མ་འདྲེས་པ་བཅྭ་བརྒྱད། | Glossary of Terms

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s behavior, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by other beings.

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s behavior, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by other beings.

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s behavior, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by other beings.

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s physical state, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by ordinary beings.

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s behavior, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by other beings.

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s behavior, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by other beings.

The eighteen characteristics of a fully realized being not shared by ordinary beings, namely that he never stumbles, never raises his voice, never loses mindfulness, and so forth.

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s physical state, realization, activity, and insight that are not shared by ordinary beings.

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s behavior, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by other beings.

See “eighteen unique qualities of a buddha.”

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s behavior, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by other beings. They are as follows: He never makes a mistake, he is never boisterous, he never forgets, his concentration never falters, he has no notion of distinctness, his equanimity is not due to lack of consideration, his will never falters, his energy never fails, his mindfulness never falters, he never abandons his concentration, his wisdom never decreases, his liberation never fails, all his physical actions are preceded and followed by wisdom, all his verbal actions are preceded and followed by wisdom, all his mental actions are preceded and followed by wisdom, his knowledge and vision perceive the past without any attachment or hindrance, his knowledge and vision perceive the future without any attachment or hindrance, and his knowledge and vision perceive the present without any attachment or hindrance.

There are eighteen such special qualities unique to a buddha. They are as follows: he never makes a mistake; he is never boisterous; he never forgets; his concentration never falters; he has no notion of distinctness; his equanimity is not due to lack of consideration; his motivation never falters; his endeavor never fails; his mindfulness never falters; he never abandons his concentration; his wisdom never decreases; his liberation never fails; all his physical actions are preceded and followed by wisdom; all his verbal actions are preceded and followed by wisdom; all his mental actions are preceded and followed by wisdom; his knowledge and vision perceive the past without any attachment or hindrance; his knowledge and vision perceive the future without any attachment or hindrance; and his knowledge and vision perceive the present without any attachment or hindrance.

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s physical state, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by ordinary beings.

This refers to eighteen properties/qualities that are unique to buddhas, “property” being one of the possible meanings of the term dharma.

See “eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha.”

See UT22084-031-002-257.

They are as follows: (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 wisdom (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 (jñāna); (15) all his mental actions are preceded and followed by wisdom (jñāna); (16) his wisdom (jñāna) and vision perceive the past without any attachment or hindrance; (17) his wisdom (jñāna) and vision perceive the future without any attachment or hindrance; and (18) his wisdom (jñāna) and vision perceive the present without any attachment or hindrance.

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s physical state, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by ordinary beings.

They are as follows: He never makes a mistake; he is never boisterous; he never forgets; his concentration never falters; he has no notion of diversity; his equanimity is not due to lack of consideration; his will never falters; his energy never fails; his mindfulness never falters; he never abandons his concentration; his wisdom never decreases; his liberation never fails; all his physical actions are preceded and followed by wisdom; all his verbal actions are preceded and followed by wisdom; all his mental actions are preceded and followed by wisdom; his knowledge and vision perceive the past without any attachment or hindrance; his knowledge and vision perceive the future without any attachment or hindrance; and his knowledge and vision perceive the present without any attachment or hindrance.

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s physical state, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by ordinary beings.

They are as follows: (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 (jñāna) and vision perceive the past without any attachment or hindrance; (17) his wisdom and vision perceive the future without any attachment or hindrance; and (18) his wisdom and vision perceive the present without any attachment or hindrance.

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s physical state, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by ordinary beings.

The list of eighteen unshared qualities in the Ananta­mukhapariśo­dhana­nirdeśa varies slightly from other canonical lists. Elsewhere, the first quality is that the buddhas are “consistent in their actions.” The list in the Ananta­mukhapariśo­dhana­nirdeśa also includes an additional member at position thirteen: “their liberated wisdom vision never wanes.” The eighteen are generally given as: (1) their actions are consistent; (2) their speech is not jarring; (3) they are not forgetful; (4) their state of cessation is not a state of indifference; (5) their perception is not discursive; (6) their minds are always composed; (7) their diligence never wanes; (8) their recollection never wanes; (9) their effort never wanes; (10) their meditative absorption never wanes; (11) their insight never wanes; (12) their liberation never wanes; (13) their physical actions are guided by wisdom and are in alignment with wisdom; (14) their verbal actions are guided by wisdom and are in alignment with wisdom; (15) their mental actions are guided by wisdom and are in alignment with wisdom; (16) their wisdom vision is unobstructed and unaffected by the past; (17) their wisdom vision is unobstructed and unaffected by the future; and (18) their wisdom vision is unobstructed and unaffected by the present.