Notes

n.1To be found in the Saṅghabhedavastu, ch. 17 of the Vinayavastu (Toh 1-17).

n.2The similes are found at 1.­50 and 1.­65.

n.3This simile is found at 1.­16.

n.4For a brief account of this sense of samādhi, see The Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace (Toh 129), i.­2. See also Skilton 2002, p. 87.

n.5Skilton 2002, p. 56.

n.6Boucher 2006, p. 24; Nanjio 1884, p. 40. Nanjio noted that this is largely identical to the Tibetan.

n.7Nanjio 1884, p. 41.

n.8Nakamura 1987. p. 215.

n.9Phangthangma 2003, p. 11.

n.10In the Denkarma it is included among the “Miscellaneous Sūtras” (mdo sde sna tshogs). Denkarma, folio 298.a; Herrmann-Pfandt 2008, p. 72.

n.11See 1.­394.

n.12Following K, N, and Y: bde bskyed. D: bde skyid.

n.13Following C, H, K, J, N, and Y: gsal. D: bsal.

n.14Upatiṣya (Tib. nye rgyal) is another name for Śāriputra, and Kolita (Tib. pang nas skyes) for Maudgalyāyana. They were the Buddha’s “supreme” pair of students: Upatiṣya in terms of knowledge, Kolita in terms of magical power.

n.15Following K and Y: mi mchog de. D and S: mi mchog nga.

n.16Tib. chos gos ngan pa ’chang ba. It is unclear whether this is meant as an additional name in the list (as the Tibetan syntax would suggest) or if it is an adjective for either the preceding or subsequent figure. It is not attested as a name of one of the Buddha’s disciple s and has been deliberately rendered ambiguously here.

n.17Translation tentative. Tib. g.yar ngan shin tu che.

n.18Following D: ’jigs che. C, K, L, S, and Y: ’jig che (“our great ruin”).

n.19This set of verses are in nine-syllable meter in Tibetan, as compared to the seven-syllable meter used elsewhere throughout this text.

n.20Translation tentative. Tib. mtshon sra rdo rje thogs.

n.21Following D bsam gtan zhi la. K, S, and Y: bsam gtan bzhi la (“in the four concentrations”).

n.22The story of how Mahākāśyapa was absent from the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa and arrived several days later is told in sources in the Pali canon and in the Saṅgha­bheda­vastu.

n.23Tib. sngon po, literally “blue” or “green.”

n.24Following S: ’gron pa. D: ’dron pa. Possibly translating Skt. adhvaga.

n.25Translation tentative: zhugs kyi phung po chen po yang / /mdun na mchis pa mthong ba na.

n.26D: do mod nam gyi; L and S: nub nam gyi.

n.27In this sentence the phrase yongs su mya ngan las ’da ba, which is found four times in the sentence, has been translated first as “complete nirvāṇa,” then as “parinirvāṇa,” and then, reflecting the literal meaning of the Tibetan, as “pass completely beyond suffering.”

n.28The bodhisattva’s name (Skt. sucintitārtha , Tib. don legs par sems pa) could be translated as “with good purpose.”

n.29In the Tibetan, the narrative continues here in seven syllable verse, as with the child’s speech.

n.30This is a reference to the parricide committed by King Ajātaśatru, who killed his own father King Bimbisāra. Parricide is one of the five heinous crimes of immediate retribution. See Radich 2011.

n.31Tib. byis pa’i byis pa ni. The term byis pa, translated in the previous verse as “child,” could equally be translated as “foolishness” or “childishness.”

n.32In the Tibetan the verse now shifts from seven to nine syllable meter.

n.33Following L: ’di. D: ’di dag (“these”).

n.34This and the following verse refer to the life story (jātaka) of the Buddha Śākyamuni’s previous incarnation as Viśvantara (Pali vessantara, Tib. thams cad sgrol or dri med kun ldan).

n.35Tib. sems mtha’ yas pa rjes su ’jug pa dang / ye shes zab mo’i rjes su ’jug pa dang / snying po dang ldan pa’i ting nge ’dzin la rjes su sgom pa. An absorption called sāravatī (Skt. sāravatīnāma­samādhi, Tib. snying po dang ldan pa zhes bya ba’i ting nge ’dzin) literally “having a core,” is listed in the Mahāvyutpatti.

n.36Following D: som nyi byed. L and S: som nyi med (“are without doubt”).

n.37Translation tentative. Tib. sems ’di thams cad dag las log gyur pa’i/ rjes su rab tu ’jug pas sems zhes bya.

n.38Reading nam mkha’i ngos ’dra ba for D and S nam mkha’i dngos ’dra ba.

n.39Tib. rdo rje’i rang bzhin, literally “has the nature of a vajra.”

n.40Tib. khrag khrig ’bum phrag bzhi.

n.41Tib. dmigs med, the same as the bodhisattva’s name. It could also be translated as “beyond objectifying perception,” “objectless,” or “beyond apprehension.”

n.42Tib. lhung po’i sgang na nor lha ltar. Alternatively, “upon Mount Sumeru.”

n.43Tib. rgyal ba. Here the child seems to be referring to the thus-gone one Resting in the Branches of Awakening.

n.44Tib. bye ba bcwa brgyad, eighteen crore.

n.45Tib. bye ba phrag brgyad cu rtsa gcig, eighty-one crore.

n.46Translation tentative. skad cig ’di nyid ma thal bar ’jig rten gyi khams de dang / sangs rgyas kyi zhing de nas gnyis lhan cig mi [L -mi] ’grogs par ’phags te dong ngo. We have read ’phags here as a translation of abhi+ud+√gam.

n.47Translation tentative. Tib. yul ma ga dha nas byung ba’i snod rin po che las byas pa.

n.48We have not identified these three enumerations: gnas lnga, gnas bcu, and nye ba’i skyon bcu gnyis.

n.49Translation tentative. Following C, K, L, N, and Y: lus lan stong du brtags. D, J, and S read lugs lan stong du brtags, possibly “cast and recast a thousand times.”

n.50We have not identified this list of eight qualities: yan lag brgyad la mkhas pa’i mi stong.

n.51Tib. phung po gnyis dang theg pa gsum. In this instance the “three vehicles” likely refers to those of the śrāvakas, solitary buddhas, and bodhisattvas. The “two categories” (or “two heaps”) have not been identified.

n.52Following J: gtam ma ’dres pa. L: gtan ’dres pa. D: gtam ma ’des pa.

n.53Following D: zang zing med pa’i chos ’phags pa dgra bcom pa nyid mngon sum du byed par ’gyur ro. N, L and S: chos thams cad (“the realization of all phenomena being immaterial”).

n.54Tib. zhang blon dang zhang blon gyi g.yog gnyug ma. It is unusual to find the term zhang blon (lit. “uncle-minister”) in a translated text. The rank or title of zhang blon was used in imperial Tibet for the powerful ministers drawn from the aristocratic clans or families of the emperors’ wives. It is not clear what its Sanskrit correlate would be.

n.55Following H: rab tu ’dud par ’os pa zhes bya ba. D: rab tu mdung bar ’os pa. L and S: rab tu gdud pa.

n.56The term gyad, which precedes some of the names in this list, literally means “athlete” or “champion.” Given the setting in the Malla kingdom (Tib. gyad yul), it indicates that they are members of the Malla clan.

n.57Tib. mchog zung yang bu nyid yin. mchog zung literally means “excellent pair” and is often found in reference to the Buddha’s two main disciple s.

n.58Tib. dge ’dun dkon mchog, literally “Saṅgha jewel,” referencing the Saṅgha as one of the Three Jewels.

n.59Tib. dbang bsgyur tshangs pa la sogs. In the context of this condensed list of heavens, the term dbang bsgyur (Skt. vaśavartin) here appears to be a highly abbreviated form of the full name of the Heaven of Mastery over Others’ Emanations, the highest of the heavens of the desire realm, while tshangs pa (Skt. brahmā ) appears to denote the deities of the Brahmā heavens of the form realm.

n.60Tib. brang ’gro chen po. In other contexts this term, which literally means “those that go on their chests” or “snakes,” refers to mahoragas, but here it refers to nāgas.

n.61Translation tentative. Tib. tshangs pa ngan spong gtsug tor can. Here Bhṛgu (ngan spong) and Śikhin (gtsug tor can) appear to be names of brahmās.

n.62Following S: nyal ba mtshon cha rnam dag gis/ /yong su gshags nas sad pa na. D reads gshegs rather than gshags; H and N read bsad rather than sad.

n.63Tib. kun dga’ bo bzang po dang / dpal sgra zin ’di gnyis bcol cing yongs su gtad do zhes phyag gis dge slong de dag gi lag tu gtad do. The primary meaning of gtad is “press.” The implication here is that he conferred responsibility, as in the translation here of yong su gtad as “invested.”

n.64Here the Tibetan uses the same phrase as is elsewhere translated here as “will pass into parinirvāṇa” (Tib. yongs su mya ngan las ’da’). We have chosen to translate it here, when referring to these other monks, as “pass completely beyond suffering.”

n.65Translation tentative. Reading gzhan gang dag la skyob ’gyur shing for D, L, and S: gzhan gang bdag la skyob ’gyur shing (“what others will protect me?”).

n.66Translation tentative. tshad med bsam gyis mi khyab pa’i/ /’jig rten khams su rnam bltas na/ /gang gi phyir ni ’dir bsdad pa’i/ /sems can ’ga’ yang ma mthong ngo.

n.67Reading phyag ring po che for D, L, and S: phyag rin po che. This emendation better reflects the wording found in lists of the eighty minor marks of a buddha.

n.68While not elaborated here, this may reference a set of eight rdo rje’i tshig ( vajrapadas ), or “adamantine statements,” as enumerated in The Absorption That Encapsulates All Merit (Sarvapuṇya­samuccaya­samādhi­sūtra, Toh 134), 2.­73. In that sūtra, eight vajrapadas are delivered by the Thus-Gone Vimalakīrtirāja to the sage Uttara‍—a previous incarnation of Śākyamuni‍—along with several other enumerations of Dharma topics and the eponymous absorption itself. See also Harrison 2003, p. 128.

n.69In The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines (Aṣṭādaśasāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā, Toh 10), 7.­8, the purity of the three spheres (trimaṇḍala­pari­śuddha) is the name of an absorption.

n.70Following Q and Y ’du shes de nyid sten byed. D and L: bstan byed. S: ston byed.

n.71Together, these three states are known as the “three doors to liberation” (Skt. trīṇi vimokṣa­mukhāni), and each has a correlate absorption. For emptiness (stong pa nyid, śūnyatā), the “emptiness absorption” (śūnyatāsamādhi); for signlessness (mtshan ma med pa, animitta), the signless absorption (ānimitta­samādhi); and for wishlessness (smon pa med pa, apraṇihita), the “wishless absorption” (apraṇihita­samādhi). See Deleanu 2000, p. 74.

n.72Tib. skye bu’i mthu; Skt. puruṣakāra: more literally “human intervention,” which stands in juxtaposition to fate or divine intervention.

n.73Following S zad med. D: zag med (“undefiled”).

n.74At this point there is a repetition in the Tibetan‍—in all available Kangyur editions‍—of five verses and the following narrative paragraph, which are found verbatim a little earlier at folios 172.b–173.a (1.­350), concerning the Buddha going to the edge of the Black Line Hell. The repetition makes little narrative sense here and appears to be an error. As a result we have decided to omit it from the translation. The omitted section reads: Then those who had received the teaching spoke these verses: “We have discovered the noble Dharma, Inexhaustible, free of grasping, Unceasing, and uncorrupted; Now we are soothed, our pain transcended. “With understanding, he discovered the way things are. Knowing beings’ abilities, He teaches causes and conditions. He has a deep love for beings. “The omniscient one removes our pain. He nourishes us, he gives us the cure. The perfect Buddha has tamed us. He has shown us how to transcend suffering. “Our eyes, our lamp, Will very soon pass away. Who then will liberate millions of beings From the torment of being continuously revived? “He is the great physician who removes all pain, The sustainer of all that lives, Who nourishes beings And ensures an end to bad rebirth.” The Blessed One then took a place at the edge of the Great Black Line Hell and radiated a great light that lit up the beings living there, releasing many thousands of them and sending them to the higher realms. In the same way, he released many thousands of beings from the Great Crushing Hell, the Wailing Hell and the Great Wailing Hell, the Hell of Heat, and the Hell of Intense Heat. He sent them to the higher realms and established them on the path that transcends suffering.

n.75Translation tentative. Tib. bgrang ba’i tshul gyis mthong lags ni don dam par ni ma mthong lags so.

n.76This enumeration of eight buddhas of the past‍—with the addition of Śākyamuni making nine‍—is unusual. The last three buddhas are also found in the more widely-attested scheme of the seven buddhas that was common in early Buddhism. All nine, including the first five (in the same order as here) are found in the fragmentary Gandhārī version of the “Many Buddhas Sūtra,” as translated by Salomon (2018, p. 284). Five of the buddhas in this list, though in different order, are also included in an enumeration of eleven buddhas in The Stem Array (Gaṇḍavyūha, Toh 44-45), 29.­6.