The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines

The four correct exertions are (1) preventing negative states of mind from arising, (2) removing those that have already arisen, (3) giving rise to positive states that have not yet arisen, and (4) maintaining those that have already arisen. While the translation of this term here follows the Sanskrit, a literal translation from Tibetan would be “four correct abandonings,” a rendering often seen. It is possible that the Tibetan translators may originally have confused the meaning in Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit (BHS) of the term prahāṇa (“exertion”) with its meaning in classical Sanskrit (“elimination”). The classical Sanskrit equivalent of BHS prahāṇa is pradhāna.

The four fearlessnesses are proclaimed by the tathāgatas as: (1) “I claim to have attained perfectly complete buddhahood”; (2) “I claim I am one whose contaminants have ceased”; (3) “I claim to have explained those phenomena that cause obstacles”; (4) “I claim to have shown the path that leads to realizing the emancipation of the noble and that will genuinely bring an end to suffering for those who make use of it.” The listing of the four fearlessnesses is translated and analyzed in Konow 1941: pp. 39–40, with reconstructed Sanskrit on pp. 106–7. A full explanation of the fearlessnesses can be found in the passage at 2.388–2.425 in The Teaching on the Great Compassion of the Tathāgata (Tathāgata­mahā­karuṇā­nirdeśa, Toh 147), in which the four fearlessnesses are described as the eleventh to fourteenth of thirty-two actions of a tathāgata. See also Mahāvyutpatti 130–34 and the corresponding explanation in the Drajor Bamponyipa (sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa); Dayal 1932: pp. 20–21; and Sparham 2012 (IV): pp. 80–81. The four are generally known by other names, as in the Mahāvyutpatti: the first is the “fearlessness in the knowledge of all phenomena” (sarva­dharmābhisambodhi­vaiśāradya, chos thams cad mkhyen pa la mi ’jigs pa), which the Buddha achieves for his own benefit; the second is the “fearlessness in the knowledge of the cessation of all contaminants” (sarvāśrava­kṣaya­jñāna­vaiśāradya, zag pa zad pa thams cad mkhyen pa la mi ’jigs pa), which the Buddha achieves for his own benefit; the third is the “fearlessness to declare that phenomena that obstruct the path will not engender any further negative outcomes” (anantarāyika­dharmān­anyathātva­viniścita­vyākaraṇa­vaiśāradya, bar du gcod pa’i chos rnams gzhan du mi ’gyur bar nges pa’i lung bstan pa la mi ’jigs pa), which the Buddha achieves for others’ benefit; and the fourth is the “fearlessness that the path of renunciation through which all excellent attributes are to be obtained has been thus realized” (sarva­sampadadhigamāya nairāṇika­pratipattathātva­vaiśāradya, phun sum tshogs pa thams cad thob par ’gyur bar nges par ’byung ba’i lam de bzhin du gyur ba la mi ’jigs pa), which the Buddha achieves for others’ benefit.

These comprise (1) the meditative absorption of the sphere of infinite space, (2) the meditative absorption of the sphere of infinite consciousness, (3) the meditative absorption of the sphere of nothing-at-all, and (4) the meditative absorption of neither perception nor nonperception. The four formless absorptions and their fruits are discussed in Jamgon Kongtrul, The Treasury of Knowledge, Book 6, Pt. 2: pp. 436–38.

These comprise (1) desire (rāga, ’dod pa), (2) views (dṛṣṭi, lta ba), (3) ethical disciple and asceticism (śīlavrata, tshul khrims brtul zhugs), and (4) self-promotion (ātmavāda, bdag tu smra ba).

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).

These are (1) loving kindness, (2) compassion, (3) empathetic joy, and (4) equanimity. On training in the four immeasurable attitudes, see The Words of My Perfect Teacher 1994, pp. 195–217.

Diseases of wind, bile, phlegm, and a mixture of humoral imbalances.

The four kinds of exact knowledge‍—the essentials through which the buddhas impart their teachings‍—comprise (1) exact knowledge of meanings, (2) exact knowledge of dharmas, (3) exact knowledge of lexical explanations, and (4) exact knowledge of inspired eloquence.

These comprise (1) covetousness (abhidhyā, brnab sems), (2) malice (vyāpāda, gnod sems), (3) moral supremacy (śīlaparāmarśa, tshul khrims mchog ’dzin) and (4) ascetic supremacy (vrataparāmarśa, brtul zhugs mchog ’dzin).

The four progressive levels of concentration associated with the form realm that culminate in pure one-pointedness of mind and are the basis for developing insight. These are part of the nine serial absorptions. For a description, see 9.46. See also “meditative concentration.”

These comprise (1) the notion that what is impermanent is permanent (anitye nityasaṃjñā, mi rtag pa la rtag pa’i ’du shes), (2) the notion that what is suffering is happiness (duḥkhe sukhasaṃjñā, sdug bsngal ba la bde ba’i ’du shes), (3) the notion that nonself is self (anātmanyātma­saṃjñā, bdag med pa la bdag gi ’du shes), and (4) the notion that what is unpleasant is pleasant (aśubhe śubhasaṃjñā, mi sdug pa la sdug pa’i ’du shes).

These comprise: (1) the nourishment of food (kavaḍīkāra, kham), (2) the nourishment of sensory contact (sparśa, reg pa), (3) the nourishment of mentation (cetanā, sems pa), and (4) the nourishment of consciousness (vijñāna, rnam par shes pa), the first two of which are directed toward the present life and the last two to the subsequent life.

These concern (1) establishing the Dharma (chos gdags pa rnam par dgod pa), (2) establishing the truth (bden pa gdags pa rnam par dgod pa), (3) establishing reason (rigs pa gdags pa rnam par dgod pa), and (4) establishing the vehicles (theg pa gdags pa rnam par dgod pa). See the Śata­sāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā­bṛhaṭṭīkā, Toh 3807 (Degé Tengyur vol. 91, F.37.a); also Edgerton, p. 516.

See these four listed at 9.25.

The four torrents, which are to be abandoned, comprise (1) the torrent of ignorance (avidyā, ma rig pa), (2) the torrent of wrong view (dṛṣṭi, lta ba), (3) the torrent of rebirth (bhava, srid pa), and (4) the torrent of craving (tṛṣṇā, sred pa). See Nyima and Dorje 2001: p. 1075.

The four truths of the noble ones comprise (1) the truth of suffering, (2) the truth of the origin of suffering, (3) the truth of the cessation of suffering, and (4) the truth of the path. (Strictly speaking, these should be translated “the truth of the noble ones concerning suffering,” and so on, but for brevity the widespread short form has been used.)

These are enumerated in .

These are enumerated in and comprise the first fourteen of the eighteen aspects of emptiness, q.v. See also Lamotte: The Treatise on the Great Virtue of Wisdom, IV: p. 1670.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

Seventh of the twelve ascetic practices (dhūtaguṇa).

First of the four fruits attainable by śrāvakas, that of the first stage in which one has entered the “stream” of practice that leads to nirvāṇa. See also “entering the stream.”

Third of the four fruits attainable by śrāvakas. See “non-returner.”

Second of the four fruits attainable by śrāvakas. See “once-returner.”

Thirtieth of the thirty-two major marks.

Twentieth of the eighty minor signs.

Fourteenth of the eighty minor signs.

Eleventh of the eighty minor signs.

Thirteenth of the eighty minor signs.

Twelfth of the eighty minor signs.

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.”

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.

A woman whose future awakening is predicted by the Buddha in chapter 43.

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.

A meditative stability.

See “three gateways to liberation.”

In the context‌ of the perfections, generosity is the first of the six perfections. It is also the first of the four attractive qualities of a bodhisattva.

Twenty-second of the thirty-two major marks.

“Conceits” in most instances here has the meaning both of unjustified assumptions and fanciful imagination as well as of pride.

A meditative stability.

Sixty-seventh of the eighty minor signs.

Second of the eighty minor signs.

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.

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.

Fourteenth of the thirty-two major marks.

The Sanskrit pravrajyā literally means “going forth,” with the sense of leaving the life of a householder and embracing the life of a renunciant. When the term is applied more technically, it refers to the act of becoming a male novice (śrāmaṇera; dge tshul) or female novice (śrāmaṇerikā; dge tshul ma), this being a first stage leading to full ordination.

Ninth of the twelve links of dependent origination.

This term, although commonly translated as “appropriation,” also means “grasping” or “clinging,” but it has a particular meaning as the ninth of the twelve links of dependent origination, situated between craving (tṛṣṇā, sred pa) and becoming or existence (bhava, srid pa). In some texts, four types of appropriation (upādāna) are listed: that of desire (rāga), view (dṛṣṭi), rules and observances as paramount (śīla­vrata­parāmarśa), and belief in a self (ātmavāda).

The same Sanskrit term is rendered in the Tibetan of other sūtras as a simile (“like a great sal tree”) in similar passages, but the Tibetan in this text uses an interpretive adjectival phrase.

The same Sanskrit term is rendered in the Tibetan of other sūtras as a simile (“like a great sal tree”) in similar passages, but the Tibetan in this text uses an interpretive adjectival phrase.

The same Sanskrit term is rendered in the Tibetan of other sūtras as a simile (“like a great sal tree”) in similar passages, but the Tibetan in this text uses an interpretive adjectival phrase.

A vast universe comprising one thousand millionfold world systems, i.e., one billion world systems according to traditional Indian cosmology. See also n.231.

First of the four immeasurable attitudes, called “great” in this context because a buddha’s immeasurable attitudes take as their object all beings.

Third of the four immeasurable attitudes, called “great” in this context because a buddha’s immeasurable attitudes take as their object all beings.

Fourth of the four immeasurable attitudes, called “great” in this context because a buddha’s immeasurable attitudes take as their object all beings.

Second of the four immeasurable attitudes, called “great” in this context because a buddha’s immeasurable attitudes take as their object all beings.

A meditative stability.

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.

Fifth of the five fetters associated with the superior.

Name of a bodhisattva, sometimes also found as Guhyagupta; the Tibetan rendering in the Eighteen Thousand is phug sbas.

A place and monastery next to Zhalu (zhwa lu) in Lower Nyang, and therefore associated with canonical translation and compilation. Sakya Pandita was ordained there by Śākyaśrībhadra.

Fortieth of the eighty minor signs.

Seventy-ninth of the eighty minor signs.

Seventy-eighth of the eighty minor signs.

Seventy-sixth of the eighty minor signs.

Seventy-fifth of the eighty minor signs.

Seventy-seventh of the eighty minor signs.

Seventy-fourth of the eighty minor signs.

Eightieth of the eighty minor signs.

First of the thirty-two major marks.

Fourth of the thirty-two major marks.

Third of the thirty-two major marks.

Forty-second of the eighty minor signs.

Indian exegete of the Prajñāpāramitā and its commentary, the Abhisamayālaṃkāra (fl. late eighth century).

Fourth of the four attractive qualities of a bodhisattva. Also translated as “harmonious activity.”

Sixth of the ten nonvirtuous actions. Also rendered as “verbal abuse.”

Second of the five fetters associated with the inferior; one of the three poisons (dug gsum) that, along with attachment and delusion, perpetuate the sufferings of saṃsāra. Its subtle manifestation is aversion, and its coarse manifestations are hatred and fear.

Seventy-third of the eighty minor signs.

The first meditative stability in chapters 6 and 8, also mentioned in other chapters.

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 “stilling.”

Literally “Born from a Golden [Egg]” or “Born from Gold.” An epithet of Brahmā.

Second of the Buddha’s four fearlessnesses.

First of the Buddha’s four fearlessnesses.

First of the twelve links of dependent origination; first of the four torrents; third of the five fetters associated with the superior.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

With respect to bodhisattva great beings, “immaturity” (āma, skyon) suggests rawness‍—something that is uncooked, unrefined, and flawed‍—while “maturity” (niyāma, skyon med) implies certitude, refinement, cooking, softening, and flawlessness.

See “four immeasurable attitudes.”

A meditative stability. See also n.316.

Inaction here implies the mistaken view that, owing to emptiness, engagement in virtuous acts is to be avoided.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

Indeterminate phenomena include the following: indeterminate physical, verbal, and mental actions; the indeterminate four primary elements (earth, water, fire, and wind); the indeterminate five sense organs; the indeterminate aggregates, sense fields, sensory elements; and the indeterminate maturations of past actions.

The enlightenment of a pratyekabuddha.

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.

Name of a bodhisattva.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

See “inherent nature.”

Initial mental application is one of the factors in the first meditative concentration that is absent in those that follow. See also n.101

A meditative stability.

Sixth of the twelve branches of the scriptures.

A stage on the bodhisattva path at which the practitioner will never turn back, or be turned back, from progress toward the full awakening of a buddha.

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.

Name of a world system in the northern direction, where the buddha Jayendra teaches the perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings.

Name of a bodhisattva from a world system in the northern direction called Jayā, who comes to this world to pay homage to the Buddha.

Name of a buddha in the northern direction, residing in the world system called Jayā.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

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.

In Buddhist literature refers to a mythical bird whose call is said to be far more beautiful than that of all other birds, and so compelling that it can be heard even before the bird has hatched. The call of the kalaviṅka is thus used as an analogy to describe the sound of the discourse of bodhisattvas as being far superior to that of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, even before bodhisattvas attain awakening. In some cases, the kalaviṅka also takes on mythical characteristics, being depicted as part human, part bird. It is also the sixteenth of the eighty designs on the palms and soles of a tathāgata.

While it is equated to an Indian bird renowned for its beautiful song, there is some uncertainty regarding the identity of the kalaviṅka; some dictionaries declare it to be a type of Indian cuckoo (probably Eudynamys scolopacea, also known as the asian koel) or a red and green sparrow (possibly Amandava amandava, also known as the red avadavat).

Meaning “action” in its most basic sense, karma is an important concept in Buddhist philosophy as the cumulative force of previous physical, verbal, and mental acts, which determines present experience and will determine future existences.

Also translated here as “past action.”

“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.

An important early Tibetan translator and editor who was also one of the twenty-five principal disciples of Guru Padmasambhava.

First of the ten nonvirtuous actions.

A fruit that looks appealing and has a delicious taste, but is poisonous when eaten. According to Chandra Das, it is the cucurbitaceous plant Trichosanthes palmata; also possibly Cucumis colocynthis.

A meditative stability.

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.

Ninth of the ten powers of the tathāgatas.

A type of incantation or spell used to accomplish a ritual goal. This can be associated with either ordinary attainments or those whose goal is awakening.

Literally “knowledge of all” or “all-knowing,” but here rendered “knowledge of all the dharmas” rather than “omniscience.” In the Prajñāpāramitā literature, this is a technical term that refers to the full extent of knowledge realized by arhats and pratyekabuddhas, comprising particularly their understanding of the absence of a self in the aggregates, sense fields, and sensory elements.

The term might intertextually refer to a discourse found in the Saṁyuttanikāya/Saṁyuktāgama (SN 35:23/SĀ 319) in which the Buddha describes “the all” as the twelve sense fields. It is the third of the eight main topics or “clear realizations” of The Ornament of Clear Realization.

Tenth of the eleven knowledges.

Eighth of the eleven knowledges.

Seventh of the eleven knowledges.

Eleventh of the eleven knowledges. "Sounds" here refers to the sounds made by all beings and by all sorts of beings.

First of the eleven knowledges.

A key term in the Prajñā­pāramitā texts denoting the form of omniscience (‘knowing all’) that bodhisattvas progressively attain, the knowledge of all paths, including knowledge not only of their own path but also of the paths of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. However, note that although this term is used with this meaning (and can be glossed as the second of the eight topics elucidated in the Abhisamayālaṃkāra), in the original formulation of the eight topics in the Abhisamayālaṃkāra the term used is simply mārgājñāta (lam shes pa nyid), “knowledge of the paths.”

Third of the eleven knowledges.

Ninth of the eleven knowledges.

Fifth of the eleven knowledges.

Second of the eleven knowledges.

Fourth of the eleven knowledges.

Sixth of the eleven knowledges.

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 meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

An early Tibetan monk and translator, active in the late eighth century, said in traditional histories to have memorized the Hundred Thousand in India and first translated it into Tibetan. Also known as Lang Khampa Lotsāwa.

The latent impulses are seven subconscious impulses or tendencies, namely attachment to sense pleasures (’dod pa’i ’dod chags), hatred (khong khro), attachment to existence (srid pa’i ’dod chags), pride (nga rgyal), ignorance (ma rig pa), views (lta ba), and doubt (the tshom).

An unordained male practitioner who observes the five trainings not to kill, lie, steal, be intoxicated, or commit sexual misconduct.

An unordained female practitioner who observes the five trainings not to kill, lie, steal, be intoxicated, or commit sexual misconduct.

Eleventh of the thirty-two major marks.

Ninth of the thirty-two major marks.

One aspect of a set of forty-four syllables listed at 9.70 as dhāraṇī gateways. See also “entrance through letters.”

Name of the seventh of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the state of an ordinary person up to buddhahood, distinct from the ten bodhisattva levels. See “ten levels.”

Name of the fifth of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the state of an ordinary person up to buddhahood, distinct from the ten bodhisattva levels. See “ten levels.”

Name of the first of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the state of an ordinary person up to buddhahood, distinct from the ten bodhisattva levels. In this text, it seems to equivalent to the level of ordinary people. See “ten levels.”

Name of the fourth of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the state of an ordinary person up to buddhahood, distinct from the ten bodhisattva levels. It is equivalent to entering the stream to nirvāṇa. See “ten levels.”

Name of the sixth level of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the state of an ordinary person up to buddhahood, distinct from the ten bodhisattva levels. It is the level from which point there is no more rebirth in the desire realm. See “ten levels.”

Name of the first of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the state of an ordinary person up to buddhahood, distinct from the ten bodhisattva levels. In this text, it seems to equivalent to the level of bright insight. See “ten levels.”

Name of the ninth of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the state of an ordinary person up to buddhahood, distinct from the ten bodhisattva levels. See “ten levels.”

The tenth and last of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the state of an ordinary person up to buddhahood, distinct from the ten bodhisattva levels. Also rendered here as “level of the perfectly complete buddhas.” See “ten levels.”

The tenth and last of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the state of an ordinary person up to buddhahood, distinct from the ten bodhisattva levels. Also rendered here as “level of the buddhas.” See “ten levels.”

Name of the eighth of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the state of an ordinary person up to buddhahood, distinct from the ten bodhisattva levels. See “ten levels.”

Name of the second of the ten levels traversed by all practitioners, from the state of an ordinary person up to buddhahood, distinct from the ten bodhisattva levels. See “ten levels;” see also “spiritual family.”

A son of the king Mutik Tsenpo (Senalek), probably the eldest (born 800?); he may have been exiled to Bhutan, and did not reign himself.

See “eight liberations.”

The people of the city and region of Vaiśālī. The Licchavi were one of the clans making up the Vṛji confederacy, an early republic at the time of the Buddha.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

Tenth of the thirty-two major marks.

Forty-fourth of the eighty minor signs.

Forty-fifth of the eighty minor signs.

Forty-third of the eighty minor signs.

Twenty-sixth of the thirty-two major marks.

A meditative stability.

Sixty-fourth of the eighty minor signs.

Sixth of the thirty-two major marks.

See “Blessed One.”

First of the four immeasurable attitudes.

A collective name for the realms of animals, anguished spirits, and denizens of the hells.

In the context of the nature of mind, luminosity refers to the subtlest level of mind, i.e., the fundamental, essential nature of all cognitive events. Though ever present within all beings, this luminosity becomes manifest only when the gross mind has ceased to function. It is said that such a dissolution is experienced by ordinary beings, naturally, at the time of death, but it can also be experientially cultivated through certain meditative practices.

Fourth of the sixteen god realms of form that correspond to the four meditative concentrations, meaning “Great Brahmā.”

One of the Buddha’s principal śrāvaka disciples, he became a leader of the saṅgha after the Buddha’s passing.

One of the foremost śrāvaka disciples of the Buddha, he was renowned for his ability to expound upon the Buddha’s discourses.

One of the foremost śrāvaka disciples of the Buddha, known for his analytical reasoning.

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.”

The Buddha’s aunt and stepmother, the first bhikṣuṇī, who later attained the state of an arhat.

Name that three hundred monks will bear when they attain buddhahood.

Along with Avalokiteśvara, he is one of the two main bodhisattvas in the realm of Sukhāvatī.

Name of a bodhisattva.

Name of a bodhisattva.

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 meditative stability.

See “thirty-two major marks.”

Ninth of the ten nonvirtuous actions; second of the four knots.

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 meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

Mañjuśrī is one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha” and a bodhisattva who embodies wisdom. He is a major figure in the Mahāyāna sūtras, appearing often as an interlocutor of the Buddha. In his most well-known iconographic form, he is portrayed bearing the sword of wisdom in his right hand and a volume of the Prajñā­pāramitā­sūtra in his left. To his name, Mañjuśrī, meaning “Gentle and Glorious One,” is often added the epithet Kumārabhūta, “having a youthful form.” He is also called Mañjughoṣa, Mañjusvara, and Pañcaśikha.

The famous bodhisattva is said in this text to reside in the world system of Padmavatī, the buddhafield of the Buddha Samantakusuma.

Name of a bodhisattva.

Tenth of the twelve branches of the scriptures.

Used with respect to bodhisattva great beings. While “immaturity” (āma, skyon) suggests rawness‍—something that is uncooked, unrefined, and flawed‍—here the term “maturity” implies certitude, refinement, cooking, softening, and flawlessness.

This rendering of skyon med pa incorporates the creative etymology of nyāma from ni plus āma (“raw”) rather than niyāma (“certainty”).

Meditative concentration is defined as the one-pointed abiding in an undistracted state of mind free from afflicted mental states. Four states of meditative concentration are identified, which are identified as being conducive to birth within the realm of formour states of meditative concentration are identified as being conducive to birth within the realm of form, each of which has three phases of intensity. In the context of the Great Vehicle, meditative concentration is the fifth of the six perfections. See also “four meditative concentrations.”

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.

Also included as sixth of the seven branches of enlightenment.

First of the first set of three meditative stabilities; see 9.41.

Third of the first set of three meditative stabilities; see 9.43.

Second of the first set of three meditative stabilities; see 9.42.

The faculty that perceives mental phenomena.

See “sign.”

Third of the four classes of traditional Indian society.

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.

Name of a bodhisattva.

This term is a metaphor, suggesting that those present in the assembly were leaders of considerable stature rather than followers.

According to traditional Indian cosmology, a universe comprising one thousand thousandfold world systems.

Third of the four supports for miraculous abilities.

Also included as first of the seven branches of enlightenment.

Ninth of the ten mindfulnesses.

Seventh of the ten mindfulnesses. In some texts (see Twenty-Five Thousand, n.114) this item of the ten is replaced by the mindfulness of quiescence (vyupaśamānusmṛti, nye bar zhi ba rjes su dran pa).

Fourth of the ten mindfulnesses.

Fifth of the ten mindfulnesses.

Tenth of the ten mindfulnesses.

First of the ten mindfulnesses.

Second of the ten mindfulnesses.

Sixth of the ten mindfulnesses.

Eighth of the ten mindfulnesses.

Third of the ten mindfulnesses.

Fourth of the four modes of birth.

A person’s particular preceptor within the monastic tradition. They must have at least ten years of standing in the saṅgha, and their role is to confer ordination, to tend to the student, and to provide all the necessary requisites, therefore guiding that person for the taking of full vows and the maintenance of conduct and practice. This office was decreed by the Buddha so that aspirants would not have to receive ordination from the Buddha in person, and the Buddha identified two types: those who grant entry into the renunciate order and those who grant full ordination. The Tibetan translation mkhan po has also come to mean “a learned scholar,” the equivalent of a paṇḍita, but that is not the intended meaning in Indic Buddhist literature.

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 meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

Twelfth of the twelve branches of the scriptures.

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.

These comprise the five aggregates, the twelve sense fields, the eighteen sensory elements, the ten virtuous actions, the four meditative concentrations, the four immeasurable attitudes, the four formless absorptions, and the five extrasensory powers.

Born in 761, he reigned as king of Tibet from 804 to 814 or 815. A son of Tri Songdetsen and father of Tri Ralpachan, Gyalse Lharjé, and Langdarma. Also known as Senalek Jingyön (sad na legs mjing yon) and Tridé Songtsen (khri sde srong tsan).

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.

Indian philosopher and commentator (fl. second century), founder of the Madhyamaka school from his writings based principally on the Prajñā­pāramitā sūtras, and traditionally said to have brought the Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines from the realm of the nāgas to the human realm.

One of Langdarma’s two sons, by his second wife (born 842?).

Fourth of the twelve links of dependent origination.

Name of a world system in the direction of the zenith, where the buddha Nandaśrī teaches the perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings.

Name of a bodhisattva from a distant world system in the direction of the zenith called Nandā, who comes to this world to pay homage to the Buddha.

Name of a buddha in the direction of the zenith, residing in the world system called Nandā.

Name of a bodhisattva; in other texts his name in Tibetan is na las byin, mis byin, or mes byin.

Ninth of the twelve branches of the scriptures.

A meditative stability.

The real nature, true quality, or condition of things. Throughout Buddhist discourse this term is used in two distinct ways. In one, it designates the relative nature that is either the essential characteristic of a specific phenomenon, such as the heat of fire and the moisture of water, or the defining feature of a specific term or category. The other very important and widespread way it is used is to designate the ultimate nature of all phenomena, which cannot be conveyed in conceptual, dualistic terms and is often synonymous with emptiness or the absence of intrinsic existence.

Also rendered here as “reality of phenomena.”

Thirty-eighth of the eighty minor signs.

Thirty-seventh of the eighty minor signs.

A Tibetan translator and influential scholar (1059–1110) who spent seventeen years studying in Kashmir in his youth and returned to Tibet to become the abbot of Sangphu Neuthok (gsang phu ne’u thog) monastery, an important study center in central Tibet.

The nine perceptions of impurity, as described in 2.7, are as follows: (1) perception of a bloated corpse, (2) perception of a worm-infested corpse, (3) perception of a putrefied corpse, (4) perception of a bloodied corpse, (5) perception of a black-and-blue corpse, (6) perception of a chewed-up corpse, (7) perception of a dismembered corpse, (8) perception of bones, and (9) perception of an immolated corpse. For Pali and Sanskrit sources relevant to the nine perceptions of impurity, see Dayal 1932: 93–94.

The nine levels of meditative absorption that one may attain during a human life, namely the four meditative concentrations corresponding to the realm of form (caturdhyāna), the four formless meditative absorptions (caturārūpya­samāpatti), and the attainment of the state of cessation. For an explanation of the nine serial steps of meditative absorption in this text, see 8.83. These are also summarized in Jamgon Kongtrul, The Treasury of Knowledge, Book 6, Pt. 2: pp. 428–29.

The nine states of beings comprise (1) human beings and certain gods exemplifying those who have different bodies and different perceptions (lus tha dad cing ’du shes tha dad pa dag dper na mi rnams dang lha kha cig); (2) the gods appearing in the first tier of the Brahmakāyika realms, exemplifying those who have different bodies and identical perceptions (lus tha dad pa la ’du shes gcig pa dag dper na tshangs ris kyi lha dag dang po ’byung ba); (3) the gods of the Ābhāsvara realms, exemplifying those who have identical bodies and different perceptions (lus gcig la ’du shes tha dad pa dag dper na ’od gsal ba rnams); (4) the gods of the Śubhakṛtsna realms, exemplifying those who have identical bodies and identical perceptions (lus gcig la ’du shes gcig pa dag dper na dge rgyas kyi lha rnams); (5) the sphere of infinite space (nam mkha’ mtha’ yas skye mched); (6) the sphere of infinite consciousness (rnam shes mtha’ yas skye mched); (7) the sphere of nothing-at-all (ci yang med pa’i skye mched); (8) the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception (’du shes med ’du shes med min gyi skye mched); and (9) the sphere of nonperception (’du shes med pa’i skye mched). The missing one is included in Nordrang Orgyan, pp. 2034–35.

Fifth god realm of desire, meaning “Delighting in Emanation.”

In Sanskrit, the term nirvāṇa literally means “extinguishment” and the Tibetan mya ngan las ’das pa literally means “gone beyond sorrow.” As a general term, it refers to the cessation of all suffering, afflicted mental states (kleśa), and causal processes (karman) that lead to rebirth and suffering in cyclic existence, as well as to the state in which all such rebirth and suffering has permanently ceased.

More specifically, three main types of nirvāṇa are identified. (1) The first type of nirvāṇa, called nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣanirvāṇa), is the state in which arhats or buddhas have attained awakening but are still dependent on the conditioned aggregates until their lifespan is exhausted. (2) At the end of life, given that there are no more causes for rebirth, these aggregates cease and no new aggregates arise. What occurs then is called nirvāṇa without remainder ( anupadhiśeṣanirvāṇa), which refers to the unconditioned element (dhātu) of nirvāṇa in which there is no remainder of the aggregates. (3) The Mahāyāna teachings distinguish the final nirvāṇa of buddhas from that of arhats, the nirvāṇa of arhats not being considered ultimate. The buddhas attain what is called nonabiding nirvāṇa (apratiṣṭhitanirvāṇa), which transcends the extremes of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, i.e., existence and peace. This is the nirvāṇa that is the goal of the Mahāyāna path.

Name of a bodhisattva.

Name of a bodhisattva.

Name of a bodhisattva.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

The noble eightfold path comprises (1) correct view, (2) correct thought, (3) correct speech, (4) correct action, (5) correct livelihood, (6) correct effort, (7) correct mindfulness, and (8) correct meditative stability.

The Sanskrit ārya has the general meaning of a noble person, one of a higher class or caste. In Buddhist literature, depending on the context, it often means specifically one who has gained the realization of the path and is superior for that reason. In particular, it applies to stream enterers, once-returners, non-returners, and worthy ones (arhats) and is also used as an epithet of bodhisattvas. In the five-path system, it refers to someone who has achieved at least the path of seeing (darśanamārga).

The third of the four attainments of śrāvakas, this term refers to a person who will no longer take rebirth in the desire realm (kāmadhātu), but either be reborn in the Pure Abodes (śuddhāvāsa) or reach the state of an arhat in their current lifetime. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)

See “without apprehending anything.”

The initial meditative stability mentioned before the list in chapter 6, but not mentioned in chapter 8. This meditative stability appears to be equated with “all-aspect omniscience.”

A meditative stability.

See “entity.”

A meditative stability.

The view that there is no inherently existent self, whether dependent on or independent of the five aggregates. Also translated here as “selflessness.”

Seventh of the ten nonvirtuous actions.

See “ten nonvirtuous actions.”

Nonvirtuous phenomena, as listed in 8.78, include the following: the killing of living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, slander, verbal abuse, irresponsible chatter, covetousness, malice, wrong views, anger, enmity, hypocrisy, annoyance, violence, jealousy, miserliness, pride, and perverse pride.

Fifty-ninth of the eighty minor signs.

Second of the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas.

The term bhikṣuṇī, often translated as “nun,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term bhikṣu (to which the female grammatical ending ṇī is added) literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist nuns and monks‍—like other ascetics of the time‍—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity. In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a bhikṣuṇī follows 364 rules and a bhikṣu follows 253 rules as part of their moral discipline.

For the first few years of the Buddha’s teachings in India, there was no ordination for women. It started at the persistent request and display of determination of Mahāprajāpatī, the Buddha’s stepmother and aunt, together with five hundred former wives of men of Kapilavastu, who had themselves become monks. Mahāprajāpatī is thus considered to be the founder of the nun’s order.

An early Tibetan translator.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

The eight obsessions are confusion, sleepiness, mental excitement, doubt, jealousy, miserliness, lack of embarrassment, and not having a sense a shame.

A meditative stability.

One who has achieved the second of the four levels of attainment on the śrāvaka path and who will attain liberation after only one more birth. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)

A meditative stability.

Second of the four truths of the noble ones.

A meditative stability.

Second of the four modes of birth.

Twelfth of the twelve ascetic practices.

Name of a world system in the direction of the nadir, where the buddha Padmaśrī teaches the perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings.

Name of a bodhisattva from a distant world system in the southeastern direction called Bodhi­maṇḍalālaṃkāra­surucitā, who comes to this world to pay homage to the Buddha.

Name of a buddha in the direction of the nadir, residing in the world system called Padmā.

The buddhafield of the buddha Samantakusuma.

The name of a royal court in Rājagṛha.

Name of a bodhisattva from a distant world system in the direction of the nadir called Padmā, who comes to this world to pay homage to the Buddha.

Name of a buddha in the southeastern direction, residing in the world system called Bodhi­maṇḍalālaṃkāra­surucitā.

A great translator, scholar, and teacher of the early period; one of the first seven Tibetans to become a monk.

Sixth god realm of desire, meaning “Mastery over Transformations.”

Fifth of the sixteen god realms of form that correspond to the four meditative concentrations, meaning “Little Radiance.”

Tenth of the sixteen god realms of form that correspond to the four meditative concentrations, meaning “Little Virtue.”

Literally meaning “Small Great,” the name used in this text and in the Twenty-Five Thousand for what is, in the Prajñāpāramitā literature, the fourteenth of the sixteen levels of the god realm of form that correspond to the four meditative concentrations. The Sanskrit equivalent is attested in the Sanskrit of the Hundred Thousand, while the name Anabhraka (q.v.) is used in the later Sanskrit manuscripts that correspond more closely to the eight-chapter Tengyur version of this text. In other genres, this is the tenth of twelve levels of the god realm of form that correspond to the four meditative concentrations.

Fourth of the four truths of the noble ones.

These are the opposite of the ten nonvirtuous actions, i.e., refraining from engaging in the ten nonvirtuous actions and (in some contexts) doing the opposite.

The name for our world system, the universe of a thousand million worlds, or trichiliocosm, in which the four-continent world is located. Each trichiliocosm is ruled by a god Brahmā; thus, in this context, he bears the title of Sahāṃpati, Lord of Sahā. The world system of Sahā, or Sahālokadhātu, is also described as the buddhafield of the Buddha Śākyamuni where he teaches the Dharma to beings.

The name Sahā possibly derives from the Sanskrit √sah, “to bear, endure, or withstand.” It is often interpreted as alluding to the inhabitants of this world being able to endure the suffering they encounter. The Tibetan translation, mi mjed, follows along the same lines. It literally means “not painful,” in the sense that beings here are able to bear the suffering they experience.

Also translated here as “calm.”

Fifth of the nine perceptions of impurity.

First of the nine perceptions of impurity.

Fourth of the nine perceptions of impurity.

Sixth of the nine perceptions of impurity.

Seventh of the nine perceptions of impurity.

Third of the nine perceptions of impurity.

Second of the nine perceptions of impurity.

Ninth of the nine perceptions of impurity.

Eighth of the nine perceptions of impurity.

Fifth of the six perceptions.

Second of the four misconceptions.

First of the six perceptions in chapter 2, and first of another list in chapter 58.

Third of the six perceptions in chapter 2, and third of another list in chapter 58.

First of the four misconceptions.

Fourth of the four misconceptions.

Third of the four misconceptions; the mistaken notion of a self existing independent of the five aggregates.

Second of the six perceptions in chapter 2, and second of another list in chapter 58.

Fourth of the six perceptions in chapter 2, and fourth of another list in chapter 58.

Sixth of the six perceptions.

The mental processes of recognizing and identifying the objects of the five senses and the mind. Third of the five aggregates.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

Second of the six perfections.

First of the six perfections.

Fifth of the six perfections. See also “meditative concentration.”

Fourth of the six perfections.

Third of the six perfections.

The sixth of the six perfections, it refers to the profound understanding of the emptiness of all phenomena, the realization of ultimate reality. It is often personified as a female deity, worshiped as the “Mother of All Buddhas” (sarva­jina­mātā).

See “six perfections.”

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 a buddha’s body, speech, and mind.

A meditative stability.

Third of the seven branches of enlightenment and fourth of the six perfections.

Second of the four supports for miraculous abilities.

A temple near Yangleshö in Pharping, Nepal, sacred to Vajrayoginī.

Third of the four kinds of disease.

First of the five aggregates. Physical forms include the subtle and coarse forms derived from the primary material elements.

Second of the four attractive qualities of a bodhisattva.

Fifth of the seven branches of enlightenment.

A meditative stability.

First of the five powers.

Fourth of the five powers.

Third of the five powers.

Second of the five powers.

Fifth of the five powers.

May refer either to the “five powers” (in lists after the five faculties) or the “ten powers of the tathāgatas.”

See “ten powers of the tathāgatas.”

Name of a god.

King of Kośala and disciple-patron of the Buddha.

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

A meditative stability.

Fourth of the five fetters associated with the superior.

First of the four classes of traditional Indian society.

Fifteenth of the eighty minor signs.

Third of the eighty minor signs.

Fifty-eighth of the eighty minor signs.

See “prophetic declaration.”

A meditative stability.

This term denotes the two provisions of merit and wisdom that are gathered by bodhisattvas on the path to complete buddhahood. The fulfilment of the provision of merit (puṇyasambhāra, bsod nams kyi tshogs) and the provision of wisdom (jñānasambhāra, ye shes kyi tshogs) constitutes the fruition of the entire path according to the Great Vehicle, resulting in the maturation of the buddha body of form (rūpakāya)and the buddha body of reality (dharmakāya), respectively.

Literally meaning “Increasing Merit,” the more usual name for what is, in the Prajñāpāramitā literature, the fifteenth of the sixteen levels of the god realm of form that correspond to the four meditative concentrations, and in this text and in the Hundred Thousand is instead rendered Apramāṇabṛhat (q.v.). Puṇyaprasava is used in the later Sanskrit manuscripts that correspond more closely to the eight-chapter Tengyur version of this text. In other genres, it is the eleventh of twelve levels corresponding to the four meditative concentrations.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

A meditative stability.

See “Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra.”

Name of an elder and senior disciple of the Buddha Śākyamuni, a brahmin from Kapilavastu who went forth and became an arhat under the guidance of his uncle Kauṇḍinya. He was declared by the Buddha to be “foremost in teaching the doctrine.” He is one of the interlocutors in this text.

This Pūrṇa (as he was also known for short) is identified by the name of his mother, Maitrāyaṇī, and should be thus distinguished from several other disciples also named Pūrṇa.

Third of the four attractive qualities of a bodhisattva.

A meditative stability.

Name of an eon.

The ancient capital of Magadha prior to its relocation to Pāṭaliputra during the Mauryan dynasty, Rājagṛha is one of the most important locations in Buddhist history. The literature tells us that the Buddha and his saṅgha spent a considerable amount of time in residence in and around Rājagṛha‍—in nearby places, such as the Vulture Peak Mountain (Gṛdhrakūṭaparvata), a major site of the Mahāyāna sūtras, and the Bamboo Grove (Veṇuvana)‍—enjoying the patronage of King Bimbisāra and then of his son King Ajātaśatru. Rājagṛha is also remembered as the location where the first Buddhist monastic council was held after the Buddha Śākyamuni passed into parinirvāṇa. Now known as Rajgir and located in the modern Indian state of Bihar.

Name of a bodhisattva.

Name of a bodhisattva.

Name of a bodhisattva.

Name of a buddha in the eastern direction, residing in the world system called Ratnavatī.

Name of a bodhisattva.

Name of a bodhisattva.

Name of a buddha in the western direction, residing in the world system called Upaśāntā.

Name of a world system in the eastern direction, where the buddha Ratnākara teaches the perfection of wisdom to bodhisattva great beings.

Name of a bodhisattva from a distant world system in the northwestern direction called Vaśībhūtā, who comes to this world to pay homage to the Buddha.

Literally, “thusness” or “suchness.” The ultimate nature of things, or the way things are beyond all concepts and duality, as opposed to the way they appear to unawakened beings. In certain contexts within this translation, the term is rendered as “true reality.”

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

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