The Sutra of Great Cool Grove

The Sutra of Great Cool Grove (Skt. Mahāśītavanīsutra; Tib. བསིལ་བའི་ཚལ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།, Wyl. bsil ba’i tshal chen po’i mdo) is one of five texts that constitute the Pancaraksha scriptural collection, has been among the most popular texts used for pragmatic purposes throughout the Mahayana Buddhist world. This sutra promises protection for the Buddha’s “four communities”—monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen—against a range of illnesses and obstacles originating from the hosts of spirit entities who reside in remote wilderness retreats. The text centres specifically on threats of illness posed by the capricious spirit world of “non-humans,” known collectively as grahas or bhutas, who feed off the vitality, flesh, and blood of members of the Buddhist spiritual community engaging in spiritual practice at those remote hermitages. The sutra is proclaimed by the Four Great Kings, each of whom reigns over a host of bhutas, with the goal of quelling the hostile forces who assail those diligently practising the Buddha’s teachings. Also included are ritual prescriptions for properly performing the sutra and descriptions of the many benefits that ensue.

Text

The Tibetan translation of this sutra can be found in the General Sutra section of the Tibetan Dergé Kangyur, Toh 562

• English translation: The Sutra of Great Cool Grove