Wǔqiān wǔbǎi fómíng shénzhòu chú zhàng miè zuì jīng 五千五百佛名神呪除障滅罪經
Sūtra of the Divine Dhāraṇī of 5,500 Buddha-Names for Removing Obstructions and Eliminating Sins by 闍那崛多 Shénàjuéduō (Jñānagupta, 譯)
About the work
The Wǔqiān wǔbǎi fómíng shénzhòu jīng is an eight-fascicle comprehensive Buddha-name and dhāraṇī sūtra compiled or translated by 闍那崛多 (Jñānagupta) during the Suí dynasty. The title identifies it as combining 5,500 Buddha-names (fómíng 佛名) with divine dhāraṇī (shénzhòu 神呪), with the express soteriological function of removing karmic obstructions (chú zhàng 除障) and eliminating sins (miè zuì 滅罪). This makes the text one of the largest comprehensive Buddha-name and dhāraṇī compilations in the Chinese canon, considerably exceeding the earlier qiānfó (thousand Buddhas) lists.
Prefaces
The Taishō records no preface or translator dedication for this specific volume; the header simply gives 闍那崛多 as the Suí translator.
Abstract
闍那崛多 (ca. 523–600 CE) was a prolific Suí-dynasty translator who worked first under the Northern Zhōu and then under the Suí emperors. The Kāiyuán shìjiào lù 開元釋教錄 records numerous translations attributed to him; his most important contributions include the Tiān qǐngwèn jīng 天請問經 and several dhāraṇī collections. This 8-fascicle text is one of his largest works. The combination of Buddha-name recitation with dhāraṇī formulas reflects the increasing fusion of “exoteric” devotional practices (Buddha-name recitation) with “esoteric” dhāraṇī practices in the Suí–Táng period — a fusion that would culminate in full-scale Esoteric Buddhism (Mìjiào 密教) under the Táng. The text’s 5,500 Buddha-names far exceed the 1,000 of the bhadrakalpa-related texts, suggesting extensive compilation and expansion beyond any single Indian original. Its primary ritual function is confession (chànhuǐ 懺悔) through the enumeration of Buddha-names and dhāraṇī recitation.
Translations and research
No substantial secondary literature located.