Toh 44-17Chapter 17: Bhadraśrī

Exposition of Chapter 17: Bhadraśrī (Auspicious Glory)

Context

This seventeenth chapter belongs to the Kangyur—the collection of the Buddha’s teachings in the Northern Mahayana tradition—preserved in classical Tibetan. The title “Bhadraśrī” (bzang po'i dpal gyi le'u) means “Auspicious Glory” or “The Splendor of Goodness,” from “bhadra” (good, virtuous, auspicious) and “śrī” (glory, splendor, prosperity).

This chapter forms part of a canonical collection transmitted within Northern Buddhism, in which bodhisattvas, Buddhas, and noble beings are examined through the lens of their actions, speech, and spiritual nature. The Northern Buddhist tradition emphasizes the intimate relationship among mind, speech, and action, as well as the power of the Buddha Dharma to transform suffering into awakening.

The broader context suggests that this chapter may discuss a divine being, a bodhisattva, or a principle of the Buddha Dharma bearing the epithet “Auspicious” (Bhadra), often associated with purity, wisdom, and the welfare of sentient beings.

Main Content

Although the specific contents of this scripture have not yet been fully translated in the versions commonly available today, according to the traditional structure of the Kangyur, the chapter on Bhadraśrī likely examines the qualities of one regarded as an embodiment of Auspicious Glory within the Mahayana Buddhist cosmos.

In the Northern Buddhist tradition, “Glory” (śrī) is not the ordinary glory of the worldly realm, but the radiance of awakening, spiritual purity, and ethical action. One called “Bhadraśrī” is a person who has become a channel through which wisdom, compassion, and courage may flow into the world.

Chapters in the Kangyur often examine how a bodhisattva or a dimension of the Buddha Dharma fulfills their vows, how they instruct sentient beings, and how they transform suffering into awakening. This chapter may present actions, teachings, or skillful means that evoke the power of “Auspicious Glory”—