dharma-mukha (7808)

dharma-mukha
Entry 7808, Page 280, Col. 1

(DarmamuKa, Darma-muKa)
dharma-mukha¦, nt., entrance or introduction to the [Page280-b+ 71] doctrine or to religion, way of entering it; so correctly Bur- nouf on SP 53.5, introductions à la loi, confirmed by Tib. on LV 161.14 chos kyi sgo rnam, doors or entrances to the doctrine or to religion. They are usually said to be very numerous: dharmāmukhā (°mā° m.c.) koṭisahasr’ aneke prakāśayiṣyanti anāgate 'dhve SP 53.5 (vs); asaṃkhye- yāni dharmamukha-śatasahasrāṇi niścaranti sma LV 128.8 (as the alphabet is recited, religious dicta come forth); a formulaic list, beginning (akṣayavimokṣa)-saṃbhedaṃ nāma dharmamukha(ṃ) Gv 195.24; sarvadharmaśubha- vyūhaṃ nāma dharmam° 196.3, and others in 196.5--6, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, etc. (the names are pompous but unilluminat- ing); (sarvaromamukhebhyo) vividhāni dharmamukhāni niścaramāṇāny aśrauṣīt Gv 515.5, foll. by: yad uta, bo- dhisattvaguṇavarṇa-mukhāni dānapāramitā-mukhāni etc. (the cpds. become longer and more embracing as they proceed); precisely four are listed in LV 182.5 ff., (bodhi- sattvaḥ…) catvāri dharmamukhāny āmukhīkaroti sma… (6) yad idaṃ…catuḥsaṃgrahavastu-prayoga-nirhāra- viśuddhiṃ ca nāma dharmamukhaṃ…(and three other even more complicated ones, showing no clear relation to the Gv lists; it seems clear that there was no standard or accepted list); (bodhisattvāḥ…) dharmamukhaiḥ saṃcoditavyā bhavanti LV 161.14, are to be instigated (to withdraw from the world) by (the utterance of) intro- ductions to religion (such as those which then follow in verses).