The Play in Full

One of the gods gathered at King Śuddhodana’s residence before Prince Siddhārtha’s birth, said to be head god of the Ābhāsvara heaven.

An ancient title given to ascetics, monks, hermits, and saints, namely, those who have attained the realization of truth through their own contemplation and not by divine revelation. It is also used as an epithet of the Buddha Śākyamuni, and has also been rendered here as “Sage.”

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

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

One of Māra’s sons who developed faith in Prince Siddhārtha and tried to dissuade Māra from attacking him on the evening of his awakening.

The main palace of the abode of the yakṣas on Mount Sumeru. It is ruled by the great king Vaiśravaṇa, also known as Kubera.

Another name of Sūrya, the god of the sun, or the sun personified.

The king of elephants and Śakra’s mount, who makes offerings to Prince Siddhārtha upon learning of his intent to leave home.

A follower of a non-Buddhist mendicant movement founded by Makkhali Gosāla (fifth century ʙᴄᴇ). The ājīvikas adhered to a fatalist worldview according to which all beings eventually reach spiritual accomplishment by fate, rather than their own actions.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove. He was one of the five companions who joined Prince Siddhārtha while practicing austerities and attended his first turning of the wheel of Dharma at the Deer Park, after the Buddha’s awakening. As he was the first to understand the teachings on the four truths, he received the name Ājñāta­kauṇḍinya, meaning “Kauṇḍinya who understood.” Also known simply as Kauṇḍinya.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

One of the eight goddesses in the west, called upon to grant protection.

The most subtle form of deluded consciousness, which serves as the substratum for karmic seeds to be stored; likewise the substratum from which appearances manifest.

The resinous heartwood of the Aquilaria and Gyirnops evergreen trees in India and southeast Asia, also known as aloeswood (Agallochum).

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

One of the places the Buddha visited in the region of Gayā.

A major śrāvaka disciple and personal attendant of the Buddha Śākyamuni during the last twenty-five years of his life. He was a cousin of the Buddha (according to the Mahāvastu, he was a son of Śuklodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana, which means he was a brother of Devadatta; other sources say he was a son of Amṛtodana, another brother of King Śuddhodana, which means he would have been a brother of Aniruddha).

Ānanda, having always been in the Buddha’s presence, is said to have memorized all the teachings he heard and is celebrated for having recited all the Buddha’s teachings by memory at the first council of the Buddhist saṅgha, thus preserving the teachings after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa. The phrase “Thus did I hear at one time,” found at the beginning of the sūtras, usually stands for his recitation of the teachings. He became a patriarch after the passing of Mahākāśyapa.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

A gatekeeper.

A wealthy merchant in the town of Śrāvastī, famous for his generosity to the poor, who became a patron of the Buddha Śākyamuni. He bought Prince Jeta’s Grove (Skt. Jetavana), to be the Buddha’s first monastery, a place where the monks could stay during the monsoon.

A nāga king.

A vast legendary lake on the other side of the Himalayas. Only those with miraculous powers can go there. It is said to be the source of the world’s four great rivers. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)

The name of an ascetic.

Lit. “Unobstructed.” One of the ten great śrāvaka disciples, famed for his meditative prowess and superknowledges. He was the Buddha's cousin‍—a son of Amṛtodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana‍—and is often mentioned along with his two brothers Bhadrika and Mahānāma. Some sources also include Ānanda among his brothers.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

One of the sons of Māra present on the eve of Prince Siddhārtha’s awakening.

Alternate name of Māra.

Lit. “god who moves above the earth.” Name of one of the sixty-four scripts mentioned by Prince Siddhārtha to his schoolmaster Viśvāmitra.

A town in the country of Maineya. Located six leagues away is the place where Chanda, Prince Siddhārtha’s servant, parted with him after his escape from home. It is said a memorial was later built here, known as “Chanda’s Return.”

One of the sons of Māra present on the eve of Prince Siddhārtha’s awakening.

A constellation in the west, personified as a semidivine being. Here called upon for protection.

One of the four main continents that surround Sumeru, the central mountain in classical Buddhist cosmology. It is the western continent, characterized as “rich in the resources of cattle,” thus its Tibetan name “using cattle.” It is circular in shape, measuring about 7,500 yojanas in circumference, and is flanked by two subsidiary continents. Humans who live there are very tall, about 24 feet (7.3 meters) on average, and live for 500 years. It is known by the names Godānīya, Aparāntaka, Aparagodānīya, or Aparagoyāna.

One of the eight goddesses in the east, called upon to grant protection.

The four applications of mindfulness are mindfulness (1) of the body, (2) of feelings, (3) of the mind, and (4) of phenomena. These four are part of the thirty-seven factors of awakening.

One of the sixteen gods guarding the seat of awakening.

The first spiritual teacher Prince Siddhārtha studied with after leaving his home.

One of the daughters of Māra present on the eve of Siddhārtha’s awakening.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

A king, one of the Buddha’s former rebirths.

A constellation in the east, personified as a semidivine being. Here called upon for protection.

The greatest mathematician among the Śākyas. He was appointed as a judge to determine Prince Siddhārtha’s intellectual capabilities.

One of the five Pāṇḍava brothers. Son of Indra.

One of the eight goddesses in the west, called upon to grant protection.

One of the eight goddesses in the north, called upon to grant protection.

A constellation in the west, personified as a semidivine being. Here called upon for protection.

The famous great sage who went to visit Prince Siddhārtha when he was a newborn baby. He made predictions of his awakening as the Buddha and then cried when he realized he would not be alive to witness it.

A constellation in the east, personified as a semidivine being. Here called upon for protection.

Saraca asoca. A tree with aromatic blossoms, clustered together as orange, yellow, and red bunches of petals.

A mountain in the west, called upon to grant wealth and protection.

See “demigod.”

The son of one of the seven brahmins who predicted that Śākyamuni would become a great king. He was one of the five companions with Śākyamuni in the beginning of his spiritual path, abandoning him when he gave up asceticism, but then becoming one of his first five pupils after his buddhahood. He was the last of the five to attain the realization of a “stream entrant” and became an arhat on hearing the Sūtra on the Characteristics of Selflessness (An­ātma­lakṣaṇa­sūtra), which was not translated into Tibetan. Aśvajit was the one who went to meet Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana so they would become followers of the Buddha.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

According to Monier-Williams, this is the name of two divinities who appear in the sky before the dawn in a golden carriage drawn by horses or birds. They bring treasures to people and avert misfortune and sickness. They are considered to be the physicians of heaven. Their two sons are Nakula and Sahadeva.

One of the ten girls who attended upon Prince Siddhārtha while he was practicing austerities.

A buddha in the past.

One of the sixteen gods guarding the seat of awakening.

One of the sons of Māra present on the eve of Prince Siddhārtha’s awakening.

Also rendered “buddha.”

A buddha in the past.

One of the ten girls who attended upon Prince Siddhārtha while he was practicing austerities.

A mythical horse, described in this text as the precious horse of universal monarchs.

Determination, discernment, diligence, and meditative concentration.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove. He was one of the five companions who joined Prince Siddhārtha while practicing austerities and attended his first turning of the wheel of Dharma at the Deer Park, after the Buddha’s awakening.

Pterospermum acerifolium. Other names include karnikara, muchakunda, muchalinda, and dinner-plate tree.

One of the generals of Māra.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove. He was one of the five companions who joined Prince Siddhārtha while practicing austerities and attended his first turning of the wheel of Dharma at the Deer Park, after the Buddha’s awakening.

A young Śākya.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

One of the two brother merchants, the other being Trapuṣa, who met and made offerings to the Buddha near the Bodhi tree, seven weeks after his awakening.

A constellation in the north, personified as a semidivine being. Here called upon for protection.

One of the sons of Māra present at the eve of Prince Siddhārtha’s awakening.

One of the five Pāṇḍava brothers. Son of Vāyu.

The name of an ascetic.

This term in its broadest sense can refer to any being, whether human, animal, or nonhuman. However, it is often used to refer to a specific class of nonhuman beings, especially when bhūtas are mentioned alongside rākṣasas, piśācas, or pretas. In common with these other kinds of nonhumans, bhūtas are usually depicted with unattractive and misshapen bodies. Like several other classes of nonhuman beings, bhūtas take spontaneous birth. As their leader is traditionally regarded to be Rudra-Śiva (also known by the name Bhūta), with whom they haunt dangerous and wild places, bhūtas are especially prominent in Śaivism, where large sections of certain tantras concentrate on them.

Momordica monadelpha. A perennial climbing plant, the fruit of which is a bright red gourd. Because of its color it is frequently used in poetry as a simile for lips.

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

Lit. “awakening.”

Lit. “tree of awakening.” Name of the tree under which the Buddha Śākyamuni attained awakening in Bodhgayā. It is a kind of fig tree, the Ficus religiosa, known in Sanskrit as aśvattha or pippala. It is also mentioned as the tree beneath which every buddha will manifest the attainment of buddhahood.

A being who is dedicated to the cultivation and fulfilment of the altruistic intention to attain perfect buddhahood, traversing the ten bodhisattva levels (daśabhūmi, sa bcu). Bodhisattvas purposely opt to remain within cyclic existence in order to liberate all sentient beings, instead of simply seeking personal freedom from suffering. In terms of the view, they realize both the selflessness of persons and the selflessness of phenomena.

Here, “Bodhisattva” is also used to refer specifically to the Buddha prior to his awakening, both during this life, as Prince Siddhārtha, and during his previous life, as Śvetaketu, in the Heaven of Joy.

A high-ranking deity presiding over a divine world; he is also considered to be the lord of the Sahā world (our universe). Though not considered a creator god in Buddhism, Brahmā occupies an important place as one of two gods (the other being Indra/Śakra) said to have first exhorted the Buddha Śākyamuni to teach the Dharma. The particular heavens found in the form realm over which Brahmā rules are often some of the most sought-after realms of higher rebirth in Buddhist literature. Since there are many universes or world systems, there are also multiple Brahmās presiding over them. His most frequent epithets are “Lord of the Sahā World” (sahāṃpati) and Great Brahmā (mahābrahman).

The first god realm of form, it is the lowest of the three heavens that make up the first dhyāna heaven in the form realm.

A king, one of the Buddha’s former rebirths.

A king.

One of the sons of Māra present on the eve of Siddhārtha’s awakening.

A class of beings.

A buddha in the past.

The second god realm of form, this is the second of the three heavens that make up the first dhyāna heaven in the form realm. Also called Realms of the High Priests of Brahmā (Brahmā­purohita).

A divine priest.

See “seven branches of awakening” and also 4.25 for an explanation of each.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

A tree, Magnolia champaca, with attractive cream or yellow-orange flowers used in India for offerings, decoration, and perfume.

The world of the Thus-Gone One Puṣpāvali Vanarāji Kusumitābhijña’s buddha realm.

One of the gods of the pure realms.

The god of the moon; the moon personified.

One of the Buddha’s former rebirths.

A thus-gone one.

This most likely refers to the Indian Roller, Coracias indica, a small bird with bright blue plumage.

Sometimes also translated “goddess.”

The Sanskrit term vimāna can refer to a multistoried mansion or palace, or even an estate, but is more often used in the sense of a celestial chariot of the gods, sometimes taking the form of a multistoried palace.

Prince Siddhārtha’s charioteer.

A constellation in the south, personified as a semidivine being. Here also called upon for protection.

The tenth of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and the pure realms, it is listed as the first of the three heavens that correspond to the fourth of the four concentrations.

Eighth of the twelve links of dependent origination. Craving is often listed as threefold: craving for the desirable, craving for existence, and craving for nonexistence.

A feature of the uṣṇīṣa whereby its top, or its upward extent, cannot be seen.

One of the thirty-two signs, or major marks, of a great being. In its simplest form it is a pointed shape of the head like a turban (the Sanskrit term, uṣṇīṣa, in fact means “turban”), or more elaborately a dome-shaped extension. The extension is described as having various extraordinary attributes such as emitting and absorbing rays of light or reaching an immense height.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

An Indian preceptor from Kashmir who was resident in Tibet during the late eighth and early ninth centuries. He translated many texts in the Kangyur in collaboration with Yeshé Dé.

A forest.

A Śākya clan member and father of Gopā.

The father of Rājaka who briefly hosts Prince Siddhārtha after he leaves his home.

The forest, located outside of Vārāṇasī, where the Buddha first taught the Dharma.

The principle of dependent origination asserts that nothing exists independently of other factors, the reason being that things and events come into existence only by dependence on the aggregation of multiple causes and conditions. In general, the processes of cyclic existence, through which the external world and the sentient beings within it revolve in a continuous cycle of suffering, propelled by the propensities of past actions and their interaction with afflicted mental states, originate dependent on the sequential unfolding of twelve links, commencing with fundamental ignorance and ending with birth, aging, and death (see The Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom in Ten Thousand Lines, 1.18–1.19). It is only through deliberate reversal of these twelve links that one can succeed in bringing the cycle to an end.

A cousin of the Buddha Śākyamuni who broke with him and established his own community. His tradition was still continuing during the first millennium ᴄᴇ. He is portrayed as engendering evil schemes against the Buddha and even succeeding in wounding him. He is usually identified with wicked beings in accounts of previous lifetimes.

A class of beings.

A god.

A constellation in the north, personified as a semidivine being. Here called upon for protection.

The term dhāraṇī has the sense of something that “holds” or “retains,” and so it can refer to the special capacity of practitioners to memorize and recall detailed teachings. It can also refer to a verbal expression of the teachings‍—an incantation, spell, or mnemonic formula‍—that distills and “holds” essential points of the Dharma and is used by practitioners to attain mundane and supramundane goals. The same term is also used to denote texts that contain such formulas.

One of the bodhisattvas attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

The god of justice, father of one of the five Pāṇḍava brothers, namely Yudhiṣṭhira, as found in the Mahābhārata.

One of the four gods of the Bodhi tree.

A god.

A king, one of the Buddha’s former rebirths.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

One of Māra’s sons who developed faith in Prince Siddhārtha, and tried to dissuade Māra from attacking him on the evening of his awakening.

One of the four gods of the Bodhi tree.

One of the sixteen gods guarding the seat of awakening.

Name of a buddha in the past, mentioned also as the name of a thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life. (It is possible these refer to the same buddha.)

One of the four gods of the Bodhi tree.

One of Māra’s sons who developed faith in Prince Siddhārtha and tried to dissuade Māra from attacking him on the evening of his awakening.

One of the four gods of the Bodhi tree.

One of the sixteen gods guarding the seat of awakening.

A palace in the Heaven of Joy, where the Bodhisattva taught the Dharma to gods.

One of the Four Great Kings, he is the guardian deity for the east and lord of the gandharvas. See also Four Great Kings.

One of the four goddesses who attended and kept guard over Prince Siddhārtha while he was in the womb of his mother.

A buddha who appeared two incalculable eons before the Buddha Śākyamuni’s time and is celebrated in Buddhist literature as the first buddha to predict the bodhisattva Sumati’s future enlightenment as the Buddha Śākyamuni. In depictions of the buddhas of the three times, he represents the buddhas of the past, while Śākyamuni represents the present, and Maitreya the future.

One of the Buddha’s former rebirths.

One of the sons of Māra present on the eve of Prince Siddhārtha’s awakening.

Morally virtuous or disciplined conduct and the abandonment of morally undisciplined conduct of body, speech, and mind. In a general sense, moral discipline is the cause for rebirth in higher, more favorable states, but it is also foundational to Buddhist practice as one of the three trainings (triśikṣā) and one of the six perfections of a bodhisattva. Often rendered as “ethics,” “discipline,” and “morality.”

A palace where Prince Siddhārtha stayed.

A traditional Vedic priest.

A king, one of the Buddha’s former rebirths.

A constellation in the west, personified as a semidivine being. Here called upon for protection.

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

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

One of the sons of Māra present on the eve of Prince Siddhārtha’s awakening.

One of the sons of Māra present on the eve of Siddhārtha’s awakening.

Fear of lions, elephants, fire, snakes, drowning, bondage, thieves, and demons.

Abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, intoxication, eating after noon, dancing and singing, and lying on an elevated bed.

A set of circumstances that do not provide the freedom to practice the Buddhist path: being born in the realms of (1) the hells, (2) hungry ghosts (pretas), (3) animals, or (4) long-lived gods, or in the human realm among (5) barbarians or (6) extremists, (7) in places where the Buddhist teachings do not exist, or (8) without adequate faculties to understand the teachings where they do exist.

Hoping for happiness, fame, praise, and gain, and fearing suffering, insignificance, blame, and loss.

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s behavior, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by other beings. They are generally listed as: (1) he never makes a mistake, (2) he is never boisterous, (3) he never forgets, (4) his concentration never falters, (5) he has no notion of distinctness, (6) his equanimity is not due to lack of consideration, (7) his motivation never falters, (8) his endeavor never fails, (9) his mindfulness never falters, (10) he never abandons his concentration, (11) his insight (prajñā) never decreases, (12) his liberation never fails, (13) all his physical actions are preceded and followed by wisdom (jñāna), (14) all his verbal actions are preceded and followed by wisdom, (15) all his mental actions are preceded and followed by wisdom, (16) his wisdom and vision perceive the past without attachment or hindrance, (17) his wisdom and vision perceive the future without attachment or hindrance, and (18) his wisdom and vision perceive the present without attachment or hindrance.

Right view, intention, speech, actions, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration. See also 4.26.

Eighty of the hundred and twelve identifying physical characteristics of both buddhas and universal monarchs, in addition to the so-called “thirty-two marks of a great being.” They are considered “minor” in terms of being secondary to the thirty-two marks. These can be found listed in 7.100.

One of the eight goddesses in the west, called upon to grant protection.

One of Māra’s sons who developed faith in Prince Siddhārtha and tried to dissuade Māra from attacking him on the evening of his awakening.

A cosmic period of time, sometimes equivalent to the time when a world system appears, exists, and disappears. According to the traditional Abhidharma understanding of cyclical time, a great eon (mahākalpa) is divided into eighty lesser eons. In the course of one great eon, the universe takes form and later disappears. During the first twenty of the lesser eons, the universe is in the process of creation and expansion; during the next twenty it remains; during the third twenty, it is in the process of destruction; and during the last quarter of the cycle, it remains in a state of empty stasis. A fortunate, or good, eon (bhadrakalpa) refers to any eon in which more than one buddha appears.

The antidote to attachment and aversion; a mental state free from bias toward sentient beings.

The Sanskrit literally means “attainment,” and is used to refer specifically to meditative attainment and to particular meditative states. The Tibetan translators interpreted it as sama-āpatti, which suggests the idea of “equal” or “level”; however, they also parsed it as sam-āpatti, in which case it would have the sense of “concentration” or “absorption,” much like samādhi, but with the added sense of “attainment.”

See “thirty-seven factors of awakening.”

See “five faculties.”

According to Monier-Williams s.v. plakṣa: “Ficus infectoria (a large and beautiful tree with small white fruit).” A general name for the Ficus religiosa, the kind of tree under which the Buddha attained awakening. See also “Bodhi tree.”

Form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness.

The five companions of Prince Siddhārtha during his period of ascetic practice. After his awakening, they became his first five disciples. Their names are Ājñāta­kauṇḍinya, Aśvajit, Bāṣpa, Mahānāma, and Bhadrika.

Refers to the five fundamental precepts of abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and consuming intoxicants.

The five supernatural abilities attained through realization and yogic accomplishment: divine sight, divine hearing, knowing how to manifest miracles, remembering previous lives, and knowing the minds of others. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)

Faith, mindfulness, diligence, concentration, and insight. Similar to the five faculties but differing in that they cannot be shaken by adverse conditions. See also 4.24.

These comprise (1) the eye of flesh, (2) the eye of divine clairvoyance, (3) the eye of wisdom, (4) the eye of Dharma, and (5) the eye of the buddhas.

The four qualities that are said to result in rebirth in the Brahmā World. They are limitless loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)

Four gods who live on the lower slopes (fourth level) of Mount Meru in the eponymous Heaven of the Four Great Kings (Cāturmahā­rājika, rgyal chen bzhi’i ris) and guard the four cardinal directions. Each is the leader of a nonhuman class of beings living in his realm. They are Dhṛtarāṣṭra, ruling the gandharvas in the east; Virūḍhaka, ruling over the kumbhāṇḍas in the south; Virūpākṣa, ruling the nāgas in the west; and Vaiśravaṇa (also known as Kubera) ruling the yakṣas in the north. Also referred to as Guardians of the World or World Protectors (lokapāla, ’jig rten skyong ba).

See also “guardians of the world.”

The meditations on love (maitrī), compassion (karuṇā), joy (muditā), and equanimity (upekṣā), as well as the states of mind and qualities of being that result from their cultivation. They are also called the four abodes of Brahmā (caturbrahmavihāra).

In the Abhidharmakośa, Vasubandhu explains that they are called apramāṇa‍—meaning “infinite” or “limitless”‍—because they take limitless sentient beings as their object, and they generate limitless merit and results. Love is described as the wish that beings be happy, and it acts as an antidote to malice (vyāpāda). Compassion is described as the wish for beings to be free of suffering, and acts as an antidote to harmfulness (vihiṃsā). Joy refers to rejoicing in the happiness beings already have, and it acts as an antidote to dislike or aversion (arati) toward others’ success. Equanimity is considering all beings impartially, without distinctions, and it is the antidote to both attachment to pleasure and to malice (kāmarāgavyāpāda).

These are traditionally listed as four: generosity, kind talk, meaningful actions, and practicing what one preaches.

See “four truths of the noble ones.”

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

A bodhisattva who resided in the Varagaṇā world of the Thus-Gone One Gaṇendra’s buddha realm, and proceeded to Bodhgayā to venerate the Buddha.

A mountain in the north, personified as a semidivine being. Here called upon for protection.

A class of generally benevolent nonhuman beings who inhabit the skies, sometimes said to inhabit fantastic cities in the clouds, and more specifically to dwell on the eastern slopes of Mount Meru, where they are ruled by the Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. They are most renowned as celestial musicians who serve the gods. In the Abhidharma, the term is also used to refer to the mental body assumed by sentient beings during the intermediate state between death and rebirth. Gandharvas are said to live on fragrances (gandha) in the desire realm, hence the Tibetan translation dri za, meaning “scent eater.”

A thus-gone one.

The Gaṅgā, or Ganges in English, is considered to be the most sacred river of India, particularly within the Hindu tradition. It starts in the Himalayas, flows through the northern plains of India, bathing the holy city of Vārāṇasī, and meets the sea at the Bay of Bengal, in Bangladesh. In the sūtras, however, this river is mostly mentioned not for its sacredness but for its abundant sands‍—noticeable still today on its many sandy banks and at its delta‍—which serve as a common metaphor for infinitely large numbers.

According to Buddhist cosmology, as explained in the Abhidharmakośa, it is one of the four rivers that flow from Lake Anavatapta and cross the southern continent of Jambudvīpa‍—the known human world or more specifically the Indian subcontinent.

In Indian mythology, the garuḍa is an eagle-like bird that is regarded as the king of all birds, normally depicted with a sharp, owl-like beak, often holding a snake, and with large and powerful wings. They are traditionally enemies of the nāgas. In the Vedas, they are said to have brought nectar from the heavens to earth. Garuḍa can also be used as a proper name for a king of such creatures.

The gate of King Śuddhodana’s palace, in Kapilavastu, through which Prince Siddhārtha leaves, both for one of his trips outside and when he finally forsakes palace life.

One of the gates in the city of Rājagṛha.

The family name of Prince Siddhārtha. Gautama means “descendant of Gotama,” while his clan name, Gotama, means “Excellent Cow.” When the Buddha is addressed as Gautama in the sūtras, it typically implies that the speaker does not share the respect of his disciples, who would rather refer to him as the “Blessed One” (Bhagavān) or another such epithet.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

One of the sacred towns of ancient India, south of the Ganges in present-day Bihar. In the Buddha’s lifetime, this was in the kingdom of Magadha. Uruvilvā, the area including Bodhgayā where the Buddha attained enlightenment, is nearby to the south, upriver from Gayā.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

In the most general sense the devas‍—the term is cognate with the English divine‍—are a class of celestial beings who frequently appear in Buddhist texts, often at the head of the assemblies of nonhuman beings who attend and celebrate the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni and other buddhas and bodhisattvas. In Buddhist cosmology the devas occupy the highest of the five or six “destinies” (gati) of saṃsāra among which beings take rebirth. The devas reside in the devalokas, “heavens” that traditionally number between twenty-six and twenty-eight and are divided between the desire realm (kāmadhātu), form realm (rūpadhātu), and formless realm (ārūpyadhātu). A being attains rebirth among the devas either through meritorious deeds (in the desire realm) or the attainment of subtle meditative states (in the form and formless realms). While rebirth among the devas is considered favorable, it is ultimately a transitory state from which beings will fall when the conditions that lead to rebirth there are exhausted. Thus, rebirth in the god realms is regarded as a diversion from the spiritual path.

Sometimes also translated as “celestial maiden.”

See “Highest Heaven.”

Wife of Prince Siddhārtha prior to his leaving the kingdom and attaining awakening as the Buddha. She was the daughter of the Śākya nobleman Daṇḍapāṇi.

The sixteenth of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and the pure realms, it is listed as the fourth of the five pure realms.

The term can be understood to mean “great courageous one” or "great hero,” or (from the Sanskrit) simply “great being,” and is almost always found as an epithet of “bodhisattva.” The qualification “great” in this term, according to the majority of canonical definitions, focuses on the generic greatness common to all bodhisattvas, i.e., the greatness implicit in the bodhisattva vow itself in terms of outlook, aspiration, number of beings to be benefited, potential or eventual accomplishments, and so forth. In this sense the mahā- (“great”) is close in its connotations to the mahā- in “Mahāyāna.” While individual bodhisattvas described as mahāsattva may in many cases also be “great” in terms of their level of realization, this is largely coincidental, and in the canonical texts the epithet is not restricted to bodhisattvas at any particular point in their career. Indeed, in a few cases even bodhisattvas whose path has taken a wrong direction are still described as bodhisattva mahāsattva.

Later commentarial writings do nevertheless define the term‍—variably‍—in terms of bodhisattvas having attained a particular level (bhūmi) or realization. The most common qualifying criteria mentioned are attaining the path of seeing, attaining irreversibility (according to its various definitions), or attaining the seventh bhūmi.

The third of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and the pure realms, it is listed as the third of the three heavens that correspond to the first of the four concentration.

The largest universe described in Buddhist cosmology. This term, in Abhidharma cosmology, refers to 1,000^³ world systems, i.e., 1,000 “dichiliocosms” or “two thousand great thousand world realms” (dvi­sāhasra­mahā­sāhasra­lokadhātu), which are in turn made up of 1,000 first-order world systems, each with its own Mount Sumeru, continents, sun and moon, etc.

When the Buddhist teachings are classified according to their power to lead beings to an awakened state, a distinction is made between the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle (Hīnayāna), which emphasizes the individual’s own freedom from cyclic existence as the primary motivation and goal, and those of the Great Vehicle (Mahāyāna), which emphasizes altruism and has the liberation of all sentient beings as the principal objective. As the term “Great Vehicle” implies, the path followed by bodhisattvas is analogous to a large carriage that can transport a vast number of people to liberation, as compared to a smaller vehicle for the individual practitioner.

They are the same as the Four Great Kings of the four directions, namely, Vaiśravaṇa, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Virūḍhaka, and Virūpākṣa, whose mission is to report on the activities of mankind to the gods of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven and who have pledged to protect the practitioners of the Dharma. Each universe has its own set of four.

A class of devas that, like the yakṣas, are ruled over by Kubera.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

A world within the Thus-Gone One Guṇa­rāja­prabhāsa’s buddha realm.

A buddha in the past.

A bodhisattva who resides in the Guṇākarā world of the Thus-Gone One Guṇa­rāja­prabhāsa’s buddha realm, and comes to venerate the Buddha.

A buddha in the past.

A thus-gone one.

A child-eating yakṣiṇī who was tamed by the Buddha and became a protectress of children, women, the saṅgha, and all beings.

A constellation.

A city in ancient India.

The Sanskrit term śrāvaka, and the Tibetan nyan thos, both derived from the verb “to hear,” are usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard to others.” Primarily this refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat seeking their own liberation and nirvāṇa. They are the practitioners of the first turning of the wheel of the Dharma on the four noble truths, who realize the suffering inherent in saṃsāra and focus on understanding that there is no independent self. By conquering afflicted mental states (kleśa), they liberate themselves, attaining first the stage of stream enterers at the path of seeing, followed by the stage of once-returners who will be reborn only one more time, and then the stage of non-returners who will no longer be reborn into the desire realm. The final goal is to become an arhat. These four stages are also known as the “four results of spiritual practice.”

Also translated here as “listener.”

The third of the six heavens of the realm of desire; also the name of the gods living there. The Tibetan translation ’thab bral, “free from strife or combat,” derives from the idea that these devas, because they live in an aerial abode above Sumeru, do not have to engage in combat with the asuras who dwell on the slopes of the mountain.

A heavenly realm and the class of gods who inhabit it.

A heavenly realm listed in this text between the twelfth heaven of the form realm, the Heaven of Great Fruition, and the five pure realms of the form realm.

The fifth of the six heavens of the desire realm; also the name of the gods living there. Its inhabitants magically create the objects of their own enjoyment.

The twelfth of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and the pure realms, it is listed as the third of the three heavens that correspond to the fourth of the four concentrations.

The eleventh of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and the pure realms, it is listed as the second of the three heavens that correspond to the fourth of the four concentrations.

The fourth of the six heavens of the desire realm; also the name of the gods living there. It is the paradise in which the Buddha Śākyamuni lived as the tenth-level bodhisattva and regent Śvetaketu, prior to his birth in this world, and is also where all future buddhas dwell prior to their awakening. At present the regent of the Heaven of Joy is the bodhisattva Maitreya, the future buddha.

The seventh of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and the pure realms, it is listed as the first of the three heavens that correspond to the third of the four concentrations.

The eighth of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and the pure realms, it is listed as the second of the three heavens that correspond to the third of the four concentrations.

The sixth and highest heaven in the desire realm; also the name of the gods living there. It is so named because the inhabitants have power over the emanations of others.

The fourteenth of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and the pure realms, it is listed as the second of the five pure realms.

The ninth of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and the pure realms, it is listed as the third of the three heavens that correspond to the third of the four concentrations.

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

The second of the six heavens in the desire realm; also the name of the gods living there. The paradise of Śakra on the summit of Sumeru where there are thirty-three leading deities, hence the name.

The lowest hell; the eighth of the eight hot hells.

A buddha in the past.

A bodhisattva who resides in the Hema­jāla­pratichannā world of the Thus-Gone One Ratnacchatrābhyudgatāvabhāsa’s buddha realm, who comes to venerate the Buddha.

A world within the Thus-Gone One Ratnacchatrābhyudgatāvabhāsa’s buddha realm.

The hill in Sārnāth, on the outskirts of Vārāṇasī, on which the Deer Park (Mṛgadāva) is situated. This is the place where the Buddha turned the wheel of Dharma for the first time.

The Himalayan mountain range.

The term is usually used for wealthy lay patrons of the Buddhist community. It also refers to a subdivision of the vaiśya (mercantile) class of traditional Indian society, comprising businessmen, merchants, landowners, and so on.

A god who comes to Prince Siddhārtha’s palace to serve and venerate him.

A king who was an ancestor of the Śākyans.

One of the eight goddesses in the north, called upon to grant protection.

Maliciousness, malevolence, vindictiveness. One of the ten nonvirtuous actions.

The lord of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven on the summit of Mount Sumeru. As one of the eight guardians of the directions, Indra guards the eastern quarter. In Buddhist sūtras, he is a disciple of the Buddha and protector of the Dharma and its practitioners. He is often referred to by the epithets Śatakratu, Śakra, and Kauśika.

A bodhisattva who resides in the Campakavarṇā world of the Thus-Gone One Puṣpāvali Vanarāji Kusumitābhijña’s buddha realm, and comes to venerate the Buddha.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made praises in a past life.

A nāga king.

An important form of Buddhist meditation focusing on developing insight into the nature of phenomena. Often presented as part of a pair of meditation techniques, the other being “tranquility” (śamatha).

A mythical, divine river.

The name of the southern continent in Buddhist cosmology, which can signify either the known human world, or more specifically the Indian subcontinent, literally “the jambu island/continent.” Jambu is the name used for a range of plum-like fruits from trees belonging to the genus Szygium, particularly Szygium jambos and Szygium cumini, and it has commonly been rendered “rose apple,” although “black plum” may be a less misleading term. Among various explanations given for the continent being so named, one (in the Abhidharmakośa) is that a jambu tree grows in its northern mountains beside Lake Anavatapta, mythically considered the source of the four great rivers of India, and that the continent is therefore named from the tree or the fruit. Jambudvīpa has the Vajrāsana at its center and is the only continent upon which buddhas attain awakening.

One of the ten girls who attended upon Prince Siddhārtha while he was practicing austerities.

One of the eight goddesses in the east, called upon to grant protection.

A constellation in the west, personified as a semidivine being. Here called upon for protection.

See “Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.”

One of the first Buddhist monasteries, located in a park outside Śrāvastī, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kośala in northern India. This park was originally owned by Prince Jeta, hence the name Jetavana, meaning Jeta’s grove. The wealthy merchant Anāthapiṇḍada, wishing to offer it to the Buddha, sought to buy it from him, but the prince, not wishing to sell, said he would only do so if Anāthapiṇḍada covered the entire property with gold coins. Anāthapiṇḍada agreed, and managed to cover all of the park except the entrance, hence the name Anāthapiṇḍadasyārāmaḥ, meaning Anāthapiṇḍada’s park. The place is usually referred to in the sūtras as “Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park,” and according to the Saṃghabhedavastu the Buddha used Prince Jeta’s name in first place because that was Prince Jeta’s own unspoken wish while Anāthapiṇḍada was offering the park. Inspired by the occasion and the Buddha’s use of his name, Prince Jeta then offered the rest of the property and had an entrance gate built. The Buddha specifically instructed those who recite the sūtras to use Prince Jeta’s name in first place to commemorate the mutual effort of both benefactors.

Anāthapiṇḍada built residences for the monks, to house them during the monsoon season, thus creating the first Buddhist monastery. It was one of the Buddha’s main residences, where he spent around nineteen rainy season retreats, and it was therefore the setting for many of the Buddha’s discourses and events. According to the travel accounts of Chinese monks, it was still in use as a Buddhist monastery in the early fifth century ᴄᴇ, but by the sixth century it had been reduced to ruins.

Jinamitra was invited to Tibet during the reign of King Trisong Detsen (khri srong lde btsan, r. 742–98 ᴄᴇ) and was involved with the translation of nearly two hundred texts, continuing into the reign of King Ralpachen (ral pa can, r. 815–38 ᴄᴇ). He was one of the small group of paṇḍitas responsible for the Mahāvyutpatti Sanskrit–Tibetan dictionary and also author of the Nyāya­bindu­piṇḍārtha (Toh 4233), which is contained in the Tengyur (bstan ’gyur) collection.

A buddha in the past.

A buddha in the past.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

A god in the Heaven of Joy, who urges the assembly to put forth the question to the Bodhisattva as to what qualities his future family must have for him to take birth within it.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

A frequent simile for softness, thought to refer either (1) to the down of the kācilindika or kācalindika bird (see Lamotte 1975, p. 261, n. 321), or (2) to a tropical tree bearing silken pods, similar to kapok, from which garments were made, and identified (Monier-Williams p. 266) with Abrus precatorius.

Mount Kailash, often considered the earthly representation of Mount Meru, the central world-axis in numerous South Asian cosmographies. In its role as the center of the cosmos, Mount Kailash is considered to be the dwelling place of numerous Buddhist and non-Buddhist deities including the Hindu god Śiva, the tantric Buddhist god Cakrasaṃvara, Kubera, and others. The mountain is considered sacred to Hindus, Buddhists, and Bönpos.

The king of nāgas.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove. He was one of the Buddha’s arhat disciples, a former king, renowned as foremost among those who teach monks. This spelling is attested in the present text but in other texts his name is spelled Mahākapphiṇa, Kapphiṇa, Kapphina, Kaphiṇa, Kasphiṇa, Kaṃphina, Kaphilla, or Kaphiṇḍa.

A buddha in the past.

Prince Siddhārtha’s horse.

The capital city of the Śākya kingdom, where Prince Siddhārtha grew up, located in the foothills of the Himalayas. At present, there are two archeological sites, one on either side of the present border between Nepal and India, that have been identified as its remains.

Ancient name for Vārāṇasī, the holy city on the banks of the Ganges in modern-day Uttar Pradesh, India.

A past buddha.

A god.

See Ājñāta­kauṇḍinya.

“One who belongs to the Kuśika lineage.” An epithet of the god Śakra, also known as Indra, the king of the gods in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven. In the Ṛgveda, Indra is addressed by the epithet Kauśika, with the implication that he is associated with the descendants of the Kuśika lineage (gotra) as their aiding deity. In later epic and Purāṇic texts, we find the story that Indra took birth as Gādhi Kauśika, the son of Kuśika and one of the Vedic poet-seers, after the Puru king Kuśika had performed austerities for one thousand years to obtain a son equal to Indra who could not be killed by others. In the Pāli Kusajātaka (Jāt V 141–45), the Buddha, in one of his former bodhisattva lives as a Trāyastriṃśa god, takes birth as the future king Kusa upon the request of Indra, who wishes to help the childless king of the Mallas, Okkaka, and his chief queen Sīlavatī. This story is also referred to by Nāgasena in the Milindapañha.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

A king, one of the Buddha’s former rebirths.

One of the sixteen gods guarding the seat of awakening.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

A musical instrument of an unidentified kind, though sometimes translated as “cymbals.”

A class of nonhuman beings that resemble humans to the degree that their very name‍—which means “is that human?”‍—suggests some confusion as to their divine status. Kinnaras are mythological beings found in both Buddhist and Brahmanical literature, where they are portrayed as creatures half human, half animal. They are often depicted as highly skilled celestial musicians.

One of the bullocks of the merchant brothers, Trapuṣa and Bhallika.

An ancient kingdom, northwest of Magadha, abutting Kāśi, whose capital was Śrāvastī. During the Buddha’s time it was ruled by Prasenajit. It presently corresponds to an area within Uttar Pradesh.

A buddha in the past.

A god.

One of the eight goddesses in the west, called upon to grant protection.

A king, one of the Buddha’s former rebirths.

A constellation in the east, personified as a semidivine being. Here called upon for protection.

The king of yakṣas and an important wealth deity, he is also one of the Four Great Kings in Buddhist cosmology. In this capacity he is commonly known as Vaiśravaṇa.

A god.

One of the ten girls who attended upon Prince Siddhārtha while he was practicing austerities.

A class of dwarf beings subordinate to Virūḍhaka, one of the Four Great Kings, associated with the southern direction. The name uses a play on the word aṇḍa, which means “egg” but is also a euphemism for a testicle. Thus, they are often depicted as having testicles as big as pots (from kumbha, or “pot”).

Himalayan bird with beautiful bright eyes.

The continent to the north of Sumeru according to Buddhist cosmology. In the Abhidharmakośa, it is described as square in shape. Its human inhabitants enjoy a fixed lifespan of a thousand years and do not hold personal property or marry.

A bodhisattva who resides in the Vimala world in the Thus-Gone One Vimala­prabhāsa’s buddha realm, and comes to venerate the Buddha.

A god.

A measure of distance sometimes translated as “league,” but with varying definitions. The Sanskrit term denotes the distance yoked oxen can travel in a day or before needing to be unyoked. From different canonical sources the distance represented varies between four and ten miles.

This is a collective term used by proponents of the Great Vehicle to refer to the Hearer Vehicle (śrāvakayāna) and Solitary Buddha Vehicle (pratyeka­buddha­yāna). The name stems from their goal‍—nirvāṇa and personal liberation‍—being seen as small or lesser than the goal of the Great Vehicle‍—buddhahood and the liberation of all sentient beings. See also “Great Vehicle.”

The fourth god realm of form, this is the lowest of the three heavens that make up the second dhyāna heaven in the form realm.

The fifth god realm of form, this is the second of the three heavens that make up the second dhyāna heaven in the form realm.

A buddha in the past.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

A buddha in the past.

The Lord of Death who directs the departed into the next realm of rebirth.

A collective name for the realms of animals, hungry ghosts, and denizens of the hells.

The birthplace of the Buddha, located in southern Nepal.

The sixth of the seventeen heavens of the form realm; also the name of the gods living there. In the form realm, which is structured according to the four concentrations and the pure realms, it is listed as the third of the three heavens that correspond to the second of the four concentrations.

A traditional Indian stringed instrument, much like a sitar.

One of Māra’s sons who developed faith in Prince Siddhārtha and tried to dissuade Māra from attacking him on the evening of his awakening.

The name the merchants Trapuṣa and Bhallika will bear when they become buddhas in the future.

An ancient Indian kingdom that lay to the south of the Ganges River in what today is the state of Bihar. Magadha was the largest of the sixteen “great states” (mahājanapada) that flourished between the sixth and third centuries ʙᴄᴇ in northern India. During the life of the Buddha Śākyamuni, it was ruled by King Bimbisāra and later by Bimbisāra's son, Ajātaśatru. Its capital was initially Rājagṛha (modern-day Rajgir) but was later moved to Pāṭaliputra (modern-day Patna). Over the centuries, with the expansion of the Magadha’s might, it became the capital of the vast Mauryan empire and seat of the great King Aśoka.

This region is home to many of the most important Buddhist sites, including Bodh Gayā, where the Buddha attained awakening; Vulture Peak (Gṛdhra­kūṭa), where the Buddha bestowed many well-known Mahāyāna sūtras; and the Buddhist university of Nālandā that flourished between the fifth and twelfth centuries ᴄᴇ, among many others.

A constellation in the south, personified as a semidivine being. Here called upon for protection.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

A buddha in the past.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove. He was one of the five companions who joined Prince Siddhārtha while practicing austerities and attended his first turning of the wheel of Dharma at the Deer Park, after the Buddha’s awakening.

A young Śākya.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

Siddhārtha Gautama’s aunt, who raised him following his mother’s death and who later became the first woman to go forth as a member of the Buddha Śākyamuni’s monastic saṅgha.

One of the eight goddesses in the north, called upon to grant protection.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

One of the sixteen gods guarding the seat of awakening.

One of the bodhisattvas attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

One of the principal śrāvaka disciples of the Buddha, paired with Śāriputra. He was renowned for his miraculous powers. His family clan was descended from Mudgala, hence his name Maudgalyā­yana, “the son of Mudgala’s descendants.” Respectfully referred to as Mahā­maudgalyā­yana, “Great Maudgalyāyana.”

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

A buddha in the past.

One of the gods of the pure realms. This is a frequently used name for Śiva and often synonymous with Īśvara, though sometimes they are presented as separate deities.

One of the sixteen gods guarding the seat of awakening.

One of the gods of the pure realms.

Literally “great serpents,” mahoragas are supernatural beings depicted as large, subterranean beings with human torsos and heads and the lower bodies of serpents. Their movements are said to cause earthquakes, and they make up a class of subterranean geomantic spirits whose movement through the seasons and months of the year is deemed significant for construction projects.

A country Prince Siddhārtha traveled through.

One of the bodhisattvas attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

A nāga king; a member of the Buddha’s retinue.

One of the five trees of Indra’s paradise, its heavenly flowers often rain down in salutation of the buddhas and bodhisattvas and are said to be very bright and aromatic, gladdening the hearts of those who see them. In our world, it is a tree native to India, Erythrina indica or Erythrina variegata, commonly known as the Indian coral tree, mandarava tree, flame tree, and tiger’s claw. In the early spring, before its leaves grow, the tree is fully covered in large flowers, which are rich in nectar and attract many birds. Although the most widespread coral tree has red crimson flowers, the color of the blossoms is not usually mentioned in the sūtras themselves, and it may refer to some other kinds, like the rarer Erythrina indica alba, which boasts white flowers.

A buddha in the past.

A yakṣa king, the brother of Kubera.

One of Māra’s sons who developed faith in Prince Siddhārtha and tried to dissuade Māra from attacking him on the evening of his awakening.

Māra’s chief queen.

A solitary buddha who dwelt on Mount Golāṅgula­parivartana in the city of Rājagṛha.

A city in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, located approximately fifty kilometers north of Agra.

A god.

See “Māyādevī.”

The Buddha Śākyamuni’s mother, who died shortly after his birth; also called here simply Māyā. She was one of the wives of King Śuddhodana of Kapilavastu and is said to have been the daughter of Śākya Suprabuddha.

A thus-gone one.

A buddha in the past.

A world within the Thus-Gone One Megharāja’s buddha realm.

A bodhisattva who resides in the Meghavatī world of the Thus-Gone One Megharāja’s buddha realm, and comes to venerate the Buddha.

The Tibetan translates both stūpa and caitya with the same word, mchod rten, meaning “basis” or “recipient” of “offerings” or “veneration.” Pali: cetiya.

A caitya, although often synonymous with stūpa, can also refer to any site, sanctuary or shrine that is made for veneration, and may or may not contain relics.

A stūpa, literally “heap” or “mound,” is a mounded or circular structure usually containing relics of the Buddha or the masters of the past. It is considered to be a sacred object representing the awakened mind of a buddha, but the symbolism of the stūpa is complex, and its design varies throughout the Buddhist world. Stūpas continue to be erected today as objects of veneration and merit making.

Dhyāna is defined as one-pointed abiding in an undistracted state of mind, free from afflicted mental states. Four states of dhyāna are identified as being conducive to birth within the form realm. In the context of the Mahāyāna, it is the fifth of the six perfections. It is commonly translated as “concentration,” “meditative concentration,” and so on.

In Buddhism more generally, merit refers to the wholesome karmic potential accumulated by someone as a result of positive and altruistic thoughts, words, and actions, which will ripen in the current or future lifetimes as the experience of happiness and well-being. According to the Mahāyāna, it is important to dedicate the merit of one’s wholesome actions to the awakening of oneself and to the ultimate and temporary benefit of all sentient beings. Doing so ensures that others also experience the results of the positive actions generated and that the merit is not wasted by ripening in temporary happiness for oneself alone.

According to ancient Buddhist cosmology, this is the great mountain forming the axis of the universe. At its summit is Sudarśana, home of Śakra and his thirty-two gods, and on its flanks live the asuras. The mount has four sides facing the cardinal directions, each of which is made of a different precious stone. Surrounding it are several mountain ranges and the great ocean where the four principal island continents lie: in the south, Jambudvīpa (our world); in the west, Godānīya; in the north, Uttarakuru; and in the east, Pūrvavideha. Above it are the abodes of the desire realm gods. It is variously referred to as Meru, Mount Meru, Sumeru, and Mount Sumeru.

This is the faculty that enables the mind to maintain its attention on a referent object, counteracting the arising of forgetfulness, which is a great obstacle to meditative stability. The root smṛ may mean “to recollect” but also simply “to think of.” Broadly speaking, smṛti, commonly translated as “mindfulness,” means to bring something to mind, not necessarily something experienced in a distant past but also something that is experienced in the present, such as the position of one’s body or the breath.

Together with alertness (samprajāna, shes bzhin), it is one of the two indispensable factors for the development of calm abiding (śamatha, zhi gnas).

Śakra’s pleasure grove on the summit of Sumeru.

One of the eight goddesses in the west, called upon to grant protection.

A city in India.

A mental state that induces one to avoid immoral behavior out of concern for what others will think or say about oneself if one misbehaves.

The term bhikṣu, often translated as “monk,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist monks and nuns‍—like other ascetics of the time‍—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity.

In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a monk follows 253 rules as part of his moral discipline. A nun (bhikṣuṇī; dge slong ma) follows 364 rules. A novice monk (śrāmaṇera; dge tshul) or nun (śrāmaṇerikā; dge tshul ma) follows thirty-six rules of moral discipline (although in other vinaya traditions novices typically follow only ten).

A sacred hill immediately to the south of the city of Gayā.

A place in the city of Rājagṛha.

A constellation in the east, personified as a semidivine being. Here called upon for protection.

A nāga king in whose domain the Buddha briefly stayed.

A constellation in the west, personified as a semidivine being. Here called upon for protection.

An Indian preceptor who was resident in Tibet during the late eighth and early ninth centuries.

Plant of the Himalayas believed to possess extraordinary healing properties as well as contribute to longevity. It is also believed to be very conducive to meditation practice. The Medicine Buddha is often depicted with a fruit or sprig of this plant.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

A class of nonhuman beings who live in subterranean aquatic environments, where they guard wealth and sometimes also teachings. Nāgas are associated with serpents and have a snakelike appearance. In Buddhist art and in written accounts, they are regularly portrayed as half human and half snake, and they are also said to have the ability to change into human form. Some nāgas are Dharma protectors, but they can also bring retribution if they are disturbed. They may likewise fight one another, wage war, and destroy the lands of others by causing lightning, hail, and flooding.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

A river near Gayā. It was on the banks of this river that Prince Siddhārtha practiced asceticism, and where he bathed at the end of this period.

One of the five Pāṇḍava brothers. Son of the two Aśvins.

An epithet of Māra.

One of eight mythological nāga kings.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove. Nanda was the younger half-brother of Prince Siddhārtha (the Buddha Śākyamuni); his mother was Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī, Siddhārtha Gautama’s maternal aunt. He became an important monastic disciple of the Buddha.

One of the gods of the pure realms.

One of the eight goddesses in the east, called upon to grant protection.

The father of Sujātā, a girl from the village Senāpati in Urubilvā who offered food to Prince Siddhārtha.

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

One of the eight goddesses in the east, called upon to grant protection.

One of the eight goddesses in the east, called upon to grant protection.

One of the eight goddesses in the east, called upon to grant protection.

A priest.

The nephew of the great sage Asita, who accompanied him to Kapilavastu to see Siddhārtha shortly after his birth.

Major deity in the pantheon of the classical Indian religious traditions, he is famous for his strength.

One of the eight goddesses in the west, called upon to grant protection.

A king, one of the Buddha’s former rebirths.

A king, one of the Buddha’s former rebirths.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

A pure realm.

One of the bodhisattvas attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

The absence of any enduring, singular, or independent essence in individuals or phenomena.

One of the eight goddesses dwelling in the Bodhi tree.

One of the four deities who were dwelling at the Bodhi tree.

Prognostication, foreshadowing.

A brahmin woman who briefly hosts Prince Siddhārtha after he leaves his home.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

One of the sixteen gods guarding the seat of awakening.

One of the eight goddesses in the north, called upon to grant protection.

A thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life.

Name of a buddha in the past, mentioned also as the name of a thus-gone one to whom the Bodhisattva made offerings in a past life. (It is possible these refer to the same buddha.)

Traditionally the head of the yakṣa army serving Vaiśravaṇa, and the consort of Hārītī.

Five brothers who were the sons of Pāṇḍu. The most renowned was Arjuna (of Bhagavadgīta fame); the other four were Yudhiṣṭhira, Nakula, Sahadeva, and Bhīmasena. The story of the Pāṇḍava brothers and their battle with their cousins, the Kauravas, is the subject of the Mahābhārata, India’s greatest epic. In the sūtra, Bali imprisons the Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas together.

A mountain in Magadha, where Prince Siddhārtha stayed in solitude after leaving his palace.

A legendary king before the time of the Buddha, whose story features in the Mahābhārata. He could not produce descendants due to a curse, so his two wives conceived five children with different gods, after invoking them through a special mantra. Their sons became known as the five Pāṇḍava brothers. It’s for this reason that this text states this family has confused their genealogy. See 3.27.

Lit. “Making Use of Others’ Emanations.” The principal god in the paradise of the same name, which is the highest in the desire realm.

Generally found within the limits of a town or city, an ārāma was a private citizen’s park, a pleasure grove, a pleasant garden‍—ārāma, in its etymology, is somewhat akin to what in English is expressed by the term “pleasance.” The Buddha and his disciples were offered several such ārāmas in which to dwell, which evolved into monasteries or vihāras. The term is still found in contemporary usage in names of Thai monasteries.

Also translated “pheasant.”

A term meaning acceptance, forbearance, or patience. As the third of the six perfections, patience is classified into three kinds: the capacity to tolerate abuse from sentient beings, to tolerate the hardships of the path to buddhahood, and to tolerate the profound nature of reality. As a term referring to a bodhisattva’s realization, dharmakṣānti (chos la bzod pa) can refer to the ways one becomes “receptive” to the nature of Dharma, and it can be an abbreviation of anutpattikadharmakṣānti, “forbearance for the unborn nature, or nonproduction, of dharmas.”

Golden-fronted leafbird.

The attainment of a buddha, who has gained total freedom from conditioned existence, overcome all tendencies imprinted on the mind as a result of a long association with afflicted mental states, and fully manifested all aspects of buddha body, speech, and mind. Also used to emphasize the superiority of buddhahood when contrasted with the achievement of the arhats and pratyekabuddhas. A samyaksaṃbuddha is considered superior by virtue of his compassionate activity, his omniscience, and his ten special powers.

To have transcended or crossed to the other side; typically refers to the practices of the bodhisattvas, which are embraced with knowledge.

A constellation in the south, personified as a semidivine being. Here called upon for protection.

A class of nonhuman beings that, like several other classes of nonhuman beings, take spontaneous birth. Ranking below rākṣasas, they are less powerful and more akin to pretas. They are said to dwell in impure and perilous places, where they feed on impure things, including flesh. This could account for the name piśāca, which possibly derives from √piś, to carve or chop meat, as reflected also in the Tibetan sha za, “meat eater.” They are often described as having an unpleasant appearance, and at times they appear with animal bodies. Some possess the ability to enter the dead bodies of humans, thereby becoming so-called vetāla, to touch whom is fatal.