Two Massive Mahayana Sutras mentioned in Atisha's Lamp
In the stanzas describing aspirational bodhicitta, Atisha refers to two Mahayana sutras.
The Sutra of the Arrayed Tree is the massive last chapter of an even longer text. The sutra tells the story of the merchant's son, Sudhana, who travels the universe, meeting various teachers—humans, bodhisattvas, Buddhas, and even children—who expound the teachings of interconnectedness, emptiness, and compassion.
And the Sūtra Requested by Vīradatta is another massive Mahayana text that, along the way, illustrates the nature and merit of bodhicitta —the aspiration to free all beings, without exception, from suffering and bring them to the state of enlightenment.
If you feel inspired, you can dip into these monumental texts, which give a flavour of the scope and details of many Mahayana sutras.
