Tạng English · BDK English Tripiṭaka (dịch từ Hán tạng) · BDK English Tripiṭaka

The Mahayana Sutra of Previous Lives and Contemplation of the Mind-ground

Thông tin: BDK America — English Tripiṭaka

Chapter XI. Generating the Bodhi-mind

328b

The Mahayana Sutra of Previous Lives

Thus the mind is originally not existent,

but ordinary people, clinging to their delusions, say it is not nonexistent.

If one is able to see that the mind's essence is by nature empty, delusional hindrances will not arise and then one will be liberated. Thereupon the Tathāgata brought forth thoughts of great compassion toward beings, just like parents thinking lovingly of an only child, and in order to extinguish very powerful wrong views in the world and bring benefit and happiness to all sentient beings he uttered the dhāraṇī for contemplating the mind:57

oṃ cittaprativedhaṃ karomi (Oṃ, I penetrate the mind.) Then, having spoken [this] mantra, the Tathāgata addressed the bodhisattva and mahāsattva Mañjuśrī:

This divine spell possesses great awesome power. If any gentleman or lady, when reciting this spell, raises their clean hands, interlocks the ten fingers of the left and right [hands], the right pressing against the left,58 and clasps them tightly together, like a knot in shape, this is called the mudrā of the adamantine bind. If, having formed this mudrā, they practice the previous mantra for a full one time, it will be better than reciting the scriptures of the twelve divisions [of the Buddhist canon], the merits gained will be without limit, and they will reach bodhi without ever turning back. 192

Chapter XI

Generating the Bodhi-mind

At that time the Bhagavān had been well able to obtain the jeweled crown of initiation by all tathāgatas and transcend the three realms, had gained perfect mastery of dhāraṇīs, had perfectly realized mastery of samādhi and well accomplished the knowledge of an Omniscient One and all-faceted knowledge, and was able to make various distinctions between sentient beings. Then the Bhagavān, having proclaimed the wondrous Dharma discourse on contemplation of the mind, addressed the bodhisattva and mahāsattva Mañjuśrī: Great good sir, I have already explained the mind-ground for beings. Next, I shall explain the great dhāraṇī for generating the bodhi-mind so as to make sentient beings engender the aspiration for anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi and quickly perfect the wondrous fruit [of awakening]. Thereupon the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī said to the Buddha: World-honored One, as you, the Buddha, have said, the past has already been extinguished, the future has not yet arrived, the present does not stay still, and all mental attributes throughout the three ages are all empty in their original nature. What do you mean when you say to "generate" the bodhi-mind? Indeed, World-honored One, I beseech you to explain and cut through the web of doubts so as to make [people] aim for bodhi. The Buddha addressed Mañjuśrī:

Good sir, one gives rise to wrong views from among mental attributes. Wishing to eradicate the various [wrong] views of the sixty-two [wrong] views, I say that the mind and mental attributes are empty, for these [wrong] views are baseless. Suppose, for example, that there is a jungle, dense and luxuriant, where wicked beasts such as lions, white elephants, tigers, and wolves lie concealed, poison[ous vapors] are emitted and harm people, and tracks have completely disappeared; then someone possessing wisdom burns down the forest with fire, and because the forest is empty the great 193

The Mahayana Sutra of Previous Lives

328c

wicked beasts no longer remain. When the mind is empty and [wrong] views disappear, it is also like this.

Again, good sir, for what reasons does one posit the thesis of emptiness? It is in order to extinguish the arising of mental afflictions from deluded thoughts that this emptiness is taught. Good sir, if one clings to the principle of emptiness and makes it the ultimate goal, emptiness also being empty, clinging to emptiness creates an illness that should also be eliminated. Why? If one clings to the thesis of emptiness and makes it the ultimate goal, all dharmas will be empty and without cause and result. What difference would there be with the [materialistic] Lokāyatas? Good sir, it is like agada medicine, which can cure all illnesses: if someone with an illness takes it, he will most certainly be cured, and having recovered from the illness he dispenses with the medicine in accordance with [the state of] the illness. If one takes medicine in the absence of any illness, the medicine will then [itself] cause an illness. Good sir, the medicine of emptiness was originally provided in order to eradicate the illness of being. Clinging to being causes illness, and so does clinging to emptiness. Who, possessing wisdom, would take medicine to contract an illness? Good sir, it is better to give rise to the view of being than to give rise to the view of emptiness, for emptiness treats the illness of being but there is no medicine to treat emptiness.

Good sir, for these reasons, having taken the medicine of emptiness and eliminated wrong views, one awakens to the mind by oneself and is able to generate bodhi. This mind of awakening is the bodhi-mind—there are not two aspects [to the mind]. Good sir, the mind of self-awakening has four meanings. What are the four? Ordinary people have two kinds of minds, and buddhas and bodhisattvas have two kinds of minds. Good sir, what are the aspects of the two minds of the ordinary person? First, eye consciousness through to mind consciousness cognizing in the same way their own objects is called the mind of self-awakening. Second, the mind and mental attributes, free from the five sense organs, combining to cognize objects is called the mind of self-awakening. Good sir, these two minds are able to generate bodhi. Good sir, what are the aspects of the two minds of worthies and holy ones? First, wisdom that observes the principle of 194

Fascicle Eight

truth; second, wisdom that observes all objects. Good sir, these four kinds [of minds] are called the mind of self-awakening.

Thereupon the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī said to the Buddha: World-honored One, the mind has no form and no abode. When the ordinary practitioner first generates the [bodhi-]mind, on what does he rely to visualize what form?

The Buddha said:

Good sir, the form of the bodhi-mind visualized by the ordinary person is just like a clear and perfectly full lunar disc resting luminously in his chest. If you wish to quickly attain nonretrogression, in an araṇya or an empty and quiet chamber, your body erect and your thoughts proper, form the previous mudrā of the Tathāgata's adamantine bind, close your eyes, visualize a bright moon in your chest, and form this thought: "This full lunar disc is fifty yojanas [in diameter], unsullied, bright and clear, pellucid within and without, and most refreshingly cool. The moon is the mind, and the mind is the moon. It is not tainted by soiled obscurations, and deluded thoughts do not arise. It is able to purify the body and mind of beings. The great bodhi-mind is firm and does not turn back." Forming this hand-mudrā, recite and contemplate the subtle phrases of the great bodhi-mind, the pure mantra of the initial generation of the [bodhi-]mind by all bodhisattvas:

oṃ bodhicittam utpādayāmi. (Oṃ, I generate the mind of awakening.) This dhāraṇī possesses great awesome virtue and is able to make the practitioner never turn back. All bodhisattvas, past, future, and present, when they first generated the [bodhi-]mind in the causal stage, all recited this mantra devotedly, entered the stage of nonretrogression, and quickly perfected right awakening. Good sir, then when the practitioner, his body erect and his thoughts proper, completely unmoving, and his mind concentrated on the lunar disc, becomes proficient in observation, this is called the samādhi whereby the bodhisattva contemplates the bodhi-mind and becomes a buddha. If any ordinary person practices this visualization, the sins he has committed, 195

329a

The Mahayana Sutra of Previous Lives

329b

such as the five heinous [crimes], the four grievous [sins], the ten evil [deeds], and [those of] the icchantika, will all be extinguished, whereupon he will obtain five gateways to samādhi. What are the five? First, the momentary samādhi; second, the minuscule samādhi; third, the samādhi of the white thread; fourth, the uneven samādhi; fifth, the samādhi of peaceful rest.59

What is called the momentary samādhi? It is to remain for a short time thinking of the full moon. Suppose, for example, that a monkey, his body tethered, is unable to go far and unable to stay nearby and stays still for a moment only because of hunger and thirst—so too is the ordinary person contemplating his mind, and his gaining of samādhi for a short time is called "momentary."

What is called the minuscule samādhi? It is to be in union for a little in samādhi. Suppose, for example, that someone who has always eaten bitter things and has never eaten anything sweet on one occasion obtains a trace of honey, and when it reaches his tongue he becomes increasingly delighted, dances doubly for joy, and seeks more honey—so too is the practitioner: he has spent long eons experiencing much bitterness, and now he has gained a little union with sweet samādhi, and this is called "minuscule."

What is called the samādhi of the white thread? The ordinary person, from beginningless time through to the end of time, has now obtained this meditation. Suppose, for example, that one sees a single white thread in the midst of much black-dyed black color—so too is the practitioner: during the dark night of many births-and-deaths he has now gained the samādhi of white purity, and this is called a "thread." What is called the uneven samādhi? The practitioner, not yet proficient in contemplating the mind, may be either well established or not yet well established [in samādhi]. This samādhi, like the highs and lows of weighing scales, is called "uneven."

What is called the samādhi of peaceful rest? Practicing the previous four meditations, the mind gains peaceful rest and, well maintaining [this state], one is not tainted by sense objects. For example, it is like someone who, going far across a desert in summer, may suffer from both heat and poison[ous vapors] and his mind may find the thirst almost unbearable, 196

Fascicle Eight

when he suddenly obtains some sweet water from the Snowy Mountains, heavenly sudhā (nectar), and so on, which immediately remove his anguish caused by heat and he becomes composed in body and mind. Therefore, [this] samādhi is called "peaceful rest." Having entered this meditation, one will be far removed from delusional hindrances, will generate the sprout of unsurpassed bodhi, and will quickly realize the ten stages of a bodhisattva with their merits.

At that time, immeasurable humans and gods in the assembly having heard this most profound mother of bodhisattvas, the inconceivable great dhāraṇī, ninety-eight thousand bodhisattvas and so on realized the [first] stage of joy, and immeasurable beings generated the aspiration for anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.

197

Chapter XII

Becoming a Buddha

At that time the Bhagavān was well established in the pure Dharma realm, equal throughout the three ages, without beginning and without end, unmoving and motionless, eternal and unceasing; the radiance of his great wisdom universally illuminated [this] world-system, with skillful means he manifested supernormal faculties, converting lands in the ten directions, and there was nowhere he did not pervade.

This Bhagavān addressed the bodhisattva and mahāsattva Mañjuśrī: Having visualized the lunar disc, the yoga practitioner should contemplate the methods of the three great mysteries. What are the three? First, the mystery of the mind; second, the mystery of speech; third, the mystery of the body.

What is called the method of the mystery of the mind? The yoga practitioner visualizes a golden-colored five-pronged vajra that has emerged in the full moon, its radiance bright like molten gold and emitting innumerable great white rays of light. This visualization is called the mystery of the mind.

What is called the mystery of speech?

oṃ tiṣṭha vajra (Oṃ, stand, O vajra!)

This dhāraṇī possesses great awesome power whereby all bodhisattvas accomplish the mantras of the Buddha.60 Therefore it is called the mystery of speech.

What is called the method of the mystery of the body? It is to form with your hands in a place of practice, your body erect and thoughts proper, the foremost mudrā for drawing in unsurpassed bodhi and to place it in the mental lunar disc in your chest.

Good sir, I shall now explain for you the appearance of this mudrā. First, insert the left and right thumbs inside the left and right palms and with the left and right forefingers, middle fingers, and fourth fingers firmly 199

The Mahayana Sutra of Previous Lives

329c

grasp the thumbs to form fists. This is the mudrā of the firm vajra fist. Then, without altering the fists, extend the left forefinger61 straight up into the air, place the left fist against the heart, and with the little finger of the right fist firmly grasp the first phalanx of the forefinger of the left fist. Then, with the tip of the forefinger of the right fist point against the first phalanx of the thumb of the right fist62 and again place it in front of the heart. This is called the foremost knowledge-mudrā for drawing in unsurpassed bodhi, and it is also called the mudrā of great radiance that is able to destroy the darkness of ignorance. Through the power of empowerment from forming this mudrā the buddhas of the ten directions rub the crown of the practitioner's head and confer [on him] a superior definitive prediction of great bodhi. This is the mudrā of the Tathāgata Mahāvairocana's immeasurable mass of merit and great wondrous knowledge. Then the practitioner, having formed this mudrā, performs this visualization: May all sentient beings together form this mudrā and recite the mantra; may world-systems in the ten directions be free from the painful effects of the three evil destinies and the eight difficulties; and may [everyone] similarly enjoy foremost pure Dharma bliss. I now have on my head a great jeweled crown, and in this heavenly crown the five buddhas and tathāgatas are seated cross-legged. I am the Tathāgata Vairocana, perfectly endowed with the thirty-two major marks and eighty minor signs, emitting great radiance that illuminates [world-]systems in the ten directions, and bringing benefit and happiness to all beings. Visualizing in this way is called entering the supreme samādhi of the Tathāgata Vairocana.

Suppose, for example, that someone understands the Gāruḍic subtle visualization method and himself performs this visualization: "My body is that of the king of golden-winged birds (garuḍas), and so too are my mind and speech." By the power of this visualization he is able to eliminate poisons and no vile poisons can do harm to him. The ordinary practitioner is also like this: when he enters this visualization, performing the sitting posture for subjugation [of demons],63 his body unmoving, his hands forming the knowledge-mudrā, and silently reciting the mantra, he is able to 200

Fascicle Eight

extinguish the three poisons, eliminate karmic hindrances, and increase merit and knowledge; his mundane and supramundane wishes will quickly gain fulfillment; the eighty-four thousand afflictive hindrances will be unable to manifest; the grievous cognitive hindrances, equal [in number] to the sands of the Ganges, will be gradually extinguished; uncontaminated great wisdom and prajñāpāramitā, the well-cutting vajra, will manifest perfectly; and he will quickly attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Then the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī said to the Buddha:

More rare, World-honored One, more rare, Sugata, is the appearance of the Tathāgata in the world than [the flowering of] the uḍum[bara] flower, and even if he does appear in the world, it is difficult for this Dharma to be preached. This unsurpassed Dharma wheel of the three mysteries of the mind-ground can truly bring benefit and happiness to all beings and is the true and right path for entering the stage of the Tathāgata and the stage of the bodhisattva. If any being practices this teaching without begrudging life and limb, he will quickly realize bodhi. Then the Buddha addressed the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī:

If any gentleman or lady wishes to be able to practice the wondrous methods of the three mysteries for becoming a buddha and quickly obtain the body of a tathāgata with its merits, they should don the bodhisattva's thirty-two kinds of great adamantine armor and practice this wondrous visualization, whereupon they will most certainly realize the Tathāgata's pure Dharma body. What are called the thirty-two [kinds of] armor? First, the great armor of not loathing to experience suffering in birth-and-death for the sake of beings during immeasurable eons. Second, the great armor of vowing to deliver immeasurable sentient beings, right down to molecrickets and ants, without forsaking them. Third, the great armor of awakening beings from the long dream of birth-and-death and installing them in the three mysteries. Fourth, the great armor for protecting the Dharma, defending the Buddhist Dharma at all times just like the response of an echo. Fifth, the adamantine great armor of forever extinguishing all mental afflictions able to give rise to the two [wrong] views of being and nonbeing. Sixth, the great armor of relinquishing one's head, eyes, marrow, brain, 201

330a

The Mahayana Sutra of Previous Lives

330b

wife, children, and rare treasures should someone come seeking them. Seventh, the great armor of not clinging to any of the comforts enjoyed in the home and giving them away. Eighth, the great armor of keeping the bodhisattva's three sets of pure precepts and never abandoning the dhūtas. Ninth, the great armor of donning the robes of forbearance and not retaliating when encountering adverse conditions, disparagement, insults, whippings, and beatings. Tenth, the great armor of instructing all pratyekabuddhas and śrāvakas and making them have a change of heart so that they aim for the One Vehicle. Eleventh, the great armor of effort which, just like a strong wind that never abates day and night, delivers sentient beings [to the further shore]. Twelfth, the great armor of practicing the samādhi of liberation, one's body and mind quiescent and one's mouth without transgression. Thirteenth, the great armor of equality which, there being no two views [differentiating between] birth-and-death and nirvana, brings benefit to beings. Fourteenth, the great armor of giving happiness which, with unconditional great kindness, brings benefit to all kinds of beings without ever forsaking them. Fifteenth, the great armor of removing suffering which, with unimpeded great compassion, saves all without any limits. Sixteenth, the great armor of great joy which has no ill will toward beings and constantly brings benefit to them. Seventeenth, the great armor of great equanimity, undeterred by grievous toil even when practicing austerities and forever unresiling. Eighteenth, the great armor which, when a suffering being comes to where the bodhisattva is, accepts his suffering in his stead without loathing. Nineteenth, the great armor which sees liberation just as if one were looking at the fruit of the āmalaka (emblic myrobalan) in one's palm. Twentieth, the great armor of nonattachment which views the body of the five aggregates as a caṇḍāla harmful to good deeds. Twenty-first, the great armor of renunciation which views the twelve sense fields as an empty hamlet and is always fearful of them. Twenty-second, the great armor of great wisdom which views the eighteen elements as illusionary transformations that have no reality. Twenty-third, the great armor of realization of the truth which views all dharmas as identical to the Dharma realm and does not see their [distinguishing] characteristics. Twenty-fourth, the great armor of supramundaneness which conceals the evil of others, does not conceal one's own faults, and 202

Fascicle Eight

renounces the three realms. Twenty-fifth, the great armor whereby the bodhisattva, like the great king of physicians who dispenses medicine according to the illness, preaches as appropriate to those to be converted. Twenty-sixth, the great armor which views the three vehicles as being originally no different in essence, ultimately has a change of heart, and returns to the One [Vehicle]. Twenty-seventh, the great armor which continues the lineage of the Three Jewels to ensure that it does not come to an end, turns the wondrous Dharma wheel, and delivers people. Twentyeighth, the great armor which, the Buddha having a great quality of beneficence toward beings, cultivates the path in order to repay one's debt of gratitude to the Buddha. Twenty-ninth, the great armor of nondefilement which views all dharmas as being originally empty and quiescent by nature, neither arising nor perishing. Thirtieth, the great armor of loquacious eloquence unimpeded which has comprehended acceptance of nonbirth [of dharmas] and gained the dhāraṇīs. Thirty-first, the great armor of one taste which widely converts sentient beings, sits beneath the bodhi tree, and makes them realize the fruit of buddhahood. Thirty-second, the great armor whereby, the mind of a single instant in union with prajñā, one comprehends the dharmas of the three ages without remainder. These are called the thirtytwo kinds of adamantine great armor of the bodhisattva and mahāsattva. Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, if any gentleman or lady dons this adamantine armor on their person, they should diligently practice the three mysteries, whereupon they will in this life be endowed with great merit and knowledge and quickly realize unsurpassed perfect bodhi. Then the great sage, the bodhisattva and mahāsattva Mañjuśrī, and the great multitudes, on hearing what the Buddha had taught—the three mysteries, which are the wondrous method of the mind-ground, and the thirty-two [kinds of] adamantine armor, which are to be studied by all bodhisattvas—each took off priceless necklaces and jeweled robes and offered them to the Tathāgata Vairocana and honored ones in the ten directions, and extolled the Buddha, saying:

Excellent, excellent, O Buddha, O Bhagavān! You have expounded infinite bodhisattva practices and vows and brought benefit and happiness to all beings, making them abandon the body of an ordinary person and enter 203

Chapter XIII. The Entrustment

330c

The Mahayana Sutra of Previous Lives

the stage of a buddha. Now we, the great multitude in [this] oceanlike assembly, in order to repay our debt of gratitude to the Buddha, will, unbegrudging of life and limb, for the sake of beings pervade buddha lands, analyze and expound this subtle Dharma, and uphold, recite, copy, and disseminate it to ensure that it does not come to an end. We but beseech you, O Tathāgata, to confer protective thoughts from afar. At this time the great assembly, on hearing this wondrous Dharma, gained great benefits. Incalculable and innumerable bodhisattvas each gained realization of the stage of nonretrogression, all humans and gods all obtained superior benefits, all sentient beings in the five destinies cut off grievous hindrances and gained immeasurable happiness, and all would attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.

204

Chapter XIII

The Entrustment

Then the Tathāgata Śākyamuni addressed the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī and others in the asaṃkhya great multitudes in the oceanlike assembly: For immeasurable nayutas of hundreds of thousands of great eons, unbegrudging of life and limb, I have given everything—my head, eyes, hands, feet, blood, flesh, bones, marrow, wife and children, country and cities, and all rare treasures—to whoever came seeking, and I have practiced hundreds of thousands of difficult practices and ascetic practices and gained realization of the Mahayana method of contemplation of the mindground. I now entrust this teaching to you. Know that this most profound scripture was proclaimed by the unsurpassed ones with ten powers in the ten directions and three ages.

This scriptural jewel is supremely subtle and can bring all benefits and happiness to sentient beings. In buddha lands in the ten directions in this trigalactic megagalactic world-system all infinite kinds of sentient beings and beings [in the realms] of animals, hungry ghosts, and hell have by the power of the most excellent merits and awesome supernormal power of this Mahayana Sutra of Contemplation of the Mind-ground distanced themselves from sufferings and gained experience of happiness. These merits of the scripture's power are difficult to imagine, and they render the country where it is found prosperous and free from enemies. Suppose, for example, that someone obtains a wish-fulfilling gem and, placing it inside his house, is able to produce all wonderful comforts. This wondrous scriptural jewel is also like this, able to bestow inexhaustible happiness throughout the realm. Again, it is like the heavenly drum [made] of maṇi in the Heaven of the Thirty-three [Gods], which is able to emit all kinds of hundreds of thousands of sounds and make the heavenly hosts experience pleasures. The Dharma drum of this scripture is also like this, able to effect supreme happiness throughout the realm. For this reason, all of you in [this] great multitude, abide in the power of great forbearance and spread this scripture!

205

The Mahayana Sutra of Previous Lives

331a

Thereupon the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī said to the Buddha: World-honored One, it is remarkable, O Tathāgata, it is remarkable, O Sugata, that you should preach the most profound Mahayana Sutra of Subtle Contemplation of the Mind-ground, widely benefiting practitioners of the Mahayana. Indeed, World-honored One, it is truly profound and wondrous. If any gentleman or lady is able to retain even a single fourline verse of this scripture, how much merit will this person obtain? Then the Bhagavān addressed the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī: If any gentleman or lady were to fill with the seven precious things trigalactic megagalactic world-systems [as numerous as] the sands of the Ganges, make offerings therewith to buddhas in the ten directions, construct for each buddha a hermitage adorned with the seven precious things, and install and honor buddhas and bodhisattvas for eons [as numerous as] the sands of the Ganges; again, if they were to make offerings of all necessities to the immeasurable śrāvaka disciples of those tathāgatas in the same way as they made offerings to the buddhas, without any difference; and if, after the parinirvāṇa of these buddhas and śrāvakas, they erected great jeweled stupas and worshiped their relics—[or] if any gentleman or lady were to briefly hear and believe a single four-line verse of this Mindground Scripture, generate the bodhi-mind, uphold, recite, explain, and copy it, and preach it for even only one person, the merits from these various offerings would be fewer than one-sixteenth of the merits gained by this preaching of the scripture and not within the scope of computation or analogy. How much more so if they are able to completely uphold, recite, and widely preach it for people: the merits and benefits obtained will be unlimited.

If any woman generates the bodhi-mind and upholds, recites, copies, and explains this Mind-ground Scripture, this woman will be in her last incarnation and will not be reborn, nor will she fall into evil paths or places of the eight difficulties, and she will experience in this present life the merits of ten kinds of superior benefits. First, she will increase her life span. Second, she will be rid of the anguishes of illness. Third, she will be able to extinguish karmic hindrances. Fourth, her merit and knowledge 206

Fascicle Eight

will all increase. Fifth, she will not want for wealth. Sixth, her skin will be lustrous. Seventh, she will be loved and respected by people. Eighth, she will have filial children. Ninth, her kinsmen will be friendly toward one another. Tenth, her good thoughts will be steadfast. Mañjuśrī, wheresoever [this scripture] is read or recited or explained or copied and wherever scrolls of the scripture are located, that is the stupa of a buddha, and all gods, nāgas, humans, and nonhumans should make offerings to it of treasures exquisite and rare among humans and in the heavens above. Why is this? Wherever this scriptural text is found, there buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and śrāvakas are deemed to be. Why? Because all tathāgatas practiced this scripture and, having abandoned [the state of] an ordinary person, attained anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and all worthies and holy ones all gained liberation through this scripture. Mañjuśrī, after my nirvana, during the following five hundred years when the Dharma is about to be destroyed, should there be a Dharma master who upholds, recites, explains, and copies this Mind-ground Scripture, king among all scriptures, this Dharma master will be no different from me. If any gentleman or lady honors and venerates this Dharma master, then it is deemed that they honor all buddhas in the ten directions and three ages, and the merit gained will be the same and no different. This is called honoring the Tathāgata with the true Dharma; this is called honoring with right conduct. Why is this? This great Dharma master, at a time when there is no buddha, will expound the most profound Mind-ground Scripture King for sentient beings with wrong views in a corrupt and evil age, freeing them from wicked views and directing them along the path to bodhi, and will spread it extensively to ensure that the Dharma will long perdure. Such [a person] is called a buddha without the [thirty-two] major marks and [eighty] minor signs, and he should be honored by all humans and gods. If any gentleman or lady presses their palms together in reverence to this Dharma master, I will grant a prediction of unsurpassed great bodhi, [namely,] that this person will attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. If someone is able to hear this Mind-ground Scripture, generates the bodhi-mind in order to repay the four debts of gratitude, either copies it himself or makes others copy it, or recites and masters it, the merits gained 207

331b

The Mahayana Sutra of Previous Lives

331c

by such people are such that an approximation could not be obtained even if the amount were calculated with the intellectual powers of a buddha. Such a person is called a true son of the buddhas. All gods, King Brahmā, Śakra, the Four Great Heavenly Kings, the mother Hārītī and her five hundred dependents, the great king of demons and spirits *Nīlabhadra, and nāga gods [and others] of the eight classes [of nonhuman beings] all hear the Dharma, and demons, spirits, and so on do not leave him day and night and will always protect him. Such a Buddha son will increase his mindfulness and wisdom, be granted unimpeded eloquence, instruct beings, and cause them to plant the causes of buddhahood.

Mañjuśrī, such a gentleman or lady will, when their life is about to end, gain before them a vision of the buddhas of the ten directions and their three [kinds of] action will not become confused. They will first obtain ten kinds of purity of physical action. What are the ten? First, their body does not experience suffering. Second, the pupils of their eyes are not [fully] exposed. Third, their hands do not shake. Fourth, their legs are not stretched out or drawn in. Fifth, they are not incontinent with loose bowels. Sixth, their body does not perspire. Seventh, they do not grope about outwardly. Eighth, their fists are open. Ninth, their countenance is not that of a dying person. Tenth, they turn on their side with perfect composure. On account of the power of the scripture there are these signs. Next, they will obtain ten kinds of purity of verbal action. What are the ten? First, they utter subtle words. Second, they utter gentle words. Third, they utter auspicious words. Fourth, they utter words pleasant to hear. Fifth, they utter compliant words. Sixth, they utter beneficial words. Seventh, they utter awe-inspiring words. Eighth, they do not contradict their kinsmen. Ninth, people and gods love and respect them. Tenth, they extol the Buddha's teachings. This good speech is all due to this scripture. Next, they will obtain ten kinds of purity of mental action. What are the ten? First, they do not engender anger. Second, they do not harbor grudges. Third, they do not engender stingy thoughts. Fourth, they do not engender jealous thoughts. Fifth, they do not advocate transgressions. Sixth, they do not engender enmity. Seventh, they have no inverted thoughts. Eighth, they do not crave for things. Ninth, they have distanced 208

Fascicle Eight

themselves from the seven [kinds of] pride. Tenth, they are desirous of realizing all the Buddhist Dharma and perfecting samādhi. Mañjuśrī, these merits are all due to the inconceivable power of upholding, reciting, mastering, explaining, and copying [this] profound and wondrous scriptural text. In immeasurable places and at immeasurable times this Mind-ground Scripture cannot be heard, let alone gaining sight of it and fully practicing it. All of you in [this] great assembly, uphold it singlemindedly and quickly abandon [the state of] ordinary people, and you will accomplish the path to buddhahood.

Thereupon the Dharma prince Mañjuśrī and other immeasurable great bodhisattvas, the bodhisattva Jñānaprabha and other bodhisattvas who had newly generated the [bodhi-]mind, Ājñātakauṇḍinya and other great śrāvakas, gods, nāgas [and others] of the eight classes [of nonhuman beings], and multitudes of humans and nonhumans each singlemindedly accepted and kept the words of the Buddha, and they all rejoiced greatly and believed, accepted, upheld, and practiced them.

[Here ends] Fascicle Eight of The Mahayana Sutra of Previous Lives and Contemplation of the Mind-ground

209

Back Matters

Notes

1 This is the only instance in the Taishō canon of the Chinese transliteration Zhentina 眞提那, and the Sanskrit equivalent is uncertain. Judging from other similar lists of monks, it may possibly be an error for Cunda.

2 Variants and the Commentary omit "eliminated . . . ten directions." (Here and below "variants" refers to the Song, Yuan, and Ming editions, while "Commentary" refers to Yunzhong Laizhou's Dasheng bensheng xindi guan jing qianzhu. Only the more striking differences with the base text have been noted.)

3 Variants and the Commentary have "there was no vast Dharma bliss that they had not experienced."

4 Many of the Sanskrit equivalents of the names of the bodhisattvas, gods, etc., in this and the following paragraphs are unclear. When the names have been translated (rather than transliterated) in the Chinese, they have therefore been translated here too, with the Sanskrit equivalent (which may in some cases appear to deviate somewhat from the English rendering) given in parentheses whenever possible (sometimes preceded by an asterisk to indicate that the Sanskrit equivalent is purely tentative). For convenience's sake, when the same name reappears later in the text, the Sanskrit equivalent has been used.

5 Sixteen great countries (mahājanapada) are said to have flourished in ancient India at the time of the Buddha, but some of those named here are problematic. Kapilavastu was the capital city of the Śākya tribe and is not included in the standard list of sixteen countries. Kāśi was, strictly speaking, not the name of a king but the name of one of the sixteen countries, with its capital at Vārāṇasī (Benares). The Sanskrit equivalent of Yuyutuo is uncertain, but Udayana was the king of Vatsa, one of the sixteen countries. Sāla (Ch. Saluo) is also uncertain; it could be an abbreviation of Kosala/Kośala, one of the most important of the sixteen countries, with its capital at Śrāvastī, but this would be inconsistent with the subsequent mention of Prasenajit of Śrāvastī. 6 Candraprabha is the name of a king who, as one of the Buddha's former incarnations, was a paragon of generosity.

7 The text seems to read Lokāyatikani. "Lokāyatika" is a follower of Lokāyata, i.e., a materialist.

8 The miracle of the Buddha's ascent to Trāyastriṃśa Heaven is usually associated with Sāṃkāśya, to the west of Kanyakubja (also Kanyākubja, present-day Kannauj) in northern India. Andhra, on the other hand, lies in the south, and so the identity of the intended location of this miracle is uncertain.

211

Notes

9 It is not clear how "One Vehicle" here should be construed. It would perhaps be most natural to read it with Lotus [Sutra] (One Vehicle of the Lotus [Sutra]); alternatively, it could be read with Mind-ground (Mind-ground of the One Vehicle). If it is intended as a separate title, it could refer to the Śrīmālā-sūtra, the Chinese title of which includes the words "One Vehicle."

10 The stupa (or caitya) at Rājagṛha is usually said to commemorate either the Buddha's reconciliation of a split in the sangha occasioned by his cousin Devadatta, or his subjugation of a fierce elephant. 11 The stupa at Vaiśālī is usually said to commemorate either the Buddha's promise to prolong his life by three months or a gift of honey offered to him by a monkey. 12 Abhiṣeka-bhūmi. In the Mahāvastu this is identified with the final lifetime of the bodhisattva, when he becomes a buddha. In the Mahayana it is placed at the start of the tenth of the bodhisattva's ten stages.

13 Possibly a reference to the first assembly described in the Avataṃsaka-sūtra, said to have taken place two weeks after the Buddha's enlightenment.

14 15 The Commentary has "he aimed for bodhi," which would seem more appropriate. I.e., those who erect stupas and those who make reverence to them and keep them in mind.

16 17 18 Variants and the Commentary omit "Making them . . . deeply rejoice." Variants and the Commentary omit the remaining verses of this chapter. A unit of capacity, usually translated as "bushel" and equivalent to 10 dou, or pecks. One dou is in turn equivalent to 10 sheng, or pints. During the Tang period, one sheng was equal to approximately 20 fluid ounces, which means that 180 hu would have been equivalent to about 2,812.5 U.S. liquid gallons or 10,646 liters. This figure of 180 hu is given in the Antarābhava-sūtra, translated by Zhu Fonian in the late fourth to early fifth centuries, as the amount of breast milk consumed by an infant born in Jambūdvīpa from birth to the age of three.

19 20 21 22 This story appears in chapter 2 of the Mahayana Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra. These three kinds of ten pāramitās are explained in Chapter VIII. Variants and the Commentary omit "Each spread . . . the world." "Six relations" generally refers to one's father, mother, older and younger brothers, wife, and children, but the Commentary mentions three different sets of six relations. 23 24 25 26 27 Variants and the Commentary omit "Therefore . . . their meaning." Variants and the Commentary omit "Do not say. . . the king."

Variants and the Commentary omit "If someone . . . his sins." Variants and the Commentary omit "He will . . . middle grade." A reference to Mañjuśrī. A similar ordination ceremony is described in the Guan Puxian pusa xingfa jing (Taishō no. 277).

28 Variants and the Commentary omit "The Dharma Jewel can illuminate . . . realm of space." 212

Notes

29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 The above passage is not a direct quotation from the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa, but a summarization of parts of Chapters I and II. Variants and the Commentary omit "If someone leaves home, cultivates a pure mind, . . . mental detachment" and have "Though the body may be detached. . ." for "Though the body may have left home. . . ."

The six monks mentioned here were a "group of six" (ṣaḍvārgika) whose misbehavior led to the promulgation of many of the rules of conduct for the Buddhist order. There exists a manual of Gāruḍic medicine, dealing primarily with the treatment of snakebites, that was translated, or perhaps compiled, by *Prajñābala (Taishō no. 1278), and it has been suggested that this *Prajñābala was the same person as the Prajña who translated the Mahayana Sutra of Previous Lives and Contemplation of the Mind-ground.

Several enumerations of ten marks or characteristics are found in various texts, but the meaning of "ten characteristics" here is uncertain. The Ming edition and the Commentary have "[external] characteristics of reality," as opposed to "[inner] nature of reality," for "ten characteristics."

This presumably refers to the fourfold division of the family's wealth. Vaḍabāmukha; an entrance under the sea to the lower regions of the earth from which a fire emerges.

The following tale is based on the Suppāraka Jātaka (Jātaka no. 463), in which the country in question is called Bharu. The reconstruction Lāḍha (the name of a former country in western Bengal) is tentative; alternatively, it may be Rāḍhā, a district in western Bengal. The same story is also retold in the Jātakamālā (no. 14). Variants and the Commentary omit "The four oceans . . . at Mare's Mouth." One of a set of five practices described in the Mahayana Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra. However, it is uncertain whether this is what is here meant by "childlike conduct." These correspond to a set of practices known as the four "noble traditions" (āryavaṃśa). Contentment with clothing, bedding (or lodging), and (alms)food is common to all enumerations of the four items making up these "noble traditions," but sources differ regarding the fourth, here given as medicine. In the detailed explanations below, however, bedding is omitted and dwelling in an araṇya is added instead. Hereafter, through to Chapter IX, there are many parallels with the Ugraparipṛcchā, but these have not been individually noted.

That is, thoughts that are either wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral. A reference to the Padmagarbha-lokadhātu or Kusumatalagarbha-vyūhālaṃkāralokadhātu-samudra, the world where the Buddha Vairocana is said to reside. According to the Commentary, this refers to holy ones of the three vehicles. The base text has "thought(s) of a jeweled banner," but the variants and the Commentary have "mark" for "thought(s)," which is consistent with the prose section. Three kinds of myrobalan, i.e., chebulic, belliric, and emblic. 213

Notes

45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 There is some textual confusion in the variants and the Commentary regarding the seventh and eighth virtues.

Variants and the Commentary omit "Jñānaprabha . . . mental afflictions." Or Pravivekacārin? The Chinese translation has "He Who Delights in the Practice of Detachment."

Variants and the Commentary omit "this araṇya is where one is well able to embrace the twelve dhūtas; . . . five aggregates."

The "eight worldly dharmas" are eight concerns that govern the actions of worldlings, i.e., gain, loss, fame, infamy, praise, censure, happiness, and suffering. Rather than referring to thirty-seven kinds of physical impurity, this would seem to refer to the thirty-seven observations about the body that are described below and are called the "thirty-seven observations" near the end of the chapter. These thirtyseven ways of observing the body may be compared with forty-four ways of observing the body described in the Vīradattagṛhapatiparipṛcchā.

For each of the ten pāramitās three levels of practice are explained (except that the second is missing in the section on the pāramitā of forbearance). Similar explanations of the pāramitās are found in several Yogācāra texts, such as the Yogācārabhūmi and the Samdhinirmocana-sūtra, in which the third level is referred to as "great pāramitā." The Commentary takes this in the sense of the four attributes of nirvana, i.e., permanence, bliss, self, and purity, but it probably refers to four kinds of nirvana explained in the Cheng weishi lun: (1) nirvana that is originally pure by nature (*anādikālikaprakṛtiśuddha-nirvāṇa), (2) nirvana with remaining support (sopadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), (3) nirvana without remaining support (nirupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), and (4) nirvana with no fixed abode (apratiṣṭhita-nirvāṇa).

Similar sets of eight kinds of purity of samādhi, etc., are found in the Acintya buddha viṣayanirdeśa. The twenty-two faculties (dvāviṃśatīndriyāṇi) are the six sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind), the male organ, the female organ, the life organ, the five sensations of pleasure, suffering, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and indifference, the five faculties of faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom, and the three uncontaminated faculties of resolving to understand that which one does not understand, having understood, and perfecting one's understanding. Variants and the Commentary have "two hindrances."

Variants and the Commentary omit this sentence.

This mantra and the two mantras in the following chapter correspond to the first three mantras in the five-stage process (pañcākārābhisaṃbodhikrama) whereby Sarvārtha siddhi attains enlightenment near the start of the Sarvatathāgatatattvasaṃgraha. Variants and the Commentary have "the left pressing against the right." In esoteric texts the right usually has dominance over the left, which is the opposite of nonesoteric Buddhism. 214

Notes

59 60 61 62 63 These five samādhis are also mentioned (with minor differences in their names) in Taishō nos. 868 and 997, both of which were (co-)translated by Prajña; the latter also includes explanations of each samādhi similar to those given below. Note that these five samādhis differ from the better-known five kinds of samādhi mentioned in the Mahayana Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra.

The base text has "true traces of the Buddha," but I have followed the variants and the Commentary.

The base text has "right forefinger," but since this passage describes the bodhyagrīmudrā, formed by grasping the tip of the raised forefinger of the otherwise clenched left hand with the clenched right hand, it has been emended to "left forefinger." The base text has "left fist," but this has been emended to "right fist," which is supported by the variants and the Commentary.

A form of the lotus position, with the left leg over the right thigh. 215

Glossary

ācārya: Teacher.

araṇya: Wilderness or forest, regarded as the ideal place to engage in the practices of a renunciant.

arhat: A saint who has freed himself from the cycle of birth and death by completely eradicating all passions; arhatship is the highest of the four stages of spiritual attainment in the Theravāda and other Mainstream schools of Buddhism. asaṃkhya/asaṃkhyeya: "Incalculable"; a very high number. asura: A demigod, in perpetual conflict with the gods (devas). bodhi: Awakening or enlightenment.

bodhi-mind (Skt. bodhicitta): Lit., the mind (citta) of awakening or enlightenment (bodhi). The aspiration for enlightenment.

bodhisattva ("enlightenment being"): In the Mahayana, a being who has engendered the aspiration to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all beings. See also bodhi-mind; Mahayana.

caṇḍāla: An untouchable, below the lowest of the four castes, born of a śūdra father and a brahman mother; also used as a generic term for any untouchable or outcaste. devaputra: Lit., "son (putra) of a god (deva)," but often used synonymously with deva (god).

dhāraṇī: Mnemonic device or formula; also, spell or incantation. dhūta (also dhuta): Ascetic practices, of which generally twelve are listed in the Mahayana. dhyāna: Meditation or contemplation.

eight difficulties (Skt. aṣṭākṣaṇa): Eight places or circumstances where one is unable to see the Buddha or listen to the Dharma—(1) hell, (2) the realm of hungry ghosts, (3) the realm of animals, (4) the heavens of long life, (5) the border regions, (6) the state of having impaired sense organs, (7) the state of having erroneous views, and (8) the land where a tathāgata has not appeared.

eight great fears (Skt. aṣṭamahābhaya): Usually, (1) lions, (2) elephants, (3) fire, (4) snakes, (5) thieves, (6) violent waters, (7) imprisonment, and (8) demons. eight liberations (Skt. aṣṭavimokṣa): Eight kinds of meditation for attaining liberation from mental afflictions.

eight perils: See eight great fears.

217

Glossary

eight sufferings (Skt. aṣṭaduḥkha): (1) birth, (2) old age, (3) sickness, (4) death, (5) the suffering of being separated from those whom one loves, (6) the suffering of associating with those whom one dislikes, (7) the suffering of not getting what one wants, and (8) the suffering inherent in the five aggregates. See also five aggregates. five aggregates (Skt. pañcaskandha): The five constituent elements of individual existence—(1) form (or matter), (2) perception (or sensation), (3) ideation, (4) volition, and (5) consciousness.

five destinies: An alternative term for the five paths. See also five paths. five paths (Skt. pañcagati): Five states of transmigratory existence—(1) hell, (2) hungry ghosts (pretas), (3) animals, (4) humans, and (5) gods (devas). See also six paths. five supernormal faculties (Skt. pañcābhijñā): Five supernormal powers—(1) supernormal vision, (2) supernormal hearing, (3) the ability to know others' thoughts, (4) the ability to know former lives, and (5) the ability to perform miracles such as appearing anywhere at will. four demons (Skt. caturmāra): Four causes of suffering and obstacles to practice—(1) mental afflictions, (2) the five aggregates, (3) death, and (4) the king of demons (Pāpīyas) in Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven.

four groups of practitioners (Skt. catuṣpariṣad): Four categories of Buddhist followers— (1) monks, (2) nuns, (3) laymen, and (4) laywomen.

four immeasurables (Skt. catvāry apramāṇāni): Four virtuous states of mind, regarded as immeasurable because they focus on all beings and can produce infinite merits— (1) loving-kindness, (2) compassion, (3) sympatheic joy, and (4) equanimity. gandharva: A class of heavenly beings, famed for their musical skills. garuḍa: A type of mythical bird.

kiṃnara: A class of heavenly beings, often associated with music. koṭi: A high number, a crore.

kṣatriya: A member of the military or ruling class, the second of the four castes. mahāsattva ("great being"): An epithet for a bodhisattva. See also bodhisattva. Mahayana ("Great Vehicle"): A form of Buddhism that developed in India around 100 B.C.E. and exalts as its religious ideal the bodhisattva. See also bodhisattva. mahoraga: A type of mythical snake.

mudrā: A ritual hand gesture.

nāga: A class of serpentlike beings; usually rendered in Chinese as "dragon." pāramitā: See six perfections.

piśāca: A class of flesh-eating demons.

pratyekabuddha ("individually enlightened one"): A sage who has attained enlightenment without the guidance of a teacher and who intends neither to guide nor to teach others. rākṣasa: A class of malignant demons.

218

Glossary

samādhi: A state of focused concentration or mental composure.

seven precious things: Seven kinds of precious metals and gems, variously listed in different sources. Also, seven precious things said to be possessed by a wheel-turning king (cakravartin)—(1) a wheel, (2) a precious jewel, (3) a queen, (4) a minister, (5) an elephant, (6) a general, and (7) a horse.

six destinies: An alternative term for the six paths. See also six paths. six paths (Skt. ṣaḍgati): Six states of transmigratory existence—(1) hell, (2) hungry ghosts (pretas), (3) animals, (4) demigods (asuras), (5) humans, and (6) gods (devas). See also five paths.

six perfections (Skt. ṣaṭpāramitā): The perfection (pāramitā) of six qualities practiced by the bodhisattva on the way to complete enlightenment—(1) giving or generosity (dāna), (2) morality or keeping the precepts (śīla), (3) forbearance or patience (kṣānti), (4) effort (vīrya), (5) meditation (dhyāna), and (6) wisdom (prajñā). See also bodhisattva. six recollections (Skt. ṣaḍanusmṛti): Six kinds of mindfulness directed at (1) the Buddha, (2) the Dharma, (3) the Sangha, (4) morality, (5) charity, and (6) divinities. six supernormal faculties (Skt. ṣaḍabhijñā): Six supernormal powers consisting of the five supernormal faculties plus the ability to eradicate defilements. See also five supernormal faculties. śrāvaka ("listener"): Originally, a disciple of the historical Buddha, one who directly heard his teachings. Later used as a general term for followers of early Buddhism, to distinguish them from adherents of Mahayana and Tantric Buddhism. śūdra: A member of the serf class, the lowest of the four castes. Sugata: Literally, "he who has attained happiness" (or "he who has gone well"); a designation for a buddha. Tathāgata: Literally, "he who has thus gone (or come)"; a designation for a buddha. thirty-seven factors of bodhi (Skt. saptatriṃśad bodhipakṣikā dharmāḥ): A scheme of thirty-seven practices conducive to enlightenment divided into seven groups—(1) four fields of mindfulness, (2) four right exertions, (3) four bases of supernormal power, (4) five faculties, (5) five powers, (6) seven limbs of enlightenment, and (7) the noble eightfold path.

three attainments: A reference to three of the six supernormal faculties—(1) the ability to know former lives; (2) supernormal vision, especially insight into the future destiny of all beings; and (3) the ability to eradicate defilements in the present. See also six supernormal faculties.

three emptinesses: See three liberations.

three evil destinies (Skt. tryapāya): Three of the six states of transmigratory existence in which sentient beings transmigrate in retribution for evil deeds—(1) hell, (2) hungry ghosts, and (3) animals. See also six paths.

three hindrances (Skt. āvaraṇatraya): Three obstacles to practice caused by (1) karma, (2) mental afflictions, and (3) retribution for past deeds.

219

Bibliography

Glossary

three liberations (Skt. vimokṣatraya): Three kinds of meditation regarded as gateways to liberation and known also as the three emptinesses: (1) meditation on emptiness, (2) meditation on signlessness, and (3) meditation on wishlessness. three poisons (Skt. tridoṣa): Three basic mental afflictions—(1) desire or greed, (2) hatred or anger, and (3) ignorance or delusion.

three realms (Skt. tridhātu): Three spheres of transmigratory existence—(1) the realm of desire, i.e., the world of everyday consciousness accompanied by desires; (2) the realm of form, in which desires have been eliminated but the physical body remains; and (3) the realm of nonform, in which the physical body no longer exists. three sets of pure precepts (Skt. trividhāni śīlāni): A threefold categorization of moral behavior—(1) precepts of restraint, pertaining to discipline and deportment; (2) precepts for accumulating wholesome qualities; and (3) precepts for bringing benefit to beings.

two hindrances (Skt. āvaraṇadvaya): Two kinds of obstructions to practice—(1) afflictive hindrances caused by mental afflictions and (2) cognitive hindrances due to fundamental misapprehensions about the nature of reality. upādhyāya: Religious instructor or preceptor.

vaiśya: A member of the class of peasants, merchants, and artisans, the third of the four castes.

vajra: A diamond and, by extension, anything hard and indestructible; a ritual implement shaped like a bolt and having one, three, or five prongs at each end. wheel-turning sage-king (Skt. cakravartin): An ideal universal monarch whose power derives from a wheel obtained at the time of his enthronement; four kinds of cakravartins are distinguished according to the basic element from which his wheel is made (gold, silver, copper, or iron).

yakṣa: A class of semidivine beings originally regarded as possessing a generally benevolent disposition, although they are sometimes classed with more malignant spirits. 220

Bibliography

Nattier, Jan. A Few Good Men: The Bodhisattva Path According to the Inquiry of Ugra (Ugraparipṛcchā). Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2003. Yoritomi, Motohiro. Chūgoku mikkyō no kenkyū. Tokyo: Daitō Shuppansha, 1979. 221

Index

ācārya, 76, 183

Acintyabuddhaviṣayanirdeśa, 214n53 adamantine, 35, 55, 72, 84, 130, 136, 191 bind, 192, 195

concentration/samādhi, 46, 171 gods/deities, 40, 62, 76 knowledge, 142, 163, 186 seat, 14, 38, 48, 83, 97, 117, 138, 156, 171

See also armor, adamantine Adamantine Jeweled Banner, 15 Adamantine Pure Light, 16 Adorned with a Jeweled Topknot, 17 Adorned with Wondrous Jewels, 17 Ājñātakauṇḍinya, 11, 203 Āmrapālī, 25, 34

Ānanda, 11

Anāthapiṇḍada's garden, 24, 34 Anavatapta, 15

Andhra, 24, 205n8

animal(s)/beasts, 20, 22, 23, 40, 44, 70, 103, 104, 124, 135, 144, 146, 149, 193, 194, 205

deer/doe, 20, 24, 33, 96, 97, 144, 189 dog, 160, 177

elephant(s), 17, 20, 33, 67, 92, 95, 96, 97, 145, 160, 189, 193, 212n10 fish, 33, 91, 106, 126, 145 horse(s), 17, 69, 92, 95, 96, 97 jackal(s), 71, 135 leopards, 135

lion(s), 20, 31, 92, 132, 145, 171, 187, 193

monkey, 188, 191, 196, 212n11 snake(s), 144, 159, 160, 162, 213n32 swine, 189

tiger(s)/tigress, 24, 33, 108, 109, 135, 193

turtle, 29

water buffalo, 92

wolves, 135, 193