• The Collection
  • The Kangyur
  • Discourses
  • General Sūtra Section

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https://read.84000.co/data/toh106_84000-unraveling-the-intent.pdf

དགོངས་པ་ངེས་འགྲེལ།

Unraveling the Intent
Chapter 8

Saṃdhi­nirmocana
འཕགས་པ་དགོངས་པ་ངེས་པར་འགྲེལ་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
’phags pa dgongs pa nges par ’grel pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra “Unraveling the Intent”
Āryasaṃdhinirmocana­nāmamahāyānasūtra
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Toh 106

Degé Kangyur, vol. 49 (mdo sde, ca), folios 1.b–55.b

Translated by the Buddhavacana Translation Group (Vienna)
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

First published 2020
Current version v 1.0.16 (2022)
Generated by 84000 Reading Room v2.17.7

84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha is a global non-profit initiative to translate all the Buddha’s words into modern languages, and to make them available to everyone.

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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· Setting and Summary
· The Context
· Main Points of the Subject Matter
+ 3 sections- 3 sections
· The Basis
· The Path
· The Result
· Source Text and Various Versions
· Translation Issues and Academic Research
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· 1. Identifying and organizing source texts 
· 2. Evaluating the available translations
· 3. Checking intertextual patterns and delineating the scope of primary sources
· 4. Collating academic research
· 5. Organizing academic resources according to the text structure and specific translation issues
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Translating the text
tr. The Translation
+ 10 chapters- 10 chapters
p. Prologue
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
ab. Abbreviations
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· Tibetan Sources
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Other Canonical Sources for Samdh.
· Other Sources
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

In Unraveling the Intent, the Buddha gives a systematic overview of his three great cycles of teachings, which he refers to in this text as the “three Dharma wheels” (tri­dharma­cakra). In the process of delineating the meaning of these doctrines, the Buddha unravels several difficult points regarding the ultimate and relative truths, the nature of reality, and the contemplative methods conducive to the attainment of complete and perfect awakening, and he also explains what his intent was when he imparted teachings belonging to each of the three Dharma wheels. In unambiguous terms, the third wheel is proclaimed to be of definitive meaning. Through a series of dialogues with hearers and bodhisattvas, the Buddha thus offers a complete and systematic teaching on the Great Vehicle, which he refers to here as the Single Vehicle.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

Translation by the Buddhavacana Translation Group.

The text was translated by Gregory Forgues and edited by Casey Kemp. With special thanks to Harunaga Isaacson, Matthew Kapstein, Klaus-Dieter Mathes, Jonathan Silk, Lambert Schmithausen, Tom Tillemans, and William Waldron for their helpful comments and advice.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.


ac.­2

The generous sponsorship of Qiang Li (李强) and Ya Wen (文雅), which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.


i.

Introduction

Setting and Summary

i.­1

In Unraveling the Intent, the Buddha gives a systematic overview of his three great cycles of teachings, which he refers to in this text as the “three Dharma wheels” (tri­dharma­cakra). In the process of delineating the meaning of these doctrines, the Buddha unravels several difficult points regarding the ultimate and relative truths, the nature of reality, and the contemplative methods conducive to the attainment of complete and perfect awakening, and he also explains what his intent was when he imparted teachings belonging to each of the three Dharma wheels. Through a series of dialogues with hearers and bodhisattvas, the Buddha thus offers a complete and systematic teaching on the Great Vehicle, which he refers to here as the Single Vehicle .

The Context

Main Points of the Subject Matter

The Basis

The Path

The Result

Source Text and Various Versions

Translation Issues and Academic Research

1. Identifying and organizing source texts 

2. Evaluating the available translations

3. Checking intertextual patterns and delineating the scope of primary sources

4. Collating academic research

5. Organizing academic resources according to the text structure and specific translation issues

Translating the text


The Translation
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra
Unraveling the Intent

p.

Prologue

[F.1.b]


Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!


p.­1

Thus have I heard at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in an unfathomable palace, built with the blazing seven precious substances,34 that emitted35 great light rays suffusing countless universes.36 Each of its rooms was well arranged and its design was infinite. It was the undivided maṇḍala, the domain transcending the three worlds. Arising from the supreme roots of virtue of the one who transcends the world,37 it was characterized by the perfectly pure cognition of the one who has achieved complete mastery.38 Abode of the Tathāgata where the assembly of innumerable bodhisattvas gathered, it was attended by countless gods, nāgas, [F.2.a] yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans. Supported by the great joy and bliss of savoring the Dharma and designed to accomplish the complete welfare of all beings, it was free of any harm caused by the stains of afflictions and clear of any demon. Surpassing all manifestations, this unfathomable palace was displayed by the sovereign power of the Tathāgata. Mindfulness, intelligence, and realization were its pathway;39 mental stillness and insight were the vehicle leading to it; the great gates of liberation‍—emptiness, appearancelessness, and wishlessness‍—were its entrance. It was set on foundations adorned with an infinite accumulation of excellent qualities, which were like great kings of jeweled lotuses.40


1.

Chapter 1

1.­1

At that time, the bodhisattva Vidhi­vatpari­pṛcchaka questioned the bodhisattva Gam­bhīrārtha­saṃdhi­nirmo­cana on the ultimate whose defining characteristic is inexpressible and nondual:53 “O son of the Victorious One, when it is said that all phenomena are nondual, what are these phenomena? In what way are they nondual?”

Gam­bhīrārtha­saṃdhi­nirmo­cana replied, “Noble son, all phenomena, what we refer to as all phenomena, are of just two kinds: conditioned and unconditioned. With respect to these, the conditioned is neither conditioned nor unconditioned. The unconditioned is neither unconditioned nor conditioned.”


2.

Chapter 2

2.­1

Then the bodhisattva Dharmodgata spoke these words: “Blessed One, very long ago in ancient times, beyond as many universes as there are grains of sand in seventy-seven Ganges rivers, I was residing in the world Kīrtimat of the tathāgata Viśālakīrti. There I saw 7,700,000 non-Buddhists, together with their teachers, who had gathered in one place to consider the ultimate defining characteristic of phenomena.65 [F.5.b] Although they had examined, analyzed, investigated, and considered in detail the ultimate defining characteristic of phenomena, they did not understand it. They had changing opinions, lacked certainty, and were slow-witted as well as argumentative. Insulting one another with harsh words, they became abusive, agitated, unprincipled, and violent. Then, Blessed One, I thought to myself, ‘This is so sad, and yet, how marvelous, how wonderful are the manifestations of the tathāgatas in the world and, through their manifestations, the realization and actualization of the ultimate whose defining characteristic is beyond all speculation!’ ”66


3.

Chapter 3

3.­1

Then the bodhisattva Su­viśuddha­mati addressed the Blessed One, “Blessed One, at an earlier time, you spoke these words: ‘The ultimate is subtle and profound. Characterized as transcending what is distinct or indistinct74 [from conditioned phenomena], it is difficult to understand.’ How wonderful indeed are these words of yours! Blessed One, regarding this point, I once saw many bodhisattvas who, having attained the stage of engagement through aspiration,75 assembled in one place to discuss in the following way whether conditioned phenomena and the ultimate are distinct or indistinct. Among them, some declared, ‘The defining characteristic of conditioned phenomena and the defining characteristic of the ultimate are indistinct.’76 Others replied, ‘It is not the case that the defining characteristic of conditioned phenomena and the defining characteristic of the ultimate are indistinct, for they are distinct indeed.’ [F.7.a] Some others, who were perplexed and lacked certainty, said, ‘Some pretend that the defining characteristic of conditioned phenomena and the defining characteristic of the ultimate are distinct. Some pretend that they are indistinct. Which bodhisattvas speak the truth? Which speak falsity? Which are mistaken? Which are not?’ Blessed One, I thought to myself, ‘So, none of these noble sons understands the ultimate whose subtle defining characteristic transcends whether it is distinct or indistinct from conditioned phenomena. These bodhisattvas are truly77 naive, confused, dull, unskilled, and mistaken.’ ”


4.

Chapter 4

4.­1

Then the Blessed One spoke these words to Subhūti: “Subhūti, do you know how many beings in the world90 display their knowledge91 under the influence of conceit? Do you know how many beings in the world display their knowledge without conceit?”

Subhūti answered, “Blessed One, according to my knowledge, there are only a few in the world of beings who present their knowledge without conceit, but countless, innumerable, and inexpressible in number are those who do so under its influence. Blessed One, at one time I was staying in a hermitage set in a great forest. There were many monks living in the vicinity who had also established themselves there. At sunrise, I saw them gather together. They showed their knowledge and revealed their understanding by taking various aspects of phenomena as referential objects.92


5.

Chapter 5

5.­1

Then, the bodhisattva Viśālamati asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, when bodhisattvas who are skilled in the secrets of mind, thought, and cognition are called ‘skilled in the secrets of mind, thought, and cognition,’ what does it mean?101 When they are designated in this way, what does it refer to?”

The Blessed One answered, “Viśālamati, you are asking this for the benefit and happiness of many beings, out of compassion for the world, and for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of all beings, including gods and humans. Your intention is excellent when questioning the Tathāgata on this specific point. Therefore, listen, Viśālamati. I will explain to you in which way bodhisattvas are skilled in the secrets of mind, thought, and cognition.


6.

Chapter 6

6.­1

Then, the bodhisattva Guṇākara asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, when bodhisattvas who are skilled in the defining characteristics of phenomena are called ‘skilled in the defining characteristics of phenomena,’ what does it mean? Moreover, when the Tathāgata designates them as such, what does it refer to?”

6.­2

The Blessed One replied to the bodhisattva Guṇākara, “Guṇākara, for the benefit and happiness of many beings, out of compassion for the world, for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of all beings, including gods and humans, you are asking this. Your intention is excellent when questioning the Tathāgata on this specific point. Therefore, listen, Guṇākara, I will explain to you in which way bodhisattvas are skilled in the defining characteristics of phenomena.


7.

Chapter 7

7.­1

At that time, the bodhisattva Para­mārtha­samud­gata asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, when I was alone in a secluded place, I had the following thought: ‘The Blessed One also spoke in many ways of the defining characteristic specific to the five aggregates, mentioning the defining characteristic of their arising, disintegration, abandonment, and comprehension.137 In the same way, he spoke of the twelve sense domains, dependent arising, and the four kinds of sustenance. The Blessed One also spoke in many ways of the defining characteristic of the four noble truths, mentioning the comprehension of suffering, the abandoning of the cause of suffering, the actualization of the cessation of suffering, and the practice of the path. The Blessed One also spoke in many ways of the defining characteristic specific to the eighteen constituents, mentioning their varieties, manifoldness, abandonment, and comprehension. The Blessed One also spoke in many ways of the defining characteristic specific to the four applications of mindfulness, mentioning their adverse factors, antidotes, practice, their arising from being non-arisen, their remaining after they arose, and their maintaining, resuming, or increasing. Similarly, he also spoke in many ways of the defining characteristic specific to the four correct self-restraints, the four bases of supernatural powers, the five faculties, the five forces, and the seven branches of awakening. [F.16.b] The Blessed One also spoke in many ways of the defining characteristic specific to the eight branches of the path, mentioning their adverse factors, antidotes, and practices, their arising from being non-arisen and remaining after they arose, and their maintaining, resuming, or increasing.’


8.

Chapter 8

8.­1

Then, the bodhisattva Maitreya asked a question to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, when bodhisattvas practice mental stillness and insight in the Great Vehicle, what is their support and basis?”

The Blessed One answered, “Maitreya, their support and basis are the discourses teaching Dharma and the constant aspiration to attain the unsurpassable, complete and perfect awakening.

8.­2

“The Blessed One taught that four things are the referential objects of mental stillness and insight: the image with conceptualization; the image without conceptualization; the point where phenomena end; and the accomplishment of the goal.”

“Blessed One, how many referential objects of mental stillness are there?”

“There is [only] one, namely, the image without conceptualization.”

“How many are the referential objects of insight?”

“There is only one, namely, the image with conceptualization.”

“How many are the referential objects of both combined?”

“There are two, namely, the point where phenomena end and the accomplishment of the goal.”

8.­3

“Blessed One, once bodhisattvas have taken as a support and basis these four things that are the referential objects of mental stillness and insight, how do they dedicate themselves to mental stillness? How do they become skilled in the practice of insight?”

“Maitreya, I have given to the bodhisattvas discourses teaching Dharma in the following twelve collections of teachings: sūtras, discourses in prose and verse, prophecies, poetic discourses, aphorisms, discourses for specific beings, narratives, parables, discourses on previous lives, extensive discourses, teachings on miracles, and instructions. [F.26.b] Once bodhisattvas have properly heard these explanations, once they have memorized them well, recited them, examined them, and understood them by means of discernment, they remain alone in seclusion and settle themselves in a state of inner absorption. Then, they direct their attention in that (1) they direct their attention toward the teachings they have properly contemplated176 and (2) continuously direct their attention inwardly toward the mind that is directing attention. As they repeatedly engage themselves in this way, their bodies and minds become flexible. The occurrence of this physical and mental flexibility is what is called mental stillness. This is how bodhisattvas dedicate themselves to mental stillness.

8.­4

“Once they have obtained177 this physical and mental flexibility, they settle in this very state and abandon some aspects of mind [corresponding to mental stillness].178 Then, they apply themselves to analyzing the image that is the object of their concentration according to the teachings they have properly contemplated. Differentiating, discerning, considering, and examining in this way the cognitive aspects of the image that is the object of their concentration, accepting and wishing to do so, and distinguishing, scrutinizing, and investigating [this discerning mind in the same way] is what is called [the practice of] insight. This is how bodhisattvas are skilled in insight.”

8.­5

“Blessed One, when bodhisattvas direct their attention inwardly toward the mind that takes the mind as its referential object but have not yet attained physical and mental flexibility, what do you call their practice of directing attention?”

“Maitreya, this is not yet mental stillness. So you should refer to it as a practice aspiring to mental stillness.”

“Blessed One, when bodhisattvas direct their attention toward the image that is the object of their concentration according to the teachings they have properly contemplated, but they have not yet attained physical and mental flexibility, what do you call their practice of [F.27.a] directing attention?”

“Maitreya, this is not yet insight. So you should refer to it as a practice aspiring to insight.”

8.­6

“Blessed One, should we refer to the path of mental stillness and the path of insight as being distinct or indistinct from one another?”

“Maitreya, we should refer to them as neither distinct nor indistinct. Why are they not distinct? Because mental stillness takes mind, which is the referential object of insight, as its object. Why are they not indistinct? Because insight takes a conceptual image as its referential object.”

8.­7

“Blessed One, what image do bodhisattvas focus on as their object of concentration? Should we consider it as distinct from mind or not?”179

“Maitreya, we must consider that it is not distinct from mind. Why? Because this image is merely a representation. Maitreya, I have explained that cognition is constituted180 by the mere representation that is the referential object [of this cognition].”181

“Blessed One, if this image that is the object of concentration is not distinct from the mind, how does this very mind investigate itself?”

“Maitreya, [ultimately] no phenomenon whatsoever investigates any phenomenon at all. However, the mind that arises as [if it were conscious of an object] appears as [if it were investigating itself]. Maitreya, it is like this: based on a form [in front of a mirror], you see that same form on the clear surface of this mirror and realize that you are seeing a reflection, an image in which this reflection and the form [it is based on] appear to be distinct objects. Likewise, the mind arising as [if it were conscious of an object] and what is called its image, the object of concentration, appear as if they were distinct objects.”182

8.­8

“Blessed One, should we say that mental images naturally present to beings, such as the appearance of material form and so forth, [F.27.b] are also not distinct from mind?”183

“Maitreya, we should say that they are not distinct. However, foolish beings with erroneous ideas do not understand just as it is that [mental] images are mere representations. As a consequence, their minds are mistaken.”

8.­9

“Blessed One, when do the bodhisattvas practice only insight?”

“Whenever they direct their attention184 toward mental appearances185 without interruption.”

“When do the bodhisattvas practice only mental stillness?”

“Whenever they direct their attention toward the unimpeded mind without interruption.”

“When do they combine both insight and mental stillness and unite them evenly?”

“Whenever they direct their attention toward the one-pointedness of mind.”

“Blessed One, what is a mental appearance?”

“Maitreya, this is the referential object of insight, the conceptual image that is the object of concentration.”

“What is the unimpeded mind?”

“Maitreya, it is the referential object of mental stillness, the mind that takes the image as an object.”

“What is one-pointedness of mind?”

“[One-pointedness of mind is] realizing in regard to the image that is the object of concentration, ‘This is merely a representation,’ and, on realizing that, directing one’s attention toward true reality.”186

8.­10

“Blessed One, how many kinds of insight are there?”

“Maitreya, there are three: insight arising from phenomenal appearance, insight arising from inquiry, and insight arising from awakening.”187

“What is insight arising from phenomenal appearance?”

“It is the insight in which attention is directed exclusively toward a conceptual image, the object of concentration.”

“What is insight arising from inquiry?”

“It is the insight in which attention is directed in order to perfectly understand whatever phenomena were not yet understood by means of wisdom.”188 [F.28.a]

“What is insight arising from awakening?”

“It is the insight in which attention is directed on whatever phenomena one perfectly understood by means of wisdom in order to attain the happiness of liberation.”

8.­11

“How many kinds of mental stillness are there?”

“There are three kinds of mental stillness corresponding to the unimpeded mind. Maitreya, it is also said to be of eight kinds: the first, second, third, and fourth meditative absorptions, the domain of the infinity of space, the domain of infinite cognition, the domain of nothingness, and the domain of neither conception nor lack of conception. It is also of four kinds: immeasurable loving-kindness, immeasurable compassion, immeasurable joy, and immeasurable equanimity.”

8.­12

“Blessed One, you have mentioned ‘mental stillness and insight that are established in Dharma’ and ‘mental stillness and insight that are not established in Dharma.’ What do these terms mean?”

“Maitreya, the mental stillness and insight that are established in Dharma are the mental stillness and insight whose object is in agreement with phenomenal appearance as presented in the teachings that bodhisattvas have understood and contemplated.

“You should know that the mental stillness and insight that are not established in Dharma are the mental stillness and insight whose object, being unrelated to the teachings that bodhisattvas have understood and contemplated, is based on other instructions or precepts, such as taking as referential objects putrefying or festering corpses as well as any other similar objects, the impermanence of all conditioned phenomena, the suffering [inherent to all conditioned phenomena], the selflessness of all phenomena, and nirvāṇa as the state of peace.189

“Maitreya, regarding this, I consider those bodhisattvas who follow the teaching based on the mental stillness and insight established in Dharma to possess sharp faculties. As for those faithfully following the teaching based on the mental stillness and insight that are not established in Dharma, I consider them to possess inferior faculties.” [F.28.b]

8.­13

“Blessed One, you also mentioned ‘the mental stillness and insight with a specific190 teaching as a referential object’ and ‘the mental stillness and insight with a universal teaching as a referential object.’ What do these terms mean?”

“Maitreya, suppose that bodhisattvas practice the mental stillness and insight that take as a referential object an individual teaching, such as a specific discourse, among all the teachings they have understood and contemplated. This is called mental stillness and insight with a specific teaching as a referential object.

Now, suppose that bodhisattvas unify, condense, subsume, or gather teachings from various discourses into a single one, thinking that all these teachings converge toward true reality, lean toward true reality, and tend toward true reality; converge toward awakening, lean toward awakening, and tend toward awakening; converge toward nirvāṇa, lean toward nirvāṇa, and tend toward nirvāṇa; and converge toward a shift in one’s basis of existence,191 lean toward a shift in one’s basis of existence, and tend toward a shift in one’s basis of existence. Thinking that all these teachings actually refer to the immeasurable and infinite virtuous truth,192 they direct their attention [toward their referential object]. This is [called] mental stillness and insight with a universal teaching as a referential object.”

8.­14

“Blessed One, you also mentioned mental stillness and insight ‘with a fairly universal teaching as a referential object,’ ‘with a highly universal teaching as a referential object,’ and ‘with an infinitely universal teaching as a referential object.’ What do these terms mean?”

“Maitreya, suppose the bodhisattvas gather together [the meaning of] each of the twelve collections of my teaching, from the sūtras up to the extensive discourses, the teachings on miracles, and the instructions. [F.29.a] Having done so, they direct their attention toward this referential object. This should be known as the mental stillness and insight with a fairly universal teaching as a referential object.

When the bodhisattvas gather together193 all the teachings or discourses they have understood and contemplated and then direct their attention onto this referential object, this should be known as the mental stillness and insight with a highly universal teaching as a referential object.

“When the bodhisattvas gather together the teachings imparted by the tathāgatas that refer to the infinite truth,194 the infinite words and letters expressing it, and the ever-increasing infinite wisdom and eloquence of the tathāgatas and then direct their attention toward this referential object, this should be known as the mental stillness and insight with an infinitely universal teaching as a referential object.”

8.­15

“Blessed One, how do bodhisattvas obtain mental stillness and insight with a universal teaching as a referential object?”

“Maitreya, you should know that they obtain them through five causes: (1) At the time of directing their attention, they destroy all supports of corruption in every moment. (2) After giving up the variety of conditioned phenomena, they rejoice in the joy of Dharma. (3) They perfectly know the immeasurable and unceasing brilliance of Dharma in the ten directions. (4) They bring together, without conceptualizing them, the phenomenal appearances that are imbued with the accomplishment of the goal and in harmony with the element conducive to purification. (5) In order to attain, perfect, and accomplish the truth body, they seize the most supreme and auspicious cause.”

8.­16

“Blessed One, how should we know at which point the bodhisattvas cognize and obtain the mental stillness and the insight that have a universal teaching as a referential object?”

“Maitreya, you should know that they cognize them on the first bodhisattva stage, Utmost Joy, and obtain them on the third stage, Illuminating. Maitreya, in spite of this, even beginners among bodhisattvas should not abstain from training in them and directing their attention toward their referential object.”

8.­17

“Blessed One, in what way do mental stillness and insight become a concentration associated with mental engagement195 and investigation? [F.29.b] In what way do they become a concentration not with mental engagement but with investigation only? In what way do they become a concentration without either mental engagement or investigation?”

“Maitreya, when mental stillness and insight attend to experiences of the manifest and coarse196 phenomenal appearances mentioned in the teachings the bodhisattvas have understood, investigated, and examined, this is the concentration associated with mental engagement and investigation.

“When mental stillness and insight do not consist in attending the experiences corresponding to the manifest and coarse phenomenal appearances mentioned in their teachings but consist in being merely mindful of appearances, namely, in attending the experience of subtle phenomenal appearances,197 this is a concentration not with mental engagement but with investigation only.

“When mental stillness and insight consist in practicing by directing one’s attention toward the experience of the effortless Dharma with regard to each and every phenomenal appearance mentioned in these teachings, this is a concentration without either mental engagement or investigation.

“Moreover, Maitreya, mental stillness and insight arising from inquiry consist in a concentration associated with mental engagement and investigation. The mental stillness and insight arising from awakening is a concentration not with mental engagement but with investigation only.198 The mental stillness and insight taking a universal teaching as its referential object consist in a concentration without either mental engagement or investigation.”

8.­18

“Blessed One, what is the cause of mental stillness? What is the cause of setting the mind? What is the cause of equanimity?”

“Maitreya, when one feels excited or feels one might become excited, one directs one’s attention toward phenomena that induce sorrow and the unimpeded mind.199 This is what is called the cause of mental stillness.

“Maitreya, when one feels drowsy or feels one might become drowsy, one directs one’s attention toward phenomena that induce joy and mental appearance.200 This is what is called the cause of setting the mind.

“Maitreya, whether one is devoted to mental stillness or insight only, [F.30.a] or practices them in union, when one applies one’s mind without being affected by these two secondary defilements,201 [namely agitation and drowsiness,] one directs one’s attention spontaneously. This is what is called the cause of equanimity.”

8.­19

“Blessed One, the bodhisattvas who practice mental stillness and insight possess the analytical knowledge of designations as well as the analytical knowledge of the objects of designation.202 In what way do they possess these analytical knowledges?”

“Maitreya, the analytical knowledge of designations comprises five points: names, phrases, letters, their individual apprehension, and their collective apprehension. What is a name? It is that which superimposes a so-called essential or distinctive characteristic on the phenomena conducive to affliction and purification for the sake of communication. What is a phrase? It is that which is based on a collection of those very names taken as its support and basis in order to designate objects of affliction and purification. What are letters? They are phonemes acting as the basis for both names and phrases. What is the analytical knowledge that apprehends them individually? It is the analytical knowledge resulting from directing one’s attention toward a specific referential object. What is the analytical knowledge that apprehends them collectively? It is the analytical knowledge resulting from directing one’s attention toward a general referential object. When all these five points are put together, this should be known as the analytical knowledge of designations. This is how bodhisattvas possess the analytical knowledge of designations.

8.­20

“Maitreya, the analytical knowledge of the objects of designation comprises ten points: the diversity of things and the nature of things;203 the apprehending subject and the apprehended object; the abodes and objects of enjoyment; wrong view and correct view; and the object conducive to affliction and the object conducive to purification. [F.30.b]

1. “Maitreya, all204 the various divisions of phenomena conducive to affliction and purification according to their aspects represent the diversity of things, namely, the fivefold enumeration of the aggregates, the sixfold enumeration of the internal sense domains, the sixfold enumeration of the external sense domains, and so on.

2. “Maitreya, the true reality of all these very phenomena conducive to affliction and purification is the nature of things itself. It has seven aspects:205 (i) the true reality of arising in the sense that all conditioned phenomena are without beginning and end; (ii) the true reality of defining characteristics in the sense that everything, person or phenomenon, is without a self; (iii) the true reality of representations in the sense that all conditioned phenomena are mere representations;206 (iv) the true reality of existence in the sense of the truth of suffering that I have taught; (v) the true reality of mistaken action207 in the sense of the truth of the origin of suffering that I have taught; (vi) the true reality of purification in the sense of the truth of cessation [of suffering] that I have taught; (vii) the true reality of correct action in the sense of the truth of the path that I have taught.

“Maitreya, on account of the true reality of arising, defining characteristics, and existence, all beings are similar and equal. Maitreya, on account of the true reality of defining characteristics and representations, all phenomena are similar and equal. Maitreya, on account of the true reality of purification, the awakening of the hearers, the awakening of the solitary realizers, and the unsurpassable, complete and perfect awakening are similar and equal. Maitreya, on account of the true reality of correct action, similar and equal too are the wisdoms encompassed by the mental stillness and insight that take as a referential object a universal teaching that has been heard, contemplated, and practiced.208 [F.31.a]

3. “Maitreya, the apprehending subject consists in the phenomena of the five physical sense domains, mind, thought, cognition, and mental states.

4. “Maitreya, the apprehended object consists in the six external sense domains. In addition, Maitreya, apprehending subjects are also apprehended objects.

5. “Maitreya, the objects corresponding to abodes are the worlds of beings, which manifest wherever there are beings: as one, one hundred, one thousand, or one hundred thousand villages; as one, one hundred, one thousand, or one hundred thousand continents; as one, one hundred, one thousand, or one hundred thousand great continents of Jambudvīpa; as one, one hundred, one thousand, or one hundred thousand times the four great continents; as one, one hundred, one thousand, or one hundred thousand universes of a thousand worlds; as one, one hundred, one thousand, or one hundred thousand bichiliocosms; as one, one hundred, one thousand, one hundred thousand, ten million, one billion, ten billion, one hundred billion, or ten trillion trichiliocosms; as one, one hundred, one thousand, one hundred thousand times an incalculable number of them; or as many as the number of atoms present in one hundred thousand times an incalculable number of trichiliocosms.

6. “Maitreya, I have taught that objects of enjoyment are the assets and belongings owned by beings for the sake of their enjoyment.

7. “Maitreya, a wrong view is a mistaken conception, thought, or view conceiving the impermanent as permanent, suffering as happiness, impurity as purity, or selflessness as self with regard to notions such as an apprehending subject. [F.31.b]

8. “Maitreya, a correct view, being the opposite of a wrong view, is its antidote.

9. “Maitreya, the object conducive to affliction is of three kinds: the object conducive to the affliction comprising the defilements of the three worlds, to the affliction of karma, and to the affliction of arising.

10. “Maitreya, the object conducive to purification consists of all that is in harmony with awakening on account of being free indeed from the three sorts of affliction.

“Maitreya, you should know that all objects of designation are included in these ten points.

8.­21

“Moreover, Maitreya, the analytical knowledge of these objects of designation comprises five items. What are they? They are the topics to be comprehended, the objects of designation to be comprehended, comprehension, the result of comprehension, and the communication of this result.

1. “Maitreya, the topics to be comprehended consist of anything that is knowable or perceptible, such as what is referred to as the aggregates, the internal and external sense domains, and so forth.

2. “Maitreya, the objects of designation to be comprehended consist of [all] cognitive objects, however diverse they appear and as they really are: the conventional and the ultimate; shortcomings and qualities; conditions and time; the defining characteristics of arising, abiding, and disintegrating; sickness, old age, and death; suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading to the cessation of suffering; true reality, the ultimate limit of existence, and the domain of truth; condensed and detailed teachings; categorical, analytical, interrogative, and dismissive answers; and secret instructions and proclamations. You should know that these are the objects of designation to be comprehended.

3. “Maitreya, comprehension is grasping both [F.32.a] the topics and the objects of designation to be comprehended, any factor that is in harmony with awakening, such as the applications of mindfulness, the correct self-restraints, and so forth.

4. “Maitreya, the result of comprehension consists of disciplining and completely eliminating desire, anger, and delusion, as well as in actualizing the results of the path of the recluse together with the virtuous qualities of the hearers and tathāgatas I have described as mundane and supramundane, ordinary and extraordinary.

5. “Maitreya, communicating this result consists in revealing what brings about liberation209 on the basis of210 the very teachings one has actualized, as well as in propagating these teaching for the sake of others.211

“Maitreya, you should know that all objects are subsumed within these five points.

8.­22

“Maitreya, the bodhisattvas’ analytical knowledge of the objects of designation includes four topics. What are they? They are mental appropriation, experience, affliction, and purification. Maitreya, you should know that all the objects of designation are also included within these four topics.

8.­23

“Maitreya, the bodhisattvas’ analytical knowledge of the objects of designation is also presented according to three topics. What are they? They are letters, meanings, and contexts.

1. “Maitreya, you should understand the letters as forming collections of names.

2. “Maitreya, meanings comprise ten aspects: the defining characteristic of true reality, the defining characteristic of comprehension, the defining characteristic of abandonment, the defining characteristic of realization, the defining characteristic of practice, the defining characteristic consisting of these very five defining characteristics, the defining characteristic of the relation between the support and the supported, [F.32.b] the defining characteristic of the phenomena undermining comprehension and so forth, the defining characteristic of the phenomena in harmony with comprehension, and the defining characteristic of the benefits and shortcomings resulting respectively from having comprehension or not.

3. “Maitreya, there are five contexts: the context of the surrounding universe, the context of beings, the context of Dharma, the context of discipline, and the context of methods of discipline.

“Maitreya, you should know that all objects of designation are also included within these three topics.”

8.­24

“Blessed One, what differences are made between the comprehension of the objects of designation that is produced by the wisdom arising from hearing the Dharma, the comprehension of the objects of designation that is produced by the wisdom arising from contemplating the Dharma, and the comprehension of the objects of designation that is produced by the wisdom arising from practicing mental stillness and insight?”

“Maitreya, through the wisdom arising from hearing the Dharma, the bodhisattvas rely on the literal meaning of words but not on their underlying intent, which they do not understand; although they are in harmony with liberation, their comprehension is [limited to] the objects of designation that do not liberate them.

“Maitreya, through the wisdom arising from contemplating the Dharma, the bodhisattvas do not rely exclusively on the literal meaning of words but also on the underlying intent, which they understand; although they are in great harmony with liberation, their comprehension is [still limited to] the objects of designation that do not liberate them.

“Maitreya, through the wisdom arising from practicing mental stillness and insight, the bodhisattvas, relying on the literal meaning of words or not, rely on the underlying intent, which they understand by means of an image, an object of concentration corresponding to a cognitive object; they are in great harmony with liberation, and their comprehension includes the objects of designation that liberate them. Maitreya, such is the difference between them.” [F.33.a]

8.­25

“Blessed One, what is the gnosis212 of the bodhisattvas who practice mental stillness and insight and who comprehend designations as well as objects of designation? What is their perception?”

“Maitreya, I have explained their gnosis213 and perception in many ways, but I will give you a concise explanation. Gnosis consists in the mental stillness and insight that take a universal teaching as a referential object. Perception consists in the mental stillness and insight that take a specific teaching as a referential object.”

8.­26

“Blessed One, as bodhisattvas practice mental stillness and insight, which kinds of phenomenal appearance do they discard? How do they direct their attention to achieve this?”

“Maitreya, they discard the phenomenal appearance of designations and objects of designation by directing their attention on true reality. They discard names by not taking the essence of names as a referential object and by not paying attention to the phenomenal appearance that constitutes their basis. You should know that just as it is with names, so it is also with words, letters, and all objects of designation. Maitreya, they discard letters, meanings, and contexts by not taking their essence as a referential object and by not paying attention to the phenomenal appearance that constitutes their basis.”214

8.­27

“Blessed One, is phenomenal appearance also discarded with regard to the analytical knowledge of the object of designation corresponding to true reality?”

“Maitreya, if the analytical knowledge of the object of designation corresponding to true reality does not have a phenomenal appearance and does not take a phenomenal appearance as its referential object, then what would be discarded in that case? Maitreya, the analytical knowledge of the object of designation corresponding to true reality disposes of all the phenomenal appearances of designations and objects of designation. But I did not teach that anything at all could dispose of this analytical knowledge.”

8.­28

“Blessed One, you have explained by way of analogy that it is impossible to discern one’s own appearance215 in a container filled with muddy water, a dirty mirror, or an agitated pond surface, [F.33.b] but that it is possible in a container filled with clear water, a well-polished mirror, or a quiet pond. You have explained that, likewise, the mind of those who do not practice cannot know true reality exactly as it is, whereas the mind of those who do practice can indeed. In reference to this statement, what is this mental inspection?216 What true reality do you have in mind here, and what is the meaning of this statement?”

“Maitreya, I spoke those words in reference to the three kinds of mental inspection: the mental inspection arising from hearing the Dharma, the mental inspection arising from contemplating the Dharma, and the mental inspection arising from practicing the Dharma. I taught this having in mind the true reality of representations.”217

8.­29

“Blessed One, how many kinds of phenomenal appearances did you teach to the bodhisattvas who possess the analytical knowledge of designations and objects of designation and who engage in eliminating phenomenal appearances?”

“Maitreya, there are ten kinds of phenomenal appearances, and these bodhisattvas eliminate them by means of emptiness. What are these ten?

1. “The diverse phenomenal appearances in the way of words and letters through which designations and objects of designation are analytically known‍—these phenomenal appearances are eliminated by means of the emptiness of all phenomena.218

2. “The phenomenal appearances corresponding to a continuum of arisings and cessations or abidings and transformations through which the object designated as the true reality of existence is analytically known‍—these phenomenal appearances are eliminated by means of the emptiness of defining characteristic and by the emptiness of what is without beginning and end.

3. “The phenomenal appearances resulting from the belief in a perduring self or the thought, ‘I am,’ through which the object designated as the apprehending subject is analytically known‍—these phenomenal appearances are eliminated by means of the emptiness of the inner subject and the emptiness of what is not taken as a referential object.219

4. “The phenomenal appearances resulting from the belief in objects of enjoyment through which the object designated as the apprehended object is analytically known‍—these phenomenal appearances are eliminated by means of the emptiness of the outer object.220

5. “The phenomenal appearances of pleasure within the inner subject and of beauty regarding the outer object through which courtesans221 and possessions are analytically known as objects of enjoyment‍—these phenomenal appearances are eliminated by means of the emptiness of the outer object and the emptiness of essence. [F.34.a]

6. “The innumerable phenomenal appearances through which objects of designation corresponding to states of existence are analytically known‍—these phenomenal appearances are eliminated by means of the great emptiness.

7. “With formlessness as a support, the phenomenal appearances of the liberation brought about by inner peace are analytically known‍—these phenomenal appearances are eliminated by means of the emptiness of conditioned phenomena.

8. “The phenomenal appearance of the selflessness of persons and phenomena, the phenomenal appearance of what is merely a representation, and the phenomenal appearance of the ultimate through which the object of designation corresponding to the true reality of defining characteristics is analytically known‍—these phenomenal appearances are eliminated by means of the emptiness of the limitless, the emptiness of the substanceless, the emptiness of essence of the substanceless, and the emptiness of the ultimate.

9. “The phenomenal appearances of what is unconditioned and changeless through which the object of designation corresponding to the true reality leading to purification222 is analytically known‍—these phenomenal appearances are eliminated by means of the emptiness of the unconditioned and the emptiness devoid of rejection.

10. “The phenomenal appearances of emptiness resulting from directing one’s attention toward this very emptiness as an antidote to phenomenal appearances are eliminated by means of the emptiness of emptiness.”

8.­30

“Blessed One, when bodhisattvas eliminate these ten kinds of phenomenal appearances, which phenomenal appearances do they eliminate and from which binding phenomenal appearances will they be free?”

“Maitreya, by eliminating the object of concentration, the phenomenal appearance corresponding to an image,223 bodhisattvas will be free from phenomenal appearances consisting in the phenomenal appearances of affliction, which they will also eliminate.

“Maitreya, you should know that these various kinds of emptiness are the direct antidotes to these various kinds of phenomenal appearance. But it is not the case that each of them is not an antidote to all phenomenal appearances. Maitreya, it is like this: ignorance does not [directly] bring about all afflictions up to old age and death [with regard to the twelve factors of conditioned existence]. Yet, because it is indeed the closely or very closely related condition [for their arising, it does bring them about indirectly]. This is why it is taught that ignorance directly brings about conditioning mental factors. You should consider the present topic in the same way. [F.34.b]

8.­31

“Blessed One, what is it that bodhisattvas realize in the context of the Great Vehicle? What is then inherent to the defining characteristic of emptiness that causes bodhisattvas to not deviate from it because of pride?”

Then, the Blessed One said, “Excellent, Maitreya. You question the Tathāgata on this point so that bodhisattvas will not deviate from emptiness. This is excellent indeed. Why? Because, Maitreya, bodhisattvas who deviate from emptiness will also deviate from the entire Great Vehicle. Therefore, listen well, Maitreya, and I will explain to you what is inherent to the defining characteristic of emptiness.

“Maitreya, emptiness as taught in the Great Vehicle means that the other-dependent and actual defining characteristics are completely devoid of the imaginary defining characteristic of affliction and purification and that bodhisattvas do not take this imaginary defining characteristic as a referential object.”224

8.­32

“Blessed One, how many types of concentration are included within mental stillness and insight?”

“Maitreya, you should know that they include all the types of concentration of the hearers, bodhisattvas, and tathāgatas that I have taught.”

“Blessed One, from which causes do mental stillness and insight arise?”

“Maitreya, they arise from a pure discipline and a pure view resulting from hearing and contemplating [the Dharma] as their causes.”

“Blessed One, please explain what their results are.”

“Maitreya, a pure mind and a pure wisdom are their results. You should know that all mundane and supramundane virtuous qualities of the hearers, the bodhisattvas, and the tathāgatas are also their results.” [F.35.a]

“Blessed One, what is the activity of mental stillness and insight?”

“Maitreya, they liberate one from the two kinds of bonds: the bonds of phenomenal appearance and the bonds of corruption.”

8.­33

“Blessed One, among the five obstacles mentioned by the Blessed One, which are obstacles to mental stillness, which are obstacles to insight, and which are obstacles to both?”

“Maitreya, caring225 about the body and objects of enjoyment is an obstacle to mental stillness. Not obtaining instructions from noble beings as desired is an obstacle to insight. Living in a state of confusion and being content with bare necessities are obstacles to both.226 On account of the first of these, one will not exert oneself. On account of the second, one will not exert oneself through to the completion of practice.”

“Blessed One, among the five obstructions mentioned by the Blessed One, which are obstructions to mental stillness, which are obstructions to insight, and which are obstructions to both?”

“Maitreya, agitation and remorse are obstructions to mental stillness. Laziness, lethargy, and doubts are obstructions to insight. Craving for desired objects and malicious thoughts are obstructions to both.”

“Blessed One, when is the path of mental stillness purified?”

“At the time when agitation and remorse have been conquered.”

“Blessed One, when is the path of insight purified?”

“At the time when laziness, lethargy, and doubts have been conquered.”227

8.­34

“Blessed One, how many kinds of mental distractions will bodhisattvas engaged in mental stillness and insight experience?”

“Maitreya, they will experience five kinds of mental distractions: the mental distraction with regard to the way one directs one’s attention, the mental distraction with regard to outer objects, the mental distraction with regard to the inner subject, the mental distraction produced by phenomenal appearances, [F.35.b] and the mental distraction resulting from corruption.

1. “Maitreya, if bodhisattvas forsake the way attention is directed in the Great Vehicle228 and fall into the way hearers and solitary realizers direct their attention, then this is mental distraction regarding the way one directs one’s attention.

2. “If bodhisattvas let their minds wander among the five external objects of desire, entertainments, phenomenal appearances, conceptualizations, defilements, secondary defilements, and external referential objects, then this is mental distraction with regard to outer objects.

3. “If bodhisattvas sink into laziness and lethargy, experience the taste of absorption, or become stained by any secondary defilement related to absorption, then this is mental distraction with regard to the inner subject.

4. “If bodhisattvas direct their attention toward the phenomenal appearance that is the inner subject’s object of concentration by relying upon the phenomenal appearances of outer objects, then this is mental distraction produced by phenomenal appearances.

5. “If bodhisattvas become conceited by identifying themselves with the body afflicted by corruption with regard to sensations arising in the course of directing the inner subject’s attention, this is mental distraction ensuing from corruption.”

8.­35

“Blessed One, for which obstacles do mental stillness and insight serve as antidotes from the first stage of the bodhisattva path up to the stage of a tathāgata?”

1. “Maitreya, on the first stage, mental stillness and insight are antidotes to the defilement of bad destinies as well as to the affliction of karma and birth.

2. “On the second stage, they are antidotes to the arising of confusion resulting from subtle transgressions.

3. “On the third stage, they are antidotes to attachment for desirous objects.

4. “On the fourth stage, they are antidotes to craving for absorption and Dharma.

5. “On the fifth stage, they are antidotes to the exclusive rejection of saṃsāra and exclusive inclination toward nirvāṇa.

6. ‘On the sixth stage, they are antidotes to the abundant arising of phenomenal appearances.

7. “On the seventh stage, they are antidotes to the subtle arising of phenomenal appearances.

8. “On the eighth, they are antidotes to exerting oneself toward what is without phenomenal appearance as well as to not having mastery over phenomenal appearances.

9. On the ninth, they are antidotes to not having mastery in teaching the Dharma in every aspect. [F.36.a]

10. “On the tenth, they are antidotes to not having obtained the perfect analytical knowledge of the truth body.

11. “Maitreya, on the stage of a tathāgata, mental stillness and insight are antidotes to the extremely subtle defiling obstructions and the even more subtle cognitive obstructions.229 By fully eliminating these obstructions, one abides within the truth body that has been completely purified. As a consequence, one obtains the realization of the object corresponding to the accomplishment of the goal‍—the gnosis and vision that are utterly free from attachment and hindrance.”230

8.­36

“Blessed One, in what way do bodhisattvas obtain mental stillness and insight, so that they will attain the unsurpassable complete and perfect awakening?”231

“Maitreya, once bodhisattvas have obtained mental stillness and insight, they consider the seven aspects of true reality.232 With their minds concentrated on the doctrine that has been heard and contemplated, they direct their attention inwardly toward the true reality that has been well233 understood, contemplated, and focused upon. As they direct their attention in this way on true reality, their minds then remain in complete equanimity234 toward each and every subtle phenomenal appearance that manifests, not to mention coarse ones.

“Maitreya, these subtle phenomenal appearances include the phenomenal appearances appropriated by mind; the phenomenal appearances of experiences, representations, affliction, and purification; the internal or external phenomenal appearances and those that are both internal and external; the phenomenal appearances related to the notion that one must act for the benefit of all beings; the phenomenal appearances of knowledge and suchness; the phenomenal appearances of the four noble truths of suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path;235 the phenomenal appearances of the conditioned, the unconditioned, the permanent, the impermanent, and the nature inherent to what is subject to suffering and change [F.36.b] or what is not subject to change; the phenomenal appearance distinct or indistinct from the defining characteristic specific to the conditioned; the phenomenal appearance of everything as a result of having the notion of ‘everything’ in reference to anything; and the phenomenal appearance of the selflessness of the person and of phenomena. The bodhisattva’s mind remains in complete equanimity toward all these phenomenal appearances as they manifest.

“Continually practicing in this way, they will in due time purify their minds from obstacles, obstructions, and distractions. In the course of this practice, the seven aspects of the cognition that is personal and intuitive, the gnosis236 that is the awakening237 to the seven aspects of true reality, will arise. Such is the bodhisattvas’ path of seeing. By obtaining it, bodhisattvas have entered the faultless state of truth,238 are born into the lineage of tathāgatas, and, upon obtaining the first stage, enjoy all the advantages of this stage. Because they have already obtained mental stillness and insight, they have attained their two referential objects: the image with conceptualization and the image without conceptualization. Thus, having obtained the path of seeing, they attain the point where phenomena end.239

“In the higher stages, they enter the path of practice and direct their attention toward their threefold referential object.240 It is like this: in the way one uses a smaller wedge to pull out a larger one and thus drives out a wedge by means of a wedge, they eliminate all phenomenal appearances related to affliction by eliminating internal phenomenal appearances. When they eliminate them, they also eliminate corruption. By getting rid of phenomenal appearance and corruption, they gradually purify their minds in the higher stages in the way gold is refined. They will attain the unsurpassable, complete and perfect awakening and also obtain the realization of the object corresponding to the accomplishment of the goal.241 Thus, Maitreya, [F.37.a] once bodhisattvas have achieved mental stillness and insight in this way, they will attain the unsurpassable, complete and perfect awakening.”

8.­37

“How do bodhisattvas practice so that they accomplish the great powers of a bodhisattva?”

“Maitreya, the bodhisattvas who are skillful with regard to these six topics accomplish the great powers of a bodhisattva: (1) the arising of the mind, (2) the underlying condition of the mind, (3) the emergence from the mind, (4) the increase of the mind, (5) the decrease of the mind, (6) and skillful means.

1. “How are they skillful with regard to the arising of the mind? They are skillful with regard to the arising of the mind as it is if they know the sixteen ways in which mind arises:242 (i) the representation that is a support and receptacle, for example, the appropriating cognition;243 (ii) the representation that is a variegated image of a referential object, for example, the mental cognition of conceptualizations that simultaneously apprehends forms and so on, or that simultaneously apprehends outer and inner objects, or that in a single instant simultaneously settles in several states of concentration, perceives numerous buddha fields, or sees many tathāgatas‍—being nothing but the mental cognition of conceptualizations; (iii) the representation taking limited phenomenal appearances as its object, for example, the mind related to the [realm of] desire; (iv) the representation taking vast phenomenal appearances as its object, for example, the mind related to the [realm of] form; (v) the representation taking immeasurable phenomenal appearances as its object, for example, the mind related to the domain of limitless space and limitless cognition; (vi) the representation taking subtle phenomenal appearances as its object, for example, the mind related to the domain of nothingness; (vii) the representation taking ultimate phenomenal appearances as its object, for example, the mind related to the domain of neither conception nor lack of conception; (viii) the representation that does not have phenomenal appearance [as its object], for example, the supramundane mind and the mind having cessation as its object; [F.37.b] (ix) the representation involving suffering, for example, the mind of hell beings; (x) the representation involving mixed sensations, for example, the mind experienced in the [realm of] desire; (xi) the representation involving joy, for example, the mind belonging to the first and second meditative absorptions; (xii) the representation involving bliss, for example, the mind belonging to the third meditative absorption; (xiii) the representation involving neither suffering nor bliss, for example, the mind belonging to the fourth meditative absorption up to the domain of neither conception nor lack of conception; (xiv) the representation involving defilements, for example, the mind associated with defilements and secondary defilements; (xv) the representation involving virtue, for example, the mind associated with faith and so on; and (xvi) the neutral representation, for example, the mind that is not associated with either defilement or virtue.

2. “How are they skillful with regard to the underlying condition of the mind? They are skillful when they cognize the true reality of representations as it truly is.244

3. “How are they skillful with regard to the emergence from the mind? They are skillful when they cognize the as they truly are the two bonds, namely, the bonds of phenomenal appearance and corruption.

4. “How are they skillful with regard to the increase of the mind? They are skillful when they cognize as such the arising and increase of the mind at the moment when the mind that is the antidote to phenomenal appearance and corruption arises and increases.

5. “How are they skillful with regard to the decrease of the mind? They are skillful when they cognize as such the decrease and decline of the mind at the moment when the mind afflicted by the adverse factors of phenomenal appearance and corruption decreases and declines.

6. “How are they skilled in terms of means? They are skillful when they practice the eight liberations, the eight domains of mastery, and the ten domains of totality.

“Maitreya, in this way bodhisattvas have accomplished, do accomplish, and will accomplish the great powers of a bodhisattva. [F.38.a]”

8.­38

“The Blessed One said that all sensations have come to complete cessation in the domain of the nirvāṇa with no aggregates remaining. What are then those sensations?”245

“Maitreya, in brief, two kinds of sensations cease: (1) the sensations246 arising from corruption incumbent on being alive and (2) the sensations arising from their resulting objects.

1. “Among those, the sensations arising from corruption related to one’s existence are of four kinds: (i) sensations arising from physical corruption, (ii) sensations arising from nonphysical corruption, (iii) sensations arising from corruption currently brought to fruition, and (iv) sensations arising from corruption not yet brought to fruition.

“Sensations arising from corruption brought to fruition refer to present sensations, whereas sensations arising from sensations not yet brought to fruition refer to sensations that are the causes for future sensations.

2. “The sensations of their resulting objects are also of four kinds: (i) sensations related to places, (ii) sensations related to necessities, (iii) sensations related to enjoyments, and (iv) sensations related to relations.

“Moreover, there are sensations in the domain of the nirvāṇa with aggregates remaining. Although these include sensations not yet brought to fruition,247 their opposites, the experience of sensations arising from present sensations, have not completely ceased. They are experienced as a mixture of pleasant and unpleasant sensations. Both kinds of sensation already brought to fruition have completely ceased. Only the category of sensations arising from present sensations are experienced. In the domain of the nirvāṇa with no aggregates remaining, even this will cease when one passes into parinirvāṇa. This is why I said that all sensations have come to a complete cessation in the domain of the nirvāṇa with no aggregates remaining.”

8.­39

Thereupon, the Blessed One spoke these words to the bodhisattva Maitreya: “Maitreya, you questioned the Tathāgata with determination and skill regarding the perfect and pure path of yoga. This is excellent. I taught that this path of yoga is perfect and pure, and exactly248 so I have [F.38.b] taught and will teach all the perfect buddhas of the past and the future. The sons and daughters of noble family should devote themselves to this path with great effort.”249

8.­40

Then, at that moment,250 the Blessed One spoke these verses:

“This presentation of the teachings by means of designations
Is thoughtful and of great significance for [the practice of this] yoga.251
Those who, by relying on this Dharma,
Correctly devote themselves to this yoga will attain awakening.252
“Those who, seeking liberation, study the entire Dharma
By looking for faults and disputing it
Are, Maitreya, as far from this yoga
As is the sky from the earth.253
“Wise254 and skilled in the real meaning255 of benefiting beings
Is the one who does not strive to benefit beings thinking they will reward him.256
The one expecting a reward will indeed257 not obtain
The joy that is both258 supreme and free from covetousness.259
“Those who grant Dharma instructions [to obtain] desirous objects
Have renounced desirous objects and yet260 still accept them.
Although these fools have obtained the priceless and faultless261 jewel of Dharma,
They wander like beggars.262
“Therefore, with great effort
Strive to abandon disputation, distractions, and mental elaborations.
In order to liberate the world of beings including the gods,
Devote yourself to this yoga.”
8.­41

Then, the bodhisattva Maitreya asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, what is the name of the teaching imparted in this Dharma discourse that unravels the Tathāgata’s intent? How should I keep it in mind?”263

The Blessed One answered, “Maitreya, this is a teaching of definitive meaning on yoga. Keep it in mind as The Teaching of Definitive Meaning on Yoga.” As the Blessed One expounded this teaching, six hundred thousand beings produced the mind directed at the unsurpassable, complete and perfect awakening, three hundred thousand hearers [F.39.a] purified the Dharma eye from impurities and contaminations; one hundred and fifty hearers who were without attachment liberated their minds from all outflows; and seventy-five thousand bodhisattvas attained the state wherein their attention was directed toward the great yoga.264

This was the chapter of the bodhisattva Maitreya‍—the eighth chapter.


9.

Chapter 9

9.­1

Then the bodhisattva Avaloki­teśvara addressed the Blessed One, “Blessed One, the ten stages of the bodhisattva are called (1) Utmost Joy, (2) Stainless, (3) Illuminating, (4) Radiant, (5) Hard to Conquer, (6) Manifest, (7) Far Reaching, (8) Immovable, (9) Excellent Intelligence, and (10) Cloud of Dharma. When taken together with the eleventh, [called] Buddha Stage, in how many kinds of purification and subdivisions are they included?”


10.

Chapter 10

10.­1

Then the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī addressed the Blessed One, “Blessed One, when you mention ‘the truth body of the tathāgatas,’ what is the defining characteristic of this truth body of the tathāgatas?”

The Blessed One answered, “Mañjuśrī, the truth body of the tathāgatas is characterized when one has fully achieved a shift in one’s basis of existence, the emergence [from cyclic existence] through the practice of the stages and the perfections.308 Because of the two [following] reasons, you should know that this truth body is characterized by inconceivability: (1) it is beyond mental elaborations and is not produced by intentional action,309 (2) while beings are fixated on mental elaborations and produced by intentional action.”


ab.

Abbreviations

Bd Bardan (Zanskar) canonical collection
C Choné xylograph Kangyur
Cbeta Chinese Electronic Buddhist Association, (www.cbeta.org)
Cz Chizhi Kangyur
D Degé xylograph Kangyur
Dd Dodedrak Kangyur
Dk Dongkarla Kangyur
Do Dolpo canonical collection
F Phukdrak manuscript Kangyur
Go Gondhla (Lahaul) canonical collection
Gt Gangteng Kangyur
H Lhasa xylograph Kangyur
He Hemis I Kangyur
J ’jang sa tham/Lithang xylograph Kangyur
Kʙ Berlin manuscript Kangyur
Kǫ774 Peking 1737 xylograph Kangyur
L London (Shelkar) manuscript Kangyur
Lg Lang mdo Kangyur
Mvyut Mahāvyutpatti
N Narthang xylograph Kangyur
Ng Namgyal Kangyur
Np Neyphug Kangyur
O Tawang Kangyur
Pj Phajoding I Kangyur
Pz Phajoding II Kangyur
R Ragya Kangyur
S Stok manuscript Kangyur
Saṃdh. Saṃdhi­nirmocana­sūtra
Saṃdhdh Dunhuang manuscript: Stein Tib. n°194 (49 folios) and Stein Tib. n°683 (1 folio) (Hakamaya 1984–1987)
T Tokyo manuscript Kangyur
Taishō 676 解深密經, translated by Xuanzang (596–664 ᴄᴇ)
TrBh Sthiramati’s Triṃśikāvijñaptibhāṣyam
U Urga xylograph Kangyur
V Ulaanbaatar manuscript Kangyur
VD Degé; xylograph of the Viniścaya­saṃ­grahaṇī of the Yogācāra­bhūmi from the Tengyur
VG Golden; xylograph of the Viniścaya­saṃ­grahaṇī of the Yogācāra­bhūmi from the Tengyur
VP Peking; xylograph of the Viniścaya­saṃ­grahaṇī of the Yogācāra­bhūmi from the Tengyur
VinSg Viniścaya­saṃ­grahaṇī of the Yogācāra­bhūmi
X Basgo manuscript Kangyur
YBht P ’i Tibetan translation of Acarya Asanga’s Yogācāra­bhūmi from the Peking Tengyur (n°. 5540, sems-tsam, ’i 143aI-382a5 (vol. I l l : 121-217)
Z Shey Palace manuscript Kangyur

n.

Notes

n.­1
See glossary entry “ultimate.”
n.­2
See Brunnhölzl 2018, p. 1590, n. 89 on this point.
n.­3
The numbering of paragraphs of the Saṃdhi­nirmocana­sūtra follows Lamotte’s critical edition.
n.­4
See Radich 2007, p. 1257 on the relationship between āśraya­parivṛtti and dauṣṭhulyakāya. Saṃdh. is the only text in the entire Kangyur in which the term dauṣṭhulyakāya is found.
n.­5
In bold are textual resources I used to translate the text into English.
n.­6
See Powers 2015. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to consult this reference work at the time of completing this translation.
n.­7
Here is a list of the sigla I used to identify the various witnesses of Saṃdh.:
(1) Witnesses of the sūtra found in the available Kangyurs and canonical collections (MsK = manuscript Kangyur, PK = xylograph): Kʙ: Berlin MsK, C: Choné PK, Cz: Chizhi, D: Degé PK, Dd: Dodedrak, Dk: Dongkarla, F: Phukdrag MsK, H: Lhasa PK, Gt: Gangteng, He: Hemis I, J: ’jang sa tham/Lithang PK, L: London (Shelkar) MsK, Lg: Lang mdo, N: Narthang PK, Ng: Namgyal, Np: Neyphug, O: Tawang, Pj: Phajoding I, Pz: Phajoding II, Kǫ: Peking 1737 PK, R: Ragya, S: Stok MsK, T: Tokyo MsK, U: Urga PK, V: Ulaanbaatar MsK, W: Wangli supplement, X: Basgo MsK, Z: Shey Palace MsK. Other canonical collections: Ba: Basgo fragments (Ladakh), Bd: Bardan (Zanskar), Go: Gondhla (Lahaul), Do: Dolpo. Source: https://www.istb.univie.ac.at/kanjur/rktsneu/sub/index.php (last accessed on July 20, 2020). I am following the typology of Kangyur groups suggested by rKTs (Vienna University). I would like to warmly thank Professor Helmut Tauscher and Bruno Lainé for making available to me the editions I used for this translation project. For a general discussion of some Tibetan sources, see Skilling 1994, p. 775.
(2) Xylographs of the Viniścaya­saṃ­grahaṇī of the Yogācāra­bhūmi from the Tengyur: VD Degé, VG Golden, VP Peking. My thanks go to Kojirō Katō for having shared with me the bibliographical detail of these witnesses. The Viniścaya­saṃ­grahaṇī is also available in Chinese under the following title: 瑜伽師地論卷第七十六攝決擇分.
n.­8
For the reference of possible additional folios, see Chayet 2005, p. 67 (n°615‍—1 folio, n°590‍—6 folios).
n.­34
rin po che sna bdun does not refer to jewels only, as found in Lamotte (1935) and Keenan (2000). I follow here Powers (1995), Cornu (2005), and Cleary (1999).
n.­35
The logical subject of ’jig rten gyi khams dpag tu med pa rgyas par ’gengs pa’i ’od zer chen po shin tu mnga’ ba is the palace (khang). Cornu (2005) and Keenan (2000) seem to read this phrase as a qualifier for the seven precious substances.
n.­36
The first paragraph of the nidāna is a presentation of the place where the Buddha is dwelling. As already mentioned in the introduction, a succession of compounds, mainly bahuvrīhis, enables the topicalization of the temple (khang). Lamotte’s translation reflects this literary device, contrary to Powers who does not topicalize the palace to the same degree on account of some ambiguities regarding the logical subject of a few clauses describing this palace. To illustrate this point, it seems unclear whether the adjectives “steadfast,” “enduring,” or “free” in Powers’ translation qualify the temple or the beings attending it. Cornu mainly follows Powers here but the grammatical necessity to indicate the gender and number of qualifiers in French limits the risk of confusion, which is obviously not the case in English. Regarding the usage of tenses, Lamotte is the only translator who uses both narrative past and present in this first paragraph. He thus switches from the past tense to the present tense in order to describe the characteristics of the temple, a decision I chose not to follow in the present translation.
n.­37
Lamotte, Cornu, and Powers do not translate the anaphoric pronoun de in ’jig rten las ’das pa de’i bla ma’i dge ba’i rtsa ba las byung ba. Powers explains in a footnote (see Power 1995, p. 313, n. 3) that this pronoun refers to gnosis according to Wonch’uk, although his translation does not reflect this interpretation. Since wisdom has not been mentioned earlier in the text and since the pronoun de is anaphoric, I read de as referring to the Buddha. Moreover, the concept of “root of virtue” is usually associated with persons and we have a reference to dbang sgyur ba in the next qualifying phrase.
n.­38
The clause dbang sgyur ba’i rnam par rig pa shin tu rnam par rig pa’i mtshan nyid is problematic. Lamotte translates it in the following way: “très pur, il se caractérise par une pensée maîtresse de soi.” Cornu and Powers follow the reading found in D, folio  2.a; S, folio 4.a; Kǫ, folio 1.a; L, folio 3.a; and H, folio 3.a ( dbang sgyur ba’i rnam par rig pa shin tu rnam par rig pa’i mtshan nyid) and render the two occurrences of rnam par rig pa by an apposition: “It was characterized by perfect knowledge, the knowledge of one who has mastery.” (Powers 1995, p. 5). However, in F, folio 4.b we find a variant reading which, I believe, makes more sense: dbang byed pa’i rnam par rig pa shin tu rnam par dag pa’i mtshan nyid. The Tibetan verbal prefix shin tu rnam par is used to render the upasarga su- in Sanskrit, like in suviśuddha. In Mvyut 351, blo shin tu rnam par dag pa thus translates the Sanskrit suviśuddhabuddhiḥ.
n.­39
nges par ’byung ba. In Skt. niḥsaraṇa or niryāṇa, which have the meaning of setting forth, issue, exit, departure, escape, a road out of town. The analogy here is not about emancipation or renunciation as Powers and Cornu translated it but rather with the metaphor of the journey. In that sense, what is meant here is the departure to reach the palace. Lamotte (1935), Keenan (2000), and Cleary (1999) follow Xuanzang’s translation: 大念慧行以為游路 (Cbeta, Taishō 676). Interestingly enough, F does not have nges par ’byung ba but just ’byung ba.
n.­40
rin po che’i pad ma’i rgyal po chen po yon tan gyi tshogs mtha’ yas pas brgyan pa’i bkod pa la rten pa na bzhugs te. This clause has been translated in various ways depending on how one understands the compound rin po che’i pad ma’i rgyal po chen po yon tan gyi tshogs mtha’ yas pas. Lamotte (1935), Powers (1995), and Cornu (2005) read it as a dvandva: “II est orné de qualités infinies, de joyaux, de lotus et de grands rois” (Lamotte 1935, p. 167); “this pattern was adorned with boundless masses of excellent qualities, and with great kingly jeweled lotuses” (Powers 1995, pp. 5–6); “paré d’infinies qualités et de grands lotus royaux incrustés de pierreries” (Cornu 2005, p. 26). However, it seems to me that it would be better to read this compound as a karmadhāraya. Folio 5.a offers a variant reading that could support this interpretation: yon ten gyi tshogs mtha’ yas pas/ brgyan pa’i rin po che chen po pad mo’i rgyal po’i bkod pa’i gnas na nyan thos kyi dge ’dun tshad med pa dang / thabs gcig tu bzhugs te. In addition to this problem, one should note that Lamotte’s translation of the compound rin po che’i pad ma’i rgyal po chen po as a dvandva is inaccurate here. Powers’ reading of this term is correct.
n.­53
brjod du med pa dang / gnyis su med pa’i mtshan nyid. I read this compound as a bahuvrīhi. The full clause [brjod du med pa dang / gnyis su med pa’i mtshan nyid] + [don dam pa] is a karmadhāraya meaning literally “the ultimate that is that whose defining characteristic is inexpressible and absolute.” Powers’ suggestion is also possible here (“the ultimate whose defining characteristic is inexpressible and non-dual”). Lamotte leaves out mtshan nyid. Cornu somewhat mixes qualifiers and qualified terms in his rendering of this clause.
n.­65
brtsams pa; ārabhya with the meaning of “referring to/having to do with,” a frequent occurrence in Saṃdh. See Edgerton 1953, p. 102.
n.­66
rtog ge thams cad las yang dag par ’das pa; sarva­tarka­samati­krānta. Regarding the translation of the term rtog ge (tarka), Powers 1995, p. 25 suggests “argumentation,” but the emphasis in the present context is not on logical reasoning. The term tarka denotes here any kind of assumption, presupposition, representation, or conjecture regarding the absolute that is the product of the intellect (manas).
n.­74
I am using the adjective “indistinct” here in the sense of the first definition given in the Oxford English Dictionary: “1. Not distinct or distinguished from each other, or from something else; not kept separate or apart in the mind or perception; not clearly defined or marked off.” Oxford English Dictionary Online, s.v. “indistinct,” accessed July 20, 2020, https://www-oed-com.ezproxy.leidenuniv.nl:2443/view/Entry/94602?redirectedFrom=indistinct#eid.
n.­75
mos pa; praṇidhāna. See mos pa spyod pa’i sa. See Mvyut 897: mos pa spyod pa’i sa; adhimukticaryābhūmiḥ.
n.­76
Schmithausen reads don dam pa’i mtshan nyid (paramārthalakṣaṇa) as “the defining characteristic that is the ultimate” in 3.­5 (see Schmithausen 2014, p. 558, §512.3). However, Saṃdh. chapter 3 is about conditioned phenomena in relation to the ultimate when their respective defining characteristics are examined. The question here is not to determine whether the ultimate is the defining characteristic of conditioned phenomena. Rather, it is to determine whether the conditioned and the ultimate are different by examining their defining characteristics. Therefore, I read don dam pa’i mtshan nyid as “the defining characteristic of the ultimate,” namely, as a genitive tatpuruṣa and not as a karmadhāraya.
n.­77
To render sha stag.
n.­90
Lit. “in the world of beings.”
n.­91
F reads here shes pa in agreement with D. See F, folio 14.bff.
n.­92
dmigs pa; ālambana. I think it is important here to read dmigs pa as meaning “object” because in folio 11.a the Buddha contrasts these various objects (aggregates, sense sources, constituents, truths, etc.) with the “object conducive to purification” (rnam par dag pa’i dmigs pa, *viśuddhyālambana; see Schmithausen 2014, p. 362, §306.5 and n. 1644). Translating dmigs pa here as “observing” would weaken the central opposition between (a) the objects taken as a reference point for their practice by those who have not realized the defining characteristic of the ultimate and (b) the object conducive to purification, which is present within all phenomena. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce this fundamental point.
n.­101
ji tsam gyis; kiyant. The complete sentence reads, “In what sense are they skilled in the secrets of mind, thought, and cognition?”
n.­137
This enumeration follows the structure found in 4.­2.
n.­176
This paragraph follows the pattern according to which prajñā is developed as śrutamayī prajñā, cintāmayī prajñā, bhāvanāmayī prajñā. Once the bodhisattvas have heard and contemplated what has been taught, they proceed with practice.
n.­177
Read thob instead of thos. See F, folio 36.b: lus shin tu sbyangs pa dang / sems shin tu sbyangs pa de dag thob pa de’i bar du and lus shin tu sbyangs pa dang / sems shin tu sbyangs pa de dag thob kyi bar du (8.­5).
n.­178
D: de lus shin tu sbyangs pa dang / sems shin tu sbyangs pa de thos nas de nyid la gnas te/ sems kyi rnam pa spangs nas ji ltar bsams pa’i chos de dag nyid nang du ting nge ’dzin gyi spyod yul gzugs brnyan du so sor rtog par byed mos par byed do. S, folio 37.b; F, folio 36.a: des lus shin tu sbyangs pa dang / sems shin tu sbyangs pa de dag thos nas de nyid la gnas te/ ji ltar bsams pa’i chos de dag nyid nang du ting nge ’dzin gyi spyod yul gzugs brnyan du sems kyi rnam pa spangs nas/ so sor rtog cing byed mor byed do.
n.­179
For a detailed discussion of 8.7–9, refer to Schmithausen 2014, p. 391ff.
n.­180
rab tu phye ba; prabhāvita in the compound *ālambanavijñaptimātraprabhāvita (see Schmithausen 1984, p. 436; 2014, pp. 400–1 passim). On the possible meanings of the Sanskrit term prabhāvita in the sense of “consisting of” or “characterized as” as opposed to “characterized by,” refer to Schmithausen 2014, p. 400, n. 1770.
n.­181
The compound dmigs pa rnam par rig pa tsam; *ālambanavijñaptimātra can be read as a tatpuruṣa: “the mere representation of a referential object,” or as a karmadhāraya: “a referential object that is a mere representation” or “a mere representation as a referential object” (see Schmithausen 2014, p. 411). If we add to these possibilities the distinction between “characterized as/consists of” and “characterized by” mentioned by Schmithausen in reference to prabhāvita (see n.­181), it is clear that this important statement can be interpreted in various ways that are consistent with the syntax of this sentence. If one wishes to read the compound *ālambanavijñaptimātra as a tatpuruṣa, the phrase reads “the mere representation of a referential object.” However, it seems to me that we should read this compound as a karmadhāraya, since the whole point of this paragraph is to answer Maitreya’s original question about the nature of the image qua object. The answer to this question is that the image (pratibimba) that is the object of concentration is not distinct from mind because mind is constituted by a representation that is the actual object of this cognition. With regard to this issue, Xuanzang’s translation reads, 善男子當言無異何以故由彼影像唯是識故善男子我說識所緣唯識所現故 (Cbeta, Taishō 676), which is compatible with the suggested translation. For a complete analysis of these two sentences across selected Chinese and Tibetan editions, see Schmithausen 2014, p. 392ff. and Brunnhölzl 2018, p. 511, n. 139, which contains a detailed summary of Schmithausen’s analysis.
n.­182
On VIII.7, see Brunnhölzl 2018, p. 512, n. 141.
n.­183
D: bcom ldan ’das sems can rnams kyi gzugs la sogs par snang ba sems kyi gzugs brnyan rang bzhin du gnas pa gang lags pa de yang sems de dang tha dad pa ma lags zhes bgyi’am; S, folio 38.b: bcom ldan ’das sems can rnams kyi sems kyi gzugs brnyan rang bzhin du gnas pa/ gzugs la sogs pa gang lags de yang sems de dang tha dad pa ma lags shes bgyi’am; F, folio 37.a: bcom ldan ’das sems can rnams kyi sems kyi gzugs brnyan rang bzhin du gnas pa/ gzugs la tshogs pa de dag kyang sems de dang tha dad pa ma lags shes bgyi’am.
n.­184
D: mtshan nyid la byed pa. F, folio 37.b: mtshan nyid yid la byed pa.
n.­185
sems kyi mtshan nyid but sems kyi mtshan ma would be better here since Maitreya inquires about mtshan ma right after this. Unfortunately, Xuanzang’s translation does not contribute to solving this quandary since 相 can refer to both lakṣaṇa and nimitta (see 若相續作意唯思维心相, Cbeta, Taishō 676). However, the structure of the paragraph in which questions are asked about definitions of terms found in the Buddha’s previous answer in 8.­8 indicates that we should emend sems kyi mtshan nyid to sems kyi mtshan ma.
n.­186
Based on the definitions above, it appears that one-pointedness of mind refers to the state in which appearance (the object of the practice of insight), representation (the object of the practice of mental stillness), and emptiness (the nature of reality as explained in the previous chapters) are in unity.
n.­187
so sor rtog pa in the sense of “comprehension/realization” (pratibodha)
n.­188
Compare D: de dang der shes rab kyis shin tu legs par ma rtogs pa’i chos de dag nyid shin tu legs par rtogs par [F.28.a] bya ba’i phyir yid la byed pa’i lhag mthong gang yin pa’o with S, folio 39.b: gang de dang des shes rab kyis legs par ma rtogs pa’i chos de dag nyid legs par rtogs par bya ba’i phyir de nyid yid la byed pa’i lhag mthong ngo and F, folio 38.a: gang shes rab kyis legs par ma rtogs pa’i chos de dang de dag la legs par rtogs par bya ba’i phyir de nyid yid la byed pa’i lhag mthong ngo.
n.­189
The last four meditation objects represent the four seals of Dharma (phyag rgya bzhi; caturmudrā).
n.­190
ma ’dres pa’i chos. On ma ’dres pa’i chos and ’dres pa’i chos, see Brunnhölzl 2018, p. 561, n. 322. Brunnhölzl translates ’dres pa’i chos as “dharmas in fusion.” Considering dharmas without fusing them means considering them individually. However, 8.­14 seems to indicate that dharma is used here in the sense of “teaching” rather than “phenomenon.”
n.­191
gnas gyur pa; āśraya­parivṛtti. I chose to translate this technical term with “shift in one’s basis [of existence]” or “shift of the basis [of existence]” instead of “transformation of the basis” as is usually the case. The āśraya­parivṛtti in Saṃdh. is an attainment that is obtained after the ālayavijñāna has ceased (see Schmithausen 1987, p. 198 and Schmithausen 2014, p. 37). In this sūtra, the ālaya therefore does not seem to be equated with the āśraya. In chapter 10, the basis is evoked in relation to the truth body (dharmakāya). According to 10.­2 and 8.35.11, it appears that the basis one possesses once all corruption has been eliminated is none other than the truth body after it has been purified of adventitious defilements (see Xing 2005, p. 97), at least in the case of the bodhisattvas. The dhāraṇī in 10.­8 makes it clear that conceptions of being defiled or purified have in fact no raison d’être. From the perspective of true reality, they are completely adventitious. As stated by the Buddha at the conclusion of 10.8, bodhisattvas exchange the body afflicted by corruption for the body of truth or actual body, the dharmakāya. In line with this interpretation, āśraya is read as a quasi-synonym for kāya as in the expression āśrayapādātṛ (on this term, see Schmithausen 2014, p. 331, §272.1). This reading seems to be confirmed, for example, in YBht P ’i 30b4f (see ibid., pp. 521–22, §483), which explains the āśraya­parivṛtti as the completely purified dharmadhātu, which is permanent and inconceivable. Schmithausen adds, “At the same time, it [this passage of the Ybht] stresses the permanence of āśraya­parivṛtti (in the ontological perspective), precluding thereby a causal process in the strict sense.” Elsewhere, Schmithausen refers to this term as “the [accomplished] āśraya­parivṛtti or purification of the tathatā” (Schmithausen 2014, p. 527, 536ff.). While there is certainly a multiplicity of interpretations with regard to this complex matter, it seems to me that this reading is precisely what is meant in Saṃdh. In that sense, āśraya­parivṛtti, as a result (phala), corresponds to an unveiling (see Schmithausen 2014, p. 537) or purification of the basis in the form of a return, a restoration, a restitution, or a re-entry into the dharmakāya, tathatā, or dharmadhātu. The synonyms given in the list above (true reality, awakening, and nirvāṇa) show that āśraya­parivṛtti does not refer to afflicted dharmas, which would be the case if the ālayavijñāna was meant here. To conclude this discussion, it seems on the basis of Sakuma’s work (Sakuma 1990) that we are in presence of (at least) two models of āśraya­parivṛtti: (1) an originally ontological model, as found in the Śrāvakabhūmi, in which the psychophysical base (lit. the basis of existence) of the person practicing śamatha and vipaśyanā is transformed, as dauṣṭhulya is replaced by praśrabdhi; and (2) a cognitive or epistemic model using this originally ontological terminology to express the purification of the tathatā. In this model, the purification as an elimination of the dauṣṭhulya alone is the manifestation of the dharmakāya that is not the creation of a causal process transforming an entity conceived in ontological terms, as repeatedly stated throughout the later chapters of Saṃdh. In this latter model, the cognitive purification of the tathatā as a causal process can only make sense from the perspective of conventional truth (see chapter 3). From the ultimate standpoint of realization, nothing was ever purified by anyone (cf. dhāraṇī in 10.­8). As a consequence of this (and following William Waldron’s suggestion), I would like to make clear that the “shift in one’s basis of existence” referred to in Saṃdh. is a cognitive restoration of the basis in which the attainment of gnosis plays a central role, from the perspective of conventional truth. In the present context, one should therefore refrain from interpreting the term āśraya­parivṛtti as implying any ontological commitment to the process thereby described. To conclude on this point, I understand āśraya­parivṛtti in Saṃdh. as implying a “doctrine of (re-)embodiment” as explained in Radich 2007, p. 1109ff. At the end of the path, one has as a basis of existence the truth body in lieu of the body afflicted by corruption as mentioned above, hence the notion of a shift.
n.­192
chos; dharma.
n.­193
D: byams pa mdo’i sde nas shin tu rgyas pa’i sde dang / rmad du byung ba’i chos kyi sde dang / gtan la bab par bstan pa’i sde’i bar dag so sor gcig tu bzlums te . . . [F.29.a] mdo’i sde la sogs pa de dag nyid ji snyed bzung ba dang / bsams pa so sor gcig tu bzlums te yid la byed pa ni ’dres pa chen por gyur pa’i chos la dmigs pa yin par rig par bya’o. F, folio 39.a: so sor gcig tu bsdu ba te . . . bsam pa de dag nyid gcig tu bsdu ba byas te. I followed F and did not translate so sor in the sentence pertaining to the highly universal teaching (’dres pa chen por gyur pa’i chos).
n.­194
On this point, see 8.­13 above.
n.­195
rtog pa; vitarka. For the translation of vitarka and vicāra, see Cousins 1992, p. 147.
n.­196
See F, folio 40.a: gsal zhing che bar myong ba’i rjes su dpyod pa. This construction is also found in the following sentences in F.
n.­197
Lit. “experienced as subtle,” according to F, or “the experience of the subtle” according to D.
n.­198
On this point, see 8.­10.
n.­199
See 8.­9: “What is the unimpeded mind? Maitreya, it is the referential object of mental stillness, the mind that takes the image as an object.”
n.­200
See 8.­9: “Blessed One, what is a mental appearance? Maitreya, this is the referential object of insight, the conceptual image that is the object of concentration.”
n.­201
nye ba’i nyon mongs; upakleśa.
n.­202
These two expressions refer to dharma­prati­saṃvid and artha­prati­saṃvid. Lamotte and Powers opted for “object” and Keenan for “meaning” for artha, while dharma is usually translated with “Dharma.” For an interpretation of the term in the sense of the translation suggested above, refer to Nance 2012, pp. 58–59, 72, 74–75, 135, 227–28, and 233–35. The same interpretation is found in Lamotte 1970, p. 1617ff.: dharma is translated with “designation” and artha with “chose.”
n.­203
ji lta ba bzhin du yod pa nyid; yathāvadbhāvikatā. On yāvadbhāvikatā and yathāvadbhāvikatā, see Takasaki 1966, p. 173.
n.­204
mthar thug pa; paryanta, in the sense here of “entirety.”
n.­205
For the Sanskrit of these seven, see Nagao 1964, p. 43.
n.­206
See F, folio 41.a: rnam par rig pa’i de bzhin nyid ni gang / ’du byed rnam par rig pa tsam mo.
n.­207
log par sgrub pa; mithyāpratipatti. In F, sgrub pa is translated with nan tan (see for example F, folio 41.b).
n.­208
D: byams pa de la yang dag par sgrub pa’i de bzhin nyid des ni thos pa thams cad ’dres pa’i chos la dmigs pa’i zhi gnas dang lhag mthong gi bsdus pa’i shes rab mtshungs shing mnyam mo. F, folio 41.b: byams pa gang yang dag pa’i nan tan de bzhin nyid des ni thos pa dang bsams pa dang / bsgoms pa’i ’dres pa la dmigs pa’i zhi gnas dang lhag mthong gis yongs su zin pa’i shes rab mtshungs shing mnyam mo. Xuanzang’s translation confirms the reading found in D: 聽聞正法緣總境界勝奢摩他毘缽舍那所受慧平等平等 (Cbeta, Taishō 676). However, F makes sense from the perspective of the meaning of this chapter.
n.­209
See Z, folio 38.a: rnam par grol bar byed instead of D: rnam par grol bar shes.
n.­210
See Z, folio 37.b, F, folio 43.a: chos de dag nyid la instead of D: chos de dag nyid las.
n.­211
We find slightly variant readings in F and D. D: byams pa de la rab tu rig par byed pa ni mngon sum du byas pa’i chos de dag nyid las rnam par grol bar shes pa dang / gzhan dag la yang rgya cher ston pa dang / yang dag par ston pa gang yin pa ste. F, folio 43.a: byams pa de la shes par byed pa ni gang mngon sum du byas pa’i chos de dag nyid la rnam par grol bar shes pa dang / rgya cher yang gzhan la ston cing ’chad pa dang / yang dag par ston pa’o.
n.­212
In accordance with F, folio 44.b, shes pa should be read here also as ye shes.
n.­213
The phrase is repeated throughout the text. Here shes pa should be read as ye shes, a reading confirmed by F.
n.­214
See 8.­23, in which the three artha­prati­saṃvid are letters, meanings, and contexts.
n.­215
mtshan ma corresponds here to a reflection (gzugs brnyan; pratibimba).
n.­216
so sor brtags pa; pratisaṃkhyā. D: zhes bka’ stsal pa gang lags pa de la sems kyis so sor brtag pa ni gang lags.
n.­217
rnam par rig pa’i de bzhin nyid; see 8.20.2, in which the true reality of representations corresponds to the fact that “all conditioned phenomena are just a representation.” In the preceding sentence, I added the term ‘truth’ (dharma) to render a frequent collocation that clarifies the meaning of this statement.
n.­218
Lamotte reads chos dang don respectively as “Dharma” and “chose” (“thing”); see Lamotte 1935, p. 225. Powers reads them as “doctrine” and “meaning”; see Powers 1995, p. 189. However, as explained above (see 8.19–21), I understand these two technical terms to refer to “designation” and “objects of designations.” Lamotte’s rendering of the syntax of the entire passage appears to be inaccurate: “Pour celui qui . . ., il y a . . .”
n.­219
See 8.20.3.
n.­220
See 8.20.4.
n.­221
skyes pa dang / bud med kyi bsnyen bkur, probably for upasthāna-kāri/-kārikā, “(a woman) serving, doing service to (a man, sexually; said of a courtesan)”; see Edgerton 1953, p. 143.
n.­222
In the case of *viśuddhyālambana, one can read the Sanskrit compound as a genitive or dative tatpuruṣa; see Schmithausen 2014, p. 363, n. 1648 and p. 362, n. 1644. I read rnam par dag pa’i de bzhin nyid as *viśuddhitathatā in accordance with Schmithausen 2014, pp. 362–63, §306.5, and n. 1647.
n.­223
gzugs brnyan; pratibimba; see 8.1–10 for the meaning of the image in the context of contemplative practice.
n.­224
See Schmithausen 2014, p. 366, n. 1664 quoting YBht P’i 83a5f: de de la mi dmigs pa gang yin pa and F, folio 46.b: de’ang mi dmigs pa instead of D, folio 34.b: de la de dmigs pa gang yin pa.
n.­225
lus dang longs spyod la lta ba; 顧戀身財.
n.­226
This reference remains obscure. Could this point be directed at outcast bodhisattvas (byang chub sems dpa’ gdol ba; bodhisattvacāṇḍāla), namely, bodhisattvas taking pride in detachment who practice in the way of hearers? See Conze 1975, p. 438ff.?
n.­227
D has bcom ldan ’das ci tsam gyis na zhi gnas kyi lam yongs su dag pa lags/ byams pa gang gi tshe rmugs pa dang gnyid legs par rab tu choms par gyur pa’o/ /bcom ldan ’das ji tsam gyis na lhag mthong gi lam yongs su dag pa lags/ byams pa gang gi tshe rgod pa dad ’gyod pa legs par rab tu choms par gyur pa’o, but one should read bcom ldan ’das ci tsam gyis na zhi gnas kyi lam yongs su dag pa lags/ byams pa gang gi tshe rgod pa dad ’gyod pa legs par rab tu choms par gyur pa’o/ /bcom ldan ’das ji tsam gyis na lhag mthong gi lam yongs su dag pa lags/ byams pa gang gi tshe rmugs pa dang gnyid dang the tshom legs par rab tu choms par gyur pa’o. See F, folio 47.a, which seems to indicate that the list of terms in D is incomplete and in the wrong order.
n.­228
theg pa chen po dang ldan pa; mahāyānapratisaṃyukta.
n.­229
nyon mongs pa dang shes bya’i sgrib pa; kleśajñeyāvaraṇa.
n.­230
The reading of this passage found in D is problematic on account of the double la particle in the second part of the sentence: de legs par bcom pas thams cad la chags pa med pa dang / thogs pa med pa’i shes pa dang / mthong ba thob cing dgos pa yongs su grub pa’i dmigs pa la chos kyi sku shin tu rnam par dag pa la gnas pa yin no. Compare with VD, folio 77.a: de legs par bcom pas chos kyi sku shin tu rnam par dag pa la gnas pa na/ dgos pa yongs su grub pa’i dmigs pa la/ thams cad du chags pa med pa dang/ thogs pa med pa’i shes pa dang mthong ba thob po. Kǫ, folio 39.a: de legs par bcom pas thams cad la chags pa med pa dang / thogs pa med pa’i shes pa dang / mthong ba thob cing dgos pa yongs su grub pa’i dmigs pa la cha shas kyi sku shin tu rnam par dag pa la gnas pa yin no. S, folio 51.b: de legs par bcom pa’i phyir/ chos kyi sku shin tu rnam par dag pa la gnas pas/ dgos pa yongs su grub pa’i dmigs pa la thams cad du mi thogs mi chags pa’i ye shes mthong ba rab tu thob bo. F, folio 48.a: de bcom pa’i phyir chos kyi sku shin tu rnam par dag pa la gnas pas/ dgos pa yongs su grub pa’i dmigs pa la thams cad du mi thogs mi chags pa’i ye shes mthong ba rab tu thob po. Bd, folio 54: de legs par bcom pas chos kyi sku shin tu rnam par dag pa la gnas pa na/ dgongs pa yongs su grub pa’i dmigs pa thams cad la chags pa med pa dang / thogs pa med pa’i shes pa dang / mthong ba thob po. L, folio 48.a: de bcom pa’i phyir/ chos kyi sku shin tu rnam par dag pa la gnas pas/ dgos pa yongs su grub pa’i dmigs pa la thams cad du mi thogs mi chags pa’i ye shes mthong ba rab tu thob bo. (similar to F, folio 48.a). He, folio 102b: de bcom ldan pa’i phyir chos kyi sku shin tu rnam par dag pa la gnas pas dgongs pa yongs su grub pa’i dmigs pa dang/ thams cad du mi thogs mi chags pa’i ye shes mthong ba rab tu ’thob po/First, a few general remarks: Kǫ follows the syntax of D with an important variation cha shas kyi sku instead of chos kyi sku in D. In some other editions, such as F, L, and He as well as in Bd (which seems to be a compromise between D and K ǫ, on one side, and F and L on the other side), the syntax of the sentence is quite distinct from D and Kǫ; see for example VD in which entire blocks of text are found in a different order. In addition, we find in other minor variant readings, such as dgongs pa in apposition to yongs su grub pa’i dmigs pa (see Bd) instead of the more usual dgos pa.I therefore suggest the following emendations: One should read ye shes mthong ba instead of shes pa dang / mthong ba since we find in various forms the well-known collocation ma chags ma thogs pa’i ye shes mthong ba in Mvyut: ’das pa’i dus la ma chags ma thogs pa’i ye shes gzigs par ’jug go; ’das pa’i dus la ma chags ma thogs pa’i ye shes mthong ba ’jug pa, atīte ’dhvany asaṅgam apratihataṃ jñānadarśanaṃ pravartate (Mvyut 151) or da ltar gyi dus la ma chags ma thogs pa’i ye shes gzigs par ’jug go; da ltar gyi dus la ma chags ma thogs pa’i ye shes mthong ba ’jug pa, pratyutpanne ’dhvany asaṅgam apratihatam jñānadarśanaṃ pravartate (Mvyut 153).Based on the fact that jñānadarśana results from having discarded the obstructions, a doctrine already present in the Pāli tradition, F and L probably give a better account of the logical sequence of this passage: (1) first, obstructions are eliminated; (2) thereupon, one remains in the dharmakāya, which has been completely purified from these obstructions; (3) as a consequence of this, the insight into the accomplishment of the goal/intention, which is the real object, arises together with gnosis free from attachment and hindrance. In this context, jñānadarśana is interpreted as a dvandva (“gnosis and vision”).My suggestion for this passage would thus be quite close to Bd, folio 54: de legs par bcom pas chos kyi sku shin tu rnam par dag pa la gnas pa na (or gnas pas)/ dgos pa yongs su grub pa’i dmigs pa la thams cad du chags pa med pa dang / thogs pa med pa’i ye shes mthong ba thob po. (underlined words are additions to Bd. dang between shes and mthong ba was omitted).
n.­231
Some editions (e.g., F) include ji ltar in the second clause: “once bodhisattvas have obtained mental stillness and insight, how do they attain the unsurpassable, complete, and perfect awakening?” The difference is not significant because the attainment of the fourth object of mental stillness and insight, the accomplishment of the goal, corresponds to the attainment of awakening (see 8.­2).
n.­232
See 8.20.2.
n.­233
F, folio 48.b reads legs par rtogs pa instead of D, which has simply bzung ba.
n.­234
lhag par btang snyoms; adhyupekṣya.
n.­235
See 8.20.2.
n.­236
F, folio 49.a ye shes instead of shes pa in D.
n.­237
D reads, de la nang gi so so’i bdag nyid la so sor rang rig pa de bzhin nyid rnam pa bdun so sor rtog pa’i shes pa rnam pa bdun skye bar ’gyur te. Compare with F, folio 49.a: de bzhin nyid rnam pa bdun bden bden pa’i rnam pa nang gi so so rang gis shes par bya ba rab tu rtogs pa’i ye shes skye bar ’gyur te. I think F is more in the spirit of this paragraph than D. The notion of so sor rtog pa’i shes pa is at odds with nang gi so so’i bdag nyid la so sor rang rig pa, to which it stands in apposition in D. Instead, I’d rather read here rab tu rtogs pa’i ye shes as found in F.
n.­238
yang dag pa nyid skyon med pa (D) or yang dag pa mi ’gyur ba (F); samyaktvaniyama.
n.­239
These are the first three of the four objects of mental stillness and insight as explained in 8.­2. The fourth is the accomplishment of the goal.
n.­240
This refers to the first three objects of mental stillness and insight; see 8.­2.
n.­241
See 8.35.11 above for a more detailed elucidation of this point.
n.­242
Lit. “They are skillful with regard to the arising of the mind as it is if they know the sixteen points of the arising of the mind. The sixteen points of the arising of the mind are the arising of . . .”
n.­243
See 5.­3.
n.­244
See 8.20.2.
n.­245
D reads yang dag pa’i tshor ba, probably in the sense of yang dag pa’i don gyi (or la) tshor ba, but F, folio 50.a has instead ’gag par ’gyur ba’i tshor ba (but the sentence in F is not built according to a pronominal relative-correlative structure as it is in D).
n.­246
D reads rig pa in the sense of rnam par rig pa, while F, folio 50.a has tshor ba instead, which makes more sense in the present context. This reading is supported by Xuanzang’s reading: 一者所依粗重受二者彼果境界受 (Cbeta, Taishō 676), in which 受 refers to vedanā. I therefore emended the entire paragraph accordingly.
n.­247
In the sense of sensations being the cause for future sensations as explained above (see 8.38.1.iv).
n.­248
Sanskrit reads evam eva; see Matsuda 2013, p. 940 ad Lamotte XIII.39.
n.­249
D: rigs kyi bu rnams dang / rigs kyi bu mo dag gis ’di la shin tu brtson par bya ba’i rigs so. Sanskrit: ayam atra kulaputraiḥ kuladuhitṛbhir vā tīvravyāyāmair bhavituṃ (see Matsuda 2013, p. 940 ad Lamotte VIII.39).
n.­250
de’i tshe, tasyāṃ velāyam (cf. Sanskrit text in Matsuda 2013, p. 940 ad Lamotte VIII.39).
n.­251
D: chos rnams gdags pa rnam gzhag gang yin pa/ /de ni rnal ’byor bag yod don chen yin; in Sanskrit: dharmāna prajñaptivyavasthito yo hi yoge pramattā na mahā[rtha] so hī. (see Matsuda 2013, p. 940 ad Lamotte VIII.40). The sentence is built according to a correlative-relative structure yaḥ . . . sa . . ., literally “that which is . . . is . . .” The Sanskrit here is of a hybrid nature as pointed out by Matsuda. Instead of pramattā na, apramāda would be expected for the Tibetan bag yod.
n.­252
D: gang dag chos der brten nas rnal ’byor ’dir/ /yang dag brtson pa de dag byang chub ’thob; Sanskrit: taṃ dharmaṃ niśrāya ye atra yoge samyakprayukta te labha(ṃ)ti bodhi (see Matsuda 2013, p. 940 ad Lamotte VIII.40).
n.­253
D: gang dag glags lta de skad rgol ba las/ thar bar lta ba chos kun chub byed pa/ /byams pa de dag rnal ’byor ’di las ni/ /thag ring gnas sa ring ba ji bzhin no; Sanskrit: upāraṃbhaprekṣā iti vādamokṣaprekṣā ye dharmaṃ sarva pu .. ../ (see Matsuda 2013, p. 940 ad Lamotte VIII.40).
n.­254
blo ldan; dhīmān (cf. Sanskrit text in Matsuda 2013, p. 940 ad Lamotte VIII.40).
n.­255
The Tibetan reads sems can don zhes while the Sanskrit has satvārthasāra (cf. Sanskrit text in Matsuda 2013, p. 940 ad Lamotte VIII.40). Sāra means both “real meaning”/“quintessence” and “wealth”/“riches.”
n.­256
D: blo ldan sems can don zhes de dag las/ /lan byed rig nas sems can don brtson min; Sanskrit: satvārthasāro na tu kāra tebhyaṃ viditva satvārthaprayukta dhīmān.
n.­257
Eva in Sanskrit (see Matsuda 2013: p. 940 ad Lamotte VIII.40).
n.­258
. . . ca . . . ca in Sanskrit (see Matsuda 2013, p. 940 ad Lamotte VIII.40).
n.­259
zang zing med pa; nirāmiṣa (in the sense of “disinterested, not expecting a reward”; see Matsuda 2013, p. 940 ad Lamotte VIII.40 for the Sanskrit term).
n.­260
Sanskrit: punar (see Matsuda 2013, p. 940 ad Lamotte VIII.40).
n.­261
Anagharatna (cf. Sanskrit text in Matsuda 2013, p. 940 ad Lamotte VIII.40).
n.­262
spongs zhing rgyu; caraṃti bhikṣāṃ (cf. Sanskrit text in Matsuda 2013, p. 940 ad Lamotte VIII.40). The term bhikṣā literally corresponds to the French concept of “mendicité.”
n.­263
gzung bar bgyi; dhārayāmi (cf. Sanskrit text in Matsuda 2013, p. 940 ad Lamotte VIII.41). I suggest reading dhārayāmi, which is a causative present, as an optative here.
n.­264
This concluding passage is similar to the one concluding chapter 7 (see 7.­33).
n.­308
See translation of VinSg 16 in Sakuma 1990, p. 202: “Der Dharmakāya der Tathāgatas ist dadurch charakterisiert, daß die [ihn konstituierende] ‘Umgestaltung der Grundlage’ daraus hervorgegangen ist, daß man die [Bodhisattva-]Stufen und Vollkommenheiten durch intensive Übung gemeistert hat.”
n.­309
mngon par ’du bya ba med pa; anabhisaṃskāraṇa.

b.

Bibliography

Tibetan Sources

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’phags pa dgongs pa nges par ’grel pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 49, pp. 3–131.

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Wonch’uk. dgongs pa zab mo nges par ’grel pa’i mdo rgya cher ’grel pa (*Ārya­gambhīra­saṃdhi­nirmocana­sūtraṭīkā) Toh 4016, Degé Tengyur vol. 118 (mdo ’grel, ti), folios 1.b–291.a; vol. 119 (mdo ’grel, thi), folios 1.b–175.a.

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Other Canonical Sources for Samdh.

Bd3.7 vol. 3 (ta) pha, folios 1.b–84.a

C747 vol. 29 (mdo sde, ca), folios 1.b–71.a

Dd031-001 (mdo ca), folios 1.b–69.b

Dk034-001 (mdo na), folios 1.b–87.b

Do (mdo sde, da), folios 196.a–246.b

F156 vol. 68 (mdo sde, tsha), folios 1.b–72.a

Go19,01 vol. 19 (ka), folios 1.b–36.a

Gt028-001 (mdo na), folios 1.b–72.b

H109 vol. 51 (mdo sde, ca), folios 1.b–87.b

He64.6 (mdo, wa), folios 62.b–125.b

J51 vol. 44 (mdo sde, ca), folios 1.b–59.b

Kǫ774 vol. 29 (mdo sna tshogs, ngu), folios 1.b–60.b

L82 vol. 42 (mdo sde, na), folios 1.b–80.b

N94 vol. 51 (mdo sde, ca) folios 1.a–81.a.

Np012-001 (mdo na), folios 1.b–87.a

Pj043-001 (mdo ca), folios 1.b–62.b

Pz045-001 (mdo ca), folios 1.b–61.a

R106 vol. 49 (mdo sde, ca), folios 1.b–55.b

S106 vol. 63 (mdo sde, na), folios 1.b–80.b

U106 vol. 49 (mdo sde, ca), folios 1.b–55.b

X (mdo sde, wa), folios 66.a–132.a

Z137 vol. 59 (mdo, na), folios 1.b–93.a

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‍—‍—‍—(1987b). “A Comparative Edition of the Old and New Tibetan Translations of the Saṃdhi­nirmocana-sūtra (III).” In Komazawa daigaku bukkyōgakubu ronshū 18, 606(1)–572(35), 1986.

Hopkins, Jeffrey (1999). Emptiness in the Mind-Only School of Buddhism. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999.

‍—‍—‍—(2002). Reflections on Reality: The Three Natures and Non-Natures in the Mind-Only School. Dynamic Responses to D̄zong-ka-b̄a’s “The Essence of Eloquence” 2. London: University of California Press, 2002.

‍—‍—‍—(2006). Absorption in No External World: 170 Issues in Mind Only Buddhism. Dynamic Responses to D̄zong-ka-b̄a’s “The Essence of Eloquence” 3. Ithaca: Snow Lion, 2006.

Kapstein, Matthew (1988). “Mi-pham’s Theory of Interpretation.” In Buddhist Hermeneutics edited by Donald Lopez. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 1988: 149–174

‍—‍—‍—. Reason’s Traces: Identity and Interpretation in Indian and Tibetan Buddhist Thought. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2001.

Katō, Kojirō (2002). “Pratibimba in the Context of Vijñaptimātra Theory: A Comparative Study of the Śrāvakabhūmi and the Sandhinirmocanasūtra (Chap. VI).” In Studies in Indian Philosophy and Buddhism, 53–65. Tokyo: Tokyo University, 2002.

‍—‍—‍—(2004). “On the Terms vijñaptimatratā and vijñaptitathatā as Found in the Sandhinirmocanasūtra.” Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies (=Indobukkyogaku Kenkyu) 52, no. 2 (2004): 38–40.

‍—‍—‍—(2006). “On the Tibetan Text of the Saṃdhi­nirmocana­sūtra: Towards a Comparative Study of Manuscripts and Editions which belong to the East and West Recensions.” Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies (=Indobukkyogaku Kenkyu) 54, no. 3 (2006): 1205–11.

‍—‍—‍—(2011). “On the Two Different Interpretations of paramārthaniḥsvabhāva in the Saṃdhi­nirmocana­sūtra 7.6.” Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies (=Indobukkyogaku Kenkyu) 59, no. 2 (2011): 976–81.

‍—‍—‍—(forthcoming). Critical edition of the Sandhinirmocanasūtra. PhD diss., University of Tokyo.

Kawasaki, Shinjo. “Analysis of yoga in the Sandhinirmocanasūtra.” Buzan Gakuho 21 (1976): 170–156.

Keenan, John Peter (1980). “A Study of the Buddhabhūmyupadeśa: The Doctrinal Development of the Notion of Wisdom in Yogācāra Thought.” PhD diss., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1980.

‍—‍—‍— (2000). The Scripture on the Explication of Underlying Meaning: Translated from the Chinese of Hsüan-tsang. BDK English Tripiṭaka 25-4. Berkeley: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 2000.

Kritzer, Robert. “Rūpa and the Antarābhava.” Journal of Indian Philosophy 29 (2000): 235–72.

Lamotte, Étienne (1935). Saṃdhi­nirmocana sūtra: l’explication des mystères. Louvain: Bureaux du recueil, Bibliothèque de l’Universit́e, 1935.

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La Vallée Poussin, Louis de (1925). L’Abhidharmakośa de Vasubandhu. Paris: P. Geuthner, 1925.

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Lévi, Sylvain. Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi: deux traités de Vasubandhu : Viṁśatikā (La vingtaine) accompagnée d’une explication en prose, et Triṁśikā (La trentaine) avec le commentaire de Sthiramati. Paris: H. Champion, 1925.

Lin, Chen Kuo (1991). The Saṃdhi­nirmocana Sūtra: A Liberating Hermeneutic. PhD diss., Temple University, 1991.

‍—‍—‍—(2010). “Truth and method in the Saṃdhi­nirmocana Sūtra.” Journal of Chinese Philosophy 37 (2010): 261–75.

Lusthaus, Dan. Buddhist Phenomenology: A Philosophical Investigation of Yogācāra Buddhism and the “Ch’eng Wei-shih lun.” London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2002.

Mathes, Klaus-Dieter. “The Ontological Status of the Dependent (paratantra) in the Saṃdhi­nirmocana­sūtra and the Vyākhyāyukti.” In Indica et Tibetica: Festschrift für Michael Hahn, edited by Konrad Klaus and Jens-Uwe Hartmann, 323–39. Vienna: Arbeitskreis für Tibetische und Buddhistische Studien Universität Wien, 2007.

Matsuda, Kazunobu (1995). “Sanskrit Text of the Bodhisattva’s Ten Stages in the Saṃdhi­nirmocana­sūtra: Based on the Kathmandu Fragment of the Yogācāra­bhūmi.” Bulletin of the Research Institute of Bukkyō University 2 (1995): 59–77.

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Obermiller, Eugéne. Analysis of the Abhisamayālaṃkāra. London: Luzac, 1933.

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g.

Glossary

g.­1

Abiding in phenomena

  • chos gnas pa nyid
  • ཆོས་གནས་པ་ཉིད།
  • dharmasthititā

1 passage contains this term:

  • 4.­10

Links to further resources:

  • 7 related glossary entries
g.­2

Absorption

  • snyoms par ’jug pa
  • སྙོམས་པར་འཇུག་པ།
  • samāpatti

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the synonyms for the meditative state. The Tibetan translators interpreted it as sama-āpatti, which brings in the idea of “equal” or “level”; however, it can also be parsed as sam-āpatti, in which case it would have the sense of “concentration” or “absorption,” much like samādhi, but with the added sense of “attainment.”

5 passages contain this term:

  • 8.­34
  • 8.­35
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­5
  • g.­359

Links to further resources:

  • 27 related glossary entries
g.­3

Absorption in the state of cessation

  • ’gog pa la snyoms par zhugs pa
  • འགོག་པ་ལ་སྙོམས་པར་ཞུགས་པ།
  • nirodhasamāpatti

See Mvyut 1500 and 1988.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 10.­9

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­4

Accept

  • len
  • ལེན།
  • ādadante

cf. Sanskrit text in Matsuda 2013, p. 940 ad Lamotte VIII.40.

8 passages contain this term:

  • i.­21
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­21
  • 7.­23
  • 8.­40
  • n.­136
  • n.­343
g.­6

Accomplishment of the goal

  • dgos pa yongs su grub pa
  • དགོས་པ་ཡོངས་སུ་གྲུབ་པ།
  • kṛtyānuṣṭhāna

8 passages contain this term:

  • i.­16
  • 8.­2
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­35
  • 8.­36
  • n.­230
  • n.­231
  • n.­239
g.­10

Actual

  • yongs su grub pa
  • ཡོངས་སུ་གྲུབ་པ།
  • pariniṣpanna

See n.­125.

11 passages contain this term:

  • i.­6
  • i.­12
  • 6.­6
  • 9.­18
  • 10.­7
  • n.­54
  • n.­64
  • n.­95
  • n.­125
  • n.­181
  • n.­191

Links to further resources:

  • 5 related glossary entries
g.­11

Actual defining characteristic

  • yongs su grub pa’i mtshan nyid
  • ཡོངས་སུ་གྲུབ་པའི་མཚན་ཉིད།
  • pari­niṣpanna­lakṣaṇa

15 passages contain this term:

  • i.­10
  • i.­11
  • i.­12
  • i.­17
  • 6.­3
  • 6.­7
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­10
  • 6.­11
  • 7.­6
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­25
  • 7.­26
  • 7.­27
  • 8.­31
g.­13

Actualization

  • mngon du bya ba
  • མངོན་དུ་བྱ་བ།
  • sākṣātkāra

6 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­1
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­4
  • 7.­1
  • 10.­5
  • g.­181
g.­14

Actually refer to

  • mngon par rjod pas rjod pa
  • མངོན་པར་རྗོད་པས་རྗོད་པ།
  • abhivadamānā
  • abhivadanti

Mahāvyutpatti 1290.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 8.­13
g.­15

Affliction

  • kun nas nyon mongs pa
  • ཀུན་ནས་ཉོན་མོངས་པ།
  • saṃkleśa

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A term meaning defilement, impurity, and pollution, broadly referring to cognitive and emotional factors that disturb and obscure the mind. As the self-perpetuating process of affliction in the minds of beings, it is a synonym for saṃsāra. It is often paired with its opposite, vyavadāna, meaning “purification.”

30 passages contain this term:

  • i.­8
  • i.­10
  • i.­12
  • i.­17
  • i.­23
  • p.­1
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­6
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­12
  • 7.­9
  • 7.­10
  • 7.­12
  • 7.­13
  • 8.­19
  • 8.­20
  • 8.­22
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­31
  • 8.­35
  • 8.­36
  • 9.­4
  • 9.­7
  • 9.­20
  • 9.­22
  • 10.­5
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­8
  • n.­279

Links to further resources:

  • 15 related glossary entries
g.­16

Aggregate

  • phung pho
  • ཕུང་ཕོ།
  • skandha

The five skandhas (pañcaskandha) are: forms (rūpa), sensation (vedanā), conception (saṃjñā), formations (saṃskāra), consciousness (vijñāna).

16 passages contain this term:

  • i.­11
  • i.­14
  • i.­19
  • 2.­3
  • 4.­2
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­9
  • 4.­10
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­25
  • 8.­20
  • 8.­21
  • 8.­38
  • 9.­32
  • n.­92

Links to further resources:

  • 57 related glossary entries
g.­17

Analysis

  • brtag pa
  • བརྟག་པ།
  • parīkṣā

5 passages contain this term:

  • i.­21
  • 10.­7
  • n.­106
  • n.­120
  • n.­181

Links to further resources:

  • 1 related glossary entry
g.­18

Analytical knowledge

  • so sor yang dag par rig pa
  • སོ་སོར་ཡང་དག་པར་རིག་པ།
  • pratisaṃvid

See Har Dayal 2004, p. 260ff.

7 passages contain this term:

  • 8.­19
  • 8.­21
  • 8.­27
  • 8.­35
  • 9.­3
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­12

Links to further resources:

  • 22 related glossary entries
g.­19

Analytical knowledge of designations

  • chos so sor yang dag par rig pa
  • ཆོས་སོ་སོར་ཡང་དག་པར་རིག་པ།
  • dharma­prati­saṃvid

3 passages contain this term:

  • i.­17
  • 8.­19
  • 8.­29

Links to further resources:

  • 4 related glossary entries
g.­20

Analytical knowledge of the objects of designation

  • don so sor yang dag par rig pa
  • དོན་སོ་སོར་ཡང་དག་པར་རིག་པ།
  • ārthapratisaṃvid

4 passages contain this term:

  • 8.­19
  • 8.­20
  • 8.­22
  • 8.­23

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­21

Analyze

  • so sor rtog par byed
  • so sor rtog pa
  • སོ་སོར་རྟོག་པར་བྱེད།
  • སོ་སོར་རྟོག་པ།
  • pratyavekṣaṇa
  • pratyavekṣa

The term so sor rtog pa has two meanings in our text: (1) analysis (pratyavekṣa) and (2) comprehension, realization, awakening (pratibodha).

6 passages contain this term:

  • i.­16
  • i.­54
  • i.­59
  • 3.­2
  • 8.­4
  • 10.­7
g.­23

Appearance

  • snang ba
  • སྣང་བ།
  • pratibhāsa

8 passages contain this term:

  • i.­7
  • 1.­5
  • 7.­19
  • 8.­8
  • 8.­17
  • 8.­28
  • n.­162
  • n.­186

Links to further resources:

  • 1 related glossary entry
g.­24

Appearancelessness

  • mtshan ma med pa
  • མཚན་མ་མེད་པ།
  • animitta

One of the three gates of liberation along with emptiness and wishlessness.

5 passages contain this term:

  • i.­2
  • p.­1
  • 9.­18
  • g.­188
  • g.­409

Links to further resources:

  • 36 related glossary entries
g.­25

Applications of mindfulness

  • dran pa nye bar gzhag pa
  • དྲན་པ་ཉེ་བར་གཞག་པ།
  • smṛtyupasthāna

The four foundations of mindfulness refers to the application of mindfulness to: the body, sensations, the mind, phenomena.

8 passages contain this term:

  • 4.­5
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­9
  • 4.­10
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­26
  • 8.­21
  • 10.­7

Links to further resources:

  • 26 related glossary entries
g.­26

Appropriating cognition

  • len pa’i rnam par shes pa
  • ལེན་པའི་རྣམ་པར་ཤེས་པ།
  • ādānavijñāna

10 passages contain this term:

  • i.­9
  • i.­18
  • i.­55
  • 5.­3
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­6
  • 5.­7
  • 8.­37
  • n.­104
g.­28

Aspiration

  • smon lam
  • སྨོན་ལམ།
  • praṇidhāna

5 passages contain this term:

  • 8.­1
  • 9.­8
  • 9.­10
  • 9.­13
  • 9.­33

Links to further resources:

  • 7 related glossary entries
g.­30

Assumption

  • mngon par zhen pa
  • མངོན་པར་ཞེན་པ།
  • abhiniviśanti

2 passages contain this term:

  • 9.­13
  • n.­66

Links to further resources:

  • 10 related glossary entries
g.­32

Attending

  • rjes su dpyod pa
  • རྗེས་སུ་དཔྱོད་པ།
  • anucaranti

3 passages contain this term:

  • i.­17
  • 8.­17
  • 9.­5
g.­34

Avaloki­teśvara

  • spyan ras gzigs
  • ’phags pa spyan ras gzigs dbang phyug
  • སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས།
  • འཕགས་པ་སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་དབང་ཕྱུག
  • Avaloki­teśvara
  • Āryāva­loki­teśvara

The bodhisattva who embodies compassion, also mentioned in this text as Āryāva­loki­teśvara, the noble Avaloki­teśvara.

34 passages contain this term:

  • i.­2
  • i.­4
  • p.­4
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­5
  • 9.­6
  • 9.­7
  • 9.­8
  • 9.­9
  • 9.­10
  • 9.­11
  • 9.­12
  • 9.­13
  • 9.­14
  • 9.­15
  • 9.­16
  • 9.­17
  • 9.­18
  • 9.­19
  • 9.­20
  • 9.­21
  • 9.­22
  • 9.­23
  • 9.­24
  • 9.­25
  • 9.­26
  • 9.­27
  • 9.­28
  • 9.­29
  • 9.­30
  • 9.­31
  • 9.­33

Links to further resources:

  • 58 related glossary entries
g.­35

Awakening

  • byang chub
  • བྱང་ཆུབ།
  • bodhi

44 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1
  • i.­5
  • i.­6
  • i.­21
  • i.­56
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­3
  • 2.­2
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­6
  • 4.­7
  • 6.­6
  • 7.­15
  • 7.­16
  • 7.­19
  • 7.­33
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­10
  • 8.­13
  • 8.­17
  • 8.­20
  • 8.­21
  • 8.­36
  • 8.­40
  • 8.­41
  • 9.­5
  • 9.­18
  • 9.­19
  • 9.­23
  • 9.­24
  • 9.­31
  • 10.­4
  • 10.­5
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­10
  • n.­80
  • n.­82
  • n.­95
  • n.­126
  • n.­191
  • n.­231
  • g.­178
  • g.­224

Links to further resources:

  • 9 related glossary entries
g.­39

Bahuvrīhi

  • —
  • —
  • bahuvrīhi

Type of Sanskrit compound.

14 passages contain this term:

  • i.­42
  • i.­45
  • i.­50
  • n.­36
  • n.­53
  • n.­73
  • n.­86
  • n.­94
  • n.­135
  • n.­165
  • n.­311
  • n.­327
  • n.­361
  • n.­370
g.­40

Bases of supernatural powers

  • rdzu ’phrul gyi rkang pa
  • རྫུ་འཕྲུལ་གྱི་རྐང་པ།
  • ṛddhipādaḥ

The four bases of supernatural powers (ṛddhipāda, rdzu ’phrul gyi rkang pa bzhi) are: (1) concentration through will (chanda, ’dun pa), (2) concentration through vigor (vīrya, brtson ’grus), (3) concentration through the mind (citta, bsam pa), and (4) concentration through investigation (mīmāṃsā, dpyod pa ). See Rahula 2001, p. 163.

6 passages contain this term:

  • 4.­5
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­9
  • 4.­10
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­26

Links to further resources:

  • 31 related glossary entries
g.­41

Belief in a perduring self

  • ’jig tshogs la lta ba
  • འཇིག་ཚོགས་ལ་ལྟ་བ།
  • satkāyadṛṣṭi

1 passage contains this term:

  • 8.­29

Links to further resources:

  • 16 related glossary entries
g.­43

Bichiliocosm

  • stong gnyis pa bar ma’i ’jig rten gyi khams
  • སྟོང་གཉིས་པ་བར་མའི་འཇིག་རྟེན་གྱི་ཁམས།
  • dvitīyamadhyama sāhasralokadhātu

Equal to a thousand universes of a thousand worlds (i.e., a universe of a million worlds).

2 passages contain this term:

  • 8.­20
  • g.­371

Links to further resources:

  • 5 related glossary entries
g.­44

Binding

  • ’ching ba
  • འཆིང་བ།
  • bandhana

2 passages contain this term:

  • 8.­30
  • g.­299
g.­45

Blessed one

  • bcom ldan ’das
  • བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས།
  • bhagavān
  • bhagavat

An epithet for a buddha.

114 passages contain this term:

  • p.­1
  • p.­2
  • p.­3
  • p.­4
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­4
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­7
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­7
  • 4.­12
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­7
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­12
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­18
  • 7.­19
  • 7.­24
  • 7.­25
  • 7.­26
  • 7.­27
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­29
  • 7.­30
  • 7.­31
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­33
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­2
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­5
  • 8.­6
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­8
  • 8.­9
  • 8.­10
  • 8.­12
  • 8.­13
  • 8.­14
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­16
  • 8.­17
  • 8.­18
  • 8.­19
  • 8.­24
  • 8.­25
  • 8.­26
  • 8.­27
  • 8.­28
  • 8.­29
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­31
  • 8.­32
  • 8.­33
  • 8.­34
  • 8.­35
  • 8.­36
  • 8.­38
  • 8.­39
  • 8.­40
  • 8.­41
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­4
  • 9.­5
  • 9.­6
  • 9.­7
  • 9.­8
  • 9.­9
  • 9.­10
  • 9.­11
  • 9.­12
  • 9.­13
  • 9.­14
  • 9.­15
  • 9.­16
  • 9.­17
  • 9.­18
  • 9.­19
  • 9.­20
  • 9.­21
  • 9.­22
  • 9.­23
  • 9.­24
  • 9.­25
  • 9.­26
  • 9.­27
  • 9.­28
  • 9.­29
  • 9.­30
  • 9.­31
  • 9.­32
  • 9.­33
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­3
  • 10.­4
  • 10.­5
  • 10.­6
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­8
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­10
  • 10.­11
  • 10.­12
  • n.­167
  • n.­173
  • n.­200

Links to further resources:

  • 116 related glossary entries
g.­46

Body afflicted by corruption

  • gnas ngan len gyi lus
  • གནས་ངན་ལེན་གྱི་ལུས།
  • dauṣṭhulyakāya

8 passages contain this term:

  • i.­22
  • i.­24
  • i.­25
  • 8.­34
  • 9.­4
  • 10.­8
  • n.­4
  • n.­191
g.­47

Branches of awakening

  • byang chub kyi yan lag
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་ཡན་ལག
  • bodhyaṅgāni

The seven branches of awakening are: (1) correct mindfulness, (2) correct discrimination of dharmas, (3) correct vigor, (4) correct joy, (5) correct flexibility, (6) correct concentration, and (7) correct equanimity.

7 passages contain this term:

  • 4.­5
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­9
  • 4.­10
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­26
  • n.­93

Links to further resources:

  • 40 related glossary entries
g.­48

Bring together

  • kun ’byung ba
  • ཀུན་འབྱུང་བ།
  • samudaya

3 passages contain this term:

  • i.­43
  • 8.­15
  • n.­171

Links to further resources:

  • 2 related glossary entries
g.­49

Buddha field

  • sangs rgyas kyi zhing
  • སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཞིང་།
  • buddhakṣetra

Also translated as “buddha realm.”

3 passages contain this term:

  • 8.­37
  • 10.­4
  • g.­50

Links to further resources:

  • 25 related glossary entries
g.­51

Buddha Stage

  • sangs rgyas kyi sa
  • སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ས།
  • buddhabhūmi

The name of a bodhisattva stage.

7 passages contain this term:

  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­4
  • 9.­5
  • 9.­6
  • 9.­20
  • 9.­29

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­55

Changing opinions

  • blo gros tha dad pa
  • བློ་གྲོས་ཐ་དད་པ།
  • matibheda

1 passage contains this term:

  • 2.­1
g.­56

Characterized by

  • rab tu phye ba
  • རབ་ཏུ་ཕྱེ་བ།
  • prabhāvita

See Schmithausen 2014, p. 557, §512.1. Also translated here as “consisting in” and “constituted.”

30 passages contain this term:

  • i.­8
  • i.­10
  • i.­22
  • i.­42
  • i.­45
  • p.­1
  • 2.­2
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­6
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­7
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­9
  • 4.­10
  • 4.­11
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­12
  • 7.­6
  • 7.­9
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­10
  • n.­165
  • n.­180
  • n.­181
  • n.­370
  • g.­83
  • g.­87

Links to further resources:

  • 4 related glossary entries
g.­59

Cloud of Dharma

  • chos kyi sprin
  • ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྤྲིན།
  • dharmameghā

The name of a bodhisattva stage.

2 passages contain this term:

  • 9.­1
  • 9.­4

Links to further resources:

  • 8 related glossary entries
g.­60

Cognition

  • rnam par shes pa
  • རྣམ་པར་ཤེས་པ།
  • vijñāna

26 passages contain this term:

  • i.­4
  • i.­9
  • i.­10
  • i.­12
  • i.­16
  • i.­18
  • i.­22
  • i.­44
  • i.­55
  • i.­58
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­3
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­6
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­20
  • 8.­37
  • 10.­9
  • n.­101
  • n.­108
  • n.­181
  • g.­16
  • g.­161
  • g.­258

Links to further resources:

  • 21 related glossary entries
g.­61

Cognition that is personal and intuitive

  • so sor rang rig pa
  • སོ་སོར་རང་རིག་པ།
  • pratyātmavedya
  • pratyātmavedanīya
  • pratyātmajñāna
  • prātyatmam

1 passage contains this term:

  • 8.­36
g.­63

Communication

  • ming du bya ba
  • མིང་དུ་བྱ་བ།
  • saṃjñāpya

1 passage contains this term:

  • 8.­19
g.­64

Complete equanimity

  • lhag par btang snyoms
  • ལྷག་པར་བཏང་སྙོམས།
  • adhyupekṣya

1 passage contains this term:

  • 8.­36
g.­65

Completely

  • thams cad kyi thams cad
  • ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་ཐམས་ཅད།
  • sarveṇa sarvam

Mahāvyutpatti 6405.

2 passages contain this term:

  • 5.­6
  • 8.­38
g.­66

Comprehension

  • yongs su shes pa
  • ཡོངས་སུ་ཤེས་པ།
  • parijñā

11 passages contain this term:

  • i.­44
  • 4.­3
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­25
  • 7.­26
  • 8.­21
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­24
  • 10.­5
  • n.­187
  • g.­181

Links to further resources:

  • 2 related glossary entries
g.­67

Concentrated

  • mnyam par bzhag pa
  • མཉམ་པར་བཞག་པ།
  • samāhita

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A state of deep concentration in which the mind is absorbed in its object to such a degree that conceptual thought is suspended. It is sometimes interpreted as settling (āhita) the mind in equanimity (sama).

1 passage contains this term:

  • 8.­36

Links to further resources:

  • 11 related glossary entries
g.­68

Concentration

  • ting nge ’dzin
  • ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན།
  • samādhi

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In a general sense, samādhi can describe a number of different meditative states. In the Mahāyāna literature, in particular in the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras, we find extensive lists of different samādhis, numbering over one hundred.

In a more restricted sense, and when understood as a mental state, samādhi is defined as the one-pointedness of the mind (cittaikāgratā), the ability to remain on the same object over long periods of time. The sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa commentary on the Mahāvyutpatti explains the term samādhi as referring to the instrument through which mind and mental states “get collected,” i.e., it is by the force of samādhi that the continuum of mind and mental states becomes collected on a single point of reference without getting distracted.

23 passages contain this term:

  • i.­16
  • i.­17
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­5
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­9
  • 8.­10
  • 8.­17
  • 8.­24
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­32
  • 8.­34
  • 8.­37
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­4
  • 9.­18
  • 9.­33
  • n.­181
  • n.­200
  • g.­167
  • g.­168
  • g.­258
  • g.­359

Links to further resources:

  • 76 related glossary entries
g.­69

Conception

  • ’du shes
  • འདུ་ཤེས།
  • saṃjñā

15 passages contain this term:

  • i.­6
  • i.­10
  • i.­44
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­5
  • 7.­10
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­20
  • 8.­37
  • 9.­18
  • 9.­19
  • 9.­20
  • 10.­5
  • n.­191
  • g.­16

Links to further resources:

  • 28 related glossary entries
g.­71

Conceptualization

  • rnam rtog
  • rnam par rtog pa
  • རྣམ་རྟོག
  • རྣམ་པར་རྟོག་པ།
  • vikalpa

13 passages contain this term:

  • i.­12
  • i.­16
  • p.­4
  • 1.­5
  • 5.­2
  • 7.­25
  • 7.­26
  • 7.­27
  • 8.­2
  • 8.­34
  • 8.­36
  • 8.­37
  • n.­84

Links to further resources:

  • 14 related glossary entries
g.­74

Conditioned

  • ’du byas
  • འདུ་བྱས།
  • saṃskṛta

25 passages contain this term:

  • i.­6
  • i.­7
  • i.­8
  • i.­9
  • i.­10
  • i.­12
  • i.­17
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­5
  • 3.­5
  • 4.­10
  • 8.­36
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­17
  • 10.­5
  • 10.­7
  • n.­64
  • n.­76
  • n.­88
  • n.­125
  • n.­290
  • g.­161

Links to further resources:

  • 7 related glossary entries
g.­75

Conditioned phenomena

  • ’du byed
  • འདུ་བྱེད།
  • saṃskāra

Also translated here as “conditioning mental factors.”

33 passages contain this term:

  • i.­4
  • i.­8
  • i.­10
  • i.­11
  • i.­13
  • i.­15
  • i.­17
  • i.­20
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­6
  • 3.­7
  • 6.­12
  • 7.­11
  • 7.­12
  • 7.­13
  • 8.­12
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­20
  • 8.­29
  • 10.­7
  • n.­76
  • n.­80
  • n.­82
  • n.­100
  • n.­217
  • n.­337
  • n.­339
  • g.­76
  • g.­182

Links to further resources:

  • 40 related glossary entries
g.­76

Conditioning mental factors

  • ’du byed
  • འདུ་བྱེད།
  • saṃskāra

Also translated here as “conditioned phenomena.”

4 passages contain this term:

  • 6.­5
  • 8.­30
  • n.­134
  • g.­75

Links to further resources:

  • 40 related glossary entries
g.­78

Conducive

  • grogs
  • གྲོགས།
  • sahāya

7 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­19
  • 8.­20
  • 9.­28
  • 10.­7
g.­80

Confusion

  • ’khrul pa
  • འཁྲུལ་པ།
  • bhrānta

7 passages contain this term:

  • i.­12
  • i.­58
  • 8.­33
  • 8.­35
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­5
  • n.­317

Links to further resources:

  • 1 related glossary entry
g.­82

Consideration

  • yongs su rtog pa
  • ཡོངས་སུ་རྟོག་པ།
  • paritarka

3 passages contain this term:

  • i.­59
  • p.­4
  • 8.­4

Links to further resources:

  • 9 related glossary entries
g.­83

Consisting in

  • rab tu phye ba
  • རབ་ཏུ་ཕྱེ་བ།
  • prabhāvita

Also translated here as “characterized by” and “constituted.” See Schmithausen 2014, p. 557, §512.1.

8 passages contain this term:

  • i.­42
  • 8.­30
  • 9.­4
  • 9.­5
  • n.­162
  • n.­290
  • g.­56
  • g.­87

Links to further resources:

  • 4 related glossary entries
g.­85

Constant

  • rnam par gnas pa
  • རྣམ་པར་གནས་པ།
  • vyavasthita

2 passages contain this term:

  • 4.­10
  • 8.­1
g.­86

Constituent

  • khams
  • ཁམས།
  • dhātu

The eighteen constituents are: eye, visual object, visual consciousness; ear, sound, auditive consciousness; nose, smell, olfactory consciousness; tongue, taste, gustative consciousness; body, touch, tactile consciousness; mind, mental objects, mental consciousness. When it refers to six elements, they are: earth, water, fire, air, space, and consciousness.

9 passages contain this term:

  • 4.­4
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­9
  • 4.­10
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­25
  • n.­92
  • n.­100
  • n.­286

Links to further resources:

  • 56 related glossary entries
g.­87

Constituted

  • rab tu phye ba
  • རབ་ཏུ་ཕྱེ་བ།
  • prabhāvita

See Schmithausen 2014, p. 557, §512.1. Also translated here as “characterized by” and “consisting in.”

5 passages contain this term:

  • i.­16
  • 8.­7
  • n.­181
  • g.­56
  • g.­83

Links to further resources:

  • 4 related glossary entries
g.­92

Correct self-restraints

  • yang dag par spong ba
  • ཡང་དག་པར་སྤོང་བ།
  • samyakprahāṇa

See “four correct self-restraints.”

5 passages contain this term:

  • 4.­8
  • 4.­9
  • 4.­10
  • 7.­26
  • 8.­21

Links to further resources:

  • 22 related glossary entries
g.­93

Corruption

  • gnas ngan len
  • གནས་ངན་ལེན།
  • dauṣṭhulya

15 passages contain this term:

  • i.­16
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­7
  • 7.­24
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­32
  • 8.­34
  • 8.­36
  • 8.­37
  • 8.­38
  • 9.­5
  • 9.­29
  • 9.­30
  • n.­82
  • n.­191

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­98

Defilement

  • nyon mongs pa
  • ཉོན་མོངས་པ།
  • kleśa

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The essentially pure nature of mind is obscured and afflicted by various psychological defilements, which destroy the mind’s peace and composure and lead to unwholesome deeds of body, speech, and mind, acting as causes for continued existence in saṃsāra. Included among them are the primary afflictions of desire (rāga), anger (dveṣa), and ignorance (avidyā). It is said that there are eighty-four thousand of these negative mental qualities, for which the eighty-four thousand categories of the Buddha’s teachings serve as the antidote.

Kleśa is also commonly translated as “negative emotions,” “disturbing emotions,” and so on. The Pāli kilesa, Middle Indic kileśa, and Sanskrit kleśa all primarily mean “to soil,” “to stain,” or “to defile.” The translation “affliction” is a secondary development that derives from the more general (non-Buddhist) classical understanding of kliś (“to harm,“ “to afflict”). Both meanings are noted by Buddhist commentators.

24 passages contain this term:

  • i.­25
  • 7.­10
  • 7.­12
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­16
  • 7.­24
  • 8.­20
  • 8.­34
  • 8.­35
  • 8.­37
  • 9.­4
  • 9.­5
  • 9.­9
  • 9.­10
  • 9.­12
  • 9.­18
  • 9.­27
  • 9.­28
  • 9.­31
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­8
  • n.­191
  • n.­300
  • n.­301

Links to further resources:

  • 60 related glossary entries
g.­99

Defining characteristic

  • mtshan nyid
  • མཚན་ཉིད།
  • svabhāvalakṣaṇa

70 passages contain this term:

  • i.­4
  • i.­8
  • i.­10
  • i.­11
  • i.­13
  • i.­14
  • i.­15
  • i.­17
  • i.­20
  • i.­21
  • i.­55
  • 1.­1
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­3
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­6
  • 3.­7
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­10
  • 4.­11
  • 4.­12
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­3
  • 6.­6
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­12
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­5
  • 7.­7
  • 7.­8
  • 7.­10
  • 7.­12
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­22
  • 7.­24
  • 8.­20
  • 8.­21
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­29
  • 8.­31
  • 9.­31
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­10
  • n.­76
  • n.­80
  • n.­82
  • n.­88
  • n.­92
  • n.­94
  • n.­124
  • n.­125
  • n.­133
  • n.­134
  • n.­151
  • n.­162
  • n.­163
  • n.­343
  • n.­370

Links to further resources:

  • 8 related glossary entries
g.­100

Defining characteristic

  • mtshan nyid
  • མཚན་ཉིད།
  • lakṣaṇa

8 passages contain this term:

  • i.­4
  • i.­10
  • i.­42
  • i.­55
  • n.­94
  • n.­185
  • n.­327
  • n.­370

Links to further resources:

  • 8 related glossary entries
g.­101

Delusion

  • gti mug
  • གཏི་མུག
  • moha

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the three poisons (dug gsum) along with aversion and attachment which perpetuate the sufferings of cyclic existence. It is the obfuscating mental state which obstructs an individual from generating knowledge or insight, and it is said to be dominant characteristic of the animal world in general. Commonly rendered as confusion, delusion, ignorance or bewilderment.

4 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­6
  • 8.­21
  • 9.­5
  • g.­273

Links to further resources:

  • 13 related glossary entries
g.­105

Designation

  • btags pa
  • བཏགས་པ།
  • prajñapti

17 passages contain this term:

  • i.­10
  • i.­17
  • 7.­10
  • 7.­13
  • 8.­20
  • 8.­21
  • 8.­22
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­24
  • 8.­25
  • 8.­26
  • 8.­27
  • 8.­29
  • 8.­40
  • n.­63
  • n.­202
  • n.­218

Links to further resources:

  • 9 related glossary entries
g.­107

Dhāraṇī

  • gzungs
  • གཟུངས།
  • dhāraṇī

Also rendered here as “keeping it in mind,” “formula.”

6 passages contain this term:

  • i.­22
  • n.­191
  • n.­280
  • n.­363
  • g.­175
  • g.­229

Links to further resources:

  • 94 related glossary entries
g.­108

Dharma discourse

  • chos kyi rnam grangs
  • ཆོས་ཀྱི་རྣམ་གྲངས།
  • dharmaparyāya

5 passages contain this term:

  • 7.­33
  • 8.­41
  • 9.­33
  • 10.­12
  • n.­173

Links to further resources:

  • 16 related glossary entries
g.­110

Dharmodgata

  • chos ’phags
  • ཆོས་འཕགས།
  • Dharmodgata

A bodhisattva mahāsattva.

8 passages contain this term:

  • i.­2
  • i.­4
  • i.­50
  • p.­4
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­4

Links to further resources:

  • 2 related glossary entries
g.­111

Differentiating

  • rnam par ’byed pa
  • རྣམ་པར་འབྱེད་པ།
  • vibhājanā

3 passages contain this term:

  • i.­16
  • i.­59
  • 8.­4
g.­114

Direct their attention

  • yid la byed
  • ཡིད་ལ་བྱེད།
  • manasikāra

15 passages contain this term:

  • i.­16
  • i.­17
  • i.­44
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­5
  • 8.­9
  • 8.­13
  • 8.­14
  • 8.­17
  • 8.­19
  • 8.­26
  • 8.­29
  • 8.­34
  • 8.­36
  • 9.­10

Links to f