Pelliot tibétain 149
This is a ninth-century Old Tibetan narrative from the Dunhuang caves (Bibliothèque nationale de France, Pelliot tibétain 149), telling how the Bhadracarīpraṇidhāna — the Aspiration Prayer of Good Conduct, one of the most revered prayers in all of Tibetan Buddhism — reached Tibet.
The text unfolds in three movements. First, the mythological origin: Sudhana's pilgrimage through one hundred and one spiritual friends to Samantabhadra, drawn from the Gaṇḍavyūha chapter of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. Second, the historical transmission: the prayer's translation into Tibetan by three named translators during the reign of Emperor Khri-srong-lde-brtsan (r. 755–797 CE). Third, and most remarkably, the hagiography of a Tibetan monk named Dpal-byams who attained liberation through the prayer's practice — dying at the hermitage of 'Ching-pu near Samyé while reciting the very verses of the prayer, each promise fulfilled as the words left his lips.
No English translation of this text has been previously published. The Old Tibetan preserves an early translation tradition of the Bhadracarīpraṇidhāna that predates the Classical Tibetan recension found in the Kangyur.
The introductory narrative, first told, of this King of Aspirations — the Noble Aspiration Prayer of Good Conduct — is as follows.
A merchant's son named Sudhana, who had reached the summit of sharp wisdom, understood the holy Dharma — sūtras and extensive scriptures beyond all conception. Having reached the summit of great faith, in order to hear this Noble Aspiration Prayer of Good Conduct, he beheld one hundred and one spiritual friends. From the mouth of each one: "It is not that I do not know — but you are not destined as my disciple to train." Having been told this and not having heard the prayer, the distances between those spiritual friends were but a horse-rider's shadow, or a day's walking journey.
Upon meeting the hundredth spiritual friend, he beheld the face of Noble Mañjuśrī. When he petitioned Noble Mañjuśrī, the reply was: "It is not that I do not know — but it has not fallen to my lot to train you. In the land of India, at the great Bodhi grove of Mahābodhi, Noble Samantabhadra resides. Go and ask Noble Samantabhadra." So he prophesied.
Then Sudhana the merchant's son petitioned Noble Samantabhadra at the great Bodhi grove of Mahābodhi. Noble Samantabhadra said: "It is also called the Noble Dense Array, also the Flower Ornament of the Buddhas, also the Great Assembly, also the Rdza-plags-pa, also the Ear-Crown Ornament, also the Rma-ga-chad." Having drawn the prayer from within those scriptures and taught it, the merchant's son Sudhana took it to heart. From the stage of devotional practice, he saw the truth of the first ground — Supreme Joy. Similarly, in the land of India, many who took the Noble Aspiration Prayer of Good Conduct to heart attained the accomplishment of Noble Samantabhadra.
After that, it was translated by Ska-ba Dpal-rtsags, Cog-ro Klu'i-rgyal-mtshan, Rma Ratnarakṣa, and others.
During the reign of Emperor Khri-srong-lde-brtsan, a devotee of the Emperor named Dba' Dpal-byams took the prayer to heart. In one night's dream, he dreamt that seven golden stūpas were arrayed upon his head. He reported this to the Emperor. The Emperor did not know the interpretation.
Not long after, there was an Indian paṇḍita called Bodhisattva residing nearby. The Emperor asked him: "If one dreams such a dream, what does it mean?" The Indian paṇḍita asked the Emperor: "Who is this person?" "He is my disciple, a monk," the Emperor replied. "This is one who, by reciting the Noble Aspiration Prayer of Good Conduct, has attained the accomplishment of Noble Samantabhadra," the paṇḍita declared.
The Emperor instructed Master Dpal-byams in the recitation, and the paṇḍita was even more delighted, giving teachings even more than three times by day and three times by night.
Then, before long, Dpal-byams petitioned the Emperor: "My aggregates are declining. The Emperor's devotion cannot prevent this. May I be permitted to go to a hermitage?" At that time he was residing at Samyé. From there, at a distance of a horse-rider's shadow or a day's walking journey, at a place called Spa-dro Hermitage, the Emperor urged him on. Hand upon each other's heart, they made aspiration prayers at each sacred place, and he departed.
Not very long after, at a place not far away called 'Ching-pu Brag-rgye'u, there lived Ngan-lam Stag-sgra Klu-gong's younger brother, Ngan-lam Rgyal-mchog-skyong. And at Sho-ma-la-la, Master Sgro-snya Ye-shes Byang-chub was residing. From the signs or realizations of both, rainbows and other portents appeared in the sky, and they heard that Master Dpal-byams was approaching death. Both set out to go to the Master.
Meeting each other on the road, they paid their respects and exchanged words, each asking where the other was going. "These past nights, such signs have appeared," they said. The signs of the two masters agreed, and they went together.
As Master Dpal-byams recited his devotion:
"When I shall undergo the time of death —"
At just those words, his speech broke off once.
"All obscurations are completely dispelled —"
At just those words, even a small measure was transcended.
"When I behold the Infinite Light directly before me —"
At just those words — as the signs had appeared to the two masters — rainbows and other accomplishments manifested. Abandoning the body of physical matter:
"I shall go to the pure land of Sukhāvatī. Having gone there, these aspiration prayers too —"
Reciting thus, he departed.
Thus far is the introductory narrative.
Colophon
Good Works Translation of Pelliot tibétain 149, an Old Tibetan manuscript preserved in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris. Translated from the Old Tibetan transliteration published by the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO) database, University of Tokyo, maintained by Yoshiro Imaeda, Tsuguhito Takeuchi, et al.
This text is a gleng gzhi (introductory narrative) that originally preceded a copy of the Bhadracarīpraṇidhānarāja — the King of Aspiration Prayers, one of the most widely recited prayers in Tibetan Buddhism. It is unique among the Dunhuang manuscripts in combining three distinct literary modes: mythological origin narrative (the Gaṇḍavyūha's Sudhana pilgrimage), historical record (the naming of three translators during Khri-srong-lde-brtsan's reign), and hagiographic death narrative (Dpal-byams's liberation while reciting the prayer).
The death scene preserves actual verses from the Bhadracarīpraṇidhāna in Old Tibetan, predating the Classical Tibetan Kangyur recension. Notable variant readings include snang ba' mtha' yas ("Infinite Light") where the classical text reads 'od dpag med (both translating Sanskrit Amitābha), and chi ba'i dus byed ("undergo the time of death") where the classical text reads 'chi byed ("undergo death"). These variants preserve an earlier translation stratum.
The six alternative titles given by Samantabhadra for the scripture collection include three identifiable names — the Dense Array (Gaṇḍavyūha), the Flower Ornament of the Buddhas (Buddhāvataṃsaka), and the Great Assembly (Mahāsaṃnipāta) — and three (rdza plags pa, snyan gi gong rgyan, rma ga chad) whose Sanskrit equivalents are uncertain and may reflect early translation nomenclature that did not survive into the classical canon.
The historical figures named are attested: Ska-ba Dpal-rtsags and Cog-ro Klu'i-rgyal-mtshan were among the earliest Tibetan translators at Samyé; Rma Ratnarakṣa (also known as Rma Rin-chen-mchog) was active in the same period. The place names — Samyé, 'Ching-pu, Spa-dro — are known sites in the Yarlung Valley complex of central Tibet.
First English translation. No previous English translation of this text is known to have been published.
Translated from Old Tibetan for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: 'phags pa bzang po spyod pa'i smon lam gyi rgyal po — gleng gzhi (PT 149)
Old Tibetan source text from the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO), University of Tokyo. Transliteration by Yoshiro Imaeda, Tsuguhito Takeuchi, et al. Pelliot tibétain 149, Bibliothèque nationale de France. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
(r1) 'phags pa bzang po spyod pa'i smon lam gyi rgyal po 'di dang por bshad pa'i gleng gzhi ni / tshong dpon gi bu nor bzangs zhes bya bas / shes rab rno ba'i mchog du phyin pa's ni dam pa'i chos mdo dang rgyas pa' bsam gis myi khyab pa zhig thugs su chud nas / dad pa che ba'i mchog du phyin pas ni / 'phags pa bzang po spyod pa'i smon lam 'di ma gsan pa'i slad bzhin du / dge ba'i bshes gnyen brgya rtsa gcig zhal mthong ba' las / kun gi zhal nas ngas myi shes pa ni ma yin na / nga 'i 'dul skal du khyod ma gyur ro / /
(r2) gsungs pas ma gsan nas / dge ba'i bshes gnyen de rnams kyi bar thag ni rta pa'i gdugs tsam / rkang thang gi zhag lam tsam zhig mchis so / /
(r3) dge ba'i bshes gnyen brgya tham ba' la thug pa dang / 'phags pa 'jam dpal gi zhal mthog nas / 'phags pa' 'jam dpal la zhus pa las / ngas myi shes pa ni ma yin na nga'i 'dul skal du ma bab pas / rgya gar gi yul byang chub chen po ma ha bo de'i gling na 'phags pa' kun tu bzang po bzhugs pas / 'phags pa kun tu bzang po la zhu zhig par lung bstan to / /
(r4) de nas tshong dpon gi nor bzangs gyis ma ha bo de byang chub chen po'i gling du 'phags pa kun tu bzang po la zhus pas / 'phags pa kun tu bzang pos / 'phags pa stug po bkod pa zhes kyang bya / sangs rgyas phal po che zhes kyang bya / mang po 'dus pa zhes kyang bya / rdza plags pa zhes kyang bya / snyan gi gong rgyan zhes kyang bya / rma ga chad zhes kyang bya ba de'i nang nas bsus te bshad nas /
(r5) tshong dpon gi bu nor bzangs kyi thugs dam du bzhes pas / mos par spyod pa las sa dang po rab du dga' ba'i bden ba' mthong / de dang mtshungs par rgya gar gi yul du yang 'phags pa bzang po spyod pa'i smon lam thugs dam du bzhes pas / mang pos 'phags pa kun tu bzang po 'i dngos grub brnyes so / /
(r6) de'i 'og tu ska ba' dpal rtsags dang cog ro klu'i rgyal mtshan dang / rma rad na ya kra las bsogs pas bsgyur nas / btsan po khri srong lde brtsan gi sku ring la / btsan po thugs dam ba' dba' dpal byams zhes bya ba zhig gis thugs dam du bzhes nas / nub gcig gi myi lam na / gser gi sko ra bdun dbu la breng 'dug par rmangs pa las /
(r7) btsan po 'i snyan du gsol nas / btsan pos dpyod ma mkhyen nas / khad myi ring ba' zhig na rgya gar gi mkhan po bo de sat tva zhes bya ba bzhugs pa de la btsan pos g.yar lam 'di lta bu zhig rmyis na / 'di ci lags zhes zhus pa dang / rgya gar gi mkhan pos de su lags zhes btsan po la zhus pa dang /
(r8) bdag gi slob ma dge sbyong zhig lags so zhes gsol pa dang / 'di ni 'phags pa' bzang po spyod pa'i smon lam 'don pas / 'phags pa kun tu bzang po 'i dngos grub thob pa zhig ces bka' rtsal pa dang / btsan pos slobs dpon dpal byams la bzlas pa dang / mkhan pos lhag par yang spro ba bskyed nas /
(v1) nyin lan gsum mtshan lan gsum bas kyang lhag par zhal ston du mdzad do / / de nas ring ma lon ba dang / btsan po la zhus pa' / bdag ni rad pa phung po yang dgud pas / btsan po 'i thugs dam dngo myi thog pas / bdag ni dgon gnas gcig du mchi bar ci gnang zhes zhus pa dang / de tsam na ni lha sa bsam yas na bzhugs pa' las /
(v2) de nas rta pa'i gdugs lam rkang thang gi zhag lam tsam na / spa dro dgon pa na zhes bya ba der btsan pos kyang bskul nas / gcig gi thugs kar gcig gi phyag bzhag nas / sa sar smon lam btab nas gshegs so / / de nas ring zhig ma lon ba tsam na / khad kyis myi ring ba zhig na / 'ching pu brag rgye'u zhes bya ba de na /
(v3) ngan lam stag sgra klu gong gi gcung po / ngan lam rgyal mchog skyong bzhugs / sho ma la la ni slob dpon sgro snya ye shes byang chub bzhugs pa las / gnyis gi sku ltas sam rtogs pa la nam ka' las gzha' tshon las bsogs pa byung nas / slobs dpon dpal byams bsur 'gro 'o zhes thos pa las / gnyis ka slobs dpon la zlor gshegs pa las /
(v4) lam du gnyis ka mjal nas / zhe sa bgyis nas bka' mchid bgyis nas / gar gshegs so sor zhus pa dang / mdang gsum g.yar ltas 'di lta bu zhig byung ngo zhes gsol ba las / slobs dpon gnyis la sku ltas mthun nas / zlor gshegs pa dang / slobs dpon dpal byams thugs dam 'don pa las / bdag ni chi ba'i dus byed gyur pa na /
(v5) gsung tsam na gsung lan gcig chad / de nas sgrib pa thams cad ni phyir bsal te / gsung tsam na / gcung tsam yang 'phags / mngon gsum snang ba' mtha' yas de mthong na gsung tsam na / slob dpon gnyis kyi sku ltas la byung ba bzhin du gzha' tshon la bsogs pa' dngos grub byung nas / lus gdos pa' can bor nas /
(v6) bde ba can gyi zhing der rab du 'gro / der song nas ni smon lam 'di dag kyang / zhes zlos shing gshegs so / de yan cad ni son gi gleng gzhi 'o // : //
Source Colophon
Old Tibetan transliteration from the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO), maintained by the Institute for Research in Humanities, University of Tokyo. URL: https://otdo.aa-ken.jp/archives?p=Pt_0149. The physical manuscript is Pelliot tibétain 149, held in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris. The manuscript is a scroll (recto lines r1–r8, verso lines v1–v6). The OTDO provides a scholarly transliteration with variant readings; this source text reproduces the primary readings.
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