༄༅། །བ་བ་ཅན་ི་བད་པ།

The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī

Sukhāvatīvyūha
 འཕགས་པ་བ་བ་ཅན་ི་བད་པ་ས་་བ་ག་པ་ན་ ་མ།
’phags pa bde ba can gyi bkod pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo

The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī”

Āryasukhāvatīvyūhanāmamahāyānasūtra

· Toh 115 ·
Degé Kangyur, vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), folios 195.b–200.b

ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛɪʙᴇᴛᴀɴ ʙʏ

· Dānaśīla · Yeshé Dé (ye shes sde) ·
 Translated by the Sakya Pandita Translation Group (International Buddhist Academy
Division)
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

First published 2011

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co. TABLE OF CONTENTS
ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgments
i. Introduction
· Origin and History
· Source Text and Various Versions
· Main Points of the Subject Matter
· Four Main Topics
· The Setting
· The Significance of Buddha Realms
· References to the Sūtra in the Tibetan Canon
· Academic Research
tr. The Translation
1. The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī
c. Colophon
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
· Tibetan Texts
· Sanskrit Texts
· Secondary Literature
g. Glossary
s. SUMMARY
s.1 In Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, the Buddha Śākyamuni, surrounded by a large
audience, presents to his disciple Śāriputra a detailed description of the
realm of Sukhāvatī, a delightful, enlightened abode, free of suffering. Its
inhabitants are described as mature beings in an environment where
everything enhances their spiritual inclinations. The principal buddha of
Sukhāvatī is addressed as Amitāyus (Limitless Life) as well as Amitābha
(Limitless Light).
The Buddha Śākyamuni further explains how virtuous people who focus
single-mindedly on the Buddha Amitābha will obtain a rebirth in Sukhāvatī
in their next life, and he urges all to develop faith in this teaching. In
support, he cites the similar way in which the various buddhas of the six
directions exhort their followers to develop confidence in this teaching on
Sukhāvatī.
The sūtra ends with a short dialogue between Śāriputra and the Buddha
Śākyamuni that highlights the difficulty of enlightened activity in a
degenerate age.
ac. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ac.1 Translation by the Sakya Pandita Translation Group, International Buddhist
Academy Division, Kathmandu, under the supervision of Khenpo Ngawang
Jorden. This sūtra was translated into English by the monk Ngawang
Rinchen Gyaltsen, Julia Stenzel, and Tsewang Gyaltsen.
This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision
of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
i. INTRODUCTION
· Origin and History ·

i.1 The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī is the shortest of three sūtras that
expound the Land of Delight, the pure realm of Amitābha, called Sukhāvatī.
The Kangyur includes Tibetan translations of two of these texts: this one,
often called the “shorter” Sukhāvatī, and the “longer” sūtra, with the formal
title The Array of Amitābha (Toh 49 in the Heap of Jewels section).1 The third,
The Amitāyus Meditation Sūtra,2 is only extant in Chinese.
The shorter sūtra, according to the Sanskrit scholar Luis Gomez, first
appeared in its written form during the first century ᴄᴇ, possibly in what was
then Northwest India and is now Pakistan.3

· Source Text and Various Versions ·

i.2 A Sanskrit version of the smaller Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī is extant
today, as well as Tibetan and Chinese translations. All the translations show
some variation from the Sanskrit source in content and style, which can be
attributed in part to cultural and geographic conditions in Tibet and China.4
The translations have become more influential than the original itself, for
which we presently lack any contextual information.
i.3 There are several Chinese translations of this sūtra, dating from between
240 and 400 ᴄᴇ, but only one Tibetan version, translated in the eighth or
ninth century. The Chinese versions of the sūtra spread through China,
Korea, Japan, and Vietnam and played an important role in the formation of
the Pure Land schools in these countries. These versions appear to embellish
the description of the wonders of the realm of Sukhāvatī,5 whereas the
Tibetan version is more subdued and shows its main variations from the
Sanskrit original in the names and the number of buddhas presiding over the
 different buddha realms. The various editions in the Tibetan canon, i.e., the
Degé, Narthang, Peking, and Lhasa editions, show no major differences that
would alter any meaning.
i.4 For the present translation, we have followed the Tibetan text, while
comparing it with the Sanskrit original. Concerning the enumeration of
names of the buddhas presiding over the various buddha realms, we have
retained their original Sanskrit names, unless the Tibetan text had names
without a known Sanskrit equivalent, in which case we chose to translate
those names into English. The differences are further commented on in
notes.
i.5 The Tibetan version of the smaller Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī was
translated by the Indian preceptor Dānaśīla and the chief editor-translator
Bandé Yeshé Dé, as indicated in the colophon.

· Main Points of the Subject Matter ·

i.6 The sūtra’s overall subject is revealed in the title. The Sanskrit term sukhāvatī,
in Tibetan Dewachen (bde ba can), designates a realm of delight, a place
where no suffering is experienced. The inhabitants of this realm are
spiritually advanced beings who enjoy the presence of buddhas,
bodhisattvas, and arhats, and engage exclusively in wholesome activities.
The principal buddha of this realm has two names, Amitāyus (Limitless Life)
and Amitābha (Limitless Light). Even though it is not explicitly stated in this
particular sūtra, Amitāyus is, in Vajrayāna contexts, sometimes considered a
sambhogakāya form of Buddha Amitābha.6
The term vyūha (Tib. bkod pa) means “display,” indicating that the sūtra is
to a large extent a description of this buddha realm and its characteristics. It
is a land with lakes and forests full of jewels, with magical birds, and with
little bells producing lovely sounds. Its ideal environment enhances the
spiritual practice of Sukhāvatī’s inhabitants.

· Four Main Topics ·

i.7 The sūtra contains four main topics: (1) the description of Sukhāvatī; (2) the
prerequisites needed to take birth in this realm; (3) praise of this discourse
expressed by other buddhas; and (4) the Buddha Śākyamuni’s supreme feat.

· The Setting ·
i.8 The narrative of the sūtra takes place in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove,
Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, where the Buddha Śākyamuni, in the presence of a
large audience consisting of arhats and bodhisattvas, addresses his disciple
Śāriputra and tells him about the realm of Sukhāvatī. The sūtra is in large
part a discourse spoken by the Buddha. Even though the Buddha regularly
asks the question, “Śāriputra, what do you think about this?” Śāriputra
speaks only at the very end of the sūtra and praises the Buddha.
The sūtra ends with a short dialogue between Śāriputra and the Buddha
Śākyamuni that highlights the difficulty of the Buddha Śākyamuni’s
attaining enlightenment and preaching in a degenerate age.

· The Significance of Buddha Realms ·

i.9 The notion of innumerable buddha realms coexisting with our reality became
popular with the emergence of Mahāyāna Buddhism around the first century
ᴄᴇ. They have been interchangeably translated as buddhafields, buddha
realms, or pure lands.
In The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī, the Land of Delight is described
as a realm beyond space and time. The two larger sūtras elaborate on the
history of its emergence. According to those sūtras, the Land of Delight is the
result of the powerful vows of the Buddha Amitābha, who out of great
compassion created a safe environment for fortunate beings to progress
toward spiritual maturity. The smaller sūtra, however, refers only to the
existence of such a realm and its characteristics.
In this sūtra, the Buddha Śākyamuni explains the manner in which beings
take birth in this realm: fortunate sons and daughters are told to accumulate
a significant amount of merit and direct their faith single-mindedly toward
the Buddha Amitābha.
Śākyamuni’s discourse mentions an alternative title for this sūtra. He
explains that there are countless buddha realms with tathāgatas who praise
Sukhāvatī with a Dharma discourse called “Complete Embrace by All
Buddhas.”

· References to the Sūtra in the Tibetan Canon ·

i.10 The various sūtras of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī have inspired Tibetan
masters to write prayers and practice rituals that allow adepts to enter
Amitābha’s realm. There are numerous Sukhāvatī-related compositions
available in the Tengyur and in different collected works (gsung ’bum).
 The Collection of Prayers for Sukhāvatī (bde smon phyogs bsgrigs) is a collection
of prayers, practice rituals, and commentaries concerning the pure land of
Amitābha. An edition was published in Chengdu in 2007 by Sichuan
Minorities Publishing House (Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang).
One of the Tibetan masters who made Sukhāvatī a particular focus of
attention was Chagmé Rinpoché (’chags med, 1610–78). He composed The
Long Prayer of Sukhāvatī (mkhas grub rā ga a syas mdzad pa’i rnam dag bde chen
zhing gi smon lam), among others.
Furthermore, the well-known Noble King of Prayers for Good Conduct (’phags
pa bzang po spyod pa’i smon lam gyi rgyal po), recited by adherents of all Tibetan
schools, concludes with the aspiration for rebirth in the pure realm of
Sukhāvatī. Praying to be born in the pure realm of Amitābha has become a
major practice in Mahāyāna Buddhism.

· Academic Research ·

i.11 There appears to have been no translation of the Tibetan Display of the Pure
Land of Sukhāvatī prior to the one published here. However, the Sanskrit
version of the sūtra was translated into English and edited by Max Müller
and Bunyiu Nanjio in Müller and Nanjio (1883).
Luis O. Gomez has published a nonliteral, poetic translation of the Sanskrit
and Chinese versions of the smaller and larger sūtras and gives an
introduction to the main topics (Gomez 1996). His literal translation of the
same sūtras is forthcoming. Hisao Inagaki has translated the three Pure
Land sūtras on the basis of their Chinese versions; this translation appears in
the BDK English Tripiṭaka Vol. 12, Berkeley, 1995. An earlier translation from
the Chinese was published in Utsuki (1924).
Nakamura (1987) presents an historical introduction to the beginnings of
Pure Land Buddhism and its textual sources in Indian Buddhism.
 The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra
The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī
1. The Translation
[F.195.b]

1.1 Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was dwelling in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s
Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, along with a large monastic saṅgha of 1,250
bhikṣus,7 all of them great elders, śrāvakas, and arhats, such as the elder
Śāriputra, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Mahākāśyapa, Mahākātyāyana,8
Mahākapphiṇa, Mahākauṣṭhila, Revata, Śuddhipaṃthaka, Nanda, Ānanda,
Rāhula, Gavāṃpati, Bharadvāja, Kālodāyin, Vakula, and Aniruddha. He
dwelt with these and other great śrāvakas and with many bodhisattva
mahāsattvas, such as the youthful Mañjuśrī, [F.196.a] the bodhisattva
mahāsattva Ajita, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Gandhahastin, the bodhisattva
mahāsattva Nityodyukta, and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Anikṣiptadhura,
along with many other bodhisattva mahāsattvas. He was also accompanied
by Śakra, the lord of gods, and Brahmā, the ruler of the Sahā world, along
with many myriads 9 of gods.
1.2 On that occasion, the Bhagavān said to the venerable Śāriputra, “Śāriputra,
if you go from this buddha realm past one hundred thousand myriad
buddha realms toward the western direction, there is a world known as
Sukhāvatī. In that place the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly and fully
enlightened buddha known as Amitāyus, dwells, lives, and abides, teaching
the Dharma.
“Now what do you think, Śāriputra, why is that world called ‘Sukhāvatī’?
1.3 “Śāriputra, in the Sukhāvatī world, sentient beings experience neither
physical pain nor mental suffering and the causes for their happiness are
limitless. For this reason, this world is called Sukhāvatī. Furthermore,
Śāriputra, the Sukhāvatī world is surrounded on all sides by seven layers of
terraces, seven rows of palm trees, and filigrees of chimes. It is radiantly
beautiful. Śāriputra, this buddha realm is beautifully adorned with displays
 of the excellences of buddha realms, such as the four kinds of jewels,
namely, gold, silver, beryl, and crystal. Furthermore, Śāriputra, the Sukhāvatī
world has ponds adorned with seven kinds of jewels. The ponds are full of
water possessing the eight qualities. They are covered by jeweled lotuses,
[F.196.b] are filled to the top to enable crows to drink, and are lined with
golden sand. All around, on the four sides of the ponds are four radiantly
elegant staircases, each made of one of the four precious substances: gold,
silver, beryl, and crystal. By the banks of the ponds grow jeweled trees of the
seven radiantly beautiful jewels: gold, silver, beryl, crystal, rosy pearls,
emerald, and coral. From all those ponds grow lotuses that bloom as large as
chariot wheels.
1.4 “The golden lotuses have a golden hue, a golden sheen, and manifest as
gold. The blue ones have a blue hue, a blue sheen, and manifest as blue. The
yellow ones have a yellow hue, a yellow sheen, and manifest as yellow. The
red ones have a red hue, a red sheen, and manifest as red. The white ones
have a white hue, a white sheen, and manifest as white. The iridescent ones
have an iridescent hue, an iridescent sheen, and manifest as iridescence.
Śāriputra, this buddha realm is beautifully adorned by such displays of the
excellences of buddha realms. Furthermore, Śāriputra, in the Sukhāvatī
world, the sound of divine cymbals is always heard. The vast ground is
magnificent, as if golden in color. Śāriputra, this buddha realm is beautifully
adorned by such displays of the excellences of buddha realms.
1.5 “Furthermore, Śāriputra, in that buddha realm a shower of divine flowers,
divine mandārava flowers, descends three times every day and three times
every night. In a single morning, the sentient beings that are born there
proceed from one buddha realm to the next, paying homage to hundreds of
thousands of buddhas. They also toss hundreds of thousands of bouquets of
flowers toward each tathāgata. After making offerings, they return to that
same world for their daily rest. [F.197.a] Śāriputra, this buddha realm is
beautifully adorned by such displays of the excellences of buddha realms.
1.6 “Furthermore, Śāriputra, in the Sukhāvatī world there are swans, cranes,
and peacocks that assemble three times during the day and three times at
night and perform a concert, each singing its own melody. When they sing,
the sounds of the powers, strengths, and branches of enlightenment emerge.
Upon hearing those sounds, the sentient beings born there are moved to
contemplate the Buddha, to contemplate the Dharma, and to contemplate the
Saṅgha. Now what do you think about this, Śāriputra? Have those sentient
beings taken birth as animals? You should not think so. Why is that?
Śāriputra, in this buddha realm there are not even words for birth as a hell
being, birth as an animal, or birth in the world of the Lord of Death. Those
 flocks of birds were manifested by the Tathāgata Amitāyus himself to voice
the sound of Dharma. Śāriputra, this buddha realm is beautifully adorned by
such displays of the excellences of buddha realms.
1.7 “Furthermore, Śāriputra, when the wind blows in that buddha realm it
sways the rows of palm trees and the filigree net of chimes, creating sweet,
enchanting, and delightful sounds, like the myriad subtleties of divine
cymbals when played by a skilled musician. The people there, upon hearing
those sounds, settle into the recollection of the Buddha, the recollection of
the Dharma, and the recollection of the Saṅgha. Śāriputra, this buddha realm
is beautifully adorned by such displays of the excellences of buddha realms.
1.8 “Now what do you think, Śāriputra, [F.197.b] why is that tathāgata called
‘Amitāyus’ (Immeasurable Life)? Śāriputra, the lifespan of the Tathāgata
Amitāyus is immeasurable. For this reason, he is called ‘Tathāgata Amitāyus.’
Furthermore, Śāriputra, why is that tathāgata called ‘Amitābha’
(Immeasurable Light)? Śāriputra, the light of the Tathāgata Amitābha shines
unimpeded throughout all buddha realms. For this reason, he is called
‘Tathāgata Amitābha.’ The Bhagavān Tathāgata Amitābha fully awakened to
unsurpassable, completely perfect enlightenment ten eons ago.
1.9 “Furthermore, Śāriputra, this bhagavān has an immeasurable saṅgha of
śrāvakas, who are all pure arhats; their number cannot be easily expressed.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, the sentient beings born in this buddha realm are all
pure bodhisattvas who will not regress and are bound by only one more
birth.10 Śāriputra, one cannot express the total number of bodhisattvas except
to say that they are immeasurable or countless. Śāriputra, this buddha realm
is beautifully adorned by such displays of the excellences of buddha realms.
1.10 “Therefore Śāriputra, sons and daughters of good family should
completely dedicate all roots of virtue in a respectful manner to be born in
that buddha realm. Why? Because by doing so, they will be able to meet holy
beings similar to themselves. Śāriputra, one cannot take birth in the realm of
the Bhagavān Tathāgata Amitāyus merely with minimal roots of virtue.
1.11 “Śāriputra, if those sons and daughters of good family hear the name of
the Bhagavān Tathāgata Amitāyus and keep it in mind unwaveringly for
one, two, three, four, five, [F.198.a] six, or seven nights, when the hour of
their death arrives, they will depart in an undeluded state. After they have
passed away, the Tathāgata Amitābha will stand before them, entirely
surrounded by a śrāvaka assembly and honored by a congregation of
bodhisattvas. These sons and daughters of good family will be born in the
Sukhāvatī world, the buddha realm of the Bhagavān Tathāgata Amitābha.
Therefore, Śāriputra, having seen its real point, sons and daughters of good
family, I declare, ought to respectfully make prayers to reach that buddha
realm.
1.12 “O Śāriputra, I, the Tathāgata, at present praise [this Sukhāvatī].11 So,
likewise, Śāriputra, in the east, the Tathāgata Akṣobhya, the Tathāgata
Merudhvaja, the Tathāgata Meru,12 the Tathāgata Mahāmeru, the Tathāgata
Mahāmeruprabhāsa,13 the Tathāgata Harmonious Speech, the Tathāgata
Harmonious Voice,14 and the other bhagavān buddhas of the east, who are
as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Ganges, pervade their own
buddha realms with the power of their speech15 and proclaim, ‘You should
place your trust in this Dharma discourse called “Complete Embrace by all
Buddhas,”16 which praises inconceivable qualities.’
1.13 “Likewise, in the south, the bhagavān buddhas of the south, such as the
Tathāgata Candrasūryapradīpa, the Tathāgata Renown,17 the Tathāgata
Yaśaḥprabha, the Tathāgata Mahārciskandha, [F.198.b] the Tathāgata
Merupradīpa, the Tathāgata Anaṃtavīrya, and others, who are as numerous
as the grains of sand of the river Ganges, pervade their own buddha realms
with the power of their speech and proclaim, ‘You should place your trust in
this Dharma discourse called “Complete Embrace by all Buddhas,” which
praises inconceivable qualities.’
1.14 “Likewise, in the west, the bhagavān buddhas of the west, such as the
Tathāgata Amitāyus, the Tathāgata Amitaskandha, the Tathāgata
Amitadhvaja, the Tathāgata Mahāprabha, the Tathāgata Illuminating Light
Rays,18 the Tathāgata Ratnaketu,19 the Tathāgata Śuddharaśmiprabha, and
others, who are as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Ganges,
pervade their own buddha realms with the power of their speech and
proclaim, ‘You should place your trust in this Dharma discourse called
“Complete Embrace by all Buddhas,” which praises inconceivable qualities.’
1.15 “Likewise, in the north, the bhagavān buddhas of the north, such as the
Tathāgata Mahārciskandha, the Tathāgata Vaiśvānaranirghoṣa, the
Tathāgata Duṣpradharṣa, the Tathāgata Ādityasaṃbhava, the Tathāgata
Jālinīprabha, the Tathāgata Prabhākara, and others,20 who are as numerous
as the grains of sand of the river Ganges, pervade their own buddha realms
with the power of their speech and proclaim, [F.199.a] ‘You should place
your trust in this Dharma discourse called “Complete Embrace by all
Buddhas,” which praises inconceivable qualities.’
1.16 “Likewise, in the nadir, the bhagavān buddhas of the nadir, such as the
Tathāgata Siṃha, the Tathāgata Yaśas, the Tathāgata Yaśaḥprabhāsa, the
Tathāgata Dharma, the Tathāgata Dharmadhara, the Tathāgata
Dharmadhvaja, and others, who are numerous as the grains of sand of the
river Ganges, pervade their own buddha realms with the power of their
speech and proclaim, ‘You should place your trust in this Dharma discourse
called “Complete Embrace by all Buddhas,” which praises inconceivable
qualities.’
1.17 “Likewise, in the zenith, the bhagavān buddhas of the zenith, such as the
Tathāgata Brahmaghoṣa, the Tathāgata Nakṣatrarāja, the Tathāgata
Gandhottama, the Tathāgata Gandhaprabhāsa, the Tathāgata Heap of
Incense,21 the Tathāgata Ratnakusumasaṃpuṣpitagotra, the Tathāgata
Sālendrarāja, the Tathāgata Ratnotpalaśrī, the Tathāgata Sarvārthadarśa, the
Tathāgata Sumerukalpa, and others 22 who are as numerous as the grains of
sand of the river Ganges, pervade their own buddha realms with the power
of their speech and proclaim, ‘You should place your trust [F.199.b] in this
Dharma discourse called “Complete Embrace by all Buddhas,” which praises
Sukhāvatī’s inconceivable qualities.’
1.18 “What do you think about this, Śāriputra, why is this Dharma discourse
called ‘Complete Embrace by All Buddhas’? Śāriputra, those sons and
daughters of good family who have heard, now hear, or will hear this
Dharma discourse and the names of those bhagavān buddhas will all be
embraced completely by the bhagavān buddhas.23 Śāriputra, of all those
sentient beings who aspire —who have made, are making, or will make
aspirations —to the Sukhāvatī world, the buddha realm of the Bhagavān
Tathāgata Amitābha, none has turned away, is turning away, or will ever
turn away from the pursuit of unsurpassable, completely perfect
enlightenment. Śāriputra, just as I now praise the inconceivable qualities of
those bhagavān buddhas, likewise, Śāriputra, those bhagavān buddhas also
praise my inconceivable qualities.”
1.19 Śāriputra declared,24 “Bhagavān Śākyamuni, king of the Śākyas, you have
fully awakened to unsurpassable, completely perfect enlightenment in this
Sahā world. You have taught the Dharma that the whole world was reluctant
to accept at the time of the degeneration of the eon, the degeneration of
afflictions, the degeneration of beings, the degeneration of views, and the
degeneration of lifespan.25 How marvelous indeed!”
1.20 The Bhagavān replied, “Śāriputra, having fully awakened to
unsurpassable, completely perfect enlightenment in this world, the Sahā
world, at the time of the five degenerations, I have taught the Dharma that
the whole world was reluctant to accept. This is the supreme feat I have
accomplished.”
1.21 After the Bhagavān [F.200.a] had thus spoken, the whole world, including
the venerable Śāriputra, the great śrāvakas, bodhisattvas, gods, humans,
demigods, and gandharvas, were delighted and praised highly the words
spoken by the Bhagavān.

1.22 This completes The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Display of Sukhāvatī.”
c. Colophon
c.1 This sūtra was translated and finalized by the Indian preceptor Dānaśīla and
the principal revisor-translator Bandé Yeshé Dé, along with others.
n. NOTES
n.1 Toh 49 (’od dpag med kyi bkod pa’i mdo, Amitābhavyūhasūtra), also known in
Tibetan as bde ba can gyi zhing bkod pa’i bstan pa (The Teaching on the Display of
the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī) or, informally, the “longer” Sukhāvatī.

n.2 The latter sūtra’s Sanskrit title, Amitāyurdhyānasūtra, is now believed to have
been fabricated at a later date. Most academic scholars believe that the extant
text of the Guan wu liang shou jing was compiled either in Central Asia or
China. See Fujita (1990), especially p. 155 and n. 48, on the question of its title.
On p. 155 Fujita says, “It cannot be determined categorically what the
Sanskrit title of the Kuan Wu-liang-shou ching might have been.”

n.3 Gomez (1996), p. xii.

n.4 Nakamura (1987), p. 204.

n.5 Nakamura (1987), p. 206.

n.6 But see also Roberts and Bower (2016), Introduction, on the conflation of
these two buddhas.

n.7 The Sanskrit has “abhijñānābhijñātaiḥ”, i.e., “bhikṣus, all of them proficient in
the [five kinds of] superknowledge.” This is omitted in the Tibetan.

n.8 In the Sanskrit version the order is Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Mahākāśyapa,

Mahākapphiṇa, Mahākātyāyana.

n.9 Literally, the text has “10 million (bye ba) x 10 billion (khrag khrig) x 100
thousand (’bum phrag).” In the Sanskrit it says, according to Max Müller, “a
hundred thousand nayutas.”

n.10 These are bodhisattvas removed from enlightenment by only one more
birth.
n.11 The Skt. has tāṃ parikīrtayāmi, “I praise this”; the feminine tāṃ (missing, of
course, in the Tibetan) shows that what is being praised is indeed Sukhāvatī.

n.12 This name is not mentioned in the Sanskrit text.

n.13 In the Sanskrit version this name is rendered as simply Meruprabhāsa.

n.14 The Tibetan version includes these last two names, ’jam sgra (*mañjuvacana)
and ’jam dbyangs (*mañjughoṣa). There is no equivalent in the Sanskrit text,
which instead has Mañjudhvaja (Beautiful Victory Banner).

n.15 Literally, the text says: “The buddhas cover their land with the power of their
tongue faculty.”

n.16 The Sanskrit text has sarvabuddhaparigrahaṃ nāma dharmaparyāyam. This

translates as, “You should place your trust in this Dharma discourse called
‘The Grace [lit. the complete embrace] of All Buddhas.’ ” The word nāma
(“called”) is missing in the Tibetan version, but has been added to clarify the
meaning of this passage.

n.17 There is no equivalent in the Sanskrit version.

n.18 ’od zer snang ba. There is no equivalent in the Sanskrit version.

n.19 The Sanskrit version reads Mahāratnaketu.

n.20 The Sanskrit mentions another tathāgata who does not figure in the Tibetan,
Tathāgata Duṃdubhisvaranirghoṣa (=Dundubhisvaranirghoṣa).

n.21 spos kyi phung po. The Sanskrit here reads Mahārciskandha (Great Mass of
Light).

n.22 The Sanskrit also mentions the Tathāgata Indraketudhvajarāja, who is

absent in the Tibetan text.

n.23 The Sanskrit and Tibetan differ significantly here and in what immediately
follows. We have translated on the basis of the Tibetan.

n.24 Here the Tibetan departs significantly from the Sanskrit, which has the other
buddhas say these words.

n.25 The five degenerations. See glossary.

b. BIBLIOGRAPHY
· Tibetan Texts ·

’phags pa bde ba can gyi bkod pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. Toh 115, Degé
Kangyur vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), folios 195.b–200.b.

’phags pa bde ba can gyi bkod 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), 2006–9, vol. 51, pp. 532–42.

Ha’o wun zhon and To’u tshun chi, eds. bod rgya shan sbyar gyi shes bya’i rnam
grangs kun btus tshig mdzod. Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang (Minorities
Publishing House), 1987.

bde smon phyogs bsgrigs [The Collection of Prayers for Sukhāvatī]. Chengdu: si
khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang (Sichuan Minorities Publishing House),
2007.

mkhas grub rā ga a syas mdzad pa’i rnam dag bde chen zhing gi smon lam [Long
Prayer for Sukhāvatī]. Chengdu: si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang (Sichuan
Minorities Publishing House), 2007.

’phags pa bzang po spyod pa’i smon lam gyi rgyal po [Noble King of Prayers for Good
Conduct]. Toh 1095, Degé Kangyur, vol. 101 (gzungs ’dus, waM), folios
262.a–266.b.

· Sanskrit Texts ·
Āryasukhāvatīvyūhanāmamahāyānasūtra. http://gretil.sub.uni-goettingen.de
(http://gretil.sub.uni-
goettingen.de/gretil/1_sanskr/4_rellit/buddh/sukhvysu.htm). Accessed
August 25, 2010.

· Secondary Literature ·

Epstein, Ronald, trans. The Amitābha Sūtra. Hsüan Hua, A General

Explanation of the Buddha Speaks of Amitābha Sūtra. San Francisco:
Buddhist Text Translation Society, 1974. online.sfsu.ed
(http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/amitabha.htm).

Fujita, Kōtatsu. “Textual Origins of the Kuan Wu-liang-shou ching.” In Chinese

Buddhist Apocrypha, edited by Robert E. Buswell, Jr., 149–173. Honolulu:
University of Hawai’i Press, 1990.

Gomez, Luis O. Land of Bliss: The Paradise of the Buddha of Measureless Light;
Sanskrit and Chinese Versions of the Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtras. Honolulu:
University of Hawai’i Press, 1996.

Hapatsch, Hischam A., trans. and ed. Die Heiligen Schriften des Amitābha-
Buddhismus: Das große Sukhāvatī-vyūha-Sūtra, Das kleine Sukhāvatī-vyūha-
Sūtra, Das Meditationssūtra. Berlin, 2007. www.littera.de
(http://www.littera.de/buecher/sukha.html). Accessed 2010.

Müller, Max, and Bunyiu Nanjio, trans. “Āryasukhāvatīvyūhasūtra.” Anecdota

Oxoniensia: Aryan Series. Vol. I, part II. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1883.

Nakamura, Hajime. Indian Buddhism: A Survey with Bibliographical Notes. Delhi:

Motilal Banarsidass Publications, 1987.

Roberts, Peter Alan and Emily Bower, trans. The Aparimitāyurjñāna Sūtra
(http://read.84000.co/translation/UT22084-054-003.html) (Toh 674). 84000:
Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2016.

Utsuki, Nishu. The Smaller Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra or The Sūtra on the Buddha
Amitāyus: Translated from the Chinese Version of Kumārajīva. Kyoto: Educational
Department of the West Hongwanji, 1924. web.mit.edu
(http://web.mit.edu/stclair/www/smaller.html).
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 Ādityasaṃbhava
nyi ma’i ’byung

་མ་འང་།
ādityasaṃbhava
Name of a tathāgata.
g.2 Ajita
mi pham

་ཕམ།
ajita
Name of a bodhisattva. Not to be confused with mgon po mi pham, Maitreya.

g.3 Akṣobhya
mi ’khrugs pa

་འགས་པ།
akṣobhya
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.

g.4 Amitābha
’od dpag med

ད་དཔག་ད།
amitābha
Buddha associated with Sukhāvatī; buddha of the western direction;
principal buddha of the Pure Land tradition; as the bodhisattva Dharmākara,
he made forty-eight original vows (praṇidhāna) to bring beings to
enlightenment, thus establishing Sukhāvatī for their benefit; in tantrism he is
one of the five dhyāni-buddhas and is associated with the aggregate of
notions (saṃjñāskandha).

g.5 Amitadhvaja
rgyal msthan dpag med

ལ་མསཐན་དཔག་ད།
amitadhvaja
Name of a tathāgata.

g.6 Amitaskandha
phung po dpag med

ང་་དཔག་ད།
amitaskandha
 Name of a tathāgata.

g.7 Amitāyus
tshe dpag med

་དཔག་ད།
amitāyus
Buddha especially associated with life energy and long life; the
sambhogakāya aspect of Amitābha. Also a name of Amitābha.

g.8 Anaṃtavīrya
brtson ’grus mtha’ yas

བན་འས་མཐའ་ཡས།
anaṃtavīrya
Name of a tathāgata.

g.9 Ānanda
kun dga’ bo

ན་དགའ་།
ānanda
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.

g.10 Anikṣiptadhura
brtson pa’i mi ’dor

བན་པ་་འར།
anikṣiptadhura
 Name of a bodhisattva.

g.11 Aniruddha
ma ’gag pa · ’gags pa med pa

མ་འགག་པ། · འགགས་པ་ད་པ།
aniruddha
Śrāvaka arhat.

g.12 arhat
dgra bcom pa

ད་བམ་པ།
arhat
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.

g.13 Bandé Yeshé Dé

ban de ye shes sde

བན་་་ས་།
—
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Yeshé Dé (late eighth to early ninth century) was the most prolific translator
of sūtras into Tibetan. Altogether he is credited with the translation of more
than one hundred sixty sūtra translations and more than one hundred
additional translations, mostly on tantric topics. In spite of Yeshé Dé’s great
importance for the propagation of Buddhism in Tibet during the imperial era,
only a few biographical details about this figure are known. Later sources
describe him as a student of the Indian teacher Padmasambhava, and he is
also credited with teaching both sūtra and tantra widely to students of his
own. He was also known as Nanam Yeshé Dé, from the Nanam (sna nam)
clan.

g.14 beryl
bai dU rya

་་།
vaiḍūrya
 Precious/semiprecious stone; sometimes translated as lapis lazuli.

g.15 bhagavān
bcom ldan ’das

བམ་ན་འདས།
bhagavān · bhagavat
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”).

g.16 Bharadvāja
bha ra dh+va dza

བྷ་ར་དྷ ་ཛ།
bharadvāja
Śrāvaka arhat; one of the sixteen sthavira arhats (see “elder”).

g.17 bodhisattva
byang chub sems dpa’

ང་བ་མས་དཔའ།
bodhisattva
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
A being who is dedicated to the cultivation and fulfilment of the altruistic
intention to attain perfect buddhahood, traversing the ten bodhisattva levels
(daśabhūmi, sa bcu). Bodhisattvas purposely opt to remain within cyclic
existence in order to liberate all sentient beings, instead of simply seeking
personal freedom from suffering. In terms of the view, they realize both the
selflessness of persons and the selflessness of phenomena.

g.18 Brahmā
tshangs pa
 ཚངས་པ།
brahmā
Lord of the Sahā world (q.v.). Buddhists see Brahmā as a god occupying a
high position in cyclic existence, with a very long life and a great deal of
power.

g.19 Brahmaghoṣa
tshangs pa’i dbyangs

ཚངས་པ་དངས།
brahmaghoṣa
Name of a tathāgata.

g.20 branches of enlightenment

byang chub kyi yan lag

ང་བ་་ཡན་ལག
bodhyaṅgāni
The branches of (1) authentic mindfulness, (2) authentic discrimination of
dharmas, (3) authentic perseverance, (4) authentic joy, (5) authentic serenity,
(6) authentic meditative absorption, and (7) authentic equanimity.

g.21 Candrasūryapradīpa
nyi zla sgron ma

་་ན་མ།
candrasūryapradīpa
Name of a tathāgata.

g.22 coral
spug gi shing

ག་་ང་།
musāragalva

g.23 Cūḍapanthaka
lam phran bstan

ལམ་ན་བན།
cūḍapanthaka
Śrāvaka arhat, one of the sixteen sthavira arhats (see “elder”).

g.24 Dānaśīla
 dA na shI la

་ན་་ལ།
dānaśīla
Translator of the Sukhāvatīvyūhasūtra.

g.25 Dharmadhara
chos ’dzin

ས་འན།
dharmadhara
Name of a tathāgata.

g.26 Dharmadhvaja
chos kyi rgyal mtshan

ས་་ལ་མཚན།
dharmadhvaja
Name of a tathāgata.

g.27 Duṃdubhisvaranirghoṣa
—
—
duṃdubhisvaranirghoṣa
Name of a tathāgata.

g.28 Duṣpradharṣa
rab tu thul dka’

རབ་་ལ་དཀའ།
duṣpradharṣa
Name of a tathāgata.

g.29 elder
gnas brtan

གནས་བན།
sthavira
The term is used to designate a senior monk. The sixteen great arhats, or
sixteen noble elders (āryasthavira), were the successors of the Buddha’s
teaching after he passed. They promised to preserve the teaching until the
coming of the future Buddha Maitreya. They are on the path of seeing of the
 arhat path. Each arhat lived in a specific place: (1) Aṅgaja on Mt. Kailash; (2)
Ajita in the Crystal Wood of Sages; (3) Vanavāsin on Mt. Saptaparṇa; (4)
Mahākālika in Tāmradvīpa; (5) Vajrīputra in Siṃhaladvīpa; (6) Śrībhadra on
Yamunādvīpa; (7) Kanakavatsa in Kashmir; (8) Kanakabharadvāja in the
western continent of Godānīya; (9) Bakula in the northern continent of
Uttarakuru; (10) Rāhula in Priyaṅgudvīpa; (11) Cūḍapanthaka on Mt.
Gṛdhrakūṭa; (12) Piṇḍolabharadvāja in the eastern continent of Pūrvavideha;
(13) Mahāpanthaka in Trayatriṃśa; (14) Nāgasena on Mt. Meru; (15) Gopaka
on Mt. Bhihula; and (16) Abhedya in the Himālayas.

g.30 emerald
rdo’i snying po

་ང་།
aśmagarbha

g.31 five degenerations

snyigs ma lnga

གས་མ་།
pañcakaṣāya
The five degenerations are (1) the degeneration of life span, (2) the
degeneration of views, (3) the degeneration of the afflictions, (4) the
degeneration of beings, and (5) the degeneration of the era.

g.32 fully awakened

mngon par rdzogs par sangs rgyas

མན་པར་གས་པར་སངས་ས།
abhisaṃbuddha
A person who has manifested the complete enlightenment of a buddha of
the Greater Vehicle.

g.33 Gandhahastin
spos kyi glang po

ས་་ང་།
gandhahastin
Name of a bodhisattva.

g.34 Gandhaprabhāsa
spos ’od
 ས་ད།
gandhaprabhāsa
Name of a tathāgata.

g.35 gandharva
dri za

་ཟ།
gandharva
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.”

g.36 Gandhottama
spos mchog

ས་མག
gandhottama
Name of a tathāgata.

g.37 Gavāṃpati
ba lang bdag

བ་ལང་བདག
gavāṃpati
Śrāvaka arhat; one of the Buddha’s five close arhat disciples. He took
ordination from the Buddha and then became a disciple of Śāriputra.

g.38 Jālinīprabha
dra ba can gyi ’od

་བ་ཅན་ི་ད།
jālenīprabha
Name of a tathāgata.
g.39 Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park
rgyal bu rgyal byed kyi tshal mgon med zas sbyin gyi kun dga’ ra ba

ལ་་ལ་ད་་ཚལ་མན་ད་ཟས་ན་ི་ན་དགའ་ར་བ།
jetavanam anāthapiṇḍadasyārāmaḥ AO
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
One of the first Buddhist monasteries, located in a park outside Śrāvastī, the
capital of the ancient kingdom of Kośala in northern India. This park was
originally owned by Prince Jeta, hence the name Jetavana, meaning Jeta’s
grove. The wealthy merchant Anāthapiṇḍada, wishing to offer it to the
Buddha, sought to buy it from him, but the prince, not wishing to sell, said
he would only do so if Anāthapiṇḍada covered the entire property with gold
coins. Anāthapiṇḍada agreed, and managed to cover all of the park except
the entrance, hence the name Anāthapiṇḍadasyārāmaḥ, meaning
Anāthapiṇḍada’s park. The place is usually referred to in the sūtras as
“Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park,” and according to the Saṃghabhedavastu
the Buddha used Prince Jeta’s name in first place because that was Prince
Jeta’s own unspoken wish while Anāthapiṇḍada was offering the park.
Inspired by the occasion and the Buddha’s use of his name, Prince Jeta then
offered the rest of the property and had an entrance gate built. The Buddha
specifically instructed those who recite the sūtras to use Prince Jeta’s name
in first place to commemorate the mutual effort of both benefactors.

Anāthapiṇḍada built residences for the monks, to house them during the
monsoon season, thus creating the first Buddhist monastery. It was one of
the Buddha’s main residences, where he spent around nineteen rainy season
retreats, and it was therefore the setting for many of the Buddha’s discourses
and events. According to the travel accounts of Chinese monks, it was still in
use as a Buddhist monastery in the early fifth century ᴄᴇ, but by the sixth
century it had been reduced to ruins.

g.40 Kālodāyin
’char byed nag po

འཆར་ད་ནག་།
kālodāyin
Śrāvaka arhat.

g.41 Lord of Death

gshin rje

གན་།
yama
 Lord of Death.

g.42 Mahākapphiṇa
ka pi na chen po

ཀ་་ན་ན་།
mahākapphiṇa
Śrāvaka arhat.

g.43 Mahākāśyapa
’od srung chen po

ད་ང་ན་།
mahākāśyapa
Śrāvaka arhat, one of the most important followers of the Buddha.

g.44 Mahākātyāyana
kA tyA’i bu chen po

་་་ན་།
mahākātyāyana
Śrāvaka arhat.

g.45 Mahākauṣṭhila
gsus po che

གས་་།
mahākauṣṭhila
Śrāvaka arhat.

g.46 Mahāmaudgalyāyana
maud gal gyi bu chen po

ད་གལ་ི་་ན་།
mahāmaudgalyāyana
Śrāvaka arhat, one of the most important followers of the Buddha.

g.47 Mahāmeru
lhun po chen po

ན་་ན་།
mahāmeru
Name of a tathāgata.
g.48 Mahāmeruprabhāsa
lhun po chen po snang ba

ན་་ན་་ང་བ།
mahāmeruprabhāsa
Name of a tathāgata.

g.49 Mahāprabha
’od chen

ད་ན།
mahāprabha
Name of a tathāgata.

g.50 Mahārciskandha
’od ’phro’i phung po chen po

ད་འ་ང་་ན་།
mahārciskandha
Name of a tathāgata.

g.51 mandārava
man dA ra ba

མན་་ར་བ།
mandārava
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
One of the five trees of Indra’s paradise, its heavenly flowers often rain
down in salutation of the buddhas and bodhisattvas and are said to be very
bright and aromatic, gladdening the hearts of those who see them. In our
world, it is a tree native to India, Erythrina indica or Erythrina variegata,
commonly known as the Indian coral tree, mandarava tree, flame tree, and
tiger’s claw. In the early spring, before its leaves grow, the tree is fully
covered in large flowers, which are rich in nectar and attract many birds.
Although the most widespread coral tree has red crimson flowers, the color
of the blossoms is not usually mentioned in the sūtras themselves, and it
may refer to some other kinds, like the rarer Erythrina indica alba, which
boasts white flowers.

g.52 Mañjudhvaja
—
—
 mañjudhvaja
Name of a tathāgata.

g.53 Mañjuśrī
’jam dpal gzhon nu

འཇམ་དཔལ་གན་།
mañjuśrī
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.

g.54 Meru
lhun po

ན་།
meru
Name of a tathāgata.

g.55 Merudhvaja
lhun po rgyal mtshan

ན་་ལ་མཚན།
merudhvaja
Name of a tathāgata.

g.56 Merupradīpa
lhun po’i sgron ma

ན་ ་ན་མ།
merupradīpa
Name of a tathāgata.

g.57 Nakṣatrarāja
skar m’i rgyal po

ར་མ་ལ་།
 nakṣatrarāja
Name of a tathāgata.

g.58 Nanda
dga’ bo

དགའ་།
nanda
Śrāvaka arhat.

g.59 Nityodyukta
rtag tu btson

ག་་བན།
nityodyukta
Name of a bodhisattva.

g.60 not regress

phyir mi ldog pa

ར་་ག་པ།
—
A stage on the bodhisattva path where the practitioner will never turn back,
or be turned back, from progress toward the full awakening of a buddha.

g.61 palm tree

shing ta la

ང་ཏ་ལ།
tāla

g.62 perfectly and fully enlightened buddha

yang dag par rdzogs pa’i sangs rgyas

ཡང་དག་པར་གས་པ་སངས་ས།
samyaksaṃbuddha
A term used to emphasize the superiority of buddhahood when contrasted
with the achievement of the arhats and pratyekabuddhas. A
samyaksaṃbuddha is considered superior by virtue of his compassionate
activity, his omniscience, and his ten special powers.

g.63 powers
dbang po
 དབང་།
indriya
The five powers, or faculties, are those of (1) faith, (2) perseverence, (3)
mindfulness, (4) meditative absorption or samādhi, and (5) wisdom or prajñā.

g.64 Prabhākara
’od kyi byung gnas

ད་་ང་གནས།
prabhākara
Name of a tathāgata.

g.65 Rāhula
sgra gcan zin

་གཅན་ཟིན།
rāhula
Śrāvaka arhat, one of the sixteen sthavira arhats (see “elder”).

g.66 Ratnaketu
rin po che’i tog

ན་་་ག
ratnaketu
Name of a tathāgata.

g.67 Ratnakusumasaṃpuṣpitagotra
rin chen me tog shin tu rgyas pa’i rigs

ན་ན་་ག་ན་་ས་པ་གས།
ratnakusumasaṃpuṣpitagotra
Name of a tathāgata.

g.68 Ratnotpalaśrī
rin chen ud pa la’i dpal

ན་ན་ད་པ་ལ་དཔལ།
ratnotpalaśrī
Name of a tathāgata.

g.69 Revata
nam gru
 ནམ་།
revata
Śrāvaka arhat.

g.70 Sahā world

mi mjed · mi mjed kyi ’jig rten

་མད། · ་མད་་འག་ན།
sahā · sahālokadhatu
This universe of ours, presided over by Brahmā. The term is variously
interpreted as meaning the world of suffering, of endurance, of fearlessness,
or of concomitance (of karmic cause and effect).

g.71 Śakra
brgya byin

བ་ན།
śakra
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.

g.72 Sālendrarāja
sA la’i dbang po’i rgyal po

་ལ་དབང་ ་ལ་།
sālendrarāja
Name of a tathāgata.

g.73 Śāriputra
shA ri’i bu

་་།
śāriputra
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
 One of the principal śrāvaka disciples of the Buddha, he was renowned for
his discipline and for having been praised by the Buddha as foremost of the
wise (often paired with Maudgalyāyana, who was praised as foremost in the
capacity for miraculous powers). His father, Tiṣya, to honor Śāriputra’s
mother, Śārikā, named him Śāradvatīputra, or, in its contracted form,
Śāriputra, meaning “Śārikā’s Son.”

g.74 Sarvārthadarśa
mthong ba don yod

མང་བ་ན་ད།
sarvārthadarśa
Name of a tathāgata.

g.75 Siṃha
seng ge

ང་
siṃha
Name of a tathāgata.

g.76 śrāvaka
nyan thos

ཉན་ས།
śrāvaka
Hīnayāna practitioner of the first turning of the wheel of the Dharma on the
four noble truths, who realizes the suffering inherent in saṃsāra and focuses
on understanding that there is no independent self. By conquering
disturbing emotions, he liberates himself, attaining first the stage of stream
enterer at the path of seeing, followed by the stage of once-returner who will
be reborn only one more time, and then the stage of non-returner who will
no longer be reborn into saṃsāra. The final goal is to become an arhat. These
four stages are also known as the “four results of spiritual practice.”

g.77 Śrāvastī
mnyan yod

མཉན་ད།
śrāvastī
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
 During the life of the Buddha, Śrāvastī was the capital city of the powerful
kingdom of Kośala, ruled by King Prasenajit, who became a follower and
patron of the Buddha. It was also the hometown of Anāthapiṇḍada, the
wealthy patron who first invited the Buddha there, and then offered him a
park known as Jetavana, Prince Jeta’s Grove, which became one of the first
Buddhist monasteries. The Buddha is said to have spent about twenty-five
rainy seasons with his disciples in Śrāvastī, thus it is named as the setting of
numerous events and teachings. It is located in present-day Uttar Pradesh in
northern India.

g.78 strengths
stobs

བས།
bala
For the five strengths, see “powers.” The ten strengths can refer either to
one set of ten qualities of tathāgatas, or to a different list of ten strengths of
bodhisattvas.

g.79 Śuddharaśmiprabha
’od zer dag pa

ད་ར་དག་པ།
śuddharaśmiprabha
Name of a tathāgata.

g.80 Sukhāvatī
bde ba can

བ་བ་ཅན།
sukhāvatī
Meaning “the delightful” or “the land of delight,” the name of the
buddhafield of Amitābha / Amitāyus, in the western direction from our
world.

g.81 Sumerukalpa
ri rab lta bu

་རབ་་།
sumerukalpa
Name of a tathāgata.

g.82 tathāgata
 de bzhin gshegs pa

་བན་གགས་པ།
tathāgata
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.

g.83 Tathāgata Dharma

chos

ས།
dharma
Name of a tathāgata.

g.84 unsurpassable, completely perfect enlightenment

bla na med pa yang dag par rdzogs pa’i byang chub

་ན་ད་པ་ཡང་དག་པར་གས་པ་ང་བ།
anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi
An enlightenment that is authentically complete.

g.85 Vaiśvānaranirghoṣa
thams cad sgrol ba’i dbyangs sgrol

ཐམས་ཅད་ལ་བ་དངས་ལ།
vaiśvānaranirghoṣa
Name of a tathāgata.

g.86 Vakula
ba ku la

བ་་ལ།
 bakula
Śrāvaka arhat; one of the sixteen sthavira arhats (see “elder”).

g.87 water possessing the eight qualities

yan lag brgyad dang ldan pa’i chu

ཡན་ལག་བད་དང་ན་པ་།
—
The eight qualities of water: (1) sweet-tasting; (2) cool; (3) soft; (4) light; (5)
transparent; (6) clean; (7) not harmful to the throat; and (8) beneficial to the
stomach.

g.88 Yaśaḥprabha
grags pa’i ’od

གས་པ་ད།
yaśaḥprabha
Name of a tathāgata.

g.89 Yaśaḥprabhāsa
grags ’od

གས་ད།
yaśaḥprabhāsa
Name of a tathāgata.

g.90 Yaśas
grags pa

གས་པ།
yaśas
Name of a tathāgata.