མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པ། | Glossary of Terms

A reference to six extraordinary powers gained through spiritual training: divine sight, divine hearing, knowledge of the minds of others, remembrance of past lives, the ability to perform miracles, and the ability to destroy all mental defilements.

The five supernatural abilities attained through realization and yogic accomplishment: divine sight, divine hearing, knowing how to manifest miracles, remembering previous lives, and knowing what is in the minds of others.

The superknowledges are listed as either five or six. The first five are divine sight, divine hearing, knowing how to manifest miracles, remembering previous lives, and knowing what is in the minds of others. A sixth, knowing that all defects have been eliminated, is often added. The first five are attained through concentration (Skt. dhyāna), and are sometimes described as worldly, as they can be attained to some extent by non-Buddhist yogis; while the sixth is supramundane and attained only by realization‍—by bodhisattvas, or according to some accounts, only by buddhas.

Supernatural abilities attained through realization and yogic accomplishment. The superknowledges are listed as either five or six. The first five are divine sight, divine hearing, the ability to perform miracles, remembrance of past lives, and knowledge of the minds of others. A sixth, knowing that all mental defilements have been eliminated, is often added. The first five are attained through concentration (Skt. dhyāna) and are sometimes described as worldly, as they can be attained to some extent by non-Buddhist yogis. The sixth is supramundane and attained only by realization‍—by bodhisattvas or, according to some accounts, only by buddhas. See “five superknowledges” and “six superknowledges.”

The higher cognitions are listed as either five or six. The first five are: divine sight, divine hearing, knowing how to manifest miracles, remembering previous lives, knowing what is in the minds of others. A sixth, knowing that all defects have been eliminated, is often added. The first five are attained through concentration (dhyāna), and are sometimes described as worldly, as they can be attained to some extent by non-Buddhist yogis; while the sixth is supramundane and attained only by realization‍—by bodhisattvas, or according to some accounts only by buddhas.

Most of the time this term refers to any of the five, sometimes six, superknowledges‍—the “divine eye,” “divine ear,” knowing the thoughts of others, knowing former lives, and the ability to produce miracles.

Extrasensory powers that come at higher levels of meditative cultivation. Usually said to number five (see “five superknowledges”).

See “five superknowledges.”

Supernormal cognitive powers possessed to different degrees by bodhisattvas and buddhas. The five superknowledges are clairvoyance, clairaudience, knowledge of others’ minds, miraculous abilities, and knowledge of past lives; a sixth, mentioned in some lists and possessed only by fully awakened buddhas, is knowlege of the exhaustion of outflows.

Supernormal cognitive powers possessed to different degrees by bodhisattvas and buddhas. The five superknowledges are clairvoyance, clairaudience, knowledge of others’ minds, miraculous abilities, and knowledge of past lives; a sixth, mentioned in some lists and possessed only by fully enlightened buddhas, is knowlege of the exhaustion of outflows.

Divine sight, divine hearing, knowing how to manifest miracles, remembering previous lives, knowing the minds of others, and knowing that all defects have been eliminated. Sometimes listed as five, without the sixth.

Special powers of which five, acquired through the meditative contemplations (dhyāna), are considered mundane (laukika) and can be attained to some extent by outsider yogis as well as Buddhist arhats and bodhisattvas; and a sixth‍—being acquired through a bodhisattva’s realization, or by buddhas alone according to some accounts‍—is supramundane (lokottara). The first five are: divine eye or vision (divyacakṣu), divine hearing (divyaśrotra), knowledge of others’ minds (paracittajñāna), knowledge of former (and future) lives (pūrva­[para]­nivāsānu­smṛti­jñāna), and knowledge of magical operations (ṛddhi­vidhi­jñāna). The sixth, supramundane one is knowledge of the exhaustion of defilements (āsravakṣaya­jñāna).

Traditionally listed as five: divine sight, divine hearing, the ability to know past and future lives, the ability to know the minds of others, and the ability to produce miracles.

Traditionally there are six modes of supernormal cognition or ability, namely, clairvoyance, clairaudience, knowledge of the minds of others, remembrance of past lives, the ability to perform miracles, and the knowledge of the destruction of all mental defilements. The first five are considered mundane or worldly and can be attained to some extent by non-Buddhist yogis as well as Buddhist arhats and bodhisattvas. The sixth is considered to be supramundane and can be attained only by Buddhist yogis.

The clairvoyances are listed as either five or six. The first five are the divine eye, divine ear, performance of miraculous power, recollection of past lives, and knowing others’ thoughts. A sixth, knowing that all outflows have been eliminated, is often added. The first five are attained through concentration (dhyāna) and are sometimes described as worldly, as they can be attained to some extent by non-Buddhist yogins, while the sixth is supramundane and attained only by realization‍.

There are usually five or six clairvoyances: divine sight, divine hearing, knowing how to manifest miracles, remembering previous lives, and knowing what is in the minds of others; the sixth, knowing that all defects have been eliminated, occurs only at the attainment of enlightenment.

The clairvoyances are listed as either five or six. The first five are the divine eye, divine ear, performance of miraculous power, recollection of past lives, and knowing others’ thoughts. A sixth, knowing that all outflows have been eliminated, is often added. The first five are attained through concentration (dhyāna) and are sometimes described as worldly, as they can be attained to some extent by non-Buddhist yogins, while the sixth is supramundane and attained only by realization‍.

A type of extrasensory perception gained through spiritual practice, in the Buddhist presentation consisting of five types: (1) miraculous abilities, (2) divine eye, (3) divine ear, (4) knowledge of others’ minds, and (5) recollection of past lives.

A type of extrasensory perception gained through spiritual practice, in the Buddhist presentation consisting of a list of five types: (1) miraculous abilities, (2) divine eye, (3) divine ear, (4) knowledge of others’ minds, and (5) recollection of past lives.

Supernormal cognitive powers possessed to different degrees by bodhisattvas and buddhas, they are listed as the five higher perceptions or the six higher perceptions.

The higher cognitions are usually listed as five or six. In this sūtra they are listed as five and ten. The five are clairvoyance, clairaudience, knowledge of the minds of others, remembrance of past lives, and the ability to perform miracles.

The higher cognitions are listed as either five or six. The first five are: clairvoyance (divine sight), divine hearing, knowing how to manifest miracles, remembering previous lives, knowing what is in the minds of others. A sixth, knowing that all defects have been eliminated, is often added. The first five are attained through dhyāna, and are sometimes described as worldly, as they can be attained to some extent by non-Buddhist yogis; while the sixth is supramundane and attained only by realization‍—by bodhisattvas, or according to some accounts only by buddhas.

There are six kinds of higher knowledge: divine sight, divine hearing, knowing how to manifest miracles, remembering previous lives, knowing what is in the minds of others, and knowing that all defects have been eliminated. Sometimes listed as five, without the sixth.

A category of extrasensory perception gained through spiritual practice, in the Buddhist presentation consisting of five types: miraculous abilities, divine eye, divine ear, knowledge of others’ minds, and recollection of past lives. A sixth, knowing that all defilements have been eliminated, is often added.

Traditionally listed as five: divine sight, divine hearing, the ability to know past and future lives, the ability to know the minds of others, and the ability to produce miracles.

A type of extrasensory perception gained through spiritual practice, in the Buddhist presentation consisting of a list of five types: (1) miraculous abilities, (2) divine eye, (3) divine ear, (4) knowledge of others’ minds, and (5) recollection of past lives.

There are five supernatural faculties resulting from meditative concentration: divine sight, divine hearing, knowing others’ minds, recollecting past lives, and the ability to perform miracles.

Six kinds of supernatural awareness resulting from meditative concentration.

The six modes of supernormal cognition or ability, namely, clairvoyance, clairaudience, knowledge of the minds of others, remembrance of past lives, the ability to perform miracles, and the knowledge of the destruction of all mental defilements. The first five are considered mundane or worldly and can be attained to some extent by non-Buddhist yogis as well as Buddhist arhats and bodhisattvas. The sixth is considered to be supramundane and can be attained only by Buddhist yogis.

There are five kinds of supernormal knowledge: divine sight, divine hearing, knowledge of others’ thoughts, remembrance of former lives, and magical power.

See “clairvoyances.”

Supernatural knowledge or powers, including the ability to remember past lives.

Supernatural powers of perception gained through spiritual practice. Their number and type can vary, but they are traditionally given as a set of five: (1) miraculous abilities, (2) clairvoyance, (3) clairaudience, (4) knowledge of others’ minds, and (5) recollection of past lives.

Special abilities or modes of cognition that arise from meditative realization. They are traditionally listed as five: divine sight, divine hearing, the ability to know past and future lives, the ability to know the minds of others, and the ability to produce miracles.

A type of extrasensory perception gained through spiritual practice. In the Buddhist presentation, this consists of five types: (1) miraculous abilities, (2) divine eye, (3) divine ear, (4) knowledge of others’ minds, and (5) recollection of past lives.

A type of cognition that is beyond the range of ordinary people, sometimes referring to a specific list of superknowledges.

Divine eye, divine ear, knowledge of others’ minds, recollection of past lives, and miracles.

Nāropa gives the following five supramundane knowledges: divine eye (Tib. lha’i mig), divine ear (Tib. lha’i rna ba), knowing the minds of others (Tib. gzhan gyi sems shes pa), recollecting the past lives of oneself and others (Tib. rang dang gzhan gyi sngon gyi gnas rjes su dran pa), and the miraculous power of being able to walk in the sky (Tib. nam mkha’ la ’gro ba’i rdzu ’phrul).