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གསེར་འོད་དམ་པའི་མདོ།

The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (3)
Introduction

Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra
འཕགས་པ་གསེར་འོད་དམ་པ་མདོ་སྡེའི་དབང་པོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
’phags pa gser ’od dam pa mdo sde’i dbang po’i rgyal po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Lord King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light”
Ārya­suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtrendra­rāja­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra

Toh 557

Degé Kangyur, vol. 90 (rgyud ’bum, pa), folios 1.b–62.a

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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
+ 7 sections- 7 sections
· Tantric Rituals
· The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light in India
· The Sūtra outside India
· The Sūtra in Tibet
· Comparing the Versions
· Translations into Western Languages
· Detailed Summary of The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light
+ 21 sections- 21 sections
· Chapter 1: The Introduction
· Chapter 2: The Teaching on the Lifespan of the Tathāgata
· Chapter 3: The Dream
· Chapter 4: The Confession
· Chapter 5: The Source of Lotus Flowers: A Praise of All the Buddhas
· Chapter 6: Emptiness
· Chapter 7: The Four Mahārājas
· Chapter 8: Sarasvatī
· Chapter 9: The Great Goddess Śrī
· Chapter 10: Dṛḍhā, the Goddess of the Earth
· Chapter 11: Saṃjñeya
· Chapter 12: The King’s Treatise: The Commitment of the Lord of Devas
· Chapter 13: Susaṃbhava
· Chapter 14: The Protection Given by Yakṣas
· Chapter 15: The Prophecy to Ten Thousand Devas
· Chapter 16: Ending Illness
· Chapter 17: The Story of the Fish Guided by Jalavāhana
· Chapter 18: The Gift of the Body to a Tigress
· Chapter 19: Praise by All Bodhisattvas
· Chapter 20: The Praise of All Tathāgatas
· Chapter 21: The Conclusion
tr. The Translation
+ 21 chapters- 21 chapters
1. Chapter 1: The Introduction
2. Chapter 2: The Teaching on the Lifespan of the Tathāgata
3. Chapter 3: The Dream
4. Chapter 4: The Confession
5. Chapter 5: The Source of Lotus Flowers: A Praise of All the Buddhas
6. Chapter 6: Emptiness
7. Chapter 7: The Four Mahārājas
8. Chapter 8: Sarasvatī
9. Chapter 9: The Great Goddess Śrī
10. Chapter 10: Dṛḍhā, the Goddess of the Earth
11. Chapter 11: Saṃjñeya
12. Chapter 12: The King’s Treatise: The Commitment of the Lord of Devas
13. Chapter 13: Susaṃbhava
14. Chapter 14: The Protection Given by Yakṣas
15. Chapter 15: The Prophecy to Ten Thousand Devas
16. Chapter 16: Ending Illness
17. Chapter 17: The Story of the Fish Guided by Jalavāhana
18. Chapter 18: The Gift of the Body to a Tigress
19. Chapter 19: Praise by All Bodhisattvas
20. Chapter 20: The Praise of All Tathāgatas
21. Chapter 21: The Conclusion
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
+ 3 sections- 3 sections
· Primary Sources in Tibetan and Chinese
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Secondary References‍—Kangyur
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Secondary References‍—Tengyur
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Other References in Tibetan
· Other References in English and Other Languages
· Translations
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

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.

s.­2

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.

s.­3

This is the shortest version of The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light preserved in the Kangyur. It comprises twenty-one chapters, was translated into Tibetan primarily from Sanskrit, and is the only version for which a complete Sanskrit manuscript survives.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

This text was translated by Peter Alan Roberts, who translated the text from Tibetan into English and wrote the introduction. Ling Lung Chen and Wang Chipan were consultants for the Chinese versions of the sūtra. Emily Bower was the project manager and editor. Tracy Davis was the initial copyeditor. Thanks to Michael Radich for sharing his research on the sūtra.

ac.­2

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Rory Lindsay edited the translation and the introduction, and Xiaolong Diao, Ting Lee Ling, and H. S. Sum Cheuk Shing checked the translation against the Chinese sources. Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text, and André Rodrigues was in charge of the digital publication process.

ac.­3

The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of May Gu, George Gu, Likai Gu and Tiffany Tai, Lillian Gu and Jerry Yen.


i.

Introduction

i.­1

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 it 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. It is understood to be efficacious for personal purification and beneficial for the welfare of a state and of the world.

i.­2

The work translated here is the twenty-one-chapter version (hereafter referenced as Toh 557) of The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light. There is also the twenty-nine-chapter version (hereafter referenced as Toh 556)1 and the thirty-one-chapter version (hereafter referenced as Toh 555).2 Toh 557 and Toh 556 were translated into Tibetan from Sanskrit, so almost the entirety of Toh 557 is present in an identical translation in Toh 556.

i.­3

This sūtra’s principal chapters are the third and fourth, which describe the lay bodhisattva Ruciraketu having a dream in which he sees a brightly shining golden drum. When a brahmin beats the drum, Ruciraketu hears in the drumbeats a hundred-verse prayer, and he subsequently recites that prayer to the Buddha.

i.­4

Most of the following chapters are concerned with encouraging the recitation of this prayer and of the sūtra itself. They describe how various divine beings in this world revere the sūtra and promise to protect it and its adherents. These include the Four Mahārājas; Dṛḍhā, who is the goddess of the earth; Sarasvatī, the goddess of wisdom, learning, and music; Śrī, the goddess of good fortune; and the yakṣa general Saṃjñeya.

i.­5

This sūtra emphasizes its importance for kings. It states that if they honor the reciters of this sūtra and arrange for its recitation and teaching, then their reign and their kingdom will prosper. They will avoid such calamities as invasion, famine, and so on. The sūtra also warns that if they fail to show such devotion, there will be disastrous results for both them and their kingdoms. Chapter 12 is dedicated to the subject of how to be a good king.

i.­6

There are also chapters that deal with doctrine. Chapter 2 presents the view that a buddha never dies and so never passes into nirvāṇa. Therefore, there is no body and no physical relics of his body after his cremation, and so the Dharma never ceases to be taught. The passing of a buddha and the extinction of the Dharma are solely illusory manifestations, skillful methods to inspire beings to practice and to provide them with relics as objects for their devotion. Chapter 6 teaches the view of emptiness. Toh 555 and Toh 556 also contain chapters describing the nature of the three bodies and the ten bhūmis.

i.­7

There are two narratives that describe previous lives of the Buddha. Chapter 16 describes the physician Jalavāhana, who, as a result of performing Dharma recitations while standing in a lake, ensured the rebirth of ten thousand fish into the paradise of Trāyastriṃśa. In the preceding chapter these same ten thousand devas receive the prophecy of their buddhahood. When the goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā objects that they have not accomplished the necessary bodhisattva conduct in past lives to receive such a prophecy, the Buddha explains that this was unnecessary because they had devotion to this Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light.

i.­8

The other past-life narrative, which is given in chapter 18, is one of the most famous in Buddhist literature‍—that of the prince who gives his body to a hungry tigress and her cubs. An interesting feature of the story in this sūtra is that much of the narrative is dedicated to an evocative description of the intense grief of parents who have lost their child, emphasizing the sorrow that the prince’s action has brought them.

Tantric Rituals

i.­9

As with other late Mahāyāna sūtras in which there is an emphasis on ritual, this text is classified in the Kangyur as a tantra, specifically as a Kriyā tantra, a class of tantras in which there is an emphasis on external ritual. The sūtra contains a description of how such rituals should be performed, and there are also passages that include lists of ingredients to place in a bath, along with mantras to recite while bathing, in order to achieve purification.

i.­10

One can also see that the seed of the later maṇḍalas of the five buddha families is in this sūtra, for in chapters 2 and 3, buddhas of the four directions appear to a layman who has a visionary dream. They include Akṣobhya from the east and Amitābha from the west, both buddhas and their realms already established in the Buddhist tradition with specific sūtras dedicated to them. There also appear the buddhas Ratnaketu from the south and Dundubhisvara from the north, who in later tantras are usually named Ratnasaṃbhava and Amoghasiddhi. In this sūtra, the central buddha in terms of these directions would be Śākyamuni himself. In the Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra he is referred to as Vairocana, as the Buddha Vairocana is the buddha who manifests as all the buddhas throughout this trichiliocosm.

The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light in India

i.­11

A version of The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light existed in India by the early fifth century ᴄᴇ, when it was translated into Chinese by Dharmakṣema (385–433) in 420, in a form that corresponds to the fragments of its translation into old Khotanese. The author of Precious Lamp of the Middle Way3 mentions that The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light contains profound teachings in the section on the absence of relics, this passage being within the chapter on the lifespan of the Buddha. The sūtra’s significance in Indian Buddhism is evident from the three tantras4 and ten commentaries5 that specify that it should be the text recited in one of the four directions when performing a maṇḍala rite. There are also five other texts in the Tengyur that emphasize the importance and status of The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light and its recitation,6 including Śāntideva’s eighth-century Śikṣāsamuccaya (Compendium of Training) in which he provides two extracts from the sūtra that should be recited. There are also two recitation texts composed of extracts from the sūtra.7

i.­12

In addition to its importance for rites and recitations, the text is quoted on doctrinal points in Indian commentaries. Passages indicating that the Buddha never dies, leaves no relics, and that the Dharma never ceases are quoted in six texts,8 two of which9 cite the delightful verse that describes the impossibility of there being buddha relics, stating that there will be a buddha relic only when a ladder to the moon is built from rabbit horns.

i.­13

The descriptions of buddha nature and the nature of the bodies of a buddha, which are only in Toh 555 and Toh 556, are quoted in two texts in the Tengyur, one written in Tibetan and one translated from Sanskrit by Rinchen Sangpo,10 although nothing is known about the author.

i.­14

In Newar Buddhism, this sūtra became and remains one of the nine principal sūtras called “the nine Dharmas,”11 which are considered to be the most important lengthy sūtras to be recited and offered to.

i.­15

Sanskrit manuscripts of this sūtra survived as fragments discovered in Chinese Central Asia (Xinjiang) and as entire texts in Nepal, where the title is Suvarṇa­bhāsottama, with bhāsa being a synonym for prabhāsa, both meaning “light.”

i.­16

The Sanskrit text of the sūtra was first edited in 1898, in Calcutta, India, by S. C. Das and S. C. Shastri. That was followed by the edition by B. Nanjio and H. Idzumi in Japan in 1931, and by the edition by Johannes Nobel (1887–1960) in 1937. This translation refers to the 1967 S. Bagchi edition.

The Sūtra outside India

i.­17

The widespread popularity of this sūtra outside India is also evident from its translation not only into Tibetan and Chinese but also from Sanskrit into Khotanese; from Chinese into Tibetan, Sogdian, Uighur, Tangut, and Manchu; and from Tibetan into Mongolian.

i.­18

There are three surviving translations of The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light in Chinese. The earliest of these was translated by Dharmakṣema (385–433). He was an Indian who came to China in 414, living first in Dunhuang. Then in 420 he went to Guzang, the capital of Northern Liang, one of the sixteen independent states of that time, situated in what is now the Gansu region in China’s northwest. There he studied Chinese and engaged in translation under the patronage of Juqu Mengxun (368–433), the ruler of Northern Liang. He also had the reputation of being “a master of spells.” As a result of that reputation, Juqu Mengxun, toward the end of his reign, became afraid that Dharmakṣema might be used against him by his adversaries and so he had him assassinated.12 Nobel believed that the Sanskrit in its present form is not earlier than the mid-fifth century and that Dharmakṣema translated from an earlier version. This opinion appears to be supported by the Sanskrit manuscript fragments discovered in Khotan.13

i.­19

The second surviving translation into Chinese is that by Bao Gui in 597. It is an amalgam of earlier translations that no longer exist and four chapters that were translated by Paramārtha (499–569). As there is no surviving Sanskrit for the additional chapters in the Chinese and Tibetan, Michael Radich has examined the evidence as to whether they are Indian or Chinese in origin.

i.­20

The third translation was by Yijing (635–713), which was published in 703. Because of its clarity and writing style, this version became popular in China and was itself translated into Tibetan in the early ninth century. Yijing’s translation, compared to the Sanskrit and the Tibetan translation from Sanskrit, is freer, to the extent that Emmerick has stated it could not be used to reconstruct the original Sanskrit.14 Yijing spent thirty years in India and Sumatra and returned to China in 695. He brought with him four hundred Sanskrit texts, including The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light, and spent the first decade of the seventh century translating them.15

i.­21

The Mogao caves of Dunhuang, which were sealed in the eleventh century, contained a great number of manuscripts of the sūtra, particularly those of Yijing’s translation into Chinese. The sūtra became popular for its teachings on freeing oneself from the effects of bad karma. For example, Yijing’s Chinese translation (and the Uighur and Tangut versions derived from it) has a preface that states how the sūtra saved Zhang Judao, ruler of Tangut, from going to hell because he had slaughtered cattle for a big feast. This narrative is illustrated in a twelfth-century Tangut woodcut that is preserved in St. Petersburg.16

i.­22

The sūtra was of particular importance to monarchs, and starting in seventh-century Japan, the ritual of reciting this sūtra was considered important to perform for the benefit of the state.

The Sūtra in Tibet

i.­23

Toh 557 (the version translated here) does not list its translators in the colophon. Toh 556 was produced by Jinamitra, Śilendrabodhi, and Yeshé Dé in the early ninth century. Almost the entirety of Toh 557 is present word for word in Toh 556, so they either incorporated an earlier translation or extracted the shorter version from the longer.

i.­24

By contrast, Toh 555 is a translation made by Gö Chödrup of Yijing’s Chinese version in the early ninth century. The Tibetan is clearer and more readable than in the other two versions, perhaps because it is less constrained by conforming to the Sanskrit, but also because the Chinese was a freer translation from the Sanskrit, which was done purposely to enhance its readability.

i.­25

There are some Tibetan texts included in the Tengyur that were authored by those Tibetan translators active in the early ninth century. The translator Kawa Paltsek quotes from the passages describing the Dharma body and the Buddha not leaving any relics because he has no body with bones and blood.17 Yeshé Dé wrote a text that has a number of references to this sūtra’s teaching on the three bodies of a buddha, buddha nature, and the description of the bhūmis.18

i.­26

Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna, also known as Atiśa, whose pupils founded the influential Kadampa tradition in Tibet, is the author of three of the texts in the Tengyur that refer to this sūtra, including his most famous work, A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, which contains an encouragement to use the sūtra’s prayer both for purification and as a dedication prayer.

i.­27

The commentary in the Tengyur that quotes from the sūtra more than any other‍—twenty times in all‍—is the translation by Gö Chödrup of An Extensive Commentary on the Sūtra that Elucidates the Profound Intention by the Korean monk Wŏnch’ŭk19 (613–96), who had migrated to China. This commentary by Wŏnch’ŭk in Tibetan translation became a particular influence on the thought of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelukpa school.20 The sūtra has been quoted by great masters in all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism and extracts from it were published in Tibet as numerous standalone texts‍—not only the confession prayer but also other chapters, such as the treatise on kingship. Its continuing significance is indicated by Pema Karpo (1527–92), the hierarch of the Drukpa Kagyü school, composing a confession prayer extracted from The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light at the request of Döndrup Dorjé, the ruler of Shigatsé.

i.­28

An example of the way the sūtra was recited in Tibet is found in a version compiled by Ngawang Lobsang Chöden (1642–1714), the second Changkya Rinpoché.

Comparing the Versions

i.­29

Toh 556 and Toh 557 were both translated into Tibetan from Sanskrit. Only the Sanskrit that is equivalent to Toh 557 survives. It divides the equivalent of chapter 10 in the Tibetan into two, separating the homage to buddhas and bodhisattvas into its own small chapter. However, its final chapter is divided into two in the Tibetan, resulting in both having twenty-one chapters. Toh 556 appears to preserve passages that were lost from Toh 557. For example, chapter 12, “The King’s Treatise,” begins abruptly: “At that time…,” having evidently lost the introductory narrative‍—present in the equivalent chapter (chapter 20) in the longer version‍—that sets the action in a distant past.

i.­30

Toh 555 was translated into Tibetan from Chinese.21 The source text was Yijing’s seventh-century translation from Sanskrit into Chinese, and therefore the translation differs throughout, even though the content is essentially the same. There are many passages that are actually shorter versions of those in the translations from Sanskrit. Its greater length compared to Toh 556 is primarily due to the addition of chapters 29 and 30.

Translations into Western Languages

i.­31

In 1958, Nobel published a German translation based on Yijing’s Chinese text. In 1970, Ronald Emmerick produced an English translation of the Sanskrit. In 2007, Zopa Rinpoche’s FPMT (Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition) produced an English translation of Toh 557.

Detailed Summary of The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light

Chapter 1: The Introduction

i.­32

The Buddha is on Vulture Peak Mountain at Rājaghṛa with a great assembly. He states that he will teach a sūtra that will free beings from various worldly sufferings through its being recited and listened to.

Chapter 2: The Teaching on the Lifespan of the Tathāgata

i.­33

In the town of Rājaghṛa, the bodhisattva Ruciraketu wonders why the Buddha has only an eighty-year lifespan if he has no bad karma. His house miraculously transforms, and the buddhas of the four directions appear and tell him that the Buddha’s lifespan is, in fact, inconceivably long. At that time on Vulture Peak, the Kauṇḍinya brahmin Vyākaraṇa asks the Buddha that he be given a relic when the Buddha passes away so that he might make offerings to it. Sarva­sattva­priyadarśana, a young man from the town of Vaiśalī, tells the Kauṇḍinya brahmin that the Buddha does not pass away and there will never be relics. The Kauṇḍinya brahmin states that he knew that but made his request so that the truth will be revealed that the appearance of passing away and relics is simply a skillful method to benefit beings.

Chapter 3: The Dream

i.­34

In his home in Rājaghṛa, the bodhisattva Ruciraketu dreams of a brahmin beating a golden drum from which come verses that he is able to remember. He goes to the Buddha on Vulture Peak to repeat those verses to him.

Chapter 4: The Confession

i.­35

This chapter comprises the hundred verses that Ruciraketu repeats to the Buddha. He describes hearing the verses in the dream. They begin with a prayer that they will benefit all beings, and then there are a number of verses of the confession of past bad actions followed by a praise of the Buddha, a prayer that beings be freed from suffering, and finally the dedication of merit so that the reciter will attain enlightenment.

Chapter 5: The Source of Lotus Flowers: A Praise of All the Buddhas

i.­36

The Buddha repeats to a goddess a praise of the buddhas in thirty-five verses made by a king in the distant past.

Chapter 6: Emptiness

i.­37

The Buddha recites verses that briefly describe emptiness, which, he states, he has taught extensively in other sūtras. He describes that he has practiced the path for a long time and that it is impossible to calculate his wisdom.

Chapter 7: The Four Mahārājas

i.­38

The Four Mahārājas, the protectors of the world, promise that they will protect whoever teaches and recites this sūtra and will dispel problems for the king of that country and its population. They and the Buddha describe the miraculous events that occur in the paradises when a king engages in the ritual of venerating the sūtra, and how all buddhas will congratulate him and prophesy his buddhahood. The Mahārājas describe how a king who wishes his realm to prosper and be happy should be devoted to the sūtra. Then they praise the Buddha in verse, and the Buddha praises the sūtra in verse.

Chapter 8: Sarasvatī

i.­39

The goddess Sarasvatī promises to aid those who recite the sūtra with wisdom and skills. She gives the recipe for a cleansing liquid and a mantra that will prevent misfortune. Then the Buddha praises her and teaches beneficial mantras. The Kauṇḍinya brahmin praises Sarasvatī in verse.

Chapter 9: The Great Goddess Śrī

i.­40

The goddess Śrī promises to aid those who recite the sūtra and its preservation so that beings will have good fortune. She states she had been a follower of the Buddha Ratna­kusuma­guṇa­sāgara­vaiḍūrya­kanaka­giri­suvarṇa­kāñcana­prabhāsa­śrī and that she brings good fortune to beings wherever she goes and inspires them to make offerings to that buddha. She dwells in a palace in the paradise of Alakāvati and states that offerings should be made to her and to that buddha. A mantra is taught for her invocation, and instructions for making offerings to her are given.

Chapter 10: Dṛḍhā, the Goddess of the Earth

i.­41

The chapter commences with a homage to a series of buddhas and bodhisattvas. Then Dṛḍhā, the goddess of the earth, promises the Buddha that she will come to wherever The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light is taught, and with her head she will support the feet of the dharmabhāṇaka. Having heard the sūtra, she will make the earth fertile, and what is grown in it nutritious and life-enhancing, and the population will increase. She states that if someone who has heard the sūtra returns home and repeats even one line of verse from it, that home will prosper. The Buddha states that anyone who has listened to even one line of the sūtra or makes offerings to it will be reborn in a paradise after death, enjoy happiness for countless eons, and eventually attain buddhahood.

Chapter 11: Saṃjñeya

i.­42

The yakṣa general Saṃjñeya promises to protect and defend whoever recites the sūtra. He describes his realization and wisdom and promises to endow the teachers of the sūtra with eloquence and physical health. He states that those who hear it will enjoy happiness in paradises for countless eons and eventually attain buddhahood.

Chapter 12: The King’s Treatise: The Commitment of the Lord of Devas

i.­43

After an homage to Buddha Ratna­kusuma­guṇa­sāgara­vaiḍūrya­kanaka­giri­suvarṇa­kāñcana­prabhāsa­śrī, Śākyamuni, Śrī, and Sarasvatī, the chapter begins abruptly and appears to omit the introduction that sets the narrative in the past, which is in a complete form in the other versions of the sūtra. At his enthronement, King Ruciraketu is told by his father, King Balendraketu, to learn the verse treatise on kingship called The Commitment of the Lord of Devas, and he recites it to him. The treatise explains why a king is called a deva even though he is a human: it is because a king is a deva sent to the human world to govern it. A king should therefore fulfill that duty, particularly by punishing the wicked. If he does not do so, calamities of all kinds will befall him and his kingdom. A righteous king will cause all kinds of good fortune to occur.

Chapter 13: Susaṃbhava

i.­44

In this chapter, which is entirely in verse, the Buddha recounts a previous life as a cakravartin by the name of Susaṃbhava, who lived while the teaching of a buddha named Ratnaśikhin was still present. In a dream, he saw the dharmabhāṇaka Ratnoccaya teaching The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light. He then sought out that dharmabhāṇaka and requested him to teach the sūtra, arranging a throne and many offerings to him. At the conclusion of the teaching, Susaṃbhava, through his possession of a wish-fulfilling jewel, caused a rain of jewels and necessities to fall on the four continents he ruled, and he made an offering of it all to the Three Jewels. Śākyamuni states that he was Susaṃbhava at that time, and that Ratnoccaya became the Buddha Akṣobhya. He states that it is through the merit of hearing the sūtra that he has been a cakravartin king and a lord of devas countless times and has finally attained enlightenment.

Chapter 14: The Protection Given by Yakṣas

i.­45

The Buddha instructs the goddess Śrī, first in prose and then in verse, on how someone should teach the sūtra and how someone should listen to it, and the benefits that will accrue from such activities. He adds that the throne upon which the sūtra has been recited will subsequently become the setting for various miraculous manifestations. The devas will praise those who teach and listen to the Dharma. In particular, the yakṣas will give their protection, as will nāgas, asuras, Hārītī and her sons, and the various goddesses, including Sarasvatī, Śrī, and the goddesses of the earth, harvests, and trees. This will bring bountiful harvests and a plenitude of fruits and flowers. Sūrya, the sun god, will also be pleased and will bring wonderful light to the world.

Chapter 15: The Prophecy to Ten Thousand Devas

i.­46

The goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā asks the Buddha about what merit had been accrued by the ten thousand devas from Trāyastriṃśa who came to hear the teaching on hearing the prophecies given to three people.

i.­47

She describes the prophecy of the bodhisattva Ruciraketu becoming the Buddha Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa in the distant future and how his son Rūpyaketu will become the Buddha Suvarṇa­jambudhvajakāñca­nābha. After him, the other son Rūpyaprabha will be the Buddha Radiance of a Hundred Golden Lights. The goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā then states that Jvalanāntara­tejo­rāja and the other ten thousand Trāyastriṃśa devas have not in their past lives had such great bodhisattva conduct as those three, and yet the Buddha has prophesied their becoming buddhas. The Buddha explains that they gained the necessary merit simply through hearing and believing in The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light. In a future time, all ten thousand will attain buddhahood in the same world, and each one will have the name Prasanna­vadanotpala­gandha­kūṭa.

Chapter 16: Ending Illness

i.­48

The Buddha tells the goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā that in a distant past, when the Dharma of a buddha named Ratnaśikhin had disappeared, there was a virtuous king named Sureśvara­prabha. At that time, a head merchant by the name of Jaṭiṃdhara had a son by the name of Jalavāhana, who learned medicine from him and was able to cure the many illnesses prevalent in the kingdom.

Chapter 17: The Story of the Fish Guided by Jalavāhana

i.­49

The Buddha tells the goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā that Jalavāhana had a wife, Jalāmbuja­garbhā, and two sons, Jalāmbara and Jalagarbha. He and his sons went into the wilderness where they discovered a lake that was drying up so that the ten thousand fish in it were in danger of dying. A tree goddess appeared who told Jalavāhana that he should save the fish, so he constructed a shade made from branches for the fish. Then he went to King Sureśvara­prabha and obtained twenty elephants from him. and he used them to carry water to replenish the lake. He then sent his son Jalāmbara home to obtain as much food as possible, and he used that to feed the fish. Finally, he waded into the lake and recited the Dharma of dependent origination and the name of the Buddha Ratnaśikhin. At another time, he became intoxicated from alcohol and fell asleep. The ten thousand fish had died, and because of Jalavāhana’s recitation they had been reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa paradise. They came to the sleeping Jalavāhana and made offerings of many pearls and caused flowers to rain on his home, upon the lake, and other places in the kingdom. The king summoned Jalavāhana, who believed these omens occurred because of the death of the fish. His son Jalāmbara went to the lake and saw that they had all died. The Buddha states that he was Jalavāhana; his father, Śuddhodana, was Jaṭiṃdhara, Jalavāhana’s father; his sons Rāhula and Ānanda were Jalāmbara and Jalagarbha, Jalavāhana’s sons; his wife Gopā was Jalāmbuja­garbhā, Jalavāhana’s wife; his father-in-law, Daṇḍapāṇi, was the king; the ten thousand devas from Trāyastriṃśa were the ten thousand fish; and the goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā was the tree goddess.

Chapter 18: The Gift of the Body to a Tigress

i.­50

The Buddha gives the goddess an account of when he went to the land of Pañcala with a thousand bhikṣus. He asked Ānanda to prepare a seat at a particular spot, and when he stamped the ground with his foot, a stūpa emerged. Inside were golden caskets containing bones. The Buddha tells the bhikṣus to pay homage to them, because these bones are from one of his previous lives, and it was through the sacrifice of his life that he was able to attain buddhahood. He relates that in the past, King Mahāratha had three sons, Mahāpraṇāda, Mahādeva, and Mahāsattva. The three princes wandered into a forest and saw a tigress that had given birth to five cubs but was starving and might soon eat her cubs. Mahāsattva decided to give his body to the tigress, and therefore, as they were leaving the forest, he told his brothers he would follow them later and turned back. He then cut his throat in front of the tigress and fell before her. The other two princes searched for their younger brother and discovered he had been eaten. The queen had nightmares and was distressed, thinking that something had happened to her sons. Therefore, the king and queen went in search of their sons and found the two princes, who told them of Mahāsattva’s death. In great distress, they went to his remains and placed them in the stūpa. The Buddha states that he was Mahāsattva. The story is then retold in verse, in which it is also stated that the Buddha’s father, Śuddhodana, was the king; his mother, Māya, was the queen; the two other princes were Maitreya and Mañjuśrī; the tigress was his stepmother, Mahāprajāpatī; and the tiger cubs were his first five bhikṣus.

Chapter 19: Praise by All Bodhisattvas

i.­51

Hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas go to the Buddha Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa and praise him in verse.

Chapter 20: The Praise of All Tathāgatas

i.­52

The bodhisattva Ruciraketu comes before the Buddha Śākyamuni and praises him in verse.

Chapter 21: The Conclusion

i.­53

The goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā praises the Buddha Śākyamuni in verse. The Buddha rises from his seat and says, “Well done!” and the multitudes of beings rejoice and praise his words.


Text Body

The Translation
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra
The Lord King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light

1.

Chapter 1: The Introduction

[B1] [F.1.b]


1.­1

I pay homage to all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and noble śrāvakas in the past, future, and present.

1.­2
Thus did I hear at one time.22
The Tathāgata was dwelling
On Vulture Peak, in the Dharma realm,
The profound buddha field of activity.
1.­3
He taught this Sublime Golden Light‍—
Which is the lord king of sūtras‍—
To the supreme bodhisattvas,
Who are pure and immaculate.
1.­4
It is profound to listen to
And profound to analyze.
It has received the blessings
Of the buddhas in the four directions:

2.

Chapter 2: The Teaching on the Lifespan of the Tathāgata

2.­1

Also, at that time, there dwelled in the great city of Rājagṛha [F.3.a] a bodhisattva mahāsattva by the name of Ruciraketu. He had served past jinas, had developed roots of merit, and had attended upon many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddhas. He thought, “Through what causes and what conditions does the Bhagavat Śākyamuni have such a short lifespan of eighty years?”

2.­2

Then he thought, “The Bhagavat has said, ‘There are two causes and two conditions for a long life. What are those two? Forsaking killing and giving food.’ The Bhagavat Śākyamuni has forsaken killing and has correctly adopted the path of the ten good actions for countless hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons. He has given external and internal substances as food to beings, even to the extent of satisfying hungry beings with his own body, blood, bones, and limbs, to say nothing of every other kind of food.”


3.

Chapter 3: The Dream

3.­1

The bodhisattva Ruciraketu then went to sleep and in a dream saw a golden drum54 that was shining brightly like the disk of the sun. In all directions, there were countless, innumerable buddha bhagavats seated upon precious beryl thrones at the foot of precious trees, encircled by assemblies of many hundreds of thousands. Looking straight ahead, they were teaching the Dharma.

3.­2

Then he saw a person who appeared to be a brahmin beating that drum, and he heard a teaching in verse come from the drumbeats.


4.

Chapter 4: The Confession55

4.­1
“One night, though I was not
Sleepy,56 I entered a dream.
I saw a large, beautiful drum
Entirely of golden light.
4.­2
“It was shining like the sun
And completely bright,
Illuminating the ten directions.
I saw buddhas everywhere,
4.­3
“Seated beneath precious trees [F.7.a]
On precious beryl thrones,
Looking straight ahead in the middle
Of many hundreds of thousands of followers.
4.­4
“I saw someone resembling a brahmin
Who beat that big drum.
As he was beating it,
There came these verses:

5.

Chapter 5: The Source of Lotus Flowers: A Praise of All the Buddhas

5.­1

[B2] Then the Bhagavat said to the noble goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā, “Noble goddess, at that time, in that time, there was a king by the name of Suvarṇa­bhujendra. Through this praise of all the tathāgatas, The Source of Lotus Flowers, he praised the buddha bhagavats of the past, future, and present.

5.­2
“ ‘The jinas who have appeared in the past
And the jinas present in worlds in the ten directions,
I pay homage to those jinas
And I praise all those jinas.97

6.

Chapter 6: Emptiness

6.­1

[F.13.b] Then the Bhagavat recited these verses:

6.­2
“I have taught the Dharmas of emptiness
Very extensively in countless other sūtras.
Therefore, in this supreme sūtra
I will teach the Dharmas of emptiness briefly.
6.­3
“Unknowing beings with little intelligence
Are not able to know all the Dharmas.
Therefore, in this supreme sūtra
I will teach the Dharmas of emptiness briefly.
6.­4
“I teach this lord of supreme sūtras
Through other methods, ways, and causes,
And through compassion, so that all beings will understand
And so that it will arise in beings.131

7.

Chapter 7: The Four Mahārājas

7.­1

Then Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa, Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Mahārāja Virūḍhaka, and Mahārāja Virūpākṣa rose from their seats, and with their upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on their right knee and, with palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said, “Venerable149 Bhagavat, this Lord King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light, is taught by all the tathāgatas; it is viewed by all the tathāgatas; it is thought of150 by all the tathāgatas; it is possessed by all the assemblies of bodhisattvas; it is paid homage to by all the hosts of devas; it is offered to by all the hosts of devas; it is praised by all the hosts of the lords of devas; it is offered to, praised, and honored by all the protectors of the world; it illuminates all the divine mansions; it brings supreme happiness to all beings; it extinguishes all the suffering in the hells, in the lives of animals, and in the realm of Yama; it brings fears to an end; it repels all the armies of enemies; it brings the calamity151 of famines to an end; it brings the calamity152 of disease to an end; it dispels all planetary influences;153 it brings perfect peace; it ends misery and troubles; and it brings to an end various kinds of calamities‍—it overcomes a hundred thousand calamities.


8.

Chapter 8: Sarasvatī

8.­1

[F.28.b] Then the great goddess Sarasvatī, with her robe over one shoulder, kneeling with her right knee on the ground and her palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said to the Bhagavat, “Venerable Bhagavat, I, the great goddess Sarasvatī, will bring eloquence to the words of those dharmabhāṇakas so that their words will be beautified. I will also bestow on them the power of mental retention. I will establish them in giving definitions. I will illuminate those dharmabhāṇakas with the great light of wisdom. If any line of verse or syllables of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is left out or forgotten, I will bring all definitions, lines of verse, and syllables to those dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus.195


9.

Chapter 9: The Great Goddess Śrī

9.­1

Then the great goddess Śrī said to the Bhagavat, “Venerable Bhagavat, I, the great goddess Śrī, will also, in whatever way, bring a perfection of requisites to those dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus so that they will gain freedom from deprivation; will have a resolute255 mind; will day and night have happiness of mind; will learn, understand, and correctly recite all the different words and letters in this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, [F.31.a] so that, for the sake of those beings who have planted good roots with hundreds of thousands of buddhas, this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light will remain for a long time in Jambudvīpa and will not disappear, and so that beings will hear this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light and will experience the happiness of devas and humans for many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons, and so that there will be no famine and instead excellent harvests. Beings will become happy through being endowed with every kind of happiness. They will be in the company of tathāgatas, and in a future time will attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood. This will end all the suffering in the hells, in the lives of animals, and in the world of Yama. Robes, food, bedding, medicine while ill, requisites, and other necessities will be brought to those dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus.


10.

Chapter 10: Dṛḍhā, the Goddess of the Earth274

10.­1

“I pay homage to the Bhagavat Tathāgata Ratnaśikhin.

10.­2

“I pay homage to the Bhagavat Tathāgata Vimalajvala­ratna­suvarṇa­raśmi­prabhā­śikhin275

10.­3

“I pay homage to the Tathāgata Jambu Golden Victory Banner Golden Appearance.276

10.­4

“I pay homage to the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­prabhagarbha.277

10.­5

“I pay homage to the Tathāgata Radiance of a Hundred Suns’ Illuminating Essence.278

10.­6

“I pay homage to the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa.

10.­7

“I pay homage to the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­puṣpa­jvalaraśmi­ketu.


11.

Chapter 11: Saṃjñeya286

11.­1

Then the great yakṣa general Saṃjñeya, accompanied by twenty-eight yakṣa generals, rose from his seat and, with his robe over one shoulder, kneeling with his right knee on the ground and with palms together, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said to the Bhagavat, “Venerable Bhagavat, wherever this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light appears, in the present or in future times, whether in a village, town, market town, region, wilderness, mountain cave,287 or royal residence, Bhagavat, I, the great yakṣa general Saṃjñeya, accompanied by twenty-eight yakṣa generals, will come to that village, town, market town, region, wilderness, mountain cave,288 or royal residence.


12.

Chapter 12: The King’s Treatise: The Commitment of the Lord of Devas

12.­1

[B4] I pay homage to the bhagavat tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha Ratna­kusuma­guṇa­sāgara­vaiḍūrya­kanaka­giri­suvarṇa­kāñcana­prabhāsa­śrī. [F.37.a]

12.­2

I pay homage to Śākyamuni, who lights the lamp of the Dharma, the bhagavat tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha whose body is adorned by many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of qualities.

12.­3

I pay homage to the great goddess Śrī, who has a perfection of immeasurable grains and a fortune of qualities.


13.

Chapter 13: Susaṃbhava

13.­1
“Whenever I was a cakravartin king,
I gave away the earth with its oceans.
I offered the four continents
Filled with jewels to the past jinas.
13.­2
“Because I sought the Dharma body,
There was nothing in the past that was pleasant
And cherished that I did not give away,
And in many eons, I even gave up my cherished life.
13.­3
“Many countless eons ago,
I was King Susaṃbhava
Within the teaching of the sugata Ratnaśikhin,
A sugata who had passed into nirvāṇa.
13.­4
“He was a cakravartin who ruled the four continents,
And he reigned315 over the land as far as the oceans.
At that time, the excellent king went to sleep
In the royal palace for the teaching of the lord of jinas.

14.

Chapter 14: The Protection Given by Yakṣas

14.­1

“Great goddess Śrī, any noble man or noble woman who has faith and wishes to make an inconceivably, extremely vast and great offering of requisites to the past, future, and present buddha bhagavats, and wishes to know the profound field of activity of the past, future, and present buddhas, whether in a temple or in a wilderness, in whatever place The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is being correctly taught, in that place they should, with an undoubting and undistracted mind, pay attention and listen to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.”


15.

Chapter 15: The Prophecy to Ten Thousand Devas

15.­1

When the Bhagavat had said that, the noble goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā asked him, “Venerable Bhagavat, through what cause and what condition, and through what accomplishment and accumulation of planting good roots, have Jvalanāntara­tejo­rāja and these other ten thousand devas now come from the Trāyastriṃśa paradise, having heard the prophecy to these three sublime beings?

15.­2

“It was thus: this excellent being, the bodhisattva Ruciraketu, in a future time, after many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of asaṃkhyeyas of eons have passed, will attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood in the world realm Suvarṇaprabhā. [F.45.a] He will appear in that world as the tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha, the one with wisdom and virtuous conduct,347 the sugata, the one who knows the world’s beings, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavat by the name of Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa.


16.

Chapter 16: Ending Illness

16.­1

“Noble goddess, in the past, in a time gone by‍—an inconceivable, vast number, more innumerable than an asaṃkhyeya of eons ago‍—at that time, in that time, the tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha, the one with wisdom and virtuous conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world’s beings, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavat by the name of Ratnaśikhin appeared in the world.


17.

Chapter 17: The Story of the Fish Guided by Jalavāhana

17.­1

[B5] “And so, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, had cured the illnesses in the kingdom of King Sureśvara­prabha, so that there were few illnesses and people had the enthusiasm and physical strength they had previously possessed. All the beings in the kingdom of King Sureśvara­prabha were happy, enjoyed amusements, performed acts of generosity, and created merit. They praised Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, saying, ‘May Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, be victorious! May he be victorious! He is the king of healing,358 who heals the illnesses of all beings. He is the visible presence of a bodhisattva, and he knows all the eight branches of the Āyurveda.’


18.

Chapter 18: The Gift of the Body to a Tigress

18.­1

“Moreover, noble goddess, bodhisattvas give away their bodies in order to benefit others. What is that like?

18.­2

“The Bhagavat,369 with the light rays of a hundred various, stainless, and vast qualities shining on the earth370 and in the paradises, with the vision of unimpeded wisdom, and the power to suppress adversaries,371 accompanied by a thousand bhikṣus, was traveling and passing through the Pañcala372 land and came to a forest.


19.

Chapter 19: Praise by All Bodhisattvas

19.­1

Then those hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas went to where the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa was. When they arrived, they bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat Tathāgata Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa and arranged themselves to one side. Having arranged themselves to one side, those hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas placed their palms together and praised the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa with these verses: [F.60.b]


20.

Chapter 20: The Praise of All Tathāgatas407

20.­1

Then the bodhisattva Ruciraketu rose from his seat and, with his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee with palms together, bowed toward the Bhagavat, and then praised the Bhagavat through these verses:

20.­2
“Lord of munis, you have the signs of a hundred merits;
You are adorned by the qualities of a thousand beautiful splendors.
You have an exalted408 color, you manifest supreme peace,
And you shine with light like a thousand suns.

21.

Chapter 21: The Conclusion

21.­1

Then the noble goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā praised the Bhagavat with these verses:

21.­2
“I pay homage to the Buddha who has pure knowledge,
Who has the knowledge with eloquence in the pure Dharma,
Who has the knowledge that is free from the path of bad actions,
And has the pure knowledge of existence and nonexistence.
21.­3
“Oh! Oh! The Buddha’s magnificence is infinite!
Oh! Oh! He is like the ocean and Mount Sumeru!
Oh! Oh! The Buddha’s activity is infinite!
He is extremely rare like a fig tree flower!

n.

Notes

n.­1
The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (2) (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra, Toh 556).
n.­2
The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (1) (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottamasūtra, Toh 555).
n.­3
dbu ma rin po che’i sgron ma (Madhyamaka­ratna­pradīpa) Toh 3854.
n.­4
(1) The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī (Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa, Toh 543), 2.­129; (2) ral pa gyen brdzes kyi rtog pa chen po, byang chub sems dpa’ chen po’i rnam par ’phrul pa le’u rab ’byams las bcom ldan ’das ma ’phags ma sgrol ma’i rtsa ba’i rtog pa (Ūrdhvajaṭā-mahā­kalpa­mahā­bodhisattva­vikurvaṇapaṭalavisarā bhagavatī ārya­tārā­mūlakalpa), Toh 724, folio 238.a; (3) dkyil ’khor thams cad kyi spyi’i cho ga gsang ba’i rgyud (Sarva­maṇḍala­sāmānya­vidhiguhya­tantra), Toh 806, folio 152.b;.
n.­5
(1) Vinayadatta, sgyu ’phrul chen mo’i dkyil ’khor gyi cho ga bla ma’i zhal snga’i man ngag (Gurūpadeśa­nāma­mahāmāyā­maṇḍalopāyikā), Toh 1645, folio 209.a; (2) Bhavyakīrti, sgron ma gsal bar byed pa dgongs pa rab gsal zhes bya ba bshad pa’i ti ka (Pradīpoddyotanābhi­saṃdhi­prakāśikā­nāma­vyākhyāṭīkā), Toh 1793, folio 201.a; (3) Pramuditākaravarman, gsang ba ’dus pa rgyud kyi rgyal po’i bshad pa zla ba’i ’od zer (Guhya­samāja­tantra­rājaṭīkā­candra­prabhā), Toh 1852, folio 169.b; (4) Vitapāda, gsang ba ’dus pa’i dkyil ’khor gyi sgrub pa’i thabs rnam par bshad pa (Guhya­samāja­maṇḍalopāyikāṭīkā), Toh 1873, folio 209.a; (5) Ānandagarbha, rdo rje dbyings kyi dkyil ’khor chen po’i cho ga rdo rje thams cad ’byung ba (Vajra­dhātu­mahā­maṇḍalopāyikā­sarva­vajrodaya), Toh 2516, folio 50.a; (6) Anonymous, ’jam pa’i rdo rje ’byung ba’i dkyil ’khor gyi cho ga sems can thams cad kyi bde ba bskyed pa (Mañju­vajrodaya­maṇḍalopāyikā­sarva­sattvahitāvahā). Toh 2590; (7) Kāmadhenu, ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba gzi brjid kyi rgyal po zhes bya ba cho ga zhib mo’i rgyal po chen po’i rgya cher ’grel pa (Sarva­durgati­pariśodhana­tejo­rāja­nāma­mahā­kalpa­rājaṭīkā), Toh 2625; (8) Ānandagarbha, de bzhin gshegs pa dgra bcom pa yang dag par rdzogs pa’i sangs rgyas ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba gzi brjid kyi rgyal po zhes bya ba’i bshad pa (Sarva­durgati­pariśodhana­tejo­rāja­tathāgatārhat­samyak­saṃbuddha­nāma­kalpaṭīkā), Toh 2628, folio 73.a; (9) Sthiramati, rgyan dam pa sna tshogs rim par phye ba bkod pa (Paramālaṃkāra­viśva­paṭala­vyūha), Toh 2661, folio 322.b; (10) Sahajalalita. kun nas sgor ’jug pa’i ’od zer gtsug tor dri ma med par snang ba de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi snying po dang dam tshig la rnam par blta ba zhes bya ba’i gzungs kyi rnam par bshad pa (Samanta­mukha­praveśaraśmi­vimaloṣṇīṣa­prabhāsa­sarva­tathāgata­hṛdaya­samaya­vilokita­nāma­dhāraṇī­vṛtti), Toh 2688, folio 292.b.
n.­6
(1) Bodhisattva, kun nas sgor ’jug pa’i ’od zer gtsug tor dri ma med par snang ba’i gzungs bklag cing chod rten brgya rtsa brgyad dam mchod rten lnga gdab pa’i cho ga mdo sde las btus pa (Samanta­mukha­praveśaraśmi­vimaloṣṇīṣa­prabhāsa­dhāraṇī­vacana­sūtrāntoddhṛtāṣṭottara­śata­caityāntara­pañca­caitya­nirvapaṇa­vidhi), Toh 3068, folios 145.a, 151.b, 153.b; (2) Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna, dbu ma’i man ngag rin po che’i za ma tog kha phye ba zhes bya ba (Ratna­karaṇḍodghāṭa­nāma­madhyamakopadeśa), Toh 3930, folios 99.a, 115.a; (3) Śāntideva, bslab pa kun las btus pa (Śikṣāsamuccaya), Toh 3940, folios 3.a–194.b, 90.a–91.b, 122.a–123.b; (4) Vairocanarakṣita, bslab pa me tog snye ma (Śikṣākusuma­mañjarī), Toh 3943, folio 200.a; (5) Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna, byang chub lam gyi sgron ma’i dka’ ’grel (Bodhi­mārga­pradīpa­pañjikā), Toh 3948, folio 20.b.
n.­7
(1) Anonymous, gser ’od dam pa mdo sde dbang po’i smon lam (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtrendra­praṇidhāna), Toh 4379; (2) Anonymous, rgyal po gser gyi lag pa’i smon lam (Rāja­suvarṇa­bhuja­praṇidhāna), Toh 4380.
n.­8
(1) Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna, mngon par rtogs pa rnam par ’byed pa (Abhisamaya­vibhaṅga), Toh 1490, folio 201.a; (2) Āryadeva, spyod pa bsdud pa’i sgron ma (Caryāmelāpaka­pradīpa), Toh 1803, folio 106.a; (3) Mañjuśrīkīrti, ’jam dpal gyi mtshan yang dag par brjod pa’i rgya cher bshad pa (Mañjuśrī­nāma­saṃgīti­ṭīkā), Toh 2534, folio 217.b; (4) Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna, shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa brgyad stong pa’i bshad pa mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan gyi snang ba (Aṣṭa­sāhasrikā­prajñāpāramitā­vyākhyānābhi­samayālaṃkārāloka), Toh 3791, folio 84.b; (5) Dharmakīrtiśrī, shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa’i man ngag gi bstan bcos mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan zhes bya ba’i ’grel pa rtogs par dka’ ba’i snang ba zhes bya ba’i ’grel bshad (Abhi­samayālaṃkāra­nāma­prajñāpāramitopadeśa­śāstra­vṛtti­durbodhāloka­nāmaṭīkā), Toh 3794, folio 152.b; (6) Dharmamitra, shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa’i man ngag gi bstan bcos mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan gyi tshig le’ur byas pa’i ’grel bshad tshig rab tu gsal ba (Abhi­samayālaṃkāra­kārikā­prajñāpāramitopadeśa­śāstraṭīkā­prasphuṭapadā), Toh 3796, folio 104.a.
n.­9
(1) Āryadeva, Toh 1803, folio 217.b; (2) Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna, Toh 3791, folio 84.b.
n.­10
(1) Ekādaśanirghoṣa, rdo rje ’chang chen po’i lam gyi rim pa’i man ngag bdud rtsi gsang ba (Mahā­vajra­dhara­pathakramopadeśāmṛta­guhya), Toh 1823, folio 274.a; (2) Yeshé Dé, lang kar gshegs pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo’i ’grel pa de bzhin gshegs pa’i snying po’i rgyan (Laṅkāvatāra­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra­vṛtti­tathāgata­hṛdayālaṃkāra), Toh 4019, folios 29.a, 29.b, 152.b, 279.b, 302.a.
n.­11
Termed the Navadharma (“Nine Dharmas”) or Navagrantha (“Nine Texts”), these works are (1) Prajñāpāramitā, (2) Gaṇḍavyūha, (3) Daśabhūmi, (4) Samādhirāja, (5) Laṅkāvatāra, (6) Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, (7) Lalitavistara, (8) Suvarṇa­prabhāsa, and (9) Tathāgatagūhya. See Lewis 1993, p. 327, n. 15.
n.­12
The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, p. 248.
n.­13
Emmerick 2004, p. xxi.
n.­14
Emmerick 2004, p. xii.
n.­15
The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, p. 1028.
n.­16
Tyomkin 1995, p. 30.
n.­17
Paltsek, gsung rab rin po che’i gtam rgyud dang śākya’i rabs rgyud, Toh 4357, folios 273.a and 331.b.
n.­18
Yeshe Dé, lang kar gshegs pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo’i ’grel pa de bzhin gshegs pa’i snying po’i rgyan (Laṅkāvatāra­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra­vṛtti­tathāgata­hṛdayālaṃkāra), Toh 4019, folios 29.a, 29.b, 152.b, 279.b, 302.a.
n.­19
This is his name as given in The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism (p. 996). His name is variously given elsewhere as Wonchuk, Wen Tshig, Yüan ts’e, Yuan Tso, and in Tibetan translation as Dzoksal (rdzog gsal).
n.­20
The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, p. 189.
n.­21
No Sanskrit title is given since this version was translated from the Chinese. The rendering of the Chinese title varies in different editions of the Kangyur. The Degé has tā shin kyin kwang myutsa’i shin wang kyin. The Yongle has ta’i ching gim gom mang dza’i shing wang gyi. The Kangxi has ta’i ching gin grom ming dza’i shing wang gying. The Narthang reads de’i shing ki ma kwang med dzwa’i shing wang kyang. The Lhasa version has tā shin kyin kwang mya ru tsa’i shin wa da kyin. These appear to be variants as a result of differing regional pronunciations and scribal corruptions of what would now be written as Da cheng jin guang ming zui sheng wang jing 大乘金光明最勝王經. Zhiyi 智顗 (538–97), a.k.a. Tian tai zhi da shi 天台智者大師, writing in his commentary on this sūtra titled Jin guang ming jing xuan yi 金光明經玄義, cited Paramārtha (a.k.a. Zhen di 真諦) in giving the Sanskrit pronunciation of the title of the sūtra as Xiu ba na po po po yu do mo yin tuo luo zhe yue na xiu duo luo 修跋拏婆頗婆欝多摩因陀羅遮閱那修多羅, presumably transcribing Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­rāja­sūtraṃ. The CBETA collection appears to concur.
n.­22
In the Sanskrit version of this text, this phrase is part of the first verse, while in the Tibetan, keeping to the traditional phraseology, has more syllables than the following lines. There have been two ways to interpret this traditional beginning of a sūtra, with such Indian masters as Kamalaśīla claiming that both are equally correct. The alternative interpretation is “Thus did I hear: at one time, the Bhagavān…” and so on. The various arguments, both traditional and modern, for either side are given by Brian Galloway in “Thus Have I Heard: At one time…” Indo-Iranian Journal 34, Issue 2 (April 1991): 87–104.
n.­54
The Sanskrit translates as “he saw a bherī drum made of gold.”
n.­55
According to the Tibetan bshags pa. In Sanskrit the title is deśana (“The Teaching”).
n.­56
According to the Sanskrit atandrena. The Tibetan translates as g.yel ba med pa, which usually means “undistracted,” although that does not appear to be the meaning here.
n.­97
The Sanskrit translates as “the saṅgha of those jinas.”
n.­131
According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit translates as “for the sake of the arising of compassion for beings.”
n.­149
“Venerable” is here absent in the Sanskrit.
n.­150
According to the Tibetan dgongs pa. The Sanskrit has samanvāgataḥ (“provided by”).
n.­151
From the Sanskrit kāntāra. The Tibetan translates as its other meaning dgon pa (“wilderness”). Toh 555 has dus ngan (“bad times”).
n.­152
From the Sanskrit kāntāra. The Tibetan translates as its other meaning dgon pa (“wilderness”). Toh 555 has sdug bsngal (“suffering”).
n.­153
According to the Tibetan, presumably translating from graha or possibly pramathana. The Sanskrit has jñānaprakāśakaḥ (“it manifests wisdom”). Toh 555 has ltas ngan (“bad omens”).
n.­195
The Sanskrit here has dhāraṇīṃ cānupradāsyāmi smṛtyasaṃ­pramoṣaṇāya, “and bestow on him the power of mental retention, so perfect memory.” It occurs further on in the Tibetan.
n.­255
According to the Sanskrit svastha and to the Narthang of Toh 557, which reads brtan. The Yongle and Kangxi versions of Toh 557 have rtag (“permanent”). The Degé version has brtas (“increased”).
n.­274
In the Sanskrit, this chapter is divided into chapters 10 and 11, with the former being a very short chapter, “The Dhāraṇī of All the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.” In Toh 555 and Toh 556, that chapter forms part of the conclusion of chapter 17.
n.­275
The Sanskrit has only Ratnaśikhin.
n.­276
Absent in the Sanskrit.
n.­277
Absent in the Sanskrit.
n.­278
Absent in the Sanskrit.
n.­286
The title of this chapter in Toh 556 translates as “Saṃjñeya, the Lord of Yakṣas.” The Sanskrit translates as “The Great Yakṣa General Saṃjñeya.”
n.­287
According to the Sanskrit girikandara. Toh 557 has ri’i sman ljongs (“land of mountain herbs”).
n.­288
According to the Sanskrit girikandara. Toh 557 has ri’i sman ljongs (“land of mountain herbs”).
n.­315
According to the Sanskrit praśāsyate. Toh 557 translates according one of its other meanings: “teach” (ston). Toh 555 has btul (“subjugated”).
n.­347
This refers to the eightfold path, with wisdom being the right view and conduct being the other seven aspects of the path.
n.­358
Absent in the Sanskrit.
n.­369
Although this is presented as a narration by the Buddha, he is described in the third person.
n.­370
According to the Sanskrit, the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné versions of Toh 556, and Toh 557. The Degé version of Toh 556 has ba instead of sa.
n.­371
The Sanskrit also has “having attained the five kinds of vision.”
n.­372
According to the Tibetan lnga lan pa and in Toh 555 the transliterated pañcala. The Bhagji edition has prañcala.
n.­407
In the Sanskrit, this is a continuation of the previous chapter and not a separate chapter.
n.­408
From the Sanskrit udāra, which the Tibetan has translated as rgya che (“vast”).

b.

Bibliography

Primary Sources in Tibetan and Chinese

gser ’od dam pa’i mdo. Toh 555, Degé Kangyur vol. 89 (rgyud ’bum, pa), folios 19.a–151a. English translation The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (1) 2023.

gser ’od dam pa mdo sde’i dbang po’i rgyal po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtrendra­rāja­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra). Toh 556, Degé Kangyur vol. 89 (rgyud ’bum, pa), folios 151.b–273.a. English translation The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (2) 2024.

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.

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).

Jin guangming zuisheng wang jin 金光明最勝王經. Taishō 665 (CBETA, SAT). (Translation of Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra by Yijing 義淨).

Secondary References‍—Kangyur

dkyil ’khor thams cad kyi spyi’i cho ga gsang ba’i rgyud (Sarva­maṇḍala­sāmānya­vidhiguhya­tantra). Toh 806, Degé Kangyur vol. 96 (rgyud, wa), folios 141.a–167.b.

’jam dpal gyi rtsa ba’i rgyud (Mañjuśrī­mūlakalpa). Toh 543, Degé Kangyur vol.88 (rgyud, na), folios 105.a–351.a. English translation The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī 2020.

’od srung kyi le’u zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Kāśyapa­parivartanāma­mahāyāna­sūtra). Toh 87, Degé Kangyur vol. 44 (dkon brtsegs, cha), folios 119.b–151.b.

ral pa gyen brdzes kyi rtog pa chen po byang chub sems dpa’ chen po’i rnam par ’phrul pa le’u rab ’byams las bcom ldan ’das ma ’phags ma sgrol ma’i rtsa ba’i rtog pa zhes bya ba (Ūrdhvajaṭāmahākalpamahābodhisattvavikurvaṇapaṭalavisarā bhagavatī āryatārāmūlakalpanāma). Toh 724, Degé Kangyur vol. 93 (rgyud, tsa), folios 205.b–311.a, and vol. 94 (rgyud, tsha), folios 1.a–200.a.

blo gros mi zad pas zhus pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Akṣaya­matiparipṛcchā­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra). Toh 89, Degé Kangyur vol. 44 (dkon brtsegs, cha), folios 175.b–182.b.

lang kar gshegs pa’i theg pa chen po’i mdo (Laṅkāvatāra­mahāyāna­sūtra). Toh 107, Degé Kangyur vol. 49 (mdo sde, ca), folios 56.a–191.b.

las kyi sgrib pa gcod pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Karmāvaraṇa­pratipraśrabdhi­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra) Toh 219, Degé Kangyur vol. 62 (mdo sde, tsha), folios 297.b–307.a. English translation Putting an End to Karmic Obscurations 2024.

Secondary References‍—Tengyur

Ajitaśrībhadra. dga’ ba’i bshes gnyen gyi rtogs pa (Nanda­mitrāvadāna). Toh 4146, Degé Tengyur vol. 269 (’dul ba, su), folios 240.a–244.b.

Ānandagarbha. rdo rje dbyings kyi dkyil ’khor chen po’i cho ga rdo rje thams cad ’byungs ba (Vajra­dhātu­mahā­maṇḍalopāyikā­sarva­vajrodaya). Toh 2516, Degé Tengyur vol. 62 (rgyud, ku), folios 1.a–50.a.

Anonymous. rgyal po gser gyi lag pa’i smon lam (Rāja­suvarṇa­bhuja­praṇidhāna). Toh 4380, Degé Tengyur vol. 309 (sna tshogs, nyo), folios 309b–310a.

Anonymous. ’jam pa’i rdo rje ’byung ba’i dkyil ’khor gyi cho ga sems can thams cad kyi bde ba bskyed pa (Mañju­vajrodaya­maṇḍalopāyikā­sarva­sattvahitāvahā). Toh 2590, Degé Tengyur vol. 65 (rgyud, ngu), folios 225.a–274.a.

Anonymous. gser ’od dam pa mdo sde dbang po’i smon lam (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtrendra­praṇidhāna). Toh 4379, Degé Tengyur vol. 309 (sna tshogs, nyo), folios 304.b–309.b.

Āryadeva. spyod pa bsdud pa’i sgron ma (Caryāmelāpaka­pradīpa). Toh 1803, Degé Tengyur vol. 65 (rgyud, ngi), folios 57.a–106.b.

Bhavya. dbu ma rin po che’i sgron ma (Madhyamaka­ratna­pradīpa). Toh 3854, Degé Tengyur vol. 199 (dbu ma, tsha), folios 259.b–289.a.

Bhavyakīrti. sgron ma gsal bar byed pa dgongs pa rab gsal zhes bya ba bshad pa’i ti ka (Pradīpoddyotanābhi­saṃdhi­prakāśikā­nāma­vyākhyāṭīkā). Toh 1793, Degé Tengyur vols. 32–33 (rgyud, ki), folios 1.b–292.a, and (rgyud, khi), folios 1.b–155.a.

Bodhisattva. kun nas sgor ’jug pa’i ’od zer gtsug tor dri ma med par snang ba’i gzungs bklag cing chod rten brgya rtsa brgyad dam mchod rten lnga gdab pa’i cho ga mdo sde las btus pa (Samanta­mukha­praveśaraśmi­vimaloṣṇīṣa­prabhāsa­dhāraṇī­vacana­sūtrāntoddhṛtāṣṭottara­śata­caityāntara­pañca­caitya­nirvapaṇa­vidhi). Toh 3068, Degé Tengyur vol. 74 (rgyud, pu), folios 140.a–153.a.

Buddhānandagarbha. de bzhin gshegs pa dgra bcom pa yang dag par rdzogs pa’i sangs rgyas ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba gzi brjid kyi rgyal po zhes bya ba’i bshad pa (Sarva­durgati­pariśodhana­tejo­rāja­tathāgatārhat­samyak­saṃbuddha­nāma­kalpaṭīkā). Toh 2628, Degé Tengyur vol. 68 (rgyud, ju), folios 1.a–97.a.

Dharmakīrtiśrī. shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa’i man ngag gi bstan bcos mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan zhes bya ba’i ’grel pa rtogs par dka’ ba’i snang ba zhes bya ba’i ’grel bshad (Abhi­samayālaṃkāra­nāma­prajñāpāramitopadeśa­śāstra­vṛtti­durbodhāloka­nāmaṭīkā). Toh 3794, Degé Tengyur vol. 86 (sher phyin, ja), folios 140.b–254.a.

Dharmamitra. shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa’i man ngag gi bstan bcos mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan gyi tshig le’ur byas pa’i ’grel bshad tshig rab tu gsal ba (Abhi­samayālaṃkāra­kārikā­prajñā­pāramitopadeśa­śāstraṭīkā­prasphuṭapadā). Toh 3796, Degé Tengyur vol. 87 (sher phyin, nya), folios 1.a–110.a.

Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna. dbu ma’i man ngag rin po che’i za ma tog kha phye ba zhes bya ba (Ratna­karaṇḍodghāṭa­nāma­madhyamakopadeśa). Toh 3930, Degé Tengyur vol. 212 (dbu ma, ki), folios 96.b–116.b.

Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna. byang chub lam gyi sgron ma’i dka’ ’grel (Bodhi­mārga­pradīpa­pañjikā). Toh 3948, Degé Tengyur vol. 213 (mdo ’grel, khi), folios 241.a–293.a.

Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna. mngon par rtogs pa rnam par ’byed pa (Abhisamayavibhaṅga). Toh 1490, Degé Tengyur vol. 22 (rgyud, zha), folios 186.a–202.b.

Ekādaśanirghoṣa. rdo rje ’chang chen po’i lam gyi rim pa’i man ngag bdud rtsi gsang ba (Mahā­vajra­dhara­pathakramopadeśāmṛta­guhya). Toh 1823, Degé Tengyur vol. 35 (rgyud, ngi), folios 267.b–278.a.

Haribhadra. shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa brgyad stong pa’i bshad pa mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan gyi snang ba (Aṣṭa­sāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā­vyākhyānābhi­samayālaṃkārāloka). Toh 3791, Degé Tengyur vol. 85 (sher phyin, cha), folios 1.a–341.a.

Kāmadhenu. ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba gzi brjid kyi rgyal po zhes bya ba cho ga zhib mo’i rgyal po chen po’i rgya cher ’grel pa (Sarva­durgati­pariśodhana­tejo­rāja­nāma­mahā­kalpa­rājaṭīkā). Toh 2625, Degé Tengyur vol. 666 (rgyud, cu), folios 231.a–341.a.

Mañjuśrīkīrti. ’jam dpal gyi mtshan yang dag par brjod pa’i rgya cher bshad pa (Mañjuśrī­nāma­saṃgīti­ṭīkā). Toh 2534, Degé Tengyur vol. 63 (gyud, khu), folios 115.b–301.a.

Paltsek (dpal brtsegs). gsung rab rin po che’i gtam rgyud dang shA kya’i rabs rgyud. Toh 4357, Degé Tengyur vol. 306 (sna tshogs, co), folios 239.a–377.a.

Paltsek (dpal brtsegs). pho brang stod thang lhan dkar gyi chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag. Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur vol. 308 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.

Pramuditākaravarman. gsang ba ’dus pa rgyud kyi rgyal po’i bshad pa zla ba’i ’od zer (Guhya­samāja­tantra­rājaṭīkā­candra­prabhā). Toh 1852, Degé Tengyur vol. 41 (rgyud, thi), folios 120.a–313.a.

Sahajalalita. kun nas sgor ’jug pa’i ’od zer gtsug tor dri ma med par snang ba de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi snying po dang dam tshig la rnam par blta ba zhes bya ba’i gzungs kyi rnam par bshad pa (Samanta­mukha­praveśaraśmi­vimaloṣṇīṣa­prabhāsa­sarva­tathāgata­hṛdaya­samaya­vilokita­nāma­dhāraṇī­vṛtti). Toh 2688, Degé Tengyur vol. 71 (rgyud, thu), folios 269.a–320.b.

Śāntideva. bslab pa kun las btus pa (Śikṣāsamuccaya). Toh 3940, Degé Tengyur vol. 111 (dbu ma, khi), folios 3.a–194.b.

Sthiramati. rgyan dam pa sna tshogs rim par phye ba bkod pa (Paramālaṃkāra­viśva­paṭala­vyūha). Toh 2661, Degé Tengyur vol. 68 (rgyud, ju), folios 317.a–339.a.

Vairocanarakṣita. bslab pa me tog snye ma (Śikṣākusuma­mañjarī). Toh 3943, Degé Tengyur vol. 213 (dbu ma, khi), folios 196.a–217.a.

Various authors. bye brag tu rtogs par byed pa [chen po] (Mahāvyutpatti*). Toh 4346, Degé Tengyur vol. 306 (sna tshogs, co), folios 1.a–131.a.

Various authors. sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa. Toh 4347, Degé Tengyur vol. 306 (sna tshogs, co), folios 131.b–160.a.

Vinayadatta. sgyu ’phrul chen mo’i dkyil ’khor gyi cho ga bla ma’i zhal snga’i man ngag (Gurūpadeśa­nāma­mahāmāyā­maṇḍalopāyikā). Toh 1645, Degé Tengyur vol. 25 (rgyud, ya), folios 290.a–309.a.

Vitapāda. gsang ba ’dus pa’i dkyil ’khor gyi sgrub pa’i thabs rnam par bshad pa (Guhya­samāja­maṇḍalopāyikāṭīkā). Toh 1873, Degé Tengyur vol. 43 (rgyud, ni), folios 178.b–219.a.

Wönch’ük (Wen tsheg). dgongs pa zab mo nges par ’grel pa’i mdo rgya cher ’grel pa (Gambhīra­saṁdhi­nirmocana­sūtra­ṭīkā). Toh 4016, Degé Tengyur vol. 220 (mdo ’grel, ti), folios 1.b–291.a; vol. 221 (mdo ’grel, thi), folios 1.b–272.a; and vol. 222 (mdo ’grel, di), folios 1.b–175.a.

Yeshe Dé (ye shes sde). lang kar gshegs pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo’i ’grel pa de bzhin gshegs pa’i snying po’i rgyan (Laṅkāvatāra­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra­vṛtti­tathāgata­hṛdayālaṃkāra), Toh 4019, Degé Tengyur vol. 224 (mdo ’grel, pi), folios 1.a–310.a.

Other References in Tibetan

Kalzang Dolma (skal bzang sgrol ma). lo tsA ba ’gos chos grub dang khong gi ’gyur rtsom mdo mdzangs blun gyi lo tsA’i thabs rtsal skor la dpyad pa. In krung go’i bod kyi shes rig, vol. 77, pp. 31–53. Beijing: krung go’i bod kyi shes rig dus deb khang, 2007.

Lotsawa Gö Chödrup (lo tsā ba ’gos chos grub). In gangs ljongs skad gnyis smra ba du ma’i ’gyur byang blo gsal dga’ skyed, pp. 17–18. Xining: kan lho bod rigs rang skyong khul rtsom sgyur cu’u, 1983.

Ngawang Lobsang Choden (nga dbang blo bzang chos ldan). ’phags pa gser ’od dam pa mdo sde’i dbang po’i rgyal po’i ’don thabs cho ga (A Rite That is a Method for Reciting the Noble Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light), s.n. s.l. n.d.

Pema Karpo (pad ma dkar po). gser ’od dam pa nas gsungs pa’i bshags pa. In The Collected Works of Kun-mkhyen padma dkar po, vol. 9 (ta), pp. 519–24. Darjeeling: kargyu sungrab nyamso khang, 1973–74.

Other References in English and Other Languages

Bagchi, S., ed. Suvarṇa­prabhāsasūtram. Darbhanga: The Mithila Institute, 1967. Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon.

Banerjee, Radha. Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra. London: British Library, 2006. http://idp.bl.uk/downloads/GoldenLight.pdf.

Buswell Jr., Robert E., and Donald Lopez Jr. The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press, 2014.

Di, Guan. “The Sanskrit Fragments Preserved in Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Peking University.” Annual Report of the Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University for the Academic Year 2013, vol. XVII (Tokyo: Soka University, 2014): 109–18.

Lewis, Todd T. “Contributions to the Study of Popular Buddhism: The Newar Buddhist Festival of Guṃlā Dharma.” Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 16, no. 2 (Winter 1993): 309–54.

Nanjio Bunyiu, Idzumi Hokei. The Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra: A Mahāyāna Text Called “The Golden Splendour.” Kyoto: The Eastern Buddhist Society, 1931.

Nobel, Johannes (1937). Suvarṇabhāsottamasūtra. Das Goldglanz-Sūtra: ein Sanskrit text des Mahāyāna-Buddhismus. Nach den Handschriften und mit Hilfe der tibetischen und chinesischen Übertragungen. Leipzig: Harrassowitz.

Nobel, Johannes (1944). Suvarṇa­bhāsottama­sūtra. Das Goldglanz-Sūtra: ein Sanskrit text des Mahāyāna-Buddhismus. Die Tibetischen Überstzungen mit einem Wörterbuch. Leiden: E. J. Brill.

Nobel, Johannes (1944, 1950). Suvarṇabhāsottamasūtra. Das Goldglanz-Sūtra: ein Sanskrit text des Mahāyāna-Buddhismus. Die Tibetishcen Überstzungen mit einem Wörterbuch. 2 vols. Leiden: E. J. Brill.

Radich, Michael (2014). “On the Sources, Style and Authorship of Chapters of the Synoptic Suvarṇaprabhasa-sūtra T644 Ascribed to Paramārtha (Part 1).” Annual Report of the Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University for the Academic Year 2013, vol. XVII (Tokyo: Soka University, 2014): 207–44.

Radich, Michael (2016). “Tibetan Evidence for the Sources of Chapters of the Synoptic Suvarṇa-prabhāsottama-sūtra T 664 A Ascribed to Paramārtha.” Buddhist Studies Review 32.2 (2015): 245–70. Sheffield, UK: Equinox Publishing.

Tanaka, Kimiaki. An Illustrated History of the Mandala From Its Genesis to the Kālacakratantra. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2018.

Tyomkin, E. N. “Unique Sanskrit Fragments of ‘The Sūtra of Golden Light’ in the Manuscript Collection of the St. Petersburg Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies.” In Manuscripta Orientalia vol. 1, no. 1 (July 1995): 29–38. St. Petersburg: Russian Academy of Sciences.

Yuama, Akira. “The Golden Light in Central Asia.” In Annual Report of the International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University for the Academic Year 2003 (Tokyo: Soka University, 2004): 3–32.

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.


g.

Glossary

Types of attestation for names and terms of the corresponding source language

AS

Attested in source text

This term is attested in a manuscript used as a source for this translation.

AO

Attested in other text

This term is attested in other manuscripts with a parallel or similar context.

AD

Attested in dictionary

This term is attested in dictionaries matching Tibetan to the corresponding language.

AA

Approximate attestation

The attestation of this name is approximate. It is based on other names where the relationship between the Tibetan and source language is attested in dictionaries or other manuscripts.

RP

Reconstruction from Tibetan phonetic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the Tibetan phonetic rendering of the term.

RS

Reconstruction from Tibetan semantic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the semantics of the Tibetan translation.

SU

Source unspecified

This term has been supplied from an unspecified source, which most often is a widely trusted dictionary.

g.­1

acacia

Wylie:
  • shi ri sha
Tibetan:
  • ཤི་རི་ཤ།
Sanskrit:
  • śirīṣa AS

Albizia lebbeck. A tall tree that can grow to 100 feet. Other common names include Indian walnut, lebbeck, lebbeck tree, flea tree, frywood, koko, and "woman’s tongue tree." The bark is used medicinally.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­5
g.­2

aerial palace

Wylie:
  • gzhal med khang
Tibetan:
  • གཞལ་མེད་ཁང་།
Sanskrit:
  • vimāna AS

These palaces served as both residences and vehicles for deities.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­39
  • 10.­33
g.­3

agarwood

Wylie:
  • a ga ru
Tibetan:
  • ཨ་ག་རུ།
Sanskrit:
  • agaru AS

Amyris agallocha. Also called agallochum and aloeswood. This is a resinous heartwood that has been infected by the fungus Phialophora parasitica. In India, agarwood is primarily derived from the fifteen Aquilaria (Aquilaria malaccensis) and nine Gyrinops species of lign-aloe trees.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­5
g.­5

Akṣobhya

Wylie:
  • mi ’khrugs pa
Tibetan:
  • མི་འཁྲུགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • akṣobhya AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Lit. “Not Disturbed” or “Immovable One.” The buddha in the eastern realm of Abhirati. A well-known buddha in Mahāyāna, regarded in the higher tantras as the head of one of the five buddha families, the vajra family in the east.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • i.­44
  • 1.­5
  • 2.­5
  • 10.­15
  • 13.­27
  • g.­196
g.­6

Alakāvati

Wylie:
  • lcang lo can
Tibetan:
  • ལྕང་ལོ་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • alakāvati AS

The kingdom of yakṣas located on Mount Sumeru and ruled over by Kubera, also known as Vaiśravaṇa.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • i.­40
  • 9.­5
  • g.­183
  • g.­235
g.­7

Amitābha

Wylie:
  • ’od dpag med
Tibetan:
  • འོད་དཔག་མེད།
Sanskrit:
  • amitābha AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The buddha of the western buddhafield of Sukhāvatī, where fortunate beings are reborn to make further progress toward spiritual maturity. Amitābha made his great vows to create such a realm when he was a bodhisattva called Dharmākara. In the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, popular in East Asia, aspiring to be reborn in his buddha realm is the main emphasis; in other Mahāyāna traditions, too, it is a widespread practice. For a detailed description of the realm, see The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī, Toh 115. In some tantras that make reference to the five families he is the tathāgata associated with the lotus family.

Amitābha, “Infinite Light,” is also known in many Indian Buddhist works as Amitāyus, “Infinite Life.” In both East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions he is often conflated with another buddha named “Infinite Life,” Aparimitāyus, or “Infinite Life and Wisdom,”Aparimitāyurjñāna, the shorter version of whose name has also been back-translated from Tibetan into Sanskrit as Amitāyus but who presides over a realm in the zenith. For details on the relation between these buddhas and their names, see The Aparimitāyurjñāna Sūtra (1) Toh 674, i.9.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • 1.­5
  • g.­8
g.­10

Ānanda

Wylie:
  • kun dga’ bo
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་དགའ་བོ།
Sanskrit:
  • ānanda AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49-50
  • 17.­45
  • 18.­3
  • 18.­10
  • 18.­12
  • 18.­15-16
  • 18.­77-78
  • n.­378
g.­12

arhat

Wylie:
  • dgra bcom pa
Tibetan:
  • དགྲ་བཅོམ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • arhat AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 19 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­7
  • 7.­33
  • 7.­40
  • 7.­75-76
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­5
  • 12.­1-2
  • 15.­2-4
  • 15.­13
  • 16.­1-2
  • 17.­21
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­27
  • 17.­46
g.­17

asura

Wylie:
  • lha ma yin
Tibetan:
  • ལྷ་མ་ཡིན།
Sanskrit:
  • asura AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A type of nonhuman being whose precise status is subject to different views, but is included as one of the six classes of beings in the sixfold classification of realms of rebirth. In the Buddhist context, asuras are powerful beings said to be dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility. They are also known in the pre-Buddhist and pre-Vedic mythologies of India and Iran, and feature prominently in Vedic and post-Vedic Brahmanical mythology, as well as in the Buddhist tradition. In these traditions, asuras are often described as being engaged in interminable conflict with the devas (gods).

Located in 26 passages in the translation:

  • i.­45
  • 1.­16
  • 1.­20
  • 2.­7-8
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­19
  • 7.­39
  • 7.­45
  • 7.­79
  • 8.­40
  • 13.­15
  • 14.­27
  • 14.­51-52
  • 21.­13
  • n.­99
  • n.­112
  • n.­285
  • g.­23
  • g.­121
  • g.­163
  • g.­176
  • g.­188
  • g.­218
  • g.­275
g.­21

Āyurveda

Wylie:
  • tshe’i rig byed
Tibetan:
  • ཚེའི་རིག་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • āyurveda AS

The classical system of Indian medicine.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 16.­3
  • 16.­6
  • 16.­22
  • 17.­1
  • n.­203
  • g.­26
  • g.­36
  • g.­53
  • g.­168
g.­22

Balendraketu

Wylie:
  • stobs kyi dbang po’i tog
Tibetan:
  • སྟོབས་ཀྱི་དབང་པོའི་ཏོག
Sanskrit:
  • balendraketu AD

A king in the distant past.

Bhagji Sanskrit: Baladaketu; Toh 557

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­43
  • 12.­5-6
g.­27

Bhagavat

Wylie:
  • bcom ldan ’das
Tibetan:
  • བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས།
Sanskrit:
  • bhagavat AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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”).

Located in 125 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1-2
  • 2.­5-9
  • 2.­18-20
  • 2.­42
  • 2.­45
  • 2.­49-50
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­3-4
  • 5.­1
  • 6.­1
  • 7.­1-14
  • 7.­18
  • 7.­20-21
  • 7.­24-27
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­38
  • 7.­40
  • 7.­42-45
  • 7.­64-78
  • 7.­82-83
  • 7.­89
  • 7.­105-106
  • 8.­1-2
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­22
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­1-2
  • 10.­20-21
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­26-32
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­4-8
  • 12.­1-2
  • 14.­1-2
  • 15.­1-2
  • 15.­4-6
  • 15.­12-14
  • 16.­1
  • 17.­41
  • 18.­2-7
  • 18.­9-12
  • 18.­14-16
  • 18.­80
  • 19.­1
  • 20.­1
  • 21.­1
  • 21.­12-13
  • g.­28
g.­29

bherī drum

Wylie:
  • rnga
Tibetan:
  • རྔ།
Sanskrit:
  • bherī AS

As specified in the Sanskrit, a conical or bowl-shaped kettledrum, with an upper surface that is beaten with sticks. The Tibetan and Chinese are not specific about the kind of drum it is.”

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • n.­54
  • n.­120
  • n.­142
g.­30

bhikṣu

Wylie:
  • dge slong
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་སློང་།
Sanskrit:
  • bhikṣu AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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).

Located in 41 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 7.­7-10
  • 7.­12-13
  • 7.­19-20
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­36
  • 7.­41-42
  • 7.­48
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­71
  • 7.­79-81
  • 7.­106
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­19
  • 8.­21
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­21
  • 10.­25
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­8
  • 13.­7
  • 13.­19
  • 13.­27
  • 17.­21
  • 18.­2
  • 18.­6-7
  • 18.­14
  • 18.­138
  • n.­169
  • n.­366
g.­31

bhikṣuṇī

Wylie:
  • dge slong ma
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་སློང་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • bhikṣuṇī AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The term bhikṣuṇī, often translated as “nun,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term bhikṣu (to which the female grammatical ending ṇī is added) literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist nuns and monks‍—like other ascetics of the time‍—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity. In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a bhikṣuṇī follows 364 rules and a bhikṣu follows 253 rules as part of their moral discipline.

For the first few years of the Buddha’s teachings in India, there was no ordination for women. It started at the persistent request and display of determination of Mahāprajāpatī, the Buddha’s stepmother and aunt, together with five hundred former wives of men of Kapilavastu, who had themselves become monks. Mahāprajāpatī is thus considered to be the founder of the nun’s order.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­12-13
  • 7.­19-20
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­41-42
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­71
  • 7.­79-81
  • 8.­21
  • 10.­25
  • g.­135
g.­32

bhūmi

Wylie:
  • sa
Tibetan:
  • ས།
Sanskrit:
  • bhūmi AS

Literally the “grounds” in which qualities grow, and also meaning “levels.” Here it refers specifically to levels of enlightenment, especially the ten levels of the bodhisattvas.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­6
  • i.­25
  • 4.­35
  • 4.­40
  • 4.­52
  • n.­70
g.­39

bodhisattva mahāsattva

Wylie:
  • byang chub sems dpa’ sems dpa’ chen po
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་སེམས་དཔའ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • bodhi­sattva­mahā­sattva AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The term can be understood to mean “great courageous one” or "great hero,” or (from the Sanskrit) simply “great being,” and is almost always found as an epithet of “bodhisattva.” The qualification “great” in this term, according to the majority of canonical definitions, focuses on the generic greatness common to all bodhisattvas, i.e., the greatness implicit in the bodhisattva vow itself in terms of outlook, aspiration, number of beings to be benefited, potential or eventual accomplishments, and so forth. In this sense the mahā- is closer in its connotations to the mahā- in “Mahāyāna” than to the mahā- in “mahāsiddha.” While individual bodhisattvas described as mahāsattva may in many cases also be “great” in terms of their level of realization, this is largely coincidental, and in the canonical texts the epithet is not restricted to bodhisattvas at any particular point in their career. Indeed, in a few cases even bodhisattvas whose path has taken a wrong direction are still described as bodhisattva mahāsattva.

Later commentarial writings do nevertheless define the term‍—variably‍—in terms of bodhisattvas having attained a particular level (bhūmi) or realization. The most common qualifying criteria mentioned are attaining the path of seeing, attaining irreversibility (according to its various definitions), or attaining the seventh bhūmi.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • n.­41
g.­40

Bodhisattvasamuccayā

Wylie:
  • byang chub yang dag par bsdus pa
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཡང་དག་པར་བསྡུས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • bodhisattvasamuccayā AD

A goddess. In Toh 555 called “goddess of the Bodhi tree.”

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • i.­7
  • i.­46-49
  • i.­53
  • 5.­1
  • 15.­1
  • 17.­41
  • 21.­1
  • 21.­13
g.­43

brahmin

Wylie:
  • bram ze
Tibetan:
  • བྲམ་ཟེ།
Sanskrit:
  • brāhmaṇa AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A member of the highest of the four castes in Indian society, which is closely associated with religious vocations.

Located in 20 passages in the translation:

  • i.­3
  • i.­33-34
  • i.­39
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­18-21
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­38
  • 3.­2
  • 4.­4
  • 4.­99
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­34
  • n.­45
  • n.­48
  • g.­120
  • g.­286
g.­46

cakravartin

Wylie:
  • ’khor los sgyur ba
Tibetan:
  • འཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • cakravartin AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

An ideal monarch or emperor who, as the result of the merit accumulated in previous lifetimes, rules over a vast realm in accordance with the Dharma. Such a monarch is called a cakravartin because he bears a wheel (cakra) that rolls (vartate) across the earth, bringing all lands and kingdoms under his power. The cakravartin conquers his territory without causing harm, and his activity causes beings to enter the path of wholesome actions. According to Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakośa, just as with the buddhas, only one cakravartin appears in a world system at any given time. They are likewise endowed with the thirty-two major marks of a great being (mahāpuruṣalakṣaṇa), but a cakravartin’s marks are outshined by those of a buddha. They possess seven precious objects: the wheel, the elephant, the horse, the wish-fulfilling gem, the queen, the general, and the minister. An illustrative passage about the cakravartin and his possessions can be found in The Play in Full (Toh 95), 3.3–3.13.

Vasubandhu lists four types of cakravartins: (1) the cakravartin with a golden wheel (suvarṇacakravartin) rules over four continents and is invited by lesser kings to be their ruler; (2) the cakravartin with a silver wheel (rūpyacakravartin) rules over three continents and his opponents submit to him as he approaches; (3) the cakravartin with a copper wheel (tāmracakravartin) rules over two continents and his opponents submit themselves after preparing for battle; and (4) the cakravartin with an iron wheel (ayaścakravartin) rules over one continent and his opponents submit themselves after brandishing weapons.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • i.­44
  • 7.­39-40
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­4
  • 13.­30
  • g.­246
g.­66

Daṇḍapāṇi

Wylie:
  • lag na be con
Tibetan:
  • ལག་ན་བེ་ཅོན།
Sanskrit:
  • daṇḍapāṇi AD

This is the Śākya Daṇḍapāṇi who, in the Lalitavistara Sūtra (The Play in Full), is described as the father of Gopā, the Buddha’s wife. There are others of that name, such as the brother of the Buddha’s mother, Mayā, and also the uncle of the Buddha’s other wife, Yaśodhara. However, that Daṇḍapāṇi was a member of the neighboring Koliya clan. There is also a contrasting account of a Śakya Daṇḍapāṇi who is said to have been a follower of Devadatta and who was dissatisfied by the Buddha’s answers when he met him in Kapilavastu, the capital of the Śākya clan. His nickname, “Cane Holder,” is said to be because he always carried a golden cane.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 17.­41
g.­67

dependent origination

Wylie:
  • rten cing ’brel par ’byung ba
Tibetan:
  • རྟེན་ཅིང་འབྲེལ་པར་འབྱུང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • pratītyasamutpāda AS

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 17.­21
  • 17.­27
  • 17.­46
  • n.­366
  • g.­4
  • g.­25
  • g.­35
  • g.­58
  • g.­60
  • g.­82
  • g.­97
  • g.­162
  • g.­226
g.­68

deva

Wylie:
  • lha
Tibetan:
  • ལྷ།
Sanskrit:
  • deva AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 116 passages in the translation:

  • i.­7
  • i.­43-47
  • i.­49
  • 1.­8
  • 1.­16
  • 1.­20
  • 2.­7-8
  • 2.­20
  • 2.­47
  • 4.­13
  • 5.­10
  • 6.­15
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­15
  • 7.­19-20
  • 7.­31
  • 7.­39
  • 7.­41-42
  • 7.­44-45
  • 7.­64
  • 7.­68-70
  • 7.­73
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­79
  • 7.­100
  • 7.­103
  • 8.­20
  • 8.­26
  • 8.­35
  • 8.­40
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3
  • 10.­30
  • 10.­32-34
  • 11.­8
  • 12.­8-12
  • 12.­16-18
  • 12.­21-22
  • 12.­25
  • 12.­31-33
  • 12.­35
  • 12.­55
  • 12.­58-59
  • 12.­62
  • 12.­66
  • 12.­70
  • 12.­72-73
  • 12.­75
  • 12.­81
  • 13.­12
  • 13.­15-16
  • 13.­18
  • 13.­29
  • 14.­10
  • 14.­20
  • 14.­28-29
  • 14.­35
  • 14.­64
  • 14.­66
  • 14.­74
  • 15.­1-2
  • 15.­4
  • 15.­6
  • 15.­13-14
  • 15.­16-18
  • 16.­1
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­27-29
  • 17.­40
  • 17.­46
  • 18.­39
  • 18.­141
  • 19.­10
  • 21.­10
  • 21.­13
  • n.­24
  • n.­220
  • n.­312
  • g.­9
  • g.­23
  • g.­42
  • g.­69
  • g.­99
  • g.­176
g.­70

Dharma body

Wylie:
  • chos kyi sku
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྐུ།
Sanskrit:
  • dharmakāya AS

In its earliest use it generally meant that though the corporeal body of the Buddha had perished, his “body of the Dharma” continued. It also referred to the Buddha’s realization of reality, to his qualities as a whole, or to his teachings as embodying him. It later came to be synonymous with enlightenment or buddhahood, a “body” that can only be “seen” by a buddha.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­25
  • 2.­45
  • 6.­27
  • 13.­2
  • 13.­32
  • 18.­33
g.­72

Dharma realm

Wylie:
  • chos kyi dbyings
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་ཀྱི་དབྱིངས།
Sanskrit:
  • dharmadhātu AS

A synonym for the ultimate nature of reality. The term is interpreted variously and can be translated according to context as “Dharma realm,” “Dharma element,” “the realm of phenomena,” or “the element of phenomena.”

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 2.­45
  • 14.­8
  • 14.­33
g.­73

dharmabhāṇaka

Wylie:
  • chos smra ba
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་སྨྲ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • dharmabhāṇaka AS

In early Buddhism a section of the saṅgha would be bhāṇakas (“proclaimers”), who memorized the teachings. Particularly before the teachings were written down, and were transmitted orally, the bhāṇakas were the key means of preserving of the teachings. Various groups of bhāṇakas specialized in memorizing and reciting specific sets of sūtras or the vinaya.

Located in 33 passages in the translation:

  • i.­41
  • i.­44
  • 7.­8-9
  • 7.­36-38
  • 7.­40
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­47-48
  • 7.­64
  • 7.­106
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­19
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­21
  • 10.­25
  • 10.­30
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­8
  • 13.­5
  • 13.­7
  • 13.­9-10
  • 13.­17
  • 13.­19
  • 13.­27
  • 14.­15
  • 14.­18
  • g.­196
g.­75

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Wylie:
  • yul ’khor srung
Tibetan:
  • ཡུལ་འཁོར་སྲུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • dhṛtarāṣṭra AS

One of the Four Mahārājas, he is the guardian deity for the east and lord of the gandharvas.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­1
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­82
  • g.­138
g.­76

Dṛḍhā

Wylie:
  • brtan ma
Tibetan:
  • བརྟན་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • dṛḍhā AD

The goddess of the earth.

(Toh 555: sra ba)

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • i.­41
  • 1.­15
  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • 10.­20-21
  • 10.­26-27
  • 10.­32
  • 10.­34-35
  • n.­292
g.­77

Dundubhisvara

Wylie:
  • rnga sgra
Tibetan:
  • རྔ་སྒྲ།
Sanskrit:
  • dundubhisvara AD

The principal buddha of the northern direction.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • 1.­5
  • 2.­5
  • 10.­18
g.­79

eon

Wylie:
  • bskal pa
Tibetan:
  • བསྐལ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • kalpa AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A cosmic period of time, sometimes equivalent to the time when a world system appears, exists, and disappears. According to the traditional Abhidharma understanding of cyclical time, a great eon (mahākalpa) is divided into eighty lesser eons. In the course of one great eon, the universe takes form and later disappears. During the first twenty of the lesser eons, the universe is in the process of creation and expansion; during the next twenty it remains; during the third twenty, it is in the process of destruction; and during the last quarter of the cycle, it remains in a state of empty stasis. A fortunate, or good, eon (bhadrakalpa) refers to any eon in which more than one buddha appears.

Located in 43 passages in the translation:

  • i.­41-42
  • 1.­18
  • 1.­20
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­14
  • 2.­16
  • 4.­9
  • 4.­36
  • 4.­38
  • 4.­44
  • 4.­68-69
  • 4.­72
  • 4.­91
  • 4.­98
  • 5.­19
  • 5.­23
  • 5.­25
  • 5.­30
  • 5.­35
  • 6.­27
  • 6.­34
  • 7.­39-40
  • 7.­75
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­8
  • 13.­2-3
  • 13.­30-31
  • 14.­10
  • 15.­2
  • 15.­12
  • 16.­1
  • 18.­79
  • 18.­81
  • 18.­140
  • 19.­10
  • n.­175
  • g.­15
g.­81

fig tree flower

Wylie:
  • u dum bā ra
Tibetan:
  • ཨུ་དུམ་བā་ར།
Sanskrit:
  • udumbara AS

The mythological flower of the fig tree, said to appear on rare occasions, such as the birth of a buddha. The actual fig tree flower is contained within the fruit.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 21.­3
g.­83

Four Mahārājas

Wylie:
  • rgyal po chen po bzhi
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་པོ་ཆེན་པོ་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • caturmahārāja AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Four gods who live on the lower slopes (fourth level) of Mount Meru in the eponymous Heaven of the Four Great Kings (Cāturmahā­rājika, rgyal chen bzhi’i ris) and guard the four cardinal directions. Each is the leader of a nonhuman class of beings living in his realm. They are Dhṛtarāṣṭra, ruling the gandharvas in the east; Virūḍhaka, ruling over the kumbhāṇḍas in the south; Virūpākṣa, ruling the nāgas in the west; and Vaiśravaṇa (also known as Kubera) ruling the yakṣas in the north. Also referred to as Guardians of the World or World Protectors (lokapāla, ’jig rten skyong ba).

Located in 44 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • i.­38
  • 7.­2-3
  • 7.­5-8
  • 7.­11-14
  • 7.­17-21
  • 7.­26-27
  • 7.­30-32
  • 7.­38
  • 7.­41-43
  • 7.­45
  • 7.­64-67
  • 7.­70-71
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­78
  • 7.­80
  • 7.­89
  • 7.­106-107
  • 14.­35
  • g.­75
  • g.­266
  • g.­282
  • g.­283
g.­87

gandharva

Wylie:
  • dri za
Tibetan:
  • དྲི་ཟ།
Sanskrit:
  • gandharva AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.”

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­8
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­45
  • 8.­35
  • 12.­20
  • 21.­13
  • n.­25
  • g.­75
g.­89

Ganges River

Wylie:
  • gang gA’i klung
Tibetan:
  • གང་གཱའི་ཀླུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • gaṅgānadī AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The Gaṅgā, or Ganges in English, is considered to be the most sacred river of India, particularly within the Hindu tradition. It starts in the Himalayas, flows through the northern plains of India, bathing the holy city of Vārāṇasī, and meets the sea at the Bay of Bengal, in Bangladesh. In the sūtras, however, this river is mostly mentioned not for its sacredness but for its abundant sands‍—noticeable still today on its many sandy banks and at its delta‍—which serve as a common metaphor for infinitely large numbers.

According to Buddhist cosmology, as explained in the Abhidharmakośa, it is one of the four rivers that flow from Lake Anavatapta and cross the southern continent of Jambudvīpa‍—the known human world or more specifically the Indian subcontinent.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­5
  • 2.­25
  • 7.­46-48
  • 14.­7
  • g.­107
  • g.­114
  • g.­127
  • g.­171
g.­92

Gopā

Wylie:
  • sa ’tsho ma
Tibetan:
  • ས་འཚོ་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • gopā AS

A wife of the Buddha Śākyamuni when he was Prince Siddhartha, and the daughter of Daṇḍapāni.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 17.­44
  • g.­66
g.­95

Hārītī

Wylie:
  • ’phrog ma
Tibetan:
  • འཕྲོག་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • hārītī AS

A rākṣasī with hundreds of children whom the Buddha converted into a protector of children.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­45
  • 1.­15
  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • 14.­53
g.­99

Indra

Wylie:
  • dbang po
Tibetan:
  • དབང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • indra AD

The deity that is also called Mahendra, “lord of the devas,” who dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. He is also known as Śakra (Tib. brgya byin, “hundred offerings”). Śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu: "one who has performed a hundred sacrifices." The highest Vedic sacrifice was the horse sacrifice, and there is a tradition that Indra became the lord of the gods through performing them.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­32
  • 14.­37
  • n.­24
  • g.­23
  • g.­163
  • g.­169
  • g.­182
  • g.­260
g.­102

Jalagarbha

Wylie:
  • chu’i snying po
Tibetan:
  • ཆུའི་སྙིང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • jalagarbha AD

The younger son of Jalavāhana and Jalāmbuja­garbhā.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 17.­3
  • 17.­16
  • 17.­26
  • 17.­45
g.­103

Jalāmbara

Wylie:
  • chu’i gos
Tibetan:
  • ཆུའི་གོས།
Sanskrit:
  • jalāmbara AS

The elder son of Jalavāhana and Jalāmbuja­garbhā.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 17.­3
  • 17.­16
  • 17.­18-20
  • 17.­26
  • 17.­37-39
  • 17.­45
g.­104

Jalāmbuja­garbhā

Wylie:
  • chu’i pad ma’i snying po
Tibetan:
  • ཆུའི་པད་མའི་སྙིང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • jalāmbujagarbhā AS

The wife of Jalavāhana.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 17.­2-3
  • 17.­44
  • g.­102
  • g.­103
g.­105

Jalavāhana

Wylie:
  • chu ’bebs
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་འབེབས།
Sanskrit:
  • jalavāhana AS

A learned physician in the distant past and son of Jaladhara; who, as a result of performing Dharma recitations while standing in a lake, ensured the rebirth of ten thousand fish into the paradise of Trāyastriṃśa. He was the Buddha in a previous life.

Located in 48 passages in the translation:

  • s.­2
  • i.­7
  • i.­48-49
  • 16.­4
  • 16.­6-7
  • 16.­12
  • 16.­22-24
  • 16.­26-27
  • 17.­1-2
  • 17.­4-8
  • 17.­10-13
  • 17.­16-18
  • 17.­20
  • 17.­23-24
  • 17.­26-29
  • 17.­31-38
  • 17.­40
  • 17.­43
  • 17.­49
  • g.­102
  • g.­103
  • g.­104
g.­106

Jambu Golden Victory Banner Golden Appearance

Wylie:
  • ’dzam bu gser gyi rgyal mtshan gser du snang ba
Tibetan:
  • འཛམ་བུ་གསེར་གྱི་རྒྱལ་མཚན་གསེར་དུ་སྣང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • jambu­suvarṇa­dhvaja­kanaka­prabha RS

A tathāgata.

(Toh 555: gser tog ’od)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­3
g.­108

Jambudvīpa

Wylie:
  • ’dzam bu’i gling
Tibetan:
  • འཛམ་བུའི་གླིང་།
Sanskrit:
  • jambudvīpa AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 37 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­54
  • 4.­96
  • 7.­5
  • 7.­7
  • 7.­29-31
  • 7.­75-76
  • 7.­91
  • 7.­93-94
  • 7.­103
  • 8.­2
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­22
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­27
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­8
  • 12.­71
  • 13.­23
  • 13.­25
  • 14.­24
  • 14.­65
  • 14.­70
  • 14.­75
  • 14.­77
  • 14.­79
  • 17.­22
  • 17.­27
  • 17.­29-30
  • n.­191
  • n.­346
  • g.­45
  • g.­107
g.­109

Jaṭiṃdhara

Wylie:
  • ral pa ’dzin
Tibetan:
  • རལ་པ་འཛིན།
Sanskrit:
  • jaṭiṃdhara AD

A head merchant and physician in the distant past.

(Toh 555: chu ‘dzin)

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­48-49
  • 16.­3-4
  • 16.­6-7
  • 16.­12
  • 17.­42
g.­110

jina

Wylie:
  • rgyal ba
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • jina AS

An epithet for a buddha meaning “victorious one.”

Located in 42 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­17
  • 2.­39
  • 4.­58
  • 4.­60
  • 4.­73
  • 4.­99
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­7
  • 5.­16
  • 5.­18-20
  • 5.­22
  • 5.­36
  • 6.­33
  • 7.­15
  • 7.­54
  • 7.­84-88
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­4
  • 13.­7
  • 13.­10
  • 14.­8
  • 19.­2
  • 19.­4-8
  • 21.­5
  • 21.­7-8
  • n.­76
  • n.­92
  • n.­97
  • n.­176
g.­113

Jvalanāntara­tejo­rāja

Wylie:
  • ’bar ba’i khyad par gyi gzi brjid rgyal po
Tibetan:
  • འབར་བའི་ཁྱད་པར་གྱི་གཟི་བརྗིད་རྒྱལ་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • jvalanāntaratejorāja AS

A deity in the Trāyastriṃśa paradise.

(Toh 556: ’bar ba’i khyad par gyi gzi brjid kyi rgyal po; Toh 555: mchog tu rgyal ba’i ’od)

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • 15.­1
  • 15.­6
  • 15.­13-14
  • 15.­16-17
  • 17.­46
g.­120

Kauṇḍinya

Wylie:
  • kauN+Di n+ya
Tibetan:
  • ཀཽཎྜི་ནྱ།
Sanskrit:
  • kauṇḍinya AS

According to the Chinese translation, this is the family name (姓) of the brahmin master Vyākaraṇa, an interlocutor in The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • i.­33
  • i.­39
  • 2.­18-19
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­38
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­34
  • n.­45
g.­127

Licchavī

Wylie:
  • lits+tsha bI
Tibetan:
  • ལིཙྪ་བཱི།
Sanskrit:
  • licchavī AS

A clan with its capital Vaiśalī, in present-day Bihar, north of the Ganges. Their capital was a place where the Buddha had many followers when they were an independent republic.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­19-24
  • 2.­38
  • n.­48
  • g.­223
g.­131

Mahādeva

Wylie:
  • lha chen po
Tibetan:
  • ལྷ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahādeva AS

A prince in the past, the middle son of King Mahāratha.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 18.­16
  • 18.­19
  • 18.­25
  • 18.­42
  • 18.­44
  • 18.­83
  • 18.­87
  • 18.­89
  • 18.­138
g.­135

Mahāprajāpatī

Wylie:
  • skye dgu’i bdag mo che
Tibetan:
  • སྐྱེ་དགུའི་བདག་མོ་ཆེ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāprajāpatī AD

The Buddha’s mother’s sister and his stepmother. She was the mother of Nanda, whom the Buddha later inspired to become a monk, as recorded in two sūtras bearing his name and elsewhere. She became the first bhikṣuṇī after the death of the Buddha’s father.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 18.­138
g.­136

Mahāpraṇāda

Wylie:
  • sgra chen po
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāpraṇāda AS

A prince in the past, the eldest son of King Mahāratha.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 18.­16
  • 18.­18
  • 18.­23-24
  • 18.­26
  • 18.­42
  • 18.­83
  • 18.­87
  • 18.­89
  • 18.­137
g.­138

mahārāja

Wylie:
  • rgyal po chen po
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་པོ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahārāja AS

Literally means “great king.” In addition to referring to human kings, this is also the epithet for the four deities on the base of Mount Meru, each one the guardian of his direction: Vaiśravaṇa in the north, Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the east, Virūpākṣa in the west, and Virūḍhaka in the south.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • i.­38
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­14
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­27
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­38
  • 7.­40-41
  • 7.­45-47
  • 7.­79
  • 7.­82
g.­140

Mahāratha

Wylie:
  • shing rta chen po
Tibetan:
  • ཤིང་རྟ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāratha AS

A king in the past.

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 18.­16
  • 18.­82
  • 18.­85
  • 18.­97
  • 18.­109
  • 18.­111-112
  • 18.­115
  • 18.­117
  • 18.­119
  • 18.­125
  • 18.­136-137
  • 18.­139
  • g.­131
  • g.­136
  • g.­141
g.­141

Mahāsattva

Wylie:
  • sems can chen po
Tibetan:
  • སེམས་ཅན་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāsattva AS

A prince in the past. the youngest son of King Mahāratha. A previous life of the Buddha, when he decided to give his body to a tigress.

Toh 556: snying stobs chen po

Located in 23 passages in the translation:

  • s.­2
  • i.­50
  • 18.­16
  • 18.­20
  • 18.­24
  • 18.­27
  • 18.­30
  • 18.­36
  • 18.­49
  • 18.­77
  • 18.­82
  • 18.­85
  • 18.­87
  • 18.­106-107
  • 18.­122-124
  • 18.­131
  • 18.­136
  • 18.­139-140
  • n.­399
g.­144

Maitreya

Wylie:
  • byams pa
Tibetan:
  • བྱམས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • maitreya AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The bodhisattva Maitreya is an important figure in many Buddhist traditions, where he is unanimously regarded as the buddha of the future era. He is said to currently reside in the heaven of Tuṣita, as Śākyamuni’s regent, where he awaits the proper time to take his final rebirth and become the fifth buddha in the Fortunate Eon, reestablishing the Dharma in this world after the teachings of the current buddha have disappeared. Within the Mahāyāna sūtras, Maitreya is elevated to the same status as other central bodhisattvas such as Mañjuśrī and Avalokiteśvara, and his name appears frequently in sūtras, either as the Buddha’s interlocutor or as a teacher of the Dharma. Maitreya literally means “Loving One.” He is also known as Ajita, meaning “Invincible.”

For more information on Maitreya, see, for example, the introduction to Maitreya’s Setting Out (Toh 198).

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 9.­9
  • 14.­19
  • 18.­137
g.­149

Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta

Wylie:
  • ’jam dpal gzhon nur gyur pa
  • ’jam dpal
Tibetan:
  • འཇམ་དཔལ་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་པ།
  • འཇམ་དཔལ།
Sanskrit:
  • mañjuśrī­kumāra­bhūta AD

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Mañjuśrī is one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha” and a bodhisattva who embodies wisdom. He is a major figure in the Mahāyāna sūtras, appearing often as an interlocutor of the Buddha. In his most well-known iconographic form, he is portrayed bearing the sword of wisdom in his right hand and a volume of the Prajñā­pāramitā­sūtra in his left. To his name, Mañjuśrī, meaning “Gentle and Glorious One,” is often added the epithet Kumārabhūta, “having a youthful form.” He is also called Mañjughoṣa, Mañjusvara, and Pañcaśikha.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 14.­19
  • 18.­138
g.­154

muni

Wylie:
  • thub pa
Tibetan:
  • ཐུབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • muni AS

A title that, like buddha, is given to someone who has attained the realization of a truth through his own contemplation and not by divine revelation.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­62
  • 4.­64
  • 4.­74
  • 5.­3
  • 5.­6
  • 5.­13
  • 5.­27
  • 6.­34
  • 19.­2
  • 20.­2
  • n.­52
  • n.­107
g.­158

nāga

Wylie:
  • klu
Tibetan:
  • ཀླུ།
Sanskrit:
  • nāga AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A class of nonhuman beings who live in subterranean aquatic environments, where they guard wealth and sometimes also teachings. Nāgas are associated with serpents and have a snakelike appearance. In Buddhist art and in written accounts, they are regularly portrayed as half human and half snake, and they are also said to have the ability to change into human form. Some nāgas are Dharma protectors, but they can also bring retribution if they are disturbed. They may likewise fight one another, wage war, and destroy the lands of others by causing lightning, hail, and flooding.

Located in 23 passages in the translation:

  • i.­45
  • 1.­16
  • 1.­20
  • 2.­8
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­44-45
  • 7.­64
  • 7.­70
  • 13.­15
  • 14.­15
  • 14.­27
  • 14.­49-50
  • 14.­70
  • n.­25
  • n.­172
  • g.­11
  • g.­153
  • g.­164
  • g.­206
  • g.­262
  • g.­283
g.­164

Nanda

Wylie:
  • dga’ bo
Tibetan:
  • དགའ་བོ།
Sanskrit:
  • nanda AD

A nāga king.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 14.­49
  • g.­135
g.­167

nirvāṇa

Wylie:
  • mya ngan las ’das pa
Tibetan:
  • མྱ་ངན་ལས་འདས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • nirvāṇa AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In Sanskrit, the term nirvāṇa literally means “extinguishment” and the Tibetan mya ngan las ’das pa literally means “gone beyond sorrow.” As a general term, it refers to the cessation of all suffering, afflicted mental states (kleśa), and causal processes (karman) that lead to rebirth and suffering in cyclic existence, as well as to the state in which all such rebirth and suffering has permanently ceased.

More specifically, three main types of nirvāṇa are identified. (1) The first type of nirvāṇa, called nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣanirvāṇa), is the state in which arhats or buddhas have attained awakening but are still dependent on the conditioned aggregates until their lifespan is exhausted. (2) At the end of life, given that there are no more causes for rebirth, these aggregates cease and no new aggregates arise. What occurs then is called nirvāṇa without remainder ( anupadhiśeṣanirvāṇa), which refers to the unconditioned element (dhātu) of nirvāṇa in which there is no remainder of the aggregates. (3) The Mahāyāna teachings distinguish the final nirvāṇa of buddhas from that of arhats, the nirvāṇa of arhats not being considered ultimate. The buddhas attain what is called nonabiding nirvāṇa (apratiṣṭhitanirvāṇa), which transcends the extremes of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, i.e., existence and peace. This is the nirvāṇa that is the goal of the Mahāyāna path.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­6
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­48
  • 13.­3
  • 15.­3-4
  • 16.­2
  • 19.­6
g.­171

Pañcala

Wylie:
  • lnga len
Tibetan:
  • ལྔ་ལེན།
Sanskrit:
  • pañcala AD

One of the fifteen lands in ancient India at the time of the Buddha. This was at the western end of the Ganges basin, corresponding in the present time to an area in the western part of Uttar Pradesh.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 18.­2
  • n.­372
g.­179

Prasanna­vadanotpala­gandha­kūṭa

Wylie:
  • rab tu dang ba’i zhal ut+pa la’i dri brtsegs pa
Tibetan:
  • རབ་ཏུ་དང་བའི་ཞལ་ཨུཏྤ་ལའི་དྲི་བརྩེགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • prasannavadanotpalagandhakūṭa AS

The name of ten thousand future buddhas.

(Toh 555: zhal dang spyan rnam par dag cing / ut+pa la’i dri’i ri mo; prasanna­vadanotpala­gandha­kūṭa)

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • 15.­13
g.­180

pratyekabuddha

Wylie:
  • rang sangs rgyas
Tibetan:
  • རང་སངས་རྒྱས།
Sanskrit:
  • pratyekabuddha AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 2.­20
  • 4.­30
  • n.­48
  • g.­219
g.­182

protectors of the world

Wylie:
  • ’jig rten skyong ba
Tibetan:
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་སྐྱོང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • lokapāla AS

A set of deities, each guarding a certain direction. Most commonly these are Indra (Śakra) for the east, Agni for the southeast, Yama for the south, Sūrya or Nirṛti for the southwest, Varuṇa for the west, Vāyu (Pavana) for the northwest, Kubera for the north, and Soma (Candra), Iśāni, or Pṛthivī for the northeast.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­38
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­100
  • 12.­9
  • 12.­13
  • 14.­38
g.­186

Radiance of a Hundred Golden Lights

Wylie:
  • gser brgya’i ’od zer gser du snang ba
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་བརྒྱའི་འོད་ཟེར་གསེར་དུ་སྣང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A buddha in the distant future who is Rūpyaprabha, the son of the bodhisattva Ruciraketu, in the time of Śākyamuni.

(Toh 555: gser tog ‘od; Suvarṇaketuprabha)

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • 15.­4
g.­187

Radiance of a Hundred Suns’ Illuminating Essence

Wylie:
  • nyi ma brgya’i ’od zer snang ba’i snying po
Tibetan:
  • ཉི་མ་བརྒྱའི་འོད་ཟེར་སྣང་བའི་སྙིང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A tathāgata.

(Toh 555: gser brgya’i ’od kyi rnying po)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­5
g.­189

Rāhula

Wylie:
  • sgra gcan zin
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲ་གཅན་ཟིན།
Sanskrit:
  • rāhula AD

The Buddha Śākyamuni’s son, who became the first novice monk and a prominent member of his monastic saṅgha.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 2.­18
  • 17.­45
g.­190

Rājagṛha

Wylie:
  • rgyal po’i khab
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་པོའི་ཁབ།
Sanskrit:
  • rājagṛha AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­5
  • 3.­3
g.­193

Ratnaketu

Wylie:
  • dkon mchog dpal
Tibetan:
  • དཀོན་མཆོག་དཔལ།
Sanskrit:
  • ratnaketu AS

The principal buddha of the southern direction.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • 1.­5
  • 2.­5
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­16
g.­194

Ratna­kusuma­guṇa­sāgara­vaiḍūrya­kanaka­giri­suvarṇa­kāñcana­prabhāsa­śrī

Wylie:
  • rin chen me tog yon tan rgya mtsho bai DUr+ya dang gser gyi ri kha dog bzang po gser du snang ba’i dpal
Tibetan:
  • རིན་ཆེན་མེ་ཏོག་ཡོན་ཏན་རྒྱ་མཚོ་བཻ་ཌཱུརྱ་དང་གསེར་གྱི་རི་ཁ་དོག་བཟང་པོ་གསེར་དུ་སྣང་བའི་དཔལ།
Sanskrit:
  • ratna­kusuma­guṇa­sāgara­vaiḍūrya­kanaka­giri­suvarṇa­kāñcana­prabhāsa­śrī

A buddha, teacher of the goddess Śrī.

(Toh 555: bai DUr+ya dang gser gyi ri bo rin po che’i me tog snang ba spal gyi yon tan rgya mtsho; )

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­40
  • i.­43
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­5
  • 12.­1
g.­195

Ratnaśikhin

Wylie:
  • rin chen gtsug tor can
Tibetan:
  • རིན་ཆེན་གཙུག་ཏོར་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • ratnaśikhin AS

A buddha in the distant past.

(Toh 555: rin chen gtsug phud)

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • i.­44
  • i.­48-49
  • 10.­1
  • 13.­3
  • 13.­25
  • 16.­1-2
  • 17.­21
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­27
  • 17.­46
  • n.­275
  • g.­280
g.­196

Ratnoccaya

Wylie:
  • rin chen sog pa
Tibetan:
  • རིན་ཆེན་སོག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • ratnoccaya AS

A dharmabhāṇaka in the distant past who eventually became the Buddha Akṣobhya.

(Yunglo, Lithang, Peking, Narthang, and Cone: rin chen sogs, rin chen sogs pa)

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • i.­44
  • 13.­5
  • 13.­7-12
  • 13.­16-17
  • 13.­19
  • 13.­27
  • n.­320
g.­198

retention

Wylie:
  • gzungs
Tibetan:
  • གཟུངས།
Sanskrit:
  • dhāraṇī AS

An exceptional power of mental retention. However, according to context, dhāraṇī can also mean sentences or phrases for recitation that are said to hold the essence of a teaching or meaning.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­42
  • 8.­1-2
  • n.­195
g.­200

Ruciraketu

Wylie:
  • mdzes pa’i tog
Tibetan:
  • མཛེས་པའི་ཏོག
Sanskrit:
  • ruciraketu AD

The name of a bodhisattva, central to the narrative of this sūtra, who has a dream in which a prayer of confession emanates from a shining golden drum. (In chapter 12, this is also the name a king in the distant past.)

Located in 24 passages in the translation:

  • s.­2
  • i.­3
  • i.­33-35
  • i.­47
  • i.­52
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­6-8
  • 2.­50
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­3-4
  • 10.­10
  • 15.­2
  • 20.­1
  • n.­348
  • g.­186
  • g.­202
  • g.­203
  • g.­249
  • g.­254
g.­201

Ruciraketu

Wylie:
  • mdzes pa’i tog
Tibetan:
  • མཛེས་པའི་ཏོག
Sanskrit:
  • ruciraketu AD

The name of a king in the distant past. (Also the name of a bodhisattva, central to the narrative of this sūtra.)

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­43
  • 12.­5-6
g.­202

Rūpyaketu

Wylie:
  • dngul gyi tog
  • dngul tog
Tibetan:
  • དངུལ་གྱི་ཏོག
  • དངུལ་ཏོག
Sanskrit:
  • rūpyaketu AD

The older son of the bodhisattva Ruciraketu.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • 15.­3
  • n.­348
  • g.­249
  • g.­281
g.­203

Rūpyaprabha

Wylie:
  • dngul gyi ’od
Tibetan:
  • དངུལ་གྱི་འོད།
Sanskrit:
  • rūpyaprabha AS

The younger son of the bodhisattva Ruciraketu.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • 15.­4
  • g.­186
g.­209

Śakra

Wylie:
  • brgya byin
Tibetan:
  • བརྒྱ་བྱིན།
Sanskrit:
  • śakra AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­40
  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • 7.­73-75
  • 13.­31
  • g.­99
  • g.­182
  • g.­260
g.­210

Śākya

Wylie:
  • shAkya
Tibetan:
  • ཤཱཀྱ།
Sanskrit:
  • śākya AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Name of the ancient tribe in which the Buddha was born as a prince; their kingdom was based to the east of Kośala, in the foothills near the present-day border of India and Nepal, with Kapilavastu as its capital.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­27
  • 17.­41
  • 17.­44
  • 21.­4
  • g.­66
g.­211

Śākyamuni

Wylie:
  • shAkya thub pa
Tibetan:
  • ཤཱཀྱ་ཐུབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • śākyamuni AD

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

An epithet for the historical Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama: he was a muni (“sage”) from the Śākya clan. He is counted as the fourth of the first four buddhas of the present Good Eon, the other three being Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni, and Kāśyapa. He will be followed by Maitreya, the next buddha in this eon.

Located in 29 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • i.­43-44
  • i.­52-53
  • 2.­1-2
  • 2.­6-7
  • 2.­9-11
  • 2.­13
  • 2.­50
  • 7.­33
  • 7.­40
  • 12.­2
  • 13.­26
  • 14.­8
  • 18.­136
  • 21.­5
  • n.­404
  • g.­92
  • g.­186
  • g.­189
  • g.­208
  • g.­240
  • g.­249
  • g.­254
g.­216

Saṃjñeya

Wylie:
  • yang dag shes
Tibetan:
  • ཡང་དག་ཤེས།
Sanskrit:
  • saṃjñeya AS

A yakṣa general.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • i.­42
  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­9
  • 14.­26
  • 14.­39
  • n.­286
  • n.­337
g.­219

samyak­saṃbuddha

Wylie:
  • yang dag par rdzogs pa’i sangs rgyas
Tibetan:
  • ཡང་དག་པར་རྫོགས་པའི་སངས་རྒྱས།
Sanskrit:
  • samyak­saṃbuddha AS

“A perfect buddha.” A buddha who teaches the Dharma, as opposed to a pratyekabuddha, who does not teach.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­7
  • 9.­2
  • 12.­1-2
  • 15.­2-4
  • 15.­13
  • 16.­1-2
  • 17.­21
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­27
  • 17.­46
  • 18.­78
g.­221

saṅgha

Wylie:
  • dge ’dun
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་འདུན།
Sanskrit:
  • saṅgha AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­32
  • 13.­6-7
  • 18.­12
  • n.­97
  • g.­73
  • g.­189
g.­222

Sarasvatī

Wylie:
  • dbyangs can
Tibetan:
  • དབྱངས་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • sarasvatī AD

The goddess of wisdom, learning, and music.

Located in 21 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • i.­39
  • i.­43
  • i.­45
  • 1.­15
  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­22-24
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­33-34
  • 8.­36
  • 8.­43
  • 12.­4
  • 14.­35
  • 14.­37
  • 14.­56
  • 21.­13
g.­223

Sarva­sattva­priyadarśana

Wylie:
  • ’jig rten thams cad kyis mthong
Tibetan:
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱིས་མཐོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • sarvasattvapriyadarśana AD

A Licchavī youth.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • i.­33
  • 2.­19
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­38
g.­232

Soma

Wylie:
  • zla ba
Tibetan:
  • ཟླ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • soma AD

The deity of the moon.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 14.­37
  • g.­182
g.­234

śrāvaka

Wylie:
  • nyan thos
Tibetan:
  • ཉན་ཐོས།
Sanskrit:
  • śrāvaka AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.”

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 2.­20
  • 4.­29
  • 4.­89
  • 13.­6-7
  • n.­48
g.­235

Śrī

Wylie:
  • dpal
  • dpal ldan lha mo
Tibetan:
  • དཔལ།
  • དཔལ་ལྡན་ལྷ་མོ།
Sanskrit:
  • śrī AS

The great goddess Śrī, better known as Lakṣmī, who promises to aid those who recite this sūtra and to ensure its preservation so that beings will have good fortune. She dwells in a palace in the paradise of Alakāvati.

Located in 26 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • i.­40
  • i.­43
  • i.­45
  • 7.­64
  • 9.­1-2
  • 9.­4-6
  • 9.­16-18
  • 12.­3
  • 14.­1
  • 14.­35
  • 14.­56
  • 21.­13
  • n.­257
  • n.­259
  • n.­261
  • n.­263
  • n.­273
  • g.­183
  • g.­194
  • g.­248
g.­238

stūpa

Wylie:
  • mchod rten
Tibetan:
  • མཆོད་རྟེན།
Sanskrit:
  • stūpa AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The Tibetan translates both stūpa and caitya with the same word, mchod rten, meaning “basis” or “recipient” of “offerings” or “veneration.” Pali: cetiya.

A caitya, although often synonymous with stūpa, can also refer to any site, sanctuary or shrine that is made for veneration, and may or may not contain relics.

A stūpa, literally “heap” or “mound,” is a mounded or circular structure usually containing relics of the Buddha or the masters of the past. It is considered to be a sacred object representing the awakened mind of a buddha, but the symbolism of the stūpa is complex, and its design varies throughout the Buddhist world. Stūpas continue to be erected today as objects of veneration and merit making.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 14.­8-9
  • 14.­28
  • 14.­31
  • 18.­9-10
  • 18.­139
  • 18.­142
g.­240

Śuddhodana

Wylie:
  • zas gtsang ma
Tibetan:
  • ཟས་གཙང་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • śuddhodana AD

The Buddha Śākyamuni’s father.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49-50
  • 17.­42
  • 18.­137
g.­241

sugata

Wylie:
  • bde gshegs
Tibetan:
  • བདེ་གཤེགས།
Sanskrit:
  • sugata AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the standard epithets of the buddhas. A recurrent explanation offers three different meanings for su- that are meant to show the special qualities of “accomplishment of one’s own purpose” (svārthasampad) for a complete buddha. Thus, the Sugata is “well” gone, as in the expression su-rūpa (“having a good form”); he is gone “in a way that he shall not come back,” as in the expression su-naṣṭa-jvara (“a fever that has utterly gone”); and he has gone “without any remainder” as in the expression su-pūrṇa-ghaṭa (“a pot that is completely full”). According to Buddhaghoṣa, the term means that the way the Buddha went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su) and where he went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su).

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­65
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­21
  • 13.­3
  • 15.­2
  • 15.­4
  • 15.­13
  • 16.­1
g.­242

Sumeru

Wylie:
  • ri rab
Tibetan:
  • རི་རབ།
Sanskrit:
  • sumeru AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

According to ancient Buddhist cosmology, this is the great mountain forming the axis of the universe. At its summit is Sudarśana, home of Śakra and his thirty-two gods, and on its flanks live the asuras. The mount has four sides facing the cardinal directions, each of which is made of a different precious stone. Surrounding it are several mountain ranges and the great ocean where the four principal island continents lie: in the south, Jambudvīpa (our world); in the west, Godānīya; in the north, Uttarakuru; and in the east, Pūrvavideha. Above it are the abodes of the desire realm gods. It is variously referred to as Meru, Mount Meru, Sumeru, and Mount Sumeru.

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­11
  • 4.­60
  • 4.­67
  • 7.­45
  • 7.­87
  • 19.­5
  • 20.­4
  • 20.­8
  • 21.­3
  • n.­24
  • n.­43
  • g.­6
  • g.­45
  • g.­69
  • g.­99
  • g.­138
  • g.­260
g.­243

Sureśvara­prabha

Wylie:
  • lha’i dbang phyug ’od
Tibetan:
  • ལྷའི་དབང་ཕྱུག་འོད།
Sanskrit:
  • sureśvaraprabha AS

A king in the distant past.

(Toh 555: lha’i dbang phyug gi ’od)

Located in 19 passages in the translation:

  • i.­48-49
  • 16.­2-3
  • 16.­5
  • 16.­23
  • 16.­27
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­13-14
  • 17.­29-30
  • 17.­32-36
  • 17.­40-41
g.­244

Sūrya

Wylie:
  • nyi ma
Tibetan:
  • ཉི་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • sūrya AS

The god of the sun.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­45
  • 14.­74-75
  • n.­316
  • g.­182
g.­246

Susaṃbhava

Wylie:
  • legs par byung ba
Tibetan:
  • ལེགས་པར་བྱུང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • susaṃbhava AS

The Buddha’s previous life as a cakravartin in the distant past.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • i.­44
  • 13.­3
  • 13.­11-12
  • 13.­20
  • 13.­22
  • 13.­25-27
  • 13.­33
g.­247

Suvarṇa­bhujendra

Wylie:
  • gser gyi lag pa’i dbang po
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་གྱི་ལག་པའི་དབང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • suvarṇa­bhujendra AD

A king in the distant past.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­1
  • g.­117
  • g.­118
g.­249

Suvarṇa­jambudhvajakāñca­nābha

Wylie:
  • ’dzam bu’i gser gyi rgyal mtshan gyi ’od
Tibetan:
  • འཛམ་བུའི་གསེར་གྱི་རྒྱལ་མཚན་གྱི་འོད།
Sanskrit:
  • suvarṇajambudhvajakāñcanābha AS

A buddha in the distant future who is Rūpyaketu, the son of Ruciraketu, in the time of Śākyamuni.

(Toh 555: gser dang rin po che’i ri bo’i rgyal po )

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • 15.­3-4
g.­250

Suvarṇaprabhā

Wylie:
  • gser du snang ba
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་དུ་སྣང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • suvarṇaprabhā AS

A world realm in the distant future.

(Toh 555: gser ‘od)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 15.­2
g.­251

Suvarṇa­prabhagarbha

Wylie:
  • gser du snang ba’i snying po
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་དུ་སྣང་བའི་སྙིང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • suvarṇaprabhagarbha AD

A tathāgata.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­4
g.­253

Suvarṇa­puṣpa­jvalaraśmi­ketu

Wylie:
  • gser gyi me tog ’bar ba’i ’od zer gyi tog
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་གྱི་མེ་ཏོག་འབར་བའི་འོད་ཟེར་གྱི་ཏོག
Sanskrit:
  • suvarṇapuṣpajvalaraśmiketu AS

A tathāgata.

(Toh 555: gser gyi me tog ’od zer rgyal mtshan)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­7
g.­254

Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa

Wylie:
  • gser rin chen ’byung gnas gdugs brtsegs
  • gser dang rin po che’i ’byung gnas gdugs brtsegs
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་རིན་ཆེན་འབྱུང་གནས་གདུགས་བརྩེགས།
  • གསེར་དང་རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་འབྱུང་གནས་གདུགས་བརྩེགས།
Sanskrit:
  • suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa AS

A buddha in the distant future who is the bodhisattva Ruciraketu in the time of Śākyamuni.

(Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa; Toh Degé 556: gser ri rin chen ‘byung gnas gdugs brtegs, Suvarṇaparvataratnākarachattrakūṭa; Toh 555: gser gdugs rin po che brtsegs pa )

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • i.­51
  • 10.­6
  • 15.­2-3
  • 19.­1
g.­257

tathāgata

Wylie:
  • de bzhin gshegs pa
Tibetan:
  • དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • tathāgata AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 89 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­7-9
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­40-42
  • 2.­45
  • 2.­47
  • 2.­49
  • 2.­51-52
  • 4.­35
  • 4.­47
  • 4.­89
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­15
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­33
  • 7.­39-40
  • 7.­46-48
  • 7.­74-76
  • 7.­88
  • 9.­1-2
  • 9.­5
  • 10.­1-9
  • 10.­15-19
  • 10.­30-31
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­8
  • 12.­1-2
  • 13.­26-27
  • 15.­2-4
  • 15.­12-13
  • 16.­1-2
  • 17.­21
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­27
  • 17.­46
  • 18.­3
  • 18.­15
  • 18.­136
  • 19.­1
  • 20.­11
  • 21.­4-5
  • 21.­8
  • n.­34
  • n.­39
  • n.­173
  • n.­178
  • n.­258
  • n.­418
  • g.­106
  • g.­134
  • g.­187
  • g.­251
  • g.­253
  • g.­280
g.­260

Trāyastriṃśa

Wylie:
  • sum cu rtsa gsum pa
Tibetan:
  • སུམ་ཅུ་རྩ་གསུམ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • trāyastriṃśa AS

The paradise of Śakra, also known as Indra, on the summit of Sumeru. The name means “Thirty-Three,” from the thirty-three principal deities that dwell there. The fifth highest of the six paradises in the desire realm.

Located in 25 passages in the translation:

  • i.­7
  • i.­46-47
  • i.­49
  • 2.­20-22
  • 7.­45
  • 10.­32
  • 12.­18
  • 12.­25
  • 12.­57
  • 12.­70
  • 14.­26
  • 15.­1
  • 15.­14
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­27-28
  • 17.­40
  • n.­24
  • n.­48
  • n.­284
  • g.­105
  • g.­113
g.­261

trichiliocosm

Wylie:
  • stong gsum gyi stong chen po’i rjig rten gyi khams
  • stong gsum
Tibetan:
  • སྟོང་གསུམ་གྱི་སྟོང་ཆེན་པོའི་རྗིག་རྟེན་གྱི་ཁམས།
  • སྟོང་གསུམ།
Sanskrit:
  • trisāhasra­mahāsāhasra­lokadhātu AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • 2.­5
  • 4.­5
  • 6.­29
  • 6.­31
  • 7.­45
  • 7.­92
  • 13.­12
g.­266

Vaiśravaṇa

Wylie:
  • rnam thos kyi bu
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་ཐོས་ཀྱི་བུ།
Sanskrit:
  • vaiśravaṇa AD

As one of the Four Mahārājas he is the lord of the northern region of the world and the northern continent, though in early Buddhism he is the lord of the far north of India and beyond. Also known as Kubera, he is the lord of yakṣas and a lord of wealth.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­1
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­82
  • 14.­35
  • 21.­13
  • g.­6
  • g.­112
  • g.­138
  • g.­183
g.­273

Varuṇa

Wylie:
  • chu lha
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་ལྷ།
Sanskrit:
  • varuṇa AS

The name of the deity of water. In the Vedas, Varuṇa is an important deity and in particular the deity of the sky, but in later Indian tradition he is the god of only the water and the underworld. The Tibetan does not attempt to translate his name, but instead has “god of water.”

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­32
  • 14.­37
  • g.­182
g.­274

Vāyu

Wylie:
  • rlung
Tibetan:
  • རླུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • vāyu AS

The god of the air and the winds.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 14.­37
  • g.­182
g.­276

Venerable

Wylie:
  • tshe dang ldan pa
Tibetan:
  • ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • āyuṣmat AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A respectful form of address between monks, and also between lay companions of equal standing. It literally means “one who has a [long] life.”

Located in 62 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­1-13
  • 7.­20-21
  • 7.­24-26
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­42-44
  • 7.­64-74
  • 7.­77
  • 7.­106
  • 8.­1
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­20-21
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­26-31
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­4-8
  • 15.­1
  • 15.­6
  • 15.­13
  • 18.­3
  • 18.­10
  • 18.­12
  • 18.­15-16
  • n.­149
g.­280

Vimalajvala­ratna­suvarṇa­raśmi­prabhā­śikhin

Wylie:
  • dri ma med par ’bar ba rin chen gser gyi ’od zer snang ba’i tog
Tibetan:
  • དྲི་མ་མེད་པར་འབར་བ་རིན་ཆེན་གསེར་གྱི་འོད་ཟེར་སྣང་བའི་ཏོག
Sanskrit:
  • vimalajvala­ratna­suvarṇa­raśmi­prabhā­śikhin RS

A tathāgata.

(Toh 555: dri ma med pa’i ’od zer rin po che’i tog (Vimala­raśmiratna­ketu); Toh 556: dri ma med par ‘bar ba rin chen ‘od zer snang ba’i tog (Vimala­jvala­ratna­raśmiprabhā­ketu); Sanskrit ms.: Ratnaśikhin)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­2
g.­282

Virūḍhaka

Wylie:
  • ’phags skyes po
Tibetan:
  • འཕགས་སྐྱེས་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • virūḍhaka AS

One of the Four Mahārājas, he is the guardian of the southern direction and the lord of the kumbhāṇḍas.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­1
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­82
  • g.­138
g.­283

Virūpākṣa

Wylie:
  • mig mi bzang
Tibetan:
  • མིག་མི་བཟང་།
Sanskrit:
  • virūpākṣa AS

One of the Four Mahārājas, he is the guardian of the western direction and traditionally the lord of the nāgas.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­1
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­82
  • g.­138
g.­285

Vulture Peak Mountain

Wylie:
  • bya rgod phung po
  • bya rgod phung po’i ri
Tibetan:
  • བྱ་རྒོད་ཕུང་པོ།
  • བྱ་རྒོད་ཕུང་པོའི་རི།
Sanskrit:
  • gṛdhrakūṭa AS
  • gṛdhrakūṭaparvata AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The Gṛdhra­kūṭa, literally Vulture Peak, was a hill located in the kingdom of Magadha, in the vicinity of the ancient city of Rājagṛha (modern-day Rajgir, in the state of Bihar, India), where the Buddha bestowed many sūtras, especially the Great Vehicle teachings, such as the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras. It continues to be a sacred pilgrimage site for Buddhists to this day.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­32-34
  • 1.­2
  • 3.­3
g.­286

Vyākaraṇa

Wylie:
  • lung ston pa
Tibetan:
  • ལུང་སྟོན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vyākaraṇa AS

The brahmin master, interlocutor in The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • i.­33
  • 2.­18-19
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­38
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­34
  • n.­45
  • n.­368
  • g.­120
g.­289

yakṣa

Wylie:
  • gnod sbyin
Tibetan:
  • གནོད་སྦྱིན།
Sanskrit:
  • yakṣa AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A class of nonhuman beings who inhabit forests, mountainous areas, and other natural spaces, or serve as guardians of villages and towns, and may be propitiated for health, wealth, protection, and other boons, or controlled through magic. According to tradition, their homeland is in the north, where they live under the rule of the Great King Vaiśravaṇa.

Several members of this class have been deified as gods of wealth (these include the just-mentioned Vaiśravaṇa) or as bodhisattva generals of yakṣa armies, and have entered the Buddhist pantheon in a variety of forms, including, in tantric Buddhism, those of wrathful deities.

Located in 80 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • i.­42
  • i.­45
  • 1.­14
  • 1.­20
  • 2.­8
  • 7.­5
  • 7.­18-21
  • 7.­26
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­41
  • 7.­44-45
  • 7.­64-67
  • 7.­70
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­102
  • 7.­106
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­7
  • 13.­15
  • 14.­26
  • 14.­36
  • 14.­39-43
  • 14.­80
  • n.­25
  • n.­220
  • n.­286
  • n.­336-337
  • g.­6
  • g.­18
  • g.­51
  • g.­54
  • g.­57
  • g.­71
  • g.­88
  • g.­94
  • g.­111
  • g.­112
  • g.­116
  • g.­119
  • g.­125
  • g.­129
  • g.­132
  • g.­133
  • g.­137
  • g.­146
  • g.­147
  • g.­148
  • g.­151
  • g.­159
  • g.­161
  • g.­166
  • g.­169
  • g.­172
  • g.­174
  • g.­178
  • g.­184
  • g.­192
  • g.­216
  • g.­224
  • g.­239
  • g.­245
  • g.­255
  • g.­266
  • g.­271
  • g.­272
  • g.­290
g.­291

Yama

Wylie:
  • gshin rje
Tibetan:
  • གཤིན་རྗེ།
Sanskrit:
  • yama AD

The lord of death.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­5
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­40
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­30
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­8
  • 14.­37
  • g.­182
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    84000. The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (3) (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra, gser ’od dam pa’i mdo, Toh 557). Translated by Peter Alan Roberts and team. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2025. https://84000.co/translation/toh557/UT22084-090-001-introduction.Copy
    84000. The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (3) (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra, gser ’od dam pa’i mdo, Toh 557). Translated by Peter Alan Roberts and team, online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2025, 84000.co/translation/toh557/UT22084-090-001-introduction.Copy
    84000. (2025) The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (3) (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra, gser ’od dam pa’i mdo, Toh 557). (Peter Alan Roberts and team, Trans.). Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. https://84000.co/translation/toh557/UT22084-090-001-introduction.Copy

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