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An Introduction to ‘Nine Gems’ or Nine Vaipulya Sutras

Lectured By Rev. Uttamānanda

27 July 2014

1: Sadharmapuṇḍarika Sutra: The Lotus Discourse

The lotus discourse is one of the nine important texts of Mahāyāna which consists of

verse sections. This discourse is very important as it mentions the development of Buddhism

from Theravāda to Mahāyāna. The attainment of Buddha-hood is described as an ideal choice in

it. If one may maintain to become an Aranhat or Pratyekabuddha, that person cannot get the

Enlightenment. When this discourse was preached impure audiences, there were Bodhisatva,

ordinary people and the follower of Theravāda.

The lotus discourse was expounded at the request of Bodhisatva Mañjūsrī who is very

eminent in Mahāyāna Sutras. As this discourse is known as presenting Ekayāna, it says even the

Partyekabuddha and Arahant have to practise the Bodhisatvayāna to attain full Enlightenment.

When venerable Sāriputta was hearing it, he got worry and became to ponder over that he has

wasted his time by becoming an Arhant. Therefore, the Buddha advised him to re-enter Saṃsāra

so that he can practise Buddhism again and get Enlightenment. The Buddha then promised

Sāriputta he would be a Buddha one day.

The lotus discourse comprises 27-chapters and it makes an attempt to describe there is

only foremost Buddhism though generally there are three forms of Eka-yāna, Buddha-yāna and

Bodhisatva-yāna. It is therefore seen as a sutra which tries to establish Eka-yāna, single vehicle.

It is nowadays known as Mahāyāna, the great vehicle.

The other important fact found in this Sutra is to show that the Buddha used a particular

way known as Upāyakauślya, Skill in means, to make the people understand Buddhism. As well-

known cases, it highlights Paṭācāra, Aṅgulimāla and Kisāgotamī who have different problems.

The Buddha approached their problems and found solutions to them.

2: Prajñāpāramita Sutra: The Discourse on Perfection of wisdom”

This discourse was preached by the Buddha while staying at the Gijjhakūṭa. The main

topic in this sutra is to emphasis the significant of wisdom and to describe two forms of

Emptiness. Out of all the perfections, perfection of wisdom occupies the higher place in

Mahāyāna. If someone develops wisdom, he or she can get rid of two forms of emptiness;

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Puggala-Śunyatā and Dharma-Śunyatā. In India, there was a belief among many teachers that

there is a soul somewhere in the human body. They located it either in the heart or in the brain or

in all over the body.

Dharma-Śunyatā means to reject all aggregates by developing some transits all-in about

aggregates. For instance, emptiness itself can be a transit that the tightly hold as really real, but

there is no entity called emptiness. Emptiness is nothing but the absence of a soul. Thus, the

transit of Dharma-Śunyatā has been developed.

3: Laṅkāvatāra Sutra

Laṅkāvatāra sutra means a discourse preached in a place of Lanka where then the king

Rāvaṇa was reigning. The Buddha came to Lanka and preached the significance of avoiding

eating fish and meet. Another aspect of this sutra is to maintain the mind pure in origin, for other

reason is lost its purity when real method is applied. One can regain another important teaching

in the sutra is the theory of three Bodies known as Trikāya. Three bodies are ‘Truth Body’

(Dharma-kāya), ‘Body of mutual enjoyment’ (Saṃbhoga-kāya) and ‘created Body’ (Nirmāṇa-

kāya). The first one is only real whilst the rest two are provisional ways of talking about and

comprehending.

4: Lalitavistāra Sutra

Lalitavistāra is an important text describing the wise of Buddha on earth. This sutra tries

to explain how an infant entered the womb of Queen Māyā in the form of elephant. The infant

was living in a special cell created by gods and under the protection of gods. Therefore

Lalitavistāra is important as an account of the life of Buddha before the period He attained

Enlightenment.

5: Daśabhūmi-Sutra: Ten Stages

According to this sutra, a Bodhisatva has to go to the ten stages and by reaching the tenth

stage; he becomes qualify to teach the world. This sutra was preached by the Buddha when He

was in the Tusitā-world.

6: Samādhirāja Sutra: King of Meditation Discourse

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This sutra preaches that there are three Kāyas and the best form of meditation is to go

into the insight of No-soul. Therefore Mahāyāna while doing meditation teaches to develop the

way to understand No-soul theory in two forms of Puggala-śunytā and Dharma-śunyatā.

7: Gandavyūha: Array of Flower

In this sutra, there is a description of trying to find out a person who can help him to

understand the nature of reality. In other word, it describes the significance of good friend. Here

the description is given offer young person by name Sudhāra tried to find out a teacher who can

show him the path to Enlightenment. In his search, he had to go to not less than 52-teachers, and

later he came across Maitreya-Bodhisatva. This Bodhisatva directed Sudhāra to Buddha

Vairocana who showed the correct to him.

8: Tathāgata Guhyaka: The Discourse on Esoteric

According to this sutra, the Buddha has to select what is to be taught depending on the

nature and ability of the listeners. Everything cannot be opened. This teaching has led to the

development of Tantrayāna form of Buddhism. It shows there are some parts of Buddhism. It

could be appreciated by different people according to their level of understanding.

9: Suvarna Prabhāśa Sutra: Splendor of Golden Light Discourse

This sutra maintains that Buddhism can be approached in a particular way. Even if there

are three bodies, one real body through which one can understand Dharma is the Dharma-kāya.

This sutra tries to understand the nature of three bodies. One is the body which with the Buddha

appears at different stages in his life, i.e. as prince Siddhartha, ascetic Gautama and after

enlightenment the Buddha. In the second stage, the Buddha used to be seen his created form at

different stages to help people but at last there is a difference to Dharma-kāya which is the most

important body. It is what Buddha understanding or the teaching of the Buddha. This kind of

understanding is founding all in forms of Buddhism. In the Pāli tradition, there is also a well-

known statement "Whoever sees the Dharma see the Buddha".