While the Buddha is residing in Śrāvastī, Ānanda approaches and asks about the karmic results of virtuous activities such as sweeping and offering a maṇḍala, and he asks what kinds of actions will not be wasted in saṃsāra but lead to nirvāṇa. The Buddha responds to each activity in turn and then explains several virtuous activities that will lead to positive results, particularly those directed toward the Buddha, Dharma, or Saṅgha. He then compares increasingly vast offerings made to arhats, the saṅgha of monks, and others to the construction of a miniature stūpa the size of a gooseberry for a fully awakened buddha who has passed into parinirvāṇa, declaring the latter offering to be the more meritorious.
Translated, introduced, and annotated by Laura Goetz, in consultation with a draft translation by the Vikramashila Translation House.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Dawn Collins copyedited the text, and Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
While the Buddha is residing in Śrāvastī, Ānanda approaches and asks about the karmic results of virtuous activities such as sweeping a sacred place and offering a maṇḍala. He also asks what kinds of actions will not be wasted in saṃsāra but lead to nirvāṇa. The Buddha responds to each activity in turn and then explains several virtuous activities that will lead to positive results, particularly those directed toward the Buddha, Dharma, or Saṅgha. He then compares increasingly vast offerings made to arhats, the saṅgha of monks, and others to the construction of a miniature stupa,1 the size of a gooseberry, of a fully awakened buddha who has passed into parinirvāṇa, declaring the latter offering to be the more meritorious.
This brief sūtra is quite complex in terms of its intertextual relationship with other sūtras.2 The sūtra is well known for its second half, which presents the merits of constructing a miniature stūpa for a buddha.3 Parts of that teaching have also been identified as inscriptions on larger Indian stūpas,4 providing evidence for the early practice of constructing miniature stūpas.5
One notable example of the intertextuality between The Pavilion Sūtra and other canonical texts is found in The Marvelous Dharma Discourse (Adbhutadharmaparyāya, Toh 319), which contains a very similar passage on the merits of constructing miniature stūpas.6 The passage is, however, framed differently in The Marvelous Dharma Discourse, which also contains a reference to a “pavilion” (Skt. kūṭāgāra). Interestingly, this term is missing altogether in The Pavilion Sūtra apart from its occurrence in the title. In The Marvelous Dharma Discourse, however, Ānanda seeks out the Buddha to ask him whether it would be more meritorious to offer a pavilion to the monks of the four directions or to offer a tiny stūpa to a buddha who has passed into parinirvāṇa. The pavilion is declared to be the inferior offering, making it even more surprising that this became the title of The Pavilion Sūtra.7
In another brief sūtra called The Great Rumble (Mahāraṇa, Toh 208),8 Ānanda similarly asks about the merit of making a miniature stūpa, and the concluding content of The Great Rumble parallels a portion of the Sanskrit version of The Pavilion Sūtra.9 Moreover, in The Sūtra on Dependent Arising (Pratītyasamutpādasūtra, Toh 212),10 the benefits of building a tiny stūpa are set forth alongside the famous ye dharmā verse on dependent arising often found in connection with the construction of stūpas.11
The Pavilion Sūtra is extant in several Sanskrit witnesses: one complete manuscript in the Gilgit collection,12 a single folio published by M. H. P Shāstrī in 1917,13 and another complete manuscript found in the Potala. Bhikṣuṇī Vinītā’s edition of the Potala manuscript was made based on the other extant Sanskrit witnesses, so as a support to our translation we rely on her edition, which also includes editions of the Chinese and Tibetan along with an English translation. In her introduction to this sūtra, Vinītā discusses at length some of the difficulties presented to scholars in identifying the texts represented by the Gilgit manuscript witness, given the similarities between The Pavilion Sūtra, The Marvelous Dharma Discourse, and The Great Rumble, but she concludes that the Gilgit manuscript is likely a recension of The Pavilion Sūtra.14
A Chinese translation (Lou ge zheng fa gan lu gu jing 樓閣正法甘露皷經, Taishō 704) was produced by Tian xi zai 天息災 (ca. tenth century).15 There is also a translation in the Mongolian Kangyur entitled Dabqučaγuluγsan qarsi-yin sudur.16
The Tibetan translation is listed in the imperial-period Denkarma and Phangthangma catalogs, dating it to the early ninth century. The Phangthangma lists this work under short sūtras (mdo phra mo) and as relating to the Hīnayāna (theg chung), and it is also listed as a Hīnayāna work in Butön Rinchen Drup’s (1290–1364) History of Buddhism (chos ’byung).17 The canonical translation was produced by the Tibetan translator Ratnarakṣita, who is dated to the same period (late eighth to early ninth century).
Another Tibetan translation was found in Dunhuang (IOL Tib J 60). In its colophon, it lists as translators the Tibetan Bandé Devendrarakṣita and the Indian preceptor Dharmākara. The manuscript itself is dated to between 750–1000
Our translation below is based primarily on the Degé Kangyur, with reference to the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma), the Stok Palace (stog pho brang) Kangyur, and the Dunhuang manuscript (IOL Tib J 60). We have not provided an exhaustive comparison with the Sanskrit but have referenced Vinītā’s 2010 edition and provided commentary where the Sanskrit was used to support our translation or is otherwise worth noting.
[F.260.a]Homage to the Omniscient One.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing in Śrāvastī in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. The venerable Ānanda went to where the Blessed One was, bowed his head to the Blessed One’s feet, and sat to one side.
The venerable Ānanda asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, what roots of virtue come from sweeping? What comes from offering a maṇḍala? What comes from the virtues of going for refuge and taking the basic precepts?[F.260.b] What comes from the action of joining one’s palms together in homage to the thus-gone ones?20 Blessed One, what root of virtue will not be depleted or spent in saṃsāra but lead to the attainment of nirvāṇa, which knows no depletion? What comes from making physical likenesses of the thus-gone ones?”
“Ānanda,” replied the Blessed One, “five benefits come from sweeping.21 What are the five? It is like this, Ānanda: One’s mind will become clear, the minds of others will become clear,22 the gods will be delighted, actions with pleasing results will have been performed and accumulated,23 and, when the body perishes, one will take birth among the gods in the joyful states of the heavens.
“Ānanda, I say that if someone makes a square maṇḍala for the sake of the Thus-Gone One, that person will become the sovereign lord of the continent of Uttarakuru, and, when their body perishes, they will be born among the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.
“Ānanda, I say that if someone makes a round maṇḍala for the sake of the Thus-Gone One, that person will become the sovereign lord of the continent of Aparagodānīya, and, when their body perishes, they will be born among the gods of the Yāma Heaven.
“Ānanda, I say that if someone makes a maṇḍala shaped like a half-moon with a faithful mind24 toward the Blessed Buddha, that person will become the sovereign lord of the continent of Pūrvavideha, and, when their body perishes, they will be born among the gods of the Tuṣita Heaven.
“Ānanda, I say that if someone makes a maṇḍala in the shape of a chariot25 with a faithful mind toward the Blessed Buddha, that person will become the sovereign lord of Jambudvīpa, and, when their body perishes, they will be born among the gods of the Nirmāṇarati Heaven.
“Ānanda, if someone goes for refuge in the Buddha and goes for refuge in the Dharma and the Saṅgha,[F.261.a] and having received the basic precepts guards them well, I say, Ānanda, that the merit from that root of virtue will be immeasurable and incalculable. I say that its limit cannot be comprehended by śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas up until the ultimate limit of nirvāṇa.”
Then, perceiving venerable Ānanda’s thoughts, the Blessed One fully extended his tongue—which was stainless like the petals of a red lotus and soft like its leaves, red like vermillion, fine like an aśoka tree shoot26 or a sheet of copper, and as wide as it was long—until it covered the whole of his face up to the hairline.27
He asked Ānanda, “Ānanda, have you seen a tongue such as this possessed by those who speak falsely or who speak divisive words, harsh words, or meaningless words?”
“I have not, reverend one.”
“Ānanda, the thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened ones speak the truth.
“Ānanda, those beings who join their palms together and say, ‘Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one!’ will be embraced and emancipated by me. For those beings I worry very little. Why? Because, Ānanda, the dharma element of the Thus-Gone One is utterly stable. Because it is utterly stable, since even the act of joining the palms will not be wasted, what need to mention acts such as generosity.
“Look, Ānanda. Suppose a person takes the remains from rinsing28 their own spoon, bowl, or pot an[F.261.b]d discards it into a drainage ditch while thinking, ‘By this may all the creatures residing here be happy.’ I say that even that act, Ānanda, is a gateway to the generation of merit, not to mention an act for the sake of a human being.
“Ānanda, these three are the intermediate eons. What are the three? They are the intermediate eon of warfare, the intermediate eon of disease, and the intermediate eon of famine. In that regard, Ānanda, if someone takes up abstinence from killing and maintains it for just a single day,29 they will not be born in the intermediate eon of warfare. If someone offers just a single myrobalan fruit to the Saṅgha, they will not be born in the intermediate eon of disease. If someone offers just a single spoonful of food to the Saṅgha,30 they will not be born in the intermediate eon of famine.
“Ānanda, these three roots of virtue, once planted,31 will not be depleted or spent in saṃsāra but will bring about the attainment of nirvāṇa that knows no depletion. What are the three? Ānanda, a root of virtue directed toward the Buddha will not be depleted or spent in saṃsāra but will bring about the attainment of nirvāṇa that knows no depletion. A root of virtue directed toward the Dharma and one directed toward the Saṅgha will not be depleted or spent in saṃsāra but will bring about the attainment of nirvāṇa that knows no depletion.”
Then, to illustrate the qualities of the Thus-Gone One, the Blessed One asked Ānanda, “Have you seen the continent of the Jambudvīpa, Ānanda?”
“I have seen it, O reverend one.”
“32Ānanda, the continent of the Jambudvīpa is seven thousand yojanas wide and seven thousand yojanas long. Its northern part is broad33 and its southern part is shaped like a chariot.34 Suppose a noble son or noble daughter endowed with fait[F.262.a]h were to fill it with the seven precious substances35 and offer it to the stream enterers, the once-returners, the non-returners, the arhats, the pratyekabuddhas, and the saṅgha of monks of the four directions. Suppose another person were to erect a stūpa for a thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one who has passed into parinirvāṇa that is made out of clay and the size of a gooseberry, insert a central pillar the size of a needle, cover it with a parasol the size of a jujube leaf, make a statue the size of a barley grain, and insert a relic the size of a mustard seed—Ānanda, I say that this offering is much more meritorious than the former.
“Ānanda, forget about the continent of Jambudvīpa—Ānanda, there is a continent known as Pūrvavideha that is eight thousand yojanas wide, eight thousand yojanas long, and shaped entirely like a half-moon. Suppose a noble son or noble daughter endowed with faith were to fill it with the seven precious substances and offer it to the stream enterers, the once-returners, the non-returners, the arhats, the pratyekabuddhas, and the saṅgha of monks of the four directions. Suppose another person were to erect a stūpa for a thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one who has passed into parinirvāṇa that is made out of clay and the size of a gooseberry, insert a central pillar the size of a needle, cover it with a parasol the size of a jujube leaf, make a statue the size of a barley grain, and insert a relic the size of a mustard seed—Ānanda, I say that this offering is much more meritorious than the former.
“Ānanda, forget about the continent of Jambudvīpa, and forget about the continent of Pūrvavideha, too.[F.262.b] Ānanda, there is a continent known as Aparagodānīya that is nine thousand yojanas wide, nine thousand yojanas long, and shaped entirely like a full moon. Suppose a noble son or noble daughter endowed with faith were to fill it with the seven precious substances and offer it to the stream enterers, the once-returners, the non-returners, the arhats, the pratyekabuddhas, and the saṅgha of monks of the four directions. Suppose another person were to erect a stūpa for a thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one who has passed into parinirvāṇa that is made out of clay and the size of a gooseberry, insert a central pillar the size of a needle, cover it with a parasol the size of a jujube leaf, make a statue the size of a barley grain, and insert a relic the size of a mustard seed—Ānanda, I say that this offering is much more meritorious than the former.
“Ānanda, forget about the continent of the Jambudvīpa, forget about the continent of Pūrvavideha, and forget about the continent of Aparagodānīya—Ānanda, there is a continent known as Uttarakuru that is ten thousand yojanas wide, ten thousand yojanas long, and entirely square. Suppose a noble son or noble daughter endowed with faith were to fill it with the seven precious substances and offer it to the stream enterers, the once-returners, the non-returners, the arhats, the pratyekabuddhas, and the saṅgha of monks of the four directions. Suppose another person were to erect a stūpa for a thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one who has passed into parinirvāṇa that is made out of clay and the size of a gooseberry, insert a central pillar the size of a needle, cover it with a parasol the size of a jujube leaf,[F.263.a] make a statue the size of a barley grain, and insert a relic the size of a mustard seed—Ānanda, I say that this offering is much more meritorious than the former.
“Ānanda, forget about the continent of the Jambudvīpa, forget about the continent of Pūrvavideha, forget about the continent of Aparagodānīya, and forget about the continent of Uttarakuru—Ānanda, there is the palace of Śakra, lord of the gods, called Vaijayanta. Suppose a noble son or noble daughter endowed with faith were to fill this with the seven precious substances and offer it to the stream enterers, the once-returners, the non-returners, the arhats, the pratyekabuddhas, and the saṅgha of monks of the four directions. Suppose another person were to erect a stūpa for a thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one who has passed into parinirvāṇa that is made out of clay and the size of a gooseberry, insert a central pillar the size of a needle, cover it with a parasol the size of a jujube leaf, make a statue the size of a barley grain, and insert a relic the size of a mustard seed—Ānanda, I say that this offering is much more meritorious than the former.
“Ānanda, forget about the continent of the Jambudvīpa, forget about the continent of Pūrvavideha, forget about the continent of Aparagodānīya, forget about the continent of Uttarakuru, and forget about the palace of Śakra, lord of the gods, called Vaijayanta—Ānanda, there is the trichiliocosm. Suppose a noble son or noble daughter endowed with faith were to fill it with the seven precious substances and offer it to the stream enterers, the once-returners, the non-returners, the arhats, the pratyekabuddhas, and the saṅgha of monks in the four directions.[F.263.b] Suppose another person were to erect a stūpa for a thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one who has passed into parinirvāṇa that is made out of clay and the size of a gooseberry, insert a central pillar the size of a needle, cover it with a parasol the size of a jujube leaf, make a statue the size of a barley grain, and insert a relic the size of a mustard seed—Ānanda, I say that this offering is much more meritorious than the former.
“Why is that? In this way, Ānanda, the thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one is immeasurable in terms of generosity, immeasurable in terms of moral discipline, immeasurable in terms of diligence, immeasurable in terms of patience, immeasurable in terms of meditative absorption, immeasurable in terms of wisdom, and immeasurable in terms of loving-kindness up to equanimity,36 because, Ānanda, the thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one is endowed with immeasurable qualities.”
37When the Blessed One had spoken thus, the venerable Ānanda and the monks rejoiced in and praised the words of the Blessed One.
This concludes “The Pavilion Sūtra.”
Translated, edited, and finalized by the great editor-translator Ratnarakṣita.
While the Buddha is residing in Śrāvastī, Ānanda approaches and asks about the karmic results of virtuous activities such as sweeping and offering a maṇḍala, and he asks what kinds of actions will not be wasted in saṃsāra but lead to nirvāṇa. The Buddha responds to each activity in turn and then explains several virtuous activities that will lead to positive results, particularly those directed toward the Buddha, Dharma, or Saṅgha. He then compares increasingly vast offerings made to arhats, the saṅgha of monks, and others to the construction of a miniature stūpa the size of a gooseberry for a fully awakened buddha who has passed into parinirvāṇa, declaring the latter offering to be the more meritorious.
Translated, introduced, and annotated by Laura Goetz, in consultation with a draft translation by the Vikramashila Translation House.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Dawn Collins copyedited the text, and Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
While the Buddha is residing in Śrāvastī, Ānanda approaches and asks about the karmic results of virtuous activities such as sweeping a sacred place and offering a maṇḍala. He also asks what kinds of actions will not be wasted in saṃsāra but lead to nirvāṇa. The Buddha responds to each activity in turn and then explains several virtuous activities that will lead to positive results, particularly those directed toward the Buddha, Dharma, or Saṅgha. He then compares increasingly vast offerings made to arhats, the saṅgha of monks, and others to the construction of a miniature stupa,1 the size of a gooseberry, of a fully awakened buddha who has passed into parinirvāṇa, declaring the latter offering to be the more meritorious.
This brief sūtra is quite complex in terms of its intertextual relationship with other sūtras.2 The sūtra is well known for its second half, which presents the merits of constructing a miniature stūpa for a buddha.3 Parts of that teaching have also been identified as inscriptions on larger Indian stūpas,4 providing evidence for the early practice of constructing miniature stūpas.5
One notable example of the intertextuality between The Pavilion Sūtra and other canonical texts is found in The Marvelous Dharma Discourse (Adbhutadharmaparyāya, Toh 319), which contains a very similar passage on the merits of constructing miniature stūpas.6 The passage is, however, framed differently in The Marvelous Dharma Discourse, which also contains a reference to a “pavilion” (Skt. kūṭāgāra). Interestingly, this term is missing altogether in The Pavilion Sūtra apart from its occurrence in the title. In The Marvelous Dharma Discourse, however, Ānanda seeks out the Buddha to ask him whether it would be more meritorious to offer a pavilion to the monks of the four directions or to offer a tiny stūpa to a buddha who has passed into parinirvāṇa. The pavilion is declared to be the inferior offering, making it even more surprising that this became the title of The Pavilion Sūtra.7
In another brief sūtra called The Great Rumble (Mahāraṇa, Toh 208),8 Ānanda similarly asks about the merit of making a miniature stūpa, and the concluding content of The Great Rumble parallels a portion of the Sanskrit version of The Pavilion Sūtra.9 Moreover, in The Sūtra on Dependent Arising (Pratītyasamutpādasūtra, Toh 212),10 the benefits of building a tiny stūpa are set forth alongside the famous ye dharmā verse on dependent arising often found in connection with the construction of stūpas.11
The Pavilion Sūtra is extant in several Sanskrit witnesses: one complete manuscript in the Gilgit collection,12 a single folio published by M. H. P Shāstrī in 1917,13 and another complete manuscript found in the Potala. Bhikṣuṇī Vinītā’s edition of the Potala manuscript was made based on the other extant Sanskrit witnesses, so as a support to our translation we rely on her edition, which also includes editions of the Chinese and Tibetan along with an English translation. In her introduction to this sūtra, Vinītā discusses at length some of the difficulties presented to scholars in identifying the texts represented by the Gilgit manuscript witness, given the similarities between The Pavilion Sūtra, The Marvelous Dharma Discourse, and The Great Rumble, but she concludes that the Gilgit manuscript is likely a recension of The Pavilion Sūtra.14
A Chinese translation (Lou ge zheng fa gan lu gu jing 樓閣正法甘露皷經, Taishō 704) was produced by Tian xi zai 天息災 (ca. tenth century).15 There is also a translation in the Mongolian Kangyur entitled Dabqučaγuluγsan qarsi-yin sudur.16
The Tibetan translation is listed in the imperial-period Denkarma and Phangthangma catalogs, dating it to the early ninth century. The Phangthangma lists this work under short sūtras (mdo phra mo) and as relating to the Hīnayāna (theg chung), and it is also listed as a Hīnayāna work in Butön Rinchen Drup’s (1290–1364) History of Buddhism (chos ’byung).17 The canonical translation was produced by the Tibetan translator Ratnarakṣita, who is dated to the same period (late eighth to early ninth century).
Another Tibetan translation was found in Dunhuang (IOL Tib J 60). In its colophon, it lists as translators the Tibetan Bandé Devendrarakṣita and the Indian preceptor Dharmākara. The manuscript itself is dated to between 750–1000
Our translation below is based primarily on the Degé Kangyur, with reference to the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma), the Stok Palace (stog pho brang) Kangyur, and the Dunhuang manuscript (IOL Tib J 60). We have not provided an exhaustive comparison with the Sanskrit but have referenced Vinītā’s 2010 edition and provided commentary where the Sanskrit was used to support our translation or is otherwise worth noting.
[F.260.a]Homage to the Omniscient One.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing in Śrāvastī in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. The venerable Ānanda went to where the Blessed One was, bowed his head to the Blessed One’s feet, and sat to one side.
The venerable Ānanda asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, what roots of virtue come from sweeping? What comes from offering a maṇḍala? What comes from the virtues of going for refuge and taking the basic precepts?[F.260.b] What comes from the action of joining one’s palms together in homage to the thus-gone ones?20 Blessed One, what root of virtue will not be depleted or spent in saṃsāra but lead to the attainment of nirvāṇa, which knows no depletion? What comes from making physical likenesses of the thus-gone ones?”
“Ānanda,” replied the Blessed One, “five benefits come from sweeping.21 What are the five? It is like this, Ānanda: One’s mind will become clear, the minds of others will become clear,22 the gods will be delighted, actions with pleasing results will have been performed and accumulated,23 and, when the body perishes, one will take birth among the gods in the joyful states of the heavens.
“Ānanda, I say that if someone makes a square maṇḍala for the sake of the Thus-Gone One, that person will become the sovereign lord of the continent of Uttarakuru, and, when their body perishes, they will be born among the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.
“Ānanda, I say that if someone makes a round maṇḍala for the sake of the Thus-Gone One, that person will become the sovereign lord of the continent of Aparagodānīya, and, when their body perishes, they will be born among the gods of the Yāma Heaven.
“Ānanda, I say that if someone makes a maṇḍala shaped like a half-moon with a faithful mind24 toward the Blessed Buddha, that person will become the sovereign lord of the continent of Pūrvavideha, and, when their body perishes, they will be born among the gods of the Tuṣita Heaven.
“Ānanda, I say that if someone makes a maṇḍala in the shape of a chariot25 with a faithful mind toward the Blessed Buddha, that person will become the sovereign lord of Jambudvīpa, and, when their body perishes, they will be born among the gods of the Nirmāṇarati Heaven.
“Ānanda, if someone goes for refuge in the Buddha and goes for refuge in the Dharma and the Saṅgha,[F.261.a] and having received the basic precepts guards them well, I say, Ānanda, that the merit from that root of virtue will be immeasurable and incalculable. I say that its limit cannot be comprehended by śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas up until the ultimate limit of nirvāṇa.”
Then, perceiving venerable Ānanda’s thoughts, the Blessed One fully extended his tongue—which was stainless like the petals of a red lotus and soft like its leaves, red like vermillion, fine like an aśoka tree shoot26 or a sheet of copper, and as wide as it was long—until it covered the whole of his face up to the hairline.27
He asked Ānanda, “Ānanda, have you seen a tongue such as this possessed by those who speak falsely or who speak divisive words, harsh words, or meaningless words?”
“I have not, reverend one.”
“Ānanda, the thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened ones speak the truth.
“Ānanda, those beings who join their palms together and say, ‘Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one!’ will be embraced and emancipated by me. For those beings I worry very little. Why? Because, Ānanda, the dharma element of the Thus-Gone One is utterly stable. Because it is utterly stable, since even the act of joining the palms will not be wasted, what need to mention acts such as generosity.
“Look, Ānanda. Suppose a person takes the remains from rinsing28 their own spoon, bowl, or pot an[F.261.b]d discards it into a drainage ditch while thinking, ‘By this may all the creatures residing here be happy.’ I say that even that act, Ānanda, is a gateway to the generation of merit, not to mention an act for the sake of a human being.
“Ānanda, these three are the intermediate eons. What are the three? They are the intermediate eon of warfare, the intermediate eon of disease, and the intermediate eon of famine. In that regard, Ānanda, if someone takes up abstinence from killing and maintains it for just a single day,29 they will not be born in the intermediate eon of warfare. If someone offers just a single myrobalan fruit to the Saṅgha, they will not be born in the intermediate eon of disease. If someone offers just a single spoonful of food to the Saṅgha,30 they will not be born in the intermediate eon of famine.
“Ānanda, these three roots of virtue, once planted,31 will not be depleted or spent in saṃsāra but will bring about the attainment of nirvāṇa that knows no depletion. What are the three? Ānanda, a root of virtue directed toward the Buddha will not be depleted or spent in saṃsāra but will bring about the attainment of nirvāṇa that knows no depletion. A root of virtue directed toward the Dharma and one directed toward the Saṅgha will not be depleted or spent in saṃsāra but will bring about the attainment of nirvāṇa that knows no depletion.”
Then, to illustrate the qualities of the Thus-Gone One, the Blessed One asked Ānanda, “Have you seen the continent of the Jambudvīpa, Ānanda?”
“I have seen it, O reverend one.”
“32Ānanda, the continent of the Jambudvīpa is seven thousand yojanas wide and seven thousand yojanas long. Its northern part is broad33 and its southern part is shaped like a chariot.34 Suppose a noble son or noble daughter endowed with fait[F.262.a]h were to fill it with the seven precious substances35 and offer it to the stream enterers, the once-returners, the non-returners, the arhats, the pratyekabuddhas, and the saṅgha of monks of the four directions. Suppose another person were to erect a stūpa for a thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one who has passed into parinirvāṇa that is made out of clay and the size of a gooseberry, insert a central pillar the size of a needle, cover it with a parasol the size of a jujube leaf, make a statue the size of a barley grain, and insert a relic the size of a mustard seed—Ānanda, I say that this offering is much more meritorious than the former.
“Ānanda, forget about the continent of Jambudvīpa—Ānanda, there is a continent known as Pūrvavideha that is eight thousand yojanas wide, eight thousand yojanas long, and shaped entirely like a half-moon. Suppose a noble son or noble daughter endowed with faith were to fill it with the seven precious substances and offer it to the stream enterers, the once-returners, the non-returners, the arhats, the pratyekabuddhas, and the saṅgha of monks of the four directions. Suppose another person were to erect a stūpa for a thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one who has passed into parinirvāṇa that is made out of clay and the size of a gooseberry, insert a central pillar the size of a needle, cover it with a parasol the size of a jujube leaf, make a statue the size of a barley grain, and insert a relic the size of a mustard seed—Ānanda, I say that this offering is much more meritorious than the former.
“Ānanda, forget about the continent of Jambudvīpa, and forget about the continent of Pūrvavideha, too.[F.262.b] Ānanda, there is a continent known as Aparagodānīya that is nine thousand yojanas wide, nine thousand yojanas long, and shaped entirely like a full moon. Suppose a noble son or noble daughter endowed with faith were to fill it with the seven precious substances and offer it to the stream enterers, the once-returners, the non-returners, the arhats, the pratyekabuddhas, and the saṅgha of monks of the four directions. Suppose another person were to erect a stūpa for a thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one who has passed into parinirvāṇa that is made out of clay and the size of a gooseberry, insert a central pillar the size of a needle, cover it with a parasol the size of a jujube leaf, make a statue the size of a barley grain, and insert a relic the size of a mustard seed—Ānanda, I say that this offering is much more meritorious than the former.
“Ānanda, forget about the continent of the Jambudvīpa, forget about the continent of Pūrvavideha, and forget about the continent of Aparagodānīya—Ānanda, there is a continent known as Uttarakuru that is ten thousand yojanas wide, ten thousand yojanas long, and entirely square. Suppose a noble son or noble daughter endowed with faith were to fill it with the seven precious substances and offer it to the stream enterers, the once-returners, the non-returners, the arhats, the pratyekabuddhas, and the saṅgha of monks of the four directions. Suppose another person were to erect a stūpa for a thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one who has passed into parinirvāṇa that is made out of clay and the size of a gooseberry, insert a central pillar the size of a needle, cover it with a parasol the size of a jujube leaf,[F.263.a] make a statue the size of a barley grain, and insert a relic the size of a mustard seed—Ānanda, I say that this offering is much more meritorious than the former.
“Ānanda, forget about the continent of the Jambudvīpa, forget about the continent of Pūrvavideha, forget about the continent of Aparagodānīya, and forget about the continent of Uttarakuru—Ānanda, there is the palace of Śakra, lord of the gods, called Vaijayanta. Suppose a noble son or noble daughter endowed with faith were to fill this with the seven precious substances and offer it to the stream enterers, the once-returners, the non-returners, the arhats, the pratyekabuddhas, and the saṅgha of monks of the four directions. Suppose another person were to erect a stūpa for a thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one who has passed into parinirvāṇa that is made out of clay and the size of a gooseberry, insert a central pillar the size of a needle, cover it with a parasol the size of a jujube leaf, make a statue the size of a barley grain, and insert a relic the size of a mustard seed—Ānanda, I say that this offering is much more meritorious than the former.
“Ānanda, forget about the continent of the Jambudvīpa, forget about the continent of Pūrvavideha, forget about the continent of Aparagodānīya, forget about the continent of Uttarakuru, and forget about the palace of Śakra, lord of the gods, called Vaijayanta—Ānanda, there is the trichiliocosm. Suppose a noble son or noble daughter endowed with faith were to fill it with the seven precious substances and offer it to the stream enterers, the once-returners, the non-returners, the arhats, the pratyekabuddhas, and the saṅgha of monks in the four directions.[F.263.b] Suppose another person were to erect a stūpa for a thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one who has passed into parinirvāṇa that is made out of clay and the size of a gooseberry, insert a central pillar the size of a needle, cover it with a parasol the size of a jujube leaf, make a statue the size of a barley grain, and insert a relic the size of a mustard seed—Ānanda, I say that this offering is much more meritorious than the former.
“Why is that? In this way, Ānanda, the thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one is immeasurable in terms of generosity, immeasurable in terms of moral discipline, immeasurable in terms of diligence, immeasurable in terms of patience, immeasurable in terms of meditative absorption, immeasurable in terms of wisdom, and immeasurable in terms of loving-kindness up to equanimity,36 because, Ānanda, the thus-gone, worthy, completely awakened one is endowed with immeasurable qualities.”
37When the Blessed One had spoken thus, the venerable Ānanda and the monks rejoiced in and praised the words of the Blessed One.
This concludes “The Pavilion Sūtra.”
Translated, edited, and finalized by the great editor-translator Ratnarakṣita.
Bhikṣuṇī Vinītā, who has produced a critical edition and translation of The Pavilion Sūtra, has noted in her translation and its introduction a great many parallel passages in other sūtras. See Vinītā 2010, vol. 1, p. 13ff. For a further comparison of related sūtras, see Bentor 1988, pp. 21–22 and pp. 47–48, nn. 4–8. The relationship between these sūtras is difficult to determine, as they are often conflated in various sources.
Vinītā 2010, vol. 1, p. 61, note a. See also Bentor 1988, pp. 21–22 and p. 48, nn. 9–15; and Boucher 1991.
Published in Raghu Vira and Lokesh Chandra, eds., Gilgit Buddhist Manuscripts, Śata-piṭaka Series, 10 vols. (International Academy of Indian Culture, 1959–74). See revised edition (Sri Sat-guru Publications, 1995), 1588,1–1592,4.
Mahāmahopādhyāya Haraprasāda Shāstrī, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Collections of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, vol. 1 (Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1917) 127–28 (no. 81, 4758). A portion of this fragment was identified as the beginning of the Kūṭāgāra Sūtra by Yael Bentor in her 1988 article (p. 47, n. 4).
Mongolian Printed Kanjur, BDRC MW4CZ5370, vol. 88, folios 345.a–349.b. For a study of two Mongolian translations of the sūtra, see Nicholas Poppe, “Zwei mongolische Übersetzungen des Kūṭāgāra-Sūtra,” in Serta Tibeto-Mongolica: Festschrift für Walther Heissig zum 60. Gerburtstag, edited by Rudolf Kaschewsky (Harrassowitz, 1973), 237–54.
Herrmann-Pfandt 2008, p. 160. Butön, chos ’byung, folio 144.b (p. 920). Nishioka 1980, p. 66 (no. 26).
IOL Tib J 60, British Library, London, accessed through The International Dunhuang Programme. The colophon reads rgyar [sic?] gar gi mkhan po dar ma ka ra dang / ban de de ban trag shi tas bsgyur cig zhus te gtan la phab pa’ [sic?].
Here reading plural according to the Skt. tathāgatānām. Tib. reads de bzhin gshegs pa la, which is ambiguous in number.
A similar set of five benefits of sweeping is listed in a number of other Buddhist texts, particularly in various Vinaya passages in both Sanskrit and Pali (see Vinītā 2010, vol. 1, pp. 26–29). See, for example, in the story of Dharmagaveṣin in the Avadānaśataka. These are also listed as benefits of making a maṇḍala in a short sūtra found in the same Sanskrit manuscript from the Potala called Maṇḍalakānuśaṃsāsūtra (see Vinītā 2010, vol. 1, pp. 344–47).
The meaning of sems dang bar ’gyur ba (cittaṃ prasīdati, from the verb pra√sad) is generally difficult to pin down. It might also mean here that the mind becomes satisfied, pleased, gladdened, or kindly disposed, or it becomes tranquil. The term is also used in some contexts to refer to faith or inspiration, and indeed the Narthang Kangyur reads dad par ’gyur (“becomes faithful”) here and further down, in regard to the minds of others. The fourth benefit contains the related term prāsādika (mdzes pa), as the effect of one’s actions, which could lead to pleasant results or, alternatively, inspire or please others. Below we have translated bcom ldan ’das la sems dang bas, based on the Tibetan and on the context, as “with a faithful mind toward the Blessed Buddha,” but it should be noted that the Sanskrit differs slightly, reading in the example of 1.7, “If someone with a clear/faithful mind makes a maṇḍala shaped like a half-moon with respect to the Blessed Buddha” (prasannacitto buddhaṃ bhagavantam uddiśyārdhacandrākṛtimaṇḍalakaṃ kurute). And in this case Kangxi, Lhasa, and Narthang also read dad pas rather than dang bas. For an extensive exploration of the use of these multivalent terms in Buddhist narrative literature, see Rotman 2009, pp. 66–79.
As the Tibetan reads lo ma (usually “leaf”), we follow the suggestion of the Sanskrit pallava, meaning a sprout or blossom. While it could be the stunning and delicate red or orange petals of the aśoka flower being compared to the Buddha’s tongue, it might also be a young leaf of aśoka, which is thin and reddish in color. Vinītā 2010, pp. 40–43 (see especially p. 43, note d). Elsewhere, in the case of jujube, lo ma translates the Sanskrit pattra; given that jujube leaves are rather small and round like a tiny parasol and that their flowers are unremarkable, we translate “leaf” in this case.
zhal gyi dkyil ’khor dbu’i skra mtshams [IOL Tib J 60 dbu skra’i ’tshams] la thug pa’i bar thams cad du brkyang [IOL Tib J 60 brgyang] nas, meaning literally the entire “circle” (maṇḍala) of his face up to the hairline. Compare, for example, with The Questions of Dīrghanakha the Wandering Mendicant (Dīrghanakhaparivrājakaparipṛcchā, Toh 342), 1.10: lces gdong gi dkyil ’khor thams cad khebs = jihvayā sarvamukhamaṇḍalam ācchādyati (Vinītā 2010, vol. 1, p. 43, note d).
“Remains from rinsing” (Tib. bkrus pa tsam or tsam pa) follows the Sanskrit °prakhyālanamātraka, literally “merely the dishwater.” Bhikṣuṇī Vinītā (2010, vol. 1, p. 47) translates this as “[the] only scrap from rinsing.”
Following the Sanskrit yenaikadivasam api prāṇātipātaprativiratiḥ samādāya vartitā bhavati. The Tibetan reads gang gis nyi ma gcig cig [IOL Tib J 60 gcig] srog gcod pa spong zhing yang dag par blangs te/ gnas par byed na (“if someone abstains from killing and takes up [that abstinence] and then maintains it for a single day”).
On the term avaropita, also translated below in this paragraph as “directed toward,” see Vinīta 2010, p. 53, note b. The term may mean literally that the roots of virtue are “planted” in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha or, more loosely, “directed toward” them.
Reading Stok, Yongle, Kangxi, Choné, and Urga byang gi zheng ni che. Degé reads byang gi zhing ni che. IOL Tib J 60 frequently (but not always) reads shing in cases where all other witnesses read sheng, so it is perhaps possible that the two terms are considered equivalent. The Sanskrit reads uttareṇa viśālaḥ (Vinītā 2010, vol. 1, p. 56).
In this paragraph and those that follow, the Potala Sanskrit manuscript describes a hypothetical offering of the continent in question that is made of the seven precious substances (saptaratnamayaṃ kṛtvā), rather than filled with them (rin po che sna bdun gyis bkang), as the Tibetan has it. The Sanskrit reading is matched by the Sanskrit and Tibetan parallels in The Marvelous Dharma Discourse.
Instead of “[in terms of] loving-kindness up to equanimity” (byams pa nas btang snyoms kyi bar du), which refers to the four immeasurables (tshangs pa’i gnas bzhi, caturbrahmavihāra) of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, the Sanskrit reads “in terms of the ten powers of a tathāgata, the four kinds of fearlessness, the three unshared applications of mindfulness, and great compassion” (daśabhis tathāgatabalaiś caturbhir vaiśāradyais tribhir āveṇikaiḥ sṃrtyupasthānair mahākaruṇayā). Vinītā 2010, vol. 1, pp. 86–91. This distinction is also found between different Sanskrit manuscript witnesses of the Adbhutadharmaparyāya; for a discussion of the doctrinal significance of this variation, see Bentor 1988, pp. 25–26. Our translation is informed by the use of the instrumental in the syntax of the Sanskrit, for example, tathāgato dānenāprameyaḥ; the corresponding Tibetan, de bzhin gshegs pa […] ni sbyin pa dpag tu med pa, is less definite and could be read as “one who has immeasurable generosity,” etc.
The Sanskrit contains an additional passage here that is also present in The Great Rumble (1.13–1.15), in which the earth quakes and Ānanda asks the Buddha about the name of the teaching. In both of these texts the teaching is additionally called The Drum of Nectar (Amṛtadundu, bdud rtsi’i rnga). Vinītā 2010, vol. 1, pp. 90–95.
A major śrāvaka disciple and personal attendant of the Buddha Śākyamuni during the last twenty-five years of his life. He was a cousin of the Buddha (according to the Mahāvastu, he was a son of Śuklodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana, which means he was a brother of Devadatta; other sources say he was a son of Amṛtodana, another brother of King Śuddhodana, which means he would have been a brother of Aniruddha).
Ānanda, having always been in the Buddha’s presence, is said to have memorized all the teachings he heard and is celebrated for having recited all the Buddha’s teachings by memory at the first council of the Buddhist saṅgha, thus preserving the teachings after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa. The phrase “Thus did I hear at one time,” found at the beginning of the sūtras, usually stands for his recitation of the teachings. He became a patriarch after the passing of Mahākāśyapa.
This was an important early site for the Buddha’s growing community. Anāthapiṇḍada, a wealthy patron of the Buddha, purchased the park, located outside Śrāvastī, at great cost, purportedly covering the ground with gold, and donated it to the saṅgha. It was there that the Buddha spent several rainy seasons and gave discourses that were later recorded as sūtras. It was also the site for one of the first Buddhist monasteries. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)
One of the four main continents that surround Sumeru, the central mountain in classical Buddhist cosmology. It is the western continent, characterized as “rich in the resources of cattle,” thus its Tibetan name “using cattle.” It is circular in shape, measuring about 7,500 yojanas in circumference, and is flanked by two subsidiary continents. Humans who live there are very tall, about 24 feet (7.3 meters) on average, and live for 500 years. It is known by the names Godānīya, Aparāntaka, Aparagodānīya, or Aparagoyāna.
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.
Saraca asoca or Saraca indica. A showy tree of tropical Asia cultivated for its orange or scarlet flowers, which are used to decorate temples.
These basic precepts are five in number for the laity: (1) not killing, (2) not stealing, (3) chastity, (4) not lying, and (5) avoiding intoxicants. For monks, there are three or five more; avoidance of such things as perfumes, makeup, ointments, garlands, high beds, and afternoon meals. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)
In Buddhist literature, this is an epithet applied to buddhas, most often to Śākyamuni. The Sanskrit term generally means “possessing fortune,” but in specifically Buddhist contexts it implies that a buddha is in possession of six auspicious qualities (bhaga) associated with complete awakening. The Tibetan term—where bcom is said to refer to “subduing” the four māras, ldan to “possessing” the great qualities of buddhahood, and ’das to “going beyond” saṃsāra and nirvāṇa—possibly reflects the commentarial tradition where the Sanskrit bhagavat is interpreted, in addition, as “one who destroys the four māras.” This is achieved either by reading bhagavat as bhagnavat (“one who broke”), or by tracing the word bhaga to the root √bhañj (“to break”).
An epithet for a buddha.
Interpreted variously—given the many meanings of both dharma and dhātu—as the realm, element, or nature of phenomena, reality, or truth. It is generally taken to denote the entirety of phenomena, and particularly their nature as a synonym of other terms designating the ultimate.
The fourth of the four immeasurables (caturbrahmavihāra).
The first of the six perfections (pāramitās).
In the most general sense the devas—the term is cognate with the English divine—are a class of celestial beings who frequently appear in Buddhist texts, often at the head of the assemblies of nonhuman beings who attend and celebrate the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni and other buddhas and bodhisattvas. In Buddhist cosmology the devas occupy the highest of the five or six “destinies” (gati) of saṃsāra among which beings take rebirth. The devas reside in the devalokas, “heavens” that traditionally number between twenty-six and twenty-eight and are divided between the desire realm (kāmadhātu), form realm (rūpadhātu), and formless realm (ārūpyadhātu). A being attains rebirth among the devas either through meritorious deeds (in the desire realm) or the attainment of subtle meditative states (in the form and formless realms). While rebirth among the devas is considered favorable, it is ultimately a transitory state from which beings will fall when the conditions that lead to rebirth there are exhausted. Thus, rebirth in the god realms is regarded as a diversion from the spiritual path.
The Indian gooseberry or emblic myrobalan (Phyllanthus emblica).
In Buddhist cosmology, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three is the second lowest of the six heavens in the desire realm (kāmadhātu). Situated on the flat summit of Mount Sumeru, it lies above the Heaven of the Four Great Kings (Caturmahārājakāyika) and below the Yāma Heaven. It consists of thirty-three regions, each presided by one of thirty-three chief gods, and the overall ruler is Śakra. The presiding gods are divided into four groups named in the Abhidharmakośaṭīkā (Toh 4092): the eight gods of wealth, two Aśvin youths, eleven fierce ones, and twelve suns. The thirty-three regions themselves are enumerated and described in The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma, Toh 287, 4.B.2 et seq.).
A period that occurs either between major eons or as a division of a great eon (mahākalpa). The three types of intermediate eons referred to here and in other works are those of (1) warfare (śastra), (2) disease (roga), and (3) famine (durbhikṣa).
The name of the southern continent in Buddhist cosmology, which can signify either the known human world, or more specifically the Indian subcontinent, literally “the jambu island/continent.” Jambu is the name used for a range of plum-like fruits from trees belonging to the genus Szygium, particularly Szygium jambos and Szygium cumini, and it has commonly been rendered “rose apple,” although “black plum” may be a less misleading term. Among various explanations given for the continent being so named, one (in the Abhidharmakośa) is that a jambu tree grows in its northern mountains beside Lake Anavatapta, mythically considered the source of the four great rivers of India, and that the continent is therefore named from the tree or the fruit. Jambudvīpa has the Vajrāsana at its center and is the only continent upon which buddhas attain awakening.
Ziziphus jujuba or Ziziphus mauritiana. A small deciduous tree or shrub with edible fruits. The leaf of jujube is from three to seven centimeters long and from one to three centimeters wide.
The first of the four immeasurables (caturbrahmavihāra).
Dhyāna is defined as one-pointed abiding in an undistracted state of mind, free from afflicted mental states. Four states of dhyāna are identified as being conducive to birth within the form realm. In the context of the Mahāyāna, it is the fifth of the six perfections. It is commonly translated as “concentration,” “meditative concentration,” and so on.
The term bhikṣu, often translated as “monk,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist monks and nuns—like other ascetics of the time—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity.
In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a monk follows 253 rules as part of his moral discipline. A nun (bhikṣuṇī; dge slong ma) follows 364 rules. A novice monk (śrāmaṇera; dge tshul) or nun (śrāmaṇerikā; dge tshul ma) follows thirty-six rules of moral discipline (although in other vinaya traditions novices typically follow only ten).
Morally virtuous or disciplined conduct and the abandonment of morally undisciplined conduct of body, speech, and mind. In a general sense, moral discipline is the cause for rebirth in higher, more favorable states, but it is also foundational to Buddhist practice as one of the three trainings (triśikṣā) and one of the six perfections of a bodhisattva. Often rendered as “ethics,” “discipline,” and “morality.”
Terminalia chebula. The black or chebulic myrobalan tree.
The fifth of the six heavens of the desire realm, its inhabitants magically create the objects of their own enjoyment.
The third of the four attainments of śrāvakas, this term refers to a person who will no longer take rebirth in the desire realm (kāmadhātu), but either be reborn in the Pure Abodes (śuddhāvāsa) or reach the state of an arhat in their current lifetime. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)
One who has achieved the second of the four levels of attainment on the śrāvaka path and who will attain liberation after only one more birth. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)
This refers to what occurs at the end of an arhat’s or a buddha’s life. When nirvāṇa is attained at awakening, whether as an arhat or buddha, all suffering, afflicted mental states (kleśa), and causal processes (karman) that lead to rebirth and suffering in cyclic existence have ceased, but due to previously accumulated karma, the aggregates of that life remain and must still exhaust themselves. It is only at the end of life that these cease, and since no new aggregates arise, the arhat or buddha is said to attain parinirvāṇa, meaning “complete” or “final” nirvāṇa. This is synonymous with the attainment of nirvāṇa without remainder (anupadhiśeṣanirvāṇa).
According to the Mahāyāna view of a single vehicle (ekayāna), the arhat’s parinirvāṇa at death, despite being so called, is not final. The arhat must still enter the bodhisattva path and reach buddhahood (see Unraveling the Intent, Toh 106, 7.14.) On the other hand, the parinirvāṇa of a buddha, ultimately speaking, should be understood as a display manifested for the benefit of beings; see The Teaching on the Extraordinary Transformation That Is the Miracle of Attaining the Buddha’s Powers (Toh 186), 1.32.
The term parinirvāṇa is also associated specifically with the passing away of the Buddha Śākyamuni, in Kuśinagara, in northern India.
A term meaning acceptance, forbearance, or patience. As the third of the six perfections, patience is classified into three kinds: the capacity to tolerate abuse from sentient beings, to tolerate the hardships of the path to buddhahood, and to tolerate the profound nature of reality. As a term referring to a bodhisattva’s realization, dharmakṣānti (chos la bzod pa) can refer to the ways one becomes “receptive” to the nature of Dharma, and it can be an abbreviation of anutpattikadharmakṣānti, “forbearance for the unborn nature, or nonproduction, of dharmas.”
Assembly hall or temple with one ground-floor room and a slanted roof, sometimes a barrel shape with apses but more usually a tapering roof, tower, or spire. Kūṭāgāra literally means “gabled hall”.
Literally, “buddha for oneself” or “solitary realizer.” Someone who, in his or her last life, attains awakening entirely through their own contemplation, without relying on a teacher. Unlike the awakening of a fully realized buddha (samyaksambuddha), the accomplishment of a pratyekabuddha is not regarded as final or ultimate. They attain realization of the nature of dependent origination, the selflessness of the person, and a partial realization of the selflessness of phenomena, by observing the suchness of all that arises through interdependence. This is the result of progress in previous lives but, unlike a buddha, they do not have the necessary merit, compassion or motivation to teach others. They are named as “rhinoceros-like” (khaḍgaviṣāṇakalpa) for their preference for staying in solitude or as “congregators” (vargacārin) when their preference is to stay among peers.
A park in Śrāvastī, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kośala in northern India. It was owned by Prince Jeta, and the wealthy merchant Anāthapiṇḍada, wishing to offer it to the Buddha, bought it from him by covering the entire property with gold coins. It was to become the place where the monks could be housed during the monsoon season, thus creating the first Buddhist monastery. It is therefore the setting for many of the Buddha's discourses.
One of the four main continents that surround Sumeru, the central mountain in classical Buddhist cosmology. It is the eastern continent, characterized as “sublime in physique,” and it is semicircular in shape. The humans who live there are twice as tall as those from our southern continent, and live for 250 years. It is known as Videha and Pūrvavideha.
A Tibetan translator active sometime during the late eighth and early ninth centuries.
According to most lists (specifically those of the Pāli and some Abhidharma traditions), the (three) roots of virtue or the roots of the good or wholesome states (of mind) are what makes a mental state good or bad; they are identified as the opposites of the three mental “poisons” of greed, hatred, and delusion. Actions based on the roots of virtue will eventually lead to future happiness. The Dharmasaṃgraha, however, lists the three roots of virtue as (1) the mind of awakening, (2) purity of thought, and (3) freedom from egotism (Skt. trīṇi kuśalamūlāni | bodhicittotpādaḥ, āśayaviśuddhiḥ, ahaṃkāramamakāraparityāgaśceti|).
The lord of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (trāyastriṃśa). Alternatively known as Indra, the deity that is called “lord of the gods” dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. The Tibetan translation brgya byin (meaning “one hundred sacrifices”) is based on an etymology that śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu, one who has performed a hundred sacrifices. Each world with a central Sumeru has a Śakra. Also known by other names such as Kauśika, Devendra, and Śacipati.
Though often specifically reserved for the monastic community, this term can be applied to any of the four Buddhist communities—monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen—as well as to identify the different groups of practitioners, like the community of bodhisattvas or the community of śrāvakas. It is also the third of the Three Jewels (triratna) of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Teaching, and the Community.
The set of seven precious materials or substances includes a range of precious metals and gems, but their exact list varies. The set often consists of gold, silver, beryl, crystal, red pearls, emeralds, and white coral, but may also contain lapis lazuli, ruby, sapphire, chrysoberyl, diamonds, etc. The term is frequently used in the sūtras to exemplify preciousness, wealth, and beauty, and can describe treasures, offering materials, or the features of architectural structures such as stūpas, palaces, thrones, etc. The set is also used to describe the beauty and prosperity of buddha realms and the realms of the gods.
In other contexts, the term saptaratna can also refer to the seven precious possessions of a cakravartin or to a set of seven precious moral qualities.
The Sanskrit term śrāvaka, and the Tibetan nyan thos, both derived from the verb “to hear,” are usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard to others.” Primarily this refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat seeking their own liberation and nirvāṇa. They are the practitioners of the first turning of the wheel of the Dharma on the four noble truths, who realize the suffering inherent in saṃsāra and focus on understanding that there is no independent self. By conquering afflicted mental states (kleśa), they liberate themselves, attaining first the stage of stream enterers at the path of seeing, followed by the stage of once-returners who will be reborn only one more time, and then the stage of non-returners who will no longer be reborn into the desire realm. The final goal is to become an arhat. These four stages are also known as the “four results of spiritual practice.”
During the life of the Buddha, Śrāvastī was the capital city of the powerful kingdom of Kośala, ruled by King Prasenajit, who became a follower and patron of the Buddha. It was also the hometown of Anāthapiṇḍada, the wealthy patron who first invited the Buddha there, and then offered him a park known as Jetavana, Prince Jeta’s Grove, which became one of the first Buddhist monasteries. The Buddha is said to have spent about twenty-five rainy seasons with his disciples in Śrāvastī, thus it is named as the setting of numerous events and teachings. It is located in present-day Uttar Pradesh in northern India.
One who has achieved the first level of attainment on the path of the śrāvakas, and who has entered the “stream” of practice that leads to nirvāṇa. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)
In this and other sūtras the Skt. sammārjana generally refers to the sweeping, cleaning, and/or clearing out of a monastery, temple, stūpa, and so forth, or an area in which a buddha is set to arrive.
A frequently used synonym for buddha. According to different explanations, it can be read as tathā-gata, literally meaning “one who has thus gone,” or as tathā-āgata, “one who has thus come.” Gata, though literally meaning “gone,” is a past passive participle used to describe a state or condition of existence. Tatha(tā), often rendered as “suchness” or “thusness,” is the quality or condition of things as they really are, which cannot be conveyed in conceptual, dualistic terms. Therefore, this epithet is interpreted in different ways, but in general it implies one who has departed in the wake of the buddhas of the past, or one who has manifested the supreme awakening dependent on the reality that does not abide in the two extremes of existence and quiescence. It is also often used as a specific epithet of the Buddha Śākyamuni.
The largest universe described in Buddhist cosmology. This term, in Abhidharma cosmology, refers to 1,000³ world systems, i.e., 1,000 “dichiliocosms” or “two thousand great thousand world realms” (dvisāhasramahāsāhasralokadhātu), which are in turn made up of 1,000 first-order world systems, each with its own Mount Sumeru, continents, sun and moon, etc.
Tuṣita (or sometimes Saṃtuṣita), literally “Joyous” or “Contented,” is one of the six heavens of the desire realm (kāmadhātu). In standard classifications, such as the one in the Abhidharmakośa, it is ranked as the fourth of the six counting from below. This god realm is where all future buddhas are said to dwell before taking on their final rebirth prior to awakening. There, the Buddha Śākyamuni lived his preceding life as the bodhisattva Śvetaketu. When departing to take birth in this world, he appointed the bodhisattva Maitreya, who will be the next buddha of this eon, as his Dharma regent in Tuṣita. For an account of the Buddha’s previous life in Tuṣita, see The Play in Full (Toh 95), 2.12, and for an account of Maitreya’s birth in Tuṣita and a description of this realm, see The Sūtra on Maitreya’s Birth in the Heaven of Joy, (Toh 199).
The continent to the north of Sumeru according to Buddhist cosmology. In the Abhidharmakośa, it is described as square in shape. Its human inhabitants enjoy a fixed lifespan of a thousand years and do not hold personal property or marry.
The palace of Śakra in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.
The sixth of the six perfections, it refers to the profound understanding of the emptiness of all phenomena, the realization of ultimate reality.
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.
khang bu brtsegs pa’i mdo (Kūṭāgārasūtra). Degé Kangyur vol. 72 (mdo sde, sa), folios 260.a–263.b.
khang bu brtsegs pa’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. 72, pp. 746–56.
khang bu brtsegs pa’i mdo. Stok Palace Kangyur vol. 79 (mdo sde, sa), folios 144.b–149.a.
kun tu rgyu ba sen rings kyis zhus pa (Dīrghanakhaparivrājakaparipṛcchā). Degé Kangyur vol. 74 (mdo sde, a), folios 298.b–300.a. English translation The Questions of Dīrghanakha the Wandering Mendicant 2021.
dga’ bo rab tu byung ba’i mdo (Nandapravrajyāsūtra). Degé Kangyur vol. 72 (mdo sde, sa), folios 254.b–257.a. English translation The Sūtra of Nanda’s Going Forth 2022.
sgra chen po (Mahāraṇa). Degé Kangyur vol. 62 (mdo sde, tsha), folios 109.a–111.b. English translation The Great Rumble 2022.
rten cing ’brel bar ’byung ba’i mdo (Pratītyasamutpādasūtra). Toh 212, Degé Kangyur vol. 62 (mdo sde, tsha), folios 125.a–125.b; Toh 520, Degé Kangyur vol. 88 (rgyud ’bum, na), folios 41.a–42.a; Toh 980, Degé Kangyur vol. 101 (gzungs ’dus, waṃ), folios 99.a–99.b. English translation The Sūtra on Dependent Arising 2016.
rmad du byung ba’i chos kyi rnam grangs (Adbhutadharmaparyāya). Toh 319, Degé Kangyur vol. 73 (mdo sde, sa), folios 194.a–196.b. English translation The Marvelous Dharma Discourse 2024.
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.
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84000. The Great Rumble (Mahāraṇa, sgra chen po, Toh 208). Translated by the Subhashita Translation Group. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2022.
84000. The Marvelous Dharma Discourse (Adbhutadharmaparyāya, rmad du byung ba’i chos kyi rnam grangs, Toh 319). Translated by the Mārgaphala Translation Team. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2024.
84000. The Questions of Dīrghanakha the Wandering Mendicant (Dīrghanakhaparivrājakaparipṛcchā, kun tu rgyu ba sen rings kyis zhus pa, Toh 342). Translated by the Kīrtimukha Translation Group. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021.
84000. The Sūtra on Dependent Arising (Pratītyasamutpādasūtra, rten cing ’brel bar ’byung ba’i mdo, Toh 212, 520, 980). Translated by the Buddhavacana Translation Group. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2016.
84000. The Sūtra of Nanda’s Going Forth (Nandapravrajyāsūtra, dga’ bo rab tu byung ba’i mdo, Toh 328). Translated by the Alexander Csoma de Kőrös Translation Group. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2022.
84000. “Stūpa.” Online Knowledge Base. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023. Last updated August 2024.
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