མི་འཇིགས་པ་བཞི། | Glossary of Terms

The four fearlessnesses are proclaimed by the tathāgatas as: (1) “I claim to have attained completely awakened buddhahood”; (2) “I claim I am one whose contaminants have ceased”; (3) “I claim to have explained those phenomena that cause obstacles”; (4) “I claim to have shown the path that leads to realizing the emancipation of the noble and that will genuinely bring an end to suffering for those who make use of it.” The listing of the four fearlessnesses is translated and analyzed in Konow 1941: pp. 39–40, with reconstructed Sanskrit on pp. 106–7. A full explanation of the fearlessnesses can be found in the passage at UT22084-057-006-570–UT22084-057-006-611 in The Teaching on the Great Compassion of the Tathāgata (Tathāgata­mahā­karuṇā­nirdeśa, Toh 147), in which the four fearlessnesses are described as the eleventh to fourteenth of thirty-two actions of a tathāgata. See also Mahāvyutpatti 130–34 and the corresponding explanation in the Drajor Bamponyipa (sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa); Dayal 1932: pp. 20–21; and Sparham 2012 (IV): pp. 80–81. The four are generally known by other names, as in the Mahāvyutpatti: the first is the “fearlessness in the knowledge of all phenomena” (sarva­dharmābhisambodhi­vaiśāradya, chos thams cad mkhyen pa la mi ’jigs pa), which the Buddha achieves for his own benefit; the second is the “fearlessness in the knowledge of the cessation of all contaminants” (sarvāśrava­kṣaya­jñāna­vaiśāradya, zag pa zad pa thams cad mkhyen pa la mi ’jigs pa), which the Buddha achieves for his own benefit; the third is the “fearlessness to declare that phenomena that obstruct the path will not engender any further negative outcomes” (anantarāyika­dharmān­anyathātva­viniścita­vyākaraṇa­vaiśāradya, bar du gcod pa’i chos rnams gzhan du mi ’gyur bar nges pa’i lung bstan pa la mi ’jigs pa), which the Buddha achieves for others’ benefit; and the fourth is the “fearlessness that the path of renunciation through which all excellent attributes are to be obtained has been thus realized” (sarva­sampadadhigamāyanairāṇika­pratipattathātva­vaiśāradya, phun sum tshogs pa thams cad thob par ’gyur bar nges par ’byung ba’i lam de bzhin du gyur ba la mi ’jigs pa), which the Buddha achieves for others’ benefit.

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

The four types of fearlessness possessed by all buddhas: They have full confidence that (1) they are fully awakened; (2) they have removed all defilements; (3) they have taught about the obstacles to liberation; and (4) have shown the path to liberation.

The four types of fearlessness possessed by buddhas: They have full confidence that (1) they are fully awakened, (2) they have removed all defilements, (3) they have taught about the obstacles to liberation, and (4) they have shown the path to liberation.

The four fearlessnesses are the confidence to make the declaration, “I am a buddha”; the declaration that “greed and so on are obstacles to awakening”; the confidence to explain “bodhisattvas go forth on the paths of all-knowledge and so on”; and the declaration, “the outflows are extinguished.”

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

This refers to the four confidences or fearlessnesses of the Buddha: confidence in having attained realization, confidence in having attained elimination, confidence in teaching the Dharma, and confidence in teaching the path of aspiration to liberation.

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all defilements, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

Also called the four fearlessnesses or the four grounds of self-confidence of a buddha, these are fearlessness with respect to the assertion of (1) one’s complete and perfect extinguishment of all negativities for one’s own benefit (rang don du spang bya thams cad spangs ces dam bcas pa la ’jigs pa), (2) one’s complete and perfect accomplishment of knowledge for one’s own benefit (rang don du yon tan thams cad dang ldan zhes dam bcas pa la mi ’jigs pa), (3) revealing the paths of antidotes for the benefit of others (gzhan don du gnyen po’i lam ’di dag go zhes dam bcas pa la mi ’jigs pa), and (4) revealing the eliminations for the benefit of others (gzhan don du ’di rnams spang bya yin zhes dam bcas pa la mi ’jigs pa) (Rigzin 314).

The four types of fearlessness possessed by all buddhas: They have full confidence that (1) they are fully awakened; (2) they have removed all defilements; (3) they have taught about the obstacles to liberation; and (4) have shown the path to liberation.

Four confidences of a tathāgata in proclaiming that they have (1) completely awakened, (2) taught the obstacles to awakening, (3) shown the way to liberation, and (4) destroyed the fluxes.

The four confidences or fearlessnesses (as translated into Tibetan) of the Buddha: confidence in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

1. fearlessness in asserting one’s own perfect realization, 2. fearlessness in asserting one’s own perfect abandonment, 3. fearlessness in revealing the path to liberation, and 4. fearlessness in revealing hindrances on the path.

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

They are fearlessness in (1) declaring one’s perfect awakening, (2) declaring one’s perfect abandonment, (3) revealing the obstacles on the path, and (4) revealing the path to liberation.

See “four types of confidence of the Tathāgata.”

The fearlessness based on the four types of confidence: the confidence (1) of awakening, (2) of having destroyed the impurities, (3) of having identified the obstructions, and (4) of the correctness of the path.

Buddhas have no fear in proclaiming that they have achieved perfect buddhahood, exhausted defilements, teach the path of renunciation, and teach precisely what constitutes an obstacle to that path and realization.

The four kinds of assurance of a tathāgata are (1) assurance concerning complete awakening (abhisambodhivaiśāradya, thams cad mkhyen pa la mi ’jigs pa ); (2) assurance concerning the destruction of the impurities (āsravakṣayavaiśāradya, zag pa zad pa mkhyen pa la mi ’jigs pa); (3) assurance concerning harmful things (antarāyikadharmavaiśāradya, bar du gcod pa’i chos la mi ’jigs pa); and (4) assurance concerning the path that leads to emancipation (nairyāṇikapratipadvaiśāradya, thob par ’gyur bar nges par ’byung ba’i lam la mi ’jigs pa). See Rahula 2001, p. 230, in which they are called “perfect self-confidence.”

The Awakened One’s confidence in himself: (1) certainty in knowing all phenomena, (2) certainty in knowing that the defilements are completely exhausted, (3) certainty in predicting that past hinderances will not return, and (4) certainty in the path of renunciation that leads to the attainment of all perfections.

The fourfold fearlessness or the four assurances proclaimed by the tathāgatas: fearlessness in declaring that one has awakened, that one has ceased all illusions, that one has taught the obstacles to awakening, and that one has shown the way to liberation.

The Buddha’s four kinds of self-confidence in preaching the Dharma.