Article: Sandhinirmocana Sutra – Sutra of Untying the Knots
(11.2.2018)
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Exquisite language talent allows Bhante Dhammadipa to translate from and to different languages. Now we have the opportunity to get his Czech translation of the classic text ‘Sandhinirmocana Sutra’ (解深密經) in English ‘Sutra of Untying the Knots’.
This sutra belongs to the middle age of Mahayana Buddhism. This version that has been translated to Czech now, is the version that has apperead at the beginning of the Gupta dynasty, at the time of the golden age of the boom of Indian culture and writing in Sanskrit. According to tradition, this sutra existed in the extensive version of the hundred thousand verses and in a version reduced to one thousand five hundred verses. A shorter version retained in Tibetan and Chinese is the basis of this text.
The compound word ‘sandhinirmocana’ has five meanings in the sense of solving or explaining nodes or secrets: First, the text explains the deep meaning of the concept of the Thrue Body (dharmakaya), otherwise difficult to understand. Secondly, it unties firm knots, such as the knots of saturation of consciousness with ignorance (avidyavasana), which are the laypersons, the disciples and Buddhas for themselves (Pratyekabuddhas) unable to untie. Third, it explains the wisdom that reveals the mystery of truth. Fourth, it reveals the knots that need to be untied. Fifth, it explains the revelation of the mystery of the ultimate meaning of the doctrine.
The work is divided into the following chapters:
Chapter 1. – INTRODUCTION
Chapter 2. – ABOUT THE ULTIMATE TRUE
Chapter 3. – ABOUT THE CONSCIOUSNESS, MIND AND DUALISTIC WAY OF THINKING
Chapter 4. – ABOUT THE ESSENCE OF ALL THINGS
Chapter 5. – ABOUT THE NON-ESSENCE OF ALL THINGS
Chapter 6. – ABOUT YOGA
Chapter 7. – ABOUT (six) PERFECTIONS (parami)
Chapter 8. – ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES OF THE TATHAGATAS
The text of this script as well as the basic part of the ‘Discourse on the Stages of Yogic Practice’ (Yogacarabhumi-Sastra) can be divided into three parts. The second to fifth chapters explain the scope of yoga, sixth and seventh chapters explaining the right acting according to yoga (acara), and chapter eight explains the implications of yoga practice (phala). If we add a part of the introduction chapter, which explains the causes of the teaching of this sutra, the content of the sutra consists of four basic parts. Some scholars are talking about five parts. The end of the eighth chapter, which is explaining the name under which the sutra is to be worshipped, is considered to be the fifth part, as it forms a particularly important part of the text.
Bhante Dhammadipa’s Czech translation of ‘Sandhinirmocana Sutra’ was published in cooperation with the Dhammadipa Foundation and Taiwan foundation “Buddha Educational Foundation“. Now we are looking for and agreeing on how to distribute the book. When everything is ready, we will announce here on Facebook how the Czech translation can be obtained.
JH
