The highest of the three paradises that are the second dhyāna paradises in the form realm.

A shorter form of the name of Buddha Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū.

A short form of Sāgara­vara­dhara­buddhi­vikrīḍitābhijña, the name that Ānanda will have when he is a buddha.

The realm of Buddha Akṣobhya in the east.

An eon in the future.

The absence of any conceptual goal that one is focused upon achieving, knowing that all composite phenomena create suffering. One of the three doorways to liberation.

The absence of the conceptual identification of perceptions. Knowing that the true nature has no attributes, such as color, shape, etc. One of the three doorways to liberation.

A rākṣasī known only from this sūtra.

A spiritual teacher, meaning one who knows the conduct or practice (caryā) to be performed. It can also be a title for a scholar, though that is not the context in this sūtra.

One of the nine aspects of the Dharma according to this sūtra. More commonly there are said to be twelve that include these nine.

A Mahābrahmā in the southeast.

The name of the eon in which Śāriputra will become a buddha.

The resinous heartwood of the Aquilaria and Gyirnops evergreen trees in India and southeast Asia.

Vimāna, translated here as “airborne palace,” can mean a divine chariot or palace, or a combination of the two, as in this translation. These flying palaces of the deities are well known in Indian mythology. Burnouf translates as “chariots”; Kern has “aerial cars.”

A king of Magadha, the son of King Bimbisāra and Queen Vaidehī. He reigned during the last ten years of the Buddha’s life and about twenty years after. He overthrew his father and through invasion expanded the kingdom of Magadha. According to the Buddhist tradition he was murdered by his own son Udayabhadra.

The other name of Maitreya, the bodhisattva who became Śākyamuni’s regent and is prophesied to be the next buddha, the fifth buddha in the fortunate eon. In early Buddhism he appears as the human disciple Maitreya Tiṣya, sent to pay his respects by his teacher. The Buddha gives him the gift of a robe and prophesies he will be the next buddha, while his companion Ajita will be the next cakravartin. As a bodhisattva in the Mahāyāna he has both these names.

See “Kauṇḍinya.”

The highest of the seventeen paradises in the form realm. Within the form realm is the highest of the eight paradises of the fourth dhyāna. Within the fourth dhyāna is the highest of the five Śuddhāvāsika (“pure abode”) paradises.

A buddha in the southern direction.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

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.

The buddha of the western buddhafield of Sukhāvatī, where fortunate beings are reborn to make further progress toward spiritual maturity. Amitābha made his great vows to create such a realm when he was a bodhisattva called Dharmākara. In the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, popular in East Asia, aspiring to be reborn in his buddha realm is the main emphasis; in other Mahāyāna traditions, too, it is a widespread practice. For a detailed description of the realm, see The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī, Toh 115. In some tantras that make reference to the five families he is the tathāgata associated with the lotus family.Amitābha, “Infinite Light,” is also known in many Indian Buddhist works as Amitāyus, “Infinite Life.” In both East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions he is often conflated with another buddha named “Infinite Life,” Aparimitāyus, or “Infinite Life and Wisdom,”Aparimitāyurjñāna, the shorter version of whose name has also been back-translated from Tibetan into Sanskrit as Amitāyus but who presides over a realm in the zenith. For details on the relation between these buddhas and their names, see The Aparimitāyurjñāna Sūtra (1) Toh 674, i.9.

The Buddha in the western realm of Sukhāvatī. Later and presently better known by his alternative name Amitābha. Not to be confused with the buddha of long life, Aparimitāyus, whose name has been incorrectly back-translated into Sanskrit as Amitāyus also.

One of “the sixteen excellent men.”

The divine nectar that prevents death, often used metaphorically for the Dharma.

Short form of Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū.

Buddha Sākyamuni’s cousin, who was his attendant for the last twenty years of his life. He was the subject of criticism and opposition from the monastic community after the Buddha’s passing, but eventually succeeded to the position of the patriarch of Buddhism in India after the passing of the first patriarch, Mahākāśyapa.

One of the four principal bodhisattvas who emerged from the ground at the time of the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra.

A prince in the distant past.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

The realm of Ānanda when he becomes a buddha as given in the prose. (An­avana­tā Dhvaja­vaijayantī in the verse.)

The realm of Ānanda when he becomes a buddha, as given in the verse. (An­avanāmita­vaijayantī in the prose.)

A nāga king whose domain is Lake Anavatapta. According to Buddhist cosmology, this lake is located near Mount Sumeru and is the source of the four great rivers of Jambudvīpa. It is often identified with Lake Manasarovar at the foot of Mount Kailash in Tibet.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

The Buddha’s cousin, and one of his ten principal pupils. Renowned for his clairvoyance.

One of “the sixteen excellent men.”

A class of nonhuman beings believed to cause epilepsy, fits, and loss of memory. As their name suggests‍—the Skt. apasmāra literally means “without memory” and the Tib. brjed byed means “causing forgetfulness”‍—they are defined by the condition they cause in affected humans, and the term can refer to any nonhuman being that causes such conditions, whether a bhūta, a piśāca, or other.

Popular figures in Indian culture, they are said to be goddesses of the clouds and water.

According to Buddhist tradition, one who is worthy of worship (pūjām arhati), or one who has conquered the enemies, the mental afflictions (kleśa-ari-hata-vat), and reached liberation from the cycle of rebirth and suffering. It is the fourth and highest of the four fruits attainable by śrāvakas. Also used as an epithet of the Buddha.

Generally has the common meaning of a noble person, one of a higher class or caste. In Dharma terms it means one who has gained the realization of the path and is superior for that reason.

The designation of a measure of time on the scale of eons, literally meaning “incalculable.” The number of years in such an eon differs in various sūtras that give a number. Also, twenty intermediate eons are said to be one incalculable eon, and four incalculable eons are one great eon. In that case those four incalculable eons represent the eons of the creation, presence, destruction, and absence of a world. Buddhas are often described as appearing in a second incalculable eon.

Fourth-century Indian founder of the Yogācāra tradition.

The seven aspects of enlightenment are: mindfulness, analysis of phenomena, diligence, joy, tranquility, samādhi, and equanimity.

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 son of one of the seven brahmins who predicted that Śākyamuni would become a great king. He was one of the five companions with Śākyamuni in the beginning of his spiritual path, abandoning him when he gave up asceticism, but then becoming one of his first five pupils after his buddhahood. He was the last of the five to attain the realization of a “stream entrant” and became an arhat on hearing the Sūtra on the Characteristics of Selflessness (An­ātma­lakṣaṇa­sūtra), which was not translated into Tibetan. Aśvajit was the one who converted Śariputra and Maudgalyāyana into becoming followers of the Buddha.

A deity in the retinue of Śakra.

“Attainment of Light,” the world in which Kāśyapa will become a buddha.

Also called red avadavats, strawberry finches, and kalaviṅka sparrows. Dictionaries have erroneously identified them as cuckoos, and kalaviṅka birds outside India have evolved into a mythical half human bird. The avadavat is a significant bird in the Ganges plain and renowned for its beautiful song.

First appeared as a bodhisattva beside Amitābha in the Sukhāvati Sūtra. The name has been variously interpreted. In “The lord of Avalokita,” Avalokita has been interpreted as “seeing,” although, as a past passive participle, it is literally “lord of what has been seen.” One of the principal sūtras in the Mahāsāṃghika tradition was the Avalokita Sūtra, which has not been translated into Tibetan, in which the word is a synonym for enlightenment, as it is “that which has been seen” by the buddhas. In the early tantras, he was one of the lords of the three families, as the embodiment of the compassion of the buddhas. The Potalaka Mountain in southern India became important in southern Indian Buddhism as his residence in this world, but Potalaka does not yet feature in the Kāraṇḍa­vyūha Sūtra, which emphasized the premeninence of Avalokiteśvara above all buddhas and bodhisattvas and introduced the mantra oṁ maṇi­padme hūṁ.

The lowest hell, the eighth of the eight hot hells.

The twelve bases of sensory perception: the six sensory faculties (eyes, nose, ears, tongue, body, and mind), which form in the womb and eventually have contact with the six external bases of sensory perception: form, smell, sound, taste, touch, and mental phenomena.

From a wealthy brahmin family, Bakkula is said to have become a monk at the age of eighty and lived to be a hundred and sixty! He is also said to have had two families, because as a baby he was swallowed by a large fish and the family who discovered him alive in the fish’s stomach also claimed him as their child. The Buddha’s foremost pupil in terms of health and longevity. It is also said he could remember many previous lifetimes and was a pupil of the previous buddhas Padmottara, Vipaśyin, and Kāśyapa.

A cakravartin is a king who rules over at least one continent, and gains his territory by the rolling of his magic wheel over the land. Therefore he is called a “king with the revolving wheel.” This is as the result of the merit he has accumulated in previous lifetimes. A bala­cakra­vartin king is a lesser kind of cakravartin who has attained his dominion through his great might and his powerful army.

Bali wrested control of the world from the devas, establishing a period of peace and prosperity with no caste distinction. Indra requested Viṣṇu to use his wiles so that the devas could gain the world back from him. He appeared as a dwarf asking for two steps of ground, was offered three and then traversed the world in two steps. Bali, keeping faithful to his promise, accepted the banishment of the asuras into the underworld. A great Bali festival in his honor is held annually in southern India. In The Basket Display (Kāraṇḍa­vyūha Sūtra, Toh 116), he is described as abusing his power by imprisoning the kṣatriyas, so that Viṣṇu has just cause to banish him to the underworld.

A Middle Indic word derived from the Sanskrit bhadanta. Meaning “venerable one” it is a term of respectful title for Buddhist monks.

Ocimum basilicum. Commonly known in India as tulsi. A sacred plant in the Hindu tradition.

Cinnamomum tamala, which is specifically the Indian bay leaf. Called tamalpatra in Marathi, and tejpatta in Hindi. The Sanskrit and Marathi means “dark-tree leaves.” Also called Malabar leaves, after the name of the northern area of present-day Kerala in southwest India.

Also called gum benzoin and gum benjamin. Not to be confused with the unrelated chemical called benzoin. It is the resin of styrax trees.

Although this has often been translated as lapis lazuli, the descriptions and references in the literature, both Sanskrit and Tibetan, match beryl. The Pāli form is veḷuriya. The Prākrit form verulia is the source for the English beryl . This normally refers to the blue or aquamarine beryl, but there are also white, yellow, and green beryls, though green beryl is called “emerald.”

The world realm where Yaśodharā will become a buddha.

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).

One of the five companions of Śākyamuni in asceticism, who abandoned him when he renounced asceticism. Later they became the Buddha’s first five pupils, with Bhadrika the second of them to become his follower.

“One who has bhaga,” which has many diverse meanings, including good fortune, happiness, and majesty. In the Buddhist context, it means one who has the good fortune of attaining enlightenment.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

One of the principal śrāvaka pupils of Śākyamuni. It is said that his previous lives had been in hells and then as a human he had only stones to eat because of his mistreatment of his mother in one lifetime.

The name of a long enduring family in the distant past in which twenty thousand buddhas appeared.

A conical or bowl-shaped kettledrum, with an upper surface that is beaten with sticks.

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).

The term bhikṣuṇī, often translated as “nun,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term bhikṣu (to which the female grammatical ending ṇī is added) literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist nuns and monks‍—like other ascetics of the time‍—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity. In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a bhikṣuṇī follows 364 rules and a bhikṣu follows 253 rules as part of their moral discipline.For the first few years of the Buddha’s teachings in India, there was no ordination for women. It started at the persistent request and display of determination of Mahāprajāpatī, the Buddha’s stepmother and aunt, together with five hundred former wives of men of Kapilavastu, who had themselves become monks. Mahāprajāpatī is thus considered to be the founder of the nun’s order.

The names of millions of buddhas within one eon in the distant past, and also the name of a particular buddha in chapter 19.

A ghost in the Indian tradition, sometimes haunting houses where they were killed. They can appear in human or animal form. They cast no shadow and their feet are always backward. In Hindi they are called bhoot.

Bignonia suaveolens. The Indian species of bignonia. They have trumpet-shaped flowers and the small trees are common throughout India.

Momordica monadelpha. A perennial climbing plant, the fruit of which is a bright red gourd. Because of its color it is frequently used in poetry as a simile for lips.

Nymphaea caerulea. The “blue lotus” is actually a lily, so it is also known as the blue water lily.

The exact place where every buddha in this world will manifest the attainment of buddhahood. The spot beneath the Bodhi tree in the village presently known as Bodhgaya. Literally “the essence of enlightenment.”

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 way or vehicle of the bodhisattvas.

The personification of the universal force of Brahman, the deity in the form realm, who was during the Buddha’s time considered the supreme deity and creator of the universe. In the cosmogony of many universes, each with a thousand million worlds, there are many Brahmās.

A buddha in the southwestern direction.

The devas who live in the paradise of Brahmā.

Brahmā’s paradise. The lowest of the three paradises that form the paradises of the first dhyāna in the form realm. Also refers to the devas who live there.

The four qualities that are said to result in rebirth in the paradise of Brahmā and were a practice already prevalent before Śākyamuni’s teaching: limitless love, compassion, rejoicing, and equanimity.

A member of the priestly class or caste from the four social divisions of India.

Literally “long-lived.” A title referring to an ordained monk.

Literally “Awakened One” in Sanskrit, the Tibetan translation interprets this as one who is “purified and perfected.”

According to the Lotus Sūtra the one true way to buddhahood, equivalent to the Mahāyāna, which is the only teaching given by buddhas who do not live in a degenerate eon.

A shrine. The word is often used interchangably with stūpa but can be used more widely for various kinds of simple shrines such as those for sacred trees.

In Buddhist cosmology this mountain range forms an outer ring at the edge of the flat disk that is the world. These mountains prevent the ocean from overflowing. In other contexts this name can refer to the entire disk of the world, the paradises above it, or, as in the Kṣiti­garbha Sūtra, to a mountain that contains the hells, also known as the Vaḍaba submarine mountain of fire.

An ideal monarch or emperor who, as the result of the merit accumulated in previous lifetimes, rules over a vast realm in accordance with the Dharma. Such a monarch is called a cakravartin because he bears a wheel (cakra) that rolls (vartate) across the earth, bringing all lands and kingdoms under his power. The cakravartin conquers his territory without causing harm, and his activity causes beings to enter the path of wholesome actions. According to Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakośa, just as with the buddhas, only one cakravartin appears in a world system at any given time. They are likewise endowed with the thirty-two major marks of a great being (mahāpuruṣalakṣaṇa), but a cakravartin’s marks are outshined by those of a buddha. They possess seven precious objects: the wheel, the elephant, the horse, the wish-fulfilling gem, the queen, the general, and the minister. An illustrative passage about the cakravartin and his possessions can be found in The Play in Full (Toh 95), 3.3–3.13. Vasubandhu lists four types of cakravartins: (1) the cakravartin with a golden wheel (suvarṇacakravartin) rules over four continents and is invited by lesser kings to be their ruler; (2) the cakravartin with a silver wheel (rūpyacakravartin) rules over three continents and his opponents submit to him as he approaches; (3) the cakravartin with a copper wheel (tāmracakravartin) rules over two continents and his opponents submit themselves after preparing for battle; and (4) the cakravartin with an iron wheel (ayaścakravartin) rules over one continent and his opponents submit themselves after brandishing weapons.

The lowest of the untouchables in the social system of ancient India.

The god of the moon; the moon personified.

The famed seventh-century Indian Buddhist master known most for his Madhyamaka treatises commenting on the works of the second- to third-century master Nāgārjuna. In Tibet, where Candrakīrti’s exegetical writings form the foundation for the study of Indian Madhyamaka thought, he is celebrated as a proponent of the Prāsaṅgika Madhyamaka approach in particular.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

This stone is not a type of beryl in spite of its name. The Tibetan has adopted the Prakrit form of its name: ke ke ru. It is the third hardest gemstone. It comes in three main varieties: the eponymous yellow or green chrysoberyl; cat’s eye (cymophane), which is light green or yellow with a band of light, resembling a cat’s eye; and the third form, alexandrite, which can change color from red to green to yellow according to the light. All three kinds have been mined since ancient times, in Sri Lanka in particular.

Erythrina indica or Erythrina variegate. Mandarava, flame tree, tiger’s claw. In the summer it is covered in large crimson flowers, which are believed to also grow in Indra’s paradise. The coral tree is the most widespread species of Erythrina or māndārava, taller than the others, and all are collectively known as coral trees.

A Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit term.

A pupil of the Buddha who had miraculous powers. Also said to be the younger brother of Śāriputra. There were at least three pupils of the Buddha who had the name Cunda, but in this sūtra it is Mahācunda, “Great Cunda.” Not to be confused with the layperson Cunda, who gave the Buddha his last meal.

A small two-headed drum played with one hand.

A term of Jain origin, meaning “inflows.” It refers to uncontrolled thoughts as a result of being influenced by sensory objects and thus being sullied or defiled. It is also defined as “outflows,” hence the Tibetan zag pa (“leaks”) as the mind is “flowing out” toward the sensory objects.

Cedrus deodara; devadār in Hindi. A cedar tree whose inner wood is aromatic and used for incense. The Sanskrit literally means “divine tree.”

A being in the paradises from the base of Mount Meru upward. Also can refer to a deity in the human world, or can be used as an honorific form of address for kings and other important personages.

A cousin of Śākyamuni, who broke with him and established his own community. His tradition was still continuing during the first millennium ᴄᴇ. He is portrayed as engendering evil schemes against the Buddha and even succeeding in wounding him. He is usually identified with wicked beings in accounts of previous lifetimes, but not in The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, where he is a teacher of the Buddha in a previous lifetime, and the Buddha prophesies his future buddhahood.

The name of Devadatta when he becomes a buddha in the future.

The realm where Devadatta will attain buddhahood.

See “retention.”

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

One of “the sixteen excellent men,” present at the teaching of the sūtra.

A term that predates Buddhism, Dharma/dharmas has a wide range of meanings and usages in Buddhist texts depending on context:As Dharma , it is the teaching of Buddha Śākyamuni and other buddhas, preached by their followers, and transmitted in the form of scripture; or, alternatively, it means ultimate reality itself, the referent of the teaching and what is realized through it. As dharmas , it is variously the different teachings given by Buddha Śākyamuni, other buddhas, and their followers; the trainings enjoined in those teachings; the positive qualities acquired through applying those trainings; mental phenomena in general; or phenomena in general or their characteristics. Often in Buddhist literature there is a play on the multiple interlinked senses of this term.

The upper robe of a Buddhist monk.

Someone who recites the Dharma teachings, either from a text or from memory. In early Buddhism, in particular before the teachings were written down and were transmitted solely orally, a section of the saṅgha would be bhāṇakas, who were the key factor in the preservation of the teachings. Various groups of bhāṇakas specialized in memorizing and reciting a certain set of sūtras or vinaya. Even when the teachings existed in writing, a reciter of Dharma teachings was of great importance within a society that was predominantly illiterate.

One of the four kings of the kinnaras. He is present at the teaching of the sūtra.

A buddha of the distant past.

In distinction to the rūpakāya, or form body of a buddha, this is the eternal, imperceivable 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 eight sons of Candra­sūrya­pradīpa. Also one of the translators of the Lotus Sūtra into Chinese.

Ninth-century Indian author.

Pūrna Maitrāyaṇī­putra’s name when he becomes a buddha in the distant future.

The six sensory objects, six sensory faculties, and six consciousnesses.

One of the four mahārājas, he is the guardian deity for the east and lord of the gandharvas.

A bodhisattva in the distant future.

Generally one of the synonyms for meditation, referring to a state of mental stability. The specific four dhyānas are four successively subtler states of meditation that are said to lead to rebirth into the corresponding four levels of the form realm, which are composed of seventeen paradises.

A previous buddha who gave Śākyamuni the prophecy of his buddhahood.

One of the four kings of the kinnaras. He is present at the teaching of the sūtra.

The Tibetan word literally means “confidence” or “courage” but it refers to confident speech, to being perfectly eloquent, especially in expressing the Dharma.

One of the nine aspects of the Dharma according to this sūtra. More commonly there are said to be twelve that include these nine. It means “the explanation of details in the teachings” and is synonymous with abhidharma.

The Sanskrit can mean knowledge, realization, waking, blossoming, etc., according to context. The Tibetan translates as “purified and accomplished.”

The Indian concept of an eon of millions of years, sometimes equivalent to the time when a world appears, exists, and disappears. There are also the intermediate eons during the existence of a world, and the longest, which is called asamkhyeya (literally, “incalculable,” even though the number of its years is calculated).

Defined as the ultimate nature of phenomena, and also as the essence of the Dharma. Literally “the element of phenomena, or the Dharma.” This term is also used to mean “the realm of phenomena,” meaning all phenomena.

As an adjective for a sūtra it refers to one of the twelve classes of sūtra teaching, and refers to sūtras of great length.

One of the qualities necessary as a method to attain the enlightenment of a śrāvaka, pratyeka­buddha, or buddha. There are thirty-seven of these: (1–4) mindfulness of body, sensations, mind, and phenomena; (5–8) the intention to not do bad actions that are not done, to give up bad actions that are being done, to do good actions that have not been done, and to increase the good actions that are being done; (9–12) the foundations for miraculous powers: intention, diligence, mind, and analysis; (13–17) five powers: faith, diligence, mindfulness, samādhi, and wisdom; (18–22) five strengths: faith, diligence, mindfulness, samādhi, and wisdom; (23–29) seven aspects of enlightenment: correct mindfulness, correct analysis of phenomena, correct diligence, correct attentiveness, correct samādhi, and correct equanimity; and (30–37) the eightfold noble path: right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and samādhi.

This refers to the four confidences or fearlessnesses of the Buddha: confidence in having attained realization, confidence in having attained elimination, confidence in teaching the Dharma, and confidence in teaching the path of aspiration to liberation.

The eighty secondary physical characteristics of a buddha and of other great beings (mahāpuruṣa), which include such details as the redness of the fingernails and the blackness of the hair. They are considered “minor” in terms of being secondary to the thirty-two major marks or signs of a great being.

Butea monosperma, Butea frondosa, and Erythrina monosperma. A tree that grows up to 15 meters tall and has bright red flowers. Other names include parrot tree, bastard teak, dhak (Hindi), palas (Hindi), porasum (Tamil); and khakda (Gujarati).

The meaning of this term varies according to context; as one of the skandhas, it means “various mental activities.” In terms of the twelve phases of dependent origination it is the second, “formation” or “creation”: activities with karmic results.

Male and female monastics and males and females holding lay vows.

Also called olibanum, this is a resin from trees of the genus Boswellia, in this case Boswellia serrata, “Indian frankincense.” It is also known as salai and śallakī.

A bodhisattva in a distant realm.

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.”

Gardenia gummifera. A white fragrant flower that blooms in the rainy season.

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.

Bos gaurus, a massive wild ox, also called the Indian bison. The largest extant bovine.

One of the group of five friends who were the second group to become students of the Buddha, and he was one of the ten students of the Buddha who were the first to become arhats.

One of the sacred towns of ancient India, south of the Ganges in present-day Bihar. In the Buddha’s lifetime, this was in the kingdom of Magadha. Uruvilvā, the area including Bodhgaya where the Buddha attained enlightenment, is nearby to the south, upriver from Gayā.

The brother of Nadīkāśyapa and Uru­vilvā­kāśyapa. A practitioner of fire offering at Uruvilvā (Bodhgaya), he and his two hundred pupils were converted to becoming bhikṣus of the Buddha. He and his brothers and their pupils were the third group to become followers of the Buddha after his enlightenment.

A prince in the distant past.

One of “the sixteen excellent men.”

Attendants of Kubera, the god of wealth, and the guardians of his treasures. They live in the Himalayas at the source of the Ganges on the mountain that has been identified with Kailash.

A rākṣasī with hundreds of children that the Buddha converted into a protector of children. There is a temple specifically for her in Kathmandu.

An epithet for Avalokiteśvara.

There are six kinds of higher knowledge: divine sight, divine hearing, knowing how to manifest miracles, remembering previous lives, knowing what is in the minds of others, and knowing that all defects have been eliminated. Sometimes listed as five, without the sixth.

Literally “the lesser way” or “lesser vehicle.” It is a collective term for the śrāvakayāna and pratyeka­buddha­yāna , which have nirvāṇa instead of buddhahood as their goal.

Accounts of the lives of past buddhas and bodhisattvas. Literally “thus it has happened.” One of the nine aspects of the Dharma according to this sūtra. More commonly there are said to be twelve that include these nine.

One of “the sixteen excellent men.”

A buddha in the southwestern direction.

One of the most frequently used names for Śiva. A deity of the jungles, named Rudra in the Vedas, he rose to prominence in the Purāṇic literature at the beginning of the first millennium. Often synonymous with Maheśvara, though sometimes presented as separate deities.

A buddha in the distant past. Also the name of a prince in the distant past.

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.

See “Jāmbūnada­prabhāsa.”

Mahākātyāyana’s name when he becomes a buddha in the distant future. Also rendered in Sanskrit in a shorter form as “Jāmbūnadābhāsa,” (Tibetan remains the same).

An Indian master, whose precise dates are unknown, and who wrote a commentary on the Entry into Laṅka Sūtra.

Jasminum sambac. Erroneously called “Arabian jasmine.”

One of the synonyms for buddha . Literally, “victor” but only used for founders of religious traditions.

The eldest son of Buddha Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū.

A deva in Brahmā’s paradise.

The son of Anāthapiṇḍada (Pali: Anāthapindika), the merchant who donated to the Buddha the land for the Jetavana Monastery.

The Kāla Mountains of Bhāratvarṣa (i.e., India) are listed in the Mahābhārata as the mountain ranges Vindhya (separating the Deccan from north India), Mahendra (the eastern Ghats), Malaya (southern half of the Western Ghats), Sahya (the northern half of the Western Ghats), Rakṣavat (northeast extension of the Vindhya), Pāripātra, and the Sūktimat (or Śuktimat), which is presumably another name for the one remaining significant mountain range, the Arbuda in the northwest.

The pupil of the Buddha who is said to be foremost in inspiring faith among laypeople.

The Sanskrit can mean “good friend” or “beneficial friend.” The Tibetan can mean “virtuous friend” or “friend of virtue.” A title for a teacher of the spiritual path.

A buddha in a realm far away in the eastern direction.

See “Kapilavastu.”

The hometown of Śākyamuni Buddha. There are two sites, one on either side of the present border between Nepal and India, that have been identified as its remains. Also known as “Kapilāhvaya.”

A principal teacher of the monastic saṅgha during the Buddha’s lifetime.

An ancient Indian weight used for gold or silver, which is around 280 grains troy (about 18 grams).

See “Mahākāśyapa.”

See “Mahākātyāyana.”

The court priest in the Buddha’s father’s kingdom, who predicted the Buddha’s enlightenment. He became one of the Buddha’s five companions in asceticism. They renounced him when he abandoned asceticism but after his enlightenment they became his pupils. Kauṇḍinya was the first to convert to being his pupil and was the first of his pupils to become an arhat. Also called “Kauṇḍinyagotra” and “Ājñāta­kauṇḍinya.”

Alternate name for “Kauṇḍinya.” Literally “of the Kauṇḍinya family.”

A rākṣasī known only from this sūtra.

A king of the asuras, present at the teaching of the sūtra.

A class of nonhuman beings that resemble humans to the degree that their very name‍—which means “is that human?”‍—suggests some confusion as to their divine status. Kinnaras are mythological beings found in both Buddhist and Brahmanical literature, where they are portrayed as creatures half human, half animal. They are often depicted as highly skilled celestial musicians.

Literally “pain,” “torment,” or “affliction.” In Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit it literally means “impurity” or “depravity.” In its technical use in Buddhism it means any negative quality in the mind that causes continued existence in saṃsāra. The basic three kleśas are ignorance, attachment, and aversion.

A quarter of a yojana , sometimes called an “Indian league.” It is said to be about two miles. The Tibetan means “an earshot.”

A spirit one can request, by making offerings, to destroy others. Usually female, with this sūtra having the sole instance of a male entity. There are also references to humans who have this power.

The warrior, ruling, or royal class in the four-caste system of India.

Dwarf spirits said to have either large stomachs or huge, pot-sized testicles.

A rākṣasī known only from this sūtra.

A rākṣasī known only from this sūtra.

Distinctive Indian assembly hall or temple with one ground-floor room and a high ornamental roof, sometimes a barrel shape with apses but more usually a tapering roof, tower, or spire, containing at least one additional upper room within the structure. Kūṭāgāra literally means “upper chamber” and is short for kūṭāgāraśala, “hall with an upper chamber or chambers.” The Mahābodhi temple in Bodhgaya is an example of a kūṭāgāra.

A rākṣasī known as such only in this sūtra. She is, however, listed in the tantra The Great Peahen Incantation along with Hārītī as one of ten piśācīs who protected the Buddha while he was in the womb.

This can include any method for liberation. The most common list is of eight liberations: (1) form viewing form, the view of dependent origination and emptiness; (2) the formless viewing form, having seen internal emptiness, seeing the emptiness of external forms; (3) the view of the pleasant, seeing pleasant appearances as empty and contemplating the unpleasant; (4) seeing the emptiness of the formless meditation of infinite space; (5) seeing the emptiness of the formless meditation of infinite consciousness; (6) seeing the emptiness of the formless meditation of nothingness; (7) seeing the emptiness of the formless meditation of neither perception nor nonperception; (8) seeing the emptiness of the state of cessation.

A synonym for ultimate reality, emptiness, dharmadhātu, and so forth‍—as either an ontological reality or a state of being‍—this compound is typically parsed as the “limit” or “frontier” (koṭi) of “reality” (bhūta), which is intended metaphorically, as it is consistently described, in a play on words, as “without limit” (akoṭi) or “infinite” (atyanta). This compound might also be parsed as the “final” or “true” (bhūta) “conclusion” or “goal” (koṭi), although the majority of cases and the Indian Buddhist commentarial tradition tend to support the former interpretation.

A school of thought that rejected the Vedas and other religious texts and considered only empirical knowledge and inference to be valid. More commonly known in later literature as Cārvāka and in its Anglicized form Charvaka. It preexisted and was contemporary with the early centuries of Buddhism. Its literature no longer exists unless one takes the ninth-century text Tattvopaplava­siṃha by Jayarāśi Bhaṭṭa as associated with that school, which most scholars do not.

Honorific term for a Tibetan translator.

Nelumbo nucifera. True lotus with a central pericarp. The Indian or sacred lotus.

Gandharva king present at the teaching of the sūtra.

Gandharva king present at the teaching of the sūtra.

This ancient kingdom is in what is now southern Bihar, within which the Buddha attained enlightenment. During most of the life of the Buddha it was ruled by King Bimbisara. During the Buddha’s later years it began to expand greatly under the reign of King Ajataśatru. In the third century ᴄᴇ, during the reign of Aśoka, it become an empire that controlled most of India.

Magnolia campaca.

A buddha in the distant past. Also the name of a prince in the distant past.

The personification of the universal force of Brahman, the deity in the form realm who was, during the Buddha’s time, considered the supreme deity and creator of the universe. In the cosmology of many universes, each with a trillion worlds, there are many such Brahmās with individual names.

This appears to refer to the great circles of mountains that enclose a thousand worlds, each with its own Cakravāla.

One of the four kinnara kings.

One of the Buddha’s principal pupils, who became the Buddha’s successor on his passing. Also rendered here as “Kāśyapa.”

One of the ten principal pupils of the Buddha. He was renowned for his ability to understand the Buddha’s teachings. Also rendered as “Kātyāyana.”

Foremost among the Buddha’s pupils in analytic reasoning.

One of the garuḍa kings present at the teaching of the sūtra.

The cakravartin king who was the father of Buddha Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū.

One of the two principal pupils of the Buddha, along with Śariputra. He was renowned for miraculous powers. He was assassinated during the Buddha’s lifetime.

See Mucilinda.

One of the five companions of Śākyamuni in asceticism and later one of his first five pupils, attaining the state of a stream entrant after three days, the fourth to attain that realization. He attained the state of an arhat on hearing the Sūtra on the Characteristics of Selflessness. Not to be confused with the cousin of the Buddha, who had the same name, and was a significant lay follower and patron.

See “Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī.”

The Buddha’s mother’s sister and his step-mother. She was the mother of Nanda. She became the first bhikṣuṇī after the death of the Buddha’s father. Gautamī is the family name, the female equivalent to Gautama. The family line is said to descend from the Gautama who was one of the seven rishis that established the religion and culture of India. His sūtra specifies that a renunciant should be called a bhikṣu, have a shaved head, and wear yellow robes. Also rendered here simply as “Mahāprajāpatī.”

A bodhisattva who appears mainly in chapters 11 and 12 of this sūtra. In the Chinese version, like other bodhisattvas who appear in the second half of the sūtra, considered to be of a later date than the first half, he is not in the initial list of bodhisattvas given in the first chapter.

One of the four garuḍa kings, present at the teaching of the sūtra.

Four deities on the base of Mount Meru, each one the guardian of his direction: Vaiśravaṇa in the north, Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the east, Virūpākṣa in the west, and Virūḍhaka in the south.

One of the four garuḍa kings, present at the teaching of the sūtra.

“Great Form.” The name of a past eon.

A world realm in the distant past.

One of the early schools of Buddhism, within which views such as the transcendence of the Buddha formed the basis for the rise of Mahāyāna.

Literally “great being.” An epithet for a bodhisattva of great accomplishment.

An epithet for the Buddha’s principal students who had attained the goal of the path.

One of the two principal bodhisattvas in Sukhāvatī and prominent in Chinese Buddhism. In Tibetan Buddhism he is identified with Vajrapāṇi.

One of the four garuḍa kings, present at the teaching of the sūtra.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

Literally “Great Array” or “Great Display.” The name of a future eon.

One of the most frequently used names for Śiva. A deity of the jungles, named Rudra in the Vedas, he rose to prominence in the Purāṇic literature at the beginning of the first millennium. Often synonymous with Īśvara, but sometimes presented as a separate deity.

Literally “great serpents,” mahoragas are supernatural beings depicted as large, subterranean beings with human torsos and heads and the lower bodies of serpents. Their movements are said to cause earthquakes, and they make up a class of subterranean geomantic spirits whose movement through the seasons and months of the year is deemed significant for construction projects.

The bodhisattva who became Śākyamuni’s regent and is prophesied to be the next buddha, the fifth buddha in the fortunate eon. In early Buddhism he appears as the human disciple Maitreya Tiṣya, sent to pay his respects by his teacher. The Buddha gives him the gift of a robe and prophesies he will be the next Buddha, while his companion Ajita will be the next cakravartin. As a bodhisattva in the Mahāyāna, he has both these names.

A fabled sea monster, the front part of which is a mammal. It is said to be the largest animal in the world, with the strongest bite. Its head is said to be a combination of the features of an elephant, a crocodile, and a boar. The name is also applied to the dugong, the crocodile (in particular the Mugger crocodile, whose name is even derived from makara ), and the dolphin, particularly the Ganges dolphin, because the Ganges goddess is said to ride on a makara.

A rākṣasī known only from this sūtra.

A rākṣasī known only from this sūtra.

One of the eight great nāga kings.

See “Mañjusvara.”

Mañjuśrī is one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha” and a bodhisattva who embodies wisdom. He is a major figure in the Mahāyāna sūtras, appearing often as an interlocutor of the Buddha. In his most well-known iconographic form, he is portrayed bearing the sword of wisdom in his right hand and a volume of the Prajñā­pāramitā­sūtra in his left. To his name, Mañjuśrī, meaning “Gentle and Glorious One,” is often added the epithet Kumārabhūta, “having a youthful form.” He is also called Mañjughoṣa, Mañjusvara, and Pañcaśikha.Also called here “Mañjusvara” and “Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta.”

The bodhisattva who is considered the embodiment of wisdom, with the additional honorific title for a young man. Also rendered here as “Mañjusvara” and “Mañjuśrī.”

Meaning “gentle or beautiful voice,” this is an alternative name for Mañjuśrī. It is synonymous with Mañjughoṣa, which is also translated into Tibetan as ’jam dbyangs. See also “Mañjuśrī.”

The realm in which Mahā­maudgalyāyana will become a buddha in the distant future.

Gandharva king present at the teaching of the sūtra.

Literally “The Resounding of Beautiful Sounds.” It is the name of the future eon in which Ānanda will attain buddhahood.

Gandharva king present at the teaching of the sūtra. Also present at the teaching of the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra (Toh 116).

Literally “an instrument of thought,” it is usually a brief verbal formula used in multiple repetitions, usually beginning with oṁ and in essence a salutation to a particular deity.

(1) A deva, sometimes said to be the principal deity in Paranirmitavaśavartin, the highest paradise in the desire realm; also one of the names of the god of desire, Kāma in the Vedic tradition. He is portrayed as attempting to prevent the Buddha’s enlightenment. In early soteriological religions, the principal deity in saṃsāra, such as Indra, would attempt to prevent anyone’s realization that would lead to such a liberation. (2) The devas ruled over by Māra, and assisting his attempts to prevent the Buddha’s enlightenment; they do not wish any being to escape from saṃsāra. More generally, they are symbolic of the defects within a person that prevent enlightenment. These four personifications are: Devaputra-māra (lha’i bu’i bdud), the Divine Māra, which is the distraction of pleasures; Mṛtyumāra (’chi bdag gi bdud), the Māra of Death; Skandhamāra (phung po’i bdud), the Māra of the Aggregates, which is the body; and Kleśamāra (nyon mongs pa’i bdud), the Māra of the Afflictions.

The deities ruled over by Māra. This can also mean the devas in his paradise, which is sometimes identified with the Paranirmitavaśavartin, the highest paradise in the “realm of desire,” which incudes all ordinary samsaric existences.

A general name for the deities in the desire realm, and in other contexts, specifically for a group of storm deities. In translation, the Tibetan does not differentiate the term from the more general deva .

A resin from the mastic tree (Pistaci lentsicus), mainly cultivated from Greece to Persia, but was used in ancient India. Sanskrit dictionaries have conflated this with frankincense.

A prince in the distant past.

“Of the family of Mudgala.” Alternative name for Maudgalyāyana (descendant of Mudgala). One of the two principal pupils of the Buddha.

A buddha in the distant past. Also the name of a prince in the distant past.

A buddha in the northern direction.

A buddha in the northern direction. Also the name of millions of buddhas in the distant past.

Early Mahāyāna sūtras identify this as separate from Sumeru, the mountain at the center of the world. This refers to a legendary mountain in such epics as the Mahābhārata, which, while sacred, is not situated in the world’s center. This is presumably identical to the Mount Meru that is the source of one of the two main tributaries of the Ganges and lies within the territory of India.

A buddha in the northwestern direction.

A buddha who resides in the eastern direction.

Generosity, pleasant speech, beneficial conduct, and conduct that accords with the wishes of disciples.

This appears to be another name for the cloak called saṃkakṣikā. It is listed as one of the extra two robes for a bhikṣuni, which covers the body, but in the Sarvāstivādavinaya, it is mentioned only twice, and both times in relation to bhikṣus. The Buddha says bhikṣus should cover their bodies with this cloak so their chest is not visible when they go on alms rounds in villages. The two Tibetan spelling variants mean either “sweat robe” or “dust robe.”

A kettledrum played horizontally, wider in the middle, with the skin at both ends played with the hands. One drumhead is smaller than the other. It is a South Indian drum, and maintains the rhythm in Karnataka music.

An unidentified mountain mentioned in a number of sūtras, not apparently connected to the well-known nāga of that name, but perhaps to the sacred mucilinda tree, known in English mainly as the bayur tree.

An ancient title, derived from the verb man (“to contemplate”), given to someone who has attained the realization of a truth through their own contemplation and not by divine revelation.

The Buddha’s accounts of his own previous lifetimes. One of the nine aspects of the Dharma according to this sūtra. More commonly there are said to be twelve that include these nine.

The brother of Gayākāśyapa and Uru­vilvā­kāśyapa. A practitioner of fire offering at Uruvilvā (Bodhgaya), he and his three hundred pupils were converted to becoming bhikṣus of the Buddha. He and his brothers and their pupils were the third group to become followers of the Buddha after his enlightenment.

A class of nonhuman beings who live in subterranean aquatic environments, where they guard wealth and sometimes also teachings. Nāgas are associated with serpents and have a snakelike appearance. In Buddhist art and in written accounts, they are regularly portrayed as half human and half snake, and they are also said to have the ability to change into human form. Some nāgas are Dharma protectors, but they can also bring retribution if they are disturbed. They may likewise fight one another, wage war, and destroy the lands of others by causing lightning, hail, and flooding.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching. Known only from this sūtra.

A name for the embryonic phase of an individual’s existence where there is form but the rest of the skandhas or aggregates, which are mental, are undeveloped and have only a nominal presence.

Chief editor of the Tibetan translation of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma and the translation program from the late eighth to early ninth century in Tibet. From the Nanam (sna nam) clan.

The Buddha’s half-brother, who became one of his principal pupils.

One of the eight great nāga kings. Usually paired with the nāga king Upananda.

One of “the sixteen excellent men.”

An alternate name for Viṣṇu (khyab ’jug), which is also used for Brahmā and Kṛṣṇa. The Sanskrit is variously interpreted as “the path of human beings,” and “the son of man.” The Tibetan here is “the son of Nāra,” with Nāra translated as “one without craving.”

Nymphaea pubescens. This night-blossoming water lily, which can be red, pink, or white, is not actually a lotus. It does not have the lotus’s distinctive pericarp. Nevertheless, it is commonly called the “night lotus.” It is also known as “hairy water lily,” because of the hairs on the stem and the underside of the leaves.

Nyctanthes arbor-tristis. Presently in Hindi called parijat, pārijāta in Kannada, and so on. It features prominently in Indian legends and is one of the earthly trees that are are said to be in paradise. Some dictionaries equate it with the coral tree (māndārava).

Sanskrit: “extinguishment,” for the causes for saṃsāra are “extinguished”; Tibetan: “the transcendence of suffering.”

A buddha in the southern direction.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

One who is destined to no longer return to the world; one of the fruits of the Śrāvakayāna.

One who is destined to return to the world for only one more incarnation; one of the fruits of the Śrāvakayāna.

Bauhinia variegata, Phaneria variegata.

An obscure Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit term. Sanskrit equivalent: avastāraka. Translated into Tibetan as “suppressor, one who presses down on someone.” Presumably from avastṛ (“to cover over, as with a blanket”).

Śāriputra’s name when he becomes a buddha.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

A future buddha.

An imprecise, catchall term, difficult to translate. It designates people with various kinds of unclear gender status, including but not restricted to physical intersex conditions and hermaphrodites. It can, for example, also mean a eunuch, or from the Vinaya account of the expulsion of a paṇḍaka , a male who sought other males to have sex with him. See also the glossary entry in Miller (2018). It could also be applied to a transgender male, not necessarily a eunuch, such as the hijras. Hijras, men who dress as women, have been an established part of Indian society since ancient times and all-hijra communities still have a significant societal role. Hijra is a more recent term with a Hindustani-Urdu origin.

“Complete nirvāṇa.” It can specifically refer to entering nirvāṇa at death.

In particular the Chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar) also known as the Greek partridge. The name comes from its call of rapidly repeated three notes. In later times, in China and Tibet this became a legendary half-human bird, or a two-headed bird.

Literally, “perfectly and completely awakened one,” this refers to a buddha who teaches the Dharma, as opposed to a pratyeka­buddha.

See “dharma.”

An arhat particularly remembered for being able to command the goddess of the Ganges River to make it stop flowing. She was annoyed by the brusque way he commanded her, but the Buddha said she was his servant for centuries in previous lifetimes and he addressed her that way out of habit, which is explained to be why his name means “leftover habits.”

“Pillar” is a rather loose rendering for this term, which refers more specifically to ceremonial or memorial columns, or to the sacrificial posts used in Vedic rituals (cf. Monier-Williams).

A spirit that haunts the night, feeds on corpses, and is fatal to see. The Tibetan means “flesh eater.” The Sanskrit does not have “eat” as part of the name, but piśa means “flesh.” An alternative etymology is that they are called piśāca because they are yellow in color, from the Sanskrit piśita, meaning “yellow.”

The five powers: faith, mindfulness, diligence, samādhi, and wisdom.

See “Samanta­prabhāsa.”

“Many Jewels.” The buddha who had lived in a realm in the east (though the sūtra also states that it is in a downward direction) whose stūpa appears while Buddha Śākyamuni is teaching the Lotus Sūtra. It is also the name as given in the verses for the eon in which Śāriputra will attain buddhahood. The name is different in the prose section.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

A bodhisattva from the realm of Buddha Prabhūtaratna.

The smallest measure of grain in ancient India, equivalent to about five or six ounces.

Someone who has attained liberation entirely through their own contemplation as a result of progress in previous lives but, unlike a buddha, does not have the accumulated merit and motivation to teach others. See also 3.­72 and n.­191.

The way or vehicle of the pratyeka­buddhas.

Synonymous with pratyeka­buddha.

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.

“Beautiful Sight.” The name of a past eon.

“Beautiful Sight.” The name of a past eon.

The introductory sections of a sūtra. Literally it can mean “cause.” One of the nine aspects of the Dharma according to this sūtra. More commonly there are said to be twelve that include these nine.

The repetition of prose passages in verse form. Literally “that which is to be chanted.” One of the nine aspects of the Dharma according to this sūtra. More commonly there are said to be twelve that include these nine.

One of the ten principal pupils of the Buddha. He was the greatest in his ability to teach the Dharma.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

A rākṣasī known only from this sūtra.

Ugly and foul-smelling spirits, they can be good or cause harm to humans and animals.

One of the four asura kings present at the teaching of the sūtra.

Śākyamuni Buddha’s son who became the first novice monk and a prominent member of his monastic saṅgha.

Presently called Rajgir. During the Buddha’s lifetime this was the capital of Magadha, a kingdom roughly corresponding to modern southern Bihar.

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.

A female rākṣasa. Supernatural beings with a yearning for human flesh but who can also be converted into being protectors of the Dharma.

King of Tibet, who reigned 815–838 ᴄᴇ. Also known as Tritsuk Detsen (khri gtug lde btsan).

The name Kāśyapa will have when he becomes a buddha in the distant future.

The name of Yaśodharā when she becomes a buddha in the future.

“Filled with Joy.” The name of a future eon in which Mahā­maudgalyāyana will become a buddha.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

One of “the sixteen excellent men.”

See “Ratnaketurāja.”

The name of two thousand pupils of the Buddha when they become buddhas.

A prince in the distant past.

In the Kāraṇdavyūha Sūtra he is described in Śākyamuni’s memories as the bodhisattava who questions Buddha Vipaśyin. He is the principal bodhisattva being addressed by Śākyamuni in chapter 35 of the Avatamsaka Sūtra. In the early tantras he is one of the sixteen bodhisattvas in the dharmadhātu mandala. In the higher tantras he is associated with the Ratna family of Buddha Ratnasambhava.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching. Also the name of a deva in Śakra’s retinue.

The realm in which Subhūti will achieve buddhahood.

A buddha in the eastern direction.

“The Light of Jewels.” A future eon in which Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra will become a buddha.

A distant realm to the east, where Buddha Prabhūtaratna had lived.

Another name for the hungry ghost realm.

An exceptional power of mental retention. According to context, this term can also designate sentences or phrases for recitation that are said to hold the essence of a teaching or meaning (rendered here as dhāraṇī ), and are therefore said to hold the power to bring about a range of pragmatic and spiritual effects when uttered, written, or worn.

The youngest brother of Śāriputra.

An ancient Indian spiritual title especially for divinely inspired individuals credited with creating the foundations for all Indian culture.

Jasminum grandiflorum. Also known as Spanish or Catalonian jasmine, even though it originates from South India. Particularly used as offerings in both Buddhist and Hindu temples.

The forest, also referred to as a deer forest, where the Buddha taught his first five pupils.

A bodhisattva in the distant past, whose name has been translated to mean “Constantly Ridiculed” (sadā-pari­bhūta) in Tibetan and by Burnouf from the Sanskrit. The Chinese translation and Kern from the Sanskrit translate it as “Never Ridiculed” (sadā-apari­bhūta). The difference results from how the compound is broken apart. It is the Chinese and Kern version that better fits the context.

The principal nāga king. In the Samādhi­rāja Sūtra (Toh 127) this is said to be another name for Vaṛuna, the deity of the water.

A short form of Sāgara­vara­dhara­buddhi­vikrīḍitābhijña, the name that Ānanda will have when he is a buddha.

The name of Ānanda when he becomes a buddha in the future.

Indian Buddhist name for either the four-continent sun-and-moon world system in which Buddha Śākyamuni appeared, or a universe of a thousand million such worlds. The White Lotus of Compassion Sutra describes it as a world of ordinary beings in which desire, and so on, are “powerful” (Sanskrit: sahas), and hence the name. The Tibetan translation mi mjed (literally “no suffering”) is usually defined as meaning “endurance,” because beings there are able to endure suffering.

More commonly known in the West as Indra, the deity that is called “lord of the devas,” dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru, and wields the thunderbolt. The Tibetan translation is based on an etymology that śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu: one who has performed a hundred sacrifices. The highest Vedic sacrifice was the horse sacrifice, and there is a tradition that he became the lord of the gods through performing them.

Name of the ancient tribe in which the Buddha was born as a prince; their kingdom was based to the east of Kośala, in the foothills near the present-day border of India and Nepal, with Kapilavastu as its capital.

The name of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. In The White Lotus of the Good Dharma he is said to be in the northeast of the Sahā universe.

“Śākya lion.” Synonymous with Śākyamuni, “Śākya sage.”

Shorea robusta. This is the dominant tree in the forests where it occurs. Also known as the sakhua or shala tree. It is the tree under which the Buddha was born.

A buddha in the future.

One of the synonyms for the meditative state, literally “a completely focused state.”

A principal bodhisattva in the Mahāyāna sūtras. Not to be confused with the primordial buddha of the Nyingma tradition.

A deva in the retinue of Śakra.

See “Samanta­prabhāsa.”

Kauṇḍinya’s name when he becomes a buddha in the distant future. It will also be the name of five hundred of Śākyamuni’s arhats when they attain buddhahood. Also called “Samanta­prabhāsa” and “Samanta­prabha.”

One of the synonyms for the meditative state, in tems of both the state itself and the various meditative states that serve as attainments along the path. The Tibetan translation interprets it as sama-āpatti, which brings in the idea of “equal,” or “level;” however, it can also be parsed as sam-āpatti, in which case it would have the sense of “concentration,” or “absorption,” much like “samādhi,” but with the added sense of “completion.”

A realm in the distant past.

The Sanskrit means “continuation” and the Tibetan “circling.” An unending series of unenlightened existences.

Though often specifically reserved for the monastic community, this term can be applied to any of the four Buddhist communities‍—monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen‍—as well as to identify the different groups of practitioners, like the community of bodhisattvas or the community of śrāvakas. It is also the third of the Three Jewels (triratna) of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Teaching, and the Community.

The name of Rāhula when he becomes a buddha.

The Buddha’s principal pupil, who passed away before the Buddha. Also called “Śārisuta”, “Tiṣya” and “Upatiṣya.”

Alternative name for Śāriputra.

A buddha in the northeastern direction.

A buddha in the western direction.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

A world realm in the distant past.

The name of Mahāprajāpatī when she becomes a buddha in the future. Also the name of a bodhisattva.

Name of a Mahābrahmā in the eastern direction.

A rākṣasī known only from this sūtra.

The name of Subhūti when he becomes a buddha.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching, who appears in no other sūtra or tantra.

In this sūtra they are specified to be gold, silver, beryl, white coral, emerald, red pearl, and chrysoberyl. When associated with the seven heavenly bodies, and therefore the seven days of the week, they are the seven jewels: ruby for the sun; moonstone or pearl for the moon; coral for Mars; emerald for Mercury; yellow sapphire for Jupiter; diamond for Venus; and blue sapphire for Saturn. An alternative list is: gold, silver, beryl, crystal, coral, emerald, and white coral.

Jasminum arborescens. A species of jasmine that is a shrub and does not twine or climb. Its other common name is navamallika.

A deity in Brahmā’s paradise. Also the name of a past buddha. Also the name of a Mahābrahmā in the upward direction at the time of Buddha Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū.

The bodhisattva who will become sixth buddha of the fortunate eon.

Bhikṣuṇī pupil of the Buddha, who is only known from this sūtra.

A buddha in the southeastern direction.

A buddha in the southeastern direction.

A typology of erroneous beliefs about the nature of reality, often grouped into views of eternalism, nihilism, and their combinations.

Literally, “heaps,” or “aggregates.” These are the five aggregates of forms, sensations, identifications, mental activities, and consciousnesses.

Lycoris albiflora. These flowers are both white and red and are said to also grow in the deva realms.

A renunciant who lives his life as a mendicant. More specifically within the monastic tradition it can also mean a novice monk, who in the Tibetan Mūlasarvāstivāda monastic tradition takes thirty-six vows.

Within the Buddhist tradition it means a novice nun who in the Tibetan Mūlasarvāstivāda monastic tradition takes thirty-six vows.

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.”

The way or vehicle of the śrāvaka.

A bodhisattva in the distant past who was a previous life of Mañjuśrī. Also known as Varaprabha.

A spirit that causes paralysis.

Literally “one who is stable” and is usually translated as “elder”; a senior teacher in the early Buddhist communities. Also became the name of the Buddhist tradition within which the Theravada developed.

One who has entered the “stream” to nirvāṇa; one of the fruits of the Śrāvakayāna.

The strengths are enumerated as five or ten. As five, they are a stronger form of the five powers: faith, mindfulness, diligence, samādhi, and wisdom. As ten, they are the strenths of knowing what is proper and improper, knowing the maturation of karma, knowing the variety of beings’ aspirations, knowing the variety of their inclinations, knowing the variety of their capacities, knowing everywhere each path leads, knowing the dhyānas, liberations, samāpattis, samādhis and so forth, being able to recall previous states of being, and knowing the details of death and rebirth.

Reliquary for the remains of a buddha or enlightened master, and also a symbol for the mind or enlightenment of the Buddha.

A king in the distant past.

A foremost pupil of the Buddha, known for his wisdom.

A Mahābrahmā in the southern direction at the time of Buddha Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū. Also one of the four kings of the kinnaras, present at the teaching of the sūtra.

The assembly hall of the devas on the summit of Mount Sumeru.

The fourth and lowest of the classes in the caste system of India. Generally includes the laboring class.

Sometimes interpreted as “one gone to bliss”; the su or bde bar is adverbial, and gata denotes a state of being rather than literal motion. Therefore it means “one who has fared well.”

Lay female pupil of the Buddha, who is only known from this sūtra.

The realm of Buddha Amitāyus, more commonly known as Amitābha, which was first described in the Sukhā­vatī­vyūha Sūtra.

A prince in the distant past.

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 bhikṣu of the Buddha’s, present at the sūtra’s teaching.

One of the four principal bodhisattvas who emerged from the ground at the time of the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra.

An Indian master who came to Tibet during the reign of King Ralpachen (r. 815–838 ᴄᴇ) and helped in the translation of 43 Kangyur texts.

The god of the sun; the sun personified.

One of “the sixteen excellent men.”

One of “the sixteen excellent men.”

One of “the sixteen excellent men.”

Literally meaning “a thread,” this was an ancient term for teachings that were memorized and orally transmitted in an essential form. Therefore it can mean “pithy statements,” “rules,” and “aphorisms.” In Buddhism it refers to the Buddha’s teachings, whatever their length, and in terms of the three divisions of the Buddha’s teachings, it is the category of teachings other than those on the vinaya and abhidharma. It is also used as a category to contrast with the tantra teachings, though a number of important tantras have sūtra in their title. Another very specific meaning is when it is classed as one of the nine or twelve aspects of the Dharma. In that context sūtra means “a teaching given in prose,” and as such is one aspect of what is generally called a sūtra .

One of “the sixteen excellent men.”

“Utterly, Completely Pure,” the name of this world when it will be the buddha realm of Pūrna Maitrāyaṇī­putra when he is Buddha Dharmaprabhāsa.

A pupil of the Buddha, originally a destitute beggar, who, in particular, accidentally drank alcohol offered by villagers after he had tamed a nāga to end a drought. This resulted in the Buddha’s adding abstention from alcohol as part of the monastic rules.

A nāga king, who is well known from his role in the Indian epic the Mahābhārata. Said to dwell in the northwestern city of Taxila (Takṣaśilā), in present-day Pakistan.

Mahā­maudgalyāyana’s name when he becomes a buddha in the distant future.

A buddha in the northwestern direction.

The name of an extensive teaching that the Buddha is said to have taught directly preceding the Lotus Sūtra.

The thirty-two characteristics of a great being (mahāpuruṣa; skyes bu chen po), including the uṣṇīṣa , or head mound, and the long tongue.

Usually synonymous with the three realms of desire, form, and formlessness. Sometimes it means the realm of devas above, humans on the ground, and nāgas below ground.

Qualities of an arhat who has the three knowledges (rig pa gsum): knowledge of divine sight, knowledge of previous lifetimes, and knowledge of the cessation of outflows.

A person belonging to any non-Buddhist tradition in pre-Muslim India, both those Veda-based and not. The term has its origins among the Jains.

Alternative name for Śāriputra, as he was born in the month of the constellation Tiṣya. He was also called Upatiṣya.

A distinctive feature of ancient stūpa architecture, a famous example being those of the Sanchi Stūpa. A stone gateway in the surrounding railing or vedika, and usually positioned in the four directions. They evolved into the well-known freestanding torii of Japanese religious architecture.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

Meditation of peaceful stability.

The paradise on the summit of Sumeru.

King of Tibet (704–754 ᴄᴇ).

King of Tibet. Reigned circa 742/55–798/804 ᴄᴇ.

Literally, “thusness,” as it is indescribable.

Tuṣita (or sometimes Saṃtuṣita), literally “Joyous” or “Contented,” is one of the six heavens of the desire realm (kāmadhātu). In standard classifications, such as the one in the Abhidharmakośa, it is ranked as the fourth of the six counting from below. This god realm is where all future buddhas are said to dwell before taking on their final rebirth prior to awakening. There, the Buddha Śākyamuni lived his preceding life as the bodhisattva Śvetaketu. When departing to take birth in this world, he appointed the bodhisattva Maitreya, who will be the next buddha of this eon, as his Dharma regent in Tuṣita. For an account of the Buddha’s previous life in Tuṣita, see The Play in Full (Toh 95), 2.12, and for an account of Maitreya’s birth in Tuṣita and a description of this realm, see The Sūtra on Maitreya’s Birth in the Heaven of Joy , (Toh 199).

They are as follows: (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 wisdom (prajñā) never decreases; (12) his liberation never fails; (13) all his physical actions are preceded and followed by wisdom (ye shes); (14) all his verbal actions are preceded and followed by wisdom (ye shes); (15) all his mental actions are preceded and followed by wisdom (ye shes); (16) his wisdom (ye shes) and vision perceive the past without any attachment or hindrance; (17) his wisdom (ye shes) and vision perceive the future without any attachment or hindrance; and (18) his wisdom and vision perceive the present without any attachment or hindrance.

A personal preceptor and teacher. Also In Tibet, the translation mkhan po also came to mean a learned scholar, the equivalent of a paṇḍita.

The name of a bhikṣu of the Buddha’s listed as being present at the sūtra’s teaching and listed along with the Buddha’s half-brother, the bhikṣu Nanda.

One of the eight great nāga kings. Usually paired with the nāga king Nanda.

A male who has taken the layperson’s vows.

A female who has taken the layperson’s vows.

One kind of Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) said to be “blue” on the inside. The name “essence of snakes” is said to come from snakes being particularly attracted to those trees.

One of the thirty-two signs of a great being, it is a coiled white hair between the eyebrows. Literally, the Sanskrit urṇa means “wool” hair, and kośa means “treasure.”

The brother of Gayākāśyapa and Nadīkāśyapa. A practitioner of fire offering at Uruvilvā (Bodhgaya), he and his five hundred pupils were converted to becoming bhikṣus of the Buddha. He and his brothers and their pupils were the third group to become followers of the Buddha after his enlightenment.

One of the thirty-two signs of a great being. In its simplest form it is a pointed shape to the head (like a turban), or more elaborately a dome-shaped protuberance, or even an invisible protuberance of infinite height.

One of the eight great nāga kings.

One of “the sixteen excellent men.”

The queen of King Bimbisāra of Magadha and the mother of his successor, King Ajātaśatru.

Indra’s palace on the summit of Sumeru.

A buddha realm a great distance in the eastern direction.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching, who in the distant past had been Queen Vimaladatta. He is known only from this sūtra.

As one of the four mahārājas, he is the lord of the northern region of the world and the northern continent, though in early Buddhism he is the lord of the far north of India and beyond. He is also the lord of the yakṣas and a lord of wealth.

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

He first appears in Buddhist literature as the yakṣa bodyguard of the Buddha, ready at times to shatter a person’s head into a hundred pieces with his vajra if they were to speak inappropriately to the Buddha. His identity as a bodhisattva did not take place until the rise of the Mahāyāna in such sūtras as the Kāraṇda­vyūha Sūtra.

Valeriana wallichii. Specifically Indian valerian, also known as tagara and tagar.

A stringed instrument, a type of yazh, which is a kind of harp.

Also known as Benares, one of the oldest cities of northeast India on the banks of the Ganges, in modern-day Uttar Pradesh. It was once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kāśi, and in the Buddha’s time it had been absorbed into the kingdom of Kośala. It was an important religious center, as well as a major city, even during the time of the Buddha. The name may derive from being where the Varuna and Assi rivers flow into the Ganges. It was on the outskirts of Vārāṇasī that the Buddha first taught the Dharma, in the location known as Deer Park (Mṛgadāva). For numerous episodes set in Vārāṇasī, including its kings, see The Hundred Deeds , Toh 340.

A bodhisattva in the distant past who was a previous life of Mañjuśrī. Also known as Śrīgarbha.

One of “the sixteen excellent men.”

One of “the sixteen excellent men.”

One of the five companions of Śākyamuni in asceticism and later one of his first five pupils, attaining the state of a stream entrant. After the Buddha’s death he is said to have headed the great council of ten thousand that established a canon of the Buddha’s teachings (while Kāśyapa was the head of a smaller council elsewhere who did the same).

A nāga king, well known in Indian mythology as being the serpent coiled around Meru that was used to churn the ocean at the origin of the world.

The king of the asuras.

A term of respect used for Buddhist monks.

As one of the nine aspects of the Dharma according to this sūtra (more commonly there are said to be twelve that include these nine), it means those teachings given in verse.

A harmful spirit who haunts charnel grounds and can take possession of corpses and reanimate them.

A rākṣasī known only from this sūtra.

A buddha realm in the south where the daughter of the nāga king Sāgara became a buddha.

A king in the distant past.

A queen in the distant past.

A prince in the distant past.

A prince in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

A prince in the distant past.

Presently this refers to the “Indian lute,” made with two gourds, and has been translated into Tibetan as the piwang, the traditional Tibetan stringed instrument. The term has been used as a general term for many stringed instruments in India in the past.

“Detachment.” The name of an eon in the distant past.

The first of the seven buddhas, with Śākyamuni as the seventh. The first three of the buddhas appeared in an earlier time than this present “fortunate eon.”

The realm of Buddha Padmaprabha.

One of the four mahārājas. He is the guardian of the southern direction and the lord of the kumbhāṇḍas.

One of the four mahārājas. He is the guardian of the western direction and the lord of the nāgas.

One of eight prince brothers in the distant past. Also the name of one of “the sixteen excellent men.”

One of the four principal bodhisattvas who emerged from the ground at the time of the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra.

The realm where in the future there will be Buddha Śālendrarāja.

One of the four principal bodhisattvas who emerged from the ground at the time of the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra.

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.

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching. Also present at the teaching of The King of Samādhis Sūtra (ting nge ’dzin gyi rgyal po’i mdo, Toh 127).

White coral is fossilized coral. It appears in one version of the list of seven precious materials. The Tibetan tradition describes it as being formed from ice over a long period of time. It is coral that has undergone transformation under millions of years of underwater pressure. It can also refer to tridacna (Tridacnidae) shell, which is also presently referred to by the name musaragalva. Attempts to identify musalagalva have included sapphire, cat’s eye, red coral, conch, and amber.

Nelumbo nucifera. The white variant of the red lotus, which is otherwise the same species.

Bubalus arnee. Also called Asian buffalo and Asiatic buffalo.

This can refer to one world with its orbiting sun and moon, and also to groups of these worlds in multiples of thousands, in particular a world relam of a thousand million worlds, which is said to be circular, with its circumference twice as long as its diameter.

A class of supernatural beings, often represented as the attendants of Vaiśravaṇa, the god of wealth, but the term is also applied to spirits. Although they are generally portrayed as benevolent, the Tibetan translation means “harm giver,” as they are also capable of causing harm.

The Sanskrit has several meanings, including “way,” “carriage,” and “vehicle.”

The name means “Desirer of Fame,” and he was so called because of his inferior motivation at that time. This is the bodhisattva in the distant past who would eventually become Maitreya.

Daughter of Śākya Daṇḍadhara (more commonly Daṇḍapāṇi), sister of Iṣudhara and Aniruddha, she was the wife of Prince Siddhārtha and mother of his only child, Rāhula. After Prince Siddhārtha left his kingdom and attained awakening as the Buddha, she became his disciple and one of the first women to be ordained as a bhikṣunī. She attained the level of an arhat, a worthy one, endowed with the six superknowledges.

See “Nanam Yeshé Dé.”

A “practitioner of yoga” meaning one dedicated to meditation practice. It can be synonymous with yogin . This is not reference to the Yogācāra school of thought that developed within the Mahāyāna.

“One who has yoga,” meaning “one who has mastery of the practice of meditation.”

The longest unit of distance in classical India. The lack of a uniform standard for the smaller units means that there is no precise equivalent, especially as its theoretical length tended to increase over time. Therefore it can mean between four and ten miles.