Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This text provides instructional guidance on the practice of the six mindfulnesses (recollections), specifically tailored for practitioners of inferior faculties. The author frames the cultivation of these recollections as a method for spiritual development, beginning with the traditional triad of the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, followed by the recollection of generosity and ethical discipline. The text employs a prescriptive approach, directing the practitioner to contemplate the specific qualities of enlightened beings and the virtuous nature of those who have overcome avarice. By focusing on the selfless act of giving the gift of Dharma, the work commits the reader to a mental discipline of emulation, where the internalizing of these virtues serves as a catalyst for personal transformation and the accumulation of merit.
Provenance
About this text
An instructional work on the cultivation of the six recollections, the mtshan yang dag par brjod pa'i rjes su dran pa drug bsgom pa'i man ngag belongs to the classical Tibetan period. It is attributed to the Indian author Mañjuśrīmitra. The work is preserved in the Tengyur, volume ངུ, where it comprises two pages and is situated within the Yoga Tantra Treatises collection. The text provides guidance for practitioners of inferior faculties, directing them to engage in the recollection of the Buddha, the Dharma, the Saṅgha, generosity, ethical discipline, and the deities. By contemplating the specific qualities of these objects—such as the selfless nature of those who have abandoned avarice to give the gift of Dharma—the practitioner is led through a mental discipline of emulation. A scholar or serious reader consults this work today to examine the prescriptive methods used to catalyze personal transformation and the accumulation of merit through the internalizing of virtuous qualities.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “Personal Instructions on Cultivating the Six Mindfulnesses according to “The Recitation of the Names of Mañjuśrī”” (Toh 2565), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh2565
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant for its focus on adapting complex meditative practices for those with limited capacities, illustrating the pedagogical stratification within Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. It highlights the role of Mañjuśrī as a source of wisdom and the importance of devotional recollection as a preliminary path to higher realization.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1
Introduction to the Six Recollections
Homage to Mañjuśrī and the listing of the six mindfulnesses intended for those of inferior faculties.
2
Practice of Recollecting Generosity
Instruction on contemplating the qualities of those who give the gift of Dharma without stinginess.
Themes
The Six Mindfulnesses (1-2)
Cultivation of Generosity (2)
Pedagogy for Inferior Faculties (1)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaPersonal Instructions on Cultivating the Six Mindfulnesses according to “The Recitation of the Names of Mañjuśrī”·
Homage to the noble Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta. Regarding the cultivation of the six recollections by those of inferior faculties: these are the recollection of the Buddha, the recollection of the Dharma, the recollection of the Saṅgha, the recollection of generosity, the recollection of ethical discipline, and the recollection of the deities. Furthermore, by means of recollecting their qualities, one should generate devotion and enter into practice through them.
In that regard, the recollection of the Buddha is as follows: "The Tathāgata, the Arhat, the one endowed with knowledge and conduct, the knower of the world, the unsurpassed charioteer who tames beings, the Perfect Buddha, the Blessed One." In such a manner, realizing and recollecting the qualities of the Buddha is the recollection of the Buddha.
The recollection of the Dharma is as follows: "The Dharma of the Blessed One is well-spoken, perfectly seen, timely, leads to the immediate vision of the goal, is understood by the wise, is excellent in meaning and excellent in phrasing, is virtuous in the beginning, virtuous in the middle, and virtuous in the end, and is unmixed and completely clear." One should focus upon such [qualities] and recollect them.
The recollection of the Saṅgha is as follows: "The Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s śrāvakas has entered well, entered uprightly, entered correctly, entered harmoniously, is worthy of offerings, is worthy of hospitality, is worthy of gifts, and is the unsurpassed field of merit for the world."
One should recollect his qualities. Regarding the recollection of generosity: "Alas! Among those who have abandoned the stain of avarice, there are those who continuously give the gift of Dharma with a mind free from stinginess. They extend their hands and delight in giving. This is a great gain for me." In this way, one should recollect. Regarding the recollection of ethical discipline: "The Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples possesses ethical discipline that is unimpaired, unblemished, unadulterated, untarnished, liberating, praised by the wise, and conducive to concentration." One should recollect in such a manner. Regarding the recollection of the deities: "The deities possess great qualities and are the cause for birth as a deity." Having made one’s own ethical discipline, concentration, insight, and self equal to the qualities of the deities, one should recollect by associating them with the qualities of the deities. This concludes the pith instructions for meditating on the six recollections from the Mañjuśrīnāmasaṃgīti, composed by the master Mañjuśrīmitra.
Translation status: Not among 84000's published translations, and not in progress there. Translations published elsewhere have not been searched for, so one may exist. (source: 84000 catalogue + registry; checked 2026-11-10).
Set in Newsreader and EB Garamond; Tibetan in Noto Serif Tibetan; Chinese in Noto Serif SC.