Toh 80The Sūtra of the Devaputra Susthitamati's Questions
Pāli / Sanskrit:Susthitamatidevaputraparipṛcchāsūtra
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THE SŪTRA OF THE QUESTIONS OF THE DEVAPUTRA SUSTHITAMATI
Context
The Sūtra of the Questions of the Devaputra Susthitamati (Susthitamatidevaputraparipṛcchāsūtra) is an important scripture in the Northern Mahāyāna tradition, recorded in the Kangyur, the collection of Buddhist sūtras translated into Tibetan under the Tibetan Dharma kings from the eighth to ninth centuries.
The setting of the sūtra presents Śākyamuni Buddha teaching the Dharma in a sacred place, in the presence of countless bodhisattvas, noble beings, and assemblies of the Buddhadharma. A devaputra named Susthitamati, meaning “Steadfast Wisdom,” is described as a profound divine being, not only possessing the power to protect the Buddhadharma but also representing ordinary beings who aspire to deeply understand the mysteries of the universe and the spiritual path.
This sūtra belongs among early Mahāyāna texts, in which the method of question and answer (paripṛcchā) is used as a legitimate means for transmitting profound teachings, especially concepts concerning Buddha-nature, the bodhisattva path, and the nature of reality.
Main Content
Although the specific content of this sūtra has not yet been fully translated in widely available materials, from its title and the sections preserved in the Tibetan tradition, one may infer that Susthitamati posed profound questions about the nature of the Buddhadharma and the hidden aspects of Mahāyāna teaching.
In Mahāyāna sūtras of the same type, the questions of devaputras often focus on how bodhisattvas practice in order to attain buddhahood; the empty nature of the Buddhadharma (śūnyatā); how the radiant wisdom of the Buddha illuminates worlds everywhere; and the various means for teaching sentient beings.
The Buddha’s teaching in this sūtra emphasizes that the Buddhadharma cannot be limited by ordinary distinctions or concepts. All profound questions can be answered through direct insight into the truth that mind, Buddha, and sentient beings are one reality (tathāgatagarbha, Buddha-nature).
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