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དམ་པའི་ཆོས་པད་མ་དཀར་པོ།

The White Lotus of the Good Dharma
The Appearance of the Stūpa

Saddharma­puṇḍarīka
དམ་པའི་ཆོས་པད་མ་དཀར་པོ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
dam pa’i chos pad ma dkar po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Mahāyāna Sūtra “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma”
Saddharma­puṇḍarīka­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra

Toh 113

Degé Kangyur, vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1.b–180.b

ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛɪʙᴇᴛᴀɴ ʙʏ
  • Surendrabodhi
  • Yeshé De

Imprint

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Translated by Peter Alan Roberts
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

First published 2018

Current version v 1.2.20 (2025)

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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
+ 9 sections- 9 sections
· Introduction
· The Lotus Sūtra in India
· The Sūtra in China and Beyond
· The Sūtra in Tibet
· Translations into Western Languages
· This Translation
· Translation of the Title
· Translation of Specific Terms
· Detailed Summary of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma”
tr. The Translation
+ 27 chapters- 27 chapters
1. The Introduction
2. Skill in Methods
3. The Parable
4. The Aspiration
5. Herbs
6. The Prophecies to the Śrāvakas
7. The Past
8. The Prophecy to the Five Hundred Bhikṣus
9. The Prophecies to Ānanda, Rāhula, and Two Thousand Bhikṣus
10. The Dharmabhāṇakas
11. The Appearance of the Stūpa
12. Resolutions
13. Dwelling in Happiness
14. The Bodhisattvas Emerging Out of the Ground
15. The Lifespan of the Tathāgata
16. The Extent of the Merit
17. Teaching the Merit of Rejoicing
18. The Benefits of the Purity of the Six Āyatanas
19. Sadāparibhūta
20. The Tathāgata’s Miracles
21. Dhāraṇīs
22. The Past of Bhaiṣajyarāja
23. Gadgadasvara
24. Facing Everywhere: The Teaching of the Miracles of Avalokiteśvara
25. The Past of King Śubhavyūha
26. Samantabhadra’s Encouragement
27. The Entrusting
c. Colophon
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
+ 7 sections- 7 sections
· Tibetan Editions of the Sūtra
· Sanskrit Editions of the Sūtra
· Translations of the Sūtra
· Other Kangyur Texts
· Tengyur Texts
· Secondary Tibetan Sources
· Secondary Non-Tibetan Sources
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, popularly known as the Lotus Sūtra, is taught by Buddha Śākyamuni on Vulture Peak to an audience that includes bodhisattvas from countless realms, as well as bodhisattvas who emerge from under the ground, from the space below this world. Buddha Prabhūtaratna, who has long since passed into nirvāṇa, appears within a floating stūpa to hear the sūtra, and Śākyamuni enters the stūpa and sits beside him. The Lotus Sūtra is celebrated, particularly in East Asia, for its presentation of crucial elements of the Mahāyāna tradition, such as the doctrine that there is only one yāna, or “vehicle”; the distinction between expedient and definite teachings; and the notion that the Buddha’s life, enlightenment, and parinirvāṇa were simply manifestations of his transcendent buddhahood, while he continues to teach eternally. A recurring theme in the sūtra is its own significance in teaching these points during past and future eons, with many passages in which the Buddha and bodhisattvas such as Samantabhadra describe the great benefits that come from devotion to it, the history of its past devotees, and how it is the Buddha’s ultimate teaching, supreme over all other sūtras.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

The White Lotus of the Good Dharma Sūtra was translated from Tibetan with reference to the Sanskrit by Peter Alan Roberts. Ling Lung Chen was the consultant for the Chinese versions. Emily Bower was the project manager and editor. Ben Gleason was the proofreader.

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


ac.­2

The generous sponsorship of May & George Gu, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.


i.

Introduction

Introduction

i.­1

The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, popularly known as the Lotus Sūtra, not only contains one of the fullest expressions of the transcendent nature of the Buddha, but also, through its successive descriptions of astonishing events and its vivid parables, is imbued with a distinctive literary power of its own. The sūtra inspired a devoted following in India, but it is above all in east Asia that it has been particularly popular. There it has been the impetus for a range of exquisite artistic and architectural forms, and indeed, whole traditions of study and practice that thrive to this day. An extensive body of literature, too‍—both scholarly and popular‍—is based upon the sūtra.1

The Lotus Sūtra in India

The Sūtra in China and Beyond

The Sūtra in Tibet

Translations into Western Languages

This Translation

Translation of the Title

Translation of Specific Terms

Detailed Summary of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma”


Text Body

The Translation
The Mahāyāna Sūtra
The White Lotus of the Good Dharma

1.
Chapter 1

The Introduction

[B1] [F.1.b]


1.­1

Homage to the buddhas and the bodhisattvas.


1.­2

Thus did I hear at one time.56 The Bhagavān was dwelling on Vulture Peak in Rājagṛha together with a great saṅgha of twelve hundred bhikṣus,57 all of whom were solely arhats whose defilements had ceased; who were without kleśas; who had mastered themselves; who had liberated minds; who had completely liberated wisdom; who were noble beings;58 who were great elephants;59 who had done what had to be done; who had accomplished what had to be accomplished; who had put down their burden; who had reached their goals; who had ended engagement with existence; and who had liberated their minds through true knowledge, had perfectly attained all the powers of the mind, were renowned for their higher knowledge,60 [F.2.a] and were mahāśrāvakas.


2.
Chapter 2

Skill in Methods

2.­1

Then the Bhagavān mindfully and knowingly arose from that samādhi. Having arisen from it, he addressed Brother Śāriputra.99

“Śāriputra, the wisdom of the buddhas, which is profound, difficult to see, and difficult to understand, has been realized by the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas. It is difficult for all śrāvakas and pratyeka­buddhas to know. Why is that? Śāriputra, the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas have served many hundred thousand quintillions of buddhas; they have practiced for the highest, complete enlightenment with many hundred thousand quintillions of buddhas; they have followed them for a long time; they have been diligent; [F.13.a] they have obtained marvelous, amazing Dharma; and they know the Dharma that is difficult to know.


3.
Chapter 3

The Parable

3.­1

Then at that time, Śāriputra felt contented, delighted, elated, and joyful. With happiness and gladness he bowed with palms together toward the Bhagavān. Facing the Bhagavān, gazing solely upon the Bhagavān, he said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, I am astonished and amazed. I am overjoyed to have heard this kind of speech from the Bhagavān.

3.­2

“Why is that? Bhagavān, it is because I have never heard this kind of Dharma from the Bhagavān. When I saw other bodhisattvas and heard the names of the buddhas that those bodhisattvas will become in the future, and yet, still had not heard this kind of Dharma teaching from the Bhagavān, I imagined that I was deprived of that kind of vision of the tathāgatas’ wisdom,169 and was extremely grieved and extremely distressed. [F.25.a]


4.
Chapter 4

The Aspiration

4.­1

Then Brother Subhūti, Brother Mahākātyāyana, Mahākāśyapa, and Mahā­maudgalyāyana, having heard from the Bhagavān this kind of Dharma that they had never heard before, and having heard directly from the Bhagavān the prophecy of Brother Śāriputra’s attainment of the highest, supreme enlightenment, were amazed, astonished, and overjoyed.

At that time they rose from their seats, approached the Bhagavān, uncovered one shoulder, knelt on their right knees, and with palms together in homage to the Bhagavān, looking directly at the Bhagavān, they inclined their bodies, they bowed their bodies, they bowed well, bowed perfectly.


5.
Chapter 5

Herbs

5.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to Brother Mahākāśyapa and the other great sthaviras, “Excellent! Excellent, Kāśyapa! It is excellent, Kāśyapa, that you have praised the true qualities of the Tathāgata. Kāśyapa, those are qualities of the Tathāgata. There are immeasurably and innumerably more than those. It would not be easy to enumerate them entirely even in countless eons.


6.
Chapter 6

The Prophecies to the Śrāvakas

6.­1

When the Bhagavān had finished reciting those verses, he announced to the complete saṅgha of bhikṣus, “Oh bhikṣus! I declare to you,278 I make it known to you, that this śrāvaka bhikṣu of mine, Kāśyapa, will serve three hundred billion buddhas, will venerate them, honor them, make offerings to them, praise them, and respect them.279 He will hold the Dharma of those buddha bhagavāns. [F.55.a] In his last life, in an eon named Mahāvyūha, in a world named Avabhāsaprāptā, he will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct,280 the sugata, the one who knows the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Raśmiprabhāsa. His lifespan will be twelve intermediate eons. His Dharma will remain for twenty intermediate eons, and the outer form of his Dharma will remain for a further twenty intermediate eons. His buddha realm will be pure and clean, without stones, pebbles, or gravel, without chasms or cliffs, without drains or cesspools.281 It will be flat, pleasant, beautiful, delightful, made of beryl, adorned by jewel trees, divided eightfold like a checkerboard by golden cords,282 and filled with flowers. There will be many hundred thousands of bodhisattvas there. There will be countless hundred thousand quintillions of śrāvakas there. The evil Māra and his followers will not appear there. Even if Māra and Māra’s followers were to appear there they would become dedicated to maintaining the Dharma taught by the bhagavān tathāgata Raśmiprabhāsa.”


7.
Chapter 7

The Past

7.­1

“Bhikṣus, in the past, in a time gone by, beyond and even further beyond the most countless, innumerable, incalculable, unquantifiable, inconceivable asaṃkhyeya eons ago, at that time, in that era, in an eon named Mahārūpa, in a world named Saṃbhavā, there appeared in that world the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū.


8.
Chapter 8

The Prophecy to the Five Hundred Bhikṣus

8.­1

Brother Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra, having heard directly from the Bhagavān about this wisdom insight into skillful methods, about the teachings with implied meaning, and having heard the prophecies made to the great śrāvakas, and having heard of the connections with the past, and having heard of the preeminence of the Bhagavān, was astonished and amazed, without worldly concerns, and filled with delight and joy. Then with great delight and joy and great reverence for the Dharma, he rose from his seat, bowed down to the feet of the Bhagavān, [F.75.b] and thought, “Bhagavān, it is wonderful! Sugata, it is wonderful! The tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas accomplish that which is extremely difficult‍—they teach the Dharma to beings according to the different concerns of the world, through many wisdom insights into skillful methods, and they liberate330 beings attached to this and that.331 Bhagavān, what are we able to do? The Tathāgata is the one who knows our aspirations and our past.”


9.
Chapter 9

The Prophecies to Ānanda, Rāhula, and Two Thousand Bhikṣus

9.­1

At that time, Brother Ānanda thought, “May I obtain a prophecy like these!” Thinking that, contemplating it, and wishing for it, he rose from his seat and bowed down to the Bhagavān’s feet. Brother Rāhula also, thinking, contemplating, and wishing for the same thing, bowed down to the Bhagavān’s feet, and they said, “Bhagavān, may we have such an opportunity! Sugata, may we have such an opportunity! Bhagavān, you are our father, our progenitor, our refuge, our support, and our protector. Bhagavān, we are honored by the world with its devas, humans, and asuras as the sons of the Bhagavān, the attendants of the Bhagavān, and the keepers of the Dharma treasure of the Bhagavān. Therefore, Bhagavān, it would be fitting if the Bhagavān were quickly to give us the prophecy of our attainment of the highest, complete enlightenment.”


10.
Chapter 10

The Dharmabhāṇakas

10.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja and eighty thousand other bodhisattvas, “Bhaiṣajyarāja, do you see this assembly’s numerous devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and nonhumans, bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas and upāsikās, and followers of the Śrāvakayāna and the Bodhisattva­yāna who have heard this Dharma teaching directly from the Tathāgata?” [F.84.a]


11.
Chapter 11

The Appearance of the Stūpa

11.­1

Then a stūpa made of the seven precious materials arose from the center of the assembly, directly in front of the Bhagavān. It was five hundred yojanas tall and of a corresponding circumference. Having risen up, it remained suspended in the air, bright and beautiful, adorned with five thousand encircling railings358 covered in flowers, and beautified by many thousands of toraṇas, hung with thousands of sacred flags and banners of victory, [F.89.a] hung with thousands of strings of jewels, hung with thousands of streamers and bells, and emitting the aroma of bay leaves and sandalwood. That aroma spread throughout the entire all-containing world. Its crowning parasol reached as high as the palaces in the paradises of the Four Mahārājas. It was made of the seven precious materials, which are gold, silver, beryl, white coral, emerald, red pearl, and chrysoberyl. At the stūpa, devas of the Trāyastriṃśa paradise scattered coral tree and great coral tree flowers on the precious stūpa, bestrewing it with them, and covering it with them.

11.­2

These words came from the precious stūpa:359 “The tathāgatas have no thinking, no thoughts, and manifest all modes of conducts. The tathāgatas do not originate from skandhas, dhātus, and āyatanas. They do not come into being from karma, kleśas, parents, and the primary elements. They have no connection with flesh, blood, and veins.

11.­3

They have no inhalation, no exhalation, and no connection with life. The tathāgatas are the same as space; they are not permanent and not impermanent. However, the tathāgata Prabhūtaratna, who passed into nirvāṇa many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons ago, who is free of thoughts and ideas, is seen for the sake of beings, through the power of his previous prayers, in order that the Dharma be heard and in order to ripen beings, but the body of the Tathāgata is without the slightest thought. The tathāgatas do not speak even a single syllable. The beings who are guided360 hear the teaching of the Dharma from the tathāgatas in accord with their individual natures and their individual aspirations. A tathāgata is the true nature, [F.89.b] and that true nature is the limit of reality. That limit of reality is the essence of phenomena. That true nature, limit of reality, and essence of phenomena is the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. When the completely pure tathāgatas come, are seen, and speak, through the power of their previous prayers they teach the great skillful method of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma to completely pure beings.”

11.­4

Then the precious stūpa also said:361 “It is excellent, excellent, Bhagavān Śākyamuni, that you have taught well the Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. It is thus, Bhagavān. It is thus, Sugata!” Those are the words that were emitted.

11.­5

The fourfold assembly became happy, delighted, joyful, and overjoyed on seeing that precious stūpa that remained suspended in the air. At that time they rose from their seats and stood with palms together in homage.


11.­6

At that time, the bodhisattva mahāsattva named Mahāpratibhāna, seeing that the world with its devas, humans, and asuras was astonished, asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, what is the cause of the appearance of such a great precious stūpa as this? What are the conditions for its appearance? Bhagavān, who uttered the words that came from this great precious stūpa?”

The Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāpratibhāna, “Mahāpratibhāna, inside this great precious stūpa there is the complete body of a tathāgata. This is his stūpa. He uttered those words.

11.­7

“Mahāpratibhāna, in the eastern direction, beyond countless thousands362 of worlds, [F.90.a] there is a world named Ratnaviśuddhā. In that realm there appeared the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna. That bhagavān made a prayer. He said, ‘In the past when I was practicing bodhisattva conduct, the highest, complete enlightenment did not arise while I had not heard the instruction to bodhisattvas, the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. After I had heard this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, I attained the highest, complete enlightenment.’363 Mahāpratibhāna, when the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna was about to pass into nirvāṇa, he said to the world and its devas who were before him, ‘Bhikṣus, when I have passed into nirvāṇa, a great precious stūpa that contains my body should be made.’ Mahāpratibhāna, then the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna made this resolution:364 ‘This stūpa that is mine, the stūpa that contains my body, may it appear within the buddha realms in world realms in the ten directions wherever this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma will be taught. When those buddha bhagavāns are giving this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, may it be suspended in the air above the circle of the assembly. May the stūpa that contains my body congratulate the Buddha Bhagavān who is giving this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.’ [F.90.b]

11.­8

“Therefore, Mahāpratibhāna, this is the stūpa that contains the body of the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, which on my giving this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma in this world realm, Sahā, has appeared from the middle of the circle of the assembly, remained suspended in the air, and congratulated me.”

11.­9

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāpratibhāna said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, through your365 power let us see the body of the tathāgata.”

11.­10

The Bhagavān replied to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāpratibhāna, “Mahāpratibhāna, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna made a momentous366 prayer. This was his prayer: ‘When buddha bhagavāns in other realms are giving this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, may the stūpa that contains my body come into the presence of those tathāgatas in order to listen to this Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. When those buddha bhagavāns wish to expose my body and reveal it to the fourfold assembly, then may those tathāgatas assemble together all the emanations from their own bodies that are in the form of tathāgatas in the ten directions, each in their own buddha realm, each with their own name, and teaching the Dharma in those buddha realms. Then afterward, together with those emanations from their own bodies in the forms of tathāgatas, may they open the stūpa that contains my body and reveal it to the fourfold assembly.’

11.­11

“Therefore, Mahāpratibhāna, I shall gather here all my many emanations in the form of tathāgatas teaching the Dharma to beings in other buddha realms in thousands of other world realms.” [F.91.a]

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāpratibhāna said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, we shall pay homage to all those tathāgatas that are emanations from the Tathāgata’s own body.”

11.­12

Thereupon the Bhagavān emitted a ray of light from his ūrṇā hair. The instant that ray of light shone forth, all those buddha bhagavāns that resided in the eastern direction in hundreds of thousands of quintillions of world realms as numerous as the grains of sand in fifty Ganges Rivers were revealed. The buddha realms with their grounds made of crystal, beautified by trees made of precious materials, adorned by wreaths of calico and silk, filled with many hundred thousands of bodhisattvas, overspread with canopies, and covered with a network of gold and the seven precious materials were revealed. The bhagavāns teaching the Dharma with their mellifluous and gentle voices to beings in those realms were revealed. The hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas who filled those realms were revealed.

11.­13

In the same way in the southeast, in the same way in the south, in the same way in the southwest, in the same way in the west, in the same way in the northwest, in the same way in the north, in the same way in the northeast, in the same way above, in the same way below‍—in each of the ten directions‍—all of those many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha bhagavāns as numerous as the grains of sand in fifty Ganges Rivers, who were in many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of world realms as numerous as the grains of sand in fifty Ganges Rivers, were revealed.

11.­14

Those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas in the ten directions each instructed their own multitude of bodhisattvas, [F.91.b] “Noble youths, I should go to the Sahā world realm, into the presence of the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni, so that I may pay homage to the stūpa that contains the body of the tathāgata Prabhūtaratna!”

So those buddha bhagavāns, accompanied by either one or two367 of their own attendants, came to this Sahā world realm.

11.­15

At that time this all-containing Sahā world realm became adorned by precious trees. Its ground became made of beryl and was covered with a network of the seven precious materials and of gold. It became perfumed by very precious incense and perfumes. It became strewn with coral tree and great coral tree flowers. It became adorned with strings of little bells. It became divided eightfold like a checkerboard by golden cords.368 There were no longer any villages, towns, market towns, districts, countries, or capitals. There were no Kāla mountain ranges. There were no Mucilinda or Mahāmucilinda Mountains. There were no Cakravāla or Mahācakravāla mountain ranges. There were no Sumerus, which are the kings of mountains. There were no other great mountains or mountains. There were no great oceans. There were no rivers or great rivers that were present there. There were no devas, asuras, or humans. There were no hells, animals, or realm of Yama. At that time, apart from those who were in that assembly, all beings that had been born into the six classes of existence in this Sahā world realm were transferred to other world realms.

11.­16

The buddha bhagavāns with their one or two attendants then arrived in this Sahā world realm. Having arrived, the tathāgatas approached the bases of precious trees and stayed there. [F.92.a] Each of those precious trees was five hundred yojanas high, with branches, leaves, and petals in succession at their extremities.369 They were perfectly adorned with flowers and fruit. A lion throne had been arranged at the foot of each precious tree. They were five hundred yojanas in height and adorned with huge jewels. Each of the tathāgatas sat cross-legged upon one. In that way, tathāgatas sat cross-legged at the foot of all the precious trees in all the worlds in this world realm of a billion worlds.

11.­17

At that time all the worlds in this world realm of a billion worlds were filled with tathāgatas, but all the emanations of the body of the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni had not yet come even from just one direction.

11.­18

The tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni now manifested places for the bodies of the tathāgatas who were coming and arriving. In all ten directions there were two hundred thousand million buddha realms made of beryl, covered with a network made of the seven precious materials and of gold, adorned with strings of little bells, strewn with coral tree and great coral tree flowers, overspread with canopies, hung with divine flower garlands, and perfumed by divine incense and perfume.

11.­19

In those two hundred thousand million buddha realms there were no villages, towns, market towns, districts, countries, or capitals. There were no Kāla mountain ranges. There were no Mucilinda or Mahāmucilinda Mountains. There were no Cakravāla or Mahācakravāla mountain ranges. There were no Sumerus, the kings of mountains. There were no other great mountains or mountains. There were no great oceans. [F.92.b] There were no rivers or great rivers. There were no devas, asuras, or humans. There were no hells, animals, or realm of Yama.

11.­20

All those buddha realms were created as if they were one buddha realm, as if they were one land,370 which was flat, delightful, and adorned by trees made of the seven precious materials. Those trees were five hundred yojanas high, with branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit in succession at their extremities. Arranged at the foot of all those precious trees there were magnificent, beautiful lion thrones that were five hundred yojanas in height and were made from divine jewels. The tathāgatas who came and arrived sat cross-legged on the lion thrones in front of those trees. In this way, moreover, Śākyamuni purified371 two hundred thousand million buddha realms in each direction in order to create space for the tathāgatas who were coming and arriving.

11.­21

In those two hundred thousand million world realms in each direction there were no villages, towns, market towns, districts, countries, or capitals. There were no Kāla mountain ranges. There were no Mucilinda or Mahāmucilinda Mountains. There were no Cakravāla or Mahācakravāla mountain ranges. There were no Sumerus, the kings of mountains. There were no other great mountains or mountains. There were no great oceans. There were no rivers or great rivers. There were no devas, asuras, or humans. There were no hells, animals, or realm of Yama. [F.93.a] Those beings had been transferred to other world realms.

11.­22

Those buddha realms were made of beryl, covered with a network made of the seven precious materials and of gold, adorned with strings of little bells, completely bestrewn with coral tree and great coral tree flowers, overspread with divine canopies, hung with divine flower garlands, perfumed by divine incense and perfume, and adorned by trees made of the seven precious materials. Those trees were five hundred yojanas high, and lion thrones that were five hundred yojanas in height were also manifested. The tathāgatas sat cross-legged on those lion thrones in front of those precious trees.

11.­23

It was then that the tathāgatas emanated by Bhagavān Śākyamuni who had been in the eastern direction, teaching the Dharma in hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha realms as numerous as the grains of sand in ten million Ganges Rivers, arrived. In the same way they came and arrived from the ten directions and were seated in the eight directions.

11.­24

At that time those tathāgatas in each of the eight directions arrived in three hundred million world realms. Then those tathāgatas each sat on their own lion throne and sent their own attendants carrying a basket of precious flowers to Bhagavān Śākyamuni. They said to them, “Noble men, go to the Vulture Peak in Rājagṛha. Pay homage to the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni and with my words ask him and his host of bodhisattvas, and host of śrāvakas, ‘Are you untroubled? Are you well? Are you strong? Are you constantly happy?’ [F.93.b] Then scatter upon him this heap of jewels and say, ‘The Bhagavān expresses his wish that the Tathāgata’s372 precious stūpa be opened.’ ”

11.­25

All the tathāgatas sent their attendants in that way. Then the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni, knowing that the entirety of his emanations was assembled, knowing that they were seated on their lion thrones, knowing that the attendants of the tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas had all arrived, and knowing that those tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas had expressed their wish, rose up from his Dharma seat and remained floating up in the air. The entire fourfold assembly also rose from their seats and stood with hands together in homage, gazing upon the Bhagavān.

11.­26

Then the Bhagavān, with the fingers of his right hand, opened the center of the great precious stūpa that was floating in the air. He opened it and separated two parts of the wall panels, as when the two great doors of a great city’s gate separate after the bolt has been removed.

In that way, the Bhagavān, with the fingers of his right hand, opened the center of the great precious stūpa and revealed its interior. As soon as the great precious stūpa of the Tathāgata was opened the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna could be seen, his whole body withered,373 seated cross-legged and upright on a lion throne as if he was in meditation. [F.94.a] He said, “It is excellent, excellent, Bhagavān Śākyamuni, that you have taught well the Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. It is excellent, Bhagavān Śākyamuni, that you are giving the Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.374 Bhagavān, I have come here to listen to the Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”

11.­27

The fourfold assembly was amazed and astonished on seeing375 the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna, who had passed into nirvāṇa many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons before, speaking.

At that time, heaps of human and divine jewels were tossed toward the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna and the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni. Then the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Prabhūtaratna offered half the lion throne seat to the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni and from within the great precious stūpa said, “Sit here, Bhagavān Tathāgata Śākyamuni.”

11.­28

So the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni sat on that half of the lion throne together with that tathāgata.376 Both tathāgatas could be seen seated in the center of the great precious stūpa that remained suspended in the air.

The fourfold assembly now thought, “We are far from these tathāgatas; may we also rise up into the air through the power of the tathāgatas!” [F.94.b]

At this, the Bhagavān, knowing the thoughts in the minds of the fourfold assembly, at that time, through his miraculous power, suspended the fourfold assembly up in the air.

11.­29

The bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni then asked the fourfold assembly, “Bhikṣus, who among you in this Sahā world realm has the enthusiasm to give the Dharma teaching of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma? This is the moment. This is the time. You are in the presence of the Buddha. Having bestowed the Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, the Tathāgata wishes to enter nirvāṇa.”

11.­30

Then the Bhagavān recited these verses:

“Bhikṣus, this great rishi, who is in nirvāṇa,
The Guide who entered this precious stūpa,
Has come in order to listen to this Dharma.
Who would not have diligence for the Dharma? {1}
11.­31
“He entered nirvāṇa millions of eons ago
But still he listens to the Dharma.
He goes here and there for the Dharma;
This kind of Dharma is very difficult to find. {2}
11.­32
“It was the prayer of this Guide,
While he practiced in his previous lives,
That even after nirvāṇa he would seek the Dharma
Throughout all ten directions in all these worlds. {3}
11.­33
“All of these who are from my own body,
As numerous as the sands of ten billion Ganges,
Have come in order to accomplish service for the Dharma
And to see this Lord who has passed into nirvāṇa. {4}
11.­34
“They all left behind their own realms,
And likewise all their śrāvakas, humans, and maruts,
In order that they may preserve this good Dharma,
For this way of Dharma to remain for a long time. {5}
11.­35
“Through my miraculous power I purified
Many thousands of millions of world realms
And transferred the beings there elsewhere,
In order that these buddhas could be seated. {6} [F.95.a]
11.­36
“I acted with such dedication so that
This way of the Dharma may be taught.
These countless buddhas are now seated
At the foot of trees like a multitude of lotuses. {7}
11.­37
“The guides are seated upon lion thrones
At the foot of no fewer than millions of trees.
Very beautiful, they sit there constantly,
Like a fire in a great darkness. {8}
11.­38
“The beautiful aroma of the guides of the world
Spreads throughout the ten directions
So that as the breeze blows
It pervades these beings here.377 {9}
11.­39
“Those who wish to hold this Dharma teaching
After I have passed into nirvāṇa
Should quickly state their intention
In the presence of the lords of the world. {10}
11.­40
“The buddha who has entered nirvāṇa,
The muni Prabhūtaratna,378 also
Is someone who is dedicated
To listening to this lion’s roar. {11}
11.­41
“Secondly I, and the many millions
Of these guides who have come here,
Will with dedication listen to a child of the jinas
Who with enthusiasm teaches this Dharma. {12}
11.­42
“It is because of this that offerings are always being made
To me and Prabhūtaratna, the self-arisen Jina.
He is one who is constantly going in every direction
In order to listen to such a Dharma as this. {13}
11.­43
“The lords of the world who have arrived here,
Who have made brilliant and beautiful the land,
Will receive vast and not little offerings
Through their teaching of the sūtra. {14}
11.­44
“This bhagavān residing inside the stūpa,
And I who am upon this seat,
And these many other lords of the world,
Arrived from many hundreds of realms, are seen. {15}
11.­45
“Noble ones, I ask you to contemplate,
Out of compassion for all beings,
This extremely difficult task
That the guides have enthusiasm for. {16} [F.95.b]
11.­46
“If someone had to give the teaching
Of many thousands of sūtras
As numerous as the sands of the Ganges,
That would not be a very difficult task. {17}
11.­47
“If someone had to grasp
Mount Sumeru in their hand
And throw it into millions of realms,
That would not be a very difficult task. {18}
11.­48
“If someone had to dislodge
This realm of a billion worlds with their big toe,
And kick it into millions of realms,
That would not be a very difficult task. {19}
11.­49
“If someone had to teach the Dharma
Through thousands of other sūtras
While residing at the summit of existence,
That would not be a very difficult task. {20}
11.­50
“If someone upholds this sūtra
In the dreadful future times
After the Lord of the World’s nirvāṇa,
That will be a very difficult task. {21}
11.­51
“If someone had to grasp in their hand
The entire element of space,
And having grasped it, go away,
That would not be a very difficult task. {22}
11.­52
“If someone writes out a sūtra like this
In the dreadful future times
When I have passed into nirvāṇa,
That will be a very difficult task. {23}
11.­53
“If someone had to insert into their fingernail
The entire element of earth,
And having done so, go away
And climb up to the world of Brahmā, {24}
11.­54
“And does that difficult task
In front of the entire world,
That would not be a very difficult task,
And would not take such great dedication. {25}
11.­55
“Far more difficult than that
Would be if someone were to recite379
This sūtra in the future times
When I have passed into nirvāṇa. {26}
11.­56
“It would not be difficult in this world
For someone in the inferno of the eon’s end
To go into its center, carrying a load
Of straw, without its burning.380 {27}
11.­57
“Far more difficult will be
If someone after my nirvāṇa
Is a holder of this sūtra
And makes one being hear it. {28}
11.­58
“If someone were a holder of the collection
Of eighty-four thousand dharmas
And were to teach them to millions of beings
Together with the transmission of instructions, {29} [F.96.a]
11.­59
And were at that time to guide
The bhikṣus who are my śrāvakas
And establish them in the higher knowledges,381
Then that would not be difficult. {30}
11.­60
“It will be far more difficult
For someone to uphold this sūtra,
To have faith in and aspiration for it,
And teach it again and again. {31}
11.­61
“If someone were to establish in arhathood
Many thousands of millions
Of those with great good fortune, who have the six higher knowledges,
As numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges, {32}
11.­62
“The one who after my nirvāṇa
Upholds this excellent sūtra
Will be a supreme human
Who accomplishes a far greater activity. {33}
11.­63
“I have taught many dharmas
Within thousands of world realms,
And I am teaching again now
For the sake of the wisdom of buddhahood. {34}
11.­64
“From among all sūtras,
This is said to be the supreme sūtra.
The one who upholds this sūtra
Is holding the body of the Jina. {35}
11.­65
“Noble ones, whoever among you
Aspires to uphold this sūtra
In the later times, say so
In the presence of the Tathāgata. {36}
11.­66
“If someone upholds, even for a moment,
This sūtra which is so difficult to uphold,
They will have completely brought
Great pleasure382 to all the lords of the world. {37}
11.­67
“They will be highly praised
By all the lords of the world.
Those heroes, those mighty ones, will soon
Attain higher knowledge and enlightenment. {38}
11.­68
“Whoever upholds this sūtra,
Will be a true child of the lords of the worlds.
That one will be the carrier of their burden,
And will have attained the state of pacification. {39}
11.­69
“The one who teaches this sūtra
After the nirvāṇa of the chief of humans383
Will become the eyes for the world
With its humans and maruts. {40}
11.­70
“The one who in the later times
Teaches this sūtra for just a moment,
That wise one will be worthy
Of homage by all beings.” {41}
11.­71

Then the Bhagavān instructed the entire host of bodhisattvas, [F.96.b] and the world with its devas and asuras, saying, “Bhikṣus, in the past, in a time gone by, I sought The Sūtra of the White Lotus of the Good Dharma, without weariness, without fatigue, for countless, innumerable eons. In the past, for many hundreds of thousands of eons I was a king who prayed for the highest, complete enlightenment and my mind never wavered from that. I was dedicated to fulfilling the six perfections. I performed immeasurable acts of generosity, giving away gold, jewels, pearls, beryls, conch, crystal, corals, refined gold, silver, emeralds, white coral, red pearls, village towns, market towns, districts, lands, capitals, wives, sons, daughters, male slaves, female slaves, elephants, horses, chariots, and so on, up to my own body‍—my hands, feet, head, limbs, smaller body parts‍—and my life. I never had any clinging arise in my mind.

11.­72

“At that time, life in this world was long. One lived for many hundreds of thousands of years. During that time I was a king for the sake of the Dharma and not for the sake of dominion. I consecrated my oldest son to be king and dedicated myself to searching in the four directions for the highest Dharma.

“I rang a bell and announced, ‘I will become the slave of anyone who will give me the highest Dharma and teach me its meaning!’

11.­73

“At that time there was a rishi who said to me, ‘Great King, I have the Dharma teaching of the supreme sūtra called The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. [F.97.a] If you promise to be my slave I will enable you to hear it.’

“When I heard the words of the rishi I was happy, content, delighted, and overjoyed, and I approached that rishi and said to him, ‘I will do whatever work a slave would do for you!’

11.­74

“In that way I promised to be that rishi’s slave and then I did the work of collecting straw, wood, water, roots, tubers, fruit, and so on. I was even the guard at his door. I did that kind of work during the day and at night I grasped the feet of his bed.384 However, I never had any physical fatigue and I never had any mental fatigue.”

11.­75

Thereupon, in order to make this clear, the Bhagavān recited these verses:

“I remember how in past eons
I was a Dharma king for the sake of the Dharma.
I became a king for the sake of the Dharma,
Not for pleasures but for the supreme Dharma. {42}
11.­76
“I made this declaration in the four directions:
‘I shall be the slave of whoever teaches me the Dharma.’
At that time there was a wise rishi
Who taught the sūtra called The Good Dharma. {43}
11.­77
“He said to me, ‘If you wish for the Dharma,
Promise to be my slave and I will teach you the Dharma.’
When I heard those words, I was overjoyed
And I worked for him as his slave. {44}
11.­78
“When I worked as his slave for the Dharma
My body and mind were untouched by fatigue.
At that time my prayers were for beings
And not for myself nor for my desires. {45}
11.­79
“That king had that degree of dedication,
That for a full thousand eons, without weariness,
He did no other work in the ten directions
Until he obtained that which was called the Dharma. {46}
11.­80

“Bhikṣus, what do you think? If you have the thought that at that time, on that occasion, [F.97.b] the king was someone else, do not see it in that way. Why is that? At that time, on that occasion, I was that king. Bhikṣus, if you have the thought that at that time, on that occasion, the rishi was someone else, do not see it in that way. Why is that? Bhikṣus, at that time, on that occasion, this Devadatta was that rishi.

11.­81

“Bhikṣus, Devadatta was my kalyāṇamitra, and relying on that kalyāṇamitra I fulfilled the six perfections. It was through relying upon Devadatta that I perfected great love, great compassion, great rejoicing, great equanimity, the thirty-two signs and eighty features of a great being, a fathom-wide aura, a golden color, the ten strengths, the four fearlessnesses, the four methods of attracting disciples, the eighteen unique qualities of a buddha, the great miraculous powers, and the liberating of beings in the ten directions.

11.­82

“Bhikṣus, I declare to you,385 I make it known to you, this Devadatta, bhikṣus, will in a future time, after countless innumerable eons, in a world realm named Devasopānāyā be the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha386 Devarāja.

“Bhikṣus, the lifespan of Tathāgata Devarāja will be twenty intermediate eons long and he will teach the Dharma extensively. Beings as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges will eliminate the kleśas and manifest arhathood. Many beings will develop the aspiration to enlightenment. Beings as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges will develop the aspiration to the highest, complete enlightenment and attain irreversible patience. [F.98.a]

11.­83

“Bhikṣus, after Tathāgata Devarāja has passed into nirvāṇa, the Dharma will remain for twenty intermediate eons. The relic of his body will not be divided but remain as one whole that will be placed inside a stūpa made of the seven precious materials. That stūpa will be sixty387 yojanas high and forty yojanas wide. All devas and humans will make offerings to it of incense, perfume, flowers, garlands, ointments, powders, cloths, parasols, banners, flags, banners of victory, and so on, and they will praise it in song.

“Whoever will circumambulate that stūpa or bow down to it will manifest the supreme result of arhathood, some will attain pratyeka­buddhahood, and countless, innumerable devas and humans will develop an irreversible aspiration to the highest, supreme enlightenment.”


11.­84

The Bhagavān then said to the bhikṣus, “Bhikṣus, in future times, noble men or noble women who listen to this chapter from The Sūtra of the White Lotus of the Good Dharma, and having heard it have no doubt,388 and with pure minds are dedicated to it, will close the doorway to the lower existences. They will not be reborn in the hells, as an animal, or in the realm of Yama. They will be reborn in the buddha realms in the ten directions and in lifetime after lifetime will hear this sūtra. If they are reborn in a deva or human world they will have a superior status. Whatever buddha realm they are born into, they will be born miraculously in front of the Tathāgata from within a lotus made of the seven precious materials.” [F.98.b]

11.­85

At that time the bodhisattva mahāsattva Prajñākūṭa, who had come from the buddha realm of Tathāgata Prabhūtaratna that was in the downward direction,389 said to Tathāgata Prabhūtaratna, “Bhagavān, let us return to our own buddha realm.”

But the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni said to the bodhisattva Prajñākūṭa, “Noble one, stay a little while, gain some ascertainment of the Dharma with my bodhisattva mahāsattva Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, and then after that return to your buddha realm.”

11.­86

At that time, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, who was seated upon a lotus that had a thousand petals and was the size of a cartwheel, and who was encircled by many bodhisattvas, rose from the palace of the nāga king Sāgara within the ocean high into the sky and floated through the sky to Vulture Peak Mountain, into the presence of the Bhagavān.

Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta descended from the lotus and bowed his head to the feet of Bhagavān Śākyamuni and Tathāgata Prabhūtaratna. He then approached the bodhisattva Prajñākūṭa, spoke with the bodhisattva Prajñākūṭa about many pleasant and joyful things, and then sat down to one side.

11.­87

The bodhisattva Prajñākūṭa then asked Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, how many beings have you guided since you entered the ocean?” [F.99.a]

“I have guided countless, innumerable beings of a number that it is not possible to describe in words or to conceive of in the mind,” answered Mañjuśrī. “Noble one, stay a little while until you see an omen.”

11.­88

As soon as Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said those words, many thousands of lotuses rose up into the sky from within the oceans. Many thousands of bodhisattvas were seated upon those lotuses. Then those bodhisattvas came through the sky to Vulture Peak and remained suspended in the sky above it. Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta had guided all of them toward the highest, complete enlightenment. Those bodhisattvas who had previously entered the Mahāyāna praised the six perfections and the qualities of the Mahāyāna, while the bodhisattvas who had previously been śrāvakas praised the Śrāvakayāna. All of them knew the qualities of the Mahāyāna and the emptiness of all phenomena.

Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said to the bodhisattva Prajñākūṭa, “Noble one, since I entered the ocean I have guided all these beings390 that have appeared here.”

11.­89

Then the bodhisattva Prajñākūṭa asked Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta questions by chanting these verses:

“Great excellent one, who describes wisdom through parables,391
You who are the god of humans, I ask you to tell me
Through whose power have you become
Someone who today has guided countless beings? {47}
11.­90
“What sūtra teaches the path to enlightenment?
What is the Dharma that you have taught,
That by hearing it they developed the aspiration for enlightenment
And have definitely392 attained profundity within omniscience?” {48}
11.­91

Mañjuśrī answered, “In the ocean I taught The Sūtra of the White Lotus of the Good Dharma and nothing else.” [F.99.b]

11.­92

“This sūtra is profound, subtle, and difficult to see,” said Prajñākūṭa. “There is no other sūtra that is its equal. Is there a being who is able to comprehend this sūtra jewel and attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood?”

11.­93

“Noble one,” answered Mañjuśrī, “there is the daughter of Sāgara, king of the nāgas, who was born eight years ago. She has great wisdom, sharp faculties. The actions of her body, speech, and mind are preceded by wisdom. She has attained the retention by which she remembers the words and meaning of the teachings of all tathāgatas. She has attained in an instant a thousand samādhis of meditation on all phenomena and all beings. She has irreversible aspiration for enlightenment. She has made vast prayers. She cares for all beings as she would for herself. She can develop qualities and never lose them. She has a smiling face. She has a perfect, magnificent complexion. She has a loving mind. She speaks with compassion. She is able to attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.”

11.­94

Prajñākūṭa said, “I have seen that when the bhagavān tathāgata Śākyamuni had become a bodhisattva dedicated to attaining enlightenment, he generated much merit, and his diligence never weakened throughout thousands of eons. There is nowhere throughout the worlds of the realm of a billion worlds, not even a place the size of a mustard seed, where he has not given up his own body for the sake of beings. Only after all that did he attain the enlightenment of buddhahood. Who can believe that the daughter of Sāgara could attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood in an instant?”

11.­95

Then at that time the daughter of Sāgara, the king of the nāgas, appeared before them. She bowed her head to the feet of the Bhagavān, sat down on one side, and recited these verses:

“His merit, that merit393 is profound,
And pervades every direction. [F.100.a]
His subtle body is adorned
By the thirty-two signs. {49}
11.­96
“He has the excellent features.
All beings pay homage to him.
All beings come to him
Like they do to a market town. {50}
11.­97
“The Tathāgata is my witness
That my wish is for enlightenment.
I will teach extensively
The Dharma that liberates from suffering.” {51}
11.­98

At that time Śāriputra said to the daughter of Sāgara, king of the nāgas, “Noble lady, although you have an irreversible aspiration for enlightenment and immeasurable wisdom, it will be difficult for you to attain enlightenment. Noble lady, a woman may maintain diligence, create merit for many thousands of eons, and complete the six perfections, but still she will not attain buddhahood. Why is that? It is because a woman has still not attained five states. What are these five? The first is the state of being a Brahmā, the second is the state of being a Śakra, the third is the state of being one of the four mahārājas, the fourth is the state of being a cakravartin, and the fifth is the state of being an irreversible bodhisattva.”

11.­99

At that time, the daughter of Sāgara, king of the nāgas, had a jewel of the value of an entire realm of a billion worlds. The daughter of the nāga king offered it to the Bhagavān, and the Bhagavān accepted it out of compassion.

11.­100

The daughter of Sāgara, king of the nāgas, then asked Prajñākūṭa and Sthavira Śāriputra, “Did the Bhagavān quickly accept the jewel that I offered to the Bhagavān, or not?”

“You offered it quickly and the Bhagavān accepted it quickly,” the sthavira answered.

The daughter of Sāgara, king of the nāgas, said, “Venerable Śāriputra, if I have great miraculous power, I will attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood even more quickly than that jewel was accepted.” [F.100.b]

11.­101

Thereupon, in front of the entire world, and in front of Sthavira Śāriputra, the daughter of Sāgara, king of the nāgas, manifested the vanishing of her female genitalia, the appearance of male genitalia, and her transformation into a bodhisattva.

11.­102

That bodhisattva now went to the south and, in a southern world realm named Vimalā, manifested the attainment of perfect buddhahood while seated at the foot of a tree made of the seven precious materials.

11.­103

That buddha had a body that possessed all thirty-two signs and the excellent features, and shone with a light that pervaded the ten directions as he gave the teaching of the Dharma. All beings in this Sahā world realm saw all the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans paying homage to that tathāgata and saw him teaching them the Dharma. All those beings who listened to that tathāgata’s Dharma teaching attained irreversible progress toward the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood.

11.­104

That Vimalā world realm and this Sahā world realm both shook in six ways. Three thousand beings within the circle of Bhagavān Śākyamuni’s assembly attained receptivity to the birthlessness of phenomena, and three thousand received the prophecies of their attainment of the highest, complete enlightenment.

At this, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Prajñākūṭa and Sthavira Śāriputra fell silent.

11.­105

This concludes “The Appearance of the Stūpa,” the eleventh chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.” [F.101.a]


12.
Chapter 12

Resolutions

12.­1

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahāpratibhāna, together with a following of two hundred thousand bodhisattvas, facing the Bhagavān, said, “Bhagavān, have no concern over this matter. Bhagavān, we will teach, we will expound this Dharma teaching to beings after the nirvāṇa of the Tathāgata.

“Bhagavān, in that time beings will be wicked, have few roots of merit, be arrogant, be devoted to gain and honor, engage in roots of demerit, be difficult to guide, have no interest, and be filled with disinterest, but, Bhagavān, we will demonstrate the power of patience and in that time we will teach this sūtra, we will uphold it, we will expound it, we will write it out, we will honor it, we will venerate it, and we will make offerings to it. Bhagavān, we will cast aside body and life and teach this sūtra. Therefore, Bhagavān, have no concern.”


13.
Chapter 13

Dwelling in Happiness

13.­1

Then Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, what these bodhisattva mahāsattvas are resolved to do because of their reverence for the Bhagavān is a difficult task, extremely difficult. Bhagavān, how should these bodhisattva mahāsattvas expound this Dharma teaching in the later times, in a later era?”

The Bhagavān said to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should expound this Dharma teaching in the later times, in a later era, by maintaining four qualities. What are these four?


14.
Chapter 14

The Bodhisattvas Emerging Out of the Ground

14.­1

Then the bodhisattvas who had arrived from other world realms, who were as numerous as the grains of sand in eight Ganges Rivers, stood up in the circle of the assembly, bowed to the Bhagavān with hands together in homage, and said these words:

“Bhagavān, if the Bhagavān will permit us, [F.111.a] after the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, we too will teach this Dharma teaching in the Sahā world realm. We will read it, write it, and make offerings to it. We shall be dedicated to this Dharma teaching. Bhagavān, teach well this Dharma teaching to us.”


15.
Chapter 15

The Lifespan of the Tathāgata

15.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the complete assembly of bodhisattvas, “Noble ones, have faith and certainty in the true words that I, the Tathāgata, will speak.”

The Bhagavān said a second time, and a third time, to those bodhisattvas, “Noble ones, have faith and certainty in the true words that I, the Tathāgata, will speak. Noble ones, have faith and certainty in the true words that I, the Tathāgata, will speak.”


16.
Chapter 16

The Extent of the Merit

16.­1

When the teaching of the Tathāgata’s lifespan was taught it benefited innumerable, countless beings. The Bhagavān said at that time to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya, “Ajita, when the Dharma teaching that teaches the Tathāgata’s lifespan was given, a hundred thousand quintillion bodhisattvas, as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty-eight Ganges Rivers, developed receptivity to the birthlessness of phenomena.


17.
Chapter 17

Teaching the Merit of Rejoicing

17.­1

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya asked the Bhagavān, [F.129.a] “Bhagavān, if a noble man or noble woman rejoices after hearing this Dharma teaching explained, how much merit, Bhagavān, does that noble man or noble woman create?” And at that time the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya also addressed to him this verse:

17.­2
“After the nirvāṇa of the great Hero,
How much merit will there be
For someone who listens to this kind of sūtra,
And having heard it, rejoices?” {1}

18.
Chapter 18

The Benefits of the Purity of the Six Āyatanas

18.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Satata­samitābhiyukta, “If any noble man or noble woman possesses, reads, teaches, or asks questions about this Dharma teaching, that noble man or noble woman will gain eight hundred qualities of the eyes, will gain twelve hundred qualities of the nose, will gain eight hundred qualities of the ears, will gain twelve hundred qualities of the tongue, will gain eight hundred qualities of the body, and will gain twelve hundred qualities of mind.


19.
Chapter 19

Sadāparibhūta

19.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mahā­sthāma­prāpta, “Mahā­sthāma­prāpta, you should know that this Dharma teaching is like this: Whoever rejects this Dharma teaching, and scolds, rebukes, and speaks crudely489 and harshly to the bhikṣus, [F.139.b] bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess such a sūtra as this, will experience the undesirable result ripening from that, which is that they will be unable to speak words. Whoever possesses such a sūtra as this, reads it, studies it, teaches it, and teaches it extensively to others will have the desirable result ripening from that, which is, as I have said before, that they will attain purified eyes, nose, ears, tongue, body, and mind.


20.
Chapter 20

The Tathāgata’s Miracles

20.­1

Then those hundreds of millions of quintillions of bodhisattvas who had emerged from the ground, as numerous as the atoms in a world realm, placed their hands together in homage and said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, we will teach this Dharma teaching in all the buddha realms where the Tathāgata has passed into nirvāṇa, and in the buddha realms where the Bhagavān will pass into nirvāṇa.


21.
Chapter 21

Dhāraṇīs

21.­1

498Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja rose from his seat, removed his upper robe from one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, [F.147.a] and with his hands together in homage bowed toward the Bhagavān and said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, how much merit will a noble man or noble woman generate by carrying this Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma on their body or making a text of it?”


22.
Chapter 22

The Past of Bhaiṣajyarāja

22.­1

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Nakṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, through what cause is the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja active in this Sahā world realm? Bhagavān, he must have undergone many hundred thousands of quintillions of hardships. I request the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the perfectly enlightened Buddha to speak of just a fraction of what the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja has practiced, so that those who have heard the Bhagavān‍—the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and nonhumans, and the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who have arrived here from other world realms and these great śrāvakas‍—will all be pleased, delighted, and happy.”


23.
Chapter 23

Gadgadasvara

23.­1

Then at that time the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni emitted light from the ūrṇā hair between his eyebrows, which was a sign of a great being. That light shone throughout hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha realms in the east, which were as numerous as the grains of sand in eighteen Ganges Rivers. Beyond those hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddha realms, which were as numerous as the grains of sand in eighteen Ganges Rivers, there was the world realm named Vairocana­raśmi­prati­maṇḍitā, in which there lived, was present, and remained the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha named Kamala­dala­vimala­nakṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña. He was accompanied and revered by an immeasurably great saṅgha of bodhisattvas. Then the ray of light emitted by the bhagavān tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni from his ūrṇā hair shone at that time throughout the world realm Vairocana­raśmi­prati­maṇḍitā.


24.
Chapter 24

Facing Everywhere: The Teaching of the Miracles of Avalokiteśvara

24.­1

596Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Akṣayamati rose from his seat, removed his upper robe from one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, and with his hands together in homage bowed toward the Bhagavān and asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, why is the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara called Avalokiteśvara?” [F.164.b]

24.­2

The Bhagavān said to the bodhisattva mahāsattva Akṣayamati, “Noble one, if the hundred thousand quintillion beings in this world who are experiencing suffering were to hear the name of the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara they would all become freed from that mass of suffering.


25.
Chapter 25

The Past of King Śubhavyūha

25.­1

Then the Bhagavān said to the all-inclusive assembly of bodhisattvas, “Noble ones, in the past, in a time gone by, countless eons ago, at that time, in that era, in an eon named Priyadarśana, in a world named Vairocana­raśmi­prati­maṇḍitā, there appeared in that world the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world’s beings, the unsurpassable guide who tamed beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Jala­dhara­garjita­ghoṣa­susvarana­kṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña­.


26.
Chapter 26

Samantabhadra’s Encouragement

26.­1

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra, leading a following of countless bodhisattva mahāsattvas, and leading a following of countless devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, came from the east, and the realms shook, a rain of lotuses fell, and a hundred thousand quintillion musical instruments played. With the great power of a bodhisattva, with the great manifestations of a bodhisattva, with the great miraculous power of a bodhisattva, with the great majesty636 of a bodhisattva, with the great brilliant magnificence of a bodhisattva, with the great way637 of a bodhisattva, with the great miracles of a bodhisattva, and with the great miraculous manifestation of leading a following638 of devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans‍—it was with such an inconceivable miraculous manifestation that the bodhisattva mahāsattva Samantabhadra came to this Sahā world realm.


27.
Chapter 27

The Entrusting

27.­1

Then the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Śākyamuni [F.179.b] rose from his Dharma seat and manifested the miracle of his right hand taking hold of the right hands of those in the entire gathering of bodhisattvas. At that time he said, “Noble ones, this highest, complete enlightenment that I accomplished after a hundred thousand quintillion asaṃkhyeya eons I place in your hands: I entrust it to you, I present it to you, and I pass it on to you. Noble ones, you should do whatever will make it extensively widespread.”


c.

Colophon

c.­1

Translated, revised, and finalized by the Indian Upādhyāya Surendrabodhi and the chief editor Lotsawa Bandé Nanam Yeshé Dé.


n.

Notes

n.­1
See Jamieson (2002) for a list of the numerous scholarly works.
n.­2
Karashima (2015).
n.­3
Dessein (2009): 36–37.
n.­4
Zhongxin (1997).
n.­5
Karashima (2001).
n.­6
Karashima (2001): 212.
n.­7
Lopez (2016): 21.
n.­8
Deeg (1999).
n.­56
There have been two ways to interpret this traditional beginning of a sūtra, with such Indian masters as Kamalaśīla claiming that both are equally correct. The alternative interpretation is “Thus have I heard: at one time, the Bhagavān…,” and so on. The various arguments, both traditional and modern, for either side are given by Brian Galloway in “Thus have I heard: At one time…,” Indo-Iranian Journal 34, no. 2 (April 1991): 87–104.
n.­57
This figure is from the Sanskrit. The Tibetan in all Kangyurs has twelve thousand, as do the Chinese translations by Kumārajīva (T.262, early fifth century) and by Jñānagupta and Dharmagupta (T.264, early seventh century). The Chinese translation by Dharmarakṣa (T.263, late third century), however, has 1,200 like the Sanskrit, while the other early Chinese translation, which is anonymous, has 42,000 (大比丘眾四萬二千人俱).
n.­58
Sanskrit ājāneya; Tibetan cang shes. Ājāneya was incorrectly defined as meaning “all-knowing” and was translated therefore into Tibetan as cang shes (“all-knowing”). The term ājāneya was primarily used for thoroughbred horses, but was also applied to people in a laudatory sense.
n.­59
This term probably has its origins in being a translation into Sanskrit from the Middle Indic mahānāga, the Sanskrit equivalent of which should have been mahānagna, which has the meaning of “a great champion, a man of distinction and nobility.”
n.­60
According to the BHS abhi­jñatābhijña­ta, where the same word is repeated with different meanings. The Tibetan translates both identically in most Kangyurs as mngon par shes pa mngon par shes pa, and in others such as Degé and Lhasa as mngon par shes pas mngon par shes pa.
n.­99
According to the Sanskrit. Tibetan: Śāridvataputra.
n.­169
According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has “deprived of the scope of wisdom of the tathāgatas, and of the vision of their wisdom.”
n.­278
According to the BHS ārocayāmi. The Tibetan mos par bya could be interpreted as “make you aspire.”
n.­279
According to the Sanskrit. The last two activities are absent from the Tibetan, but when this passage is repeated further on in this chapter they are included in the Tibetan, and so there appears to be an unintended omission here.
n.­280
According to the commentary this refers to the eightfold path, with wisdom being the right view and conduct being the other seven aspects of the path.
n.­281
According to the BHS gūtholigalla. The Tibetan translates obscurely as sme ba (“spots”).
n.­282
See n.­179.
n.­330
According to the Sanskrit pramocayanti and, in part, the Stok Palace Kangyur ’grol ba. The other Tibetan versions consulted have ’grel ba; a Tibetan translation of the causative Sanskrit verb form would more likely be sgrol ba.
n.­331
The syntax is according to the Sanskrit; the Tibetan reverses the order of the sentences.
n.­358
According to the Sanskrit vedikā. The Tibetan translates as stegs bu, “platforms,” Burnouf as “balconies,” and Kern as “terraces.” However, vedikā here refers to the railings in which the toraṇas, or “gateways,” are set. While the vedikās do serve as railings for elevated platforms, which serve as circumambulatory walkways, they also encircle the stūpa on the surrounding flat ground.
n.­359
The following passage spoken by the stūpa is only found in certain Tibetan versions. It is absent from the Sanskrit and Chinese. Among the Kangyurs consulted, it is absent from the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné Kangyurs, but it is found in the Degé (and therefore the Comparative Edition), Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace editions. This translation is based primarily on the Degé / Comparative Edition version and therefore includes this passage.
n.­360
According to ’dul ba in the Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace Kangyurs. The Degé / Comparative Edition has ’dus ba (“gathered”).
n.­361
Among the Kangyurs consulted, the conclusion of the passage is found only in the Degé, Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace editions.
n.­362
According to the Tibetan. Sanskrit: “hundred of thousands of quintillions.”
n.­363
According to the Sanskrit and Chinese. The Tibetan appears to have misinterpreted the first sentence as a prayer also and added the verb “to pray” within the sentence, which is understandable because it follows the statement that the Buddha made a prayer, but the verbs in this sentence are in the past tense. The Tibetan by necessity of its interpretation translates them as being in the future, even though this contradicts the other narratives in the sūtra where bodhisattvas do not previously know about the existence of this sūtra: “In the past when I was practicing bodhisattva conduct, I prayed, ‘May the highest, complete enlightenment not arise while I have not heard the instruction to bodhisattvas, the Dharma teaching, The White Lotus of the Good Dharma. May I attain the highest, complete enlightenment after I have heard this Dharma teaching, The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.’ ”
n.­364
From the BHS meaning of adhiṣṭhāna, translated into Tibetan as byin gyis brlabs, which is usually translated into English as “blessing.” The following passage is clearly in the optative and is the prayer made by the Buddha.
n.­365
Literally, “through the power of the Bhagavān.”
n.­366
From the BHS guruka. The Tibetan translates as lci ba (“heavy”) here in the sense of “weighty,” “important.”
n.­367
According to the Sanskrit, literally “self [and] second, self [and] third.” The Tibetan reads as “self and two or self and three.”
n.­368
See n.­179.
n.­369
According to the Stok Palace Kangyur rim bzhin; the Degé and other Kangyurs consulted have ri bzhin. The Sanskrit and Chinese have “corresponding size.”
n.­370
According to the Sanskrit pṛthivīpradeśa, which the Tibetan translates simply as phyogs, which could be interpreted to mean “direction.”
n.­371
According to the Sanskrit and the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, Choné, and Stok Palace Kangyurs yongs su dag pa. The Lhasa and Degé / Comparative Edition have yongs su gang ba (“completely filled”).
n.­372
According to the Tibetan. Sanskrit: “The Bhagavān Tathāgata offers this, wishing for the precious stūpa to be opened.”
n.­373
According to the Tibetan bskams and the Sanskrit pariśuṣka. Kern translates from the Sanskrit as “emaciated.” However, Burnouf, having first translated as desséchés (“dessicated”), corrected himself on seeing another Sanskrit manuscript with pariśuddha (“perfectly pure”), and the Chinese translation was evidently from such a version. However, the eighth-century Gilgit rock drawings depicting Śākyamuni, Prabhūtaratna, and the stūpa clearly show Prabhūtaratna to have a withered body, and therefore must have been based on a text that had pariśuṣka, while in Chinese depictions, Śākyamuni and Prabhūtaratna have identical bodies.
n.­374
The Sanskrit adds “in the middle of the assembly.”
n.­375
According to the Sanskrit dṛṣṭvā and the Yongle and Kangxi Kangyurs mthong. Other Kangyurs consulted have thos (“heard”).
n.­376
According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan conjoins “together with the Tathāgata” with the following sentence.
n.­377
According to the Tibetan, apparently translating from mūrchita. Others have interpreted mūrchita to mean “intoxicates” (Burnouf and Kern) or “brings joy” (Chinese), which is another of its meanings.
n.­378
In this verse in the Sanskrit, Prabhūtaratna’s name is given an extra syllable: Prabhūtaratana.
n.­379
According to the Tibetan. Sanskrit: “teach for a moment.”
n.­380
According to the Sanskrit adahyanta and the Chinese translation. Tibetan: “a load of straw while it is burning.”
n.­381
According to the Tibetan. Sanskrit: “five higher knowledges.”
n.­382
According to the Sanskrit priyaṃ, the Chinese, and dga’ in the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, and Choné Kangyurs. The Degé, Lhasa, and Stok Palace have dka’ (“difficulty”). The Central Asian version has mama instead of mahat so that the line would read, “Brings pleasure to me and the lords of the world.”
n.­383
According to the Tibetan. Sanskrit: “Guide / leader of humans.”
n.­384
According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit could be interpreted as being by the bed and holding his feet, as in Burnouf and Kern. The Chinese interprets it as meaning he offered his own body as the bed.
n.­385
According to the BHS ārocayāmi. The Tibetan mos par bya could be interpreted as “make you aspire.”
n.­386
The Sanskrit has the longer series of epithets more common in prophecies.
n.­387
According to the Tibetan, Chinese, two Hodgson Sanskrit manuscripts, and Kern. The Vaidya and Wogihara have “sixty hundred” and Burnouf translated from a manuscript that read “sixty hundred,” i.e., “six thousand,” although he admits that sixty is already “suffisamment merveilleux” (“marvelous enough”).
n.­388
According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has in addition, “have no uncertainty.”
n.­389
Earlier in this chapter it was said to be in the east.
n.­390
According to the Sanskrit sattva and sems can in the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, and Choné Kangyurs. The Degé, Lhasa, and Stok Palace have sems (“mind”).
n.­391
According to the Tibetan and Burnouf. Vaidya and Wogihara Sanskrit, and Kern: “who is named a wise one because of his wisdom.”
n.­392
According to the Sanskrit niścitaṃ, and the Degé nges. The Comparative Edition has des.
n.­393
According to the Tibetan and the Vaidya and Wogihara Sanskrit. Burnouf translated from śuddham śuddhaṃ (“pure, pure”) instead of puṇyaṃ puṇyaṃ.
n.­489
According to the Tibetan tshogs par mi dbyung ba (“unfit for a gathering”), which will have been a translation of asabhya. The Sanskrit has asatya (“falsely”), which appears to have been the source of the Chinese translation.
n.­498
In the Chinese translation this chapter is later, following the chapter on Avalokiteśvara.
n.­596
“Facing everywhere” in the chapter title is translated according to the Sanskrit samantamukha, which has also became an epithet for the many-faced forms of Avalokiteśvara. The Tibetan translates as kun nas sgo (taking the alternative meaning of “door” from mukha) which could be literally translated as “doors on all sides.” However, in the Mahāvyutpatti we find samanta-spharaṇa-mukha translated as bzhin kun tu khyab pa (“face that pervades everywhere”). Other translations have included “all-sided one” and “all-sidedness.” Burnouf translates as “Celui dont la face regarde de tous les côtés,” correcting his earlier translation based on a misreading of samantamukha as samantasukha (“complete bliss”). The meaning, however translated, refers to Avalokiteśvara regarding all beings.
n.­636
According to the Sanskrit. “Great” is absent from the Tibetan. The Sanskrit mahata bodhi­sattva­māhātmyena manages to keep the two similar words apart.
n.­637
According to the Sanskrit mahatā bodhi­sattvayānena. The Tibetan could be interpreted to mean specifically the mahāyāna.
n.­638
“leading a following” is absent from the Tibetan.

b.

Bibliography

Tibetan Editions of the Sūtra

dam chos padma dkar po’i mdo (Saddharma­puṇḍarīka­sūtra) [The White Lotus of the Good Dharma]. Toh 113, Degé Kangyur, 103 vols. New Delhi: Karmapae Chodhey Gyalwae Sungrab Patrun Khang, 1976–79, vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1a–180b.

dam chos padma dkar po’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–2009, vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), pp. 3–427.

dam chos padma dkar po’i mdo. Choné Kangyur (co ne bka’ ’gyur). 108 vols. Choné: co ne par khang, 1926, vol. 31 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1–212b.

dam chos padma dkar po’i mdo. Lhasa Kangyur (lha sa bka’ ’gyur). 100 vols. Lhasa: zhol bka’ ’gyur par khang, 1934, vol. 53 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1b–285b.

dam chos padma dkar po’i mdo. Narthang Kangyur (snar thang bka’ ’gyur). 102 vols. Narthang: snar thang par khang, eighteenth century, vol. 53 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1b–281b.

dam chos padma dkar po’i mdo. Stok Palace Kangyur (stog pho brang bris ma bka’ ’gyur). 109 vols. Leh: smad rtsis shes rig dpe mdzod, 1975–80. vol. 67 (mdo sde, ma), folios 1a–270b.

dam chos padma dkar po’i mdo. Urga Kangyur (ur ga bka’ ’gyur). New Delhi: International Academy of Indian Culture, 1990–94. vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1a–180b.

Khangkar, Tsultrim Kelsang (ed.) bod gyur dam pa’i chos padma dkar po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo: Tibetan Translation of Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra. Nyin bod nang rig deb grangs (Japanese and Tibetan Buddhist Culture Series) XI. Kyoto: Tibetan Buddhist Culture Association, 2009.

Sanskrit Editions of the Sūtra

Zhongxin, Jiang. Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Fragments from the Lüshun Museum Collection. Tokyo: Sōka Gakkai, 1997.

Vaidya, P. L. Saddharma­puṇḍarīka­sūtra. Darbhanga: The Mithila Institute of Post-Graduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning, 1960.

Watanabe, Shōkō. Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Manuscripts Found in Gilgit. Tokyo: Reiyukai, 1972–75.

Wogihara, Unrai and Tsuchida, Chikao. Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtram: Romanized and Revised Text of the Bibliotheca Buddhica publication by consulting a Sanskrit Ms. & Tibetan and Chinese translations. Tōkyō: Seigo-Kenkyūkai, 1934–35.

Translations of the Sūtra

Borsig, Margareta von. Lotos-Sutra: Das Große Erleuchtungsbuch des Buddhismus. Freiburg: Herder, 2003.

Burnouf, Eugene. Le lotus de la bonne loi. Paris: L’imprimerie Nationale, 1852.

Hurvitz, Leon. Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma. New York: Columbia University Press, 1976.

Katō, Bunnō. “The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law.” In The Threefold Lotus Sutra, translated by Bunnō Katō, Yoshirō Tamura, and Kōjirō Miyasaka, with revisions by W. E. Soothill, Wilhelm Schiffer, and Pier P. Del Campana, 18–213. New York and Tokyo: Weatherhill and Kosei, 1993.

Kern, H. Saddharma-Puṇḍarīka or the Lotus of the Good Law. Sacred Books of the East XXII. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1884.

Kubo, Tsugunari and Akira Yuyama. The Lotus Sutra. Berkeley: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research (revised second edition), 2007.

Montgomery, Daniel B. The Lotus Sutra: The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma. Tokyo: Nichiren Shu Headquarters, 1991.

Murano, Senchū. The Lotus Sutra: Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma. Hayward, CA: Nichiren Buddhist International Center, 1974.

Reeves, Gene. The Lotus Sutra: A Contemporary Translation of a Buddhist Classic. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2008.

Soothill, W.E. The Lotus of the Wonderful Law, or The Lotus Gospel. Richmond: Curzon Press, 1987.

Watson, Burton. The Lotus Sutra. New York: Columbia University Press, 1993.

Other Kangyur Texts

rgya cher rol pa’i mdo (Lalita­vistara­sūtra, Toh 95. Degé Kangyur vol. 46 (mdo sde, kha), folios 1b–216b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation committee (2013).

ting nge ’dzin gyi rgyal po’i mdo (Samādhi­rāja­sūtra), Toh 127, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 1a–175b. English translation in Roberts (2018).

de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi gsang ba’i mdo (Tathāgata­ghuyaka­sūtra) [The Secret of the Tathāgatas Sūtra]. Toh 443, Degé Kangyur vol. 81 (rgyud, ca), folios 90a–157b.

phal po che’i mdo (Avataṁsaka­sūtra) [A Multitude of Buddhas Sūtra]. Toh 44, Degé Kangyur vols. 35–38 (phal chen, ka–a), folios ka 1a–nga 363a.

lang kar gshegs pa’i mdo (Laṅkā­vatāra­sūtra) [The Entry into Laṅka Sutra]. Toh 107, Degé Kangyur vol. 49 (mdo sde, ca), folios 56a–191b.

shes rab pha rol tu phyin pa brgyad stong pa (Aṣṭa­sāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā) [The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Verses]. Toh 12, Degé Kangyur vol. 33 (brgyad stong pa, ka), folios 1b–286a.

sa bcu pa’i mdo (Daśa­bhūmika­sūtra) [The Sūtra of the Ten Bhūmis]. Chapter 31, in Toh 44, Degé Kangyur vol. 36 (phal chen, kha), folios 166a–283a. English translation in Roberts (2021).

gser ’od dam pa’i mdo (Su­varṇa­prabhā­sūtra) [The Golden Light Sūtra]. Toh 556, Degé Kangyur vol. 89 (rgyud, pa), folios 151b–273a. English translation in Roberts (2024).

Tengyur Texts

Abhayākaragupta. thub pa’i dgongs pa’i rgyan (Muni­matālaṁkāra). Toh 3903, Degé Tengyur vol. 210 (dbu ma, a), folios 73b–293a.

Asaṅga. theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma’i bstan bcos rnam par bshad pa (Mahāyānottara­tantra­śāstra­vyākhyā). Toh 4025, Degé Tengyur vol. 225 (sems tsam, phi), folios 74b–129a.

Candrakīrti. dbu ma la ’jug pa’i bshad pa (Madhyamakāvatāra­bhāṣya). Toh 3862, Degé Tengyur vol. 204 (dbu ma, ’a), folios 220b–348a.

Candrakīrti. byang chub sems dpa’i rnal ’byor spyod pa bzhi brgya pa’i ’grel pa (Bodhi­sattva­yoga­caryā­catuḥ­śataka­ṭīkā) Toh 3865, Degé Tengyur vol. 205 (dbu ma, ya), folios 30b–239a.

Daṃṣṭrāsena, Vasubandhu, or neither. shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa ’bum pa dang nyi khri lnga stong pa dang khri brgyad stong pa’i rgya cher bshad pa (Śata­sāhasrikā­pañca­viṁśati­sāhasrika­ṣṭāda­śasāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā­bṛhaṭṭīkā). Toh 3808, Degé Tengyur vol. 93 (sher phyin, pha), folios 1a–292b. English translation in Sparham (2022).

Dharmamitra. tshig rab tu gsal ba (Prasphuṭapadā). Toh 3796, Degé Tengyur vol. 87 (sher phyin, nya), folios 1a–110a.

Jānavajra. de bzhin gshegs pa’i snying po’i rgyan (Tathāgata­hṛdayālaṁkāra). Toh 4019, Degé Tengyur vol. 224 (mdo ’grel, pi), folios 1a–310a.

Kamalaśīla. shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa bdun brgya pa rgya cher bshad pa (Sapta­śatikā­prajñā­pāramitā­ṭīkā). Toh 3815, Degé Tengyur vol. 95 (sher phyin, ma), folios 89a–178a.

Maitreya-Asaṅga. theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma’i bstan bcos (Mahāyānottara­tantra­śāstra) [A Mahāyāna Treatise on the Supreme Continuum]. Toh 4024, Degé Tengyur vol. 225 (sems tsam, phi), folios 54b–73a.

Nāgārjuna. mdo kun las btus pa (Sūtrasamuccaya). Toh 3934, Degé Tengyur vol. 212 (dbu ma, ki), folios 148b–215a.

Saitsalak (sa’i rtsa lag, Kuiji, Pṛthivībandhu). dam pa’i chos padma dkar po’i ’grel pa. Toh 4017, Degé Tengyur, vol. 120 (mdo ’grel, di), folios 175b–302a.

Saitsalak (sa’i rtsa lag, Kuiji, Pṛthivībandhu). dam pa’i chos padma dkar po’i ’grel pa. bstan ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Tengyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 120 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 1994–2008, vol. 69 (mdo sde, di, vol. 135), pp. 476–826.

Śāntideva. bslab pa kun las btus pa (Śikṣāsamuccaya). Toh 3940, Degé Tengyur vol. 111 (dbu ma, khi), folios 3a–194b.

Vasubandhu. theg pa chen po bsdus pa’i ’grel pa (Mahā­yāna­saṁgraha­bhāṣya). Toh 4050, Degé Tengyur vol. 225 (sems tsam, yi), folios 121b–190a.

Wantsik (wan tshig, Yuan Tso). dgongs pa zab mo nges par ’grel pa (Gambhīra­saṁdhi­nirmocana­sūtra­ṭīkā). Toh 4016, Degé Tengyur vols. 220–22 (mdo ’grel, ti–ti), folios ti 1a–di 175a.

Secondary Tibetan Sources

Lodrö Gyaltsen (blo gros rgyal mtshan). dam chos pad dkar gyi tshig don la gzhan gyi log par rtog pa dgag pa. In Sa skya bka’ ’bum vol. 15, Kathmandu: Sachen International, 2006, folios 469–485.

Butön Rinchen Drup (bu ston rin chen grub). bde bar gshegs pa’i bstan pa’i gsal byed chos kyi ’byung gnas gsung rab rin po che’i mdzod. In The Collected Works of Bu-ston. Edited by Lokesh Chandra from the collections of Raghu Vira. 28 volumes. Zhol bka’ ’gyur par khang edition. New Delhi: International Academy of Indian Culture, 1965–71, 633–1056.

Changkya Rölpai Dorjé (lcang skya rol pa’i rdo rje). dam chos pad ma dkar po’i kha byang. In lcang skya rol pa’i rdo rje’i gsung ’bum, vol. 5 (ca), Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 2003, folios 525–532.

Pekar Zangpo (pad dkar bzang po). ’phags pa dam chos padma dkar po’i mdo. In mdo sde spyi’i rnam bzhag, Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2006, pp. 187–189.

Secondary Non-Tibetan Sources

Abbott, Terry Rae. “Vasubandhu’s Commentary on the Saddharma­puṇḍarīka­sūtra: A Study of its History and Significance.” PhD diss., University of California at Berkeley, 1985.

Boucher, Daniel. “Dharmarakṣa and the Transmission of Buddhism to China.” Asia Major 19 (2006): 13–37.

Deeg, Max. “The Saṅgha of Devadatta: Fiction and History of a Heresy in the Buddhist Tradition.” Journal of the International College for Advanced Buddhist Studies (March 31, 1999): 195–230.

Dessein, Bart. “The Mahāsāṃghikas and the Origins of Mahāyāna Buddhism: Evidence Provided in the *Abhi­dharma­mahā­vibhāṣa­śāstra.” The Eastern Buddhist 40, no. 1 (2009): 25–61.

Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans. The Play in Full (Lalita­vistara, Toh 95). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2013.

Galloway, Brian. “Thus have I heard: At one time….” Indo-Iranian Journal 34, no. 2 (April 1991): 87–104.

Groner, Paul and Jacqueline I. Stone. “Editors’ Introduction: The Lotus Sutra in Japan.” Japanese Journal of Religious Studies vol. 41, no. 1 (2014): 1–23.

Hanh, Thich Nhat. Peaceful Action, Open Heart: Lessons from the Lotus Sutra. Berkeley: Parallax Press, 2008.

Heirman, Ann. “Yijing’s View on the Bhikṣunīs’ Standard Robes.” Chung-Hwa Buddhist Journal 21 (2008): 145–158.

Hinüber, Oskar von. “A Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra Manuscript from Khotan: The Gift of a Pious Khotanese Family.” Journal of Oriental Studies 24 (2014): 134–156.

Hinüber, Oskar von. “The Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra at Gilgit: Manuscripts, Worshippers, and Artists.” Journal of Oriental Studies22 (2012): 52–67.

Hinüber, Oskar von. Bronzes of the Ancient Kingdom of Gilgit and Royal Patronage in Early North-Western India and Pakistan. Online lecture: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2010).

Jamieson, R. C. “Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Manuscripts from Cambridge University Library (Add. 1682 and Add. 1683).” Journal of Oriental Studies 12, no. 6 (2002): 165–173.

Jeffus, Ryusho. Lotus Sutra Practice Guide: 35-Day Practice Outline. Charlotte, NC: Myosho-ji, 2012.

Karashima, Seishi. “Who Composed the Mahāyāna Scriptures?‍—the Mahāsāṃghikas and Vaitulya Scriptures.” ARIRIAB XVIII (2015): 113–162.

Karashima, Seishi. “Some Features of the Language of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra.” Indo-Iranian Journal 44 (2001): 207–230.

Kim, Young-ho. Tao-sheng’s Commentary on the Lotus Sūtra: A Study and Translation. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1990.

Lancaster, L. R. The Korean Buddhist Canon: A Descriptive Catalogue.

Laufer, Berthold. “Sanskrit Karketana.” Mémoires de la Société de Linguistique 22 (1922): 43–46.

Lopez Jr., Donald S. The Lotus Sutra: A Biography. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2016.

Miller, Robert, et al. The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1, ch. 1). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018.

Mookerji, Radha Kumud. Ancient Indian Education: Brahmanical and Buddhist. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1989.

Reeves, Gene. The Stories of the Lotus Sutra. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2010.

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

Roberts, Peter Alan, trans. (2021). The Ten Bhūmis (Daśabhūmika, Toh 44-31). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021.

Roberts, Peter Alan, trans. (2024). The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (2) (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra, Toh 556). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2024.

Sparham, Gareth, trans. The Long Explanation of the Noble Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand, Twenty-Five Thousand, and Eighteen Thousand Lines (*Ārya­śata­sāhasrikā­pañca­viṃśati­sāhasrikāṣṭā­daśa­sāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā­bṛhaṭṭīkā, Toh 3808). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2022.

Schoening, Jeffrey. “Translated Sutra Commentaries in Tibet.” In Tibetan Literature: Studies in Genre, edited by José Cabezón and Roger Jackson, 111–124. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion, 1996.

Silk, Jonathan Alan. “The Yogācāra Bhikṣu.” In Beiju: Buddhist Studies in Honor of Professor Gadjin M. Nagao, edited by J. Silk, 256–314. Studies in the Buddhist Traditions 3. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1997.

Suguro, Shinjō. Introduction to the Lotus Sutra. Fremont, CA: Jain Publishing Company, 1998.

Tanabe, George J. and Willa Jane Tanabe. The Lotus Sutra in Japanese Culture. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1989.

Teiser, Stephen F. and Jacqueline I. Stone. Readings of the Lotus Sūtra. New York: Columbia University Press, 2009.

Tiantai Lotus Texts. BDK English Tripiṭaka Series. Berkeley, CA: Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai America, 2013, 93–149.

Tola, Fernando and Carmen Dragonetti. Buddhist Positiveness: Studies on the Lotus Sūtra. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2009.

Winder, Marianne. “Vaidurya.” Studies on Indian Medical History (1987): 85–94.

Yuyama, Akira. A Bibliography of the Sanskrit Texts of the “Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra.” Canberra: Faculty of Asian Studies in Association with Australian National University Press, 1970.

Zengwen, Yang. “Saddharmapundarikasutra in Chinese History and its Significance in the 21st Centry.” Journal of Oriental Studies vol. 10 (2000): 10–20.

Zhongxin, Jiang. Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Fragments from the Lüshun Museum Collection (Tokyo: Sōka Gakkai, 1997).


g.

Glossary

Types of attestation for names and terms of the corresponding source language

AS

Attested in source text

This term is attested in a manuscript used as a source for this translation.

AO

Attested in other text

This term is attested in other manuscripts with a parallel or similar context.

AD

Attested in dictionary

This term is attested in dictionaries matching Tibetan to the corresponding language.

AA

Approximate attestation

The attestation of this name is approximate. It is based on other names where the relationship between the Tibetan and source language is attested in dictionaries or other manuscripts.

RP

Reconstruction from Tibetan phonetic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the Tibetan phonetic rendering of the term.

RS

Reconstruction from Tibetan semantic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the semantics of the Tibetan translation.

SU

Source unspecified

This term has been supplied from an unspecified source, which most often is a widely trusted dictionary.

g.­1

Ābhāsvara

Wylie:
  • ’od gsal
Tibetan:
  • འོད་གསལ།
Sanskrit:
  • ābhāsvara

The highest of the three paradises that are the second dhyāna paradises in the form realm.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 18.­19
  • 18.­54
g.­2

Abhi­jñā­jñānābhi­bhū

Wylie:
  • mngon shes ye shes zil gnon
Tibetan:
  • མངོན་ཤེས་ཡེ་ཤེས་ཟིལ་གནོན།
Sanskrit:
  • abhi­jñā­jñānābhi­bhū

A shorter form of the name of Buddha Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­6
  • 7.­141
g.­3

Abhijñaprāpta

Wylie:
  • mngon par shes thob
Tibetan:
  • མངོན་པར་ཤེས་ཐོབ།
Sanskrit:
  • abhijñaprāpta

A short form of Sāgara­vara­dhara­buddhi­vikrīḍitābhijña, the name that Ānanda will have when he is a buddha.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 9.­8
g.­16

Ajita

Wylie:
  • ma pham pa
Tibetan:
  • མ་ཕམ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • ajita

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

Located in 40 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­77
  • 1.­79-80
  • 1.­82-83
  • 1.­85-86
  • 1.­88
  • 14.­49
  • 14.­55-56
  • 16.­1
  • 16.­25-27
  • 16.­48-56
  • 16.­59-61
  • 17.­3-8
  • 17.­10-13
  • 17.­15-16
  • g.­235
g.­20

Akṣayamati

Wylie:
  • blo gros mi zad pa
Tibetan:
  • བློ་གྲོས་མི་ཟད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • akṣayamati

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

Located in 16 passages in the translation:

  • i.­62
  • 1.­4
  • 24.­1-2
  • 24.­9
  • 24.­11-12
  • 24.­14-16
  • 24.­18-19
  • n.­599-600
  • n.­602
  • n.­612
g.­22

Amitābha

Wylie:
  • snang ba mtha’ yas
Tibetan:
  • སྣང་བ་མཐའ་ཡས།
Sanskrit:
  • amitābha

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The buddha of the western buddhafield of Sukhāvatī, where fortunate beings are reborn to make further progress toward spiritual maturity. Amitābha made his great vows to create such a realm when he was a bodhisattva called Dharmākara. In the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, popular in East Asia, aspiring to be reborn in his buddha realm is the main emphasis; in other Mahāyāna traditions, too, it is a widespread practice. For a detailed description of the realm, see The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī, Toh 115. In some tantras that make reference to the five families he is the tathāgata associated with the lotus family.

Amitābha, “Infinite Light,” is also known in many Indian Buddhist works as Amitāyus, “Infinite Life.” In both East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions he is often conflated with another buddha named “Infinite Life,” Aparimitāyus, or “Infinite Life and Wisdom,”Aparimitāyurjñāna, the shorter version of whose name has also been back-translated from Tibetan into Sanskrit as Amitāyus but who presides over a realm in the zenith. For details on the relation between these buddhas and their names, see The Aparimitāyurjñāna Sūtra (1) Toh 674, i.9.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­62
  • 24.­46
  • n.­622
  • g.­23
  • g.­49
  • g.­403
g.­23

Amitāyus

Wylie:
  • tshe dpag med
Tibetan:
  • ཚེ་དཔག་མེད།
Sanskrit:
  • amitāyus

The Buddha in the western realm of Sukhāvatī. Later and presently better known by his alternative name Amitābha. Not to be confused with the buddha of long life, Aparimitāyus, whose name has been incorrectly back-translated into Sanskrit as Amitāyus also.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­128
  • 22.­35
  • 24.­47
  • 24.­49
  • g.­22
  • g.­403
g.­27

Ānanda

Wylie:
  • kun dga’ bo
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་དགའ་བོ།
Sanskrit:
  • ānanda

Buddha Sākyamuni’s cousin, who was his attendant for the last twenty years of his life. He was the subject of criticism and opposition from the monastic community after the Buddha’s passing, but eventually succeeded to the position of the patriarch of Buddhism in India after the passing of the first patriarch, Mahākāśyapa.

Located in 20 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • 1.­3
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­5-7
  • 9.­13-15
  • 9.­24-26
  • 9.­34
  • g.­3
  • g.­31
  • g.­32
  • g.­246
  • g.­344
  • g.­345
g.­39

arhat

Wylie:
  • dgra bcom pa
Tibetan:
  • དགྲ་བཅོམ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • arhat

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 213 passages in the translation:

  • i.­11
  • i.­46
  • i.­55
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­71-72
  • 1.­76-77
  • 1.­79-80
  • 1.­84-86
  • 2.­1-3
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­51
  • 2.­53-59
  • 2.­61-64
  • 2.­153
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­29
  • 3.­31
  • 3.­34
  • 3.­54
  • 3.­65
  • 3.­70
  • 3.­74-76
  • 4.­86
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­5-6
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­50
  • 5.­57
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­12
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­34
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­17
  • 7.­19
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­47
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­79
  • 7.­90
  • 7.­102
  • 7.­105
  • 7.­108
  • 7.­113
  • 7.­115-118
  • 7.­122
  • 7.­126-129
  • 7.­138-140
  • 7.­185-186
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­45
  • 8.­49
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­5-6
  • 9.­13
  • 9.­17-19
  • 9.­25
  • 10.­5
  • 10.­31
  • 11.­7-8
  • 11.­10
  • 11.­14
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­24-27
  • 11.­61
  • 11.­82-83
  • 12.­5-6
  • 13.­13
  • 13.­60
  • 13.­62-63
  • 14.­5-6
  • 14.­47-48
  • 14.­50
  • 15.­6
  • 16.­8
  • 17.­7
  • 17.­9-11
  • 17.­21
  • 18.­30
  • 19.­2-8
  • 19.­11
  • 19.­13
  • 19.­15
  • 19.­17-18
  • 20.­4-6
  • 20.­8-9
  • 21.­10
  • 22.­1-5
  • 22.­11
  • 22.­13
  • 22.­16-18
  • 22.­29
  • 22.­35
  • 22.­41
  • 23.­1-5
  • 23.­7
  • 23.­9-15
  • 23.­23
  • 23.­25-26
  • 24.­16
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­4
  • 25.­6
  • 25.­9
  • 25.­15
  • 25.­18-20
  • 25.­23-30
  • 26.­2
  • 26.­18
  • 27.­1
  • 27.­4-6
  • n.­246
  • n.­451
  • n.­591
  • g.­45
  • g.­77
  • g.­147
  • g.­182
  • g.­217
  • g.­295
  • g.­357
  • g.­423
g.­41

asaṃkhyeya

Wylie:
  • grangs med pa
Tibetan:
  • གྲངས་མེད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • asaṃkhyeya

The designation of a measure of time on the scale of eons, literally meaning “incalculable.” The number of years in such an eon differs in various sūtras that give a number. Also, twenty intermediate eons are said to be one incalculable eon, and four incalculable eons are one great eon. In that case those four incalculable eons represent the eons of the creation, presence, destruction, and absence of a world. Buddhas are often described as appearing in a second incalculable eon.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­72
  • 7.­1
  • 19.­2
  • 27.­1-2
  • n.­592
g.­44

asura

Wylie:
  • lha ma yin
Tibetan:
  • ལྷ་མ་ཡིན།
Sanskrit:
  • asura

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 54 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­8
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­81
  • 3.­46
  • 5.­5-6
  • 6.­28
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­48
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­68
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­79
  • 7.­90
  • 7.­94
  • 7.­102
  • 7.­142
  • 7.­144
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­36
  • 11.­6
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­19
  • 11.­21
  • 11.­71
  • 11.­103
  • 13.­81
  • 15.­3
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­17
  • 18.­41
  • 18.­70
  • 18.­81
  • 18.­89
  • 19.­3
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­6
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­3
  • 22.­20
  • 23.­19
  • 24.­16
  • 24.­23
  • 24.­30
  • 26.­1
  • 27.­6
  • n.­319
  • g.­54
  • g.­185
  • g.­316
  • g.­461
g.­47

Avabhāsaprāptā

Wylie:
  • snang ba thob pa
Tibetan:
  • སྣང་བ་ཐོབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • avabhāsaprāptā

“Attainment of Light,” the world in which Kāśyapa will become a buddha.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­44
  • 6.­1
g.­49

Avalokiteśvara

Wylie:
  • spyan ras gzigs dbang phyug
Tibetan:
  • སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་དབང་ཕྱུག
Sanskrit:
  • avalokiteśvara

First appeared as a bodhisattva beside Amitābha in the Sukhāvati Sūtra. The name has been variously interpreted. In “The lord of Avalokita,” Avalokita has been interpreted as “seeing,” although, as a past passive participle, it is literally “lord of what has been seen.” One of the principal sūtras in the Mahāsāṃghika tradition was the Avalokita Sūtra, which has not been translated into Tibetan, in which the word is a synonym for enlightenment, as it is “that which has been seen” by the buddhas. In the early tantras, he was one of the lords of the three families, as the embodiment of the compassion of the buddhas. The Potalaka Mountain in southern India became important in southern Indian Buddhism as his residence in this world, but Potalaka does not yet feature in the Kāraṇḍa­vyūha Sūtra, which emphasized the premeninence of Avalokiteśvara above all buddhas and bodhisattvas and introduced the mantra oṁ maṇi­padme hūṁ.

Located in 50 passages in the translation:

  • i.­27
  • i.­62
  • 1.­4
  • 24.­1-19
  • 24.­22-33
  • 24.­40-44
  • 24.­50-51
  • 24.­53
  • n.­498
  • n.­596
  • n.­600
  • n.­602-603
  • n.­606
  • n.­620
  • g.­154
g.­51

āyatana

Wylie:
  • skye mched
Tibetan:
  • སྐྱེ་མཆེད།
Sanskrit:
  • āyatana

The twelve bases of sensory perception: the six sensory faculties (eyes, nose, ears, tongue, body, and mind), which form in the womb and eventually have contact with the six external bases of sensory perception: form, smell, sound, taste, touch, and mental phenomena.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­56
  • 7.­106-107
  • 11.­2
  • 18.­97
g.­55

Bandé

Wylie:
  • ban de
Tibetan:
  • བན་དེ།
Sanskrit:
  • bande

A Middle Indic word derived from the Sanskrit bhadanta. Meaning “venerable one” it is a term of respectful title for Buddhist monks.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • c.­1
g.­57

bay leaves

Wylie:
  • ta ma la’i ’dab ma
Tibetan:
  • ཏ་མ་ལའི་འདབ་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • tamālapatra

Cinnamomum tamala, which is specifically the Indian bay leaf. Called tamalpatra in Marathi, and tejpatta in Hindi. The Sanskrit and Marathi means “dark-tree leaves.” Also called Malabar leaves, after the name of the northern area of present-day Kerala in southwest India.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 11.­1
  • 18.­27
  • 18.­32
g.­59

beryl

Wylie:
  • bai dU rya
Tibetan:
  • བཻ་དཱུ་རྱ།
Sanskrit:
  • vaiḍūrya

Although this has often been translated as lapis lazuli, the descriptions and references in the literature, both Sanskrit and Tibetan, match beryl. The Pāli form is veḷuriya. The Prākrit form verulia is the source for the English beryl. This normally refers to the blue or aquamarine beryl, but there are also white, yellow, and green beryls, though green beryl is called “emerald.”

Located in 25 passages in the translation:

  • i.­56
  • 1.­97
  • 1.­99
  • 2.­106
  • 3.­30
  • 3.­39
  • 4.­6
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­34
  • 9.­5
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­22
  • 11.­71
  • 13.­61
  • 16.­49
  • 17.­5
  • 18.­76
  • 18.­79
  • 22.­3
  • 24.­3
  • g.­98
  • g.­376
g.­63

bhagavān

Wylie:
  • bcom ldan ’das
Tibetan:
  • བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས།
Sanskrit:
  • bhagavān

“One who has bhaga,” which has many diverse meanings, including good fortune, happiness, and majesty. In the Buddhist context, it means one who has the good fortune of attaining enlightenment.

Located in 408 passages in the translation:

  • i.­63
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­9-14
  • 1.­72
  • 1.­79-86
  • 1.­88
  • 1.­126
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­26-27
  • 2.­39
  • 2.­41-43
  • 2.­47-50
  • 3.­1-5
  • 3.­12
  • 3.­27
  • 3.­29-30
  • 3.­34
  • 3.­36
  • 3.­45-46
  • 3.­53-54
  • 3.­64-65
  • 3.­77
  • 4.­1-15
  • 4.­20-22
  • 4.­24-32
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­30
  • 5.­59-60
  • 5.­70
  • 5.­74
  • 5.­80
  • 6.­1-2
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­19-20
  • 6.­28-29
  • 6.­34-35
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­3-4
  • 7.­6
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­15-17
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­42-43
  • 7.­47-49
  • 7.­51
  • 7.­60-62
  • 7.­66-67
  • 7.­69
  • 7.­75-76
  • 7.­79-80
  • 7.­82
  • 7.­90-91
  • 7.­102-103
  • 7.­105
  • 7.­108
  • 7.­110
  • 7.­113
  • 7.­115-118
  • 7.­120
  • 7.­122-125
  • 7.­131-132
  • 7.­141
  • 7.­144
  • 7.­163
  • 8.­1-4
  • 8.­7-8
  • 8.­28-30
  • 8.­32
  • 8.­45
  • 8.­47-49
  • 8.­58-59
  • 9.­1-3
  • 9.­5-7
  • 9.­13-14
  • 9.­17-18
  • 9.­20
  • 9.­24-26
  • 9.­31-32
  • 10.­1-2
  • 10.­11
  • 10.­38
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­6-7
  • 11.­9-14
  • 11.­16-17
  • 11.­23-30
  • 11.­44
  • 11.­71
  • 11.­75
  • 11.­84-86
  • 11.­94-95
  • 11.­99-100
  • 11.­104
  • 12.­1-3
  • 12.­5-13
  • 12.­27
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­10
  • 13.­36
  • 13.­53
  • 13.­65
  • 14.­1-3
  • 14.­5
  • 14.­7-8
  • 14.­10-11
  • 14.­13
  • 14.­16-18
  • 14.­47-51
  • 14.­55
  • 14.­57
  • 14.­65-69
  • 14.­75
  • 14.­79
  • 15.­1-3
  • 15.­5-6
  • 15.­17-18
  • 16.­1
  • 16.­7-8
  • 16.­25
  • 16.­28
  • 16.­62
  • 16.­86
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­3
  • 17.­9-10
  • 17.­16-17
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­3
  • 18.­22
  • 18.­31
  • 18.­66-67
  • 18.­79
  • 18.­87
  • 19.­1-6
  • 19.­15
  • 19.­18
  • 19.­22
  • 20.­1-4
  • 20.­6-8
  • 20.­10
  • 21.­1-4
  • 21.­6-8
  • 21.­10-11
  • 21.­13-14
  • 21.­16-18
  • 21.­20
  • 21.­24
  • 22.­1-4
  • 22.­7
  • 22.­9-11
  • 22.­13-14
  • 22.­16-21
  • 22.­35-36
  • 22.­41
  • 23.­1
  • 23.­3-5
  • 23.­7-17
  • 23.­23
  • 23.­25-26
  • 24.­1-2
  • 24.­8-12
  • 24.­14
  • 24.­16
  • 24.­51-52
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­3-4
  • 25.­6
  • 25.­9-11
  • 25.­15
  • 25.­18-20
  • 25.­23-30
  • 26.­2-6
  • 26.­8
  • 26.­10-18
  • 27.­1-2
  • 27.­4-6
  • n.­56
  • n.­219
  • n.­365
  • n.­372
  • n.­591
  • n.­599
g.­64

Bhaiṣajyarāja

Wylie:
  • sman gyi rgyal po
Tibetan:
  • སྨན་གྱི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • bhaiṣajyarāja

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching.

Located in 47 passages in the translation:

  • i.­48
  • i.­50
  • i.­59-60
  • i.­63
  • 1.­4
  • 10.­1-10
  • 10.­26-37
  • 12.­1
  • 21.­1-4
  • 21.­7
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­22-23
  • 22.­34-35
  • 22.­37
  • 22.­41-42
  • 23.­3
  • 23.­26
  • 25.­33-34
  • n.­499
g.­69

bhikṣu

Wylie:
  • dge slong
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་སློང་།
Sanskrit:
  • bhikṣu

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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).

Located in 221 passages in the translation:

  • i.­40
  • i.­46-47
  • i.­50
  • i.­63
  • 1.­2-3
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­12-13
  • 1.­23
  • 1.­36
  • 1.­47
  • 1.­81
  • 1.­84-85
  • 1.­111
  • 1.­114
  • 1.­117-118
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­41
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­62-63
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­152
  • 3.­34
  • 3.­46
  • 3.­53-54
  • 3.­146
  • 3.­151
  • 3.­183
  • 4.­2
  • 6.­1-3
  • 6.­6
  • 6.­19-20
  • 6.­28-29
  • 6.­34
  • 7.­1-5
  • 7.­12-13
  • 7.­15
  • 7.­17-19
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­32-33
  • 7.­35-37
  • 7.­41-43
  • 7.­47
  • 7.­49
  • 7.­51-54
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­62
  • 7.­66-67
  • 7.­69-72
  • 7.­74-76
  • 7.­79-80
  • 7.­82
  • 7.­84-86
  • 7.­89-91
  • 7.­102-103
  • 7.­105-106
  • 7.­108
  • 7.­110-129
  • 7.­131-140
  • 7.­172
  • 7.­184
  • 7.­188
  • 8.­2-8
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­49
  • 8.­62
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­7
  • 9.­25
  • 9.­34
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­36
  • 10.­50
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­29-30
  • 11.­59
  • 11.­71
  • 11.­80-84
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­19
  • 12.­21
  • 12.­24
  • 12.­27
  • 13.­4
  • 13.­7
  • 13.­13
  • 13.­23
  • 13.­32
  • 13.­35
  • 13.­39
  • 13.­46
  • 13.­49
  • 13.­59-60
  • 13.­80
  • 15.­7
  • 15.­11
  • 15.­24
  • 16.­53
  • 16.­55
  • 16.­79
  • 17.­3
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­20
  • 18.­55-56
  • 18.­65
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­6-10
  • 19.­12
  • 19.­18
  • 19.­23-24
  • 19.­29-30
  • 20.­2
  • 22.­40
  • 23.­11
  • 23.­18
  • 24.­45
  • 25.­29-30
  • 26.­4-5
  • 26.­8
  • 26.­19-22
  • 26.­24
  • n.­283
  • g.­149
  • g.­219
  • g.­262
  • g.­267
  • g.­406
  • g.­436
  • g.­442
g.­70

bhikṣuṇī

Wylie:
  • dge slong ma
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་སློང་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • bhikṣuṇī

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 48 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • i.­63
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­12-13
  • 1.­81
  • 1.­117
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­62
  • 2.­65
  • 3.­46
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­36
  • 10.­50
  • 12.­3-4
  • 12.­6-7
  • 12.­9
  • 13.­4
  • 13.­7
  • 13.­14
  • 13.­39
  • 13.­49
  • 13.­60
  • 13.­80
  • 17.­3
  • 18.­65
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­7-10
  • 19.­12
  • 19.­18
  • 19.­20
  • 19.­29-30
  • 20.­2
  • 23.­18
  • 26.­4
  • 26.­8
  • g.­219
  • g.­380
  • g.­493
g.­77

bodhisattva

Wylie:
  • byang chub sems dpa’
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ།
Sanskrit:
  • bodhisattva

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 449 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­10
  • i.­39
  • i.­41-43
  • i.­47-54
  • i.­56-65
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­12-15
  • 1.­27
  • 1.­36-37
  • 1.­42
  • 1.­48
  • 1.­57
  • 1.­64
  • 1.­67
  • 1.­70
  • 1.­75
  • 1.­78
  • 1.­80
  • 1.­82-86
  • 1.­88
  • 1.­90
  • 1.­102
  • 1.­106
  • 1.­108
  • 1.­115
  • 1.­132
  • 2.­8
  • 2.­10
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­21
  • 2.­77
  • 2.­95
  • 2.­115
  • 2.­149
  • 2.­158
  • 2.­167
  • 3.­2-3
  • 3.­13
  • 3.­26-29
  • 3.­31-34
  • 3.­40
  • 3.­73
  • 3.­128
  • 3.­133
  • 3.­137
  • 3.­146
  • 4.­3-4
  • 4.­29-31
  • 4.­70
  • 5.­51
  • 5.­59
  • 5.­71
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­8
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­24
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­33-34
  • 6.­42
  • 7.­11
  • 7.­115
  • 7.­121
  • 7.­124-125
  • 7.­131-132
  • 7.­134
  • 7.­162
  • 8.­3-4
  • 8.­7-10
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­35
  • 8.­48
  • 9.­4
  • 9.­9
  • 9.­12-13
  • 9.­25
  • 9.­29
  • 10.­1-2
  • 10.­18
  • 10.­29
  • 10.­31-33
  • 10.­35
  • 10.­57
  • 11.­6-7
  • 11.­9-12
  • 11.­14
  • 11.­24
  • 11.­71
  • 11.­85-89
  • 11.­94
  • 11.­98
  • 11.­101-102
  • 11.­104
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­4-6
  • 12.­10-11
  • 12.­13
  • 13.­1-5
  • 13.­7-10
  • 13.­27
  • 13.­35
  • 13.­49
  • 13.­51-52
  • 13.­56
  • 13.­59-60
  • 13.­63
  • 13.­66
  • 14.­1-11
  • 14.­13-14
  • 14.­16-19
  • 14.­22-23
  • 14.­28
  • 14.­30
  • 14.­33
  • 14.­38
  • 14.­41
  • 14.­43
  • 14.­45-50
  • 14.­55-58
  • 14.­64-67
  • 14.­69
  • 14.­72
  • 14.­75
  • 14.­79-80
  • 15.­1-2
  • 15.­5-6
  • 15.­19
  • 16.­1-9
  • 16.­21
  • 16.­25
  • 16.­30
  • 16.­43
  • 16.­49
  • 16.­57
  • 16.­59
  • 16.­87
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­3
  • 17.­9-10
  • 17.­15
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­9-10
  • 18.­21-22
  • 18.­26
  • 18.­30
  • 18.­35-36
  • 18.­46
  • 18.­52
  • 18.­54-55
  • 18.­57
  • 18.­59
  • 18.­76
  • 18.­78
  • 18.­83
  • 18.­85
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­3
  • 19.­6-11
  • 19.­13-15
  • 19.­18-21
  • 19.­23
  • 19.­27-28
  • 20.­1-4
  • 20.­6
  • 20.­8
  • 20.­16
  • 20.­22-23
  • 21.­1-2
  • 21.­4
  • 21.­7-9
  • 22.­1-11
  • 22.­13-14
  • 22.­16-24
  • 22.­30
  • 22.­35-36
  • 22.­38
  • 22.­41
  • 23.­1-10
  • 23.­13-27
  • 24.­1-17
  • 24.­51
  • 25.­1-2
  • 25.­30-32
  • 26.­1-6
  • 26.­8
  • 26.­10-12
  • 26.­15
  • 26.­18
  • 26.­25
  • 27.­1-2
  • 27.­4
  • 27.­6
  • 27.­9
  • n.­86
  • n.­219-220
  • n.­363
  • n.­412
  • n.­420
  • n.­464
  • n.­490
  • g.­16
  • g.­20
  • g.­28
  • g.­30
  • g.­34
  • g.­49
  • g.­61
  • g.­64
  • g.­65
  • g.­78
  • g.­111
  • g.­124
  • g.­142
  • g.­157
  • g.­220
  • g.­227
  • g.­229
  • g.­231
  • g.­235
  • g.­241
  • g.­242
  • g.­270
  • g.­271
  • g.­282
  • g.­288
  • g.­301
  • g.­302
  • g.­313
  • g.­325
  • g.­330
  • g.­331
  • g.­342
  • g.­354
  • g.­369
  • g.­371
  • g.­375
  • g.­379
  • g.­388
  • g.­390
  • g.­407
  • g.­427
  • g.­449
  • g.­452
  • g.­456
  • g.­481
  • g.­483
  • g.­485
  • g.­492
g.­78

Bodhisattva­yāna

Wylie:
  • byang chub sems dpa’i theg pa
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའི་ཐེག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • bodhisattva­yāna

The way or vehicle of the bodhisattvas.

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­54
  • 3.­70-71
  • 7.­123
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­32
  • 10.­35
  • 13.­49-50
  • 14.­67-68
  • 22.­23-24
  • 22.­28
  • 22.­31
  • 22.­34
  • 22.­40
g.­79

Brahmā

Wylie:
  • tshangs pa
Tibetan:
  • ཚངས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • brahmā

The personification of the universal force of Brahman, the deity in the form realm, who was during the Buddha’s time considered the supreme deity and creator of the universe. In the cosmogony of many universes, each with a thousand million worlds, there are many Brahmās.

Located in 64 passages in the translation:

  • i.­38
  • i.­45
  • i.­58
  • 1.­6
  • 1.­84
  • 2.­142
  • 3.­27
  • 3.­46
  • 5.­38
  • 7.­33-35
  • 7.­37
  • 7.­41-42
  • 7.­52-54
  • 7.­60-61
  • 7.­70-72
  • 7.­74-75
  • 7.­84-86
  • 7.­89-90
  • 7.­105
  • 7.­147-148
  • 7.­151
  • 11.­53
  • 11.­98
  • 16.­8
  • 16.­17
  • 16.­21
  • 16.­54
  • 16.­64
  • 17.­14
  • 17.­32
  • 18.­19
  • 18.­53
  • 18.­64
  • 18.­74
  • 20.­4
  • 20.­11
  • 22.­19
  • 22.­28
  • 23.­17
  • 24.­12
  • 24.­41
  • 25.­9
  • n.­295
  • n.­627
  • g.­81
  • g.­82
  • g.­83
  • g.­169
  • g.­207
  • g.­277
  • g.­378
g.­85

brother

Wylie:
  • tshe dang ldan pa
Tibetan:
  • ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • āyuṣmat

Literally “long-lived.” A title referring to an ordained monk.

Located in 39 passages in the translation:

  • i.­8
  • i.­63
  • 1.­3
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­27-28
  • 2.­39-41
  • 2.­43-44
  • 2.­47
  • 2.­49
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­27
  • 3.­46
  • 3.­53-54
  • 4.­1
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­59-60
  • 6.­11
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­29
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­14
  • 9.­17
  • 9.­24
  • 19.­7-8
  • 25.­20
  • g.­101
  • g.­149
  • g.­267
  • g.­338
  • g.­442
  • g.­480
g.­86

buddha

Wylie:
  • sangs rgyas
Tibetan:
  • སངས་རྒྱས།
Sanskrit:
  • buddha

Literally “Awakened One” in Sanskrit, the Tibetan translation interprets this as one who is “purified and perfected.”

Located in 461 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1-5
  • i.­10-11
  • i.­14
  • i.­23
  • i.­38-65
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­9-14
  • 1.­21
  • 1.­24
  • 1.­37
  • 1.­68
  • 1.­72
  • 1.­79-82
  • 1.­84
  • 1.­86-87
  • 1.­99
  • 1.­113-114
  • 1.­119-121
  • 1.­125
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­6-7
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­39
  • 2.­62
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­69
  • 2.­73-74
  • 2.­77-79
  • 2.­82
  • 2.­85
  • 2.­93
  • 2.­98
  • 2.­120-121
  • 2.­123
  • 2.­125
  • 2.­127
  • 2.­129-132
  • 2.­145-146
  • 2.­148
  • 2.­160
  • 2.­165
  • 2.­172
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­14
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­19
  • 3.­22
  • 3.­25
  • 3.­27-29
  • 3.­32-35
  • 3.­37
  • 3.­40
  • 3.­51-52
  • 3.­130-131
  • 3.­150
  • 3.­156
  • 3.­161
  • 3.­176
  • 3.­179-180
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­68-69
  • 4.­71
  • 4.­73-74
  • 4.­81-82
  • 4.­91
  • 5.­27
  • 5.­42
  • 5.­55
  • 5.­80
  • 5.­104
  • 6.­1-2
  • 6.­12
  • 6.­15-16
  • 6.­19-21
  • 6.­24
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­32-34
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­40
  • 7.­57
  • 7.­59
  • 7.­63
  • 7.­73
  • 7.­88
  • 7.­91
  • 7.­95
  • 7.­99
  • 7.­112
  • 7.­115
  • 7.­123-125
  • 7.­138
  • 7.­168
  • 7.­189
  • 8.­3-7
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­15-16
  • 8.­19
  • 8.­21
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­33-34
  • 8.­36
  • 8.­41
  • 9.­2-6
  • 9.­13-14
  • 9.­17-18
  • 9.­21
  • 9.­25
  • 9.­27-28
  • 10.­3
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­56-57
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­10-14
  • 11.­16
  • 11.­18-20
  • 11.­22-23
  • 11.­29
  • 11.­35-36
  • 11.­40
  • 11.­84-85
  • 11.­103
  • 12.­4-6
  • 12.­23
  • 13.­23
  • 13.­57
  • 13.­60
  • 13.­63
  • 13.­71
  • 14.­13
  • 14.­27
  • 14.­48
  • 14.­64-65
  • 15.­28
  • 15.­40
  • 16.­7-8
  • 16.­29
  • 16.­33
  • 16.­49
  • 16.­58
  • 16.­86
  • 17.­16
  • 18.­22
  • 18.­66
  • 18.­75
  • 18.­83
  • 18.­91
  • 19.­2
  • 19.­6
  • 19.­14
  • 19.­27
  • 19.­30
  • 19.­32
  • 20.­1
  • 20.­6
  • 20.­8
  • 20.­12
  • 20.­18
  • 21.­6
  • 21.­16
  • 22.­2-3
  • 22.­9-10
  • 22.­21
  • 22.­24
  • 22.­33
  • 22.­36
  • 23.­1
  • 23.­4
  • 23.­6-7
  • 23.­14
  • 23.­16
  • 23.­25
  • 24.­8-10
  • 24.­12
  • 24.­20
  • 24.­44
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­7
  • 25.­15
  • 25.­17
  • 25.­30
  • 25.­34
  • 26.­2
  • 26.­4
  • 26.­12
  • 26.­15
  • 27.­9
  • n.­78
  • n.­129
  • n.­164-166
  • n.­219
  • n.­303
  • n.­363-364
  • n.­441
  • n.­448
  • n.­471
  • n.­600
  • n.­602
  • n.­633-634
  • g.­2
  • g.­3
  • g.­4
  • g.­12
  • g.­15
  • g.­16
  • g.­19
  • g.­21
  • g.­22
  • g.­23
  • g.­27
  • g.­31
  • g.­32
  • g.­35
  • g.­39
  • g.­41
  • g.­45
  • g.­47
  • g.­49
  • g.­52
  • g.­60
  • g.­62
  • g.­67
  • g.­71
  • g.­76
  • g.­77
  • g.­79
  • g.­80
  • g.­87
  • g.­94
  • g.­95
  • g.­96
  • g.­101
  • g.­106
  • g.­107
  • g.­113
  • g.­117
  • g.­118
  • g.­121
  • g.­126
  • g.­135
  • g.­136
  • g.­147
  • g.­148
  • g.­149
  • g.­153
  • g.­157
  • g.­159
  • g.­161
  • g.­164
  • g.­167
  • g.­168
  • g.­170
  • g.­172
  • g.­174
  • g.­177
  • g.­178
  • g.­182
  • g.­196
  • g.­204
  • g.­206
  • g.­207
  • g.­210
  • g.­211
  • g.­212
  • g.­214
  • g.­215
  • g.­217
  • g.­219
  • g.­226
  • g.­228
  • g.­235
  • g.­244
  • g.­249
  • g.­254
  • g.­255
  • g.­256
  • g.­257
  • g.­259
  • g.­260
  • g.­262
  • g.­266
  • g.­267
  • g.­274
  • g.­281
  • g.­287
  • g.­289
  • g.­293
  • g.­295
  • g.­300
  • g.­302
  • g.­304
  • g.­312
  • g.­317
  • g.­318
  • g.­322
  • g.­323
  • g.­324
  • g.­328
  • g.­330
  • g.­333
  • g.­334
  • g.­335
  • g.­341
  • g.­344
  • g.­345
  • g.­346
  • g.­348
  • g.­349
  • g.­351
  • g.­352
  • g.­354
  • g.­357
  • g.­362
  • g.­364
  • g.­365
  • g.­367
  • g.­368
  • g.­371
  • g.­374
  • g.­378
  • g.­379
  • g.­380
  • g.­381
  • g.­382
  • g.­395
  • g.­397
  • g.­398
  • g.­402
  • g.­403
  • g.­406
  • g.­413
  • g.­415
  • g.­416
  • g.­418
  • g.­419
  • g.­420
  • g.­436
  • g.­442
  • g.­448
  • g.­452
  • g.­455
  • g.­459
  • g.­466
  • g.­471
  • g.­472
  • g.­476
  • g.­477
  • g.­482
  • g.­493
g.­89

Cakravāla

Wylie:
  • khor yug
Tibetan:
  • ཁོར་ཡུག
Sanskrit:
  • cakravāla

In Buddhist cosmology this mountain range forms an outer ring at the edge of the flat disk that is the world. These mountains prevent the ocean from overflowing. In other contexts this name can refer to the entire disk of the world, the paradises above it, or, as in the Kṣiti­garbha Sūtra, to a mountain that contains the hells, also known as the Vaḍaba submarine mountain of fire.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 11.­15
  • 11.­19
  • 11.­21
  • 18.­6
  • 18.­40
  • 18.­77
  • 18.­82
  • 22.­25
  • g.­208
g.­90

cakravartin

Wylie:
  • ’khor los sgyur ba
Tibetan:
  • འཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • cakravartin

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

An ideal monarch or emperor who, as the result of the merit accumulated in previous lifetimes, rules over a vast realm in accordance with the Dharma. Such a monarch is called a cakravartin because he bears a wheel (cakra) that rolls (vartate) across the earth, bringing all lands and kingdoms under his power. The cakravartin conquers his territory without causing harm, and his activity causes beings to enter the path of wholesome actions. According to Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakośa, just as with the buddhas, only one cakravartin appears in a world system at any given time. They are likewise endowed with the thirty-two major marks of a great being (mahāpuruṣalakṣaṇa), but a cakravartin’s marks are outshined by those of a buddha. They possess seven precious objects: the wheel, the elephant, the horse, the wish-fulfilling gem, the queen, the general, and the minister. An illustrative passage about the cakravartin and his possessions can be found in The Play in Full (Toh 95), 3.3–3.13.

Vasubandhu lists four types of cakravartins: (1) the cakravartin with a golden wheel (suvarṇacakravartin) rules over four continents and is invited by lesser kings to be their ruler; (2) the cakravartin with a silver wheel (rūpyacakravartin) rules over three continents and his opponents submit to him as he approaches; (3) the cakravartin with a copper wheel (tāmracakravartin) rules over two continents and his opponents submit themselves after preparing for battle; and (4) the cakravartin with an iron wheel (ayaścakravartin) rules over one continent and his opponents submit themselves after brandishing weapons.

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­10
  • 1.­81
  • 2.­38
  • 5.­38
  • 7.­19
  • 7.­114
  • 11.­98
  • 17.­14
  • 18.­34
  • 18.­65
  • 18.­72
  • 22.­32
  • 23.­17
  • 24.­12
  • g.­16
  • g.­53
  • g.­214
  • g.­235
g.­98

chrysoberyl

Wylie:
  • ke ke ru
Tibetan:
  • ཀེ་ཀེ་རུ།
Sanskrit:
  • karketana

This stone is not a type of beryl in spite of its name. The Tibetan has adopted the Prakrit form of its name: ke ke ru. It is the third hardest gemstone. It comes in three main varieties: the eponymous yellow or green chrysoberyl; cat’s eye (cymophane), which is light green or yellow with a band of light, resembling a cat’s eye; and the third form, alexandrite, which can change color from red to green to yellow according to the light. All three kinds have been mined since ancient times, in Sri Lanka in particular.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­106
  • 11.­1
  • g.­376
g.­99

coral tree

Wylie:
  • man dA ra ba
Tibetan:
  • མན་དཱ་ར་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • māndārava

Erythrina indica or Erythrina variegate. Mandarava, flame tree, tiger’s claw. In the summer it is covered in large crimson flowers, which are believed to also grow in Indra’s paradise. The coral tree is the most widespread species of Erythrina or māndārava, taller than the others, and all are collectively known as coral trees.

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­10
  • 1.­16
  • 1.­61
  • 1.­81
  • 1.­94
  • 3.­46
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­22
  • 15.­30
  • 16.­7
  • 16.­17
  • 18.­29
  • 18.­48
  • 22.­6
  • g.­279
g.­100

crystal

Wylie:
  • man shel
Tibetan:
  • མན་ཤེལ།
Sanskrit:
  • śilā

A Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit term.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­106
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­38
  • 4.­61
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­34
  • 11.­12
  • 11.­71
  • 13.­61
  • 13.­69
  • 17.­5
  • 24.­3
  • n.­67
  • g.­376
g.­103

defilements

Wylie:
  • zag pa
Tibetan:
  • ཟག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • āsrava

A term of Jain origin, meaning “inflows.” It refers to uncontrolled thoughts as a result of being influenced by sensory objects and thus being sullied or defiled. It is also defined as “outflows,” hence the Tibetan zag pa (“leaks”) as the mind is “flowing out” toward the sensory objects.

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 1.­104
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­16
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­31
  • 2.­61
  • 2.­63
  • 2.­160
  • 3.­6
  • 3.­8
  • 5.­50
  • 6.­9
  • 7.­109-110
  • 17.­7
  • 17.­21
g.­105

deva

Wylie:
  • lha
Tibetan:
  • ལྷ།
Sanskrit:
  • deva

A being in the paradises from the base of Mount Meru upward. Also can refer to a deity in the human world, or can be used as an honorific form of address for kings and other important personages.

Located in 162 passages in the translation:

  • i.­37
  • i.­51
  • 1.­5-7
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­16
  • 1.­62
  • 1.­81
  • 1.­84
  • 1.­94
  • 1.­98
  • 1.­110
  • 1.­121
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­39
  • 2.­41
  • 2.­53
  • 2.­55
  • 2.­57
  • 2.­59
  • 2.­101
  • 2.­131
  • 2.­164
  • 3.­18
  • 3.­26-27
  • 3.­43
  • 3.­46-47
  • 3.­68
  • 3.­73
  • 3.­143
  • 4.­86
  • 5.­5-6
  • 5.­28
  • 5.­30
  • 5.­38
  • 5.­42
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­26
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­32
  • 6.­34
  • 6.­40
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­15-16
  • 7.­28-29
  • 7.­33
  • 7.­39
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­48
  • 7.­56
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­62
  • 7.­64
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­68
  • 7.­73
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­79
  • 7.­88
  • 7.­90
  • 7.­95
  • 7.­99
  • 7.­102
  • 7.­105
  • 7.­108
  • 7.­142
  • 7.­144
  • 8.­5
  • 8.­39
  • 8.­42
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­6
  • 10.­36
  • 10.­54
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­6-7
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­19
  • 11.­21
  • 11.­71
  • 11.­83-84
  • 11.­103
  • 12.­8
  • 13.­60
  • 13.­77
  • 13.­81
  • 14.­56
  • 15.­3
  • 15.­30
  • 16.­17
  • 16.­61
  • 16.­84
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­14
  • 18.­19
  • 18.­29-30
  • 18.­41
  • 18.­50-54
  • 18.­64
  • 18.­70
  • 18.­74
  • 18.­81-82
  • 18.­89
  • 19.­3
  • 19.­22
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­6
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­3
  • 22.­17
  • 22.­20-21
  • 22.­27-28
  • 22.­36
  • 22.­38
  • 24.­16
  • 24.­34
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­4
  • 25.­9
  • 25.­30
  • 25.­34
  • 26.­1
  • 26.­6
  • 26.­13
  • 26.­15
  • 27.­6
  • n.­319
  • n.­481
  • g.­44
  • g.­54
  • g.­81
  • g.­82
  • g.­169
  • g.­249
  • g.­250
  • g.­251
  • g.­331
  • g.­347
  • g.­355
  • g.­385
  • g.­399
  • g.­422
g.­106

Devadatta

Wylie:
  • lhas byin
Tibetan:
  • ལྷས་བྱིན།
Sanskrit:
  • devadatta

A cousin of Śākyamuni, who broke with him and established his own community. His tradition was still continuing during the first millennium ᴄᴇ. He is portrayed as engendering evil schemes against the Buddha and even succeeding in wounding him. He is usually identified with wicked beings in accounts of previous lifetimes, but not in The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, where he is a teacher of the Buddha in a previous lifetime, and the Buddha prophesies his future buddhahood.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • i.­15
  • i.­18-19
  • i.­26
  • i.­49
  • 11.­80-82
  • g.­107
  • g.­108
g.­107

Devarāja

Wylie:
  • lha’i rgyal po
Tibetan:
  • ལྷའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • devarāja

The name of Devadatta when he becomes a buddha in the future.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 11.­82-83
g.­108

Devasopānāyā

Wylie:
  • lha’i them skas
Tibetan:
  • ལྷའི་ཐེམ་སྐས།
Sanskrit:
  • devasopānāyā

The realm where Devadatta will attain buddhahood.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 11.­82
g.­109

dhāraṇī

Wylie:
  • gzungs
Tibetan:
  • གཟུངས།
Sanskrit:
  • dhāraṇī

See “retention.”

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­59
  • i.­64
  • 21.­25
  • 26.­8
  • 26.­10
  • n.­460
  • n.­500
  • g.­337
g.­113

Dharma

Wylie:
  • chos
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས།
Sanskrit:
  • dharma

A term that predates Buddhism, Dharma/dharmas has a wide range of meanings and usages in Buddhist texts depending on context:

As Dharma, it is the teaching of Buddha Śākyamuni and other buddhas, preached by their followers, and transmitted in the form of scripture; or, alternatively, it means ultimate reality itself, the referent of the teaching and what is realized through it.

As dharmas, it is variously the different teachings given by Buddha Śākyamuni, other buddhas, and their followers; the trainings enjoined in those teachings; the positive qualities acquired through applying those trainings; mental phenomena in general; or phenomena in general or their characteristics. Often in Buddhist literature there is a play on the multiple interlinked senses of this term.

Located in 616 passages in the translation:

  • i.­8
  • i.­10
  • i.­16
  • i.­23
  • i.­34-35
  • i.­43
  • i.­45-47
  • i.­49-50
  • i.­56-58
  • i.­62-63
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­11
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­21
  • 1.­24
  • 1.­35
  • 1.­40-42
  • 1.­55-56
  • 1.­70-71
  • 1.­73-75
  • 1.­77-78
  • 1.­80
  • 1.­82-85
  • 1.­88
  • 1.­90
  • 1.­92-93
  • 1.­99
  • 1.­104
  • 1.­107-111
  • 1.­118
  • 1.­122
  • 1.­131
  • 1.­133
  • 2.­1-4
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­17
  • 2.­20
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­25-27
  • 2.­36
  • 2.­40
  • 2.­42
  • 2.­44-45
  • 2.­50-51
  • 2.­53-60
  • 2.­63-64
  • 2.­67
  • 2.­69
  • 2.­86
  • 2.­95
  • 2.­99
  • 2.­101-103
  • 2.­124
  • 2.­127-130
  • 2.­136
  • 2.­138
  • 2.­144
  • 2.­152-153
  • 2.­156-157
  • 2.­162-163
  • 2.­165-166
  • 2.­173
  • 3.­2-4
  • 3.­8-9
  • 3.­14
  • 3.­20-23
  • 3.­28-29
  • 3.­31-32
  • 3.­35
  • 3.­43-44
  • 3.­46-47
  • 3.­49
  • 3.­53-54
  • 3.­69
  • 3.­76
  • 3.­142-143
  • 3.­145
  • 3.­149
  • 3.­167
  • 3.­175
  • 3.­182
  • 3.­188
  • 4.­1-3
  • 4.­25-26
  • 4.­29
  • 4.­72
  • 4.­75
  • 4.­78
  • 4.­92-95
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­6-10
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­31-34
  • 5.­37
  • 5.­40
  • 5.­45-47
  • 5.­49-50
  • 5.­53-54
  • 5.­57
  • 5.­68
  • 5.­70
  • 5.­73
  • 5.­90
  • 5.­93
  • 5.­101
  • 5.­106
  • 5.­113
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­9-10
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­27-28
  • 6.­34
  • 6.­37
  • 6.­43
  • 6.­45
  • 7.­28-29
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­47-49
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­65-67
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­79-81
  • 7.­90
  • 7.­95
  • 7.­97
  • 7.­102
  • 7.­104-105
  • 7.­108
  • 7.­110
  • 7.­113
  • 7.­115
  • 7.­118
  • 7.­120
  • 7.­122-125
  • 7.­131-134
  • 7.­146
  • 7.­150
  • 7.­154
  • 7.­156-157
  • 7.­159
  • 7.­172
  • 7.­186
  • 7.­191
  • 8.­1-4
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­17-21
  • 8.­26
  • 8.­36
  • 8.­38-39
  • 8.­41
  • 8.­49
  • 8.­62
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­4-5
  • 9.­10
  • 9.­13-16
  • 9.­20
  • 9.­25
  • 9.­30
  • 9.­34
  • 10.­1-2
  • 10.­4-8
  • 10.­10
  • 10.­26-29
  • 10.­31-37
  • 10.­48
  • 10.­56
  • 10.­58
  • 11.­3-4
  • 11.­7-8
  • 11.­10-12
  • 11.­23
  • 11.­25-26
  • 11.­29-34
  • 11.­36
  • 11.­39
  • 11.­41-42
  • 11.­49
  • 11.­58
  • 11.­63
  • 11.­72-73
  • 11.­75-79
  • 11.­82-83
  • 11.­85
  • 11.­90
  • 11.­97
  • 11.­103
  • 11.­105
  • 12.­1-2
  • 12.­9-12
  • 12.­17
  • 12.­33
  • 13.­1-2
  • 13.­4-6
  • 13.­16
  • 13.­22
  • 13.­34-36
  • 13.­39
  • 13.­43
  • 13.­45
  • 13.­49
  • 13.­51-52
  • 13.­55
  • 13.­58-66
  • 13.­71
  • 13.­73
  • 13.­80-83
  • 13.­86-88
  • 13.­91-92
  • 13.­94
  • 14.­1-2
  • 14.­39
  • 14.­52
  • 14.­54-56
  • 14.­61-62
  • 14.­66-68
  • 14.­76
  • 14.­80
  • 15.­6-10
  • 15.­12
  • 15.­18
  • 15.­20
  • 15.­26
  • 15.­32-33
  • 15.­40-41
  • 16.­1-7
  • 16.­9-10
  • 16.­13
  • 16.­15
  • 16.­25-26
  • 16.­46
  • 16.­48-49
  • 16.­51-52
  • 16.­55-59
  • 16.­88
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­3
  • 17.­6-7
  • 17.­10
  • 17.­12-16
  • 17.­19-21
  • 17.­24
  • 17.­29
  • 17.­31
  • 17.­33
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­20-22
  • 18.­26
  • 18.­29
  • 18.­57-59
  • 18.­61
  • 18.­63-66
  • 18.­69-70
  • 18.­72
  • 18.­75-76
  • 18.­78
  • 18.­83
  • 18.­85-86
  • 18.­91-94
  • 18.­96-97
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­3-6
  • 19.­11-14
  • 19.­16-19
  • 19.­21
  • 19.­23
  • 19.­31-34
  • 20.­1-4
  • 20.­6-9
  • 20.­19-20
  • 20.­24
  • 21.­1
  • 21.­3-4
  • 21.­24-25
  • 22.­4-5
  • 22.­8-9
  • 22.­11
  • 22.­13
  • 22.­24-34
  • 22.­36-37
  • 22.­39-42
  • 23.­2
  • 23.­6-7
  • 23.­11
  • 23.­17-21
  • 23.­27-28
  • 24.­11-12
  • 24.­14-15
  • 24.­39
  • 24.­45
  • 24.­53
  • 25.­3-5
  • 25.­9
  • 25.­15-17
  • 25.­19-21
  • 25.­25
  • 25.­27
  • 25.­35-36
  • 26.­2-8
  • 26.­11
  • 26.­14-21
  • 26.­24
  • 26.­26
  • 27.­1
  • 27.­3
  • 27.­7
  • 27.­9
  • n.­100
  • n.­102
  • n.­104
  • n.­127
  • n.­149
  • n.­160
  • n.­162-163
  • n.­219
  • n.­256
  • n.­269
  • n.­275
  • n.­363
  • n.­420
  • n.­475
  • g.­10
  • g.­25
  • g.­40
  • g.­115
  • g.­118
  • g.­128
  • g.­129
  • g.­133
  • g.­136
  • g.­157
  • g.­266
  • g.­293
  • g.­294
  • g.­310
  • g.­311
  • g.­312
  • g.­320
  • g.­413
  • g.­463
g.­122

dhātu

Wylie:
  • khams
Tibetan:
  • ཁམས།
Sanskrit:
  • dhātu

The six sensory objects, six sensory faculties, and six consciousnesses.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 11.­2
g.­123

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Wylie:
  • yul ’khor srung
Tibetan:
  • ཡུལ་འཁོར་སྲུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • dhṛtarāṣṭra

One of the four mahārājas, he is the guardian deity for the east and lord of the gandharvas.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­5
  • g.­222
g.­125

dhyāna

Wylie:
  • bsam gtan
Tibetan:
  • བསམ་གཏན།
Sanskrit:
  • dhyāna

Generally one of the synonyms for meditation, referring to a state of mental stability. The specific four dhyānas are four successively subtler states of meditation that are said to lead to rebirth into the corresponding four levels of the form realm, which are composed of seventeen paradises.

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­3
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­83
  • 3.­71
  • 3.­75
  • 3.­131
  • 5.­42
  • 5.­52
  • 7.­134
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­24
  • 8.­26
  • 18.­53
  • 18.­57
  • g.­1
  • g.­18
  • g.­82
  • g.­394
g.­130

emerald

Wylie:
  • rdo’i snying po
Tibetan:
  • རྡོའི་སྙིང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • aśmagarbha

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­106
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­34
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­71
  • 24.­3
  • g.­59
  • g.­376
g.­131

enlightenment

Wylie:
  • byang chub
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ།
Sanskrit:
  • bodhi

The Sanskrit can mean knowledge, realization, waking, blossoming, etc., according to context. The Tibetan translates as “purified and accomplished.”

Located in 275 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­40
  • i.­45
  • i.­49
  • i.­51-52
  • i.­57
  • i.­62
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­25
  • 1.­27
  • 1.­29
  • 1.­32
  • 1.­44-47
  • 1.­49
  • 1.­54-56
  • 1.­75
  • 1.­78-79
  • 1.­85-86
  • 1.­103
  • 1.­115
  • 1.­117
  • 1.­120
  • 1.­126
  • 1.­131-132
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­46
  • 2.­54
  • 2.­56
  • 2.­58
  • 2.­60
  • 2.­62
  • 2.­80
  • 2.­84
  • 2.­88
  • 2.­103-104
  • 2.­106
  • 2.­109-113
  • 2.­115
  • 2.­118
  • 2.­123-124
  • 2.­127
  • 2.­135
  • 2.­143
  • 2.­145
  • 2.­155
  • 2.­157
  • 2.­159
  • 2.­166
  • 2.­168
  • 2.­170
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­18
  • 3.­20
  • 3.­26-27
  • 3.­34
  • 3.­37
  • 3.­41
  • 3.­46
  • 3.­51-54
  • 3.­66
  • 3.­142
  • 3.­154
  • 3.­161
  • 3.­167
  • 3.­175
  • 3.­187
  • 4.­1-2
  • 4.­4
  • 4.­31
  • 4.­69
  • 4.­71
  • 4.­78
  • 4.­85
  • 4.­94
  • 5.­32
  • 5.­51
  • 5.­54-55
  • 5.­71
  • 5.­73
  • 5.­80
  • 5.­90-91
  • 5.­106
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­26
  • 6.­44
  • 7.­13-15
  • 7.­17
  • 7.­19
  • 7.­24
  • 7.­30
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­68
  • 7.­101
  • 7.­112-113
  • 7.­116
  • 7.­121
  • 7.­123-125
  • 7.­130-131
  • 7.­141-142
  • 7.­144
  • 7.­161
  • 7.­169-172
  • 8.­3-4
  • 8.­9-10
  • 8.­31
  • 8.­34
  • 8.­45
  • 8.­49-50
  • 9.­1-2
  • 9.­4
  • 9.­11
  • 9.­13-14
  • 9.­16
  • 9.­19-21
  • 9.­23
  • 9.­25
  • 9.­27
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­4
  • 10.­7
  • 10.­10
  • 10.­22
  • 10.­29
  • 10.­31
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­67
  • 11.­71
  • 11.­82-83
  • 11.­88
  • 11.­90
  • 11.­92-94
  • 11.­97-98
  • 11.­100
  • 11.­103-104
  • 12.­2-3
  • 12.­5
  • 12.­7
  • 12.­26
  • 13.­16
  • 13.­35
  • 13.­41
  • 13.­50
  • 13.­59
  • 13.­67
  • 13.­75
  • 13.­90-91
  • 14.­23
  • 14.­39
  • 14.­48
  • 14.­55
  • 14.­58
  • 14.­60
  • 14.­62-67
  • 14.­69
  • 14.­77
  • 15.­3
  • 15.­6-7
  • 15.­17-18
  • 15.­25
  • 15.­30
  • 15.­40
  • 16.­3-6
  • 16.­11
  • 16.­13
  • 16.­15-16
  • 16.­24
  • 16.­26-27
  • 16.­32
  • 16.­39
  • 16.­60
  • 16.­84
  • 19.­3
  • 19.­9
  • 19.­12
  • 19.­14
  • 19.­16-17
  • 19.­19-21
  • 19.­24
  • 19.­27-29
  • 20.­9
  • 20.­11
  • 20.­23
  • 22.­17
  • 22.­23
  • 24.­45
  • 24.­52
  • 25.­11
  • 25.­24
  • 26.­4
  • 27.­1-2
  • 27.­9
  • n.­90
  • n.­97
  • n.­151
  • n.­244
  • n.­363
  • n.­441
  • g.­49
  • g.­63
  • g.­76
  • g.­77
  • g.­135
  • g.­148
  • g.­149
  • g.­182
  • g.­204
  • g.­249
  • g.­267
  • g.­395
  • g.­442
g.­132

eon

Wylie:
  • bskal pa
Tibetan:
  • བསྐལ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • kalpa

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

Located in 182 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­10
  • i.­39
  • i.­41
  • i.­45-46
  • i.­48
  • i.­52-54
  • i.­60
  • 1.­72
  • 1.­83-85
  • 1.­89
  • 1.­108
  • 1.­112
  • 1.­118
  • 2.­8
  • 2.­17
  • 2.­19
  • 2.­61
  • 2.­98
  • 2.­163
  • 3.­29
  • 3.­31
  • 3.­33-35
  • 3.­38
  • 3.­42-44
  • 3.­132
  • 3.­135
  • 3.­152
  • 3.­168
  • 3.­173
  • 3.­187
  • 4.­87-88
  • 4.­90
  • 5.­1
  • 6.­1-2
  • 6.­9-10
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­27-28
  • 6.­34
  • 6.­37
  • 6.­40
  • 6.­43
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­6
  • 7.­9-10
  • 7.­12-17
  • 7.­21-22
  • 7.­63-64
  • 7.­73
  • 7.­76
  • 7.­93
  • 7.­104
  • 7.­115
  • 7.­118-120
  • 7.­122
  • 7.­141
  • 7.­144
  • 7.­153
  • 7.­158
  • 7.­164
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­22
  • 8.­32-33
  • 8.­38
  • 9.­5
  • 9.­25
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­20
  • 10.­22
  • 10.­24-25
  • 10.­48
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­27
  • 11.­31
  • 11.­56
  • 11.­71
  • 11.­75
  • 11.­79
  • 11.­82-83
  • 11.­94
  • 11.­98
  • 13.­48
  • 13.­91
  • 14.­7-8
  • 14.­29
  • 14.­31
  • 14.­34
  • 14.­37
  • 14.­57
  • 14.­65-66
  • 14.­70
  • 14.­75
  • 15.­3
  • 15.­6
  • 15.­10-11
  • 15.­17-19
  • 15.­27
  • 15.­35
  • 16.­26
  • 16.­29
  • 16.­32
  • 16.­36-38
  • 16.­40
  • 16.­43
  • 16.­54
  • 17.­24
  • 19.­2
  • 19.­4
  • 19.­6
  • 19.­19
  • 19.­32
  • 20.­8
  • 20.­14
  • 22.­2
  • 22.­4
  • 23.­14
  • 24.­10
  • 24.­20
  • 24.­45
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­16
  • 25.­30
  • 27.­1-2
  • n.­93
  • n.­303
  • n.­349
  • n.­446
  • n.­592
  • g.­5
  • g.­12
  • g.­16
  • g.­41
  • g.­71
  • g.­87
  • g.­224
  • g.­232
  • g.­235
  • g.­246
  • g.­300
  • g.­308
  • g.­309
  • g.­324
  • g.­334
  • g.­379
  • g.­475
  • g.­476
g.­133

essence of phenomena

Wylie:
  • chos kyi dbyings
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་ཀྱི་དབྱིངས།
Sanskrit:
  • dharmadhātu

Defined as the ultimate nature of phenomena, and also as the essence of the Dharma. Literally “the element of phenomena, or the Dharma.” This term is also used to mean “the realm of phenomena,” meaning all phenomena.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 11.­3
  • 26.­3
  • n.­640
g.­136

fearlessness

Wylie:
  • mi ’jigs pa
Tibetan:
  • མི་འཇིགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vaiśāradya

This refers to the four confidences or fearlessnesses of the Buddha: confidence in having attained realization, confidence in having attained elimination, confidence in teaching the Dharma, and confidence in teaching the path of aspiration to liberation.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­3
  • 2.­6
  • 3.­66
  • 3.­69-70
  • 3.­73
  • 3.­75-76
  • 11.­81
g.­140

fourfold assembly

Wylie:
  • ’khor bzhi po
Tibetan:
  • འཁོར་བཞི་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • catasra parṣada

Male and female monastics and males and females holding lay vows.

Located in 30 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­9-10
  • 1.­14
  • 1.­69
  • 1.­105
  • 3.­46
  • 3.­54
  • 7.­115
  • 7.­120
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­33
  • 10.­35
  • 10.­55
  • 11.­5
  • 11.­10
  • 11.­25
  • 11.­27-29
  • 13.­62
  • 13.­83
  • 13.­86
  • 13.­91
  • 14.­7-8
  • 16.­8
  • 20.­6
  • 20.­16
  • 25.­29
  • 27.­6
g.­143

gandharva

Wylie:
  • dri za
Tibetan:
  • དྲི་ཟ།
Sanskrit:
  • gandharva

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.”

Located in 31 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­7
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­81
  • 1.­98
  • 2.­32
  • 3.­46
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­90
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­36
  • 11.­103
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­73
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­6
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­20
  • 22.­38
  • 24.­12
  • 24.­16
  • 26.­1
  • 27.­6
  • n.­556
  • g.­123
  • g.­202
  • g.­203
  • g.­245
  • g.­247
g.­145

garuḍa

Wylie:
  • nam mkha’ lding
Tibetan:
  • ནམ་མཁའ་ལྡིང་།
Sanskrit:
  • garuḍa

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 25 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­8
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­81
  • 3.­46
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­90
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­36
  • 11.­103
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­64
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­6
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­20
  • 23.­19
  • 24.­16
  • 26.­1
  • g.­213
  • g.­221
  • g.­223
  • g.­230
g.­155

higher knowledge

Wylie:
  • mngon par shes pa
Tibetan:
  • མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • abhijñā

There are six kinds of higher knowledge: divine sight, divine hearing, knowing how to manifest miracles, remembering previous lives, knowing what is in the minds of others, and knowing that all defects have been eliminated. Sometimes listed as five, without the sixth.

Located in 33 passages in the translation:

  • i.­43
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­38
  • 3.­32
  • 3.­128
  • 3.­147
  • 5.­40
  • 5.­45
  • 5.­66
  • 5.­68-69
  • 5.­71
  • 5.­100-102
  • 6.­25
  • 6.­41
  • 7.­21
  • 7.­109
  • 7.­162
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­17
  • 8.­23
  • 10.­26
  • 11.­59
  • 11.­61
  • 11.­67
  • 12.­17
  • 14.­66
  • 20.­10
  • 22.­35
  • n.­381
g.­156

Hīnayāna

Wylie:
  • theg pa dman pa
Tibetan:
  • ཐེག་པ་དམན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • hīnayāna

Literally “the lesser way” or “lesser vehicle.” It is a collective term for the śrāvakayāna and pratyeka­buddha­yāna, which have nirvāṇa instead of buddhahood as their goal.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­2
  • g.­39
g.­161

Jala­dhara­garjita­ghoṣa­susvarana­kṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña­

Wylie:
  • ’brug sgra sbyangs snyan skar ma’i rgyal po me tog kun tu rgyas pa
Tibetan:
  • འབྲུག་སྒྲ་སྦྱངས་སྙན་སྐར་མའི་རྒྱལ་པོ་མེ་ཏོག་ཀུན་ཏུ་རྒྱས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • jala­dhara­garjita­ghoṣa­susvarana­kṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña­

A buddha in the distant past. Also the name of a prince in the distant past.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • i.­63
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­4
  • 25.­6
  • 25.­9
  • 25.­15
  • 25.­18-20
  • 25.­23-24
  • 25.­26-29
g.­167

jina

Wylie:
  • rgyal ba
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • jina

One of the synonyms for buddha. Literally, “victor” but only used for founders of religious traditions.

Located in 109 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­13
  • 1.­39
  • 1.­41
  • 1.­45
  • 1.­47
  • 1.­50-51
  • 1.­57-58
  • 1.­61-62
  • 1.­69
  • 1.­89
  • 1.­108-110
  • 1.­112
  • 1.­115
  • 1.­129
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­22-23
  • 2.­31
  • 2.­36
  • 2.­95
  • 2.­101
  • 2.­104-105
  • 2.­108-109
  • 2.­125
  • 2.­135
  • 2.­156
  • 2.­161
  • 2.­169
  • 3.­13-14
  • 3.­21
  • 3.­36
  • 3.­41-43
  • 3.­129
  • 3.­137
  • 4.­71-73
  • 4.­76-78
  • 4.­91
  • 5.­28
  • 5.­45
  • 5.­103
  • 6.­3
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­24
  • 6.­31
  • 6.­35
  • 6.­38
  • 6.­41
  • 6.­43-44
  • 7.­6
  • 7.­26
  • 7.­44-45
  • 7.­93
  • 7.­142-143
  • 7.­157
  • 7.­159
  • 7.­161
  • 7.­164
  • 7.­168-170
  • 7.­189
  • 8.­33
  • 8.­40
  • 9.­7
  • 9.­9
  • 9.­11
  • 9.­15
  • 9.­21
  • 10.­17
  • 10.­45
  • 11.­41-42
  • 11.­64
  • 13.­57
  • 13.­83
  • 13.­87
  • 15.­34
  • 16.­12
  • 16.­18
  • 16.­65
  • 18.­56
  • 18.­59
  • 18.­86
  • 19.­23
  • 20.­17
  • 24.­18
  • 24.­46
  • 24.­48
  • 25.­13
  • n.­106
  • n.­318
  • n.­323
g.­171

Kāla

Wylie:
  • nag po
Tibetan:
  • ནག་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • kāla

The Kāla Mountains of Bhāratvarṣa (i.e., India) are listed in the Mahābhārata as the mountain ranges Vindhya (separating the Deccan from north India), Mahendra (the eastern Ghats), Malaya (southern half of the Western Ghats), Sahya (the northern half of the Western Ghats), Rakṣavat (northeast extension of the Vindhya), Pāripātra, and the Sūktimat (or Śuktimat), which is presumably another name for the one remaining significant mountain range, the Arbuda in the northwest.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 11.­15
  • 11.­19
  • 11.­21
  • 22.­25
g.­173

kalyāṇamitra

Wylie:
  • dge ba’i bshes gnyen
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་བའི་བཤེས་གཉེན།
Sanskrit:
  • kalyāṇamitra

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.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­179
  • 11.­81
  • 25.­23-24
g.­174

Kamala­dala­vimala­nakṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña

Wylie:
  • pad ma’i ’dab ma dri ma med pa skar ma’i rgyal po me tog kun tu rgyas pa
Tibetan:
  • པད་མའི་འདབ་མ་དྲི་མ་མེད་པ་སྐར་མའི་རྒྱལ་པོ་མེ་ཏོག་ཀུན་ཏུ་རྒྱས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • kamala­dala­vimala­nakṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña

A buddha in a realm far away in the eastern direction.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • i.­61
  • 23.­1
  • 23.­3-5
  • 23.­7
  • 23.­10-11
  • 23.­26
g.­175

Kamalaśīla

Wylie:
  • ka ma la shI la
Tibetan:
  • ཀ་མ་ལ་ཤཱི་ལ།
Sanskrit:
  • kamalaśīla

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • n.­56
g.­180

Kāśyapa

Wylie:
  • ’od srung
Tibetan:
  • འོད་སྲུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • kāśyapa

See “Mahākāśyapa.”

Located in 35 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­69
  • 5.­1-11
  • 5.­16
  • 5.­27
  • 5.­53
  • 5.­56-62
  • 5.­69-70
  • 6.­1-3
  • 8.­29-31
  • 8.­44
  • g.­47
  • g.­210
  • g.­322
  • g.­459
g.­181

kātyāyana

Wylie:
  • kA tyA’i bu
Tibetan:
  • ཀཱ་ཏྱཱའི་བུ།
Sanskrit:
  • kātyāyana

See “Mahākātyāyana.”

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­29
  • g.­211
g.­186

kinnara

Wylie:
  • mi’am ci
Tibetan:
  • མིའམ་ཅི།
Sanskrit:
  • kinnara
  • kiṃnara

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 26 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­7
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­81
  • 1.­98
  • 3.­46
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­90
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­36
  • 11.­103
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­64
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­6
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­20
  • 23.­19
  • 24.­16
  • 26.­1
  • g.­116
  • g.­127
  • g.­209
  • g.­398
g.­187

kleśa

Wylie:
  • nyon mongs
Tibetan:
  • ཉོན་མོངས།
Sanskrit:
  • kleśa

Literally “pain,” “torment,” or “affliction.” In Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit it literally means “impurity” or “depravity.” In its technical use in Buddhism it means any negative quality in the mind that causes continued existence in saṃsāra. The basic three kleśas are ignorance, attachment, and aversion.

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 2.­61
  • 5.­70
  • 5.­73
  • 7.­138
  • 7.­184
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­82
  • 13.­63
  • 13.­72
  • 15.­7
  • 24.­39
  • n.­433
g.­192

kumbhāṇḍa

Wylie:
  • grul bum
Tibetan:
  • གྲུལ་བུམ།
Sanskrit:
  • kumbhāṇḍa

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

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­88
  • 3.­96
  • 3.­99
  • 3.­104
  • 21.­8
  • 21.­14
  • 21.­19
  • n.­556
  • g.­478
g.­197

liberations

Wylie:
  • rnam par thar ba
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་པར་ཐར་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • vimokṣa

This can include any method for liberation. The most common list is of eight liberations: (1) form viewing form, the view of dependent origination and emptiness; (2) the formless viewing form, having seen internal emptiness, seeing the emptiness of external forms; (3) the view of the pleasant, seeing pleasant appearances as empty and contemplating the unpleasant; (4) seeing the emptiness of the formless meditation of infinite space; (5) seeing the emptiness of the formless meditation of infinite consciousness; (6) seeing the emptiness of the formless meditation of nothingness; (7) seeing the emptiness of the formless meditation of neither perception nor nonperception; (8) seeing the emptiness of the state of cessation.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­3
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­83
  • 3.­9
  • 3.­71
  • 3.­75
  • 3.­131
  • 6.­25
  • 7.­109
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­24
  • 17.­7
  • 26.­21
  • g.­394
g.­198

limit of reality

Wylie:
  • yang dag pa’i mtha’
Tibetan:
  • ཡང་དག་པའི་མཐའ།
Sanskrit:
  • bhūtakoṭi

A synonym for ultimate reality, emptiness, dharmadhātu, and so forth‍—as either an ontological reality or a state of being‍—this compound is typically parsed as the “limit” or “frontier” (koṭi) of “reality” (bhūta), which is intended metaphorically, as it is consistently described, in a play on words, as “without limit” (akoṭi) or “infinite” (atyanta). This compound might also be parsed as the “final” or “true” (bhūta) “conclusion” or “goal” (koṭi), although the majority of cases and the Indian Buddhist commentarial tradition tend to support the former interpretation.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 11.­3
  • 26.­3
  • n.­640
g.­200

lotsawa

Wylie:
  • lo tsA ba
Tibetan:
  • ལོ་ཙཱ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

Honorific term for a Tibetan translator.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • c.­1
g.­201

lotus

Wylie:
  • pad ma
Tibetan:
  • པད་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • padma

Nelumbo nucifera. True lotus with a central pericarp. The Indian or sacred lotus.

Located in 21 passages in the translation:

  • i.­61
  • 3.­32
  • 11.­36
  • 11.­84
  • 11.­86
  • 11.­88
  • 14.­71
  • 18.­27
  • 20.­4
  • 22.­35
  • 23.­6-7
  • 23.­10
  • 23.­25
  • 24.­48-49
  • 26.­1
  • n.­586
  • g.­75
  • g.­278
  • g.­487
g.­204

Magadha

Wylie:
  • ma ga dha
Tibetan:
  • མ་ག་དྷ།
Sanskrit:
  • magadha

This ancient kingdom is 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 Bimbisara. During the Buddha’s later years it began to expand greatly under the reign of King Ajataśatru. In the third century ᴄᴇ, during the reign of Aśoka, it become an empire that controlled most of India.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­8
  • g.­15
  • g.­148
  • g.­318
  • g.­446
g.­206

Mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū

Wylie:
  • mngon par shes pa’i ye shes chen pos zil gyis gnon pa
Tibetan:
  • མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པའི་ཡེ་ཤེས་ཆེན་པོས་ཟིལ་གྱིས་གནོན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahābhijñā­jñānābhi­bhū

A buddha in the distant past. Also the name of a prince in the distant past.

Located in 30 passages in the translation:

  • i.­45
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­17
  • 7.­19
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­47
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­79
  • 7.­90
  • 7.­102
  • 7.­105
  • 7.­108
  • 7.­113
  • 7.­115-118
  • 7.­122
  • g.­2
  • g.­26
  • g.­168
  • g.­214
  • g.­378
  • g.­398
g.­208

Mahācakravāla

Wylie:
  • khor yug chen po
Tibetan:
  • ཁོར་ཡུག་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahācakravāla

This appears to refer to the great circles of mountains that enclose a thousand worlds, each with its own Cakravāla.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 11.­15
  • 11.­19
  • 11.­21
  • 18.­77
  • 22.­25
g.­210

Mahākāśyapa

Wylie:
  • ’od srung chen po
Tibetan:
  • འོད་སྲུང་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahākāśyapa

One of the Buddha’s principal pupils, who became the Buddha’s successor on his passing. Also rendered here as “Kāśyapa.”

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • i.­42-44
  • 1.­3
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­33
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­59-60
  • 8.­29
  • g.­27
  • g.­180
g.­211

Mahākātyāyana

Wylie:
  • kA tyA’i bu chen po
Tibetan:
  • ཀཱ་ཏྱཱའི་བུ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahākātyāyana

One of the ten principal pupils of the Buddha. He was renowned for his ability to understand the Buddha’s teachings. Also rendered as “Kātyāyana.”

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • i.­44
  • 1.­3
  • 4.­1
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­28
  • g.­164
  • g.­181
g.­215

Mahā­maudgalyāyana

Wylie:
  • maud gal gyi bu chen po
Tibetan:
  • མཽད་གལ་གྱི་བུ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahā­maudgalyāyana

One of the two principal pupils of the Buddha, along with Śariputra. He was renowned for miraculous powers. He was assassinated during the Buddha’s lifetime.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­44
  • 1.­3
  • 4.­1
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­34
  • g.­244
  • g.­324
  • g.­418
g.­216

Mahāmucilinda

Wylie:
  • btang bzung chen po
Tibetan:
  • བཏང་བཟུང་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāmucilinda

See Mucilinda.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 11.­15
  • 11.­19
  • 11.­21
g.­220

Mahāpratibhāna

Wylie:
  • spobs pa chen po
Tibetan:
  • སྤོབས་པ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāpratibhāna

A bodhisattva who appears mainly in chapters 11 and 12 of this sūtra. In the Chinese version, like other bodhisattvas who appear in the second half of the sūtra, considered to be of a later date than the first half, he is not in the initial list of bodhisattvas given in the first chapter.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49-50
  • 1.­4
  • 11.­6-11
  • 12.­1
g.­222

mahārāja

Wylie:
  • rgyal po chen po
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་པོ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahārāja

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.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • i.­59
  • 1.­5
  • 7.­16
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­98
  • 21.­11
  • 21.­14
  • g.­123
  • g.­450
  • g.­478
  • g.­479
g.­224

Mahārūpa

Wylie:
  • gzugs chen po
Tibetan:
  • གཟུགས་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahārūpa

“Great Form.” The name of a past eon.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 7.­1
g.­226

Mahāsāṃghika

Wylie:
  • dge ’dun phal chen po’i sde
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་འདུན་ཕལ་ཆེན་པོའི་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāsāṃghika

One of the early schools of Buddhism, within which views such as the transcendence of the Buddha formed the basis for the rise of Mahāyāna.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • g.­49
g.­227

mahāsattva

Wylie:
  • sems dpa’ chen po
Tibetan:
  • སེམས་དཔའ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāsattva

Literally “great being.” An epithet for a bodhisattva of great accomplishment.

Located in 185 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­4
  • 1.­12-15
  • 1.­70
  • 1.­75
  • 1.­78
  • 1.­83
  • 1.­85
  • 3.­34
  • 3.­73
  • 4.­29
  • 7.­124
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­31
  • 10.­33
  • 11.­6
  • 11.­9-11
  • 11.­85
  • 11.­104
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­4
  • 12.­11
  • 12.­13
  • 13.­1-5
  • 13.­7-9
  • 13.­35
  • 13.­49
  • 13.­51-52
  • 13.­59-60
  • 14.­4-5
  • 14.­7
  • 14.­9-10
  • 14.­13-14
  • 14.­16-18
  • 14.­47-49
  • 14.­55-56
  • 14.­64-66
  • 14.­69
  • 15.­2
  • 15.­5-6
  • 16.­1-6
  • 16.­8-9
  • 16.­25
  • 16.­57
  • 16.­59
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­3
  • 17.­9-10
  • 17.­15
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­10
  • 18.­26
  • 18.­76
  • 18.­85
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­3
  • 19.­6-11
  • 19.­13-15
  • 19.­18-21
  • 20.­2-3
  • 20.­6
  • 20.­8
  • 21.­1-2
  • 21.­4
  • 21.­7-9
  • 22.­1-2
  • 22.­4-11
  • 22.­13-14
  • 22.­16-23
  • 22.­36
  • 22.­38
  • 23.­2-10
  • 23.­13-27
  • 24.­1-17
  • 24.­51
  • 25.­31-32
  • 26.­1-5
  • 26.­11
  • 26.­15
  • 26.­18
  • 27.­4
  • 27.­6
g.­228

mahāśrāvaka

Wylie:
  • nyan thos chen po
Tibetan:
  • ཉན་ཐོས་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāśrāvaka

An epithet for the Buddha’s principal students who had attained the goal of the path.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­229

Mahā­sthāma­prāpta

Wylie:
  • mthu chen thob
Tibetan:
  • མཐུ་ཆེན་ཐོབ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahā­sthāma­prāpta

One of the two principal bodhisattvas in Sukhāvatī and prominent in Chinese Buddhism. In Tibetan Buddhism he is identified with Vajrapāṇi.

Located in 20 passages in the translation:

  • i.­57
  • 1.­4
  • 19.­1-9
  • 19.­11
  • 19.­13-18
  • 19.­20-21
g.­232

Mahāvyūha

Wylie:
  • bkod pa chen po
Tibetan:
  • བཀོད་པ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāvyūha

Literally “Great Array” or “Great Display.” The name of a future eon.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 6.­1
g.­234

mahoraga

Wylie:
  • lto ’phye chen po
Tibetan:
  • ལྟོ་འཕྱེ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahoraga

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 22 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­10
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­81
  • 2.­32
  • 3.­46
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­90
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­36
  • 11.­103
  • 18.­64
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­6
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­20
  • 22.­38
  • 23.­19
  • 24.­16
  • 26.­1
  • n.­484
g.­235

Maitreya

Wylie:
  • byams pa
Tibetan:
  • བྱམས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • maitreya

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

Located in 34 passages in the translation:

  • i.­8
  • i.­10
  • i.­39
  • i.­52
  • i.­54-55
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­13-15
  • 1.­69-70
  • 1.­126
  • 14.­17-18
  • 14.­48-49
  • 14.­55
  • 14.­64-65
  • 14.­69
  • 15.­2
  • 15.­5
  • 16.­1
  • 16.­9
  • 16.­25
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­3
  • 17.­9-10
  • 26.­15
  • n.­13
  • g.­16
  • g.­492
g.­240

Mañjughoṣa

Wylie:
  • ’jam dbyangs
Tibetan:
  • འཇམ་དབྱངས།
Sanskrit:
  • mañjughoṣa

See “Mañjusvara.”

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­26
  • 1.­57
  • 13.­93
  • g.­243
g.­241

Mañjuśrī

Wylie:
  • ’jam dpal
Tibetan:
  • འཇམ་དཔལ།
Sanskrit:
  • mañjuśrī

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

In this text:

Also called here “Mañjusvara” and “Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta.”

Located in 34 passages in the translation:

  • i.­39
  • i.­49
  • i.­51
  • i.­61
  • 1.­13-15
  • 1.­34
  • 11.­87
  • 11.­91
  • 11.­93
  • 13.­1-5
  • 13.­7-9
  • 13.­35
  • 13.­49
  • 13.­52
  • 13.­59-64
  • 20.­2
  • 23.­7
  • g.­242
  • g.­243
  • g.­390
  • g.­456
g.­242

Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta

Wylie:
  • ’jam dpal gzhon nur gyur pa
Tibetan:
  • འཇམ་དཔལ་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • mañjuśrī­kumārabhūta

The bodhisattva who is considered the embodiment of wisdom, with the additional honorific title for a young man. Also rendered here as “Mañjusvara” and “Mañjuśrī.”

Located in 19 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­4
  • 1.­13-15
  • 1.­70
  • 1.­89
  • 11.­85-89
  • 13.­1
  • 23.­3
  • 23.­7-9
  • 23.­13
  • 23.­26
  • g.­241
g.­243

Mañjusvara

Wylie:
  • ’jam dbyangs
Tibetan:
  • འཇམ་དབྱངས།
Sanskrit:
  • mañjusvara

Meaning “gentle or beautiful voice,” this is an alternative name for Mañjuśrī. It is synonymous with Mañjughoṣa, which is also translated into Tibetan as ’jam dbyangs. See also “Mañjuśrī.”

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­64
  • 1.­69
  • g.­240
  • g.­241
  • g.­242
g.­249

Māra

Wylie:
  • bdud
Tibetan:
  • བདུད།
Sanskrit:
  • māra

(1) A deva, sometimes said to be the principal deity in Paranirmitavaśavartin, the highest paradise in the desire realm; also one of the names of the god of desire, Kāma in the Vedic tradition. He is portrayed as attempting to prevent the Buddha’s enlightenment. In early soteriological religions, the principal deity in saṃsāra, such as Indra, would attempt to prevent anyone’s realization that would lead to such a liberation.

(2) The devas ruled over by Māra, and assisting his attempts to prevent the Buddha’s enlightenment; they do not wish any being to escape from saṃsāra. More generally, they are symbolic of the defects within a person that prevent enlightenment. These four personifications are: Devaputra-māra (lha’i bu’i bdud), the Divine Māra, which is the distraction of pleasures; Mṛtyumāra (’chi bdag gi bdud), the Māra of Death; Skandhamāra (phung po’i bdud), the Māra of the Aggregates, which is the body; and Kleśamāra (nyon mongs pa’i bdud), the Māra of the Afflictions.

Located in 26 passages in the translation:

  • i.­51
  • 1.­42
  • 1.­84
  • 3.­19
  • 3.­24
  • 3.­27
  • 4.­86
  • 6.­1
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­48
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­79
  • 7.­102
  • 7.­105
  • 7.­108
  • 13.­62-63
  • 22.­36
  • 22.­38
  • 22.­40
  • 23.­11
  • 25.­9
  • 26.­6
  • 26.­20
  • n.­627
  • g.­250
g.­251

marut

Wylie:
  • lha
Tibetan:
  • ལྷ།
Sanskrit:
  • marut

A general name for the deities in the desire realm, and in other contexts, specifically for a group of storm deities. In translation, the Tibetan does not differentiate the term from the more general deva.

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­43
  • 1.­60
  • 1.­69
  • 1.­106
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­142
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­30
  • 3.­44
  • 11.­34
  • 11.­69
  • 15.­28
  • n.­338
g.­258

Meru

Wylie:
  • lhun po
Tibetan:
  • ལྷུན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • meru

Early Mahāyāna sūtras identify this as separate from Sumeru, the mountain at the center of the world. This refers to a legendary mountain in such epics as the Mahābhārata, which, while sacred, is not situated in the world’s center. This is presumably identical to the Mount Meru that is the source of one of the two main tributaries of the Ganges and lies within the territory of India.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 18.­6
  • 18.­77
  • 18.­82
  • 24.­24
  • g.­105
  • g.­222
  • g.­405
  • g.­460
g.­261

methods of attracting disciples

Wylie:
  • bsdu ba
Tibetan:
  • བསྡུ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • saṃgraha

Generosity, pleasant speech, beneficial conduct, and conduct that accords with the wishes of disciples.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­107
  • 11.­81
g.­264

Mucilinda

Wylie:
  • btang bzung
Tibetan:
  • བཏང་བཟུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • mucilinda

An unidentified mountain mentioned in a number of sūtras, not apparently connected to the well-known nāga of that name, but perhaps to the sacred mucilinda tree, known in English mainly as the bayur tree.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 11.­15
  • 11.­19
  • 11.­21
  • g.­216
g.­265

muni

Wylie:
  • thub pa
Tibetan:
  • ཐུབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • muni

An ancient title, derived from the verb man (“to contemplate”), given to someone who has attained the realization of a truth through their own contemplation and not by divine revelation.

Located in 16 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­91
  • 1.­93
  • 2.­147
  • 6.­16
  • 6.­18
  • 7.­6
  • 7.­67
  • 7.­100
  • 11.­40
  • 12.­31
  • 13.­83
  • 14.­41
  • 14.­44
  • 16.­45
  • 18.­58
  • 19.­22
g.­268

nāga

Wylie:
  • klu
Tibetan:
  • ཀླུ།
Sanskrit:
  • nāga

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 53 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 1.­6
  • 1.­10
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­81
  • 1.­98
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­37
  • 3.­46
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­90
  • 7.­142
  • 7.­144
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­36
  • 11.­86
  • 11.­93
  • 11.­95
  • 11.­98-101
  • 11.­103
  • 13.­81
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­64
  • 18.­70
  • 18.­73
  • 18.­89
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­6
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­38
  • 24.­16
  • 24.­23
  • 24.­30
  • 26.­1
  • n.­480
  • g.­33
  • g.­239
  • g.­264
  • g.­274
  • g.­343
  • g.­416
  • g.­417
  • g.­422
  • g.­436
  • g.­444
  • g.­460
  • g.­466
  • g.­479
g.­271

Nakṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña

Wylie:
  • skar ma’i rgyal po me tog kun tu rgyas pa mngon par shes pa
Tibetan:
  • སྐར་མའི་རྒྱལ་པོ་མེ་ཏོག་ཀུན་ཏུ་རྒྱས་པ་མངོན་པར་ཤེས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • nakṣatra­rāja­saṃkusumitābhi­jña

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching. Known only from this sūtra.

Located in 39 passages in the translation:

  • i.­60
  • 22.­1-4
  • 22.­6-11
  • 22.­14
  • 22.­16-41
  • 23.­3
g.­273

Nanam Yeshé Dé

Wylie:
  • sna nam ye shes sde
Tibetan:
  • སྣ་ནམ་ཡེ་ཤེས་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

Chief editor of the Tibetan translation of The White Lotus of the Good Dharma and the translation program from the late eighth to early ninth century in Tibet. From the Nanam (sna nam) clan.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­25
  • c.­1
  • g.­494
g.­280

nirvāṇa

Wylie:
  • mya ngan las ’das pa
Tibetan:
  • མྱ་ངན་ལས་འདས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • nirvāṇa

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

Located in 219 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­5
  • i.­9
  • i.­12
  • i.­40
  • i.­42-43
  • i.­45-46
  • i.­53
  • i.­57
  • i.­60
  • 1.­12
  • 1.­23
  • 1.­57
  • 1.­74
  • 1.­78
  • 1.­84-85
  • 1.­111
  • 1.­113-114
  • 1.­127
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­31
  • 2.­35
  • 2.­62-63
  • 2.­73
  • 2.­94-95
  • 2.­98
  • 2.­104-105
  • 2.­124
  • 2.­144
  • 2.­153-154
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­15-18
  • 3.­21
  • 3.­28
  • 3.­34-35
  • 3.­43
  • 3.­53
  • 3.­72-76
  • 3.­136
  • 3.­141
  • 3.­151
  • 4.­2-3
  • 4.­26
  • 4.­28
  • 4.­74
  • 4.­77
  • 5.­6
  • 5.­10
  • 5.­29
  • 5.­31
  • 5.­40
  • 5.­55
  • 5.­60
  • 5.­72-73
  • 5.­79
  • 5.­92-93
  • 5.­103-104
  • 5.­106
  • 5.­109
  • 5.­112
  • 6.­17
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­30
  • 6.­34
  • 6.­37
  • 6.­43
  • 7.­4-5
  • 7.­10-11
  • 7.­15-16
  • 7.­47
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­79
  • 7.­102-103
  • 7.­132-134
  • 7.­139-140
  • 7.­168
  • 7.­185
  • 7.­188-190
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­38
  • 8.­45
  • 8.­49
  • 8.­51
  • 8.­59-60
  • 9.­5
  • 9.­10
  • 9.­15
  • 9.­25
  • 9.­30
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­7-8
  • 10.­17
  • 10.­26-27
  • 10.­33
  • 10.­49
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­27
  • 11.­29-33
  • 11.­39-40
  • 11.­50
  • 11.­52
  • 11.­55
  • 11.­57
  • 11.­62
  • 11.­69
  • 11.­83
  • 12.­1-2
  • 12.­12-13
  • 12.­31
  • 13.­15
  • 13.­32
  • 13.­35
  • 13.­46
  • 13.­49
  • 13.­52
  • 13.­59-60
  • 13.­62
  • 13.­75
  • 13.­79
  • 13.­92
  • 14.­1-2
  • 14.­5
  • 14.­67
  • 14.­78
  • 15.­6
  • 15.­9-11
  • 15.­20
  • 15.­22
  • 15.­24-25
  • 15.­38
  • 16.­8
  • 16.­51
  • 16.­55-56
  • 16.­59
  • 16.­62
  • 16.­72
  • 17.­2-3
  • 17.­20
  • 19.­3-6
  • 19.­21
  • 19.­23
  • 19.­31
  • 19.­33
  • 20.­1-2
  • 20.­4
  • 20.­9
  • 20.­13-14
  • 20.­16-17
  • 20.­21
  • 20.­23
  • 22.­16-18
  • 23.­9
  • 23.­11
  • 23.­13
  • 23.­21
  • n.­92
  • n.­203
  • n.­275
  • n.­316
  • n.­416
  • g.­156
  • g.­291
  • g.­393
g.­291

parinirvāṇa

Wylie:
  • yongs su mya ngan las ’da’
Tibetan:
  • ཡོངས་སུ་མྱ་ངན་ལས་འདའ།
Sanskrit:
  • parinirvāṇa

“Complete nirvāṇa.” It can specifically refer to entering nirvāṇa at death.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • 1.­84
g.­293

perfectly enlightened buddha

Wylie:
  • yang dag par rdzogs pa’i sangs rgyas
Tibetan:
  • ཡང་དག་པར་རྫོགས་པའི་སངས་རྒྱས།
Sanskrit:
  • samyak­sambuddha

Literally, “perfectly and completely awakened one,” this refers to a buddha who teaches the Dharma, as opposed to a pratyeka­buddha.

Located in 180 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­13
  • 1.­71-72
  • 1.­76-77
  • 1.­79-80
  • 1.­84-86
  • 2.­1-3
  • 2.­51
  • 2.­53-59
  • 2.­61
  • 2.­64
  • 3.­29
  • 3.­31
  • 3.­34
  • 3.­54
  • 3.­65
  • 3.­70
  • 3.­74-76
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­5-6
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­57
  • 5.­82
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­34
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­13
  • 7.­17
  • 7.­19
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­47
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­79
  • 7.­90
  • 7.­102
  • 7.­105
  • 7.­108
  • 7.­113
  • 7.­115-118
  • 7.­122
  • 7.­126-129
  • 7.­138-140
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­30
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­5-6
  • 9.­13
  • 9.­17-19
  • 9.­25
  • 10.­5
  • 10.­31
  • 11.­7-8
  • 11.­10
  • 11.­14
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­24-27
  • 11.­82
  • 12.­5-6
  • 13.­60
  • 13.­62-63
  • 14.­5-6
  • 14.­13
  • 14.­47-48
  • 14.­50
  • 15.­6
  • 16.­8
  • 18.­30
  • 19.­2-8
  • 19.­11
  • 19.­13
  • 19.­15
  • 19.­17-18
  • 20.­4-6
  • 20.­8-9
  • 21.­10
  • 22.­1-5
  • 22.­11
  • 22.­13
  • 22.­16-18
  • 22.­35
  • 22.­41
  • 23.­1-5
  • 23.­7
  • 23.­9-15
  • 23.­23
  • 23.­25-26
  • 24.­16
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­4
  • 25.­6
  • 25.­9
  • 25.­15
  • 25.­18-20
  • 25.­23-30
  • 26.­2
  • 26.­18
  • 27.­1
  • 27.­4-6
  • n.­591
g.­294

phenomena

Wylie:
  • chos
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས།
Sanskrit:
  • dharma

See “dharma.”

Located in 43 passages in the translation:

  • i.­9
  • i.­51
  • i.­61
  • 1.­130
  • 3.­16
  • 5.­60
  • 5.­71
  • 5.­73
  • 5.­80
  • 5.­82
  • 5.­108
  • 5.­110
  • 5.­112
  • 7.­67
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­88
  • 11.­93
  • 11.­104
  • 13.­3
  • 13.­8-9
  • 13.­25-26
  • 13.­28-31
  • 13.­33
  • 15.­9
  • 16.­1
  • 18.­87
  • 22.­35-36
  • 23.­27
  • n.­100
  • n.­104
  • n.­150
  • g.­6
  • g.­43
  • g.­51
  • g.­113
  • g.­133
  • g.­135
g.­298

powers

Wylie:
  • dbang
Tibetan:
  • དབང་།
Sanskrit:
  • indriya

The five powers: faith, mindfulness, diligence, samādhi, and wisdom.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­83
  • 3.­71
  • g.­135
  • g.­394
g.­300

Prabhūtaratna

Wylie:
  • rin chen mang po
Tibetan:
  • རིན་ཆེན་མང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • prabhūtaratna

“Many Jewels.” The buddha who had lived in a realm in the east (though the sūtra also states that it is in a downward direction) whose stūpa appears while Buddha Śākyamuni is teaching the Lotus Sūtra.

It is also the name as given in the verses for the eon in which Śāriputra will attain buddhahood. The name is different in the prose section.

Located in 38 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­3
  • i.­49
  • i.­58
  • i.­61-62
  • i.­65
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­7-8
  • 11.­10
  • 11.­14
  • 11.­26-27
  • 11.­40
  • 11.­42
  • 11.­85-86
  • 14.­5-6
  • 16.­8
  • 20.­4-6
  • 22.­41
  • 23.­9
  • 23.­11-13
  • 23.­25-26
  • 24.­16
  • 27.­5-6
  • n.­373
  • n.­378
  • g.­302
  • g.­335
g.­302

Prajñākūṭa

Wylie:
  • shes rab brtsegs
Tibetan:
  • ཤེས་རབ་བརྩེགས།
Sanskrit:
  • prajñākūṭa

A bodhisattva from the realm of Buddha Prabhūtaratna.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • i.­26
  • i.­49
  • 11.­85-89
  • 11.­92
  • 11.­94
  • 11.­100
  • 11.­104
g.­304

pratyeka­buddha

Wylie:
  • rang sangs rgyas
Tibetan:
  • རང་སངས་རྒྱས།
Sanskrit:
  • pratyeka­buddha

Someone who has attained liberation entirely through their own contemplation as a result of progress in previous lives but, unlike a buddha, does not have the accumulated merit and motivation to teach others. See also 3.­72 and n.­191.

Located in 35 passages in the translation:

  • i.­40
  • i.­43
  • i.­45
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­16
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­62
  • 3.­128
  • 3.­147
  • 5.­41
  • 5.­50
  • 5.­59
  • 7.­139
  • 8.­9
  • 11.­83
  • 15.­5
  • 16.­30
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­30
  • 18.­66
  • 18.­78
  • 22.­24
  • 22.­29-30
  • 22.­36
  • 23.­21
  • 24.­12
  • n.­191
  • n.­429
  • g.­135
  • g.­293
  • g.­305
  • g.­306
g.­305

Pratyeka­buddha­yāna

Wylie:
  • rang sangs rgyas kyi theg pa
Tibetan:
  • རང་སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཐེག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • pratyeka­buddha­yāna

The way or vehicle of the pratyeka­buddhas.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­24
  • 2.­26
  • 3.­70-72
  • 5.­57
  • 5.­73
  • 7.­123
  • 13.­49
  • 22.­28
  • g.­156
g.­309

Priyadarśana

Wylie:
  • mthong na dga’ ba
Tibetan:
  • མཐོང་ན་དགའ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • priyadarśana

“Beautiful Sight.” The name of a past eon.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 25.­1
g.­312

Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra

Wylie:
  • byams ma’i bu gang po
Tibetan:
  • བྱམས་མའི་བུ་གང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • pūrṇa maitrāyaṇī­putra

One of the ten principal pupils of the Buddha. He was the greatest in his ability to teach the Dharma.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­46
  • 1.­3
  • 8.­1-2
  • 8.­4
  • g.­334
g.­317

Rāhula

Wylie:
  • sgra gcan
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲ་གཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • rāhula

Śākyamuni Buddha’s son who became the first novice monk and a prominent member of his monastic saṅgha.

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • 1.­3
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­17-20
  • 9.­22-23
  • 9.­34
  • 12.­6
  • g.­364
  • g.­493
g.­318

Rājagṛha

Wylie:
  • rgyal po’i khab
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་པོའི་ཁབ།
Sanskrit:
  • rājagṛha

Presently called Rajgir. During the Buddha’s lifetime this was the capital of Magadha, a kingdom roughly corresponding to modern southern Bihar.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 11.­24
g.­321

Ralpachen

Wylie:
  • ral pa can
Tibetan:
  • རལ་པ་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • —

King of Tibet, who reigned 815–838 ᴄᴇ. Also known as Tritsuk Detsen (khri gtug lde btsan).

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­25
  • g.­408
g.­322

Raśmiprabhāsa

Wylie:
  • ’od zer rab tu snang ba
Tibetan:
  • འོད་ཟེར་རབ་ཏུ་སྣང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • raśmiprabhāsa

The name Kāśyapa will have when he becomes a buddha in the distant future.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­44
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­10
g.­335

Ratnaviśuddhā

Wylie:
  • rin po che rnam par dag pa
Tibetan:
  • རིན་པོ་ཆེ་རྣམ་པར་དག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • ratnaviśuddhā

A distant realm to the east, where Buddha Prabhūtaratna had lived.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 11.­7
g.­336

realm of Yama

Wylie:
  • gshin rje’i ’jig rten
Tibetan:
  • གཤིན་རྗེའི་འཇིག་རྟེན།
Sanskrit:
  • yamaloka

Another name for the hungry ghost realm.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­67
  • 6.­28
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­19
  • 11.­21
  • 11.­84
  • 23.­19
  • g.­307
g.­337

retention

Wylie:
  • gzungs
Tibetan:
  • གཟུངས།
Sanskrit:
  • dhāraṇī

An exceptional power of mental retention. According to context, this term can also designate sentences or phrases for recitation that are said to hold the essence of a teaching or meaning (rendered here as dhāraṇī), and are therefore said to hold the power to bring about a range of pragmatic and spiritual effects when uttered, written, or worn.

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • i.­64
  • 1.­4
  • 11.­93
  • 12.­10
  • 13.­84
  • 16.­2
  • 16.­11
  • 17.­15
  • 22.­13
  • 22.­41
  • 26.­7
  • 26.­25
  • g.­109
g.­339

rishi

Wylie:
  • drang srong
Tibetan:
  • དྲང་སྲོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • ṛṣi

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

Located in 31 passages in the translation:

  • i.­43
  • i.­49
  • 1.­112
  • 2.­150
  • 3.­50
  • 3.­123
  • 5.­28
  • 5.­66
  • 5.­68
  • 5.­71
  • 5.­94
  • 5.­107
  • 6.­4
  • 6.­22
  • 6.­34
  • 7.­29
  • 7.­62
  • 7.­187
  • 9.­20
  • 11.­30
  • 11.­73-74
  • 11.­76
  • 11.­80
  • 12.­22
  • 13.­77
  • 14.­21
  • 14.­33
  • 16.­16
  • n.­184
  • g.­219
g.­343

Sāgara

Wylie:
  • rgya mtsho
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱ་མཚོ།
Sanskrit:
  • sāgara

The principal nāga king. In the Samādhi­rāja Sūtra (Toh 127) this is said to be another name for Vaṛuna, the deity of the water.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 1.­6
  • 11.­86
  • 11.­93-95
  • 11.­98-101
  • g.­466
g.­346

Sahā

Wylie:
  • mi mjed
Tibetan:
  • མི་མཇེད།
Sanskrit:
  • sahā

Indian Buddhist name for either the four-continent sun-and-moon world system in which Buddha Śākyamuni appeared, or a universe of a thousand million such worlds. The White Lotus of Compassion Sutra describes it as a world of ordinary beings in which desire, and so on, are “powerful” (Sanskrit: sahas), and 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.

Located in 48 passages in the translation:

  • i.­61
  • 1.­6
  • 3.­46
  • 7.­130
  • 11.­8
  • 11.­14-16
  • 11.­29
  • 11.­103-104
  • 12.­2
  • 14.­1-5
  • 14.­8
  • 14.­55-56
  • 15.­6
  • 16.­49
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­6-7
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­6
  • 22.­28
  • 23.­3-11
  • 23.­20-21
  • 23.­24
  • 23.­26
  • 24.­11
  • 24.­13
  • 24.­17
  • 26.­1-2
  • n.­575
  • g.­349
g.­347

Śakra

Wylie:
  • brgya byin
Tibetan:
  • བརྒྱ་བྱིན།
Sanskrit:
  • śakra

More commonly known in the West as Indra, the deity that is called “lord of the devas,” 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.

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­5
  • 2.­142
  • 3.­46
  • 5.­38
  • 11.­98
  • 16.­17
  • 17.­14
  • 17.­32
  • 18.­29
  • 18.­64
  • 18.­74
  • 22.­27
  • 23.­17
  • 24.­12
  • g.­46
  • g.­331
  • g.­355
g.­349

Śākyamuni

Wylie:
  • shAkya thub pa
Tibetan:
  • ཤཱཀྱ་ཐུབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • śākyamuni

The name of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. In The White Lotus of the Good Dharma he is said to be in the northeast of the Sahā universe.

Located in 78 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­4
  • i.­49
  • i.­57-58
  • i.­61-63
  • 7.­129
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­14
  • 11.­17-18
  • 11.­20
  • 11.­23-29
  • 11.­85-86
  • 11.­94
  • 11.­104
  • 14.­5-7
  • 14.­47-48
  • 15.­3
  • 16.­8
  • 16.­45
  • 19.­28
  • 20.­4-7
  • 22.­36
  • 23.­1
  • 23.­3-4
  • 23.­7
  • 23.­9
  • 23.­13-14
  • 23.­23
  • 23.­25-26
  • 24.­16
  • 26.­2
  • 26.­18
  • 27.­1
  • 27.­4-5
  • n.­87
  • n.­373
  • n.­634
  • g.­16
  • g.­45
  • g.­62
  • g.­66
  • g.­83
  • g.­106
  • g.­113
  • g.­126
  • g.­177
  • g.­217
  • g.­235
  • g.­300
  • g.­317
  • g.­330
  • g.­346
  • g.­350
  • g.­357
  • g.­459
  • g.­476
  • g.­493
g.­353

samādhi

Wylie:
  • ting nge ’dzin
Tibetan:
  • ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན།
Sanskrit:
  • samādhi

One of the synonyms for the meditative state, literally “a completely focused state.”

Located in 45 passages in the translation:

  • i.­60-61
  • i.­63
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­80
  • 1.­83
  • 1.­93
  • 1.­103
  • 1.­106
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­3
  • 3.­71
  • 3.­75
  • 3.­131
  • 7.­122
  • 11.­93
  • 13.­87
  • 14.­66
  • 15.­2
  • 22.­4-7
  • 22.­12
  • 22.­20
  • 22.­36
  • 23.­2
  • 23.­6
  • 23.­8
  • 23.­23-24
  • 23.­26-27
  • 24.­46
  • 25.­2
  • 25.­16
  • 25.­22
  • 26.­7
  • n.­444
  • g.­43
  • g.­135
  • g.­298
  • g.­358
  • g.­394
g.­354

Samantabhadra

Wylie:
  • kun tu bzang po
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་ཏུ་བཟང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • samantabhadra

A principal bodhisattva in the Mahāyāna sūtras. Not to be confused with the primordial buddha of the Nyingma tradition.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­64
  • 26.­1
  • 26.­3-5
  • 26.­10-12
  • 26.­18-20
  • 26.­24-26
g.­358

samāpatti

Wylie:
  • snyoms par ’jug pa
Tibetan:
  • སྙོམས་པར་འཇུག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • samāpatti

One of the synonyms for the meditative state, in tems of both the state itself and the various meditative states that serve as attainments along the path. The Tibetan translation interprets it as sama-āpatti, which brings in the idea of “equal,” or “level;” however, it can also be parsed as sam-āpatti, in which case it would have the sense of “concentration,” or “absorption,” much like “samādhi,” but with the added sense of “completion.”

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­3
  • 3.­71
  • 3.­75
  • g.­394
g.­359

Saṃbhavā

Wylie:
  • ’byung ba
Tibetan:
  • འབྱུང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • saṃbhavā

A realm in the distant past.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 7.­1
g.­360

saṃsāra

Wylie:
  • ’khor ba
Tibetan:
  • འཁོར་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • saṃsāra

The Sanskrit means “continuation” and the Tibetan “circling.” An unending series of unenlightened existences.

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • i.­41
  • i.­43
  • 2.­73
  • 2.­137
  • 2.­154
  • 3.­136
  • 4.­25
  • 5.­70
  • 5.­73
  • 5.­79
  • 5.­88
  • 5.­91
  • 15.­9
  • 22.­32
  • 22.­40
  • g.­187
  • g.­249
  • g.­280
g.­361

sandalwood

Wylie:
  • tsan dan
Tibetan:
  • ཙན་དན།
Sanskrit:
  • candana

Located in 20 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­16
  • 1.­52
  • 2.­107
  • 4.­89
  • 11.­1
  • 16.­8
  • 16.­18
  • 16.­31
  • 16.­55
  • 16.­69
  • 18.­27
  • 18.­32
  • 18.­39
  • 22.­3
  • 22.­6
  • 22.­9
  • 22.­18
  • 22.­37
  • 22.­40
  • g.­440
g.­362

saṅgha

Wylie:
  • dge ’dun
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་འདུན།
Sanskrit:
  • saṅgha

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 31 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • i.­45-46
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­50-51
  • 2.­153
  • 3.­146
  • 4.­2
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­34
  • 7.­111
  • 7.­158
  • 8.­2
  • 8.­24
  • 9.­7
  • 15.­23
  • 16.­49
  • 16.­53
  • 16.­55-56
  • 16.­72
  • 18.­58
  • 19.­19
  • 23.­1
  • 25.­30
  • g.­115
  • g.­178
  • g.­317
g.­365

Śāriputra

Wylie:
  • shA ri’i bu
Tibetan:
  • ཤཱ་རིའི་བུ།
Sanskrit:
  • śāriputra

The Buddha’s principal pupil, who passed away before the Buddha. Also called “Śārisuta”, “Tiṣya” and “Upatiṣya.”

Located in 84 passages in the translation:

  • i.­11
  • i.­40-41
  • i.­49
  • 1.­3
  • 2.­1-4
  • 2.­13
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­27-28
  • 2.­39-41
  • 2.­43-44
  • 2.­47
  • 2.­49-64
  • 2.­87
  • 2.­155
  • 2.­167
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­27-35
  • 3.­46
  • 3.­50
  • 3.­53-56
  • 3.­62-65
  • 3.­69-70
  • 3.­72
  • 3.­74-76
  • 3.­143
  • 3.­148
  • 3.­187
  • 4.­1
  • 11.­98
  • 11.­100-101
  • 11.­104
  • n.­105
  • n.­184
  • n.­212
  • n.­289
  • g.­12
  • g.­101
  • g.­287
  • g.­300
  • g.­338
  • g.­366
  • g.­425
g.­366

Śārisuta

Wylie:
  • shA ri’i bu
Tibetan:
  • ཤཱ་རིའི་བུ།
Sanskrit:
  • śārisuta

Alternative name for Śāriputra.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­69
  • 2.­89
  • 2.­94
  • 2.­152
  • 3.­36
  • 3.­45
  • 3.­123
  • 3.­141
  • 3.­173-174
  • g.­365
g.­375

Satata­samitābhiyukta

Wylie:
  • rtag par rgyun du brtson
Tibetan:
  • རྟག་པར་རྒྱུན་དུ་བརྩོན།
Sanskrit:
  • satata­samitābhiyukta

A bodhisattva present at the sūtra’s teaching, who appears in no other sūtra or tantra.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • i.­56
  • 1.­4
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­9-10
  • 18.­26
  • 18.­61
  • 18.­76
  • 18.­85
g.­376

seven precious materials

Wylie:
  • rin chen sna bdun
Tibetan:
  • རིན་ཆེན་སྣ་བདུན།
Sanskrit:
  • saptaratna

In this sūtra they are specified to be gold, silver, beryl, white coral, emerald, red pearl, and chrysoberyl. When associated with the seven heavenly bodies, and therefore the seven days of the week, they are the seven jewels: ruby for the sun; moonstone or pearl for the moon; coral for Mars; emerald for Mercury; yellow sapphire for Jupiter; diamond for Venus; and blue sapphire for Saturn. An alternative list is: gold, silver, beryl, crystal, coral, emerald, and white coral.

Located in 27 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­59
  • 2.­111
  • 3.­30
  • 3.­62
  • 3.­75
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­34
  • 8.­5
  • 8.­22
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­12
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­20
  • 11.­22
  • 11.­83-84
  • 11.­102
  • 16.­54
  • 22.­14
  • 22.­19
  • 22.­24
  • 23.­10-11
  • 23.­15
  • 23.­25
  • g.­486
g.­384

skandha

Wylie:
  • phung po
Tibetan:
  • ཕུང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • skandha

Literally, “heaps,” or “aggregates.” These are the five aggregates of forms, sensations, identifications, mental activities, and consciousnesses.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­84-85
  • 3.­47
  • 11.­2
  • 13.­63
  • 14.­46
  • n.­433
  • g.­139
  • g.­272
g.­388

śrāvaka

Wylie:
  • nyan thos
Tibetan:
  • ཉན་ཐོས།
Sanskrit:
  • śrāvaka

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.”

Located in 131 passages in the translation:

  • i.­9
  • i.­40
  • i.­43-45
  • i.­47
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­74
  • 1.­78
  • 1.­100
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­14
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­34
  • 2.­62-63
  • 2.­80
  • 2.­166-167
  • 3.­28
  • 3.­53
  • 3.­133
  • 3.­147-148
  • 4.­4
  • 4.­68
  • 4.­85
  • 5.­55
  • 5.­59
  • 5.­81
  • 5.­92
  • 5.­103
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­19-20
  • 6.­25
  • 6.­28-29
  • 6.­33-35
  • 6.­41
  • 6.­44-45
  • 7.­11
  • 7.­111
  • 7.­113
  • 7.­117
  • 7.­125
  • 7.­131-132
  • 7.­134
  • 7.­139
  • 7.­156-157
  • 7.­170-171
  • 8.­1-3
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­9-10
  • 8.­12
  • 8.­14-16
  • 8.­24
  • 8.­28-32
  • 8.­44
  • 9.­12
  • 9.­24-26
  • 9.­29
  • 9.­31
  • 10.­43
  • 11.­24
  • 11.­34
  • 11.­59
  • 11.­88
  • 12.­2
  • 13.­63
  • 14.­13
  • 15.­5
  • 15.­23
  • 15.­30
  • 16.­29
  • 16.­49
  • 16.­55
  • 16.­57
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­30
  • 18.­56
  • 18.­58
  • 18.­66
  • 18.­75
  • 18.­78
  • 18.­83
  • 19.­3
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­3-4
  • 22.­17
  • 22.­20-21
  • 22.­24
  • 22.­30
  • 22.­36
  • 23.­21
  • 24.­12
  • 25.­30
  • 27.­6
  • n.­186
  • n.­190
  • n.­212
  • n.­220
  • n.­245
  • n.­313
  • n.­343
  • n.­490
  • g.­66
  • g.­135
  • g.­389
g.­389

śrāvakayāna

Wylie:
  • nyan thos kyi theg pa
Tibetan:
  • ཉན་ཐོས་ཀྱི་ཐེག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • śrāvakayāna

The way or vehicle of the śrāvaka.

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­26
  • 3.­70-72
  • 5.­57
  • 5.­73
  • 7.­123
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­32
  • 11.­88
  • 13.­4
  • 13.­35
  • 13.­49
  • 22.­28
  • g.­156
  • g.­283
  • g.­284
  • g.­393
g.­392

sthavira

Wylie:
  • gnas brtan
Tibetan:
  • གནས་བརྟན།
Sanskrit:
  • sthavira

Literally “one who is stable” and is usually translated as “elder”; a senior teacher in the early Buddhist communities. Also became the name of the Buddhist tradition within which the Theravada developed.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­1
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­19-20
  • 6.­28-29
  • 6.­34
  • 11.­100-101
  • 11.­104
g.­394

strengths

Wylie:
  • stobs
Tibetan:
  • སྟོབས།
Sanskrit:
  • bala

The strengths are enumerated as five or ten. As five, they are a stronger form of the five powers: faith, mindfulness, diligence, samādhi, and wisdom. As ten, they are the strenths of knowing what is proper and improper, knowing the maturation of karma, knowing the variety of beings’ aspirations, knowing the variety of their inclinations, knowing the variety of their capacities, knowing everywhere each path leads, knowing the dhyānas, liberations, samāpattis, samādhis and so forth, being able to recall previous states of being, and knowing the details of death and rebirth.

Located in 21 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­3
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­83
  • 2.­133
  • 3.­9
  • 3.­37
  • 3.­66
  • 3.­69-71
  • 3.­73
  • 3.­75-76
  • 3.­131
  • 5.­38
  • 5.­44
  • 7.­189
  • 8.­34
  • 11.­81
  • g.­135
g.­395

stūpa

Wylie:
  • mchod rten
Tibetan:
  • མཆོད་རྟེན།
Sanskrit:
  • stūpa

Reliquary for the remains of a buddha or enlightened master, and also a symbol for the mind or enlightenment of the Buddha.

Located in 69 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­3
  • i.­9
  • i.­14
  • i.­21
  • i.­26-27
  • i.­48-49
  • i.­54
  • i.­58
  • i.­60
  • 1.­12
  • 1.­58
  • 1.­116
  • 2.­105
  • 2.­107-109
  • 2.­116
  • 2.­122
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­30
  • 6.­34
  • 6.­37-38
  • 8.­7
  • 10.­28
  • 11.­1-2
  • 11.­4-8
  • 11.­10
  • 11.­14
  • 11.­24
  • 11.­26-28
  • 11.­30
  • 11.­44
  • 11.­83
  • 11.­105
  • 14.­5
  • 16.­53-54
  • 16.­56
  • 16.­63
  • 16.­86
  • 20.­4
  • 20.­6
  • 22.­17
  • 22.­19-20
  • 23.­11
  • 23.­25-26
  • 24.­16
  • 27.­5
  • n.­352
  • n.­358-359
  • n.­372-373
  • g.­88
  • g.­300
  • g.­426
g.­396

Śubhavyūha

Wylie:
  • dge ba bkod pa
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་བ་བཀོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • śubhavyūha

A king in the distant past.

Located in 27 passages in the translation:

  • i.­63
  • 25.­1-3
  • 25.­5-10
  • 25.­16
  • 25.­18-24
  • 25.­26-33
  • 25.­36
g.­397

Subhūti

Wylie:
  • rab ’byor
Tibetan:
  • རབ་འབྱོར།
Sanskrit:
  • subhūti

A foremost pupil of the Buddha, known for his wisdom.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­44
  • 1.­3
  • 4.­1
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­19-20
  • g.­332
  • g.­374
g.­401

sugata

Wylie:
  • bde bar gshegs pa
Tibetan:
  • བདེ་བར་གཤེགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • sugata

Sometimes interpreted as “one gone to bliss”; the su or bde bar is adverbial, and gata denotes a state of being rather than literal motion. Therefore it means “one who has fared well.”

Located in 106 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­25
  • 1.­30
  • 1.­38
  • 1.­43
  • 1.­52
  • 1.­56-57
  • 1.­61
  • 1.­65-67
  • 1.­72
  • 1.­98
  • 1.­100
  • 1.­103-104
  • 1.­117
  • 1.­122
  • 1.­127
  • 2.­12-13
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­20
  • 2.­39-40
  • 2.­43
  • 2.­46
  • 2.­111-112
  • 2.­119-121
  • 2.­124
  • 2.­159
  • 3.­6
  • 3.­29
  • 3.­34
  • 3.­64
  • 3.­133
  • 3.­181
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­70
  • 4.­90
  • 5.­43
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­19
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­34
  • 6.­37
  • 6.­40-42
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­3
  • 7.­10
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­61
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­90
  • 7.­166-167
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­8
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­38
  • 8.­51
  • 8.­59
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3
  • 9.­7
  • 9.­16-17
  • 9.­24
  • 10.­1
  • 11.­4
  • 12.­5-6
  • 13.­55
  • 13.­65
  • 14.­54
  • 14.­77
  • 15.­2
  • 15.­17
  • 16.­10
  • 16.­22
  • 17.­9
  • 18.­20
  • 18.­55
  • 18.­58
  • 18.­96
  • 19.­2
  • 19.­6
  • 20.­13-14
  • 21.­2
  • 22.­2
  • 22.­15
  • 23.­14
  • 23.­17
  • 24.­9
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­26
  • 25.­30
  • 26.­3
g.­403

Sukhāvatī

Wylie:
  • bde ba can
Tibetan:
  • བདེ་བ་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • sukhāvatī

The realm of Buddha Amitāyus, more commonly known as Amitābha, which was first described in the Sukhā­vatī­vyūha Sūtra.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • i.­27
  • i.­60
  • i.­62
  • 22.­35
  • 24.­47
  • n.­582
  • g.­22
  • g.­23
  • g.­229
g.­405

Sumeru

Wylie:
  • ri rab
Tibetan:
  • རི་རབ།
Sanskrit:
  • sumeru

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 21 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­41-42
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­74-75
  • 7.­89-90
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­19
  • 11.­21
  • 11.­47
  • 13.­30
  • 18.­6
  • 18.­77
  • 18.­82
  • 22.­25
  • g.­258
  • g.­347
  • g.­399
  • g.­429
  • g.­447
g.­408

Surendrabodhi

Wylie:
  • su ren dra bo dhi
Tibetan:
  • སུ་རེན་དྲ་བོ་དྷི།
Sanskrit:
  • surendrabodhi

An Indian master who came to Tibet during the reign of King Ralpachen (r. 815–838 ᴄᴇ) and helped in the translation of 43 Kangyur texts.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­25
  • c.­1
g.­413

sūtra

Wylie:
  • mdo
Tibetan:
  • མདོ།
Sanskrit:
  • sūtra

Literally meaning “a thread,” this was an ancient term for teachings that were memorized and orally transmitted in an essential form. Therefore it can mean “pithy statements,” “rules,” and “aphorisms.” In Buddhism it refers to the Buddha’s teachings, whatever their length, and in terms of the three divisions of the Buddha’s teachings, it is the category of teachings other than those on the vinaya and abhidharma. It is also used as a category to contrast with the tantra teachings, though a number of important tantras have sūtra in their title. Another very specific meaning is when it is classed as one of the nine or twelve aspects of the Dharma. In that context sūtra means “a teaching given in prose,” and as such is one aspect of what is generally called a sūtra.

Located in 269 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1-3
  • i.­7-13
  • i.­15-17
  • i.­20-23
  • i.­28-29
  • i.­34
  • i.­36
  • i.­40
  • i.­45
  • i.­48-52
  • i.­54-65
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­80
  • 1.­84
  • 1.­88
  • 2.­63
  • 2.­77
  • 2.­79
  • 3.­28
  • 3.­144-145
  • 3.­147
  • 3.­151
  • 3.­159-160
  • 3.­168
  • 3.­173-174
  • 3.­177-182
  • 3.­184-187
  • 6.­8
  • 7.­115
  • 7.­163-164
  • 7.­166
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­12-15
  • 10.­17-19
  • 10.­21
  • 10.­25
  • 10.­38
  • 10.­42-43
  • 10.­45
  • 10.­49
  • 11.­43
  • 11.­46
  • 11.­49-50
  • 11.­52
  • 11.­55
  • 11.­57
  • 11.­60
  • 11.­62
  • 11.­64-66
  • 11.­68-70
  • 11.­73
  • 11.­76
  • 11.­84
  • 11.­90
  • 11.­92
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­13
  • 12.­20
  • 12.­25
  • 12.­29
  • 13.­10
  • 13.­24
  • 13.­32
  • 13.­49
  • 13.­53
  • 13.­62
  • 13.­65
  • 13.­72-74
  • 13.­79
  • 13.­93
  • 16.­62
  • 16.­68
  • 16.­72-73
  • 16.­81-82
  • 16.­85
  • 17.­2
  • 17.­14
  • 17.­17
  • 17.­24-25
  • 17.­29
  • 18.­3
  • 18.­22
  • 18.­25
  • 18.­37
  • 18.­54
  • 18.­79
  • 18.­90
  • 18.­92
  • 18.­94-96
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­25-26
  • 19.­28
  • 19.­31-33
  • 20.­6
  • 20.­13-15
  • 20.­18-21
  • 20.­23
  • 21.­6
  • 21.­13-14
  • 21.­17
  • 22.­25-26
  • 22.­28-30
  • 22.­40
  • 26.­5
  • 26.­8
  • 26.­12-13
  • 26.­19
  • 26.­22-24
  • 27.­8-9
  • n.­56
  • n.­92
  • n.­127
  • n.­143
  • n.­159
  • n.­191
  • n.­212
  • n.­238
  • n.­363
  • n.­600
  • n.­661
  • g.­8
  • g.­9
  • g.­10
  • g.­20
  • g.­22
  • g.­30
  • g.­34
  • g.­41
  • g.­49
  • g.­61
  • g.­64
  • g.­65
  • g.­101
  • g.­111
  • g.­112
  • g.­115
  • g.­116
  • g.­127
  • g.­129
  • g.­134
  • g.­157
  • g.­184
  • g.­185
  • g.­189
  • g.­193
  • g.­194
  • g.­196
  • g.­202
  • g.­203
  • g.­213
  • g.­219
  • g.­220
  • g.­221
  • g.­223
  • g.­230
  • g.­231
  • g.­237
  • g.­238
  • g.­245
  • g.­247
  • g.­258
  • g.­264
  • g.­266
  • g.­270
  • g.­271
  • g.­282
  • g.­288
  • g.­300
  • g.­301
  • g.­310
  • g.­311
  • g.­313
  • g.­314
  • g.­316
  • g.­325
  • g.­331
  • g.­354
  • g.­369
  • g.­373
  • g.­375
  • g.­376
  • g.­380
  • g.­398
  • g.­402
  • g.­406
  • g.­427
  • g.­436
  • g.­449
  • g.­452
  • g.­463
  • g.­465
  • g.­485
g.­421

thirty-two signs

Wylie:
  • sum cu rtsa gnyis mtshan
  • mtshan
Tibetan:
  • སུམ་ཅུ་རྩ་གཉིས་མཚན།
  • མཚན།
Sanskrit:
  • dvātriṃśatī­lakṣaṇa
  • lakṣaṇa

The thirty-two characteristics of a great being (mahāpuruṣa; skyes bu chen po), including the uṣṇīṣa, or head mound, and the long tongue.

Located in 16 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­87
  • 2.­110
  • 3.­9
  • 3.­17
  • 6.­22
  • 7.­189
  • 8.­6
  • 8.­25
  • 11.­81
  • 11.­95
  • 11.­103
  • 14.­3
  • 20.­4
  • 26.­15
  • g.­441
  • g.­443
g.­425

Tiṣya

Wylie:
  • skar rgyal
Tibetan:
  • སྐར་རྒྱལ།
Sanskrit:
  • tiṣya

Alternative name for Śāriputra, as he was born in the month of the constellation Tiṣya. He was also called Upatiṣya.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­134
  • g.­16
  • g.­365
g.­426

toraṇa

Wylie:
  • rta babs
Tibetan:
  • རྟ་བབས།
Sanskrit:
  • toraṇa

A distinctive feature of ancient stūpa architecture, a famous example being those of the Sanchi Stūpa. A stone gateway in the surrounding railing or vedika, and usually positioned in the four directions. They evolved into the well-known freestanding torii of Japanese religious architecture.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 11.­1
  • n.­358
g.­429

Trāyastriṃśa

Wylie:
  • sum cu rtsa gsum pa
Tibetan:
  • སུམ་ཅུ་རྩ་གསུམ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • trāyastriṃśa

The paradise on the summit of Sumeru.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­64
  • 7.­15
  • 11.­1
  • 18.­29
  • 22.­27
  • 26.­13
g.­432

true nature

Wylie:
  • de bzhin nyid
Tibetan:
  • དེ་བཞིན་ཉིད།
Sanskrit:
  • tathātva

Literally, “thusness,” as it is indescribable.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­53
  • 5.­31
  • 11.­3
  • 13.­87
  • 26.­3
  • g.­7
  • g.­118
g.­434

unique qualities of a buddha

Wylie:
  • sangs rgyas kyi chos ma ’dres pa
Tibetan:
  • སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཆོས་མ་འདྲེས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • āveṇika­buddha­dharma

They are as follows: (1) he never makes a mistake; (2) he is never boisterous; (3) he never forgets; (4) his concentration never falters; (5) he has no notion of distinctness; (6) his equanimity is not due to lack of consideration; (7) his motivation never falters; (8) his endeavor never fails; (9) his mindfulness never falters; (10) he never abandons his concentration; (11) his wisdom (prajñā) never decreases; (12) his liberation never fails; (13) all his physical actions are preceded and followed by wisdom (ye shes); (14) all his verbal actions are preceded and followed by wisdom (ye shes); (15) all his mental actions are preceded and followed by wisdom (ye shes); (16) his wisdom (ye shes) and vision perceive the past without any attachment or hindrance; (17) his wisdom (ye shes) and vision perceive the future without any attachment or hindrance; and (18) his wisdom and vision perceive the present without any attachment or hindrance.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­3
  • 3.­66
  • 11.­81
g.­435

upādhyāya

Wylie:
  • mkhan po
Tibetan:
  • མཁན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • upādhyāya

A personal preceptor and teacher. Also In Tibet, the translation mkhan po also came to mean a learned scholar, the equivalent of a paṇḍita.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • c.­1
g.­438

upāsaka

Wylie:
  • dge bsnyen
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་བསྙེན།
Sanskrit:
  • upāsaka

A male who has taken the layperson’s vows.

Located in 30 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­10
  • 1.­12-13
  • 1.­81
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­65
  • 3.­46
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­36
  • 10.­50
  • 13.­4
  • 13.­40
  • 13.­49
  • 13.­60
  • 17.­3
  • 18.­65
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­7-10
  • 19.­12
  • 19.­18
  • 19.­29-30
  • 20.­2
  • 23.­18
  • 26.­4
  • 26.­8
g.­439

upāsikā

Wylie:
  • dge bsnyen ma
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་བསྙེན་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • upāsikā

A female who has taken the layperson’s vows.

Located in 29 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­10
  • 1.­12-13
  • 1.­81
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­65
  • 3.­46
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­36
  • 10.­50
  • 13.­4
  • 13.­14-15
  • 13.­40
  • 13.­49
  • 13.­60
  • 17.­3
  • 18.­65
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­10
  • 19.­12
  • 19.­18
  • 19.­20
  • 19.­29
  • 20.­2
  • 23.­18
  • 26.­4
  • 26.­8
g.­441

ūrṇā hair

Wylie:
  • mdzod spu
Tibetan:
  • མཛོད་སྤུ།
Sanskrit:
  • ūrṇākośa

One of the thirty-two signs of a great being, it is a coiled white hair between the eyebrows. Literally, the Sanskrit urṇa means “wool” hair, and kośa means “treasure.”

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­39
  • i.­61
  • 1.­11
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­82
  • 11.­12
  • 23.­1
  • 25.­26
g.­443

uṣṇīṣa

Wylie:
  • gtsug tor
Tibetan:
  • གཙུག་ཏོར།
Sanskrit:
  • uṣṇīṣa

One of the thirty-two signs of a great being. In its simplest form it is a pointed shape to the head (like a turban), or more elaborately a dome-shaped protuberance, or even an invisible protuberance of infinite height.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 25.­26
  • g.­421
g.­448

Vairocana­raśmi­prati­maṇḍitā

Wylie:
  • rnam par snang ba’i ’od zer gyis brgyan pa
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་པར་སྣང་བའི་འོད་ཟེར་གྱིས་བརྒྱན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vairocana­raśmi­prati­maṇḍitā

A buddha realm a great distance in the eastern direction.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • i.­61
  • i.­63
  • 23.­1-2
  • 23.­7
  • 23.­10
  • 25.­1
g.­450

Vaiśravaṇa

Wylie:
  • rnam thos kyi bu
  • mchog gi gzugs
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་ཐོས་ཀྱི་བུ།
  • མཆོག་གི་གཟུགས།
Sanskrit:
  • vaiśravaṇa

As one of the four mahārājas, he is the lord of the northern region of the world and the northern continent, though in early Buddhism he is the lord of the far north of India and beyond. He is also the lord of the yakṣas and a lord of wealth.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • i.­59
  • 1.­5
  • 21.­11
  • 23.­17
  • 24.­12
  • g.­222
  • g.­490
g.­452

Vajrapāṇi

Wylie:
  • phyag na rdo rje
Tibetan:
  • ཕྱག་ན་རྡོ་རྗེ།
Sanskrit:
  • vajrapāṇi

He first appears in Buddhist literature as the yakṣa bodyguard of the Buddha, ready at times to shatter a person’s head into a hundred pieces with his vajra if they were to speak inappropriately to the Buddha. His identity as a bodhisattva did not take place until the rise of the Mahāyāna in such sūtras as the Kāraṇda­vyūha Sūtra.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 24.­12
  • g.­229
g.­462

Venerable

Wylie:
  • btsun pa
Tibetan:
  • བཙུན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • bhadanta

A term of respect used for Buddhist monks.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 11.­100
  • g.­55
g.­463

verse

Wylie:
  • tshigs su bcad pa
Tibetan:
  • ཚིགས་སུ་བཅད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • gāthā

As one of the nine aspects of the Dharma according to this sūtra (more commonly there are said to be twelve that include these nine), it means those teachings given in verse.

Located in 162 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2-3
  • i.­9
  • i.­11
  • i.­18-19
  • i.­27
  • i.­48
  • i.­55-56
  • i.­59
  • i.­62
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­21
  • 1.­89
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­40
  • 2.­42
  • 2.­44
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­72
  • 2.­80
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­36
  • 3.­47
  • 3.­77
  • 3.­184
  • 4.­33
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­74
  • 6.­1-2
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­20
  • 6.­29
  • 6.­35
  • 7.­6
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­37
  • 7.­43
  • 7.­47
  • 7.­49
  • 7.­54
  • 7.­62
  • 7.­66-67
  • 7.­72
  • 7.­76
  • 7.­79-80
  • 7.­86
  • 7.­91
  • 7.­102-103
  • 7.­141
  • 7.­150
  • 7.­163
  • 8.­8
  • 8.­32
  • 8.­50
  • 9.­7
  • 9.­15
  • 9.­20
  • 9.­26
  • 9.­32
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­4-6
  • 10.­11
  • 10.­22
  • 10.­38
  • 11.­30
  • 11.­75
  • 11.­89
  • 11.­95
  • 12.­8-9
  • 12.­13
  • 13.­10
  • 13.­36
  • 13.­53
  • 13.­65
  • 14.­11
  • 14.­14
  • 14.­18
  • 14.­51
  • 14.­55
  • 14.­57
  • 14.­69
  • 15.­18
  • 16.­8-9
  • 16.­22
  • 16.­28
  • 16.­62
  • 16.­85
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­10
  • 17.­12
  • 17.­17
  • 17.­22-23
  • 18.­3
  • 18.­11
  • 18.­31
  • 18.­67
  • 18.­79
  • 18.­85
  • 18.­87-88
  • 19.­11
  • 19.­22
  • 20.­10
  • 21.­3
  • 21.­20
  • 22.­11
  • 22.­13-14
  • 22.­24
  • 25.­12
  • 25.­15
  • n.­79-80
  • n.­85
  • n.­88
  • n.­124
  • n.­137
  • n.­147
  • n.­150
  • n.­153
  • n.­157
  • n.­161
  • n.­165
  • n.­184
  • n.­232
  • n.­245-246
  • n.­269
  • n.­275-277
  • n.­300
  • n.­303
  • n.­345
  • n.­347
  • n.­349
  • n.­378
  • n.­425
  • n.­599-603
  • n.­612
  • n.­618
  • g.­31
  • g.­32
  • g.­300
  • g.­311
g.­466

Vimalā

Wylie:
  • dri ma med
Tibetan:
  • དྲི་མ་མེད།
Sanskrit:
  • vimalā

A buddha realm in the south where the daughter of the nāga king Sāgara became a buddha.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 11.­102
  • 11.­104
g.­478

Virūḍhaka

Wylie:
  • ’phags skyes po
Tibetan:
  • འཕགས་སྐྱེས་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • virūḍhaka

One of the four mahārājas. He is the guardian of the southern direction and the lord of the kumbhāṇḍas.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­59
  • 1.­5
  • 21.­14
  • n.­556
  • g.­222
g.­479

Virūpākṣa

Wylie:
  • mig mi bzang
Tibetan:
  • མིག་མི་བཟང་།
Sanskrit:
  • virūpākṣa

One of the four mahārājas. He is the guardian of the western direction and the lord of the nāgas.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­5
  • g.­222
g.­484

Vulture Peak

Wylie:
  • rgod kyi phung po
Tibetan:
  • རྒོད་ཀྱི་ཕུང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • gṛdhrakūṭa

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The Gṛdhra­kūṭa, literally Vulture Peak, was a hill located in the kingdom of Magadha, in the vicinity of the ancient city of Rājagṛha (modern-day Rajgir, in the state of Bihar, India), where the Buddha bestowed many sūtras, especially the Great Vehicle teachings, such as the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras. It continues to be a sacred pilgrimage site for Buddhists to this day.

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­39
  • i.­61
  • 1.­2
  • 11.­24
  • 11.­86
  • 11.­88
  • 15.­23
  • 15.­27
  • 16.­49
  • 23.­6
  • 23.­10
  • 26.­2
  • n.­455
g.­486

white coral

Wylie:
  • spug
Tibetan:
  • སྤུག
Sanskrit:
  • musalagalva
  • musāragalva
  • musāgalva

White coral is fossilized coral. It appears in one version of the list of seven precious materials. The Tibetan tradition describes it as being formed from ice over a long period of time. It is coral that has undergone transformation under millions of years of underwater pressure. It can also refer to tridacna (Tridacnidae) shell, which is also presently referred to by the name musaragalva. Attempts to identify musalagalva have included sapphire, cat’s eye, red coral, conch, and amber.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­28
  • 6.­34
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­71
  • 24.­3
  • g.­376
g.­489

world realm

Wylie:
  • ’jig rten gyi khams
Tibetan:
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་གྱི་ཁམས།
Sanskrit:
  • lokadhātu

This can refer to one world with its orbiting sun and moon, and also to groups of these worlds in multiples of thousands, in particular a world relam of a thousand million worlds, which is said to be circular, with its circumference twice as long as its diameter.

Located in 128 passages in the translation:

  • i.­38
  • i.­45
  • i.­49-50
  • i.­52
  • i.­56
  • i.­58
  • 1.­6
  • 5.­3-4
  • 5.­6
  • 7.­8
  • 7.­130
  • 8.­5
  • 10.­27
  • 10.­36-37
  • 11.­7-8
  • 11.­11-17
  • 11.­21
  • 11.­24
  • 11.­29
  • 11.­35
  • 11.­63
  • 11.­82
  • 11.­102-104
  • 12.­2
  • 12.­6
  • 12.­9
  • 12.­12
  • 14.­1-5
  • 14.­8
  • 14.­41
  • 14.­47
  • 14.­55-56
  • 15.­4-6
  • 15.­28
  • 16.­2-7
  • 16.­49
  • 17.­5
  • 17.­10
  • 18.­2
  • 18.­5
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­11
  • 18.­21
  • 18.­26
  • 18.­71
  • 18.­77-78
  • 18.­81
  • 18.­84-85
  • 18.­89
  • 19.­2-3
  • 19.­5-6
  • 20.­1-2
  • 20.­4-7
  • 20.­12
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­6
  • 22.­9
  • 22.­17
  • 22.­21-24
  • 22.­35
  • 23.­1-11
  • 23.­14
  • 23.­20-21
  • 23.­24
  • 23.­26
  • 24.­4-5
  • 24.­11-13
  • 24.­17
  • 25.­30
  • 26.­1-2
  • 27.­5-6
  • n.­462-463
  • n.­575
  • g.­60
  • g.­225
  • g.­370
g.­490

yakṣa

Wylie:
  • gnod sbyin
Tibetan:
  • གནོད་སྦྱིན།
Sanskrit:
  • yakṣa

A class of supernatural beings, often represented as the attendants of Vaiśravaṇa, the god of wealth, but the term is also applied to spirits. Although they are generally portrayed as benevolent, the Tibetan translation means “harm giver,” as they are also capable of causing harm.

Located in 50 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­10
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­43
  • 1.­60
  • 1.­69
  • 1.­81
  • 1.­94
  • 1.­98
  • 1.­106
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­37
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­46
  • 3.­85-87
  • 3.­92
  • 3.­95
  • 3.­104
  • 3.­161
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­90
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­36
  • 10.­54
  • 11.­103
  • 12.­24
  • 13.­81
  • 18.­9
  • 18.­64
  • 18.­73
  • 19.­22
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­6
  • 21.­8
  • 21.­19
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­20
  • 22.­38
  • 24.­4
  • 24.­12
  • 24.­16
  • 24.­30
  • 26.­1
  • 26.­6
  • n.­215
  • g.­450
  • g.­452
g.­491

yāna

Wylie:
  • theg pa
Tibetan:
  • ཐེག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • yāna

The Sanskrit has several meanings, including “way,” “carriage,” and “vehicle.”

Located in 58 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­5
  • i.­8
  • i.­10
  • i.­12
  • i.­40-41
  • i.­43
  • i.­45
  • 1.­29-30
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­25
  • 2.­53-54
  • 2.­56
  • 2.­58
  • 2.­60-61
  • 2.­64
  • 2.­81-82
  • 2.­84
  • 2.­96-97
  • 2.­100
  • 2.­128-129
  • 2.­131-132
  • 2.­169-170
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­31
  • 3.­70-71
  • 3.­76
  • 3.­127
  • 3.­134
  • 3.­136
  • 3.­138
  • 3.­150
  • 5.­58-59
  • 5.­70
  • 5.­79
  • 5.­90
  • 5.­111
  • 6.­15
  • 7.­134
  • 7.­140
  • 7.­187
  • 8.­9
  • 8.­18
  • 9.­12
  • 27.­9
  • n.­68
  • n.­208
g.­497

yojana

Wylie:
  • dpag tshad
Tibetan:
  • དཔག་ཚད།
Sanskrit:
  • yojana

The longest unit of distance in classical India. The lack of a uniform standard for the smaller units means that there is no precise equivalent, especially as its theoretical length tended to increase over time. Therefore it can mean between four and ten miles.

Located in 22 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­59
  • 3.­158
  • 5.­67
  • 5.­97
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­34
  • 7.­15
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­60
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­90
  • 7.­135-136
  • 7.­174
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­16
  • 11.­20
  • 11.­22
  • 11.­83
  • 21.­13
  • 23.­4
  • g.­188
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    84000. The White Lotus of the Good Dharma (Saddharma­puṇḍarīka, dam pa’i chos pad ma dkar po, Toh 113). Translated by Peter Alan Roberts and team. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2025. https://84000.co/translation/toh113/UT22084-051-001-chapter-11.Copy
    84000. The White Lotus of the Good Dharma (Saddharma­puṇḍarīka, dam pa’i chos pad ma dkar po, Toh 113). Translated by Peter Alan Roberts and team, online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2025, 84000.co/translation/toh113/UT22084-051-001-chapter-11.Copy
    84000. (2025) The White Lotus of the Good Dharma (Saddharma­puṇḍarīka, dam pa’i chos pad ma dkar po, Toh 113). (Peter Alan Roberts and team, Trans.). Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. https://84000.co/translation/toh113/UT22084-051-001-chapter-11.Copy

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