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This series of posts is prelude to a series of talks as participatory Zoom meeting on my work on this translation project and the import of Queen Srimala's Sutra. Contact me at the email link in my profile for information.
The Sutra of Queen Srimala's Lion's Roar
Post 1: Introduction, part 1.
Dedication Of The Lion’s Roar
The Lion’s Roar of the Tathagata pervades the whole universe,
resounding right here – now.
We give thanks to The World Honored One,
To Queen Srimala,
to all the generations and ancestors
of the lineage of the One Vehicle, and
to all the True Children of the Tathagata
for protecting and handing down this Lion’s Roar.
We sincerely and humbly dedicate the virtuous-merit
arising from receiving, maintaining, reading, and reciting
this Lion’s Roar
to all beings everywhere,
so that they may Accept the Real Dharma
and directly and personally be able to hear and proclaim this Lion’s Roar.
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All Buddhas throughout space and time,
All Awakened Beings, Great Beings,
The Perfect and Complete One Vehicle.
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I have written this “Dedication of the Lion’s Roar” by amending a traditional dedication to specifically apply to this project of translating the Sutra of Queen Srimala’s Lion’s Roar.
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I've completed about 98% of the translation of the Sutra text, so I will be presenting the results in installments of Parts and Sections in this blog. In addition to the text itself, I'm envisioning the whole project as a book with the additional features of an introduction, the plain text with an annotated text using footnotes, and appendices including an extensive glossary to expound on the terms of Sanskrit and Chinese Buddha Dharma. This additional matter is more than 70% complete but still seems much to work on.
I invite everyone to share the Sutra, hopefully to give feedback, and to ask questions about the Sutra or my translation. As an "autodidact shade tree translator," I'm pretty much a "lone gunman" or paladin when it comes to translating, so if you have any connection to a professional editor who may be of help that would be appreciated. Also, any good intentioned comments about my translation decisions are also appreciated.
For this blog, I will keep the introduction brief, but some introduction to the Sutra is necessary for those who are new to Buddha Dharma or have not encountered this Sutra and to say something about why this new translation is presented. Then I set out a synopsis of the contents of the Sutra with some comments about how the Parts and Sections are labelled.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Listing the Posting Links for This Blog Presentation.
The Sutra of Queen Srimala's Lion's Roar
Post 3: Part One, THE SEVERANCE OF ALL DOUBTS: Sec. 1: Praising the Virtuous Merit of the Tathagata’s True Reality and Primary-Meaning; Sec. 2: The Inconceivably Great Proclamations; and Sec. 3: The Great Resolutions That Embrace All Resolutions.
Post 4: PART TWO: CERTAINTY OF THE CLEAR MEANING: Sec. 4: Articulating the Inconceivable Acceptance of the Real Dharma.
Post 5: PART THREE: ENTRANCE TO THE WAY OF THE ONE VEHICLE: Sec.
5: Articulating the Entrance to the One Vehicle.(first half)
Post 6: PART THREE: ENTRANCE TO THE WAY OF THE ONE VEHICLE: Sec. 5: Articulating the Entrance to the One Vehicle.(second half)
Post 7: PART THREE: ENTRANCE TO THE WAY OF THE ONE VEHICLE: Sec. 6: Articulating the Endless Noble Truths; Sec. 7: Articulating the Inner-Tathagata; Sec. 8: Articulating the Dharma-body; and Sec. 9: Articulating the Concealed True Reality of the Meaning of Emptiness
Post 8: PART THREE: ENTRANCE TO THE WAY OF THE ONE VEHICLE: Sec. 10: Articulating the One Truth; Sec. 11: Articulating the One Refuge That Is Always Abiding in Hidden Ease, and Sec. 12: Articulating the Inversions of True Reality; Sec. 13: Articulating the Concealment of The Clear and Pure Mind of One’s Own Nature; Sec. 14: Articulating the Tathagata’s True Children; Sec. 15: Articulating the Lion’s Roar of Queen Srimala.
Post 9: PART THREE: ENTRANCE TO THE WAY OF THE ONE VEHICLE: ; The Entrustment Section.
A Brief Introduction:
~~Caveat lector: Let the reader beware; there is no such thing as a perfect translation.~~
There is no extant version of the full Sanskrit text of the Sutra. The only Sanskrit that is available are quotes found in other early texts.
There are two extant Chinese translations and one Tibetan Translation. The first Chinese translation The second translation was by Gunabhadra (394–468) in 435 C.E. from a stand alone Sanskrit text. The second Chinese translation by Bodhirucci (672–727) and the Tibetan translations are both from the Sutra anthology collection known as the Maharatnakutra Sutras (Taisho Tripitaka Vol. 11, No. 310.).
Gunabhadra’s title is "A COMPREHENSIVE SUTRA OF THE GREAT SKILLFUL-MEANS OF THE ONE VEHICLE OF ŚRĪMĀLĀ’S LION’S ROAR," 勝鬘師子吼一乘大方便方廣經, Śrīmālā-siṃhanāda-ekayana-mahaupaya-vaipulya-sūtra (Taisho Tripitaka Vol. 12, No. 353), thus indicating the true place of the Sutra within the One Vehicle library of sutras.
Bodhiruci's title is simply "QUEEN SRIMALA'S ASSEMBLY" 勝鬘 夫人會, the word "Assembly" is used instead of Sutra because it it the 48th of the 49 "assembled" or "collected" sutras in the larger text and each text in the collection is individually called an "Assembly.".
For several reasons that I need not go into here, I do not rely on or reference the Tibetan translation, as it was also made from 48th Sutra of the Maharatnakuta Sutras, except as it may have been mentioned by the English translators.
I know of six English translations, here in their order of publication:
1. The Lion's Roar of Queen Srimala by Alex and Hideko Wayman (1974, Columbia University Press). The Waymans’ begin with reliance upon the Tibetan translation with emendations based on the two Chinese texts, giving preference to Bodhirucci’s transalation as being written under “more exact translation stipulations,” a conclusion with which I disagree. Ultimately, the Waymans’ state that their “transalation” is a recension using all available sourrces including commentaries.
2. “The Teaching of Queen Srimala Who Had the Lion’s Roar” published in the book The Buddhist Feminine Ideal by Diana Y. Paul. (1980, Scholars Press, American Academy of Religion Dissertation Series and reissued with title The Buddhist Feminine Ideal: Queen Srimala and the Tathagatagarbha; originally published 1974 as the author’s PhD thesis by University of Wisconsin-Madison) This translation was edited and republished with the title The Sutra of Queen Śrīmālā of The Lion’s Roar, in an edition having a translation of the Vimalakirti Nnirdesa Sutra as a companion text. (2004, Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research). Paul uses the Gunabhadra’s translation as the basic text.
3. The True Lion’s Roar of Queen Srimala, found as Chapter 19 of A Treasury of Mahayana Sutras, Selections from the Maharatnakuta Sutra, translated by Garma C.C. Chang (1983, Penn State Press) This is a translation of Bodhiruci’s Chinese translation of the 48th Sutra of the collection of 49 Mahayana Sutras known as the Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra.
4. The Matrix of Suchness, The Lion's Roar Discourse of Queen Srimala, translated by Ven. Anzan Hoshin, Roshi (1995, Great Matter Publishing) I’m lacking more specific information about this translation at this date.
5. Vaipulya Sūtra of Śrīmālā’s Lion’s Roar That Reveals the Great Skillful Means of the One Vehicle translated by Rulu (如露) (Posted 2015 and updated 2017 on the internet website at http://www.sutrasmantras.info/sutra51.html ) This is a translation of Gunabhadra’s text.
6. Queen Srimala and her Lion’s Roar Sutra translated by Tsultrim Gyurme, (No date, https://whatdobuddhistsbelieve.wordpress.com/teachings/queen-srimala-sutra/ ) This is a translation of the Tibetan translation.
So Why Another English Translation?
<1> First and foremost is my concern that a new translation is needed because most of the previous translators made their translations on the basis of incorrectly categorizing Queen Srimala's Lion's Roar Sutra as a "Tahtagatagarbha" text. This perspective, to a greater or lesser degree, corrupted their commentaries as well as their translations. As clearly stated in Gunabhadra's title, the Sutra is in the family of One Vehicle literature and not limited to the narrow idea of being "Tathagatagarbha literature." Gunabhadra’s title attempts to incorporate the subtitles into the main title which is why he adds “One Vehicle” to the main title in recognition of the place of the Sutra in the One Vehicle literature.
For instance, the Waymans, in their translation’s introduction acknowledge that “The theory of the ‘One Vehicle’ is so important in Sri-Mala that in the original text prior to the imposition of chapter divisions fully half of the entire scripture ,,,,, can be considered as the development of the ‘One Vehicle’ theory.” However, their 55 page Introduction has only 2 and a half pages on the One Vehicle aspect of the Sutra. Rather than correctly call the Queen Srimala’s Sutra a “One Vehicle” sutra as the subtitles indicate, the Waymans incorrectly subtitle their translation “A Buddhist Scripture on the Tathagatagarbha Theory” when the teaching of the Tathagatagarbha is just one feature along with the Acceptance of the Real Dharma. the Four Noble Truths, the Dharmakaya, Nirvana, Emptiness, etc.
Likewise, Diana Paul, while presenting an improved translation, adopts this Tathagatagarbha-centric misunderstanding. She begins by saying, “Doctrinally, the major emphasis is upon the Tathagatagarbha and Ekayana.” But like the Waymans, she spends the vast majority of her 139 Introduction to the Tathagatagarbha and relegates the One Vehicle to merely passing minor notice. Her subsection on “The One Vehicle” is only one of the subsections in the introductory chapter titled, “TATHAGATAGARBHA THOUGHT IN THE SRIMALADEVI SUTRA.” She erroneously calls the Tathagatagarbha “the most profound teaching,” rather than the One Vehicle that is genuinely “most profound teaching.” In her “CONCLUDING REMARKS” of the introductory chapters Paul doesn’t use the words “One Vehicle” and only uses the word “Ekayana” once, while using the word “Tathagatagarbha” 24 times.
<2> Another concern is to give recognition to the Sutra’s proper status among the pantheon of Buddhist sutras and specifically among the One Vehicle sutras by recognizing that the One Vehicle is the Third Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, after the First Turning of the Wheel in what is now mostly known from the Pali Canon and the Second Turning of the Wheel in what is known as the Prajna Paramita literature. The First Turning is presented as the fundamental thesis of the Buddha Dharma and encompasses the primary focus on the Four Noble Truths and the chain of dependent origination comprising the Two Vehicles of the Listener-disciples (Sravakayana) and the Independently-Awakened (Pratyekabuddhayana). The Second Turning of the Dharma Wheel is presented as an antithesis to the thesis of the First Turning and includes the teachings focused on the Three Gates of Liberation (i.e., the three samadhis focused on emptiness, signlessness, and intentionlessness) and the Six Paramitas of the vehicle of the Bodhisattvas (bodhisattvayana). The Third Turning is presented as the synthesis of the Buddha Dharma correlating the First Turning’s thesis and the Second Turning’s antithesis, and it includes the primary teaching of the Dharmakaya of the Tathagata as the true nature of all beings and the Buddha Vehicle (buddhayana) as the unifying One Vehicle of the Buddha Dharma that embraces and includes the three vehicles of the First and Second Turnings as expedient teachings (upaya) bringing people to the seeing and knowing of the Buddha.
<3> A next major reason for a new translation is to emphasize to the English audience that this Sutra is the most important Sutra demonstrating the One Vehicle’s affirmation that a woman, and a lay person at that, can become a highest rank Bodhisattva and receive the sign of future Buddhahood, regardless of specific adherence to the practices of a monastic “Bodhisattva vehicle.”. This Sutra breaks through the “patriarchal ceiling” as well as the “monastic walls” that have traditionally been used to keep women and laypeople from being recognized when entering the open field of awakening. The Sutra makes clear that entering the One Vehicle is the raison d'être of the Buddha’s presence in the World and that women and laypeople are included and welcomed in the Buddha’s purpose of leading all beings to the Buddha’s knowing and seeing.
This Sutra demonstrates that it is not specific practices, even the Eightfold Path of the Four Noble Truths, the Six Paramitas, or meditation, that create awakening, but it is the insight and knowledge of the Buddha that suddenly ripens into awakening. Paul erroneously says, “In both the Tathagatagarbha Sutra and the Srimaladevi simhanada sutra, the role of meditation is dominant in the opening of the text.” This is not what takes place. Queen Srimala’s parents had recently received the Buddha’s teachings, but they did not comprehend, so they determined to send a letter to “our girl who benefits by astute intuitive-knowing (prajna) and is thoroughly clever and comprehends easily” in hopes that Srimala could explain the Buddha’s teaching to them. Upon proclaiming her joy at receiving the letter and touching it to the crown of her head, Srimala “read it out loud and received and held the teachings it contained,” and instantly gave birth “to a rare mind.” There was neither “study of Buddhist scriptures” nor “act of meditation” involved as Paul alleges prior to Queen Srimala’s arousing of the rare mind of awakening.
<4> Another important stimulus for a new translation is to set the record straight on the role and position of the tathagatagarbha teaching, both generally within the One Vehicle, and specifically within Queen Srimala’s Sutra. As indicated, the English translations to date have wrongly emphasized the tathagatagarbha teaching to the detriment of recognizing that the Sutra’s context it the teachig of the One Vehicle. I expect that the most controversial aspect of my translation is to translate “tathagatagarbha” with the term “Inner-Tathagata” rather than the commonly translated terms “Matrix of the Tathagata,” “Tathagata Embryo,” “Womb of the Tathagata,” or just not translating it. Because of the nature of the term “Tathagata” (e.g., this was the term that the Buddha used in referring to himself), I do not find that it needs translation, and it is enough that the reader understands it literally means “the one who comes/goes thus.” However, I do think that the term “garbha” needs an English translation.
The Sanskrit “garbha” has the several connotations with the shared meaning element of “the inside, middle, interior of anything.” As such, when it is applied to different situations it takes on a concrete image consonant with that condition. When it is applied to the interior of a woman it becomes “the womb” or the “the embryo or fetus” within the womb; to the interior of a residence it connotes “an inner apartment or sleeping room;” to the interior of a temple it connotes “the adytum, sanctum, or sanctuary”; to the interior structure of a generative substance, situation, or environment it connotes “the matrix.” By focusing on a single concrete connotation as an image or symbol, the translation become reductionist by dictating the image of the attention. If translated as “the womb of the Tathagata” an entirely different image is conjured up when compared to a translation such as “the sanctum of the Tathagata.” Because I do not want to prejudice the image conjured up, all the images are equally valid for their metaphorical use, I refer to use a translation that emphasizes the common denominator of the interiority aspect of the meaning of garbha, rather than emphasizing any single particular representation of that interiority. So, I translate tathagatagarbha as “the Inner-Tathagata.” I find it also has an important connotation and connection in English by its reference to such terms as the “inner child.” As each of us knows we have an inner child based on our having once been a child, the tathagatagarbha teaching tells us that we each have an Inner-Tathagata based on our inherent Buddha nature. Most importantly, we are not just bumkins and mundane beings with no connection to the exalted level of a Buddha, but we each have the most intimate connection possible to the Buddha Tahtagata as the innermost aspect of our lives.
The other important point to be made is that when a term like “womb” or “embryo” is used, then the “garbha” becomes reified as a noun with the term “tathagata” as its modifier. This is the primary error that results in most of the mistaken discussions of the tathagatagarbha. That is, the tathagatagarbha becomes talked about as an “it. For example, the Waymans say, “The Sri-Mala takes the ‘embryo of the Tathagata’ (Tathagatagarbha) as the basis of ‘One Vehicle’.” That is a completely spurious conclusion. In the term, tathagatagarbha, the garbha is the modifier indicating the locus of the tathagata. The Queen Srimala Sutra unequivocally takes the Dharmakaya of the Tathagata as the basis of the One Vehicle, not the “embryo of the Tathagata.” The Tathagata itself is the basis. The term tathagatagarbha does not mean there is a tiny tathagata fetus or embryo growing inside each of us; it means that we must look within the sanctum sanctorum of our own most intimate being, our own mind, to see and know the Tathagata that has been there all the time. This is the fundamental Buddhist process of awakening called “turning about at the seat or basis” (asraya-paravrtti), that in Zen is called “turning the light around,” “taking the backward step,” etc.
<5> Lastly for this list but certainly not least, a new translation provides the opportunity to demonstrate how the One Vehicle is the essence of the Buddha Dharma of the Zen/Chan lineages. In other words, Chan/Zen is the One Vehicle. I first became aware of this connection between the One Vehicle lineage and the Zen lineage upon reading Studies in the Lankavatara Sutra by D.T. Suzuki. Suzuki describes how Bodhidharma transmitted the Lankavatara Sutra to the Second Ancestor Huike, and quotes from the section in Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks on the Dharma Master Fa-ch'ung’s study of the Lankavatara: “Later he met a monk who had been instructed personally by Hui-k'e in the teaching of the Lankavatara according to the interpretations of the Ekayana (one-vehicle) school of Southern India.” Suzuki added a few pages later, “The line of Hui-k'e belonged to the Ekayana school of Southern India which was also the one resorted to by Dharma himself when he wanted to discourse on the philosophy of Zen Buddhism.” Clearly, this reveals that the Second Ancestor was instructed by Bodhidharma that the true teaching of the Lankavatara Sutra represented the “One Vehicle lineage of Southern India” (依南天竺一乘宗), and we can conclude from the transmission of the Zen/Chan lineage by Bodhidharma to Huike using the Lankavatara to seal the transmission that this was the One Vehicle lineage transmitted by Bodhidharma to Huike that later became known as the Chan lineage.
After Bodhidharma, the greatest Chan/Zen masters of the early period in China all acknowledged that Zen was synonymous with the One Vehicle teachings. For examples:
The 5th Ancestor Hongren (601–674) wrote the "Discourse on the Most Supreme Vehicle" in which he said, "This discourse shows the One Vehicle as the lineage."
The 6th Ancestor Huineng (638-713) said “From beginning to end, the numberless expedient means by every kind of causes and conditions, illustrations and metaphors, words and phrases, were because in all cases the Dharma is for the One Buddha Vehicle. Why you do not understand is because the three carts were provisional for former times, and because the One Vehicle is true for the present time.”
Chan Master Zongmi (780–841) wrote, “Buddha's teaching itself goes from shallow to profound. In outline there are five levels: 1. The Teachings of Humans and Heavenly Beings (i.e., virtuous conduct for better rebirth). 2. The Small Vehicle's Teaching. 3. The Great Vehicle's Teaching of the Characteristics of Dharmas (i.e., Dharmalaksana Yogacara). 4. The Great Vehicle's Teaching of Destroying Characteristics (i.e., Madhyamaka). 5. The One Vehicle's (Ekayana) Teaching of Manifesting Nature.”
And Chan Master Huangbo (d. 850) said, “From Buddha to the ancestors, they even didn’t discourse on different matters. They only discoursed on the One Mind and said ‘One Vehicle.’ If you actually search for the truth in the ten directions, still there are no additional vehicles.”
Continue to Post 2: Introduction, part 2.
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