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AksayamatinirdeSasttra
Volume IT
The Tradition of Imperishability
in Buddhist Thought
by Jens Braarvig
Solum Forlag,
Oslo 1993© Solum Forlag A/S, Oslo 1993
Design: Radek Doupovec
Printed in Norway by Ostlands-Postens Boktrykkeri, Larvik
ISBN: 82-560-0917-9
Usgitt med stotte fra Norges ForskningsrédCONTENTS,
Peface vii
Bibliography xi
Untroduction 00.0000. cc sees nec nc cence eenne eee eentees xvii
I. Date of Aks
a) Translations of Aks into Chinese . .
b) The Mahdsamnipatasutra and its translations into Chinese . XXV
c) The gradual origination of Mahayana siitras and the position
of Aks among related texts
IL. The bodhisattva Aksayamati .
TI. Quotations from and references to Aks in later literature .
IV. Main ideas in Akg
Imperishability .
The Unification of Opposites .
V. The AksayamatinirdeSatika .. . =
VI. Note on the translation ........6. 206.0 e eee e eee eee XXXi
Translation of the Aksayamatinirdesa .
E the Occasion 5
IL, Introduction ...
IIL. The Root of Retigion ;
Ist Imperishable: Generating the Though of Awaening :
IV. The Fruit Thereof
2nd Imperishable: Intention .
3rd Imperishable: Practice
4th Imperishable: Determination .
"For the Sanskrit version of the contents v. vol. I.
iiiV. Bringing About What is Beneficial to Oneself and Others... 114
Sth Imperishable: Generosity :
6th Imperishable: Morality .
7th Imperishable: Tolerance
8th Imperishable: Vigour
9th Imperishable: Meditation .
10th Imperishable: Jnsight .
VI. Pity .
11th Imperishable: Friendliness .
12th Imperishable: Compassion .
13th Imperishable: Joy .
: Divine Sight .
16th Imperishable: Divine Hearing .
17th Imperishable: Knowledge of Others’ Thoughts .
18th Imperishable: Remembrance of Former Lives
19th Imperishable: Magic
VIII. The Power of Maturing
20th-23rd Imperishable: The Means of Attraction .
IX. Attaining the Power of Teaching
24th Imperishable: Knowledge of the Meaning ...
25th Imperishable: Knowledge of the Moments of Existence. 426
26th Imperishable: Knowledge of Interpretation . :
27th Imperishable: Knowledge of Eloquence ...
X. Knowing The Means to That
28th Imperishable: Reliance on Meaning
29th Imperishable: Reliance on Knowledge
30th Imperishable: Reliance on Explicit Scriptures ........ 449
31st Imperishable: Reliance on the True State of Moments of
eines 452
XI. The Path of Accumulation 457
32nd Imperishable: Accumulation of Merit . 457
33rd Imperishable: Accumulation of Knowledge 467
XII. The Path of Practice 480
34th Imperishable: The Presence of Recollection Ce concerned
with the Body
35th Imperishable: The Presence of Recollection
Concerned with Feelings .36th Imperishable: The Presence of Recollection
Concerned with Thought
37th Imperishable: The Presence of Recollection
Concerned with Moments of Existence
38th-41st Imperishable: Four Correct Eliminations
42nd-45th Imperishable: The Bases of Magical Powers
46th-Oth Imperishable: The Five Abilities
51st-55th Imperishable: The Five Powers .
XIII. The Path of Vision :
56th-62nd Imperishable: The Seven Limbs
XIV. The Path of Cultivation . .
63rd-70th Imperishable: The Holy Eightfold Way
XV. Ils Practice ...
71st Imperishable: Peaceful Meditatio
72nd Imperishable: Expanded Vision
XVI. The Stage of Attaining Prediction .
73rd Imperishable: Memory .
74th Imperishable: Eloquence .
XVII. Defining The Attainment of That
75th-78th Imperishable: Summaries of Religion
XVIIL Isolated Awakening ..............-.
79th Imperishable: The Way Traversed Alone .
XIX. Turning The Wheel of Religion . .
80th Imperishable: Expedient Means .
XX. Presenting
of Awakening .PREFACE
For a period of about a thousand years after the beginning of our era, the
Aksayamatinirdesa influenced Buddhist thought greatly. The eighty aksayas
described in the sitra, the so-called "imperishabilities" or qualities to be possessed
by the bodhisattvas, were regarded as containing the whole way of religious
development in the Mahayana, and many passages became loci classici employed
by the scholars of the Mahayana to elucidate their doctrines or to defend
certain positions with authoritative sayings.
In both the great traditions of philosophical thought in Buddhism, the
Madhyamaka and the Yogacara, the sitra was often quoted. Thus the
Madhyamikas referred to the chapter on nitartha and neydrtha to define their
position concerning which sitras were explicit in meaning — the ones teaching
emptiness (Siinyatd), absence of distinguishing marks (Gnimitta), and that
there is nothing to long for (apranidhana) — and those which needed further
explanation, in order to differentiate themselves from the Yogacara view that
the siitras dealing with Glayavijfdana were nitartha. The adherents of Yogacara,
for their part, quoted the Aksayamatinirdesa on all kinds of matters, and for
some of them, e. g. Sthiramati, it seems to have been one of the main source-books
on the way of the bodhisattvas. The sitra was, tradition has it, also held in
great esteem by Asafiga, as the Aksayamatinirdesa and the DaSabhimika are
supposed to be the two siitras which convinced Vasubandhu that the Mahayana
was superior to the Hinayana, after Asaiga had sent one of his disciples to
recite them to his brother. With the Yogacarins the doctrine of imperishability
(aksayatd) was regarded as a very important aspect of the Buddha's teachings.
According to tradition Vasubandhu also wrote a commentary, the Aksayamati-
nirdeSatika, to elucidate the siitra. Although this work seems rather to have
been written by Sthiramati or by someone even later than him, it is very
valuable for understanding the text.
‘A voluminous literature originating during the first centuries A. D. appears
to have been the most important form of expression for the strongly anti-
institutional movement which the Mahayana seems to have been at first. The
Aksayamatinirdesa, even as a part of the collection known as the Maha-
Samnipdata, may have been an attempt to systematize the basic religious practices
and concepts, as well as the bodhisattva ethics, centered around the idea of
infinity of time and space so much favoured in early Mahayana. Buddhism has
viinever accepted an eternal substance, an eternal Self — the longing for eternity
rather found its expression in the concept of reality as infinite and imperishable,
though empty and momentary. Some of the early Mahayana speculations on
infinity found their expression in the concept of aksayatd, and this tradition of
thought finally crystallized in the Aksayamatinirdesasitra. This concept of
imperishability is also connected with another important Mahayana idea which
combines with it to give the Aksayamatinirdesa its form, namely that of the
unification of opposites, of insight and action, absolute and relative, universal
and individual — and the religious development integrating both, the yuganaddha-
vahi margah.
In my view the AksayamatinirdeSa has been an important factor in the
history of Buddhism, and it is a fairly complete exposition of Mahayana dogma
as it was propounded in the first centuries A. D., especially when completed
with the AksayamatinirdeSajika. As such it deserves to be made more readily
available to students of Buddhism.
As for the use of manuscripts and blockprints as materials for the second
volume of my work on the Aksayamatinirdesa, I am obliged to the University
Library of Oslo for making available to me the excellent blockprint of the sDe
dge version of the Aksayamatinirdesatikd, as well as of other bsTan ’ gyur
works, and I am indebted to the Royal Library in Copenhagen for the sNar
thar: version of the tik. To Prof. Heinz Bechert, Dr. Jens-Uwe Hartmann, Dr.
Heinz Braun and the staff at the Seminar fiir Indologie und Buddhismuskunde
der Universitat Gottingen, I am grateful for providing me with copies of the
photographs of the Sravakabhimi, the Bodhisattvabhiimi and the Abhidharma-
samuccayabhdsya manuscripts in the Patna collection held in their institution.
The work which is here presented was originally defended as a doctoral
thesis at the University of Oslo in April 1989. The assessors were Prof. David
Seyfort Ruegg and Prof. Lambert Schmithausen. I am deeply indebted to both
of them for accepting this task, which has made it possible for me to profit
from their enormous knowledge of the history of Buddhist ideas. Their careful
analysis of my work has enabled me to revise it in the light of their criticism
and to correct numerous misconceptions. For the remaining errors they have
certainly no responsibility. I am also indebted to Prof. Erik Ziircher for generously
offering his valuable time to help me translate long passages of cryptic Buddhist
Chinese idiom, and for instructing me on the catalogues of Buddhist sitras, he
also, of course, being not responsible for any of my errors in these matters.
Through inspiring conversations with Prof. Paul Harrison, University of
Canterbury, New Zealand, I have profited from his great learning in Mahayana
studies. He has also done me the great favour of reading the whole text
through and correcting the numerous mistakes in my poor English. Among the
viiipersons who have assisted and supported me during my work on the
AksayamatinirdeSa, both inside and outside the University of Oslo, I especially
wish to thank Prof. Georg von Simson of the Indo-Iranian Institute of the
University of Oslo, who, beside being the administrator of the doctoral committee,
helped me through the years to understand various Buddhist concepts, always
patiently listening to my theories on Mahayana Buddhism, and with him Prof.
Knut Kristiansen, also of the Indo-Iranian Institute of the University of Oslo,
who was always there to encourage me to keep working at what often seemed
to me in need of imperishable effort to complete. My wife always supported
me and encouraged me with imperishable patience; without her I would not
have been able to finish the work.BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Siddhi — Vijnaptimadtratdsiddhi, tt. L. de La Vallée Poussin, 2 vols., Paris 1928.
Siks — Siksdsamuccaya, ed. C. Bendall, BB vol. 1, St. Petersburg, 1897-1902, tr. C. Bendall
and W. H. D. Rouse: Sikshdsamuccaya, A Compendium of Buddhist Doctrine , London,
1922.
Simonson — Nils Simonson: Indo-tibetische Studien, Uppsala 1957.
SOR — Serie Orientale Roma
SPB — Studia Philologica Buddhica.
Stcherbatsky, Th.: The conception of Nirvana, Leningrad 1927
Stcherbatsky, Th.: Buddhist Logic, BB no. xxvi, vol. i-ii, Leningrad 1930-32,
Sukh ~ Sukhdvativyahasiitra, ed. F. Max Milller and B, Nanjio, Oxford 1883.
Siitrdlamkaravruibhasya, commentary on Msa by Sthiramati, Oslo sDe dge ed. bsTan “gyur,
Sems tsam vol. mi and tsi, To no, 4034.
Siitrasamuccaya - ed. Bhikkhu Pasadika, Fontes Tibetici Havnienses, no. I, Copenhagen,
1989.
Suv ~ Suvarnaprabhasottamasiitra, ed. J. Nobel, Leipzig 1937.
Suvarnavarndvadana, ed. Sita Ram Roy, Historical Research Series vol. vii, Patna 1971;
unpublished ed. by Tissa Rajapatirana, The Australian National University, 1974,
Svabhavatrayapravesasiddha — ed. and tr. L. de La Vallée Poussin, MCB I, p. 147-61,
Bruxelles 1932-33.
Svkr— Suvikrantavikramipariprecha Prajkdparamitasitra, ed. R. Hikata, Kyoto 1938, reprint
1983.
{ — Aksayamatinirdesatikd, Osto sDe dge, bstan ‘gyur mdo ci fol. 1b,-269a,, Copenhagen
sNar thari, bstan ‘gyur mdo ci fol. 1b,-309a
T. - Taisho Shinshi Daizoky, KEE BABARE, ed. J Takasaki and K. Watanabe, $5
vols., Tokyo 1924-34. T, - vol. 13 no, 397(13), HER Sher Wujinyi pusa pin, wr.
#91RE Zhiyan and $EZBaoyun; T, - vol. 13 no. 403, BZA SRE Achamo pusa
pin, tt. Dharmaraksa, 74:3 Zhu Fahu.
Taishakyo no sogoteki kenkyti, ed. Hajime Sakurabe, Kyoto 1979.
‘Taranatha — Geschichte des Buddhismus in Indien , ed. et tr. Anton Scheifner, St. Petersburg
1869, History of Buddhism in India, tr. Lama Chimpa and Alaka Chattopadhyaya, reprint
Simla 1970.
To - Hakuju Ui and others: A Complete Catalogue of the Tibetan Buddhist Canons, Tohoku
Imperial University, Sendai, 1934.
‘Trims — Vasubandhu: Trimsika with Sthiramati: Trimsikabhdsya, in Vijhaptimatratasiddhi,
ed. S. Lévi, Paris 1925, tib. Oslo sDe dge ed. bsTan “gyur, Sems tsam vol. Si, fol
146b,-171b,,
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Gottingen, 111, no. 54, Gottingen 1965-68, 2 vols. with indices ete.
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The Dialectical Method of Nagarjuna.
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xvViniScayasamgrahani — Der Nirvana-Abschnitt in der Vinifcayasamgrahani der
Yogacarabhimi, ed. and tr. L. Schmithausen, Wien 1969.
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ibid. vol. III, p. 197, Narita 1970 and 1973; tr. E. Lamotte, Bibliothéque du Muséon vol.
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W - Vide Sbh.
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1980.
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(Bbh), Pratyekabuddhabhimi , Sravakabhiimi (Sbh), Viniscayasamgrahani, vide Ybh p.
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Zambasta, The Book of — ed. and tr. R. E. Emmerick, London 1968.
All references to the Pali canon are to the edition of the Pali Text Society.
xviINTRODUCTION
I. Date of Aks.
The date, or rather the dates, of Aks will be treated under the following
headings:
a) Translations of Akg into Chinese;
b) The Mahasamnipatasitra and its translations into Chinese;
c) The gradual origination of Mahayana siitras and the position of Aks
among related texts.
a) Translations of Aks into Chinese:
Information on extant and non-extant translations of Aks into Chinese is
gleaned from the following Chinese catalogues of Buddhist scriptures':
1. H=st4 Chu Sanzang jiji, by (4% Sengyou, A. D. 515, T. 2145;
earliest extant catalogue.
IL. REA Zhong jing mulu 1, by HE Fajing and others, A. D. 594, T.
2146.
TH. HE{K= 40 Lidai Sanbao ji, by #4H Fei Changfang, A. D. 597, T.
2034.
IV. REAR Zhong jing mulu Il, by EtR Yancong and others, A. D. 602, T.
2147.
V. ABEPUHLBR Da Tang Neidianlu, by #4 Daoxuan, A. D. 664, T. 2149.
VIL Ke PyeASR Xu Da Tang Neidianlu, by 34 Daoxuan, T. 2150; an
addition, as a summary, to the preceeding catalogue.
VIL. 4 S38 Gu jin yi jing tuji, by FETA Shi Jingmai, A. D. 664-65,
Teast.
VIIL 3238 && Zhong jing mulu III, by FERPA Shi Jingtai, A. D. 666, T.
2148.
IX. AJIT BM Dazhou Kanding zhongjing mulu, by 814% Mingquan,
A. D. 695, T. 2153.
X. BA7CRE¥R Kaiyuan shijiaolu, by ## Zhisheng, A. D. 730, T. 2154;
Bagchi p. xIxix.
XI. S7CH1EAFHLA SK Zhenyuan xinding shijiao mulu, by [BIKE Yuanzhao,
A. D. 799-800, T. 2157.
' Cf. Bagchi p. xliv-lii. The catalogues are referred to by roman numbers in the following.
XviThese catalogues again refer to other catalogues, which are lost — all except
SIM Bie Iu (ec), FEB Baochang lu (f) and 4G Likuo lu (h) were lost
already in A. D. 597, at the time of the composition of HII, which lists twenty-four
catalogues not available to its compiler', The following are referred to as
mentioning versions of Aks and Msp:
a) HMR Zhen Iu, "The catalogue of [Nie Dao-]zhen", i. e. the HEIR Zhong
jing lu compiled in the #3 Yongjia period (A. D. 307-312) by Ma&FL
Nie Daozhen. He was a disciple of the renowned Dharmaraksa (jz
Zhu Fahu), whose translations, one of which is the earliest extant Aks in
Chinese, seem to have made up the core of the catalogue. Since Aks is
mentioned in it, it must be later than 10th of January A. D. 308, the date of
Dharmaraksa’s completion of the Chinese Aks. Dharmaraksa worked on
translations till 313 or 317, when he died. Referred to also as ARjH ESE
Nie Daozhen le.
b) 29% An lu, "The catalogue of [Dao-]an”, i. e. the P4Y344F the Indian sramana Fajuan (Dharmaparivara?) in BE
Guangzhou during the B79 Mingdi period of (3) A [Liu]Song (A. D. 465-73). His works
have at least not reached 5¢#B Jingdu. [Mentioned also by I 14¢,, 9, in the note translated
above under Dj. (Hl p. 120a,, adds nothing new}. (III p. 93c,,., fepeats the information 1, but
adds a sixth item: [R]REREIEGERE Ashuda pusa jing in | juan, and then refers to the three
catalogues fjSHS% Shixing lu (f), to I, and to ¥EOE, Baochang (cf. f)). [Mentioned in IV p.
176a,, ,,; V p. 261b,, reproduces MII}. (VII p. 363,,.:] The Sramana #4 4F Fajuan was an
Indian. His intention and character was to explain what is beneficial — both simplifying and
elaborating. In the AKA Taishi years under HAF Mingdi of FE Song (A. D. 465-72) he
translated in (&@}{ Guangzhou the Aksayamatisitra FEMESKE Wujinyi jing) in 10 juan
[and five other texts, same as above]. [Mentioned as a lost work in VIII p. 213c,, .4; and in IX
D. 384b,» 4. Which also refers to V. X p. 532a,,-b, gives the same information as III, as does
XI p. 829), .)
"X p. 626a,,ff, and p. 627c,,-628a,. For some reason version F, the latest extant version, is,
not mentioned in this note, X mentions this version, however, at p. 525b, and p. 524c,,
XxiVbased upon a misunderstanding, making the two titles of the same translation
into two translations. On C, the "Small Aksayamatisitra", nothing is known
of the contents. It was possibly an abridgement of the original Aks, unless this
title refers to the Aksayamatipariprcchd, a stra completely different from
Aks, being a chapter of the Ratnakiita-collection (v. infra). So E and F must
remain our only Chinese sources. It seems that Aks was regarded as an important
sitra in the earliest phase of Buddhism in China, but later the interest declined;
the latest recorded translation (G) in the second part of the fifth century was
ost soon after its completion.
b) The Mahasamnipatasitra and its translations into Chine:
The Mahdsamnipatasitra, or the Mahavaipulyamahdsamnipatasitra, the
KEK Daji jing, or KIz“F KK Dafangdeng Daji jing, is a bulky collection
of siitras preserved in the Chinese Buddhist Canon. The meaning of
mahdsamnipata seems to be threefold: (a) It is the Great Collection of sitras,
since (b) it gives the Great Collection of Mahayana teachings’, but also since
(c) a Great Congregation of monks and bodhisattvas from the ten directions
of the universe is present during the teachings given in the sitras”, Meaning
(c) is generally most frequent, and the expression sammipatita
referring to the listeners to the teachings as coming together before the Buddha,
is usually encountered in the introductions of Mahayana sitras.
The chapters of the Msp, however, also exist as individual sitras apart
from the collection, some in Sanskrit (mostly fragmentary), Tibetan and Chinese
versions, some in Chinese and Tibetan, and a few in Chinese only. A list of the
chapters or sitras associated with Msp follows:
1) Alamkaraparivarta’, 385%, Yingluo pin, juan 1, T. 397(1).
Dharmaksema (SEA gi Tanwuchen) translated the first eleven and the thirteenth
chapters in the only extant complete Msp version A. D. 414-26°.
Introduction: evam maya Srutam ekasmin samaye bhagavan rajagrhe viharati sma
grdhrakiite parvate pirvajinadhyusite mahdcaitye tathagatadhisthanddhisthite
prthivimande bodhisattvabhistute dharmasane devandgayaksagandharvasura-
‘tt fol. 14b,: de lta bu Sin tu rnam par ties pa'i don ‘dus pa chen po Zes bya ba ni mdo
sde ‘dis chos kyi don legs par gtan la phab pa man po bstan pa ‘dus pa'i phyir de skad ces
bya’ -" That discourse on religion, a section of "The Great Collection" with its well
determined meanings it is said [in the mila text] since teachings containing many good
explanations of the meaning of religious things (dharmdrtha) are collected (samnipatita ) in
[or by] this stra.”
? V. Rkp p. xii-xiii, 12, n, 20-22. V. also Taishitkyd no ségoteki kenkyii, in which quotations
from Msp itself to clarify these meanings are collected by Michio Katano p. 22-26.
‘ Which is J, Takasaki’s reconstruction, Rev tr. n, 32 p. 146.
* According to XI p. 817b,,.,y, but cf. infra on Msp version C,
XXVnamaskrte pradese kusalamiilasamcodane tathagatotpade dharmamukhabhidyotane
bodhisattvotpade ‘prameyagunasamudagate tathagatagocare, bhagavan sarva-
dharmasamatabhisambuddhah supravartitadharmacakro ‘nantasisyaganasuvinitah
sarvadharmavasitapraptah sarvasattvasayasuvidhijah indriyaparamaparamita
praptah sarvasattvaklesavasanénusamdhisamudghatanakusalo ‘nabhogabuddha-
karydpratiprasrabdho mahata bhiksusamghena sardham
From bhagavan sarva... this introduction is the same as in Aks p. | section b. In the
rainavyiihamandalaméda, in Rajagrha, is the "place" where the chapters, as well as the
individual versions, are spoken. The rarnavyithamandalamada is mentioned later, €. 2.
N 162a,, 164a, and 165b, in the introductory chapters, as in the beginning of Aks (p.
1, etc.). The Introductions of T. 397(1) and T. 398 are identical with those of the
Tibetan versions with some variations.
2) Dharani§vararajaparivaria, KERB AEE SER
pusa pin, juan 1-4, T. 397(2).
Chapter 2 follows on from chapter 1, and forms with it one separate sitra when
found in the other separate versions.
‘The other extant Chinese version (of chapter 1 and 2) was published by Dharmaraksa
on September 2Ist, A. D. 291, and called Mahdkarundsiitra, KEE Daai jing. T.
398.
Tibetan version (of chapter 1 and 2) Tathdgatamahakarundnirdesa, To 147, D
mdo* pa 142a-242b, L da 153b-319a, N da 154b-321a, Q nu 102a-204b.
Quoted in: REV PP. 56. Sy Sisiy Sos Sarge Sage Tae Pige Arie 45 yc47 i
Sittrasamuccaya p. 30,-32,;Madhyamakavatira p. 323-337 , 370, £37), 312 374
375,-376, 377,378, 379 -381,, 382,-384,, 385,-387 ,, 389,390,
395,,, (Dhdrantsvararajapariprccha ); mentioned in Mvy [351
On the introduction vide description of chapter 1.
3) Ratnadarikdparivarta, 84%; Baonii pin, juan 5-6, T. 397(3).
The other extant Chinese version by Dharmaraksa was published on May 26th, A. D.
287, under the title of Ratnadarikapariprechasiitra, BACPHPIRE Baonii suo wen
ding, T. 399,
Tibetan version Mahdydndpadesa, To 169, D ba 2602-307, L pa 412a-490a, N pa
418b-498a, Q phu 273b-323a.
Referred to in Rav p. 181, .; (¢f. Takasaki pp. 14, 338-347); mentioned in Mvy
1366.
jon omits the lengthy introduction and goes directly on to the
and the introduction consists merely of a short statement on
where the Buddha stays during the dialogue: atha bhagavan kamarapadhatvantare
“N fol. 155a,.: ‘di skad hdag gis thos pa: dus gvig na reyal po'i khab na bya rgod kyi
ri s pa'i mchod rten chen po, de bin gsegs pa’i byin gyi
rlabs kyis brlabs pa sa’i shih po. byan chub sems dpas mion par bstod pa, chos kyi gdan,
tha dan klu dats gnod shyin dai dri za dak tha ma yin gyis phyag byas pa'i sa phyogs, dge
ba'i risa ba yan dag par skul ba, de bsin gsegs pa ‘byui ba, chos kyi sgo mion par brjod
a, byani chub sems dpa’ ‘bywi ba, yon tan tshad med pa las yari dag par byuti ha, de
segs pa‘i spyod yul na, then as Aks section b) and two first lines of c) with small variations.
My reconstruction on the basis of REV Pp. 545+ Syiai Sysipe Sanae Sage
* mdo in the following if not otherwise mentioned.
XXVi