བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་སེམས། | Glossary of Terms

The intention to reach unsurpassed, completely perfect awakening (Skt. anuttara­samyak­saṃbodhi) in order to liberate all beings from suffering.

The intent at heart of the Great Vehicle, namely to obtain buddhahood in order to liberate all beings from suffering. In its relative aspect, it is both this aspiration and the practices towards buddhahood. In its absolute aspect, it is the realization of emptiness or the awakened mind itself.

The aspiration to attain awakening for the sake of all beings.

The intent at heart of the Great Vehicle, namely to obtain buddhahood in order to liberate all sentient beings from suffering. In it’s relative aspect, it is both this aspiration and the practices towards buddhahood. In it’s absolute aspect, it is the realization of emptiness or the awakened mind itself.

The aspiration of bodhisattvas to liberate all sentient beings from saṃsāra.

Refers to the aspiration for oneself and others to attain spiritual awakening in order to live a life of maximum benefit to all beings.

The intent at the heart of the Great Vehicle, namely to obtain buddhahood in order to liberate all sentient beings from suffering. In its relative aspect, it is both this aspiration and the practices toward buddhahood. In its absolute aspect, it is the realization of emptiness or the awakened mind itself.

The wish, resolve, and practice to attain complete awakening for the sake of all sentient beings.

The intent to obtain buddhahood to benefit all sentient beings; the practices intended toward buddhahood; the realization of emptiness.

The determination to attain unsurpassed, perfect awakening for the sake of all sentient beings.

The intent to obtain buddhahood to benefit all sentient beings; the practices toward buddhahood; the realization of emptiness.

The altruistic resolve to achieve complete and perfect Buddhahood for the sake of oneself and all sentient beings.

In Mahāyāna doctrine, bodhicitta refers to the resolve to attain awakening for the benefit of all beings and can also refer to the awakened mind itself.

Also translated as “thought of awakening.”

The aspiration to become a samyak­sambuddha, a buddha who liberates other beings.

Literally “the mind of awakening,” but more technically, one’s particular aspiration to become fully awakened for the specific purpose of liberating all sentient beings. This is the necessary and sufficient condition to be a bodhisattva.

The intent to obtain buddhahood to benefit all sentient beings; the practices towards buddhahood; the realization of emptiness.

Also translated here as “thought of awakening.”

In normative Mahāyāna doctrine, bodhicitta refers to the aspiration for awakening, in both its relative and absolute aspects. In tantric thought it frequently refers to semen in the context of its generation and manipulation in sexual yogic rites.

The aspiration of bodhisattvas to liberate all sentient beings.

The aspiration to realize bodhi (“awakening”) in order to liberate all beings from cyclic existence.

Literally “the mind of awakening,” but more technically a person’s aspiration to become fully awakened for the specific purpose of liberating all sentient beings. This is the necessary and sufficient condition to be a bodhisattva.

The resolve (citta) to reach awakening (bodhi). Often this includes the motivation to help all beings reach awakening.

Also translated here as “bodhicitta.”

In Mahāyāna Buddhism, this refers to the altruistic resolve to achieve complete and perfect buddhahood for the sake of oneself and all sentient beings.

In Mahāyāna doctrine, the Sanskrit bodhicitta refers to the aspiration of bodhisattvas to attain enlightenment for themselves and others.

This term has developed further meanings such as the ultimate bodhicitta of realizing emptiness, but in this sūtra it is used with its basic meaning.

Conventionally, this refers to a pure compassion; ultimately it refers to empty awareness. It can also refer to drops in completion stage practice.

The determination to attain unsurpassable, perfectly complete enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings.

The intention or the strong aspiration to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. Its two aspects on the relative level of truth are famously summarized in Śāntideva’s Bodhi­caryāvatāra (ch. 1, verses 15, 16): “15. Bodhichitta, the awakened mind, / Is known in brief to have two aspects: / First, aspiring, bodhichitta in intention; / Then active bodhichitta, practical engagement. 16. As corresponding to the wish to go / And then to setting out, / The wise should understand respectively / The difference that divides these two.” (tr. Padmakara Translation Group, The Way of the Bodhisattva, Boston: Shambala, 2011). On the level of absolute truth, mind of enlightenment means the realization of emptiness.

The determination to attain unsurpassable, truly complete awakening for the sake of all sentient beings.

The determination to attain unsurpassed, perfect awakening for the sake of all sentient beings.

“Spirit” is preferred to “mind” because the mind of enlightenment should rather be the mind of the Buddha, and to “thought” because a “thought of enlightenment” can easily be produced without the initiation of any sort of new resolve or awareness. “Will” also serves very well here.

The wish to attain awakening for the sake of all sentient beings; a luminous “seed” moving inside the channels; the Sanskrit and Tibetan terms are also used to denote semen.

The intention to reach unsurpassed, completely perfect awakening (Skt. anuttara­samyak­sambodhi) in order to liberate all beings from suffering.

In normative Mahāyāna doctrine, bodhicitta refers to the awakened mind both in its relative and absolute aspects. In tantric thought it is frequently used as a code word for semen in the context of its generation and manipulation in sexual yogic rites.