Shakyamuni Buddha: He or she needs to keep in view, fully and in detail, the five aggregate factors of his or her experience and those as devoid of self-establishing nature.

Shakyamuni Buddha: The Heart Sutra

Tib. “Shes-rab snying-po,” Skt: “Bhagavati Prajnaparamita-hrdaya”

These words have I heard. At one time, the Vanquishing Master Surpassing All was dwelling at Vulture Peak Mountain, by the Royal City of Rajagriha, together with a great assembly of the monastic sangha and a great assembly of the bodhisattva sangha.

At that time, the Vanquishing Master Surpassing All was totally absorbed in the absorbed concentration that expresses the multiplicity of phenomena, known as “the appearance of the profound.”

Also at that time, the bodhisattva great-minded mahasattva, the Arya Avalokiteshvara, the Powerful Lord Beholding All Around, conducting his behavior in profound and far-reaching discriminating awareness, was beholding all around, in detail, like this: He was beholding all around, in detail, the five aggregate factors of his experience and even those as devoid of self-establishing nature. Continue reading »

The Great Parinirvana Sutra
Chapter 1: Introduction
[605a] Thus have I heard. One time the Buddha was staying at the city of Kusinagara, the birthplace of the great worthy, on the shore of the Ajiravati River between a pair of Sala trees. Continue reading »

In the language of India, Pratimoksha Sutra.
In English, The Sutra of Individual Liberation.

[Prefatory and Introductory Verses]

Homage to the Omniscient One.

(1) Your banner of glory is renowned in the triple world,
Your lion’s voice proclaims words of true Dharma; Continue reading »

Kalama Sutta

The Buddha’s Charter of Free Inquiry, translated from the Pali by Soma Thera

Preface

The instruction of the Kalamas (Kalama Sutta) is justly famous for its encouragement of free inquiry; the spirit of the sutta signifies a teaching that is exempt from fanaticism, bigotry, dogmatism, and intolerance.

The reasonableness of the Dhamma, the Buddha’s teaching, is chiefly evident in its welcoming careful examination at all stages of the path to enlightenment. Indeed the whole course of training for wisdom culminating in the purity of the consummate one (the arahant) is intimately bound up with examination and analysis of things internal: the eye and visible objects, the ear and sounds, the nose and smells, the tongue and tastes, the body and tactile impressions, the mind and ideas. Continue reading »

Shakyamuni Buddha: Monks, these are the four developments of concentration.

The King of Concentrations sutra – King of Samadhi Sutra, the Samādhirāja Sūtra or Candrapradīpa Sūtra (Sanskrit) is a buddhist sutra dating to c. 2nd century CE.

The Samádhi Suttas (One Through Five)

Samádhi Sutta – Immeasurable Concentration

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. For free distribution only.

“Wise and mindful, you should develop immeasurable concentration [i.e., concentration based on immeasurable good will, compassion, appreciation, or equanimity]. When, wise and mindful, one has developed immeasurable concentration, five realizations arise right within oneself. Which five?

“The realization arises right within oneself that ‘This concentration is blissful in the present and will result in bliss in the future.’ Continue reading »

Metta Bhavana: The Cultivation of Universal Loving-kindness

Discourse On Loving-Kindness Karaniya Metta Sutta (Sutra) – Loving-Kindness Meditation

This is what should be done by one who is skilled in goodness
and who wishes to attain the State of Peace and Wisdom (Nirvana):
Let one be capable, upright, exceedingly upright,
easy to instruct, gentle, and humble.

Let one be content, not a burden to others but easily supported,
with but few responsibilities, and living simply,
with the senses composed and serene, let one be prudent, courteous,
not proud or demanding, unswayed by the emotions of others;
and let one not commit the slightest wrong
for which the wise would later reprove. Continue reading »

s.1 In this sūtra the Buddha Śākyamuni recounts how the thus-gone Sarvārthasiddha purified the buddha realms in his domain. In his explanation, the Buddha Śākyamuni emphasizes the view of the Great Vehicle, which he explains as the fundamental basis for all bodhisattvas who aspire to attain liberation. The attendant topics taught by the Buddha are the six perfections of generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom. The Buddha explains each of these six perfections in three distinct ways as he recounts the past lives of the buddha Sarvārthasiddha. First, he describes how Sarvārthasiddha learned the practices that purify buddha realms, namely the six perfections. Next, he explains how to seal these six virtuous practices with the correct view so that they become perfections. Finally, he recounts how Sarvārthasiddha, as a bodhisattva, received instructions for enhancing the potency of the perfections. Continue reading »

Unraveling the Intent Saṃdhinirmocana

’phags pa dgongs pa nges par ’grel pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo

The Noble Sūtra of the Great Vehicle “Unraveling the Intent”

Āryasaṃdhinirmocananāmamahāyānasūtra Continue reading »

The Sutra of the Exalted Great Glorified Female Being

By The Buddha

In the language of India: Arya Mahalakshinii Sutra
In the language of Tibet: Phagpa päl chhenmoi do
In the language English: The Sutra of the Exalted Great Glorified Female Being

Prostration to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus I have heard at one time. The Bhagavan (Destroyer-Qualified Gone Beyond One) was abiding in the Blissful Realm. Then, the bodhisattva mahasattva, the Arya Compassionate Eye Looking One Enriched with Qualities, went to the place where the Bhagavan was, prostrated his head at the feet of the Bhagavan, circumambulated the Bhagavan three times, and sat down to one side. Then, the Bhagavan looked at the Great Glorified Female Being and proclaimed to the Arya Compassionate Eye Looking One Enriched with Qualities as follows: Continue reading »

The Buddha: The Sutra of Causes and Effects of Actions

Namo Buddha, namo Dharma, namo Sangha! Thus have I heard:

Once the Buddha was at Sravasti town, in the garden of Jeta, with many monks (sramana) and countless bodhisattvas and gods (devas), and they were with countless other worlds in company. The Chief Sovereign of the World (Lokajyestha) was expounding the Law and the assembly was listening with pure minds.

Thereupon Ananda, on account of these human beings, addressed the Buddha thus:

“Chief of the World, now I see that each creature is born alike among people. There are handsome and ugly, strong and weak, rich and poor, happy and sad, noble and base, and their voices are not alike and their words diverse. There is the person who at one hundred years does not die and there is the one who dies at thirty; there is the one, not yet of full age, dies in the womb. There is the person who is handsome but poor, and there is the base and ugly, but who is rich; then there is the noble and strong without dignity and without rank, and there is the weak with dignity and rank, but unhappy. There is the person whose life is long and who is happy, and there is the one whose life is short. Continue reading »