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The Srimala Devi Sutra
The Lion's Roar of Queen Srimala Discourse
A Buddhist Scripture on the Tathagatagarbha Theory
Translation of the lost Sanskrit work made from a collection of the Chinese, Japanese,
and Tibetan versions.
Translated by Alex and Hideko Wayman
Alex Wayman is a professor of Sanskrit at Columbia University.
The translation was first published in 1974 by Columbia University Press.
Currently published in Delhi, India by Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
ISBN: 81-208-0731-6
Prologue
This is what I once heard. The Lord was dwelling in the Jetavana of Anathapindika's park
in Sravasti. King Prasenajit of Kosala and his Queen Mallika had believed in the
Buddha's Doctrine for only a short time. Now they engaged in conversation.
"O great king, our daughter Queen Srimala is profound and clever. If she were just to see
the Buddha, she would understand the doctrine with little difficulty and she would have
no doubts about the Buddha's teaching."
King Prasenajit said to Queen Mallika: "We should send a message to Queen Srimala to
arouse her interest."
Queen Mallika replied: "Yes, this is the time."
Then King Prasenajit and Queen Mallika composed a letter praising the infinite merit of
the Tathagata and sent it by a court official named Chandra. He proceeded to Ayodhya,
then to the ladies' quarters of the palace, bowed to Queen Srimala, exchanged salutations,
and handed Queen Srimala the letter.
Chapter One
Eliminating All Doubts
1. Praises of the Infinite Merit of the Tathagata
The queen, with joyful respect to her father and mother, touched her head with it, and
read it, then stating, "The letter has an auspicious meaning." Convinced of the meaning,
she touched it with her head, deeply moved with wonder, and spoke these verses before
her retinue and Chandra:
It is said that the voice of a Buddha is most rare in the world. If this saying be true, I must
serve thee.
If the Lord Buddha may come for the sake of the world, may he, with compassion, come
here on behalf of the teaching for me!
At that very instant, the Lord approached in the space [in front], and she saw the
inconceivable body of the Buddha seated there, emitting pure light rays. Queen Srimala
and her retinue respectfully bowed with folded hands at their heads, and she praised the
best of speakers:
Lord, there is nothing comparable to your bodily form and glory. I bow to you, the Lord
of the world, matchless and incomparable.
Your bodily form and knowledge are unimaginable. Your Buddha nature does not perish;
so it is right to take refuge in you, the sage.
With matchless skill you have overcome the faults of body and mind. I bow to you, King
of the Doctrine, who have acquired the stage without loss.
You are the Lord with knowledge body, who has comprehended all the knowable. I bow
to you who have attained the ultimate of all the Buddha natures.
Homage to you, the infinite. Homage to you, beyond comparison. Homage to you, whose
nature is matchless. Homage to you, whose form is limitless.
May the Lord now protect me and quicken the seed of enlightenment. May the sage
benefit me in this and subsequent lives.
The Lord spoke forth: "Queen, in your former lives I have made you practice toward
enlightenment; and in future lives I shall assist you." Queen Srimala prayed: "Whatever
the merit I have performed in this and in other lives, by that merit, Lord, may I always
see you, assisting me."
Thereupon, Queen Srimala along with all her lady attendants and entire retinue bowed to
the feet of the Lord. The Lord prophesied to Queen Srimala amid the assembled group
that she would attain the incomparable right perfected enlightenment.
"Queen, by reason of your virtuous root formed of the merits accumulated by praising the
genuine qualities of the Tathagata, you, for incalculable aeons, will experience perfect
sovereignty among gods and men. In all your lives you will not fail to see me. Just as you
now praise me face to face, so you will continue praising. And you will also make
offerings to innumerable Buddha Lords.
"After 20,000 aeons you will become the Tathagata-Arhat-Samyaksambuddha
Samantaprabha. At that time, in your Buddha land there will be no evil destiny. Besides,
at that time the sentient beings will stay on the path of ten virtuous actions; those beings
will not have sickness or old age or disagreeable disturbances; and even the names of the
path of unvirtuous actions will not be mentioned.
"Any sentient being born in that Buddha land will surpass the Paranirmitavasavartin
deities in pleasure; glory of shape and color; splendor in the sense objects of form, sound,
odor, smell, tangibles; and ecstasy of that sentient being in all enjoyments.
"Queen, any sentient being born in that Buddha land will also be installed in the Great
Vehicle. Accordingly, Queen, at that time the beings who have created virtuous roots will
all gather in that Buddha land."
While Queen Srimala was hearing the sublime prophesy, uncountable gods and men were
inspired to be born in that Buddha land. And the Lord prophesied that all of them would
be born in that world-region.
2. Ten Great Vows
Thereupon, Queen Srimala, having heard the prophecy about herself directly from the
Lord, joined her hands in salutation and made the ten great vows:
(1) "Lord, from now on, and until I attain enlightenment, I hold to this first vow, that I
shall not permit any thought of violating morality.
(2) "Lord, from now on, and until I attain enlightenment, I hold to this second vow, that I
shall not allow any thought of disrespect toward the teachers.
(3) "Lord, from now on, and until I attain enlightenment, I hold to this third vow, that I
shall not allow any thought of anger or ill-will toward sentient beings.
(4) "Lord, from now on, and until I attain enlightenment, I hold to this fourth vow, that I
shall not allow any thought of jealousy toward the glory of others or the perfections of
others.
(5) "Lord, from now on, and until I attain enlightenment, I hold to this fifth vow, that I
shall not allow any thought of covetousness, no matter how meager the donated food.
(6) "Lord, from now on, and until I attain enlightenment, I hold to this sixth vow, that I
shall not accumulate wealth for my own use, but shall deal with it to assist the poor and
friendless.
(7) "Lord, from now on, and until I attain enlightenment, I hold to this seventh vow, that
with the four article of conversion I shall benefit the sentient beings and not convert them
for my own sake; indeed, I shall seek to convert the sentient beings with my mind
unoccupied with material things, ever unsatisfied, and not retreating.
(8) "Lord, from now on, and until I attain enlightenment, I hold to this eighth vow, that
when in the future I observe sentient beings who are friendless, trapped and bound,
diseased, troubled, poor and miserable, I shall not forsake them for a single moment until
they are restored. Lord, seeing them afflicted by suffering, I shall liberate them from each
of those sufferings; having conferred goods upon them, I shall leave them.
(9) "Lord, from now on, and until I attain enlightenment, I hold to this ninth vow, that
when I see persons with sinful occupations such as dealing in pigs, and those who violate
the Doctrine and Disciple proclaimed by the Tathagata, I shall not take it lightly; and
wherever my residence in towns, villages, cities, districts, and capitals, I shall destroy
what should be destroyed and shall foster what should be fostered. Why so? Lord, by
destroying and by fostering, the Illustrious Doctrine will long remain in the world, the
bodies of gods and men will thrive, and evil destinies will fade. And the Lord, having
turned the Wheel of the Doctrine, will continue to turn the Wheel of the Doctrine.
(10) "Lord, from now on, and until I attain enlightenment, I hold to this tenth vow, that,
having embraced the Illustrious Doctrine, I shall not forget it even in a single thought.
Why so? Lord, if one forgets the Illustrious Doctrine, he forgets the Great Vehicle. If he
forgets the Great Vehicle, he forgets the Perfections. If he forgets the Perfections, he
discards the Great Vehicle. Lord, the Bodhisattva great-being who is uncertain about the
Great Vehicle become averse to embracing the Illustrious Doctrine and is occupied with
his own fancy; he reaps the fortune of entering the stage of the spiritually immature
ordinary person. Lord, this I see to be a great disadvantage and harm. Lord, I foresee the
perfection of aim yielding incalculable benefit for myself and future Bodhisattvas
through embracing the Illustrious Doctrine; and so I take this vow to embrace the
Illustrious Doctrine.
"Lord, I take those ten great vows in the presence of the Lord. For that, may the Master of
Dharma himself now be my witness! Although they may be taken face to face with you
the Teacher, some sentient beings with meager roots of virtue might think, 'Oh, those ten
great vows are difficult to uphold,' and would have doubt or hesitation toward me. Lord,
by so thinking they would incur for a long time much harm, suffering, and disaster. Lord,
for the sake of helping precisely such persons, I wish to perform in the presence of the
Lord this 'Blessing of Truth.'
"Lord, just as surely as I have taken exactly these ten great vows, and if they are just as
stated by me, then, Lord by dint of this, my word of truth, may a shower of heavenly
flowers descend upon the group and may divine sounds be heard sounded!"
No sooner had Queen Srimala uttered those words than there descended a shower of
heavenly flowers, and heavenly sounds were heard in the air. The Lord said, "Queen, that
is so! Just as you performed the 'Blessing of Truth,' so it happened, and in no other way."
The entire retinue, having witnessed the marvelous supernatural phenomenon and having
heard that conception through divine sounds, were free from doubt and experienced the
most intense joy. The whole retinue took a vow that they would be together with Queen
Srimala, and the Lord prophesied that they would accordingly not be separate from her.
Chapter Two
Deciding the Cause
3. Three All-inclusive Aspirations
Then Queen Srimala in the presence of the Lord formed three great aspirations:
(a) "Lord, by this blessing of truth and by the virtuous root consisting of accumulated
merit from bringing benefit to innumerable sentient beings, may I comprehend the
Illustrious Doctrine in all my lives.
(b) "Lord, having obtained the comprehension of the Illustrious Doctrine, may I teach the
Doctrine to the sentient beings without rest or weariness. This is my second great
aspiration.
(c) "Lord, while teaching the Illustrious Doctrine, then, without regard to my body, life
force, or possessions, may I seek to protect and to uphold the Illustrious Doctrine. This is
my third great aspiration.
Then the Lord elucidated the great scope of Queen Srimala's three great aspirations:
"Queen, for example, if all forms were to be collected together in the realm of space, it
would hold them all and extend beyond. In the same way, when all Bodhisattva
aspirations as numerous as the sands of the Ganges are taken together within the three
great aspirations, those three great aspirations include them and extend beyond."
4. Embrace of the Illustrious Doctrine
Then Queen Srimala implored the Lord with these words: "Furthermore, when I am
teaching the scope of the great aspirations, may the Tathagata's power make me
eloquent." The Lord replied, "Queen, by permission of the Tathagata, you shall be
eloquent!" Queen Srimala appealed to the Lord with these words: "Lord, the Bodhisattva
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