Name of a prostitute in a story Buddha tells.

This name appears twice, referring to a king, who is a former incarnation of the Buddha, as well as an ascetic.

Name of a future buddha.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A king.

A bodhisattva, a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A buddha.

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 buddha.

A buddha.

A wealthy merchant in the town of Śrāvastī, famous for his generosity to the poor, who became a patron of the Buddha Śākyamuni. He bought Prince Jeta’s Grove (Skt. Jetavana), to be the Buddha’s first monastery, a place where the monks could stay during the monsoon.

A nāga king.

A buddha.

The continent to the west. One of the four main continents that surround the central mountain in classical Buddhist cosmology.

Mindfulness of the body, feelings, the mind, and dharmas.

Name of a past king, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A disciple of the Buddha. Before the Buddha’s awakening, Aśvajit was one of the five ascetics with whom he practiced.

A set of nine progressive stages of deepening mental absorption, including the four concentrations of the form realm, the four formless realms, and cessation.

A nāga king.

Name of a past king, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Four types of absorption related to intention, diligence, attention, and analysis respectively. Among the thirty-seven factors of awakening (q.v.).

Name of a brahmin, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Great lay follower of Buddha Śākyamuni.

A buddha.

A king; A former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A buddha.

A king, former incarnation of the Buddha.

This term in its broadest sense can refer to any being, whether human, animal, or nonhuman. However, it is often used to refer to a specific class of nonhuman beings, especially when bhūtas are mentioned alongside rākṣasas, piśācas, or pretas. In common with these other kinds of nonhumans, bhūtas are usually depicted with unattractive and misshapen bodies. Like several other classes of nonhuman beings, bhūtas take spontaneous birth. As their leader is traditionally regarded to be Rudra-Śiva (also known by the name Bhūta), with whom they haunt dangerous and wild places, bhūtas are especially prominent in Śaivism, where large sections of certain tantras concentrate on them.

One of the eight hot hells.

One of the cold hells.

A nāga king.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

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).

Name of a past king, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Name of a past king, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

One of the cold hells.

Butön Rinchen Drup (bu ston rin chen grub).

A minister, former incarnation of the Buddha.

Edgerton identifies Cañcā as the name of a brahmin girl who appears in Buddhist sūtras such as the Laṇkāvatāra (BHSD, p. 222).

A god.

Name of a past king in a story Buddha tells.

A king.

A nāga king.

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

One of the cold hells.

Name of a dance instructor in a story Buddha tells.

Name of a village chief in a story Buddha tells.

A “thousandfold universe,” also called a “first order chiliocosm” (spyi phud kyi ’jig rten gyi khams), “lesser chiliocosm” (chung ngu’i ’jig rten gyi khams, sāhasra­cūḍiko loka­dhātu), or “lower chiliocosm” (tha ma’i ’jig rten gyi khams), consisting of a thousand worlds each made up of their own Mount Meru, four continents, sun, moon, and god realms. Explained in 1.­264.

A park where the buddha Voice Proclaiming the Cloud of Dharma resided.

A king.

A brahmin.

A king; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A buddha.

A king.

Correct knowledge of meaning, Dharma, language, and eloquence.

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

One of the cold hells.

One of the cold hells.

One of the cold hells.

One of the cold hells.

One of the cold hells.

One of the cold hells.

One of the eight hot hells.

A nāga king.

Name of a former incarnation of Devadatta in a story the Buddha tells.

Name of a buddha.

Name of a buddha.

An alternate term of reference for the lower states of cyclic existence (i.e., hell beings, starving spirits, and animals).

The name of a past sage who was one of the Buddha’s previous incarnations.

The traditional adversaries of the devas (gods) who are frequently portrayed in the brahmanical mythology as having a disruptive effect on cosmological and social harmony.

Name of a brahmin, a former incarnation of Śāriputra in a story the Buddha tells.

A king.

A bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A minister; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A nāga king.

A “twice thousandfold universe,” i.e., a millionfold universe, sometimes called a “second-order midsized-chiliocosm” (dvitīya­madhyama­sāhasra­loka­dhātu), consisting of a thousand chiliocosms (q.v.).

A former buddha, who prophesied the awakening of Buddha Śākyamuni.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A king.

A king.

A prince; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Eight factors whereby the training on the path of cultivation takes place.

The liberation of form observing form, the liberation of the formless observing form, the liberation of observing beauty, the liberation of infinite space, the liberation of infinite consciousness, the liberation of nothing whatsoever, the liberation of neither presence nor absence of perception, and the liberation of cessation.

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

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A bodhisattva monk; a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a king; a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Name of a teacher; a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a past king, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A king; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a buddha.

A buddha realm.

See “thirty-seven factors of awakening.”

A term with a wide range of meanings. Often refers to one or all of the five faculties (faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and knowledge) that are among the thirty-seven factors of awakening (q.v.); or to the five sense faculties; or to one of the twenty-two faculties (q.v.).

A brahmin; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

One of the eight hot hells.

Five fetters to be abandoned: the view of the transitory collection, viewing discipline as supreme, and harboring doubt, desire, and ill will.

A monk; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a buddha.

A king.

Love, compassion, joy, and equanimity.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A class of generally benevolent nonhuman beings who inhabit the skies, sometimes said to inhabit fantastic cities in the clouds, and more specifically to dwell on the eastern slopes of Mount Meru, where they are ruled by the Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. They are most renowned as celestial musicians who serve the gods. In the Abhidharma, the term is also used to refer to the mental body assumed by sentient beings during the intermediate state between death and rebirth. Gandharvas are said to live on fragrances (gandha) in the desire realm, hence the Tibetan translation dri za, meaning “scent eater.”

The Gaṅgā, or Ganges in English, is considered to be the most sacred river of India, particularly within the Hindu tradition. It starts in the Himalayas, flows through the northern plains of India, bathing the holy city of Vārāṇasī, and meets the sea at the Bay of Bengal, in Bangladesh. In the sūtras, however, this river is mostly mentioned not for its sacredness but for its abundant sands‍—noticeable still today on its many sandy banks and at its delta‍—which serve as a common metaphor for infinitely large numbers.According to Buddhist cosmology, as explained in the Abhidharmakośa, it is one of the four rivers that flow from Lake Anavatapta and cross the southern continent of Jambudvīpa‍—the known human world or more specifically the Indian subcontinent.

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.

Name of a nāga king.

Name of a magician in a story Buddha tells; a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Name of a nāga king.

Great lay follower of Buddha Kāśyapa.

Name of a buddha.

A priest; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A princess; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

King and sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A nāga king.

In a story the Buddha tells, this was the name of our continent countless eons ago.

A nāga king.

One of the eight hot hells.

One of the cold hells

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

The Sanskrit term śrāvaka, and the Tibetan nyan thos, both derived from the verb “to hear,” are usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard to others.” Primarily this refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat seeking their own liberation and nirvāṇa. They are the practitioners of the first turning of the wheel of the Dharma on the four noble truths, who realize the suffering inherent in saṃsāra and focus on understanding that there is no independent self. By conquering afflicted mental states (kleśa), they liberate themselves, attaining first the stage of stream enterers at the path of seeing, followed by the stage of once-returners who will be reborn only one more time, and then the stage of non-returners who will no longer be reborn into the desire realm. The final goal is to become an arhat. These four stages are also known as the “four results of spiritual practice.”

One of the eight hot hells.

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).

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.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

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

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A place said in this text to be in Rājagṛha, and therefore presumably not the Ṛṣipatana or Ṛṣivadana located outside Vārāṇasī.

Name of a sage, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A leader; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

One of the eight hot hells.

Name of a bodhisattva in a story Buddha tells.

A buddha.

A king and sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

This terms refers to all that is unreasonable and cannot be expected to occur. Among the ten powers of a Buddha, the first is knowing what is tenable and untenable (Skt. sthānāsthāna, Tib. gnas dang gnas ma yin), i.e., the natural laws that govern the world in which we live.

One of the eight hot hells.

A bodhisattva; former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Name of a sage in a story the Buddha tells.

Name of a buddha.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A king; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a sage in a story the Buddha tells.

Name of a buddha.

One of seven golden mountains enumerated in Abhidharma cosmology.

A name of a spirit or class of spirits; variously identified as a type of demon that lives in magical weapons or that causes illness.

A divine river whose gold is believed to be especially fine.

The name of the southern continent in Buddhist cosmology, which can signify either the known human world, or more specifically the Indian subcontinent, literally “the jambu island/continent.” Jambu is the name used for a range of plum-like fruits from trees belonging to the genus Szygium, particularly Szygium jambos and Szygium cumini, and it has commonly been rendered “rose apple,” although “black plum” may be a less misleading term. Among various explanations given for the continent being so named, one (in the Abhidharmakośa) is that a jambu tree grows in its northern mountains beside Lake Anavatapta, mythically considered the source of the four great rivers of India, and that the continent is therefore named from the tree or the fruit. Jambudvīpa has the Vajrāsana at its center and is the only continent upon which buddhas attain awakening.

Name of a princess in a story the Buddha tells.

Name of a past king, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

One of the first Buddhist monasteries, located in a park outside Śrāvastī, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kośala in northern India. This park was originally owned by Prince Jeta, hence the name Jetavana, meaning Jeta’s grove. The wealthy merchant Anāthapiṇḍada, wishing to offer it to the Buddha, sought to buy it from him, but the prince, not wishing to sell, said he would only do so if Anāthapiṇḍada covered the entire property with gold coins. Anāthapiṇḍada agreed, and managed to cover all of the park except the entrance, hence the name Anāthapiṇḍadasyārāmaḥ, meaning Anāthapiṇḍada’s park. The place is usually referred to in the sūtras as “Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park,” and according to the Saṃghabhedavastu the Buddha used Prince Jeta’s name in first place because that was Prince Jeta’s own unspoken wish while Anāthapiṇḍada was offering the park. Inspired by the occasion and the Buddha’s use of his name, Prince Jeta then offered the rest of the property and had an entrance gate built. The Buddha specifically instructed those who recite the sūtras to use Prince Jeta’s name in first place to commemorate the mutual effort of both benefactors. Anāthapiṇḍada built residences for the monks, to house them during the monsoon season, thus creating the first Buddhist monastery. It was one of the Buddha’s main residences, where he spent around nineteen rainy season retreats, and it was therefore the setting for many of the Buddha’s discourses and events. According to the travel accounts of Chinese monks, it was still in use as a Buddhist monastery in the early fifth century ᴄᴇ, but by the sixth century it had been reduced to ruins.

A king.

A brahmin; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a buddha.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

This name refers to two people in this text: (1) A captain; a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva. (2) A prince; a former incarnation of the buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

The buddha who preceded Buddha Śākyamuni.

Name of a buddha.

A buddha.

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

A king and sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A king; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A king; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

An ancient Indian kingdom located in present day Uttar Pradesh.

A buddha.

A god.

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

One of the cold hells.

An ancient measure of distance that has been defined variously, ranging from two to nine miles.

A bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Name of a buddha.

A buddha.

An ancient school of Indian philosophy whose doctrine, outlined primarily in the Bārhaspatya Sūtras, is characterized by atheism and a strict form of materialism; also known as the Cārvāka.

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

A captain; a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Name of a buddha.

A king.

A nāga king.

One of the closest disciples of the Buddha, known for his miraculous abilities.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

Name of a past king in a story the Buddha tells.

A king; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A god.

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

A nāga king.

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

A buddha.

A buddha.

Name of a buddha.

Same as Mahā­maudgalyāyana.

Name of a brahmin, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A king.

City where a buddha resides.

A nāga king.

A future buddha.

Name of a buddha.

A nāga king.

Thinking that one’s enemy has harmed, is harming, or will harm oneself; thinking that one’s enemy has harmed, is harming, or will harm one’s friend; and thinking that someone has helped, is helping, or will help one’s enemy.

A bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the buddha Dīpaṃkara.

A king.

A sage.

A bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A buddha.

A bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a buddha.

A bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

The third level of the Noble Ones when practicing the path of the hearers (bound to never be reborn).

Name of a god in a story the Buddha tells.

The second level of the Noble Ones when practicing the path of the hearers (bound to be born again no more than once).

A bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a buddha.

A buddha.

A bamboo stick given to monks, listing their ordination name as a means of identification.

A sage.

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Paltsek (eighth to early ninth century), from the village of Kawa north of Lhasa, was one of Tibet’s preeminent translators. He was one of the first seven Tibetans to be ordained by Śāntarakṣita and is counted as one of Guru Rinpoché’s twenty-five close disciples. In a famous verse by Ngok Lotsawa Loden Sherab, Kawa Paltsek is named along with Chokro Lui Gyaltsen and Zhang (or Nanam) Yeshé Dé as part of a group of translators whose skills were surpassed only by Vairotsana.He translated works from a wide variety of genres, including sūtra, śāstra, vinaya, and tantra, and was an author himself. Paltsek was also one of the most important editors of the early period, one of nine translators installed by Tri Songdetsen (r. 755–797/800) to supervise the translation of the Tripiṭaka and help catalog translated works for the first two of three imperial catalogs, the Denkarma (ldan kar ma) and the Samyé Chimpuma (bsam yas mchims phu ma). In the colophons of his works, he is often known as Paltsek Rakṣita (rak+Shi ta).Tibetan editor of this sūtra.

A gandharva who is employed by Śakra to serve the Buddha.

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a buddha.

A king; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A flesh-eating demon, or a demon who can possess the body of a human and cause various illnesses or insanity. They are often depicted as red-eyed, dark-skinned, bulging-eyed creatures, although they seem to be able to assume many shapes.

Name of a teacher in a story the Buddha tells; a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

This terms refers to all that is reasonable and can be expected to occur. Among the ten powers of a Buddha, the first is knowing what is tenable and untenable (Skt. sthānāsthāna, Tib. gnas dang gnas ma yin), i.e., the natural laws that govern the world in which we live.

Name of a past king in a story the Buddha tells.

A nāga king.

A king.

Usually refers to the five powers: faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and knowledge; although the same qualities as the five faculties, they are termed powers due to their greater strength. In some passages, there are two more powers: skillful means and devotion. In some cases, “powers” might refer to the ten powers of tathāgatas, q.v.

Name of a teacher in a story the Buddha tells.

A god.

Indian scholar and translator of the sūtra. He lived during the eighth century and came to Tibet on the invitation of King Trisong Detsen. He contributed to the translation of 77 Buddhist works from Sanskrit into Tibetan during his stay in Tibet.

A nāga king.

Prince who sold a piece of land in Śrāvastī to the householder Anāthapiṇḍada, who built a monastery there and offered it to the Buddha.

See “Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.”

A buddha.

A bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A king; former incarnation of the Buddha.

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a future buddha.

A monk and disciple of the Buddha. At least six different disciples in the canonical texts have this name (see n.­7), but the Pūrṇa in this text is likely to be the same Pūrṇa as in The Exemplary Tale of Pūrṇa (see i.­5).

The continent to the east.

A bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a past king in a story the Buddha tells, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A demon who is supposed to seize the sun and moon and thus cause eclipses.

A buddha.

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 gandharva, a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A sage.

A sage.

A nāga king.

A particular form of concentration practiced by some worthy ones, which has the potential for regressing back into cyclic existence.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A nāga king.

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a buddha.

One of the eight hot hells.

A sage.

A nāga king.

A king and sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

The name for our world system, the universe of a thousand million worlds, or trichiliocosm, in which the four-continent world is located. Each trichiliocosm is ruled by a god Brahmā; thus, in this context, he bears the title of Sahāṃpati, Lord of Sahā. The world system of Sahā, or Sahālokadhātu, is also described as the buddhafield of the Buddha Śākyamuni where he teaches the Dharma to beings. The name Sahā possibly derives from the Sanskrit √sah, “to bear, endure, or withstand.” It is often interpreted as alluding to the inhabitants of this world being able to endure the suffering they encounter. The Tibetan translation, mi mjed, follows along the same lines. It literally means “not painful,” in the sense that beings here are able to bear the suffering they experience.

The lord of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (trāyastriṃśa). Alternatively known as Indra, the deity that is called “lord of the gods” dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. The Tibetan translation brgya byin (meaning “one hundred sacrifices”) is based on an etymology that śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu, one who has performed a hundred sacrifices. Each world with a central Sumeru has a Śakra. Also known by other names such as Kauśika, Devendra, and Śacipati.

A king and sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Name of a prince in a story the Buddha tells; a former incarnation of the buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Name of an attendant to a former buddha in a story the Buddha tells.

One of the closest disciples of the Buddha, known for his pure discipline and, of the disciples, considered foremost in wisdom.

According to traditional accounts, the Kashmiri preceptor Sarvajñādeva was among the “one hundred” paṇḍitas invited by Trisong Detsen (r. 755–797/800) to assist with the translation of the Buddhist scriptures into Tibetan. Sarvajñādeva assisted in the translation of more than twenty-three works, including numerous sūtras and the first translations of Śāntideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra and Nāgārjuna’s Suhṛllekha. Much of this work was likely carried out in the first years of the ninth century and may have continued into the reign of Ralpachen (ral pa can), who ascended the throne in 815 and died in 838 or 841 ᴄᴇ.One of the editors of this sūtra.

A sage, former incarnation of the Buddha Dīpaṃkara.

A king; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A sage; former incarnation of the Buddha.

Mindfulness, discrimination, diligence, joy, pliability, absorption, and equanimity.

Seven possessions owned by any universal emperor: the precious wheel, jewel, queen, minister, elephant, horse, and general.

Name of a past king in a story the Buddha tells.

A king; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A divine being in the classical Hindu pantheon.

Remembrance of the Buddha, the Dharma, the Saṅgha, relinquishing, discipline, and the gods.

Divine sight, divine hearing, knowledge of the minds of others, remembrance of past lives, ability to perform miracles, and ability to destroy all mental defilements.

A god.

A former buddha.

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

An individual who attains a certain level of realization and liberation (different in some respects from those of an arhat and well short of those of a buddha) through understanding the nature of interdependent origination, without relying upon a spiritual guide.

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

The ability to disassociate oneself from external appearances based on attainment in concentration.

The ability to transform the four elements based on attainment in concentration.

During the life of the Buddha, Śrāvastī was the capital city of the powerful kingdom of Kośala, ruled by King Prasenajit, who became a follower and patron of the Buddha. It was also the hometown of Anāthapiṇḍada, the wealthy patron who first invited the Buddha there, and then offered him a park known as Jetavana, Prince Jeta’s Grove, which became one of the first Buddhist monasteries. The Buddha is said to have spent about twenty-five rainy seasons with his disciples in Śrāvastī, thus it is named as the setting of numerous events and teachings. It is located in present-day Uttar Pradesh in northern India.

Name of a king in a story the Buddha tells.

A monk; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A brahmin.

A bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A king.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A king.

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

A king, former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a future buddha.

Indian editor of the sūtra.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A buddha.

Someone (usually a bhikṣu) responsible for the building of a new monastery or temple, or for the repair of an existing one (Mahāvyutpatti 8735).

A sage; former incarnation of the Buddha.

A brahmin boy; former incarnation of the Buddha.

A nāga king.

A god.

Name of a nāga king.

A former life of the Buddha, who was a very good-looking person.

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A buddha.

The powers (sometimes also called strengths), unique to tathāgatas, of: (1) knowing what is possible and what is impossible (sthānāsthāna­jñāna­bala, gnas dang gnas ma yin pa mkhyen pa); (2) knowing the ripening of karma (karmavipāka­jñāna­bala, las kyi rnam smin mkhyen pa); (3) knowing the various inclinations (nānādhimukti­jñāna­bala, mos pa sna tshogs mkhyen pa); (4) knowing the various elements (nānādhātu­jñāna­bala, khams sna tshogs mkhyen pa); (5) knowing the supreme and lesser faculties (indriya­parāpara­jñāna­bala, dbang po mchog dang mchog ma yin pa mkhyen pa); (6) knowing the paths that lead to all destinations (sarvatra­gāminī­pratipaj­jñāna­bala, thams cad du ’gro ba’i lam mkhyen pa); (7) knowing the concentrations, liberations, absorptions, equilibriums, afflictions, purifications, and abidings (dhyāna­vimokṣa­samādhi­samāpatti­saṃkleśa­vyavadāna­vyutthāna­jñāna­bala, bsam gtan dang rnam thar dang ting ’dzin dang snyoms ’jug dang kun nas nyon mongs pa dang rnam par byang ba dang ldan ba thams cad mkhyen pa); (8) knowing the recollection of past existences (pūrva­nivāsānusmṛti­jñāna­bala, sngon gyi gnas rjes su dran pa mkhyen pa); (9) knowing death and rebirth (cyutyupapatti­jñāna­bala, ’chi ’pho ba dang skye ba mkhyen pa); and (10) knowing the exhaustion of the defilements (āsravakṣaya­jñāna­bala, zag pa zad pa mkhyen pa).

A nāga king.

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

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Relinquishing negative acts in the present and the future, and enhancing positive acts in the present and the future.

Three fetters to be abandoned on the path of seeing: the view of the transitory collection, viewing discipline as supreme, and harboring doubt.

A king.

Name of a nāga king.

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

Name of a buddha.

The city where the temple mentioned in this text is being built. Possibly to be identified with the southern city Śubhapāraṃgama in the Gaṇḍavyūha (see note i.­9).

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A “thrice thousandfold universe,” i.e., a billionfold universe, sometimes called a “third-order great chiliocosm” (tṛtīya­mahā­sāhasra­loka­dhātu), consisting of a billion worlds, i.e. a million chiliocosms (q.v.), or a thousand dichiliocosms (q.v.). Explained in 1.­264.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

According to abhidharma literature, and in this text covered in the passage 1.­276–1.­374 there are twenty-two faculties: eye, nose, ear, tongue, bodily sensations, mental, female, male, of life, pleasure, displeasure, happiness, unhappiness, equanimity, faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, insight, understanding all that has not been understood, full knowledge, and endowment with full knowledge.

Name of an ascetic in a story the Buddha tells.

A sage; former incarnation of the Buddha.

A sage; former incarnation of the Buddha.

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a past king, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A buddha.

Name of a nāga king.

Name of a sage, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of a buddha.

Name of a buddha.

The name of a world in the distant past in a story the Buddha tells.

A nāga king.

Name of a bodhisattva in a story Buddha tells.

A nāga king.

The northern continent of the four in ancient Indian cosmology.

A kingdom where the buddha named Voice Proclaiming the Cloud of Dharma dwelled.

Name of a brahmin, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

King and sage; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A nāga king.

Name of a king, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A buddha.

A god.

A bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A māra; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

Name of an asura king.

A brahmin; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A bodhisattva; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A king.

Name of a buddha.

A nāga king.

Name of a past king in a story the Buddha tells.

Name of a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Alternative name of the current eon, also known as the “Fortunate Eon.”

A king.

Name of a king, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

A buddha.

A buddha.

A captain; a former incarnation of the Buddha.

A buddha.

Name of a householder, a former incarnation of the Buddha while he was a practicing bodhisattva.

Name of a future buddha.

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

A king.

A class of semidivine beings said to dwell in the north, under the jurisdiction of the Great King Vaiśravaṇa, otherwise known as Kubera.

The sūtra’s Tibetan translator.