Unravelling the Intent

In this sutra, Unravelling the Intent (Skt. Saṃdhinirmocana; Tib. དགོངས་པ་ངེས་འགྲེལ།, Wyl. dgongs pa nges ‘grel) the Buddha gives a systematic overview of his three great cycles of teachings, which he refers to in this text as the “three Dharma wheels”. In the process of delineating the meaning of these doctrines, the Buddha unravels several difficult points regarding the ultimate and relative truths, the nature of reality, and the contemplative methods conducive to the attainment of complete and perfect awakening, and he also explains what his intent was when he imparted teachings belonging to each of the three Dharma wheels. In unambiguous terms, the third wheel is proclaimed to be of definitive meaning. Through a series of dialogues with hearers and bodhisattvas, the Buddha thus offers a complete and systematic teaching on the Vehicle, which he refers to here as the Single Vehicle.

Text

The Tibetan translation of this sutra can be found in the General Sutra section of the Tibetan Kangyur, Toh 106

• English translation: Unravelling the Intent