Toh 292The Mahāsūtra “The Crest Insignia” (1)

Summary

A group of merchants from Vaiśālī, preparing to travel to Takṣaśilā, learn that the
Buddha is staying nearby at the Kūṭāgāraśālā and offer the Buddha and his monks a midday
meal. The Buddha teaches them how to overcome the fears of the wilderness by recollecting
the Buddha, Dharma, or Saṅgha, comparing it to how the military crest insignias of Śakra,
Īśāna, and Varuṇa respectively embolden the devas in their battles against the asuras. The
sūtra concludes with the Buddha offering the merchants verses of benediction for a safe
journey. This is the longer of two Mahāsūtras with the same title and similar themes but
adressed to different audiences.

Acknowledgements

This publication was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000:
Translating the Words of the Buddha.

The text was translated, edited, and introduced by the 84000 translation team.
Lowell Cook produced the translation and wrote the introduction. George FitzHerbert and
John Canti edited the translation and the introduction, and Laura Goetz copyedited the
text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.

Introduction

The inclusion of The Crest Insignia (1) (hereafter
Dhvajāgrasūtra [1]) among the Mahāsūtras
(literally “Great Sūtras”) reflects its status in early Buddhism as a “protective
text” (known as a rakṣā by the
Sarvāstivādins and Mūlasarvāstivādins and a paritta by the Theravādins). It shares the same Sanskrit title with a
with a closely related Mahāsūtra that immediately follows it in the Degé Kangyur
(The Crest Insignia (2), Toh 293, hereafter
Dhvajāgrasūtra [2]). In Tibetan the titles of
these two Mahāsūtras are differentiated by alternative translations of the word
agra (as mchog in the present text, Toh 292, and
dam pa in Toh 293), but we have
translated the title in the same way in both texts based on the identical Sanskrit
title Dhvajāgra. The term dhvajāgra refers to a symbol or insignia that was mounted at
the end of a long pole, which was employed as a martial ensign on the battlefield in
ancient India.

Although these two Mahāsūtras describe teachings given to different audiences
at different locations, they both include recensions of the same core teaching on
“recollecting the Buddha” (Skt. buddhānusmṛti, Tib. sangs rgyas
rjes su dran pa) as a method for dispelling fear in times of crisis. In
the many iterations of the Dhvajāgrasūtra found in
Pali, Sanskrit, and Chinese, the formula by which the Buddha is to be recollected is composed
of a set of epithets that describe his qualities, traditionally said to be nine in
number but with some differences between versions of the text. Recollecting the Buddha in this
way is presented as the primary means of protecting oneself from fear and insecurity
and is likened to how Śakra emboldens his army of devas with the sight of Vaijayanta,
his celestial crest insignia, which fills the devas with courage as they wage war
against the asuras. It is from this analogy that the
texts take their title.

The present text, the Dhvajāgrasūtra [1],
differs from the Dhvajāgrasūtra [2] in being located
at Vaiśālī (rather than the Jeta Grove in Śrāvastī) and in being addressed to a group
of merchants (rather than the community of monks). The Dhvajāgrasūtra [1] additionally differs in prescribing the recollection
of all Three Jewels (Skt. triratna,
Tib. dkon mchog gsum), rather than
just of the Buddha, the other two being compared to the crest insignia of Īśāna and
Varuṇa. Like the formula for recollecting the Buddha, the formulae set out here for
recollecting the Dharma and the Saṅgha have been a core feature of Buddhist liturgies
since the earliest times. Indeed these three formulae are also found in the Kangyur as
standalone scriptures called, respectively, Buddhānusmṛti (Toh 279),
Dharmānusmṛti (Toh 280), and Saṅghānusmṛti (Toh 281). The three short texts
(which are often recited in a form that fuses them into a single Triratnānusmṛti text) are of unknown origin and may
possibly be derived partly from the present sūtra or its parallels.

The sūtra begins with the merchants preparing to embark on the journey to
Takṣaśilā—the capital of Gandhāra and a historic center for Indian Buddhism and
transcontinental trade—when they learn that the Buddha has taken up residence nearby
at the Kūṭāgāraśālā on the banks of the Monkey Pond. Taking advantage of the
opportunity, they invite the Buddha and his saṅgha of monks to come to their lodgings
for a midday meal. It is at this occasion that the Buddha delivers his teaching on
recollecting the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha as a way of dispelling fear at
times of need. Following the prose narrative is a section in verse in which the Buddha
offers the merchants some verses of benediction (Skt. svastigāthā), celebrating their generosity and blessing them
for a safe journey. Several of these verses, which employ a poetic repetition of the
word “perfect” (Skt. saṃpad, Tib.
phun sum tshogs), are also found in various iterations
in other canonical works.

There is no surviving Sanskrit text for the Dhvajāgrasūtra [1], although there are extant Sanskrit fragments and a
Pali version corresponding to the Dhvajāgrasūtra [2]
that overlap with sections of the Dhvajāgrasūtra [1]
(see the

introduction to Toh 293). The Dhvajāgrasūtra [1] was translated into Chinese by the
Indian monk Guṇabhadra (394–468 ce) between 435 and 443 and
is found as no. 980 of his translation of the Saṃyuktāgama (Taishō 99, 雜阿含經).

The seven Mahāsūtras that are found together in the General Sūtra (mdo sde) section of most Kangyurs (Toh 288–94), as
well as the two found in the Action Tantra (bya ba’i
rgyud) section (and in the Compendium of Dhāraṇīs (gzungs ’dus) section in those Kangyurs that include
such a compendium) (Toh 653/1062 and Toh 656/1061), were transmitted to Tibet as a
collection and translated together by Jinamitra, Prajñāvarman, and Yeshé Dé, and the fact that the nine texts are listed together in both the
Denkarma and Phangthangma catalogs also dates the translations to the early ninth
century. Peter Skilling suggests that Jinamitra, who was an accomplished Vinaya
master, may have specifically transmitted the Mahāsūtras for use as rakṣā protective texts for the fledging
monastic community, only to be eclipsed by tantra in postimperial Tibetan
Buddhism. Although it may have enjoyed popularity during the early period,
the Dhvajāgrasūtra [1] does not appear to have been
quoted or studied widely in Tibet.

The foremost study of the Dhvajāgrasūtra [1]
is Peter Skilling’s two-volume The Mahāsūtras: Great Discourses
of the Buddha, which has greatly informed this introduction and
translation. The first mention of the sūtra in Western scholarship came in the early
nineteenth century from Alexander Csoma de Kőrös in his “Analysis of the Mdo,” in
which he briefly surveyed the contents of the Mahāsūtras. The Dhvajāgrasūtra [1] was only very recently translated into English, when
it appeared alongside the Dhvajāgrasūtra [2] and the
Pali Dhajaggasutta in Skilling 2024.

The present translation was produced based on the Degé Kangyur edition and
checked against the variant readings in the Comparative Edition Kangyur and the Stok
Palace Manuscript Kangyur.

The Translation

The Mahāsūtra

The Crest Insignia (1)

Homage to the
Three Jewels.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was traveling through the land of
Vṛji and had arrived in Vaiśālī. He had taken up residence at the Kūṭāgāraśālā, on the
banks of the Monkey Pond near Vaiśālī.

At that time, a large group of merchants from Vaiśālī was preparing for a
journey to the land of Takṣaśilā in order to trade. These many merchants of Vaiśālī
heard that the Blessed One was traveling through the land of Vṛji, had arrived in
Vaiśālī, and had taken up residence at the Kūṭāgāraśālā on the banks of the Monkey
Pond near Vaiśālī. When they heard this, they gathered in groups and banded together
in bands, left Vaiśālī, and went to the
Blessed One.

On arrival, they bowed their heads at the Blessed One’s feet and sat to one
side. The Blessed One taught, instructed, encouraged, and delighted the many merchants
of Vaiśālī, who were seated to one side, with a Dharma talk. Having taught,
instructed, encouraged, and delighted them with a Dharma talk on various topics, the
Blessed One sat in silence.

The many merchants of Vaiśālī then rose from their seats and, draping their
robes over their left shoulders, bowed to the Blessed One with joined palms. “Honored
One,” they addressed the Blessed One, “we are a large group of merchants from Vaiśālī
preparing for a journey to the land of Takṣaśilā in order to trade goods. Would the Blessed One
and the saṅgha of monks agree to take their midday meal at our place tomorrow?”

The Blessed One assented to the many merchants of Vaiśālī by remaining silent.
The many merchants of Vaiśālī recognized that the Blessed One had agreed by remaining
silent. They praised what the Blessed One had taught and rejoiced. They bowed their
heads at the Blessed One’s feet and departed from his presence.

That evening, the many merchants of Vaiśālī carefully prepared pure and
wholesome food and drink. Rising early the next morning, they prepared the seating and
set out the water jugs. They then extended their invitation to the Blessed One:
“Honored One, the meal has been prepared, and the time has come. Please, Blessed One,
know that the time has now come.”

That morning, the Blessed One donned his lower garment and upper robe and took
up his alms bowl. Surrounded by a group of monks at the head of the saṅgha of monks,
he proceeded to the dining hall of the many merchants of Vaiśālī. When he arrived, he
sat on the seat that had been prepared for him amid the gathering of monks. The many
merchants of Vaiśālī then bowed their heads at the Blessed One’s feet and sat to one
side. The Blessed One gave the following teaching to the many merchants of Vaiśālī,
who were seated to one side.

“Merchants, when you are in the wilderness and you feel fear, trepidation, or
terror, at that time, you should recollect me through my aspects:

“The Blessed One is a thus-gone one, a worthy one, a perfectly and
completely awakened one, a learned and virtuous one, a well-gone one, a knower of the
world, an unsurpassed leader of those to be trained, a teacher
of devas and humans, an awakened one, and a blessed one.

“Merchants, if at that time you recollect me through my aspects, then whatever
fear, trepidation, or terror you are experiencing will subside.

“If you cannot recollect me, then recollect the Dharma through its aspects:

“The Dharma of the Blessed One has been well spoken, it is
to be seen for oneself, it is free from ailments, it is timeless, it is a guide, it is there
in plain sight, and it is to be experienced by the wise for
themselves.

“Merchants, if at that time you recollect the Dharma through these aspects,
then whatever fear, trepidation, or terror you are experiencing will subside.

“If you cannot recollect the Dharma, then recollect the Saṅgha through its
aspects:

“The Saṅgha of śrāvakas of the Blessed One practice well,
they practice in the proper way, they practice with integrity, they practice in the
right way, they practice the Dharma as befits the Dharma, and they act in accordance
with the Dharma. In the Saṅgha there are those who practice to realize the result of
stream entry. In the Saṅgha there are stream enterers. In the Saṅgha there are those
who practice to realize the result of once-returners. In the Saṅgha there are
once-returners. In the Saṅgha there are those who practice to realize the result of
non-returners. In the Saṅgha there are non-returners. In the Saṅgha there are those
who practice to realize the result of arhathood. In the Saṅgha there are arhats. These are the four
pairs, the eight types of persons. The Blessed One’s Saṅgha of śrāvakas is
replete with discipline,
replete with samādhi, replete with wisdom, replete with liberation, and replete with
the knowledge and vision of liberation. They are fully worthy of offerings, they are
completely worthy of offerings, they are worthy of respect with joined palms, they are
worthy of homage. They are the unsurpassed field of merit, the rightful recipients of
the offerings of the world.

“Merchants, if at that time you recollect the Saṅgha through these aspects,
then whatever fear, trepidation, or terror you are experiencing will subside.

“Previously, merchants, when a battle between the devas and the asuras was
about to break out, Śakra, the lord of the devas, called out to the devas of the
Heaven of the Thirty-Three: ‘Friends, when you go into the battle between the devas
and the asuras, if you feel any fear, trepidation, or terror, you should at that time
recall my crest insignia Vaijayanta. If at that time you recollect my crest insignia
Vaijayanta, then whatever fear, trepidation, or terror you are experiencing will
subside.

“ ‘If you cannot recollect my crest insignia, then recollect the crest
insignia of the deva Īśāna. If at that time you recollect the crest insignia of the
deva Īśāna, then whatever fear, trepidation, or terror you are experiencing will
subside.

“ ‘If you cannot recollect the crest insignia of the deva Īśāna, then
recollect the crest insignia of the deva Varuṇa. If at that time you recollect the crest insignia of
the deva Varuṇa, then whatever fear, trepidation, or terror you are experiencing will
subside.

“In the same way, merchants, when you are in the wilderness and feel fear,
trepidation, or terror, at that time, you should recollect me through my aspects:

“The Blessed One is a thus-gone one, a worthy one, a
perfectly and completely awakened one, a learned and virtuous one, a well-gone one, a
knower of the world, an unsurpassed leader of those to be trained, a teacher of devas
and humans, an awakened one, and a blessed one.

“Merchants, if at that time you recollect me through my aspects, whatever
fear, trepidation, or terror you are experiencing will subside.

“If you cannot recollect me, then recollect the Dharma through its aspects:

“The Dharma of the Blessed One has been well spoken, it is
to be seen for oneself, it is free from ailments, it is timeless, it is a guide, it is
there in plain sight, and it is to be experienced by the wise for themselves.

“Merchants, if at that time you recollect the Dharma through its aspects,
whatever fear, trepidation, or terror you are experiencing will subside.

“If you cannot recollect the Dharma, then recollect the Saṅgha through its
aspects:

“The Saṅgha of śrāvakas of the Blessed One practices well;
they practice in the proper way, they practice with integrity, they practice in the
right way, they practice the Dharma as befits the Dharma, and they act in accordance
with the Dharma. In the Saṅgha there are those who practice to realize the result of
stream entry. In the Saṅgha there are stream enterers. In the Saṅgha there are those who
practice to realize the result of once-returners. In the Saṅgha there are
once-returners. In the Saṅgha there are those who practice in order to realize the
result of non-returners. In the Saṅgha there are non-returners. In the Saṅgha there
are those who practice in order to realize the result of arhathood. In the Saṅgha
there are arhats. These are the four pairs, the eight types of persons. The Blessed
One’s Saṅgha of śrāvakas is replete with discipline, replete with samādhi, replete
with wisdom, replete with liberation, and replete with the knowledge and vision of
liberation. They are fully worthy of offerings, they are completely worthy of
offerings, they are worthy of respect with joined palms, they are worthy of homage.
They are the unsurpassed field of merit, the rightful recipients of the offerings of
the world.

“Merchants, if at that time you recollect the Saṅgha through its aspects,
whatever fear, trepidation, or terror you are experiencing will subside.”

Seeing that the Buddha and the saṅgha of monks were comfortably seated, the
many merchants of Vaiśālī then graciously served them from their own hands the pure
and wholesome foods and drinks and ensured they were satisfied. In various ways, they
graciously served them from their own hands the pure and wholesome foods and drinks
and ensured their satisfaction, and the Blessed One partook of the midday meal. When
the many merchants of Vaiśālī saw that he had placed his alms bowl down and concealed
his hands, they spread out low seats and sat before the Blessed One to listen to the
Dharma.

The Blessed One rejoiced with delight at the generosity of the many merchants
of Vaiśālī.

“O merchants, you have sustained

The saṅgha of monks with food and drink

In the manner of wise and noble beings

Who, in their wisdom, practice generosity. [1]

“This is a benediction for your offering.

By making this gift, O merchants,

May the aims you rightfully desire

Always be accomplished. [2]

“May there be goodness for those of you who travel on two feet.

May there be goodness for those of you who travel on four feet.

May there be goodness as you embark upon your journey,

And may there be goodness when you return. [3]

“May there be goodness all night and goodness all day,

And may there be goodness at midday.

May you experience goodness in all situations,

And may negativity never befall you. [4]

“When perfect seeds are sown

In perfect fields

And enjoy perfect rainfall,

A perfect harvest will abound. [5]

“When perfectly free from damage,

When crops grow with perfection

And burst forth with perfection,

A perfect harvest will abound. [6]

“So, too, by giving perfect foods

To those with perfect discipline,

You will accomplish perfection,

For your act itself was perfect. [7]

“Thus, when people who seek perfection

And strive toward perfection

Attend to those with perfect wisdom,

Perfection is what they accomplish. [8]

“Thus, those with stable faith

In the unsurpassed Buddha

And in the Dharma and the Saṅgha

Will find perfection of mind. [9]

“Those with perfect thoughts

Toward the one with knowledge and conduct

Perform virtuous actions.

This is the perfection of action. [10]

“When one truly knows the world as it is,

One attains the perfection of the view.

When the noble vision is perfectly present,

One’s mind becomes perfect too. [11]

“Those who overcome all stains

Attain the perfection of nirvāṇa

And extinguish suffering;

Their aim is perfectly complete.” [12]

The Blessed One taught, instructed, encouraged, and delighted the many
merchants of Vaiśālī with this Dharma talk. Having taught, instructed, encouraged, and
delighted them with this Dharma talk on various topics, the Blessed One rose from his
seat and departed.

Colophon

Translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian preceptors Jinamitra and
Prajñāvarman, the translator-editor Bandé Yeshé Dé, and others.

Notes

Bibliography