Toh 27The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra “The Candragarbha Perfection of Wisdom”

Summary

The Candragarbha Perfection of
Wisdom is a condensed prajñāpāramitā sūtra
that takes the form of a dialogue between the Buddha and the
bodhisattva Candragarbha. In response to Candragarbha’s
question about how bodhisattvas should train themselves in
the perfection of wisdom, the Buddha declares that the
perfection of wisdom lies in the understanding that all
phenomena are devoid of entities, using the analogy of the
moon to clarify the meaning of this declaration.
Candragarbha then asks the Buddha how many kinds of
perfection of wisdom exist for bodhisattvas. The Buddha
answers by describing two types of perfection of wisdom,
“contaminated” and “uncontaminated,” and he elucidates the
nature of the perfection of wisdom with reference to the
ultimate nature of all phenomena. At the end of this
discourse, the Buddha presents a mantra of the perfection of
wisdom, followed by a summary verse.

Acknowledgements

Translated by the Indo-Tibetan Studies Translation Group,
Visva-Bharati, under the guidance of Ven. Geshe Dakpa
Kalsang. The translation was produced by Prof. Sanjib Kumar
Das, who also served as project manager and editor. Ritiman
Das proofread the first English draft.

The translation was completed under the patronage and
supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the
Buddha.

Introduction

The Candragarbha Perfection
of Wisdom is one of five short
prajñāpāramitā sūtras that are each named for the
bodhisattva who is the Buddha’s interlocutor. The
bodhisattva for whom the present sūtra is named,
Candragarbha, may be the bodhisattva Candragarbha
listed as one of the bodhisattvas present in the
assembly in The Perfection of
Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines (Toh
8), The
Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines
(Toh 9), and The Perfection of Wisdom in Ten
Thousand Lines (Toh 11). Although he does not feature as one of the
Buddha’s interlocutors in those sūtras, the present
sūtra might nevertheless be seen as a concise
summary of them. It partly resembles another summary
of the long prajñāpāramitā sūtras—The Heart of the Perfection of
Wisdom (Toh 21).
In both cases, the discourse summarizes the meaning
of the perfection of wisdom in response to a
question about how bodhisattvas should train in
it. Both also culminate in the revelation of a
“mantra of the perfection of wisdom” (Tib. shes rab kyi pha rol
tu phyin pa’i sngags).

The Candragarbha Perfection
of Wisdom has no colophon, and it is not
found in either of the Tibetan imperial catalogs.
There is no surviving Sanskrit witness, and it does
not appear that the sūtra was ever translated into
Chinese. There also do not appear to be any
references to or citations of the sūtra in the
commentarial literature. Unfortunately, then, there
is nothing that can be said about the sūtra’s
provenance or about its transmission and translation
in Tibet. It was translated into English with the
other condensed prajñāpāramitā sūtras by Edward
Conze, who assumes that it dates from the “Tantric
period,” after 750 ce. A contemporary translation into Chinese
was published by the Kumarajiva Project in
2020.
The present translation is based on the version
found in the Degé Kangyur, with reference to the
variants recorded in the Comparative Edition (Tib.
dpe bsdur ma) and
to the version found in the Stok Palace Kangyur.

The Translation

The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra

The Candragarbha Perfection of

Wisdom

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was
residing on Vulture Peak in Rājagṛha together with
an immeasurable and incalculable saṅgha of monks and
a great many bodhisattvas.

The Blessed One replied, “Candragarbha, that all
phenomena are devoid of entities is the perfection
of wisdom. As an analogy, although the disk of the
moon is without conceptualization, it encircles the
four continents and dispels darkness. Similarly,
although bodhisattva great beings who practice the
perfection of wisdom are without conceptualization,
they encircle those with the four
distorted views with compassion and naturally dispel
defilements because of nonconceptualization.”

“Blessed One, how many perfections of wisdom of
bodhisattvas are there?” asked Candragarbha.

“Son of a good family, it is the perfection of
wisdom because it does not abide in any extreme of
near or far shore. As for wisdom, since
everything
from form up to all-aspect omniscience is without
inherent existence, the perfection of wisdom should
be known to be without inherent existence. Phenomena
such as form and so on should be known to be
unapprehended in the three times, neither bound nor
freed.

“Son of a good family, since all phenomena are
equal, the perfection of wisdom is equal. Since all
phenomena are without cessation, the
perfection of wisdom is without cessation. Since all
phenomena are without signs, the perfection of
wisdom is without signs. Since all phenomena are
without arising, the perfection of wisdom is without
arising. Since all phenomena are without
annihilation, the perfection of wisdom is without
annihilation. Since all phenomena are without
coming, the perfection of wisdom is without coming.
Since all phenomena are without going, the
perfection of wisdom is without going. Since all
phenomena are without permanence, the perfection of
wisdom is without permanence. Since all phenomena
are without difference, the perfection of wisdom is
without difference. Since all phenomena are one, the
perfection of wisdom is one. Since all phenomena are
the essential nature of nonentities, the perfection
of wisdom is the essential nature of
nonentities.

“All phenomena arise from causes—

That is the conventional truth.

They are without an intrinsic nature and without
thought construction—

That is the domain of ultimate truth.”

Notes

Bibliography

Tibetan Canonical Texts

Secondary Texts