Tuesday, May 12, 2026 · 天火 · tianmu.org

Bodhisattva and Mahayana Fragments

Gandhari fragments connected to bodhisattva practice, Perfection of Wisdom literature, and early Mahayana themes.

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Texts

On the Bodhisattva Path — BC 4A unique Gandhāri Mahāyāna treatise on the bodhisattva path — contemplation of miseries and fortunes, non-attachment to the aggregates, the prajñāpāramitā as emptiness of all dharmas, and the bodhisattva's resolution. From Bajaur Collection fragment 4, 2nd century CE birch bark. No parallel text exists in any other Buddhist tradition.The Benefit of Release — BC 11A Gandhāri Mahāyāna commentary on the bodhisattva path — the benefit of release from attachment, non-clinging to the aggregates, and the practice of dispassion. From Bajaur Collection fragment 11, 2nd century CE. Companion text to BC 4. No parallel exists in any other Buddhist tradition.The Bodhisattva Treasury — FragmentA Gandhāri fragment of the Bodhisattvapitakasūtra (The Sūtra of the Bodhisattva Treasury) from the Schøyen Collection, dating to the 2nd–4th century CE. Ten lines survive from the ninth chapter on the Perfection of Energy (Vīryapāramitā), containing verses on five obstacles to encountering Buddhas and the parable of the hungry dog. One of the earliest surviving Gandhāri Mahāyāna manuscripts. First free English translation from Gandhāri Prakrit.The Fortunate Aeon — FragmentsFragments of a Gandhāri version of the Bhadrakalpikasūtra (Sūtra of the Fortunate Aeon) — forty-nine palm-leaf fragments from the Schøyen Collection, dating to the 2nd–4th century CE. The sūtra describes the six perfections under 350 aspects and the 1,004 Buddhas of the present cosmic age (Bhadrakalpa). The fragments come from a once-complete manuscript of an estimated 390–400 folios. First free English translation from Gandhāri Prakrit.The Perfection of Wisdom — Chapter FiveThe fifth chapter of the oldest Mahāyāna manuscript — a first-century Gandhāri Prakrit version of the Perfection of Wisdom. Completes the Split Collection Prajñāpāramitā alongside Chapter One.The Perfection of Wisdom — Chapter OneThe oldest surviving Mahāyāna manuscript — a first-century Gandhāri Prakrit version of the Perfection of Wisdom, Chapter 1. From the Split Collection birch-bark scrolls, carbon-dated to ca. 75 CE.