Toh 88The Mass of Jewels

Exposition of the Ratnarāśisūtra (The Mass of Jewels Sutra)

Background

The Ratnarāśisūtra, translated from Sanskrit as "The Mass of Jewels," is an important scripture in the Mahayana tradition of the Northern Transmission. This sutra is preserved in the Kangyur — the Tibetan Buddhist canon — and is classed among Mahayana works that exalt the ideal of the bodhisattva path.

The setting of this sutra's teaching often takes place at a sacred site, where Buddha Shakyamuni assembles with immeasurable bodhisattvas and arhats. The sutra emphasizes the limitless power of the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) and the capacity to accomplish the goal of liberation for all sentient beings. The "mass" or "heap" in the title suggests the gathering of countless precious teachings, like precious jewels piled together.

Main Content

The Mass of Jewels Sutra focuses on explaining profound teachings on the nature of buddha nature (buddhadhātu) and the capacity to develop the deep bodhisattva mind. This sutra does not stop at philosophical theories but enters into concrete guidance for practice.

One main theme of the sutra is the non-separation between suchness (tathatā) and phenomena. The sutra teaches that all sentient beings possess latent buddha nature, and through proper practice of the Dharma — especially through the bodhisattva ideal with the Four Immeasurables (loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity) — every sentient being can become a buddha. The sutra emphasizes that the Buddhadharma is boundless, unlimited, and capable of subduing all obscurations (āvaraṇa) of the mind.

The sutra also explains the unsurpassed virtues (guṇa) of the Three Jewels, and how faith in and refuge in the Three Jewels become a firm foundation for the path of a Mahayana student. By clearly understanding the matchless value of these teachings, the practitioner can develop a mind of deep reverence and firm resolve to practice without doubt.