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This rendering does not include the entire published text

The full text is available to download as pdf at:
https://read.84000.co/data/toh127_84000-the-king-of-samadhis-sutra.pdf

ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན་གྱི་རྒྱལ་པོའི་མདོ།

The King of Samādhis Sūtra
The Patience of the Profound Dharma

Samādhi­rāja­sūtra
འཕགས་པ་ཆོས་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱི་རང་བཞིན་མཉམ་པ་ཉིད་རྣམ་པར་སྤྲོས་པ་ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན་གྱི་རྒྱལ་པོ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
’phags pa chos thams cad kyi rang bzhin mnyam pa nyid rnam par spros pa ting nge ’dzin gyi rgyal po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The King of Samādhis, the Revealed Equality of the Nature of All Phenomena”
Ārya­sarva­dharma­svabhāva­samatāvipañcita­samādhi­rāja­nāma­mahā­yāna­sūtra
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Toh 127

Degé Kangyur, vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 1.b–170.b

Translated by Peter Alan Roberts
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

First published 2018
Current version v 1.45.25 (2022)
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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
+ 4 sections- 4 sections
· History of the Sūtra
· The Contents
· The Translation
· Outline
tr. The Translation
+ 40 chapters- 40 chapters
1. The Introduction
2. Śālendrarāja
3. Praise of the Buddha’s Qualities
4. Samādhi
5. Ghoṣadatta
6. Cultivating the Samādhi
7. The Attainment of Patience
8. Buddha Abhāva­samudgata
9. The Patience of the Profound Dharma
10. The Entry into the City
11. Becoming a Keeper of the Sūtra
12. The Training According to the Samādhi
13. The Teaching of the Samādhi
14. The Buddha’s Smile
15. The Elucidation of the Buddha’s Smile
16. The Past
17. The Entranceway to the Samādhi That Is Taught by Many Buddhas
18. The Entrustment of the Samādhi
19. The Teaching of the Inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha
20. Indra­ketu­dhvaja­rāja
21. The Past
22. The Teaching on the Body
23. The Teaching on the Tathāgata’s Body
24. The Inconceivable Tathāgata
25. Engaging in Discernment
26. Rejoicing
27. The Benefits of Generosity
28. The Teaching on Correct Conduct
29. Ten Benefits
30. Tejaguṇarāja
31. Benefits
32. The Teaching on the Nature of All Phenomena
33. The Benefits of Possessing the Sūtra
34. Kṣemadatta
35. Jñānāvatī
36. Supuṣpacandra
37. Teaching the Aggregate of Correct Conduct
38. Yaśaḥprabha
39. Restraint of the Body, Speech, and Mind
40. [Untitled]
c. Colophon
ab. Abbreviations
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· Tibetan Editions of the Samādhirājasūtra
· Sanskrit Editions of the Samādhirājasūtra
· Other canonical references
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· Kangyur
· Tengyur
· Non-Canonical Tibetan Sources
· Western Publications
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

This sūtra, much quoted in later Buddhist writings for its profound statements especially on the nature of emptiness, relates a long teaching given by the Buddha mainly in response to questions put by a young layman, Candraprabha. The samādhi that is the subject of the sūtra, in spite of its name, primarily consists of various aspects of conduct, motivation, and the understanding of emptiness; it is also a way of referring to the sūtra itself. The teaching given in the sūtra is the instruction to be dedicated to the possession and promulgation of the samādhi, and to the necessary conduct of a bodhisattva, which is exemplified by a number of accounts from the Buddha’s previous lives. Most of the teaching takes place on Vulture Peak Mountain, with an interlude recounting the Buddha’s invitation and visit to Candraprabha’s home in Rājagṛha, where he continues to teach Candraprabha before returning to Vulture Peak Mountain. In one subsequent chapter the Buddha responds to a request by Ānanda, and the text concludes with a commitment by Ānanda to maintain this teaching in the future.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

Translated from the Tibetan, with reference to Sanskrit editions, by Peter Alan Roberts. The Chinese consultant was Ling-Lung Chen. Edited by Emily Bower and Ben Gleason.

This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.


ac.­2

The generous donation of an anonymous donor, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.


i.

Introduction

i.­1

The Samādhi­rāja­sūtra, or King of Samādhis Sūtra, is one of the earlier Mahāyāna sūtras to appear in India. It contains teachings on emptiness, bodhisattva conduct, and mendicancy, as well as tales of previous lifetimes and prophecies for the future. Its teaching on emptiness is much quoted by such Mādhyamaka masters as Candrakīrti and Śāntideva, as well as in later Buddhist literature.

History of the Sūtra

The Contents

The Translation

Outline


The Translation
The Mahāyāna Sūtra
The King of Samādhis, the Revealed Equality of the Nature of All Phenomena

1.
Chapter 1

The Introduction

[F.1.b] [B1]


1.­1

I pay homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.8


1.­2

Thus have I heard at one time: The Bhagavān was residing at Vulture Peak Mountain in Rājagṛha together with a great bhikṣu saṅgha of a full hundred thousand bhikṣus, and together with eighty quintillion9 bodhisattvas,10 all of whom had one rebirth remaining, were renowned for their higher cognitions,11 and had gathered there from the worlds in the ten directions; they had complete mastery12 of the dhāraṇīs13 and sūtras; they satisfied all beings with the gift of the Dharma; they were skilled in speaking of the wisdom of the higher cognitions; they had attained the highest perfection of all the highest perfections; [F.2.a] they were skilled in the knowledge of remaining in all bodhisattva samādhis and samāpattis; they had been praised, extolled, and lauded by all the buddhas;14 they were skilled in miraculously going to all buddha realms; they were skilled in the knowledge of terrifying all māras;15 they were skilled in the correct knowledge of the nature of all phenomena; they were skilled in the knowledge of the higher and lower capabilities of all beings; they were skilled in the knowledge of accomplishing the activity of offering to all the buddhas; they were unstained by any of the worldly concerns; they had perfectly adorned bodies, speech, and minds;16 they wore the armor of great love and great compassion; they had great undiminishing diligence throughout countless eons; they roared the great lion’s roar; they could not be defeated by any opponent;17 they were sealed with nonregression; and they had received the consecration of the Dharma from all buddhas.18 They were the bodhisattva mahāsattvas Meru, Sumeru, Mahāmeru,19 Meru­śikhara­dhara,20 Meru­pradīpa­rāja, Merukūṭa, Merudhvaja, Merurāja,21 Meru­śikhara­saṁghaṭṭana­rāja,22 Merusvara, Megharāja, Dundubhisvara, Ratnapāṇi,23 Ratnākara, Ratnaketu, Ratnaśikhara, Ratnasaṁbhava, Ratnaprabhāsa, Ratnayaṣṭi, Ratna­mudrā­hasta, Ratnavyūha, Ratnajāli, Ratnaprabha, Ratnadvīpa, [F.2.b] Ratiṁkara, Dharmavyūha, Vyūharāja, Lakṣaṇa­samalaṁkṛta, Svaravyūha, Svara­viśuddhi­prabha, Ratnakūṭa, Ratnacūḍa,24 Daśa­śata­raśmihutārci,25 Jyotirasa, Candrabhānu, Saha­cittotpāda­dharma­cakra­pravartin, and Śubha­kanaka­viśuddhi­prabha, the bodhisatta mahāsattva Satatam­abhayaṁdad,26 and all the bodhisattva mahāsattvas of the Good Eon, such as the bodhisattva mahāsattva Ajita,27 and the sixty with incomparable minds,28 such as Mañjuśrī, and the sixteen good beings,29 such as Bhadrapāla,30 and the Four Mahārājas and the other Cāturmahā­rāja­kāyika devas, and so on31 up until Brahmā and the other Brahmakāyika devas. In addition there were also devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, who were all illustrious32 and renowned as being very powerful.33


2.
Chapter 2

Śālendrarāja

2.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, I remember that in the past, when I was practicing the conduct of a bodhisattva, I became a cakravartin. I desired this samādhi and I desired to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. For many hundred thousand quintillions172 of eons on this Vulture Peak Mountain I served, venerated, revered, honored, worshiped, and made offerings to many countless, innumerable tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas with the presentation of many hundred thousand quintillions of every kind of jewel, and various kinds of beautiful flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, parasols, banners, flags, music, musical instruments, flags of victory, and precious monasteries.173


3.
Chapter 3

Praise of the Buddha’s Qualities

3.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, therefore, if bodhisattva mahāsattvas wish to teach the buddha qualities as described by the Tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha, without any loss of meaning or words, and for all their words to come forth as those of the Buddha, then those bodhisattva mahāsattvas, young man, [F.10.a] should, for the sake of all beings, obtain197 this samādhi, understand198 it, preserve it,199 recite it to others,200 promote it,201 proclaim it,202 chant it,203 meditate on it with unadulterated204 meditation, promulgate it,205 and make it widely known to others.206


4.
Chapter 4

Samādhi

4.­1

Then the youth Candraprabha [F.12.b] rose from his seat, removed his robe from one shoulder, and, kneeling on his right knee with palms placed together, he bowed toward the Bhagavān and made this request: “If the Bhagavān will give me an opportunity to seek answers to them, I have a few questions for the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha.”


5.
Chapter 5

Ghoṣadatta

5.­1

Then the Bhagavān again addressed the youth Candraprabha, saying, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should think that they are like someone whose hair and clothes are on fire, and they should cast off father, mother, [F.14.b] son, daughter, family, kinsmen, relatives, kindred, wife, and so on, as if they were fire, throw away all the pleasures of a kingdom as if they were a lump of phlegm, turn toward solitude, and depart from home.


6.
Chapter 6

Cultivating the Samādhi

6.­1

The Bhagavān now said to the youth Candraprabha,300 “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should cultivate this samādhi.

6.­2

“Young man, what is the cultivation of this samādhi? [F.18.b] Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas with a compassionate mind are dedicated to making offerings to the tathāgatas, whether living or passed into nirvāṇa, of Dharma robes, alms, seat and bedding, medicines for when ill, and of monastic utensils, and of flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, aromatic powders, clothing, parasols, banners, and flags, and of music and musical instruments. They dedicate that root of merit to the attainment of samādhi. They do not make offerings to a tathāgata with the hope for anything at all‍—not with the hope for anything they desire, nor with the hope for any enjoyment, nor with the hope for a higher existence, nor with the hope for followers‍—but do so with the Dharma in mind. They do not even, with that wish, perceive the Tathāgata as the dharmakāya, let alone perceiving him as the rūpakāya.


7.
Chapter 7

The Attainment of Patience

7.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should become skilled in the wisdoms of the three kinds of patience. They should know the first patience. They should know the second patience. They should know the third patience. They should become skilled in the differences between the three kinds of patience and skilled in the differences between the wisdoms of the three kinds of patience.


8.
Chapter 8

Buddha Abhāva­samudgata

8.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should become skilled in the wisdom of the nonexistent nature of all phenomena.

8.­2

“Young man, what is being skilled in the wisdom of the nonexistent nature of all phenomena? Bodhisattva mahāsattvas know that all phenomena have no existence, have no essence, have no attributes, have no characteristics, have no origin, have no cessation, have no words, are empty, are primordial peace, and are pure by nature.


9.
Chapter 9

The Patience of the Profound Dharma

9.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, [F.24.b] “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood and liberate all beings from the ocean of existence should hear this king of samādhis, in which the equality of the nature of all phenomena is revealed, which is praised by all the buddhas and is the mother of the tathāgatas. They should obtain it, preserve it, understand it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgate it, and make it widely known to others.

9.­2

“Why is that? Young man, this king of samādhis, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, has given birth to all the tathāgatas, the arhats, the perfectly enlightened buddhas; all tathāgatas, śrāvakas, and pratyekabuddhas have come from it.

9.­3

“Therefore, young man, you also should obtain this king of samādhis, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, which is praised by all the buddhas and is the mother of the tathāgatas.326 It has been said:

9.­4
“Therefore, those who wish for enlightenment and buddhahood,
And to liberate beings from the ocean of existence,
Should obtain this sūtra praised by the buddhas,
And then sublime enlightenment will not be difficult to attain.”327
9.­5

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish328 to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood should become skilled329 in the patience of profound Dharma.330

9.­6

“Young man, how do bodhisattva mahāsattvas become skilled in the patience of profound Dharma?

“Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should know that all phenomena are like illusions. [F.25.a] They should know that all phenomena are like dreams, like mirages, like echoes, like optical illusions, like the moon on water, like hallucinations,331 like reflections, and like space.

9.­7

“Young man, when bodhisattva mahāsattvas know that all phenomena are like illusions,332 they are skilled in the patience of profound Dharma. Those who have the patience of profound Dharma have no desire for any phenomenon that causes desire, have no anger toward any phenomenon that causes anger, and have no ignorance regarding any phenomenon that causes ignorance. Why is that? It is because they do not see that phenomenon; they do not perceive that phenomenon. They do not see the phenomena and they do not perceive the phenomena of that which is desired, the desire, or the desirer; that which angers, the anger, or one who is angry; nor that of which one is ignorant, the ignorance, or the one who is ignorant. Because they do not see and do not perceive those phenomena they have no desire, they have no anger, they have no ignorance, their minds do not regress, and they rest in meditation. They are without conceptual elaboration. They have crossed over to the other side. They have reached dry land. They have reached safety. They have attained freedom from fear.333 They have correct conduct. They have knowledge. They have wisdom. They have merit. They have miraculous powers. They have memory.334 They have intelligence. They have realization.335 They have a sense of modesty. They have stability. They have bodhisattva conduct. They have the austerity of the disciplines of mendicancy. They are unblemished.336 [F.25.b] They have nothing. They are arhats. Their defilements have ceased. They have no kleśas. They have power. Their minds are liberated. Their wisdom is liberated. They are thoroughbred stallions.337 They are great elephants.338 They have done what had to be done. They have accomplished what had to be accomplished. They have put down their burden. They have reached their goals. They have ended engagement with existence. They have liberated their minds through true knowledge. They are mendicants who have attained all the perfect, highest, complete powers of the mind. They are brahmins.339 They are snātakas.340 They are masters of the Vedas.341 They know the Vedas.342 They are śrotriyas.343 They are children of the buddhas. They are children of the Śākya.344 They have crushed the thorns.345 They have not left the law behind.346 They have left the trench barrier behind.347 They have crossed over the trench barrier.348 They have extracted the splinters.349 They have no illness.350 They are bhikṣus. They are free from all bondage. They have been born as humans. They are good humans. They are supreme humans. They are great humans. They are human lions.351 They are human elephants.352 They are human stallions.353 They are human carthorses.354 They are human heroes.355 They are human strongmen.356 They are human flowers.357 They are human lotuses.358 They are human white lotuses.359 They are human tamers.360 They are human moons.361 They are extraordinary humans. They are stainless humans.”362

9.­8

Then the Bhagavān, in order to give this Dharma teaching on entering the patience of profound Dharma, recited these verses:

9.­9
“At one time a world appears,
And later the entire world becomes space.
As it was before, so it is afterward.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {1}
9.­10
“All that there is in this world
Later dissolves into the mass of water below.
As it is below, so it is above.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {2} [F.26.a]
9.­11
“Just as in a completely cloudless sky
In an instant a mass of clouds appears‍—
From where did they first originate?
Know that all phenomena are like that. {3}
9.­12
“If you think of a tathāgata who has passed into nirvāṇa,
His image will appear in your mind.
As he was before, so he is afterward.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {4}
9.­13
“When a person sees a mass of foam
That is carried along in a river
And examines it, they see that it has no essence.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {5}
9.­14
“When large drops of rain fall,
There appear separate bubbles of water.
They vanish as they appear; the bubbles have no existence.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {6}
9.­15
“When a letter is sent to another town
With news of the good or bad that has been done,
A voice does not accompany the letter.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {7}
9.­16
“When a man is intoxicated from alcohol,
He perceives the ground to be spinning,
But the earth is not moving or shaking.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {8}
9.­17
“A woman sees her beautified face
On the surface of a mirror or a bowl of oil.
The fool feels passion for it
And runs in search for the desired. {9}
9.­18
“The face was not transferred there.
The face will never be found in the reflection,
And yet fools have desire for it.
Know that all phenomena are like that.363 {10}
9.­19
“Just like optical illusions and fata morganas,
Just like dreams and just like illusions,
When their attributes are meditated on, their nature is empty.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {11}
9.­20
“When the moon is in a clear sky,
Its reflection appears on the sea,
But the moon has not moved onto the water.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {12}
9.­21
“A man who is inside a canyon364
Sees no one but hears the echoes
Of singing, speaking, and laughter.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {13} [F.26.b]
9.­22
“Echoes are produced
By songs, music, and weeping,
But the song that is heard does not exist.
Know that all phenomena are like that.365 {14}
9.­23
“Although pleasures are enjoyed in a dream,
When the person awakes they are not be seen.
The fool, though, becomes attached to those pleasures.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {15}
9.­24
“A magician causes forms to appear,
Creating horses, elephants, chariots, and so on.
But though they appear they do not exist at all.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {16}
9.­25
“In a young woman’s dream
She gives birth to a son and then sees him die.
She is happy when he’s born and sad when he dies.
Know that all phenomena are like that.366 {18}
9.­26
“In the night the reflection of the moon
Appears on clear, undisturbed water,
But it is empty of a moon and there is nothing to grasp.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {19}
9.­27
“A thirsty person traveling
At noon during the summer
Sees a lake that is a mirage.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {20}
9.­28
“The water that is a mirage cannot be found.
Foolish beings want to drink it,
But water that is not real cannot be drunk.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {21}
9.­29
“When a person in search of its essence
Pulls apart the trunk of a green banana plant,
They find no essence either inside or outside.
Know that all phenomena are like that. {22}
9.­30
“The eyes, the ears, and the nose are unreliable.
The tongue, the body, and the mind are unreliable.
If the senses could be relied upon,
What need would there be for the path of the noble ones? {23}
9.­31
“These senses are unreliable.
Their nature is material and neutral.
Therefore those who wish for the path to nirvāṇa
Must follow the path of the noble ones. {24}
9.­32
“If one examines the body back into the past,
There is no body and no conception of a body.
When there is no body and no conception of a body
This is called the lineage of the noncomposite.367 {25}
9.­33
“There are no phenomena in the phenomena of nirvāṇa,
For if it is nonexistent there could never be an existence. [F.27.a]
Those who conceptualize teach existence and nonexistence,
But practicing in that way will not bring an end to suffering. {26}
9.­34
“ ‘Existing,’ ‘not existing,’ and both are extremes.
‘Pure’ and ‘impure’ are also extremes.
Therefore, rejecting both extremes,
The wise do not even remain in the middle. {27}
9.­35
“ ‘Existing’ and ‘not existing’ are in conflict.
‘Pure’ and ‘impure’ are also in conflict.
When there is conflict, suffering cannot be ended.
When there is no conflict, suffering ceases.368 {28}
9.­36
“When fools speak about remaining in mindfulness369
They become proud, saying, ‘I have witnessed it in my body.’370
But those who have witnessed it in their body have no pride;
They are those who are freed from all such pride.371 {29}
9.­37
“When speaking of the four dhyānas,
The foolish claim they can experience dhyāna.
But those who know and realize that dhyāna
Is without kleśas or pride reject such arrogance. {30}
9.­38
“When speaking of the four truths,
The foolish say that they see the truth.
But there is no pride when the truth is seen.
The Jina taught the truth that is without pride. {31}
9.­39
“Do not be proud of maintaining correct conduct.
Do not become proud through listening to the Dharma.
When those with little wisdom become proud,
That is the root of increasing suffering. {32}
9.­40
“The world’s guide, the omniscient one,
Taught that pride is the root of suffering.
To be puffed up with pride makes suffering grow;
To have no pride brings suffering to an end. {33}
9.­41
“However much Dharma you have learned,
If you feel proud of your learning and let your proper conduct lapse,
Your misconduct will take you to the lower realms
And all that great learning will not protect you. {34}
9.­42
“If you feel proud of being renowned for correct conduct
And do not dedicate yourself to listening to many teachings,
When the results of your correct conduct have been used up
You will afterward experience suffering.372 {35}
9.­43
“If you meditate on a worldly samādhi
And do not eliminate the conception of a self,
Then the kleśas will arise once more,
As happened in the samādhi practice of Udraka.373 {36} [F.27.b]
9.­44
“If one examines the Dharma of selflessness,
And if after examining, one meditates,
That will be the cause resulting in the attainment of nirvāṇa.
It is impossible for peace to come from any other cause. {37}
9.­45
“If a man is being attacked by bandits
And, wishing to save his life, he tries to run away
But his legs will not move and he cannot run,
He will be captured and killed374 by the bandits. {38}
9.­46
“In the same way, a stupid person without correct conduct
May try to escape from composite phenomena.
But without correct conduct he is not able to flee,
And will be killed by old age, illness, and death. {39}
9.­47
“Just as many thousands of savages375
Do you harm in various ways,
The kleśas will in many ways,
Like savages, destroy that which is good. {40}
9.­48
“Those who have understood the skandhas to be without a self,
Even if insulted or beaten, will not be dismayed.
They will not fall under the power of the kleśa demons.
Those who know emptiness will never become agitated. {41}
9.­49
“Many people teach the emptiness of the skandhas
But have not understood that selflessness;
When those who have not understood are contradicted by others,
They will be overpowered by anger and speak harsh words. {42}
9.­50
“There was a man376 who was ill and suffering physically.
For many years he could not attain freedom from his illness.
For a long time he was tormented by his illness,
And in order to be cured he went in search of a physician. {43}
9.­51
“Searching and searching, again and again,
He found a skilled and wise physician
Who had compassion for him
And said, ‘Take this medicine.’ {44}
9.­52
“He gave him much excellent medicine,
But the sick man didn’t take the healing medicine.
That was not the fault of the physician or the medicine;
It was the fault of the sick person. {45}
9.­53
“In the same way, those who have entered homelessness in this teaching,
Who know of the strengths, the dhyānas, and the powers
But do not dedicate themselves to meditation,
Are not endeavouring in what is correct, so how could they attain nirvāṇa? {46}
9.­54
“All phenomena are always empty by nature.
The heirs of the jinas have eliminated all things.
The entirety of existence has always been empty.
The emptiness of the tīrthikas is limited. {47}
9.­55
“The wise do not argue with fools,
They politely avoid them; [F.28.a]
Thinking, ‘They come to me with malicious intent,’
They do not engage with the Dharma of fools. {48}
9.­56
“Knowing the nature and dispositions of fools,
The wise do not associate with fools.
Whenever they associate well with them
Those fools eventually turn into enemies. {49}
9.­57
“The wise do not depend upon the foolish.
The wise and the foolish have different natures.
The nature of the foolish is naturally contrary,
So the wise do not have ordinary people as friends. {50}
9.­58
“They may speak with words about the Dharma
But do not believe it, showing their anger and aggression.
Such is the Dharma of fools, and knowing this to be so
The wise do not rely on it. {51}
9.­59
“The foolish are in accord with other fools
Like impurity with other impurities.
The wise are in accord with other wise people
Like butter377 is with ghee. {52}
9.­60
“They do not examine the faults of saṃsāra;
They pay no attention to the ripening of karma;
They have no faith in the words of the buddhas:
Those fools will be sliced and cut into pieces. {53}
9.­61
“They have obtained a human life that is difficult to obtain,
But they have not become skilled in any craft.
They have become poor without any wealth.
In order to have a livelihood they become mendicants. {54}
9.­62
“Having become mendicants in this teaching of the Buddha,
They become attached to their robes and alms bowls.
They fall under the influence of bad companions,
And they do not practice the teaching of the Sugata. {55}
9.­63
“They are not observant of their own conduct.
Such fools do not perceive the states of their minds.
Day and night they do not follow the discipline,
And they do not abhor the path of bad actions. {56}
9.­64
“They do not restrain their body and mind.
There is nothing that they will not say.
They are always looking for faults in others,
And criticize any mistake they make. {57}
9.­65
“Such fools have attachment to food.
They know no limit to their eating.
They obtain their food through the Buddha’s merit,
But these fools do not keep that in mind. {58}
9.­66
“When they find food that is delicious and pleasing,
They consume378 it without engaging in the discipline.
For them that food becomes poison, [F.28.b]
Like an unclean lotus stem379 for an elephant calf.380 {59}
9.­67
“The wise, the sagacious, the realized
Also eat food that is pure and pleasing,
But they have no attachment to it.
They eat without clinging, maintaining the discipline. {60}
9.­68
“The wise, sagacious, and realized
Say ‘welcome’ when the foolish come,
Bringing them closer with pleasant words,
And maintaining compassion for them; {61}
9.­69
“They are kind and helpful to them.
But the foolish are happy when harm comes to the wise.
Because of such faults, the wise avoid the foolish
And live alone like deer in the forest. {62}
9.­70
“The wise, knowing these kinds of defects,
Do not associate with fools.
They think, ‘If I depend on those who have no wisdom,
There will be no higher rebirth, let alone the attainment of enlightenment.’ {63}
9.­71
“The wise reach enlightenment by putting into practice
The samādhi of dwelling in love,
Of dwelling in compassion, of acting with joy,
And with constant equanimity toward all existences. {64}
9.­72
“They attain the enlightenment that is peace, free of misery.
They perceive beings afflicted by illness and aging.381
They have compassion toward them,
And give them the teachings of ultimate truth. {65}
9.­73
“Who can know the true nature of the jinas
And the truth of the sugatas, which is beyond description?382
It is they who hear this kind of Dharma
And attain the immaterial patience of the noble ones.” {66}
9.­74

Conclusion of the ninth chapter, “The Patience of the Profound Dharma.”


10.
Chapter 10

The Entry into the City

10.­1

The Bhagavān then said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, you should be someone who makes practice essential, and always trains in that way. Why is that? Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who make practice essential will not even find it difficult to attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, not to mention attaining this samādhi.”


11.
Chapter 11

Becoming a Keeper of the Sūtra

11.­1

The Bhagavān came to the street on which was the home of the youth Candraprabha, and soon arrived at the home of the youth Candraprabha. Once he had arrived, he sat on the seat prepared for him. The saṅgha of bodhisattvas and the saṅgha of bhikṣus also sat on the appropriate seats that had been arranged for each of them.

11.­2

Then the youth Candraprabha, knowing that the Bhagavān, the saṅgha of bodhisattvas, and the saṅgha of bhikṣus were seated, [F.39.b] himself presented and served a series of great offerings: numerous excellent foods, with hundreds of flavors to savor as they chewed, licked, sucked, and drank.


12.
Chapter 12

The Training According to the Samādhi

12.­1

“Young man, those are the qualities and benefits that bodhisattvas who know the nature of all phenomena will have. They will describe the true, excellent qualities of the tathāgatas. They will not falsely say that which is untrue about the tathāgatas. Why is that? It is because they know perfectly that nature, which is the nature through which a tathāgata comes to be.531 They know the infinite qualities of a buddha. Why is that? Young man, the qualities of a buddha are infinite, inconceivable, beyond thought. They cannot be conceived or measured. Why is that? The mind, young man, is taught to be without a nature of its own,532 to be without form.533 Young man, that nature of the mind is also the nature of the qualities of a buddha. That nature of the qualities of a buddha is also the nature of the tathāgatas, and that is the nature of all phenomena.


13.
Chapter 13

The Teaching of the Samādhi

13.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should be skilled in teaching this samādhi.

13.­2

“Young man, what is the teaching of this samādhi? It is the true nature of all phenomena; it is equality; it is the absence of inequality; it is devoid of notions; it is devoid of concepts; it is devoid of creation; it is devoid of arising; it is devoid of production; it is devoid of cessation; it is the termination of notions, concepts, and assumptions; it is devoid of an object for the mind; it is devoid of a focus of the mind;547 it is the termination of designations; it is the termination of concepts from analysis; it is the termination of desire, anger, and ignorance; it is without a limited or limitless focus of the mind; it is the termination of any focus of the mind; it is the knowledge of the nature of the skandhas, dhātus, and āyatanas; it is the state of accomplishing the field of activity that is the performance of the conduct of mindfulness, understanding, comprehension, conscience, and stability; it is the level of freedom from corruptions;548 it is the level of peace; it is the termination of all conceptual elaboration; it is the training of all bodhisattvas; it is the field of activity of all tathāgatas; [F.45.a] and it is the perfection of all good qualities.


14.
Chapter 14

The Buddha’s Smile

14.­1

Then the youth Candraprabha rose from his seat, removed his robe from one shoulder, and, kneeling on his right knee, [F.46.b] with palms placed together he bowed toward the Bhagavān and said to him,569 “Bhagavān, it is marvelous that the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha has taught the equality that is the nature of all phenomena, which is the samādhi that all bodhisattvas train in.


15.
Chapter 15

The Elucidation of the Buddha’s Smile

15.­1

At that time the Bhagavān spoke these appropriate verses to Bodhisattva Maitreya:

15.­2
“This youth, Candraprabha,
Has praised the Buddha with unequaled joy.
He described the unique superior qualities of the buddhas.
All the time he is reciting their praises.613 {1}
15.­3
“In this very city of Rājagṛha in the past
He has seen ten thousand million buddhas.
In the presence of all those jinas
He asked about this supreme samādhi of peace. {2}

16.
Chapter 16

The Past

16.­1

The Bhagavān then said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas thus wish to liberate all beings from all the suffering of existence. They wish to establish beings in the noble, unsurpassable bliss and joy of samādhi. Therefore they should hear this king of samādhis, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, obtain it, understand it, preserve it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgate it, and make it widely known to others.


17.
Chapter 17

The Entranceway to the Samādhi That Is Taught by Many Buddhas

17.­1

When the Bhagavān had finished speaking, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, who was seated there, in his mind recited this verse to the Bhagavān.637

17.­2
“I am going, Tathāgata,638 to the king of mountains,
Gṛdhrakūṭa, which is always the residence of the buddhas.
When I have gone there, lamp of the world,639
I will make inconceivable offerings to you.” {i}
17.­3

The Bhagavān knew the thoughts that were in the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya’s mind, and from his own mind sent this verse to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya:


18.
Chapter 18

The Entrustment of the Samādhi

18.­1

The Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, in that way know that there are four beneficial qualities possessed by bodhisattva mahāsattvas who obtain this samādhi, understand it, preserve it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, and make it widely known to others.

18.­2

“What are those four beneficial qualities? They will be unsurpassable in merit, they will be undefeatable by opponents, they will have unlimited wisdom, and they will have unending confidence of speech.


19.
Chapter 19

The Teaching of the Inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha

19.­1

The Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, in that way bodhisattva mahāsattvas, having heard the inconceivable and measureless benefits of the qualities that come from the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, through wishing not to be fearful, wishing not to be terrified, and not to be gripped by terror, will become learned in the teaching of the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Aspire to the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Be wise in asking questions about the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Be wise in seeking the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha. Do not be fearful, do not be terrified, and do not be gripped by terror on hearing the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddha.” [F.67.b]


20.
Chapter 20

Indra­ketu­dhvaja­rāja

20.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, in that way bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this Dharma teaching of entering great compassion and wish to attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood quickly should rely upon all roots of merit, training, qualities, and completely pure conduct.

20.­2

“Bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have few involvements, avoid bad companions, rely on kalyāṇamitras, have an inquiring nature, unrelentingly seek the Dharma, have the Dharma as their goal, desire the Dharma, delight in the Dharma, obtain the Dharma, and practice the Dharma in accord with the Dharma will, young man, develop great compassion for beings and will develop the aspiration for the highest, complete enlightenment.


21.
Chapter 21

The Past

21.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should entertain no misgivings about all the teachings on the root of merits, the training, and the qualities.759 They should have few involvements, avoid bad companions, rely on kalyāṇamitras, have an inquiring nature, unrelentingly seek the Dharma, have the Dharma as their goal, desire the Dharma, delight in the Dharma, obtain the Dharma, and practice the Dharma in accord with the Dharma. They should perceive every buddha and bodhisattva as the teacher. They should with joy and veneration perceive as the teacher the person from whom they hear this Dharma teaching.


22.
Chapter 22

The Teaching on the Body

22.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should have no attachment to their life or body. Why is that? Because, young man, beings accomplish bad actions due to attachment to their lives and bodies.783


23.
Chapter 23

The Teaching on the Tathāgata’s Body

23.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should not know the Tathāgata to be the rūpakāya.785 Why is that? It is because the Buddha Bhagavān manifests because of the dharmakāya and does not manifest because of the rūpakāya. [F.74.a]


24.
Chapter 24

The Inconceivable Tathāgata

24.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, [F.76.b] “Young man, aspiring bodhisattva mahāsattvas think, ‘How can I make manifest the four discernments? What are these four? They are the discernment of meaning, the discernment of phenomena, the discernment of definitions, and the discernment of eloquence. I shall manifest these four!’ On having this thought, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should obtain this samādhi, understand it, preserve it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, and make it widely known to others.


25.
Chapter 25

Engaging in Discernment

25.­1

“Young man, how do bodhisattva mahāsattvas who practice that discernment of phenomena, who view phenomena as phenomena, attain the highest, complete enlightenment?

“Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who practice that discernment of phenomena, who view phenomena as phenomena, do not perceive enlightenment as other than form. They do not approach enlightenment as other than form. They do not seek enlightenment as other than form. They do not attain enlightenment as other than form. They do not inspire beings to an enlightenment that is other than form. They do not see a tathāgata as other than form. They see a tathāgata in this way: ‘The Tathāgata is the fearlessness that is the nature of form.’ They do not see the tathāgata as other than form, as other than the nature of form. They do not see the nature of form as other than the tathāgata. The nature of that which is called form and that of the tathāgata are nondual. The bodhisattva mahāsattvas who see in that way are engaging in the discernment of phenomena.


26.
Chapter 26

Rejoicing

26.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should be skillful in methods. [F.87.a]882

26.­2

“Young man, in what way should bodhisattva mahāsattvas be skillful in methods? For that, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas focus their minds upon all beings. Those bodhisattva mahāsattvas rejoice in whatever roots of merit and accumulations of merit all beings have. Three times every day and three times every night they rejoice in whatever roots of merit and accumulations of merit all beings have, and the roots of merit and accumulation of merit that come from their taking omniscience as the focus of their aspiration they donate to all beings.


27.
Chapter 27

The Benefits of Generosity

27.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, as it has been said, ‘Be careful,’ you, young man, should consequently train in that way. Why is that? Because, young man, for bodhisattva mahāsattvas who are careful, the highest, complete enlightenment is not difficult to attain, let alone this samādhi.

27.­2

“Young man, in what way should bodhisattva mahāsattvas be careful? For that, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should have perfectly pure conduct. Young man, in what way should bodhisattva mahāsattvas have perfectly pure conduct? For that, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have perfectly pure conduct, never separating from an all-knowing mind, should practice the six perfections. Listen, for I shall teach you their benefits.


28.
Chapter 28

The Teaching on Correct Conduct

28.­1

“Young man, there are ten benefits for bodhisattva mahāsattvas from perfectly pure, correct conduct. What are the ten benefits? They are: [1] they devote890 themselves to wisdom and perfect it; [2] they follow the example of the buddhas; [3] they do not criticize the wise; [4] they do not waver from their vows; [5] they maintain their practice; [6] they turn away891 from saṃsāra; [7] they are led to attain nirvāṇa;892 [8] they live without faults arising; [F.89.a] [9] they attain samādhi; and [10] they will never be poor.893


29.
Chapter 29

Ten Benefits

29.­1

“Young man, there are ten benefits for bodhisattva mahāsattvas from maintaining patience and being kind. [F.89.b] What are these ten? They are: [1] they are not burned by fire; [2] they are not slain by weapons; [3] they are not affected by poison; [4] they do not drown in water; [5] the devas protect them; [6] they attain a body adorned by the primary signs of a great being; [7] all the doorways to their rebirth in lower existences are closed; [8] it is not difficult for them to be reborn in the paradise of Brahmā; [9] they are happy day and night; and [10] their physical sensations of comfort and pleasure are never lost.


30.
Chapter 30

Tejaguṇarāja

30.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, you should train in this way, thinking, ‘I will abandon even the pleasures of the kingship of a divine cakravartin and enter homelessness.’

30.­2

“Young man, having entered homelessness you should maintain the disciplines of mendicancy, live in solitude, and develop perfect mildness and patience.


31.
Chapter 31

Benefits

31.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who think, ‘I shall understand the languages of all beings and, knowing their higher or lesser capabilities, I will teach them the Dharma,’ those bodhisattva mahāsattvas should listen to the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, learn it, understand it, keep it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgate it, and make it widely known to others.”


32.
Chapter 32

The Teaching on the Nature of All Phenomena

32.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wonder, ‘How can I know the nature of all phenomena?’ should listen to this samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, learn it, understand it, keep it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgate it, and make it widely known to others.”


33.
Chapter 33

The Benefits of Possessing the Sūtra

33.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish to train in purifying1056 the great higher cognition of all phenomena should listen to the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, learn it, understand it, keep it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgate it, and make it widely known to others.1057


34.
Chapter 34

Kṣemadatta

34.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha,1161 “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should abide in the absence of attributes and be dedicated to making vast offerings to a present tathāgata or to the stūpa of a tathāgata who has passed into nirvāṇa.


35.
Chapter 35

Jñānāvatī

35.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for this samādhi, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should plant roots of merit and apply themselves to practicing generosity through the Dharma or generosity through material things.

35.­2

“Those bodhisattva mahāsattvas should dedicate that generosity through four prayers of dedication.


36.
Chapter 36

Supuṣpacandra

36.­1

Then at that time Brother Ānanda rose from his seat, [F.125.b] removed his robe from one shoulder, and, kneeling on his right knee, with palms placed together he bowed toward the Bhagavān and made this request: “If the Bhagavān will give me an opportunity to seek answers to them, I have a few questions for the Bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha.”

36.­2

The Bhagavān addressed Brother Ānanda, saying, “That is why, Ānanda, I am seated upon this seat. Ask whatever question you wish to the Tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha, and I shall gratify you with answers to each and every question you have asked.”


37.
Chapter 37

Teaching the Aggregate of Correct Conduct

37.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood should hear the samādhi, the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena, should obtain it, study it, keep it, recite it, disseminate it, transmit it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, and in other ways make it widely known. They should also maintain the aggregate of correct conduct.”


38.
Chapter 38

Yaśaḥprabha

38.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas who wish for these and countless other wonderful1337 and marvelous bodhisattva qualities, and wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, should hear this revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena samādhi and obtain it, understand it, preserve it, recite it to others, promote it, proclaim it, chant it, meditate on it with unadulterated meditation, promulgate it,1338 and make it widely known to others. [F.146.a]


39.
Chapter 39

Restraint of the Body, Speech, and Mind

39.­1

Then the Bhagavān [F.151.a] said to the youth Candraprabha, “Therefore, young man, you should train by thinking, ‘I shall have self-control through physical restraint.’

39.­2

“Young man, what is meant by physical restraint? That which is called ‘physical restraint’ is the physical restraint through which bodhisattva mahāsattvas are free of attachment to all phenomena.


40.
Chapter 40

[Untitled]

40.­1

“Young man, what is purity of action? Seeing the three existences as being like a dream and becoming free of desire. Young man, that is purity of action.

40.­2

“Young man, what is the transcendence of the mind’s fixation on perceptions? It is knowing that the skandhas, dhātus, and āyatanas are like illusions, and renouncing them. That is the transcendence of the mind’s fixation on perceptions.


c.

Colophon

c.­1

The Indian preceptor Śrīlendrabodhi, and the chief editor Lotsawa Bandé Dharmatāśīla, translated and revised this work. It was later modified and finalized in terms of the new translation.


ab.

Abbreviations

BHS Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit.
Chinese Sixth century Chinese translation by Narendrayaśas (see introduction, i.­7).
Commentary Mañjuśrīkīrti (see bibliography).
Gilgit Sixth to seventh century Sanskrit manuscript (see introduction i.­9 and bibliography under Dutt).
Hodgson Later Nepalese Sanskrit manuscript (see introduction i.­9 and bibliography under Dutt).
Matsunami Matsunami’s Sanskrit edition (see bibliography).
Shastri Later Nepalese Sanskrit manuscript (see introduction i.­9 and bibliography under Dutt).
Vaidya Vaidya’s Sanskrit edition (see bibliography).

n.

Notes

n.­1
According to the BHS vipañcita. The Tibetan translates as rnam par spros pa.
n.­2
See Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans., The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light, Toh 55 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2022).
n.­3
Toh 129, see bibliography.
n.­4
Brian Houghton Hodgson (1801–1894) was a linguist, ethnologist, naturalist, and diplomat who lived in Nepal from 1824 to 1844, becoming British Resident; among his many other activities, he studied and collected Sanskrit Buddhist texts. Haraprasad Shastri (1853–1931) was an Indian Sanskrit scholar and historian who visited Nepal several times, also collecting and publishing manuscripts. Both scholars were associated with the Asiatic Society in Kolkata. The Sanskrit edition of the sūtra published by Dutt (as one of a series centered on the Gilgit manuscripts; see bibliography) is not only based on the Gilgit manuscript, but also represents the Hodgson and Shastri manuscripts, which Dutt refers to, respectively, as manuscripts A and B.
n.­5
Vibhuticandra; dpal bde mchog gi dkyil ’khor kyi cho ga; Śrī-samvara-maṇḍala-vidhi. Toh 1511, Degé Tengyur, Vol. 22, (rgyud, zha), 322b. 308b–334a.
n.­6
The Yogacāra tradition of Asaṅga and his followers has philosophical viewpoints quite distinct from those of the Mādhyamika tradition, of which Candrakīrti was perhaps the most uncompromising proponent.
n.­7
The Tibetan of the quote is: nga ’das lo ni nyis stong na / gdong dmar yul du bstan pa ’byung / spyan ras gzigs kyi gdul byar ’gyur / de yi bstan pa’i snyigs ma la / byang chub sems dpa’ seng ge’i sgra / karma pa zhes ba ba ’byung / ting ’dzin dbang thob ’gro ba ’dul / mthong thos dran regs bde la bkod (Rinchen Palzang, p. 650).
n.­8
This line of homage, as is customary for Kangyur texts, was added by the Tibetan translators, and therefore does not appear in the Sanskrit or Chinese. The Gilgit Sanskrit manuscript has 12 initial verses, Hodgson 14 verses, and Shastri 43 verses, none of which are in the Tibetan.
n.­9
This number depends on whether niyuta is taken to mean “one million,” as in Classical Sanskrit, or “a hundred thousand million,” as is found in BHS. The Tibetan has chosen the latter meaning, translating it as khrag khrig. Therefore the resulting number in Tibetan is “ten million [times] a hundred thousand million times eighty,” i.e., eighty million million million (eighty quintillion in the American or short scale system) (bye ba khrag khrig phrag brgyad bcu, apparently translating koṭiniyutena aśityā). The translation of the commentary by Mañjuśrīkīrti, however, has khrag khrig phrag brgyad bcu: “a hundred thousand million times eighty,” which would be eight million million, i.e., eight trillion. The Vaidya Sanskrit edition has niyuta­śata­sahasrena aśītyā which would be literally “a hundred thousand million [times] a hundred [times] a thousand times eighty,” which comes to eight hundred thousand million million, i.e., eight hundred thousand trillion. However if niyuta is taken as only one million, this would be eight million million, i.e., eight trillion, which would agree with the resulting number in Mañjuśrīkīrti’s commentary. The Dutt edition of the Gilgit manuscript has aśityā ca bodhisattva-niyutaiḥ and accordingly the translation of Gómez et al. is “eighty million,” where niyuta has presumably been given the value of one million. The Chinese simply transliterates as na-yo-ta. The Chinese tradition gives numerous, widely differing explanations of what this number means.
n.­10
In the Chinese the description of the bodhisattvas and the list of names do not appear. The Chinese continues at this point with Ajita.
n.­11
According to the BHS abhi­jñābhijñātair. The Tibetan, translating both abhijña and abhijñāta as mngon par shes pa, has mngon par shes pas mngon par shes pa. However, the translation of the commentary has a preferable translation of the second abhijñāta: rab tu grags pa.
n.­12
According to the BHS gatiṃgata. The Tibetan translates as rtogs par khong du chud pa.
n.­13
According to the commentary these are not only the dhāraṇī in recited form, but comprise the four kinds of retention (dhāraṇī): the recited dhāraṇī sentences and phrases themselves, the retention of the memory of the words of all teachings given, the retention of the memory of the meaning of these teachings, and the retention of the realization gained through meditation on that meaning.
n.­14
According to the Tibetan, though the Sanskrit compound could also be interpreted to mean “who had praised, extolled, and lauded all the buddhas.”
n.­15
According to the Tibetan and the commentary. The Sanskrit could also be interpreted, as in Gómez et al., as “knowing all the terrors [that come from] the māras.”
n.­16
According to the commentary, this means “adorned by the ten good actions: three of body, four of speech, and three of mind,” or, among the primary and secondary signs of a great being: “the voice of Brahmā, and the mind’s realization of the nature of beings so that they may be guided.”
n.­17
According to most Kangyurs, the commentary, and the Sanskrit. The Degé has kyi instead of kyis.
n.­18
According to the commentary, this means the bodhisattvas are on the tenth bhūmi, as taught in the Sūtra of the Ten Bhūmis. The ten-bhūmi system does not appear in the Gilgit version or the Chinese but does in the later Sanskrit versions and the Tibetan.
n.­19
According to the Sanskrit. Absent from the Tibetan.
n.­20
According to the Tibetan lhun po’i rtse mo ’dzin and Matsunami. Vaidya: Meruśikhariṁdhara. Dutt: Meruśikharindhara.
n.­21
According to the Tibetan lhun po’i rgyal po and Matsunami. Dutt: Merugāja. Does not appear in Hodgson.
n.­22
According to the Tibetan and Matsunami. Dutt: Meruśikhare saṁghaṭṭanarājena. Hodgson: Meruśikhare saṃghaḍanagajena. Shastri: Meruśikhare saṃghaṭanagajena.
n.­23
According to the Sanskrit. Absent in the Tibetan.
n.­24
According to the Sanskrit. Absent in the Tibetan.
n.­25
According to the Tibetan (nyi ma me’i ’od ’phro can) and the Hodgson. The Tibetan takes daśaśataraśmi, “a hundred thousand rays,” as an epithet of the sun and translates it simply as nyi ma (“sun”). Gilgit and Shastri: Daśaśataraśmikṛtārci with huta (“fire,” equivalent to the Tibetan me) replaced by kṛta (“made,” “created”).
n.­26
According to the Tibetan and Hodgson. Vaidya: Satatam­abhayaṁdadāna. Dutt has both versions.
n.­27
Another name for Maitreya, the bodhisattva who will be the fifth buddha of the Good Eon.
n.­28
According to the Sanskrit anupamacitta. The Tibetan has dpe med sems dpa’, whereas one would expect dpe med sems pa. The Sūtra of the Samādhi of the Seal of the Wisdom of the Tathāgatas (see bibliography) refers to this group as sems dpa’ dpe med pa, naming two of them: Pramodyarāja (mchog tu dga’ ba’i rgyal po) and Mañjuśrī (Degé Kangyur, vol. 55, F.248.a). The Sūtra of Possessing the Roots of Goodness (see bibliography) refers to byang chub sems dpa’ dpe med pa sems pa (“bodhisattvas with incomparable minds”), with Bhadrapāla being the one that is named (Degé Kangyur, vol. 48, F.48.a). Bhadrapāla is also listed as one of a group of five hundred bodhisattvas in that sūtra (F.22.b).
n.­29
This is referencing a group of beings that is listed in the White Lotus of the Good Dharma Sūtra (Degé Kangyur, vol. 67, 2.b). In that sūtra Bhadrapāla is also listed as one of a group of fifty bodhisattvas (F.142.b).
n.­30
A bodhisattva who appears prominently in certain sūtras, such as The Samādhi of the Presence of the Buddhas, and perhaps also the merchant of that name who is the principal interlocutor in the Sūtra of the Questions of Bhadrapāla the Merchant (see bibliography).
n.­31
This refers to the standard list of god realms beginning with the lowest, that of the Four Mahārājas.
n.­32
According to the Sanskrit udārodārair, which repeats udāra. The Tibetan translates as “vast and illustrious.”
n.­33
According to the Sanskrit, which uses repetition to state that each one of them has that quality, maheśākhya­maheśākhyair. The Tibetan translates as “very powerful and renowned to be very powerful.”
n.­172
Literally, “ten million times a hundred thousand times a hundred thousand million.”
n.­173
According to the Sanskrit vihāra. Tibetan: gtsug lag khang. These are equivalents in the Mahāvyutpatti, but gtsug lag khang can also mean “temple” in Tibetan.
n.­197
From the Sanskrit udgrahītavya. Tibetan: gzung.
n.­198
From the BHS paryavāptavya. Tibetan: kun chub pa.
n.­199
From the Sanskrit dhārayitavya. Tibetan: bcang.
n.­200
From the Sanskrit vācayitavya. Tibetan: klog.
n.­201
From the Sanskrit pravartayitavya. Tibetan: rab tu gdon pa.
n.­202
From the Sanskrit uddeṣṭavya. Tibetan: lung mnod par bya.
n.­203
From the Sanskrit svādhyātavya. Tibetan: kha ton du bya.
n.­204
From the Sanskrit araṇa, which also means “passionless, sinless, without impurity.” This is regularly translated into Tibetan as nyon mongs, which is also used to translate kleśa. Gómez et al. have interpreted it as “being in solitude,” presumably from an edition with araṇya (“solitude”).
n.­205
From the Sanskrit bahulīkartavya. Tibetan: mang du bya.
n.­206
From the Sanskrit parebhyaśca vistarena saṃprakāśayitavya. Tibetan: gshan dag la yang rgya cher rab tu bstan par bya. This entire list is simplified in the Chinese to three elements: “should recite, uphold / retain, and explain it to others widely.”
n.­300
Not in the Gilgit or Chinese.
n.­326
This opening of the chapter until this point is absent in the Gilgit and the Chinese.
n.­327
In Gilgit, this verse was the last verse of the preceding chapter. This verse and the preceding prose that begin this chapter do not appear in the Chinese.
n.­328
Sanskrit: “who wish for this samādhi.” Absent from the Tibetan. “Who wish to attain quickly the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood” does not appear in the Chinese.
n.­329
Chinese: “should rest in.”
n.­330
According to the Sanskrit, including Gilgit. The Chinese is briefer: “Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should rest in the patience of profound Dharma.” The entire passage in Chinese is: “Young man, you should know that this samādhi has such great power; it will enable bodhisattva mahāsattvas to attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. Young man, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should rest in the patience of profound Dharma.”
n.­331
According to the commentary: “They arise from oneself and not from illusions created by another.” In this sentence, the Chinese includes another analogy: “like a wild horse” 如野馬 (ru ye ma).
n.­332
The Chinese repeats all the analogies here.
n.­333
According to the Tibetan mi ’jigs pa thob pa, the Gilgit abhayaprāpta, and the Chinese 無畏 (wu wei). The Dutt has arūpaprāpta (attainment of formlessness), apparently from the Hodgson and Shastri, which is repeated in the Vaidya edition.
n.­334
According to the commentary, this means “the memory of previous lives.”
n.­335
According to the Tibetan rtogs pa can and the BHS meaning of gatiman. The Chinese has translated it literally as 去者 (qu zhe), “those who have gone to.”
n.­336
According to the BHS ananganaḥ and the Chinese. The Tibetan translates as nyon mongs med pa, which it also uses as the translation for niṣkleśa (being without kleśas) just a little further on in this list.
n.­337
Sanskrit: ājāneya. Tibetan: cang shes. Ājāneya was incorrectly defined as meaning “all-knowing” and was translated therefore into Tibetan as cang shes (“all-knowing”). The term ājāneya was primarily used for thoroughbred horses, but was also applied to people in a laudatory sense. The commentary at a later point states this this means both “tamed” and “fearless.” Chinese translates as “those who are tamed” 調伏者 (tiao fu zhe).
n.­338
This term probably has its origins in the Middle Indic mahānāga, from which came the BHS Sanskrit mahānagna, meaning “a great champion,” “a man of distinction and nobility.” The BHS nagna can mean both “champion” and “naked” while in Classical Sanskrit it only means “naked.” Nāga can mean “elephant” and can also refer to the cobra deity that is called “nāga” in this translation. Therefore the Chinese translated this as “great dragon” 大龍 (da long).
n.­339
In this passage the prestigious titles of those in the traditional brahmanical tradition are used as titles of those who have mastered the Buddhist path. The commentary states, “the bodhisattvas are brahmins because they do no bad actions.”
n.­340
For snātaka, see glossary; Chinese: “one who has bathed” 沐浴者 (mu yu zhe). However, the commentary states here that bodhisattvas are snātaka because they have been washed clean of all the stains of the kleśas and remain in the water of patience.
n.­341
The Sanskrit of the threefold description here (of which this is the first) is pāragaḥ vedakaḥ śrotriyaḥ. The commentary states that bodhisattvas are masters (pāraga, pha rol du song ba) of the Vedas, as they have reached their ultimate conclusion (rig byed kyi mthar thug pa’i pha rol du song bas so, F.43.b.4).
n.­342
The commentary states that bodhisattvas are vedaka (rig par byed), as they know the nature of whatever is taught.
n.­343
For śrotriya, see glossary. However, the commentary states here that bodhisattvas are śrotriya because they have renounced everything.
n.­344
The commentary states that “Śākya” refers to Buddha Śākyamuni, who was born in the Śākya clan.
n.­345
The commentary states that this means there are no more “thorns of māras, kleśas, and so on,” that appear.
n.­346
According to the Tibetan and Chinese; does not appear in the Vaidya Sanskrit or the commentary.
n.­347
This is an analogy to the defensive trench around a fortification, which the commentary states is a boundary created by anger, and so on.
n.­348
The commentary states this is a boundary created by the kleśas.
n.­349
The commentary states this refers to the habitual tendency for the kleśas.
n.­350
The commentary states this means the vicious disease of the kleśas.
n.­351
The commentary states this means that they utter the lion’s roar that proclaims selflessness.
n.­352
The commentary states this means that their minds are at rest in meditation at all times.
n.­353
The commentary states this means that they are both trained and fearless in the battle with the kleśas.
n.­354
The commentary states this means that they are able to pull the heavy burden of benefiting all beings.
n.­355
The commentary states this means that they are victorious over the māras.
n.­356
The commentary states this means that they can single-handedly overcome the strength of the māras.
n.­357
The commentary states this means that their qualities are a delight to beings.
n.­358
The commentary states this means that they are unstained by the mud of saṃsāra.
n.­359
The commentary states this means that thay are filled with “white,” i.e. good, qualities.
n.­360
The commentary states this means that they know how to tame the most malicious beings.
n.­361
The commentary states this means that they bring delight and light that is like amrita to beings.
n.­362
According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan and Chinese omit “human.”
n.­363
Verses 9 and 10 are condensed into one verse in the Chinese.
n.­364
According to the Sanskrit śailavanāntare and the commentary gcong rong du. The Tibetan translates this as nags ri’i khrod (“a mountain forest”). The Chinese translates it as “mountain valley” 山谷 (shan gu).
n.­365
Verses 13 and 14 are condensed into one verse in the Chinese.
n.­366
The numbering follows the Sanskrit. Verse 17 is absent in the Tibetan, but it is commented on in the commentary. It repeats much of the content of verse 16: “When the mother’s son dies / In a dream she loudly laments. / But no son died for that mother. / Know that all phenomena are like that.” Absent in the Chinese as well.
n.­367
Tibetan: de ni ’dus ma byas kyi rigs zhes bya. Sanskrit: asaṃskṛtaṃ gotramidaṃ pravucyati. The language of the Tibetan and the commentary, and the notion of a noncomposite lineage (gotra) is here reminiscent of tathāgatagarbha theory.
n.­368
This verse is not present in the Chinese.
n.­369
The Chinese has “four methods of mindfulness.”
n.­370
The Sanskrit uses the term kāyasakṣin, “one who has the body as a witness,” which is explained in, for example, the Pali Kāyasakkhisutta as someone whose body has experienced the qualities, such as bliss and samādhi, of the four dhyānas. That is, they have directly experienced it for themselves.
n.­371
BHS: pṛthu sarva manyanā, “all worldly pride.”
n.­372
The order of verses 7–35 is heavily rearranged in the Chinese.
n.­373
The commentary states that Udraka was also known as Digambhara, which is also the name of a Jain school. However, the name Udraka (Rudraka in some texts) is best known in Buddhism as one of the first teachers of the Buddha. The Buddha stated that after death he was born in the formless realm but would eventually be reborn as an animal. The story for Udraka given in the commentary is that his motivation to meditate was to attain miraculous powers. He succeeded and was famous for being able to fly. But when he was told that his path was not genuine, he fell from the sky and went to the hells.
n.­374
According to the Sanskirt hanyate. The Tibetan translates as bcom (“vanquished”). The Chinese has “he will be killed ….”
n.­375
According to the Tibetan mi rgod. The Sanskrit caura is “bandit” or “thief.” The Chinese omits “thousands” and describes the bandits or thieves as “strong and carrying spears.” In Tibetan mi rgod can also mean “an ape” and could be used for “bandits.”
n.­376
The singular form is according to the Sanskrit.
n.­377
According to the Tibetan mar. The Sanskrit arpimaṇḍa actually means the scum formed when heating melted butter in order to create ghee. The Chinese has “like two clarified butters in accord” 猶二醍醐合 (you er ti hu he).
n.­378
According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “eat and drink.” The Chinese does not contain either verb and inteprets generally as, “Without proper understanding of the way.” 不應於其法 (bu ying yu qi fa).
n.­379
According to the Sanskrit bisā and the commentary pad ma’i rtsa ba. The Tibetan here has simply rtsa ba. Here the Chinese translates the Sanskrit bisā as 泥藕 (ni ou), “mud and lotus roots,” rather than simply as “lotus roots,” denoting that lotus roots grow in the mud and are covered in mud when the elephants rip them up from the mud.
n.­380
According to the Sanskrit hastipota. The Mahāvyutpatti has glang for “elephant,” though in later translations this was used exclusively for “oxen.” The Chinese has “elephant.”
n.­381
According to the Tibetan and Chinese. The Sanskrit has “birth and illness.”
n.­382
According to the Sanskrit. In Tibetan “beyond description” is an adjective only for the true nature of the jinas. In Chinese, it works both as a noun and an adjective.
n.­531
From the Sanskrit prabhāvyate. The Tibetan appears to have translated from a manuscript with something like pravbhidyate or prabhedyate (“divide,” “categorize”).
n.­532
According to the Sanskrit, the commentary, and the Chinese. The Tibetan translates as “the nature of the mind is without form,” presumably translating from svabhāvam arūpyam as a corruption of niḥsvabhāvam arūpyam.
n.­533
The Chinese adds “and cannot be seen.”
n.­547
The Sanskrit manasikāra and the Tibetan yid la byed pa can mean, according to context, “fixed attention,” “concentration,” “focused reflection,” etc. The commentary states that the samādhi being devoid of such factors is in relation to mind and thoughts, subject and object, action and object, and so on. The negative of the term (amanasikāra, yid la mi byed pa) was later adapted into the mahāmudrā tradition.
n.­548
The BHS term raṇā is synonymous with kleśa, and both are translated into Tibetan as nyon mongs.
n.­569
Chinese: “Then the youth Candraprabha said these words to the Bhagavān.”
n.­613
The Chinese has 47 consecutive verses: the first 16 verses are in chapter 15 of the Tibetan-Sanskrit version and the remaining 31 verses are in chapter 16.
n.­637
This entire opening section about Maitreya and his miraculous activities does not appear in the Gilgit manuscript and therefore not in the Vaidya either. The Tibetan follows the version in the Hodgson manuscript.
n.­638
According to the Sanskrit, where tathāgata is clearly in the vocative and the verb “to go” is in the first-person singular.
n.­639
According to the Tibetan. Sanskrit: “Lamp of the three worlds.”
n.­759
According to the Tibetan, in which the verb here is gdon mi za bar bya’o. The Sanskrit of the Hodgson and Shastri manuscripts has “…should depend upon the duties and qualities of the training that is the root of all merit” (śikṣāguṇa­dharmaniśrita). They also have at this point “…should have pure conduct through depending on roots of merit…” and so on. The Gilgit manuscript chapter is composed only of the verses.
n.­783
The Chinese adds: “Therefore, bodhisattvas should know about the dharmakāya and the rūpakāya.” The rest of this chapter does not appear in the Chinese.
n.­785
This paragraph does not appear in the Chinese.
n.­882
Beginning of fascicle 6 of the Taisho ed., and fascicle 7 of the Song, Yuan, Ming, Gong, and Sheng eds.
n.­890
From the BHS anuparivārayati and according to the definition in the commentary. The Tibetan translates with the alternative meaning of “encircling” or “surrounding.” The Gilgit version has pariśodhayati (“purifies”). The Chinese translates this sentence as “They will perfect wisdom of all kinds.” 滿足一切智 (man zu yi qie zhi).
n.­891
According to the Sanskrit, the commentary, and most Kangyurs, except for the Degé which has ’byor pa in error for ’byol ba. Chinese: “They abandon all concern about life and death.” 棄捨生死 (qi she sheng si).
n.­892
Tibetan: thob par byed pa (“cause to obtain”). Sanskrit: arpayati (see Mahāvyutpatti 7428). Chinese: “They long for the joy of nirvāṇa,” 慕樂涅槃 (mu le nie pan).
n.­893
Chinese: “They will not lack faith or wealth,” 不乏信財 (bu fa xin cai).
n.­1056
According to the Tibetan byi dor bya ba yongs su sbyang ba. The Sanskrit pari­karma­dhāraya could be translated as “maintaining or gaining the preparation for.”
n.­1057
This paragraph is in a simpler form in the Gilgit and Chinese.
n.­1161
In the Gilgit manuscript, the prose is absent from this point until “Young man, in the past…” (34.­7).
n.­1337
According to the Tibetan. Sanskrit: “immeasurable.”
n.­1338
According to the Sanskrit bahulīkartavya. The Tibetan mang du bya, a regular element in this list elsewhere, is missing here.

b.

Bibliography

Tibetan Editions of the Samādhirājasūtra

chos thams cad kyi rang bzhin mnyam pa nyid rnam spros pa ting nge ’dzin gyi rgyal po’i mdo (Sarva­dharma­svabhāva­samatāvipañcita­samādhirāja­sūtra). Toh 127, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 1.a–175.b.

‍—‍—‍—. 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), 2006–2009, vol. 55, pp. 3–411.

‍—‍—‍—. Lhasa Kangyur (lha sa bka’ ’gyur) vol. 55 (mdo sde, ta), folios 1.b–269.b.

‍—‍—‍—. Narthang Kangyur (snar thang bka’ ’gyur) vol. 55 (mdo sde, ta), folios 1.b–273.b.

‍—‍—‍—. Shelkar Drima Kangyur (shel mkhar bris ma bka’ ’gyur) vol. 54 (mdo sde, ja), folios 157.a–436.a.

‍—‍—‍—. Stok Palace Kangyur (stog pho brang bris ma bka’ ’gyur) vol. 58 (mdo sde, ja), folios 145.a–405.a.

‍—‍—‍—. Urga Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), 1.b–170.a.

Sanskrit Editions of the Samādhirājasūtra

Dutt, Nalinaksha. Gilgit Manuscripts Vol. II, part I. Calcutta: J. C. Sarkhel, 1941. [This Sanskrit edition in three volumes is based on the Gilgit manuscript but also includes and represents the two Nepalese manuscripts of Hodgson and Shastri, see Introduction i.­9 and n.­4.

‍—‍—‍—. Gilgit Manuscripts Vol. II, part II. Calcutta: J. C. Sarkhel, 1953.

‍—‍—‍—. Gilgit Manuscripts Vol. II, part III. Calcutta: J. C. Sarkhel, 1954.

Matsunami, Seiren (ed.). “Bonbun Gattō Zanma kyō.”.in TDKK [Memoirs of Taisho University, Department of Buddhism and Literature] vol. 60 (1975), pp. 188–244.

‍—‍—‍—. “Bonbun Gattō Zanma kyō.” in TDKK [Memoirs of Taisho University, Department of Buddhism and Literature] vol. 61 (1975), 761–796.

Vaidya, P. L., ed. Samādhirājsūtra. Darbhanga, India: The Mithila Institute of Post-Graduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning, 1961.

Other canonical references

Kangyur

da ltar gyi sangs rgyas mngon sum du bzhugs pa’i ting nge ’dzin gyi mdo (Pratyutpanna-buddha-samukhāsthita-samādhi-sūtra) [The Sūtra, The Samādhi of Being in the Presence of the Buddhas of the Present]. Toh 133, Degé Kangyur vol. 56 (mdo sde, na), folios 1.a–70.b.

dam pa’i chos pad ma dkar po’i mdo (Saddharma­puṇḍarīka-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the White Lotus of the Good Dharma]. Toh 113, Degé Kangyur vol. 67 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1.a–180.b. English translation in Roberts 2018.

de bzhin gshegs pa’i ye shes kyi phyag rgya’i ting nge ’dzin gyi mdo (Tathāgata-jñāna-mudrā-samādhi-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the Samādhi of the Seal of the Wisdom of the Tathāgatas]. Toh 131, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 230.b–253.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2020b.

dge ba’i rtsa ba yongs su ’dzin pa’i mdo (Kuśala-mūla-saparigraha-sūtra) [The Sūtra of Possessing the Roots of Goodness]. Toh 101, Degé Kangyur vol. 48 (mdo sde, nga), folios 1.a–227.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2020c.

de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi sku gsung thugs kyi gsang chen gsang ba ’dus pa zhe bya ba brtag pa’i rgyal po chen po (Sarva-tathāgata-kāyavākcitta-rahasyo guhyasamāja-nāma-mahā-kalparāja) [The Great King Entitled the Union of the Great Secrets: the Secret of the Body, Speech, and Mind of all the Tathāgatas]. Also known as the Tathāgata­guhyaka Sūtra [The Sūtra of the Secret of the Tathāgatas] and the Guhysamaja-tantra. Toh 442, Degé Kangyur vol. 81 (rgyud, ca), folios 90.a–157.b.

gser ’od dam pa mdo sde’i dbang po’i rgyal po’i mdo (Suvarṇa-prabhāsottama-sūtrendrarāja-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the King Who Is the Lord of Sūtras: The Supreme Golden Light]. Toh 556, Degé Kangyur vol. 89 (rgyud, pa), folios 151.b–273.a.

lang kar gshegs pa’i mdo (Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra) [Entry into Laṅka Sūtra]. Toh 107, Degé Kangyur vol. 49 (mdo sde, ca), folios 56.a–191.b.

sangs rgyas rjes su dran pa (Buddhānusmṛti) [Being Mindful of the Buddha]. Toh 279, Degé Kangyur vol. 68 (mdo sde, ya), folios 55.a-55.b.

rab tu zhi ba rnam par nges pa’i cho ’phrul gyi ting nge ’dzin gyi mdo (Praśanta-viniścaya-prāthihārya-samādhi-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace]. Toh 129, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 174.b–210.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2020.

rgya cher rol pa’i mdo (Lalitavistara-sūtra) [The Play in Full]. Toh 95, Degé Kangyur vol. 46 (mdo sde, kha), folios 1.b–216.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2013.

sa bcu pa’i mdo (Daśabhūmika-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the Ten Bhūmis]. Chapter 31 of the Avataṃsaka, Toh 44. Degé Kangyur vol. 36 (phal chen, kha), folios 166.a–283.a. English translation in Roberts 2021b.

sdong po bkod pa (Gaṇḍavyūha) [The Stem Array]. Chapter 45 of the Avataṃsaka, Toh 44-45. Degé Kangyur vols. 37 and 38 (phal chen, ga-a), folios ga 274.b–363.a. English Translation in Roberts 2021a.

shes rab pha rol tu phyin pa brgyad stong pa (Aṣṭa-sāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra) [The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines]. Toh 12, Degé Kangyur vol. 33 (brgyad stong pa, ka), folios 1.b–286.a.

’od dpag med kyi bkod pa’i mdo (Amitābha­vyūha­sūtra) [The Array of Amitābha]. Also known as The Longer Sukhāvatīsūtra. Toh 49, Degé Kangyur vol. 39 (dkon brtsegs, ka), folios 237.b-270.a.

’od zer kun du bkye pa’i bstan pa’i mdo (Raśmi­samantamukta­nirdeśa­sūtra) [The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light]. Toh 55, Degé Kangur vol. 40 (dkon brtsegs, kha), folios 195.a–255.b.

tshong dpon bzang skyong gyis zhus pa’i mdo (Bhadrapāla-śreṣṭhi-paripṛccha-sūtra) [The Sūtra of the Questions of Bhadrapāla the Merchant]. Toh 83, Degé Kangyur vol. 44 (dkon brtsegs, cha), folios 71.a–94.b.

yang dag par spyod pa’i tshul nam mkha’i mdog gis ’dul ba’i bzod pa’i mdo (Saṃyagacārya-vṛtta-gagana-varṇa-vinaya-kṣānti-sūtra) [The Sūtra on Patience with the Discipline Through Practicing in a Way that is Like The Colour of the Sky]. Toh 263, Degé Kangyur vol. 67 (mdo sde ’a), folios 90.a–209.b.

Tengyur

Candrakīrti. dbu ma la ’jug pa (Madhyamakāvatāra) [Entering the Middle Way]. Toh 3861, Degé Tengyur vol. 102 (dbu ma ’a), folios 201.b–219.a.

‍—‍—‍—. dbu ma rtsa ba’i ’grel pa tshig gsal ba (Mūla­madhyamaka­vṛtti­prasanna­padā) [Clear Words: A Commentary on the Root Middle Way]. Toh 3860, Degé Tengyur vol. 102 (dbu ma, ’a), folios 1.a–200.a.

Dārika. ’khor lo sdom pa’i dkyil ’khor gyi cho ga de kho na nyid la ’jug pa (Cakra­saṁvara­maṇḍala­vidhi­tattvāvatāra) [Entering the Truth: A Maṇḍala Rite of Cakrasamvara]. Toh 1430, Degé Tengyur vol. 20 (rgyud ’grel, wa), folios 203.b–219.b.

Kamalaśīla. sgom pa’i rim pa (Bhāvanākrama) [Stages of Meditation]. Toh 3915, 3916, and 3917, Degé Tengyur vol. 110 (dbu ma, ki), folios 22.a–41.b, 41.a–55.b, and 55.b–68.b.

Mañjuśrīkīrti. ’phags pa chos thams cad kyi rang bzhin mnyam pa nyid rnam spros pa ting nge ’dzin gyi rgyal po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo’i ’grel pa grags pa’i phreng ba zhes bya ba (Ārya-sarva-dharma-svabhāva-samatā-vipañcita-samādhi-rāja-nāma-mahāyāna-sūtra-ṭika-kīrti-mālā-nāma) [The Garland of Fame: A Commentary on The Mahāyāna Sūtra Entitled The King of Samādhis: The Revealed Equality of the Nature of All Phenomena]. Toh 4010, Degé Tengyur vol. 117 (mdo ’grel, nyi), folios 1.b–163.b.

‍—‍—‍—. Idem, in bstan ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Tengyur], 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). 120 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 1994–2008, vol. 117 (mdo ’grel, nyi), 752–1181.

Prajñākaramati. byang chub kyi spyod pa la ’jug pa’i dka’ ’grel (Bodhi­sattva­caryāvatāra­pañjikā) [Commentary on Difficult Points in Entering the Conduct of the Bodhisattvas]. Toh 3872, Degé Tengyur vol. 105 (dbu ma, la), folios 41.b–288.a.

Śāntideva. byang chub sems dpa’i spyod pa la ’jug pa (Bodhi­sattva­caryāvatāra) [Entering the Conduct of the Bodhisattvas]. Toh 3871, Degé Tengyur vol. 105 (dbu ma, la), folios 1.a–40.a.

‍—‍—‍—. bslab pa kun las btus pa (Śikṣasamuccaya) [Compendium of Training]. Toh 3939, Degé Tengyur vol. 111 (dbu ma, khi), folios 3.a–194.b.

Non-Canonical Tibetan Sources

Gampopa (sgam po pa bsod nams rin chen). dam chos yid bzhin nor bu thar pa rin po che’i rgyan. Kathmandu: Gam-po-pa Library, 2003.

Pekar Sangpo (pad dkar bzang po). bstan pa spyi’i rgyas byed las mdo sde spyi’i rnam bzhag bka’ bsdu ba bzhi pa zhes bya ba’i bstan bcos. Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2006.

Rinchen Palzang (rin chen dpal bzang). mtshur phu dgon gyi dkar chag kun gsal me long. Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 1995.

Tsongkhapa (tsong kha pa). lam rim chen mo. In rje tsong kha pa chen po’i gsung ’bum vol. 8, Zi ling: mtsho sngon mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 1999.

Western Publications

Bailey, D. R. Shackleton. The Śatapañcāśatka of Mātṛceta. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1951.

Cüppers, Cristoph. The IXth Chapter of the Samādhirājasūtra: A Text-Critical Contribution to the Study of Mahāyāna Sūtras. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1990.

Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans. (2013). The Play in Full (Lalita­vistara, Toh 95). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

‍—‍—‍—, trans. (2020a). The Absorption of the Miraculous Ascertainment of Peace (Praśānta­viniścaya­prātihārya­samādhi, Toh 129). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

‍—‍—‍—, trans. (2020b). The Absorption of the Thus-Gone One’s Wisdom Seal (Tathāgata­jñāna­mudrā­samādhi, Toh 131). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

‍—‍—‍—, trans. (2020c). Upholding the Roots of Virtue (Kuśala­mūla­saṃparigraha, Toh 101). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

‍—‍—‍—, trans. (2022). The Teaching on the Effulgence of Light (Raśmisamanta­mukta­nirdeśa, Toh 55). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

Dimitrov, Dragomir. “Two Female Bodhisattvas in Flesh and Blood,” in Aspects of the Female in Indian Culture. Marburg: Indica et Tibetica, 2004, pp. 3–30.

Gómez, Luis O. and Silk, Jonathan A. Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahāyāna Buddhist Texts. Ann Arbor: Collegiate Institute for the Study of Buddhist Literature and Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies, The University of Michigan, 1989.

Leslie, Julia. “A Bird Bereaved: The Identity and Significance of Valmiki’s Krauñcha,” in Journal of Indian Philosophy 26.5 (1998): 455–87.

Régamey, Konstanty. Philosophy in the Samādhirājasūtra. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1990.

Roberts, Peter Alan, trans. (2018). The White Lotus of the Good Dharma (Saddharma­puṇḍarīka, Toh 113). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

‍—‍—‍—, trans. (2021a) The Stem Array (Gaṇḍavyūha, Toh 44-45). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

‍—‍—‍—, trans. (2021b). The Ten Bhūmis (Daśabhūmika, Toh 44-31). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

Rockwell, John Jr. Samādhi and Patient Acceptance: Four Chapters of the Samādhirāja-sūtra, Translated from the Sanskrit and Tibetan. M.A. thesis, Naropa Institute, Boulder, Colorado, 1980.

Skilton, Andrew. “Dating the Samādhirāja Sūtra,” In Journal of Indian Philosophy 27: 635–52. Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1999.

Tatz, Mark. “Revelation in Mādhyamika Buddhism: Chapter Eleven of the Samādhirāja-sūtra (On Mastering the Sūtra).” Translated from the Tibetan with commentary. University of Washington, 1972.

Thrangu Rinpoche. King of Samadhi: Commentaries on the Samadhi Raja Sutra and the Song of Lodrö Thaye. Hong Kong, Boudhnath & Århus: Rangjung Yeshe Publications, 1994.


g.

Glossary

g.­1

Ābhāsvara

  • —
  • —
  • Ābhāsvara

The highest of the three paradises that are the second dhyāna paradises in the form realm.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 10.­121

Links to further resources:

  • 25 related glossary entries
g.­2

Abhāva

  • dngos po med pa las byung
  • dngos po med pa las byung ba
  • དངོས་པོ་མེད་པ་ལས་བྱུང་།
  • དངོས་པོ་མེད་པ་ལས་བྱུང་བ།
  • Abhāva
  • Abhāva­samudgata

A buddha countless eons in the past.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 8.­22
g.­3

Abhirati

  • mngon par dga’ ba
  • མངོན་པར་དགའ་བ།
  • Abhirati

The realm of Buddha Akṣobhya, beyond countless buddha realms in the eastern direction.

5 passages contain this term:

  • 11.­74
  • 37.­2
  • n.­529
  • n.­1431
  • g.­14

Links to further resources:

  • 17 related glossary entries
g.­5

Absence of attributes

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

The absence of the conceptual identification of perceptions. Knowing that the true nature has no attributes, such as color, shape, etc. One of the three doorways to liberation.

19 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­45
  • 4.­23
  • 14.­86
  • 23.­3
  • 30.­23
  • 33.­20
  • 33.­269
  • 34.­1
  • 34.­2
  • 34.­5
  • 36.­109
  • 39.­6
  • 39.­25
  • 39.­26
  • 39.­96
  • 39.­128
  • 39.­144
  • g.­132
  • g.­145

Links to further resources:

  • 36 related glossary entries
g.­9

Aggregate of correct conduct

  • tshul khrims kyi phung po
  • ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས་ཀྱི་ཕུང་པོ།
  • —

One of the five undefiled aggregates (zag med kyi phung po lnga), the others being the aggregates of concentration (samādhi), discriminative awareness (prajñā), liberation (vimukti), and insight of the primordial wisdom of liberation (vimukti­jñāna­darśana).

8 passages contain this term:

  • i.­74
  • 1.­14
  • 1.­17
  • 33.­2
  • 33.­295
  • 37.­1
  • 37.­2
  • n.­1060

Links to further resources:

  • 5 related glossary entries
g.­12

Ajita

  • mi pham pa
  • མི་ཕམ་པ།
  • Ajita

The other name of Maitreya (or Maitraka), the bodhisattva who will be the fifth buddha of the Good Eon.

9 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 10.­58
  • 15.­5
  • 17.­4
  • 17.­13
  • 34.­63
  • n.­10
  • n.­640
  • g.­259

Links to further resources:

  • 8 related glossary entries
g.­21

Ānanda

  • kun dga’ bo
  • ཀུན་དགའ་བོ།
  • Ānanda

Buddha Śākyamuni’s cousin, who was his attendant for the last twenty years of his life. He was the subject of criticism and opposition from the monastic community after the Buddha’s passing, but eventually succeeded to the position of the patriarch of Buddhism in India after the passing of the first patriarch, Mahākaśyapa.

27 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­5
  • i.­73
  • i.­78
  • 2.­20
  • 10.­64
  • 36.­1
  • 36.­2
  • 36.­3
  • 36.­4
  • 36.­5
  • 36.­6
  • 36.­7
  • 36.­8
  • 36.­9
  • 36.­11
  • 36.­13
  • 36.­15
  • 36.­16
  • 36.­136
  • 36.­140
  • 36.­141
  • 36.­221
  • 40.­156
  • 40.­157
  • 40.­158
  • n.­1313

Links to further resources:

  • 78 related glossary entries
g.­33

Arhat

  • dgra bcom pa
  • དགྲ་བཅོམ་པ།
  • arhat

Used both as an epithet of the Buddha and to mean the final accomplishment of early Buddhism, or the Hīnayāna.

53 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­6
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­3
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­5
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­2
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­6
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­9
  • 5.­10
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­13
  • 5.­17
  • 5.­29
  • 5.­31
  • 5.­32
  • 5.­34
  • 5.­36
  • 5.­40
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­16
  • 8.­17
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­7
  • 14.­1
  • 17.­18
  • 17.­19
  • 18.­33
  • 18.­35
  • 19.­9
  • 34.­7
  • 34.­8
  • 35.­9
  • 36.­1
  • 36.­2
  • 36.­9
  • 36.­10
  • 36.­11
  • 39.­12
  • 39.­13
  • 39.­15
  • 39.­20
  • 40.­152
  • g.­55
  • g.­73
  • g.­225
  • g.­495

Links to further resources:

  • 96 related glossary entries
g.­40

Asura

  • lha ma yin
  • ལྷ་མ་ཡིན།
  • asura

The asuras, sometimes called the demi-gods or titans, are the enemies of the devas, fighting with them for supremacy. They are powerful beings who live around Mount Sumeru, and are usually classified as belonging to the higher realms.

34 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 2.­32
  • 7.­21
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­31
  • 10.­37
  • 10.­42
  • 10.­51
  • 10.­68
  • 10.­104
  • 10.­107
  • 10.­130
  • 10.­160
  • 10.­161
  • 11.­46
  • 11.­64
  • 14.­36
  • 14.­41
  • 17.­16
  • 31.­9
  • 34.­14
  • 34.­22
  • 36.­65
  • 36.­187
  • 36.­208
  • 38.­17
  • 40.­158
  • n.­452
  • g.­50
  • g.­303
  • g.­349
  • g.­393
  • g.­511
  • g.­518

Links to further resources:

  • 106 related glossary entries
g.­43

Austerity

  • yo byad bsnyungs pa
  • ཡོ་བྱད་བསྙུངས་པ།
  • saṃlekha

The Tibetan means literally “the lessening of requisites.”

11 passages contain this term:

  • 9.­7
  • 18.­25
  • 25.­49
  • 25.­50
  • 25.­53
  • 29.­94
  • 29.­95
  • 30.­7
  • 36.­181
  • 36.­198
  • n.­1177
g.­48

Āyatana

  • skye mched
  • སྐྱེ་མཆེད།
  • āyatana

Sometimes translated “sense-fields” or “bases of cognition,” the term usually refers to the six sense faculties and their corresponding objects, i.e. the first twelve of the eighteen dhātu. Along with skandha and dhātu, one of the three major categories in the taxonomy of phenomena in the sūtra literature.

15 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­27
  • 1.­29
  • 3.­4
  • 4.­5
  • 13.­2
  • 17.­89
  • 17.­94
  • 17.­95
  • 40.­2
  • 40.­5
  • 40.­22
  • 40.­44
  • n.­262
  • g.­124
  • g.­417

Links to further resources:

  • 58 related glossary entries
g.­51

Bandé

  • ban de
  • བན་དེ།
  • (vanda)

A term of respect for Buddhist monks: bandé in Tibet and Nepal, bhante in the Pali tradition. A middle-Indic word, it is said to be derived from vande, the BHS vocative form of the Sanskrit vanda, meaning praiseworthy or venerable, although bhante is said to be a contraction of the vocative bhadante, derived from a respectful salutation.

1 passage contains this term:

  • c.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 2 related glossary entries
g.­54

Bhadrapāla

  • bzang skyong
  • བཟང་སྐྱོང་།
  • Bhadrapāla

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Head of the “sixteen excellent men” (ṣoḍaśasatpuruṣa), a group of householder bodhisattvas present in the audience of many sūtras. He appears prominently in certain sūtras, such as The Samādhi of the Presence of the Buddhas (Pratyutpannabuddha­saṃmukhāvasthita­samādhisūtra, Toh 133) and is perhaps also the merchant of the same name who is the principal interlocutor in The Questions of Bhadrapāla the Merchant (Toh 83).

3 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • n.­28
  • n.­29

Links to further resources:

  • 22 related glossary entries
g.­57

Bhikṣu

  • dge slong
  • དགེ་སློང་།
  • bhikṣu

Fully ordained Buddhist monk.

203 passages contain this term:

  • i.­23
  • i.­24
  • i.­36
  • i.­40
  • i.­43
  • i.­44
  • i.­51
  • i.­52
  • i.­53
  • i.­56
  • i.­60
  • i.­65
  • i.­73
  • i.­74
  • i.­75
  • i.­76
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­62
  • 3.­27
  • 5.­9
  • 5.­10
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­13
  • 9.­7
  • 10.­13
  • 10.­15
  • 10.­42
  • 10.­51
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­3
  • 16.­5
  • 16.­8
  • 16.­10
  • 16.­12
  • 16.­35
  • 17.­16
  • 17.­165
  • 17.­168
  • 18.­31
  • 18.­45
  • 18.­51
  • 20.­18
  • 20.­19
  • 21.­14
  • 21.­16
  • 21.­24
  • 21.­26
  • 21.­29
  • 21.­37
  • 25.­30
  • 30.­7
  • 30.­40
  • 30.­119
  • 34.­44
  • 34.­52
  • 34.­55
  • 34.­56
  • 34.­62
  • 34.­64
  • 35.­8
  • 35.­12
  • 35.­14
  • 35.­15
  • 35.­16
  • 35.­17
  • 35.­18
  • 35.­19
  • 35.­21
  • 35.­22
  • 35.­23
  • 35.­24
  • 35.­25
  • 35.­30
  • 35.­33
  • 35.­34
  • 35.­36
  • 35.­39
  • 35.­41
  • 35.­43
  • 35.­53
  • 35.­59
  • 35.­60
  • 35.­68
  • 35.­72
  • 35.­78
  • 36.­14
  • 36.­18
  • 36.­45
  • 36.­46
  • 36.­47
  • 36.­48
  • 36.­51
  • 36.­52
  • 36.­53
  • 36.­54
  • 36.­55
  • 36.­57
  • 36.­59
  • 36.­60
  • 36.­63
  • 36.­66
  • 36.­67
  • 36.­68
  • 36.­69
  • 36.­70
  • 36.­71
  • 36.­72
  • 36.­73
  • 36.­74
  • 36.­75
  • 36.­76
  • 36.­77
  • 36.­80
  • 36.­81
  • 36.­83
  • 36.­84
  • 36.­85
  • 36.­86
  • 36.­87
  • 36.­88
  • 36.­89
  • 36.­90
  • 36.­91
  • 36.­92
  • 36.­93
  • 36.­95
  • 36.­96
  • 36.­98
  • 36.­101
  • 36.­106
  • 36.­107
  • 36.­108
  • 36.­112
  • 36.­143
  • 36.­148
  • 36.­150
  • 36.­151
  • 36.­152
  • 36.­153
  • 36.­154
  • 36.­156
  • 36.­157
  • 36.­170
  • 36.­174
  • 36.­175
  • 36.­193
  • 36.­194
  • 36.­195
  • 36.­205
  • 36.­210
  • 36.­211
  • 36.­212
  • 36.­213
  • 36.­214
  • 37.­4
  • 37.­32
  • 37.­33
  • 37.­43
  • 38.­17
  • 38.­50
  • 38.­51
  • 38.­53
  • 38.­54
  • 38.­55
  • 38.­56
  • 38.­57
  • 38.­58
  • 38.­59
  • 38.­60
  • 38.­61
  • 38.­63
  • 38.­64
  • 38.­65
  • 38.­66
  • 38.­67
  • 38.­69
  • 38.­71
  • 38.­72
  • 38.­75
  • 38.­79
  • 38.­80
  • 38.­81
  • 39.­58
  • 40.­158
  • n.­171
  • n.­237
  • n.­238
  • n.­239
  • n.­241
  • n.­475
  • n.­492
  • n.­774
  • n.­1165
  • n.­1189
  • n.­1236
  • n.­1237
  • n.­1240
  • n.­1305
  • n.­1351
  • g.­170
  • g.­319

Links to further resources:

  • 44 related glossary entries
g.­67

Bhūmi

  • sa
  • ས།
  • bhūmi

Literally “grounds” in which qualities grow, and also it means “levels.” Bhūmi refers specifically to levels of enlightenment, especially the ten levels of the enlightened bodhisattvas. Also translated here as “level.”

20 passages contain this term:

  • i.­29
  • 30.­122
  • 31.­12
  • 32.­27
  • 36.­184
  • n.­18
  • n.­549
  • n.­1091
  • n.­1451
  • g.­90
  • g.­102
  • g.­127
  • g.­175
  • g.­241
  • g.­263
  • g.­330
  • g.­331
  • g.­412
  • g.­424
  • g.­498

Links to further resources:

  • 25 related glossary entries
g.­73

Bodhisattva

  • byang chub sems dpa’
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ།
  • bodhisattva
  • buddhaputra

A person who is dedicated not merely to attaining liberation through attaining the state of an arhat, but to becoming a buddha. A name created from the Sanskritization of the middle-Indic bodhisatto, the Sanskrit equivalent of which was bodhisakta, “one who is fixed on enlightenment.”

562 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1
  • i.­4
  • i.­19
  • i.­24
  • i.­28
  • i.­29
  • i.­30
  • i.­36
  • i.­41
  • i.­42
  • i.­43
  • i.­45
  • i.­47
  • i.­48
  • i.­52
  • i.­53
  • i.­59
  • i.­61
  • i.­62
  • i.­64
  • i.­67
  • i.­69
  • i.­70
  • i.­71
  • i.­72
  • i.­73
  • i.­74
  • i.­75
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­20
  • 1.­21
  • 1.­22
  • 1.­25
  • 1.­26
  • 1.­49
  • 1.­50
  • 1.­52
  • 1.­54
  • 1.­55
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­8
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­27
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­38
  • 4.­19
  • 4.­22
  • 4.­31
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­9
  • 5.­10
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­37
  • 5.­42
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­6
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­18
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­27
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­3
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­21
  • 7.­22
  • 7.­23
  • 7.­24
  • 7.­27
  • 7.­30
  • 7.­31
  • 7.­39
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­2
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­18
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­5
  • 9.­6
  • 9.­7
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­13
  • 10.­15
  • 10.­38
  • 10.­41
  • 10.­42
  • 10.­51
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­12
  • 11.­19
  • 11.­22
  • 11.­24
  • 11.­25
  • 11.­27
  • 11.­35
  • 11.­41
  • 11.­42
  • 11.­43
  • 11.­48
  • 11.­51
  • 11.­75
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­4
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­2
  • 13.­3
  • 13.­16
  • 13.­18
  • 13.­24
  • 13.­25
  • 13.­30
  • 13.­31
  • 14.­1
  • 14.­55
  • 14.­71
  • 14.­72
  • 14.­73
  • 15.­1
  • 15.­4
  • 16.­1
  • 16.­3
  • 16.­10
  • 16.­21
  • 16.­25
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­3
  • 17.­5
  • 17.­10
  • 17.­16
  • 17.­17
  • 17.­20
  • 17.­21
  • 17.­22
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­24
  • 17.­25
  • 17.­61
  • 17.­64
  • 17.­86
  • 17.­136
  • 17.­142
  • 17.­150
  • 17.­157
  • 17.­189
  • 17.­196
  • 17.­200
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­3
  • 18.­5
  • 18.­8
  • 18.­40
  • 18.­52
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­2
  • 19.­3
  • 19.­5
  • 19.­7
  • 20.­1
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­3
  • 20.­4
  • 20.­5
  • 20.­6
  • 20.­7
  • 20.­15
  • 21.­1
  • 21.­2
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­2
  • 23.­1
  • 23.­2
  • 24.­1
  • 24.­5
  • 24.­6
  • 24.­7
  • 24.­8
  • 24.­9
  • 24.­10
  • 24.­11
  • 24.­12
  • 24.­13
  • 24.­14
  • 24.­15
  • 24.­16
  • 24.­17
  • 24.­18
  • 24.­19
  • 24.­20
  • 24.­21
  • 24.­22
  • 24.­23
  • 24.­24
  • 24.­25
  • 24.­26
  • 24.­27
  • 24.­28
  • 24.­29
  • 24.­30
  • 24.­31
  • 24.­32
  • 24.­33
  • 24.­34
  • 24.­35
  • 24.­36
  • 24.­37
  • 24.­38
  • 24.­39
  • 24.­40
  • 24.­41
  • 24.­42
  • 24.­43
  • 24.­44
  • 24.­45
  • 24.­46
  • 24.­47
  • 24.­48
  • 24.­49
  • 24.­50
  • 24.­51
  • 24.­52
  • 24.­53
  • 24.­54
  • 24.­55
  • 24.­56
  • 24.­57
  • 24.­58
  • 24.­59
  • 24.­60
  • 24.­61
  • 24.­62
  • 24.­63
  • 24.­74
  • 24.­77
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­2
  • 25.­38
  • 26.­1
  • 26.­2
  • 26.­3
  • 26.­5
  • 26.­8
  • 27.­1
  • 27.­2
  • 27.­3
  • 27.­4
  • 28.­1
  • 28.­2
  • 29.­1
  • 29.­2
  • 29.­9
  • 29.­10
  • 29.­14
  • 29.­15
  • 29.­20
  • 29.­21
  • 29.­22
  • 29.­26
  • 29.­30
  • 29.­31
  • 29.­41
  • 29.­42
  • 29.­50
  • 29.­51
  • 29.­61
  • 29.­62
  • 29.­69
  • 29.­73
  • 29.­74
  • 29.­84
  • 29.­85
  • 29.­86
  • 29.­94
  • 29.­95
  • 29.­102
  • 29.­103
  • 29.­104
  • 29.­105
  • 29.­106
  • 29.­107
  • 30.­47
  • 30.­48
  • 31.­1
  • 31.­2
  • 32.­1
  • 33.­1
  • 33.­3
  • 33.­19
  • 33.­23
  • 33.­48
  • 33.­51
  • 33.­52
  • 33.­83
  • 33.­86
  • 33.­96
  • 33.­120
  • 33.­123
  • 33.­160
  • 33.­166
  • 33.­168
  • 33.­178
  • 33.­190
  • 33.­195
  • 33.­208
  • 33.­209
  • 33.­211
  • 33.­215
  • 33.­217
  • 33.­218
  • 33.­220
  • 33.­222
  • 33.­224
  • 33.­231
  • 33.­236
  • 33.­245
  • 33.­247
  • 33.­258
  • 33.­261
  • 33.­278
  • 33.­280
  • 33.­281
  • 33.­282
  • 33.­283
  • 33.­287
  • 33.­295
  • 33.­296
  • 34.­1
  • 34.­2
  • 34.­4
  • 34.­5
  • 34.­10
  • 34.­11
  • 34.­12
  • 34.­13
  • 34.­14
  • 34.­15
  • 34.­16
  • 34.­17
  • 34.­20
  • 34.­21
  • 34.­23
  • 34.­24
  • 34.­63
  • 35.­1
  • 35.­2
  • 35.­7
  • 35.­8
  • 35.­63
  • 35.­67
  • 35.­70
  • 36.­4
  • 36.­6
  • 36.­7
  • 36.­8
  • 36.­14
  • 36.­15
  • 36.­16
  • 36.­17
  • 36.­18
  • 36.­20
  • 36.­32
  • 36.­33
  • 36.­102
  • 36.­117
  • 36.­118
  • 36.­119
  • 36.­121
  • 36.­122
  • 36.­123
  • 36.­128
  • 36.­134
  • 36.­136
  • 36.­140
  • 36.­142
  • 36.­188
  • 36.­219
  • 36.­221
  • 36.­222
  • 37.­1
  • 37.­2
  • 37.­6
  • 37.­7
  • 37.­9
  • 37.­10
  • 37.­15
  • 37.­17
  • 37.­31
  • 37.­43
  • 37.­46
  • 37.­47
  • 37.­49
  • 37.­50
  • 38.­1
  • 38.­65
  • 39.­2
  • 39.­3
  • 39.­4
  • 39.­5
  • 39.­6
  • 39.­7
  • 39.­8
  • 39.­9
  • 39.­10
  • 39.­11
  • 39.­13
  • 39.­45
  • 39.­60
  • 39.­62
  • 39.­63
  • 39.­64
  • 39.­65
  • 39.­68
  • 39.­69
  • 39.­71
  • 39.­72
  • 39.­73
  • 39.­75
  • 39.­79
  • 39.­82
  • 39.­83
  • 39.­85
  • 39.­91
  • 39.­92
  • 39.­93
  • 39.­94
  • 39.­95
  • 39.­96
  • 39.­97
  • 39.­98
  • 39.­99
  • 39.­100
  • 39.­101
  • 39.­102
  • 39.­103
  • 39.­116
  • 39.­117
  • 39.­120
  • 39.­121
  • 39.­122
  • 39.­123
  • 39.­124
  • 39.­125
  • 39.­126
  • 39.­127
  • 39.­128
  • 39.­129
  • 39.­130
  • 39.­131
  • 39.­132
  • 39.­133
  • 39.­134
  • 39.­136
  • 40.­21
  • 40.­28
  • 40.­30
  • 40.­63
  • 40.­106
  • 40.­110
  • 40.­114
  • 40.­122
  • 40.­126
  • n.­9
  • n.­10
  • n.­18
  • n.­27
  • n.­28
  • n.­29
  • n.­30
  • n.­81
  • n.­159
  • n.­160
  • n.­162
  • n.­182
  • n.­193
  • n.­231
  • n.­304
  • n.­313
  • n.­324
  • n.­330
  • n.­339
  • n.­340
  • n.­341
  • n.­342
  • n.­343
  • n.­430
  • n.­600
  • n.­783
  • n.­871
  • n.­889
  • n.­915
  • n.­1017
  • n.­1018
  • n.­1019
  • n.­1020
  • n.­1021
  • n.­1022
  • n.­1023
  • n.­1024
  • n.­1025
  • n.­1026
  • n.­1098
  • n.­1118
  • n.­1193
  • n.­1251
  • n.­1293
  • n.­1320
  • n.­1423
  • n.­1451
  • g.­12
  • g.­19
  • g.­45
  • g.­67
  • g.­90
  • g.­102
  • g.­127
  • g.­138
  • g.­139
  • g.­158
  • g.­175
  • g.­182
  • g.­198
  • g.­237
  • g.­252
  • g.­256
  • g.­259
  • g.­263
  • g.­265
  • g.­266
  • g.­282
  • g.­285
  • g.­321
  • g.­330
  • g.­331
  • g.­334
  • g.­356
  • g.­359
  • g.­412
  • g.­419
  • g.­424
  • g.­428
  • g.­449
  • g.­485
  • g.­498
  • g.­531

Links to further resources:

  • 33 related glossary entries
g.­74

Brahmā

  • tshangs pa
  • ཚངས་པ།
  • Brahmā

The personification of the universal force of Brahman, the deity in the form realm, who was, during the Buddha’s time, considered in India to be the supreme deity and creator of the universe.

28 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 1.­50
  • 8.­13
  • 10.­54
  • 10.­68
  • 10.­103
  • 10.­122
  • 14.­41
  • 14.­42
  • 14.­82
  • 14.­96
  • 17.­137
  • 23.­32
  • 29.­1
  • 29.­5
  • 29.­7
  • 30.­114
  • 31.­10
  • 36.­54
  • 39.­65
  • 39.­69
  • 40.­112
  • n.­16
  • n.­149
  • n.­480
  • n.­662
  • g.­79
  • g.­86

Links to further resources:

  • 125 related glossary entries
g.­79

Brahmakāyika

  • tshangs ris
  • ཚངས་རིས།
  • Brahmakāyika

The lowest of the three paradises that are the paradises of the first dhyāna in the form realm. The class of devas who live in the paradise of Brahmā.

3 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 10.­122
  • 36.­65

Links to further resources:

  • 23 related glossary entries
g.­91

Brother

  • tshe dang ldan pa
  • ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ།
  • ayuśman

A respectful form of address between monks and also lay companions of equal standing. Literally: one who has a [long] life.

22 passages contain this term:

  • i.­56
  • 21.­23
  • 21.­24
  • 21.­26
  • 21.­27
  • 21.­28
  • 21.­37
  • 25.­47
  • 36.­1
  • 36.­2
  • 36.­3
  • 36.­4
  • 36.­18
  • 36.­19
  • 36.­140
  • 36.­141
  • 40.­156
  • 40.­157
  • 40.­158
  • n.­778
  • g.­304
  • g.­374

Links to further resources:

  • 14 related glossary entries
g.­92

Buddha qualities

  • sangs rgyas kyi chos
  • སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཆོས།
  • buddhadharmāḥ

The specific qualities of a buddha; may sometimes be used as a general term, and sometimes referring to sets such as the ten strengths, the four fearlessnesses, the four discernments, the eighteen distinct qualities of a buddha, and so forth; or, more specifically, to another set of eighteen: the ten strengths; the four fearlessnesses; mindfulness of body, speech, and mind; and great compassion.

Alternatively, in the context of this sūtra, see 3.­2-3.­4.

15 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­1
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­26
  • 4.­13
  • 12.­1
  • 17.­69
  • 29.­40
  • 31.­12
  • 38.­95
  • 38.­100
  • 39.­47
  • 39.­54
  • n.­131

Links to further resources:

  • 7 related glossary entries
g.­95

Cakravartin

  • ’khor los sgyur ba
  • འཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བ།
  • cakravartin

A king with a magical wheel‍—wherever it rolls becomes his kingdom, so that he may rule over one to four continents.

11 passages contain this term:

  • i.­37
  • 2.­1
  • 10.­145
  • 17.­198
  • 18.­16
  • 30.­1
  • 33.­169
  • 33.­210
  • 36.­62
  • g.­199
  • g.­259

Links to further resources:

  • 58 related glossary entries
g.­96

Candrabhānu

  • zla ba’i ’od zer
  • ཟླ་བའི་འོད་ཟེར།
  • Candrabhānu

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­2
g.­97

Candrakīrti

  • zla ba grags pa
  • ཟླ་བ་གྲགས་པ།
  • Candrakīrti

A prominent seventh-century master of the Madhyamaka (Middle Way) tradition.

6 passages contain this term:

  • i.­1
  • i.­12
  • i.­13
  • i.­19
  • n.­6
  • n.­966

Links to further resources:

  • 2 related glossary entries
g.­99

Candraprabha

  • zla ’od
  • ཟླ་འོད།
  • Candraprabha

The young man of Rājagrha who is the principal interlocutor for the Samādhirājasūtra. He is frequently addressed as “youth” or “young man,” (Skt. kumāra; Tib. gzhon nu); see “the youth Candraprabha.”

72 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­2
  • i.­4
  • i.­5
  • i.­6
  • i.­15
  • i.­21
  • i.­36
  • i.­37
  • i.­38
  • i.­39
  • i.­40
  • i.­41
  • i.­42
  • i.­43
  • i.­44
  • i.­45
  • i.­46
  • i.­47
  • i.­49
  • i.­50
  • i.­51
  • i.­52
  • i.­53
  • i.­54
  • i.­55
  • i.­56
  • i.­57
  • i.­58
  • i.­59
  • i.­60
  • i.­61
  • i.­62
  • i.­65
  • i.­72
  • i.­73
  • i.­74
  • i.­75
  • i.­76
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­8
  • 4.­3
  • 10.­6
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­21
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­30
  • 10.­32
  • 10.­35
  • 10.­38
  • 10.­50
  • 10.­62
  • 14.­3
  • 15.­2
  • 15.­7
  • 15.­11
  • 16.­4
  • 17.­20
  • 18.­41
  • 39.­62
  • 39.­73
  • 39.­90
  • 39.­102
  • 39.­119
  • 39.­136
  • n.­231
  • n.­383
  • n.­403
  • n.­412
  • n.­530
  • g.­527

Links to further resources:

  • 4 related glossary entries
g.­100

Cāturmahā­rāja­kāyika

  • rgyal po chen po bzhi’i ris
  • རྒྱལ་པོ་ཆེན་པོ་བཞིའི་རིས།
  • Cāturmahā­rāja­kāyika

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the heavens of Buddhist cosmology, lowest among the six heavens of the desire realm (kāmadhātu, ’dod khams). Dwelling place of the Four Great Kings (Caturmahārāja, rgyal chen bzhi), traditionally located on a terrace of Sumeru, just below the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Each cardinal direction is ruled by one of the Four Great Kings and inhabited by a different class of nonhuman beings as their subjects: in the east, Dhṛtarāṣṭra rules the gandharvas; in the south, Virūḍhaka rules the kumbhāṇḍas; in the west, Virūpākṣa rules the nāgas; and in the north, Vaiśravaṇa rules the yakṣas.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­2

Links to further resources:

  • 30 related glossary entries
g.­110

Daśa­śata­raśmihutārci

  • nyi ma me’i ’od ’phro can
  • ཉི་མ་མེའི་འོད་འཕྲོ་ཅན།
  • Daśa­śata­raśmihutārci

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­2
g.­111

Deva

  • lha
  • ལྷ།
  • deva

A being in the paradises from the base of Mount Meru upward. Also can refer to a deity in the human world.

177 passages contain this term:

  • i.­54
  • i.­65
  • i.­78
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­50
  • 1.­62
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­33
  • 3.­3
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­44
  • 7.­3
  • 7.­21
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­36
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­13
  • 8.­22
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­14
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­25
  • 10.­31
  • 10.­37
  • 10.­42
  • 10.­51
  • 10.­54
  • 10.­68
  • 10.­77
  • 10.­79
  • 10.­94
  • 10.­99
  • 10.­100
  • 10.­101
  • 10.­103
  • 10.­104
  • 10.­107
  • 10.­119
  • 10.­120
  • 10.­121
  • 10.­122
  • 10.­123
  • 10.­124
  • 10.­127
  • 10.­157
  • 10.­158
  • 10.­159
  • 10.­160
  • 10.­161
  • 10.­166
  • 11.­46
  • 11.­55
  • 11.­64
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­3
  • 12.­20
  • 14.­29
  • 14.­33
  • 14.­36
  • 14.­39
  • 14.­41
  • 14.­42
  • 14.­46
  • 14.­79
  • 14.­82
  • 14.­85
  • 14.­90
  • 14.­92
  • 15.­9
  • 15.­18
  • 17.­6
  • 17.­8
  • 17.­16
  • 17.­58
  • 17.­64
  • 17.­74
  • 17.­75
  • 17.­137
  • 17.­186
  • 17.­195
  • 18.­44
  • 18.­49
  • 19.­6
  • 19.­9
  • 19.­14
  • 19.­18
  • 19.­34
  • 20.­15
  • 21.­2
  • 23.­15
  • 23.­32
  • 23.­33
  • 24.­13
  • 29.­1
  • 29.­4
  • 29.­6
  • 29.­9
  • 29.­11
  • 29.­16
  • 30.­6
  • 30.­40
  • 30.­93
  • 30.­95
  • 30.­113
  • 31.­3
  • 31.­9
  • 33.­130
  • 33.­170
  • 33.­274
  • 34.­7
  • 34.­13
  • 34.­14
  • 34.­19
  • 34.­20
  • 34.­22
  • 34.­35
  • 34.­42
  • 34.­43
  • 34.­49
  • 34.­50
  • 34.­52
  • 34.­61
  • 35.­9
  • 35.­51
  • 36.­9
  • 36.­53
  • 36.­54
  • 36.­65
  • 36.­77
  • 36.­78
  • 36.­101
  • 36.­106
  • 36.­114
  • 36.­131
  • 36.­146
  • 36.­158
  • 36.­171
  • 36.­187
  • 36.­208
  • 38.­10
  • 38.­17
  • 38.­51
  • 38.­85
  • 39.­12
  • 39.­56
  • 39.­71
  • 40.­111
  • 40.­115
  • 40.­153
  • 40.­158
  • n.­242
  • n.­310
  • n.­394
  • n.­466
  • n.­477
  • n.­479
  • n.­480
  • n.­485
  • n.­575
  • n.­581
  • n.­584
  • n.­662
  • n.­747
  • n.­773
  • n.­1002
  • n.­1003
  • g.­32
  • g.­40
  • g.­79
  • g.­89
  • g.­180
  • g.­383
  • g.­444

Links to further resources:

  • 61 related glossary entries
g.­114

Dhāraṇī

  • gzungs
  • གཟུངས།
  • dhāraṇī

See “retention.”

13 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 10.­7
  • 13.­26
  • 17.­98
  • 17.­154
  • 26.­17
  • 32.­4
  • n.­13
  • n.­311
  • n.­540
  • n.­1042
  • n.­1052
  • g.­373

Links to further resources:

  • 94 related glossary entries
g.­118

Dharmakāya

  • chos kyi sku
  • ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྐུ།
  • dharmakāya

In distinction to the rūpakāya, or “form body” of a buddha, this is the eternal, imperceivable realization of a buddha. In origin it was a term for the presence of the Dharma, and has come to be synonymous with the true nature.

22 passages contain this term:

  • i.­27
  • i.­58
  • i.­60
  • i.­68
  • 4.­24
  • 6.­2
  • 10.­11
  • 12.­8
  • 23.­1
  • 23.­3
  • 23.­28
  • 23.­40
  • 23.­41
  • 25.­11
  • 25.­12
  • 30.­124
  • 33.­36
  • n.­159
  • n.­783
  • n.­1071
  • g.­377
  • g.­476

Links to further resources:

  • 31 related glossary entries
g.­121

Dharmatāśīla

  • chos nyid tshul khrims
  • ཆོས་ཉིད་ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས།
  • Dharmatāśīla

The 9th century Tibetan translator of this text.

2 passages contain this term:

  • i.­8
  • c.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 5 related glossary entries
g.­122

Dharmavyūha

  • chos bkod pa
  • ཆོས་བཀོད་པ།
  • Dharmavyūha

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­2
g.­124

Dhātu

  • khams
  • ཁམས།
  • dhātu

Often translated “element,” commonly in the context of the eighteen elements of sensory experience (the six sense faculties, their six respective objects, and the six sensory consciousnesses), although the term has a wide range of other meanings. Along with skandha and āyatana, one of the three major categories in the taxonomy of phenomena in the sūtra literature.

13 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­27
  • 1.­29
  • 3.­4
  • 13.­2
  • 17.­89
  • 17.­94
  • 40.­2
  • 40.­4
  • 40.­22
  • 40.­44
  • 40.­69
  • g.­48
  • g.­417

Links to further resources:

  • 56 related glossary entries
g.­126

Dhyāna

  • bsam gtan
  • བསམ་གཏན།
  • dhyāna

Sometimes translated as “absorption” or “meditative absorption,” this is one of several similar but specific terms for particular states of mind to be cultivated. Dhyāna is the term often used in the context of eight successive stages, four of form and four formless.

53 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­16
  • 1.­40
  • 6.­25
  • 9.­37
  • 9.­53
  • 11.­7
  • 12.­17
  • 17.­65
  • 18.­32
  • 18.­33
  • 19.­32
  • 21.­5
  • 23.­10
  • 29.­30
  • 29.­64
  • 29.­70
  • 30.­100
  • 30.­107
  • 31.­3
  • 33.­137
  • 33.­218
  • 33.­256
  • 33.­294
  • 35.­80
  • 36.­57
  • 36.­104
  • 36.­114
  • 36.­123
  • 36.­205
  • 38.­7
  • 38.­88
  • 39.­51
  • 40.­20
  • 40.­64
  • 40.­65
  • 40.­93
  • n.­100
  • n.­370
  • n.­480
  • n.­942
  • n.­1028
  • n.­1445
  • g.­1
  • g.­13
  • g.­30
  • g.­31
  • g.­79
  • g.­82
  • g.­182
  • g.­325
  • g.­326
  • g.­430
  • g.­486

Links to further resources:

  • 49 related glossary entries
g.­130

Discernment

  • so so yang dag par rig pa
  • སོ་སོ་ཡང་དག་པར་རིག་པ།
  • pratisaṃvida

There are four: the discernments of meaning, phenomena, definitions, and eloquence.

31 passages contain this term:

  • i.­59
  • i.­60
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­39
  • 17.­90
  • 24.­1
  • 24.­2
  • 24.­64
  • 24.­65
  • 24.­74
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­2
  • 25.­70
  • 29.­73
  • 29.­78
  • 29.­82
  • 30.­7
  • 37.­37
  • 37.­39
  • 39.­8
  • 39.­50
  • 39.­98
  • 39.­107
  • 39.­130
  • 39.­142
  • 40.­12
  • 40.­24
  • 40.­58
  • n.­851
  • n.­904
  • g.­92

Links to further resources:

  • 22 related glossary entries
g.­131

Disciplines of mendicancy

  • sbyangs pa’i yon tan
  • sbyangs dag
  • sbyangs tshul
  • སྦྱངས་པའི་ཡོན་ཏན།
  • སྦྱངས་དག
  • སྦྱངས་ཚུལ།
  • dhūtaguṇa
  • dhūta

Ascetic practices that are optional for monks and nuns or undertaken only for a defined time period. They are traditionally listed as being twelve in number: (1) wearing rags (pāṃśukūlika, phyag dar khrod pa), (2) (in the form of only) three religious robes (traicīvarika, chos gos gsum), (3) (coarse in texture as) garments of felt (nāma[n]tika, ’phyings pa pa), (4) eating by alms (paiṇḍapātika, bsod snyoms pa), (5) having a single mat to sit on (aikāsanika, stan gcig pa), (6) not eating after noon (khalu paścād bhaktika, zas phyis mi len pa), (7) living alone in the forest (āraṇyaka, dgon pa pa), (8) living at the base of a tree (vṛkṣamūlika, shing drungs pa), (9) living in the open (ābhyavakāśika, bla gab med pa), (10) frequenting cemeteries (śmāśānika, dur khrod pa), (11) sleeping sitting up (naiṣadika, cog bu pa), and (12) accepting whatever seating position is offered (yāthāsaṃstarika, gzhi ji bzhin pa); this last of the twelve is sometimes interpreted as not omitting any house on the almsround, i.e. regardless of any reception expected. Mahāvyutpatti, 1127-39.

9 passages contain this term:

  • 9.­7
  • 17.­94
  • 29.­94
  • 29.­95
  • 29.­96
  • 30.­2
  • 30.­7
  • 30.­50
  • 34.­66

Links to further resources:

  • 16 related glossary entries
g.­138

Dundubhisvara

  • rnga dbyangs
  • རྔ་དབྱངས།
  • Dundubhisvara

A bodhisattva who only appears in Mahāyāna sūtras. It is also a name for various buddhas, including an alternative name for Buddha Amoghasiddhi. Incorrectly translated as mngon par ’byung dka’

2 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 10.­38
g.­144

Eloquence

  • spobs pa
  • སྤོབས་པ།
  • pratibhāna

The Tibetan word literally means “confidence” or “courage” but it refers to confident speech, to being perfectly eloquent.

29 passages contain this term:

  • i.­53
  • 1.­50
  • 2.­34
  • 3.­4
  • 11.­13
  • 17.­62
  • 17.­66
  • 17.­131
  • 17.­140
  • 17.­147
  • 24.­1
  • 24.­38
  • 24.­46
  • 24.­65
  • 25.­65
  • 26.­17
  • 30.­120
  • 32.­13
  • 32.­15
  • 33.­146
  • 34.­11
  • 35.­15
  • 37.­70
  • 39.­8
  • 39.­98
  • 39.­130
  • 40.­117
  • n.­509
  • g.­130

Links to further resources:

  • 18 related glossary entries
g.­145

Emptiness

  • stong pa nyid
  • སྟོང་པ་ཉིད།
  • śūnyatā

In the Mahāyāna this is the term for how phenomena are devoid of any nature of their own. One of the three doorways to liberation along with the absence of aspiration and the absence of attributes.

101 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1
  • i.­14
  • i.­42
  • i.­55
  • i.­60
  • i.­64
  • i.­67
  • i.­68
  • i.­71
  • i.­75
  • 1.­45
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­16
  • 4.­23
  • 6.­26
  • 7.­9
  • 7.­32
  • 9.­48
  • 9.­49
  • 9.­54
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­110
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­35
  • 11.­41
  • 11.­42
  • 11.­48
  • 12.­6
  • 14.­10
  • 14.­13
  • 14.­63
  • 14.­81
  • 14.­86
  • 16.­29
  • 17.­62
  • 17.­72
  • 17.­129
  • 19.­27
  • 23.­4
  • 25.­15
  • 25.­16
  • 25.­17
  • 26.­17
  • 29.­61
  • 29.­62
  • 29.­67
  • 30.­34
  • 30.­87
  • 30.­127
  • 32.­8
  • 33.­20
  • 33.­23
  • 33.­51
  • 33.­87
  • 33.­223
  • 33.­225
  • 33.­235
  • 33.­269
  • 33.­294
  • 34.­5
  • 34.­48
  • 37.­33
  • 37.­34
  • 37.­36
  • 37.­43
  • 38.­59
  • 38.­60
  • 38.­61
  • 38.­64
  • 38.­66
  • 38.­78
  • 38.­80
  • 38.­82
  • 38.­99
  • 38.­103
  • 39.­6
  • 39.­25
  • 39.­30
  • 39.­96
  • 39.­128
  • 39.­144
  • 40.­21
  • 40.­102
  • 40.­119
  • 40.­134
  • n.­267
  • n.­315
  • n.­391
  • n.­700
  • n.­883
  • n.­931
  • n.­936
  • n.­937
  • n.­943
  • n.­1061
  • n.­1063
  • n.­1419
  • g.­38
  • g.­132
  • g.­242

Links to further resources:

  • 34 related glossary entries
g.­148

Fata morgana

  • dri za’i grong khyer
  • དྲི་ཟའི་གྲོང་ཁྱེར།
  • gandharvapura

A particular kind of mirage in which buildings, mountains, and so on can appear in the sky above the horizon. In India, called the “city of gandharvas,” as it was believed to be a glimpse of the residences of these divine beings.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 9.­19

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­149

Fearlessness

  • mi ’jigs pa
  • མི་འཇིགས་པ།
  • vaiśaradya

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

20 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­7
  • 1.­45
  • 1.­55
  • 2.­28
  • 17.­61
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­2
  • 34.­48
  • 39.­5
  • 39.­95
  • 39.­109
  • 39.­127
  • 39.­142
  • 40.­24
  • 40.­93
  • 40.­129
  • n.­77
  • n.­1411
  • n.­1461
  • g.­92

Links to further resources:

  • 22 related glossary entries
g.­160

Gandharva

  • dri za
  • དྲི་ཟ།
  • gandharva

A race of deities who are particularly known to be musicians.

21 passages contain this term:

  • i.­54
  • 1.­2
  • 10.­31
  • 10.­42
  • 10.­51
  • 11.­46
  • 17.­16
  • 19.­8
  • 19.­9
  • 19.­10
  • 19.­11
  • 19.­34
  • 34.­22
  • 36.­15
  • 40.­158
  • n.­733
  • n.­738
  • g.­32
  • g.­125
  • g.­148
  • g.­321

Links to further resources:

  • 114 related glossary entries
g.­169

Garuḍa

  • khyung
  • ཁྱུང་།
  • garuḍa

A supernatural being that is a gigantic bird with humanoid features.

12 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 10.­31
  • 10.­42
  • 10.­51
  • 10.­156
  • 10.­160
  • 11.­46
  • 14.­83
  • 17.­16
  • 17.­138
  • 34.­22
  • n.­1270

Links to further resources:

  • 79 related glossary entries
g.­176

Good beings

  • skyes bu dam pa
  • སྐྱེས་བུ་དམ་པ།
  • satpuruṣa

2 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 17.­134

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­177

Good Eon

  • skal pa bzang po
  • སྐལ་པ་བཟང་པོ།
  • Bhadrakalpa
  • Bhadraka

Our present eon in which over a thousand buddhas will appear. The meaning is “good” because of the number of buddhas that will appear. In the sūtra, it is usually called bhadraka.

5 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 10.­60
  • n.­27
  • g.­12
  • g.­259

Links to further resources:

  • 15 related glossary entries
g.­179

Gṛdhrakūṭa

  • rgod kyi phung po
  • རྒོད་ཀྱི་ཕུང་པོ།
  • Gṛdhrakūṭa

See “Vulture Peak.”

9 passages contain this term:

  • 10.­29
  • 17.­2
  • 17.­5
  • 17.­10
  • 17.­15
  • 17.­18
  • 19.­16
  • 33.­142
  • g.­538

Links to further resources:

  • 54 related glossary entries
g.­182

Higher cognition

  • mngon par shes pa
  • མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པ།
  • abhijñā

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

38 passages contain this term:

  • i.­42
  • i.­64
  • i.­68
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­29
  • 1.­41
  • 2.­14
  • 17.­60
  • 17.­62
  • 17.­95
  • 17.­189
  • 19.­5
  • 23.­6
  • 29.­103
  • 29.­106
  • 29.­108
  • 30.­7
  • 30.­24
  • 32.­24
  • 33.­1
  • 33.­2
  • 33.­3
  • 33.­4
  • 33.­5
  • 33.­6
  • 33.­123
  • 33.­124
  • 33.­287
  • 34.­21
  • 37.­37
  • 38.­35
  • 39.­83
  • 39.­102
  • 39.­136
  • 40.­22
  • 40.­65
  • n.­1394
  • n.­1432

Links to further resources:

  • 44 related glossary entries
g.­197

Jina

  • rgyal ba
  • རྒྱལ་བ།
  • jina

The most common epithet of the buddhas, and also common among the Jains, hence their name. It means “the victorious one.”

241 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­5
  • 2.­13
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­16
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­33
  • 2.­37
  • 3.­7
  • 3.­11
  • 3.­20
  • 3.­21
  • 3.­22
  • 3.­40
  • 4.­24
  • 4.­27
  • 5.­27
  • 5.­49
  • 5.­50
  • 5.­52
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­29
  • 7.­8
  • 7.­29
  • 7.­42
  • 8.­9
  • 8.­22
  • 8.­25
  • 8.­27
  • 8.­29
  • 9.­38
  • 9.­54
  • 9.­73
  • 10.­12
  • 10.­29
  • 10.­33
  • 10.­50
  • 10.­57
  • 10.­61
  • 10.­72
  • 10.­73
  • 10.­74
  • 10.­75
  • 10.­76
  • 10.­78
  • 10.­79
  • 10.­80
  • 10.­81
  • 10.­82
  • 10.­92
  • 10.­100
  • 10.­104
  • 10.­106
  • 10.­107
  • 10.­109
  • 10.­110
  • 10.­111
  • 10.­112
  • 10.­116
  • 10.­129
  • 10.­141
  • 10.­142
  • 10.­143
  • 10.­148
  • 10.­161
  • 10.­162
  • 10.­163
  • 10.­167
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­20
  • 11.­68
  • 11.­72
  • 12.­5
  • 12.­12
  • 14.­37
  • 14.­42
  • 14.­47
  • 14.­55
  • 14.­78
  • 14.­84
  • 14.­87
  • 14.­91
  • 14.­95
  • 14.­98
  • 15.­3
  • 15.­10
  • 15.­12
  • 17.­4
  • 17.­29
  • 17.­31
  • 17.­32
  • 17.­33
  • 17.­34
  • 17.­35
  • 17.­36
  • 17.­37
  • 17.­38
  • 17.­39
  • 17.­40
  • 17.­41
  • 17.­42
  • 17.­48
  • 17.­56
  • 17.­63
  • 17.­70
  • 17.­79
  • 17.­80
  • 17.­86
  • 17.­87
  • 17.­89
  • 17.­90
  • 17.­91
  • 17.­92
  • 17.­93
  • 17.­94
  • 17.­95
  • 17.­96
  • 17.­97
  • 17.­98
  • 17.­99
  • 17.­101
  • 17.­106
  • 17.­110
  • 17.­112
  • 17.­113
  • 17.­114
  • 17.­116
  • 17.­118
  • 17.­119
  • 17.­120
  • 17.­121
  • 17.­122
  • 17.­123
  • 17.­124
  • 17.­125
  • 17.­126
  • 17.­127
  • 17.­128
  • 17.­129
  • 17.­130
  • 17.­131
  • 17.­132
  • 17.­133
  • 17.­134
  • 17.­135
  • 17.­136
  • 17.­137
  • 17.­138
  • 17.­139
  • 17.­140
  • 17.­145
  • 17.­146
  • 17.­151
  • 17.­159
  • 17.­164
  • 17.­167
  • 17.­175
  • 17.­180
  • 17.­189
  • 17.­192
  • 17.­193
  • 18.­37
  • 19.­13
  • 20.­13
  • 20.­17
  • 21.­23
  • 23.­28
  • 23.­48
  • 29.­16
  • 30.­6
  • 30.­18
  • 30.­23
  • 30.­26
  • 30.­31
  • 30.­32
  • 30.­33
  • 30.­35
  • 30.­36
  • 30.­37
  • 30.­39
  • 30.­53
  • 30.­56
  • 30.­80