The Śūraṅgama Samādhi Sūtra
Mahāyāna · the Samādhi of the Heroic March
John McRae’s translation of the Śūraṅgama Samādhi Sūtra is the second work in the linked BDK volume, following the Pratyutpanna Samādhi Sūtra.
Translations & sourcesEditions & translators
The shared PDF includes two separate sūtras; the Śūraṅgama Samādhi Sūtra is the second work.
Edition & attribution
An Atlas introduction and connections. The linked source provides the translation.
Introductions, reflection questions and added section headings are editorial material, separate from the attributed translation.
The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork created for Buddhist Atlas. It is an evocative companion, not a depiction of the text’s historical setting.
Translation · free PDF
Source link checked October 21, 2026. The linked publisher provides the text and its usage terms.
Connections
Guru Viking0
No connected episodes found for this text.
People & teachers1
- Kumārajīva
Translator of the Chinese version used for John McRae’s English translation.
Source
Traditions & history3
- Mahāyāna movements
Broader historical context for this Mahāyāna scripture.
Source
- Mahāyāna
Study context: this text is included in the Atlas guide to Mahāyāna.
- East Asian traditions
Study context: this text is included in the Atlas guide to East Asian traditions.
Books1
- How Compassion Works: A Step-by-Step Guide to Cultivating Well-Being, Love, and Wisdom
Broader reading companion on cultivating compassion and wisdom; not a translation or commentary on this scripture.
Source
Topics2
- Mindfulness & awareness
Explore Mindfulness & awareness across the Atlas.
- Emptiness & not-self
Explore Emptiness & not-self across the Atlas.
Make yourself comfortable
About this textContext & reading guide
This scripture describes the Śūraṅgama samādhi, often translated as the “Samādhi of the Heroic March,” in response to questions from the bodhisattva Dṛḍhamati. It presents this concentration as encompassing the bodhisattva’s spiritual training.
It is a different work from the longer Śūraṅgama Sūtra associated with Ānanda and influential in Chan. BDK’s free PDF contains John McRae’s translation of Kumārajīva’s Chinese version, together with a separate translation of the Pratyutpanna Samādhi Sūtra.