Toh 562The Sūtra of Great Cool Grove

Summary

The Sūtra of Great Cool Grove, one of five
texts that constitute the Pañcarakṣā scriptural collection, has been among the
most popular texts used for pragmatic purposes throughout the Mahāyāna Buddhist
world. This sūtra promises protection for the Buddha’s “four communities”—monks,
nuns, laymen, and laywomen—against a range of illnesses and obstacles
originating from the hosts of spirit entities who reside in remote wilderness
retreats. The text centers specifically on threats of illness posed by the
capricious spirit world of “nonhumans,” known collectively as
grahas or bhūtas, who feed off the
vitality, flesh, and blood of members of the Buddhist spiritual community
engaging in spiritual practice at those remote hermitages. The sūtra is
proclaimed by the Four Great Kings, each of whom reigns over a host of bhūtas,
with the goal of quelling the hostile forces who assail those diligently
practicing the Buddha’s teachings. Also included are ritual prescriptions for
properly performing the sūtra and descriptions of the many benefits that
ensue.

Acknowledgements

Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the guidance
of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The translation was produced by James Gentry, who also
wrote the introduction. Andreas Doctor compared the translation with the
original Tibetan and edited the text.

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

Introduction

The Sūtra of Great Cool Grove is one in
a series of five works that are widely popular in the Buddhist world for
their power to bring about practical and liberative benefit. In addition to
The Sūtra of Great Cool Grove, this set of
texts includes Destroyer of the Great
Trichiliocosm (Mahāsāhasrapramardanīsūtra, Toh 558),
The Great Peahen (Mahāmāyūrīvidyārājñī, Toh 559),
The Great Amulet (Mahāpratisārāvidyārājñī, Toh 561), and Great Upholder of the
Secret Mantra (Mahāmantrānusāriṇīsūtra, Toh 563). Together these five texts have
been apotheosized in the Mahāyāna tradition as five goddesses known
collectively as the Pañcarakṣā, or the Five Protectresses. In the Tibetan
tradition this collection is known as gzungs chen
grwa lnga, the Five Great Dhāraṇīs.

Tibetan redactors of Kangyur collections have cataloged these five
texts together within the Kriyātantra section of the Collected Tantras
(rgyud ’bum) division of the canon.
Indeed, these scriptures do contain elements that resonate with standard
Kriyātantra practice as understood in Tibet: the use of powerful
incantations, an emphasis on external ritual hygiene, the pragmatic
application of ritual and mantra, and so forth. Yet, nearly absent from the
five dhāraṇī texts are detailed descriptions of the contemplative
visualization exercises, specialized ritual gestures (mudrā), elaborate maṇḍala
diagrams, and initiation ceremonies typical of full-blown Buddhist tantra. A
close perusal of these five texts might then lead the reader to construe
them as Mahāyāna texts with a preponderance of elements—magical mantra
formulas, ritual prescriptions, pragmatic aims, and so forth—that developed
into a tantric practice tradition with its own unique view, meditation, and
conduct. To complicate things further, core features of texts in this
collection are rooted in Indian Buddhist traditions that are not
specifically esoteric or even explicitly part of the Mahāyāna tradition.
The great peahen incantation, for example,
appears as a remedy for snakebites in the Mūlasarvāstivādavinayavastu. This accords
with Gregory Schopen’s general observation, based on inscriptional evidence,
that “Dhāraṇī texts were
publically [sic] known much earlier and much more widely than the texts we
think of as ‘classically’ Mahāyāna.”

It is believed that all five of these texts, and specifically their
incantations, provide special protection from a wide range of illnesses and
misfortunes for those who memorize, recollect, read, copy, teach, wear, or
otherwise come into contact with them. Each text promises protection from
specific misfortunes, with considerable overlap witnessed between the texts.
Despite the pragmatic thrust of these scriptures, each text also contains
numerous allusions to doctrinal notions, the range of effects described
therein sometimes, though rarely, extending beyond the pragmatic sphere to
include the purification of negative karma, deliverance from the lower
realms, and even the attainment of buddhahood.

While it seems certain that the five texts each developed
independently and were only later combined into the well-known collection,
their popularity as a set is attested by their eventual spread from India to
Nepal, Tibet, Central Asia, China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, and
Indonesia. Among the five texts, the status of The
Sūtra of Great Cool Grove is perhaps the most ambiguous. The
sūtra is listed as one of the “Five Great Dhāraṇīs” in the Denkarma
(ldan kar ma), the imperial-period
catalog of Tibetan translations, indicating that it was counted among the
set as early as the ninth century.
Similarly, it was also counted among the same set in a ninth-century Tibetan
manuscript found at Tabo monastery in Ladakh.
However, in later Sanskrit Pañcarakṣā collections it was replaced with the
similarly titled but otherwise distinct dhāraṇī Great
Cool Goddess (Mahāśītavatī). Thus,
the collection of five dhāraṇīs preserved in the Tibetan canon and recorded
in Denkarma catalog as the “Five Great Dhāraṇīs” may represent a
“proto-Pañcarakṣā collection” that evolved into the collection that includes
the dhāraṇī Great Cool Goddess rather than
The Sūtra of Great Cool Grove. It is the later arrangement of the Five Great Dhāraṇīs, the
set that does not include The Sūtra of Great Cool
Grove, that has achieved widespread popularity in the Buddhist
world, particularly in Nepal, where numerous versions of the text have been
preserved in Sanskrit and vernacular languages into modern times.

The Sūtra of Great Cool Grove takes
place in the Cool Grove cremation ground and unfolds as an exchange between
the Buddha and the Four Great Kings: Kubera, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Virūḍhaka, and
Virūpākṣa. The Four Great Kings deliver the sūtra and teach the incantations
it contains, and the Buddha establishes their teaching as authoritative
scripture by accepting and rejoicing in their proclamation. After doing so,
the Buddha adds the final incantation of the sūtra. The Four Great Kings’
explicit purpose in delivering the sūtra is to protect the Buddha’s four
communities and other human beings from the threatening influence of the
kings’ own pantheon of capricious, nonhuman servants, known collectively as
grahas or bhūtas. Each of the
Four Great Kings holds spiritual sovereignty over a cardinal direction and
the classes of supernatural beings who reside in them. According to the
cosmology presented in the text, the great king Kubera, also called
Vaiśravaṇa, dwells in the north, where he presides over primarily yakṣas,
but also a host of other supernatural beings including nakṣatras, unmādas,
apasmāras, kinnaras, and skandas. The great king Dhṛtarāṣṭra dwells in the
east, where he reigns over gandharvas as well as rākṣasas, piśācas, and
marutas. The great king Virūḍhaka rules in the south, where his entourage
consists mostly of kumbhāṇḍas but also includes pretas and pūtanas. Finally,
the great king Virūpākṣa reigns in the west, where his entourage is made up
of nāgas as well as garuḍas and guhyakas.

The sūtra promises protection specifically for the Buddha’s “four
communities”—monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen—against a range of illnesses
and obstacles originating from the animosity and ill will of these hosts of
supernatural beings. In this text, these beings are said to reside in the
vicinity of remote wilderness retreats, where they can feed off the
vitality, flesh, and blood of members of the Buddhist spiritual community
engaged in spiritual practice there. The negative impact of these
supernatural beings is framed in terms of their intrusion upon the human
body in the form of illness, danger, and misfortune. Concordantly, the text
claims to work precisely by means of “repelling” harmful entities from the
bodies of patients, “drawing a boundary” around them, and thereby restoring
health and well-being. It is through “receiving, holding, reciting,
mastering, and using” the scripture itself that such healing exorcisms are
effected. This can be done by patients themselves or by other members of the
community on their behalf.

The narrative introduction (nidāna; gleng
gzhi) traditionally found at the very beginning of a sūtra is
here preceded by a series of supplications to the buddhas of the past,
prominent monks in the Buddha’s entourage, and the Four Great Kings. This is
followed by an entreaty to malevolent and benevolent supernatural beings and
an initial incantation formula. This material, which was likely appended to
the sūtra by a later compiler, has the effect of transforming the core
scripture into a liturgy to be recited in a ritual setting. One such ritual
framework is found at the end of the sūtra, following the traditional
formula for ending a scripture. This concise ritual instruction was also
likely added by a later compiler in order to provide practical instructions
for using the sūtra as part of a healing or protective rite.

The Sūtra of Great Cool Grove was
translated into Tibetan under Tibetan imperial patronage sometime during the
first half of the ninth century by a team that included the
translator-editor Bandé Yeshé Dé (ca. eighth–ninth centuries) and the Indian
scholars Śīlendrabodhi, Jñānasiddhi, and Śākyaprabha. The translation was
edited several centuries later by Gö Lotsāwa Shönu Pal (’gos lo tsA ba gzhon nu dpal, 1392–1481),
who based his work on a Sanskrit manuscript that had been in the possession
of Chak Lotsāwa Chöjé Pal (chag lo tsA ba chos
rje dpal, 1197–1263/64). The Stok Palace Kangyur contains yet
another recension of Yeshé Dé’s translation in which the mantras were
revised by Butön Rinchen Drup (bu ston rin chen
grub, 1290–1364) based on two Sanskrit manuscripts from
India.

There are no extant Sanskrit versions of The
Sūtra of Great Cool Grove, nor are there any known Chinese
translations of the sūtra. This English translation is based solely on
Tibetan sources, with the Degé version taken as the primary witness. The
Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) of
the Degé Kangyur was also consulted, as was the version of the translation
recorded in the Stok Palace Kangyur. Additionally, this translation draws
upon an early version of the Tibetan translation preserved in the Dunhuang
manuscript collection (IOL Tib J 397). This version is generally consistent
with the canonical versions, but it does contain variants that clarify some
readings. The incantation formulas have been preserved as given in the Degé
text, with no attempt made to edit them based on versions of the mantras
found in other canonical sources. Some minor orthographic emendations have
been made without notation.

The Translation

The Sūtra of

Great Cool Grove

Homage to the Three Jewels.

Homage to the glorious Buddha,

The perfectly awakened one, wise about the world,

Who first taught the vidyā-mantras

On the Jambu continent.

I also pay homage to all buddhas,

Those present, past,

And yet to come—

I go to them all for refuge.

Homage to Dīpaṅkara,

Unexcelled turner of the wheel.

Homage to Sarvābhibhū,

Illuminating king of Dharma.

Homage to Padmottara,

The renowned omniscient one.

Homage to Atyuccagāmin,

The visionary protector.

Homage to Yaśottara,

The unexcelled guide.

Homage to Kṣemaṅkara,

Who shines like the sun and moon.

Homage to Arthadarśin,

Who displays the mirror of Dharma.

Homage to the one called Puṣya,

Fearless in the discipline that tames.

Homage to Tiṣya,

Replete with the thirty-two supreme marks.

Homage to Vipaśyin,

Replete with the glory of perfect awakening.

Homage to Śikhin,

Replete with light and radiance.

Homage to Viśvabhū,

Revered and renowned.

Homage to Krakucchanda,

Destroyer of the hordes of Māra.

Homage to Kanakamuni,

The glorious brahmin.

Homage to Kāśyapa,

Who loves all beings.

Homage to the golden one,

Luminous lion of the Śākyas.

And homage to Maitreya,

The compassionate one free of avarice.

Having paid homage to all buddhas,

I go to them for refuge.

Homage to all buddhas,

Teachers of the Dharma.

I pay homage to the Dharma,

Revered by buddhas.

Homage to the Saṅgha,

To whom it is greatly beneficial to make offerings.

Homage to Śāriputra,

Most insightful among śrāvakas.

Homage to Maudgalyāyana,

Supreme among those with miraculous powers.

Homage to Kātyāyana,

Fearless in Dharma discourse.

Homage to Kāśyapa,

The most ascetic among śrāvakas.

Homage to Kauṇḍinya,

Lord among protectors.

Homage to Ānanda,

Learned holder of vidyā-mantras.

Homage to Kubera, Dhṛtarāṣṭra,

Virūpākṣa, and Virūḍhaka,

The Great Kings

Throughout the four directions.

Homage to the twenty-eight

Supreme yakṣa generals.

Homage to my parents, preceptor, and teacher,

As well as to the gods.

After paying homage to them,

May this vidyā-mantra succeed.

May I succeed in the purpose

For which it is enacted.

Hostile and harmful nonhumans,

Go elsewhere.

Those who wish harm and seek weakness,

Listen to the Teacher’s teaching.

All nonhumans,

Benevolent and altruistic,

Gather and be in harmony.

Joyfully listen to me—

The words of the guardians of the world

Were rejoiced in by the Teacher.

This Great Sūtra of Cool Grove, the
great protection of the Four Great Kings, covers all four communities.

All you yakṣas, rākṣasas, gandharvas, nāgas, garuḍas, guhyakas,
bhūtas, kumbhāṇḍas, pretas, pūtanas, piśācas, asuras, marutas, skandas,
mischief makers,
unmādas, kinnaras, upward movers, wandering beings, covetous ones,
evildoers, stealers of vitality, and apasmāras; all intense fevers, one-day
fevers, two-day fevers, three-day fevers, and four-day fevers; all humans
and nonhumans who are hostile, search for weakness, have malicious intent,
and perpetrate violence; all who do not like the teaching of the blessed
Buddha, wish to harm it, do not want to benefit it, do not wish it well, and
do not want it to succeed or be secure; all who do not like the four
communities,
wish to harm them, do not want to benefit them, do not wish them well, and
do not want them to succeed or be secure; all who do not like the person
with such-and-such a name, want to harm them, do not
want to benefit them, and do not want them to be well, succeed, or be
secure—having heard this Great Sūtra of Cool
Grove, depart. May you be scared. May you be frightened. May you
be terrified. Do not remain here. May the heads of the evil and malicious
split into seven pieces.

All you yakṣas, rākṣasas, gandharvas, nāgas, garuḍas, guhyakas,
bhūtas, kumbhāṇḍas, pretas, pūtanas, piśācas, asuras, marutas, skandas,
mischief makers, unmādas, kinnaras, upward movers, wandering beings,
covetous ones, evildoers, stealers of vitality, and apasmāras; all intense
fevers, one-day fevers, two-day fevers, three-day fevers, and four-day
fevers; all humans and nonhumans who are not hostile, do not search for
weakness, do not have malicious intent, and do not perpetrate violence; all
who like the teaching of the blessed Buddha, want to benefit and assist it,
wish it well, and want it to be successful and secure; all who like the
person with such-and-such a name, want to benefit and assist them, wish them
well, and want them to be successful and secure—having heard this Great Sūtra of Cool Grove, remain here. Do not be
scared. Do not be frightened. Do not be terrified. Be nothing but fearless.
For the benefit, assistance, happiness, and security of the person with
such-and-such a name, I will teach and explain this Great Sūtra of Cool Grove.
The Great Sūtra of Cool Grove that protects
oneself is as follows:

Syād yathedam

khaṭe khaṭe khattyasi
palakavaṭe rogabhadrigaṇe hili hili dumate gṛttati ajaṭi kathari
masārakalpe samantena caturdiśi yojanaśata ātmarakṣa anatikramaṇi
sarvaviheṭhakebhyaḥ namo bhagavate buddhasya siddhyantu mantrapadā
daraduvidyā brahmaṇo manadu svāhā

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in
Rājagṛha at the horrific and hair-raising great charnel ground Cool Grove,
together with a large monastic assembly of 1,250 monks. The Four Great
Kings—Kubera, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Virūpākṣa, and Virūḍhaka—with their sons,
ministers, entourages, retainers, messengers, and servants, appeared at
midnight in their majestic glory, arriving in the great charnel ground of
Cool Grove with a single intent. Through their natural radiance and power
they flooded the place with bright light. They then approached the Blessed
One, bowed their heads to his feet, and circumambulated him three times.
Then, with palms joined they prostrated only to him and stood to one side.
Thus standing to one side, the Four Great Kings praised the Blessed One in
verse:

“Homage to you, great hero,

Perfectly awakened one, wise about the world.

The gods have not grasped

What you, Gautama, know.”

The Four Great Kings then praised the Blessed One with this verse a
second and third time:

“Homage to you, great hero,

Perfectly awakened one, wise about the world.

The gods have not grasped

What you, Gautama, know.”

The Four Great Kings then said to the Blessed One, “Venerable
Blessed One, does this place agree with you? Do you have sustenance?
Venerable Blessed One, are you healthy? Are you free of illness? Are you
without discomfort? Does nothing harm the Blessed One’s body?

“Are there no yakṣas, rākṣasas, gandharvas, nāgas, garuḍas,
guhyakas, bhūtas, kumbhāṇḍas, pretas, pūtanas, piśācas, asuras, marutas,
skandas, mischief makers, unmādas, kinnaras, upward movers, wandering
beings, covetous ones, evildoers, stealers of vitality, or apasmāras,
intense fevers, one-day fevers, two-day fevers, three-day fevers, or
four-day fevers, or humans or nonhumans who hate the Blessed One, search for
weakness, have malicious intent, are harmful toward him, or even have the
intention of being harmful?”

The Blessed One responded to the Four Great Kings, “I have
everything, Great Kings. The place agrees with me, I have sustenance, my
health is good, I am free of illness, and I am without discomfort. Great
Kings, there is no one harming my body.

“Great Kings, I have not seen anyone at all in the world, including
gods, māras, and Brahmā; anyone among humans, including mendicants and
brahmins; or anyone else among gods and humans who intends to harm the
thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha. Great Kings, it is rather your
communities that intend to harm my community.”

The Four Great Kings said to the Blessed One, “Venerable Blessed One, we
have been informed of this, thus we have come before the Blessed One to
honor you, pay homage, pay respect, and petition the Blessed One in person.
Why? Venerable Blessed One, at remote wilderness retreats there are
extremely malicious yakṣas, rākṣasas, gandharvas, nāgas, garuḍas, guhyakas,
bhūtas, kumbhāṇḍas, pretas, pūtanas, piśācas, asuras, marutas, skandas,
mischief makers, unmādas, kinnaras, upward movers, wandering beings,
covetous ones, evildoers, stealers of vitality, and apasmāras, intense
fevers, one-day fevers, two-day fevers, three-day fevers, and four-day
fevers, and humans and nonhumans who are hateful, search for weakness, have
malicious intent, and perpetrate violence. The śrāvakas of the venerable
Blessed One also dwell at those places, exerting themselves in practice
without resting at dawn or dusk. Venerable Blessed One, from the yakṣas and
rākṣasas up to those perpetrating violence, there are very few with trust in
the Blessed One’s teaching, and there are a great many who lack trust in the
Blessed One’s teaching and intend to harm the śrāvakas of the Blessed One
who stay in these places, exerting themselves in practice without resting at
dawn or dusk. In order to stop them, so that the pernicious yakṣas without
trust can gain trust, so that those with trust can increase their trust, and
so that the four communities can have well-being, dwell at ease, and meditate
well without exception, was ask you to expound The
Great Sūtra of Cool Grove.

“We will repel

Hostile nonhumans

Who lack devotion to the Victor’s teaching.

Listen to us, the Four Great Kings.

“Once you have heard this great sūtra,

Do not harm humans.

“Yakṣas, rākṣasas, nāgas,

Garuḍas, and guhyakas,

Whoever does not wish to be helpful—

We repel them all.

“The exquisite mansions

Filled with assemblies of gods,

Asuras, marutas, and goddesses

Radiate light like fire.

“Made of jewels, they shine brightly,

Just like the sun and moon.

Filled with merit makers,

They shine, devoid of grahas.

“Bhūtas, kumbhāṇḍas, rākṣasas,

Pretas, and pūtanas

Who harm humans

Do not see their splendor.

They do not travel to the city

Of the majestic gods.

“They will be unable to gather

Where great bhūtas gather.

They have no control, wherever they are,

Over food and drink, not even water.

“They will never travel

To the palace of Kubera.

“Any bhūtas who do not listen

To the words of the Great Kings

Will have warm blood

Gush swiftly from their mouths.

“Boils will appear

On the right sides of their thighs.

They will be killed by disease,

And their yakṣa forms will be revealed.

“Whoever transgresses the sūtra

Spoken by the guardians of the world

Will experience every fear,

And their head will split into seven pieces.

“Yakṣas who do not listen

To the words of the Great Kings,

And all the bhūtas and rākṣasas there are,

Making up a garland of great evil,

Will be destroyed by a disk of iron,

A weapon with razor-like teeth.

“The glorious Great Kings,

With hard armor and sharp weapons,

Are seated on thrones:

In the east is Dhṛtarāṣṭra,

In the south is Virūḍhaka,

In the west is Virūpākṣa,

And in the north is Kubera.

“All around them stand

A host of yakṣas,

Roaming and darting about,

Taking the hideous forms

Of lions and tigers.

“Some have elephant forms, some horse forms;

Others have buffalo forms

Or the forms of bears or foxes,

Sheep, wolves, and boars.

Some have drooping ears, others’ are large;

Some have one ear, others many.

“They make loud noises, cause fear,

And make the ground tremble.

They are arrayed in the various forms

Of mules, camels, dogs, and others.

“The Great King of tremendous
might

Was transported through the sky

On a divine chariot

To where these yakṣas gathered together.

“The lord of yakṣas

Ensures people’s well-being.”

Syād yathedam

vakahumule haśiṇa śaśiṇa
vanamuhale samuhāle uduhāle samahāle praśamamī rākṣasa amanuṣyā vāremi
yakṣaṇi vārāmi pretamabhithai dumanuṣyā masapata hadhamuranan
sutiṣyati

When this was spoken by the great king Vaiśravaṇa,

Borne on a man and accompanied by his
army,

A great storm arose,

And the mountains shook.

“When the great king Vaiśravaṇa

Stands in his jewel chariot,

The voices of gods and humans resound.

When the Great King arrives,

Everything catches ablaze.

“Rākṣasas, who shapeshift as they please,

Are made to run before him,

Their inhuman forms

Provoking fear and dread.

“Huge and unbearably fierce,

They are aggressive and hideous to behold.

They have long body hair and long nails,

And they hold swords and hammers in their hands.

“Their copper-colored teeth provoke fear.

They have large snouts, like a camel or tiger.

Aggressive, their hands are red with blood.

Their limbs are incomplete and their bodies half formed.

“Their eyes are yellow and their bodies bright yellow.

They are filthy and have wizened bodies,

Lips of iron, and hair that flows upward.

They strike with dangerous weapons.

“They have ears like bows and bloated stomachs,

And they take forms like those of snakes or calves.

They have the bodies of large-bellied pigs,

Big heads, long arms,

And ears and breasts that dangle.

“I am surrounded by a host

Of many such yakṣas—

A trillion yakṣas,

Each ungrateful to their mother.

I have come to pay homage

Together with this host.

Heroic Gautama, we have come,

Paying devout respect to you.

“Ferocious in their aggression and wildness,

With large heads and long hair,

They rob humans, beasts,

And birds of their vitality.

“They eat blazing fire and so much more.

Some have one eye, others yellow eyes,

And some have severed noses and ears.

Wounded with many lacerations,

They have no heads, or they have severed heads.

They have hunched bodies, wrinkled faces,

Fire blazing in their eyes, and no feet.

Frightening to humans,

Broad and completely wild,

They roam and dart about accordingly.

“I am surrounded by a host

Of many such yakṣas—

A trillion yakṣas,

Each with a thief for a mother.

I have come to pay homage

Together with this host.

Heroic Gautama, we have come,

Paying devout respect to you.

“A rākṣasī named Chariot

Lives within our realms.

She has ten thousand mighty sons

Who are my servants

And have come to pay homage.

Heroic Gautama, we have come,

Paying devout respect to you.

“A rākṣasī named Long Neck

Lives within our realms,

As do one named Exceedingly Dark,

One named Black Lady,

And one named Pitch Dark.

They pay respect to Gautama.

“Those great beings, yakṣas of the earth,

Dwell on the surface of the earth.

Surrounded by this host,

I have come here.

I have come to pay homage,

Together with this host.

Heroic Gautama, we have come,

Paying devout respect to you.

“The pretas, yakṣas, and rākṣasas

Who run before me

Have huge bodies, strong and fierce.

Their teeth are large, their stomachs bloated.

Śūrpakas hang

On their horrific, pendulous ears.

“They have a six limbs and hard teeth

That are like saffron-colored hammers.

Their teeth are also jagged and sharp,

Spear-like and terrifying.

“They have elephant heads, gourd-like snouts,

Heads like tigers and lions,

Iron teeth, and iron hair.

They instill fear in grahas

“They carry iron cudgels

And iron hammers in their hands.

With sharp teeth and long arms,

They take terrifying forms.

They have lips of iron, large heads, and disheveled hair.

They are black with yellow eyes and crooked noses.

They have gourd-like necks and red eyes,

Or one eye, and bloated bellies.

Their lips dangle, and some have only one hand,

Some one foot, and some two feet.

Some have no mouth, or two mouths.

They are ferocious

And terrifying to humans.

“They frighten and terrify

With clubs, sticks, and tridents in hand.

Frightening and terrifying,

They strike fear in the grahas,

Causing them to cry out in fear.

They disorient their minds,

Cause madness and stupefaction,

And then steal their vitality.

“It is difficult for those who terrify the world

To rely on the Great Powerful One.

Sixty-four thousand of them

Run before the Great King.

“A trillion yakṣas

Surrounded by a host

Of many such yakṣas

Have come to pay homage.

Heroic Gautama, we have come,

Paying devout respect to you.

“There are Viśākha, Pāñcika, Candra,

Lion Army, Oppressor,

Mother’s Gift, Fierce Diligence,

Pūrṇa, Wealth Bearer,

Candana, Supreme Desire,

Motley Army, Taker of Oblations,

Wish-Fulfilling Fortune, Attractive,

Reed Holder, Exceedingly Victorious,

Rich with All Wishes,

Lord Conqueror, Pack Leader,

Son of Fine Gem, Sublimely Perfect,

Supreme Reed of the Earth, Delightful Reed,

Sūciloman, Sublimely Long,

Supreme Hand, Prajāpati,

Reed Thread, Long Spear,

Powerful Knowledge, Gem,

Takṣaka, Mahākāla,

Kambala, Mule,

And Airāvaṇa, the king of nāgas.

“The powerful garuḍas,

With massive wings and miraculous powers,

Are supreme among all winged beings.

Traveling in the form of birds,

They cause all the oceans to roil.

“Gods, asuras, and gandharvas,

Whether frightening or virtuous,

With or without trust,

Have all come here.

Heroic Gautama, we have come,

Paying devout respect to you.

“The yakṣiṇī named Hārītī,

Terrifying and powerful,

And her five hundred sons,

Terrifying and mighty yakṣas,

Are all my servants.

They have come to pay homage.

Heroic Gautama, we have come,

Paying devout respect to you.

“All Seeing in Magadha,

Lotus Bearer in Kāśi,

Supreme Victor, who dwells in Vaiśālī,

Yaśodharā who dwells in Malla,

Kumbhīrā in
Rājagṛha,

Fierce in Kapilavastu,

Wealth, who dwells in Tamala,

And Always Victorious in Mithilā—

These eight great mātṛkās

Are the highest generals of the yakṣas;

They possess great miraculous power, fortune, and strength.

They have all come with virtuous and devout intentions

To take refuge in the perfect Buddha.”

Gathered together with them,

The powerful Great King,

In service to the perfect Buddha’s teaching,

And out of love for humans,

Properly enacted this protection,

Which turns away all yakṣas, bhūtas, pretas,

Hostile grahas, and nonhumans.

The king Vaiśravaṇa

Then joined his palms and said:

“You have transcended all resentment and fear,

And you are fully liberated and free of defilements.

Heroic Gautama, I have come,

Paying devout respect to you.

“All gods, siddhas,

And brahmins pay homage to you.

Six hundred and forty million yakṣas have also come;

Circling from all sides,

They amass with their palms joined.

“I am King Vaiśravaṇa,

The guardian of the north.

I will repel all yakṣas, nakṣatras, unmādas,

Apasmāras, kinnaras, skandas,

And intense fevers up through four-day fevers

In the vicinity of the world protector.”

Syād yathedam

May the great king Vaiśravaṇa, Kubera, lord of Aḍakavatī, guard
this direction.

May he repel yakṣas, nakṣatras, unmādas, apasmāras, kinnaras,
upward movers, wandering beings, covetous ones, evildoers, and those who
steal vitality.

Vāsava, the king of all gods, has come. I pay homage to him. He,
too, pays homage to the Blessed One:

“Heroic perfect Buddha,

All seeing and all knowing—I bow to you.

I bow to you, perfect hero.

I have come, paying devout respect.”

Then the king Dhṛtarāṣṭra,

Joined his palms and said:

“I pay homage to the glorious Buddha,

The illuminating king of Dharma.

Heroic Gautama, I have come,

Paying devout respect to you.

“That which you know, Gautama,

The gods have not grasped.

“Sixty-four thousand rākṣasas,

Terrifying to behold,

Circle from all sides,

Amassing with their palms joined.

“I am King Dhṛtarāṣṭra,

The guardian of the east.

I will repel all rākṣasas, piśācas,

Gandharvas, and marutas

In the vicinity of the world protector.”

Syād yathedam

atimiṭī khuraṭe phuraṭe
mati vimaṭi umaņi akke makke nakke aṭumi vaṭumi mabhe eriṭi piriti svāhā

May the great king Dhṛtarāṣṭra guard this direction. May he repel
all rākṣasas, pretas, gandharvas, marutas, kinnaras, and those who steal
vitality.

Vāsava, the king of all gods, has come. I pay homage to him. He,
too, pays homage to the Blessed One:

“Heroic perfect Buddha,

All seeing and all knowing—I bow to you.

I bow to you, perfect hero.

I have come, paying devout respect.”

Then the king Virūḍhaka

Joined his palms and said:

“Protector and refuge of the world,

Benefactor of all worlds,

Heroic Gautama, I have come,

Paying devout respect to you.

“Sixty-four thousand

Kumbhāṇḍas, pretas, and pūtanas

Circle from all sides,

Amassing with their palms joined.

“I am King Virūḍhaka,

The guardian of the south.

I will repel all bhūtas, wandering beings,

Stealers of vitality, kumbhāṇḍas, pretas, and pūtanas

In the vicinity of the world protector.”

Syād yathedam

May the great king Virūḍhaka guard this direction.

May he repel all kumbhāṇḍas, pretas, pūtanas, bhūtas, wandering
beings, and stealers of vitality.

Vāsava, the king of all gods, has come. I pay homage to him. He,
too, pays homage to the Blessed One:

“Heroic perfect Buddha,

All seeing and all knowing—I bow to you.

I bow to you, perfect hero.

I have come, paying devout respect.”

Then the king Virūpākṣa

Joined his palms and said:

“In this world of darkness,

You show the paths of the blessed ones.

Heroic Gautama, I have come,

Paying devout respect to you.

“You are like the sun and moon in all worlds,

Powerful like the heart of a jewel.

Sixty-four thousand nāgas, garuḍas, and guhyakas

Circle from all sides,

Amassing with their palms joined.

“I am King Virūpākṣa,

The guardian of the west.

I will repel all nāgas, garuḍas, guhyakas,

And the powerful asura lords

In the vicinity of the world protector.”

Syād yathedam

dage dage suvatiye paṭe aṭa
kamaṭṭe vima vidama vidadama bhidadamani abhiname gaccha bhūte dala
phiye varasura rātra cicile cilililililili svāhā

May the great king Virūpākṣa guard this direction. May he repel all
nāgas, garuḍas, guhyakas, asuras, and stealers of vitality.

Vāsava, the king of all gods, has come. I pay homage to him. He,
too, pays homage to the Blessed One:

“Heroic perfect Buddha,

All seeing and all knowing—I bow to you.

I bow to you, perfect hero.

I have come, paying devout respect.”

The Four Great Kings then draped their upper robes over one
shoulder and knelt on their right knee. Bowing solely to the Blessed One
with palms joined, they said the following, unified in sense, phrasing, and
tone: “Venerable Blessed One, this Great Sūtra of Cool
Grove, the protection of the Four Great Kings, covers all four
communities. It repels everything from yakṣas and rākṣasas all the way up to
harm doers. It protects, guards, and shields the four communities, ensuring
their happiness and well-being so they can dwell at ease.”

The Blessed One replied to the Four Great Kings, “Great Kings, you
have upheld the great king of vidyā-mantras. I have accepted The Great Sūtra of Cool Grove. Great Kings, to
rejoice in The Great Sūtra of Cool Grove, I
will, moreover, utter the great king of vidyā-mantras. Listen
carefully and retain it. I will disclose it now.”

“May the Blessed One please do so,” replied the Four Great Kings,
and they listened to what the Blessed One said.

The Blessed One then opened his robe with his precious right hand
and said to the assemblies of bhūtas, “I will reveal it. I will disclose it
to the great king Vaiśravaṇa. I will make it comprehensible to
everyone.”

The blessed, completely perfect Buddha then spoke the following
vidyā-mantra:

Syād yathedam

hilī hilī bhisini vakke
aharaye tamati tamati tila vakke valītake daritina dadhinada phuṭyi
phuphuṭyi guṭyi guguṭyi hijakānti nāmā kāntī svāhā

The whole earth shook when the Blessed One uttered this great king
of vidyā-mantras. All the bhūtas trembled and
let out loud gasps of “Alas! Oh no! What misery!”

The rākṣasas also said:

“Thus does the completely perfect Buddha,

Moved by compassion for all beings,

Use such a vidyā-mantra

To protect against the peril of all bhūtas.”

Then, the all-knowing Teacher,

Who has compassion for all sentient beings,

Saw the yakṣas, rākṣasas, gandharvas,

Nāgas, garuḍas, guhyakas,

Bhūtas, wanderers, stealers of vitality,

Kumbhāṇḍas, pretas, pūtanas,

Asuras, kṛtyas, vetālas,

Apasmāras, kinnaras,

Skandas, intense fevers,

Brahmins, rākṣasas,

Unmādas, three-day fevers,

And four-day fevers

Grow afraid, tremble,

And scurry into the ten directions.

Feeling compassion for them,

He uttered this vidyā-mantra:

Syād yathedam

hirimakha tirikhakha
kaṭamaṭā siddhamahāhatari uṭatani daṭa daṭa datili damatte damatte
dhūdhūri dadari daramira kirikīye katavareṇi susumāle svāhā

Do not transgress this great mantra, this great vidyā-mantra.
Understand perfectly and precisely the Dharma spoken by the Blessed One, or
all your bodies will collapse. After you die you will all be born among hell
beings who have fallen into lower realms, and you will continue to roam
there.

When the Four Great Kings heard the Blessed One’s great king of
vidyā-mantras,
which had
never before been heard, they were frightened and anxious. Bristling with
uneasiness, they joined their palms and paid homage to the Blessed One.
Unified in sense, phrasing, and tone, they said:

“Well spoken was the vidyā-mantra

That vanquishes hostile bhūtas.

We must convey a vidyā-mantra

That ensures the well-being of the world of humans.

The following is that vidyā-mantra,

So please pay heed to us, world protector.

Syād yathedam

“Blessed One, please accept the following, which repels all
bhūtas:

Syād yathedam

“This king of vidyā-mantras establishes a boundary, repels all bhūtas, and accomplishes all aims
for one year.”

When all the beings from yakṣas, rākṣasas, and gandharvas all the
way up to harm doers heard the Blessed One’s great king of
vidyā-mantras, which
had never before been heard, and when they heard the Four Kings’ protection,
which had never before been heard, they were frightened and anxious.
Bristling with uneasiness, they burrowed deep into the earth. They were
compelled to burrow deep. The Blessed One then transformed the ground into
vajra, so they scurried in the four
directions. The Four Great Kings then manifested massive heaps of flames in
the four directions, so the beings fled into the sky. Next, the Blessed One
transformed the sky into gold. The great king Vaiśravaṇa, guardian of the
world, surrounded and attended to by gods and gandharvas, rose up into the
sky. To vanquish everyone from yakṣas and rākṣasas up to harm doers, to care
for all sentient beings, to repel all bhūtas, and to guard,
protect, and shield the four communities and ensure their happiness and
well-being so that they could dwell at ease, he uttered the following
vidyā-mantra:

Syād yathedam

gimi gimi gimi gimi gini
gini gini gini nakhi minakhi niṣa niṣa niṣa uva u diśva diśva vidiśa
sarvadiśva adhivati gira visa jani bhumipati ililī ililī kililī kili
kililī kili kililī kili kililī kili kililī kili kilili kilili lililili
kilili lililililili addhyi naddyi kunaddhyi mahākunaddyi kuladdyi
khuladdyi khukhuladdyi mahākhuladdyi hulu hulu lu hulululu hululululu
hululululu lu hulululululululululu lu hala hala hili hili laha halu hule
iha hule hule uladdyi hile uhahile hila hile hulu hi hulu hulu hulu hulu
hule hahahahahaha svāhā

May the great king Vaiśravaṇa guard this direction.

Vāsava, the king of all gods, has come. I pay homage to him. He,
too, pays homage to the Blessed One:

“Heroic perfect Buddha,

All seeing and all knowing—I bow to you.

Perfect Buddha, supreme among bipeds,

Endowed with great wisdom—I bow to you.

“What you know, Gautama,

The gods have not grasped.

I bow to you, perfect hero.

I have come, paying devout respect.”

May everyone from yakṣas, rākṣasas, and gandharvas all the way up
to harm doers depart from the body of so-and-so, which they have inhabited. If they do not quickly
depart from so-and-so’s body, they will soon be in grave peril and afflicted
with severe illness, which will cause their heads and hearts to split into a
hundred pieces, immediately bringing them many kinds of misery and total ruin.

May the grahas of pox, grahas of the dawn, and grahas of shadow
quickly depart so-and-so’s body upon hearing this Great
Sūtra of Cool Grove. If they do not quickly depart, they will
soon be in grave peril and afflicted with severe illness, which will cause
their heads and hearts to split into a hundred pieces, immediately bringing
them many kinds of misery and total ruin.

All those who flit about day and night,

Devouring vitality and blood,

Are forced to cease upon hearing

This well-spoken sūtra propounded.

All piśācas, skandas, bodiless beings,

Bhūtas, frightful ones, and pūtanas

Must cease upon hearing

This well-spoken sūtra propounded.

All gods, asuras, marutas,

Gandharvas, most eminent grahas,

Bhūtas, piśācas,

Yakṣas, and rākṣasas

Will tremble in confusion

And shiver with fear.

All spiteful and harmful grahas

Will fall and be defeated.

The ground will quake,

And loud noises will ring out.

When pretas and kumbhāṇḍas

Hear this sūtra,

Which repels spiteful grahas,

They will be struck with grave fear.

Those yakṣas who have trust

In the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha

Will be delighted and pleased

And will thoroughly rejoice.

The Four Great Kings then descended from the sky and approached the
Blessed One. They bowed their heads to the Blessed One‘s feet, joined their
palms, and spoke with unified sentiment and phrasing: “Venerable Blessed One,
this Great Sūtra of Cool Grove that is revered
by the Four Great Kings guards and protects the four communities and
vanquishes all beings from yakṣas and rākṣasas all the way up to harm doers.
Venerable Blessed One, since it protects any monk, nun, layman, or laywoman,
everyone should receive this Great Sūtra of Cool
Grove. They should hold on to it, recite it, and master it.
Venerable Blessed One, if no being, from yakṣas and rākṣasas all the way up
to harm doers, will so much as dwell near monks, nuns, laymen, or laywomen
who receive, hold, recite, and master this Great Sūtra
of Cool Grove in order to protect and shield themselves or
others, then what harm could they possibly do? If no being, from yakṣas and
rākṣasas all the way up to harm doers, can dwell for so much as a night in
their vicinity, what need is there to mention remaining there permanently?
Venerable Blessed One, when this Great Sūtra of Cool
Grove is recited in front of someone harmed by a nonhuman, the
person quickly gains happiness and well-being and is free of pain,
comfortable, and released from their affliction. The nonhuman cannot return
but will immediately depart. Venerable Blessed One, such is the great
benefit of this Great Sūtra of Cool Grove.

“Venerable Blessed One, devout yakṣa laymen will travel to the
abodes of the Four Great Kings and speak the name of any monk, nun, layman,
or laywoman who receives, holds, recites, masters, and uses this Great Sūtra of Cool Grove. They will announce, ‘Four
Great Kings, the monk, nun, layman, or laywoman so-and-so is receiving,
holding, reciting, mastering, and using this Great
Sūtra of Cool Grove in order to protect and shield themself and
others.’

“Venerable Blessed One, devout yakṣa laymen will travel to the
royal palace in Aḍakavatī, where they will also announce this amid all the
yakṣas and bhūtas assembled and gathered before the great king Vaiśravaṇa.
It will bring joy to those present. Venerable Blessed One, such is the great
benefit of this Great Sūtra of Cool Grove.

“Venerable Blessed One, any monk, nun, layman, or laywoman who
receives, holds, recites, masters, and uses this Great
Sūtra of Cool Grove to protect and shield themself and others
will practice abstinence. They will not drink alcohol but will observe
mindfulness and introspection. They will give up five kinds of
food—molasses, honey, sesame, meat, and fish. Why? It is only under those
circumstances, Venerable
Blessed One, that beings from yakṣas and rākṣasas all the way up to harm
doers can destroy or ceaselessly affect one who receives, holds, recites,
masters, and uses this Great Sūtra of Cool
Grove. In order to destroy them, this vow must be observed.

“Venerable Blessed One, devout yakṣa laymen will please with
clothing, food, bedding, cushions, healing medicines, and necessities any
monk, nun, layman, or laywoman who receives, holds, recites, masters, and
uses this Great Sūtra of Cool Grove. Venerable
Blessed One, such is the great benefit of this Great
Sūtra of Cool Grove.

“Venerable Blessed One, a non-Buddhist who lacks devotion to the
Blessed One’s doctrine and who dislikes it, wants to impair it, does not
want to help it, and does not want it to be successful or thrive cannot
prevent the success of one who receives, holds, recites, masters, and uses
this Great Sūtra of Cool Grove. Rather,
nonhuman beings will kill them, cause them various kinds of misery, destroy
them, and affect them endlessly. Why? Because they want to harm, do not want
to help, and do not want success or well-being for the practitioner. Whoever
has such erroneous views is destroyed.

“Venerable Blessed One, among all of the protections in the world
by which the Four Great Kings protect sentient beings in order to guard,
protect, and shield them, this sūtra is supreme, primary, and exalted.”

The Four Great Kings then spoke these verses to the Blessed
One:

“Supreme human,

Even rākṣasas cannot harm

One who is protected

And granted well-being by this sūtra.

“Anyone who upholds these sūtras

Perfectly, continuously,

And in their entirety,

Just as taught by the supreme human,

“Cannot be harmed

By yakṣas, pretas, bhūtas,

Kumbhāṇḍas, rākṣasas, unmādas,

Wanderers, nāgas, and the like.

“Nonhumans and grahas

Will quickly leave them.

Nothing can affect them,

Nor be able to harm them.”

The Four Great Kings said,

“Homage to the Blessed One,”

Then prostrated to his feet

And instantly disappeared.

When the night had passed, the Blessed One rose at dawn, took his
seat at the front of the monastic assembly, and said to them, “Monks, late
last night the Four Great Kings, together with their sons, ministers,
entourages, retainers, messengers, and servants, appeared at dusk in
their majestic glory, arriving at the great charnel ground of Cool Grove
with a single intent. Flooding it with their luminosity, Kubera,
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Virūpākṣa, and Virūḍhaka approached me, bowed their heads to my
feet, and stood to one side. Standing there, the Four Great Kings spoke
The Great Sūtra of Cool Grove to me and
then departed. You should listen well and keep it in mind. I will explain
it.”

“Venerable one, please do so,” the monks replied, and they listened
as the Blessed One spoke. The Blessed One then explained this Great Sūtra of Cool Grove in detail to the monks,
nuns, laymen, and laywomen.

Once the Blessed One finished speaking on this, the monks, nuns,
laymen, and laywomen rejoiced, and they praised what he had said.

The ritual procedure for this is as follows: A person who eats the
three white foods, has bathed well, fasts, observes discipline, and holds
vast intention should draw images of the Four Great Kings using realgar or
red ocher.
They should make a four-cornered maṇḍala that is replete with all incenses
and recite the sūtra before the Buddha throughout the three periods of the
day.

This concludes “The Great Sūtra of Cool
Grove.”

Colophon

This was translated and edited by the Indian preceptors
Śīlendrabodhi, Jñānasiddhi, and Śākyaprabha and the translator-editor Bandé
Yeshé Dé. It was then finalized after revising it based on the new lexicon.
Later, Gö Shönu Pal revised it based on a Sanskrit manuscript belonging to
Chak Lotsāwa.

Notes

Abbreviations

Bibliography

Tibetan Texts

Secondary Sources

wandering being
wanderer

rgyu ba
རྒྱུ་བ།

covetous one

’dun pa
འདུན་པ།

four communities

’khor bzhi
འཁོར་བཞི།

upward mover

gyen du rgyu
གྱེན་དུ་རྒྱུ།

thirty-two supreme marks

mtshan mchog sum cu rtsa gnyis
མཚན་མཆོག་སུམ་ཅུ་རྩ་གཉིས།

All Seeing

thams cad mthong
ཐམས་ཅད་མཐོང་།

Always Victorious

kun tu rgyal
ཀུན་ཏུ་རྒྱལ།

Powerful Knowledge

rig pa stobs can
རིག་པ་སྟོབས་ཅན།

Black Lady

nag mo
ནག་མོ།

Candana

tsan+dana
ཙནྡན།

Chariot

shing rta
ཤིང་རྟ།

Rich with All Wishes

’dod pa thams cad ’byor pa
འདོད་པ་ཐམས་ཅད་འབྱོར་པ།

Exceedingly Dark

shin tu gnag pa
ཤིན་ཏུ་གནག་པ།

Exceedingly Victorious

shin tu rgyal
ཤིན་ཏུ་རྒྱལ།

Fierce

drag po
དྲག་པོ།

Fierce Diligence

brtson drag po
བརྩོན་དྲག་པོ།

Gem

nor bu
ནོར་བུ།

Attractive

bzhin bzang
བཞིན་བཟང་།

Lion Army

seng ge sde
སེང་གེ་སྡེ།

Long Neck

mgrin rings
མགྲིན་རིངས།

Long Spear

mdung ring
མདུང་རིང་།

Lord Conqueror

dbang po rgyal ba
དབང་པོ་རྒྱལ་བ།

Lotus Bearer

pad+ma ’chang
པདྨ་འཆང་།

Mother’s Gift

Mule

dre’u
དྲེའུ།

Oppressor

rab gnon
རབ་གནོན།

Pack Leader

khyu mchog
ཁྱུ་མཆོག

Pitch Dark

rab gnag
རབ་གནག

Delightful Reed

’dam bu dga’
འདམ་བུ་དགའ།

Reed Holder

’dam bu can
འདམ་བུ་ཅན།

Supreme Reed of the Earth

’dam bu sa mchog
འདམ་བུ་ས་མཆོག

Reed Thread

’dam bu’i rgyud
འདམ་བུའི་རྒྱུད།

Son of Fine Gem

nor bu bzang sras
ནོར་བུ་བཟང་སྲས།

Sublimely Long

ring bzang
རིང་བཟང་།

Sublimely Perfect

rdzogs bzang
རྫོགས་བཟང་།

Supreme Desire

’dod mchog
འདོད་མཆོག

Supreme Hand

lag mchog
ལག་མཆོག

Supreme Victor

rgyal mchog
རྒྱལ་མཆོག

Taker of Oblations

gtor ma len
གཏོར་མ་ལེན།

Wealth

’byor pa
འབྱོར་པ།

Wish-Fulfilling Fortune

yid bzhin rab ’byor
ཡིད་བཞིན་རབ་འབྱོར།

Kumbhīrā
kumbhīrā