One of a common list of eleven positive mental states (kuśalacaittya) found in Buddhist abhidharma lists. Remorse is what one feels after having realized that one has done something wrong, and it serves as a mental state that hinders one from engaging in such wrong actions again. Often paired with hrī (ngo tsha shes pa).

One of a common list of eleven positive mental states (kuśalacaittya) found in Buddhist abhidharma lists. Shame is what one feels after having realized that one has done something wrong, and it serves as a mental state that hinders one from engaging in such wrong actions again. Often paired with apatrāpya (khrel yod pa).

The buddha domain of the Buddha Akṣobhya.

A realized one whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A capital city of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the four continent world Lovely Illumination

A higher or more refined state of meditative equipoise than those listed as the four meditations (dhyāna); often listed as a second set of four states that follow the four dhyānas.

See “patience.”

The third and final stage of the three levels of intellectual receptivity or acceptance (kṣānti) of the Dharma. Tantamount to an acceptance of the emptiness of all things, the fact that they do not arise or cease as substantial or essentially real phenomena. It follows from the second level of acceptance, which brings one into conformity with the Dharma (ānulomika­dharmakṣānti), which is in turn preceded by a first stage of acceptance in which one follows the voice (ghoṣānugā kṣānti) of the teacher of the Dharma. This is a distinctive but related use of the term kṣānti, which is also translated in this sūtra as “patience,” when it refers to the perfection (pāramitā) and virtue of patience more generally.

The second of three levels of intellectual receptivity or acceptance (kṣānti), following from an earlier stage in which there is an acceptance that “follows the voice” (ghoṣānugā) of the teacher of the Dharma. At this second stage, there is a deeper acceptance that results in one’s thoughts and actions coming into accord with (literally, “going with the grain of”) the Dharma; that is, with the teachings and the nature of things. The third stage is the acceptance of the fact that things do not arise (anutpatti­kadharmakṣānti). This is a distinctive but related use of the term kṣānti, which is also translated in this sūtra as “patience,” when it refers to the perfection (pāramitā) and virtue of patience more generally.

See “supply.”

The name of the capital city in the abode of Vajrapāṇi, as attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra. The manuscript of the sūtra contains the variant spelling Abhagavatī, which could be a spelling error, though it occurs multiple times in the manuscript. The spelling of the name can vary in other texts, too, as the same term is attested for Alakāvatī, Aḍakavatī, and Aṭakāvatī in other sources. Its precise relationship to Alakāvatī, the capital of Vaiśravaṇa, as given in the Mahābhārata, is not entirely clear.

The fivefold basic grouping of the components out of which the world and the person are formed.

One of the three doṣas in traditional Indian medicine.

King of Magadha after his father, Bimbisāra, whom he is said to have imprisoned and had killed, an act to which this sūtra alludes. Both he and his father are often portrayed in Buddhist texts as great supporters of the Buddha and his community.

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 Sanskrit name for a particular state of meditation the corresponding Pāli of which is appānaka or appāṇaka. An alternate Buddhist Sanskrit term is āspharaṇaka. This meditation is described most famously in the Mahāsaccaka Sūtta of the Majjhima Nikāya where it is explained as a type of meditation in which the breathing is fully stopped, which then prompts the Bodhisattva to experience a loud and unpleasant sound. He then abandons the meditation. Edgerton cites a different explanation found in the Lalitavistara in which the meditation involves pervading everything while not agitating or disturbing the space element at all.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

“Higher motivation”‍—an even stronger motivation to pursue the exalted goal of the Buddhist path.

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 whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra, which says he will become the last of the one thousand buddhas in this fortunate eon.

A realized one whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A world visited by the Buddha, as narrated by Vajrapāṇi in this sūtra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested in the Saddharma­puṇḍarīka.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A nāga king in the audience of this sūtra whose name is attested in the Mahāvyutpatti.

One of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s wives in this sūtra, whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript.

The name of a world where a buddha named Ratnacandra dwells. The name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

One of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s wives in this sūtra, whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript. The name Anaupamyā is attested for the same Tibetan translation of the name of a goddess in the Amogha­pāśakalparāja.

A nāga king whose name is attested in the Mahāvyutpatti.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested by Negi as one found in the Sarva­durgatipari­śodhana.

A world mentioned in this sūtra as the home of the bodhisattva Vegadhārin and the buddha domain of Campakavarṇa.

A general term for a person who is living a religious life, often involving renunciation, a broader category that includes both non-Buddhist religious renunciants and Buddhist monastics, used especially in the context of the phrase “ascetics and brahmins.”

In the general Mahāyāna teachings the mind of awakening (bodhicitta) is the intention to attain the complete awakening of a perfect buddha for the sake of all beings. On the level of absolute truth, the mind of awakening is the realization of the awakened state itself.

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 ascetic practice in which the practitioner lights four fires, one for each of the four directions, and then sits down in the middle of them as the sun, the fifth fire, blazes directly overhead. This practice is also said to be done especially during the hot season.

A type of Buddhist biographical tale, typically including a story of the present and a story of a past life and the karmic connection between them. It is listed as one of the twelve types of Buddhist literature.

A well-known bodhisattva featured in a number of Mahāyāna sūtras; in this sūtra, mentioned as one of the bodhisattvas in the audience.

These “qualities” (dharma) pertain to actions or states of body, speech, and mind. Often translated as “nonvirtues,” they are typically listed as a group of ten: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, senseless speech, covetousness, ill will, and wrong views.

A future buddha mentioned in this sūtra, but in a passage not found in the Sanskrit manuscript.

A term that can also mean a “stark naked” person. It is used to describe wrestlers’ and ascetics’ bodies, as well as beings who possess strong muscular bodies and those with perfect physical form. The Tibetan translation, tshan po che chen po, emphasizes the feature of great physical prowess.

The belief in a permanent, substantial, essentially real individuality or personhood. It is a difficult expression to translate literally, because the term kāya is a common word for the body. The Sanskrit word kāya apparently derives from the verb root ci (“to accumulate”), and this meaning is captured in the Tibetan translation, tshog. Sometimes this etymological sense of the word is drawn out in literary and doctrinal contexts, as it is in this sūtra. However, the term in this particular context refers more to the core of the person, and in common pan-Buddhist usage, as Edgerton points out, it is used in this expression more or less synonymously with ātman, the “self.”

A god whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

One of two merchant brothers, the other being Trapuṣa, who make offerings to the Buddha shortly after his awakening.

A common epithet of great bodhisattvas, the precise meaning of which is contested but that seems to describe someone as possessing great courage, magnanimity, and great strength of character. The term is explained in the *Mahā­prajñā­pāramitopadeśa, which has a short chapter on this term, also as a being who possesses great love and great compassion.

See “karoṭapāṇi yakṣa.”

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 name for nickname for Brahmā, which could be rendered Brahmā, “the one with the topknot” (śikhin), who in this sūtra seems to be identical to Great Brahmā, sovereign of this Sahā world (mahābrahmā sahāṃpati).

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested in the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa.

The mountain range made of vajra that forms the world’s perimeter, as described in this sūtra.

A term for a general style and state of Buddhist meditation in which one focuses the mind and abides in a state of calm, as implied by the Tibetan translation of the term. Associated with the states of meditation, concentration, and absorption, and the achievement of supernormal faculties as well as awakening itself. Often presented as part of a pair of meditation techniques, with the other technique being “deep insight.”

A realized one mentioned in this sūtra, who presides over the buddha domain called Arindamāyā. His name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

The Sanskrit term literally means “color” or “complexion,” and is used broadly in this sūtra to describe the various appearances of buddhas or persons. In this instance, though, the term varṇa seems to refer more specifically to the categories of person and group, such as the brahmin caste or the kṣatriya caste, which contribute to the formation of the elaborate social fabric of traditional Indian society. “Social class” is a possible alternative translation.

See “holy life.”

In Sanskrit, the term nirvāṇa literally means “extinguishment” and the Tibetan mya ngan las ’das pa literally means “gone beyond sorrow.” As a general term, it refers to the cessation of all suffering, afflicted mental states (kleśa), and causal processes (karman) that lead to rebirth and suffering in cyclic existence, as well as to the state in which all such rebirth and suffering has permanently ceased.More specifically, three main types of nirvāṇa are identified. (1) The first type of nirvāṇa, called nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣanirvāṇa), is the state in which arhats or buddhas have attained awakening but are still dependent on the conditioned aggregates until their lifespan is exhausted. (2) At the end of life, given that there are no more causes for rebirth, these aggregates cease and no new aggregates arise. What occurs then is called nirvāṇa without remainder ( anupadhiśeṣanirvāṇa), which refers to the unconditioned element (dhātu) of nirvāṇa in which there is no remainder of the aggregates. (3) The Mahāyāna teachings distinguish the final nirvāṇa of buddhas from that of arhats, the nirvāṇa of arhats not being considered ultimate. The buddhas attain what is called nonabiding nirvāṇa (apratiṣṭhitanirvāṇa), which transcends the extremes of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, i.e., existence and peace. This is the nirvāṇa that is the goal of the Mahāyāna path.This has also been rendered as “nirvāṇa.”

See “holy life.”

Derived from a verb that means “to play with” or “to engage in sport,” the term often has the sense in Buddhist literature of doing things easily or making easy work of something as a result of having attained great knowledge and power.

A mentor or teacher who guides one’s pursuit of good or virtuous behavior and supports one on the spiritual path.

This refers to what occurs at the end of an arhat’s or a buddha’s life. When nirvāṇa is attained at awakening, whether as an arhat or buddha, all suffering, afflicted mental states (kleśa), and causal processes (karman) that lead to rebirth and suffering in cyclic existence have ceased, but due to previously accumulated karma, the aggregates of that life remain and must still exhaust themselves. It is only at the end of life that these cease, and since no new aggregates arise, the arhat or buddha is said to attain parinirvāṇa, meaning “complete” or “final” nirvāṇa. This is synonymous with the attainment of nirvāṇa without remainder (anupadhiśeṣanirvāṇa). According to the Mahāyāna view of a single vehicle (ekayāna), the arhat’s parinirvāṇa at death, despite being so called, is not final. The arhat must still enter the bodhisattva path and reach buddhahood (see Unraveling the Intent, Toh 106, 7.14.) On the other hand, the parinirvāṇa of a buddha, ultimately speaking, should be understood as a display manifested for the benefit of beings; see The Teaching on the Extraordinary Transformation That Is the Miracle of Attaining the Buddha’s Powers (Toh 186), 1.32. The term parinirvāṇa is also associated specifically with the passing away of the Buddha Śākyamuni, in Kuśinagara, in northern India.

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.

Four stages in the development of insight upon the path to awakening, which are given the following names in the Mahāyāna­sūtrālaṃkāra, chapter 14, verse 26ff: “heat” (uṣmagata), “the summit” (mūrdhan), “patience” (kṣānti), and “the highest worldly dharma” (laukikāgra­dharma).

See “self-assurance.”

This expression is used in this sūtra as an adjective modifying wisdom (prajñā) and appears at the moment of supreme awakening.

The idea that the mind, or wisdom as a factor of mind, comes into contact with perfect awakening (sambodhi) or correct knowledge (samyagjñāna) in a single moment or a single moment of thought.

A list of factors conducive to and forming the components of awakening, including the following: mindfulness (smṛti), analytic observation of things (dharma­pravicaya), heroic effort (vīrya), joy (prīti), tranquility (praśrabdhi), concentration (samādhi), and equanimity (upekṣā).

Sometimes rendered “trichiliocosm,” this term refers to a container (dhātu) of worlds (loka) numbering one thousand to the third power, which equals one billion. It is sometimes contrasted with smaller groups of worlds translated herein as “a galaxy of a thousand worlds” and “a galaxy of a hundred thousand worlds.” While in English, the cosmos refers to the entire universe of many billions of galaxies, in present usage following Buddhist cosmology, it may represent only one of many universes.

A class of nonhuman beings sometimes used to refer to asuras more generally, but also more specifically to those nonhuman beings who are said to descent from Diti.

Discernment of the true nature of things, somewhat like prajñā, and also a term for a general style of Buddhist meditation practice that involves the application of insight to one’s experience, often as a rehearsal of insights or concepts from the Dharma, while resting in a state of basic meditative concentration. Often translated as “insight” or “analytical meditation.”

A place near Vārāṇasī where the Buddha is said to have taught the first sermon.

The third great park in the King Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s city.

The second great park in the King Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s city.

Physical postures defined basically as the four positions of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. Connected with physical activity and behavior.

A pond in one of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s parks.

In Buddhist cosmology, this is our own realm, the lowest and most coarse of the three realms of saṃsāra. It is called this because beings here are characterized by their strong longing for and attachment to the pleasures of the senses. The desire realm includes hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, asuras, and the lowest six heavens of the gods‍—from the Heaven of the Four Great Kings (cāturmahā­rājika) up to the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations (para­nirmita­vaśa­vartin). Located above the desire realm is the form realm (rūpadhātu) and the formless realm (ārūpyadhātu).

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

The realized one who the prince Śrīgupta will become. The name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra, and elsewhere as a bodhisattva.

From the Sanskrit verb dhṛ (“to hold”), the term refers to the ability to hold or retain the Buddha’s teachings in the memory, and the specific mnemonic formulas or aids to doing so, which also distill the teachings into shorter utterances. From there the term also carries a strong sense that such formulas or devices, when spoken or rehearsed in the mind, have extraordinary power to effect change in the world and in oneself.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra whose name is attested in several related texts, including the Rāṣṭrapāla­pari­pṛcchā and Saddharma­puṇḍarīka. This correspondence is also attested in this sūtra, where at one point the term is used by an earth-dwelling deity to refer to the Buddha Śākyamuni while he is still a bodhisattva in his last life. The term means “earth bearer,” and has a broad usage in Indian literature. It has been used to refer to the king, a deity like Viṣṇu or Śiva, a mountain, the tortoise supporting the earth, and so forth.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested in the Lalitavistara.

A polyvalent term that can refer to the collection of qualities (dharma), which taken together constitute the true nature of a buddha, such as great wisdom, great compassion, and so on, but it can also refer to the body or collection of the Dharma; that is, to the Buddha’s teachings (dharma) taken as a whole; and by extension it also can refer to the true nature of things (dharma) as such.

A young bodhisattva who vows to become Vajrapāṇi in later lives. The name is attested in the Sanskrit fragments of this sūtra, but is also attested as the name for a king in the Lalitavistara.

A young bodhisattva who vows to become Brahmā Sahāṃpati in later lives. The name is attested in the Sanskrit fragments of this sūtra.

In this sūtra, a wheel-turning king in the past whose thousand sons vow to become the buddhas of this fortunate eon; also in this sūtra, used once seemingly to refer to the blind king in the Mahābhārata epic. Finally, although not used in this sūtra, the name of one of the Four Great Kings, the one who presides over the eastern quarter and rules over the gandharvas.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra. The name is a reconstructed guess based on the next name in the passage which is attested in the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa. Could be Dīpapāṇi, too.

A past buddha who in this sūtra is said to have been King Dhṛtarāṣṭra in a past life and the buddha before whom the Buddha Śākyamuni made a bodhisattva vow.

See “wisdom.”

A term for the Buddha’s followers, those who heard his teachings and were responsible for preserving and spreading them. The term derives from the verb śru (“to hear”), and can thus mean “one who hears,” but it is also closely connected to the senses of “learning” (śravaṇa) and of “causing (something) to be heard” (śrāvaṇa). In these ways, the term has some similarities in the meaning and usage to the English word disciple, which derives from a Latin verb that means to learn. The term śrāvaka is used in some Buddhist texts, such as this sūtra, as distinct from and sometimes in opposition to the “solitary buddha” (pratyekabuddha) and the bodhisattva.

The first great park in the King Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s city.

Superhuman eyesight, one of the five or six supernormal faculties possessed by the gods, as well as by buddhas and some advanced disciples, bodhisattvas, and other superhuman beings.

Superhuman hearing, one of the five or six supernormal faculties possessed by the gods, as well as by buddhas and some advanced disciples, bodhisattvas, and other superhuman beings.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested as Dṛḍhamati, but Sthiramati also seems to be attested for the same Tibetan translation.

A term of respect used to refer to senior Buddhist monks. In this sūtra used only to refer to Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana.

Eighteen collections of similar elements or factors of experience, under which all compounded and uncompounded things may be included: the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, plus their objects: visible forms, sounds, smells, flavors, tangible things, and mental phenomena, plus the six elements of consciousness that arises from the interaction of each of the preceding twelve. They constitute one system of categorizing the constituent parts of sentient experience.

A challenging term that derives from a Sanskrit verb that can mean to authorize or empower as well as to stand over, depend on, or serve as a basis for something. As a noun, it can refer to one’s determination or resolve that something be the case, and the object of one’s resolution. Its noun and verb forms are also used in this and other sūtras to convey a sense of extraordinary mastery and power, a kind of superhuman willpower to make things happen.

See “empowering authority.”

A nāga king in the audience of this sūtra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is unattested in Sanskrit but there is a possibility that it is something like Sadādhimukta, similar to Sadāprarudita, the name of a bodhisattva in the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is unattested in Sanskrit but it could be reconstructed into Sanskrit as Sadāhasitasuharṣiteśvara or something similar.

A bodhisattva who is one of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons in this sūtra and predicted to be the future buddha Kusumottama.

A type of short narrative that exemplifies an idea or gives an example or standard for an action or form of behavior, either good or bad, often using metaphor or allegory to convey the meaning.

A genre of Buddhist literature, which may refer obliquely to the class of Mahāyāna sūtras. Some sūtras include it in the list of twelve types of Buddhist literature. In this sūtra, the Sanskrit manuscript refers to itself as a vaipulya in one of its chapter colophons.

An individual’s sphere of activity and influence; literally, a pasture or place where cows roam.

A list of five virtues conducive to the spiritual life, including faith (śraddhā), heroic effort (vīrya), mindfulness (smṛti), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (prajñā).

The second of the three realms of saṃsāra, situated above the desire realm and below the formless realm. It is characterized by a subtle degree of materiality and divided into a seventeen different heavens.

The highest of the three realms of saṃsāra, characterized by the fact that the beings reborn there dwell in deep states of meditation. It is divided in four levels according to each of the four formless meditations (ārūpyāvacara­dhyāna), namely, the Sphere of Infinite Space (Ākāśānantyāyatana), the Sphere of Infinite Consciousness (Vijñānānantyāyatana), the Sphere of Nothingness (Akiñcanyāyatana), and the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-perception (Naivasaṃjñānāsaṃ­jñāyatana).

Of four types related to intention (chanda), diligence (vīrya), attention (citta), and analysis (mīmāṃsā), respectively. These are foundations for superhuman power in the sense that they are said to be foundational mental qualities to be cultivated in the practice of the path. They are traditionally included among the seven sets of qualities making up the thirty-seven factors conducive to awakening (bodhipakṣya­dharma).

Love, compassion, joy, and equanimity; the cultivation of these four mental qualities puts one in the company of Brahmā. Also known as the four immeasurable states (apramāṇa).

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).

A genre of Buddhist literature or perhaps a component of the literature, the nidāna refers to the introductory chapter or frame story or even the opening formula or introductory part of the discourses. It is listed as one of the twelve types of Buddhist literature.

A common term of address for individuals in Buddhist sūtras that has the sense of a companion or comrade.

The name of a buddha domain of the past where there lived a buddha named King Arrangement of Manifold Precious Jewels of Virtues Without End.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested in the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested in the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested in the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa.

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.”

See “mālādhārin.”

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 son of Ajātaśatru according to the Tibetan translation of this sūtra. Unfortunately, the corresponding Sanskrit of this portion of the text is not extant. In Pāli Buddhist literature, Ajātaśatru’s son is named Udāyibhadda, which does not seem to correspond well to this Tibetan translation. In the Lalitavistara, ’jigs byed is attested for the name Bhayaṃkara, but there it refers to one of attendants of Māra. It is also attested as a translation for Bhairava in some Buddhist texts. It is common for sbyin to translate the form datta, which is a common ending in names. Taken together here this gives us Bhairavadatta or Bhayaṃkaradatta. The former is an attested name in India, but it is too tenuous to use it here.

The brahmā deity who is sometimes called Sahāṃpati, “sovereign of this Sahā world.” This is the name given to the great brahmā deity described in this sūtra as the lord (īśvara) of the cosmos of a billion worlds. The name attested in the Sanskrit manuscript. Also called Great Brahmā (mahābrahmā) or even simply Brahmā in this sūtra and elsewhere, as well as vaśavartin, the “powerful one.” In this sūtra, he also seems to be identified with Brahmā Śikhin, but at the same time Brahmā should be distinguished from the class of brahmā deities who dwell in the Brahmā heavens over which Great Brahmā is also lord.

An ordinary language term in Sanskrit that refers to a person’s greatness of character, magnanimity, majesty, or charisma. Connected to mahātma, “one who has a great soul (or self),” a term of great respect in a pan-Indian context.

See “greatness.”

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra whose name is attested in the Saddharma­puṇḍarīka.

A class of nonhuman beings, similar to yakṣas and perhaps synonymous with them in some contexts. They are closely associated with Kubera or Vaiśravaṇa, the lokapāla and god of wealth who is one of the Four Great Kings, but they also have a strong association with Vajrapāṇi, especially in this sūtra. Guhyakas are sometimes considered the guardians of Vaiśravaṇa’s treasure, or even hidden treasures in general, such as veins of gold and other lodes of precious substances concealed or hidden (guhya) beneath the ground. In this way, the terms guhyaka (“divine guardian of hidden treasure”), and guhya (“secret” or “hidden treasure”), play off each other throughout this sūtra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A realized one whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

Either a name or a term of endearment for Vajrapāṇi’s eldest son in this sūtra; name attested in other texts as a name for various beings, including a king of kinnaras, a general, and a king of nāgas. The portions of the text in which the name(s) occurs are unfortunately not extant in the Sanskrit manuscript.

A bodhisattva in the audience, whose name is not attested in Sanskrit.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is not attested in Sanskrit but could be something like Sucalitavimalatejodhara or -tejasvin.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra. The Sanskrit could be something like Vajramahāmati.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra whose name is not attested in the Sanskrit, but Dhanamati is a good guess, since Dhanapati is attested.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name in Sanskrit is not attested but could be something like Viniścitamati.

A bodhisattva in the audience for this sūtra, and in other texts attested as an alternative translation for the name Nārāyaṇa.

One of the three doṣas in traditional Indian medicine commonly associated with or identified as bile.

The first heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the first state of meditation (dhyāna).

The second heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the first state of meditation (dhyāna).

The third heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the first state of meditation (dhyāna).

The twelfth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the fourth state of meditation (dhyāna).

The eighth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the third state of meditation (dhyāna).

The fourth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the second state of meditation (dhyāna).

The seventh heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the third state of meditation (dhyāna).

The fifteenth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the fourth state of meditation (dhyāna).

The sixteenth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the fourth state of meditation (dhyāna).

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).

The fourteenth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the fourth state of meditation (dhyāna).

One of the heavens of Buddhist cosmology, lowest among the six heavens of the desire realm (kāmadhātu, ’dod khams). Dwelling place of the Four Great Kings (caturmahārāja, rgyal chen bzhi), traditionally located on a terrace of Sumeru, just below the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Each cardinal direction is ruled by one of the Four Great Kings and inhabited by a different class of nonhuman beings as their subjects: in the east, Dhṛtarāṣṭra rules the gandharvas; in the south, Virūḍhaka rules the kumbhāṇḍas; in the west, Virūpākṣa rules the nāgas; and in the north, Vaiśravaṇa rules the yakṣas.

The second heaven of heavens of the desire realm, situated on the summit of Mount Meru and ruled by Śakra, whose Vaijayanta Palace is located there.

The highest of the six heavens of the desire realm. Also rendered poetically in this sūtra as The Heaven of Transforming Others’ Delight.

The second highest of the six heavens of the desire realm. Also rendered poetically in this sūtra as The Heaven of Delighting in Magical Creations.

The ninth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the third state of meditation (dhyāna).

A nāga king in the audience of the sūtra, but also attested as a translation of Hemavarṇa, the name of a former buddha, in the Lalitavistara.

One of the perfections (pāramitā), implying diligence, courage, and the great effort of a hero (vīra).

A term that can refer in some contexts to chastity or complete celibacy, it can also be used in the sense of the overall practice of a religious or spiritual life as a devout person or a renunciant.

The name of a certain kind of kalpa that literally means “incalculable.” The number of years in this kalpa differs in the various sūtras that give it a number. Also, twenty intermediate kalpas are said to be one incalculable kalpa, and four incalculable kalpas are one great kalpa. In light of that, those four incalculable kalpas represent the kalpas of the creation, presence, destruction, and absence of a world. Buddhas are often described as appearing in a second “incalculable” kalpa.

See “mystery.”

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

The trait of being able to speak readily and fluently and with inspiration and confidence about the Dharma and, indeed, in any teaching situation. Connected with the Sanskrit term pratibhā, which can have the sense of coming into view, appearing to the mind, becoming clear, and thus it has the sense of brilliance and clarity of thought expressed in speech.

A genre of Buddhist literature, included in the list of both nine or twelve types. There is a specific text in the Pali canon that compiles a number of such stories, which give a short prose narrative concluding with the Buddha giving an inspired utterance in verse. The Udāna in Chinese does not include the frame story, but only the verses.

A genre of Buddhist literature, one of the common list of twelve types. It has been used to refer to scholastic treatises as well as texts that give practice instructions.

See “unable to be turned back.”

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A river of legend.

The southern continent in a four-continent world, and the location where this sūtra assumes its implied audience lives in the narrative present of the work. According to Buddhist cosmology, this continent is shaped somewhat like an isosceles trapezoid with a wide top side and a very narrow bottom side, a shape that is not too dissimilar from that of the Indian subcontinent. It takes its name from the jambu fruit, which is often translated “rose apple”.

One of the genres of Buddhist literature, included as one of both the nine or twelve types. Jātakas are like avadānas and pūrvayogas in that they tell about past lives, but they are sometimes distinguished from the other types of past-life stories in that they typically tell stories about the past lives of the Buddha.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A future realized one whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A pond in one of the King Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s parks.

A realized one whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A future realized one whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A nāga king who name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

The former buddha of this eon immediately preceding Kāśyapa.

A class of yakṣa whose name means “having bowls in their hands.”

The former buddha of this eon immediately preceding Śākyamuni.

One of the five companions of the ascetic Gautama while he is practicing austerities, and one of the same five companions to whom the first sermon was given after Gautama became the Buddha, according to many versions of the story. In those stories, he is the first of his disciples to become an arhat.

A common epithet of Śakra, based on a genealogy found in the Mahābhārata and elsewhere, indicating that Indra or Śakra is somehow related to or descended from the Kuśikas.

A future buddha of this Fortunate Eon.

A buddha at the time of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

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 general term for knowledge, divisible into a variety of different types. In sūtras like this one, though, it is often a term that designates a kind of certain knowledge of the Dharma as well as a more direct experience of its truth.

The first buddha of this fortunate eon, a description that is mentioned in this sūtra and many others.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested in the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa.

A class of dwarf beings subordinate to Virūḍhaka, one of the Four Great Kings, associated with the southern direction. The name uses a play on the word aṇḍa, which means “egg” but is also a euphemism for a testicle. Thus, they are often depicted as having testicles as big as pots (from kumbha, or “pot”).

A city of the past in Jambudvīpa, which in this sūtra is the location near to which the creature Saumya appears.

A future buddha whose name is attested in the Mañjuśrī­mūlakalpa.

A past world in which lived the bodhisattva Śūrabala, a previous incarnation of Vajrapāṇi, in the presence of the Buddha Vaiśramaṇa.

A unit of measuring distance, calculated differently in various systems but in the range of four to nine miles.

Often translated as “intermediate age” or kalpa, the term can refer to the smallest division of a great age, of which there are said to eighty in the Abhidharmakośa, but the term is also used to refer to very lengthy periods of war, famine, or disease that result in mass losses of life.

A series of advanced states of meditation above the four meditations (dhyāna) that imply greater liberation or freedom from the material realm of reality, as well as a general term for such higher meditative states.

A sage (ṛṣi). The Sanskrit could be Dīpta or Roca, the latter being attested in the Lalitavistara, the former in the Mañjuśrī­mūlakalpa.

A stage on the path at which a bodhisattva will require only one more lifetime beyond the present one in order to achieve complete awakening.

Literally, protector of the world, this term is another way of referring to the Four Great Kings.

A common epithet of the Buddha and sometimes of other beings, nātha can mean both “lord” or “master,” as well as “benefactor” or “protector” or even “source of refuge,” as the term derives from the verb nāth, which means “to seek aid” as well as “to have power.”

An eon long ago in which a past life of Vajrapāṇi is described.

A four continent world in the buddha domain called Full Array.

Derived from the Sanskrit verb mā (“to measure out”, “to form”, “to create”, “to exhibit”), and thus probably connected to the term māyā (“magical illusion”), a nirmita in this sense is an object or image, often a replica of a person, that has been created through the superhuman power of creating magical illusions.

A common epithet of buddhas and great bodhisattvas, which means “one who possess great courage,” “magnanimity,” or “great strength of character.” Explained in the *Mahā­prajñā­pāramitopadeśa, which has a short chapter on this term, also as a being who possesses great love and great compassion.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

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 Maitreya is an important figure in many Buddhist traditions, where he is unanimously regarded as the buddha of the future era. He is said to currently reside in the heaven of Tuṣita, as Śākyamuni’s regent, where he awaits the proper time to take his final rebirth and become the fifth buddha in the Fortunate Eon, reestablishing the Dharma in this world after the teachings of the current buddha have disappeared. Within the Mahāyāna sūtras, Maitreya is elevated to the same status as other central bodhisattvas such as Mañjuśrī and Avalokiteśvara, and his name appears frequently in sūtras, either as the Buddha’s interlocutor or as a teacher of the Dharma. Maitreya literally means “Loving One.” He is also known as Ajita, meaning “Invincible.”For more information on Maitreya, see, for example, the introduction to Maitreya’s Setting Out (Toh 198).

Specifically that of the Buddha, in most instances of the term, but used more generally, too, of the sun and the moon, as well as various beings in the phrase “great superhuman power and great majestic power” (mahārddhiko mahānubhāvaḥ). The term has the sense of the power that comes from the mere presence or nature of the thing, something like the classical sense of the term charisma.

A quality often applied to a buddha and connected to the terms ṛṣabha and vṛṣabha, meaning a mighty bull and also the chief or best of any class of being.

A class of divine beings whose name means “garland-bearing.”

A nāga king in the audience of this sūtra.

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

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 world visited by Maudgalyāyana. The Sanskrit name is not attested in the extant portions of this sūtra, but it is attested in the Bhaiṣajyavastu, where it is said to be the world in which Maudgalyāyana’s mother was reborn.

The physical characteristics or attributes of the human body possessed by wheel-turning kings and perfect buddhas and of which there are said to be thirty-two.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra. Marudeva is a name attested in the Mahāvastu and elsewhere. Some Kangyurs read mya ngan here.

A householder in the assembly of a past buddha, Vipaśyin, whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra; also the name of the Buddha Śākyamuni in a past life as a prince, mentioned at the end of this sūtra, though not in a section for which there is corresponding Sanskrit.

A bodhisattva who is one the sons of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra and predicted to become the future buddha Jyotis. The name attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

One of the main disciples of the Buddha, perhaps best known for being paired with Śāriputra as one of the Buddha’s two chief disciples in some texts and for being acknowledged by the Buddha as foremost among his disciples in regard to superhuman powers.

A traditional list of four qualities by means of which buddhas and bodhisattvas build a group followers: giving gifts (dāna), kind speech (priyavādita), acting for their benefit (arthacārya), and having the same goals as they do (samānārthatā)

Dhyāna is defined as one-pointed abiding in an undistracted state of mind, free from afflicted mental states. Four states of dhyāna are identified as being conducive to birth within the form realm. In the context of the Mahāyāna, it is the fifth of the six perfections. It is commonly translated as “concentration,” “meditative concentration,” and so on.

A world mentioned in this sūtra as well as in the Lalitavistara.

The buddha of the Meghavatī world. Similar names are attested in other texts. For instance, the Lalitavistara names the buddha of this world as Cloud King (Megharāja) while the Gaṇḍavyūha makes reference to a bodhisattva by the name of Meghanirghoṣasvara (sprin gyi dbyangs kyi sgra).

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A genre of Buddhist literature, listed as one of the nine or twelve types of Buddhist literary genres. It would seem to refer to instances in which a marvel or miracle, literally “something that has never happened before” (adbhutadharma), occurs.

A general term for “inclination,” somewhat like adhimokṣa, but in sūtras such as this one, it is used as a term for the firm intent to pursue the Buddhist path.

The huge mountain at the center of the world according to the classical Buddhist view. Sometimes named Sumeru, as it is in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra, as well as “the king of mountains” (parvatarāja, ri’i rgal po).

A bodhisattva who is prince predicted to become the Buddha Anantaguṇa­kīrti, and whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

Derived from a verb that means “to think,” this term can be used as a noun or an adjective to describe something that cannot be conceived or understood. In that sense, the term overlaps with the sense of the English word mystery. The term is often found in this sūtra in close association with the term guhya (“secret”), and also used as an adjective in combination with dharma (“thing” or “quality”). Rendered that way, it can also be used in the sense of an inconceivably large number of things.

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 in the audience of this sūtra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A river near the place where the Buddha is said to have attained awakening, as stated in this sūtra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra; attested as the name of a realized one in the Śikṣāsamuccaya.

A nāga king said in this sūtra to have been tamed by Maudgalyāyana.

One of the names of Viṣṇu in the Hindu tradition, primarily used in Buddhist literature as a paragon of bodily strength.

A phrase used in the text with respect to applying the concept of emptiness to the body (kāya) to all things (sarvadharma), as well as to the realm of reality (dharmadhātu). Although not attested in the Sanskrit manuscript, the Sanskrit compound is understood here to be vigata­lakṣanatā.

In Sanskrit, the term nirvāṇa literally means “extinguishment” and the Tibetan mya ngan las ’das pa literally means “gone beyond sorrow.” As a general term, it refers to the cessation of all suffering, afflicted mental states (kleśa), and causal processes (karman) that lead to rebirth and suffering in cyclic existence, as well as to the state in which all such rebirth and suffering has permanently ceased.More specifically, three main types of nirvāṇa are identified. (1) The first type of nirvāṇa, called nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣanirvāṇa), is the state in which arhats or buddhas have attained awakening but are still dependent on the conditioned aggregates until their lifespan is exhausted. (2) At the end of life, given that there are no more causes for rebirth, these aggregates cease and no new aggregates arise. What occurs then is called nirvāṇa without remainder ( anupadhiśeṣanirvāṇa), which refers to the unconditioned element (dhātu) of nirvāṇa in which there is no remainder of the aggregates. (3) The Mahāyāna teachings distinguish the final nirvāṇa of buddhas from that of arhats, the nirvāṇa of arhats not being considered ultimate. The buddhas attain what is called nonabiding nirvāṇa (apratiṣṭhitanirvāṇa), which transcends the extremes of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, i.e., existence and peace. This is the nirvāṇa that is the goal of the Mahāyāna path.This has also been rendered as “cessation.”

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra whose name is attested in the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra whose name is attested in the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa.

A common term of address for individuals in Buddhist sūtras who are deemed to have a good upbringing and are ready for spiritual teachings.

A buddha in the buddha domain of Padmavatī whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

The name of a world attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

The palmyra palm tree, native to South and Southeast Asia, which can grow to a height of nearly one hundred feet.

A type of short narrative, also sometimes called an ākhyāna in Sanskrit, that typically illustrates a message or idea.

A bodhisattva who is one of the sons of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra in this sūtra and is predicted to be the future buddha Subāhu. His name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A type of Buddhist past-life story, often used synonymously with avadāna and jātaka.

A path or course of action traditionally presented as refraining from committing the ten forms of bad conduct, namely: taking life, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, false speech, harsh speech, spiteful speech, idle speech, ency, malice and wrong view. Thus, it would consist in doing the opposite of these forms of bad conduct.

One of the perfections (pāramitā) as well as a term for a kind of mental receptivity to or acceptance of the way things are.

A bodhisattva who in this sūtra is said to be one of the sons of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra

One of the three doṣas in traditional Indian medicine whose typical features include coolness, smoothness, moistness, and heaviness.

A class of nonhuman beings that, like several other classes of nonhuman beings, take spontaneous birth. Ranking below rākṣasas, they are less powerful and more akin to pretas. They are said to dwell in impure and perilous places, where they feed on impure things, including flesh. This could account for the name piśāca, which possibly derives from √piś, to carve or chop meat, as reflected also in the Tibetan sha za, “meat eater.” They are often described as having an unpleasant appearance, and at times they appear with animal bodies. Some possess the ability to enter the dead bodies of humans, thereby becoming so-called vetāla, to touch whom is fatal.

The fourth great park in the King Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s city.

A class of god and an epithet sometimes used to describe specific gods, such as Great Brahmā in this sūtra.

See “dhāraṇī.”

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra whose name is attested in Gaṇḍavyūha and elsewhere, and the name of a prince in this sūtra who is predicted to be the future buddha Puṣpa.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

Here given as the name of an asura. Translation attested in the miscellaneous section of the Mahāvyutpatti. Also the name of a daitya general and of a nāga in the Mahābhārata.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested in the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa and the Saddharma­puṇḍarīka.

A monk in the dispensation of the realized one Ratnacandra, as attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A genre of Buddhist literature included in the list of nine or twelve types. In the Pali tradition, the Abhidharma is placed in this category, though it is also used to refer to any instances in which the Buddha gives a prophecy or prediction about the future‍—for example, the future awakening or attainment of some particular being.

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.

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.

See “lokapāla”.

A buddha whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

List of thirty-seven mental factors the cultivation of which is said to lead to the achievement of awakening (bodhi), including the four applications of mindfulness, the four foundations for superhuman power, the four right efforts, the five powers, the five spiritual faculties, the eightfold path, and the seven constitutive factors of awakening.

An asura whose name is attested in the Mahāvyutpatti.

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 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.

Name of a buddha domain to the west of our world and presided over by the Buddha Raśmirāja. The name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

The buddha in the buddha domain Raśmidhvajā, attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A realized one whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A realized one whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra and the name of a bodhisattva in the audience for this discourse.

A bodhisattva in this sūtra who is a prince predicted to become the buddha Samantāloka and whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested in the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested in Saddharma­puṇḍarīka.

A common epithet of the buddhas, translated into Tibetan as “the one gone thus,” from which one gets the translation “thus-gone one.” The term has a sense of literal movement, of having “gone” or “come” somewhere, but it also carries the sense of having “realized” something, in both senses of having understood it and made it real. In some traditional explanations of the term, the adverb tathā (“thus” or “in that way”) is therefore connected to tathatā (“the way things are”).

An expression that seems to refer to the entirety of the world, the container (dhātu) of all things.

A genre of Buddhist literature, and listed as one of both the nine or twelve types. It seems to refer to any text in which verses are mixed with prose, but literally the word means “to be sung,” and could have been used to refer to texts commonly used for recitation.

In the Dharmasaṃgraha, there are said to be four types or sources of reliance, namely reliance on the meaning, reliance on knowledge, reliance on the definitive meaning (or sūtras taken to contain definitive meaning), and reliance on the true nature of reality. This list is also found in the The Teaching of Vimalakīrti (Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa), 12.­13.

A bodhisattva in the Meghavatī world of the realized one Melodious King of Clouds. The Sanskrit could be something like Svaraghoṣanirghoṣa.

A term of respectful address often directed toward Buddhist monks, and sometimes translated elsewhere as “reverend.” In this text, however, the term is used by a brahmin to address a sage politely.

A list of four actions that refers to the act of eliminating unwholesome states that have arisen and making sure they do not arise, as well as causing wholesome states to arise and developing them once they have arisen.

Indicated to be the last of the buddhas of this Fortunate Eon. The name attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A nāga king in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested in the Mahāvyutpatti.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra whose name is attested in Gaṇḍavyūha.

The hermitage for ascetics at the Deer Park where the Buddha is said to have delivered his first sermon and subsequently other teachings. This translation derives from the story that the place got its name from the fact that sages would fly down and land there.

A name for the “world” or perhaps “galaxy” or “world system,” more literally, “the container of worlds” (lokadhātu), that forms the extent of the Buddha Śākyamuni’s domain. Its name suggests that it is a world in which beings experience suffering. It could also be described as the extent of the world over which Great Brahmā is said to be the lord and sovereign god (Sahāṃpati). Opinions vary over the precise extent of Sahā, and its expanse seems to have extended over time. For the purposes of this sūtra, it is sometimes equated with “the cosmos of a billion worlds.” More generally, it can also be conceived as the world in which the implied target audience of the sūtra can locate themselves, the place where we are located.

The chief god of the desire realm who is known as the King of the Gods and as the Lord of the Gods and dwells in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

The name of a future rebirth of the brahmin Śyāmaka, as mentioned in this sūtra, or possibly an epithet meant to refer to the Buddha and which could be translated “the lion of the Śākya clan”.

An asura in the audience of this sūtra.

The realized one who prince Ratnakīrti will become. The name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

The name of the buddha realm of the future buddha Vajravikrāmin, as attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra. The name means something like “wholly pure”.

An asura whose name is among those attested in the Mahāvyutpatti, as well as the Samādhirāja.

A bodhisattva who is a prince predicted to be the buddha Abhyupagatagāmin and whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

The world of ongoing birth, death, and rebirth, and the apparent reality of this world.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, and one of the main interlocutors.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested in the Lalitavistara.

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.”

An important bodhisattva, included among the “eight close sons of the Buddha.” His name means “One Who Completely Dispels All Obscurations” and, accordingly, he is said to have the power to exhaust all the obscurations of anyone who merely hears his name. According to The Jewel Cloud (1.10, Toh 231), Sarva­­nīvaraṇa­­viṣkam­bhin originally dwelt in the realm of the Buddha Padma­netra, but he was so touched by the Buddha Śākyamuni’s compassionate acceptance of the barbaric and ungrateful beings who inhabit this realm that he traveled to see the Buddha Śākyamuni, offer him worship, and inquire about the Dharma. He is often included in the audience of sūtras and, in particular, he has an important role in the The Basket’s Display, Toh 116, in which he is sent to Vārāṇasī to obtain Avalokitesvara’s mantra.

A bodhisattva in this sūtra said to be one of the sons of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who then went on to become the Buddha Śākyamuni.

A bodhisattva in this sūtra said to be one of the sons of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra who will go on to become the Buddha Maitreya.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A monk in the dispensation of the realized one Ratnacandra, as attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A creature whom the śakra Sunetra, who was the Buddha Śākyamuni in a previous life, spontaneously generated to heal the people of Kuru during a period of great pestilence. The Tibetan term is attested elsewhere as a translation for the Sanskrit terms sūrata and sauratya (Mahāvyutpatti), peśala (Bodhisattva­bhūmi), and some other terms, and is attested as a translation equivalent for the name Surata in the title of Surata’s Questions (Toh 71). However, in the Sanskrit of the parallel telling of this story found in the Bodhisatvapiṭaka (Toh 56), the name is attested as Saumya. This Sanskrit name is derived from Soma, both the plant and the moon, and can have the meanings of gentleness and mildness as well as auspiciousness.

The place where the Buddha Śākyamuni achieved awakening and where every buddha will manifest the attainment of buddhahood. In our world this is understood to be located under the Bodhi tree, the Vajrāsana, in present-day Bodhgaya, India. It can also refer to the state of awakening itself.

Derived from a verb that means to hide, conceal, or keep secret, the term means a secret, a mystery, as well as a hiding place or secret location, such as a place where one finds buried treasure. In this way, the term also has the sense that what is kept secret or hidden is something precious and mysterious. It is closely connected with the term guhyaka , the guardians of hidden treasures.

Often rendered as fearlessness, of which there are commonly said to be four types.

These can be listed as twelve or as six sense sources (sometimes also called sense fields, bases of cognition, or simply āyatanas).In the context of epistemology, it is one way of describing experience and the world in terms of twelve sense sources, which can be divided into inner and outer sense sources, namely: (1–2) eye and form, (3–4) ear and sound, (5–6) nose and odor, (7–8) tongue and taste, (9–10) body and touch, (11–12) mind and mental phenomena.In the context of the twelve links of dependent origination, only six sense sources are mentioned, and they are the inner sense sources (identical to the six faculties) of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

Seven royal treasures possessed by a wheel-turning king: the wheel, the elephant, the horse, the jewel, the queen, the steward, and the minister.

The seven riches of noble beings: faith, morality, generosity, learning, modesty, humility, and wisdom.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A future buddha.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

The thirteenth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the fourth state of meditation (dhyāna). It's name may derive from the notion that it is the lowest of the heavens that are abodes of the pure (śuddhāvāsa)."

A category of awakened being (buddha) who is variously described as having attained awakening but not then teaching the Dharma to others, and as attaining awakening without relying on a teacher. In this way, the solitary buddha is sometimes contrasted with the “disciple” (śrāvaka) and the “perfect, fully awakened buddha” (saṃyaksam­buddha), as well as with the bodhisattava who aspires to become a fully awakened buddha.

Four types of knowledge that are particularly oriented toward teaching the Dharma: knowledge of things, meanings, etymologies, and inspired eloquence.

An expression found in this sūtra that refers to the expanse or reach of the sound of a realized one’s voice.

A shortened form of the name Padmaśrīrājagarbha, the buddha in the buddha domain of Padmavatī, whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A bodhisattva who is a prince predicted to be the buddha Dhanaśrī and whose name attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra whose name means something like “Steady Stepper.”

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra whose name is attested in several texts as a name for a śrāvaka and for a bodhisattva. Also attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra as the name of a realized one. It would also seem to be the name given in this sūtra to Vajrapāṇi’s second son, although the portion of the Sanskrit manuscript in which this use occurs is not extant, as well as the name of an asura lord in this text.

A bodhisattva who is a prince predicted to become the buddha Jyotīrasa, and whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra. The addition of rgyal po or rāja on the end of the translation suggests the manuscript used for the translation read Śubhavyūharāja.

An earth-dwelling deity whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A village girl who gives the Bodhisattva a meal of milk rice shortly before he attains awakening, an event related in this sūtra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, as well as a name of a Śakra who was the Buddha Śākyamuni in a previous life. The name is attested here and also in the Rāṣṭrapāla­pari­pṛcchā.

A future buddha in this Fortunate Eon whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

Derived from a verb that has the sense of direct knowing, this term refers to a number of types of extraordinary knowledge and powers, grouped as five or six. When stated to be five, they include the first five of the list that follows: (1) various superhuman powers (ṛddhi); (2) the ability to know others’ minds; (3) extraordinary powers of hearing, or the divine ear; (4) extraordinary powers of sight, or the divine eye; (5) the ability to remember one’s past lives, and (6) the knowledge that the defilements have been destroyed and it is one’s last lifetime. When the fifth is not specified, then oftentimes the sixth or all six types are implied. The last three of the list are the same as the three types of knowledge (vidyā), and are tantamount to the description of the awakening experience in some presentations.

The two main kinds of supplies or provisions that a bodhisattva accumulates and stores, which then provide the fuel for the pursuit of the goal of the path. Sometimes translated as “accumulation” or “equipment” and also “provisions.”

Usually of two kinds, the supply of merit and the supply of knowledge, but also more generally the supplies or provisions that a bodhisattva accumulates and stores, which then provide the fuel for the pursuit of the goal of the path. This sūtra provides a long list of such supplies, which are mainly qualities or virtues the bodhisattva develops.

A pond in one of the parks of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

The seventeenth and highest heaven of the form realm.

A prince who is predicted to become the buddha Siṃha in the future.

Vajrapāṇi in a previous life as a bodhisattva during the lifetime of the buddha Vaiśramaṇa who engages that buddha in a dialogue in one chapter of this sūtra. His name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A nāga king in the audience of this sūtra.

A nāga queen of the nāga king Kālika, whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra as well as the Lalitavistara.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra whose name is attested in Samādhirāja.

A bodhisattva who is prince predicted to become the buddha Jñānākara and whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

The grass seller that the Bodhisattva encounters en route to the tree of awakening whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra as well as the Lalitavistara.

A brahmin in this sūtra; the Sanskrit name is attested as names of a king and a muni in the Bodhisattvāvadāna­kalpalatā and the Rāṣṭrapāla­pari­pṛcchā, respectively.

A nāga king in the audience of this sūtra whose name is attested in the Mahāvyutpatti and elsewhere.

An asura in the audience of this sūtra, whose name seems to be connected to the Asian palmyra palm tree (tāla)

The ten powers of a realized one (tathāgata), a list that overlaps with some of the supernormal faculties (abhijñā). The ten are (1) knowing what is possible and what is impossible; (2) knowing the results of actions or the ripening of karma; (3) knowing the various inclinations of sentient beings; (4) knowing the various element s; (5) knowing the supreme and lesser faculties of sentient beings; (6) knowing the paths that lead to all destinations of rebirth; (7) knowing the concentrations, liberations, absorptions, equilibriums, afflictions, purifications, and abidings; (8) remembering one’s previous lives; (9) knowing the death and rebirth of sentient beings, which is the same as the divine eye; and (10) knowing that the defilements have been destroyed.

An asura in the audience of this sūtra.

An expression that conveys a sense of the true nature of things, formed from the word for “thus” or “in that way” (tathā) conjoined with the abstract suffix “-ness” or “state of” (-tā). The word is connected with tathāgata, “realized one,” and with the knowledge of things as they truly are (yathābhūta­jñāna), which is tantamount to awakening.

A genre of Buddhist literature, included in the list of nine or twelve types. There is a specific text in the Pali canon, the Itivuttaka, that compiles a number of such stories.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name seems to be attested in a couple of sources, including Upholding the Roots of Virtue (Toh 101).

Literally “above the world,” and mainly refers to nirvāṇa and awakening, the path and practices that lead to them, and the factors that constitute those states.

One of two merchant brothers, the other being Bhallika, who make offerings to the Buddha shortly after his awakening.

The real nature, true quality, or condition of things. Throughout Buddhist discourse this term is used in two distinct ways. In one, it designates the relative nature that is either the essential characteristic of a specific phenomenon, such as the heat of fire and the moisture of water, or the defining feature of a specific term or category. The other very important and widespread way it is used is to designate the ultimate nature of all phenomena, which cannot be conveyed in conceptual, dualistic terms and is often synonymous with emptiness or the absence of intrinsic existence.

One of the thirty-two marks of a great person. It consists of a tuft of hair between the eyebrows.

A bodhisattva who in this sūtra is one of the sons of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra and predicted to be the buddha Ratnākara. His name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A description of a bodhisattva who has reached a particular stage along the path to becoming a buddha at which the bodhisattva is certain of doing so. Different Buddhist works place this stage at different points along the path. According to some works, it is a highly advanced stage that is connected with having received a prediction of future buddhahood. Modern scholars have also sometimes connected it to the acceptance of the fact that things do not arise, but it is also connected with other attainments.

Special features of a buddha’s behavior, realization, activity, and knowledge that are not shared by other beings. They are generally listed as eighteen: (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 knowledge (jñāna), (14) all his verbal actions are preceded and followed by knowledge, (15) all his mental actions are preceded and followed by knowledge, (16) his knowledge and vision perceive the past without attachment or hindrance, (17) his knowledge and vision perceive the future without attachment or hindrance, and (18) his knowledge and vision perceive the present without attachment or hindrance.

Those considered at the lowest end of the Indian social system, traditionally those tasked with doing dirty and menial work thought to be “impure” in some way.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A nāga king said in this sūtra to have been tamed by Maudgalyāyana.

One of the physical marks of a buddha that takes the form of an extension of some sort on the crown of his head. Connect to knowledge base page, if available.

A pond in one of the parks of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra whose name is attested in the Rāṣṭrapāla­pari­pṛcchā, but apparently the translation of the Lalitavistara has Dīptavīrya for the same translation.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested in Saddharma­puṇḍarīka and elsewhere.

The palace of Indra in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

A past buddha whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

One of the Four Great Kings and a god of wealth, he presides over the northern quarter and rules over the yakṣas.

There are two meanings, not always easy to disambiguate in practice: (1) a type of cudgel or mace, wielded by Vajrapāṇi, whose name literally means “The One with the Vajra in his Hand,” as well as the thunderbolt, the mythical weapon of Indra, and a stylized ritual object used in Buddhist ritual; (2) adamant, the hard and unbreakable substance out of which the weapon is said to be made.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra.

A yakṣa and the protagonist of this sūtra who is counted among the bodhisattvas in attendance at the beginning of the sūtra and called the lord of the guhyakas (guhyakādhipati) throughout the work. He gives various teachings, receives a prediction of his future awakening as a buddha, and is the subject of various past life stories to explain his current responsibilities and attributes; he also hosts the Buddha Śākyamuni at his home for a meal. See the introduction for a discussion of his place in Buddhist literature.

Vajrapāṇi’s eldest son in this sūtra, whose name is attested as that of a bodhisattva in the Kāraṇḍavyūha.

The name by which Vajrapāṇi will be known when he becomes a perfect buddha, as attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra. It is also the name of a bodhisattva in a list of bodhisattvas given at the beginning of this sūtra, though the Sanskrit for that section of the text is no longer extant.

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 audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested in the Saddharma­puṇḍarīka and elsewhere.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra as well as a nāga king in the audience of this sūtra; the name is attested as one for a nāga in the Mahāvyutpatti.

A bodhisattva who visits the Buddha while he is turning the wheel of Dharma at Deer Park after his awakening. The name attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

An asura in the audience of this sūtra, attested in the Mahāvyutpatti.

One of the genres of Buddhist literature included in the list of nine or twelve classifications. Seemingly refers to verse texts without any prose.

A bodhisattva who is a prince in this sūtra predicted to be the future buddha Ketu, and is attested in the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa.

A bodhisattva who is one of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons in this sūtra and predicted to be the future buddha Sunetra . His name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

A bodhisattva who was one of the sons of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and whose name is attested in the Lalitavistara.

A buddha of a previous eon

One of the Four Great Kings, he presides over the southern quarter and rules over the kumbhāṇḍas.

One of the Four Great Kings, he presides over the western quarter and rules over the nāgas.

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, whose name is attested in Saddharma­puṇḍarīka.

A bodhisattva who in this sūtra is said to be one of the sons of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra and whose name is attested in Upholding the Roots of Virtue (Toh 101).

A bodhisattva who is a prince predicted to become the buddha Guṇāgradhārin, and whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this 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 buddha attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra, as well as in several texts including the Lalitavistara and the Saddharma­puṇḍarīka.

Being the best of a particular kind, a combination of good breeding and good training, a term that is applied to animals as well as humans, and perhaps particularly of horses in the sense of a thoroughbred.

A description of great disciples and bodhisattvas in some Mahāyāna sūtras, such as this one and the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa.

An ancient, pan-Indian concept of the ideal human sovereign who rules over the world in a just manner following the laws of Dharma. Like a buddha, the cakravartin possesses the thirty-two marks of a great person, and his appearance in the world is a rare and special event.

One of the perfections (pāramitā), but also a general mental state of discernment, the ability to understand and make fine distinctions among things, and to determine a proper course of action, which becomes actionable when wisdom is combined with skill in means (upāya).

The term used generally to describe the performance of a wondrous display, but which often has the narrower sense of changing one thing into something else by means of superhuman powers.

The term lokadhātu refers to a single four continent world-system illumined by a sun and moon, with a Mount Meru at its center and an encircling ring of mountains at its periphery, and with the various god realms above, thus including the desire, form, and formless realms.The term can also refer to groups of such world-systems in multiples of thousands. A universe of one thousand such world-systems is called a chiliocosm (sāhasra­loka­dhātu, stong gi ’jig rten gyi khams); one thousand such chiliocosms is called a dichiliocosm (dvisāhasralokadhātu, stong gnyis kyi ’jig rten gyi khams); and one thousand such dichiliocosms is called a trichiliocosm (trisāhasra­loka­dhātu, stong gsum gyi 'jig rten gyi khams). A trichiliocosm is the largest universe described in Buddhist cosmology.In this translation, the term “world” is generally used as a translation for both loka (“world”) and lokadhātu (which could also be rendered “galaxy” or “universe,” or more literally, a “container of worlds”), except in the case of the phrases “cosmos of a billion worlds” (tri­sāha­sramahāsāhasra­lokadhātu), “galaxy of a thousand worlds” and “galaxy of a hundred thousand worlds,” since the English word “world” is flexible and can refer to both the earth and the universe more generally.

The realm where pretas are reborn, govered by Yama, the Lord of Death.

In this sūtra, used only as an epithet of the buddhas, and traditionally used as an epithet for someone who has achieved awakening and thereby is worthy (arh). The Tibetan translation derives from one of the traditional Buddhist etymologies of the term, and could be translated “one who has destroyed (hata) one’s enemies” (ari), the enemies here referring to the afflictions of lust, hatred, ignorance, and so forth.

There are four wrong courses of action, as motivated by lust (chanda), hatred (dveṣa), delusion (moha), and fear (bhaya).

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.

The king of the realm of the ancestors and the lord of death generally.

The third of the six heavens of the desire realm, counting from lowest to highest.