Mahābheri Sūtra
The Great Drum Sūtra (MBhS, Sanskrit: *Mahābherisūtra; Chinese: 大法鼓經, Dà fǎ gǔ jīng, or *Mahābherīhārakaparivartasūtra, Sutra Chapter on the Beater of the Great Drum, Tibetan: 'phags pa rnga bo che chen po'i le'u zhes bya ba theg pa chen po'i mdo) is a Mahayana Buddhist sutra of the tathāgatagarbha type.
[1][2][3] The Mahābherisūtra focuses on buddha-nature (tathāgatagarbha), describing it as luminous, pure, permanent, eternal, everlasting, peaceful, and as a self (ātman).
[3] According to C.V. Jones "the MBhS is committed to the idea that the liberation of Buddhas is a kind of enduring existence, and advances the tathāgatagarbha of sentient beings as that aspect of them which will eventually enjoy this status.
"[2] The Indian Sanskrit MBhS was translated into Chinese by Guṇabhadra (c. fifth century) as Dà fǎ gǔ jīng (T.
[2] The MBhS also shows doctrinal similarities with the Lotus Sutra (Saddharmapuṇḍarīka), including: a similar presentation of dharmabhāṇakas (dharma reciters / preachers), both include incredulous hinayana monks who leave the assembly before the sutra is taught, both texts say that "the recitation of the sūtra constitutes the Buddha’s recurring presence in the world", both texts contain the parables of the illusory city and the lost son as explanations of hinayana, both texts teach the ekayāna (one vehicle) doctrine and both discuss a revered monk named Sarvalokapriyadarśana.
[2] The sutra begins with King Prasenajit coming to see the Buddha, accompanied by the beating of drums and sounding of conches.
[1] This sutra focuses on the tathāgatagarbha ("buddha-womb") doctrine, which it presents as the essential nature or element (dhātu) of all sentient beings (i.e. the buddha-nature).
"[5] Like the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra, the Mahābherī also teaches the simile of the refinement of milk into butter and then ghee as a way to explain the manifestation of buddha-nature.
The Mahābherisūtra also states that the ātman is a permanent element that is present in sentient beings which remains after the attainment of liberation.
[5] For the Mahābherisūtra, emptiness and not-self are teachings which only apply to samsaric phenomena and the afflictions, but not to the basis of samsara - great nirvāṇa which is eternal and peaceful.
[5] The Buddha further states in this sutra that he only teaches not-self in order to overcome the worldly notion of self and to develop people in faith and insight.
