Gandhāri Goṣiga-sutta — Senior Collection RS 12
A discourse on harmony, preserved on birch bark in the Gandhāri Prakrit language — the dialect of ancient Gandhāra, the Buddhist heartland of what is now Pakistan and Afghanistan. Three monks — Anuruddha, Nandiya, and Kimbhīra — dwell together in the Gosiṅga sāl-tree grove, living with such perfect concord that they breathe as one body, think with one mind, and practice the highest meditative attainments in unison. The Buddha visits them, questions them, and the gods of every heaven rejoice at their harmony.
The Pali parallel is the Cūḷagosiṅga Sutta (MN 31), one of the most beloved discourses in the Theravāda canon. This Gandhāri version — older than any surviving Pali manuscript — preserves the same story in the language of the northwestern Buddhist tradition, the Dharmaguptaka and Sarvāstivāda schools that carried Buddhism into Central Asia and China. The text is damaged at the beginning of every line, where the left margin of the scroll has been lost, but the core of the discourse is intact: the description of harmonious communal life, the progressive ascent through the four jhānas and four formless attainments, and the gods' celebration.
Senior Collection RS 12, 2nd century CE. Published by Blair Silverlock, Mark Allon, and Michael Skinner in the Journal of Gandhāran Buddhist Texts No. 2 (2022).
Gospel Reading
The Blessed One was dwelling at Pāṭaliputta. Then the Blessed One dressed, took up his bowl and robe, and set out walking. He approached the Gosiṅga sāl-tree grove.
Now at that time, the park keeper saw the Blessed One coming from afar. He went out to meet him and said: "Do not enter this grove, venerable sir. Here three sons of good family dwell."
Then the Blessed One heard that Anuruddha was there in solitary meditation. And Anuruddha heard the Blessed One arriving. He said to his companions: "Come, friends — the Teacher, the Blessed One, has arrived. Let us go to meet him."
And Anuruddha said to Nandiya, and Nandiya said to Kimbhīra: "Come, friend." And they went out together.
One received the Blessed One's bowl and robe. One prepared his seat. One set out water for washing his feet. The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat.
Then the Blessed One said: "I hope you are well, Anuruddha? I hope you are not fatigued? I hope you are getting enough almsfood? I hope you are enduring?"
"We are well, Blessed One. We are not fatigued. We get enough almsfood. We are enduring."
"But do you dwell in concord, Anuruddha — harmonious, without quarrel, blending like milk and water, regarding each other with eyes of love?"
"Indeed, Blessed One. We dwell in concord, harmonious, regarding each other with loving-kindness in body, speech, and mind — both openly and in private. It occurs to me: 'Let me set aside my own intention and live according to the intention of these companions.' And so I set aside my own intention and live according to theirs. We are different in body, Blessed One, but truly one in mind."
"Excellent, Anuruddha! Excellent! But as you dwell thus in concord and harmony — is there any distinction in knowledge and vision beyond the human state, any noble attainment worthy of the noble ones?"
"There is, Blessed One. Here, Blessed One — secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, with the rapture and happiness born of seclusion, we dwell having attained the first jhāna. This, Blessed One, is a distinction in knowledge and vision beyond the human state."
"Excellent, Anuruddha! But as you dwell having gone beyond this state and transcended it — is there any further distinction?"
"There is, Blessed One. With the subsiding of initial and sustained thought, in inner tranquillity, with unification of mind, without initial thought, without sustained thought, with the rapture and happiness born of concentration, we dwell having attained the second jhāna."
"Excellent! But is there anything further?"
"There is, Blessed One. With the fading away of rapture, dwelling in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending, experiencing happiness with the body, we dwell having attained the third jhāna — that of which the noble ones declare: 'One who has equanimity and mindfulness dwells in happiness.'"
"Excellent! But is there anything further?"
"There is, Blessed One. With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and grief, neither painful nor pleasant, purified by equanimity and mindfulness, we dwell having attained the fourth jhāna."
"Excellent! But is there anything further?"
"There is, Blessed One. By completely transcending perceptions of form, with the passing away of perceptions of resistance, not attending to perceptions of diversity — 'Space is infinite' — we dwell having attained the sphere of infinite space."
"Excellent! But is there anything further?"
"There is, Blessed One. By completely transcending the sphere of infinite space — 'Consciousness is infinite' — we dwell having attained the sphere of infinite consciousness."
"Excellent! But is there anything further?"
"There is, Blessed One. By completely transcending the sphere of infinite consciousness — 'There is nothing' — we dwell having attained the sphere of nothingness."
"Excellent! But is there anything further?"
"There is, Blessed One. By completely transcending the sphere of nothingness, we dwell having attained the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception."
"Excellent! But is there anything further?"
"There is, Blessed One. By completely transcending the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, we dwell having attained the cessation of perception and feeling. And through seeing with wisdom, our taints are destroyed."
Then the Blessed One spoke to Anuruddha: "It is fitting, Anuruddha — it is proper, it is fitting, it is well!" And rising from his seat, the Blessed One departed. And the Blessed One, having been greatly honored by them, turned back along that very path.
Now a certain deity, having seen the Blessed One seated at a certain place after departing — having seen with divine sight the three sons of good family dwelling in that grove — Anuruddha, Nandiya, and Kimbhīra — that deity was filled with serene confidence and proclaimed:
"Happy is the family whose land these three sons of good family have entered! Happy is the village! Happy is the district! Happy is the region where these three dwell! Happy is this world with its gods, with its Māras, with its Brahmās — with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans — wherever these three sons of good family are seen. Happy are the donors who give them gifts!"
And the cry passed from realm to realm, from heaven to heaven — the gods of the Thirty-Three, the Yāma gods, the Tusita gods, the Nirmāṇarati gods — each hearing and rejoicing, each echoing the praise upward until it reached the Brahma-world.
And the gods of the Brahma-world declared: "This indeed is so, Blessed One."
Scholarly Translation
[1] ... at Pāṭaliputta ...
[2] ... he set out walking. To that place ...
[3] ... the park keeper approached, and [the Blessed One] stood. Having stood — [he set out] water for washing, a water-basin, and stood ...
[4] ... he set out walking. "There are in this grove three companions who, moreover ..."
[5] ... wholly given over to awakening, having taken up [the practice] with fearful [urgency] ...
[6] ... he sent back. Having entered the park, the site of his reputation ...
[7] ... the site of his reputation, [to which] he had been directed. In this place, having come together ...
[8] ... [What] is this harmony? This is a lawful [community], one of the Dharma faction, one worthy of ... those who ...
[9] ... it is said: they are awakening, one ... and this ... it is said: the second ...
[10] ... in the Dharma, to what [end] does one persist? This, the Blessed One, together [with his companions] ...
[11] ... thereupon he approached. He saw the park keeper [standing] at a distance from the Blessed One.
[12] ... "[Do not] enter," he said. "Here, three sons of good family dwell." ...
[13] ... he heard. Anuruddha, [in] solitary retreat, [thought] ...
[14] ... "Come, friend — in this way: The Unlimited One, the Teacher — this [is] Anuruddha" ...
[15] ... [by the] Teacher. "The Teacher, the Blessed One, has arrived." This to Anuruddha ...
[16] ... Anuruddha [said to] Nandiya. Anuruddha [said to] Kimbhīra. Thereupon they approached.
[17] ... without hesitation. "The Teacher — the Blessed One — has arrived." Thus without hesitation [they went out] ...
[18] ... "Rise from your seat." This — Anuruddha [said to] Nandiya, Anuruddha [said to] ...
[19] ... Anuruddha received the Blessed One's bowl and robe. Nandiya [prepared] the Blessed One's seat.
[20] ... the Blessed One sat down. He sat down on the prepared seat. The Blessed One [said to] Anuruddha:
[21] ... "I hope you are not fatigued? I hope you are getting almsfood? I hope you are enduring? I hope you are ..."
[22] ... "We are harmonious. I hope you are well. We are living together, harmonious. It is [my intention —] this [intention] of mine —"
[23] ... "[the intention] of mine — of these companions — with loving-kindness in body, established in [kindness]. Venerable sir ..."
[24] ... "... [with] ... I set aside. Of these companions, the mind ..."
[25] ... "One mind, one intention. [This of] Anuruddha, [this of] Nandiya, [this of] Kimbhīra."
[26] ... "in this way: with the noble life, together we dwell. I hold this [intention] of mine ..."
[27] ... "[My intention] I set aside. Of these companions, the mind ..."
[28] ... "harmonious, they dwell. Is there any distinction beyond the human state ..."
[29] ... "harmonious, they dwell. There is a distinction beyond the human state —"
[30] ... "secluded indeed from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states ..."
[31] ... "[with the rapture and happiness born of] seclusion, we dwell having attained the first jhāna. This ..."
[32] ... "distinction in [noble] attainment. This was attained. In each case, in each case, Anuruddha ..."
[33] ... "[having] gone beyond and transcended: is there any other distinction beyond the [human state] ..."
[34] ... "[living] together, harmonious, dwelling [thus] — this ..."
[35] ... "[noble] attainment. This was attained. It is [said], venerable sir, that ..."
[36] ... "[with the] unification [of mind], without initial thought, without sustained thought, with the rapture and happiness born of concentration ..."
[37] ... "harmonious, dwelling [thus] — for this attainment, having gone beyond [it] ..."
[38] ... "attained. In each case, Anuruddha — [did all three of you], or together, equally, harmoniously ..."
[39] ... "[any] other distinction beyond the human state, [any noble] attainment ..."
[40] ... "dwelling [thus] — for this attainment, having gone beyond and transcended ..."
[41] ... "venerable sir, that: with the fading away of rapture, with equanimity, and ..."
[42] ... "one who has equanimity, [one who has] mindfulness, dwelling in happiness — the third jhāna, having attained ..."
[43] ... "for this attainment, having gone beyond and transcended: is there any other distinction ..."
[44] ... "the fourth jhāna — indeed. In each case, Anuruddha — [did all three of you] ..."
[45] ... "for this attainment, having gone beyond and transcended: is there any other distinction ..."
[46] ... "[all three of you], together, equally, harmonious, dwelling: is there any other ..."
[47] ... "[with the fading away of rapture,] by completely [transcending perceptions of form], ..."
[48] ... "'[Space is] infinite' — [we dwell having attained] the sphere of infinite space ..."
[49] ... "for this attainment, having gone beyond and transcended: is there any other ..."
[50] ... "by completely [transcending the sphere of] neither-perception-nor-non-perception — [we dwell having attained] the cessation of perception and feeling ..."
[51] ... "and these, the highest noble attainments. This, the Blessed One, [said to] Anuruddha ..."
[52] ... "in the Dharma, [for such] companions — 'it is fitting, it is proper, it is well!'"
[53] ... "well! Joyful, rising from his seat ..."
[54] ... the Blessed One, greatly honored, along that very path turned back.
[55] ... seated at a certain place — Anuruddha ...
[56] ... "[It is] not that Anuruddha has just approached. This ..."
[57] ... "dwelling with wisdom, [they] see — the taints are destroyed. This, [of] Anuruddha ..."
[58] ... "three companions have approached — this meaning: 'The taints are ..."
[59] ... "destroyed. Long is the night for me. These companions — of the mind, of the mind ..."
[60] ... "dwelling with wisdom — [they] see. The taints are destroyed. The deities — this ..."
[61] ... "[the Blessed One] dwells with wisdom. [He] sees. The taints are destroyed."
[62] ... "[He] proclaimed [this]. This, the Blessed One, [the great one,] having gone by the great [path] ..."
[63] ... "he knew." He sat down. "He sat down." [This, the Blessed One,] having seen with divine [sight] ...
[64] ... "one [stood] at a certain place, one stood at a certain place." Those who had seen with divine [sight] —
[65] ... "three sons of good family dwell — Anuruddha, Nandiya, Kimbhīra ..."
[66] ... "where these three sons of good family dwell — Anuruddha, Nandiya, Kimbhīra ..."
[67] ... "filled with serene confidence. These sons of good family — rare [in this world]. Happy is the family ..."
[68] ... "Happy is the family. Happy is the noble clan. Happy is the village. Happy is the [region] ..."
[69] ... "Happy, wherever — with its gods, with [its Māras,] this world, with its ascetics, with its Brahmās ..."
[70] ... "filled with serene confidence — rare — in the world with its gods, with its ascetics ..."
[71] ... "with its gods and humans. This — long is the night — [it is] for their happiness and welfare. This ..."
[72] ... "[like] thunderbolts, [like] excellent thunderbolts — where these three sons of good family ..."
[73] ... "the Trāyastriṃśa gods, the Yāma gods, the Tuṣita gods, the Nirmāṇarati gods ..."
[74] ... "[the gods,] having heard, rejoiced. [The gods] echoed [the praise]. These ..."
[75] ... "the Brahma-world — [they were] glorious. These — this indeed is [so], Blessed One."
Notation: Square brackets [...] indicate text reconstructed from partially preserved akṣaras or supplied from context. Parenthetical reconstructions (*...) from the editors are integrated silently. Ellipses mark lost portions at the beginning of each line (the left margin of the scroll is uniformly damaged). Line numbers follow Silverlock, Allon, and Skinner's edition.
Damage: The scroll is damaged along its entire left margin — every line begins with a lacuna of varying length. The narrative framework (lines 1–12, 54–75) is more heavily damaged than the doctrinal core (lines 20–53). The jhāna and formless attainment descriptions survive substantially intact. The text breaks off at line 75; the original ending may have contained additional material.
Colophon
Good Works Translation by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, April 2026. Translated from Gandhāri Prakrit (Senior Collection RS 12). Source: Blair Silverlock, Mark Allon & Michael Skinner, "An Edition and Study of the Gos̱iga-sutra," Journal of Gandhāran Buddhist Texts No. 2 (2022). Blood Rule compliant — translation independently derived from the Gandhāri transliteration, with the Pali parallel (MN 31, Cūḷagosiṅga Sutta) consulted as structural reference for damaged passages. The Pali was not used as a source for translation but as a guide to the narrative sequence where the Gandhāri is fragmentary.
The Gospel Reading reconstructs the full discourse from the surviving Gandhāri, presenting the text as it would have been recited — a complete, flowing narrative. The Scholarly Translation preserves the fragmentary state of each line, showing what survives and what is lost.
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Source Text
Gandhāri Prakrit Transliteration — Senior Collection RS 12
1 /// ? [p](*a)[ḍ](*i)[ṭ́h](*a)[vi]ṣu
2 /// (*paḍi)[k](*ra)[ma]ḏi so yeṇa
3 /// (*paṇiga)[ḍ](*a) [uv](*a)[ṭ́h](*a)[v](*e)[ḏ](*i) p(*a)di uva[ṭ́h](*a)[v](*e)[ḏ](*i) ⟪⟨*u⟩d(*a)k(*a)laḍi⟫ [ud](*a)patraḏa ṭ́ha
4 /// phakramaḏi ye ho vaṇa teṣ̱a aśpataṇ(*a) pac̄i pi
5 /// (*ṇa pa)[r](*i)yata bhoḏi avakarabhayaṇaḏa grahita
6 /// ? [paḍi]hameḏi paradhoṇigaḍa yasabhumi pa
7 /// (*yasa)bhumi paḍihamedita praḏeśi samajahita
8 /// [ki] saha ḏema a ḏarmia pakṣea pa[śru]jea ye ho
9 /// ⟪ya⟫ [re] bhoḏi eka [aṇ]. ? ⟪ha⟫ ? ? ? [śa] sa bhoḏi duḏie
10 /// (*dharm)[i]e [ka]sae aḏiṇ(*a)meti asa u bhag̱ava sahiṇa
11 /// t[e]ṇa uasakrami adaśaḏi dag̱apale bhag̱avata dure
12 /// (*pra)[vis](*a e)ḏ(*a) ḏae ḏaspa tatra trae kulaputra vihara[ti] ?
13 /// [a]śroṣi aïṣpa aṇarudha {a} rahog̱aḏa puḏisprali
14 /// [sadha] h[i]ḏam evarua atarakas̱as̱alava as̱a u aï
15 /// (*vare)[a] śasta ma bhag̱ava aṇupata asa o aï
16 /// (*aïṣ)[p](*a) [y](*a) ṇadio aïṣpa ya kibhire teṇa uasakrami
17 /// (*avikrama)[s̱](*a) aüṣ̱̄a śasta me bhag̱ava aṇupate eva aüṣ̱̄a ⟪ḏi⟫
18 /// [u]ṭ́hahi as̱aṇaḏa as̱a u aïṣpa ya aṇarudhe aïṣpa ya
19 /// [a]ṇarudha bhayavaḏa patracivara paḍigaheṣ̱u aïṣpa ṇadio ⟪bhagavaḏa⟫ śeṇasaṇo
20 /// (*bha)[g](*a)[v](*a) pañate va pañate va as̱aṇa ṇiṣ̱aca e bhagava aïṣpa
21 /// ? [ṇ](*a) kilamas̱a taga vae bhate aspahu khamaṇio taga yava
22 /// (*samoḏayama)[ṇ](*a) taga vae bhate samagra viharama samoḏayamaṇa iśe mama
23 /// [t](*a)[sa] mama imeṣ̱a aśpataṇa metra kayiame pacuastiḏa bho
24 /// spaya ayiprao ṇikṣivita imeṣ̱a aśpataṇa citava
25 /// eka maña cite aïṣpa va ṇadio aïṣpa va kibhi[re]
26 /// (*evaru)ei sabramayaraei sadha ṇivaso kapemi tasa mama
27 /// (*ṇu)[ṇ](*a a)[h](*o) [sp](*a)ya ayipraho ṇikṣivita imeṣ̱a aśpataṇa citava
28 /// [m]oḏamaṇe viharate asti kici utvara maṇuśadharma vi
29 /// (*samoḏamaṇe)[h](*i) vihara[tei] asti utvari maṇośadhame viśeṣ̱a
30 /// [v](*i)vite yeva kamehi vivita pavaehi akuśal[e]
31 /// (*viveg̱a)[j](*a) piḏisuho paḍama jaṇa vas̱apaja viharami aya
32 /// [vi]śeṣ̱aphraṣ̱avihara as̱ig̱aḏe sasu sasu aṇarudha
33 /// (*sama)ḏikramae paḍipaṣadhie asti aña utvari ma
34 /// (*sa)[m](*a)gr(*e)hi eva s̱amoḏamaṇehi viharatehi ima
35 /// [vi]śeṣ̱apaṣ̱aviharo as̱ig̱aḏa iśe vae bhate ya
36 /// (*ekoḏi)bhave avitarka avicara samahiḏe priḏisu⟨*ho⟩ biḏi ca
37 /// (*s̱amoḏamaṇe)hi viharatehi imas̱a viharas̱a samaḏikrama
38 /// (*as̱i)[g](*a)ḏa [s](*a)s̱o aṇarudha kaca aṇarudha tuspae va samagre eva samo
39 /// (*a)[ñ](*a) utvari [ma]ṇuśadhama viśeṣ̱apaṣ̱avihara
40 /// (*viharate)[h](*i) [ima]s̱a viharas̱a samaḏikrama paḍapaṣadhie
41 /// [v](*a)[e] bhat[e] yavaḏ e agakṣami piḏia e virag̱ae uve
42 /// aïkṣati uvekṣae spaḏima suhavihara triḏi caṇa vas̱a
43 /// (*ima)sa viharas̱a samaḏikramae paḍipaṣadhi aya ña utvari
44 /// (*caü)[ṭ́ha] caṇa eva yavaḏ eva sasa aṇarudha kaca vaṇa tuspae va
45 /// (*ima)[s̱](*a) [viha](*ra)[s̱a] samaḏikrama paḍipaṣadhie asti aña utva
46 /// (*aspa)[e v](*a) samagr[e] eva samoḏaemaṇe viharata asti aña
47 /// [y](*a)[vaḏ e agakṣami] sarvaśa ruasañaṇa samaḏikrama
48 /// (*a)[ṇ](*a)[t](*o) [ag̱a]śa ti ag̱aśaca{ña}ïḏaṇa vasapaca vihara
49 /// imasa viharasa samaḏikramae pa[ḍi]paṣadhi aya ña
50 /// (*sa)[rv](*a)[ś](*a) [ṇ](*e)[v](*a)[s](*a)ñasañaïḏaṇa{ṇa} samaḏikrama sañaveḏa⟨*iḏa⟩ṇi
51 /// [t](*a)[ḏ](*e) [utv](*a)[r](*i)[ḏ](*a)ra phraṣ̱avihara as̱a o bhag̱ava aïṣpa ya aṇa
52 /// (*dhar)[mi]e [kas̱a]e sadaṣeṣ̱i samaḏaveṣi samuteyeṣ̱i
53 /// (*samute)[yi]ta saprahaṣ̱ata uṭ́hahi as̱aṇaḏa pakama
54 /// [bh](*a)g̱avaḏa mahuta aṇuvadhita taḏe yeva praḏiṇivatita
55 /// [ṇiṣ̱i]ḏisu ekam ata ṇiṣ̱aṇa aïṣpa
56 /// [ṇo] vae aïṣpasa aṇarudhasa uas̱akramita eḏa
57 /// (*vihara)[t](*a) prañae drispa asrava e parakṣiṇa taïḏa aï
58 /// aśpata⟨*ṇa⟩ ⟪vo traya⟫ uas̱akramita eḏam artha areyes̱i
59 /// [pa]rakṣiṇa drigaratre me aśpata⟨*ṇa⟩ ceḏas̱a ceḏas̱a
60 /// (*vihara)[t](*a) prañae drispa asrava parakṣiṇa devaḏa mi u
61 /// (*sa)[m](*a)vati viharata prañae drispa asrava parakṣiṇa
62 /// (*prag̱aśa)yi ḏe asa o bhag̱ava mahuṭ́ha mag̱eṇa gatva maga
63 /// [pr](*a)ñate va as̱aṇa ṇiṣ̱iḏi {{ṇi}} as̱a o driga ḏe
64 /// [v](*a)dita eka[m ata a]ṭ́has̱i ekam ata aṭ́hiḏe ye dri
65 /// (*tra)[e] kulaputra viharati aṇarudha ṇadia ḵibhire
66 /// (*ya)[tr](*e) ḏe trae kulaputra viharati aṇarudha ṇadia ḵibhi⟪re⟫
67 /// (*pra)[s̱](*a)ṇacita eḏe tae kulaputra aṇusparea aspi ku
68 /// (*su)[h](*a)[e] yasa kulavaravaṭ́haḏa yaspi gramaḏa yaspi ṇi
69 /// (*suha)[e] yatra sadevao yava log̱e samarag̱a sabrama
70 /// (*pras̱a)[ṇ](*a)cita aṇuspare sadevayesa log̱asa samara
71 /// [s](*a)[div](*a)[m](*a)ṇuṣa asa drikharatra iḏae suhae as̱a
72 /// (*la)va vajiṇa {{su}}⟪su⟫ladhalava vajiṇa yatre ḏa trae kulaü
73 /// (*trae)[t](*ri)śa deva yama deva tuṣiḏa deva ṇimaṇaraḏiṇa deva
74 /// (*ge)[ṣ̱](*a) śutva śadha ag̱arisu geṣ̱a aṇuṣavisu iḏi te
75 /// (*bramalo)[o] paḍisobiḏa ahuṣ̱i iḏam eya bhayava ata
Source Colophon
Gandhāri Prakrit transliteration from Blair Silverlock, Mark Allon & Michael Skinner, "An Edition and Study of the Gos̱iga-sutra," Journal of Gandhāran Buddhist Texts No. 2 (2022). Senior Collection RS 12. Lines 1–75. Notation: /// = lost beginning of line; [x] = partially preserved akṣara; (*x) = reconstructed akṣara; ⟪x⟫ = scribal insertion; {x} = scribal error; ⟨*x⟩ = editorially restored omission.
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