Toh 516Toh 516 — Dhāraṇī Cao Quý "Đống Hoa"

Summary

The text comprises a teaching given by the Buddha Śākyamuni to the bodhisattva
Siṃhavikrīḍita in response to his question: what kind of merit does one gain by
worshiping the Tathāgata? The Buddha addresses the question by stating that the merits of
the awakened ones are limitless, thus any merit accrued by worshiping them, whether face
to face or in the form of a caitya, is also limitless. What truly matters is the
worshiper’s mental attitude. He then continues by teaching a dhāraṇī accompanied by a
short practice and describes its benefits.

Acknowledgements

This text was translated and introduced by The Buddhapīṭha Translation Group
(Gergely Hidas and Péter-Dániel Szántó).

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000:
Translating the Words of the Buddha. Ryan Damron edited the translation and the
introduction, and Dawn Collins copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the
digital publication process.

Introduction

The Dhāraṇī “Heap of Flowers” is a text that has had
considerable influence. In India, it was quoted by Śāntideva and his followers; in
China, it was preserved in at least four translations; and in Tibet it has been
popular since the Imperial Period.

The dhāraṇī and the discourse that frames it is
delivered by Buddha Śākyamuni at Lake Anavatapta, prompted by a question from the
bodhisattva Siṃhavikrīḍita who wishes to know what amount of merit is
gained by worshiping a buddha. The Buddha replies by slightly rebuking Siṃhavikrīḍita:
since the qualities of the buddhas are endless, so too is the merit gained by worshiping
them. Moreover, it does not matter whether those buddhas are directly present in reality or are
present in the form of a caitya containing a small relic. Nor does it matter how
precious the offering is (although a long list of appropriate offerings is provided).
What truly matters is the positive mental attitude of the worshiper, both when making
the offering and after the act. After this discourse, the Buddha teaches the dhāraṇī
meant to enhance the act of worship, and explains its benefits.

We have not been able to find the original Sanskrit text in its entirety, but large and
significant parts are preserved in Śāntideva’s Śikṣāsamuccaya (Toh 3940) and Prajñākaramati’s
Bodhicaryāvatārapañjikā (Toh 3872).

The Tibetan translation is recorded in the imperial catalogs and we know of at least one fragment from the Dunhuang manuscript
hoard, which was copied on the back of a Chinese scroll that contained a translation
of the Diamond Sūtra (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā). In the Degé Kangyur, the text is included in both the Tantra
section (Toh 516) and the Compendium of Dhāraṇīs (Toh 886).
The translators are not identified in these sources, but according to Butön
Rinchen Drup (bu ston rin chen grub, 1290–1364), the
dhāraṇī was translated by the well-known Tibetan scholar-monk, Yeshé Dé (ye shes sde).

The earliest of the four Chinese translations is 華積陀羅尼神呪經
(Taisho 1356, Huaji tuoluoni shenzhou jing), which is said to be the work of Zhi Qian and held to
be of venerable antiquity (ca. 220–30 ce), but this
attribution seems to be quite doubtful. This Chinese
version is quite close to the Tibetan translation. The next two Chinese translations,
師子奮迅菩薩所問經 (Shizi fenxun pusa suowen jing, Taisho 1357)
and 花聚陀羅尼呪經 (Huaju
tuoluoni zhou jing, Taisho 1358),
are the works of unknown translators from around
the fourth or fifth century. The latest of the Chinese translations, 花積樓閣陀羅尼經
(Huaji louge tuoluoni jing, Taisho 1359), is the work of the famous Dānapāla, whose prolific output was
sponsored by the Northern Song court around the turn of the first millennium.

This English translation was made principally on the basis of the Tibetan
translations of the text found in the Tantra Collection (rgyud ’bum) and the Compendium of Dhāraṇīs (gzungs ’dus) in the Degé Kangyur in consultation with the Stok Palace
Kangyur and the Dunhuang fragment.

The Translation

The Noble Dhāraṇī

Heap of Flowers

Homage to
all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing on the shores of the
great Lake Anavatapta, in the mansion of the nāga king Anavatapta,
together
with a great monastic retinue of five hundred monks and a great retinue of
bodhisattvas, numbering an even thousand, gathered from various world-systems. Without exception, they
all possessed dhāraṇī, possessed contemplation, had one rebirth
remaining, were well established on the ten levels, were consecrated with the
consecration of immediately being heirs apparent, had donned the great cuirass, and entertained no doubts
regarding the qualities of a buddha.

At that time, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Siṃhavikrīḍita came and took a seat in that very retinue. The
bodhisattva mahāsattva Siṃhavikrīḍita then rose from his seat, placed his upper
garment on one shoulder, placed his right kneecap on the ground, cupped his palms in
reverence toward the Blessed One, and said to the Blessed One,

“Blessed One! How much merit does a son or daughter of noble family who
performs worship to a thus-gone one accrue?”

The Blessed One replied to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Siṃhavikrīḍita,
“Siṃhavikrīḍita, do not say ‘Blessed One, how much merit does a son or daughter
of noble family who performs worship to a thus-gone one accrue?’ Why is that?
A
thus-gone one is of immeasurable morality, immeasurable
contemplation, immeasurable wisdom, immeasurable liberation, and immeasurable
knowledge and vision of liberation. Thus, Siṃhavikrīḍita, since a thus-gone, worthy,
fully awakened, perfect buddha is endowed with immeasurable heaps of virtue, it
follows that the fruition of performing worship to him is also immeasurable.

“It is like this, Siṃhavikrīḍita. Those who perform the worship of a thus-gone
one, whether present or departed into complete nirvāṇa, will attain complete nirvāṇa
through one of the three vehicles—the vehicle of śrāvakas, the vehicle of
pratyekabuddhas, or the great vehicle. Moreover, Siṃhavikrīḍita, the fruition of merit is the same for a person whose
mind becomes cleansed upon beholding the thus-gone, worthy, fully awakened, perfect
buddha, and then with a cleansed mind honors, reveres,
worships, and venerates him with profits, clothing, alms, bedding, medicinal herbs,
implements, and various kinds of comforts, as for a person who worships a caitya
containing a relic even as small as a mustard seed from a thus-gone one who has departed into
complete nirvāṇa. There is no difference, no distinction whatsoever between them.

“Suppose, Siṃhavikrīḍita, that a householder bodhisattva were to donate a heap
of precious materials as tall as Mount Meru to śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, or
thus-gone, worthy, fully awakened, perfect Buddhas, and suppose a bodhisattva who has
gone forth were to donate a single coin and then generate the aspiration for unsurpassed perfect awakening.
The former roots of merit would not amount to even a hundredth of the latter—not a
thousandth, not a
hundred-thousandth. It would not even count as any part, any number worthy of
consideration, simile, or approximation of any kind. It would not even be close; it
would not even compare.

“Suppose, Siṃhavikrīḍita, that a person were to honor a thus-gone, worthy,
fully awakened, perfect Buddha with various comforts for a year,
a century,
or even a millennium. And suppose that a person who has fully adopted the resolve of
awakening were, with the intent of worshiping a thus-gone one, to offer a single
flower,
pour out a handful of water, apply a drop of fragrant pigment, remove withered
flowers, or offer some unguent, incense, flowers, perfume, garlands, music, or a
parasol, bell, hanging cloth, banner, flag, piece of cloth, or a lamp at a caitya of a
thus-gone one who has departed into complete nirvāṇa, and after having made this offering were
to say with a rejoicing heart at every step forward, ‘Homage to that Blessed Buddha.’
It is simply impossible, Siṃhavikrīḍita, that these people would fall into unfavorable
rebirths for an eon, or a hundred eons, a thousand eons, or one-hundred thousand eons.
Have no distrust, no doubts, and no uncertainty about this.

“Siṃhavikrīḍita, there is a dhāraṇī named Heap of
Flowers that I will teach for the profit of many beings, for the happiness
of many beings, to take pity on many people, for the benefit, profit, and happiness of
a great many beings, gods and humans. Siṃhavikrīḍita, whoever holds this dhāraṇī,
Heap of Flowers, upholds it, recites it, memorizes
it, masters it, or extensively explains it to others will invariably remember former
births,
will not fall into unfavorable rebirths, and will obtain ease. They will never be
separated from the Three Jewels, will never be separated from the thus-gone ones, will
never be separated from the act of calling the Buddha to mind, will never be separated
from bodhisattvas, will never be separated from the resolve for
awakening, will never be deficient in faculties, will never take birth in lower castes, will be endowed with
profound fortunes of various talents, and will be able to behold the blessed buddhas
of the innumerable world systems in the ten directions.

tadyathā | dhāraṇi dhāraṇi
muniprabhāsvare siddhe caṇḍe nāmaci niheri arogavati buddhamatidhairye oṁkare
tegagarate tejovate vipulabuddhe dharmāvabhāse akṣayakalpe kalpavati amṛtakalpe
hutāśane tejovati niryasaṃhīte tejogravātiṣṭhinadraye tiṣṭhinadraye buddhi
svāhā ||

“Siṃhavikrīḍita, those who have fully learned and mastered the title, letters,
and words of this dhāraṇī, Heap of Flowers, should call
the Buddha to mind on the eight to fifteenth days of the waxing fortnight in either
the last month of spring, the first month of summer, or the last month of autumn. They
should contemplate the Thus-Gone One three times a day and three times at night while
concentrating one-pointedly, and worship the Blessed One with offerings of incense,
flowers, lamps, and fragrance. Such persons will behold fifteen blessed buddhas
teaching the Dharma while seated on a lion throne in the calyx of a lotus. They will
obtain dhāraṇīs and have good memory, dexterity of mind, quick understanding,
intelligence, and will remember all their births until they reach complete
nirvāṇa. Such persons will become proficient in all traditional learning,
all
treatises, all crafts, and all pursuits. All kinds of contemplations will be
established in their mind, except for the four truths of the noble ones. Why is
that? Because those dharmas pertain to the uncontaminated.”

When the Blessed One finished speaking, the bodhisattva mahāsattva
Siṃhavikrīḍita, the bodhisattvas, and the monks, together with a host of gods, humans,
asuras, and gandharvas were gladdened and praised the speech of the Blessed One.

The Dhāraṇī “Heap of Flowers” is
complete.

Notes

Bibliography

Primary Sources

Secondary Sources

Zhi Qian

支謙