Sarvapuṇyasamuccayasamādhi

Sarvapuṇyasamuccayasamādhi (T. bsod nams thams cad bsdus pa’i ting nge ’dzin; C. 集一切福德三昧經), or The Absorption That Encapsulates All Merit, is a Mahayana sutra that emphasizes the importance of developing bodhicitta. It also presents related topics, such as the importance of creating merit, the centrality of learning and insight, and the question of whether renunciation entails monasticism.

The Dharmachakra Translation Committee states:

The Absorption That Encapsulates All Merit tells the story of Vimalatejā, a strongman renowned for his physical prowess, who visits the Buddha in order to compare abilities and prove that he is the mightier of the two. He receives an unexpected, humbling riposte in the form of a teaching by the Buddha on the inconceivable magnitude of the powers of awakened beings, going well beyond mere physical strength. The discussions that then unfold‍—largely between the Buddha, Vimalatejā, and the bodhisattva Nārāyaṇa‍—touch on topics including the importance of creating merit, the centrality of learning and insight, and the question of whether renunciation entails monasticism. Above all, however, Vimalatejā is led to see that the entirety of the Great Vehicle path hinges on the practice that forms the name of the sūtra, which is nothing other than the mind of awakening (bodhicitta).

This text is one of a group of samādhi sūtras within the Mahayana tradition.

Translation

• Dharmachakra Translation Committee (2023), The Absorption That Encapsulates All Merit, 84000 Reading Room