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From Bodhicitta
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A
The ''Avalokinī Sūtra'' takes place in the city of Rājagṛha, where the Buddha teaches on the benefits that result from honoring the stūpas of awakened beings. The major part of this teaching consists in the Buddha detailing the many positive rewards obtained by those who worship the buddhas' stūpas with offerings, such as flowers, incense, and lamps. (Source: [https://read.84000.co/translation/toh195.html 84000]) +
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The ''Avalokiteśvaravimokṣa'' is chapter 30 of the ''Gaṇḍavyūhasūtra'', in which the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, teaching Sudhana on Mount Potalaka, describes his attainment of the bodhisattva liberation called "the unimpeded gateway to great compassion," through which he frees beings from a wide range of fears—including fear of heights, bondage, danger, hunger, disgrace, death, unfortunate rebirth, separation from loved ones, and bodily and mental torment. This passage is quoted at length by Śāntideva in the ''Śikṣāsamuccaya'' (Bendall ed., p. 296) under the title ''Avalokiteśvaravimokṣa'', where it illustrates the dedication of merit toward the protection of all beings. The text is not preserved independently in the Tibetan Kangyur; it survives only as this chapter within the ''Gaṇḍavyūhasūtra'' (Toh 44–45). +
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Geshe Wangchen, a Tibetan lama with many year's experience of teaching Buddhist theory and practice to Westerners, explains how to meditate: how to prepare for a meditation session, what to do during it, and how to conclude. +
The Mahāyāna version of this sūtra, like the earlier Pali sutta of the same name, recounts a sorted tale of jealousy and revenge that spirals out of control, in which a once promising disciple is set on the path to become a vicious murderer in search of a thousand victims in order to create a garland strung with their severed fingers. That is, of course, until he encounters the final victim needed to complete his task, the Buddha. (You can read the story [https://buddhanature.tsadra.org/index.php/Books/The_Jewel_Ornament_of_Liberation_(Konchog_Gyaltsen)/The_Story_of_Angulimala here]). The Mahāyāna version is routinely included among the lists of so-called tathāgatagarbha sūtras, the reason likely being the extensive discussion the protagonist has with Mañjuśrī on the proper view of emptiness. The position presented in the text has been taken by some to be an early precursor to the view of other-emptiness. +
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A critical Sanskrit edition of the ''Aṣṭasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā'', edited by Lokesh Chandra. Reproduced by Lokesh Chandra from the collection of Prof. Raghu Vira. Published by Sharada Rani, 1981. +
A literal, word by word translation of the Prajñāparamitā is tiresome to read, and practically unintelligible to any one who does not have the sanskrit original before him. If ever there was a case where the letter kills the spirit, it is here. The Sūtra itself was meant to be memorised, the translation is meant to be read. Lengthy repetitions, stereotyped phrases, and the piling up of synonyms were of great assistance to memory, but they irritate and distract the modern reader, and obscure from him the meaning of the text. This translation aims at bringing out the meaning of the Sūtra, often with the aid of Haribhadra's commentary, and it keeps as close to the text as is compatible with intelligibility. The reproduction of the literary conventions and of the stylistic peculiarities of Buddhist sanskrit diction was not one of my aims. It would be of little, or no, value to scholars, and it bewilders the general reader. To facilitate reference to the sanskrit original I have added in brackets the pages of Mitra's edition. (Conze, preface) +
A critical Sanskrit edition of the ''Aṣṭasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā'' with Haribhadra's commentary, edited by P. L. Vaidya. Published by The Mithila Institute. +
The ''Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines'', like other sūtras on the Perfection of Wisdom, deals with the topic of emptiness and the understanding of the ultimate truth or the way things are. Modern scholars date the sūtra roughly to the 2nd and 1st century BC and consider it to be the earliest sūtra on which other Perfection of Wisdom sūtras are based. Its adherents claim the sūtra to be a part of the words of the Buddha. It is believed to have been taken to the subterranean world and brought back to the human world by Nāgārjuna. It is sometimes known as the ''Condensed Mother'' (ཡུམ་བསྡུས་པ་), the term ''Mother'' referring to the Perfection of Wisdom which gives rise to all buddhas and bodhisattvas. It is said to be the condensed version of the long version in one hundred thousand lines and the middle version in twenty-five thousand lines. Having spread across Asia and beyond and having been translated into many languages, it is one of the most common books to be found in the Buddhist Himalayas.
The sūtra takes the form of a series of dialogues between the Buddha Śākyamuni, Subhūti, Śāriputra, and others, such as Indra, the king of gods, and a goddess of the Ganges. In the final chapters, the sūtra contains the inspirational narratives of Sadāprarudita and his quest for the teachings on the Perfection of Wisdom from the Bodhisattva Dharmodgata. The sūtra is also one of the earliest Mahāyāna sources proclaiming the luminous nature of the mind. +
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B
In the previous chapter, we examined the serious ethical concerns about how we treat animals. But that is not the whole story. If we are concerned with poverty and the increasing inequalities between rich and poor, if we are concerned about the environment and human health, and if we accept the conclusions of scientific studies presented by reports like those of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC, established by the UN), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Worldwatch Institute and others, then we can’t help but question the excessive practices of animal breeding and wonder about the negative impacts that consuming meat has for humans and for our environment. +
Tibetan translation of the dharani of the bhaisajyaguru vaidurya prabha (medicine buddhas); written in 1842 at dngul chu at the order of seng chen rdo rje 'chang. (Source: [http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW20548_038018 BDRC]) +
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Brief instruction for the practice of the sadhana and mandala vidhi of the bhaisajya guru or medicine buddha; written at bkra shis lhun po. +
Verse work in praise of the life of Śākyamuni Buddha. Written by the First Dalai Lama Gedun Drubpa (1391–1474). (Source: [http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/WA1KG4475 BDRC])
A eulogy for the deeds of Śākyamuni, based on his biography described in the ''Lalitavistarasūtra''. (Source: AIBS) +
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Bcom ldan 'das thub pa'i dbang po'i rnam par thar pa la bstod pa bdud dpung phye mar 'thag pa/Full text +
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Meditational instruction; written at the behest of Dkon mchog sangs rgyas, a monk of Urga. (Source: [http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW2DB4591_5301A7 BDRC]) +
