In a general sense, samādhi can describe a number of different meditative states. In the Mahāyāna literature, in particular in the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras, we find extensive lists of different samādhis, numbering over one hundred.In a more restricted sense, and when understood as a mental state, samādhi is defined as the one-pointedness of the mind (cittaikāgratā), the ability to remain on the same object over long periods of time. The Drajor Bamponyipa (sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa) commentary on the Mahāvyutpatti explains the term samādhi as referring to the instrument through which mind and mental states “get collected,” i.e., it is by the force of samādhi that the continuum of mind and mental states becomes collected on a single point of reference without getting distracted.

The third of the six transcendent perfections. As such it can be classified into three modes: 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.

A religious discourse.

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.

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.

The park on the outskirts of Śrāvastī that was purchased by the great patron of the Buddha, Anāthapiṇḍada, for the saṅgha’s use during the rainy season. See also “Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.”

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).

The second stage in the development and expression of afflictions (Skt. kleśa, Tib. nyon mongs), preceded by “latent tendency” (Skt. anuśaya, Tib. bag la nyal ba) and followed by “manifest affliction” (Skt. paryutthāna, Tib. kun nas ldang ba).

An epithet that is often used to refer to a buddha. The literal translation from the Tibetan is “endowed (ldan) conqueror (bcom) who has gone beyond (’das).”

The term bhikṣu, often translated as “monk,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist monks and nuns‍—like other ascetics of the time‍—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity. In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a monk follows 253 rules as part of his moral discipline. A nun (bhikṣuṇī; dge slong ma) follows 364 rules. A novice monk (śrāmaṇera; dge tshul) or nun (śrāmaṇerikā; dge tshul ma) follows thirty-six rules of moral discipline (although in other vinaya traditions novices typically follow only ten).

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).

A person belonging to the highest caste among the four social castes of India.

In Buddhist usage, a general term for non-Buddhist religious mendicants, paired with parivrājaka in stock lists of followers of heretical movements..

A cremation ground, or place for discarded corpses.

A bodhisattva who appears in The Teaching by the Child Inconceivable Radiance.

A bodhisattva who appears in The Teaching by the Child Inconceivable Radiance.

The five kinds of eyes possessed by a tathāgata. Namely, the eye of flesh, the divine eye, the eye of Dharma, the eye of insight, and the eye of a buddha.

A group of ascetics common in the Buddha’s time, widely believed to refer to the early Jain community.

A realm that will appear in the eon Universal Illumination, one hundred incalculable eons from now.

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.”

The Buddha’s given name, Gautama Siddhartha.

An epithet frequently applied to buddhas to denote their quality of being self-manifest, i.e., not born through causes and conditions.

Also known as the four great kings (mahārāja), Vaiśravaṇa, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Virūḍhaka, and Virūpākṣa are pledged to protect practitioners of the Dharma.

The function by which mind generates an image and then falsely conceives of it as being a separate and real object.

A bodhisattva in, and principle protagonist of, The Teaching by the Child Inconceivable Radiance. This is also the name he will have as a buddha in the future, as prophesied by the Buddha.

This term can mean both physical seclusion and a meditative state of withdrawal.

The undergarment covering the lower body. One of the three Dharma robes (tricīvara, chos gos gsum).

The principle that relative phenomena arise as a result of causes and conditions.

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.

One of the first Buddhist monasteries, located in a park outside Śrāvastī, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kośala in northern India. This park was originally owned by Prince Jeta, hence the name Jetavana, meaning Jeta’s grove. The wealthy merchant Anāthapiṇḍada, wishing to offer it to the Buddha, sought to buy it from him, but the prince, not wishing to sell, said he would only do so if Anāthapiṇḍada covered the entire property with gold coins. Anāthapiṇḍada agreed, and managed to cover all of the park except the entrance, hence the name Anāthapiṇḍadasyārāmaḥ, meaning Anāthapiṇḍada’s park. The place is usually referred to in the sūtras as “Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park,” and according to the Saṃghabhedavastu the Buddha used Prince Jeta’s name in first place because that was Prince Jeta’s own unspoken wish while Anāthapiṇḍada was offering the park. Inspired by the occasion and the Buddha’s use of his name, Prince Jeta then offered the rest of the property and had an entrance gate built. The Buddha specifically instructed those who recite the sūtras to use Prince Jeta’s name in first place to commemorate the mutual effort of both benefactors. Anāthapiṇḍada built residences for the monks, to house them during the monsoon season, thus creating the first Buddhist monastery. It was one of the Buddha’s main residences, where he spent around nineteen rainy season retreats, and it was therefore the setting for many of the Buddha’s discourses and events. According to the travel accounts of Chinese monks, it was still in use as a Buddhist monastery in the early fifth century ᴄᴇ, but by the sixth century it had been reduced to ruins.

An epithet of Indra.

An ancient Indian kingdom located somewhere in present day Uttar Pradesh.

Literally “not being a tight-fisted teacher,” this term denotes a teacher who freely gives appropriate teachings to their disciples.

The first stage in the development and expression of afflictions (Skt. kleśa, Tib. nyon mongs), followed by “belief” (Skt. dṛṣṭi, Tib. lta ba smra ba) and “manifest affliction” (Skt. paryutthāna, Tib. kun nas ldang ba).

The Sanskrit term śrāvaka, and the Tibetan nyan thos, both derived from the verb “to hear,” are usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard to others.” Primarily this refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat seeking their own liberation and nirvāṇa. They are the practitioners of the first turning of the wheel of the Dharma on the four noble truths, who realize the suffering inherent in saṃsāra and focus on understanding that there is no independent self. By conquering afflicted mental states (kleśa), they liberate themselves, attaining first the stage of stream enterers at the path of seeing, followed by the stage of once-returners who will be reborn only one more time, and then the stage of non-returners who will no longer be reborn into the desire realm. The final goal is to become an arhat. These four stages are also known as the “four results of spiritual practice.”

“Great being”; a frequent epithet of bodhisattvas.

One of the five trees of Indra’s paradise, its heavenly flowers often rain down in salutation of the buddhas and bodhisattvas and are said to be very bright and aromatic, gladdening the hearts of those who see them. In our world, it is a tree native to India, Erythrina indica or Erythrina variegata, commonly known as the Indian coral tree, mandarava tree, flame tree, and tiger’s claw. In the early spring, before its leaves grow, the tree is fully covered in large flowers, which are rich in nectar and attract many birds. Although the most widespread coral tree has red crimson flowers, the color of the blossoms is not usually mentioned in the sūtras themselves, and it may refer to some other kinds, like the rarer Erythrina indica alba, which boasts white flowers.

The third stage in the development and expression of afflictions (Skt. kleśa, Tib. nyon mongs), preceded by “latent tendency” (Skt. anuśaya, Tib. bag la nyal ba) and “belief” (Skt. dṛṣṭi, Tib. lta ba smra ba).

Afflictive emotions. There are the 84,000 variations of mental disturbances for which the 84,000 categories of the Buddha’s teachings serve as the antidote. These mental disturbances can be subsumed into the three or five poisons of attachment, aversion, and ignorance plus arrogance and jealousy.

An accumulation of positive karma that ripens into a positive result.

An epithet of the Buddha.

The four modes for attracting people to the Dharma: giving (dāna); pleasant speech (priyavaditā); accomplishment of the aims (of others) by teaching Dharma (arthacaryā); and consistency of behavior with the teaching (samānārthatā).

According to ancient Buddhist cosmology, this is the great mountain forming the axis of the universe. At its summit is Sudarśana, home of Śakra and his thirty-two gods, and on its flanks live the asuras. The mount has four sides facing the cardinal directions, each of which is made of a different precious stone. Surrounding it are several mountain ranges and the great ocean where the four principal island continents lie: in the south, Jambudvīpa (our world); in the west, Godānīya; in the north, Uttarakuru; and in the east, Pūrvavideha. Above it are the abodes of the desire realm gods. It is variously referred to as Meru, Mount Meru, Sumeru, and Mount Sumeru.

A class of semidivine beings that inhabit bodies of water and act as guardians of treasure.

Epithet of Viṣṇu.

The belief that nothing exists. One of two extremes of incorrect views.

The non-Buddhist spiritual traditions of ancient India, which according to the Buddhist view are generally said to fall into one of two categories of erroneous views: the view of eternalism or the view of nihilism.

An obscuration consisting of negative actions committed in the past that prevents progress on the path to awakening in the present.

An epithet of the Buddha.

The stage on a bodhisattva’s path when there is no longer any chance of regressing to a preceding stage or state.

The outer robe put over the other garments. One of the three Dharma robes (chos gos gsum, tricīvara).

Gods of the sixth and highest-level god realm within the desire realm.

An umbrella term for the class of wandering religious ascetics of diverse religious persuasions that were common at the time of the Buddha.

The third of the five aggregates that comprise a living being (form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness).

The king of Kośala.

To receive food that is offered in a bowl to mendicants in order to accumulate merit. The Tibetan term can be literally understood as “merit equalizing.”

The name for our world system, the universe of a thousand million worlds, or trichiliocosm, in which the four-continent world is located. Each trichiliocosm is ruled by a god Brahmā; thus, in this context, he bears the title of Sahāṃpati, Lord of Sahā. The world system of Sahā, or Sahālokadhātu, is also described as the buddhafield of the Buddha Śākyamuni where he teaches the Dharma to beings. The name Sahā possibly derives from the Sanskrit √sah, “to bear, endure, or withstand.” It is often interpreted as alluding to the inhabitants of this world being able to endure the suffering they encounter. The Tibetan translation, mi mjed, follows along the same lines. It literally means “not painful,” in the sense that beings here are able to bear the suffering they experience.

The lord of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (trāyastriṃśa). Alternatively known as Indra, the deity that is called “lord of the gods” dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. The Tibetan translation brgya byin (meaning “one hundred sacrifices”) is based on an etymology that śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu, one who has performed a hundred sacrifices. Each world with a central Sumeru has a Śakra. Also known by other names such as Kauśika, Devendra, and Śacipati.

In Buddhism, a term denoting a religious life grounded in renunciation and chastity. In the brahmanical traditions, this refers specifically to the stage in one’s youth dedicated to focused study of religious scripture and practice.

Though often specifically reserved for the monastic community, this term can be applied to any of the four Buddhist communities‍—monks, nuns, laymen, and lay women‍—as well as the community of bodhisattvas.

The place where the Buddha Śākyamuni achieved awakening and where countless other buddhas are said to have achieved awakening. This is understood to be located under the Bodhi tree in present-day Bodhgaya, India.

The six qualities that are to be perfected on the Mahāyāna path: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and insight.

During the life of the Buddha, Śrāvastī was the capital city of the powerful kingdom of Kośala, ruled by King Prasenajit, who became a follower and patron of the Buddha. It was also the hometown of Anāthapiṇḍada, the wealthy patron who first invited the Buddha there, and then offered him a park known as Jetavana, Prince Jeta’s Grove, which became one of the first Buddhist monasteries. The Buddha is said to have spent about twenty-five rainy seasons with his disciples in Śrāvastī, thus it is named as the setting of numerous events and teachings. It is located in present-day Uttar Pradesh in northern India.

A bodhisattva, formerly the bodhisattva Divine Excellence, who is mentioned in The Teaching by the Child Inconceivable Radiance.

Part of the tradition monastic attire. Bamboo strainers were always carried in order to avoid killing insects when taking water.

The gods who live in Śuddhāvāsa heavens, the five “pure abodes” that form the highest realms that constitute the realm of subtle form (rūpadhātu) and which comprise the fourth of the meditative concentrations (dhyāna).

Epithet of a buddha, meaning “one who has arrived at, or understood, how things truly are.”

The thirty-two major signs of a buddha that manifest as specific physical attributes to indicate the perfection of the awakened state of buddhahood.

The name of a future eon, one hundred incalculable eons from now.

The garment covering the upper body. One of the three Dharma robes (chos gos gsum, tricīvara).

One of the seven buddhas preceding the Buddha Śākyamuni.

Epithet of a buddha, meaning “one who has reached bliss.”

One who has attained liberation from the suffering of saṃsāra and abides within the final peace of nirvāṇa. The final attainment according to the śrāvaka path of liberation. Also used as an epithet of the Buddha.

A class of semidivine beings who inhabit forests and other natural spaces, or serve as guardians to villages and towns, and may be propitiated for health, wealth, protection, and other boons.