Toh 271The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Eight Buddhas”

Summary

While the Buddha is dwelling together with a great saṅgha of monks in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, the whole universe suddenly
begins to shake. The sounds of innumerable cymbals are heard without their being
played, and flowers fall, covering the entire Jeta’s Grove. The world becomes
filled with golden light and golden lotuses appear, each lotus supporting a lion
throne upon which appears the shining form of a buddha. Venerable Śāriputra
arises from his seat, pays homage, and asks the Buddha about the causes and
conditions for these thus-gone ones to appear.
The Buddha then proceeds to describe in detail these buddhas, as well as their various realms and how beings can take birth in them.

Acknowledgements

This translation was produced by Annie Bien with assistance from Dr. Paul
Hackett, Dr. Marcus Bingenheimer, Dr. Lozang Jamspal, and Geshe Dorji Damdul.
The translator is also grateful to Khyongla Rato Rinpoche and Dr. Shrikant
Bahulkar for helping to clarify difficult points and terminology. Leslie Kriesel
assisted by editing the translation.

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

Introduction

In the Jeta’s Grove outside Śrāvastī, the ancient capital of the Kośala
state, the Buddha and his saṅgha of monks have taken up residence during the
rainy season. Suddenly, during a gathering of the saṅgha, the whole universe
begins to shake, the grove is flooded with lights and sounds, and eight buddhas
miraculously appear on jeweled lotus flowers. The Buddha’s close disciple,
Śāriputra, requests the Buddha to explain the causes and conditions that have made
these buddhas appear. The Buddha begins by introducing Śāriputra to each of the
eight buddhas by name and then describes the location, name, and qualities of
each of their buddha realms.

Following this, the Buddha teaches Śāriputra how hearing, remembering, carrying,
reading, teaching, chanting, and mastering the names of these buddhas will
produce a great number of benefits for the practitioner. Śāriputra is told that
these names have the capacity to ensure that practitioners will not be reborn in the
three lower realms and that they will always have extraordinary knowledge,
realization, and dhāraṇī. They will never have defective faculties, lack
donations, or find themselves without the practices and discourses of the
Mahāyāna. They will also no longer have to take birth as women unless they wish
to do so, nor will they experience any misfortune caused by kings, thieves,
fire, water, or evil spirits. Eventually, they will attain wisdom, which
in turn will lead them to become buddhas themselves.

The notion that a disciple can become destined for awakening merely
by recalling the names of buddhas who live in other realms appears in a number
of Mahāyāna sūtras, where it represents an important aspect of Mahāyāna practice.
In the Tibetan canon these sūtras are found throughout the various sūtra collections.
Not only is there a plethora of buddhas present in the universe, but through their
blessings, beings can make great progress on the path to awakening simply by
bringing them to mind.

There is to our knowledge no extant Sanskrit version of this sūtra. According to
the colophon to the Tibetan translation it was translated into Tibetan by the Indian preceptors Jinamitra and Surendrabodhi,
along with the editor-translator Yeshé Dé. The text is also recorded in both the
Denkarma
and Phangthangma
catalogs of the Tibetan imperial translations, so it would have been
translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan no later than the early ninth century, as
the Denkarma is thought to have been compiled in 812 ce. Four Chinese sūtras with cognate material are included in the
Taishō Buddhist Canon (Taishō 427, 428, 430, and 431).
The earliest of the Chinese translations (Taishō 427) dates to the early
third century, so the materials presented in this sūtra have their roots in
very early Indian Mahāyāna.

This English translation was prepared based on the
Tibetan translation in the Degé Kangyur in
consultation with the Comparative Edition (Tib. dpe bsdur ma).

The Translation

The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra

The Eight Buddhas

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was dwelling in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park with a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks. They
were all worthy ones. Their contaminations were exhausted, they were without
afflictions, they were endowed with power, their minds were thoroughly
liberated, and their insight was thoroughly liberated. They were of noble
lineage. They were great elephants who had completed their work and accomplished their tasks.
They had put down their burdens, attained their own
aims, and destroyed the bonds of existence, and their minds were liberated
through perfect knowledge. They had perfected the best of all the powers of
the mind. They were all this way—with the exception of one person, Venerable
Ānanda.

On that occasion, Venerable Śāriputra had joined the assembly and was in
attendance. At that moment all the worlds of the trichiliocosm
shook in six ways. The sounds of quintillions of
cymbals, without their being played, rang through the atmosphere. There rained down a shower of
divine flowers—mandārava, mahāmandārava, mañjūṣaka, and mahāmañjūṣaka
flowers. The entire Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park became blanketed
with precious flowers. At that moment, all the worlds in the trichiliocosm
became suffused with a brilliant golden-colored light.

Then, at that very moment, from the eastern direction there appeared eight
lotuses with golden stalks, silver petals, beryl anthers, and centers formed
from emeralds. On top of each lotus center stood a square lion throne. The
thrones rested on four bases and were radiant, lovely to behold, fragrant,
and delightful. They were fringed with silk tassels, permeated with the
aroma of incense from a censer, well adorned with various precious jewels,
ringing with many lattices of small bells, and covered by canopies of myriad
precious gems.

On every lion throne appeared the body of a seated thus-gone one. All these
thus-gone ones were beautiful and delightful to behold. They had calm senses and calm
minds. They had attained supreme self-discipline and tranquility. They had
attained true self-discipline and tranquility. Their faculties were guarded
and restrained, just like a well-tamed elephant. They were pure, unclouded,
and clear, just like a lake. Their bodies were adorned by the thirty-two
marks of a great being. Their golden-hued bodies outshone the brilliance of
the sun and the moon. They displayed many hundreds of thousands of ways of
conduct. They had a complexion that one’s gaze can never tire of.

Then, through the power of the Buddha, Venerable Śāriputra rose from
his seat. He draped his upper robe over one shoulder and placed his right
knee on the ground. Next, having bowed with palms pressed together in the
direction of the Bhagavān, he addressed the Bhagavān with these words:

“Bhagavān, from the eastern direction there have arisen eight lotuses with
golden stalks, silver petals, beryl anthers, and centers formed from
emeralds. On top of every lotus center is a square throne raised by lions.
The thrones rest on four bases and they are radiant, lovely to behold,
fragrant, and delightful. They are fringed with silk tassels, permeated with
the aroma of incense from a censer, well adorned with various precious
jewels, ringing with many lattices of small bells, and covered by canopies
of myriad precious gems.

“On every lion throne appears the body of a seated thus-gone one.
All these thus-gone ones are beautiful, delightful to behold, having calm senses and calm minds.
They have attained supreme self-discipline and tranquility. They have
attained true self-discipline and tranquility. Their faculties are guarded
and restrained, just like a well-tamed elephant. They are pure, unclouded,
and clear, just like a lake. Their bodies are adorned by the thirty-two
marks of a great being. Their golden-hued bodies outshine the brilliance of
the sun and the moon. They display many hundreds of thousands of ways of
conduct. They have a complexion that one’s gaze can never tire of. What are
the causes and what are the conditions for this?”

The Bhagavān replied to Venerable Śāriputra: “Śāriputra, listen very well
and keep this in mind. I will explain.”

Venerable Śāriputra said, “Bhagavān, I shall do so.” Then he listened to
the Bhagavān.

The Bhagavān said, “Śāriputra, to the east of this buddha realm,
past buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in a single river
Ganges, there is a world system called Unsubdued by Others.
The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha Exceedingly Widely Renowned
Glory presently lives and thrives there, teaching the Dharma.

“Śāriputra, to the east of this buddha realm, past buddha realms as numerous
as the grains of sand in two river Ganges, there is a world system called
Exquisitely Joyful. The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha King of the Summit
of Power of the Victory Banner presently lives and thrives there, teaching
the Dharma.

“Śāriputra, to the east of this buddha realm, past buddha realms as numerous
as the grains of sand in three river Ganges, there is a world system called
Joyous Delights. The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha Glorious Supremely
Renowned Intense Subduer presently lives and thrives there, teaching the
Dharma.

“Śāriputra, to the east of this buddha realm, past buddha realms as numerous
as the grains of sand in four river Ganges, there is a world system called
Entering from All Doors. The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha Skill of the
Completely Victorious in Battle presently lives and thrives there, teaching
the Dharma.

“Śāriputra, to the east of this buddha realm, past buddha realms as numerous
as the grains of sand in five river Ganges, there is a world system called
Tiers of Purification. The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha Thoroughly
Illumined Glorious Array of Excellences presently lives and thrives there,
teaching the Dharma.

“Śāriputra, to the east of this buddha realm, past buddha realms as numerous
as the grains of sand in six river Ganges, there is a world system called
Possessing Immutability. The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha Unobstructed
Glorious King of Medicine presently lives and thrives there, teaching the
Dharma.

“Śāriputra, to the east of this buddha realm, past buddha realms as numerous
as the grains of sand in seven river Ganges, there is a world system called
Filled with Masses of Eloquence. The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha
Forcefully Proceeding from the Precious Lotus presently lives and
thrives there, teaching the Dharma.

“Śāriputra, to the east of this buddha realm, past buddha realms as numerous
as the grains of sand in eight river Ganges, there is a world system called
Pleasant Melodious Sound. The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha King of the
Sāla Abiding in the Precious Lotus presently lives and thrives there,
teaching the Dharma.

“Śāriputra, the buddha realms of those blessed buddhas are thoroughly pure.
Hence, they are devoid of the five degenerations and without any heretics.
They are without pebbles and without gravel. They are without subsidiary
afflictions. They are without women. They are without animals, and they are
also beyond the realm of the Lord of Death. There, one does not come across
any wasps, biting insects, or venomous vipers.

“Śāriputra, those sons or daughters of good family who hear the names of
those blessed buddhas and remember, carry, read, teach, properly chant, and
master these names will not descend to the three lower realms. Such a
possibility will simply not exist. Hence, Śāriputra, for those
beings, going to the hell realm, being reborn as animals, or going to the
realm of the Lord of Death is impossible, except for those individuals who
have committed acts of immediate retribution and those who have abandoned
the holy Dharma, and even those beings will have those experiences only minimally, not
greatly.

“Śāriputra, whatever sons or daughters of good family hear the names of
those blessed buddhas and remember, carry, read, teach, properly chant, and
master these names will never be separated from the extraordinary knowledges
right up to their arrival at the Essence of Awakening. They will never be
without signs of realization. They will never be without dhāraṇī. They will
never have defective faculties. They will never be without abundant
melodious speech. They will never be without the resonance of drums. They
will never be unworthy of gifts, and they will never regress. They will
never be without the flowers of the branches of awakening. They will never
be without the very extensive Mahāyāna discourses. Śāriputra, there is no
basis for that and no possibility for that to occur.

“Śāriputra, whenever a woman hears the names of those blessed buddhas and
remembers, carries, reads, teaches, properly chants, and masters them, it
will be impossible for such a woman to acquire female attributes again,
unless she takes on such attributes due to her own prayers. Śāriputra, there
is no basis for that and no possibility for that to occur.

“Śāriputra, when sons or daughters of good family hear the names of those
blessed buddhas and remember, carry, read, teach, properly chant, and master
them, it will be impossible for those sons or daughters of good family to
experience any terrors from kings, thieves, fire, water, evil forces,
nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, humans, nonhumans, or any other type of
destruction, unless it is due to the forceful ripening of karma. Even then,
they will have those experiences only minimally, not greatly.

Then the Bhagavān spoke these verses:

“Those who remember the names

Of those protectors of the world

Will completely abandon all inopportune states

And quickly go to good rebirths.

“Having delighted the buddhas that have appeared,

Rousing faith from seeing those teachers,

And seeing them also as lamps of the world,

They will make auspicious offerings.

“For countless millions of eons,

Helping beings to abandon saṃsāra,

Those whose unobscured eyes behold the guides

Will also be purified.

“Those who remember the names

Of those protectors of the world

Will become worthy of the world’s veneration,

Wherever those people are born.

“Such people will accumulate marvelous physical signs,

Will be born into rich households,

Will be heroic, and will become generous benefactors,

Giving abundantly without miserliness.

“If some remember these names,

Then for many millions of eons

The scent of divine red sandalwood

Will arise from their mouths.

“If a woman were to hear the names

Of those great sages,

Then upon abandoning her female attributes

She would skillfully become a man.

“Those who remember these names

Will never see

Their fathers, mothers, siblings,

Or any friends and relatives suffer.

“Those who remember these names,

Such individuals and their close ones

Will be born in the world

On jewel lotuses with millions of petals.

“Those who remember these names

Will be able to traverse through space

To all the buddha realms

And behold the pure fields of the buddhas,

“The protectors of the world.

In the presence of the world protectors,

They will listen to the profound Dharma

And will not squander whatever they have heard.

“For those who remember these names,

Evil demons

Along with the host of negative forces

Will never have a chance to harm them.

“Those who remember these names

Will not be killed by weapons,

Or by poison or fire.

Kings and thieves will be unable to harm them.

“No gods, nāgas, yakṣas,

Gandharvas, or mahoragas

Will have any chance

To cause them harm.

“These buddhas are supreme human beings.

They are the essence of glory, thunderous victors.

Having become learned and conscientious,

What wise person would not remember their names?

“Those who hear these names of all the world protectors

And hear them in the proper manner

Will gain courage and great insight by hearing the names of these
renowned ones.

They will become buddhas, supreme humans in the world.”

When the Bhagavān had spoken these words, Venerable Śāriputra and the
entire retinue, along with the world with its gods, humans, demigods, and
gandharvas, rejoiced and praised what the Bhagavān had said.

This concludes the noble Mahāyāna sūtra “The Eight Buddhas.”

Colophon

It was translated and finalized by the Indian preceptors Jinamitra and
Surendrabodhi and by the great editor-translator Bandé Yeshé Dé. The
text contains ninety-one stanzas.

Notes

Bibliography

Forcefully Proceeding from the Precious Lotus

rin po che’i pad ma las rnam par gnon pas bzhud pa
རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་པད་མ་ལས་རྣམ་པར་གནོན་པས་བཞུད་པ།

Exceedingly Widely Renowned Glory

shin tu yongs su bsgrags dpal
ཤིན་ཏུ་ཡོངས་སུ་བསྒྲགས་དཔལ།

Glorious Supremely Renowned Intense Subduer

shin tu rnam par gnon pa grags mchog dpal
ཤིན་ཏུ་རྣམ་པར་གནོན་པ་གྲགས་མཆོག་དཔལ།

King of the Sāla Abiding in the Precious Lotus

rin po che’i pad ma la rab tu gnas pa sA la’i rgyal po
རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་པད་མ་ལ་རབ་ཏུ་གནས་པ་སཱ་ལའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།

King of the Summit of Power of the Victory Banner

dbang po’i tog gi rgyal mtshan gyi rgyal po
དབང་པོའི་ཏོག་གི་རྒྱལ་མཚན་གྱི་རྒྱལ་པོ།

Skill of the Completely Victorious in Battle

g.yul las shin tu rnam par rgyal ba’i rtsal
གཡུལ་ལས་ཤིན་ཏུ་རྣམ་པར་རྒྱལ་བའི་རྩལ།

Thoroughly Illumined Glorious Array of Excellences

yon tan bkod pa’i dpal kun tu snang ba
ཡོན་ཏན་བཀོད་པའི་དཔལ་ཀུན་ཏུ་སྣང་བ།

Unobstructed Glorious King of Medicine

sman gyi rgyal po dpal thogs pa med pa
སྨན་གྱི་རྒྱལ་པོ་དཔལ་ཐོགས་པ་མེད་པ།

Entering from All Doors

sgo kun nas ’jug pa
སྒོ་ཀུན་ནས་འཇུག་པ།

Exquisitely Joyful

yid ’ong dga’
ཡིད་འོང་དགའ།

Filled with Masses of Eloquence

spobs pa brtsegs pa gang ba
སྤོབས་པ་བརྩེགས་པ་གང་བ།

Joyous Delights

sdug dga’
སྡུག་དགའ།

Pleasant Melodious Sound

sgra dbyangs snyan pa
སྒྲ་དབྱངས་སྙན་པ།

Possessing Immutability

gyur med ldan
གྱུར་མེད་ལྡན།

Tiers of Purification

dag brtsegs pa
དག་བརྩེགས་པ།

Unsubdued by Others

gzhan gis mi thub
གཞན་གིས་མི་ཐུབ།