Loading translation...
According to The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, a version of the prayer does however appear in Buddhabhadra’s translation of The Vows of Mañjuśrī Sūtra. Buswell and Lopez (2014), p. 106.
For further details on the textual history of the prayer, see Osto (2010), pp. 1–2. The entire Buddhāvataṃsaka has been translated from Chinese into English, based on the Śikṣānanda version (Taishō 279), by Thomas Cleary (1993).
Denkarma folio 303.a; Herrmann-Pfandt (2008), pp. 269–70. Phangthangma, p. 33. In both of these catalogs it is listed as having ninety-seven ślokas or verses, though this does not match its length in either the Kangyur or the Dunhuang manuscript iterations.
Thirty-six manuscripts in the Pelliot tibétain archive and twelve in the India Office Library (IOL) archive contain the prayer in part or in full. For a full list, see Resources for Kanjur and Tanjur Studies at the University of Vienna.
Scans of all the manuscripts in the Pelliot tibétain archive are available online through the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. Pelliot tibétain 116 is dated to the second half of the tenth century. This version of The Prayer of Good Conduct is very close to the Kangyur versions but lacks the final three verses. PT116 has been described by van Schaik (2016) as The Tibetan Chan Compendium.
The colophon in Tibetan attributes this commentary to Lopön Gyenzangpo (slob dpon rgyan bzang po), which could render a variety of possible Sanskrit names. Subhūṣita, Alaṃkārabhadra, and Bhadravaha have all been suggested.
Later on, in verse 15, this same phrase is translated less obscurely as gang rnams ji snyed pa. A more literal translation would be “whoever many,” and thus in the first verse it was translated as ji snyed su dag. The Chinese has “all.”
According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. The Tibetan repeats bowing with the synonym phyag tshal, presumably from a text that had praṇāmaiḥ in error for pramāṇaiḥ.
The Sanskrit buddhasuta literally means “children of the buddhas,” and the Tibetan sangs rgyas sras, “sons of the buddhas.” The Chinese has “bodhisattvas.”
According to the BHS adhimukti. Translated into Tibetan as dad pa (usually translated as “faith”). The Chinese includes related descriptions: 廣大勝解心 (guang da sheng jie xin, “vast, supreme understanding”), 深信 (shen xin, “deep faith or devotion”) in buddhas of the three times, and the power of devotion to good conduct.
The Sanskrit text uses the synonym pratyekajina, and the Tibetan uses the equivalent rang rgyal. The Tibetan appears to separate “those practicing” and “those who are accomplished” from pratyekabuddha.
The order is according to the Sanskrit; the Tibetan reverses it, beginning with “the jinas.” The Chinese has 二乘有學及無學 (er sheng you xue ji wu xue, “two yānas at learning and non-learning stages”).
According to the Sanskrit udāra. The Tibetan translates according to an alternative meaning as “vast.”
According to the Tibetan des and the Sanskrit peśalu. The Vaidya edition of the Sanskrit has ye khalu. The Chinese translates peśalu as “pure,” but in reference to the practice of perfection rather than the person.
According to the Tibetan las, which could be an error for lam or a translation of the Sanskrit patha, which can mean “path” or “way.” The Chinese has 境 (jing), translating from patha.
According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit is patha. Subhūṣita’s commentary interprets this as meaning “for as long as the realms last.” The Chinese includes both meanings.
According to the Sanskrit, which is singular. The Tibetan has plural. The Chinese presents the first line as two lines and omits the fourth line of this verse.
The Tibetan translates as smon lam, which is usually translated into English as “prayer” or “aspiration.” The BHS praṇidhāna can also mean “vow” or “resolution.” The Chinese translates as 願 (yuan, “prayer,” “aspiration,” “vow,” “resolution”).
According to the Tibetan rgya cher and the Chinese 廣大 (guang da), translating the Sanskrit udāra.
According to the BHS paridīpayamāna, translated into Tibetan as snang bar byed (“illuminate”). The Chinese translates as 光顯 (guang xian), incorporating both meanings.
According to the BHS first-person singular optative bhavi. The Chinese translates as 獲 (huo, “attain”).
As in other verses, the verb is otari, meaning here “to comprehend,” while the commentary specifies “comprehend through hearing.”
According to the Tibetan, some Sanskrit versions and commentaries, and the Chinese. Some Sanskrit versions have jina instead of jaga (“beings”).
The Tibetan translates gata literally as “gone,” though the meaning as used in the Sanskrit can mean “present in.” The Chinese has “tathāgatas.”
The Sanskrit has naya in the singular, but the Tibetan has the plural tshul rnams. Yeshé Dé enumerates in his commentary these various ways of guiding beings.
The Tibetan translates gata literally as “gone,” though the meaning in Sanskrit is “present in.” The Chinese does not include the preposition “in,” but it could be understood as such.
According to the Tibetan theg pa (“vehicle”) and the Sanskrit yāna. The Vaidya edition has jñāna, and Cleary translates accordingly. The Chinese has 大乘 (da sheng, “Mahāyāna”).
According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit and the Chinese have “be immersed in.” The Chinese has 甚深入 (shen shen ru, “enter deeply into”).
In the verse the name is given in the form “Samantatabhadra.” The Chinese has 普賢尊 (pu xian zun), “Lord Samantabhadra.”
According to the Tibetan. “All” is not present in the Sanskrit, which is transcribed into Chinese as 文殊師利 (wen shu shi li).
According to the Sanskrit that uses yathā and tathā in this sentence. The Tibetan could be interpreted to make this refer to one’s training being the same as both of them, which is anyway the meaning of the verse, but it lacks the statement that Samantabhadra is equal in wisdom to Mañjuśrī.
This final verse in the standalone prayer, not found in The Stem Array, is present in all Kangyurs of the Tshalpa line but is absent from those of the Themphangma line, such as the Stok Palace and Shey Kangyurs. None of the Tengyur commentaries, including the one attributed to Yeshé Dé, make any reference to it.
The buddha of the western buddhafield of Sukhāvatī, where fortunate beings are reborn to make further progress toward spiritual maturity. Amitābha made his great vows to create such a realm when he was a bodhisattva called Dharmākara. In the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, popular in East Asia, aspiring to be reborn in his buddha realm is the main emphasis; in other Mahāyāna traditions, too, it is a widespread practice. For a detailed description of the realm, see The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī, Toh 115. In some tantras that make reference to the five families he is the tathāgata associated with the lotus family.
Amitābha, “Infinite Light,” is also known in many Indian Buddhist works as Amitāyus, “Infinite Life.” In both East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions he is often conflated with another buddha named “Infinite Life,” Aparimitāyus, or “Infinite Life and Wisdom,”Aparimitāyurjñāna, the shorter version of whose name has also been back-translated from Tibetan into Sanskrit as Amitāyus but who presides over a realm in the zenith. For details on the relation between these buddhas and their names, see The Aparimitāyurjñāna Sūtra (1) Toh 674, i.9.
The buddha of the western buddhafield of Sukhāvatī, where fortunate beings are reborn to make further progress toward spiritual maturity. Amitābha made his great vows to create such a realm when he was a bodhisattva called Dharmākara. In the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, popular in East Asia, aspiring to be reborn in his buddha realm is the main emphasis; in other Mahāyāna traditions, too, it is a widespread practice. For a detailed description of the realm, see \1\2The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī, Toh 115. In some tantras that make reference to the five families he is the tathāgata associated with the lotus family.
Amitābha, “Infinite Light,” is also known in many Indian Buddhist works as Amitāyus, “Infinite Life.” In both East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions he is often conflated with another buddha named “Infinite Life,” Aparimitāyus, or “Infinite Life and Wisdom,”Aparimitāyurjñāna, the shorter version of whose name has also been back-translated from Tibetan into Sanskrit as Amitāyus but who presides over a realm in the zenith. For details on the relation between these buddhas and their names, see \1\2The Aparimitāyurjñāna Sūtra (1) Toh 674, i.9.
The Tibetan translation of Amitābha in this sūtra differs from the usual translations, either ’od dpag med or snang ba mtha’ yas. It is also the name in chapter 44 of a future buddha in this kalpa. In that instance the Tibetan is mi dpogs ’od.
The tree beneath which every buddha will manifest the attainment of buddhahood.
An epithet for a buddha meaning “victorious one.”
The Indian concept of a period of millions of years, sometimes equivalent to the time when a world appears, exists, and disappears. There are also the intermediate kalpas during the existence of a world, the longest of which is called asaṃkhyeya, (literally “incalculable,” even though the number of its years is calculated).
A cosmic period of time, sometimes equivalent to the time when a world system appears, exists, and disappears. According to the traditional Abhidharma understanding of cyclical time, a great eon (mahākalpa) is divided into eighty lesser eons. In the course of one great eon, the universe takes form and later disappears. During the first twenty of the lesser eons, the universe is in the process of creation and expansion; during the next twenty it remains; during the third twenty, it is in the process of destruction; and during the last quarter of the cycle, it remains in a state of empty stasis. A fortunate, or good, eon (bhadrakalpa) refers to any eon in which more than one buddha appears.
The essentially pure nature of mind is obscured and afflicted by various psychological defilements, which destroy the mind’s peace and composure and lead to unwholesome deeds of body, speech, and mind, acting as causes for continued existence in saṃsāra. Included among them are the primary afflictions of desire (rāga), anger (dveṣa), and ignorance (avidyā). It is said that there are eighty-four thousand of these negative mental qualities, for which the eighty-four thousand categories of the Buddha’s teachings serve as the antidote.
Kleśa is also commonly translated as “negative emotions,” “disturbing emotions,” and so on. The Pāli kilesa, Middle Indic kileśa, and Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit kleśa all primarily mean “stain” or “defilement.” The translation “affliction” is a secondary development that derives from the more general (non-Buddhist) classical understanding of √kliś (“to harm,“ “to afflict”). Both meanings are noted by Buddhist commentators.
Dwarf spirits said to have either large stomachs or huge pot-sized testicles.
This can include any method for liberation. There are numerous liberations described in this sūtra, each kalyāṇamitra having a specific liberation.
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.
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.
The deities ruled over by Māra, who attempted to prevent the Buddha’s enlightenment; they do not wish any being to escape from saṃsāra. Also, they are symbolic of the defects within a person that prevents enlightenment. These four personifications are devaputramāra (lha’i bu’i bdud) the “divine māra,” which is the distraction of pleasures; mṛtyumāra (’chi bdag gi bdud) the “māra of death”; skandhamāra (phung po’i bdud) the “māra of the aggregates,” which is the body; and kleśamāra (nyon mongs pa’i bdud) the “māra of the kleśas.”
According to ancient Buddhist cosmology, this is the great mountain forming the axis of the universe. At its summit is Sudarśana, home of Śakra and his thirty-two gods, and on its flanks live the asuras. The mount has four sides facing the cardinal directions, each of which is made of a different precious stone. Surrounding it are several mountain ranges and the great ocean where the four principal island continents lie: in the south, Jambudvīpa (our world); in the west, Godānīya; in the north, Uttarakuru; and in the east, Pūrvavideha. Above it are the abodes of the desire realm gods. It is variously referred to as Meru, Mount Meru, Sumeru, and Mount Sumeru.
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.
In Sanskrit, the term nirvāṇa literally means “extinguishment” and the Tibetan mya ngan las ’das pa literally means “gone beyond sorrow.” As a general term, it refers to the cessation of all suffering, afflicted mental states (kleśa), and causal processes (karman) that lead to rebirth and suffering in cyclic existence, as well as to the state in which all such rebirth and suffering has permanently ceased.
More specifically, three main types of nirvāṇa are identified. (1) The first type of nirvāṇa, called nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣanirvāṇa), is the state in which arhats or buddhas have attained awakening but are still dependent on the conditioned aggregates until their lifespan is exhausted. (2) At the end of life, given that there are no more causes for rebirth, these aggregates cease and no new aggregates arise. What occurs then is called nirvāṇa without remainder ( anupadhiśeṣanirvāṇa), which refers to the unconditioned element (dhātu) of nirvāṇa in which there is no remainder of the aggregates. (3) The Mahāyāna teachings distinguish the final nirvāṇa of buddhas from that of arhats, the nirvāṇa of arhats not being considered ultimate. The buddhas attain what is called nonabiding nirvāṇa (apratiṣṭhitanirvāṇa), which transcends the extremes of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, i.e., existence and peace. This is the nirvāṇa that is the goal of the Mahāyāna path.
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.
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.
Presently classed as one of the eight principal bodhisattvas, he is distinct from the primordial buddha with the same name in the Tibetan Nyingma tradition. He is prominent in the Gaṇḍavyūha, and also in \1\2The White Lotus of the Good Dharma (Toh 113, Saddharmapuṇḍarīka) and The White Lotus of Compassion Sūtra (Toh 111, Mahākaruṇāpuṇḍarīkasūtra).
One of the standard epithets of the buddhas. A recurrent explanation offers three different meanings for su- that are meant to show the special qualities of “accomplishment of one’s own purpose” (svārthasampad) for a complete buddha. Thus, the Sugata is “well” gone, as in the expression su-rūpa (“having a good form”); he is gone “in a way that he shall not come back,” as in the expression su-naṣṭa-jvara (“a fever that has utterly gone”); and he has gone “without any remainder” as in the expression su-pūrṇa-ghaṭa (“a pot that is completely full”). According to Buddhaghoṣa, the term means that the way the Buddha went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su) and where he went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su).
The realm of the Buddha Amitābha, also known as Amitāyus, which was first described in the f (Toh 115, \1\2The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī).
The three realms that contain all the various kinds of existence in saṃsāra: the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm.
Those of other religious or philosophical orders, contemporary with the early Buddhist order, including Jains, Jaṭilas, Ājīvikas, and Cārvākas. Tīrthika (“forder”) literally translates as “one belonging to or associated with (possessive suffix –ika) stairs for landing or for descent into a river,” or “a bathing place,” or “a place of pilgrimage on the banks of sacred streams” (Monier-Williams). The term may have originally referred to temple priests at river crossings or fords where travelers propitiated a deity before crossing. The Sanskrit term seems to have undergone metonymic transfer in referring to those able to ford the turbulent river of saṃsāra (as in the Jain tīrthaṅkaras, “ford makers”), and it came to be used in Buddhist sources to refer to teachers of rival religious traditions. The Sanskrit term is closely rendered by the Tibetan mu stegs pa: “those on the steps (stegs pa) at the edge (mu).”
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.
’phags pa bzang po spyod pa’i smon lam gyi rgyal po (Āryabhadracaryāpraṇidhānarāja). Toh 1095, Degé Kangyur vol. 101 (gzungs ’dus, wam), folios 262.b–266.a.
’phags pa bzang po spyod pa’i smon lam gyi rgyal po. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 13, pp. 873–81.
’phags pa bzang po spyod pa’i smon lam gyi rgyal po. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 98, pp. 921–30.
’phags pa bzang po spyod pa’i smon lam gyi rgyal po. Stok Palace Kangyur vol. 88 (mdo sde, ji), folios 366.a.–370.a.
’phags pa bzang po spyod pa’i smon lam gyi rgyal po (Bhadracaryāpraṇidhānarāja). Toh 4377, Degé Tengyur vol. 207 (sna tshogs, nyo), folios 300.b–303.b.
Pelliot tibétain 116. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris. Accessed through The International Dunhuang Project: The Silk Road Online.
Gaṇḍavyūhasūtra. GRETIL edition input by members of the Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon Input Project, based on the edition by P. L. Vaidya. Gaṇḍavyūhasūtra. Darbhanga: The Mithila Institute, 1960. Last updated July 31, 2020.
Suzuki, D. T., and Hokei Idzumi, eds. The Gaṇḍavyūha Sūtra. Rev. ed. Tokyo: Society for the Publication of Sacred Books of the World, 1949.
Vaidya, P. L., ed. Gaṇḍavyūhasūtra. Darbhanga: Mithila Institute, 1960.
Nāgārjuna. bzang po spyod pa’i smon lam gyi rgyal po chen po’i bshad sbyar (Bhadracaryamahāpraṇidhānarājanibandhana). Toh 4011, Degé Tengyur vol. 117 (mdo ’grel, nyi), folios 163.b–182a.
Dignāga. kun tu bzang po’i spyod pa’i smon lam gyi don kun bsdus pa (Samantabhadracaryāpraṇidhānārthasaṁgraha). Toh 4012, Degé Tengyur vol. 117 (mdo ’grel, nyi), folios 182.a–201.a.
Śākyamitra. bzang po spyod pa’i smon lam gyi rgyal po’i rgya cher ’grel pa (Bhadracaryāpraṇidhānarājaṭīkā). Toh 4013, Degé Tengyur vol. 117 (mdo ’grel, nyi), folios 201.a–234.a.
*Subhūṣita. bzang po spyod pa’i smon lam gyi rgyal po’i rgya cher ’grel pa (Bhadracaryāpraṇidhānarājaṭīkā). Toh 4014, Degé Tengyur vol. 117 (mdo ’grel, nyi), folios 234.a–252.a.
Vasubandhu. bzang po spyod pa’i smon lam gyi ’grel pa (Bhadracaryāpraṇidhānaṭīkā). Toh 4015, Degé Tengyur vol. 117 (mdo ’grel, nyi), folios 252.a–269.a.
Yeshé Dé (ye shes sde). bzang spyod kyi ’grel pa bzhi’i don bsdus nas brjed byang du byas pa. Toh 4359, Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 184.a–213.b.
Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan dkar gyi chos kyi ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag). Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.
Phangthangma (dkar chag ’phang thang ma). Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2003.
Situ Paṇchen (si tu paṇ chen) or Situ Chökyi Jungné (si tu chos kyi ’byung gnas). sde dge’i bka’ ’gyur dkar chag. Toh 4568, Degé Kangyur vol. 103 (dkar chag, lakṣmī); also Chengdu: Sichuan Mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 1989.
84000. The Stem Array (Gaṇḍavyūha, sdong pos brgyan pa, Toh 44-45). Translated by Peter Alan Roberts. Online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021.
Buswell, Robert and Donald S. Lopez, eds. The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press, 2014.
Cleary, Thomas. The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1993.
Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Vienna: Verlag der österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.
Osto, Douglas. “A New Translation of the Sanskrit Bhadracarī with Introduction and Notes.” New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies 12, 2 (2010): 1–21.
Richardson, Hugh. A Corpus of Early Tibetan Inscriptions. London: Royal Asiatic Society, 1985.
Van Schaik, Sam. “Manuscripts and Practices: Investigating the Tibetan Chan Compendium (P. Tib. 116).” In One Volume Libraries: Composite and Multiple-Text Manuscripts, edited by Michael Friedrich and Cosima Schwarke, 287–304. Vol. 9 of Studies in Manuscript Cultures. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2016.
The Prayer of Good Conduct is among the most popular and widely recited aspiration prayers (Skt. praṇidhāna, Tib. smon lam) in all Mahāyāna Buddhist traditions. It evokes, in the first person, the aspiration to worship all buddhas who pervade every atom of the multiverse, and to pursue enlightenment and the benefit of all beings. The prayer—and particularly its first twelve verses that cover the seven aspects of homage, offering, confession, rejoicing, entreaty, supplication, and dedication—is regularly recited as part of many practices in Tibetan Buddhism. There are numerous translations of the prayer in many modern languages made from Tibetan, Sanskrit, and Chinese.
This English translation was made by Peter Alan Roberts based on the Tibetan and Sanskrit. Emily Bower was the project manager and editor. Ling Lung Chen was the Chinese consultant and Tracy Davis was the copyeditor.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. George FitzHerbert edited the introduction, and Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The King of Prayers of Good Conduct is among the few Kangyur texts familiar to most practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism, as it is regularly recited, and the first twelve verses in particular are often incorporated into sādhanas.
The full prayer, in sixty-three verses, commences with a form of the seven branches: homage, offering, confession, rejoicing, requesting that the wheel of Dharma be turned, requesting the buddhas not to pass into nirvāṇa, and the dedication of merit. This is followed by the aspiration to be pure in mind and conduct, and to benefit beings by teaching the Dharma through miraculous powers and the ability to speak many languages. Dedication is then made to benefiting infinite beings throughout all time, and to receiving teachings from the countless buddhas that pervade every atom of the multiverse. The prayer then describes the benefits that come from its recitation: purification of karma, excellence in life, rebirth in Sukhāvatī, and eventually buddhahood. The prayer concludes with the aspiration to be reborn in Sukhāvatī, and the aspiration that the prayer may benefit all beings.
The Prayer of Good Conduct is included in all the Kangyurs as a standalone text in sixty-three verses, and is also found, in sixty-two verses, at the end of The Stem Array, which itself concludes A Multitude of Buddhas (Skt. Buddhāvataṃsaka, Tib. phal chen; Toh 44). In The Stem Array, it is stated that the prayer was put into verse by the bodhisattva Samantabhadra. As a result, it is also referred to as “The Prayer of Samantabhadra” (Tib. kun tu bzang po’i smon lam).
The prayer likely first appeared in textual form in Sanskrit sometime before the fifth century
The translation of the Gaṇḍavyūha into Tibetan in the early ninth century likewise includes the prayer in sixty-two verses. The translators, as stated in the colophon to the entire A Multitude of Buddhas in the Degé Kangyur, were the Tibetan master-translator Yeshé Dé, together with Jinamitra and Surendrabodhi, indicating a translation made under Tibetan imperial sponsorship in the early ninth century. The colophons of the Narthang, Lhasa, Stok Palace, Ulaanbaatar, and Phukdrak Kangyurs, however, ascribe the translation to Vairotsana, while the catalog (Tib. dkar chag) of the Degé Kangyur mentions the three translators as above but adds that Lochen Vairotsana acted as the editor.
The prayer is a fitting conclusion to The Stem Array, even if it was not originally a part of it. The Stem Array often repeats the phrase “the completely good conduct and aspiration of a bodhisattva,” and its longest chapter centers on the bodhisattva Samantabhadra. As the name Samantabhadra means “completely good,” it can be ambiguous in the Tibetan whether the sūtra is referring to “completely good conduct and aspiration” or to “Samantabhadra’s conduct and aspiration.” The Sanskrit syntax makes it clear that it is the former, but in both name and qualities, Samantabhadra is perfect for the recitation of the prayer.
The Tibetan standalone version of the prayer in sixty-three verses has no colophon, which suggests that it was extracted from The Stem Array. However, the prayer is listed as a standalone text in both the Denkarma and Phangthangma translation catalogs.
The Tibetan throughout is in nine-syllable meter and four-line verses for ease of recitation, and quickly became well known in Tibet. A verse from the prayer was inscribed on a temple bell at Yerpa (near Lhasa) in the early ninth century. The prayer is also found in many iterations among the Tibetan manuscripts retrieved from the cave library at Dunhuang and now kept at the Bibliothèque National de France and the British Library. A fine manuscript of the standalone prayer in sixty verses is found, for example, at the beginning of Pelliot tibétain 116.
Five commentaries on the prayer are included in the Sūtra Commentary (mdo ’grel) section of the Tengyur (Toh 4011–4015). These are attributed to Nāgārjuna (Toh 4011), Dignāga (Toh 4012), Śākyamitra (Toh 4013), *Subhūṣita (Toh 4014), and Vasubandhu (Toh 4015). It was also the subject of what may be among the first commentaries written in Tibetan, composed by the translator Yeshé Dé. This is found in the Miscellaneous (sna tshogs) section of the Tengyur (Toh 4359).
The earliest extant Sanskrit manuscript of the Gaṇḍavyūha dates to 1166, several hundred years after the Chinese and Tibetan translations were made. It consists of 289 palm-leaf pages and was obtained from Nepal and presented to the Royal Asiatic Society in London by Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1835. Modern critical editions of the Sanskrit text are primarily based on this source. The Sanskrit Buddhist tradition has continued in Nepal, where the Gaṇḍavyūha remains one of the nine central works (Skt. navadharma) of Newar Buddhism.
The Tibetan standalone text of The Prayer of Good Conduct is among a selection of important aspiration prayers found variously located in different Kangyurs. In Kangyurs of the Tshalpa lineage that have a Compendium of Dhāraṇīs (gzungs ’dus), it is found at the end of that section, and in those that do not, it is found at the end of the corresponding part of the Tantra (rgyud) section. In the Themphangma lineage of Kangyurs, it is found at the end of the General Sūtra (mdo sde) section. In the Yongle, Peking Qianlong, Lithang, Choné, and Berlin Kangyurs, the standalone text is also duplicated at the end of the Vinaya (’dul ba) section. The prayer is also found in the Dedication and Aspiration Prayers (bsngo smon bkra shis) section of the Degé Tengyur (Toh 4377). Though there are numerous small orthographic variations among these many Tibetan editions of The Prayer of Good Conduct, no major divergences have been identified. The main identifying features of the standalone prayer, as compared to the version at the end of The Stem Array, are the homage to Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta at the beginning, and an additional verse at the end.
The prayer has been translated a number of times into English and other languages, particularly the first twelve verses that appear as part of many practices in Tibetan Buddhism. It has been the subject of many commentaries in the past, and in the present day continues to be a frequent subject of oral teachings. With the exeption of the last verse of the prayer, this translation has been excerpted in its entirety from the 84000 translation of The Stem Array.
Homage to Noble Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta.
This concludes “The Noble King of Prayers of Good Conduct.”
The Prayer of Good Conduct is among the most popular and widely recited aspiration prayers (Skt. praṇidhāna, Tib. smon lam) in all Mahāyāna Buddhist traditions. It evokes, in the first person, the aspiration to worship all buddhas who pervade every atom of the multiverse, and to pursue enlightenment and the benefit of all beings. The prayer—and particularly its first twelve verses that cover the seven aspects of homage, offering, confession, rejoicing, entreaty, supplication, and dedication—is regularly recited as part of many practices in Tibetan Buddhism. There are numerous translations of the prayer in many modern languages made from Tibetan, Sanskrit, and Chinese.
This English translation was made by Peter Alan Roberts based on the Tibetan and Sanskrit. Emily Bower was the project manager and editor. Ling Lung Chen was the Chinese consultant and Tracy Davis was the copyeditor.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. George FitzHerbert edited the introduction, and Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The King of Prayers of Good Conduct is among the few Kangyur texts familiar to most practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism, as it is regularly recited, and the first twelve verses in particular are often incorporated into sādhanas.
The full prayer, in sixty-three verses, commences with a form of the seven branches: homage, offering, confession, rejoicing, requesting that the wheel of Dharma be turned, requesting the buddhas not to pass into nirvāṇa, and the dedication of merit. This is followed by the aspiration to be pure in mind and conduct, and to benefit beings by teaching the Dharma through miraculous powers and the ability to speak many languages. Dedication is then made to benefiting infinite beings throughout all time, and to receiving teachings from the countless buddhas that pervade every atom of the multiverse. The prayer then describes the benefits that come from its recitation: purification of karma, excellence in life, rebirth in Sukhāvatī, and eventually buddhahood. The prayer concludes with the aspiration to be reborn in Sukhāvatī, and the aspiration that the prayer may benefit all beings.
The Prayer of Good Conduct is included in all the Kangyurs as a standalone text in sixty-three verses, and is also found, in sixty-two verses, at the end of The Stem Array, which itself concludes A Multitude of Buddhas (Skt. Buddhāvataṃsaka, Tib. phal chen; Toh 44). In The Stem Array, it is stated that the prayer was put into verse by the bodhisattva Samantabhadra. As a result, it is also referred to as “The Prayer of Samantabhadra” (Tib. kun tu bzang po’i smon lam).
The prayer likely first appeared in textual form in Sanskrit sometime before the fifth century
The translation of the Gaṇḍavyūha into Tibetan in the early ninth century likewise includes the prayer in sixty-two verses. The translators, as stated in the colophon to the entire A Multitude of Buddhas in the Degé Kangyur, were the Tibetan master-translator Yeshé Dé, together with Jinamitra and Surendrabodhi, indicating a translation made under Tibetan imperial sponsorship in the early ninth century. The colophons of the Narthang, Lhasa, Stok Palace, Ulaanbaatar, and Phukdrak Kangyurs, however, ascribe the translation to Vairotsana, while the catalog (Tib. dkar chag) of the Degé Kangyur mentions the three translators as above but adds that Lochen Vairotsana acted as the editor.
The prayer is a fitting conclusion to The Stem Array, even if it was not originally a part of it. The Stem Array often repeats the phrase “the completely good conduct and aspiration of a bodhisattva,” and its longest chapter centers on the bodhisattva Samantabhadra. As the name Samantabhadra means “completely good,” it can be ambiguous in the Tibetan whether the sūtra is referring to “completely good conduct and aspiration” or to “Samantabhadra’s conduct and aspiration.” The Sanskrit syntax makes it clear that it is the former, but in both name and qualities, Samantabhadra is perfect for the recitation of the prayer.
The Tibetan standalone version of the prayer in sixty-three verses has no colophon, which suggests that it was extracted from The Stem Array. However, the prayer is listed as a standalone text in both the Denkarma and Phangthangma translation catalogs.
The Tibetan throughout is in nine-syllable meter and four-line verses for ease of recitation, and quickly became well known in Tibet. A verse from the prayer was inscribed on a temple bell at Yerpa (near Lhasa) in the early ninth century. The prayer is also found in many iterations among the Tibetan manuscripts retrieved from the cave library at Dunhuang and now kept at the Bibliothèque National de France and the British Library. A fine manuscript of the standalone prayer in sixty verses is found, for example, at the beginning of Pelliot tibétain 116.
Five commentaries on the prayer are included in the Sūtra Commentary (mdo ’grel) section of the Tengyur (Toh 4011–4015). These are attributed to Nāgārjuna (Toh 4011), Dignāga (Toh 4012), Śākyamitra (Toh 4013), *Subhūṣita (Toh 4014), and Vasubandhu (Toh 4015). It was also the subject of what may be among the first commentaries written in Tibetan, composed by the translator Yeshé Dé. This is found in the Miscellaneous (sna tshogs) section of the Tengyur (Toh 4359).
The earliest extant Sanskrit manuscript of the Gaṇḍavyūha dates to 1166, several hundred years after the Chinese and Tibetan translations were made. It consists of 289 palm-leaf pages and was obtained from Nepal and presented to the Royal Asiatic Society in London by Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1835. Modern critical editions of the Sanskrit text are primarily based on this source. The Sanskrit Buddhist tradition has continued in Nepal, where the Gaṇḍavyūha remains one of the nine central works (Skt. navadharma) of Newar Buddhism.
The Tibetan standalone text of The Prayer of Good Conduct is among a selection of important aspiration prayers found variously located in different Kangyurs. In Kangyurs of the Tshalpa lineage that have a Compendium of Dhāraṇīs (gzungs ’dus), it is found at the end of that section, and in those that do not, it is found at the end of the corresponding part of the Tantra (rgyud) section. In the Themphangma lineage of Kangyurs, it is found at the end of the General Sūtra (mdo sde) section. In the Yongle, Peking Qianlong, Lithang, Choné, and Berlin Kangyurs, the standalone text is also duplicated at the end of the Vinaya (’dul ba) section. The prayer is also found in the Dedication and Aspiration Prayers (bsngo smon bkra shis) section of the Degé Tengyur (Toh 4377). Though there are numerous small orthographic variations among these many Tibetan editions of The Prayer of Good Conduct, no major divergences have been identified. The main identifying features of the standalone prayer, as compared to the version at the end of The Stem Array, are the homage to Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta at the beginning, and an additional verse at the end.
The prayer has been translated a number of times into English and other languages, particularly the first twelve verses that appear as part of many practices in Tibetan Buddhism. It has been the subject of many commentaries in the past, and in the present day continues to be a frequent subject of oral teachings. With the exeption of the last verse of the prayer, this translation has been excerpted in its entirety from the 84000 translation of The Stem Array.
Homage to Noble Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta.
This concludes “The Noble King of Prayers of Good Conduct.”