Toh 112The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The White Lotus of Compassion”
Pāli / Sanskrit:Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka
The sūtra describes a previous life of Śākyamuni Buddha when he was a court priest to a king. He makes his prayer to become a buddha and causes the king, his princes, his own sons and pupils, and others, to also take the same vow. This is revealed to be the major event that is the origin of buddhas and bodhisattvas such as Amitābha, Akṣobhya, Avalokiteśvara, Mañjuśrī, and the thousand buddhas of our eon. The “white lotus of compassion” in the title refers to Śākyamuni himself, emphasizing his superiority over all other buddhas, like a fragrant, healing white lotus among a bed of ordinary flowers. He chose to be reborn in an impure realm during the degenerate times. Because of this courageous vow of great compassion, Śākyamuni is considered one of the greatest buddhas.
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The sūtra describes a previous life of Śākyamuni Buddha when he was a court priest to a king. He makes his prayer to become a buddha and causes the king, his princes, his own sons and pupils, and others, to also take the same vow. This is revealed to be the major event that is the origin of buddhas and bodhisattvas such as Amitābha, Akṣobhya, Avalokiteśvara, Mañjuśrī, and the thousand buddhas of our eon.
The “white lotus of compassion” in the title refers to Śākyamuni himself, emphasizing his superiority over all other buddhas, like a fragrant, healing white lotus among a bed of ordinary flowers. He chose to be reborn in an impure realm during the degenerate times. Because of this courageous vow of great compassion, Śākyamuni is considered one of the greatest buddhas.
本經說明釋迦牟尼佛過去生中誓願在此五濁惡世成佛的因緣。由於他過去的勇猛誓願，使他成為偉大的佛陀。本經還介紹了與釋迦佛同時發願的阿彌陀佛、不動佛阿閦如来、觀世音菩薩、文殊師利菩薩，和賢劫千佛的由來。
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Translators Dr Peter Alan Robert, Emily Bower, Yeshi Tulku, Tracy Davis.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.