༄༅། །་ལ་་་མས་ས་པ།

The Questions of the Nāga King Sāgara (2)

Sāgaranāgarājaparipṛcchā
 འཕགས་པ་་ལ་་་མས་ས་པ་ས་་བ་ག་པ་ན་ ་མ།
’phags pa klu’i rgyal po rgya mtshos zhus pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo

The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra “The Questions of the Nāga King Sāgara”

Āryasāgaranāgarājaparipṛcchānāmamahāyānasūtra

· Toh 154 ·
Degé Kangyur, vol. 58 (mdo sde, pha), folios 198.b–205.a

ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛɪʙᴇᴛᴀɴ ʙʏ

· Jinamitra · Danasila · Munivarman · Yeshé Dé ·
 Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

First published 2020

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co. TABLE OF CONTENTS
ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
tr. The Translation
1. The Questions of the Nāga King Sāgara
c. Colophon
ab. Abbreviations
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
g. Glossary
s. SUMMARY
s.1 The Questions of the Nāga King Sāgara presents a discourse given by the
Buddha Śākyamuni on the importance of considering the effects caused by
actions. At the start of his teaching, the Buddha remarks how the variety of
forms that exist, and in fact all phenomena, come about as the result of
virtuous and nonvirtuous actions. By understanding this law of cause and
effect and by taking great care to engage in virtue, one will avoid rebirth in
the lower realms and enter the path to perfect awakening. In the rest of his
discourse he explains in great detail the advantages of engaging in each of
the ten virtues and the problems associated with not engaging in them.
ac. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ac.1 Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the
supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The translation was produced by
Benjamin Ewing, who also wrote the introduction. Andreas Doctor compared
the translation with the original Tibetan and edited the text. Felin Chung
consulted the Chinese versions.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of
84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
i. INTRODUCTION
i.1 The Questions of the Nāga King Sāgara takes place in the unusual setting of the
nāga king Sāgara’s court deep in the ocean. Here the Buddha gives a
discourse on the importance of avoiding the ten nonvirtuous deeds. The
sūtra begins with the Buddha Śākyamuni explaining how everything,
including all the various life forms of beings in the ocean and even the
awakening of a buddha, is created through the law of cause and effect. The
Buddha explains the relationship between form and emptiness, showing
how despite the essential emptiness of all phenomena, beings appear in
various shapes and sizes due to their former virtuous and nonvirtuous
actions. The remainder of the text concerns the ten nonvirtuous acts and the
need to abandon them by practising instead the ten virtuous acts. First, the
Buddha explains the various benefits of abstaining from each of the
nonvirtuous acts and shows how this will lead to awakening. He then
describes the perilous consequences of engaging in the nonvirtuous acts.
Finally, the Buddha explains how cultivating additional positive qualities
while engaging in these virtuous acts will lead to even greater spiritual
boons.
i.2 The Degé Kangyur contains three sūtras entitled The Questions of the Nāga
King Sāgara. They can be distinguished by their length, one being quite long
(Toh 153, 164 folio pages), one medium-length, which is translated here (Toh
154, 14 folio pages), and one very short (Toh 155, 1 folio page). All three of
these are included as individual texts in the early ninth century Denkarma
(ldan dkar ma) catalog, confirming their status as independent scriptures in
Tibet during the imperial period.1 Of these, Toh 155 appears to be unrelated
to the other two. It seems apparent, however, that at some point in its textual
life (presumably in India), Toh 154 was taken as an excerpt from Toh 153 and
transmitted as an independent text. A large number of minor differences and
one whole section that is unique to Toh 1542 distinguish these two versions,
but their shared provenance is nevertheless clear.
i.3 A further indication that the two texts had already circulated
independently in India is that the two sūtras were translated into Tibetan by
different translation teams. Toh 153 was translated by Jinamitra,
Prajñāvarma, and Yeshé Dé while Toh 154 was translated by Jinamitra,
Dānaśīla, Munivarman, and Yeshé Dé. Interestingly, in two versions of the
colophon to Toh 154 it is explicitly mentioned that this text is an extract from
a larger scripture, although Toh 153 is not specified as the source.3
i.4 Both texts were transmitted from India to China, with the longer of the two
(Toh 153) appearing four hundred years before the shorter. Toh 154 was
translated into Chinese twice under two different titles (Taishō 600 and 601).
Taishō 600 is a translation made between 695 and 700 ᴄᴇ by the Khotanese
monk Śikṣānanda (652–710 ᴄᴇ) and appears under the title The Sūtra on the
Path of the Ten Virtuous Actions.4 Taishō 601 is a translation made relatively late,
between 980 and 1017 ᴄᴇ, by Dānapāla (d. 1017 ᴄᴇ), a monk from the area of
Uḍḍiyāna in northwestern India who was one of the four chief Indian
translators during the Song dynasty; its title matches the Tibetan and
Sanskrit title here.5 Given this information, we can surmise that Toh 154 was
circulating as an independent text in India prior to 695 ᴄᴇ and that its
subsequent transmission to both China and Tibet was also independent
from Toh 153. It is difficult, however, to determine exactly when the split
occurred.
i.5 This English translation is based on the Tibetan translation in the Degé
Kangyur in consultation with the Comparative Edition (Tib. dpe bsdur ma)
and the Stok Palace Kangyur. We also occasionally compared these sources
to the two Chinese translations.
 The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra
The Questions of the Nāga King Sāgara
1. The Translation
[F.198.a]

1.1 Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

1.2 Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing within the ocean
in the realm of the nāga king Sāgara. He was in the courtyard of the nāga
king Sāgara together with a great monastic saṅgha of eight thousand monks
and an assembly of bodhisattva great beings who had assembled from the
worlds of the ten directions, a vast number of whom had attained
supernatural knowledge. Also present there were Śakra, Brahmā, and the
guardians of the world, and many trillions of gods, nāgas, yakṣas,
gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas.
1.3 Then the Blessed One, knowing the assembly in its entirety, spoke to the
nāga king Sāgara, “Lord of nāgas, alas! The state of this world has been
shaped by various kinds of karma. The predispositions to various kinds of
karma are in turn conditioned by a variety of mental apprehensions. [F.198.b]
This is also what causes the variety of beings.
1.4 “Lord of nāgas, consider all the various forms of the beings that are
present here in this retinue and in this ocean as well—all the diversity of
beings that exist here. Lord of nāgas, all these beings are here in such variety
due to the variety of their previous engagement in virtue and nonvirtue
through activities of mind, body, speech, and intellect. The mind is formless,
invisible, and ungraspable. In the same way, lord of nāgas, because all these
forms of beings are fabrications, their present characteristics have no owner,
no ownership, and are ungraspable. Being simply a variety of productions
formed by whatever karma has been accumulated, they have no creator
whatsoever.
1.5 “Lord of nāgas, in this way, all phenomena are inconceivable and have the
essential quality of being illusory. Lord of nāgas, since bodhisattvas are
skilled in this regard, they understand that any phenomenon only comes to
 exist by virtue of being constructed. Knowing this, they therefore engage in
virtue. Then, because phenomena are constructed, when such virtuous
actions are performed, the resultant aggregates, elements, and sense sources
are elegant, lovely to behold, and beautiful.
1.6 “Lord of nāgas, the body of a thus-gone one is born from merits
numbering in the trillions. This body, which is adorned with marks, perfectly
complete, and splendorous, outshines the worlds of gods and humans and
prevails uninterruptedly. Consider how even the great brahmā gods, who
hold dominion over one million worlds, appear faded, and their eyes are
blinded, when they look upon the body of a thus-gone one. Lord of nāgas,
look at the forms, marks, bodies, and adornments of these bodhisattvas. Lord
of nāgas, they are all beautifully produced by the performance of virtuous
actions. [F.199.a]
1.7 “Lord of nāgas, this dominion of yours likewise arose from a great amount
of merit. Lord of nāgas, all the dominions of Śakra, Brahmā, and the
guardians of the world, and those of the gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas,
asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, likewise
arise from merit. Lord of nāgas, the various bodies within this ocean—
whether they are ugly and unshapely, shapely, large, and strong, or small
and thin—all those bodies are products of the diversity of virtuous and
nonvirtuous actions of mind, body, speech, and intellect that each individual
engaged in.
“Lord of nāgas, because of this, it is said that ‘Beings must be confident in
the way karma is appropriated and inherited, shapes beings’ birth, and
ripens.’6
1.8 “Lord of nāgas, you should train in this way. Being confident in the way
karma is appropriated and inherited and the way it ripens, you will become
focused on producing virtuous qualities. You will not debase your view. You
will not give rise to nihilist or eternalist views. You will please those who are
worthy of veneration and, having pleased them, you will also show them
respect. Then, because of that respect, the entire world, including the gods,
will show their respect to you.
1.9 “Lord of nāgas, there is one teaching that severs, for all beings, all the
paths that lead to the unfortunate destinies, the lower realms, the
unfavorable states. What is that one teaching? It is to contemplate virtuous
qualities while thinking, ‘However I am now, it will pass just like the days
go by.’7 By repeatedly contemplating virtuous qualities in this way, there
will be no opportunity [F.199.b] for nonvirtuous thoughts and mental states
to arise. Having abandoned nonvirtue and being endowed with virtuous
 qualities in this way, such beings have a pure outlook and they will find
company with the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and with the noble hearers
and solitary buddhas.

1.10 “Lord of nāgas, what are those virtuous qualities? The virtuous qualities are
the roots and foundations of the excellence of gods and humans. They are
the roots and foundations of the awakening of the hearers and solitary
buddhas. They are the roots and foundations of unexcelled and perfect
awakening.
1.11 “What are those roots and foundations? They are the paths of the ten
virtues. What are those paths of the ten virtues? They are to forsake the
following: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, slander, harsh words,
meaningless talk, covetousness, malevolence, and wrong views. The
abandonment of these constitutes the paths of the ten virtues. They are the
roots and foundations for both mundane and supramundane excellence.
1.12 “Lord of nāgas, those who have forsaken killing will obtain ten qualities of
pacification. What are these ten qualities? They will grant fearlessness to all
beings. They will regard all beings with love. They will eliminate the
tendency for aggression. They will be able to reduce disease. They will plant
the seed for extending life. They will guard, protect, and shield nonhumans.
They will sleep happily, awaken happily, and not have negative dreams.
They will have the gods’ protection even when asleep. They will be free from
animosity and the propensity for animosity. And they will have no fear of the
lower realms [F.200.a] and, having died and transmigrated, they will be born
among the gods in the joyful celestial realms. Lord of nāgas, those who have
forsaken killing will obtain those ten qualities of pacification. If they dedicate
the roots of virtue of forsaking killing toward unexcelled and perfect
awakening, then, because of those roots of virtue, when they attain
awakening the power of their mind will be such that their lifespans become
limitless.
1.13 “Lord of nāgas, those who have forsaken stealing will obtain ten qualities
of confidence. What are these ten qualities? They will have great wealth and
that wealth will not be taken by kings, thieves, fire, water, enemies, or
neighbors. They will be well liked because they are pleasing to many beings.
They will not have the secondary disturbing emotions. They will be trusted
by those who have wealth. Their praises will be sung in every direction and
they will not fear harm from adversaries anywhere. The words and verses of
the praises of their virtue will be sublime. They will not be timid, engaging
with those around them without anxiety. They will obtain abundant life,
power, beauty, happiness, eloquence, resources, and wealth. They will be
inclined toward expansive generosity. And after leaving this body, they will
be born among the gods in the joyful celestial realms. Lord of nāgas, those
 who have forsaken stealing they will obtain those ten qualities of
confidence. If they dedicate the roots of virtue of forsaking stealing toward
unexcelled and perfect awakening, then, because of those roots of virtue,
knowing themselves to possess the wisdom of a thus-gone one that is free of
secondary disturbing emotions, [F.200.b] they will fully awaken to
unexcelled and perfect buddhahood.
1.14 “Lord of nāgas, those who have forsaken sexual misconduct will obtain
four qualities that are praised by the wise. What are these four qualities?
They will have restraint of the senses. They will overcome excitement. They
will be praised by the whole world. And they will not seduce married
women. Lord of nāgas, those who have forsaken sexual misconduct will
obtain those four qualities that are praised by the wise. If they dedicate the
roots of virtue of forsaking sexual misconduct toward unexcelled and perfect
awakening, then, because of those roots of virtue, they will obtain the
sheathed genitals, which are a mark of a great being.
1.15 “Lord of nāgas, those who have forsaken lying will obtain eight qualities
that are praised by gods and humans. What are these eight qualities? They
will have a clean face with the scent of a blue lotus. They will be held as
authoritative by all beings. They will become singularly powerful because
they are beloved by gods and humans. They will alleviate the fears of spirits
due to their assurances. They will be pure in body, speech, and mind
because of their excellent altruism. Their happiness will increase because
their words are free of confusion. Their voices will be heard because their
words are worthy of being remembered. And they will be free of
wrongdoing among gods and humans because they have obtained insight.
Lord of nāgas, those who have forsaken lying will obtain those eight
qualities that are praised by gods and humans. If they dedicate the roots of
virtue of forsaking lying toward unexcelled and perfect awakening, then,
because of those roots of virtue, their words will be in accord with the truth.
1.16 “Lord of nāgas, those who have forsaken slander will obtain five qualities
of indivisibility. [F.201.a] What are these five qualities? They will obtain
indestructible bodies because they have transcended the terror of being
harmed by others. They will obtain unswerving retinues because they do not
desire that which others own. They will obtain unwavering faith because
they trust that karma bears fruit. They will be indivisible from the Dharma
because they are dedicated to accomplishment. And they will obtain
unshakable friendship because they are undeceiving. Lord of nāgas, those
who have forsaken slander will obtain those five qualities of indivisibility. If
they dedicate the roots of virtue of forsaking slander toward unexcelled and
perfect awakening, then, because of those roots of virtue, they will become
 thus-gone ones with an indivisible retinues; not even all the māras and
opposing teachers will be able to divide the followers of such thus-gone
ones.
1.17 “Lord of nāgas, those who have forsaken harsh words will obtain eight
purities of speech. What are these eight? They are timely speech, beneficial
speech, appropriate speech, gentle speech, comprehensible speech, audible
speech, speech that pleases many beings, and dignified speech. Lord of
nāgas, those who have forsaken harsh words will obtain those eight purities
of speech. If they dedicate the roots of virtue of forsaking harsh words
toward unexcelled and perfect awakening, then, because of those roots of
virtue, they will become thus-gone ones with voices that resound like
Brahmā’s speech.
1.18 “Lord of nāgas, those who have forsaken meaningless talk will obtain
three complete certainties. What are these three? Because of their timely
words they will certainly please the wise. Because they answer8 questions so
well, their minds will certainly reach the truth. And because they are genuine
friends, they will certainly obtain the greatness of gods and humans. Lord of
nāgas, those who have forsaken meaningless talk [F.201.b] will obtain those
three complete certainties. If they dedicate the roots of virtue of forsaking
meaningless talk toward unexcelled and perfect awakening, then, because of
those roots of virtue, they will become thus-gone ones who teach
continuously and do not otherwise speak.
1.19 “Lord of nāgas, those who have forsaken covetousness will obtain five
strengths. What are these five? Because they do not have impaired faculties
they will obtain strength of body, speech, and mind. Because they are
unassailable by all enemies they will obtain vast dominion over resources
and power. Due to the power of their merit, they will experience all the vast
pleasures and enjoyments. Because they obtain the supreme joy9 they will be
honored by kings and lords. And because they lack any prior jealousy, the
wealth they obtain will be a hundred thousand times greater than what they
wished for. Lord of nāgas, those who have forsaken covetousness will obtain
those five strengths. If they dedicate the roots of virtue of forsaking
covetousness toward unexcelled and perfect awakening, then, because of
those roots of virtue, they will become the sole teachers, thus-gone ones who
are revered by the three worlds.
1.20 “Lord of nāgas, those who have forsaken malevolence will obtain eight
qualities that bring peace of mind. What are these eight? They will be
inclined toward nonviolence. They will be inclined toward pacifying
malevolence. They will be inclined toward eliminating conflicts and quarrels.
They will be inclined toward being honest, kind, and gentle. They will be
renowned as noble beings. They will have greater ability to benefit all beings
 through such means as delighting in others’ happiness and having loving
kindness. They will be honored by many beings since they delight in others’
happiness and have much faith. And because they are kind and capable,
[F.202.a] it will not be difficult to attain rebirth in the abode of Brahmā. Lord
of nāgas, those who have forsaken malevolence will obtain those eight
qualities that bring peace of mind. If they dedicate the roots of virtue of
forsaking malevolence toward unexcelled and perfect awakening, then,
because of those roots of virtue, they will become thus-gone ones with
unobstructed minds whom one never tires of seeing.
1.21 “Lord of nāgas, those who have forsaken wrong views will obtain ten
excellent qualities. What are these ten? Their thoughts will become virtuous
and they find virtuous friends; because of trusting that actions bear fruit they
do not commit evil deeds even at the cost of their lives. They consider the
Buddha to be their deity and they do not consider anyone else to be their
deity. They have a sincere view because they do not believe in wonders and
luck. They associate with gods and humans, but they do not associate with
animals and those who live in the realm of the Lord of Death. They obtain
distinction by practicing virtue. They have entered the path of the noble ones
because they do not follow false paths. They are free from the belief in the
transitory collection and they have abandoned all evil deeds. They have
unobscured insight because they have journeyed toward perfection and
entered perfection; and they are free from unfavorable states among gods
and humans. Lord of nāgas, those who have forsaken wrong views will
obtain those ten excellent qualities. If they dedicate the roots of virtue of
forsaking wrong views toward unexcelled and perfect awakening, then,
because of those roots of virtue, they will manifest all the qualities of a
buddha. They will become thus-gone ones with swift supernatural
knowledge.

1.22 “Lord of nāgas,10 these paths of the ten virtues are the roots and foundations
for all the mundane and the supramundane excellence up to and including
unexcelled and perfect awakening. Their opposites [F.202.b] are the paths of
the ten nonvirtues. If one has predominantly resorted to, cultivated, and
engaged in them to a great extent, that is cause for birth in the hell realms. If
one has engaged in them to a middling extent, that is cause for birth in the
realm of animals. If one has engaged in them to a lesser extent, then that is
cause for birth in the realm of the Lord of Death.
1.23 “Furthermore, lord of nāgas, those who have practiced, cultivated, and
engaged in killing to a great extent will be led to the hell realms, to the
animal realm, or to the realm of the Lord of Death. Even if they are
subsequently born in the human realm, they will experience two
consequences: their lives will be shortened, and they will be sickly.
1.24 “Those who steal will be led to the hell realms, to the animal realm, or to
the realm of the Lord of Death. Even if they are subsequently born in the
human realm, they will experience two consequences: they will have few
resources and their resources will be ordinary.
1.25 “Those who engage in sexual misconduct will be led to the hell realms, to
the animal realm, or to the realm of the Lord of Death. Even if they are
subsequently born in the human realm, they will experience two
consequences: their followers will not be trustworthy, and their wives will be
adversarial.
1.26 “Those who engage in lying will be led to the hell realms, to the animal
realm, or to the realm of the Lord of Death. Even if they are subsequently
born in the human realm, they will experience two consequences: they will
be greatly criticized, and they will be deceived by others.
1.27 “Those who engage in slander will be led to the hell realms, to the animal
realm, or to the realm of the Lord of Death. Even if they are subsequently
born in the human realm, they will experience two consequences: their
attendants will be fractious and have bad characters.
1.28 “Those who use harsh words will be led to the hell realms, to the animal
realm, or to the realm of the Lord of Death. Even if they are subsequently
born in the human realm, [F.203.a] they will experience two consequences:
they will hear unpleasant speech and aggressive speech.
1.29 “Those who engage in meaningless talk will be led to the hell realms, to
the animal realm, or to the realm of the Lord of Death. Even if they are
subsequently born in the human realm, they will experience two
consequences: their words will not be valued, and their eloquence will be
unreliable.
1.30 “Those who engage in covetousness will be led to the hell realms, to the
animal realm, or to the realm of the Lord of Death. Even if they are
subsequently born in the human realm, they will experience two
consequences: they will be insatiable, and their desires will increase.
1.31 “Those who engage in malevolence will be led to the hell realms, to the
animal realm, or to the realm of the Lord of Death. Even if they are
subsequently born in the human realm, they will experience two
consequences: they will crave what is unhelpful and others will do them
harm.
1.32 “Those who hold wrong views will be led to the hell realms, to the animal
realm, or to the realm of the Lord of Death. Even if they are subsequently
born in the human realm, they will experience two consequences: they will
lapse into degenerate views and they will be deceitful. Therefore, lord of
nāgas, these ten nonvirtues will truly give rise to an immeasurably great
mass of suffering.
1.33 “Lord of nāgas, if bodhisattvas who have forsaken killing engage in
generosity, then their wealth will increase. It will not be stolen, and they will
have long lives. And when they engage in bodhisattva activity, they will be
free from any fear of being harmed by others.
1.34 “Lord of nāgas, if bodhisattvas who have forsaken stealing engage in
generosity, then their wealth will increase. It will not be stolen, and they will
become freely generous without consideration for any of their possessions.
[F.203.b] And when they engage in bodhisattva activity, they will accomplish
all the aspects of a buddha and so gain unexcelled qualities.
1.35 “Lord of nāgas, if bodhisattvas who have forsaken sexual misconduct
engage in generosity, then their wealth will increase. It will not be stolen,
and their wives will not be adulterous. And when they engage in
bodhisattva activity, they will not view any mother, child, or wife with
hostility.
1.36 “Lord of nāgas, if bodhisattvas who have forsaken lying engage in
generosity, then their wealth will increase. It will not be stolen, and they will
not be slandered but earnestly defended. And when they engage in
bodhisattva activity, they will act as they say, and they will keep their word.
1.37 “Lord of nāgas, if bodhisattvas who have forsaken slander engage in
generosity, then their wealth will increase. It will not be stolen, and their
followers will not be divided. And when they engage in bodhisattva activity,
they will gain retinues of bodhisattvas because their harmonious attitude.
1.38 “Lord of nāgas, if bodhisattvas who have forsaken harsh words engage in
generosity, then their wealth will increase. It will not be stolen, and their
words will be heeded and respected. And when they engage in bodhisattva
activity, no one in their retinues will be discontent.
1.39 “Lord of nāgas, if bodhisattvas who have forsaken meaningless talk
engage in generosity, then their wealth will increase. It will not be stolen,
and their words will become worth hearing and trustworthy. And when they
engage in bodhisattva activity, they will be skilled at cutting through all
doubts.
1.40 “Lord of nāgas, if bodhisattvas who have forsaken covetousness engage
in generosity, then their wealth will increase. It will not be stolen, and their
minds will be inclined toward great pleasures and enjoyments. [F.204.a] And
when they engage in bodhisattva activity, they will aspire to the vast and
they will be renowned as mighty.
1.41 “Lord of nāgas, if bodhisattvas who have forsaken malevolence engage in
generosity, then their wealth will increase. It will not be stolen. They will be
beautiful, and they will delight and please many beings. And when they
engage in bodhisattva activity, they will have unobstructed intellect,
unobstructed minds, and unimpaired faculties.
1.42 “Lord of nāgas, if bodhisattvas who have forsaken wrong views engage in
generosity, then their wealth will increase. It will not be stolen. They will
have faith in the Buddha and be born into households with correct views.
And when they engage in bodhisattva activity, they will always behold the
Buddha, listen to the Dharma, and serve the Saṅgha, while never failing to
generate the mind set on awakening.

1.43 “Lord of nāgas, if these paths of the ten virtues are adorned with generosity
in that way, one will reap great fortune. If these paths of the ten virtues are
adorned with discipline, then aspirations for all buddha qualities will be
fulfilled. If these paths of the ten virtues are adorned with patience, then the
excellent major and minor marks, and the voice of a buddha, will be
perfected. Likewise, if they are adorned with diligence, then māras and
opponents will be overcome and all buddha qualities will be perfected. If
they are adorned with concentration, then mindfulness, intelligence,
understanding, modesty, and joy will be purified. If they are adorned with
insight, then all degenerate views will be vanquished. If they are adorned
with love, then there will be no anger toward any being. If they are adorned
with compassion, then no beings will be abandoned. If they are adorned
with joy, then one will not be discouraged. [F.204.b] If they are adorned with
equanimity, then attachment and anger will be abandoned. If they are
adorned with the means of attraction, then they will ripen all beings. If they
are adorned with the applications of mindfulness, then one will become
expert in the body, feelings, mind, and phenomena. If they are adorned with
the correct relinquishments, then all nonvirtuous qualities will be
abandoned and all virtuous qualities will be perfected. If they are adorned
with the four bases of miraculous power, then body and mind will be light. If
they are adorned with the five faculties, then one’s faith will be stable,
diligence will blaze, there will be no delusion, one will be skilled at training
the mind, and one will be skilled at eliminating all disturbing emotions. If
they are endowed with the powers, then one will not be oppressed and will
overcome all poverty and misfortune. If they are adorned with the limbs of
awakening, then all phenomena will be comprehended exactly as they are. If
they are adorned with the path, then true wisdom will be obtained. If they
are adorned with tranquility, then all disturbing emotions will be
vanquished. If they are adorned with insight, then there will be the insight
and wisdom of comprehending all phenomena exactly as they are. If they are
adorned with skillful means, then one will attain compounded and
uncompounded happiness.
1.44 “Lord of nāgas, in short, by means of these paths of the ten virtues, the ten
powers will be perfected. Everything from the attainment of the four types of
fearlessness and the eighteen unique qualities of a buddha up to the
 attainment of all the qualities of a buddha will be perfected. Therefore, lord
of nāgas, you must strive to adorn the paths of the ten virtues with these
numerous distinctions.
1.45 “Lord of nāgas, comsider the following analogy: The earth is the
foundation for all things established on the ground, such as all villages,
towns, cities, districts, regions, and kingdoms. [F.205.a] It is the basis for all
grass, shrubs, herbs, forests, and farmland, and all seeds, sprouts, and
harvests. It is where all sowing, ploughing, and cultivation take place. In the
same way, lord of nāgas, the paths of the ten virtues are the basis for taking
birth in the realms of gods and humans. They are the basis for everything
from the path of learning to achieving the fruition of no-more-learning, and
the awakening of the hearers and the solitary buddhas. They are also the
basis for everything from all buddha and bodhisattva deeds all the way up to
all buddha qualities.”

1.46 When the Blessed One had spoken these words, the nāga king Sāgara, the
monks, the bodhisattvas, the whole assembly, and the world with its gods,
humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the Blessed One’s
words.

1.47 This concludes the noble Great Vehicle sūtra “The Questions of the Nāga King Sāgara.”
c. Colophon
c.1 Translated, edited, and finalized, having been revised according to the new
terminological register, by the Indian preceptors Jinamitra, Dānaśīla, and
Munivarman, and the chief editor-translator Bandé Yeshé Dé and others.
ab. ABBREVIATIONS
C Choné Kangyur
D Degé Kangyur
S Stok Palace Kangyur
Z Shey Palace Kangyur
n. NOTES
n.1 See Denkarma: 297.a.6 (Toh 153), 299.a.5 (Toh 154), and 300.a.2 (Toh 155). See
also Herrmann-Pfandt 2008: Toh 153 = no. 96 (p. 55), Toh 154 = no. 187 (p.
100), Toh 155 = no. 237 (p. 125).

n.2 Toh 154 contains a section of nearly two folios that is not included in Toh
153. We have noted this section in the translation.

n.3 These two colophons are those of the Stok Palace and Shey Palace, which
both belong to the Thempangma (thems spang ma) group of Kangyurs. S, Z:
mdo che ba’i nang nas bkod pa snang ngo.

n.4 Chinese: ⼗善業道經 (Shishan ye dao jing). This text has been translated into
English from the Chinese at least three times: Saddhaloka 1996; Rulu 2012;
and Wong, n.d.

n.5 Chinese: 佛為娑伽羅⿓王所說⼤乘經 (Fo wei suo jia luo long wang suoshuo
dasheng jing).

n.6 This is a standardized formula that is very commonly repeated; a version is

even found, for example, in the Upajjhatthana Sutta of the Pali Canon, as the
fifth of the five recollections. These recollections are recited daily by many
modern Theravāda Buddhists.

n.7 This translation is tentative. The Tibetan reads, bdag ji ltar gyur cing nyin zhag
rnams ’gro zhig gu snyam du dge ba’i chos rnams la rab tu rtog pa’o.

n.8 Reading glon from S in place of lon.

n.9 Reading dga’ ba from S, C, D: dgab pa.

n.10 The following section detailing the negative effects of engaging in the ten
nonvirtuous acts, until the beginning of the section on engaging with
generosity (starting on 1.33: “Lord of nāgas, if bodhisattvas who have
forsaken killing engage in generosity”) is absent from Toh 153. See the
introduction (i.2) for more information on this sūtra.
b. BIBLIOGRAPHY
’phags pa klu’i rgyal po rgya mtshos zhus pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya-
sāgaranāgarājaparipṛcchānāmamahāyānasūtra). Toh. 154, Degé Kangyur, vol. 58
(mdo sde, pha), folios 198b–205a.

’phags pa klu’i rgyal po rgya mtshos zhus pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya-
sāgaranāgarājaparipṛcchānāmamahāyānasūtra). bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma)
[Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste
gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation
Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing:
krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing
House), 2006–2009, vol. 58, pp. 519–536.

’phags pa klu’i rgyal po rgya mtshos zhus pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya-
sāgaranāgarājaparipṛcchānāmamahāyānasūtra). Stok no. 134, Stok Palace
Kangyur, vol. 66 (mdo sde, ba), folios 282r–291v.

sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa. Toh. 4347, Degé Tengyur, vol. 204 (sna tshogs, co),
folios 131b–160a.

Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan [/ lhan] dkar gyi chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar
chag). Degé Tengyur, vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.

Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans. The Questions of the Nāga King

Sāgara (1) (https://read.84000.co/translation/toh153.html) (Sāgaranāgarāja-
paripṛcchāsūtra, Toh 153). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021.

Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische
übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen
Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.

Rulu. Bodhisattva Precepts. Bloomington: AuthorHouse, 2012.

Saddhaloka Bhikkhu, trans. The Discourse on the Ten Wholesome Ways of Action.
Hong Kong: Yan Boon Remembrance Committee, 1996.
Sakya Pandita Translation Group (Tsechen Kunchab Ling Division), trans.
The Questions of the Nāga King Sāgara (3)
(https://read.84000.co/translation/toh155.html) (Sāgaranāgarājaparipṛcchā, Toh
155). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2011.

Wong, Mou-lam, trans. Shih shan yeh tao ching = The Buddhabhasita Dasabhadra
Karmamarga Sutra. Translated by Sikshananda-Nanjio. Singapore: n.d.
g. GLOSSARY

· Types of attestation for names and terms of the corresponding ·

source language

AS Attested in source text

This term is attested in a manuscript used as a source for this translation.

AO Attested in other text

This term is attested in other manuscripts with a parallel or similar context.

AD Attested in dictionary
This term is attested in dictionaries matching Tibetan to the corresponding
language.

AA Approximate attestation
The attestation of this name is approximate. It is based on other names
where the relationship between the Tibetan and source language is attested
in dictionaries or other manuscripts.

RP Reconstruction from Tibetan phonetic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the Tibetan phonetic rendering of the
term.

RS Reconstruction from Tibetan semantic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the semantics of the Tibetan
translation.

SU Source unspecified
This term has been supplied from an unspecified source, which most often
is a widely trusted dictionary.

g.1 applications of mindfulness

dran pa nye bar gzhag pa

ན་པ་་བར་གཞག་པ།
smṛtyupasthāna
 The application of mindfulness with regard to body, feelings, mind, and
phenomena.

g.2 asura
lha ma yin

་མ་ན།
asura
The asuras, sometimes called the demigods, are the enemies of the gods,
fighting with them for supremacy. They are powerful beings who live
around Mount Sumeru and are usually classified as belonging to the higher
realms.

g.3 bases of miraculous power

rdzu ’phrul gyi rkang pa

་འལ་ི་ང་པ།
ṛddhipāda
The four supports for supernatural abilities: determination, discernment,
diligence, and meditative concentration.

g.4 belief in the transitory collection

’jig tshogs la lta ba

འག་གས་ལ་་བ།
satkāyadṛṣṭi
This term refers to the mistaken view that identifies the self with the
ultimately transient collection of mind and body.

g.5 Brahmā
tshangs pa

ཚངས་པ།
brahmā
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
A high-ranking deity presiding over a divine world; he is also considered to
be the lord of the Sahā world (our universe). Though not considered a creator
god in Buddhism, Brahmā occupies an important place as one of two gods
(the other being Indra/Śakra) said to have first exhorted the Buddha
Śākyamuni to teach the Dharma. The particular heavens found in the form
realm over which Brahmā rules are often some of the most sought-after
realms of higher rebirth in Buddhist literature. Since there are many
 universes or world systems, there are also multiple Brahmās presiding over
them. His most frequent epithets are “Lord of the Sahā World” (sahāṃpati)
and Great Brahmā (mahābrahman).

g.6 correct relinquishments

yang dag par spong ba

ཡང་དག་པར་ང་བ།
samyakprahāṇa
This term refers to a list of four: relinquishing negative acts that have been
committed and will be committed in the future, and increasing current and
future positive acts.

g.7 courtyard
’khor gyi khyams

འར་ི་མས།
maṇḍalamāḍa
This term describes a circular open space or a space for assembly.

g.8 Dānaśīla
dA na shI la

་ན་་ལ།
dānaśīla
An Indian paṇḍita who was resident in Tibet during the late eighth and
early ninth centuries.

g.9 eighteen unique qualities of a buddha

sangs rgyas kyi chos ma ’dres pa bco brgyad

སངས་ས་་ས་མ་འས་པ་བ་བད།
aṣṭādaśāveṇikabuddhadharma
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Eighteen special features of a buddha’s behavior, realization, activity, and
wisdom that are not shared by other beings. They are generally listed as: (1)
he never makes a mistake, (2) he is never boisterous, (3) he never forgets, (4)
his concentration never falters, (5) he has no notion of distinctness, (6) his
equanimity is not due to lack of consideration, (7) his motivation never
falters, (8) his endeavor never fails, (9) his mindfulness never falters, (10) he
never abandons his concentration, (11) his insight (prajñā) never decreases,
(12) his liberation never fails, (13) all his physical actions are preceded and
 followed by wisdom (jñāna), (14) all his verbal actions are preceded and
followed by wisdom, (15) all his mental actions are preceded and followed by
wisdom, (16) his wisdom and vision perceive the past without attachment or
hindrance, (17) his wisdom and vision perceive the future without
attachment or hindrance, and (18) his wisdom and vision perceive the
present without attachment or hindrance.

g.10 five faculties

dbang po lnga

དབང་་།
pañcendriya
Faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and knowledge.

g.11 four types of fearlessness

mi ’jigs pa bzhi

་འགས་པ་བ།
caturabhaya
Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions,
(3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

g.12 gandharva
dri za

་ཟ།
gandharva
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
A class of generally benevolent nonhuman beings who inhabit the skies,
sometimes said to inhabit fantastic cities in the clouds, and more specifically
to dwell on the eastern slopes of Mount Meru, where they are ruled by the
Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. They are most renowned as celestial musicians who
serve the gods. In the Abhidharma, the term is also used to refer to the
mental body assumed by sentient beings during the intermediate state
between death and rebirth. Gandharvas are said to live on fragrances
(gandha) in the desire realm, hence the Tibetan translation dri za, meaning
“scent eater.”

g.13 garuḍa
nam mkha’ lding

ནམ་མཁའ་ང་།
garuḍa
 Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
In Indian mythology, the garuḍa is an eagle-like bird that is regarded as the
king of all birds, normally depicted with a sharp, owl-like beak, often holding
a snake, and with large and powerful wings. They are traditionally enemies
of the nāgas. In the Vedas, they are said to have brought nectar from the
heavens to earth. Garuḍa can also be used as a proper name for a king of such
creatures.

g.14 great brahmā gods

tshangs pa chen po

ཚངས་པ་ན་།
mahābrahmā
Gods from the higher subdivision of the world of Brahmā.

g.15 Jinamitra
dzi na mi tra

་ན་་།
jinamitra
An Indian Kashmiri paṇḍita who was resident in Tibet during the late eighth
and early ninth centuries. He worked with several Tibetan translators on the
translation of several sūtras. He is also the author of the Nyāyabindupiṇḍārtha
(Toh 4233), which is contained in the Tibetan Tengyur (bstan ’gyur) collection.

g.16 Kinnara
mi’am ci

འམ་།
kinnara
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
A class of nonhuman beings that resemble humans to the degree that their
very name —which means “is that human?”—suggests some confusion as to
their divine status. Kinnaras are mythological beings found in both Buddhist
and Brahmanical literature, where they are portrayed as creatures half
human, half animal. They are often depicted as highly skilled celestial
musicians.

g.17 limbs of awakening

byang chub kyi yan lag

ང་བ་་ཡན་ལག
bodhyaṅga
 Recollection, analysis, diligence, joy, pliancy, absorption, and equanimity.

g.18 Lord of Death

gshin rje

གན་།
yama
The ruler of the lower realms.

g.19 mahoraga
lto ’phye chen po

་འ་ན་།
mahoraga
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Literally “great serpents,” mahoragas are supernatural beings depicted as
large, subterranean beings with human torsos and heads and the lower
bodies of serpents. Their movements are said to cause earthquakes, and they
make up a class of subterranean geomantic spirits whose movement through
the seasons and months of the year is deemed significant for construction
projects.

g.20 means of attraction

bsdu ba’i dngos po

བ་བ་དས་།
saṃgrahavastu
This is generally given as a list of four qualities or methods for attracting
students: generosity, kind talk, meaningful actions, and practicing what one
preaches.

g.21 Munivarman
mu ni bar ma

་་བར་མ།
munivarman
An Indian paṇḍita who was resident in Tibet during the late eighth and
early ninth centuries.

g.22 nāga
klu

།
 nāga
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
A class of nonhuman beings who live in subterranean aquatic environments,
where they guard wealth and sometimes also teachings. Nāgas are
associated with serpents and have a snakelike appearance. In Buddhist art
and in written accounts, they are regularly portrayed as half human and half
snake, and they are also said to have the ability to change into human form.
Some nāgas are Dharma protectors, but they can also bring retribution if they
are disturbed. They may likewise fight one another, wage war, and destroy
the lands of others by causing lightning, hail, and flooding.

g.23 opposing teacher

phas kyi rgol ba

ཕས་་ལ་བ།
parapravādī
One who teaches a false doctrine.

g.24 retinue
g.yog

གག
parivāra
The Tibetan and Sanskrit terms both carry a dual sense of “servant” or
“retinue.”

g.25 Sāgara
rgya mtsho

་མ།
sāgara
Literally meaning “ocean,” he is a king of the nāgas, a class of semidivine
snake creatures.

g.26 Śakra
brgya byin

བ་ན།
śakra
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
 The lord of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (trāyastriṃśa).
Alternatively known as Indra, the deity that is called “lord of the gods”
dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. The
Tibetan translation brgya byin (meaning “one hundred sacrifices”) is based
on an etymology that śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu, one who has
performed a hundred sacrifices. Each world with a central Sumeru has a
Śakra. Also known by other names such as Kauśika, Devendra, and Śacipati.

g.27 secondary disturbing emotions

nye ba’i nyon mongs

་བ་ན་ངས།
upakleśa
These are “secondary” in the sense that they flow from the primary
disturbing emotions of desire, aversion, and ignorance. There appears to be
no set list.

g.28 ten powers

stobs bcu

བས་བ།
daśabala
The classical list of the Buddha’s ten powers, which appears frequently
throughout both Pali and Sanskrit sources, refers to the following powers of
knowing (jñānabala): (1) Knowing what is possible and what is impossible
(sthānāsthāna), (2) Knowing the ripening of karma (karmavipāka), (3) Knowing
the various inclinations (nānādhimukti), (4) Knowing the various elements
(nānādhātu), (5) Knowing the supreme and lesser faculties (indriyaparāpara), (6)
Knowing the paths that lead to all destinations (sarvatragāminīpratipad), (7)
Knowing the concentrations, liberations, absorptions, and attainments
(dhyānavimokṣasamādhisamāpatti), (8) Knowing the recollection of past
existences (pūrvanivāsānusmṛti), (9) Knowing death and rebirth
(cyutyupapatti), and (10) Knowing the exhaustion of the defilements
(āsravakṣaya).

g.29 yakṣa
gnod sbyin

གད་ན།
yakṣa
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
 A class of nonhuman beings who inhabit forests, mountainous areas, and
other natural spaces, or serve as guardians of villages and towns, and may
be propitiated for health, wealth, protection, and other boons, or controlled
through magic. According to tradition, their homeland is in the north, where
they live under the rule of the Great King Vaiśravaṇa.

Several members of this class have been deified as gods of wealth (these
include the just-mentioned Vaiśravaṇa) or as bodhisattva generals of yakṣa
armies, and have entered the Buddhist pantheon in a variety of forms,
including, in tantric Buddhism, those of wrathful deities.

g.30 Yeshé Dé
ye shes sde

་ས་།
—
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Yeshé Dé (late eighth to early ninth century) was the most prolific translator
of sūtras into Tibetan. Altogether he is credited with the translation of more
than one hundred sixty sūtra translations and more than one hundred
additional translations, mostly on tantric topics. In spite of Yeshé Dé’s great
importance for the propagation of Buddhism in Tibet during the imperial era,
only a few biographical details about this figure are known. Later sources
describe him as a student of the Indian teacher Padmasambhava, and he is
also credited with teaching both sūtra and tantra widely to students of his
own. He was also known as Nanam Yeshé Dé, from the Nanam (sna nam)
clan.