Notes

n.1Aṣṭāṅgikapoṣadha, yan lag brgyad pa’i gso sbyong. This is the usual Tibetan translation. In the text translated here it is yan lag brgyad pa’i bsnyen gnas.

n.2Poṣadha comes from the Prākrit form posadha of the Pali uposatha. Dutt (1962), p. 73.

n.3Dutt (1962), p. 73. Buswell and Lopez (2014), s.v. “upoṣadha.”

n.4Lévi (1912), p. 501.

n.5This sutta is listed in the Pali Tipitaka as MN 74. See Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli (1995), pp. 603–6.

n.6Sabbaṁ me na khamati. See Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli (1995), p. 1276, fn. 731, for more on Dīrghanakha’s view.

n.7Dīrghanakhasya parivrājakasya sūtraṃ kartavyaṃ, Mahāvastu 3.67 (at the end of the chapter on Śāriputra and Mahāmaudgalyāyana’s going forth).

n.8See Miller (2018), The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1-1) 1.67–1.102 and 1.281–1.312.

n.9Miller (2018), The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1-1), 1.312.

n.10See Burnouf (2010), pp. 426–31.

n.11Burnouf (2010), p. 427, fn. 43.

n.12Lamotte (2001), pp. 58–61. See p. 59, fn. 1, for more details on the accounts of Dīrghanakha.

n.13See UCSB Translation Group, trans., Victory of the Ultimate Dharma (Paramārtha­dharma­vijaya, Toh 246), 2021.

n.14In chapter 1 of the Aṣṭa­sāhasrikā (Toh 12); chapter 11 of the Daśa­sāhasrikā (Toh 11, Padmakara Translation Group 2018, 11.­31–11.­33); chapter 8 of the Aṣṭa­daśa­sāhasrikā (Toh 10, Sparham 2022, 8.­35–8.­38); chapter 5 of the Pañca­viṃśati­sāhasrikā (Toh 9, Padmakara Translation Group 2023, 5.­52–5.­54); and chapter 5 of the Śata­sāhasrikā (Toh 8, Sparham 2024, 5.­423 ff.).

n.15See particularly Majjhimanikāya 71–73, Saṃyuktāgama SA 962–964 and SA2 196–198.

n.16The first chapter of Nāgārjuna’s Mahā­prajñā­pāramitā­śāstra mentions that among the Buddha’s reasons for teaching the Prajñāpāramitā was to bring Dīrghanakha, Śreṇika Vatsagotra, and another interlocutor, Satyaka Nirgranthī­putra, to have faith in the Dharma. See Lamotte, vol. 1, pp. 58–61.

n.17Denkarma, folio 299.b; Phangthangma (2003), p. 22.

n.18Currently the manuscript is kept in the Potala. Vinītā’s critical edition is based on a copy of the manuscript that is kept in the China Tibetology Research Center. For further details on the state of this manuscript, see Vinītā (2010), pp. xv–xvii.

n.19See Yoshida (2011) for more details about this text.

n.20The Sanskrit has the Veṇuvana Kalandaka­nivāsa as the setting rather than Vulture Peak Mountain. Both are in Rājagṛha.

n.21The Sanskrit omits the audience. The Chinese adds people of various occupations to the list.

n.22This description of the teaching is omitted in the Sanskrit.

n.23Although the Tibetan de skad smas pa does not make it clear whether Dīrghanakha is attributing the following statement to the Buddha or not, the Sanskrit vasadi supports the second person subject “you.” It is evident from the fact that Dīrghanakha does not bow, and addresses the Buddha as “Gautama,” that he is not being respectful and so would not be using an honorific register.

n.24That is to say that actions reliably cause results. In the Sanskrit this description is slightly different: “Hey Gautama, is it true you say that this world takes actions as its self, is the heir of actions, originates from actions, is bound by actions, and has actions as a refuge?” (satyaṃ bho gautamaivaṃ karmasvako lokaḥ karma­dāyādaḥ karma­yoniḥ karma­bandhuḥ karma­pratisaraṇa iti). The Buddha then replies to Dīrghanakha’s initial question by affirming that he does propose this statement, before the first question (regarding the vajra body) is asked. In the Chinese, the Buddha likewise affirms Dīrghanakha by repeating the statement.

n.25The Sanskrit has “abandoning killing and ceasing killing” (prāṇātipātaṃ prahāya prāṇātipātāt prativirataḥ). Similarly, in the Buddha’s other replies to Dīrghanakha’s questions, with the exception of questions (5) and (7), he uses the two verbs prahāya and prativirata, while the Tibetan uses just the single verb “abandon” (spong).

n.26Translated from Sanskrit, H, Y, K, N, S, and U, which add “what is not given” (Skt. adāna, Tib. ma byin par). D just has “abandoning taking” (len par spangs pa).

n.27In the Sanskrit this is Dīrghanakha’s fifth question.

n.28In the Sanskrit this is Dīrghanakha’s sixth question.

n.29D: ’bru’i chang (beer made from grain) or sbyar ba’i chang (beer or wine made with combined ingredients).

n.30Instead of “even teeth” (Tib. so mnyam), the Sanskrit has “very beautiful and very bright teeth” (suśobhana­dantaḥ sudīpta­dantaḥ).

n.31In the Sanskrit this is Dīrghanakha’s ninth question.

n.32In the Sanskrit this is Dīrghanakha’s eighth question.

n.33The Sanskrit specifies these as the thirty-two signs of a great being (dvā­triṃśanmahā­puruṣa­lakṣaṇa). In the Sanskrit this is Dīrghanakha’s seventh question.

n.34The Sanskrit has “playing” (lalita) instead of “jewelry” (Tib. rgyan).

n.35The Sanskrit adds a description of these three seats: “the perfect seat, the eminent seat, and the highest seat” (aśeṣāsanāni pravarāsanāni uttamāsanāni). The Chinese reads “the vajra seat and the eminent seat” (jin gang sheng miao zhi zuo 金剛勝妙之座, Skt. vajrāsana pravarāsana). In the Sanskrit this is Dīrghanakha’s fourth question.

n.36D: yan lag lnga sa la gtugs, literally “placing the five limbs on the earth.” The “five limbs” here are the two arms, two legs, and head.

n.37The Sanskrit omits “scholars.”

n.38The Chinese adds the following section: “Whereupon the brahmin saw that the Buddha’s explanation of causes and their results was not deceptive and said, ‘Gautama, explain how these merits that you have described are obtained.’ The Buddha said, ‘These are said to be the eight poṣadha vows. If one is able through the course of one day and one night, or perhaps even longer over extended periods of time, to obtain mastery over keeping these, then such results are obtained.’ Whereupon the brahmin Dīrghanakha, with regard to all that the Buddha had said about the eight poṣadha vows and keeping them for a day and a night, with the result that the arising of previous far-distant low and wicked actions is turned away from, immediately obtained the subtle adornment of deep confidence and uplifting joy” (Taishō 584, b28–c5).

n.39The Sanskrit says he sets down his “staff and water pot” (daṇḍakamaṇḍalu). Some dictionaries describe this conjunct term as a water pot with a handle. However, it is clear from the mention of this at the beginning of the sūtra that he does carry a staff (daṇḍa). See 1.­4.

n.40The Sanskrit only has Dīrghanakha setting down his staff and omits the rest of these actions before the following speech.

n.41Sanskrit: āryāṣṭāṅgika­poṣadham upavasāmi.

n.42This section, from “In the same way, he repeated this vow a second and third time” up to this point, is omitted in the Sanskrit.

n.43D, H, N, S, and U: bka’ dang por gtogs so; Y and K omit.