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

This rendering does not include the entire published text

The full text is available to download as pdf at:
https://read.84000.co/data/toh176_84000-the-teaching-of-vimalakirti.pdf

དྲི་མེད་གྲགས་པས་བསྟན་པ།

The Teaching of Vimalakīrti
The Consolation of the Invalid

Vimala­kīrti­nirdeśa
འཕགས་པ་དྲི་མ་མེད་པར་གྲགས་པས་བསྟན་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
’phags pa dri ma med par grags pas bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Teaching of Vimalakīrti”
Ārya­vimala­kīrti­nirdeśa­nāma­mahā­yāna­sūtra
84000 logo

Toh 176

Degé Kangyur vol. 60 (mdo sde, ma), folios 175.a–239.a

First published 2017
Current version v 1.45.19 (2022)
Generated by 84000 Reading Room v2.17.7

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

Logo for the license

This work is provided under the protection of a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution - Non-commercial - No-derivatives) 3.0 copyright. It may be copied or printed for fair use, but only with full attribution, and not for commercial advantage or personal compensation. For full details, see the Creative Commons license.

Options for downloading this publication

This print version was generated at 6.13pm on Monday, 13th March 2023 from the online version of the text available on that date. If some time has elapsed since then, this version may have been superseded, as most of 84000’s published translations undergo significant updates from time to time. For the latest online version, with bilingual display, interactive glossary entries and notes, and a variety of further download options, please see
https://read.84000.co/translation/toh176.html.


co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgments
i. Introduction
tr. The Translation
+ 12 chapters- 12 chapters
1. Purification of the Buddhafield
2. Inconceivable Skill in Liberative Art
3. The Disciples’ and the Bodhisattvas’ Reluctance to Visit Vimalakīrti
4. The Consolation of the Invalid
5. The Inconceivable Liberation
6. The Goddess
7. The Family of the Tathāgatas
8. The Dharma-Door of Nonduality
9. The Feast Brought by the Emanated Incarnation
10. Lesson of the Destructible and the Indestructible
11. Vision of the Universe Abhirati and the Tathāgata Akṣobhya
12. Antecedents and Transmission of the Holy Dharma
c. Colophon
ab. Abbreviations
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
+ 4 sections- 4 sections
· Tibetan and Sanskrit sources
· Translations of this text
· Canonical references
· Editions and translations of works referenced
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

While the Buddha is teaching outside the city of Vaiśālī, a notable householder in the city‍—the great bodhisattva Vimalakīrti‍—apparently falls sick. The Buddha asks his disciple and bodhisattva disciples to call on Vimalakīrti, but each of them relates previous encounters that have rendered them reluctant to face his penetrating scrutiny of their attitudes and activities. Only Mañjuśrī has the courage to pay him a visit, and in the conversations that ensue between Vimalakīrti, Mañjuśrī, and several other interlocutors, Vimalakīrti sets out an uncompromising and profound view of the Buddha’s teaching and the bodhisattva path, illustrated by various miraculous displays. Its masterful narrative structure, dramatic and sometimes humorous dialogue, and highly evolved presentation of teachings have made this sūtra one of the favorites of Mahāyāna literature.


ac.

Acknowledgments

ac.­1

Translated by Robert A. F. Thurman and first published, under the title The Holy Teaching of Vimalakīrti: A Mahāyāna Scripture, by the Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park and London, in 1976.

This electronic edition for 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, with an abridged introduction and notes, and lightly edited under the supervision of Professor Thurman, is published by his kind permission as the copyright holder.

From the Preface to the original edition:

I sincerely thank my friend and benefactor, Dr. C. T. Shen, both for his sponsorship of the work and for his most helpful collaboration in the work of comparing the Tibetan and Chinese versions. We were sometimes joined in our round-table discussions by Drs. C. S. George, Tao-Tien Yi, F. S. K. Koo, and T. C. Tsao, whose helpful suggestions I gratefully acknowledge. My thanks also go to Ms. Yeshe Tsomo and Ms. Leah Zahler for their invaluable editorial assistance, and to Ms. Carole Schwager and the staff of The Pennsylvania State University Press.

Preface to this electronic edition:

I earnestly thank Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche for his great efforts in creating the 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha project, to present in English the many great works of the Buddha’s teachings freely to the world.

I also thank John Canti, of 84000, for his careful, creative, and very learned translating and editorial work on this electronic edition, without which this improved translation would not have materialized. I thank Mr. Patrick Alexander, of the Penn State University Press, who was the one who informed me that the copyright to my original translation done for the Institute for Advanced Studies of World Religions had reverted to me upon the termination of that Institute, to which I had previously conveyed my rights.

I intend to publish in print form a further update of that original version at a future time. Since there have been a number of free-floating electronic forms of this text on the internet for some years now, I am happy that the sūtra in its current revision is now available in the 84000 Reading Room, among the many other translations on that site.

Sarva maṅgalam!


i.

Introduction

i.­1

Among Buddhist sūtras, The Teaching of Vimalakīrti stands out like a masterfully faceted diamond, so located between the heaps of gold, silver, and pearls of the Transcendent ‌Wisdom (Prajñā­pāramitā) Sūtras and the array of sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and other gems of the ‌Buddha Garland (Buddhāvataṃsaka), or Inconceivable Liberation (Acintyavimokṣa) Sūtras as to refract the radiances of all, beaming them forth to the beholder in a concentrated rainbow-beam of diamond light.


The Translation
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra
The Teaching of Vimalakīrti

1.
Chapter 1

Purification of the Buddhafield

[F.175.a]


1.­1

Reverence to all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, noble disciples, and pratyekabuddhas, in the past, the present, and the future.


1.­2

Thus did I hear on a single occasion. The Lord Buddha was in residence in the garden of Āmrapālī, in the city of Vaiśālī, attended by a great gathering. Of bhikṣus there were eight thousand, all arhats. They were free from impurities and afflictions, and all had attained self-mastery. Their minds were entirely liberated by perfect knowledge. They were calm and dignified, like royal elephants. They had accomplished their work, done what they had to do, cast off their burdens, attained their goals, and totally destroyed the bonds of existence. Their true knowledge had made their minds entirely free. They all had attained the utmost perfection of every form of control over their minds.14


2.
Chapter 2

Inconceivable Skill in Liberative Art

2.­1

At that time, there lived in the great city of Vaiśālī a certain Licchavi, Vimalakīrti by name. Having served the ancient buddhas, he had generated the roots of virtue by honoring them and making offerings to them. He had attained tolerance as well as eloquence. He played with the great superknowledges. He had attained the power of retention and the fearlessnesses. He had conquered all demons and opponents. He had penetrated the profound way of the Dharma. He was liberated through the transcendence of wisdom. Having integrated his realization with skill in liberative art, he was expert in knowing the thoughts and actions of living beings. Knowing the strength or weakness of their faculties, and being gifted with unrivaled eloquence, he taught the Dharma appropriately to each. Having applied himself energetically to the Mahāyāna, he understood it and accomplished his tasks with great finesse. He lived with the deportment of a buddha, and his superior intelligence was as wide as an ocean. He was praised, honored, and commended by all the buddhas and was respected by Śakra, Brahmā, and all the Lokapālas. In order to develop living beings with his skill in liberative art, he lived in the great city of Vaiśālī.


3.
Chapter 3

The Disciples’ and the Bodhisattvas’ Reluctance to Visit Vimalakīrti

3.­1

Then, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti thought to himself, “I am sick, lying on my bed in pain, yet the Tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly accomplished Buddha, does not consider me or take pity upon me, and sends no one to inquire after my illness.”

3.­2

The Lord knew this thought in the mind of Vimalakīrti and said to the venerable Śāriputra, “Śāriputra, go to inquire after the illness of the Licchavi Vimalakīrti.”


4.
Chapter 4

The Consolation of the Invalid

4.­1

Then, the Buddha said to the crown prince, Mañjuśrī, “Mañjuśrī, [F.198.a] go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.”

Mañjuśrī replied, “Lord, it is difficult to attend upon the Licchavi Vimalakīrti. He is gifted with marvelous eloquence concerning the law of the profound. He is extremely skilled in full expressions and in the reconciliation of dichotomies. His eloquence is inexorable, and no one can resist his imperturbable intellect. He accomplishes all the activities of the bodhisattvas. He penetrates all the secret mysteries of the bodhisattvas and the buddhas. He is skilled in civilizing all the abodes of devils. He plays with the great superknowledges. He is consummate in wisdom and liberative art. He has attained the supreme excellence of the indivisible, nondual sphere of the ultimate realm. He is skilled in teaching the Dharma with its infinite modalities within the uniform ultimate. He is skilled in granting means of attainment in accordance with the spiritual faculties of all living beings. He has thoroughly integrated his realization with skill in liberative art. He has attained decisiveness with regard to all questions. Thus, although he cannot be withstood by someone of my feeble defenses, still, sustained by the grace of the Buddha, I will go to him and will converse with him as well as I can.”

4.­2

Thereupon, in that assembly, the bodhisattvas, the great disciples, the Śakras, the Brahmās, the Lokapālas, and the gods and goddesses, all had this thought: “Surely the conversations of the crown prince Mañjuśrī and that good man will result in a profound teaching of the Dharma.”

4.­3

Thus, eight thousand bodhisattvas, five hundred disciples, a great number of Śakras, Brahmās, Lokapālas, and many hundreds of thousands of gods and goddesses, all followed the crown prince Mañjuśrī to listen to the Dharma. And the crown prince Mañjuśrī, [F.198.b] surrounded and followed by these bodhisattvas, disciples, Śakras, Brahmās, Lokapālas, gods, and goddesses, entered the great city of Vaiśālī.

4.­4

Meanwhile, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti thought to himself, “Mañjuśrī, the crown prince, is coming here with numerous attendants. Now, may this house be transformed into emptiness!”

Then, magically his house became empty. Even the doorkeeper disappeared. And, except for the invalid’s couch upon which Vimalakīrti himself was lying, no bed or couch or seat could be seen anywhere.

4.­5

Then, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti saw the crown prince Mañjuśrī and addressed him thus: “Mañjuśrī! Welcome, Mañjuśrī! You are very welcome! Here you are, without previously having come, been seen, or been heard.

Mañjuśrī declared, “Householder, it is as you say. Who comes, ultimately comes not. Who goes, ultimately goes not. Why? Coming is not really known in coming, and going is not really known in going. What is seen is not to be seen again, ultimately.

4.­6

“Good sir, is your condition tolerable? Is it livable? Are your physical elements not disturbed? Is your sickness diminishing? Is it not increasing? The Buddha asks about you‍—if you have slight trouble, slight discomfort, slight sickness, if your distress is light, if you are cared for, strong, at ease, without self-reproach, and if you are living in touch with the supreme happiness.

4.­7

“Householder, whence came this sickness of yours? How long will it continue? [F.199.a] How does it stand? How can it be alleviated?”

Vimalakīrti replied, “Mañjuśrī, my sickness comes from ignorance and the thirst for existence and it will last as long as do the sicknesses of all living beings. Were all living beings to be free from sickness, I also would not be sick. Why? Mañjuśrī, for the bodhisattva, the world consists only of living beings, and sickness is inherent in living in the world. Were all living beings free of sickness, the bodhisattva also would be free of sickness. For example, Mañjuśrī, when the only son of a merchant is sick, both his parents become sick on account of the sickness of their son. And the parents will suffer as long as that only son does not recover from his sickness. Just so, Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva loves all living beings as if each were his only child. He becomes sick when they are sick and is cured when they are cured. You ask me, Mañjuśrī, whence comes my sickness; the sicknesses of the bodhisattvas arise from great compassion.”

4.­8

Mañjuśrī: Householder, why is your house empty? Why have you no servants?

Vimalakīrti: Mañjuśrī, all buddhafields are also empty.

Mañjuśrī: What makes them empty?

Vimalakīrti: They are empty because of emptiness.113

4.­9

Mañjuśrī: What is “empty” about emptiness?114

Vimalakīrti: Constructions are empty, because of emptiness.115

Mañjuśrī: Can emptiness be conceptually constructed?116

Vimalakīrti: Even that concept is itself empty, and emptiness cannot construct emptiness.117

4.­10

Mañjuśrī: Householder, where should emptiness be sought?

Vimalakīrti: Mañjuśrī, emptiness should be sought among the sixty-two convictions. [F.199.b]

Mañjuśrī: Where should the sixty-two convictions be sought?

Vimalakīrti: They should be sought in the liberation of the tathāgatas.

4.­11

Mañjuśrī: Where should the liberation of the tathāgatas be sought?

Vimalakīrti: It should be sought in the prime mental activity of all living beings. Mañjuśrī, you ask me why I am without servants, but all māras and opponents are my servants. Why? The māras advocate this life of birth and death and the bodhisattva does not avoid life. The outsider opponents advocate convictions, and the bodhisattva is not troubled by convictions. Therefore, all māras and opponents are my servants.

4.­12

Mañjuśrī: Householder, of what sort is your sickness?

Vimalakīrti: It is immaterial and invisible.

Mañjuśrī: Is it physical or mental?

Vimalakīrti: It is not physical, since the body is insubstantial in itself. It is not mental, since the nature of the mind is like illusion.

4.­13

Mañjuśrī: Householder, which of the four main elements is disturbed: earth, water, fire, or air?

Vimalakīrti: Mañjuśrī, I am sick only because the elements of living beings are disturbed by sicknesses.118

4.­14

Mañjuśrī: Householder, how should a bodhisattva console another bodhisattva who is sick?

Vimalakīrti: He should tell him that the body is impermanent, but should not exhort him to renunciation or disgust. He should tell him that the body is miserable, but should not encourage him to find solace in liberation; that the body is selfless, but that living beings should be developed; that the body is peaceful, but not to seek any ultimate calm. He should tell him to confess his evil deeds, but not just to escape them.119 He should encourage his empathy for all living beings on account of his own sickness, his remembrance of suffering experienced from beginningless time, [F.200.a] and his consciousness of working for the welfare of living beings. He should encourage him to manifest the roots of virtue, to maintain the primal purity and the lack of craving, and thus to always strive to become the king of healers, who can cure all sicknesses. Thus should a bodhisattva console a sick bodhisattva, in such a way as to make him happy.

4.­15

Mañjuśrī asked, “‌Noble sir, how should a sick bodhisattva control his own mind?”

Vimalakīrti replied, “Mañjuśrī, a sick bodhisattva should control his own mind with the following consideration: Sickness arises from total involvement in the process of misunderstanding from beginningless time. It arises from the afflictions that result from unreal mental constructions, and hence ultimately nothing is perceived which can be said to be sick. Why? The body is the issue of the four main elements, and in these elements there is no owner and no agent. There is no self in this body, and, except for arbitrary insistence on self, ultimately no ‘I’ which can be said to be sick can be apprehended. Therefore, thinking, ‘ “I” should not adhere to any self, and “I” should rest in the knowledge of the root of illness,’ he should abandon the conception of himself as a personality and produce the conception of himself as a thing, thinking, ‘This body is an aggregate of many things. When it is born, only things are born; when it ceases, only things cease. These things have no awareness or feeling of each other. When they are born, they do not think, “I am born”; when they cease, they do not think, “I cease.” ’

4.­16

“Furthermore, he should understand thoroughly the conception of himself as a thing by cultivating the following consideration: ‘Just as in the case of the conception of “self,” so the conception of “thing” is also a misunderstanding, and this misunderstanding is also a grave sickness; I should free myself from this sickness and should strive to abandon it.’120

4.­17

“What is the elimination of this sickness? It is the elimination of egoism [F.200.b] and possessiveness. What is the elimination of egoism and possessiveness? It is the freedom from dualism. What is freedom from dualism? It is the absence of involvement with either the external or the internal. What is absence of involvement with either external or internal? It is non-deviation, non-fluctuation, and non-distraction from sameness. What is sameness? It is the sameness of everything from self to liberation. Why? Because both self and liberation are void. How can both be void? As verbal designations, they both are void, and neither is established in reality. Therefore, one who sees such sameness makes no difference between sickness and voidness; his sickness is itself voidness, and that sickness as voidness is itself void.121

4.­18

“The sick bodhisattva should recognize that sensation is ultimately nonsensation, but he should not realize the cessation of sensation. Although both pleasure and pain are abandoned when the buddha-qualities are fully accomplished, there is then no sacrifice of the great compassion for all living beings living in the bad migrations. Thus, recognizing in his own suffering the infinite sufferings of these living beings,122 the bodhisattva correctly contemplates these living beings and resolves to cure all sicknesses.

4.­19

“As for these living beings, there is nothing to be applied, and there is nothing to be removed; one has only to teach them the Dharma for them to realize the basis from which sicknesses arise. What is this basis? It is object-perception.123 To the extent that a basis of object-perception is objectified, it is the basis of sickness. What is it that is objectified? The three realms of existence are objectified. What is the thorough understanding of the basis of that object-perception? It is its nonperception, as one does not objectify a thing that is not perceived. What does one not perceive? One does not perceive the two views, the view of the self and the view of the other. Therefore, it is called nonperception.124

4.­20

“Mañjuśrī, thus should a sick bodhisattva control his own mind in order to overcome old age, [F.201.a] sickness, death, and birth. Such, Mañjuśrī, is the sickness of the bodhisattva. If he takes it otherwise, all his efforts will be in vain. Just as one is called ‘hero’ when one overcomes all enemies, so, too, one is called ‘bodhisattva’ when one conquers the miseries of aging, sickness, and death.125

4.­21

“The sick bodhisattva should tell himself: ‘Just as my sickness is unreal and nonexistent, so the sicknesses of all living beings are unreal and nonexistent.’ Through such considerations, he arouses the great compassion toward all living beings without falling into any sentimental compassion,126 but instead, arouses great compassion toward all living beings through striving to eliminate the incidental afflictions. Why? Because great compassion that falls into sentimentally purposive views only exhausts the bodhisattva in his reincarnations. But the great compassion that is free of involvement with sentimentally purposive views does not exhaust the bodhisattva in all his reincarnations.127 He does not reincarnate through involvement with such views but reincarnates with his mind free of involvement. Hence, even his reincarnation is like a liberation. Being reincarnated as if being liberated, he has the power and ability to teach the Dharma that liberates living beings from their bondage. As the Lord declares: ‘It is not possible for one who is himself bound to deliver others from their bondage. But one who is himself liberated is able to liberate others from their bondage.’ Therefore, the bodhisattva should participate in liberation and should not participate in bondage.

4.­22

“What is bondage? And what is liberation? To indulge in liberation from the world without employing liberative art is bondage for the bodhisattva. To engage in life in the world with full employment of liberative art is liberation for the bodhisattva. [F.201.b] To experience the taste of contemplation, meditation, and concentration without skill in liberative art is bondage. To experience the taste of contemplation and meditation with skill in liberative art is liberation. Wisdom not integrated with liberative art is bondage, but wisdom integrated with liberative art is liberation. Liberative art not integrated with wisdom is bondage, but liberative art integrated with wisdom is liberation.

4.­23

“How is wisdom not integrated with liberative art a bondage? Wisdom not integrated with liberative art consists of concentration on voidness, signlessness, and wishlessness, and yet it fails to concentrate on cultivation of the auspicious signs and marks, on the adornment of the buddhafield, and on the work of development of living beings‍—and it is bondage.

4.­24

“How is wisdom integrated with liberative art a liberation? Wisdom integrated with liberative art consists of concentration on cultivation of the auspicious signs and marks, on the adornment of the buddhafield, and on the work of development of living beings, all the while concentrating on deep investigation of voidness, signlessness, and wishlessness‍—and it is liberation.

4.­25

“What is the bondage of liberative art not integrated with wisdom? The bondage of liberative art not integrated with wisdom consists of the bodhisattva’s planting of the roots of virtue without dedicating them for the sake of enlightenment, while living in the grip of dogmatic convictions, passions, attachments, resentments, and their subconscious instincts.

4.­26

“What is the liberation of liberative art integrated with wisdom? The liberation of liberative art integrated with wisdom consists of the bodhisattva’s dedication of his roots of virtue for the sake of enlightenment, without taking any pride therein, while forgoing all convictions, passions, attachments, resentments, and their subconscious instincts.128

4.­27

“Mañjuśrī, thus should the sick bodhisattva consider things. His wisdom is the consideration of body, mind, and sickness as impermanent, miserable, [F.202.a] empty, and selfless. His liberative art consists of not exhausting himself by trying to avoid all physical sickness, and of applying himself to accomplish the benefit of living beings, without interrupting the cycle of reincarnations. Furthermore, his wisdom lies in understanding that body, mind, and sickness are neither new nor old, whether considered simultaneously or sequentially. And his liberative art lies in not seeking pacification or cessation of body, mind, or sicknesses.

4.­28

“That, Mañjuśrī, is the way a sick bodhisattva should concentrate his mind; he should live neither in control of his mind, nor in indulgence of his mind. Why? To live by indulging the mind is proper for fools and to live in control of the mind is proper for the disciples. Therefore, the bodhisattva should live neither in control nor in indulgence of his mind. Not living in either of the two extremes is the domain of the bodhisattva.

4.­29

“Not the domain of the ordinary individual and not the domain of the arhat, such is the domain of the bodhisattva.129 The domain of the world yet not the domain of the afflictions, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. Where one understands liberation, yet does not enter final and complete liberation, there is the domain of the bodhisattva. Where the four māras manifest, yet where all the works of māras are transcended, there is the domain of the bodhisattva. Where one seeks the gnosis of omniscience, yet does not attain this gnosis at the wrong time, there is the domain of the bodhisattva. Where one knows the four noble truths, yet does not realize those truths at the wrong time, there is the domain of the bodhisattva. A domain of introspective insight, [F.202.b] wherein one does not arrest voluntary reincarnation in the world, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. A domain where one realizes birthlessness, yet does not become destined for the ultimate, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. Where one sees relativity without entertaining any convictions, there is the domain of the bodhisattva. Where one associates with all beings, yet keeps free of all afflictive instincts, there is the domain of the bodhisattva. A domain of solitude with no place for the exhaustion of body and mind, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of the triple world, yet indivisible from the ultimate realm, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of voidness, yet where one cultivates all types of virtues, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of signlessness, where one keeps in sight the deliverance of all living beings, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of wishlessness, where one voluntarily manifests lives in the world, such is the domain of the bodhisattva.

4.­30

“A domain essentially without undertaking, yet where all the roots of virtue are undertaken without interruption, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of the six transcendences, where one attains the transcendence130 of the thoughts and actions of all living beings, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of the six superknowledges,131 wherein defilements are not exhausted, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of living by the holy Dharma, without even perceiving any evil paths, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of the four immeasurables, where one does not accept rebirth in the heaven of Brahmā, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. [F.203.a] The domain of the six remembrances, unaffected by any sort of defilement, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of contemplation, concentration, and absorption, where one does not reincarnate in the formless realms by force of these concentrations and absorptions,132 such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of the four foci of mindfulness, where body, sensation, mind, and things are not ultimately of concern, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of the four right efforts, where the duality of good and evil is not apprehended, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of the four bases of magical powers, where they are effortlessly mastered, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of the five spiritual faculties, where one knows the degrees of the spiritual faculties of living beings, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of living with the five powers, where one delights in the ten powers of the tathāgata, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of perfection of the seven factors of enlightenment, where one is skilled in the knowledge of fine intellectual distinctions, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of living by the eightfold path, without even perceiving any evil paths, such is the domain of the bodhisattva.133 The domain of the cultivation of the aptitude for mental quiescence and transcendental analysis, where one does not fall into extreme quietism, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of the realization of the unborn nature of all things, yet of the perfection of the body, the auspicious signs and marks, and the ornaments of the Buddha, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of manifesting the attitudes of the disciples and the solitary sages without sacrificing the qualities of the Buddha, [F.203.b] such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain of conformity to all things utterly pure in nature while manifesting behavior that suits the inclinations of all living beings, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. A domain where one realizes that all the buddhafields are indestructible and uncreatable, having the nature of infinite space, yet where one manifests the establishment of the qualities of the buddhafields in all their variety and magnitude, such is the domain of the bodhisattva. The domain where one turns the wheel of the holy Dharma and manifests the magnificence of ultimate liberation, yet never forsakes the career of the bodhisattva, such is the domain of the bodhisattva!”

4.­31

When Vimalakīrti had spoken this discourse, eight thousand of the gods in the company of the crown prince Mañjuśrī conceived the spirit of unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.


5.
Chapter 5

The Inconceivable Liberation

5.­1

Thereupon, the venerable Śāriputra had this thought: “There is not even a single chair in this house. Where are these disciples and bodhisattvas going to sit?”

The Licchavi Vimalakīrti read the thought of the venerable Śāriputra and said, “Reverend Śāriputra, did you come here for the sake of the Dharma? Or did you come here for the sake of a chair?”

5.­2

Śāriputra replied, “I came for the sake of the Dharma, not for the sake of a chair.”


6.
Chapter 6

The Goddess

6.­1

Thereupon, Mañjuśrī, the crown prince, addressed the Licchavi Vimalakīrti: “Good sir, how should a bodhisattva regard all living beings?”

Vimalakīrti replied, “Mañjuśrī, a bodhisattva should regard all living beings as a wise man regards the reflection of the moon in water or as magicians regard men created by magic. He should regard them as being like a face in a mirror; like the water of a mirage; like the sound of an echo; like a mass of clouds in the sky; [F.208.b] like the previous moment of a ball of foam; like the appearance and disappearance of a bubble of water; like the core of a plantain tree; like a flash of lightning; like the fifth great element; like the seventh sense-medium; like the appearance of matter in an immaterial realm; like a sprout from a rotten seed; like a tortoise-hair coat; like the fun of games for one who wishes to die; like the egoistic views of a stream-winner; like a third rebirth of a once-returner; like the descent of a nonreturner into a womb; like the existence of desire, hatred, and folly in an arhat; [F.209.a] like thoughts of avarice, immorality, wickedness, and hostility in a bodhisattva who has attained tolerance; like the instincts of afflictions in a tathāgata; like the perception of color in one blind from birth; like the inhalation and exhalation of an ascetic absorbed in the meditation of cessation; like the track of a bird in the sky; like the erection of a eunuch; like the pregnancy of a barren woman; like the unproduced afflictions of an emanated incarnation of the Tathāgata; like dream-visions seen after waking; like the afflictions of one who is free of conceptualizations; like fire burning without fuel; like the reincarnation of one who has attained ultimate liberation. [F.209.b]


7.
Chapter 7

The Family of the Tathāgatas

7.­1

Then, the crown prince Mañjuśrī asked the Licchavi Vimalakīrti, “‌Noble sir, how does the bodhisattva follow the way to attain the qualities of the Buddha?”

Vimalakīrti replied, “Mañjuśrī, when the bodhisattva follows the wrong way, he follows the way to attain the qualities of the Buddha.”

7.­2

Mañjuśrī continued, “How does the bodhisattva follow the wrong way?”

Vimalakīrti replied, “Even should he enact the five deadly sins, he feels no malice, violence, or hate. Even should he go into the hells, he remains free of all taint of afflictions. Even should he go into the states of the animals, he remains free of darkness and ignorance. When he goes into the states of the asuras, he remains free of pride, conceit, and arrogance. When he goes into the realm of the lord of death, he accumulates the stores of merit and wisdom. When he goes into the states of motionlessness and immateriality, he does not dissolve therein.


8.
Chapter 8

The Dharma-Door of Nonduality

8.­1

Then, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti asked those bodhisattvas, “Good sirs, please explain how the bodhisattvas enter the Dharma-door of nonduality!”177

8.­2

The bodhisattva Dharmavikurvaṇa declared, “Noble sir, production and destruction are two, but what is not produced and does not occur cannot be destroyed. Thus the attainment of the tolerance of the birthlessness of things is the entrance into nonduality.”


9.
Chapter 9

The Feast Brought by the Emanated Incarnation

9.­1

Thereupon, the venerable Śāriputra thought to himself, “If these great bodhisattvas do not adjourn before noontime, when are they going to eat?”185

The Licchavi Vimalakīrti, aware of what the venerable Śāriputra was thinking, spoke to him: “Reverend Śāriputra, the Tathāgata has taught the eight liberations. You should concentrate on those liberations, listening to the Dharma with a mind free of preoccupations with material things. Just wait a minute, reverend Śāriputra, and you will eat such food as you have never before tasted.”


10.
Chapter 10

Lesson of the Destructible and the Indestructible

10.­1

Meanwhile, the area in which the Lord was teaching the Dharma in the garden of Āmrapālī expanded and grew larger, and the entire assembly appeared tinged with a golden hue. Thereupon, the venerable Ānanda asked the Buddha, “Lord, this expansion and enlargement of the garden of Āmrapālī and this golden hue of the assembly‍—what do these auspicious signs portend?”

The Buddha declared, “Ānanda, these auspicious signs portend that the Licchavi Vimalakīrti and the crown prince Mañjuśrī, attended by a great multitude, are coming into the presence of the Tathāgata.”


11.
Chapter 11

Vision of the Universe Abhirati and the Tathāgata Akṣobhya

11.­1

Thereupon, the Buddha said to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti, “Noble son, when you see the Tathāgata, how do you view him?”

Thus addressed, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti said to the Buddha, “Lord, when I see the Tathāgata, I view him by not seeing any Tathāgata. Why? I see him as not born from the past, not passing on to the future, and not abiding in the present time. Why? He is the essence that is the reality of matter,202 but he is not matter. He is the essence that is the reality of sensation, but he is not sensation. He is the essence that is the reality of intellect, but he is not intellect. He is the essence that is the reality of performance, yet he is not performance. He is the essence that is the reality of consciousness, yet he is not consciousness. Like the element of space, he does not abide in any of the four elements. Transcending the scope of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, he is not produced in the six sense-media. [F.231.b] He is not involved in the three worlds, is free of the three defilements, is associated with the triple liberation, is endowed with the three knowledges, and has truly attained the unattainable.


12.
Chapter 12

Antecedents and Transmission of the Holy Dharma

12.­1

Then Śakra, the king of the gods, said to the Buddha, “Lord, formerly I have heard from the Tathāgata and from Mañjuśrī, the crown prince of wisdom, many hundreds of thousands of teachings of the Dharma, but I have never before heard a teaching of the Dharma as remarkable as this instruction in the entrance into the method of inconceivable transformations.206 Lord, those living beings who, having heard this teaching of the Dharma, accept it, remember it, read it, and understand it deeply will be, without a doubt, true vessels of the Dharma; [F.235.a] there is no need to mention those who apply themselves to the yoga of meditation upon it. They will cut off all possibility of unhappy lives, will open their way to all fortunate lives, will always be looked after by all buddhas, will always overcome all adversaries, and will always conquer all devils. They will practice the path of the bodhisattvas, will take their places upon the seat of enlightenment, and will have truly entered the domain of the tathāgatas. Lord, the noble sons and daughters who will teach and practice this exposition of the Dharma will be honored and served by me and my followers. To the villages, towns, cities, states, kingdoms, and capitals wherein this teaching of the Dharma will be applied, taught, and demonstrated, I and my followers will come to hear the Dharma. I will inspire the unbelieving with faith, and I will guarantee my help and protection to those who believe and uphold the Dharma.”


c.

Colophon

c.­1

It has 1,800 ślokas in six fascicles, and was translated, edited, and established by Bandé Chönyi Tsultrim.


ab.

Abbreviations

Ch. Chinese
K Kumārajīva’s Ch. translation
X Xuanzang’s Ch. translation

n.

Notes

n.­1
Skt. acintyavimokṣa. See Chapter 12.
n.­2
See Lamotte (Appendice, Note III, pp 407-413).
n.­3
See Lamotte’s discussion of this concept (Lamotte, Introduction, pp 33-37), even though he emphasizes the rhetorical meaning more than the behavioral meaning.
n.­4
The Guhya­samāja­tantra (see bibliography) is generally recognized as one of the earliest systematic tantric texts. It expounds a philosophically pure Middle Way nondualism, combined with an explicit teaching of the reconciliation of dichotomies (i.e., how even evil can be transmuted to enlightenment, etc.) and an elaborate meditational methodology, employing sacred formulae (mantra), rituals, and visualizations. The meditation of jewels, buddhas, sacred universes (maṇḍala), etc., as existing in full detail inside a mustard seed on the tip of the yogin’s nose is a characteristic exercise in the Guhyasamāja, as in Chap. 3.
n.­5
See 2.­3. It is especially appropriate, in the light of the early tantric tradition, for Vimalakīrti, as a layman, to be an adept.
n.­6
See 7.­1-7.­15, where Vimalakīrti states that the “wrong way” leads to buddhahood, Mañjuśrī that all passions constitute the “tathāgata-family” (itself an important tantric concept), and Mahākaśyapa that only those guilty of the five deadly sins can conceive the spirit‌ of enlightenment‌. The Guhyasamāja (V.4) states: “Even those who have committed great sins, such as the five deadly sins, will succeed on the buddha-vehicle, there in the great ocean of the Mahāyāna” (ānantarya­prabhṛtayaḥ mahā­pāpakṛto ’pi ca | siddhyante buddhāydne ’smin mahā­yāna­mahodadhau ||). It then goes on to list in Vimala­kīrti­nirdeśa fashion all sorts of terrible crimes of lust and hatred, ending with the phrase that such “a mentally nondualistic, intelligent person’s buddhahood is attained” (siddhyate tasya buddhatvaṃ nirvi­kalpasya dhīmataḥ ||).
n.­7
See 7.­17. In the tantric male-female symbolism of the Guhyasamāja and other tantras, the female consort is called the “Wisdom” (prajña) and the male the “Liberative Technique” (upāya), and the bell (ghaṅṭa) and diamond-scepter (vajra) also symbolize female and male, respectively.
n.­8
See 5.­17. This type of yogic power is classified as a lesser attainment (siddhi), the superior attainment being buddhahood, in all tantric methodologies.
n.­14
This list of qualities of the noble disciples (āryāśravāka) is absent in the Chinese of K and X. It is, however, frequently found in Mahāyāna sūtras (see Lamotte, p 98, n 2).
n.­113
This extremely terse and subtle dialogue must be translated with the greatest grammatical precision to avoid confusion in meaning. It is all too tempting to translate the instrumental case (Ch. yii, Tib. kyis) as genitive, rendering the phrase “empty by means of emptiness” (stong pa nyid kyis stong pa) as “empty of emptiness,” which then can be identified as the well-known voidness of voidness (śūnyatā­śūnyatā). Vimalakīrti says here only that the buddhafields are empty because that is their ultimate nature, not that they are equivalent to the emptiness of emptiness.
n.­114
Mañjuśrī implies that Vimalakīrti is negating the validity of the superficial reality (saṃvṛti­satya), since, granted that the ultimate nature is emptiness, does that mean that any particular superficial thing, such as a buddhafield, is empty, even as a relative thing?
n.­115
Vimalakīrti ignores the implication and repeats his statement of the ultimate reality of all things, mentioning specifically mental constructions (parikalpa) in place of buddhafields.
n.­116
Then Mañjuśrī challenges Vimalakīrti’s use of the ultimate nature of emptiness, probing to see if Vimalakīrti might be hypostatizing emptiness as something, which could be constructed mentally or conceptualized.
n.­117
Vimalakīrti rejects that possibility, finally introducing the concept of “emptiness of emptiness,” i.e., that emptiness is itself but a conceptual construction and, as such, is itself empty of substantial, ultimate reality.
n.­118
K: “Sickness is neither of the element earth, nor separate from it; and the same pertains to the other elements. Sicknesses of living beings arise from the four primary elements, and I am sick because of their sicknesses.”
n.­119
Tib.: nyes bar spyod pa thams cad bstan pa ste/ ’pho bas ni ma yin no. K and X: “…But not to consider that they have entered into the past.” Tib. ’pho ba can mean either “transmigration at death,” or “transference,” such as the transference of sin to another, who absolves the sinner with his blessing. This is not practiced in Buddhism, as no absolution is effective: karmic effects cannot be avoided in any case, and the important thing is to cultivate the states of mind that refrain from wrongdoing.
n.­120
The two thought processes here outlined follow the pattern of the meditation of the two selflessnesses, personal and phenomenal or of things (pudgala­nairātmya and dharma­nairātmya). In short Vimalakīrti is equating sickness with the bodhisattva’s very existence in the world, and the cure he prescribes is the cure for all misery in the world.
n.­121
The concluding phrase on the voidness of voidness is not in Skt. or Tib. but is incorporated from K. Note the central Mādhyamika thesis that all things exist conventionally as “mere designations” (prajñapti­mātra).
n.­122
This phrase is not in Skt. or Tib. but is incorporated from K and X. Other slight differences between Ch. and Tib. in these passages do not alter the essential meaning.
n.­123
In perceiving objects, we unconsciously assent to their apparent, self-sufficient, ultimate existence and thereby are confirmed in our innate phenomenal egoism. The only antidote for this deepest root of saṃsāric life is the subtle awareness of voidness.
n.­124
Skt. anupalambha. About this important method, Bhāva­viveka has this to say (Tarkajvāla, IV.23): “In order to abandon adherence to materialism, one should condition oneself to the cultivation of nonperception. So doing, even a single instant of the undistorted, spontaneous realization of the reality of all things will eliminate the stream of passions with their instinctual drives, these instincts being the cohesive force in objective appearance. Thus, when no objects are perceived, there is no occasion for the arising of instinct. This is the method of the Mahāyāna.”
n.­125
This analogy explaining the word “bodhisattva” is strong evidence for the fact that “sattva” here has its meaning of “hero” or “warrior,” rather than merely its meaning of “living being.” This puts the Tib. byang chub sems dpa’, “enlightenment-mind-hero,” in a favorable light.
n.­126
Skt. *anunaya­dṛṣṭi­karunā (lit. “compassion of emotional conviction”). The available Skt. reads anuśaṃsā­dṛṣṭi, but the Tibetan was clearly translated from another MS that must have read anunaya­dṛśṭi­karuṇā. This is false compassion, according to Candrakīrti, as it is not integrated with the wisdom of impermanence, hence not effective in actually alleviating the sufferings of living beings. Candrakīrti (Madhyamakāvatāra, I) enumerates three levels of true great compassion, compassion that sees beings, that sees things, and non-objectifying, respectively, combined with the wisdoms of impermanence, of personal selflessness, and of phenomenal selflessness. See glossary “great compassion.”
n.­127
“Reincarnation” is here used in the sense of “voluntary rebirth” to distinguish the coming into the world of a bodhisattva as opposed to the birth of a normal being.
n.­128
The integration of wisdom and liberative art (prajñopāyādvaya) is the fundamental formulation of the Mahāyāna path. It is the main dichotomy reconciliation the bodhisattva must incorporate in his practice. It is carried over into the symbolism of the tantra, where wisdom = bell = female and technique = vajra = male. Thus this integration finds its most exalted symbol in the tantric representation of the Buddha as male and female in union.
n.­129
K and X have one more domain here, “wherein practice is neither pure nor impure.”
n.­130
K has “transcendent knowledge”; but that would not be paradoxical, in keeping with the general pattern of this description, whereas “transcendence” conveys the idea of the bodhisattva accomplishing the transcendences for other living beings as well as for himself.
n.­131
The “knowledge of exhaustion of defilements” is one of the five or six (see glossary “superknowledges”); hence the paradox.
n.­132
K supplies the location here.
n.­133
K has “The domain of the holy eightfold path, where one delights in the unlimited path of the Buddha…” The preceding statements concerning the four foci of mindulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of magical powers, the five spiritual faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path (from K) are the practices known as the “thirty-seven aids to enlightenment.”
n.­177
“Nonduality” (advayatva) = “Middle Path” (madhyama­pratipat) = freedom from extremes of being and nothingness (antadvaya­vivarjita). For numerous references, see Lamotte, pp 301-302, n 1.
n.­185
Those of the bodhisattvas who are monks, or who maintain ascetic practices, are allowed to eat only before noon; otherwise they must wait until dawn of the next day.
n.­202
Tib. gzugs kyi de bzhin nyid kyi rang bzhin, Skt. rūpa­tathatā­svabhāva, i.e., voidness, as “essence which is reality” is a euphemism for “essencelessness” (niḥsvabhāvatā). Thus the Tathāgata is the voidness of matter, i.e., matter in the ultimate sense, not mere relative matter‍—and so on for the remaining four aggregates. For interesting references on the ultimate nonexistence of the Tathāgata, see Lamotte, p 355, n 1. The reference given there is worth repeating here (from Prasanna­padā, p 435, quoting a Vaipulya­sūtra): “Those who see me by means of form, or who follow me by means of sound‍—they are involved with false and ruinous views and will never see me at all. The buddhas are to be seen by means of ultimate reality, since those leaders are Dharma-bodies, and ultimate reality is impossible to know, as it is not an object of discernment.”
n.­206
Skt. acintya­vikurvaṇa­naya­praveśa­nirdeśa. This is a description, not a title of the sūtra, as it is not mentioned at the end of this chapter, where the Buddha gives the titles to Ānanda.

b.

Bibliography

Tibetan and Sanskrit sources

’phags pa dri ma med par grags pas bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya­vimala­kīrti­nirdeśa­nāma­mahā­yāna­sūtra). Toh. 176, Degé Kangyur, vol. 60 (mdo sde, ma), folios 175b–239a.

’phags pa dri ma med par grags pas bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya­vimala­kīrti­nirdeśa­nāma­mahā­yāna­sūtra). [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. 476–635.

Study Group on Buddhist Sanskrit Literature. 梵文維摩經 : ポタラ宮所蔵写本に基づく校訂. Vimalakīrtinirdeśa, A Sanskrit Edition Based upon the Manuscript Newly Found at the Potala Palace. Tokyo: Institute for Comprehensive Studies of Buddhism, Taishō Daigaku Shuppankai, 2006.

Translations of this text

Lamotte, Étienne. L’Enseignement de Vimalakīrti (Vimala­kīrti­nirdeśa). Louvain: Université de Louvain, Institut Orientaliste, 1962. [Translated from Tib. and Xuanzang’s Chinese].

Luk, Charles (tr.). The Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra. Berkeley and London: Shambhala, 1972. [Translated from Kumārajīva’s Chinese].

McRae, John R. (tr.). The Vimalakīrti Sūtra. Berkeley: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 2004. [Translated from Kumārajīva’s Chinese].

Canonical references

Saṃdhi­nirmocana­sūtra. Sanskrit text: see Lamotte 1935. Tibetan text: ’phags pa dgongs pa nges par ’grel pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo, Toh 106, Degé Kangyur vol. 49 (mdo sde, tsha), folios 1b–55b. English translation: see Buddhavacana Translation Group.https://read.84000.co/translation/toh106.html

Saddharma­puṇḍarīka. Sanskrit text: see Vaidya 1960, Wogihara et al. 1934-1935. Tibetan text: dpal dam chos pad ma dkar po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo, Toh 113, Degé Kangyur, vol. 51 (mdo sed, ja), folios 1b–180b. English translations: see Kern 1884; Roberts, 2018.

Guhya­samāja­tantra. Sanskrit text: see Bagchi 1965. Tibetan text: de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi sku gsung thugs kyi gsang chen gsang ba ’dus pa zhes bya ba brtag pa’i rgyal po chen po, Toh 442, Degé Kangyur vol. 81 (rgyud ’bum, ca), folios 89b–148a.

yul ’khor skyong gis zhus pa (Rāṣṭrapālaparipṛcchā). Toh 62, Degé Kangyur vol. 42 (dkon brtsegs, nga), folios 227.a–257.a. English translation in Vienna Buddhist Translation Studies Group (2021).

Candrakīrti. Prasannapadā­nāma­mūla­madhyamaka­vṛtti. Sanskrit text: see La Vallée Poussin 1903-1912. Tibetan text: dbu ma rtsa ba’i ’grel pa tshig gsal ba, Toh 3860, Degé Tengyur vol. 102 (dbu ma, ’a), folios 1b–200a.

Nāgārjuna. Prajña­nāma­mūla­mādhyamaka­kārikā. Sanskrit text and translation: see Inada 1970. Tibetan text: dbu ma rtsa ba’i tshig le’ur byas pa shes rab, Toh 3824, Degé Tengyur vol. 96 (dbu ma, tsa), folios 1b–19a.

Śāntideva. Śikṣāsamuccaya. Sanskrit text: see Vaidya, 1961. Tibetan text: bslab pa kun las btus pa, Toh 3940, Degé Tengyur vol. 111 (dbu ma, khi), folios 3a–194b. English translation: see Goodman 2016.

Editions and translations of works referenced

Bagchi, S. (ed.). Guhya­samāja­tantra. Buddhist Sanskrit Texts, No. 9. Darbhanga: Mithila Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning, 1965.

Buddhavacana Translation Group. The Sūtra Unravelling the Intent (Saṃdhi­nirmocana­sūtra, Toh 106). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.https://read.84000.co/translation/toh106.html

Dayal, Har. The Bodhisattva Doctrine in Buddhist Sanskrit Literature. 1932. Reprint, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1970.

Goodman, Charles. The Training Anthology of Śāntideva: A Translation of the Śikṣā-samuccaya. New York: Oxford University Press, 2016.

Inada, K. Nāgārjuna. Buffalo, N.Y., 1970.

Kern, H. (ed.). Saddharma-Puṇḍarīka, or Lotus of the True Law. Sacred Books of the East, Vol. XXI. Oxford: Clarendon, 1884.

Lamotte, Étienne (tr.). Saṃdhi­nirmocana­sūtra: L’Explication des mystères. [Tib. text and French translation]. Louvain: Université de Louvain; and Paris: Adrien Maisonneuve, 1935.

La Vallée Poussin, L. de (ed.). Mūla­madhyamaka­kārikās (Mādhyamika­sūtras) de Nāgārjuna avec la Prasanna­padā, commentaire de Candrakīrti . Bibliotheca Buddhica IV. St. Petersburg: Académie Impériale des sciences, 1903-1913.

Roberts, Peter (tr.). The White Lotus of the Good Dharma (Saddharma­puṇḍarīka­sūtra, Toh 113). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018 (read.84000.co).

Sakaki (ed.). Mahāvyutpatti, Skt.-Tib. lexicon. Kyoto, 1916-1925.

Vaidya, P. L. (ed.) Saddharma­puṇḍarīka­sūtra. Darbhanga: The Mithila Institute of Post-Graduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning, 1960.

‍—‍—‍—(ed.). Śikṣāsamuccaya of Śāntideva. Buddhist Sanskrit Texts, No. 11. Darbhanga: Mithila Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning, 1961.

Vienna Buddhist Translation Studies Group, trans. The Questions of Rāṣṭrapāla (Rāṣṭrapālaparipṛcchāsūtra, Toh 62). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021.

Wogihara, Unrai and Tsuchida, Chikao. Saddharma­puṇḍarīka-sūtram: Romanized and Revised Text of the Bibliotheca Buddhica publication by consulting a Sanskrit Ms. & Tibetan and Chinese translations. Tōkyō: Seigo-Kenkyūkai, 1934–1935.


g.

Glossary

g.­1

Abhidharma

  • chos mngon pa
  • ཆོས་མངོན་པ།
  • Abhidharma

Conventionally, the general name for the Buddhist teachings presented in a scientific manner, as a fully elaborated transcendental psychology. As one of the branches of the Canon, it corresponds to the discipline of wisdom (the Sūtras corresponding to meditation, and the Vinaya to morality). Ultimately the Abhidharma is “pure wisdom, with its coordinate mental functions” (Prajñāmalā sānucārā), according to Vasubandhu.

7 passages contain this term:

  • n.­74
  • n.­190
  • g.­7
  • g.­137
  • g.­158
  • g.­215
  • g.­338

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­2

Abhi­dharma­kośa

  • chos mngon pa’i mdzod
  • ཆོས་མངོན་པའི་མཛོད།
  • Abhi­dharma­kośa

An important work written by Vasubandhu, probably in the fourth century, as a critical compendium of the Abhidharmic science.

4 passages contain this term:

  • n.­175
  • g.­192
  • g.­285
  • g.­338
g.­3

Abhirati

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

Lit. “Intense Delight.” The universe, or buddhafield of the Tathāgata Akṣobhya, lying in the east beyond innumerable galaxies, whence Vimalakīrti came to reincarnate in our Sahā universe.

10 passages contain this term:

  • i.­8
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­13
  • 11.­14
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­17
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­19
  • 11.­20
  • g.­12

Links to further resources:

  • 17 related glossary entries
g.­5

Absorption

  • snyoms par ’jug
  • སྙོམས་པར་འཇུག
  • samāpatti

“Absorption” has been translated as “meditation,” “contemplation,” “attainment,” etc., and any of these words might serve. The problem is to establish one English word for each of the important Sanskrit words samāpatti, dhyāna, samādhi, bhāvanā, etc., so as to preserve a consistency with the original. Therefore, I have adopted for these terms, respectively, “absorption,” “contemplation,” “concentration” and “realization” or “cultivation,” reserving the word “meditation” for general use with any of the terms when they are used not in a specific sense but to indicate mind-practice in general.

9 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­10
  • 3.­69
  • 4.­30
  • 8.­29
  • g.­51
  • g.­56
  • g.­75
  • g.­182
  • g.­319

Links to further resources:

  • 27 related glossary entries
g.­6

Affliction

  • nyon mongs
  • ཉོན་མོངས།
  • kleśa

Desire, hatred and anger, dullness, pride, and jealousy, as well as all their derivatives, said to number 84,000. Also translated “passions.”

23 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 3.­13
  • 3.­34
  • 3.­53
  • 3.­59
  • 3.­69
  • 3.­78
  • 3.­79
  • 4.­15
  • 4.­21
  • 4.­29
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­7
  • 6.­27
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­28
  • 9.­24
  • 10.­20
  • 11.­12
  • n.­68
  • g.­197
  • g.­213
  • g.­319

Links to further resources:

  • 60 related glossary entries
g.­7

Aggregate

  • phung po
  • ཕུང་པོ།
  • skandha

This translation of skandha is fairly well established, although some prefer the monosyllabic “group.” It is important to bear in mind that the original skandha has the sense of “pile,” or “heap,” which has the connotation of utter lack of internal structure, of a randomly collocated pile of things; thus “group” may convey a false connotation of structure and ordered arrangement. The five “compulsive” (upādāna) aggregates are of great importance as a schema for introspective meditation in the Abhidharma, wherein each is defined with the greatest subtlety and precision. In fact, the five terms rūpa, vedanā, samjñā, saṃskāra, and vijñāna have such a particular technical sense that many translators have preferred to leave them untranslated. Nevertheless, in the sūtra context, where the five are meant rather more simply to represent the relative living being (in the realm of desire), it seems preferable to give a translation‍—in spite of the drawbacks of each possible term‍—in order to convey the same sense of a total categorization of the psychophysical complex. Thus, for rūpa, “matter” is preferred to “form” because it more concretely connotes the physical and gross; for vedanā, “sensation” is adopted, as limited to the aesthetic; for samjñā, “intellect” is useful in conveying the sense of verbal, conceptual intelligence. For samskāra, which covers a number of mental functions as well as inanimate forces, “motivation” gives a general idea. And “consciousness” is so well established for vijñāna (although what we normally think of as consciousness is more like samjñā, i.e., conceptual and notional, and vijñāna is rather the “pure awareness” prior to concepts) as to be left unchallenged.

18 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­9
  • 3.­25
  • 3.­69
  • 4.­15
  • 5.­2
  • 8.­18
  • 8.­24
  • 10.­20
  • n.­52
  • n.­102
  • n.­202
  • g.­55
  • g.­74
  • g.­80
  • g.­128
  • g.­179
  • g.­188
  • g.­283

Links to further resources:

  • 57 related glossary entries
g.­14

Āmrapālī

  • a mra srung ba
  • ཨ་མྲ་སྲུང་བ།
  • Āmrapālī

A courtesan of Vaiśālī who gave her garden to the Buddha and his retinue, where they stay during the events of the sūtra.

5 passages contain this term:

  • i.­3
  • i.­7
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­13
  • 10.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­15

Ānanda

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

A major śrāvaka disciple of the Buddha; his personal attendant. See also n.­88 and n.­193.

25 passages contain this term:

  • i.­7
  • i.­8
  • 3.­41
  • 3.­42
  • 3.­43
  • 3.­44
  • 3.­45
  • 3.­46
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­8
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­10
  • 10.­11
  • 10.­12
  • 10.­13
  • 10.­14
  • 10.­15
  • 10.­16
  • 10.­17
  • 12.­27
  • 12.­28
  • 12.­29
  • n.­88
  • n.­193
  • n.­206

Links to further resources:

  • 78 related glossary entries
g.­20

Arhat

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

According to Buddhist tradition, one who has conquered his enemy passions (kleśa-ari-hata) and reached the supreme purity. The term can refer to buddhas as well as to those who have reached realization of the Disciple Vehicle.

18 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­24
  • 4.­29
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­3
  • 6.­41
  • 12.­6
  • 12.­10
  • n.­59
  • n.­72
  • n.­144
  • n.­148
  • n.­199
  • g.­85
  • g.­88
  • g.­313
  • g.­333

Links to further resources:

  • 96 related glossary entries
g.­24

Asura

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

Titan .

10 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­11
  • 1.­14
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­14
  • 6.­24
  • 7.­2
  • 11.­14
  • 12.­12
  • 12.­19
  • 12.­29

Links to further resources:

  • 106 related glossary entries
g.­25

Auspicious signs and marks

  • mtshan dang dpe byad bzang po
  • མཚན་དང་དཔེ་བྱད་བཟང་པོ།
  • lakṣaṇānuvyañjana

The thirty-two signs and the eighty marks of a superior being.

8 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­5
  • 2.­3
  • 3.­79
  • 4.­23
  • 4.­24
  • 4.­30
  • 7.­6
  • 9.­6

Links to further resources:

  • 4 related glossary entries
g.­28

Bad migrations

  • ngan song
  • ངན་སོང་།
  • durgati

The three bad migrations are those of (1) denizens of hells, (2) inhabitants of the “limbo” of the pretaloka, where one wanders as an insatiably hungry and thirsty wretch, and (3) animals, who are trapped in the pattern of mutual devouring (Tib. gcig la gcig za).

4 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­8
  • 1.­42
  • 3.­17
  • 4.­18

Links to further resources:

  • 21 related glossary entries
g.­32

Bhikṣu

  • dge slong
  • དགེ་སློང་།
  • bhikṣu

Lit. “beggar.” Buddhist mendicant monk; bhikṣuṇī is the female counterpart.

5 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 1.­11
  • 1.­56
  • 3.­21
  • 3.­49

Links to further resources:

  • 44 related glossary entries
g.­34

Birthlessness

  • mi skye ba
  • མི་སྐྱེ་བ།
  • anutpādatva

This refers to the ultimate nature of reality, to the fact that, ultimately, nothing has ever been produced or born nor will it ever be because birth and production can occur only on the relative, or superficial, level. Hence “birthlessness” is a synonym of “voidness,” “reality,” “absolute,” “ultimate,” “infinity,” etc.

7 passages contain this term:

  • i.­9
  • 3.­25
  • 3.­49
  • 4.­29
  • 10.­21
  • 12.­22
  • g.­324

Links to further resources:

  • 4 related glossary entries
g.­35

Bodhisattva

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

A living being who has produced the spirit of enlightenment in himself and whose constant dedication, lifetime after lifetime, is to attain the unexcelled, perfect enlightenment of Buddhahood.

250 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­3
  • i.­4
  • i.­5
  • i.­6
  • i.­7
  • i.­9
  • i.­13
  • i.­14
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­13
  • 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
  • 1.­46
  • 3.­14
  • 3.­35
  • 3.­43
  • 3.­48
  • 3.­61
  • 3.­63
  • 3.­69
  • 3.­71
  • 3.­72
  • 3.­80
  • 3.­83
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­2
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­7
  • 4.­11
  • 4.­14
  • 4.­15
  • 4.­18
  • 4.­20
  • 4.­21
  • 4.­22
  • 4.­25
  • 4.­26
  • 4.­27
  • 4.­28
  • 4.­29
  • 4.­30
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­7
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­9
  • 5.­13
  • 5.­14
  • 5.­15
  • 5.­16
  • 5.­17
  • 5.­18
  • 5.­19
  • 5.­20
  • 5.­21
  • 5.­22
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­3
  • 6.­4
  • 6.­5
  • 6.­12
  • 6.­16
  • 6.­27
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­8
  • 7.­16
  • 7.­17
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­43
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­2
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­5
  • 8.­6
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­8
  • 8.­9
  • 8.­10
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­12
  • 8.­13
  • 8.­14
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­16
  • 8.­17
  • 8.­18
  • 8.­19
  • 8.­20
  • 8.­21
  • 8.­22
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­24
  • 8.­25
  • 8.­26
  • 8.­27
  • 8.­28
  • 8.­29
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­31
  • 8.­32
  • 8.­33
  • 8.­34
  • 8.­35
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­4
  • 9.­6
  • 9.­7
  • 9.­9
  • 9.­10
  • 9.­11
  • 9.­12
  • 9.­13
  • 9.­14
  • 9.­16
  • 9.­17
  • 9.­18
  • 9.­20
  • 9.­21
  • 9.­22
  • 9.­23
  • 9.­26
  • 9.­27
  • 9.­28
  • 9.­29
  • 10.­4
  • 10.­5
  • 10.­6
  • 10.­8
  • 10.­11
  • 10.­12
  • 10.­13
  • 10.­17
  • 10.­18
  • 10.­19
  • 10.­20
  • 10.­21
  • 10.­22
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­24
  • 11.­8
  • 11.­12
  • 11.­13
  • 11.­14
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­16
  • 11.­18
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­7
  • 12.­12
  • 12.­17
  • 12.­19
  • 12.­20
  • 12.­21
  • 12.­22
  • 12.­23
  • 12.­24
  • 12.­25
  • 12.­29
  • n.­16
  • n.­18
  • n.­19
  • n.­20
  • n.­35
  • n.­36
  • n.­37
  • n.­40
  • n.­55
  • n.­56
  • n.­73
  • n.­93
  • n.­99
  • n.­100
  • n.­111
  • n.­120
  • n.­125
  • n.­127
  • n.­128
  • n.­130
  • n.­144
  • n.­145
  • n.­147
  • n.­155
  • n.­158
  • n.­162
  • n.­168
  • n.­181
  • n.­185
  • n.­190
  • n.­195
  • n.­196
  • n.­198
  • g.­11
  • g.­26
  • g.­47
  • g.­59
  • g.­60
  • g.­63
  • g.­68
  • g.­69
  • g.­77
  • g.­81
  • g.­84
  • g.­86
  • g.­98
  • g.­106
  • g.­109
  • g.­110
  • g.­113
  • g.­118
  • g.­123
  • g.­131
  • g.­148
  • g.­163
  • g.­167
  • g.­171
  • g.­172
  • g.­181
  • g.­205
  • g.­214
  • g.­217
  • g.­245
  • g.­246
  • g.­248
  • g.­277
  • g.­278
  • g.­297
  • g.­302
  • g.­313
  • g.­319
  • g.­333
  • g.­337

Links to further resources:

  • 33 related glossary entries
g.­37

Brahmā

  • tshangs pa
  • ཚངས་པ།
  • Brahmā

Creator-lord of a universe, there being as many as there are universes, whose number is incalculable. Hence, in Buddhist belief, a title of a deity who has attained supremacy in a particular universe, rather than a personal name. For example, the Brahmā of the Aśoka universe is personally called Śikhin, to distinguish him from other Brahmās. A Brahmā resides at the summit of the realm of pure matter (rūpadhātu), and is thus higher in status than a Śakra.

26 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­11
  • 1.­49
  • 1.­50
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­6
  • 3.­27
  • 3.­28
  • 3.­29
  • 4.­2
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­30
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­18
  • 6.­24
  • 6.­27
  • 7.­39
  • 9.­21
  • 10.­4
  • 10.­20
  • 11.­14
  • 12.­3
  • g.­23
  • g.­260
  • g.­285
  • g.­288
  • g.­305

Links to further resources:

  • 125 related glossary entries
g.­39

Buddha

  • sangs rgyas
  • སངས་རྒྱས།
  • buddha

Lit. “awakened one.” Title of one who has attained the highest attainment possible for a living being. “The Buddha” often designates Śākyamuni because he is the buddha mainly in charge of the buddhafield of our Sahā universe.

272 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­3
  • i.­4
  • i.­5
  • i.­6
  • i.­7
  • i.­8
  • i.­11
  • i.­14
  • i.­15
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­7
  • 1.­11
  • 1.­12
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­14
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­24
  • 1.­25
  • 1.­26
  • 1.­29
  • 1.­30
  • 1.­31
  • 1.­32
  • 1.­33
  • 1.­46
  • 1.­47
  • 1.­48
  • 1.­50
  • 1.­52
  • 1.­53
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­3
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­10
  • 3.­12
  • 3.­13
  • 3.­15
  • 3.­16
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­21
  • 3.­24
  • 3.­25
  • 3.­27
  • 3.­28
  • 3.­30
  • 3.­31
  • 3.­37
  • 3.­38
  • 3.­41
  • 3.­46
  • 3.­47
  • 3.­48
  • 3.­49
  • 3.­55
  • 3.­60
  • 3.­61
  • 3.­63
  • 3.­69
  • 3.­74
  • 3.­78
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­18
  • 4.­30
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­17
  • 5.­18
  • 6.­3
  • 6.­5
  • 6.­6
  • 6.­24
  • 6.­25
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­31
  • 6.­35
  • 6.­36
  • 6.­41
  • 6.­43
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­5
  • 7.­8
  • 7.­11
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­14
  • 7.­15
  • 7.­29
  • 7.­30
  • 7.­48
  • 7.­57
  • 8.­23
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­9
  • 9.­10
  • 9.­13
  • 9.­14
  • 9.­15
  • 9.­16
  • 9.­23
  • 9.­25
  • 9.­26
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­3
  • 10.­4
  • 10.­5
  • 10.­6
  • 10.­8
  • 10.­12
  • 10.­13
  • 10.­15
  • 10.­16
  • 10.­17
  • 10.­18
  • 10.­19
  • 10.­20
  • 10.­21
  • 10.­22
  • 10.­24
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­13
  • 11.­14
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­19
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­5
  • 12.­6
  • 12.­8
  • 12.­12
  • 12.­13
  • 12.­14
  • 12.­17
  • 12.­23
  • 12.­24
  • 12.­25
  • 12.­26
  • 12.­27
  • 12.­28
  • 12.­29
  • n.­4
  • n.­6
  • n.­25
  • n.­26
  • n.­30
  • n.­32
  • n.­33
  • n.­34
  • n.­35
  • n.­36
  • n.­40
  • n.­52
  • n.­55
  • n.­57
  • n.­61
  • n.­62
  • n.­70
  • n.­74
  • n.­80
  • n.­83
  • n.­88
  • n.­93
  • n.­101
  • n.­103
  • n.­106
  • n.­110
  • n.­128
  • n.­133
  • n.­152
  • n.­162
  • n.­188
  • n.­192
  • n.­193
  • n.­195
  • n.­199
  • n.­202
  • n.­206
  • n.­208
  • n.­212
  • g.­9
  • g.­10
  • g.­12
  • g.­13
  • g.­14
  • g.­15
  • g.­16
  • g.­19
  • g.­20
  • g.­30
  • g.­40
  • g.­41
  • g.­45
  • g.­52
  • g.­60
  • g.­66
  • g.­68
  • g.­71
  • g.­73
  • g.­77
  • g.­81
  • g.­84
  • g.­85
  • g.­86
  • g.­105
  • g.­106
  • g.­109
  • g.­110
  • g.­125
  • g.­137
  • g.­141
  • g.­148
  • g.­152
  • g.­155
  • g.­157
  • g.­158
  • g.­164
  • g.­167
  • g.­171
  • g.­172
  • g.­175
  • g.­185
  • g.­186
  • g.­191
  • g.­207
  • g.­211
  • g.­212
  • g.­218
  • g.­220
  • g.­225
  • g.­232
  • g.­234
  • g.­235
  • g.­236
  • g.­238
  • g.­244
  • g.­245
  • g.­248
  • g.­256
  • g.­261
  • g.­262
  • g.­271
  • g.­272
  • g.­274
  • g.­275
  • g.­276
  • g.­280
  • g.­288
  • g.­290
  • g.­292
  • g.­293
  • g.­294
  • g.­296
  • g.­298
  • g.­300
  • g.­302
  • g.­306
  • g.­307
  • g.­308
  • g.­313
  • g.­314
  • g.­318
  • g.­319
  • g.­330
  • g.­333
  • g.­336
  • g.­340

Links to further resources:

  • 10 related glossary entries
g.­41

Buddhafield

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

Roughly, a synonym for “universe,” although Buddhist cosmology contains many universes of different types and dimensions. “Buddhafield” indicates, in regard to whatever type of world-sphere, that it is the field of influence of a particular Buddha. For a detailed discussion of these concepts, see Lamotte, Appendice, Note I.

82 passages contain this term:

  • i.­3
  • i.­7
  • i.­8
  • i.­14
  • 1.­9
  • 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
  • 1.­46
  • 1.­48
  • 1.­49
  • 1.­50
  • 1.­52
  • 1.­53
  • 1.­54
  • 1.­55
  • 1.­56
  • 3.­28
  • 3.­43
  • 3.­69
  • 3.­79
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­23
  • 4.­24
  • 4.­30
  • 5.­6
  • 5.­7
  • 5.­17
  • 6.­27
  • 7.­31
  • 7.­44
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­4
  • 9.­7
  • 9.­11
  • 9.­12
  • 9.­13
  • 9.­15
  • 9.­22
  • 9.­26
  • 9.­27
  • 9.­28
  • 10.­4
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­12
  • 10.­13
  • 10.­14
  • 10.­15
  • 10.­18
  • 10.­20
  • 10.­22
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­12
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­20
  • 12.­25
  • n.­35
  • n.­36
  • n.­39
  • n.­113
  • n.­114
  • n.­115
  • n.­174
  • g.­3
  • g.­39
  • g.­185
  • g.­258
  • g.­278
  • g.­340

Links to further resources:

  • 25 related glossary entries
g.­43

Buddhāvataṃsaka

  • sangs rgyas phal po che
  • སངས་རྒྱས་ཕལ་པོ་ཆེ།
  • Buddhāvataṃsaka

See Avataṃsaka.

2 passages contain this term:

  • i.­1
  • g.­27

Links to further resources:

  • 1 related glossary entry
g.­46

Candrakīrti

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

(c. sixth century). The most important Mādhyamika philosopher after Nāgārjuna and Āryadeva, he refined the philosophical methods of the school to such a degree that later members of the tradition considered him one of the highest authorities on the subject of the profound nature of reality.

5 passages contain this term:

  • n.­48
  • n.­126
  • n.­184
  • g.­225
  • g.­226

Links to further resources:

  • 2 related glossary entries
g.­48

Cessation

  • ’gog pa
  • འགོག་པ།
  • nirodha

The third Noble Truth, equivalent to nirvāṇa.

11 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­2
  • 3.­50
  • 4.­18
  • 4.­27
  • 5.­2
  • 6.­1
  • 8.­24
  • 8.­29
  • 11.­3
  • n.­98
  • g.­75

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­51

Concentration

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

See “absorption.”

33 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­2
  • 2.­10
  • 3.­13
  • 3.­24
  • 3.­28
  • 3.­75
  • 4.­22
  • 4.­23
  • 4.­24
  • 4.­30
  • 5.­8
  • 7.­22
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­20
  • 9.­22
  • 9.­27
  • 10.­15
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­15
  • n.­85
  • n.­86
  • g.­5
  • g.­58
  • g.­78
  • g.­79
  • g.­92
  • g.­93
  • g.­184
  • g.­264
  • g.­285
  • g.­286
  • g.­306
  • g.­319

Links to further resources:

  • 76 related glossary entries
g.­53

Conceptualization

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

This brings up another important group of words that has never been treated systematically in translation: vikalpa, parikalpa, samāropa, adhyāropa, kalpanā, samjñā, and prapāñca. All of these refer to mental functions that tend to superimpose upon reality, either relative or ultimate, a conceptualized reality fabricated by the subjective mind. Some translators have tended to lump these together under the rubric “discursive thought,” which leads to the misleading notion that all thought is bad, something to be eliminated, and that sheer “thoughtlessness” is “enlightenment,” or whatever higher state is desired. According to Buddhist scholars, thought in itself is simply a function, and only thought that is attached to its own content over and above the relative object, i.e., “egoistic” thought, is bad and to be eliminated. Therefore we have chosen a set of words for the seven Skt. terms: respectively, “conceptualization,” “imagination,” “presumption,” “exaggeration,” “construction,” “conception” or “notion,” and “fabrication.” This does not mean that these words are not somewhat interchangeable or that another English word might not be better in certain contexts; it only represents an attempt to achieve consistency with the original usages.

5 passages contain this term:

  • i.­11
  • 3.­34
  • 6.­1
  • 8.­24
  • g.­183

Links to further resources:

  • 14 related glossary entries
g.­55

Consciousness

  • rnam shes
  • རྣམ་ཤེས།
  • vijñāna

See “aggregate.”

23 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­7
  • 3.­8
  • 3.­12
  • 4.­14
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­4
  • 8.­18
  • 8.­22
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­2
  • 12.­13
  • n.­98
  • g.­7
  • g.­22
  • g.­52
  • g.­74
  • g.­75
  • g.­80
  • g.­98
  • g.­285
  • g.­304
  • g.­318
  • g.­343

Links to further resources:

  • 21 related glossary entries
g.­56

Contemplation

  • bsam gtan
  • བསམ་གཏན།
  • dhyāna

See “absorption.”

12 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­2
  • 3.­3
  • 4.­22
  • 4.­30
  • 6.­3
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­26
  • g.­5
  • g.­184
  • g.­285
  • g.­313
  • g.­319

Links to further resources:

  • 49 related glossary entries
g.­58

Decisiveness

  • nges par sems pa
  • ངེས་པར་སེམས་པ།
  • nidhyapti

Analytic concentration that gains insight into the nature of reality, synonymous with “transcendental analysis,” vipaśyana (q.v.).

2 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­58
  • 4.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 2 related glossary entries
g.­59

Dedication

  • yongs su bsngo ba
  • ཡོངས་སུ་བསྔོ་བ།
  • pariṇāmana

This refers to the bodhisattva’s constant mindfulness of the fact that all his actions of whatever form contribute to his purpose of attaining enlightenment for the sake of himself and others, i.e., his conscious deferral of the merit accruing from any virtuous action as he eschews immediate reward in favor of ultimate enlightenment for himself and all living beings.

7 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­42
  • 1.­44
  • 4.­26
  • 8.­21
  • 10.­20
  • g.­35
  • g.­77

Links to further resources:

  • 6 related glossary entries
g.­62

Destined for the ultimate

  • yang dag pa nyid du nges pa
  • ཡང་དག་པ་ཉིད་དུ་ངེས་པ།
  • samyaktvaniyata

This generally describes one who has reached the noble path, either in Disciple Vehicle or Mahāyāna practice (see Lamotte, p. 115, n. 65).

2 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­39
  • 4.­29

Links to further resources:

  • 1 related glossary entry
g.­66

Dharma

  • chos
  • ཆོས།
  • Dharma

The second of the Three Jewels, that is, the teaching of the Buddha.

134 passages contain this term:

  • i.­5
  • i.­7
  • i.­8
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­6
  • 1.­7
  • 1.­8
  • 1.­11
  • 1.­12
  • 1.­14
  • 1.­18
  • 1.­21
  • 1.­22
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­12
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­6
  • 3.­7
  • 3.­9
  • 3.­10
  • 3.­16
  • 3.­21
  • 3.­24
  • 3.­45
  • 3.­57
  • 3.­61
  • 3.­68
  • 3.­69
  • 3.­70
  • 3.­74
  • 3.­75
  • 3.­76
  • 3.­77
  • 3.­78
  • 3.­79
  • 3.­80
  • 3.­82
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­2
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­19
  • 4.­21
  • 4.­30
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­3
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­18
  • 5.­20
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­3
  • 6.­12
  • 6.­15
  • 6.­22
  • 6.­24
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­30
  • 7.­18
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­21
  • 7.­25
  • 7.­41
  • 7.­45
  • 7.­55
  • 8.­23
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­10
  • 9.­12
  • 9.­22
  • 9.­23
  • 9.­25
  • 9.­29
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­15
  • 10.­20
  • 10.­21
  • 10.­22
  • 11.­14
  • 11.­21
  • 11.­22
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­5
  • 12.­8
  • 12.­9
  • 12.­10
  • 12.­11
  • 12.­12
  • 12.­13
  • 12.­14
  • 12.­15
  • 12.­16
  • 12.­18
  • 12.­19
  • 12.­20
  • 12.­21
  • 12.­22
  • 12.­23
  • 12.­26
  • 12.­27
  • 12.­28
  • n.­30
  • n.­52
  • n.­59
  • n.­72
  • n.­85
  • n.­99
  • n.­106
  • n.­136
  • n.­138
  • n.­190
  • n.­197
  • n.­202
  • g.­30
  • g.­67
  • g.­77
  • g.­125
  • g.­130
  • g.­151
  • g.­164
  • g.­181
  • g.­275
  • g.­294
  • g.­319
  • g.­333
  • g.­337

Links to further resources:

  • 34 related glossary entries
g.­67

Dharma-door

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

Certain teachings are called “Dharma-doors” (or “doors of the Dharma”), as they provide access to the practice of the Dharma.

4 passages contain this term:

  • 8.­1
  • 10.­13
  • n.­162
  • g.­72

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­74

Egoistic views

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

This consists of twenty varieties of false notion, consisting basically of regarding the temporally impermanent and ultimately insubstantial as “I” or “mine.” The five compulsive aggregates are paired with the self, giving the twenty false notions. For example, the first four false notions are that (1) matter is the self, which is like its owner (rūpaṃ ātmā svāmivat); (2) the self possesses matter, like its ornament (rūpavañ ātmā alaņkāravat); (3) matter belongs to the self, like a slave (ātmīyaṃ rūpaṃ bhṛtyavat); and (4) the self dwells in matter as in a vessel (rūpe ātmā bhajanavat). The other four compulsive aggregates are paired with the self in the same four ways, giving sixteen more false notions concerning sensation, intellect, motivation, and consciousness, hypostatizing an impossible relationship with a nonexistent, permanent, substantial self.

6 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­15
  • 6.­1
  • 7.­11
  • 8.­24
  • n.­102
  • g.­178

Links to further resources:

  • 16 related glossary entries
g.­75

Eight liberations

  • rnam par thar pa brgyad
  • རྣམ་པར་ཐར་པ་བརྒྱད།
  • vimokṣa

The first consists of the seeing of form by one who has form; the second consists of the seeing of external form by one with the concept of internal formlessness; the third consists of the physical realization of pleasant liberation and its successful consolidation; the fourth consists of the full entrance to the infinity of space through transcending all conceptions of matter, and the subsequent decline of conceptions of resistance and discredit of conceptions of diversity; the fifth consists of full entrance into the infinity of consciousness, having transcended the infinity of space; the sixth consists of the full entrance into the sphere of nothingness, having transcended the sphere of the infinity of conscious­ness; the seventh consists of the full entrance into the sphere of neither conscious­ness nor un­conscious­ness, having transcended the sphere of nothingness; the eighth consists of the perfect cessation of suffering, having transcended the sphere of neither conscious­ness nor un­conscious­ness. Thus the first three liberations form specific links to the ordinary perceptual world; the fourth to seventh are equivalent to the four absorptions; and the eighth represents the highest attainment.

3 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­13
  • 7.­22
  • 9.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 16 related glossary entries
g.­79

Eightfold noble path

  • ’phags pa’i lam gyi yan lag brgyad
  • འཕགས་པའི་ལམ་གྱི་ཡན་ལག་བརྒྱད།
  • āryāṣṭāṅga­mārga

These are right view (samyagdṛṣṭi), right consideration (samyak­saṃkalpa), right speech (samyakvāk), right terminal action (samyak­karmānta), right livelihood (samyagajiva), right effort (samyag­vyāyāma), right remembrance (samyak­smṛti), and right concentration (samyak­samādhi). They are variously defined in the different Buddhist schools. These eight form a part of the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment (see entry).

3 passages contain this term:

  • n.­133
  • g.­76
  • g.­322

Links to further resources:

  • 40 related glossary entries
g.­80

Element

  • khams
  • ’byung ba chen po
  • ཁམས།
  • འབྱུང་བ་ཆེན་པོ།
  • dhātu
  • mahābhūta

Depending on the context, may translate either: (a) Skt. mahābhūta, Tib. ’byung ba chen po, the four “main” or “great” outer elements of earth, water, fire, air, and (when there is a fifth) space; or: (b) Skt. dhātu, Tib. khams, the “eighteen elements” introduce, in the context of the aggregates, elements, and sense-media, the same six pairs as the twelve sense-media, as elements of experience, adding a third member to each set: the element of consciousness (vijñāna), or sense. Hence the first pair gives the triad eye-element (caksur­dhātu), form-element (rūpadhātu), and eye-consciousness-element, or eye-sense-element (caksur­vijñāna­dhātu)‍—and so on with the other five, noting the last, mind-element (manodhātu), phenomena-element (dharma­dhātu), and mental-sense-element (mano­vijñāna­dhātu).

21 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­7
  • 2.­9
  • 3.­69
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­13
  • 4.­15
  • 5.­2
  • 6.­1
  • 8.­19
  • 10.­20
  • 11.­1
  • n.­49
  • n.­50
  • n.­59
  • n.­102
  • n.­118
  • n.­167
  • n.­182
  • g.­193
  • g.­293
  • g.­333

Links to further resources:

  • 56 related glossary entries
g.­81

Emanated incarnation

  • sprul pa
  • སྤྲུལ་པ།
  • nirmāṇa

This refers to the miraculous power of the Buddha and bodhisattvas of a certain stage to emanate apparently living beings in order to develop and teach living beings. This power reaches its culmination in the nirmāṇa­kayā, the “incarnation body,” which is one of the three bodies of buddhahood and includes all physical forms of all buddhas, including Śākyamuni, whose sole function as incarnations is the development and liberation of living beings.

4 passages contain this term:

  • 6.­1
  • 6.­38
  • g.­119
  • g.­120

Links to further resources:

  • 6 related glossary entries
g.­82

Emptiness

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

This Skt. term is usually translated by “voidness” because that English word is more rarely used in other contexts than “emptiness” and does not refer to any sort of ultimate nothingness, as a thing-in-itself, or even as the thing-in-itself to end all things-in-themselves. It is a pure negation of the ultimate existence of anything or, in Buddhist terminology, the “emptiness with respect to personal and phenomenal selves,” or “with respect to identity,” or “with respect to intrinsic nature,” or “with respect to essential substance,” or “with respect to self-existence established by intrinsic identity,” or “with respect to ultimate truth-status,” etc. Thus emptiness is a concept descriptive of the ultimate reality through its pure negation of whatever may be supposed to be ultimately real. It is an absence, hence not existent in itself. It is synonymous therefore with “infinity,” “absolute,” etc.‍—themselves all negative terms, i.e., formed etymologically from a positive concept by adding a negative prefix (in + finite = not finite; ab + solute = not compounded, etc.). But, since our verbally conditioned mental functions are habituated to the connection of word and thing, we tend to hypostatize a “void,” analogous to “outer space,” a “vacuum,” etc., which we either shrink from as a nihilistic nothingness or become attached to as a liberative nothingness; this great mistake can be cured only by realizing the meaning of the “emptiness of emptiness,” which brings us to the tolerance of inconceivability.

11 passages contain this term:

  • 4.­4
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­9
  • 4.­10
  • n.­113
  • n.­114
  • n.­116
  • n.­117
  • g.­312
  • g.­346
  • g.­350

Links to further resources:

  • 34 related glossary entries
g.­83

Enlightenment

  • byang chub
  • བྱང་ཆུབ།
  • bodhi

This word requires too much explanation for this glossary because, indeed, the whole sūtra‍—and the whole of Buddhist literature‍—is explanatory of only this. Here we simply mention the translation equivalent.

96 passages contain this term:

  • i.­8
  • i.­14
  • 1.­20
  • 1.­31
  • 1.­35
  • 1.­36
  • 1.­37
  • 1.­38
  • 1.­39
  • 1.­40
  • 1.­41
  • 1.­42
  • 1.­43
  • 1.­54
  • 1.­56
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­12
  • 3.­11
  • 3.­14
  • 3.­24
  • 3.­29
  • 3.­36
  • 3.­39
  • 3.­40
  • 3.­49
  • 3.­50
  • 3.­51
  • 3.­52
  • 3.­53
  • 3.­67
  • 3.­68
  • 3.­69
  • 3.­72
  • 3.­75
  • 3.­76
  • 3.­81
  • 3.­83
  • 4.­25
  • 4.­26
  • 4.­31
  • 5.­20
  • 6.­3
  • 6.­39
  • 6.­40
  • 6.­41
  • 6.­42
  • 7.­10
  • 7.­15
  • 7.­19
  • 7.­21
  • 7.­25
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­36
  • 7.­51
  • 7.­52
  • 7.­58
  • 9.­29
  • 10.­11
  • 10.­12
  • 10.­16
  • 11.­14
  • 11.­19
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­5
  • 12.­16
  • 12.­19
  • 12.­23
  • 12.­25
  • n.­4
  • n.­6
  • n.­29
  • n.­35
  • n.­53
  • n.­86
  • n.­96
  • n.­98
  • n.­104
  • n.­125
  • n.­163
  • g.­4
  • g.­35
  • g.­40
  • g.­52
  • g.­53
  • g.­59
  • g.­77
  • g.­84
  • g.­98
  • g.­113
  • g.­165
  • g.­214
  • g.­273
  • g.­280
  • g.­296
  • g.­319
  • g.­329

Links to further resources:

  • 9 related glossary entries
g.­86

Fearlessness

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

The Buddha has four fearlessnesses, as do the bodhisattvas. The four fearlessnesses of the Buddha are: fearlessness regarding the realization of all things; fearlessness regarding knowledge of the exhaustion of all impurities; fearlessness of foresight through ascertainment of the persistence of obstructions; and fearlessness in the rightness of the path leading to the attainment of the supreme success. The fearlessnesses of the bodhisattva are: fearlessness in teaching the meaning he has understood from what he has learned and practiced; fearlessness resulting from the successful maintenance of purity in physical, verbal, and mental action‍—without relying on others’ kindness, being naturally flawless through his understanding of the absence of self; fearlessness resulting from freedom from obstruction in virtue, in teaching, and in delivering living beings, through the perfection of wisdom and liberative art and through not forgetting and constantly upholding the teachings; and fearlessness in the ambition to attain full mastery of omniscience‍—without any deterioration or deviation to other practices‍—and to accomplish all the aims of all living beings.

8 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­7
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­10
  • 3.­60
  • 7.­15
  • 7.­52
  • 9.­13
  • 10.­15

Links to further resources:

  • 22 related glossary entries
g.­88

Five deadly sins

  • mtshams med lnga
  • མཚམས་མེད་ལྔ།
  • ānantarya

Lit. “sins of immediate retribution [after death].” These five, all of which cause immediate rebirth in hell, are killing one’s father, killing one’s mother, killing an arhat, breaking up the saṅgha, and causing, with evil intent, the Tathāgata to bleed.

4 passages contain this term:

  • i.­13
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­13
  • n.­6

Links to further resources:

  • 28 related glossary entries
g.­91

Five powers

  • stobs lnga
  • སྟོབས་ལྔ།
  • bala

These are the same as the five spiritual faculties, at a further stage of development.

4 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­38
  • 4.­30
  • n.­133
  • g.­322

Links to further resources:

  • 20 related glossary entries
g.­92

Five spiritual faculties

  • dbang po lnga
  • དབང་པོ་ལྔ།
  • indriya

These are called “faculties” (indriya) by analogy, as they are considered as capacities to be developed: the spiritual faculties for faith (śraddhā), effort (vīrya), mindfulness (smṛti), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (prajña). These are included in the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment.

6 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­41
  • 3.­38
  • 4.­30
  • n.­133
  • g.­91
  • g.­322

Links to further resources:

  • 25 related glossary entries
g.­93

Four bases of magical power

  • rdzu ’phrul gyi rkang pa bzhi
  • རྫུ་འཕྲུལ་གྱི་རྐང་པ་བཞི།
  • ṛddhipāda

The first basis of magical power consists of the energy from the conscious cultivation of concentration of will (chanda­samādhi­prahāṇa­saṃskāra­samanvāgataḥ). The second consists of the energy from the conscious cultivation of concentration of mind (citta‑). The third consists of concentration of effort (vīrya‑). The fourth consists of concentration of analysis (mīmāṃsa‑). These four form a part of the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment.

4 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­41
  • 4.­30
  • n.­133
  • g.­322

Links to further resources:

  • 19 related glossary entries
g.­95

Four foci of mindfulness

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

These are the stationing, or focusing, of mindfulness on the body, sensations, the mind, and things. These four form a part of the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment.

3 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­41
  • 4.­30
  • g.­322

Links to further resources:

  • 26 related glossary entries
g.­96

Four immeasurables

  • tshad med bzhi
  • ཚད་མེད་བཞི།
  • catvāryapramāṇāni

Immeasurable states, otherwise known as “pure abodes” (brahmā­vihāra). Immeasurable love arises from the wish for all living beings to have happiness and the cause of happiness. Immeasurable compassion arises from the wish for all living beings to be free from suffering and its cause. Immeasurable joy arises from the wish that living beings not be sundered from the supreme happiness of liberation. And immeasurable impartiality arises from the wish that the preceding‍—love, compassion, and joy‍—should apply equally to all living beings, without attachment to friend or hatred for enemy.

4 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­40
  • 4.­30
  • 10.­20
  • n.­109

Links to further resources:

  • 11 related glossary entries
g.­99

Four right efforts

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

These are effort not to initiate sins not yet arisen; effort to eliminate sins already arisen; effort to initiate virtues not yet arisen; and effort to consolidate, increase, and not deteriorate virtues already arisen. For our use of “effort” (samyak­pradhāna) instead of lit. “abandonment” (samyak­prahāna) see Dayal, p. 102 ff. These four form a part of the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment.

4 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­41
  • 4.­30
  • n.­133
  • g.­322

Links to further resources:

  • 19 related glossary entries
g.­108

Gnosis

  • ye shes
  • ཡེ་ཤེས།
  • jñāna

This is knowledge of the nonconceptual and transcendental which is realized by those attaining higher stages.

29 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­4
  • 1.­7
  • 1.­33
  • 1.­45
  • 1.­50
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­10
  • 3.­12
  • 3.­60
  • 3.­76
  • 3.­78
  • 3.­79
  • 4.­29
  • 7.­21
  • 7.­26
  • 8.­12
  • 8.­18
  • 8.­19
  • 10.­14
  • 10.­15
  • 10.­17
  • 10.­21
  • 10.­22
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­13
  • n.­71
  • g.­98
  • g.­207
  • g.­350

Links to further resources:

  • 33 related glossary entries
g.­109

Grace

  • byin gyis brlabs
  • བྱིན་གྱིས་བརླབས།
  • adhiṣṭḥāna

The “supernatural power” with which the buddhas sustain the bodhisattvas in their great efforts on behalf of living beings.

3 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­3
  • 4.­1
  • 10.­22

Links to further resources:

  • 11 related glossary entries
g.­110

Great compassion

  • snying rje chen po
  • སྙིང་རྗེ་ཆེན་པོ།
  • mahākaruṇā

This refers to one of the two central qualities of buddhas or high bodhisattvas: their feeling born of the wish for all living beings to be free of suffering and to attain the supreme happiness. It is important to note that this great compassion has nothing to do with any sentimental emotion such as that stimulated by such a reflection as “Oh, the poor creatures! How they are suffering!” On the contrary, great compassion is accompanied by the clear awareness that ultimately there are no such things as living beings, suffering, etc., in reality. Thus it is a sensitivity that does not entertain any dualistic notion of subject and object; indeed, such an unlimited sensitivity might best be termed “empathy.”

26 passages contain this term:

  • i.­12
  • 3.­10
  • 3.­75
  • 4.­7
  • 4.­18
  • 4.­21
  • 6.­3
  • 6.­4
  • 6.­23
  • 6.­25
  • 7.­5
  • 9.­19
  • 9.­26
  • 9.­27
  • 10.­15
  • 10.­20
  • 10.­21
  • 10.­22
  • 12.­11
  • n.­36
  • n.­126
  • n.­144
  • n.­146
  • n.­168
  • g.­26
  • g.­148

Links to further resources:

  • 4 related glossary entries
g.­117

Immaterial realm

  • gzugs med khams
  • གཟུགས་མེད་ཁམས།
  • ārūpyadhātu

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The highest and subtlest of the three realms of saṃsāra in Buddhist cosmology. Here beings are no longer bound by materiality and enjoy a purely mental state of absorption. It is divided in four levels according to each of the four formless concentrations (ārūpyāvacaradhyāna), namely, the Sphere of Infinite Space (Ākāśānantyāyatana), the Sphere of Infinite Consciousness (Vijñānānantyāyatana), the Sphere of Nothingness (A­kiñ­canyāyatana), and the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-perception (Naiva­saṃjñā­nāsaṃjñāyatana). The formless realm is located above the other two realms of saṃsāra: the form realm (rūpadhātu) and the desire realm (kāmadhātu).

4 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­3
  • 5.­2
  • 6.­1
  • g.­323

Links to further resources:

  • 18 related glossary entries
g.­118

Incantation

  • gzungs
  • གཟུངས།
  • dhāraṇī

The incantations, or spells, are mnemonic formulas, possessed by advanced bodhisattvas, that contain a quintessence of their attainments, not simply magical charms‍—although the latter are included. The same term in Sanskrit and Tibetan also refers to a highly developed power present in bodhisattvas that is a process of memory and recall of detailed teachings, best translated “retention” in certain contexts.

11 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­4
  • 2.­1
  • 7.­8
  • 7.­21
  • 10.­16
  • 10.­17
  • 10.­20
  • 12.­11
  • 12.­15
  • n.­193
  • g.­316

Links to further resources:

  • 94 related glossary entries
g.­123

Inconceivable liberation

  • rnam par thar pa bsam gyis mi khyab pa
  • རྣམ་པར་ཐར་པ་བསམ་གྱིས་མི་ཁྱབ་པ།
  • acintyavimokṣa

Inconceivable liberation of the bodhisattvas, a name of the Avataṃsaka, and a subtitle of the Vimala­kīrti­nirdeśa.

20 passages contain this term:

  • i.­1
  • i.­5
  • i.­9
  • i.­13
  • i.­14
  • 5.­13
  • 5.­14
  • 5.­16
  • 5.­17
  • 5.­18
  • 5.­19
  • 5.­20
  • 5.­21
  • 5.­22
  • 9.­12
  • n.­111
  • n.­139
  • n.­141
  • g.­27
  • g.­172
g.­127

Instinct

  • bag chags
  • བག་ཆགས།
  • vāsanā

The subconscious tendencies and predilections of the psychosomatic conglomerate. This most obvious word is seldom used in this context because of the hesitancy of scholars to employ “scientific” terminology.

5 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­26
  • 4.­29
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­16
  • n.­124

Links to further resources:

  • 11 related glossary entries
g.­128

Intellect

  • ’du shes
  • འདུ་ཤེས།
  • samjñā

See “aggregate.”

7 passages contain this term:

  • 4.­1
  • 5.­2
  • 8.­18
  • 11.­1
  • g.­7
  • g.­74
  • g.­285

Links to further resources:

  • 28 related glossary entries
g.­147

Liberation

  • mya ngan las ’das pa
  • rnam par grol ba
  • rnam par thar pa
  • མྱ་ངན་ལས་འདས་པ།
  • རྣམ་པར་གྲོལ་བ།
  • རྣམ་པར་ཐར་པ།
  • nirvāṇa
  • vimukti
  • vimokṣa

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Literally “extinction,” the state beyond sorrow, it refers to the ultimate attainment of buddhahood, the permanent cessation of all suffering and of the afflicted mental states that lead to suffering. Three types of nirvāṇa are identified: (1) the residual nirvāṇa where the person is still dependent on conditioned psycho-physical aggregates, (2) the non-residual nirvāṇa where the aggregates have also been consumed within emptiness, and (3) the non-abiding nirvāṇa transcending the extremes of phenomenal existence and quiescence.

78 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­4
  • 1.­40
  • 2.­10
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­13
  • 3.­15
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­19
  • 3.­38
  • 3.­50
  • 3.­58
  • 3.­69
  • 3.­75
  • 4.­10
  • 4.­11
  • 4.­14
  • 4.­17
  • 4.­21
  • 4.­22
  • 4.­24
  • 4.­26
  • 4.­29
  • 4.­30
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­13
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­6
  • 6.­17
  • 6.­18
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­20
  • 6.­21
  • 6.­23
  • 7.­8
  • 7.­21
  • 7.­27
  • 7.­40
  • 8.­14
  • 8.­22
  • 8.­30
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­24
  • 10.­15
  • 10.­19
  • 10.­20
  • 10.­23
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­21
  • 12.­3
  • 12.­12
  • 12.­14
  • 12.­15
  • 12.­25
  • n.­34
  • n.­64
  • n.­71
  • n.­102
  • n.­109
  • n.­145
  • n.­156
  • n.­184
  • n.­193
  • n.­200
  • g.­63
  • g.­75
  • g.­78
  • g.­81
  • g.­96
  • g.­130
  • g.­148
  • g.­165
  • g.­193
  • g.­197
  • g.­207
  • g.­287
  • g.­319
  • g.­332
  • g.­350
g.­148

Liberative art

  • thabs
  • ཐབས།
  • upāya

This is the expression in action of the great compassion of the Buddha and the bodhisattvas‍—physical, verbal, and mental. It follows that one empathetically aware of the troubles of living beings would, for his very survival, devise the most potent and efficacious techniques possible to remove those troubles, and the troubles of living beings are removed effectively only when they reach liberation. “Art” was chosen over the usual “method” and “means” because it has a stronger connotation of efficacy in our technological world; also, in Buddhism, liberative art is identified with the extreme of power, energy, and efficacy, as symbolized in the vajra (adamantine scepter): The importance of this term is highlighted in this sūtra by the fact that Vimalakīrti himself is introduced in the chapter entitled “Inconceivable Skill in Liberative Art”; this indicates that he, as a function of the nirmāṇakāya (incarnation-body), just like the Buddha himself, is the very incarnation of liberative art, and every act of his life is therefore a technique for the development and liberation of living beings. The “liberative” part of the translation follows “salvifique” in Lamotte’s phrase “moyens salvifique.”

31 passages contain this term:

  • i.­4
  • i.­12
  • i.­14
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­41
  • 1.­44
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­10
  • 3.­58
  • 3.­69
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­22
  • 4.­23
  • 4.­24
  • 4.­25
  • 4.­26
  • 4.­27
  • 5.­21
  • 5.­22
  • 6.­3
  • 7.­5
  • 7.­33
  • 7.­55
  • 10.­18
  • 10.­22
  • n.­128
  • n.­139
  • g.­77
  • g.­86

Links to further resources:

  • 21 related glossary entries
g.­149

Licchavi

  • lid tsa bI
  • ལིད་ཙ་བཱི།
  • Licchavi

Name of the tribe and republican city-state whose capital was Vaiśālī, where Vimalakīrti lived, and the main events of this sūtra take place.

88 passages contain this term:

  • i.­3
  • i.­4
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­31
  • 1.­32
  • 1.­54
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­12
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­12
  • 3.­15
  • 3.­18
  • 3.­21
  • 3.­24
  • 3.­25
  • 3.­27
  • 3.­30
  • 3.­31
  • 3.­37
  • 3.­38
  • 3.­40
  • 3.­41
  • 3.­47
  • 3.­48
  • 3.­55
  • 3.­63
  • 3.­65
  • 3.­66
  • 3.­67
  • 3.­71
  • 3.­73
  • 3.­74
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­4
  • 4.­5
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­6
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­9
  • 5.­10
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­13
  • 5.­21
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­43
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­9
  • 7.­16
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­34
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­4
  • 9.­5
  • 9.­6
  • 9.­7
  • 9.­8
  • 9.­9
  • 9.­16
  • 9.­17
  • 9.­19
  • 9.­22
  • 9.­23
  • 9.­27
  • 9.­29
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­3
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­10
  • 10.­17
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­5
  • 11.­10
  • 11.­13
  • 11.­14
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­19
  • 11.­20
  • 12.­29
  • n.­20
  • g.­45
  • g.­238
  • g.­336

Links to further resources:

  • 15 related glossary entries
g.­150

Life

  • ’khor ba
  • འཁོར་བ།
  • saṃsāra

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A state of involuntary existence conditioned by afflicted mental states and the imprint of past actions, characterized by suffering in a cycle of life, death, and rebirth. On its reversal, the contrasting state of nirvāṇa is attained, free from suffering and the processes of rebirth.

10 passages contain this term:

  • 4.­11
  • 6.­5
  • 8.­14
  • 9.­24
  • n.­123
  • n.­155
  • g.­45
  • g.­197
  • g.­207
  • g.­215

Links to further resources:

  • 30 related glossary entries
g.­151

Lokapāla

  • ’jig rten skyong
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་སྐྱོང་།
  • Lokapāla

Lit. “World-Protectors.” They are the same as the four Mahārājas, the great kings of the quarters (rgyal chen bzhi), namely, Vaiśravaṇa, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Virūḍhaka, and Virūpākṣa, whose mission is to report on the activities of mankind to the gods of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven and who have pledged to protect the practitioners of the Dharma. Each universe has its own set of four.

11 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­11
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­6
  • 4.­2
  • 4.­3
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­18
  • 6.­24
  • 6.­27
  • 9.­21
  • 10.­4

Links to further resources:

  • 22 related glossary entries
g.­152

Lord

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

“Lord” is chosen to translate the title Bhagavān because it is the term of greatest respect current in our “sacred” language, as established for the Deity in the Elizabethan version of the Bible. Indeed, the Skt. Bhagavān was given as a title to the Buddha, although it also served the non-Buddhist Indians of the day and, subsequently, it served as an honorific title of their particular deities. As the Buddha is clearly described in the sūtras as the “Supreme Teacher of Gods and Men,” there seems little danger that he may be confused with any particular deity through the use of this term [as indeed in Buddhist sūtras various deities, creators, protectors, etc., are shown in their respective roles]. Thus I feel it would compromise the weight and function of the original Bhagavān to use any less weighty term than “Lord” for the Buddha.

88 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­2
  • 1.­12
  • 1.­14
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­18
  • 1.­25
  • 1.­31
  • 1.­32
  • 1.­47
  • 1.­49
  • 1.­51
  • 1.­52
  • 1.­55
  • 2.­7
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­11
  • 3.­12
  • 3.­14
  • 3.­15
  • 3.­18
  • 3.­20
  • 3.­21
  • 3.­24
  • 3.­25
  • 3.­26
  • 3.­27
  • 3.­30
  • 3.­31
  • 3.­35
  • 3.­37
  • 3.­40
  • 3.­41
  • 3.­42
  • 3.­43
  • 3.­47
  • 3.­48
  • 3.­54
  • 3.­55
  • 3.­62
  • 3.­63
  • 3.­73
  • 3.­74
  • 3.­81
  • 3.­83
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­21
  • 5.­8
  • 7.­39
  • 9.­8
  • 9.­9
  • 9.­10
  • 9.­11
  • 9.­14
  • 9.­15
  • 9.­22
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­6
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­8
  • 10.­12
  • 10.­13
  • 10.­17
  • 10.­18
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­20
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­4
  • 12.­6
  • 12.­10
  • 12.­18
  • 12.­19
  • 12.­23
  • 12.­24
  • 12.­25
  • 12.­26
  • 12.­27
  • 12.­29
  • n.­31
  • n.­33
  • g.­37
  • g.­190

Links to further resources:

  • 116 related glossary entries
g.­154

Mādhyamika

  • dbu ma pa
  • དབུ་མ་པ།
  • Mādhyamika

School based on Madhyamaka, and followers of that school.

14 passages contain this term:

  • n.­30
  • n.­79
  • n.­121
  • n.­164
  • g.­21
  • g.­31
  • g.­42
  • g.­46
  • g.­60
  • g.­85
  • g.­225
  • g.­255
  • g.­273
  • g.­343
g.­165

Mahāyāna

  • theg pa chen po
  • ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོ།
  • Mahāyāna

The “Great Vehicle” of Buddhism, called “great” because it carries all living beings to enlightenment of Buddhahood. It is distinguished from the Hinayāna, including the Śrāvāka­yāna (Śrāvaka Vehicle) and Pratyeka­buddha­yāna (Solitary Sage Vehicle), which only carries each person who rides on it to their own personal liberation.

59 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­2
  • i.­12
  • i.­15
  • 1.­36
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­4
  • 3.­14
  • 3.­23
  • 6.­3
  • 7.­23
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­27
  • 10.­20
  • 12.­30
  • n.­6
  • n.­14
  • n.­19
  • n.­20
  • n.­23
  • n.­24
  • n.­40
  • n.­48
  • n.­53
  • n.­57
  • n.­70
  • n.­72
  • n.­85
  • n.­90
  • n.­91
  • n.­94
  • n.­124
  • n.­128
  • n.­144
  • n.­145
  • n.­159
  • n.­165
  • n.­198
  • g.­11
  • g.­22
  • g.­27
  • g.­47
  • g.­49
  • g.­62
  • g.­73
  • g.­77
  • g.­85
  • g.­111
  • g.­161
  • g.­191
  • g.­197
  • g.­251
  • g.­267
  • g.­281
  • g.­289
  • g.­297
  • g.­300
  • g.­343
  • g.­348

Links to further resources:

  • 18 related glossary entries
g.­171

Mañjuśrī

  • ’jam dpal
  • ’jam dpal gzhon nur gyur pa
  • འཇམ་དཔལ།
  • འཇམ་དཔལ་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་པ།
  • Mañjuśrī
  • Mañjuśrī­kumāra­bhūta

The eternally youthful crown prince (kumārabhūta), so called because of his special identification with the Prajñā­pāramitā, or Transcendence of Wisdom. He is the only member of the Buddha’s retinue who volunteers to visit Vimalakīrti, and he serves as Vimalakīrti’s principal interlocutor throughout the sūtra. Traditionally regarded as the wisest of bodhisattvas, in Tibetan tradition he is known as rgyal ba’i yab gcig, the “sole father of buddhas,” as he inspires them in their realization of the profound. He is represented as bearing the sword of wisdom in his right hand and a volume of the Prajñā­pāramitā­sūtra in his left. He is always youthful in appearance, like a boy of sixteen.

60 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­5
  • i.­6
  • 1.­10
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­2
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­4
  • 4.­5
  • 4.­7
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­9
  • 4.­10
  • 4.­11
  • 4.­12
  • 4.­13
  • 4.­14
  • 4.­15
  • 4.­20
  • 4.­27
  • 4.­28
  • 4.­31
  • 5.­6
  • 5.­7
  • 5.­9
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­3
  • 6.­4
  • 6.­5
  • 6.­6
  • 6.­7
  • 6.­8
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­10
  • 6.­11
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­8
  • 7.­9
  • 7.­10
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­15
  • 8.­33
  • 8.­34
  • 9.­4
  • 9.­5
  • 9.­29
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­2
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­29
  • n.­6
  • n.­114
  • n.­116
  • n.­147
  • n.­162
  • n.­184
  • g.­47
  • g.­85

Links to further resources:

  • 109 related glossary entries
g.­172

Māra

  • bdud
  • བདུད།
  • Māra

The devil, or evil one, who leads the forces of the gods of the desire-world in seeking to tempt and seduce the Buddha and his disciples. But according to Vimalakīrti he is actually a bodhisattva who dwells in the inconceivable liberation and displays evil activities in order to strengthen and consolidate the high resolve of all bodhisattvas.

27 passages contain this term:

  • i.­13
  • 1.­20
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­38
  • 3.­63
  • 3.­64
  • 3.­65
  • 3.­66
  • 3.­67
  • 3.­69
  • 3.­70
  • 3.­71
  • 3.­72
  • 3.­73
  • 4.­11
  • 4.­29
  • 5.­20
  • 5.­21
  • 7.­5
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­33
  • 7.­46
  • 10.­12
  • 12.­11
  • 12.­14
  • n.­145
  • g.­131

Links to further resources:

  • 115 related glossary entries
g.­177

Materialism

  • ril por ’dzin pa
  • རིལ་པོར་འཛིན་པ།
  • piṇdagrāha

The sense, which ordinarily binds us, of the “objective” solidity and physical reality of things.

3 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­12
  • n.­124
  • g.­293
g.­179

Matter

  • gzugs
  • གཟུགས།
  • rūpa

See “aggregate.”

10 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­38
  • 5.­2
  • 6.­1
  • 8.­18
  • 11.­1
  • n.­202
  • g.­7
  • g.­74
  • g.­75
  • g.­323

Links to further resources:

  • 19 related glossary entries
g.­182

Meditation

  • —
  • —
  • —

See “absorption.”

33 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­4
  • 1.­39
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­10
  • 3.­56
  • 3.­69
  • 3.­76
  • 3.­77
  • 3.­78
  • 4.­22
  • 6.­1
  • 7.­26
  • 8.­21
  • 10.­20
  • 11.­21
  • 12.­1
  • n.­4
  • n.­24
  • n.­30
  • n.­53
  • n.­104
  • n.­120
  • g.­1
  • g.­5
  • g.­7
  • g.­77
  • g.­90
  • g.­155
  • g.­184
  • g.­316
  • g.­319
  • g.­326
g.­183

Mental construction

  • kun tu rtog pa
  • ཀུན་ཏུ་རྟོག་པ།
  • kalpanā
  • vikalpa

See “conceptualization.”

4 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­34
  • 4.­15
  • 11.­2
  • n.­115

Links to further resources:

  • 9 related glossary entries
g.­184

Mental quiescence

  • zhi gnas
  • ཞི་གནས།
  • śamatha

“Mental quiescence” is a general term for all types of mind-practice, meditation, contemplation, concentration, etc., that cultivate one-pointedness of mind and lead to a state of peacefulness and freedom from concern with any sort of object. It is paired with “transcendental analysis” or “insight,” which combines the analytic faculty with this one-pointedness to reach high realizations such as the absence of self (see “transcendental analysis”). “Mental quiescence” and “transcendental analysis” were coined by E. Obermiller in his invaluable study “Prajṅa Pāramitā Doctrine, as Exposed in the Abhisamayālaṃkāra of Maitreya” (Acta Orientalia, Vol. XI [Heidelberg, 1932], pp. 1-134).

6 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­10
  • 3.­38
  • 4.­30
  • n.­24
  • n.­53
  • g.­326

Links to further resources:

  • 38 related glossary entries
g.­188

Motivation

  • ’du byed
  • འདུ་བྱེད།
  • saṃskāra

See “aggregate.”

6 passages contain this term:

  • 5.­2
  • 6.­3
  • 8.­18
  • g.­7
  • g.­74
  • g.­215

Links to further resources:

  • 40 related glossary entries
g.­202

Noble

  • ’phags pa
  • འཕགས་པ།
  • ārya

‍—

22 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­33
  • 3.­13
  • 3.­15
  • 3.­38
  • 3.­78
  • 4.­29
  • 5.­13
  • 10.­13
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­20
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­8
  • 12.­30
  • n.­30
  • n.­59
  • n.­66
  • n.­134
  • n.­184
  • n.­190
  • g.­48
  • g.­62
  • g.­238
g.­203

Noble disciple

  • ’phags pa nyan thos
  • འཕགས་པ་ཉན་ཐོས།
  • āryaśrāvāka

A practitioner of the Disciple Vehicle teaching who has reached at least the initial stages of realization.

2 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­1
  • n.­14
g.­204

Nonduality

  • gnyis su med pa
  • གཉིས་སུ་མེད་པ།
  • advayatvā

This is synonymous with reality, voidness, etc. But it must be remembered that nonduality does not necessarily mean unity, that unity is only one of the pair unity-duality; hence nonduality implies nonunity as well. This point is obscured by designating this nondual philosophy as “monism,” as too many modern scholars have done.

41 passages contain this term:

  • i.­12
  • 3.­25
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­2
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­5
  • 8.­6
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­8
  • 8.­9
  • 8.­10
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­12
  • 8.­13
  • 8.­14
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­16
  • 8.­17
  • 8.­18
  • 8.­19
  • 8.­20
  • 8.­21
  • 8.­22
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­24
  • 8.­25
  • 8.­26
  • 8.­27
  • 8.­28
  • 8.­29
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­31
  • 8.­32
  • 8.­33
  • 8.­34
  • 8.­35
  • n.­71
  • n.­157
  • n.­177
  • n.­184

Links to further resources:

  • 4 related glossary entries
g.­205

Nonperception

  • mi dmigs pa
  • མི་དམིགས་པ།
  • anupalambha

This refers to the mental openness cultivated by the bodhisattva who has reached a certain awareness of the nature of reality, in that he does not seek to perceive or apprehend any object or grasp any substance in anything; rather, he removes any static pretension of his mind to have grasped at any truth, conviction, or view (see also “incomprehensibility”).

(See also n.­124).

2 passages contain this term:

  • 4.­19
  • n.­124

Links to further resources:

  • 16 related glossary entries
g.­206

Object-perception

  • lhag par dmigs pa
  • ལྷག་པར་དམིགས་པ།
  • adhyālambana

1 passage contains this term:

  • 4.­19

Links to further resources:

  • 2 related glossary entries
g.­207

Omniscience

  • thams cad mkhyen pa
  • ཐམས་ཅད་མཁྱེན་པ།
  • sarvajñatā

This refers to the gnosis of the Buddha, with which there is nothing he does not know. However, not to confuse “omniscience” with the theistic conception of an omniscient god, the “everything” here is specifically everything about the source of the predicament of worldly life and the way of transcendence of that world through liberation. Since “everything” is only an abstract term without any particular referent, once we are clear about the implications of infinity, it does not refer to any sort of ultimate totality, since a totality can only be relative, i.e., a totality within a particular frame of reference. Thus, as Dharmakīrti has remarked, “it is not a question of the Buddha’s knowing the number of fish in the ocean,” i.e., since there are infinity of fish in infinity of oceans in infinity of worlds and universes. The Buddha’s omniscience, rather, knows how to develop and liberate any fish in any ocean, as well as all other living beings.

8 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­60
  • 3.­79
  • 4.­29
  • 7.­12
  • 8.­21
  • 10.­22
  • g.­77
  • g.­86

Links to further resources:

  • 21 related glossary entries
g.­208

Outsider

  • mu stegs pa
  • མུ་སྟེགས་པ།
  • tīrthika

18 passages contain this term:

  • i.­13
  • 1.­20
  • 2.­3
  • 3.­27
  • 3.­38
  • 3.­44
  • 4.­11
  • 7.­8
  • n.­29
  • n.­79
  • n.­90
  • g.­9
  • g.­134
  • g.­176
  • g.­196
  • g.­231
  • g.­268
  • g.­313

Links to further resources:

  • 32 related glossary entries
g.­213

Passion

  • nyon mongs
  • ཉོན་མོངས།
  • kleśa

Desire, hatred and anger, dullness, pride, and jealousy, as well as all their derivatives, said to number 84,000. Also translated “afflictions.”

30 passages contain this term:

  • i.­13
  • 1.­8
  • 2.­8
  • 2.­11
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­31
  • 3.­60
  • 4.­25
  • 4.­26
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­3
  • 6.­16
  • 7.­5
  • 7.­10
  • 7.­11
  • 7.­12
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­19
  • 10.­11
  • 10.­12
  • 10.­20
  • 10.­22
  • n.­6
  • n.­68
  • n.­124
  • n.­148
  • n.­155
  • g.­6
  • g.­20

Links to further resources:

  • 60 related glossary entries
g.­220

Prajñā­pāramitā

  • shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa
  • ཤེས་རབ་ཀྱི་ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ།
  • Prajñā­pāramitā

Transcendental wisdom, being the profound nondual understanding of the ultimate reality, or voidness, or relativity, of all things; personified as a goddess, she is worshiped as the “Mother of all Buddhas” (Sarva­jina­mātā).

4 passages contain this term:

  • i.­1
  • n.­139
  • g.­171
  • g.­244

Links to further resources:

  • 20 related glossary entries
g.­229

Pratyekabuddha

  • rang sangs rgyas
  • རང་སངས་རྒྱས།
  • pratyekabuddha

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Literally, “buddha for oneself” or “solitary realizer.” Someone who, in his or her last life, attains awakening entirely through their own contemplation, without relying on a teacher. Unlike the awakening of a fully realized buddha (samyaksambuddha), the accomplishment of a pratyeka­buddha is not final or ultimate. They attain realization of the nature of dependent origination, the selflessness of the person, and a partial realization of the selflessness of phenomena, by observing the suchness of all that arises through interdependence. This is the result of progress in previous lives but, unlike a buddha, they do not have the necessary merit, compassion or motivation to teach others. They are named as “rhinoceros-like” (khaḍgaviṣāṇakalpa) for their preference for staying in solitude or as “congregators” (vargacārin) when their preference is to stay among peers.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 1.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 79 related glossary entries
g.­252

Realm of desire

  • ’dod khams
  • འདོད་ཁམས།
  • kāmadhātu

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In Buddhist cosmology, this is our own realm, the lowest and most coarse of the three realms of saṃsāra. It is called this because beings here are characterized by their strong longing for and attachment to the pleasures of the senses. The desire realm includes hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, asuras, and the lowest six heavens of the gods‍—from the Heaven of the Four Great Kings (Cāturmahā­rājika) up to the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations (Para­nirmita­vaśa­vartin). Located above the desire realm is the form realm (rūpadhātu) and the formless realm (ārūpyadhātu).

6 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­3
  • 5.­2
  • 9.­18
  • g.­7
  • g.­138
  • g.­330

Links to further resources:

  • 24 related glossary entries
g.­253

Realm of pure matter

  • gzugs khams
  • གཟུགས་ཁམས།
  • rūpadhātu

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the three realms of saṃsāra in Buddhist cosmology, it is characterized by subtle materiality. Here beings, though subtly embodied, are not driven primarily by the urge for sense gratification. It consists of seventeen heavens structured according to the four concentrations of the form realm (rūpāvacaradhyāna), the highest five of which are collectively called “the five pure abodes” (Śuddhāvāsa). The form realm is located above the desire realm (kāmadhātu) and below the formless realm (ārūpya­dhātu).

5 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­3
  • 5.­2
  • 9.­18
  • g.­37
  • g.­260

Links to further resources:

  • 20 related glossary entries
g.­254

Reconciliation of dichotomies

  • snrel zhi’i rgyud
  • snrel zhi ba
  • སྣྲེལ་ཞིའི་རྒྱུད།
  • སྣྲེལ་ཞི་བ།
  • yamaka­vyatyastāhāra

The twelfth of the eighteen special qualities of a bodhisattva.

8 passages contain this term:

  • i.­12
  • i.­13
  • 4.­1
  • 12.­20
  • n.­4
  • n.­44
  • n.­195
  • g.­77
g.­255

Relativity

  • rten cing ’brel bar ’byung ba
  • རྟེན་ཅིང་འབྲེལ་བར་འབྱུང་བ།
  • pratītya­samutpāda

In most contexts, this term is properly translated by “dependent origination.” But in the Mādhyamika context, wherein the concept of the ultimate nonorigination of all things is emphasized, “relativity” better serves to convey the message that things exist only in relation to verbal designation and that nothing exists as an independent, self-sufficient entity, even on the superficial level.

7 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­6
  • 4.­29
  • 12.­11
  • 12.­13
  • n.­98
  • g.­61
  • g.­220

Links to further resources:

  • 29 related glossary entries
g.­257

Sacrifice

  • mchod sbyin
  • མཆོད་སྦྱིན།
  • yajña

14 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­74
  • 3.­75
  • 3.­76
  • 3.­77
  • 3.­78
  • 3.­79
  • 3.­80
  • 3.­82
  • 4.­18
  • 10.­20
  • 11.­22
  • n.­104
  • n.­106
  • n.­112

Links to further resources:

  • 2 related glossary entries
g.­260

Śakra

  • brgya byin
  • བརྒྱ་བྱིན།
  • Śakra

In Buddhist texts, usual name for Indra, king of gods of the desire-realm (kāmadhātu) of a particular universe; hence a Śakra is lower in status than a Brahmā, who resides at the summit of the realm of pure matter (rūpadhātu). As in the case of Brahmā, a title, or status, rather than a personal name; each universe has its Śakra.

22 passages contain this term:

  • i.­8
  • 1.­11
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­6
  • 3.­63
  • 3.­65
  • 4.­2
  • 4.­3
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­18
  • 6.­24
  • 6.­27
  • 7.­39
  • 9.­21
  • 10.­4
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­4
  • 12.­6
  • g.­37
  • g.­45
  • g.­138

Links to further resources:

  • 107 related glossary entries
g.­272

Saṅgha

  • dge ’dun
  • དགེ་འདུན།
  • Saṅgha

The third of the Three Jewels (Triratna) of Buddhism, the Buddha, the Teaching, and the Community. Sometimes narrowly defined as the community of mendicants, it can be understood as including lay practitioners.

14 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­5
  • 3.­16
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­69
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­18
  • 8.­23
  • n.­62
  • n.­83
  • n.­88
  • n.­198
  • g.­88
  • g.­157
  • g.­294

Links to further resources:

  • 32 related glossary entries
g.­274

Śāriputra

  • shA ri bu
  • ཤཱ་རི་བུ།
  • Śāriputra

One of the major śrāvaka disciples, paired with Maudgalyāyana, and noted for having been praised by the Buddha as foremost of the wise; hence, the most frequent target for Vimalakīrti’s attacks on the śrāvakas and on the Hinayāna in general.

(See also n.­40)

79 passages contain this term:

  • i.­5
  • i.­7
  • i.­8
  • 1.­46
  • 1.­47
  • 1.­48
  • 1.­49
  • 1.­50
  • 1.­52
  • 1.­53
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­3
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­3
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­10
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­13
  • 5.­14
  • 5.­16
  • 5.­19
  • 5.­20
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­14
  • 6.­15
  • 6.­16
  • 6.­17
  • 6.­18
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­20
  • 6.­21
  • 6.­22
  • 6.­23
  • 6.­24
  • 6.­25
  • 6.­26
  • 6.­27
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­29
  • 6.­30
  • 6.­31
  • 6.­32
  • 6.­33
  • 6.­34
  • 6.­36
  • 6.­37
  • 6.­38
  • 6.­39
  • 6.­40
  • 6.­41
  • 6.­42
  • 6.­43
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­19
  • 10.­6
  • 10.­8
  • 10.­9
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­5
  • 11.­6
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­8
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­10
  • 11.­11
  • 11.­12
  • 11.­20
  • n.­40
  • n.­56
  • n.­57
  • n.­157
  • n.­163
  • n.­164
  • n.­184
  • g.­159
  • g.­180

Links to further resources:

  • 63 related glossary entries
g.­280

Seat of enlightenment

  • byang chub kyi snying po
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་སྙིང་པོ།
  • bodhimaṇḍa

Haribhadra defines it as “a place used as a seat, where the maṇḍa, here ‘essence,’ of enlightenment is present.” See Lamotte, p. 198, n. 105. The main “seat of enlightenment” is the spot under the bo tree at Buddha Gaya, where the Buddha sat and attained unexcelled, perfect enlightenment. It is not to be confused with bodhimaṇḍala, “circle of enlightenment.”

8 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­55
  • 3.­61
  • 3.­69
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­12
  • n.­98
  • g.­10
  • g.­217

Links to further resources:

  • 32 related glossary entries
g.­281

Self

  • bdag
  • བདག
  • ātma

It is crucial to understand what is meant by “self,” before one is able to realize the all-important “absence of self.” Before we can discover an absence, we have to know what we are looking for. In Mahāyāna, there is a self of persons and a self of things, both presumed habitually by living beings and hence informative of their perceptions. Were these “selves” to exist as they appear because of our presumption, they should exist as substantial, self-subsistent entities within things, or as the intrinsic realities of things, or as the intrinsic identities of things, all permanent, unrelated and unrelative, etc. The nondiscovery of such “selves” within changing, relative, interdependent persons and things is the realization of ultimate reality, or absence of self.

27 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­9
  • 3.­12
  • 3.­25
  • 3.­34
  • 4.­15
  • 4.­16
  • 4.­17
  • 4.­19
  • 6.­3
  • 6.­5
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­16
  • 8.­27
  • n.­18
  • n.­64
  • n.­123
  • n.­152
  • n.­171
  • g.­4
  • g.­74
  • g.­82
  • g.­94
  • g.­97
  • g.­116
  • g.­255
  • g.­312
  • g.­326

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­283

Sensation

  • tshor ba
  • ཚོར་བ།
  • vedanā

see “aggregates”

9 passages contain this term:

  • 4.­18
  • 4.­30
  • 5.­2
  • 8.­18
  • 11.­1
  • n.­98
  • g.­7
  • g.­74
  • g.­95

Links to further resources:

  • 21 related glossary entries
g.­284

Sense-media

  • skye mched
  • སྐྱེ་མཆེད།
  • āyatana

The twelve sense-media are eye-medium (cakṣurāyatana), form-medium (rūpa-), ear-medium (śrotra-), sound-medium (śabda-), nose-medium (ghrāna-), scent-medium (gandha-), tongue-medium (jihvā-), taste-medium (rasa-), body-medium (kāya-), texture-medium (spraṣṭavya), mental-medium (mana-), and phenomena-medium (dharmāyatana). In some passages they are enumerated as six, the object-faculty pair being taken as one, and it is this set of six that is the fifth member of the twelve links of dependent origination. The word āyatana is usually translated as “base,” but the Skt., Tib., and Ch. all indicate “something through which the senses function” rather than a basis from which they function; hence “medium” is suggested.

11 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­9
  • 3.­53
  • 3.­69
  • 5.­2
  • 7.­9
  • 10.­20
  • 11.­1
  • n.­98
  • n.­102
  • n.­167
  • g.­80

Links to further resources:

  • 58 related glossary entries
g.­286

Seven factors of enlightenment

  • byang chub kyi yan lag bdun
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་ཡན་ལག་བདུན།
  • saṃbodhyaṅga

These are the factors of remembrance (smṛti), discrimination between teachings (dharma­pravicaya), effort (vīrya), joy (prīti), ecstasy (praśrabdhi), concentration (samādhi), and equanimity (upekṣā). These seven form a part of the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment.