The Stem Array · Gaṇḍavyūha

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.

Gardenia gummifera. A white fragrant flower that blooms in the rainy season. In other texts transliterated as bar sha ka or par sha ka.

A buddha in the distant past.

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 name of a kalpa in the distant past.

The thirty-fifth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A wife of Śākyamuni and the kalyāṇamitra of chapter 43.

A merchant in Maitreya’s birthplace.

The name of a certain kind of kalpa. The number of years in this kalpa differs in the various sūtras that give it a number, although it is said to equal four asaṃkhyeya (“incalculable”) kalpas.

The ninety-third buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Guṇa­cakravāla­śiri­megha.

The forty-eighth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Guṇa­cakravāla­śiri­rāja.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A buddha in the distant past.

The fourth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

A buddha in the distant past.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past. BHS verse: Guṇa­sāgaraḥ Giripradīpo. See n.1419

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

The thirty-second buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Guṇa­samudra­śirī.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in a world in the eastern direction in the past. See n.1514.

The eighth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Guṇa­sumeru­śirī.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

Unidentified.

The eighty-third buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Harisumeruśirī.

From the Chinese 和上 (heshang) derived from the Sanskrit upādhyāya, a senior, learned monk.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

The higher cognitions are usually listed as five or six. In this sūtra they are listed as five and ten. The five are clairvoyance, clairaudience, knowledge of the minds of others, remembrance of past lives, and the ability to perform miracles.

A body goddess.

An assembly hall of the bodhisattvas.

The four 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 attachment to both pleasure and malice (kāmarāgavyāpāda).

The deity, also called Mahendra (“Lord of the Devas”), who dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. He is also known as Śakra (Tib. brgya byin, “Hundred Offerings”). Śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu (“one who has performed a hundred sacrifices”). The highest Vedic sacrifice was the horse-sacrifice ritual, and there is a tradition that Indra became the lord of the gods through performing them.

A bhikṣu who was a pupil of Śāriputra.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A young boy, the kalyāṇamitra of chapter 15.

This kalpa is one cycle of the increase and decrease of the lifespan of beings. It is also called a “small kalpa.” It consists of four ages, or yugas.

A land in the south of India.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa. See n.1899.

The names of two of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A buddha in the distant past. His name as given in verse. In the prose he is called Īśvara­guṇāparājita­dhvaja.

A buddha in the distant past. His name as given in prose. In verse he is called Īśvarājita­guṇa­dhvaja.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

The hundred-and-third buddha in a kalpa in the distant past.

A religious tradition derived from Śākyamuni’s elder contemporary Mahāvīra.

Legendary river carrying the golden fruit fallen from the legendary jambu (“rose apple”) tree. This term is used as an adjective for the gold found in rivers. When used as an adjective, the Sanskrit is jāmbūnada.

An alternative name for Jambudvīpa (“Rose-Apple Continent”), which means “Rose-Apple Banner.”

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.

Syzygium cumini. At present mainly called the jambul tree, it is the Indian version among the various species of rose apple trees.

An eastern buddha realm.

A buddha in the distant past.

Jasminum sambac.

The name of a kalpa in the distant past.

Presumably a member of the royal dynasty in Kaliṅgavana. He is said to have donated the parkland that Bhikṣuṇī Siṃha­vijṛmbhitā dwells in. Also the name of a king in another world realm in the distant past.

A brahmin, the kalyāṇamitra of chapter 12.

A head merchant who is the kalyāṇamitra of chapter 26.

A short form of Jetavana, a park in Śrāvastī, the capital of Kosala, which had been owned by Prince Jeta. Anāthapiṇḍada bought it from him at a high price in order to offer it to the Buddha as a place to house the monks during the monsoon period, thus creating the first Buddhist monastery. See also “Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.”

An alternative name for Jetavana Park in Śrāvastī, the capital of Kosala, which had been owned by Prince Jeta. Anāthapiṇḍada bought it from him at a high price in order to offer it to the Buddha as a place to house the monks during the monsoon period, thus creating the first Buddhist monastery. See also “Jetavana, 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.

An epithet for a buddha meaning “victorious one.”

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.

An epithet for a bodhisattva meaning “child of the jinas.”

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

The name of a buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past in chapter 36 (translated ye shes blo), and the twenty-second buddha in a kalpa in the distant past in chapter 37 (translated ye shes blo gros).

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

The hundredth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS in verse: Jñānārci­sāgara­śiri.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

A buddha in the distant past. BHS verse: Jñānārci­teja­śiri.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A śrāvaka in the distant past.

A buddha in a world in the eastern direction in the past.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

The name of the twenty-sixth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Jñāna­śirī.

A night goddess in a world in the eastern direction in a past kalpa. A previous life of the night goddess Praśanta­ruta­sāgara­vatī.

A bodhisattva in the distant past.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A buddha in a world in the eastern direction in the past.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A buddha in the distant past.

Refers to the king Jyotiṣprabha in verse.

Refers to night goddess Pramudita­nayana­jagad­virocanā.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A king in another world in the distant past. A past life of King Śuddhodana. Also called Jyotiḥprabha in verse.

A generally malevolent class of nonhuman being.

A town in South India.

The Indian concept of a period of millions of years, sometimes equivalent to the time when a world appears, exists, and disappears. There are also the intermediate kalpas during the existence of a world, the longest of which is called asamkhyeya, (literally “incalculable,” even though the number of its years is calculated).

The Sanskrit can mean “good friend” or “beneficial friend.” The Tibetan can mean “virtuous friend” or “friend of virtue.” A title for a teacher of the spiritual path.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

A buddha realm in the east.

The second buddha in our Bhadra kalpa.

The realm of the Buddha Śantābha.

A world realm in the eastern direction. Also called Kanaka­vimala­prabhā­vyūha.

A world realm in the eastern direction. Also called Kanaka­vimala­prabhā.

A buddha in the distant past.

The Buddha’s hometown. Also translated elsewhere as ser skya’i grong.

A principal teacher of the monastic saṅgha during the Buddha’s lifetime. Described as pale skinned and with a prominent nose. See n.118.

An ancient Indian weight that is the equivalent of about nine grams or around one third of an ounce.

A buddha in the distant past.

The eighteenth (nineteenth in the Sanskrit) buddha in a kalpa in the distant past

A buddha realm in the north.

The third buddha in the present Bhadra kalpa who preceded Śākyamuni. Also called Mahākāśyapa. The common translation, including in the Mahāvyutpatti, is ’od srung.

A class of malevolent nonhuman beings who are often identified as the source of illness.

One of the ten principal pupils of the Buddha. He was foremost in explaining the Dharma.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

In chapter 10 the name of a buddha in the past. In chapter 44 the name of one of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

An upāsikā in Dhanyākara.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A region in Magadha.

Also commonly known by the names Senalek Jingyön (sad na legs mjing yon) and Mutik Tenpo (mu tig bstan po), he was a Tibetan king who reigned ca 800/804–15. He was the youngest son of King Trisong Detsen (khri srong lde btsan, r. 742–98).

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.

The essentially pure nature of mind is obscured and afflicted by various psychological defilements, which destroy the mind’s peace and composure and lead to unwholesome deeds of body, speech, and mind, acting as causes for continued existence in saṃsāra. Included among them are the primary afflictions of desire (rāga), anger (dveṣa), and ignorance (avidyā). It is said that there are eighty-four thousand of these negative mental qualities, for which the eighty-four thousand categories of the Buddha’s teachings serve as the antidote.

Kleśa is also commonly translated as “negative emotions,” “disturbing emotions,” and so on. The Pāli kilesa, Middle Indic kileśa, and Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit kleśa all primarily mean “stain” or “defilement.” The translation “affliction” is a secondary development that derives from the more general (non-Buddhist) classical understanding of √kliś (“to harm,“ “to afflict”). Both meanings are noted by Buddhist commentators.

The first of the buddhas in this kalpa, with Śākyamuni as the fourth. Also listed as the fourth of the seven buddhas, with Śākyamuni as the seventh. The Tibetan translation in this sūtra and in others, such as the Kāraṇḍa­vyūha Sūtra (The Basket’s Display, Toh 116), means “elimination of incorrect faith.” This version is also found in the Mahāvyutpatti, whereas the later standard Tibetan translation is ’khor ba ’jig (“destruction of saṃsāra”). Krakucchanda is a Sanskritization of the Middle-Indic name Kakusaṃdha. Kaku may mean “summit,” and saṃdha is “inner meaning” or “hidden meaning.”

A buddha in the distant past.

The ninety-fourth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS in verse: Kṣānti­pradīpa­śirī.

The ruling caste in the traditional four-caste hierarchy of India, associated with warriors, the aristocracy, and kings.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A four-continent world in the distant past.

Dwarf spirits said to have either large stomachs or huge pot-sized testicles.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A buddha in the distant past.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A magical tree, the name of which means “treasure of flowers.”

An ocean of universes that includes our Sahā universe of a thousand million worlds and the even greater assembly of universes called Prabhāsa­vairocana. It has elsewhere been interpreted to be an alternative name for the Sahā universe.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A seaside town in South India.

Distinctive Indian assembly hall or temple with one ground-floor room and a high ornamental roof, sometimes a barrel shape with apses but more usually a tapering roof, tower, or spire, it contains at least one additional upper room within the structure. Kūṭāgāra literally means “upper chamber” and is short for kūṭāgāraśala, “hall with an upper chamber or chambers.” The Mahābodhi temple in Bodhgaya is an example of a kūṭāgāra.

The hamlet from which Maitreya comes.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past. See n.1414.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

The island presently called Sri Lanka, it was known as Ceylon while it was a British colony.

This can include any method for liberation. There are numerous liberations described in this sūtra, each kalyāṇamitra having a specific liberation.

Also called the Cārvāka school, it was an ancient Indian school with a materialistic viewpoint accepting only the evidence of the senses and rejecting the existence of a creator deity or other lifetimes. Their teachings now survive only in quotations by opponents.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

The fifty-second buddha in a kalpa in the distant past.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

A buddha in the distant past. BHS verse: Lokendra­teja­śiri­bhadra.

See “red lotus.”

The place where the Buddha Śākyamuni was born.

A distinctive shade of red now known as “rose madder,” common in ancient India and derived from the root of the madder plant (Rubia manjista/Rubia tinctorum). According to the Mahāvyutpatti, the Tibetan should be btsod.

The ancient kingdom in what is now southern Bihar, within which the Buddha attained enlightenment. During most of the life of the Buddha it was ruled by King Bimbisāra. During the Buddha’s later years it began to expand greatly under the reign of King Ajātaśatru, and in the third century, during the reign of Aśoka, it become an empire that controlled most of India.

Magnolia campaca.

The highest of the three paradises that correspond to the first dhyāna in the form realm.

The principal deity in the Brahmā paradises. Also called Brahmā.

An epithet of Śiva.

The first of five hundred buddhas in a future kalpa.

One of the Buddha’s principal pupils, he became the Buddha’s successor on his passing. Also the preceding Buddha, the third in this kalpa, with Śākyamuni as the fourth. He is also called Kāśyapa. Elsewhere often spelled ’od srung chen po.

A king in the distant past.

An upāsaka in Dhanyākara.

The name of one of the bodhisattvas in the Buddha Śākyamuni’s presence in Śrāvastī in chapter 1 (where it is translated as rgya chen po’i ’od), and the name of the king, one of Sudhana’s kalyāṇamitras, in chapter 22 (where it is translated as ’od chen po).

“Great Light.” A kalpa in the distant past.

A city in South India.

An upāsaka in Dhanyākara.

An upāsikā in Dhanyākara.

Literally means “great king.” In addition to referring to human kings, this is also the epithet for the four deities on the base of Mount Meru, each one the guardian of his direction: Vaiśravaṇa in the north, Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the east, Virūpākṣa in the west, and Virūḍhaka in the south.

A town in the south of India.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A bhikṣu who was a pupil of Śāriputra.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A bhikṣu who was a pupil of Śāriputra.

A garuḍa lord. Also called Mahā­bala­vega­sthāma.

A great park in South India.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

Lord of the garuḍas. Also called Mahāvegadhārin.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A buddha in the distant past.

The seventieth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS in verse: Mahā­karuṇa­megha­śirī.

The third of five hundred buddhas in a future kalpa.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

The ninety-eighth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS in verse: Mahā­praṇidhi­vega­śiri.

A cakravartin king in the distant past.

The name of a future buddha in this kalpa.

A name for Śiva. In chapter 44 it is the name of one of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

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.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A princess, the kalyāṇamitra of chapter 13.

The bodhisattva who became Śākyamuni’s regent and is prophesied to be the next buddha, the fifth buddha in the Bhadra kalpa. In early Buddhism he appears as the human disciple sent to pay his respects by his teacher; the Buddha gives him the gift a of a robe and prophesies that he will be the next buddha, while his companion Ajita will be the next cakravartin. As a bodhisattva he has both these names.

A fabled sea monster, the front part of which is a mammal. It is said to be the largest animal in the world, with the strongest bite. Its head is said to be a combination of the features of an elephant, a crocodile, and a boar. The name is also applied to the dugong, the crocodile (in particular the Mugger crocodile, whose name is even derived from makara), and the dolphin, particularly the Ganges dolphin, because the Ganges goddess is said to ride on a makara.

The name of the people in the land where Maitreya was born. The sūtra states that it is in the south of India.

The range of mountains in West India, also called the Western ghats, known for its sandalwood forests.

Nāga king.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A buddha in the distant past.

The thirty-seventh buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Maṇisumeruśirī.

A world realm in the distant past. Also the name of a world realm in the distant future in which five hundred buddhas will appear.

A park in another world realm in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

The thirty-ninth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past.

A vast array of many masses of world realms in the distant past.

A universe of world realms in the distant past.

A city in another world in the distant past.

A buddha realm in the western direction.

A world realm in the distant past.

A buddha realm in the southwestern direction.

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.

A disciple of Āryadeva.

Literally “an instrument of thought,” it is usually a brief verbal formula used with multiple repetitions, usually beginning with oṃ and in essence a salutation to a particular deity. It can also be used as a healing spell, which is the meaning here.

The deity that attempted to prevent the Buddha’s enlightenment, also one of the names of Kāma, the god of desire, in the Vedic tradition. Sometimes portrayed as the lord of the highest paradise in the desire realm, and the devas he rules are therefore all called “māras”; he does not wish any being to escape from that realm. He is also symbolic of the defects within a person that prevent enlightenment.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa. See n.1904.

One of the two principal pupils of the Buddha, renowned for miraculous powers; he was assassinated during the Buddha’s lifetime.

The queen who was the mother of Śākyamuni Buddha.

This is a straight walkway used for walking meditation, usually around forty feet long and often raised above the level of the ground. Monks walk up and down the length of it.

There are ten of these meditative states in the Śrāvakayāna: through meditating individually on the four elements of earth, water, fire, and air, on the four colors blue, yellow, red, and white, on space, and on consciousness, one meditates that everything that exists becomes that element, or that color, or space, or consciousness. Elsewhere, including the Mahāvyutpatti, this is translated as zad par gyi skye mched. The Sanskrit kṛtsna means “totality,” while rgyas pa means “spread,” or “pervade,” and zad par means cessation, in that everything ceases within that element, color, etc.

A Dravidian, the kalyāṇamitra of chapter 7.

A buddha in the distant past.

In chapter 4, the kalyāṇamitra bhikṣu in South India. In chapter 36, the name of a buddha in the distant past. In chapter 44, this is the name of a future buddha in this kalpa. BHS verse: Meghaśiri.

A buddha in the distant past.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

The silvery liquid metal.

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.

A world realm of ten thousand million worlds in the distant past.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

The fifty-eighth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Merudhvajaśiri.

A world realm in the distant past.

A buddha in the past.

A buddha in a western realm.

A royal city in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past. BHS verse: Meruarciśiri.

The four methods of attracting pupils are generosity, pleasant speech, beneficial conduct, and conduct that accords with the wishes of pupils.

A place at the southernmost tip of India.

Indra’s pleasure grove on the summit of Sumeru.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A merchant, the kalyāṇamitra of chapter 8.

A goldsmith, the kalyāṇamitra of chapter 49.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

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.

The second- or third-century master whose teaching forms the basis of the Madhyamaka tradition.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A buddha in a southeastern realm.

A place in the south of India.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

The nāga king usually associated with Upananda.

A town in another world in the distant past.

A town in South India.

One of the great śrāvakas present in Śrāvastī. Also called Vasunandi. In other sūtras translated as dga’ byed.

An alternate name for Viṣṇu (khyab ’jug), which is also used for Brahmā and for Kṛṣṇa. The Sanskrit is variously interpreted as “the path of human beings” and “the son of man.” In Buddhist texts it is used for powerful beings such as Śakra. The usual Tibetan translation is sred med kyi bu, meaning “the son of Nāra,” with Nāra translated as “one without craving.” However, here it appears to be translated as mthu bo che (“great power”).

A buddha in the distant past.

The forty-seventh buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS in verse: Nārāyaṇa­vrata­sumeru­śirī.

A bodhimaṇḍa goddess in another world in the distant past.

(1497−1557). The tenth abbot of Ngor Monastery and a prominent master of the Sakya tradition who wrote a history of Buddhism.

Nymphaea pubescens. This night-blossoming water lily, which can be red, pink, or white, is not actually a lotus. It does not have the lotus’s distinctive pericarp. Nevertheless, it is commonly called the “night lotus.” It is also known as “hairy water lily,” because of the hairs on the stem and the underside of the leaves.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

“The Power of a Blue Mountain of Wind,” the name of a precious horse of a cakravartin in the distant past.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

The hundred-and-fourth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past.

“Delighting in Emanations.” The second highest paradise in the desire realm, so named because the devas there delight in emanations.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A buddha in the distant past. BHS in verse: Nirmita­megha­susvara­śiri.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

The Sanskrit means “extinguishment,” for the causes for saṃsāra are “extinguished.” The Tibetan means “the transcendence of suffering.”

A rākṣasa lord.

Bauhinia variegata, Phaneria variegata. In other sūtras kovidāra is translated as sa brtol.

A capital city in the distant past.

A queen in another world in the distant past. In the Tibetan verse it is shortened to pad+mo.

A world realm in the eastern direction.

Realm of the Buddha Ratnapadmābha.

Refers to Padma­bhadrābhirāma­netra­śrī­candrā, a cakravartin’s princess in the distant past. Also called Samanta­jñānārci­padma­bhadrābhirāma­netra­śrī­candrā.

A bodhisattva in the presence of Śākyamuni at Śrāvastī.

A buddha in the past.

The name of the thirty-fourth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Padumagarbhaśirī.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A queen in another world in the distant past.

The nineteenth (eighteenth in the Sanskrit) buddha in a kalpa in the distant past.

In chapter 29 it is the name of the ninth buddha in a list that begins with Kanaka­muni (pad mo’i bla). In chapter 44 it is the name of a future buddha in this kalpa (pad mo dam pa).

A specific Indian weight equal to four karṣa, and equivalent to around thirty-five grams or an ounce.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

The hundred-and-ninth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS in verse: Parārtha­savihāra­śirī.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

“Ruling Others’ Emanations.” The highest paradise in the desire realm, so named because the inhabitants have power over the emanations of others. Also called Vaśavartin.

The passing away of a buddha as the cessation of rebirth.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

The lowest of the three paradises that correspond to the second dhyāna in the form realm. The lowest of the paradises that are never destroyed at the end of the kalpa but continue through all kalpas.

The lowest of the three paradises that correspond to the third dhyāna in the form realm.

A general term for homeless religious mendicants who literally “roam around”; in Buddhist usage the term refers to non-Buddhist peripatetic ascetics, including Jains and others.

The underworlds, of which there are said to be seven, include the realms of the daityas and yakṣas. The lowest is the realm of the nāgas. They are said to be pleasant and free from distress and even more beautiful than the higher realms.

Killing, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, lying, uttering divisive talk, speaking harsh words, gossiping, covetousness, ill will, and wrong views.

The six perfections of generosity, conduct, patience, diligence, dhyāna, and wisdom.

A general name for the Ficus religiosa under which the buddha attained enlightenment and is therefore also called the Bodhi tree and Bo tree. Variations of the name include pipal, pippal, peepul, and ashwata.

A class of semidivine beings traditionally associated with the wild, remote places of the earth. They are considered particularly violent and known to devour flesh.

The eight vows kept by laypeople on the four sacred days of the month: full, new, and half-moon days. Alternate form is upoṣadha (gso sbyong).

A mountain in South India, presently known as Potikai, that was of great importance to both Tamil Buddhists and Śaivists (who saw it as the residence of Śiva, known as Lokeśvara). This is the first mention in a sūtra that has identified Avalokiteśvara with this mountain as his residence rather than the pure realm of Sukhāvatī. However, in this sūtra the verse appears to locate it in the ocean, while the prose appears to describe it on land. In Tibet and China, Potalaka was believed to be an island. In Tibet it is usually referred to by the shortened form Potala.

Missing from the Tibetan translation. Appears in the list of ten powers of bodhisattvas that prevent ten calamities that beings are susceptible to. This refers to being able to supply beings with what they need. The tshig mdzod chen mo (Chinese–Tibetan dictionary) even defines it in accordance with this passage.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

The fifty-ninth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past.

A vast family of world realms that contains our Sahā universe of a thousand million worlds.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A buddha in the distant past.

The twenty-first buddha in a kalpa in the distant past.

The twenty-eighth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past, and also the eighty-seventh in the same kalpa. BHS in verse: Prabha­ketu­śirī.

An upāsikā, the kalyāṇamitra of chapter 16.

“Great mass of wealth.” A precious householder of a cakravartin in the distant past.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

Prajñā (般若, 734–?) was a translator from Jibin (罽賓), an ancient kingdom in present-day Kashmir. He translated the fourth Chinese version of the Gaṇḍa­vyūha, which he completed in 798 based on a longer Sanskrit version of the text sent to the Chinese Emperor by the king of Orissa.

The eighty-sixth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past.

A head merchant’s daughter in the distant past.

The hundred-and-tenth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS in verse: Prakṛtīśarīra­śiri­bhadra.

A buddha in the distant past in both chapter 22 and chapter 43.

A magical tree. The name means “bringing joy.”

A night goddess. Also called Jyotirarci­nayanā.

The name of the eighty-first buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Praṇidhāna­sāgara­prabhāsa­śirī.

A magical tree. The name means “bestowing delight.”

A buddha in the distant past.

The fortieth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

“Sound of Peace.” The name of a kalpa in the distant past.

“Peaceful Light.” The name of a kalpa in the distant past.

A bhikṣu who was a pupil of Śāriputra.

“The Brilliance of Peaceful Realization.” The name of a kalpa in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

A night goddess.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

“Unimpeded Power.” The name of a cakravartin’s precious wheel.

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.

The yāna of the pratyeka­buddhas.

In chapter 1 the name of a bodhisattva in the presence of Śākyamuni at Śrāvastī. In chapter 44 the name of one of the future buddhas in this kalpa.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A tendency toward certain actions and thoughts as the result of a lasting impression on one’s being from previous lives.

The BHS anuśaya differs from its meaning in Sanskrit but is the same as the Pali anusaya. It can also mean “tendency” and “disposition,” and the meaning can be positive as well as negative.

A region in South India.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A bhikṣu who was a pupil of Śāriputra.

An upāsaka in Dhanyākara.

The sixty-ninth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS in verse: Puṇya­prabhāsa­śiri­śānta­śirī.

A buddha in the distant past.

A bodhimaṇḍa goddess in a world in the eastern direction in a past kalpa, a previous life of the night goddess Praśanta­ruta­sāgara­vatī.

A bodhi-tree goddess, a past life of Praśanta­ruta­sāgara­vatī.

In the Sarvāstivada tradition, the second highest of the three paradises that correspond to the fourth dhyāna in the form realm.

A buddha in the distant past.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

One of the ten principal students of the Buddha, he was the greatest in his ability to teach the Dharma. The name has not been translated correctly in this instance; in the translations of other sūtras it is byams ma’i bu gang po.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A buddha in the distant past.

In chapter 29 it is the name of the sixth buddha in a list that begins with Kanaka­muni. In chapter 44 it is the name of a future buddha in this kalpa. Mahāvyutpatti and other sūtras translate puṣya as rgyal.

Ugly and foul-smelling spirits, they can be good or cause harm to humans and animals.

Quintillion (a million million million) is here derived from the classical meaning of nayuta as a million. The Tibetan gives nayuta a value of a hundred thousand million, so that the entire number would mean a hundred thousand quintillion.

A buddha in the distant past.

A powerful asura said to cause eclipses.

An upāsaka in Dhanyākara.

A world realm in the distant past.

A class of nonhuman beings that are often, but certainly not always, considered demonic in the Buddhist tradition. They are often depicted as flesh-eating monsters who haunt frightening places and are ugly and evil-natured with a yearning for human flesh, and who additionally have miraculous powers, such as being able to change their appearance.

The female members of a class of nonhuman beings who are often, but not always, considered demonic in the Buddhist tradition.

A king of Tibet, born circa 806, who reigned from 815 to 838. His formal name was Tritsuk Detsen (khri gtsug lde btsan).

A land in South India.

A buddha in the distant past.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

A goddess in another world in the distant past who informs a courtesan’s daughter of the presence of a buddha.

A royal capital in another world realm in the distant past.

A buddha.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A wealthy merchant and Dharma patron, the kalyāṇamitra of chapter 18.

The ninety-second buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Ratanadānaśiri.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in the distant past. BHS: Ratanameru.

The goddess of Kapilavastu.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

The name of a buddha in the distant past. BHS in verse: Ratananetra.

A buddha.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī (translated as rin po che’i ’od), and also the name of the forty-second buddha in a kalpa in the distant past (translated as rin chen ’od).

A head merchant’s daughter in another world in the distant past.

A world realm in the distant past. Also the name of a world realm in the distant future in which five hundred buddhas will appear.

The sixtieth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Ratanarājaśiri.

A buddha in the distant past. BHS verse: Ratanarāśi.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A buddha in the distant past.

A king in the distant past.

The thirty-first buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Ratnārci­parvata­śirī.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A city in South India.

A buddha in the distant past.

A four-continent world in the distant past.

A realm in the distant past. BHS verse: Ratana­dhvajāgra­mati.

The seventy-ninth buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Ratana­gātra­śirī.

A bodhimaṇḍa in another world in the distant past.

A buddha of the present time in a world realm in the eastern directions, who had been King Dhanapati in the distant past.

A capital city in the distant past.

A four-continent world in the distant past.

“The Voice of Clouds of Precious Flowers, Lightning, and Dharma Thunder.” A lake in the distant past.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha in a world in the eastern direction in the past.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

A royal capital in another world realm in the distant past. Its short form in verse is Sāla­vyūha­megha.

A buddha in the distant past.

A buddha realm in the downward direction.

The realm of a buddha named Vairocana. See n.446.

A buddha in the distant past. BHS verse: Ratana­śirī­pradīpa­guṇa­ketu.

“The Source of Glorious Jewels.” The name of a world realm in the distant past.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

A buddha realm in the northern direction.

A śrāvaka, the youngest brother of Śāriputra. Also known as Khadiravanīya. Elsewhere translated as nam gru.

The last buddha of the Bhadra kalpa, which according to The White Lotus of Compassion Sūtra (Toh 111, Mahā­karuṇā­puṇḍarīka­sūtra, where it was translated as gsal mdzad) is the thousand-and-fifth buddha. The Buddha Ratnagarbha prophesied that the youngest of the thousand Vedapāṭhaka pupils of Brahmin Samudrarenu would be the Buddha Roca. In present times it is most commonly translated as mos pa.

A town in South India.

Jasminum grandiflorum. Also known as Spanish or Catalonian jasmine, even though it originates in South India. Particularly used as offerings in both Buddhist and Hindu temples. In other sūtras, jāti is translated as sna ma.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

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

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

Literally “Attractive Brahmā,” an epithet for Brahmā, one of the epithets that in the non-Buddhist tradition designated him as the primordial creator.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A buddha in the distant past, as rendered in verse. In prose he is called Dharma­cakra­nirghoṣa­gagana­pradīpa­rāja.

One of the eight principal nāga kings. More commonly translated in other sūtras as rgya mtsho.

A bhikṣu who was a pupil of Śāriputra.

A bhikṣu, the kalyāṇamitra of chapter 9.

A buddha in the distant past.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

One of the future buddhas of this kalpa.

A bhikṣu, the kalyāṇamitra of chapter 5.

An area in the south of India.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A buddha in the distant past. BHS verse: Sāgara­śiri.

An area in the Laṅka region of South India.

A title that, like buddha, is given to those who have attained realization through their own contemplation and not by divine revelation.

Indian Buddhist name for either the four-continent world in which the Buddha Śākyamuni appeared, or a universe of a thousand million such worlds. The White Lotus of Compassion Sūtra (Toh 111, Mahā­karuṇā­puṇḍarīka­sūtra) describes it as a world of ordinary beings in which the kleśas and so on are “powerful” (Sanskrit sahas), hence the name. The Tibetan translation mi mjed (literally “no suffering”) is usually defined as meaning “endurance,” because beings there are able to endure suffering.

“Thousand Splendors.” The name of a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Sahasraśiri.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

A bodhisattva present in Śrāvastī.

One of countless buddhas in a past kalpa.

Also commonly known as Indra, he is the deity, called “lord of the devas,” who dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. The Tibetan translation is based on an etymology that śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu: one who has performed a hundred sacrifices. The highest Vedic sacrifice was the horse sacrifice, and there is a tradition that he became the lord of the gods through performing them.

Name of the ancient tribe in which the Buddha was born as a prince; their kingdom was based to the east of Kośala, in the foothills near the present-day border of India and Nepal, with Kapilavastu as its capital.

Shorea robusta. The dominant tree in the forests where it occurs.

A royal capital in another world realm in the distant past. In prose, its long form is Ratna­sāla­vyūha­megha­pradīpā.

The fifty-first buddha in a kalpa in the distant past. BHS verse: Sālendra­rāja­śiri­garbha.