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धर्ममुख (dharmamukha)

 
Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid
English
dharma-mukha, nt., entrance or introduction to the [Page280-b] doctrine or to religion, way of entering it
so correctly Burnouf 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)
asaṃkhyeyāni 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〕
sarvadharmaśubhavyūhaṃ nāma dharmam° 〔196.3〕, and others in 〔196.5—6, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20〕, etc. (the names are pompous but unilluminating)
(sarvaromamukhebhyo) vividhāni dharmamukhāni niścaramāṇāny aśrauṣīt Gv 〔515.5〕, foll. by: yad uta, bodhisattvaguṇavarṇa-mukhāni dānapāramitā-mukhāni etc. (the cpds. become longer and more embracing as they proceed)
precisely four are listed in LV 〔182.5 ff.〕, (bodhisattvaḥ …) catvāri dharmamukhāny āmukhīkaroti sma … (6) yad idaṃ … catuḥsaṃgrahavastu-prayoga-nirhāraviśuddhiṃ 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) introductions to religion (such as those which then follow in verses).