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We prefer to follow the mainstream Buddhist Sanskrit usage of manuscripts and inscriptions by spelling bodhisatva with a single rather than a double t, the latter being a convention of modern editors. See Gouriswar Bhattacharya, “How to Justify the Spelling of the Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Term Bodhisatva?” in From Turfan to Ajanta: Festschrift for Dieter Schlingloff on the Occasion of his Eightieth Birthday, ed. Eli Franco and Monika Zin (Rupandehi: Lumbini International Research Institute, 2010), 2:35–50. Note that this is also the spelling used in Gāndhārī, as well as in Khotanese, Tibetan lexicography, and old Thai documents.
This verse apparently plays on the word pravrajita (rab tu byung ba), which can mean both to go astray (in the first line) and to leave home and become a monk (in the fourth line). This wordplay seems to have been lost to some degree in both the Tibetan and Chinese translations. In Tibetan, it seems that pravrajita was originally translated as mid but then changed to ming by later scribes. The word in the Tibetan manuscript in the first line is clearly ming rather than mid, as there is a tsheg between the word and the shad.
This probably refers to the strength to swim, indicating that the water is a contributing factor for a fish’s ability to move, without being a conscious factor involved in this process.
This sentence, which is missing in MS and Xu but found in Tib and Dh, follows the interpretation of Dh, which seems to make most sense in the context. D reads khyim bdag rnams rba klong dang bral ba’i phyir chos thams cad ni brjod du med pa’o.
Skt: cittākulavigama; Tib: sems ’khrug pa med par; Xu: 眼如浮雲聚亂散相; Dh: 眼如浮雲剎那離相. We have chosen to follow the Chinese interpretation of the Sanskrit and understand cittākula as a variation of cittakṣaṇa, employed here to avoid repetition in the next example. Later in the text the same list gives vyaktākula (“ever changing”) translated as gsal ba la brug pa in Tibetan. This would perhaps make more sense.
Vāyuyantra; rlung gi ’khrul ’khor. This is a hapax legomenon as far as we can tell, but this interpretation seems to fit well in the context.
Here and in the previous sentence, “that upon which ignorance rests” follow the Skt pratītyājñānaṃ. D reads mig la brten te mi shes pa.
The deer will cause its own death through the injuries inflicted when trying to pull itself from the trap.
MS has the verb in the singular, but we have chosen to read it as plural to conform to the context.
MS and the two Chinese translations here agree that this line should rather read “there will be mendicants of the buddhas.” We have chosen to follow the Tibetan rendering as it seems to make more sense.
The last few sentences, from “I must create,” are present in Tib and both Chinese translations but are missing in MS.
D has bshad, but MS (cchedikāro), both Chinese translations, and Q (kun gcod) agree on “eliminate.”
Skt and Tib here start the sentence with “When he saw this emanation…,” but both Chinese translations do not, and we have chosen to follow the Chinese as it makes most sense in the context.
MS anupaliptā́ś ca bhavanti (“and are not soiled”) does not occur in D, Q, Xu, or Dh at this point, but it does occur when the same phrase is repeated further down. Therefore, as it seems to be a stock phrase in the translation we here follow MS.
The shaking of “ten million fields” refers to the idea that when a buddha attains awakening and touches the ground to be his witness, the entire buddha field shakes and reverberates. Here, ten million (i.e., infinite) buddhas, and thus ten million buddha fields, are referred to.
MS: asaṅgajñānasaṃpreṣitaṃ; Xu: 令無礙智; Dh: 觀無礙智故; D and Q: thams cad mkhyen pa’i ye shes la btang ba’i phyir. The Tibetan translation seems to have misread sarva- for asaṅga-.
MS has satvārthatrayānuttaraṃ, which seems to be an error when compared to Chi and Tib, which the translation here follows.
In a presentation more common in the Tibetan tradition the second statement has “all defiled things” (āsrava, zag pa) instead of “all conditioned things” (saṃskāra).
D and Q instead have rgya mtsho chen por (“into the great ocean”) here, but we follow MS and Chi, which seem to make more sense.
Following MS. D reads these two classes of gods together: gzhan ’phrul dbang byed kyi bdud kyi ris rnams.
This power is later labeled the power of direct knowledge of recollection and realization by means of divine sight (divyacakṣuranusmṛtisākṣātkriyājñānabala).
D and Q read the end of this sentence a bit differently, adding Brahmā and Śakra to the list of those who do not turn the wheel of teaching like the Buddha. This might be a misreading of the Sanskrit, which states that the Buddha turns the holy wheel (brāhmaṃ cakraṃ). This is to some extent supported by the fact that the list is omitted in the Sanskrit.
We follow Dh’s interpretation of this phrase and not MS, D, Q, and Xu, which all agree that “anger arises when one attains one’s goal.”
D and Q disagree on this line, Q being closest to MS. Here we follow Q and MS; D: thar ba’i gnas las phyir yang mi ldog ’gyur, Q: mi ldog gyur cing gti mug rgyags pa med.
MS omits a few sentences here that are found in D and Q and which we have translated here. The passage in D reads ’dus ma byas ji lta bar ’dus byas kyang de ltar khong du chud par bya’o/ de ci’i phyir zhe na/ gang chos thams cad kyi rang bzhin de ni dngos po med pa’o/ gang dngos po med pa de la gnyis med de/ lus med pa/ mngon par ’dus ma byas pa de.
The phrase nyams pa med do / de bzhin gshegs pa’i shes rab gaṅ zhe na (“…is never given up. What is the wisdom of the Tathāgata?”) is lacking in MS.
D has mi zad pa (“imperishable” or ”inexhaustible”), but MS has advaya and Q has mi gnyis pa, which seems to be the correct reading.
This image does not seem to be entirely consistent, but the point seems to be that the number of sentient beings in the universe exceeds the number of water molecules.
D has mnyam pa, but Q’s reading ma tshim par seems to be correct for MS aśamā and makes more sense.
D: bdag gi bde ba gtong ba in place of astabdhā seems to be a dittography, as it also occurs later.
MS here adds -anusmṛtisahadharmabodhyaṅga-, which is not attested in the Tibetan translations and seems redundant.
“Unconcerned” here translates upekṣa (btang snyoms), which we have translated elsewhere as “equanimity.” The word is used here in a slightly different sense, and we found no single English word that adequately conveys both uses.
Reading kṣetraṃ (“piece of land”). The alternative reading is kaṣṭha, in which case “relying on a dry piece of wood,” i.e., a plow.
Xu gives trust in actions and in the ripening of their fruits as two separate points, making it a list of ten.
This is probably a reference to the idea that the chances of obtaining a human birth are the same as the chances of a turtle that comes to the surface of the ocean once every hundred years putting its head through a single small yoke floating somewhere in the great oceans of the world. See for example Saṃyutta Nikāya 56.47 and 56.48.
The Sanskrit has a negation in this expression, implying that the bodhisatva could not, in that existence, honor and serve those who are worthy of veneration. We follow the Tibetan here, which has no negation, implying that the bodhisatva had to honor and serve the beings who ruled over him.
This is probably a reference to the epic battle of the Rāmāyaṇa in which Rāma conquered Rāvaṇa (mānamandara; “the proud one of Mandara”).
MS reads śakyabuddhaguṇaśikṣarakṣanā, which we interpret as śākyabuddha, though Tib (D) has sangs rgyas yon tan bslab pa bslab nus shes.
This follows Tib. MS says, “For one who does not understand by means of wisdom, everything becomes difficult to grasp.”
Skt: śrutamūla and Xu: 聽聞根本 agree on this interpretation, but Tib (D and Q) have thos pa dang tshul khrims, apparently reading śrutaśīla.
Skt and Tib do not correspond in the previous six verse lines (Skt is missing a line): arthalābhena mitro smi bhāṣaṃte anyamany ime ’ jambūdvipe [narthaṃ (?) s.a] rvvaṃ buddhakṣetrā varo balo; D: don rnyed na ni mdza’ ’o zhes/ phan tshun du ni rab tu smra/ don ni byed par ma gyur na/ gcig la gcig ni gsod par byed/ ’dzam bu yi ni gling ’di dang / sangs rgyas kyi ni zhing kun tu; Xu: 善友交談論 義利由斯獲 而眾生不求 反更相加害 我以贍部洲 及諸佛國土. This reading follows the Tibetan.
The phrase so tenāntareṇa saptabuddhasahasrāṇi ārāgitavān does not appear in the Tibetan.
There is a play on words here that cannot be captured in translation, as the Sanskrit word bhāryā can mean both “wife” and “burden.”
Skt: māyāgrāma; there is a play on words here in the Sanskrit in that the word for “village of seduction” (māyāgrāma) is similar to the word for “woman” (mātrgrāma). Tib has bu med, indicating that they read mātrgrāma here. The word for seduction can also be translated as “illusion,” with the sense that the woman is a trickster.
The following section, until the end of the verses, can only be found in MS. It is absent in both Tib and Chi.
The phrase cāribhir gocarāsī, which is here translated as “master of conduct,” is a play on the name of the seer, Cāritragocara.
A satisfactory reading has not been established for this verse of MS, and the translation is therefore tentative.
A satisfactory reading has not been established for the second line of this verse of MS, and the translation is therefore tentative.
There is a play on words here that is lost in translation, as the Sanskrit word aṅga means both “factor” and “limb.”
The father of the future buddha Kāruṇika.
A buddha in the distant past.
The fifth of the eight liberations.
The fourth of the eight liberations.
The fourth of the four formless realms.
The seventh of the eight liberations.
The sixth of the eight liberations.
Meaning “action” in its most basic sense, karma is an important concept in Buddhist philosophy as the cumulative force of previous physical, verbal, and mental acts, which determines present experience and will determine future existences.
See “karma.”
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.
Here used as a synonym for kleśa (“afflictive emotion”).
See “ten afflictions.”
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.
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.
One of six wicked mendicants in the distant past, during the time of the Buddha Vipaśyin.
A buddha in the distant past.
May refer to the four analytical abilities, listed here as analytical ability in relation to objects, analytical ability in relation to phenomena, analytical ability in relation to language, and analytical ability in relation to eloquence.
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.
Sage and author of the hymns of the Ṛgveda.
Lit. “Unobstructed.” One of the ten great śrāvaka disciples, famed for his meditative prowess and superknowledges. He was the Buddha's cousin—a son of Amṛtodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana—and is often mentioned along with his two brothers Bhadrika and Mahānāma. Some sources also include Ānanda among his brothers.
The wife of the householder Kṣema during the time of the past buddha Vipaśyin.
According to Buddhist tradition, one who is worthy of worship (pūjām arhati), or one who has conquered the enemies, the mental afflictions (kleśa-ari-hata-vat), and reached liberation from the cycle of rebirth and suffering. It is the fourth and highest of the four fruits attainable by śrāvakas. Also used as an epithet of the Buddha.
The name of four hundred beings from the city of Rājagṛha when they attain Buddhahood in the distant future.
A general term applied to spiritual practitioners who live as ascetic mendicants. In Buddhist texts, the term usually refers to Buddhist monastics, but it can also designate a practitioner from other ascetic/monastic spiritual traditions. In this context śramaṇa is often contrasted with the term brāhmaṇa (bram ze), which refers broadly to followers of the Vedic tradition. Any renunciate, not just a Buddhist, could be referred to as a śramaṇa if they were not within the Vedic fold. The epithet Great Śramaṇa is often applied to the Buddha.
The son of the future buddha Kāruṇika.
Imagining things that are not the case.
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).
A buddha in the distant past, in a realm to the east.
Describes someone who has attained the highest goal of Buddhism. Also rendered here as “buddha.”
The Sanskrit pravrajyā literally means “going forth,” with the sense of leaving the life of a householder and embracing the life of a renunciant. When the term is applied more technically, it refers to the act of becoming a male novice (śrāmaṇera; dge tshul) or female novice (śrāmaṇerikā; dge tshul ma), this being a first stage leading to full ordination.
The Sanskrit pravrajyā literally means “going forth,” with the sense of leaving the life of a householder and embracing the life of a renunciant. When the term is applied more technically, it refers to the act of becoming a male novice (śrāmaṇera; dge tshul) or female novice (śrāmaṇerikā; dge tshul ma), this being a first stage leading to full ordination.
The tenth of the twelve links of dependent origination.
A resident of Rājagṛha and the main interlocutor in chapter 1 of the Bodhisatvapiṭaka.
A buddha in the distant past.
This term in its broadest sense can refer to any being, whether human, animal, or nonhuman. However, it is often used to refer to a specific class of nonhuman beings, especially when bhūtas are mentioned alongside rākṣasas, piśācas, or pretas. In common with these other kinds of nonhumans, bhūtas are usually depicted with unattractive and misshapen bodies. Like several other classes of nonhuman beings, bhūtas take spontaneous birth. As their leader is traditionally regarded to be Rudra-Śiva (also known by the name Bhūta), with whom they haunt dangerous and wild places, bhūtas are especially prominent in Śaivism, where large sections of certain tantras concentrate on them.
The king of Magadha and a great patron of the Buddha. His birth coincided with the Buddha’s, and his father, King Mahāpadma, named him “Essence of Gold” after mistakenly attributing the brilliant light that marked the Buddha’s birth to the birth of his son by Queen Bimbī (“Goldie”). Accounts of Bimbisāra’s youth and life can be found in \1\2The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1-1, Pravrajyāvastu).
King Śreṇya Bimbisāra first met with the Buddha early on, when the latter was the wandering mendicant known as Gautama. Impressed by his conduct, Bimbisāra offered to take Gautama into his court, but Gautama refused, and Bimbisāra wished him success in his quest for awakening and asked him to visit his palace after he had achieved his goal. One account of this episode can be found in the \1\2sixteenth chapter of The Play in Full (Toh 95, Lalitavistara). There are other accounts where the two meet earlier on in childhood; several episodes can be found, for example, in \1\2The Hundred Deeds (Toh 340, Karmaśataka). Later, after the Buddha’s awakening, Bimbisāra became one of his most famous patrons and donated to the saṅgha the Bamboo Grove, Veṇuvana, at the outskirts of the capital of Magadha, Rājagṛha, where he built residences for the monks. Bimbisāra was imprisoned and killed by his own son, the prince Ajātaśatru, who, influenced by Devadatta, sought to usurp his father’s throne.
The Kāla Mountains of Bhāratvarṣa (i.e., India) are listed in the Mahābhārata as the mountain ranges Vindhya (separating the Deccan from north India), Mahendra (the eastern Ghats), Malaya (southern half of the Western Ghats), Sahya (the northern half of the Western Ghats), Rakṣavat (northeast extension of the Vindhya), Pāripātra, and the Sūktimat (or Śuktimat), which is presumably another name for the one remaining significant mountain range, the Arbuda in the northwest.
A being who is dedicated to the cultivation and fulfilment of the altruistic intention to attain perfect buddhahood, traversing the ten bodhisattva levels (daśabhūmi, sa bcu). Bodhisattvas purposely opt to remain within cyclic existence in order to liberate all sentient beings, instead of simply seeking personal freedom from suffering. In terms of the view, they realize both the selflessness of persons and the selflessness of phenomena.
A class of gods presided over by Brahmā.
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).
See “brahmā.”
A class of gods presided over by Brahmā.
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).
See “brahmā.”
A class of gods presided over by Brahmā.
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).
See “brahmā.”
A collective name for the first three heavens of the form realm, which correspond to the first concentration (dhyāna): Brahmakāyika, Brahmapurohita, and Mahābrahmā (also called Brahmapārṣadya). These are ruled over by the god Brahmā. According to some sources, it can also be a general reference to all the heavens in the form realm and formless realm. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)
The first god realm of form, meaning “Stratum of Brahmā,” it is the lowest of the three heavens that make up the first meditative state.
The third god realm of form, meaning “Retinue of Brahmā,” it is the third of the three heavens that make up the first meditative state.
The second god realm of form, meaning “High Priests of Brahmā,” it is the second of the three heavens that make up the first meditative state.
A member of the highest of the four castes in Indian society, which is closely associated with religious vocations.
The vehicle of the buddhas.
Name of a mountain range in Buddhist cosmology.
One of the basic forms of Buddhist meditation, which focuses on calming the mind. Often presented as part of a pair of meditation techniques, the other technique being “insight meditation.”
A seer (ṛṣi), a past life of the Buddha Śākyamuni.
byang chub sems dpa’i sde snod (Bodhisatvapiṭaka). Degé Kangyur, vols. 40–41 (dkon brtsegs, kha–ga), folios 255.b (kha)–205.b (ga).
byang chub sems dpa’i sde snod (Bodhisatvapiṭaka). Peking 1737 (Qianlong) Kangyur, vols. 51–52 (dkon brtsegs, dzi–wi), folios 281.b (dzi)–234.a (wi).
byang chub sems dpa’i sde snod. 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. 40, p. 737–vol. 41, p. 503.
Baums, Stefan et al. “The Bodhisattvapiṭakasūtra in Gāndhārī.” In Buddhist Manuscripts Volume IV, edited by Jens Braarvig et al., 267–82. Manuscripts in the Schøyen Collection. Oslo: Hermes, 2016.
Braarvig, Jens. Akṣayamatinirdeśasūtra. 2 vols. Oslo: Solum Forlag, 1996.
Braarvig, Jens, and Ulrich Pagel. “Fragments of the Bodhisattvapiṭakasūtra.” In Buddhist Manuscripts Volume III, edited by Jens Braarvig et al., 11–88. Buddhist Manuscripts in the Schøyen Collection. Oslo: Hermes, 2006.
Edgerton, Franklin. Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Grammar and Dictionary. 2 vols. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1953.
Liland, Fredrik et al. Bodhisatvapiṭaka: Diplomatic Edition. Sanskrit Texts from the Tibetan Autonomous Region, no. 27. Vienna: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2025.
Pagel, Ulrich. The Bodhisattvapiṭaka: Its Doctrines, Practices and Their Position in Mahāyāna Literature. Tring: Institute of Buddhist Studies, 1995.
Pedersen, Kusumita Priscilla. “The ‘Dhyāna’ Chapter of the ‘Bodhisattvapiṭaka-sūtra.’ ” PhD diss., Columbia University, 1976.
Akṣ Akṣayamatinirdeśasūtra (Braarvig 1996)
Chi Chinese; see Dh and Xu.
D Degé Kangyur
Dh Chinese translation of the Bodhisatvapiṭaka by Dharmarakṣa 法護 法護 (2) (1018–58
MS Sanskrit manuscript of the Bodhisatvapiṭaka (Liland et al., forthcoming).
Q Peking 1737 (Qianlong) Kangyur.
Skt Sanskrit; see MS.
Taishō Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō 大正新修大藏經, Tokyo 1926–34.
Tib Tibetan translation of the Bodhisatvapiṭaka by Surendrabodhi, Śīlendrabodhi, and Dharmatāśīla (9th century
Xu Chinese translation of the Bodhisatvapiṭaka by Xuanzang 玄奘 (645
In The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, the Buddha describes in detail the views and practices that are to be followed by the bodhisatva, the ideal Mahāyāna practitioner. Through his interactions with human and nonhuman interlocutors, and through stories of various past buddhas, we are led step by step through the topics of renunciation, the mind of awakening, the four immeasurables, and the six perfections. Among the many accounts of past buddhas included in the sūtra, we find the story of the prophecy made by the Buddha Dīpaṅkara to the brahmin Megha about his future attainment of awakening as the Buddha Śākyamuni.
Translation by Prof. Jens Braarvig, Fredrik Liland, and David Welsh. Jens Braarvig directed the translation process and checked the translation against the Sanskrit and Tibetan. Fredrik Liland prepared the Sanskrit and Tibetan editions, translated chapters 1–9 and 11, and prepared the introduction and glossary. David Welsh prepared and translated chapter 10 and was responsible for editing the English. The translators would like to express their gratitude to all those who contributed in various ways to the translation process.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. The 84000 translation team edited the translation and the introduction, and Laura Goetz copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Chang Tai Kwang.
The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva is the twelfth and lengthiest among the texts in the Great Heap of Jewels (Mahāratnakūṭa) section of the Tibetan Kangyur, where it makes up nearly an entire volume. It is an extensive presentation of the view and conduct of the bodhisatva, the ideal Mahāyāna practitioner. The title, Bodhisatvapiṭaka, can also be translated as The Basket of the Bodhisatvas, implying that it represents a basket (piṭaka) of teachings separate from the traditional three—Sūtra, Vinaya, and Abhidharma—distinguishing the path of the bodhisatva from the lesser path of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.
The first chapter opens with the Buddha traveling through the kingdom of Magadha, ending up at Vulture’s Peak in Rājagṛha. There he is approached by the merchant Bhadrapāla and five hundred other householders who have heard about the Buddha and want to meet him and ask his advice. Having praised him, they ask the Buddha why he became an ascetic, and in reply the Buddha describes the various things one has to suffer in saṃsāra, such as the ten afflictions, the ten situations, and so forth, explaining that he understood the futility of a life invested in these things and therefore left the householder life to become a renunciant. He also elaborates on the twelve links of dependent origination, as well as the empty nature of all experiences, and admonishes the householders to give up their desires. The householders are so inspired by the Buddha’s words that they all become renunciants.
In the second chapter we are presented with the more miraculous side of the Buddha’s abilities. A yakṣa named Kimbhīra who is living in Rājagṛha makes various offerings to the Buddha together with a large group of yakṣas, and as a reply the Buddha displays a smile, followed by a miraculous display of light. This is an indication that the Buddha is making a prophecy that someone in the audience will attain complete awakening in the future. Ānanda asks the Buddha whom the prophecy concerns, and in reply the Buddha explains the course Kimbhīra will take on his way to complete awakening in the future. The scene is then prepared for the Buddha to commence his teaching.
The third chapter starts with Śāriputra asking the Buddha about the distinguishing characteristic of a bodhisatva, what it is that makes them special. The Buddha responds that it is bodhicitta, the mind of awakening, that makes them special, and he goes on to explain what this entails, elaborating on the bodhisatva’s insight and the way they will relate to their surroundings.
In chapter 4 the Buddha explains the ten ways a bodhisatva will perceive a tathāgata—as having an inconceivable tathāgata body, voice, knowledge, radiance, morality, and concentration, magical abilities, power, confidence, great compassion, and unique buddha qualities—and these are elaborated on in great detail.
Chapter 5 presents the setting that frames the main section of the discourse. The Buddha tells Śāriputra about the Tathāgata Mahāskandha and his encounter with the prince Vīryacarita, who is later revealed to have been the Buddha in one of his former existences. This chapter also presents Mahāskandha’s teaching to Vīryacarita on the four immeasurables.
The following chapters (6–11) present the six perfections and the four methods for bringing people together.
The main literary device in the text, as in much of Buddhist literature, is the list. Typically, the Buddha starts off by posing a rhetorical question to Śāriputra about the topic at hand, and he then answers his own question by stating that the particular phenomenon or issue in question can be divided into a certain number of elements or factors. Apparently for stylistic and perhaps mnemonic reasons, numerical consistency is maintained. A particularly frequent number in this text is ten, and in chapter 1 we see that every list presented is given a tenfold division, even when this is not the number of elements the particular list usually contains, as in the case of the ten kinds of error, which are the opposite of the tenfold, but more commonly the eightfold, noble path. Another recurrent device is to say that a particular topic can be divided into one part, two parts, three parts, and so forth, illustrating the variety of ways it can be analyzed.
The Buddha makes several references to various incidents in the past to illustrate his teachings, some of which concern his own previous lives. In a lengthy passage in chapter 9 dealing with vigor we hear of the two brothers Samvara (Disciplined) and Samvarasthita (Firm Discipline), sons of the merchant Suvicaya. The two brothers happen to meet the Tathāgata Abhyudgata, and being very impressed by him they develop faith and vow to follow the training of the bodhisatva. The vigor with which they approached the practice throughout many lifetimes is held up as an example of what is needed to traverse the bodhisatva path, and the fact that vigor is the topic discussed at greatest length in the text could be seen as an indication of the particular importance perseverance and the perfection of vigor play in the quest to become a successful bodhisatva.
The earliest Chinese translation available, made by Xuanzang in the seventh century
After being presented with the four methods for bringing people together, which concludes the teaching given by the Tathāgata Mahāskandha to the prince Vīryacarita, the Buddha points out that the Tathāgata Mahāskandha did not make a prophecy about his future attainment of complete awakening. Later, he reiterates, when the Buddha, in the guise of a merchant named Suprajña, met and paid homage to the Tathāgata Ratnāṅga, he still did not receive a prophecy. Finally, we get the story of how the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara appeared in the world, and how the Buddha as the apprentice brahmin Megha met him and made heartfelt and lavish offerings to him. Megha consequently receives the prophecy from Dīpaṅkara that he will become a tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished buddha by the name of Śākyamuni. The Buddha addresses the question of why it was only then, in the presence of the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, that the prophecy came, explaining that although there was not a single act of goodness that he had not engaged in while on the bodhisatva path, it was only then, in the presence of Dīpaṅkara, that he realized the sameness of all phenomena and that his practice became free from attributes. Such a practice, he goes on, is what is laid out in the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, and any bodhisatva who wishes to receive a similar prophecy should therefore apply themselves to the teachings contained therein.
This, then, is the core message of the discourse. Although the practice a bodhisatva should engage in is laid out in meticulous detail, we are reminded again and again of the fact that the practices of the bodhisatva, although a necessary step on the way, are only provisional, a means to an end, and that one should not get stuck by investing the practice with any notion that it possesses a true reality, that there is a real self who is engaging in the practice. For, as the Buddha says, “One who does not cling to the idea of a self does not cling to the idea of morality. One who does not cling to the idea of morality does not violate the training, and as he does not violate his training, neither will he violate his morality, although he will still not exaggerate its importance.”
For the present translation we have mainly relied on the complete and unique Sanskrit manuscript of the Bodhisatvapiṭaka that was recently discovered, as well as on the Degé and Peking (Qianlong) editions of the Tibetan translation made by Surendrabodhi, Śīlendrabodhi, and Dharmatāśīla in the ninth century. The Sanskrit manuscript probably dates from the tenth century, and an edition of this manuscript has recently been published. Concerning the Tibetan text witnesses, it has been shown that there are two main branches in the transmission of the Tibetan translation that exhibit consistent differences in terminology and style, and as Degé and Peking are representatives of these two, we have chosen to use them as our main sources for the Tibetan text. It has been noted in the translation when any of these three main textual sources disagree to a considerable extent. We have also consulted the two Chinese translations available in the Chinese canon, those by Xuanzang (645
Recently, fragments of two manuscripts of the Bodhisatvapiṭaka have been identified in the Schøyen Collection, one dating from the fifth–sixth century, and one probably dating from the second–third century, the latter written in the Kharoṣṭhī script. Although the Bodhisatvapiṭaka was little quoted in the śāstra literature, the relative “abundance” of older text witnesses gives us a clue to the greater importance it played in the early Mahāyāna period.
[V40] [B1] [MS.1.b] Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisatvas. Homage to the noble and princely Mañjuśrī.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Lord once spent the rainy season in retreat at Śrāvastī. When the three months had passed, he prepared his mendicant robes, put them on, and started wandering the country again in the company of a large assembly of mendicants, 1,250 strong. The Lord was esteemed, revered, praised, and honored by monks and nuns, laymen and laywomen, by kings and ministers, by various followers of other teachings, by ascetics, brahmins, and householders, and by gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas. The Lord received a great abundance of robes, foodstuffs, bedding and seats, medical supplies, and utensils.
The Lord was greeted with elegant and generous words of praise: “Such indeed is the Lord: He is a tathāgata, an arhat, a fully accomplished buddha, perfect in wisdom and conduct, a sugata. He is a knower of the world, an unsurpassable guide for men ready to be disciplined, a teacher of gods and humans, awakened, a lord. He has surpassed the world with its gods, the world with its māras, brahmā gods, ascetics and brahmins, and gods and men, and asuras, when he himself attained realization and accomplishment through superior abilities. He teaches the true Dharma, which is excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, and excellent in the end, accurate in meaning and well expressed, and he reveals the life of purity that is simple, complete, perfect, and pure.”
It so happened that the Lord was traveling among the towns of the country of Magadha and gradually made his way toward the great city of Rājagṛha. Upon his arrival, the Lord went and stayed at Vulture’s Peak near the great city of Rājagṛha. At that time, a merchant and householder by the name of Bhadrapāla was living in the city. He had previously developed roots of virtue by honoring the victorious buddhas of the past. He was wealthy, with great riches and victual resources, and possessed a huge property, acquisitions and tools, gold and silver, storerooms filled with great wealth and stocks of grain, an abundance of jewels, pearls, gems, shells, crystals, and coral, large stocks of elephants, horses, buffalos, cattle, and sheep, and many male and female servants, workers, and laborers.
The householder Bhadrapāla heard that the ascetic Gautama, who had renounced the Śākya clan and become a mendicant, was traveling in Magadha together with a great community of mendicants, 1,250 strong, that he had arrived at the great city of Rājagṛha, that he was now staying on Vulture’s Peak near the city, and that he was being greeted with elegant and generous words of praise. “Such indeed is the Lord: He is a tathāgata, an arhat, a fully accomplished buddha, perfect in wisdom and conduct, a sugata. He is a knower of the world, an unsurpassable guide for men ready to be disciplined, a teacher of gods and humans, awakened, a lord. [MS.2.a] He teaches the true Dharma, which is excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, excellent in the end, and accurate in meaning and well expressed, and he reveals the life of purity that is simple, complete, perfect, and pure.”
He thought to himself, “Now I should really go to see the ascetic Gautama. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to see the tathāgatas, the arhats, the fully accomplished buddhas.”
So it was that the merchant and householder Bhadrapāla left the great city of Rājagṛha in the company of five hundred other householders in order to see the Lord.
In the early part of the day the Lord put on his robes, took his bowl, and led the community of monks into the great city of Rājagṛha to collect alms. He conducted himself with grace, going from place to place with eyes downcast in a graceful manner, moving his limbs gracefully, and bearing his robes and bowl with great dignity. The merchant and householder Bhadrapāla, together with the five hundred other householders, saw the Lord in the distance, approaching them in a graceful and pleasant manner with his senses composed and his mind at ease, supremely disciplined and tranquil. His senses subdued, with the modest dignity of an elephant, he was clear and shining like a lake of pure water. He was honored by a great many gods, honored by a great many yakṣas, and honored by a great many men. His body was golden, with the thirty-two characteristics of a great being and adorned with the eighty minor marks. A great rain of flowers, a great flood of flowers, rained down upon him, and he placed his feet upon lotuses made of the seven precious substances and possessing a thousand billion petals.
When they saw him from afar, approaching with this display of many hundreds of thousands of forms of pure conduct, they were filled with faith in the Lord. With faith they approached the Lord, venerated him by placing their heads at his feet, and sat down at one side.
Then the householder Bhadrapāla, accompanied by the five hundred other householders, spoke to the Lord: “Lord Gautama! You overwhelm this assembly with your glory. Lord Gautama! You overwhelm this assembly with your radiance. Lord Gautama! You overwhelm this assembly with your splendor. Lord Gautama! You overwhelm this assembly with your brilliance. Lord Gautama! You overwhelm us with your beauty. The body of the Lord Gautama is golden. [MS.2.b] The Lord Gautama’s body is as beautiful as that of the sage Aṅgiras. The Lord Gautama has no equal in any respect. The qualities of the Lord Gautama are the most extraordinary and marvelous qualities in the entire world. Lord Gautama! It occurs to me: What did the Lord Gautama see to make him leave his home and become a renunciant?”
The merchant and householder Bhadrapāla praised the Lord with these verses:
The Lord then addressed the merchant and householder Bhadrapāla: “Alas! One who is involved with the world is tormented by ten afflictions. What are these ten afflictions? They are the affliction of birth, the affliction of old age, the affliction of disease, the affliction of death, the affliction of sorrow, the affliction of lamentation, the affliction of suffering, the affliction of depression, the affliction of grief, and the affliction of cyclic existence.
“Householder, seeing that one who is involved with the world is tormented by these ten afflictions, I decided to attain unsurpassed perfect awakening, and with that conviction I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.” [MS.3.b]
He then went on to speak these verses:
“Alas, householder! I have seen the hatred caused by ten situations that lead to malice, that make those who are involved with the world fight among themselves. What are these ten situations that lead to malice? Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘I have been treated unjustly.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘I am being treated unjustly.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘I will be treated unjustly.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘My dear ones have been treated unjustly.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘My dear ones are being treated unjustly.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘My dear ones will be treated unjustly.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘My enemy has gained an advantage.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘My enemy is gaining an advantage.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘My enemy will gain an advantage.’ The tenth is that which is caused by aggression without any particular object.
“Householder, it was in order to get rid of all malice, caused by these ten situations that lead to malice, that I decided to attain unsurpassed perfect awakening, and with that conviction I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.”
Then, in order to expand on this point, the Lord went on to speak these verses:
“Alas, householder! I have seen that one who is involved with the world is lost in the thicket of dogmatic views and mistaken beliefs due to being ensnared by ten wrong views and beliefs. What are these ten beliefs? They are the mistaken belief in a self, the mistaken belief in a being, the mistaken belief in a life force, the mistaken belief in a person, the mistaken belief in annihilation, the mistaken belief in eternity, the mistaken belief that there is no action, the mistaken belief that there is no causality, the mistaken belief that actions have no consequences, and the mistaken belief in false doctrines.
“Householder, it was to get rid of all such views caused by this thicket of dogmatic views and mistaken beliefs [MS.4.a] that I decided to attain unsurpassed perfect awakening, and with that conviction I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.”
Then, in order to clarify this point further, the Lord went on to speak these verses:
“Alas, householder! I have seen that one who is involved with the world is pierced by ten great arrows throughout uncountable hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of eons. What are these ten great arrows? They are the arrow of thirst, the arrow of ignorance, the arrow of desire, the arrow of passion, the arrow of hatred, the arrow of delusion, the arrow of pride, the arrow of views, the arrow of existence, and the arrow of nonexistence.
“Householder, because of these ten great arrows, I decided to attain unsurpassed perfect awakening to get rid of all arrows, and with that conviction I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.”
He then spoke these verses:
“Furthermore, householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world remains conditioned by ten phenomena that have desire as their root. What are these ten phenomena? They are as follows: because of desire one strives to obtain things, and because of this striving one does obtain things. When one obtains things one develops a sense of ownership, and this sense of ownership causes one to develop firm opinions. Such firm opinions lead to craving, and this craving creates attachment. This attachment causes miserliness, which in turn leads to possessiveness. With possessiveness arises the need to protect and defend one‘s property, and this causes suffering. In order to safeguard their property, people use sticks and other weapons. They get involved in quarrels, conflicts, feuds, and disputes, and this leads them to make unfounded accusations and to do many other such evil, unwholesome things.
“Householder, when I saw that one who is involved with the world remains conditioned by these ten phenomena that spring from desire, I decided to attain the unsurpassed perfect awakening that has no root or foundation, and with that conviction I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.”
This is the way things are, and concerning it the following verses were recited:
“Furthermore, householder, I have seen that there are ten kinds of error that cause one to be immersed in the world, doomed to error. What are these ten kinds of error? They are wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration, wrong liberation, and wrong understanding.
“Householder, when I saw that one who is involved with the world is immersed in these ten kinds of error, I decided to overcome them all and fully awaken to unsurpassed perfect awakening. With that conviction, I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.”
Then, to clarify this point further, the Lord spoke these verses:
“Furthermore, householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world sets out on the wrong path by way of ten unwholesome forms of conduct and is certain to sink into the lower realms, to descend into the lower realms, to be born into the lower realms. What are these ten actions? They are taking life, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, lying, slander, uttering harsh words, inane chatter, covetousness, maliciousness, and holding wrong views.
“Householder, when I saw that one who is involved with the world sets out on the wrong path by way of ten unwholesome forms of conduct and is certain to sink into the lower realms, to descend into the lower realms, to be born into the lower realms, I decided to leave all these wrong paths behind and fully awaken to unsurpassed perfect awakening. With that conviction, I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.”
Then, to illustrate this point in further detail, the Lord spoke these verses:
“Furthermore, householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world is tainted by the corruption of ten major and minor vices. What are these ten? They are tainted by the taint of envy, the taint of immorality, the taint of malice, the taint of laziness, the taint of distraction, [MS.5.a] the taint of misunderstanding, the taint of inattentiveness, the taint of doubt, the taint of mistrust, and the taint of disrespect. Householder, when I saw that one who is involved with the world is corrupted by these ten vices, I decided to attain uncorrupted unsurpassed perfect awakening. With that conviction, I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.”
This is the way things are, and concerning it the following verses were recited:
“Furthermore, householder, I have come to know that one who is involved with the world is bound by the chains of destructive envy and miserliness. O householder, I have seen that the vision of one who is involved with the world is clouded by the cataracts of ignorance. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world drowns in the moat of delusion. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world is carried away by the waves of lust. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world is wounded by the arrows of desire. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world is enveloped by the smoke of wrath and hatred. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world is ablaze with the fire of passion. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world is drenched in the poison of anger. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world is encircled by the thorns of oppression. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world loses their vigor in the forest of cyclic existence. [MS.5.b] Householder, when I saw that the vision of one who is involved with the world is clouded by these ten cataracts of ignorance, I was convinced to leave ordinary household life behind and become a renunciant.”
Then, in order to clarify this point further, the Lord went on to speak these verses:
In The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, the Buddha describes in detail the views and practices that are to be followed by the bodhisatva, the ideal Mahāyāna practitioner. Through his interactions with human and nonhuman interlocutors, and through stories of various past buddhas, we are led step by step through the topics of renunciation, the mind of awakening, the four immeasurables, and the six perfections. Among the many accounts of past buddhas included in the sūtra, we find the story of the prophecy made by the Buddha Dīpaṅkara to the brahmin Megha about his future attainment of awakening as the Buddha Śākyamuni.
Translation by Prof. Jens Braarvig, Fredrik Liland, and David Welsh. Jens Braarvig directed the translation process and checked the translation against the Sanskrit and Tibetan. Fredrik Liland prepared the Sanskrit and Tibetan editions, translated chapters 1–9 and 11, and prepared the introduction and glossary. David Welsh prepared and translated chapter 10 and was responsible for editing the English. The translators would like to express their gratitude to all those who contributed in various ways to the translation process.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. The 84000 translation team edited the translation and the introduction, and Laura Goetz copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Chang Tai Kwang.
The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva is the twelfth and lengthiest among the texts in the Great Heap of Jewels (Mahāratnakūṭa) section of the Tibetan Kangyur, where it makes up nearly an entire volume. It is an extensive presentation of the view and conduct of the bodhisatva, the ideal Mahāyāna practitioner. The title, Bodhisatvapiṭaka, can also be translated as The Basket of the Bodhisatvas, implying that it represents a basket (piṭaka) of teachings separate from the traditional three—Sūtra, Vinaya, and Abhidharma—distinguishing the path of the bodhisatva from the lesser path of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.
The first chapter opens with the Buddha traveling through the kingdom of Magadha, ending up at Vulture’s Peak in Rājagṛha. There he is approached by the merchant Bhadrapāla and five hundred other householders who have heard about the Buddha and want to meet him and ask his advice. Having praised him, they ask the Buddha why he became an ascetic, and in reply the Buddha describes the various things one has to suffer in saṃsāra, such as the ten afflictions, the ten situations, and so forth, explaining that he understood the futility of a life invested in these things and therefore left the householder life to become a renunciant. He also elaborates on the twelve links of dependent origination, as well as the empty nature of all experiences, and admonishes the householders to give up their desires. The householders are so inspired by the Buddha’s words that they all become renunciants.
In the second chapter we are presented with the more miraculous side of the Buddha’s abilities. A yakṣa named Kimbhīra who is living in Rājagṛha makes various offerings to the Buddha together with a large group of yakṣas, and as a reply the Buddha displays a smile, followed by a miraculous display of light. This is an indication that the Buddha is making a prophecy that someone in the audience will attain complete awakening in the future. Ānanda asks the Buddha whom the prophecy concerns, and in reply the Buddha explains the course Kimbhīra will take on his way to complete awakening in the future. The scene is then prepared for the Buddha to commence his teaching.
The third chapter starts with Śāriputra asking the Buddha about the distinguishing characteristic of a bodhisatva, what it is that makes them special. The Buddha responds that it is bodhicitta, the mind of awakening, that makes them special, and he goes on to explain what this entails, elaborating on the bodhisatva’s insight and the way they will relate to their surroundings.
In chapter 4 the Buddha explains the ten ways a bodhisatva will perceive a tathāgata—as having an inconceivable tathāgata body, voice, knowledge, radiance, morality, and concentration, magical abilities, power, confidence, great compassion, and unique buddha qualities—and these are elaborated on in great detail.
Chapter 5 presents the setting that frames the main section of the discourse. The Buddha tells Śāriputra about the Tathāgata Mahāskandha and his encounter with the prince Vīryacarita, who is later revealed to have been the Buddha in one of his former existences. This chapter also presents Mahāskandha’s teaching to Vīryacarita on the four immeasurables.
The following chapters (6–11) present the six perfections and the four methods for bringing people together.
The main literary device in the text, as in much of Buddhist literature, is the list. Typically, the Buddha starts off by posing a rhetorical question to Śāriputra about the topic at hand, and he then answers his own question by stating that the particular phenomenon or issue in question can be divided into a certain number of elements or factors. Apparently for stylistic and perhaps mnemonic reasons, numerical consistency is maintained. A particularly frequent number in this text is ten, and in chapter 1 we see that every list presented is given a tenfold division, even when this is not the number of elements the particular list usually contains, as in the case of the ten kinds of error, which are the opposite of the tenfold, but more commonly the eightfold, noble path. Another recurrent device is to say that a particular topic can be divided into one part, two parts, three parts, and so forth, illustrating the variety of ways it can be analyzed.
The Buddha makes several references to various incidents in the past to illustrate his teachings, some of which concern his own previous lives. In a lengthy passage in chapter 9 dealing with vigor we hear of the two brothers Samvara (Disciplined) and Samvarasthita (Firm Discipline), sons of the merchant Suvicaya. The two brothers happen to meet the Tathāgata Abhyudgata, and being very impressed by him they develop faith and vow to follow the training of the bodhisatva. The vigor with which they approached the practice throughout many lifetimes is held up as an example of what is needed to traverse the bodhisatva path, and the fact that vigor is the topic discussed at greatest length in the text could be seen as an indication of the particular importance perseverance and the perfection of vigor play in the quest to become a successful bodhisatva.
The earliest Chinese translation available, made by Xuanzang in the seventh century
After being presented with the four methods for bringing people together, which concludes the teaching given by the Tathāgata Mahāskandha to the prince Vīryacarita, the Buddha points out that the Tathāgata Mahāskandha did not make a prophecy about his future attainment of complete awakening. Later, he reiterates, when the Buddha, in the guise of a merchant named Suprajña, met and paid homage to the Tathāgata Ratnāṅga, he still did not receive a prophecy. Finally, we get the story of how the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara appeared in the world, and how the Buddha as the apprentice brahmin Megha met him and made heartfelt and lavish offerings to him. Megha consequently receives the prophecy from Dīpaṅkara that he will become a tathāgata, arhat, fully accomplished buddha by the name of Śākyamuni. The Buddha addresses the question of why it was only then, in the presence of the Tathāgata Dīpaṅkara, that the prophecy came, explaining that although there was not a single act of goodness that he had not engaged in while on the bodhisatva path, it was only then, in the presence of Dīpaṅkara, that he realized the sameness of all phenomena and that his practice became free from attributes. Such a practice, he goes on, is what is laid out in the cycle of teachings contained in The Collected Teachings on the Bodhisatva, and any bodhisatva who wishes to receive a similar prophecy should therefore apply themselves to the teachings contained therein.
This, then, is the core message of the discourse. Although the practice a bodhisatva should engage in is laid out in meticulous detail, we are reminded again and again of the fact that the practices of the bodhisatva, although a necessary step on the way, are only provisional, a means to an end, and that one should not get stuck by investing the practice with any notion that it possesses a true reality, that there is a real self who is engaging in the practice. For, as the Buddha says, “One who does not cling to the idea of a self does not cling to the idea of morality. One who does not cling to the idea of morality does not violate the training, and as he does not violate his training, neither will he violate his morality, although he will still not exaggerate its importance.”
For the present translation we have mainly relied on the complete and unique Sanskrit manuscript of the Bodhisatvapiṭaka that was recently discovered, as well as on the Degé and Peking (Qianlong) editions of the Tibetan translation made by Surendrabodhi, Śīlendrabodhi, and Dharmatāśīla in the ninth century. The Sanskrit manuscript probably dates from the tenth century, and an edition of this manuscript has recently been published. Concerning the Tibetan text witnesses, it has been shown that there are two main branches in the transmission of the Tibetan translation that exhibit consistent differences in terminology and style, and as Degé and Peking are representatives of these two, we have chosen to use them as our main sources for the Tibetan text. It has been noted in the translation when any of these three main textual sources disagree to a considerable extent. We have also consulted the two Chinese translations available in the Chinese canon, those by Xuanzang (645
Recently, fragments of two manuscripts of the Bodhisatvapiṭaka have been identified in the Schøyen Collection, one dating from the fifth–sixth century, and one probably dating from the second–third century, the latter written in the Kharoṣṭhī script. Although the Bodhisatvapiṭaka was little quoted in the śāstra literature, the relative “abundance” of older text witnesses gives us a clue to the greater importance it played in the early Mahāyāna period.
[V40] [B1] [MS.1.b] Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisatvas. Homage to the noble and princely Mañjuśrī.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Lord once spent the rainy season in retreat at Śrāvastī. When the three months had passed, he prepared his mendicant robes, put them on, and started wandering the country again in the company of a large assembly of mendicants, 1,250 strong. The Lord was esteemed, revered, praised, and honored by monks and nuns, laymen and laywomen, by kings and ministers, by various followers of other teachings, by ascetics, brahmins, and householders, and by gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas. The Lord received a great abundance of robes, foodstuffs, bedding and seats, medical supplies, and utensils.
The Lord was greeted with elegant and generous words of praise: “Such indeed is the Lord: He is a tathāgata, an arhat, a fully accomplished buddha, perfect in wisdom and conduct, a sugata. He is a knower of the world, an unsurpassable guide for men ready to be disciplined, a teacher of gods and humans, awakened, a lord. He has surpassed the world with its gods, the world with its māras, brahmā gods, ascetics and brahmins, and gods and men, and asuras, when he himself attained realization and accomplishment through superior abilities. He teaches the true Dharma, which is excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, and excellent in the end, accurate in meaning and well expressed, and he reveals the life of purity that is simple, complete, perfect, and pure.”
It so happened that the Lord was traveling among the towns of the country of Magadha and gradually made his way toward the great city of Rājagṛha. Upon his arrival, the Lord went and stayed at Vulture’s Peak near the great city of Rājagṛha. At that time, a merchant and householder by the name of Bhadrapāla was living in the city. He had previously developed roots of virtue by honoring the victorious buddhas of the past. He was wealthy, with great riches and victual resources, and possessed a huge property, acquisitions and tools, gold and silver, storerooms filled with great wealth and stocks of grain, an abundance of jewels, pearls, gems, shells, crystals, and coral, large stocks of elephants, horses, buffalos, cattle, and sheep, and many male and female servants, workers, and laborers.
The householder Bhadrapāla heard that the ascetic Gautama, who had renounced the Śākya clan and become a mendicant, was traveling in Magadha together with a great community of mendicants, 1,250 strong, that he had arrived at the great city of Rājagṛha, that he was now staying on Vulture’s Peak near the city, and that he was being greeted with elegant and generous words of praise. “Such indeed is the Lord: He is a tathāgata, an arhat, a fully accomplished buddha, perfect in wisdom and conduct, a sugata. He is a knower of the world, an unsurpassable guide for men ready to be disciplined, a teacher of gods and humans, awakened, a lord. [MS.2.a] He teaches the true Dharma, which is excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, excellent in the end, and accurate in meaning and well expressed, and he reveals the life of purity that is simple, complete, perfect, and pure.”
He thought to himself, “Now I should really go to see the ascetic Gautama. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to see the tathāgatas, the arhats, the fully accomplished buddhas.”
So it was that the merchant and householder Bhadrapāla left the great city of Rājagṛha in the company of five hundred other householders in order to see the Lord.
In the early part of the day the Lord put on his robes, took his bowl, and led the community of monks into the great city of Rājagṛha to collect alms. He conducted himself with grace, going from place to place with eyes downcast in a graceful manner, moving his limbs gracefully, and bearing his robes and bowl with great dignity. The merchant and householder Bhadrapāla, together with the five hundred other householders, saw the Lord in the distance, approaching them in a graceful and pleasant manner with his senses composed and his mind at ease, supremely disciplined and tranquil. His senses subdued, with the modest dignity of an elephant, he was clear and shining like a lake of pure water. He was honored by a great many gods, honored by a great many yakṣas, and honored by a great many men. His body was golden, with the thirty-two characteristics of a great being and adorned with the eighty minor marks. A great rain of flowers, a great flood of flowers, rained down upon him, and he placed his feet upon lotuses made of the seven precious substances and possessing a thousand billion petals.
When they saw him from afar, approaching with this display of many hundreds of thousands of forms of pure conduct, they were filled with faith in the Lord. With faith they approached the Lord, venerated him by placing their heads at his feet, and sat down at one side.
Then the householder Bhadrapāla, accompanied by the five hundred other householders, spoke to the Lord: “Lord Gautama! You overwhelm this assembly with your glory. Lord Gautama! You overwhelm this assembly with your radiance. Lord Gautama! You overwhelm this assembly with your splendor. Lord Gautama! You overwhelm this assembly with your brilliance. Lord Gautama! You overwhelm us with your beauty. The body of the Lord Gautama is golden. [MS.2.b] The Lord Gautama’s body is as beautiful as that of the sage Aṅgiras. The Lord Gautama has no equal in any respect. The qualities of the Lord Gautama are the most extraordinary and marvelous qualities in the entire world. Lord Gautama! It occurs to me: What did the Lord Gautama see to make him leave his home and become a renunciant?”
The merchant and householder Bhadrapāla praised the Lord with these verses:
The Lord then addressed the merchant and householder Bhadrapāla: “Alas! One who is involved with the world is tormented by ten afflictions. What are these ten afflictions? They are the affliction of birth, the affliction of old age, the affliction of disease, the affliction of death, the affliction of sorrow, the affliction of lamentation, the affliction of suffering, the affliction of depression, the affliction of grief, and the affliction of cyclic existence.
“Householder, seeing that one who is involved with the world is tormented by these ten afflictions, I decided to attain unsurpassed perfect awakening, and with that conviction I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.” [MS.3.b]
He then went on to speak these verses:
“Alas, householder! I have seen the hatred caused by ten situations that lead to malice, that make those who are involved with the world fight among themselves. What are these ten situations that lead to malice? Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘I have been treated unjustly.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘I am being treated unjustly.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘I will be treated unjustly.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘My dear ones have been treated unjustly.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘My dear ones are being treated unjustly.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘My dear ones will be treated unjustly.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘My enemy has gained an advantage.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘My enemy is gaining an advantage.’ Malicious intent arises when one thinks, ‘My enemy will gain an advantage.’ The tenth is that which is caused by aggression without any particular object.
“Householder, it was in order to get rid of all malice, caused by these ten situations that lead to malice, that I decided to attain unsurpassed perfect awakening, and with that conviction I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.”
Then, in order to expand on this point, the Lord went on to speak these verses:
“Alas, householder! I have seen that one who is involved with the world is lost in the thicket of dogmatic views and mistaken beliefs due to being ensnared by ten wrong views and beliefs. What are these ten beliefs? They are the mistaken belief in a self, the mistaken belief in a being, the mistaken belief in a life force, the mistaken belief in a person, the mistaken belief in annihilation, the mistaken belief in eternity, the mistaken belief that there is no action, the mistaken belief that there is no causality, the mistaken belief that actions have no consequences, and the mistaken belief in false doctrines.
“Householder, it was to get rid of all such views caused by this thicket of dogmatic views and mistaken beliefs [MS.4.a] that I decided to attain unsurpassed perfect awakening, and with that conviction I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.”
Then, in order to clarify this point further, the Lord went on to speak these verses:
“Alas, householder! I have seen that one who is involved with the world is pierced by ten great arrows throughout uncountable hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of eons. What are these ten great arrows? They are the arrow of thirst, the arrow of ignorance, the arrow of desire, the arrow of passion, the arrow of hatred, the arrow of delusion, the arrow of pride, the arrow of views, the arrow of existence, and the arrow of nonexistence.
“Householder, because of these ten great arrows, I decided to attain unsurpassed perfect awakening to get rid of all arrows, and with that conviction I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.”
He then spoke these verses:
“Furthermore, householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world remains conditioned by ten phenomena that have desire as their root. What are these ten phenomena? They are as follows: because of desire one strives to obtain things, and because of this striving one does obtain things. When one obtains things one develops a sense of ownership, and this sense of ownership causes one to develop firm opinions. Such firm opinions lead to craving, and this craving creates attachment. This attachment causes miserliness, which in turn leads to possessiveness. With possessiveness arises the need to protect and defend one‘s property, and this causes suffering. In order to safeguard their property, people use sticks and other weapons. They get involved in quarrels, conflicts, feuds, and disputes, and this leads them to make unfounded accusations and to do many other such evil, unwholesome things.
“Householder, when I saw that one who is involved with the world remains conditioned by these ten phenomena that spring from desire, I decided to attain the unsurpassed perfect awakening that has no root or foundation, and with that conviction I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.”
This is the way things are, and concerning it the following verses were recited:
“Furthermore, householder, I have seen that there are ten kinds of error that cause one to be immersed in the world, doomed to error. What are these ten kinds of error? They are wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration, wrong liberation, and wrong understanding.
“Householder, when I saw that one who is involved with the world is immersed in these ten kinds of error, I decided to overcome them all and fully awaken to unsurpassed perfect awakening. With that conviction, I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.”
Then, to clarify this point further, the Lord spoke these verses:
“Furthermore, householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world sets out on the wrong path by way of ten unwholesome forms of conduct and is certain to sink into the lower realms, to descend into the lower realms, to be born into the lower realms. What are these ten actions? They are taking life, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, lying, slander, uttering harsh words, inane chatter, covetousness, maliciousness, and holding wrong views.
“Householder, when I saw that one who is involved with the world sets out on the wrong path by way of ten unwholesome forms of conduct and is certain to sink into the lower realms, to descend into the lower realms, to be born into the lower realms, I decided to leave all these wrong paths behind and fully awaken to unsurpassed perfect awakening. With that conviction, I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.”
Then, to illustrate this point in further detail, the Lord spoke these verses:
“Furthermore, householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world is tainted by the corruption of ten major and minor vices. What are these ten? They are tainted by the taint of envy, the taint of immorality, the taint of malice, the taint of laziness, the taint of distraction, [MS.5.a] the taint of misunderstanding, the taint of inattentiveness, the taint of doubt, the taint of mistrust, and the taint of disrespect. Householder, when I saw that one who is involved with the world is corrupted by these ten vices, I decided to attain uncorrupted unsurpassed perfect awakening. With that conviction, I left ordinary household life behind and became a renunciant.”
This is the way things are, and concerning it the following verses were recited:
“Furthermore, householder, I have come to know that one who is involved with the world is bound by the chains of destructive envy and miserliness. O householder, I have seen that the vision of one who is involved with the world is clouded by the cataracts of ignorance. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world drowns in the moat of delusion. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world is carried away by the waves of lust. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world is wounded by the arrows of desire. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world is enveloped by the smoke of wrath and hatred. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world is ablaze with the fire of passion. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world is drenched in the poison of anger. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world is encircled by the thorns of oppression. O householder, I have seen that one who is involved with the world loses their vigor in the forest of cyclic existence. [MS.5.b] Householder, when I saw that the vision of one who is involved with the world is clouded by these ten cataracts of ignorance, I was convinced to leave ordinary household life behind and become a renunciant.”
Then, in order to clarify this point further, the Lord went on to speak these verses: