The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (1)
Chapter 31: The Entrustment
Toh 555
Degé Kangyur, vol. 89 (rgyud ’bum, pa), folios 19.a–151.a
- Chödrup
Imprint
Translated by Peter Alan Roberts and team
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
First published 2023
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Table of Contents
Summary
The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light has held great importance in Buddhism for its instructions on the purification of karma. In particular, much of the sūtra is specifically addressed to monarchs and thus has been significant for rulers—not only in India but also in China, Japan, Mongolia, and elsewhere—who wished to ensure the well-being of their nations through such purification. Reciting and internalizing this sūtra is understood to be efficacious for personal purification and also for the welfare of a state and the world.
In this sūtra, the bodhisattva Ruciraketu has a dream in which a prayer of confession emanates from a shining golden drum. He relates the prayer to the Buddha, and a number of deities then vow to protect it and its adherents. The ruler’s devotion to the sūtra is emphasized as important if the nation is to benefit. Toward the end of the sūtra are two well-known narratives of the Buddha’s previous lives: the account of the physician Jalavāhana, who saves and blesses numerous fish, and that of Prince Mahāsattva, who gives his body to a hungry tigress and her cubs.
This is the longest version of The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light preserved in the Kangyur. It comprises thirty-one chapters and was translated into Tibetan primarily from Yijing’s Chinese translation in the early ninth century.
Acknowledgements
This sūtra was translated into English by Peter Alan Roberts. Ling Lung Chen, Wang Chipan, Xiaolong Diao, Ting Lee Ling, and H. S. Sum Cheuk Shing were consultants for the Chinese versions of the sūtra. Emily Bower was the project manager and editor. Tracy Davis was the copyeditor. With thanks to Michael Radich for sharing his research on the sūtra.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Zhang Da Da.
Text Body
The Sublime Golden Light, the Supremely Victorious King of Sūtras
Chapter 31: The Entrustment
1247 Then the Bhagavat said to the entire assembly of all the bodhisattvas and the devas and humans, “You should know this: I have taught you the true cause of enlightenment, the extremely profound Dharma that I obtained through undergoing hardships with dedicated diligence throughout countless, innumerable eons.
“You should develop a courageous mind,1248 and after my nirvāṇa you should, with veneration, protect this Dharma teaching, [F.149.a] promulgate it widely, and ensure that this Dharma will remain for a long time.”1249
Then from among that great assembly, six hundred million great bodhisattvas and the assembled multitude of six hundred million devas said in one voice, “Bhagavat, all of us have that motivation of aspiration, so that1250 we will, with veneration, protect the true cause of enlightenment, the extremely profound Dharma that you attained through undergoing hardships with dedicated diligence throughout countless, innumerable eons. Bhagavat, after your nirvāṇa, without any care for our bodies and lives,1251 we will promulgate this Dharma teaching widely, so that the true Dharma will remain in the world for a long time.”
Those bodhisattvas mahāsattvas then recited these verses in the presence of the Bhagavat:
Then the Four Mahārājas, having heard the Bhagavat teach that this Dharma should be protected, all gave rise to rejoicing in their minds, and with the motivation to completely protect the true Dharma, they recited these verses in one voice:
Then Brahmā, the lord of the Sahā world realm, the king of devas, placed his palms together in veneration and spoke these verses:
Then, Śreṣṭhin, the son of the lord of Māras, placed his palms together in veneration and spoke these verses:
Then the deva Excellent Auspiciousness placed his palms together in veneration,1257 and in the presence of the Bhagavat spoke these verses:
Then the bodhisattva Maitreya placed his palms together in veneration and spoke these verses:
Then the sthavira Mahākāśyapa placed his palms together in veneration and spoke these verses:
Then the Bhagavat, on seeing that the great assembly of bodhisattvas, devas, and humans had each developed the motivation to widely promulgate and spread this sūtra and completely defend it and completely protect it, and that the bodhisattvas were truly inspired and would benefit beings, praised them, saying, “Well done! Well done! [F.151.a] Your single-mindedly promulgating this sublime, supreme king of sūtras widely in this way, so that it will not dissipate and vanish after my nirvāṇa, is the cause of the highest enlightenment. Therefore you will attain all the merit that can be, which could not be fully described even in as many eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River.
“Any bhikṣu or bhikṣuṇī, upāsaka or upāsikā, and moreover any noble man or noble woman, and so on, who makes offerings to, honors, writes out, widely promulgates, or teaches this sūtra correctly to others will obtain such merit as that.
“Therefore, you should meditate on this practice with diligence.”
Then the great assembly, which was innumerable, incalculable, as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges, having heard those words spoken by the Bhagavat, were all completely happy and, obtaining a faith with complete trust, practiced as they had been instructed.1262
This concludes “The Entrustment,” the thirty-first chapter of “The Supremely Victorious King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.”
The noble Mahāyāna sūtra “The Supremely Victorious King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light” is concluded.
Bibliography
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gser ’od dam pa’ i mdo. Toh 555, Degé Kangyur vol. 89 (rgyud ’bum, pa), folios 19.a–151a.
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gser ’od dam pa mdo sde’i dbang po’i rgyal po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Suvarṇaprabhāsottamasūtrendrarājanāmamahāyānasūtra). Toh 557, Degé Kangyur vol. 90 (rgyud ’bum, pha), folios 1.a–62.a. English translation The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (3) 2024.
Hebu jin guangming 合部金光明經. Taishō 664 (CBETA, SAT). (Translation of Suvarṇaprabhāsottamasūtra by Bao Gui 寶貴).
Jin guangming jin 金光明經. Taishō 663 (CBETA, SAT). (Translation of Suvarṇaprabhāsottamasūtra by Dharmakṣema, a.k.a. Tan Wuchen 曇無讖).
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Other References in Tibetan
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Other References in English and Other Languages
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Translations
Emmerick, R. E. The Sūtra of Golden Light. Oxford: The Pali Text Society, 2004.
Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). Sutra of Golden Light, 21-Chapter.
Nobel, Johannes. Suvarṇaprabhāsottamasūtra, Das Goldglanz-Sutra, ein Sanskrittext des Mahayana Buddhismus. I-Tsing’s chinesische Version und ihre Übersetzung. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1958.