Suramgamasamadhisutra, the Concentration of Heroic Progress

301 Pages·8.137 MB·English

by  Lamotte Etienne.

Etienne Lamotte
Suramgamasamadhisutra
The Concentration of Heroic Progress
An Early Mahayana Buddhist Scripture
The Buddhist scripture containing teachings ETIENNE LAMOTTE (1903-1983), a major
that bestow heroic progress on the path to figure in the field of Buddhist Studies, was
Enlightenment the author of Histoire du bouddhisme indien,
The Suramgamasamddhisutra is an early des origines a Vere Saka, (Louvain 1958); he
Mahayana Buddhist scripture. Within a has also translated the Samdhinirmocanasutm,
narrative framework provided by a the Karmasiddhiprakara7ia the Vimalakirti-
y
dialogue between the Buddha and the nirdesasutra, Asariga's Mahdydnasamgraha,
bodhisattva Drdhamati, it airs central issues and the 5-volume commentary by
of Mahayana Buddhism by means of Nagarjuna on the Prajndpdramitdsutra, Le
philosophical discussion, edifying anecdote, Traite de la grande vertu de sagesse de Nagarjuna.
marvellous feat, and drama. At its core is Sara Boin-Webb is the official translator
a description of the seeming conversion of Lamotte's work. Her success is attested
of Mara, the embodiment of all malign by the publication of her English-language
tendencies that obstruct advancement, and renderings of Lamotte's Vimalakirtinirdesa
the prediction that he too will become a (The Teaching of Vimalakirti, London 1976)
Buddha. and Histoire du bouddhisme indien (History of
Concentration, samddhi, is understood Indian Buddhism, Louvain 1988), as well as
to denote the altered mental states several other works from the French. Her
attainable through Buddhist meditation translation of the above-mentioned
techniques, in particular that in which commentary on the Prajndpdramitdsutra
discursive thought is allayed, the mind is awaits publication. She is Assistant Editor
calm and is capable of sustained awareness of Buddhist Studies Review.
of a single object. Andrew Skilton is a post-doctoral
The present volume comprises the first Research Fellow at Cardiff University,
full English translation Kumarajiva's working on Mahayana literature, including
Chinese translation of the Suramgamasamd the Samddhirdjasutra. He has published A
dhisutra, with an extensive explanatory Concise History of Buddhism (1994) and
introduction and annotations. Lamotte's Santideva's Bodhicarydvatdra (1996).
French version appeared in 1965 and now
Sara Boin-Webb's English rendering of that
gives the English speaking world access
both to an important Buddhist scripture
and also to a classic work of Buddhist
Studies scholarship.
Cover illustration :
The transmission of Buddhist teachings from India
to China
Pilgrim monk carrying sutras
Painting on silk
Dunhang, IXth century
Musee des Arts asiatiques-Guimet, Paris
© Photo RMN - Ravaux
Cover designed by Bruno Pfaffli
SURAMGAMASAMADHISUTRA
The Concentration of Heroic Progress
SCHRAMGAMASAMADHISUTRA
The Concentration of Heroic Progress
An Early Mahayana Buddhist Scripture
Translated and Annotated by
ETIENNE LAMOTTE
English Translation by
SARA BOIN-WEBB
MOTILAL BANARSIDASS PUBLISHERS
PRIVATE LIMITED • DELHI
First Edition:Delhi, 2003
Published by arrangement with the
CurzonPress, U.K.
First Edition: London, 1998
€) French annotated translation by Etienne Lamotte
first appeared as IM Concentration de la march herdique, in
Volume XTII Melanges chinois et bouddhiques, published by the
Institut beige des hautes Etudes Chinoises, Brussels, 1965.
© 1998 English translation, Sara Boin-Webb
All right reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form of by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publishers.
ISBN: 81-208-1931-4 (Cloth)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction from the Technical Editor viii
Preface to the original French edition x
Foreword to the English edition xi
Note from the English Translator xvii
Acknowledgements xviii
Abbreviations and Bibliography xix
INTRODUCTION
Chapter One THE SURAMGAMASAMADHISUTRA 1
I. The text 1
II. Setting and persons 3
III. The subject: Concentration 11
1. Samadhi in the Sravaka or Small Vehicle 11
2. Samadhi in the Great Vehicle 22
IV. Historical background of the Sutra 39
V. Sources of the Sutra 53
Chapter Two THE CHINESE AND TIBETAN VERSIONS 56
I. Translation by Chih Ch'an 59
II & III. Ssu-chuan translations 65
IV. Translation by Chih Ch'ien 66
V. Translation by Po Yen 72
VI. Translation by Dharmaraksa 74
Commentary by Po Yuan 80
VII. Translation by Chu Shu-Ian 81
VIII. Combined edition by Chih Min-tu 85
Commentary by Hsieh Fu 90
IX. Translation by Chih Shih-lun 90
X. Translation by Kumarajiva 94
Commentary by Shih Hung-ch'ung 97
XI. Additional Note 98
XII. Tibetan translation 99
Concordance of the translations of the Suramgamasamadhisutra....l04
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SURAMGAMASAMADHISUTRA
Introduction 107
The Most Excellent Concentration 109
The Heroic Progress 113
The Offering of a Throne 114
The Multiplication of the Buddhas 116
Unreality and Identity of the Tathagatas 117
The Hundred Aspects of the Heroic Progress 119
The Heroic Progress and Good Dharmas 127
The Heroic Progress and the Perfections 128
1. Ddnapdramitd 128
2. Sllapdramitd 128
3. Ksdntipdramitd 129
4. Viryapdramitd 130
5. Dhydnapdramitd 131
6. Prajndpdramitd 133
Liberating Action of the Heroic Progress 135
Instantaneous and Simultaneous Practice of the Perfections 137
Gradual Training in the Heroic Progress 138
Secrets and Mysteries of Merusikharadhara 150
Gopaka's Devotion and Change of Sex 154
Multiple Appearance of a Bodhisattva in the Heroic Progress 159
Various Transformations of the Assembly 161
Necessity of Acquiring the Heroic Progress 162
Philosophical Discussion 164
1. The Practice of the Heroic Progress 164
2. The End Result of the Heroic Progress 164
3. The Nirvana of the Buddhas 165
4. The Absence of a Base 166
5. The Bodhisattva's Eloquence 167
Revelations Concerning the Devaputra *Matyabhimukha 168
Mara Tied with the Five Bonds 172
The Twelve Bonds of False Views 173
The Virtue of the Name 174
Bondage and Deliverance 174
Conversion of the Daughters of the Gods 175
Self-interested Conversion of Mara 176
Conversion of the Lustful Devakanyas 177
Further Guile of Mara 178
Prediction to Mara 179
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Four Kinds of Prediction 179
1. Anutpaditabodhicittavyakarana 182
2. Utpaditabodhicittavyakarana 184
3. Rahovyakarana 187
4. Anutpattikadharmaksantilabdhasammukhavyakarana. 188
Bodhisattvas Having Received the Prediction 189
Prediction Conferred on the Daughters of the Gods 191
Fallacious Departure of Mara 192
Respective Value of Offerings to the Buddha 193
Exploits of Maragocaranupalipta in the Heroic Progress 196
Exploits of the Buddha in the Heroic Progress 197
Extension of the Heroic Progress to Other World Systems 198
Faith in the Heroic Progress 200
The Field of Merit 204
The Truly Learned 208
Prediction to Vimalacandragarbha 211
Provisional Nature of Pratyekabodhi 212
Manjusri's Fictitious Nirvana 214
Exploits of the Bodhisattvas in the Heroic Progress 216
Superiority of the Offender over the Holy One 222
Two Hundred Discouraged Bodhisattvas Obtain the Ten Powers ...223
Why and How to Practise the Heroic Progress 225
Maitreya in the Heroic Progress 227
Manjusri Identical to the Buddha Nagavamsagra 229
Appearance of the Buddhas of the Ten Regions 232
Protection Assured to the Heroic Progress 233
Identity of the Buddhas Sakyamuni and Vairocana 235
The Wonderful Effects of the Heroic Progress 238
1. Longevity and Security 238
2. Twenty Inconceivable Virtues 239
3. Reaching Enlightenment 239
4. Confident Faith 240
Final Conversions 241
Synopsis of formulas and stock phrases 243
Index 245
INTRODUCTION
from the Technical Editor
The Suramgamasamddhisutra (Sgs) is an early Mahayana Buddhist
scripture. It is ancient, composed anonymously, close to the beginning
of the first millenium. It was one of the very first Mahayana scriptures
to be transmitted to China, where we know its first translation was
published in 186 C.E. Because of its popularity the Sgs was translated a
further nine times, and the last of these, made by the great translator
Kumarajiva at the very beginning of the fifth century C.E., survives to
form a part of the modern Chine'se Buddhist canon. The other major
translation of the Sgs was made into Tibetan at the beginning of the
ninth century.
The Suramgamasamadhisutra (The Concentration of Heroic
Progress), the first full English translation of Kumarajiva's text, is a
welcome addition to the growing library of English language versions
of Buddhist scriptures. Lamotte's French version was published in
1965, and now with the publication of Sara Boin-Webb's translation of
that the English speaking world has direct access both to an important
scriptural text and also to a classic work of Buddhist Studies. Direct
comparison can now be made with The Teaching of Vimalaklrti, the
English version of Lamotte's treatment of the Vimalaklrtinirdesa, to
which the present work was conceived as the companion volume.
The title of the text describes in brief its subject. The
Suramgamasamadhisutra is the scripture that contains teachings
concerning the samadhi that bestows an 'heroic progress', suramgama,
on the path to Enlightenment. Samadhi is traditionally understood to
denote the altered mental states attainable through meditation
techniques, in particular the mental state in which discursive thought is
allayed and the mind is calm, concentrated and capable of sustained
awareness of a single object, hence 'concentration'. As an integral part
of this technology of altered consciousness, samadhi is also understood
to bestow power upon the practitioner - not just the power of spiritual
insight, but also of magical feat and transformation - and it is this
theme which most incited the* imagination of Mahayana Buddhists to
produce an array of 'Mahayana samadhis', each accredited with special
magical powers of spiritual advancement. As Lamotte explains in his
Introduction, he understands the Sgs to be concerned with just such a
specific meditative state that is or gives 'heroic progress'.
The §gs is one of a small group of Mahayana sutras that teach
IX
specific, named 'samadhis'. Only one other text from this group is
published in English translation - the Pratyutpannasutra (see
Bibliography). Others in this genre are the Samadhirajasiitra, the
Prasantaviniscayapratiharyasamadhisiitra, and the Kuan ch 'a chu fa
hsing ching (T.649).
The Sgs is not just an object for study and comparison, but was
surely composed to be enjoyed, seeking to entertain as it edifies. Nor
must we forget that for the community of Buddhist practitioners, to
which this text truly belongs, "The sutras only ask to be believed,
remembered, repeated, expounded and put into practice" (p.41).
For this English translation the index has been expanded, the
bibliography revised and supplemented, and minor typographic errors
of the French edition corrected.
Andrew Skilton, Cardiff