Notes

n.1The terms “omniscience” (sarvajñātā, thams cad mkhyen pa) and “all-aspect omniscience” (sarvākārajñātā, rnam pa thams cad mkhyen pa) are the most common way of referring to a buddha’s awakening in the Perfection of Wisdom (prajñāpāramitā) sūtras and commentaries, and thus the term “mind of omniscience” is more widespread in that literature than bodhicitta. See introduction to The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines, i.­95.

n.2Folios 215.a–215.b, 1.­65. That is to say, they are “nondual” (Tib. …gnyis su med med de gnyis su dbyer med do).

n.3Kamalaśīla, Splendor of the Middle Way (Madhyamakāloka, Toh 3887), folio 150.b.

n.4See Jackson 2015, pp. 553–54 and Jackson 1987, p. 351.

n.5This verse is found at folio. 230.b. Tib. rkyen las skyes ba gang yin de ma skyes// de la skyes ba ngo bo nyid kyis med// rkyen la rag las gang yin stong par gsungs// stong nyid gang shes de ni bag yod pa’o//. The equivalent Sanskrit, as found for example in Advayavajra’s Pañca­tathāgata­mudrāvivaraṇa (Toh 2242) reads yaḥ pratyayair jāyati sa hy ajāto na tasya utpāda svabhāvato ’sti | yaḥ pratyayādhīna sa śūnya uktaḥ yaḥ śūnyatāṃ jānati so ’pramattaḥ ||. ed. Klaus-Dieter Mathes, A Fine Blend of Mahāmudrā and Madhyamaka (Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2015), 379.

n.6See Shapkar Tsokdruk Rangdröl, p. 370.

n.7Hong dao guang xian san mei jing 弘道廣顯三昧經 (cbeta, sat).

n.8Salomon 2008.

n.9See The Chapter on Medicines, 2021, 9.1527–9.2505.

n.10See The Precious Discourse on the Blessed One’s Extensive Wisdom That Leads to Infinite Certainty (Toh 99), 2.­24 and ff.

n.11Phangthangma, p. 9 no.12; Denkarma, folio 297.b.5; Herrmann-Pfandt 2008, pp. 67–68, no. 120.

n.12Following D and S thams cad mkhyen pa’i sems ma bskyud pa. K, J, and C read …ma bskyed pa. With this alternate reading, the line would relate to the hearers and solitary buddhas mentioned in the previous line, i.e., “[they] have not generated the mind of omniscience.”

n.13Thirty-one aspects are listed, though the first aspect of not overlooking any being would make thirty-two.

n.14Tib. phung po gsum pa’i chos kyi rnam grangs kyi yongs su bsngo ba’i tshogs. This likely refers to the confessional practices of the “three sections” (phung po gsum) as found, for example, in Determining the Vinaya: Upāli’s Questions (Toh 68, i.5).

n.15These “six discordant factors of the six perfections” are the opposites of the six perfections‍—generosity, discipline, acceptance, diligence, concentration, and insight‍—respectively.

n.16Tib. yi ge.

n.17Translation tentative. D and S read mtshan yongs su rdzogs pas bzod pa’i stobs. This may be a reference to the perfection of patience as the acceptance of all phenomena as being without signs, marks, or characteristics (mtshan ma), as found for example in The Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom in Ten Thousand Lines (Toh 11), 28.16. Alternatively, mtshan yongs su rdzogs pa is given in Negi’s Tibetan–Sanskrit dictionary (s.v.) as the rendering of pari­pūrṇa­vyañjana, which is the twenty-fourth of the eighty minor marks of a great being.

n.18The translation of this unusual epithet of the brahmā deities is tentative. Tib. sdug pa’i rnam par ltung ba’i tshangs pa rnams.

n.19Translation tentative. Tib. de bzhin gshegs pa’i gsung yi yi ge la dpyad pa gang yin pa’i yi ge de dag la sems can thams cad kyang dpyad de/ de bas na sems can thams cad ni chos kyi ’khor lo bskor yang chos kyi ngo bos nyid mi shes so/ /de’i phyir de dag yi ge la dpyod pa ni de byed pa’i sdug bsngal yang dag par zad par bya ba’i phyir ’byung ba ma yin no.

n.20Translation tentative. Tib. de dag ni tha snyad thams cad la yang nyon mongs pa rnams dang ma ’dres pa’i ngag ’byung ngo / de dag nyon mongs kyang kun nas nyon mongs pas kun nas nyon mongs par ’gyur ba ni ma yin no/ ngag la dpyod cing rnam par byang bar byed kyang chos nyid kyi rang bzhin gyis rnam par dag par ’gyur ba ma yin.

n.21Following Y, J, K, and N sogs pa. D reads la sogs pa.

n.22The translation of this and the following verse is tentative. Tib. ’jig rten ’di ’gro gang yin pa/ de bzhin gshegs ’gro de yin te/ de dag khong du chud rtogs na/ de dag ’gro ba med par ’gyur/ sems can kun gyi ’gro gang yin/ de dag ’gro ba nges ’gro zhing / sangs rgyas chos ’dir bslabs nas su/ sgyu ma’i chos kyis rnam par sprul.

n.23Following Y, J, K, N, and C srid ’khor. D reads srid ’khod.

n.24Tib. chos thams cad rkyen gyi kha na las par yang dag par rjes su mthong ste. The phrase kha na las par here, and repeated throughout this paragraph, is unusual. Based on the context it has been translated as “depend(s) on.”

n.25Here the Tibetan reads shes pa, whereas the ye shes was used before. Both are terms used to translate the Sanskrit jñāna.

n.26The analogy of the Dharma as a raft, which may be discarded once the river is crossed, is found, for example, in The Inquiry of Lokadhara (Lokadhara­paripṛcchā), Toh 174, translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee (2020), 1.54.

n.27This quote is widely attributed to The Rice Seedling (Śālistamba), Toh 210, translated by the Dharmasāgara Translation Group (2018), 1.3.

n.28This set of five aggregates is found elsewhere classified as the “definitive aggregates” (nges pa’i phung po) of the buddhas, the “immeasurable aggregates” (phung po tshad med pa), or the “five uncontaminated aggregates” (zag med phung po lnga). See, for example, The Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom in Ten Thousand Lines (Toh 11), n. 320.

n.29Translation tentative for Tib. gnyer ba med.

n.30Four rather than three ascertainments of mind are presented here. These four are more commonly found as the “four seals” (Tib. phyag rgya bzhi, Skt. caturmudrā) of the Dharma, which summarize the core teachings of the Buddha.

n.31Instead of D and S smon lam ldan pa (“with wishes”), reading smon lam ’das pa found in other versions.

n.32Translation tentative. Tib. sngon gyi mtha’ gang de ni yang dag mtha’/ de yi mtha’ ni rgya chen chos rnams kun/ nam mkha’i mtha’ ni rtag tu sems can mtha’.

n.33Tib. dben par gnas par nga rgyal theg pa ste. This appears to be a reference to the vehicle of solitary buddhas.

n.34Translation tentative. Tib. zhig pa’i chos kyang ’dor ba ma yin.

n.35Following S, Y, J, K, N, C, and H ’gyed. D reads bged.

n.36That is to say their faith is similar to the confidence one has that a stone thrown into the air will fall down again. This translation is tentative. Tib. dad par de la’ang dad byed de/ /nam mkhar ’phangs pa’i rdo ba bzhin.

n.37This translation is tentative. Tib. klu’i bdag po gang gi tshe mig gi rnam par shes pa’i rnam par shes pa dang / sems kyang mi skye la gzugs kyi rnam par shes pa’i rnam par shes pa dang / rnam par shes pa yang mi ’gog pa de tsam gyis na de bzhin gshegs pa mthong ba rnam par dag pa yin no.

n.38Here the Tibetan term gtong ba, rather than sbyin pa, is used for “generosity.” The term gtong ba usually translates the Sanskrit tyāga and refers to the willingness to give away all that one has, including one’s own life and limbs, for others. The “perfection” of generosity is more commonly associated with the Sanskrit term dāna (Tib. sbyin pa), which might be translated simply as “giving.” As indicated by the use of gtong ba here, both can refer to generosity as the first of the six perfections.

n.39Translation tentative. Tib. cho ga’i spyod pa.

n.40The Tibetan term used throughout this passage is skad cig pa, which could also mean “instantaneous.” However, it likely translates the Sanskrit kṣaṇika, the primary meaning of which is “momentary” or “transient.”

n.41Following S, Y, J, K, N, C, and H ma yin. D reads yin.

n.42Following S and C ma yin. D reads yin.

n.43Following Y, J, K, and C ’thob. N and H read thob, and D and S read ma thob.

n.44Translation tentative. Tib. mngon par ’du mi byed pa’i yul la mi ’jug la btang snyoms pa yang ma yin no.

n.45Translation tentative. Tib. skye ba dang / mi skye ba’i phyir skye ba dang / mi skye ba thams cad yang dag par rjes su mthong ngo.