Lit. “limitless water element.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

The head of the Ābhāsvara gods.

Lit. “Clear Light.” The sixth of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and pure abodes‍, or Śuddhāvāsa‍, it is listed as the third of the three heavens that correspond to the second of the four concentrations.

Lit. “from which the clairvoyances, powers, and fearlessnesses are gained.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “Directly Witnessed.” The sixth level of accomplishment pertaining to bodhisattvas. See “ten bodhisattva levels.”

Lit. “Intense Delight.” The realm of the buddha Akṣobhya.

The Sanskrit literally means “attainment,” and is used to refer specifically to meditative attainment and to particular meditative states. The Tibetan translators interpreted it as sama-āpatti, which suggests the idea of “equal” or “level”; however, they also parsed it as sam-āpatti, in which case it would have the sense of “concentration” or “absorption,” much like samādhi, but with the added sense of “attainment.”

May refer to the “four formless absorptions” and/or the “nine serial absorptions.”

Lit. “Unmoving.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “Immovable.” The eighth level of accomplishment pertaining to bodhisattvas. See “ten bodhisattva levels.”

Accounts of the lives of past buddhas and bodhisattvas. Literally “thus it has happened.” One of the twelve aspects of the wheel of Dharma.

Lit. “undying clairvoyant knowledge.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “that produces appearances [as if] on the surface of a mirror.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “fully held seal.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “entry into words.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “entry into words.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

The essentially pure nature of mind is obscured and afflicted by various psychological defilements, which destroy the mind’s peace and composure and lead to unwholesome deeds of body, speech, and mind, acting as causes for continued existence in saṃsāra. Included among them are the primary afflictions of desire (rāga), anger (dveṣa), and ignorance (avidyā). It is said that there are eighty-four thousand of these negative mental qualities, for which the eighty-four thousand categories of the Buddha’s teachings serve as the antidote. Kleśa is also commonly translated as “negative emotions,” “disturbing emotions,” and so on. The Pāli kilesa, Middle Indic kileśa, and Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit kleśa all primarily mean “stain” or “defilement.” The translation “affliction” is a secondary development that derives from the more general (non-Buddhist) classical understanding of √kliś (“to harm,“ “to afflict”). Both meanings are noted by Buddhist commentators. Also rendered here as afflictive emotion.

See “affliction.”

Lit. a “heap” or “pile.” The five aggregates of form , feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness. On the individual level the five aggregates refer to the basis upon which the mistaken idea of a self is projected.However, in this text, five pure or uncontaminated aggregates are also listed, namely: the aggregate of morality, the aggregate of meditative stabilization, the aggregate of wisdom, the aggregate of liberation, and the aggregate of knowledge and seeing of liberation.

One of the five uncontaminated aggregates.

One of the five uncontaminated aggregates.

One of the five uncontaminated aggregates.

One of the five uncontaminated aggregates.

One of the five uncontaminated aggregates.

Lit. “unconquerable.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “Not Below.” The highest of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and pure abodes‍, or Śuddhāvāsa‍, it is listed as the fifth of the five Pure Abodes.

Lit. “accomplishing aspects.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “not forsaking any aspect.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “limitless space element.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “unattached, liberated, and uncovered like space.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “pervading space.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “abiding in space.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “without syllables.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “inexhaustible.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “inexhaustible basket.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “Not Disturbed” or “Immovable One.” The buddha in the eastern realm of Abhirati. A well-known buddha in Mahāyāna, regarded in the higher tantras as the head of one of the five buddha families, the vajra family in the east.

See “three types of omniscience.”

Lit. “light maker.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

A bodhisattva great being present in the audience of this sūtra.

Lit. “not distinguished.” Name of a meditative stabilization

Lit. “Cloudless.” The tenth of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and pure abodes‍‍, or Śuddhāvāsa, it is listed as the first of the three heavens that correspond to the fourth of the four concentrations.

A major śrāvaka disciple and personal attendant of the Buddha Śākyamuni during the last twenty-five years of his life. He was a cousin of the Buddha (according to the Mahāvastu, he was a son of Śuklodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana, which means he was a brother of Devadatta; other sources say he was a son of Amṛtodana, another brother of King Śuddhodana, which means he would have been a brother of Aniruddha).Ānanda, having always been in the Buddha’s presence, is said to have memorized all the teachings he heard and is celebrated for having recited all the Buddha’s teachings by memory at the first council of the Buddhist saṅgha, thus preserving the teachings after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa. The phrase “Thus did I hear at one time,” found at the beginning of the sūtras, usually stands for his recitation of the teachings. He became a patriarch after the passing of Mahākāśyapa.

A bodhisattva great being present in the audience of this sūtra.

Lit. “endless light.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “endless confidence.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

A bodhisattva great being present in the audience of this sūtra.

A bodhisattva great being present in the audience of this sūtra.

Lit. “reached a freedom without obscuration.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

See also n.­872.

Lit. “unblemished patience.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “not seeking.” Name of a meditative stabilization.Edgerton says the correct form is aneṣa. Animiṣa usually means “unblinking,” but here it is a different form of aneṣa.

Lit. “homeless practice.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “not relying on a dwelling.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

A bodhisattva great being present in the audience of this sūtra.

Lit. “intent on not relying on a dwelling.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “immovable.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “Unobstructed.” One of the ten great śrāvaka disciples, famed for his meditative prowess and superknowledges. He was the Buddha's cousin‍—a son of Amṛtodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana‍—and is often mentioned along with his two brothers Bhadrika and Mahānāma. Some sources also include Ānanda among his brothers.

The extreme philosophical view that rejects rebirth and the law of karma by considering that causes (and thus actions) do not have effects and that the self, being the same as one or all of the aggregates (skandhas), ends at death. Commonly translated as “nihilism” or, more literally, as “view of annihilation.” It is often mentioned along with its opposite view, the extreme of eternalism or permanence.

Also translated as “counterpoint to all that is ordinary.”

A bodhisattva great being present in the audience of this sūtra.

Lit. “not contrary to being in harmony.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

See “four applications of mindfulness.”

dmigs (pa) translates a number of Sanskrit terms, including ālambana, upalabdhi, and ālambate. These terms commonly refer to the apprehending of a subject, an object, and the relationships that exist between them. The term may also be translated as “referentiality,” meaning a system based on the existence of referent objects, referent subjects, and the referential relationships that exist between them. As part of their doctrine of “threefold nonapprehending/nonreferentiality” (’khor gsum mi dmigs pa), Mahāyāna Buddhists famously assert that all three categories of apprehending lack substantiality.

This term, although commonly translated as “appropriation,” also means “grasping” or “clinging,” but it has a particular meaning as the ninth of the twelve links of dependent origination, situated between craving (tṛṣṇā, sred pa) and becoming or existence (bhava, srid pa). In some texts, four types of appropriation (upādāna) are listed: that of desire (rāga), view (dṛṣṭi), rules and observances as paramount (śīla­vrata­parāmarśa), and belief in a self (ātmavāda).

Lit. “aspectless.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “Immeasurable Light.” The fifth of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and pure abodes‍, or Śuddhāvāsa‍, it is listed as the second of the three heavens that correspond to the second of the four concentrations.

Lit. “Immeasurable Virtue.” The eighth of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and pure abodes‍, or Śuddhāvāsa‍, it is listed as the second of the three heavens that correspond to the third of the four concentrations.

Lit. “endowed with a dustless mode free from dust.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “objective support cut off.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “in which nonconflict comes together.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “in which all that is soundless and with sounds comes together”; alternatively, “in which all with affliction comes together in what is without affliction.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “Radiant.” The fourth level of accomplishment pertaining to bodhisattvas. See “ten bodhisattva levels.”

See “worthy one.”

This is a protective clothing, made of closely interwoven strands, strapped around the body. In the Mahāyāna sūtras, it can be understood symbolically: the strands are the six perfections interlocking in a way that nothing can get through them. The strands bound together in the protective clothing may also be the net of interlocking beings occasioning a bodhisattva’s never-failing empathy.

The Sanskrit ārya has the general meaning of a noble person, one of a higher class or caste. In Buddhist literature, depending on the context, it often means specifically one who has gained the realization of the path and is superior for that reason. In particular, it applies to stream enterers, once-returners, non-returners, and worthy ones (arhats) and is also used as an epithet of bodhisattvas. In the five-path system, it refers to someone who has achieved at least the path of seeing (darśanamārga).

The quality or condition of things as they really are, which cannot be conveyed in conceptual, dualistic terms. Akin to other terms rendered here as “suchness,” “the real,” and “natural state.”

Lit. “equal to the unequaled.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “that you cannot steal.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “Perceptionless.” See “Asaṃjñisattva.”

Lit. “Perceptionless Beings.” A heavenly realm listed in this text between the twelfth heaven of the form realm, Bṛhatphala, and the five Pure Abodes of the form realm, known collectively as Śuddhāvāsa.

Asaṃkhyeya and other specific, extremely large numbers that have separate values and are not actually synonymous with “infinite” are left untranslated in contexts where the difference between them is a salient factor. On the number asaṃkhyeya (“incalculable”), see also Abhidharmakośa 3.93.

Lit. “without defilement.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “non-loss of mindfulness.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “eliminating material dirt.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “Without Sorrow.” Name of one of four gardens in the residence of the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, in the city of Gandhavatī.

Lit. “Glorious without Sorrow.” A buddha in a world system called Sarva­śokāpagata, in the southern direction.

A person who is “eight steps” away in the arc of their development from becoming an arhat (Tib. dgra bcom pa). Specifically, this term refers to one who is on the cusp of becoming a stream enterer (Skt. srotaāpanna; Tib. rgyun du zhugs pa), and it is the first and lowest stage in a list of eight stages or classes of a noble person (Skt. āryapudgala). The person at this lowest stage in the sequence is still on the path of seeing (Skt. darśanamārga; Tib. mthong lam) and then enters the path of cultivation (Skt. bhāvanāmārga; Tib. sgom lam) upon attaining the next stage, that of a stream enterer (stage seven). From there they progress through the remaining stages of the śrāvaka path, becoming in turn a once-returner (stages six and five), a non-returner (stages four and three), and an arhat (stages two and one). This same “eighth stage” also appears in a set of ten stages (Skt. daśabhūmi; Tib. sa bcu) found in Mahāyāna sources, where it is the third out of the ten. Not to be confused with the ten stages of the bodhisattva’s path, these ten stages mark the progress of one who sequentially follows the paths of a śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, and then bodhisattva on their way to complete buddhahood. In this set of ten stages a person “on the eighth stage” is similarly one who is on the cusp of becoming a stream enterer.Lit. “Eighth level,” sometimes rendered “Eighth Lowest.” The third of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the level of an ordinary person until reaching buddhahood. See “ten levels.”

Lit. “when there is no pride.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

A type of nonhuman being whose precise status is subject to different views, but is included as one of the six classes of beings in the sixfold classification of realms of rebirth. In the Buddhist context, asuras are powerful beings said to be dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility. They are also known in the pre-Buddhist and pre-Vedic mythologies of India and Iran, and feature prominently in Vedic and post-Vedic Brahmanical mythology, as well as in the Buddhist tradition. In these traditions, asuras are often described as being engaged in interminable conflict with the devas (gods).

Lit. “that gives relief.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “Those Who Do Not Cause Pain.” The fourteenth of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and pure abodes‍, it is listed as the second of the five Pure Abodes, or Śuddhāvāsa.

See also “major marks” and “minor signs.”

Lit. “One Who Strewed Flowers.” Name that six thousand monks will bear when they become buddhas during the eon called Tārakopama, due to the aspiration to engage the perfection of wisdom they made while attending this teaching.

Lit. “sees all.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

One of the “eight close sons of the Buddha,” he is also known as the bodhisattva who embodies compassion. In certain tantras, he is also the lord of the three families, where he embodies the compassion of the buddhas. In Tibet, he attained great significance as a special protector of Tibet, and in China, in female form, as Guanyin, the most important bodhisattva in all of East Asia.A bodhisattva great being present in the audience of this sūtra.

Lit. “unchangeable.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “Nondescending.” Name of four lotus ponds, each located in one of the four gardens of the residence of the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, in the city of Gandhavatī.

Lit. “unchangeable.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “from which you cannot avert your eyes.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “Slightest.” The thirteenth of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and pure abodes‍, it is listed as the first of the five Pure Abodes, or Śuddhāvāsa. It is said to be the most common rebirth for the “non-returners” of the Śrāvaka Vehicle.

Lit. “power of perseverance.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “array of forces.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

See also n.­734.

Lit. “merit work entity.” The meaning of this term is made clear in chapter 33, when the value of a bodhisattva practicing the perfection of wisdom is compared with other meritorious acts; cf. Mppś 2248, Mppś English p. 1858.

See “intrinsic nature.”

Refers to the very existence of the body, voice, or mind. As long as they are there, there are all the problems of life.

One of the five or six classes of sentient beings. Birth in hell is considered to be the karmic fruition of past anger and harmful actions. According to Buddhist tradition there are eighteen different hells, namely eight hot hells and eight cold hells, as well as neighboring and ephemeral hells, all of them tormented by increasing levels of unimaginable suffering.

On vaiḍūrya, variously rendered as “beryl,” “lapis,” or “crystal,” see under entry “Crystal, rock” in the Encyclopaedia Iranica.

Lit. “Good.” Name of four lotus ponds, each located in one of the four gardens of the residence of the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, in the city of Gandhavatī.

Head of the “sixteen excellent men” (ṣoḍaśasatpuruṣa), a group of householder bodhisattvas present in the audience of many sūtras. He appears prominently in certain sūtras, such as The Samādhi of the Presence of the Buddhas (Pratyutpannabuddha­saṃmukhāvasthita­samādhisūtra, Toh 133) and is perhaps also the merchant of the same name who is the principal interlocutor in The Questions of Bhadrapāla the Merchant (Toh 83).Lit. “Guardian of Good.” A bodhisattva great being present in the audience of this sūtra.

Lit. “Best.” Name of four lotus ponds, each located in one of the four gardens of the residence of the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata, in the city of Gandhavatī.

Lit. “Who Roared the Fearsome Roar.” A buddha, presumably in another realm, in the presence of whom the bodhisattva great being Sadāprarudita is practicing celibacy.

One of the three vital substances in the body, along with wind and phlegm, which result in good health when balanced and illness or less than optimal health when imbalanced.

The king of Magadha and a great patron of the Buddha. His birth coincided with the Buddha’s, and his father, King Mahāpadma, named him “Essence of Gold” after mistakenly attributing the brilliant light that marked the Buddha’s birth to the birth of his son by Queen Bimbī (“Goldie”). Accounts of Bimbisāra’s youth and life can be found in The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1-1, Pravrajyāvastu).King Śreṇya Bimbisāra first met with the Buddha early on, when the latter was the wandering mendicant known as Gautama. Impressed by his conduct, Bimbisāra offered to take Gautama into his court, but Gautama refused, and Bimbisāra wished him success in his quest for awakening and asked him to visit his palace after he had achieved his goal. One account of this episode can be found in the sixteenth chapter of The Play in Full (Toh 95, Lalitavistara). There are other accounts where the two meet earlier on in childhood; several episodes can be found, for example, in The Hundred Deeds (Toh 340, Karmaśataka). Later, after the Buddha’s awakening, Bimbisāra became one of his most famous patrons and donated to the saṅgha the Bamboo Grove, Veṇuvana, at the outskirts of the capital of Magadha, Rājagṛha, where he built residences for the monks. Bimbisāra was imprisoned and killed by his own son, the prince Ajātaśatru, who, influenced by Devadatta, sought to usurp his father’s throne.

The eleventh link of dependent origination.

One of the four modes of birth (caturyoni; skye gnas bzhi), it refers to that of humans and other mammals.

One of the four modes of birth (caturyoni; skye gnas bzhi), it refers to that of birds, fish, reptiles, and so on.

One of the four modes of birth (caturyoni; skye gnas bzhi). Tiny bugs and microbes are understood to be born from the confluence of heat and moisture.

The Buddha’s accounts of his own previous lifetimes, listed as one of the twelve aspects of the wheel of Dharma.

A species of reeds; according to Monier-Williams, the Arundo tibialis, or Karka.

In general the Sanskrit means “awakening,” as from sleep, but in the Buddhist context it is the awakening from ignorance, i.e., the direct realization of truth.

The name of the tree under which the Buddha Śākyamuni attained awakening. The same term is used to describe the trees under which other tathāgatas, both in this realm and others, attain awakening.

Also translated as “thought of awakening.”

Lit. “Dazzling Ornament of the Choice Circle of Awakening.” A world system in the southeast direction where the buddha Padmottaraśrī dwells.

A being who is dedicated to the cultivation and fulfilment of the altruistic intention to attain perfect buddhahood, traversing the ten bodhisattva levels (daśabhūmi, sa bcu). Bodhisattvas purposely opt to remain within cyclic existence in order to liberate all sentient beings, instead of simply seeking personal freedom from suffering. In terms of the view, they realize both the selflessness of persons and the selflessness of phenomena.The Tibetan translators consistently understand the word bodhisattva as bodhi-satva and render it byang chub sems dpa’ (“awakening thought hero”).

The term can be understood to mean “great courageous one” or "great hero,” or (from the Sanskrit) simply “great being,” and is almost always found as an epithet of “bodhisattva.” The qualification “great” in this term, according to the majority of canonical definitions, focuses on the generic greatness common to all bodhisattvas, i.e., the greatness implicit in the bodhisattva vow itself in terms of outlook, aspiration, number of beings to be benefited, potential or eventual accomplishments, and so forth. In this sense the mahā- is closer in its connotations to the mahā- in “Mahāyāna” than to the mahā- in “mahāsiddha.” While individual bodhisattvas described as mahāsattva may in many cases also be “great” in terms of their level of realization, this is largely coincidental, and in the canonical texts the epithet is not restricted to bodhisattvas at any particular point in their career. Indeed, in a few cases even bodhisattvas whose path has taken a wrong direction are still described as bodhisattva mahāsattva.Later commentarial writings do nevertheless define the term‍—variably‍—in terms of bodhisattvas having attained a particular level (bhūmi) or realization. The most common qualifying criteria mentioned are attaining the path of seeing, attaining irreversibility (according to its various definitions), or attaining the seventh bhūmi.

The ninth of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the level of an ordinary person until reaching buddhahood. When rendered in the plural, it is understood as a reference to all levels of accomplishment pertaining to bodhisattvas. See “ten levels” and “ten bodhisattva levels.”

Lit. “Limbs of Awakening Flower.” Name that a hundred thousand one hundred million billion beings will bear when they become buddhas after sixty-four eons.

Lit. “endowed with the limbs of awakening.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

One of the eighteen constituents.

One of the features of the Buddha‘s body.

A high-ranking deity presiding over a divine world; he is also considered to be the lord of the Sahā world (our universe). Though not considered a creator god in Buddhism, Brahmā occupies an important place as one of two gods (the other being Indra/Śakra) said to have first exhorted the Buddha Śākyamuni to teach the Dharma. The particular heavens found in the form realm over which Brahmā rules are often some of the most sought-after realms of higher rebirth in Buddhist literature. Since there are many universes or world systems, there are also multiple Brahmās presiding over them. His most frequent epithets are “Lord of the Sahā World” (sahāṃpati) and Great Brahmā (mahābrahman).

Lit. “Brahmā class.” The first of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and pure abodes‍‍, or Śuddhāvāsa, it is listed as the first of the three heavens that correspond to the first of the four concentrations. Also called Brahmaloka.

A collective name for the first three heavens of the form realm, which correspond to the first concentration (dhyāna): Brahmakāyika, Brahmapurohita, and Mahābrahmā (also called Brahmapārṣadya in this text). These are ruled over by the god Brahmā, who believes himself to be the creator of the universe. According to some sources, it can also be a general reference to all the heavens in the form realm and formless realm.

Lit. “Retinue of Brahmā.” This is usually considered to be an alternate name of the Brahmapurohita heaven, the second of the seventeen heavens of the form realm. However, in this text, it seems to refer to the third heaven and also to the name of the gods living there‍—otherwise called Mahābrahmā (tshangs pa chen po). In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and pure abodes‍, or Śuddhāvāsa‍, it is listed as the third of the three heavens that correspond to the first of the four concentrations.

Lit. “Sacrificial Priests of Brahmā.” The second of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and pure abodes‍, or Śuddhāvāsa‍, it is listed as the second of the three heavens that correspond to the first of the four concentrations.

A voice that has the qualities of the voice of the god Brahmā. This is one of the thirty-two major marks of a buddha.

A member of the highest of the four castes in Indian society, which is closely associated with religious vocations.

See “brahmin.”

The Buddha Śākyamuni in an earlier life, when his awakening was predicted by the buddha Dīpaṃkara.

Lit. “Those in the Great Result.” The twelfth of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and pure abodes‍, or Śuddhāvāsa‍, it is listed as the third of the three heavens that correspond to the fourth of the four concentrations.

One of the five eyes.

The tenth and last of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the level of an ordinary person until reaching buddhahood. See “ten levels.”

The third of the four classes in the Indian caste system. It generally includes merchants and farmers.

A subdivision of the vaiśya (mercantile) class of traditional Indian society.

Refers to the meditative practice of calming the mind to rest free from the disturbance of thought. One of the two basic forms of Buddhist meditation, the other being insight .

See “calm abiding.”

Lit. “crest of the moon’s victory banner.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “moonlight.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “stainless moon.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “Intelligence of Activity.” A bodhisattva from a world system called Upaśānta, in the western direction, who comes to pay homage and listen to the Buddha.

Lit. “act possessor.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

One of the heavens of Buddhist cosmology, lowest among the six heavens of the desire realm (kāmadhātu, ’dod khams). Dwelling place of the Four Great Kings (caturmahārāja, rgyal chen bzhi), traditionally located on a terrace of Sumeru, just below the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Each cardinal direction is ruled by one of the Four Great Kings and inhabited by a different class of nonhuman beings as their subjects: in the east, Dhṛtarāṣṭra rules the gandharvas; in the south, Virūḍhaka rules the kumbhāṇḍas; in the west, Virūpākṣa rules the nāgas; and in the north, Vaiśravaṇa rules the yakṣas.For consistency rgyal chen bzhi’i ris is rendered cāturmahā­rājika (“[gods] belonging to the group of the Four Great Kings”), even though there are a number of Skt. forms (Edg says the forms are cāturmahā­rāja­kāyika and less often caturmahā­rāja­kāyika, and cāturmahā­rājika and less often caturmahā­rājika) and slight differences are encountered in the Tib. translation. “Gods” is sometimes rendered explicitly and is sometimes implicit in the Tib.

Lit. “destroyer of the power of the four māras’ host.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

A causal sign is the projected reality that functions as the objective support of a cognitive state. It cannot be separated out from the cognitive state and to that extent may enjoy a modicum of conventional reality. To “practice with a causal sign” means to look at an apparent phenomenon within accepting that it has more reality than it actually does.

The Skt. vimāna suggests the “mount” or “chariot” of the gods, namely of the sun and moon. It can be a celestial palace (gzhal med khang).

Manu being the archetypal human, the progenitor of humankind, in the Mahā­bhārata, the Purāṇas, and other Indian texts, “child of Manu” (mānava) or “born of Manu” (manuja) is a synonym of “human being” or humanity in general.

Lit. “stability of mind.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

The clairvoyances are listed as either five or six. The first five are the divine eye, divine ear, performance of miraculous power, recollection of past lives, and knowing others’ thoughts. A sixth, knowing that all outflows have been eliminated, is often added. The first five are attained through concentration (dhyāna) and are sometimes described as worldly, as they can be attained to some extent by non-Buddhist yogins, while the sixth is supramundane and attained only by realization‍.

See “clairvoyances.”

Clear light or luminosity refers to the subtlest level of mind, i.e., the fundamental, essential nature of all cognitive events. Though ever present within all sentient beings, this luminosity becomes manifest only when the gross mind has ceased to function. It is said that such a dissolution is experienced naturally by ordinary beings at the time of death, but it can also be experientially cultivated through certain meditative practices.

A samaya is a coming together, in this case of an object known and something that knows it; the abhi means “toward” or else adds an intensity to the act.

A state of deep concentration in which the mind is absorbed in its object to such a degree that conceptual thought is suspended. It is sometimes interpreted as settling (āhita) the mind in equanimity (sama).Also rendered here as “meditative equipoise.”

See “saṅgha.”

One of the four practices of spiritual practitioners and one of the four immeasurables (the others being loving-kindness or love, sympathetic joy, and equanimity).

A specialized term for nirvāṇa when it is used in reference to the apparent passing away of the physical body of a buddha or an arhat. See “nirvāṇa.”

Composed of constituent parts, whether physical or temporal; dependent on causes.

See “compounded.”

Dhyāna is defined as one-pointed abiding in an undistracted state of mind, free from afflicted mental states. Four states of dhyāna are identified as being conducive to birth within the form realm. In the context of the Mahāyāna, it is the fifth of the six perfections. It is commonly translated as “concentration,” “meditative concentration,” and so on.

See “four concentrations.”

A mental function that tends to superimpose upon reality, either relative or ultimate, a conceptualized dualistic perspective fabricated by the subjective mind. It is often opposed to direct perception (pratyakṣa, mngon sum).

Pratibhāna is the capacity for speaking in a confident and inspiring manner.

One of the three poisons (triviṣa), together with greed and hatred, that bind beings to cyclic existence.

Consciousness is generally classified into the five sensory consciousnesses and mental consciousness. Fifth of the five aggregates and third of the twelve links of dependent origination.

In the context of Buddhist philosophy, one way to describe experience in terms of eighteen elements (eye, form, and eye consciousness; ear, sound, and ear consciousness; nose, smell, and nose consciousness; tongue, taste, and tongue consciousness; body, touch, and body consciousness; and mind, mental phenomena, and mind consciousness).This also refers to the elements of the world, which can be enumerated as four, five, or six. The four elements are earth, water, fire, and air. A fifth, space, is often added, and the sixth is consciousness.Also rendered here as “element.”

See also n.­590.

Also translated as “antithetical to all worlds.”

Eighth of the twelve links of dependent origination. Craving is often listed as threefold: craving for the desirable, craving for existence, and craving for nonexistence.

Acquainting the mind with a virtuous object. Often translated as “meditation” and “familiarization.”

A state of involuntary existence conditioned by afflicted mental states and the imprint of past actions, characterized by suffering in a cycle of life, death, and rebirth. On its reversal, the contrasting state of nirvāṇa is attained, free from suffering and the processes of rebirth.

Lit. “Seeing level.” The fourth of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the level of an ordinary person until reaching buddhahood. See “ten levels.”

Lit. “exalted by ten powers.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “seeing in the ten directions.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

According to Edgerton: śaṭhya.

A term meaning defilement, impurity, and pollution, broadly referring to cognitive and emotional factors that disturb and obscure the mind. As the self-perpetuating process of affliction in the minds of beings, it is a synonym for saṃsāra. It is often paired with its opposite, vyavadāna, meaning “purification.”

In its most general sense, this term refers to the state of freedom from suffering and cyclic existence, or saṃsāra, that is the goal of the Buddhist path. More specifically, the term may refer to a category of advanced meditative attainment known as the “eight deliverances”; for an explanation of these, see 11.­41 and 62.­52.

The relative nature of phenomena, which arise in dependence on causes and conditions. Together with the four noble truths, this was the first teaching given by the Buddha. When this appears as plural in the translation, it refers to dharmas as dependently originated.

In Buddhist cosmology, this is our own realm, the lowest and most coarse of the three realms of saṃsāra. It is called this because beings here are characterized by their strong longing for and attachment to the pleasures of the senses. The desire realm includes hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, asuras, and the lowest six heavens of the gods‍—from the Heaven of the Four Great Kings (cāturmahā­rājika) up to the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations (para­nirmita­vaśa­vartin). Located above the desire realm is the form realm (rūpadhātu) and the formless realm (ārūpyadhātu).

See “four detailed and thorough knowledges.”

See “gods.”

The term dhāraṇī has the sense of something that “holds” or “retains,” and so it can refer to the special capacity of practitioners to memorize and recall detailed teachings. It can also refer to a verbal expression of the teachings‍—an incantation, spell, or mnemonic formula‍—that distills and “holds” essential points of the Dharma and is used by practitioners to attain mundane and supramundane goals. The same term is also used to denote texts that contain such formulas.

As a magical formula, a dhāraṇī constitutes a gateway to the infinite qualities of awakening, the awakened state itself, and the various forms of buddha activity. See also “dhāraṇī.”

Lit. “dhāraṇī wisdom.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

The term dharma conveys ten different meanings, according to Vasubandhu’s Vyākhyā­yukti. The primary meanings are as follows: the doctrine taught by the Buddha (Dharma); the ultimate reality underlying and expressed through the Buddha’s teaching (Dharma); the trainings that the Buddha’s teaching stipulates (dharmas); the various awakened qualities or attainments acquired through practicing and realizing the Buddha’s teaching (dharmas); qualities or aspects more generally, i.e., phenomena or phenomenal attributes (dharmas); and mental objects (dharmas).Regarding the translation of this term in this text, see i.­22.

An early term used to denote the Buddha’s teaching. “Dharma” refers to the sūtras and “Vinaya” to the rules of discipline.

In distinction to the form body (rūpakāya) of a buddha, this is the eternal, imperceptible realization of a buddha. In origin it was a term for the presence of the Dharma and has become synonymous with the true nature.

One of the eighteen constituents, referring to mental phenomena.

One of the five eyes.

Speaker or reciter of scriptures. In early Buddhism a section of the saṅgha would consist of bhāṇakas, who, particularly before the teachings were written down and were only transmitted orally, were a key factor in the preservation of the teachings. Various groups of dharmabhāṇakas specialized in memorizing and reciting a certain set of sūtras or vinaya.

Dharma-dhātu is a synonym for emptiness or the ultimate nature of phenomena (dharmatā). This term is interpreted variously‍—given the many connotations of dharma /chos‍—as the sphere, element, or nature of phenomena, suchness, or truth. In this text it is used with this general, Mahāyāna sense, not to be confused with dharma constituent (Tib. chos kyi khams), also called in Sanskrit dharma­dhātu, which is one of the eighteen constituents. See also “dharma constituent.”

Lit. “come forth from the dharma-constituent.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “certainty in the dharma-constituent.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “Cloud of Dharma.” The tenth level of accomplishment pertaining to bodhisattvas. See “ten bodhisattva levels.”

See “thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening.”

Lit. “ennobled by dharmas completed.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

A great bodhisattva, residing in a divine city called Gandhavatī, who teaches the Prajñāpāramitā three times a day. He is known for becoming the teacher of the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, who decides to sell his flesh and blood in order to make offerings to him and receive his teachings. This story is told in this sūtra in chapters 85 and 86. It can also be found quoted in several works, such as The Words of My Perfect Teacher (kun bzang bla ma’i zhal lung) by Patrul Rinpoche.

Lit. “trophy atop the victory banner.” Name of a meditative stabilization. (dpung rgyan renders keyūra. Khri pa has thog, perhaps for ketu.

Lit. “seeing the directions.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

A previous buddha who gave Śākyamuni the prophecy of his buddhahood. In depictions of the buddhas of the three times, he represents the buddhas of the past, while Śākyamuni represents the present, Maitreya the future.

In Sanskrit literally “a thread,” this is an ancient term for teachings that were memorized and orally transmitted in an essential form. Therefore, it can also mean “pithy statements,” “rules,” and “aphorisms.” In Buddhism it refers to the Buddha’s teachings, whatever their length. It is one of the three divisions of the Buddha’s teachings, the other two being Vinaya and Abhidharma. It is also used in contrast with the tantra teachings, though a number of important tantras have sūtra in their title. It is also classified as one of the nine or twelve aspects of the Dharma, in which context sūtra means “a teaching given in prose.”

See “eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha.”

One of the five eyes.

Lit. “Far Reaching.” The seventh level of accomplishment pertaining to bodhisattvas. See “ten bodhisattva levels.”

One of the eighteen constituents.

A series of progressively more subtle states of meditative realization or attainment. There are several presentations of these found in the canonical literature. One of the most common is as follows: (1) One observes form while the mind dwells at the level of the form realm. (2) One observes forms externally while discerning formlessness internally. (3) One dwells in the direct experience of the body’s pleasant aspect. (4) One dwells in the realization of the sphere of infinite space by transcending all conceptions of matter, resistance, and diversity. (5) Transcending the sphere of infinite space, one dwells in the realization of the sphere of infinite consciousness. (6) Transcending the sphere of infinite consciousness, one dwells in the realization of the sphere of nothingness. (7) Transcending the sphere of nothingness, one dwells in the realization of the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception. (8) Transcending the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception, one dwells in the realization of the cessation of conception and feeling.

A set of circumstances that do not provide the freedom to practice the Buddhist path: being born in the realms of (1) the hells, (2) hungry ghosts (pretas), (3) animals, or (4) long-lived gods, or in the human realm among (5) barbarians or (6) extremists, (7) in places where the Buddhist teachings do not exist, or (8) without adequate faculties to understand the teachings where they do exist.

Refers to the miraculous perceptual transformation that ensues when one (1) regards lesser external forms, (2) regards greater external forms, (3) regards blue shapes, (4) regards yellow shapes, (5) regards red shapes, (6) regards white shapes, (7) abides in the station of endless space, and (8) abides in the station of endless consciousness.

Thinking that one will (1) eliminate the suffering of beings, (2) lead beings to wealth and affluence, (3) benefit beings with one’s own flesh and blood, (4) benefit beings even if it means remaining in the hells for a long time, and (5) never be reborn with wealth or power that does not benefit beings, never focus solely on the ultimate, and never cause harm to beings; (6) that beings’ negative actions will ripen upon oneself, and one’s positive actions will ripen upon them; (7) that one will fulfill the wishes of beings through great worldly and supramundane riches; and (8) that one will become a buddha and thus deliver beings from suffering.

To refrain from (1) killing, (2) stealing, (3) sexual activity, (4) false speech, (5) intoxication, (6) singing, dancing, music, and beautifying oneself with adornments or cosmetics, (7) using a high or large bed, and (8) eating at improper times. Typically, this observance is maintained by lay people for twenty-four hours on new moon and full moon days, as well as other special days in the lunar calendar.

The eighteen constituents through which sensory experience is produced: the six sense faculties (indriya); the six corresponding sense objects (ālambana); and the six sensory consciousnesses (vijñāna).When grouped these are: the eye constituent, form constituent, and eye consciousness constituent; the ear constituent, sound constituent, and ear consciousness constituent; the nose constituent, smell constituent, and nose consciousness constituent; the tongue constituent, taste constituent, and tongue consciousness constituent; the body constituent, touch constituent, and body consciousness constituent; the thinking-mind constituent, dharma constituent, and thinking-mind consciousness constituent.See also “constituents.”

See “eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha.”

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s behavior, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by other beings. They are generally listed as: (1) he never makes a mistake, (2) he is never boisterous, (3) he never forgets, (4) his concentration never falters, (5) he has no notion of distinctness, (6) his equanimity is not due to lack of consideration, (7) his motivation never falters, (8) his endeavor never fails, (9) his mindfulness never falters, (10) he never abandons his concentration, (11) his insight (prajñā) never decreases, (12) his liberation never fails, (13) all his physical actions are preceded and followed by wisdom (jñāna), (14) all his verbal actions are preceded and followed by wisdom, (15) all his mental actions are preceded and followed by wisdom, (16) his wisdom and vision perceive the past without attachment or hindrance, (17) his wisdom and vision perceive the future without attachment or hindrance, and (18) his wisdom and vision perceive the present without attachment or hindrance.

These are enumerated at 2.­18: (1) inner emptiness, (2) outer emptiness, (3) inner and outer emptiness, (4) the emptiness of emptiness, (5) great emptiness, (6) the emptiness of ultimate reality, (7) the emptiness of the compounded, (8) the emptiness of the uncompounded, (9) the emptiness of what transcends limits, (10) the emptiness of no beginning and no end, (11) the emptiness of nonrepudiation, (12) the emptiness of a basic nature, (13) the emptiness of all dharmas, (14) the emptiness of its own mark, (15) the emptiness of not apprehending, (16) the emptiness of a nonexistent thing, (17) the emptiness of an intrinsic nature, and (18) the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature.

Right view, right idea, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditative stabilization.

See “eightfold noble path.”

Lit. “With a Single Umbrella.” A buddha in a world system called Vaśībhūtā, in the intermediate northwest direction.

Lit. “single aspect.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “single array.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Also rendered here as “constituent.”

Knowledge of suffering, knowledge of origination, knowledge of cessation, knowledge of the path, knowledge of extinction, knowledge of nonproduction, knowledge of dharma, subsequent realization knowledge, conventional knowledge, knowledge of mastery, and knowledge in accord with sound.

Emptiness denotes the ultimate nature of reality, the total absence of inherent existence and self-identity with respect to all phenomena. According to this view, all things and events are devoid of any independent, intrinsic reality that constitutes their essence. Nothing can be said to exist independent of the complex network of factors that gives rise to its origination, nor are phenomena independent of the cognitive processes and mental constructs that make up the conventional framework within which their identity and existence are posited. When all levels of conceptualization dissolve and when all forms of dichotomizing tendencies are quelled through deliberate meditative deconstruction of conceptual elaborations, the ultimate nature of reality will finally become manifest. It is the first of the three gateways to liberation.

One of the fourteen emptinesses and eighteen emptinesses.

See “emptiness.”

One of the eighteen emptinesses.

One of the fourteen emptinesses and eighteen emptinesses.

One of the eighteen emptinesses.

One of the fourteen emptinesses and eighteen emptinesses

One of the fourteen emptinesses and eighteen emptinesses.

One of the fourteen emptinesses and eighteen emptinesses.

One of the fourteen emptinesses and eighteen emptinesses.

One of the eighteen emptinesses.

One of the fourteen emptinesses and eighteen emptinesses.

One of the fourteen emptinesses and eighteen emptinesses.

See “emptiness.”

One of the fourteen emptinesses and eighteen emptinesses.

One of the fourteen emptinesses and eighteen emptinesses.

One of the eighteen emptinesses.

See “emptiness.”

This could refer to any of a number of enumerations of emptinesses. “Seven emptinesses,” “fourteen emptinesses,” and “eighteen emptinesses” are listed in this sūtra.

See “enactment.”

Here, to practice an enactment means to get tied up in, or to settle down on, what is not ultimately real as real.

See “station of endless consciousness.”

See “station of endless space.”

This refers to the conflagration that is the twentieth of the twenty “sub-eons” making up the third (destruction eon) of the four subdivisions of a “great eon” (mahākalpa). The other three major divisions of a great eon are the eon of arising, of duration, and (after the eon of destruction) of voidness.

The antidote to attachment and aversion; a mental state free from bias toward sentient beings and experiences. One of the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, one of the four practices of spiritual practitioners, and one of the four immeasurables (the others being loving-kindness or love, compassion, and sympathetic joy).

Like “dharma-constituent” (dharmadhātu) and “true nature of dharmas” (dharmatā), a name for the ultimate.

Denotes the whole of existence, i.e., the five forms of life or the three planes of existence‍—all the possible kinds and places of karmic rebirth. It is also the tenth of the twelve links of dependent origination (often translated as “becoming”).

Also rendered as “real thing,” “something that exists,” and “real basis.”

One of the twelve branches of scripture or aspects of the Dharma. Literally meaning “vast” or “extensive,” it refers to a particular set of lengthy sūtras or collections of sūtras that provides a comprehensive overview of Buddhist thought and practice. This category includes individual works such as the Lalitavistara and Saddharma­puṇḍarīka and collections such as the Mahā­sannipāta, Buddhāvataṃsaka, Ratnakūta, and Prajñāpāramitā.

As one of the twelve aspects of the wheel of Dharma, it means the explanation of details in the teachings and is synonymous with Abhidharma.

See also n.­614.

One of the eighteen constituents.

See “five faculties” when part of the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening and “six faculties” as in the sense faculties. In some contexts indriya is rendered as “dominant.”

When plural refers to the “four fearlessnesses.”

The second of the five aggregates: pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral feelings as a result of sensory experiences.

See “five fetters that are associated with the lower realms.”

This term has three meanings: (1) the ultimate nature, (2) the experience of the ultimate nature, and (3) the quiescent state of a worthy one (arhat) to be avoided by bodhisattvas.Also translated as “very limit of reality.”

See “aggregate”.

This refers to the five aggregates as the bases upon which a nonexistent self is mistakenly projected. That is, they are the basis of “appropriation” (upādāna) insofar as all grasping arises on the basis of the aggregates.

See “clairvoyances.”

The flesh eye, divine eye, wisdom eye, dharma eye, and buddha eye.

The faculties of faith, perseverance, mindfulness, meditative stabilization, and wisdom. They are the same as the five powers, only at a lesser stage of development.

The five fetters associated with the lower realms comprise desire, hatred, inertia due to wrong views, attachment to moral and ascetic supremacy, and hesitation.

The five fetters associated with the upper realms comprise attachment to the form realm, attachment to the formless realm, ignorance, pride, and mental agitation.

These comprise the gods and humans in the higher realms within saṃsāra, plus the animals, ghosts, and denizens of hell in the lower realms.

Acts for which one will be reborn in hell immediately after death, without any intervening stages; they are killing a worthy one, killing one’s father, killing one’s mother, causing a schism in the saṅgha, and maliciously drawing blood from a tathāgata.

Five impediments to meditation (bsam gtan, dhyāna): sensory desire (’dod pa la ’dun pa, kāmacchanda), ill will (gnod sems, vyāpāda), drowsiness and torpor (rmugs pa dang gnyid, styānamiddha), agitation and regret (rgod pa dang ’gyod pa, auddhatya­kaukṛtya), and doubt (the tshom, vicikitsā).

The six perfections excluding the perfection of wisdom: giving, morality, patience, perseverance or effort, and concentration.

Faith, perseverance, mindfulness, meditative stabilization, and wisdom. These are among the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening. Although the same as the five faculties, they are termed “powers” due to their greater strength. See also “ten powers.”

Desirable objects of the five senses: form, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

See “clairvoyances.”

Refers to the five fundamental precepts of abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and consuming intoxicants.

This word is also understood as equivalent to niyāma (“certain”).

See also n.­380.

One of the five eyes.

A class of nonhuman beings that are often, but certainly not always, considered demonic in the Buddhist tradition. They are often depicted as flesh-eating monsters who haunt frightening places and are ugly and evil-natured with a yearning for human flesh, and who additionally have miraculous powers, such as being able to change their appearance.

dmigs (pa) translates a number of Sanskrit terms, including ālambana, upalabdhi, and ālambate. These terms commonly refer to the apprehending of a subject, an object, and the relationships that exist between them. The term may also be translated as “referentiality,” meaning a system based on the existence of referent objects, referent subjects, and the referential relationships that exist between them. As part of their doctrine of “threefold nonapprehending/nonreferentiality” (’khor gsum mi dmigs pa), Mahāyāna Buddhists famously assert that all three categories of apprehending lack substantiality.

A term meaning acceptance, forbearance, or patience. As the third of the six perfections, patience is classified into three kinds: the capacity to tolerate abuse from sentient beings, to tolerate the hardships of the path to buddhahood, and to tolerate the profound nature of reality. As a term referring to a bodhisattva’s realization, dharmakṣānti (chos la bzod pa) can refer to the ways one becomes “receptive” to the nature of Dharma, and it can be an abbreviation of anutpattikadharmakṣānti, “forbearance for the unborn nature, or nonproduction, of dharmas.”Also rendered here as “patience.”

The bodhisattvas’ realization that all phenomena are unproduced and empty. It sustains them on the difficult path of benefiting all beings so that they do not succumb to the goal of personal liberation. Different sources link this realization to the first or eighth bodhisattva level (bhūmi).

The bodhisattvas’ realization that all phenomena are unproduced and empty. It sustains them on the difficult path of benefiting all beings so that they do not succumb to the goal of personal liberation. Different sources link this realization to the first or eighth bodhisattva level (bhūmi).

The first of the five aggregates: the subtle and coarse forms derived from the primary material elements.

The visible form of a buddha that is perceived by other beings, in contrast to his “dharma body,” the dharmakāya, which is the eternal, imperceptible realization of a buddha.

One of the three realms of saṃsāra in Buddhist cosmology, it is characterized by subtle materiality. Here beings, though subtly embodied, are not driven primarily by the urge for sense gratification. It consists of seventeen heavens structured according to the four concentrations of the form realm (rūpāvacaradhyāna), the highest five of which are collectively called “pure abodes” (śuddhāvāsa). The form realm is located above the desire realm (kāmadhātu) and below the formless realm (ārūpya­dhātu).

See “four formless absorptions.”

The highest and subtlest of the three realms of saṃsāra in Buddhist cosmology. Here beings are no longer bound by materiality and enjoy a purely mental state of absorption. It is divided in four levels according to each of the four formless concentrations (ārūpyāvacaradhyāna), namely, the Sphere of Infinite Space (ākāśānantyāyatana), the Sphere of Infinite Consciousness (vijñānānantyāyatana), the Sphere of Nothingness (a­kiñ­canyāyatana), and the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-perception (naiva­saṃjñā­nāsaṃjñāyatana). The formless realm is located above the other two realms of saṃsāra, the form realm (rūpadhātu) and the desire realm (kāmadhātu).

The name of the current eon, so-called because one thousand buddhas are prophesied to appear during this time.

The application of mindfulness to the body, the application of mindfulness to feeling, the application of mindfulness to mind, and the application of mindfulness to dharmas.

Four negative appropriations: that of desire, that of view, that of the view of the self, and that of moral supremacy.

The fourfold classification of ways in which beings are born: (1) birth from an egg, (2) birth from a womb, (3) birth from warmth and moisture, and (4) miraculous birth.

Most likely these refer to (1) desire (’dod pa), (2) existence (srid pa), (3) view(s) (lta ba), and (4) ignorance (ma rig pa).

The four progressive levels of concentration of the form realm that culminate in pure one-pointedness of mind and are the basis for developing insight. These are part of the nine serial absorptions. The formulas given at 16.­54 are the definitions or descriptions for each of the four.

According to traditional Buddhist cosmology, our universe consists of a central mountain, known as Mount Meru or Sumeru, surrounded by four island continents (dvīpa), one in each of the four cardinal directions. The Abhidharmakośa explains that each of these island continents has a specific shape and is flanked by two smaller subcontinents of similar shape. To the south of Mount Meru is Jambudvīpa, corresponding either to the Indian subcontinent itself or to the known world. It is triangular in shape, and at its center is the place where the buddhas attain awakening. The humans who inhabit Jambudvīpa have a lifespan of one hundred years. To the east is Videha, a semicircular continent inhabited by humans who have a lifespan of two hundred fifty years and are twice as tall as the humans who inhabit Jambudvīpa. To the north is Uttarakuru, a square continent whose inhabitants have a lifespan of a thousand years. To the west is Godānīya, circular in shape, where the lifespan is five hundred years.

The knowledge of the meaning, the knowledge of phenomena, the knowledge of interpretation, and the knowledge of eloquence.

Taking what is impermanent to be permanent, what is suffering to be happiness, what is unclean to be clean, and what is not self to be a self.

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

The four rivers of existence, craving, ignorance, and wrong view.

These comprise the absorptions of (1) the station of endless space, (2) the station of endless consciousness, (3) the station of the nothing-at-all absorption, and (4) the station of neither perception nor nonperception.

The four “main” or “great” outer elements of earth, water, fire, and air.

The four positive qualities of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, which may be radiated towards oneself and then immeasurable sentient beings.

The four knots comprise covetousness, malice, moral supremacy, and ascetic supremacy.

The four are desire-to-do (or yearning) (chanda), perseverance (vīrya), concentrated mind (citta), and examination (mīmāṃsā).

Four gods who live on the lower slopes (fourth level) of Mount Meru in the eponymous Heaven of the Four Great Kings (Cāturmahā­rājika, rgyal chen bzhi’i ris) and guard the four cardinal directions. Each is the leader of a nonhuman class of beings living in his realm. They are Dhṛtarāṣṭra, ruling the gandharvas in the east; Virūḍhaka, ruling over the kumbhāṇḍas in the south; Virūpākṣa, ruling the nāgas in the west; and Vaiśravaṇa (also known as Kubera) ruling the yakṣas in the north. Also referred to as Guardians of the World or World Protectors (lokapāla, ’jig rten skyong ba).

The four truths that the Buddha transmitted in his first teaching: (1) suffering, (2) the origin of suffering, (3) the cessation of suffering, and (4) the path to the cessation of suffering.

These are love, compassion, joy, and equanimity.

The four presentations are (1) a presentation of doctrine representations (the divisions of the Buddha’s teachings), (2) a presentation of truth representations (one, two, four, up to an infinite number of truths), (3) a presentation of reasoning (rig/rigs pa, yukti) representations (from contingency, function, logical proof, and the nature of things), and (4) a presentation of vehicles (three). Pāli vavatthāna; Ñāṇamoli 1976 “definition”; Thurman 2004 “classification.”

These are monks, nuns, and male and female followers of the householder code of conduct.

Four types of effort consisting in abandoning existing negative mind states, abandoning the production of such states, giving rise to virtuous mind states that are not yet produced, and letting those states continue.

See “four noble truths.”

Giving gifts, kind words, beneficial actions, and consistency between words and deeds.

A world system formed by four great island continents. In this world system, a central mountain, Sumeru, is surrounded in the four cardinal directions by Jambudvīpa (our world) in the south, Godānīya in the west, Uttarakuru in the north, and Pūrvavideha in the east.

These comprise the first fourteen of the eighteen emptinesses, which are enumerated at 2.­18: (1) inner emptiness, (2) outer emptiness, (3) inner and outer emptiness, (4) the emptiness of emptiness, (5) great emptiness, (6) the emptiness of ultimate reality, (7) the emptiness of the compounded, (8) the emptiness of the uncompounded, (9) the emptiness of what transcends limits, (10) the emptiness of no beginning and no end, (11) the emptiness of nonrepudiation, (12) the emptiness of a basic nature, (13) the emptiness of all dharmas, and (14) the emptiness of its own mark.

Lit. “sky-like.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “inconceivable sky.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “limitless sky.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “illuminator of the deep dharmas.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

A class of generally benevolent nonhuman beings who inhabit the skies, sometimes said to inhabit fantastic cities in the clouds, and more specifically to dwell on the eastern slopes of Mount Meru, where they are ruled by the Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. They are most renowned as celestial musicians who serve the gods. In the Abhidharma, the term is also used to refer to the mental body assumed by sentient beings during the intermediate state between death and rebirth. Gandharvas are said to live on fragrances (gandha) in the desire realm, hence the Tibetan translation dri za, meaning “scent eater.”

Lit. “Fragrant.” The city in which the bodhisattva great being Dharmodgata resides.

The Gaṅgā, or Ganges in English, is considered to be the most sacred river of India, particularly within the Hindu tradition. It starts in the Himalayas, flows through the northern plains of India, bathing the holy city of Vārāṇasī, and meets the sea at the Bay of Bengal, in Bangladesh. In the sūtras, however, this river is mostly mentioned not for its sacredness but for its abundant sands‍—noticeable still today on its many sandy banks and at its delta‍—which serve as a common metaphor for infinitely large numbers.According to Buddhist cosmology, as explained in the Abhidharmakośa, it is one of the four rivers that flow from Lake Anavatapta and cross the southern continent of Jambudvīpa‍—the known human world or more specifically the Indian subcontinent.

The name of a nun who commits to the practice of the six perfections and worships the Buddha with golden-colored flowers. The Buddha predicts her future awakening as the buddha Suvarṇapuṣpa, during the eon called Tārakopama.

In Indian mythology, the garuḍa is an eagle-like bird that is regarded as the king of all birds, normally depicted with a sharp, owl-like beak, often holding a snake, and with large and powerful wings. They are traditionally enemies of the nāgas. In the Vedas, they are said to have brought nectar from the heavens to earth. Garuḍa can also be used as a proper name for a king of such creatures.

A set of three points associated with the nature of phenomena that when contemplated and integrated lead to liberation. The three are emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness.

One of the five or six classes of sentient beings, into which beings are born as the karmic fruition of past miserliness. As the term in Sanskrit means “the departed,” they are analogous to the ancestral spirits of Vedic tradition, the pitṛs, who starve without the offerings of descendants. It is also commonly translated as “hungry ghost” or “starving spirit,” as in the Chinese 餓鬼 e gui.They are sometimes said to reside in the realm of Yama, but are also frequently described as roaming charnel grounds and other inhospitable or frightening places along with piśācas and other such beings. They are particularly known to suffer from great hunger and thirst and the inability to acquire sustenance. Detailed descriptions of their realm and experience, including a list of the thirty-six classes of pretas, can be found in The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma, Toh 287, 2.­1281– 2.1482.

The first of the six perfections.

The Sanskrit pravrajyā literally means “going forth,” with the sense of leaving the life of a householder and embracing the life of a renunciant. When the term is applied more technically, it refers to the act of becoming a male novice (śrāmaṇera; dge tshul) or female novice (śrāmaṇerikā; dge tshul ma), this being a first stage leading to full ordination.

In the most general sense the devas‍—the term is cognate with the English divine‍—are a class of celestial beings who frequently appear in Buddhist texts, often at the head of the assemblies of nonhuman beings who attend and celebrate the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni and other buddhas and bodhisattvas. In Buddhist cosmology the devas occupy the highest of the five or six “destinies” (gati) of saṃsāra among which beings take rebirth. The devas reside in the devalokas, “heavens” that traditionally number between twenty-six and twenty-eight and are divided between the desire realm (kāmadhātu), form realm (rūpadhātu), and formless realm (ārūpyadhātu). A being attains rebirth among the devas either through meritorious deeds (in the desire realm) or the attainment of subtle meditative states (in the form and formless realms). While rebirth among the devas is considered favorable, it is ultimately a transitory state from which beings will fall when the conditions that lead to rebirth there are exhausted. Thus, rebirth in the god realms is regarded as a diversion from the spiritual path.

One of the four main continents that surround Sumeru, the central mountain in classical Buddhist cosmology. It is the western continent, characterized as “rich in the resources of cattle,” thus its Tibetan name “using cattle.” It is circular in shape, measuring about 7,500 yojanas in circumference, and is flanked by two subsidiary continents. Humans who live there are very tall, about 24 feet (7.3 meters) on average, and live for 500 years. It is known by the names Godānīya, Aparāntaka, Aparagodānīya, or Aparagoyāna.

A female god, literally “daughter of a god.” Sometimes also translated “celestial maiden.”

The buddhadharma, or the Buddha’s teachings.

One of the standard epithets of the buddhas. A recurrent explanation offers three different meanings for su- that are meant to show the special qualities of “accomplishment of one’s own purpose” (svārthasampad) for a complete buddha. Thus, the Sugata is “well” gone, as in the expression su-rūpa (“having a good form”); he is gone “in a way that he shall not come back,” as in the expression su-naṣṭa-jvara (“a fever that has utterly gone”); and he has gone “without any remainder” as in the expression su-pūrṇa-ghaṭa (“a pot that is completely full”). According to Buddhaghoṣa, the term means that the way the Buddha went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su) and where he went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su).

Lit. “Lineage level.” The second of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the level of an ordinary person until reaching buddhahood. See “ten levels.”

The Gṛdhra­kūṭa, literally Vulture Peak, was a hill located in the kingdom of Magadha, in the vicinity of the ancient city of Rājagṛha (modern-day Rajgir, in the state of Bihar, India), where the Buddha bestowed many sūtras, especially the Great Vehicle teachings, such as the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras. It continues to be a sacred pilgrimage site for Buddhists to this day.

The term can be understood to mean “great courageous one” or "great hero,” or (from the Sanskrit) simply “great being,” and is almost always found as an epithet of “bodhisattva.” The qualification “great” in this term, according to the majority of canonical definitions, focuses on the generic greatness common to all bodhisattvas, i.e., the greatness implicit in the bodhisattva vow itself in terms of outlook, aspiration, number of beings to be benefited, potential or eventual accomplishments, and so forth. In this sense the mahā- (“great”) is close in its connotations to the mahā- in “Mahāyāna.” While individual bodhisattvas described as mahāsattva may in many cases also be “great” in terms of their level of realization, this is largely coincidental, and in the canonical texts the epithet is not restricted to bodhisattvas at any particular point in their career. Indeed, in a few cases even bodhisattvas whose path has taken a wrong direction are still described as bodhisattva mahāsattva.Later commentarial writings do nevertheless define the term‍—variably‍—in terms of bodhisattvas having attained a particular level (bhūmi) or realization. The most common qualifying criteria mentioned are attaining the path of seeing, attaining irreversibility (according to its various definitions), or attaining the seventh bhūmi.

The largest universe described in Buddhist cosmology. This term, in Abhidharma cosmology, refers to 1,000³ world systems, i.e., 1,000 “dichiliocosms” or “two thousand great thousand world realms” (dvi­sāhasra­mahā­sāhasra­lokadhātu), which are in turn made up of 1,000 first-order world systems, each with its own Mount Sumeru, continents, sun and moon, etc.

One of the fourteen emptinesses and eighteen emptinesses.

Someone who will become a buddha or a cakravartin, whose bodies are adorned with the thirty-two major marks and the eighty minor signs.

A term referring to the Buddha Śākyamuni’s closest and most important śrāvaka disciples.

When the Buddhist teachings are classified according to their power to lead beings to an awakened state, a distinction is made between the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle (Hīnayāna), which emphasizes the individual’s own freedom from cyclic existence as the primary motivation and goal, and those of the Great Vehicle (Mahāyāna), which emphasizes altruism and has the liberation of all sentient beings as the principal objective. As the term “Great Vehicle” implies, the path followed by bodhisattvas is analogous to a large carriage that can transport a vast number of people to liberation, as compared to a smaller vehicle for the individual practitioner.

One of the three poisons (triviṣa), together with hatred and confusion, that bind beings to cyclic existence.

A bodhisattva great being present in the audience of this sūtra.

A spiritual teacher, in particular one with whom one has a personal teacher–student relationship.

A measure of length. One unit is the distance from the elbow to the tips of the fingers, about eighteen inches.

One of the three poisons (triviṣa), together with greed and confusion, that bind beings to cyclic existence.

A common epithet of Śatakratu, also known as Indra.

Lit. “Born from a Golden [Egg]” or “Born from Gold.” An epithet of Brahmā.

See “four immeasurables.”

Literally, “cannot be disliked.”

The lord of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven on the summit of Mount Sumeru. As one of the eight guardians of the directions, Indra guards the eastern quarter. In Buddhist sūtras, he is a disciple of the Buddha and protector of the Dharma and its practitioners. He is often referred to by the epithets Śatakratu, Śakra, and Kauśika.

A bodhisattva great being present in the audience of this sūtra.

Lit. “Indra’s victory banner.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

See “five inexpiable sins.”

One of the fourteen emptinesses and eighteen emptinesses.

One of the fourteen emptinesses and eighteen emptinesses.

An important form of Buddhist meditation focusing on developing insight into the nature of phenomena. Often presented as one of a pair of meditation techniques, the other being “calm abiding.”

This term denotes the ontological status of phenomena, according to which they are said to possess existence in their own right‍—inherently, in and of themselves, objectively, and independent of any other phenomena such as our conception and labelling. The absence of such an ontological reality is defined as the true nature of reality, emptiness. Also rendered here as “basic nature.”

Literally, “foundation of the narrative.” One of the twelve aspects of the wheel of Dharma.

Isolation is traditionally categorized as being of three types: (1) isolation of the body (kāyaviveka), which refers to remaining in solitude free from desirous or disturbing objects; (2) isolation of the mind (cittaviveka), which is mental detachment from desirous or disturbing objects; and (3) isolation from the “substrate” (upadhiviveka), which indicates detachment from all things that perpetuate rebirth, including the five aggregates, the afflictions, and karma.

Legendary river carrying the golden fruit fallen from the legendary jambu (“rose apple”) tree.

The name of the southern continent in Buddhist cosmology, which can signify either the known human world, or more specifically the Indian subcontinent, literally “the jambu island/continent.” Jambu is the name used for a range of plum-like fruits from trees belonging to the genus Szygium, particularly Szygium jambos and Szygium cumini, and it has commonly been rendered “rose apple,” although “black plum” may be a less misleading term. Among various explanations given for the continent being so named, one (in the Abhidharmakośa) is that a jambu tree grows in its northern mountains beside Lake Anavatapta, mythically considered the source of the four great rivers of India, and that the continent is therefore named from the tree or the fruit. Jambudvīpa has the Vajrāsana at its center and is the only continent upon which buddhas attain awakening.

Lit. “Victorious.” A world system in the north direction, where the buddha Jayendra dwells.

Lit. “Victory Given.” A bodhisattva from a world system called Jayā, in the northern direction, who comes to pay homage and listen to the Buddha.

Lit. “gained the victory.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “Victorious Indra.” A buddha in a world system called Jayā, in the northern direction.

Jinamitra was invited to Tibet during the reign of King Tri Songdetsen (khri srong lde btsan, r. 742–98 ᴄᴇ) and was involved with the translation of nearly two hundred texts, continuing into the reign of King Ralpachen (ral pa can, r. 815–38 ᴄᴇ). He was one of the small group of paṇḍitas responsible for the Mahāvyutpatti Sanskrit–Tibetan dictionary.

Lit. “knowledge victory banner.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

Lit. “knowledge firebrand.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

One of the four practices of spiritual practitioners and one of the four immeasurables (the other three being: loving-kindness or love, compassion, and equanimity.

Lit. “fire meteor.” Name of a meditative stabilization.

A frequent simile for softness, thought to refer either (1) to the down of the kācilindika or kācalindika bird (see Lamotte 1975, p. 261, n. 321), or (2) to a tropical tree bearing silken pods, similar to kapok, from which garments were made, and identified (Monier-Williams p. 266) with Abrus precatorius.

In Buddhist literature refers to a mythical bird whose call is said to be far more beautiful than that of all other birds, and so compelling that it can be heard even before the bird has hatched. The call of the kalaviṅka is thus used as an analogy to describe the sound of the discourse of bodhisattvas as being far superior to that of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, even before bodhisattvas attain awakening. In some cases, the kalaviṅka also takes on mythical characteristics, being depicted as part human, part bird. It is also the sixteenth of the eighty designs on the palms and soles of a tathāgata.While it is equated to an Indian bird renowned for its beautiful song, there is some uncertainty regarding the identity of the kalaviṅka; some dictionaries declare it to be a type of Indian cuckoo (probably Eudynamys scolopacea, also known as the asian koel) or a red and green sparrow (possibly Amandava amandava, also known as the red avadavat).

Lit. “that cuts off doubt.” Name of a meditative stabilization.