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This text is classified as an Action Tantra (kriyātantra, bya ba rgyud). For more on this class of tantras, see the Knowledge Base page.
This text, Toh 874, and all those contained in this same volume (gzungs ’dus, e), are listed as being located in volume 101 of the Degé Kangyur by the Buddhist Digital Resource Center (BDRC). However, several other Kangyur databases—including the eKangyur that supplies the digital input version displayed by the 84000 Reading Room—list this work as being located in volume 100. This discrepancy is partly due to the fact that the two volumes of the gzungs ’dus section are an added supplement not mentioned in the original catalog, and also hinges on the fact that the compilers of the Tōhoku catalog placed another text—which forms a whole, very large volume—the Vimalaprabhānāmakālacakratantraṭīkā (dus ’khor ’grel bshad dri med ’od, Toh 845), before the volume 100 of the Degé Kangyur, numbering it as vol. 100, although it is almost certainly intended to come right at the end of the Degé Kangyur texts as volume 102; indeed its final fifth chapter is often carried over and wrapped in the same volume as the Kangyur dkar chags (catalog). Please note this discrepancy when using the eKangyur viewer in this translation.
See Dalton and van Schaik 2006, p. 79 on IOL Tib J 321/3, and references to other Dunhuang documents containing witnesses of that work. The authors also note that “the Sarvatathāgatatattvasaṃgrahatantra, which contains invocations of the 108 names of several deities, including Avalokiteśvara (Q.112: 91a.2–91b.7) [but the stand-alone work in Toh 705/900 and from Dunhuang] is not the same as, or even close to, the passage in the tantra.
Dalton and van Schaik 2006, p. 100 identifies another “Hundred and Eight Names of Avalokiteśvara” in Dunhuang document IOL Tib J 367/2, but state that it differs from all the works discussed above.
These are Toh 634, found in vol. 91 (rgyud ’bum, ba), folios 105.a3–107.a and Toh 874, vol. 100 (gzungs, e), folios 100.b–103.a.
The Yongle, Kangxi, Narthang, and Lhasa editions add sems dpa’ before chen po, to read bodhisattva-mahāsattva.
This dhāraṇī could be translated into English as follows: “Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas whose instructions are in every way unfailing and irreproachable! Homage to the noble Avalokiteśvara — a great bodhisattva, vajra being, with the magnitude of a vajra, arisen from a lotus, taking birth from a lotus! The dhāraṇī is as follows: ‘Om̐, you inspire with modesty (hrī), you bring splendor (śrī), and you bring light (prabhā)! O vajra being, arisen from a vajra, arisen from a lotus, a lotus-ocean, lotus-domain, the boon-giver, very compassionate, a source of compassion, hūṃ hūṃ! Preserve, preserve, destroy, destroy, ward off, ward off! O being of great compassion and great purity, svāhā!’
In The Basket’s Display, the Bhagavān is asked about the qualities of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara and answers: “Āditya and Candra came from his eyes, Maheśvara came from his forehead, Brahmā came from his shoulders, Nārāyaṇa came from his heart, Devi Sarasvatī came from his canines, Vāyu came from his mouth, Dharaṇī came from his feet, and Varuṇa came from his stomach.” Toh 116, 1.22.
According to Narthang version, the interpretation could be the ocean of peace; zhi ba’i mchog: zhi ba’i mtsho (Narthang). Stok reads “You are the fortunate one, foremost in utter peace.”; bskal pa bzang po rnam par zhi ba’i gtso.
mgul: ’gul (Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné). The noun mgul, “neck” (alt. mgul chings, “necklace”) in the Degé edition does not fit with the following word zhing (which appears in every version), indicating that the preceding term must be a verb.
rnam grangs khyad par: rnam grags khyab par (Degé [gzungs], Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné). Here the translation “filled” (khyab pa) has been preferred.
This could possibly also be a personal name; Triśikha. Among other things, this can also refer to a trident.
Translation of this line is tentative. Here we have rendered Degé, which reads: mi dang sred med brgya byin lag pa’i mchog. Stok reads: ming dang srid med brgya byin lag pa’i mchog.
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.
One of the “eight close sons of the Buddha,” he is also known as the bodhisattva who embodies compassion. In certain tantras, he is also the lord of the three families, where he embodies the compassion of the buddhas. In Tibet, he attained great significance as a special protector of Tibet, and in China, in female form, as Guanyin, the most important bodhisattva in all of East Asia.
In Buddhist literature, this is an epithet applied to buddhas, most often to Śākyamuni. The Sanskrit term generally means “possessing fortune,” but in specifically Buddhist contexts it implies that a buddha is in possession of six auspicious qualities (bhaga) associated with complete awakening. The Tibetan term—where bcom is said to refer to “subduing” the four māras, ldan to “possessing” the great qualities of buddhahood, and ’das to “going beyond” saṃsāra and nirvāṇa—possibly reflects the commentarial tradition where the Sanskrit bhagavat is interpreted, in addition, as “one who destroys the four māras.” This is achieved either by reading bhagavat as bhagnavat (“one who broke”), or by tracing the word bhaga to the root √bhañj (“to break”).
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.
The term can be understood to mean “great courageous one” or "great hero,” or (from the Sanskrit) simply “great being,” and is almost always found as an epithet of “bodhisattva.” The qualification “great” in this term, according to the majority of canonical definitions, focuses on the generic greatness common to all bodhisattvas, i.e., the greatness implicit in the bodhisattva vow itself in terms of outlook, aspiration, number of beings to be benefited, potential or eventual accomplishments, and so forth. In this sense the mahā- is closer in its connotations to the mahā- in “Mahāyāna” than to the mahā- in “mahāsiddha.” While individual bodhisattvas described as mahāsattva may in many cases also be “great” in terms of their level of realization, this is largely coincidental, and in the canonical texts the epithet is not restricted to bodhisattvas at any particular point in their career. Indeed, in a few cases even bodhisattvas whose path has taken a wrong direction are still described as bodhisattva mahāsattva.
Later commentarial writings do nevertheless define the term—variably—in terms of bodhisattvas having attained a particular level (bhūmi) or realization. The most common qualifying criteria mentioned are attaining the path of seeing, attaining irreversibility (according to its various definitions), or attaining the seventh bhūmi.
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 fully awakened being; when spelled with a capital letter it refers to the Buddha Śākyamuni, unless another buddha is specified.
Karmic stains.
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).
The term dhāraṇī has the sense of something that “holds” or “retains,” and so it can refer to the special capacity of practitioners to memorize and recall detailed teachings. It can also refer to a verbal expression of the teachings—an incantation, spell, or mnemonic formula—that distills and “holds” essential points of the Dharma and is used by practitioners to attain mundane and supramundane goals. The same term is also used to denote texts that contain such formulas.
The term dharma conveys ten different meanings, according to Vasubandhu’s Vyākhyāyukti. The primary meanings are as follows: the doctrine taught by the Buddha (Dharma); the ultimate reality underlying and expressed through the Buddha’s teaching (Dharma); the trainings that the Buddha’s teaching stipulates (dharmas); the various awakened qualities or attainments acquired through practicing and realizing the Buddha’s teaching (dharmas); qualities or aspects more generally, i.e., phenomena or phenomenal attributes (dharmas); and mental objects (dharmas).
An individual’s sphere of activity and influence; literally, a pasture or place where cows roam.
In Buddhist literature refers to a mythical bird whose call is said to be far more beautiful than that of all other birds, and so compelling that it can be heard even before the bird has hatched. The call of the kalaviṅka is thus used as an analogy to describe the sound of the discourse of bodhisattvas as being far superior to that of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, even before bodhisattvas attain awakening. In some cases, the kalaviṅka also takes on mythical characteristics, being depicted as part human, part bird. It is also the sixteenth of the eighty designs on the palms and soles of a tathāgata.
While it is equated to an Indian bird renowned for its beautiful song, there is some uncertainty regarding the identity of the kalaviṅka; some dictionaries declare it to be a type of Indian cuckoo (probably Eudynamys scolopacea, also known as the asian koel) or a red and green sparrow (possibly Amandava amandava, also known as the red avadavat).
The lord of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven on the summit of Mount Sumeru. As one of the eight guardians of the directions, Indra guards the eastern quarter. In Buddhist sūtras, he is a disciple of the Buddha and protector of the Dharma and its practitioners. He is often referred to by the epithets Śatakratu, Śakra, and Kauśika.
“Great Lord,” the supreme worldly god (his true identity varies from text to text); the name of one of the Brahmās; a frequent epithet of Śiva.
One of the gods of the pure realms. This is a frequently used name for Śiva and often synonymous with Īśvara, though sometimes they are presented as separate deities.
Literally a “disk” or “circle.” In ritual contexts, the maṇḍala is often a sacred space on the ground or a raised platform, arranged according to a pattern that varies from rite to rite.
Karmically relevant negative actions of body, speech, and mind. Also often translated as “sin,” “transgression,” “wrongdoing,” “misdeed,” etc., all indicating the moral overtones of this kind of action.
Morally virtuous or disciplined conduct and the abandonment of morally undisciplined conduct of body, speech, and mind. In a general sense, moral discipline is the cause for rebirth in higher, more favorable states, but it is also foundational to Buddhist practice as one of the three trainings (triśikṣā) and one of the six perfections of a bodhisattva. Often rendered as “ethics,” “discipline,” and “morality.”
According to ancient Buddhist cosmology, this is the great mountain forming the axis of the universe. At its summit is Sudarśana, home of Śakra and his thirty-two gods, and on its flanks live the asuras. The mount has four sides facing the cardinal directions, each of which is made of a different precious stone. Surrounding it are several mountain ranges and the great ocean where the four principal island continents lie: in the south, Jambudvīpa (our world); in the west, Godānīya; in the north, Uttarakuru; and in the east, Pūrvavideha. Above it are the abodes of the desire realm gods. It is variously referred to as Meru, Mount Meru, Sumeru, and Mount Sumeru.
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.
Though often specifically reserved for the monastic community, this term can be applied to any of the four Buddhist communities—monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen—as well as to identify the different groups of practitioners, like the community of bodhisattvas or the community of śrāvakas. It is also the third of the Three Jewels (triratna) of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Teaching, and the Community.
An epithet of Avalokiteśvara in this text, but elsewhere one of the sixteen great bodhisattvas.
A frequently used synonym for buddha. According to different explanations, it can be read as tathā-gata, literally meaning “one who has thus gone,” or as tathā-āgata, “one who has thus come.” Gata, though literally meaning “gone,” is a past passive participle used to describe a state or condition of existence. Tatha(tā), often rendered as “suchness” or “thusness,” is the quality or condition of things as they really are, which cannot be conveyed in conceptual, dualistic terms. Therefore, this epithet is interpreted in different ways, but in general it implies one who has departed in the wake of the buddhas of the past, or one who has manifested the supreme awakening dependent on the reality that does not abide in the two extremes of existence and quiescence. It is also often used as a specific epithet of the Buddha Śākyamuni.
In Buddhist cosmology, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three is the second lowest of the six heavens in the desire realm (kāmadhātu). Situated on the flat summit of Mount Sumeru, it lies above the Heaven of the Four Great Kings (Caturmahārājakāyika) and below the Yāma Heaven. It consists of thirty-three regions, each presided by one of thirty-three chief gods, and the overall ruler is Śakra. The presiding gods are divided into four groups named in the Abhidharmakośaṭīkā (Toh 4092): the eight gods of wealth, two Aśvin youths, eleven fierce ones, and twelve suns. The thirty-three regions themselves are enumerated and described in The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma, Toh 287, 4.B.2 et seq.).
The three realms that contain all the various kinds of existence in saṃsāra: the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm.
A tuft or protuberance on the head. It may refer to the uṣṇīṣa atop a buddha’s head. It can also refer to a topknot of hair.
A “way of going,” which primarily means a path or a way. It can also mean a conveyance or carriage, which is represented in the Tibetan “carrier,” and therefore is also translated into English as “vehicle.”
An epithet for a buddha.
The name of a buddha. See The Good Eon <Reference Toh 0094>.
One of the standard epithets of the buddhas. A recurrent explanation offers three different meanings for su- that are meant to show the special qualities of “accomplishment of one’s own purpose” (svārthasampad) for a complete buddha. Thus, the Sugata is “well” gone, as in the expression su-rūpa (“having a good form”); he is gone “in a way that he shall not come back,” as in the expression su-naṣṭa-jvara (“a fever that has utterly gone”); and he has gone “without any remainder” as in the expression su-pūrṇa-ghaṭa (“a pot that is completely full”). According to Buddhaghoṣa, the term means that the way the Buddha went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su) and where he went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su).
A measure of distance sometimes translated as “league,” but with varying definitions. The Sanskrit term denotes the distance yoked oxen can travel in a day or before needing to be unyoked. From different canonical sources the distance represented varies between four and ten miles.
’phags pa spyan ras gzigs dbang phyug gi mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad pa gzungs sngags dang bcas pa (Āryāvalokiteśvarāṣṭottaraśatakanāmadhāraṇīmantrasahita). Toh 634, Degé Kangyur vol. 91 (rgyud ’bum, ba), folios 105.a3–107.a.
’phags pa spyan ras gzigs dbang phyug gi mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad pa gzungs sngags dang bcas pa (Āryāvalokiteśvarāṣṭottaraśatakanāmadhāraṇīmantrasahita). Toh 874, Degé Kangyur vol. 100 (gzungs, e), folios 100.b–103.a.
84000. The Basket’s Display (Āryakāraṇḍavyūhanāmamahāyānasūtra, ’phags pa za ma tog bkod pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo, Toh 116). Translated by Peter Alan Roberts with Tulku Yeshi. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2013.
84000. The Good Eon (Āryabhadrakalpikanāmamahāyānasūtra, ’phags pa bskal pa bzang po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo, Toh 94). Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2022.
84000. The Great Lion’s Roar of Maitreya (Āryamaitreyamahāsiṃhanādanāmamahāyānasūtra; ’phags pa byams pa’i seng ge’i sgra chen po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo, Toh 67). Translated by Karen Liljenberg and Ulrich Pagel. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023.
84000. The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī (Āryamañjuśrīmūlakalpa, ’phags pa ’jam dpal gyi rtsa ba’i rgyud, Toh 543). Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2020.
84000. Upholding the Roots of Virtue (Āryakuśalamūlasamparigrahanāmamahāyānasūtra, ’phags pa dge ba’i rtsa ba yongs su ’dzin pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo, Toh 101). Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2022.
Dalton, Jacob P., and Sam van Schaik, eds. Tibetan Tantric Manuscripts from Dunhuang: A Descriptive Catalogue of the Stein Collection at the British Library. Brill’s Tibetan Studies Library 12. Leiden: Brill, 2006.
Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.
Lalou, Marcelle. “Les textes bouddhiques au temps du roi Khri-sroṅ-lde-bcan.” Journal Asiatique 241 (1953): 313–52.
After an homage to Avalokiteśvara, the text begins abruptly with a dhāraṇī mantra. All the tathāgatas of the ten directions then praise Avalokiteśvara for expounding the dhāraṇī mantra and describe the benefits of the dhāraṇī. Avalokiteśvara is then praised by Maheśvara, his retinue, and all the bodhisattvas in the vajra maṇḍala who together recite the one hundred and eight names of Avalokiteśvara. After this eulogy, the buddha recommends praising Avalokiteśvara as a means to gain a variety of blessings and to understand the meaning of his one hundred and eight names.
Translated by the University of Bonn Translation Group, which is comprised of Lewis Doney, Kalsang Norbu Gurung, and Shonu Dhondup. Special thanks to Geshe Lharampa Sonam Gyatso, who acted as a Tibetan Buddhist expert, and Charles DiSimone and Channa Li, who acted as Sanskrit consultants.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Rory Lindsay edited the translation and the introduction, and Dawn Collins copyedited the text. Sameer Dhingra was in charge of the digital publication process.
The One Hundred and Eight Names of Noble Avalokiteśvara, Together with his Dhāraṇī Mantra is a short tantric work, which contains a praise to Avalokiteśvara in the form of this one hundred and eight names (or qualities). The text begins rather abruptly with a dhāraṇī mantra, which appears without any introduction. However, from the narrative that follows, where the buddhas of the ten directions praise Avalokiteśvara and the benefits of the dhāraṇī mantra, it appears that Avalokiteśvara himself must have expounded this dhāraṇī.
After the dhāraṇī, Avalokiteśvara is further praised by Maheśvara, along with his retinue, and all the bodhisattvas in the vajra maṇḍala, who jointly recite the one hundred and eight names of Avalokiteśvara. At the end of the text, the Buddha teaches that praising Avalokiteśvara can help beings obtain the Dharma and understand the meaning of Avalokiteśvara’s one hundred and eight names.
The One Hundred and Eight Names of Noble Avalokiteśvara, Together with his Dhāraṇī Mantra is one of several canonical texts that focus on Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. It belongs to a genre of texts that extoll deities by listing their one hundred and eight names. Altogether, sixteen such works are included in the Kangyur and the present text is one of three of these texts dedicated to Avalokiteśvara (the other two are Toh 705 and Toh 706).
As with the other texts in this category, the actual one hundred and eight names are difficult to identify in the text. It is often not entirely clear which names are to be considered independently, and which are to be taken in conjunction with other terms. Thus, without recourse to a commentary or other authoritative source to establish how the names are to be categorized, we did not attempt a numbering of the names.
Moreover, the Tibetan term mtshan (Skt. nāman) in the title of this text is also challenging to translate into English. In this translation we have rendered it “name”, although the content of the verses does not always constitute a list of proper names for Avalokiteśvara. Instead, they are often rather a list of his various qualities. In fact, an alternative translation of the term mtshan could render it “quality.”
Currently, no version of the work is extant in Sanskrit, Chinese, or other Buddhist languages. As mentioned above, there are two other works in the Degé Kangyur titled The Hundred and Eight Names of Noble Avalokiteśvara. Of these, Toh 705 is also found among the Tibetan Dunhuang corpus (for example, IOL Tib J 351), whereas Toh 706 appears to exist in the canons alone. Of these three texts, the one presented here (Toh 634) has nothing in common with the other two texts (Toh 705 and Toh 706), which are themselves closely related.
There is a text listed in the early ninth-century Phangthangma and Denkarma catalogs under the title The Hundred and Eight Names of Noble Avalokiteśvara (’phags pa spyan ras gzigs dbang phyug gi mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad pa), which is described as containing forty ślokas. However, according to Herrmann-Pfandt this does not refer to Toh 634, but rather Toh 705 or Toh 706.
The present translation is based primarily on the two versions of this text preserved in the Degé Kangyur. Readings from other Tibetan canons based on the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) and the Stok Palace Kangyur were also considered.
Homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara.
“namaḥ sarvabuddhabodhisattvānāṃ samanta·amogha·apratihataśāsanānām | nama ārya·avalokiteśvarāya mahābodhisattvāya vajrasattvāya vajravipulāya padmasaṃbhavāya padmayonaye || tadyathā | oṃ hrīḥkara śrīkara prabhākara vajrasattva vajrasaṃbhava padmasaṃbhava padmasāgara padmagocara varada mahākāruṇika kāruṇasaṃbhava hūṃ hūṃ dhara dhara dara dara vara vara mahākāruṇikamahāśuddhasattva svāhā ||”
All the tathāgatas of the ten directions extended their right hands and anointed the head of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, saying, “Excellent. It is excellent that you, the great accumulation of precious qualities, have expounded this dhāraṇī mantra and thereby taught sentient beings the Dharma from which buddhas arise. Sentient beings become utterly pure simply by hearing this. Whoever hears, retains, reads, and understands this dhāraṇī mantra will accomplish all abundant qualities and supreme purity.”
Then the lord of gods, Maheśvara, pervading several hundred thousand yojanas and spreading throughout the three worlds, along with his retinue, and all the bodhisattvas gathered in the vajra-maṇḍala, bowed their heads. Then, they praised noble Avalokiteśvara with these one hundred and eight names called Lord of the Earth, the Playful Hero:
Thus ends “The One Hundred and Eight Names of the Bhagavān, the Guru, Noble Avalokiteśvara, Together with his Dhāraṇī Mantra.”
After an homage to Avalokiteśvara, the text begins abruptly with a dhāraṇī mantra. All the tathāgatas of the ten directions then praise Avalokiteśvara for expounding the dhāraṇī mantra and describe the benefits of the dhāraṇī. Avalokiteśvara is then praised by Maheśvara, his retinue, and all the bodhisattvas in the vajra maṇḍala who together recite the one hundred and eight names of Avalokiteśvara. After this eulogy, the buddha recommends praising Avalokiteśvara as a means to gain a variety of blessings and to understand the meaning of his one hundred and eight names.
Translated by the University of Bonn Translation Group, which is comprised of Lewis Doney, Kalsang Norbu Gurung, and Shonu Dhondup. Special thanks to Geshe Lharampa Sonam Gyatso, who acted as a Tibetan Buddhist expert, and Charles DiSimone and Channa Li, who acted as Sanskrit consultants.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Rory Lindsay edited the translation and the introduction, and Dawn Collins copyedited the text. Sameer Dhingra was in charge of the digital publication process.
The One Hundred and Eight Names of Noble Avalokiteśvara, Together with his Dhāraṇī Mantra is a short tantric work, which contains a praise to Avalokiteśvara in the form of this one hundred and eight names (or qualities). The text begins rather abruptly with a dhāraṇī mantra, which appears without any introduction. However, from the narrative that follows, where the buddhas of the ten directions praise Avalokiteśvara and the benefits of the dhāraṇī mantra, it appears that Avalokiteśvara himself must have expounded this dhāraṇī.
After the dhāraṇī, Avalokiteśvara is further praised by Maheśvara, along with his retinue, and all the bodhisattvas in the vajra maṇḍala, who jointly recite the one hundred and eight names of Avalokiteśvara. At the end of the text, the Buddha teaches that praising Avalokiteśvara can help beings obtain the Dharma and understand the meaning of Avalokiteśvara’s one hundred and eight names.
The One Hundred and Eight Names of Noble Avalokiteśvara, Together with his Dhāraṇī Mantra is one of several canonical texts that focus on Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. It belongs to a genre of texts that extoll deities by listing their one hundred and eight names. Altogether, sixteen such works are included in the Kangyur and the present text is one of three of these texts dedicated to Avalokiteśvara (the other two are Toh 705 and Toh 706).
As with the other texts in this category, the actual one hundred and eight names are difficult to identify in the text. It is often not entirely clear which names are to be considered independently, and which are to be taken in conjunction with other terms. Thus, without recourse to a commentary or other authoritative source to establish how the names are to be categorized, we did not attempt a numbering of the names.
Moreover, the Tibetan term mtshan (Skt. nāman) in the title of this text is also challenging to translate into English. In this translation we have rendered it “name”, although the content of the verses does not always constitute a list of proper names for Avalokiteśvara. Instead, they are often rather a list of his various qualities. In fact, an alternative translation of the term mtshan could render it “quality.”
Currently, no version of the work is extant in Sanskrit, Chinese, or other Buddhist languages. As mentioned above, there are two other works in the Degé Kangyur titled The Hundred and Eight Names of Noble Avalokiteśvara. Of these, Toh 705 is also found among the Tibetan Dunhuang corpus (for example, IOL Tib J 351), whereas Toh 706 appears to exist in the canons alone. Of these three texts, the one presented here (Toh 634) has nothing in common with the other two texts (Toh 705 and Toh 706), which are themselves closely related.
There is a text listed in the early ninth-century Phangthangma and Denkarma catalogs under the title The Hundred and Eight Names of Noble Avalokiteśvara (’phags pa spyan ras gzigs dbang phyug gi mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad pa), which is described as containing forty ślokas. However, according to Herrmann-Pfandt this does not refer to Toh 634, but rather Toh 705 or Toh 706.
The present translation is based primarily on the two versions of this text preserved in the Degé Kangyur. Readings from other Tibetan canons based on the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) and the Stok Palace Kangyur were also considered.
Homage to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara.
“namaḥ sarvabuddhabodhisattvānāṃ samanta·amogha·apratihataśāsanānām | nama ārya·avalokiteśvarāya mahābodhisattvāya vajrasattvāya vajravipulāya padmasaṃbhavāya padmayonaye || tadyathā | oṃ hrīḥkara śrīkara prabhākara vajrasattva vajrasaṃbhava padmasaṃbhava padmasāgara padmagocara varada mahākāruṇika kāruṇasaṃbhava hūṃ hūṃ dhara dhara dara dara vara vara mahākāruṇikamahāśuddhasattva svāhā ||”
All the tathāgatas of the ten directions extended their right hands and anointed the head of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, saying, “Excellent. It is excellent that you, the great accumulation of precious qualities, have expounded this dhāraṇī mantra and thereby taught sentient beings the Dharma from which buddhas arise. Sentient beings become utterly pure simply by hearing this. Whoever hears, retains, reads, and understands this dhāraṇī mantra will accomplish all abundant qualities and supreme purity.”
Then the lord of gods, Maheśvara, pervading several hundred thousand yojanas and spreading throughout the three worlds, along with his retinue, and all the bodhisattvas gathered in the vajra-maṇḍala, bowed their heads. Then, they praised noble Avalokiteśvara with these one hundred and eight names called Lord of the Earth, the Playful Hero:
Thus ends “The One Hundred and Eight Names of the Bhagavān, the Guru, Noble Avalokiteśvara, Together with his Dhāraṇī Mantra.”