3 passages · 2,258 Tibetan characters · 594 English words
Translation
gemma4:31b (English, machine-assisted)
Status
Edition 1.0 · 2026 · machine draft
Rights
OTDO terms — see otdo.aa-ken.jp/policy
This fragmented text consists of a dedication and a list of worldly attachments, though it lacks a cohesive narrative or philosophical argument due to its incomplete state. The first section functions as a dedication of merit, wishing virtue and auspiciousness upon relatives and associates, while incorporating disjointed references to ritual practices and spirits. The second section provides an exhaustive catalog of social relations—including family, servants, and slaves—and material wealth, such as precious metals and livestock. The text concludes with a brief, cryptic reference to nirvana. By juxtaposing the desire for auspiciousness and the listing of worldly possessions against the final mention of liberation, the work aims to illustrate the tension between samsaric attachment and the Buddhist goal of cessation. It commits the reader to recognizing the comprehensive nature of worldly ties that must be transcended to achieve the state of nirvana.
Provenance
About this text
A fragmented composition blending ritual elements and renunciatory themes, this work originates from the Old Tibetan tradition of Dunhuang, dating to the 8th–9th century. The text enacts a transition from the pursuit of auspiciousness for relatives and associates to a stark realization of impermanence. It incorporates references to Bon rituals, spirits, and the 'refuge sheep' before presenting an exhaustive catalog of worldly attachments. This list encompasses social bonds—including family, servants, and slaves—and material wealth such as gold, silver, and livestock, all of which are presented as possessions to be abandoned. The work concludes with a brief reference to nirvana, framing the inevitable destruction of youth by old age. A scholar or serious reader consults this text today to examine the intersection of indigenous ritual customs and the Buddhist goal of cessation, observing how the listing of comprehensive worldly possessions serves to illustrate the necessity of liberation.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Dedication (bsngo ba) and a Buddhist Teaching on Old Age, Sickness, and Death”, machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/otdo-itj0504
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant as it reflects the intersection of Buddhist soteriology with local ritual elements and social hierarchies. The mention of Bon rituals and specific social castes provides insight into the cultural milieu in which the text was produced. For the modern reader, it serves as a primary example of how Buddhist texts categorize the material and social world as objects of renunciation.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1
Dedication and Ritual References
A dedication of merit to associates and a series of fragmented references to spirits and rituals.
2
Catalog of Worldly Possessions
An enumeration of human relationships and material wealth.
3
Conclusion
A brief closing statement regarding nirvana.
Themes
Dedication of Merit (1)
Worldly Attachment and Materialism (2)
Nirvana (3)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaA Dedication (bsngo ba) and a Buddhist Teaching on Old Age, Sickness, and Death·
Also for the remaining relatives and associates, may they be virtuous and become supremely auspicious.
The dedication of the refuge sheep. The source text of the black person. The custom of the black spirit. The Bon ritual of desire. The action of the spirit's desire. The sheep is better than the person. Thus, you, the butter-maker of the refuge sheep, have spread nine good things and nine swift things, and have poured out many rounded jars. By entrusting you with the refuge sheep, from now on, even where there is no rock-path, you, sheep, shall direct the way. Even where there is no great ocean, you, sheep, shall liberate. With a small amount, liberate the rocks; with a small amount, cross the ocean.
Thus it is said, but all sentient beings, under the power of the action of virtue and sin, have exhausted their capacity to be mere wanderers. The sheep cannot direct the way. The sheep cannot serve as a guide. The sheep cannot be used for tending or for wealth. A small amount cannot break the rocks; a small amount cannot cross the ocean.
Therefore, relying on the god of gods in the source text of the white divine dharma and on the Three Jewels, do not let the iron-spike enter. Do not let the warm blood come out. Do not let the essence be split by a spear. Do not let the head and hands be opened. Do not let the joints and vertebrae be shattered. Do not let the red flesh be stained with copper. Do not let the white bones be struck against a pillar. Do not let the four fortunes be placed on a rack. According to the custom of the persons of the higher realms, do not perform the action of a spirit; do not perform the action of a rākṣasa. Let the living eye be clear; let the living ear be attentive. Let those who belong to the nose-ornaments, the gatekeepers, the attendants, the parents, and the siblings.
Sisters and wives, sons and daughters, servants and companions, male and female slaves, those who perform actions, those who are poor, those who live on scraps, the people of the land, gold, silver, pearls, precious stones, clothes, livestock, grain, and the contents of the treasury; all these possessions must be abandoned and left behind.
Great king, it is thus: old age comes to destroy the youthful. Sickness comes to destroy the healthy. Death comes to destroy life. Poverty comes to destroy the prosperous. Because of the sinful and non-virtuous actions created by the great king, the body is pierced and stabbed by the lord of death. There is no protector, no refuge, and no kinsmen to rely on. Prosperity is terrified, and happiness is vanished. Flesh and blood dry up. One is wasted by disease. The body becomes shriveled. The limbs tremble. One is unable to perform action; there is no strength. Saliva, mucus, and impurities flow. The faculties of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are blocked. Groans arise and a rattling sound comes from the throat. One is abandoned by physicians. All medicines, food, and drink are cast aside. Without a single companion, one leaves this life. The great beings are prayed to. One enters a great darkness. One is cast into a great wasteland. One is seized by great grahas. One is driven by the wind of action. When going to a place where there is neither land nor water, one is surrounded by parents, sisters, and friends.