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See Kīrtimukha Translation Group, Mañjuśrī’s Teaching, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha (2021).
Degé: rgya mtsho chen po mtsho gting; Yongle, Kangxi: rgya mtsho chen po’i mtsho gting. Without the Sanskrit text, it is difficult to say why the text reads rgya mtsho chen po mtsho gting here. Following the grammar in the Degé, the phrase might translate as “the depths of an ocean or a great ocean.”
Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, Choné, Lhasa: phangs pa’i dngos po thams cad; Degé: phongs pa’i dngos po thams cad.
Degé: bla ma las bsnyen bkur bya ba; Stok, Choné, Lhasa: bla ma la bsnyen bkur bya ba; Yongle, Kangxi: bla ma la snyen bkur bya ba. The translation deviates from the Degé here and follows the variants that have a la bdun particle after the term bla ma.
Lhasa: tshogs gsog pa’i rkang pa; Degé, Stok: tshogs sogs pa’i rkang pa; Choné: tshogs sog pa’i rkang pa.
In the Tibetan, this and the following two qualities are presented as one. However, since the list of qualities presented otherwise consists of only thirty-two qualities, we have split this item into three. This way the list now contains thirty-four items, but is still one short of thirty-five.
Lhasa: yongs su mya ngan las ’da ’ bar skul ba dang; Degé: yongs su mya ngan las bzla bar skul ba dang.
Degé: stong pa ma yin par mngon no. Here the implication is that wherever Mañjuśrī is, that place is not devoid of a buddha.
The name of a meditation practice focusing on the cultivation of compassion (karuṇā), love (maitri), empathetic joy (muditā) and equanimity (upekṣā).
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 (moha). 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.
A major śrāvaka disciple and personal attendant of the Buddha Śākyamuni during the last twenty-five years of his life. He was a cousin of the Buddha (according to the Mahāvastu, he was a son of Śuklodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana, which means he was a brother of Devadatta; other sources say he was a son of Amṛtodana, another brother of King Śuddhodana, which means he would have been a brother of Aniruddha).
Ānanda, having always been in the Buddha’s presence, is said to have memorized all the teachings he heard and is celebrated for having recited all the Buddha’s teachings by memory at the first council of the Buddhist saṅgha, thus preserving the teachings after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa. The phrase “Thus did I hear at one time,” found at the beginning of the sūtras, usually stands for his recitation of the teachings. He became a patriarch after the passing of Mahākāśyapa.
An optional set of thirteen practices that monastics can adopt in order to cultivate greater detachment. They consist of (1) wearing patched robes made from discarded cloth rather than from cloth donated by laypeople; (2) wearing only three robes; (3) going for alms; (4) not omitting any house while on the alms round, rather than begging only at those houses known to provide good food; (5) eating only what can be eaten in one sitting; (6) eating only food received in the alms bowl, rather than more elaborate meals presented to the saṅgha; (7) refusing more food after indicating one has eaten enough; (8) dwelling in the forest; (9) dwelling at the root of a tree; (10) dwelling in the open air, using only a tent made from one’s robes as shelter; (11) dwelling in a charnel ground; (12) satisfaction with whatever dwelling one has; and (13) sleeping in a sitting position without ever lying down.
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).
In the Buddhist context, it is an epithet of the buddhas. In Sanskrit, it literaly means “One who has bhaga,” which has many diverse meanings, including good fortune, happiness, and majesty; and more specifically to this context, it is used to define someone who as possessor of six specific qualities as well as beeing a conqueror of māras. The usual definition of the Tibetan term is bcom (“subdue”), referring to the subduing of the four māras; ldan (“to possess”), referring to the possession of the great qualities of buddhahood; and ’das (“beyond,” “transcended”), meaning that such a person has gone beyond saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. In this text, it refers to the Buddha Śākyamuni.
The bird Coracias indica.
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).
A class of gods that reside in the Brahmā heavenly realms.
In some canonical sources, this name denotes Brahmā Sahāmpati, the lord of the Sahā universe who famously asked the Buddha Śākyamuni to teach for the first time. See, for example, \1\2Tathāgatācintyaguhyanirdeśa (Toh 47), \1\2Lalitavistara (Toh 95), and \1\2Tathāgatamahākaruṇānirdeśa (Toh 147). But in another canonical text, \1\2Saddharmapuṇḍarīka (Toh 113), it is used for a different Brahmā god. The current sūtra does not provide enough context to allow us to determine which of these two gods is under discussion.
A pure realm manifested by a buddha or advanced bodhisattva through the power of their great merit and aspirations.
In Buddhist cosmology, it is our sphere of existence where beings are driven primarily by the urge for sense gratification.
Often this term has the meaning of memory, or retention. It can also refer to a magical formula invoking a particular deity for a particular purpose; in this function dhāraṇīs are longer than most mantras, and their application is more specialized.
See “dhāraṇī.”
In different contexts four, five, or six elements may be enumerated. The four elements are earth, water, fire, and air. A fifth, space, is often added. The six elements are earth, water, fire, air, space, and consciousness. According to traditional Indian medicine, many diseases arise when the elements of the body become unbalanced.
Thirty-seven practices that lead the practitioner to the awakened state: the four applications of mindfulness, the four authentic eliminations, the four bases of supernatural power, the five masteries, the five powers, the eightfold path, and the seven branches of awakening.
In Buddhist cosmology, the sphere of existence one level more subtle than our own (the desire realm), where beings, though subtly embodied, are not driven primarily by the urge for sense gratification.
A lower class of divine being, under the control of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the Great King of the East. Capable of flight, they are often described as “celestial musicians.”
The Gaṅgā, or Ganges in English, is considered to be the most sacred river of India, particularly within the Hindu tradition. It starts in the Himalayas, flows through the northern plains of India, bathing the holy city of Vārāṇasī, and meets the sea at the Bay of Bengal, in Bangladesh. In the sūtras, however, this river is mostly mentioned not for its sacredness but for its abundant sands—noticeable still today on its many sandy banks and at its delta—which serve as a common metaphor for infinitely large numbers.
According to Buddhist cosmology, as explained in the Abhidharmakośa, it is one of the four rivers that flow from Lake Anavatapta and cross the southern continent of Jambudvīpa—the known human world or more specifically the Indian subcontinent.
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.
There are three, namely emptiness as a gateway to liberation, signlessness as a gateway to liberation, and aspirationlessness as a gateway to liberation. Among them, emptiness is characterized as the absence of inherent existence, signlessness as the absence of mental images, and aspirationlessness as the absence of hopes and fears.
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.
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, which emphasizes the individual’s own freedom from cyclic existence as the primary motivation and goal, and those of the Great Vehicle, 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. See also “Lesser Vehicle.”
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.”
See also “Lesser Vehicle.”
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).
The sixth of the six perfections, it refers to the profound understanding of the emptiness of all phenomena, the realization of ultimate reality. It is also one of the five powers.
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.
See “Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.”
One of the first Buddhist monasteries, located in a park outside Śrāvastī, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kośala in northern India. This park was originally owned by Prince Jeta, hence the name Jetavana, meaning Jeta’s grove. The wealthy merchant Anāthapiṇḍada, wishing to offer it to the Buddha, sought to buy it from him, but the prince, not wishing to sell, said he would only do so if Anāthapiṇḍada covered the entire property with gold coins. Anāthapiṇḍada agreed, and managed to cover all of the park except the entrance, hence the name Anāthapiṇḍadasyārāmaḥ, meaning Anāthapiṇḍada’s park. The place is usually referred to in the sūtras as “Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park,” and according to the Saṃghabhedavastu the Buddha used Prince Jeta’s name in first place because that was Prince Jeta’s own unspoken wish while Anāthapiṇḍada was offering the park. Inspired by the occasion and the Buddha’s use of his name, Prince Jeta then offered the rest of the property and had an entrance gate built. The Buddha specifically instructed those who recite the sūtras to use Prince Jeta’s name in first place to commemorate the mutual effort of both benefactors.
Anāthapiṇḍada built residences for the monks, to house them during the monsoon season, thus creating the first Buddhist monastery. It was one of the Buddha’s main residences, where he spent around nineteen rainy season retreats, and it was therefore the setting for many of the Buddha’s discourses and events. According to the travel accounts of Chinese monks, it was still in use as a Buddhist monastery in the early fifth century ᴄᴇ, but by the sixth century it had been reduced to ruins.
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.
It is a collective term used by proponents of the Great Vehicle to refer to the śrāvakayāna (hearer vehicle) and pratyekabuddhayāna (solitary buddha vehicle). The name stems from their goal—i.e. nirvāṇa and personal liberation—being seen as small or lesser than the goal of the Great Vehicle—i.e. buddhahood and liberation of all sentient beings. See also “Great Vehicle.”
One of the principal disciples of the Buddha, known for his ascetic practice.
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.
The bodhisattva Maitreya is an important figure in many Buddhist traditions, where he is unanimously regarded as the buddha of the future era. He is said to currently reside in the heaven of Tuṣita, as Śākyamuni’s regent, where he awaits the proper time to take his final rebirth and become the fifth buddha in the Fortunate Eon, reestablishing the Dharma in this world after the teachings of the current buddha have disappeared. Within the Mahāyāna sūtras, Maitreya is elevated to the same status as other central bodhisattvas such as Mañjuśrī and Avalokiteśvara, and his name appears frequently in sūtras, either as the Buddha’s interlocutor or as a teacher of the Dharma. Maitreya literally means “Loving One.” He is also known as Ajita, meaning “Invincible.”
For more information on Maitreya, see, for example, the introduction to Maitreya’s Setting Out (Toh 198).
One of the five trees of Indra’s paradise, its heavenly flowers often rain down in salutation of the buddhas and bodhisattvas and are said to be very bright and aromatic, gladdening the hearts of those who see them. In our world, it is a tree native to India, Erythrina indica or Erythrina variegata, commonly known as the Indian coral tree, mandarava tree, flame tree, and tiger’s claw. In the early spring, before its leaves grow, the tree is fully covered in large flowers, which are rich in nectar and attract many birds. Although the most widespread coral tree has red crimson flowers, the color of the blossoms is not usually mentioned in the sūtras themselves, and it may refer to some other kinds, like the rarer Erythrina indica alba, which boasts white flowers.
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.
Also rendered here as Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta.
See “Mañjuśrī.”
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.
Also rendered here as Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta.
See “Mañjuśrī.”
The name of the demonic being or beings that work to reinforce and maintain the veils of ordinary existence that obscure the nature of reality.
The altruistic resolve to achieve complete and perfect Buddhahood for the sake of oneself and all sentient beings.
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.
Literally “extinction,” the state beyond sorrow, it refers to the ultimate attainment of buddhahood, the permanent cessation of all suffering and of the afflicted mental states that lead to suffering. Three types of nirvāṇa are identified: (1) the residual nirvāṇa where the person is still dependent on conditioned psycho-physical aggregates, (2) the non-residual nirvāṇa where the aggregates have also been consumed within emptiness, and (3) the non-abiding nirvāṇa transcending the extremes of phenomenal existence and quiescence. See also “parinirvāṇa.”
The final or complete nirvāṇa, which occurs when a worthy one (arhat) or a buddha passes away. It implies the non-residual nirvāṇa where the aggregates have also been consumed within emptiness. See also “nirvāṇa.”
The trainings of the bodhisattva path: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and insight.
Often this term has the meaning of memory, or retention. It can also refer to a magical formula invoking a particular deity for a particular purpose; in this function dhāraṇīs are longer than most mantras, and their application is more specialized.
See “dhāraṇī.”
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.
Lit. “Sage of the Śākya.” In Great Vehicle literature, this is one of the most common epithets of the historical Buddha, the buddha of our time, also known as Gautama Buddha.
Usually identified as Shorea robusta, known as the kind of tree under which the Buddha was born and passed away.
One of the principal śrāvaka disciples of the Buddha, he was renowned for his discipline and for having been praised by the Buddha as foremost of the wise (often paired with Maudgalyāyana, who was praised as foremost in the capacity for miraculous powers). His father, Tiṣya, to honor Śāriputra’s mother, Śārikā, named him Śāradvatīputra, or, in its contracted form, Śāriputra, meaning “Śārikā’s Son.”
The place where the Buddha Śākyamuni achieved awakening and where every buddha will manifest the attainment of buddhahood. In our world this is understood to be located under the Bodhi tree, the Vajrāsana, in present-day Bodhgaya, India. It can also refer to the state of awakening itself.
The seven riches of noble beings: faith, discipline, generosity, learning, modesty, humility, and insight.
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.”
’phags pa bzhi pa sgrub pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Āryacatuṣkanirhāranāmamahāyānasūtra). Toh 252, Degé Kangyur vol. 66 (mdo sde, za), folios 61.a–69.b.
’phags pa bzhi pa sgrub pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ‘jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), vol. 66, 172–94.
’phags pa bzhi pa sgrub pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. Stok Palace Kangyur, vol. 70 (mdo sde, dza) folios 266.b–298.a.
’phags pa rgya cher rol pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Āryalalitavistaranāmamahāyānasūtra). Toh 95, Degé Kangyur vol. 46 (mdo sde, kha), folios 1.b–216.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee (2013).
dam pa’i chos pad ma dkar po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Saddharmapuṇḍarīkanāmamahāyānasūtra). Toh 113, Degé Kangyur vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1.b–180.b. English translation in Roberts (2018).
’phags pa de bzhin gshegs pa’i snying rje chen po nges par bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Āryatathāgatamahākaruṇānirdeśanāmamahāyānasūtra). Toh 147, Degé Kangyur vol. 57 (mdo sde, pa), folios 142.a–242.b. English translation in Burchardi (2020).
’phags pa de bzhin gshegs pa’i gsang ba bsam gyis mi khyab pa bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Āryatathāgatācintyaguhyanirdeśanāmamahāyānasūtra). Toh 47, Degé Kangyur vol. 39 (dkon brtsegs, ka), folios 100.a–203.a. English translation in Fiordalis, David. and Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2023.
dkar chag ’phang thang ma. Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2003.
Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan[/lhan] dkar gyi chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag). Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.
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The Fourfold Accomplishment revolves around a dialogue between the god Śrībhadra and the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī that takes place in Jeta’s Grove at Śrāvastī. At Śrībhadra’s request, Mañjuśrī recalls a teaching that he previously gave to Brahmā Śikhin on the practices of a bodhisattva. The teaching takes the form of a sequence of topics, each of which has four components.
This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The translation was produced by Adam Krug, then checked against the Tibetan and edited by Andreas Doctor.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
Set in Śrāvastī in Jeta’s Grove where the Buddha Śākyamuni is accompanied by a large retinue of monks, bodhisattvas, and gods of the desire and form realms, The Fourfold Accomplishment revolves around a dialogue between the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī and a god named Śrībhadra. The text opens with the god Śrībhadra asking Mañjuśrī why he is still making offerings to the Buddha given his advanced spiritual progress. Mañjuśrī’s reply is that bodhisattvas should never be satisfied by the offerings they have made, and that as they make offerings they should focus on four purposes.
This initial part of the sūtra is closely paralleled in another, shorter sūtra, Mañjuśrī’s Teaching (Mañjuśrīnirdeśa, Toh 177), in which the setting and opening dialogue are the same but the god is called Susīma instead of Śrībhadra, and the four purposes are phrased in a different way.
In the ensuing exchange (not included in the shorter sūtra), Mañjuśrī delivers a teaching that he had previously given to Brahmā Śikhin called The Fourfold Accomplishment. This teaching presents the path and practice of a bodhisattva in forty-three topics, each of which is divided into four subtopics. The text takes on a distinctly mnemonic character in which the fourfold rubric might allow anyone reading or reciting the text to memorize a broad range of topics related to the practice of a bodhisattva. In addition to this mnemonic application, each brief list of four particular accomplishments invites broader commentary, and in this sense the text provides a readily accessible framework for teaching the bodhisattva path.
After Mañjuśrī has delivered his teaching, Śrībhadra and his retinue scatter celestial flowers on the assembly as an offering. The Buddha then uses his magical powers to reveal a sky full of bodhisattvas seated upon lotuses, and Mañjuśrī explains to Śrībhadra that all of these bodhisattvas are a magical emanation, just like his celestial flower offering. This brings a smile to the Buddha’s lips, and the text introduces its next topic: why, exactly, do buddhas smile? The question, a recurring motif in sūtra literature, echoes in the refrains of a set of poetic verses that Śrībhadra recites before the Buddha, who then answers it by predicting the imminent awakening of the bodhisattvas gathered in the sky to hear the teaching.
The sūtra then turns to a brief dialogue between the Buddha, the god Śrībhadra, and Śāriputra, in which Śāriputra doubts whether there could in fact be innumerable buddhafields and innumerable bodhisattvas who populate them. In his reply, the Buddha delivers a teaching on the vast cosmology of infinite buddhafields. The sūtra then concludes with two additional teachings from Mañjuśrī on thirty-five qualities that ripen bodhisattvas for awakening and ten types of pride that bodhisattvas should avoid.
The Fourfold Accomplishment is listed in both the Denkarma and Pangthangma royal Tibetan catalogs of translated works, indicating that the first Tibetan translation of the text was completed by the early ninth century. Unfortunately there is no colophon to the Tibetan translation, so the text does not contain any indication as to who produced the Tibetan translation. The single Chinese translation of the text , which we did not consult for the present translation, was translated by Śikṣānanda between 695–700
This translation was completed based on the Tibetan translation of the text preserved in the Degé edition of the Kangyur in consultation with the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) of the Kangyur and the Stok Palace Kangyur. Any points at which the translation employs variants from editions of the Kangyur other than the Degé have been noted throughout the translation.
Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park. He was residing there with a great saṅgha of five hundred monks, one hundred thousand bodhisattvas who had all donned the great armor, and the gods who inhabit the desire and form realms. There, the Blessed One, surrounded and revered by this retinue of hundreds of thousands of beings, taught the Dharma.
Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta raised a jeweled parasol measuring ten leagues in diameter as an offering to the Blessed One and held it above the Blessed One’s head. Within the retinue was a god from the Heaven of Joy named Śrībhadra whose progress toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening had become irreversible. Together with his attendants, he had joined the retinue and taken his seat. Now he rose from his seat, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. Joining his palms, he bowed toward Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta and inquired of him, “Mañjuśrī, have you still not had enough of making offerings to the Thus-Gone One?”
“Divine being, tell me,” Mañjuśrī asked in return, “is the ocean ever satiated by all of the water that it receives?”
“No, Mañjuśrī, it is not,” replied the god.
Mañjuśrī then said, “Divine being, bodhisattvas seek boundless and immeasurable omniscient wisdom that is as difficult to fathom as the depths of the great ocean, so they can never have enough of making offerings to the Thus-Gone One.”
“Mañjuśrī, what should bodhisattvas focus on when they make offerings to the Thus-Gone One?” asked the god.
Mañjuśrī replied, “Divine being, there are four things that bodhisattvas should focus on when they make offerings to the Thus-Gone One. These four are omniscience, liberating all beings, ensuring that the lineage of the Three Jewels is not broken, and attaining the array of qualities of the buddhafield. Divine being, bodhisattvas should make offerings to the Thus-Gone One while focusing on those four things.”
“Mañjuśrī,” said the god, “when you were among the Brahmā realm gods you gave a Dharma teaching to Brahmā Śikhin called The Fourfold Accomplishment of the Bodhisattva Path. Mañjuśrī, would you please teach that? I and everyone in this assembly would like to hear it. Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas are not stingy with the Dharma, nor are they tight-fisted with the Dharma as teachers.”
“Divine being,” Mañjuśrī replied, “in that case listen well, pay attention, and I will explain the Dharma teaching called The Fourfold Accomplishment to you.
“Divine being, these are the four altruistic intentions that bodhisattvas generate: bodhisattvas generate the intention to gather together immeasurable beings, they generate the intention to ripen immeasurable beings, they generate the intention to accumulate immeasurable roots of virtue, and they generate the intention to perfectly realize the boundless buddha qualities. Divine being, those are the four altruistic intentions that bodhisattvas generate.
“Divine being, these are the four attitudes bodhisattvas generate that are like a rock: an attitude that has no hostility toward those who make requests, an attitude of compassion toward those who have gone astray, an attitude of not losing insight, and an attitude of bringing all undertakings to completion. Divine being, those are the four attitudes bodhisattvas generate that are like a rock.
“Divine being, these are the four attitudes bodhisattvas generate that are superior: superior discipline, superior learning, superior great love, and superior great compassion.
“Divine being, these are the four attitudes bodhisattvas generate that are stable, substantial, inseparable, and like a vajra: not being separated from the intention, not being separated from spiritual companions, not being separated from striving, and not being separated from the Great Vehicle.
“Divine being, these are the four attitudes bodhisattvas generate that are difficult to accomplish: not being involved with the afflictions; not being involved with gain, honor, and praise; not being involved with a lesser vehicle; and not being involved with crude people.
“Divine being, these are the four attitudes bodhisattvas generate that are unsurpassed: the wish to relinquish all manner of pleasing things, having no regret after giving them away, not wishing for any result, and the attitude of dedication to awakening.
“Divine being, these are the four qualities that crown bodhisattvas: the perfection of wisdom, skill in methods, understanding the true Dharma, and bringing beings to fruition.
“Divine being, these are the four that demonstrate the bodhisattvas’ path to awakening: exerting oneself in the perfections, acting in accord with the means for drawing beings to the path, accomplishing the abodes of Brahmā, and demonstrating playful mastery of the supernatural perceptions.
“Divine being, these four are excellent, holy, and supreme among the qualities of the bodhisattvas: having no hostility toward anyone, generating the wish to liberate those who oppose oneself, being conscientious regardless of one’s wealth or the vastness of one’s domain, and acting in accord with the Dharma, no matter how destitute and poor one may be.
“Divine being, these are the four inclinations of bodhisattvas: being satisfied with one’s own wealth as a householder, harboring no desire for another’s wealth, being satisfied with the family of the noble ones after one has gone forth, and adopting ascetic practices and reducing one’s material possessions.
“Divine being, these are the four gifts of bodhisattvas: the gift of Dharma; the gift of material wealth; the gift of paper, ink, pens, and books; and the gift of wholeheartedly exclaiming ‘Well done!’ to those who teach the Dharma.
“Divine being, these are the four essentials of bodhisattvas: essential perseverance rather than studying, essential relinquishment rather than having possessions, essential service to the teacher rather than to the body, and the essential development of roots of virtue rather than a livelihood.
“Divine being, these are the four things that bodhisattvas should not forsake: they should not forsake the thought of awakening, they should not forsake the holy Dharma, they should not forsake beings, and they should not forsake pursuing any qualities that are roots of virtue.
“Divine being, these are the four motives of bodhisattvas: dwelling in the deep forest, delighting in solitude, yearning for virtuous qualities, and skillfully ripening beings.
“Divine being, these are the four mansions of bodhisattvas: the abodes of Brahmā, being delighted when hearing the Dharma expounded, reflecting on emptiness, and gathering with beings of the same spiritual lineage.
“Divine being, these four are the bodhisattvas’ inexhaustible wealth: the wealth of learning, the wealth of teaching the Dharma, the wealth of assembling beings in need, and the wealth of dedication to awakening.
“Divine being, these are the four treasures of bodhisattvas: the treasure of retention, the treasure of eloquence, the treasure of the Dharma, and the treasure of dedication to inexhaustible enjoyment.
“Divine being, these are the bodhisattvas’ four types of departure: departure from society, departure from all inhabited lands, departure from ignoble intentions, and departure from all the three realms.
“Divine being, these are the bodhisattvas’ four types of happiness: the happiness of being free from possessiveness and grasping due to a disregard for all material things, the happiness of solitude due to abandoning one’s homeland, the happiness of quiescence due to relinquishing the afflictions, and the happiness of attaining nirvāṇa by not forsaking beings.
“Divine being, these are the bodhisattvas’ four supreme joys: supreme joy due to seeing the Thus-Gone One, supreme joy due to hearing the Dharma, supreme joy due to giving without regret, and supreme joy due to engendering happiness in all beings.
“Divine being, these are the bodhisattvas’ four truths: not forsaking the thought of awakening, not breaking one’s commitments, not forsaking those who have taken refuge, and restraining one’s speech so that one always speaks the truth.
“Divine being, these are the bodhisattvas’ four virtuous qualities: applying oneself with good intentions to all virtuous qualities, not harboring contempt toward anyone who is untrained, becoming a friend to all beings without being asked, and not hoping for any reward because one has already accomplished all manner of good qualities and because one does not wish to be compensated.
“Divine being, these four are the pure practices of bodhisattvas: pure discipline because of the lack of self, pure absorption because of the non-existence of beings, pure insight because of the non-existence of the soul, and pure liberation because of the non-existence of persons.
“Divine being, these are the four feet of bodhisattvas: the foot of the Dharma, the foot of purpose, the foot of engaging in the ascetic practices and having few possessions, and the foot of gathering the accumulations of the path of awakening.
“Divine being, these are the four hands of bodhisattvas: the hand of faith, the hand of discipline, the hand of learning, and the hand of insight.
“Divine being, these are the four eyes of bodhisattvas: the physical eye due to correct karmic action, the divine eye due to undiminished supernatural perception, the eye of insight due to possessing the power of extensive learning, and the Dharma eye due to reflection on all phenomena.
“Divine being, these are the four things that bodhisattvas never tire of: they never tire of generosity, they never tire of living in the deep forest, they never tire of hearing the Dharma, and they never tire of the entire collection of virtuous qualities.
“Divine being, these are the four hardships of bodhisattvas: the hardship of being patient and tolerant toward beings who are weak; the hardship of wanting to give all one’s possessions to the poor; the hardship of not being angry at those who ask for one’s head—that most important body part—but instead generating the thought that they are one’s spiritual teacher; and the hardship of taking birth at will due to not conceptualizing birth.
“Divine being, these are the bodhisattvas’ four types of good health: being healthy because the elements are in balance, being healthy because one is not tormented by the afflictions, being healthy because one will establish all beings in happiness, and being healthy because one harbors no doubts regarding any phenomena.
“Divine being, these are the four personal perspectives of bodhisattvas: the perspective of the perfections, the perspective of the factors of awakening, the perspective of the authentic spiritual teacher, and the perspective of not committing any misdeeds.
“Divine being, these are the four unshakable qualities that bodhisattvas possess: the unshakable mind of awakening, unshakable commitments, the unshakable practice of what one preaches, and unshakable correct exertion.
“Divine being, these are the bodhisattvas’ four accumulations: the accumulation of tranquility, the accumulation of special insight, the accumulation of learning, and the accumulation of all roots of virtue.
“Divine being, these are the four ways that bodhisattvas integrate the teachings: integrating intention with application, integrating giving away with dedication, integrating love with compassion, and integrating method with wisdom.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ Dharma obscurations: seeing a dirty well yet still seeing the moon at the bottom; seeing a muddy pond, pool, or well yet still seeing the moon at the bottom; seeing the moon although the sky is cloudy; and seeing the moon although the sky appears shrouded in wind, dust, and smoke.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ karmic obscurations: seeing oneself fall from a high cliff into an abyss; seeing a road with highs and lows; seeing oneself set out on a narrow roadway; being lost in the dream and seeing many terrifying things.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ afflictive obscurations: seeing someone convulsing due to a strong poison, hearing the call of a large pack of vicious predators, seeing oneself living among rogues, and seeing one’s body and clothing covered with filth.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ attaining dhāraṇī: seeing a great treasure chest filled with many jewels, seeing a pool filled with blooming lotus flowers, seeing oneself finding a bundle of white cloth, and seeing a god with a parasol being held over his head.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ attaining absorption: seeing an attractive girl with beautiful jewelry who offers worship by scattering flowers, seeing a flock of pure white swans flying in the sky and calling out, seeing the hand of the luminous Thus-Gone One being placed on the top of one’s head, and seeing the Thus-Gone One seated on a lotus and engaged in concentration.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ seeing the Thus-Gone One: seeing a moonrise, seeing a sunrise, seeing a lotus flower opening, and seeing the lord of the Brahmā realms in the posture of utter quiescence. Divine being, those four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ seeing the Thus-Gone One.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ particular characteristics: seeing a great sāla tree that is full of brilliantly colored leaves, flowers, and fruits; seeing a metal bowl filled with gold; seeing the sky filled with parasols, banners, and standards; and seeing a great universal emperor.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ taming Māra: seeing a great champion overcome all of the enemy’s champions, raise a standard, and advance; seeing a great hero defeat an army and then advance; seeing a king being consecrated; and seeing oneself sitting at the seat of awakening and taming Māra.
“Divine being, these are the four corresponding dreams that are signs of the bodhisattvas’ non-regression: seeing a white diadem affixed on one’s head, seeing oneself making unstinting offerings, seeing oneself seated on a great Dharma seat, and seeing the Thus-Gone One sitting at the seat of awakening and teaching the Dharma.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ attainment of the seat of awakening: seeing a vase; seeing oneself surrounded by blue roller birds; seeing that wherever one goes, all of the trees first reach upward, then bow and pay homage; and seeing a bright golden light. Divine being, those four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ attainment of the seat of awakening.”
When Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta gave this Dharma teaching on The Fourfold Accomplishment, the god Śrībhadra was happy and rejoiced. Since he had become exceedingly happy, delighted, and joyful, he and his retinue showered the entire retinue with divine mandārava flowers as well as blue, pink, red, and white lotus flowers as an offering to Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta. As soon as they had scattered the flowers, through the power of the Buddha, beautiful, fragrant, and delightful lotus flowers the size of chariot wheels appeared in the sky above them. In the center of each of the flowers were bodhisattvas ornamented with the thirty-two marks of a great being.
Then the god Śrībhadra asked Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, where did these bodhisattvas come from?”
“Divine being, where did these flowers of yours come from?” Mañjuśrī asked in return.
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the god, “these flowers are emanations—I scattered them to make an offering to you.”
Mañjuśrī then said, “Divine being, you should view the bodies of those bodhisattvas just as you view these flowers—as emanations.”
At that moment the Blessed One smiled. As happens when the blessed buddhas smile, a multitude of light rays of various colors—blue, yellow, red, white, violet, and crystalline—emanated from the mouth of the Blessed One. These light rays pervaded infinite and limitless world systems and reached all the way up to the realm of Brahmā above. Their splendor outshone the radiance of the sun and the moon. Then the light rays returned and dissolved into the Blessed One’s crown.
At that point the god Śrībhadra rose from his seat, arranged his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. Joining his palms, he bowed toward the Blessed One and praised the Blessed One with these verses:
“Divine being,” the Blessed One replied to Śrībhadra, “do you see these bodhisattvas in the sky above who are seated in the center of lotuses on lion thrones?”
“Yes, Blessed One, I see them.”
“Divine being,” the Blessed One then explained, “all these bodhisattvas have gathered from the ten directions to hear the Dharma in the presence of Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta. They have come to hear this Dharma teaching on The Fourfold Accomplishment. Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta ripened all these bodhisattvas. All these bodhisattvas are now only one birth away from unsurpassed and perfect awakening. They will fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood in one buddhafield or another, each with their various names, throughout the worlds in the ten directions.”
“Blessed One,” the god replied, “I cannot comprehend the number of bodhisattvas here—how many are there?”
The Blessed One then asked Venerable Śāriputra, “Śāriputra, can you comprehend how many bodhisattvas there are here?”
“Blessed One,” said Śāriputra, “in one instant, one moment, or one second, I can count all the stars in an entire three-thousandfold universe. However, Blessed One, I would be unable to count these bodhisattvas even in a hundred years.”
“Śāriputra,” the Blessed One replied, “even if this continent of Jambūdvīpa were filled with minute particles, it would be possible to determine their number by counting them. However, it would be impossible to determine the number of these bodhisattvas by counting them, because the bodhisattvas that have gathered here are that innumerable.”
“Blessed One, how can there be that many buddhafields in which these bodhisattvas will fully awaken to buddhahood?” asked Śāriputra.
“Silence, Śāriputra, do not say that,” replied the Blessed One. “Śāriputra, the thus-gone ones empty countless buddhafields. Consider this, Śāriputra: The lifespan of the thus-gone ones lasts for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges. Each and every day each one delivers as many Dharma teachings as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, and in all of those Dharma teachings he prophesies as many bodhisattvas as there are grains of sand in the Ganges. Even if one were to identify a single bodhisattva to the east, beyond as many buddhafields as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, the thus-gone one will empty that many buddhafields. Therefore, it goes without saying that the thus-gone ones, who know the minds of all beings born into the buddhafields of the ten directions, whom they perceive with the ordinary, corporeal eye of a thus-gone one, will empty all those buddhafields.”
At that point the great hearers and the entire retinue were amazed and exclaimed, “Our teachers have such vast magical powers, are so mighty, and have such great supreme knowledge! We are so fortunate!”
The bodhisattvas who had assembled from the worlds in the ten directions and hovered in the air now descended from the sky and bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One and Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta, circumambulated them, and then departed into the ten directions.
At that point the god Śrībhadra said to Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, you performed these deeds and ripened countless beings for awakening—well done! Mañjuśrī, please grace us with your eloquence, beginning with the teachings that ripen the awakening of bodhisattvas.”
“Divine being,” replied Mañjuśrī, “there are thirty-five teachings that ripen the awakening of bodhisattvas. The thirty-five teachings are these: urging them toward timeliness; urging them toward moderation; urging them toward proportion; urging them toward capacity; urging them toward stability; urging them toward the perfections; urging them toward method; urging them toward the altruistic intention; urging them toward great love; urging them toward great compassion; urging them toward the Great Vehicle; urging them toward the Lesser Vehicle; urging them toward the truth; urging them to act on it; urging them to protect the Dharma; urging them to teach what they have studied; urging them to not discriminate among various types of beings; urging them to be equally generous to those who have faulty discipline and those who observe discipline; urging them to declare the work of Māra; urging them to fulfill their promises; urging them to not grow weary of cyclic existence; urging them to subdue Māra; urging them to be grateful and appreciative; urging them to eliminate the cause; urging them to not be afraid of the gateways to liberation; urging them to worship and serve the Thus-Gone One; urging them to joyfully consider ways to help beings; urging them to not mix that with worldly Dharma; urging them to delight in the deep forest; urging them to have few desires and be content; urging them toward the past as well as the future; urging them to liberate those who are not liberated; urging them to comfort those who are not comforted; urging those who have not passed into parinirvāṇa to pass into parinirvāṇa; urging them to not interrupt the lineage of the Three Jewels; and urging them to accept the array of good qualities of the buddhafield as completely pure. Divine being, those are the thirty-five teachings that ripen the awakening of bodhisattvas.
“Divine being, bodhisattvas who have been ripened do not waver from unsurpassed and perfect awakening. No opponent whatsoever can overpower them. From then on, they no longer fear a bodhisattva’s ten types of pride. The ten types of pride are these: pride due to being disciplined; pride due to being learned; pride due to being eloquent; pride due to being successful, revered, and praised; pride due to living in the deep forest; pride due to one’s ascetic practices and having few belongings; pride due to being attractive, wealthy, powerful, and having attendants; pride due to Śakra, Brahmā, and the world protectors offering service; pride due to one’s absorption and supernatural perception; and being free from any arrogance due to the fact that the gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas who have faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha are fond of, praise, and glorify them. Divine being, they are not at all arrogant due to those ten types of a bodhisattva’s pride.”
The god Śrībhadra then said to Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, wherever you are and wherever this Dharma teaching is practiced, the Buddha will be seen there, turning the wheel of Dharma.”
The Blessed One replied, “Yes, divine being, that is correct. What you say is true. Wherever Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta is, that place will not seem empty. Wherever this Dharma teaching is performed, that is the endeavor of the Thus-Gone One, the lord of Dharma. Those beings who hear this Dharma teaching and develop interest in it become my followers. The beings who hear this Dharma teaching and develop interest in it should be regarded as having been trained by the Thus-Gone One. Those who understand this Dharma teaching and persist in their pursuit of suchness will not regress from unsurpassed and perfect awakening.”
The Blessed One then said to the bodhisattva Maitreya, the elder Mahākāśyapa, and Venerable Ānanda, “Holy beings, I entrust this Dharma teaching to you so that you may adopt, uphold, teach, and master it. Soon I will pass into parinirvāṇa, so rely on this Dharma teaching that carries out the buddhas’ work for all beings.”
Then Maitreya inquired, “Blessed One, since we will uphold this Dharma teaching, what is its name? How should it be remembered?”
“Maitreya,” the Blessed One replied, “you should remember this Dharma teaching as The Fourfold Accomplishment, The Path of the Bodhisattvas, or Ripening the Bodhisattvas.”
After the Blessed One had said this, the bodhisattva Maitreya, Venerable Mahākāśyapa, Venerable Ānanda, and the world with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the Blessed One’s words.
This concludes The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Fourfold Accomplishment.”
The Fourfold Accomplishment revolves around a dialogue between the god Śrībhadra and the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī that takes place in Jeta’s Grove at Śrāvastī. At Śrībhadra’s request, Mañjuśrī recalls a teaching that he previously gave to Brahmā Śikhin on the practices of a bodhisattva. The teaching takes the form of a sequence of topics, each of which has four components.
This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The translation was produced by Adam Krug, then checked against the Tibetan and edited by Andreas Doctor.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
Set in Śrāvastī in Jeta’s Grove where the Buddha Śākyamuni is accompanied by a large retinue of monks, bodhisattvas, and gods of the desire and form realms, The Fourfold Accomplishment revolves around a dialogue between the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī and a god named Śrībhadra. The text opens with the god Śrībhadra asking Mañjuśrī why he is still making offerings to the Buddha given his advanced spiritual progress. Mañjuśrī’s reply is that bodhisattvas should never be satisfied by the offerings they have made, and that as they make offerings they should focus on four purposes.
This initial part of the sūtra is closely paralleled in another, shorter sūtra, Mañjuśrī’s Teaching (Mañjuśrīnirdeśa, Toh 177), in which the setting and opening dialogue are the same but the god is called Susīma instead of Śrībhadra, and the four purposes are phrased in a different way.
In the ensuing exchange (not included in the shorter sūtra), Mañjuśrī delivers a teaching that he had previously given to Brahmā Śikhin called The Fourfold Accomplishment. This teaching presents the path and practice of a bodhisattva in forty-three topics, each of which is divided into four subtopics. The text takes on a distinctly mnemonic character in which the fourfold rubric might allow anyone reading or reciting the text to memorize a broad range of topics related to the practice of a bodhisattva. In addition to this mnemonic application, each brief list of four particular accomplishments invites broader commentary, and in this sense the text provides a readily accessible framework for teaching the bodhisattva path.
After Mañjuśrī has delivered his teaching, Śrībhadra and his retinue scatter celestial flowers on the assembly as an offering. The Buddha then uses his magical powers to reveal a sky full of bodhisattvas seated upon lotuses, and Mañjuśrī explains to Śrībhadra that all of these bodhisattvas are a magical emanation, just like his celestial flower offering. This brings a smile to the Buddha’s lips, and the text introduces its next topic: why, exactly, do buddhas smile? The question, a recurring motif in sūtra literature, echoes in the refrains of a set of poetic verses that Śrībhadra recites before the Buddha, who then answers it by predicting the imminent awakening of the bodhisattvas gathered in the sky to hear the teaching.
The sūtra then turns to a brief dialogue between the Buddha, the god Śrībhadra, and Śāriputra, in which Śāriputra doubts whether there could in fact be innumerable buddhafields and innumerable bodhisattvas who populate them. In his reply, the Buddha delivers a teaching on the vast cosmology of infinite buddhafields. The sūtra then concludes with two additional teachings from Mañjuśrī on thirty-five qualities that ripen bodhisattvas for awakening and ten types of pride that bodhisattvas should avoid.
The Fourfold Accomplishment is listed in both the Denkarma and Pangthangma royal Tibetan catalogs of translated works, indicating that the first Tibetan translation of the text was completed by the early ninth century. Unfortunately there is no colophon to the Tibetan translation, so the text does not contain any indication as to who produced the Tibetan translation. The single Chinese translation of the text , which we did not consult for the present translation, was translated by Śikṣānanda between 695–700
This translation was completed based on the Tibetan translation of the text preserved in the Degé edition of the Kangyur in consultation with the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) of the Kangyur and the Stok Palace Kangyur. Any points at which the translation employs variants from editions of the Kangyur other than the Degé have been noted throughout the translation.
Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park. He was residing there with a great saṅgha of five hundred monks, one hundred thousand bodhisattvas who had all donned the great armor, and the gods who inhabit the desire and form realms. There, the Blessed One, surrounded and revered by this retinue of hundreds of thousands of beings, taught the Dharma.
Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta raised a jeweled parasol measuring ten leagues in diameter as an offering to the Blessed One and held it above the Blessed One’s head. Within the retinue was a god from the Heaven of Joy named Śrībhadra whose progress toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening had become irreversible. Together with his attendants, he had joined the retinue and taken his seat. Now he rose from his seat, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. Joining his palms, he bowed toward Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta and inquired of him, “Mañjuśrī, have you still not had enough of making offerings to the Thus-Gone One?”
“Divine being, tell me,” Mañjuśrī asked in return, “is the ocean ever satiated by all of the water that it receives?”
“No, Mañjuśrī, it is not,” replied the god.
Mañjuśrī then said, “Divine being, bodhisattvas seek boundless and immeasurable omniscient wisdom that is as difficult to fathom as the depths of the great ocean, so they can never have enough of making offerings to the Thus-Gone One.”
“Mañjuśrī, what should bodhisattvas focus on when they make offerings to the Thus-Gone One?” asked the god.
Mañjuśrī replied, “Divine being, there are four things that bodhisattvas should focus on when they make offerings to the Thus-Gone One. These four are omniscience, liberating all beings, ensuring that the lineage of the Three Jewels is not broken, and attaining the array of qualities of the buddhafield. Divine being, bodhisattvas should make offerings to the Thus-Gone One while focusing on those four things.”
“Mañjuśrī,” said the god, “when you were among the Brahmā realm gods you gave a Dharma teaching to Brahmā Śikhin called The Fourfold Accomplishment of the Bodhisattva Path. Mañjuśrī, would you please teach that? I and everyone in this assembly would like to hear it. Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas are not stingy with the Dharma, nor are they tight-fisted with the Dharma as teachers.”
“Divine being,” Mañjuśrī replied, “in that case listen well, pay attention, and I will explain the Dharma teaching called The Fourfold Accomplishment to you.
“Divine being, these are the four altruistic intentions that bodhisattvas generate: bodhisattvas generate the intention to gather together immeasurable beings, they generate the intention to ripen immeasurable beings, they generate the intention to accumulate immeasurable roots of virtue, and they generate the intention to perfectly realize the boundless buddha qualities. Divine being, those are the four altruistic intentions that bodhisattvas generate.
“Divine being, these are the four attitudes bodhisattvas generate that are like a rock: an attitude that has no hostility toward those who make requests, an attitude of compassion toward those who have gone astray, an attitude of not losing insight, and an attitude of bringing all undertakings to completion. Divine being, those are the four attitudes bodhisattvas generate that are like a rock.
“Divine being, these are the four attitudes bodhisattvas generate that are superior: superior discipline, superior learning, superior great love, and superior great compassion.
“Divine being, these are the four attitudes bodhisattvas generate that are stable, substantial, inseparable, and like a vajra: not being separated from the intention, not being separated from spiritual companions, not being separated from striving, and not being separated from the Great Vehicle.
“Divine being, these are the four attitudes bodhisattvas generate that are difficult to accomplish: not being involved with the afflictions; not being involved with gain, honor, and praise; not being involved with a lesser vehicle; and not being involved with crude people.
“Divine being, these are the four attitudes bodhisattvas generate that are unsurpassed: the wish to relinquish all manner of pleasing things, having no regret after giving them away, not wishing for any result, and the attitude of dedication to awakening.
“Divine being, these are the four qualities that crown bodhisattvas: the perfection of wisdom, skill in methods, understanding the true Dharma, and bringing beings to fruition.
“Divine being, these are the four that demonstrate the bodhisattvas’ path to awakening: exerting oneself in the perfections, acting in accord with the means for drawing beings to the path, accomplishing the abodes of Brahmā, and demonstrating playful mastery of the supernatural perceptions.
“Divine being, these four are excellent, holy, and supreme among the qualities of the bodhisattvas: having no hostility toward anyone, generating the wish to liberate those who oppose oneself, being conscientious regardless of one’s wealth or the vastness of one’s domain, and acting in accord with the Dharma, no matter how destitute and poor one may be.
“Divine being, these are the four inclinations of bodhisattvas: being satisfied with one’s own wealth as a householder, harboring no desire for another’s wealth, being satisfied with the family of the noble ones after one has gone forth, and adopting ascetic practices and reducing one’s material possessions.
“Divine being, these are the four gifts of bodhisattvas: the gift of Dharma; the gift of material wealth; the gift of paper, ink, pens, and books; and the gift of wholeheartedly exclaiming ‘Well done!’ to those who teach the Dharma.
“Divine being, these are the four essentials of bodhisattvas: essential perseverance rather than studying, essential relinquishment rather than having possessions, essential service to the teacher rather than to the body, and the essential development of roots of virtue rather than a livelihood.
“Divine being, these are the four things that bodhisattvas should not forsake: they should not forsake the thought of awakening, they should not forsake the holy Dharma, they should not forsake beings, and they should not forsake pursuing any qualities that are roots of virtue.
“Divine being, these are the four motives of bodhisattvas: dwelling in the deep forest, delighting in solitude, yearning for virtuous qualities, and skillfully ripening beings.
“Divine being, these are the four mansions of bodhisattvas: the abodes of Brahmā, being delighted when hearing the Dharma expounded, reflecting on emptiness, and gathering with beings of the same spiritual lineage.
“Divine being, these four are the bodhisattvas’ inexhaustible wealth: the wealth of learning, the wealth of teaching the Dharma, the wealth of assembling beings in need, and the wealth of dedication to awakening.
“Divine being, these are the four treasures of bodhisattvas: the treasure of retention, the treasure of eloquence, the treasure of the Dharma, and the treasure of dedication to inexhaustible enjoyment.
“Divine being, these are the bodhisattvas’ four types of departure: departure from society, departure from all inhabited lands, departure from ignoble intentions, and departure from all the three realms.
“Divine being, these are the bodhisattvas’ four types of happiness: the happiness of being free from possessiveness and grasping due to a disregard for all material things, the happiness of solitude due to abandoning one’s homeland, the happiness of quiescence due to relinquishing the afflictions, and the happiness of attaining nirvāṇa by not forsaking beings.
“Divine being, these are the bodhisattvas’ four supreme joys: supreme joy due to seeing the Thus-Gone One, supreme joy due to hearing the Dharma, supreme joy due to giving without regret, and supreme joy due to engendering happiness in all beings.
“Divine being, these are the bodhisattvas’ four truths: not forsaking the thought of awakening, not breaking one’s commitments, not forsaking those who have taken refuge, and restraining one’s speech so that one always speaks the truth.
“Divine being, these are the bodhisattvas’ four virtuous qualities: applying oneself with good intentions to all virtuous qualities, not harboring contempt toward anyone who is untrained, becoming a friend to all beings without being asked, and not hoping for any reward because one has already accomplished all manner of good qualities and because one does not wish to be compensated.
“Divine being, these four are the pure practices of bodhisattvas: pure discipline because of the lack of self, pure absorption because of the non-existence of beings, pure insight because of the non-existence of the soul, and pure liberation because of the non-existence of persons.
“Divine being, these are the four feet of bodhisattvas: the foot of the Dharma, the foot of purpose, the foot of engaging in the ascetic practices and having few possessions, and the foot of gathering the accumulations of the path of awakening.
“Divine being, these are the four hands of bodhisattvas: the hand of faith, the hand of discipline, the hand of learning, and the hand of insight.
“Divine being, these are the four eyes of bodhisattvas: the physical eye due to correct karmic action, the divine eye due to undiminished supernatural perception, the eye of insight due to possessing the power of extensive learning, and the Dharma eye due to reflection on all phenomena.
“Divine being, these are the four things that bodhisattvas never tire of: they never tire of generosity, they never tire of living in the deep forest, they never tire of hearing the Dharma, and they never tire of the entire collection of virtuous qualities.
“Divine being, these are the four hardships of bodhisattvas: the hardship of being patient and tolerant toward beings who are weak; the hardship of wanting to give all one’s possessions to the poor; the hardship of not being angry at those who ask for one’s head—that most important body part—but instead generating the thought that they are one’s spiritual teacher; and the hardship of taking birth at will due to not conceptualizing birth.
“Divine being, these are the bodhisattvas’ four types of good health: being healthy because the elements are in balance, being healthy because one is not tormented by the afflictions, being healthy because one will establish all beings in happiness, and being healthy because one harbors no doubts regarding any phenomena.
“Divine being, these are the four personal perspectives of bodhisattvas: the perspective of the perfections, the perspective of the factors of awakening, the perspective of the authentic spiritual teacher, and the perspective of not committing any misdeeds.
“Divine being, these are the four unshakable qualities that bodhisattvas possess: the unshakable mind of awakening, unshakable commitments, the unshakable practice of what one preaches, and unshakable correct exertion.
“Divine being, these are the bodhisattvas’ four accumulations: the accumulation of tranquility, the accumulation of special insight, the accumulation of learning, and the accumulation of all roots of virtue.
“Divine being, these are the four ways that bodhisattvas integrate the teachings: integrating intention with application, integrating giving away with dedication, integrating love with compassion, and integrating method with wisdom.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ Dharma obscurations: seeing a dirty well yet still seeing the moon at the bottom; seeing a muddy pond, pool, or well yet still seeing the moon at the bottom; seeing the moon although the sky is cloudy; and seeing the moon although the sky appears shrouded in wind, dust, and smoke.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ karmic obscurations: seeing oneself fall from a high cliff into an abyss; seeing a road with highs and lows; seeing oneself set out on a narrow roadway; being lost in the dream and seeing many terrifying things.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ afflictive obscurations: seeing someone convulsing due to a strong poison, hearing the call of a large pack of vicious predators, seeing oneself living among rogues, and seeing one’s body and clothing covered with filth.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ attaining dhāraṇī: seeing a great treasure chest filled with many jewels, seeing a pool filled with blooming lotus flowers, seeing oneself finding a bundle of white cloth, and seeing a god with a parasol being held over his head.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ attaining absorption: seeing an attractive girl with beautiful jewelry who offers worship by scattering flowers, seeing a flock of pure white swans flying in the sky and calling out, seeing the hand of the luminous Thus-Gone One being placed on the top of one’s head, and seeing the Thus-Gone One seated on a lotus and engaged in concentration.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ seeing the Thus-Gone One: seeing a moonrise, seeing a sunrise, seeing a lotus flower opening, and seeing the lord of the Brahmā realms in the posture of utter quiescence. Divine being, those four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ seeing the Thus-Gone One.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ particular characteristics: seeing a great sāla tree that is full of brilliantly colored leaves, flowers, and fruits; seeing a metal bowl filled with gold; seeing the sky filled with parasols, banners, and standards; and seeing a great universal emperor.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ taming Māra: seeing a great champion overcome all of the enemy’s champions, raise a standard, and advance; seeing a great hero defeat an army and then advance; seeing a king being consecrated; and seeing oneself sitting at the seat of awakening and taming Māra.
“Divine being, these are the four corresponding dreams that are signs of the bodhisattvas’ non-regression: seeing a white diadem affixed on one’s head, seeing oneself making unstinting offerings, seeing oneself seated on a great Dharma seat, and seeing the Thus-Gone One sitting at the seat of awakening and teaching the Dharma.
“Divine being, these four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ attainment of the seat of awakening: seeing a vase; seeing oneself surrounded by blue roller birds; seeing that wherever one goes, all of the trees first reach upward, then bow and pay homage; and seeing a bright golden light. Divine being, those four dreams are consequences of the bodhisattvas’ attainment of the seat of awakening.”
When Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta gave this Dharma teaching on The Fourfold Accomplishment, the god Śrībhadra was happy and rejoiced. Since he had become exceedingly happy, delighted, and joyful, he and his retinue showered the entire retinue with divine mandārava flowers as well as blue, pink, red, and white lotus flowers as an offering to Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta. As soon as they had scattered the flowers, through the power of the Buddha, beautiful, fragrant, and delightful lotus flowers the size of chariot wheels appeared in the sky above them. In the center of each of the flowers were bodhisattvas ornamented with the thirty-two marks of a great being.
Then the god Śrībhadra asked Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, where did these bodhisattvas come from?”
“Divine being, where did these flowers of yours come from?” Mañjuśrī asked in return.
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the god, “these flowers are emanations—I scattered them to make an offering to you.”
Mañjuśrī then said, “Divine being, you should view the bodies of those bodhisattvas just as you view these flowers—as emanations.”
At that moment the Blessed One smiled. As happens when the blessed buddhas smile, a multitude of light rays of various colors—blue, yellow, red, white, violet, and crystalline—emanated from the mouth of the Blessed One. These light rays pervaded infinite and limitless world systems and reached all the way up to the realm of Brahmā above. Their splendor outshone the radiance of the sun and the moon. Then the light rays returned and dissolved into the Blessed One’s crown.
At that point the god Śrībhadra rose from his seat, arranged his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. Joining his palms, he bowed toward the Blessed One and praised the Blessed One with these verses:
“Divine being,” the Blessed One replied to Śrībhadra, “do you see these bodhisattvas in the sky above who are seated in the center of lotuses on lion thrones?”
“Yes, Blessed One, I see them.”
“Divine being,” the Blessed One then explained, “all these bodhisattvas have gathered from the ten directions to hear the Dharma in the presence of Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta. They have come to hear this Dharma teaching on The Fourfold Accomplishment. Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta ripened all these bodhisattvas. All these bodhisattvas are now only one birth away from unsurpassed and perfect awakening. They will fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood in one buddhafield or another, each with their various names, throughout the worlds in the ten directions.”
“Blessed One,” the god replied, “I cannot comprehend the number of bodhisattvas here—how many are there?”
The Blessed One then asked Venerable Śāriputra, “Śāriputra, can you comprehend how many bodhisattvas there are here?”
“Blessed One,” said Śāriputra, “in one instant, one moment, or one second, I can count all the stars in an entire three-thousandfold universe. However, Blessed One, I would be unable to count these bodhisattvas even in a hundred years.”
“Śāriputra,” the Blessed One replied, “even if this continent of Jambūdvīpa were filled with minute particles, it would be possible to determine their number by counting them. However, it would be impossible to determine the number of these bodhisattvas by counting them, because the bodhisattvas that have gathered here are that innumerable.”
“Blessed One, how can there be that many buddhafields in which these bodhisattvas will fully awaken to buddhahood?” asked Śāriputra.
“Silence, Śāriputra, do not say that,” replied the Blessed One. “Śāriputra, the thus-gone ones empty countless buddhafields. Consider this, Śāriputra: The lifespan of the thus-gone ones lasts for as many eons as there are grains of sand in the Ganges. Each and every day each one delivers as many Dharma teachings as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, and in all of those Dharma teachings he prophesies as many bodhisattvas as there are grains of sand in the Ganges. Even if one were to identify a single bodhisattva to the east, beyond as many buddhafields as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, the thus-gone one will empty that many buddhafields. Therefore, it goes without saying that the thus-gone ones, who know the minds of all beings born into the buddhafields of the ten directions, whom they perceive with the ordinary, corporeal eye of a thus-gone one, will empty all those buddhafields.”
At that point the great hearers and the entire retinue were amazed and exclaimed, “Our teachers have such vast magical powers, are so mighty, and have such great supreme knowledge! We are so fortunate!”
The bodhisattvas who had assembled from the worlds in the ten directions and hovered in the air now descended from the sky and bowed their heads at the feet of the Blessed One and Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta, circumambulated them, and then departed into the ten directions.
At that point the god Śrībhadra said to Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, you performed these deeds and ripened countless beings for awakening—well done! Mañjuśrī, please grace us with your eloquence, beginning with the teachings that ripen the awakening of bodhisattvas.”
“Divine being,” replied Mañjuśrī, “there are thirty-five teachings that ripen the awakening of bodhisattvas. The thirty-five teachings are these: urging them toward timeliness; urging them toward moderation; urging them toward proportion; urging them toward capacity; urging them toward stability; urging them toward the perfections; urging them toward method; urging them toward the altruistic intention; urging them toward great love; urging them toward great compassion; urging them toward the Great Vehicle; urging them toward the Lesser Vehicle; urging them toward the truth; urging them to act on it; urging them to protect the Dharma; urging them to teach what they have studied; urging them to not discriminate among various types of beings; urging them to be equally generous to those who have faulty discipline and those who observe discipline; urging them to declare the work of Māra; urging them to fulfill their promises; urging them to not grow weary of cyclic existence; urging them to subdue Māra; urging them to be grateful and appreciative; urging them to eliminate the cause; urging them to not be afraid of the gateways to liberation; urging them to worship and serve the Thus-Gone One; urging them to joyfully consider ways to help beings; urging them to not mix that with worldly Dharma; urging them to delight in the deep forest; urging them to have few desires and be content; urging them toward the past as well as the future; urging them to liberate those who are not liberated; urging them to comfort those who are not comforted; urging those who have not passed into parinirvāṇa to pass into parinirvāṇa; urging them to not interrupt the lineage of the Three Jewels; and urging them to accept the array of good qualities of the buddhafield as completely pure. Divine being, those are the thirty-five teachings that ripen the awakening of bodhisattvas.
“Divine being, bodhisattvas who have been ripened do not waver from unsurpassed and perfect awakening. No opponent whatsoever can overpower them. From then on, they no longer fear a bodhisattva’s ten types of pride. The ten types of pride are these: pride due to being disciplined; pride due to being learned; pride due to being eloquent; pride due to being successful, revered, and praised; pride due to living in the deep forest; pride due to one’s ascetic practices and having few belongings; pride due to being attractive, wealthy, powerful, and having attendants; pride due to Śakra, Brahmā, and the world protectors offering service; pride due to one’s absorption and supernatural perception; and being free from any arrogance due to the fact that the gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas who have faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha are fond of, praise, and glorify them. Divine being, they are not at all arrogant due to those ten types of a bodhisattva’s pride.”
The god Śrībhadra then said to Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, wherever you are and wherever this Dharma teaching is practiced, the Buddha will be seen there, turning the wheel of Dharma.”
The Blessed One replied, “Yes, divine being, that is correct. What you say is true. Wherever Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta is, that place will not seem empty. Wherever this Dharma teaching is performed, that is the endeavor of the Thus-Gone One, the lord of Dharma. Those beings who hear this Dharma teaching and develop interest in it become my followers. The beings who hear this Dharma teaching and develop interest in it should be regarded as having been trained by the Thus-Gone One. Those who understand this Dharma teaching and persist in their pursuit of suchness will not regress from unsurpassed and perfect awakening.”
The Blessed One then said to the bodhisattva Maitreya, the elder Mahākāśyapa, and Venerable Ānanda, “Holy beings, I entrust this Dharma teaching to you so that you may adopt, uphold, teach, and master it. Soon I will pass into parinirvāṇa, so rely on this Dharma teaching that carries out the buddhas’ work for all beings.”
Then Maitreya inquired, “Blessed One, since we will uphold this Dharma teaching, what is its name? How should it be remembered?”
“Maitreya,” the Blessed One replied, “you should remember this Dharma teaching as The Fourfold Accomplishment, The Path of the Bodhisattvas, or Ripening the Bodhisattvas.”
After the Blessed One had said this, the bodhisattva Maitreya, Venerable Mahākāśyapa, Venerable Ānanda, and the world with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the Blessed One’s words.
This concludes The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Fourfold Accomplishment.”