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འཇིག་རྟེན་འཛིན་གྱིས་ཡོངས་སུ་དྲིས་པ།

The Inquiry of Lokadhara
Chapter Five: Understanding the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination

Lokadharaparipṛcchā
འཕགས་པ་འཇིག་རྟེན་འཛིན་གྱིས་ཡོངས་སུ་དྲིས་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་མདོ།
’phags pa ’jig rten ’dzin gyis yongs su dris pa zhes bya ba’i mdo
The Noble Sūtra “The Inquiry of Lokadhara”
Āryalokadharaparipṛcchānāmasūtra

Toh 174

Degé Kangyur, vol. 60 (mdo sde, ma), folios 7.b–78.b

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Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

First published 2020

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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
tr. The Translation
+ 12 chapters- 12 chapters
1. Chapter One: The Introduction
2. Chapter Two: Investigating the Five Aggregates
+ 9 sections- 9 sections
· Form
· Feeling
· Perception
· Formation
· Consciousness
· The Five Aggregates
· The Five Aggregates for Appropriation
· Suffering
· The World
3. Chapter Three: The Eighteen Elements
+ 7 sections- 7 sections
· The Eye Element
· The Form Element
· The Eye-Consciousness Element
· The Mind Element
· The Mental-Object Element
· The Mind-Consciousness Element
· The Three Realms
4. Chapter Four: Understanding the Twelve Sense Sources
+ 3 sections- 3 sections
· The Eye and Form Sense Sources
· The Mind and Mental-Object Sense Sources
· The Inner and Outer Sense Sources
5. Chapter Five: Understanding the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination
6. Chapter Six: The Four Applications of Mindfulness
+ 4 sections- 4 sections
· Contemplation of the Body in Relation to the Body
· Contemplation of Feelings in Relation to Feelings
· Contemplation of the Mind in Relation to the Mind
· Contemplation of Mental Phenomena in Relation to Mental Phenomena
7. Chapter Seven: The Five Powers
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· The Power of Faith
· The Power of Diligence
· The Power of Mindfulness
· The Power of Absorption
· The Power of Insight
8. Chapter Eight: The Eightfold Path of the Noble Ones
+ 8 sections- 8 sections
· Right View
· Right Thought
· Right Speech
· Right Action
· Right Livelihood
· Right Effort
· Right Mindfulness
· Right Absorption
9. Chapter Nine: The Phenomena of the World and Transcendence
10. Chapter Ten: The Conditioned and the Unconditioned
11. Chapter Eleven: The Teaching on What Occurred in the Past
12. Chapter Twelve: The Entrustment
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

In The Inquiry of Lokadhara, the bodhisattva Lokadhara asks the Buddha to explain the proper way for bodhisattvas to discern the characteristics of phenomena and employ that knowledge to attain awakening. In reply, the Buddha teaches at length how to understand the lack of inherent existence of phenomena. As part of the teaching, the Buddha explains in detail the nonexistence of the aggregates, the elements, the sense sources, dependently originated phenomena, the four applications of mindfulness, the five powers, the eightfold path of the noble ones, and mundane and transcendent phenomena, as well as conditioned and unconditioned phenomena.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

The sūtra was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the guidance of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. The translation from the Tibetan was produced by Timothy Hinkle. Andreas Doctor checked the translation against the Tibetan, edited the text, and wrote the introduction. James Gentry subsequently compared the translation against Kumārajīva’s Chinese translation and made further edits.

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


i.

Introduction

i.­1

The Inquiry of Lokadhara is a scripture that belongs to the general sūtra section of the Degé Kangyur. As far as we are aware, no Sanskrit version of this text remains. However, in addition to the Tibetan translation, which we have translated here, the sūtra is also present in two Chinese translations (Taishō 481 and Taishō 482). The first of these was translated by Dharmarakṣa (233–311 ᴄᴇ), the famed and prolific translator of The Lotus Sūtra. The second translation was completed between 402 and 412 ᴄᴇ, by the equally renowned translator Kumārajīva (344–413 ᴄᴇ), as one of his last translations. We therefore know that the text has been in existence since at least the third century ᴄᴇ. Unfortunately, however, we know little else of the history of this sūtra. We do not even know when, or by whom, it was translated into Tibetan; the translation does not identify a translator, and the text is not listed in the ninth-century Denkarma (Tib. ldan dkar ma) or Phangthangma (Tib. ’phang thang ma) imperial catalogues of Tibetan translations.1 It does, however, appear in Buton’s (Tib. bu ston) History of the Dharma (Tib. chos ’byung), thus suggesting that it was translated after the fall of the Yarlung dynasty (846 ᴄᴇ) (or at least outside official circles of imperial influence), and only became known in Tibet sometime prior to the fourteenth century ᴄᴇ. A cursory search of the Dunhuang manuscript catalogues did not yield any further information, although future studies of these resources may shed new light on this issue. In this regard, it is worth mentioning that Cornelius Chang (1976, p. 22) reports that a fragment of the sūtra was discovered in Turfan (in modern day Xinjiang). The sūtra is therefore likely to have been present in the Dunhuang region as well, as the Tibetan Yarlung Dynasty controlled Turfan during the same period that it controlled Dunhuang, until roughly 846 ᴄᴇ.


Text Body

The Translation
The Noble Sūtra
The Inquiry of Lokadhara

1.

Chapter One: The Introduction

[F.7.b] [B1]


1.­1

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!


1.­2

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying at the Kalandaka­nivāpa in Veṇuvana near Rājagṛha, with a great saṅgha of monks. The Blessed One was teaching the Dharma to a large assembly with hundreds of thousands of beings in attendance. Present in the assembly was the bodhisattva great being Lokadhara. It was his wish that bodhisattva great beings develop the mind of awakening by adorning themselves with immeasurable virtues; that they understand in its entirety the true meaning of all phenomena; [F.8.a] that they understand how limitless aspirations lead to the perfection of limitless ornaments; that they comprehend and understand the true characteristics of limitless phenomena; that they purify their motivation through limitless aspirations; that they gain comprehensive knowledge; that they attain the ornament of generosity and the purity of certainty; that they perfect the ornament of discipline and patience; that they purify the attitude of mildness and gentleness; that they understand the purity of diligence; that they understand and comprehend the perfections of concentration and insight; and that they develop limitless other such virtues.


2.

Chapter Two: Investigating the Five Aggregates

2.­1

The Blessed One then addressed the bodhisattva Lokadhara, “Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings who wish to attain the true characteristics of all phenomena, wish to be learned in the characteristics of discerning phenomena, wish to attain the power of recall, wish to attain the insight that discerns all phenomena, or wish to attain unbroken mindfulness from the time they leave this body until reaching unsurpassed and perfect awakening should swiftly enter this Dharma gateway. Through this Dharma gateway, they will attain the light of insight. Why is this? Because this Dharma gateway swiftly ensures that perfection is attained. Furthermore, Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings should exert themselves in this Dharma gateway. Having entered this gateway that pertains to the Dharma, they will become highly skilled in discerning what pertains to the aggregates, elements, sense sources, dependently originated phenomena, the four applications of mindfulness, the five powers, the eightfold path of the noble ones, and mundane and transcendent phenomena. Additionally, they will become highly skilled in discerning what pertains to conditioned and unconditioned phenomena.”

Form

Feeling

Perception

Formation

Consciousness

The Five Aggregates

The Five Aggregates for Appropriation

Suffering

The World


3.

Chapter Three: The Eighteen Elements

The Eye Element

3.­1

“Lokadhara, regarding the elements, how are bodhisattva great beings learned in the eighteen elements? When bodhisattva great beings practice correct contemplation of the eighteen elements, they think, ‘The eye element cannot be observed to be the eye element. There is also no I or mine in the eye element. It is impermanent, insubstantial, and empty of inherent nature. Therefore, what is imputed as the characteristic of the eye element cannot be observed in the eye element. The eye element is untrue and totally nonexistent, for it is born from false thinking. The eye element lacks true characteristics, as the space element is the eye element. For instance, just as the space element lacks true characteristics and is not an entity, the eye element also lacks true characteristics and is not an entity. Why is this? [F.38.b] Because no real entity can be found in the eye element, the eye element does not exist in any location or direction. It does not exist internally, externally, or somewhere in-between. The eye element lacks true characteristics and is not an entity. Thus, no entity of the eye element can be apprehended, for it arises from many causes and conditions. The eye element is neither past, nor present, nor future, and there is no intrinsic nature of the eye to observe in the eye element. The eye element depends upon the ripening of the results of past actions and current conditions, whereupon the eye element is imputed. The eye element is a nonelement. No eye element can be observed in the eye element. The so-called eye element refers to the domain of consciousness. The eye element manifests when three factors come together: a clear eye faculty, an apparent form, and the involvement of the mind faculty. The eye element lacks anything that can be called a real eye element, and the wise understand the eye element to be the absence of the eye element.’ ”

The Form Element

The Eye-Consciousness Element

The Mind Element

The Mental-Object Element

The Mind-Consciousness Element

The Three Realms


4.

Chapter Four: Understanding the Twelve Sense Sources

The Eye and Form Sense Sources

4.­1

The Blessed One continued addressing Lokadhara: [F.45.b] “How are bodhisattva great beings knowledgeable about the twelve sense sources? When discerning the twelve sense sources, they think, ‘The eye sense source cannot be observed in the eye. In the eye, there is no definitive eye sense source. The eye sense source cannot be observed to be an entity.’ Why is this? The eye sense source is born from many causes and conditions and arises through mistaken perception. It depends upon form, because it observes form. When the two meet,38 the condition of form brings the condition of the eye sense source into existence. Because the form and eye sense sources are mutually dependent, they are collectively called the eye’s form. Regarding the so-called eye and form, form is the gateway through which the eye sense source is generated, and the eye also generates and illuminates the form sense source. Therefore, with regard to the sense sources, the eye sense source is so-called because it is labeled a sense source gateway via the condition of form and the form sense source is so-called because it is seen by the eye. While I teach that they do exist relatively, the eye does not exist in form, form does not exist in the eye, the eye does not exist in the eye, and form does not exist in form. The eye sense source is thus labeled because observation of form arises from many conditions. Additionally, the form sense source is thus labeled because the eye consciousness and the characteristic of sight arise through dependent origination.

The Mind and Mental-Object Sense Sources

The Inner and Outer Sense Sources


5.

Chapter Five: Understanding the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination

5.­1

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings skilled in discerning and contemplating the twelve links of dependent origination? [F.49.a] Bodhisattva great beings discern and contemplate the twelve links of dependent origination as follows: Ignorance is so designated because of nonexistence. Ignorance is so designated because it lacks qualities. Ignorance is so designated because it cannot understand knowledge. How is ignorance unable to understand knowledge? Ignorance is called ignorance because it has no fixed qualities to observe. For what reason does the condition of ignorance give rise to formations? All phenomena42 are nonexistent, but childish ordinary beings form them, thus it is said that ignorance causes formations. Because consciousness arises from formations, it depends upon the condition of formations. Name-and-form are two characteristics, and therefore name-and-form are created by the condition of consciousness. The six sense sources are based upon the condition of name-and-form, because the six sense sources arise from name-and-form. Contact is based upon the condition of the six sense sources, because contact arises from the six sense sources. Feeling is based upon the condition of contact, because feeling arises from contact. Craving is based upon the condition of feeling, because craving arises from feeling. Grasping is based upon the condition of craving, because grasping arises from craving. Becoming is based upon the condition of grasping, because becoming arises from grasping. Birth is based upon the condition of becoming, because birth arises from becoming. Based upon the condition of birth, there arises aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, and the great mass of suffering. In this way aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, and the great mass of suffering are so designated because of birth. In this manner, the great mass of suffering arises. This process is all-subsuming: with a mistaken perception, one contravenes knowledge and accumulates a mass of ignorance. This generates desire for another existence, and based on one’s preferences and attachments, one seeks birth in all such places‍—this is the aggregate of existence. [F.49.b]

5.­2

“Lokadhara, worldly beings are bound by these twelve links of dependent origination. Blinded by ignorance, they are caught in the dark abyss of ignorance. Preceded by ignorance, the entire process of the twelve links of dependent origination manifests. When bodhisattvas investigate the true characteristic of ignorance in this manner, they understand ignorance itself to be emptiness, and thus its point of origin to be unobservable. Why is this? Since ignorance is nonexistent, the point of origin is nonexistent. Thus, the wise realize the limitless to be the point of origin, and thus do not distinguish a point of origin. Disrupting false conceptuality, they do not become attached to ignorance. Because no phenomenon exists, phenomena do not accord with the way they are described. If one says ‘no phenomenon exists,’ that itself is seeing and understanding ignorance. If one understands or realizes all phenomena,43 that itself is knowledge. There is no knowledge other than this. Understanding and seeing knowledge is what is called knowledge.

5.­3

“Regarding this, how does one see and understand ignorance? Understanding and seeing ignorance is to know that all phenomena are nonexistent, that all phenomena are unobservable, that all phenomena are false and mistaken, and that all phenomena fail to accord with the way they are described. Understanding and seeing ignorance is called knowledge. Why is this? Because ignorance is unobservable. According to the statement, ‘formations are caused by ignorance,’ all phenomena that appear due to the condition of ignorance are nonexistent.

5.­4

“Since childish ordinary beings are stupefied by the darkness of ignorance, they mistakenly engage in the actions of formations. Such actions of formations are formless and without locus. Thus, ignorance cannot generate formations. As they lack the quality of having been created, it is said that formations are caused by ignorance. Since the actions of formations lack any basis for gathering, coming, or going, and since the basis for the formations is neither past, present, nor future, [F.50.a] ignorance is devoid of ignorance, and the actions of formations are devoid of the actions of formations. Even though the actions of formations have no locus, the actions of formations arise in dependence upon ignorance. Yet the actions of formations do not rely upon ignorance, and ignorance does not rely upon the actions of formations. Ignorance cannot understand ignorance, and the actions of formations cannot understand the actions of formations. Even though ignorance and the actions of formations arise in this fashion from ignorance due to mistaken perception, ignorance is unobservable, and the nature of ignorance is unobservable. Likewise, the actions of formations are unobservable, and the nature of the actions of formations is unobservable. However, based on the density of darkness, ignorance is labeled darkness, and the density of the darkness of ignorance is the basis for imputing formations. Still, among nonexistent phenomena, actions are performed, and in this way the actions of ignorance and formations are utterly nonexistent.

5.­5

“As for the statement, ‘consciousness appears due to the condition of formations,’ consciousness does not depend upon the actions of formations, but neither does it arise in isolation from the actions of formations. And yet, the actions of formations are not what produces consciousness. Why is this? The actions of formations cannot be known as the actions of formations, and there is nothing that depends upon the actions of formations. While beings with mistaken perception do give rise to consciousness due to the actions of formations, such consciousness does not exist inside the actions of formations, outside the actions of formations, or somewhere in-between. While no consciousness arises, consciousness does arise from the ceaseless and unbroken continuity of the actions of formations. When the wise seek the characteristic of consciousness, it is unobservable. They do not observe consciousness to arise. Consciousness cannot know consciousness or see it to be consciousness. Consciousness does not depend on consciousness.

5.­6

“As for the statement, ‘name-and-form are due to the condition of consciousness,’ name-and-form neither depend on consciousness, [F.50.b] nor do they arise outside of consciousness. Name-and-form do not come from consciousness, yet because blind, childish ordinary beings observe name-and-form by means of consciousness, they become attached to name-and-form. Yet, name-and-form are not generated by consciousness. When the wise investigate this, they do not observe or see name-and-form. Name-and-form are formless, without location, and arisen from incorrect thinking. It is said that the characteristic of form exists due to the condition of consciousness. However, if this very consciousness is unobservable, what need we say of form arising based upon the condition of consciousness? There is no locus of form that can be identified in actuality.

5.­7

“As for the statement, ‘the six sense sources appear due to the condition of name-and-form,’ the six sense sources are produced by name-and-form.44 Due to the presence of name in the body, the inhalation and exhalation of breath cause the phenomena of the body, mind, and mental factors to develop. Yet, the six sense sources are illusory and nonexistent. Thus arisen from false concepts, they have a delusional function.

5.­8

“As for the statement, ‘contact appears due to the condition of the six sense sources,’ contact exists based on form, yet contact has no contact with form. Why is this? Form’s nature is not conscious. Though form is no different from stones or trees, contact is distinguished and labeled as such because it arises from the six sense sources. Why is this? If the six sense sources are false and nonexistent, what need we say of contact? Contact is empty and nonexistent, arises from mistaken thinking, and cannot be found in any location or direction. Since contact itself is empty and lacks the characteristic of contact, contact cannot know the six sense sources, and the six sense sources cannot know contact.

5.­9

“As for the statement, ‘feeling appears due to the condition of contact,’ feeling does not abide inside contact, outside contact, or somewhere in-between, nor [F.51.a] does contact arise independently as support for feeling. And yet, feeling arises from contact. Since contact is false and nonexistent, what need we say of feeling, for feeling lacks true characteristics. Feeling is a mistaken concept arisen out of nonexistence; thus it has a delusional function.

5.­10

“As for the statement, ‘craving appears due to the condition of feeling,’ feeling does not come separately as support for craving, and feeling itself does not coexist with craving. Feeling cannot know or think about craving. Craving cannot know or think about feeling. Craving does not coexist with feeling. Feeling does not depend on craving. And yet, there is no feeling at all separate from craving.45 If feeling itself lacks the characteristic of feeling, what need we say about the statement, ‘craving is based upon the condition of feeling’? Feeling does not exist inside craving, outside craving, or somewhere in-between. Likewise, craving does not exist inside craving, outside craving, or somewhere in-between. The characteristics of craving cannot be observed within craving, for craving is so designated based upon falsity and mistaken conceptuality. Craving is neither past, present, nor future. Craving arises neither from bondage nor from nonbondage. Craving is imputed based on the condition of feeling, which in turn arises from an unbroken continuity of causes and conditions, one after another. The wise understand that craving does not exist in the objects of craving, nor in locations. They understand it to be empty, void, hollow, insubstantial, false, and nonexistent.

5.­11

“As for the statement, ‘grasping appears due to the condition of craving,’ craving does not come separately as a basis for grasping, and craving does not coexist with grasping. Though grasping is not generated by craving, grasping is imputed based upon the coexistence of certain causes and conditions that appear due to the existence of craving. Craving does not coexist with grasping, yet craving is none other than grasping. [F.51.b] Grasping does not coexist with craving, yet grasping is none other than craving. Thus, grasping does not exist inside craving, outside craving, or somewhere in-between. Given that craving itself is unobservable, what need we say about the statement, ‘grasping appears due to the condition of craving,’ for grasping has no true characteristics to observe. The wise realize grasping to be false and nonexistent. The characteristic of grasping does not exist within grasping. Thus, grasping is neither past, present, nor future. Grasping does not exist inside, outside, or somewhere in-between. It occurs from mistaken perception and arises from causes and conditions. Grasping is so-called based upon the gathering of many conditions. It is neither together with nor separate from any phenomenon. Even though grasping lacks intrinsic nature and fixed qualities, childish ordinary beings experience false grasping. Because all formations are false, worldly beings are bound by grasping. The wise, however, understand that grasping is false, empty, insubstantial, and devoid of entities, with not even a tiny bit of actual quality to observe.

5.­12

“As for the statement, ‘becoming appears due to the condition of grasping,’ grasping does not come as support for becoming, and grasping cannot produce becoming. So, although it is said that ‘becoming appears due to the condition of grasping,’46 becoming does not exist inside grasping, outside grasping, or somewhere in-between. Becoming does not depend on grasping, and grasping neither comes together with nor is separate from becoming. Yet, because of the coming together of many conditions, it is said that ‘becoming appears based on the condition of grasping.’ And nonetheless, grasping cannot generate becoming, and becoming cannot be analyzed by means of grasping. If grasping itself is false and nonexistent, what need we say about becoming? Becoming lacks something to be based on. Becoming itself is unobservable as becoming, for becoming itself does not exist inside becoming, [F.52.a] outside becoming, or somewhere in-between. Becoming is neither past, present, nor future. For the wise, becoming is false and delusional, and it has neither formation nor dispersion. Therefore, becoming is something that cannot be known or discerned. Such becoming does not exist in any location or direction. Such becoming has no beginning, ending, or interim. They understand and realize how becoming is mentioned as part of the twelve links of dependent origination because becoming is neither existent nor nonexistent. The wise realize becoming to be emptiness, insubstantial, void, and hollow.

5.­13

“As for the statement, ‘birth appears due to the condition of becoming,’ becoming does not come as support for birth. Birth does not coexist with becoming, nor is it separate from it. Birth does not exist inside becoming, outside becoming, or somewhere in-between. Becoming cannot generate birth, yet birth will not occur separate from becoming. Due to the unbroken continuity of the twelve links of dependent origination, one after another, it is said that ‘birth is based on the condition of becoming.’ Birth and becoming are neither conditions for each other, nor are they not so. If becoming itself is unobservable, what need we say of the notion that birth owes its existence to the condition of becoming? The wise understand that birth does not depend on becoming, that there are no characteristics of birth in birth, and that birth has no intrinsic nature. They understand that, since birth is insubstantial, there is nothing whatsoever in it that can be truly observed. The wise understand that birth has no nature and is nonexistent, and that, nonetheless, to demonstrate merely a continuity of the twelve links of dependent origination, one after another, it is said that ‘birth comes about due to the condition of becoming.’ Birth lacks any phenomena that come together or disperse. [F.52.b] Birth does not exist inside becoming, outside becoming, or somewhere in-between. Birth is neither past, present, nor future. Birth is unobservable in the past, future, and interim. Since birth is unobservable as an entity, the wise understand that it arises from a collection of many causes and conditions, false and mistaken perception, and what is nonexistent and illusory.

5.­14

“Concerning the statement, ‘aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, and suffering appear due to the condition of birth,’ birth does not come as a support for aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, and suffering. Nor can birth generate aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, and suffering. Aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, and suffering do not exist inside birth, outside birth, or somewhere in-between. Aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, and suffering do not depend on birth,47 but it is nonetheless said that aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, and suffering are due to birth because this demonstrates that phenomena arise due to many causes and conditions. Birth neither comes together with nor is separate from aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, and suffering. If birth itself is unobservable in birth, what need we say of the notion that aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, and suffering owe their existence to the condition of birth? Aging, death, and suffering themselves cannot be observed in aging, death, and suffering. Why is this? Aging, death, and suffering themselves exist neither inside aging, death, and suffering; outside aging, death, and suffering; nor somewhere in-between. Aging, death, and suffering are neither past, present, nor future. Aging, death, and suffering [F.53.a] neither come together with, nor are separate from, aging, death, and suffering. It is said that ‘aging, death, and suffering are due to the condition of birth’ based on mistaken perception, a combination of many causes and conditions, and the assembly of the twelve links of dependent origination. Aging, death, and suffering have no basis. No true characteristics can be observed in aging, death, and suffering. The past, present, and future cannot be observed in aging, sickness, and suffering. The wise understand aging, sickness, and suffering to be false, nonexistent, mistaken, insubstantial, uncreated, unarisen, and unborn.

5.­15

“When contemplating phenomena through the twelve links of dependent origination in this way, one will not see the phenomena of the twelve links of dependent origination as past, present, or future. One will not see the characteristics of the phenomena of the twelve links of dependent origination. One will understand and realize that dependent origination is devoid of conditions, unborn, devoid of marks, unconditioned, unarisen, and insubstantial, and that all phenomena are primordially nonexistent. By understanding and realizing the twelve links of dependent origination in this way, one will not see the twelve links of dependent origination as having an agent or experiencer.48 If phenomena arise from causes, they do not exist when their causes do not exist. By thus pursuing this up to the point of ignorance, bodhisattvas understand all phenomena to be unobservable. By contemplating in this way, they understand that the absence of conditions is the twelve links of dependent origination, which are unborn. Bodhisattvas understand that the twelve links of dependent origination arise from falsity. If, by understanding the twelve links of dependent origination up to the point of ignorance, there is nothing called a phenomenon, then there are also no phenomena to be so designated.49 Therefore, they understand and realize the twelve links of dependent origination up to the point of ignorance. [F.53.b]

5.­16

“Ignorance is unborn, uncreated, unarisen, insubstantial, without actual qualities, uncaused, and nonexistent. In that case, bodhisattvas make no distinction between knowledge and ignorance, for the true characteristic of ignorance is knowledge itself. From the cause of ignorance, no phenomena exist, no phenomena have conditions, and there are no false concepts. Therefore, they realize the twelve links of dependent origination up to the point of ignorance.

5.­17

“Lokadhara, this is called the bodhisattva great beings’ means and insight into the twelve links of dependent origination. When bodhisattvas understand the twelve links of dependent origination in terms of their formation and separation, this is called the excellent attainment of the bodhisattvas’ insight into the unborn. Why is this? One who thinks in terms of birth and cessation is not knowledgeable of the twelve links of dependent origination. One who understands the coming together and separation of the many conditions is said to attain insight into the unborn. One who attains insight into the unborn is said to realize the twelve links of dependent origination. Therefore, Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings who wish to realize or reach the insight into the unborn should apply themselves to insight into the twelve links of dependent origination. Thereby, they will come to understand and know the characteristic of the unborn related to the twelve links of dependent origination.

5.­18

“Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings who understand the twelve links of dependent origination to be unborn will attain the mastery of the twelve links of dependent origination. They will thus be able to understand and see the three realms in terms of the characteristic of being unborn, and thereby swiftly gain the acceptance that phenomena are unborn. Such bodhisattvas will immediately receive a prophecy that they will attain unsurpassed and perfect awakening from the present living buddhas, [F.54.a] or such bodhisattvas will be thus prophesied soon, or eventually. Lokadhara, they will be overjoyed when they receive such a happy prophecy, and they will achieve the light of insight from the practice of focusing on and engaging with all phenomena. By realizing the twelve links of dependent origination to be unborn in this way, they will serve the buddhas living in the present. They will be unintimidated by evil māras. They will cross the river of birth and cyclic existence to reach dry land. They will be freed from the swamp of ignorance. They will proceed to the abode of bliss.

5.­19

“Lokadhara, I prophesy that anyone, whether I am still alive or have already passed away, who hears, trusts, reads, recites, or practices this method of the twelve links of dependent origination will swiftly gain the acceptance that phenomena are unborn. I prophesy that they will soon receive prophecy of their unsurpassed and perfect awakening from all the present thus-gone ones.”

5.­20

This was the fifth chapter: “Understanding the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination.”


6.

Chapter Six: The Four Applications of Mindfulness

6.­1

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings skilled in the applications of mindfulness? Bodhisattva great beings discern and contemplate the four applications of mindfulness. What are these four? The contemplation of the body in relation to the body, the contemplation of feelings in relation to feelings, the contemplation of the mind in relation to the mind, and the contemplation of mental phenomena in relation to mental phenomena. How do they contemplate the body in relation to the body, and contemplate feelings, mind, [F.54.b] and mental phenomena in relation to feelings, mind, and mental phenomena?”

Contemplation of the Body in Relation to the Body

Contemplation of Feelings in Relation to Feelings

Contemplation of the Mind in Relation to the Mind

Contemplation of Mental Phenomena in Relation to Mental Phenomena


7.

Chapter Seven: The Five Powers

7.­1

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings skilled in the five powers? Bodhisattva great beings accurately contemplate the five transcendent powers. What are these five? The powers of faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and insight.

The Power of Faith

7.­2

“When bodhisattvas put the five powers into practice, they gain trust in how all phenomena are born from dependent origination, arise through mistaken perception, and are like a whirling firebrand or a dream, in owing their existence to a gathering of conditions of false perception. They trust that all phenomena have the characteristics of being impermanent, suffering, impure, selfless, like a thorn or blister, insubstantial, unstable, mutable, and destructible. [F.59.b] Moreover, they trust that all phenomena are false, and thus nonexistent; that just as a child is fooled by an empty fist or a rainbow, phenomena are merely arisen from imputation and dependent phenomena, and thus lack even a single true quality of being an entity. Moreover, they trust that all phenomena are neither past, present, nor future. They trust that all phenomena neither come from, nor go, anywhere. They trust that all phenomena are emptiness, without marks, and unconditioned. They trust that all phenomena are unborn, unconditioned, unarisen, without marks, and free from marks. They trust in pure discipline, pure absorption, pure insight, and the pure teaching of the wisdom of liberation.61 Bodhisattvas become irreversible by effortlessly accomplishing the power of faith; guided by faith, they can observe discipline, such that their faith will not decline or be lost. By effortlessly accomplishing the quality of irreversibility, they will have unwavering faith. They will ripen faith in accordance with the ripening of karmic results, and they will destroy all wrong views. They will not spurn the teachings or seek out any teachers other than the blessed buddhas. They will always follow the true nature of all phenomena. They will follow the genuine path practiced by the saṅgha. Through observing pure discipline and effortlessly accomplishing acceptance, they will attain faith that is unwavering, unchanging, and extraordinary. They are thus said to possess the power of faith.”

The Power of Diligence

The Power of Mindfulness

The Power of Absorption

The Power of Insight


8.

Chapter Eight: The Eightfold Path of the Noble Ones

8.­1

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings skilled in the path of the noble ones? The bodhisattva great beings are steadfast on the noble path. What is meant by path in this context? It is the eightfold path of the noble ones, which comprises right view, right thought, [F.63.a] right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right absorption. Lokadhara, what is it that bodhisattva great beings practice on the eightfold path of the noble ones? And what means do they obtain on the eightfold path of the noble ones?”

Right View

Right Thought

Right Speech

Right Action

Right Livelihood

Right Effort

Right Mindfulness

Right Absorption


9.

Chapter Nine: The Phenomena of the World and Transcendence

9.­1

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings skilled regarding the phenomena of the world and transcendence? What means do they obtain with regard to the phenomena of the world and transcendence? Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings understand the phenomena of the world and transcendence to be true reality.

9.­2

“What are the phenomena of the world? Bodhisattvas think, ‘Thoughts and concepts about phenomena arise from mistaken perception, they are generated by causes and conditions, and they depend on falsity. Since they arise from the marks of duality, they are empty and nonexistent. They fool childish ordinary beings, like the bright colors reflecting from a pearl or the spinning of a firebrand. The world is given as a synonym for things that decay and degenerate. This is the world. These worldly phenomena are all unreal; they arise from false conditions and lack the characteristics of arising or being created. They are labeled as aggregates, elements, sense sources, forms, sounds, odors, tastes, tactile objects, or mental objects, and described as name-and-form. [F.67.b] Through their attachment and clinging, childish ordinary beings generate further attachment and clinging in a variety of forms, just as tangled silk fringes72 or entwined roots and creepers are linked, one to another. Worldly phenomena are described based upon such mistaken perception.


10.

Chapter Ten: The Conditioned and the Unconditioned

10.­1

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings highly skilled regarding conditioned and unconditioned phenomena? What means do they obtain regarding conditioned and unconditioned phenomena? Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings discern and contemplate conditioned and unconditioned phenomena. [F.69.a]

10.­2

“How do they discern and contemplate conditioned phenomena? Conditioned phenomena are compounded and without experiencer. Conditioned phenomena are called conditioned phenomena because they are considered to be naturally arising and naturally categorized. Conditioned phenomena come about due to formations created by false causes and conditions. Why are conditioned phenomena naturally categorized?73 When formations are perceived through the condition of duality, they are labeled as conditioned phenomena. Conditioned phenomena are uncreated and free from a creator. Since they are naturally arising, they cannot be generated. Thus, they are called conditioned phenomena. Conditioned phenomena do not exist internally, externally, or somewhere in-between; they are not one or many. They arise from false imputation. They are nonexistent, since they have arisen through ignorance. Though they can be perceived due to formations, they are uncreated and nonarising. Therefore, they are called conditioned. Conditioned means being bound by marks, and the conditioned is taught for the sake of childish ordinary beings who are attached to mistaken perceptions. The wise, full of understanding and knowledge, do not observe them as conditioned phenomena or something understood to be conditioned phenomena. They are called conditioned phenomena because the wise do not categorize them. Why is this? How do the wise know and understand the features of the conditioned? The wise view all conditioned phenomena as being false, insubstantial, and without bondage. They see that they cannot be categorized. When they contemplate this, they are not attached to conditioned phenomena, and they do not appropriate conditioned phenomena. Why is this? Lokadhara, it is not the case that unconditioned phenomena exist separate from conditioned phenomena, or that conditioned phenomena exist separate from unconditioned phenomena, [F.69.b] for the characteristic of the thatness of the conditioned is the unconditioned. Why is this? There is nothing conditioned within the conditioned, and nothing unconditioned within the unconditioned. Still, so that mistaken beings can see and understand the characteristics of the conditioned, bodhisattvas teach and explain, saying, ‘This is conditioned,’ ‘This is unconditioned,’ ‘This is the characteristic of the conditioned,’ and ‘This is the characteristic of the unconditioned.’


11.

Chapter Eleven: The Teaching on What Occurred in the Past

11.­1

“Lokadhara, through their great knowledge of the five aggregates, the eighteen elements, the twelve sense sources, the twelve links of dependent origination, the four applications of mindfulness, the five powers, the eightfold path of the noble ones, the phenomena of the world and transcendence, and conditioned and unconditioned phenomena, bodhisattva great beings will gain great knowledge of the characteristic of the thatness of all phenomena. They will become highly skilled in discerning the characteristics of phenomena. They will attain the power of recollection. They will have the intelligence that discerns the terminology for all phenomena. As soon as they exchange their bodies, they will obtain unbroken recollection, and they will eventually attain unsurpassed and perfect awakening.


12.

Chapter Twelve: The Entrustment

12.­1

The bodhisattva great being Lokadhara then requested the Blessed One, “Blessed One, please consecrate this discourse to protect it and bring benefit and happiness to bodhisattva great beings. If bodhisattva great beings hear this discourse in the future, their minds will become pure, joyful, and happy. They will then give rise to diligence in order to accomplish these teachings.”

Then, as the Blessed One consecrated this discourse, he used his miraculous powers to fill the worlds of the great trichiliocosm with miraculous and incredible scents and fragrances. Beings gazed upon one another with a loving attitude.


n.

Notes

n.­1
Herrmann-Pfandt, 2008.
n.­2
Alternatively, although less likely, the Sanskrit source text for the Tibetan translation could have been nearly identical to Kumārajīva’s source text.
n.­3
Both the Stok manuscript (Tib. rgya) and the Chinese (印) read “seal” here, whereas the Degé reads “causes” (Tib. rgyu).
n.­4
Translated based on the Chinese (衆生) and Stok (Tib. sems can). Degé reads: sems.
n.­5
The expression “evil world of the five degenerations” (Tib. rnyog pa lnga’i ’jig rten ngan pa) is a rare, literal translation of the Chinese, 五濁惡世, which in turn translates the Sanskrit pañcakaṣāyaloka. This is further evidence that the Tibetan was translated from Chinese.
n.­6
Translated based on Stok: ma yin. Degé reads: yin.
n.­7
Meaning that when one takes a raft across a river, one need not carry the raft beyond the bank; it has served its purpose.
n.­8
Kumārajīva’s Chinese translation of this sentence, as it appears in Taishō 482, seems to present a quotation: “Noble children, as explained in the discourses, ‘Monks, if those who want to know my Dharma are to discard even the Dharma as they would a raft, what need is there to mention what is non-Dharma?’ ” (諸善男子。如經中説。汝等比丘。若知我法如栰喩者。法尚應捨。何況非法。). Although the parable of the teachings being like a raft that must be discarded once it has served its purpose is well-known throughout Buddhist literature, we have been unable to locate this precise statement in other scriptures.
n.­38
The eye and form.
n.­42
The Chinese reads 行, “formations” here.
n.­43
The Chinese here reads “that all phenomena do not exist”: 一切法無所有。.
n.­44
Read according to the Chinese: 是六入因名色起。.
n.­45
Read according to the Chinese: 亦不離受有愛。.
n.­46
Here the Tibetan text includes a negation (Tib. ma), which we have not translated based on the previous occurrences of this sentence in which the negation is absent.
n.­47
Read according to the Chinese (老死憂悲苦惱亦不依生) and Stok (...skye ba la mi gnas).
n.­48
Read according to the Chinese: 作者受者。.
n.­49
Read according to Stok: chos zhes bya ba med na and Chinese, which analogously reads: 若法無者。.
n.­61
The Chinese would read here: “pure liberation and pure knowledge and experience of liberation”; 解脱清淨。解脱知見清淨。.
n.­72
Translation tentative. Degé: kha tshar dar ’dzings pa.
n.­73
Read according to the Chinese: 云何為行自墮數中。. Degé: ’du byed cis bya ba ni bgrang ba’i grangs su gtogs.

b.

Bibliography

’phags pa ’jig rten ’dzin gyis yongs su dris pa zhes bya ba’i mdo (Āryālokadhara­paripṛcchānāma­sūtra). Toh 174, Degé Kangyur vol. 60 (mdo sde, ma), folios 7b.4–78b.7.

’phags pa ’jig rten ’dzin gyis yongs su dris pa zhes bya ba’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. 60, pp. 22–206.

’phags pa ’jig rten ’dzin gyis yongs su dris pa zhes bya ba’i mdo (Āryālokadhara­paripṛcchānāma­sūtra). In bka’ ’gyur (stog pho brang bris ma). Vol. 72 (mdo sde, zha), folios 1r–110v.

Chang, Cornelius P. “A Re-evaluation of the Development of Hsing-su Style in the Fourth Century AD.” National Palace Museum Quarterly, 11/2 (Winter 1976): 19–44.

Digital Dictionary of Buddhism. http://www.buddhism-dict.net/ddb/.

Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Wien: Verlag der österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.

Lokadharaparipṛcchā; Chishi jing 持世經 (Taishō 482). Translated by Kumārajīva. In Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō 大正新脩大藏經, ed. Junjirō Takakusu, Kaikyoku Watanabe, 100 vols., Tokyo: Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō Kankōkai, 1924–34.

Stein, R. A. “The Two Vocabularies of Indo-Tibetan and Sino-Tibetan Translations in the Dunhuang Manuscripts.” In Rolf Stein’s Tibetica Antiqua with Additional Materials, trans. and ed. Arthur P. McKeown. Leiden: Brill, 2010, pp. 1–96.


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

absorption

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

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

Located in 19 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­12
  • 1.­29
  • 6.­10
  • 7.­1-2
  • 7.­4-6
  • 7.­8
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­11
  • 11.­7-9
  • g.­29
  • g.­37
  • g.­38
  • g.­46
  • g.­97
g.­2

acceptance

Wylie:
  • bzod pa
Tibetan:
  • བཟོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • kṣānti

The capacity to accept or tolerate experiences which ordinary beings cannot tolerate. It is the preparatory step to profound insight into reality. It also refers to the third stage of the path of joining (prayogamārga, sbyor lam). It is also the third transcendent perfection, in which context it has been rendered here as patience.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­30
  • 2.­40
  • 2.­48
  • 5.­18-19
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­5
  • 12.­2
g.­3

aggregate

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

See “five aggregates for appropriation.”

Located in 41 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­3-5
  • 2.­7-28
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­35
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­41
  • 2.­47-48
  • 5.­1
  • 6.­2
  • 9.­2-3
  • 11.­12
  • g.­41
  • g.­79
g.­7

applications of mindfulness

Wylie:
  • dran pa nye bar bzhag pa
Tibetan:
  • དྲན་པ་ཉེ་བར་བཞག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • smṛtyupasthāna
Chinese:
  • 念處

See “four applications of mindfulness.”

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­1
  • 6.­17
  • 8.­10
g.­9

appropriation

Wylie:
  • nye bar len pa
  • len pa
Tibetan:
  • ཉེ་བར་ལེན་པ།
  • ལེན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • upādāna

In some texts, four types of appropriation are listed: of desire (rāga), of view (dṛṣṭi), of rules and observances as paramount (śīla­vrata­parāmarśa), and of belief in a self (ātmavāda). The term nye bar len pa also means “grasping” and it was rendered as such when it refers to the ninth of the twelve links of dependent origination, between craving and becoming.

Located in 16 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­4-5
  • 2.­31-32
  • 2.­35
  • 3.­4
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­16
  • 8.­8-11
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­4
  • g.­34
g.­14

blessed one

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 38 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2-6
  • 1.­42-43
  • 1.­46-47
  • 1.­49-50
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­39
  • 2.­42
  • 2.­45-47
  • 4.­1
  • 7.­2
  • 9.­4
  • 10.­4
  • 11.­2-5
  • 11.­10
  • 11.­12-17
  • 12.­1-2
  • 12.­4-5
g.­19

conditioned

Wylie:
  • ’dus byas
Tibetan:
  • འདུས་བྱས།
Sanskrit:
  • saṃ­skṛta

This term refers to composite objects in the generic sense. In other contexts, it can also refer to “formations.”

Located in 21 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­5
  • 1.­31
  • 1.­37
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­48
  • 3.­18
  • 6.­4
  • 7.­7
  • 8.­11
  • 10.­1-5
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­18
  • 12.­2
  • g.­79
g.­20

consciousness

Wylie:
  • rnam par shes pa
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་པར་ཤེས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vi­jñāna

The third link of dependent origination, the fifth of the five aggregates. In most Abhidharma accounts it comprises the six sensory consciousnesses (eye, ear, nose, taste, body, and mind), but in Yogācāra theory two more kinds of consciousness, afflicted (kliṣṭamanas) and storehouse (ālayavijñāna), are added. For the sixth consciousness, see also “mind consciousness.”

Located in 34 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­11
  • 2.­21-30
  • 2.­32-33
  • 2.­35
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­45
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­3-4
  • 3.­8-11
  • 4.­1
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­5-6
  • 6.­11
  • n.­15
  • g.­28
  • g.­34
  • g.­73
  • g.­89
  • g.­105
g.­22

desire realm

Wylie:
  • ’dod khams
Tibetan:
  • འདོད་ཁམས།
Sanskrit:
  • kāmadhātu

In Buddhist cosmology, it is our sphere of existence where beings are driven primarily by the urge for sense gratification.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­12
  • 7.­8
  • g.­40
  • g.­42
  • g.­51
  • g.­54
  • g.­55
  • g.­100
g.­24

Dharma

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

The term “dharma” (chos) conveys ten different meanings, according to Vasubandhu’s Vyākhyā­yukti. It may mean the Buddhist teachings, the awakened qualities which buddhas and bodhisattvas acquire, phenomena or things in general, etc. In the context of this work, it was rendered as “Dharma” when it refers to the teachings, and in other contexts, rendered according to the specific meaning, namely as phenomena and qualities. See also i.­4.

Located in 54 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • 1.­2-3
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­19-20
  • 1.­22-23
  • 1.­40-42
  • 1.­46-47
  • 1.­49
  • 1.­53-54
  • 1.­58-59
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­39-41
  • 2.­47-48
  • 4.­6
  • 7.­3
  • 9.­4
  • 11.­3-4
  • 11.­6-8
  • 11.­12-13
  • 11.­16
  • 11.­18-19
  • 12.­2-5
  • n.­8
  • n.­76
  • g.­21
  • g.­25
  • g.­26
  • g.­48
  • g.­57
  • g.­81
  • g.­103
  • g.­112
g.­26

Dharma gateway

Wylie:
  • chos kyi sgo
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྒོ།
Sanskrit:
  • dharmamukha
Chinese:
  • 法門

A teaching or spiritual method by which the Dharma is understood.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­58-59
  • 2.­1
g.­28

eighteen elements

Wylie:
  • khams bco brgyad
Tibetan:
  • ཁམས་བཅོ་བརྒྱད།
Sanskrit:
  • aṣṭa­daśa­dhātu

One way of describing experience and the world in terms of eighteen elements (eye, form, and eye consciousness; ear, sound, and ear consciousness; nose, odor, and nose consciousness; tongue, taste, and tongue consciousness; body, touch, and body consciousness; mind, mental phenomena, and mind consciousness).

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­47
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­14
  • 9.­3
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
  • g.­30
  • g.­39
  • g.­73
  • g.­89
g.­29

eightfold path of the noble ones

Wylie:
  • ’phags pa’i lam yan lag brgyad pa
Tibetan:
  • འཕགས་པའི་ལམ་ཡན་ལག་བརྒྱད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • āryāṣṭāṅgamārga
Chinese:
  • 八聖道分

Correct view, thought, speech, actions, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and absorption. These eight are part of the thirty-seven factors of awakening.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­5
  • 2.­1
  • 8.­1
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
  • g.­103
g.­30

element

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

See “eighteen elements.”

Located in 22 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • 2.­1
  • 3.­1-11
  • 3.­13-16
  • 3.­18
  • 9.­2
  • 11.­12
  • n.­37
  • g.­97
g.­31

factors of awakening

Wylie:
  • byang chub kyi phyogs kyi chos
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་ཕྱོགས་ཀྱི་ཆོས།
Sanskrit:
  • bodhipakṣadharma
Chinese:
  • 助菩提法

The set of practices that lead to awakening, traditionally listed as thirty-seven.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­9
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­44
  • 2.­4
  • 7.­5
  • g.­29
  • g.­43
  • g.­46
g.­32

feeling

Wylie:
  • tshor ba
Tibetan:
  • ཚོར་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • vedanā

The seventh link of dependent origination. The second of the five aggregates.

Located in 23 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­5-10
  • 2.­13
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­32-33
  • 2.­35
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­45
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­9-10
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­8-10
  • g.­34
  • g.­43
  • g.­105
g.­33

five aggregates

Wylie:
  • phung po lnga
Tibetan:
  • ཕུང་པོ་ལྔ།
Sanskrit:
  • pañcaskandha

See “five aggregates for appropriation.”

Located in 21 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • 2.­2-3
  • 2.­28-29
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­35
  • 2.­39-41
  • 2.­47
  • 9.­3
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
  • n.­24
  • g.­20
  • g.­32
  • g.­39
  • g.­41
  • g.­80
g.­34

five aggregates for appropriation

Wylie:
  • nye bar len pa’i phung po lnga
Tibetan:
  • ཉེ་བར་ལེན་པའི་ཕུང་པོ་ལྔ།
Sanskrit:
  • pañcopadāna­skandha

The five aggregates (skandha) of form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. On the individual level the five aggregates refer to the basis upon which the mistaken idea of a self is projected. They are referred to as the “bases for appropriation” (upādāna) insofar as all conceptual grasping arises on the basis of these aggregates.

Located in 19 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­2
  • 2.­28-39
  • 2.­41
  • 2.­47
  • 9.­3
  • g.­3
  • g.­4
  • g.­33
g.­37

five powers

Wylie:
  • dbang po lnga
Tibetan:
  • དབང་པོ་ལྔ།
Sanskrit:
  • pañcendriya
Chinese:
  • 五根

Faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and insight. These are the same as the five strengths at a lesser stage of development. See also n.­64.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­5
  • 2.­1
  • 7.­1-2
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
  • g.­38
  • g.­58
  • g.­103
g.­38

five strengths

Wylie:
  • stobs lnga
Tibetan:
  • སྟོབས་ལྔ།
Sanskrit:
  • pañca­bala

Faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and insight. These are the same as the five powers, at a further stage of development.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 12.­2
  • g.­37
  • g.­103
g.­39

form

Wylie:
  • gzugs
Tibetan:
  • གཟུགས།
Sanskrit:
  • rūpa

The first of the five aggregates. The third of the eighteen elements.

Located in 40 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­58
  • 2.­3-5
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­19
  • 2.­21
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­32-33
  • 2.­37-38
  • 2.­45
  • 3.­1-4
  • 4.­1-2
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­9
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­6-8
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­4
  • 6.­13
  • 7.­7
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­11
  • 9.­2
  • n.­38
  • g.­28
  • g.­34
  • g.­73
  • g.­89
  • g.­105
g.­40

form realm

Wylie:
  • gzugs khams
Tibetan:
  • གཟུགས་ཁམས།
Sanskrit:
  • rūpadhātu

In Buddhist cosmology, the sphere of existence one level more subtle than our own (the desire realm), where beings, though subtly embodied, are not driven primarily by the urge for sense gratification.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­12
  • 7.­8
  • g.­44
  • g.­51
  • g.­100
g.­41

formation

Wylie:
  • ’du byed
Tibetan:
  • འདུ་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • saṃskāra

Fourth of the five aggregates, second of the twelve links of dependent origination, and in the context of the aggregates sometimes also called “volitions,” “volitional formations,” or “compositional factors,” these are complex propensities that bring about action.

Located in 31 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­26
  • 2.­14-21
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­32-33
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­45
  • 3.­18
  • 4.­2-3
  • 4.­5
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­3-5
  • 5.­11-12
  • 5.­17
  • 7.­8
  • 10.­2
  • n.­42
  • g.­19
  • g.­34
  • g.­105
g.­42

formless realm

Wylie:
  • gzugs med khams
Tibetan:
  • གཟུགས་མེད་ཁམས།
Sanskrit:
  • ārūpyadhātu

In Buddhist cosmology, the sphere of existence two levels more subtle than our own (the desire realm), where beings are no longer physically embodied, and thus not subject to the sufferings that physical embodiment brings.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­30
  • 3.­12
  • 7.­7-8
  • g.­51
  • g.­100
g.­43

four applications of mindfulness

Wylie:
  • dran pa nye bar bzhag pa bzhi
Tibetan:
  • དྲན་པ་ཉེ་བར་བཞག་པ་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • catuhsmṛtyupasthāna
Chinese:
  • 四念處

Four contemplations on: (1) the body, (2) feelings, (3) mind, and (4) mental objects. These four contemplations are part of the thirty-seven factors of awakening.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­5
  • 1.­14
  • 1.­29
  • 2.­1
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­17
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
  • g.­7
  • g.­103
g.­45

four correct exertions

Wylie:
  • yang dag par spong ba bzhi
Tibetan:
  • ཡང་དག་པར་སྤོང་བ་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • catuḥsamyakprahāṇa
  • catuḥsamyakpradāṇa

Four types of effort consisting in abandoning existing negative mind states, abandoning the production of such states, giving rise to virtuous mind states that are not yet produced, and letting those states continue.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 12.­2
  • g.­103
g.­46

four foundations of miracles

Wylie:
  • rdzu ’phrul gyi rkang pa bzhi
Tibetan:
  • རྫུ་འཕྲུལ་གྱི་རྐང་པ་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • caturṛddhipāda

The four foundations or bases of miraculous power are: determination, discernment, diligence, and absorption. These are among the thirty-seven factors of awakening.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 12.­2
  • g.­103
g.­52

great trichiliocosm

Wylie:
  • stong gsum gyi stong chen po’i ’jig rten gyi khams
Tibetan:
  • སྟོང་གསུམ་གྱི་སྟོང་ཆེན་པོའི་འཇིག་རྟེན་གྱི་ཁམས།
Sanskrit:
  • tri­sāhasra­mahā­sāhasra­loka­dhātu

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The largest universe described in Buddhist cosmology. This term, in Abhidharma cosmology, refers to 1,000³ world systems, i.e., 1,000 “dichiliocosms” or “two thousand great thousand world realms” (dvi­sāhasra­mahā­sāhasra­lokadhātu), which are in turn made up of 1,000 first-order world systems, each with its own Mount Sumeru, continents, sun and moon, etc.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­46
  • 11.­15-16
  • 12.­1
g.­58

insight

Wylie:
  • shes rab
Tibetan:
  • ཤེས་རབ།
Sanskrit:
  • prajñā

The sixth of the six perfections, it refers to the profound understanding of the emptiness of all phenomena, the realization of ultimate reality. It is also one of the five powers.

Located in 49 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2-3
  • 1.­6
  • 1.­9-10
  • 1.­13-17
  • 1.­20-29
  • 1.­37
  • 1.­41
  • 1.­43
  • 1.­49
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­41
  • 2.­47
  • 3.­18
  • 5.­17-18
  • 7.­1-5
  • 7.­7
  • 7.­9
  • 11.­7-9
  • 11.­12
  • 11.­18
  • 12.­2
  • g.­2
  • g.­37
  • g.­38
  • g.­77
  • g.­94
g.­60

Kalandaka­nivāpa

Wylie:
  • bya ka lan ta ka
Tibetan:
  • བྱ་ཀ་ལན་ཏ་ཀ
Sanskrit:
  • kalandaka­nivāpa
Chinese:
  • 迦蘭陀

Literally, “The kalandaka Feeding Ground,” a location within the Veṇuvana where the Buddha stayed; it received its name from the many kalandaka that lived or were fed there. The Tibetan rendering bya ka lan da ka makes it clear that the Tibetans considered the kalandaka to be a kind of bird, while Sanskrit and Pali sources generally agree that it is a kind of squirrel‍—perhaps therefore the Indian flying squirrel, Petaurista philippensis.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­69

Lokadhara

Wylie:
  • ’jig rten ’dzin
Tibetan:
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་འཛིན།
Sanskrit:
  • lokadhara
Chinese:
  • 持世

A bodhisattva and the main interlocutor of this sūtra.

Located in 145 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­4-45
  • 2.­1-2
  • 2.­5-6
  • 2.­9-11
  • 2.­13-14
  • 2.­17-18
  • 2.­20-21
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­27
  • 2.­29-32
  • 2.­34-35
  • 2.­37-42
  • 2.­45-48
  • 3.­1-2
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­8
  • 3.­11
  • 3.­13-18
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­3
  • 4.­6
  • 4.­8-9
  • 5.­1-2
  • 5.­17-19
  • 6.­1-2
  • 6.­7-8
  • 6.­10-11
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­15-17
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­3-4
  • 7.­6-8
  • 8.­1-2
  • 8.­5-12
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3-4
  • 10.­1-2
  • 10.­4-5
  • 11.­1-3
  • 11.­5
  • 11.­7-12
  • 12.­1-5
  • n.­77
g.­73

mind consciousness

Wylie:
  • yid kyi rnam par shes pa
Tibetan:
  • ཡིད་ཀྱི་རྣམ་པར་ཤེས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • manovijñāna

This is also known as the sixth consciouness and is the last of the eighteen elements. The Abhidharma speaks of five consciousnesses that grasp physical objects (form, sound, smells, tastes, bodily sensations) and are correlated with their respective physical sense faculties (indriya, dbang po), i.e. the eye, ear, etc. The mind consciousness, on the other hand, is said to have as its faculty simply the mind (manas, yid). It grasps all that exists, including what is presented by the physical consciousnesses as well as mental and abstract objects. These six consciousnesses, added to the twelve sense sources, constitute the Abhidharma schema of eighteen elements (dhātu, khams).

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­2
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­10
  • g.­20
  • g.­28
g.­74

motivation

Wylie:
  • lhag pa’i bsam pa
Tibetan:
  • ལྷག་པའི་བསམ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • adhyāśaya
Chinese:
  • 深心

See “pure motivation.”

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 1.­32
  • g.­93
g.­80

perception

Wylie:
  • ’du shes
Tibetan:
  • འདུ་ཤེས།
Sanskrit:
  • saṃjñā

The third of the five aggregates.

Located in 47 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­5
  • 2.­11-13
  • 2.­15-16
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­21-23
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­32-35
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­45
  • 2.­47
  • 3.­6
  • 3.­9-10
  • 3.­12
  • 3.­16
  • 4.­1-4
  • 4.­6
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­4-5
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­13-14
  • 6.­5
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­13
  • 6.­15
  • 7.­2
  • 8.­4-6
  • 9.­2
  • 10.­2
  • g.­34
g.­81

phenomenon

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

One of the meanings of the Skt. term “dharma.” This applies to “phenomena” or “things” in general, and, more specifically, “mental phenomena” which are the object of the mental faculty (manas, yid). See also “worldly phenomena” and “transcendent phenomena.”

Located in 112 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­4-5
  • 1.­2-3
  • 1.­6-13
  • 1.­17
  • 1.­19
  • 1.­21-28
  • 1.­31-32
  • 1.­41
  • 1.­54-58
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­3-4
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­16
  • 2.­18-19
  • 2.­21
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­26-27
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­41
  • 2.­48
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­6-7
  • 3.­9-10
  • 3.­12-15
  • 3.­17-18
  • 4.­2
  • 5.­1-4
  • 5.­7
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­13-16
  • 5.­18-19
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­13-17
  • 7.­2-3
  • 7.­5
  • 7.­7
  • 7.­9
  • 8.­3-4
  • 8.­7-11
  • 9.­1-2
  • 9.­4
  • 10.­1-2
  • 10.­4-5
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3-4
  • 11.­7-9
  • 11.­18
  • 12.­2
  • n.­43
  • g.­24
  • g.­28
  • g.­58
  • g.­85
  • g.­89
  • g.­94
  • g.­99
  • g.­103
g.­82

pure motivation

Wylie:
  • lhag pa’i bsam pa
Tibetan:
  • ལྷག་པའི་བསམ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • adhyāśaya
Chinese:
  • 深心

A strong sense of determination, often associated with altruism.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­47
  • g.­74
g.­83

Rājagṛha

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • g.­107
g.­85

reality

Wylie:
  • chos nyid
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་ཉིད།
Sanskrit:
  • dharmatā

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

In this text:

Akin to other terms rendered here as thatness (tattva, de kho na nyid), true reality (bhūtatā, yang dag pa nyid), and suchness (tathatā, de bzhin nyid).

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­47
  • 4.­2
  • g.­2
  • g.­76
  • g.­77
  • g.­96
  • g.­98
  • g.­104
g.­89

sense source

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

These can be listed as twelve or as six sense sources (sometimes also called sense fields, bases of cognition, or simply āyatanas).

In the context of epistemology, it is one way of describing experience and the world in terms of twelve sense sources, which can be divided into inner and outer sense sources, namely: (1–2) eye and form, (3–4) ear and sound, (5–6) nose and odor, (7–8) tongue and taste, (9–10) body and touch, (11–12) mind and mental phenomena.

In the context of the twelve links of dependent origination, only six sense sources are mentioned, and they are the inner sense sources (identical to the six faculties) of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

Located in 16 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­26
  • 4.­1-9
  • 9.­2
  • 11.­12
  • g.­92
  • g.­106
g.­92

Six sense sources

Wylie:
  • skye mched drug
Tibetan:
  • སྐྱེ་མཆེད་དྲུག
Sanskrit:
  • ṣaḍāyatana

See sense source.”

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­1
  • 5.­7-8
  • g.­105
g.­96

suchness

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

The quality or condition of things as they really are, which cannot be conveyed in conceptual, dualistic terms. Akin to other terms rendered here as thatness (tattva, de kho na nyid), true reality (bhūtatā, yang dag pa nyid), and reality (dharmatā, chos nyid).

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­56
  • 7.­6
  • g.­85
  • g.­98
  • g.­104
g.­98

thatness

Wylie:
  • de kho na nyid
Tibetan:
  • དེ་ཁོ་ན་ཉིད།
Sanskrit:
  • tattva

The nature of things or their actual state, which cannot be conveyed in conceptual, dualistic terms. Akin to other terms rendered here as suchness (tathatā, de bzhin nyid), true reality (bhūtatā, yang dag pa nyid), and reality (dharmatā, chos nyid).

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 10.­2
  • 10.­5
  • 11.­1
  • g.­85
  • g.­96
  • g.­104
g.­99

three gateways of liberation

Wylie:
  • rnam thar sgo gsum
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་ཐར་སྒོ་གསུམ།
Sanskrit:
  • trivimokṣadvāra

These are: emptiness as a gateway to liberation, absence of marks of all phenomena as a gateway to liberation, and absence of wishes as a gateway to liberation. Among them, emptiness is characterized as the absence of inherent existence, absence of marks as the absence of mental images, and absence of wishes as the absence of hopes and fears.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • g.­103
g.­100

three realms

Wylie:
  • khams gsum
Tibetan:
  • ཁམས་གསུམ།
Sanskrit:
  • tridhātu
  • triloka
Chinese:
  • 三性
  • 三界

The formless realm, the form realm, and the desire realm comprising the thirty-one planes of existence in Buddhist cosmology.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­26
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­6
  • 3.­12
  • 3.­14
  • 5.­18
  • 7.­7
  • 8.­7
  • 8.­11
g.­101

thus-gone one

Wylie:
  • de bzhin gshegs pa
Tibetan:
  • དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • tathāgata

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 34 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­4-5
  • 1.­31
  • 1.­40
  • 1.­42-43
  • 1.­47-49
  • 1.­52
  • 1.­54-58
  • 2.­34
  • 2.­39
  • 2.­42
  • 2.­45
  • 2.­47
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­6
  • 3.­12
  • 3.­14-15
  • 4.­2-3
  • 4.­5
  • 5.­19
  • 9.­4
  • 10.­4
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­5
  • 11.­10
g.­103

transcendent phenomena

Wylie:
  • ’jig rten las ’das pa’i chos
Tibetan:
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་ལས་འདས་པའི་ཆོས།
Sanskrit:
  • lokottaradharma

Lit. “dharmas beyond the world.” Trancendent or supramundane phenomena are things or factors related to liberation from saṃsāra. These include, for example, the four applications of mindfulness, the four correct exertions, the four foundations of miracles, the five powers, the five strengths, the seven branches of awakening, the eightfold path of the noble ones, the three gateways of liberation, and many other techniques and qualities of attainment. See also “worldly phenomena.”

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • 2.­1
  • 9.­3-4
  • g.­81
  • g.­111
  • g.­112
g.­104

true reality

Wylie:
  • yang dag pa nyid
Tibetan:
  • ཡང་དག་པ་ཉིད།
Sanskrit:
  • bhūtatā

Lit. “genuineness” or “authenticity.” The quality or condition of things as they really are, which cannot be conveyed in conceptual, dualistic terms. Akin to other terms rendered here as thatness (tattva, de kho na nyid), suchness (tathatā, de bzhin nyid), and reality (dharmatā, chos nyid).

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­55-56
  • 2.­6
  • 3.­18
  • 4.­6
  • 9.­1
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­7
  • g.­85
  • g.­96
  • g.­98
g.­105

twelve links of dependent origination

Wylie:
  • rten cing ’brel te ’byung ba bcu gnyis
  • rten cing ’brel te byung ba bcu gnyis
Tibetan:
  • རྟེན་ཅིང་འབྲེལ་ཏེ་འབྱུང་བ་བཅུ་གཉིས།
  • རྟེན་ཅིང་འབྲེལ་ཏེ་བྱུང་བ་བཅུ་གཉིས།
Sanskrit:
  • dvādaśāṅgapratītyasamutpāda

The twelve causal links that perpetuate life in cyclic existence; starting with ignorance and ending with death. Through a deliberate reversal of these twelve links that one can succeed in bringing the whole cycle to an end. The twelve links are (1) ignorance, (2) formation, (3) consciousness, (4) name-and-form, (5) six sense sources, (6) contact, (7) feeling, (8) craving, (9) grasping, (10) becoming, (11) birth, (12) aging and death.

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • 5.­1-2
  • 5.­12-19
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
  • g.­9
  • g.­41
  • g.­89
g.­106

twelve sense sources

Wylie:
  • skye mched bcu gnyis
Tibetan:
  • སྐྱེ་མཆེད་བཅུ་གཉིས།
Sanskrit:
  • dvā­daśāyatana

See “sense source.”

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • 2.­47
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­6-9
  • 9.­3
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
  • g.­73
g.­107

Veṇuvana

Wylie:
  • ’od ma’i tshal
Tibetan:
  • འོད་མའི་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • veṇuvana
Chinese:
  • 竹園

The famous bamboo grove near Rājagṛha where the Buddha regularly stayed and gave teachings. It was situated on land donated by King Bimbisāra of Magadha and, as such, was the first of several landholdings donated to the Buddhist community during the time of the Buddha.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 1.­46
  • g.­60
g.­110

wisdom

Wylie:
  • ye shes
Tibetan:
  • ཡེ་ཤེས།
Sanskrit:
  • jñāna

Also known as “pristine awareness,” “primordial wisdom,” “primordial awareness,” “gnosis,” or the like. Typically refers to nonconceptual or unobscured states of knowledge.

Located in 31 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­9
  • 1.­12-13
  • 1.­15-16
  • 1.­23
  • 1.­27
  • 1.­30-42
  • 1.­44
  • 1.­58
  • 2.­30
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­4-5
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­12
  • 11.­18-19
  • 12.­2
g.­111

world and transcendence

Wylie:
  • ’jig rten dang ’jig rten las ’das pa
Tibetan:
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་དང་འཇིག་རྟེན་ལས་འདས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • lokalokottara

See “worldly phenomena” and “transcendent phenomena.”

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3-4
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3
  • 12.­2
g.­112

Worldly phenomena

Wylie:
  • ’jig rten gyi chos
Tibetan:
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་གྱི་ཆོས།
Sanskrit:
  • lokadharma

It refers to things or factors that are bound by causality. In some contexts, it is the eight worldy dharmas or concerns. See also “transcendent phenomena.”

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­18
  • 9.­2-4
  • g.­81
  • g.­103
  • g.­111
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    84000. The Inquiry of Lokadhara (Lokadharaparipṛcchā, ’jig rten ’dzin gyis yongs su dris pa, Toh 174). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023. https://84000.co/translation/toh174/UT22084-060-003-chapter-5.Copy
    84000. The Inquiry of Lokadhara (Lokadharaparipṛcchā, ’jig rten ’dzin gyis yongs su dris pa, Toh 174). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee, online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023, 84000.co/translation/toh174/UT22084-060-003-chapter-5.Copy
    84000. (2023) The Inquiry of Lokadhara (Lokadharaparipṛcchā, ’jig rten ’dzin gyis yongs su dris pa, Toh 174). (Dharmachakra Translation Committee, Trans.). Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. https://84000.co/translation/toh174/UT22084-060-003-chapter-5.Copy

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