A Bud- Dhist Play by Candragomin, the Fortunate Aeon

140 Joy for the World: A Bud under the auspices of the Yeshe De contents.9 Since the section ends with dhist Play by Candragomin, Project, 4 vols., Dharma Publishing, a description of the effects of the teach translated with an Introduction and Berkeley, 1986. ing on the assembly, and is given a Notes by MICHAEL HAHN, separate chapter-heading, "The teach Dharma Publishing, Berkeley, 1987; The Fortunate Aeon gives ,the ings of taking up the Bodhisattva's ac xxiv + 155 pages. Tibetan text and English translation of tivities, the completely purifying a popular Mahayana text, the Bhadrakal actions" (p. 79), it is possible that it was The Indian Buddhists contributed pika-sutra. The sutra is lost in Sanskrit, originally an independent text. The to, and were often at the forefront of, but preserved in Tibetan (translated by Buddha then relates a further jataka, most branches of the traditional arts. Vidycikarasi.J!lha and dPal gyi dbyangs linking the samadhi to the Buddhas The earliest surviving Indian drama is and revised by dPal-brtsegs, ca. 800 Amitayus and Ak~obhya, and to 1000 by Asvagho~a (1st century A. C.), au A. C.) and Chinese. The preface states sons of the latter when he was a thor of a famous verse life of the Bud that the Tibetan text is based on the "chakravartin king" (pp. 80-83). This dha, the Buddha~rita. The present "gSer-ljong edition" in comparison with sets the stage for the remainder of the work is a drama composed by the sDe-dge; the readings of the two text, for it is these 1000 bodhisattvas Candragomin (whom Hahn dates to the editions are graphically distinguished who are to become the 1000 Buddhas fifth century), who is also well known within the text itself. From the colo of the Fortunate Aeon. The Buddha as a grammarian and a poet. The phon (vol. IV, p. 1748-1749) we learn praises the "thought of great enlighten English translation is based on Hahn's that the gSer-ljong edition was pub ment" and the samadhi in verse, and own edition and German translation lished in 1932, and that the Ku-se gSer enters samddhi. of the Tibetan version (the Sanskrit, ljong dgon is near sDe dge, that is, in Pramuditaraja then asks the but for a few verses, not having Eastern Tibet. The Tibetan text appears Buddha about the perfections survived), which was published as on the left-hand page, the English en (paramita); in reply the Buddha lists Candragomins Lolainandanataka: Nach face. 2100 (pp. 92-115). The rest of volume dem tibetischen Tanjur herausgegeben Like most other long Mahayana I (pp. 116-477) is taken up by a descrip und iibersetz: Ein Beitrag zur klassischen sutras, the Bhadrakalpika is a composite tion of these perfections. At the end of indischen Schauspieldichtung in Asiati text which may have taken several the section it is stated that the 2100 sche Forschungen, Band 39, Wiesbaden, centuries to arrive at its present form. become 8400, and that finally there 1974. In the first part, after the usual descrip are 84,000 perfections. The intimate The Lolainandanataka resembles tion of the setting and audience, connection between the paramita the Jatakamald in that, though religious Bodhisattva Pramuditaraja-who fig theory and the jataka tradition is shown and didactic in theme and purpose, it ures as interlocutor throughout-asks by the number of jatakas referred to by is a non-sectarian and literary work, the Buddha a long question on the name as specific illustrations of indi addressed to the educated public in nature of the bodhisattva path (pp. vidual perfections.10 general, and composed by a master 6-13). In reply, the Buddha gives a long Near the beginning of volume II poet. The play is based on the story of description of the wondrous qualities the Buddha Sakyamuni lists the names the bodhisattva's past life as Prince of a samadhi (concentration) called of the 1000 Buddhas of the Fortunate Ma¢cU.4a, and is thus an adaptation of "Showing the Way of All Dharmas" (pp. Aeon (pp. 488-515), and then relates in a jataka or avaddna for the stage. In his 14-59). He then relates how a number detail their "biographies", in both cases introduction Hahn, an authority on of past Buddhas also taught the samddhi, in response to requests put by avadana literature, discusses the use how the Buddha Amitayus studied it as Pramuditaraja. Roughly the first and development of the medium of a bodhisattva, and how he himself hundred accounts are in prose, the next poetry in Buddhist literature, and gives learned it from Diparpkara (pp. 58-73). hundred in verse, followed by a hun a summary of some of the source Such "Mahayanist jatakas" (sometimes dred in prose, and so on.U Twelve materials and of the conventions of termed purvayoga) are a common particulars are given for each Buddha: Indian drama. The translation succeeds device to legitimize the teachings of a 1) his land or country; in the difficult task of bringing out the Mahayana sutra by giving it the 2) his descent or lineage (jati, poetry and maintaining dramatic in sanction of past, present, and future gotra); terest; intended for the general reader, Buddhas. Pramuditaraja then an 3) his light, that is, the extent of it is rounded out by useful "Notes and nounces that he will devote himself to the his halo or radiance Comments" and a brief glossary. The the practice and preservation of the (prabhd); volume is beautifully produced. samadhi and sutra, even in the face of 4) the name of his father; great adversity. This opening section, 5) the name of his mother; The Fortunate Aeon: How in prose interspersed with verse, 6) the name of his son; the Thousand Buddhas Become resembles other Mahayana samadhi 7) the name of his chief attend Enlightened (Tibetan Buddhist texts, such as the Pratyutpanna-buddha ant (upasthdyaka); Canon, Text 94), translated into sal']'lmukhdvasthita-samadhi-sutra, which 8) the names of the "supreme English by Dharma Publishing Staff seems to be earlier in terms of style and pair, the excellent pair" 141 (agrayuga, bhadrayuga) of dis which seems to be unique to the present introduction,25 and by Jean Dantinne.26 ciples; sutra. This takes up the remainder of The evidence of the Mahtivastu suggexts 9) the size and number of his volume II (pp. 523-967), all of volume that the concept might predate the monastic assemblies (san III (pp. 968-1447), and the beginning of Mahayana, and in fact the whole of the niptita); volume IV (pp. 1448-1479). two sections dealing with the "biogra 10) his life-span (tiyulwramtirza); Pramuditaraja then asks about phies" of the 1000 Buddhas and their 11) the duration of his dispensa the first production of the "mind of initial generation of bodhicitta contains tion (saddharma); enlightenment" (bodhicitta) by the nothing that is uniquely Mahayanist. 12) the extent of his relics (dhtitu). Buddhas of the Auspicious Aeon; in The "assemblies" of the various Classification of this sort goes reply Sakyamuni describes in verse the Buddhas are of arhats rather than back to the early canonical texts of circumstances of this act for each of the bodhisattvas. 27 It is therefore possible the Sravakayana, such as the Pali Buddhas (pp. 1480-1733: this section that the Bhadrakalpika-sutra originally Mahtipadtina-sutta (Digha-nikiiya 14), relates to the past, since all of the 1000 belonged to the Sravakayana, and was which gives ten particulars for the are already bodhisattvas). (Four exam "converted" to the Mahayana by the seven past Buddhas including Gotama, ples from this section are cited in addition of the opening sections on including the names of their bodhi-trees, Sanskrit in the Sik{!tisamuccaya 14 and six samtidhi and the ptiramittis. Perhaps an important early concept not given in Tibetan in the Sutrasamuccaya further research into related Chinese in the Bhadrakalpika, and omitting attributed to Nagarjuna,15 in both cases sources will clarify this point. numbers 3, 6, 11, and 12 of the latter in prose: the use of prose and the The text as a whole takes up 1749 text. The Jtitakanidtina gives similar number of variants show that these pages; that is, the English translation particulars for each past Buddha, citations are from a different recension runs to well over 800 pages. Volume omitting the same items, and including than that translated into Tibetan.) Since IV ends with an appendix giving the the bodhi-tree and two further details: in each case the production of the mind names, Tibetan and Sanskrit, of the the names of the chief pair of female of enlightenment involves an offering 1000 Buddhas of the Auspicious Aeon disciples and the Buddha's height. The or other act of devotion towards a past in order of appearance, followed by commentary to the Buddhava1Jlsa adds Buddha, 1000 Buddhas of the past are separate indexes of the Tibetan and further details, to total 22. The named. The section is remarkable for Sanskrit names, a brief bibliography, a Theravadin classifications have been the frequently humble status of the glossary, and an index. discussed in detail by I. B. Horner in bodhisattvas and the simplicity of the The Fortunate Aeon does not the introductions to her translations of acts of devotion. The sutra concludes pretend to be a scholarly work in the the Buddhava1Jlsa (especially pp. xx-lii) with a prediction about the number of technical sense: the Tibetan text is not and its commentary, while a general Buddhas to appear in the aeons a true critical edition, and the transla survey is given in the Encyclopaedia of succeeding the Auspicious Aeon, and tion is not accompanied by philological BuddhismY The Mahtivastu of the further praises of the samtidhi (pp.

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