Twelve deeds

The Twelve Deeds of the Buddha

Twelve deeds (Wyl. mdzad pa bcu gnyis) - Twelve deeds carried out by a supreme nirmanakaya buddha, such as the Buddha Shakyamuni are:

1. the descent from Tushita, the Joyous pure land,
2. entering the mother’s womb,
3. taking birth in the Lumbini garden,
4. becoming skilled in various arts,
5. delighting in the company of royal consorts,
6. developing renunciation and becoming ordained,
7. practicing austerities for six years,
8. proceeding to the foot of the bodhi tree,
9. overcoming Mara’s hosts,
10. becoming fully enlightened,
11. turning the wheel of Dharma, and
12. passing into mahaparinirvana in the city of Kushinagara.

Further Reading

• Lobsang Dhargyay, 'The Twelve Deeds of the Buddha⎯A Controversial Hymn ascribed to Nagarjuna' in The Tibet Journal, Vol.IX, No.2, Summer 1984