༄༅། །རབ་་་བ་མ་པར་ས་པ་་འལ་ི་ང་་འན།

The Absorption of the Miraculous

Ascertainment of Peace

Praśāntaviniścayaprātihāryasamādhi
 འཕགས་པ་རབ་་་བ་མ་པར་ས་པ་་འལ་ི་ང་་འན་ས་་བ་ག་པ་ན་ ་མ།
’phags pa rab tu zhi ba rnam par nges pa’i cho ’phrul gyi ting nge ’dzin zhes bya ba theg pa
chen po’i mdo

The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra “The Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of
Peace”

Āryapraśāntaviniścayaprātihāryanāmasamādhimahāyānasūtra

· Toh 129 ·
Degé Kangyur, vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 174.b–210.b

ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛɪʙᴇᴛᴀɴ ʙʏ

· Jinamitra · Dānaśīla · Yeshé Dé ·
 Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

First published 2020

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co. TABLE OF CONTENTS
ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
tr. The Translation
1. The Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace
c. Colophon
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
g. Glossary
s. SUMMARY
s.1 In this sūtra the Buddha Śākyamuni teaches how bodhisattvas proceed to
awakening, without ever regressing, by relying on an absorption known as
the miraculous ascertainment of peace. He lists the very numerous features of this
absorption, describes how to train in it, and explains how through this
training bodhisattvas develop all the qualities of buddhahood. The “peace”
of the absorption comes from the relinquishment of misconceptions and
indeed of all concepts whatsoever, and the sūtra provides a profound and
detailed survey of how all the abilities, attainments, and other qualities of the
bodhisattva’s path arise as the bodhisattva’s understanding and realization
of what is meant by the Thus-Gone One unfold.
ac. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ac.1 Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the
supervision of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. Timothy Hinkle produced the
translation and wrote the introduction. Andreas Doctor compared the draft
translation with the original Tibetan and edited the text. Tulku Tenzin
Rigsang, Lama Tenzin, Karma Oser, Thomas Doctor, and Wiesiek Mical also
assisted in resolving several difficult passages.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of
84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

ac.2 The generosity of the anonymous sponsor who helped make the work on
this translation possible is gratefully acknowledged.
i. INTRODUCTION
i.1 The Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace provides a profound and
detailed survey of how all the abilities, attainments, and other qualities of the
bodhisattva’s path arise as the bodhisattva’s understanding and realization
of what is meant by the Thus-Gone One unfold.
i.2 Among the ten sūtras in this part of the Kangyur whose title includes the
term samādhi (“absorption”), this text can be placed within an important
subgroup in which a particular samādhi is described in considerable detail by
means of a list of its component factors, attributes, or qualities.1 In these
texts, the usual understanding of an “absorption” or samādhi as a meditative
state of enhanced consciousness or concentration does not fully encompass
the diverse range of attitudes, practices, skills, attainments and kinds of
behavior outlined in these descriptions.2
i.3 As well as the description of the absorption itself, the text goes on to relate
a far-reaching dialogue between the Buddha and Mañjuśrī on the
relationship between the aspects of the path and the training in being free of
concepts, a training that can be seen not only as the goal of the path but also
as its very basis.

i.4 The teaching of the sūtra takes place on Vulture Peak near Rājagṛha, the
capital of the ancient Indian country of Magadha. On this particular occasion
the Buddha Śākyamuni is surrounded by a large retinue of monks and
bodhisattvas as well as divine beings, the king, and many householders. The
extraordinary attainments of the bodhisattvas present are described in
unusual detail (1.19–1.32).
i.5 As a sign that the Buddha is about to teach, he first projects a light that
pervades many millions of universes to attract an inconceivable number of
additional bodhisattvas to his teaching. The bodhisattva Bhadrapāla, a well-
known figure from other Great Vehicle discourses, then initiates the
 teaching by asking the Buddha to explain how bodhisattvas proceed toward
awakening without regressing, how they train on the path, and how they
finally awaken to buddhahood.
i.6 The Buddha declares that there is one absorption that, when practiced, can
accomplish all those goals. This absorption is known as the miraculous
ascertainment of peace. He then proceeds to explain all its characteristics and
qualities, setting out how this unique absorption embodies all the qualities
of the Great Vehicle. The long list of qualities in this part of the text (1.54–1.-
82) contains many sequences that closely parallel parts of the well known
list of the approximately three hundred qualities of the absorption in the first
chapter of The King of Samādhis Sūtra (Samādhirāja, Toh 127).3 Groups of items
in the two lists have almost identical wording, even though they are
arranged in a different order relative to each other and are mixed, in the list
belonging to this text, with additional groups of elements more characteristic
of later Mahāyāna works. In addition, the list in this text includes, and
concludes with, a close reproduction of almost all the one hundred
components of the absorption described in the Śūraṃgamasamādhisūtra (Toh
132).4 The three lists describe different absorptions, of course, but it seems
most unlikely that the list in this text arose independently of the lists in the
earlier works. While there appears to be little matching with the list of one
hundred and fifty items in the other text of this group, the Pratyutpanna-
buddhasaṃmukhāvasthitasamādhisūtra (Toh 133),5 there may quite possibly be
corresponding passages in other works. A full comparison of all these lists
would be of great interest but remains to be done.
i.7 Having presented the absorption in this very detailed way, the Buddha
describes it as being the essence of the Great Vehicle, and explains that the
way to put it into practice it is by transcending conceptuality (1.83). He
outlines an approach in which bodhisattvas examine the nature of the Thus-
Gone One by investigating the five aggregates (1.84–1.106). Having
discovered that the Thus-Gone One is nowhere to be found within the five
aggregates yet is also not different from any of them, they then consider that
while nothing inanimate, i.e. without the five aggregates, could be the Thus-
Gone One, it nevertheless cannot be the five aggregates that awaken into
buddhahood and teach the Dharma. Nor indeed is the suchness of
buddhahood brought about by an identifiable precursor, cause, or indeed
any other phenomena. The peace that is buddhahood is the non entertaining
of any concepts, thoughts, or reflections regarding reality, and it is by
training in the absorption of the miraculous ascertainment of peace that
bodhisattvas will actualize that state.
i.8 Next, Mañjuśrī expresses his amazement at the skillful means through
which the buddhas can appear in the world even though they are beyond
birth and death, and can make the Dharma heard even though they do not
actually express even a single syllable (1.107). The Buddha clarifies this
seeming paradox by explaining that in fact thus-gone ones awaken in a
perfect buddha realm, but use their skillful means to manifest an afflicted,
degenerate realm in which they engage the minds of beings while remaining
utterly beyond concepts themselves. In engaging different kinds of minds,
they may also appear to teach different vehicles, even though in truth there
is only one (1.113). The Buddha provides several analogies to illustrate his
points, and subsequently issues stern warnings against ever creating
obstacles to the activity of bodhisattvas (1.122–1.126). Since bodhisattvas are
the buddhas of the future, to obstruct their practices is effectively to work
against the manifestation of a buddha.
i.9 In the last part of the sūtra (from 1.127), Mañjuśrī asks about the path
traveled by practitioners of the absorption of the miraculous ascertainment of
peace. The Buddha addresses this question in a vein similar to that of his
earlier statements: just like the thus-gone ones, the path too must be
understood to be beyond concepts. Following that path leads to the birth of
wisdom and allows the bodhisattva to access all the qualities of awakening.
He explains, from this viewpoint, how it is that being rid of all concepts
about the true nature of things allows the four types of correct
understanding, the six types of superknowledge, the thirty-seven factors of
awakening, and the four transformative powers to develop (1.136–1.172). He
summarizes some of the points he has made in a passage in verse, and gives
yet another reminder of the devastating damage caused by criticizing or
disparaging bodhisattvas, especially those who uphold and practice this
absorption (1.219–1.222). As the Buddha draws his teaching to a close, the
entire retinue rejoices in his words and makes offerings of gratitude.

i.10 To date, no complete Sanskrit version of this sūtra has come to light,
although a few short passages are preserved as quotations in Śāntideva’s
Śikṣāsamuccaya.6 The Sanskrit quoted in the Śikṣāsamuccaya generally
corresponds fairly closely to the Tibetan, although there are minor
variations.7 In the list of qualities of the absorption, the probable Sanskrit of
the numerous passages that match the list in The King of Samādhis Sūtra (see i.-
6 above) may also be surmised from the Sanskrit manuscripts of that text.
i.11 The Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace was translated into
Chinese by the famed translator Xuanzang (c. 602–64), who completed the
translation in the last two years of his life.8 However, the Chinese translation
corresponds only to the first part of the Tibetan text.9
i.12 The Tibetan translation of the sūtra, according to the colophon, was made
by the Indian preceptors Jinamitra and Dānaśīla and the Tibetan translator
Yeshé Dé, who were all active in Tibet around the late eighth and early ninth
centuries. This dating is also confirmed by the text’s inclusion in the
Denkarma Catalogue of the early ninth century ᴄᴇ.10 In view of the
differences between the Tibetan and Chinese texts (see above), of the
change of interlocutor from Bhadrapāla to Mañjuśrī (at 1.107), of the fact that
segments of the listed components of the samādhi are closely related to
those in other sūtras of this group (see i.6 above), and of the anomalous
interruption and then resumption of the list (at 1.57), Skilton has suggested
that the Tibetan text may be of composite origin.11 Nevertheless, the fact that
citations from the later parts of the sūtra are found in the Śikṣāsamuccaya
means that the sūtra must have been circulating in India in its full, longer
form, as here, at the latest not very long after Xuanzang’s Chinese translation
was made.

i.13 This English translation is based on the Tibetan translation in the Degé
Kangyur, in consultation with the Comparative Edition (Tib. dpe bsdur ma)
and the Stok Palace Kangyur.
 The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra
The Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of
Peace
1. The Translation
[F.174.b] [B1]

1.1 Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

1.2 Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagṛha on
Vulture Peak with a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks as well as bodhisattvas
equal in number to the atoms found in one hundred million buddha realms.
1.3 Included among them were the bodhisattvas Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta,
Avalokiteśvara, Bhaiṣajyarāja, Genuine Medicine, Famous and Melodious
King of Medicine, Padmapāṇi, Sūryaprabha, Stainless Subjugator, and
Conqueror of the Lower Realms.
1.4 There were also the bodhisattvas Wise Superior Wisdom, [F.175.a] Wise
Superior Wealth, Wise Communicator, Wise Superior Flower, Wise Superior
Moon, Wise Superior Purity, Wise Superior Vajra, Wise Superior Clarity, and
Wise Superior Illuminator.
1.5 There were also the bodhisattvas Victory Banner of the Stars, Jeweled
Victory Banner, Victory Banner of Mount Meru, Desireless Victory Banner,
Flower Victory Banner, Stainless Victory Banner, Victory Banner of the Sun,
Victory Banner of Beauty, Immaculate Victory Banner, and Illuminating
Victory Banner.
1.6 There were also the bodhisattvas Splendor of the Earth, Splendor of
Jewels, Splendor of Great Intelligence, Splendor of Vajra Wisdom, Splendor
of Purity, Splendor of the Sun, Splendor of Immense Merit, Splendor of
Wisdom Light, and Splendor of Unmatched Majesty.
1.7 There were also the bodhisattvas Kṣitigarbha, Ākāśagarbha, Ratnagarbha,
Padmagarbha, Sūryagarbha, Guṇaviśuddhigarbha, Dharmamudrāgarbha,
Vairocanagarbha, Nabhigarbha, and Padmaśrīgarbha.
1.8 There were also the bodhisattvas Sun Eyes, Pure and Stainless Eyes,
Purified Eyes, Desireless Eyes, All-Seeing Eyes, Sharp Eyes, Vajra Eyes,
Jewel Eyes, Sky Eyes, and Omnipresent Eyes.
1.9 There were also the bodhisattvas Divine Crown, Crown of the Jewel That
Illuminates the Realm of Phenomena, Crown of the Seat of Enlightenment,
Illuminating Crown, Crown of the Womb from Which All Buddhas Are Born,
Crown Nobler Than the Cosmos, Ever-Noble Crown, Utterly Illuminating
Crown, Crown That Is Never Outshone, Crown That Captures the Thus-
Gone Ones’ Lion Throne of the Essence of All Phenomena, [F.175.b] and
Crown That Fully Illuminates the Space of the Realm of Phenomena.
1.10 There were also the bodhisattvas Crown Ornament of the Lord of the
Brahmā Realm, Crown Ornament of the Nāga Lord, Crown Ornament That
Illuminates All the Buddha’s Emanations, Crown Ornament of the Seat of
Enlightenment, Crown Ornament of the King of Jewels That Sings an Ocean
of Aspirations, Crown Ornament of the Melodious One in All the Three
Times, Crown Ornament of the Precious King of Jewels That Is Adorned
with a Web of Gems and Placed on the Victory Banner That Illuminates the
Emanations of All Thus-Gone Ones, Crown Ornament of the Melodious
Dharma Wheel of All Thus-Gone Ones, Crown Ornament of the Brilliant
Gem That Projects the Halo of All Thus-Gone Ones, and Crown Ornament
Adorned by the Gem That Perceives the Indivisibility of All of Space.
1.11 There were also the bodhisattvas Great Light, Stainless Light, Jeweled
Light, Immaculate Light, Shining Light, Dharma Light, Peaceful Light,
Sūryaprabha, Emanated Light, Divine Light, and Meritorious Light.
1.12 There were also the bodhisattvas Crest of Merit, Crest of Wisdom, Crest of
Dharma, Crest of Superknowledge, Crest of Light, Crest of Flowers, Crest of
Jewels, Crest of Buddhas, Crest of Brahmā, and Crest of Illumination.
1.13 There were also the bodhisattvas Song of Brahmā, Song of the Earth, Song
of the Ocean, Song of the Lord of the World, Song Offering the Royal Lord of
Mountains, Song That Pervades the Entire Realm of Phenomena, Song That
Sounds the Ocean of Dharma, Song That Stirs All the Oceans, Song of
Greatly Compassionate Thunder, and Song That Relieves All the Suffering of
Beings.
1.14 There were also the bodhisattvas Noble Dharma, Especially Noble, Noble
Wisdom, Noble Merit Like Mount Meru, [F.176.a] Noble Merit and Qualities,
Noble Fame, Noble Illumination, Noble Great Love, Noble Source of Wisdom,
and Noble Lineage of the Thus-Gone Ones.
1.15 There were also the bodhisattvas Shining Splendor, Supreme Splendor,
Noble Splendor, Illuminating Splendor, Moonlike Splendor, Assembled
Splendor, Space-Like Splendor, Jewel Splendor, Highest Splendor, and
Wisdom Splendor.
1.16 There were also the bodhisattvas Lordly King of the Sal Tree, Lordly King
of Beings, Lordly King of the Brahmā Realm, Lordly King of the Hills, Lordly
King of Stillness, Lordly King of the Leaders, and Lordly King of the Great
 Minds.
1.17 There were also the bodhisattvas Roar of Peace, Roar of Non-Attachment,
Roar of the Earth Tune, Roar of the Ocean Thunder, Roar Invoked by
Previous Aspirations, and Roar of the Rumbling Oceans.
1.18 There were also the bodhisattvas Mind of Immense Wisdom, Mind of
Space, Mind of Purity, Mind of Non-Attachment, Mind of Purification, Mind
Illuminating the Three Times, Mind of Immense Power, Mind Like Gems,
Spacious Mind, All-Seeing Mind, and Mind Illuminating Bodhisattva Great
Beings in the Ways of the Realm of Phenomena.

1.19 All these bodhisattva great beings, as well as many others equal in number
to the atoms found in one hundred million buddha realms, were non-
regressing beings who possessed qualities as limitless as the expanse of the
sky. They could abide in the sameness of the unobscured realm of
phenomena and had realized the sameness of the limit of reality and the
realm of phenomena. They had conviction in the way in which actions lead
to ripening and the way in which results appear based on causes, and they
had knowledge of the sameness in which all phenomena are like the
emergence of a stamped image.12 They had realized the sameness in which
phenomena appear like optical illusions and reflections. They had complete
knowledge of sound and language [F.176.b] and understood that all
phenomena are like echoes.
1.20 All of them had attained the absorption of inconceivable liberation and the
absorption of the heroic stride. They had the limitless colors of a buddha’s
body and were established in the dhāraṇī that accomplishes the entirely
perfect state. They were skilled in causing all the buddha realms to be seen
in the space of a single hair’s breadth. In the space of a single hair’s breadth
they could show a buddha’s passing away, taking birth, departing from
home, practicing austerities, journeying to the seat of enlightenment,
awakening, turning the wheel of Dharma, and passing into nirvāṇa. They
possessed a wisdom that expanded to pervade the world systems in the ten
directions while they remained in one position. They possessed the wisdom
that can cause the ornaments of all universes to be seen in a single universe,
as well as the wisdom that can cause the ornaments of a single universe to
be seen in all universes. They were able to cause the entourage of all thus-
gone ones in all the world systems in the ten directions to be seen within the
entourage of a single thus-gone one, and they were also able to cause the
entourage of a single thus-gone one to be seen in the entourages of all thus-
gone ones.
1.21 They were skilled in showing how all phenomena are without center or
periphery. They had reached the end of all limitless phenomena. They
demonstrated the lack of center and periphery to be like an illusory web.
 They caused the lack of any distinctions between sentient beings to be seen
throughout limitless eons. They were skilled in considering the bodies of all
beings to be empowered as their own bodies. They were skilled in
considering the bodies of all buddhas to be a single buddha body. They were
skilled in causing other beings to see how the body of a single buddha
pervades the bodies of all buddhas without exception. They were skilled in
causing all world systems in the ten directions to be seen within their own
bodies. They were able to cause beings to see that the single Dharma body
pervades the three times. [F.177.a]
1.22 Resting evenly in absorption within a single body, they were able to cause
beings to see the act of manifesting limitless bodies. Having awakened with
one body, they were able to cause as many bodies as there are beings to be
seen. They were able to cause the bodies of all beings to be seen within the
body of a single being, and they were also able to cause the body of a single
being to be seen in the bodies of all beings. They were able to cause the
bodies of beings to be seen as the Dharma body, and they were also able to
cause the Dharma body to be seen as the bodies of beings.
1.23 They were skilled in empowering the aspirations of all bodhisattvas as
their own aspirations. They were able to cause bodhisattvas to see the full
awakening of all the buddhas, as well as their aspirations, powers, and full
awakening. They were able to cause fully mature beings to see their
unsurpassed and perfect awakening in whatever ways necessary to train
them.
1.24 Their aspirations were uninterrupted throughout all eons. With their
mastery in leaving the body of the consciousness and entering the wisdom
body they could appear to all the multitudes of beings. Having broken the
continuity of their own bodies, they appeared for the complete fulfillment of
the aspirations of other multitudes of beings. They endeavored in aspirations
that ripen beings. As their bodhisattva conduct was uninterrupted
throughout all the ages of a single world, the strength of their aspirations
directed toward full awakening enabled them to cause indescribably many
worlds encompassing all the buddha realms to be seen within the space of a
single hair’s breadth. They were able to cause numerous bodies to be seen
within a single world. By uttering a single word of the Dharma, they would
bring down a rain of ambrosia born from great clouds of Dharma that filled
the entire realm of phenomena. Through the lightning of intelligence and
liberation and the thunder of true reality, [F.177.b] they manifested to satisfy
all the different kinds of beings and fulfill their great aspirations.
1.25 The field of their experience was to be engaged in concentration, freedom,
superknowledge, intelligence, and wisdom. Through one instance of
arousing the mind of awakening, they were able to manifest bodies of all
 beings born in all possible ways in all the infinite world systems in the ten
directions. Since they had no attachment to knowledge of their own or
others’ minds, they were proficient in the knowledge of the processes and
movements present in a single being’s mind as well as in all beings’ minds.
They were skilled in the wisdom that can engage the ten powers of the thus-
gone ones in a single instant. They were immersed in the wisdom that is not
attached to anything whatsoever throughout the three times. They were
skilled in the wisdom that brings genuine attainment to the mindstreams of
others. They were skilled in causing, with a single moment of mind, all
beings throughout the infinite expanse of world systems in the ten
directions to see complete awakening in a single moment of their minds.
1.26 They were skilled in the wisdom capable of using the perception of a
single being to engage directly with the karmic actions of all beings without
exception. They were skilled in the wisdom that teaches using the languages
of all beings through the language of a single being. They were skilled in
causing the perception of a single body to be seen as the perception of the
bodies of all beings. While immersed in the circle of attendants of a single
thus-gone one, every one of them was skilled in upholding the teaching of
the Dharma within the circle of attendants of all thus-gone ones.
1.27 They had all achieved every dhāraṇī. They were skilled in teaching with
utterly confident eloquence while understanding the faculties of beings of
all dispositions. They were skilled in the wisdom that, by observing the mind
of a single being, can awaken an inexpressible number of mindstreams to
buddhahood and thereby engage with the minds of all beings. They were
skilled in the wisdom that instantaneously understands all world systems,
[F.178.a] knows all the various thoughts of beings, and brings genuine
attainment to the mindstreams of others.
1.28 By recollecting the inconceivably numerous mind states of all the limitless
existences throughout the endless eons of the past, they were skilled in
revealing directly to beings how actions and activities ripen into results and
in helping them to understand that they were skilled in ornamenting all
world systems. They were skilled in entering into all world systems. They
were skilled in engendering the aspirations of all buddhas and bodhisattvas
as well as their own conduct and aspirations. They were skilled in shining
the light of Dharma. They were skilled in entering into inexpressibly
numerous eons and world systems within a single atom. They were skilled
in causing a buddha realm the size of all the universes to be seen within a
single atom. They could make all the water in all the oceans fit within a
single pore of the skin.
1.29 They were skilled in going to all the world systems throughout the extent
of the realm of phenomena while doing no harm to beings. They were skilled
in absorbing inexpressibly numerous world systems into their own bodies
and causing the diverse activities of beings to be seen. They could make the
surrounding mountains, the greater surrounding mountains, and other huge
mountains —incalculable, inconceivable, incomparable, immeasurable,
limitless, and absolutely inexpressible —fit within a single pore. Thus, they
were skilled in going to all the world systems throughout the extent of the
realm of phenomena while not frightening beings in any way.
1.30 They were skilled in transforming inexpressibly numerous eons into a
single eon and in displaying one eon as inexpressibly numerous eons of
destruction and formation. In order to properly train others, they were
skilled in causing all beings to see how all world systems will be [F.178.b]
destroyed by water, fire, and wind. Though they could crush uncountable
and inconceivable world systems with their big toes, every one of them was
skilled in not bringing harm to beings.
1.31 They had all gained attainment by means of the cloud of Dharma, and they
were skilled in displaying the transformation of great suffering, in the form
of harm, injury, and famine, to train beings in all the worlds of the ten
directions. They did not harm other beings. Every one of them had the
superknowledges and could cause the appearance of buddhas to be seen in
world systems where no buddhas had come.
1.32 There were also five hundred bodhisattvas, such as Bhadrapāla, every one
of whom had reached the level from which there is no regression.

1.33 At that same time, too, the Licchavi youth Ratnākara arrived at Vulture Peak
from the city of Vaiśālī surrounded and venerated by a group of twenty-one
thousand Licchavi youths. They bowed their heads to the feet of the Blessed
One and took their place to his right side. There they stayed, gazing upon
him with unblinking eyes.
1.34 The householder Śyāmaka came from the city of Gayā, surrounded and
venerated by a group of five hundred laymen, to the place where the Blessed
One was residing. They bowed their heads to the feet of the Blessed One.
Then, taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon the Blessed One
with unblinking eyes.
1.35 The householder Bhadrapāla also came surrounded and venerated by a
group of five thousand householders to the place where the Blessed One
was residing. They bowed their heads to the feet of the Blessed One. Then,
taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon the Blessed One with
unblinking eyes.
1.36 The householder Sudatta came surrounded and venerated by a group of
five thousand householders to the place where the Blessed One was
residing. [F.179.a] They bowed their heads to the feet of the Blessed One.
Then, taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon the Blessed One
with unblinking eyes.
1.37 The householder Susārthavāha came with many servants to the place
where the Blessed One was residing. They bowed their heads to the feet of
the Blessed One. Then, taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon the
Blessed One with unblinking eyes.
1.38 The merchant Subāhu came from the city of Campā surrounded and
venerated by a group of eighty-four thousand merchants to the place where
the Blessed One was residing. They bowed their heads to the feet of the
Blessed One. Then, taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon the
Blessed One with unblinking eyes.
1.39 The brahmin youth Naradatta came surrounded and venerated by a group
of five hundred Brahmin youths to the place where the Blessed One was
residing. They bowed their heads to the feet of the Blessed One. Then, taking
their place to one side, they all gazed upon the Blessed One with unblinking
eyes.
1.40 The brahmin youth Nandicandra came attended by five hundred Brahmin
youths to the place where the Blessed One was residing. They bowed their
heads to the feet of the Blessed One. Then, taking their place to one side,
they all gazed upon the Blessed One with unblinking eyes.
1.41 King Ajātaśatru of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, riding the king of elephants
Dhanapāla, arrived where the Blessed One was residing along with a retinue
of five thousand beings who surrounded and venerated the king. He rode
Dhanapāla as far as was fitting and then dismounted from his palanquin. He
then ascended Vulture Peak on foot and arrived before the Blessed One. He
bowed his head to the feet of the Blessed One and then took his place to one
side along with all five thousand beings in his retinue. [F.179.b] They all
gazed upon the Blessed One with unblinking eyes.
1.42 The merchant Surāṣṭra came from the city of Vārāṇasī surrounded and
venerated by a group of five hundred merchants to the place where the
Blessed One was residing. They bowed their heads to the feet of the Blessed
One. Then, taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon the Blessed
One with unblinking eyes.
1.43 Śakra, who is the lord of the gods, Brahmā, who is the lord of the Sahā
world, the four guardians of the world, the god Maheśvara, the god Candra,
the god Suvikrāntamati, the god Sulakṣaṇa, and an inconceivable,
incomparable, immeasurable, unfathomable, and limitless number of other
gods, each with billions of their own divine attendants, came to the place
 where the Blessed One was residing. They each made an inconceivable
number of suitable offerings to the Blessed One. Then, taking their place to
one side, they all gazed upon the Blessed One with unblinking eyes.
1.44 At that time, from every pore of the Blessed One’s skin, and from each of
his excellent signs and all his marks, the Blessed One emitted rays of light as
numerous as all the atoms in ten buddha realms. Each light ray bathed in a
bright light as many world systems as there are atoms in one hundred
million buddha realms. The light caused countless quadrillions of
bodhisattvas to arrive from each of these world systems. Each of the
bodhisattvas had a jewel mansion measuring billions of leagues and
adorned with gems, pearls, and jewel tassels around a bejeweled platform.
Sitting below hoisted flags and banners and surrounded by uncountable
quadrillions of divine maidens, they arrived at the place where the Blessed
One was residing, scattering clouds of divine flowers, [F.180.a] clouds of
jewels, clouds of garments, clouds of sandalwood and agarwood incense,
and clouds of divine instruments, cymbals, and song —clouds as large as
world systems. Then, taking their place to one side, they all gazed upon the
Blessed One with unblinking eyes.
1.45 Throughout the great trichiliocosm there was no space, not even as much
as a fraction of a single hair tip, that was not filled with gods, nāgas, yakṣas,
gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, Śakra, Brahmā, world
guardians, humans, nonhumans, or vast numbers of bodhisattvas.

1.46 It was then that the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla stood up, draped his upper robe
over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. With his palms together he
bowed toward the Blessed One and made the following request: “May I ask
if the Blessed One might give me the opportunity to seek instruction? If so,
there are a few points on which, blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha,
I would request your clarification.”
The Blessed One replied to the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla, “Bhadrapāla, you
may ask whatever you please. I will delight your mind by answering your
question.”
1.47 So Bhadrapāla asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, what are the basis,
conduct, manner, distinction, roots of virtue, diligence, peace, skill in
wisdom, mindfulness, realization, intelligence, propriety, interest, and armor
by which bodhisattva great beings may make irreversible progress toward
unsurpassed [F.180.b] and perfect awakening, and from that unsurpassed
and perfect awakening know no debasement or decline?
1.48 “How do bodhisattva great beings come into being due to the actions of
the thus-gone ones? How do they train diligently in the wisdom of the thus-
gone ones? How does their insight increase? How are they skilled in great
 wisdom? How is their discipline so pure? How is it that, in not forgetting
what they have heard, they possess recollection? How is it that, in taking
birth in accordance with their roots of virtue, they remember their past lives?
1.49 “How is it that they are skilled in knowing the previous lifetimes of others
and inspiring them? How is it that they are wise by being knowledgeable
about differences in faculties? How do they possess the marks? How is it
that they are never separate from seeing the Buddha, hearing the Dharma, or
honoring the Saṅgha? How is it that they behold the blessed buddhas
present in other world systems? How is it that they are able to hear the
Dharma of those blessed ones in all the infinite world systems and then
retain it, master it, and teach it truly on a vast scale? How is it that they are
like tongues of flame in burning the roots of nonvirtue? How is it that they
are like the moon in mastering all bright phenomena? How is it that they are
like the sun in dispelling all the darkness of ignorance? How have they
become so elevated by all roots of virtue that they are like the king of
mountains? How is it that they are like vajras in having unshakable
acceptance of the profound?
1.50 “How are they fearless in being like the highest mountain? How is it that
their voices are incredibly pure by having unimpeded eloquence? How is it
that they are exceedingly learned by being proficient in discerning and
ascertaining all the different languages? How is it that they do not scowl but
keep their countenance smiling and radiant? [F.181.a] How is it that they are
not contaminated by worldly phenomena? How is it that their voices can be
heard across limitless world systems? How is it that, when they show the
limitless, endless world systems inside a single pore, beings do not
understand where we are and do not understand what was done?
1.51 “How is it that, by ripening beings, they stay within the retinues of all
thus-gone ones throughout the ten directions and never move from those
places? How is it that they live in the Heaven of Joy, pass away, enter the
womb, take birth, leave home, undertake austerities, sit at the seat of
awakening, gain victory over demons, turn the wheel of Dharma,
demonstrate passing into the great transcendence of suffering, and
demonstrate teaching so that the teachings remain—all within the space of a
single hair’s breadth? How is it that they can become aware of the mental
activity of all beings in a single moment of mind?”
1.52 The Blessed One answered the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla, “Bhadrapāla,
excellent, excellent. Bhadrapāla, you have asked in this manner to benefit
many beings and to bring them happiness. You have great compassion that
loves the world and seeks to benefit ordinary beings —gods and humans
alike —by accomplishing their welfare and happiness. Bhadrapāla, your
 intention in having asked the Blessed One such a question is excellent.
Therefore, Bhadrapāla, I will answer you, so listen well and keep what I say
in mind.”
“Excellent!” the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla replied to the Blessed One, and
listened in the manner that the Blessed One had instructed.

1.53 The Blessed One said, “Bhadrapāla, there is a bodhisattva activity that is the
absorption that the Buddha calls the miraculous ascertainment of peace. [F.181.b]
Bodhisattva great beings who dwell in that absorption attain, in addition to
many others, the following special qualities.13
1.54 “So, Bhadrapāla, what is this absorption called the miraculous ascertainment
of peace? It is like this. It is to understand all phenomena in accordance with
their actual nature, comprehend their characteristics, and overcome mistaken
characteristics. It is to no longer hold on to the habitual basis of a self. It is to
no longer apprehend an other. It is to not think highly of one’s own life. It is
to not enter saṃsāra. It is to understand all entities. It is to meditate on
tranquility and to actualize special insight. It is to be stable minded and
undistracted in mindfulness and to pacify notions and judgments. It is to
keep company with virtue and to discard nonvirtue. It is to pacify
attachment, aversion, and dullness, to dispense with ignorance, and to rely
on knowing. It is to understand causation, to demolish a view, and to be free
from consciousness. It is to arouse wisdom, to exhaust existence, to abandon
attachment to joyful states, to be certain about buddhahood, and to have no
doubt about the Dharma. It is to not be skeptical about the Saṅgha and to
reconcile disputes arising from divisive speech. It is to adhere to solitude, to
be adept in integrating the teachings, to not speak foolishly behind
someone’s back, and to be without worldly goods. It is to abandon what is
naturally wrong and to not commit any negative actions, now or in the
future. It is to not hoard things and to have no fascination with worldly
wonders. It is to see what is wrong with saṃsāra and what is beneficial in
nirvāṇa. It is to wish for the sphere of the transcendence of suffering with
strong intent.
1.55 “It is to be without deceit, dishonesty, and pretense. It is to avoid
hypocrisy, fraud, hustling, expropriation, and disrespect. It is to practice
diligence and to be very patient. It is to not be lazy and to abandon
obscurations. [F.182.a] It is to be endowed with the path of the ten virtues
and to have a faultless aggregate of discipline. It is to never depart from the
aggregate of absorption. It is to never remain in the absorptions or the
equipoises. It is to be insatiable in bringing the perfections to completion. It
is to create emanations through concentration, freedom, absorption, and
equipoise. It is to be free to play as one likes due to the bases of miraculous
power. It is to master omniscient wisdom.
1.56 “It is to not be of two minds, nor to be inanimate or deaf or dumb. It is to
not be led into any other path. It is to abandon everything that torments the
mind. It is to attain the level of holy beings, to not consider unwholesome
beings, and to disregard the spiritually immature. It is to associate with the
learned. It is to arouse the strength of mindfulness. It is to arouse the
strength of wisdom. It is to have no need to seek clarification from
householders or renunciates.
1.57 “It is to remain in solitude. It is to have patience with regard to emptiness,
the absence of marks, the absence of wishes, and all phenomena. It is to
understand all things as they are. This, Bhadrapāla, is the absorption called
the miraculous ascertainment of peace. Since bodhisattvas who train in this
absorption are unobscured regarding all phenomena, they become
knowledgeable.
1.58 “Furthermore, Bhadrapāla, this so-called absorption of the miraculous
ascertainment of peace is as follows: It is to know all phenomena to be
sameness. It is to know all words to be constructions. It is to abandon all
household goods. It is to find no delight in the three realms. It is to not be
discouraged. It is to not cling to any phenomenon. It is to uphold the sacred
Dharma. It is to guard the Dharma. It is to have conviction in the ripening of
actions. It is to be expert in training others. It is to pacify debate and to not
engage in fighting. It is to not get involved in disputes. It is to uphold
patience authentically and to uphold [F.182.b] realization authentically. It is
to be expert in distinguishing realization, sameness, and reality.
1.59 “It is to be expert in ascertaining the Dharma. It is to be expert in
expressions of the Dharma. It is to know how to distinguish expressions of
the Dharma. It is to know the past, the future, and the present. It is to know
the three times to be sameness. It is to know the utter purity of the three
spheres. It is to know the basis of the body and the basis of the mind.
1.60 “It is to know how to guard one’s mode of conduct. It is to purify one’s
actions. It is to transcend obscurations. It is to thoroughly know the
aggregates. It is to know the sameness of the elements. It is to dispel the
sense sources. It is to discard existence. It is to endeavor in the task of
accepting non-arising. It is to point out causes and to not dismiss actions and
results. It is to see the Dharma and cultivate the path. It is to meet with the
thus-gone ones. It is to have sharp insight. It is to know how to distinguish
words. It is to understand speech.
1.61 “It is to attain supreme delight. It is to experience the joy of the Dharma. It
is to be mindful, gentle, blissful, unperturbed, good-natured, and easy to get
along with. It is to speak truthfully with gentle words and to say, ‘Come
here. Welcome.’ It is to not be lazy. It is to be respectful of and honor spiritual
masters. It is to not delight in birth. It is to be insatiable regarding virtuous
 qualities. It is to have a pure livelihood. It is to not renounce remote places. It
is to settle in a place. It is to not squander mindfulness. It is to be expert in
the aggregates, elements, and sense sources. It is to engage in manifesting
superknowledge. It is to eliminate disturbing emotions. It is to defeat the
binding force of habit.
1.62 “It is to have specific attainments 14 and the natural result of meditation. It
is to be expert in rescuing from the downfalls. It is to remove all that binds. It
is to discard latent tendencies. It is to utterly transcend existence. It is to
recall past lives. It is to have no doubt [F.183.a] about the ripening of actions.
It is to contemplate karma. It is to not mentally rely on birth. It is to not create
karmic actions. It is to be without the mental activity of the inner sense
sources. It is to not move out toward the outer sense sources. It is to not
praise oneself or belittle others. It is to not cling to what is unpleasant. It is to
not mentally rely on ordinary beings. It is to be in accord with the cause of
ethical conduct.
1.63 “It is to be one who is rarely encountered. It is to be absolutely
resplendent. It is to know oneself. It is to be uncorrupted. It is to observe
perfect behavior. It is to have no malice. It is to not use foul words. It is to not
harm others, to protect close ones, and to be naturally nonviolent. It is to not
harm beings. It is to be gentle in speech. It is to not abide in the three realms.
It is to be able to keep secrets. It is to have acceptance in accord with the
emptiness of all phenomena. It is to be greatly inspired toward omniscient
wisdom. It is to have clear wisdom, to have stable discipline, and to be
engaged in equipoise. It is to be happy to be alone. It is to not be content
with knowing just a little bit. It is to not be discouraged. It is to abandon all
that constitutes a view. It is to achieve dhāraṇī and wisdom. It is to be
meticulous about what is correct and what is incorrect. It is to have an
approach based on reason and logic. It is to offer counsel. It is to be
appropriately forbearing of conduct. It is to have reached the level of
acceptance. It is to not be unforbearing. It is to be on the level of wisdom. It is
to abandon ignorance. It is to abide in wisdom. It is to be on the level of yogic
conduct. It is to have the sphere of activity of bodhisattvas. It is to
understand the essence of all phenomena and know the highest realization.
It is to comprehend the mind.
1.64 “It is to not reincarnate into a new birth. It is to know not to reincarnate. It
is to lay down the burden. It is to have the wisdom of the thus-gone ones. It
is to abandon attachment, to be free from anger, and to abandon dullness. It
is to be diligent in practice. It is to be free from unreasonableness. It is to be
inspired toward virtuous phenomena. It is to put into practice [F.183.b] the
higher intention. It is to not sleep the night away. It is to not give up on
abandonment. It is to nurture virtuous qualities. It is to have previously
 cultivated the roots of virtue. It is to know skill in means. It is to abandon
marks. It is to abstain from perception. It is to be accomplished in the
discourses. It is to be expert in the vinaya. It is to be certain about the truths.
It is to endeavor in the actualization of liberation.
1.65 “It is to delight in words and speak with a smile. It is to see wisdom as it is.
It is to seek out learning. It is to never be satisfied with one's wisdom. It is to
have an utterly pure mind, an utterly pure body, and utterly pure speech. It
is to be trustworthy in speech. It is to rely on emptiness. It is to rely on the
absence of marks. It is to know nonconceptually due to the nature of the
absence of wishes.
1.66 “It is to attain fearlessness. It is to not abuse those who suffer and to give
them wealth. It is to not be contemptuous of the poor. It is to care
compassionately for those whose discipline is corrupted. It is to be in
possession of beneficial goods. It is to be of benefit through the Dharma. It is
to give up material things. It is to rely unwaveringly on those with discipline.
It is to let go of all possessions.
1.67 “It is to make offerings with a higher intention. It is to practice what one
preaches. It is to continuously endeavor. It is to take delight in being
respectful. It is to understand metaphors. It is to be knowledgeable about
what has occurred in the past. It is to know the application of names and
terminology. It is to have destroyed imputation.
1.68 “It is to not get overjoyed when being honored and to remain equanimous
when being dishonored. It is to not be interested in gain or disheartened by
loss. It is to have no desire for fame, and it is to not be angry when infamy
befalls oneself. It is to not hanker after praise or be deflated by blame. It is to
not be desirous of pleasure or saddened by pain.
1.69 “It is to not grasp after formations. It is to not desire [F.184.a] proper
commendation and to be accepting of false accusations. It is to endeavor in
one’s rightful domain and reject everything else. It is to be content. It is to
abandon what is inappropriate. It is to not downplay beings’ meagre roots of
virtue. It is to uphold the teaching. It is to be concise and gentle in speech. It
is to be skilled in appropriate statements. It is to defeat opponents. It is to
come in time. It is to have conduct that is natural. It is to have conduct that is
beautiful.
1.70 “It is to be skilled in knowing what is meaningful and what is not. It is to
know the world. It is to understand the treatises. It is to speak clearly. It is to
give freely. It is to control the mind. It is to have shame and conscience. It is
to denigrate nonvirtuous mind states. It is to not give up the qualities of an
ascetic. It is to properly uphold one’s conduct. It is to move gracefully.
1.71 “It is to rise for the master and prepare him a seat. It is to destroy pride. It
is to properly maintain the mind. It is to understand the meaning. It is to
have brought forth wisdom. It is to be without ignorance. It is to know how
to engage the mind. It is to understand and know the nature of mind. It is to
possess the wisdom that is knowledgeable about all attainments, regardless
of whether one has practiced them or not.
1.72 “It is to know the languages of all beings. It is to know how to establish
etymologies and to know how to determine the meanings of words. It is to
exclude what is not the real meaning. It is to accomplish all forms of
concentration without savoring their experience.15
1.73 “It is to see and consider the minds of each and every being. It is to know
the superior and inferior faculties of beings. It is to see what is appropriate
and what is inappropriate. It is to discern all karmic actions. It is to know
how to engage without karmic action and ripening. It is to engage in
manifold aspirations. It is to not be forgetful. It is to have direct experience of
the manifold and various realms.
1.74 “It is to see the vajra-like absorption. It is to revel in absorption with a voice
like Brahmā’s. [F.184.b] It is to know all states of absorption and equipoise to
be the same and nameless. It is to remember past abodes. It is to see by
knowing how to go everywhere. It is to have exhausted defilement. It is to
know the simultaneous attainment of abandonment. It is to see with the
unimpeded divine eye. It is to enjoy manifesting all forms. It is to know how
to engage in form and the formless as sameness. It is to know how to engage
in dhāraṇīs through the diverse aspects of melodious speech. It is to know
all sounds to be like echoes.
1.75 “It is to teach the Dharma according to need. It is to satisfy all beings by
providing them with good advice. It is to know how to change faculties. It is
to discern whether the time is ripe or not. It is to know how to be in accord
with the limit of reality. It is to teach Dharma that gives results. It is to
complete all the perfections. It is to hold all beings dear. It is to skillfully
know how to defeat. It is to have deportment that is uncontrived. It is to
know how to authentically unite with the realm of phenomena without
mixing anything up. It is to put an end to thought, conceptualization, and
mental constructions.
1.76 “It is to manifest one’s body at the feet of all thus-gone ones in an instant.
It is to emanate bodies like optical illusions in all world systems. It is to
uphold and never forget any of the Dharma teachings of all the thus-gone
ones. It is to never slide back from the Great Vehicle. It is to be skilled in
teaching emancipation according to each vehicle. It is to authentically
uphold the lineage of the Three Jewels. It is to show actions appropriate to
 each and every birthplace. It is to never grow discouraged even though one
has to wear the armor for millions of eons, until the end of time. It is to
skillfully know how to ripen all beings.
1.77 “It is to know how to accomplish all aspects of melodious speech. It is to
know how to make one eon [F.185.a] last for limitless eons. It is to know the
ground of manifestation within all phenomena. It is to know how to gather
all buddha realms together. It is to know how to make limitless eons pass in
one eon. It is to know how to reveal one universe as all universes. It is to
know how to gather all beings’ bodies into a single being’s body. It is to
know how to bring inconceivable buddha realms into the space of a single
hair’s breadth. It is to know how to bring innumerable, inconceivable,
immeasurable world systems into just a single pore of one’s body. It is to
understand all buddha realms to be equivalent to space. It is to know how to
fill each and every buddha realm to the brim with one’s own body. It is to
skillfully understand and realize how all phenomena are without
characteristics. It is to know how to inhabit all bodies. It is to know how to
speak precisely in all languages while speaking in one language. It is to
realize all the ways to be skilled in means. It is to know how to teach a single
word for innumerable, inconceivable, immeasurable millions of eons. It is to
have unceasing eloquence. It is to be discerning in knowing what to
accomplish and what to let be. It is to know how to show the distinctions
between dyads,16 parts, and inversions.
1.78 “It is to know how to emit the light of great means and insight. It is to
know how to transcend all the paths of Māra. It is to have one’s actions of
body, speech, and mind preceded by wisdom. It is to fulfill all the realms of
beings with the four types of correct understanding. It is to attain miraculous
abilities through creating merit. It is to reveal emanations throughout the
entire realm of phenomena. It is to understand the utterances of beings in all
world systems. It is to gather all beings throughout all the world systems in
the ten directions [F.185.b] together through the four ways of attracting
disciples. It is to have no doubt about accomplishing qualities, which are like
illusions. It is to bring to consummation the attainment of power over
requisites and over all births. It is to know how to equally attend to those
with corrupted morality and those with pure morality as recipients of
generosity. It is to make the thoughts of all beings adhere to the Dharma. It is
to cover all the world systems in the ten directions with a web of light from a
single pore. It is to attain the secrets of all bodhisattvas.
1.79 “It is to know the vast depth of the great ocean. It is to know how to send
forth a massive web of light into all the world systems in the ten directions. It
is to have a mind that is equal to earth, water, fire, and wind. It is to know
how to enter the level of the thus-gone ones. It is to know how to turn the
 wheel of Dharma in all explanations of words and etymologies and to know
how to attain patience by oneself without being taught. It is to know how to
make burst forth from a single pore the mass of water of the oceans in all the
world systems in the ten directions without harming any being with the
water. It is to have a jewel-like mind. It is to know how to dispel all the stains
of the disturbing emotions. It is to know how to skillfully be content in
dedicating the limitless roots of virtue and merit accumulated in the three
times. It is to find relief by awakening to all the qualities of a buddha.
1.80 “It is to know how to bring emanations into the mental activity of all
beings. It is to know how to engage in the entire experience of buddhahood.
It is to have an unbroken continuity of aspirations and to know how to
manifest the conduct that draws beings near. It is to directly know how to
see the wisdom of the thus-gone ones. It is to know how to engage in the
secrets of the thus-gone ones. [F.186.a] It is to have a mind that is tranquil,
being calm and at peace, and to bring delight to all beings in order to
properly train others. It is to know how to demonstrate playfulness and
enjoyment. It is to be consummate in possessing limitless learning and to
never be content or satisfied with all one’s learning.
1.81 “It is to not apprehend any phenomena. It is to engage in worldly activity
in many different ways. It is to not be corrupted by any worldly phenomena.
It is to ripen beings through proper training. It is to show correct behavior to
those whose speech is impaired, those whose hearing is impaired, and those
who are disabled, dull-minded, deaf, or blind. It is to know how to teach the
Dharma and transform countless eons into the duration of a single finger
snap.
1.82 “It is to be followed by innumerable, inconceivable, immeasurable, infinite,
and limitless hundreds of thousands of Vajrapāṇis that outshine Śakra,
Brahmā, and the guardians of the world. It is to bless the poor and destitute
in order to ripen beings. It is to directly know the view of self-arising
wisdom, which is the awakening of all buddhas. It is to show the conduct of
all hearers and solitary buddhas. It is to know how to manifest turning the
irreversible wheel of Dharma in all the world systems in the ten directions. It
is to know how to unimpededly teach, with a single moment of thought, for
as many quadrillions of eons as there are atoms in innumerable,
inconceivable, incomparable, immeasurable, and limitless world systems in
order to ripen all beings. It is to show the appearance and conduct of all
hearers and solitary buddhas for eons. It is to be unceasing in the complete
bodhisattva conduct in order to ripen beings. It is to practice all-pervading
mental stability. [F.186.b] It is to know how, in order to ripen beings, to move
among the retinues of all the thus-gone ones throughout all the limitless
world systems while surrounded by divine maidens singing songs and
 playing accompanying instruments, various cymbals, and drums, with a
chorus numbering in the quadrillions. It is to behold and honor all the thus-
gone ones, without ever leaving one’s seat. It is to know how to make
offerings unceasingly. It is to seek and abide in unfailing vision and hearing
in order to ripen limitless beings. It is to know how, in order to guide ripened
beings appropriately, to demonstrate, in one single instant of thought,
abiding in the Heaven of Joy, dying and transmigrating, taking birth, leaving
the palace, undergoing austerities, going to the seat of awakening, taming
Māra, awakening, turning the wheel of Dharma, passing into the great
transcendence of suffering,17 and letting the sacred Dharma remain from that
point on until it declines, and to demonstrate all this as many times as there
are atoms in all the world systems in the ten directions while forgoing the
attainment of complete awakening. This, Bhadrapāla, is the absorption of the
miraculous ascertainment of peace. [B2]

1.83 “Bhadrapāla, you may wonder what the practice of this absorption is like.
Well, Bhadrapāla, it is to not grasp at anything, not reject anything, and not
engage with anything. It is to pacify all formations. It is to understand all
phenomena as they are. It is to engage in the sameness of all phenomena. It
is to not conceptualize, reflect on, or establish any phenomena. It is to not
generate or produce anything. It is to eliminate all concepts, thoughts, and
reflections. It is to be without mental engagement that involves
objectification. It is to eliminate consciousness. It is to eliminate desire,
anger, and delusion. It is to be without mental engagement concerned with
both the limited and the limitless. [F.187.a] It is to eliminate all mental
engagement. It is to know the nature of the aggregates, the elements, and
the sense sources. It is to be mindful, intelligent, interested, contemplative,
and conscientious, as well as to be ardent in observing proper conduct,
ritual, and livelihood. It is to be on the level of no disturbing emotions and
the level of peace. It is to eliminate all conceptual proliferation. It is to
actualize all trainings of the bodhisattvas, the entire domain of the thus-gone
ones, and all virtuous qualities. Bhadrapāla, such is the practice of this
absorption.

1.84 “Bhadrapāla, even though bodhisattvas reflect on and analyze the Dharma,
they still do not perceive the Thus-Gone One in his Dharma body, let alone
observe him in other ways apart from the Dharma body.
1.85 “Bhadrapāla, bodhisattvas should investigate by thinking, ‘What is meant
by “Thus-Gone One”? Is the Thus-Gone One form, or is the Thus-Gone One
something other than form?’ They should be skilled in such investigations.
They should think, ‘The Thus-Gone One is not form, but also not other than
form. And why? Well, form is inanimate, unmoving, and unable to reason—
 like hay, bricks, wood, and soil. Form is deceptive like an optical illusion—it
is like a mass of foam. What we call form is an aggregation of the four great
elements. Form arises dependently. Whatever arises dependently is
impermanent. Whatever is impermanent is suffering. Whatever is suffering
has no self. Whatever has no self has no intrinsic nature. Whatever has no
intrinsic nature has no appearance. Whatever has no appearance is not
genuine. Whatever is not genuine is a false and deceptive phenomenon.
Whatever is a false and deceptive phenomenon is not true. Whatever is not
true is not suchness. [F.187.b] Whatever is not suchness is not the Thus-
Gone One.
1.86 “ ‘The Thus-Gone One is true, genuine, unmistaken suchness, nothing but
suchness, non-erroneous suchness, a speaker of unerring truth, a speaker of
reality, a speaker of knowledge, one who holds the weapon of wisdom, one
who possesses limitless wisdom, an omniscient one, an all-seeing one, one
with ten powers, one who has attained the perfection of the four highest
types of fearlessness, one without thoughts and concepts, one without
stains, one who is equal to the sky, and one who cannot be sized up by
calculations. The Thus-Gone One is not made, not born, not ceasing, without
engagement, limitless, without abode, without cognition, beyond
apprehension, without movement, utterly pure, free from disturbing
emotions, not arising, without action, and non-abiding.’
1.87 “The bodhisattvas should continue to analyze, ‘Form is not the Thus-Gone
One, yet neither is the Thus-Gone One other than form. And why? If
something that was other than form were the Thus-Gone One, then the sky
would also be the Thus-Gone One. And why is that not so? Because the sky
does not have form, it cannot be demonstrated, it is unimpeded, it does not
cognize, it does not abide, it cannot be grasped, it has no abode, and it has no
characteristics.’
1.88 “The bodhisattvas should continue to contemplate, ‘Form is not the Thus-
Gone One, yet neither is the Thus-Gone One other than form. So perhaps
feeling is the Thus-Gone One? Or is the Thus-Gone One other than feeling?’
1.89 “They should continue thinking, ‘Feeling is not the Thus-Gone One, yet
neither is the Thus-Gone One other than feeling. And why? The Thus-Gone
One has said, “Any type of feeling is suffering. All suffering has the marks of
concepts. And whatever has the marks of concepts is not the Thus-Gone
One. Feeling is like water bubbles. It is trifling. It arises dependently.
[F.188.a] It arises based on sense contact. Whatever emerges from sense
contact is feeling.” The Thus-Gone One, however, is not like water bubbles.
He is not something trifling, and he is not dependently arisen. The Thus-
Gone One is not born from sense contact. He does not arise based on sense
contact. The Thus-Gone One does not have feelings that are born from sense
 contact. And why? Because the Thus-Gone One rests in equipoise within the
absorption where all feelings have ceased. He is devoid of feelings. He has
gone beyond all feelings. He has purified all torment. He has abandoned all
disturbing emotions, harm, and ill will. He is not bound, and he is not
liberated. He has not passed into parinirvāṇa, yet he is in the stainless realm
of nirvāṇa. The Thus-Gone One is unborn, nonconceptual, invisible,
inaudible, odorless, flavorless, and incomprehensible. He has no
characteristics, cannot be touched with the senses, and cannot be cognized.’
As the bodhisattvas analyze in this way, they should think, ‘The Thus-Gone
One is not feeling, yet neither is he other than feeling. And why? If
something that was other than feeling were the Thus-Gone One, then all
grasses, branches, herbs, bushes, and forests would be the Thus-Gone One.
And why is that not so? Because all grasses, branches, herbs, bushes, and
forests are devoid of feeling.’
1.90 “The bodhisattvas should continue to contemplate, ‘If the Thus-Gone One
is not feeling, yet also not other than feeling, then is the Thus-Gone One
perception, or is he other than perception?’
1.91 “They should continue thinking, ‘Perception is not the Thus-Gone One,
nor is the Thus-Gone One other than perception. And why? Perception is
like an optical illusion. It arises when the eyes, form, light, and mental
activity come together. The Thus-Gone One [F.188.b] is not perception. He is
not like an optical illusion. He does not arise based on a meeting of the eyes,
form, light, and mental activity. And why? Because the Thus-Gone One is
inconceivable. He is not an object of thought. He has no intention and is free
from intention. He has an incomparable mind. He does not engage in going
and coming. He does not go. He has eliminated going. He is beyond
measure. He is uninterrupted. He has no orifices. He is not substantial. He is
not diverse. He is inseparable and authentic. He is not construed. He is
beyond dwelling. He is not touchable.’ The bodhisattvas should continue
thinking, ‘Perception is not the Thus-Gone One but neither is the Thus-Gone
One other than perception. If something that is other than perception were
the Thus-Gone One, then any piece of wood or clod of earth would also be
the Thus-Gone One. And why is that not so? Because wood and earth have
no perception.’
1.92 “The bodhisattvas should then continue to contemplate, ‘If the Thus-Gone
One is not perception, yet also not other than perception, then is the Thus-
Gone One perhaps formation? Or is he other than formation?’
1.93 “They should continue thinking, ‘Formations are not the Thus-Gone One,
yet neither is the Thus-Gone One other than formations. And why?
Formations are not entities. They are of a false and deceptive nature. They
arise from ignorance. Formations are born out of ignorance. The Thus-Gone
 One is not a non-entity. He is not false. He is not deceptive. Unlike
formations, he is not born from ignorance. And why? The Thus-Gone One
rests in equipoise within the absorption where ignorance has ceased. Since
he has transcended the conceptual absorption of those who experience form
[F.189.a] as well as the unchanging absorption, he has accomplished the
cessation of perception and feeling. The Thus-Gone One is peace, invisible,
not apparent, and limitless. He is like the clouds. He is not tranquil, not
peaceful, without peace, and devoid of peace. He is pure and without
disturbing emotions. He is without craving. He is without liking. He does
not circle in existence. He is beyond circling in existence. He rests in the
manner of not resting. He is not bound. He is beyond death and
transmigration. He does not pass away. He is not a dharma. He is also not
not a dharma. He is not wood. He is also not not wood. He does not perish.
He also does not not perish. He is free from perishing. He is momentary. He
is undisturbed.’ They should then continue thinking, ‘Formations are not the
Thus-Gone One but neither is the Thus-Gone One other than formations.
And why? If something that is other than formations were the Thus-Gone
One, then the Thus-Gone One would be a non-entity. And why is that not
so? Because a non-entity is what is not formations.’
1.94 “The bodhisattvas should then continue to contemplate, ‘If the Thus-Gone
One is not formations, yet is also not other than formations, then is the Thus-
Gone One perhaps consciousness? Or is he other than consciousness?’
1.95 “They should continue thinking, ‘Consciousness is not the Thus-Gone
One, yet neither is the Thus-Gone One other than consciousness. And why?
Consciousness is illusory. It is hollow and inauthentic. It arises based on
coming together with formation. It is produced based on coming together
with incorrect attention. The Thus-Gone One is not hollow. He is not
something inauthentic. He does not definitively arise from incorrect
attention. [F.189.b] He is not produced from incorrect attention like
consciousness. And why? The Thus-Gone One is free from mentation,
conceptual mind, and consciousness. He is without letters, without sound,
without objects, without substantiality, and without mind. He is not
associated with anything yet also not disassociated from anything. He is
without intelligence yet also not without intelligence. He is without
realization yet also not without realization. He does not go, yet he also does
not not go. He is indivisible. He cannot be divided. He does not pass beyond.
He is without characteristics. He is free from characteristics. He is not
characterized. He is without mental constructs. He is not a source. He is
without attachment. He is free from attachment. He harmonizes. He is
distinguished by suchness. He is not thatness yet neither is he not not
thatness.’ They should then continue thinking, ‘Consciousness is not the
 Thus-Gone One but neither is the Thus-Gone One other than consciousness.
If something that was other than consciousness were the Thus-Gone One,
an optical illusion would also be the Thus-Gone One. And why is that not
so? Because an optical illusion is not consciousness.’
1.96 “The bodhisattvas should then continue to contemplate, ‘The Thus-Gone
One is not perceived as being in the past, nor is he from the future, nor is he
perceived as being in the present. Since he is not perceived, he is
nonconceptual and beyond thought. Being beyond concepts, he does not
dwell anywhere separately. Since he does not dwell anywhere separately, he
has no extent. Since he has no extent, he is not longed for. Since he is not
longed for, he is not pained over. Since he is not pained over, he is not
tormented over. Since he is not tormented over, he is not grieved over.’
1.97 “Those who do not feel grief have no agony. Those who are free from
agony do not run around and do not run here and there. Those who do not
run do not run here and there. Those who do not run here and there are not
lost. Those who are not lost do not wander around. Those who do not
wander around know no wandering. Those who know no wandering are
free from wandering. [F.190.a] Those who are free from wandering have no
thoughts. Those who have no thoughts are conscientious. Those who are
conscientious are noble beings. Those who are noble beings are worthy
ones. Those who are worthy ones are free from the stain of ego, the stain of
being, the stain of life force, the stain of person, the stain of the aggregates,
the stain of the elements, the stain of the sense sources, the stain of existing
entities the stain of causes, the stain of conditions, the stain of objectification,
and the stain of origin. Such beings are also free from the stain of self-
importance due to pride, the stain of feeling, the stain of desire, the stain of
anger, the stain of delusion, the stain of wrath, the stain of ill will, the stain of
pride, the stain of arrogance, the stain of thinking, and the stain of agony.
They have no stains of pride and arrogance. They have no stains of hell
beings, animals, and pretas. They have no stains of the realm of the Lord of
Death. They have no stains of the desire realm, the form realm, and the
formless realm. They have no stains of saṃsāra. In this way, no stains can be
observed.
1.98 “Those who are free from desire and without stains are known as noble
ones, worthy ones, liberated ones, the foremost among gods, those who
always rest in equanimity, and buddhas. Such beings have no thoughts
regarding any phenomenon, and being without thoughts, they are beyond
affliction. Being free from affliction, they feel no torment. Being without
torment, they remain natural. Being natural, they do not engage with any
phenomena.
1.99 “Now, if they do not engage with phenomena in this way, is form then
awakened into buddhahood? Or is it rather that feeling, perception,
formation, and consciousness are awakened into buddhahood? Who is
awakened into perfect buddhahood? [F.190.b]
1.100 “Is it the five aggregates that teach the Dharma? The five aggregates are
not authentic. They are illusory, without substance, unreal, and immaterial,
and they arise due to mistaken mental activity. The realm of phenomena, on
the other hand, is not without substance, not unreal, and not inauthentic,
and it does not arise due to mistaken mental activity. It is not illusory. It is
not like an optical illusion. It is not like the moon’s reflection in water. It is
not like an echo. Therefore, someone does teach this Dharma. And why?
Bhadrapāla, the realm of phenomena is pure, genuine, and not erroneous. It
is unmistaken suchness. If that is suchness, then who is the teacher? The five
aggregates are impermanent, painful, empty, without self, dependently
arisen, trifling, and fleeting. Awakening is genuine, without mental
constructs, ungraspable, inexpressible, invisible, imperceptible, without
characteristics, limitless, sky-like, without equal, incomparable, and without
mentation, conceptual mind, and consciousness. It is beyond all sounds and
words. It does not dwell in any place or direction. It cannot be analyzed or
shown. It is peace and yet free from peace. It is cool, without basis, without
abode, uncompounded, unborn, unceasing, nondual, and none other than
suchness. It is unchanging suchness, suchness that does not come, and
suchness that does not go. It is sameness beyond saṃsāra and nirvāṇa.
1.101 “Bhadrapāla, suchness is not polluted. It is not purified. It is not pure.
Suchness is neither saṃsāra nor nirvāṇa. Suchness is not born, nor does it
cease. Suchness is not the lowest, or mediocre, or supreme. So-called
‘suchness’ is the realm of phenomena. The realm of phenomena does not
exist as an essence related to either self or phenomena. [F.191.a] It does not
abide as an essence of phenomena. It does not abide as any phenomena. It is
emptiness. It abides as emptiness. It abides as ultimate emptiness. It abides
as great emptiness. It abides as supreme emptiness. It is the firm basis. The
realm of phenomena is immutable, non-abiding, without abode, without
essence, without movement, without acceptance, without rejection, without
claiming, and without grasping. To know this Dharma without having
thoughts regarding that knowledge is to know the realm of phenomena. The
realm of phenomena is the Buddha and the Buddha is the limit of reality,
which is stainless, peaceful, and cool. It is unborn and unceasing.
1.102 “The aggregates entail mental proliferation, and the bodhisattvas should
therefore consider them by thinking, ‘How can I awaken these five
aggregates that cause mental proliferation into perfect buddhahood? Is it
form that is awakened into buddhahood? Or is it perhaps feeling, perception,
 formation, or consciousness that is awakened into perfect buddhahood?
Form is inanimate, unmoving and without thought, just like grass, a wall, a
piece of wood, or a mirage. So it is not form that is awakened into perfect
buddhahood. Feeling is like a water bubble: it is trifling, and it arises based
on sense contact. That is also not awakened into perfect buddhahood.
Perception is like an optical illusion. It arises when the eyes, form, light, and
mental activity come together. That is also not awakened into perfect
buddhahood. Formations are immaterial. They are false and deceptive
phenomena that arise based on ignorance. They are also not awakened into
perfect buddhahood. Consciousness is illusory, hollow, inauthentic, and not
genuine. It definitively arises based on coming together with formations. It is
produced based on coming together with incorrect attention. [F.191.b] And
that is not awakening into perfect buddhahood.’
1.103 “Bhadrapāla, the bodhisattvas should then continue thinking, ‘If it is not
the five aggregates that awaken to perfect buddhahood, is the awakening to
perfect buddhahood then caused by the marks of a great being? Or is perfect
buddhahood due to the Dharma? Or is perfect buddhahood caused by one’s
roots of virtue? No, people do not awaken to perfect buddhahood due to
physical marks. If people awakened to perfect buddhahood due to the
physical marks of a great being, then a universal monarch would also
awaken to perfect buddhahood. And why? Because a universal monarch also
possesses the thirty-two marks. So, since one does not awaken to perfect
buddhahood because of one’s marks, does one perhaps awaken because of
the Dharma? No, one does also not awaken to perfect buddhahood because
of the Dharma. And why? Because the Dharma is without form, not
demonstrable, unimpeded, unfindable, non-abiding, not apparent, not
noticeable, invisible, unborn, unceasing, and sky-like. One does not awaken
to perfect buddhahood through that. So, if one does not awaken to perfect
buddhahood through the Dharma, then does one perhaps awaken to perfect
buddhahood because of one’s roots of virtue? No, one does also not awaken
to perfect buddhahood by means of one’s roots of virtue. And why? While
bodhisattvas assemble roots of virtue, they do not yet take their place on the
seat of awakening, and they no longer have them after having achieved
buddhahood. If one examines other possible causes, they can also not be
observed. So, who does awaken to perfect buddhahood?’
1.104 “As the bodhisattvas examine in this way, [F.192.a] there are no roots of
virtue to observe, and so they think, ‘Are roots of virtue gathered through
form? Or are they gathered due to feeling, perception, formation, and
consciousness? Form is inanimate, unmoving, and without thought, so that
does not gather roots of virtue. Feeling is like a water bubble: it is trifling, it
arises dependently, and it appears based on sense contact. That can also not
 gather roots of virtue. Perception is like an optical illusion. It arises when the
eyes, form, light, and mental activity come together. That can also not gather
roots of virtue. Formations are immaterial. They are false and deceptive
phenomena that arise based on ignorance. They can also not gather roots of
virtue. Consciousness is illusory, hollow, inauthentic, and not genuine. It
arises based on coming together with formation. It is produced based on
coming together with incorrect attention. And that cannot gather roots of
virtue.’ Thinking like this, the bodhisattvas should continue their
investigation until they realize that no agent that gathers the roots of virtue
can be observed.
1.105 “However, as they realize this, they should avoid thinking, ‘I do not
observe anything. I do not even observe the one who sits at the seat of
awakening. I do not observe anything!’ They should avoid such thinking, as
well as the thought, ‘I do not observe awakening; I do not observe it! I do
not observe anyone who awakens; I do not observe it!’ As they analyze, they
should be without any thoughts related to awakening, beings, or the
wisdom of the Buddha.
1.106 “Bhadrapāla, unsurpassed and perfect awakening is free from thoughts
regarding any phenomena. And why? Because it does not observe any
phenomena coming into being or ceasing. A buddha is so called because he
understands reality as it is —the realm of peace — [F.192.b] yet does not
entertain any concepts, thoughts, and reflections in that regard. That is
peace. That is the cool state. A buddha is called so because he is beyond
mentation, conceptual mind, and consciousness. Bhadrapāla, that is the
absorption known as the miraculous ascertainment of peace. Bhadrapāla,
bodhisattvas who train in this absorption will actualize all absorptions.”

1.107 Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One,
although the blessed buddhas are not born and do not cease, they do display
birth and cessation. Although they do not express a single syllable, they do
teach the Dharma to countless millions of followers. The skillful means of the
blessed buddhas is amazing!”
1.108 Then the Blessed One said to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, although
they awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood in a buddha realm
that is superior by virtue of twelve sublime qualities, the buddhas cause a
degenerate eon to be seen, where they manifest various vehicles in an
afflicted buddha realm characterized by degenerate times, degenerate
beings, degenerate emotions, and degenerate lives. There they teach the
Dharma extensively and ripen beings in many ways without being harmed
by the afflictive emotions of the non-Buddhists and without being harmed
by any demons, demonic emotions, or demonic activity. They are also
unscathed by the afflictions of opposing armies, regional struggles, and
 tumult, robbers, barbarian incursions, thieves, and famine, or by the
disturbances caused by yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas, piśācas, mahoragas, and
kaṭapūtanas. [F.193.a] Due to the transformative powers of the strengths of
the thus-gone ones’ previous roots of virtue, activities, aspirations, and skill
in means, the buddhas tame those beings appropriately and ripen them.
Thereby, although the thus-gone ones know the actions of others, they
remain impartial toward them all. This nonconceptuality should be seen as
the skillfulness of the thus-gone ones.”
1.109 Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta requested the Blessed One, “Blessed One,
what is the buddha realm endowed with those qualities, and what are the
qualities it is endowed with? Please tell us about those twelve essential
qualities of the perfect awakening of the blessed buddhas in that buddha
realm.”
1.110 The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, that buddha realm is endowed with (1)
the finest of eons, (2) the finest time, (3) the finest inhabitants, (4) the finest
realms, (5) the finest vehicles, (6) the finest ground, and (7) the finest
teaching. In that buddha realm (8) wander no non-Buddhists such as
carakas, parivrājakas, or nirgranthas. That buddha realm is (9) imbued with
aspirations and higher aspirations. That buddha realm (10) houses beings
who are naturally inclined toward the virtuous qualities. That buddha realm
is (11) endowed with the finest of noble beings. In that buddha realm (12) the
thus-gone ones of yore lived and flourished. Mañjuśrī, that buddha realm is
endowed with these twelve essential qualities.18 It is in that buddha realm
that the blessed buddhas awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.
1.111 “Mañjuśrī, through this explanation you should know that in my buddha
realm there is no system of distinct vehicles for hearers and solitary buddhas.
[F.193.b] And why? Because I have no notions of separateness. Mañjuśrī, if
the Thus-Gone One were to teach the Great Vehicle to some beings, the
Vehicle of the Solitary Buddhas to others, and the Vehicle of the Hearers to
yet others, then the Thus-Gone One would have an impure mind. He would
have a biased mind full of attachment. Thus, the Thus-Gone One would have
limited compassion. The Thus-Gone One would commit the fault of thinking
in terms of multiplicity. The Thus-Gone One would become a teacher who is
tightfisted with the Dharma. Mañjuśrī, whichever Dharma the Thus-Gone
One teaches, it is always linked to the Great Vehicle, it will always connect to
the Great Vehicle, it is always connected to the Great Vehicle, it
accomplishes the wisdom of omniscience, it actualizes the wisdom of
omniscience, and it aims to actualize the wisdom of omniscience. Therefore,
Mañjuśrī, in that buddha realm there is no tradition of distinct vehicles.”
1.112 Mañjuśrī said, “Blessed One, if there is no tradition of distinct vehicles,
how is it that you, Blessed One, have shown three vehicles to beings, saying,
‘This is the Vehicle of the Hearers, this is the Vehicle of the Solitary Buddhas,
and this is the Great Vehicle’?”
1.113 The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, when I speak of distinct vehicles, that is
a figurative subdivision. Mañjuśrī, when he speaks of teaching a Dharma
that is highest, intermediate, or lowest, it is the characteristics of the Dharma
that the Thus-Gone One is showing how to classify. In fact it is people that
the Thus-Gone One is so classifying. Thus, he posits distinct vehicles in
order to ripen those who have only gathered insignificant accumulations of
merit as well as those who have gathered limitless accumulations of merit.
Still, the vehicle itself remains indivisible. And why? Because the realm of
phenomena is indivisible. Mañjuśrī, [F.194.a] the so-called teaching of the
vehicles has been taught faultlessly by the Thus-Gone One.
1.114 “Mañjuśrī, take the example of a skilled master archer who has perfected
the art of archery. He may show various methods of archery to his students
and teach them various ways to make progress but, although he trains them
in this way, he teaches only the single skill of archery. Mañjuśrī, likewise, the
Thus-Gone One, who is a skilled master archer of the Dharma, points out
various ways of the Dharma to beings with differing capacities, inclinations,
and interests. In doing so he teaches three vehicles, although there is
actually only a single unsurpassed and perfect state of awakening.
1.115 “Mañjuśrī, think of how a tiny spark that flies into a field of grass can start
an inferno that burns like the fire at the end of an eon. Mañjuśrī, likewise, in
order to incinerate all disturbing emotions, a single spark from the light of
non-regressing wisdom is able to gradually increase until it blazes with the
great wisdom light of the thus-gone ones. Mañjuśrī, no lowly animal dares to
stand in front of the king of beasts, the lion with its mane. Mañjuśrī, likewise,
no non-Buddhist, whether caraka, parivrājaka, nirgrantha, or ājīvika, dares to
stand or speak in front of the Thus-Gone One. It is impossible for one to utter
a word in front of a lion-like great being who possesses the power of the ten
powers and the fearlessness of the four types of fearlessness. When it comes
to ripening beings, the Thus-Gone One’s transformative powers are
unrivaled. Mañjuśrī, for example, when the sun rises it shines with endless
dazzling rays of light, so that in comparison all fireflies lose their shine, their
shimmer, their brightness, and their beauty. Mañjuśrī, likewise, when the
sun of the Thus-Gone One’s unsurpassed great wisdom rises, [F.194.b] it
sends forth endless dazzling rays of great wisdom that cause all non-
Buddhists, such as the carakas, parivrājakas, and nirgranthas, to lose their
shine, their shimmer, their brightness, and their beauty. Such are the
transformative powers of the Thus-Gone One.
1.116 “The domain of the Thus-Gone One’s skillful means is inconceivable.
Therefore, in that buddha realm, non-Buddhists such as the carakas,
parivrājakas, and nirgranthas are awakened. And why? Because all the
approaches of the non-Buddhists are grounded in inconceivable liberations
and absorptions. They find emancipation through the perfection of insight
and are embraced by great skillful means. They are never without
consideration for the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha. They have
attained supreme mastery in ripening beings. They have the capacities to
ripen beings due to the transformative power of the Thus-Gone One.
1.117 “Mañjuśrī,19 consider this analogy. Imagine if as many beings as there are
atoms in all the world systems in the great trichiliocosm all became kings
with dominion over Jambudvīpa and made this declaration: ‘Every day we
shall tear with our own nails five ounces of flesh from the bodies of those
who adopt, uphold, recite, or master the Great Vehicle,20 and so we shall rob
them of their lives.’ Were bodhisattvas to be addressed in this way, Mañjuśrī,
they would not be afraid and would not panic. They would not give rise to
even a single thought of fear but would remain undeterred, without despair,
and without doubts, and they would apply themselves with even greater
dedication for the sake of the Dharma. These bodhisattvas, who would be
diligent in both reading and chanting the teaching, would, Mañjuśrī, be
described as heroic persons with regard to generosity, discipline, patience,
diligence, [F.195.a] concentration, insight, and absorption. Mañjuśrī, if those
bodhisattvas could avoid becoming irate, hateful, and angry toward those
who try to kill them, then, Mañjuśrī, those bodhisattvas would be the same
as Brahmā, Indra, and Mount Meru.21 They would be imperturbable,
compassionate, loving, and interested in fulfilling the wishes of all beings.
Their experience would be non-regressing. Their minds would be like earth,
like water, like fire, and like the sky. They would work to eradicate the
desire, anger, delusion, and hate of all beings.
1.118 “Mañjuśrī,22 some bodhisattvas might fill as many buddha realms as there
are grains of sand in the Ganges with the jewels known as enthralling kings
and offer these individually to as many buddhas as there are grains of sand
in the Ganges, continuing to make this offering for as many eons as there are
grains of sand in the Ganges. Compare to them, Mañjuśrī, some other
bodhisattvas who might hear a teaching such as this, go their own ways,
contemplate the teaching, and form the wish to practice, thinking, ‘I must
practice this teaching!’ The merit of these latter bodhisattvas, even if they
have not practiced yet, would still be greater than the merit of the former
bodhisattvas who offered the enthralling king jewels.23 And why? Because as
soon as they engender that attitude, they hold four qualities. What are these
four qualities? (1) They are filled with love. (2) They do not contradict the
 teachings of the blessed buddhas of the past, present, and future. (3) They
diligently make use of these teachings. (4) They will quickly awaken to
unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. These are the four qualities that they
uphold. They also uphold four other qualities. [F.195.b] What are these four
qualities? They uphold (1) the ten powers of a thus-gone one, (2) the four
types of fearlessness, (3) the four types of correct understanding, and (4) the
freedom of a stainless mind. Such are these four qualities.
1.119 “Mañjuśrī, there are also four qualities that, when practiced, make one a
bodhisattva great being. What are these four qualities? They are (1)
extending timely generosity, (2) being free from deceit and pretense, (3) not
taking breaks from engendering the mind of awakening with an altruistic
attitude, and (4) being deeply respectful toward even a bodhisattva who has
just begun engendering the mind of awakening. When practicing these four
qualities, one is called a bodhisattva great being. Mañjuśrī, suppose a king or
a minister threatens bodhisattvas, saying, ‘If you carry out even a single root
of virtue for the sake of another being, even something as insignificant as
feeding a single meal to an animal, I will personally destroy you by tearing
the flesh off your bones with my nails.’ In that case, they should not be afraid
of that threat. Instead, while remaining undeterred and free from worry, they
should tell themselves, ‘Even if he were to use his nails to tear off the flesh
from as many bodies as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, I would
never miss the chance to accomplish a root of virtue, no matter how small,
even if it only benefits and helps a single being.’ By that very attitude the
bodhisattvas will then surpass even an unstinting offering of everything
there is in all the world systems in the ten directions. It would even surpass
those roots of virtue that arise from the generosity of as many bodhisattvas
as there are atoms in all the world systems in the ten directions, and it would
cause the progress of those bodhisattvas toward unsurpassed and perfect
buddhahood to be irreversible. It would make them universal monarchs for
as many times as there are grains of sand in the Ganges. Likewise, it would
cause them to become Brahmā and Śakra as many times as there are grains of
sand in the Ganges. And why? [F.196.a]
1.120 “Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas who develop compassion for others come to
uphold four qualities thanks to the roots of virtue of such compassion. What
are these four? They will master (1) a stable mind, (2) a mind without anger,
(3) a compassionate mind, and (4) they will attain unmistaken wisdom by
abandoning mistaken cognition. They also uphold four other qualities. What
are these four? (1) They uphold a foremost and perfect discipline, and
because they are in possession of this foremost and perfect discipline, they
do not have to rely on any gods. (2) They attain supreme and perfect
mindfulness and, because they possess such supreme and perfect
 mindfulness, they become mindful of feelings. (3) They come to follow a
supreme and perfect spiritual friend, and because they have such a supreme
and perfect spiritual friend, those bodhisattvas never stray from becoming
buddhas. (4) They will be born in buddha realms in which there is always the
presence of a buddha. Even if there should not be any buddha present, they
will be born in Jambudvīpa as holy beings who become recipients of
generosity from those who live in that continent. As solitary buddhas or
those with the five types of superknowledge, they will be free from the
attachments of desire, and they will make beings there happy. As they bring
people happiness, they will offer them alms, while the gods will protect
them. If they should ever become careless, the gods from the pure realms
will encourage them in the right direction. Having been encouraged in this
way, they will then be eager to practice for unsurpassed and perfect
buddhahood, without losing sight of that goal.
1.121 “Thus, they will diligently practice the causes of awakening. Mañjuśrī,
when those bodhisattvas engender the mind of awakening, they come to
uphold five purifying qualities. What are these five? They attain (1) pure
discipline, [F.196.b] (2) pure body, (3) pure attainment of perfect physical
marks, and (5) pure training in roots of virtue, and they come to rely on the
Buddha, on the Dharma, on the Saṅgha, on the bodhisattvas, and on
engendering the mind of awakening. Mañjuśrī, these are the five purifying
qualities that they come to uphold.

1.122 “Mañjuśrī,24 suppose some noble son or daughter was to kill all the beings
in Jambudvīpa and rob them of all their possessions. Mañjuśrī, if you
compare that act to the act of another noble son or daughter who created
obstacles for a bodhisattva’s single virtuous intention, be it no more than
blocking the roots of virtue of giving a single morsel of food to an animal,
then this latter act would create immeasurably more negativity than the
former. And why? Because it would create obstacles for the roots of virtue
that cause a buddha to appear.
1.123 “Mañjuśrī, noble sons or daughters may create obstacles by criticizing,
slandering, and opposing a bodhisattva who is devoted to a precious
discourse like this, which has come forth from the wisdom of the Buddha, or
they may cause the bodhisattva to give up such roots of virtue or lose
interest in them. In such cases, by accumulating such roots of nonvirtue,
those persons will be born among the beings in the great hells. Once born
there, those persons will obtain bodies five hundred leagues tall. On those
bodies there will be five hundred heads, each one of them with five hundred
tongues. On each of these tongues there will be five hundred plows
plowing.
1.124 “For as many eons as it takes that bodhisattva to awaken to perfect
buddhahood, those hell beings will have to endure great suffering in the
great hells. And why? Because they created obstacles for the manifestation of
a buddha. Those who create obstacles for the manifestation of a buddha
[F.197.a] are cutting themselves off from the family of the Buddha. They are
cutting themselves off from the family of the Dharma. They are cutting
themselves off from the family of the Saṅgha. They are cutting themselves off
from the family of the gods. They are cutting themselves off from the family
of all Brahmā gods. They are cutting themselves off from the world of
humans. They are cutting themselves off from the happiness of all beings.
1.125 “Mañjuśrī, those who attempt to disrupt the roots of virtue of a
bodhisattva will experience great sufferings such as these. And why?
Because all bodhisattvas awaken to perfect buddhahood through such
accumulations of roots of virtue. Once they awaken, they turn the wheel of
Dharma for others who, once they hear the Dharma, become stream enterers,
once-returners, non-returners, worthy ones, and solitary buddhas, as well as
gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three,
the Heaven Free from Strife, the Heaven of Joy, the Heaven of Delighting in
Emanations, and the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations. Such
beings also become the moon and the sun; they become the great Gaṇapati
of the groups of stars and planets. They become Rudra and Great Rudra. It is
in dependence on the Buddha that there appear the gods in the heavens of
Brahmā, Great Brahmā, High Priests of Brahmā, Limited Light, and Limitless
Light, as well as the Luminous Heaven, Heaven of Limited Virtue, Heaven
of Limitless Virtue, Heaven of Perfected Virtue, Cloudless Heaven, Heaven
of Increased Merit, Heaven of Great Fruition, Unlofty Heaven, Heaven of No
Hardship, Sublime Heaven, Gorgeous Heaven, and the Highest Heaven. It
is in dependence on the Buddha that beings are born in the world as
universal monarchs, powerful universal monarchs, and minor kings and as
sages with the five types of superknowledge. It is in dependence on the
Buddha that the path of the ten virtues appears in the world. [F.197.b] It is in
dependence on the Buddha that beings are born in the world of humans. It is
in dependence on the Buddha that beings come to have happiness and great
wealth, plentiful treasuries, and very fine bodies and that they can travel by
elephants, by horses, and with infantry.
1.126 “Mañjuśrī,25 when a bodhisattva visits other people’s homes, those who
create jealousy or stinginess toward that bodhisattva should know that there
are three great dangers that occur on such grounds. What are those three?
They are the danger of taking birth in hell, the danger of being born blind,
and the danger of being born in the borderlands. Mañjuśrī, if bodhisattvas
receive alms and share them with those who starve, the poor, the needy, and
 the destitute, then that root of virtue will ensure that, as they pass to the next
life, they will be born as universal monarchs with great miraculous abilities.
Mañjuśrī, if bodhisattvas teach the Dharma to some householders and,
motivated by compassion, aspire for their well-being and benefit, hoping
that the listeners may find happiness and success without themselves being
concerned with profit or honor, then that root of virtue will sharpen their
insight and cause them to become universal monarchs with great miraculous
abilities. They will become Śakra with great miraculous abilities. They will
become Brahmā with great miraculous abilities. Mañjuśrī, if bodhisattvas feel
compassion when seeing beings who suffer and feel exhilarated when
seeing beings who are happy, then, as they pass to the next life, that root of
virtue will cause their bodies to be the color of gold.” [B3]

1.127 Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, with
regard to what is the path of the noble ones explained?”
1.128 The Blessed One said, “The path of the noble ones is explained with
regard to the existence of conditioning. The path of the noble ones does not
remain anywhere. [F.198.a] Where there is no remaining, there is also no
support for consciousness. And when consciousness is not supported, that
is referred to as remaining on the path. That which is the support of the path of
the noble ones is also the support of the eyes, the support of the ears, the
support of the nose, the support of the tongue, the support of the body, and
the support of the mind. And why? The eyes are devoid of eyes. Likewise,
the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind are also devoid of
themselves. If you wonder how they are devoid, they are void of past, future,
and present. As for the eyes being void, their voidness is neither existent nor
nonexistent. Likewise, as for the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the
mind being void, their voidness is neither existent nor nonexistent. In the
case of form, sound, smell, taste, texture, and mental phenomena, their
voidness is neither existent nor nonexistent. And why? Because it is utterly
devoid of a self and anything that belongs to a self. It is entirely devoid of
anything that is permanent, stable, solid, or immutable. Hence, it cannot be
described as either empty or not empty, nor can it be described as either past
or not past, future or not future, or present or not present. Thus, it cannot be
said to be past, present, or future. It cannot be described in such terms. And
why? Because it is empty of the past, the future, and the present. That which
is empty of past, future, and present is also pure in terms of past, future, and
present. Mañjuśrī, tell me, is it possible to destroy the indestructible?”
1.129 Mañjuśrī replied, “No, Blessed One, it is not. And why? Because it remains
the same and will never be anything but the very same.”
1.130 The Blessed One said, “In the same way, Mañjuśrī, [F.198.b] the Thus-
Gone One’s teaching of the Dharma remains nothing but the same. Mañjuśrī,
if something remains nothing but the same, it cannot be destroyed. That
which is indestructible and remains the same does not contain anything that
is not the same. It is not dependent, does not come, and does not go. It is the
true end of going. It cannot be known. By what means is it unknowable? It
cannot be known through the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the
mind. It cannot be known by means of any type of conditioning. It is the
cessation of all conditioning related to body, speech, and mind. What causes
this cessation? Is this the cessation of something that arose in the past and
then subsequently ceased? Or is this a cessation in terms of something that
was destroyed in the past? Is there something that ceases by being
destroyed? The conditioning of nonvirtuous karma is produced because
previously one remained in ignorance. Yet with knowledge of this fact,
conditioning ceases. If one previously did not rely on the Dharma of the
noble ones but remained in ignorance, one would perform nonvirtuous
actions. Yet when one relies on the path of the noble ones, one gains
realization through wisdom, and thus conditioning will cease.
1.131 “That which is empty of wisdom is emptiness. The eye is empty of wisdom
and so are the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind. Why is
that? Because wisdom is empty of wisdom. And emptiness is the eyes, the
ears, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind. Since the mind is not
observed, the eye does not contain any eye. And why? Utterly unborn, the
eye does not remain. The same applies to the ears, the nose, the tongue, the
body, and the mind. When the mind is not observed, the eyes, the ears, the
nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind do not remain in the mind. And
why? Because the eye is utterly unborn. Thus, the eyes, the ears, the nose,
the tongue, the body, and the mind do not remain. Since they do not remain,
they are serene, and thus one now abides by means of a mind of seclusion.
1.132 “What is meant by ‘seclusion’? Mañjuśrī, ‘seclusion’ refers to the limit of
the sameness of all phenomena, the limit of nonduality, the limit of reality,
[F.199.a] and the limit of non-occurrence. Mañjuśrī, in seclusion there is no
birth, old age, or death. Where there is no birth, old age, or death, there is no
suffering. Where there is no suffering, suffering does not arise. Where
suffering does not arise, there is no fear. Where there is no fear, there is no
mind or consciousness. Where there is no mind or consciousness, there is no
birth and no cessation. Where there is no birth and no cessation, there is
seclusion. Since this is how the Thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha remains,
it is said that he remains in seclusion.
1.133 “Mañjuśrī, the Thus-Gone One does not remain. The examination of the
Thus-Gone One is beyond examination. Not seeing any phenomena is
seeing the Thus-Gone One. The words of the Thus-Gone One are beyond all
words and cannot be set forth. And why? Because, Mañjuśrī, I teach the
Dharma in terms of the cessation of the teaching of all letters and words as
related to all phenomena. Thus, Mañjuśrī, the Thus-Gone One does not utter
a single syllable. And why? Because in the case of the Thus-Gone One there
are no mental engagements. He is beyond the workings of the mind and has
no thoughts springing from the mind. For him there is no activity of the
mind, no ascertainment of the mind, and no movement of the mind. He is
beyond all thoughts of the mind. He has no basis for mind and is free from
any consciousness that arises from mind. He has no place for a personal
mind, nor does he have a place for the minds of others. The Thus-Gone One
does not have a mind that abides among form, feeling, perception, formation,
and consciousness. He does not have a mind that abides in relation to the
eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body, or the mind. The Thus-Gone
One does not have a mind that abides in relation to form, sound, smell, taste,
texture, or mental phenomena. And why? Because, Mañjuśrī, the Thus-Gone
One is peaceful, serene, resting always in equanimity, not apparent,
invisible, [F.199.b] endless, and cloud-like. Although that surely is the case,
beings nevertheless perceive the Thus-Gone One. This is due to the power
of their past roots of virtue combined with the past aspirations of the Thus-
Gone One and the transformative power of his activity. Thus they can reflect
on him and ask him questions. Those with mature faculties and those who
have been tamed are therefore able to hear his speech. And why? Because
the Thus-Gone One is unborn and unceasing.
1.134 “Whoever does not see any nature in phenomena sees the Thus-Gone
One. Whoever does not see any phenomena sees the Thus-Gone One. And
why? Because, Mañjuśrī, the Thus-Gone One is beyond all phenomena. He
can therefore not be described in terms of any phenomenon, and he is also
beyond the absence of expression. And why? Because no phenomenon can
be observed. Whoever does not observe any phenomena or non-phenomena,
anything conditioned or unconditioned, sees the Thus-Gone One. And why?
Because, Mañjuśrī, the Thus-Gone One is beyond all phenomena. He does
not accept any phenomena, does not appropriate any phenomena, and does
not impute any phenomena. Mañjuśrī, the cessation of all phenomena is the
Thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha. Seeing all phenomena as they truly are
is to see the Thus-Gone One. And why? Because, Mañjuśrī, regarding the
Thus-Gone One, it is like this: If one does not perceive any phenomena, and
if one sees the Thus-Gone One in that same way, then one will understand
the statement, ‘All phenomena are the Thus-Gone One.’ Moreover, one will
 understand the statement, ‘All phenomena are suchness, unmistaken
suchness, and nothing but suchness —unborn and unceasing.’ One will also
understand the statement, ‘No object and beyond object—such is the domain
of the Thus-Gone One.’ [F.200.a]

1.135 “Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas who rest in this absorption know with their single
minds the mental activities of all beings. Due to the sameness of their own
minds, they realize the minds of all beings to be sameness. And due to the
sameness of the minds of all beings, they realize their own minds to be
sameness. And why is that? Because mind is illusory and because the minds
of all beings are naturally luminous. As their own bodies are the natural
state, they realize the bodies of all beings to be the natural state. And why?
Since all bodies are like reflections, they can let the bodies of all beings enter
and merge with their own bodies. They can also make their own bodies
follow and merge with the bodies of all beings. To properly train others, the
body of the Buddha can transform into the body of any being. That is also
how it is according to the vehicles of the hearers and the solitary buddhas.
He can transform his own body, the bodies of others, and various realms.
Likewise, according to his wishes, he can transform the lement of earth into
the element of water, the element of fire, or the element of wind. He can
transform the element of water into the element of earth, the element of fire,
or the element of wind. He can transform the element of fire into the element
of earth, the element of water, or the element of wind. He can transform the
element of wind into the element of earth, the element of water, or the
element of fire. His transformative power is such that it would be impossible
for anyone else in the world, whether Śakra, Brahmā, or Māra, to inspire or
bring alignment with the Dharma to the same degree.
1.136 “Mañjuśrī, the four types of correct understanding, [F.200.b] the six types
of superknowledge, the thirty-seven factors of awakening, and the four
transformative powers will enter the bodies of the bodhisattva great beings,
who aspire to this activity. Mañjuśrī, how do the four types of correct
understanding, the six types of superknowledge, the thirty-seven factors of
awakening, and the four transformative powers enter the bodies of such
bodhisattva great beings?
1.137 “Mañjuśrī, when the bodhisattvas’ consciousness does not observe form,
they correctly apprehend the meaning. By relying on the actual meaning,
they correctly understand the Dharma. When the bodhisattvas realize that
phenomena are unborn, unmanifest, and unceasing, they gain a correct
understanding of language. When they gain certainty of language, they
obtain correct understanding of eloquence.
1.138 “When, upon seeing form, the bodhisattvas keep their eyes unattached
and unobscured with regard to the elements and sense sources, they obtain
an unimpaired visual superknowledge. As they hear all meanings related to
form even when just a single syllable is being uttered, they attain an
unimpaired, unattached, and unobscured aural superknowledge. As they
know the minds and mind states of all beings while remaining unattached
and beyond separation, they achieve an unimpaired, unattached, and
unobscured superknowledge of the minds of others. As they know the
mental experiences of all beings to be nothing but sameness, they obtain an
unimpaired, unattached, and unobscured superknowledge that recollects
previous births. As they act altruistically by means of a discipline that does
not observe former and future words or the limitless forms of language, they
develop an unimpaired, spontaneous, unattached, and unobscured
superknowledge of miraculous manifestations. They are without desire —
whether in the past, the future, or the present—and, being free from desire,
[F.201.a] their minds are unstained by attachment, anger, and delusion. Thus,
they attain an unimpaired, unattached, and unobscured superknowledge
with regard to actualizing an undefiled mind.
1.139 “Since they understand by means of sameness, they know that form is
unborn, unceasing, and non-abiding. That is the application of mindfulness
of the body that accords with the body. With the knowledge of sameness,
they understand that experiences concerning form are unborn. That is the
application of mindfulness of sensations that accords with sensations. With
the knowledge of sameness, they understand that the various observations
of form are divorced from the mind and do not involve it. That absence of
mind is the application of mindfulness of the mind that accords with the
mind. With the knowledge of sameness, they have no erroneous notions
regarding the twelve sense sources, nor do they have any erroneous mind
states or views, and they do not advance or posit anything. That is the
application of mindfulness of phenomena that accords with phenomena.
1.140 “Since they understand the indivisible nature of the realm of phenomena,
they know form to be unborn, unceasing, and non-abiding, and they do not
entertain any notions of virtue or nonvirtue. That is the thorough
relinquishment that abandons all phenomena related to negative and
nonvirtuous minds and those mental states that have already arisen. Since
they have no conceptual activity, they know form to be unborn, unceasing,
and non-abiding, and, by not transcending suffering, they do not interpolate
or reduce. Thus, by not dwelling on form, they abandon nonvirtue. That is
their thorough relinquishment that avoids the arising of evil and those
nonvirtuous phenomena that have not yet arisen. Since they have no
conceptual activity, they know all visual forms to be unborn, unceasing, and
 non-abiding. Moreover, since they understand that the realm of phenomena
is unborn sameness, they do not label or posit anything. Thus, without any
observation of nonvirtue, they give rise to those virtuous phenomena that
have not yet come into being. [F.201.b] That is the thorough relinquishment
that gives rise to virtuous phenomena that have not yet come into being.
Since they have no conceptual activity, they know form to be unborn,
unceasing, and non-abiding. Since they know that form is non-abiding,
unborn, and unceasing, they do not label or posit anything. Instead, they
practice virtue without perceiving virtue. That is the thorough
relinquishment that ensures that virtuous phenomena continue.
1.141 “By way of not being affected, they are intent not to dwell on form but to
remain unobscured with regard to it. Moreover, due to the sameness of the
realm of phenomena, they pervade form with all appearances of color. They
also have the intention to tame others in accord with their level of
maturation. That is the basis of miraculous power in terms of the meditative
absorption of intention.
1.142 “They are uninterrupted and continue forever without end. Therefore,
with regard to form, they possess a diligence that is free from accepting and
rejecting. As such they delight in maturing those to be tamed by means of
their miraculous displays that are beyond conditioning. By means of the
indivisibility of reality, they obtain the basis of miraculous power related to
diligence, which is also the absorption of the Thus-Gone One’s wisdom
beyond attainment.
1.143 “Since they are free from clinging to and engaging with form, they rest in
sameness and have utterly transcended observation. In this way they abide
within the seal of the Thus-Gone One’s wisdom and rest in equipoise within
his all-pervasive concentration. That is the basis of miraculous power related
to attention, which attains the miracles of the Thus-Gone One.
1.144 “Due to the wisdom that lies beyond discernment, they know with
certainty that form is unborn, and, due to the indivisible nature, they discern
all characteristics to be of a single nature. As they discern the wisdom of the
Thus-Gone One, their magical manifestations satisfy the minds of all beings.
That is the basis of miraculous power related to discernment.
1.145 “As all phenomena are beyond attainment, they are not fixated on any
visual observation of form. In this way they feel faith and take hold of that
faculty of faith. [F.202.a] They also feel a faith in all qualities where both form
and the formless have been equalized. With the faculty undiminished, they
produce faith in the wisdom of the Thus-Gone One. That is the faculty of
faith.
1.146 “Being free from reducing or interpolating anything, all observation with
regard to form turns into a single gateway, and the continuity of practice
becomes unbroken. This is known as diligence. Then, in a manner beyond
observation, the wisdom of the Thus-Gone One becomes unbroken. That is
the faculty of diligence.
1.147 “By applying their faculties to the abode of the Thus-Gone One, with
regard to form the bodhisattvas go beyond mindfulness and transcends all
observation, thus becoming singularly mindful. In this way they are mindful
of the single characteristic throughout the three times. That is what is
referred to as mindfulness. As the minds of all beings are all equal in being
mind, a single observation pervades all the realms of beings. This
transformative power of the perception of the Thus-Gone One is the faculty
of mindfulness.
1.148 “As they are free from birth, cessation, and distraction, all mental activity
with regard to form has merged into one. The absorptions of form and the
formless have merged into one point, as have all features. Being undistracted
in the wisdom that engages the faculty of the Thus-Gone One, as well as
being undistracted in the extraordinary vajra-like absorption, is what is
known as absorption. All absorptions are unborn, and they are free of
distraction and becomes unassailable. That is the faculty of absorption.
1.149 “With regard to form, the bodhisattvas engage in the activity that
comprises all non-abiding insight, absorptions, equipoises, and the unborn
limit. With the insight that engages the unborn nature of all phenomena,
they transcend everything conditioned as well as the unconditioned. Being
beyond the need for an antidote, they engage with the single characteristic
of form. That is known as insight, and, [F.202.b] since they have become
unassailable by fleeting consciousness, it is also known as the faculty of
insight.
1.150 “The power of faith is to be unassailable due to26 non-attachment and non-
observation with regard to form and to never lose faith.
1.151 “The power of diligence is to delight in the transformative power that
pervades form, to transcend all notions of being powerful or not, and to
accomplish such power of a thus-gone one over the elements.
1.152 “The power of mindfulness refers to an absence of concepts and
affirmations with regard to form. It is a spontaneous mindful awareness, the
supreme engagement in the ultimate, and in accord with the limit of reality.
It is an application of mindfulness of the Thus-Gone One’s Dharma body and
a knowledge that is unassailable by any hearer or solitary buddha.
1.153 “The power of absorption refers to being unassailable because of
perfecting the Thus-Gone One’s wisdom, gaining accomplishment of the
activity of the realm of phenomena, attaining spontaneous accomplishment
 of the absorption of the thus-gone ones, and actualizing the consciousness
that is undistracted from all incorrect mind states with regard to form.
1.154 “The power of insight with regard to form refers to an undisturbed
understanding of the realm of phenomena, knowing the nonduality of
extremes and no extremes, being spontaneously mindful of meditative
composure, and knowing the non-abiding nature.
1.155 “The bodhisattvas realize a mindfulness that is beyond fixation on form. It
is in harmony with the domain of the Thus-Gone One and connected with
the unborn nature. Being mindful of those states in a way that is without
focused mental attention, they awaken. This is the branch of awakening
concerned with mindfulness.
1.156 “With regard to form, they know the realm of phenomena, are skilled in
analyzing by means of a yogic perception that is beyond observation, and
understand the correct and the incorrect. This is the branch of awakening
concerned with the analysis of phenomena.
1.157 “Since the nature of form is the Dharma body, [F.203.a] they correctly
understand this in an unassailable manner and, in order to awaken to the
natural state, do not relinquish their diligence. This is the branch of
awakening concerned with diligence.
1.158 “With regard to form, they have become skilled in distinguishing its
indivisible nature, have mastered examination, fully discerns its natural
presence, and have accomplished non-abiding knowledge. They experience
the joy of pliable absorption, equipoise, and wisdom. This is the branch of
awakening concerned with joy.
1.159 “The bodhisattvas know that the consciousness that continuously
engages in observation of form and all sense sources of awakening is a
sameness beyond concepts of entity and nonentity. This is the branch of
awakening concerned with pliability.
1.160 “When they observe form, they know that all phenomena are sameness.
Thus when the circumstances for the stainless branches of awakening, as
well as all absorptions and equipoises, have been awakened into one state,
that is the branch of awakening concerned with absorption.
1.161 “The absence of entities with regard to form has been understood to be
the state of sameness; they apprehend the sameness of everything —both
form and the formless. Likewise, determination and analysis become
sameness and are spontaneously accomplished. Identifications and wisdom
become sameness. All qualities that have been attained are realized to be
unborn, unmoving, absorption, and sameness. And the branches of
awakening, all paths, the unborn limit, and all attainments are no longer
sought. This is the branch of awakening concerned with sameness.
1.162 “When viewing form, correct view is to see the elements and sense
sources as having the nature of non-entities. By way of having parts and not
having parts, they are seen as sameness. As the path of the noble ones is
seen as not truly a path, the bodhisattva does not entertain any views.
[F.203.b] As the path of the noble ones and all views are seen to be without
any characteristics, they do not have any views. Instead, since there is no
disturbance, this is referred to as the genuine view. Since all phenomena are
seen, this is known as the view. As the unborn is attained, it is termed the
path. In terms of sameness, it is known as the genuine mode. Being
unobscured, it is referred to as the view. As it applies to all paths and non-
paths, it is termed the path.
1.163 “Correct conception occurs when all concepts and thoughts regarding
form are the same. In that way, the bodhisattvas do not conceive of entities
or non-entities, do not conceive of disruption or permanence, do not
conceive of birth or non-birth, do not conceive of concepts or no concepts,
and do not conceive of nonthought, nonconceptuality, or the correct path.
1.164 “Correct speech refers to knowing sameness in the sense that, with regard
to form, all phenomena are beyond language and speech, pronunciation and
non-pronunciation. They have no names and are unnamable. They are
beyond examination and they are not the branches of the path. The word
correct does not relate to any verbal mode and is not uttered. Still, all the
qualities of the so-called path are uttered.
1.165 “Correct action is to view all actions with regard to form as non-actions.
They are not something that one performs, and they should therefore not be
conceived of as such. Those who attain the state of not acting do not
investigate. They do not take up any type of investigation, such as wrong
investigation, correct investigation, active investigation, non-active
investigation, or any other type of action or non-action. In this way all the
endless actions, whether certain, uncertain, correct, incorrect, virtuous,
nonvirtuous, neutral, non-transferring, related to the path, or not related to
the path, are seen to be unborn. Without engaging in any action, the
bodhisattvas see all actions as optical illusions. [F.204.a]
1.166 “Correct livelihood is to know the sameness of the pleasant and the
unpleasant concerning form and to rest within the realm of phenomena
without any observation of correct or incorrect livelihood. Being without
observation in this way, livelihood and action fall away. ‘Correct’ here means
sameness. ‘Livelihood’ means upholding the Dharma of the noble ones.
‘Path’ and ‘non-path’ refer to the path that is free from striving. ‘Livelihood’
also refers to not having any thoughts or notions concerning livelihood or
lack of livelihood. ‘Correct’ means to abide within sameness. Such is correct
livelihood.
1.167 “Correct effort is to be effortless in body, speech, and mind concerning
forms due to the sameness of the realm of phenomena. Thus, bodhisattvas
are effortless with regard to the realm of phenomena. ‘Correct’ means free
from accepting and rejecting any phenomena that abide within the unborn
nature. ‘Effortless’ is a term for not having any observation in terms of body,
speech, and mind. ‘Path’ means to strive for the objective of the noble ones
via freedom from acceptance and rejection as well as to transcend striving.
1.168 “Correct mindfulness is to practice mindfulness of form by virtue of being
without mindfulness. Such absence of mindfulness is sameness in which one
rests without using mindfulness to objectify something. ‘Correct’ is a term
for the sameness in the absence of objectification beyond imputation.
‘Mindfulness’ is a term for recollecting the aggregates, the elements, and the
sense sources. It refers to recollecting emptiness, the absence of marks, and
the absence of wishes. Thus, it is a term for the effortless recollection of the
absorption of the Thus-Gone One.
1.169 “Correct absorption is to know the indivisible nature of form, which is also
the correct practice of the activities related to sameness and absorption.
Knowing the sameness of form also entails knowing the sameness of
feelings, perception, formation, [F.204.b] and consciousness. Knowing the
sameness of the aggregates, the bodhisattvas will also correctly perceive the
sameness of absorption. They will then also correctly perceive the sameness
of the absorption of the Thus-Gone One’s family. When they perceive the
absorption of the Thus-Gone One’s family, they perceive the sameness of all
phenomena. When they perceive the sameness of all the qualities of the
Buddha, they perceive the sameness of all the qualities of ordinary and
immature beings. The absorption that perceives the sameness of all the
qualities of ordinary and immature beings also perceives the sameness of all
the qualities of the Buddha. With the sameness of absorption, they perceive
the sameness of the past aggregates, elements, and sense sources. Likewise,
they perceive the sameness of the future and present aggregates, elements,
and sense sources. Just as they perceive the aggregates, elements, and sense
sources, so they also perceive karma and its ripening. Thus, the bodhisattvas
rest in the type of absorption that equalizes the three times.
1.170 “Correct knowledge is to know thatness and suchness concerning form
and thereby know the truth. The bodhisattvas feel devotion to the truth that
the nature of reality is also the nature of the aggregates, elements, and sense
sources and, moreover, that the absence of the nature of reality is also the
absence of the nature of the aggregates, elements, and sense sources.
‘Transformative power’ refers to the unfailing reality. And why? Because
whatever is unfailing is also true. When they are grounded in that, they will
utter pure aspirations and perform pure activity. They will be blessed to
 manifest emanations of the Thus-Gone One based on the aggregates,
elements, and sense sources. Knowing the sameness of the truth of the earth
element, they will also know the sameness of the truths of the water, fire,
and wind elements. [F.205.a] They will also know the sameness of space,
qualities, sounds, optical illusions, and reflections. They will also know the
sameness of characteristics and the absence of characteristics, being
attached and not being attached, brief and elaborate eons, limited and
limitless eons, eons with and without buddhas, past and future eons, future
and past eons, and present and future and past eons, as well as past and
future and present eons. Eons of pollution merge with eons of purification,
eons of purification with eons of pollution, and blessed eons with eons of
sameness. The knowledge of such merging comes from the absence of such
concepts. This is the truth of the realm of phenomena, and thus it is also
known as the transformative power of truth. This is the truth of form. Likewise, it
is the truth of feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. All truthful
speech that rests within that state is blessed. Such is the transformative
power of truth.
1.171 “Because of resting in equanimity, the bodhisattvas do not grasp at form,
are without thoughts, and are generous and renunciate. That is the
transformative power of generosity. Knowing not to accept and reject form is
the pacification of all movements and fluctuations. ‘Transformative power’
refers to the transformation of all pollution into purification as one abides in
that peace. ‘Purification’ is to bless pollution. When resting in that peace, one
can demonstrate all types of activities. For example, one can stimulate desire
in those who observe celibacy, and by manifesting in the form of Vajrapāṇi
one can make those who act in non-peaceful ways, as well as all demons,
become interested in the transformative power of peace. The transformative
power of peace [F.205.b] pacifies, calms, and soothes all ordinary and
immature beings. Perceiving the attainment of the transformative power of
peace is called the transformative power of thorough pacification.
1.172 “The transformative power of insight refers to knowing that form is
indivisible from the realm of phenomena. This is known without labelling or
positing anything. With nonconceptual insight, all phenomena related to
utter and thorough peace and the freedom from conceptual constructs, as
well as the aggregates, elements, and sense sources, are blessed to be the
omniscient state. Alternatively, ‘transformative power’ relates to the
omniscient state, which is the abode of insight. That is why one’s body,
which is just a fathom tall, should be thought of as the world. It should be
thought of as the source of the world, the end of the world, the path that
leads to the end of the world, and also as the wisdom of omniscience. That is
the transformative power of insight.”
1.173 At this point, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One,
what are the powers that bodhisattva great beings must possess in order to
attain this absorption of the miraculous ascertainment of peace?”
1.174 The Blessed One replied to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, there are
thirty-six pure wisdom powers that bodhisattva great beings must possess
to attain the absorption of the miraculous ascertainment of peace. What are these
thirty-six powers? They are the wisdom power of pure altruism, the wisdom
power of pure aspiration, the wisdom power of pure roots of virtue, the
wisdom power of pure dedication, the wisdom power of pure learning, the
wisdom power of purified karmic obscuration, the wisdom power of pure
ritual and experience, [F.206.a] the wisdom power of pure mindfulness, the
wisdom power of pure skillfulness, the wisdom power of pure observation of
beings, the wisdom power of pure observation of characteristics, the wisdom
power of pure abandonment, the wisdom power of pure acceptance of
beings, the wisdom power of pure and great love, the wisdom power of pure
and great compassion, the wisdom power of pure and great joy and
sameness, the wisdom power of pure discipline, the wisdom power of pure
acceptance of discipline, the wisdom power of pure patience, the wisdom
power of pure acceptance of patience, the wisdom power of pure diligence,
the wisdom power of pure application of diligence, the wisdom power of
pure skillfulness regarding the elements, the wisdom power of pure skill in
concentration, the wisdom power of pure skill in tranquility, the wisdom
power of pure insight, the wisdom power of pure certainty with regard to
learning, the wisdom power of pure certainty with regard to both the
worldly and the otherworldly, the wisdom power of purified consciousness,
the wisdom power of purified conditioned and unconditioned phenomena,
the wisdom power of pure skill in special insight, the wisdom power of pure
knowledge and liberation, the wisdom power of pure patience with regard
to unborn phenomena, the wisdom power of the pure characteristic beyond
characteristics, [F.206.b] the wisdom power of pure ultimate and relative
truths, and the wisdom power of pure yearning and diligence. Mañjuśrī,
when bodhisattva great beings possess these thirty-six pure wisdom
powers, they attain the absorption of the miraculous ascertainment of peace.
1.175 “Mañjuśrī, consider this contemplation. Bodhisattvas may spend as many
eons as there are atoms in ten universes making offerings in each of the
world systems in the ten directions to as many buddhas, bodhisattvas,
hearers, and solitary buddhas as there are grains of sand in the Ganges by
providing them with divine meals, with clothes made from divine fabrics,
and with as many world systems as there are atoms in all the world systems
in the great trichiliocosm filled to the brim with wish-fulfilling jewels.
Having made these offerings, the bodhisattvas may then commemorate
 those thus-gone ones by building a memorial for each of them, each
memorial as large as this world, made of gems in all colors, and reaching to
the peak of existence. They may then surround these memorials with a
railing of glittering gems and adorn them with a latticework of wish-
fulfilling gems and garlands of banners before anointing them with
sandalwood incense. In this way there would be as many offerings as there
are atoms in ten universes. Finally, the bodhisattvas may offer incomparable
divine offerings to each of the memorials for as many eons as there are atoms
in ten buddha realms. On the other hand, other bodhisattvas may faithfully
aspire to this absorption and, because of that, offer something as simple as a
single meal to a being who has been born as an animal. Compared to the
merit created by these latter bodhisattvas, the merit created by the former
bodhisattvas would not equal even one percent of it. Nor would it equal a
thousandth, a hundred thousandth, a billionth, a ten billionth, or a trillionth
of that. In fact, no example or comparison would suffice. [F.207.a]
1.176 “Mañjuśrī, compared to bodhisattvas who first develop trust in this
absorption and then render service to as many blessed buddhas as there are
atoms in all the world systems in the ten directions, providing them with all
kinds of pleasures, other bodhisattvas who properly immerse themselves in
this absorption will create uncountably greater merit. Mañjuśrī, compared to
bodhisattvas who make offerings to the Three Jewels for ten thousand eons,
other bodhisattvas who hear the name of this absorption of the miraculous
ascertainment of peace and just briefly form the wish to hear this teaching will
develop inconceivably more merit in terms of attaining the wisdom of the
Buddha.”
1.177 Then the Blessed One spoke these verses:

“Being mindful and intelligent,

Insightful and fearless,
Throughout all lifetimes —
This is the practice of awakening.

1.178 “If beings are delighted for even a moment

By the splendid arising of the Buddha,
They abandon the eight inopportune states
Of which I have spoken previously.

1.179 “They obtain a perfect body and hue,

Beautifully adorned with all the marks,
Strong and powerful,
And without any indolent desires.

1.180 “They become happy, wealthy,

 And meritorious, and they gain miraculous abilities.
Witnessing the sun of the world,
Again and again they pay homage.

1.181 “As they hear the teaching on no-self and emptiness,

They are without confusion regarding the Dharma.
Being learned regarding the nature of phenomena,
They quickly develop devotion.

1.182 “Being of noble birth and with wealth,

They will always enjoy happiness.
They become courageous benefactors
Who give freely without miserliness.

1.183 “They will be born in the houses

Of those in the world
Who are uniquely noble and of illustrious family,
And they will not take unfortunate rebirths.

1.184 “In all such lives,

They will be powerful and renowned householders. [F.207.b]
Glory and splendor will be theirs
As they rejoice in this way of practice.

1.185 “As brahmins as mighty as the sāla tree,

They will be disciplined and learned.
As rulers as mighty as the sāla tree,
They will have great pleasures and wealth.

1.186 “Exalted by means of their treasury of merit,

They will become kings with miraculous abilities.
They will become teachers of the Dharma,
Teaching in the world with its oceans and central mountain.

1.187 “They will be lords possessing the seven riches.

They will be powerful universal monarchs.
As kings they will pay their respects
To the Buddha again and again.

1.188 “As they pass away, they will go to the higher realms,
Where they will develop faith in the teaching of the Buddha.
They will be born as Śakra, ruler of the gods,
The lord ruling the peak of the central mountain.

1.189 “As rulers of the gods, they will be born in the Heaven Free from Strife,
 And likewise in the Heaven of Joy.
As rulers of the gods they employ emanations;
They are powerful and fearless.

1.190 “Rejoicing in this way of practice,

They become the foremost Brahmā in the Brahmā Heavens.
Being learned, they become lords venerated
By many millions of gods.

1.191 “Those who rejoice repeatedly

In this precious discourse
Will obtain qualities so great
That their extent will be inexpressible.

1.192 “If they form the wish for awakening,

They will not become lost,
Even for ten million eons.
Instead, they will become unsurpassed teachers.

1.193 “Grass blades, mountains, trees,

Vines, herbs,
Flowers and fruit bushes
Will bow down wherever they go.

1.194 “Engaged in the disciplined conduct

Practiced since the time of Dīpaṃkara,
They will illuminate with limitless light
The world systems in the ten directions.

1.195 “All the flowers, fruits, and leaves

On the trees in the past,
The present, and the future
Will be perceived by them.

1.196 “Billions of buddhas,

Or even many trillions of buddhas,
Would be unable to express
The extent of their qualities.

1.197 “When bodhisattvas

Develop interest in this discourse, [F.208.a]
It would be impossible to fully express
The garlands of praise that they deserve.

1.198 “Those who express the qualities of this discourse

 Will come to possess all those qualities themselves.
They will even have more qualities than those.
In fact, there will be no end to their qualities.

1.199 “But those who feel no joy from this discourse,

Who speak badly of it, saying it is untrue when it is true,
Who in anger speak harshly of it,
And who are agitated about it,

1.200 “Such persons will be born in hell

With huge bodies.
There they will experience painful feelings,
As their bodies will be tormented.

1.201 “Their bodies will take on a size

Measuring five hundred leagues,
And, due to their evil actions,
They will continually be devoured by countless beings.

1.202 “For several eons,

Their bodies will measure five hundred leagues.
They will have five hundred heads —
No fewer than that.

1.203 “On each head they will have

No fewer than five hundred tongues.
On each tongue there will be
No fewer than five hundred plows.

1.204 “Ablaze, the plows will cut their tongues

As a result of the evil of disparaging others.
By speaking harsh words,
They will be burned in the Hell of Extreme Heat.

1.205 “Those who abandon restraint

And harm a bodhisattva
Will be born in hell,
And after that as animals.

1.206 “If they dismiss this way of practice,

They will reap suffering
In the hell of incessant torment
For billions and trillions of eons.

1.207 “Then, after they pass away,

 They will become horrific poisonous snakes,
And, tormented by hunger and thirst,
They will act in horrendous ways.

1.208 “Even if they obtain food,

Their evil actions will prevent any satisfaction.
When they pass away from such a life,
They may be born as a human.

1.209 “Even so, they will be dimwitted and blind.

They will be intent on harm and have no restraint.
By speaking in negative ways,
They will displease the noble ones.

1.210 “As they pass away from human existence,

They will once again be born in the lower realms.
For billions of eons,
they will never see a buddha. [F.208.b]

1.211 “On the other hand,27 by relating to a bodhisattva

In a disciplined manner free from harm,
And by protecting those Dharma teachers
Who uphold the Dharma,

1.212 “They will leave all the lower realms behind

And take birth as Śakra with great miraculous abilities.28
They will also come to rule the Brahmā Heavens,
The Heaven Free from Strife, and the Heaven of Joy.

1.213 “Even should they be born as humans,

They will always be universal monarchs.29
As guild masters and householders,
They will always find happiness and great wealth.

1.214 “For as many eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges,
They will always meet
With fearlessness, perfect mindfulness,
Happiness, and safety.30

1.215 “Life after life,

They will always venerate the Buddha.
Intelligent beings
May venerate the Buddha throughout many eons,

1.216 “Yet other persons may remember

 This discourse
Which was taught by the Protector of the World,
When the Dharma disappears in the future.

1.217 “Even remembering it for just a single day,

They will gain much more merit than those former persons,
And to all the buddhas in the ten directions
They will offer homage.

1.218 “To remember a discourse such as this

Is to venerate
The buddhas of the future
And the buddhas of the past.

1.219 “Mañjuśrī, if bodhisattvas should develop any ill will, animosity, or anger
toward other bodhisattvas who are devoted to this absorption of the
miraculous ascertainment of peace; or if they should go against them and make
trouble for them by saying that they come from low families, have few
possessions, or have little insight; or if they should accuse them of having
damaged discipline, bad complexion, ugly appearance, or no charisma; or
even if they should just feel a moment of resentment for those bodhisattvas,
such negative karma will cause them to burn in the lower realms for an
uncountable number of millions of eons.
1.220 “Mañjuśrī, I do not see any evil whatsoever [F.209.a] that is greater than
developing ill will toward such bodhisattvas. Mañjuśrī, compared to noble
sons or daughters who strike with weapons or beat with sticks all beings in
all the world systems in the great trichiliocosm, noble sons or daughters who
feel just a moment of ill will, animosity, or anger toward bodhisattvas who
are devoted to the Great Vehicle, or who feel anger toward those
bodhisattvas and then form the wish to cause those bodhisattvas trouble,
bring about much greater nonvirtue. Mañjuśrī, as many times as
bodhisattvas give rise to anger toward, or cause trouble for, other
bodhisattvas, for that many eons those bodhisattvas must prepare to don
their armor for life as hell beings.
1.221 “Mañjuśrī, apart from criticizing other bodhisattvas, no other action is able
to cause a bodhisattva’s downfall. Mañjuśrī, it is like this: Apart from a
diamond, no other substance, such as wood, soil, sticks, or weapons, is able
to cut a diamond. Mañjuśrī, likewise, other than bodhisattvas criticizing
other bodhisattvas, no action can bring about their downfall. Mañjuśrī,
compared to noble sons or daughters who distribute offerings to the four
assemblies according to their wishes in each of the world systems in the ten
directions for ten million divine eons, other noble sons or daughters who are
 motivated by a desire for harmony will create infinitely greater virtue merely
by saying, ‘The Thus-Gone One is permanent, the Thus-Gone One is
changeless.’
1.222 “Mañjuśrī, compared to bodhisattvas who offer the Three Jewels
everything they need for one thousand years of the god realms, other
bodhisattvas will create infinitely greater virtue by thinking for merely as
long as it takes a person to snap two fingers, [F.209.b] ‘All conditioned things
are impermanent. All conditioned things are suffering. All conditioned
things are empty. All conditioned things are without a self.’ ”

1.223 When the Thus-Gone One had delivered this Dharma teaching, eight
thousand divine sons formed the attitude set upon awakening, five hundred
nuns obtained the absorption that gathers all into a single vehicle, twelve hundred
bodhisattvas attained acceptance that phenomena are unborn, and the entire
great trichiliocosm shook in six different ways. In order to venerate this
Dharma teaching as well as the Blessed One Śākyamuni, from the sky above
a heavy rain of divine flowers, such as blue lotuses, red lotuses, water lilies,
and white lotuses, fell along with a downpour of sandalwood incense,
fabrics, gems, and jewelry.
1.224 At that time as many bodhisattva great beings as there are atoms in all the
ineffably countless universes paid homage to this Dharma teaching. They
did so by each emanating as many hands as there are atoms in the buddha
realms in the ten directions. With each hand they made countless,
unimaginable, incomparable, and immeasurable offerings as large as the
divine realms, sending forth cloud banks of parasols, banners, standards,
flowers, sandalwood incense, jewelry, bright lion banners,31 gems that shone
in all colors, and wish-fulfilling jewels. As they laid all this before the Blessed
One Śākyamuni, they said:

1.225 “Blessed One, you have spoken well!

Well-Gone One, you have spoken well!
May this Dharma teaching [F.210.a]
Remain long in this world!”

1.226 At that point, a countless and inconceivable number of trillions of gods and
goddesses —a number so immeasurable and inexpressible that it equals the
number of atoms found in all the ineffably many billions of buddha realms —
showered down a rain of divine flowers, such as mandārava,
mahāmandārava, mañjuṣaka, sumanas, paruṣaka, taraṇi, balalaki, kotaraṇi,
saugandhika, and dhanuṣkarideva flowers, blue lotuses, pink lotuses, water
lilies, and white lotuses, as well as cakra and mahācakra flowers. They also
brought down a rain of divine fabrics, parasols, banners, standards,
 sandalwood incense, and cloud banks of gems and jewelry. Śakra, Brahmā,
and an utterly incalculable number of trillions of guardians of the world paid
homage to this Dharma teaching by bringing down a shower of cloud banks
of flowers, fabrics, and jewels the size of the entire world. Likewise, an
incalculable, inconceivable, immeasurable, and boundless number of trillions
of nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas
showered down a rain of divine flowers, incense, fabrics, and gems.
Accompanied by inconceivable melodies from their divine instruments, they
exclaimed:

1.227 “Blessed One, you have spoken well!

Well-Gone One, you have spoken well!
Oh, we have heard a Dharma teaching that was never heard before!
Oh, may this Dharma teaching remain for long!”

1.228 After the Blessed One had spoken, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, the limitless and
incalculable number of other bodhisattvas, [F.210.b] the many thousands of
lay practitioners such as Bhadrapāla, the great hearers, and the many
hundreds of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras,
and mahoragas all rejoiced in and extolled the Buddha’s speech.

This completes the noble Great Vehicle sūtra “The Absorption of the Miraculous
Ascertainment of Peace.”
c. Colophon
c.1 This sūtra was translated, proofed, and finalized according to the revised
terminology by the Indian preceptors Jinamitra and Dānaśīla together with
the translator-editor Bandé Yeshé Dé.
n. NOTES

n.1 The best known of this subgroup is The King of Samādhis Sūtra (Samādhirāja,
Toh 127, see Roberts and Bower 2018), and the others include the Śūraṃgama-
samādhisūtra (Toh 132, see Lamotte 1998) and the Pratyutpannabuddha-
saṃmukhāvasthitasamādhisūtra (Toh 133, see Harrison 1990 and 1998). Skilton
(2002) adds the work 觀察諸法⾏經 (Guancha zhu fa xing jing, Taishō 649),
which does not seem to have been translated into Tibetan.

n.2 Skilton (2002) has made a careful study of these texts and suggests (pp. 77-
90) that in them—though not, of course, in other contexts —the term samādhi
itself can be understood to denote not a meditative state but rather a
“statement” or “collection,” comprising a list of terms.

n.3 See Roberts and Bower (2018), 1.26

(https://read.84000.co/translation/toh127.html# UT22084-055-001-163)–1.61
(https://read.84000.co/translation/toh127.html# UT22084-055-001-345) and
also chapter 40 (https://read.84000.co/translation/toh127.html# UT22084-
055-001-chapter-40) in which explanations of each quality are set out.

n.4 See Lamotte 1998, pp. 119–126. See also n.15 and n.17.

n.5 See Harrison 1990, pp. 26–30, and Harrison 1998, pp. 15–17.

n.6 We have identified these citations in the annotations to the translation.

n.7 In one instance (Bendall 1902, p. 146; for translation, see Bendall and Rouse
1922, p. 145, and Goodman 2016, p. 142), the Śikṣāsamuccaya cites a passage
from The Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace that is not found in
the Tibetan text, and in referring to a “great king” as the recipient of the
Buddha’s teaching appears to be unrelated to the themes and participants
otherwise present in the sūtra.

n.8 寂照神變三摩地經 (Ji zhao shenbian sanmodi jing), Taishō 648.

n.9 According to Skilton (2002), it corresponds to the dialogue of the Buddha
with Bhadrapāla, but not to the latter parts of the text where Mañjuśrī is the
interlocutor. Skilton (p. 73) equates this division with the break between the
first and second of the three fascicles in the Tibetan, although this does not
seem to match the fascicle divisions as recorded in the Degé and Stok Palace
Kangyurs.

n.10 The Denkarma catalogue is dated to c. 812 ᴄᴇ. See Denkarma, folio 298.a. See
also Herrmann-Pfandt (2008), p. 70, no. 127.

n.11 See Skilton (2002), pp. 74–5.

n.12 This translation is tentative. Tibetan: rgya’i ’bur lta bu.

n.13 On the similarities of the list that follows with the lists of qualities in The King
of Samādhis Sūtra (Toh 127) and the Śūraṃgamasamādhisūtra (Toh 132), see i.6,
n.3, n.15, and n.17.

n.14 Tib. khyad par du ’gro ba, Skt. viśeṣagāmitā. According to The King of Samādhis
Sūtra (Toh 127), this refers to the strengths, fearlessnesses, distinct qualities,
and knowledge of the buddhas. See Roberts and Bower 1.30
(https://read.84000.co/translation/toh127.html# UT22084-055-001-191) and
n.76 (https://read.84000.co/translation/toh127.html# UT22084-055-001-193).

n.15 From this point onwards down almost to the end of 1.82, the list appears to
reproduce the list of one hundred components of the absorption described in
the Śūraṅgamasamādhisūtra (Toh 132), starting from the second component;
see Degé Kangyur, vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), F.260.b.1 et seq. While the Tibetan
translation differs slightly, it could well be rendering much of the Śūraṅgama-
samādhisūtra list—though probably not all— from a verbatim reproduction of
the Sanskrit. See Lamotte (1998) pp. 120–6, and Skilton (2002) p. 75.

n.16 Translated based on S: phrugs. D: phrug.

n.17 It is at this point that the almost exact reproduction of the list from the
Śūraṅgamasamādhisūtra (see n.15) comes to an end; the eqivalent point in the
other sūtra is at Degé Kangyur, vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), F.262.b.4.

n.18 These twelve essential qualities (yon tan gyi snying pos bcu gnyis) are also
mentioned and explained in a little more detail in the Bodhisattvagocaropāya-
viṣayavikurvāṇanirdeśa, Toh 146, folios 94.a–94.b. This work is also known as
the Satyakaparivarta (bden pa po le’u).

n.19 This passage, starting from this point and up to “the same as Brahmā, Indra,
and Mount Meru,” is cited in Śāntideva’s Śikṣāsamuccaya (Bendall 1902, p. 16,
 from line 9). After making a few minor amendments to Bendall’s edition, this
passage reads: tatra mañjuśrīr ye
trisāhasramahāsāhasralokadhātuparamāṇurajaḥsamāḥ sattvās teṣām ekaikaḥ sattvo rājā
bhavej jambūdvīpādhipatis te sarva evaṃ ghoṣayeyuḥ | yo mahāyānam udgrahiṣyati
dhārayiṣyati vācayiṣyati paryavāpsyati pravartayiṣyati tasya nakhachedena māṃsaṃ
pañcapalikena divasenāvatārayiṣyāmas taṃ caitenāpakrameṇa jīvitād
vyaparopayiṣyāma iti | sacen mañjuśrīr bodhisattva evam ucyamāne no trasyati na
saṃtrāsam āpsyate ’ntaśa ekacittotpādenāpi na bibheti na viṣīdati na vicikitsate |
uttari ca saddharmaparigrahārtham abhiyujyate pāṭhasvādhyāyābhimukto viharati |
ayaṃ mañjuśrīr bodhisattvaś cittaśūro dānaśūraḥ śīlaśūraḥ kṣāntiśūro vīryaśūro
dhyānaśūraḥ prajñāśūraḥ samādhiśūra iti vaktavyaḥ | sacen mañjuśrīr bodhisattvas
teṣāṃ vadhakapuruṣāṇāṃ na kupyati na ruṣyati na khila doṣacittam utpādayati | sa
mañjuśrīr bodhisattvo brahmasama indrasamo ’kampya iti || See also Bendall and
Rouse 1922, p. 18; Goodman 2016, p. 19.

n.20 In the passage cited in the Śikṣāsamuccaya, this clause reads, “anyone who
adopts, upholds, recites, studies, or disseminates the Great Vehicle.”

n.21 “Mount Meru” is missing from the passage cited in the Śikṣāsamuccaya. It may
have originally belonged there, however, as the Sanskrit reads, “He would
be the same as Brahmā, the same as Indra, and as unshakable as….”

n.22 This passage, from this point up to “the bodhisattvas who offered the
enthralling king jewels” is cited in Śāntideva’s Śikṣāsamuccaya (Bendall 1902, p.
16, from line 3). After making a few amendments (most significantly,
conjecturing the reading bahulataraṃ in place of the extant vatataraṃ) to
Bendall’s edition, this passage reads: yaś ca mañjuśrīr bodhisattvo
gaṅgānadīvālikāsamebhyo buddhebhyaḥ pratyekaṃ sarvebhyo gaṅgānadīvālikāsamāni
buddhakṣetrāṇi vaśirājamahāmaṇiratnapratipūrṇāni kṛtvā dadyād evaṃ dadaṅ
gaṅgānadīvālikāsamān kalpān dānaṃ dadyād | yo vānyo mañjuśrīr bodhisattva imān
evaṃrūpān dharmān śrutvā ekāntena gatvā cittenābhinirūpayed imeṣv evaṃrūpeṣu
dharmeṣu śikṣiṣyāmīti | so ’śikṣito ’pi mañjuśrīr bodhisattvo ’syāṃ śikṣyāyāṃ
chandiko bahulataraṃ puṇyaṃ prasavati | na tv eva tad dānamayaṃ puṇyakriyāvastv
iti || See also Bendall and Rouse 1922, pp. 17–18; Goodman 2016, pp. 18–19.

n.23 In the passage cited in the Śikṣāsamuccaya, the jewels that were offered are
not mentioned again. Instead it mentions “meritorious acts that consist in
generosity.”

n.24 This passage, from this point up to “the roots of virtue that cause a buddha
to appear” is cited in Śāntideva’s Śikṣāsamuccaya (Bendall 1902, pp. 83–84,
from line 20 on p. 83). After making a few minor amendments to Bendall’s
 edition, this passage reads: yaḥ kaścin mañjuśrīḥ kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā
jāmbūdvīpakān sarvasattvāñ jīvitād vyaparopya sarvasvaṃ haret | yo vā ’nyo
mañjuśrīḥ kulaputro vā kuladuhitā bodhisattvasyaikakuśalacittasyāntarāyaṃ kuryād
antaśas tiryagyonigatasyāpy ekālopadānasahagatasya kuśalamūlasyāntarāyaṃ kuryād
ayaṃ tato ’saṃkhyeyataraṃ pāpaṃ prasavati | tat kasya hetoḥ |
buddhotpādasaṃjanakānāṃ sakuśalamūlānām antarāyaḥ sthito bhavati || See also
Bendall and Rouse 1922, p. 87; Goodman 2016, p. 87.

n.25 This passage, from this point up to “the fear of being born in the
borderlands” is cited in Śāntideva’s Śikṣāsamuccaya (Bendall 1902, p. 84, from
line 5). After making a few minor amendments to Bendall’s edition, this
passage reads: yaḥ kaścin mañjuśrīḥ parakuleṣu bodhisattvasyerṣyāmātsaryaṃ
kuryāt tasya tasmin samaye tato nidānaṃ trīṇi bhayāni pratikāṅkṣitavyāni | katamāni
trīṇi | narakopapattibhayaṃ jātyandhabhayaṃ pratyantajanmopapattibhayaṃ ceti ||
See also Bendall and Rouse 1922, p. 87; Goodman 2016, p. 87.

n.26 Translated based on S: dmigs pa med pas. D: dmigs pa med la.

n.27 This passage, from this point up to “Happiness, and safety” four verses
below, is cited in Śāntideva’s Śikṣāsamuccaya (Bendall 1902, pp. 86–87, from
line 14 on p. 86). After making a few minor amendments to Bendall’s edition,
this passage reads: yas tv eṣāṃ kurute rakṣāṃ dhārmikīṃ dharmavādināṃ |hitvā
sudurgatīḥ sarvāḥ śakro bhavati devarāṭ || brahmāpi yāmas tuṣito vaśavartī punaḥ
punaḥ |manuṣyeṣūpapannaś ca cakravartī sa jāyate || śreṣṭhī gṛhapatiś cāpi bhavaty
āḍhyo mahādhanaḥ |prajñāsmṛtibhyāṃ saṃyuktaḥ sukhito nirupadravaḥ | iti ||
See also Bendall and Rouse 1922, p. 89; Goodman 2016, pp. 89–90.

n.28 In the passage cited in the Śikṣāsamuccaya, the last six lines are condensed
into a single four-line verse: “Whoever, on the other hand, offers to the
bodhisattvas / The protection that is due to Dharma teachers / Will leave
behind all the all the unfortunate rebirths, / And will become Śakra, the lord
of gods.”

n.29 In the passage cited in the Śikṣāsamuccaya, the last six lines are condensed
into a single, four-line, verse: “One will also take birth as a Brahmā, / A
Yāma, a Tuṣita, or a Vaśavartin god, again and again. / If born among men, /
One will become a universal emperor.”

n.30 In the passage cited in the Śikṣāsamuccaya, the last six lines are condensed
into a single, four-line, verse: “Even if born as a guild master and
householder, / One will become prosperous and acquire great wealth. / One
will possess wisdom and good memory, / Will be happy, and will not meet
with any misfortune.”
n.31 Tibetan: seng ge’i rgyal mtshan zla ba. We are unsure what this refers to. A
digital search of the Kangyur shows that this is the only occurrence of the
term in the entire canon.
b. BIBLIOGRAPHY
’phags pa rab tu zhi ba rnam par nges pa’i cho ’phrul gyi ting nge ’dzin zhes bya ba
theg pa chen po’i mdo. Toh 129, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios
174.b–210.b.

’phags pa rab tu zhi ba rnam par nges pa’i cho ’phrul gyi ting nge ’dzin 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. 55, pp. 458–
544.

Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan dkar gyi chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag). Degé
Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.

Bendall, Cecil, ed. Çikshāsamuccaya: A Compendium of Buddhistic Teaching

Compiled by Çāntideva Chiefly from Earlier Mahāyāna-Sūtras. Bibliotheca
Buddhica I. St. Petersburg: Imperial Academy of Sciences, 1902. Reprinted
in: Indo-Iranian Reprints I. ’S-Gravenhage: Mouton and Co., 1957. For
translations, see Bendall and Rouse (1922) and Goodman (2016) below.

Bendall, Cecil and W. H. D. Rouse, trans. Śikshā-Samuccaya: A Compendium of

Buddhist Doctrine. London: John Murray, 1922. Reprinted as: Śikṣā-
Samuccaya. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1971-1981.

Goodman, Charles. The Training Anthology of Śāntideva: A Translation of the Śikṣā-

samuccaya. New York: Oxford University Press, 2016.

Harrison, Paul. The Samādhi of Direct Encounter with the Buddhas of the Present: an
Annotated English Translation of the Tibetan Version of the Pratyutpanna-Buddha-
Saṃmukhāvasthita-Samādhi-Sūtra with Several Appendices relating to the History
of the Text. Studia Philologica Buddhica Monograph Series V. Tokyo:
International Institute for Buddhist Studies, 1990.
Harrison, Paul (tr.). “The Pratyutpanna Samādhi Sūtra: Translated by
Lokakṣema,” in Harrison, Paul, and John McRae. Pratyutpanna Samādhi
Sutra and Śūraṅgama Samādhi Sutra. BDK English Tripiṭaka 25-II, 25-III.
Berkeley: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 1998.

Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische
übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen
Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.

Lamotte, Etienne (tr.), English translation by Sara Boin-Webb. Śūraṅgama-

samādhisūtra: The Concentration of Heroic Progress, an Early Mahāyāna Buddhist
Scripture. London: Curzon Press, 1998. Reprinted Delhi: Motilal
Banarsidass, 2003.

Roberts, Peter Alan, and Emily Bower. The King of Samādhis Sūtra
(https://read.84000.co/translation/toh127.html) (Samādhirāja, Toh 127). 84000:
Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018.

Skilton, Andrew. “State or Statement? Samādhi in Some Early Mahāyāna

Sūtras.” In The Eastern Buddhist, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 51-93. Kyoto: The Eastern
Buddhist Society, 2002.
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 absence of marks

mtshan ma med pa

མཚན་མ་ད་པ།
animitta
One of the three gateways to liberation.
g.2 absence of wishes
smon pa med pa

ན་པ་ད་པ།
apraṇihita
One of the three gateways to liberation.

g.3 aggregate
phung po

ང་།
skandha
The five aggregates of form, sensation, perception, formation, and
consciousness. On the individual level the five aggregates refer to the basis
upon which the mistaken idea of a self is projected.

g.4 Ajātaśatru
ma skyes dgra

མ་ས་ད།
ajātaśatru
The second King of Magadha during the Buddha’s time. He was the son of
King Bimbisāra and one of his queens, Vaidehī (lus ’phags mo), and usurped
his father’s throne. After Bimbisāra died in his subsequent imprisonment,
Ajātaśatru felt remorse and became an ardent supporter of the Buddha.

g.5 ājīvika
tsho ba can

་བ་ཅན།
ājīvika
A follower of a heterodox mendicant movement that emerged about the time
of the Buddha around a pupil of Mahāvīra named Gośāla and survived until
the 13th century; its followers adhered to a type of determinism and
practiced strict asceticism.

g.6 Ākāśagarbha
nam mkha’i snying po

ནམ་མཁ་ང་།
ākāśagarbha
A bodhisattva.
g.7 All-Seeing Eyes
kun tu lta ba’i mig

ན་་་བ་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.8 All-Seeing Mind

kun tu lta ba’i blo

ན་་་བ་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.9 application of mindfulness

dran pa nye bar gzhag pa

ན་པ་་བར་གཞག་པ།
smṛtyupasthāna
Four types of mindfulness that regard the body, feelings, the mind, and
dharmas.

g.10 Assembled Splendor

tshogs kyi dpal

གས་་དཔལ།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.11 asura
lha ma yin

་མ་ན།
asura
One of the six classes of living beings, sometimes included among the gods
and sometimes among the animals. A class of superhuman beings,
sometimes misleadingly called demigods, engendered and dominated by
envy, ambition, and hostility, who are metaphorically described as being
incessantly embroiled in a dispute with the gods over the possession of a
magical tree.

g.12 Avalokiteśvara
spyan ras gzigs dbang phyug
 ན་རས་གཟིགས་དབང་ག
avalokiteśvara
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
One of the “eight close sons of the Buddha,” he is also known as the
bodhisattva who embodies compassion. In certain tantras, he is also the lord
of the three families, where he embodies the compassion of the buddhas. In
Tibet, he attained great significance as a special protector of Tibet, and in
China, in female form, as Guanyin, the most important bodhisattva in all of
East Asia.

g.13 bases of miraculous power

rdzu ’phrul gyi rkang pa

་འལ་ི་ང་པ།
ṛddhipāda
Four types of absorption related to intention, diligence, attention, and
analysis, respectively.

g.14 Bhadrapāla
bzang skyong

བཟང་ང་།
bhadrapāla
A bodhisattva.

g.15 Bhaiṣajyarāja
sman gyi rgyal po

ན་ི་ལ་།
bhaiṣajyarāja
A bodhisattva.

g.16 blessed one

bcom ldan ’das

བམ་ན་འདས།
bhagavat · bhagavān
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.17 Brahmā
tshangs pa

ཚངས་པ།
brahmā
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
A high-ranking deity presiding over a divine world; he is also considered to
be the lord of the Sahā world (our universe). Though not considered a creator
god in Buddhism, Brahmā occupies an important place as one of two gods
(the other being Indra/Śakra) said to have first exhorted the Buddha
Śākyamuni to teach the Dharma. The particular heavens found in the form
realm over which Brahmā rules are often some of the most sought-after
realms of higher rebirth in Buddhist literature. Since there are many
universes or world systems, there are also multiple Brahmās presiding over
them. His most frequent epithets are “Lord of the Sahā World” (sahāṃpati)
and Great Brahmā (mahābrahman).

g.18 Brahmā Heavens

tshangs pa

ཚངས་པ།
brahmāloka
A collective term for the seventeen heavens in the form realm.

g.19 branches of awakening

byang chub kyi yan lag

ང་བ་་ཡན་ལག
bodhyaṅga
The aspects that constitute the path of seeing, namely mindfulness, analysis
of phenomena, diligence, joy, pliancy, absorption, and sameness. These form
a part of the thirty-seven factors to enlightenment.

g.20 Campā
 tsam pa

ཙམ་པ།
campā
A city in ancient India, located on the Campā River. It was the capital of the
Anga state, which was located east of Magadha.

g.21 Candra
lha’i bu zla ba

་་་བ།
candra
A god.

g.22 caraka
spyod pa ba

ད་པ་བ།
caraka
In Buddhist usage, a general term for non-Buddhist religious mendicants,
paired with parivrājaka in stock lists of followers of heretical movements.

g.23 Cloudless Heaven

sprin med

ན་ད།
anabhraka
The tenth heaven of the form realm.

g.24 Conqueror of the Lower Realms

ngan song spor

ངན་ང་ར།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.25 Crest of Brahmā

tshangs pa’i tog

ཚངས་པ་ག
—
A bodhisattva.
g.26 Crest of Buddhas
sangs rgyas kyi tog

སངས་ས་་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.27 Crest of Dharma

chos kyi tog

ས་་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.28 Crest of Flowers

me tog gi tog

་ག་་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.29 Crest of Illumination

kun nas snang ba’i tog

ན་ནས་ང་བ་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.30 Crest of Jewels

nor bu’i tog

ར་་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.31 Crest of Light

’od kyi tog

ད་་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.32 Crest of Merit

 bsod nams kyi tog

བད་ནམས་་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.33 Crest of Superknowledge

mngon par shes pa’i tog

མན་པར་ས་པ་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.34 Crest of Wisdom

ye shes kyi tog

་ས་་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.35 Crown Nobler Than the Cosmos

’jig rten gyi khams thams cad las mngon par ’phags pa’i cod pan

འག་ན་ི་ཁམས་ཐམས་ཅད་ལས་མན་པར་འཕགས་པ་ད་པན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.36 Crown of the Jewel That Illuminates the Realm of Phenomena

chos kyi dbyings snang ba’i nor bu’i cod pan

ས་་དངས་ང་བ་ར་་ད་པན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.37 Crown of the Seat of Enlightenment

byang chub kyi snying po’i cod pan

ང་བ་་ང་ ་ད་པན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.38 Crown of the Womb from which All Buddhas Are Born
sangs rgyas thams cad byung ba’i snying po’i cod pan
 སངས་ས་ཐམས་ཅད་ང་བ་ང་ ་ད་པན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.39 Crown Ornament Adorned by the Gem That Perceives the

Indivisibility of All of Space
nam mkha’i dbyings thams cad dbyer med pa rnam par shes pa’i nor bu rin po ches
brgyan pa’i gtsug pud

ནམ་མཁ་དངས་ཐམས་ཅད་དར་ད་པ་མ་པར་ས་པ་ར་་ན་་ས་བན་པ་གག་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.40 Crown Ornament of the Brilliant Gem That Projects the Halo of
All Thus-Gone Ones
de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi ’od kyi dkyil ’khor rab tu gtong ba nor bu rin po che
mngon par bsgrags pa’i gtsug pud

་བན་གགས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་་ད་་དལ་འར་རབ་་གང་བ་ར་་ན་་་མན་པར་བགས་པ་
གག་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.41 Crown Ornament of the King of Jewels That Sings an Ocean of

Aspirations
smon lam rgya mtsho thams cad kyi dbyangs nor bu rin chen rgyal po’i gtsug pud

ན་ལམ་་མ་ཐམས་ཅད་་དངས་ར་་ན་ན་ལ་ ་གག་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.42 Crown Ornament of the Lord of the Brahmā Realm

tshangs pa’i dbang po’i gtsug pud

ཚངས་པ་དབང་ ་གག་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.43 Crown Ornament of the Melodious Dharma Wheel of All Thus-

Gone Ones
de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi chos kyi ’khor lo dbyangs kyi gtsug pud
 ་བན་གགས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་་ས་་འར་་དངས་་གག་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.44 Crown Ornament of the Melodious One in All the Three Times
dus gsum thams cad kun nas dbyangs kyi gtsug pud

ས་གམ་ཐམས་ཅད་ན་ནས་དངས་་གག་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.45 Crown Ornament of the Nāga Lord

klu’i dbang po’i gtsug pud

་དབང་ ་གག་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.46 Crown Ornament of the Precious King of Jewels That Is

Adorned with a Web of Gems and Placed on the Victory Banner
That Illuminates the Emanations of All Thus-gone Ones
de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad rnam par ’phrul pa’i snang ba’i gyal mtshan nor bu’i
rgyal po nor bu rin po che’i dra bas bres pa’i gtsug pud

་བན་གགས་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་མ་པར་འལ་པ་ང་བ་ལ་མཚན་ར་་ལ་་ར་་ན་་་་
བས་ས་པ་གག་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.47 Crown Ornament of the Seat of Enlightenment

byang chub kyi snying po’i gtsug pud

ང་བ་་ང་ ་གག་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.48 Crown Ornament That Illuminates All the Buddha’s Emanations

sangs rgyas ’phrul pa thams cad snang ba’i gtsug pud

སངས་ས་འལ་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་ང་བ་གག་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.
g.49 Crown That Captures the Thus-Gone Ones’ Lion Throne of the
Essence of All Phenomena
chos thams cad kyi snying po de bzhin gshegs pa’i seng ge’i khri ’dzin pa’i cod pan

ས་ཐམས་ཅད་་ང་་་བན་གགས་པ་ང་་་འན་པ་ད་པན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.50 Crown That Fully Illuminates the Space of the Realm of

Phenomena
kun nas chos kyi dbyings nam mkha’ snang ba’i cod pan

ན་ནས་ས་་དངས་ནམ་མཁའ་ང་བ་ད་པན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.51 Crown That Is Never Outshone

zil gyis mi non pa’i cod pan

ཟིལ་ིས་་ན་པ་ད་པན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.52 Dānaśīla
dA na shI la

་ན་་ལ།
dānaśīla
An Indian paṇḍita resident in Tibet during the late 8th and early 9th
centuries.

g.53 Desireless Eyes

chags pa med pa’i mig

ཆགས་པ་ད་པ་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.54 Desireless Victory Banner

chags med rgyal mtshan

ཆགས་ད་ལ་མཚན།
—
 A bodhisattva.

g.55 Dhanapāla
nor skyong

ར་ང་།
dhanapāla
An elephant.

g.56 dhāraṇī
gzungs

གངས།
dhāraṇī
Type of magical formula; this term might also refer to recollection.

g.57 Dharma Light

chos kyi ’od

ས་་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.58 Dharmamudrāgarbha
chos kyi phyag rgya’i snying po

ས་་ག་་ང་།
dharmamudrāgarbha
A bodhisattva.

g.59 Dīpaṃkara
mar me mdzad

མར་་མཛད།
dīpaṃkara
A former buddha who prophesied the awakening of Buddha Śākyamuni.

g.60 Divine Crown

lha’i cod pan

་ད་པན།
—
A bodhisattva.
g.61 Divine Light
lha’i ’od

་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.62 element
khams

ཁམས།
dhātu
One way of describing experience and the world in terms of eighteen
elements (eye, form, and eye consciousness; ear, sound, and ear
consciousness; nose, odor, and nose consciousness; tongue, taste, and
tongue consciousness; body, touch, and body consciousness; mind, mental
objects, and mind consciousness).

It can also refer to the six elements of earth, water, fire, wind, space, and
consciousness. Out of these six, the first four elements are also called “great
elements.”

g.63 Emanated Light

rnam par ’phrul pa’i ’od

མ་པར་འལ་པ་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.64 emptiness
stong pa nyid

ང་པ་ད།
śūnyatā
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Emptiness denotes the ultimate nature of reality, the total absence of
inherent existence and self-identity with respect to all phenomena.
According to this view, all things and events are devoid of any independent,
intrinsic reality that constitutes their essence. Nothing can be said to exist
independent of the complex network of factors that gives rise to its
origination, nor are phenomena independent of the cognitive processes and
mental constructs that make up the conventional framework within which
their identity and existence are posited. When all levels of conceptualization
 dissolve and when all forms of dichotomizing tendencies are quelled
through deliberate meditative deconstruction of conceptual elaborations, the
ultimate nature of reality will finally become manifest. It is the first of the
three gateways to liberation.

g.65 enthralling king

dbang gi rgyal po

དབང་་ལ་།
vaśirāja
A particular type of jewel with great magical powers. The name suggests the
ability to enchant or enthrall, or to produce things at will.

g.66 equipoise
snyoms par ’jug pa · snyoms par zhugs pa

མས་པར་འག་པ། · མས་པར་གས་པ།
samāpatti
A state of mental equilibrium derived from deep concentration.

g.67 Especially Noble

khyad par ’phags

ད་པར་འཕགས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.68 Ever-Noble Crown

dus thams cad du mngon par ’phags pa’i cod pan

ས་ཐམས་ཅད་་མན་པར་འཕགས་པ་ད་པན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.69 faculty
dbang po

དབང་།
indriya
A term with a wide range of meanings. Often refers to the five faculties,
namely: faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and knowledge, that are
among the thirty-seven factors of awakening; or to the five sense faculties; or
to one of the twenty-two faculties.
g.70 Famous and Melodious King of Medicine
sman mngon bsgrags dbyangs rgyal po

ན་མན་བགས་དངས་ལ་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.71 fearlessness
mi ’jigs pa

་འགས་པ།
vaiśāradya
The fourfold fearlessness or the four assurances proclaimed by the thus-
gone ones: fearlessness in declaring that one has awakened, that one has
ceased all illusions, that one has taught the obstacles to awakening, and that
one has shown the way to liberation.

g.72 Flower Victory Banner

me tog rgyal mtshan

་ག་ལ་མཚན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.73 four guardians of the world

’jig rten skyong ba bzhi

འག་ན་ང་བ་བ།
catvāro lokapālāh
These guardians are the four great kings of the quarters; Vaiśravaṇa,
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Virūḍhaka, and Virūpākṣa. Their mission is to report on the
activities of humans to the gods and to protect the practitioners of the
Dharma.

g.74 four transformative powers

byin gyi rlabs pa bzhi

ན་ི་བས་པ་བ།
caturadhiṣṭhāna
Four types of transformative powers, also called blessings. These are: truth,
giving, peace, and insight.

g.75 four types of correct understanding

 so so yang dag par rig pa bzhi

་་ཡང་དག་པར་ག་པ་བ།
catuḥpratisaṃvid
Correct knowledge of meaning, Dharma, language, and eloquence.

g.76 four ways of attracting disciples

bsdu ba’i dngos po bzhi

བ་བ་དས་་བ།
catuḥsaṃgrahavastu
Generosity, kind talk, meaningful actions, and practicing what one preaches.

g.77 Gaṇapati
tshogs kyi bdag po

གས་་བདག་།
gaṇapati
Gaṇapati, or Ganeśa, is the lord of the gaṇas, a class of asuras usually
associated with the god Śiva. In the Purāṇic traditions Gaṇapati is portrayed
as the elephant-headed son of Śiva and Pārvatī.

g.78 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.79 garuḍa
nam mkha’ lding

ནམ་མཁའ་ང་།
garuḍa
 Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
In Indian mythology, the garuḍa is an eagle-like bird that is regarded as the
king of all birds, normally depicted with a sharp, owl-like beak, often holding
a snake, and with large and powerful wings. They are traditionally enemies
of the nāgas. In the Vedas, they are said to have brought nectar from the
heavens to earth. Garuḍa can also be used as a proper name for a king of such
creatures.

g.80 Gayā
ga ya

ག་ཡ།
gayā
An ancient city in North India, located in the modern state of Bihar.

g.81 Genuine Medicine

sman yang dag byung

ན་ཡང་དག་ང་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.82 god
lha · lha’i bu

། · ་།
deva · devaputra
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.

g.83 Gorgeous Heaven

shin tu mthong

ན་་མང་།
sudarśana
The second highest of the seventeen heavens in the form realm.

g.84 Great Brahmā

tshangs pa chen po

ཚངས་པ་ན་།
mahābrahmā
The third heaven of the form realm.

g.85 great elements

’byung ba chen po

འང་བ་ན་།
mahābhūta
The four great elements are earth, water, fire, and wind. They are called
“great” because they are found in the external world as well as inside the
bodies of beings.

g.86 Great Light

’od chen

ད་ན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.87 Great Rudra

drag po chen po

ག་་ན་།
mahārudra
A wrathful form of Śiva.

g.88 guardians of the world

’jig rten skyong ba
 འག་ན་ང་བ།
lokapāla
One category of Dharma protectors in Buddhism. See also “four guardians of
the world.”

g.89 Guṇaviśuddhigarbha
yon tan rnam par dag pa’i snying po

ན་ཏན་མ་པར་དག་པ་ང་།
guṇaviśuddhigarbha
A bodhisattva.

g.90 Heaven Free from Strife

’thab bral

འཐབ་ལ།
yāma
The third of the six heavens of the desire realm.

g.91 Heaven of Delighting in Emanations

’phrul dga’

འལ་དགའ།
nirmāṇarati
The fifth of the six heavens of the desire realm.

g.92 Heaven of Great Fruition

bras bu che

ས་་།
bṛhatphala
The twelfth heaven of the form realm.

g.93 Heaven of Increased Merit

bsod nams skyes

བད་ནམས་ས།
puṇyaprasava
The eleventh heaven of the form realm.

g.94 Heaven of Joy

dga’ ldan
 དགའ་ན།
tuṣita
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Tuṣita (or sometimes Saṃtuṣita), literally “Joyous” or “Contented,” is one of
the six heavens of the desire realm (kāmadhātu). In standard classifications,
such as the one in the Abhidharmakośa, it is ranked as the fourth of the six
counting from below. This god realm is where all future buddhas are said to
dwell before taking on their final rebirth prior to awakening. There, the
Buddha Śākyamuni lived his preceding life as the bodhisattva Śvetaketu.
When departing to take birth in this world, he appointed the bodhisattva
Maitreya, who will be the next buddha of this eon, as his Dharma regent in
Tuṣita. For an account of the Buddha’s previous life in Tuṣita, see The Play in
Full (Toh 95), 2.12, and for an account of Maitreya’s birth in Tuṣita and a
description of this realm, see The Sūtra on Maitreya’s Birth in the Heaven of Joy,
(Toh 199).

g.95 Heaven of Limited Virtue

dge chung

ད་ང་།
parīttaśubha
The seventh heaven of the form realm.

g.96 Heaven of Limitless Virtue

tshad med dge

ཚད་ད་ད
apramāṇaśubha
The eighth heaven of the form realm.

g.97 Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations

gzhan ’phrul dbang byed pa

གཞན་འལ་དབང་ད་པ།
paranirmitavaśavartin
The highest of the six heavens of the desire realm.

g.98 Heaven of No Hardship

mi gdung ba

་གང་བ།
atapa
 The fourteenth heaven of the form realm.

g.99 Heaven of Perfected Virtue

dge rgyas

ད་ས།
śubhakṛtsna
The ninth heaven of the form realm.

g.100 Heaven of the Four Great Kings

rgyal chen bzhi’i ris

ལ་ན་བ་ས།
caturmahārājika
The first of the six heavens of the desire realm.

g.101 Heaven of the Thirty-Three

sum cu rtsa gsum

མ་་་གམ།
trāyastriṃśa
The second heaven of the desire realm located above Mount Meru and
reigned over by Indra and thirty-two other gods.

g.102 Hell of Extreme Heat

shin tu tsha ba

ན་་ཚ་བ།
pratāpana
One of the eight hot hells.

g.103 High Priests of Brahmā

tshangs pa’i mdun na ’don

ཚངས་པ་མན་ན་འན།
brahmapurohita
The second heaven of the form realm.

g.104 Highest Heaven

’og min

ག་ན།
akaniṣṭha
 The highest heaven of the form realm.

g.105 Highest Splendor

tog gi dpal

ག་་དཔལ།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.106 Illuminating Crown

rnam par snang byed cod pan

མ་པར་ང་ད་ད་པན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.107 Illuminating Splendor

rnam par snang byed dpal

མ་པར་ང་ད་དཔལ།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.108 Illuminating Victory Banner

rnam par snang byed rgyal mtshan

མ་པར་ང་ད་ལ་མཚན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.109 Immaculate Light

rdul dang bral ba’i ’od

ལ་དང་ལ་བ་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.110 Immaculate Victory Banner

rdul bral rgyal mtshan

ལ་ལ་ལ་མཚན།
—
A bodhisattva.
g.111 Indra
dbang po

དབང་།
indra
Another name for Śakra.

g.112 insight
shes rab

ས་རབ།
—
Transcendent awareness; the mind that sees the ultimate truth. One of the
six perfections of bodhisattvas.

g.113 Jambudvīpa
’dzam bu gling

འཛམ་་ང་།
jambudvīpa
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.

g.114 Jewel Eyes

rin po che’i mig

ན་་་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.115 Jewel Splendor

 rin po che’i dpal

ན་་་དཔལ།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.116 Jeweled Light

rin po che’i ’od

ན་་་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.117 Jeweled Victory Banner

rin po che’i rgyal mtshan

ན་་་ལ་མཚན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.118 Jinamitra
dzi na mi tra

་ན་་།
jinamitra
An Indian paṇḍita resident in Tibet during the late 8th and early 9th
centuries.

g.119 kaṭapūtana
lus srul po

ས་ལ་།
kaṭapūtana
A kind of spirit or ghost.

g.120 kinnara
mi’am ci

འམ་།
kinnara
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
 A class of nonhuman beings that resemble humans to the degree that their
very name —which means “is that human?”—suggests some confusion as to
their divine status. Kinnaras are mythological beings found in both Buddhist
and Brahmanical literature, where they are portrayed as creatures half
human, half animal. They are often depicted as highly skilled celestial
musicians.

g.121 Kṣitigarbha
sa’i snying po

ས་ང་།
kṣitigarbha
A bodhisattva.

g.122 Licchavi
lits+tsha bI

་།
licchavi
Name of the tribe and republican city-state whose capital was Vaiśālī.

g.123 limit of reality

yang dag pa’i mtha’

ཡང་དག་པ་མཐའ།
bhūtakoṭi
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
This term has three meanings: (1) the ultimate nature, (2) the experience of
the ultimate nature, and (3) the quiescent state of a worthy one (arhat) to be
avoided by bodhisattvas.

g.124 Limited Light

’od chung

ད་ང་།
parīttābha
The fourth heaven of the form realm.

g.125 Limitless Light

tshad med ’od

ཚད་ད་ད།
apramāṇābha
 The fifth heaven of the form realm.

g.126 Lordly King of Beings

’gro ba’i dbang po’i rgyal po

འོ་བ་དབང་ ་ལ་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.127 Lordly King of Stillness

mi g.yo ba’i dbang po’i rgyal po

་ག་བ་དབང་ ་ལ་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.128 Lordly King of the Brahmā Realm

tshangs pa’i dbang po’i rgyal po

ཚངས་པ་དབང་ ་ལ་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.129 Lordly King of the Great Minds

blo mchog gi dbang po’i rgyal po

་མག་་དབང་ ་ལ་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.130 Lordly King of the Hills

ri bo’i dbang po’i rgyal po

་ ་དབང་ ་ལ་།

—
A bodhisattva.

g.131 Lordly King of the Leaders

khyu mchog gi dbang po’i rgyal po

་མག་་དབང་ ་ལ་།
—
A bodhisattva.
g.132 Lordly King of the Sal Tree
s’a la’i dbang po’i rgyal po

སའ་ལ་དབང་ ་ལ་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.133 Luminous Heaven

’od gsal

ད་གསལ།
ābhāsvara
The sixth heaven of the form realm.

g.134 Magadha
ma ga dha

མ་ག་དྷ།
magadha
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
An ancient Indian kingdom that lay to the south of the Ganges River in what
today is the state of Bihar. Magadha was the largest of the sixteen “great
states” (mahājanapada) that flourished between the sixth and third centuries
ʙᴄᴇ in northern India. During the life of the Buddha Śākyamuni, it was ruled
by King Bimbisāra and later by Bimbisāra's son, Ajātaśatru. Its capital was
initially Rājagṛha (modern-day Rajgir) but was later moved to Pāṭaliputra
(modern-day Patna). Over the centuries, with the expansion of the
Magadha’s might, it became the capital of the vast Mauryan empire and seat
of the great King Aśoka.

This region is home to many of the most important Buddhist sites, including
Bodh Gayā, where the Buddha attained awakening; Vulture Peak (Gṛdhra-
kūṭa), where the Buddha bestowed many well-known Mahāyāna sūtras; and
the Buddhist university of Nālandā that flourished between the fifth and
twelfth centuries ᴄᴇ, among many others.

g.135 Maheśvara
lha’i bu dbang phyug chen po

་་དབང་ག་ན་།
maheśvara
A god.
g.136 mahoraga
lto ’phye chen po

་འ་ན་།
mahoraga
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Literally “great serpents,” mahoragas are supernatural beings depicted as
large, subterranean beings with human torsos and heads and the lower
bodies of serpents. Their movements are said to cause earthquakes, and they
make up a class of subterranean geomantic spirits whose movement through
the seasons and months of the year is deemed significant for construction
projects.

g.137 Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta

’jam dpal gzhon nur gyur pa

འཇམ་དཔལ་གན་ར་ར་པ།
mañjuśrīkumārabhūta
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.138 Māra
bdud

བད།
māra
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Māra, literally “death” or “maker of death,” is the name of the deva who tried
to prevent the Buddha from achieving awakening, the name given to the
class of beings he leads, and also an impersonal term for the destructive
forces that keep beings imprisoned in saṃsāra:

(1) As a deva, Māra is said to be the principal deity in the Heaven of Making
Use of Others’ Emanations (paranirmitavaśavartin), the highest paradise in the
desire realm. He famously attempted to prevent the Buddha’s awakening
 under the Bodhi tree —see The Play in Full (Toh 95), 21.1—and later sought
many times to thwart the Buddha’s activity. In the sūtras, he often also
creates obstacles to the progress of śrāvakas and bodhisattvas. (2) The devas
ruled over by Māra are collectively called mārakāyika or mārakāyikadevatā, the
“deities of Māra’s family or class.” In general, these māras too do not wish
any being to escape from saṃsāra, but can also change their ways and even
end up developing faith in the Buddha, as exemplified by Sārthavāha; see
The Play in Full (Toh 95), 21.14 and 21.43. (3) The term māra can also be
understood as personifying four defects that prevent awakening, called (i)
the divine māra (devaputramāra), which is the distraction of pleasures; (ii) the
māra of Death (mṛtyumāra), which is having one’s life interrupted; (iii) the
māra of the aggregates (skandhamāra), which is identifying with the five
aggregates; and (iv) the māra of the afflictions (kleśamāra), which is being
under the sway of the negative emotions of desire, hatred, and ignorance.

g.139 Meritorious Light

bsod nams ’od

བད་ནམས་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.140 Mind Illuminating Bodhisattva Great Beings in the Ways of the

Realm of Phenomena
byang chub sems dpa’ sems dpa’ chen po chos kyi dbyings kyi tshul snang ba’i blo

ང་བ་མས་དཔའ་མས་དཔའ་ན་་ས་་དངས་་ལ་ང་བ་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.141 Mind Illuminating the Three Times

dus gsum snang ba’i blo

ས་གམ་ང་བ་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.142 Mind Like Gems

rin po che’i blo

ན་་་།
—
 A bodhisattva.

g.143 Mind of Immense Power

rlabs po che’i blo

བས་་་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.144 Mind of Immense Wisdom

ye shes lhun po’i blo

་ས་ན་ ་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.145 Mind of Non-Attachment

chags pa med pa’i blo

ཆགས་པ་ད་པ་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.146 Mind of Purification

nam par sangs pa’i blo

ནམ་པར་སངས་པ་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.147 Mind of Purity

dri ma med pa’i blo

་མ་ད་པ་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.148 Mind of Space

nam mkha’i blo

ནམ་མཁ་།
—
A bodhisattva.
g.149 Moonlike Splendor
zla ba’i dpal

་བ་དཔལ།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.150 Nabhigarbha
lte ba’i snying po

་བ་ང་།
nabhigarbha
A bodhisattva.

g.151 nāga
klu

།
nāga
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.

g.152 Nandicandra
dga’ ba’i zla ba

དགའ་བ་་བ།
nandicandra
A brahmin youth.

g.153 Naradatta
mis byin

ས་ན།
naradatta
A brahmin youth.
g.154 nirgrantha
gcer bu pa

གར་་པ།
nirgrantha
In Buddhist usage, non-Buddhist religious mendicants, often referring to
Jains, who eschew clothing and possessions.

g.155 Noble Dharma

chos ’phags

ས་འཕགས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.156 Noble Fame

grags pa ’phags

གས་པ་འཕགས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.157 Noble Great Love

byams pa chen po ’phags

མས་པ་ན་་འཕགས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.158 Noble Illumination

kun nas snang ba ’phags

ན་ནས་ང་བ་འཕགས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.159 Noble Lineage of the Thus-Gone Ones

de bzhin gshegs pa’i rus rigs ’phags

་བན་གགས་པ་ས་གས་འཕགས།
—
A bodhisattva.
g.160 Noble Merit and Qualities
yon tan bsod nams ’phags

ན་ཏན་བད་ནམས་འཕགས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.161 Noble Merit Like Mount Meru

bsod nams ri rab ’phags

བད་ནམས་་རབ་འཕགས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.162 Noble Source of Wisdom

ye shes ’byung ba ’phags

་ས་འང་བ་འཕགས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.163 Noble Splendor

yang dag ’phags pa’i dpal

ཡང་དག་འཕགས་པ་དཔལ།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.164 Noble Wisdom

ye shes ’phags

་ས་འཕགས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.165 Omnipresent Eyes

kun nas mig

ན་ནས་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.166 Padmagarbha
 pad ma’i snying po

པད་མ་ང་།
padmagarbha
A bodhisattva.

g.167 Padmapāṇi
lag na pad ma

ལག་ན་པད་མ།
padmapāṇi
A bodhisattva.

g.168 Padmaśrīgarbha
pad ma’i dpal gyi snying po

པད་མ་དཔལ་ི་ང་།
padmaśrīgarbha
A bodhisattva.

g.169 parivrājaka
kun tu rgyu

ན་་།
parivrājaka
A general term for homeless religious mendicants who, literally, “roam
around”; in Buddhist usage the term refers to non-Buddhist peripatetic
ascetics including Jains and others.

g.170 Peaceful Light

zhi ba’i ’od

་བ་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.171 piśāca
sha za

ཤ་ཟ།
piśāca
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
 A class of nonhuman beings that, like several other classes of nonhuman
beings, take spontaneous birth. Ranking below rākṣasas, they are less
powerful and more akin to pretas. They are said to dwell in impure and
perilous places, where they feed on impure things, including flesh. This
could account for the name piśāca, which possibly derives from √piś, to carve
or chop meat, as reflected also in the Tibetan sha za, “meat eater.” They are
often described as having an unpleasant appearance, and at times they
appear with animal bodies. Some possess the ability to enter the dead bodies
of humans, thereby becoming so-called vetāla, to touch whom is fatal.

g.172 preta
yi dwags

་གས།
preta
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
One of the five or six classes of sentient beings, into which beings are born
as the karmic fruition of past miserliness. As the term in Sanskrit means “the
departed,” they are analogous to the ancestral spirits of Vedic tradition, the
pitṛs, who starve without the offerings of descendants. It is also commonly
translated as “hungry ghost” or “starving spirit,” as in the Chinese 餓⿁ e
gui.

They are sometimes said to reside in the realm of Yama, but are also
frequently described as roaming charnel grounds and other inhospitable or
frightening places along with piśācas and other such beings. They are
particularly known to suffer from great hunger and thirst and the inability to
acquire sustenance.

g.173 Pure and Stainless Eyes

rnam par dag pa dri ma med pa’i mig

མ་པར་དག་པ་་མ་ད་པ་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.174 Purified Eyes

rnam par sangs ba’i mig

མ་པར་སངས་བ་ག
—
A bodhisattva.
g.175 Rājagṛha
rgyal po’i khab

ལ་ ་ཁབ།
rājagṛha
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.

g.176 rākṣasa
srin po

ན་།
rākṣasa
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
A class of nonhuman beings that are often, but certainly not always,
considered demonic in the Buddhist tradition. They are often depicted as
flesh-eating monsters who haunt frightening places and are ugly and evil-
natured with a yearning for human flesh, and who additionally have
miraculous powers, such as being able to change their appearance.

g.177 Ratnagarbha
rin po che’i snying po

ན་་་ང་།
ratnagarbha
A bodhisattva.

g.178 Ratnākara
dkon mchog ’byung gnas

དན་མག་འང་གནས།
ratnākara
 A Licchavi youth.

g.179 realm of phenomena

chos kyi dbying

ས་་དང་།
dharmadhātu
The “sphere of dharmas,” a synonym for the nature of things.

g.180 Roar Invoked by Previous Aspirations

sngon gyi smon lam gyis bskur ba’i nga ro

ན་ི་ན་ལམ་ིས་བར་བ་ང་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.181 Roar of Non-Attachment

chags med nga ro

ཆགས་ད་ང་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.182 Roar of Peace

rab tu zhi ba’i nga ro

རབ་་་བ་ང་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.183 Roar of the Earth Tune

sa dbyangs nga ro

ས་དངས་ང་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.184 Roar of the Ocean Thunder

rgya mtsho ’brug bsgrags nga ro

་མ་འག་བགས་ང་།
—
A bodhisattva.
g.185 Roar of the Rumbling Oceans
rgya mtsho’i dkyil ’khor sgra’i nga ro

་མ ་དལ་འར་་ང་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.186 Rudra
drag po

ག་།
rudra
A wrathful form of Śiva.

g.187 Sahā world

mi mjed

་མད།
sahā
This present world-system. Usually it refers to the whole trichiliocosm, but at
times it only refers to our own world with four continents around Mount
Meru. Sahā means “endurance,” as beings there have to endure suffering.

g.188 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.189 Śākyamuni
shAkya thub pa

་བ་པ།
śākyamuni
 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.

g.190 sense sources

skye mched

་མད།
āyatana
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
These can be listed as twelve or as six sense sources (sometimes also called
sense fields, bases of cognition, or simply āyatanas).

In the context of epistemology, it is one way of describing experience and

the world in terms of twelve sense sources, which can be divided into inner
and outer sense sources, namely: (1–2) eye and form, (3–4) ear and sound, (5–
6) nose and odor, (7–8) tongue and taste, (9–10) body and touch, (11–12)
mind and mental phenomena.

In the context of the twelve links of dependent origination, only six sense
sources are mentioned, and they are the inner sense sources (identical to the
six faculties) of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

g.191 Sharp Eyes

shin tu rno ba’i mig

ན་་་བ་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.192 Shining Light

snang ba’i ’od

ང་བ་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.193 Shining Splendor

snang ba’i dpal

ང་བ་དཔལ།
 —
A bodhisattva.

g.194 Sky Eyes

nam mkha’i mig

ནམ་མཁ་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.195 Song of Brahmā

tshangs pa’i dbyangs

ཚངས་པ་དངས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.196 Song of Greatly Compassionate Thunder

snying rje chen po’i tshul gyi ’brug sgra bsgrags pa’i dbyangs

ང་་ན་ ་ལ་ི་འག་་བགས་པ་དངས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.197 Song of the Earth

sa’i sgra dbyangs

ས་་དངས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.198 Song of the Lord of the World

’jig rten dbang po’i dbyangs

འག་ན་དབང་ ་དངས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.199 Song of the Ocean

rgya mtsho’i dbyangs

་མ ་དངས།
—
 A bodhisattva.

g.200 Song Offering the Royal Lord of Mountains

ri dbang rgyal po rdob pa’i dbyangs

་དབང་ལ་་བ་པ་དངས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.201 Song that Pervades the Entire Realm of Phenomena

chos kyi dbyings thams cad rgyas par ’gengs pa’i dbyangs

ས་་དངས་ཐམས་ཅད་ས་པར་འངས་པ་དངས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.202 Song That Relieves All the Suffering of Beings

’gro ba sdug bsngal thams cad dbugs ’byin pa’i dbyangs

འོ་བ་ག་བལ་ཐམས་ཅད་དགས་འན་པ་དངས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.203 Song That Sounds the Ocean of Dharma

chos rgya mtsho thams cad bsgrags pa’i dbyangs

ས་་མ་ཐམས་ཅད་བགས་པ་དངས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.204 Song That Stirs All the Oceans

rgya mtsho’i dkyil ’khor thams cad rab tu klongs pa’i dbyangs

་མ ་དལ་འར་ཐམས་ཅད་རབ་་ངས་པ་དངས།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.205 Space-like Splendor

nam mkha’i dpal

ནམ་མཁ་དཔལ།
—
A bodhisattva.
g.206 Spacious Mind
yangs pa’i blo

ཡངས་པ་།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.207 special insight

lhag mthong

ག་མང་།
vipaśyanā
An important form of Buddhist meditation focusing on developing insight
into the nature of phenomena. Often presented as part of a pair of meditation
techniques, the other being tranquility.

g.208 Splendor of Great Intelligence

blo gros chen po’i gzi brjid

་ོས་ན་ ་གཟི་བད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.209 Splendor of Immense Merit

bsod nams ri bo’i gzi brjid

བད་ནམས་་ ་གཟི་བད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.210 Splendor of Jewels

rin chen gzi brjid

ན་ན་གཟི་བད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.211 Splendor of Purity

dri ma med pa’i gzi brjid

་མ་ད་པ་གཟི་བད།
—
A bodhisattva.
g.212 Splendor of the Earth
sa’i gzi brjid

ས་གཟི་བད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.213 Splendor of the Sun

nyi ma’i gzi brjid

་མ་གཟི་བད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.214 Splendor of Unmatched Majesty

mtshungs med dpal gyi gzi brjid

མངས་ད་དཔལ་ི་གཟི་བད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.215 Splendor of Vajra Wisdom

ye shes rdo rje’i gzi brjid

་ས་་་གཟི་བད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.216 Splendor of Wisdom Light

ye shes snang ba’i gzi brjid

་ས་ང་བ་གཟི་བད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.217 Stainless Light

dri ma med pa’i ’od

་མ་ད་པ་ད།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.218 Stainless Subjugator

 rdul med rnam par gnon

ལ་ད་མ་པར་གན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.219 Stainless Victory Banner

dri ma med pa’i rgyal mtshan

་མ་ད་པ་ལ་མཚན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.220 Subāhu
lag bzang

ལག་བཟང་།
subāhu
A merchant.

g.221 Sublime Heaven

gya nom snang

་མ་ང་།
sudṛśa
The fifteenth heaven of the form realm.

g.222 Sudatta
legs sbyin

གས་ན།
sudatta
A householder.

g.223 Sulakṣaṇa
lha’i bu mtshan bzang

་་མཚན་བཟང་།
sulakṣaṇa
A god.

g.224 Sun Eyes

nyi ma’i mig
 ་མ་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.225 superknowledge
mngon par shes pa

མན་པར་ས་པ།
abhijñā
The higher cognitions are listed as either five or six. The first five are: divine
sight, divine hearing, knowing how to manifest miracles, remembering
previous lives, knowing what is in the minds of others. A sixth, knowing that
all defects have been eliminated, is often added. The first five are attained
through concentration (dhyāna), and are sometimes described as worldly, as
they can be attained to some extent by non-Buddhist yogis; while the sixth is
supramundane and attained only by realization—by bodhisattvas, or
according to some accounts only by buddhas.

g.226 Supreme Splendor

mchog gi dpal

མག་་དཔལ།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.227 Surāṣṭra
yul ’khor bzang po

ལ་འར་བཟང་།
surāṣṭra
A merchant.

g.228 Sūryagarbha
nyi ma’i snying po

་མ་ང་།
sūryagarbha
A bodhisattva.

g.229 Sūryaprabha
nyi ma’i ’od

་མ་ད།
 sūryaprabha
A bodhisattva.

g.230 Susārthavāha
ded dpon bzang po

ད་དན་བཟང་།
susārthavāha
A householder.

g.231 Suvikrāntamati
lha’i bu shin tu rnam par gnon sems

་་ན་་མ་པར་གན་མས།
suvikrāntamati
A god.

g.232 Śyāmaka
sngo bsangs can

་བསངས་ཅན།
śyāmaka
A householder.

g.233 ten powers

stobs bcu

བས་བ།
daśabala
One set among the different qualities of a tathāgata. The ten powers are (1)
the knowledge of what is possible and not possible; (2) the knowledge of the
ripening of karma; (3) the knowledge of the variety of aspirations; (4) the
knowledge of the variety of natures; (5) the knowledge of the different levels
of capabilities; (6) the knowledge of the destinations of all paths; (7) the
knowledge of various states of meditation (dhyāna, liberation, samādhi,
samāpatti, and so on); (8) the knowledge of remembering previous lives; (9)
the knowledge of deaths and rebirths; and (10) the knowledge of the
cessation of defilements.

g.234 thirty-seven factors of awakening

byang chub kyi phyogs kyi chos sum cu rtsa bdun

ང་བ་་གས་་ས་མ་་་བན།
 saptatriṃśadbodhipakṣadharma
Thirty-seven practices that lead the practitioner to the awakened state: the
four applications of mindfulness, the four thorough relinquishments, the
four bases of miraculous power, the five faculties, the five powers, the
eightfold path, and the seven branches of awakening.

g.235 thorough relinquishment

yang dag par spang ba

ཡང་དག་པར་ང་བ།
prahāṇa
Four types of relinquishment of abandoning existing negative mind states,
abandoning the production of such states, giving rise to virtuous mind states
that are not yet produced, and letting those states continue.

g.236 three spheres

’khor gsum

འར་གམ།
trimaṇḍala
Agent, act, and object.

g.237 thus-gone one

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.238 tranquility
 zhi gnas

་གནས།
śamatha
One of the basic forms of Buddhist meditation that focuses on calming the
mind. Often presented as part of a pair of meditation techniques, the other
being special insight.

g.239 twelve essential qualities

yon tan gyi snying po bcu gnyis

ན་ཏན་ི་ང་་བ་གས།
—
Twelve qualities of the perfect buddha realm in which a thus-gone one
attains awakening.

g.240 Unlofty Heaven

mi che ba

་་བ།
abṛha · avṛha
The thirteenth heaven of the form realm.

g.241 Utterly Illuminating Crown

kun tu rnam par snang byed cod pan

ན་་མ་པར་ང་ད་ད་པན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.242 Vairocanagarbha
rnam par snang byed kyi snying po

མ་པར་ང་ད་་ང་།
vairocanagarbha
A bodhisattva.

g.243 Vaiśālī
yangs pa can

ཡངས་པ་ཅན།
vaiśālī
The ancient capital of the Licchavi republic.
g.244 Vajra Eyes
rdo rje’i mig

་་ག
—
A bodhisattva.

g.245 Vajrapāṇi
lag na rdo rje

ལག་ན་་།
vajrapāṇi
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Vajrapāṇi means “Wielder of the Vajra.” In the Pali canon, he appears as a
yakṣa guardian in the retinue of the Buddha. In the Mahāyāna scriptures he
is a bodhisattva and one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha.” In the
tantras, he is also regarded as an important Buddhist deity and instrumental
in the transmission of tantric scriptures.

g.246 Vārāṇasī
bA rA Na sI

་་ཎ་།
vārāṇasī
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Also known as Benares, one of the oldest cities of northeast India on the
banks of the Ganges, in modern-day Uttar Pradesh. It was once the capital of
the ancient kingdom of Kāśi, and in the Buddha’s time it had been absorbed
into the kingdom of Kośala. It was an important religious center, as well as a
major city, even during the time of the Buddha. The name may derive from
being where the Varuna and Assi rivers flow into the Ganges. It was on the
outskirts of Vārāṇasī that the Buddha first taught the Dharma, in the location
known as Deer Park (Mṛgadāva). For numerous episodes set in Vārāṇasī,
including its kings, see The Hundred Deeds, Toh 340.

g.247 Victory Banner of Beauty

mdzes pa’i rgyal mtshan

མས་པ་ལ་མཚན།
—
A bodhisattva.
g.248 Victory Banner of Mount Meru
lhun po’i rgyal mtshan

ན་ ་ལ་མཚན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.249 Victory Banner of the Stars

skar ma’i rgyal mtshan

ར་མ་ལ་མཚན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.250 Victory Banner of the Sun

nyi ma’i rgyal mtshan

་མ་ལ་མཚན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.251 Vulture Peak

bya rgod kyi phung po ri

་ད་་ང་་།
gṛdhrakūṭaparvata
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.

g.252 Wisdom Splendor

ye shes dpal

་ས་དཔལ།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.253 Wise Communicator

sems can gyi skad ye shes ldan
 མས་ཅན་ི་ད་་ས་ན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.254 Wise Superior Clarity

rdul med bla ma’i ye shes ldan

ལ་ད་་མ་་ས་ན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.255 Wise Superior Flower

me tog bla ma’i ye shes ldan

་ག་་མ་་ས་ན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.256 Wise Superior Illuminator

rnam par snang byed bla ma’i ye shes ldan

མ་པར་ང་ད་་མ་་ས་ན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.257 Wise Superior Moon

zla ba’i bla ma’i ye shes ldan

་བ་་མ་་ས་ན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.258 Wise Superior Purity

dri ma med pa’i bla ma’i ye shes ldan

་མ་ད་པ་་མ་་ས་ན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.259 Wise Superior Vajra

rdo rje bla ma’i ye shes ldan

་་་མ་་ས་ན།
 —
A bodhisattva.

g.260 Wise Superior Wealth

rin chen bla ma’i ye shes ldan

ན་ན་་མ་་ས་ན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.261 Wise Superior Wisdom

ye shes bla ma’i ye shes ldan

་ས་་མ་་ས་ན།
—
A bodhisattva.

g.262 worthy one

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.263 yakṣa
gnod sbyin

གད་ན།
yakṣa
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.

g.264 Yeshé Dé
ye shes sde

་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.