[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Buddhist Sanskrit literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit) › [Mahāyāna sūtras](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra) › [Sūtras on buddhas, their lands and names](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha) › [Maṅgalāṣṭaka](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka) › [འཕགས་པ་བཀྲ་ཤིས་བརྒྱད་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo) › The Eight Auspicious Ones # The Eight Auspicious Ones Translation of [འཕགས་པ་བཀྲ་ཤས་བརྒྱད་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད (འཕགས་པ་བཀྲ་ཤིས་བརྒྱད་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo) - **Language:** English - **Translator:** [Bhikṣuṇī Thubten Damcho](https://indike.org/pramana/person/bhiksuni-thubten-damcho) - **Extent:** 27 passages, 2,157 words - **Text:** complete digital text - **Source:** 84000 · Translated by Bhikṣuṇī Thubten Damcho and team under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the… · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha). Shown whole and unaltered, with its notes, on a… ## Contents - [intro 84000's introduction](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.intro) — 9 parts - [1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.1) - [2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.2) - [3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.3) - [4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.4) - [5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.5) - [notes Notes](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.notes) — 13 parts ## Text ### 84000's introduction ### [intro.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.intro.1) While the Buddha is dwelling in Vaiśālī at Āmrapālī’s grove, a Licchavi youth named Superior Skill requests him to reveal those buddhas presently dwelling in fulfillment of their former aspirations, such that venerating them and remembering their names can dispel fear and harm. The Buddha responds by listing the names of eight buddhas and the names of their buddha realms. He instructs Superior Skill to remember these buddhas’ names and to contemplate them regularly to develop their good qualities himself and ensure success before beginning any activity. After Superior Skill departs, Śakra, lord of the gods, declares that he has taken up this practice as well. The Buddha exhorts Śakra to proclaim this discourse before engaging in battles with the asuras to ensure his victory, and then enumerates the good qualities of those who proclaim this discourse. ### [intro.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.intro.2) This sūtra belongs to the genre of Mahāyāna literature that emphasizes the transformative power of remembering and contemplating buddhas’ names. In this way it resembles some other short texts found in the same part of the Kangyur such as The Eight Buddhas (Aṣṭabuddhaka, Toh 271),¹ The Ten Buddhas (Daśabuddhaka, ), and The Twelve Buddhas (Dvādaśa­buddhaka, Toh 273, 511, 853).² While these other sūtras appear primarily to elucidate how the practice of remembering and contemplating buddhas’ names leads to the accomplishment of spiritual goals in this and future lives up to the attainment of buddhahood, The Eight Auspicious Ones emphasizes the practice’s worldly benefits. ### [intro.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.intro.3) The sūtra’s main interlocutor, a Licchavi youth named Superior Skill, is primarily concerned about warding off fear as well as physical, verbal, and mental harm he might experience in battle, at a royal palace, or in his dreams. In response to Superior Skill’s request to reveal those buddhas who can help dispel such obstacles, the Buddha teaches about eight buddhas residing in buddha realms in the eastern direction whose names embody the qualities of their former aspirations. The Buddha tells Superior Skill that by remembering the names of these buddhas and contemplating them when going to sleep, waking up, and before beginning any activity, he will not only develop these buddhas’ good qualities but also experience success in all his endeavors. ### [intro.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.intro.4) Subsequently, Śakra, lord of the gods, who is also present in the assembly, declares that he too has taken up this practice of contemplating the names of the eight buddhas. The Buddha exhorts Śakra to proclaim this discourse prior to engaging in battles with the asuras so that he will emerge victorious. The Buddha concludes with an explanation that those who proclaim this discourse on the names of these eight buddhas will become known for possessing various good qualities. ### [intro.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.intro.5) The names of these eight buddhas continue to be recited by Tibetan Buddhist practitioners today in a prayer popularly known as “The Verses for the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones,”³ composed in 1896 by Jamgön Mipham Gyatso (1846–1912). In his autocommentary to the verses,⁴ Jamgön Mipham Gyatso gives a summary of The Eight Auspicious Ones, emphasizing the Buddha’s instructions to remember and recite the names of these eight buddhas and the benefits that accrue from doing so. Contemporary Buddhist teachers from all the Tibetan schools thus encourage students to recite Jamgön Mipham Gyatso’s prayer daily, especially before commencing any new activity. Another prayer for auspiciousness with the same title as this sūtra, found in the tantra section of the Tengyur (bkra shis brgyad pa, ) and said to have been spoken by Ārya Tārā, appears to be unrelated to this sūtra. ### [intro.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.intro.6) No Sanskrit version of this sūtra appears to be extant. It is listed in both the Denkarma⁵ and Phangthangma⁶ catalogs of the Tibetan imperial translations, which shows that the Tibetan translation was completed prior to the compilation and publication of the Denkarma catalog in 812 ce. While the colophon in the Degé Kangyur version attributes the Tibetan translation to Surendrabodhi and Yeshé Dé, the colophon in the Stok Palace (stog pho brang) Kangyur version attributes it to Prajñāvarman, Yeshé Dé, and others.⁷ ### [intro.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.intro.7) This sūtra was translated from Sanskrit into Chinese in 542 ce by Gautama Prajñāruci, a monk from Vārāṇasī, with the title The Group of Eight Buddhas’ Names (Babu foming 八部佛名, Taishō 429).⁸ In the Taishō edition of the Chinese Tripiṭaka, this sūtra is found together with four translations of the Aṣṭa­buddhaka­sūtra (Taishō 427, 428, 430, 431) which is translated as The Eight Buddhas (Toh 271) in the Tibetan canon. The earliest Chinese translation of the Aṣṭa­buddhaka­sūtra (Taishō 427) dates to 222–29 ce, indicating that the materials presented in these sūtras have their roots in very early Indian Mahāyāna. ### [intro.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.intro.8) All the translations of the Aṣṭa­buddhaka­sūtra and Maṅgalāṣṭakasūtra feature buddha realms located in the east. While the Chinese and Tibetan translations of each sūtra share similar narrative frameworks, their lists of the eight buddhas and their buddha realms differ completely. This is the case even across the four Chinese translations of the Aṣṭa­buddhaka­sūtra. There is also no mention of “auspiciousness” in the Chinese translation of the Maṅgalāṣṭakasūtra; the title The Eight Auspicious Ones (Bajixiang 八吉祥, Taishō 430) is instead given to the Chinese translation of the Aṣṭa­buddhaka­sūtra by Saṅghabhadra produced between 506–20 ce. ### [intro.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.intro.9) This English translation was prepared based on the Tibetan translation in the Degé Kangyur in consultation with the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) and the Stok Palace Kangyur. ### [1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.1) Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas. Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in Vaiśālī at ### [2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.2) Āmrapālī’s grove. A Licchavi youth, Superior Skill, went to where the Blessed One was. Upon arriving, he bowed his head at the Blessed One’s feet and addressed the Blessed One with these words: “There are some blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddhas presently dwelling in fulfillment of their former aspirations. If I hear about those blessed ones, I will venerate them on the crown of my head. By venerating them on the crown of my head, I will not be threatened or harmed by human or nonhuman beings, Blessed One, and when I speak at a royal palace, whatever I say will not be repudiated or overruled under any circumstance. If I remember their names, I will not even dream bad dreams while sleeping, and if I enter into a battle where swords are drawn, those swords will not strike me, and I will be delivered from it safely. I request the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha to reveal their names.” Thus requested, the Blessed One said to the Licchavi youth Superior Skill, “Superior Skill, to the east there is a world system called Famous. The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha named Pradīparāja resides there. “Superior Skill, to the east there is a world system called Free from Sorrow. The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha named Intent on Accomplishing Aims through Steadfast Skill⁹ resides there. “Superior Skill, to the east there is a world system called Blissful. The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha named Greatly Renowned for Considering All resides there. “Superior Skill, to the east ### [3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.3) there is a world system called Free from Obstacles. The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha named Glorious Ornament of Loving-Kindness resides there. “Superior Skill, to the east there is a world system called Nihilism Relinquished. The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha named Excellent Glory Renowned for Virtue¹⁰ resides there. “Superior Skill, to the east there is a world system called Variegated. The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha named Glory of Being Renowned for Superior Skill That Is Noble like Mount Meru resides there. “Superior Skill, to the east there is a world system called Blazing Glory. The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha named Glory of Being Renowned for Considering Everyone resides there. “Superior Skill, to the east there is a world system called Joyful Renowned Diamond. The thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddha named Glory of Being Renowned for Superior Skill That Brings Satisfaction resides there. “Superior Skill, you should remember these blessed buddhas’ names very well, fully comprehend them, and uphold them. Superior Skill, while all blessed buddhas are indeed endowed with inconceivable good qualities, the buddha realms of these thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddhas, Superior Skill, are thoroughly pure and free from the degenerations. “Superior Skill, when you receive and remember these thus-gone, worthy, perfect buddhas’ names, you will thereby develop their particular good qualities and others, because these names of blessed buddhas embody the qualities of their former aspirations. ### [4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.4) You should contemplate these names whenever you lie down at dusk or at night, and you should contemplate them whenever you get up. If you contemplate these names whenever you begin any kind of worldly activity, you should know that such activities will only be for your gain and not for your loss. You should abide by this.” Having heard this teaching, the Licchavi youth Superior Skill was satisfied and pleased, and he rejoiced. Rejoicing, he felt delighted and happy and proclaimed these thus-gone ones’ names. He scattered eight thousand flowers made of the seven precious substances over the Blessed One and circumambulated him. Remembering this Dharma discourse on the eight auspicious ones proclaiming thus-gone ones’ names, he left the Blessed One’s presence. Then because Śakra, lord of the gods, had joined that assembly and was present, he paid homage to the Blessed One and said to him, “Blessed One, I too have taken up the practice of this Dharma discourse on the eight auspicious ones proclaiming thus-gone ones’ names.” The Blessed One replied, “Thus, Kauśika, when you engage in battles between the gods and asuras, you should proclaim this Dharma discourse. If you proclaim it, lord of the gods, you will be victorious. “Why is that so? Because whoever¹¹ proclaims these thus-gone ones’ names is proclaimed to be blissful and fearless. Because whoever proclaims these names is proclaimed to be not overwhelmed.¹² Because whoever proclaims these thus-gone ones’ names proclaims the names of reality. Because whoever proclaims these thus-gone ones’ names is proclaimed to completely transcend all battles. ### [5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.5) Because whoever proclaims these thus-gone ones’ names is proclaimed to be invincible, proclaimed to be peaceful, proclaimed to be free from torment, and proclaimed to be fearless.” Then, to venerate this Dharma discourse, Śakra, lord of the gods, scattered divine mandārava flowers over the Blessed One, bowed his head to the Blessed One’s feet, and circumambulated him three times. With a joyful mind, a virtuous mind, an unobscured mind, and a mind free from fixation, he bore in mind this Dharma discourse proclaiming thus-gone ones’ names and said, “May I see the Blessed One’s face again in the future!” Then together with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he departed from the Blessed One’s presence. When the Blessed One had spoken these words, the Licchavi youth Superior Skill, Śakra, lord of the gods, and the world together with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised what the Blessed One had said. Colophon Translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian preceptor Surendrabodhi and the chief editor-translator Bandé Yeshé Dé.¹³ ### Notes ### [notes.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.notes.1) 1. See Annie Bien, trans., The Eight Buddhas (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2020). ### [notes.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.notes.2) 2. See Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans., The Twelve Buddhas (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2020). ### [notes.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.notes.3) 3. ’phags pa bkra shis brgyad pa’i tshigs su bcad pa. In mi pham bka’ ’bum. For English translations, see Gyalten Lekden (2020) and Rigpa Translations. ### [notes.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.notes.4) 4. bkra shis brgyad pa’i don bshad pa. In mi pham bka’ ’bum. For an English translation, see Gyalten Lekden (2016b). ### [notes.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.notes.5) 5. Denkarma, folio 299.b.6–7. See also Yoshimura (1950), p. 137. ### [notes.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.notes.6) 6. Phangthangma (2003), p. 18. ### [notes.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.notes.7) 7. bkra shis brgyad pa. Stok Palace Kangyur vol. 68 (mdo sde, da), folios 21.b–26.a. The Sanskrit title of the Stok Palace Kangyur witness is rendered with the variant reading Āryāṣṭamaṅgalaka­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra. ### [notes.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.notes.8) 8. See Lancaster, “K493,” accessed February 24, 2021. ### [notes.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.notes.9) 9. Degé: rtsal brtan don grub dgongs pa. The Yongle and Kangxi Kangyur versions read rtsal bstan don grub dgongs pa (“Intent on Accomplishing Aims through Powerful Display”). Comparative Edition, p. 152, n. 3. ### [notes.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.notes.10) 10. Degé: dge bar grags pa dpal dam pa. Other Kangyur versions (Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, Choné) read dge ba grags pa dpal dam pa (“Excellent Glorious Renowned Virtue”). Comparative Edition, p. 153, n. 1. ### [notes.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.notes.11) 11. This translation follows the Chinese by reading de bzhin gshegs pa’i mtshan yongs su brjod pa gang yin pa ’di ni as “whoever proclaims these thus-gone ones’ names” instead of “the proclamation of these thus-gone ones’ names.” The Chinese reads 假使有人讚歎稱諸如來名八部經典 (“if someone proclaims with praise this sūtra on the group of eight thus-gone ones’ names”). ### [notes.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.notes.12) 12. In the context of Śakra seeking victory in battle, this translation reads kun nas ldang ba as rendering the Sanskrit paryutthāna, for which the Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit dictionary has, in part, “…rising all about, overwhelming, possession (always by depravities or vices).” ### [notes.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000.notes.13) 13. The colophon in the Stok Palace Kangyur witness reads rgya gar gyi mkhan po pra dz+nya wa rma la sogs pa dang / zhu chen gyi lo tsa ba ban d+he ye shes sde la sogs pas bsgyur cing gtan la phab pa’o. This translates into English as, “Translated and finalized by the Indian preceptor Prajñāvarman and so forth, and the chief editor-translator Bandé Yeshé Dé and so forth.” --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.buddha.mangalastaka*bo~en-84000) · Pramāṇa