Jewel will generate great merit. Mahākāśyapa, if a noble son or noble daughter who is a genuine practitioner of the Mahāyāna was to give away a pile of gold the size of Mount Meru, king of mountains, as an offering to the blessed buddhas, and make similar offerings for a hundred billion trillion years, they would not come close to achieving even a hundredth of the roots of virtue that are accrued from recalling the name of this buddha. They would not come close to even a thousandth, or a hundred thousandth, or any number, fraction, or analogy. If those who recollect the name of the tathāgata, arhat, perfect buddha Sacred Jewel possess something truly excellent, it is this alone.”
Then the Blessed One spoke these verses:
After the Blessed One spoke thus, the monks, bodhisattvas, the elder Mahākaśyapa, and the world together with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced in and thoroughly praised what the Blessed One had said.
This concludes the great exposition of the great Dharma discourse, the noble Mahāyāna sūtra “The Buddha’s Crown.”
Translated, edited, and finalized by the great Indian preceptor Śākyasiṃha and the translator Bandé Devendrarakṣita.
The benefits of hearing, remembering, and reciting the names of sets of buddhas is mentioned in a large number of sūtras, and is the principal theme of several other short sūtras such as The Seven Buddhas (Toh 270), The Eight Buddhas (Toh 271), The Sūtra of the Ten Buddhas (Toh 272), and The Twelve Buddhas (Toh 273).
Our world system is a buddhafield, as is explained in depth, for example, in the first chapter of The Teaching of Vimalakīrti (Toh 176).
In particular, in The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines (Toh 10) and The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines (Toh 9). The Tibetan names differ very slightly there, but there is a clear correlation.
A buddha and a bodhisattva of the same name, in a world system of the same name, are also mentioned in the Perfection of Wisdom corpus. See Toh 9 and Toh 10. There, the world system is located in the northeast.
The name of this buddha is very similar to that of the previous buddha (Samādhihastyuttaraśrī), but with the addition of the epithet “Eternal” (Tib. rtag tu). Since with this addition the name is not to our knowledge attested in any extant Sanskrit source, it has been translated into English.
A buddha and a bodhisattva of the same name, in a world system of the same name, are also mentioned in the Perfection of Wisdom corpus. See Toh 9 and Toh 10. There, the world system is located in the southeast.
A buddha and a bodhisattva of the same name, in a world system of the same name, are also mentioned in the Perfection of Wisdom corpus. See Toh 9 and Toh 10. There, the world system is located in the southwest.
A world system of the same name is mentioned in the Perfection of Wisdom corpus. See Toh 9 and Toh 10. There, the world system is located in the northwest.
The Stok Palace manuscript reads ting nge ’dzin gdeng thob pa: “achieve confidence [in] samādhi.”
The translation of the preceding passage starting with “when they are reborn in worldly existence” is tentative. Tib… de dag ni srid par skyes pa na tshe rabs dran pa dang blo gros dang ldan pa dang / shes rab dang ldan pa dang / gzi brjid dang ldan pa dang / mtshan dang ldan par mi spro ba de lta bu’i tshig dang / spobs pa mi zlogs pa rigs kyi bu’am rigs kyi bu mo de dag dang ldan par ’gyur ro/ /de dag chos ston pa na mdun na sangs rgyas kyi gzugs gnas par ’gyur ro/ /ma thos shing lung ma phog par bye ba khrag khrig grangs med par spro bar mi ’gyur ba de lta bu’i tshig dang spobs pa mi zlogs pa dang ldan par ’gyur ro. There are no significant variants across Kangyurs.
The translation of this verse is tentative. Tib. mi yi dam pa gang dag ni// bskal pa stong na ’byung ba yi// mchog tu rnyed dka’de la yang// phyag byas mngon shes ci zhig yod//
Translation tentative. Tib. mi nyid du ni de mi skye. Both instances of mi have been taken to mean “human.”
The translation of this verse is tentative. Tib. gang zhig sangs rgyas rnams kyi ’di ’dzin de// rgyal ba ’dren pa mang po mchod pas na// des ni skye ba gcig gis ma yin la// bcu yis ma yin nyi shus ma yin no//
The buddhafield of the buddha called Glorious Subjugator through Sacred Samādhi.
The other name of Maitreya (or Maitraka), the bodhisattva who will be the fifth buddha of the Good Eon.
According to Buddhist tradition, one who is worthy of worship (pūjām arhati), or one who has conquered the enemies, the mental afflictions (kleśa-ari-hata-vat), and reached liberation from the cycle of rebirth and suffering. It is the fourth and highest of the four fruits attainable by śrāvakas. Also used as an epithet of the Buddha.
A Tibetan translator active in the early ninth century.
Epithet of a buddha, “bhagavat” is rendered variously as “Blessed One,” “Lord,” and so forth.
Lit. “Dazzling Center of Awakening.” The buddhafield of the buddha Padmottaraśrī and the great bodhisattva Padmapāṇi.
An alternative name for Mahāyāna, “the Great Vehicle.”
The name of the buddha that the bodhisattva Sūryapratibhāsa will become in the world system called Stainless Accumulation.
The seven branches of awakening are 1. mindfulness (
Literally, “to flow” or “to ooze.” Mental defilements or contaminations that “flow out” toward the objects of cyclic existence, binding us to them. Vasubandhu offers two alternative explanations of this term: “They cause beings to remain (āsayanti) within saṃsāra” and “They flow from the Summit of Existence down to the Avīci hell, out of the six wounds that are the sense fields” (Abhidharmakośabhāṣya 5.40; Pradhan 1967, p. 308). The Summit of Existence (bhavāgra, srid pa’i rtse mo) is the highest point within saṃsāra, while the hell called Avīci (mnar med) is the lowest; the six sense fields (āyatana, skye mched) here refer to the five sense faculties plus the mind, i.e., the six internal sense fields.
The buddhafield of the buddha Radiant Power.
The quality of intelligence, inspiration, and confident knowledge that allows one to teach and talk in the most appropriate way, even for very long stretches of time.
The name of the buddha that the great bodhisattva Vijayavikrāmin will become in the realm called Samādhyalaṃkṛtā.
The buddhafield of the buddha King of Limitless Supreme Perfume.
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.”
The buddha who abides in the buddhafield called Jeweled.
The buddha who abides in the buddhafield Variegated.
The buddha who abides in the realm called Accumulation of Utter Purity.
The Sanskrit pravrajyā literally means “going forth,” with the sense of leaving the life of a householder and embracing the life of a renunciant. When the term is applied more technically, it refers to the act of becoming a male novice (śrāmaṇera; dge tshul) or female novice (śrāmaṇerikā; dge tshul ma), this being a first stage leading to full ordination.
The name of the buddha who abides in the world system called Distinguishing the Distinguished.
The buddha who abides in the buddhafield called Precious.
The buddhafield of the buddha Glorious Illumination of Jeweled Flowers.
The buddha who abides in the buddhafield Fragrant Supreme Perfume.
Lit. “Lotus Holder.” The bodhisattva who abides in the buddhafield Bodhimaṇḍalālaṃkārasurucitā.
Lit. “Glorious Sacred Lotus.” The buddha who abides in the buddhafield Bodhimaṇḍalālaṃkārasurucitā.
The name of the buddha that the bodhisattva Padmahasta will become in the world called Bodhimaṇḍalālaṃkārasurucitā.
The buddhafield of the buddha Subjugator of Limitless States.
The buddhafield of the buddha Jewel Essence.
Brahman is a Sanskrit term referring to what is highest (parama) and most important (pradhāna); the Nibandhana commentary explains brahman as meaning here nirvāṇa, and thus the brahman conduct is the “conduct toward brahman,” the conduct that leads to the highest liberation, i.e., nirvāṇa. This is explained as “the path without outflows,” which is the “truth of the path” among the four truths of the noble ones. Other explanations (found in the Pāli tradition) take “brahman conduct” to mean the “best conduct,” and also the “conduct of the best,” i.e., the buddhas. In some contexts, “brahman conduct” refers more specifically to celibacy, but the specific referents of this expression are many.
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.
One of the four main castes in classical India. They were the ruling elite who governed during peace time and fought during war time. It is the caste Siddhartha Gautama was born into.
A buddha in the northern direction of the present time.
An alternative name for the buddha Ekachattra (“With a Single Parasol”) mentioned in the Perfection of
An ancient Indian spiritual title, often translated as “sage” or “seer.” The title is particularly used for divinely inspired individuals credited with creating the foundations of Indian culture. The term is also applied to Śākyamuni and other realized Buddhist figures.
An Indian abbot. Collaborated on translations during the early translation period.
In a general sense, samādhi can describe a number of different meditative states. In the Mahāyāna literature, in particular in the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras, we find extensive lists of different samādhis, numbering over one hundred.
In a more restricted sense, and when understood as a mental state, samādhi is defined as the one-pointedness of the mind (cittaikāgratā), the ability to remain on the same object over long periods of time. The Drajor Bamponyipa (sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa) commentary on the Mahāvyutpatti explains the term samādhi as referring to the instrument through which mind and mental states “get collected,” i.e., it is by the force of samādhi that the continuum of mind and mental states becomes collected on a single point of reference without getting distracted.
Lit. “Glorious Sacred Elephant of Samādhi.” The buddha who abides in the buddhafield Samādhyalaṃkṛtā.
Lit. “Ornamented by Samādhi.” The Buddha realm of the buddha Samādhihastyuttaraśrī and the great bodhisattva Vijayavikrāmin.
The buddha who abides in the buddhafield Pleasant Sound.
Lit. “Sunlight.” The name of the great bodhisattva who abides in the buddhafield Vigatarajasaṃcayā.
Lit. “Glorious Sacred Light of the Sun Disk.” The name of the buddha who abides in the buddhafield Vigatarajasaṃcayā.
A collective name for the realms of hell beings, pretas, and animals.
The buddhafield of the Buddha called Glorious King Who Is Elevated by a Resplendent Jewel Maṇḍala.
Lit. “Fully Controlled.” The buddhafield of the buddha Ekachattra.
Meaning those who wield (
Lit. “Stainless Accumulation.” The buddhafield of the buddha Sūryamaṇḍalaprabhāsottaraśrī and the great bodhisattva Sūryapratibhāsa.
’phags pa sangs rgyas kyi dbu rgyan zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo chos kyi rnam grangs chen po (Āryabuddhamakuṭanāmamahāyānasūtramahādharmaparyāya). Toh 274, Degé Kangyur vol. 68 (mdo sde, ya), folios 29.b–35.b.
’phags pa sangs rgyas kyi dbu rgyan zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo chos kyi rnam grangs chen po. 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. 68, pp. 85–100.
’phags pa sangs rgyas kyi dbu rgyan zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo chos kyi rnam grangs chen po. Stok Palace Kangyur vol. 57 (mdo sde, cha), folios 265.b–274.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.
Kawagoe, E. dKar chag ’Phang thang ma. Japan: Tohoku Society for Indo-Tibetan Studies, 2005.
