A world system.

A world system.

A buddha.

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.

A bodhisattva.

A sage and bodhisattva.

A monk.

The name of an eon.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha field in the eastern direction.

A buddha.

The name of a brahmin girl who is a past life of the Buddha Śākyamuni.

A bodhisattva.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A world system.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A bodhisattva.

A buddha.

A buddha.

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).

Along with the Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, and Sāmaveda, one of the four Vedas, the most ancient Sanskrit religious literature of India. Primarily concerned with practical applications, including protection, healing, and magic.

A buddha.

A world system.

A world system.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A world system.

A bodhisattva.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A brahmin.

The name of an eon.

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 sage.

A buddha.

A bodhisattva.

A world system.

A buddha.

Thirty-seven practices that lead the practitioner to the awakened state: the four applications of mindfulness, the four thorough relinquishments, the four bases of miraculous power, the five powers, the five strengths, the eightfold path, and the seven branches of awakening.

A world system.

A bodhisattva.

A world system.

A world system.

A buddha.

The name of an eon.

A buddha.

A monk.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A world system.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A monk.

The fifth of the six perfections.

See “four correct understandings.”

A buddha.

A bodhisattva.

A monk.

The fourth of the six perfections and second of the five powers.

A buddha.

A world system.

A buddha.

The second of the six perfections.

A world system.

See “eighteen unique buddha qualities.”

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

A world system.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A bodhisattva.

The name of an eon.

A world system.

A buddha.

A world system.

A world system.

A buddha.

A world system.

A buddha.

The five powers, or faculties, are those of faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and wisdom .

Divine sight, divine hearing, the ability to know past and future lives, the ability to know the minds of others, and the ability to produce miracles.

A world system.

The name of an eon.

The “four immeasurable contemplations” (immeasurable love, compassion, joy, and equanimity) are often referred to as the four abodes of Brahmā.

The four correct understandings are the mastery of meaning, the mastery of Dharma, the mastery of language, and the mastery of courageous eloquence.

The qualities of teachers that enable them to gather fortunate students, namely, that they should be generous, their language should be pleasant, they should teach each individual according to that person’s needs, and they should act in conformity with what they teach.

Simple food, simple clothing, a simple dwelling place, and simple possessions.

Someone who has “crossed the four rivers” is awakened. The four rivers are (1) the river of desire, (2) the river of existence, (3) the river of beliefs, and (4) the river of ignorance.

A buddha.

A buddha.

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.”

A buddha.

A buddha.

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.

The first of the six perfections.

A world system.

A world system.

A bodhisattva.

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

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.”

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).

A buddha.

A buddha.

See “four abodes of Brahmā.”

A sage.

A brahmin.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A kṣatriya.

A world system.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A king.

A world system.

The study of the prescribed rules for Brahmanical rites. It is one of the subjects a learned brahmin is supposed to have mastered.

A world system.

Grove offered to the Buddha by Kālaka, a wealthy man of Sāketa.

Old name of Benares. Kāśīka is the name of the special muslin produced in the city.

A buddha.

A world system.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A class of nonhuman beings that are half human, half animal. Typically their upper bodies are animal, and their lower bodies human. The term literally means “Is that human?”

A buddha.

The ruling caste in the traditional four-caste hierarchy of India, associated with warriors, the aristocracy, and kings.

A class of supernatural being. The name uses a play on the Sanskrit word āṇḍa, which means “egg” but is a euphemism for testicle. Thus, they are often depicted as having testicles as big as pots (Sanskrit: khumba).

The name of an eon.

A buddha.

This term has three meanings: (1) the ultimate nature, (2) the experience of the ultimate nature, and (3) the quiescent state of a worthy one (arhat) to be avoided by bodhisattvas.

A buddha.

An ancient Indian philosophical system that is based on adherence to materialism and atheistic skepticism.

From Vedic times, the Lord of Death is the one who directs the departed into the next realm of rebirth.

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.

A buddha.

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.

A world system.

Māra, literally “death” or “maker of death,” is the name of the deva who tried to prevent the Buddha from achieving awakening, the name given to the class of beings he leads, and also an impersonal term for the destructive forces that keep beings imprisoned in saṃsāra: (1) As a deva, Māra is said to be the principal deity in the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations (paranirmitavaśavartin), the highest paradise in the desire realm. He famously attempted to prevent the Buddha’s awakening under the Bodhi tree‍—see The Play in Full (Toh 95), 21.1‍—and later sought many times to thwart the Buddha’s activity. In the sūtras, he often also creates obstacles to the progress of śrāvakas and bodhisattvas. (2) The devas ruled over by Māra are collectively called mārakāyika or mārakāyikadevatā, the “deities of Māra’s family or class.” In general, these māras too do not wish any being to escape from saṃsāra, but can also change their ways and even end up developing faith in the Buddha, as exemplified by Sārthavāha; see The Play in Full (Toh 95), 21.14 and 21.43. (3) The term māra can also be understood as personifying four defects that prevent awakening, called (i) the divine māra (devaputra­māra), which is the distraction of pleasures; (ii) the māra of Death (mṛtyumāra), which is having one’s life interrupted; (iii) the māra of the aggregates (skandhamāra), which is identifying with the five aggregates; and (iv) the māra of the afflictions (kleśamāra), which is being under the sway of the negative emotions of desire, hatred, and ignorance.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A bodhisattva.

A buddha.

A monk.

This is the faculty that enables the mind to maintain its attention on a referent object, counteracting the arising of forgetfulness, which is a great obstacle to meditative stability. The root smṛ may mean “to recollect” but also simply “to think of.” Broadly speaking, smṛti, commonly translated as “mindfulness,” means to bring something to mind, not necessarily something experienced in a distant past but also something that is experienced in the present, such as the position of one’s body or the breath.Together with alertness (samprajāna, shes bzhin), it is one of the two indispensable factors for the development of calm abiding (śamatha, zhi gnas).

A world system.

A buddha.

The name of an eon.

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 grove.

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 buddha.

Another name for the Hindu god Viṣṇu.

A buddha.

A world system.

The attainment of nirvāṇa without any remainder of the physical and mental aggregates.

A buddha.

The name of an eon.

The name of an eon.

A buddha.

A buddha.

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

A buddha.

A monk.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A monk.

A world system.

A buddha.

A world system.

A buddha.

In Buddhist literature, one of the seven emblems of a universal monarch.

A bodhisattva.

A buddha.

A buddha.

The name of an eon.

A buddha.

A world system.

A bodhisattva.

A world system.

The name of an eon.

A world system.

A city.

A buddha.

A synonym for ultimate truth, the nature of phenomena.

A buddha.

Along with the Yajurveda, Sāmaveda, and Atharvaveda, one of the four Vedas, the most ancient Sanskrit religious literature of India. Generally considered the “first” of the four Vedas.

A world system.

Place where the Buddha resided and taught, thought to be present day Ayodhyā.

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.

A buddha.

A bodhisattva.

A buddha.

Along with the Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda, one of the four Vedas, the most ancient Sanskrit religious literature of India. It primarily contains melodic notations for the chanting of Vedic hymns.

A brahmin.

One of the three robes of a monk. This robe is a shawl with thirty-two patches, allowed for fully ordained monks.

A world system.

The name of an eon.

A monk.

A buddha.

The name of an eon.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva and a buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha, one of the main characters in this text.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A world system.

The set of seven precious materials or substances includes a range of precious metals and gems, but their exact list varies. The set often consists of gold, silver, beryl, crystal, red pearls, emeralds, and white coral, but may also contain lapis lazuli, ruby, sapphire, chrysoberyl, diamonds, etc. The term is frequently used in the sūtras to exemplify preciousness, wealth, and beauty, and can describe treasures, offering materials, or the features of architectural structures such as stūpas, palaces, thrones, etc. The set is also used to describe the beauty and prosperity of buddha realms and the realms of the gods.In other contexts, the term saptaratna can also refer to the seven precious possessions of a cakravartin or to a set of seven precious moral qualities.

A bodhisattva.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

The trainings of the bodhisattva path: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom .

Literally, “buddha for oneself” or “solitary realizer.” Someone who, in his or her last life, attains awakening entirely through their own contemplation, without relying on a teacher. Unlike the awakening of a fully realized buddha (samyaksambuddha), the accomplishment of a pratyeka­buddha is not regarded as final or ultimate. They attain realization of the nature of dependent origination, the selflessness of the person, and a partial realization of the selflessness of phenomena, by observing the suchness of all that arises through interdependence. This is the result of progress in previous lives but, unlike a buddha, they do not have the necessary merit, compassion or motivation to teach others. They are named as “rhinoceros-like” (khaḍgaviṣāṇakalpa) for their preference for staying in solitude or as “congregators” (vargacārin) when their preference is to stay among peers.

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

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A world system.

A buddha.

A bodhisattva.

The name of an eon.

A buddha.

The name of a buddha, a monk, and a bodhisattva.

A brahmin.

A buddha.

A world system.

Powers attained by bodhisattvas on the path: power over life, karma, materials, devotion, aspiration, miracles, birth, Dharma, mind, and wisdom. Not to be confused with the ten strengths, which are qualities of buddhahood.

A category of the distinctive qualities of a buddha. They are knowing what is possible and what is impossible, knowing the results of actions or the ripening of karma, knowing the various inclinations of sentient beings, knowing the various elements, knowing the supreme and lesser faculties of sentient beings, knowing the paths that lead to all destinations of rebirth, knowing the various states of meditation, knowing previous lives, knowing the death and rebirth of sentient beings, and knowing the cessation of the defilements.

Emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness.

A buddha.

One of the basic forms of Buddhist meditation, which focuses on calming the mind. Often presented as part of a pair of meditation techniques, with the other technique being “special insight.”

A world system.

A king.

Literally “wheel-wielder,” denotes a powerful being who has control over vast regions of the universe.

A buddha.

A monk.

A bodhisattva.

A monk and a past buddha.

The name of an eon.

A buddha.

A world system.

A buddha.

A monk.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A bodhisattva. Alternatively, the god of waters, an ancient deity of the Vedic pantheon.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A bodhisattva.

A brahmin.

A world system.

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

The sixth of the six perfections.

Along with the Ṛgveda, Sāmaveda, and Atharvaveda, one of the four Vedas, the most ancient Sanskrit religious literature of India. It is primarily comprised of instructions and arrangements for Vedic rites.

A class of nonhuman beings who inhabit forests, mountainous areas, and other natural spaces, or serve as guardians of villages and towns, and may be propitiated for health, wealth, protection, and other boons, or controlled through magic. According to tradition, their homeland is in the north, where they live under the rule of the Great King Vaiśravaṇa. Several members of this class have been deified as gods of wealth (these include the just-mentioned Vaiśravaṇa) or as bodhisattva generals of yakṣa armies, and have entered the Buddhist pantheon in a variety of forms, including, in tantric Buddhism, those of wrathful deities.

A world system.

A bodhisattva.

A buddha.

A buddha.