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ཉི་མའི་སྙིང་པོ།

The Quintessence of the Sun
The Going for Refuge of the Nāgas

Sūryagarbha
འཕགས་པ་ཤིན་ཏུ་རྒྱས་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་སྡེ་ཉི་མའི་སྙིང་པོ་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་མདོ།
’phags pa shin tu rgyas pa chen po’i sde nyi ma’i snying po zhes bya ba’i mdo
The Noble Very Extensive Sūtra “The Quintessence of the Sun”
Ārya­sūryagarbha­nāma­mahāvaipulya­sūtra
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Toh 257

Degé Kangyur, vol. 66 (mdo sde, za), folios 91.b–245.b

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

First published 2022
Current version v 1.0.6 (2023)
Generated by 84000 Reading Room v2.17.7

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

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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
tr. The Translation
+ 12 chapters- 12 chapters
1. Protection of the Sacred Dharma
2. The Messengers
3. The Dhāraṇī Mantras
4. The Purification of Karmic Actions
5. The Protection
6. Chapter Six
7. The Presentation of the Conjunctions of the Lunar Mansions
8. Chapter Eight
9. The Recollection of the Buddha
10. The Travel to Mount Sumeru
11. The Going for Refuge of the Nāgas
12. Conclusion
c. Colophon
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
+ 3 sections- 3 sections
· Tibetan Sources
· Chinese Sources
· Secondary Sources
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

The Quintessence of the Sun is a long and heterogeneous sūtra in eleven chapters. At the Veṇuvana in the Kalandakanivāpa on the outskirts of Rājagṛha, the Buddha Śākyamuni first explains to a great assembly the severe consequences of stealing what has been offered to monks and the importance of protecting those who abide by the Dharma. The next section tells of bodhisattvas sent from buddha realms in the four directions to bring various dhāraṇīs as a way of protecting and benefitting this world. While explaining those dhāraṇīs, the Buddha Śākyamuni presents various meditations on repulsiveness and instructions on the empty nature of phenomena. On the basis of another long narrative involving Māra and groups of nāgas, detailed teachings on astrology are also introduced, as are a number of additional dhāraṇīs and a list of sacred locations blessed by the presence of holy beings.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. Benjamin Collet-Cassart translated the text from Tibetan into English and wrote the introduction. Andreas Doctor compared the draft translation with the original Tibetan and edited the text.

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


The generous sponsorship of Jamyang Sun and Manju Sun, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.


i.

Introduction

i.­1

The Quintessence of the Sun, which belongs to the General Sūtra section of the Kangyur, is a long and heterogeneous sūtra containing eleven chapters. At the Veṇuvana in the Kalandakanivāpa on the outskirts of Rājagṛha, the Buddha Śākyamuni first explains to a great assembly the severe consequences of stealing what has been offered to monks and the importance of protecting those who abide by the Dharma. The next section tells of bodhisattvas sent from buddha realms in the four directions to bring various dhāraṇīs as a way of protecting and benefitting this world. While explaining those dhāraṇīs, the Buddha Śākyamuni presents various meditations on repulsiveness and instructions on the empty nature of phenomena. On the basis of another long narrative involving Māra and groups of nāgas, detailed teachings on astrology are also introduced, as are a number of additional dhāraṇīs and a list of sacred locations blessed by the presence of holy beings.


The Translation
The Noble Very Extensive Sūtra
The Quintessence of the Sun

1.
Chapter One

Protection of the Sacred Dharma

[B1] [F.91.b]


1.­1

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!


Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing in the Veṇuvana at the Kalandakanivāpa near Rājagṛha, surrounded and attended by an innumerable, limitless, and indescribable number of bodhisattva great beings who had arrived from countless other buddha realms of the ten directions. He was also surrounded and attended by an innumerable, limitless, and indescribable number of great hearers who had gathered there from different buddha realms of the ten directions. In the same way, an innumerable, limitless, and indescribable number of other beings who had arrived there from the various buddha realms of the ten directions‍—Śakra, Lord Brahmā, the rulers of the gods, the rulers of the nāgas, the rulers of the yakṣas, the rulers of the gandharvas, the rulers of the asuras, the rulers of the garuḍas, the rulers of the kinnaras, and the rulers of the mahoragas‍—filled all the pathways on the ground and in the sky throughout the entire buddha realm of Sahā. There also arrived an innumerable and limitless number of different gods from the desire and form realms, of nāgas, yakṣas, and rākṣasas, and of asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas. Sitting in silence, they looked up at the Blessed One as he revealed how bodhisattva conduct quickly brings perfection and manifests like space and as he gave teachings on the mindfulness of breathing, which is the gateway to immortality, and the sublime states. [F.92.a] They filled all the pathways on the ground and in the sky throughout the entire buddha realm of Sahā.


2.
Chapter Two

The Messengers

2.­1

When the Blessed One had begun this discourse with King Bimbisāra on how to protect all those monks who abide by the Dharma, in the eastern direction, beyond countless buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges, there was a world called Absence of Torment, where the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Campaka Color was residing, thriving, living well, and teaching the Dharma. In that buddha realm, the bodhisattva great being named Quintessence of the Sun’s Energy was sitting in the assembly of the blessed thus-gone Campaka Color in order to listen to the Dharma. At one point, as the bodhisattva great being Quintessence of the Sun’s Energy looked upward, he saw in the sky above that innumerable and countless bodhisattva great beings were departing from the east and proceeding toward the west. When he looked toward the west where those bodhisattva great beings were going, he saw a brilliant light. At that moment, he bowed down with his palms joined together in the direction of the Buddha Campaka Color and asked, “Respected Blessed One, I have seen in the sky above that innumerable and countless bodhisattva great beings are departing from the east and proceeding toward the west. I have also seen a brilliant light in the western direction. Why is this so?” [F.107.b]


3.
Chapter Three

The Dhāraṇī Mantras

3.­1

When King Bimbisāra saw the unprecedented sight of innumerable and limitless numbers of mahābrahmās, Śakras, Nārāyaṇas, and universal monarchs ruling over the four continents, he was utterly amazed. He stood up and went close to them. Next, together with their retinues, the bodhisattva great beings‍—the four messengers of the buddhas‍—sat down and bowed with their palms joined together in the direction of the thus-gone Śākyamuni. [F.137.a] The bodhisattva great being Quintessence of the Sun’s Energy then tossed garlands of campaka flowers in the direction of the thus-gone Śākyamuni and uttered these verses:


4.
Chapter Four

The Purification of Karmic Actions

4.­1

The Blessed One then said to the four messengers and the other bodhisattva great beings, “Noble sons, abide in this buddha realm by your individual virtues!”

4.­2

So, together with their retinues, those bodhisattva great beings sat cross-legged in their respective places. Then, those beings who had thoroughly cultivated the absorption of the dhāraṇī of acceptance entered into their respective states of absorption. From the bodies of some of those beings dwelling in equipoise radiated lights like the light emitted by oil lamps. From the bodies of some others radiated lights like the light emitted by trillions of suns and moons.


5.
Chapter Five

The Protection

5.­1

Then, together with their respective retinues, all the rulers of the gods, the rulers of the nāgas, the rulers of the yakṣas, the rulers of the asuras, the rulers of the garuḍas, the rulers of the kinnaras, the rulers of the mahoragas, the rulers of the pretas, the rulers of the piśācas, and the rulers of the pūtanas bowed with their palms joined together in the direction of the Blessed One and said, “Respected Blessed One, in all the places where monks, nuns, male and female lay practitioners, or faithful sons or daughters of noble family observe this initial practice of repulsiveness up to the absorption of cessation while contemplating the virtuous factors that have just been described, we shall regard them‍—up to the faithful daughters of noble family‍—together with their retinues as the teachers of their own respective classes. [F.178.b] We shall serve all of them through body, speech, and mind, and we shall ensure that they never lack Dharma robes, alms, bedding, medicine, and requisites. We shall liberate them from the fifteen unsettling dangers. What are those fifteen?54 We shall liberate them from the unsettling dangers related to the body. We shall liberate them from dirt, sticks, weapons, poison, stones, hostile beings, abusive beings, and faithless beings. We shall liberate them from disturbances in the elements. We shall protect those who serve them with offerings of delicious food and beverages, medicine, and requisites. We shall protect all such righteous sponsors, relatives, and benefactors from the unsettling dangers caused by diseases, enemies, bhūtas, and foes. We shall protect them from the unsettling dangers caused by poison, kings, civil war, invasion, and famine. Those are the fifteen unsettling dangers.


6.

Chapter Six

6.­1

At that time, [F.183.a] King Bimbisāra, who felt joyful and exhilarated, exclaimed, “Respected Blessed One, this buddha realm of Sahā is filled with bodhisattva great beings who exert themselves in concentration, and it is bathed in a brilliant light that has never been seen or heard of before. This is amazing! Respected Well-Gone One, this is truly amazing! Still, besides this buddha realm and its outer mountain range, nothing else whatsoever appears. Respected Blessed One, if this entire buddha realm of Sahā is perceived due to the light of those bodhisattva great beings, what would the light emitted by the thus-gone ones who have entered into absorption be like? Might we be able to perceive the arrays of qualities of other buddha realms through the light emitted by the Thus-Gone One?”


7.
Chapter Seven

The Presentation of the Conjunctions of the Lunar Mansions

7.­1

When the evil Māra saw all these thus-gone ones and retinues in their respective palaces present within the body of the Thus-Gone One, he became extremely unhappy. Dirt emerged from his entire body, and he began to weep out of distress. He started to run to and fro, to leave only to reappear, and to jump up, run and race around, gape, laugh, sigh, lick his mouth, close his eyes, stretch and contract his arms, [F.188.a] rest his head in his hands, and rub his throat and breast. When they saw this, all the sentient beings residing in the abode of Māra were unsettled. They became displeased and unhappy. One māra leader named Celestial Tree questioned the evil Māra with these verses:


8.

Chapter Eight

8.­1

Sāgara then said:

8.­2
“You remember past lives
Based on the placement of the lunar mansions in the sky.
Wise one, leader of the three realms,
Clear-minded one, glorious being,
8.­3
“As an example of your love and compassion,
And in accordance with your affection for everyone,
Please liberate all the nāgas from this place!
Your discipline and observances
8.­4
“Are unmatched in the three realms.
You bring satisfaction to all the nāgas.
You are the master of all sages, [F.212.b]
And you are worthy to be worshiped by the humans.

9.
Chapter Nine

The Recollection of the Buddha

9.­1

When the evil Māra saw that all the nāgas had taken refuge in the Blessed One, [F.215.a] he became exceedingly distressed and scared, and his body began to shake like the leaves of a jujube tree. Sweating, he raised his two hands and lamented:

9.­2
“The nāgas have gone for refuge.
All beings have become deluded
And placed on the path of immortality.
Look at this endless deceit!”
9.­3

The daughter of Māra named Free of Darkness said:


10.
Chapter Ten

The Travel to Mount Sumeru

10.­1

Then, the Blessed One said to the bodhisattva great being Jyotīrasa, “Noble son, tell me the message of that group of nāgas.”

With a mind devoid of afflictions, Jyotīrasa replied, “Blessed One, it is time for you to come! Blessed One, please perform your deeds!”

10.­2

The Blessed One replied, “Noble son, [F.220.a] it is time for the Thus-Gone One to reveal the inconceivable teaching on the nāgas’ karmic action‍—the teaching of purification.”


11.
Chapter Eleven

The Going for Refuge of the Nāgas

11.­1

While showering rains of flowers, precious gems, and Dharma robes, playing instruments and drums, and singing melodious songs, all the gods, nāgas, yakṣas, and asuras present there departed from the summit of Mount Sumeru together with the Blessed One. Attended by his saṅgha of hearers and surrounded by his saṅgha of bodhisattvas, the Blessed One then took a seat on the cushions that had been prepared for him at the center of the sacred site of wise sages. To worship the Blessed One, all the gods, nāgas, yakṣas, asuras, and kinnaras showered rains of various ornaments, powders, flowers, and precious gems from the sky. The nāgas also offered the Blessed One different kinds of flowers, perfumes, precious gems, silken clothes, fine fabrics, Dharma robes, and ornaments. They circumambulated him three times, prostrated to his feet, and sat in front of him to listen to the Dharma. The nāga king Sāgara then asked, “Respected Blessed One, what are the deeds through which sentient beings are born as nāgas?”

11.­2

The Blessed One replied, [F.225.a] “Nāga lord, there are ten types of karmic obscurations through which beings will quickly be born as nāgas. What are those ten? (1) There are sentient beings who exert themselves in the six perfections and pursue the unsurpassed vehicle but are not quick to regard pleasures as defects, even though they strive in generosity and give freely. Through the power of their aspirations, they will be born among the nāgas. (2) There are sentient beings who pursue the unsurpassed vehicle and exert themselves in the perfection of generosity but are unable to guard their discipline perfectly and in a faultless manner. Fearing the conditions of the hell beings and pretas, they will be born among the nāgas through their aspirations. (3) There are sentient beings who pursue the unsurpassed vehicle but are filled with intense pride. Due to the power of this pride, they will be born among the nāgas through their aspirations. (4) There are sentient beings who exert themselves in the conduct of the unsurpassed vehicle but have a lot of aggression in them and are extremely hostile toward others. Due to the feelings of enmity they entertain, they will form the wish to be born among the nāgas just before they die. They will thus be born there through their aspirations. (5) There are sentient beings who genuinely follow the vehicle of the hearers, search for those who are worthy of gifts, and are endowed with an attitude of worship. They may also be born among the nāgas through their own aspirations. (6) There are sentient beings who possess the defects of miserliness and pride. They will be born among the nāgas through their actions. (7) There are sentient beings who delight in pride, talk nonsense, and lie. They will be born among the nāgas through their actions. (8) There are many sentient beings who do not revere the Buddha, the Dharma, [F.225.b] the Saṅgha, the precepts, the preceptors, the teachers, the ones who should be respected, and their parents. Due to pride and the delusion induced by inferior actions of body, speech, and mind, they will be born among the nāgas. (9) There are sentient beings who, overwhelmed by pride and ignorance, lack control and do not behave faultlessly. They will be born among the nāgas. (10) Finally, there are sentient beings who are proud and who are used to slander and to speaking with abusive words. After they die, they will also be born among the nāgas.

11.­3

“There are three other circumstances through which one will be born among the nāgas. What are those three? (1) There are sentient beings who are born among hell beings due to extremely severe negative actions of body, speech, and mind. After they die, they will be born among the nāgas due to a small residue of those negative actions. The same concerns the births among (2) animals and (3) pretas. Through those three circumstances, one will be born among the nāgas.”

11.­4

Sāgara said, “Respected Blessed One, that is correct! Respected Well-Gone One, that is correct! Respected Blessed One, there are nāgas in this place who have an abundance of possessions and enjoyments and are like gods, while others are like wretched humans struck by plague, like pretas, animals, or even hell beings. They experience terrible suffering!”

11.­5

The nāga prince named Lotus Face then asked, “Which actions have led me to be born within a family of nāgas and [F.226.a] with a blazing body? Everything I touch with my body‍—even with the slightest brush‍—burns and is consumed by flames. I must always walk without sandals and move around naked. My parents enjoy perfect prosperity and an exalted status, similar to that experienced by universal monarchs ruling over the four continents.”

11.­6

The Blessed One replied, “O, nāga! In the past, thirty-one eons ago, the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha, blessed Śikhin, appeared in the world. At that time, there was a king named Free of Flowers. For three months, he offered all sorts of supplies to the thus-gone Śikhin and his retinue‍—saṅghas of hearers and bodhisattvas counting many hundreds of thousands of members‍—and he listened to the Dharma continuously. He made the aspiration to reach unsurpassed and perfect awakening. He also built the Blessed One a fully functional temple. King Free of Flowers had a son named Arjuna. Because of his intense fear of saṃsāra, this son became a renunciate in the presence of the Blessed One, and he then looked after the monastic compound of the saṅgha that his father had donated. Later on, the son of the king Free of Flowers‍—the monk Arjuna‍—became jealous of all the hearers of the Blessed One, those monks who were residing there while partaking of food, beverages, and bedding. Those monks, the hearers of the Blessed One, eventually left the place. Arjuna was extremely delighted by their departure, but he could neither partake of these provisions himself nor give them away to others. After he died, that monk was born within the great hells. For many trillions of years, [F.226.b] he was boiled in those great hells. When he finally died and transmigrated from those hells, he was then born among the pretas, where he experienced suffering for many hundreds of thousands of years. After that, he again experienced further suffering among hell beings and pretas.

11.­7

“Nāga, if you think that this person Arjuna‍—who became a renunciate out of fear of saṃsāra and then suffered in the three lower realms for such a long time after he died‍—was anyone else, then you should not think that! Because it is you who are afflicted by such strong karmic obscurations. From then on and for thirty-one eons, you have continuously been born in the three lower realms. Due to the residue of those karmic obscurations, you have now been born among the nāgas. It was you who experienced those sufferings and no one else. In the future, after you die, it is likely that you will again be tormented continuously by suffering among the hell beings, animals, and pretas.”

11.­8

Utterly distressed, the nāga started to weep. He prostrated to the feet of the Blessed One and exclaimed, “Respected Blessed One, I confess all the faults I have committed out of foolishness, delusion, confusion, and lack of intelligence! I confess each of my faults! Respected Blessed One, I will embrace the vows willingly! I wish to be a lay practitioner of the Thus-Gone One! I will renounce killing for as long as I live! I go for refuge in the Blessed One!”

11.­9

The Blessed One replied, “Excellent, noble son, excellent! Since you have gone for refuge in me with such determination, all the lower realms are now exhausted for you. After you die, you will achieve a human body during the time of Maitreya. [F.227.a] You will become a renunciate in the presence of Maitreya and actualize the fruitions up to the level of the worthy ones. King Free of Flowers, who at that time revered Śikhin and his retinue for three months by offering all sorts of supplies and built a fully functional monastic compound for the saṅgha, was no one but this very nāga king Sāgara. Do not think that this was someone else! For thirty-one eons, he was never born in the lower realms but instead experienced divine glory and excellent fortune on an extremely vast scale. He was born here among the nāgas through the power of his aspirations for the unsurpassed vehicle, and he now experiences such glory and fortune in this place.”

11.­10

When they heard those words, all the nāgas became weary and extremely unhappy. They developed the utmost respect and fondness for the Blessed One. Among the nāgas, there was one nāga named Feeble Fruit, who was blind. He started to lament loudly, “You who are affectionate toward sentient beings, please protect us! For a long time, I have had the most terrible physical sufferings. Worms, bugs, and all kinds of other creatures are devouring me. I lack food and drink and am living in boiling water!”

11.­11

The Blessed One replied:

11.­12
“In the past, you were a spiritual practitioner
Under the teachings of the Victor Krakucchanda.
You were learned and practiced the conduct of cleanliness,
But you also committed negative deeds in seclusion.
11.­13
“You had many followers,
And you became a teacher like myself.
Your disciples praised you
As a worthy one endowed with great magical powers.
11.­14
“Whenever wealth and meals appeared,
You partook of it alone.
You abused gentle monks
Upon seeing them. [F.227.b]
11.­15
“You did not enjoy living among others,
And for a thousand lifetimes,
You entertained the thought
‘May this be my food!’
11.­16
“Due to the ripening of that karmic action,
You were born here as a nāga,
And those creatures living on your body
Are now constantly feeding on you.
11.­17
“You are therefore living in boiling water,
And you have become blind.
In the future, you will eat
Burning iron and copper in hell.
11.­18
“Without strength and filled with distress,
You are now weeping among the nāga lords,
But if you confess each of your faults,
You shall be freed from your sufferings.”
11.­19
The Blessed One then touched his face
With his gold-like hand.
Considering the hardships he had undergone,
The Teacher then said,
11.­20
“When I was the king Excellent Eyes,
I once removed both my eyes
For the sake of a blind brāhmaṇa,
With these words of truth.
11.­21
“With those exact words of truth,
May you gain faultless eyes!
Through my excellent conduct,
May your past actions be purified!”
11.­22

tadyathā: cakṣukhava rasanakhava karmakhava ananjana viraja vara anta jñāma nisaraṇatroya a he candra ḍane krimi śuddhe phal śuddhe aje taje tale tantale vasedhasake vasate rūrati mahārūravi triratnaprate svāhā.

11.­23

As those words of truth were uttered by the Blessed One, the eyes of Feeble Fruit became immaculate, as did the eyes of fifty-three thousand other nāgas. Furthermore, the previous karmic obscurations of eight billion four hundred million yakṣas, kumbhāṇḍas, pretas, piśācas, and humans were exhausted, and their eyes also became immaculate.

11.­24

The god Susīma joined his palms and exclaimed, “Look at the power of the leaders of the world! [F.228.a] They give their eyes to those who do not see the path. If the teachers do not appear in the world anymore, in the future no one will achieve eyes of flesh with which to proceed!”

11.­25

At that moment, the Blessed One said to Venerable Ājñātakauṇḍinya, “Kauṇḍinya, remember this dhāraṇī mantra‍—this great mantra formula‍—that accomplishes vision. Now and in the future, all the sentient beings who become blind or develop poor eyesight due to the residue of past karmic actions, disturbances of the elements, mantras, medicines, or poison should read aloud this dhāraṇī mantra that accomplishes vision and confess each of their actions. If for seven weeks they wipe their eyes while cultivating the recollection of the Buddha with a loving attitude toward all beings and without doing anything else, their eyes will become immaculate. People should commission this dharaṇī mantra to be written down and repeatedly read aloud if they have become blind due to the residual karmic actions related to the acts with immediate retribution, the residual karmic action of rejecting the sacred Dharma, the residual karmic action of denigrating noble beings, the residual karmic action of blocking generosity of the Dharma, the residual karmic action of destroying books, or the residual karmic action of destroying others’ eyes. They should also confess their karmic obscurations. Furthermore, they should blend together ocean foam, licorice, kaca herb,72 the three medicinal fruits, dried turtle heart,73 and honey. It should then be cooked and smeared around the eyes while they read aloud the words of this mantra one thousand and eight times. If for seven weeks they cultivate the recollection of the Buddha and produce images of the Buddha without doing anything else, all their karmic obscurations will be purified, and their eyes will become immaculate. [F.228.b] If they build a monastic compound for the saṅgha where monks can reside, their karmic obscurations will also be purified, and later on their eyes will never be impaired within saṃsāra.”

11.­26

The entire retinue of nāgas exclaimed, “Great compassionate one, benefactor of all beings in the three times, healer of all diseases, we pay homage to you!”

11.­27

The nāga Blue Color then started to lament loudly:

11.­28
“You purify all negative deeds,
You have performed austerities,
You are endowed with all splendor,
You know all actions, and you are the king of all beings.
11.­29
“I am lacking water.
I live in the wilderness,
Where I am tormented by scorching winds,
And I reside in stinking places.
11.­30
“I have not experienced a single day of happiness
In ten billion years,
And my retinue and I
Are constantly devoured by others.”
11.­31

The Blessed One replied:

11.­32
“There are beings who commit negative deeds
But accomplish merit later on.
Even if they physically feed the saṅgha of monks
After beating the gong,
11.­33
“Through the residue of their former karmic action,
They will undergo much suffering
Wherever they are born,
Yet they will not lack food and drink.
11.­34
“Alternatively, they will be born
As nāgas due to their karmic actions,
And the tops of their heads
Will be adorned by the king of jewels.
11.­35
“As nāgas who give water,
They are known as the source of water.
Water will flow
In the places where those nāgas reside.
11.­36
“Wherever they go‍—
Whether on earth or in the sky‍—
Water will appear
As soon as they think about it.
11.­37
“There are also sentient beings
Who have obtained a human body,
Although they committed a variety of negative deeds.
If they do not revere the Saṅgha, [F.229.a]
11.­38
“They will experience all kinds of suffering
In the three lower realms.
They will then attain birth
In the realm of the nāgas.
11.­39
“Water will not appear to them,
And there will be no precious gem adorning their heads.
They will live in dry and barren places
Without any water.
11.­40
“In the past you were
A forest-dwelling monk
Under the teachings of the Victor Tiṣya.
You were filled with envy and miserliness.
11.­41
“When you saw monks begging for alms,
You offered them gifts
With a grimacing face,
And you criticized them openly.
11.­42
“You even filled their water discretely
With impure substances,
And you covered the paths they were walking on
With stinking substances.
11.­43
“When gentle monks passed by,
You abused them with rebukes,
And you also rejected
Other gentle monks far away.
11.­44
“Through such envy and miserliness,
You swiftly and angrily abused
All the spiritual practitioners you met,
And you did this continuously.
11.­45
“You angrily criticized benefactors,
And you gave up all humility and modesty.
Due to the ripening of that karmic action,
You were born as a hell being.
11.­46
“You experienced a lot of suffering in the hell realms,
In ten million different bodies.
You also experienced unbearable suffering
Among the pretas for a very long time.
11.­47
“You have now suffered a lot
Since you were born as a nāga.
You are living without water
In barren, isolated regions.
11.­48
“You will again and again experience
Feelings of suffering in the hell realms,
And you will still experience feelings of suffering
Among the pretas and animals for a very long time.
11.­49
“Those who, during the final period, give rise to ill will
And are constantly envious, miserly, and angry
Will neither guard their concentration nor worship the buddhas.
They will neither guard their discipline nor reside in the forest.” [F.229.b]
11.­50

At that moment, within that retinue of nāgas, two hundred sixty million nāgas who were like pretas remembered their past lives. They started to weep loudly and said, “Blessed One, please protect us! Well-Gone One, please protect us! We have produced the same karmic obscurations under the teachings of previous victors, and we have therefore suffered in the three lower realms for a long time. We are now constantly tormented by such sufferings among the nāgas who are like pretas. We are just like the nāga Blue Color, who is also like a preta.”

11.­51

The Blessed One replied, “Take some water and sprinkle it on the Thus-Gone One’s feet. All your sufferings will be exhausted thereby.”

11.­52

The nāgas who were like pretas scooped up some water in their hands, but the water turned into blazing fire, and a mass of fire rose up in the air to a height of seven palm trees. This repeated seven times. That group of nāgas, as well as the entire retinue, then became utterly distressed and started to shed tears.

11.­53

The Blessed One then said:

11.­54
“The fruition one obtains
Accords with the actions performed.
If the actions are virtuous, the results are excellent;
If they are negative, the results are also negative.
11.­55

“All of you, nāgas who are like pretas, repeat these words:

11.­56
“Through the words of truth
By which the Teacher
Developed an impartial mind toward all beings,
May the water I am holding not turn into fire!”
11.­57

All the nāgas said, “This eighth time, we will lift the water up with our hands and pour it on the feet of the Blessed One while confessing each of our faults!”

11.­58

The Blessed One said: [F.230.a]

11.­59
“All the remaining obscurations of your negative deeds
Are now exhausted,
And you will obtain a human existence
During the time of Maitreya.
11.­60
“You will quickly go forth
Under the teachings of Maitreya.
You will exert yourselves in practice,
And you will soon achieve the level of the worthy ones.”
11.­61

At that moment, through the power of the Buddha, all the groups of nāgas who had assembled there remembered their past lives, actions, destinies, and rebirths. As they realized their own past negative actions, many hundreds of thousands of nāgas within that retinue started to weep. Some of them said, “We were householders under the teachings of past thus-gone ones. Because we spent our time with our relatives and did not listen to the Dharma, we ended up misusing the flowers, fruits, juices, food, and beverages that had been offered to the saṅgha of monks.” Others said, “We misused that which had been offered in the four directions.” Others said, “We have misused that which we ourselves had offered.” Yet others said, “We were under the teachings of Vipaśyin, Śikhin, or Kanakamuni.” Some nāgas said, “We were householders under the teachings of the thus-gone Kāśyapa. Similarly, because we spent time with our relatives and did not listen to the Dharma, we ended up misusing the flowers, fruits, juices, food, and beverages of the saṅgha that had been donated to monks. [F.230.b] Due to the karmic actions of those negative deeds, we have repeatedly experienced all kinds of unbearable great sufferings within the hell realms. For a long time, we have also been constantly tormented by suffering among pretas and animals. Through the residue of those karmic actions, we have now been born here as inferior nāgas. We are cooked in boiling water and burned on scorching sand, and we feed on lumps of iron. Wherever we go, we experience such terrible suffering. Please protect us!”

11.­62

The Blessed One replied, “O nāgas, it is not acceptable for you to use the possessions of the Saṅgha! This is close to the acts with immediate retribution! You will not be able to quickly confess such acts without having to experience their ripening. O nāgas, despite that fact, you must commit to taking the threefold refuge for as long as you live! You will thereby gain benefits and happiness. For those reasons, all the thus-gone ones have intentionally nurtured you in saṃsāra and caused you to take the threefold refuge.”

11.­63

Within that assembly, there was also a blind female nāga. Her mouth was filled with worms, and from it was dripping pus with a stench like putrid urine. Her lower body parts were similar to this. Her entire body was decaying, oozing pus, and covered with skin diseases and worms, and she was being devoured by flesh flies, mosquitoes, and hornets.

11.­64

The Blessed One looked at her with great compassion and asked, [F.231.a] “Sister, what kind of negative deeds related to the body did you commit?”

She replied, “Respected Blessed One, I am tormented by suffering! Respected Blessed One, I experience burning pains! I remember that thirty-six thousand years have now passed since I was born as this inferior nāga. These terrible sufferings have not ceased for even a single day!”

11.­65

The Blessed One asked, “What actions did you commit in the past?”

She said, “Ninety-one eons ago, under the teachings of the Victor Vipaśyin, I was born as a girl in a human family. Intoxicated by lust, I repeatedly wished to have sexual intercourse with those monks who had gone forth under the teachings of the Blessed One, in the temples of the Saṅgha and on the Saṅgha’s beds. I was not afraid of the consequences of such faults. Blessed One, since that time I have never again obtained the body of a god or a human. Instead, I have been constantly tormented by unbearable pain in the three lower realms.”

11.­66

The Blessed One asked, “Sister, where did you go when that great eon came to an end?”

She replied, “By the great winds aroused by my previous actions, I was propelled into other worlds ripe with the five degenerations. After those worlds were destroyed, I was thrown into this place. Blessed One, please protect me through your great compassion! Well-Gone One, please protect me!”

11.­67

With his two hands the Blessed One then lifted up some water mixed with medicinal incense for wounds and uttered words of truth. He said, “Through these words of truth by which I previously, without any attachment, gave away my body in order to benefit a pigeon, may your diseases be healed!” He then poured that water into the mouth of the female nāga and sprinkled it over her body. [F.231.b] All her diseases were completely healed, and she settled within the threefold refuge.

11.­68

There was also another nāga in that place who was stinking, filled with worms, and covered by yellowish worms. Hot and thick pus and blood were oozing out of his body, and he was unable to speak. He was extremely repugnant.

11.­69

When the Blessed One saw him, he asked, “Nāga, what kind of nonvirtuous actions did you commit in the past?”

The nāga opened his mouth, but since it was filled with all kinds of worms and with pus, blood, and fire, he was unable to speak.74 The Blessed One took water in his hands and said:

11.­70
“Through the same words of truth
By which I threw myself into a fire
To benefit a sage when I was a rabbit,
May this nāga recover his ability to speak!”
11.­71

He then poured the water he was holding into the mouth of the nāga, thereby extinguishing the fire inside his mouth and removing the worms, pus, and blood.

11.­72

When his mouth had been purified, the nāga said, “Respected Blessed One, I was a farmer under the teachings of the Victor Kāśyapa. I once asked a hearer of the Blessed One to lend me fifty golden coins on interest, assuring him that I would pay him back in the fall. He only gave me ten with a fee of eighty cowries, not the fifty golden coins I had asked for. Hence, overwhelmed by anger toward that monk, I took ten with a fee of eighty cowries and never paid him back. On another occasion, I went to a monastic compound in which there were resident monks and ate thirteen mangoes that had been offered to the Saṅgha. Through just the residue of that karmic obscuration, after I died I was born within one of the neighboring hells in this barren wilderness. My body was constantly covered by worms, pus, and blood, [F.232.a] and I suffered the torments caused by hunger and thirst. Due to those nonvirtuous actions, after I died I was born in the great hells. After that monk died, his anger and miserliness caused him to be born here among the nāgas, in my armpit. He always moves in my body. Constantly overwhelmed by anger, he fills my body with his warm breath. Due to those causes, my body is continuously covered by worms, pus, and blood. Thus-Gone One, please protect me! Please liberate me from those hostile snakes!”

11.­73

The Blessed One took water in his hands and said:

11.­74
“During a period of famine,
I was a fish in this place,
And I was sated by feeding on flesh and blood.
May both of you be well!”
11.­75

As he poured water on that nāga, another nāga emerged from his armpit. Both of them asked, “For how long have we been freed from the lower realms?”

11.­76

The Blessed One replied, “Hey, nāgas! For those who use or give to others the flowers, fruits, leaves, food, beverages, bedding, plants, or tools that have been offered to the Saṅgha in one of the four directions, negative deeds will ripen. Since these acts are extremely heavy‍—almost as heavy as the acts with immediate retribution‍—no one is able to quickly eliminate those actions without experiencing their fruition! Nāgas, come here and go for refuge in the Three Jewels! If you do so, you will henceforth live in water.”

11.­77

They were then established into the refuge of the Three Jewels and henceforth lived in water. [F.232.b]

11.­78

The Blessed One then said:

11.­79
“It may be tolerable to have one’s limbs
Cut by sharp razor blades,
But one should never give to householders
Possessions that have already been offered.
11.­80
“It may be tolerable to eat iron lumps
That are like blazing flames,
But one should never use
Something that belongs to the Saṅgha.
11.­81
“It may be tolerable to take and swallow
A fire as high as Mount Sumeru,
But householders should never use
The possessions of the Saṅgha.
11.­82
“It may be tolerable to have all one’s limbs cut off
And to be impaled on a stake,
But householders should never use
The possessions of the Saṅgha.
11.­83
“It may be tolerable to enter a room
Filled with burning embers,
But householders should never spend the night
In the rooms of Saṅgha members.
11.­84
“It may be tolerable to take in one’s hands
Iron lumps that are like burning flames,
But renunciates and householders
Should never hold gold coins.
11.­85
“It may be tolerable to have one’s body
Chopped by a sharp wheel,
But one should never criticize or develop arrogance toward
The well-spoken Dharma teachings.
11.­86
“It may be tolerable for followers of the well-spoken Dharma
To gouge out their own eyes,
But they should never pass judgment on others
And angrily banish such people.
11.­87
“It may be tolerable for followers of the well-spoken Dharma
To wear clothes made of fire,
But they should never take the clothes of householders
Through pretense or force.
11.­88
“It may be tolerable for renunciates to drink
Unpleasant water that burns like fire,
But they should never take
Food and beverages through hypocrisy.”
11.­89

At that time, the Blessed One liberated fourteen thousand nāgas from the terrible sufferings caused by their previous negative actions, and he established them into the threefold refuge. Eight hundred million other nāgas also went for refuge in the Three Jewels and were truly established in the three vehicles. [F.233.a]

11.­90

The Blessed One then said to Venerable Kauṇḍinya, “Kauṇḍinya, look at how sentient beings are fooling themselves! Some use for themselves the various possessions that others have offered out of fear of the terrors of poverty and to benefit monks who abide by the Dharma. Others give these things away for the enjoyment of others, while still others rob them by force and then make use of them themselves. By doing so, they will meet with suffering for a long time in the three lower realms. There are also some people who, fearing poverty and in order to free themselves from the prison of saṃsāra, became renunciates under the teachings of blessed buddhas of the past but later renounced their consideration of wholesome practices and recitation. Some such degenerate beings will rob and misuse the various items that have been offered to monks who abide by the Dharma. Others among them will give these items to householders. Both those groups will be tormented by suffering for a long time in the three lower realms. Seeing those shortcomings, I have informed and reminded my hearers of them. None of my hearers should give to householders the flowers, fruits, leaves, and plant extracts that have been offered to monks and to the Saṅgha of monks. They should not be enjoyed while entertaining any perception of a person. My hearers should not engage in any trade outside the Saṅgha. They should not exchange and barter goods75 or discuss wealth. No one should settle themselves in the sufferings of the lower realms by hoarding material things. People should instead amass the Dharma and settle themselves in the four types of undivided faith, [F.233.b] the three vehicles, and the three gateways of liberation.”

11.­91

This concludes the chapter called “The Going for Refuge of the Nāgas,” the eleventh among the eleven chapters included in “The Quintessence of the Sun”‍—the noble discourse of The Great Assembly. [B13]


12.

Conclusion

12.­1

Then the elder Ājñātakauṇḍinya said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, please bless the nāgas! Please make this Dharma teaching, which involves the conduct of teaching about the inconceivable karmic action, blaze for a long time!”

12.­2

The Blessed One said, “As long as the great stūpas in this four-continent world still contain beings who diligently engage in practice, this Dharma teaching will continue to be practiced on the four continents. What are those great stūpas? Here in Jambudvīpa, many past buddhas, bodhisattvas, solitary buddhas, and hearers have continuously resided at this stūpa‍—the sacred site of wise sages called Complete Support‍—and they will continue to reside here in the future. The perfect buddhas of the past have entrusted this sacred site of wise sages called Complete Support to Varuṇa, to ensure that the great teachings remain for a long time. I also entrust it to him. He will joyfully ripen those persons who abide by the Dharma and diligently engage in practice. He will also protect those donors and benefactors who strive to serve those who abide by the Dharma.”


c.

Colophon

c.­1

This was translated by the Indian preceptors Sarvajñadeva, Vidyākaraprabha, and Dharmākara and the translator Bandé Zangkyong. It was then edited and finalized by the translator-editor Bandé Kawa Paltsek.


n.

Notes

n.­1
Hoernle 1916, pp. 121–25.
n.­2
Peter Alan Roberts, trans., The King of Samādhis Sūtra, Toh 127 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018).
n.­3
See Mahamegha Translation Team, trans. The Great Cloud (1), Toh 232.
n.­4
Denkarma, folio 297.b; note that the title in the Denkarma is ’phags pa ’dus pa chen po’i sde nyi ma’i snying po The Denkarma is dated to c. 812 ᴄᴇ. In this catalog, The Quintessence of the Sun is included among the “Miscellaneous Mahāyāna Sūtras” (theg pa chen po’i mdo sde sna tshogs) with a length of thirteen sections (bam po). See also Herrmann-Pfandt 2008, p. 46, no. 81.
n.­5
Ed. Bhikkhu Pāsādika 1989, pp. 79–82.
n.­6
Cutler 2002, pp. 231–32 and 253.
n.­7
Lévi 1905, pp. 256–58; Lévi 1904, pp. 546–47 and 565.
n.­8
Kotyk 2017, pp. 58–64; Mak 2015, pp. 64–66.
n.­54
Based on the following section of the text, it is unclear what those fifteen dangers are.
n.­72
We have been unable to identify this item. Tibetan: sman ka tsa.
n.­73
Presumably this is the name of a plant. Tibetan: rus sbal gyi snying.
n.­74
This translation is tentative. Tibetan: srin bu’i rigs dang / rnag khrag dang / mes gang ba’i kha’i sgo sbyang brims te smra ma nus so. We have been unable to identify the meaning of sbrang brims. Stok: spyad brims. Yongle: spyad ri brams. Kangxi: spyad ri brims.
n.­75
This translation is tentative. Tibetan: bskor ba dang / bsgyur ba.

b.

Bibliography

Tibetan Sources

nyi ma’i snying po (Sūryagarbha). Toh 257, Degé Kangyur vol. 66 (mdo sde, za), folios 91.b–245.b.

nyi ma’i snying po. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 66, pp. 262–616.

nyi ma’i snying po. Stok Palace Kangyur vol. 63 (mdo sde, na), folios 161.b–394.b.

glang ru lung bstan pa (Gośṛṅgavyākaraṇa). Toh 357, Degé Kangyur vol. 76 (mdo sde, aH), folios 220.b–232.a. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2021. [Full citation listed in secondary sources]

zla ba’i snying po (Candragarbha). Toh 356, Degé Kangyur vol. 76 (mdo sde, aH), folios 216.a–229.b.

snying rje pad+ma dkar po (Karuṇā­puṇḍarīka). Toh 112, Degé Kangyur vol. 50 (mdo sde, cha), folios 129.a–297.b.

ting nge ’dzin gyi rgyal po (Samādhirāja). Toh 127, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 1.b–170.b. English translation in Roberts 2018. [Full citation listed in secondary sources]

sprin chen po (Mahāmegha). Toh 232, Degé Kangyur vol. 64 (mdo sde, wa), folios 113.a–214.b. English translation in Mahamegha Translation Team 2022. [Full citation listed in secondary sources]

blo gros mi zad pas bstan pa (Akṣayamati­nirdeśa). Toh 175, Degé Kangyur vol. 60 (mdo sde, ma), folios 79.a–174.b. English translation in Braarvig and Welsh 2020. [Full citation listed in secondary sources]

Nāgārjuna. mdo kun las btus pa (Sūtrasamuccaya). Toh 3934, Degé Tengyur vol. 110 (dbu ma, ki), folios 148.b–215.a. See also Bhikkhu Pāsādika 1989.

Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan dkar gyi chos kyi ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag). Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.

Chomden Rikpai Raltri (bcom ldan rig pa’i ral gri). bstan pa rgyas pa rgyan gyi nyi ’od. In bka’ gdams gsung ’bum phyogs bsgrigs thengs gsum pa, 1:191–266. Chengdu: si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2009. BDRC W1PD153536.

Chinese Sources

Rizang fen 日藏分. Taishō 397-14. (Translation of the Sūryagarbhasūtra by Narendrayaśas [Naliantiyeshe 那連提耶舍]).

Secondary Sources

Bhikkhu Pāsādika, ed. Nāgārjuna’s Sūtrasamuccaya: A Critical Edition of the Mdo kun las btus pa. Fontes Tibetici Havnienses 2. Copenhagen: Akademisk Forlag, 1989.

Braarvig, Jens. Akṣayamatinirdeśasūtra. Vol. 2, The Tradition of Imperishability in Buddhist Thought. Oslo: Solum Forlag, 1993.

Braarvig, Jens, and David Welsh, trans. The Teaching of Akṣayamati (Akṣayamati­nirdeśa, Toh 175). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2020.

Cutler, Joshua W. C., ed. The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. Vol. 3. Translated by The Lamrim Chenmo Translation Committee. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion, 2002.

Demiéville, Paul. Choix d’études bouddhiques. Leiden: Brill, 1973.

Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans. The Prophecy on Mount Gośṛṅga (Gośṛṅgavyākaraṇa, Toh 357). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021.

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

Hoernle, A. F. Rudolph. Manuscript Remains of Buddhist Literature Found in Eastern Turkestan. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1916.

Kotyk, Jeffrey Theodore. “Buddhist Astrology and Astral Magic in the Tang Dynasty.” PhD diss., Leiden University, 2017.

Lévi, Sylvain (1904). “Notes chinoises sur l’Inde: IV. Le pays de Kharoṣṭra et l’écriture kharoṣṭrī.” Bulletin de l’Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient 4 (1904): 543–79.

‍—‍—‍—(1905). “Notes chinoises sur l’Inde: V. Quelques documents sur le bouddhisme indien dans l’Asie centrale (première partie).” Bulletin de l’Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient 5 (1905): 253–305.

Mahamegha Translation Team (2022), trans. The Great Cloud (1) (Mahāmegha, Toh 232). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018.

Mak, Bill M. “Indian Jyotiṣa through the Lens of Chinese Buddhist Canon.” Journal of Oriental Studies 48, no. 1 (June 2015): 1–19.

Martin, Dan. Unearthing Bon Treasures: Life and Contested Legacy of a Tibetan Scripture Revealer, with a General Bibliography of Bon. Brill’s Tibetan Studies Library 1. Leiden: Brill, 2001. 

Nakamura, Hajime. Indian Buddhism: A Survey with Biographical Notes. Intercultural Research Institute Monograph Series 9. Tokyo: KUFS Publication, 1980.

Nattier, Jan. Once Upon a Future Time: Studies in a Buddhist Prophecy of Decline. Berkeley: Asian Humanities Press, 1991.

Roberts, Peter Alan, trans. The King of Samādhis Sūtra (Samādhi­rājasūtra, Toh 127). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018.

Silk, Jonathan A. Managing Monks: Administrators and Administrative Roles in Indian Buddhist Monasticism. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.


g.

Glossary

g.­1

Absence of Heat

  • ma dros pa
  • མ་དྲོས་པ།
  • —

A buddha realm located in the eastern direction during the time of the Buddha Śākyamuni. Also called Absence of Torment.

2 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­7
  • g.­3
g.­2

Absence of marks

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

The absence of the conceptual identification of perceptions, knowing that the true nature has no attributes, such as color or shape. One of the three gateways of liberation.

10 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­14
  • 4.­51
  • 4.­75
  • 4.­104
  • 4.­115
  • 4.­117
  • 4.­118
  • 7.­47
  • g.­62
  • g.­267

Links to further resources:

  • 36 related glossary entries
g.­3

Absence of Torment

  • yongs su gdung ba med pa
  • ཡོངས་སུ་གདུང་བ་མེད་པ།
  • —

A buddha realm located in the eastern direction during the time of the Buddha Śākyamuni. Also called Absence of Heat.

4 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­9
  • n.­38
  • g.­1
g.­5

Absorption

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

A synonym for meditation, this refers to the state of deep meditative immersion that results from different modes of Buddhist practice.

53 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­28
  • 1.­29
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­14
  • 2.­29
  • 2.­34
  • 2.­49
  • 2.­70
  • 2.­73
  • 2.­76
  • 2.­77
  • 2.­79
  • 4.­2
  • 4.­26
  • 4.­27
  • 4.­32
  • 4.­34
  • 4.­35
  • 4.­37
  • 4.­44
  • 4.­45
  • 4.­51
  • 4.­62
  • 4.­96
  • 4.­121
  • 4.­124
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­10
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­5
  • 6.­6
  • 6.­17
  • 6.­25
  • 7.­39
  • 7.­53
  • 8.­34
  • 9.­22
  • 9.­23
  • 9.­27
  • 9.­29
  • 9.­30
  • 10.­34
  • 12.­33
  • 12.­38
  • 12.­40
  • 12.­42
  • 12.­57
  • g.­80
  • g.­242
  • g.­243

Links to further resources:

  • 76 related glossary entries
g.­8

Acts with immediate retribution

  • mtshams med pa’i las
  • མཚམས་མེད་པའི་ལས།
  • ānantaryakarman

The five extremely negative actions that, once those who have committed them die, result in immediate rebirth in the hells without the experience of the intermediate state. They are killing an arhat, killing one’s mother, killing one’s father, creating a schism in the Saṅgha, and maliciously drawing blood from a tathāgata’s body.

6 passages contain this term:

  • 4.­11
  • 9.­26
  • 9.­27
  • 11.­25
  • 11.­62
  • 11.­76

Links to further resources:

  • 16 related glossary entries
g.­11

Ājñātakauṇḍinya

  • kun shes kau Di n+ya
  • ཀུན་ཤེས་ཀཽ་ཌི་ནྱ།
  • Ājñāta­kauṇḍinya

Another name for Kauṇḍinya. As he was the first to understand the Buddha Śākyamuni’s teaching on the four truths of the noble ones, he received the name Ājñātakauṇḍinya (Kauṇḍinya Who Understood).

15 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­30
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­4
  • 4.­5
  • 4.­7
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­23
  • 4.­51
  • 4.­79
  • 4.­85
  • 4.­87
  • 6.­4
  • 10.­32
  • 11.­25
  • 12.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 11 related glossary entries
g.­17

Arjuna

  • srid sgrub bcas
  • སྲིད་སྒྲུབ་བཅས།
  • Arjuna

A monk in the past, son of the king Free of Flowers during the time of the Buddha Śikhin.

2 passages contain this term:

  • 11.­6
  • 11.­7
g.­18

Asura

  • lha ma yin
  • ལྷ་མ་ཡིན།
  • —

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A type of nonhuman being whose precise status is subject to different views, but is included as one of the six classes of beings in the sixfold classification of realms of rebirth. In the Buddhist context, asuras are powerful beings said to be dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility. They are also known in the pre-Buddhist and pre-Vedic mythologies of India and Iran, and feature prominently in Vedic and post-Vedic Brahmanical mythology, as well as in the Buddhist tradition. In these traditions, asuras are often described as being engaged in interminable conflict with the devas (gods).

40 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­33
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­36
  • 2.­64
  • 2.­79
  • 2.­84
  • 2.­90
  • 3.­8
  • 3.­50
  • 3.­52
  • 3.­58
  • 4.­48
  • 4.­50
  • 4.­105
  • 4.­107
  • 4.­108
  • 4.­118
  • 4.­119
  • 4.­122
  • 4.­123
  • 5.­1
  • 6.­12
  • 6.­18
  • 7.­39
  • 10.­11
  • 10.­12
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­25
  • 11.­1
  • 12.­36
  • 12.­37
  • 12.­40
  • 12.­58
  • 12.­69

Links to further resources:

  • 106 related glossary entries
g.­24

Bhūta

  • ’byung po
  • འབྱུང་པོ།
  • bhūta

A generic term for spirits or ghosts.

6 passages contain this term:

  • 5.­1
  • 5.­7
  • 8.­16
  • 8.­19
  • 9.­28
  • 12.­38

Links to further resources:

  • 37 related glossary entries
g.­25

Bimbisāra

  • gzugs can snying po
  • གཟུགས་ཅན་སྙིང་པོ།
  • Bimbisāra

King of Magadha who lived at the time of the Buddha Śākyamuni.

18 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­42
  • 1.­45
  • 1.­47
  • 1.­50
  • 1.­53
  • 1.­54
  • 1.­56
  • 1.­62
  • 1.­65
  • 1.­69
  • 1.­74
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­51
  • 2.­72
  • 3.­1
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­3

Links to further resources:

  • 17 related glossary entries
g.­27

Blue Color

  • rtsi sngon po
  • རྩི་སྔོན་པོ།
  • —

A nāga.

2 passages contain this term:

  • 11.­27
  • 11.­50
g.­32

Brahmā

  • tshangs pa
  • ཚངས་པ།
  • Brahmā

A high-ranking deity, presiding over a divine world where other beings consider him the creator; he is also considered to be the “Lord of the Sahā World” (our universe).

21 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­30
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­31
  • 4.­33
  • 4.­118
  • 6.­18
  • 7.­95
  • 7.­96
  • 7.­99
  • 9.­27
  • 10.­4
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­25
  • 10.­27
  • 10.­31
  • 10.­33
  • 12.­66
  • 12.­67
  • g.­167

Links to further resources:

  • 125 related glossary entries
g.­33

Brāhmaṇa

  • bram ze
  • བྲམ་ཟེ།
  • brāhmaṇa

The highest of the four classes in the Indian caste system, it is most closely associated with religious vocations.

25 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­41
  • 1.­43
  • 1.­44
  • 1.­48
  • 1.­61
  • 1.­63
  • 1.­67
  • 1.­68
  • 1.­69
  • 1.­70
  • 1.­72
  • 1.­73
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­31
  • 3.­52
  • 4.­48
  • 4.­105
  • 4.­119
  • 5.­2
  • 9.­21
  • 10.­33
  • 11.­20

Links to further resources:

  • 25 related glossary entries
g.­37

Buddha realm

  • 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. “Buddha realm” indicates, in regard to any type of universe, that it is the field of influence of a particular buddha.

114 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­16
  • 1.­27
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­30
  • 1.­31
  • 1.­32
  • 1.­33
  • 1.­35
  • 1.­38
  • 1.­49
  • 1.­70
  • 1.­73
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­9
  • 2.­10
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­17
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­27
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­31
  • 2.­36
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­51
  • 2.­52
  • 2.­55
  • 2.­56
  • 2.­57
  • 2.­64
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­66
  • 2.­69
  • 2.­72
  • 2.­73
  • 2.­74
  • 2.­75
  • 2.­76
  • 2.­77
  • 2.­87
  • 2.­90
  • 2.­91
  • 2.­94
  • 2.­95
  • 2.­97
  • 3.­7
  • 3.­8
  • 3.­10
  • 3.­22
  • 3.­25
  • 3.­37
  • 3.­40
  • 3.­52
  • 3.­54
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­13
  • 4.­15
  • 4.­77
  • 4.­112
  • 4.­121
  • 4.­123
  • 5.­12
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­6
  • 6.­12
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­18
  • 6.­25
  • 7.­38
  • 7.­39
  • 7.­57
  • 8.­32
  • 9.­21
  • 9.­22
  • 9.­23
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­25
  • 10.­26
  • 10.­32
  • 10.­34
  • 12.­27
  • 12.­31
  • 12.­36
  • 12.­56
  • 12.­57
  • 12.­69
  • n.­35
  • n.­38
  • n.­43
  • g.­1
  • g.­3
  • g.­12
  • g.­22
  • g.­66
  • g.­93
  • g.­106
  • g.­174
  • g.­175
  • g.­184
  • g.­211
  • g.­286
  • g.­297

Links to further resources:

  • 25 related glossary entries
g.­38

Campaka Color

  • tsam pa ka’i mdog
  • ཙམ་པ་ཀའི་མདོག
  • —

A buddha residing in the eastern direction at the time of the Buddha Śākyamuni.

16 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­9
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­14
  • 2.­20
  • 2.­21
  • 2.­22
  • 3.­7
  • 3.­8
  • 3.­10
  • 3.­11
  • 3.­14
  • 4.­33
  • 4.­47
g.­40

Celestial Tree

  • nam mkha’i shing
  • ནམ་མཁའི་ཤིང་།
  • —

Name of a mercenary demon.

6 passages contain this term:

  • 7.­1
  • 7.­8
  • 7.­12
  • 7.­16
  • 7.­22
  • 7.­24
g.­45

Complete Support

  • kun rten
  • ཀུན་རྟེན།
  • —

A holy site blessed by the presence of sages.

3 passages contain this term:

  • 7.­29
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­3
g.­47

Concentration

  • bsam gtan
  • བསམ་གཏན།
  • dhyāna

The fifth of the six perfections. Generally one of the synonyms for meditation, referring to a state of mental stability. The specific four concentrations are four successively subtler states of meditation that are said to lead to rebirth into the corresponding four levels of the form realm.

44 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­30
  • 1.­33
  • 1.­35
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­10
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­34
  • 2.­64
  • 2.­75
  • 2.­76
  • 2.­79
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­10
  • 3.­25
  • 3.­40
  • 3.­54
  • 4.­13
  • 4.­70
  • 4.­76
  • 4.­82
  • 4.­84
  • 4.­95
  • 4.­96
  • 4.­97
  • 4.­121
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­6
  • 7.­17
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­20
  • 9.­22
  • 10.­18
  • 11.­49
  • 12.­32
  • 12.­37
  • 12.­56
  • g.­55
  • g.­56
  • g.­65
  • g.­81
  • g.­237
  • g.­244

Links to further resources:

  • 49 related glossary entries
g.­49

Dharmākara

  • d+harmA ka ra
  • དྷརྨཱ་ཀ་ར།
  • Dharmākara

Butön includes the Kashmiri abbot Dharmākara in his list of ninety-three paṇḍitas invited to Tibet to assist in the translation of the Buddhist scriptures. Tāranātha dates Dharmākara to the rule of *Vanapāla, son of Dharmapāla. With Paltsek, he translated two of Kalyāṇamitra’s works on Vinaya, the Vinaya­praśnakārikā (’dul ba dri ba’i tshig le’ur byas pa, Toh 4134) and the Vinaya­praśnaṭīkā (’dul ba dri ba rgya cher ’grel pa, Toh 4135).

2 passages contain this term:

  • i.­2
  • c.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­59

Element

  • khams
  • ཁམས།
  • dhātu

One way of describing experience and the world in terms of eighteen elements (eye and form, ear and sound, nose and smell, tongue and taste, body and physical objects, and mind and mental phenomena, to which the six consciousnesses are added). Also refers here to the “four great elements.”

15 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­23
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­78
  • 2.­79
  • 2.­84
  • 3.­52
  • 4.­47
  • 4.­104
  • 4.­114
  • 4.­119
  • 5.­1
  • 7.­50
  • 8.­32
  • 11.­25
  • 12.­49

Links to further resources:

  • 56 related glossary entries
g.­65

Equipoise

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

A state of mental equipoise derived from deep concentration.

7 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­30
  • 1.­59
  • 4.­2
  • 4.­69
  • 4.­71
  • 4.­104
  • 6.­25

Links to further resources:

  • 11 related glossary entries
g.­69

Excellent Eyes

  • mig bzangs
  • མིག་བཟངས།
  • —

Name of a king, a previous incarnation of the Buddha.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 11.­20
g.­71

Feeble Fruit

  • bras bu nyam chung
  • བྲས་བུ་ཉམ་ཆུང་།
  • —

A nāga.

2 passages contain this term:

  • 11.­10
  • 11.­23
g.­75

Five degenerations

  • snyigs ma lnga
  • སྙིགས་མ་ལྔ།
  • pañcakaṣāya

Five aspects of life that indicate the degenerate nature of a given age. They are the impurities of views, of afflictions, of sentient beings, of lifespan, and of time.

13 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­38
  • 1.­49
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­52
  • 2.­55
  • 2.­73
  • 2.­74
  • 2.­87
  • 3.­22
  • 3.­52
  • 6.­13
  • 11.­66

Links to further resources:

  • 14 related glossary entries
g.­90

Free of Darkness

  • mun bral
  • མུན་བྲལ།
  • —

Name of a daughter of Māra.

3 passages contain this term:

  • 9.­3
  • 9.­8
  • 9.­30
g.­91

Free of Flowers

  • me tog bral
  • མེ་ཏོག་བྲལ།
  • —

A past king during the time of the Buddha Śikhin.

3 passages contain this term:

  • 11.­6
  • 11.­9
  • g.­17
g.­95

Gandharva

  • dri za
  • དྲི་ཟ།
  • gandharva

A class of semidivine beings sometimes referred to as “heavenly musicians.”

4 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­1
  • 6.­12
  • 10.­24
  • 12.­69

Links to further resources:

  • 114 related glossary entries
g.­96

Ganges

  • gang gA
  • གང་གཱ།
  • Gaṅgā

The sacred river of North India.

27 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­31
  • 1.­33
  • 1.­35
  • 1.­69
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­9
  • 2.­29
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­35
  • 2.­52
  • 2.­55
  • 2.­63
  • 2.­73
  • 2.­74
  • 2.­87
  • 3.­7
  • 3.­37
  • 3.­41
  • 3.­45
  • 3.­52
  • 6.­6
  • 6.­12
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­17
  • 6.­25
  • 8.­32

Links to further resources:

  • 43 related glossary entries
g.­97

Garuḍa

  • nam mkha’ lding
  • ནམ་མཁའ་ལྡིང་།
  • garuḍa

A class of divine being described as an eagle-type bird with a gigantic wingspan. They were traditionally enemies of the nāgas. In the Vedas, they were thought to have brought nectar from the heavens to earth

30 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­33
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­36
  • 2.­57
  • 2.­78
  • 2.­84
  • 3.­52
  • 3.­58
  • 4.­48
  • 4.­50
  • 4.­105
  • 4.­107
  • 4.­108
  • 4.­118
  • 4.­119
  • 4.­122
  • 4.­123
  • 5.­1
  • 6.­12
  • 7.­39
  • 8.­28
  • 10.­24
  • 12.­36
  • 12.­40
  • 12.­58
  • 12.­69

Links to further resources:

  • 79 related glossary entries
g.­137

Jambudvīpa

  • ’dzam bu’i gling
  • འཛམ་བུའི་གླིང་།
  • Jambudvīpa

The name of the southern continent in Buddhist cosmology, which can mean the known world of humans or more specifically the Indian subcontinent. A gigantic, miraculous rose-apple (jambu) tree at the source of the great Indian rivers is said to give the continent its name.

6 passages contain this term:

  • 7.­30
  • 7.­40
  • 9.­13
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­15
  • g.­191

Links to further resources:

  • 79 related glossary entries
g.­138

Jyotīrasa

  • skar ma la dga’ ba
  • སྐར་མ་ལ་དགའ་བ།
  • Jyotīrasa

Name of a sage.

18 passages contain this term:

  • 7.­67
  • 7.­68
  • 7.­69
  • 7.­70
  • 7.­71
  • 7.­72
  • 7.­73
  • 7.­84
  • 7.­105
  • 8.­6
  • 8.­31
  • 8.­32
  • 8.­33
  • 8.­34
  • 8.­35
  • 9.­12
  • 9.­21
  • 10.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­139

Kalandakanivāpa

  • ka lan da ka gnas
  • ཀ་ལན་ད་ཀ་གནས།
  • Kalandakanivāpa

Literally, the “Squirrel Feeding Ground.” A location within the Veṇuvana where the Buddha Śākyamuni stayed. The place received its name from the many squirrels living there, being fed by humans. It should be noted that Tibetan translations misunderstand the Sanskrit term kalandaka to be a kind of bird (Tib. bya).

3 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1
  • 1.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 19 related glossary entries
g.­140

Kanakamuni

  • gser thub
  • གསེར་ཐུབ།
  • Kanakamuni

One of the six buddhas who preceded Śākyamuni in this Fortunate Eon.

4 passages contain this term:

  • 11.­61
  • 12.­3
  • 12.­9
  • g.­232

Links to further resources:

  • 21 related glossary entries
g.­144

Kāśyapa

  • ’od srung
  • འོད་སྲུང་།
  • Kāśyapa

One of the six buddhas who preceded Śākyamuni in this Fortunate Eon. Also the name of one of the Buddha Śākyamuni’s principal pupils.

8 passages contain this term:

  • 7.­48
  • 11.­61
  • 11.­72
  • 12.­3
  • 12.­9
  • 12.­32
  • 12.­33
  • g.­232

Links to further resources:

  • 28 related glossary entries
g.­146

Kauṇḍinya

  • kau Di n+ya
  • ཀཽ་ཌི་ནྱ།
  • Kauṇḍinya

The first monk that the Buddha Śākyamuni recognized as having understood his teachings.

44 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­30
  • 4.­5
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­9
  • 4.­11
  • 4.­13
  • 4.­14
  • 4.­22
  • 4.­28
  • 4.­52
  • 4.­53
  • 4.­54
  • 4.­55
  • 4.­56
  • 4.­57
  • 4.­65
  • 4.­66
  • 4.­67
  • 4.­73
  • 4.­79
  • 4.­85
  • 4.­86
  • 4.­88
  • 4.­89
  • 4.­90
  • 4.­91
  • 4.­92
  • 4.­93
  • 4.­94
  • 4.­95
  • 4.­97
  • 4.­98
  • 4.­100
  • 4.­101
  • 4.­102
  • 4.­103
  • 4.­104
  • 4.­105
  • 6.­4
  • 10.­32
  • 11.­25
  • 11.­90
  • g.­11

Links to further resources:

  • 12 related glossary entries
g.­148

Kawa Paltsek

  • dpal brtsegs
  • དཔལ་བརྩེགས།
  • —

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Paltsek (eighth to early ninth century), from the village of Kawa north of Lhasa, was one of Tibet’s preeminent translators. He was one of the first seven Tibetans to be ordained by Śāntarakṣita and is counted as one of Guru Rinpoche’s twenty-five close disciples. In a famous verse by Ngok Lotsawa Loden Sherab, Kawa Paltsek is named along with Chokro Lui Gyaltsen and Zhang (or Nanam) Yeshé Dé as part of a group of translators whose skills were surpassed only by Vairotsana.

He translated works from a wide variety of genres, including sūtra, śāstra, vinaya, and tantra, and was an author himself. Paltsek was also one of the most important editors of the early period, one of nine translators installed by Trisong Detsen (r. 755–797/800) to supervise the translation of the Tripiṭaka and help catalog translated works for the first two of three imperial catalogs, the Denkarma (ldan kar ma) and the Samye Chimpuma (bsam yas mchims phu ma). In the colophons of his works, he is often known as Paltsek Rakṣita (rak+Shi ta).

2 passages contain this term:

  • i.­2
  • c.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 18 related glossary entries
g.­151

Kinnara

  • mi ’am ci
  • མི་འམ་ཅི།
  • kinnara

A class of semidivine beings that resemble humans to the degree that their very name‍—which means “Is that a human?”‍—suggests some confusion as to their identity.

29 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­33
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­36
  • 2.­78
  • 2.­84
  • 3.­52
  • 4.­48
  • 4.­50
  • 4.­105
  • 4.­107
  • 4.­108
  • 4.­118
  • 4.­119
  • 4.­122
  • 4.­123
  • 5.­1
  • 6.­12
  • 7.­39
  • 7.­73
  • 10.­24
  • 11.­1
  • 12.­36
  • 12.­40
  • 12.­58
  • 12.­69

Links to further resources:

  • 79 related glossary entries
g.­153

Krakucchanda

  • ’khor ba ’jig
  • འཁོར་བ་འཇིག
  • Krakucchanda

One of the six buddhas who preceded Śākyamuni in this Fortunate Eon.

5 passages contain this term:

  • 11.­12
  • 12.­3
  • 12.­5
  • 12.­9
  • g.­232

Links to further resources:

  • 25 related glossary entries
g.­157

Kumbhāṇḍa

  • grul bum
  • གྲུལ་བུམ།
  • kumbhāṇḍa

A class of beings subordinate to the great king of the south, Virūḍhaka. The name is a play on the word āṇḍa, which means “egg” but is a euphemism for testicle, as they are often depicted as having testicles as big as pots (from khumba, or “pot”).

14 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­78
  • 2.­94
  • 4.­50
  • 4.­107
  • 4.­123
  • 7.­39
  • 7.­97
  • 10.­3
  • 11.­23
  • 12.­34
  • 12.­40
  • 12.­41
  • 12.­58
  • 12.­69

Links to further resources:

  • 30 related glossary entries
g.­164

Lotus Face

  • pad ma’i gdong
  • པད་མའི་གདོང་།
  • —

A nāga prince.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 11.­5
g.­167

Mahābrahmā

  • tshangs pa chen po
  • ཚངས་པ་ཆེན་པོ།
  • mahābrahmā

Beings from the third heaven of the realm of form, meaning “great Brahmā.”

8 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­3
  • 1.­12
  • 2.­21
  • 2.­22
  • 3.­1
  • 7.­65
  • 9.­30
  • g.­104

Links to further resources:

  • 125 related glossary entries
g.­171

Mahoraga

  • lto ’phye chen po
  • ལྟོ་འཕྱེ་ཆེན་པོ།
  • mahoraga

A class of nonhuman beings shaped like enormous serpents.

26 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­33
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­78
  • 2.­84
  • 3.­52
  • 3.­58
  • 4.­48
  • 4.­50
  • 4.­105
  • 4.­107
  • 4.­108
  • 4.­118
  • 4.­119
  • 4.­122
  • 4.­123
  • 5.­1
  • 6.­12
  • 7.­39
  • 10.­24
  • 12.­36
  • 12.­58
  • 12.­69

Links to further resources:

  • 71 related glossary entries
g.­172

Maitreya

  • byams pa
  • བྱམས་པ།
  • Maitreya

The bodhisattva who embodies loving kindness; the next buddha to follow Śākyamuni.

12 passages contain this term:

  • 5.­13
  • 5.­14
  • 5.­15
  • 5.­16
  • 5.­17
  • 5.­18
  • 5.­19
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­59
  • 11.­60
  • 12.­34
  • g.­117

Links to further resources:

  • 83 related glossary entries
g.­176

Māra

  • bdud
  • བདུད།
  • māra

A class of beings related to the demon Māra. See also the “four māras.”

53 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­33
  • 1.­35
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­9
  • 2.­14
  • 2.­17
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­52
  • 2.­55
  • 2.­74
  • 2.­79
  • 2.­84
  • 2.­87
  • 2.­92
  • 2.­94
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­7
  • 3.­8
  • 3.­22
  • 3.­37
  • 3.­52
  • 4.­48
  • 4.­105
  • 4.­119
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­7
  • 7.­8
  • 7.­12
  • 7.­17
  • 7.­33
  • 7.­37
  • 7.­40
  • 7.­41
  • 7.­43
  • 7.­48
  • 7.­49
  • 7.­53
  • 7.­54
  • 8.­31
  • 8.­34
  • 9.­9
  • 9.­15
  • 9.­16
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­24
  • 12.­36
  • 12.­37
  • 12.­40
  • 12.­49
  • 12.­56
  • 12.­58
  • 12.­69

Links to further resources:

  • 115 related glossary entries
g.­177

Māra

  • bdud
  • བདུད།
  • Māra

An obstacle maker; a personification of evil.

44 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1
  • 1.­64
  • 1.­67
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­33
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­3
  • 7.­8
  • 7.­10
  • 7.­14
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­24
  • 7.­27
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­35
  • 7.­37
  • 7.­48
  • 7.­54
  • 7.­61
  • 7.­63
  • 7.­64
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­29
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­6
  • 9.­12
  • 9.­13
  • 9.­14
  • 9.­20
  • 9.­30
  • 10.­15
  • 10.­25
  • 12.­42
  • 12.­43
  • 12.­46
  • 12.­47
  • 12.­48
  • 12.­49
  • g.­90
  • g.­176
  • g.­218

Links to further resources:

  • 115 related glossary entries
g.­183

Mount Sumeru

  • ri rab
  • རི་རབ།
  • Sumeru

In Buddhist cosmology, the sacred mountain at the center of the world.

29 passages contain this term:

  • 3.­15
  • 6.­6
  • 7.­29
  • 7.­31
  • 7.­50
  • 10.­3
  • 10.­4
  • 10.­10
  • 10.­11
  • 10.­12
  • 10.­13
  • 10.­14
  • 10.­22
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­25
  • 10.­26
  • 10.­28
  • 10.­29
  • 10.­32
  • 10.­40
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­81
  • 12.­14
  • g.­84
  • g.­107
  • g.­182
  • g.­209
  • g.­224

Links to further resources:

  • 70 related glossary entries
g.­189

Nāga

  • klu
  • ཀླུ།
  • nāga

A semidivine class of beings who live in subterranean aquatic environments and are known to hoard wealth and esoteric teachings. They are associated with snakes and serpents.

248 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­33
  • 1.­35
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­9
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­29
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­53
  • 2.­55
  • 2.­57
  • 2.­58
  • 2.­59
  • 2.­70
  • 2.­75
  • 2.­78
  • 2.­79
  • 2.­81
  • 2.­87
  • 2.­95
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­7
  • 3.­8
  • 3.­22
  • 3.­37
  • 3.­52
  • 4.­48
  • 4.­50
  • 4.­107
  • 4.­108
  • 4.­118
  • 4.­122
  • 4.­123
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­5
  • 6.­5
  • 6.­12
  • 6.­18
  • 7.­17
  • 7.­18
  • 7.­19
  • 7.­21
  • 7.­23
  • 7.­27
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­29
  • 7.­30
  • 7.­31
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­36
  • 7.­38
  • 7.­39
  • 7.­55
  • 7.­58
  • 7.­61
  • 7.­62
  • 7.­65
  • 7.­68
  • 7.­69
  • 7.­70
  • 7.­71
  • 7.­72
  • 7.­73
  • 7.­76
  • 7.­78
  • 7.­85
  • 7.­97
  • 7.­105
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­5
  • 8.­6
  • 8.­16
  • 8.­19
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­31
  • 8.­33
  • 8.­34
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­12
  • 9.­13
  • 9.­18
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­13
  • 10.­16
  • 10.­17
  • 10.­19
  • 10.­20
  • 10.­21
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­28
  • 10.­29
  • 10.­30
  • 10.­35
  • 10.­36
  • 10.­37
  • 10.­38
  • 10.­39
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­5
  • 11.­6
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­8
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­10
  • 11.­16
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­23
  • 11.­26
  • 11.­27
  • 11.­34
  • 11.­35
  • 11.­38
  • 11.­47
  • 11.­50
  • 11.­52
  • 11.­55
  • 11.­57
  • 11.­61
  • 11.­62
  • 11.­63
  • 11.­64
  • 11.­67
  • 11.­68
  • 11.­69
  • 11.­70
  • 11.­71
  • 11.­72
  • 11.­75
  • 11.­76
  • 11.­89
  • 11.­91
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­3
  • 12.­4
  • 12.­5
  • 12.­6
  • 12.­7
  • 12.­8
  • 12.­9
  • 12.­10
  • 12.­11
  • 12.­12
  • 12.­13
  • 12.­14
  • 12.­15
  • 12.­16
  • 12.­17
  • 12.­18
  • 12.­19
  • 12.­20
  • 12.­21
  • 12.­22
  • 12.­23
  • 12.­24
  • 12.­25
  • 12.­26
  • 12.­28
  • 12.­31
  • 12.­32
  • 12.­34
  • 12.­35
  • 12.­36
  • 12.­37
  • 12.­40
  • 12.­41
  • 12.­42
  • 12.­56
  • 12.­58
  • 12.­59
  • 12.­60
  • 12.­62
  • 12.­64
  • 12.­68
  • 12.­69
  • g.­6
  • g.­10
  • g.­13
  • g.­14
  • g.­20
  • g.­21
  • g.­27
  • g.­28
  • g.­29
  • g.­30
  • g.­36
  • g.­44
  • g.­48
  • g.­57
  • g.­58
  • g.­60
  • g.­63
  • g.­64
  • g.­71
  • g.­92
  • g.­97
  • g.­100
  • g.­101
  • g.­102
  • g.­103
  • g.­111
  • g.­112
  • g.­114
  • g.­128
  • g.­131
  • g.­133
  • g.­135
  • g.­142
  • g.­154
  • g.­163
  • g.­164
  • g.­180
  • g.­185
  • g.­186
  • g.­187
  • g.­190
  • g.­196
  • g.­202
  • g.­216
  • g.­222
  • g.­228
  • g.­252
  • g.­253
  • g.­259
  • g.­260
  • g.­263
  • g.­275
  • g.­280
  • g.­289
  • g.­291
  • g.­301

Links to further resources:

  • 91 related glossary entries
g.­192

Nārāyaṇa

  • sred med kyi bu
  • སྲེད་མེད་ཀྱི་བུ།
  • Nārāyaṇa

An alternate name for Viṣṇu (khyab ’jug).

6 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­28
  • 2.­71
  • 2.­72
  • 3.­1
  • 6.­18
  • 9.­27

Links to further resources:

  • 31 related glossary entries
g.­200

Perfection

  • pha rol tu phyin pa
  • pha rol phyin
  • ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ།
  • ཕ་རོལ་ཕྱིན།
  • pāramitā

See “six perfections.”

10 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­30
  • 2.­31
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­33
  • 2.­34
  • 2.­36
  • 2.­64
  • 6.­2
  • 11.­2
  • 12.­68

Links to further resources:

  • 33 related glossary entries
g.­201

Piśāca

  • sha za
  • ཤ་ཟ།
  • piśāca

A class of nonhumans said to dwell in impure and perilous places, where they feed on impure things, including flesh.

12 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­78
  • 3.­58
  • 4.­50
  • 4.­107
  • 4.­122
  • 4.­123
  • 5.­1
  • 7.­39
  • 11.­23
  • 12.­41
  • 12.­58
  • 12.­69

Links to further resources:

  • 30 related glossary entries
g.­203

Preta

  • yi dgas
  • ཡི་དགས།
  • preta

A class of sentient beings constantly suffering from hunger and thirst. They also represent one of the six realms of rebirth.

33 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­38
  • 1.­49
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­78
  • 3.­58
  • 4.­17
  • 4.­50
  • 4.­89
  • 4.­92
  • 4.­107
  • 4.­122
  • 4.­123
  • 5.­1
  • 7.­39
  • 8.­13
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­6
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­23
  • 11.­46
  • 11.­48
  • 11.­50
  • 11.­52
  • 11.­55
  • 11.­61
  • 12.­41
  • 12.­58
  • 12.­69
  • g.­53
  • g.­269
  • g.­303

Links to further resources:

  • 50 related glossary entries
g.­210

Pūtana

  • srul po
  • སྲུལ་པོ།
  • pūtana

A class of disease-causing spirits associated with cemeteries and dead bodies.

8 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­78
  • 2.­94
  • 3.­58
  • 4.­123
  • 4.­124
  • 5.­1
  • 7.­39
  • 12.­69

Links to further resources:

  • 11 related glossary entries
g.­211

Quintessence of the Sun’s Energy

  • nyi ma’i shugs kyi snying po
  • ཉི་མའི་ཤུགས་ཀྱི་སྙིང་པོ།
  • —

A bodhisattva residing in a buddha realm in the eastern direction at the time of the Buddha Śākyamuni.

14 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­10
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­14
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­20
  • 2.­22
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­11
  • 3.­12
  • 4.­33
  • 4.­47
  • 4.­51
g.­213

Rājagṛha

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

The capital of the ancient kingdom of Magadha.

4 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1
  • 1.­1
  • g.­293

Links to further resources:

  • 79 related glossary entries
g.­214

Rākṣasa

  • srin po
  • སྲིན་པོ།
  • rākṣasa

A class of nonhuman beings that are often, but certainly not always, considered demonic in the Buddhist tradition. They are often depicted as flesh-eating monsters who haunt frightening places and are ugly and evil-natured.

10 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­28
  • 2.­78
  • 4.­50
  • 4.­107
  • 12.­40
  • 12.­41
  • 12.­58
  • 12.­69
  • g.­215

Links to further resources:

  • 47 related glossary entries
g.­222

Sāgara

  • rgya mtsho
  • རྒྱ་མཚོ།
  • Sāgara

A nāga king.

14 passages contain this term:

  • 7.­30
  • 7.­65
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­33
  • 10.­17
  • 10.­28
  • 10.­35
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­9
  • 12.­13
  • 12.­59
  • 12.­61
  • 12.­63

Links to further resources:

  • 19 related glossary entries
g.­223

Sage

  • drang srong
  • དྲང་སྲོང་།
  • ṛṣi

An ancient Indian spiritual title, especially for divinely inspired individuals credited with creating the foundations for all Indian culture.

115 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­9
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­67
  • 2.­15
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­18
  • 3.­21
  • 3.­35
  • 4.­51
  • 7.­25
  • 7.­29
  • 7.­30
  • 7.­31
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­38
  • 7.­55
  • 7.­67
  • 7.­68
  • 7.­69
  • 7.­71
  • 7.­72
  • 7.­73
  • 7.­74
  • 7.­77
  • 7.­84
  • 7.­94
  • 7.­97
  • 7.­98
  • 7.­100
  • 7.­104
  • 7.­105
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­6
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­8
  • 8.­9
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­27
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­31
  • 8.­32
  • 8.­33
  • 8.­35
  • 9.­7
  • 9.­12
  • 10.­13
  • 10.­18
  • 10.­21
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­25
  • 10.­28
  • 10.­31
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­70
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­3
  • 12.­5
  • 12.­7
  • 12.­8
  • 12.­9
  • 12.­10
  • 12.­11
  • 12.­12
  • 12.­13
  • 12.­14
  • 12.­15
  • 12.­16
  • 12.­17
  • 12.­18
  • 12.­19
  • 12.­20
  • 12.­21
  • 12.­22
  • 12.­23
  • 12.­24
  • 12.­25
  • 12.­26
  • 12.­27
  • 12.­28
  • 12.­29
  • 12.­30
  • 12.­31
  • 12.­32
  • 12.­33
  • 12.­36
  • 12.­37
  • 12.­42
  • g.­23
  • g.­35
  • g.­39
  • g.­45
  • g.­46
  • g.­61
  • g.­67
  • g.­68
  • g.­89
  • g.­127
  • g.­138
  • g.­160
  • g.­161
  • g.­165
  • g.­205
  • g.­206
  • g.­208
  • g.­212
  • g.­221
  • g.­240
  • g.­248
  • g.­249
  • g.­265
  • g.­278
  • g.­281
  • g.­283
  • g.­290

Links to further resources:

  • 23 related glossary entries
g.­224

Sahā

  • mi mjed
  • མི་མཇེད།
  • Sahā

This present universe of ours, usually referring to the whole trichiliocosm but at times only to our own world with its four continents surrounding Mount Sumeru. Sahā means “endurance,” as beings here have to endure suffering.

66 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­27
  • 1.­30
  • 1.­31
  • 1.­33
  • 1.­35
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­9
  • 2.­10
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­17
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­27
  • 2.­40
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­51
  • 2.­52
  • 2.­53
  • 2.­55
  • 2.­56
  • 2.­57
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­66
  • 2.­69
  • 2.­70
  • 2.­72
  • 2.­74
  • 2.­75
  • 2.­76
  • 2.­77
  • 2.­87
  • 2.­91
  • 2.­94
  • 2.­95
  • 2.­97
  • 3.­10
  • 3.­25
  • 3.­40
  • 3.­54
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­15
  • 4.­121
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­6
  • 6.­12
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­18
  • 6.­25
  • 9.­22
  • 10.­4
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­27
  • 10.­31
  • 10.­32
  • 10.­34
  • 12.­56
  • g.­32

Links to further resources:

  • 57 related glossary entries
g.­225

Śakra

  • brgya byin
  • བརྒྱ་བྱིན།
  • Śakra

Alternate name for Indra, the lord who rules the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

27 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­30
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­31
  • 2.­50
  • 2.­51
  • 3.­1
  • 4.­118
  • 6.­18
  • 7.­65
  • 7.­95
  • 7.­96
  • 7.­99
  • 9.­27
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­17
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­25
  • 10.­27
  • 10.­30
  • 12.­66
  • 12.­67
  • g.­119
  • g.­147

Links to further resources:

  • 107 related glossary entries
g.­227

Śākyamuni

  • shAkya thub pa
  • ཤཱཀྱ་ཐུབ་པ།
  • Śākyamuni

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

An epithet for the historical Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama: he was a muni (“sage”) from the Śākya clan. He is counted as the fourth of the first four buddhas of the present Good Eon, the other three being Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni, and Kāśyapa. He will be followed by Maitreya, the next buddha in this eon.

89 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­9
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­13
  • 2.­20
  • 2.­21
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­40
  • 2.­49
  • 2.­51
  • 2.­52
  • 2.­53
  • 2.­55
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­67
  • 2.­69
  • 2.­70
  • 2.­72
  • 2.­74
  • 2.­75
  • 2.­87
  • 2.­95
  • 2.­97
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­15
  • 3.­25
  • 3.­30
  • 3.­31
  • 3.­40
  • 3.­45
  • 3.­54
  • 3.­60
  • 6.­12
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­16
  • 6.­17
  • 6.­18
  • 6.­25
  • 7.­38
  • 12.­57
  • g.­1
  • g.­3
  • g.­11
  • g.­12
  • g.­22
  • g.­25
  • g.­38
  • g.­50
  • g.­66
  • g.­93
  • g.­98
  • g.­99
  • g.­105
  • g.­106
  • g.­132
  • g.­139
  • g.­140
  • g.­144
  • g.­146
  • g.­150
  • g.­153
  • g.­166
  • g.­168
  • g.­172
  • g.­173
  • g.­174
  • g.­175
  • g.­179
  • g.­211
  • g.­220
  • g.­226
  • g.­230
  • g.­232
  • g.­235
  • g.­255
  • g.­257
  • g.­281
  • g.­284
  • g.­288
  • g.­293
  • g.­300

Links to further resources:

  • 52 related glossary entries
g.­235

Śikhin

  • gtsug tor can
  • གཙུག་ཏོར་ཅན།
  • Śikhin

One of the six buddhas who preceded Śākyamuni in this Fortunate Eon.

6 passages contain this term:

  • 11.­6
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­61
  • g.­17
  • g.­91
  • g.­232

Links to further resources:

  • 18 related glossary entries
g.­237

Six perfections

  • pha rol tu phyin pa drug
  • ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ་དྲུག
  • ṣaṭpāramitā

The trainings of the bodhisattva path: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and insight.

10 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­3
  • 2.­78
  • 2.­84
  • 7.­48
  • 8.­32
  • 9.­22
  • 11.­2
  • 12.­36
  • g.­47
  • g.­200

Links to further resources:

  • 29 related glossary entries
g.­239

Solitary buddha

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

Someone who has attained liberation without relying on a teacher in their final lifetime and as a result of progress in previous lives but, unlike a buddha, does not have the accumulated merit and motivation to teach others. Like śrāvaka (“hearer”), this term is also used to denote Buddhists who do not follow the Mahāyāna.

22 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­52
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­36
  • 2.­79
  • 4.­52
  • 4.­96
  • 4.­115
  • 4.­117
  • 4.­121
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­19
  • 6.­5
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­18
  • 6.­25
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­27
  • 12.­31
  • n.­20
  • g.­42
  • g.­274
  • g.­292

Links to further resources:

  • 79 related glossary entries
g.­254

Sublime states

  • tshangs pa’i gnas
  • ཚངས་པའི་གནས།
  • brahmavihāra

The four qualities of limitless love, compassion, joy, and equanimity.

20 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­5
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­52
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­66
  • 2.­74
  • 2.­82
  • 2.­92
  • 3.­55
  • 3.­60
  • 7.­48
  • 7.­70
  • 8.­32
  • 9.­21
  • 9.­22
  • 9.­23
  • 9.­27
  • 10.­33

Links to further resources:

  • 14 related glossary entries
g.­262

Susīma

  • mtshams bzangs
  • མཚམས་བཟངས།
  • Susīma

A god.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 11.­24

Links to further resources:

  • 5 related glossary entries
g.­267

Three gateways of liberation

  • rnam par thar pa’i sgo gsum
  • རྣམ་པར་ཐར་པའི་སྒོ་གསུམ།
  • trivimokṣadvāra

Emptiness, absence of marks, and absence of wishes.

5 passages contain this term:

  • 4.­72
  • 11.­90
  • g.­2
  • g.­4
  • g.­62

Links to further resources:

  • 15 related glossary entries
g.­268

Three Jewels

  • dkon mchog gsum
  • དཀོན་མཆོག་གསུམ།
  • triratna

The Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha.

36 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­28
  • 1.­33
  • 1.­35
  • 1.­39
  • 1.­67
  • 1.­72
  • 1.­73
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­14
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­29
  • 2.­52
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­66
  • 2.­67
  • 2.­74
  • 2.­84
  • 3.­8
  • 3.­18
  • 3.­26
  • 3.­52
  • 3.­58
  • 3.­60
  • 4.­48
  • 4.­105
  • 4.­109
  • 4.­119
  • 4.­123
  • 5.­6
  • 6.­5
  • 8.­6
  • 8.­32
  • 11.­76
  • 11.­77
  • 11.­89

Links to further resources:

  • 14 related glossary entries
g.­269

Three lower realms

  • ngan song gsum
  • ngan ’gro gsum
  • ངན་སོང་གསུམ།
  • ངན་འགྲོ་གསུམ།
  • tryapāya
  • tridurgati

The animal, preta, and hell realms.

13 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­34
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­67
  • 2.­79
  • 4.­14
  • 4.­17
  • 4.­55
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­38
  • 11.­50
  • 11.­65
  • 11.­90
  • 12.­68

Links to further resources:

  • 7 related glossary entries
g.­271

Three realms

  • srid pa gsum
  • srid pa gsum po
  • khams gsum
  • khams gsum pa
  • སྲིད་པ་གསུམ།
  • སྲིད་པ་གསུམ་པོ།
  • ཁམས་གསུམ།
  • ཁམས་གསུམ་པ།
  • tribhava
  • tridhātu

The desire realm, form realm, and formless realm.

17 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­5
  • 1.­30
  • 2.­14
  • 3.­30
  • 4.­25
  • 4.­33
  • 4.­51
  • 4.­61
  • 4.­72
  • 4.­76
  • 4.­98
  • 8.­2
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­16
  • 8.­30
  • n.­50

Links to further resources:

  • 27 related glossary entries
g.­274

Three vehicles

  • theg pa gsum
  • ཐེག་པ་གསུམ།
  • triyāna

The hearer, solitary buddha, and bodhisattva vehicles.

10 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­34
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­52
  • 2.­74
  • 4.­120
  • 6.­5
  • 9.­23
  • 11.­89
  • 11.­90

Links to further resources:

  • 9 related glossary entries
g.­276

Tiṣya

  • skar rgyal
  • སྐར་རྒྱལ།
  • Tiṣya

A past buddha.

1 passage contains this term:

  • 11.­40

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­279

Universal monarch

  • ’khor los sgyur ba
  • ’khor los sgyur ba’i rgyal po
  • འཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བ།
  • འཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
  • cakravartin

A cakravartin is a king who rules over at least one continent and gains his territory by rolling his magic wheel (cakra) over the land. This is as the result of the merit he has accumulated in previous lifetimes.

9 passages contain this term:

  • 2.­28
  • 2.­96
  • 2.­97
  • 3.­1
  • 6.­18
  • 6.­25
  • 9.­27
  • 11.­5
  • g.­266

Links to further resources:

  • 58 related glossary entries
g.­289

Varuṇa

  • chu lha
  • ཆུ་ལྷ།
  • Varuṇa

A nāga king.

2 passages contain this term:

  • 12.­2
  • 12.­3

Links to further resources:

  • 3 related glossary entries
g.­293

Veṇuvana

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

A forest monastery north of Rājagṛha where the Buddha Śākyamuni spent several monsoon retreats and delivered many Great Vehicle teachings.

4 passages contain this term:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1
  • 1.­1
  • g.­139

Links to further resources:

  • 22 related glossary entries
g.­294

Victor

  • rgyal ba
  • རྒྱལ་བ།
  • jina

An epithet for a buddha.

19 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­10
  • 1.­45
  • 1.­47
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­6
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­19
  • 3.­21
  • 11.­12
  • 11.­40
  • 11.­50
  • 11.­65
  • 11.­72
  • 12.­27
  • 12.­29
  • 12.­42
  • 12.­45
  • 12.­47
  • 12.­56

Links to further resources:

  • 14 related glossary entries
g.­298

Vidyākaraprabha

  • bid+yA ka ra pra b+ha
  • བིདྱཱ་ཀ་ར་པྲ་བྷ།
  • Vidyākara­prabha

According to Nyangral Nyima Öser’s history, Ralpachen invited the Indian abbot Vidyākaraprabha to Tibet along with Jinamitra, Surendrabodhi, and Dānaśīla in the first part of the ninth century. Vidyākaraprabha was the author of the Madhyamaka­nayasāra­samāsa­prakaraṇa, a work in the Yogācāra-Madhyamaka school pioneered by Śāntarakṣita, translated into Tibetan with Paltsek under the name dbu ma’i lugs kyi snying po mdor bsdus pa’i rab tu byed pa (Toh 3893). He worked with Paltsek on numerous other translations on topics as diverse as the Sphuṭārthā commentary to the Abhisamayālaṅkāra, an extract from the Vimuktimārga, and the early Vidyottamamahātantra.

2 passages contain this term:

  • i.­2
  • c.­1

Links to further resources:

  • 4 related glossary entries
g.­300

Vipaśyin

  • rnam par gzigs
  • རྣམ་པར་གཟིགས།
  • Vipaśyin

One of the six buddhas who preceded Śākyamuni in this Fortunate Eon.

3 passages contain this term:

  • 11.­61
  • 11.­65
  • g.­232

Links to further resources:

  • 21 related glossary entries
g.­302

Well-gone one

  • bde bar gshegs pa
  • བདེ་བར་གཤེགས་པ།
  • sugata

An epithet for a buddha.

10 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­45
  • 1.­47
  • 1.­57
  • 1.­69
  • 4.­5
  • 4.­87
  • 6.­1
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­50
  • 11.­66

Links to further resources:

  • 60 related glossary entries
g.­304

Worthy one

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

Used both as an epithet of buddhas and to refer to the final accomplishment of the śrāvaka path.

37 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­74
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­36
  • 2.­52
  • 2.­55
  • 2.­64
  • 2.­69
  • 2.­73
  • 2.­74
  • 2.­87
  • 3.­7
  • 3.­15
  • 3.­30
  • 3.­45
  • 3.­52
  • 3.­60
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­14
  • 4.­38
  • 4.­39
  • 4.­41
  • 4.­43
  • 4.­44
  • 4.­45
  • 4.­52
  • 4.­72
  • 4.­77
  • 4.­84
  • 4.­104
  • 8.­30
  • 11.­6
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­60

Links to further resources:

  • 96 related glossary entries
g.­305

Yakṣa

  • gnod sbyin
  • གནོད་སྦྱིན།
  • yakṣa

A class of nonhuman beings that haunt or protect natural places and cities. They can be malevolent (hence the Tibetan translation gnod sbyin, meaning “harm giver”) or benevolent and are known for bestowing wealth and worldly boons.

58 passages contain this term:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­33
  • 1.­35
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­36
  • 2.­77
  • 2.­78
  • 2.­79
  • 2.­84
  • 2.­94
  • 3.­8
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­52
  • 3.­58
  • 4.­11
  • 4.­48
  • 4.­50
  • 4.­105
  • 4.­107
  • 4.­108
  • 4.­118
  • 4.­119
  • 4.­122
  • 4.­123
  • 5.­1
  • 6.­5
  • 6.­12
  • 6.­18
  • 7.­38
  • 7.­39
  • 7.­70
  • 7.­73
  • 7.­97
  • 8.­5
  • 8.­16
  • 10.­19
  • 10.­23
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­23
  • 12.­29
  • 12.­30
  • 12.­31
  • 12.­33
  • 12.­34
  • 12.­36
  • 12.­37
  • 12.­40
  • 12.­41
  • 12.­58
  • 12.­66
  • 12.­69
  • g.­70

Links to further resources:

  • 97 related glossary entries
g.­307

Zangkyong

  • bzang skyong
  • བཟང་སྐྱོང་།
  • —

Tibetan translator of the ninth century.

2 passages contain this term:

  • i.­2
  • c.­1
0

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    Dharmachakra Translation Committee (tr.). The Quintessence of the Sun (Sūryagarbha, Toh 257). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023:
    https://read.84000.co/translation/toh257.html?part=UT22084-066-015-chapter-11


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