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འཇིག་རྟེན་འཛིན་གྱིས་ཡོངས་སུ་དྲིས་པ།

The Inquiry of Lokadhara
Chapter Eight: The Eightfold Path of the Noble Ones

Lokadharaparipṛcchā
འཕགས་པ་འཇིག་རྟེན་འཛིན་གྱིས་ཡོངས་སུ་དྲིས་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་མདོ།
’phags pa ’jig rten ’dzin gyis yongs su dris pa zhes bya ba’i mdo
The Noble Sūtra “The Inquiry of Lokadhara”
Āryalokadharaparipṛcchānāmasūtra
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Toh 174

Degé Kangyur, vol. 60 (mdo sde, ma), folios 7.b–78.b

Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

First published 2020
Current version v 1.1.22 (2021)
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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
tr. The Translation
+ 12 chapters- 12 chapters
1. Chapter One: The Introduction
2. Chapter Two: Investigating the Five Aggregates
+ 9 sections- 9 sections
· Form
· Feeling
· Perception
· Formation
· Consciousness
· The Five Aggregates
· The Five Aggregates for Appropriation
· Suffering
· The World
3. Chapter Three: The Eighteen Elements
+ 7 sections- 7 sections
· The Eye Element
· The Form Element
· The Eye-Consciousness Element
· The Mind Element
· The Mental-Object Element
· The Mind-Consciousness Element
· The Three Realms
4. Chapter Four: Understanding the Twelve Sense Sources
+ 3 sections- 3 sections
· The Eye and Form Sense Sources
· The Mind and Mental-Object Sense Sources
· The Inner and Outer Sense Sources
5. Chapter Five: Understanding the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination
6. Chapter Six: The Four Applications of Mindfulness
+ 4 sections- 4 sections
· Contemplation of the Body in Relation to the Body
· Contemplation of Feelings in Relation to Feelings
· Contemplation of the Mind in Relation to the Mind
· Contemplation of Mental Phenomena in Relation to Mental Phenomena
7. Chapter Seven: The Five Powers
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· The Power of Faith
· The Power of Diligence
· The Power of Mindfulness
· The Power of Absorption
· The Power of Insight
8. Chapter Eight: The Eightfold Path of the Noble Ones
+ 8 sections- 8 sections
· Right View
· Right Thought
· Right Speech
· Right Action
· Right Livelihood
· Right Effort
· Right Mindfulness
· Right Absorption
9. Chapter Nine: The Phenomena of the World and Transcendence
10. Chapter Ten: The Conditioned and the Unconditioned
11. Chapter Eleven: The Teaching on What Occurred in the Past
12. Chapter Twelve: The Entrustment
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

In The Inquiry of Lokadhara, the bodhisattva Lokadhara asks the Buddha to explain the proper way for bodhisattvas to discern the characteristics of phenomena and employ that knowledge to attain awakening. In reply, the Buddha teaches at length how to understand the lack of inherent existence of phenomena. As part of the teaching, the Buddha explains in detail the nonexistence of the aggregates, the elements, the sense sources, dependently originated phenomena, the four applications of mindfulness, the five powers, the eightfold path of the noble ones, and mundane and transcendent phenomena, as well as conditioned and unconditioned phenomena.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

The sūtra was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the guidance of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. The translation from the Tibetan was produced by Timothy Hinkle. Andreas Doctor checked the translation against the Tibetan, edited the text, and wrote the introduction. James Gentry subsequently compared the translation against Kumārajīva’s Chinese translation and made further edits.

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


i.

Introduction

i.­1

The Inquiry of Lokadhara is a scripture that belongs to the general sūtra section of the Degé Kangyur. As far as we are aware, no Sanskrit version of this text remains. However, in addition to the Tibetan translation, which we have translated here, the sūtra is also present in two Chinese translations (Taishō 481 and Taishō 482). The first of these was translated by Dharmarakṣa (233–311 ᴄᴇ), the famed and prolific translator of The Lotus Sūtra. The second translation was completed between 402 and 412 ᴄᴇ, by the equally renowned translator Kumārajīva (344–413 ᴄᴇ), as one of his last translations. We therefore know that the text has been in existence since at least the third century ᴄᴇ. Unfortunately, however, we know little else of the history of this sūtra. We do not even know when, or by whom, it was translated into Tibetan; the translation does not identify a translator, and the text is not listed in the ninth-century Denkarma (Tib. ldan dkar ma) or Phangthangma (Tib. ’phang thang ma) imperial catalogues of Tibetan translations.1 It does, however, appear in Buton’s (Tib. bu ston) History of the Dharma (Tib. chos ’byung), thus suggesting that it was translated after the fall of the Yarlung dynasty (846 ᴄᴇ) (or at least outside official circles of imperial influence), and only became known in Tibet sometime prior to the fourteenth century ᴄᴇ. A cursory search of the Dunhuang manuscript catalogues did not yield any further information, although future studies of these resources may shed new light on this issue. In this regard, it is worth mentioning that Cornelius Chang (1976, p. 22) reports that a fragment of the sūtra was discovered in Turfan (in modern day Xinjiang). The sūtra is therefore likely to have been present in the Dunhuang region as well, as the Tibetan Yarlung Dynasty controlled Turfan during the same period that it controlled Dunhuang, until roughly 846 ᴄᴇ.


The Translation
The Noble Sūtra
The Inquiry of Lokadhara

1.

Chapter One: The Introduction

[F.7.b] [B1]


1.­1

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!


1.­2

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying at the Kalandaka­nivāpa in Veṇuvana near Rājagṛha, with a great saṅgha of monks. The Blessed One was teaching the Dharma to a large assembly with hundreds of thousands of beings in attendance. Present in the assembly was the bodhisattva great being Lokadhara. It was his wish that bodhisattva great beings develop the mind of awakening by adorning themselves with immeasurable virtues; that they understand in its entirety the true meaning of all phenomena; [F.8.a] that they understand how limitless aspirations lead to the perfection of limitless ornaments; that they comprehend and understand the true characteristics of limitless phenomena; that they purify their motivation through limitless aspirations; that they gain comprehensive knowledge; that they attain the ornament of generosity and the purity of certainty; that they perfect the ornament of discipline and patience; that they purify the attitude of mildness and gentleness; that they understand the purity of diligence; that they understand and comprehend the perfections of concentration and insight; and that they develop limitless other such virtues.


2.

Chapter Two: Investigating the Five Aggregates

2.­1

The Blessed One then addressed the bodhisattva Lokadhara, “Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings who wish to attain the true characteristics of all phenomena, wish to be learned in the characteristics of discerning phenomena, wish to attain the power of recall, wish to attain the insight that discerns all phenomena, or wish to attain unbroken mindfulness from the time they leave this body until reaching unsurpassed and perfect awakening should swiftly enter this Dharma gateway. Through this Dharma gateway, they will attain the light of insight. Why is this? Because this Dharma gateway swiftly ensures that perfection is attained. Furthermore, Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings should exert themselves in this Dharma gateway. Having entered this gateway that pertains to the Dharma, they will become highly skilled in discerning what pertains to the aggregates, elements, sense sources, dependently originated phenomena, the four applications of mindfulness, the five powers, the eightfold path of the noble ones, and mundane and transcendent phenomena. Additionally, they will become highly skilled in discerning what pertains to conditioned and unconditioned phenomena.”

Form

Feeling

Perception

Formation

Consciousness

The Five Aggregates

The Five Aggregates for Appropriation

Suffering

The World


3.

Chapter Three: The Eighteen Elements

The Eye Element

3.­1

“Lokadhara, regarding the elements, how are bodhisattva great beings learned in the eighteen elements? When bodhisattva great beings practice correct contemplation of the eighteen elements, they think, ‘The eye element cannot be observed to be the eye element. There is also no I or mine in the eye element. It is impermanent, insubstantial, and empty of inherent nature. Therefore, what is imputed as the characteristic of the eye element cannot be observed in the eye element. The eye element is untrue and totally nonexistent, for it is born from false thinking. The eye element lacks true characteristics, as the space element is the eye element. For instance, just as the space element lacks true characteristics and is not an entity, the eye element also lacks true characteristics and is not an entity. Why is this? [F.38.b] Because no real entity can be found in the eye element, the eye element does not exist in any location or direction. It does not exist internally, externally, or somewhere in-between. The eye element lacks true characteristics and is not an entity. Thus, no entity of the eye element can be apprehended, for it arises from many causes and conditions. The eye element is neither past, nor present, nor future, and there is no intrinsic nature of the eye to observe in the eye element. The eye element depends upon the ripening of the results of past actions and current conditions, whereupon the eye element is imputed. The eye element is a nonelement. No eye element can be observed in the eye element. The so-called eye element refers to the domain of consciousness. The eye element manifests when three factors come together: a clear eye faculty, an apparent form, and the involvement of the mind faculty. The eye element lacks anything that can be called a real eye element, and the wise understand the eye element to be the absence of the eye element.’ ”

The Form Element

The Eye-Consciousness Element

The Mind Element

The Mental-Object Element

The Mind-Consciousness Element

The Three Realms


4.

Chapter Four: Understanding the Twelve Sense Sources

The Eye and Form Sense Sources

4.­1

The Blessed One continued addressing Lokadhara: [F.45.b] “How are bodhisattva great beings knowledgeable about the twelve sense sources? When discerning the twelve sense sources, they think, ‘The eye sense source cannot be observed in the eye. In the eye, there is no definitive eye sense source. The eye sense source cannot be observed to be an entity.’ Why is this? The eye sense source is born from many causes and conditions and arises through mistaken perception. It depends upon form, because it observes form. When the two meet,38 the condition of form brings the condition of the eye sense source into existence. Because the form and eye sense sources are mutually dependent, they are collectively called the eye’s form. Regarding the so-called eye and form, form is the gateway through which the eye sense source is generated, and the eye also generates and illuminates the form sense source. Therefore, with regard to the sense sources, the eye sense source is so-called because it is labeled a sense source gateway via the condition of form and the form sense source is so-called because it is seen by the eye. While I teach that they do exist relatively, the eye does not exist in form, form does not exist in the eye, the eye does not exist in the eye, and form does not exist in form. The eye sense source is thus labeled because observation of form arises from many conditions. Additionally, the form sense source is thus labeled because the eye consciousness and the characteristic of sight arise through dependent origination.

The Mind and Mental-Object Sense Sources

The Inner and Outer Sense Sources


5.

Chapter Five: Understanding the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination

5.­1

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings skilled in discerning and contemplating the twelve links of dependent origination? [F.49.a] Bodhisattva great beings discern and contemplate the twelve links of dependent origination as follows: Ignorance is so designated because of nonexistence. Ignorance is so designated because it lacks qualities. Ignorance is so designated because it cannot understand knowledge. How is ignorance unable to understand knowledge? Ignorance is called ignorance because it has no fixed qualities to observe. For what reason does the condition of ignorance give rise to formations? All phenomena42 are nonexistent, but childish ordinary beings form them, thus it is said that ignorance causes formations. Because consciousness arises from formations, it depends upon the condition of formations. Name-and-form are two characteristics, and therefore name-and-form are created by the condition of consciousness. The six sense sources are based upon the condition of name-and-form, because the six sense sources arise from name-and-form. Contact is based upon the condition of the six sense sources, because contact arises from the six sense sources. Feeling is based upon the condition of contact, because feeling arises from contact. Craving is based upon the condition of feeling, because craving arises from feeling. Grasping is based upon the condition of craving, because grasping arises from craving. Becoming is based upon the condition of grasping, because becoming arises from grasping. Birth is based upon the condition of becoming, because birth arises from becoming. Based upon the condition of birth, there arises aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, and the great mass of suffering. In this way aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, and the great mass of suffering are so designated because of birth. In this manner, the great mass of suffering arises. This process is all-subsuming: with a mistaken perception, one contravenes knowledge and accumulates a mass of ignorance. This generates desire for another existence, and based on one’s preferences and attachments, one seeks birth in all such places‍—this is the aggregate of existence. [F.49.b]


6.

Chapter Six: The Four Applications of Mindfulness

6.­1

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings skilled in the applications of mindfulness? Bodhisattva great beings discern and contemplate the four applications of mindfulness. What are these four? The contemplation of the body in relation to the body, the contemplation of feelings in relation to feelings, the contemplation of the mind in relation to the mind, and the contemplation of mental phenomena in relation to mental phenomena. How do they contemplate the body in relation to the body, and contemplate feelings, mind, [F.54.b] and mental phenomena in relation to feelings, mind, and mental phenomena?”

Contemplation of the Body in Relation to the Body

Contemplation of Feelings in Relation to Feelings

Contemplation of the Mind in Relation to the Mind

Contemplation of Mental Phenomena in Relation to Mental Phenomena


7.

Chapter Seven: The Five Powers

7.­1

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings skilled in the five powers? Bodhisattva great beings accurately contemplate the five transcendent powers. What are these five? The powers of faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and insight.

The Power of Faith

7.­2

“When bodhisattvas put the five powers into practice, they gain trust in how all phenomena are born from dependent origination, arise through mistaken perception, and are like a whirling firebrand or a dream, in owing their existence to a gathering of conditions of false perception. They trust that all phenomena have the characteristics of being impermanent, suffering, impure, selfless, like a thorn or blister, insubstantial, unstable, mutable, and destructible. [F.59.b] Moreover, they trust that all phenomena are false, and thus nonexistent; that just as a child is fooled by an empty fist or a rainbow, phenomena are merely arisen from imputation and dependent phenomena, and thus lack even a single true quality of being an entity. Moreover, they trust that all phenomena are neither past, present, nor future. They trust that all phenomena neither come from, nor go, anywhere. They trust that all phenomena are emptiness, without marks, and unconditioned. They trust that all phenomena are unborn, unconditioned, unarisen, without marks, and free from marks. They trust in pure discipline, pure absorption, pure insight, and the pure teaching of the wisdom of liberation.61 Bodhisattvas become irreversible by effortlessly accomplishing the power of faith; guided by faith, they can observe discipline, such that their faith will not decline or be lost. By effortlessly accomplishing the quality of irreversibility, they will have unwavering faith. They will ripen faith in accordance with the ripening of karmic results, and they will destroy all wrong views. They will not spurn the teachings or seek out any teachers other than the blessed buddhas. They will always follow the true nature of all phenomena. They will follow the genuine path practiced by the saṅgha. Through observing pure discipline and effortlessly accomplishing acceptance, they will attain faith that is unwavering, unchanging, and extraordinary. They are thus said to possess the power of faith.”

The Power of Diligence

The Power of Mindfulness

The Power of Absorption

The Power of Insight


8.

Chapter Eight: The Eightfold Path of the Noble Ones

8.­1

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings skilled in the path of the noble ones? The bodhisattva great beings are steadfast on the noble path. What is meant by path in this context? It is the eightfold path of the noble ones, which comprises right view, right thought, [F.63.a] right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right absorption. Lokadhara, what is it that bodhisattva great beings practice on the eightfold path of the noble ones? And what means do they obtain on the eightfold path of the noble ones?”

Right View

8.­2

“Bodhisattva great beings with right view are steadfast in right view. In order to disrupt all views, they exert themselves on the path. In order to disrupt all views, they are steadfast on the path and eliminate even their views of nirvāṇa and buddhahood. Why is this? Lokadhara, any view, including even views of nirvāṇa and buddhahood, is a negative view. It is called right view because it destroys and defeats all attachment to views. Furthermore, right view refers to having no view, and not adopting, forming ideas about, becoming attached to, observing, partaking of, or conceptualizing any view.

8.­3

“What is seen by right view? The fact that this entire world is bound by false and mistaken views is seen. When this is seen, it is called being steadfast in the disruption of all views. Within right view itself, one does not form ideas, view, become attached, or imagine. All views up to and including views of nirvāṇa and buddhahood are eliminated, because one exerts oneself in not generating any views. How is it right view? All phenomena are pacified, so conceptualizing characteristics is unborn, unceasing, and in harmony with nirvāṇa.67 One thus does not conceptualize or imagine any phenomenon; [F.63.b] one does not conceptualize, imagine, or manifest anything.68 The correct view is not high, not low, not adopting, and not rejecting. This is called right view that transcends the world.

8.­4

“What is meant by right view that transcends the world? It is called right view that transcends the world because it does not observe the world and it does not observe the transcendence of the world; and in thus not observing even the transcendence of the world, it is nonconceptual. Furthermore, right view knows and understands the world to be just like the transcendence of the world. It is called right view that transcends the world because it does not conceptualize the world or the transcendence of the world, and because it disrupts all conceptual perceptions. It is called right view when one does not see anything in terms of right or wrong and has disrupted all mental concepts. Furthermore, right view makes no distinctions between any phenomena: this is right view. Moreover, right view accurately understands the meaning of wrong view. Also, right view understands all wrong views to be sameness. This is how bodhisattvas are steadfast in right view.”

Right Thought

8.­5

“Lokadhara, once they are steadfast in right view, bodhisattva great beings accurately understand right thought. They think, ‘All thoughts are mistaken. So, even thoughts about nirvāṇa and buddhahood are wrong thoughts. Why is this? Right thought is the disruption of thought.’ Right thought is no thought.69 [F.64.a] Thinking is conceptual. Why is this? By seeing and understanding the characteristics of all thoughts, wrong thoughts are eliminated. They will not think about ‘this or that other thing.’ By abiding in right thought in this way, they will not have any thoughts about right thoughts or wrong thoughts. By being free from all thoughts, they transcend thought. This is right thought. Right thought is seeing and understanding that all thought arises from falsity, untruth, and mistaken perception; it is to not think of any thoughts. When they dwell in right thought in this way, they do not observe right or wrong thoughts; they are free from thoughts, have transcended thoughts, and have disrupted thoughts. This is right thought. At this point, they are no longer bound by any thoughts, and they understand and see that the nature of all thoughts is sameness. This is abiding in right thought.”

Right Speech

8.­6

“Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings’ practice of right speech is to know that all spoken words are false, untrue, arisen from mistaken perception, incorrectly imputed, and arisen from many causes and conditions. With this understanding they think, ‘All words that are spoken are unobservable.’ This accurate understanding of all actions of speech, which occurs once all words have ceased, is right speech. When one sees that the speech of spoken words does not come from anywhere or go anywhere, this is right speech. At this point, by being steadfast in this manner in the correct characteristics of speech, all the words they utter are right speech. Therefore, when they are steadfast in right speech, [F.64.b] they are said to abide in the actions of the ultimate and pure speech. Abiding in right speech means to see and understand the characteristics of the acts of speech, to understand all spoken words, and to be unconfused about all spoken words.”

Right Action

8.­7

“Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings understand all actions as wrong and mistaken actions. They understand all actions to be false, nonexistent, unconditioned, and unarisen. Why is this? Because all action lacks true characteristics, and because all action has ceased, it is known as right action. Right action is not conceptualizing actions as right or wrong. By understanding the sameness of action, one does not think of it in terms of right or wrong. Therefore, it is right action. Right action means nonattachment to the three realms; it means accurate knowledge and understanding. Since actions are sameness within the true nature, they are not conceptualized as right or wrong. Because bodhisattvas know and understand all action accurately to be right action in this way, they do not perceive or see any phenomenon. Therefore, they are said to endeavor in the accomplishment of right action. In right action there is no wrong action. Accurately seeing and understanding, one is said to dwell in the accomplishment of right action.”

Right Livelihood

8.­8

“Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings understand all forms of livelihood to be wrong livelihood. Why is this? If one clings to the marks of livelihood, as well as to the marks of phenomena, the marks of appropriation, and so on, up to the marks of nirvāṇa and the marks of buddhahood‍—thinking that purity and buddhahood have marks‍—as pure livelihood,70 [F.65.a] then that is wrong livelihood. Right livelihood involves giving up all attachment to the articles of livelihood.71 Once profit-seeking is eliminated, the absence of thoughts, then the absence of concepts, and then the transcendence of all concepts is right livelihood. In not conceptualizing right livelihood as wrong or right livelihood, one gains pure and right livelihood in all respects. Therefore, this is the attainment of pure and right livelihood. Furthermore, since all forms of livelihood are unborn, there is no right or wrong. A person who knows this achieves pure livelihood, is steadfast on the right path, and is free of concepts. When abiding in such right livelihood, one does not take up right livelihood or abandon wrong livelihood. Therefore, one is abiding in right livelihood. At such time, one is not abiding in what is right or what is wrong. One has attained the livelihood of purity and sameness. Since one is free of any marks of livelihood, one is free of concepts, one does not conceive of anything, and one does not think in terms of livelihood or non-livelihood. This is seeing and understanding things accurately. One therefore is said to attain right livelihood.”

Right Effort

8.­9

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings skilled in right effort? How do bodhisattva great beings observe right effort? Bodhisattvas observe right effort by giving up all forms of diligence. Why is this? All forms of effort are mistaken. All forms of creation, action, and practice are mistaken. Why is this? All phenomena are produced from wrong actions, and so they are all false. [F.65.b] That being so, right effort involves no creation, production, practice, or aspiration, for all phenomena are devoid of production. Since bodhisattvas give up action with regard to all phenomena, they do not generate any marks of action‍—not even any marks of nirvāṇa or any marks of buddhahood. By understanding all actions to be false, they practice in order to eliminate actions. Right effort involves no fabrication, for all phenomena are the same, undifferentiated, without fabrication, and completely beyond any marks of fabrication. Bodhisattvas understand diligence to be the lack of diligence, for observing right effort involves no appropriation or abandonment. Right effort means not apprehending diligence. It means seeing and understanding all phenomena accurately. When one understands right effort in this manner, one does not conceptualize either right effort or wrong effort. This therefore is right effort.”

Right Mindfulness

8.­10

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings skilled in right mindfulness? Bodhisattva great beings understand all forms of mindfulness to be wrong mindfulness. The applications of mindfulness are wrong mindfulness. Why is this? All forms of mindfulness are wrong mindfulness. If one generates mindfulness based on observing an object, that is wrong mindfulness. Right mindfulness is the absence of thought and mindfulness. Why is this? Because all forms of mindfulness arise from the condition of mistakenly observing in a wrong manner. Therefore, any basis that engenders mindfulness is false. Right mindfulness does not generate or inhibit any object of observation. [F.66.a] When one observes no object with mindfulness, one is said to be steadfast in right mindfulness, in that there is no basis for wrong mindfulness to arise. In this way, since one knows and understands that all phenomena are false, there is no mindfulness of true phenomena. Therefore, this is known as observing right mindfulness. Right mindfulness does not discern phenomena in terms of wrong mindfulness and right mindfulness. By knowing and understanding that all forms of mindfulness lack the marks of mindfulness, bodhisattvas continuously practice the six mental states of equanimity. This, therefore, is abiding in right mindfulness. Because they are free from attachment and clinging, they are without mindfulness and thinking. All forms of mindfulness with regard to phenomena are understood to be sameness. By seeing and understanding all forms of mindfulness accurately, they do not appropriate or discard mindfulness or non-mindfulness. Therefore, they observe right mindfulness. With this mindfulness they do not discern in terms of sameness and difference. They neither perceive nor observe mindfulness nor non-mindfulness. Without such observations, bodhisattvas understand all forms of mindfulness to be non-mindfulness, and they do not distinguish between mindfulness and non-mindfulness. Because they abide in right mindfulness in this way, they are indescribable and inexpressible. They eliminate all means of verbal description and are free from all means of verbal description. By understanding all means of verbal description accurately, they do not draw distinctions between self and other. Therefore, this is abiding in right mindfulness.”

Right Absorption

8.­11

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings abide in right absorption? Bodhisattva great beings understand all forms of absorption to be wrong absorption. Why is this? [F.66.b] When they do not observe any phenomenon as absorption‍—such as by perceiving absorption to have marks, or by entering the joy of absorption‍—they understand the falsity of all the marks of absorption. Falsity implies attachment, which is not present in absorption. Regarding the marks that result from engaging in observation, bodhisattvas are devoid of such false marks. They have no such expectations, do not form any such thoughts, and do not have any such concepts. This is absorption. If they have eliminated attachment and clinging, they will not conceptualize self or other. Having eliminated all attachment to joy, they do not appropriate the experience of absorption and prevent themselves from entering absorption. Right absorption is when the mind does not dwell on anything at all. Furthermore, right absorption entails not abiding in any states of absorption; it entails realizing the intrinsic nature of phenomena accurately, while being free from concepts. Thereby, one will become skilled in the characteristics of absorption, and one’s mind will not be attached to anything at all. It is called right absorption because it eliminates all concepts of self and other, because it does not conceptualize anything that is spoken, and because it disrupts all concepts. Furthermore, it is called right absorption because it does not entertain any notions of right or wrong absorption, because it overcomes all notions, because it disrupts all notions, and because it stops all notions. Furthermore, it is called right absorption because it does not generate concepts of right or wrong, and because it does not discern in terms of right or wrong. Why is this? By understanding all practices as absorption and by abiding in right absorption, bodhisattvas are not bound by absorption or the marks of absorption. Transcending the marks of absorption is abiding in right absorption. Furthermore, right absorption is free from concepts about any phenomenon, [F.67.a] and it is free from concepts of right or wrong with regard to phenomena, which are sameness. Right absorption is the sameness of all phenomena. Right absorption transcends all forms of absorption and all the conditioned phenomena of the three realms. Still, it accurately sees and understands all who cycle among the five classes of beings.”


8.­12

“Lokadhara, in this manner bodhisattva great beings are skilled in the path of the noble ones and the practices of that path. By accurately seeing and understanding this, they will proceed to nirvāṇa.”

8.­13

This was the eighth chapter: “The Eightfold Path of the Noble Ones.”


9.

Chapter Nine: The Phenomena of the World and Transcendence

9.­1

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings skilled regarding the phenomena of the world and transcendence? What means do they obtain with regard to the phenomena of the world and transcendence? Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings understand the phenomena of the world and transcendence to be true reality.

9.­2

“What are the phenomena of the world? Bodhisattvas think, ‘Thoughts and concepts about phenomena arise from mistaken perception, they are generated by causes and conditions, and they depend on falsity. Since they arise from the marks of duality, they are empty and nonexistent. They fool childish ordinary beings, like the bright colors reflecting from a pearl or the spinning of a firebrand. The world is given as a synonym for things that decay and degenerate. This is the world. These worldly phenomena are all unreal; they arise from false conditions and lack the characteristics of arising or being created. They are labeled as aggregates, elements, sense sources, forms, sounds, odors, tastes, tactile objects, or mental objects, and described as name-and-form. [F.67.b] Through their attachment and clinging, childish ordinary beings generate further attachment and clinging in a variety of forms, just as tangled silk fringes72 or entwined roots and creepers are linked, one to another. Worldly phenomena are described based upon such mistaken perception.


10.

Chapter Ten: The Conditioned and the Unconditioned

10.­1

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings highly skilled regarding conditioned and unconditioned phenomena? What means do they obtain regarding conditioned and unconditioned phenomena? Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings discern and contemplate conditioned and unconditioned phenomena. [F.69.a]

10.­2

“How do they discern and contemplate conditioned phenomena? Conditioned phenomena are compounded and without experiencer. Conditioned phenomena are called conditioned phenomena because they are considered to be naturally arising and naturally categorized. Conditioned phenomena come about due to formations created by false causes and conditions. Why are conditioned phenomena naturally categorized?73 When formations are perceived through the condition of duality, they are labeled as conditioned phenomena. Conditioned phenomena are uncreated and free from a creator. Since they are naturally arising, they cannot be generated. Thus, they are called conditioned phenomena. Conditioned phenomena do not exist internally, externally, or somewhere in-between; they are not one or many. They arise from false imputation. They are nonexistent, since they have arisen through ignorance. Though they can be perceived due to formations, they are uncreated and nonarising. Therefore, they are called conditioned. Conditioned means being bound by marks, and the conditioned is taught for the sake of childish ordinary beings who are attached to mistaken perceptions. The wise, full of understanding and knowledge, do not observe them as conditioned phenomena or something understood to be conditioned phenomena. They are called conditioned phenomena because the wise do not categorize them. Why is this? How do the wise know and understand the features of the conditioned? The wise view all conditioned phenomena as being false, insubstantial, and without bondage. They see that they cannot be categorized. When they contemplate this, they are not attached to conditioned phenomena, and they do not appropriate conditioned phenomena. Why is this? Lokadhara, it is not the case that unconditioned phenomena exist separate from conditioned phenomena, or that conditioned phenomena exist separate from unconditioned phenomena, [F.69.b] for the characteristic of the thatness of the conditioned is the unconditioned. Why is this? There is nothing conditioned within the conditioned, and nothing unconditioned within the unconditioned. Still, so that mistaken beings can see and understand the characteristics of the conditioned, bodhisattvas teach and explain, saying, ‘This is conditioned,’ ‘This is unconditioned,’ ‘This is the characteristic of the conditioned,’ and ‘This is the characteristic of the unconditioned.’


11.

Chapter Eleven: The Teaching on What Occurred in the Past

11.­1

“Lokadhara, through their great knowledge of the five aggregates, the eighteen elements, the twelve sense sources, the twelve links of dependent origination, the four applications of mindfulness, the five powers, the eightfold path of the noble ones, the phenomena of the world and transcendence, and conditioned and unconditioned phenomena, bodhisattva great beings will gain great knowledge of the characteristic of the thatness of all phenomena. They will become highly skilled in discerning the characteristics of phenomena. They will attain the power of recollection. They will have the intelligence that discerns the terminology for all phenomena. As soon as they exchange their bodies, they will obtain unbroken recollection, and they will eventually attain unsurpassed and perfect awakening.


12.

Chapter Twelve: The Entrustment

12.­1

The bodhisattva great being Lokadhara then requested the Blessed One, “Blessed One, please consecrate this discourse to protect it and bring benefit and happiness to bodhisattva great beings. If bodhisattva great beings hear this discourse in the future, their minds will become pure, joyful, and happy. They will then give rise to diligence in order to accomplish these teachings.”

Then, as the Blessed One consecrated this discourse, he used his miraculous powers to fill the worlds of the great trichiliocosm with miraculous and incredible scents and fragrances. Beings gazed upon one another with a loving attitude.


n.

Notes

n.­1
Herrmann-Pfandt, 2008.
n.­2
Alternatively, although less likely, the Sanskrit source text for the Tibetan translation could have been nearly identical to Kumārajīva’s source text.
n.­3
Both the Stok manuscript (Tib. rgya) and the Chinese (印) read “seal” here, whereas the Degé reads “causes” (Tib. rgyu).
n.­4
Translated based on the Chinese (衆生) and Stok (Tib. sems can). Degé reads: sems.
n.­5
The expression “evil world of the five degenerations” (Tib. rnyog pa lnga’i ’jig rten ngan pa) is a rare, literal translation of the Chinese, 五濁惡世, which in turn translates the Sanskrit pañcakaṣāyaloka. This is further evidence that the Tibetan was translated from Chinese.
n.­6
Translated based on Stok: ma yin. Degé reads: yin.
n.­7
Meaning that when one takes a raft across a river, one need not carry the raft beyond the bank; it has served its purpose.
n.­8
Kumārajīva’s Chinese translation of this sentence, as it appears in Taishō 482, seems to present a quotation: “Noble children, as explained in the discourses, ‘Monks, if those who want to know my Dharma are to discard even the Dharma as they would a raft, what need is there to mention what is non-Dharma?’ ” (諸善男子。如經中説。汝等比丘。若知我法如栰喩者。法尚應捨。何況非法。). Although the parable of the teachings being like a raft that must be discarded once it has served its purpose is well-known throughout Buddhist literature, we have been unable to locate this precise statement in other scriptures.
n.­38
The eye and form.
n.­42
The Chinese reads 行, “formations” here.
n.­61
The Chinese would read here: “pure liberation and pure knowledge and experience of liberation”; 解脱清淨。解脱知見清淨。.
n.­67
Read according to the Chinese: 云何名爲正見。一切法寂滅。念相不生不滅同於涅槃。. Degé: de la ji ltar na yang dag par lta bas chos thams cad rab tu zhi ba dang / rang bzhin gyis mi skye mi ’gog cing mya ngan las ’das pa dang ’thun pa gang zhe na.
n.­68
Read according to the Chinese: 如是亦不念不分別是一切法。不念不分別不現在前。. Degé: ’di ltar mi rtog pa dang / rnam par mi rtog pa’i chos thams cad la mi rtog rnam par mi rtog mngon sum du byed ma yang ma yin.
n.­69
Alternately, Stok would read: “The cessation of thought is no thought,” (rnam par rtog pa bcad pa ni rnam par mi rtog pa’o), and the Chinese would read: “The cessation of thought is right thought” (斷分別是正分別。).
n.­70
Reading ’tsho according to Yongle and Kangxi. Degé and other versions read tshor.
n.­71
For example, according to monastic regulations, monks are permitted thirteen articles of livelihood, which include their robes and basic necessities like a washing rag, razor, and sitting mat.
n.­72
Translation tentative. Degé: kha tshar dar ’dzings pa.
n.­73
Read according to the Chinese: 云何為行自墮數中。. Degé: ’du byed cis bya ba ni bgrang ba’i grangs su gtogs.

b.

Bibliography

’phags pa ’jig rten ’dzin gyis yongs su dris pa zhes bya ba’i mdo (Āryālokadhara­paripṛcchānāma­sūtra). Toh 174, Degé Kangyur vol. 60 (mdo sde, ma), folios 7b.4–78b.7.

’phags pa ’jig rten ’dzin gyis yongs su dris pa zhes bya ba’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–2009, vol. 60, pp. 22–206.

’phags pa ’jig rten ’dzin gyis yongs su dris pa zhes bya ba’i mdo (Āryālokadhara­paripṛcchānāma­sūtra). In bka’ ’gyur (stog pho brang bris ma). Vol. 72 (mdo sde, zha), folios 1r–110v.

Chang, Cornelius P. “A Re-evaluation of the Development of Hsing-su Style in the Fourth Century AD.” National Palace Museum Quarterly, 11/2 (Winter 1976): 19–44.

Digital Dictionary of Buddhism. http://www.buddhism-dict.net/ddb/.

Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Wien: Verlag der österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.

Lokadharaparipṛcchā; Chishi jing 持世經 (Taishō 482). Translated by Kumārajīva. In Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō 大正新脩大藏經, ed. Junjirō Takakusu, Kaikyoku Watanabe, 100 vols., Tokyo: Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō Kankōkai, 1924–34.

Stein, R. A. “The Two Vocabularies of Indo-Tibetan and Sino-Tibetan Translations in the Dunhuang Manuscripts.” In Rolf Stein’s Tibetica Antiqua with Additional Materials, trans. and ed. Arthur P. McKeown. Leiden: Brill, 2010, pp. 1–96.


g.

Glossary

g.­1

Absorption

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

A general term for states of deep concentration. One of the synonyms for meditation, referring in particular to a state of complete concentration or focus.

19 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­12
  • 1.­29
  • 6.­10
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­5
  • 7.­6
  • 7.­8
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­11
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­8
  • 11.­9
  • g.­30
  • g.­38
  • g.­39
  • g.­47
  • g.­98

Links to further resources:

  • 76 related glossary entries
g.­2

Acceptance

  • bzod pa
  • བཟོད་པ།
  • kṣānti

The capacity to accept or tolerate experiences which ordinary beings cannot tolerate. It is the preparatory step to profound insight into reality. It also refers to the third stage of the path of joining (prayogamārga, sbyor lam). It is also the third transcendent perfection, in which context it has been rendered here as patience.

8 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­30
  • 2.­40
  • 2.­48
  • 5.­18
  • 5.­19
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­5
  • 12.­2

Links to further resources:

  • 37 related glossary entries
g.­3

Aggregate

  • phung po
  • ཕུང་པོ།
  • skandha

See “five aggregates for appropriation.”

41 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­8
  • 2.­9
  • 2.­10
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­13
  • 2.­14
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­16
  • 2.­17
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­19
  • 2.­20
  • 2.­21
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­25
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­27
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­35
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­41
  • 2.­47
  • 2.­48
  • 5.­1
  • 6.­2
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­3
  • 11.­12
  • g.­42
  • g.­80

Links to further resources:

  • 57 related glossary entries
g.­7

Applications of mindfulness

  • dran pa nye bar bzhag pa
  • དྲན་པ་ཉེ་བར་བཞག་པ།
  • smṛtyupasthāna
  • 念處

See “four applications of mindfulness.”

3 passages contain this term:

  • 6.­1
  • 6.­17
  • 8.­10

Links to further resources:

  • 26 related glossary entries
g.­8

Apprehension

  • dmigs pa
  • དམིགས་པ།
  • ālambana
  • upalabdhi

A term for the apprehension of a subject, an object, and the relationships that exist between subjects and objects. The term might also be translated as “referentiality,” meaning a system based on the existence of referent objects, referent subjects, and the referential relationships that exist between them. As part of their doctrine of “threefold non-apprehension/non-referentiality” (’khor gsum mi dmigs pa), Mahāyāna Buddhists famously assert that all three categories of apprehension lack substantiality.

11 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­33
  • 1.­54
  • 2.­13
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­20
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­27
  • 3.­2
  • 4.­2
  • 8.­9

Links to further resources:

  • 23 related glossary entries
g.­9

Appropriation

  • nye bar len pa
  • len pa
  • ཉེ་བར་ལེན་པ།
  • ལེན་པ།
  • upādāna

In some texts, four types of appropriation are listed: of desire (rāga), of view (dṛṣṭi), of rules and observances as paramount (śīla­vrata­parāmarśa), and of belief in a self (ātmavāda). The term nye bar len pa also means “grasping” and it was rendered as such when it refers to the ninth of the twelve links of dependent origination, between craving and becoming.

16 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­4
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­31
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­35
  • 3.­4
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­16
  • 8.­8
  • 8.­9
  • 8.­10
  • 8.­11
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­4
  • g.­35

Links to further resources:

  • 15 related glossary entries
g.­14

Blessed one

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

In Buddhist literature, an epithet applied to buddhas, most often to Śākyamuni. The Sanskrit term generically means “possessing fortune,” but in specifically Buddhist contexts this term implies that a buddha is in possession of six auspicious qualities (bhaga) associated with complete awakening. The Tibetan term‍—where bcom is said to refer to “subduing” the four māras, ldan to “possessing” the great qualities of buddhahood, and ’das to “going beyond” saṃsāra and nirvāṇa‍—possibly reflects the commentarial tradition where the Sanskrit bhagavat is interpreted, in addition, as “one who destroys the four māras.” This is achieved either by reading bhagavat as bhagnavat (“one who broke”), or by tracing the word bhaga to the root √bhañj, “to break.”

38 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­6
  • 1.­42
  • 1.­43
  • 1.­46
  • 1.­47
  • 1.­49
  • 1.­50
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­39
  • 2.­42
  • 2.­45
  • 2.­46
  • 2.­47
  • 4.­1
  • 7.­2
  • 9.­4
  • 10.­4
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­5
  • 11.­10
  • 11.­12
  • 11.­13
  • 11.­14
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­16
  • 11.­17
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­4
  • 12.­5

Links to further resources:

  • 116 related glossary entries
g.­20

Conditioned

  • ’dus byas
  • འདུས་བྱས།
  • saṃ­skṛta

This term refers to composite objects in the generic sense. In other contexts, it can also refer to “formations.”

21 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­5
  • 1.­31
  • 1.­37
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­48
  • 3.­18
  • 6.­4
  • 7.­7
  • 8.­11
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­3
  • 10.­4
  • 10.­5
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­18
  • 12.­2
  • g.­80

Links to further resources:

  • 7 related glossary entries
g.­21

Consciousness

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

The third link of dependent origination, the fifth of the five aggregates. In most Abhidharma accounts it comprises the six sensory consciousnesses (eye, ear, nose, taste, body, and mind), but in Yogācāra theory two more kinds of consciousness, afflicted (kliṣṭamanas) and storehouse (ālayavijñāna), are added. For the sixth consciousness, see also “mind consciousness.”

34 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­11
  • 2.­21
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­25
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­27
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­29
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­33
  • 2.­35
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­45
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­8
  • 3.­9
  • 3.­10
  • 3.­11
  • 4.­1
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­6
  • 6.­11
  • n.­15
  • g.­29
  • g.­35
  • g.­74
  • g.­90
  • g.­106

Links to further resources:

  • 21 related glossary entries
g.­25

Dharma

  • chos
  • ཆོས།
  • dharma

The term “dharma” (chos) conveys ten different meanings, according to Vasubandhu’s Vyākhyā­yukti. It may mean the Buddhist teachings, the awakened qualities which buddhas and bodhisattvas acquire, phenomena or things in general, etc. In the context of this work, it was rendered as “Dharma” when it refers to the teachings, and in other contexts, rendered according to the specific meaning, namely as phenomena and qualities. See also i.­4.

54 passages contain this term:

  • i.­4
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­19
  • 1.­20
  • 1.­22
  • 1.­23
  • 1.­40
  • 1.­41
  • 1.­42
  • 1.­46
  • 1.­47
  • 1.­49
  • 1.­53
  • 1.­54
  • 1.­58
  • 1.­59
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­39
  • 2.­40
  • 2.­41
  • 2.­47
  • 2.­48
  • 4.­6
  • 7.­3
  • 9.­4
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­6
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­8
  • 11.­12
  • 11.­13
  • 11.­16
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­19
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­3
  • 12.­4
  • 12.­5
  • n.­8
  • n.­76
  • g.­22
  • g.­26
  • g.­27
  • g.­49
  • g.­58
  • g.­82
  • g.­104
  • g.­112

Links to further resources:

  • 34 related glossary entries
g.­27

Dharma gateway

  • chos kyi sgo
  • ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྒོ།
  • dharmamukha
  • 法門

A teaching or spiritual method by which the Dharma is understood.

3 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­58
  • 1.­59
  • 2.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­29

Eighteen elements

  • khams bco brgyad
  • ཁམས་བཅོ་བརྒྱད།
  • aṣṭa­daśa­dhātu

One way of describing experience and the world in terms of eighteen elements (eye, form, and eye consciousness; ear, sound, and ear consciousness; nose, odor, and nose consciousness; tongue, taste, and tongue consciousness; body, touch, and body consciousness; mind, mental phenomena, and mind consciousness).

14 passages contain this term:

  • i.­5
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­47
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­14
  • 9.­3
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
  • g.­31
  • g.­40
  • g.­74
  • g.­90

Links to further resources:

  • 8 related glossary entries
g.­30

Eightfold path of the noble ones

  • ’phags pa’i lam yan lag brgyad pa
  • འཕགས་པའི་ལམ་ཡན་ལག་བརྒྱད་པ།
  • āryāṣṭāṅgamārga
  • 八聖道分

Correct view, thought, speech, actions, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and absorption. These eight are part of the thirty-seven factors of awakening.

8 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­5
  • 2.­1
  • 8.­1
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
  • g.­104

Links to further resources:

  • 40 related glossary entries
g.­31

Element

  • khams
  • ཁམས།
  • dhātu
  • 性

See “eighteen elements.”

22 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • 2.­1
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­6
  • 3.­7
  • 3.­8
  • 3.­9
  • 3.­10
  • 3.­11
  • 3.­13
  • 3.­14
  • 3.­15
  • 3.­16
  • 3.­18
  • 9.­2
  • 11.­12
  • n.­37
  • g.­98

Links to further resources:

  • 56 related glossary entries
g.­33

Feeling

  • tshor ba
  • ཚོར་བ།
  • vedanā

The seventh link of dependent origination. The second of the five aggregates.

23 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­5
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­8
  • 2.­9
  • 2.­10
  • 2.­13
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­33
  • 2.­35
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­45
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­9
  • 5.­10
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­8
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­10
  • g.­35
  • g.­44
  • g.­106

Links to further resources:

  • 21 related glossary entries
g.­34

Five aggregates

  • phung po lnga
  • ཕུང་པོ་ལྔ།
  • pañcaskandha

See “five aggregates for appropriation.”

21 passages contain this term:

  • i.­5
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­29
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­35
  • 2.­39
  • 2.­40
  • 2.­41
  • 2.­47
  • 9.­3
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
  • n.­24
  • g.­21
  • g.­33
  • g.­40
  • g.­42
  • g.­81

Links to further resources:

  • 16 related glossary entries
g.­38

Five powers

  • dbang po lnga
  • དབང་པོ་ལྔ།
  • pañcendriya
  • 五根

Faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and insight. These are the same as the five strengths at a lesser stage of development. See also n.­64.

11 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­5
  • 2.­1
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­2
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
  • g.­39
  • g.­59
  • g.­104

Links to further resources:

  • 25 related glossary entries
g.­40

Form

  • gzugs
  • གཟུགས།
  • rūpa

The first of the five aggregates. The third of the eighteen elements.

40 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­58
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­19
  • 2.­21
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­33
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­38
  • 2.­45
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­4
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­2
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­9
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­6
  • 5.­7
  • 5.­8
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­4
  • 6.­13
  • 7.­7
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­11
  • 9.­2
  • n.­38
  • g.­29
  • g.­35
  • g.­74
  • g.­90
  • g.­106

Links to further resources:

  • 19 related glossary entries
g.­42

Formation

  • ’du byed
  • འདུ་བྱེད།
  • saṃskāra

Fourth of the five aggregates, second of the twelve links of dependent origination, and in the context of the aggregates sometimes also called “volitions,” “volitional formations,” or “compositional factors,” these are complex propensities that bring about action.

31 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­26
  • 2.­14
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­16
  • 2.­17
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­19
  • 2.­20
  • 2.­21
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­33
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­45
  • 3.­18
  • 4.­2
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­5
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­3
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­17
  • 7.­8
  • 10.­2
  • n.­42
  • g.­20
  • g.­35
  • g.­106

Links to further resources:

  • 40 related glossary entries
g.­44

Four applications of mindfulness

  • dran pa nye bar bzhag pa bzhi
  • དྲན་པ་ཉེ་བར་བཞག་པ་བཞི།
  • catuhsmṛtyupasthāna
  • 四念處

Four contemplations on: (1) the body, (2) feelings, (3) mind, and (4) mental objects. These four contemplations are part of the thirty-seven factors of awakening.

12 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­5
  • 1.­14
  • 1.­29
  • 2.­1
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­17
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
  • g.­7
  • g.­104

Links to further resources:

  • 19 related glossary entries
g.­53

Great trichiliocosm

  • stong gsum gyi stong chen po’i ’jig rten gyi khams
  • སྟོང་གསུམ་གྱི་སྟོང་ཆེན་པོའི་འཇིག་རྟེན་གྱི་ཁམས།
  • tri­sāhasra­mahā­sāhasra­loka­dhātu

The largest universe spoken of in Buddhist cosmology, consisting of one billion smaller world systems.

4 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­46
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­16
  • 12.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 51 related glossary entries
g.­59

Insight

  • shes rab
  • ཤེས་རབ།
  • prajñā

The sixth of the six perfections, it refers to the profound understanding of the emptiness of all phenomena, the realization of ultimate reality. It is also one of the five powers.

49 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­6
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­14
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­16
  • 1.­17
  • 1.­20
  • 1.­21
  • 1.­22
  • 1.­23
  • 1.­24
  • 1.­25
  • 1.­26
  • 1.­27
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­29
  • 1.­37
  • 1.­41
  • 1.­43
  • 1.­49
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­41
  • 2.­47
  • 3.­18
  • 5.­17
  • 5.­18
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­3
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­5
  • 7.­7
  • 7.­9
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­8
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­12
  • 11.­18
  • 12.­2
  • g.­2
  • g.­38
  • g.­39
  • g.­78
  • g.­95

Links to further resources:

  • 58 related glossary entries
g.­61

Kalandaka­nivāpa

  • bya ka lan ta ka
  • བྱ་ཀ་ལན་ཏ་ཀ
  • Kalandaka­nivāpa
  • 迦蘭陀

Literally, “The kalandaka Feeding Ground,” a location within the Veṇuvana where the Buddha stayed; it received its name from the many kalandaka that lived or were fed there. The Tibetan rendering bya ka lan da ka makes it clear that the Tibetans considered the kalandaka to be a kind of bird, while Sanskrit and Pali sources generally agree that it is a kind of squirrel‍—perhaps therefore the Indian flying squirrel, Petaurista philippensis.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­2

Links to further resources:

  • 19 related glossary entries
g.­70

Lokadhara

  • ’jig rten ’dzin
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་འཛིན།
  • Lokadhara
  • 持世

A bodhisattva and the main interlocutor of this sūtra.

145 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­6
  • 1.­7
  • 1.­8
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­11
  • 1.­12
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­14
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­16
  • 1.­17
  • 1.­18
  • 1.­19
  • 1.­20
  • 1.­21
  • 1.­22
  • 1.­23
  • 1.­24
  • 1.­25
  • 1.­26
  • 1.­27
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­29
  • 1.­30
  • 1.­31
  • 1.­32
  • 1.­33
  • 1.­34
  • 1.­35
  • 1.­36
  • 1.­37
  • 1.­38
  • 1.­39
  • 1.­40
  • 1.­41
  • 1.­42
  • 1.­43
  • 1.­44
  • 1.­45
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­9
  • 2.­10
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­13
  • 2.­14
  • 2.­17
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­20
  • 2.­21
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­27
  • 2.­29
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­31
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­34
  • 2.­35
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­38
  • 2.­39
  • 2.­40
  • 2.­41
  • 2.­42
  • 2.­45
  • 2.­46
  • 2.­47
  • 2.­48
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­8
  • 3.­11
  • 3.­13
  • 3.­14
  • 3.­15
  • 3.­16
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­18
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­9
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­17
  • 5.­18
  • 5.­19
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­7
  • 6.­8
  • 6.­10
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­15
  • 6.­16
  • 6.­17
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­3
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­6
  • 7.­7
  • 7.­8
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­2
  • 8.­5
  • 8.­6
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­8
  • 8.­9
  • 8.­10
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­12
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­4
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­4
  • 10.­5
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­5
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­8
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­10
  • 11.­11
  • 11.­12
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­3
  • 12.­4
  • 12.­5
  • n.­77

Links to further resources:

  • 1 related glossary entry
g.­75

Motivation

  • lhag pa’i bsam pa
  • ལྷག་པའི་བསམ་པ།
  • adhyāśaya
  • 深心

See “pure motivation.”

3 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 1.­32
  • g.­94

Links to further resources:

  • 10 related glossary entries
g.­81

Perception

  • ’du shes
  • འདུ་ཤེས།
  • saṃjñā

The third of the five aggregates.

47 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­5
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­13
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­16
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­21
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­33
  • 2.­34
  • 2.­35
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­45
  • 2.­47
  • 3.­6
  • 3.­9
  • 3.­10
  • 3.­12
  • 3.­16
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­2
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­4
  • 4.­6
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­13
  • 5.­14
  • 6.­5
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­15
  • 7.­2
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­5
  • 8.­6
  • 9.­2
  • 10.­2
  • g.­35

Links to further resources:

  • 28 related glossary entries
g.­82

Phenomenon

  • chos
  • ཆོས།
  • dharma

One of the meanings of the Skt. term “dharma.” This applies to “phenomena” or “things” in general, and, more specifically, “mental phenomena” which are the object of the mental faculty (manas, yid). See also “worldly phenomena” and “transcendent phenomena.”

112 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­4
  • i.­5
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­6
  • 1.­7
  • 1.­8
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­11
  • 1.­12
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­17
  • 1.­19
  • 1.­21
  • 1.­22
  • 1.­23
  • 1.­24
  • 1.­25
  • 1.­26
  • 1.­27
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­31
  • 1.­32
  • 1.­41
  • 1.­54
  • 1.­55
  • 1.­56
  • 1.­57
  • 1.­58
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­16
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­19
  • 2.­21
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­27
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­41
  • 2.­48
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­6
  • 3.­7
  • 3.­9
  • 3.­10
  • 3.­12
  • 3.­13
  • 3.­14
  • 3.­15
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­18
  • 4.­2
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­3
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­7
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­13
  • 5.­14
  • 5.­15
  • 5.­16
  • 5.­18
  • 5.­19
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­14
  • 6.­15
  • 6.­16
  • 6.­17
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­3
  • 7.­5
  • 7.­7
  • 7.­9
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­8
  • 8.­9
  • 8.­10
  • 8.­11
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­4
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­4
  • 10.­5
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­8
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­18
  • 12.­2
  • n.­43
  • g.­25
  • g.­29
  • g.­59
  • g.­86
  • g.­90
  • g.­95
  • g.­100
  • g.­104

Links to further resources:

  • 34 related glossary entries
g.­84

Rājagṛha

  • rgyal po’i khab
  • རྒྱལ་པོའི་ཁབ།
  • Rājagṛha
  • 王舍城

The ancient capital of Magadha; the site where many Great Vehicle sūtras take place.

2 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • g.­108

Links to further resources:

  • 79 related glossary entries
g.­90

Sense source

  • skye mched
  • སྐྱེ་མཆེད།
  • āyatana
  • 入

These can be listed as twelve or as six sense sources (sometimes also called sense fields, bases of cognition, or simply āyatanas):

In context of epistemology, it is one way of describing experience and the world in terms of twelve sense sources, which can be divided into inner and outer sense sources, namely: 1-2) eye and form, 3-4) ear and sound, 5-6) nose and odor, 7-8) tongue and taste, 9-10) body and touch, 11-12) mind and mental phenomena. (These are subsumed in the eighteen elements, where to the twelve sense sources, the six consciousnesses are added.)

In the context of the twelve links of dependent origination, only six sense sources are mentioned and they are the inner sense sources (similar to the six faculties) of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

16 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­26
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­2
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­4
  • 4.­5
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­7
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­9
  • 9.­2
  • 11.­12
  • g.­93
  • g.­107

Links to further resources:

  • 58 related glossary entries
g.­93

Six sense sources

  • skye mched drug
  • སྐྱེ་མཆེད་དྲུག
  • ṣaḍāyatana

See sense source.”

4 passages contain this term:

  • 5.­1
  • 5.­7
  • 5.­8
  • g.­106

Links to further resources:

  • 13 related glossary entries
g.­99

Thatness

  • de kho na nyid
  • དེ་ཁོ་ན་ཉིད།
  • tattva

The nature of things or their actual state, which cannot be conveyed in conceptual, dualistic terms. Akin to other terms rendered here as suchness (tathatā, de bzhin nyid), true reality (bhūtatā, yang dag pa nyid), and reality (dharmatā, chos nyid).

6 passages contain this term:

  • 10.­2
  • 10.­5
  • 11.­1
  • g.­86
  • g.­97
  • g.­105

Links to further resources:

  • 6 related glossary entries
g.­101

Three realms

  • khams gsum
  • ཁམས་གསུམ།
  • tridhātu
  • triloka
  • 三性
  • 三界

The formless realm, the form realm, and the desire realm comprising the thirty-one planes of existence in Buddhist cosmology.

9 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­26
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­6
  • 3.­12
  • 3.­14
  • 5.­18
  • 7.­7
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­11
g.­104

Transcendent phenomena

  • ’jig rten las ’das pa’i chos
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་ལས་འདས་པའི་ཆོས།
  • lokottaradharma

Lit. “dharmas beyond the world.” Trancendent or supramundane phenomena are things or factors related to liberation from saṃsāra. These include, for example, the four applications of mindfulness, the four correct exertions, the four foundations of miracles, the five powers, the five strengths, the seven branches of awakening, the eightfold path of the noble ones, the three gateways of liberation, and many other techniques and qualities of attainment. See also “worldly phenomena.”

7 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • 2.­1
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­4
  • g.­82
  • g.­111
  • g.­112

Links to further resources:

  • 2 related glossary entries
g.­105

True reality

  • yang dag pa nyid
  • ཡང་དག་པ་ཉིད།
  • bhūtatā

Lit. “genuineness” or “authenticity.” The quality or condition of things as they really are, which cannot be conveyed in conceptual, dualistic terms. Akin to other terms rendered here as thatness (tattva, de kho na nyid), suchness (tathatā, de bzhin nyid), and reality (dharmatā, chos nyid).

11 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­55
  • 1.­56
  • 2.­6
  • 3.­18
  • 4.­6
  • 9.­1
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­7
  • g.­86
  • g.­97
  • g.­99

Links to further resources:

  • 1 related glossary entry
g.­106

Twelve links of dependent origination

  • rten cing ’brel te ’byung ba bcu gnyis
  • rten cing ’brel te byung ba bcu gnyis
  • རྟེན་ཅིང་འབྲེལ་ཏེ་འབྱུང་བ་བཅུ་གཉིས།
  • རྟེན་ཅིང་འབྲེལ་ཏེ་བྱུང་བ་བཅུ་གཉིས།
  • dvādaśāṅgapratītyasamutpāda

The twelve causal links that perpetuate life in cyclic existence; starting with ignorance and ending with death. Through a deliberate reversal of these twelve links that one can succeed in bringing the whole cycle to an end. The twelve links are (1) ignorance, (2) formation, (3) consciousness, (4) name-and-form, (5) six sense sources, (6) contact, (7) feeling, (8) craving, (9) grasping, (10) becoming, (11) birth, (12) aging and death.

17 passages contain this term:

  • i.­5
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­13
  • 5.­14
  • 5.­15
  • 5.­16
  • 5.­17
  • 5.­18
  • 5.­19
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
  • g.­9
  • g.­42
  • g.­90

Links to further resources:

  • 10 related glossary entries
g.­107

Twelve sense sources

  • skye mched bcu gnyis
  • སྐྱེ་མཆེད་བཅུ་གཉིས།
  • dvā­daśāyatana

See “sense source.”

12 passages contain this term:

  • i.­5
  • 2.­47
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­7
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­9
  • 9.­3
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
  • g.­74

Links to further resources:

  • 5 related glossary entries
g.­108

Veṇuvana

  • ’od ma’i tshal
  • འོད་མའི་ཚལ།
  • Veṇuvana
  • 竹園

The famous bamboo grove near Rājagṛha where the Buddha regularly stayed and gave teachings. It was situated on land donated by King Bimbisāra of Magadha and, as such, was the first of several landholdings donated to the Buddhist community during the time of the Buddha.

3 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 1.­46
  • g.­61

Links to further resources:

  • 22 related glossary entries
g.­110

Wisdom

  • ye shes
  • ཡེ་ཤེས།
  • jñāna

Also known as “pristine awareness,” “primordial wisdom,” “primordial awareness,” “gnosis,” or the like. Typically refers to nonconceptual or unobscured states of knowledge.

31 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­9
  • 1.­12
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­16
  • 1.­23
  • 1.­27
  • 1.­30
  • 1.­31
  • 1.­32
  • 1.­33
  • 1.­34
  • 1.­35
  • 1.­36
  • 1.­37
  • 1.­38
  • 1.­39
  • 1.­40
  • 1.­41
  • 1.­42
  • 1.­44
  • 1.­58
  • 2.­30
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­5
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­12
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­19
  • 12.­2

Links to further resources:

  • 33 related glossary entries
g.­111

World and transcendence

  • ’jig rten dang ’jig rten las ’das pa
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་དང་འཇིག་རྟེན་ལས་འདས་པ།
  • lokalokottara

See “worldly phenomena” and “transcendent phenomena.”

7 passages contain this term:

  • i.­5
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­4
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
g.­112

Worldly phenomena

  • ’jig rten gyi chos
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་གྱི་ཆོས།
  • lokadharma

It refers to things or factors that are bound by causality. In some contexts, it is the eight worldy dharmas or concerns. See also “transcendent phenomena.”

7 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­18
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­4
  • g.­82
  • g.­104
  • g.­111

Links to further resources:

  • 5 related glossary entries
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    Dharmachakra Translation Committee (tr.). The Inquiry of Lokadhara (Lokadharaparipṛcchā, Toh 174). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021:
    https://read.84000.co/translation/toh174.html?part=UT22084-060-003-chapter-8


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