Fóshuō Píngshā wáng wǔyuàn jīng 佛說蓱沙王五願經
Sūtra of the Five Vows of King Bimbisāra translated by 支謙 Zhī Qiān (譯)
About the work
The Fóshuō Píngshā wáng wǔyuàn jīng (T511) is a one-fascicle short sūtra by 支謙 Zhī Qiān. The protagonist Píngshā 蓱沙 is a Chinese phonetic transliteration of Bimbisāra — the king of Magadha and a major patron of the Buddha (also father of Ajātaśatru, cf. KR6i0137–KR6i0139). The text narrates Bimbisāra’s five vows as a young prince, all of which were fulfilled — receiving the throne, meeting an enlightened teacher (the Buddha), receiving Dharma, etc.
Prefaces
The text opens with the canonical formula.
Abstract
A canonical narrative of King Bimbisāra’s piety, demonstrating the principle that proper vow-making leads to the fulfillment of one’s aspirations. Translation dated to Zhī Qiān’s Wú productive period (222–252 CE). The text has parallels in the Pāli Vinaya and the Saṃyutta-nikāya.
Translations and research
- Lamotte, Étienne. Histoire du Bouddhisme indien. Louvain, 1958 — Bimbisāra context.