A Treasury of Mahāyāna Sūtras

A Treasury of Mahāyāna Sūtras

Translation of The Lion's Roar of Śrīmālādevī (84000)

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The Mahāratnakūta Sūtra is one of the five major sutra groups in the Mahāyāna canon. Of the two great schools of Buddhism, Mahāyāna has the greatest number of adherents worldwide—it prevails among the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Tibetans, and Vietnamese—and contains within it a number of movements, notably Zen, which have been of growing interest in the West in recent decades. Yet despite this increased attention and enormous following, translations of Mahāyāna scriptures have been scarce and fragmentary; clearly, a comprehensive translation of a major work within the canon was called for.

This volume addresses that need. It contains 22 of the 49 Sūtras of the Mahāratnakūta (or "Treasury") Sūtra, many translated for the first time in a Western language, selected and arranged to give the modern reader a progressive introduction to one of the world's major religious traditions. Subjects covered include Māyā and miracles, the teachings on Consciousness, Emptiness, and monastic discipline, the Mystical Light of the Tathāgata, and the devotional practice of Pure Land, making this a comprehensive source book of Mahāyāna Buddhism hitherto unavailable in English. The book also includes an introduction to provide historical and interpretive guidance, annotations that assist in the comprehension of difficult passages, and an extensive glossary that will be valuable to specialist and layman alike. A team of scholars, working in Taiwan, spent eight years translating the Treasury's million words from Chinese, using Tibetan texts for comparison and checking each Sūtra with an international board of scholars. In the course of translating from the original, special effort was made to retain both the devotional style appropriate for religious reading and the precision required by the scholar, while presenting the material with a clarity and flow that would make it accessible to the Western layman. The editors then selected, arranged, and annotated the 22 Sūtras presented here. (Source Accessed May 20, 2021)

Citation	Chang, Garma C. C., ed. A Treasury of Mahāyāna Sūtras: Selections from the Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra. Translated from the Chinese by The Buddhist Association of the United States. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1991.

ContentsSources

• Acknowledgementsvii
• Prologueix
  • I. On Māyā and Miracles
    • 1 The Prophecy of the Magician Bhadra's Attainment of Buddhahood (Sūtra 21)3
  • II. On Emptiness
    • 2 The Demonstration of the Inconceivable State of Buddhahood (Sūtra 35)27
    • 3 Flawless Purity: A Dialogue with the Laywomen Gaṅgottarā (Sūtra 31)37
    • 4 How to Kill the Sword of Wisdom (Sūtra 36)41
    • 5 A Discourse on Ready Eloquence (Sūtra 33)73
    • 6 Mañjuśrī's Discourse on the Pāramitā of Wisdom (Sūtra 46)100
    • 7 The Prophecy of Bodhisattva Fearless Virtue's Attainment of Buddhahood (Sūtra 32)115
    • 8 The Universal Dharma-Door to the Inconceivable (Sūtra 10)134
    • 9 The Inexhaustible Stores of Wisdom (Sūtra 20)149
    • 10 The Prediction of Mañjuśrī's Attainment of Buddhahood (Sūtra 15)164
  • III. On the Light of the Tathāgata
    • 11 The Manifestation of Lights (Sūtra 11)191
  • IV. On Consciousness
    • 12 The Elucidation of Consciousness (Sūtra 39)223
  • V. On Virtue and Discipline
    • 13 Bodhisattva Surata's Discourse (Sūtra 27)243
    • 14 Sumati’s Questions (Sūtra 30)256
    • 15 The Definitive Vinaya (Sūtra 24)262
    • 16 Abiding in Good and Noble Deportment (Sūtra 44)280
  • VI. On Pure Land
    • 17 The Dharma-Door of Praising Tathāgata Akṣobhya's Merits (Sūtra 6)315
    • 18 The Land of Utmost Bliss (Sūtra 5)339
  • VII. On General Mahāyāna Doctrine
    • 19 The True Lion's Roar of Queen Śrīmālā (Sūtra 48)363
    • 20 The Sūtra of Assembled Treasures (Sūtra 43)387
    • 21 Dialogue with Bodhisattva Infinite Wisdom (Sūtra 45)415
  • VIII. On Skillful Means
    • 22 On the Pāramitā of Ingenuity (Sūtra 38)427

• • Glossary469

• • Numerical Glossary487

This is only a partial list of the translated works in this book.

1. Śikṣānanda, trans. 文殊師利授記會 Wénshū shī lì shòujì huì (Mañjuśrībuddhakṣetraguṇavyūhasūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(15), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
2. Bodhiruci, trans. 勝鬘夫人會 Shèng man fū rén huì (Śrīmālādevīsūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(48), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
3. Tao Kung, trans. 寶梁聚會 Bǎo liáng jùhuì (Ratnarāśisūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(44), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
4. Bodhiruci, trans. 優波離會 You bo li hui (Vinayaviniścayopāliparipṛcchāsūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(24), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
5. Bodhiruci, trans. 無盡慧菩薩會 Wújìn huì púsà huì (Akṣayamatiparipṛcchāsūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(45), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
6. Nandi, trans. 大乘方便會經 Dàchéng fāngbiàn huì jīng (Upāyakauśalyasūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(38), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
7. Bodhiruci, trans. 授幻師跋陀羅記會 Shòu huàn shī bá tuó luó jì huì (Bhadramāyākāravyākaraṇasūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(21), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
8. Bodhiruci, trans. 善德天子會 Shàn dé tiānzǐ huì (Acintyabuddhaviṣayanirdeśasūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(35), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
9. Bodhiruci, trans. 恆河上優婆夷會 Héng héshàng yōu pó yí huì (Gaṅgottaraparipṛcchāsūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(31), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
10. Dharmagupta, trans. 善住意天子會 Shàn zhù yì tiānzǐ huì (Susthitamatidevaputraparipṛcchāsūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(36), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
11. Nieh Tao-chen, trans. 無垢施菩薩應辯會 Wúgòu shī púsà yīng biàn huì (Vimaladattaparipṛcchāsūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(33), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
12. Mandrasena, trans. 文殊說般若會 Wénshū shuō bōrě huì (Saptaśatikāprajñāpāramitāsūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(46), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
13. Buddhaśānta, trans. 無畏德菩薩會 Wúwèi dé púsà huì (Aśokadattavyākaraṇasūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(32), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
14. Bodhiruci, trans. 文殊師利普門會 Wénshū shī lì pǔ mén huì (Samantamukhaparivartasūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(10), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
15. Bodhiruci, trans. 無盡伏藏會 Wújìn fú cáng huì (Vidyutprāptaparipṛcchāsūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(20), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
16. Bodhiruci, trans. 出現光明會 Chūxiàn guāngmíng huì (Raśmisamantamuktanirdeśasūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(11), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
17. Divākara, trans. 賢護長者會 Xián hù zhǎngzhě huì (Bhadrapālaśreṣṭhiparipṛcchāsūtra). In 大乘顯識經 Dàchéng xiǎn shí jīng, T347, 12: https://tripitaka.cbeta.org/T12n0347. See also, Jñānagupta, trans. 賢護長者會 / 移識經 Xián hù zhǎngzhě huì/ yí shí jīng (Bhadrapālaśreṣṭhiparipṛcchāsūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(39), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
18. Bodhiruci, trans. 善順菩薩會 Shàn shùn púsà huì (Surataparipṛcchāsūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(27), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
19. Bodhiruci, trans. 妙慧童女會 Miào huì tóngnǚ huì (Sumatidārikāparipṛcchāsūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(30), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
20. Bodhiruci, trans. 不動如來會 Bùdòng rúlái huì (Akṣobhyatathāgatasyavyūhasūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(6), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
21. Bodhiruci, trans. 無量壽如來會 Wúliàng shòu rúlái huì (Sukhāvatīvyūhasūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(5), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.
22. Anonymous, trans. 普明菩薩會 Pǔ míng púsà huì (Kāśyapaparivartasūtra). In 大寶積經 Dà bǎojī jīng (Ratnakūṭa), T310(43), 11: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT2012/T0310.html.

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Mahāyāna - Mahāyāna, or the Great Vehicle, refers to the system of Buddhist thought and practice which developed around the beginning of Common Era, focusing on the pursuit of the state of full enlightenment of the Buddha through the realization of the wisdom of emptiness and the cultivation of compassion. Skt. महायान Tib. ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོ། Ch. 大乘

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sūtra - Sūtras mainly refer to the discourses delivered by the Buddha and his disciples, and the Sūtra corpus is one of the three main sets of teachings which form the Buddhist canon. Skt. सूत्र Tib. མདོ། Ch. 佛经

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pāramitā - The six or ten types of practices which lead an individual to Buddhahood. The practice of perfections is particularly important in Mahāyāna Buddhism in which the entire path of the Bodhisattva to reach full enlightenment is included in the six or ten perfections. The six perfections are that of giving, of discipline, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom. The perfection of skill-in-means, aspirations, power, and pristine wisdom are added to them to make ten perfections. Skt. पारमिता Tib. ཕར་ཕྱིན།,ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ། Ch. 波羅蜜

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Bodhisattva - A person who seeks enlightenment for the sake of others. In Mahāyāna Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is a compassionate being who is training on the path to Buddhahood and aspires to eliminate the suffering of all beings and take all sentient beings to the state of enlightenment. The Mahāyāna sūtras including those on buddha-nature generally have Bodhisattvas as the main audience or interlocutors for the Buddha's discourses. Skt. बोधिसत्त्व Tib. བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ། Ch. 菩薩

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vinaya - Vinaya refers to the corpus of Buddhist teachings on moral discipline and precepts and is one of the three canonical sets of teachings alongside Sūtra and Abhidharma. It also refers to the monastic tradition which has been passed down since the Buddha's time until our time. Skt. विनय Tib. འདུལ་བ། Ch. 毘奈耶

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One of the more prominent sūtra sources for the Uttaratantra, this text tells of the story of Śrīmālādevī taking up the Buddhist path at the behest of her royal parents based on a prophecy of the Buddha.

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