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  • Toh 181

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The full text is available to download as pdf at:
/translation/toh181.pdf

ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ་ལྔ་བསྟན་པ།

Teaching the Five Perfections

Pañcapāramitānirdeśa
འཕགས་པ་ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ་ལྔ་བསྟན་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
’phags pa pha rol tu phyin pa lnga bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra “Teaching the Five Perfections”
Āryapañcapāramitānirdeśanāmamahāyānasūtra

Toh 181

Degé Kangyur vol. 61 (mdo sde, tsa), folios 1.b–76.b

ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛɪʙᴇᴛᴀɴ ʙʏ
  • Jinamitra
  • Bandé Yeshé Dé

Imprint

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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 2021

Current version v 1.1.12 (2024)

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84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha is a global non-profit initiative to translate all the Buddha’s words into modern languages, and to make them available to everyone.

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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
tr. The Translation
+ 6 sections- 6 sections
1. The Perfection of Generosity
+ 9 chapters- 9 chapters
· Chapter 1: Rejoicing
· Chapter 2: The Skillful Means of Generosity
· Chapter 3: Analogies
· Chapter 4: Nonconceptuality
· Chapter 5: Showing Generosity to Be Illusory
· Chapter 6: The Activity of Bodhisattvas and the Teachings of Buddhas in Countless Worlds
· Chapter 7: The Level of Nonregression
· Chapter 8: Engaging in Bodhisattva Training
· Chapter 9
2. The Perfection of Discipline
+ 7 chapters- 7 chapters
· Chapter 1
· Chapter 2
· Chapter 3
· Chapter 4
· Chapter 5
· Chapter 6
· Chapter 7
3. The Perfection of Patience
+ 3 chapters- 3 chapters
· Chapter 1
· Chapter 2
· Chapter 3
4. The Perfection of Diligence
+ 1 chapter- 1 chapter
· Chapter 1
5. The Perfection of Concentration
+ 4 chapters- 4 chapters
· Chapter 1
· Chapter 2
· Chapter 3
· Chapter 4
c. Colophon
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

Teaching the Five Perfections is a compilation of five short sūtras that each present the practice of one of the five perfections in which bodhisattvas train on the path of the Great Vehicle: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, and concentration. These five perfections embody the skillful methods of the bodhisattva path, and, as these sūtras show, they should always be combined with an understanding of the state of omniscience, the sixth perfection of insight that is supposed to permeate the practice of the first five perfections. The teachings are delivered by the Buddha as well as two of his close disciples, Śāradvatīputra and Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, who both teach the five perfections inspired by the Buddha’s blessing.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the guidance of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The translation was produced by Andreas Doctor and Zachary Beer with assistance from Lama Tenzin Zangpo and Karma Oser.

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


ac.­2

The generous sponsorship of Liu Fan and family, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.


i.

Introduction

i.­1

Teaching the Five Perfections is a compilation of five individual sūtras that each present the practice of one of the five perfections (pāramitā) in which bodhisattvas train on the path of the Great Vehicle: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, and concentration. These five perfections embody the skillful methods of the bodhisattva path, and, as these sūtras emphasize, they should always be practiced in conjunction with an understanding of the state of omniscience, the sixth perfection of insight that is supposed to permeate the practice of the first five perfections. Throughout this sūtra, the perfection of insight is taught as the practice of turning one’s mind to the omniscient state while transcending conceptual reference points. Only by integrating the perfection of insight into the practice of the other five trainings do they become genuine perfections.


Text Body

The Translation
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra
Teaching the Five Perfections

1.

The Perfection of Generosity

[F.1.b]


1.­1

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Chapter 1: Rejoicing

1.­2

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, attended by a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks, all of whom were worthy ones who had exhausted their defilements, were without afflictions, self-controlled, their minds liberated, and their insight liberated; were of noble birth, great elephants who had accomplished their tasks, completed their work, laid down their burden, reached their goal, and had destroyed the bonds of existence; and, due to their perfect knowledge, had liberated their minds [F.2.a] and obtained supreme perfection in mastering all mental states. He was also attended by bodhisattva great beings, most of whom were youthful,6 and had only a single birth remaining; in keeping with the wishes of beings they had freed themselves from existence, yet accepted to be born within existence; and all of them were progressing irreversibly toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening.

Chapter 2: The Skillful Means of Generosity

Chapter 3: Analogies

Chapter 4: Nonconceptuality

Chapter 5: Showing Generosity to Be Illusory

Chapter 6: The Activity of Bodhisattvas and the Teachings of Buddhas in Countless Worlds

Chapter 7: The Level of Nonregression

Chapter 8: Engaging in Bodhisattva Training

Chapter 9


2.

The Perfection of Discipline

Chapter 1

2.­1

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, along with a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks. All of the monks were worthy ones who had exhausted their defilements. They were without afflictions and self-controlled. Their minds were liberated and their insight was liberated. They were of noble birth. They were great elephants. They had accomplished their tasks and completed their work. They had laid down their burden and reached their goal. They had destroyed the bondages of existence and, due to their perfect knowledge, their minds were liberated. They had obtained supreme perfection in mastering all mental states. Also present there were bodhisattva great beings who had gathered from buddhafields in all the ten directions, as well as splendorous gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and others who attended on and served the Blessed One. At that time, the Blessed One taught the Dharma to the four assemblies on the topic of the six perfections.

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7


3.

The Perfection of Patience

Chapter 1

3.­1

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, along with a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks. At that time the Blessed One said to Venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, “Pūrṇa, could you please elucidate the perfection of patience practiced by those bodhisattva great beings who seek to awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood.”

Chapter 2

Chapter 3


4.

The Perfection of Diligence

Chapter 1

4.­1

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, along with a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks. At that time Venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, when bodhisattva great beings strive to awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood, how should they practice the perfection of diligence?”

4.­2

The Blessed One said to Venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, [F.59.b] “Pūrṇa, bodhisattva great beings who wish to awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood should first enter this vehicle and arouse the mind of awakening. To arouse the mind of awakening they should think, ‘I shall devote this body and mind of mine to the welfare and needs of others. I will fulfill the dreams of all beings, just like a servant who fetches water.’ Such a servant thinks, ‘I shall forfeit my own independence, without sitting around or resting. If I should wish to leave this house to go to the market, I will only do so with the permission of my master and my lady. Even when it is time for meals and drinks, I shall postpone them if I am called for. I will remain under my Lord’s command.’ Pūrṇa, in the same way bodhisattva great beings who wish to awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood should engender the mind of awakening, thinking, ‘I am not the master of my own body. Instead, I will use it to benefit others with their work and needs.’ Pūrṇa, in this way bodhisattva great beings should avoid straying from the perfection of diligence. In this way they should practice the perfection of diligence.


5.

The Perfection of Concentration

Chapter 1

5.­1

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying in Rājagṛha, on Vulture Peak Mountain, along with a great saṅgha of 1,250 monks. At that time Venerable Śāradvatīputra asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, when bodhisattva great beings strive to awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood, how should they train in the perfection of concentration? Blessed One, how should they practice the perfection of concentration?”

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4


c.

Colophon

c.­1

This was translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian preceptor Jinamitra, together with the translator-editor, Bandé Yeshé Dé, and others.


n.

Notes

n.­1
See Bongard-Levin (1997) and Karashima (2004) for transliterations of the Sanskrit fragments. The fragments correspond to the following passages in the Degé Kangyur: 23.b.6–25.a.2 (Karashima 2004) and 36.a.7–37.a.3 (Bongard-Levin 1997).
n.­2
Taishō 220 (11–15).
n.­3
This is further corroborated by the fact that the Phukdrak and Gondhla Kangyur versions contain individual Tibetan translator colophons for each of the five sūtras, thus reflecting their status as separate texts in Tibet too, not just in China (Tauscher 2015: p. 380).
n.­4
Taishō 220 (16). In the Degé Kangyur, this sūtra is placed separately from the other five, in the Prajñāpāramitā section (Toh 14). See also Bongard-Levin 1997: pp. 93–94.
n.­5
The Denkarma catalog is dated to c. 812 ᴄᴇ. Denkarma, folio 297.b.1. See also Herrmann-Pfandt 2008: pp. 59–60, no. 104.
n.­6
Tib. byang chub sems dpa’ sems dpa’ chen po phal cher gzhon nur gyur pa; Skt. probably bodhisattvā mahāsattvā bhūyas tena sarve kumārabhūtāḥ, see Mahāvyutpatti 883. Among standard descriptions of bodhisattvas in the introductory openings of sūtras, this is less frequent than some others. It may be directly or indirectly related to “the category of bodhisattvas who are still youths” (gzhon nur gyur pa’i byang chub sems dpa’ rnam par gzhag pa), the eighth of the ten categories of bodhisattva (byang chub sems dpa’ rnam par gzhag pa bcu), successive stages described in the tenth chapter of the Avataṃsaka and also in the Ratnolkādhāraṇī (Toh 145); see Jackson, D. (tr.), The Dhāraṇī of the Jewel Torch (2020), 1.78–1.79.

b.

Bibliography

pha rol tu phyin pa lnga bstan pa (Pañca­pāramitā­nirdeśa). Toh 181, Degé Kangyur vol. 61 (mdo sde, tsa), folios 1.b–76.b.

pha rol tu phyin pa lnga bstan pa. 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), 2006–9, vol. 61, pp. 3–184.

Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan [/ lhan] dkar gyi chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag). Degé Tengyur, vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.

Bongard-Levin, G., Moscow Watanabe, and Shōgo Watanabe. “A Fragment of the Sanskrit Text of the Śīlapāramitā.” Wiener Zeitschrift Für Die Kunde Südasiens/Vienna Journal of South Asian Studies 41 (1997): 93–98. 

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

Karashima, Seishi. “Sanskrit fragments of the Kāśyapaparivarta and the Pañca­pāramitā­nirdeśa in the Mannerheim collection.” Annual Report of The International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University 7 (2004): 105–18.

Tauscher, Helmut. “Manuscripts en Route.” In Cultural Flows across the Western Himalaya, edited by Patrick McAllister et al., 365–92. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2015.


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

Affliction

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. There are said to be 84,000 of these negative mental qualities for which the 84,000 categories of the Buddha’s teachings serve as the antidote. These mental disturbances can be subsumed into the three or five poisons of attachment, anger, and ignorance plus arrogance and jealousy. Also translated here as “disturbing emotions.”

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­54
  • 2.­80
  • 5.­31
  • 5.­43
  • g.­10
  • g.­89
g.­2

aggregate

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

Five collections of similar phenomena, under which all compounded dharmas may be included: 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.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 2.­36
g.­3

Ānanda

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A major śrāvaka disciple and personal attendant of the Buddha Śākyamuni during the last twenty-five years of his life. He was a cousin of the Buddha (according to the Mahāvastu, he was a son of Śuklodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana, which means he was a brother of Devadatta; other sources say he was a son of Amṛtodana, another brother of King Śuddhodana, which means he would have been a brother of Aniruddha).

Ānanda, having always been in the Buddha’s presence, is said to have memorized all the teachings he heard and is celebrated for having recited all the Buddha’s teachings by memory at the first council of the Buddhist saṅgha, thus preserving the teachings after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa. The phrase “Thus did I hear at one time,” found at the beginning of the sūtras, usually stands for his recitation of the teachings. He became a patriarch after the passing of Mahākāśyapa.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­79
  • 1.­170-171
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­116-118
  • 4.­22-23
g.­4

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 12 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­3
  • 1.­103
  • 1.­171
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­85
  • 2.­118
  • 3.­29
  • 4.­9-10
  • 4.­18
  • 4.­23
  • 5.­69
g.­6

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 172 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2-8
  • 1.­21-22
  • 1.­38
  • 1.­44-46
  • 1.­78-79
  • 1.­81-82
  • 1.­86-91
  • 1.­94-95
  • 1.­97-100
  • 1.­102-113
  • 1.­115-130
  • 1.­135-144
  • 1.­170-171
  • 2.­1-3
  • 2.­64-65
  • 2.­67-72
  • 2.­84
  • 2.­96-98
  • 2.­104-118
  • 3.­1-2
  • 3.­28-29
  • 4.­1-2
  • 4.­11-15
  • 4.­17-23
  • 5.­1-2
  • 5.­4-11
  • 5.­16-36
  • 5.­38-45
  • 5.­49
  • 5.­51-56
  • 5.­58-59
  • 5.­61-66
  • 5.­69
g.­8

defilement

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Literally, “to flow” or “to ooze.” Mental defilements or contaminations that “flow out” toward the objects of cyclic existence, binding us to them. Vasubandhu offers two alternative explanations of this term: “They cause beings to remain (āsayanti) within saṃsāra” and “They flow from the Summit of Existence down to the Avīci hell, out of the six wounds that are the sense fields” (Abhidharma­kośa­bhāṣya 5.40; Pradhan 1967, p. 308). The Summit of Existence (bhavāgra, srid pa’i rtse mo) is the highest point within saṃsāra, while the hell called Avīci (mnar med) is the lowest; the six sense fields (āyatana, skye mched) here refer to the five sense faculties plus the mind, i.e., the six internal sense fields.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 1.­116
  • 1.­120
  • 1.­124
  • 1.­131-133
  • 2.­1
  • 3.­15
  • 3.­22
  • 5.­3
  • 5.­63
  • g.­29
  • g.­73
  • g.­77
g.­10

disturbing emotion

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

See “affliction.”

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­37
  • 1.­66
  • 1.­68
  • 1.­112
  • 1.­151
  • 2.­97
  • 2.­112
  • 3.­4
  • g.­1
g.­26

four assemblies

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

The assemblies of monks (Skt. bhikṣu) and nuns (Skt. bhikṣuṇī), along with laymen (Skt. upāsaka) and laywomen (Skt. upāsikā).

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­3
  • 2.­1
g.­30

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 7 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­3
  • 1.­171
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­118
  • 3.­29
  • 4.­23
  • 5.­69
g.­31

garuḍa

Wylie:
  • mkha’ lding
Tibetan:
  • 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 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­3
  • 2.­1
g.­34

great being

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

An epithet of advanced bodhisattvas, often defined as having attained at least the seventh bhūmi and the path of vision. These bodhisattvas have several special qualities that bodhisattvas on the lower bhūmis do not have.

Located in 195 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­6-9
  • 1.­13-14
  • 1.­17-18
  • 1.­20
  • 1.­22
  • 1.­26-28
  • 1.­30
  • 1.­32-43
  • 1.­46
  • 1.­48-56
  • 1.­59-61
  • 1.­63
  • 1.­66-71
  • 1.­74-78
  • 1.­81-85
  • 1.­87
  • 1.­90
  • 1.­92
  • 1.­94-95
  • 1.­98
  • 1.­101
  • 1.­103-105
  • 1.­108
  • 1.­111
  • 1.­130
  • 1.­132-135
  • 1.­140
  • 1.­146-148
  • 1.­150
  • 1.­163
  • 1.­166-170
  • 2.­1-3
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­20-22
  • 2.­30-31
  • 2.­33-34
  • 2.­52
  • 2.­54
  • 2.­57-58
  • 2.­72
  • 2.­74
  • 2.­80
  • 2.­86
  • 2.­90
  • 2.­92-94
  • 2.­97-98
  • 2.­102
  • 2.­104-108
  • 2.­110
  • 2.­112-113
  • 2.­117-118
  • 3.­1-2
  • 3.­4-6
  • 3.­8
  • 3.­11-13
  • 3.­15
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­19-20
  • 3.­28
  • 4.­1-10
  • 4.­13-15
  • 4.­18-19
  • 4.­22
  • 5.­1-11
  • 5.­13
  • 5.­15
  • 5.­17
  • 5.­21
  • 5.­23
  • 5.­25
  • 5.­27
  • 5.­29
  • 5.­31-34
  • 5.­36
  • 5.­40-41
  • 5.­43-50
  • 5.­55-56
  • 5.­60
  • 5.­62-65
  • 5.­68
g.­36

hearer

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

A person who practices according to the vehicle of the hearers, or the vehicle focusing on individual liberation from cyclic existence through attaining the state of a worthy one the monastic lifestyle and one’s own liberation from cyclic existence.

Located in 111 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2-3
  • 1.­8
  • 1.­10-15
  • 1.­22
  • 1.­37-38
  • 1.­42
  • 1.­55
  • 1.­66-67
  • 1.­70-73
  • 1.­96
  • 1.­98
  • 1.­104
  • 1.­112-113
  • 1.­130
  • 1.­148-152
  • 1.­169
  • 1.­171
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­13-15
  • 2.­19-20
  • 2.­22-30
  • 2.­36
  • 2.­52
  • 2.­54
  • 2.­57-59
  • 2.­61-65
  • 2.­69
  • 2.­74-75
  • 2.­78
  • 2.­90-91
  • 2.­97
  • 2.­101
  • 2.­105
  • 2.­114-115
  • 2.­118
  • 3.­3-4
  • 3.­8
  • 3.­11
  • 3.­17-18
  • 3.­27
  • 3.­29
  • 4.­9
  • 4.­21
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­21
  • 5.­29
  • 5.­36
  • 5.­38
  • 5.­40-43
  • 5.­45-48
  • 5.­50-52
  • 5.­55
  • 5.­58-60
  • 5.­69
  • g.­35
  • g.­44
  • g.­56
  • g.­58
  • g.­69
  • g.­76
  • g.­89
g.­41

Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park

Wylie:
  • rgyal bu rgyal byed kyi tshal mgon med zas sbyin gyi kun dga’ ra ba
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་བུ་རྒྱལ་བྱེད་ཀྱི་ཚལ་མགོན་མེད་ཟས་སྦྱིན་གྱི་ཀུན་དགའ་ར་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • jetavanam anāthapiṇḍadasyārāmaḥ AO

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the first Buddhist monasteries, located in a park outside Śrāvastī, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kośala in northern India. This park was originally owned by Prince Jeta, hence the name Jetavana, meaning Jeta’s grove. The wealthy merchant Anāthapiṇḍada, wishing to offer it to the Buddha, sought to buy it from him, but the prince, not wishing to sell, said he would only do so if Anāthapiṇḍada covered the entire property with gold coins. Anāthapiṇḍada agreed, and managed to cover all of the park except the entrance, hence the name Anāthapiṇḍadasyārāmaḥ, meaning Anāthapiṇḍada’s park. The place is usually referred to in the sūtras as “Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park,” and according to the Saṃghabhedavastu the Buddha used Prince Jeta’s name in first place because that was Prince Jeta’s own unspoken wish while Anāthapiṇḍada was offering the park. Inspired by the occasion and the Buddha’s use of his name, Prince Jeta then offered the rest of the property and had an entrance gate built. The Buddha specifically instructed those who recite the sūtras to use Prince Jeta’s name in first place to commemorate the mutual effort of both benefactors.

Anāthapiṇḍada built residences for the monks, to house them during the monsoon season, thus creating the first Buddhist monastery. It was one of the Buddha’s main residences, where he spent around nineteen rainy season retreats, and it was therefore the setting for many of the Buddha’s discourses and events. According to the travel accounts of Chinese monks, it was still in use as a Buddhist monastery in the early fifth century ᴄᴇ, but by the sixth century it had been reduced to ruins.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 2.­1
  • 3.­1
  • 4.­1
g.­42

Jinamitra

Wylie:
  • dzi na mi tra
Tibetan:
  • ཛི་ན་མི་ཏྲ།
Sanskrit:
  • jinamitra

A Kashmiri paṇḍita who was resident in Tibet during the late eighth and early ninth centuries. He worked with several Tibetan translators on the translation of several sūtras. He is also the author of the Nyāya­bindu­piṇḍārtha (Degé no. 4233), which is contained in the Tengyur (bstan ’gyur).

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • c.­1
g.­43

Kinnara

Wylie:
  • mi ’am ci
Tibetan:
  • མི་འམ་ཅི།
Sanskrit:
  • kinnara

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 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­3
  • 2.­1
g.­46

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 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­3
  • 2.­1
g.­52

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 3 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­3
  • 2.­1
  • g.­31
g.­60

perfection

Wylie:
  • pha rol tu phyin pa
Tibetan:
  • ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • pāramitā

This term is used to refer to the main trainings of a bodhisattva. Because these trainings, when brought to perfection, lead one to transcend saṃsāra and reach the full awakening of a buddha, they receive the Sanskrit name pāramitā, meaning “perfection” or “gone to the farther shore.” Most commonly listed as six: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and insight.

Located in 162 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1-4
  • 1.­2-4
  • 1.­6-8
  • 1.­17-20
  • 1.­29
  • 1.­32
  • 1.­34-35
  • 1.­47
  • 1.­49-50
  • 1.­55
  • 1.­58
  • 1.­64
  • 1.­66-69
  • 1.­71-72
  • 1.­75
  • 1.­80
  • 1.­90
  • 1.­93
  • 1.­104
  • 1.­112-115
  • 1.­145
  • 1.­158
  • 1.­160
  • 1.­162-163
  • 1.­170
  • 1.­172
  • 2.­1-3
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­7-9
  • 2.­13-16
  • 2.­19-30
  • 2.­32-36
  • 2.­54
  • 2.­56-57
  • 2.­62
  • 2.­65-66
  • 2.­74
  • 2.­78
  • 2.­81
  • 2.­85-86
  • 2.­90
  • 2.­94-95
  • 2.­97-99
  • 2.­101-104
  • 2.­106-108
  • 2.­110
  • 2.­112
  • 2.­114
  • 2.­116-117
  • 2.­119
  • 3.­1-2
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­6-7
  • 3.­11
  • 3.­15-17
  • 3.­19-21
  • 3.­28
  • 3.­30
  • 4.­1-7
  • 4.­9
  • 4.­13
  • 4.­15-16
  • 4.­22
  • 4.­24
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­3
  • 5.­7
  • 5.­9
  • 5.­12
  • 5.­15
  • 5.­20-31
  • 5.­37
  • 5.­44
  • 5.­49-50
  • 5.­55-57
  • 5.­64-65
  • 5.­68
  • 5.­70-71
g.­62

Pūrṇa

Wylie:
  • gang po
Tibetan:
  • གང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • pūrṇa

Same as Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra.

Located in 235 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­12-13
  • 1.­15-20
  • 1.­22-28
  • 1.­30-43
  • 1.­48-53
  • 1.­55-56
  • 1.­58-63
  • 1.­66-70
  • 1.­72-75
  • 1.­78
  • 1.­82-90
  • 1.­92
  • 1.­147-151
  • 1.­153-157
  • 1.­161-168
  • 2.­5-15
  • 2.­17-31
  • 2.­33-63
  • 2.­74-80
  • 2.­83-94
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­5-6
  • 3.­8-15
  • 3.­17-28
  • 4.­2-3
  • 4.­11-13
  • 4.­17-18
  • 4.­20-22
  • 5.­14-15
  • 5.­17-36
  • 5.­39-50
  • 5.­52-56
  • 5.­59-62
  • 5.­64
g.­63

Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra

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

One of the closest disciples of the Buddha, known as the foremost in his ability to teach.

Located in 53 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­2
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­11
  • 1.­14-15
  • 1.­21
  • 1.­48
  • 1.­57
  • 1.­65
  • 1.­71-72
  • 1.­77
  • 1.­81
  • 1.­92
  • 1.­146
  • 1.­159
  • 1.­169
  • 1.­171
  • 2.­4-5
  • 2.­33
  • 2.­44
  • 2.­73
  • 2.­82
  • 2.­118
  • 3.­1-5
  • 3.­8
  • 3.­28-29
  • 4.­1-2
  • 4.­11
  • 4.­14
  • 4.­19-20
  • 4.­22-23
  • 5.­13-14
  • 5.­16
  • 5.­38
  • 5.­45
  • 5.­51
  • 5.­58-59
  • 5.­63
  • 5.­69
  • g.­62
g.­64

Rājagṛha

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

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 1 passage in the translation:

  • 5.­1
g.­68

Śākyamuni

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

An epithet for the historical Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama: he was a muni (“sage”) from the Śākya clan. He is counted as the fourth of the first four buddhas of the present Good Eon, the other three being Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni, and Kāśyapa. He will be followed by Maitreya, the next buddha in this eon.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­152
  • g.­6
  • g.­70
  • g.­80
g.­69

Śāradvatīputra

Wylie:
  • sha ra dwa ti’i bu
Tibetan:
  • ཤ་ར་དྭ་ཏིའི་བུ།
Sanskrit:
  • śāradvatīputra

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the principal śrāvaka disciples of the Buddha, he was renowned for his discipline and for having been praised by the Buddha as foremost of the wise (often paired with Maudgalyā­yana, who was praised as foremost in the capacity for miraculous powers). His father, Tiṣya, to honor Śāriputra’s mother, Śārikā, named him Śāradvatīputra, or, in its contracted form, Śāriputra, meaning “Śārikā’s Son.”

Located in 217 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­2
  • 1.­4-7
  • 1.­9-12
  • 1.­14-16
  • 1.­21-22
  • 1.­44-46
  • 1.­48
  • 1.­57-58
  • 1.­65-66
  • 1.­71-72
  • 1.­77-79
  • 1.­91-92
  • 1.­94-113
  • 1.­115-144
  • 1.­146-147
  • 1.­149-157
  • 1.­159-160
  • 1.­169-171
  • 2.­2-5
  • 2.­10-15
  • 2.­17-19
  • 2.­30-31
  • 2.­33-35
  • 2.­44-51
  • 2.­53-56
  • 2.­59-61
  • 2.­63-65
  • 2.­67-74
  • 2.­77-80
  • 2.­82-83
  • 2.­85
  • 2.­87-89
  • 2.­93-94
  • 2.­96-102
  • 2.­104-116
  • 2.­118
  • 3.­3-6
  • 3.­8-15
  • 3.­17-27
  • 3.­29
  • 4.­23
  • 5.­1-11
  • 5.­13-15
  • 5.­65-69
g.­75

Śrāvastī

Wylie:
  • mnyan yod
Tibetan:
  • མཉན་ཡོད།
Sanskrit:
  • śrāvastī

The capital of the ancient Indian kingdom of Kośala, and the setting for many sūtras, as the Buddha spent most rainy seasons in a park outside the city called the Jeta Grove. The city has been identified with the present-day Sāhet Māhet in Uttar Pradesh on the banks of the river Rapti.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 2.­1
  • 3.­1
  • 4.­1
g.­86

Vulture Peak Mountain

Wylie:
  • bya rgod kyi phung po’i ri
Tibetan:
  • བྱ་རྒོད་ཀྱི་ཕུང་པོའི་རི།
Sanskrit:
  • gṛdhra­kūṭa­parvata

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 1 passage in the translation:

  • 5.­1
g.­89

worthy one

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

One who has achieved the fourth and final level of attainment on the path of the hearers, and who has attained liberation with the cessation of all mental afflictions. It is also used as an epithet of the buddhas. The Skt. means either “worthy one” or “one who has killed their foes” (i.e., afflictions).

Located in 46 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 1.­11
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­22
  • 1.­74
  • 1.­76
  • 1.­96
  • 1.­103
  • 1.­112-113
  • 1.­118-123
  • 1.­130-133
  • 1.­137
  • 1.­150
  • 1.­152
  • 1.­155
  • 1.­166
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­52
  • 2.­101
  • 2.­105
  • 2.­110
  • 2.­112
  • 2.­114
  • 3.­15
  • 3.­22
  • 3.­25
  • 4.­21
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­14-15
  • 5.­19-20
  • 5.­38
  • 5.­43
  • 5.­55
  • 5.­59
  • g.­36
g.­90

yakṣa

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

A class of semidivine beings said to dwell in the north, under the jurisdiction of the Great King Vaiśravaṇa. They are associated with water, trees, fertility, and treasures, and are said to haunt or protect natural places as well as towns. Yakṣas can be malevolent or benevolent, and are known for bestowing wealth and other boons.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­3
  • 1.­35
  • 2.­1
g.­91

Yeshé Dé

Wylie:
  • ye shes sde
Tibetan:
  • ཡེ་ཤེས་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • c.­1
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    84000. Teaching the Five Perfections (Pañcapāramitānirdeśa, pha rol tu phyin pa lnga bstan pa, Toh 181). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2024. https://84000.co/translation/toh181.Copy
    84000. Teaching the Five Perfections (Pañcapāramitānirdeśa, pha rol tu phyin pa lnga bstan pa, Toh 181). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee, online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2024, 84000.co/translation/toh181.Copy
    84000. (2024) Teaching the Five Perfections (Pañcapāramitānirdeśa, pha rol tu phyin pa lnga bstan pa, Toh 181). (Dharmachakra Translation Committee, Trans.). Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. https://84000.co/translation/toh181.Copy

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