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 realization characteristic of the sixth ground of bodhisattvas, arising as a result of analysis of the essential nature of phenomena.

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

A great bodhisattva.

King of Magadha and son of king Bimbisāra. 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. After his father’s death, he became tormented with guilt and regret, converted to Buddhism, and supported the Buddha and his community.

One of the five tathāgatas.

The Buddha of Boundless Life, one of the three deities of longevity in the Tibetan tradition.

The king of nāgas.

A great bodhisattva.

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).

A great bodhisattva.

A king in an age prior to that of the Buddha Śākyamuni.

This term has several meanings. Often it refers to a ritual incantation that usually encapsulates the meaning of a longer text. In this sense it is considered to assist in the retention of the text and imbue the one who recites it with a variety of desired powers. At other times this term carries the meaning of “holding” or “retaining,” and so it is frequently used in reference to memory and learning. In the context of this text, the term carries both of these meanings. Finally, this term can also be applied as a classificatory term to Buddhist scriptures that contain one or more such incantations.

The basic components out of which the world and the personal self are formed, usually listed as a set of five: form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness.

Generosity, discipline, patient acceptance, diligence, and concentration: the six perfections excluding the perfection of insight.

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.”

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

A great bodhisattva.

A great bodhisattva.

A Kashmiri preceptor who was resident in Tibet during the late eighth and early ninth centuries. He worked with several Tibetan translators on the translation of various sūtras. He is also the author of the Nyāya­bindu­piṇḍārtha , which is contained in the Tengyur (bstan ’gyur) collection.

A great bodhisattva.

A term used broadly to denote a spiritual seeker.

A world system that existed thirty eons ago.

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 Bengali preceptor resident in Tibet during the late eighth and early ninth centuries. Arriving in Tibet by invitation from the Tibetan king, he assisted in the translation of numerous canonical scriptures. He is also the author of a few philosophical commentaries contained in the Tengyur (bstan ’gyur) collection.

A great bodhisattva and Dharma teacher.

The ancient capital of Magadha prior to its relocation to Pāṭaliputra during the Mauryan dynasty, Rājagṛha is one of the most important locations in Buddhist history. The literature tells us that the Buddha and his saṅgha spent a considerable amount of time in residence in and around Rājagṛha‍—in nearby places, such as the Vulture Peak Mountain (Gṛdhrakūṭaparvata), a major site of the Mahāyāna sūtras, and the Bamboo Grove (Veṇuvana)‍—enjoying the patronage of King Bimbisāra and then of his son King Ajātaśatru. Rājagṛha is also remembered as the location where the first Buddhist monastic council was held after the Buddha Śākyamuni passed into parinirvāṇa. Now known as Rajgir and located in the modern Indian state of Bihar.

A great bodhisattva.

A great bodhisattva.

The name of a thus-gone one in a world system called Mirage that existed thirty eons ago.

A great bodhisattva.

A hardwood tree that is widespread on the Indian subcontinent.

Someone whose sexual organs (or part of them) have been removed, or who is sexually impotent for some other reason.

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 person who has entered the “stream” of practice that leads to nirvāṇa. The first of the four attainments on the path of the hearers.

Although the various sources have some variation of these ten powers, one classical list of the Buddha’s ten powers, which appears frequently throughout both Pāli and Sanskrit sources, refers to the following powers of knowing (jñānabala): (1) knowing what is possible and what is impossible (sthānāsthāna), (2) knowing the ripening of karma (karmavipāka), (3) knowing the various inclinations (nānādhimukti), (4) knowing the various elements (nānādhātu), (5) knowing the supreme and lesser faculties (indriya­parāpara), (6) knowing the paths that lead to all destinations (sarvatragāminīpratipad), (7) knowing the concentrations, liberations, absorptions, and attainments (dhyāna­vimokṣa­samādhi­samāpatti), (8) knowing the recollection of past existences (pūrva­nivāsānusmṛti), (9) knowing death and rebirth (cyutyupapatti), and (10) knowing the exhaustion of the defilements (āsravakṣaya).

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.

A great bodhisattva.

A great bodhisattva.

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.

Yeshé Dé (late eighth to early ninth century) was the most prolific translator of sūtras into Tibetan. Altogether he is credited with the translation of more than one hundred sixty sūtra translations and more than one hundred additional translations, mostly on tantric topics. In spite of Yeshé Dé’s great importance for the propagation of Buddhism in Tibet during the imperial era, only a few biographical details about this figure are known. Later sources describe him as a student of the Indian teacher Padmasambhava, and he is also credited with teaching both sūtra and tantra widely to students of his own. He was also known as Nanam Yeshé Dé, from the Nanam (sna nam) clan.