co.

Table of Contents

s.

Summary

s.­1

The Play in Full tells the story of how the Buddha manifested in this world and attained awakening, as perceived from the perspective of the Great Vehicle. The sūtra, which is structured in twenty-seven chapters, first presents the events surrounding the Buddha’s birth, childhood, and adolescence in the royal palace of his father, king of the Śākya nation. It then recounts his escape from the palace and the years of hardship he faced in his quest for spiritual awakening. Finally the sūtra reveals his complete victory over the demon Māra, his attainment of awakening under the Bodhi tree, his first turning of the wheel of Dharma, and the formation of the very early saṅgha.

ac.

Acknowledgments

ac.­1

This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche.

Cortland Dahl, Catherine Dalton, Hilary Herdman, Heidi Koppl, James Gentry, and Andreas Doctor translated the text from Tibetan into English. Andreas Doctor and Wiesiek Mical then compared the translations against the original Tibetan and Sanskrit, respectively. Finally, Andreas Doctor edited the translation and wrote the introduction.

The Dharmachakra Translation Committee would like to thank Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche for blessing this project, and Khenpo Sherap Sangpo for his generous assistance with the resolution of several difficult passages.

This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.


ac.­2

The generous sponsorship of 簡源震及家人江秀敏，簡暐如，簡暐丞 Chien YuanChen (Dharma Das) and his wife, daughter, and son for work on this sūtra is gratefully acknowledged.

Text Body

The Translation
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra
The Play in Full
20.
Chapter 20

The Displays at the Seat of Awakening

20.­1

Monks, as the Bodhisattva sat down at the seat of awakening, the gods of the six classes within the desire realm decided to protect the Bodhisattva from obstacles. These gods therefore took position in the eastern direction. Likewise the southern, western, and northern directions were taken over by other classes of gods.

Monks, when the Bodhisattva sat down at the seat of awakening, he began to emit a light known as inspiring the bodhisattvas. The light shone in all the ten directions, illuminating all the boundless and immeasurable buddha realms‍—the realms that filled the entire field of phenomena.

20.­2

In the eastern direction this light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Lalitavyūha, who resided in the Vimala world in the Thus-Gone One Vimala­prabhāsa’s buddha realm. Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he produced a miraculous manifestation whereby he was able to display all the buddha realms, in all directions to the end of space, as a single maṇḍala made of blue beryl.

20.­3

At the same time Lalitavyūha made it so that the Bodhisattva, who was sitting at the seat of awakening, became visible to all sentient beings living in the five types of existences. These sentient beings pointed their fingers at the Bodhisattva and asked each other, “Who is this charming being? [F.143.b] Who is that beautiful person?” Then the Bodhisattva emanated other bodhisattvas in front of everyone. The forms of these bodhisattvas then sang this verse: [291]

20.­4
“He is someone free from attachment, anger, stains and their habitual tendencies.
Light shines from his body in the ten directions, outshining all other lights.
For many eons he increased the accumulations of merit, absorption, and wisdom;
Śākyamuni, the most illustrious of great sages, now beautifies all places.”
20.­5

In the southern direction, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Ratnacchattra­kūṭa­saṃdarśana, who resided in the world Ratnavyūhā of the Thus-Gone One Ratnārcis’ buddha realm. Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he sheltered the entire area with a single jewel parasol.

Indra, Brahmā, and the world protectors now said to each other, “How come this jewel parasol appeared? Whose karmic result is this?” At that point, this verse was heard from the jewel parasol:

20.­6
“He who donated trillions of jewels, fragrant substances, and parasols
To those without an equal who abide, their minds full of loving kindness, in the state of passing beyond suffering,
Is the benefactor endowed with the best marks, with strength like Nārāyaṇa.
This offering is for him, the master of good qualities, who has gone to the Bodhi tree!”
20.­7

In the western direction, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Indrajālin, who resided in the Campakavarṇā world of the Thus-Gone One Puṣpāvali Vanarāji Kusumitābhijña’s buddha realm. [F.144.a] Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he sheltered the entire area with a single jewel canopy.

The gods in all directions, [292] together with the nāgas, yakṣas, and gandharvas, said to each other, “Who created this display of light?” At that point, this verse was heard from the jewel canopy:

20.­8
“He is a jewel mine, a jewel banner, and a delight to the three worlds;
He is the best of gems, renowned as a jewel, who delights in the true Dharma.
He has the diligence by which he will never be cut off from the Three Jewels;
This is to venerate the One Who Is About to Attain Supreme Awakening.”
20.­9

In the northern direction, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Vyūharāja, who resided in the Sūryāvartā world of the Thus-Gone One Candra­sūrya­jihmī­kara­prabha’s buddha realm. Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he revealed within the courtyard the complete displays of qualities of all buddha realms contained in all the worlds in the ten directions.

Seeing this, some bodhisattvas asked each other, “Who created such displays?” At that point, this verse was heard from each of the displays:

20.­10
“The enormity of his merit and wisdom has purified his body;
His disciplined action, austerities, and truthful Dharma have purified his speech;
His conscientiousness, devotion, love, and compassion have purified his mind.
This is to venerate him, the Leader of the Śākyas, who has gone to the king of trees.” [F.144.b]
20.­11

In the southeastern direction, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Guṇamati, who resided in the Guṇākarā world of the Thus-Gone One Guṇa­rāja­prabhāsa’s buddha realm. Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. [293] As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he miraculously emanated within the sacred area a multistoried palace endowed with all perfect qualities.

The members of Guṇamati’s retinue asked, “Who has created such a display?” The multistoried palace then resounded with this verse:

20.­12
“It is merely a trace of his qualities
That the gods, demigods, yakṣas, and mahoragas will ever possess.
With such traits he was born into a royal family of many qualities.
Now this Ocean of Qualities sits under the branches of the Bodhi tree.”
20.­13

Then, in the southwestern direction, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being Ratnasambhava, who resided in the Ratnasambhava world of the Thus-Gone One Ratnayaṣti’s buddha realm. Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he emanated within the sacred area a limitless and boundless number of pavilions made of precious stones. Then from these celestial pavilions, this verse was heard:

20.­14
“He who has renounced the ocean and the land along with all precious objects,
Who abandoned his palace with its fine oval windows and terraces, and also his harnessed carriages,
Ornate pavilions, exquisite flowers and garlands, parks, wellsprings, and assembly halls,
Giving up his feet, hands, head, and eyes‍—he now sits at the seat of awakening.”
20.­15

Then, in the northwestern direction, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Megha­kūṭābhigarjitasvara, who resided in the Meghavatī world of the Thus-Gone One Megharāja’s buddha realm. [F.145.a] Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. [294] As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he manifested a cloud of gum benjamin and aloeswood above the sacred area and caused a rain of sandalwood dust to fall. The cloud then resounded with this verse:

20.­16
“He, shining with the light of confidence in knowledge, spreads the cloud of Dharma all throughout the three realms;
He, free from attachment, makes the sacred Dharma‍—the nectar that takes beings beyond suffering‍—fall like rain.
He will cut the fettering vines of attachment and negative emotions, along with their habitual tendencies,
And blossoming forth with concentration, miracles, powers, and strengths, he will grant to beings a fount of faith.”
20.­17

Then, in the northeastern direction, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Hema­jālālaṃkṛta, who resided in the Hema­jāla­pratichannā world of the Thus-Gone One Ratnacchatrābhyudgatāvabhāsa’s buddha realm. Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he emanated appearances of bodhisattvas, each adorned with the thirty-two marks, on each of the palaces and pavilions. Each of these manifestations of bodhisattvas held up flower garlands from both the human and divine realms. They all bowed to the Bodhisattva and, as they offered the flower garlands, they sang this verse:

20.­18
“Who praised a million buddhas
And respectfully developed great faith?
Who speaks with a beautiful voice, like the melody of Brahmā?
To him, who now has arrived at the seat of awakening, I bow.” [F.145.b]
20.­19

In the quarter down below, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Ratnagarbha, who resided in the Samanta­vilokitā world of the Thus-Gone One Samantadarśin’s buddha realm. Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. [295] As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he displayed lotuses made of gold from the Jambū River within the beryl maṇḍala. At the center of the lotuses, one could see the upper body of many women, in perfect shape and appearance and adorned with various jewelry. In their hands they proffered many types of jewelry, such as necklaces, bracelets, armbands, gold threads, and pearl necklaces. As they offered these along with flower garlands and silken tassels, they bowed in the direction of the seat of awakening and the Bodhisattva, and sang this verse:

20.­20
“He always bowed to the buddhas, the hearers,
The solitary buddhas, and his masters.
Disciplined, mindful, joyful, and without pride,
To him, who is full of qualities, you should bow down!”
20.­21

In the quarter above, the light encouraged the bodhisattva, the great being, Gagaṇagañja, who resided in the Varagaṇā world of the Thus-Gone One Gaṇendra’s buddha realm. Surrounded and escorted by an infinite number of bodhisattvas, he proceeded to the seat of awakening where the Bodhisattva was sitting. As a way to venerate the Bodhisattva, he stood in the middle of the sky and brought down a rain of objects never before seen or heard of in any of the buddha realms in the ten directions. It rained down many types of flowers, incense, perfumes, flower garlands, ointments, powders, cloths, ornaments, parasols, banners, streamers, banners of victory, [F.146.a] jewels, precious stones, gold, silver, pearls, horses, elephants, chariots, infantrymen, carriages, flowering trees, leaves, fruits, boys, girls, gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, Indra, Brahmā, the world protectors, humans, and nonhumans. Everyone felt full of joy and happiness, and no one made anyone afraid or caused anyone harm.


20.­22

This can also be expressed in verse:

In brief, the offspring of the victorious ones from the ten directions
Arrive to pay homage to the benefactor who has attained awakening. [296]
You will hear only an approximate account of the displays of these bodhisattvas,
The bodhisattvas possessed of strength and beauty.
20.­23
Some offer a million necklaces;
They arrive in the sky, loud like thunder.
Some display flowers and palaces in the expanse of space;
They arrive with jewel diadems adorning their hair.
20.­24
Some proclaim emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness;
As they arrive on the ground, they roar like lions.
Some scatter beautiful flowers never seen before;
As they arrive, they roar like bulls.
20.­25
Some reveal their bodies in a thousand colors;
As they arrive in space, they cry like peacocks.
Some proclaim the garlands of qualities of the son of the Well-Gone Ones;
As they arrive in space, they are like the full moon.
20.­26
Some, like the sun, send forth rays of light;
As they arrive, they make all the abodes of Māra appear dark.
Some who have gathered the accumulation of merit
Arrive at the seat of awakening, bright as rainbows.
20.­27
Some scatter a lattice of precious stones from the sky,
Shining like the beautiful new moon. [F.146.b]
They throw māndārava flowers and garlands of campaka flowers
Toward the Bodhisattva as he sits at the foot of the king of trees. [297]
20.­28
Some arrive, making the earth shake with their two feet;
The shaking ground amuses the people.
Some proffer the central mountain on the palms of their hands
As they remain in midair, scattering flowers from baskets.
20.­29
Some bring the four oceans on top of their heads;
As they arrive, they scatter and sprinkle perfume on the ground.
Some hold up various jewel staffs;
As they arrive, they point out the Bodhisattva from afar.
20.­30
Some, like Brahmā, have peaceful forms;
Their peaceful minds rest calmly and their concentration is firm.
As they arrive, the pores of their bodies resonate with the beautiful sounds
Of limitless love, compassion, joy, and equanimity.
20.­31
Some arrive like the god Indra;
They come surrounded by millions of gods.
At the Bodhi tree they join their palms
And scatter jewels like the ones possessed by Indra.
20.­32
Some arrive like the guardians of the four directions,
Surrounded by gandharvas, rākṣasas, and kinnaras.
Like lightning, they bring down a rain of luminous flowers,
And praise the heroic one with the voice of gandharvas and kinnaras.
20.­33
Some arrive with heavenly trees in bloom,
With fruits, flowers, and perfect scents. [298]
Among the leaves, the upper bodies of the buddhas’ offspring are visible;
They bow to the center of the world and scatter flowers.
20.­34
Some arrive proffering ponds with blooming lotuses;
They bring blue and white lotuses that have opened.
At the center of each of the flowers, there are beings endowed with the thirty-two marks,
Who praise the learned Bodhisattva and his undefiled mind.
20.­35
Some arrive in bodies as big as the central mountain.
Standing in midair, they cast off their bodies;
Immediately they transform into fresh flower garlands,
And cover the realms of the victorious ones in all the trichiliocosm.
20.­36
Some arrive with eyes blazing like the fire at the end of an eon, [F.147.a]
Showing the dissolution and the creation.
From their bodies many Dharma gates are heard,
Causing millions of beings to abandon craving.
20.­37
Some arrive with lips as beautiful as the bimba fruit;
Their perfect mouths speak with voices like the kinnaras.
They appear like maidens, well adorned with necklaces;
The gods who view them cannot get enough.
20.­38
Some arrive with indestructible, vajra-like bodies;
They wade through the waters below.
Some arrive with their faces like the sun or the full moon;
Their rays of light and luster conquer the faults of disturbing emotions. [299]
20.­39
Some arrive adorned with precious stones, holding jewels in their hands;
With these gems they cover billions of realms.
In order to benefit, delight, and satisfy many sentient beings,
They bring down a rain of scented and perfect jewel flowers.
20.­40
Some arrive with the treasury of the precious great dhāraṇīs;
From the pores in their skin, hundreds of thousands of sūtras are heard.
With their confidence, intelligence, and exalted minds,
They cause realization in all proud and haughty beings.
20.­41
Some arrive holding the central mountain like a drum;
Beating it, they fill the sky with sweet voices.
Their sound goes out to millions of realms everywhere:
“The Teacher is poised to awaken today, and subsequently to attain immortality!”
20.­42

This concludes the twentieth chapter, on the displays at the seat of awakening.

c.

Colophon

Colophon to the Sanskrit Edition

c.­1
The Thus-Gone One explained the causes
Of those dharmas that have a cause
And also their cessation.
This is the teaching of the Great Ascetic.
May there be good goodness! May there be goodness in every way!

Colophon to the Tibetan Translation

c.­2

This was taught and translated by the Indian preceptors Jinamitra, Dānaśīla, and Munivarman, and the translator-editor Bandé Yeshé Dé, who proofed and finalized the translation.

b.

Bibliography

Source Texts

’phags pa rgya cher rol pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya­lalita­vistara­nāma­mahā­yān­asūtra). Toh 95, Degé Kangyur vol. 46 (mdo sde, kha), folios 1b–216b.

’phags pa rgya cher rol pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–2009, vol 46, pp. 3–434.

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Hokazono, Kōichi (1994). Raritavisutara no Kenkyu. Volume 1 [study of Lalitavistara, chs. 1–14]. Tokyo: Daitō Shuppansha, 1994.

‍—‍—‍—‍— (2019a). Raritavisutara no Kenkyu. Volume 2 [study of Lalitavistara, chs. 15–21]. Tokyo: Daitō Shuppansha, 2019.

‍—‍—‍—‍— (2019b). Raritavisutara no Kenkyu. Volume 3 [study of Lalitavistara, chs. 22–27]. Tokyo: Daitō Shuppansha, 2019.

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Mitra, R. L. (1853–1877). The Lalita Vistara or Memoirs of the Early Life of S’a’kya Siñha. Bibliotheca Indica: A Collection of Oriental Works, Old Series, nos. 51, 73, 143, 144, 145, 237. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1853–1877.

Secondary Sources

Bays, Gwendolyn. The Voice of the Buddha, The Beauty of Compassion: The Lalitavistara Sutra. Tibetan Translation Series, vol. 2. Berkeley, CA: Dharma Publishing, 1983.

Foucaux, Phillipe Édouard (1848). Rgya Tch’er Rol Pa ou Développement des Jeux, Contenant l’Histoire du Bouddha Çakya-mouni: Traduit sur la version Tibétaine du Bkahhgyour, et revu sur l’original Sanscrit (Lalitavistara). Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1848.

‍—‍—‍—‍— (1870). Étude sur le Lalita Vistara pour une édition critique du texte sanskrit, précédée d’ un coup d’oeil sur la publication des livres bouddhiques en Europe et dans l’Inde. Paris: Maisonneuve, 1870.

‍—‍—‍—‍— (1884). Le Lalitavistara, Développement des Jeux: l’histoire traditionnelle de la vie du Bouddha Çakyamuni. Première partie. Annales du Musée Guimet, vol. 6 Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1884.

‍—‍—‍—‍— (1892). Le Lalitavistara, Développement des Jeux: l’histoire traditionnelle de la vie du Bouddha Çakyamuni. Seconde partie: notes, variantes, et index. Annales du Musée Guimet, vol. 19. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1892.

Lefmann, Salomon (1874). Lalitavistara: Erzählung von dem Leben und der Lehre des Çâkya Simha. Berlin: Dümmler, 1874.

Lenz, Robert. “Analyse du Lalita-Vistara-Pourana, l’un des principaux ouvrages sacrés des Bouddhistes de l’Asie centrale, contenant la vie de leur prophète, et écrit en Sanscrit.” Bulletin Scientifique publié par l’Académie impériale des Sciences de Saint-Pétersbourg I.7: 49–51; I.8: 57–63; I.9: 71–72; I.10: 75–78; I.11: 87–88; I.12: 92–96; I.13: 97–99. St. Petersburg: Académie impériale des sciences, 1836.

Miller, Robert. The Chapter on Schisms in the Saṅgha (Saṅgha­bheda­vastu, Toh 1-17). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, forthcoming.

Mitra, R. L. (1881–1886). The Lalita Vistara or Memoirs of the Early Life of S’a’kya Siñha, Translated from the Original Sanskrit. Bibliotheca Indica: A Collection of Oriental Works, New Series, nos. 455, 473, 575. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1881–1886. Republished, Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications, 1998.

Silk, Jonathan A. “Serious Play: Recent Scholarship on the Lalitavistara.” Indo-Iranian Journal 65: 267–301. Leiden: Brill, 2022.

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Winternitz, Maurice (1927). “The Lalita-Vistara.” In A History of Indian Literature, Vol. 2, 249–56. 3rd ed. Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1991.

Further Resources

Goswami, Bijoya. Lalitavistara. Bibliotheca Indica Series, vol. 320. Calcutta: The Asiatic Society, 2001.

Khosla, Sarla. Lalitavistara and the Evolution of Buddha Legend. New Delhi: Galaxy Publications, 1991.

Thomas, E. J. “The Lalitavistara and Sarvastivada.” Indian Historical Quarterly 16:2 (1940): 239–45.

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