ABSTRACT

The Chinese title of this sutra is 十善業道經 (shí shànyè dào jīng; T15:600). It is elsewhere also referred to as 佛說十善業道經. It is set in the Palace of the 娑竭羅 ( suōjiéluó; Skt. sāgara ‘ocean’) 龍王 (lóngwáng, ‘dragon king’) in the presence of a great assembly of bhiksus and bodhisattvas. The Buddha explains to the Dragon King that there is one method that bodhisattvas use to eliminate the suffering of (being reborn in) evil or unfavorable destinies (惡道苦 èdào kǔ). This method consists of developing ten wholesome ways of action, or rather, of giving up ten unwholesome ways of action. After the Buddha has explained this method of giving up the ten unwholesome ways of action, he then goes on to describe what will be attained through giving up each of them.