Translated By Tony Qin
I am delighted to have this opportunity to explore the Peacock Wisdom King Dharma with our readers. Over the past decade, more and more practitioners have been drawn to this ancient and profound practice, eager to deepen their understanding. Yet, public information about it remains quite limited. Reflecting on my 20 years of study and practice, I’ve gathered some humble insights that I’d like to share with you. My hope is to offer a basic introduction to the Peacock Dharma and provide a starting point for those interested in exploring it further.
The Peacock Wisdom King Dharma we study today is based on materials promoted by Elder Jianru[1] and originates from the Buddha Mother Great Peacock Wisdom King Sutra, translated by Tripiṭaka Master Amoghavajra[2] during the Tang dynasty. This version is found in Volume 19, No. 982 of the Taishō Revised Tripiṭaka and is the most widely circulated today. Because of this, it is often referred to as the Buddha Mother Great Peacock Wisdom King Dharma. However, the version we use is called the Buddha Mother Great Golden Radiance Peacock Wisdom King Sutra, which includes the additional words “Golden Radiance.” The preface of this sutra states: “This translation was made by Tripiṭaka Master Amoghavajra from Central India… under imperial decree in the Daming Palace. The sutra was compiled into three volumes and titled Buddha Mother Great Golden Radiance Peacock Wisdom King Sutra.” And yet, the Taishō Canon version does not include “Golden Radiance” in its title. So, are these two versions actually the same?
By examining Volume 25 of the Fangshan Stone Sutras, we can find a satisfactory answer to this question. The version recorded there (No. 781) consistently uses the title Buddha Mother Great Golden Radiance Peacock Wisdom King Sutra for the upper, middle, and lower volumes, with the panel numbers clearly marked at the top of each page. Both the preface and the body of the text include the words “Golden Radiance,” confirming that this is indeed the same sutra translated by Amoghavajra during the Tang dynasty.
Professor Lin Guangming[3] from Taiwan has conducted extensive research into the bilingual Sanskrit-Chinese content of the Peacock Sutra for phonetic transcription and comparative study. One of the significant resources for this work is the Collection of the Supreme Secret Dharanis of the Śākyas’ Teaching from the Fangshan Stone Sutras, which contains 724 mantras. This esoteric text, long lost for over a thousand years, offers invaluable material for accurately studying Sanskrit-Chinese phonetic correspondences, making it a crucial reference when comparing the mantra transcriptions in the Peacock Sutra.
The Fangshan Stone Sutras, officially known as the “Stone-Carved Buddhist Canon of Yunju Monastery in Fangshan”, are located in Fangshan County, Beijing. This is the largest and oldest collection of stone-carved Buddhist scriptures in China. It preserves over fifty texts that are absent from other Buddhist canons, and most of these stone carvings are noted for their meticulous craftsmanship and elegant calligraphy. Not only is this collection a vital historical Buddhist artifact, but it is also a masterpiece of Chinese calligraphy and engraving. It provides valuable insights into the economy, politics, culture, and art of ancient China, making it a precious piece of world cultural heritage.
The stone sutras originated from concerns over the possible destruction of Buddhist teachings. Past persecution campaigns aimed at eradicating Buddhism had been instigated by Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei and Emperor Wudi of the Northern Zhou. In light of this, the Sui dynasty monk Jingwan[4] began carving the scriptures onto stone tablets to ensure their preservation. Fearing that paper scriptures might not survive future persecutions, Jingwan devoted himself to this monumental task, engraving the teachings into stone so they could be printed and disseminated in the future. His noble cause was supported by the imperial court, and after him, his disciples continued the mission. This project was carried on by generations of monks through the Song, Liao, Jin, and Yuan dynasties, continuing until the final years of the Ming dynasty. This thousand-year effort was sustained by monastics who upheld the Bodhisattva ideal of selfless dedication to the protection of the Dharma.
In 1955, under extremely difficult conditions, the Chinese Buddhist Association spent three years organizing and making rubbings of the entire stone sutra collection, producing over 200,000 rubbings, which were stored separately in the association’s archives and various libraries. In 1999, to better preserve this national treasure, the stone sutras were returned to Yunju Monastery and placed in a newly constructed underground chamber
Buddhist teachings can purify the mind and transform sentient beings. A well-known Buddhist saying goes, “Scriptures are hard to come by, and good teachers are difficult to find.” Since Buddhism’s arrival in China during the Eastern Han dynasty, countless monks from the Western Regions and India have made long and arduous journeys, traversing mountains and deserts to bring the teachings to China. Similarly, many Chinese monks have braved untold hardships, often risking their lives, to travel westward in search of the Dharma. Every Buddhist sutra that arrived in China bears witness to a moving story. These precious scriptures have been translated, safeguarded, and propagated through the tireless efforts of generations before us. Today, we are fortunate to have access to the most extensive collection of religious and philosophical texts in the world—the Chinese Buddhist canon. As Buddhists, when we hold these hard-won scriptures in our hands, do we treat them with the reverence and respect they deserve? Do we approach our studies with gratitude and sincerity?
(To be continued)
[1] Elder Venerable Jianru (1923–2013), originally from Xi’an in Shaanxi Province, China, became a monk in 1960 under Venerable Lingyuan at Shifang Dajue Temple in Keelung, Taiwan, and later served as the abbot of Peacock Mountain Kaicheng Temple in Yilan. He began studying the Peacock Dharma in 1978 and dedicated over 30 years to revising, retypesetting, and reviving the long-lost Buddha Mother Great Peacock Wisdom King Sutra.
[2] Master Amoghavajra (705–774) was one of the three great esoteric Buddhist patriarchs who came to China from India during the Tang dynasty. Renowned for his translation skills, he is recognized as one of the four great translators of Chinese Buddhism, alongside Kumārajīva, Paramārtha, and Xuanzang.
[3] Lin Guangming (b. 1949) is a contemporary Sanskrit expert and President of the Chinese International Association for Sanskrit-Chinese Mantra Research in Taiwan.
[4] Master Jingwan (d. 639) was a monk from the late Sui to early Tang dynasty who resided at Zhiquan Temple in Youzhou (modern-day Hebei Province). He carried out his teacher Huisi’s wish by initiating the monumental project of the Fangshan Stone Sutras.
