A general term that could either refer to the realm of Bramā gods (brahmaloka) as a whole or one of the abodes within it.

One of the six abodes of the desire gods.

First of six levels of gods in the desire realm.

Second of six levels of gods in the desire realm.

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.

One of the five pure abodes.

The eighth and highest level of the realm of form (rūpadhātu); it is only accessible as the result of specific states of concentration. According to some texts this is where non-returners (anāgāmin) dwell in their last lives. In other texts it is the realm of the enjoyment body (saṃbhogakāya) and is a buddhafield associated with the Buddha Vairocana that is accessible only to bodhisattvas on the tenth level.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

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

A bodhisattva.

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 monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

One who has achieved the fourth and final level of attainment on the śrāvaka path and who has attained liberation with the cessation of all mental defilements.

An absorption.

An absorption.

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).

An absorption.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva is a great being (mahāsattva), having the intention to achieve complete awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Third of three heavens of gods on the fourth concentration level.

An absorption.

God who presides of the realm of Brahmā (brahmaloka) associated with the first concentration level in the realm of forms. In the Buddhist Avataṃsaka cosmology of innumerable (asaṃkhyeya) interpenetrating buddha realms, there are myriad Brahmās, each presiding over its own world-system.

A bodhisattva.

The name of an abode and class of gods inhabiting the first concentration level in the realm of forms (rūpadhātu). It is also called the abode of Brahmā’s High Priests (Brahma­purohita), although the two are listed distinctly in this text.

The name of an abode and class of gods inhabiting the first concentration level in the realm of forms (rūpadhātu). It is also called the abode of Brahmā’s Entourage (Brahma­pariṣadya), although the two are listed distinctly in this text.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

Presented as a single, long sūtra, many of its 45 chapters are independent works. See table of contents of Toh 44.

God personifying the ring of mountains surrounding the ocean that encompasses the four continents; the horizontal edge of the world in traditional Buddhist cosmology.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A religious mendicant; in Buddhist texts this is often paired with parivrājaka in stock lists of followers of non-Buddhist ascetic traditions.

An absorption.

A class of celestial singers and dancers in Indian mythology who inhabit the heaven of the god Śakra, lord of the heavens.

An absorption.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

One of the terms for meditation, referring specifically to states of mental stability or one-pointed focus in an undistracted state of mind free from mental obscurations. Dhyāna can also refer to the specific states of meditative fixation of the form and formless realms (eight in total). It is also the fifth of the six perfections of the bodhisattva.

An absorption.

An absorption.

An absorption.

An absorption.

An absorption.

An absorption.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

An absorption.

A chief god who abides in the pure heavens. In Buddhism, Maheśvara is typically portrayed as mounted on a white bull, showing his close association with the Hindu god Śiva.

This term is used in various ways. For instance, it refers to the mental capacity of not forgetting, enabling one in particular to cultivate positive forces and to ward off negativity. It is also very commonly used as a term for mystical verses similar to mantras, the usage of which will grant a particular power.

A Buddhist hermitage, or monastery, located in the Magadha kingdom.

This term is interpreted variously‍—given the many connotations of both dharma and dhātu‍—as the sphere, element, or nature, of phenomena, reality, or truth. In this text it is used with this general, Mahāyāna sense, not to be confused with its rather different meaning in the Abhidharma as one of the twelve sense sources (āyatana) and eighteen elements (dhātu) related to mental perception.

A bodhisattva.

The former buddha who prophesied Buddha Śākyamuni’s awakening, sometimes said to have been the fourth in a line of twenty-seven buddhas preceding Śākyamuni.

An absorption.

A bodhisattva.

An absorption.

A bodhisattva.

The eight aspects of liberation ensue: (1) when corporeal beings observe physical forms [in order to compose the mind]; (2) when formless beings endowed with internal perception observe external physical forms; (3) when beings are inclined toward pleasant states; (4) when one achieves and abides in the sense field of infinite space, thinking, ‘Space is infinite.’ (5) The fifth ensues when one achieves and abides in the sense field of infinite consciousness, thinking, ‘Consciousness is infinite.’ (6) The sixth is when one achieves and abides in the sense field of nothing-at-all, thinking, ‘There is nothing at all.’ (7) The seventh is when one achieves and abides in the sense field of neither perception nor non-perception. (8) The eighth is when one achieves and abides in the cessation of all perceptions and feelings.

An absorption.

An absorption.

A bodhisattva.

An absorption.

An absorption.

One of the five pure abodes.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

Five actions that bring immediate and severe consequences at death. The person will experience a rebirth in the lower realms directly after death. The five are: patricide, matricide, killing an arhat, intentionally injuring a buddha, and causing a schism within the saṅgha.

Divine sight, divine hearing, knowledge of the minds of others, remembrance of past lives, and ability to perform miracles. See “ six supernormal knowledges ,” the same list with the addition of “ability to destroy all mental defilements,” which can only be attained by Buddhist practitioners.

An absorption.

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

They are fearlessness in (1) declaring one’s perfect awakening, (2) declaring one’s perfect abandonment, (3) revealing the obstacles on the path, and (4) revealing the path to liberation.

The Gaṇḍavyūha­sūtra (Toh 44-45) is an important Sanskrit ­sūtra that traces the journey of the young pilgrim Sudhana toward awakening. It was later incorporated into the large scriptural omnibus Buddhāvataṃsaka­sūtra as its forty-fifth chapter.

Here and very frequently in the canonical texts, a type of non-human, semi-divine celestial being or spirit. The term is also used to refer to the consciousness of a being between death and the next rebirth.

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.

An absorption.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

A god or class of gods residing in the highest heaven, which is likewise called “Great Brahmā,” located on the first concentration level in the realm of forms.

Name of a god who personifies a mountain of this name. See Cakravāḍa.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

Name of a god who personifies a mountain of this name.

Name of a god who personifies a mountain of this name.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A wind deity referred to as king of the wind.

An absorption.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

An absorption.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

An absorption.

A bodhisattva.

Second of three heavens of gods on the second concentration level.

Second of three heavens of gods on the third concentration level.

A bodhisattva.

Second of four states in the formless realm.

First of four states in the formless realm.

The sixth of the six perfections.

An absorption.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

Name of a mythological river that carries the remains of the golden fruit of the legendary jambu (rose apple) tree.

An absorption.

A bodhisattva.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

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.

A class of dwarf beings subordinate to the great king of the south, Virūḍhaka. The name uses a play on the word āṇḍa, which means “egg” but is a euphemism for testicle. Thus, they are often depicted as having testicles as big as pots (from khumba, or “pot”).

An absorption.

An absorption.

Second of three heavens of gods on the fourth concentration level.

The class of gods ruled over by Māra or living in his abode.

First of three heavens of gods on the second concentration level.

First of three states of the third concentration level.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

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.

The god of death and the overlord of the hell realms.

An absorption.

A kingdom on the banks of the Ganges (in the southern part of the modern day Indian state of Bihar), whose capital was at Pāṭaliputra (modern day Patna). During the life of Śākyamuni Buddha, it was the dominant kingdom in north central India and is home to many of the most important Buddhist sites, including Bodh Gayā, Nālandā, and its capital Rājagṛha.

An absorption.

A bodhisattva.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

A bodhisattva.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

A specialized term for nirvāṇa when it is used in reference to the apparent passing away of a physical body of a buddha.

A bodhisattva.

The step-mother and maternal aunt of Śākyamuni Buddha who became a nun (bhikṣuṇī) and his disciple.

A bodhisattva.

The “Great Vehicle” of Buddhism, called “great” because it aims with altruistic intent to transport all living beings to the goal of liberation. It is distinguished from the Hinayāna (Lesser Vehicle), including the Śrāvakayāna (Śrāvaka Vehicle) and Pratyeka­buddha­yāna (Solitary Buddha Vehicle), which allegedly aims to transport only its followers to their own personal liberation.

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.

In Sanskrit, “The Benevolent One”; the name of the next buddha, who currently resides in Tuṣita heaven as a bodhisattva awaiting the proper time to take his final rebirth.

An absorption.

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 known here as Youthful Mañjuśrī.

The principal deity in Para­nirmita­vaśa­vartin, the highest heaven in the desire realm. He is best known for his role in trying to prevent the Buddha’s awakening. The name Māra is also used as a generic name for the deities in his abode, and also as an impersonal term for destructive forces that keep beings imprisoned in saṃsāra.

A bodhisattva.

A state of deep concentration in which the mind is absorbed in its object to such degree that conceptual thought is suspended. It is sometimes interpreted as settling (āhita) the mind in equanimity (sama).

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

The god of the same name who personifies Mount Meru.

A bodhisattva.

An absorption.

The ability to make manifest miraculous displays evident to ordinary beings.

“Snowy mountain,” the name of a mountain range and the god who personifies it.

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.

Name of a god who personifies a mountain of this name.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

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 monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

A bodhisattva.

Fourth of four states in the formless realm.

The Sanskrit term means “without possessions” or “without ties” and the Tibetan means “naked one(s).” In Buddhist usage, it refers to non-Buddhist religious mendicants, especially Jains, who eschew clothing and possessions.

Enjoying Emanation, the fifth heaven in the desire realm.

An absorption.

Third of four states in the formless realm.

An absorption.

In this text, refers to reciprocally determined constructs deriving from dualistic thought that are transcended in wisdom.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

“Controlling Others’ Emanations,” the sixth heaven of the desire realm.

“Wandering mendicant,” parivrājaka (Sanskrit, wanderer; Pāli, paribbājaka). Refers to a class of Indian religious mendicants holding a variety of beliefs who wandered in India from ancient times, including during the time of the Buddha. These peripatetic ascetics, who included women in their number, engaged with one another in debate on a range of topics. Some of their metaphysical views are presented in the early Buddhist discourses of the Pāli Canon.

An absorption.

One of the meanings of the Skt. term dharma. This applies to “phenomena” or “things” in general, and, more specifically, “mental phenomena” which are the object of the mental faculty (manas, yid).

An absorption.

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.

The vehicle comprising the teaching of the pratyekabuddhas.

An absorption.

An absorption.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

A bodhisattva.

Third of three heavens of gods on the second concentration level.

The Buddha’s son who became a monk (bhikṣu) and his disciple.

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 bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

The Tibetan name used in this text corresponds to the Sanskrit “Śakra,” another name for the preeminent vajra-wielding Vedic deity Indra who is called “lord of the deities” and is associated with storms and righteous warfare. The Tibetan translation is based on an etymology that śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu, “one who has performed a hundred sacrifices.” In Buddhism, he is the god of the realm equivalent to the second heaven of the desire realm, the heaven of Thirty-Three Gods. In the Buddhist Avataṃsaka cosmology of innumerable (asaṃkhyeya) interpenetrating buddha realms, there are myriad Śakras (aka Indra), each presiding over his own world-system.

A bodhisattva.

The Samanta­bhadra­caryā­praṇidhāna appears in the final part of the Gaṇḍa­vyūha­sūtra , which itself forms part of the Buddhāvataṃsaka­sūtra . It is well-known in Tibet, where it has been the subject of numerous commentaries. It continues to be recited daily in some monastic traditions in Tibet and China. The work also goes under the Sanskrit titles Bhadracari(-ī), and Bhadra­caryā­praṇidhāna. See Skilling and Saerji 2013, 198 n. 30.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

This is the term for the eleventh bodhisattva level. It is also the name of a mansion in the Dharma Discernment hermitage and the name of a Bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

The Saṃdhi­nirmocana­sūtra ( Unraveling the Intent , Toh 106) is one of the most important Mahāyāna sūtras, especially for the Yogācāra school. As an authoritative source for Mahāyāna Buddhist hermeneutics, it is perhaps best known for its delineation of the three turnings of the wheel of the dharma (dharmacakrapravartana), which became a highly influential schema for classifying the teachings of the Buddha according to their various intended meanings and target audiences.

One of the principal śrāvaka disciples of the Buddha, he was renowned for his discipline and for having been praised by the Buddha as foremost of the wise (often paired with Maudgalyā­yana, who was praised as foremost in the capacity for miraculous powers). His father, Tiṣya, to honor Śāriputra’s mother, Śārikā, named him Śāradvatīputra, or, in its contracted form, Śāriputra, meaning “Śārikā’s Son.”

A god from the league of Māra.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

An absorption.

Second of the three gates to liberation, the first being emptiness and the third wishlessness.

A figure from an unidentified avadāna narrative.

Divine sight, divine hearing, knowledge of the minds of others, remembrance of past lives, ability to perform miracles, and ability to destroy all mental defilements. The first five supernormal knowledges are considered mundane or worldly and can be attained to some extent by non-Buddhist yogis as well as Buddhist arhats and bodhisattvas. The sixth is considered to be supramundane and can be attained only by Buddhist yogis.

The concept of skillful or expedient means is central to the understanding of the Buddha’s enlightened deeds and the many scriptures that are revealed contingent on the needs, interests, and mental dispositions of specific types of individuals. It is, therefore, equated with compassion and the form body of the buddhas, the rūpakāya. According to the Great Vehicle, training in skillful means collectively denotes the first five of the six perfections when integrated with wisdom, the sixth perfection. It is therefore paired with wisdom (prajñā), forming the two indispensable aspects of the path. It is also the seventh of the ten perfections. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)

An absorption.

A bodhisattva.

One of the five pure abodes.

Literally, “virtuous friend.” A spiritual teacher who can contribute to an individual’s progress on the spiritual path to awakening and act wholeheartedly for the welfare of students. See Introduction i.­2.

A follower of the early teachings of the Buddha, focusing on the monastic lifestyle. Also translated as “listener.”

The vehicle comprising the teaching of the śrāvakas.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A divine heaven, and the suyāma (“free from strife”) class of gods who inhabit it.

An absorption.

Powers attained by bodhisattvas on the path. See 1.­114. Not to be confused with the ten strengths (bala, stobs) which are qualities of buddhahood.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

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 bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

One of the five pure abodes.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

A wind deity referred to as king of the wind.

A bodhisattva.

An absorption.

An absorption.

An absorption.

An absorption.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

Vajrapāṇi means “Wielder of the Vajra.” In the Pali canon, he appears as a yakṣa guardian in the retinue of the Buddha. In the Mahāyāna scriptures he is a bodhisattva and one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha.” In the tantras, he is also regarded as an important Buddhist deity and instrumental in the transmission of tantric scriptures.

A bodhisattva.

Third of three heavens of gods on the third concentration level.

A monk (bhikṣu) and disciple of the Buddha.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

An absorption.

This term denotes the mode of awareness of a realized being. Although all sentient beings possess the potential for actualizing wisdom within their mind streams, mental obscurations make them appear instead as aspects of mundane consciousness.

First of three heavens of gods on the fourth concentration level.

A class of guardian gods, usually presiding over the quarters of the world.

A class of male and female spirits, depicted as holding choppers, cleavers, and swords. Inhabiting mountainous areas and sylvan groves, their name in Tibetan (gnod sbyin, “granting harm”) suggests a malign nature.

Third of six levels of gods in the desire realm.

Buddha Śākyamuni’s wife who became a nun (bhikṣuṇī) and his disciple.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

See “Mañjuśrī.”

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva.