The Mahāsūtra “The Crest Insignia” (1)

The fourth of the four levels of attainment of the vehicle of the śrāvakas, it is the attainment of a nirvāṇa distinct from unexcelled perfect awakening, the type of nirvāṇa proper to buddhas.

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

A fully realized (“awakened”) being.

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

A military ensign or standard. In ancient Indic culture a dhvaja was a long pole surmounted by a top piece or finial (agra). The term dhvaja was translated into Tibetan as rgyal mtshan, literally “royal insignia.”

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.

The term dharma conveys ten different meanings, according to Vasubandhu’s Vyākhyā­yukti. The primary meanings are as follows: the doctrine taught by the Buddha (Dharma); the ultimate reality underlying and expressed through the Buddha’s teaching (Dharma); the trainings that the Buddha’s teaching stipulates (dharmas); the various awakened qualities or attainments acquired through practicing and realizing the Buddha’s teaching (dharmas); qualities or aspects more generally, i.e., phenomena or phenomenal attributes (dharmas); and mental objects (dharmas).

In general, the first of the three trainings (triśikṣā), and in this text and others the first of five qualities of the Saṅgha that are also described in other texts as the five undefiled (or beyond-worldly) aggregates (skandha) characteristic of noble ones.

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

See “four pairs.”

Entities (such as the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, one’s parents, the sick, and the poor) that when treated with due care serve to engender merit.

This refers stream enterers, once-returners, non-returners, and arhats, along with those practicing to attain the realizations of those states.

According to Buddhist cosmology, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three is the second lowest of the six heavens of the desire realm (kāmadhātu), just above the Heaven of the Four Great Kings (Caturmahārāja­kāyika) and below the Yāma Heaven. It is situated on the flat summit of Mount Sumeru and has thirty-three regions each presided over by one of thirty-three chief gods, the overall chief being Śakra. The presiding gods are divided into four groups named in the Abhidharma­kośa­ṭīkā (Toh 4092): the eight gods of wealth, two Aśvin youths, eleven fierce ones, and twelve suns. The thirty-three regions themselves are enumerated and described in The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma, Toh 287, 4.B.2 et seq.).

A Vedic deity whose name means literally “Ruler.” Often an epithet of Rudra/Śiva.

Jinamitra was invited to Tibet during the reign of King Tri Songdetsen (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 of a buddha. Here it is the sixth epithet through which the Buddha Śākyamuni is to be recollected.

Both fully knowing and directly accessing the knowledge of liberation; the fifth of five qualities of the Saṅgha (the others being discipline, samādhi, wisdom, and liberation) that are also described in other texts as the five undefiled (or beyond-worldly) aggregates (skandha) characteristic of noble ones.

An important early monastery outside Vaiśālī. Many texts specify, as in this sūtra, that it was located on the banks of the Monkey Pond (q.v.), while others (several Mahāyāna sūtras and the Theravādin literature) place it in the Mahāvana (“Great Forest”), also on the outskirts of Vaiśālī. The name Kūṭāgāraśālā means “hall with an upper chamber” or “gabled hall.” It refers to a temple with one ground-floor room and at least one additional upper room within the structure.

An epithet of a buddha. Sometimes translated as “perfect in wisdom and conduct.” Here it is the fourth epithet through which the Buddha Śākyamuni is to be recollected.

In general, freedom from rebirth and its causes, and in this text and others the fourth of five qualities of the Saṅgha that are also described in other texts as the five undefiled (or beyond-worldly) aggregates (skandha) characteristic of noble ones.

The name of a pond near Vaiśālī said to have been dug by monkeys.

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.

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.)

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 common epithet of buddhas. A fully awakened buddha who teaches the Dharma and brings it into a world, as opposed to a pratyekabuddha, who does not teach the Dharma or bring it into a world. Here it is the third epithet through which the Buddha Śākyamuni is to be recollected.

An Indian Bengali paṇḍita resident in Tibet during the late eight and early ninth centuries. Arriving in Tibet on an invitation from the Tibetan king, he assisted in the translation of numerous canonical scriptures. He is also the author of a few philosophical commentaries contained in the Tengyur.

The third of the four levels of attainment of the vehicle of the śrāvakas, at which one will no longer be reborn in the desire realm.

One who has achieved the second of the four levels of attainment on the śrāvaka path and who will thus only be reborn in saṃsāra once more. 

The first of four levels of attainment on the śrāvaka path, the point from which one is then continuously approaching nirvāṇa. 

In general, a term for a pure monk or ascetic (or the saṅgha as a whole) who may be considered a worthy field of merit (Skt. puṇyakṣetra).

The lord of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (trāyastriṃśa). Alternatively known as Indra, the deity that is called “lord of the gods” dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. The Tibetan translation brgya byin (meaning “one hundred sacrifices”) is based on an etymology that śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu, one who has performed a hundred sacrifices. Each world with a central Sumeru has a Śakra. Also known by other names such as Kauśika, Devendra, and Śacipati.

In general, the second of the three trainings (triśikṣā), and in this text and others the second of five qualities of the Saṅgha that are also described in other texts as the five undefiled (or beyond-worldly) aggregates (skandha) characteristic of noble ones.

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.

Though often specifically reserved for the monastic community, this term can be applied to any of the four Buddhist communities‍—monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen‍—as well as to identify the different groups of practitioners, like the community of bodhisattvas or the community of śrāvakas. It is also the third of the Three Jewels (triratna) of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Teaching, and the Community.

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

A person who has entered the “stream” of practice that leads to nirvāṇa.

Identified with modern-day Taxila, an ancient city and capital of Gandhāra.

An epithet of a buddha. Here it is the eighth epithet through which the Buddha Śākyamuni is to be recollected.

Here it is the first epithet through which the Buddha Śākyamuni is to be recollected.

A frequently used synonym for buddha. According to different explanations, it can be read as tathā-gata, literally meaning “one who has thus gone,” or as tathā-āgata, “one who has thus come.” Gata, though literally meaning “gone,” is a past passive participle used to describe a state or condition of existence. Tatha­(tā), often rendered as “suchness” or “thusness,” is the quality or condition of things as they really are, which cannot be conveyed in conceptual, dualistic terms. Therefore, this epithet is interpreted in different ways, but in general it implies one who has departed in the wake of the buddhas of the past, or one who has manifested the supreme awakening dependent on the reality that does not abide in the two extremes of existence and quiescence. It is also often used as a specific epithet of the Buddha Śākyamuni.

An epithet of a buddha. Here it is the seventh epithet through which the Buddha Śākyamuni is to be recollected. In some enumerations of the epithets, “unsurpassed” (anuttaraḥ, bla na med pa), instead of being a qualifier of “leader …” is counted as an independent epithet of its own, increasing the number of epithets to nine.

The name of Śakra’s crest insignia. The Tibetan term literally means “Brings Victory.”

The ancient capital of the Licchavi republic. The Buddha visited this city several times during his lifetime. It is perhaps most famous as the location where, on different occasions, the Buddha put an end to an epidemic, admitted the first nuns into the Buddhist order, was offered a bowl of honey by monkeys, and announced his parinirvāṇa three months beforehand.

A major Vedic deity associated with rain and water. The Tibetan translation simply means “water god.”

The land and people of Vṛji or Vaji (Pali Vajji), a country situated on the northeastern Gangetic plain, and one of the sixteen mahājanapada (“great countries”) of ancient India. It was run as a confederacy of eight or nine clans, including the Vṛji, Licchavi, and Videha, who sent representatives to an administrative council led by an elected ruler. Its capital was Vaiśālī. See Edgerton, s.v. Vṛji and Vaji.

Here it is the fifth epithet through which the Buddha Śākyamuni is to be recollected.

One of the standard epithets of the buddhas. A recurrent explanation offers three different meanings for su- that are meant to show the special qualities of “accomplishment of one’s own purpose” (svārthasampad) for a complete buddha. Thus, the Sugata is “well” gone, as in the expression su-rūpa (“having a good form”); he is gone “in a way that he shall not come back,” as in the expression su-naṣṭa-jvara (“a fever that has utterly gone”); and he has gone “without any remainder” as in the expression su-pūrṇa-ghaṭa (“a pot that is completely full”). According to Buddhaghoṣa, the term means that the way the Buddha went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su) and where he went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su).

In general, the third of the three trainings (triśikṣā), and in this text and others the third of five qualities of the Saṅgha that are also described in other texts as the five undefiled (or beyond-worldly) aggregates (skandha) characteristic of noble ones.

Here it is the second epithet through which the Buddha Śākyamuni is to be recollected.

According to Buddhist tradition, one who is worthy of worship (pūjām arhati), or one who has conquered the enemies, the mental afflictions (kleśa-ari-hata-vat), and reached liberation from the cycle of rebirth and suffering. It is the fourth and highest of the four fruits attainable by śrāvakas. Also used as an epithet of the Buddha.

Yeshé Dé (late eighth to early ninth century) was the most prolific translator of sūtras into Tibetan. Altogether he is credited with the translation of more than one hundred sixty sūtra translations and more than one hundred additional translations, mostly on tantric topics. In spite of Yeshé Dé’s great importance for the propagation of Buddhism in Tibet during the imperial era, only a few biographical details about this figure are known. Later sources describe him as a student of the Indian teacher Padmasambhava, and he is also credited with teaching both sūtra and tantra widely to students of his own. He was also known as Nanam Yeshé Dé, from the Nanam (sna nam) clan.