Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra
by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön | 2001 | 941,039 words
This page describes “shucimukhi-sutra” as written by Nagarjuna in his Maha-prajnaparamita-sastra (lit. “the treatise on the great virtue of wisdom”) in the 2nd century. This book, written in five volumes, represents an encyclopedia on Buddhism as well as a commentary on the Pancavimsatisahasrika Prajnaparamita.
Appendix 1 - The Śucimukhī-sūtra
The Śucimukhī sūtra, taken from Saṃyutta, III, p. 238–240 (tr. Woodward, Kindred Sayings, III, p. 189–191). The Chinese version is in Tsa a han, T 99 (no. 500), k. 18, p. 131c–132a. Here are the main passages:
1. Ekaṃ samayam āyasmā Sāriputto Rājagahe vihārati Veḷuvane Kalandakanivāpe.
2. Atha kho āyasmā Sāriputto pubbaṇhasamayaṃ nivāsetvā pattacīvaram ādāya Rājagahe piṇḍāya pāvisi. Rājagahe sapadānaṃ piṇḍāya caritvā taṃ piṇḍapātam aññaturaṃ kuḍḍam nissāya paribhuñjati.
3. Atha kho Sucimukhī paribbājikā yenayasmā Sāriputto tenupasaṅkami. upasaṅkamiyvā āyasmantaṃ Sariputtum etad avoca.
4–7. Kiṃ nu kho samaṇa adhomukho … ubbhamukho … disāmukho … vidisāmukho bhuñjasīti. Na khvāham bhagini adhomukho … ubbhamukho …disāmukho … vidisāmukho bhuñjāmīti.
8. Kathañcarahi samaṇa bhuñjasīti.
9. Ye hi keci bhagini samaṇabrāhmaṇā vatthuvijjā tiracchānavijjāya micchājīvena jīvikaṃ kappenti, ime vuccanti bhagini samaṇabrāhmaṇā adhomukhā bhuñjantīti.
10. Ye hi keci bhagini samaṇabrāhmaṇā dūteyyapahīṇagamanānuyogā miccājīvena jīvikaṃkappenti, ime vuccanti bhagini samaṇabrāhmaṇāubbhamukhā bhuñjantīti.
11. Ye hi keci bhagini samaṇabrāhmaṇā dūteyyapahīṇagamanānuyoga micchājīvena jīvikaṃ kappenti, ime vuccanti bhagini samaṇabrāhmṇā disāmukha bhiñjantīti.
12. Ye hi keci samaṇabrāhamaṇa aṅgavijjātiracchānavijjāya micchājīvikaṃ kappenti, ime vuccnati bhagini samaṇabrāhamaṇā vidisāmukhā bhuñjantīti.
13. So khāvaṃ na bhagini vatthuvijjā … na nakkhattavijjā … na dūteyyapahīṇagamanānuyoga … na aṅgavijjā tiracchānavijjāya micchājīvena jīvikaṃ kappemi. Dhammena bhikkhaṃ pariyesāmi dhammena bhikkhaṃ pariyesitvā bhuñjāmīti.
14. Atho kho Sucimukhī paribbājjikā Rājagahe rathiyāya rathiyaṃ siṅghāṭakena siṅghāṭakam upasṅkamitvā evam ārocesi. Dhammikaṃ samaṇā sakyaputtiyā dhāram āhārenti anavajjaṃ samaṇā sakyaputtiyā āhāram āharenti. detha samaṇānaṃ sakyaputtiyāṇaṃ piṇḍan ti.
The Chinese version of the Tsa a han follows the Pāli text closely but at the end adds an interesting detail which the Mppś does not mention: “At that time, some tīrthika pravrājikas heard the tīrthikā Śucimukhī who was praising the śramaṇas, sons of the Śākyas. Out of jealousy, they killed the tīrthikā pravrājikā Śucimukhī. After her death, she was reborn among the Tuṣita gods because she had faith (śraddhācitta) in the venerable Śāriputra.”
The main differences that we notice between the various redactions of the Sūtra of Śucimukhī oblige us to recognize that the Mppś has borrowed its quotation from a canonical collection departing considerably from the tradition represented by the Pāli Saṃyuttanikāya and the Chinese Saṃyuktāgama.