༄༅། །་ག་བགས་པ་གངས།

The Dhāraṇī “Heap of Flowers”

Puṣpakūṭadhāraṇī
 འཕགས་པ་་ག་བགས་པ་ས་་བ་གངས།
’phags pa me tog brtsegs pa zhes bya ba’i gzungs

The Noble Dhāraṇī “Heap of Flowers”

Āryapuṣpakūṭanāmadhāraṇī

· Toh 516 ·
Degé Kangyur, vol. 88 (rgyud, na), folios 31.a–33.b (in par phud printings), 38.a–40.b (in later
printings)
 First published 2024

Current version v 1.0.3 (2024)

Generated by 84000 Reading Room v2.26.1

84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha is a global non-profit initiative to translate all the
Buddha’s words into modern languages, and to make them available to everyone.

This work is provided under the protection of a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution - Non-
commercial - No-derivatives) 3.0 copyright. It may be copied or printed for fair use, but only with full
attribution, and not for commercial advantage or personal compensation. For full details, see the Creative
Commons license.
 This print version was generated at 1.27pm on Friday, 29th November 2024 from the online
version of the text available on that date. If some time has elapsed since then, this version may
have been superseded, as most of 84000’s published translations undergo significant updates
from time to time. For the latest online version, with bilingual display, interactive glossary
entries and notes, and a variety of further download options, please see
https://84000.co/translation/toh516.
co. TABLE OF CONTENTS
ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
tr. The Translation
1. Heap of Flowers
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
· Primary Sources
· Secondary Sources
g. Glossary
s. SUMMARY
s.1 The text comprises a teaching given by the Buddha Śākyamuni to the
bodhisattva Siṃhavikrīḍita in response to his question: what kind of merit
does one gain by worshiping the Tathāgata? The Buddha addresses the
question by stating that the merits of the awakened ones are limitless, thus
any merit accrued by worshiping them, whether face to face or in the form of
a caitya, is also limitless. What truly matters is the worshiper’s mental
attitude. He then continues by teaching a dhāraṇī accompanied by a short
practice and describes its benefits.
ac. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ac.1 This text was translated and introduced by The Buddhapīṭha Translation
Group (Gergely Hidas and Péter-Dániel Szántó).
ac.2 The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of
84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Ryan Damron edited the
translation and the introduction, and Dawn Collins copyedited the text.
Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
i. INTRODUCTION
i.1 The Dhāraṇī “Heap of Flowers” is a text that has had considerable influence. In
India, it was quoted by Śāntideva and his followers; in China, it was
preserved in at least four translations; and in Tibet it has been popular since
the Imperial Period.
i.2 The dhāraṇī and the discourse that frames it is delivered by Buddha
Śākyamuni at Lake Anavatapta, prompted by a question from the
bodhisattva Siṃhavikrīḍita who wishes to know what amount of merit is
gained by worshiping a buddha. The Buddha replies by slightly rebuking
Siṃhavikrīḍita: since the qualities of the buddhas are endless, so too is the
merit gained by worshiping them. Moreover, it does not matter whether
those buddhas are directly present in reality or are present in the form of a
caitya containing a small relic. Nor does it matter how precious the offering
is (although a long list of appropriate offerings is provided). What truly
matters is the positive mental attitude of the worshiper, both when making
the offering and after the act. After this discourse, the Buddha teaches the
dhāraṇī meant to enhance the act of worship, and explains its benefits.
i.3 We have not been able to find the original Sanskrit text in its entirety, but
large and significant parts are preserved in Śāntideva’s Śikṣāsamuccaya (Toh
3940) and Prajñākaramati’s Bodhicaryāvatārapañjikā (Toh 3872).
i.4 The Tibetan translation is recorded in the imperial catalogs 1 and we know
of at least one fragment from the Dunhuang manuscript hoard, which was
copied on the back of a Chinese scroll that contained a translation of the
Diamond Sūtra (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā).2 In the Degé Kangyur, the text is
included in both the Tantra section (Toh 516)3 and the Compendium of
Dhāraṇīs (Toh 886).4 5 The translators are not identified in these sources, but
according to Butön Rinchen Drup (bu ston rin chen grub, 1290–1364), the
dhāraṇī was translated by the well-known Tibetan scholar-monk, Yeshé Dé
(ye shes sde).6
i.5 The earliest of the four Chinese translations is 華積陀羅尼神呪經 (Taisho
1356, Huaji tuoluoni shenzhou jing), which is said to be the work of Zhi Qian
and held to be of venerable antiquity (ca. 220–30 ᴄᴇ), but this attribution
seems to be quite doubtful.7 This Chinese version is quite close to the
師⼦奮迅菩薩所問經
Tibetan translation. The next two Chinese translations,
(Shizi fenxun pusa suowen jing, Taisho 1357) and 花聚陀羅尼呪經 (Huaju
tuoluoni zhou jing, Taisho 1358), are the works of unknown translators from
around the fourth or fifth century. The latest of the Chinese translations, 花積
樓閣陀羅尼經 (Huaji louge tuoluoni jing, Taisho 1359), is the work of the famous
Dānapāla, whose prolific output was sponsored by the Northern Song court
around the turn of the first millennium.
i.6 This English translation was made principally on the basis of the Tibetan
translations of the text found in the Tantra Collection (rgyud ’bum) and the
Compendium of Dhāraṇīs (gzungs ’dus) in the Degé Kangyur in consultation
with the Stok Palace Kangyur and the Dunhuang fragment.
The Noble Dhāraṇī
Heap of Flowers
1. The Translation
[F.31.a] [F.48.a]

1.1 Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing on the shores of
the great Lake Anavatapta, in the mansion of the nāga king Anavatapta,
[F.31.b] [F.48.b] together with a great monastic retinue of five hundred monks
and a great retinue of bodhisattvas, numbering an even thousand, gathered
from various world-systems. Without exception, they all possessed dhāraṇī,
possessed contemplation, had one rebirth remaining, were well established
on the ten levels, were consecrated with the consecration of immediately
being heirs apparent,8 had donned the great cuirass, and entertained no
doubts regarding the qualities of a buddha.
1.2 At that time, the bodhisattva mahāsattva9 Siṃhavikrīḍita came and took a
seat in that very retinue. The bodhisattva mahāsattva Siṃhavikrīḍita then
rose from his seat, placed his upper garment on one shoulder, placed his
right kneecap on the ground, cupped his palms in reverence toward the
Blessed One, and said to the Blessed One,
1.3 “Blessed One! How much merit does a son or daughter of noble family
who performs worship to a thus-gone one accrue?”
1.4 The Blessed One replied to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Siṃhavikrīḍita,
“Siṃhavikrīḍita, do not say ‘Blessed One, how much merit does a son or
daughter of noble family who performs worship to a thus-gone one accrue?’
Why is that? A thus-gone one 10 is of immeasurable morality, immeasurable
contemplation, immeasurable wisdom, immeasurable liberation, and
immeasurable knowledge and vision of liberation. Thus, Siṃhavikrīḍita,
since a thus-gone, worthy, fully awakened, perfect buddha is endowed with
immeasurable heaps of virtue, it follows that the fruition of performing
worship to him is also immeasurable. [F.32.a] [F.49.a]
1.5 “It is like this, Siṃhavikrīḍita. Those who perform the worship of a thus-
gone one, whether present or departed into complete nirvāṇa, will attain
complete nirvāṇa through one of the three vehicles —the vehicle of śrāvakas,
the vehicle of pratyekabuddhas, or the great vehicle.11 Moreover,
Siṃhavikrīḍita, the fruition of merit is the same for a person whose mind
becomes cleansed upon beholding the thus-gone, worthy, fully awakened,
perfect buddha, and then with a cleansed mind12 honors, reveres, worships,
and venerates him with profits, clothing, alms, bedding, medicinal herbs,
implements, and various kinds of comforts, as for a person who worships a
caitya containing a relic even as small as a mustard seed from a thus-gone
one who has departed into complete nirvāṇa. There is no difference, no
distinction whatsoever between them.13
1.6 “Suppose, Siṃhavikrīḍita, that a householder bodhisattva were to donate
a heap of precious materials as tall as Mount Meru to śrāvakas,
pratyekabuddhas, or thus-gone, worthy, fully awakened, perfect Buddhas,
and suppose a bodhisattva who has gone forth were to donate a single
coin14 and then generate the aspiration for unsurpassed perfect awakening.
The former roots of merit would not amount to even a hundredth of the
latter—not a thousandth, not a hundred-thousandth. It would not even
count as any part, any number worthy of consideration, simile, or
approximation of any kind. It would not even be close; it would not even
compare.
1.7 “Suppose, Siṃhavikrīḍita, that a person were to honor a thus-gone,
worthy, fully awakened, perfect Buddha with various comforts for a year,
[F.32.b] [F.49.b] a century, or even a millennium. And suppose that a person
who has fully adopted the resolve of awakening were, with the intent of
worshiping a thus-gone one, to offer a single flower,15 pour out a handful of
water, apply a drop of fragrant pigment, remove withered flowers, or offer
some unguent, incense, flowers, perfume, garlands, music, or a parasol, bell,
hanging cloth, banner, flag, piece of cloth, or a lamp at a caitya of a thus-
gone one who has departed into complete nirvāṇa, and after having made
this offering were to say with a rejoicing heart at every step forward,
‘Homage to that Blessed Buddha.’ It is simply impossible, Siṃhavikrīḍita,
that these people would fall into unfavorable rebirths for an eon, or a
hundred eons, a thousand eons, or one-hundred thousand eons. Have no
distrust, no doubts, and no uncertainty about this.16
1.8 “Siṃhavikrīḍita, there is a dhāraṇī named Heap of Flowers that I will teach
for the profit of many beings, for the happiness of many beings, to take pity
on many people, for the benefit, profit, and happiness of a great many
beings, gods and humans. Siṃhavikrīḍita, whoever holds this dhāraṇī, Heap
of Flowers, upholds it, recites it, memorizes it, masters it, or extensively
 explains it to others will invariably remember former births, will not fall into
unfavorable rebirths, and will obtain ease. They will never be separated from
the Three Jewels, will never be separated from the thus-gone ones, will
never be separated from the act of calling the Buddha to mind, will never be
separated from bodhisattvas, [F.50.a] will never be separated from the
resolve for awakening, will never be deficient in faculties,17 will never take
birth in lower castes, will be endowed with profound fortunes of various
talents, and will be able to behold the blessed buddhas of the innumerable
world systems in the ten directions.

1.9 tadyathā | dhāraṇi dhāraṇi muniprabhāsvare siddhe caṇḍe nāmaci niheri arogavati
buddhamatidhairye oṁkare tegagarate tejovate vipulabuddhe dharmāvabhāse
akṣayakalpe kalpavati amṛtakalpe hutāśane tejovati niryasaṃhīte tejogravā-
tiṣṭhinadraye tiṣṭhinadraye buddhi svāhā ||

1.10 “Siṃhavikrīḍita, those who have fully learned and mastered the title, letters,
and words of this dhāraṇī, Heap of Flowers, should call the Buddha to mind on
the eight to fifteenth days of the waxing fortnight in either the last month of
spring, the first month of summer, or the last month of autumn. They should
contemplate the Thus-Gone One three times a day and three times at night
while concentrating one-pointedly, and worship the Blessed One with
offerings of incense, flowers, lamps, and fragrance. Such persons will behold
fifteen blessed buddhas teaching the Dharma while seated on a lion throne
in the calyx of a lotus. They will obtain dhāraṇīs and have good memory,
dexterity of mind, quick understanding, intelligence, and will remember all
their births until they reach complete nirvāṇa. Such persons will become
proficient in all traditional learning, all treatises, all crafts, and all pursuits.
All kinds of contemplations will be established in their mind,18 except for the
four truths of the noble ones. Why is that? Because those dharmas pertain to
the uncontaminated.” [F.33.b] [F.50.b]
1.11 When the Blessed One finished speaking, the bodhisattva mahāsattva
Siṃhavikrīḍita, the bodhisattvas, and the monks, together with a host of
gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas were gladdened and praised the
speech of the Blessed One.

1.12 The Dhāraṇī “Heap of Flowers” is complete.

n. NOTES
n.1 Denkarma, F.302.a.7, see also Herrmann-Pfandt 2008, pp. 208–9; Kawagoe
2005, p. 20.

n.2 Pelliot tibétain 418

(https://archivesetmanuscrits.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cc121820t), first identified
by Lalou (1939, p. 102). The fragment corresponds to approximately the first
folio of the Degé text (folio 31.a.6–31.b.6).

n.3 Two sets of folio references have been included in this translation due to a
discrepancy in volume 88 (rgyud ’bum, na) of the Degé Kangyur between the
1737 par phud printings and the late (post par phud) printings. In the latter
case, an extra work, Bodhimaṇḍasyālaṃkāralakṣadhāraṇī (Toh 508, byang chub
snying po’i rgyan ’bum gyi gzungs), was added as the second text in the
volume, thereby displacing the pagination of all the following texts in the
same volume by 17 folios. Since the eKangyur follows the later printing, both
references have been provided, with the highlighted one linking to the
eKangyur viewer.

n.4 Strickmann (1996, p. 72) noted that there are five Chinese translations and
two Tibetan translations, but we are not aware of a second Tibetan
translation and counted only four Chinese renderings.

n.5 Note that there is a discrepancy among various databases for cataloging the
Toh 886 version of this text within vol. 100 or 101 of the Degé Kangyur. See
Toh 886, n.5 (https://read.84000.co/translation/toh886.html# UT22084-088-
010-128), for details.

n.6 Butön F.175.a.2 (p. 981); see also Nishioka 1983 (# 1292), p. 62. Butön’s chos
’byung is somewhat unclear at this point, so this identification is tentative.
n.7 On Zhi Qian, a man of Yuezhi ancestry, see Nattier 2008, pp. 116–48. Nattier
is silent on this particular text, the implication being that she does not accept
it among the genuine translations of Zhi Qian. Most scholars (e.g.,
Strickmann 1996, p. 72 and Matsunaga 1977, p. 170) accept the attribution
without hesitation. We are very grateful to Prof. Nattier for answering our
query and graciously providing us with more information (e-mail, 2023
October 1): most significantly, a number of words and expressions used in
this translation (including the very first ones, 如是我聞, wording that appears
to date only from the beginning of the 5th century) are utterly foreign to the
Zhi Qian corpus, so the attribution does not seem to be credible.

n.8 We have not been able to trace the Sanskrit equivalent for this expression.
Perhaps the idea is that all these bodhisattvas would become buddhas in
their next incarnation, each in one of the many universes.

n.9 This is translated by Tibetans as “great being,” but it is equally possible if

not more likely that originally it was a bahuvrīhi compound meaning “of
great courage.”

n.10 The testimony of the Dunhuang fragment ends here.

n.11 We find the Tibetan text unsatisfactory here; as the text stands, the passage
would mean: “through the vehicle of śrāvakas, or the vehicle of
pratyekabuddhas, or the great vehicle, or one of the three vehicles.” In light
of the Sanskrit and the logic of the passage we have emended ’am to ste; in
this way, the enumeration of the three vehicles serves as an explanation of
“three vehicles.” Note that Prajñākaramati’s quotation (see note below) lacks
the enumeration of the three; this is either an omission on the commentator’s
part or a sign that the apposition was once a gloss which made it into the
main text.

n.12 The Tibetan reads “with a faithful mind” (dad pa’i sems kyis). However, in
light of the previous sentence and the testimony of the Sanskrit
(prasannacittaḥ), we have emended the reading to “with a cleansed mind”
(dang ba’i sems kyis). This emendation is confirmed by the Phukdrak
manuscript.

n.13 This passage is quoted with reference in Nāgārjuna’s Sūtrasamuccaya

(Sanskrit not available; Toh 3934, 181.b–182.a) and Prajñākaramati’s Bodhi-
caryāvatārapañjikā (La Vallée Poussin 1901–14, p. 424): ye kecit siṃhavikrīḍita
tathāgatasya pūjāṃ kariṣyanti tiṣṭhato vā parinirvṛtasya vā, sarve te triyānād ekatareṇa
yānena parinirvāsyanti | yaś ca khalu siṃhavikrīḍita tathāgatam arhantaṃ
samyaksaṃbuddhaṃ dṛṣṭvā cittaṃ prasādayet, prasannacittaḥ satkuryāt, gurukuryāt,
 mānayet, pūjayet, upacaret, lābhena cīvarapiṇḍapātaśayanāsanaglānapratyaya-
bhaiṣajyapariṣkāraiḥ sarvasukhopadhānair upatiṣṭhet, yaś ca parinirvṛtasya
tathāgatasya sarṣapaphalamātradhātau śarīrapūjāṃ kuryāt, samo vipākaḥ prati-
kāṅkṣitavyaḥ | tathā pūjāyai nāsti viśeṣo nānākaraṇaṃ ca .

The word for coin here is kārṣāpaṇa (kAr+SA pa Na), of which copper, silver
n.14
and gold mints existed (for a broader discussion of coinage in the period, see
Maity 1970, pp. 213–29). The logic of the passage requires us to posit that the
less valuable copper coin is meant.

n.15 Here we have preferred the reading of the Sanskrit testimony (see note
below); the Tibetan has “some flowers.”

n.16 This passage is quoted with reference in Śāntideva’s Śikṣāsamuccaya (Bendall

1902, p. 173); we give the text here with some reformatting and silent
corrections: yaś ca khalu punaḥ siṃhavikrīḍita tathāgataṃ saṃmukhaṃ varṣaṃ vā
varṣasahasraṃ vā varṣaśatasahasraṃ vā sarvasukhopadhānair upatiṣṭhet, yaś ca pari-
nirvṛtasya tathāgatasya caitye bodhicittasaṃgṛhīta ekapuṣpam āropayet tathāgata-
pūjāyai jalāñjaliṃ copanāmayej jalena vā siñcayed īṣikāpadaṃ vā dadyān nirmālyaṃ
cāpanayed upalepanapradānaṃ vā puṣpapradānaṃ vā dīpapradānaṃ vā kuryād
āttamanāḥ ekakramavyatihāraṃ vātikramya vācaṃ bhāṣeta | namas tasmai buddhāya
bhagavata iti mā te ’tra siṃhavikrīḍita kāṅkṣā vā vimatir vā vicikitsā vā yad asau
kalpaṃ vā kalpaśataṃ vā kalpasahasraṃ vā durgativinipātaṃ gacchen nedaṃ sthānaṃ
vidyate. For an English translation, see Bendall and Rouse 1922, pp. 169–70,
and Goodman 2016, p. 171. The quotation was taken over from here in
Prajñākaramati’s Bodhicaryāvatārapañjikā (La Vallée Poussin 1901–14, pp. 424–
5); the differences are very minor.

n.17 Referring to the organs of perception and the organs of action.

n.18 Here we have adopted the reading of the Stok Palace Kangyur, de’i sems la
gnas par ’gyur te, instead of the Degé reading, de’i sems las rnam par dag par
’gyur te. This somewhat obscure sentence shows great fluctuation in the
Chinese translations as well.
b. BIBLIOGRAPHY
· Primary Sources ·

’phags pa me tog brtsegs pa zhes bya ba’i gzungs (Puṣpakūṭadhāraṇī). Toh 516, Degé
Kangyur vol. 88 (rgyud, na), folios 31.a–33.b.

’phags pa me tog brtsegs pa zhes bya ba’i gzungs (Puṣpakūṭadhāraṇī). Toh 886, Degé
Kangyur vol. 100 (gzungs ’dus, e), folios 159.b–161.b.

Pelliot tibétain 418

(https://archivesetmanuscrits.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cc121820t). Bibliothèque
nationale de France, Paris. Accessed through The International Dunhuang
Project: The Silk Road Online.

’phags pa me tog brtsegs pa zhes bya ba’i gzungs (Puṣpakūṭadhāraṇī). Stok Palace
Kangyur vol. 102 (rgyud, da), folios 26.b–29.b.

華積陀羅尼神呪經, Puṣpakūṭadhāraṇī),
Fo shuo hua ji tuoluoni shen zhou jing (
Taishō 1356 (CBETA (https://cbetaonline.dila.edu.tw/T1356); SAT
(https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2018/T1356.html)).

Fo shuo shizi fen xun pusa suo wen jing ( 師⼦奮迅菩薩所問經, Puṣpakūṭadhāraṇī),
Taishō 1357 (CBETA (https://cbetaonline.dila.edu.tw/T1357); SAT
(https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2018/T1357.html)).

Shuo hua ju tuoluoni zhou jing ( 花聚陀羅尼呪經, Puṣpakūṭadhāraṇī), Taishō 1358

(CBETA (https://cbetaonline.dila.edu.tw/T1358); SAT (https://21dzk.l.u-
tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2018/T1358.html)).

花積樓閣陀羅尼經, Puṣpakūṭadhāraṇī), Taisho 1359

Hua ji louge tuoluoni jing (
(CBETA (https://cbetaonline.dila.edu.tw/T1359); SAT (https://21dzk.l.u-
tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2018/T1359.html)).

· Secondary Sources ·
Bendall, Cecil, ed. Çikshāsamuccaya: A Compendium of Buddhistic Teaching
Compiled by Çāntideva, Chiefly from Earlier Mahāyāna-Sūtras. Bibliotheca
Buddhica 1. St. Petersburg: Académie Impériale des Sciences, 1902.

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

Buddhist Doctrine, Compiled by Śāntideva. London: John Murray, 1922.

Butön (bu ston rin chen grub). bde bar gshegs pa’i bstan pa’i gsal byed chos kyi
’byung gnas gsung rab rin po che’i mdzod. In gsung ’bum/_rin chen grub/ zhol par
ma/ ldi lir bskyar par brgyab pa/ [The Collected Works of Bu-ston: Edited by
Lokesh Chandra from the Collections of Raghu Vira], vol. 24, pp. 633–1056.
New Delhi: International Academy of Indian Culture, 1965–71.

Denkarma (ldan dkar ma; pho brang stod thang ldan dkar gyi chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar
chag). Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.

Goodman, Charles. “The Training Anthology” of Śāntideva: A Translation of the

Śikṣā-samuccaya. New York: Oxford University Press, 2016.

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

Kawagoe, Eishin, ed. dKar chag ’Phang thang ma. Tōhoku Indo Chibetto
Kenkyū Sōsho 3. Sendai: Tohoku Society for Indo-Tibetan Studies, 2005.

La Vallée Poussin, Louis de, ed. Bodhicaryāvatārapañjikā: Prajñākaramati’s

Commentary on the Bodhicaryāvatāra of Çāntideva, Edited with Indices.
Bibliotheca Indica 983, 1031, 1090, 1126, 1139, 1305 and 1399. Calcutta:
Baptist Mission Press, 1901–14.

Lalou, Marcelle. Inventaire des Manuscrits tibétains de Touen-houang conservés à la

Bibliothèque Nationale (Fonds Pelliot tibétain nos. 1 - 849), vol. 1. Paris: Librairie
d’Amérique et d’Orient Adrien-Maisonneuve, 1939.

Lamotte, Étienne. Le traité de la grande vertu de sagesse de Nāgārjuna: (Mahāprajñā-

pāramitāśāstra), tome I, chapitres I-XV, Première Partie (Traduction annotée).
Louvain: Bureaux du Muséon, 1944.

Maity, Sachindra Kumar. Economic Life in Northern India in the Gupta Period (Cir.
A. D. 300-550). Revised second edition. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1970.

Matsunaga, Yukei. “A History of Tantric Buddhism in India with Reference

to Chinese Translations.” In Buddhist Thought and Asian Civilization. Essays
in Honor of Herbert V. Guenther on His Sixtieth Birthday, edited by Leslie S.
Kawamura and Keith Scott, 167–181. Emeryville, CA: Dharma Publishing,
1977.
Nattier, Jan. A Guide to the Earliest Chinese Buddhist Translations. Texts from the
Eastern Han 東漢 and Three Kingdoms 三國 Periods. Tokyo: The International
Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology, Soka University, 2008.

Nishioka, Soshū. “ ‘Putun bukkyōshi’ Mokurokubusakuin 3/Index to the

Catalogue Section of Bu ston’s ‘History of Buddhism’ 3.” Tōkyō daigaku
bungakubu Bunka Kōryū Kenkyū Shisetsu Kenkyū kiyō 6 (1983), 47–201.

Orzech, Charles D. “Translation of Tantras and Other Esoteric Buddhist

Scriptures.” In Esoteric Buddhist and the Tantras in East Asia, edited by Charles
D. Orzech, Henrik H. Sørensen, and Richard K. Payne, 439–450.
Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2011.

Strickmann, Michel. Mantras et mandarins. Le bouddhisme tantrique en Chine.

Bibliothèque des sciences humaines. Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 1996.
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 Anavatapta
ma dros pa

མ་ས་པ།
anavatapta AD
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
 A nāga king whose domain is Lake Anavatapta. According to Buddhist
cosmology, this lake is located near Mount Sumeru and is the source of the
four great rivers of Jambudvīpa. It is often identified with Lake Manasarovar
at the foot of Mount Kailash in Tibet.

g.2 asura
lha ma yin

་མ་ན།
asura AD
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
A type of nonhuman being whose precise status is subject to different views,
but is included as one of the six classes of beings in the sixfold classification
of realms of rebirth. In the Buddhist context, asuras are powerful beings said
to be dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility. They are also known in the
pre-Buddhist and pre-Vedic mythologies of India and Iran, and feature
prominently in Vedic and post-Vedic Brahmanical mythology, as well as in
the Buddhist tradition. In these traditions, asuras are often described as
being engaged in interminable conflict with the devas (gods).

g.3 caitya
mchod rten

མད་ན།
caitya
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
The Tibetan translates both stūpa and caitya with the same word, mchod rten,
meaning “basis” or “recipient” of “offerings” or “veneration.” Pali: cetiya.

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

A stūpa, literally “heap” or “mound,” is a mounded or circular structure

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

g.4 contemplation
ting nge ’dzin

ང་་འན་བ་པ།
 samādhi AD
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
In a general sense, samādhi can describe a number of different meditative
states. In the Mahāyāna literature, in particular in the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras,
we find extensive lists of different samādhis, numbering over one hundred.

In a more restricted sense, and when understood as a mental state, samādhi is

defined as the one-pointedness of the mind (cittaikāgratā), the ability to
remain on the same object over long periods of time. The Drajor Bamponyipa
(sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa) commentary on the Mahāvyutpatti explains the
term samādhi as referring to the instrument through which mind and mental
states “get collected,” i.e., it is by the force of samādhi that the continuum of
mind and mental states becomes collected on a single point of reference
without getting distracted.

g.5 dhāraṇī
gzungs

གངས།
dhāraṇī AD
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
The term dhāraṇī has the sense of something that “holds” or “retains,” and so
it can refer to the special capacity of practitioners to memorize and recall
detailed teachings. It can also refer to a verbal expression of the teachings —
an incantation, spell, or mnemonic formula—that distills and “holds”
essential points of the Dharma and is used by practitioners to attain
mundane and supramundane goals. The same term is also used to denote
texts that contain such formulas.

g.6 gandharva
dri za

་ཟ།
gandharva AD
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.7 great vehicle

theg pa chen po

ག་པ་ན་།
mahāyāna AD
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
When the Buddhist teachings are classified according to their power to lead
beings to an awakened state, a distinction is made between the teachings of
the Lesser Vehicle (Hīnayāna), which emphasizes the individual’s own
freedom from cyclic existence as the primary motivation and goal, and those
of the Great Vehicle (Mahāyāna), which emphasizes altruism and has the
liberation of all sentient beings as the principal objective. As the term “Great
Vehicle” implies, the path followed by bodhisattvas is analogous to a large
carriage that can transport a vast number of people to liberation, as
compared to a smaller vehicle for the individual practitioner.

g.8 Lake Anavatapta

mtsho chen po ma dros pa

མ་ན་་མ་ས་པ།
anavataptasya mahāsaraḥ AA
A lake that is considered the source of four great rivers, including the
Ganges, in Buddhist cosmology.

g.9 liberation
rnam par grol ba

མ་པར་ོལ་བ།
vimukti AD
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
In its most general sense, this term refers to the state of freedom from
suffering and cyclic existence, or saṃsāra, that is the goal of the Buddhist
path. More specifically, the term may refer to a category of advanced
meditative attainment such as those of the “eight liberations.”

g.10 morality
tshul khrims

ལ་མས།
 śīla AD
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Morally virtuous or disciplined conduct and the abandonment of morally
undisciplined conduct of body, speech, and mind. In a general sense, moral
discipline is the cause for rebirth in higher, more favorable states, but it is
also foundational to Buddhist practice as one of the three trainings (triśikṣā)
and one of the six perfections of a bodhisattva. Often rendered as “ethics,”
“discipline,” and “morality.”

g.11 one rebirth remaining

skye ba gcig gis thogs pa

་བ་གག་ས་གས་པ།
ekajātipratibaddha AO
A common description of bodhisattvas; in their next rebirth they will attain
buddhahood.

g.12 one well established on the ten levels

sa bcu la rab tu gnas pa

ས་བ་ལ་རབ་་གནས་པ།
daśabhūmipratiṣṭhita AO
A common description of bodhisattvas.

g.13 one who has donned the great cuirass

go cha chen po bgos pa

་ཆ་ན་་བས་པ།
mahāsaṃnāhasaṃnaddha AO
A common description of bodhisattvas; the cuirasses are various qualities
they have acquired.

g.14 possessor of contemplation

ting nge ’dzin thob pa

ང་་འན་བ་པ།
samādhipratilabdha AO
A common description of bodhisattvas.

g.15 possessor of dhāraṇī

gzungs thob pa

གངས་བ་པ།
 dhāraṇīpratilabdha AO
A common description of bodhisattvas; the semantic range of dhāraṇī in this
collocation is expanded considerably.

g.16 pratyekabuddha
rang sangs rgyas

རང་སངས་ས།
pratyekabuddha AD
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Literally, “buddha for oneself” or “solitary realizer.” Someone who, in his or
her last life, attains awakening entirely through their own contemplation,
without relying on a teacher. Unlike the awakening of a fully realized
buddha (samyaksambuddha), the accomplishment of a pratyekabuddha is not
regarded as final or ultimate. They attain realization of the nature of
dependent origination, the selflessness of the person, and a partial
realization of the selflessness of phenomena, by observing the suchness of
all that arises through interdependence. This is the result of progress in
previous lives but, unlike a buddha, they do not have the necessary merit,
compassion or motivation to teach others. They are named as “rhinoceros-
like” (khaḍgaviṣāṇakalpa) for their preference for staying in solitude or as
“congregators” (vargacārin) when their preference is to stay among peers.

g.17 Siṃhavikrīḍita
seng ge rnam par rtse

ང་་མ་པར་།
siṃhavikrīḍita AS
The name (meaning “Lion’s Play”) of a bodhisattva. Interlocutor in the The
Dhāraṇī “Heap of Flowers.”

g.18 śrāvaka
nyan thos

ཉན་ས།
śrāvaka AD
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
The Sanskrit term śrāvaka, and the Tibetan nyan thos, both derived from the
verb “to hear,” are usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the
Buddha and make it heard to others.” Primarily this refers to those disciples of
the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat seeking their own
liberation and nirvāṇa. They are the practitioners of the first turning of the
 wheel of the Dharma on the four noble truths, who realize the suffering
inherent in saṃsāra and focus on understanding that there is no
independent self. By conquering afflicted mental states (kleśa), they liberate
themselves, attaining first the stage of stream enterers at the path of seeing,
followed by the stage of once-returners who will be reborn only one more
time, and then the stage of non-returners who will no longer be reborn into
the desire realm. The final goal is to become an arhat. These four stages are
also known as the “four results of spiritual practice.”

g.19 thus-gone one

de bzhin gshegs pa

་བན་གགས་པ།
tathāgata AD
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.20 wisdom
shes rab

ས་རབ།
prajñā AD
In general, this is the mental factor of discerning the specific qualities of a
given object and whether it should be accepted or rejected. As the sixth of
the six perfections, it refers to the profound understanding of the emptiness
of all phenomena, the realization of ultimate reality.

g.21 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.

g.22 Zhi Qian

—
—
—
⽀謙
A famous translator into Chinese active in the first half of the third century.