Shaku Shingan

The King Ajā taś atru Sū tra: A Translation of the Ajā taś atrukaukṛ tyavinodana Sū tra from the Chinese of Lokakṣ ema together with three short sū tras on Ajā taś atru Shaku Shingan

King Ajatasatru is well-known among Buddhists for being misled by the Buddha's jealous brother-in-law and cousin, Devadatta, into bringing about his father's death and usurping the throne of the Kingdom of Magadha. Despite this, he also came to repent his deeds and became a sincere supporter of the Buddha. This publication presents four first English translations of sutras on Ajatasatru, his repentance, and the eventual assurance of his attainment of Buddhahood. The King Ajatasatru Sutra (Skt. Ajatasatrukaukrtyavinodana, Taisho No. 626) presents the process whereby bodhisattva Mañjusri helped King Ajatasatru to see the emptiness of all phenomenal existence and the original purity of mind. Through attaining these insights, the king overcame his doubts about his fate and received assurance of his eventual buddhahood. The Sutra on King Ajatasatru's Questions on the Five Heinous Crimes (Taisho No. 508) presents the process whereby the king will overcome his doubts by attaining rootless faith (granted to him by the Buddha) rather than through the realisation of emptiness. The Sutra on King Ajatasatru's Reception of his Prediction (Taisho No. 509) sees the king receive his assurance of buddhahood not while the Buddha is in the world, but rather by offering to him after he entered nirvana. It Thus emphasises the transcendent nature of the Buddha's manifestation in the world. The Sutra on the Flower Pickers (Taisho No. 510) presents a variation on the previous sutra where the Buddha has not yet entered nirvana. Our sincere wish is that readers will find these sutra translations a fascinating and valuable addition to their understanding of Buddhism and the redemption of those who have committed grave evils.
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