The Great Cloud (2)

This brief discourse, the sutra, The Great Cloud (Skt. Mahāmegha; Tib. སྤྲིན་ཆེན་པོ།, Wyl. sprin chen po), is identified more precisely in its colophon as a supplementary chapter from 'The Great Cloud' on “the array of winds that bring down rainfall.” It describes a visit from the Buddha Shakyamuni to the realm of the nagas. The assembly of nagas pays homage to the Buddha with a grand panoply of magically emanated offerings, and their king asks him to explain how the nagas can eliminate their own suffering and aid sentient beings by causing timely rain to fall. The Buddha, in response, extols the benefits of loving-kindness and then teaches them a dharani that when accompanied by the recitation of a host of buddha names will dispel the nagas’ suffering and cause crops to grow. At the naga king’s request, the Buddha then teaches another long dharani that will cause rain to fall during times of drought. The discourse concludes with instructions for constructing an altar and holding a ritual rainmaking service.

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The Tibetan translation of this sutra can be found in the General Sutra section of the Tibetan Dergé Kangyur, Toh 235

• English translation: The Great Cloud (2)