A Buddhist Moral Instruction from Dunhuang
An Old Tibetan Buddhist didactic poem from Pelliot tibétain 126, a scroll discovered in the sealed library of the Mogao Grottoes (Cave 17), Dunhuang. The cave was walled shut around 1002 CE and rediscovered in 1900. This text occupies lines 1–103 of the recto; a pre-Buddhist diplomatic narrative, "The Dialogue of Dmu and Phyva," follows on lines 104–168 of the same scroll.
The poem is a moral instruction addressed to the living — a Buddhist sermon on death, impermanence, the futility of wealth, the horrors of Yama's judgment, and the specific sins of killing, drinking, adultery, meat-eating, and hunting. It closes with a vivid physical description of aging without merit, then reprises its core teaching as a liturgical refrain. The enumeration of sins reflects early Buddhist morality being preached to a Central Asian audience during the Tibetan imperial period (7th–9th century CE).
The title, 'Phrul kyi byig shus phyi ma la bstan pa'i mdo (The Subsequent Teaching of the Magical Letters), identifies this as a follow-up to an earlier instruction. That "first teaching" — 'Phrul gyi byig bshus, "The Teaching on Impermanence" — survives on Pelliot tibétain 37 and is already in the archive. The two texts form a pair across two separate Dunhuang manuscripts: the first teaches impermanence through the metaphor of magical letters; the second (this text) elaborates the moral consequences. The opening lines are damaged; line 14 was deleted by the original scribe.
First English translation. Translated from Old Tibetan by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
[...the opening is damaged...]
...not daring to abandon the nine kinds of sin,
in one lifetime holding power and wealth as supreme.
Not practising even one good dharma of the gods —
unawares, carried off by demons.
Even the great sages of old, wise and mighty —
not one among the long-lived appears today.
After death there is only a mound of earth.
The span of a person's life does not last long. There is no hope.
Without shame or restraint, even oaths are swallowed.
In the end, for a long time, no good is done.
This short life is swift as lightning.
Parted from the living, carried to the grave —
the companions of sin are always demons and rākshasas,
permanent evil companions. Happiness is never tasted.
Not knowing virtue from sin, afflicted,
day and night without rest, desiring wealth —
though having more than enough, never knowing satisfaction.
The lot of death comes to all.
After death, what does one know?
All accumulated possessions — separated.
Whatever remains — the self is not remembered.
Only good deeds come as companions.
Beautiful faces — even nāgas and celestial maidens —
in the end, consumed by decay, become ugly.
Fine clothes and food, silk and brocade —
turned to dust, useless for anything.
Fine death-provisions — dividing them brings no benefit.
Fine food placed in the grave:
though stored for a thousand years,
there is no power to eat — left there endlessly.
Even a dear couple placed together in the grave —
inside, empty and dry, not remembering joy.
Dear relatives at the pillow,
calling ten thousand times, calling a thousand times —
the ears do not hear.
The two paths of the living and the dead part ways.
The afflictions of death — all is told.
Relatives and friends search afterward in vain.
The fine house — no power to dwell in it.
Unawares, carried off by demons.
Even a dear couple — no power to remain.
Even a hundred-year life is a traveller's day.
Yama's messengers carry each one away.
Though you conquered east and west, faces are no longer known.
No one gives up a night's pleasure —
only good deeds come as companions.
In life, boast of power and wealth.
After death, reckon good and evil.
High and low — all enter the same realm of sin.
The divine realm soars equally far from great and small alike.
If you have done much good, you are born to glory.
If you have done much evil, you become wretched.
Which of these to choose — examine well!
There is no escaping death.
When demons come, when illness comes — only then the fear.
Where to hide body and life — the mind finds no answer.
The hook and snare come straight for you.
Before Yama's court, what will you say?
When the white record is inspected — no good has been done.
Seized by rākshasas, cast into copper cauldrons,
led pervading all the realms of sin.
In the plunging torrent, sins are not washed clean.
At the time of death, there is no powerful ally.
All beings — not one escapes.
In life, good was not done.
After death, there is nothing to be mended.
These things — which to choose — examine well!
On not knowing good from evil, killing, and the ways of drinking:
Your own wife you do not value.
Another man's wife you value above gold.
Not contemplating the true dharma,
you hold slander and gossip supreme.
At the meat-and-drink feast, boasting of your own cleverness,
deliberately speaking the mad words of a fool.
Before the gods within, not confessing sin.
In times of happiness, the gods are not remembered.
In times of illness — then you look to the gods!
But one whose head is full of sin — the gods do not attend.
Hearing the dharma, you take it as a tax.
Seeing meat and drink, you stake your very life.
When doing the dharma, you are lazy and neglectful.
At the illusory and pointless, you never complain.
At deceit and fraud, you never tire.
Counted among humans, following the ways of the wealthy —
not even considering the realms of sin that await,
never escaping from the three evil paths.
All the black sheep slaughtered, cast into copper pots.
Carrying hawk-traps, running through mountain valleys.
Others' suffering — the self does not feel it.
Skins flayed, flesh carved, eaten piece by piece —
like a hungry ghost, a wolf, a starving jackal.
Not practising the dharma, running in madness —
counted among humans, but equal to demons.
All the realms of sin need not be sought elsewhere:
they are gathered in your own body.
All sentient beings desire to live.
No one is pleased at being killed.
To threats against life, great and small are equal.
If another killed you and ate your flesh — how unbearable!
Therefore reflect, and practise the dharma of the gods.
Drinking and folly are the same as poison.
Remembering nothing — the manner of madness.
The face changes, composure crumbles, words become lies.
Weapons and careless speech — the demon that kills.
Vomit rises to the mouth — disgusting, revolting.
Rising the next morning — no joy.
When the karma-debt arrives — only affliction.
The cost of the feast is great. The harvest is empty.
Someday, examine the good in detail!
The ways of the evil:
Eating meat, drinking, making quarrels —
day and night doing evil, the self unaware.
When the beard grows in, the dharma is still not practised.
A once-beautiful face becomes wrinkled.
The belly hollows. The nine openings fail.
The appearance grows ugly.
Eyes dim. Ears dull. Nothing good remains.
[...damaged...]
Limbs trembling, unable to walk.
Head and chest can no longer meet.
Flesh wasted, skin sagging — arrived at desiccation.
Getting up, sitting down — crooked and bent.
In the hearts of one's children — no longer loved.
When one reflects — no joy, grief without end.
When you die thus, the copper cauldrons cannot be escaped.
The years of dwelling there are without end.
Now you do evil, and the self is unaware.
The refrain reprises:
Even a dear couple — no power to remain.
Even a hundred-year life is a traveller's day.
Yama's messengers carry each one away.
Though you conquered east and west, faces are no longer known.
No one gives up a night's pleasure —
only good deeds come as companions.
In life, boast of power and wealth.
After death, reckon good and evil.
High and low — all enter the same realm of sin.
The divine realm soars equally far from great and small alike.
If you have done much good, you are born to glory.
If you have done much evil, you become wretched.
Which of these to choose — examine well!
There is no escaping death.
When demons come, when illness comes — only then the fear.
Where to hide body and life — the mind finds no answer.
The hook and snare come straight for you.
Before Yama's court, what will you say?
When the white record is inspected — no good has been done.
Seized by rākshasas, cast into copper cauldrons,
led pervading all the realms of sin.
In the plunging torrent, sins are not washed clean.
At the time of death, there is no powerful ally.
All beings — not one escapes.
In life, good was not done.
After death, there is nothing to be mended.
These things — which to choose — examine well!
Your own wife you do not value.
Another man's wife you value above gold.
Not contemplating the true dharma,
you hold slander and gossip supreme.
At the meat-and-drink feast, boasting of your own cleverness,
deliberately speaking the mad words of a fool.
Before the gods within, not confessing sin.
In times of happiness, the gods are not remembered.
In times of illness — then you look to the gods!
But one whose head is full of sin — the gods do not attend.
Hearing the dharma, you take it as a tax.
Seeing meat and drink, you stake your very life.
When doing the dharma, you are lazy and neglectful.
At the illusory and pointless, you never complain.
At deceit and fraud, you never tire.
Counted among humans, following the ways of the wealthy —
not even considering the realms of sin that await,
never escaping from the three evil paths.
All the black sheep slaughtered, cast into copper pots.
Carrying hawk-traps, running through mountain valleys.
Others' suffering — the self does not feel it.
Skins flayed, flesh carved, eaten piece by piece —
like a hungry ghost, a wolf, a starving jackal.
Not practising the dharma, running in madness —
counted among humans, but equal to demons.
Colophon
The Subsequent Teaching of the Magical Letters ('Phrul kyi byig shus phyi ma la bstan pa'i mdo) is a Buddhist moral instruction from Pelliot tibétain 126, a scroll from the sealed library of the Mogao Grottoes (Cave 17), Dunhuang, China. The manuscript is held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France. The text occupies lines 1–103 of the recto; a pre-Buddhist diplomatic narrative, The Dialogue of Dmu and Phyva (archived separately in the Bon tradition), follows on lines 104–168. The verso of the scroll contains Chinese Buddhist texts.
The poem is composed in balanced didactic verse — paired and parallel clauses structured for oral delivery or liturgical recitation. It addresses the living with a sermon on death, impermanence, the consequences of sin, and the imperative to practise the dharma. Its enumeration of specific sins — killing, meat-eating, alcohol, adultery, slander, and hunting — reflects early Buddhist morality being preached to a Central Asian audience during the Tibetan imperial period (7th–9th century CE), when Buddhism was being established alongside and sometimes in competition with indigenous Bon practices.
The text is a companion to "The Teaching on Impermanence" ('Phrul gyi byig bshus) found on Pelliot tibétain 37, which serves as the "first teaching." The title 'phyi ma' (subsequent) explicitly marks this text as the continuation. Together, the two texts form a single pedagogical sequence across two manuscripts — a curriculum on impermanence and its moral implications.
Lines 76–103 reprise lines 28–60 nearly verbatim. This may be an intentional liturgical refrain — common in oral-tradition didactic texts — or a scribal duplication. The repetition is preserved in this translation without alteration.
Structural notes: The opening lines (line 1) are damaged; the text begins mid-sentence. Line 14 was deleted by the original scribe. Line 70 has a short damaged section marked [...damaged...]. A section marker ($) appears between lines 60 and 61, indicating a formal division in the original manuscript.
First English translation. Translated from Old Tibetan by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. The English is independently derived from the romanised Old Tibetan transliteration published by the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO) project. No prior English translation is known to exist. The translator consulted Schaik and Doney (2007: 204–210) for manuscript identification but not for translation content.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
🌲
Source Text: 'Phrul kyi byig shus phyi ma la bstan pa'i mdo
Old Tibetan source text from Pelliot tibétain 126, lines 1–103. Romanised transliteration from the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO) project, University of Vienna / Leiden University. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above. Line 14 was deleted by the original scribe and does not appear.
(1) dang gdan / / [cha?] du [---] [dga'?] la / / sd[i]g pa ngan
(2) dgu gtong myi phod / / tshe cig btsan phyug mchog du 'dzin / /
(3) lha chos bzang po gcig myi spyod / / ma tshor bar du bdud
(4) kyis khyer / / gna' myi 'dzangs shing che dgu yang / / tshe ring da lta
(5) gcig myi snang / / shi zin phan cad sa phung yin / / myi cig
(6) skyes pa'i tshe dus la ring por myi thogs de'u re myed / / khrel
(7) dang gzungs myed mna' yang bza' / / mtha' ma yun du
(8) legs myi spyod / / tshe srog thung ba glog par myur / / gson
(9) dang bye ste / / dur du bskyal / / sdig byes grogs po rtag
(10) par 'dre dang srin / / gtan kyi grogs ngan skyid myi
(11) myong / / dge sdig myi shes nyon re mongs / / nang nub myi dal
(12) phyug por 'dod / / lhag par yod kyang chog myi shes / /
(13) shI ba'i re mo kun la 'ong / /
(15) shi zin phan cad ci shes / / bsag shIng bdog pa kun dang
(16) bral / / phyi na ci lus bdag myi dran / / legs pa 'ba' shig
(17) grogs su 'ongs / / byad bzhin bzang po klu dang sman / /
(18) myi sdug mthar mar skam kyis myed / / gos zas bzang po
(19) za' bog dar / / cir yang ma rung rdul du gyur / / gshin
(20) cha bzang po bgos myi phan / / kha zas bzang po dur du
(21) bcugs / / lo stong bar kyi brgyags yod kyang / /
(22) za ba'i dbang myed yun du lus / / bzang sdug gnyis
(23) shIg dur bcug kyang / / khog skam gnyi shig dgar myi dran / /
(24) gnyen sdug gnyi shig sngas na du / / khri 'bod stong 'bod
(25) rnas myi thos / / gson gshin lam gnyis so sor gyes /
(26) shi ba'i nyon mongs kun 'is brjod / / gnyen dang bdza' bshes
(27) phyi na tshol / / khang khyim bzang po 'dug dbang myed / / ma tshor
(28) bar du bdud kyis khyer / / bzang sdug gnyi shig 'dug dbang
(29) myed / / lo brgya' tshe yang 'dron po 'i zhag / / gshin rje'I
(30) sbron 'os so sor khyer / / shar nub 'dul yang ngo myi shes / /
(31) shag nyer kun 'is byol myi btang / legs pa 'ba'
(32) shig grogs su 'ongs / gson gyi tshe na btsan phyugs sgrun / /
(33) shi ba 'I 'og legs nyes bsgrun / / mthon man kun yang sdig yul
(34) gcig / / lha yul sgro mor che chung mtshungs / / legs rgu byas na
(35) dpal du skye / nyes rgu byas na byus du gyur / / 'di gnyis gang bya zhib
(36) du brtogs / / shi ba yang dag thar ba myed / / bdud 'ongs nad 'ongs
(37) da gzod skrag / / lus srog gar sba blo myi rnyed / / 'gug cing sbron ba thad
(38) du 'ongs / / gshin rje'i bdun du ci skad bshag / / dkar chags
(39) plags na legs ma byas / / srin gyis bzungs shing zangs su brtsos
(40) sdig yul kun du khyab par khrid / / skyin 'dang 'bab du sdig myi
(41) 'byang / / 'chi ba'i dus na btsan nyen myed / / skye dgu kun yang gcig myi
(42) thar / / gson gyi tshe na legs ma byas / / shi ba'i 'og du bzhar ma ru[ng?]
(43) 'di dag gad bya zhib du brtogs / / legs nyes myi shes gsod pa dang / / chang
(44) thung ba'i tshul bshad pa / / bdag gyi chung ma dgos myi brin / / gzhan gyi chung ma
(45) gser bas brin / / yang dag bden chos myi rtog cing / / phra ma khrugs ma
(46) mchog du 'dzin / sha chang gral na ran 'dzang rtod / / khyal ba'i smyo tshig ched
(47) du zer / / lha nga nang du sdig myi bshag / / bde ba'i tshe na lha myi dran / / na ba'i
(48) tshe na / lha ltos / sdig to myi la lha myi 'go / / lha chos thos na dpyas su
(49) 'dzin / / sha chang mthong na srog kyang bsdo / / lha chos byed na' 'on zhing rnegs
(50) sgyu ma'i don myed sun myi 'byin / / 'phyo g.yam byed pa skyo myi shes / /
(51) myI 'i myi grangs phyug kyi chos / / sdig yul kun du btsal myi dgongs
(52) sdig lam gsum las thar myi myong / / gnag lug kun bsad zang[s]
(53) su btsos / / khra sgrig thogs shing ri lung rgyug / / gzhan la na
(54) tsha bdag myi tshor / / pags bshus sha bshas so sor za' / / 'dre
(55) bkren phar spyang ltogs pa 'dra / / lha chos myi byed smyo zhing rgyug
(56) myi 'i myi grangs 'dre dang mtshungs / / sdig yul kun du btsal myi
(57) dgos / / bdag kyi lus la tshogs par yod / / sems shan thams
(58) cad gson por 'dod / / bsad pa'i na tsha kun myi dga' / / srog
(59) la 'phangs par che cung mtshungs / / gzhan 'is bdag bsad sha
(60) zos dka' myi dka' / / de las soms ste lha chos byos / /
(61) $ / / chang thung khyel ba dug dang mtshungs / / ci yang myi dran
(62) smyo ba'i tshul / / bzhin 'gyur stabs khyebs tshig myi bden / /
(63) mtshon dang ngag shor srog kyI bdud / / skyugs pa khar byung sla tsha
(64) bro / / nang par langs nas nyams myi dga' / / las kyi bun byung
(65) nyon re mongs / / zas kyI gron che so nam stong / / nam zhig
(66) legs pa zhib du rtogs / / ngan pa'i tshul bshad pa' / / / /
(67) sha zos chang thung thab mo byed / / nyin mtshun ngan byed bdag
(68) myi tshor / / 'gram spu skyes su chos myi byed / / byed bzhin
(69) bzang po gnyer mar gyur / / khong zhom skyibs dgu mnga'
(70) myi sdug / / dmyig mdoms / rna 'on bzang myi rigs / / [---]
(71) 'dam lag 'dar 'gro myi phod / /
(72) spyi char kha bog rda myi phrad / / sha zad pags rnyil skam la thug / /
(73) yar lang mar 'dug gog cing phye / / bu tsha'i snying du phyir myi sdug
(74) bsam na' myi dga' dgun myi chad / / bdag shI skyin 'bar gzhar
(75) myi 'gro / / 'dug pa'i lo grangs zad kyis myed / / da cung ngan
(76) byed bdag myi tshor / / bzang sdug gnyi shig 'dug dbang
(77) myed / / lo brgya' tshe yang 'dron po 'i zhag / / gshin rje'I
(78) sbron 'os so sor khyer / / shar nub 'dul yang ngo myi shes / /
(79) shag nyer kun 'is byol myi btang / / legs pa 'ba'
(80) shig grogs su 'ongs / / gson gyi tshe na btsan phyugs sgrun / /
(81) shi ba 'I 'og legs nyes bsgrun / / mthon man kun yang sdig yul
(82) gcig / / lha yul sgro mor che chung mtshungs / / legs rgu byas na
(83) dpal du skye / nyes rgu byas na byus du gyur / / 'di gnyis gang bya zhib
(84) du brtogs / / shi ba yang dag thar ba myed / / bdud 'ongs nad 'ongs
(85) da gzod skrag / / lus srog gar sba blo myi rnyed / / 'gug cing sbron ba thad
(86) du 'ongs / / gshin rje'i bdun du ci skad bshag / / dkar chags
(87) plags na legs ma byas / / srin gyis bzungs shing zangs su brtsos
(88) sdig yul kun du khyab par khrid / / skyin 'dang 'bab du sdig myi
(89) 'byang / / 'chi ba'i dus na btsan nyen myed / / skye dgu kun yang gcig myi
(90) thar / / gson gyi tshe na legs ma byas / / shi ba'i 'og du bzhar ma ru[ng?]
(91) 'di dag gad bya zhib du brtogs / / legs nyes myi shes gsod pa dang / / chang
(92) thung ba'i tshul bshad pa / / bdag gyi chung ma dgos myi brin / / gzhan gyi chung ma
(93) gser bas brin / / yang dag bden chos myi rtog cing / / phra ma khrugs ma
(94) mchog du 'dzin / sha chang gral na ran 'dzang rtod / / khyal ba'i smyo tshig ched
(95) du zer / / lha nga nang du sdig myi bshag / / bde ba'i tshe na lha myi dran / / na ba'i
(96) tshe na / lha ltos / sdig to myi la lha myi 'go / / lha chos thos na dpyas su
(97) 'dzin / / sha chang mthong na srog kyang bsdo / / lha chos byed na' 'on zhing rnegs
(98) sgyu ma'i don myed sun myi 'byin / / 'phyo g.yam byed pa skyo myi shes / /
(99) myI 'i myi grangs phyug kyi chos / / sdig yul kun du btsal myi dgongs
(100) sdig lam gsum las thar myi myong / / gnag lug kun bsad zang[s]
(101) su btsos / / khra sgrig thogs shing ri lung rgyug / / gzhan la na
(102) tsha bdag myi tshor / / pags bshus sha bshas so sor za' / / 'dre
(103) bkren phar spyang ltogs pa 'dra / / lha chos myi byed smyo zhing rgyug
Source Colophon
Old Tibetan transliteration from the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO) project: https://otdo.aa-ken.jp/archives?p=Pt_0126. The OTDO project is a collaborative scholarly resource maintained by the University of Vienna and Leiden University. The manuscript (Pelliot tibétain 126) is held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Fonds Pelliot tibétain.
References: Schaik, S. van, and L. Doney. 2007. "The Prayer, the Priest and the Tsenpo: An Early Buddhist Narrative from Dunhuang." Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 30 (1–2): 175–217.
🌲