Toh 197The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Nectar of Speech”

Summary

In this sūtra, in answer to a question put by Maitreya, the Buddha Śākyamuni teaches five qualities that bodhisattvas should have in order to live a long life free of obstacles and attain awakening quickly: (1) giving the Dharma; (2) giving freedom from fear; (3) practicing great loving kindness, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity; (4) repairing dilapidated stūpas; and (5) causing all beings to aspire to the mind of awakening. Maitreya praises the benefits of this teaching and vows to teach it himself in future degenerate times. Both Maitreya and the Buddha emphasize the positive effects on beings and the environment that upholding, preserving, and teaching The Nectar of Speech will bring about.

Acknowledgements

This text was translated from the Tibetan, introduced, and edited by the Dharmasāgara Translation Group: Raktrul Ngawang Kunga Rinpoche, Rebecca Hufen, Shanshan Jia, Jason Sanche, and Arne Schelling. Prof. Harunaga Isaacson (University of Hamburg) kindly assisted the translators with help and advice. The final version was also lightly edited by the 84000 editorial team. The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

Introduction

The Nectar of Speech is a Mahāyāna sūtra in
which the Buddha Śākyamuni, at the request of the bodhisattva Maitreya,
teaches a great assembly of monks and bodhisattvas. The setting for the
teaching is the famous Veṇuvana forest
monastery. This monastery was located outside Rājagṛha, the capital city
of Magadha, which at the time was one of the great kingdoms of ancient India
(located in the modern-day state of Bihar). The teaching provides an outline
of the following five qualities of bodhisattvas that will ensure they
avert obstacles, live long, and attain awakening: bodhisattvas
should (1) give the Dharma; (2) give freedom from fear; (3) practice great
loving kindness, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity; (4)
repair dilapidated stūpas; and (5) cause all beings to aspire to the mind of
awakening. When the Buddha delivers this brief teaching, a large number of
the monks, bodhisattvas, and celestial beings in attendance attain different
stages of realization. Maitreya is inspired to give a discourse on the
benefits of this sūtra and vows to teach it himself in the future during the
time of degeneration. His exposition of its benefits and commitment to teach it himself are welcomed and
endorsed by the Buddha. At the end, the Buddha emphasizes the importance of
this teaching and instructs Ānanda to uphold and preserve it. The Buddha
names the teaching The Nectar of Speech and
also gives it an alternative title, The Question of
Maitreya. In the standard ending formula, the
entire assembly rejoices and praises the words of the Buddha.

At present we are not aware of any surviving Sanskrit version, Chinese translation, or
rendering of the text in any other language. The Sanskrit titles are rendered differently
in the versions in different Kangyurs: Amṛtavyāharaṇa (Degé), Amṛtadāna (Narthang), and Amṛtavarṇa (Stok Palace). According to the colophon,
the Tibetan translation was produced by the Indian preceptor Prajñāvarman
and the Tibetan translator Yeshé Dé. It can therefore be dated to the
late eighth or early ninth century ce in central Tibet. The text was cited by the
Tibetan translator Kawa Paltsek, who was a contemporary of the translators and is listed in the Denkarma catalogue, which confirms
that the translation of this sūtra into Tibetan must have been completed
before 812 ce.

This English translation has
been produced based on the Tibetan rendering that is found in the Degé
Kangyur as well as the Comparative Edition (Tib. dpe bsdur ma) and the Stok Palace manuscript.

The Translation

The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra

The Nectar of Speech

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was residing in Rājagṛha, at
the Kalandakanivāsa in Veṇuvana, with a great saṅgha of five
hundred bhikṣus and a great saṅgha of seventy-two thousand
bodhisattvas. At that time the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya was also
seated in the assembly.

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya rose from his
seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, and
with palms joined bowed to the Bhagavān and said, “With permission, I would
like to ask the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha some questions.”

The Bhagavān replied, “Maitreya, the Tathāgata will always grant you
permission. Maitreya, ask the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha whatever you
wish, and I shall ease your mind by answering each of your questions.”

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya then asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān,
what are the qualities that bodhisattva
mahāsattvas need to have so
that none of Māra’s hordes will cause them obstacles, so that none of
Māra’s retinue will transgress against them, so that out of love for sentient beings
they will live for a long time, and so that they will soon
fully awaken to unexcelled and perfect awakening?”

The Bhagavān replied to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Maitreya,
excellent, excellent! Maitreya, your intention in asking the thus-gone,
worthy, perfect Buddha about this matter is excellent, since you act for the
benefit of many beings, aim for the happiness of many beings, have
compassion for the world, and seek the welfare, benefit, and well-being of
gods and humans. Hence, Maitreya, listen very well and keep it in mind! I
will explain it.”
The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya replied, “I will do so,” and he
listened accordingly as the Bhagavān taught as follows.

“Maitreya, there are five qualities that bodhisattva mahāsattvas should have
so that none of Māra’s hordes will cause them obstacles, so that none of
Māra’s retinue will transgress against them, so that out of love
for sentient beings they will live for a long time, and so that they will soon fully awaken to unexcelled and
perfect awakening. What are those five qualities? They are the unceasing giving of
the Dharma; the unceasing giving of freedom from fear; the unceasing practice
of great love, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity; the
unceasing repair of dilapidated stūpas; and the unceasing inspiring of
all beings to set their minds on awakening. Maitreya, if bodhisattva mahāsattvas
have those five qualities, none of Māra’s hordes will cause them obstacles, none of
Māra’s retinue will transgress against them, out of love
for sentient beings they will live for a long time, and
they will soon fully awaken to unexcelled and perfect awakening.”

When the Bhagavān had taught this discourse on the five qualities, the minds of
five thousand bhikṣus became free of all defilements with no further appropriation;
seventy-two thousand bodhisattvas attained the acceptance that phenomena do
not arise; and the Dharma eye of eighty-four thousand gods regarding phenomena became
purified, free from dust and stains, and without defilements.

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya then said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, I
feel inspired to speak. Well-Gone One, I feel inspired to speak.”

The Bhagavān said, “Noble son, speak if you know the time has come.”

Having thus received the Bhagavān’s permission, the bodhisattva mahāsattva
Maitreya rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt
on his right knee, and with palms joined bowed to the Bhagavān and said,
“Bhagavān, how marvelous that this Dharma discourse has been taught by the Bhagavān
in order that all beings—sick because of desire, anger, and ignorance, and obscured
by the darkness of the cataracts and visual aberrations of all views—may have their illnesses
of the afflictions cured, and have their unexcelled Dharma eye purified! Bhagavān, this Dharma
discourse you have taught is a great nectar! Bhagavān, this Dharma discourse
you have taught is a great panacea! Even for beings born as animals, those
who happen to hear this Dharma discourse will have gathered thereby an accumulation of great roots of virtue and
will be superior to all beings. They will behold all buddhas. They will be
of great service to many beings. They will bring about roots of virtue. They
will purify their karmic obscurations,
be freed from the animal realm, and attain human bodies. Then,
remembering their previous lifetimes and gaining faith in the teachings
of the Tathāgata, they will be reborn in any buddha realm they wish. So if
that is the case even for them, what need is there to mention those who hear this teaching
as human beings?

“Bhagavān, hearing this Dharma discourse is
of great benefit to beings. Bhagavān, beings who hear this Dharma discourse
belong to the assembly of those who are certain to awaken fully to
unexcelled and perfect awakening. Respected Bhagavān, because they will be
embraced by the thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddhas, they will soon fully
awaken to unexcelled and perfect awakening.”

“Excellent, Maitreya, excellent!” said the Bhagavān. “Maitreya, it is just as
you have said. It is the truth. It is that alone. It is unmistaken. Even
those who listen to this Dharma discourse doubtingly will have no small roots of
virtue, so what need is there to mention those who listen to, retain,
hold, read, master, and teach it extensively and properly without
any doubts? Such holders of the sūtra will not encounter the works of Māra. They
will not be harmed by desire, anger, ignorance, pride, avarice, rage, or
malevolence. Their bodies will not be stricken by plague or disease. In
whatever region such a sūtra as this is kept, wherever such a Dharma teacher dwells,
or wherever this Dharma discourse is written down as a scripture—in such
places all diseases, epidemics, harm, contagions, and conflicts will be
quelled.”

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān,
later, in the future, during the final five hundred years when the time of
destruction has come, the true Dharma is disappearing, and there is a great
danger that the Buddha’s awakening will vanish, I shall teach this Dharma
discourse to those noble beings. I shall invigorate them. In places where a
holder of this sūtra resides, I shall quell all untimely cold winds, winter
rains, famine, diseases, plagues, epidemics, infectious disease, harm, and
conflict. In a place where this Dharma discourse is kept and written down as
a scripture or tied at the top of a banner and worshiped—in such a place,
all the terrors of hostile armies, thieves, rākṣasas, and ḍākinīs will be
quelled through my blessing. I shall bless those places where such Dharma
teachers reside and where this sūtra is kept, so that all harvests, riches,
grains, flowers, leaves, and fruits may be abundant, and all kinds of joy
may arise.”

“Excellent, Maitreya!” said the Bhagavān. “It is excellent indeed that you have
donned the great armor and proclaimed the lion’s roar for the benefit of all
beings in order to uphold the true Dharma of the Tathāgata and to sustain the Dharma way of the Tathāgata. I
entrust this Dharma discourse to you. Thereby, later, in the future, during
the final five hundred years when the time of
destruction has come, the true Dharma is disappearing, and there is a great
danger that the Buddha’s awakening will vanish, you should teach this Dharma discourse to all beings. You
should proclaim it. You should inspire those noble beings. You should
proclaim that they must do nothing else but persevere in taking ultimate
reality as their authority. You should teach them only according to
ultimate reality. You should be sure to teach them in such a way that those
noble beings understand this Dharma discourse unmistakably as it is.”
The bodhisattva Maitreya said, “Bhagavān, I will do so.”

Thereupon Indra and his retinue of gods, Brahmā and his retinue of gods,
Prajāpati, and others, realizing that this Dharma discourse was coming
to an end, offered heavenly flowers, fragrant smoke, incense, flower
garlands, ointments, powders, garments, parasols, banners, and flags to the
Bhagavān and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya.

The Bhagavān now said to Venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, such a Dharma discourse
is rarely heard. Therefore, you must retain this Dharma discourse. You must
write it down, hold it, read it aloud, and master it!”

“Bhagavān, I will retain this Dharma discourse,” said Ānanda. “Bhagavān, what
is the name of this Dharma discourse? How should it be remembered?”
“Ānanda,” replied the Bhagavān, “you should remember this Dharma discourse as
The Nectar of Speech. You should also refer
to it as The Question of Maitreya.”

After the Bhagavān had thus spoken, the entire assembly—Venerable Ānanda, the
bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, the bhikṣus, the bodhisattvas, and also the
gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas—all rejoiced and praised the words of the
Bhagavān.
This concludes the noble Mahāyāna sūtra “The Nectar of Speech.”

Colophon

Translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian preceptor Prajñāvarman and
the chief editor-translator Venerable Yeshé Dé.

Notes

Bibliography

Kawa Paltsek

ska ba dpal brtsegs
སྐ་བ་དཔལ་བརྩེགས།

Yeshé Dé

ye shes sde
ཡེ་ཤེས་སྡེ།