Ārya Sukhāvatīvyūha Nāma Mahāyāna Sūtra and Durgatipariśodhanī Abhisamayasādhanam

The Sukhāvatīvyūha is a Mahāyāna sūtra preached by the Buddha at Gṛdhrakūṭa (Vulture Peak) in Rājagṛha to an assembly of monks, bodhisattvas, and celestial beings. He was questioned by Ānanda about the noble deeds of Amitābha. The Buddha then responds by elaborating on the aspirations of the bhikṣu Dharmākara in the presence of Buddha Lokeśvararāja, and on Dharmākara’s attainment of enlightenment as Amitābha, as well as the formation of Sukhāvatī as his buddhafield.This text is closely associated with death rituals among Newar Buddhists. The second manuscript is a ritual text based on the Durgatipariśodhana Tantra. It deals with the process of worshipping the Durgatipariśodhana maṇḍala along with samādhis and mantras. Finally, after the puṣpikāvākya, the ritual for the pacification of deaths occurring during the Pañcaka period is described. Both texts are contained in a single manuscript and were donated by the family of Pūrṇānanda Vajrācārya of Hiranyavarṇa Mahāvihāra, Patan, in memory of his deceased father, Guṇānanda.