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The Stem Array · Gaṇḍavyūha

Notes · continued 6

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1808. According to the Sanskrit atyanta and Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné ma lus. Degé, Narthang, and Lhasa have ma las.
1809. From the Sanskrit vilaya. The Tibetan translates as zhu ba according to its alternate meaning of “dissolve.” The Chinese has 焚 (fen, “burnt”).
1810. According to the Sanskrit agni and the Chinese 火 (huo, “fire”). Not present in the Tibetan.
1811. According to the BHS paricūrnayeyuḥ. Degé has btags; Narthang has brtags. The Chinese has 頂戴 (ding dai, “to wear something on one’s head”), referring to “accepting the crushing weight of the Cakravāla mountains on her head.”
1812. According to the Sanskrit atyanta and Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné ma lus. Degé, Narthang, and Lhasa have ma las. The Chinese has 常 (chang, “always”).
1813. According to the Tibetan khams gsum kun tu. The Sanskrit has nṛloke (“in the human world”). Not present in the Chinese.
1814. According to the Tibetan de bzhin gshegs pa and the Chinese 如來 (ru lai). The Sanskrit has sugata.
1815. The Tibetan has mdang sum (“last night”) as the time the goddess spoke to her. The Sanskrit has adya (“today”) but also niśāntare, apparently as the “the women’s quarters,” the location where she was told this by the goddess. Cleary and Carré do not give time or place for the prophecy, other than that “today” is when she would see the prince. The Chinese has 今 (jin, “today”).
1816. According to the Tibetan rgyal ba. The Sanskrit has munīndra (“lord of sages”). The Chinese has “tathāgata.”
1817. According to the Tibetan dpal gyi ’od ’bar. The present Sanskrit has śrī­garbha­prabhā (“glorious essence light”), translated into Chinese as 妙藏光明 (miao zang guang ming).
1818. According to the Sanskrit dadyāmi and Narthang gsol. Degé has gsal. The Chinese has (奉 feng, “give” in honorific form).
1819. According to the Tibetan lus and the Chinese 身 (shen). Sanskrit has gātrāṇi (“limbs”).
1820. According to the Tibetan mchog. The Sanskrit has garbha (“center”). The Chinese has 端坐華臺上 (duan zuo hua tai shang, “sits upright with regal dignity on a lotus seat”).
1821. According to the Tibetan ’gro ba rnams la. The Sanskrit has jineṣu (“to the jinas”). The Chinese has 一切佛 (yi qie fo, “all the buddhas”).
1822. From the Sanskrit viprasanna. The Tibetan has gsal ba (“clear”). The Chinese describes it as “free of all defilements like a great lake of the dragon.”
1823. According to the commentary, this refers to the eightfold path, with wisdom being the right view and conduct being the other seven aspects of the path. This is not present in the Chinese.
1824. According to the Sanskrit parimocaka, the Chinese 救 (jiu), and Urga’s grol ba. Degé has ’grel ba. Lithang and Choné have ’brel ba.
1825. According to the Sanskrit naigama. The Tibetan has yul gyi mi (“people of the land”). The Chinese list is shorter and does not include this.
1826. According to the Sanskrit and Yongle and Kangxi. Degé omits ma (“not”). The Chinese simply has “countless beings developed the aspiration for enlightenment.”
1827. According to the Tibetan dbye ba. The Sanskrit has vinaya. The Chinese has “had attained or accomplished.”
1828. A reconstruction from the Tibetan thams cad la dbang lus rab tu snang ba. The present Sanskrit has Sucandra­kāya­pratibhāsa­dhvaja, which could have been translated as zla ba bzang po lus rab tu snang ba’i rgyal mtshan. The Chinese has 現一切世主身 (xian yi qie shi zhu shen), which can mean “appearance of the bodies of all lords of the worlds.”
1829. According to the Sanskrit, the previous and subsequent mention of the buddha’s name in the Degé Tibetan, and the Lithang and Choné Kangyurs in this passage. The Chinese translates this as 寶華如來 (bo hua ru lai), “the Tathāgata Precious Flowers.” Degé omits me tog (kusuma). Kangxi has me tak and Yongle omits ’od.
1830. According to the Tibetan. The present Sanskrit states that their voices spread through all the buddha realms. The Chinese has “their names are heard/known throughout all the buddha realms.”
1831. According to the Tibetan rgyal po. The Sanskrit and the Chinese appear to have omitted rāja.
1832. In the Sanskrit this is preceded by a tathāgata named Raśmi­candra, which appears to be a scribal corruption. Not present in the Chinese.
1833. According to the Sanskrit rāja, Chinese 王 (wang), and Narthang and Lhasa rgyal po. Degé and others have rgyan.
1834. Anabhilāpya literally means “indescribable” and in chapter 15 is said to be a specific number. The Chinese translates as 不可說 (bu ke shuo).
1835. According to the Sanskrit sattva and the Chinese 眾生 (zhong shen). Degé omits “beings”: “When bodhisattvas see bodhisattva conduct.”
1836. According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese and the subsequent mention of the number of realms. At this point the Tibetan has “a hundred thousand.”
1837. From the Sanskrit saṃjñā. The Tibetan translates as ming (“names”). Cleary translates as “thoughts,” and Carré as noms (“names”). The Chinese translates as 名 (ming, “names”) but can carry the sense of naming as well as thoughts and concepts associated with naming.
1838. In Sanskrit this is followed by “There appeared an ocean, without end or middle, of the ways of the great love of beings.”
1839. According to the Sanskrit saṃsthāna and the Narthang and Lhasa dbyibs. Degé and others have dbyings in error for dbyibs. The Chinese has 現隨類身 (xian sui lei shen, “manifest bodies that accord with the types/classes of beings”).
1840. From the Sanskrit purī. The Tibetan translates as pho brang (“palace”). The Chinese has 王都 (wang du, “royal capital”).
1841. According to the Sanskrit and the Tibetan. The Chinese has 瓔珞 (ying luo, “jewelry made of precious stones”).
1842. The Tibetan has mdog (literally, “color”) translating varṇa, which has multiple meanings, including “color,” “appearance,” “form,” and “shape.” The Chinese has 妙相莊嚴身 (miao xiang zhuang yan shen, “bodies adorned with excellent attributes”).
1843. From the Sanskrit vaśyā. The Tibetan has the literal translation de yi dbang gyur (“under his power”). The Chinese has more elaborate and potetic descriptions of admiration.
1844. According to the Sanskrit dhātu. The Tibetan has dbyibs (“shape”) in error for dbyings.
1845. This line is not present in Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, or Choné.
1846. From the Sanskrit vigraha. The Tibetan translates as lus, which was used in the previous line to translate śarīra (“body,” “constituents”). For the second part of this verse, the Chinese has 種種體名號 (zhong zhong ti ming hao, “a variety of bodies with various names”) and 無邊種莊嚴 (wu bian zhong zhuang yan, “infinite kinds of display or adornment”).
1847. This is followed in Sanskrit by anuprāptum (“follow”). The Chinese has “getting close to them, serving them, and making offerings to them.”
1848. This is followed in the Sanskrit by cāptuṃ (“be acquainted with”).
1849. The Sanskrit has “illusory forms and bodies” or “illusory form bodies.” The Chinese appears to translate this as two: 以如幻願而持佛身 (yi ru huan yuan er chi fo shen, “bodies from illusory prayers and blessings by the buddhas”) and 隨意生身 (sui yi sheng shen, “bodies born according to intention”).
1850. This is followed in Sanskrit by buddhādhiṣṭhāna­manomaya­śarīrāṇām (“bodies consisting of mind that have been blessed by the buddhas”).
1851. According to the Tibetan mi zad pa and the Chinese 不變壞 (bu bian huai), presumably translating akṣaya. Not present in the Sanskrit.
1852. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has praticchādana (“cover”). The Chinese has “to cover the city with good qualities.”
1853. According to Degé and Stok Palace bskyod, perhaps translating anukampana as later in this sentence. The Sanskrit has pratisyanda (“moistening”). Lhasa has bskyob (“protect”). Yongle, Kangxi, Lithang, and Choné have brgyan (“adorn”). Cleary has “water.” Carré has “broaden.” Chinese has 寬廣 (kuan guang, “widen and broaden”).
1854. According to the Sanskrit feminine instrumental case. The Tibetan has phyir (“in order to”). The Chinese has 悉捨所有隨應給施 (xi she suo you sui ying ji shi, “that is to abandon all possessions and give as the situation requires”).
1855. From the Sanskrit saṃprāpaṇatā, the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné bstabs. and also Narthang, which has the scribal error bltabs. Degé and Stok have bstan (“reveal”).
1856. According to the Sanskrit para and Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné phyir. Degé and Stok Palace have phyin. The Chinese has “closely guard the city of the mind so that various harmful desires will not enter.”
1857. According to the Tibetan srog, presumably translating from hṛḍha. The present Sanskrit has dṛḍha (“firm,” “strong”). The Chinese translates as 嚴肅 (yan su, “strict,” “stern”).
1858. According to the Tibetan. The present Sanskrit appears to have one deity, with the other compound being a description rather than a name. Carré has two goddesses. Cleary has one goddess, while the Chinese has two.
1859. According to the Tibetan and the Chinese. “Precious earrings” is not present in the Sanskrit.
1860. According to the Sanskrit prakṛti, translated as 性 (xing) in the Chinese. Not present in the Tibetan.
1861. According to the Tibetan blo gros, presumably translating mati. The present Sanskrit has pati, which appears to be a scribal error, as this name has already been given for a preceding eyesight. The Chinese has 普光明 (pu guang ming, “all-pervasive light”).
1862. According to the Tibetan and the Chinese. The Sanskrit has two lights here, the first enabling the vision of the form bodies, the second called complete light, which enables the vision of the categories of the form bodies. The Chinese has 見佛平等不思議身 (jian fo ping deng bu si yi shen, “see the undifferentiated, inconceivable bodies of the buddhas”), where “inconceivable” can mean “an inconceivably large number” or “countless.”
1863. According to the Tibetan kha. The Sanskrit has sukha (“bliss”), apparently in error for mukha (“mouth”). Not present in the Chinese.
1864. The Sanskrit has “Excellent, Ārya, excellent!”
1865. According to the Sanskrit darśayitā, the Chinese 教 (jiao), and the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, and Choné bstan. Degé has bsten (“depend”). The Chinese omits “without error.”
1866. According to the Tibetan, which has sman yon in error for phan yon.
1867. From the Sanskrit jagat, translated into Tibetan as ’gro ba (“beings”). Not present in the Chinese.
1868. From the Sanskrit. The Tibetan appears to read “countless nets of jewels.” The Chinese could have either meaning.
1869. According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “vajra.” The Chinese omits the adjective “shining.”
1870. From the Sanskrit vyūha. The Tibetan has rnam par phye ba (“separated”), perhaps translating from vivṛta. The Chinese has 壁 (bi, “walls”).
1871. According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. The Tibetan has ’dzam bu chu rlung (“Jambu River”), perhaps from a text that had jāmbūnada.
1872. According to the Sanskrit sarva. “All” is not present in the Tibetan. A description of the base is not present in the Chinese.
1873. From the Sanskrit mukhadvāra. The Tibetan has just kha (“mouth,” “opening”). The Chinese has 戶牖 (hu you, “doors and windows”).
1874. From the Sanskrit prayuktas. Degé has sbyangs (“trained”), which is a possible translation of prayukta. Lhasa has dpyangs (“hung”). The Chinese accords with the Lhasa version.
1875. According to the Tibetan ’byung ba and the Chinese 出 (chu). The present Sanskrit has prayuktaṃ, possibly in error for pramuktaṃ. “Shining kings of precious jewels” is not present in the Chinese.
1876. According to the Tibetan ’byung ba and the Chinese 出 (chu). The present Sanskrit has prayuktaṃ, possibly in error for pramuktaṃ.
1877. This assumes that candradhvaja is a synonym for candrakānta. The Chinese translates as 寶月幢 (bao yue chuang, “precious moon banner”).
1878. This assumes that śuddhagarbha is here a synonym for aśmagarbha. The Chinese translates as 淨藏寶王 (jing zang bao wang, “pure essence king of jewels”).
1879. This assumes that ādityagarbha is a synonym for ravikānta. The Chinese translates as 日藏摩尼 (ri zang mo ni, “sun essence precious jewels”).
1880. According to the Sanskrit yathāśaya and the Chinese 隨心樂 (sui xin le). The Tibetan omits “according to their aspirations.”
1881. According to the Sanskrit sarvakāla and the Narthang and Lhasa dus thams cad. Degé has dus gsum thams cad (“all three times”). The Chinese has 恆 (heng, “always”).
1882. According to the Sanskrit adhiṣṭhāna, translated into Tibetan as byin gyis rlob pa (“blessed”). The Chinese translates as 無去色身 (wu qu se shen, “non-going form body”).
1883. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has “She had a form that engaged in all conducts within the world and was not real.” “Form body that engaged in all conducts” is not present in the Chinese.
1884. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has “She had a form that was properly obtained and was not false.” The Chinese has 非實色身, 得如實故 (fei shi se shen, de ru shi gu, “she had a non-real form body, because she understood reality ‘as it is’ ”).
1885. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has “She had a form that was perceived by the world and was unsurpassed.” The Chinese has 非虛色身, 隨世現故 (fei xu se shen, sui shi xian gu, “she had a non-false form body, because it appeared in accord with the perception of the world”).
1886. According to the Sanskrit sulakṣaṇa. Omitted in the Tibetan. The Chinese has 一相色身, 無相為相故 (yi xiang se shen, wu xiang wei xiang gu, “she had a single-characteristic form body, because it had the characteristic of no characteristics”).
1887. From the Sanskrit adhiṣṭhāna and the Chinese 現生 (xian sheng). The Tibetan translates according to an alternative meaning as byin gyi rlob pa (“empowered,” “blessed”).
1888. According to the Sanskrit pratikṣaṇa. Omitted in the Tibetan and the Chinese.
1889. From the Sanskrit adhiṣṭhāna. The Tibetan translates according to an alternative meaning as byin gyi rlabs (“empowered,” “blessed”).
1890. From the Sanskrit adhiṣṭhāna. The Tibetan translates according to an alternative meaning as byin gyi ma brlabs (“not empowered,” “not blessed”).
1891. From the Tibetan ma byung ba. The Sanskrit has asaṃvṛta (“unobscured,” “unconcealed”). The Chinese has 無生 (wu sheng, “not born”).
1892. According to the Sanskrit cetana, the Chinese 心 (xin), and the Narthang and Lhasa sems. Degé has sems can (“beings”).
1893. According to the Tibetan gcig, presumably translating from a manuscript that had eka. The present Sanskrit has aneka (“many”). Cleary has “various names.” Carré has les noms de tous les bodhisattvas (“the names of all the bodhisattvas”), as in the Chinese 一切菩薩名號 (yi qie pu sa ming hao).
1894. From the Sanskrit mukha, translated into Tibetan according to the alternative meaning of sgo (“door”). Not present in the Chinese.
1895. In the present Sanskrit the order is “Aninema, Aninetra.”
1896. According to the Tibetan shing gi rgyal po and the Chinese 樹王佛 (shu wang fo). Not present in the Sanskrit.
1897. According to the Tibetan mchog gi dpal. Not present in the Sanskrit.
1898. According to the Tibetan rdo rje blo gros. Not present in the Sanskrit. This might be 堅固慧佛 (jian gu hui fo) in the Chinese.
1899. According to the Sanskrit. Apparently omitted in the Tibetan. This might be 大自在佛 (da zi zai fo) in the Chinese.
1900. According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has dbang du gyur pa’i (conjoining it with the next name) in error for dbang du gyur pa. This might be 自在佛 (zi zai fo) in the Chinese.
1901. According to the Sanskrit. Apparently omitted in the Tibetan. This might be 師子出現佛 (shi zi chu xian fo) in the Chinese.
1902. According to the Tibetan sa’i bdag po. The present Sanskrit has bhūmimati. This might be 大地王佛 (da di wang fo) in the Chinese.
1903. According to the Tibetan dpag tu med pa. The present Sanskrit has asita in error for amita. The Chinese 無量光佛 (wu liang guang fo, “Amitāyus,” an alternate name for Amitābha) reappears later in the list.
1904. According to the Tibetan blo gros rdo rje. The present Sanskrit has “Vajramati.” It was translated into Chinese as 金剛慧 (jin gang hui).
1905. According to the Tibetan chu lha’i spyan. Narthang and Lhasa have chu lha’i rgyan. The present Sanskrit has Karuṇāvṛkṣa. The Chinese has 水天德佛 (shui tian de fo), presumably translating from Varuṇa-guna.
1906. According to the Tibetan. The present Sanskrit has Akampitasāgara. This might be 大地王佛 (da di wang fo) in the Chinese.
1907. According to the Tibetan and the Chinese 不思議功德光佛 (bu si yi gong de guang fo). The present Sanskrit has Acintya­guṇa.
1908. According to the Tibetan lus mi snang bar ma byas pa (“not made the body invisible”). The Sanskrit reads antardhitakāya (“invisible body”). Cleary has “come invisibly.” Neither is present in Carré or the Chinese.
1909. According to one meaning of the Sanskrit saṃbheda and the Lhasa ’dres. Narthang has ’das (“passed beyond”) and Degé has ’dren (“bring”). The Chinese has 普照法界 (pu zhao fa jie, “illuminating universally the realm of phenomena”).
1910. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit reads “attaining no location.” The Chinese has 無依無上 (wu yi wu shang), which can be a stylized expression of “without basis to fix on or to be fixed on.”
1911. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has “stainless without location.” The Chinese accords with the Sanskrit.
1912. According to the Sanskrit, Degé, and Stok Palace. Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné have ṭa.
1913. According to the Degé, Stok Palace, and the standard Arapacana alphabet from The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines (Pañca­viṃśati­sāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā). The Sanskrit has sa. Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné have śa.
1914. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has “differentiated heap.”
1915. According to the Degé, Stok Palace, and the standard Arapacana alphabet. Sanskrit has sa. Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné have śta.
1916. According to the Tibetan and the standard Arapacana alphabet. Sanskrit has ṣa.
1917. According to the Tibetan and the Sanskrit. The Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra (see Padmakara Translation Group, 9.44) version has stha.
1918. According to the Degé (swa) and the Sanskrit. The Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra (9.44) version has śva. Yongle, Kangxi, Narthang, and Stok Palace have sba as transliteration of sva.
1919. According to the Sanskrit, The Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra (9.44), Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace. Degé has kśa.
1920. According to the Tibetan, presumably translating from garbha. The present Sanskrit has prabha (“light”).
1921. According to the Tibetan and the Sanskrit. The Perfection of Wisdom (9.44) version is jña.
1922. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has “the gateway to perceiving the origin of the world.” The Chinese has (shi jian zhi hui men, “gateways to the wisdom/knowledge of the world”).
1923. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has rtha (the online Vaidya transcription has the error tha). The Perfection of Wisdom (9.44) version is rta and the next letter is ha, which is not listed in this sūtra in Tibetan, Sanskrit, or Chinese. The Chinese has the transcription 曷多羅 (he duo luo), which may have integrated ha.
1924. According to the Tibetan, presumably translating from upāya. The Sanskrit has garbha (“essence”). The Chinese has 方便藏 (fang bian zang, “treasury, or essence of, methods”).
1925. According to Degé, Stok Palace, Sanskrit, and The Perfection of Wisdom (9.44). Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné have hā.
1926. According to the Tibetan. “Ocean” is not present in the Sanskrit or the Chinese.
1927. According to the Sanskrit, the Chinese, and The Perfection of Wisdom (9.44). The Tibetan has yas.
1928. According to Degé and Stok Palace. The Sanskrit and The Perfection of Wisdom (9.44) have ṭha. Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné have ta.
1929. According to the Sanskrit, Chinese, Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace. Degé has na.
1930. According to the Degé. The Sanskrit and The Perfection of Wisdom (9.44) have pha. Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, Choné, Lhasa, and Stok Palace have spa.
1931. According to The Perfection of Wisdom (9.44) and the Sanskrit (online Vaidya transcription has sya in error for ysa). The Tibetan has yma, which appears to be a scribal error.
1932. According to Degé and Stok Palace. The Sanskrit and The Perfection of Wisdom (9.44) have ṭa. Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné have tha.
1933. According to the Sanskrit and The Perfection of Wisdom (9.44). The Tibetan has dha, which already occurred earlier in the list.
1934. According to the Sanskrit aśmagarbha and the Chinese 硨磲 (che qu). Not present in the Tibetan.
1935. According to the Sanskrit rāṣṭra and Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, Choné, Lhasa, and Stok Palace, which have khams. Degé has khang pa (“house”).
1936. From the Sanskrit mṛgacakra. The Tibetan translates as ri dags dang ’khor lo (“wild animals and wheels”). The Chinese has “astrology, geography, and the sounds of birds and beasts.”
1937. From the BHS dhandāyitva (dhaṃdhāyitva in the present Sanskrit) and the Chinese 頑鈍 (wan dun). The Tibetan translates obscurely as ’khor ba.
1938. According to the Tibetan thogs pa myed pa. The Sanskrit is adhiṣṭhāna, which has a number of meanings and is usually translated into Tibetan as byin rlabs, which itself is usually translated from Tibetan as “blessing.” The Chinese has 無盡 (wu jin, “inexhaustible,” “limitless,” “unending”).
1939. According to the Sanskrit vidyut. Translated into Tibetan as snang ba (“radiance,” “light”). The Chinese translates the last three descriptions as two: 智慧光明 (zhi hui guang ming, “luminosity of wisdom”) and 速疾神通 (su ji shen tong, “instantaneous attainment of miraculous powers”).
1940. According to the Tibetan rnam par dag pa and the Chinese 清淨 (qing jing). “Pure” is not present in the Sanskrit.
1941. According to the Tibetan rnam par dag pa and the Chinese 清淨 (qing jing). “Pure” is not present in the Sanskrit.
1942. According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. Either the past or present is absent from the Tibetan.
1943. According to the Tibetan ’gro ba. The Sanskrit has dharma (“phenomena”). The Chinese has 世間 (shi jian, “worlds,” “realms”).
1944. According to the Sanskrit māyā and the Yongle and Kangxi sgyu ma. Degé has rgyu (“cause”). Neither is present in the Chinese.
1945. According to the Tibetan chos and the Chinese 法 (fa). The Sanskrit has traidhātuka (“the three realms”).
1946. According to the Sanskrit māyā. The Tibetan has rgyu (“cause”) in error for sgyu ma. The Chinese has 我見 (wo jian, “perception of self”) and continues with “and various illusory conditions.”
1947. According to the Tibetan phyin ci log gi sgyu ma. The Sanskrit differs in this passage in terms of the causes applied to the various sights. The Chinese has 我見 (wo jian, “perception of self”), which refers to erroneous views more broadly.
1948. According to the Sanskrit māyā. The Tibetan has rgyu (“cause”) in error for sgyu ma. Neither is present in the Chinese.
1949. According to the Sanskrit māyā. The Tibetan has rgyu (“cause”) in error for sgyu ma. Yongle and Kangxi have sgyu. The Chinese has “they arise from the ignorance of erroneous…”
1950. According to the Sanskrit māyā. The Tibetan has rgyu (“cause”) in error for sgyu ma. Neither is present in the Chinese.
1951. According to the Sanskrit dṛḍhīkaraṇa, the Chinese 堅固 (jian gu), and Degé brtan par bya ba. Lithang, Narthang, Choné, and Lhasa have the error bstan (“teach”).
1952. “Conduct” here translated from carita. This is translated in the Chinese as 修行 (xiu xing). Not present in the Tibetan.
1953. Degé has the incorrect block print page on the reverse of this folio. It is a repeat of kha 280.b from The Ten Bhūmi Sūtra (Daśa­bhūmika Sūtra). The page order has been emended in the Degé reader.
1954. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has just “ways.” The Chinese has 巧迴向 (qiao hui xiang, “skillful dedication”).
1955. According to the Tibetan dbye. The Sanskrit has “purify,” which is translated into Chinese as 清淨 (qing jing).
1956. According to the Sanskrit bodhisattvena. The Tibetan has pa’i apparently in error for dpas, which soon commences in the Tibetan list. In the Chinese, “bodhisattva” becomes a noun-adjective, i.e., “obtain the bodhisattva clouds of the Dharma.”
1957. According to the Sanskrit bodhisattvena. The Tibetan has pa’i apparently in error for dpas, which soon commences in the Tibetan list.
1958. According to the Sanskrit bodhisattvena and Degé. Lithang and Choné have dpa’i, Yongle has dpa’s, and Kangxi has dpa’is.
1959. Degé has the incorrect block print page on the reverse of this folio. It is from further on in the sūtra, at the beginning of the twentieth fascicle [B20] in chapter 54. The page order has been emended in the Degé reader.
1960. According to the Tibetan and the Chinese. The Sanskrit has bodhi. “Pure” is not present in the Chinese.
1961. According to the Tibetan and the Chinese. The Sanskrit has “to the ocean of.”
1962. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has “the elevated, special faith of the bodhisattvas.” The Chinese appears to interpret it as “Hearing all supreme Dharmas of the bodhisattvas.”
1963. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has “appearances of qualities.” The Chinese has “Reaching all islands of precious Dharmas of the bodhisattvas.”
1964. According to the Tibetan yan lag and the Chinese 分 (fen). The Sanskrit (BHS) has adhipati (“dominance”).
1965. According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has a double negative: “do not enter the faultlessness of.” The Chinese has 超越二乘地 (chao yue er sheng di, “transcend the level of the two yānas”).
1966. According to the BHS vibhajitāra, translated into Tibetan as rnam par ’byed pa. The Chinese has “cause the attainment of all types of patience.”
1967. According to the Sanskrit nirahaṃkāra and the Chinese 憍慢 (jiao man). The Tibetan apparently has an error dus (“time”).
1968. According to the Sanskrit antevāsi. The Tibetan translates as the obscure mtshan bu. This analogy is not present in the Chinese.
1969. According to the Sanskrit suputra. The Tibetan has mdzangs, which usually means “a wise person.” The Chinese translates as 孝子 (xiao zi, “filial son”).
1970. The Sanskrit is the synonym bhujaga (“serpent”). The Chinese has 龍王 (long wang, “dragon king”).
1971. According to the Sanskrit viśodhayanti. The Tibetan has spyod (“conduct”) in error for sbyong. The Chinese has “purify … bodhisattva powers.”
1972. From the BHS pariṇāmana, translated into Tibetan as sngo ba (“dedicated”). The Chinese also translates as “dedication” 迴向 (hui xiang).
1973. From the BHS āyadvāra. The Tibetan has skye mched, presumably translating from a manuscript that had the error āyatana.
1974. According to the Tibetan yul, presumably translating from a manuscript that had viṣaya. The present Sanskrit has viṣama (“injurious,” “bad”). The Chinese concurs with the Tibetan.
1975. According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan and the Chinese do not have “benefiting.”
1976. According to the Sanskrit praiśodhayan. The Tibetan has rgyas (“increased”). The Chinese has “generated.”
1977. The Tibetan interprets the compound as meaning “the lower realms of the five classes of beings.” The Chinese does not have “lower realms.”
1978. According to the Sanskrit parigraha. The Tibetan translates as yongs su bsdu ba (“gathering”). The Chinese has 成就 (cheng jiu, “accomplishing”).
1979. According to the Tibetan. “Wisdom” is not present in the Tibetan. The Chinese has “wisdom body.”
1980. Literally, “teachers.” The Tibetan has ston pa. The Sanskrit has śāstri. The Chinese has 大師 (da shi).
1981. According to the Tibetan. This clause and part of the preceding clause are not present in the Sanskrit. The Chinese concurs with the Tibetan.
1982. According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. The manuscript that the Tibetan was translated from appears to have omitted part of this sentence.
1983. According to the Tibetan de bzhin nyid, presumably translating from tathātā. Present Sanskrit has tathāgata, translated as 如來 (ru lai) in Chinese.
1984. According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. The Tibetan conjoins this and the preceding birthlessness into one.
1985. According to the Tibetan bsngo ba and the Chinese 迴向 (hui xiang). The BHS pariṇāma can mean literally “transformation” as well as “development” and “ripening.”
1986. In accordance with the Sanskrit uccheda … vigata, the Chinese 斷見 (duan jian), and the Degé and other Kangyurs’ chad med. Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace have the error tshad med (“limitless”).
1987. In accordance with the Sanskrit śāśvata, the Chinese 常見 (chang jian), and the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, Choné, and Stok Palace rtag pa. Degé has the error rtog pa (“thought”).
1988. According to the Tibetan. Both Suzuki and the online Sanskrit canon transcription (Vaidya) have the error of a double repetition of a corrupted addition: samyak-kriyādṛṣṭi­vigatena. The Chinese has 離無因見, 知正因故 (li wu yin jian, zhi zheng yin gu, “free from the view of non-causality, because of knowing the direct cause”).
1989. According to the Tibetan. A part of this quality and the next are missing from the Sanskrit. The Chinese has 離顛倒’見, 知如實理故 (li dian dao jian, zhi ru shi li gu, “free from erroneous views, because of knowing the true nature [of all phenomena]”).
1990. According to the Tibetan gzugs brnyan, presumably translating pratibhāsa or pratibimba. The Sanskrit has pratiṣṭhā (“established”). Carré has reflets. The Chinese has 影像 (ying xiang, “reflected images”).
1991. According to the Tibetan skye ba dang ’jig pa’i lta ba dang bral ba (’jig pa’i lta ba dang bral ba is missing from Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné). The Chinese 離有無見 (li you wu jian, “free of the views of existence and nonexistence” or “being and nonbeing”).
1992. According to the Lithang and Choné kyi. Degé and others have kyis, which is probably the original interpretation of the Sanskrit compound.
1993. According to the Tibetan gzugs brnyan, presumably translating pratibhāsa, and the Chinese (Carré has reflets). The Sanskrit has pratiṣṭhā (“established”).
1994. The Sanskrit here repeats the sentence about a reflection using other words. There is no repetition in the Chinese.
1995. The Sanskrit has “kleśas and conceptions.” The Chinese has just “conceptions.”
1996. According to the Sanskrit tṛṣṇā, the Chinese 愛 (ai), and Yongle, Kangxi, Narthang, Urga, Lhasa, and Stok Palace sred. Degé has srid (“becoming,” “existence”).
1997. According to the Sanskrit patha and the Yongle, Kangxi, Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace lam. Degé has las (“action”). The Chinese has just “the four māras.”
1998. Given in the short form Sanskrit maitra, translated into Chinese as 慈氏 (ci shi), and in the short Tibetan form bshes gnyen.
1999. The Sanskrit and the Chinese translate as “has pure realization.”
2000. According to the Sanskrit dama and the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi and Choné dul. The Chinese has 戒 (jie), from śīla, and lists the six perfections together in one line.
2001. The Sanskrit has “skandhas, and thus āyatanas and beings.” The Chinese has “who are able to observe/meditate on skandhas, āyatanas, dhātus, and dependent origination without falling into peace.”
2002. The Sanskrit has “thoughts of beings.” The Chinese has simply “beings.”
2003. According to the Sanskrit niketavigatā aniketacārī. The Tibetan (including Stok Palace) appears to have inadvertently repeated dngos from the previous sentence instead of gnas, perhaps very early in the scribal transmission. This line appears to be absent in the Chinese.
2004. According to the Sanskrit parimocayanti and Urga and Lhasa ’grol. Degé and others have ’grel (“explain”). The Chinese has “developed vast compassion, and eradicate all of them with the medicine of wisdom.”
2005. Sanskrit has śoka (“misery”), translated as 優迫 (you po) in the Chinese.
2006. According to the Sanskrit mṛtyusamudra. The Tibetan has the apparently meaningless tsham. The Chinese has 有海 (you hai, “ocean of existences”).
2007. According to the Sanskrit kaivarta and the Chinese 漁人 (yu ren). Carré has pêcheurs. Cleary has “fishers.” The Tibetan repeats mnyan pa (“mariner”) from the previous verse.
2008. According to the Tibetan mchog. The Sanskrit has śuddha (“pure”). The Chinese has 菩提妙寶心 (pu ti miao bao xin, “supreme, precious bodhicitta”).
2009. According to the Tibetan chen, presumably translating from mahā. The present Sanskrit has saha (“together with”). The Chinese has 智海人 (zhi hai ren, “persons with oceans of wisdom”).
2010. According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has the genitive “of.” The Chinese has “making offerings to oceans of tathāgatas.”
2011. According to the Tibetan dran pa, presumably translating from smṛti. The present Sanskrit has mati (“intelligence,” “understanding”) in accord with the Chinese 正知 (zheng zhi).
2012. According to the Tibetan thams cad, presumably translating sarva. The present Sanskrit has sattva (“beings”).
2013. According to the Sanskrit amalīna. The Tibetan translates as zhum med pa (“not disheartened”). The Chinese has 不退 (bu tui, “non-retrogressive”).
2014. According to the Sanskrit mārga and the Chinese 正道 (zheng dao, “correct path”). The Tibetan translates as phyogs (“direction”). The third and fourth lines are reversed in order in the Chinese.
2015. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has “they are guides who give me happiness.”
2016. According to the Sanskrit sevate. The Tibetan translates as sten (“rely on”). The Chinese translates this line as 謙下求知識 (qian xia qiu zhi shi, “With humility he seeks out the kalyāṇamitras”).
2017. According to the Sanskrit svāśrayaṃ and the Yongle bdag gi. Degé and others have bdag gis. The Chinese has 永離世間身 (yong li shi jian shen, “when his body leaves this world permanently”).
2018. According to the Sanskrit karṇadhāra and the Chinese 船師 (chuan shi). Usually translated as gdongs pa ’dzin pa, here the Tibetan appears to have skye ba ’dzin in error for skya ba ’dzin.
2019. According to the Tibetan, presumably translating from Sanskrit that contains something like maitrānanda­saṃādhi. The present Sanskrit has maitra­candana­samāna (“universal affectionate frankincense”).
2020. According to the Sanskrit and the Narthang and Lhasa po. Degé has the genitive po’i (“stains of the pure essence”). The Chinese has “the wick of faith and oil of compassion” and appears to omit “a pure essence.”
2021. Degé and Stok Palace have mar mer. Lithang and Choné have ma ma. Yongle and Kangxi have mar me.
2022. Degé has sko. Yongle, Kangxi, Lithang, and Choné have the error sku (“body”).
2023. Degé has rdol pa. Yongle and Lhasa have rdos. Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné have rdul. Narthang and Stok Palace have dros. Urga has brdos.
2024. Degé has ’khregs. Yongle has ’khrags. Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné have ’khrungs. Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace have mkhregs.
2025. According to the Tibetan. The BHS is buddha­garbhu ayu saṃpravardhate (“develops in the womb of the buddha”). The Chinese has 長於如來藏 (zhang yu ru lai zang, “grow from tathāgata­garbha”).
2026. In the online version of the Sanskrit (Vaidya) this verse is also given the number 96, and therefore from this point on the numbers do not match. The Chinese does not number the verses.
2027. According to the Sanskrit tṛṣṇa and the Chinese 愛欲 (ai yu). The Tibetan has srid pa in error for sred pa. Verses 101 and 102 are condensed into one with some modification in the Chinese.
2028. The Tibetan switches to a direct address of second-person verbs from this point, but the Sanskrit continues to refer to Sudhana in the third person in this and the following verse, only then switching to second person.
2029. According to the Tibetan mkhas pa. The Sanskrit has sūrata (“compassionate one”). The Chinese has instead 汝行極調柔 (ru xing ji tiao rou, “your conduct is extremely gentle and pliant”).
2030. According to the Sanskrit śraddha. The Tibetan has the error dag for dad. The Chinese translates the verse as 汝心甚清淨 (ru xin shen qing jing, “your mind/motivation is very pure”).
2031. Degé has ’grel in error for ’grol.
2032. According to the Sanskrit pañca­gaṇḍa­gati gaṇḍa, which in BHS can mean “sections,” “parts of a whole.” Pañcagaṇḍaka is a standard BHS term for the “five divisions of existence.” The Tibetan translates gaṇḍa as shu ba (“blister,”), which is one of the numerous diverse meanings of the Sanskrit, Pali, and therefore, presumably, also BHS. It is not present in the Chinese.
2033. According to the Sanskrit dvara and the Chinese 門 (men). The Tibetan has lam (“path”), which does not seem to fit here.
2034. According to the Sanskrit dvara. The Tibetan has lam (“paths”), which does not seem to fit here. In the Chinese the third line is split into two: “You will show the door to liberation. You will let all beings enter.”
2035. According to the Sanskrit prefix sudur, the Chinese 難 (nan), and the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace dka’. Degé has the error dga’ (“joy”).
2036. According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has the genitive kyi, apparently in error for the instrumental kyis. The first two lines are translated in the Chinese as “All bodhisattva conducts are for the purpose of guiding beings.”
2037. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has “you will be equal to the unequaled bodhisattvas.”
2038. According to the Sanskrit priyā, the Chinese, and the Narthang, Lhasa, Choné, and Stok Palace dga’. Degé has dka’ (“difficult”). The Sanskrit priyā is translated alternatively as 敬慕 (jing mu, “admire”).
2039. According to the Yongle, Kangxi, Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace ’jigs. Urga has the error ’jig (“destroy”). Degé has the error ’jug (“enter”). The Tibetan appears to be translating from a manuscript that had bhaya. The present Sanskrit has maya (“composed of”) and no negative. Carré has ne point douter de lui (“have no doubt in him”). Cleary has “one will be serving the Friends thereby.” The Chinese has 疑惑 (yi huo, “doubts”).
2040. From this point on, the Chinese appears to be in prose, while the Sanskrit and the Tibetan present the same matter in eight verses before turning to prose.
2041. According to the Tibetan ’jam dpal. The present Sanskrit uses his alternate name Mañjughoṣa (normally translated into Tibetan as ’jam dbyangs).
2042. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit omits “of all the lords of the world.”
2043. According to the Tibetan, “ocean” presumably translating from a manuscript that had jala (“water”). The Sanskrit has “draws in (ākarṣita) beings to be guided with the net (jāla) of methods.” The verb “wash” is according to the Degé, etc., bshal, presumably translating kṣālita. Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné have bshad pa (“teach,” “explain”). It is uncertain what would have been instead of ākarṣita, perhaps tena kṣālita (“wash by him”) instead of tenākarṣita. The Chinese has 布調伏一切眾生網 (bu tiao fu yi qie zhong sheng wang, “cast the net to guide all beings”).
2044. According to the Tibetan and the Chinese. The Sanskrit omits “gathering.”
2045. According to the Tibetan bslu. The Chinese translates as 負 (fu, “fail”). The Sanskrit does not have this verb and reads, “May I not be cut off from the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha.” Therefore the next verb, “make empty,” is applied to both the buddhas and the bodhisattvas. The Chinese is the same as the Sanskrit in “May I not be cut off.”
2046. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit and the Chinese do not have “and beings.”
2047. According to the Tibetan. The BHS is prāhāṇa (“escape”). The Chinese is similar to the Sanskrit, stating that he wishes to give teachings to those imprisoned in existences so that they can escape.
2048. According to the Sanskrit bhava­cārakāvaruddhānāṃ. Degé and Stok Palace have srid pa’i btson ras ’khor ba rnams. Yongle, Lithang, and Narthang have rar instead of ras.
2049. From the Sanskrit śrama. The Tibetan translates as nyon mongs (usually the equivalent of kleśa but can mean “distress” in general). The Chinese has 如是 (ru shi, “like this,” “accordingly”) for this and all other actions described in this section.
2050. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has just sattva (“beings”). The Chinese has 生長一切菩薩故 (sheng zhang yi qie pu sa gu, “because she gives birth to and nurtures all bodhisattvas”).
2051. According to the Sanskrit mahāmeru and Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Choné, Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace ri chen po. Degé has rin po che (“jewel”). The Chinese has just “Meru.”
2052. According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit and the Chinese have “desire.”
2053. According to the Sanskrit haṃsalakṣana. A kind of waterproof clothing. Degé has dang (“and”) in error for ngang (“goose”). Stok Palace has rang (“self”) in error for ngang. The Chinese has “goose-feather.”
2054. According to the Sanskrit viśodhanatā. The Tibetan has spyod in error for sbyong. The Chinese has 治 (zhi), an abbreviated translation for “purify.”
2055. The Sanskrit has “qualities and wisdom.” The Chinese has just “qualities.”
2056. According to the Sanskrit samanta­pāśa­jāla. Degé has ’khor ba’i snying (which would seem to be “heart of saṃsāra”). Stok Palace has ’khor ba’i rnyi (“snare of saṃsāra” but more likely intended to mean “encircling snare”). Cleary has “all-encompassing net.” Carré has grand filet (“great net”). The Chinese has 大網 (da wang, “great net”).
2057. According to the Tibetan. This sentence is not present in the Sanskrit. The Chinese has “those who dwell in the abyss of existences.”
2058. According to the Sanskrit agada, which can also mean an antidote. The Tibetan translates as dug sman (“poison medicine”). The Chinese has 阿伽陀藥 (a qie tuo yao), transcribing the pronunciation of agada.
2059. The Sanskrit yāmabheri could mean the drum that signals any of the periods of the day, but the meaning is clearly that of dawn. Degé and Stok Palace have mtho ras, which has no apparent meaning. Lhasa has mtho ris (“higher existences”). Here the translation follows Narthang and Urga, which have tho rangs. The Chinese translates as 更漏鼓 (gen lou gu, “water clock drum”), with the drum being part of a traditional clock, beaten three times at dawn or when the night ends.
2060. From the Sanskrit jihmīkaraṇa, translated into Chinese as 映奪 (ying duo). The Tibetan translates as zil du brlag, where brlag does not in this case mean “destroy.”
2061. According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese 有為善 (you wei shan). The Tibetan has “noncomposite and composite,” which is evidently an error.
2062. According to the Tibetan dbyig. The Sanskrit has citta (“mind,” “motivation”). Cleary has “motivation.” Carré has joyau extraordinaire (“extraordinary jewel”), which is a possible translation of dbyig. The Chinese has 妙寶 (miao bao), “excellent jewel.”
2063. According to the Tibetan rgan pa, perhaps from a manuscript that had jyeṣṭha or śreṣṭha. The Sanskrit has buddhi (“intelligence,” “discernment,” etc.). Cleary has “understanding.” Carré has ce qu’il y a de meilleur (“that which is best”), perhaps from a Chinese translation of śreṣṭha. The Chinese has 則為尊勝 (ze wei zun sheng, “it is supreme”).
2064. According to the Sanskrit nidhāna (“treasure”). Cleary and Carré both have “treasure.” Stok Palace has gleng gzhi (“introduction”), presumably translating from a manuscript that had nidāna in error for nidhāna. Degé appears to have introduced a further error as gling gzhi (“continent basis”), and Lithang and Choné a further error as gling bzhi (“four continents”). The Chinese has 伏藏 (fu zang, “hidden or buried treasure”).
2065. According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has only chu (“water”) instead of chu lha or chu’i lha (literally, “deity of the water”).
2066. According to the Sanskrit, the Chinese, and the Lhasa and Stok Palace rlog. Degé has klog (“read”).
2067. The Sanskrit has anirmuktā. The Tibetan has mi gtong ba. The Chinese has 得解脫藥, 終無橫死 (de jie tuo yao, zhong wu heng si, “who possesses the potion/medicine called liberation, will never encounter accidental or untimely death”).
2068. According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has mchu. The Chinese reads 摩訶應伽藥 (mo he ying qie yao).
2069. The Sanskrit has aparājita. The Tibetan has mi thub pa. The Chinese has 無勝藥 (wu sheng yao).
2070. The Sanskrit has vigama. The Tibetan has rnam par sel ba. The Chinese has 毗笈摩藥 (pi ji mo yao), a phonetic transcription.
2071. The Sanskrit and the Chinese also have “and wrong views.”
2072. The Sanskrit has sudarśana. The Chinese has 善見藥 (shan jian yao). The Tibetan has blta na sdug pa.
2073. The Sanskrit is saṃtāna. The Chinese has 珊陀那藥 (shan tuo na yao), a phonetic transcription. The Tibetan has sbyor ba.
2074. The Sanskrit has anirvṛttamūlā. The Chinese has 無生根 (wu sheng gen). The Tibetan has rtsa ba ma grub pa.
2075. The Sanskrit has ratilambhā. The Chinese has 阿藍婆 (e lan po), a phonetic transcription, although it is also translated as 得喜 (de xi, “attainment of joy”) in some other scriptures. The Tibetan has dga’ ba ’thob pa.
2076. The Sanskrit has smṛtilabdha. The Chinese has 念力藥 (nian li yao). The Tibetan has dran pa ’thob pa.
2077. The Sanskrit has mahāpadmā. The Chinese has 大蓮華 (da lian hua). The Tibetan has pad ma chen po.
2078. The Sanskrit has adṛśya. The Chinese has 翳形藥 (yi xing yao). The Tibetan reads mi snang ba.
2079. The Sanskrit has sarva­maṇi­ratna­samuccaya. The Chinese has 普集眾寶 (pu ji zhong bao). The Tibetan has rin po che thams cad yongs su sdud pa.
2080. The Sanskrit has sarva­prabhāsa­samuccaya. The Chinese has 大光明 (da guang ming, “great brilliant light”). The Tibetan has ’od thams cad yongs su ’dus pa.
2081. The Sanskrit has udakaprasādaka. The Chinese has 如水清珠 (ru shui qing zhu, “a pearl clear like water”). The Tibetan has chu ’dang.
2082. The Sanskrit has udakasaṃvāsa. The Chinese has 住水寶 (zhu shui bao). The Tibetan has chu dang ’grogs pa.
2083. The Sanskrit has nāgamaṇivarma. The Chinese has 龍寶珠 (long bao zhu), omitting varma. The Tibetan has klu’i nor bu’i go cha.
2084. The Sanskrit has śakrābhilagna. The Chinese has 摩尼冠 (mo ni guan), “mani crown.” The Tibetan has brgya byin mngon par chags pa.
2085. The Sanskrit has cintārāja. The Chinese has 如意珠 (ru yi zhu). The Tibetan has yid bzhin gyi rgyal po.
2086. The Sanskrit has suryakānta. The Chinese has 日精珠 (ri jing zhu), which can also mean “pearl of the sun essence.” The Tibetan has nyi mas mdzes pa.
2087. The Sanskrit has candrakānta. The Chinese has 月精珠 (yue jing zhu), which can also mean “pearl of the moon essence.” The Tibetan has zla bas mdzes pa.
2088. The Sanskrit has cintārāja. The Chinese has (ru yi mo ni bao guan, “wish-fulfilling mani crown”). The Tibetan has yid bzhin gyi rgyal po.
2089. According to the Tibetan dam pa. The Sanskrit has garbha (“essence”), which is translated into Chinese as 藏 (zang).
2090. The Sanskrit has jagad­vyūha­garbha. The Tibetan has ’gro ba’i rgyan dam pa. The Chinese has 一切世間莊嚴藏 (yi qie shi jian zhuang yan zang).
2091. According to the Sanskrit antaḥpura­madhyaṃ. The Tibetan has khyim gyi nang na. (“even when inside the home”). Cleary has “lights up the palace.” Carré has dans le sanctuaire du palais (“within the palace sanctuary”). The Chinese reads 宮 (gong, “palace”).
2092. According to the Tibetan. The Chinese has 性本淨故 (xing ben jing gu, “because its nature is originally pure”). This sentence is not present in the Sanskrit.
2093. The explanation of the meaning and the description of the jewel in the next paragraph is missing from the Sanskrit, both online (Vaidya) and in Suzuki, p. 499.
2094. The Sanskrit has vimala­viśuddha­prabha. The Tibetan has dri ma med pas rnam par dag pa’i ’od. The Chinese reads 淨光明 (jing guang ming, “pure bright light”).
2095. The Sanskrit has agneya. The Tibetan has me ’byung. The Chinese has 火焰 (huo yan).
2096. The Sanskrit is vaśirāja. The Tibetan has dbang gi rgyal po. The Chinese has 自在王 (zi zai wang).
2097. According to the Tibetan ji srid. Cleary and Carré translating from the Chinese accord with the interpretation of the Sanskrit yāvat as meaning “as far as.” The Chinese has 日月光明所照之處 (ri yue guang ming suo zhao zhi chu, “places the sun and moon shine upon”). This segment is much more concise in the Chinese.
2098. According to the Tibetan dam pa. The Sanskrit has garbha (“essence”). The Chinese has 藏 (zang), which can mean either “essence” or “treasury.”
2099. The Sanskrit has sāgara­vyūha­grabha. The Tibetan has rgya mtsho’i rgyan gyi dam pa. The Chinese reads 海藏 (hai zang), omitting “display.”
2100. The Sanskrit has cintārāja. The Tibetan has yid bzhin gyi rgyal po.
2101. According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. The Tibetan omits “fruit.”
2102. The Sanskrit has hāṭaka­prabhāsa. The Tibetan has gser du snang ba. The Chinese has 訶宅迦 (he zhe jia), transcribing the pronunciation of hāṭaka.
2103. Although in the previous sentence the Tibetan has translated rasa as dngul chu (“mercury”), here it is inconsistently translated as ro (“taste”). The Chinese omits a description of quantity here.
2104. Although above the Tibetan has translated rasa as dngul chu (“mercury”), here it is inconsistently translated as ro (“taste”). The Chinese is more concise and does not repeat the word here.
2105. According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. The Tibetan omits “lamp.”
2106. According to the Sanskrit varti and the Chinese 炷 (zhu). The Tibetan translates as snying po, which could be understood as “essence.”
2107. According to the Tibetan sku, apparently translating from a manuscript that had kāya. The present Sanskrit has kārya (“activities”). Cleary and Carré, translating from the Chinese 事 (shi), have “activities.”
2108. According to the Sanskrit and the Stok Palace. Degé adds “horses.” The Chinese describes the roar of the lion king as “increasing courage in the lion cubs.”
2109. According to the Sanskrit, Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace. Degé, etc. omit “by the Dharma.” The Chinese describes the roar of the lion king of bodhicitta as “enhancing the qualities/merit of bodisattvas.”
2110. According to the clearer syntax of the Sanskrit. Translated into Chinese as 絕 (jue).
2111. The Sanskrit and the Chinese have “karma and kleśas.”
2112. According to the Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace Kangyurs. Degé, etc. omit the negative. The Chinese simplifies this as “ordinary beings of the world and beings of the two vehicles.”
2113. According to the Sanskrit upastabdha and the Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace brtan. Degé, etc. have bstan (“show,” “reveal”). The Chinese translates this phrase as 雖於一切臣佐中未得自在 (sui yu yi qie chen zuo zhi zhong wei de zi zai, “even though one has not mastered the skill of ruling over all the ministers and officials”).
2114. According to the Tibetan mi dgos pa. The Sanskrit aparibhūta can have many meanings, such as “surpass” and “be superior.”
2115. According to the Sanskrit haṃsa. The Tibetan appears to have dang ba (“purity”) in error for ngang pa (“duck,” “goose”). In Chinese, this is replaced by an analogy of amrita.
2116. According to the Sanskrit praṇidhi. This is usually translated into Tibetan as smon lam, but here it has just smon pa (“aspiration”). The Chinese has “without bodhicitta, all actions will dissipate.”
2117. According to the Tibetan zhu ba. The Sanskrit has jarayitum (“be worn out”). The Chinese has 消滅 (xiao mie, “dissolved,” “destroyed”).
2118. According to the Sanskrit and the Lithang and Choné gseng. Degé, etc. have gsang (“secret”). The Chinese has “cannot leak onto the ground.”
2119. According to the Sanskrit and the Yongle, Kangxi, and Stok Palace rton. Degé, etc. have ston (“teach,” “show”). The Chinese has 修集 (xiu ji, “practicing and gathering”).
2120. According to the Sanskrit jāla and the Chinese 網 (wang). The Tibetan has the superfluous mang po (“many”), perhaps translating from a text that had bahu. The Chinese has 阿僧祇 (a seng qi), asaṃkhya, for all items listed.
2121. According to the BHS ghandhaghaṭika and the Chinese 香爐 (xiang lu). The Tibetan translates the compound as the obscure gam yo and spos kyi snod (“incense holder”). The Chinese omits the description of aroma and incense sticks.
2122. From the Tibetan stegs bu. The Sanskrit vāmaka is obscure. The Chinese translates as 香爐 (xiang lu) but omits “aroma of incense sticks.” It omits descriptions of “supporting columns, pools, dais, and ground” while including four kinds of lotuses and trees made of jewels.
2123. According to the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, Choné, Lhasa, and Stok Palace ’khrul pa. Degé has ’khrug pa (“confusion,” “disturbance”). The Sanskrit has asaṃpramoṣa (“without loss”). The Chinese has 惑 (huo, “doubts,” “confusion”).
2124. According to the Tibetan and the Chinese. The Sanskrit also has “enter the great ocean of the Dharma.”
2125. From the Sanskrit māyā and the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, Choné, and Stok Palace sgyu. Degé has rgyu (“cause”). The Chinese has 了法如幻 (liao fa ru huan, “attain the realization that all dharmas are like illusions”).
2126. According to the Tibetan mtha’ yas. The Sanskrit appears to have this associated with completion of the perfections. The Chinese omits “infinite” and appears to have this associated with the perfection of patience.
2127. According to the BHS saṃgāyamānam, which can also mean “sing together,” and the Urga and Lhasa bro ba. Degé, etc. have ’gro ba (“go”). Not present in the Chinese.
2128. According to the BHS saṃgāyamānam, which can also mean “sing together,” and the Urga and Lhasa bro ba. Degé, etc. have ’gro ba (“go”). Not present in the Chinese.
2129. According to the BHS caṃkrama, the Chinese 經行 (jing xing), and the Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace ’chag pa byed. Yongle and Kangxi have ’chag pa med. Degé has chags pa myed (med) (“without attachment or impediment”).
2130. According to the Tibetan sku tshe or sku’i tshe. The Sanskrit has kāyavyūha (“body display”). The Chinese has 身形 (shen xing, “body shape,” “bodily display”) and 壽命 (shou ming, “lifespan”). The Chinese also has “their names and the benefits of their teachings of the Dharma.”
2131. According to the Sanskrit nirmāṇa. The Tibetan translates as ’byung ba. Not present in the Chinese.
2132. According to the Tibetan rgya che ba. These two opposing qualities could be understood through the BHS meaning of udāra as “subtle” and “coarse.” “Narrow” and “vast” worlds are not present in the Chinese. The Chinese includes Indra-jāla, 因陀羅網 (yin tuo luo wang).
2133. According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan appears to have “on the walkways, on the places, and on the thrones.” The Chinese conjoins this with the next phrase.
2134. According to the Sanskrit likhita and Lhasa ’bri ba. Degé, etc. have ’dri ba (“question”). The Chinese has “composing commentaries.”
2135. According to the Sanskrit avalambita. The Tibetan has sbyong (“purified”) in error for sbyang. In the Chinese it is maidens the color of Jambu River gold and figures made of precious jewels who are holding various precious offerings with their hands.
2136. According to the Tibetan and the Chinese. Not present in the Sanskrit.
2137. From the Sanskrit śalāka, which can also mean “sticks,” “pegs,” etc. The Tibetan translates as shar bu, which can refer to water spouts as well as decorative sticks, etc., and also the decorative strings of beads. This is not listed in the Chinese.
2138. According to one of the many meanings of the Sanskrit kośa and the Degé, Stok Palace, Narthang, and Lhasa sgo ngas. Yongle has sgyong las, Kangxi has sbyong las, and Lithang and Choné have bskyod las. Not present in the Chinese.
2139. The Degé edition has the incorrect page at this point. It is the reverse side of a page in the Ratna­kūṭa Sūtra. The page order has been emended in the Degé reader.
2140. According to the Sanskrit, the Chinese, Narthang, and Stok Palace. Degé and others have “in some kūṭāgāras,” which makes no sense here.
2141. According to the Sanskrit avalambita. Degé has spyod (“conduct”) and Stok Palace has sbyong (“purified”) in error for sbyang in this and the following clause. The Chinese uses the active voice.
2142. According to the Sanskrit locative case. The Tibetan has las (“from”) instead of la.
2143. In accordance with the Sanskrit. “Giving away his clothes” is omitted from the Tibetan. The Chinese omits “his clothes, crest jewels, and crest jewel of righteousness” from the list of gifts.
2144. From the Sanskrit saddharma. The Tibetan has the obscure thor pag. Not present in the Chinese.
2145. Literally, “groves for ascetics.”
2146. According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “perfumes.” The Chinese omits all gifts from parasols to precious carriages.
2147. According to the Sanskrit kaṃsya. It is silver-like and used for ornamental objects and utensils. It is made of equal parts copper and arsenic, melted so that the arsenic evaporates, leaving a metal that is as white as silver. The Tibetan has gzhal ba (“measure”), with the exception of and Lithang and Choné gzhol ba (“enter”). There is no entry for kaṃsya in the Mahāvyutpatti.
2148. According to the Sanskrit and the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné srin mo’i. Degé, Stok Palace, etc. have srin po’i (“rākṣasa”), the male of the species, even though the story referred to famously depicts an island with only females. The Chinese has 救護惡難 (jiu hu e nan, “saving beings from grave dangers”).
2149. According to the Tibetan and the Chinese. In the Sanskrit, part of this direct speech occurs in the subsequent narrative.
2150. Suzuki’s Sanskrit has anekayojana (p. 522). The online Vaidya transcription (Roman and Devanāgarī) reads anenakayojana. The Chinese has 百千由旬 (bai qian you xun, “one hundred thousand yojanas”).
2151. According to the Sanskrit muhūrta, the Chinese 少時間 (shao shi jian), and the Stok Palace yud. Degé has the error yid (“mind”).
2152. According to the Tibetan khang bu’am ’chags sa’am. The Sanskrit śayane vā caṃkrame can also mean “lying down or walking.” Cleary has “walking” and “reclining.” Carré has qu’il marche, s’arrête (“whether he is walking or still”). The Chinese has 若行, 若住, 若坐, 若臥 (ruo xing, ruo zhu, ruo zuo, ruo wo, “whether he is walking or standing still, seated or reclining”).
2153. According to the Tibetan las and the Chinese 業 (ye). The Sanskrit has kāma (“desire”). Carré has “karma.” Cleary has “desire.”
2154. According to the Sanskrit samudrāḥ and the Chinese 大海 (da hai). The Tibetan has rgya’i (“of a seal”), presumably translating from a manuscript that had mudrāḥ or perhaps the result of a scribal omission of mtsho from rgya mtsho’i.
2155. According to the Sanskrit, for the purpose of readability. In the Sanskrit this command begins Maitreya’s speech, while in the Tibetan it is the second sentence. The Chinese concurs with the Sanskrit.
2156. According to the Sanskrit asau. In the Tibetan, the liberation and its display are in the plural form. In the Chinese, the first part is singular, but the second part can be plural if “inexpressible inexpressible” is interpreted as an inexpressibly large numeral.
2157. According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. The Tibetan omits “great.”
2158. According to the Tibetan bzhin yongs su ston pa, literally “showing the face,” and in accordance with Carré’s translation from the Chinese. The present Sanskrit has sukha instead of mukha, and Cleary translates accordingly: “manifest all that is pleasant.” The Chinese has 於一切處隨樂現故 (yu yi qie chu sui le xian gu, “because it manifests everywhere according to the aspirations or desires”).
2159. According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan literally has “For how long was the path to come?” The Chinese has 從何處來 (cong he chu lai) for Sudhana’s series of questions in this section, literally meaning “where did you come from?”
2160. From the Sanskrit janmabhūmi and the Chinese 生處 (sheng chu). The Tibetan translates as tse’i sa yul (“land of life”).
2161. According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “family and relatives.” The Chinese has 眷屬 (juan shu), which can refer to family and friends, or an entourage.
2162. From the Sanskrit pratipālana and the Chinese 守護 (shou hu). The Tibetan translates as bsdu ba (“gather”).
2163. According to the Tibetan and the Chinese. Dhātus is not present in the Sanskrit.
2164. According to the BHS anupalipta, and Yongle, Kangxi, Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace mi gos. Degé has mi dogs (“unworried”).
2165. According to the Tibetan and the Chinese 法身 (fa shen), presumably translating from dharmakāya. The present Sanskrit has sarvakāya (“all bodies”). Carré has le corps absolu (“the absolute body”). Cleary has “the spiritual body.”
2166. According to the Tibetan kha dog gi khyad par and the Chinese 差別色相 (cha bie se xiang), presumably translating from varṇaviśeṣaiḥ. The present Sanskrit has balaviśeṣaiḥ (“particular strengths”).
2167. According to the Tibetan mnyam pa and the Chinese 等 (deng), presumably translating from sattvasama. The present Sanskrit has sattvopama.
2168. According to the Tibetan mnyam pa and the Chinese 等 (deng), presumably translating from jagatsama. The present Sanskrit has jagadopama.
2169. According to the Tibetan mnyam pa and the Chinese 等 (deng), presumably translating from vinayasama or from the present Sanskrit, which has vinayapramāṇa.
2170. According to the Tibetan and the Chinese (omitting the first half). The second half of the clause appears to have been omitted in the Sanskrit.
2171. According to the Tibetan. The middle section of this clause appears to have been omitted in the present Sanskrit.
2172. The present Sanskrit has prabhāva. The Tibetan appears to have been translating from prabhāṣa, which can have a similar meaning, though the Tibetan is translated according to bhāṣā (“speech”) as brjod pa. Not present in the Chinese.
2173. According to the Tibetan and the Chinese 有為 (you wei), presumably translating from saṃskāra. The present Sanskrit has saṃsāra.
2174. In accordance with the Sanskrit, the Degé and Stok Palace, and the Chinese 談論 (tan lun). Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Narthang have ’gro ba (“go”).
2175. According to the BHS paryadātavyaṃ. Degé, etc. have sbyang. Urga has sbyong, but here the meaning is not “purify.” The Chinese has 清淨 (qing jing, “purify”).
2176. According to the Tibetan, which may have omitted the beginning of this clause and the end of the previous clause, combining the two clauses in the single clause: “he will increase all your roots of merit” instead of “he is the one who has given birth to you into the family of the tathāgatas; he is the one who has increased your roots of merit.” The Chinese has “who will cause/enable you to be born into the family of the tathāgatas, to increase all your roots of merit…”
2177. According to the Sanskrit darśaka. The Tibetan has rab tu sgrub pa (“accomplish”). The Chinese has 發起 (fa qi, “to begin”).
2178. According to the BHS samādāpakaḥ. The Tibetan has ston pa (“show,” “teach”), as presumably, because of the omission of uttāpaka in the manuscript translated from, the verbal nouns are associated with the following nouns instead of the preceding ones. The Chinese has “to encounter true kalyāṇamitra,” grouping this and the preceding three clauses together.
2179. This paragraph is according to the Tibetan, which diverges from the Sanskrit in terms of possible omission, changes of case, and the grouping of words.
2180. From the Sanskrit vihārī and the Yongle, Kangxi, Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace spyod. Degé has dpyod (“analyze”). Translated as 安住 (an zhu), “abide.”
2181. According to Tibetan, Chinese, and Suzuki’s Sanskrit. The online Vaidya edition (in both Devanāgarī and Roman) has sukha (“bliss”) instead of mukha (“gateway”).
2182. According to the Tibetan. This clause is not present in the Sanskrit. The Chinese is similar to the Tibetan: “the vast qualities of all buddhas.”
2183. According to the Tibetan. This clause is not present in the Sanskrit. The Chinese has 入一切佛決定知見 (ru yi qie fo jue ding zhi jian, “enter or realize the definitive views of all buddhas”).
2184. From the Sanskrit vihārī and the Yongle, Kangxi, and Stok Palace spyod. Degé, Stok Palace, etc. have dpyod (“analyze”). The Chinese has 住於法界平等之地 (zhu yu fa jie ping deng zhi di, “dwell on the state of non-differentiation within the realm of phenomena”).
2185. From the Sanskrit vihārī. The Tibetan has dpyod (“analyze”). In the Chinese this and the preceding clauses appear to have been conjoined as 觀察普賢解脫境界 (guan cha pu xian jie tuo jing jie, “observe the scope of liberation of Samanta­bhadra”).
2186. According to the Sanskrit sarva and the Chinese 一切 (yi qie). The Tibetan omits “all.”
2187. According to the Sanskrit mahadgatena and the Yongle, Kangxi, Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace che. Degé has the homophone phye, evidently an error from transcription through dictation. The Chinese has 無量 (wu liang, “immeasurable”).
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The Stem Array · 84000 ↗

The Stem Array is chapter 45 of the Tibetan Avataṃsaka collection.

Translator’s introduction & reference material

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84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

First published 2021

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ཤིན་ཏུ་རྒྱས་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ་སངས་རྒྱས་ཕལ་པོ་ཆེ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ལས་སྡོང་པོས་བརྒྱན་པའི་ལེའུ་སྟེ་བཞི་བཅུ་རྩ་ལྔ་པའོ།

shin tu rgyas pa chen po’i mdo sangs rgyas phal po che zhes bya ba las sdong pos brgyan pa’i le’u ste bzhi bcu rtsa lnga pa’o

“The Stem Array” Chapter from the Mahāvaipulya Sūtra “A Multitude of Buddhas”

Buddhāvataṃsaka­nāma­mahā­vaipulya­sūtrāt gaṇḍa­vyūha­sūtraḥ paṭalaḥ

· Toh 44-45 ·

Degé Kangyur, vol. 37 (phal chen, ga), folios 274.b–396.a; vol. 38 (phal chen, a), folios 1.b–363.a
For referencing Tibetan sources, please see our Scholar’s Edition

TRANSLATED INTO TIBETAN BY

Bandé Yeshé Dé · Jinamitra · Surendrabodhi · Vairocanarakṣita

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84000’s translation of the Stem Array.

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