ཆུ་བོ་བཞི། | Glossary of Terms

This refers to the four torrents of cyclic existence, craving, ignorance, and wrong view.

Someone who has “crossed the four rivers” is awakened. The four rivers are (1) the river of desire, (2) the river of existence, (3) the river of beliefs, and (4) the river of ignorance.

The same as the four āsrava (“outflows” or “contaminants”), namely (1) sensual desire, (2) conditioned existence, (3) wrong views, and (4) ignorance; also refers to birth, old age, sickness, and death.

Birth, aging, sickness, and death.

The four rivers of existence, craving, ignorance, and wrong view.

Sensual desire, desire for cyclic existence, holding views, and ignorance.

The same as the four āsrava (“outflows” or “contaminants”), namely (1) sensual desire, (2) conditioned existence, (3) wrong views, and (4) ignorance; also refers to birth, old age, sickness, and death.

The four torrents, which are to be abandoned, comprise: (1) the torrent of ignorance (avidyā, ma rig pa), (2) the torrent of wrong view (dṛṣṭi, lta ba), (3) the torrent of rebirth (bhava, srid pa), and (4) the torrent of craving (tṛṣṇā, sred pa). See Nyima and Dorje 2001: p. 1075.

Either birth, old age, sickness, and death, or desire (’dod pa), existence (srid pa), ignorance (ma rig pa), and wrong views (log par lta ba).