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The Samadhiraja Sutra

Illuminating the King of Meditative States: An academic exploration into the profound teachings of the Moonlamp Sutra, a cornerstone of Mahayana philosophy.

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Title and Nomenclature

King of Samadhis

The sutra is primarily known as the Samadhiraja Sutra, translating to "King of Samadhis Sutra." This title signifies its central theme: a profound meditative state considered paramount among all meditative practices. It is also recognized as the Candrapradipa Sutra, or "Moonlamp Sutra," named after Candraprabha, the principal bodhisattva who engages with the Buddha in this text.

Scholarly Translations

The full Sanskrit title, Ārya-sarvadharma-svabhāvasamatā-vipañcita-samādhirāja-nāma-mahāyāna-sūtra, offers a more descriptive, albeit lengthy, translation: "The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra 'The King of Samādhis, the Revealed Equality of the Nature of All Phenomena'." This highlights its focus on the samadhi that manifests as the sameness of all dharmas.

Linguistic Variations

The sutra exists in various linguistic traditions. Chinese translations often favor Yueh-teng san-mei ching, corresponding to the "Moon Lamp Samadhi Sutra." Tibetan traditions also utilize the title ting nge 'dzin gyi rgyal po'i mdo, reflecting the "King of Samadhis" concept.

Historical Context and Texts

Dating and Origins

Determining the precise origin of the Samadhiraja Sutra is challenging. Scholars suggest its redaction likely occurred between the 2nd and 6th centuries CE. While the earliest extant manuscript dates to the 6th century, its conceptual roots may extend earlier, potentially influencing figures like Asanga (4th century) and appearing in early Chinese catalogues.

Composite Nature

Scholarly consensus suggests the sutra is likely a composite work, possibly incorporating earlier, independent texts. Andrew Skilton notes affinities with Prajnaparamita literature. The text's evolution across different recensions and manuscript traditions indicates a dynamic textual history in ancient India.

Manuscript Discoveries

Fragments of Sanskrit manuscripts have been discovered in Central Asia, dating to the 5th or 6th centuries. A more complete Indian Sanskrit manuscript from Gilgit, dated to the 6th century, is shorter than the Tibetan translation. Longer Nepalese versions, closer to the Tibetan text, also exist, some containing material not found in the Tibetan recension.

Core Content and Themes

The King of Samadhis

The sutra's central focus is a supreme samadhi, described as "the samadhi that is manifested as the sameness of the essential nature of all dharmas." This state is characterized by equanimity towards all beings, benevolence, sympathy, and non-retaliation. It is presented as the singular path to achieving the virtues and qualities of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Emptiness and Reality

The text elaborates on the concept of emptiness (shunyata), teaching that all phenomena should be understood as lacking inherent existence, akin to dreams or illusions. This realization of "the essential nature of all phenomena" is integral to the path described.

Narrative and Doctrine

Beyond its core meditative theme, the sutra incorporates numerous avadanas (stories of past lives) and prophecies. These narratives illustrate various Buddhist teachings, including the six perfections (paramitas), the nature of Buddhahood, and the long aeons required for bodhisattva development. It also emphasizes Buddhist mendicancy and austere monastic practices.

Scholarly and Traditional Influence

Madhyamaka School

The Samadhiraja Sutra is considered a highly important and authoritative text for the Madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhism. Scholars like Chandrakirti and Shantideva frequently cite it, integrating its doctrines into their philosophical analyses. Its teachings align closely with Madhyamaka's emphasis on emptiness and the Middle Way.

Pan-Asian Impact

The sutra held significant influence in Indian Madhyamaka thought and Tantric Buddhism, where its recitation was promoted for ritual purposes. It remains a key text within Nepalese Buddhism, considered one of the nine principal Mahayana texts. However, its popularity and citation frequency are notably lower in East Asian Buddhist traditions.

Tibetan Buddhism

In Tibet, the sutra was studied by traditions such as Kadampa and Kagyu. Figures like Atisha and Gampopa cited it, and it is referenced in commentaries on meditation practices. Modern lamas, such as Thrangu Rinpoche, have also published extensive commentaries, underscoring its continued relevance.

Translations and Editions

Linguistic Versions

The Samadhiraja Sutra exists in multiple languages, reflecting its widespread transmission:

  • Sanskrit: Various manuscripts exist, often in Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit, with differing lengths and content.
  • Tibetan: A translation made in the 9th century, generally longer than the Chinese version and divided into forty chapters.
  • Chinese: Multiple translations exist, including one by Narendrayasas (6th century) titled The Sutra of the Samadhi of the Lamp of the Moon.

English Renderings

Several scholars have undertaken English translations of parts or the entirety of the sutra:

  • Chapters 1-4 translated by Luis O. Gomez and Jonathan A. Silk.
  • Chapters 4, 6, 7, and 9 translated by John Rockwell.
  • Chapter 11 translated by Mark Tatz.
  • Chapters 8, 19, and 22 translated by Konstanty Regamey.
  • A full translation by Peter A. Roberts is available via 84000.co.

Key Quotations

On Practice and Meaning

Dudjom Rinpoche quotes the sutra on the unity of teachings despite linguistic variation:

In thousands of world systems
The sūtras which I have explained
Differ in words and syllables but have the same meaning.
It is impossible to express them all,
But if one meditates deeply on a single word,
One comes to meditate on them all.
All the buddhas, as many as there are,
Have abundantly explained phenomena.
But if those skilled in meaning
Were to study only the phrase:
All things are emptiness
The doctrine of the Buddha would not be scarce.

Defining the Dharmakaya

Constantin Regamey translated a passage defining the Dharmakaya (Absolute Body of the Buddha):

...the Body of the Tathagata [i.e. Buddha] should be defined as … having its essence identical with Space, invisible, surpassing the range of vision – thus is the Absolute Body to be conceived.
Inconceivable, surpassing the sphere of thought, not oscillating between bliss and suffering, surpassing the illusory differentiation, placeless, surpassing the voice of those aspiring to the Knowledge of Buddhi, essential, surpassing passions, indivisible, surpassing hatred, steadfast, surpassing infatuation, explained by the indications of emptiness, unborn, surpassing birth, eternal from the standpoint of common experience, undifferentiated in the aspect of Nirvana, described in words as ineffable, quiescent in voice, homogenous with regard to conventional Truth, conventional with regard to the Absolute Truth – Absolute according to the true teaching.

Scholarly Notes

Scholarly Perspectives

Scholars like Mark Tatz describe the sutra's thought as "early Madhyamika" and closely aligned with Prajnaparamita literature. However, Gomez and Silk note that its doctrinal position is eclectic and universalistic, resisting easy categorization as purely Madhyamaka, though it leans philosophically in that direction.

Interpretations of Samadhi

The term "samadhi" is used broadly in the sutra, encompassing meditative states, the realization of emptiness, the attainment of Buddhahood, and even the text itself. Some interpretations suggest the extensive lists within the sutra function as the object of meditation or as a verbal formula akin to a dharani.

Further Reading

Academic Resources

For deeper study, consult the following academic works and translations:

  • Bennett, A.A.G. (1968). "Excerpts from the Samadhiraja-Sutra".
  • Cüppers, Christopher (1990). The IXth Chapter of the Samadhirajasutra.
  • Gomez, L.O. and J.A. Silk, eds (1989). "The Sutra of the King of Samadhis, Chapters I-IV." Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle.
  • Rockwell Jr., John (1980). Samadhi and Patient Acceptance: Four Chapters of the Samadhiraja-sutra.
  • Skilton, Andrew T. (1999). "Dating the Samadhiraja Sutra." Journal of Indian Philosophy.
  • Skilton, Andrew T. (2002). "State or statement? Samadhi in some early Mahayana Sutras", The Eastern Buddhist.
  • Tatz, Mark (1972). Revelation in Madhyamika Buddhism. M.A.Thesis, University of Washington.
  • Thrangu Rinpoche (2004). King of Samadhi: Commentaries on the Samadhi Raja Sutra.

References

Source Citations

The information presented here is derived from the following sources:

  • Tatz, Mark (1972). Revelation in Madhyamika Buddhism. M.A.Thesis, University of Washington.
  • Gomez, Luis O; Silk, Jonathan A. (1989) Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts. Ann Arbor.
  • Skilton, Andrew T. (2002). "State or statement? Samadhi in some early Mahayana Sutras", The Eastern Buddhist 34.2.
  • Roberts, Peter Alan (2022). "The King of Samadhis Sutra (Introduction)". 84000 Translating The Words of The Buddha.
  • Regamey, Constantin (1938). Philosophy in the Samadhirajasutra: Three Chapters From the Samadhirajasutra. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
  • Pearcey, Adam (2005). A Mini Modern Mahavyutpatti: A Glossary of Tibetan-Sanskrit Terms for Translators.
  • Luis O. Gomez and Jonathan A. Silk, Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts. Ann Arbor 1989.
  • Regamey, Konstanty (1990). Philosophy in the Samadhiraja Sutra. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas.
  • Dutt, Nalinaksha, Litt, D., editors (1941). Gilgit Manuscripts Vol. II. Calcutta Oriental Press.
  • Gomez, Luis O; Silk, Jonathan A. (1989) Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts. Ann Arbor.
  • Skilton, Andrew T. (1999). "Four Recensions of the Samadhiraja Sutra." Indo-Iranian Journal.
  • Rockwell Jr., John (1980). Samadhi and Patient Acceptance: Four Chapters of the Samadhiraja-sutra. M.A.Thesis, The Naropa Institute.
  • Dorje, Jikdrel Yeshe (Dudjom Rinpoche), translated and edited by Gyurme Dorje and Matthew Kapstein (1991). The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism: Its Fundamentals and History. Wisdom Publications.
  • Regamey, Constantin (1938), Philosophy in the Samadhirajasutra, Nakadem Towarzystwa Naukowego Warszawskiego. Reprint: Motilal Banarsidass, 1990.

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References

References

  1.  Tatz, Mark (1972). Revelation in Madhyamika Buddhism, p. 10. M.A.Thesis, University of Washington.
  2.  Gomez, Luis O; Silk, Jonathan A. (1989) Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts, p. 11. Ann Arbor.
  3.  Skilton, Andrew T. (2002). "State or statement? Samadhi in some early Mahayana Sutras", The Eastern Buddhist 34.2, 51-93.
  4.  Gomez, Luis O; Silk, Jonathan A. (1989) Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts, pp. viii, 11. Ann Arbor.
  5.  Regamey, Constantin (1938). Philosophy in the SamādhirājasÅ«tra: Three Chapters From the SamādhirājasÅ«tra, p. 3. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
  6.  Tatz, Mark (1972). Revelation in Madhyamika Buddhism, p. 4. M.A.Thesis, University of Washington.
  7.  Tatz, Mark (1972). Revelation in Madhyamika Buddhism, p. 12. M.A.Thesis, University of Washington.
  8.  Tatz, Mark (1972). Revelation in Madhyamika Buddhism, p. 3. M.A.Thesis, University of Washington.
  9.  Luis O. Gomez and Jonathan A. Silk, Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts. Ann Arbor 1989 pgs 15
  10.  Gomez, Luis O; Silk, Jonathan A. (1989) Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts, p. 14. Ann Arbor.
  11.  Skilton, Andrew T. (1999). '"Four Recensions of the Samadhiraja Sutra." Indo-Iranian Journal 42, 335-336.
  12.  Dutt, Nalinaksha, Litt, D., editors (1941). Gilgit Manuscripts Vol. II, Calcutta Oriental Press.
  13.  Gomez, Luis O; Silk, Jonathan A. (1989) Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts, p. 41. Ann Arbor.
  14.  Gomez, Luis O; Silk, Jonathan A. (1989) Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts, p. 42. Ann Arbor.
  15.  Gomez, Luis O; Silk, Jonathan A. (1989) Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts, p. 29. Ann Arbor.
  16.  Gomez, Luis O; Silk, Jonathan A. (1989) Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts, pp. 15-16, 30. Ann Arbor.
  17.  Gomez, Luis O; Silk, Jonathan A. (1989) Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts, pp. 15-16. Ann Arbor.
  18.  Gomez, Luis O; Silk, Jonathan A. (1989) Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts, p. 18. Ann Arbor.
  19.  Regamey, Constantin (1938). Philosophy in the SamādhirājasÅ«tra: Three Chapters From the SamādhirājasÅ«tra, pp. 21-22. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
  20.  Gomez, Luis O; Silk, Jonathan A. (1989) Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts, p. 31. Ann Arbor.
  21.  Regamey, Constantin (1938). Philosophy in the SamādhirājasÅ«tra: Three Chapters From the SamādhirājasÅ«tra, p. 22. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
  22.  Gomez, Luis O; Silk, Jonathan A. (1989) Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts, p. 32. Ann Arbor.
  23.  Gomez, Luis O; Silk, Jonathan A. (1989) Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts, pp. 35-37. Ann Arbor.
  24.  "State or Statement?: Samādhi in Some Early Mahāyāna SÅ«tras." The Eastern Buddhist. 34-2. 2002 pg 57
  25.  Tsurphu Labrang Dharamshala, The Kagyu Lineage
  26.  Luis O. Gomez and Jonathan A. Silk, Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts. Ann Arbor 1989 pgs 11-88
  27.  "Samadhi And Patient Acceptance Four Chapters of the Samadhiraja-Sutra" Translated From The Sanskrit And Tibetan by John Rockwell, Jr.
  28.  Regamey, Constantin (1938), Philosophy in the Samadhirajasutra, Nakładem Towarzystwa Naukowego Warszawskiego. Reprint: Motilal Banarsidass, 1990, pp. 86-88
A full list of references for this article are available at the Samadhiraja Sutra Wikipedia page

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