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  • Toh 287

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དམ་པའི་ཆོས་དྲན་པ་ཉེ་བར་གཞག་པ།

The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma
The Heaven of the Thirty-Three

Saddharma­smṛtyupasthāna
འཕགས་པ་དམ་པའི་ཆོས་དྲན་པ་ཉེ་བར་གཞག་པ།
’phags pa dam pa’i chos dran pa nye bar gzhag pa
The Noble Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma
Ārya­saddharma­smṛtyupasthāna

Toh 287

Degé Kangyur, vol. 68 (mdo sde, ya), folios 82.a–318.a; vol. 69 (mdo sde, ra), folios 1.b–307.a; vol. 70 (mdo sde, la), folios 1.b–312.a; and vol. 71 (mdo sde, sha), folios 1.b–229.b

ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛɪʙᴇᴛᴀɴ ʙʏ
  • Tsultrim Gyaltsen
  • Shang Buchikpa
  • Sherap Ö

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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

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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Detailed Outline of the Text
tr. The Translation
+ 5 chapters- 5 chapters
p. Prologue
1. The Ten Virtuous Courses of Action
2. Introducing the Eighteen Grounds and Describing the Hells and the Starving Spirits
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· The Hells
+ 8 sections- 8 sections
· The Reviving Hell
· The Black Line Hell
· The Crushing Hell
· The Howling Hell
· The Great Howling Hell
· The Hell of Heat
· The Hell of Intense Heat
· The Hell of Ultimate Torment
· The Starving Spirits
3. The Animals
+ 1 section- 1 section
· The Animals
4. The Gods
4.A. The Heaven of the Four Great Kings
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· The Garland-Bearer Gods
· The Vessel-Bearer Gods
· The Ever-Infatuated Gods
· The Triple-Lute-Bearer Gods
· The Wandering Gods
4.B. The Heaven of the Thirty-Three
+ 33 sections- 33 sections
· The Gods Dwelling in Sudharma
· The Gods in Dwelling in the Lofty
· The Gods in Dwelling on Summits
· The Gods in Dwelling in Excellent View
· The Gods in Dwelling in One Direction
· The Gods in Dwelling in Forests
· The Gods in Dwelling in Various Chariots
· The Gods in Dwelling in Enjoyment
· The Gods in Dwelling in Beauty
· The Gods in Dwelling by the Pārijāta Tree
· The Gods in Dwelling on Mixed Riverbanks
· The Gods in Dwelling on Forest Riverbanks
· The Gods in Dwelling in Essence of Jewels
· The Gods in Engaging in Clarification
· The Gods in House of Refined Gold
· The Gods in Shaded by Garlands
· The Gods in Moving on Springy Ground
· The Gods in Distinguished in Many Colorful Ways
· The Gods in Promotion
· The Gods in Subtle Engagement
· The Gods in Enraptured by and Attached to Song
· The Gods in Blazing Splendor
· The Gods in Resembling the Full Moon
· The Gods in Pair of Śāla Trees
· The Gods in Moving in the Wink of an Eye
· The Gods in Fine Complexion and Large Body
· The Gods in Draped with Jewels
· The Gods in Part of the Assembly
· The Gods in Dwelling on the Disk
· The Gods in High Conduct
· The Gods in Supreme Splendor
· The Gods in Garland of Splendor
· The Gods in Unmixed
4.C. The Heaven Free from Strife
+ 18 sections- 18 sections
· The Gods in Supreme Strength
· The Gods in Traveling on Great Mounts
· The Gods in Moving in the Stream
· The Gods in Living on the Peak
· The Gods in Living on the Peak
· The Gods in Ornament of the Mind
· The Gods in Continuous Movement
· The Gods in Moving in Vast Environments
· The Gods in Moving in Gatherings
+ 1 section- 1 section
· The Six Stūpas
+ 6 sections- 6 sections
· The Stūpa of the Buddha Śikhin
· The Stūpa of the Buddha Vipaśyin
· The Stūpa of the Buddha Krakucchanda
+ 4 sections- 4 sections
· The Male Lay Practitioner
· The Female Lay Practitioner
· The Nuns
· The Monks
· The Stūpa of the Buddha Viśvabhū
· The Stūpa of the Blessed Kanakamuni
· The Stūpa of the Blessed Kāśyapa
· The Gods in Moving in Mixed Environments
· The Gods in Endowed with Migration
· The Gods in Emanation of Light Rays
· The Gods in Controlled Movement
· The Gods in Constant Bliss
· The Gods in Endowed with Increasing Bliss
+ 1 section- 1 section
· The Eleven Great Dharma Teachings
+ 11 sections- 11 sections
· (1) Agitation Is Remedied by Taming Oneself
· (2) Lack of Restraint Is Remedied by One-Pointedness
· (3) Flawed Discipline Is Remedied by Following a Holy Person
· (4) Laziness Is Remedied by Diligence
· (5) Obsession with Village Life Is Remedied by Being Alone in the Wilderness
· (6) Greed Is Remedied by Contentment
· (7) Fondness for Friends and Relatives Is Remedied by Staying in Foreign Lands
· (8) Meaningless Talk Is Remedied by Proper Verbal Restraint
· (9) Frivolity Is Remedied by Steadfastness
· (10) Poverty Is Remedied by Generosity
· (11) Ignorance Is Remedied by Knowledge
· The Gods in Total Pleasure
+ 1 section- 1 section
· The Twenty-Two Wholesome Factors
+ 21 sections- 21 sections
· (1) Remorse
· (2) Fear of the Lower Realms
· (3) Patience
· (4) Diligence
· (5) Teaching the Dharma
· (6) Compassion
· (7) Gentleness
· (8) Observance
· (9) Faith
· (10) Overcoming Fickleness
· (11) Steadfastness
· (12) Fear of Scandal
· (13) Absence of Clinging
· (14) Delighting in Solitude
· (15) Undistracted Mind
· (16) Recollection of Death
· (17) Freedom from Infatuation with One’s Body, Family, and Nobility
· (18) Equality with Respect to All Beings
· (19) Contentment
· (20) Weariness of Objects
· (21) Distrust of the Mind
· The Gods in Living by Rājanina
+ 1 section- 1 section
· The Thirty Qualities of Listening to the Dharma
+ 30 sections- 30 sections
· (1) Hearing the Dharma That One Has Not Heard Before
· (2) Understanding What One Hears
· (3) Discerning What One Understands
· (4) Accomplishing What One Discerns
· (5) Practicing What One Has Adopted
· (6) Establishing Others in That Which One Observes
· (7) Being Unaffected by Decline
· (8) Developing Discernment of the Characteristics of the Dharma
· (9) Giving Rise to Roots of Virtue That Did Not Exist Previously
· (10) Causing the Roots of Virtue to Mature
· (11) Liberating Those Who Are Matured
· (12) Establishing Those with Wrong View in the Authentic View
· (13) Overcoming All Unvirtuous Thoughts
· (14) Cultivating All Virtuous Thoughts
· (15) Relinquishing Negativities That Arise by the Force of Conditions
· (16) Developing Carefulness
· (17) Following Holy People
· (18) Overcoming Deceit and Stinginess
· (19) Being Respectful to One’s Parents
· (20) Understanding Karmic Actions and Their Effects
· (21) Cultivating Activity That Increases One’s Life Span
· (22) Being Praised by the People of the World
· (23) Being Protected by the Gods
· (24) Having Excellent Intentions
· (25) Possessing the Wealth of Being Endowed with the Dharma
· (26) Being Free From Laziness
· (27) Gratitude
· (28) Continuous Recollection of Death
· (29) Being Free From Regrets at the Time of Death
· (30) Finally Going Completely Beyond Suffering
· The Gods in Shining in Manifold Ways
5. The Application of Mindfulness of the Body
c. Colophon
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

While on the way to Rājagṛha to collect alms, a group of newly ordained monks are approached by some non-Buddhists, who suggest that their doctrine is identical to that of the Buddha, since everyone agrees that misdeeds of body, speech, and mind are to be given up. The monks do not know how to reply, and when they later return to the brahmin town of Nālati, where the Buddha is residing, Śāradvatīputra therefore encourages them to seek clarification from the Blessed One himself. In response to the monks’ request, the Buddha delivers a comprehensive discourse on the effects of virtuous and unvirtuous actions, explaining these matters from the perspective of an adept practitioner of his teachings, who sees and understands all this through a process of personal discovery. As the teaching progresses, the Buddha presents an epic tour of the realm of desire‍—from the Hell of Ultimate Torment to the Heaven Free from Strife‍—all the while introducing the specific human actions and attitudes that cause the experience of such worlds and outlining the ways to remedy and transcend them. In the final section of the sūtra, which is presented as an individual scripture on its own, the focus is on mindfulness of the body and the ripening of karmic actions that is experienced among humans in particular.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The translation was produced by Thomas Doctor with help from Benjamin Collet-Cassart and Timothy Hinkle. Thomas also wrote the introduction. Andreas Doctor checked the translation against the Tibetan and edited the text. The 84000 editorial team subsequently reviewed the translation and made further edits. Wiesiek Mical assisted by reviewing numerous passages against the available Sanskrit sources. Robert Kritzer generously shared several unpublished articles on the text with us, and Vesna Wallace and Mitsuyo Demoto kindly gave us access to drafts of their critical Sanskrit editions of chapters 1 and 3, respectively.

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


ac.­2

The generous sponsorship of Sun Ping, Tian Xingwen, and Sun Fanglin, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.


i.

Introduction

i.­1

The epic discourse of The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma (AMSD) unfolds as a single, sustained reply to a short question that is put to the Buddha Śākyamuni as the sūtra opens. A group of newly ordained monks have been challenged by the members of another religious group, who suggest that the Buddha’s teachings are indistinguishable from those of their own teacher. Not knowing how to reply, the monks request that the Buddha explain how the path of the sacred Dharma is unlike any other. As the Buddha responds to the monks, he describes the path from the perspective of an adept meditating monk, who applies the Dharma teachings correctly and so discovers the truths of the Dharma. In an account that spans the full spectrum of life in saṃsāra, from the horrifying misery and intense pain of the lower realms to the enrapturing beauty and bliss in the heavens, the Buddha explains how different kinds of physical, verbal, and mental behavior of humans lead to rebirth in such realms of existence.

Detailed Outline of the Text


Text Body

The Translation
The Noble Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma

p.

Prologue

[V68] [B1] [F.82.a]


p.­1

Homage to all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, solitary buddhas, and noble hearers!


p.­2

Thus did I hear at one time. While the Blessed One was residing in the brahmin quarter of the village of Nālati near Rājagṛha, venerable Śāradvatīputra one morning went to Rājagṛha together with a great gathering of monks to collect alms. As they were out receiving alms, a large group of the monks came across some wandering non-Buddhist practitioners15 who were on the way to the same destination, and together they engaged in a Dharma discussion to everyone’s delight and appreciation.


1.
Chapter 1

The Ten Virtuous Courses of Action

1.­1

“Monks, there are three misdeeds of the body: killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. What, then, is killing? To take a life is to recognize another sentient being as a sentient being and knowingly slay it. Such an act may be of a great, intermediate, or minor kind. Great killing is the murder of a worthy one or the like. Such acts lead to the Hell of Ultimate Torment. Intermediate killing occurs when one murders someone on the path. Minor killing is to kill an animal or someone of degenerate moral conduct.


2.
Chapter 2

Introducing the Eighteen Grounds and Describing the Hells and the Starving Spirits

2.­1

“How does a monk who gradually relinquishes defilement first give up unvirtuous qualities so as to cultivate the qualities of virtue? Spiritual practitioners who carefully observe inner phenomena see by means of knowledge derived from hearing, or through the divine eye, that such a monk initially will think as follows: ‘Mutually serving as causes and conditions, these objects and faculties have since beginningless time caused beings to remain within, and wander throughout, cyclic existence. This is the cause of birth. Thoughts are formed in relation to the ocean of objects, and so these inner factors and objective factors cause beings to wander.’

The Hells

The Reviving Hell

The Black Line Hell

The Crushing Hell

The Howling Hell

The Great Howling Hell

The Hell of Heat

The Hell of Intense Heat

The Hell of Ultimate Torment

The Starving Spirits


3.
Chapter 3

The Animals

3.­1

“The monk, the spiritual practitioner who carefully observes inner phenomena, has in this way seen the reality of karmic effects. He has investigated the hells and their neighboring regions, and he has also investigated the second realm, that of the starving spirits. He sees this intolerable cyclic existence correctly, just as it is, and acknowledges it in his mind. Thus, the monk does not dwell in the realm of the māras but abides within the limit of the transcendence of suffering. With unceasing joy, he attains the fruition of entering the fifteenth ground.

The Animals


4.
Chapter 4

The Gods

4.­1

“The monk who has knowledge of the ripening of the effects of karmic action has now carefully examined and understood all the extremely subtle karmic ripening that ensues from the misdeeds associated with hell beings, animals, and starving spirits. Having internalized this understanding, he will next begin to examine the karmic effects that ripen due to wholesome actions. All sentient beings are opposed to suffering [F.53.b] and wish for happiness. As for the gods, they take delight in accumulating happiness, so now the monk will examine the extremely subtle karmic phenomena, ripening, birth, and death of such beings.


4.A.

The Heaven of the Four Great Kings

4.A.­1

“Put concisely, the first class of gods comprises those in the realm of the Four Great Kings.

The Garland-Bearer Gods

4.A.­2

“The first of their subclasses are the garland bearers, who live and reside upon all four sides of Mount Sumeru. The garland bearers differ in terms of the directions. They have different names and distinct karmic actions, and so they spend their lives‍—produced by numerous karmic actions‍—experiencing happiness but having many different types of bodies, youthfulness, and agility. The web of karmic action is like the imprint of a seal: it is not uncaused, not random, and not produced by any other action. Therefore, those who wish for happiness [F.54.a] should pursue wholesome qualities.

The Vessel-Bearer Gods

The Ever-Infatuated Gods

The Triple-Lute-Bearer Gods

The Wandering Gods


4.B.

The Heaven of the Thirty-Three

4.B.­1

“When the monk has seen the gods of the Four Great Kings, he will next examine the realms of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and its associated karmic actions. Thus, he will ask himself, ‘How do positive and negative karmic actions relate to beings taking birth among the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three?’

4.B.­2

“As he applies knowledge derived from hearing, he will then correctly perceive the following realms of the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three: Dwelling in Sudharma, Dwelling in the Lofty, Dwelling on Summits, Dwelling in Excellent View, Dwelling in One Direction, Dwelling in Forests, Dwelling in Various Chariots, Dwelling in Enjoyment, Dwelling in Beauty, Dwelling by the Pārijāta Tree, Dwelling on Mixed Riverbanks, Dwelling on Forest Riverbanks, Dwelling in Essence of Jewels, Engaging in Clarification, House of Refined Gold, Shaded by Garlands, Moving on Springy Ground, Distinguished in Many Colorful Ways, Subtle Engagement, Enraptured by and Attached to Song, Blazing Splendor, Resembling the Full Moon, Pair of Śāla Trees, Moving in the Wink of an Eye, Fine Complexion and Large Body, Draped with Jewels, [F.110.a] Part of the Assembly, Dwelling on the Disk, High Conduct, Supreme Splendor, Garland of Splendor, and Unmixed. Thus, the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three inhabit thirty-three regions.

4.B.­3

“Next, the monk who has comprehension of the ripening of the effects of karmic actions and discipline will examine the positive completed actions of those gods. Doing so, he wonders, ‘What are the completed and accumulated karmic actions that produce such happy realms, such desirable and attractive ripening, such happy ripening, such congregations of teachers,275 and such delightful sounds, textures, tastes, and maturations?’

The Gods Dwelling in Sudharma

4.B.­4

“Examining this matter with knowledge derived from hearing, he will understand that, apart from the teaching of the buddhas, no other amazing sight or sound is necessary for attaining those joyous and blissful realms for which there is no example. In Sudharma, the assembly hall of the gods, Kauśika rules in accordance with the Dharma.

4.B.­5

“By paying attention to the external features, the monk will start out by examining the first level of the gods and from there proceed to distinguish the designs of all the other grounds. He will ask himself how discipline may be cultivated so as to result in birth in the divine assembly hall of Sudharma. Inquiring with knowledge derived from hearing, he will then see how some people may practice sevenfold discipline in a way that is uncorrupted, unbroken, intact, genuine, and special. When it comes time to practice that generosity in which they have trained their minds thoroughly, they will be unstinting and helpful. In this way they will offer gifts to worthy ones, ailing parents, non-returners, once-returners, stream enterers, those arisen from cessation, those who have entered the path, and those trained in love, compassion, joy, and equanimity, or they may offer vitality to those who are afraid of dying and whose lives are threatened. When such people later separate from their bodies, they will go to the joyful higher realms and become the rulers of gods, residing within Sudharma, the divine assembly hall. Thus, they will reside within the assembly hall of Śakra Kauśika, [F.110.b] enjoying themselves while being served by a retinue of nine million nine hundred thousand lovely and endearing goddesses. Each god will be served by such a retinue, and each goddess will be just as caring as a single wife to her only husband. Among the goddesses there will be a lovely, endearing, and sympathetic primary queen. All the goddesses will wait upon this queen and the queen will be respectful toward them all in return.

4.B.­6

“The divine assembly hall of Sudharma measures five hundred leagues. Its foundation is made of beryl and its exceptionally attractive columns are of coral. The fences are made of crystal adorned with coral. The walls are of refined gold studded with diamonds. The delightful jewel thrones are studded with gorgeous rubies and sapphires.

4.B.­7

“At certain places there are lotus flowers with beryl petals and vajra anthers. These lotuses do not grow from mud but from even ground that is beautifully adorned with gold, and the like. Among some of the lotus ponds swim songbirds with feathers of beryl, beaks of ruby, and dark blue bodies. Such birds fill the lotus ponds.

4.B.­8

“Elsewhere the ponds are full of other kinds of jewel birds. With legs of beryl, dark blue feathers, beaks of coral, and eyes the color of coral, other birds occupy the land between the ponds. Still other ponds are home to different birds. Their bodies are made of gold from the Jambu River, they have coral feathers, their eyes are extremely gentle, and their legs are the color of pearls.

4.B.­9

“Other ponds are abuzz with beryl-colored, ecstatic bees. Such bees adorn the following ten great pools that add further beauty to the divine assembly hall of Sudharma: Source of Joy, Source of Great Lotuses, Utter Joy, Great and Utter Joy, Playful Frolicking, Fulfillment of Wishes, Ever-Present Chariots, Movement, Enjoyment of Wish-fulfilling Trees, and Powerful Luminous Retreat. Such lakes adorn Sudharma, the assembly hall of the gods.

4.B.­10

“There are also other lotus groves in which the flower stems are of silver, the anthers of gold, and the petals [F.111.a] of beryl. The cores of these flowers that do not grow from mud are the color of diamonds. Other lotuses have stalks colored like diamond, and petals that are a mix of ruby, beryl, coral, and gold, thus giving each lotus numerous colors. Some of the lotuses that belong to Śakra, king of the gods, have a hundred petals. Others have two hundred, three hundred, four hundred, five hundred, six hundred, seven hundred, eight hundred, nine hundred, or a thousand petals. Some have many colors and some just one. Some move and some are fixed. Such are the lotuses that grow at Śakra’s residence, the divine assembly hall of Sudharma.

4.B.­11

“Heavenly birds enter among the lotuses and fill the meadows. The birds are infatuated throughout the year, they have glistening cheeks,276 and they always dance to the sound of music. When Śakra visits the ponds and frolics there with his retinue of goddesses, the birds are equally joyous, and the songs they sing sound like the five types of instruments. The bird known as crazed by infatuation is a great dancer. When Śakra enjoys himself by the ponds, this bird comes to dance in the same way as the goddesses. Golden birds known as dwelling on the outskirts will then arrive, carrying flower garlands in their beaks. Those birds will then dance and sing by the ponds and on their banks. In this way the monk will regard the ponds of Śakra, king of the gods.

4.B.­12

“Next the monk will examine the manifestations of positive karmic action that appear at Sudharma, Śakra’s divine assembly hall. Thus, he will notice how the ponds feature various fish. Some are colored like gold, [F.111.b] some like silver, and some like beryl. The scales of the fish are ruby colored, their eyes are like coral, and their bellies like lotuses. Some of the fish have backs that are adorned with colorful spheres of various jewels, some have scales that are colored like the seven precious substances. Such are the fish that frolic in the ponds.

4.B.­13

“As the monk continues to examine the lotus ponds of Śakra, he will wonder what their different designs might be. Thus, with knowledge derived from hearing he will see that at some places there are sand beds made of pearls, whereas elsewhere the sand is of silver, gold, or beryl. Such are the colorful designs that manifest from Śakra’s positive karmic actions.

4.B.­14

“As the monk continues to examine those designs, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and see that some pools have banks that are surrounded by railings of gold, whereas other ponds feature railings of beryl, silver, or gold draped with nets of pearls. The banks of the lotus ponds are full of birds of variegated colors that sing joyous tunes and dart about.

4.B.­15

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to examine Sudharma, the divine assembly hall, he will notice how the lotus flowers in the ponds are visited by bees of myriad colors. Thus, silver-colored bees visit golden lotuses. The wings of the bees are like vajra sprouts and delightful to touch. Similarly, golden bees visit silver lotuses. In this way, numerous bees fly among the lotus flowers. The monk recognizes that all these things are the varied effects of virtuous actions.


4.B.­16

“As the monk continues to examine the divine assembly hall of Sudharma, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so proceed to examine the surrounding forests. Wondering what kinds of forests Śakra, king of the gods, [F.112.a] may possess, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. Thus, he will examine each of the forests located at Sudharma, the divine assembly hall. There are four such forests, known as Joyous Women, Joyous, Incomparable, and Colorful. The monk will examine each of these forests within which Śakra, ruler of the gods, surrounded by goddesses, enjoys heavenly pleasures of the five senses, reveling in his playful experience of forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures.

4.B.­17

“Wondering what delightful features the forests may contain, the monk will then apply knowledge derived from hearing and so notice the forest known as Joyous Women. The heavenly trees of this forest are adorned with flowers and fruits and are visited by numerous birds. Known as wish fulfillers and wish granters, the trees yield whatever the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three may wish. When the gods go to the forest to play, the trees will bloom with large and exquisite flowers. Thus, when females enter the forest and approach the trees to pluck the flowers, the trees will extend themselves as soon as the women arrive. When they have plucked their flowers, the trees will immediately grow new flowers that display fresh and different colors, scents, shapes, and features. Anything the goddesses wish for appears from the trees.

4.B.­18

“The trees may also transform and produce a fivefold, delightful music of sitars, drums, cymbals, flutes, and vīṇās. [F.112.b] Whatever the goddesses may wish to listen to, that sound will emerge from the trees. As soon as a given wish for music has occurred, a wind produced by wholesome karmic action will stir among the leaves of the trees. As the wind touches the leaves, each leaf will produce the sound of music. Enrapturing music of the five instruments‍—sitars, drums, cymbals, flutes, and vīṇās‍—will thus ring out from the leaves. Because of this, the trees are known as wish fulfillers.

4.B.­19

“The trees also display other wish-fulfilling features. For instance, whenever the passionate goddesses develop a wish for a certain ornament, garment, or fruit, the trees will immediately produce whatever was desired, all the while remaining resplendent. Because of this, too, the trees are known as wish fulfillers.

4.B.­20

“Some of the trees have the color of beryl and bear golden leaves. Some have golden trunks, silver branches, beryl flower petals, and keraṭaka277 leaves. Some trees bear leaves of the seven precious substances and yield various delicious fruits.

4.B.­21

“The trees are also wish-fulfilling in the following way. Whenever a goddess wishes to see Śakra, she will behold a magical emanation of the ruler of the gods, produced by Śakra’s positive karmic actions. This emanation will then revel and frolic with the goddess. In this way, emanations of millions of such rulers of the gods may appear. In front of the trees may stand nine hundred and ninety million goddesses, yet a ruler of the gods will appear to each one of them. Thus, the goddesses may play and frolic with their individual emanation but without being able to see one another. Whenever a goddess brings the features and ornaments of Śakra to mind she will immediately perceive that which she had in mind, and in this way be with him. In this way she will be able to frolic with him within the forest for as long as she wishes. Because of this, too, the trees are known as wish fulfillers. [F.113.a]

4.B.­22

“As the monk investigates the forest, he will notice that it contains a mountain known as Mount Playful. This mountain, which is made of the seven precious substances, functions as a dwelling place, since it has a vajra dome made of vajra sprouts and a mesh of golden twigs. It is filled with golden, silver, and sapphire deer, and numerous birds sing there. Upon that delightful mountain sits the mansion called Victorious Supreme Movement with its one thousand beautiful pillars. The pillars are constructed of gold, silver, and sapphire and studded with diamonds and large pearls. Within the mansion rest beryl thrones clad with rainbow-colored covers278 and colorful mats, and soft cushions are arranged upon them. One thousand such beautiful thrones can be found within the mansion. When Śakra has been victorious in the gods’ wars against the asuras, he adorns himself and proceeds to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three to celebrate with all the gods. Later, goddesses will come to the mansion to play, sing, dance, perform, and participate in games. Thus, everyone enjoys themselves corresponding with their bad, good, or intermediate karmic actions.

4.B.­23

“At times the goddesses will descend from the mansion of Victorious Supreme Movement. They will then stay on Mount Playful, passionately pursuing nothing but desire and enjoying one another in this way. While all women in the higher realms are abundantly desirous, this is particularly the case among the gods. While roaming the mountain they arrive in places where they find food and drink of all sorts of colors, fragrances, and tastes. There will also be intoxicating beverages. Thus, they will find an abundance of exquisite divine forms, smells, and tastes. The beverages are free from the flaws of inebriation, and when the goddesses partake of these uplifting drinks, they will become extremely joyous. When they consume the beverage known as vision giver, [F.113.b] they will be able to see heavenly forests and parks that lie beyond many mountains. The drink called sundry tastes yields an abundance of delicious tastes, and when the goddesses partake of it, their joy, complexions, physiques, and strength will intensify a hundred times.

4.B.­24

“When the goddesses look for food, they will find sustenance that corresponds with their own bad, intermediate, or excellent karmic actions. Thus, as the products of their karmic actions, they will find foods of exquisite taste, color, scent, and texture. Moreover, the nature of their drinks is the product of their karmic actions.

4.B.­25

“When the goddesses have consumed their drinks and ambrosial foods they will next visit musical performances on Mount Playful. There, to the beat of golden drums, they will hear the delightful tunes of vīṇās that are made of beryl, adorned with gold leaf, and equipped with strings of gold. Likewise, the goddesses will also see numerous hollow bamboos that are intertwined.279 They will have tremendous fun with cymbals, flutes, string instruments, and other musical instruments. Wearing all manner of fine jewelry, they will take up the instruments and play them so as to delight one another, stir various passions, intensify desires, captivate those who live in the forest, and produce tremendous passion of the most exquisite kind.

4.B.­26

“When they have played the instruments, the goddesses will next go to a place where beautiful tunes produced by the ringing and tinkling of small bells can be heard. As the breeze carries the tunes, the melodious ringing is enriched a hundred times. The goddesses, equipped with their variegated attire, outfits, and ornaments, are overjoyed upon hearing these tunes and thus begin to dance, frolic, and sing.

4.B.­27

“When satisfied by these sounds, they will proceed to descend from that place and instead visit ponds that are adorned with swans and yellow geese. [F.114.a] Swans, ducks, yellow geese, and various other golden and silvery birds embellish these ponds, and the goddesses will enter the water to play there. Free from the flaws of stinginess and envy, the goddesses will tap one another with the golden, silvery, and beryl-like stems of lotus flowers, and so they will for a long time prattle and play in the water, which is endowed with the eight features and all the good qualities of water. They will also play with the birds in the ponds.

4.B.­28

“Later, the goddesses will develop abundant passion. Thus, they will enjoy this passion and perpetuate it until it overtakes them, and they become insatiable. Thirsting for the objects of their passions, they will decide to go somewhere else. As they enter the so-called Mirror Forest, they will see their bodies reflected, adorned with their various garments and jewelry, and so they will see gorgeous and diverse reflections of themselves. Within various mirrors they will see their own exquisite qualities, garments, and perfect adornments, and in that way their excitement about their physical appearance increases tenfold. There are three ways that women become crazed by excitement: because of their looks, because of men, and because of pride. Those who become madly excited by seeing their own bodies will no longer think that any other female can at all qualify as a woman.

4.B.­29

“From the site where these mirrors are found, the goddesses will next proceed to another part of the forest known as All Seasons. All six seasons are represented there and continue to revolve, like a spinning wheel. Thus, the forest has specific regions of early winter, late winter, spring, summer, monsoon, and fall. The beautiful, colorful birds that adorn the forest likewise follow the seasons. The goddesses will enter this forest for their pleasure. They do so as friends, free from disagreement, envy, or displeasure, [F.114.b] and filled with mutual care, affection, and love. When they see the forest, they will enter whichever season they prefer and then play and enjoy themselves there. Since the forest displays all the different seasons, it inspires the goddesses to play. Thus, they will enjoy themselves and play with the flocks of birds until they feel like doing something else. Finally, the playful and utterly joyous goddesses will go to the residence of Śakra, ruler of the gods. When they see their husband, the goddesses, who are accomplished in various arts, will surround him, dancing and singing. Such are the perfect qualities of one of the forests of Śakra, ruler of the gods. This is what just one of his forests is like.


4.B.­30

“Next, the monk will examine the second among the forests of Śakra, king of the gods. The monk will wonder, ‘What are the features of that forest, and what is it called?’ Through knowledge derived from hearing he will understand that the forest is called Joyous. Wondering about the extent of the forest’s fine qualities, the monk will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so understand that by its very nature this forest is a place of joy, for it is full of ecstatically joyous gods and goddesses. They remain very close to one another, and their noble faces increase one another’s beauty.280

4.B.­31

“Surrounded by one hundred thousand divine maidens, Śakra, king of the gods, comes to this forest for pleasure. As he goes to this park, Śakra is accompanied by eighty-four thousand beryl chariots that are draped in nets of small bells. Some of the chariots are adorned with the head of a horse made of gold from the Jambu River, the sides of the chariots are clad in silver, and they are adorned with the seven precious substances. Some of the chariots are pulled by swans. Some of them fly through the sky, others move across the earth. [F.115.a] Amid singing and the sound of instruments and music, the leaders of the gods thus travel as Śakra’s retinue.

4.B.­32

“Eighty-four thousand strong and agile elephants saunter alongside them, draped in nets of gold. Large and small bells hang from their bodies, on their backs lie colorful carpets and cushions, and from their cheeks trickle drops of clear silver.281 Singing and playing divine music, leaders of the gods ride upon those elephants, all the while gazing at the face of Śakra. Such is his retinue on the way to the forest.

4.B.­33

“There are also eighty-four thousand goddesses who accompany Śakra, gazing at his face. They wear various garments and ornaments and have a variety of skin colors and physical shapes. Some dance, some sing, some play the five types of instruments, and some engage in various games as they proceed to the forest.

4.B.­34

“There are also dancers who perform and entertain and gaze at Śakra’s face as they advance into the forest. They are dressed in the four costumes, have various shapely physiques, and sport a variety of fashions.

4.B.­35

“Amid this retinue travels Śakra together with Śaci. Their chariot has wheels with a hundred spokes and is adorned with beryl, gold, coral, ruby, lapis lazuli, and great sapphires. The chariot is pulled by a hundred thousand swans whose bodies are of a color like gold from the Jambu River, their legs like coral, their eyes like tiger eye, their bodies like ruby, their beaks like coral, and their feathers like pearls. The swans carry Śakra wherever he wishes. Thus, within this supreme chariot rides Śakra together with Śaci. Adorned with various precious stones and more splendid than a hundred suns, he travels to the forest. Śaci’s form, attire, and jewelry are a hundred times more perfect than any of the other goddesses. Occupying half of Śakra’s seat, she thus rides to forest. [F.115.b]

4.B.­36

“In this way, all the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three enjoy divine pleasures. Crazed by heavenly sounds, textures, tastes, forms, and smells, they surround Śakra, ruler of the gods, as he tours the forests and parks, riding his golden chariot together with Śaci, just as mentioned before. While he enjoys a hundred thousand pleasures, the ruler of the gods is honored from chariots and elephants by gods and divine dignitaries with the sounds of instruments, song, and music as they all journey to the forest.

4.B.­37

“When the charming goddesses who live in the forest hear the singing, the music, and the instruments, they and the gods of the forest will all stop and listen. Then they will rush forth with tremendous joy. As they emerge from the forest, they will carry lotus flowers, play instruments, and sing beautiful songs.

4.B.­38

“When Śakra, ruler of the gods, sees this, he will say to the gods, ‘O gods, those goddesses saw me approaching and have now come out to welcome us with instruments and music. Gods, behold their precious garments and numerous forms. They have come to play and enjoy themselves with us.’

4.B.­39

“When the gods hear these words from Śakra, ruler of the gods, they will respond, ‘Ruler of the gods, all these goddesses are yours. You are their refuge, support, and protector.’

4.B.­40

“To this Śakra, ruler of the gods, will reply, ‘I am not the leader of these goddesses. Nor am I their refuge, support, or protector. They proceed due to the force of karmic action. Karmic action is their master and their support, and on that they rely. They are what they are due to negative, neutral, and positive actions. Under the power of karmic actions, they engaged in negative, [F.116.a] neutral, or positive acts.’


4.B.­41

“At that point the ruler of the gods will speak these verses:

“ ‘Negative actions lead beings
Into unfortunate realms of existence.
Neutral acts will make them see the mediocre,
And nothing better than that.
4.B.­42
“ ‘Whenever someone
Does something,
The resulting experience
Will ripen in the body.
4.B.­43
“ ‘Divine palaces, shining garlands,
And reveling in bliss
Are all seen to be the effects of virtue,
Which is uniquely stainless.
4.B.­44
“ ‘Whatever actions humans do,
Whether virtuous or unvirtuous,
Their effects are seen at the respective times
Of happiness and unhappiness.
4.B.­45
“ ‘The many enjoyments that the gods
Playfully experience
Are not caused by me
But by their own former actions.’
4.B.­46

“When the gods hear these words of Śakra, they will rejoice, honor him above their heads, and then go to stay in the forest.

4.B.­47

“The thousands or hundreds of thousands of goddesses all hold lotus flowers in their hands, wear various garments, take numerous forms, and wear different kinds of ornaments. In this way, they each have their own particular attire, form, and demeanor, and they all have their own unique way of singing and playing music. Thus, these hundreds or thousands of goddesses, who have manifested due to a number of wholesome karmic actions, now appear in extremely skillful ways. Dancing before Śakra, ruler of the gods, they will all return to the forest.

4.B.­48

“Where they first enter the forest, the trees are of silver and display silver leaves. The ground is also of silver and embellished with many silvery adornments. All the birds are silvery, and there are many flocks of them, singing in many different ways. The goddesses serve Śakra, ruler of the gods, as they enter this beautiful forest together with him.

4.B.­49

“As they enter the forest, the light of the myriad different jewel ornaments [F.116.b] and the light of the silver forest swirl together, and the ensuing splendor forms ornaments of light in the sky. Śakra is delighted, and the goddesses each sing their own beautiful and soothing songs to the tunes of the five types of instruments. Thousands of goddesses offer praise as they hear the sounds of small bells and flutes emerging from the eighty-four thousand bejeweled chariots and the eighty-four thousand elephants. At the same time, nine million nine hundred thousand goddesses form the retinue. In this way, the lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three enjoys pleasures of the body and mind for which no example exists. Why is that so? Because the heavenly environment and delightful foods that are enjoyed by the lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three are unlike anything else.

4.B.­50

“When Śakra, ruler of the gods, has entered the silver forest, which is filled with divine pleasures of the five senses, the gods and goddesses also remain within the forest for a long time so they can play, enjoy themselves, and take supreme pleasure from the delightful objects.

4.B.­51

“At some point Śakra, ruler of the gods, will then proceed to a second part of the forest along with all the goddesses, chariots, and elephants in order to play and rest there. The part of the forest where they now arrive has the color of refined gold. Its trees bear beautiful fruits that are the size of five humans and have a sweet, honey-like taste and a perfect fragrance. When the gods realize that consuming these fruits has an extremely infatuating effect, they will bend down the branches of the trees and let their elephants eat the fruits. As they consume the fruits, the elephants become inebriated and boisterously romp about. The gods will then say, ‘Ah, our elephants are inebriated and boisterously romp about. They enjoyed the full flavor of these fruits and now they are drunk and dance in joy and excitement to the sounds of the instruments.’ [F.117.a]

4.B.­52

“Within the golden forest live many flocks of songbirds. The silvery birds are attracted to this forest, and so they also stay there and beautify it.

4.B.­53

“Śakra, ruler of the gods, enjoys himself with his divine maiden Śaci, just as the gods enjoy themselves with the other goddesses. Thus, everyone enjoys themselves and rollicks to their hearts’ delight. The gods also enjoy themselves and play around within the circle of their friends‍—singing, dancing, and joking‍—for the gods who have done good will play with one another without any envy or miserliness.

4.B.­54

“Within the golden forest is another pond known as Cool Water, which is adorned with lotus flowers of gold and beryl. The banks of this pond are frequented by the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and the courtiers of Śakra at the divine assembly hall of Sudharma. They all come there to play and enjoy themselves with flocks of goddesses to the tunes of the five types of instruments.

4.B.­55

“From there the gods posted at the mansion of Sudharma go to a part of the forest where beautiful beryl trees grow exquisite golden fruits. Those divine fruits are full of a delicious juice that tastes like the jackfruit282 of Jambudvīpa. Within this fruit’s hard shell is a fragrant flesh called the sweet one, which has many beautiful colors. The gods pick the fruits, split them open, and drink from them. The fruits taste sweeter than honey, and they produce inebriation without any of the negative side effects of intoxication. These gods actually become intoxicated in three ways because they get drunk on women, fruit juice, and divine pleasures of the five senses. [F.117.b] When the gods are together with the goddesses, their drunkenness is thus threefold. Śakra, ruler of the gods, enjoys the nectar together with his courtiers. They gather and consume that nectar, which is the fruit of their own actions and which has manifested as if through a business transaction.

4.B.­56

“In this way, Śakra and his retinue travel from land to land, place to place, enjoying themselves, rollicking, and reveling. The beryl forests are delightful with their birds, bees, small bells, and numerous flavors, and thus they enjoy themselves there for a long time. Then Śakra, ruler of the gods, will enter the divine assembly hall of Sudharma together with the pantheon of gods.


4.B.­57

“At Sudharma, the assembly hall of the gods, lies a third forest, known as Incomparable. This forest is of an incomparable nature. and within it Śakra frolics and enjoys himself with his five hundred sons and their retinues, who are his wealth.

4.B.­58

“Furthermore, the sons of Śakra, ruler of the gods, are all righteous and follow the Dharma. All possess a genuine view. They are gods who previously adopted the genuine view and who have attained victory in the war against the asuras. They all acknowledge their mother, father, mendicants, and brahmins, and they are all in agreement with one another. At times they think, ‘We should definitely go enjoy ourselves with the goddesses at the forest called Incomparable.’ They will then set out, surrounded by hosts of goddesses, to the forest called Incomparable.

4.B.­59

“For each divine son there will be ten million youthful and beautiful goddesses. The sons share a single pursuit, [F.118.a] they are passionate, they pursue passion, and they are in constant agreement. Thus, they will go before Śakra, ruler of the gods, and say, ‘Your Majesty, we wish to go and stay in the Incomparable forest. Your Majesty, please bear in mind that it would be appropriate for you to proceed with us and take up residence in that forest.’

4.B.­60

“To this Śakra will reply, ‘I have already had my enjoyments in pleasure gardens. I shall practice the Dharma in accordance with the Dharma and form aspirations. Thus, I shall accomplish our objectives. As I am cautious on behalf of the gods, I have returned here, having had my enjoyments in pleasure gardens. The gods are afflicted by the flaws of carelessness, so you should be careful. Give up the terrible poison of the flaws of carelessness!’


4.B.­61

“He will then utter the following verses:

“ ‘Carefulness is the site of ambrosia.
Carelessness is the site of death.
The careful shall not die,
But the careless always die.
4.B.­62
“ ‘Carefulness is the basis of immortality.
Carelessness is the basis of death.
Sons, by means of carefulness,
I have become the leader of the gods.
4.B.­63
“ ‘The instruction of the well-gone ones‍—
That, sons, I shall accomplish.
Never shall I transgress
The instructions of those who persevere in the vows.
4.B.­64
“ ‘Those who transgress the teachings of the able ones
Are blinded by desire.
For them there will be no freedom from suffering,
As they will always pursue suffering.’
4.B.­65

“Having thus instructed his sons in this way, the ruler of the gods will remain at his residence, the divine assembly hall of Sudharma. Utterly delighted and in agreement with one another, the sons of Śakra will then enter the palace of Śakra, which is made of divine gold, resounds with song and music, and is adorned with numerous splendid features. [F.118.b]

4.B.­66

“Once there, they will say, ‘We should go and enjoy ourselves in the forest. Let us go to the Incomparable forest.’

“Thus, seventy thousand divine sons will proceed there, some riding golden chariots and others riding divine birds. They will be followed by goddesses, some of whom travel in the sky, while others, surrounded by retinues of gods and goddesses, travel within supreme lotus flowers. Supremely blissful, they play music and sing songs. In this way they all proceed to the Incomparable forest.

4.B.­67

“The bodies of the sons of Śakra are adorned with divine garlands and massaged with divine sandal oil. Some shine in a natural light like the sun, while some are resplendent like the moon and others like the planets or the stars. Their beauty accords with their past actions. In this way they journey to the bountiful pleasure garden known as Incomparable. They then enter that forest while caring for one another and enjoying their gorgeous heavenly realm.

4.B.­68

“Everything about this forest is incomparable, so the following is just an example of a mere fraction of its qualities. Upon entering this forest, one senses incomparable aromas, such that the even the most exquisite sandalwood cannot compare to even a sixteenth of those fragrances. Such is the character of the attractive and gratifying aromas.

4.B.­69

“As they enter the forest, the gods are amazed and wonder, ‘Is this really here for our pleasure?’ Having quenched their thirst, they will then proceed into the forest. The first sight that meets them is that of gorgeous trees, for the trees of the forest have very attractive trunks. Grouped in thickets of about a hundred trees, some of the trees there are made of beryl, whereas others are made of gold, silver, and crystal. Such are the various trees found there as the gods enter the forest. [F.119.a] It all resembles a lovely painting produced in Jambudvīpa.

4.B.­70

“The trees have many gorgeous features, colors, forms, and shapes. As if looking at the surface of a clear mirror, the gods see reflections of goddesses upon the trees. Enraptured, they will rush forth to see more. In this manner, they venture into that Incomparable forest in order to fully enjoy the many pleasures of the forest, which is full of goddesses, music, and the sounds of instruments.

4.B.­71

“When they enter the forest, divine birds sing in a deeply endearing manner. The gods behold these flocks of birds with their golden feathers and bellies like beryl, silvery backs, and eyes that resemble karketana. As they see and hear these birds that warble in the most enchanting manner, the gods will rebuke their own birds, telling them, ‘Birds, listen! The singing of these birds, with their vibrant tunes, calls, and colors, outshines even the songs of goddesses and makes them sound plain.’ Then, having listened to the songs of the birds, the divine sons proceed farther into the forest to play.

4.B.­72

“At this point, they will see a lotus pond called Lotuses Resembling Sunlight teeming with lotus flowers with petals that beam like a thousand suns. Dressed in their multifarious garments and ornaments, the divine sons will approach the pond to examine it further. As they encircle the pond, the gods and their accompanying goddesses will then dance, sing, joke, play, and enjoy themselves upon the banks of the pond. This drives the gods crazy with passion due to their numerous intense experiences of bliss, and thus, right there, they all succumb completely to their divine passions. [F.119.b]

4.B.­73

“Next, the gods will venture farther into the forest in that great heavenly realm. As troupes of goddesses dance decked out in their various garments and ornaments, they all proceed toward a place known as Forest of Flowing Rivers. There, the sundry rivers flow with streams of milk, water that tastes like wine, winter wine water, and divine drinking water. Many bees and hundreds of flocks of birds thrive by these rivers that cascade over stones of gold, coral, silver, and numerous other minerals. Attended to by coteries of goddesses, the divine sons come to play, and thus they tarry for a long time, enjoying themselves and carousing with the goddesses.

4.B.­74

“From the flowing rivers the gods next proceed to another part of the forest where divine flowers grow. The fragrance of these heavenly flowers that never wither can be detected for up to ten leagues. One of the flowers is called moonlight and has a color like the moon. Another one is called sunlight and is of the color of the sun, yet without any burning light. The fruits of that orchard resemble the planets and stars. The divine sons will enter that part of the forest and discover a rich variety of fruits. Some of these fruits are sweet like honey, some have a tart taste, while others are soft and melt in your mouth. There are also fragrant fruits, fruits that have a wonderful fragrance, fruits possessing all six tastes, fruits that taste just as one pleases, and fruits with a taste one never tires of. The fruits with such features are the product of the gods’ positive karmic actions as they manifest within the Incomparable forest.

4.B.­75

“When the gods have enjoyed themselves, played, and frolicked, and also plucked, eaten, munched, drunk, and relished the fruits in that part of the forest, they proceed to another part of the forest known as Dancing Birds. There they will encounter flocks of birds that sing, call out in various ways, perform various dances, and fill the air with mellifluous tunes. [F.120.a] The gods gambol freely there, listening to the melodious sounds.

4.B.­76

“Next they proceed to another grove known as Merging. This part of the forest receives its name from the fact that all the fruits, flowers, rivers, trees, and birds that were mentioned previously can be found there. This forest is filled with the five divine sense pleasures, and thus the divine sons can frolic and enjoy themselves there.283 Taking up residence, they will keep rollicking there for an exceedingly long time.

4.B.­77

“At this point Śakra, ruler of the gods, will think, ‘My divine sons are lost in carelessness. Have they not yet understood that all these pleasures eventually will come to nothing?’

4.B.­78

“Aware of the thoughts of Śakra, king of the gods, the divine sons will then return along the way they came and eventually arrive back at the residence of Śakra, king of the gods. The goddesses will also rush ahead, wishing to enjoy themselves at Sudharma, the divine assembly hall.


When Śakra has inspected the divine sons upon their return, he will utter the following verses:

4.B.­79
“ ‘How could one ever be satisfied
By those objects one craves for?
When free from the craving for satisfaction,
Embodied beings are free from suffering.
4.B.­80
“ ‘People who are fond of objects
Will never be happy.
The objects are seen to be like poison;
Their vicissitudes are unbearable.
4.B.­81
“ ‘How could those who pursue objects
Without beginning or end
Possibly be happy,
Either in this world or the next?
4.B.­82
“ ‘Birth always284 ends in nothing at all,
And youth passes quickly.
Meeting and parting
Are invariably seen together.
4.B.­83
“ ‘Fooled in so many ways
And obscured due to pleasure and beauty,
Beings who are deceived by delusion
Will never develop disenchantment.
4.B.­84
“ ‘Thus, all childish beings
Play with the objects they crave.
Still, in the same way as burning wood,
These objects will never satisfy them.
4.B.­85
“ ‘People thus deprived of satisfaction
Are all fooled by objects. [F.120.b]
Even as they approach death,
They still cannot separate from these various appearances.
4.B.­86
“ ‘Without having gathered provisions for their journey,
They remain deceived by objects.
Dulled completely by their craving,
The gods die helplessly.
4.B.­87
“ ‘To you who are deluded by desire,
This is my teaching.
This is a true ground for the Dharma,
But you must always take care of yourselves.285
4.B.­88
“ ‘People who practice the Dharma
Will gain happiness upon happiness
And rapidly proceed
To suffering’s transcendence and peace.
4.B.­89
“ ‘Therefore, always create stores
Of merit for the beyond.
Those who constantly create virtue
Become well trained and proceed to the realm without defilement.’
4.B.­90
“As they hear these words of Śakra,
Their minds then become pure, peaceful, and gentle.
For all the sons of Śakra,
This is their father’s teaching.
4.B.­91

“In this way Śakra, king of the gods, will explain to his sons how positive actions block the gateways to the lower realms, and in this way he establishes them upon the excellent path.


4.B.­92

“Next, everyone will proceed to the forest called Colorful in order to dwell happily there and engage in virtuous actions. As a result of his many positive actions in the past, the forest called Colorful features many different palaces of Śakra, king of the gods. There are five hundred such palaces‍—some made of crystal and others of coral, gold, silver, sapphire, great sapphire, and refined gold. Many hundreds of thousands of beautiful trees grow in that forest, and it is also adorned with lotus flowers in the colors of the rising sun.


Acknowledging this, Śakra will utter the following verses:

4.B.­93
“ ‘Merits will yield enjoyments
Numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
Performing many kinds of virtue
Will ripen in many different ways.
4.B.­94
“ ‘People who fail to perform positive actions
And instead become slaves of their minds
Will be deceived by the enemy that is their mind.
Thus, they will helplessly fall into the lower realms.
4.B.­95
“ ‘All the different palaces
Are due to different karmic actions. [F.121.a]
When gods reap divine experiences within them,
Their positive activity will only increase.’
4.B.­96

“When Śakra, king of the gods, has spoken these words, they will proceed to another multistoried palace, also produced by positive karmic actions. The palace is equipped with colorful seats that are soft, spongy, and studded with beautiful jewels. The palace is also adorned with splendorous garlands. When he has examined the palace, Śakra, king of the gods, will enter for the sake of pleasure and enjoyment. The palace is made of precious materials and adorned with resplendent jewels. It is aglow with numerous lights and is teeming with gorgeous flowers. When he has entered this palace, Śakra will play and revel in the park, attended to by many bevies of goddesses. The park displays an exquisite undulating landscape with a wealth of different kinds of flowers and various golden birds that sing. Here and there stand gorgeous trees of the seven precious substances in which birds tweet and bees hum. The landscape also features several wish-fulfilling trees. Śakra, ruler of the gods, inspects all these features, and then he and the gathering of splendid and magnificent gods, more radiant than the sun and the moon, venture into the park and frolic there.

4.B.­97

“Śakra, king of the gods, will then catch sight of a beryl mansion surrounded by golden trees. The mansion is beautified with pairs of golden and silver pillars and adorned with lotus pools of blue beryl. Seeing this, he will think, ‘I should go to stay in that mansion.’

4.B.­98

“At this point the gods will think, ‘Now Śakra, king of the gods, will enter that multistoried mansion. We, along with our retinues [F.121.b] and attending goddesses, should now go singing through the forests and parks where we can play and be happy.’

4.B.­99

“Śakra, for his part, thinks, ‘If the gods and goddesses grant me the opportunity, I shall enter that mansion.’

“The gods will then exclaim, ‘Please go and enjoy yourself in your parks!’ Having heard those words, Śakra will then go where his attendants are and play within the groves, parks, and gardens, among the lotus pools and ponds.

4.B.­100

“Next, the king of gods will proceed to the multistoried mansion and enter that beryl abode, taking his place upon a seat of colorful, divine cushions made of unwoven fabrics. While seated there, inspired by his previous positive and virtuous karmic action, he will begin to examine the surface of a very bright wall. Then, as if here were looking at a painting, upon that wall he will perceive all the Śakras that have previously passed away. He will behold the names that are written upon the wall, all of them being names of deceased rulers: Excellent Wealth, Endowment, Possessor of Excellent Conduct, White, Excellent Intelligence, Universally Blissful, Steadfast One, Universal Observer, Thousand-Eyed One, Enjoyer of All, Thousandfold Light, Adorned with Glorious Garlands, Endowed with Glory, Blue-Colored One, Immortal One, Immutable One, Bliss Maker, Holder of Supreme Gifts, Auspicious One, Ever-Joyous One, Śakra, and so forth.

4.B.­101

“Śakra will see how all those rulers passed away from the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.286 He will notice how they took birth there due to virtuous karmic actions and how once those actions were exhausted they transmigrated. He will observe how they again took birth among hell beings, animals, and starving spirits and thus underwent numerous forms of physical pain. He will see how they were tormented and struck by severe suffering throughout all those lives. All of this Śakra will see reflected upon the wall. [F.122.a] [B31]

4.B.­102

“When those previous rulers were born as starving spirits, they suffered the physical pain of starvation and thirst, and their bodies were held together by nothing but skin, bones, and sinew. When born as animals, they underwent the torments of mutual predation, and as humans, they suffered the pains of continuous searching.

4.B.­103

“Seeing all this, Śakra will think, ‘Cyclic existence is excruciating and can yield no happiness. Alas, the harms of cyclic existence are pervasive and abundant. All is pointless. In this cyclic existence, there is not so much as a hair tip of anything permanent, lasting, durable, or changeless. Alas, all those rulers experienced the fruits of their own actions and then died, only to take birth among hell beings, animals, and starving spirits. Who can enjoy such happiness, which in the end turns into pain? Alas, this cyclic existence is utterly unbearable and horrifying‍—extremely unpleasant. All those so-called rulers of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three had the fortune of tremendous bliss and yet, by the same token, went to destinations that are exceedingly unbearable.’

4.B.­104

“Thus disillusioned, Śakra will think of his own situation. He will then see that for him the passage to the lower realms is closed, and that once he leaves the heavens, he will be born among humans. When he then later dies as a human, he will again be born among the gods. Moreover, while being human, he will be born in an excellent land with affluent regions, towns, and cities. He will become a member of a good family, abide by excellent conduct, and have excellent qualities. His family will be free from wrong views, arrogance, conceit, and pride. Śakra will observe that if he is born among humans, [F.122.b] he will either take birth in a royal family or otherwise become a minister who constantly pursues pure conduct and is endowed with excellent qualities, true mastery, and great power.

4.B.­105

“When he asks himself where he may be born once he has died as a human, he shall foresee that he will take birth among the gods, where he will possess supreme miraculous powers and tremendous strength and be free from any remaining shameful faults. Thus, when the other gods eat, they will feel very ashamed of their food, which is mixed with negativity and produced through negative karmic actions. Such food appears whenever such actions have been engaged in, and the sight of that food causes the gods tremendous shame.

4.B.­106

“When Śakra sees his amazingly plentiful, delicious, and abundant foods, he will wonder how many lives will remain like this for him. As he scrutinizes the palace wall, he will then observe how he will transmigrate back and forth between the realms of gods and humans seven times. However, he will fail to see an eighth life of his‍—neither among gods nor among humans, hell beings, animals, or starving spirits. This will make him wonder, ‘I do not see myself anywhere among those beings. Where might I be born next?’

4.B.­107

“Failing to see himself anywhere, he will become very shocked. He will for a long time remain perplexed, thinking, ‘Oh, I cannot see my eighth life!’

“Finally, he will remember, ‘I did hear the Blessed One say that after seven lives, I would become a stream enterer and that thereafter I would enter the field free from any remainder of the aggregates. I must now be in possession of that kind of fortune.’

4.B.­108

“Having realized this, Śakra will prostrate to the Blessed One, paying homage with an extremely buoyant and unsullied mind. [F.123.a] Then he will once more sit down upon his exquisite cushions of extremely luxuriant, unwoven fabrics and his seat of gold from the Jambu River. At that point, his reflection will again appear upon the surface of the wall.

“Śakra, king of the gods, will now think, ‘I shall go to the divine assembly hall of Sudharma to see the gods there.’

4.B.­109

“He will then rise from his seat and proceed to the forest Colorful, where he will enjoy himself and frolic among the gods and goddesses, reveling ecstatically in his rich possessions of divine pleasures of the five senses. The forest Colorful abounds with beautiful birds, trees, lotus ponds, pools, and parks. When the gods and goddesses who live there see Śakra, king of the gods, they will take up their cymbals and various instruments and approach him. As they approach him, they will address him sincerely and minister to him, all of them performing dances, singing, and engaging in merrymaking. At this time, walking in front of Śakra, an attending troupe of goddesses striking various poses and wearing various garments will play musical instruments. In this way, Śakra will proceed to the divine assembly hall of Sudharma. Everyone will follow him delightedly, playing cymbals and various instruments, dancing, laughing, rollicking, and making merry.

4.B.­110

“Next, the gods who stay at Sudharma will come forth, wishing to pay their respects to Śakra. They will emerge in groups from Sudharma, playing cymbals and singing various songs. As the great assembly of deeply joyous gods [F.123.b] perform dances and sing extremely beautiful songs, their tunes fill the entire realm of gods. When the gods that reside in other heavenly forests and parks hear those tunes, they will also experience the divine pleasures of the five senses, and they too will frolic and enjoy themselves. They will then also proceed to the divine assembly hall. Once there, they will address Śakra sincerely and request him to proceed victoriously. Thereupon Śakra will journey to the divine assembly hall of Sudharma accompanied by many hundreds of thousands of gods. Due to their various virtuous actions, the gods sing and dance and wear variegated garments and ornaments. To be born among them is an effect of having observed and cultivated discipline well.

4.B.­111

“The entire gathering of gods will then enter Sudharma. This abode of Śakra measures five hundred leagues and is adorned with pure gold. It features beautiful trees of beryl and other magnificent trees, as well as delicate blooming flowers with exceedingly delectable fragrances that can be sensed from a distance of five leagues. The abode is attractive, delightful, beautiful, agreeable, and unconquerable, and everyone at the divine assembly hall is protected by Śakra. In this way, everyone there enjoys pleasures of the five senses, frolicking together with Śakra and a throng of nine hundred million goddesses.

4.B.­112

“Within Sudharma, the gathering of gods will proceed to the Mansion of Great Joy with its pillars of beryl, gold, silver, and coral. The mansion is adorned with seats of gold that are covered with colorful cushions of unwoven fabrics. The cushions are soft and spongy. [F.124.a] Upon those perfect seats, the entire gathering of gods will seat themselves at Śakra’s invitation.

4.B.­113

“Then Śakra, king of the gods, will speak to the divine gathering: ‘Due to our positive actions we were born into this divine world. It is certain that once those deeds are exhausted, we will fall. We ended up here among the gods in accordance with our karmic actions and we are now experiencing our share of karmic effects. But in the end, we will once again fall. Therefore, gods, acknowledge all this suffering and do what is virtuous!’

4.B.­114

“When they have heard these words of Śakra, everyone will say, ‘Śakra, it is just as you have understood. We will experience our share of karmic effects and we are going to fall from our bliss and happiness. Therefore, please teach us what causes may prevent such a downfall.’

4.B.­115

“To this Śakra will reply, ‘Neither below, around us, right here, or above is there anything that is conditioned and yet permanent, enduring, or unchanging. So enough with this mind that is constantly attached to afflictions! It brings endless suffering and nothing good. Its nature is nothing good. It does not yield knowledge of causes and conditions‍—it produces them. It prevents us from understanding how vast this suffering is. When you die, most of you will leave these lofty realms and take rebirth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. Thus, those who are born here due to their positive actions will come to experience their share of karmic effects. That is how they experience the pleasures of the gods in heaven. Yet when karmic actions turn against them, they will fall, and their experience will become that of the hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. Gods, [F.124.b] you must therefore be extremely careful about this!

4.B.­116

“ ‘In summary, the Dharma that has been taught by as many buddhas as there are sand grains in the river Gaṅgā, that which brings liberation from cyclic existence, is precisely this: Due to the condition of ignorance there will be formation; due to the condition of formation there will be consciousness; due to the condition of consciousness there will be name and form; due to the condition of name and form there will be the six sense sources; due to the condition of the six sense sources there will be contact; due to the condition of contact there will be sensation; due to the condition of sensation there will be craving; due to the condition of craving there will be grasping; due to the condition of grasping there will be becoming; due to the condition of becoming there will be birth; and due to the condition of birth there will be old age and death, grief, lamentation, suffering, distress, and disturbance. This entire great mass of suffering arises in that way. Furthermore, when ignorance ceases, formation will cease; when formation ceases, consciousness will cease; when consciousness ceases, name and form will cease; when name and form cease, the six sense sources will cease; when the six sense sources cease, contact will cease; when contact ceases, sensation will cease; when sensation ceases, craving will cease; when craving ceases, grasping will cease; when grasping ceases, becoming will cease; when becoming ceases, birth will cease; and when birth ceases, old age and death, grief, lamentation, suffering, distress, and disturbance will all cease. This entire great mass of suffering ceases in that way.

4.B.­117

“ ‘Therefore, gods, by seeing and understanding this process of the evolution and reversal of cyclic existence, one will bring the afflictions to their point of exhaustion and achieve liberation and what is known as the transcendence of suffering‍—that which is indestructible, permanent, never aging, deathless, and free from defilements. This, gods, is how living beings [F.125.a] achieve liberation from cyclic existence.

4.B.­118

“ ‘Other than this, nothing that is conditioned can likewise be indestructible, inexhaustible, unaffected by dissipation, or capable of lasting throughout all lives. No such thing can be found within cyclic existence. Nowhere is there lasting happiness, freedom from falling, or an absence of exhaustion and destruction. There is nothing that does not cease once it has arisen.’

4.B.­119

“When they have heard these words from Śakra, those gods who in their past lives trained their minds and delighted in the sacred Dharma, but whose minds were nevertheless extremely feeble, will now begin to take care. They will develop single-pointed faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, and plant the seed of the transcendence of suffering by engaging in actions that lead to bliss. Those who have not trained their minds, on the other hand, will once more become careless and disturbed. Fooled by craving, they will again pursue the enjoyment of their wealth of divine pleasures of the five senses. Thus, those who are deceived will play and enjoy themselves, and there will be no end to their suffering in cyclic existence.

4.B.­120

“When Śakra, king of the gods, has taught the Dharma, the four guardians of the world will come to the divine assembly hall of Sudharma looking for Śakra, king of the gods, and his retinue of gods. From a distance they will see him residing upon his throne, surrounded by his divine retinue, blazing with splendor and endowed with the incomparable pleasures of the gods. The four guardians will then approach. As they come before Śakra, they will address him sincerely and take their places upon supremely delightful, divine seats. After a while they will then rise from their supremely delightful, divine seats and, [F.125.b] facing Śakra, they will address him as follows: ‘Ruler of the gods, in Jambudvīpa people endeavor in the ten virtuous actions and they delight in the sacred Dharma. They respect their mothers, their fathers, mendicants, and brahmins, and they are respectful toward the elders in their families. Ruler of the gods, we request that you rejoice!’

4.B.­121

“Having heard these words, Śakra, ruler of the gods, will reply, ‘Gods, I am happy. Great kings, you guard the world, and you truly enact your wishes to benefit the world. Now that you have heard that I am happy, you should be delighted too.’

4.B.­122

“The guardians of the world will also inform Śakra about people who are unrighteous and pursue improper activities. In this regard, they will say, ‘In Jambudvīpa there are unrighteous people who pursue improper activities. They do not respect their mothers, their fathers, mendicants, or brahmins, and they do not follow the elders of their families. The forces of the māras are flourishing and the forces of the sacred Dharma are waning.’

4.B.­123

“When he hears such words, Śakra, king of the gods, will summon the gods of the Heaven of the Four Great Kings and of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three who are inclined toward him. Then he will say to them, ‘Firm, Overjoyed, and other such asuras have risen from the world below. Along with the unrighteous nāgas, such as Pramatha, they are on their way to wage war with us. Gods, prepare yourselves!’

4.B.­124

“As instructed by Śakra, the gods of the Four Great Kings will then quickly take up their various arms and weapons, just as described earlier, and so they will proceed to Moon Mountain. Then the guardians of the world will set out, as will Śakra, ruler of gods. Śakra will proceed surrounded by a gathering of various gods that are [F.126.a] all in the prime of their youth and adorned with divine garlands, garments, and ornaments. Thus, followed by goddesses and surrounded by gods, he will proceed with his entire gathering to the forest known as Endowed with Everything.

4.B.­125

“Compared to other parks, this one is like Mount Sumeru compared to a single hair.287 It stands out just as the moon encircled by planets and stars, the sun surrounded by planets, or Mount Sumeru surrounded by a thousand golden mountains. The beautiful trees in this forest display divine colors of gold, silver, beryl, sapphire, and ruby, and the garden is adorned with divine flowers. Flocks of delightful songbirds flutter about in this park, which also features exquisite ponds full of divine lotus flowers. This great park is where Airāvaṇa, Śakra’s elephant, plays with his elephant cows in the ponds, as described previously. Within groves of beryl lotuses, he frolics with his elephant cows. Just as Śakra, king of the gods, is attended to by various groups of gods and goddesses, so the king of elephants enjoys a similar situation. Among lotuses of refined gold that beautify him with a wonderful light that resembles the dawn of a hundred thousand suns, he enjoys himself, reveling and frolicking. Although he is an animal, he nevertheless experiences divine pleasures.

4.B.­126

“When Śakra, king of the gods, arrives at the ponds, he will massage and stroke Airāvaṇa with both his hands and say, ‘Ah, my king of elephants is needed in this war. When the gods and asuras fight, I shall ride him to victory.’ [F.126.b]

4.B.­127

“Once he has wiped down the supreme elephant, Śakra will proceed toward the mansion known as Freedom from Suffering, which is located within that same forest. Surrounded by his retinue of gods and goddesses, he will ascend the stairway to the mansion, which forms a bridge across the water, and then enter the palace. Inside the mansion, the king of gods will proceed to frolic and enjoy himself along with nine hundred million goddesses. Together they will romp, take pleasure, and revel in their exquisite endowments of divine pleasures of the five senses.

4.B.­128

“In this manner, the king of the gods experiences enjoyments in accordance with his own karmic actions. The gods and their king will continue to enjoy every pleasure within the hundreds of parks at the divine assembly hall of Sudharma, until finally their completed and accumulated desirable, attractive, and delightful acts, which are to be distinctly experienced in a blissful karmic ripening, have come to exhaustion. Until that point, they will keep playing and enjoying themselves to the tune of music from the five types of instruments. Once they die at the divine assembly hall of Sudharma, they will, in accordance with their karmic actions that remain to be experienced, be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. If they are born as humans, in accordance with their causal actions they will have perfect happiness and pure intellects. They will become leaders of families, towns, lands, and cities. They will also be born as friends and family and live happily together.

4.B.­129

“In the case of the king of gods himself, the passage to the lower realms is blocked. Still, when he has examined the deaths and rebirths of the other gods, he will utter the following verses: [F.127.a]

4.B.­130
“ ‘The parks of this land are endowed
With all sorts of lotus flowers,
Supreme diversions and enjoyments,
And great jewels.
4.B.­131
“ ‘There are precious ponds and cascades,
Various beautiful stones,
Assorted trees and flowers,
And flocks of different birds.
4.B.­132
“ ‘There are wish-fulfilling trees
Of gold and flawless beryl.
The silver and gold are pure
And the forests grow in an abundant variety.
4.B.­133
“ ‘Humming bees adorn
The pools of lotus flowers.
The mansions are delightful
And adorned with precious jewels.
4.B.­134
“ ‘Beautifully adorned and delightful,
This place offers everything gods require.
All the gods experience such pleasures,
Yet all beings are subject to change.
4.B.­135
“ ‘Alas, the pleasures of the gods,
Who are fooled by craving,
Are illusory and resemble bubbles of foam
Or the cities of the gandharvas.
4.B.­136
“ ‘Craving is like poison or fire,
As it brings the world destruction.
Those floundering in the ocean of craving
Are all being destroyed.
4.B.­137
“ ‘Blinded by desire, they know no contentment.
Wishing for pleasure, they cannot get enough.
What shall become of these gods
When they are burned by the fires of death?
4.B.­138
“ ‘Craving makes the whole lofty world
Bad from the beginning, nothing noble.
It leads the bewildered gods
Into the clutches of death.
4.B.­139
“ ‘Gods, humans, asuras,
Yakṣas, hell beings, and nāgas
Must all helplessly shamble onward
Due to the horrifying noose of death.
4.B.­140
“ ‘Thus, the entirety of the three realms
Are bound together by the shackles of death.
Those bewildered by craving
Are helpless and see nothing.’
4.B.­141

“When Śakra has thus seen how the impermanent gods keep being born and dying, he will utter the following verses so that they may understand:

4.B.­142
“ ‘Homage to the Blessed One,
Who is committed to benefiting all beings.
The Blessed One has said much to worldly beings
About the poison of craving. [F.127.b]
4.B.­143
“ ‘In short, in terms of cognitions and cognized objects,
He has comprehended everything.
Outside of cognitions and cognized objects,
There is no third category to be observed.
4.B.­144
“ ‘All of this is impermanent, suffering, empty,
And devoid of any creator.
This is what the Buddha, the teacher of the path,
Has described as cyclic existence.’
4.B.­145

“Thus, with a stainless mind marked by this seal, the ruler praises the Blessed One. Afterward, he will once again pursue the enjoyment of divine pleasures and thus experience all the pleasures of the gods.

The Gods in Dwelling in the Lofty

4.B.­146

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to examine the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a realm within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three known as Dwelling in the Lofty. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born among the gods there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how someone may convince a murderer to observe the discipline of giving up killing for even a single day. Such a person may also cause those who wish to become free from cyclic existence to give up the small fruits that result from stealing, while subsequently living in fear of royal punishment. When such people later separate from their bodies, they will go to the joyful higher realms, taking birth among the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, within the realm of Dwelling in the Lofty.

4.B.­147

“Dwelling in the Lofty is situated on the higher reaches of Mount Sumeru. One’s karmic actions cause different appearances, and this realm is distinguished by bright gold and silver. Once the gods have ascended to Dwelling in the Lofty, they have a view of the entirety of the slopes of Mount Sumeru and its many, distinct features of gold, silver, and beryl. Wearing divine garlands and garments, they will then enjoy themselves and frolic upon the ground that is adorned with gold. Surrounded by beautiful goddesses [F.128.a] they will enjoy themselves and romp within the forests and parks.

4.B.­148

“Rivers of nourishment and beverages flow constantly in that realm. Thus, there are the River of Sweet Taste, River of Strong Current, River of Enjoyments, River of Great Enjoyments, River of Layered Flows, River of Strong Garlands, River of a Thousand Flows, and the River of Free Flow. Those rivers all flow with an abundance of different drinks that are of different tastes and colors and are free from the detrimental side effects of intoxication. Some are colored like milk and others like ruby, lapis lazuli, beryl, and gold. Still others have mixed colors. Thus, the waters of those delicious and constant rivers flow in an exceptional way.

4.B.­149

“The realm also abounds with delicious edibles having a wide range of fragrances and colors. Sweet like sugarcane, they are endowed with heavenly fragrances. They come in strong and light colors and can yield whichever taste one may desire. Thus, the gods enjoy food with flavors corresponding exactly to their wishes.

4.B.­150

“In the groves and forests of that realm grow beautiful and deliciously fragrant flowers, and many kinds of colorful birds live there. In those lovely lands the gods and goddesses play cymbals, sing, and dance, and thus play, enjoy themselves, and rollick. In the forests are groves of śāla trees, great śāla trees, wish-fulfilling trees, constantly blooming trees, and trees through which the wind blows delightfully according to one’s wishes. The trees in those endearing groves are decorated with golden twigs, [F.128.b] draped with nets of big and small bells, and are home to hundreds of thousands of songbirds. Within those groves the gods and their ruler are sustained by the pleasures of the five senses.

4.B.­151

“The gods are all friends with one another, and they pursue only enjoyments. All are free from disease and suffering, hunger and thirst. Their bodies never tire, and they remain free from the discomforts of exertion. Thus, they freely pursue their enjoyments, moving and staying as they please within the enrapturing forests, pleasure gardens, and lotus groves.

4.B.­152

“The gods who are thus satisfied by the pleasures of the five senses within Dwelling in the Lofty have luminous bodies that they can make small, large, or light according to their wishes. They go as they please, wherever they please, and just as they please. They obtain whatever they wish for, and whatever they obtain cannot be taken away from them by anyone, for it will remain under their own control. The gods in Dwelling in the Lofty partake of many more pleasures beyond this, and so, propelled by the causal relations of their own positive actions, they continue to enjoy themselves and frolic with the gatherings of goddesses until finally the desirable, attractive, and delightful results of observing discipline, giving up killing, and refraining from stealing have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world.

4.B.­153

“After their death they will take birth in adherence to, in reliance on, and in accordance with their own karmic actions, and so they may be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. Should they instead be born with the general lot in life of humans, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, become mountain dwellers who live in constant happiness. They will be extremely wealthy and enjoy tremendous pleasures. Their bodies will be exquisite, and they will live in excellent places within groves that are both warm and cool. [F.129.a]

The Gods in Dwelling on Summits

4.B.­154

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to examine the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Dwelling on Summits. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born among the gods there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how some people may observe a dual discipline of the body, having given up killing others and having set others free from bondage. Endowed with great power and capacity, such a person may set out on a journey and while on the road come to suffer from hunger and thirst. Still, even if he passes by a sugarcane field, an orchard, or an encampment of shepherds, he will refrain from stealing any milk or sugarcane juice, and he will remain fearful of killing and stealing. When such a holy person, who has set other beings free, later separates from his body, he will go to the joyful higher realms and be born among the gods in Dwelling on Summits within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

4.B.­155

“Born there such people will have abundant enjoyments. They will chase after the numerous objects there, which will seem like rivers, and their desires will likewise appear with the strength of a river. In this way, they will live within a river of desire and an expanse of conceit, and they will remain attached to the island of gratification. Their enjoyments will be like wellsprings and their thoughts like waves. The beautiful forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures that they encounter will be like beautiful birds. However, their views will be like ferocious crocodiles that confine them in numerous ways. Thus, within their forests and parks, rivers in which swim the fish of envy will surround them. These gods are unable to cross these rivers of excitement that flow from the mountains of many objects. They are unable to escape from these muddy rivers of craving.288

4.B.­156

“The waves on the far side of the river Gaṅgā are impossible to see. Similarly, since time without beginning, those gods have been submerged in a deep current. [F.129.b] In the realms of desire, form, and formlessness, they have been ravaged by the waves of birth, old age, death, grief, lamentation, suffering, distress, and disturbance. That swiftly running river of craving is the cause of life in hell and, just as humans are incapable of contentment, so also the gods in Dwelling on Summits are driven by a river-like craving. Thus, attended to by gatherings of goddesses and richly endowed with divine pleasures of the five senses, they enjoy themselves, frolic, and revel.

4.B.­157

“In that realm stand the following forests: Constantly Ravishing, Constant True Joy, Cloud-Like White Array, Joyous in All Regards, Moon-Like, and Flowing above the Gaṅgā‍—those are the forests of the gods of Dwelling on Summits. Within them, the gods experience numerous pleasures, and they frolic and revel together with exuberant females. The rivers that they drink from are known as Diversity, Massaged and Touched with the Palm of the Hand, Insatiable, Kumuda Flowers, and Growing Utpalas. All of them have mountains on both banks. Flowering fruit trees of silver, crystal, and gold embellish the delightful divine ground that has manifested through various virtuous activities and performed karmic actions. In those forests, by those rivers, and upon that ground, food and beverages flow like rivers. [F.130.a] This is where these gods enjoy themselves with divine music, divine dwellings, and divine garments of unwoven fabrics.

4.B.­158

“The bodies of these gods are luminous and without flesh, bones, pus, or blood. Their bodies, voices, and minds are free from weariness, and they remain thoroughly at ease in both body and mind. Thus, they continue to enjoy themselves, frolicking and reveling, until finally their virtuous physical and verbal acts, which are desirable, attractive, delightful, and cooling, and which yield a supremely blissful ripening that is only experienced in the higher realms, have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die, leave their divine world, and take birth among hell beings, animals, or starving spirits. Alternatively, karmic actions to be experienced in other lives that produce a human existence may cause them to take birth as humans. In that case they will, in accordance with their causal actions, enjoy constant mental happiness and have playful thoughts. They will sport and frolic and be born in an excellent land.

The Gods in Dwelling in Excellent View

4.B.­159

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to examine the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will wonder which other places those gods may live in. When he examines this matter with knowledge derived from hearing, he will correctly perceive a god realm known as Dwelling in Excellent View. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born among the gods there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice the following instances. People may observe discipline, or they may, without any regard for their own welfare, save the lives or possessions of others who are about to be killed by weapons or who have been taken by a river. Alternatively, some people may suffer from hunger when traveling. Even though others may encourage them to steal, they refrain from doing so. Other people may find themselves in the wilderness, fearing for their survival. Even so, they will not begin to collect fruits and roots unless they have received permission to do so. [F.130.b] Such beings fear becoming disrespectful toward the observance of discipline and they are frightened of even the smallest infraction of the bases of training. Thus, when such people later separate from their bodies, they will go to the joyful higher realms and be born in the city of Excellent View.

4.B.­160

“The city spans ten thousand leagues and is distinguished by having ten thousand courtyards. The grounds there are made of gold from the Jambu River, and the mansions are made of beryl, silver, gold from the Jambu River, or various sapphires. There are also beautiful thrones made of the seven precious substances. The roads are magnificent, and the road crossings, doors, gates, rooftops, and mansions are all extraordinary. Whenever there is no sunlight, the houses become like lanterns‍—in such instances, these supreme buildings glow like torches and emit light.

4.B.­161

“The city is also decorated with groves and parks, some of which feature beryl trees draped with nets of pearls. In others, the trees are made of gold and draped with nets of silver. Some have silver trees covered with nets of small golden bells. In some parks the trees are of the seven precious substances. In some grow wish-fulfilling trees that provide whatever the gods may want. Some groves are of lapis lazuli and beryl and within them golden birds sing beautifully in many ways. Within groves of golden trees, silver-colored birds sing and play. Within groves of sapphire, stunning ruby-colored birds sing delightfully and play. Within groves of golden trees, birds with variegated bodies sing beautifully and play. [F.131.a] Such are the parks that adorn the city of Excellent View.

4.B.­162

“The beautiful roads and golden houses are decorated with pillars of silver and beryl trees. Along golden roads stand columns of beryl, golden trees, and houses of gold. Where the roads and homes beautifully meet, there are golden birds. In these ways, the beautiful city of Excellent View displays incomparable wonders.

4.B.­163

“Furthermore, the city is adorned with four great forests, known as Net Garland, Great Trees, Luminosity, and Delightful to Behold. All of them measure two hundred fifty leagues and within them flow tens of thousands of streams with golden embankments. The streams are extremely delightful, and their firm banks are adorned with gold, silver, crystal, beryl, and gorgeous trees. Swarms of beautiful bees with beryl wings and silver bodies zip around in the forests, and their humming is so melodious that the sound of any human flute cannot match even a sixteenth of their beauty. The beryl trees grow golden fruits that are extremely fragrant‍—much more so than any herb‍—and their fragrance can be sensed within a league. The birds that live there are infatuated by their very nature, and yet when they smell the fruits their infatuation increases a hundredfold. From the golden trees grow silver fruits, of heavenly scent and color, endowed with five tastes. On trees with beryl trunks grow leaves of gold and multicolored fruits. Thus, the forests are endowed with copious colors and various extraordinary features, transcending all comparisons. [F.131.b] Such forests surround the great city of Excellent View.

4.B.­164

“Like a painting created by thought, all of these features manifest due to the gods’ prior engagement in numerous divine karmic actions, and thus the effects manifest in accordance with their causal actions. As long as the seeds are present, the effects will keep manifesting, and so the gods in the city of Excellent View are carried away by their sundry pleasures.

4.B.­165

“By its very nature the city is excellent to behold. Its trees and mansions are adorned with gold and various types of coral, festooned with nets of small bells, and decked out with nets of golden bells that chime melodiously. Within such groves, parks, and gardens reside the gods of Dwelling in Excellent View. Within this divine city, the ornate buildings resound with music and the ringing of cymbals. The city is filled with gods and goddesses who wear beautiful garlands and partake of beverages, while the wind animates the hundreds of thousands of banners and standards.

4.B.­166

“Billions of gods reside in that city on the peak of Mount Sumeru, beautified due to their great karmic actions. The gods are tremendously powerful, worthy of offerings, capable of great miraculous feats, and always delighting289 in the pleasures of their parks. Without exception, Śakra knows all the billions of gods and goddesses that have assembled in hundreds of thousands of divine gatherings there.

4.B.­167

“When the gods in the heavenly city of Excellent View go to pursue the delights of the parks, they travel in hundreds of thousands of chariots decorated with numerous stunning banners and standards. Thus, they travel in a display [F.132.a] of billions of beautiful, colorful shapes. Some of their chariots are made of beryl and are equipped with drawbars of ruby. Their interiors are of coral and the outer structure of beryl. The platforms are of gold and the chariots are festooned with small bells that ring beautifully. These gods also travel in other fine chariots. In some chariots the drawbars are of gold and the sidings are made of pearl. The platforms are of coral, the outer structures are decorated with emerald, the sides are of coral, and the shafts of silver. Other gods travel in supreme chariots in which the drawbars are of gold, the sides draped with pearls, the platforms studded with rubies, the shafts of silver, and the chariots overall decorated with coral. Thus the gods travel to their parks, riding in many hundreds of thousands of such brilliant chariots that are endowed with incomparable features. From poles of silver fly banners of gold. Banners are attached to poles of ruby. Banners and standards of bountiful colors are raised to the sky, one next to the other. Thus, it is in sheer joy that the gods travel to the four great gardens to partake of enjoyments. They travel to the accompaniment of hundreds of thousands of instruments that play many different musical melodies, all of them distinguished by exceptionally excellent and delightful qualities. [F.132.b]

4.B.­168

“In accordance with their individual inferior, intermediate, or great karmic deeds, they proceed blissfully on their journey. Thus, each god is surrounded by a hundred, a thousand, or a hundred thousand goddesses who dance, sing, joke, and play beautiful music of the five instruments. Accompanied by such offering goddesses, they proceed to the great parks. The goddesses are endowed with divine pleasures of the five senses, and as they meet with the gods, they dance, flirt, and play. In this way the gods develop attachment to pleasure and thus they frolic. Heavenly music fills the jungles as the gods revel in their divine enjoyments on their way to the parks.

4.B.­169

“Some travel through the sky as if they were dark, beryl-colored clouds. Adorned with various ornaments, garments, and attire, these supreme gods converse merrily as they fill the sky on their way to the great forests.

4.B.­170

“Other supreme gods travel on the golden ground, riding their hundreds of thousands of chariots and raising golden dust to fill the sky. Although the golden dust colors the atmosphere, it does not stick to the gods, except for the faces and garments of those who are coming close to the time of their death. When the other gods see the dust settling in that way, they will regard it as an omen of death. Recognizing that the suffering of death is endless, they will become overwhelmed by pity and so utter the following verses:

4.B.­171
“ ‘The objects that manifest are like firewood,
And death like a burning fire.
Upon this path the gods proceed
In their hundreds and thousands.
4.B.­172
“ ‘Although their death is seen by others,
They do not see it themselves.
When later they encounter this difficult time, [F.133.a]
They will become aware of their suffering.
4.B.­173
“ ‘The mind mixed with carelessness
Remains fond of objects.
Once they are born and obtain a body,
They fail to realize that it is sure to die.
4.B.­174
“ ‘Those who are fond of carelessness
And thus enjoy objects
Will be received by the hordes of the Lord of Death
And destroyed, as if by poison.
4.B.­175
“ ‘You who are caught by the shackles of death
Have no one to protect you‍—
Neither can medicine, mantra, nor karmic actions do so,
Nor can you be saved by any god or asura.
4.B.­176
“ ‘Those whose faces are covered with dust
Do not themselves realize it,
But the messengers of death have arrived.
Death will follow thereafter.
4.B.­177
“ ‘Those who fail to see the meaning of happiness
But remain constantly desirous throughout their lives,
Insatiable in their craving,
Will suffer a sudden death.
4.B.­178
“ ‘Death has sent an important sign.
It is the first message to you.
Later, the utterly unbearable
Death itself will arrive.
4.B.­179
“ ‘That which is adorned with groves and parks
Is the experience of one’s own karmic actions.
Yet, even on this supreme mountain
Sentient beings will be tied up and dragged away.
4.B.­180
“ ‘The intoxicated gods who play here
Will never feel satisfied by their pleasures.
Insatiable due to their ignorant craving,
They will fall helplessly to the ground.
4.B.­181
“ ‘Just as smoke always occurs
Before there is fire,
These are the signs of dying,
Heralding death’s arrival.’
4.B.­182

“In this way, those gods who are less absorbed in carelessness and who previously have been accustomed to practicing roots of virtue will notice the obstacles of the gods and instruct both themselves and other gods. Meanwhile, as those words are spoken, the gods will keep advancing, riding numerous chariots draped with nets of bells. They shine in their numerous garments and are impressively adorned with divine garlands, garments, and ornaments of pure gold. As they thus proceed, they reduce thousands of the peaks upon Mount Sumeru to dust.

4.B.­183

“The gods there will be aware of the other gods approaching. Some travel through the sky [F.133.b] while others journey upon the surface of the earth. Some travel in chariots pulled along by birds, and some sing and dance together with the goddesses. They will approach the divine lotuses, trees, rivers, birds, fruits, flowers, jewels, and the supremely delightful groves and parks. Traveling in these ways in their chariots, the gods of Excellent View will arrive among the golden trees that shine like the sun. Those that travel through the sky will descend and enter the park. Upon arrival, the gods will gather and play instruments, sing, and perform various joyful dances. Rollicking among each other, they will befriend one another and enjoy themselves without any sense of envy. They will dance, play, and revel.

4.B.­184

“Their music is played in the following five ways: using string instruments, drums, cymbals, flutes, and songs. To the sounds of such music, they enjoy food and drink that flow like rivers. In this way, the gods and goddesses enjoy one another’s company as they frolic within the forest. The trees there bear beautiful fruits of beryl and gold, strikingly colored and endowed with a sweet, honey-like taste. Inebriated by the taste of these fruits, the gods will long enjoy themselves together with lovely goddesses of flawless beauty.

4.B.­185

“These blissfully infatuated gods and goddesses dance, sing, and joke with one another. When the gods who are servants and followers of Śakra hear their music, they will gather and go before their ruler. Approaching him respectfully, [F.134.a] they will all address him sincerely. With joined palms they will speak to the ruler of the gods in the following way: ‘Ruler of the gods, the gods who live in Excellent View have all gone to celebrate in the parks. Ruler of the gods, we request that you be aware of this.’

“When Śakra hears this, he will tell the gods, ‘We shall also go to the park where the gods of Excellent View are. Prepare yourselves to leave.’

4.B.­186

“Thus, when Śakra has heard the news, the gods who live at Sudharma will set out in their various chariots. Some ride golden chariots that have beryl shafts and are equipped with standards. Some ride beryl chariots with shafts of gold. Some ride colorful chariots made of the seven precious substances and adorned with standards. Some ride chariots pulled by extremely beautiful golden birds with lovely voices. Some fetch colorful horses with harmonious and agreeable gaits, attach their chariots to them, and thus travel in chariots drawn by horses. There are also some who ride on golden geese whose legs are of beryl and whose feathers are the color of ruby. Thus, the gods travel with Śakra, ruler of gods, to the city of Excellent View and its parks. Other gods ride on peacocks whose bodies are of the seven precious substances. If even in the world of humans the array of a peacock’s feathers constitutes a perfect form, it goes without saying that this is also the case in the heavens that are adorned by the exceptionally positive, karmic actions of the gods. The exquisite colors and designs of the divine peacocks cannot be illustrated by any example. Thus, the gods proceed on their mounts toward the groves and parks of Excellent View. To the sounds of music and song, [F.134.b] the merry, playful, and frolicking gods will proceed to the pleasure garden where the inebriated gods of Excellent View reside.

4.B.­187

“The chariot of Śakra, king of the gods, has four wheels, each of which has a thousand spokes. The chariot is made of the following seven precious substances: lapis lazuli, ruby, emerald, coral, vajra, crystal, and golden ornaments. Śakra’s supreme chariot is drawn by a thousand swans also made of the seven precious substances. Fully mature and endowed with the finest bodies and caparisons, the swans resemble golden lotuses in bloom, and their voices are so endearing that before them even the songs of goddesses seem unpleasant. Such swans pull Śakra’s chariot as he travels. The chariot is also decorated with five hundred streamers in sundry colors that are attached to poles of beryl, gold, and silver. Thus, the streamers display beautiful colors of blue, yellow, madder, red, and white.

4.B.­188

“When the king of the gods in this way rides his chariot, numerous hosts of singing goddesses accompany it, and in front of the chariot travel numerous singing gods, journeying through the sky and upon the surface of the earth in successive groups. Everyone moves as they wish and as they please, enjoying their divine delights to the accompaniment of the five types of instruments. In this fashion, such happy ones proceed to the city of Excellent View and its parks.

4.B.­189

“When the other gods see the approaching travel party, they will begin to dance, laugh, rollick, and play music. Picking up various lotuses with stalks of beryl, the gods of the city of Excellent View will emerge from the parks to greet Śakra, king of the gods, and the gods in his traveling party.

4.B.­190

“At this point Śakra will say, ‘Come before me. [F.135.a] It is good for you to play with one another.’ In reverence of the command of Śakra, the gods will then rush toward the gods of Excellent View in order to receive water. The goddesses will also rush forth to receive water from the inhabitants of Excellent View. In this way, the goddesses that live in Excellent View and those that live in Sudharma run toward each other. The gods will receive petals of golden lotus flowers from one another and then rush to the parks, all the while joking and playing with each other.

4.B.­191

“Moving and abiding in the air, Śakra will watch the gods and goddesses as they play with lotus flowers. Even when they have romped around in the water for a long time, the gods still will not have had enough, and so once again they begin to play with the lotus flowers. The gods and goddesses will then play together among the lotuses. Some will play with golden lotuses, others with lotuses that have anthers of beryl and gold, and others again with lotuses that have anthers of various sorts.

4.B.­192

“When in this way they have long played and enjoyed themselves with one another, they will then proceed to the fruit orchards. There they will pick up ripe fruits and playfully toss them at each other. Once they are done playing in the orchard, they will next go to a wine grove to partake of drinks that are free from detrimental side effects of intoxication and do not cause dismay. The wines are perfectly delicious, and their tastes adjust themselves to the individual preferences of the gods. Śakra, king of the gods, will then dismount his perfect chariot and proceed to the park, where he takes a seat among the gods. When the gods see that their ruler has arrived, they become delighted and pay homage to him. [B32] Everyone will then join their palms above their heads and worship the ruler of the gods, saying, ‘When the ruler of the gods thus remains present, our lives bear fruit. [F.135.b] Śakra, king of the gods, sustains and provides for us in a way that surpasses even that of parents.’ In this manner, they will properly venerate Śakra. In response, Śakra will say, ‘You are like my children and my siblings,’ and thus they will properly venerate one another. Then they will again stray into carelessness and remain that way.

4.B.­193

“In this way, they will roam through the groves and parks where flocks of birds warble, streams and rivers flow, and beautiful shrubs and bushes embellish the landscape. Rivers of gold there are adorned with lotus groves and parks. The ground is even, soft, and without roughness, yet the landscape undulates delightfully and is studded with gorgeous trees of beryl, gold, silver, and crystal. Food and drink flow like rivers and there is an abundance of fruits. Mandārava flowers, lotuses, and other magnificent flowers adorn the land. Within the thicket, divine men and women engage in joking, playing, and rollicking. The five types of instruments can be heard throughout the parks where the gods and goddesses thus partake of divine food and are pleased by divine objects of the five senses.

4.B.­194

“When the inhabitants of Excellent View and Sudharma have enjoyed themselves in this way, they will return to their respective places, and there continue to be merry until finally their completed and accumulated acts with desirable, attractive, delightful consequences have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die, leave their divine world, and take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals in accordance with their karmic actions. If, due to karmic actions to be experienced in other lives, they should be born with the general lot in life of a human, they will, in accordance with those causal karmic actions, live in tremendous, constant happiness. Their intellects will be flawless, and they will be fond of music, dance, singing, joking, and playing. They will always delight in merriment, food, and drink, [F.136.a] taking pleasure in copious foods and beverages. They will not be susceptible to epidemics or contagious diseases but live free from suffering.

The Gods in Dwelling in One Direction

4.B.­195

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to examine the realm of the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and thus correctly perceive a god realm known as Dwelling in One Direction. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born among the gods there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how a disciplined person whose possessions are extremely few and of low quality may take the valuables and food of others. Despite his intense suffering, such a person may then not only give the things he obtains to his children and spouse, but with a well-trained mind, he may also distribute these things among others who are afflicted, and who resort to begging, are destitute, and without a protector. However, because of his attachment to the pleasures of a sexual relationship with someone else’s spouse, that person may then be apprehended and served a death sentence. Thus, he may be delivered into the hands of his executioners and led through the southern gate on the way to the place of execution. Still, in the midst of such calamity, he may succeed in escaping. When later such a person separates from his body, he will go to the joyful higher realms and be born among the gods in Dwelling in One Direction.

4.B.­196

“Due to their accomplishment of positive actions and their extremely virtuous, great deeds, those who are born in that realm will have luminous bodies that are radiant like the sun. Shining in colors of blue, yellow, madder, green, and white, this natural light of their bodies is ten times stronger than that of all the other gods. As an analogy, while the planets and stars shine their light on Jambudvīpa, the moon is still more luminous. [F.136.b] Thus, the natural light from the bodies of these gods illumines and adorns their entire realm. When the gods who have such superb bodies examine their extraordinary features, they find that next to them all other gods seem like nothing more than fireflies.

4.B.­197

“As soon as a god is born in that realm, all the goddesses will come to see him. Moreover, as soon as he is born, all his ornaments will manifest. Thus, the newly born god will be in possession of a great sapphire crown jewel that casts its light across a league, outshining any other light in the heavens and all jewels elsewhere. Just as the rising sun outshines the glow of fireflies, so these gods outshine all others.

4.B.­198

“From the moment they are born, these gods will bear a crown of the seven precious substances that shines a gorgeous light across a hundred leagues, radiating brilliant colors of blue, yellow, madder, green, and white. Next will appear a necklace adorned with the seven precious substances and then a garland studded with diamonds. Thereafter manifests a belt in the colors of the rainbow, and finally shoes that are studded with the seven precious substances and that radiate variegated light. Whenever the god thinks, ‘I, of such and such a name, wish to travel through the sky,’ these boots will carry him wherever he pleases, and he will travel entirely free from any weariness or harm. After the boots will appear a luminous garment made of various unwoven fabrics. [F.137.a] By the light that shines from this garment, their already delightful, heavenly realm will now become even more pleasurable.

4.B.­199

“Upon their birth the gods will wonder, ‘What actions could have caused me to take birth here?’ As they examine this question further, they will notice their previous positive and negative actions performed in Jambudvīpa, and how on that basis they have entered into their present experience. Thus, they will think, ‘Positive actions caused me to be born here‍—it didn’t just happen for no reason.’

4.B.­200

“As soon as a god has had this thought, numerous youthful goddesses of perfect physique will appear. The sound produced by their jewelry is as melodious as that of the music of the five instruments in the world of humans. Their delicious fragrance can be sensed across two leagues, outstripping the aroma of any flower. To the satisfaction and joy of everyone, the beauty and youthfulness of the goddesses is unprecedented, and even the quality of their garments will seem better than before. Because of their past positive acts, the gods emit a light that makes the bodies of the goddesses blossom to their fullest, just like the light of the rising sun opens all flowers and makes them bloom. Thus, as the light of the gods touches the goddesses, everyone smiles and indulges in joyous carousing. Placing the goddesses on their laps, the gods carry them gracefully away into the groves and parks. Once there, the goddesses play various instruments before the gods and delight them with smiles as they gaze upon them. This is how they enter the groves and parks.

4.B.­201

“In that heavenly realm, the following forests can be found. The Forest of Marvelous Lotuses is such that whenever a god places either of his feet on the ground, a lotus will grow forth that has a beryl stalk, a diamond sprout, a core of gold, [F.137.b] and soft leaves and petals and is adorned by beautiful bees. When he lifts a foot and places it somewhere else, a new lotus will appear and the previous one will disappear.

4.B.­202

“From there the gods will go to the Honey Water Forest, which is thick with divine golden trees dripping with heavenly wine. The greatest among the gods will drink from this wine that is of divine taste and aroma, and he will then invite the other gods to also drink this honey that is free of any of the detrimental side effects of intoxication and of unprecedented bouquet and taste.

4.B.­203

“Once they have drunk from the wine, they will proceed to the forest of Triple Beauty. No analogy can be given for this Triple Beauty. The warbling of the birds, the humming of the bees, and the music of the goddesses are unlike anything else. Within that forest of Triple Beauty, the gods promenade among the parks, lotus pools, and ponds, enjoying themselves, reveling, and rollicking.

4.B.­204

“Listening to the many different songs of the birds, and insatiably enjoying the sense pleasures, the minds of these gods are burned by the fire of craving. In this way they continue to enjoy themselves until finally their positive karmic actions have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world. Tied by the chains of karmic action, they will be impelled by their own past actions to take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. If, due to karmic actions to be experienced as a human, they should instead take birth among humans, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, enjoy perfect physiques, be born in excellent families, and possess outstanding qualities. They will have perfect happiness, provide for their own needs, be independent of others, and do as they please. They will be free from sickness, harm, or discomfort and enjoy tremendous wealth. [F.138.a] They will be born during threefold endowment, or within a family of leaders, as someone in charge of half a country, as a regent, or as an exceedingly rich businessperson who possesses wealth, grain, gold, and silver in abundance.

The Gods in Dwelling in Forests

4.B.­205

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to examine the realms of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a realm of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three known as Dwelling in Forests. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born among the gods there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how a person who has apprehended a thief that could rightfully be punished may refrain from punishing or harming that thief due to fear of what lies beyond this world. With a wish to benefit others, and out of loving concern, such a person may also work to release thieves that are held by others, offering them a bed, bedding, medicine, and household articles and helping them attain what they need.

4.B.­206

“Such people would also never knowingly steal anything themselves. They will speak gently, in few words, and in a way that is helpful. They will respectfully bow to the Buddha every day, paying homage and offering flowers or incense while bringing his qualities to mind. They will also physically express veneration for the gurus, rising quickly and bowing with respect. They will always speak pleasantly, and when they see unwholesome company they will not associate with such persons by having fun, walking, or conversing with them. They will also avoid enjoying themselves together with people whose minds are afflicted, who are not noble, and who are shunned by the world. Instead they will look straight ahead and refrain from not sitting down with such people. They will have proper regard for elders and respect them. They will have love for sentient beings and not cause pain to others. They will be praised by the whole world and themselves show respect for those who speak pleasantly [F.138.b] and gently. They will be endowed with a discipline of proper discernment, and they will not unjustly harm male or female servants, employees, or workers. They will refrain from overeating and letting themselves go. They will refrain from living in a harmful way and avoid fits of agitation. They will avoid impure means of livelihood, such as butchery, business, hunting with dogs, trapping, and so on, and they will desist from trading and other forms of non-Dharma. They will have no interest in bars, and they will avoid dependency on women, unwholesome actions, and flawed conduct. They will avoid divulging the secrets of others, have no hidden ill will against friends, and avoid making enemies. They will refrain from spying on others and informing the authorities. They will refrain from taking produce from the fields of others, refrain from taxing a population at more than a sixth, and they will not confiscate the fields, water, or property of others. They will refrain from taking fruits that belong to others, whether by day or night, and they will be entirely, partially, or slightly free from the intention to steal.

4.B.­207

“What does it mean to be slightly free from the intention to steal? It means to refrain from engagement in the preparatory stage of the act of stealing. Intermediate freedom from such action is to confess what was done, regard it as a mistake, and refrain from such actions in the future. Great freedom from the act of stealing is to avoid engagement in the preparatory stage of the act, prevent others from engaging in it, encourage others to confess such misdeeds, and avoid rejoicing in such acts while disassociating from its perpetrators. Based on the individual degrees of lesser, intermediate, or greater relinquishment of the intent to steal, there will, correspondingly, be lesser, intermediate, and greater effects.

4.B.­208

“People who in this way pursue positive actions and give up flaws will, upon separating from their bodies, go to the joyful higher realms and be born among the gods in Dwelling in Forests.

“Once born there, their divine bodies will have no flesh, bones, pus, or blood, [F.139.a] and there is no analogy that could illustrate the bliss they experience. Nevertheless, to provide some slight indication, think of the difference between being born in the Reviving Hell and being a universal monarch of the golden wheel, a human who experiences the pleasures of the gods and possesses all the seven precious substances that exist on the four continents. That may provide a slight indication about the gods of Dwelling in Forests.

4.B.­209

“Dwelling in Forests extends across three thousand leagues on top of Mount Sumeru. The realm is adorned with glorious divine trees of the seven precious substances and features beautiful rivers. In the forest known as Action grow trees of gold. When the gods wish to go somewhere, they think, ‘Let the trees follow us!’ As soon as they develop such a wish, the gods of Dwelling in Forests will be followed by the trees wherever they may go. Just as, for example, the wheel of the universal monarch begins to travel through the sky as soon as the monarch wants it to, so the trees will journey through the sky whenever the gods want them to. They will also descend to the ground wherever the gods want them to. Thus, the trees will move from one place to the next, just as a flock of birds may fly to a place, stay there for some time, and then fly off to another. This is one of the powers of the gods of Dwelling in Forests, generated by their own karmic actions.

4.B.­210

“Another such power of their positive actions causes birds that warble as beautifully as music of the five types of instruments to follow them wherever they go. The power of their positive karmic actions is also such that, wherever the gods may desire to travel, there will be lotus ponds alive with humming bees and beautiful golden swans, [F.139.b] ducks, and yellow geese. When, adorned with divine garlands and garments, the gods of Dwelling in Forests travel through the sky, the power of their positive actions will also make lotuses with beryl stalks appear. These lotuses have a thousand petals, and upon each of these lotuses is a goddess to whom the gods will flock. Once the gods in Dwelling in Forests thus reside within such divine lotuses, the power of their positive karmic actions will make vessels filled with divine beverages appear from the sky and pass into their hands. The gods and goddesses will then drink together and be happy, singing songs and cavorting until they decide to go somewhere else. The power of the positive actions of the gods in Dwelling in Forests also lets them obtain whatever they wish for. Whenever they wish to travel from one divine abode to another, the mountain or peak where they arrive will have divine flowers and fruits, perfect rivers, and exquisite groves and parks. All such things will manifest out of the sky. Together with the goddesses that surround them, the gods in this realm sing songs to the accompaniment of music of the five instruments as they travel through space from one place to the next.

4.B.­211

“Whenever the gods dwelling at Sudharma and Excellent View catch sight of this joyous and lofty abode, they feel just as a traveling human in Jambudvīpa would feel if he happened to come upon a divine palace. The gods of Sudharma and Excellent View will then say to each other, ‘Oh, the gods of Dwelling in Forests enjoy such supreme pleasures. Their bliss is far greater than ours, as they revel to the tune of music from the five instruments, going and [F.140.a] staying wherever they like, roaming unhindered from place to place.’

4.B.­212

“Śakra, king of the gods, will then take his seat upon a thousand-petaled lotus flower that has a stalk of divine gold and beryl. Sitting there together with the fine goddesses, he will travel through the sky. Produced by positive karmic actions, Śakra’s delightful lotus flower is delightful in the following ways: upon each of its petals perch five goddesses adorned with divine garlands, garments, and gold ornaments. Playing the music of the five instruments, the goddesses are totally elated and ecstatic, all of them facing toward Śakra. All the goddesses are completely infatuated by their own exquisite forms and youthfulness. Thus, together with Śakra, all of these goddesses glide across the sky to the realm of Dwelling in Forests.

4.B.­213

“When the gods in Dwelling in Forests see Śakra, they are overjoyed. Descending from their abodes, as described before, they will come forth to welcome Śakra, king of the gods. Bowing their heads to the ground before him, they will offer him praises. The gods that serve Śakra and the inhabitants of Dwelling in Forests will then gather around Śakra in utter joy and accompany him across the sky as he travels to whichever pleasure garden, mountain peak, forest, grove, lotus pool, or other destination he may wish to visit. When the followers of Śakra have frolicked for a long time, they will return to their realm, coming back in the same way as they left. Śakra will then proceed to the divine assembly hall of Sudharma.

4.B.­214

“Thus, driven to distraction by delightful forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures, these gods continue to enjoy themselves until finally their completed and accumulated acts with desirable, attractive, delightful consequences have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die, leave their divine world, [F.140.b] and take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals in accordance with their karmic actions. If, due to karmic actions to be experienced in other lives, they should be born with the general lot in life of a human, they will, in accordance with their causal karmic actions, enjoy constant and supreme happiness, never falling ill and always being free from harm. They will be extremely wealthy and enjoy supreme pleasures. Without fear of external armies, they will become the king or regent of one of the subcontinents.

The Gods in Dwelling in Various Chariots

4.B.­215

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to examine the realms of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and thus correctly perceive a realm of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three known as Dwelling in Various Chariots. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born among the gods there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how an inappropriate king, an inappropriate minister, or other inappropriate people, who are filled with greed and have no fear of karmic action, may prevent the delivery of supplies to the site of a stūpa. However, a holy person who has trained his mind and thoughts may praise the buddhas either by recollecting their qualities or by chanting in an extremely beautiful and clear voice. By doing so, he may prevent this activity or cause such obstructors to be replaced. When such a holy person later separates from his body, he will go to the joyful higher realms and be born among the gods in Dwelling in Various Chariots. Once born there those who engaged in such exceptionally virtuous actions will enjoy themselves, rollick, and revel to the sound of music of the five instruments.

4.B.­216

“Birth in that realm may also be the effect of other actions, namely those of giving up killing and stealing. Thus, one may free deer from hunters with dogs, refrain from such hunting oneself, avoid encouraging others to engage in such hunting, and refrain from rejoicing in such hunting. How does this relate to refraining from [F.141.a] and relinquishing theft? This means to avoid punishing others when one has become the ruler, king, or minister of a given place, to cause others to give up such punishment, and to make others abide within what is right or the rule of law. Those are the second kinds of actions that yield birth in Dwelling in Various Chariots.

4.B.­217

“The gods in that realm play with various chariots within a forest that measures three thousand leagues. Hence, the name of that realm: Dwelling in Various Chariots. The gods that live in that realm rollick merrily. Among and within the chariots are beautiful lotus flowers of gold and silver with beryl petals. There are also beautiful, fragrant pools where lovely beryl-colored bees swarm around.

4.B.­218

“The following colorful features manifest within the forest. In the lotus pools grow flowers with colorful petals, such that some lotuses are half sapphire and half beryl. That is one colorful feature. Other flowers are half beryl and half gold. That is another colorful feature. Another is that some flowers have a hundred petals, half of which are golden and the other half the color of ruby. Another colorful feature is that around lotuses with ruby petals hover golden bees, and around lotuses with silver petals hover ruby bees. Another colorful feature is that lotus stalks of beryl are enveloped in gold, lotus stalks of gold are enveloped in precious substances, lotus stalks of silver are enveloped in coral, and emerald-colored stalks are enveloped in gold from the Jambu River. The lotus pools are studded with different kinds of colorful humming bees. Just as in Jambudvīpa [F.141.b] where the anthers of certain flowers290 always attract numerous bees, the same is the case with the flowers in Dwelling in Various Chariots.

4.B.­219

“Thus, positive actions give rise to various realms. Painting with various colors, a master artist in Jambudvīpa, or his accomplished student, may create various petals upon the surface of a wall. This forest is equally full of myriad colors.

4.B.­220

“Another colorful feature of Dwelling in Various Chariots is its birds. Their feathers, legs, heads, abdomens, and eyes are of many different colors. Thus, some birds have yellow abdomens with silvery feathers, a ruby-colored back, and eyes the color of the karketana stone. Others have silvery abdomens with golden feathers, beryl-colored eyes with ruby pupils, and multicolored backs. Thus, birds in the colors of the seven precious substances embellish this forest.

4.B.­221

“Another colorful feature of Dwelling in Various Chariots is its mountain peaks of sapphire, beryl, coral, karketana, and gold. The radiance of such summits adorns the forest, and so it is full of swirling, mingling light rays. The power of such divine light beautifies the forest tremendously.

4.B.­222

“Another colorful feature of the forest concerns the way the twigs and branches intertwine. Thus, three colors may appear when ruby fruits hang from twigs of beryl entwined in twigs of lapis lazuli. Likewise, there are silver twigs encircled by ruby light, twigs of coral and gold are interwoven with twigs of gold, and twigs with the color of karketana may become covered by twigs of silver. [F.142.a] In such ways the twigs may appear in two colors as they intertwine. Other twigs are also of three colors, as beryl twigs may be covered by other twigs in the colors of gold and karketana. Likewise, twigs with the color of karketana may become covered with gold and silver, and silver twigs may be intertwined with lotuses colored like coral and sapphire. Thus, one type of twig is sometimes covered by two others.

4.B.­223

“Another colorful feature of the forest of Various Chariots is that golden twigs may bear beryl-colored flowers, just as flowers the color of sapphire may grow on silver twigs, golden twigs may bear karketana flowers, and beryl-colored flowers may grow on coral twigs. Thus, the various twigs bear flowers in a variety of different colors.

4.B.­224

“This manifold display is produced by various forms of karmic action, is appropriated by various forms of mind, and accords with various causes. Thus, karmic actions form the causes and bases for the great diversity of the forest of Various Chariots. Just as sprouts grow from their seeds, karmic effects manifest in accordance with their causes. Starting with engagement in propelling actions, and continuing through the features of the recipients, the various forms of attention, and the diverse appropriations‍—all the effects of distinct karmic actions manifest like the imprint of a seal. Whether in the higher realms or in hell, there is no effect that manifests without a cause, and nobody will ever experience the karmic ripening of acts that were done by another.

4.B.­225

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions thus examines the vibrant nature of the forest of Various Chariots and its colorful world, [F.142.b] he will ask himself, ‘What actions might the gods engage in within this realm of Various Chariots in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three?’

4.B.­226

“As he applies knowledge derived from hearing, he will notice how there are times when people are unrighteous and do not pursue the Dharma; when they do not acknowledge their mothers, their fathers, mendicants, or brahmins; when they do not pay respect to the elders of their families; when they do not follow their spiritual teachers; and when they lack trust in the way actions bear karmic consequences, lack the genuine view, and fail to let their actions be preceded by the genuine view. At such times, the evil Māra will be happy, and within the four circles of people who are righteous and follow the Dharma, the following things will transpire.

4.B.­227

“A ruler of the world who belongs to the class of the māras and is known as Strife will, together with another such māra by the name of Distractor, distract the minds of those beings who practice the Dharma and cause them to lose interest in listening to the Dharma. A third one, known as Confused Attachment, will make donors and benefactors who practice generosity develop attachment. Thus, he will make them think, ‘If I give to recipients such as mendicants or brahmins, then what shall my children and spouse eat or wear?’ In this way, that third ruler of the world will confuse sentient beings as he roams throughout the world. A fourth ruler of the world, who is of the class of the māras and is known as Misperception, will travel throughout the world and cause those who have gone forth to renege on their resolve. Thus, he will cause them to develop attachment, engage in mundane affairs, enter town, pursue selling and business, develop the desire to look at females, visit bars, fight, create divisions within the saṅgha, and suffer mental trauma due to dreams.

4.B.­228

“Whenever those four rulers of the world who belong to the class of the māras succeed in causing people in Jambudvīpa become unrighteous and refrain from pursuing the Dharma, [F.143.a] they will inform the evil Māra, ‘Your Majesty, the forces of the sacred Dharma are waning; the forces of the māras are on the rise!’

4.B.­229

“Hearing this message from his followers, the evil Māra will respond, ‘In what ways do our forces grow, and in what ways do the forces of the sacred Dharma wane?’

“To this, they will reply, ‘Your Majesty, in Jambudvīpa people are unrighteous and they pursue non-Dharma. They do not respect their mothers, their fathers, mendicants, or brahmins, and they do not respect the elders of their families. Our desirous attachments subdue them and prevent them from listening to the sacred Dharma. In the dreams of those who aroused the motivation to go forth‍—that is, those who actually went forth, in addition to householders who took vows and practiced pure conduct‍—we have conjured up appearances of women and in this way made them suffer those impediments resulting from dreams. We have created attachments in the minds of donors and benefactors who practice generosity, thus making their minds dependent on their children and wives. We have caused people to fight with their friends and caused those who have gone forth to pursue business. We have made people fond of strife, argument, and slander. By such means we have caused the forces of the māras to flourish and made the forces of the sacred Dharma deteriorate.’

4.B.­230

“When the evil Māra hears this, he will say to the rulers of the world, ‘Inform Rāhu, Overjoyed, and other such asuras, along with the nāgas such as Pramatha. Tell them to rejoice since the teaching of the buddhas is being destroyed and our forces are flourishing.’ In this way he will dispatch the rulers of the world to travel below the ground.

4.B.­231

“The asuras Overjoyed and Vemacitrin [F.143.b] will receive the news with great excitement below the ground, and they will, in turn, inform Pramatha and other unrighteous beings who do not follow the Dharma. Upon hearing this news, the nāgas who inhabit Endowed with Enjoyments will become extremely happy and will create obstacles in the manner described earlier.

4.B.­232

“When, as also explained earlier, rulers of the world, such as Virūḍhaka, learn about these things, they will enter the forest of Various Chariots together with Śakra, king of the gods, and the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. They will then call upon the gods and tell them, ‘People say that the gods who side with the māras have become powerful and that asuras such as Vemacitrin and Overjoyed, and nāgas such as Pramatha, are now very powerful indeed. Therefore, it would be right for you gods to assemble all the gods here. When everyone has assembled, we shall all sally forth to wage war on the asuras, traveling in our chariots with jewel ornaments.’

4.B.­233

“In response to this all the gods will exclaim, ‘Let it be so!’ They will then proceed to their individual realms to mobilize all the other gods and lead them to the forest of Various Chariots. When everyone has gathered in the parks of Dwelling in Various Chariots, there will be music from the five types of instruments, there will be singing, and everyone will delight in the colorful features of Various Chariots. At the same time, those gods who are permanently dwelling in the forest of Various Chariots will not go to any other parks. Once the ruler of the gods has assembled all the gods in this way, everyone will set out from the forest of Various Chariots.

4.B.­234

“The gods who live in the forest of Various Chariots will continue to enjoy themselves until finally their completed and accumulated acts with desirable, attractive, and delightful effects have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die, leave their divine world, [F.144.a] and take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals, in accordance with their karmic actions. Should they be born with the general lot in life of a human, they will, in accordance with their karmic actions, enjoy constant happiness. From the beginning of their youth until the time of their death, they will bear beautiful flower garlands. They will be fond of various garments and chariots and be popular with everyone. If they take ordination, they will reside upon a lion throne and deliver various Dharma discourses, enrapturing their audience with a multitude of lectures.

The Gods in Dwelling in Enjoyment

4.B.­235

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to examine the realms of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and thus correctly perceive a realm of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three known as Dwelling in Enjoyment. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born among the gods there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how a holy person with virtuous thoughts may refrain from killing and stealing, avoid encouraging others to engage in such actions, and instead cause others to stop doing so. Thus, such people will themselves refrain from such acts and avoid encouraging others. Should they come to engage in such actions, they will confess them; they will regard their actions as flawed, and they will give up unwholesome company.

4.B.­236

“What is understood by abstaining from killing, and what forms does that take? In this context it means to release birds and fish, facilitate the taking of vows, personally disengage from killing, and confess any act of killing. When trappers have captured birds, one may pay them a ransom to release the birds, and one may also encourage others to do the same, making them feel good and enthusiastic about it.

4.B.­237

“What is understood by abstaining from stealing? As a tax collector, one may be given a royal command to collect sheep, cows, donkeys, and so forth, from a town, market, village, or cattle enclosure. [F.144.b] However, if one is fearful of breaking one’s vows, one will refrain from stealing. Such a person will, after separating from his body, go to the joyful higher realms and be born among the gods in the forest of Enjoyment within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

4.B.­238

“There are other actions that produce such a birth. Those who teach the Dharma may delight listeners through a Dharma discourse that is given on an auspicious day and at an appropriate place and time. If the audience listens one-pointedly with great joy, the teacher of the sacred Dharma will, upon separating from his body, go to the joyful higher realms and be born within the forest of Enjoyment. Among all forms of generosity this gift of the Dharma is supreme. When one has separated from one’s body, this will cause one to ascend to the joyful higher realms and be born among the gods in the forest of Enjoyment that lies within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

4.B.­239

“Once born in that realm one will enjoy many hundreds of thousands of incomparable pleasures. The forest spans three thousand leagues and is adorned with trees of the seven precious substances. Within this forest the gods spend time in constant enjoyment, and they do not travel anywhere else at all. Hence, due to such innate qualities, this is known as the forest of Enjoyment.

4.B.­240

“Each of the trees in that forest provides whatever the gods may wish for. Thus, if a god should think, ‘I would like a house,’ there will immediately appear a house on top of the canopy of the trees. The house that the trees thereby produce will be a thousand-pillared mansion adorned with the seven precious substances. Some of the pillars in the building will be made of beryl. Others will be of gold, crystal, karketana, or emerald. [F.145.a] When seeing such a supreme mansion appear on top of the trees’ branches, the god will think, ‘I would like to enter that home by way of a smooth and even path.’ At that very moment, the trees will manifest a path and the god will set out upon it. While ascending along that passage, the god may think, ‘It would also be nice if there were a lotus pond within the building,’ and as soon as he has this thought, there will indeed appear such a pond, made of the seven precious substances and adorned with swans, ducks, and yellow geese. The god may then think, ‘Let there be music of the five instruments.’ As soon as he has entertained that thought, gentle fragrant breezes will stir and, as the breezes mingle, they will create the sound of music of the five instruments. At this point the god might think, ‘May food and drink flow like rivers within this home in the trees,’ and at that very moment the branches of the trees will open up, producing rivers of food and drink that are of exquisite colors, tastes, and textures. At this point, the god may think, ‘Now I would like to drink ambrosial elixir.’ In that very instant an ambrosial elixir having perfect taste, aroma, and color will manifest, and the god will drink it until he is completely satiated. He will then play and frolic with the goddesses. In this manner, the gods experience such enjoyments within that forest.

4.B.­241

“The gods may also at some point descend from those amazing trees to go for a stroll. In that case heavenly lotus flowers with beryl stalks and golden petals will appear. The flowers are soft, [F.145.b] vibrant, delightful, and fragrant. Thus, as the gods go for their ramble, they will be stepping on those flowers, which in turn produce divine musical sounds of the five instruments. Thus, every step the gods take will be an experience of pleasure.

4.B.­242

“In this way hundreds of thousands of the gods’ ideas are realized and blissfully fulfilled as they experience the objects of the five senses. Even so, their senses are never satisfied by their objects. Any form the gods’ eyes may see will be registered as unique, opulent, and delightful. As soon as they open their eyes, they will apprehend and perceive further desirable, attractive, and delightful forms, and so they will never feel satisfied by the forms they see. All that they hear is also exceptionally delightful, and so their ears are likewise insatiable. As their noses register scents, all that they smell is desirable, attractive, and delightful, and thus the gods’ noses are never sated by any amount of aromas. When their tongues experience tastes, all are sensed as extremely pleasant and delicious. Their physical experience of textures is likewise an experience of desirable, attractive, and delightful objects. Similarly, all the things that they bear in mind are similarly desirable, attractive, and delightful.

4.B.­243

“Thus, with their six collections of craving consciousness and their desirous bodies, the gods laugh, enjoy, revel, and rollick within their forest without ever feeling satisfied. In this way, the wind of thought that stirs the faculties above wafts through the jungle of objects below, fanning the blazing fires of nonvirtue. Although this fire blazes every single day, the objects they crave never bring them any satisfaction.

4.B.­244

“While the gods play [F.146.a] and joyfully amuse themselves with numerous objects in this way, Śakra, king of the gods, will upon his victory over the asuras pay a visit to various high mountains, as explained before. When he arrives, Śakra will call on the gods and tell them, ‘Gods, enjoy yourselves in this forest. Play with this wealth of divine sense pleasures! I have defeated the hordes of the māras, Vemacitrin, and the rest. Now I shall go to the forest, and I want all gods and goddesses to come and stay there with me during the four months of the monsoon. We shall certainly enjoy ourselves.’

4.B.­245

“When he has instructed the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three in this way, he will next call upon his elephant, Airāvaṇa: ‘Supreme elephant, get ready. I am going to the forest for the sake of enjoyment and celebration, and I shall be traveling in the company of all the gods and goddesses. Just as you have done before, you must create emanations so that everyone can ride on your back, head, tusks, and shoulders. You must create emanations of forests, lakes, mountains, peaks, groves, and parks.’

4.B.­246

“When he hears Śakra’s words, Airāvaṇa, the supreme elephant, will magnify himself, making his body very large. He will then emanate one hundred heads, each bearing ten white tusks. On each of the tusks lie ten lotus pools, each containing one thousand lotuses that have one thousand petals made of the seven precious substances. On each of the petals sit bees of the seven precious substances, and on each of these petals the gods and goddesses will take their places without any sense of feeling intimidated by one another. Thus, riding upon the heads of the supreme elephant, everyone will journey across the sky to the pleasure garden that is [F.146.b] richly endowed with heavenly enjoyments of the five senses.

4.B.­247

“The elephant will emanate two forests on his shoulders, one known as Utter Joy and the other called Desirable. In each of them, there will be perfect trees, cascades, and ponds. There will be exquisite trees of the seven precious substances and perfect wish-fulfilling trees. Within those forests the gods will enjoy themselves and frolic about, and thus the groves will be filled with gods and goddesses who experience divine delights of the five senses. In this setting, Airāvaṇa, king of elephants, will proceed as if he were a second Mount Sumeru.

4.B.­248

“On the back of the supreme elephant lies a city called Even and Smooth Surface, which is like a second Sudarśana, complete with beautiful streets, crossroads and forks, parks, trees, and houses made of the seven precious substances. In its center stands a mansion adorned with a hundred pillars of the seven precious substances, and in the center of that building is a lake. Therein, the king of the gods will rollick with his bevy of goddesses. Śakra, king of the gods, will revel and frolic there to the accompaniment of music of the five instruments, all the while traveling to the forest.

4.B.­249

“Even though the gods are traveling, they do not notice any change. Just as they do not perceive that they are staying upon Mount Sumeru, they also do not feel any movement of the supreme elephant.

4.B.­250

“Upon his ears, the elephant will manifest two lotus pools, each of them measuring eleven leagues. One of them is called Deep and the other Bright, and these ponds are brimful of water endowed with the eight features. In the ponds grow water lilies with beryl petals and jewel stalks. Some are ruby colored and ornamented by bees, and they abound with blooms [F.147.a] that are intensely fragrant. Upon the anthers of those lilies, the gods and goddesses take their places and frolic. Playing with the water and the lilies, they cannot tell whether the supreme elephant is moving or standing still.

4.B.­251

“Upon its trunk the elephant will emanate a long pool that measures five leagues and is surrounded by mansions with pillars topped by capitals. There are divine trees and the area is studded with mandārava flowers. Bees hum merrily and the place is adorned with the beautiful leaves of divine gośīrṣa sandalwood trees, trees of gold, and numerous other kinds of flowers. Upon the anthers of the flowers sit goddesses who play music, singing and chanting auspicious praises to the king of the gods. In this way, such an elongated pool will be emanated on the tip of the elephant’s trunk.

4.B.­252

“Upon the tip of his trunk, the elephant will emanate a large pool that measures about a league, and in that pool will be many hundreds of thousands of huge lotuses. The flowers are extremely fragrant, filling the atmosphere with divine aromas for a distance of ten leagues. Upon each petal of these beautiful great lotuses gather throngs of gods and goddesses who sing, frolic, and revel. When the gods thus rollick and are absorbed in their pleasures, they do not see each other, and they remain free from harm. The gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three also travel to the forest on the tip of the elephant’s trunk. As they journey upon Mount Sumeru, they do not notice that their destination is a creation of that supreme elephant.

4.B.­253

“Next, the supreme elephant will create upon his trunk a great mountain called Adorned with Springs. This mountain is adorned with various springs and beautiful heavenly trees, cascades, ponds, parks, [F.147.b] lakes, and lotus pools. There, other gods will frolic, enjoy themselves, and have fun. Upon the head of the flower-decorated supreme elephant, another mountain will also be created.

4.B.­254

“The tusks of the supreme elephant resemble the waxing moon. Upon their tips the elephant will emanate parks with an even ground that is adorned with flowers and lakes. Among the beautiful flower petals bees buzz and the clear calls of cuckoos can be heard. On the dry land roam ravishing peacocks, pheasants, and the other divine birds that adorn the emanated parks that have been created upon the tusks.

4.B.­255

“Thus, when the supreme elephant has in this way extended his body size, he walks toward the pleasure gardens. Surrounded by the gatherings of gods, he ambles on without growing weary and with a gait of elegant majesty.

4.B.­256

“From his two nostrils, the supreme elephant sprays streams of water that flow like the rivers Gaṅgā and Yamunā in Jambudvīpa. The cool waters are extremely pure‍—free from any impurity whatsoever. To provide a slight analogy, when herbs, grass, forests, barley, and wheat suffer from heat and drought within the four human abodes, they can be revived by a rain that falls on the grains and leaves. In the same way, the nostrils of the king of elephants are always like that.

4.B.­257

“As the water flows, the wind will scatter it throughout the sky. The wind causes the water to evaporate over a great distance and thus the water appears as mist within the three abodes of humans. Moreover, when the supreme king of elephants trumpets, he releases water, which showers down among the gods who travel in the midst of the sky. This looks like a moving white light, and so when certain non-Buddhists see that, they will say, ‘That is the path of Indra,’ while others may call it ‘the path of the elephant Airāvaṇa.’ Yet they do not know that what they see is white water. [F.148.a] [B33] Thus, as the water is scattered by the wind and suddenly falls, they see it like thirsting deer see mirages. In this way, its essence is transformed and appears unclear.291

4.B.­258

“Next, the supreme king of elephants, who thus carries a mountain upon his head, will above the crown of his head create a supreme victory banner, a beryl ring, and a golden parasol that decorate him beautifully, as if he were a second sun. He will also carry a standard that measures one league and radiates white light. When the asuras who dwell in the sea see that light, they will tell each other, ‘The gods have arrived. That light shines from the standard called Victor, which belongs to Śakra, king of the gods.’

4.B.­259

“In this way the supreme king of elephants proceeds to the parks. When the gods see the forest in the distance, Śakra will tell them, ‘All of you, look at these great delights. Gods who defeated the asuras, for the four months of the monsoon you shall celebrate with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three within this great forest that is so delightful to behold.’

4.B.­260

“When the gods hear those words, they will reply, ‘We shall do just as Śakra commands.’ Śakra’s elephant, Airāvaṇa, will then amble into the park, and all the gods will frolic, celebrate, and revel together with the divine inhabitants, who all possess heavenly pleasures of the five senses.

4.B.­261

“As the gods who live and play in the hills of the parks see the supreme standard and the king of elephants, Airāvaṇa, they will become overjoyed and proceed to receive Śakra, king of the gods. Joining their palms above their heads, they will venerate him [F.148.b] and merrily entertain him with beautiful melodies, songs, and dances. Śakra, king of the gods, will then descend from his elephant and together with the gathering of gods proceed into the parks. The gods that journey upon Airāvaṇa’s head, tusks, and shoulders will likewise descend and enter the parks to play, enjoy themselves, and be happy. Thus, the inhabitants of the great forest and the gods who with Śakra were victorious over the asuras will together enjoy a wealth of pleasures of the five senses, experiencing indescribable enjoyment for the four months of the monsoon. Śakra, king of the gods, will be attended to by groups of gods and goddesses who in turn are attended to by other groups of gods and goddesses. In this way everyone will enjoy themselves and frolic.

4.B.­262

“Thus, these gods experience incomparable bliss, and they continue to enjoy themselves until finally their completed and accumulated acts have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine forests. After their death they will, in accordance with their karmic actions, take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. If, possessing the general lot in life of a human, they are born as humans, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, possess an immaculate, dexterous intelligence and a supremely attractive physical form. They will be extremely agreeable to everyone and be born where there are delightful waterfalls, mountains, ponds, and parks. In their environment there will be many people who are joyous, powerful, wealthy, and live happy lives.


4.B.­263

“Next, the monk will examine the karmic actions and ripening effects [F.149.a] that pertain to the great king of elephants, Airāvaṇa. Thus, he will wonder, ‘What actions might be the cause of the tremendous miraculous powers that allow this elephant to be victorious in the battle between the great gods and the asuras? And what might be the actions that caused him to be born as an animal?’

4.B.­264

“When he examines these matters with knowledge derived from hearing, he will notice how at the time when people lived for seventy thousand years there was a great brahmin who had attained knowledge of the Vedas, their auxiliary studies, the chronicles, and the Purāṇas. He practiced generosity, engaged in what is virtuous, and with steadfast regularity provided for the lowly, the unprotected, beggars, and those in pain. His mind was extremely virtuous, and he cared for the whole world.

4.B.­265

“At that time there was king called Sudarśana, whose vast pleasures and enjoyments were comparable to those of the gods. Once, the king traveled to a palace known as Garland of Parks. On the journey, King Sudarśana was accompanied by eighty-four thousand elephants wearing golden nets and webs of bells, eighty-four thousand horses adorned with golden nets and strings of small bells, eighty-four thousand attending ladies, and eighty-four thousand musicians. The brahmin noticed King Sudarśana’s supreme pleasures and extreme wealth and, although he possessed perfect wealth himself, he decided to go to the palace where the king was partaking of his enjoyments. The brahmin’s name was Even Toward All.

4.B.­266

“When he thus visited the king’s rich residence, the brahmin Even Toward All noticed an elephant, known as Cloud Banks, that the king would always ride. The elephant was draped with gorgeous nets of small bells, exquisite pearl garlands, and other beautiful ornaments created by the most expert artisans. [F.149.b] To the melodious sounds of numerous instruments, the elephant was ambling through the park.

4.B.­267

“Seeing this virtuous elephant of tremendous majesty and beauty, the brahmin thought, ‘Ah! That elephant is perfectly virtuous and divine. Similarly, may I now take rebirth as the king of elephants, the mount of Śakra, king of the gods!’

4.B.­268

“Afterward, when the brahmin separated from his body, by the power of his generosity and the power of his karmic actions he went to the joyful higher realms and took birth in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three as the elephant upon whom Śakra, king of the gods, always rides.


4.B.­269

“At this point the monk will utter the following verses:

“ ‘Wherever the painter of karma
Creates its paintings,
The great lord of the mind
Will draw its designs too.
4.B.­270
“ ‘Through all their many transformations,
Beings reach different destinations
Within the three realms of cyclic existence
As propelled by the mind.
4.B.­271
“ ‘Corporeal beings engage in their actions
Depending on the mind.
Those who constantly train their minds
Will be led to the realm of immortality.
4.B.­272
“ ‘The mind is hard to please, feeble,
And always ready to fall.
Taming the mind is good;
Those who do so will win happiness.
4.B.­273
“ ‘Those who constantly train their minds
Will continually conquer misdeeds.
Those who are steadfast in conquering misdeeds
Will never be harmed by suffering.
4.B.­274
“ ‘Suffering here,
And suffering elsewhere,
Is caused by the unbearable,
Feeble, and restless mind.
4.B.­275
“ ‘Gods, asuras, piśācas, nāgas,
Mahoragas, and rākṣasas
All have a single lord, the mind.
This is the king of the three realms of existence.
4.B.­276
“ ‘Mind leads to heaven
And to the realm of humans.
Mind also leads to the lower realms,
Making people roam aimlessly.
4.B.­277
“ ‘The mind that is confused and impaired
By all its useless objects [F.150.a]
Is driven by craving,
And confined to infinite pain.
4.B.­278
“ ‘Engaged in a single activity but always concealed,
Hard to please and yet powerful,
Destructive but imperceptible‍—
Thus, the unstable mind is quickly moving.
4.B.­279
“ ‘A mind such as that
Is tamed by the wise,
Who leave behind the chains of the māras
And attain happiness beyond.
4.B.­280
“ ‘The horrible demon of thought
Is deceptive and hard to fathom.
The mind that relies on him
Will fall into the abyss of hell.
4.B.­281
“ ‘Those free from such flaws,
Who are not controlled by the objects of the senses,
And are not stained by unwholesome factors,
Will be taken to the abode of immortality.
4.B.­282
“ ‘The mind arises from causes and conditions
And may enter supreme spiritual practice.
As it quickly changes,
It may become deeply engaged.
4.B.­283
“ ‘Based on its engagement in actions,
There will be various effects.
Singularly subtle and active,
It will not last for a second moment.
4.B.­284
“ ‘Into which body, realm,
And part of the world might it lead one,
And by which path?
All of that it is difficult to know.
4.B.­285
“ ‘Wherever the body may go,
Stay, or be active,
When the actions of the body are seen,
Spiritual practice remains unseen.
4.B.­286
“ ‘The mind is hard to tame
And its own body is imperceptible.
The horrible thoughts of beings
Are unimpeded and have no eyes.
4.B.­287
“ ‘The mind that sees evil and abstains from evil
Is like an illusion.
Its thoughts are not noticed,
It does not move, and it is not seen.
4.B.­288
“ ‘Throughout beings’ hundreds of lives,
It leads them all along,
But can neither be cut by weapons
Nor burned by fire.
4.B.­289
“ ‘Thus, it itself cuts and burns
All blind beings,
Who suffer tremendously,
Bound by the tight ropes of karmic action.
4.B.­290
“ ‘Throughout thousands of lives
This is the guide, yet it remains unseen.292
4.B.­291
“ ‘In one instant, it engages in virtue,
And in another instant, it engages in the unwholesome.
Taming such a mind of virtue and vice
Will bring happiness.
4.B.­292
“ ‘Emerging through the six gates,
The mind craves objects, [F.150.b]
And thus it may be driven to the ends of the world
And still not realize its afflictions.
4.B.­293

“In this manner, the monk will see how great positive actions can change into inferior ones. Hence, he will declare how so-called positive mental acts that normally bring either ordinary or divine effects can also sometimes lead to an animal existence due to the primary influence of the mind and the transformation of the mind.

The Gods in Dwelling in Beauty

4.B.­294

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the realms of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a realm of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three known as Dwelling in Beauty. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how some people observe discipline and cause others to do so as well. They refrain from unwholesome actions and also cause others to disengage from negative acts, regard them as flaws, and undertake discipline. Thus, they are steadfast in observing unblemished discipline, maintain pure surroundings, and give up killing and stealing.

4.B.­295

“Which aspects of killing are abandoned by such people? Adhering to their vows, they will refrain from digging where doing so would harm many animals, such as ants, scorpions, frogs, insects, or mongooses. Moreover, they will cause others, who may or may not have taken vows, to stop such digging and regard this as mistake.

4.B.­296

“What is then the relevant discipline in terms of giving up stealing? Here, they avoid even the slightest intention to steal the property of potters or anybody else, just as they stop others from taking such property and establish them in discipline. They also refrain from rejoicing in stealing.

4.B.­297

“Holy beings who thus practice discipline and give up killing and stealing will, upon separating from their bodies, go to the joyous higher realms and be born in Dwelling in Beauty. [F.151.a] They will become gods who are always happy, singing, laughing, playing, frolicking, and reveling; who are endowed with a constant, natural glow; and who live in forests and parks. Those who observe excellent discipline will be born in the higher realms.

4.B.­298

“The wealth of enjoyments and extremely delightful objects that those who engaged in positive actions will experience is of the following kind. Nets of golden threads with small tinkling bells attached to them are draped throughout the forest, and when someone from a distance sees those beryl bells, which have been created by karmic actions, the bells will ring out, ‘Peaceful doer of good, come forth and see!’ Then the bells will produce the following verses:

4.B.­299
“ ‘Those who with extremely buoyant minds
Observe discipline
Will live to enjoy
The bliss of discipline.
4.B.­300
“ ‘Proper adherence to discipline
And much familiarization with that
Will transform into bliss
And the realization of the transcendence of suffering.
4.B.­301
“ ‘Discipline protects you from the lower realms
And leads you into goodness.
Thus, always adhere to discipline,
Which has a thoroughly soothing effect.
4.B.­302
“ ‘When the time of death arrives
Those endowed with discipline will have no fear.
There is no protector against the lower realms apart from oneself;
Discipline is the supreme protector.
4.B.­303
“ ‘You have observed great discipline
In all your undertakings.
As you have now arrived in the realm of the gods,
Do not be totally careless.’
4.B.­304

“Thus, the jingling of the bells that are produced by positive karmic actions will make the gods comprehend the flaws of carelessness. Those gods who have adhered to discipline for a long time will understand the message well and hence avoid even a moment of careless abandon. On the other hand, those gods who, through numerous lives, have not fully accustomed themselves to discipline will fail to understand the message of the bells and therefore will soon become completely careless. [F.151.b] As that happens, those who comprehended the message will go somewhere else, proceeding to forests and parks that are adorned with the seven precious substances.

4.B.­305

“The forest of Beauty measures three thousand leagues. The four main areas are larger than the city of Sudarśana while the rest are smaller. The forest is square, and at its four sides stand four great wish-fulfilling trees of flawless beryl. The shining trees stand about a league tall, and their light reaches across five thousand leagues, shining just like the sun. On their branches and leaves gods play with retinues of goddesses, receiving whatever they may wish for from the branches and leaves. Encircled by those trees lies the forest of Beauty. It is adorned with lotus pools of gold, silver, and beryl; trees of refined gold; great unplowed fields that consistently yield produce that is in every respect flawless, clean, and delicious; and immaculately white birds that are agreeable to behold and delightful to hear.

4.B.­306

“Among the birds of the forest, some have silver feathers, a golden head, a beryl-colored stomach, and ruby eyes. Thus, the birds have numerous colors. Upon silver trees sit golden birds, on golden trees sit silver birds, on beryl trees with bushy branches sit ruby-colored birds, and on ruby trees sit sapphire birds. [F.152.a] All of them consume the fruits and drink from the nectars of the trees.

4.B.­307

“Birds with colorful feathers of the seven precious substances frolic and warble on trees of the seven precious substances. Among the numerous lotus flowers, large bee swarms engage in various activities with their colorful bodies and seasonal inclinations. The bees fly among the dense anthers of the lotus flowers and enjoy themselves, play with each other, and mate. Within the rich shades of the trees, gods and hosts of goddesses also enjoy themselves with each other and romp around.

4.B.­308

“This forest is further endowed with the following divine qualities, which are particularly excellent. Whenever war breaks out between the gods and the asuras, Śakra, king of the gods, will say to the gods, ‘Gods, get ready. Prepare yourselves, because the asuras on Moon Mountain are inflicting harm upon the gods.’ When they hear this command, the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three will go to the forest of Beauty. All the gathered gods and the divine officials of Śakra will then enter the forest. Upon the trunks of the four great, stainless, divine trees of beryl that grow in the four directions the gods will then see their forms reflected, as if in a mirror. They will behold the signs of their victory, but they will also see reflections that show how certain gods among them will have their limbs cut and severed in the upcoming battle between the gods and asuras. They will see how the gods that lose limbs in this way will grow new limbs back; this will not be the case, however, when the god has his neck cut and is decapitated. Those among them who are going to have their necks cut and their heads severed will see that reflected in the trees. When a god has seen that this is going to happen to him, he will then inform the others. [F.152.b] To ensure that the death of that god will be avoided, the gods will notify Śakra, telling him that this god is going to die in the battle against the asuras. Upon receiving such news, Śakra will then say, ‘Friend, do not go to war. Do not put your life in danger.’

4.B.­309

“As the monk wonders about the causes of this, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how some people with compassionate minds and thoughts may free others who are about to be executed. As such actions ripen, these people will be born in the realm of Beauty among the mirror-like trees that provide such reflections.

4.B.­310

“Then the gods will proceed into the forest of Beauty. When they come to the grove in the center, which is adorned with trees that fulfill all wishes, the gods will convene. They will compare the sizes of the armies of the gods and asuras and examine the character of the asura army versus that of the gods.

4.B.­311

“Śakra, king of the gods, will then explain to them, ‘When those who follow the Dharma pass away, they are reborn among the gods. When the people in Jambudvīpa rely primarily on the path of the ten virtuous actions during times of dispute‍—when they adhere to and practice the path of the ten virtues, when they make others do so as well, and when, free from breaches, corruptions, or flaws, they steadfastly maintain the sevenfold discipline of the body and speech without any hypocrisy‍—they will after their death take birth among the gods. Such people will then be born among the gods, just as the grains of sand filling an open bag will all fall out when the bag is turned upside down. [F.153.a] In this way, the armies of the gods will expand, the armies of the asuras will diminish, and the asuras will lose their vigor. At such times, the asura army on Moon Mountain will be expelled.

4.B.­312

“ ‘At other times, however, the conduct of people may be tainted and they may fail to steadfastly practice the path of the ten virtues free from breaches, corruptions, or flaws. At such times, humans in Jambudvīpa will after their death only be born among the gods in a way that resembles how mangos fall when a strong man shakes a tree with ripe fruits.

4.B.­313

“ ‘During times of privation, people’s practice of virtue may become extremely tainted. They may fail to observe and steadfastly practice the discipline of the body and speech, and their practice may be neither very wholesome nor constant. At such times, people will be born among very inferior gods, just as when a feeble person embraces a wood apple tree bearing round, hard, and unripe fruits, and shakes the tree with considerable difficulty. In this analogy, the person who shakes the tree is very weak and the wood apples that fall are few and only slightly ripe. That is how people with tainted discipline will be born among the gods. At such times, you gods will become careless and you will be content with your total carelessness. In that way, the armies of the asuras will expand and the armies of the gods will diminish.

4.B.­314

“ ‘When people practice and engage in non-Dharma, when they disengage and refrain from the sevenfold discipline of the body and speech, when they go against each other, when they disrespect their mothers and fathers, and when they are unrighteous and do not pursue the Dharma, they will after their death take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, and asuras. [F.153.b] Just as when a strong man turns a bag of sand upside down and empties it, such humans will be reborn among hell beings, animals, and asuras.

4.B.­315

“ ‘If people engage in both virtuous and unvirtuous actions, and thus are slightly observant of some aspects of physical and verbal discipline, some of them will after their death take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, and asuras, whereas others will be born among the gods. Just as a strong man may embrace a mango tree and shake it so that the ripe fruit falls off while the unripe remains, some among the people who practice virtue in a way that is tainted will be born as gods, while others will take birth as hell beings, starving spirits, or asuras.

4.B.­316

“ ‘When the vast majority of the people in Jambudvīpa practice non-Dharma, when they do not respect their mothers, their fathers, mendicants, or brahmins, when they do not follow the elders of their families, and when they completely fail to observe any discipline with their bodies and speech, they will upon dying be born as hell beings, starving spirits, or asuras. At this time, the powers of the asuras will grow and the powers of the gods will diminish. On this occasion, I shall enter the war between the gods and asuras. While I will have the power to prevail, other gods will not have such power. Keep this in mind. The gods must endeavor in the Dharma. True joy in the Dharma offers protection in this world and beyond. Among all powers, that of the Dharma is the greatest, and in comparison to that, nothing else looks powerful. Keep this in mind and be mindful. I call on you to defeat the asuras.’ [F.154.a]

4.B.­317

“In response to these instructions, the gods will say, ‘Let our actions fulfill your command. Let it be as you say. We will act to fulfill the command of Śakra.’ They will then proceed to the Forest of Armor to receive their mail. There, the trees will supply them with an impenetrable armor that renders their bodies invulnerable. In this way, they are able to ward off all opposition. Splendid like the morning sun rising over the mountains, they will then depart for the impending battle at Moon Mountain. The battle between the gods and asuras now ensues, just as explained before.

4.B.­318

“After the battle, the gods will again spend time in Beauty, enjoying rich pleasures of the five senses and befriending each other, maddened by desire. Thus, as various birds sing in the flowering and fruit-bearing trees of beryl, gold, and chrysoberyl, the gods will revel delightfully.

4.B.­319

“Next, the monk who has knowledge of the ripening of karmic effects will consider the karmic ripening of the birds that live in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Thus, he will wonder, ‘What actions caused those colorful and diverse birds that sing in such myriad ways among the precious trees to enjoy themselves, rollick, and revel within those groves and parks?’ In this way the monk who has detailed knowledge of the nature of karmic actions will inquire into the effects of actions. As he examines the matter with knowledge derived from hearing, he will notice how a concentrated, professional painter can create fine and colorful paintings of bodies, pleasure gardens, or delightful groves. Thus, with blue, yellow, red, and various blended colors he may paint on a canvas, the walls of a temple, or a stūpa. By the blessings of the buddhas, such professional artists may paint trees, [F.154.b] birds, people, tigers, horses, cities, forests, parks, pools, gardens, lotus groves, lakes, mendicants, brahmins, towns, markets, palaces, and so on. By the blessings of the buddhas and the Dharma, such professional craftspeople may also, in accordance with the instructions of their sponsors, paint various designs in fine colors upon even and polished surfaces of gold, silver, copper, and the like. When such people later separate from their bodies, they will go to the joyous higher realms and take birth among the gods as birds with the same appearance that they painted previously. Those among them who lacked discipline and engaged in various actions may be born as happy deer or bees. In such cases, although their karmic actions and the consequences thereof are comparable to those of the gods, when such silly people attentively engage in those actions, they will also be mindless in the heavens, experiencing happiness among the trees and mountain peaks within the delightful divine forests and parks. Those who crafted various images on duly prepared and polished surfaces of ivory, silver, gold, or the like, will, through their diverse actions, take birth with bodies shaped in a multitude of ways.

4.B.­320

“Accompanied by hosts of goddesses, the gods in the forest of Beauty continue to enjoy themselves, revel, and play, partaking of numerous divine pleasures, until finally their completed and accumulated acts with desirable, attractive, and delightful consequences have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals in accordance with their karmic actions. Should they instead take birth among humans, due to positive actions to be experienced as a human in other lives, they will, in accordance with their positive actions, always be born in joyful circumstances as kings or regents. [F.155.a] Venerated by everyone, they will always enjoy themselves in parks and at parties. While in a happy state of mind, their bodies, ornaments, and garments will also be excellent. They will enjoy a permanent supply of food, drink, and other delicious edibles, and they will spend their time in beds and parks. They will be happy and possess male and female servants, laborers, and aides.

The Gods in Dwelling by the Pārijāta Tree

4.B.­321

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the realms of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a realm of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three known as Dwelling by the Pārijāta Tree. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born among the gods there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how some great and knowledgeable individuals provide their mothers and fathers with clothing, food, bedding, and medical supplies, just as they may encourage and establish others in such virtuous activity. While thus practicing generosity, they may also abstain from even the minutest aspects of killing. Thus, they may carefully refrain from eating overripe fruit that may contain worms, just as they may cause others to refrain from and disdain doing so. While observing discipline themselves, they may also cause others to do so. As for refraining from stealing, they will abstain from brazenly trespassing and taking fresh fruit and also refrain from taking fallen fruit in parks. They will also encourage others to exhibit such restraint and have disdain for such actions, and they will establish others on the path of virtuous actions. Such great individuals who benefit both themselves and others will, when separating from their bodies, [F.155.b] go to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and be born among the gods who dwell by the Pārijāta tree.

4.B.­322

“In that realm stands a single tree of exceptional beauty. Whenever people are righteous and follow the Dharma, the king of the gods will remark how the tree’s scent, color, leaves, and fruits are presently the most exquisite in relation to the balance of all the positive and negative acts of gods and humans in Jambudvīpa. Whenever the humans in Jambudvīpa are righteous and follow the Dharma, this wish-fulfilling tree will bloom splendidly with radiant and fragrant flowers that can be sensed across a hundred leagues. At such times, the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three will be delighted. Surrounding the wish-fulfilling tree they will say, ‘Marvelous! The wish-granting Pārijāta tree is abloom. Without any doubt, the people of Jambudvīpa respect mendicants and brahmins, and they venerate and follow the elders of their families. That is why this tree of ours is now in full bloom.’ Then the gods will spend the four summer months in the vicinity of the tree, nourished by divine pleasures of the five senses.

4.B.­323

“At other times, when only half of the flowers in the wish-granting Pārijāta tree bloom, the gods will still be overjoyed and say, ‘Marvelous! There can be no doubt that the humans of Jambudvīpa are practicing a discipline that is of various qualities. That is why the flowers on this wish-granting Pārijāta tree are similarly varied.’

4.B.­324

“When the vast majority of people engage in non-Dharma, the leaves and flowers of the wish-fulfilling tree will wither. [F.156.a] The colors of the tree will no longer be attractive, and it will have neither sweet fragrance nor any radiance. For example, during winter, the atmosphere may grow foggy and cloudy and the sun may lose its warmth and brilliance. Similarly, the light that shines from the wish-granting Pārijāta tree also decreases and it will no longer have the same fragrance.

4.B.­325

“The gods who live in the realm of the wish-granting Pārijāta tree will then say to Śakra, ‘O Majesty, the wish-granting Pārijāta tree has little light and lacks fragrance. It is not as beautiful as it used to be. Without a doubt, the people in Jambudvīpa are engaging in non-Dharma. They do not respect mendicants and brahmins, and they do not follow the elders of their family.’

4.B.­326

“When Śakra, king of the gods, hears this, he will take up a statue of the Buddha and then, together with a gathering of gods, set out toward the wish-granting Pārijāta tree. With extreme veneration for the Buddha, he will recollect the qualities of the Buddha and say, ‘I am going to the wish-granting Pārijāta tree. Gods, prepare yourselves. Just as I go forth carrying a resplendent stūpa and holding a statue of the Buddha, so you must all proceed to that king of trees and make offerings of incense, garlands, and ointments to the Blessed One.’ When they hear these words, many hundreds of thousands of gods will come before Śakra.

4.B.­327

“When in this way Śakra goes to the wish-granting Pārijāta tree carrying a statue of the Buddha above his head, other gods who live near the wish-granting Pārijāta tree will behold it from a distance. [F.156.b] But because the leaves of the wish-granting Pārijāta tree have withered, its light has dimmed, and its glory has waned, they will not be so delighted.

4.B.­328

“Before the tree, Śakra will place the Blessed One upon a beryl stand that rests upon the ground, which is like refined gold. Faithfully, he and the gods will then worship the Blessed One elaborately with various scents and flowers from the forest, such as mālika flowers, mandārava flowers, and lotuses. In this manner they will wash and venerate the image with incense and flowers. The gods will feel strong faith and be joyous, free from stinginess and carelessness.

4.B.­329

“To the gods Śakra will then say, ‘Since the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha of noble ones are the masters of all the three worlds, they are also our masters.’


4.B.­330

“All the faithful gods will then prostrate as Śakra utters the following verse:

“ ‘Homage to the Omniscient One,
The single friend of all beings,
Who is free from the poison of craving
And has truly crossed beyond existence.’
4.B.­331

“Joining his palms, Śakra will then approach the Blessed One. As they surround the image, he and the gods will kneel to the ground and utter this verse:

“ ‘Homage to the Omniscient One,
The single leader of all beings,
Who has conquered desire, anger, and delusion,
Who is free of all plagues and is incomparable.’
4.B.­332

“At this point, the entire gathering of gods will take places around the king of trees, and with genuine faith, keen faculties, bright minds, and virtuous thoughts, they will worship the Buddha and Dharma. As they do so, leaves on the tree will begin to open and unfold. [F.157.a] As the gods see this, they will continue their worship, and thus the wish-granting Pārijāta tree will finally bloom again, just as before, with fragrant flowers, white as clouds, and adorned by bees. Gatherings of gods will abound in its delightful shade, and the tree will be splendid like a second sun. As they see that the tree in this way has been restored to its former glory, the gods will rejoice.

4.B.­333

“This tree emits its fragrance across hundreds of leagues, and the wind also carries the scent several hundred leagues farther. Such is the deliciously fragrant, radiant king of trees. Just as Mount Sumeru is the most beautiful among all the sixty thousand mountains, so this wish-granting Pārijāta tree is the most gorgeously resplendent among all the diverse multitudes of trees.

4.B.­334

“As they witness the radiant glory of the tree’s perfect blossoming, the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three will be exhilarated and say to each other, ‘Behold the incomparable blessing of the Buddha. By the power of the Buddha the wish-granting Pārijāta tree has now regained all its color, fragrance, garlands, leaves, and lights. Just as the tree now flourishes, so the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three will undoubtedly likewise experience increasing strength, power, and miraculous abilities. Those in Jambudvīpa who follow the Dharma will engage with the Dharma intelligently and their motivations will be righteous. Hence, the forces of the māras will lose their power and the asuras, nāgas, and world guardians who are associated with the māras and who are unrighteous will be unable to create any obstacles for the Dharma. They cannot find fault with the Dharma and they will be unable to rival us when it comes to the goddesses. The very sight of this king of trees makes them lose their vigor, just as it increases the power of the gods.’ [F.157.b] In this way, the officials of Śakra, king of the gods, will encourage each other.

4.B.­335

“The four guardians of the world, who are righteous and follow the Dharma, will then journey from Jambudvīpa to the assembly hall of the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. From afar, the four will see how Śakra, leader of the gods, and the others in all their radiant splendor worship the blessed Buddha with clear and faithful minds in front of the wish-granting Pārijāta tree. The four guardians of the world will then go before Śakra, king of the gods. Bowing their heads before him, they will say, ‘Śakra, leader of the gods, and all the rest of you, rejoice! The humans who are righteous and follow the Dharma are now practicing the Dharma and refraining from non-Dharma. They respect their mothers, their fathers, mendicants, and brahmins, and they follow the elders of their families. Since they thus practice the Dharma, rejoice!’

4.B.­336

“When they have heard this message, Śakra, leader of the gods, and the rest of them will be utterly delighted. They will honor the four guardians of the world and say, ‘May the people in Jambudvīpa who are righteous and follow the Dharma have the fortune of the joy of the guardians of the world.’

4.B.­337

“When he sees that all the gods there are happy, Śakra will once more lift up the blessed Buddha that is standing in front of the wish-granting Pārijāta tree. He will worship it and then bring it back to the divine assembly hall of Sudharma. Thereafter, the remaining gods will journey to the wish-granting Pārijāta tree, as will the delighted officials of Śakra. Before the king of trees, they will then spend the monsoon season enjoying themselves and reveling in their divine sense pleasures. [F.158.a]

4.B.­338

“Surrounded by captivating bevies of goddesses, the gods will proceed to enjoy themselves and rollick freely, experiencing incomparable bliss. Then, as the monsoon comes to an end, those gods whose karma and lifespan have been exhausted will pass away and leave their divine world. Thus, in accordance with their karmic actions, they will be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. Should they instead be born with the general lot in life of a human, due to karmic actions to be experienced in other lives and as a human, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, always have fine physiques. They will be exceptionally handsome and attractive and enjoy constant happiness, and everyone will be pleased to behold them. They will be playful and always laugh, enjoy themselves, and frolic. Every woman will love to set eyes upon them, they will possess tremendous enjoyments, and they will become kings or regents.

The Gods in Dwelling on Mixed Riverbanks

4.B.­339

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the realms of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a realm of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three known as Dwelling on Mixed Riverbanks.

4.B.­340

“Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born among the gods there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how disciplined people who have trained their minds thoroughly in an altruistic outlook may offer just a single meal to someone in possession of supreme qualities, someone disciplined, someone insightful, or a person suffering from a disease. Alternatively, such people may personally abstain from killing.

4.B.­341

“Additionally, when herders of cows, cattle, camels, or elephants in winter or early spring suffer from cold in the wilderness and therefore set fire to bushes inhabited by ants, mosquitoes, or other living beings, such people may extinguish those fires with water or sand and thus save those beings from death. [F.158.b] In this and other such ways, they may prevent acts of killing and also themselves refrain from killing. In case they should happen to kill anyone, they will regret the act and confess it, and they will refrain from rejoicing in any killing done by others. In this way, they will consider killing a flaw, themselves refrain from killing, avoid encouraging others to kill, and establish others on the path of happiness.

4.B.­342

“Such people may also have given up stealing and therefore no longer engage in such activity. The particular aspects of this that are relevant in this context are as follows. During the cold of winter or early spring, travelers may find themselves without firewood or trees in the vicinity. They may then come upon a stack of cow dung, elephant dung, leaves of various kinds, or sticks that have been left as fuel by herders of cows, elephants, or camels to protect them from the cold or to allow them to cook their meals at night. Although they will be extremely cold themselves, the travelers may nevertheless refrain from taking anything, thinking that those things belong to others. Thus, they will not only avoid taking anything themselves, they will also cause others to stop stealing. In case they should happen to take something that was not given, they will confess the act and refrain from doing so again, just as they will refrain from rejoicing in any such actions done by others. In this way, they prevent stealing, including any preliminary and concluding stages, and they personally abstain from such activity, fearing even the most minute unwholesome actions. When such virtuous people later separate from their bodies, they will go to the joyous higher realms of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and be born among the gods in Dwelling on Mixed Riverbanks. [F.159.a]

4.B.­343

“The grounds in that realm are of the following kinds. There is a silver ground that is brightly ornamented with gold. There are also golden areas with silver ornaments, thus as richly ornamented as the silver ground. Still others have coral and numerous diamonds. Thus, in accordance with the ripening of karmic effects, the realm is beautiful, studded with many different jewels, and delightfully adorned with gorgeous trees. Lovely, multicolored deer and birds of many different species congregate there, and the forests and parks are copiously decorated with the seven precious substances.

4.B.­344

“The gods who live in the forests of Dwelling on Mixed Riverbanks adorn their bodies with pure gold and, as they relish their wealth of divine sense pleasures, they are attended to by a hundred thousand goddesses. When they stay on a particular slope, the brilliance of the ornamental jewels of that slope will make their bodies take on the same color. Also, the light of the jewel trees will beautify their bodies, and when they approach the trees they will enjoy and partake of various pleasures.

4.B.­345

“As they enjoy themselves, the gods may proceed to a particular waterfall together with the goddesses. The edges of the water are studded with golden trees, and the light of the golden leaves give the cascading water a golden hue. Despite its torrents, the water does not become white. There, in the dense forest, the gods and goddesses will play and romp with each other. [F.159.b] If at some point they should think, ‘May the branches of these trees open up and provide us with a delicious wine,’ the gods’ previous virtuous actions will immediately cause the trees to open, and wines of various exquisite tastes, colors, and fragrances will proceed to flow from the branches. Seeing the flow of wine, the gods will tap it into vessels of different sorts. As they drink it from ornate, precious cups, they will become inebriated to the point that their divine pleasures intensify a hundredfold. Crazed by the drink, the delightful sight of females will cause the fire of craving to ignite. However, obscured by their enjoyable sensations, they will not notice it and will not think that they are being burned.

4.B.­346

“Next the gods may wish, ‘Let us listen to divine music of numerous kinds, melodies that are delightful and yield constant enjoyment!’ [B34] As soon as a god has had that thought, music will emerge from the trees. Moreover, the wind will fan the trees, and as the wind moves through their leaves, the gods will hear the gentle melodies of the five types of instruments.

4.B.­347

“When the gods have listened to such heavenly tunes, they may wish that ambrosia would appear from the trees. As if a canister were turned upside down to let sweets of various sizes and the most amazing colors pour out, the trees will at that very instant produce an ambrosia that the gods proceed to consume. Satisfied, they will sing and play instruments, and then they will, with their divine eyes wide open, quickly travel to the Precious Ground. [F.160.a] Once the gods have arrived there, those who have befriended each other will immerse themselves in desire and, joyfully engaging in lustful pursuits, partake of and revel in their wealth of heavenly sense pleasures.

4.B.­348

“From that grove, the gods will then proceed to another forest, known as Grove. Seven kinds of birds live there. There are golden swans that resemble the seven precious substances, just as there are multicolored and lapis lazuli-colored parrots. Some ducks are colored like chrysoberyl, and others like beryl. Some geese are colored like lapis lazuli and others resemble coral. Some peacocks have the colors of the seven precious substances, whereas others are like sapphire. There are also various pheasants, some of which are the color of coral, just as there are cuckoos that are colored like the seven precious substances or have a silvery color. All the birds are beautiful to behold, they warble and cry in delightful, masterful ways, and some of them playfully soar in circles in the sky. When the gods play music, the birds accompany them, and when the gods are attracted to the troupes of goddesses who play the five types of instruments, the birds will again sing differently. Some birds sing in infatuation as they frolic with their partners within the lotus groves studded with beautiful bees. Still others enjoy themselves and revel with their partners on dry land, and some gemlike birds frolic and indulge in pleasure within the diverse and shady foliage of the trees of gold and silver.

4.B.­349

“When the gods pay attention to the happy and playful birds, [F.160.b] the birds become delighted and sing for the gods in numerous delightful ways, as they wish for the gods to listen to their songs. At this point, the gods and goddesses will mount the birds and thus they will all fly and frolic in the sky. Similarly, they will ride upon the water birds and ply the waters, just as they will ride upon the birds that live on dry land and tour through the landscape. In this manner, the gods and goddesses will together play and frolic with the various birds. Seeing how both the gods and birds are equally crazed and maddened by desire, the monk will at this point utter the following verses:

4.B.­350
“ ‘Animals engaged in desirous actions
Are driven by delusion.
In that regard, gods and animals
Are one and the same.
4.B.­351
“ ‘When fortunate humans
Do not act carelessly,
They are called wise.
But in the opposite case, it is different.
4.B.­352
“ ‘The gods are ruined by carelessness,
And thus they are bound for the hells.
That is why the wise
Speak of carelessness as a poison.
4.B.­353
“ ‘The feeble-minded and careless
May look happy at first,
But as they meet the effects of carelessness,
They will later suffer meaningless torments.
4.B.­354
“ ‘Wise people recognize that carelessness
Destroys all objectives,
And thus they do not
Practice virtue in a careless way.
4.B.­355
“ ‘The careless will suffer beyond;
The careful will be happy beyond.
Such are, in short, the characteristics
Of the careless and the careful.
4.B.­356
“ ‘Those wishing to suffer
Should rely on carelessness,
For totally careless beings
Will never be happy.
4.B.­357
“ ‘Holy beings who part from carelessness
Proceed to the realm of immortality.
Beings careful in all ways
Will never experience hell.
4.B.­358
“ ‘Feeble-minded gods and animals
Play together in the same way;
Thus, gods and animals
Are really no different at all.
4.B.­359
“ ‘Gods, asuras,
Starving spirits, and hell beings [F.161.a]
Are of the same type, even though their minds and realms
Are all unique and separate.
4.B.­360
“ ‘When minds differ, actions differ,
And different actions lead to different worlds.
Therefore, various distinct actions
Make the different beings appear.
4.B.­361
“ ‘Due to their various distinct actions,
The gods in their total carelessness
Fall from their divine world.
Yet, they do not comprehend that.
4.B.­362
“ ‘God, when you fall
From your divine world,
Your suffering is near.
Therefore, you must know the nature of your happiness.
4.B.­363
“ ‘Thus, the gods are brought down by their thoughts
And they are fooled by their carelessness.
Gods tormented by craving
Will eventually plunge into hell.
4.B.­364
“ ‘A god who enters hell
Is extremely disgraceful.
Those indulging in playful games
Will experience unbearable torture.
4.B.­365
“ ‘Living beings whose minds are obscured
Will not become weary of cyclic existence.
Those fooled by craving
Will earn suffering upon suffering.’
4.B.­366

“In this way, the monk will teach, having understood the carelessness of the gods.

“Although the gods thus experience all the pleasures of their sensory objects, these pleasures are just like fire fueled by wood, and thus the gods are never satisfied by them. In this way, they will continue to enjoy themselves and experience desirable, attractive, and delightful pleasures until their completed and accumulated actions have finally been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world. In accordance with their actions, they will then be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. If, due to karmic actions to be experienced in other lives, they should be born with the general lot in life of a human, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, enjoy constant and intense pleasures. They will live in a land with abundant food and drink, they will be in possession of numerous treasuries and granaries, and they will become kings or great ministers.

The Gods in Dwelling on Forest Riverbanks

4.B.­367

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, [F.161.b] he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Dwelling on Forest Riverbanks. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born among the gods there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so notice how a holy person who has trained his mind in virtue may give alms to a monk who has attained the first concentration. That holy person may also cause others to engage in such generosity as well. That person may then rejoice in such acts himself, make others appreciate them, and he may establish others in the practice of such giving. Thus, such a person is truly fond of giving.

4.B.­368

“In what sense, then, is such a person free from killing and stealing? The relevant aspects of giving up stealing are as follows. When on the road he might come to a well, a pond, or a waterfall where a jug or pitcher has been attached for the benefit of travelers. At that point, his companion might say, ‘We have to cover a great distance, there will be no water on the way, and we have no jug or pot to keep water in. Unless we take this one from the well with us, we might die of thirst along the way.’ Yet, even when beseeched in such a way, he will refuse to take the vessel, and, although he knows he will suffer thirst, he will leave the jug or pitcher in place out of fear of stealing. Should anyone else take the vessel, he will likewise not rejoice in that, and instead will try to prevent such an act and instead establish the other person on the path of virtue. Such is the character, and such are the features, of not stealing: even if it means that one will die, one will never take what was not given.

4.B.­369

“What, then, are the relevant features of giving up killing? Here, he personally refrains from killing, just as he causes others to stop killing and give up the habit. Thus, if killing should occur, he will consider it a flaw and subject it to detailed criticism. He will not have any wish to harm, nor will he ever kill‍—not any small worms or insects that enter his dwelling through a window, nor those that sit on his blanket, nor those that are harmed by sunlight or smoke. [F.162.a] Should others do so, he will try to stop them and make them realize that such actions are wrong, and he will instead establish them upon the path of virtue.

4.B.­370

“When such virtuous people, who both engage in virtue and establish others in virtue, later separate from their bodies, they will go to the joyous higher realms of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and be born among the gods on the level of Dwelling on Forest Riverbanks.293

4.B.­371

“Once born there the consequences of the positive acts of those who practiced virtue in this way will ripen such that a forest known as Vast Forest of the Seasons will appear. Within that forest are various luminous jewels including flawless and pristine lapis lazuli and beryl. Different kinds of birds sing beautifully, and the trees are in full bloom throughout the six seasons. The realm is also adorned with waterfalls, rivers, and pools with lapis lazuli and beryl lotus flowers, as well as high mountains of pure gold. Within the forests on the mountains and on the banks of the water live aquatic and terrestrial birds of many different forms and appearances that sing clearly. Such are the creations that result from virtuous actions, and thus the gods will for a long time enjoy uninterrupted pleasures as the effect of their virtuous actions.

4.B.­372

“Thousands of retinues of different goddesses accompany them as they adorn their magnificent bodies with divine garlands and garments and roam singing and reveling through the forest. As they pass through the forest, the birds will sing the following verses:

4.B.­373
“ ‘Virtuous actions make people
The objects of worship in the land of the gods,
Whereas unvirtuous actions lead to hell‍—
Such are the changes that occur due to karmic action.
4.B.­374
“ ‘Once they have attained heaven,
Those gods who do not show contempt,
And who are not harmed by craving,
Will go from bliss to bliss.
4.B.­375
“ ‘The long ropes of karmic action
Bind those roaming throughout existence,
As when an enemy is caught by soldiers. [F.162.b]
Thus, beings are driven helplessly by karmic action.
4.B.­376
“ ‘Like pieces of refuse that are swept up and scattered
By a strong wind in the sky,
Those traveling through existence
Move upward and onward.
4.B.­377
“ ‘Just as causes and conditions
Bring forth beautiful lotus flowers,
So virtuous actions make people
Emerge beautifully in heaven.
4.B.­378
“ ‘Like an utterly pure crystal
Or a bright clear sky,
Those whose minds are pristine
Will proceed to supreme bliss.
4.B.­379
“ ‘In this way, beings observe the five,
And they will always be free from the three,
Go beyond the one phenomenon,
And be worshiped in the world of the gods.
4.B.­380
“ ‘Shamelessness, impudence,
Frivolousness, and unwholesome companions
Are like poison and fire.
The wise will therefore be on guard.
4.B.­381
“ ‘Honesty, generosity,
Patience, constant association with spiritual teachers,
And constant love for all beings
Are the provisions for the journey to the divine realms.
4.B.­382
“ ‘People with unwavering minds
Who remain in equanimity when tempted by pleasures
Will perceive their own karmic actions directly
As they arrive in the home of the gods.
4.B.­383
“ ‘Separating Dharma from non-Dharma
Is the life force for the whole world.
There is no savior like the Dharma.
Therefore, rejoice in the Dharma.
4.B.­384
“ ‘Those who give up Dharma
And are fond of misdeeds
Will be tormented by their misdeeds
And experience constant suffering.
4.B.­385
“ ‘The person who attains the world of the gods
But becomes careless and attached
Lets his virtuous actions run dry,
But does not see his impending death.
4.B.­386
“ ‘Where there is no death,
There is constant happiness and goodness.
Those tied by the shackles of death
Will never be happy.
4.B.­387
“ ‘The more people secure happiness,
The more they build up craving.
Those tormented by the fire of craving
Will be carted off to hell.
4.B.­388
“ ‘Carelessness is inappropriate for a god‍—
Do not be totally careless!
Those damaged by the flaws of carelessness
Will die and leave the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.’ [F.163.a]
4.B.­389

“This is what the birds teach. Yet, distracted by the goddesses and the craving for objects, the minds of the gods are sullied and carried away, and so they do not take in the truth spoken by the birds. Instead, they remain within their forests, parks, ponds, and cascades.

4.B.­390

“The gods may also happen to proceed to a high mountain, known as Ponds in Delightful Pleasure Gardens, upon which lives a species of bird called the joyous. The gods and the birds enjoy each other’s company; they love to watch each other, and they play by the ponds and lotus groves. When the gods see the birds they think, ‘Ah, those birds have many delightful forms, warble in many different ways, and are exceptionally delightful. Their tunes are so diverse that they include the songs of all the other birds in the heavens. I would like to ride upon one of them and thus go to view the different forests, parks, and ponds.’

4.B.­391

“As soon as a god has entertained this thought, the birds will increase the size of their bodies. They will then swiftly fly to the gods, and the gods will hold on to them and ride upon them. In this way, flocks of these delightful birds, which are karmic emanations, will fly into the sky. As soon as a god has sat down upon a bird, he may happen to think, ‘I would like a palace of the seven precious substances‍—complete with exquisite groves, parks, ponds, cascades, and lotus ponds‍—and there I would like to play with the many different birds.’

4.B.­392

“The moment a god has had that thought, a palace that exactly matches his wishes will appear on the back of his bird. There the gods will be accompanied by goddesses wearing numerous beautiful garments. They will frolic with them, flying through the sky, from one place to the next.

4.B.­393

“As the gods play and revel, [F.163.b] they will begin to think of the joys, thrills, and supreme sorts of excitement that abound in the higher realms. As they keep thinking of those various realms, their craving will increase a hundred thousand times, for the realms of sentient beings cannot be illustrated through any analogy. The unbearable fire of craving thus blazes in their minds from the six sense gates. Deeply damaged by the suffering that takes the deceptive form of pleasure, they will then take their places upon the birds and, accompanied by the indescribably delightful tunes of the five types of instruments, they shall fly the birds on a complete tour of the foothills of Mount Sumeru. They will gaze upon all the gorgeous groves, parks, and ponds, and see all the many beautiful forests, mountain slopes, trees, regions, and ornamental lotus groves that are filled with different species of birds, and within which gods, goddesses, and divine maidens play with each other.

4.B.­394

“The land is endowed with hundreds of thousands of pleasures and, as they see all those exceptional enjoyments, their insatiable desire will just keep growing. Distracted in this way by the thoughts that accompany desirous excitement, the senses of the gods will never be satisfied at all. Residing in palaces on the backs of the birds, they will keep traveling for a long time, looking at all the sixty thousand mountains and the king of mountains in their center. Before they return home, the gods who have engaged in positive actions in this way take in all the indescribably delightful heavenly realms that shine with numerous jewels, and they view all four of the distinctive faces of the king of mountains, each with its own color, that are made of the most exquisite beryl, silver, gold, and crystal.

4.B.­395

“As they fly around in this way, the birds will transform and manifest whichever color, form, plumage, or shape the gods may think of. Traveling thus, they will come to a pond called Clear Water. [F.164.a] The pond measures five leagues across, is square, and is decorated with various ornaments of precious beryl and lapis lazuli, and adorned by beautiful lotuses. As their positive actions thus manifest, the gods will proceed to the pond and rollick there together with the goddesses in a wealth of divine sense pleasures. Like bees, they will drink nectar from the lotus flowers and eat of their pollen, which is endowed with exquisite divine fragrance, taste, and color, and is stainless like the moon and extremely flavorful. Dressed in their divine garments, they will keep celebrating and reveling with one another until finally their acts with desirable, attractive, and delightful consequences have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world. In accordance with their actions, they will then be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. Should they be born with the general lot in life of humans, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, enjoy constant and fabulous pleasures, possess perfect riding mounts and gardens, and become kings or chief ministers, who are liked by everyone.

The Gods in Dwelling in Essence of Jewels

4.B.­396

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Essence of Jewels. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born among the gods there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so notice how some virtuous people intent on benefiting others refrain from killing and stealing, just as they may prevent others from doing so and instead establish them upon the path of virtue. What are the relevant aspects of personally refraining from killing in this case? When seeing that bees and other insects born from heat and moisture live on honey, such people will abstain from eating honey out of fear that they will kill such insects. They will also stop others from doing so, [F.164.b] just as they avoid rejoicing in such action. Instead they will stop eating honey, knowing it to be unwholesome. Thus, they will by all means avoid eating honey and not even cast a single glance toward honey. Such are the relevant aspects of freedom from killing in this case.

4.B.­397

“What, then, are the features of avoiding stealing? When a lamp has been offered to the Buddha at a stūpa by an ordained person, they will refrain from making use of its light or otherwise making personal use of it. They will also not extract any ink from the lamp and will be fearful of even the most minute act of this kind. Such are the relevant aspects of giving up killing and stealing.

4.B.­398

“How do they give up killing and stealing? Here, they do not kill ants, insects, or flying insects. One does not do so haphazardly oneself, and if others have caught such creatures, one seeks to get them released. And one also seeks to abate the effects of the misdeed of killing. If others kill any being, one reminds them, ‘The effect of the unwholesome act of killing is birth in the Reviving Hell, so don’t do it!’ In this way, they seek to prevent others from killing and instead make them take vows and give up such unwholesome actions.

4.B.­399

“As for the ways that they cause themselves and others to practice discipline, when they are in a remote place, or on the road, they may, despite having only a few provisions themselves, and without having any concern for their lives, share their food with others who suffer because they have little or no provisions for their own journey. Such acts of sharing have great effect. Considering the unique effects on the recipients, those effects will manifest in a timely way. This is the case because hunger is among the greatest of all ailments, and, therefore, alleviating hunger yields a great result.

4.B.­400

“In these ways, they may practice the twofold discipline of benefiting both themselves and others with an unsullied and honest mind, being apprehensive of even the most subtle unwholesome mental states. [F.165.a] At the same time, they may offer jewelry to the bodies of their parents or jewel ornaments to the Buddha. Those who do so will, upon separating from their bodies, be born in the realm of Essence of Jewels.

4.B.­401

“When those who engaged in positive actions are born there, they will encounter the pleasures of an extremely delightful god realm. As a consequence of their virtuous actions, their bodies are so radiant that their splendor is noticed within a distance of five hundred leagues. Just as the rising sun illuminates the mountains, so the light of these radiant gods shines on other realms and increases their luminosity one hundred times, bathing them in bright blue, yellow, madder, and red lights. Produced by their previous virtuous actions, the splendor of the light that shines from the bodies of these gods is a hundred times more glorious than a gorgeous rainbow, and it completely outshines the other gods. Just as the sun is so resplendent that it outshines all the planets, stars, and other celestial bodies, so the blazing light rays of these gods naturally illumine their realm with their magnificence. Moreover, the realm is studded with many types of gorgeous jewels that shine with a luminosity brighter than a hundred suns. Seeing this will further intensify the rapture of the gods.

4.B.­402

“They will also see goddesses with exquisite bodies adorned with the most beautiful ornaments, who put on a show by acting flirtatiously. Some among them play earthen drums, flutes, or cymbals, while others sing and dance within troupes of goddesses. Their necks are adorned with flower garlands, [F.165.b] and in the lotus pools they play with the swans. Some eat from heavenly fruits, and others pluck flowers from wish-fulfilling trees while singing the most amazing, divine songs. In these ways, they are, in numerous ways, stunningly attractive and totally captivating to the minds of all.

4.B.­403

“As soon as the gods are born in that realm and see the goddesses, the supremely enjoyable sense pleasures there are so alluring that the gods are struck by the fangs of the snake of desire. They rise from their seats and approach the goddesses, who are wonderfully youthful and draped with divine garlands and garments. As they move toward them, their minds are tormented by the fire of desire. As they approach the goddesses, the latter likewise rush forward to meet the gods.

4.B.­404

“Whenever a god dies, the goddesses leave him and instead find someone new, just like swarming bees that will look for new, fresh flowers whenever a flower withers. In this fashion, bearing garlands of various flowers, the bee-like goddesses, lovely and enamored, will approach the flowers of new gods and befriend them. They will then play amorously together, following their desires to which they have been accustomed since beginningless time. When a dying god sees how his goddesses leave him in favor of someone else, he will be completely grief-stricken. Like a hell being whose body burns in Ultimate Torment, the god who observes his loved ones opting for another will be mentally tortured by an incredible anguish that is akin to death.

4.B.­405

“Thus, the gods who die in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three will depart in a deranged and tortured state of jealousy and covetousness. Tormented by the prospects of their future existence, the gods exacerbate these extremely painful observations and thus work themselves into a tumultuous state of mind that prevents them from seeing anything else. Hence, once they are dead, they will be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. [F.166.a] What is the karmic cause that produces such an experience? Breaking one’s vows in order to engage in an adulterous relationship with someone else’s wife. If, due to virtuous actions, one is born among the gods, the negative karmic condition of having stolen the wife of another may manifest in this way at the time of death. Thus, since a misdeed may ripen within an otherwise pleasant context, one ought to refrain from even minor misdeeds. As will be explained later, at the time of death the gods in the Heaven Free from Strife do not encounter any consequences of having broken the sevenfold discipline.

4.B.­406

“The goddesses who were with the deceased god will approach a newly arriving god and drape him with divine garlands of fresh flowers that have excellent color, fragrance, and texture. For his part, the god will be overjoyed as soon as he is born, and thus he will approach the divine daughters. Mutually enamored, they will then depart together for the forests and parks.

4.B.­407

“Within the pure waters of that realm grow beryl-colored lotuses with golden petals and diamond pistils, and these are aswarm with hundreds of thousands of bees. Some bees have beryl-colored bodies and golden wings, others have golden bodies and silvery wings, some have multicolored bodies, and still others have bodies of coral with chrysoberyl. Bees such as these frolic and revel among the ever-fresh lotus flowers. Just as the goddesses sing and play music in the most delightful way, so the bees hum beautifully within the dense lotus groves. The divine sons and daughters proceed to enter the pools and play together in the water‍—joking, frolicking, rollicking, and enjoying themselves.

4.B.­408

“After they have played in the pools for an extremely long time, they proceed to a grove known as Garland of Golden Trees. This grove lies in the shade of two large trees. [F.166.b] Accompanied by song and music, the gods have a view of mountain peaks of gold and gemstones where other groups of gods frolic with coteries of goddesses. Within their own groves of divinely fragrant pink and blue lotuses, gods and goddesses adorned with heavenly garlands, garments, silks, and ornaments of pure gold from the Jambu River enjoy the music of the five types of instruments as they playfully entertain each other. Others listen to the delightful calls of geese and ducks and rollick freely among flocks of peacocks and swans. Still others stay in palaces in the sky where they frolic with groups of goddesses. Resembling lanterns in the sky, they remain extremely attached to their divine music and let a rain of flowers fall as they blissfully enjoy this heavenly music. Other groups of gods are seen to befriend each other as they drink delicious wine and engage in joyful and pleasant conversation. In accordance with their causal actions, some groups of gods are seen to partake of an elixir that grants perfect pleasure and that is of exquisite color, taste, and scent. Other gods pluck heavenly flowers from divine trees of the seven precious substances and attach those precious flowers to their bodies. Other groups of gods pick fruits, tossing the fruits to each other and consuming them. Still other groups of gods mount heavenly geese with broad wings made of the seven precious substances. They proceed to travel through the sky without causing any harm to each other. Other gods play gongs, drums, cymbals, and flutes, thus inspiring goddesses to dance before them. [F.167.a] They then celebrate and have fun with the goddesses, throwing lotus flowers, laughing, and speaking passionately to each other.

4.B.­409

“In this way, the newly born divine sons perceive a diverse, divine world, which is the creation of diverse karmic actions. Thus, they will think, ‘I shall never tire of looking at all these forms with my eyes; I shall never tire of listening to all these sounds with my ears; I shall never tire of smelling all these scents with my nose; I shall never tire of tasting the six flavors with my tongue; I shall never tire of feeling the texture of these garments, ornaments, and balms on my body; and I shall never tire of all these delightful phenomena that appear to my mind. That is how I am. I am fond of pleasure and thus I shall enjoy it!’

4.B.­410

“In this way, they will enjoy the heavenly realm of diverse and extremely delightful objects. Ever craving, their six collections of consciousness remain attached and thus these gods are encircled and scorched by the fire of craving. As an example, think of a man in the middle of the bush at noon during the hot season. Next, imagine that someone lights a fire and that the fire ignites the grass, petals, leaves, branches, trees, dried-out thickets and forests, rocks and cliffs. As the thirsting man in the middle of the wilderness thus finds himself surrounded by a bush fire, he will try to take off as best he can. Yet, wherever he tries to escape, he encounters only blazing heat and masses of fire, for the flames engulf the bush and consume all the vegetation. Thus, whichever path the man takes, he will see nothing but fire. If he steps into the flames, he will burn, yet he has nowhere to escape. Finally, he is forced to run directly into the flames and is burned alive in that very instant. [F.167.b]

4.B.­411

“In the same way, childish, ordinary people enter the bush of craving where the fire of karmic action burns the dry grass, branches, leaves, and petals. The fire of craving gains strength by the tremendous force of habitual patterning and is fanned by the wind of thinking. Hence, the fire of craving engulfs the wilderness of withered trees and dried bushes‍—the entire world, including all the attainments of concentration. In this example, the great fire alludes to the six collections of the craving consciousness, and the man’s attempt to flee illustrates the way the mind of the attached sense faculties adheres to its objects. As the wind of conceived objects creates distractions, the fire of craving for objects has the power to incinerate in an instant. Thus, the moment the gods enter that fire of craving for objects, they are destroyed. This is how an ordinary fire is used to illustrate the fire of craving.

4.B.­412

“In this way, the gods will enjoy their heavenly realm with its hundreds of thousands of features created by positive karmic actions. They will continue celebrating until finally their completed and accumulated acts with desirable, attractive, and delightful consequences have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world. In accordance with their actions, they will then be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. Should they instead be born with the general lot in life of humans, due to karmic actions to be experienced as a human, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, become kings or great ministers, residing in exquisite, jewel-studded palaces upon a ground of precious substances. They will enjoy constant happiness, be liked by royalty and commoners alike, and possess perfect offspring, wealth, and harvests.

The Gods in Engaging in Clarification

4.B.­413

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Engaging in Clarification. [F.168.a] Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so notice how a holy person who practices virtue may refrain from killing and stealing, avoid rejoicing in such actions, seek to prevent others from engaging in them, and also criticize such actions.

4.B.­414

“What aspects pertain here to the ripening of the karmic effects of abandoning the misdeed of killing? When some people notice how fresh leaves or a body of water contain tiny insects, they will refrain from eating or drinking directly therefrom. Instead, they will use a filter, and when they have filtered the insects out, they will not just discard them on dry land. Instead they will release them into some water where they can continue to live, and they may even look after them there. Additionally, they may cause others to do the same and thus establish them on the path of virtue.

4.B.­415

“What, then, are the relevant aspects of not stealing? Some people have no inclination to steal anything from other people’s sugarcane, amra fruits, lemons, jackfruits, or plantains.294 Thus, they will not take even a single seed from there, as someone otherwise might have done in order to grow their own field or garden, or for the sake of enjoyment and pleasurable pursuits, or with a wish to earn a profit. Such people may also prevent others from such acts of stealing and instead establish them in the same practice and upon the path of virtue. In this way, such people adopt the discipline of benefiting both themselves and others by giving up killing and stealing.

4.B.­416

“There are also further aspects of pursuing and observing the discipline of refraining from killing and stealing. Some may be afflicted by a terrible disease due to parasites and yet, [F.168.b] although they fear for their life, they will not want to kill those parasites. They will therefore not apply any medical remedy that might have such an aftereffect, nor will they encourage anyone else to do so. Rather, although fearing for their life, they will not kill the parasites and thus practice benefiting both themselves and others.

4.B.­417

“How do they refrain from stealing? They refrain from even the subtlest form of stealing and instead practice generosity. What are the specific aspects of generosity? Some may have obtained a certain medicine to heal a disease from which they suffer. Yet, when seeing or hearing of someone else who suffers in the same way, they might think, ‘If I do not use this remedy for myself but give it away, that person can be cured.’ In such a situation, they will then give the medicine to the other person. When such genuine benefactors, who offer a gift aimed at the transcendence of suffering, later separate from their bodies, they will go to the joyous higher realms of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and be born among the gods in the realm of Engaging in Clarification.

4.B.­418

“As people are born there, the power of their positive actions will manifest an astonishing realm, as beautiful as if it contained the radiance of all the jewels in the world. Those who are born there will be venerated by an extremely large gathering of goddesses. Together, they will then proceed to a forest known as Sphere Endowed with Diverse Music. This realm is also adorned with another forest, known as Decorative Birds and Trees.

4.B.­419

“The power of the birds there is such that wherever they fly, the trees follow them through the sky. Similarly, the gods dwelling among the trees will also bring the trees with them as they fly in the sky. There are also lotus ponds for those who stay in this forest, and in those ponds grow various lotuses adorned with gold. The petals of the flowers are of beryl color, the stalks are golden, and the anthers are made of silver. Goddesses climb onto the lotuses and place themselves in the center of the flowers where they sing. As the goddesses sing, past positive actions will at times manifest a stream of delicious wine. [F.169.a] Known as the joyful stream, it flows among the lotuses, and the goddesses will proceed to drink from the wine. Moreover, all the divine sons who reside in the hearts of the flowers will likewise drink of the wine as they sing and celebrate. Thus, those who dwell blissfully in the lotus grove, attended to by goddesses, will long relish the delicious wine.

4.B.­420

“When they have enjoyed themselves for a long time in this way, they will descend from the sky and proceed to the so-called Water Lily Mansion together with the birds and the attending retinues of goddesses. That mansion is made of water lilies and measures a hundred thousand leagues. Upon each of the petals stand various goddesses who sing and dance to the accompaniment of music of the five instruments. The light from the blue petals of the water lilies can turn everything blue, yet where the petals are red, the light that shines from them can make all the ornaments that are otherwise of many different colors turn red. Within these red and blue lotuses, upon the anthers that are produced from the roots and core of the flower appear many different goddesses. They surround the gods due to the latter’s former positive actions. Thus, on platforms upon the anthers stand goddesses who proffer many different lotuses as they sing, dance, play, and revel with the divine sons.

4.B.­421

“When in this way everyone has frolicked for a long time, they will enter the mansion made of petals, and will then see the river called Lovely, which is exceedingly delightful and has trees growing along both its banks. This exceptionally delightful river is studded with flourishing trees of distinctive color, foliage, branches, and twigs. [F.169.b] Among the leaves of the trees sit birds with beautiful feathers and beaks, and the birds warble and chirp delightfully. Thus, the banks are adorned by gorgeous birds with numerous delightful features. When occasionally the gods become inclined to partake of some food or drink, these will naturally manifest from the river.

4.B.­422

“Another feature of this extremely delightful river is that goddesses who bear various garments and forms mingle among one another upon the banks as they play various instruments, sing, dance, and play. The lovely goddesses are agreeable in all regards, and when they enter the river, the gods who have previously engaged in wholesome conduct will see them. The joyful goddesses will carry on dancing, singing, laughing, and playing music of various kinds. Playing divine music with the five types of instruments, the joyous goddesses will then approach the gods who have previously engaged in wholesome conduct. As the gods see the celebrating young and nubile goddesses with their various attire and ornaments, their libidinous excitement will grow a hundred times more intense and along with other goddesses they will then rush toward them. As the goddesses who stay on the riverbank and the gods and goddesses who have come from the Water Lily Mansion thus mingle among each other, they will call out in laughter.

4.B.­423

“The entire divine gathering will then fill all the precious mountain peaks with the sounds of heavenly music, and when the music is heard by other gods, the beautiful tunes will inspire them to play with still other goddesses. Those who thus hear the music will be exhilarated and rush toward the delightful banks of the river. [F.170.a] The groups of gods and goddesses who come together in this way are never troubled by fighting, envy, or conceit. Without any kind of discord, they befriend each other, singing and laughing. They pass delicious wine around among one another and collectively partake of the wine, and they invite other groups of gods and goddesses to enjoy their nectar too. When in this way they have frolicked for a long time, they will leave the banks of the river, traveling onward in a state of infatuation, journeying playfully and gracefully toward other forests and parks.

4.B.­424

“In this manner, these gods will continue to enjoy their hundreds of thousands of pleasures until finally their completed and accumulated acts with desirable, attractive, and delightful consequences have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world. In accordance with their actions, they will then be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. In the rare event that karmic actions to be experienced as a human should make them take birth as humans, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, find constant happiness and be fond of bathing, ointments, and ornaments. They will also always be fond of pink, red, orange, and white lotus flowers. They will be honest and sincere by nature and will become very learned. They will become kings, great ministers, householders, envoys,295 leaders, or influential merchants.

The Gods in House of Refined Gold

4.B.­425

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as House of Refined Gold.

4.B.­426

“Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, he will examine that question with knowledge derived from hearing or by seeing with the divine eye. He will then notice how virtuous and disciplined people give up killing and stealing. [F.170.b] How, in this context, are these acts given up? Some people may refrain from beating‍—and even protect‍—an enemy who has waged war and sought to kill them, murder their sons, and abduct their wives. Likewise, they may protect enemies who were apprehended by others. Thus, by speaking gently and offering valuable items, they may succeed in gaining the release of such enemies and subsequently do what they can to benefit them. Even if those evil people, who waged war but were freed, should continue to seek another’s death, the people in question will nonetheless spare their lives and even refrain from any animosity. In this way some people who have taken vows and are afraid of the effects of karmic actions may protect their enemies from the blows of sundry weapons. Out of fear of killing, they will refrain from striking their enemies, even at the cost of their own lives. Such are the aspects of freedom from killing that pertain to the present context.

4.B.­427

“What are the relevant features of giving up stealing? People who have taken vows may be afraid of even the most miniscule amount of evil and out of fear of karmic actions and their consequences, they may refrain from anything unwholesome‍—such holy people will abstain from actions that are unwholesome and that should be avoided. In this way, they will also give up stealing. When such people, who have taken vows and are wary of even minuscule misdeeds, go to a temple or a park to study or to obtain water, they will abstain from using anything that has not been given to them by others, whether military boots, grass products, village produce, corn products, or cane products.296 Frightened by the prospect of transgressing the commitments entailed by their training, they will abstain from willful stealing, whether by day or by night. Such are the relevant features of giving up killing and stealing.

4.B.­428

“In what ways do such people observe discipline? They disengage from what is unvirtuous, undesirable, ugly, and evil. Endowed with unblemished restraint, they thereby increase what is good [F.171.a] and observe a discipline that is free from deception. Such discipline is certain to bring birth in the higher realms. It also culminates in the transcendence of suffering, for if one so wishes, it will bring the experience of the three kinds of awakening and the final transcendence of suffering. [B35]

4.B.­429

“Moreover, when visiting a forest, having lost one’s way, whether traveling accompanied or alone, one may witness how, driven by starvation, creatures that eat raw meat may attempt to eat their own cherished offspring. At that point one may wish, ‘May that carnivore not eat its own offspring! May it not succumb to starvation! I shall satisfy it with my own flesh.’ In this manner, one will go before the beast and let it eat one’s own body. Those who compassionately and skillfully sacrifice their bodies in this way, so that both the mother and offspring can survive, possess the relevant type of discipline.

4.B.­430

“What is the relevant practice of generosity? A poor man who struggles hard to make a living may be righteous, take vows, and avoid even the smallest misdeed. Then, if a monk who has risen from cessation should come by, the man may be aware of that and offer whatever little food has been prepared for his wife and children to the monk who has risen from cessation. He himself will then be left to either starve day and night or eat only very little by scrounging for leftovers. Such a man may also cause others to relinquish killing and stealing. He may establish them on the path of virtue, causing them to rejoice in the performance of virtuous actions with tremendous delight. Such people, who encourage others and benefit both themselves and others with their virtuous actions, will, upon separating from their bodies, go to the joyous higher realms and be born among the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three where the mansions have the qualities of gold merely through aroma.297 [F.171.b]

4.B.­431

“Once born in such a mansion with the qualities of gold, those who engaged in good actions are then certain to experience pleasures and sensual delights. Their golden mansion is bathed in the light from all manner of jewels, and their inner residence consists of that light. That inner residence is what is called their ‘mansion,’ and when Śakra visits there, his presence will create great wonder and intensify the gods’ frolicking a hundredfold. Śakra will then utter the following verses:

4.B.­432
“ ‘Ah! You who engaged in virtue
Now experience pleasure after pleasure.
The causal factors of your previous acts
Have made you gods in heaven.
4.B.­433
“ ‘Previously you rode a chariot with two qualities,
Pulled by two horses.
Using the whip of wisdom,
You made that chariot shine like the sun.
4.B.­434
“ ‘Endowed with discipline and compassion,
You had love for all beings,
Providing for them as you would for your mother,
And thus you have come to the home of the gods.
4.B.­435
“ ‘People who delight in providing for all beings
With such compassion
Will by such practice arrive
At the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.
4.B.­436
“ ‘Those who are always gentle and compassionate,
And who delight in benefiting all beings,
Will become objects of worship
And enjoy the heavens in the world that is to come.
4.B.­437
“ ‘People with compassion
Are beautiful like the moon.
Such people always resemble gods
And will be received by gods.
4.B.­438
“ ‘The proper place for all beings
Is freedom from suffering and affliction.
Those wishing for such happiness
Should with buoyant faith rely on compassion.’
4.B.­439

“When Śakra has uttered these verses, he will take his seat upon a supreme throne of gold within the inner chamber. His throne is ablaze with the light of the seven precious substances. Upon it are arranged colorful mats that provide a firm and smooth support, and his throne is ornamented with various designs and features. Thus Śakra, king of the gods, takes his seat within the divine congregation. Staying together with the gods, [F.172.a] he will proceed to pursue games and enjoyments along with the attending goddesses, who appear in numerous forms and in a variety of garments.

4.B.­440

“When after a long time Śakra emerges from the inner chamber, he will proceed, surrounded by a retinue of hundreds of gods, to the so-called Pleasure Grove Park. Followed by a throng of powerful gods who play cymbals and various musical instruments, he will journey to Pleasure Grove Park with its hundreds of thousands of luminous trees. From afar the gods will see the splendorous garlands that shine from the trees of gold and beryl.

4.B.­441

“No analogy can adequately illustrate the ornaments that adorn the diverse parklands of this pleasure grove. Nevertheless, to provide some slight indication one can imagine the light rays that would shine with the simultaneous dawning of seven suns. Such is the light of this pleasure garden. Its shining rays are blue, yellow, maroon, and white, and still others are multicolored. In this way, the pleasure garden is ablaze in radiant beauty.

4.B.­442

“When Śakra, king of the gods, sees how the light rays of numerous colors illumine and adorn the surroundings of the garden he will say to the gods, ‘All you gods, look at the adornments of Pleasure Grove Park!’

“ ‘We see them!’ the gods will exclaim.

4.B.­443

“Śakra will then continue his address: ‘In the past there resided here a universal monarch who shared Śakra’s throne, held sway over the four continents, and sported with a great retinue of goddesses. He ruled over both humans and gods298 and lived for many millions of years. Yet he remained dissatisfied. When the monarch’s time was finally over, the residual excellence of his previous positive deeds remained here, providing the forest with its excellence and splendor.

4.B.­444

“ ‘Gods, pay heed! In the past there was a king by the name of Māndhāta whose rule was continuous and invulnerable to any military maneuvers throughout the four human abodes. [F.172.b] The king was insatiable in his enjoyment of the results of past good deeds, and so he came to this heavenly realm. Upon his arrival, light began to shine from his body, making it ten times more luminous than Mount Sumeru. Outshining all the gods, he thus remained in a sphere of light. Gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings noticed this and came before him with offerings and water to wash his feet. The gods said to him, “Your Majesty, please come with us. We have come here for your sake. You are worthy of our offerings.”

4.B.­445

“ ‘Accepting the offerings of the gods, the king went with them to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. As he approached, the king’s light seemed to dim the light of the entire Heaven of the Thirty-Three in comparison. Hence, just has he had resided like a single, beautiful sun among humans, he was now also resplendent within the land of the gods.

4.B.­446

“ ‘When the four guardians of the world saw how the gods had lost their light, they said to the frightened gods, “King Māndhāta is coming to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. The light of this royal being comes from the splendor of his chariot, his wheel, and his body. The light does not come from any asura, nor does it belong to any terrestrial being. In that case you might have had some reason to fear. But this king is righteous and follows the Dharma.”

4.B.­447

“ ‘Thus, the king arrived in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. At the time of his arrival, Śakra was frolicking and enjoying himself in Pleasure Grove Park. Seeing the king, Śakra said to him, “Since you who have arrived here, half of my throne is yours.”

4.B.­448

“ ‘Thus, Śakra, king of the gods, shared his throne with the other king, dividing it in two halves, and so the other king remained for a long time, enjoying a wealth of pleasures of the five senses. Finally, when his positive actions were exhausted, he fell once more.

4.B.­449

“ ‘You may examine all of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, but you will not find anything as delightful as this Pleasure Grove Park. [F.173.a] This pleasure grove adorned by numerous jewels is so delightful, and the beautiful palace on this ground is as splendorous as the sun.’

4.B.­450

“With these words, the ruler of the gods will proceed toward and enter Pleasure Grove Park, surrounded by a retinue of a hundred thousand gods. Amid the gathering of gods and goddesses, he will then play and revel. When he has long enjoyed the pleasures of the various ornamental trees and lights, he will again embark on his sun-like chariot that is made of the seven precious substances. Thereby, he will travel through the sky, followed by musicians, all the way to Sudarśana, the assembly hall of the gods. Other gods will remain in Pleasure Grove Park, rollicking and reveling in their wealth of the five senses until finally their completed and accumulated acts with desirable, attractive, and delightful consequences have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will proceed to take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. Should they instead be born with the general lot in life of humans, in accordance with their causal actions they will not be born at a time of strife, but during the age of perfection. They will take birth in an extremely delightful place replete with forests and parks, and ripe with fruits, rice, barley, wheat, and sugarcane‍—a densely populated place where people are righteous. There, they will become kings or ministers who are liked by everyone, who possess an excellent body with all faculties intact, and who are blessed with sons and grandsons.

The Gods in Shaded by Garlands

4.B.­451

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Shaded by Garlands. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing [F.173.b] and so perceive how some people who pursue a wholesome livelihood and have virtuous minds will give up killing and stealing.

4.B.­452

“What are the relevant features in this context? They will refrain from killing in such a way that they do not catch and seize live crocodiles or alligators on the riverbanks in order to eat them, nor do they kill them for the sake of profit. With respect to others who kill, they will establish them in such discipline. Thus, without rejoicing in any act of killing, they instead prevent such acts and establish others on the path of goodness. Such are the relevant features of giving up killing.

4.B.­453

“What are the relevant features of giving up stealing? Virtuous people who are honest, are sincere, have taken vows, and are free from desirous thoughts may, out of consideration for their vows, refrain from smelling the scent of an incense that has been offered to the members of the saṅgha or at a stūpa. They will thus refrain from exposing their garments to the incense and avoid sensing it, and when their olfactory organs register the scent, they will not indulge in it. Such are the relevant features. Moreover, such people will refrain from even extremely minor acts of stealing, just as they will make others disengage from such acts, establishing them on the path of virtue and ensuring that they continue to abide on the path of goodness. Such people thus benefit both themselves and others.

4.B.­454

“How do such people further act for the benefit of living beings? Just as one would not kill one’s own children, such people refrain from killing any being, including ants and other small insects. They also cause others to observe the same discipline, establishing them on the path of virtue.

4.B.­455

“How do such people delight in generosity? Poor people who struggle hard to maintain a livelihood may share their own meager food rations with people who have attained the first concentration and embarked upon the path. They may also inspire others to practice the same kind of generosity [F.174.a] and cause them to engage in what is meritorious.

4.B.­456

“When such people, who benefit both themselves and others, later separate from their bodies, they will go to the joyous higher realms and be born among the gods in Shaded by Garlands within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. In that divine realm grows a tree called Shaded by Garlands. The delicious scent of its flowers can be sensed at a league’s distance, and within that distance it also causes the flowers of other trees to open and release their sweet fragrances. The tree’s flowers remain delightful for a long time, and each flower produces a garland that the gods can wear upon their heads. These garlands have numerous colors, including flowers that are blue, yellow, maroon, and white. Thus, the trees produce exquisite garlands in the same way that an expert artist, who is perfectly trained and accomplished, may paint them in the world of humans. Such are the wonders that emerge from these trees.

4.B.­457

“Furthermore, the gods in this realm experience the five pleasures of the sense objects as they frolic and revel in the forests and parks to the accompaniment of music of the five types of instruments. Experiencing all manner of pleasures, these gods enjoy the manifestation of whatever they wish for. Thus, as the product of these gods’ past positive karmic actions, numerous and diverse delights now appear.

4.B.­458

“Among the enjoyments of these gods there is also the so-called pond filled with flowers. Its power is such that it produces flowers that bloom without ever closing. The pond is graced by bees of the seven precious substances that hum divine melodies. Their singing delights the goddesses who say to each other, ‘Ah, how enjoyable these bees are! [F.174.b] They truly delight our hearts.’ Thus, different sorts of bees produce songs by the pond.

4.B.­459

“There is another extremely colorful pond that is frequented by male and female bees that pick up the pollen from its lotuses and spread this golden and silvery pollen across the surface of the water. When yellow ducks see this, they call out and come flying to the pond. Thereby, gods and goddesses will know what is happening at the pond and proceed to travel there as well, singing and dancing all the way with great joy. The sound of their music will also cause other gods to abandon their fun and instead join the traveling gods as they come to frolic where the birds have gathered.

4.B.­460

“When they have enjoyed themselves by this pond, the gods will next travel to a forest known as Studded with Mansions. This forest is surrounded by pillars of the seven precious substances and adorned with ornaments of beryl, gold, silver, crystal, and coral. Various goddesses live in the forest and add to its beauty, and joyous gods come play and frolic there. Extremely blissful, they wear divine ornaments and their skin is moistened with divine sandal oil. No one causes anyone harm, and everyone enjoys each other’s company without the least displeasure in their hearts. Free from any weariness caused by envy or dispute, they experience the results of their own past actions. Endowed with diverse karmic actions they frolic and enjoy themselves within these heavenly lands, directly experiencing the results of their own actions.

4.B.­461

“The gods may also go to a forest of wish-fulfilling trees, the power of which is such that they obtain whatever they want. [F.175.a] That forest is wonderfully fragrant, and within it, food and drink flow forth like a river. The gods who directly experience the results of positive actions joyfully frolic there, drinking delicious wine and savoring ambrosia. As they insatiably indulge in the taste of such food and drink, their bliss blazes and their beauty is enhanced a hundredfold.

4.B.­462

“When the gods have rollicked and enjoyed themselves within that grove, they will proceed to the so-called Forest of White Lotus Petals. The petals, colors, fragrances, and tastes of the white lotuses there are exquisite, and the flowers yield a delicious wine that flows like the wine served at a great banquet. The white lotuses produce a wine that is of similar color, taste, and fragrance. Likewise, the golden-colored lotuses produce golden wine, the beryl-colored lotuses produce beryl wine, the crystal-colored lotuses produce crystalline wine, and the lotus flowers that are emerald- and coral-colored produce wine of those colors. Multicolored lotuses with golden petals and beryl stalks yield various types of wine that flow from their vajra sprouts and anthers. The wine is fragrant and exceptionally delicious, and the gods will drink it and frolic.

4.B.­463

“Then, once again, for the sake of entertainment, they will proceed to another forest named Universal Illumination. Upon their arrival, they will behold the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three who live within that forest and notice their enjoyment of heavenly pleasures. The gods of the grove will likewise notice the visitors. Among the delights of this grove is the so-called Encircling Pool, which entirely surrounds the grove. The pool is three leagues wide and full of pristine water [F.175.b] that looks as if it were liquid beryl. Geese and yellow ducks in gorgeous colors adorn the Encircling Pool. Their backs resemble refined gold, their legs are like coral, their eyes resemble chrysoberyl, and their heads are as round as circles drawn using orpiment. As they play, the birds call beautifully and melodiously in numerous ways.

4.B.­464

“When the gods enter the forest, their golden light gains further beauty, just like gold and brass that is burned within a heap of teak leaves. As the gods look at each other they will say, ‘Behold the power of these divine palaces. By the power of these palaces our golden colors have doubled in intensity.’

4.B.­465

“They will then revel in the many different palaces. Endowed with a wealth of pleasures of the five senses, they will enjoy themselves and frolic. Attached to their divine realm, they will be insatiable in their craving. Just as the fire that consumes ritual offerings is never sated, these gods will never tire of the stream of objects that consist of delightful sounds, tastes, forms, and fragrances. In this way they go on rollicking and reveling until finally their completed and accumulated acts have been crushed and relinquished.

4.B.­466

“Once their actions have been exhausted, the gods will die and leave their divine world, only to take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals, in accordance with their karmic actions. Should they instead be born as humans due to karmic actions to be experienced in other lives, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, always be extremely happy. Their bodies will be draped with flower garlands and moistened with ointments. They will enjoy constant and tremendous happiness, be eminently wealthy, and become kings or great ministers. They will be liked by everyone and remain free from harm and disease.

The Gods in Moving on Springy Ground

4.B.­467

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions [F.176.a] continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Moving on Springy Ground. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how some people who give up killing and stealing will abstain from making a living by killing snakes and splitting their heads to extract the jewels inside their heads. Such people will therefore never kill a snake with the intention of making a profit from the jewel in its head. They will also refrain from killing ants, or the like. Rather, recognizing that animals are sentient beings, they will refrain from killing them. Such are the specific features of giving up killing.

4.B.­468

“What are the relevant aspects of not stealing? They are to refrain from even the most minuscule acts of stealing, including taking even grass or stones without permission. Similarly, whereas others may purposely steal a book or the like in order to study the scriptures, these people will refrain even from that.

4.B.­469

“In what way do such people practice generosity? Even though they may make their living under great hardship, they will not be stingy with their possessions and so offer garments, food, bedding, and medical articles to those who have attained the first concentration. Likewise, they will offer alms and help maintain the locations where the saṅgha resides, thus sharing their possessions equally with the saṅgha. In this way they enjoy being open handed themselves, and they also establish others on the same path of virtue. When such virtuous people, who turn back what is unwholesome and who benefit others, later separate from their bodies, they will go to the joyous higher realms and be born among the gods in Moving on Springy Ground within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. [F.176.b]

4.B.­470

“In that extremely delightful realm, the colorful ground is supple, as if filled with cotton wool, and extremely soft. The ground is pliant, slightly giving way when stepped upon yet resuming its original shape when the foot is lifted. For example, just as water forms waves when stirred by the wind, only to settle again when the wind ceases, so the ground in that realm is springy.

4.B.­471

“This is also a completely stainless realm. Like a perfectly clear mirror reflecting what is placed in front of it, the ground reflects the bodies of the gods. Another marvelous feature of this divine realm is that whenever the gods there think of other gods, or wish to go to another god realm, they miraculously obtain all the relevant information, as if written in a letter, and so are able to revel with the respective goddesses, just as they are able to enjoy all the other amazing features those realms may contain. Such are the joys of the gods of Moving on Springy Ground within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

4.B.­472

“The gods in this realm also engage in games in their forests, traveling between the various forests for the sake of enjoyment. The great forest known as Grove of Delicious Wine is draped with nets of tinkling bells of various sizes. It features numerous gorgeous trees that grow flowers and fruits and are home to many species of birds. When the gods sport within this forest to the accompaniment of music of the five types of instruments, they experience karmic consequences that take the form of extremely delightful sense objects.

4.B.­473

“That god realm also features a Forest of Palaces, which is always transforming. Every time the gods go to enjoy themselves in that forest, [F.177.a] the trees have grown in new shapes, from which the goddesses easily can pick the fruits. That forest is made of the seven precious substances, and its beautiful trees, studded with numerous flowers and fruits, shine like the rising sun. The trees are further adorned by songbirds that play among the leaves and fill the forest with their melodies. Within that delightful forest the gods, who are so attached to the six objects, will enjoy themselves with raging passion, sporting and reveling in their pleasures.

4.B.­474

“From that forest, which provides an exceedingly pleasing experience for the eyes, ears, and nose, the gods will journey to a peak upon Mount Sumeru known as Lofty Mound. They will travel to this mountain peak, which has a height of ten leagues, accompanied by lovely goddesses who wear beautiful jewelry and attire. Upon this mountain is a pond called Beauty, which features flowers of the seven precious substances and is carpeted with blue, red, and pink water lilies. Its water is pristine and geese and yellow ducks call out there. The pond is surrounded by mansions with ornamental pillars of the seven precious substances, as well as by parks and groves. On the banks of this pond, which is surrounded by such beautiful sights, the gods and their attending goddesses will dance, flirt, and frolic. They will enjoy divine drink that is free from the detrimental side effects of intoxication, and partake of delicious fruits endowed with the six desirable tastes. Those fruits contain wine, which the gods will drink in the company of goddesses who wear various ornaments and garments. Elsewhere, goddesses will joyously sing, laugh, and play vīṇās, flutes, and drums with great mastery. Thus, the gods and goddesses gather on the banks of the pond and will enjoy each other’s company. [F.177.b] In this way the various groups of beautiful gods and goddesses will play and frolic for a long time.

4.B.­475

“When a long time has elapsed, the gods will proceed to a park that is delightful in all regards. Their bodies are adorned with flower garlands, colored powders, and ointments, and they shine with a natural light that corresponds in intensity to whether the given god’s preceding positive acts were of an inferior, medium, or superior quality.

4.B.­476

“The gods’ level of mental pleasure also corresponds to their level of previous engagement in wholesome actions. Thus, the more they have previously engaged in such actions, the more mentally delightful will be the observations they experience through their eye consciousness. That is to say, those gods whose engagement in virtue was of an inferior kind will, accordingly, not perceive more than the mere form of the object observed. Those whose virtuous conduct was of medium caliber will, on the other hand, see the given beautiful form and thereby experience a medium level of mental pleasure. Finally, those who accomplished superior deeds see bodies, sizes, colors, shapes, and forms that are all extremely appealing. This goes for all the observations of form, smell, and texture that are had by the gods at the different levels of the desire realm. Within the larger class of gods, the present subclass of gods only forms a single, general category. Thus, when seen as a single class of gods, one does not classify them in terms of three distinct kinds of ripening. At the same time, just as there are three levels of mental pleasure, it should likewise be understood that differing qualities of past karmic action shape the exquisite forms of the goddesses, as well as their ornaments and attire, in different ways.

4.B.­477

“When the monk sees how these happy gods flock to their parks in an insatiable pursuit of sound, texture, taste, and form, he will utter the following verses:

“ ‘When the sun burns at the end of the eon,
Even the oceans dry up,
Yet never in a hundred million eons
Will there be contentment with the forms that are seen.
4.B.­478
“ ‘Rainfall and the like [F.178.a]
May fill the ocean with water,
Yet the forms in the ocean of sights
Will never satisfy anyone.
4.B.­479
“ ‘Insatiable in their desire,
Embodied beings suffer.
How can they believe that their many cravings
Are something delightful?
4.B.­480
“ ‘Pleasures produced by desire
Are not attractive to the wise.
Rather, liberation from all desires
Is supreme among all forms of happiness.
4.B.­481
“ ‘What appears to be bliss is a mixture,
Resembling food mixed with poison.
Yet when there is freedom from craving,
It is like food mixed with milk.
4.B.­482
“ ‘Within the darkness of dullness and ignorance,
Childish beings are burned by their desires,
Just as the forests in the Malaya Mountains
Are destroyed by rākṣasas.
4.B.­483
“ ‘Thoughts accompanied by craving
Are numerous beyond count,
And those who are insatiable in their thinking
Will be crushed by the Lord of Death.
4.B.­484
“ ‘Those who are governed by desirous thoughts
And remain in the realm of craving
Will never see the fortune of happiness‍—
This the Thus-Gone One has observed.
4.B.­485
“ ‘He knows that the phenomena of delusion
That produce deceptive desire
Are just like a dream or a city of gandharvas‍—
Hollow, false, and without any core.
4.B.­486
“ ‘Resembling an illusion, bubbles in water,
Or the kimpāka fruit,
Desire does not help the world.
Thus, it is known to be like fire.
4.B.­487
“ ‘Those with knowledge of the flaws of desire
May become deluded due to the experience of effects.
The steadfast ones who see reality
Are free from doubt and affliction.
4.B.­488
“ ‘People get things according to their intentions,
And thus they are destroyed.
Creating unwholesomeness everywhere,
Desire is a mundane wilderness.
4.B.­489
“ ‘While their minds remain dissatisfied,
All the gods will die, one by one.
Deceived by the enemy, desire,
Ignorant beings fall into hell.
4.B.­490
“ ‘Desire and attachment are a poisonous realm
Within which females swim like fish,
Among billowing waves
And flashes of lightning.
4.B.­491
“ ‘The more one thinks, the more it grows,
And that which spreads is like fire. [F.178.b]
Desire has no basis, beginning, or end,
And is thus relinquished by the wise.
4.B.­492
“ ‘The more one adheres to it,
The more there is of it.
Spreading like a burning fire,
The ripening of desire is hot.
4.B.­493
“ ‘With knowledge of its defects,
The steadfast free themselves from desire.
Attaining the complete relinquishment of desire,
They achieve ultimate happiness.
4.B.­494
“ ‘Thousands, hundreds of thousands
Of gods‍—innumerably many‍—
Are destroyed by fire and fall into hell
Because of their reliance on desire.
4.B.­495
“ ‘Just as those who wish for happiness
Give up fire, poison, and weapons,
They should also let go of desire,
The cause of life in hell.
4.B.­496
“ ‘No one governed by desire
Has ever been seen or heard
To be free from the deceptions of desire,
Or to remain unscathed by suffering.
4.B.­497
“ ‘In all times and occasions,
Desire is like flaming fire.
Do not harbor it in your mind‍—
That is how to give it up.’
4.B.­498

“Having thus observed the gods who are under the power of desire, the monk will compassionately instruct the utterly careless gods repeatedly.

4.B.­499

“With their minds suffused with all manner of happiness, the gods will proceed to the park. Goddesses dressed in various garments and holding musical instruments, who sing and play in ways that are utterly captivating to the senses, also proceed to the park. The sight of the park is deeply compelling, as it is adorned with waterfalls, pools, forest, parkland, islands, and lotus ponds. Wherever the gaze of the gods falls, they behold forms that are desirable, attractive, and delightful in all sorts of ways. In this manner, their eyes behold nothing but beautiful forms. Likewise, whenever they wish to listen to something pleasant, they will hear sounds that are attractive, beautiful, and appealing. When they wish to experience smell, they will sense fragrances that are attractive, delightful, appealing, and arousing. [F.179.a] Whenever they wish to taste, and thus engage their gustatory faculties, the gods will have access to delightful, exceedingly delicious feasts that are free from any taint and can be enjoyed for as long as they wish. Similarly, the textures that they touch are all desirable, attractive, and delightful, and the same goes for the mental phenomena they cognize: all are desirable, attractive, and delightful.

4.B.­500

“Thus, careless and attached to their divine objects, the minds of the gods remain unobscured, and so they continue to enjoy their pleasures, possessions, and enjoyments until finally their completed and accumulated acts with desirable, attractive, and delightful consequences have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world. In accordance with their karmic actions they will then take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. Should they instead be born, in accordance with their karmic actions, with the general lot in life of a human, they will, in accordance with those causal actions, find constant and tremendous happiness, and they will delight in flower garlands, colored powders, and ointments. They will be honest, wealthy, happy, and appreciated by all beings. Their physiques will be exquisite, and everyone will hold them in highest regard. They will have lovely sons and wives and maintain conduct that is free from defects. Their wealth will never be destroyed due to the terrors of the rulers, water, or fire, and they will be born as princes or members of an influential family.

The Gods in Distinguished in Many Colorful Ways

4.B.­501

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Distinguished in Many Colorful Ways. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, [F.179.b] he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. Thus, he will notice how some virtuous people with virtuous intent may give up killing and stealing while also encouraging others to do the same, thus establishing them on the path of virtue.

4.B.­502

“What are the specific features of having given up killing? Such people refrain from harming anyone under any circumstances‍—they do not encourage others to do harm, and they will not rejoice in any harm done. They do not enjoy themselves in the company of people who kill; they do not mingle with such people, nor do they even speak with them. They do not engage in afflictive conversation, and even when traveling they will not keep company with people who engage in unwholesome acts.

4.B.­503

“How do they refrain from killing? Such people refrain from deceitfully killing, or causing others to kill, deer or birds by means of song, music, or the sound of vīṇās, drums, or flutes. In the same way, they will also not kill any animals and birds that live in mountain pastures. Leaving all of this behind, they will instead free such animals and repudiate the hunters, causing them to give up any such activity, including even the mere thought. Such are the features of having given up killing.

4.B.­504

“What are the relevant features of not stealing? Some unrighteous merchants who do not follow the Dharma may use false measures, thereby stealing from their customers by hoodwinking them. How does such deception take place, and what are its features? People may pour sand onto the lever of a pair of scales, thereby using the sand to deceive, and thus fooling others who do not notice the problem. Later, such people may, however, regret such deceptive practices and instead tell themselves, ‘I shall never again take what was not given‍—not for my own sake, nor for that of my children or wife. I shall not do so for the sake of profit, nor for the sake of any unwholesome company. Let me not fall into the worlds of starving spirits or animals! That ripening is unbearable. The ripening of stealing is unbearable!’ Thus, they may thereafter refrain from taking what was not given, relinquishing even the conditions for stealing. [F.180.a] Similarly, they may also cause others to refrain from such actions and give up rejoicing in them and so establish others on the path of virtue. In this way such people benefit both themselves and others.

4.B.­505

“In what way do they delight in generosity? They consider the helplessness, afflictions, and pain of those who lack both causes and effects, and who must earn a living by crossing the sea or desolate lands, or undergo other such challenges. To those they make donations respectfully and attentively. They also give to those who have attained the second concentration and to those who suffer. Those are the ways in which such people delight in generosity.

4.B.­506

“How do they grant life to living beings? When fishermen or bird trappers sell the animals they have caught, these people will ransom and release them. With delighted minds and senses, they will proceed to take them back to the waters they came from and let them go. They will also cause others to do the same, making them rejoice in such actions and engage in what is virtuous. In doing so they think, ‘Ah, wonderful, I have done well. I shall do so again and urge others to do so as well.’

4.B.­507

“Thus, throughout the preparation, the actual activity, and the conclusion, they benefit both themselves and others and give up killing and stealing. Time and again, they avoid stealing so that they may benefit others, save their lives, and give them the gift of life. Rejoicing in the generosity of both themselves and others, they observe a twofold discipline that is concerned both with themselves and others. When such disciplined people, who know what to do and what to avoid doing, and who benefit both themselves and others, later separate from their bodies, they will, after their death, go to the joyous higher realms [F.180.b] and be born in Distinguished in Many Colorful Ways within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

4.B.­508

“In consequence of their positive actions, they are thus born into a realm that is adorned by beautiful light that shines from diverse jewels. As soon as they are born there, light will shine forth from their bodies, and from that light will appear numerous shapes, colors, and garments. Thus, the gods in this realm are provided with divine garments, ointments, and bodily ornaments. When this occurs as the god is born within that realm, he will first wonder, ‘What karmic actions have made me take birth here?’

4.B.­509

“At that point, he will remember his previous deeds and think, ‘Ah, how wondrous, I am here as the effect of wholesome actions. Amazing, these are the consequences of positive actions! I was born here because of positive actions.’

4.B.­510

“Next, because of his past positive actions, he will first hear the sound of music from the five types of instruments. Then, from all directions, he will hear the songs of desirous and joyous goddesses. Their beautiful singing pervades the entire realm, including the mountain peaks and caves, and causes the deer and birds to dance in infatuation. Listening attentively to their songs, the god’s excitement increases a hundredfold, and in this way the god’s mind is first distracted by the sound of songs. Later, when he sees the forms of the goddesses, a ravenous lust will be born in him. Thus, with his mind distracted by numerous qualities, he will notice that the goddesses, the mere sight of whom is gratifying, are coming toward him. Adorned with numerous forms, garments, and ornaments, their bodies and costumes surpass any example.

4.B.­511

“With tremendous desire, the god will now think, ‘Who are they? To whom do they belong?’


4.B.­512

“As soon as he has that thought the goddesses will utter this verse:

“ ‘We are the supreme cause
For all sorts of passionate desires. [F.181.a]
And, god, we are yours,
So please come, revel in passion!’
4.B.­513

“With these verses in mind, the god will admire all their myriad delightful features. Turning eagerly toward the goddesses, he yearns to see more of them and touch them, and thus he will, in that moment, draw closer to them.

4.B.­514

“At that point, a third cause of desire occurs, because the mind depends on the senses and this dependency, in turn, requires that the mind engages with objects. With a desirous mind, the god will therefore follow through on his wish to touch the goddesses, and they, for their part, will also touch him with intense desire. Hence, there manifests a third cause of desire.

4.B.­515

“When the god senses the incomparable fragrance of the goddesses, he will wonder, ‘Whose is this beautiful, extremely attractive aroma that catches my nose?’ Thinking this, he senses the unparalleled fragrance of the goddesses who embrace him. Examining this fragrance that defies all examples, he will realize that it is the scent of the goddesses, and so he is moved by this fourth cause of desire.

4.B.­516

“Being already deeply attached to these four objects, the god will next be offered delicious wines and divine ambrosia by the goddesses. This establishes a fifth cause of desire. Thus, five causes of intense desire and attachment arise from the very outset.

4.B.­517

“As an effect of their unwholesome karmic actions, the gods who pursue desire do not initially notice that their minds have become attached to the pleasures of the objects. Subsequently, they will experience intense, lustful desire, and with such passion in their hearts, they will approach the goddesses. Meanwhile, the goddesses will approach the divine sons too, playfully flirting in joyous abandon.

4.B.­518

“When they meet the divine sons, the goddesses speak to them in a teasing way, using expressions that stir passion. [F.181.b] Dancing, singing, flirting, playing, and frolicking, they approach the gods with carefree joy. Endowed with diverse and exquisite physiques and garments, these nubile goddesses will then proceed toward the groves, forests, ponds, waterfalls, and lotus groves. Accompanied by the gods, the goddesses will proceed to a forest known as Universal Delight. There, they will join the gods who live in that forest, and so enjoy themselves within its pleasure groves.

4.B.­519

“This forest is adorned by numerous trees that fulfill all wishes. Some of the trees have golden trunks that support silver foliage upon branches of chrysoberyl. Those trees yield a pearl-like fruit of exquisite taste and form. Thus, the forest is adorned with indescribably gorgeous trees. The forest is also adorned with beryl trees that bear golden leaves, flower petals of chrysoberyl, and fruits the color of silver and coral. Likewise, there are lush trees that have trunks consisting entirely of the seven precious substances. Some of these trunks are wholly of gold, whereas others are of chrysoberyl, silver, or coral. Moreover, their branches and twigs are of the seven precious substances, and exquisite, divine flowers and fruits adorn them. The flowers of these trees display a wide spectrum of colors and produce a variety of delicious scents that can be sensed for a distance of six leagues. Multicolored bees swarm around them, crazed by the tastes of the flowers. Thus, previous wholesome karmic actions of various sorts cause the trees of Universal Delight, with their beautiful features, to manifest. [F.182.a]

4.B.­520

“What is the beauty of the grove with its red and blue lotuses like? The trees of that forest have beryl trunks and bear flowers with golden petals and anthers of chrysoberyl. Bees the color of lapis lazuli swarm around the trees. Hearing the humming of the bees fills the gods with tremendous pleasure, and thus they come to feel exceptionally happy. This forest is radiantly beautiful for it is decorated by numerous colors, such as blue, yellow, and madder. Like the most delightful places in Jambudvīpa, this beautiful, shining forest features ornamental embankments, ponds, flower beds, and lotus petals that make it alluring in all regards.

4.B.­521

“Seeing that this forest has such delightful qualities and finding it to be a fine site for divine recreation, the elated gods will arrive flying through the sky, delightfully accompanied by throngs of goddesses. When the gods who normally stay in the forest see the approaching visitors, they will think, ‘They have come to see us!’ and so they will come forth to receive the approaching gods. Everyone will call out delighted greetings and they will befriend one another. With their fondness for lotus gardens, they will then frolic and revel in this grove to the accompaniment of music from the five types of instruments.

4.B.­522

“When the gods have spent a long time enjoying the sense pleasures within the forest of Universal Delight, they will proceed to a park known as Intoxicating Abode, which is rich in sense pleasures. Surrounded by various platforms, this pleasure grove features delightful pools, cascades, and elongated ponds. Studded with mansions that are made of the seven precious substances and decorated with gold, this forest features numerous distinct and delightful landscapes. [F.182.b] Flocks of birds sing and dance in enchanting ways, and the sweet sound of cascading water and flowing streams can always be heard. Food and drink of the most exquisite color, taste, and fragrance flow like rivers. Once they have arrived there, the gods, who thus experience the effects of their own past actions, playfully enjoy the pleasures of the five senses, and they are accompanied by coteries of goddesses wearing various stunning garments and ornaments.

4.B.­523

“Although much time passes while thus rollicking and reveling, the careless gods do not notice that. [B36] Hence, while they remain attached to the five types of objects and are absorbed in their pleasures, their respective positive actions are gradually exhausted, and once their past karmic actions have dissipated, they die. The gods are nonetheless careless and deceived by craving. They are spurred on by their craving and tormented by the fire of desire. In this fashion, maddened by their experience of bliss, their intoxicated minds do not notice what is happening. It is only when they have to give up the whole foundation for all their blissful play that they will finally perceive the impermanence of their great city of perishing. When they see accurately and with certainty that their own death is impending, they will indeed encounter great misery. Yet, it is only then that the gods comprehend this.

4.B.­524

“In this manner, careless and fond of objects, they continue to experience bliss until finally their completed and accumulated acts with desirable, attractive, and delightful consequences have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world, only to take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals, in accordance with their karmic actions. Should they instead be born human due to karmic actions that are certain to be experienced as a human, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, enjoy tremendous pleasures and possess perfect wealth and grain crops. [F.183.a] They will have an honest and sincere nature and be born in a central region, knowing how to distinguish between good and bad actions, and what is right and wrong. They will be born in a great society where the ruler is righteous and follows the Dharma, where the people of the world conduct themselves in an irreproachable way, where everyone has happy eyes, and where even infants and old people are happy. Their bodies will be free from ailments and they will possess fine physiques and be strong. They will have nothing whatsoever to fear but will be supported by everyone. They will have sons and spouses and will attain whatever they wish for. Their wealth will be secured, and they will not have to fear or worry about the king, water, fire, robbers, or thieves.

The Gods in Promotion

4.B.­525

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Promotion. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing, and thus he will notice how some virtuous people possess the unmistaken view and are continuously aware of the reality of the effects of karmic action. They constantly contemplate the true view, remain honest, and refrain from harming others. They are always respectful to their parents, they are committed and joyous with respect to the Dharma, and they revere the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. Such people may refrain from killing and stealing. Also, they avoid rejoicing in such acts and cause others to refrain from them as well. They do not encourage others to engage in such actions, but reproach those who do, informing them about the consequences of karmic actions. Teaching others the way things really are, they offer praise to those whose actions are wholesome, establish them on the path of virtue, [F.183.b] and encourage them to continue in the same way. Having themselves given up killing and stealing, they cause others to do the same. By means of this twofold path of wholesome action, they cause people who have not yet taken vows to do so, and they cause those who have already taken them to observe their vows well. Those who thus benefit both themselves and others through wholesome actions will be born in the higher realms.

4.B.­526

“What are the relevant aspects of giving up killing in this context? They consist in disengaging from the unwholesome act of killing. What are the categories of this? Knowing other sentient beings to be sentient beings, such people do not take the lives of small worms, ants, or the like. How do they prevent killing? They stop those who cunningly catch mice, lizards, kites, or deer. The types of ruses that are used include traps, pits, mats of grass, nooses, ropes, ditches, and snares. Such people will prevent killing by such means. They do not rejoice in trapping, nor do they encourage others to engage in any such action. Instead, they instruct others not to kill living beings and establish them upon the path of the Dharma. In this way they cause others who are attached to killing to stop doing so.

4.B.­527

“How do such people refrain from stealing? Such people do not intentionally steal, not even mere grass, just as they cause others to refrain from doing so. What types of stealing are implied here? They consist in delighting in those who take what was not given. Here this refers to people who play music, dance, sing, celebrate, flirt, frolic, and revel with great pleasure in the company of females near a stūpa. [F.184.a] Such unrighteous people may make their living in a park that has been given to the saṅgha, or a protected area, or by playing music, or from a stūpa site. One might also take from such musicians, or otherwise steal from them, or in other ways take what was not given. In terms of wages, this can also mean stealing the wages of women. That is to say, one may hire a woman in order to have intercourse with her, yet subsequently not pay her as previously agreed. Another form of stealing occurs when someone does not pay a fisherman, hunter, or butcher as agreed. If the promise of a fee leads to killing and stealing, people of this kind will refrain from such actions, not rejoice in them, and not even think of them.

4.B.­528

“How do they practice generosity? Even if they otherwise struggle hard to maintain a livelihood, such people will give donations to individuals who have attained the third concentration, or to other people, and they will do what is virtuous. Thus, even if they become impoverished themselves, they will continue being open handed to others, and they will even give more sincerely to others than to their own children. Such are the ways in which they practice generosity.

4.B.­529

“How do such people observe discipline, having given up killing? When animals are being killed during the sweeping of gutters, such people will interfere. They will splash water on the animals and place those that were discarded on dry land back into the gutter. Thus, they do not kill any being but pursue what is virtuous.

4.B.­530

“Holy people who engage in those two types of virtuous action will, upon separating from their bodies, go to the joyous higher realms and be born among the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Once such doers of positive actions, who are attached to pleasures, are born there, they will, in consequence of their past actions, hear the sound of divine music of the five types of instruments and experience indescribable bliss while attended to by various retinues of goddesses. [F.184.b] To give some slight indication of their bliss, consider the tremendous enjoyments of a universal monarch endowed with the golden wheel. Those enjoyments cannot match even a sixteenth of the divine pleasures that are experienced by the gods occupying these heavenly seats. The gods in this realm have no flesh, bone, or lymph; they are free from miserliness; their eyes do not blink; their clothing is free from dust; they do not become affected by smoke or haze; they do not defecate or urinate; and they glow with a natural light. All these features are unlike those of the universal monarch. They have no attachment to spouses or children, are free from envy, do not eat or drink, and are not subject to sleep or laziness. Again, all these features are unlike those of a universal monarch. Thus, a universal monarch does not equal even as much as one sixteenth of these gods. Nevertheless, here a bit of illustration has been provided by means of something intelligible to humans.

4.B.­531

“The gods in this realm frolic and enjoy their rich sense pleasures. In their realm lies a forest called Kābīra, which is ten leagues long and five leagues wide. The forest is filled with many kinds of golden birds and colorful ornamental spheres. It is studded with fine and exceptionally beautiful flowers, and in its gorgeous trees of the seven precious substances live birds of striking beauty. The beautiful forests and trees of these gods, as well as the divine birds of numerous shapes and colors, can be compared to, for example, the beautiful jewelry and ornaments that a goldsmith might create to ornament humans. This might give a slight indication.

4.B.­532

“Within that forest the gods play with each other, [F.185.a] using various kinds of lotuses that have beryl petals, stems, anthers, and leaves. Some among the petals are intensely red like rubies, and the flowers emit an extremely delicious fragrance that can be sensed across a hundred leagues once the flowers open. The gods who sense this lotus fragrance are made ten times more crazed than they already are. Thus, together with their circles of goddesses, the gods will enjoy themselves and frolic within the Kābīra forest.

4.B.­533

“At some point the gods will think, ‘Let us go where food and drink flow like rivers.’ As soon as they have formed this wish, swans will carry them within great chariots that have balustrades and arches draped with nets of various large and small bells, railings studded with jewels, and pillars made of gold, crystal, jewels, and chrysoberyl. Others will be carried by ducks, pigeons, cranes, or grouses, and still others will be carried simultaneously by a variety of birds. Thus, residing upon such divine attributes, the gods who experience the consequences of past positive actions journey within the Kābīra forest to the place where food and drink flow like rivers. Infatuated, they travel for sport together with the goddesses to the place where food and drink flow like rivers. Upon their arrival at this land of food and drink, they will imbibe, enjoy themselves, and celebrate amid the sound of song and music of the five types of instruments. Thus, immersed in their blissful revelries, the gods will spend a great deal of time without noticing it elapse.

4.B.­534

“After a long time has passed, the gods will decide to go view the divine forest known as High and Seen by Everyone. [F.185.b] Those present within the chariots will, in the company of other gods, proceed to travel to that forest. When they arrive, they will sing songs, play music, dance, laugh, and befriend and frolic with each other in sheer revelry.

4.B.­535

“The visiting gods will then notice the gods who live in that forest. Those gods live on a face of Mount Sumeru that is adorned with forests and parks, studded with stone slabs of pure gold, and filled with waterfalls, rivers, embankments, ponds, and food and drink that flow like rivers. Their realm is teeming with goddesses beyond number, and this world is inhabited by beings in accordance with their respective karmic actions. Encircled by sixty thousand mountains, this great, lofty massif supports gods, asuras, kinnaras, and mahoragas. It is home to gods who experience the consequences of numerous virtuous actions, and for whom a great diversity of virtuous karmic actions has now manifested. The summit of this mountainous realm is adorned by four types of precious stone.

4.B.­536

“As the visiting gods travel through the various regions, they see how the resident gods wear diverse attire and ornaments, and they notice their appealing and attractive bodies. They see how these gods befriend each other and develop tremendous lust, how they live in careless abandon, and how they engage in extremely delightful and enjoyable conversations. They also see how the gods in that place have apparel, bodies, foods, and homes that are of three different qualities. The visitors will think, ‘It is not only we who have pleasures. Other gods live extremely enjoyable lives too, rollicking and reveling with hosts of goddesses.’ Thus, the visitors will see the many different gods, their wish-fulfilling trees adorned with numerous exquisite colors, tastes, forms and aromas, and their many forests and parks.

4.B.­537

“Next, the gods will proceed to another realm in which they perceive lofty mountains and [F.186.a] great summits that are studded with waterfalls, rivers, and various ponds. They will perceive how the sun and moon circle around those mountains. Hundreds and thousands of radiant reflections of the sun thus appear, and it is that light that Rāhu blocks with his hand, just as was explained earlier.

4.B.­538

“As the gods who stay in the chariots travel through the sky, they will feel great wonder. Surrounded by gatherings of goddesses who dance and play cymbals, they will sing and play music of the five types of instruments, and thus they will circumambulate Mount Sumeru.

4.B.­539

“When in this way they have looked at all Mount Sumeru’s groves, forests, and alpine sanctuaries, they will return to their own realm. There they will proceed to dance, laugh, and celebrate to the tunes of the five types of instruments. Driven wild by their many blissful experiences, they develop sundry attachments in which they take pleasure. Among the groves, forests, and ponds, they thus revel in their rich enjoyments of the five senses, and although much time passes they are unaware of it. Their minds remain in total carelessness and hence they do not notice the passage of time.

4.B.­540

“While they keep celebrating in this fashion, they will come to a mountain called Universal Joy. This mountain spans an area of one hundred leagues and stretches ten leagues into the sky. Some gods ascend the mountain while remaining within their chariots, others by riding upon birds. Mount Universal Joy is speckled with many different jewels and adorned with embankments, parks, and ponds. It features embankments with a hundred thousand steps and hundreds of lotus pools. Various wellsprings adorn the mountain, as does a glow shining from the seven precious substances. There, among the radiant wish-fulfilling trees, the gods will frolic and celebrate. Infatuated by the sounds of gongs, drums, cymbals, flutes, and singing, the gods then befriend each other and so, [F.186.b] in playful indulgence, experience the effects of their own past actions. Although they keep reveling for a long time, they remain careless and do not notice the passage of time. Enchanted by their objects, they remain insatiable, and, deluded by their intensely enjoyable pleasures, they thus proceed to Kubala Grove.

4.B.­541

“The lotuses in Kubala Grove are in full bloom, and hundreds of thousands of bees swarm among them. Accompanied by the bees, the gods will drink wine there and sing in insatiable sensuous enjoyment. With unquenchable lust, despite their hundreds and thousands of pleasures, they take up various musical instruments and remain in a state of constant inebriation.

4.B.­542

“In pursuit of various forms of common excitement, the gods will then proceed to the great park called Definite Attainment of Pleasure. There, the insatiable gods will remain frolicking and carelessly absorbed in their celebrations until finally their completed and accumulated acts with desirable, attractive, and delightful consequences have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world, only to take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals in accordance with their karmic actions. Should they instead be born as humans due to karmic actions to be experienced in other lives, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, remain free from disease and have excellent complexions. They will not be hurt by royal functionaries, nor by business magnates or householders. They will enjoy tremendous happiness and possess keen and lucid intellects.

The Gods in Subtle Engagement

4.B.­543

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Subtle Engagement. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. Thus, he will notice how some people are unwaveringly engaged in virtuous activities that benefit both themselves and others. In this regard, they do not harm others [F.187.a] but are honest by nature. They engage in humane actions that are virtuous, that ripen delightfully, that are cooling, that have a cooling ripening, that are enjoyable, that are auspicious, and that have an auspicious ripening. They are venerated by everyone and dear to everyone. They create happiness in this world and beyond. When they leave this world and pass to the next life, they find parents, refuge, and abundant happiness, as a life in happiness is the product of past positive actions. Such people do not kill or take what was not given, nor do they make others engage in such actions. They keep close company with those who have faith in a discipline that does not permit killing and stealing. They do not associate with or appreciate those whose discipline is flawed, and they do not practice purification together with such people. They always delight in the company of those who are disciplined, and it is therefore with such people that they associate, practice purification, and keep close company. It is with such people that they enjoy themselves and engage in the conduct of the world. They keep in mind the difference between Dharma and non-Dharma. They are virtuous people who refrain from unwholesome action, and they do not delight in the company of evil acquaintances. They are holy people who always maintain pure conduct. They even establish those with highly flawed discipline on the virtuous path, teach them the genuine path, and sow the seeds of virtuous actions within the excellent field of other beings. Their stainless minds are like purified gold and are immersed in the joyous practice of virtue, the effects of which are achieved and experienced in this life as well as beyond it.

4.B.­544

“What are the relevant aspects of giving up killing? When planting flowers for pleasure, some people may use smoke and poison to kill certain snakes, deer, insects, or centipedes, [F.187.b] thinking, ‘In this way I shall protect my flowering plants, creepers, flowers, and fruits.’ Yet people of the kind referred to here do not kill insects with smoke, nor do they use their hands to kill worms within overripe amra fruits or grapes.

4.B.­545

“Moreover, a transgression occurs when worms are killed due to one’s drinking a liquid without having properly examined it. Virtuous people, on the other hand, drink only when they have examined the drink properly and let it sit for a while. They may even abstain from drinking entirely out of a concern for small creatures born from heat and moisture, or from fermentation. Thus, they even give up such subtle forms of killing.

4.B.­546

“How do they give up stealing? How many features of doing so are involved, and what are those features? Some people wish for bad harvests, thinking, ‘In case of a failed harvest I shall be able to increase my profits eightfold. So may the volume measures of Magadha become extremely small‍—may there be no barley, wheat, or any other grain to be found, and may there be no ripening of any grains for over sixty days. May I alone be in possession of supplies!’

4.B.­547

“Some people may in this way intend to create obstacles for other people, continuously wishing to harm them, just so they can increase their personal wealth. When sentient beings face misfortune and bad times occur, such people will be exhilarated and think, ‘Now comes the time for my happiness, just as I wished.’ At that time, they will then use their barley, wheat, or rice to take advantage of others by using incorrect measures, unsuitable measures, or measures that have been intentionally manipulated. The preparatory stage is when their intention to do so arises, the karmic action is when the deceptive act is carried out, and the conclusion is when there is appreciation and rejoicing after having hoodwinked another person. Good people of the kind mentioned here have relinquished all such misdeeds. [F.188.a]

4.B.­548

“Thus, even if they have little wealth themselves, they will not beguile others with deceptive measures, nor will they rejoice if others do so. If they are merchants, they will sell their goods in the proper way, including when harvests fail. Being righteous and concerned for the Dharma, they will sell their goods for a fair price. This is the way such people give up killing and stealing.

4.B.­549

“How do they cause those engaged in unwholesome actions to do what is virtuous? These holy ones, who do what is good, always act to benefit both themselves and others. When they meet others who have little wealth, who struggle to maintain a livelihood, and who obtain their income under great hardship, they act as donors and benefactors. They also teach them, making them understand and realize the effects of giving. Based on such experience they inspire others to give to those who lack protection and suffer from afflictions, to those who have attained the third concentration, or to other such people. This is how those who maintain a wholesome livelihood practice a threefold generosity with respect to the wealth they obtain in accordance with the Dharma.

4.B.­550

“The threefold generosity is in terms of preparation (the time of thinking, ‘I shall be generous’), the karmic action (the act of giving), and its conclusion (the subsequent mental appreciation and acknowledgement of the fact that giving took place). Someone who completes such actions twelve hundred times will upon separating from the body go to the joyous higher realms and be born among the gods in Subtle Engagement.

4.B.­551

“As an effect of their subtle engagements in virtuous actions, those who are born there can make themselves big or small according to their wishes. The trees of that heaven are made of the seven precious substances. These trees have extremely bright colors and are stainless due to the past virtuous actions of the gods. They form a forest that is twenty leagues wide, grows ten leagues tall, [F.188.b] and abounds with gorgeous streams, waterfalls, ponds, groves, and parks. The trees stand luminous and stainless in this forest, and their branches and leaves are decorated with myriad colors and flowers. Some have the color of refined gold, others of silver, and others again are colored like beryl.

4.B.­552

“In this forest, clear reflections of the gods appear upon the mirror-like surfaces of the trees’ leaves, petals, shoots, branches, and twigs. Moreover, whatever appears on the surface of one tree will simultaneously appear on hundreds of thousands of other trees, thus displaying complete reflections of all the gods’ major and minor body parts. In this way the body of a single god will, in accordance with the reflections of his karmic actions, appear on hundreds of thousands of trees. Another amazing feature of those trees is that, while the individual gods may have engaged in inferior, intermediate, or superior actions, all their varying respective modes of ripening will appear on the surface of the trees. Thus, all the karmic actions they engaged in will now appear upon the bark, roots, branches, leaves, and petals of the trees.

4.B.­553

“Together with a retinue of many hundreds of thousands of goddesses, Śakra, king of the gods, will come to visit this forest. More luminous than a hundred thousand suns, his body will be draped with flower garlands and moistened with ointments. When the gods in Subtle Engagement see him approaching, they will come forth to respectfully receive the king of the gods. Addressing him sincerely, they will join their palms above their heads and venerate him with respect. Wishing to extol and serve the king of the gods, the gods and goddesses who previously engaged in extremely vast positive actions will now surround Śakra and accompany him on his way to the forest for sake of recreation. [F.189.a]

4.B.­554

“As Śakra enters this forest of golden trees, which is full of numerous kinds of songbirds, those who experience the manifestation of similar karmic actions will perceive the way karmic qualities ripen. Śakra will then utter the following verses:

4.B.­555
“ ‘These many different trees
Manifest because of virtuous actions.
Although they have no concrete attributes, they seem very real.
So it is said by the wise.
4.B.­556
“ ‘Due to various forms of karmic ripening
Beings are born in various places.
Thus, humans, wherever they may be,
Will either attain virtue or its opposite.
4.B.­557
“ ‘People who engage in virtuous deeds
Are always born among the gods.
Similarly, people degraded by unwholesome deeds
Will fall into the hells.
4.B.­558
“ ‘Attached to virtuous or unvirtuous actions,
The desirous remain deluded by their desires.
Death, the object of renunciation,
They do not understand.
4.B.­559
“ ‘That which manifests on the trees
Is the ripening of virtue,
Yet those whose minds are obscured by pleasure
Cannot separate from the joys of pleasure.
4.B.­560
“ ‘Beings who crave objects
Are driven mad by the tastes they desire.
Caught in the web that ensnares them,
They are constantly hurt.
4.B.­561
“ ‘Just as in the world
Fire is accompanied by heat,
So women and terrible desire
Are certain to arise together.
4.B.­562
“ ‘The fire that arises from women
Enters the hearts of men;
Nowhere is there a fire
That burns hotter than this.
4.B.­563
“ ‘Shattering the whole world
And destroying all Dharma,
Women are the cause of hell‍—
So the sages have taught.
4.B.­564
“ ‘Women speak sweet words
But their hearts are like a dangerous poison.
They do not stay with those they love.
Therefore, who can be happy with them?
4.B.­565
“ ‘Happy in one moment
And upset in the next,
They do not stay even with their loved ones,
But are as unreliable as lightning.
4.B.­566
“ ‘Skilled in cunning ruses
And always busy doing something,
They constantly seek entertainment
And their minds are full of arrogance.
4.B.­567
“ ‘Gods, humans, rākṣasas,
Mahoragas, and piśācas [F.189.b]
Are all bound by women,
Who are like a dreadful poison.
4.B.­568
“ ‘Useless and unreasonable,
They confuse even the most powerful person.
The restless minds of females
Are just like the wind.
4.B.­569
“ ‘Women are fond of those
Who possess riches,
But they reject and discard
People who are poor.
4.B.­570
“ ‘Women become attracted
To whomever they meet.
But then, in a flash,
They discard and dislike them.
4.B.­571
“ ‘Just as bees will leave
Flowers when they wither,
So people having no wealth
Are sure to be scorned by women.
4.B.­572
“ ‘Their hearts are like a sharp knife,
And in the dark of night they cannot be trusted.
In this way, the lives of women
Become the ruin of men.
4.B.­573
“ ‘Nothing is more restricting to the gods
Than the chains of females,
And those bound by the chains of women
Will fall into hell.
4.B.­574
“ ‘No desire is greater
Than that which arises thanks to women.
Lust for females burns the mind,
As flames burn on the outside.
4.B.­575
“ ‘A man ruined by desire
May experience karmic action directly,
Yet his deluded mind, obscured by lust for females,
Fails to understand it.
4.B.­576
“ ‘A woman may become fond of a man
And fall in love with him,
Only to suddenly discard him,
Like a snake shedding its skin.
4.B.­577
“ ‘One may do everything to win a woman
And try everything to keep her.
Yet women, who are so malicious,
Are impossible to keep to oneself.
4.B.­578
“ ‘Such being their nature,
The minds of women are unstable.
Therefore, men who have stable minds
Should never rely on them.’
4.B.­579

Having heard these words from the king of the gods, the gods who previously engaged in wholesome actions will be stunned and saddened by Śakra’s words. Then they will say:

“ ‘It is just as Śakra has said‍—
You have told it as it is.
Our minds were shackled by women, [F.190.a]
And yet we did not understand.’
4.B.­580

“When he has heard the gods speak this verse, Śakra will proceed into the delightful forest where the birds warble enchantingly. This forest is adorned by myriad palaces, and the lovely sounds of cascades, streams, and divine music can be heard. Deer that seem to be made of pure gold embellish the forest, and it also abounds with gods and goddesses. Accompanied by his divine retinue, Śakra, king of the gods, will enter the forest to joyfully reside there, partaking of divine pleasures, again and again. Thus, within the forest that is perfectly endowed with the five types of sense enjoyments and extremely delightful, he will immerse his supreme faculties in the blissful experience of all the objects found there.

4.B.­581

“Later, followed by a gathering of attending goddesses, he will scale a summit of Mount Sumeru known as Heap of Incense. This divine realm is ablaze with the light of the seven precious substances and glows as if it were decorated with pearl garlands, for the sand by its waterfalls and streams resembles pearls. On both banks of its rivers, divine birds sing beautifully, and on those lovely and delightful shores, Śakra, king of the gods, will then frolic with his retinue of attending goddesses who are so graceful in their divine garments.

4.B.­582

“When he has frolicked there for a long time to the accompaniment of music of the five types of instruments, Śakra will next proceed to a place called Crown, which is likewise adorned with palaces and parks. Overjoyed, many gods and goddesses will follow him, while others will proceed elsewhere, intoxicated by their sense pleasures. The palaces and parks of Crown are exquisite, and its summits reach high‍—so high that even a little of the light from the gods in the Heaven Free from Strife shines there. That is to say, just as the light from Mount Sumeru reaches the four human abodes, the light of the gods in the Heaven Free from Strife touches that location. [F.190.b] Thus, although the world of Crown does not have any source of light, the light that shines from above enriches its beauty a thousandfold. When Śakra has spent much time rollicking there, he will return to Sudharma together with his retinue of gods and goddesses.

4.B.­583

“In this way, the gods of Subtle Engagement will continue to enjoy their rich pleasures of the five senses, rollicking and reveling within their divine realm, until finally their completed and accumulated acts with desirable, attractive, and delightful consequences have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world, only to take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals, in accordance with their karmic actions. Should they instead be born as humans due to karmic actions to be experienced in other lives, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, enjoy constant happiness and become kings or great ministers. Their hair will always curl delicately and elegantly. Their thinking will always be profound, and they will aim to accomplish tasks that are both challenging and meaningful. They will not be very talkative but be men of few words. They will keep their garments very clean and white. Their wives will be faithful, and they will take delight in the tasks of their own households, not straying outside. They will always enjoy being generous, and their minds will be extremely bright. They will appreciate those around them, their friends and their relatives. They will appreciate gurus as well as the scheduled religious celebrations. They will appreciate their own women, be disciplined, and not be interested in women who belong to others. They will enjoy incense and garlands and will shun unwholesome company. They will not be born into lower families and will be handsome and have fine apparel and ornaments.

The Gods in Enraptured by and Attached to Song

4.B.­584

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Enraptured by and Attached to Song. [F.191.a] Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born in that place, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. Thus, he will notice how some people of virtuous mind do virtuous deeds for the sake of benefiting both themselves and others. Their minds are stainless and clear, and they pursue virtuous physical and verbal courses of action. In pursuing virtuous and desirable courses of action, they will aspire to be of lasting benefit. Their nature is compassionate, and they have faith in the way actions carry consequences. Their view and action are genuine, and they abide within the two characteristics of discipline. They do not engage in any secret dealings. Their minds and conduct are undistracted, and they do not associate with unvirtuous company. They respect their mothers and fathers, as well as mendicants and brahmins. Throughout the preparatory stages, main parts, and conclusions of their actions, they observe their discipline with utmost purity. They observe the qualities of discipline and do not kill or take what was not given.

4.B.­585

“What are the relevant features of their relinquishment of killing? If tiny insects should live among their grains of barley, wheat, or rice, these people will not grind the grains. Rather, so that they may protect those creatures, or because they are afraid of stealing, they will abstain from selling that barley or wheat. Likewise, if their oxen, horses, camels, or donkeys should sustain any wounds on their backs due to the loads they carry, and if maggots appear within those wounds, these people will wash the wounds with water or acidulated rice water, and, using a feather, scrape off the maggots and place them on a piece of rotting meat. Afraid of non-Dharma, they will wish that the ox, horse, camel, or donkey may be unharmed by the procedure, and that the maggots will not die. In this manner, they will guard the lives of both of these types of animals. They will do their utmost to protect the lives of even small insects and ants. At all times and occasions, they will wish to benefit everyone [F.191.b] and will guard their minds against carelessness throughout the day and night. They do not even mentally generate any hostility toward any living beings. At all times they regard other sentient beings as sentient beings and thus they protect small insects, ants, and so on, while always engaging in actions that are virtuous. Practicing the renunciation of killing, they will relinquish it.

4.B.­586

“How is this related to giving up stealing, and what are the relevant features of that? Such people who engage in virtuous actions will use various types of food to free animals that have been caught by toads, weasels, dogs, or foxes. Once the animals have been released, these people will then provide the carnivores with the alternative food. In this way, they will both feed the hungry carnivores and protect the lives of their prey. Such people will thereby be born among the gods. However, because they took what was not given, they will be born as animals once their lives as gods are over. Such are the ways related to giving up stealing. Not only do they do so themselves, but they also establish others on the path of virtue. Those who are already on a virtuous path they will reaffirm on that path, and they will repeatedly encourage them to pursue it. They will teach them about the effects and causes of karmic actions and make them comprehend this topic. Such are the ways in which they give up killing and stealing.

4.B.­587

“How do they engage in what is good? Even if they have meager wealth, they will nonetheless maintain their livelihood based on their understanding of the Dharma. They will give money and food to those who otherwise would kill bees for the sake of honey, and in that way protect the lives of the bees. In this manner, they give the gift of life to sentient beings.

4.B.­588

“How do they give up stealing and delight in being generous? They give food to those who struggle to make a living but who follow the Dharma, to those who have attained the fourth concentration, and others. Likewise, when people who struggle to eke out a living fall into the hands of enemies, [F.192.a] are being tortured, and risk execution, they will secure their release. Supreme among all forms of generosity are these two: the gift of Dharma and the gift of life. Holy people of this kind cause others to practice such generosity and rejoice whenever it is practiced. This is how to practice virtuous discipline.

4.B.­589

“When those endowed with such discipline later separate from their bodies, they will go to the joyous higher realms and be born in Enraptured by and Attached to Song within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Once born there, they will be worshiped by the emanations of their wholesome karmic actions, for this extremely vast realm is endowed and adorned with all manner of excellence. Here everything is a product of positive actions. With every step, one encounters nothing but the manifestations of positive past actions, nothing that is not amassed by the gods,299 nothing that does not perish once its delightful features have been enjoyed, and nothing that does not wither once the effects of one’s past actions are exhausted. However their bodies may manifest, beings are tied by the chains of craving. They are transformed by craving, they are deceived again and again, and yet they do not become weary.

4.B.­590

“Whenever Śakra sees all this, he will proceed into the forests for the sake of recreation. As he has the fortune to experience this place, he goes there together with his divine retinue to enjoy these forests where the trees are filled with flowers, fruits, and creepers, and food and drink flow like rives.

4.B.­591

“Once he has played with his hosts of goddesses, Śakra will then proceed from there to a forest known as Tamer of Madness for the sake of recreation; Śakra will travel in his chariot together with his goddesses and also other gods to that forest. [F.192.b]

4.B.­592

“When Śakra sees the forest, he will tell the gods, ‘Look at this pleasure grove.’

“ ‘Śakra, we see it,’ they will reply.

“Śakra will then relate past events to the gods, telling them, ‘In this forest I once heard the blessed Krakucchanda teaching the Dharma to the gods. He taught the Dharma that is wholesome in the beginning, wholesome in the middle, and wholesome in the end. This Dharma is excellent in meaning and the words are excellent too. That Dharma teaching was complete and perfect. This is what the blessed Krakucchanda said:

4.B.­593

“ ‘ “When something is present, something else occurs. When something manifests, something else arises. When something ceases, something else ceases.

4.B.­594

“ ‘ “Now, how do things occur? When there are desires, there will be flaws, but when there are no desires, there will not be any flaws. Gods, this is how the presence of something makes something else occur. How does the absence of something cause something else not to occur? Gods, when there are no desires, none of the flaws of desire will occur. This is how an absence makes something else not occur. How does a cessation cause another cessation? When craving stops, there will not be any desires, and the flaws of desire will stop. Gods, this is how one cessation causes another cessation.

4.B.­595

“ ‘ “Gods, moreover, the presence of a certain things leads to an occurrence of something else, and the absence of a certain thing leads to a non-occurrence of something else. That is to say, craving serves as a condition for the initial interest, and that interest becomes the condition for inappropriate mental activity. Interest, here, is the wish to do something. Deluded searching is ignorance. Ignorance causes delusion and continuous dissatisfaction with objects‍—this is craving. Discontentment and searching mean desire. Gods, this is how a presence leads to an occurrence. Now, an absence leads to a non-occurrence, for when craving is absent, there will be no such thing as discontentment. This is how the cessation of something causes the cessation of something else.

4.B.­596

“ ‘ “Gods, moreover, [F.193.a] when a certain thing is present, something else occurs, and when a certain thing is absent, something else does not occur. That is to say, ripening will occur based on completed and accumulated actions, but without completed and accumulated actions, there will be no ripening. Thus, gods, when something is present, something else will occur, and when something is absent, something else will not occur.

4.B.­597

“ ‘ “Gods, moreover, when a certain thing is present, something else will occur, and when a certain thing is absent, something else will not occur. That is to say, based on the eye, form, and a preceding mental engagement, there will be visual consciousness. This, gods, also illustrates the way the occurrence of a certain thing will make something else happen. How does the absence of a certain thing cause something else not to occur? If either form, the eye, or mental engagement is absent, there will not be visual consciousness. This, gods, also illustrates how the absence of a certain thing will prevent something else from occurring.

4.B.­598

“ ‘ “Gods, moreover, when something is present, something else will occur, and when something is absent, something else will not occur. Thus, when sand, clay, a wheel, a string, water, and other such causes are present, a vase will emerge. Gods, this illustrates the way the occurrence of something will make something else happen. What, then, will not occur due to the absence of something else? If causes such as sand, clay, a wheel, a string, or water are absent, no vase will emerge. This illustrates the way the absence of something prevents something else from occurring.

4.B.­599

“ ‘ “Furthermore, gods, when something is present, something else will occur. That is to say, when there is meeting, there will be parting. This illustrates the way the presence of something will make something else occur. How does the absence of something cause something else not to occur? If there is no meeting, there will not be any parting. This illustrates the way the absence of something prevents something else.

4.B.­600

“ ‘ “Furthermore, gods, when something is present, something else will occur. That is to say, when there is birth, there will be death. However, when there is no birth, there will not be any death either. Thus, gods, when something is present, something else will occur, but when something is absent, something else will not occur.

4.B.­601

“ ‘ “Furthermore, gods, when something is present, something else will occur. That is to say, if the fire of desire is present, there will definitely be pain, just as the presence of fire ensures that there will be burning. Gods, this illustrates the way the presence of something makes something else occur. [F.193.b] How does the absence of something cause something else not to occur? If there is no desire and no fire of desire, there will not be any pain, just as the absence of fire ensures that there will not be any burning. Gods, this illustrates how the absence of something will prevent something else.

4.B.­602

“ ‘ “Furthermore, gods, when something is present, something else will occur. That is to say, if there is a father, a mother, semen, blood,300 karmic action associated with birth from a womb, and a being in the intermediate state that is ready to take rebirth, there will be birth. Gods, this also illustrates the way the presence of something makes something else occur. How does the absence of something cause something else not to occur? If there is no father, no mother, no semen, no blood, or no karmic actions to be experienced, there will not be anyone taking birth within the womb. Gods, this also illustrates how the absence of something will prevent something else.

4.B.­603

“ ‘ “Furthermore, gods, the way the presence of something makes something else occur and the way the absence of something prevents something else from occurring are as follows. If there is a here, there will be a beyond. How does the absence of something cause something else not to occur? If there is no here, there will not be a beyond. This illustrates the way the presence of something makes something else occur, and how the absence of something prevents something else from occurring.

4.B.­604

“ ‘ “In this way, mutually dependent phenomena should be apprehended and analyzed. Serving as conditions for each other, all conditioned things arise and occur in relation and dependence. Hence, the condition of ignorance gives rise to formations, and the condition of formations leads to consciousness. Thus you must comprehensively understand all phenomena of dependent origination.”

4.B.­605

“ ‘Gods, within the great palace of Tamer of Madness, that blessed one taught the gods for the duration of five thousand years, as counted in terms of human days and nights. Here I have just mentioned a fraction of that. The blessed, perfect buddhas may be as numerous as the grains of sand in the river Gaṅgā, yet they are all in agreement, for their body of Dharma is one. [B37] [F.194.a] When in this way that blessed one had brought the defilements of seven hundred million gods to exhaustion and caused them to give rise to the stainless eye, he proceeded to Jambudvīpa. There he compassionately taught the sacred Dharma to humans, so that they comprehensively understood the teaching on how the condition of ignorance gives rise to formation. Through his altruistic nature he thus brought numerous defilements of human beings to exhaustion. This is how that blessed buddha explained the Dharma to gods and humans. He is a teacher of gods and humans.’


4.B.­606

“When Śakra has spoken to the gods in this way, he will proceed to the great palace of Tamer of Madness. As he enters, he will see lotus pools surrounded by colorful birds and lotus flowers of the seven precious substances. Those lotus flowers of the seven precious substances are adorned with petals of numerous colors, shapes, and designs that radiate colorfully, like the rising sun. In this way the great palace is brilliantly decorated by luminous lotuses and beryl trees. The great palace shines with a beautiful blue light and the trees’ golden leaves shine with a gorgeous red light. Within the palace are further magnificent mansions and parks, decorated by numerous ornaments. Everything is aglow with the colorful lights of the seven precious substances, and there are also gorgeous trees of the seven precious substances, as well as many mansions and gardens. The sight of all this is exceedingly delightful and endearing‍—a sight that amazes even Śakra.

4.B.­607

“In the center lies a great lake with beautiful water that resembles refined gold. Numerous kinds of colorful sands adorn the lake, as do colorful birds. When the gods proceed to this lake, which is known as Conqueror, they will play music of the five types of instruments and dance and sing. [F.194.b] They will frolic, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company. And when the birds at Lake Conqueror see the careless gods, they will utter the following verses:

4.B.­608
“ ‘Just as a vulture that feasts on raw flesh
Is unseemly in a lotus grove,
So those engaged in unwholesome actions
Are unseemly within a serene forest.
4.B.­609
“ ‘Just as the rays of the sun will never
Turn into a cooling light,
How could the careless gods
Possibly appreciate a peaceful forest?
4.B.­610
“ ‘Happiness through freedom from craving,
And the bliss of the one
Who liberates from suffering‍—
This does not count as happiness among the gods.
4.B.­611
“ ‘The meditator who is free from madness
And liberated from bondage
Knows a happiness that is supreme
And unlike the happiness of those who are deceived by craving.
4.B.­612
“ ‘The able one taught in this forest,
As did those who are extremely adept.
This not a place to live
For upper-class gods in pursuit of desire.
4.B.­613
“ ‘Whatever happiness you may possess
Will never last.
Those who rely on the absence of craving, however,
Possess the bliss of supreme peace.
4.B.­614
“ ‘The attainment of supreme peace
Cuts through all forms of suffering.
Those who comprehend such perfect support
Will certainly stay put in this forest.
4.B.­615
“ ‘Enjoying unwholesome distractions and delicious foods,
Beings are fooled by their yearning desires.
They are not disposed to enjoying the pleasures
Of this peaceful forest of adepts.
4.B.­616
“ ‘Minds accustomed to the serenity
Of virtuous objects can enjoy this,
But minds immersed in desire
Will never find happiness in this forest.
4.B.­617
“ ‘Those whose minds are constantly at ease
Will be happy in the forest.
Minds disturbed by desire
Will gain no happiness in the forest.
4.B.­618
“ ‘Those fearful of the five modes of perception
Will not be burned by craving.
Stainless and free from craving,
They will not go to the lower realms.
4.B.­619
“ ‘When there is birth, there will always be death,
And unless there is healing, there will be disease.
Happiness arises simultaneously with suffering,
And the young are constantly aging. [F.195.a]
4.B.­620
“ ‘All dear ones will be left behind
And no meeting will last.
These are the constant facts of life,
As explained by the perfect buddhas.
4.B.­621
“ ‘Holy beings whose minds
Remain free from delusions
Within the terrifying three realms of existence
Will attain happiness in the forests of peace.
4.B.­622
“ ‘Fickle people with desirous thoughts,
Who remain obscured by desire and the rest,
Will fail to gain such peace
Within the joyous forests of peace.
4.B.­623
“ ‘Yogis whose minds are ever peaceful,
Practicing meditation within the forest,
Will always be happy in the forest,
Unlike those who chase desires.
4.B.­624
“ ‘The mind that has been trained in the forest
Will not stray when in the city either.
Therefore, always rely on the forest
And you will not be harmed by the city.
4.B.­625
“ ‘Human desires and the like
Will always create distractions in the city.
In distraction, fickle-minded fools
Will once again turn their backs on the forest.
4.B.­626
“ ‘Those free from unwholesome action
Practice with a mind of freedom.
Therefore, the forest of supreme peace
Is a great home for spiritual practitioners.
4.B.­627
“ ‘With mind and senses utterly pacified,
The spiritual practitioner’s heart is blissful.
No joy this intense can be found
Among even a thousand Śakras.
4.B.­628
“ ‘Thoroughly pure in all regards,
The spiritual practitioner will meet with joy,
Yet those who always chase after their desires
Would not even find happiness in the Heaven Free from Strife.
4.B.­629
“ ‘Any joy that is found while under the power of desire
Will always result in pain.
Yet, those who take joy in crushing the afflictions
Will be happy forever.
4.B.­630
“ ‘In beginningless cyclic existence
The mind has coexisted with the enemy.
How could those who find joy in conquering that enemy
Possibly be hurt by desire?
4.B.­631
“ ‘Joy arising from desire
Involves negativity and creates burning pain.
The joy that is free from desire
Is supreme among all.
4.B.­632
“ ‘Spiritual practitioners who rely on that
Will reach the supreme world.
Yet the joy that is forged by desire
Cannot lead to the land of immortality.
4.B.­633
“ ‘Sweet and delightful when pursued,
Yet fire-like once it ripens, [F.195.b]
The joy that arises from desire
Always takes beings to hell.
4.B.­634
“ ‘However, abstinence is sweet and joyous at first,
Delightful in between,
And peaceful and stainless in the end‍—
Thus, one proceeds to the abode of immortality.
4.B.­635
“ ‘Being virtuous in the beginning, middle, and end,
And delightful like a mother,
Why do childish beings give this up,
And thus remain attached to their desired objects?
4.B.­636
“ ‘Being painful in the middle and end,
And always obscured by terrible flaws,
Without any occasion for happiness,
Why do childish beings pursue such desires?
4.B.­637
“ ‘One may be fond of poisonous grains,
But they are painful upon contact.
When pleasures through desire occur,
They are just like poison.
4.B.­638
“ ‘When one is burned by fire,
It is painful, there is no peace,
And the burning may kill others as well‍—
Happiness through desire is just like that.
4.B.­639
“ ‘When a moth sees fire,
It does not see any problem.
The way fools look longingly at pleasure
Is akin to that.
4.B.­640
“ ‘The longing produced by desire
Continuously burns the desirous,
Yet, just like burned moths,
They comprehend nothing.
4.B.­641
“ ‘Therefore, gods, give up the poison of desire
And always delight in wisdom!
Do not let your lives be wasted‍—
Do not roam carelessly!
4.B.­642
“ ‘Those obscured by carelessness
All become attached.
When they later have to separate,
They are tormented by pain.
4.B.­643
“ ‘Those constantly fooled by desire
Will exhaust their virtues.
Fooled by desire and delusion,
They fall from the Heaven of the Thirty-Three straight into hell.
4.B.­644
“ ‘However, as long as one is not dead,
And as long as the mind is intact,
For that long phenomena‍—
The objects of the mind‍—can be pacified.
4.B.­645
“ ‘The unbearable rivers of craving
Flow through the realms of the heavens.
Thought is unstable like a flood
And thus it creates the experience of the three flaws.
4.B.­646
“ ‘Carelessness is like a deep ocean
And desire for women resembles an oyster.
Song and music are like fleeting sounds,301
Not stable like stone.
4.B.­647
“ ‘The web of objects is like a snake [F.196.a]
And the mind is like a stormy ocean.
The gods fooled by desire
Keep going on in a state of delusion.
4.B.­648
“ ‘This they fail to see,
And thus they mindlessly keep going on.302
4.B.­649
“ ‘Just like bees that drink
From the flowers of poisonous trees,
So fools engage in their pleasures,
In the same way as with poison.
4.B.­650
“ ‘When bees drink poison
A few might survive,
But drinking the poisonous object of their desire
Will hardly become a source of sustenance.
4.B.­651
“ ‘The three flaws are like a withered tree
And carelessness resembles a storm.
Craving303 is like a fire that burns the gods,
And yet they do not realize it.
4.B.­652
“ ‘The land composed of flaws
Lies covered with the grass of carelessness.
The gods who are obscured by their own actions
Keep roaming there in their stupidity.
4.B.­653
“ ‘The objects that the careless yearn for
Are fleeting yet unbearable.
The steadfast do not rely on those,
But consider them to be like a dream.
4.B.­654
“ ‘Normal dreams are not the cause of hell,
But desirous dreams are.
Therefore, give up desires
And always engage in wholesome deeds.
4.B.­655
“ ‘This forest is encountered by those of pure conduct
And not by people who have engaged in misdeeds.
Because of this relationship
This is called a place of goodness.
4.B.­656
“ ‘The gods who pursue pleasures
Do not reach this place.
This is attained by people
Who are steadfast and delight in carefulness.’
4.B.­657

“These are the verses that the birds sing as Śakra enters the forest known as Tamer of Madness. They then retreat into the forest, which is so pure due to the many past virtuous and meritorious actions of various individuals on the levels of training and no more training. They are all sustained by the positive karmic actions they performed before the great sage, the blessed Krakucchanda.

4.B.­658

“Surrounded by his divine retinue, Śakra, king of the gods, will then enter this forest to the accompaniment of various divine instruments, and he will notice how [F.196.b] its beauty outshines all other forests. Incredibly gorgeous, its beauty is like that of Mount Sumeru compared to all the other sixty thousand mountains. Likewise, just as the beauty of Śakra, ruler of the gods, outshines all the gods, this forest far surpasses all the forests and parks in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three with its exquisite beauty. Thus, Śakra, together with his full entourage of gods, proceeds into this forest of Jambu gold, which is encircled by fences of golden lattice and great golden trees. There he will speak to the gods:

4.B.­659

“ ‘O gods, behold this forest that outshines all that otherwise is beautiful. Gaze upon this forest with its exquisite ponds, cascades, parklands, and streams. O gods, what you see abounds with all excellent qualities, for everything harmonizes with the luminous and incomparable mind and body of the great sage‍—his complete omniscience. Seeing these forests and parks that have been cultivated by omniscience itself, we too are struck with amazement. This outshines all the many features of incomparable bliss in which the gods revel and celebrate. Although that great guide of beings has passed beyond in supreme peace, the remainder of his effects is still manifest today, as fruits to be enjoyed.’

4.B.­660

“Śakra, king of the gods, will then proceed toward the great Forest of Multistoried Mansions, which is encircled by four hundred thousand multistoried mansions that are made of the seven precious substances, including lapis lazuli, diamond, emerald, coral, and beryl. Each of them is surrounded by many different pedestals upon which are raised numerous banners and standards, which in turn are [F.197.a] encircled by many small, red standards. Thus, the entire forest is adorned so that it resembles a stage in a play.

4.B.­661

“Among all the multistoried mansions, that of the Omniscient One is the most spectacular. When, in Jambudvīpa, the sun and moon shine in the midst of the cloudless spring or autumn sky, they overpower all the planets and stars with their light. Similarly, the Blessed One’s mansion outshines all the others with its radiant beauty. That mansion keeps emitting a light such that only Śakra, and no one else among the gods, can bear looking at it for any extended period of time. The gods find it as hard to look at that mansion as do humans when they look up at the burning noontime sun at the height of spring.

4.B.­662

“Śakra will now proceed to that mansion and say to the gods, ‘Gods, regard the light of this mansion. What a supremely divine sight! Together with four hundred thousand hearers who had seen the truth, who were liberated both ways,304 who possessed the six superknowledges, and who had cultivated the four miraculous limbs, the Blessed One, the unsurpassable guide of beings, came to these gardens and palaces of Tamer of Madness in order to benefit the gods and give them happiness. For the four months of summer, he resided here and taught the Dharma to the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, explaining to them, “Such is form. Such is the origin of form. Such is the cessation of form. Such is the path that brings about the cessation of form.” Gradually he also explained to them the way sensation, perception, and formation originate and continue to produce flaws. For the benefit and happiness of the gods, who are crazed and utterly careless, [F.197.b] who have no concern about death, and who pursue nothing but gratification, he taught the Dharma accurately by means of specific and general characteristics. The Blessed One then spoke these verses of instruction to the careless gods:

4.B.­663
“ ‘ “Carelessness is the root of cyclic existence,
Just as it is the home of the gods.
Those intoxicated by the poison of carelessness
Sink into a painful existence.
4.B.­664
“ ‘ “Those liberated from carelessness
Cross the ocean of existence.
Carelessness is the root of darkness,
Producing the darkness of ignorance.
4.B.­665
“ ‘ “Those who remain confused in the dark
Are as if eyeless.
Thus, the basis for illumination
Is said to be fire and the sun.
4.B.­666
“ ‘ “The foremost form of confusion
Is said to be carelessness.
When tormented by the fire of carelessness,
The mind is set in motion.
4.B.­667
“ ‘ “Confused and childish people
Move into the realms of hell.
Gods deluded by carelessness
Are controlled by females and unstable.
4.B.­668
“ ‘ “Forgetting about loss and pain,
They wish for meeting and happiness.
Then, immersed in great suffering,
Their lives end in death.
4.B.­669
“ ‘ “Their pleasures are fickle and end in downfall.
Their meetings end in parting,
Happiness always ends in a downfall,
And aging marks the end of youth.
4.B.­670
“ ‘ “The actions of embodied beings,
Their virtuous and unvirtuous actions,
Cause them to be bound
And bereft of enjoyment in the future.
4.B.­671
“ ‘ “Thus they dance through the worlds,
Like actors on a stage.
Bound by the drama of karmic action,
They continue to stray through cyclic existence.
4.B.­672
“ ‘ “Steadfast ones, do not place your trust in that;
Do not roam forever in the worlds of karmic action.
With all manner of skillful means,
Give up carelessness as if it were poison.
4.B.­673
“ ‘ “Those liberated from carelessness
Cross the ocean of triple existence.”
4.B.­674

“ ‘In this manner, the blessed Krakucchanda tamed ninety thousand gods. [F.198.a] He showed how all the higher realms are devoid of any enjoyable taste while one remains careless, and thus he performed great deeds for the benefit of the gods. After he had thus embraced this place, he journeyed from here to Jambudvīpa together with his disciples.’

4.B.­675

“When Śakra has explained all this to the gods, he will proceed to the multistoried mansion, a magnificent building that is adorned with an abundance of jewels and exceptionally exquisite gems.

4.B.­676

“Noticing how the gods are astonished by this unprecedented sight, Śakra will then tell them, ‘Look at this beautiful, jewel-studded mansion, which you have never seen the likes of before! Śakra has seen it. This jewel mansion was offered to the Blessed One by faithful gods of the Heaven Free from Strife. That is why you cannot bear to look at it. Such is the power of those gods. And yet those gods were just as careless as you. Nevertheless, when they understood that they would fall from their place and that their positive karmic actions would dissipate, their haughtiness was crushed. Therefore, they bowed their heads in reverence and untied their topknots, and with joyous eyes and faces they all prostrated to this mansion of the Blessed One. With sadness they realized that their karmic actions would degenerate. Saddened, some of them then elevated their minds toward awakening. Others set their minds on the awakening of a solitary buddha or a hearer, and some developed great faith in the Blessed One.’

4.B.­677

“All the gods who are present before Śakra will at this point develop faith in the Blessed One. Śakra, king of the gods, will then alone enter the palace where the Blessed One resided and taught the Dharma. [F.198.b] There he will examine the vajra-like bedding and various wondrous appliances that the blessed Krakucchanda made use of. With the recollection, ‘Upon this bedding that blessed one resided!’ Śakra will bow his head in reverence and prostrate his entire body. With deep respect for the Blessed One, he will thus pay homage before the mats and bedding. When he rises, Śakra will behold the following verses that are written on the surface of the walls:

4.B.­678
“A person falling into an abyss
Might still survive,
But the one who falls into carelessness
Will never find any happiness.
4.B.­679
“A person who is utterly careless
In all that he does
Will never be virtuous,
Whether by day or by night.
4.B.­680
“The little pleasures of the world
And the goals beyond
Are destroyed by carelessness.
Therefore, give it up completely.
4.B.­681
“Carefulness is the basis for the drink of immortality;
Carelessness is the basis for death.
The careful do not die;
The careless always die.
4.B.­682
“The careful become
Supreme leaders of gods.305
4.B.­683
“Carelessness is the basis for cyclic existence,
But the careful go beyond cyclic existence.
Therefore, give up carelessness
And you will always be happy.
4.B.­684
“For those who wish for lasting happiness
And freedom from suffering,
Carelessness is like poison.
Therefore, stay clear of the careless!
4.B.­685
“People who engage in unwholesome actions
Are fond of being careless.
Thus, those confused by the poison of carelessness
Fall into the abyss.
4.B.­686
“The careful are successful beyond.
What, then, can we say of the careless?
The careful will be happy
And the careless suffer pain.
4.B.­687
“This briefly explains
The foundations for happiness and suffering.
Those who recognize good qualities and flaws
Will possess this fine mansion.
4.B.­688

“When Śakra has recited those verses, [F.199.a] he will prostrate to the Blessed One with deep respect and devotion. He will praise carefulness and criticize carelessness for a long time and then return to the gods outside.

4.B.­689

“When they see Śakra, the gods will reverently rush to receive him. Śakra will then recite the same verses among them. To the gods he will furthermore say, ‘These verses were written in order to benefit us and bring us happiness. They are the beneficial activity of the Blessed One.’

4.B.­690

“Hearing this, the gods will prostrate and say, ‘The Blessed One is certainly the eye of sentient beings. Behold how he has spoken these verses for our sake.’ They will then remain careful for a long time.

4.B.­691

“Later, the gods will take up a multitude of cymbals and musical instruments and proceed to the pleasure gardens of Subtle Engagement in pursuit of enjoyment. When the gods of Subtle Engagement realize that they are approaching the sounds of various cymbals and musical instruments, and with many groups of goddesses among them singing beautifully, the gods of Subtle Engagement will feel that they must by all means go to meet those who are playing. Once the guests who are thus overcome by carelessness see the gods of Subtle Engagement, they will drop their instruments and rush forth. All will then eagerly commingle. Thus, within the ever-delightful forests and parks, studded with multitudes of jewels and adorned with golden creepers, they will enjoy each other’s company, playing and frolicking until finally their completed and accumulated acts with desirable, attractive, and delightful consequences have been exhausted. [F.199.b]

4.B.­692

“Once that happens, they will fall. In accordance with their karmic actions they will be reborn into cyclic existence among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. Those for whom the gateways to the lower realms are blocked may be born with the general lot in life of humans. In that case they will, in accordance with their karmic actions, be born in a place of abundance that features numerous exquisite waterfalls, rivers, and lakes. They will always be extremely successful, with a virtuous means of livelihood, and will thus become supreme and magnificent kings or great ministers who are liked by everyone, possess a vast intellect, delight in generosity and discipline, and constantly engage in virtuous activity.

The Gods in Blazing Splendor

4.B.­693

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Blazing Splendor. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how holy and virtuous people who are careful and intent on benefiting sentient beings, who have faith in the effects of karmic actions, and who keep company with holy beings may give up killing and stealing. Thus, when birds or snakes steal the eggs of other birds that are nesting in various trees, such as śiṃśapā trees or mango trees,306 such people who practice what benefits others and whose minds are saturated by compassion will try to put the eggs back again and thereby save lives. What, then, are the relevant features of giving up stealing? Such people will also refrain from taking leaves307 from the forest, just as they will prevent others from doing so. When traveling, they even refrain from taking fallen wild dates, and if they come to know that others are taking such fallen fruit they will seek to prevent it. In these ways, they give up stealing.

4.B.­694

“How do such people practice virtuous conduct? [F.200.a] When harvests fail, such people who delight in generosity will offer mendicants half of a five-year measure, and they will provide food for sick people who have taken vows. They also establish others in the same practices, causing them to appreciate and rejoice in them, and explain to them about the effects of actions. Moreover, such people constantly recollect the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. They provide various medical supplies to their parents, or even to ordinary laypeople who have taken vows. They also cause others to do so, explaining to them about the effect of actions. Time and again, they act to benefit others. They do not associate with unwholesome companions, either directly or peripherally. They neither converse with nor address such people. Instead they always observe wholesome modes of physical and verbal conduct, and their minds are luminous like the light of the moon.

4.B.­695

“The ground in that realm is delightful, featuring forests and parks that abound with the seven precious substances. Numerous rivers and streams flow there, carpeted with lotuses that have beryl stems and golden petals. Gushing over the golden stones, the rivers and streams produce melodious sounds, flowing as if they were dancers, and their tunes mingle with the ravishing songs of numerous birds. Joyous gods and goddesses abound. Some of them make excursions to golden peaks, others travel to summits of beryl. Flocks of swans, ducks, and geese call out fervently while the happy and playful gods and goddesses fill the lotus groves and [F.200.b] both banks of the rivers that flow by, creating a lovely melody with their waves. There are also lotus-studded ponds adorned with luminous, gorgeous, jewel-like bees of various species.

4.B.­696

“In this way, the monk beholds this realm that abounds with gods whose bodies are adorned with many different jewels and magnificent, splendorous garlands. When they have frolicked and enjoyed themselves for a long time in the rivers, those gods will travel for pleasure to the forest called Certain Liberation. Lured by tunes played with cymbals and other musical instruments, they accompany each other as they journey in pursuit of pure pleasure.

4.B.­697

“In this way they will enter the lotus grove known as Playing the Vīṇā, which measures five hundred leagues. Its flowers are of supreme color, taste, and scent, and they are filled with divine wine that the exhilarated gods enjoy while they sing songs.

4.B.­698

“However, there are also some birds there called removers of obstacles. As they notice the careless gods, they see how the gods remain lost in carelessness, and so they sing the following verses to them:

4.B.­699
“ ‘Lack of embarrassment and shame,
And keeping company with unwholesome and lazy people,
Are not the seeds of the higher realms,
And thus the wise keep guard against such things.
4.B.­700
“ ‘People without embarrassment or shame,
Who always engage in unvirtuous activities,
Fall into an abyss,
As they later come to realize.
4.B.­701
“ ‘Unfaithfulness, dullness, and drowsiness,
As well as impertinence,
Hypocrisy, spite, and delusion,
Are not causes of the higher realms.
4.B.­702
“ ‘Drinking alcohol, lying,
And spite, as well as craving
And lack of faith regarding the consequences of actions,
Are always causes of hell.
4.B.­703
“ ‘Guard yourselves against anger, malice,
And aggressive acts. [F.201.a]
All who engage in aggressive acts
Will get to know hell.
4.B.­704
“ ‘Being fickle, engaging in unvirtuous action,
Always being governed by desire,
Being lazy, and constantly lying
Cannot be considered virtuous.
4.B.­705
“ ‘Those who are reproached for observing a mere token of discipline,
And for being obscured as if shrouded in clouds,
Will take birth in reproachable ways
Due to their reproachable discipline.
4.B.­706
“ ‘Those whose minds are set on the unwholesome
Remain in endless darkness.
Those whose minds are set on the Buddha
Will dispel the darkness.’
4.B.­707

“The same can be said about Dharma and Saṅgha.

“ ‘Careless and deluded gods
Become stupefied by wine again and again.
Delusion due to the sleep of carelessness
Is the cause of hell for humans.
4.B.­708
“ ‘When one has been born,
There will certainly also be death.
People will upon arising
Also encounter destruction.
4.B.­709
“ ‘Despite being caught in the snare of carelessness,
Covered by an ocean of objects,
And chained by the shackles of craving,
The gods keep playing around in various ways.
4.B.­710
“ ‘The moment they are born,
The happiness of the gods begins to run out.
Yet their helpless minds, obscured by carelessness,
Do not notice anything amiss.
4.B.­711
“ ‘The mind deluded by carelessness
Always hankers for objects.
Insatiable in their lustful enjoyments,
The gods remain in suffering.
4.B.­712
“ ‘Gods governed by craving
Cannot act properly
For a short while, a moment,
Or even a mere instant.
4.B.­713
“ ‘The land where the helpless gods
Play while governed by craving
Is a place of affliction,
Obscured by hundreds of thoughts.
4.B.­714
“ ‘Just as those who churn through the hells
Are burned by fire,
So the gods are burned by the fire
That arises from desire.
4.B.­715
“ ‘The fire of hunger and thirst
Likewise burns the starving spirits,
While the fire of killing afflicts animals.
And for humans, there is longing.
4.B.­716
“ ‘In these ways, flaming fires
Engulf all the realms [F.201.b]
Of sentient beings,
And yet they do not notice the burning.’
4.B.­717

“As the birds thus examine the gods, they will repeatedly try to make them understand. Upon hearing the birds’ speech, those among the gods who in the past have done what is virtuous will refrain from drinking and for a short while develop carefulness before they again become swayed by the incomparably exquisite sounds, textures, forms, tastes, and smells. With their minds ruled by those objects, they will continue to frolic in the groves and parks to the accompaniment of music from the five types of instruments, indulging in the experience of whatever they want. Accompanied by hundreds of thousands of gods and goddesses, and experiencing the results of their own doing, they will thus make excursions to the beryl, lapis, and coral summits of Mount Sumeru. They will visit forests and parklands, cascades and lotus-studded ponds, mountain peaks adorned by many beautiful birds, and lotus ponds with flowers that have beryl petals, golden anthers, and crystal stalks, abounding with bees.

4.B.­718

“Controlled in this way by great and diverse torrents of incomparable objects, these gods keep reveling, again and again, and do not realize the suffering that they are bound to experience. These friends thus keep enjoying themselves and frolicking until their completed and accumulated acts with desirable, attractive, and delightful consequences have finally been exhausted. Once that happens, they will fall. Just as the day ends when the sun sets, these gods fall from their divine world once their positive actions are exhausted. Upon their fall, and in accordance with their karmic actions, they then take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. Should they be born with the general lot in life of a human, they will be extremely happy and enjoy great and abundant wealth in accordance with their causal actions. They will be fond of the sacred Dharma and always delight in knowledge. They will appreciate mendicants and brahmins and they will live long lives. [F.202.a]

The Gods in Resembling the Full Moon

4.B.­719

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Moving Like the Moon.308 Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how some people pursue virtuous actions; possess a stainless, thoroughly trained mind; and think in ways that are extremely refined. Such people may happen to see a flawless image of the Buddha’s body; or they may see a statue of the blessed Buddha’s body made of gold, silver, copper, or iron; or they may see a vivid painting created with an inspired mind.309 Seeing such a flawless and supremely beautiful image of the Buddha, the benefactor may feel tremendous joy and repeatedly bring the image to mind. As he cultivates this mental field of excellent qualities and causes, he may then engage in virtuous practices, be happy, and also give up killing and stealing. In this way, such a person will not even think of killing or harming living beings. If other people do so, he will not condone it but instead seek to stop them and establish them on the path of virtuous activity. Such holy people thereby benefit both themselves and others and experience happiness.

4.B.­720

“What are the relevant aspects of giving up killing in this case? Tremendously respectful, such people do not even consider killing, nor will they ever encourage others to kill. Practicing positive action, they do not kill any of the biting insects born from heat and moisture that one may find under one’s bedding, nor do they kill small worms or ants. Such is the way they give up killing.

4.B.­721

“In which way do they give up stealing? Such holy beings are insatiable with respect to virtuous and wholesome actions, [F.202.b] and thus they do not under any circumstances take what was not given. Such is the way they give up stealing.

4.B.­722

“What are the relevant features in this case? Even if they are exposed to cold or heat, they will never avail themselves of any dry wood or soil that belongs to others, or even the shade of another’s parasol. Still, they will not take the shade away from people who are soothed by the shade of a parasol. They will also desist from driving away travelers who rest and recuperate in the shade of a tree, and will thus avoid exposing those who linger in the cooling shade to torment and pain. However it may be, they shall personally give up and refrain from such ways of taking what was not given, and they shall also seek to discourage others from taking any shade that was not offered to them.

4.B.­723

“When people who thus refrain from even extremely minor forms of stealing, and who also give up killing, later separate from their bodies they will, upon dying, journey to the joyous higher realms and be born within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three among the gods in Moving Like the Moon. Once born there, those who engage in such positive actions will, in accordance with such causes and conditions, experience the consequences of their actions. They will in this way come to possess an exceptionally immaculate, divine body that is as radiant as ten full moons; the light from their bodies accordingly increases the luminosity of their god realm a hundredfold. Moreover, this light is neither hot nor cool, and is a delight to the eyes of all the gods. Compared to the gods born in other realms, the light from these gods is extraordinary because the power of their virtuous actions makes their brilliance outshine all the jewels and gems within a distance of ten leagues. The luminosity of these gods is exceptionally bright.

4.B.­724

“Surrounded by companions, these gods play various cymbals and musical instruments as they stroll, singing, to the park known as Fivefold Joy, a garden that is superior to any other within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three due to the presence of its five distinctive joys. [F.203.a] In this regard, it features splendid trees and fruits, birds of vast intelligence, lotus ponds, numerous cascades and streams, and fragrant winds that produce the sounds of big and small bells as they waft through the air. The gods proceed to this garden of Fivefold Joy surrounded by further congregations of gods. Enjoying the tunes of cymbals, musical instruments, and song, they follow goddesses with stunning figures who bear various types of raiment and ornaments. Sauntering onward to the tunes of cymbals and music from the five types of instruments, these throngs of gods enjoy bliss on an exceedingly vast scale.

4.B.­725

“The trees are endowed with tremendous bountiful qualities produced by karmic actions, and their fragrances overwhelm any other scent within a distance of five leagues. Their fruits resemble the planets and stars and they continuously yield delectable wines that are free from any of the deleterious side effects of intoxication. The colors, bouquets, and tastes of the wines vary widely and their fragrances can be sensed across five leagues. Their tastes conform to whichever one may wish to have, thus turning into the very kind of thing one would most like to enjoy.

4.B.­726

“However, there is a bird known as bringing the careless to their senses that repeatedly warbles to the utterly careless gods the following verses:

4.B.­727
“ ‘When supreme beings accomplished in the Dharma
Befuddle themselves,
Their wholesome actions are exhausted
And their lifespan is reduced to a single moment.
4.B.­728
“ ‘Their youth is ravaged completely,
They are robbed of their life force,
And all perfections are destroyed.
Therefore, do not let your minds be careless!
4.B.­729
“ ‘You will never attain the higher realms
And never have any leisure. [F.203.b]
Therefore, before you fall, make sure
That you do what is virtuous.
4.B.­730
“ ‘Those disciplined in the Dharma,
Who guard their minds well,
Will attain a flawless
Realm unlike anything seen before.
4.B.­731
“ ‘For those who are always distracted
And do not pursue the Dharma,
These pleasures will be pointless,
And there will be no turning back.
4.B.­732
“ ‘On the basis of discipline, embodied beings will behold
Such things in the higher realms.
Those who do not rely on discipline
Will suffer intensely later on.
4.B.­733
“ ‘Therefore, the disciplined should always
Continue to adhere to discipline.
The ignorant who lack discipline
Will not go to the higher realms.
4.B.­734
“ ‘The enjoyment of these
Fivefold divine pleasures
Is a great result
Achieved through pure discipline.
4.B.­735
“ ‘Severely deluded by the poison of carelessness,
The gods who experience pleasure
Are completely unaware of the destruction
And turbulence that awaits at life’s end.
4.B.­736
“ ‘Deluded by carelessness,
Many thousands of gods‍—
Many hundreds of thousands of gods‍—
Are scorched by the fires of desire.
4.B.­737
“ ‘Deluded by carelessness,
Everyone is subdued.
In the future, they reap suffering‍—
Understand what the outcome will be!
4.B.­738
“ ‘Always concerned about objects,
They run around in a state of great agitation,
And thus they will witness firsthand
The suffering that results.
4.B.­739
“ ‘Those whose minds are attached to objects
Do not recognize their own state affliction.
Those born within an expanse of affliction
Will thus suffer torments in the future.
4.B.­740
“ ‘Fetters, subtle proclivities,
And thoughts about objects
Arise as the retinue of the king-like mind,
And so they are active collectively.
4.B.­741
“ ‘Wherever their minds go,
The ignorant follow.
Thus, those who drive each other crazy are compelled
To cycle through the three realms of existence.
4.B.­742
“ ‘The steadfast recognize reality‍—
They see transience, impermanence, suffering, and the like
Within the realms of wandering beings,
Yet they endure no suffering there.
4.B.­743
“ ‘Those who constantly pursue their desires, [F.204.a]
And are deluded by their dependence on women,
Will behold the end
Of their divine world.
4.B.­744
“ ‘This mountain with its trees and forests
Is studded with many different jewels,
Covered by creepers and shrubs,
And adorned with lotus pools.
4.B.­745
“ ‘It is decorated by cascades
And many creeping vines.
Such karmic manifestations of beings
Occur spontaneously within space.
4.B.­746
“ ‘Yet, at the end of the eon, even Mount Sumeru will be burned
Until nothing remains.
Those who take birth and die,
Deluded by carelessness and infatuation,
4.B.­747
“ ‘Are all just like water bubbles.
Therefore, why mention the gods in particular?’
4.B.­748

“When the gods who have previous familiarity with the practice of virtuous actions hear these words from the birds, they will recognize that the birds are correct and will therefore experience a moment of comprehension. However, unhinged as they are by their objects, they will once again become swayed by appearances, falling under the power of the delightful sounds, textures, tastes, forms, and smells. In this way, they will not for even a moment keep in mind the actions they have taken in other lives, which were in accordance with what should and should not be done. Craving for objects in the present, they will not comprehend or recollect the suffering that awaits. Deluded by their desire for the objects of the present, they will in this way roam among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals, unless they should be born as gods or humans. Unable to recollect the fierce pain that they have experienced since time without beginning, they thus continue to suffer, encountering the unbearably excruciating pains of hell beings, starving spirits, and animals. Such beings who since beginningless time remain hard to cure and hard to tame cannot be tamed unless by a truly vast mind.

4.B.­749

“As the monk continues his investigation, he will wonder, ‘What karmic actions might enable those birds to instill comprehension of the Dharma that is true and meaningful in the minds of such careless gods?’ [F.204.b] When he examines this matter with knowledge derived from hearing or with the divine eye, he will notice how an intoxicated performer, musician, or dancer may dress in saffron-colored robes while dancing and singing songs about the qualities of the Buddha. In this manner, he may obtain valuables, clothing, or cashew nuts, and without donating those things to mendicants or brahmins, he may irreverently take possession of them. However, by the power of the act of simply having put on the saffron-colored robes, he will, upon separating from his body, become this kind of extremely happy bird.

4.B.­750

“While thus accompanying each other in their pursuit of pure pleasure, the gods will dance and sing among beryl trees that produce golden foliage and are draped with crystal creepers. There are many other such creepers, trees, and coral ornaments. Among them all swarm hundreds of thousands of bees, and there are also other gorgeous plants of gold and green pearl. The gods also sport among the jewel-studded, flashing peaks of Mount Sumeru. They frolic in pools with golden, silver, crystal, and beryl lotuses. Elsewhere, they play and enjoy themselves within radiant palaces that are adorned with garlands of beautiful balconies. Together with the goddesses, they remain free from depression or anxieties fueled by strife and envy. Thus, they do not bring harm upon one another but have respect for and faith in each other as they enjoy intense pleasures beyond any comparison.

4.B.­751

“They may also go to dance among the wish-fulfilling trees. As they enter the forest grove they will receive, in a quality that befits the heavens, any desirable thing that comes to their minds. That is why those trees are referred to as wish-fulfilling. [F.205.a] When in this way the gods have enjoyed desirable, attractive, and delightful objects for a long time, they will go to climb high mountains of gold that are adorned with numerous cascading waterfalls. They go accompanied by sundry other gods who sing and play cymbals and musical instruments, and their minds thus become captivated by what their impassioned ears hear. As their divine ears enjoy the pleasures of their sphere of objects, they listen to these delightful sounds. [B38]

4.B.­752

“Furthermore, their divine eyes enjoy incomparable and magnificent pleasures as they take in visual objects. They behold divine bodies, garments, and ornaments in an ever-increasing display of bodies, raiment, and ornaments that are produced by their own karmic actions. Within the copses and forests of Mount Sumeru, among the ponds and many different lotuses, in the flower meadows and their many parks, they likewise enjoy the experience of numerous delightful scents and textures that are extremely agreeable and pleasing to the touch. All that the gods may wish to touch is smooth like the finest fabric. That is to say, all that they touch is stainless and immaculate, unwoven, brightly colored, extremely fragrant, and ravishing to behold. In this way the infatuated gods are driven crazy by their objects. Moreover, all that they think of will be accomplished in a form that is endowed with myriad qualities, extraordinary, impervious to the influence of others, and free from harm.

4.B.­753

“Thus, maddened by pleasure, endowed with a natural glow, and surrounded by myriad retinues of goddesses, the gods in this realm frolic and revel in their enjoyments until finally their completed and accumulated actions with desirable, attractive, and delightful effects have been exhausted. [F.205.b] Once that happens, they will die and be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals in accordance with their karmic actions. Should they instead be born with the general lot in life of a human, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, always enjoy happiness for as long as they live. They will then become kings or great ministers in excellent countries that have great resources and where people live in accordance with the Dharma and possess the genuine view. They will become holy beings and will not encounter unwholesome companions.

The Gods in Pair of Śāla Trees

4.B.­754

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Pair of Śāla Trees. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how people may adhere to the genuine view and be endowed with discipline, maintaining constant discipline due to a wish to benefit others and thus abiding by genuine conduct of body and speech. Wanting to save the lives of thirsting pasture animals, they may thus, with thoroughly trained minds, irrigate mountainous lands and pastures with ample water from ditches, waterfalls, ponds, and pools. They may also show the way to frightened and distressed beings who have lost their way in the wilderness, gone astray, and are stuck in vast wastelands. In this way, they may free such beings from great anguish, but without any intention to scrounge from them. Instead, they will give them gifts and protect their lives solely for the sake of benefiting beings.

4.B.­755

“In what way do such people give up killing and stealing? [F.206.a] Such people observe virtuous conduct themselves, and they influence others to do the same. Thus, although there may be reasons to kill beings, they will refrain from doing so. If smaller or larger creatures born from heat and moisture, or born from a womb, live in their house and are destroying it, or if such creatures land on their beds and disturb their sleep, such people who are intent on benefiting beings will nevertheless not kill them. They will not kill toads or scorpions either. Even at the risk of their lives, they will abstain from killing and instead tolerate such poisonous animals. Thus, even if there may be reasons to kill such animals, they will not harm living beings and instead protect them. In this way, they abandon killing.

4.B.­756

“What are the features of their giving up stealing in this case? If such people who pursue virtuous conduct should end up being in charge of a remote outpost, they will protect the water that merchants seeking profit use to mix with black salt. Therefore, even if they are thirsting and on the verge of death, they will not drink from the water before the merchants relinquish the water to them. In this way, they will only drink the water when it is given to them and, even then, they will share it with others. Thus, although they may be able to do so, they will not take any payment before it is given to them. Such is the way that they give up stealing.

4.B.­757

“Such people, who see the extremely subtle effects of karmic actions, always follow the Buddha and Dharma, keenly remembering their qualities. Training their minds with attention, they do not rely on unwholesome company for even a moment. They do not talk with such people, nor will they befriend them while on the road. Indeed, ‘meeting unvirtuous companions’ is foremost among all the obstacles to virtuous qualities, and so they will neither talk with such people, come and go with them, nor even touch their shadows. [F.206.b] Why is that? Because unvirtuous companions are a basis for desire, anger, and delusion; they resemble a poisonous tree and should be avoided.

4.B.­758

“Once such holy beings who resemble refined gold separate from their bodies, they go to the joyous higher realms of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and are born among the gods in Pair of Śāla Trees. Those who engage in such positive deeds, who have acted well and are free from unwholesomeness, who are venerated by virtuous people, and who have done positive actions that are certain to bear fruit, will then experience the effects of birth among the gods. They will radiate a light that increases just as, in the human context, the light of the waxing moon increases day by day. In this way, the light of these gods shines day and night, continuously increasing.

4.B.­759

“Other gods will therefore notice that the light of the gods who live in that realm far surpasses their own light, and they will therefore feel extremely embarrassed before the goddesses.

“Going before Śakra, they will say, ‘O Śakra, there is a new class of gods who outshine all of us with their radiance.’


4.B.­760

“In response, Śakra will utter these verses:

“ ‘All the light garlands
Found upon this golden Sumeru
Cannot match even a sixteenth
Of the light that comes from discipline.
4.B.­761
“ ‘When discipline blazes continuously,
It becomes like refined gold.
Endowed with one’s own actions,
One thus will adorn the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.
4.B.­762
“ ‘Lesser, intermediate, and exceptional‍—
Since discipline may be of three such kinds,
There are also three effects:
Lesser, intermediate, and supreme.
4.B.­763
“ ‘The discipline of giving up carelessness
Is developed through carefulness. [F.207.a]
This always delivers happiness.
Such is the nature of things.
4.B.­764
“ ‘The stainless light that arises
From embodied beings’ discipline
Cannot be outshone by the combined light
Of a thousand suns.
4.B.­765
“ ‘Supreme and holy people
Who delight in and observe the sevenfold discipline,
Just as it is taught by the buddhas,
Will experience the effects of their actions.
4.B.­766
“ ‘The positive actions of embodied beings
Will not be for nothing.
Similarly, one need not worry that something
That one did not do might take place.
4.B.­767
“ ‘Childish beings are not attached to causes
But they are attached to ripening.
Yet, as with trying to create an oil lamp from sand,
There will not be any effect unless there is a cause.
4.B.­768
“ ‘Free from stinginess, virtuous people
Practice what is virtuous.
Deluded beings of unvirtuous nature
Always become angry.’
4.B.­769

“In this way, Śakra will make the gods aware of the effects of positive actions. Then, when they have respectfully received his instructions, they will proceed to Pair of Śāla Trees. Enjoying themselves together with the goddesses, they travel in playful celebration and to the tunes of various musical instruments. In this manner, they will journey to the realm known as Pair of Śāla Trees. In terms of its dimensions, colors, flowers, and lights, this place surpasses all the other forests and parks within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

4.B.­770

“The two śāla trees that grow in that realm are draped in nets of tinkling bells of various sizes and their leaves also produce the sounds of music of the five types of instruments. When the gods hear the sounds that resound from the leaves, they will proceed to the two śāla trees in search of enjoyment.

4.B.­771

“As they arrive, the gods will climb the two śāla trees, and thus discover in their canopies a lotus pond known as Delightful Waters, [F.207.b] where swans, ducks, and geese call out beautifully. This pond is always brimful of water that is endowed with the eight qualities. Once they have climbed the two śāla trees, they will be amazed by the lotus pond, the likes of which cannot be found in any of the other trees.

4.B.­772

“Thus, the gods will think, ‘Ah, except for the pārijāta tree, these two śāla trees are the supreme and most delightful among all trees.’

4.B.­773

“Once they have discovered the lotus pond in the trees, they will enjoy themselves with their coteries of goddesses‍—celebrating, rollicking, and reveling in the various pleasures to be had by the objects there. When in that way they have enjoyed themselves for a long time, they will next proceed to the forest known as Constant Play. As they saunter forth, they wear lotus garlands on their heads and unwoven garments of numerous colors, while their bodies are aglow with multicolored light. Were one to give some simple analogy of the light that shines from the body of these gods, one might compare it to a summer rainbow with three beautiful colors in the human world, because the lotuses of these gods shine with blue, yellow, and red light. In this manner, the gods proceed to the forest in search of enjoyment. Enjoying the five sense pleasures and partaking of the enjoyments to be had by the objects there, their experience of pleasure is all-consuming, like a river flowing down from the mountains.

4.B.­774

“Śakra, king of the gods, also pays visits to the gods in Pair of Śāla Trees, together with all the gods of Sudharma, for the sake of enjoyment. To the sounds of cymbals and various musical instruments, they journey in a procession headed by various troupes of singing goddesses. For their part, the gods of Pair of Śāla Trees will come forth to receive Śakra, also playing cymbals and sundry musical instruments. [F.208.a] Along with hosts of goddesses, they will join their palms above their heads and worship Śakra. Thereupon, the gods and goddesses will mingle among each other and the gods of Sudharma and those of Pair of Śāla Trees will become acquainted with one another and develop affectionate friendships. Free from animosity, everyone is in harmony as they proceed to Pair of Śāla Trees, dancing and playing to the enrapturing, delightful music of the five types of instruments, which captivates the hearts of all beings. When they arrive, a reception party of gods will surround Śakra as they all dance, play, and drink delicious wine.

4.B.­775

“At that time, Śakra, ruler of the gods, will say, ‘Gods, look, except from the pārijāta tree, no tree growing in the forests and parks of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three can compare to these two śāla trees.’

“To this the gods will reply, ‘King of gods, we see them.’

4.B.­776

“Śakra will then say, ‘O gods, you are not aware of the powers of this pair of śāla trees. You do not understand anything beyond form. Behold the powers of these two śāla trees!’

4.B.­777

“At this point Śakra will step down from his horse and hurl his vajra at one of the two śāla trees. Thereupon, the trunk will split wide open, revealing within it delightful platforms, cascades, ponds, forests, and parks with cool waterfalls and ornamental lotus groves. There are gorgeous plateaus and mountain peaks, some of which are of jewels, and others of silver, crystal, and beryl. They are all adorned with waterfalls, rivers, and various delightful summits. [F.208.b] The gods will proceed to enter one of the two śāla trees, and thus they will behold the ponds adorned with lotuses of the seven precious substances and swarms of hundreds of thousands of bees. Likewise, they will see groves of luminous trees of gold, silver, beryl, and lapis lazuli, as well as flocks of songbirds with broad wings made of the seven precious substances. Feeling that they have never seen anything like this, the gods will marvel in joyous amazement and make delighted exclamations that, in turn, cause others to marvel as well.

4.B.­778

“Wishing to fully take in the forests and parks, Śakra, king of the gods, will then proceed, together with his divine retinue, toward an exquisite palace within that divine śāla tree. The palace is itself adorned with many other divine mansions that are supported by various beautiful columns. The many different columns and fences are decorated with the seven precious substances: lapis lazuli, beryl, gold, silver, coral, crystal, and pearl. A variety of multicolored seats are arranged and draped with precious garments. These beautiful thrones are supported by various decorative feet that are crafted from diamond, beryl, crystal, gold, and silver. The gods who have gone ahead of Śakra into the śāla tree will also see captivating mountain peaks that are surrounded by flocks of birds that warble delightfully.

4.B.­779

“At this point, Śakra will say to the gods, ‘Look at these stunning scenes within Pair of Śāla Trees!’ [F.209.a]

“ ‘Śakra, we see them,’ the gods will marvel in reply.

4.B.­780

“In order to thoroughly teach the gods, whose minds are completely overwhelmed by carelessness, about the effects of karmic actions, Śakra will then lead them into the so-called Mansion of the Mirror of Karmic Actions. Within it he will show them a stainless wall of beryl, bright like an immaculate mirror. Śakra will then instruct them, ‘Gods, this is the mirror-like wall upon which appear depictions of the experience of karmic effects. Here you can see who engaged in what actions, how the actions were performed, and how respectfully their acts were carried out. You will see what was given to whom; how it was given, and with which type of faith and at which time; and how it was dedicated, when it was dedicated, and for the sake of which resultant birth and under which circumstances it was dedicated. Look at the way the effects of dedicated generosity manifest!’

4.B.­781

“Śakra will then continue to instruct the gods: ‘Look at those who are thoroughly trained in discipline, who are like a father or mother to all beings, and who are guileless‍—those whose karmic ripening is supremely delightful and who are like pristine lakes. Observe the seeds for ascending to the higher realms. Look at the agents, times, modes, beneficiaries, and ways of observing the sevenfold discipline, and the times, circumstances, and ways of taking birth that are the results of discipline. Behold the karmic ripening among gods and humans!’

4.B.­782

“Śakra will then continue to teach the gods through the mirror of karmic actions: ‘All of this is the confluence of karmic effects. Look at those who are lamps of wisdom, who are accustomed to wisdom, and who have the correct view of wisdom. [F.209.b] Look at those whose wisdom is minor, intermediate, or supreme. Behold the defiled and undefiled effects.’

4.B.­783

“Next, Śakra will instruct the gods about the nine contexts of generosity, discipline, and wisdom: ‘The effects of minor, intermediate, and great generosity ripen in the higher realms. Even if one has mental training and the recipient possesses good qualities and undeceiving characteristics, the effect will be lesser if the substance that is given is imperfect. As the result of such generosity, one may become a powerful starving spirit, or one might live a happy life despite being an animal.

4.B.­784

“ ‘Gods, look at the way the reflections of the results of intermediate generosity are reflected within the mirror of karmic action. Upon this wall are drawn the various effects of karmic action. The effects of intermediate generosity are such that even if one’s mind is untrained and the substance given does not possess any qualities, the results of giving will be intermediate if the recipients simply possess good qualities. Thus, one will be born among the humans in Godānīya in the west or Videha in the east, or one will reap results among animals, yakṣas, or asuras.’

4.B.­785

“The attainments of such intermediate results are directly perceptible to the gods, as if in a mirror. Śakra at this point will continue to explain the three kinds of effects of generosity that appear as reflections in the mirror of karmic actions: ‘Gods, behold the effects of lesser, intermediate, and supreme generosity. Lesser generosity cannot be transformed, but it may be performed with an untrained mind with reference to a perfect field. What is meant by an untrained mind? The donor may benefit living beings tremendously, yet despite the presence of recipients and the substances that are given, the donor may lack a pure mind and physical capacity, and therefore he may not respectfully prostrate, and so forth. Thus, even if both the recipient field and the substances given possess fine qualities, [F.210.a] his mind does not. Hence, gaze upon the surface of the mirror of karmic actions to see how guileless generosity may lead such people to become the king or a great minister among hill people or barbarians.’ In this manner, Śakra will instruct the gods.

4.B.­786

“ ‘Moreover, supreme generosity is engaged in attentively with respect to a recipient of perfect qualities. It also involves substances of perfect qualities and is performed with a perfectly trained mind. The sacred recipient consists of the Buddha, and so forth; perfect substances are food, and so forth; and the trained mind is inspired and respectful. As an effect of such great generosity, one will be born among gods and humans. As a god, one will be a great god. As a human, one will become a universal monarch who rules the four continents and is endowed with great miraculous powers and possesses the seven precious substances and the seven subsidiary precious substances. One will be righteous and follow the Dharma. Engaging in all that is excellent, one will accomplish discipline and wisdom, and one will enter the city of the transcendence of suffering. Such generosity is unsurpassable‍—this is unsurpassable generosity.’

4.B.­787

“Śakra will then continue to explain to the gods about the effects of karmic actions as they appear upon the utterly stainless surface of the beryl wall of karmic action: ‘Look at the reflections of the effects of another set of the three kinds of generosity. Giving may occur in terms of material things, freedom from fear, and the Dharma. Giving material things makes one wealthy, just as before. As the effect of giving freedom from fear, one will become the king of an excellent country and enjoy freedom from the fear of weapons, failed harvests, wilderness, and untimely death. One will have no fear of competitors, disease, [F.210.b] fire, water, or death. Free from such fears, one will live long as a king or a great minister. This is the way the effects of giving freedom from fear, which is an intermediate type of generosity, appears in the mirror of karmic actions.

4.B.­788

“ ‘Moreover, the effects of the kinds of generosity that are supreme appear upon the mirror of karmic actions. Giving the Dharma is the best among all forms of generosity because it serves as the seed for going beyond the whole of cyclic existence. Thus, the effects of this supreme generosity ripen as the three kinds of awakening. Further effects of giving the Dharma are also apparent, for such giving may be motivated by a concern for one’s livelihood, for fame, for the subjugation of competitors, or exclusively for benefiting others. Here the concern for one’s livelihood does not indicate an altruistic practice but rather a context where one teaches the Dharma merely for the sake of having a livelihood. In other words, one’s teaching is not delivered with a heart that is trained in altruism but instead given solely for the sake of obtaining wealth. When in this way the teacher does not practice what he preaches, the giving is inferior. Any wealth that may be obtained thereby will be wasted because of resorting to alcohol or female companions. In this way, such a person who has abandoned discipline is really nothing more than a poser, and such a gift of Dharma will therefore have lesser effects. How will one be born when such generosity ripens? This can be learned from the mirror of karmic action, which shows that due to such lesser giving of the Dharma, one will become a wise bird that lives among the gods and teaches them in verse.

4.B.­789

“ ‘What is the intermediate way of giving the Dharma? If one teaches the Dharma for the sake of fame, or does so aggressively in order to outrival other teachers, then the effects of such Dharma generosity are lesser. As they ripen, [F.211.a] one will be born among gods or humans of an intermediate caliber.’ In this way, Śakra will teach the gods by letting them gaze upon the surface of the mirror of karmic actions.

4.B.­790

“ ‘Moreover, the supreme way of giving the Dharma is to teach for the sake of training the mind, making the mind flawless, and taming the mind. One does not do so for the sake of maintaining a livelihood, but introduces others who suffer from wrong views to the Dharma-Vinaya without mooching off of them. Such a practice that benefits oneself and others and culminates in the transcendence of suffering is the supreme way of giving the Dharma.’

4.B.­791

“Next, Śakra will teach and inform the gods about another set of effects of giving the Dharma: ‘The teaching of Dharma is of an inferior kind when no liberation through insight has occurred, intermediate when one adheres to discipline, and supreme when there is liberation through insight. Moreover, when there is inferior insight, one lacks a genuine understanding of the Dharma teaching on generosity. Instead, one teaches exclusively the effects of generosity. Based on such causes and on such grounds, one then practices generosity, as well as discipline and insight. In this manner, one follows the Dharma through faith alone and thus obtains the state of a worthy one who has exhausted defilements and is liberated from both aspects. Presenting the Dharma in such a way is an inferior way to speak on generosity.

4.B.­792

“ ‘The intermediate way of giving the Dharma employs teachings on discipline that are delivered based on having a well-trained mind and an intermediate level of insight. The ripening effects of such activity likewise appear upon the mirror of karmic actions. Practicing insight, one thus becomes a worthy one or, if one’s defilements are brought to exhaustion extremely quickly, one becomes a solitary buddha. The karmic ripening of such an intermediate gift of the Dharma is conspicuous upon the surface of the mirror of karmic actions.

4.B.­793

“ ‘Furthermore, the supreme way of giving the Dharma is accomplished through a perfectly well-trained mind. Without any expectations, one imparts knowledge and explains all about the excellent qualities. Teaching the Dharma in this way, one benefits others. [F.211.b] One thereby causes others to develop renunciation by feeling the drawbacks of desire, and one establishes those who suffer from wrong views in the Dharma-Vinaya, teaching them the flawless Dharma-Vinaya. Such generosity with the Dharma is supreme and its effect is awakening‍—becoming a perfect buddha, someone learned and virtuous, an unsurpassed guide of beings, and a teacher of gods and humans. Such is the unsurpassable Dharma-Vinaya, that which is virtuous in the beginning, middle, and end. Such is the supreme way of giving the Dharma.’

4.B.­794

“In this manner, Śakra will teach comprehensively, explaining to the gods the many appearances that are displayed on the wall of the mirror of karmic actions. When the gods then examine matters more closely, they will become extremely ashamed. At that point Śakra will instruct them, ‘Do not act that way! In that way, you only trigger existence and its causal processes.’

4.B.­795

“When the gods, whose bodies are superior to the moon, now behold these things, they will gather before Śakra. At that point, he will think, ‘I have taught these gods how karmic actions work and explained to them about inferior, intermediate, and superior actions. I have made them ashamed, which suffices for now.’

4.B.­796

“Highly embarrassed at what they had previously not seen, the gods will investigate further and thus develop a profound disenchantment regarding cyclic existence. They will then utter the following verses:

4.B.­797
“ ‘Pursuing pointless pleasures, mad with pride,
The gods are weak by nature.
While roaming and playing, full of desire,
They fail to see the great terror that awaits.
4.B.­798
“ ‘Gods who depend
On futile pleasures
Are fools who only later, once their positive actions are depleted,
Will clearly understand.
4.B.­799
“ ‘All their divine perfections
Will suddenly be destroyed.
All their pleasures and enjoyments
Will cease and be replaced by pain.
4.B.­800
“ ‘When they leave their divine world
And fall into the realms of hell,
Physical and mental miseries [F.212.a]
Will torment them in every way.
4.B.­801
“ ‘Such suffering is totally excruciating
And its extent cannot be fathomed.
The greatest among all sufferings
Is the suffering of loss.
4.B.­802
“ ‘Within the gatherings of the gods,
That primary suffering is always present,
Yet, fooled by their own minds,
The gods do not realize this.
4.B.­803
“ ‘Those who are completely deceived by their desires
May enjoy a present moment of comfort,
But even though they reap hundreds, hundreds of thousands,
Millions, or billions of pleasures,
4.B.­804
“ ‘They will all be destroyed.
Therefore, people must never rely on pleasures.
Positive actions are the causes
That always reap enjoyable effects.
4.B.­805
“ ‘In the same way that fruits do not grow without a tree,
So there will be no effects when all causes have ceased.
Those who have seen the nature of carelessness
Will regard any wasting of life as if it were a poison
4.B.­806
“ ‘That always burns like a fire,
And cuts like a weapon.
First, it is seen as a friend,
But later as an enemy.
4.B.­807
“ ‘Corporeal beings always get caught
On the hook of carelessness.
For gods, asuras, and humans,
And also for nāgas,
4.B.­808
“ ‘It destroys all objectives‍—
We see that this is the causal power of carelessness.
Śakra, we are protected by the merits
Of our positive actions.
4.B.­809
“ ‘You have shown us the entire
Jailhouse of existence.’
When the gods have said this to Śakra,
They will further ask him:
4.B.­810
“ ‘Śakra, who has taught you about
This great and astonishing wonder?’
To this Śakra will reply, ‘Listen to me
About the source of this teaching.
4.B.­811

“ ‘In the past, when I was young, there was another god called Excellent Garland. He and I were best friends. From him I received the joyful news that a blessed one by the name of Kāśyapa had come to this heaven for the sake of training others. Since that blessed one saw how the gods were always so very careless, he produced this pair of śāla trees in order to help them. The god instructed me, “Let us not be careless. [F.212.b] Take care not to be careless so that you end up appearing in that mirror of karmic actions. All conditioned things entail a downfall into error. Whenever you or others who are careless feel embarrassed around each other because of differences in terms of your inferior, intermediate, or superior bodies, you should lead the gods who are faithful, but lack carefulness, into this dwelling and reveal to them these marvels. This is what that blessed one has taught in order to benefit the gods. He thereby tamed the gods‍—by means of the mirror of karmic actions, he vanquished their conceit and placed them on the path of virtue. Having done so, he then left for Jambudvīpa.” When I heard this from the god, I felt tremendously happy and the other gods also felt ashamed. Here, I have explained to all of you the representations of the inferior, intermediate, and supreme karmic actions that are sketched on the wall of the mirror of karmic actions for the sake of dispelling the embarrassment, carelessness, and conceit of the gods. Other gods should likewise enter this pair of śāla trees. Here, I have shown you the display of the karmic web of birth and death that was produced by the blessed Kāśyapa for the sake of benefiting the gods.’

4.B.­812

“When he has spoken these words, Śakra will then say, ‘I bow my head before the blessed Kāśyapa.’ He will then emerge from the door and close it behind him. The gods outside will have been celebrating in the parks, playing various cymbals and dancing in senseless excitement. When they see Śakra nearby, they will become overjoyed and bow their heads before him. Then, with intense passion, they will begin to dance and celebrate, taking up lotus flowers and striking each other with them. [F.213.a] Śakra and the gods who entered the pair of śāla trees will try to show the other gods the wonder they have just witnessed, but as the others are governed by carelessness, they will not listen and will not develop any faith in the wonders either.

4.B.­813

“In order to protect their minds, Śakra will therefore celebrate with the gods within the lotus groves. To the tunes of cymbals and various musical instruments, the divine companions pursue nothing but pleasure, wear divine garlands and ornaments, and enjoy tremendous pleasures. Crazed by desires and attached to the results of their own positive actions, they enjoy themselves within the parks and forests, celebrating and reveling in supreme pleasures.

4.B.­814

“However, those among the gods who have seen the marvelous mirror of karmic actions will, as they participate in the activities, no longer pursue pleasure and instead feel compassion. Examining the other gods, they will think, ‘Alas, these delirious gods are definitely going to fall. When they do, they will be born among hell beings, starving spirits, and animals. Throughout cyclic existence, everything depends on karmic actions and is of the nature of karmic action. These gods are not aware of this, and they do not know that one’s karmic allotment depends on what virtuous or unvirtuous actions one previously engaged in.’ Thinking in this way, they will develop compassion for the gods.

4.B.­815

“Those among the latter gods who live at Sudharma will then address Śakra: ‘King of gods, by your kindness we enjoy a wealth of pleasures of the five senses, and thus we enjoy ourselves and celebrate within the divine parks and forests. King of gods, have you no concern for us?’


4.B.­816

“In reply, Śakra will utter these verses:

“ ‘Gods, I have much to do
And I do not live carelessly.
Those who are governed by carelessness [F.213.b]
Do not see reality.
4.B.­817
“ ‘Those constantly ruled by carelessness
Are not fit for any virtues.
The person who gives up virtue
Is ushered into hell.
4.B.­818
“ ‘Although they will eventually lose
All that is delightful and beautiful,
The gods do not foresee
That their lives will end in death.
4.B.­819
“ ‘When the time of death comes
Their minds and faculties despair.
Therefore, recognize the terrible pain
That is certain to come!
4.B.­820
“ ‘The conditioning of the three realms of existence
Is like the circle of a swirling firebrand,
A city of the gandharvas,
Or foam upon water.
4.B.­821
“ ‘Like a fool preparing his bed
Upon a heap of foam,
The ignorant become attached
To unstable, conditioned entities.
4.B.­822
“ ‘No god or human,
Nor any yakṣa, asura, nāga, or garuḍa,
Can at the time of death protect
Those who are bound by their karmic actions.
4.B.­823
“ ‘Until the terrible King of Death
Makes his arrival,
You should do good deeds.
Then, he will not make you suffer in the future.
4.B.­824
“ ‘Existence makes those who have not been tamed
Race toward objects.
I have instructed you in numerous ways‍—
Do not be attached to the careless!
4.B.­825
“ ‘Bondage due to the chains of objects
Is the cause for all the hells.
Therefore, give that up forever
And keep in mind the definitive good.’
4.B.­826

“In this way Śakra instructs the gods, yet those overpowered by their pleasures still cannot concentrate at all. All of them, except those who have already seen the mirror of karmic actions, will then fall into despair. They will address Śakra, saying, ‘King of gods, please proceed to the pair of śāla trees. Please reveal to us, O king of gods, the depictions of the karmic web of birth and death that the blessed Kāśyapa created for the benefit of the careless gods.’

4.B.­827

“Seeing that the gods are extremely careless, [F.214.a] Śakra will first go to frolic in the forests and parks. Thereafter, he will proceed to the pair of śāla trees together with the distracted and despairing gods. Opening the entryway into the trunk, he will enter there together with the gods, who will now behold the delightful forests and parks that feature enjoyments of a sort that they have never seen before. All that they wish for is present in abundance. There are numerous kinds of playful birds, ornamental lotus groves, and forests of trees of refined gold‍—all so exquisitely gorgeous. As the gods behold the most supreme pleasures of the world, a delightful wind caresses them. The faces of the mountains are decorated with the seven precious substances, numerous species of birds warble, and the wish-fulfilling trees are splendid and luminous like the sun. Thus, they illuminate the interiors of the śāla trees completely. Food and drink flow in the most powerful currents of rich scents, tastes, and colors, and the gods fully relish the inexhaustible fragrances that are endowed with perfect qualities.

4.B.­828

“In this way, the objects of the five senses manifest beautifully, almost as if they were sentient. Since even those gods, who are otherwise subject to factors that are as fleeting and impermanent as the setting sun, experience intense sense pleasures, there is no need to even mention the case of those gods who are influenced by intermediate actions.

4.B.­829

“Thus Śakra, king of the gods, introduces the gods to those extremely delightful forests and groves. Compared to them all, the pleasures of the external forests and groves cannot match as much as a sixteenth of their intensity. [F.214.b] When the ruler of the gods has shown them everything, he next will proceed to reveal the delights that can be found upon the ground made of luminous stones. There stands the thousand-pillared mansion of beryl with its fences of ruby and its grounds made of gold. Measuring five by three leagues, it is the miraculous creation of the blessed Kāśyapa.

4.B.­830

“When together with the gods Śakra climbs the mansion’s staircase, which is made of the seven precious substances, he will think, ‘The manifestations that the Blessed One produced here are his Dharma teaching!’ With that thought, he will bow his head in reverence to that blessed one’s manifestation. When together with the gods he has in this way paid homage with utmost respect, Śakra will proceed to utter the following verses:

4.B.­831
“ ‘The liberated savior
Who opens the door to peace and freedom,
And who is the world’s protector,
Resides in these manifestations.
4.B.­832
“ ‘Whoever with a mind of peace
Pays constant homage to them
Will escape the terrors of existence
And realize suffering’s transcendence.
4.B.­833
“ ‘He who teaches this Dharma,
And thus reveals the city of liberation,
Has peace and supreme joy,
And is known as “the one beyond extremes.”
4.B.­834
“ ‘Those steadfast ones of great power
Who rely on his words
Will always be happy
And will achieve the lasting abode.
4.B.­835
“ ‘People mindful of this
Who rely on this liberating practice
Will escape the oceans and rivers of the triple world
And find freedom beyond its dreadful terrors.
4.B.­836
“ ‘They will possess eyes
That see beyond the mundane.
This fire is not fueled by wood;
It is the best among all fires.
4.B.­837
“ ‘Unvirtuous people,
Who are sullied by desire and the like,
Are washed and purified by the supreme leader [F.215.a]
With the water of wisdom.
4.B.­838
“ ‘That which is not seen by all those non-Buddhists,
Who otherwise pride themselves on their knowledge,
You teach to people
In your stainless voice.
4.B.­839
“ ‘Protector, you liberate
Utterly careless beings.
Protector, you have crossed and gone beyond,
And you also liberate others.
4.B.­840
“ ‘To heal all people
You resided alone.
In terms of benefiting those who are hopeless,
You are the best among all people.’
4.B.­841

“In this way, Śakra will praise the manifestation and pay respectful homage. All the gods will follow him in prostrating to the manifestations emanated by that blessed one. They will also bow their heads before his unwoven, blessed Dharma robes. As they see the images, their pride is humbled. Śakra is not even capable of producing a hundred thousandth of such miraculously produced images, so there is no need to mention the case of any other god.

4.B.­842

“Having seen these miraculous manifestations, Śakra wishes to benefit the gods and to free those who have been driven mad by their carelessness. He therefore will show them the magically created karmic net of birth and death.

4.B.­843

“The gods will then address Śakra, asking him, ‘Ruler of the gods, the Blessed One has created the karmic web of birth and death within the pair of śāla trees, but why did he not emanate it outside the trees?’

4.B.­844

“Śakra will reply, ‘I also was very surprised about this, when that god showed me this in order to free me from my intoxication. At that time, I asked him the same question and he replied, “Because he intended anyone who sees this to become amazed, and because he wanted everyone to be amazed [F.215.b] and thus feel faith and devotion, the Blessed One did not create this display outside. If he had produced it on the outside, everyone could always see it and it would not be as effective. The images would also be destroyed. That is why he brought forth this display inside the pair of śāla trees, creating two astonishing manifestations within them. To ensure that people would not keep looking at it, the Blessed One emanated the karmic net of birth and death inside the trees.” ’

4.B.­845

“When they hear this explanation from Śakra, the gods will no longer be so surprised. Instead, they will begin to explain the karmic net of birth and death that is sketched on the five-league wall within the mansion. As for the abodes of killers and the associated tortures, those are just as explained earlier, and that is also the way the Reviving Hell and its sixteen adjacent regions are represented. If, when free from those realms, one is born as a starving spirit, one will be extremely jealous and aggressive, and one will be killed by others by means of various weapons. If, due to the connections of the net of karmic actions, one is subsequently born among the animals, one will take birth in the realm of the piśācas and will be killed by weapons for the sake of one’s flesh. Alternatively, one might be born as a hideous lion or tiger that eats raw meat and is killed by weapons. If one is subsequently reborn as a human, one will be inclined to fight and struggle and will never have any ease of mind. One will thus succumb to weapons and one’s life will be short. Should one be born among the gods due to karmic actions to be experienced in other lives, one’s size, color, and shape will be deficient, and one’s life will be short as one will fall in the war between the gods and asuras. [F.216.a] All this is apparent upon the wall.

4.B.­846

“The gods will also accurately perceive, just as was explained before, the great Black Line Hell and its sixteen neighboring regions that are the result of killing and stealing. If, subsequent to one’s life there, one should be born among the starving spirits, one will, just as before, be killed by weapons. In the unlikely event that one is not killed and thus finds some means of survival, other starving spirits will reduce one’s major and minor body parts to dust and take off with them. When one thus perishes, one might be born as an animal. In that case one will become a swallow or an animal that suffers in the wilderness without water, thus succumbing to hunger and thirst. If one is thereafter born among humans, one will be poor and live during times of war and famine. In the end, one will be killed by weapons or die from starvation. When at times one finds some sustenance, others will take it away or one will be unable to digest it. If, due to karmic actions to be experienced in other lives, one should be born among the gods, one’s size, color, and shape will also be inferior. One’s ambrosia will be flawed, and one will feel extremely embarrassed in the presence of the other gods. One’s instruments among the five types will not have a pleasant tune and one’s life will be short. Such is the display of karmic effects that the gods perceive.

4.B.­847

“Next, Śakra and the gods will accurately perceive the Crushing Hell and its sixteen neighboring regions, into which one is born due to killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. Once one is free from those realms, one may be born among the starving spirits. One will then become a starving spirit subsisting on vomit. Though one’s life will be long, whenever one succeeds in obtaining some nourishing food, others will steal it. [F.216.b] Before one’s very eyes, other starving spirits will abduct one’s wife and, when one takes up arms, one will be struck down by their weapons and killed. If, when free from such an existence, one is born among the animals, one will become a buffalo, horse, cow, vomit eater, or the like, and one will live a long life. But because one is so feeble, one will be robbed of one’s possessions. If, when free from such an existence, one should be born with the general lot in life of a human, one will have a short life and be poor, and others will run off with one’s wife.

4.B.­848

“There are also other situations that appear as images on the face of the wall of karmic actions. Thus, the karmic effects that manifest as the Great Howling Hell and its neighboring regions will likewise appear just as they were presented before. If, when free from that, one should be born among the starving spirits, one will always live long and, in accordance with one’s karmic actions, one will be born in an unholy place or as a starving spirit whose neck is as thin as a needle. Emaciated from starvation, one will see one’s wife abducted by others. In order to achieve some semblance of satiation, one may attempt to eat poison but will only be seared by the unbearable effects of the poison. When free from such an existence, one may then be born among the animals, in which case one will suffer the torments of their mutual predation. If, when free from such an animal existence, one should be born among the gods, one will, in accordance with one’s karmic actions, have an inferior size, color, and shape, and one’s life will be short since one will be slain in the war between the gods and asuras. The light of the jewels that one wears on one’s body will be dim. One’s goddesses will not heed one’s orders but will go to be with others. One’s ambrosia will have little taste, and one’s intelligence will be dim. One will be distracted and will suffer abuse from other gods. [F.217.a]

4.B.­849

“Śakra and the gods will continue to examine the face of the wall, and thus they shall perceive the karmic effects in the Howling Hell and its neighboring regions. Once free from life there, one may, just as before, become a starving spirit. In particular, wherever one goes, one’s tongue will keep being cut off, only to grow back again. If, when free from such an existence, one is next born as an animal, one will become a bird that is burned from above or born within karakabha.310 As an effect that accords with lying, one will be killed by having one’s throat slit. Once free from such an existence, one may be born among humans, yet as an effect that accords with one’s previous actions, one will not be considered trustworthy. If, when free from such a life, one should be born among the gods due to past positive actions, one will nevertheless, and in accordance with the causal act of lying, have an unpleasant voice and will be unable to sing. One’s voice will sound choked and the other gods will have to focus closely on what one says. Consequently, one will be unable to speak in beautiful and well-formed sentences in the same way as the other gods.

4.B.­850

“Next, Śakra will concern himself with the previously described karmic effects that manifest in the Hell of Heat. When one is free from such a life, one may be born among the starving spirits and thus partake of filth. In this manner, one will experience a fivefold suffering, just as before. If born among the animals, one will become an ocean crocodile, and if one becomes a human, one’s face will be ugly. If, when free from such existences, one should be born among the gods, one will be disrespected, just as described before.

4.B.­851

“The mere sight of the karmic ripening within the hells of Intense Heat and Ultimate Torment would make the gods terrified of dying. For this reason, the terrors of those two great hells are not displayed there. In fact, within the realms of the gods, no display of life in those two hells is ever produced. [F.217.b] [B39]


4.B.­852

“When Śakra has introduced the gods to these matters, he will say:

“ ‘Just as the wind picks up
And scatters dust,
Making it swirl helplessly through the sky,
So karmic actions set beings in motion.
4.B.­853
‘Separating and parting,
As well as happiness and suffering,
Depend on karmic action;
Without that, neither will occur.
4.B.­854
“ ‘Having seen how this is so,
The Able One created this display of karmic factors.
The mental seeds of karmic action
Are endless in all regards.
4.B.­855
“ ‘Many different karmic actions
Create those many different worlds.
This can hardly be comprehended
By anyone but the thus-gone ones.
4.B.­856
“ ‘One, a hundred, a thousand,
Ten thousand, or a hundred thousand‍—
As it gives rise to this great diversity,
The net of karmic actions is truly great.
4.B.­857
“ ‘A bird tied by a string
May be far away
But it is bound and can easily be reeled in‍—
Karmic actions are like such strings.
4.B.­858

“In this manner, Śakra will explain to the gods how during the lives of sentient beings, many great wonders occur due to karmic actions to be experienced in the present life, karmic actions that have undetermined consequences, karmic actions to be experienced in the next life, and karmic actions to be experienced in other lives.

4.B.­859

“When Śakra has shown them the boundless net that consists of infinitely many virtuous, unvirtuous, and indeterminate karmic actions, he and the gods will bow their heads before the Blessed One’s manifestations and the deeds of the Buddha. Having paid homage, he will emerge from the pair of śāla trees together with the gods, whose minds have now grown weary of cyclic existence. He will open the door just as before and step outside where he will proceed to scrutinize the gods, seeing how they once again carelessly play and celebrate together. [F.218.a] Stirred by compassion, the king of gods will then utter these verses:

4.B.­860
“ ‘Fooled by carelessness,
They take constant pleasure
In sex and food,
And thus they wreck their divine bodies and end up like animals.
4.B.­861
“ ‘Once your positive actions
Associated with the heavens are exhausted,
You will at that time understand
That you have been acting carelessly.
4.B.­862
“ ‘Seized by the enemy, carelessness,
And buffeted by the winds of karmic action,
The gods fall like trees
Into various other worlds.
4.B.­863
“ ‘Still, although they are born and die in heaven
Hundreds or even tens of thousands of times,
They do not grow weary‍—
Looking at them, my heart is in anguish.’
4.B.­864

“With these verses, Śakra will walk before the gods. Seeing their king, the gods will be overjoyed and respectfully come toward him from afar. Since Śakra wishes to be attended by the gods, he will proceed to join them in dancing and rollicking to the music of the five types of instruments within the delightful forests and parks. The gods who live outside the two śāla trees will thus continue to enjoy themselves among the waterfalls, forests, and parks while Śakra proceeds to Sudharma together with the gods who live there. In this way, the gods who live within Pair of Śāla Trees will also continue to enjoy themselves until finally their completed and accumulated positive actions with desirable, attractive, and delightful consequences have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world. In accordance with their karmic actions they are then reborn among hell beings, starving spirits, and animals. Should they instead be born human due to karmic actions to be experienced as a human, they will, in accordance with their causal deeds, enjoy constant happiness. They will become the owners of a forest, forest workers, and forest dwellers, or live happily upon Mount Malaya. [F.218.b]

The Gods in Moving in the Wink of an Eye

4.B.­865

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a realm within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three known as Moving in the Wink of an Eye. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born among the gods there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how some people, who engage in wholesome actions and are honest and free from deceit, refrain from harming others, have faith about the consequences of karmic actions, and possess right view and right livelihood. When such people become wealthy, they may practice generosity and thus donate a merchant cargo vessel to conduct business on the ocean for the sake of the Dharma. When merchants then deploy the ship, they may also become extremely wealthy and subsequently practice generosity and perform meritorious actions in like manner, without taking anything for their own subsistence.311 Such is the way these people practice generosity and perform meritorious actions.

4.B.­866

“How do they give up stealing? Out of fear of opposing armies or royal punishment, some people may flee their town and take to the open road. If such people enter an abandoned town, they will not even take a single piece of straw. When in this way they give up stealing, they do so out of fear of the karmic consequence and because they have faith. They are not motivated by fear of punishment by the crown.

4.B.­867

“How do they give up killing? They will not kill double-mouthed centipedes caught in a trap, nor do they entertain any such unvirtuous idea. Likewise, when hunters set up traps in regions where lions and tigers roam, these people will pay off the hunters and release the trapped beasts. In this way, rather than condoning such actions, they instead create harmony and lead others to the path of virtue and establish them upon it. Thus, they adhere to the practice of a continuous stream of positive actions. [F.219.a]

4.B.­868

“People who in this way give up killing and stealing, and who remain focused on the practice of virtuous actions, will see all their wishes fulfilled by the gods; their faces will be ebullient, and even the gods will venerate them. Such are the karmic effects that occur in the present life. When such people later die and separate from their bodies, they go to the joyous higher realms and take birth among the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Within that heaven, they will take birth in the realm of Moving in the Wink of an Eye. Aided by the performance of their past positive actions, they will be born into that realm, which is so delightful that no human can conceive of its pleasures.

4.B.­869

“Naturally radiant, the gods there experience supreme pleasure and have no flesh, bones, or lymph. Free from the fear of competitors and the prospects of having to search for necessities and pleasures, they know no miserliness and they never encounter anyone with whom they do not get along. Except for at the moment of death, they have no fear of disease, harm, sickness, death, or aging. Thus, carefree in the utmost, they experience tremendous delights, exclusively partaking of the most coveted and enjoyable sense pleasures that are to be found within the heavens. Relishing the numerous enjoyments afforded by their objects, they reside in palaces that are surrounded by decorative fences of gold, beryl, and jewels. Their realm also features many different trees and parks, and within its lotus ponds of the seven precious substances frolic resplendent swans, geese, and ducks. Peacocks call out and within the forests on the hills live myriad kinds of songbirds. On the peaks of Mount Sumeru lie splendid repositories of the seven precious substances. [F.219.b] The sand in their pools is of gold, silver, and pearl. Within the forests on Mount Sumeru grow ornamental trees of various precious substances, and each single tree shines like the sun. Within the forests in the mountainous regions grow vines of gold and beryl, as well as vines flush with flowers and adorned with hundreds of thousands of bees. While the mountain caves are adorned with jewels, the flat stones and the ground are perfectly even. The peaks are studded with jewels, adorned with terraces, and extensively draped with fragrant flowers. The adornments of that realm are perfectly inconceivable‍—so delightful and lovely is this land.

4.B.­870

“On the cliffs and far-flung reaches stand trees that blaze with beauty, and a hundred thousand wish-fulfilling trees adorn the land. There, the gods partake of the effects of their own past actions, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of gods and goddesses, frolicking to the heartwarming tunes of musical instruments and cymbals, and strumming the vīṇā. All the things they see, with all their exquisite qualities, they can have, possess, and hold on to. Everything is extraordinary, and none of it can be taken away by others.

4.B.­871

“While thus celebrating within congregations of hundreds of thousands of gods, these gods will occasionally climb the delightful mountain known as Festive Words. This mountain is adorned with wish-fulfilling trees, hundreds of cascades, and numerous lotus pools, and it supports many hundreds of thousands of gods. The mountain is draped with beryl vines, and on the roofs of its palaces are hundreds of thousands of songbirds. Upon that beautiful mountain, these gods will find happiness, experiencing the consequences of their past positive actions. [F.220.a] They have ‘purchased’ this by paying with positive past actions, and thus their attainments are not random, nor are they due to the agency of anyone else. They have not come from anywhere else and they do not decline, nor are they the gift of an almighty god, or the like, that they have appeased.

4.B.­872

“When the gods thus climb the summit, they find assemblies of many hundreds of thousands of gods and goddesses who are all in possession of the same kind of radiance, and so they will proceed to celebrate and frolic with them to the tunes of the five types of instruments. Shining in their own natural light and endowed with great physiques and majestic power, the gods gaze intently at each other as they wear lotus garlands and robes of unwoven fabric. In this manner, all these powerful gods behold one another.

4.B.­873

“When they have climbed the summit, these gods who experience the effects of past positive actions will behold their land. As before, they deeply appreciate the sight of their land with its rivers and blazing mountains and its abundance of perfect qualities. Seeing this, they experience supreme, divine bliss.

4.B.­874

“The power of these gods is such that, during the wars between the gods and the asuras, they may strike in the wink of an eye. Moreover, as soon as the asuras blink, these gods are already back in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. That is how fast they move.

4.B.­875

“Effects manifest in accordance with their causes, and in the past these gods donated a ship capable of quickly crossing the ocean, thus saving sentient beings. Therefore, these gods are now so fast that they can attack and retreat in the mere wink of an eye. It is because of their previous actions that these gods now move so swiftly.

4.B.­876

“They will enjoy divine pleasures for a long time, but once their positive actions are exhausted [F.220.b] these gods will die. As when the light of a lamp dims when the oil is exhausted, so the five signs of death will manifest at that time. First, dust will gather on the dying god. Next, all his faculties will weaken. He will also no longer appreciate the five sense pleasures. When other gods see him, he will feel embarrassed. Finally, his goddesses will leave him for other gods. Thus, he will develop envy and stinginess and will be burned by the fires of the many pains of parting.

4.B.­877

“If he has previously taken from others what was not given to him, such karmic actions to be experienced in other lives will now intensify, and thus the goddesses will rob him of his ornaments and offer them to other gods. If he has lied, the goddesses will now leave him and see other gods, speaking sweetly to them while reserving rough and abusive words for the dying god. If in other lives he has offered alcohol to people with vows, such acts will now mature and thus double his feelings of panic and loss of mental acumen at the time of dying, and so he will depart for the hells. If he has killed, his lifespan will shorten and he will die sooner. If he has engaged in sexual misconduct, his wife will leave him for another god. Thus, lacking the five vows and tied by the chains of karmic actions to be experienced in other lives, the god will be distraught and distracted by the five signs of death, and thus he will be shown the way by the King of Death. It was his craving that led him to thoroughly disregard discipline, which is the cause of the higher realms. Shackled by karmic actions, [F.221.a] the god will now be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals.

4.B.­878

“In this way, the monk sees how the pleasures of the higher realms do not end well. He understands how even the most unique and delightful conditioned phenomena will all wither and turn into nothing but flaws. All of them are certain to change and turn into something else. He therefore comes to realize that all effects are unstable, like flashes of lightning. There is no sense pleasure that is not flawed and fleeting. Thus, he utters these verses:

4.B.­879
“ ‘In delusion and carelessness, gods live in the heavens,
Yet they are surrounded by unbearable fires.
Having drunk polluted drinks,
They plunge into the hells.
4.B.­880
“ ‘First, they are transformed by desire,
Oppressed by anger,
And deluded by ignorance.
Therefore, all they do comes to naught.
4.B.­881
“ ‘Completely deceived
By the five types of faculties,
They do not understand
That the suffering of death is certain to come.
4.B.­882
“ ‘The goddesses that you passionately pursue
Are not reliable at all,
For they will leave you
And go to be with others.
4.B.­883
“ ‘Faithful to their man in his prime,
Yet abandoning him as he gets old‍—
Thus, one observes the nature
Of female company.
4.B.­884
“ ‘A man deluded by desire
Is fooled like a deer.
In the future, in times of need,
He will be ditched without a second thought.
4.B.­885
“ ‘When the time of unbearable hardship approaches,
Women will have no recollection
Of any amount of service, respect, joy,
Or long-enduring friendship.
4.B.­886
“ ‘When a flower withers,
The bees go somewhere else.
Thus, at the time of trouble,
Women will leave and go away.
4.B.­887
“ ‘Unless one understands that all women
Are like poison mixed with honey,
They will seem to be a source of happiness.
Still, though dear to one’s heart, they will not stay.
4.B.­888
“ ‘Men are deluded by their desires.
Yet the minds of steadfast
And reliable people [F.221.b]
Will surely not be attracted to prurient talk.
4.B.­889
“ ‘Men are deluded by women,
And follow after their own desires.
Regarding what happens in the hereafter,
They do not benefit themselves.
4.B.­890
“ ‘Gods, humans, asuras,
Yakṣas, piśācas, mahoragas, and rākṣasas
Are thoroughly deceived
By the illusion of women.
4.B.­891
“ ‘The pleasures that arise from desire
And mundane objects
Bring down the pitiful gods
When the time of their death arrives.
4.B.­892
“ ‘Chained by the shackles of death,
You are then dragged away,
And this entire land with its beautiful forests and parks
Will no longer be yours to enjoy.
4.B.­893
“ ‘Once the Lord of Death pulls you away
From the world of gods,
What good can women and friends do?
How will your pleasures help?’
4.B.­894

“As the monk thus observes the death of the gods, he develops compassion and deprecates objects. Experiencing the effects of their own past actions, the gods go wherever the chains of karmic action pull them. Careless312 and attached to the pleasures of the five senses, they enjoy themselves and celebrate, driven on by the two types of objects.313 In this manner, they continue to enjoy themselves and celebrate until finally their pleasures that are certain to be experienced as desirable, attractive, and delightful effects have been exhausted. Later, once their time is up, they will take rebirth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals in accordance with their karmic actions, just as it is visualized by those who practice the Dharma correctly. Should they instead be born with the general lot in life of a human, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, enjoy constant happiness and excellent wealth. When traveling, they will not have to walk but will instead bestride horses, elephants, or mules, and they will become kings or great ministers.

The Gods in Fine Complexion and Large Body

4.B.­895

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, [F.222.a] he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Fine Complexion and Large Body. Wondering about what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how some holy and disciplined beings may observe the sevenfold discipline or some elements of it. They will thereby experience concordant effects. By means of their mental training, which may also be combined with the correct view, they will be very careful not to kill anyone or take what was not given. Having taken flawless vows, they strive to become holy beings and create the causes for happiness. Observing the so-called ‘wholesome vows of the world,’ they engage in positive actions, and thus they do become holy people but nevertheless are not yet noble beings.

4.B.­896

“Such people give up stealing by refraining from even the most minute of such acts. For example, when they are on a beach or the banks of a river, as the water waves wash up things from elsewhere, they will not take any shells or the like.314 Nor will they take any other valuables, not even a single straw of grass, that belong to others. This they do out of fear of the karmic consequences and not because they are concerned about royal punishment. Hence, they never have any intention to steal. Such is the way they give up stealing.

4.B.­897

“In what ways do they give up killing? People who thus practice positive actions are fearful of what lies beyond this world. They are concerned about the effects of karmic actions and have a sincere and honest nature. They do not harm others and give up negative company. When such people are out searching for their fortune, they may have to enter a thicket or cross the water. At that point, it may happen that poisonous spirits or sharks attack them, so that their lives are endangered. [F.222.b] Even so, they will abstain from spraying any poison to kill the polluting spirits. Were they to scatter poison at their own shadow, any poisonous spirit would die as soon as it came into contact with this shadow. Nevertheless, although they are well aware that such spirits may harm them, they will not kill them. Neither will they kill a shark even if they know that it will harm them. Such a creature would die without water, or by repeatedly being shown a mirror. Still, even though they know how to retaliate, such people will not kill, even at the cost of their lives.

4.B.­898

“When those who engaged in such positive actions separate from their bodies, they will go to the joyous higher realms and be born among the gods in Fine Complexion and Large Body within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Once born there, those who engaged in such positive actions will be naturally radiant and they will play the five types of instruments. They will be extremely happy and receive all that they wish for. Attended to by a thousand goddesses, they will live on the surface of Mount Sumeru. In a delightful world adorned with gold from the Jambu River, they live in happiness and bliss, all the way up to the summits of the mountains. Endowed with all manner of enjoyments, they obtain whatever they want from wish-fulfilling trees, and thus live long in the experience of bliss.

4.B.­899

“Together with their companions, these gods will go to a forest known as External Shade, which is adorned with gold from the Jambu River and studded with gorgeous silver trees that bear golden leaves and beryl fruits. While roaming through this forest, they may arrive at a place in the forest that is home to peafowl, whose bodies are decorated with the seven precious substances. They are adorned with myriad circles on their feathers and they call out in many ways. When the gods spot the peafowl, they will watch them intently and then draw closer to play with them. In this way, they will go forth and enjoy themselves among the ravishing birds. [F.223.a]

4.B.­900

“When the peafowl see the gods, they will call out in the most delightful and captivating ways, superior to any musical instrument. The concerts of the gods cannot even match a sixteenth of the beauty of these calls, and even the singing of goddesses will sound like braying donkeys by comparison.

4.B.­901

“At that time, the gods will think, ‘As we have the power to do so, let us ride these peacocks, traveling from place to place, forest to forest, peak to peak, together with our goddesses. Riding these peacocks, let us tour the world’s most beautiful places.’

4.B.­902

“As soon as these doers of positive actions have had this thought, the exquisitely bejeweled peacocks will present themselves before them, ready to ride and with a perfect size, color, strength, and fervor. The gods will then mount them and, when the peacocks have ensured that the gods are comfortably seated, they will take off and soar high up into the sky. Each riding his own peacock, the gods will then tour Mount Sumeru, traveling from summit to summit and lotus pool to lotus pool, looking for company with whom they can enjoy themselves.

4.B.­903

“While traveling in this manner, the gods may at times encounter the guardians of the world, who have been dispatched to report on the state of affairs in Jambudvīpa and on whether beings are righteous or not, and who are then journeying across the realms of the Four Great Kings and the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. When in the midst of the sky the gods in this way suddenly encounter the guardians of the world, they will ask of them, ‘Whence do you come?’

4.B.­904

“In reply they will be told, ‘We were dispatched to report on whether beings are righteous or not, and so we have been to Jambudvīpa, that delightful ground of positive karmic action, which features so many exquisite rivers, waterfalls, ponds, parks, and forests.’ [F.223.b]

4.B.­905

“Hearing this from the guardians of the world, the gods will be amazed. Riding their powerful peacocks, these gods of great power, who wield unimpeded power throughout all realms, will thereupon travel to Jambudvīpa in wonder. Luminous like a second sun and adorned with divine garlands and garments, they will journey to see the sights at Jambudvīpa’s forests, parks, and rivers, ponds and lotus pools, great trees, towns, cities, and markets.

4.B.­906

“When brahmins see the gods, they may think, ‘There rides Viṣṇu315 upon his garuḍa.’ Others will think, ‘There rides Kumāra upon his peacock. He protects the brahmins of this world.’ Some non-Buddhists will think, ‘There, riding upon his bull, is Maheśvara with a retinue of gods. He creates the world and protects the world. He holds the world, produces it, and also destroys it. He produces, sustains, and annihilates the world.’

4.B.­907

“In this way brahmins will entertain all sorts of different notions, and thus offer eulogies and compose treatises, believing that they are describing the way things are when actually they are not. As they keep prattling on in their delusion, they also cause others to reach wrong conclusions. Yet, when the gods have seen the sights, they shall return to their own realm. Childish beings, on the other hand, will observe them in ways that contradict reality. These gods can be observed both during the age of destruction and during the ages of twofold or threefold endowment. Seeing them is therefore equal to an inauspicious sign. The views of the brahmins are their own notions, which they fabricate and then proclaim to others. [F.224.a]

4.B.­908

“When the gods return home, they will tell their companions, ‘Friends, we have flown down to Earth and seen an extremely vast and delightful land.’

4.B.­909

“Other gods may thereupon find various mounts and, bearing various ornaments and attire, proceed to journey to Jambudvīpa. Some may ride elephants, buffalo, or peacocks, and others may fly through the sky without any mount. In these ways, they will journey to see the sights of Jambudvīpa.

4.B.­910

“When the gods see a pleasant area, they will descend and approach its pools, gardens, and ponds. Within the forests, there may dwell some brahmins who practice severe austerities based on unwholesome learning. Thus, when the party of gods arrives to see the sights of the land, the brahmins who practice in the forest may see them with their own eyes and then go tell others. Since the people of that land are known to be fanciful ruminators, they may produce an account that is bound up with the stories they have heard before. Thus, they will say, ‘This is Brahmā!’ ‘This is Viṣṇu!’ ‘This is Maheśvara!’ ‘This is Kumāra!’ They may then also conclude, ‘This site is sacred to Mahādeva!’ or believe that it belongs to Viṣṇu, Kumāra, or Brahmā. Subsequently, they may produce arguments, reasoning, and summaries within treatises containing unwholesome views, which they can then propagate among others. In this fashion, they broadcast their own unwholesome notions and conclusions to others, who in turn pass them on to others, who spread them still further, until eventually they end up as established views. [F.224.b]

4.B.­911

“Similarly, when the gods visit a lake that befits the higher realms and bathe there, the people in that forest who frivolously practice meditation may declare to others, ‘This lake belongs to Brahmā!’ or they may say that it belongs to the auspicious Nārāyaṇa, to Maheśvara, or to Kumāra. With their minds thus in the grip of unwholesome views, they may compose and propagate treatises with the help of arguments, examples, reasoning, and conclusions, and such views may thereby spread further and further. No matter how these people analyze things, they will never comprehend reality. The forest dwellers do not see the gods clearly, and consequently they do not properly recognize their faces.

4.B.­912

“Splendid like blazing fires, the gods will continue their journey, traveling from place to place, forest to forest, and the forest-dwelling brahmins meanwhile will continue their imaginings. Thus, they may have the thought, ‘Whoever throws themselves onto a fire will, by such cause and condition, upon separating from their body, ascend to the joyous higher realms and be born among the gods.’ Having seized upon that idea, they may then develop it in treatises with the help of unwholesome arguments, examples, reasoning, and conclusions. When other people are exposed to their treatises, they may then choose to throw themselves into the flames. Such are the consequences of their incorrect views. In this way, people disregard the consequences of karmic actions and, having done so, suffer a hideous fall into the lower realms and are born in hell.

4.B.­913

“Other forest-dwelling brahmins who develop incorrect views may likewise see the gods indistinctly from a distance. [F.225.a] They may thus watch as the splendid gods climb mountains with exquisite flowers and pools and then take off from there into the sky. The forest-dwelling brahmins may at that point imagine, ‘Those are humans jumping into the abyss, and by such causes and conditions, they are born among the gods in the joyous higher realms. Therefore, we too shall in that way gain freedom from the summit of a mountain!’ Then, they may proceed to teach such an idea to others, producing unwholesome treatises and deprecating the way that karmic actions carry consequences. When those who thus denigrate the effects of karmic actions and engender wrong views in both themselves and others later separate from their bodies, they will suffer a hideous downfall into the lower realms and be born in the realms of hell. There are also further such cases related to their views.

4.B.­914

“When forest-dwelling brahmins watch the gods, they may also similarly imagine things in the following way. If the gods are neither very far away, nor really close by, the brahmins may be able to register a bit of their appearance, but they nevertheless mistake it for something else. Thus, they may think that the faces of the gods are fire and so develop this idea: ‘Those who make a fire sacrifice within a fire will, upon separating from their bodies, go to the joyous higher realms and be born among the gods.’

4.B.­915

“Deprived in this way of the perception of the way things really are, they may compose treatises containing unwholesome arguments and examples. On that basis, they may also develop further views with the help of unwholesome arguments and examples and may cause others to adhere to those views as well. When those who thus neither benefit themselves nor others later separate from their bodies, they will suffer a hideous downfall and be born in hell. [F.225.b]

4.B.­916

“Other forest-dwelling brahmins may, upon seeing the gods, recognize their form or their conduct yet fail to see that they eat. Thus, since it seems to them that that the gods do not consume anything, they may proceed to deprecate the way actions carry consequences, thinking, ‘The gods do not eat or drink. Hence, if we also abstain from eating and drinking, we shall, upon separating from our bodies, certainly go to the joyous higher realms and be born among the gods.’

4.B.­917

“Thus, they may compose unwholesome treatises, propagating the view that by refraining from eating, or abstaining from tasty food, one will attain heaven. They may also cause others to uphold such a teaching by means of unwholesome arguments and examples. When those who thus develop wrong views in themselves and others, and thereby deprecate karmic actions, later separate from their bodies, they will suffer a hideous downfall into the lower realms and be born in hell. Consequently, failure to see reality is the gateway to all the lower realms.

4.B.­918

“What for those gods is just an instant, a moment, or a short while is an entire year for humans. For that reason, brahmins may write in their treatises and propagate among others that the gods are permanent, eternal, immutable, and unchanging and that they are the creators and destroyers the world. When those who thus deprecate the character of karmic actions later separate from their bodies, they will suffer a hideous downfall into the lower realms and be born in hell.

4.B.­919

“Fooled in these ways by the enemy of mind, sentient beings fail in numerous ways to see reality, and still they proceed to compose treatises. As the monk sees such beings, whose minds are completely deceived by the unreal, he will utter the following verses: [F.226.a]

4.B.­920
“ ‘The horrible snake of the mind,
With its poison of craving,
Catches people with its five heads‍—
Why do beings pointlessly torture themselves?
4.B.­921
“ ‘This great river of craving
Originates from five points.
This shore is fearsome
Yet the far shore is nowhere to be seen.
4.B.­922
“ ‘Rather than that, it would be better to die.
Wrong views are never tenable,
For people obscured by wrong views
Fall into hell.
4.B.­923
“ ‘Those who are fooled by wrong doctrines,
Possess wrong views,
And regard non-causes as causes
Fall into hell.
4.B.­924
“ ‘Deluded about cause and effect
And ignorant about the view of reality,
Sentient beings are destined for suffering
And remain deeply attached to the prison of existence.
4.B.­925
“ ‘People who see karmic actions, effects, and ripening,
As well as birth and death
And the nature of the world, as they really are
Will proceed to the far shore.
4.B.­926
“ ‘Childish people who pursue their desires
Will also remain deluded by their desires in the future.
Like unsuspecting butterflies,
They burn up in the fires of hell.
4.B.­927
“ ‘Those who refrain from unwholesome austerities,
Abide by disciplined conduct,
And pursue the genuine view
Will go from the realms of humans to the divine.
4.B.­928
“ ‘You torment yourselves with unwholesome penance
And adhere to wrong views.
In your delusion, you pride yourselves as having knowledge,
And thus you also make others go awry.
4.B.­929
“ ‘Those who in this way make others enter
The great river of pitch-black ignorance‍—
Such people become the causes
Of a world of pain.
4.B.­930
“ ‘Physical austerities are terrible‍—
That is what the wise declare.
Austerities of the mind, however,
Incinerate the mountain of afflictions.
4.B.­931
“ ‘Ushered in by true wisdom,
This is liberation and the end of affliction.
When reality is seen in this way, such a person
Attains the stage where no protector is needed.
4.B.­932
“ ‘All other types of intelligence [F.226.b]
Cause deception in this world.
Those who teach wrongly
Do not progress to supreme peace.
4.B.­933
“ ‘When someone propounds a profusion
Of unwholesome words to the world,
That person will not be heard from
For a hundred eons in the afterlife.
4.B.­934
“ ‘Thus, since such statements on the afterlife are like poison,
This is obviously also the case with respect to mundane talk.316
The words of mundane people are like poison
And lead to death within cyclic existence.
4.B.­935
“ ‘Words that discourage craving are always delightful
And certain to reap merit.
They are rightly described by the wise
As virtuous, supramundane speech.
4.B.­936
“ ‘Words fabricated through unwholesome views and arguments
Are fake, false, unvirtuous, and defiled.
People deceived by such words
Fall into the great darkness of the lower realms.’
4.B.­937

“At this point, so that beings oblivious to the way things are may be introduced to reality, the monk will utter this stanza:

“ ‘These beings do not know reality,
And yet, with meaningless examples and flawed arguments,
They delude others
And send both themselves and others to hell.’
4.B.­938

“When the gods have explored the entirety of the world of humans, they will return with their mounts to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. There, they will inform other gods in the same way as before. To the tunes of various instruments, they will then enjoy themselves and celebrate within the forests and parks that are endowed with perfect divine qualities and adorned by the blazing lights of all sorts of jewels. This will continue until finally their completed and accumulated acts that are certain to yield happiness and have desirable, attractive, and delightful consequences have been exhausted. At that point, they will die, leave their divine world, and take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals, in accordance with their karmic actions. [F.227.a] Should they instead be born with the general lot in life of a human they will, in accordance with their karmic actions, enjoy constant happiness and extremely robust health. They will be free from harm and take birth in a land and region where harvests are abundant. They will have gorgeous faces and extremely fine physiques and be appreciated by everyone. Possessing a complete set of faculties and endowed with true wealth, they will become kings or great ministers.

The Gods in Draped with Jewels

4.B.­939

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he applies knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceives a god realm known as Draped with Jewels. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how some people have vast intellects, are endowed with discipline, and pursue the practice of positive actions with continuous and genuine attention to the nature of karmic actions and their effects. Such people may again and again develop faith in the ways that actions carry consequences, and so engage in what is virtuous while giving up unvirtuous actions. These honest and sincere people may therefore avoid unvirtuous companions and refrain from enjoying themselves together with such people. Consequently, they will not talk to unvirtuous people if they should happen to travel with them, nor will they even cast a glance in their direction. Instead, they shall wholeheartedly pursue virtuous activities. Comparable to refined gold, the people who in this way devote themselves to positive actions will be happy both in this life and beyond.

4.B.­940

“How do such people engage in positive actions, and in how many ways? Monks who throughout day and night diligently pursue their training in reciting Sūtra, Vinaya, and Abhidharma may, for lack of candles, [F.227.b] be unable to continue their training in the scriptural teachings of the Buddha. Thus, they may give up their recitations for lack of light. At such times, the aforementioned people may, out of respect for the teachings of the Buddha and also because they have faith in the monks, offer oil lamps to the great field of the saṅgha. They do this with a mind trained in compassion, with reverence for the Dharma and the saṅgha, and with faith in the Three Jewels. They also strive to double their virtuous activity and so, where monks live in hot places, they also offer them sheltering canopies so that the monks can practice diligently.

4.B.­941

“In this way, the monks can continue their virtuous practices. Having been offered respite from the heat as well as lighting, they are now free from the discomforts of the dark and the oppressive heat. Enjoying great ease and relief, they may now comfortably pursue their pure conduct and train in the teachings of the Omniscient One. They may thereby attentively practice recitations of the Omniscient One’s questions and replies among each other. With the light from the oil lamps and a cooling breeze under the canopies, they are free from the discomforts of darkness and harmful heat. Thus, by the power of the benefactor, the monks may now comfortably practice their recitations with genuine attentiveness and thereby develop tremendous mental endeavor.

4.B.­942

“When virtuous and disciplined people, who in this way benefit both themselves and others, later separate from their bodies and die, they will go the joyous higher realms and be born among the gods in Draped with Jewels. Once they are born there, the consequences of their positive actions will manifest and they will experience their karmic share of extreme happiness produced by such causal actions. Thus, these gods are draped in resplendent garlands that shine with a radiance ten times greater than the sun. Deeply respected throughout the congregations of gods, they will be served by hundreds of thousands of goddesses. [F.228.a] These reverent goddesses are all friends and in harmony with one another. Smiling and adorned with all manner of ornaments, their countenances, attire, and jewelry are all exceptionally exquisite. Their physical forms and shapes are gorgeous, and they have no animosity, envy, or fear toward each other at all. Everyone is on friendly terms with everyone else, and their hearts know no malice. Therefore, they never wish to separate from one another for even an instant, and their affection never wanes for a moment.

4.B.­943

“Endowed with such qualities, the delighted goddesses will take up lotus flowers and come before the gods. Some will pick up a golden lotus, while others may choose one of silver, beryl, crystal, or a blend of various jewels. Some will carry golden lotuses that have stalks of gold and anthers of ruby, some will bring beryl flowers with stalks of gold, some will bring golden lotuses with flowers of lapis lazuli, some will carry lotuses of coral that have stalks of lapis lazuli, and some will bring red lotuses with diamond-colored anthers. In this fashion, the goddesses will approach the gods, and as they arrive they will let loose a rain of lotuses to shower down on their beloved ones. As when the king of clouds releases the summer monsoon rain, the goddesses in this way let a rain of lotuses flowers cascade down upon their chosen gods.

4.B.­944

“The first thing that happens when a god is born in this realm is that he sees the goddesses and, since gods are passionate by nature, there is no need to mention how thoroughly delighted he is now. Thus, already from the very first sight upon being born, the god’s mind is gripped by desire, [F.228.b] and with his heart in blissful amazement and his entire body permeated by joy, he rushes ecstatically toward the goddesses. When the desirous gods and goddesses have thus come together and commingled, the goddesses will continue rousing the gods’ desires by dancing, laughing, and singing before them.

4.B.­945

“Next, the gods and goddesses will go to visit the jewel-studded forests and parks that abound with sense pleasures. In the plentiful, magnificent trees, copious species of birds frolic and warble beautifully, flowers and fruits grow in whichever way one may wish, and the forests and parks are adorned with hundreds of thousands of streams, cascades, and ponds. There, the gods and goddesses will spend time together and, as the consequences of their past actions manifest, they will experience indescribable bliss. Surrounded by the goddesses, the gods rollick to the tunes of the five types of instruments, enjoying the fulfillment of whatever they wish for. Exercising their magnificent physiques, they experience the effects of observing the discipline of noble beings.

4.B.­946

“Next, the gods will proceed in great congregations into the forest of Draped with Jewels. When the resident gods behold the newcomers, they will be exceedingly pleased and come forth to welcome them together with their goddesses. With respect and affection, they will happily greet the arriving gods as their friends, and the newcomers, for their part, will joyfully rush forth to meet their hosts. The residents and the newcomers will then all enjoy the sense pleasures that abound in the forest of Draped with Jewels, [F.229.a] celebrating and reveling to the captivating tunes of the five types of instruments. Thus, they will frolic, play, and revel.

4.B.­947

“Within the forest of Draped with Jewels, numerous gorgeous goddesses play the most delightful music, which arouses bliss in the divine audience. The ground is adorned with the seven precious substances‍—it is as beautiful as if decked out in robes of vivid colors and gold. The delightful trees bloom as if in competition, and they are all adorned by numerous kinds of jewels. The elevation of the ground within the forests and parks is well balanced and the setting is replete with rich and abundant food and drink. The land is ravishing and exceptionally endearing to behold. To the music from the five types of instruments, the gods celebrate and revel together, partaking of intensely blissful experiences within the forest of Draped with Jewels.

4.B.­948

“At some point, the gods, accompanied by hosts of goddesses, will go to idle in a place called Slab of Beryl. There, they will see how the trees are draped in fabrics made of precious substances and ablaze in splendor like rising suns. The trees are extremely delightful to behold, and when the wind stirs them, they undulate delightfully. [B40] Hundreds of thousands of colorful bees swarm around them like floating jewels. All the hundreds of thousands of trees are shimmering and resplendent, and when the gods see them, their eyes will open wide in wonder. Together with their attending goddesses, they will approach the trees that display their exquisite foliage waving in the wind. [F.229.b] To the accompaniment of music from the five types of instruments, they will celebrate, frolic, and revel among the towering trees.

4.B.­949

“Within this beautiful forest, the gods, who are fond of these wonders, will gather leaves from the trees and cleanse them to play among them. Once they have finished playing among the clean leaves and feel they have had enough of gazing at them, they will entertain the thought, ‘I wish that a wine with all sorts of excellent qualities would emerge from these leaves!’

4.B.­950

“No sooner have they formed this wish than wine will stream from the leaves. Seeing the wine, the gods will be astonished by its unprecedented color, aroma, taste, and texture. Smiling, they feel their joy intensifying one hundred times, and thus they will think, ‘This wondrous wine that has come forth from these leaves is of perfect color, scent, and taste. Let us drink and enjoy ourselves ten times more!’

4.B.­951

“Pouring the wine into beryl cups, they will offer it to each other, inviting one another to drink to their hearts’ content. However, as they drink it, they experience the wine’s exceptional qualities of color, smell, and taste in accordance with their previous individual levels of generosity or discipline. Knowing that the wine is supposed to be especially sumptuous, the gods who practiced generosity and discipline to a lesser extent will therefore feel highly embarrassed when they fail to experience that. Some birds that are known as those flitting among leaves and wine will notice their embarrassment and, as they fly around the forest, they will warble these verses inspired by the drinkers:

4.B.­952
“ ‘Wine drinkers maddened by conceit
And ruled by delusion
Are chained by ignorance
And partake of the taste of craving.
4.B.­953
“ ‘Wine is the bondage of delusion,
Which awakens the Lord of Death
And causes a fall into hell. [F.230.a]
Therefore, do not touch wine!
4.B.­954
“ ‘People become stupefied
By seeing, touching, and partaking of wine.
Therefore, cast far away
The shackles of wine.
4.B.­955
“ ‘Seeing it produces desire,
And touching it will lead to smelling it.
With smelling will come the desire for its taste,
And its taste will take one to the end.
4.B.­956
“ ‘Those who rely on wine
Will see their reputations and bodies destroyed.
Hence, the wise declare wine
To be the worst of all shackles.
4.B.­957
“ ‘Speech, vision, and movement
Become severely disturbed.
And with one’s mind lost in deluded stupidity,
One will fail to accomplish a single thing.
4.B.­958
“ ‘The man who thus collapses on the ground
Will be ridiculed by women
As he falls stiffly,
Like a dead tree, to the ground.
4.B.­959
“ ‘It is well known that those habituated to alcohol
Are going to die.
This venom is even stronger than the halāhala poison,
More powerful than the noose of death.
4.B.­960
“ ‘Drinking wine always entails
Thirty-six different flaws.
Therefore, recognizing those flaws,
You ought to give up alcohol.
4.B.­961
“ ‘Upon the learned of a pure family
Alcohol leaves great stains.
Such people become like the flower of kāsa grass,
Accomplishing only trifles.’
4.B.­962

“Thus, despite being animals, the birds will rebuke those gods. So, there is no need to mention that other gods will do the same.

4.B.­963

“When the gods have drunk their honey wine of exquisite color, scent, and taste‍—experiencing its qualities in inferior, intermediate, or exceptional ways in accordance with their seeds of past positive actions‍—they will proceed to a forest called Continuous Abode. With the tunes of musical instruments ringing in their ears, they proceed, overjoyed and draped with beautiful garlands of blue lotus flowers. Soon, however, the vast congregations of joyous and respectful deities, whose bodies shine with golden light, will leave this forest and travel to another forest known as Cloud Forest. [F.230.b]

4.B.­964

“In order to inspire the joyous and careless gods who have come to Cloud Forest, Śakra will also pay a visit there, riding his victorious elephant, Airāvaṇa, who is decorated with a hundred thousand ornaments. When the joyous gods and goddesses see Śakra, king of the gods, arriving in this forest, they feel deep respect. With their hair tied in topknots and bearing garlands of flowers and jewels, they will come forth to offer him their praise. Singing and playing various instruments, they will walk before him and dance beautifully. In this manner, as Śakra, king of the gods, rides Airāvaṇa, his elephant mount, the gods will express their joy in eloquent songs.

4.B.­965

“When Śakra has spent a bit of time among them in joyous play, he will speak to the gods in the following way: ‘Gods who have practiced wholesome action, I shall now leave these parks to eliminate the pride of the arrogant and aggressive asuras. Meanwhile, please remain here joyfully.’

4.B.­966

“Hearing such words from Śakra, the gods will respond, ‘We also wish go to humble the conceit of the asuras.’

“But Śakra will discourage them, saying, ‘This matter I can take care of myself, so don’t get all worked up about this!’

4.B.­967

“When he has sent the gods back, Śakra will proceed to his own forests and parks only to discover that a horde of asuras has invaded the beds. Many gods will be scolding them for doing so, yet the more the asuras are reprimanded, the more numerous they become. Finding it unbearable to watch how they multiply, the gods will chastise them even more. Arrogant and aggressive, the asuras nevertheless continue to increase in number and expand. [F.231.a] Seeing these intolerable asuras, Śakra thinks, ‘I must do something to remedy and dispel the arrogance of this aggressive horde.’ He will then utter the following verses:

4.B.­968
“ ‘Better than fighting anger with anger
Is conquering anger with patience.
Dharma will certainly overcome non-Dharma,
Just as light overcomes darkness.
4.B.­969
“ ‘Truthful words conquer lies,
And divisive talk is conquered by harmony.
Harsh words are defeated by pleasant ones,
And aggression is defeated with gentleness.
4.B.­970
“ ‘Killers are defeated by love;
Thieves are defeated with generosity.
Lack of proper attentiveness
Is always defeated by proper attention.
4.B.­971
“ ‘Ignorance is defeated by knowledge,
Just as light conquers the dark.
Places of darkness will be defeated
By places of light.
4.B.­972
“ ‘Perverted and dirty lust
Is defeated by discernment and understanding.
Those traveling unwholesome paths
Are always defeated by the eightfold path of the noble ones.
4.B.­973
“ ‘Cowardice is always defeated
By the four types of fearlessness.
Forgetfulness is conquered by mindfulness
And ignorance defeated by knowledge.
4.B.­974
“ ‘Frivolously lusting people
Are conquered by striving in solitude.
All the dense jungles
Are defeated by the summits of Mount Sumeru.
4.B.­975
“ ‘All the rivers that spring from the ground
Are engulfed by the ocean.
The planets and stars
Are conquered by the light of the sun.
4.B.­976
“ ‘That which is improper is defeated by what is right,
And poverty is defeated by the generous.
The deceptive are defeated by the honest,
And liars are defeated by the truth.
4.B.­977
“ ‘The false is defeated by the truth
And cold is defeated by fire.
Thirst is defeated with water
And hunger defeated by feasts.
4.B.­978
“ ‘All bold beasts
Are defeated by lions, [F.231.b]
And it is well known that the greedy
Are always defeated by the content.
4.B.­979
“ ‘The presence of compassion is always praised;
Absence of compassion is never praised.317
4.B.­980
“ ‘Those of great knowledge are always gentle,
And with their words they conquer
The profuse but mistaken declarations
Of people whose karmic actions are unwholesome.
4.B.­981
“ ‘Non-Buddhist teachers of falsity
Are always defeated by the buddhas.
Asuras are defeated by gods‍—
That is in the nature of things.
4.B.­982
“ ‘Anyone pretending to be Śakra
Will be defeated by me.
Needless to mention that the same
Will happen to you lowly ones.
4.B.­983
“ ‘All those beds are for individuals
Who persevere in the Dharma.
They are not resting places
For ignorant people in pursuit of non-Dharma.’
4.B.­984

“As they hear these words from the mouth of Śakra, the asuras‍—who had otherwise only been increasing the more they were rebuked‍—will now be struck by the power of true speech. Unable to multiply any further, they instead see their power, hue, and courage wane. Then, as Śakra’s servants see those inferior creatures, they will pull them out by their legs and throw them out of the park.

4.B.­985

“Riding his elephant, Airāvaṇa, Śakra will then joyfully return to the gods of Draped with Jewels, surrounded by a retinue of gods who have accomplished their task and who therefore feel an indescribable divine satisfaction. When the gods who live in Draped with Jewels meet Śakra, they will praise him and then everyone will proceed to Cloud Forest once again. In this manner, the joyful and satisfied gods who serve Śakra enter the level grounds of the forests and parks to enjoy themselves within the vast landscapes of flowering fields and blooming forests [F.232.a] in their delightful mansions that are draped with weighty garlands of blooming flowers. There, they will enjoy themselves among all the tremendous delights. Before Śakra, troupes of happy goddesses sing and play vīṇās, two types of drums, flutes, and fifes in joyous celebration. As he rides his elephant, Airāvaṇa, Śakra is also surrounded by other musicians who participate in the celebration by offering praises while they play the five types of instruments. In this way, the joyous, frolicking gods sway to the sounds of music, drumming, chanting, flute play, and singing.

4.B.­986

“The king of elephants is as large as a mountain, and as Śakra rides this undulating mountain, it is a beautiful sight that resembles how the scintillating radiance of the rising sun in a cloudless sky shimmers on snowcapped mountain peaks. Thus Śakra and his accompanying retinue of deeply joyful gods and goddesses, who have all severed the gateways to the lower realms and who, with their fine intelligence, are in perfect harmony, go to play, frolic, and enjoy themselves in these delightful forests and parks that are studded with beryl, silver, crystal, lapis lazuli, sapphire, ruby, pure gold, and coral. In this way, they experience utterly perfect, exquisite joy.

4.B.­987

“Nevertheless, Śakra understands that even this attainment of such pleasures and mundane perfections is transient. Hence, he remains neither excited nor disturbed. Knowing that all perfection ends in decline, he thinks, ‘Beings who are thrown about by the winds of karmic action must roam through the realms of hell, starving spirits, and animals. Where will the gods go once they die and have to leave all these divine companions behind? [F.232.b] Alas, these childish sentient beings are deceived. They are all bound to experience the tremendous effects of their past actions.’

4.B.­988

“With such thoughts in mind, Śakra will then utter the following verses:

“ ‘Clouds form in the sky
And are then dispersed by the wind.
Like clouds that gather and are scattered,
So it is with living beings in cyclic existence.
4.B.­989
“ ‘Humans see flowers blossom
When in the season
And then vanish
Once the season is over.
4.B.­990
“ ‘The gods who have engaged in positive actions
Likewise enjoy themselves in season,
But when this fortunate time is over,
They are destroyed one by one.
4.B.­991
“ ‘Trees grow their leaves
During certain seasons
But then lose them all
As the seasons change.
4.B.­992
“ ‘The gods are like leaves
Upon the tree of existence.
Their pleasures are always destroyed
For they are not stable and do not last.
4.B.­993
“ ‘During the rainy season,
Rain falls ceaselessly from the sky.
Likewise, all of these pleasures
Are going to end and cannot be retrieved.
4.B.­994
“ ‘Just as peacock feathers
May be carried off by the wind,
Such is the case with enjoyable situations‍—
They come to an end and are destroyed.
4.B.­995
“ ‘When a tree catches fire,
It will certainly burn.
Thus, time resembles fire,
And people are like dry wood.
4.B.­996
“ ‘In their hundreds and thousands,
They come and go,
Yet, deluded by craving,
They never truly understand.
4.B.­997
“ ‘The illusory displays of craving and delusion
Extend everywhere.
Lacking the fortune of virtue,
The gods thereby remain deceived.’
4.B.­998

“With compassion for the gods, Śakra will in this way ride his elephant, Airāvaṇa, surrounded by troupes of gods who play melodious tunes, as he returns to Sudharma, the divine assembly hall. Once the victorious gods of Sudharma have received the worship of the other gods, these latter gods will take leave. [F.233.a] Insatiable in their enjoyment, the gods of Draped with Jewels will then continue to celebrate and frolic within those forests and parks of perfect form, sound, smell, and taste until finally their completed and accumulated acts that are certain to ripen desirable, attractive, and delightful experiences have been overcome, relinquished, and exhausted. Once they die, they will, in accordance with their karmic actions, take birth among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. Should they instead be born with the general lot in life of a human, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, be born in a great family and enjoy tremendous pleasures. They will have large and excellent bodies and take birth in a central land. They will possess the good Dharma, enjoy tremendous wealth, and have sons and grandsons. They will have long lives and not experience any trouble due to their servants or possessions. They will be appreciated and respected by everyone, and they will become kings or great ministers.

The Gods in Part of the Assembly

4.B.­999

“As the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions continues to concern himself with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he applies knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceives a god realm known as Part of the Assembly. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing. He will then notice how certain people engage in positive actions and are properly guarded in body, speech, and mind. They are free from dishonesty and deception and do not cause others any harm. They always have vast intelligence, are honest and sincere, and steer clear of unwholesome company. Avoiding unwholesome individuals, they will not mingle with them, talk to them, or even look at them. They will not keep unwholesome company while traveling either, but instead leave such individuals as soon as they see them. They also give up keeping company with those who have unwholesome friends. They rely instead on the venerable and always listen to the sacred Dharma. [F.233.b] Having studied, they understand which phenomena are virtuous, which are unvirtuous, and which are neutral. They abandon those that are to be given up, while they recognize and contemplate those that are not to be given up. They achieve equipoise, recollection, and mindfulness without being swayed by the mind. They also practice detachment and adherence to the sevenfold discipline without even a speck of delusion. They regard even the minutest nonvirtue with fear and remain uncorrupted throughout their activities. Thus, flawless like pure gold, they give up killing and stealing and instead practice generosity and meritorious activities.

4.B.­1000

“How do such people release living beings? When a king or minister has apprehended a pair of adulterers, they may be taken through the southern gate of the city as drums are beaten and their own and their families’ names are proclaimed. Without a soul to help them, they are forced to walk facing the charnel ground, and thus they plod onward with pale faces, recalcitrant and frightened. People of the kind mentioned before will at such times ransom and release such people. They will also provide them with alms and engage in meritorious activities.

4.B.­1001

“What are their virtues? If members of the saṅgha stay in a desert where water is scarce, they may come close to dying of thirst and thus suffer severely. At such times, the aforementioned people may build a pool or a well in a park for the sake of those saṅgha members. In that case they will also save any animals that may live in the water or the mud from dying on the parched land and transport them to a wetland. In such ways, they protect even small creatures. [F.234.a] Similarly, they may lift small animals out of a well and relocate them into another body of water in order to preserve their lives. In this way, they pursue virtuous actions and do not kill.

4.B.­1002

“How do they give up stealing? Such people have no desire to steal, and so they will not even cut wild trees or bamboo. If they come to a deserted village or a forest that does not belong to anyone, they will nonetheless desist from taking anything, for they will think, ‘Although these are not currently anyone’s possessions, they were all produced by someone else.’ Such is the way they give up stealing.

4.B.­1003

“When people who practice positive activities in this manner later separate from their bodies and die, they will be born among the gods in Part of the Assembly. When they emerge in that realm, they will appear upon a seat of gold, silver, crystal, refined gold, lapis lazuli, sapphire, pearl, or coral. As soon as they thus take birth, they will wonder, ‘What karmic actions have caused me to take birth here?’

4.B.­1004

“They will then remember and think, ‘I was born among the gods due to the parent-like virtues of love. Its ripening is cooling and certain to yield the experience of happiness.’

4.B.­1005

“With such a recollection they now perceive the effects of karmic actions directly. They will therefore praise virtuous actions and criticize unvirtuous actions. As they remember their past lives and the relevant karmic foundations‍—the numerous parent-like virtues of their actions as humans‍—they will utter the following verses: [F.234.b]

4.B.­1006
“ ‘Those who accomplish carefulness
Accomplish a meaningful human life.
Having engaged in positive actions,
They will travel to the world of the gods.
4.B.­1007
“ ‘Human life is rare to come by.
Those who find it and yet live carelessly
Will roam from the darkness of carelessness
Into the realms of hell.
4.B.­1008
“ ‘Those who perform the three positive acts,
Familiarize themselves with the seven ways,
And slay the three enemies
Will walk among the gods.
4.B.­1009
“ ‘Those who dispel the afflictions
Without dispelling joy,
And who are thus joyous and pure,318
Will walk among the gods.
4.B.­1010
“ ‘Those who give up stinginess,
The great gateway to suffering,
And instead practice numerous forms of generosity
Will walk among the gods.
4.B.­1011
“ ‘Those who with a loving heart always protect
Living beings as if their lives were their own,
And thereby train constantly in loving care,
Will walk among the gods.
4.B.­1012
“ ‘Those who know that failing to give is like a fire,
And with attentiveness and intelligence
Wholeheartedly practice generosity instead,
Will walk among the gods.
4.B.­1013
“ ‘Those who keep these points in mind
And see the wives of others like a mother,
Thereby steering clear of the flaws of desire,
Will walk among the gods.
4.B.­1014
“ ‘The fires of one’s own mind
Blaze from the firewood of the tongue
And yield false words‍—
Those who overcome lying will go to the higher realms.
4.B.­1015
“ ‘Divisive talk always
Brings ruin among friends.
Those who conquer such talk and delight in gentle words
Will walk among the gods.
4.B.­1016
“ ‘Weapon-like harsh words
Are relinquished by the steadfast,
Who instead express themselves in gentle ways
And thereby journey to the higher realms.
4.B.­1017
“ ‘Those who never let any irrelevant words
Slip past the tips of their tongues,
And instead speak in a timely and meaningful fashion,
Will walk among the gods.
4.B.­1018
“ ‘Those who observe the sevenfold
Discipline taught by the buddhas
With steadfastness and proper awareness
Will walk among the gods.’
4.B.­1019

“Although the newly born gods remember their past lives, [F.235.a] their minds now become governed by objects. Even so, by the power of their past training, they are able to speak in this way.

4.B.­1020

“The goddesses of that realm see the newly born gods as youthful and pure, and thus they rush before them like bees eager to drink from flowers. The goddesses carry cymbals and various musical instruments, flutes, and earthen drums, and their bodies are draped with flower garlands and rubbed with colored powders and ointments. Some carry flower garlands and others let fall a rain of flowers. Some of them sing and perform dances beautifully. In these ways, the goddesses swiftly come forth to greet the newly born gods.

4.B.­1021

“Bearing various ornaments and apparel, the goddesses are endowed with numerous attractive forms and they are skilled in their many performances. Dressed in diverse garments, they display bodies each more exquisite than the one before, and their faces are supremely gorgeous as well. Looking over the newborn gods hundreds and thousands of times, they will abandon their current gods who are now dying. Instead, they will come before the gods who are newly arrived and newly born. Just as thirsting people will leave a dried-out lake and instead rush toward a pool filled with cool, clear water, the goddesses will rush forth toward the newborn gods with unquenched desire.

4.B.­1022

“Since even the mere sound of the ornaments of these goddesses suffices to distract the minds of the newborn gods and fill them with desire, there is no need to mention what happens once they see the goddesses’ faces and the way they behave. Similarly, distracted by the five types of instruments and the various other implements of the goddesses, the gods will forget how they have previously taken birth hundreds of thousands of times‍—for such is the nature of the gods, who live in carelessness.

4.B.­1023

“Thus, as the newborn gods are surrounded by goddesses who are expert charmers, [F.235.b] they all become distracted by the latter’s words that divulge illicit desires. Falling completely under their sway, they remain in carelessness. Surrounded by the goddesses and all possible pleasures, they experience enjoyments of a kind they never had before, and so, with extreme appreciation, they will approach the goddesses. Laughing, playing, talking, and feeling exhilarated, they will begin to talk with the goddesses and go along with them. Like birds caught in a snare, they are caught in the trap of desire and thus they are drawn toward the beauties. Then, they will see an enrapturing land that is studded with the seven precious substances and endowed with unprecedented enjoyments. Adorned with numerous divine garlands and robes, the gods now will enjoy the most delightful pleasures there.

4.B.­1024

“After a long time has elapsed, they will proceed to the forest known as Delightful Retreat. To the tunes of the five types of instruments, the gods and goddesses playfully accompany each other and, as they enter the forest, they will see birds of many different colors and shapes, plumages, and bodily forms. The birds sing most delightfully, and their attractive forms vary widely. The males are all controlled by the females, such that wherever the females go, the males follow. Whichever grove the females fly to, the males will fly as well. Whichever flower wine the females drink, the males will drink as well. Whichever anthers the females may enter among, the males will enter among as well. Whenever the females take off and fly into the sky, the males will do the same. Whichever fruit juice the females may drink, the males will want to drink as well. [F.236.a] Whenever the females go to play in a certain lotus pond, the males will come along with them. When their female partners fly to a certain mountain peak, the males will follow as if they were being pulled by strings tied to their necks.

4.B.­1025

“The same applies to the bees, and thus, whenever the female bees fly to a certain cluster of lotuses, the male bees will all do the same. Similarly, the bucks in that area are also controlled by the does.

4.B.­1026

“In like manner, the gods are ruled by the goddesses. They resemble lakes that are filled to the brim with water in the summer. Thus, the gods are tied by bonds that are extremely difficult to loosen or escape from. Understanding how females control everyone, the monk will utter the following verses:

4.B.­1027
“ ‘The tightest of all ropes
Is the rope that females tie.
Bound by such ropes,
People rush into the prison of existence.
4.B.­1028
“ ‘A noose around one’s neck isn’t so bad,
Compared to the horrific noose women tie around one’s heart.
With their hearts tied in bondage,
Men are destined to suffer.
4.B.­1029
“ ‘Lassoes can be burned and cut
But not the noose of females,
As it keeps pulling one
Into the realms of hell, starving spirits, and animals.
4.B.­1030
“ ‘A great rope can bind
A large group of people,
But the ropes of females bind
The immaterial mind.
4.B.­1031
“ ‘Ropes that bind people
Can be measured,
But there is no way to gauge
The great bond of females.
4.B.­1032
“ ‘Delivering a moment of happiness
But then a situation that is hardly escapable,
This noose ties people up
And makes them unable to escape the ocean of existence.
4.B.­1033
“ ‘Ropes may tie one’s neck or body.
Yet, without tying any knots,
The great noose of females
Binds all the six senses.
4.B.­1034
“ ‘Chains of metal, plants, or fibers
Are not called tight by noble beings.
Instead they reserve that term for the weak mind
That watches females with desire.’ [F.236.b]
4.B.­1035

“In this way, the monk will criticize lust.

“Tied by the noose of their fondness for such perfect females, the gods are led through the most delightful forests and parks and introduced to incomparable pleasures. While enjoying themselves in the company of the goddesses, the gods will at some point arrive at a lotus grove known as Swan Lotus Forest. There the gods and goddesses will celebrate in huge gatherings, enjoying themselves, rollicking, and reveling in a wealth of sense pleasures. Surrounded by goddesses, all the gods living in this realm enjoy the enticing music of the five types of instruments. They are all enraptured by this and, as the goddesses express their great passion, all of them celebrate together. Climbing one golden summit after another, everyone enjoys vast pleasures as they chase after objects.

4.B.­1036

“While enjoying themselves in this way, the gods will think, ‘We are all friends! Let’s go celebrate in the gardens of Sudharma, the assembly hall of the gods.’

“Thereupon, throngs of gods and goddesses will set out on such a journey. Some will fly through the sky, others will ride on swans, and some will ride on peacocks. Some will enter chambers that float in the air, while others will proceed in floating mansions with fences. In these ways, they travel toward the divine assembly hall of Sudharma. Thus, as their lovely songs and music from the five types of instruments fill the air, they travel to the abode of Śakra. [F.237.a]

4.B.­1037

“As Śakra, king of the gods, hears their exquisite music and songs, he will say to the gods of Sudharma, ‘O friends, who are those happy gods? Where are they from?’

“These gods will then quickly examine the approaching gods and, when they have found out, they will reply to Śakra, ‘Those are the gods of Part of the Assembly. They have come to behold Śakra.’

“Śakra will then tell them, ‘You must go and welcome these gods who are arriving from Part of the Assembly with delightful music and various implements for their enjoyment.’

4.B.­1038

“Having received this command from Śakra, the gods of Sudharma will go to greet the other gods, carrying cymbals and various other musical instruments. They are draped with flower garlands, rubbed in powders and ointments, and they wear crystal necklaces, jewels, ornamental garlands, shoulder ornaments, and topknot ornaments in an impressive display. Upon their naturally immaculate bodies they wear various shiny jewels, and thus they will proceed, illuminated by radiant gems, to receive the gods of Part of the Assembly.

4.B.­1039

“Overjoyed at this meeting, the gods will try to outdo each other in miraculous feats and, to the captivating tunes of heavenly music and song, they will proceed together to the residence of Śakra.

4.B.­1040

“Within his mansion of a hundred thousand pillars, the king of the gods sits upon his lion throne known as Victorious Success. He is at ease and ablaze in splendor, and he is attended to by one hundred thousand gods. Thus, experiencing the consequences of extremely positive past actions, Śakra shines with the splendor of a hundred suns and, although he is the king of the gods, he nevertheless maintains his composure.

4.B.­1041

“Beholding the king of the gods, the gods’ happiness grows tenfold. [F.237.b] They will then address Śakra respectfully and perform various dances and entertainments. Then they will praise Śakra with the following verses:

4.B.­1042
“ ‘Practicing the Dharma, always serene,
And never harmed by objects,
Śakra, king of the gods,
Sustains the worlds of gods and humans.
4.B.­1043
“ ‘The world is healed by Dharma;
By non-Dharma this is impossible.
Those who practice Dharma are always happy.
Those who do not are never happy.
4.B.­1044
“ ‘Those practicing the Dharma
Rely on wisdom and are happy.
They refrain from harm and speak the truth‍—
In this way too they are happy.
4.B.­1045
“ ‘The qualities of the world
And the qualities beyond the world
Are all, without exception,
Mastered by Śakra, lord of the Thirty-Three.
4.B.­1046
“ ‘Protecting beings from fear
And relieving those who suffer,
He provides for the world
Of gods, asuras, and humans.
4.B.­1047
“ ‘This king, Śakra,
Is free from stains and flaws.
He has dispelled his own threefold unwholesomeness
And gone for refuge in the Three Jewels.
4.B.­1048
“ ‘He has knowledge of the threefold effect of karmic action
And has realized the threefold awakening.
Although born in a realm of carelessness
He does not become attached to the careless.
4.B.­1049
“ ‘Having conquered the enemy, he pursues great activities.
Śakra sustains sentient beings.’
4.B.­1050

“In this way the gods of Part of the Assembly, who are in possession of supreme intelligence among all the gods, will praise Śakra.

4.B.­1051

“As he sees the gods, Śakra will gently speak to them in the finest words of praise and instruction: ‘Gods, you live in carelessness. Carefulness is the greatest among all treasures, but carelessness is useless.’

“Then, when the gods have praised Śakra extensively, they will return to where they came from, traveling through the sky. Just as when they came, Śakra proceeds first and the gods follow after. [F.238.a]

4.B.­1052

“At this point Śakra will think, ‘Alas, the careless gods do not comprehend the suffering of death. In order to protect them I must surely create some magic.’

“Śakra will therefore miraculously reveal to the gods what happens to the gods in the intermediate existence. As he does so, the gods will now perceive the deaths of those gods who would otherwise inhabit the forests, parks, mountains, and lotus groves‍—the gods with their large, exquisite, and radiant bodies, who would normally play, sing, celebrate, and frolic. The gods will now see how the dying gods are shunned by their powerful friends and attending goddesses, how all their splendor and fortune disappears, how their faces turn pale, and how they are reborn in hell. They will see the former gods with their hands319 tied behind their backs, crying with tears streaming from their eyes, enveloped in thick dark smoke and surrounded by fire, reprimanded320 by the henchmen of the Lord of Death, suffering from extreme hunger and thirst, pursued by tremendous horrors, with bodies like scorched trees, and chased by utterly terrifying creatures brandishing horrific implements and wielding swords, clubs, and nooses.

4.B.­1053

“They will see how such creatures head toward the world of the gods and cause the gods to fall‍—covering Mount Sumeru and advancing everywhere to catch the gods. They tie them with chains and pull them down, beating them with iron whips and thrashing them, torturing them with blazing fires, and chasing them down into hell. [F.238.b]

4.B.­1054

“Holding shackles in their hands, the furious messengers of the Lord of Death call, ‘Come here‍—quick, quick! In hell we shall subdue these gods that are so careless, so that they shall no longer be lost in carelessness!’

4.B.­1055

“In this way, ridiculing them and laughing menacingly, they drag them down from Mount Sumeru’s skies. Above, below, and on all sides, they crush them in their hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, and millions. Filling the entire sky, they are everywhere, obstructing the former gods to whom they yell, ‘You who are so used to enjoying the five sense pleasures, what good is it all to you now, as the Lord of Death’s henchmen tie you up and haul you with the strength of horses down to the world of the Lord of Death?’

4.B.­1056

“In this way, the gods of Part of the Assembly, whose minds are inclined to positive karmic actions, are able to witness the ways in which birth in hell takes places. At that time, the henchmen of the Lord of Death will utter the following verses to the gods in the intermediate existence:

4.B.­1057
“ ‘Because of your attachment to pleasure,
You did not practice wholesome actions.
Therefore, you are now stuck with an effect
That holds nothing enjoyable for you.
4.B.­1058
“ ‘When gods fond of carelessness
Do what they do,
They will later, at the time of death,
Be tormented by their own minds.
4.B.­1059
“ ‘The burning carelessness
That emerges from the five senses
Surpasses any other fire
And cuts deeper than any weapon.
4.B.­1060
“ ‘Pain based on happiness
And enemies based on friends‍—
Such are the effects of carelessness.
Therefore, you must give that up!
4.B.­1061
“ ‘Carelessness mixed with craving
And connected to desire [F.239.a]
Creates an unbearable, threefold enemy
That destroys people’s happiness.
4.B.­1062
“ ‘Agitation, being entangled with the unwholesome,
Laziness, yearning desire,
And letting go of discipline‍—
These are causes of the hell realms.
4.B.­1063
“ ‘The ignorant who fail to rely on
A discipline that is delightful and cooling,
And that transforms in cooling ways,
Will later experience total agony.
4.B.­1064
“ ‘Drinking alcohol, causing harm,
Being fond of others’ women,
Attachment, and animosity
Are causes of the realms of hell.
4.B.­1065
“ ‘Divisive talk connected with the unwholesome,
Lack of proper vows, wrong views,
And idle talk will always
Cause people destruction.
4.B.­1066
“ ‘Covetousness, harsh words,
Excessive pride, and teaching wrongly
Are of no use at all in this life,
Nor in the next life.
4.B.­1067
“ ‘Always giving up virtue,
Adhering to what is unvirtuous,
And not trusting in karmic action‍—
These are the bases for disaster.
4.B.­1068
“ ‘Those unaware that beings’ happiness and suffering
Are the result of their karmic actions
Are ignorant about cause and effect,
And they meet with terrible suffering in the future.
4.B.­1069
“ ‘Those who diligently teach wrongly
While pretending to be wise
Will, during future times of hardship,
Come to feel the full effects of karmic action.
4.B.­1070
“ ‘Whoever roams about in this life
Will drown in suffering.
Such a life is produced by ignorance‍—
That is what the thus-gone ones teach.’
4.B.­1071

“In this way, the henchmen of the Lord of Death displayed by Śakra will address and punish those in the intermediate existence.

“Next Śakra will create a display that shows the gods how one is born among the animals. Thus, he conjures up images of beings in the intermediate existence, manifesting the images of such beings as if he were making imprints with a seal. [F.239.b] In this way the deluded gods come to see how animals eat, kill, and destroy each other, and therefore live in great terror.

4.B.­1072

“Śakra will then proceed to display images to the gods of those reborn among the starving spirits. They now come to see beings with emaciated bodies, tormented by hunger and thirst, with faces covered in darkness behind their hair, and with awful faces and bodies that look like scorched trees. These spirits have their eyes, ears, noses, and tongues torn out by owls and ravens. In this way, the gods witness the fall through the sky from the world of the gods.

4.B.­1073

“When the gods have seen those utterly horrifying, disturbing displays, they shall turn toward Śakra and say, ‘Śakra, it seems some usurping asuras of an unprecedented kind are wrongfully chaining gods and hauling them off‍—we cannot just let that happen! Hordes of asuras are swarming Mount Sumeru. This is unlike anything we have seen during the wars between the gods and the asuras. No asura has ever come here before. Śakra, has the Dharma declined? Whenever the guardians of the world, or you who rule the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, or we gods relax‍—is there then no one left in the world who respects their fathers or mothers, or mendicants or brahmins? Is there nobody who venerates the elders of their families? Śakra, is there nobody who worships the Buddha, nobody who worships the Dharma, nobody who worships the Saṅgha? Is there nobody who adheres to the reality of cause and effect? Why are those gods so terrified? Lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, we request that you mount Airāvaṇa, king of elephants, and march forth into battle. [F.240.a] Please inform the gods who brandish numerous weapons. Please strike the great drum! Let us enter the battlefield together!’

4.B.­1074

“Others will be extremely distressed by the shocking sights. With terrified eyes and pale faces, they will come to Śakra for refuge, crying, ‘Ruler of the gods, please save us! Asuras of a kind never seen before are upon us, please save us!’ In this way they will pray as they come before Śakra, filled with terror.

4.B.­1075

“Those gods who are inclined toward future virtue will then see the manifestations and run frightened toward Sudharma. Those inclined to warfare will, on the other hand, run through the forests and parks, but when they see the manifestations, they can neither overcome them nor capture them. All they can do is watch. Like reflections in a mirror, the manifestations can be seen but they cannot be overcome or apprehended.

4.B.­1076

“Śakra will now create a different kind of display, showing how the rulers of the asuras, such as Rāhu and Firm, are taken away. With their hands tied behind their backs,321 the asura rulers are branded with iron, lacerated with weapons, and beaten up. With their hands thus tied behind their backs, they cry pitifully, moaning and wailing. In this way, the suffering that the gods normally inflict on the asuras is increased a thousand times within Śakra’s projected display.

4.B.­1077

“As the gods watch the displays, they will be repeatedly struck by horror and shock. Going before Śakra once again, they will say, [F.240.b] ‘Śakra, who are those mighty armies that spread out everywhere, tying the hands of the great gods and asuras behind their backs and taking them away, beating them and killing them? They abuse and humiliate everyone in the most horrifying, shocking way. Śakra, they are now so close to us, do you know who they are? They have come to destroy the gods and asuras and are now busy crushing the whole world. Never have we imagined such a horde. If you know who they are, we pray that you tell us. If you do not know them, please tell us how we should respond.’ [B41]

4.B.­1078

“At that point Śakra will think, ‘These careless gods have not comprehended the way things really are and they are not diligent in taking refuge in the Three Jewels. I only created these displays to dispel their haughtiness. Now that they feel discouraged and their minds have become amenable, I shall explain some things to these gods, for their minds are now receptive.’

4.B.­1079

“Knowing that their minds have become amenable, Śakra will then speak to the gods: ‘Listen, even the combined armies of all the gods cannot subdue this formidable, totally overwhelming, and destructive force. No spell can turn it back either. Even those superior to you cannot withstand it, so why mention those whose implements, bodies, appearance, and force are inferior to yours? These messengers of the Lord of Death are called the “black messengers.” When living beings tied by karmic actions and afflictions are about to die, these messengers come to bind them. [F.241.a] Then they drag them into the realms of hell, starving spirits, and animals. Such are the facts for all sentient beings who are caught in cyclic existence. Sentient beings in cyclic existence must follow eight laws: (1) Everyone who is born must die. (2) The healthy will fall ill. (3) The young must grow old. (4) Those who have will lose what they have. (5) The world appears in accordance with one’s karmic share and depends on one’s karmic actions; thus, one will experience the results of one’s own virtues and nonvirtues. (6) All that is joyful and beautiful will change and decline, dissipate, and vanish, becoming nothing. (7) Virtue and vice can never in this world be transferred from one person to another. That such a thing is impossible is an undeceiving fact. (8) It is incorrect to think that careless people can sometimes be virtuous. These eight points are facts that apply to all of cyclic existence. In this way, all phenomena are subject to the way things are. They arise from causes and conditions and can neither be outrun nor halted with force. So also, these henchmen of the Lord of Death cannot be stopped or outrun, and they cannot be apprehended. This is the way of all cyclic existence. Henchmen in the world of the Lord of Death will punish those who engage in unvirtuous actions. Gods, asuras, hell beings, yakṣas, rākṣasas, piśācas, nāgas, or the like are all born in the realms of hell, starving spirits, and animals and subjected to punishment there.’ [F.241.b]

4.B.­1080

“In response, the gods will say to Śakra, ‘Śakra, we must by all means strive to remain free of those hordes. Are you aware of anything we can do to evade them?’

“Śakra will then say to the gods, ‘There is a method, which when applied ensures that the gods cannot be hurt. What is that method for the gods? There is a single thing to give up, namely carelessness. There are two things to train in, namely calm abiding and special insight. There are three flaws to relinquish: desire, anger, and delusion. There are four truths of noble beings that must be understood: suffering, its origin, the path, and the cession of suffering. Five things must be guarded against and comprehended: form and the other four objects. There are six factors one must guard, namely, the six faculties. Seven things must be properly understood: the seven branches of awakening. One must travel the eightfold path: right intention, and so forth. The nine realms of sentient beings must be comprehended, as well as the attainment of their karmic effects. The ten great grounds must be understood. The eleven cultivations must also be known. The twelve sense sources must be understood. The thirteen recollections must be kept in mind. The fourteen types of mind must be cultivated. The fifteen principles must be understood. The sixteen aspects of mindfulness of breathing must be understood. The seventeen defilements that connect one to the intermediate existence must be relinquished. The characteristics of the eighteen elements must be comprehended. The nineteen factors of the intermediate existence must be comprehended. The twenty abodes of sentient beings that pertain to the desire realm must be understood, along with their respective beings, classes, and afflictions. [F.242.a]

4.B.­1081

“ ‘With an understanding of these points, no god or human will be driven to the three lower realms; they will be unable to enter there. In order to bring forth all virtuous qualities, you must take up all the virtues of gods and humans, and thus you will not have any fear of the lower realms. Nor will the henchmen of the Lord of Death show their ugly and terrifying faces at the time of death. Therefore, you must first of all give up carelessness, as it is an obstacle for all virtuous qualities. Carelessness neither contributes to the attainment of mundane objectives, nor does it yield the good fortune to pass beyond the world. Careless people are just like cattle; although they are not asleep, they might as well be. Carelessness makes you unable to tell what is meaningful and meritorious, or who is a spiritual friend, or to distinguish proper fields, speech, food, or qualities. Therefore, since carelessness is the basis for all that is meaninglessness, it must be done away with from the very outset. Why should the utterly careless gods not fall under the power of the Lord of Death?’


4.B.­1082

“Then Śakra will utter these verses:

“ ‘Fools who do not enjoy the Dharma
And instead are fond of carelessness
Will fall under the power of the Lord of Death
When the time of their death arrives.
4.B.­1083
“ ‘The wise protect themselves from carelessness
As if it were poison.
Hence, when the time of death arrives,
They are fortunate and happy.
4.B.­1084
“ ‘The careless die,
But the careful enjoy great happiness.
Therefore, those wishing for happiness
Should always act with a careful mind.
4.B.­1085

“ ‘Therefore,’ Śakra concludes, ‘the one factor that gods should give up is carelessness.’


4.B.­1086

“Then Śakra will continue: ‘Six things characterize those who are careless. What are those six? [F.242.b] When the careless see a form with their eyes, their carelessness will prevent them from comprehending the real condition of that form, which may be good, bad, black, white, red, long, short, square, or round. A mind that is carried away by carelessness will fail to comprehend mundane reality, just as it will fail to comprehend the reality that transcends the world. When a mind carried away by carelessness sees a form, it does not comprehend its real condition, and thus it will fail to correctly observe the body. It does not examine the body by engaging with the four truths of noble beings. It does not examine reality.

4.B.­1087

“ ‘Likewise, the careless neither perceive the objectives of this world nor those that are beyond the world. In other words, when a sound is heard while the mind is carried away by carelessness, one will not be able to determine the meaning of the given song or statement. One will not be able to tell what it means, and one will therefore not develop any knowledge of mundane matters. Nor will one be able to understand the meaning that is explained in the sūtras, verses, songs, prophecies, purposeful expressions, ethical narrations, narratives, parables, past-life stories, elaborate teachings, marvels, or decisive explications. One will be unable to understand the meaning taught in these scriptures. Those carried away by carelessness will, at the time of death, fall under the power of the Lord of Death.

4.B.­1088

“ ‘Moreover, when one’s nose smells something while the mind is carried away by carelessness, one will not be able to know whether the smell is compelling, repulsive, or a flower fragrance. Also, one will not know mundane or supramundane scents. One will also not register the aroma of incense, and therefore those who are careless do not even occasionally offer incense to the Three Jewels. In such ways are the careless unable to perceive smells. [F.243.a]

4.B.­1089

“ ‘When the mind is carried away by carelessness, one will also not recognize whether the taste that one experiences is sweet, sour, salty, spicy, bitter, astringent, or alkaline. Neither will the mind that is carried away by carelessness experience any supramundane taste, because it does not recognize the taste of the Dharma.

4.B.­1090

“ ‘Nor does the mind carried away by carelessness register physical tactility because one does not then engage in physical work, does not do any household work, does not pursue any livelihood, does not engage in positive actions, and does not gather any items for the household, leaving it impoverished. Neither will one engage in any supramundane works, rely on a spiritual master, speak honestly, or pay homage, for a mind that is carried away by carelessness does not cognize any tactility.

4.B.­1091

“ ‘Nor will the mind register whether phenomena are clean or unclean, or whether they are virtuous, unvirtuous, or indeterminate. Thus, one will be punished at the time of death and experience extreme suffering, falling under the control of the henchmen of the Lord of Death. Therefore, one factor is to be given up, namely carelessness.

4.B.­1092

“ ‘It was also said, “There are two things to train in, calm abiding and special insight.” Those two are sublime teachers of the path of suffering’s transcendence. Calm abiding is the pacification of arisen as well as unarisen phenomena. Special insight is accomplished through seeing the body, phenomena, mind, mental phenomena, non-mental phenomena, virtuous factors, and unvirtuous factors.

4.B.­1093

“ ‘It was said that there are “three flaws to relinquish.” Desire is relinquished through repulsiveness, anger is relinquished through love, and delusion is relinquished through wisdom. Thus, these three factors are overcome by means of a corresponding set of three remedies. However, these factors are not relinquished by those who are careless [F.243.b] and therefore, when they manifest at the time of death, one will fall under the control of the Lord of Death.

4.B.­1094

“ ‘What are the four truths of noble beings? They are taught as suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. Suffering refers to the body and mind. Origin concerns the origin of the aggregates, elements, and sense sources. Cessation is peace, and the path consists of the eight factors.

4.B.­1095

“ ‘It was also said that a set of five must be guarded against. Those are the five objects: form, sound, smell, taste, and tactility.

4.B.­1096

“ ‘What factors must one understand the true nature of? The six factors that one must properly guard are the eye and the other faculties. Those must be guarded from their objects.

4.B.­1097

“ ‘The set of seven that must be properly understood are the seven branches of awakening. When they are called branches of awakening that is understood in the same sense that a body is said to have limbs, a city to have sections, and a land to have areas. What, then, are the seven branches of awakening? They are the branches of mindfulness, investigation, diligence, joy, agility, absorption, and equanimity. What is the characteristic of mindfulness, which is a branch of awakening? It is mindfulness of the true nature of the flawed qualities of conditioned phenomena as well as mindfulness of accumulating the peace of suffering’s transcendence. Such mindfulness is the first branch of awakening.

4.B.­1098

“ ‘What characterizes investigation, the second branch of awakening? [F.244.a] Its characteristic is investigation of the ultimate by means of insight. Investigation implies engagement with the real characteristics of phenomena. Such is the investigation that is a branch of awakening.

4.B.­1099

“ ‘Diligence, as a branch of awakening, is to strive and apply effort to bringing those very matters to mind, again and again. Joy, as a branch of awakening, is to welcome and delight in the process of bringing this to mind. Agility, as a branch of awakening, is to bring those matters to mind and, in doing so, to achieve serviceability with respect to physical and mental phenomena. In this way, one becomes gentle and at ease in one’s spiritual training. Absorption, as a branch of awakening, is to focus the mind so that it does not stray away from the process of bringing to mind and observing the relevant matters. Equanimity, as a branch of awakening, is to develop the equanimity of resting undividedly in such absorption.

4.B.­1100

“ ‘These branches of awakening bring various results and also yield various types of wisdom, discipline, and relinquishment of affliction. While the branches of awakening maintain the same focus, different results are achieved through their progressive development. O gods, one must therefore carefully regard and bring to mind the seven branches of awakening.

4.B.­1101

“ ‘Through the eight branches of the noble path one develops happiness free from intoxication, one fears the next world, and one searches for the city of the transcendence of suffering. These eight are the noble truth of right view, the noble truth of right intention, the noble truth of right speech, the noble truth of right activity, and the noble truths of right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right absorption. [F.244.b]

4.B.­1102

“ ‘Gods, what are these noble truths? What are their effects, and what are their characteristics? What does the eightfold path of the noble ones consist of? The noble truth of right view is to regard things as they are, recognizing the particular and universal characteristics of phenomena just as they are. Right intention is to form one’s outlook based on the reality of those phenomena. Right speech is to abstain from the four verbal misdeeds, such as lying, by taking vows related to one’s speech motivated by right intention. Right activity is to disengage from the three physical misdeeds and instead engage in proper behavior. Right livelihood is to give up and refrain from unvirtuous means of livelihood. Right effort is to keep in mind and diligently pursue the matters mentioned before. Right mindfulness is to keep in mind the meaning of the Dharma and to be free from forgetfulness just as holy people are. Right absorption is to bring the meanings of the Dharma to mind and ascertain them with a one-pointed mind. Those who observe the eightfold path of the noble ones in this way will, at the time of death, not fall under the sway of the henchmen of the Lord of Death.

4.B.­1103

“ ‘One must also concern oneself extensively with the nine realms of sentient beings. Those who dwell on the great levels, righteous leaders, must also understand that the following ten states arise exclusively in the mind: feeling, perception, attention, contact, contemplation, intention, interest, recollection, absorption, and faith. Although the characteristics of these ten factors are presented individually, understand that they occur simultaneously, just like the rays of the sun. The characteristics of these ten factors, neither more nor less, emerge together with the mind. [F.245.a]

4.B.­1104

“ ‘Perception is characterized as cognizing phenomena. That is to say, perception consists in comprehending the individual characteristics of phenomena. Attention consists in the mind’s inclination toward what is virtuous, unvirtuous, or indeterminate. Attention may also be based on body, speech, or mind. Three kinds of experience arise through the contact that occurs when the three factors come together. Mighty ones, what are these experiences? The experiences of pleasure, pain, and that which is neither enjoyable nor painful. Mighty ones, contemplation is engagement with phenomena. Intention is the thought to engage in a given activity. Interest is primarily the factor that engenders action. Faith refers precisely to the mind of faith. Diligence is primarily enthusiasm. Mindfulness is to avoid forgetting what was apprehended and to thus be free from delusion. Absorption is primarily one-pointed mind. Insight refers to the discernment of phenomena; it is the factor that discerns phenomena.

4.B.­1105

“ ‘For those who dwell on the great levels, there is an additional set of ten that, when cultivated, will cause one to fall under the power of the Lord of Death’s henchmen at the time of death. These ten are disbelief, regret, forgetfulness, distraction, misguided intelligence, inappropriate observation, wrong interest, agitation, ignorance, and carelessness. These ten are the great grounds of affliction, for they produce afflicted existence and cause one to be captured by the Lord of Death’s henchmen.

4.B.­1106

“ ‘Now, mighty ones, let me explain the characteristics of the factors just mentioned. Disbelief means a lack of interest, that is, being disinterested in phenomena. [F.245.b] Laziness is the relinquishment of discipline. Forgetfulness is the inability to recollect phenomena. Distraction is to be concerned with many objects of attention. Misguided intelligence is the mind lacking wisdom. Inappropriate observation is the lack of proper attention to phenomena and believing that what is actually unclean is clean. Wrong interest is primarily a fascination based on improper apprehension and grasping. Agitation is primarily an unsettled mind. Ignorance is lack of knowledge of the factors of the three realms. Carelessness prevents the accomplishment of virtuous factors. These afflictions should be shunned by those who dwell on the great levels.

4.B.­1107

“ ‘Another set of ten factors is associated with the lesser levels: fury, resentment, chastisement, spite, deceit, pretense, envy, stinginess, pride, and special pride. Mighty ones, these ten factors pertain to the lesser levels, and they also serve as conditions for future reoccurrence on the lesser levels. Fury is a disturbed and infuriated mind. Resentment is a rigid focus on enemies. Chastisement is to be burdened by the three unvirtuous factors. Spite is a rigid focus on what is unrighteous. Deceit is to cheat and mislead.

4.B.­1108

“ ‘Mighty ones, what are the factors alluded to when it is said that the twelve sense sources must be understood? The factors in question are the inner sense sources‍—the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind‍—and the outer sense sources: form, sound, smell, taste, tactility, and mental phenomena. They are to be understood in terms of their characteristics, essences, and predominant occurrence. Thus, the eye is characterized as the cause for cognition of the great elements and form. [F.246.a] The characteristics of the ears and so forth are likewise to be comprehended with respect to their objects.

4.B.­1109

“ ‘Mighty ones, how should one understand their essence? Essence implies their unmistaken nature, and thus visual consciousness arises from a set of five causes and conditions. From what does visual consciousness arise? From the eye, form, light, space, and mental activity. Aural consciousness does not arise from such factors because sounds may be heard in the dark as well as in the light. Thus, mighty ones, light is not a factor as it does not affect anything in this regard. This is, moreover, also the case with respect to the nose, tongue, body, and mind. Mighty ones, light is not a factor for it does not affect anything at all in those cases. Mental consciousness both may and may not arise in dependence on light. How is that so? The mental consciousness that experiences its object by means of visual consciousness does not arise without light. The other kinds of mental consciousness may also arise in the absence of light.

4.B.­1110

“ ‘It should also be understood how the manifestation of the sense sources depends on predominant elements. How should one understand such requirements for their arising? The four great elements support each other as they develop and become depleted. Thus, the eye depends on a predominance of the fire and earth elements. For the tongue, the predominant element is water. For the ears, space is the predominant element. Moreover, whenever the space in the throat and the cavities is predominant it becomes overpowering. The aspects of predominance and diminution that pertain to the various sense sources should be discerned in the same way as the case of aural apprehension.

4.B.­1111

“ ‘As thought arises in relation to the sense sources, which of them grasp from a distance and which grasp in proximity? [F.246.b] The nose, tongue, and body apprehend in proximity. The eye apprehends by neither being too far away nor very close. The ears do not apprehend from a long distance. The nose apprehends in extreme proximity, for it senses the aromatic aerosols that are extremely close, being within the nose. The ear similarly hears the sounds of wind within the ear.

4.B.­1112

“ ‘All of these consciousnesses occur by means of two kinds, namely visual and mental consciousness. They all manifest due to relationships such that a distinct consciousnesses arises from distinct causes and conditions, in the same way that fire and fuel are distinct from one another.

4.B.­1113

“ ‘Mighty ones, those who understand the sense sources will not be careless, nor will they become attached, aroused, or angry. When such holy people die, they will have no fear of the henchmen of the Lord of Death, whose hideous faces will not frighten them. They will not have their hands tied behind their backs and they will not have to witness the world of the Lord of Death. They will not be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. They will find tremendous pleasure and discover a perpetual bliss that is not destroyed by carelessness.

4.B.­1114

“ ‘The sense sources, moreover, constitute bases and supports that are impermanent, painful, empty, and devoid of self. Those who master and discern them will not fall under the power of carelessness. They will understand that the arising of the eye consciousness is false and void, like an illusion. When they have dismantled the eye consciousness, they will likewise understand that the ear consciousness is also false and hollow. They will understand this about all the six inner and six outer sense sources. All will be apprehended and experienced within the framework of birth and death. [F.247.a] They are unstable and damaging and they arise based on distinct causes and conditions. Those who develop such accurate knowledge will not be ruined by forms. When free from intoxication, the minds of such beings will not become distracted even by the pleasures of the gods‍—no need, then, to mention the unpleasant.’


4.B.­1115

“At this point Śakra will utter the following verses:

“ ‘Obstacles to the factors of virtue
Arise when there is delusion about the sense sources,
And thus one carelessly
Engages with all phenomena.
4.B.­1116
“ ‘Those who are attached to the three flaws
Stand close to the gates of the three lower realms.
Extreme delusion is the supreme evil,
Causing careless activity.
4.B.­1117
“ ‘Infantile beings fond of carelessness
Are in the hands of death.
Those who rely on carelessness
Will all be destroyed.
4.B.­1118
“ ‘Going beyond one single factor,
Paying attention to two factors,
And recognizing the characteristics of the three realms‍—
Those who do so possess auspicious happiness.
4.B.­1119
“ ‘When the fortune of the gods is exhausted,
Those who are fond of carelessness
And obscured by pleasure will fall.
Who will protect them then?
4.B.­1120
“ ‘At that time the single virtuous factor
Is to have far-reaching tolerance.
Those who at that point
Have tolerance and compassion for beings
4.B.­1121
“ ‘Will at the time of death
See their terrors turn into guards.
Therefore, as you give up carelessness,
You must diligently rely on that.
4.B.­1122
“ ‘Giving up ignorance is virtuous
And the aspects of awareness must be guarded.
The person who understands awareness and ignorance
Will not be hurt thereby.
4.B.­1123
“ ‘Therefore, giving up carelessness
Is certainly the measure of human success.
Delighting in carefulness is claimed
To be the accomplishment of human success.
4.B.­1124
“ ‘Carelessness is a binding rope
That is untied through carefulness.
Thus, their respective characteristics
Are bondage and liberation.
4.B.­1125
“ ‘Those who understand this,
Yet remain attached to carelessness, [F.247.b]
Will later, at the time of death,
Come to know the effects.’
4.B.­1126

“In this way, Śakra elaborately explains the characteristics of the twelve sense sources to the careless gods. Those among the gods who in the past developed roots of virtue and whose carelessness is less severe will therefore no longer remain totally careless. Instead, they will think, ‘We shall make sure that this teaching of the Dharma serves its purpose.’ But those gods whose faculties have not matured resemble unripe boils that cannot be burst, drained, dried out, and cured. How could they possibly comprehend? They cannot.

4.B.­1127

“Śakra, king of the gods, will continue to correctly delineate and explain the characteristics of the twelve sense sources, and he will also perform wondrous, miraculous feats on behalf of the gods. Then, he will proceed to gradually convey the characteristics, observations, causes, and conditions that pertain to the factors related to mindfulness so that those matters may be comprehended. He will continue to teach the Dharma, again and again, so as to provide the means for renunciation and bring benefit to the gods who have become frightened and disenchanted by his projected displays of slaughtered beings:

4.B.­1128

“ ‘Mighty ones, the mental state of pretense is dishonesty, an inappropriate state that binds one to cyclic existence. Envy is, in essence, to bring harm upon others. Mighty ones, the mental state of stinginess is the fear that one’s wealth will run out, and it is an avaricious state of mind. These are all lesser contributing factors in relation to the levels of three realms. How are they divided in relation to the individual realms? Fury, resentment, envy, stinginess, display, pretense, and spite apply to the realm of desire. Deceit alone occurs in both the desire realm and the world of Brahmā. Pride and special pride occur in all three realms. Mighty ones, these ten factors arise from the lesser levels. [F.248.a]

4.B.­1129

“ ‘Mighty ones, there are also ten virtuous qualities that arise from the greater levels. What are they? Non-attachment, non-aggression, conscientiousness, concern, faith, pliancy, carefulness, equanimity, and non-harming. Those virtues arise from the greater levels. Their individual characteristics are as follows. Non-attachment is the basis for all those virtuous qualities and is the source of them all. The same is the case with non-aggression. Conscientiousness is a mind that disengages from self and is fearful of self. Concern is feeling concerned in relation to others. Faith is an inspired state of mind. Pliancy is an edifying virtuous quality that serves as the basis for dispelling negative mental tendencies associated with body and mind. Carefulness is the application of virtuous factors. Equanimity is even-handedness with respect to what to do and what to avoid, as well as their causes and conditions. Mighty ones, non-harming is to avoid harming sentient beings. This is how these virtuous factors that arise from the greater levels are explained. Those who do not engage with them will, at the time of death, fall under the power of the henchmen of the Lord of Death. They will be terrified because they are not embracing virtue.

4.B.­1130

“ ‘Thus, the characteristics of these attitudes and thoughts that arise from the greater levels, the virtues that arise from the greater levels, as well as the lesser virtuous factors that arise from the greater levels are referred to collectively as the ten.

4.B.­1131

“ ‘Mighty ones, what are the so-called eleven cultivations?

“ ‘As a monk examines the body, he will not become attached to it, and so he will not breed delusion. Nor will he focus his mind rigidly. This is the first cultivation.

4.B.­1132

“ ‘As a monk develops experience in his practice [F.248.b] he will deride his previous pursuits of pleasure. He will not relish such desires, nor will he bring them to mind. Instead, he will regret them and regard them as flaws. This is the second cultivation.

4.B.­1133

“ ‘As a monk continues to carefully familiarize himself with this practice, he develops an ability to be unswayed by objects. This brings the bonds of latent tendencies to exhaustion. This careful practice and development of carefulness is the third cultivation.

4.B.­1134

“ ‘As a monk persists in his practice, he brings virtuous factors to mind and becomes accustomed to them. Thus, he will think, “My present virtuous factors ripen in enjoyable ways and constitute enjoyable causes and conditions. I shall experience a delightful ripening.” With respect to unvirtuous factors, he conceives of them in a similar way. When such practice manifests, this is the fourth cultivation.

4.B.­1135

“ ‘As a monk persists in his practice, he will wonder, “From where do my pleasant sensations come? What is their nature, and what are their causes, conditions, and bases? Do they not distract my mind?” In this manner, he will familiarize himself with the way sensations really are and will regard them as futile. Thus, as he accustoms himself to their being false, fake, and futile, this is the fifth cultivation.

4.B.­1136

“ ‘As a monk continues his practice he will feel, “Formations are all impermanent, painful, empty, and devoid of self. They are false and arise by mutual forces; none of them are the product of a single agent.” As he accustoms himself to this and thus develops detachment, he accomplishes the sixth cultivation.

4.B.­1137

“ ‘As a monk proceeds with the seventh cultivation, he will think, “My virtuous mental activity produces virtue. The result of this virtuous cause is that other ways of thinking diminish so that I no longer maintain such frames of reference. [F.249.a] Similarly, if I should harbor any unvirtuous mental activity, it would diminish my virtuous thoughts and create obstacles for my virtuous qualities.” Constantly maintaining this focus is the seventh cultivation.

4.B.­1138

“ ‘As a monk proceeds with the eighth cultivation, he thinks, “Phenomena are comprised of both universal and particular characteristics, and they all retain their own specific characteristics. In this regard, phenomena remain distinct by their own, intrinsic nature. As I was born, I shall undoubtedly die, because there is no conditioned phenomenon that does not bear the three characteristics.” The monk who thus contemplates the impermanence of all phenomena is practicing the eighth cultivation.

4.B.­1139

“ ‘A monk then continues with the ninth cultivation, familiarizing himself with the three remedies‍—repulsiveness, love, and dependent origination‍—that target the three roots of affliction, which are desire, anger, and delusion. This process of familiarization and constant bringing to mind is the ninth cultivation.

4.B.­1140

“ ‘Next a monk practices the tenth cultivation by recollecting the qualities of the buddhas for the sake of the benefit and happiness of the world. Thus, he recollects, “Whoever wishes to constantly benefit themselves should cultivate this!” This is the tenth cultivation.

4.B.­1141

“ ‘A monk also practices an eleventh cultivation, practicing in a way that is continuous and gradual. Thus, in every instant he familiarizes himself with the teachings he has received.

4.B.­1142

“ ‘Monks or others who practice in this way‍—continuously, from moment to moment, from the time of emerging from the womb and being born through to death, throughout the occasions of being in the womb, youth, adulthood, and old age‍—will, at the time of death, not fall under the power of the henchmen of the Lord of Death, nor will they see any of the ghastly evildoers. [F.249.b]

4.B.­1143

“ ‘Those who properly cultivate thirteen recollections accomplish benefits and happiness and, in the end, they go beyond suffering. What are the thirteen? They are the practice of carefully and mindfully recollecting things in a way that is sustained and free from distraction. Thus, one recollects that the bodies referred to as women, whether attractive or not, internally smell awful, are unstable, and resemble a pile of excrement. When one enters a city or town to obtain alms with this unwavering recollection, or when one walks in this way through the land, one will not become sidetracked by thoughts of women. Why not? Because one remains mindful. This is the first recollection.

4.B.­1144

“ ‘Likewise, when in the outer world one comes across delightful forests, rivers, ponds, or groves, one cultivates mindfulness, recollecting that “These delightful things occur in spring and captivate the minds of immature beings, but later they all deteriorate and become unattractive‍—the petals wither and the leaves dry out. Now they are beautiful, but they will not remain like that. Alas, what is so delightful about this?” With such recollection, one remains free from attachment, is unaffected by the objects, and remains unscathed by the māras.

4.B.­1145

“ ‘Further, in order to accomplish objectives and benefits, one also cultivates a third recollection. What is being recollected and what are the relevant types of apprehension? Whenever one is remembering one’s previous meals, sleep, enjoyments, or experiences, one does not entertain any thoughts about them and does not cling to them. Instead, one recollects, “The senses of ordinary, childish beings are insatiable.” [F.250.a]

4.B.­1146

“ ‘The fourth recollection ensures that one does not get excited but remains detached even if one obtains abundant gifts, respect, bedding, or medical supplies. The compulsion to become rich and famous is corrupting for a mendicant. Such a person’s skin will crack open, and then the same will happen to his flesh. As his flesh breaks open, his veins will be severed, and when his veins are cut, his bones will crack, and the marrow will ooze out. Such are the effects of wealth and fame. Wealth and fame are obstacles to all virtuous qualities. Therefore, the proper practice of recollection is to be one-pointedly mindful of that.

4.B.­1147

“ ‘Next, a fifth recollection is cultivated. Here one does not roam towns, cities, or populated areas. One does not stay in towns and does not engage in conversations with people. One does not participate in mundane diversions or celebrations. Those who stay in towns, cities, or populated areas become distracted and are unable even to take care of themselves. Mindfulness arises as one sees those facts.

4.B.­1148

“ ‘Next, a sixth recollection is cultivated. Considering the abovementioned contexts to be faulty, one instead resides alone and unaccompanied in charnel grounds, at the foot of a tree, in a haystack, in a mountain wilderness, or in an abandoned building. The monk who thus remains uninvolved will accomplish virtuous qualities and relinquish what is to be relinquished.

4.B.­1149

“ ‘Next, a seventh recollection is cultivated. In this case, one does not become excited by accounts of the divine realms, nor does one become depressed by accounts of the hells. Instead, one thinks, “The gods will fall in the end. They will be hurt and come under the control of the Lord of Death’s henchmen. The beings in hell are also dragged along by karmic action. I find nothing to rejoice in here, [F.250.b] and I shall also discourage others from doing so.” Thus, one is neither fond of the higher realms nor fearful of hell. This abandonment of fondness and fear is, in essence, the recollection of virtue, and thus one cultivates this recollection.

4.B.­1150

“ ‘Next, an eighth recollection is cultivated. In this case, one thinks, “It is good that I remain mindful, for it causes the appearance of unvirtuous phenomena to wane and wear out, crushing and relinquishing them. On the other hand, when unvirtuous factors arise in my mind, it makes my mindfulness decrease and causes obstacles. Hence, I shall develop virtuous recollections.” Thus, from moment to moment, one pays careful attention to perceived objects and characteristics. As one’s recollections become continuous and consolidated within the mind, one’s mindfulness becomes dexterous and one will be able to stay clear of the enemy‍—the billowing waves in the river of mistaken objects.

4.B.­1151

“ ‘Next, a ninth recollection is cultivated. In this case, every single day, one recollects the qualities of the buddhas and develops constant respect for the sacred Dharma. One gives rise to faith in spiritual teachers, adheres to their practices, and develops a mind of tremendous equanimity. One confines one’s visual sphere to the length of a yoke and remains mindful with the wish to benefit all sentient beings. This effective cultivation of mindfulness will eventually culminate in the transcendence of suffering.

4.B.­1152

“ ‘Next, a tenth recollection is cultivated. As one’s mindfulness becomes tremendously stable, one remains aware of the immanence of four great terrors: aging, disease, destitution, and death. Constantly fearful of those great enemies, one does not think happy thoughts. Additionally, one sees four factors to be extremely unstable: life, health, youth, and prosperity. In this way, while constantly fearful of the four terrors, one also accustoms oneself to the four instabilities, and thus one will not be harmed by objects and will not become swayed by desires. [F.251.a] In this way, while remaining mindful, one gains the power to bring down the mountain of afflictions.

4.B.­1153

“ ‘Next, an eleventh recollection is cultivated. In this case, one strives for virtue but without discriminating against others. One is also not lazy or negligent. Since it is detrimental for one person to discriminate against another, one will also abstain from harming or benefiting others. In this way, one’s mind brightens, one’s mindfulness becomes dexterous, and one eagerly practices non-aggression.

4.B.­1154

“ ‘Next, a twelfth recollection is cultivated. In this case, one is constantly eager to listen to the Dharma. Those who eagerly listen to and retain the Dharma will in turn come to firmly uphold it. Thus, one will know how to distinguish evil from its opposite. As when forms hidden in the dark become perceptible with the help of a lamp, one becomes able to see what is evil and virtuous by means of the lamp of the Dharma taught by the blessed ones. Those who develop a mindfulness that is tremendously stable will not be caught in the net of afflictions and will not fall under the sway of the māras. This is how one cultivates the twelfth recollection.

4.B.­1155

“ ‘Next, a thirteenth recollection is cultivated. In this case, one is continuously mindful of the characteristics of the body, mind, and sensations. That which is kept in mind in this way is thereby ascertained and firmly observed. Such mental activity will prevent one from being careless and ensure that one is careful. One who does so will not be ruled by the henchmen of the Lord of Death and instead become independent. One’s recollection will not wane and one will avoid engagements that are untimely or involve the wrong objects or the wrong activities. In this way, these recollections are connected to all aspects of mindfulness.

4.B.­1156

“ ‘It was also said that “the fourteen types of mind must be cultivated.” As those fourteen are fully cultivated and mastered, [F.251.b] the mind will become thoroughly trained and extremely pure. Hence, one will no longer be ruined by carelessness. The fourteen are interest, diligence, serenity, respect for teachers, giving up unwholesome company, familiarization with the words of buddhas, familiarization with correct mental activity, giving up agitation, faith in the causal relationships pertaining to Dharma and non-Dharma, forgetting previous desires, giving up ogling females, avoiding company and associations with friends, apprehending all objects correctly, and fear of birth and death. Training the mind with those fourteen is a very thorough practice. Such causes will bring complete purification, and one will not encounter the messengers of the lower realms at the time of death, the gates to the lower realms will not open, one will not be mistaken with respect to the sacred Dharma, one will not be led off as if pulled by a rope around one’s neck, and one will no longer act like an evil man’s trusted messenger. Those fourteen ensure that one attains the sacred Dharma, and they train and purify the mind tremendously. Thus, those who perfect them will be ushered in among gods and humans, and later the door to the city of suffering’s transcendence will be opened to them. Therefore, mighty ones, those who train their minds with those factors will accomplish tremendous purification. They will not fall under the sway of the henchmen of the Lord of Death.’

4.B.­1157

“The gods are struck by fear of the lower realms and distressed by the sight of the Lord of Death’s henchmen; Śakra will continue to teach the Dharma to them: ‘Here, I have taught you the Dharma gradually, by means of a set of fourteen factors. Now I shall similarly explain to you a set of fifteen principles. What are the fifteen principles? They are the ones associated with relinquishment, contempt, discernment, and reversal once one has emerged from the household and committed to the life of a mendicant. [F.252.a] First of all one must recognize the saffron-colored robes and wear the saffron-colored garments in such a way that they serve to prevent pride. Why is that? Because those who are otherwise infatuated with pride on account of their saffron-colored robes behave and act like oxen and arrogantly indulge in flirtation. They do not practice virtuous factors but indulge in ogling women. As they become agitated, the pride they have due to their robes also leads to other disrespectful attitudes. Therefore, this clothing must be such that it protects one from heat and cold and simply covers one’s body. That way, one will not fall prey to carelessness and, consequently, one will not have any regrets at the time of death. This is the first among the principles to be understood.

4.B.­1158

“ ‘The second principle to understand is the mendicant’s contentment. When a religious person or a mendicant considers taking on the discipline and thus begins to follow the precepts, he should not accept bedding, medical supplies, or the like from benefactors and donors. In that way, he will avoid obstacles. That is the second principle to be understood.

4.B.­1159

“ ‘The third principle to understand is that if one becomes attached to proper beds, one may give up dwelling in the wilderness and forests and instead go to receive alms at places that are not advantageous, or one might go, filled with desire, to a town or city where plentiful gruel is offered. In such cases, great obstacles will occur, one will fail to practice virtuous qualities, and one will end up lacking contentment. Therefore, the best of mendicants is the one who is content and careful. Mendicants who lack contentment and are fond of sleep are deceived [F.252.b] and will encounter obstacles among unvirtuous people, as if they were eating filthy vomit. [B42]

4.B.­1160

“ ‘Furthermore, the fourth principle to understand is as follows. One might be very skilled in reciting the scriptures and, thinking that this practice alone suffices, one might fail to train further. Instead, one should practice contentment by thinking, “If benefactors and donors hear me recite, they might provide me with medical supplies and various other necessities. Yet this would only create obstacles for me, so that would not be proper.” Thus, the monk will develop contentment.

4.B.­1161

“ ‘The fifth principle to understand concerns having few desires, being content, and being careful. This relates to when the saṅgha entrusts a monk to obtain medicine or provisions by sending him to visit benefactors and donors. When visiting households on this errand, the monk may end up consuming alcoholic beverages in the presence of the benefactors. In this way, he will encounter destructive and harmful obstacles, and his physical hardships and effort will be meaningless. Why is that? Because he goes to those homes in a covetous state of mind and craves the taste of alcohol. In this way, he goes there in a disrespectful manner. Thus, he neither benefits himself nor the sick, nor does he accomplish the tasks of the saṅgha. Among all forms of disrespectful activity, these three are the greatest: visiting the home of a single person, taking pleasure in food and drink, and engaging in meaningless chatter. Both mundane people as well as those who transcend the world will scorn those three. Therefore, these should be given up by those who adhere to contentment and carefulness.

4.B.­1162

“ ‘Moreover, the sixth principle to understand is as follows. A mendicant who is practicing in order to curtail great desires, [F.253.a] or a monk who genuinely lives by alms, should only accept an amount of alms that is sufficient for one day, and he should not collect anything for the next day. If he becomes attached, he will lose his humility, and his mind will be disturbed in terms of his concentration and his desires. If he begins to worry that his alms will run out, he will become attached to even minor things that will turn into obstacles. Needless to mention that it will also be an obstacle if he should develop desire for wealth or praise. Any craving in relation to one’s possessions constitutes a strong bond.

4.B.­1163

“ ‘What, then, is the seventh principle to understand? When traveling through a land or area where people have not heard of or seen him before, a monk who is practicing to curtail great desires should not say to the local people that he has gone forth from a great family. He should not say, “I became ordained within such and such a great caste, I am a monk that hails from an important family.” Likewise, if his companions or assistants should say so, he ought to stop them. If a benefactor or donor should offer more bedding or medical supplies than the minimum required for spiritual practice, the monk may think, “If I accept this, I will become an owner of property. But if I don’t accept it, this person will be unhappy. If he becomes unhappy with me, that will turn into an obstacle for him, and that would not be helpful in the next life.” When a monk keeps property based on this knowledge, he will curtail great desire, he will not be caught up in existence, and he will not become distracted but maintain mindfulness. He will take full delight in the sacred Dharma and the practice of concentration. Correctly observing body, mind, sensations, and phenomena, he will decrease great desire and thus be able to break free from the prison of existence. [F.253.b]

4.B.­1164

“ ‘A monk who is practicing in order to curtail great desires and who is content and free from the terrors of wealth and fame must also understand an eighth principle. What is that principle? Such a person should not travel, stay, or walk with a mendicant who mingles with many people, who has plenty of pots and other utensils, who is obsessed with being rich and famous, who is attached to food, who is excited about invitations, and who wants to visit friends and relatives. Why is that? Because people will know and talk about that monk who is ruined by carelessness and thus obsessed with wealth and fame. In this way, those who associate with him will also become corrupted by wealth and fame. On the other hand, if one does not accept all the things that the other monk has received, that will upset the monk who has all the pots and utensils and who is fond of invitations. That monk will then go before benefactors and donors to defame the monk who is practicing to curtail great desires and tell them, “That monk is a hypocrite. He keeps fooling everyone, but inside he is a sinner.” This will thereby harm both the other monk and the first one. Therefore, in consideration of the ensuing mental flaws, a monk who is practicing to curtail great desires should not associate with someone who is filled with great desires.

4.B.­1165

“ ‘A monk who is practicing to curtail great desires, who is afraid and wary of cyclic existence, who stays clear of wealth and fame, and who remains in constant mental composure, should also comprehend a ninth principle. What is that principle? If a householder who is learned in the fields of knowledge takes ordination, he should not advertise his learning. He should not let it be known that he is an accomplished doctor, painter, dancer, phlebotomist, or the like, nor should he broadcast that he is learned in one of the other fields. Why is that? If benefactors or donors consider him to be obsessed with being rich and famous, that will become an obstacle for him, [F.254.a] and, if he becomes attached to these factors, he will fail to cultivate virtuous factors. He will not develop a one-pointed mind, and his mind will not be directed toward the sustenance of concentration. Instead, he will encounter obstacles and fail to benefit himself or others. One must therefore distance oneself from that and give up such ways of thinking and such attachments entirely, since they are not helpful.

4.B.­1166

“ ‘An intelligent monk who is practicing to curtail great desires, and who is intent on giving up wealth and fame, should also comprehend a tenth principle. It may happen that he arrives at a temple near a city, town, village, or market and finds the place to be full of monks and nuns who live alongside restaurants, bars, merchants, and fornicators. He may also see that some monks there are living in huts together with non-monastic company. In that case, that monk who is practicing to curtail great desires, whose mind is serene, and who is intent on severing the bonds of the māras should not take up residence there. Why is that? Because as the people of that city, town, village, or market come to understand that the monks there are unstable and that their discipline is flawed, they may choose to offer their wealth and respect to that single monk alone. If at that point the monk accepts their offerings, his great desires will not diminish. However, if he does not accept them, that could become an obstacle for the donors. The situation may also become an obstacle for other monks, who might incur the flaw of resenting those who donate exclusively to that single monk. Hence, since it involves all these problems, a monk who is practicing in order to curtail great desires should not stay with individuals who live in such ways.

4.B.­1167

“ ‘Next, an eleventh principle must be comprehended. If omens should appear in one’s mind due to mundane insight, one should not disclose these to others. If one does so, others may take one to be a worthy one and hence offer their wealth and respect, and that may become an obstacle. One will fail to diminish great desires. [F.254.b]

4.B.­1168

“ ‘Next, a twelfth principle must be comprehended. Someone who has received little education may carry relics of the Blessed One from city to city, town to town, village to village, and market to market, thus displaying these wondrous articles with the hope that benefactors may be inspired to offer great gifts to such objects. Moreover, such a person may also commend, praise, and attempt to please another monk who is practicing to curtail great desires and who is tremendously learned. In this way, he will seek to associate with the learned monk so as to obtain the wealth of donors and benefactors, who seek Dharma teachings from the learned monk and have respect for the relics on display. Yet, a person who is practicing to curtail great desires and who is thoroughly content should not accompany or reside with such an individual, because if benefactors and donors become aware that the other person’s discipline is flawed, that will become an obstacle for them. Therefore, whoever has a correct attitude, or who is terrified and afraid of the realm of the Lord of Death, or who is cautious of becoming careless, should not accompany people with flawed discipline.

4.B.­1169

“ ‘Next, a thirteenth principle must be understood. A monk who is practicing to curtail great desires, who lives as a mendicant, who abides by carefulness, and who has given up attachment to food must be steadfast without being influenced by others.

4.B.­1170

“ ‘Next, a fourteenth principle must be comprehended. Someone who lives at a garbage dump and is content with refuse should for the sake of developing contentment only wear clothing that is already worn out.

4.B.­1171

“ ‘A monk who is content and who crushes the hordes of the māras should also comprehend a fifteenth principle. What is that fifteenth principle? Someone who gives up unwholesome company, resides alone, and displays a solitary lifestyle should bring down the great mountain of afflictions that have otherwise endured since time without beginning. People endowed with such contentment will possess tremendous happiness, and at the time of death, they will not fall under the power of Lord of Death’s henchmen. [F.255.a] They will not perceive the hideous bodies, faces, and eyes of the Lord of Death’s messengers, and they will be completely fearless.’


4.B.­1172

“At that point Śakra will utter the following verses:

“ ‘To the extent that those who persevere in the vows
Are able to rely on contentment,
The closer they come
To entering peace.
4.B.­1173
“ ‘Those who disengage from their various activities
And pursue the transcendence of suffering
Will never enter into
The land of the māras.
4.B.­1174
“ ‘How could those whose minds are free from desire,
Who always act diligently,
And who constantly seek wisdom
Possibly wish to suffer?
4.B.­1175
“ ‘Those who remember their past fears,
Who encounter any present fears with wisdom,
And who possess contentment in the future
Will be free from the ties of the afflictions.
4.B.­1176
“ ‘Those who constantly delight in being careful,
Who are intelligent and free from longing,
And who rely on stainless knowledge
Will remain within the limit of suffering’s transcendence.
4.B.­1177
“ ‘If their carelessness decreases,
The gods attain great bliss,
But people who remain careless
Are going to die.
4.B.­1178
“ ‘Therefore, the same obviously holds
For those who are deluded and careless.
Those who are sustained by the water of wisdom
Without ever becoming intoxicated,
4.B.­1179
“ ‘And who are careful rather than careless,
Are deemed to be supreme.
Carelessness is the root of suffering,
A death-like flaw that has to be given up.’
4.B.­1180

“In this manner, Śakra will teach the Dharma to the gods who are frightened by the illusory henchmen of the Lord of Death.

4.B.­1181

“Thereafter, when the gods whose minds are bright and desirous begin to see the various forms of the Lord of Death’s henchmen disappear, they will all rejoice. Also, the gods who have been hiding in fear and terror within the parks and forests will now begin to come forward as they see Śakra teaching the Dharma. Knowing the minds of the gods, Śakra will gradually let the emanated henchmen disappear, to the delight of the gods. Those among the gods who have developed respect for the Dharma and who have listened to the teachings will now supplicate Śakra, saying, [F.255.b] ‘Now we truly see the power of the Dharma! The henchmen of the Lord of Death run away and disappear the more you teach us the Dharma! If merely listening to the Blessed One’s Dharma-Vinaya is that powerful, then what are we to think about actually putting it into practice! That will certainly bring one to the realm of immortality.’

4.B.­1182

“Thoroughly delighted, Śakra will then think to himself, ‘I have been successful in all regards. I have caught all those who roamed in utter careless with the noose of carefulness. I shall therefore continue to teach the profound Dharma, just as I have heard it from other masters, to those who now rejoice in the teaching.

4.B.­1183

“ ‘Mindfulness of the movement of the breath opens the gates to the city of liberation. Thus have I heard it transmitted previously among the gods, just as I have heard it explained by the Blessed One. I shall now convey to the gods precisely that which I have heard. I shall convey to them the account of the four truths of noble beings and I shall explain to them how each one of the four truths can itself be divided into four. In this way, I shall benefit the gods tremendously. I shall teach the Dharma by means of methods that are extremely beneficial and implant the teachings within the minds of those who are caught in cyclic existence.

4.B.­1184

“ ‘I have already taught the fifteen principles. Now I shall teach the gods about the gradual application of the sixteen stages of mindfulness of breathing and relate this to the topic of the noble truths and thereby account for their divisions as well as their particular and causal characteristics.’

4.B.­1185

“He then speaks as follows: ‘What are the stages? Spiritual practitioners direct their monkey-like minds to the various aspects of the body. The primary method used to direct their minds so as to tame their consciousness is one-pointed mind. Next, they gradually concern themselves with the characteristics of the body, thus maintaining an observation of the afflictive, non-afflictive, and neutral features of the body. [F.256.a] Then they shall maintain an observation of the pleasant, painful, and neutral characteristics of sensations. Finally, they maintain an observation of virtuous, unvirtuous, or indeterminate phenomena. In this manner, they correctly observe the characteristics of the four applications of mindfulness.

4.B.­1186

“ ‘In this way, spiritual practitioners pursue knowledge of the Dharma. They engage with peace and understanding, observe the characteristics of all conditioned factors, and apply this fourfold mindfulness to the characteristics of the four truths of noble beings. All applications of mindfulness concern factors that are impermanent from one moment to the next, empty in the absence of any permanent controlling agency, selfless in the absence of any controlling agency, and painfully afflictive, destructing, and transitory. In this manner, they observe the four applications of mindfulness.

4.B.­1187

“ ‘As they correctly observe the individual characteristics of the four truths of noble beings, there arises the Dharma-mind referred to as heat. Smoke precedes the emergence of fire, and heat occurs before fire breaks out when friction is created between two pieces of wood. Similarly, heat arises as a sign that the remedy against all afflictions and ignorance is being applied. This simply refers to the joy and inspiration felt as one analyzes the noble Dharma-Vinaya’s four truths of noble beings in terms of their sixteen aspects.

4.B.­1188

“ ‘Mighty ones, how do the properties of heat manifest, and how does one discern the aspects of the four truths of noble beings? The noble ones’ truth of suffering is as follows. A spiritual practitioner discerns four features of the noble ones’ truth of suffering, seeing impermanence due to causes and conditions, pain due to harms, emptiness in the absence of a person, and absence of self since there is no controlling agency. After the noble ones’ truth of suffering comes the truth of origin, which is likewise discerned in terms of four aspects. [F.256.b] In this regard, there is origination because the factors of conditioning arise in relation, causality since effects occur in causal concordance, production in terms of all the discerned factors, and conditionality because of relations that produce discordant effects. Also, the truth of cessation is discerned as fourfold. Mighty ones, how do spiritual practitioners discern this? They distinguish cessation in the absence of all afflictions, peace since the fire of affliction is extinguished, excellence because this is the foremost among all factors, and deliverance since there is liberation from cyclic existence. Mighty ones, a spiritual practitioner also discerns the path in terms of the four features: path because of the attainment of awakening and liberation, reason in the absence of error, practice since it supports all noble beings, and release since all the afflictions of cyclic existence are terminated.

4.B.­1189

“ ‘Thus, I have now taught you the sixteen features of great spiritual practice, and this is what is understood by heat. As the phenomena of heat increase, the phenomena of summit arise. Thus, a spiritual practitioner who has faith regarding the qualities of the Three Jewels and the flaws of the aggregates will discern a “summit” that surpasses the rest with its special qualities. This so-called summit is comparable to a mountain peak. Next, mighty ones, as the state of summit increases, there follows a state known as acceptance. This is a state that accords with the summit and produces roots of virtue. However, this state differs from the summit due to its acceptance of the truth of the three occasions.322 In this regard, because of such acceptance, these factors are known as acceptance. The increase of acceptance brings the instantaneous manifestation of the supreme among all mundane phenomena. That is when such a mind and mental states arise. Subsequent to the attainment of supreme phenomena comes entry into the stream, at which point one gains control of one’s body. One will then neither see nor fear any henchmen of the Lord of Death. The primary factor for all those attainments [F.257.a] is familiarity with carefulness.’


4.B.­1190

“At this point Śakra will utter the following verses:

“ ‘Those who know the practice of exhaling and inhaling
Are aware of the reality of the sixteen features.
Those who understand the way of heat
Will be expert regarding the nature of acceptance.
4.B.­1191
“ ‘With knowledge of the supreme among mundane phenomena,
Recognition of reality will follow.
Those who gradually become aware of reality
Do not waver from the authentic path.
4.B.­1192
“ ‘With freedom from the three bonds,
There will be no eightfold fear and terror.
For the steadfast there are no eight lower realms;
This is known as the state of a stream enterer.
4.B.­1193
“ ‘The unwholesome factors that otherwise
Certainly lead to the lower realms are dispelled,
And one enters the stream of liberation.
This is the stage of a stream enterer.
4.B.­1194

“ ‘Therefore, you must certainly follow these paths. In this way I have taught the sixteenfold mindfulness of breathing to you who fear the henchmen of the Lord of Death.

4.B.­1195

“ ‘Mighty ones, gods or humans who fear the henchmen of the Lord of Death must relinquish the seventeen factors that connect one to the intermediate existence. What is meant by the intermediate existence? This refers to the forms that appear at the time of death. When human beings die in the realm of humans and are about to be born among the gods, they will perceive delightful signs in the intermediate existence. Thus, white fabrics or slender, smooth trumpet-flowers will fall, and at the same time they will feel extremely joyous and their faces will brighten. Thereafter they will perceive delightful forests, ponds, rivers, landscapes, and parks, and they will hear laughter, joking, and captivating songs. [F.257.b] Next, they will sense delicious and unprecedented fragrances of numerous fine substances. Then, they will experience extremely smooth textures, and after that, the gods and goddesses will appear. Such are the manifestations of positive karmic actions. When such people’s vital functions have been cut off, these signs will manifest, and they will bear beautiful smiles and their faces will have a clear hue. These diseased people will be taken in by those signs and so they will not see, hear, or think of their crying and lamenting family and friends. Instead, they will die while experiencing extremely pleasant phenomena.

4.B.­1196

“ ‘Such a deeply enjoyable intermediate existence occurs in accord with the realms of the gods, just as when a seal leaves its imprint. Reflections of the god realms appear in concordance with the six abodes of the desire realm, and thus one experiences enjoyments, places, textures, and sights that accord with those realms. Later, during the period of becoming, one will perceive the heaven into which one is to be born as extremely excellent and will therefore take birth there due to one’s craving for objects. This is how one is born, and this is how the first intermediate existence is perceived.

4.B.­1197

“ ‘Mighty gods, what other intermediate existences are there? If human beings die in Jambudvīpa and are to be born in the continent of Kuru to the north, they will perceive a red fabric with white apertures that is light, smooth, and extremely beautiful. They will become attached to that and hold on to it. People who die this way will be waving their hands through the air and those around them will say that he or she is grasping at the sky. Then a wind will rise and, at the time of death, they will first feel cold and seek warmth. Warmth will then manifest and the cold will disappear. Their contact with the warmth produces pleasure, and as they focus on that pleasure, their minds become consumed [F.258.a] by it to the extent that they no longer hear any sounds of crying, lamentation, or desperation. However, in some rare circumstances, their previous karmic actions lack stability, and thus they may nevertheless hear some noises. In that case they will be carried elsewhere by the winds of karmic action. This is how family and friends can create obstacles at the time of death. Otherwise, they will take birth in Kuru in the north. As the signs of virtue begin to manifest, they will perceive a blue lake full of swans, ducks, and geese and notice that the lake is covered by flowers. They will proceed to rush toward the lake. Then, as the final moments of their lives pass, they die. Next, the vision of the lake will unfold and they will begin to frolic among the lotus flowers. If they are about to take birth from a mother’s womb in the continent of Kuru in the north, they will move from the lake onto dry land. There, they see their future parents copulating, but they will misinterpret the sight, taking it instead to be a pair of mating geese. If they are about to become a woman, they will perceive themselves as a female goose, and if they are about to become a man, they will see themselves as a male goose. In the latter case, they will chase away the male goose and then copulate with their future mother. That leads to birth in Kuru in the north. Such is the second intermediate existence.

4.B.­1198

“ ‘If, following one’s death in Jambudvīpa, one is about to be born among the humans on the continent of Godānīya in the west, one will at the time of death perceive one’s entire home as yellow, and one will perceive a cloud-like fabric of a fine yellow color. As one seeks to clutch onto the fabric, those nearby will cry and say that he or she is grasping at the sky. Then follows the final moment of mind in the death process, and one will thereafter perceive the forms of cows and herds of cattle, as if in a dream. During the intercourse of one’s prospective parents, one will, if one is about to be born as a man, see oneself as a magnificent bull that challenges the head of the herd. [F.258.b] Successfully chasing away one’s father, one next copulates with one’s mother, and so one is born on Godānīya in the west. Such is the third intermediate existence.

4.B.­1199

“ ‘A fourth intermediate existence leads to birth among the humans on the continent of Videha in the east. In such a case, one will, at the end of one’s life, on the verge of death, perceive a blue fabric and, even though one remains within one’s home, one will behold a beautiful deep blue sky. While enjoying that sight, one will also be concerned that the sky might fall upon oneself. At that point, the assembled friends will say that he or she is grasping at the sky. Next follows the moment at the end of the death process, and in the ensuing intermediate existence one will now perceive oneself as a horse. On the continent of Videha in the east, one will then see one’s future parents as a copulating stallion and mare. If one is about to be born as a male, one will feel like mounting the mare, and if one is going to become a female, one will want to be mounted by the stallion. Such is the fourth intermediate existence.

4.B.­1200

“ ‘A fifth intermediate existence comes about in the following way. What are the definitive signs, in accord with the higher realms, that can be seen when someone is dying in Videha in the east? Mighty ones, when someone who has performed great actions, and in particular great mind-governed actions, dies, the following signs will occur when he or she is about to be born into the world of the gods. As if in a dream, one will at first feel alone and try to hold on to the sky. Then, as if in a dream, one will perceive beautiful and fragrant flowers in the most exquisite colors. [F.259.a] Those magnificent flowers are blue, yellow, red, and white. As they appear in one’s hands, one will develop a fondness for them, thinking, ‘I wish to see and climb the great trees from which these flowers come.’ Then, following those mental perceptions, the mind intent on the future life arises. Thus, in the intermediate existence one will perceive many different trees with blue, yellow, and white flowers. At that point one thinks, ‘I must climb those trees,’ and thereupon one begins to climb the trees, or, alternatively, one begins to climb Mount Sumeru. Next, one beholds the world of the gods with its beautiful flowers and fruits. At that point, one will think, ‘I must go there! I want to live in those lands with such perfect fruits!’ Such is the fifth type of minor birth.

4.B.­1201

“ ‘A sixth intermediate existence is as follows. When those on the continent of Kuru in the north, who have performed previous actions of an intermediate quality, die there, certain signs will manifest in the intermediate existence. At the time of death, such people will perceive an extremely beautiful lotus flower adorned by gorgeous bees. Attached to its delectable fragrance, the beings in the intermediate state will climb the flower, yet as soon as they begin to ascend it, the flower will soar off into space. Alternatively, they may also just find themselves ascending into the sky, as if in a dream. At the time of their birth, they will perceive beautiful lotus flowers surrounded by lovely bees, and at that point they will make the wish, “May this place with such flowers be mine!” At that very moment, they will take birth‍—such are the links of existence. Thus, one may also take birth among the gods in the heavens based on intermediate actions. [F.259.b]

4.B.­1202

“ ‘A seventh link to intermediate existence, which is based on excellent karmic actions, leads to a supreme birth in the realms of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. In this case, if one dies on the continent of Kuru in the north, one will at the time of one’s death perceive beautiful places and exquisite forests and parks. When facing this sight, one will begin to climb toward them, and as one keeps climbing, one will ascend into the sky. Climbing in this way, one will encounter beautiful sights everywhere, and so one will think, “Now I must go and stay here.” Birth then follows the very moment one has had this thought. That is how birth from the realm of Kuru in the north occurs based on supreme karmic actions. That is the seventh link to existence.

4.B.­1203

“ ‘As for the eighth link to existence, one may wonder how many signs occur at the time of a death on the continent of Kuru in the north. Mighty ones, one shall then perceive delightful forests that are studded with beautiful jewels, and one will enjoy the most pleasant fragrances. No terrible sensations will occur at the time of death, nor will one’s mind become muddied by any other sensation. Thus, one’s mind will be bright at the time of death. As the end of life is reached, one will perceive palaces and parklands, and the sight of them will make one think, “I must enter those palaces!” As one enters them and thus proceeds into the intermediate existence, one will see itinerant gods moving to and fro, just as one will perceive mountainous lands and ranges where the gods dwell, meet, or roam. Next, one will perceive oneself, and thus one will enter that place. Everything is experienced vividly, as if in a dream. As one beholds the many different palaces [F.260.a] and their abundant pleasures, one will think, “I must enter there!” As soon as that thought occurs, one is born. Such is the way that becoming manifests, conditioned by grasping, within the links of existence. This way of taking birth can be the result of supreme, intermediate, or lesser factors. As one sees the exquisite forests, groves, and parks, one will develop desire for them, and so one is born into this realm from Kuru in the north.

4.B.­1204

“ ‘When one takes birth here from Kuru in the north, the effect that accords with its cause is a tremendous desire for pleasures. Accordingly, everyone is born with an extreme fondness for dance, song, jest, play, food, living quarters, and fun-filled visits to mountain peaks. Everyone there possesses this crazed state of mind. Why is that? Because the gods have become used to such a state of mind and so, having spent their past human lives within that, their craving has now become extremely powerful. Mighty ones, such are the signs, the cooling,323 and the bases that manifest when someone is born here after having died in Kuru in the north.

4.B.­1205

“ ‘How are humans who die on the continent of Godānīya in the west born among the gods based on karmic actions that are to be experienced in other lives, or karmic actions to be experienced in the subsequent life? What are the signs that accompany such an impending existence? What signs of the intermediate existence will be seen vividly, as if in a dream? Mighty ones, when people on the western continent of Godānīya are dying and the moment of death arrives, those who are moved by positive karmic conditions will not hear forceful noises, nor will they experience painful sickness, and their senses will remain lucid. Instead, they will perceive a clear blue river, colored like beryl, [F.260.b] and, wanting to stay in the river, they will enter the water and swim. The water’s temperature is neither too cold nor overly warm. They are then carried by the water, and the closer they come to the other shore, the closer they get to their ensuing birth. As they take birth due to afflictions, they will then perceive that the shore is filled with gorgeous jewelry-clad women who are singing and dancing. Seeing them, they will feel sexual desire and thus they will approach the women with the urge to have intercourse. When one couples with one of the women, conception occurs, and one experiences the divine pleasures. Birth is the time of awakening from the dream-like, vivid appearances of the intermediate existence to see forms clearly. Such is the tenth intermediate existence.324

4.B.­1206

“ ‘On the continent of Godānīya in the west, the appearances are of the same kind regardless of whether one is born due to intermediate or lesser karmic actions. The perceptions in the intermediate existence are the same and the stages of birth are similar. This is unlike Kuru in the north, as the three characteristics are all of the same type.325

4.B.­1207

“ ‘Mighty ones, when people on the continent of Videha in the east die‍—at which point they are reborn and meet with various signs, realms, and death experiences‍—what are the signs that they perceive? As their lives in Videha come to an end, they will perceive a delightful mansion with a fenced enclave of standards and banners. Within that home of the intermediate existence, they will feel joyous and, as they run from one object to the next, they draw closer to their rebirth. Outside this place, they will then perceive, as if in a dream, the tuneful melodies of women singing and dancing, dressed in beautiful garments. They will also behold men singing and dancing. Thus, they will feel, “I should go there to gaze upon those men and women, and to sing and dance with them. Those people who sing and dance are so attractive and delightful to listen to. [F.261.a] So I must go and mingle with them.” Conception then occurs when they subsequently think, “Now I have commingled with them.” At that point, the men and women disappear, and instead they behold their rebirth amid the perfect forests and gardens in the heavens.

4.B.­1208

“ ‘The eleventh setting pertains to the four human abodes as well as the infinite other forms of life in the world. Mighty ones, the way these life forms occur is subtle and cannot be comprehended through the learning of outsiders or by means of a mundane view.

4.B.­1209

“ ‘When the unvirtuous actions that caused beings to be born as starving spirits are exhausted, the experience of the consequences of those flawed actions likewise comes to an end. Thus, positive actions that were performed in other realms and are of a kind to be experienced in other lives‍—actions that were beautiful like the love of parents and of the type that must be experienced‍—may cause such beings to be born among the gods. What are the signs that manifest in such cases? What signs manifest to the mind of such beings at the end of their lives? Mighty ones, when starving spirits are about to die and be reborn in the higher realms, they will experience a decrease in their physical torments from hunger and thirst, and their minds will be less disturbed by envy and stinginess. Their constant yearning and craving for food and drink will grow less intense, and they will no longer have to run around in constant pursuit of food and drink. Their bodies will cool and no longer feel as rigid. Their hair will not be as long and ugly as before, and the worms that otherwise fill their bodies will be destroyed. Their faces will brighten, and they will experience a cool and delightful breeze. Then, as they approach the experiences at the end of their lives, their hunger and thirst will decrease tremendously, [F.261.b] and they will suddenly feel satisfied. Moreover, the ravens and owls that had been continuously devouring their eyes will now disappear.

4.B.­1210

“ ‘Thereafter, in the intermediate existence, they will perceive various kinds of food and drink, and the force of their previous habituation will make them run for this sustenance. However, as their perceptions are merely mental, they can neither eat nor drink, but only perceive the various items. Something that is seen in a dream does not serve any purpose and cannot quench one’s thirst even if one drinks it. Similarly, although they see those things, they will not be satisfied. Still, merely seeing the food does make them happy. Just as one may recognize actual forms as one awakens from sleep, so these beings will now begin to witness the wondrous objects of the higher realms. Then, as they rush toward all these attractive sights, they will think, “I must lay hold of all those objects.” As soon as they begin to enjoy these objects, they are reborn. Such is the twelfth intermediate existence.

4.B.­1211

“ ‘Mighty ones, subsequent to the exhaustion of dullness there is also a thirteenth intermediate existence. All the many types of animals possess copious stupidity, and, based on their past karmic actions that are to be experienced in other lives, they live billions of such lives, experiencing the flawed karmic actions associated with hell beings, starving spirits, and animals. To live for many eons in cyclic existence, propelled by karmic actions in this way, is excruciating and extremely hard to fathom. As beings are caught in this process since time without beginning, they are helplessly compelled to wander further. It is indeed hard to believe that the flawed actions associated with the countless types of animals and their numerous foods, realms, bodies, abodes, mental seeds, and activities could possibly ever come to an end. Just as it is hard to believe that the ocean could dry up by extracting one drop of water at a time, so indeed is it incredible that the ocean of karmic actions could be emptied one drop at a time. [F.262.a]

4.B.­1212

“ ‘When one becomes free from the realms of animals, one may be born in either the Heaven of the Four Great Kings or the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. As one dies and evades the great horrors of the animal realm, the signs of the approaching great pleasures and the perceived features of the many heavenly entities defy description. That hell beings can be born in the higher realms is actually less of a wonder than the fact that starving spirits and animals can also be born there. Why is that? Because the state of mind of a starving spirit or an animal is duller than that of a hell being, and they carry out numerous misdeeds against other beings. Thus, they may, in a single life, tie themselves to many hundreds of thousands of such lives lasting altogether hundreds, thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of eons. In this way, their chains of karmic action extend from life to life. It is therefore better to be born in hell than it is to take birth among starving spirits or animals. It is much better to be born in hell than it is to become an animal.

4.B.­1213

“ ‘In the event that one manages to escape the utterly unbearable misery of the animals, one’s perceptions will generally be of the following kind. At the time of death, the animal’s mind will become comparatively less marked by the darkness of dullness, and its outlook will not be as narrow as before. It will witness the appearance of a mountain that is draped with vines and filled with waterfalls. It will also perceive caches of its regular foods upon that mountain. Whatever its conventional mind may have considered desirable and pleasant it will now behold on that mountain. Then, as if in a dream, it will experience running to that mountain for the sake of food or in order to dwell there, and the farther it runs, the closer it comes to its next birth. When its birth is impending, it will suddenly catch sight of some exceptionally desirable things. [F.262.b] Since it has not seen anything of this sort for hundreds of thousands of lives, it is struck by great wonder and marvel. Why is that? Because the nature of that sight is so different from anything it has otherwise been used to. It is so overwhelming that, as it watches these things, it will even wonder whether to go there at all. However, due to the conditions of its past positive actions, it will also feel, “I should take possession of all that.” As soon as that wish occurs, it will be born into the world of the gods. Such are the relationships of the thirteenth intermediate existence.

4.B.­1214

“ ‘Among all dancers, the most exceptional, spectacular, and unimaginable is the one who performs the great dance of variegated karmic action, the dance of the mind, the show of cyclic existence.’

4.B.­1215

“As Śakra speaks these words, the gods develop tremendous veneration, and so they will say:

“ ‘Śakra, here and beyond
You do what benefits wandering beings.
King, to us you are
Like a father or a mother.
4.B.­1216
“ ‘This frees us from carelessness
In all situations.
Beyond all confines, we progress into freedom.
Thus, you have taught us the Dharma.
4.B.­1217
“ ‘Karmic actions and their results
You have shown us directly.
Presenting the different natures of birth and death,
Śakra, you deliver your advice to the world.
4.B.­1218
“ ‘You have shown us reality,
Done us good,
And have transformed
Our dull minds into wisdom.
4.B.­1219
“ ‘Those lusting and yearning for females
In the perpetual pursuit of pleasures
Will experience cause and effect‍—
That is what you have shown us.
4.B.­1220
“ ‘Śakra, you are like eyesight to the blind
And medicine to the sick.
Like a healer, you have taught us
The path of the Dharma.
4.B.­1221
“ ‘Śakra, as you teach us
The auspicious Dharma, [F.263.a]
The Lord of Death’s henchmen with their evil eyes
Will keep losing their strength.’
4.B.­1222

“Once Śakra has explained the intermediate existence of the animals, he will begin to teach the fourteenth way in which beings are linked to the intermediate state: ‘There are some hell beings who begin to experience the ripening of positive karmic conditions and causes that are to be experienced in other lives. As they seek to be cooled down and helped, they are now freed from their indescribable sufferings due to a variety of higher and lower causes. As that happens, they may be reborn in indescribable happiness. Once beings in the great hells, such as the Reviving Hell, Black Line Hell, Crushing Hell, Howling Hell, Great Howling Hell, and Hell of Heat‍—where the ripening of hellish experiences, such as the blazing fires, is intensely hot and said to make one’s hair stand on end‍—pass from those hell realms and, in dying, exhaust that karma, what signs of dying will occur? How will they be born and die, passing from one existence to another? And how does the conditioning effect of karma cause them to experience great suffering or great happiness?

4.B.­1223

“ ‘Mighty ones, when hell beings die, exhausting their time in lower realms, they can die by experiencing being put into a clay vessel. Just by being placed there, they will evaporate like foam, and will not again take birth in another body in hell. They may also be killed with a hammer, in which case they will also not be born again in another body once they have died. They may also enter a valley and, just by entering it, their life force will be destroyed, and they will not be born again in another such body. They may also be plunged into acid and, as they dissolve, they will not be born again in another body. They may also be struck by spikes, in which case their injuries cause them to die and they will not again be born with a body in hell. [F.263.b] If they are caught and consumed by vultures or ravens, they may likewise not be born there again. If lions, tigers, bears, snow leopards, or other leopards catch and devour them, they may not have to undergo this again. In this fashion, hell beings exhaust their karma and die.

4.B.­1224

“ ‘When death strikes, all of the Lord of Death’s aggressive henchmen will disappear. They are not counted as real sentient beings and thus, just as a candle no longer shines once its wick is exhausted, so the henchmen of the Lord of Death who torture the hell beings will no longer manifest once that karma is exhausted. When the sun sets in Jambudvīpa, darkness rises. Likewise, when past karma is exhausted, the manifestations with ugly faces and complexions will also disappear. If a wall collapses, the mural painted upon it is also destroyed. Likewise, when the wall of karma collapses, the awful henchmen of the Lord of Death, who are not considered to be real sentient beings, will also be destroyed. These things have been taught by the Blessed One. In this fashion, once hell beings have exhausted the karma for being a hell being, they will be freed from it.’ [B43]


4.B.­1225

“Śakra will then utter the following verses to the gods:

“ ‘Look at how people may escape
From murderous enemies
And, in desiring happiness, may use all kinds of strategies
To surround themselves with many allies.
4.B.­1226
“ ‘In the same way, when free from the powerful karma
Of the hell realms,
Beings may reach the god realms
Through the past positive actions that lead to a peaceful rebirth.
4.B.­1227
“ ‘There, they are adorned with myriad sense pleasures
And escorted to the divine abodes.
They will then enjoy themselves
Until their karma of past positive actions is exhausted.
4.B.­1228
“ ‘Once that happens, however,
They will again helplessly fall into impure states,
Like a candle that dies out [F.264.a]
Once its wick is consumed.
4.B.­1229
“ ‘It is due to the winds of karma
That beings end up going higher or lower.
Through the power of this wind,
This world of confusion revolves.
4.B.­1230
“ ‘One who has mastered consciousness
Will not need to enter cyclic existence,
Just as the roots of a lotus flower
Cannot fracture supreme Mount Sumeru.
4.B.­1231
“ ‘Such beings will never be led
By the lasso of karma.
In this way, although they are bereft of a protector,
They are free from anguish and afflictions.
4.B.­1232
“ ‘Like the peak of Mount Sumeru,
Such stable beings do not cycle in existence.’
4.B.­1233

“Once Śakra has addressed the gods with these verses, he will continue: ‘When hell beings are about to be freed from the realms of hell, the following unprecedented signs of the intermediate existence manifest: A delightfully cool breeze stirs. Caressing their bodies, it brings great relief, a wonderful scent, and it feels very pleasant to be in. The breeze also produces a pleasing sound, which is like the sound of a tamboura or another such stringed instrument. They also notice a very pleasant scent. Moreover, they behold truly pleasing forms. Thus, they encounter forests, parks, ponds, cascades, and large lotus ponds with sweet scents. They hear the delightful sounds of singing. They see their own appearances as great, splendid, and adorned with extraordinarily sweet-smelling flower garlands. They also see the entire sky, unobscured and clear, filled with planets, stars, and constellations. And they hear the calls of swans and ducks across the lakes.

4.B.­1234

“ ‘As they enter into the intermediate existence and are about to take birth, they hear the sound of vīṇās, flutes, drums, and songs, and their minds, which have not experienced music for billions of years, will be overjoyed. Everything will appear exquisitely, and their hearts will be filled with joy for an entire day, just like when meeting with old friends, [F.264.b] relatives, and kin. As they approach their births here or in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, they will begin to perceive all the groves, ravishing and sweet-smelling parks, forests made of the seven precious substances, and the beautiful women there. They will wish, “May I be born there! May I have these things!” As soon they have this thought, they will take birth there. The reason they are linked to such an existence is that this existence arises conditioned by grasping. In this way, beings are freed from the hell realms and freed from their past negative deeds, and they therefore achieve indescribable happiness. This describes the fourteenth way in which beings are connected to the intermediate state.

4.B.­1235

“ ‘How should one understand the fifteenth way in which beings are connected to the intermediate state? When people die in the human world and are to be born again among humans, what indications will there be? What will their desires be like? If people die in the human world and are to be born among humans, the signs will be as follows: A shadow will fall over them as the shadow of a high mountain falls upon a dusty plain. They will have the sense that everything is collapsing upon them. They will try to stop the falling mountain with their hands. Thus, they will clench their fists and move their arms back and forth and, as they do so, their companions will say that they are grasping at the sky. After this, they will perceive a white sheet, and then a red sheet. They will at this point become baffled by the obscure appearances in the final moment of the consciousness of the life that is about to end. Just as one may be deluded about appearances in a dream, so they will be deluded in that instance.

4.B.­1236

“ ‘If they are about to be born male, they will, during the intercourse of their future mother and father, [F.265.a], misperceive this act. They will believe that their mother is their wife and their father an enemy. Thinking, “I must go to be with her,” they will approach the mother in order to have intercourse with her. If they are to become female, they will think, “That woman has stolen my husband!” and become furious with their mother. They will wish to separate their mother from her partner and be with him instead.

4.B.­1237

“ ‘At that moment, the consciousness of the intermediate state will cease and the consciousness of the phase of rebirth will commence. Through this immediately preceding condition, consciousness will come about, as if it were the imprint of a seal. Such are the indications that occur when people die from a human state and are about to be born again as a human.

4.B.­1238

“ ‘Furthermore, the setting for the sixteenth intermediate state is as follows. Mighty ones, when one dies as a god and is going to be reborn among the gods, one will not experience the suffering that other gods must endure when they are to be born as hell beings, starving spirits, or animals. One will not experience the suffering of being scorned by one’s partners, nor will one’s jewelry be stolen, nor will one see another god sit on one’s seat. One will not have to witness such unbearable miseries. Instead, upon the very seat where one died, one will be reborn as another god. Such a birth within the god realm is extremely excellent.

4.B.­1239

“ ‘For instance, if one passes from the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, one may see wonderful and pleasing indications that one is to be born in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. This may include hearing music the likes of which one has never heard before. One will see the five objects manifest with excellent features. After this, the final moment of the consciousness of that life will occur. Then, in the intermediate phase of existence, one will perceive fine women, beautiful and with gorgeous features, who hold myriad instruments in their hands. As if in a dream, such a being in the intermediate existence will see waterfalls, parks, and myriad sense pleasures, [F.265.b] the likes of which he has never seen before. As he draws closer to the phase of rebirth, he will clearly perceive, as when one is awake, extremely enjoyable pleasures of the five senses such as he has never seen before. At that point he will think, “Oh, how incredible this is! I have never seen such things before. This is where I must go!” As soon as he has this thought, he will take birth there. Such is the setting for the sixteenth intermediate state.

4.B.­1240

“ ‘Mighty ones, you may wonder what the setting for the seventeenth intermediate state is like. When beings are to be born from one god realm into a lower divine state, they will see smaller ponds, banks, and waterfalls. As they develop desire based on such perceptions, their craving will cause them to degenerate, and so they will be born into that given realm. Thus, gods may be reborn among the gods through one of two links of existence.

4.B.­1241

“ ‘Furthermore, in relation to migrating into the intermediate existence, if people from Videha in the east who are going to be born in Godānīya in the west are dying, what kind of indications will there be? Or when humans in Godānīya in the west who are going to be born in Videha in the east are dying, what kind of indications will there be? Mighty ones, the signs that they will be born on the opposite continent are as follows: In the final moments of their lives, they will hazily perceive a giant door to a cave. There will then appear a red or pink banner, marvelous like a shooting star, and they will try to seize the banner with their hands. The more they grasp for the banner, the deeper they will enter the cave, and as they finally release their last bit of life and die, they will enter the intermediate state. Their desire to grasp the banner will propel them forward, [F.266.a] and as they thus rush forward, they will draw nearer to the phase of birth. As before, they will see a bull with his herd around him or a stallion with his wild mares surrounding him, which will arouse desire toward them. Mighty ones, one should understand the seventeenth kind of migration in this way.

4.B.­1242

“ ‘Having understood all this, one must be extremely careful. Why so? The careless will neither find release from cyclic existence nor the attainment of any of the good things of the world. Carelessness renders all good things inaccessible. Therefore, gods and humans who are wise and interested in all that is good should diligently apply themselves to abandoning carelessness‍—carelessness is to be completely discarded. Mighty ones, gods and humans who wish to understand the nature of craving and recognize reality should therefore acknowledge, examine, and investigate these seventeen contexts of the intermediate existence. Mighty ones, this completes the explanation of the first seventeen among the twenty principles that are enumerated in terms of eight stages.326

4.B.­1243

“ ‘Mighty ones, subsequent to the types of migration there follows a presentation of the eighteen elements. I shall now explain these. What is meant by element? In beings who have diverse orientations the elements take diverse forms. Beings who are obscured by the three flaws belong to three groups and are governed by the three flaws. The various deeds, characters, actions, destinies, fortunes, sufferings, characters, and powers of beings that are oriented toward the subtle all reflect the nature, or elements, of the mind. Myriad types of existence occur within the general framework of existence. In this manner, the elements of the minds of all beings are limitless.

4.B.­1244

“ ‘The gods, humans, animals, starving spirits, and hell beings can be generally included within the enumeration of the eighteen elements, [F.266.b] which are determined by particular flaws of the mind. Hence, the summary of the eighteen elements is an exhaustive summary. In this classification scheme, the first element is the element of predominant desire. The element of predominant desire pertains to all female gods, humans, starving spirits, and animals, who indulge in pride. Their aggression is less predominant. This is the first element. Animals including peacocks, sparrows, cuckoos, doves,327 hoopoes, bees, fish, chickens,328 and others possess the element of predominant desire.

4.B.­1245

“ ‘What members of the animal realm possess the element of medium-level desire? Horses, cats, vomit-eating demons, donkeys, buffalo, pigs, elephants, camels, dogs,329 crows,330 owls,331 and others all have a middling degree of desire. This is the second element of mind.

4.B.­1246

“ ‘What animals then have the lesser element of desire? Lions, tigers, bears, leopards, goats, musk deer, squirrel, foxes,332 crocodiles,333 and others that only engage in intercourse during specific seasons. Such animals that have little desire outside of the season constitute those that possess the third element. There are many additional species‍—each with its own distinct appearance, lifespan, and name‍—but they cannot be described or listed here.

4.B.­1247

“ ‘Moreover, some among the animals are predominantly aggressive. Such animals that are overwhelmingly aggressive, rather than desirous, possess the fourth element. These include lions, tigers, leopards, snakes, mongooses,334 [F.267.a] poisonous spiders,335 mouse-hawks,336 alligators, crocodiles, pigs, and others. Their element of aggression is overwhelmingly predominant.

4.B.­1248

“ ‘What is the fifth element that concerns animals that have a middling degree of aggression? Cattle,337 kalaviṅka birds,338 peafowl, poultry, cats, and rats have a middling degree of aggression. Which of the animals with this fifth element have the least degree of aggression? Geese, storks,339 deer, cuckoos, sparrows, swans, donkeys, turtles, rabbit killers,340 frogs, and others have a lesser degree of aggression.

4.B.­1249

“ ‘Which beings have the sixth element? The class of starving spirits that have great magical powers and desire possess this element. The seventh element pertains to the asuras that are classified among the animals and have an overwhelming predominance of the element of desire. The eighth element pertains to those that subsist on smoke and have a middle degree of desire. The ninth element pertains to those that subsist on offering cakes and have the least degree of desire. The tenth element pertains to the gods who drink from gourd bottles. They have less desire but more anger than other gods. Yearning for war, they constantly pursue it. The asuras who wish for war have especially little desire. Regarding this tenth element, the garland bearers have a middling degree of desire and aggression, and thus have a middling element. The ever-infatuated gods have an overwhelming predominance of the element of desire and little of the element of aggression, and so they are vigorous in all their pursuits.

4.B.­1250

“ ‘The eleventh element [F.267.b] pertains to wandering gods having an overwhelming predominance of the element of aggression, but less desire. The twelfth element pertains to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and involves indulgence in desire but very little indulgence in aggression. The thirteenth element pertains to the residents of the northern continent of Kuru, who are predominantly desirous. The fourteenth element pertains to the residents of the western continent of Godānīya, who indulge in aggression. The fifteenth element pertains to the residents of the eastern continent of Videha, who are involved in a mixture of desire and aggression, and are thus of an even constitution. The sixteenth element pertains to the humans of Jambudvīpa, whose characters, actions, and orientations are diverse. The seventeenth element pertains to other gods and hell beings who have an overwhelming predominance of desire. Even in the hell realms there are male beings who desire the female sex. Thus, hell beings who have previously engaged in the relevant karmic actions as well as the gods of the four abodes have predominant desire.

4.B.­1251

“ ‘The element that beings possess thus refers to their character, nature, and inclination, and all of them can be subsumed in terms of these eighteen elements. When beings indulge in desire or aggression, they are always in delusion, and so desire and aggression are dependent upon delusion. If there were no such stupidity, the passions would never stir. Mighty ones, in this way the elements manifest through the flaws of four distinct instances of the three flaws.341

4.B.­1252

“ ‘Mighty ones, there is another classification system of the eighteen elements, which is as follows: the eye element, the form element, and the eye consciousness element; the ear element, the sound element, and the ear consciousness element; the nose element, the smell element, and the nose consciousness element; the tongue element, the taste element, and the tongue consciousness element; the body element, the touch element, and the body consciousness element; and the mind element, the mental phenomena element, and the element of mental consciousness. [F.268.a] Mighty ones, these are also elements. These are the cause of all harm, and they delude all ordinary, childish beings. Careful gods and humans should contemplate these and be on guard.

4.B.­1253

“ ‘There are nineteen types of intermediate existence for careless humans who possess both.342 They are migration to the sixteen levels of the four realms of concentration, including the pure abodes, and the three migrations within the desire realm. The latter refers to hell beings, animals, and humans. Starving spirits are related to them, insofar as they cause an experience of hell and experience much suffering.

4.B.­1254

“ ‘There are also twenty different abodes belonging to the desire realm, which are also explained in terms of ten aspects. Mighty ones, you should come to understand all of these different entities.’


4.B.­1255

“Once the gods hear this Dharma teaching from the mouth of Śakra, they will praise him and offer the following verses:

“ ‘Śakra, you have taught a doctrine
That fully pacifies everything.
When fear and anxiety strike,
We will stick with this practice.
4.B.­1256
“ ‘Any teaching that you explain
Is given because you wish to benefit others.
You are a teacher who shows the way to nirvāṇa;
You are our father and our mother.
4.B.­1257
“ ‘A single word of such wise counsel
Taught by such a teacher
Helps other beings to understand the path.
Thus you are the protector of embodied beings.
4.B.­1258
“ ‘O Śakra, a single word of your wise counsel
Is absolutely priceless.
That which no amount of wealth can buy
Is obtained through such words of peace.
4.B.­1259
“ ‘Observing the pursuit of ordinary wealth
Does not inspire Dharma practitioners,
For human riches will run out,
But the riches of the Dharma are inexhaustible.
4.B.­1260
“ ‘Only the Dharma will stay with us
Through thousands and thousands of lives.
Ordinary wealth will not stay with us,
Even as we take just one step away.
4.B.­1261
“ ‘Kings, thieves, and floods will plunder
The possessions of humans. [F.268.b]
The wealth of the Dharma, however,
Can never be taken away.’
4.B.­1262

“The gods will venerate Śakra in this manner and then take a seat before him. Once Śakra has performed this majestic activity‍—revealing how all divine pleasures are in fact impermanent, unreliable, and without self-nature‍—he will reabsorb his emanations.

4.B.­1263

“Freed from their distress, the gods in Part of the Assembly will then continue to enjoy themselves until their desirable, attractive, and delightful actions that produce happiness have finally been overcome, relinquished, and exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world. In accordance with the actions explained earlier, most of them will not have to migrate to the lower realms. Those who are born as humans will be righteous and adhere to the excellent Dharma. They will always stay in solitude and be wary of what may ensue after the present life. They will hear the Dharma and take ordination. Some among them will attain the stages of a stream enterer, once-returner, non-returner, or worthy one.

The Gods in Dwelling on the Disk

4.B.­1264

“As the monk who has knowledge of the ripening of karmic effects continues to examine the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and thus correctly perceive a god realm known as Dwelling on the Disk. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and thus notice how there are noble beings who are righteous, adhere to the Dharma, are honest and sincere, do no harm to others, always acknowledge the reality of karmic results, keep totally pure discipline, are always cheerful, spurn any falsity and deceit, are flawless like refined gold, have the genuine view, [F.269.a] keep the pure discipline of the guides of the past through the genuine view, and are wary of what may ensue following the present life. Such people, who practice generosity and create merit, will be born in this realm.

4.B.­1265

“As for their generosity, monks who live in seclusion, practicing concentration out of a desire to destroy the chains of Māra, may be overcome by the heat, tormented by heat and thirst. In such cases, the aforementioned people will offer the monks sugarcane juice, water, ventilators, or fans.

4.B.­1266

“How do they give up killing? A householder might think that it would be fun to have a cuckoo or a peacock, and thus arrange for such a bird to be trapped in the forest. The bird may later be neglected so that it is on the verge of dying. In such a situation, the aforementioned people will ransom the bird’s life with material goods and set it free, returning it to the forest once again. They will also keep feeding the bird and thereby make sure that it lives a happy life. Such is the way they abandon killing.

4.B.­1267

“How do they put a stop to stealing? How do they abandon taking what was not given? Wary of even the smallest karmic consequence, such people will, without any thought of stealing, leave behind abandoned teeth-cleaning twigs or honey drinks that may be found by the side of a pool, pond, river, or the like, so that those things may instead be of benefit to people who are practicing pure conduct and observing vows. In this manner, they turn away from stealing.

4.B.­1268

“When such people later separate from their bodies, they will proceed to the joyful higher realms and be born among the gods in Dwelling on the Disk within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Having been born there, they will receive all they may desire. The forests and parks of that realm are filled with music from the five types of instruments and the calls of many different species of birds. The humming of numerous bees [F.269.b] can be heard around lotus ponds, while geese and swans make their calls amid groves adorned with trees formed from the seven precious substances. There are pools filled with water that looks like blue beryl powder, and the mountain peaks are formed from luminous rocks of the seven precious substances and contain caverns of gold, silver, crystal, and sapphire. Many kinds of birds play and sing their songs, and their colors and feathers appear as if they were made from the seven precious substances. They warble many melodious songs that reach one’s ears in a rich symphony of lovely singing. In this way, as the birds warble throughout the realm, the forests and parks are filled with enrapturing and deeply sonorous tunes. Feasts of all manner of incredibly delicious food and drink just rain down in these forests, and if even the gods feel ecstatic in these circumstances, we need not mention how humans would respond to that environment. In such forests and parks, they take on myriad appearances and costumes and wear myriad adornments. Thus, they frolic and revel in hundreds and thousands of ways.

4.B.­1269

“Those who have previously engaged in positive actions have a personal glow and splendor that sets them above the rest. They are surrounded by myriad pleasures that they relish and enjoy, savoring all kinds of delights. When other gods see them completely intoxicated by all their pleasures, they joyfully surround them and participate in the joyful celebrations.

4.B.­1270

“While the gods frolic, revel, and celebrate, they will at some point think, ‘Why don’t we go to the forest that lies within a beryl fence, the forest that grows bejeweled trees, glitters with many hues, and is filled with songbirds?’ Then, to the accompaniment of the five types of musical instruments, they will venture into that forest to enjoy themselves and celebrate with the throngs of ecstatic gods and goddesses who live there. [F.270.a]

4.B.­1271

“In that forest lies a pool called Abode of Water, which is extremely charming and limpid, and on the banks of this pool the gods play around and enjoy themselves. When gods are newly born, they will go to join the others by this pool, and when the gods there behold these new arrivals, they will laugh and splash about and then go forth to welcome them. Thus, at the pool called Abode of Water, everyone will become friends and together join in the merriment and joyful celebration.

4.B.­1272

“The powers of this pool are such that it transforms itself into anything one wishes. For instance, if one so wishes, the water will become an extremely delicious wine with the most exquisite color, fragrance, and taste, and around it bees will hover. It becomes whatever one wishes and thus may also turn into divine nectar. In this way, this pool has a wonderful appearance and a delicious taste and aroma. It is filled to the brim with divine nectar that is delicious, smooth, and has the color of the moon.

4.B.­1273

“If the gods wish for the pool to be filled with trees, it will transform such that it is full of trees of the finest qualities, covered with nets of small and large bells, and the leaves of the trees will produce the sound of music. Thus, when moved by the wind, the trees will play music of the five types of instruments.

4.B.­1274

“If the gods then think, ‘We should jump into the pool!’ they will immediately dive in and the pool will once again contain water. The gods who jump into the pool will find within it celestial palaces that are adorned with jeweled fences of myriad colors and beautiful trees. Some are of beryl, some are of gold, some are of silver, some are of crystal, some are of sapphire, and some are made of a mixture of these. In these palaces and groves, the gods will find incredibly comfortable, multicolored beds that are prepared with unwoven fabrics and mattresses just as soft as they wish. [F.270.b] Upon these beds will rest bevies of gods, goddesses, and divine maidens with whom they can enjoy themselves and take their pleasure. In this enrapturing place, they will ecstatically and insatiably partake of the pleasures of the senses, free from any of the problems of strife and jealousy. Seeing each other as endearing and full of extraordinary qualities, they will regard each other as friends with whom they can freely enjoy themselves and celebrate. Thus, they will together enjoy the pleasures of the five senses.

4.B.­1275

“Once they move on, they will go to a forest called Beautiful Grove. In this forest, one often hears the delightful call of the madtadangda bird.343 Tens of thousands of these birds flock around the waterfalls, streams, ponds, and embankments, filling them with the jabber of their songs in a most pleasing way. This forest has many attributes including trees that shine like sunlight. Flocks of birds flit here and there. In this setting, adorned with hundreds of thousands of waterfalls, these gods that possess their own natural glow will together with the goddesses enjoy myriad divine sense pleasures. The highest joy experienced by the ignorant is the enjoyment of women. All childish, ordinary beings caught by this lasso are happy to remain stuck in cyclic existence.

4.B.­1276

“Once these gods have enjoyed themselves in sundry ways with the goddesses for an extremely long time, they will travel to a peak of Mount Sumeru known as Madtakaṭama.344 There they will enter a celestial palace together with goddesses, who possess their own radiance, have an exquisite appearance, and wear beautiful ornaments. Once they have entered, the palace will ascend into the expanse of the sky. In this way, residing in the midst of the sky with their garments fluttering in the breeze, they will enjoy themselves within the celestial domain above that particular peak of Mount Sumeru. There they will behold celestial palaces of beautiful shape, adorned with divine lotus ponds and pools, and they will further behold mountain peaks of the seven precious substances decorated with unwoven materials of [F.271.a] the finest quality. In this lofty abode, which defies any comparison, they will enjoy themselves and take their pleasure. However, after they have frolicked in this manner for a short time, a burst of light, like the light of the sun, will suddenly shine forth in their midst. As this powerful light blazes, the terrified and dismayed gods will throw themselves to the ground with their eyes closed. Never have they seen such a light. Yet, as suddenly as the light appeared, it will disappear, just like a shooting star that suddenly flashes in the sky above Jambudvīpa, terrifying those that live there. In the same way, the sudden light shocks these gods. After some time, however, they will breathe a sigh of relief and instead begin to wonder, ‘What was this light that shocked us all and then disappeared?’

4.B.­1277

“Dumbfounded, these gods will then go to Sudarśana, the divine assembly hall. There, surrounded by other gods and goddesses, the astonished and shocked gods will go before Śakra. Seeing him, they will bow their heads and take places around him.

4.B.­1278

“The gods who attend Śakra frolic and enjoy themselves. They wear garlands, jewelry, and wreaths of lotuses. With smiling faces, they are seated on deep blue gems, and they glow with the radiance of pure gold. In this way, Śakra’s retinue rollick, enjoy themselves, and celebrate before Śakra. Yet, the gods who just arrived will not enjoy themselves or take part in the celebrations. They will not praise Śakra, nor will they sing, dance, or say anything to the other gods. [F.271.b]

4.B.­1279

“Śakra will address this group of gods, saying, ‘Mighty ones, what is amiss? Why are you not singing, dancing, and laughing?’

“The newly arrived ones will reply, ‘Śakra, we just saw and heard something that we have never seen or heard before.’

4.B.­1280

“Śakra will then press them further: ‘You who stand before me, what astonishing thing did you see?’

“The gods will then reply, ‘Śakra, we had gone to the mountain peak of Madtakaṭama to frolic in the parks there. But then we then saw a flash of light in the sky that illuminated the entire summit of the mountain. The light shocked us. Śakra, what was it?’

4.B.­1281

“Hearing this, Śakra will think for a short while, and then say to the gods, ‘Gods, such a light occurs from time to time. This is the second time I have heard of such a wonder. When I first heard of it, I asked the Thus-Gone One, ‘Blessed One, what is this wondrous event?’ The Blessed One answered me, “Kauśika, as you have closed the doors to the lower realms, do not be afraid. This is the nature of things for all beings in cyclic existence: impermanence. I will explain to you what this light is, so listen attentively. There are gods who inhabit a heaven called Free from Strife, and the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three cannot match even a hundred thousandth of their body size, complexion, shape, or enjoyments. Once their karma is exhausted and they fall from that state, they fall for hundreds of thousands of leagues, and their radiance grows dimmer. When they die, their light in the sky dims just as the light of a butter lamp will dim and shed less light when it is running dry. Śakra, the incandescence of this light is indescribable, and the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three [F.272.a] cannot bear to look at it. Why is this? Because it is beyond their grasp, it is more than they can conceive of. Kauśika, none of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three can bear to look at the light of the gods in the Heaven Free from Strife. Compared to others, the karmic results of the gods in Free from Strife represent a tripling, whereas the gods in the Thirty-Three only constitute a doubling.” These things I heard from the Thus-Gone One, and I have related them to you. Mighty ones, what you witnessed was a sad occasion. What you saw from a distance of hundreds of thousands of leagues was the light of such dying gods. However, do not be afraid of it.’


4.B.­1282

“Then Śakra will utter the following verses:

“ ‘To the degree that one experiences
Great bliss and enjoyments,
One’s suffering will multiply,
And it will finally lead one to fall to lower states.
4.B.­1283
“ ‘The Thus-Gone One eternally observes
That results accord with their causes.
When you engage with a specific karmic action,
You will also encounter its specific result.
4.B.­1284
“ ‘As one sees the relationships between karmic actions
At a higher and higher level,
One will also see the relationships between their results
At a higher and higher level.
4.B.­1285
“ ‘The karmic actions of beings
Will certainly persist,
And so they may from birth achieve
The highest form, complexion, strength, and lifespan.
4.B.­1286
“ ‘When that karma is exhausted, however, they will fall‍—
All of them will definitely fall.
Yet a seed that has been burned
Will never sprout.
4.B.­1287
“ ‘Just as a butter lamp is momentary,
So mind can be seen in terms of linked moments.
Causes accord with intention‍—
Such karmic actions are also momentary.
4.B.­1288
“ ‘Whatever is born from impermanent karmic actions
Is subject to birth and destruction.
Defiled pleasure will never
Follow one from the past to the future.
4.B.­1289
“ ‘What is characterized by being unborn and indestructible,
Liberated from afflictions‍—that is bliss.
Someone who achieves this is liberated from,
And cannot be harmed by, the phenomena of cyclic existence.
4.B.­1290
“ ‘One who reaches desirelessness and escapes existence,
Liberated from its flaws, [F.272.b]
Can protect, from the far shore,
The happiness of embodied beings.
4.B.­1291
“ ‘They realize that these trifling defiled pleasures
Are all momentary.
All those who are liberated from them
Reach lasting bliss.’
4.B.­1292

“In this manner, Śakra will teach the assembled gods about reality, and when he has brought them relief through this teaching, he will send them back to their own realm. Before they leave, he will also offer them this Dharma instruction: ‘Be careful at all times!’

4.B.­1293

“Once they have returned to their realm, some of them will still be enthralled with their objects and thus keep enjoying themselves and celebrating to the accompaniment of the five types of instruments. In forests and homes filled with the beautiful tunes of instruments and cymbals, they will continue to enjoy themselves and celebrate until finally their completed and accumulated acts that bring desirable, attractive, and delightful effects have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world, only to be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals, in accordance with their karmic actions. Should they instead be born with the general lot in life of a human, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, always enjoy the highest pleasure. They will possess great miraculous powers, be appreciated by everybody, be free from disease and suffering, and be born into a pure and great family. From the moment they are born, they will live a life filled with tremendous enjoyment and beauty.

The Gods in High Conduct

4.B.­1294

“As the monk who has knowledge of the ripening of karmic effects continues to examine the world of the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and thus correctly perceive a god realm known as High Conduct. Wondering what karmic actions may cause beings to be born there, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so notice how people who are righteous and follow the Dharma, who always consider karmic results, and who always let their actions be preceded by a recollection of the [F.273.a] authentic view may make a gift of their wealth and create merit. Then, when members of the saṅgha‍—who observe a single, several, or all aspects of the discipline‍—are on the road, the aforementioned people will offer them shoes or utensils. Moreover, they abandon killing and stealing in the following ways. Whenever the subjects of Dramiḍa, mountain dwellers, or people who let their hair hang loose have caught people who live in remote areas in order to kill them, the aforementioned people will release them. Moreover, when such people encounter bandits carrying their loot through the forest, they will not take their share, even if they are the king himself, because of their fear of stealing.

4.B.­1295

“How do they give up killing? If they are the king, such people will not execute any apprehended criminals that may be handed over to them out of fear of the karmic consequences.

4.B.­1296

“When such people later separate from their bodies, they will proceed to the joyful higher realms and be born among the gods in High Conduct within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Once born there they will, by virtue of having previously performed positive actions, be served by three thousand goddesses who wear special costumes and ornamentationand carry various cymbals, instruments, and special preparations in their hands. As they approach the gods, they will offer numerous praises in song. When the gods see them coming, they will go forth to meet them, and the goddesses will treat them with extraordinary respect.

4.B.­1297

“Enamored by one another, everyone will then proceed to the park called Always Joyous. This park is adorned with trees made of beryl, silver, and gold. It is filled with waterfalls, ponds, and lotus pools, and hundreds of streams flow through it. The park is draped with various nets of fine bells [F.273.b] and features copious species of birds that flit about, singing thousands of different captivating songs. It is filled with myriad divine features, and the gods and the park only serve to reinforce each other’s beauty.

4.B.­1298

“In the center of the park stands a mountain composed of the seven precious substances called Mount Playful. This mountain is home to various precious deer that have the following gorgeous features: their chests are red like the color of red lotuses, their backs are white like silver, their bellies are yellow like gold, their legs are like coral, and their horns are like crystal. Some are of a single color, with their entire bodies silver or gold in color. The bodies of the deer that roam these forests are adorned with myriad qualities. The gods play with the deer, and the deer sing with the goddesses; as they sing, the goddesses will produce songs that are harmonious, pleasing, and captivating.

4.B.­1299

“When the gods have had fun in this way, they will all pay a visit to a place with many waterfalls. Riding different chariots, they will travel to a peak of Mount Sumeru that is called Rivers and Flatlands. Singing to music produced by the five types of instruments, and endowed with the finest pleasures, these jubilant and supremely prosperous beings set out to enjoy themselves by the streams, waterfalls, and the summit on Mount Sumeru known as Rivers and Flatlands. By the streams, waterfalls, and lotus ponds, where the sounds of music ring out, the infatuated gods and goddesses indulge in constant rollicking, happiness, and cheerfulness. As they enjoy themselves, their bodies are draped with flower garlands and massaged with powders and ointments, and on their heads they wear garlands of lotuses. As they experience the results and effects of their past positive karmic actions, they frolic in incomparable heavenly happiness. [F.274.a] This is merely a partial description‍—nobody could describe these gods in full. Divine pleasure is indescribable, and the pleasures of these gods in particular are unlike any others. The realm they experience is one of copious pleasures, produced by concordant positive karmic actions performed in the past.

4.B.­1300

“In these ways, these gods continue to enjoy the five sense pleasures until finally their completed and accumulated acts that bring desirable, attractive, and delightful effects have been exhausted, relinquished, and consumed. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world, only to be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals, in accordance with their karmic actions. Should they be born with the general lot in life of a human, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, experience constant happiness. They will live in the wilderness and in the mountains, possess great splendor and expansive opportunities, and they will become kings or great ministers.

The Gods in Supreme Splendor

4.B.­1301

“As the monk who has knowledge of the ripening of karmic effects continues to examine the realm of the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Supreme Splendor. Wondering what karmic actions enable beings to be born there, he will examine this matter with knowledge derived from hearing, and thus will see how some virtuous beings of great intelligence practice generosity, create merit, uphold the seven aspects of discipline, avoid association with evil companions,345 avoid unvirtuous discipline, generate merit as it should be generated, apply themselves in one single endeavor, are honest by nature, and resemble refined gold. What aspects of discipline do such people uphold? They abandon taking life and taking what was not given. Hence, if they are forced into a great battle, they will be cautious of their vows. No matter who comes before them, they will not kill them, even at the cost of their own lives. Such is the way they give up taking life. [F.274.b]

4.B.­1302

“How do they abandon stealing? Even if their land is conquered by enemy forces that reduce the mountain peaks to dust, such that everyone begins to plunder one another, the aforementioned people will out of concern for their vows not take anything that was not given to them, even if they are starving and thirsting and on the brink of death.

4.B.­1303

“What is their generosity directed toward? In order to venerate the buddhas and listen to the Dharma, they will offer lamps with a mind that is trained in kind intention and has been preceded by the authentic view. Thereby, they will, upon separating from their bodies, proceed to the joyous higher realms and be born among the gods in Supreme Splendor within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Once born there, they will wear garlands of great splendor and be endowed with stunning countenances and physical forms. Thus, they will experience karmic results that accord with their positive karmic actions in the past.

4.B.­1304

“Again and again, they will hear the five types of musical instruments. Again and again, they will smell the fragrance of mandāravas, white and blue lotuses, and flowers of the seven precious substances. They will constantly taste the sweet flavor of honey and divine wines, they will behold various mountain valleys and the forms of the seven precious substances, and their bodies will be dressed in sweet-smelling clothing made of unwoven fabric of the type that is accessible to divine tactile sensation. They will experience the touch of lotuses, garlands made of blue lotus petals, and myriad ointments. In this fashion, they will indulge in the results of their past positive actions. Amid thousands of goddesses, they will experience supreme happiness in groves and forests where trees appear like refined gold and are draped with nets of tinkling bells, and silver vines are wafted by the breeze. When the gods take to singing, their cymbals, drums, flutes, and voices will be heard in symphony. They will wear incredibly comfortable, divine garlands and clothing. They will behold mountain valleys made of various types of gold, Mount Sumeru, and the peaks of mountains made of beryl, gold, silver, [F.275.a] sapphire, lapis lazuli, and crystal. [B44] Each of these peaks acts as a mirror, reflecting all the others within it. Surrounded by their goddesses, the gods will see themselves reflected hundreds and thousands of times in these mirror-like mountains, and as they behold their own reflections, their happiness will increase hundreds of times. The goddesses will also be exhilarated at that sight, and they will exclaim, ‘Accompanied by the music of the five types of instruments, we must go to have fun with those blissful beings, who possess such magnificently gorgeous faces and bodies! We shall indulge in the joys afforded by the divine sense pleasures.’

4.B.­1305

“In this way, their minds will be distracted as they fly from mountain to mountain, hill to hill. Like humans drunk on the poison of lust, their minds will be totally unrestrained, and thus the gods and goddesses will together roam the King of Mountains, enervated by their carelessness. Intoxicated by ambrosial food and drink in many forms, they will fall in love with each other. Their minds will be mutually captivated, and their hearts deeply connected. They will enjoy themselves amid groves and forests filled with the constant chorus of the songs of many different birds. Constantly roving about in this fashion, they will travel from wish-fulfilling tree to wish-fulfilling tree decked out in costumes, wearing garlands, with flower garlands wrapped around their heads, and adorned with dangling jewelry.

4.B.­1306

“These gods who find such pleasure in wandering about will occasionally bathe in a stream called Flow of Wine. This stream is covered with red, blue, pink, and white lotus flowers and beautified by the presence of ducks, swans, and geese. The gods will befriend one another on the banks of the stream, drink wine together, and play with the beautiful birds. As these gods who are crazed by craving repeatedly drink their wine, [F.275.b] their radiance will increase hundreds of times. Even though the fire that comes from the firewood of the five sense objects burns them, they never have enough of being tormented by craving and desire. Bound by the shackles of such desire, they keep flitting between the myriad beautiful god realms they behold, as if they were convicts imprisoned because of offenses toward the king.

4.B.­1307

“Thus, along the banks of Flow of Wine, the intoxicated and exhilarated gods and birds enjoy themselves among the pink and blue lotuses. There, they will also befriend the so-called red water birds, whose feathers are formed from the seven precious substances and shine with their own light. When the birds see the crazed gods, they will utter the following verses:

4.B.­1308
“ ‘The gods are always pleased,
And we are constantly happy.
No divisions can we find
Between the gods and the birds.
4.B.­1309
“ ‘If neither can be observed practicing Dharma,
And neither pursues liberation,
Then the gods and the birds
Must be just the same.
4.B.­1310
“ ‘Those who are free from carelessness
And always delight in the Dharma
Are the gods of the world,
And the sublime ones are aware of their carefulness.
4.B.­1311
“ ‘If gods enjoy their play,
Just as we enjoy our play,
There can be no difference
Between the gods and the birds of the sky.
4.B.­1312
“ ‘Different qualities of life
Are due to different actions.
The unwholesome will fall,
And not find a good life anywhere.
4.B.­1313
“ ‘When neither knows the way
To liberation and the exhaustion of cyclic existence,
The gods and the ignorant birds
Will remain the same.
4.B.­1314
“ ‘Thus, they continue to suffer
From birth, sickness, and aging,
As well as death,
And separation from their loved ones.
4.B.­1315
“ ‘Those whose minds remain engaged
In the practice of the immaculate Dharma
Are the gods of the world,
And the sublime ones are aware of their carefulness.
4.B.­1316
“ ‘Gods who know that birth [F.276.a]
Produces suffering
And treat pleasures as pointless
Will not develop any attachment.
4.B.­1317
“ ‘When gods who feel no revulsion for cyclic existence
Must part from their vast retinue
And their friends and family,
They are then akin to birds.
4.B.­1318
“ ‘Those who see the nature of carelessness
Will be less inclined to drinking wine.
Thus, they may still consume alcohol,
But they will not give in to carelessness.
4.B.­1319
“ ‘People who have sunk into carelessness
Will wander in fivefold saṃsāra.
The carelessness induced by alcohol
Is distinctive in many respects.
4.B.­1320
“ ‘Delicious alcohol can for a day
Make embodied beings totally careless.
But even as such beings wander for millions of eons,
They still will not purify this carelessness.
4.B.­1321
“ ‘Anyone who can free themselves from carelessness
Will travel to the realm of deathlessness.
Anyone who is under the spell of carelessness
Will constantly migrate through existence.
4.B.­1322
“ ‘For people to receive help,
They must give up carelessness,
For the buddhas have proclaimed that
Carelessness is a terrible affliction.
4.B.­1323
“ ‘If even the minds of birds
Are unable to find any joy in carelessness,
Why then do the careless gods
Not make a point of spurning it?’
4.B.­1324

“Thus, inspired by past positive actions, the birds will instruct the gods, just as parents do, in order to benefit them and help them understand. However, these gods, whose minds are gripped by carelessness, will not take to heart what has been taught for their benefit.

4.B.­1325

“Thereafter, the gods who are absorbed in play, exhilarated and constantly enraptured, will go to another grove, called Matala, playing cymbals and musical instruments and bringing various nice-looking items with them. Once they arrive at Matala Grove, these gods, who are all friends, overjoyed and exhilarated will sing throughout that forest of interwoven vines, leaves, and flower clusters of the seven precious substances. The flowers are visited by hundreds of thousands of bees, and this forest of the seven precious substances is also filled with goddesses, who join in the singing. [F.276.b] Echoes of melodies will fill the forests and parks as the gods enjoy themselves and celebrate. Their songs, the humming of the bees, and the calls of the birds will all mingle together, forming a beautiful symphony. All these delightful tunes and agreeable sights cause the enjoyments on this extremely delightful Mount Sumeru to double. Together with smiling and laughing goddesses with stunning faces, physical forms, and apparel, the gods will in this way partake of abundant sense pleasures.

4.B.­1326

“These gods will continue to enjoy themselves and frolic until finally their completed and accumulated acts that bring desirable, attractive, and delightful effects, and that are to be individually experienced, have all been exhausted, relinquished, and consumed. Once that happens, they will pass away from their realm of abundant divine pleasures and delights. After they die, they will be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals, in accordance with their karmic actions. Should they instead be born with the general lot in life of a human, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, find tremendous happiness. They will enjoy play and experience great satisfaction and joy, and their appearance will be attractive.

The Gods in Garland of Splendor

4.B.­1327

“As the monk who has knowledge of the ripening of karmic effects continues to examine the realm of the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Garland of Splendor. Wondering what karmic actions allow beings to be born there, he will examine this matter with knowledge derived from hearing. He will then see how people who are virtuous and good create the merit that yields birth among the gods. Such people are virtuous and honest, do not harm others, understand the sacred Dharma, [F.277.a] wish to benefit all beings, and are guided by an authentic view, and their minds are always respectful of the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. People whose minds are permeated by such qualities will create the merit to be born there.

4.B.­1328

“What forms does this generation of merit take? If a monastic residence or stūpa falls into disrepair, they repair it. They will reinforce dwellings or stūpas or likewise repair their foundation. Or, should fire break out among valuables belonging to the Buddha, a stūpa, or the saṅgha, they will enter the fire with no concern for their own lives to put it out, rescuing the valuables from the flames. Or should people be threatened with fire, they will rescue them from the flames out of their caring compassion for beings. Such are ways they create merit.

4.B.­1329

“What forms will their turning away from killing and stealing assume? If they are traveling along a road and find a piece of gold or silver, a precious substance, or some other valuable that has fallen by the wayside, they will ask, ‘Hey! Whose is this? Hey! Whose is this?’ If someone says, ‘This is mine,’ and it is indeed theirs, they will give it to them. If nobody wants it and nobody says anything, they will keep it for seven days. Then they will call upon the king or a high minister who resides in that place, so that the item may be advertised and not stolen. If at that time there is a risk that it may be stolen by unrighteous people, they will not call upon anyone and instead respectfully offer the item to the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. This is how they refrain from stealing.

4.B.­1330

“How do they abandon taking life? If they are traveling upon the road and find that the road is covered with ants, frogs, scorpions, or snakes, they will avoid treading upon them out of their compassion for such beings. Being mindful of karmic results, the defects of cyclic existence, and the cycle of birth and death, they will gladly work for meaningful results [F.277.b] and so they will detour to take another path. This is how they abandon taking life.

4.B.­1331

“When such people who have taken vows later separate from their bodies, they will proceed to the joyous higher realms and be born among the gods in the blazing Garland of Splendor within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Once born there, they will be immersed in and endowed with tremendous pleasures. Experiencing the result of their own past actions, the bliss that they enjoy defies description. To nevertheless give some sort of indication, it may be said that this realm is totally ablaze with light. The distinctive quality of this light, however, is that although it resembles the light of the sun and is seen in a similar way, the light is not as hard to look at, because this light shines due to the gods’ past actions, which lead to happiness.

4.B.­1332

“These luminous beings enjoy themselves, surrounded by thousands of goddesses, within fine celestial mansions of gold, beryl, crystal, and sapphire. There they play and take their pleasure with their minds directed toward numerous desirable things. Within groves of broad-leaf trees that constantly flower, beautified by flocks of birds that continuously sing sweet songs, they see and hear pleasing sense objects and attend to them with their eyes and ears. Within such groves they see trees called opening and shutting eyes‍—trees that appear to have eyes that open and shut. These gods with extraordinary power and strength enjoy themselves within such groves.

4.B.­1333

“At some point, surrounded by groups of gods and goddesses, they will move over to the so-called Pleasure Grove of Song, when their eyes and hearts are distracted by that sight. When they have spent time there, many thousands of gods will proceed into the narrow valleys on Mount Sumeru, singing songs and playing instruments. As echoes ring back and forth, it will seem that these singers cause the entirety of Mount Sumeru to reverberate with song.

4.B.­1334

“As they proceed, other gods who are frolicking and enjoying themselves in the forests and pleasure groves [F.278.a] will hear these pleasing and captivating sounds. They will then go there, wondering who these gods, each of whom seems like a second Śakra, might be. Relishing the tunes, they will approach the arriving gods, and when they see them they will become astonished and hurry before them. When the delighted gods see the other gods, they will say to each other, ‘Come here! Come here! These gods are much larger than us. It seems as if a second Śakra has come to our world.’

4.B.­1335

“When the approaching gods arrive, they will hurry over to the other gods, and so the gods will mingle with each other and pay each other respect. Singing and dancing, laughing and carousing, overjoyed and intent on worship, they will then go off to pursue the pleasures of the parks at a grove known as Utter Joy. The joyous groups of laughing and dancing gods and goddesses will then return and look at those who remain engaged in paying each other heartfelt respect. When the latter see them, they will be pleased and say, ‘O beautiful beloveds, if you would take us along and enjoy yourselves together with us, then where should we go?’

4.B.­1336

“The gods will then say to the newly born gods, ‘Let’s go to the most pleasing divine grove, called Grove of Utter Joy, where we will indulge in sense pleasures.’ Then, eager to watch the spectacles at this park that they have never seen before, the gods will proceed to that grove. Still at a great distance from the grove, they will see how it shines, as if it were the sun, ablaze with exquisite light. Upon seeing this grove, the newly born gods will be overwhelmed by waves of joy and hasten to that place. [F.278.b] There they will find four times as many delights as there are in any other forest. Having traveled to this delightful grove, they will find many thousands of birds singing in a reverberating chorus. Some sing, some call, and some warble their melodies in ecstatic joy, surrounded by a great audience.

4.B.­1337

“Elsewhere, at a place of various ravines, water splashes over multiple tiles of gold while swans, geese, and ducks make their calls, thus filling the atmosphere with their diverse voices. Attracted by the sound of the cascading waters, the gods will arrive, attended to by groups of gods and goddesses, to enjoy themselves, frolic, and take their pleasure on the banks of the water. In these forests and groves, they will experience the deepest bliss.

4.B.­1338

“Once they have in this way experienced the happiness that arises from the five sense pleasures, they will next hasten to visit wish-fulfilling trees. When they see these trees, they will notice that some are bright like moonlight and others radiant like sunlight. Before these trees multiple gatherings of gods assemble to enjoy themselves and celebrate, relishing the pleasures of the five objects and experiencing a passionate ecstasy that defies description.

4.B.­1339

“When they have experienced various forms of bliss amid the wish-fulfilling trees, these gods, surrounded as they are, like Śakra, by great gatherings of supremely joyous gods, will jubilantly proceed to a lotus grove adorned with swans, geese, and ducks. Once they have indulged in the bliss of divine passion there, they will proceed to the mountain peaks called Lofty Mound. Singing songs, dancing, smiling, and carousing, these gods and goddesses who are all mutually congenial and caring, and fond of and never harmful to one another, will find extraordinary happiness. They will climb the many peaks of Lofty Mound, a mountain that is replete with all good qualities and adorned with various waterfalls, [F.279.a] pools, ponds, and divine lotus groves filled with gorgeous flowers. Thousands of flocks of birds gather there, and all of them are extremely blissful, happy, and beautiful. Once they have seen the wonders of these extraordinary features, the newly arriving gods will join in with the resident gods to enjoy themselves, rollick, and celebrate in parks, forests, and groves of wish-fulfilling trees, where bees fly about and myriad birds sing.

4.B.­1340

“When these gods who have previously created positive actions have played among the many peaks of Lofty Mound, they will think of their own realm and the enjoyments in its forests. Thus, the newly born gods who wish to see that sight will follow the others as they travel in congregations of thousands that are further encircled by thousands of other gods.346 In this way they will travel to see Śakra at Sudarśana, the assembly hall of the gods, which is adorned with many kinds of jewels and ringed by different types of fences, just as explained before.


4.B.­1341

“When Śakra, lord of the gods, sees the arriving gods, he will first greet them and then utter the following verses:

“ ‘All of this is the result of past positive deeds‍—
That is why you now live so well.
Once they are exhausted,
You will fall from the god realms.
4.B.­1342
“ ‘Those who fall, lacking in karmic action,
Could be born anywhere.
If, later, you have no pain,
It will be because of your actions.
4.B.­1343
“ ‘Attachment to pleasures
And carelessness will bring you down.
Those who fail to act will fall under Māra’s sway,
And thus such gods will enter the hells.
4.B.­1344
“ ‘Once someone has seen that this downfall is imminent,
Why would they not be alarmed?
Even I remain constantly concerned
About such downfalls.
4.B.­1345
“ ‘Those who see these fearsome things from afar
And exert themselves in practice
Will be unharmed, without fear,
When the time of their death arrives.
4.B.­1346
“ ‘Those who have long been careless
And thus, with base minds, harbor no fear [F.279.b]
Will later, when the difficult time arrives,
Proceed to burn with pain.
4.B.­1347
“ ‘Everything within the realm of the gods
Will have to collapse.
If those who are governed by desire can recognize this,
They will never again have to fall.
4.B.­1348
“ ‘Beings deceived by desire,
Deluded by desire,
Or dragged on by the noose of desire
Will always fall into hell.
4.B.­1349
“ ‘Those who remain aware of their afflictions,
Who intend to help themselves
And who have well-tamed minds,
Will, as gods, not be tormented.
4.B.­1350
“ ‘Those who are always caught
By the power of desire and the mind’s poisons
Will in their delusion fall under the Lord of Death’s power.
Such beings are ruined by desire’s flames.
4.B.­1351
“ ‘The sufferings at the time of death,
When one must part from
Family, relatives, and close friends,
Is a pain that cannot be described.
4.B.­1352
“ ‘When death approaches,
One falls as if from a mountain.
There is no halting this
As one is grabbed by powerful beings.
4.B.­1353
“ ‘All the beautiful things one encountered
Will definitely be lost.
The supreme god who realizes this
Will not develop any attachment to the careless.
4.B.­1354
“ ‘Those whose faculties are always desirous
Will never experience satisfaction.
Just like a fire fueled with butter,
Their craving will constantly increase.
4.B.­1355
“ ‘Thus, through many different avenues,
The world of craving brings destruction,
As beings keep wandering through the realms
Of hell beings, starving spirits, and animals.
4.B.­1356
“ ‘Those lacking skill in the face of uncertain death and birth
Will remain afflicted.
Understanding this, one can escape craving
And enter a supreme world.
4.B.­1357
“ ‘The steadfast who are free from bondage
Are free from anguish and from harm.
Those who are free from craving’s sway
Will always live in bliss.
4.B.­1358
“ ‘The skillful whose minds in all situations
Draw closer and closer to wisdom
Will achieve such births,
And they cannot be caught by the snares of suffering.
4.B.­1359
“ ‘The one whose mind is beyond signs
And has renounced craving
Will be free from the stains of the wilderness
And achieve a supreme source of bliss.
4.B.­1360
“ ‘One who is not depressed by suffering
Or attached to happiness
Will be liberated from happiness and suffering [F.280.a]
And travel to the city of suffering’s transcendence.
4.B.­1361
“ ‘People whose minds are constantly filled
With love and compassion,
Who understand cause and effect in its essence,
Will escape suffering’s noose.
4.B.­1362
“ ‘Those who disdain and abandon the flaws
Of conceptual thinking
Will be liberated from such fearsome flaws
And travel to the sublime and supreme abode.
4.B.­1363
“ ‘What is gathered will disperse.
What is young will always age.
What is alive will always pass.
These truths are always true.
4.B.­1364
“ ‘Those who fall from the god realms
Will gradually experience the unbearable.
Anyone who considers this yet remains careless
Is someone on whom you should never rely.
4.B.­1365
“ ‘The foolish, lacking methods,
Constantly seek happiness.
But they never find what they seek,
As if trying to extract oil from sand.
4.B.­1366
“ ‘Those who prefer constant carelessness
Give themselves no chance to be happy.
Carelessness is the cause of misery,
The sole linchpin of suffering.
4.B.­1367
“ ‘With this, I have taught you
Certainty as to what is Dharma and what is not.
Please keep this in mind
And, in the future, do not harm yourselves.
4.B.­1368
“ ‘It is the foolish who fail to keep
The master’s beneficial words in mind.
Later, when the difficult time comes,
They will be tortured by their own minds.
4.B.­1369
“ ‘Tens of thousands, millions, billions,
Trillions, and quadrillions of gods‍—
Indeed, countless numbers of them‍—
Are deceived by carelessness.
4.B.­1370
“ ‘If it is certain that the fires of impermanence
Will consume the supreme mountain at the end of the eon,
What need to speak of gods
Who are like bubbles or plantain trees.
4.B.­1371
“ ‘What is conditioned, what arises and vibrates,
Deserves not even the slightest craving.
Such things do not support
The eternal and the blissful.
4.B.­1372
“ ‘Though Śakra has, with this speech and with many methods,
Tried to benefit the newly born gods
Who are caught by carelessness,
They have not seized upon even a single word.’
4.B.­1373

“As Śakra realizes this, he will sit there silently. The gods, however, will bow their heads to Śakra. Surrounded by hundreds of thousands of gods who are attached to song and the sound of instruments and cymbals, the gods will return to their own places, [F.280.b] which are adorned with groves, lotuses, ponds, and lotus groves; replete with the pleasing sounding of divine music and hundreds of thousands of waterfalls; and filled with the most delightful birdsong. As the gods are nourished and experience various pleasures there, the surrounding mountains are awash in bright, gem-like rays of light.347 Beholding so many intensely enjoyable things, they will retire to the parks in order to take their pleasure.

4.B.­1374

“In these ways, their minds are ruined by myriad forms of carelessness. Those whose minds are attached to pleasures are burned by the flames of desire, yet they do not recognize the basis for renunciation‍—the fact that they are burned by the five flames that spring from the five sense faculties. The gods do not realize that such pleasures are enemies. Instead, they enjoy themselves with those terrible enemies that appear in the form of friends. In this way they will continue to enjoy themselves, play, and celebrate until finally their completed and accumulated acts that bring desirable, attractive, and delightful effects, and that are to be individually experienced, have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world, only to be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals, in accordance with their karmic actions. In the unlikely event that some positive karmic actions should cause them to be born with the general lot in life of a human, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, be constantly happy, have an excellent appearance, be born into a family of many distinctive qualities, be venerated by everyone, and for the duration of that life be granted great favors by the king.

The Gods in Unmixed

4.B.­1375

“As the monk who has knowledge of the ripening of karmic effects continues to examine the god realm of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will apply knowledge derived from hearing and so correctly perceive a god realm known as Unmixed. Wondering what karmic actions cause people to be born there, he will examine this matter with knowledge derived from hearing [F.281.a] and thus see that there exist people who have excellent and virtuous minds, have great trust in cause and effect, uphold the seven aspects of discipline, have minds saturated with compassion, avoid association with evil companions, avoid conversing with those who indulge in nonvirtue, have constant faith in the Three Jewels, have peaceful minds, have minds that rest in equipoise without becoming distracted or confused, and do not restlessly seek entertainment. They speak pleasantly to all beings, speak in a timely way, and speak truthfully. They serve spiritual masters, listen to the sacred Dharma, adhere to the right view, and uphold generosity and discipline to the best of their ability. When traveling, such people refrain from intentionally stealing even grass that might belong to others. They will also look out for, and be considerate of, frogs, insects, and snakes. Thus, because the most precious possession of all living beings is their own lives, they will think, ‘I shall not kill any being.’ With undivided focus on this matter, they will diligently protect living beings.

4.B.­1376

“In what way do they abandon killing? If, for the pleasure of having something to eat, they obtain a piece of meat or some other food, they may find that heat or long periods of humidity have caused the food to become infested with insects. If at that point they realize that the insects would certainly die if removed from the food, they will think, ‘I would rather die myself than cause the death of those beings. I shall not kill living beings!’ They would prefer to sacrifice their own lives, and thus they will not remove the insects from their food. Such sublime beings are wary of even the slightest evils, and they ardently pursue proper causes.

4.B.­1377

“How do they give up stealing? Such virtuous beings who are intent on benefiting beings [F.281.b] will, for the welfare of others, think, ‘If not given to me, I shall not take anything that belongs to others.’ Thus, they will not take even the dust of buffalo dung or manure that has been spread in fields, gardens, or towns. They spurn taking that which is not given even to this minute a degree. They engage in discipline that is uncontaminated, unsullied, without negative action, and faultless. Once those who have lived in this way later separate from their bodies, they will proceed to the joyous higher realms and be born among the gods in Unmixed within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

4.B.­1378

“Once born there, they will be supremely happy, and their bodies will emit light that exceeds that of the sun. These gods have engaged in and accumulated positive actions and the results of those actions are to be individually experienced. Hence, they will experience myriad divine pleasures. Adorned with divine garlands and garments, they will live within groves and forests formed from the seven precious substances where, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of gods, they enjoy themselves with these divine hosts.

4.B.­1379

“As they relish their various extraordinary pleasures, these gods will periodically retire to the grove called Sustained by the Finest Tastes. Once they see this grove, they will be exceedingly pleased and exclaim, ‘Ah! Such a grove as this is far more beautiful than any other. What might be the special karmic causes behind these flowers, fruits, herbs, caves, ponds, waterfalls, songbirds, well-proportioned grounds, animals, and deer?’

4.B.­1380

“Other gods, who had arrived there earlier, will hear them and reply, ‘This is what we have heard from others: The universal monarch Māndhāta lived for many hundreds of thousands of years, ruling the four continents and the areas between them, but his desires were not satisfied. Disappointed in this way, he was led by his wheel [F.282.a] along the path to the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, and thus he arrived in this heaven. In terms of human reckoning, he lived for many hundreds of thousands of years without his desires ever being satisfied. Being thus discontented wherever he went, he lived on in this heaven. Even though he shared the throne with Śakra, still his desires were not satisfied. He used to come to this grove to enjoy himself and partake of the pleasures of the parks. That is why this grove still has such an abundance of exceptionally delightful qualities. We were also told that when the past positive actions of King Māndhāta, who was able to sit upon Śakra’s throne, finally were exhausted, he fell from the abode of the gods. As for us, we have not seen this grove for ourselves before, but this is how it is still so richly endowed.’

4.B.­1381

“When the gods hear this message, they will overcome their astonishment. Exhilarated, they will begin to enjoy themselves, play, and celebrate to the accompaniment of the five types of musical instruments. With their minds absorbed in the five types of sense pleasures, they will proceed into the grove. As they enter, the birds called extraordinarily playful will chirp the following verses, exhorting the gods to positive actions:

4.B.­1382
“ ‘The cause of this is craving,
Which cannot be satisfied by pleasures.
Though you try to satisfy your craving,
The mind will not find satisfaction.
4.B.­1383
“ ‘Death is near‍—
This everyone should understand.
There is nothing that can be done
To reverse this.
4.B.­1384
“ ‘After indulging in various pleasures,
For even a long stretch of time,
One is certain to fall.
Therefore, we must now summon you to the Dharma.
4.B.­1385
“ ‘There is but one supreme refuge,
There is but one supreme support.
Through Dharma, life will flourish,
But non-Dharma is the way to death.
4.B.­1386
“ ‘If one practices Dharma and acts in accordance with it,
And if one relies on what is true, [F.282.b]
One will go from happiness to happiness,
And will not have to encounter suffering.
4.B.­1387
“ ‘When beings are unrighteous
And adhere to what is not Dharma,
They will again and again suffer
The constant experience of hell.
4.B.­1388
“ ‘All the realms that have been presented
Are all the domain of Śakra.
There are no other realms of Śakra,
So this presentation is definitive.
4.B.­1389
“ ‘Throughout all of the Thirty-Three,
There is no place whatsoever
Where gods do not die
Or are free from the karma that makes them fall back.
4.B.­1390
“ ‘The causes that lead to multiple destinations
And the various definitive essences
Have all been explained by Śakra in his Dharma teaching.
Yet, the gods pay no attention.
4.B.­1391
“ ‘Since Kauśika is like a treasury among all learned ones,
He is the principal god.
Although he enjoys lotuses,
He nonetheless spurns evil deeds.
4.B.­1392
“ ‘Constantly instructing them in the sacred Dharma,
He is like a father to the gods.
Yet, in their carelessness, their minds are turbulent,
And thus these deluded beings fail to hold to his words.’
4.B.­1393

“The gods hear all that is sung by the birds, but the nature of things causes their minds to become disturbed by carelessness, and so they do not grow disenchanted. Without giving any consideration to these matters, they will once again commence their enjoyment of the pleasures of the moment, with no awareness of anything else. In this fashion, this class of divine beings will continue to enjoy the five sense pleasures until finally their completed and accumulated positive acts that bring desirable, attractive, and delightful effects, and that are to be individually experienced, have been exhausted. Once that happens, they will die and leave their divine world, only to be born among hell beings, starving spirits, or animals, in accordance with their karmic actions. Should they instead be born with the general lot in life of a human, they will, in accordance with their causal actions, always have the finest joys, possess supreme virtues and the finest enjoyments, have excellent bodies, and be loving toward all beings.


4.B.­1394

“As the monk who has knowledge of the ripening of karmic effects continues [F.283.a] to examine the realms of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will fail to see any thirty-fourth realm anywhere. Thus, there are just these thirty-three realms of the gods, and not any other. This, also, is as far as Śakra’s power extends; he remains powerful only to this extent. These are the realms he enjoys, and not any other.

4.B.­1395

“The monk will in this way first examine these god realms, noticing the relations and similarities between cause and effect. With such perception of the effects of karmic actions, he will discern all the relevant factors. Thereby he will develop weariness with cyclic existence because he will clearly see death, transference, and rebirth; parting from the beloved and encountering the enemy; the precipices of aging, sickness, and death; and the way one is invariably plunged into myriad ghastly terrors. Directly seeing how every aspect involves numerous rivers of suffering and burning, he will think with overwhelming sorrow, ‘Alas! Our world is cycling through total misery. Everyone is falling over the fearsome precipices of birth, aging, sickness, and death. And yet, no one realizes this‍—nor does anyone have the means to go beyond cyclic existence. There is not the slightest bit that is pleasant, permanent, stable, enduring, or unchanging. Because childish beings are for the most part deluded about this, they do not understand what is going on, and thus they keep carrying out numerous misdeeds for the sake of their physical well-being. However, their bodies will be destroyed. The karma of their misdeeds, on the other hand, will keep following them.’


4.B.­1396

“At this point, the monk will utter the following verses: [F.283.b]

“ ‘By spoiling the body with bedding and seats,
One may end up entirely devastated.
Yet, the body will not do anything in return
For the one who so skillfully serves it.
4.B.­1397
“ ‘As the body lets all efforts go to dreadful waste,
While constantly searching for a way to strike,
How could the learned commit negative deeds
For the sake of their enemy‍—the body?
4.B.­1398
“ ‘Instead, they must keep discerning
Its numerous inner flaws and futility,
And thus pronounce that body
Refers to a heap of filth.
4.B.­1399
“ ‘One must understand that while on the brink of death
The body behaves in this way.
Its life cannot be extended by even a moment,
And thus it comes to an end.
4.B.­1400
“ ‘In every moment, this body is,
Irreversibly, getting older.
Even though this is true, unthinking, childish people
Are deceived by their arrogant infatuation with youth.
4.B.­1401
“ ‘Inflated by their arrogant infatuation with wealth,
They do things that do not benefit them.
Then, as death draws ever nearer,
They are burned by their unwholesome deeds.
4.B.­1402
“ ‘Those lacking the wish
To give and share
Will protect their things avariciously;
Yet, as they are hoarded, they are squandered.
4.B.­1403
“ ‘Wealth that is used with a sublime intention,
And likewise offered to spiritual masters,
Is beautiful to behold.
Otherwise, it is no more than grass.
4.B.­1404
“ ‘If one is generous in a flawless way,
In both this world and in the next,
The value of these small possessions
Will become like fresh eyes to a blind person.
4.B.­1405
“ ‘The excellent sevenfold discipline
Is a nondeceptive progression.
People who have guarded themselves with such discipline
Will walk among the gods.
4.B.­1406
“ ‘Those who possess supreme and vast insight,
And always delight in defeating the afflictions,
Will prevent death altogether
And proceed to the state beyond transference.
4.B.­1407
“ ‘Thus, in the terrifying ocean of existence,
One will discover the shore.348
Riding upon these mounts,
The wise gain freedom as they reach beyond.’
4.B.­1408

“In this way, the monk who clearly understands the results of generosity, discipline, and insight, who sees reality, and who desires to set forth will see all these matters fully and clearly. Abiding upon this distinct, eighteenth ground, he will be weary of cyclic existence, practice with the intent to transcend suffering, [F.284.a] and have no desire for the domain of the māras. When they come to know of this, the celestial gods will inform the heavenly gods, who in turn will pass the news to the four guardians of the world. The latter will inform the gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, who will tell the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. From there the news will pass to the gods in the Heaven Free from Strife, and in this way eventually reach the gods in Luminosity.”

4.B.­1409

This completes the section on the realms in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.


4.C.

The Heaven Free from Strife

4.C.­1

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!


“The karmic effects of life as a god in the realms of the Heaven Free from Strife and the guardians of the world always manifest on the basis of cause and effect.

4.C.­2

“When the monk who has knowledge of the effects of the ripening of karmic actions has examined the exhilarated gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, he will next wonder about the identity of the gods who reside above them, and who are superior in terms of splendor, diligence, joy, radiance, and lifespan. Through his knowledge derived from hearing, he will see that those gods, who are far superior to the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three in terms of the methods they have applied in the past, and in terms of the ripening of their karmic qualities, are known as the gods in the Heaven Free from Strife. He will also notice that beings are born in that heaven by observing various forms of discipline. Those gods have abandoned killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. They have practiced discipline in a way that is uncorrupted, unbroken, undefiled, and stable, thereby pleasing all the noble ones. Since they possess the karmic ripening of constant discipline, they will become spiritual practitioners who contemplate reality and pass beyond the ocean of existence by traveling across the bridge of discipline, the bridge that spans the ocean of cyclic existence and leads to the city of the transcendence of suffering. Just as before, their sevenfold discipline can be distinguished in terms of inferior, intermediate, and excellent levels.

The Gods in Supreme Strength

The Gods in Traveling on Great Mounts356

The Gods in Moving in the Stream

The Gods in Living on the Peak

The Gods in Living on the Peak364

The Gods in Ornament of the Mind

The Gods in Continuous Movement

The Gods in Moving in Vast Environments

The Gods in Moving in Gatherings398

The Six Stūpas

The Stūpa of the Buddha Śikhin

The Stūpa of the Buddha Vipaśyin

The Stūpa of the Buddha Krakucchanda

The Male Lay Practitioner

The Female Lay Practitioner

The Nuns

The Monks

The Stūpa of the Buddha Viśvabhū

The Stūpa of the Blessed Kanakamuni

The Stūpa of the Blessed Kāśyapa

The Gods in Moving in Mixed Environments

The Gods in Endowed with Migration

The Gods in Emanation of Light Rays

The Gods in Controlled Movement

The Gods in Constant Bliss

The Gods in Endowed with Increasing Bliss

The Eleven Great Dharma Teachings

(1) Agitation Is Remedied by Taming Oneself

(2) Lack of Restraint Is Remedied by One-Pointedness

(3) Flawed Discipline Is Remedied by Following a Holy Person

(4) Laziness Is Remedied by Diligence

(5) Obsession with Village Life Is Remedied by Being Alone in the Wilderness

(6) Greed Is Remedied by Contentment

(7) Fondness for Friends and Relatives Is Remedied by Staying in Foreign Lands

(8) Meaningless Talk Is Remedied by Proper Verbal Restraint

(9) Frivolity Is Remedied by Steadfastness

(10) Poverty Is Remedied by Generosity

(11) Ignorance Is Remedied by Knowledge

The Gods in Total Pleasure

The Twenty-Two Wholesome Factors537

(1) Remorse

(2) Fear of the Lower Realms

(3) Patience

(4) Diligence

(5) Teaching the Dharma

(6) Compassion

(7) Gentleness

(8) Observance

(9) Faith

(10) Overcoming Fickleness543

(11) Steadfastness544

(12) Fear of Scandal545

(13) Absence of Clinging547

(14) Delighting in Solitude548

(15) Undistracted Mind549

(16) Recollection of Death550

(17) Freedom from Infatuation with One’s Body, Family, and Nobility552

(18) Equality with Respect to All Beings553

(19) Contentment555

(20) Weariness of Objects556

(21) Distrust of the Mind557

The Gods in Living by Rājanina558

The Thirty Qualities of Listening to the Dharma

(1) Hearing the Dharma That One Has Not Heard Before

(2) Understanding What One Hears

(3) Discerning What One Understands

(4) Accomplishing What One Discerns

(5) Practicing What One Has Adopted

(6) Establishing Others in That Which One Observes

(7) Being Unaffected by Decline561

(8) Developing Discernment of the Characteristics of the Dharma562

(9) Giving Rise to Roots of Virtue That Did Not Exist Previously

(10) Causing the Roots of Virtue to Mature

(11) Liberating Those Who Are Matured

(12) Establishing Those with Wrong View in the Authentic View

(13) Overcoming All Unvirtuous Thoughts

(14) Cultivating All Virtuous Thoughts

(15) Relinquishing Negativities That Arise by the Force of Conditions

(16) Developing Carefulness

(17) Following Holy People

(18) Overcoming Deceit and Stinginess

(19) Being Respectful to One’s Parents

(20) Understanding Karmic Actions and Their Effects

(21) Cultivating Activity That Increases One’s Life Span

(22) Being Praised by the People of the World

(23) Being Protected by the Gods

(24) Having Excellent Intentions

(25) Possessing the Wealth of Being Endowed with the Dharma

(26) Being Free From Laziness

(27) Gratitude

(28) Continuous Recollection of Death

(29) Being Free From Regrets at the Time of Death

(30) Finally Going Completely Beyond Suffering

The Gods in Shining in Manifold Ways


5.

The Application of Mindfulness of the Body

5.­1

At this point the Blessed One resided in the brahmin town of Nālati. [F.110.a] The Blessed One then addressed the monks: “Monks, I shall explain to you what is known as The Application of Mindfulness of the Body. I shall explain to you that which is virtuous in the beginning, middle, and end; that which exclusively consists of excellent meanings and excellent words; and a pure sort of conduct that is complete, pristine, and perfect. Such is the Dharma teaching known as The Application of Mindfulness of the Body. Pay full attention and listen well; I shall explain.” When the Blessed One had spoken these words, the monks listened accordingly.


c.

Colophon

c.­1
The Thus-Gone One has taught those causes
From which all phenomena have appeared,
And also that which is their cessation.
This is what the Great Mendicant has taught.
c.­2

India is the origin of all that is good and possesses all things excellent, both in terms of her soil and her sciences, for which she is the universal source. This is the land of the cultured and the learned and all her inhabitants are wise. Seeing India to be the eyes of Jambudvīpa, the perfect Buddha achieved full awakening within this land, with its magnificent cities through which the great river Gaṅgā descends.

c.­3

In the eastern part of India’s central lands lies the great monastery of Nālandā.639 The sovereign of the land is the splendid prince Rāmapāla,640 whose glory outshines others and whose reign reaches far and wide. This prince has established the temple known as Jagaddala to support the pure and the gentle, holy beings who are experts regarding the staircase leading to the higher realms and liberation. From here appeared numerous exceptionally learned paṇḍitas, such that people of the world speak of “the five hundred omniscient ones,” who are praised by all paṇḍitas as being equal to the masters of the past.

c.­4

Among them is someone whom kings and ministers, who take pride in their mundane wealth, carry on their shoulders as if he were their head‍—someone whom paṇḍitas, who take pride in their scholarship, and worldly folk regard as their crown jewel. He is regarded as a guide by those who have relinquished concern for this life and who endeavor to accomplish liberation, allowing them to clearly distinguish good qualities from flaws. All the people of the land see him as beautiful and endearing, as if he were their only child. He enraptures even the vicious and ungrateful with his great goodwill. [F.228.b] Due to his love for others, he suffers agony and pain as he beholds the miseries of all wandering beings, yet he skillfully extends his compassionate care to them. He is foretold in the prophetic discourse of Tiger Ear Star as an individual endowed with numerous qualities and a great instigator who upon exchanging his body would be born in the higher realms. He yearns to meet Maitreya and has tremendous yearning for the Dharma. He has also weakened all emotions such as desire and anger. Who could properly extol such a person’s qualities? In short, his knowledge of mundane human customs is great, and his benevolence is like a golden ground. With respect for the sacred Dharma, he is endowed with perfect learning and he is pure, serene, gentle, accommodating, noble, truthful, undeceiving, honest, and successful in terms of accomplishment. Like a majestic wish-fulfilling tree that grows from a turquoise ground, he is adorned with the blooming flowers and ripe fruits of a bounty of temporary and ultimate virtues in this and all other lives. Thus, perfectly accomplishing what benefits both oneself and all others, there is nothing that he does that is not meaningful. Such is this master endowed with the shining beauty of unimpeded mastery of the five fields of learning, the great paṇḍita known as Śāntākaragupta. Explanations based on five Indian volumes were received from that master, as well as the great scholar and holy man, the supreme Vinaya holder known as Abhayākaragupta; the one whose learning is comparable to Mañjuśrī, the supreme paṇḍita endowed with perfect eloquence and insight, Śakyarakṣita; and also the great paṇḍita Vīryākaraśānti, and others. [F.229.a]

c.­5

Likewise, in the lower reaches of the central land of Magadha‍—where the shrines of the thus-gone ones are numerous, and the land is full of Buddhists who have faith in the Three Jewels‍—lies the great monastic complex of Vikramaśīla. It was established by the bodhisattva king, Devapāla, and serves as the eyes of the Dharma teachings. Among its numerous learned scholars there are Śakyarakṣita himself; the great paṇḍita Subhūticandra, who is expert in linguistics, poetry, and the syntactic structures of Sanskrit; the Abhidharma expert known as Aḍitacandra; and other such masters. It is from all those masters that the explanations based on five Indian volumes were received.

c.­6

The translators listened carefully to the sūtra and with veneration they sought careful explanation in order to comprehend all the scripture’s words and meanings, thoroughly investigating the most difficult points with the appropriate methods for understanding their significance. In the process of translation, they were guided by the light of insight that comes from mastering four languages‍—Sanskrit, the Indian vernaculars, Tibetan Dharma language, and the Tibetan vernaculars.

c.­7

Nevertheless, the topics of the sūtras are numerous and the subjects are profound. In particular, the statements in this sūtra carry numerous implicit messages and convey their meaning by means of beautiful verbal adornments that evince an unparalleled mastery of poetry. Hence, their meanings are not easily accessible to those of weak learning. Especially, brief scriptural passages that convey numerous meanings have been translated in that same fashion. This approach allows those endowed with the jewels of understanding to ascertain numerous meanings, but if any one of those were to be singled out as the sole implied meaning, that would be a mistake. Rather, translation should convey just as much meaning as the words imply. Therefore, in short, without violating the way the Indian and Tibetan languages convey the same meaning by means of different expressions, and without breaking with the tradition established by the decrees of the scholars of the past, this translation has been made in veneration of the sacred Dharma by the northerner, the monk Tsultrim Gyaltsen, who was born into the family of Patshap. This was undertaken during the reign of the Indian king Rāmapāla, whose banner of perfect glory and majesty flies higher than any other. In this manner, those segments that had previously been translated of this Great Vehicle discourse known as The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma were completed. [F.229.b]

c.­8

The subsequent editing and revision of the text was undertaken by the monk Tsultrim Gyaltsen himself, with the assistance of two others. The first is the spiritual teacher known as Shang Buchikpa, who everyone calls by this name because he benefits them and is auspicious for them, caring for all sentient beings as if they were his “only child.”641 Accordingly, his name reveals that he is endowed with great compassion. The second editor is known as Sherap Ö, because he is a veritable “light of insight” for all who follow the Dharma.642 With knowledge of the way the vehicles progress, he summarizes the teachings by means of principles such as the two realities, and thus‍—with insight developed gradually through conviction, ascertainment, and realization‍—he spreads the light that overcomes the darkness of afflictive and cognitive obscurations in both oneself and others. Thus, his name shows that this master is endowed with great insight and that he accomplishes his own and others’ objectives perfectly. In this way, the translation was corrected, refined, and properly finalized through the fivefold process of drafting, primary editing, testing the relations between word and meaning, secondary editing, and secondary testing of the relations.

c.­9

May the stainless virtues that ensue from translating and assisting in the translation of this sacred Dharma teaching‍—this precious discourse on mindfulness in the Great Vehicle, which is the foundation, root, and vital essence of all the vehicles‍—reach all beings extending to the end of space, so that they may find happiness while in existence. And may a lush canopy spread over them from the tree that offers refuge, awakening, and fruition. As soon as we leave this life behind, may we be reborn in realms of the buddhas, and in all other lives of cyclic existence, may we exclusively do what benefits others.


c.­10

The number of sections has not been determined. In accord with the Indian text the length of the scripture amounts to thirty-six thousand ślokas. There appear to be a few unique archaic elements of writing. When dividing The Application of Mindfulness into sections of three hundred ślokas, there are one hundred and twenty sections.


n.

Notes

n.­1
For a more detailed summary of the contents of the sūtra, see Stuart 2012, pp. 35–69.
n.­2
For an in-depth presentation of this section on mindfulness of the body, see Kritzer 2020.
n.­3
Zhengfa nianchu jing 正法念處經 (Taishō 721). For more information on this version of the sūtra, see Lewis R. Lancaster, “K 801,” The Korean Buddhist Canon.
n.­4
The Chinese translation was produced by Gautama Prajñāruci, who translated the text from 538 to 541 ᴄᴇ.
n.­5
The AMSD is also the fourth-longest text in the entire Kangyur collection, where only The Detailed Explanations of Discipline (Toh 3, 2217 pages), The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines (Toh 8, 9398 pages), and The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-five Thousand Lines (Toh 9, 2302 pages) are longer.
n.­6
The partial Sanskrit manuscript does not cover this latter part of the sūtra.
n.­7
Denkarma, 300.b.4. See also Herrmann-Pfandt 2008, p. 150, n. 271. For further details, see van der Kuijp 2009, pp. 8–13.
n.­8
Stuart 2012, pp. 25–29.
n.­15
Degé: mu stegs can spyod pa pa kun tu rgyu ba dag. Here we have taken the phrase (Skt. tīrthika-caraka-parivrājaka) as a generic designation for the same group of people: the flourishing communities of non-Buddhist mendicants of various religious outlooks, who lived as wandering spiritual seekers (śramaṇa) in India during the time of the Buddha. Often, these wandering practitioners of various religious paths would interact with each other and exchange views and practices, such as we hear in this scripture. Several of the Buddha’s foremost students, such as Śāriputra (a short form of Śāradvatīputra), were living the life of a wandering mendicant prior to meeting the Buddha.
n.­275
Translation tentative. Degé: skye bo yongs su smra ba bsdus pa.
n.­276
Translation tentative. Degé: ’gram pa rngul.
n.­277
We have been unable to identify this material. Degé: ke ra Ta ka.
n.­278
Translation assumes khri snyan rather than khri snyen.
n.­279
Translation tentative. Degé: de bzhin du smyug ma’i nang ’dres pa’i sbu gu rnam pa du ma dag kyang lha mo de dag gis mthong ste.
n.­280
Translation tentative. Degé: thams cad nas rtag tu dog cing phan tshun gyi gdong mthon po gzhan dang zhan ’byes pa skyed pa.
n.­281
I.e., the elephant is in musth.
n.­282
Here the text also mentions another fruit (Degé: nA Di ke rya), which we have been unable to identify.
n.­283
Translation tentative. Degé: lha’i ’dod pa’i yon tan lnga dga ’byor cing ldan par gyur pas rtse zhing ’ong ba’i sgras dga’ bar byed de.
n.­284
Based on the skye ba rtag par that appears in Choné, Lithang, Narthang, Yongle, and Lhasa. Degé reads skye ba rtag pa.
n.­285
Translation of the last two lines in this verse is tentative. Degé: ’di ltar chos gnas dam pa ste/ /bdag la phan pa rtag tu gyis.
n.­286
Degé: … zhyes ba la sogs pa dbang po sum cu lha’i ’jig rten nas tshe ’phos pa dang.
n.­287
Translation tentative. Degé: skyed mos tshal gang yin pa de ri rab dang skra lta bur chung zad ’dra ba’i dper bya na.
n.­288
Translation of these last three sentences is tentative.
n.­289
The text actually reads “not delighting,” but we have assumed that this is a mistake.
n.­290
The text here mentions a specific flower (tsu la sa), which we have been unable to identify.
n.­291
Translation of the two preceding sentences is tentative. The Tibetan reads: de dag rlung gis gtor ba dang ’phral la ’bab cing de nyid ri dags skom pa lta bur mthong la/ ngo bo gzhan du ’gyur te ngo bo dag ni mi gsal ba’i ngo bor snang ngo.
n.­292
It seems that two lines are missing from the verse here.
n.­293
The Tibetan text here mistakenly mentions the name of the realm just treated, thus reading “Dwelling on Mixed Riverbanks.”
n.­294
The Tibetan text also mentions two additional types of fruit that we have been unable to identify: tA ma pu ra ka and nA Di ke ra.
n.­295
“Envoy” here translates yul gyi spyan (literally, “the eye of a region”).
n.­296
The translation of the last part of this sentence is tentative.
n.­297
The translation of the last part of this sentence is tentative. The Tibetan text reads: dri tsam zhig gis gser gyi yon tan gyi khyim gyi gnas su skye bar ’gyur ro.
n.­298
Degé: lha’i ’jig rten gnyis la dbang ba.
n.­299
Based on the ma brtsegs pa that appears in Kangxi, Choné, Lithang, Narthang, and Yongle. Degé reads ma rtse ba.
n.­300
The text here includes an additional element in this list that we have been unable to translate in this context: nges par ’byung ba skye ba.
n.­301
The translation of this line is tentative. Degé: glu dang sil snyan sgra myur mtshungs.
n.­302
It appears that the last two lines of this verse are missing from the Tibetan manuscript.
n.­303
The translation assumes sred pa, as appears in Choné, Lithang, Narthang, Yongle, and Lhasa. Degé reads sreg pa.
n.­304
Tib. gnyi ga’i cha las rnam par grol ba. This refers to liberation from both afflictive obscurations as well as obstacles to the accomplishment of the eight emancipations.
n.­305
It appears that two lines are missing from this verse.
n.­306
The list of trees includes an additional tree that we have been unable to identify. Degé reads nA De ker (some other manuscripts read nA Di ker).
n.­307
The text mentions that the leaves are of a tree called ba la sha, which we have been unable to identify.
n.­308
This god realm is named in two different ways in this text: Resembling the Full Moon and Moving Like the Moon.
n.­309
The translation of this sentence is tentative.
n.­310
The translation of this sentence is tentative. Degé: de bya gong ma sreg dang sreg dan ka ra ka bha kyi nang du skye bar ’gyur.
n.­311
Translation tentative.
n.­312
Translation assumes bag med pa la gnas pa as appears in Choné, Lithang, Narthang, Yongle, and Lhasa. Degé reads bag med pa la gnos pa. We are not sure what types of objects may be implied here.
n.­313
Degé: yul gnyis gyis kun du drangs pa na.
n.­314
The Tibetan text lists two additional items, which we have been unable to identify, that such people will not take from the beach or riverbank: bhal lA ta ka (Skt. bhallātaka = “cashew nut”!) and sha bha ri ka.
n.­315
Translation here and just below is tentative. The Tibetan reads gtogs ’dod.
n.­316
Translation of these two lines is tentative. Degé: de bas ’jig rten ’das tshig gzung / ’jig rten pa lta ga la zhig.
n.­317
It seems that two lines may be missing somewhere from these verses.
n.­318
The translation of the two middle lines in this verse is tentative. Degé: dga’ bas sel bar mi byed gang / dga’ ba bsal ba’i dag pa de.
n.­319
The translation assumes lag ris, as appears in Kangxi, Choné, Lithang, Narthang, Yongle, and Lhasa. Degé reads lig ris.
n.­320
Translation tentative. Degé: gshin rje’i mi rnams kyis spyo brgyad.
n.­321
Degé: lig ris lag pa phyin ci log tu bcings nas. Instead of lig ris, the translation assumes lag ris, as appears in Kangxi, Choné, Lithang, Narthang, Yongle, and Lhasa. The same applies in the following line.
n.­322
Translation tentative. It is unclear to us what is meant by “the truth of the three occasions.” Degé: gsum gyi skabs bden pa.
n.­323
It is unclear what this refers to. Degé: bsil ba.
n.­324
It is unclear from the text what the characteristics of the ninth intermediate existence are.
n.­325
Degé: mtshan nyid gsum kun ’thun no. We are not sure which characteristics are intended here.
n.­326
Translation tentative. Degé: rim pa brgyad brtsis nas chos nyi shu’i bar du bstan pa gang yin pa. It is unclear to us in which sense the teaching of the twenty can be seen as eightfold.
n.­327
The text includes an additional unidentified animal: bA na pi ka.
n.­328
The text includes an additional unidentified animal: ba lin da ka.
n.­329
The text includes an additional unidentified animal: da ra.
n.­330
The text includes an additional unidentified animal: bya ne’u le.
n.­331
The text includes two additional unidentified animals: tshad pa bye’u and ya ti ka.
n.­332
The text includes three additional unidentified animals: sa ko’u shi, sa li le, and dzo.
n.­333
The text here mentions two additional unidentified animals: chu srin dhun dhu gsod and tsu lan da.
n.­334
The text includes two additional unidentified animals: srog chags rlung ’gam and kab tab bya.
n.­335
The text includes two additional unidentified animals: ka ko da ra da and tsi lin da ka.
n.­336
The text includes an additional unidentified animal: pra ro hi na.
n.­337
The text includes an additional unidentified animal: yu ba bin da ka.
n.­338
The text includes three additional unidentified animals: sa lin dha ka, k’a Do ra, and id tya ha ka.
n.­339
The text includes an additional unidentified animal: srog chags kad tya.
n.­340
The text includes three additional unidentified animals: srog chags sUk+sh+ma tsa ra, u tsa tsa ka, and ra sha sha ka.
n.­341
It is unclear to us how this explanation is intended. Degé: gtso bo dag de ltar skyon gsum gyi bye brag tha dad pa bzhi’i skyon gyis khams ’byung bar ’gyur ro.
n.­342
Degé: gang gnyi ga ’dzin pa bag med pa’i mi rnams. It is not clear us which pair is implied by the mention of “both.”
n.­343
This name, which we have transcribed as it appears in the Tibetan (following Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, Narthang, and Choné: mad ta dang da) is not a proper Sanskrit term. Degé reads mad ta din da.
n.­344
This name, which we have transcribed as it appears in the Tibetan (mad ta ka Ta ma) is not a proper Sanskrit term.
n.­345
Translation tentative. Degé: sdig pa’i grogs po dang tom col du mi ’dre.
n.­346
Translation tentative. Degé: gsar du skyes pa’i yid ltad mo la zhugs pa lha phyi bzhin ’brang stong snyed kyis bskor cing / thams cad du yang de dag nyid kyis yongs su bskor ba rnams.
n.­347
Translation tentative. Degé: de lha rnams kyis mchod cing bde ba du ma dag myong ba na/ ri’i gsab gseb de dag na rin po che’i ’od kyi phreng ba lang long ’bar ba.
n.­348
Translation tentative. Degé: sa zam.
n.­356
In the list of the twenty-seven realms located within the Heaven Free from Strife, which was given above (4.C.­4), this heaven is not included. Now it appears as the second realm.
n.­364
This realm is named the same way as the one just mentioned. Presumably this is a mistake, although it is unclear what an alternative name might be.
n.­398
It is unclear from the Tibetan text where the description of this realm begins. It is clear, however, that the description of the six stūpas that follows just below belongs to the realm of Moving in Gatherings. We have therefore inserted this headline at this point.
n.­537
Although this heading mentions twenty-two wholesome factors, only twenty-one are discussed in the text itself. See n.­538.
n.­543
Note that in the list presented at 4.C.­2634 this principle appears as the sixteenth.
n.­544
Note that in the list presented at 4.C.­2634 this principle appears as the seventeenth.
n.­545
Note that in the list presented at 4.C.­2634 this principle appears as the tenth.
n.­547
Note that in the list presented at 4.C.­2634 this principle appears as the eleventh.
n.­548
Note that in the list presented at 4.C.­2634 this principle appears as the twelfth.
n.­549
Note that in the list presented at 4.C.­2634 this principle appears as the thirteenth.
n.­550
Note that in the list presented at 4.C.­2634 this principle appears as the fourteenth.
n.­552
Note that in the list presented at 4.C.­2634 the corresponding principle appears as the fifteenth.
n.­553
Note that in the list presented at 4.C.­2634 this principle appears as the nineteenth.
n.­555
Note that in the list presented at 4.C.­2634 this principle appears as the twentieth.
n.­556
Note that in the list presented at 4.C.­2634 this principle appears as the twenty-first.
n.­557
Since one of the twenty-two points listed above (“gentle speech”) is not treated in the ensuing discussion, there are only twenty-one topics.
n.­558
It is unclear to us which (if any) of the twenty-seven realms in the Heaven Free from Strife (mentioned above at 4.C.­4) this refers to.
n.­561
Note that the list at 4.C.­3018 enumerates this quality as the eighth.
n.­562
Note that the list at 4.C.­3018 enumerates this quality as the seventh.
n.­639
This name is a tentative rendering of the Tibetan ba len+d+ra.
n.­640
This name is a tentative rendering of the Tibetan ne bai pA la. According to the Tibetan colophon this person is said to have founded Jagaddala Monastery, an act normally linked to King Rāmapāla, whose reign also coincides with the time of composition of this colophon.
n.­641
Buchikpa means “only child.”
n.­642
This name means “light of insight.”

b.

Bibliography

’phags pa dam pa’i chos dran pa nye bar gzhag pa. Toh 287, Degé Kangyur vol. 68 (mdo sde, ya), folios 82a–318a; vol. 69 (mdo sde, ra), folios 1.b–307.a; vol. 70 (mdo sde, la), folios 1.b–312.a; and vol. 71 (mdo sde, sha), folios 1.b–229.b.

’phags pa dam pa’i chos dran pa nye bar gzhag 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), vol. 68, 238–842; vol. 69, 3–828; vol. 70, 3–821; and vol. 71, 3–603.

’phags pa dam pa’i chos dran pa nye bar gzhag pa. Stok Palace Kangyur, vol. 82 (mdo sde, ki), folios 1.b–378; vol. 83 (mdo sde, khi), folios 1.b–370.b; vol. 84 (mdo sde, gi), folios 1.b–383.b; and vol. 85 (mdo sde, ghi), folios 1.b–419.b.

Zhengfa nianchu jing 正法念處經. In Taishō Tripiṭaka. Edited by Junjirō Takakusu and Kaigyoku Watanabe. Vol. 17, no. 721.

Cabezón, José Ignacio. Sexuality in Classical South Asian Buddhism. Sommerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2017.

Demoto, Mitsuyo (2009). “Die 128 Nebenhöllen nach dem Saddharmasmṛ- tyupasthānasūtra.” Pāsādikadānam: Festschrift für Bhikkhu Pāsādika, edited by Martin Straube, Roland Steiner, Jayandra Soni, Michael Hahn, and Mitsuyo Demoto. Marburg: Indica et Tibetica Verlag, 2009: 61–88.

Demoto, Mitsuyo, ed. Saddharma­smṛtyupasthāna­sūtra: Critical Edition of Ch. 3. Unpublished draft, last modified July 2012. PDF file.

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.

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

Kritzer, Robert (Forthcoming). “Worms in Saddharma­smṛtyupasthāna­sūtra.” In Memorial Volume for Helmut Krasser. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Kritzer, Robert (2020). “Meditation on the Body in Chapter 7 of Saddharma­smṛtyupasthāna­sūtra.” Religions 11, no. 6 (2020): 283.

Lin, Li-kuoung, & P. Demiéville. L’aide-mémoire de la vraie loi. Paris: Adrien-Maisonneuve, 1949.

Mizuno, Kogen. “On the Ārya-saddharmasmrtyupasthāna-sūtra.” Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies (Indogaku Bukkyogaku Kenkyu) 12 (September 1964): 38–47.

Moretti, Costantino. “The Thirty-six Categories of ‘Hungry Ghosts’ Described in the Sūtra of the Foundations of Mindfulness of the True Law.” Fantômes dans l’Extrême-Orient D’hier et D’aujourd’hui. Edited by Vincent Durand Dastès, 43–69. Paris: INALCO, 2017.

Rangjung Dorjé (rang byung rdo rje). dam pa’i chos dran pa nye bar bzhag pa’i mdo yi don snang bar byed pa’i bstan bcos. Lhasa: bod ljongs mi dmangs dpe skrun khang, 2010.

Stuart, Daniel M. (2012). “A Less Traveled Path: Meditation and Textual Practice in the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna(sūtra).” PhD diss., University of California, Berkeley.

Stuart, Daniel M. (2015a). A Less Traveled Path: Saddharmasmṛtyupasthānasūtra Chapter 2, Critically edited with A Study on Its Structure and Significance for the Development of Buddhist Meditation. Sanskrit Texts from the Tibetan Autonomous Region (STTAR) 18. Beijing and Vienna: China Tibetology Publishing House and Austrian Academy of Sciences Press, 2015.

Stuart, Daniel M. (2015b). “Power in Practice: Cosmic Sovereignty Envisioned in Buddhism’s Middle Period.” The Critical Review for Buddhist Studies 18 (2015): 165–96.

Stuart, Daniel M. (2017a). “Yogācāra Substrata? Precedent Frames for Yogācāra Thought among Third-Century Yoga Practitioners in Greater Gandhāra.” Journal of Indian Philosophy 46 (October 2017): 193–240.

Stuart, Daniel M. (2017b). “Unmanifest Perceptions: Mind-Matter Interdependence and Its Consequences in Buddhist Thought and Practice.” In Śrāvakabhūmi and Buddhist Manuscripts, edited by Jundo Nagashima and Seongcheol Kim, 109–71. Tokyo: Nombre, 2017.

Stuart, Daniel M. (2019). “Becoming Animal: Karma and the Animal Realm Envisioned through an Early Yogācāra Lens.” Religions 10, no. 6 (2019): 363.

van der Kuijp, Leonard W. J. “On the Vicissitudes of Subhūticandra’s Kāmadhenu Commentary on the Amarakoṣa in Tibet.” Journal of the International Association of Tibetan Studies, no. 5 (December 2009): 1–105.

Wallace, Vesna A., ed. Saddharma­smṛtyupasthāna­sūtra: Critical Edition of Ch. 1. Unpublished draft, last modified May 10, 2020. PDF file.


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

A Thousand Houses

Wylie:
  • khang bu stong
Tibetan:
  • ཁང་བུ་སྟོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • —

Refers to Encircled by a Thousand Houses in Ornament of the Mind.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.C.­428
g.­2

Abhayākaragupta

Wylie:
  • a bha ya ka ra gup+ta
Tibetan:
  • ཨ་བྷ་ཡ་ཀ་ར་གུཔྟ།
Sanskrit:
  • abhayā­kara­gupta

An Indian paṇḍita involved in translating this sūtra.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • c.­4
g.­3

Abhidharma

Wylie:
  • chos mngon pa
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་མངོན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • abhidharma

The Buddha’s teachings regarding subjects such as wisdom, psychology, metaphysics, and cosmology.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­940
  • c.­5
  • n.­193
  • g.­15
  • g.­1287
g.­6

able one

Wylie:
  • thub
Tibetan:
  • ཐུབ།
Sanskrit:
  • muni

An ancient title given to ascetics, monks, hermits, and saints, namely, those who have attained the realization of a truth through their own contemplation and not by divine revelation.

Here also used as a specific epithet of the buddhas.

Located in 27 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­140-141
  • 2.­1399
  • 3.­138
  • 4.B.­64
  • 4.B.­612
  • 4.B.­854
  • 4.C.­787
  • 4.C.­973
  • 4.C.­1002
  • 4.C.­1015
  • 4.C.­1715
  • 4.C.­2716
  • 4.C.­2718
  • 4.C.­2891-2902
  • g.­1136
g.­7

Abode of Water

Wylie:
  • chu gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A pool in Dwelling on the Disk.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1271
g.­16

Action

Wylie:
  • kun spyod
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་སྤྱོད།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Dwelling in Forests.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­209
g.­18

Aḍitacandra

Wylie:
  • a Di ta tsan+d+ra
Tibetan:
  • ཨ་ཌི་ཏ་ཙནྡྲ།
Sanskrit:
  • aḍitacandra RP

Indian paṇḍita referred to in the sūtra’s colophon

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • c.­5
g.­20

Adorned with Glorious Garlands

Wylie:
  • gzi brjid phreng ldan
Tibetan:
  • གཟི་བརྗིད་ཕྲེང་ལྡན།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­23

Adorned with Springs

Wylie:
  • ’byung khungs kyi brgyan pa
Tibetan:
  • འབྱུང་ཁུངས་ཀྱི་བརྒྱན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

An emanated mountain on the trunk of Airāvaṇa.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­253
g.­26

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 the 84,000 variations of mental disturbances 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, aversion, and ignorance plus arrogance and jealousy.

Located in 170 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­13
  • 1.­34
  • 1.­80
  • 1.­95
  • 1.­101
  • 1.­117-118
  • 1.­129
  • 1.­132
  • 1.­140
  • 1.­143
  • 2.­32
  • 2.­49
  • 2.­70
  • 2.­84
  • 2.­91
  • 2.­114
  • 2.­119-120
  • 2.­144
  • 2.­149-150
  • 2.­153
  • 2.­181
  • 2.­249-251
  • 2.­256-257
  • 2.­262
  • 2.­274-277
  • 2.­279
  • 2.­282
  • 2.­285
  • 2.­288
  • 2.­290-291
  • 2.­293
  • 2.­602
  • 2.­607
  • 2.­692
  • 2.­706
  • 2.­708-709
  • 2.­782
  • 2.­925
  • 2.­954
  • 2.­1138
  • 2.­1149
  • 2.­1211
  • 2.­1480
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­39
  • 3.­377
  • 4.A.­277
  • 4.A.­331
  • 4.B.­115
  • 4.B.­117
  • 4.B.­292
  • 4.B.­438
  • 4.B.­487
  • 4.B.­505
  • 4.B.­549
  • 4.B.­629
  • 4.B.­713
  • 4.B.­739
  • 4.B.­930-931
  • 4.B.­1009
  • 4.B.­1079-1080
  • 4.B.­1100
  • 4.B.­1105-1106
  • 4.B.­1139
  • 4.B.­1152
  • 4.B.­1154
  • 4.B.­1171
  • 4.B.­1175
  • 4.B.­1187-1188
  • 4.B.­1205
  • 4.B.­1231
  • 4.B.­1289
  • 4.B.­1322
  • 4.B.­1349
  • 4.B.­1406
  • 4.C.­554
  • 4.C.­747
  • 4.C.­835
  • 4.C.­929
  • 4.C.­945
  • 4.C.­1141
  • 4.C.­1211
  • 4.C.­1246
  • 4.C.­1316
  • 4.C.­1318
  • 4.C.­1360
  • 4.C.­1366-1367
  • 4.C.­1375
  • 4.C.­1411
  • 4.C.­1418
  • 4.C.­1427-1428
  • 4.C.­1437-1438
  • 4.C.­1506
  • 4.C.­1525
  • 4.C.­1557
  • 4.C.­1573
  • 4.C.­1575
  • 4.C.­1956
  • 4.C.­2120
  • 4.C.­2244
  • 4.C.­2265
  • 4.C.­2347
  • 4.C.­2447
  • 4.C.­2491
  • 4.C.­2494
  • 4.C.­2523
  • 4.C.­2525
  • 4.C.­2532
  • 4.C.­2552
  • 4.C.­2558
  • 4.C.­2562
  • 4.C.­2566
  • 4.C.­2647
  • 4.C.­2670
  • 4.C.­2694
  • 4.C.­2727
  • 4.C.­2766
  • 4.C.­2802
  • 4.C.­2806
  • 4.C.­2823
  • 4.C.­2860
  • 4.C.­2893
  • 4.C.­2920
  • 4.C.­2922
  • 4.C.­2927
  • 4.C.­3023
  • 4.C.­3025
  • 4.C.­3030
  • 4.C.­3032-3033
  • 4.C.­3037
  • 4.C.­3056
  • 4.C.­3071
  • 5.­2-3
  • 5.­102
  • 5.­123
  • 5.­127
  • 5.­152
  • 5.­204
  • 5.­227
  • 5.­229
  • 5.­315
  • 5.­325
  • 5.­371
  • 5.­383
  • n.­72
  • n.­194
  • n.­445
  • g.­256
  • g.­874
  • g.­974
g.­28

age of perfection

Wylie:
  • rdzogs ldan gyi dus
Tibetan:
  • རྫོགས་ལྡན་གྱི་དུས།
Sanskrit:
  • kṛtayuga

The first of the four ages of human life in Jambudvīpa. Humans in this age enjoy good qualities such as long lifespans free from disease (see 5.­238). Over the course of the four ages humans will lose a quarter of these qualities between each age.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­450
  • 5.­238
  • g.­27
  • g.­29
  • g.­30
  • g.­31
  • g.­497
g.­29

age of strife

Wylie:
  • rtsod ldan gyi dus
Tibetan:
  • རྩོད་ལྡན་གྱི་དུས།
Sanskrit:
  • kaliyuga

The last of the four ages of human life in Jambudvīpa. In this age humans are endowed with only one remaining quarter of the good qualities that they had during the age of perfection.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­177
  • 5.­241
  • 5.­245-246
  • g.­497
g.­30

age of threefold endowment

Wylie:
  • gsum ldan gyi dus
Tibetan:
  • གསུམ་ལྡན་གྱི་དུས།
Sanskrit:
  • tretayuga

The second of the four ages of human life in Jambudvīpa. In this age humans are endowed with three quarters of the good qualities that they had during the age of perfection.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­204
  • 4.B.­907
  • n.­618-620
  • g.­497
g.­31

age of twofold endowment

Wylie:
  • gnyis ldan gyi dus
Tibetan:
  • གཉིས་ལྡན་གྱི་དུས།
Sanskrit:
  • dvāparayuga

The third of the four ages of human life in Jambudvīpa. In this age humans are endowed with two quarters, or half of the good qualities that they had during the age of perfection.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­907
  • n.­618-619
  • n.­621
g.­32

aggregate

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

The five psycho-physical components of personal experience: form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness.

Located in 56 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­91
  • 2.­62
  • 2.­104
  • 2.­106-109
  • 2.­115
  • 2.­124
  • 2.­137
  • 2.­140-141
  • 2.­161
  • 2.­825
  • 2.­1034-1035
  • 2.­1269
  • 2.­1273
  • 4.B.­107
  • 4.B.­1094
  • 4.B.­1189
  • 4.C.­538
  • 4.C.­598
  • 4.C.­1059
  • 4.C.­1091-1092
  • 4.C.­1209
  • 4.C.­1238
  • 4.C.­1426
  • 4.C.­1496-1497
  • 4.C.­1637
  • 4.C.­1796
  • 4.C.­1866
  • 4.C.­2028
  • 4.C.­2037
  • 4.C.­2108
  • 4.C.­2157
  • 4.C.­2245
  • 4.C.­2323
  • 4.C.­2483
  • 4.C.­2740
  • 4.C.­2843
  • 4.C.­2863
  • 4.C.­3067
  • 5.­23
  • 5.­58
  • 5.­138
  • 5.­192
  • 5.­204
  • n.­35
  • n.­421
  • n.­518
  • g.­874
  • g.­974
  • g.­1348
g.­35

Airāvaṇa

Wylie:
  • sa srung gi bu
Tibetan:
  • ས་སྲུང་གི་བུ།
Sanskrit:
  • airāvaṇa

Śakra’s elephant.

Located in 44 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­37
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­113
  • 3.­289
  • 3.­293-296
  • 3.­302
  • 3.­328-329
  • 3.­346
  • 3.­348-349
  • 3.­354
  • 3.­356-357
  • 3.­359-360
  • 3.­362-363
  • 3.­371
  • 4.B.­125-126
  • 4.B.­245-247
  • 4.B.­257
  • 4.B.­260-261
  • 4.B.­263
  • 4.B.­964
  • 4.B.­985
  • 4.B.­998
  • 4.B.­1073
  • 4.C.­1126
  • g.­23
  • g.­131
  • g.­263
  • g.­282
  • g.­386
  • g.­387
  • g.­1258
  • g.­1381
g.­37

All Seasons

Wylie:
  • dus tshigs thams cad
Tibetan:
  • དུས་ཚིགས་ཐམས་ཅད།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest upon Mount Playful in Sudharma.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­29
g.­41

alms

Wylie:
  • bsod snyoms
Tibetan:
  • བསོད་སྙོམས།
Sanskrit:
  • piṇḍapāta

The sharing of merit as food, drink, etc. is offered to members of the saṅgha.

Located in 31 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • p.­2
  • p.­4-5
  • p.­8
  • 2.­79
  • 2.­95
  • 2.­149-150
  • 2.­445
  • 2.­723
  • 2.­837
  • 4.B.­367
  • 4.B.­469
  • 4.B.­1000
  • 4.B.­1143
  • 4.B.­1159
  • 4.B.­1162
  • 4.C.­910
  • 4.C.­1083
  • 4.C.­1218-1219
  • 4.C.­1223
  • 4.C.­1475
  • 4.C.­1574
  • 4.C.­2455
  • 4.C.­2510
  • 4.C.­2734
  • 4.C.­2737
  • 4.C.­2757
  • 5.­57
g.­43

Always Joyous

Wylie:
  • rtag tu dga’ ba
  • rtag tu mngon par dga’ ba
  • tin di kun dga’
Tibetan:
  • རྟག་ཏུ་དགའ་བ།
  • རྟག་ཏུ་མངོན་པར་དགའ་བ།
  • ཏིན་དི་ཀུན་དགའ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

(1) A park in Sustained by Fruition (rtag tu dga’ ba). (2) A pleasure grove in High Conduct (rtag tu dga’ ba). (3) A pond on Equal Peaks (rtag tu mngon par dga’ ba). (4) A forest of the asuras (tin di kun dga’).

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­127
  • 4.A.­17
  • 4.B.­1297
  • 5.­335
g.­48

animal

Wylie:
  • dud ’gro
Tibetan:
  • དུད་འགྲོ།
Sanskrit:
  • tīryak

One of the five or six classes of sentient beings, who suffer from gross ignorance or bewilderment (gti mug, moha). They inhabit the realm of desire along with human beings.

Located in 512 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­20
  • 1.­23-24
  • 1.­26-34
  • 1.­37
  • 1.­40
  • 1.­53
  • 1.­76
  • 1.­81
  • 1.­97
  • 1.­114
  • 1.­120
  • 2.­61
  • 2.­122
  • 2.­128
  • 2.­131
  • 2.­134
  • 2.­136
  • 2.­177
  • 2.­214
  • 2.­219
  • 2.­228
  • 2.­233
  • 2.­239
  • 2.­245-246
  • 2.­248
  • 2.­264-266
  • 2.­268
  • 2.­302-303
  • 2.­313
  • 2.­316-317
  • 2.­320
  • 2.­349
  • 2.­362
  • 2.­377
  • 2.­389
  • 2.­391
  • 2.­393
  • 2.­395
  • 2.­398-400
  • 2.­403
  • 2.­406
  • 2.­409
  • 2.­416
  • 2.­428
  • 2.­431
  • 2.­433
  • 2.­437
  • 2.­442
  • 2.­445
  • 2.­448
  • 2.­477
  • 2.­481
  • 2.­485
  • 2.­499
  • 2.­503
  • 2.­506
  • 2.­509
  • 2.­513
  • 2.­517
  • 2.­520
  • 2.­523
  • 2.­526
  • 2.­530
  • 2.­533
  • 2.­536
  • 2.­539
  • 2.­548
  • 2.­569
  • 2.­576
  • 2.­583
  • 2.­605
  • 2.­609
  • 2.­612
  • 2.­615
  • 2.­618
  • 2.­621
  • 2.­625
  • 2.­629
  • 2.­634
  • 2.­638
  • 2.­641
  • 2.­644
  • 2.­648
  • 2.­652
  • 2.­679
  • 2.­696
  • 2.­701
  • 2.­704
  • 2.­720
  • 2.­723
  • 2.­730
  • 2.­754
  • 2.­762
  • 2.­765
  • 2.­776
  • 2.­780
  • 2.­866
  • 2.­870
  • 2.­874
  • 2.­887
  • 2.­892
  • 2.­895
  • 2.­905
  • 2.­914
  • 2.­918
  • 2.­920
  • 2.­924
  • 2.­930
  • 2.­935
  • 2.­940
  • 2.­943
  • 2.­946
  • 2.­950
  • 2.­1039
  • 2.­1141-1142
  • 2.­1155
  • 2.­1158
  • 2.­1162
  • 2.­1183
  • 2.­1188
  • 2.­1201
  • 2.­1205
  • 2.­1219
  • 2.­1222
  • 2.­1225
  • 2.­1251
  • 2.­1261
  • 2.­1264
  • 2.­1296
  • 2.­1298
  • 2.­1355
  • 3.­6-20
  • 3.­22-25
  • 3.­27-29
  • 3.­31-33
  • 3.­35-36
  • 3.­62-63
  • 3.­78
  • 3.­86
  • 3.­93
  • 3.­128
  • 3.­131
  • 3.­184
  • 3.­194-195
  • 3.­252
  • 3.­269
  • 3.­320
  • 3.­335
  • 3.­347
  • 3.­350
  • 3.­353
  • 3.­379
  • 4.­1
  • 4.A.­3
  • 4.A.­33
  • 4.A.­53
  • 4.A.­58
  • 4.A.­69
  • 4.A.­80
  • 4.A.­82
  • 4.A.­85
  • 4.A.­88
  • 4.A.­92
  • 4.A.­97
  • 4.A.­101
  • 4.A.­107
  • 4.A.­131
  • 4.A.­133
  • 4.A.­136
  • 4.A.­157
  • 4.A.­162
  • 4.A.­182
  • 4.A.­201
  • 4.A.­204
  • 4.A.­207
  • 4.A.­216
  • 4.A.­220
  • 4.A.­223
  • 4.A.­246
  • 4.A.­259
  • 4.A.­262
  • 4.A.­265
  • 4.A.­269
  • 4.A.­275
  • 4.A.­279
  • 4.A.­298
  • 4.A.­303
  • 4.A.­311
  • 4.A.­322
  • 4.A.­331
  • 4.A.­338
  • 4.A.­345
  • 4.A.­377
  • 4.A.­381
  • 4.A.­398
  • 4.A.­402
  • 4.A.­406
  • 4.B.­101-103
  • 4.B.­106
  • 4.B.­115
  • 4.B.­125
  • 4.B.­128
  • 4.B.­153
  • 4.B.­158
  • 4.B.­194
  • 4.B.­204
  • 4.B.­214
  • 4.B.­234
  • 4.B.­262-263
  • 4.B.­293
  • 4.B.­295
  • 4.B.­314
  • 4.B.­320
  • 4.B.­338
  • 4.B.­350
  • 4.B.­358
  • 4.B.­366
  • 4.B.­395
  • 4.B.­405
  • 4.B.­412
  • 4.B.­424
  • 4.B.­450
  • 4.B.­466-467
  • 4.B.­500
  • 4.B.­503-504
  • 4.B.­506
  • 4.B.­524
  • 4.B.­529
  • 4.B.­542
  • 4.B.­583
  • 4.B.­585-586
  • 4.B.­692
  • 4.B.­715
  • 4.B.­718
  • 4.B.­748
  • 4.B.­753-755
  • 4.B.­783-784
  • 4.B.­814
  • 4.B.­845-850
  • 4.B.­860
  • 4.B.­864
  • 4.B.­877
  • 4.B.­894
  • 4.B.­938
  • 4.B.­962
  • 4.B.­987
  • 4.B.­998
  • 4.B.­1001
  • 4.B.­1029
  • 4.B.­1071
  • 4.B.­1079
  • 4.B.­1113
  • 4.B.­1211-1213
  • 4.B.­1222
  • 4.B.­1238
  • 4.B.­1244-1249
  • 4.B.­1253
  • 4.B.­1293
  • 4.B.­1300
  • 4.B.­1326
  • 4.B.­1355
  • 4.B.­1374
  • 4.B.­1379
  • 4.B.­1393
  • 4.C.­105-106
  • 4.C.­115
  • 4.C.­117
  • 4.C.­170
  • 4.C.­179
  • 4.C.­235-236
  • 4.C.­263
  • 4.C.­270
  • 4.C.­273
  • 4.C.­334
  • 4.C.­394
  • 4.C.­422
  • 4.C.­511
  • 4.C.­531
  • 4.C.­535
  • 4.C.­597
  • 4.C.­607
  • 4.C.­613
  • 4.C.­623
  • 4.C.­692-694
  • 4.C.­707
  • 4.C.­727
  • 4.C.­789
  • 4.C.­821
  • 4.C.­835
  • 4.C.­891
  • 4.C.­956
  • 4.C.­975
  • 4.C.­1009
  • 4.C.­1039
  • 4.C.­1048
  • 4.C.­1070
  • 4.C.­1096
  • 4.C.­1101
  • 4.C.­1116-1117
  • 4.C.­1124
  • 4.C.­1185
  • 4.C.­1218
  • 4.C.­1227-1229
  • 4.C.­1231
  • 4.C.­1241
  • 4.C.­1246
  • 4.C.­1252
  • 4.C.­1256-1257
  • 4.C.­1294
  • 4.C.­1330
  • 4.C.­1343
  • 4.C.­1353
  • 4.C.­1358-1359
  • 4.C.­1363
  • 4.C.­1375
  • 4.C.­1382-1384
  • 4.C.­1387
  • 4.C.­1389
  • 4.C.­1391
  • 4.C.­1395
  • 4.C.­1434
  • 4.C.­1482
  • 4.C.­1496
  • 4.C.­1520
  • 4.C.­1557
  • 4.C.­1575-1576
  • 4.C.­1651
  • 4.C.­1662
  • 4.C.­1734
  • 4.C.­1754
  • 4.C.­1839
  • 4.C.­1918
  • 4.C.­1952
  • 4.C.­1956
  • 4.C.­1969
  • 4.C.­2022
  • 4.C.­2105
  • 4.C.­2161
  • 4.C.­2221
  • 4.C.­2244
  • 4.C.­2248
  • 4.C.­2262
  • 4.C.­2265
  • 4.C.­2291-2293
  • 4.C.­2301
  • 4.C.­2337
  • 4.C.­2441
  • 4.C.­2467
  • 4.C.­2492
  • 4.C.­2496
  • 4.C.­2521-2522
  • 4.C.­2525
  • 4.C.­2533
  • 4.C.­2535
  • 4.C.­2550
  • 4.C.­2576
  • 4.C.­2600
  • 4.C.­2621
  • 4.C.­2638-2639
  • 4.C.­2646
  • 4.C.­2652
  • 4.C.­2666
  • 4.C.­2705-2706
  • 4.C.­2746-2748
  • 4.C.­2750
  • 4.C.­2752-2754
  • 4.C.­2835
  • 4.C.­2839
  • 4.C.­2859
  • 4.C.­2884
  • 4.C.­2886
  • 4.C.­2938
  • 4.C.­2951
  • 4.C.­2983
  • 4.C.­2993
  • 4.C.­3028
  • 4.C.­3031
  • 4.C.­3041
  • 4.C.­3051
  • 4.C.­3058
  • 4.C.­3087
  • 5.­6
  • 5.­34-36
  • 5.­248
  • 5.­279
  • 5.­309
  • 5.­315
  • 5.­345-346
  • 5.­348
  • 5.­351
  • 5.­366
  • 5.­372
  • 5.­375
  • 5.­396
  • 5.­403
  • 5.­410
  • 5.­413
  • 5.­419
  • n.­157
  • n.­159
  • n.­175
  • n.­203-204
  • n.­207-209
  • n.­327-340
  • n.­507-509
  • g.­445
  • g.­780
g.­57

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 371 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­9
  • 1.­44
  • 1.­80
  • 1.­92
  • 1.­94
  • 2.­94
  • 2.­969
  • 2.­998
  • 2.­1038-1039
  • 3.­62
  • 3.­64-66
  • 3.­75-77
  • 3.­79
  • 3.­81-82
  • 3.­86
  • 3.­90-94
  • 3.­96-103
  • 3.­109-110
  • 3.­112-113
  • 3.­115
  • 3.­117
  • 3.­123-131
  • 3.­133
  • 3.­135-136
  • 3.­163-167
  • 3.­170-171
  • 3.­173
  • 3.­179-184
  • 3.­192-206
  • 3.­208-254
  • 3.­256-259
  • 3.­261-290
  • 3.­292-294
  • 3.­297-301
  • 3.­303-304
  • 3.­306-310
  • 3.­313-331
  • 3.­333-345
  • 3.­349
  • 3.­351-362
  • 3.­365-369
  • 3.­372-375
  • 4.A.­133
  • 4.A.­212
  • 4.A.­364
  • 4.B.­22
  • 4.B.­58
  • 4.B.­123
  • 4.B.­126
  • 4.B.­139
  • 4.B.­175
  • 4.B.­230-232
  • 4.B.­244
  • 4.B.­258-259
  • 4.B.­261
  • 4.B.­263
  • 4.B.­275
  • 4.B.­308
  • 4.B.­310-311
  • 4.B.­313-317
  • 4.B.­334
  • 4.B.­359
  • 4.B.­446
  • 4.B.­535
  • 4.B.­784
  • 4.B.­807
  • 4.B.­822
  • 4.B.­845
  • 4.B.­848
  • 4.B.­874
  • 4.B.­890
  • 4.B.­965-967
  • 4.B.­981
  • 4.B.­984
  • 4.B.­1046
  • 4.B.­1073-1074
  • 4.B.­1076-1077
  • 4.B.­1079
  • 4.B.­1249
  • 4.C.­99
  • 4.C.­796
  • 4.C.­846
  • 4.C.­1124
  • 4.C.­1126
  • 4.C.­1238
  • 4.C.­1247
  • 4.C.­1298
  • 4.C.­2190
  • 4.C.­2192
  • 4.C.­2207-2208
  • 4.C.­2212
  • 4.C.­2214
  • 4.C.­2220
  • 4.C.­2224
  • 4.C.­2239
  • 4.C.­2243
  • 4.C.­2840
  • 4.C.­3108
  • 5.­256
  • 5.­266
  • 5.­271
  • 5.­285
  • 5.­288-289
  • 5.­292
  • 5.­294
  • 5.­296
  • 5.­303-304
  • 5.­345
  • 5.­399
  • n.­227
  • g.­4
  • g.­14
  • g.­19
  • g.­42
  • g.­43
  • g.­58
  • g.­84
  • g.­168
  • g.­184
  • g.­253
  • g.­270
  • g.­276
  • g.­283
  • g.­299
  • g.­327
  • g.­394
  • g.­399
  • g.­438
  • g.­440
  • g.­443
  • g.­445
  • g.­517
  • g.­532
  • g.­563
  • g.­569
  • g.­601
  • g.­647
  • g.­672
  • g.­699
  • g.­707
  • g.­753
  • g.­756
  • g.­834
  • g.­835
  • g.­868
  • g.­898
  • g.­904
  • g.­910
  • g.­922
  • g.­965
  • g.­991
  • g.­1027
  • g.­1032
  • g.­1044
  • g.­1061
  • g.­1070
  • g.­1071
  • g.­1073
  • g.­1095
  • g.­1122
  • g.­1128
  • g.­1218
  • g.­1237
  • g.­1327
  • g.­1328
  • g.­1402
  • g.­1433
g.­67

Auspicious One

Wylie:
  • bkra shis ’dzin
Tibetan:
  • བཀྲ་ཤིས་འཛིན།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­80

Beautiful Grove

Wylie:
  • tshal shin tu sdug pa
Tibetan:
  • ཚལ་ཤིན་ཏུ་སྡུག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A grove in Dwelling on the Disk.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1275
g.­84

Beauty

Wylie:
  • mdzes pa
  • rnam par mdzes pa
  • rnam mdzes
Tibetan:
  • མཛེས་པ།
  • རྣམ་པར་མཛེས་པ།
  • རྣམ་མཛེས།
Sanskrit:
  • śobhavanā

(1) A city at the fourth asura level, Immovable. (2) A lake on Equal Peaks. (3) A pond on Lofty Mound (rnam par mdzes pa). (3) Refers to Dwelling in Beauty (rnam mdzes).

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­184
  • 4.B.­305
  • 4.B.­308-310
  • 4.B.­318
  • 4.B.­320
  • 4.B.­474
  • 5.­334
  • n.­241
g.­97

Black Line Hell

Wylie:
  • thig nag
Tibetan:
  • ཐིག་ནག
Sanskrit:
  • kālasūtra

One of the eight hot hells.

Located in 26 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­123
  • 2.­129
  • 2.­295
  • 2.­326
  • 2.­348
  • 2.­350
  • 2.­365
  • 2.­570
  • 2.­640
  • 2.­783
  • 4.A.­75
  • 4.B.­846
  • 4.B.­1222
  • 4.C.­1116
  • 4.C.­1237
  • 4.C.­1247
  • 4.C.­1258
  • 4.C.­1283
  • 4.C.­1286
  • 4.C.­2702
  • 5.­31-32
  • 5.­366
  • g.­678
  • g.­1405
  • g.­1428
g.­104

Blazing Splendor

Wylie:
  • gzi brjid ’bar ba
Tibetan:
  • གཟི་བརྗིད་འབར་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • tejomālinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­693
  • g.­164
  • g.­1030
g.­105

Blessed One

Wylie:
  • bcom ldan ’das
Tibetan:
  • བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས།
Sanskrit:
  • 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 191 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • p.­2
  • p.­6-10
  • 1.­79
  • 2.­113
  • 3.­56
  • 4.A.­54
  • 4.A.­84
  • 4.A.­86-88
  • 4.B.­107-108
  • 4.B.­142
  • 4.B.­145
  • 4.B.­326
  • 4.B.­328
  • 4.B.­331
  • 4.B.­335
  • 4.B.­337
  • 4.B.­592
  • 4.B.­605
  • 4.B.­657
  • 4.B.­661-662
  • 4.B.­674
  • 4.B.­676-677
  • 4.B.­688-690
  • 4.B.­719
  • 4.B.­811-812
  • 4.B.­826
  • 4.B.­829-830
  • 4.B.­841
  • 4.B.­843-844
  • 4.B.­859
  • 4.B.­1154
  • 4.B.­1168
  • 4.B.­1181
  • 4.B.­1183
  • 4.B.­1224
  • 4.B.­1281
  • 4.C.­87-97
  • 4.C.­99
  • 4.C.­101
  • 4.C.­103-105
  • 4.C.­118
  • 4.C.­131-139
  • 4.C.­141
  • 4.C.­144
  • 4.C.­167
  • 4.C.­708
  • 4.C.­814-815
  • 4.C.­817
  • 4.C.­822
  • 4.C.­832
  • 4.C.­837
  • 4.C.­842
  • 4.C.­846
  • 4.C.­848
  • 4.C.­874
  • 4.C.­894
  • 4.C.­911
  • 4.C.­917
  • 4.C.­919
  • 4.C.­936
  • 4.C.­948
  • 4.C.­957
  • 4.C.­988
  • 4.C.­1013
  • 4.C.­1015
  • 4.C.­1050
  • 4.C.­1052
  • 4.C.­1071
  • 4.C.­1076
  • 4.C.­1172
  • 4.C.­1183
  • 4.C.­1199
  • 4.C.­1210
  • 4.C.­1221
  • 4.C.­1226
  • 4.C.­1230-1231
  • 4.C.­1235-1236
  • 4.C.­1238
  • 4.C.­1245-1246
  • 4.C.­1261
  • 4.C.­1267-1268
  • 4.C.­1270-1272
  • 4.C.­1289
  • 4.C.­1296
  • 4.C.­1299
  • 4.C.­1318-1324
  • 4.C.­1337-1339
  • 4.C.­1350
  • 4.C.­1355
  • 4.C.­1369
  • 4.C.­1373
  • 4.C.­1398
  • 4.C.­1443
  • 4.C.­1452
  • 4.C.­1476
  • 4.C.­1485
  • 4.C.­1495
  • 4.C.­1501
  • 4.C.­1512
  • 4.C.­1517
  • 4.C.­1526
  • 4.C.­1542
  • 4.C.­1547
  • 4.C.­1558
  • 4.C.­1569
  • 4.C.­1577-1578
  • 4.C.­1723
  • 4.C.­1727
  • 4.C.­1910
  • 4.C.­2177-2178
  • 4.C.­2261
  • 4.C.­2445
  • 4.C.­2447
  • 4.C.­2457
  • 4.C.­2477
  • 4.C.­2485
  • 4.C.­2490
  • 4.C.­2495
  • 4.C.­2499
  • 4.C.­2520
  • 4.C.­2530
  • 4.C.­2567
  • 4.C.­2631
  • 4.C.­2648
  • 4.C.­2723
  • 4.C.­2771
  • 4.C.­2780
  • 4.C.­2948
  • 4.C.­3005
  • 4.C.­3017
  • 4.C.­3022
  • 4.C.­3053
  • 4.C.­3086
  • 5.­1-2
  • 5.­32
  • 5.­383
  • 5.­429
  • n.­353
g.­107

Bliss Maker

Wylie:
  • bde byed
Tibetan:
  • བདེ་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­116

Blue-Colored One

Wylie:
  • mdog sngon
Tibetan:
  • མདོག་སྔོན།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­126

Brahmā

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A high-ranking deity presiding over a divine world; he is also considered to be the lord of the Sahā world (our universe). Though not considered a creator god in Buddhism, Brahmā occupies an important place as one of two gods (the other being Indra/Śakra) said to have first exhorted the Buddha Śākyamuni to teach the Dharma. The particular heavens found in the form realm over which Brahmā rules are often some of the most sought-after realms of higher rebirth in Buddhist literature. Since there are many universes or world systems, there are also multiple Brahmās presiding over them. His most frequent epithets are “Lord of the Sahā World” (sahāṃpati) and Great Brahmā (mahābrahman).

Located in 27 passages in the translation:

  • p.­6
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­80
  • 1.­82
  • 2.­231
  • 2.­280
  • 2.­347
  • 2.­572
  • 2.­745
  • 2.­956
  • 2.­1285
  • 2.­1404-1405
  • 3.­115
  • 3.­123
  • 4.B.­910-911
  • 4.B.­1128
  • 4.C.­2685
  • 4.C.­2703
  • 4.C.­2705
  • 4.C.­3008
  • 4.C.­3017
  • 4.C.­3040
  • 4.C.­3043
  • 5.­383
  • g.­1294
g.­128

brahmin

Wylie:
  • bram ze
Tibetan:
  • བྲམ་ཟེ།
Sanskrit:
  • brāhmaṇa

A member of the brahmin caste.

Located in 174 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • p.­2
  • p.­6
  • p.­9
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­47
  • 1.­131
  • 2.­153
  • 2.­155
  • 2.­348
  • 2.­936
  • 2.­956
  • 2.­1205
  • 2.­1282
  • 2.­1294
  • 2.­1298-1299
  • 2.­1309
  • 2.­1404
  • 2.­1422
  • 3.­43
  • 3.­52
  • 3.­55
  • 3.­67-68
  • 3.­70
  • 3.­87
  • 3.­89
  • 3.­92
  • 3.­99
  • 3.­104
  • 3.­108
  • 3.­110-112
  • 3.­114-115
  • 3.­120-123
  • 3.­134
  • 3.­164
  • 3.­179
  • 3.­198
  • 3.­200-202
  • 3.­207
  • 3.­210
  • 3.­213
  • 3.­236
  • 3.­273
  • 3.­300
  • 3.­312-313
  • 3.­372
  • 4.A.­83
  • 4.A.­92
  • 4.A.­263
  • 4.B.­58
  • 4.B.­120
  • 4.B.­122
  • 4.B.­226-227
  • 4.B.­229
  • 4.B.­264-268
  • 4.B.­316
  • 4.B.­319
  • 4.B.­322
  • 4.B.­325
  • 4.B.­335
  • 4.B.­584
  • 4.B.­718
  • 4.B.­749
  • 4.B.­906-907
  • 4.B.­910
  • 4.B.­912-914
  • 4.B.­916
  • 4.B.­918
  • 4.B.­1073
  • 4.C.­99
  • 4.C.­815
  • 4.C.­846
  • 4.C.­910
  • 4.C.­930
  • 4.C.­1017
  • 4.C.­1259
  • 4.C.­1297
  • 4.C.­1299
  • 4.C.­1320
  • 4.C.­1324
  • 4.C.­1443
  • 4.C.­1449-1450
  • 4.C.­1919
  • 4.C.­1931
  • 4.C.­1943
  • 4.C.­2639-2640
  • 4.C.­2646
  • 4.C.­2650
  • 4.C.­2669-2671
  • 4.C.­2704
  • 4.C.­2708
  • 4.C.­2731
  • 4.C.­2745-2746
  • 4.C.­2748
  • 4.C.­2750-2752
  • 4.C.­2755-2758
  • 4.C.­2778
  • 4.C.­2820
  • 4.C.­2822
  • 4.C.­2838
  • 4.C.­2842-2843
  • 4.C.­2859
  • 4.C.­2861-2864
  • 4.C.­2874
  • 4.C.­2880-2884
  • 4.C.­2886-2888
  • 4.C.­2890
  • 4.C.­2904-2905
  • 4.C.­2907-2910
  • 4.C.­2918-2920
  • 4.C.­2922-2925
  • 4.C.­2928
  • 4.C.­2938-2939
  • 4.C.­3024
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­37
  • 5.­57
  • 5.­123
  • 5.­206
  • 5.­228
  • 5.­420
  • 5.­427
  • g.­387
  • g.­886
  • g.­1258
g.­131

Bright

Wylie:
  • dang ba
Tibetan:
  • དང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A pool upon one of Airāvaṇa’s ears.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­250
g.­150

calm abiding

Wylie:
  • zhi gnas
Tibetan:
  • ཞི་གནས།
Sanskrit:
  • śamatha

Refers to the meditative practice of calming the mind to rest free from the disturbance of thought. One of the two basic forms of Buddhist meditation, the other being special insight (vipaśyanā, lhag mthong).

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­89
  • 4.B.­1080
  • 4.B.­1092
  • g.­1224
g.­154

carefulness

Wylie:
  • bag yod pa
Tibetan:
  • བག་ཡོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • apramāda

Heedful attention to virtuous qualities.

Located in 50 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­61-62
  • 4.B.­656
  • 4.B.­681
  • 4.B.­688
  • 4.B.­717
  • 4.B.­763
  • 4.B.­811
  • 4.B.­1006
  • 4.B.­1051
  • 4.B.­1123-1124
  • 4.B.­1129
  • 4.B.­1133
  • 4.B.­1161
  • 4.B.­1169
  • 4.B.­1182
  • 4.B.­1189
  • 4.B.­1310
  • 4.B.­1315
  • 4.C.­67
  • 4.C.­78
  • 4.C.­1109
  • 4.C.­1211
  • 4.C.­1303
  • 4.C.­1736-1740
  • 4.C.­1745
  • 4.C.­1751-1753
  • 4.C.­2116
  • 4.C.­2122
  • 4.C.­2175
  • 4.C.­2447
  • 4.C.­2449
  • 4.C.­2512-2513
  • 4.C.­2554-2555
  • 4.C.­2572
  • 4.C.­2857
  • 4.C.­3010-3011
  • 4.C.­3018
  • 4.C.­3037
  • 4.C.­3072
g.­156

carelessness

Wylie:
  • bag med pa
Tibetan:
  • བག་མེད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • pramāda

Disregard for virtuous qualities.

Located in 455 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­114
  • 2.­120
  • 2.­901
  • 2.­1264
  • 4.A.­53
  • 4.A.­153-154
  • 4.A.­188
  • 4.A.­194-197
  • 4.A.­274
  • 4.A.­330-331
  • 4.A.­348-349
  • 4.A.­360
  • 4.B.­60-62
  • 4.B.­77
  • 4.B.­173-174
  • 4.B.­182
  • 4.B.­192
  • 4.B.­304
  • 4.B.­313
  • 4.B.­328
  • 4.B.­352-354
  • 4.B.­356-357
  • 4.B.­361
  • 4.B.­363
  • 4.B.­366
  • 4.B.­388
  • 4.B.­539
  • 4.B.­585
  • 4.B.­642
  • 4.B.­646
  • 4.B.­651-652
  • 4.B.­663-664
  • 4.B.­666-667
  • 4.B.­672-673
  • 4.B.­678
  • 4.B.­680-681
  • 4.B.­683-685
  • 4.B.­688
  • 4.B.­691
  • 4.B.­698
  • 4.B.­707
  • 4.B.­709-711
  • 4.B.­735-737
  • 4.B.­746
  • 4.B.­763
  • 4.B.­780
  • 4.B.­805
  • 4.B.­807-808
  • 4.B.­811-812
  • 4.B.­816-817
  • 4.B.­842
  • 4.B.­860
  • 4.B.­862
  • 4.B.­879
  • 4.B.­1007
  • 4.B.­1022-1023
  • 4.B.­1048
  • 4.B.­1051
  • 4.B.­1054
  • 4.B.­1058-1061
  • 4.B.­1080-1083
  • 4.B.­1085-1091
  • 4.B.­1105-1106
  • 4.B.­1113-1114
  • 4.B.­1117
  • 4.B.­1119
  • 4.B.­1121
  • 4.B.­1123-1126
  • 4.B.­1156-1157
  • 4.B.­1164
  • 4.B.­1177
  • 4.B.­1179
  • 4.B.­1216
  • 4.B.­1242
  • 4.B.­1305
  • 4.B.­1310
  • 4.B.­1318-1324
  • 4.B.­1343
  • 4.B.­1366
  • 4.B.­1369
  • 4.B.­1372
  • 4.B.­1374
  • 4.B.­1392-1393
  • 4.C.­35
  • 4.C.­46
  • 4.C.­67-68
  • 4.C.­77
  • 4.C.­81
  • 4.C.­88
  • 4.C.­95-96
  • 4.C.­103
  • 4.C.­105-126
  • 4.C.­130-131
  • 4.C.­164
  • 4.C.­188
  • 4.C.­232
  • 4.C.­235
  • 4.C.­255
  • 4.C.­260
  • 4.C.­262-263
  • 4.C.­267
  • 4.C.­328
  • 4.C.­330
  • 4.C.­334
  • 4.C.­370
  • 4.C.­377
  • 4.C.­388
  • 4.C.­442
  • 4.C.­449
  • 4.C.­451
  • 4.C.­458
  • 4.C.­480
  • 4.C.­501
  • 4.C.­523
  • 4.C.­543-544
  • 4.C.­556
  • 4.C.­579
  • 4.C.­688
  • 4.C.­695
  • 4.C.­708-709
  • 4.C.­727
  • 4.C.­815
  • 4.C.­817
  • 4.C.­821
  • 4.C.­832
  • 4.C.­836-837
  • 4.C.­842
  • 4.C.­868
  • 4.C.­946
  • 4.C.­949
  • 4.C.­981
  • 4.C.­1012
  • 4.C.­1039
  • 4.C.­1048-1050
  • 4.C.­1076
  • 4.C.­1099
  • 4.C.­1106-1109
  • 4.C.­1111
  • 4.C.­1132
  • 4.C.­1183
  • 4.C.­1211
  • 4.C.­1237
  • 4.C.­1240-1242
  • 4.C.­1256
  • 4.C.­1265
  • 4.C.­1268
  • 4.C.­1287
  • 4.C.­1301
  • 4.C.­1330
  • 4.C.­1368
  • 4.C.­1418
  • 4.C.­1576
  • 4.C.­1598
  • 4.C.­1603
  • 4.C.­1618
  • 4.C.­1632
  • 4.C.­1643
  • 4.C.­1676
  • 4.C.­1691
  • 4.C.­1722
  • 4.C.­1724
  • 4.C.­1728-1734
  • 4.C.­1736
  • 4.C.­1738
  • 4.C.­1740
  • 4.C.­1742
  • 4.C.­1744
  • 4.C.­1746-1747
  • 4.C.­1749-1754
  • 4.C.­1759
  • 4.C.­1764-1765
  • 4.C.­1774
  • 4.C.­1777
  • 4.C.­1785
  • 4.C.­1795
  • 4.C.­1821
  • 4.C.­1837
  • 4.C.­1858
  • 4.C.­1867-1869
  • 4.C.­1873
  • 4.C.­1875-1876
  • 4.C.­1878
  • 4.C.­1881
  • 4.C.­1883
  • 4.C.­1900
  • 4.C.­1904
  • 4.C.­1908-1909
  • 4.C.­2020-2022
  • 4.C.­2039
  • 4.C.­2095
  • 4.C.­2105-2106
  • 4.C.­2112-2115
  • 4.C.­2119-2125
  • 4.C.­2131-2132
  • 4.C.­2135-2137
  • 4.C.­2142-2144
  • 4.C.­2149
  • 4.C.­2151-2152
  • 4.C.­2155
  • 4.C.­2159-2162
  • 4.C.­2165-2168
  • 4.C.­2170-2171
  • 4.C.­2173-2175
  • 4.C.­2177-2178
  • 4.C.­2180
  • 4.C.­2182
  • 4.C.­2187
  • 4.C.­2200
  • 4.C.­2215-2216
  • 4.C.­2221
  • 4.C.­2228
  • 4.C.­2230
  • 4.C.­2232
  • 4.C.­2234
  • 4.C.­2236
  • 4.C.­2247-2248
  • 4.C.­2260
  • 4.C.­2262
  • 4.C.­2285
  • 4.C.­2337
  • 4.C.­2345
  • 4.C.­2355
  • 4.C.­2394
  • 4.C.­2396
  • 4.C.­2408-2409
  • 4.C.­2414-2419
  • 4.C.­2421-2423
  • 4.C.­2425
  • 4.C.­2427
  • 4.C.­2429
  • 4.C.­2431-2432
  • 4.C.­2436
  • 4.C.­2441-2444
  • 4.C.­2447
  • 4.C.­2449-2450
  • 4.C.­2456
  • 4.C.­2458
  • 4.C.­2460-2461
  • 4.C.­2463
  • 4.C.­2465-2466
  • 4.C.­2469
  • 4.C.­2471
  • 4.C.­2474-2476
  • 4.C.­2478
  • 4.C.­2484
  • 4.C.­2496
  • 4.C.­2508
  • 4.C.­2512-2513
  • 4.C.­2520
  • 4.C.­2535
  • 4.C.­2537
  • 4.C.­2539
  • 4.C.­2545
  • 4.C.­2548-2549
  • 4.C.­2552-2553
  • 4.C.­2555
  • 4.C.­2567
  • 4.C.­2569
  • 4.C.­2574
  • 4.C.­2576
  • 4.C.­2594
  • 4.C.­2596
  • 4.C.­2606
  • 4.C.­2615
  • 4.C.­2619-2620
  • 4.C.­2629-2631
  • 4.C.­2634
  • 4.C.­2637-2638
  • 4.C.­2641
  • 4.C.­2647-2648
  • 4.C.­2650
  • 4.C.­2668-2669
  • 4.C.­2682
  • 4.C.­2734
  • 4.C.­2787
  • 4.C.­2846
  • 4.C.­2866
  • 4.C.­2972
  • 4.C.­2993
  • 4.C.­3004
  • 4.C.­3010
  • 4.C.­3012-3014
  • 4.C.­3037
  • 4.C.­3058
  • 4.C.­3083
  • 4.C.­3103
  • 4.C.­3106
  • 4.C.­3108-3109
  • 4.C.­3112
  • 5.­366
  • 5.­375
  • 5.­377
g.­164

Certain Liberation

Wylie:
  • nges par mthar byed
Tibetan:
  • ངེས་པར་མཐར་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A park in Blazing Splendor.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­696
g.­166

chatter

Wylie:
  • ngag kyal
Tibetan:
  • ངག་ཀྱལ།
Sanskrit:
  • saṃbhinna­pralāpa

The fourth among the four misdeeds of speech.

Located in 16 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­10
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­26
  • 1.­29
  • 1.­46
  • 1.­73
  • 1.­89
  • 2.­119
  • 2.­1107
  • 4.A.­415
  • 4.A.­428
  • 4.B.­1161
  • 4.C.­109
  • 4.C.­1960
  • 4.C.­2527
  • g.­1310
g.­180

Clear Water

Wylie:
  • chu dang ba
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་དང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A pond in Dwelling on Forest Riverbanks in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­395
g.­183

Cloud Banks

Wylie:
  • sprin brtsegs
Tibetan:
  • སྤྲིན་བརྩེགས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

King Sudarśana’s elephant.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­266
g.­187

Cloud Forest

Wylie:
  • sprin gyi tshal
Tibetan:
  • སྤྲིན་གྱི་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

(1) A forest in Draped with Jewels. (2) A forest on Flocking Peacocks.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­963-964
  • 4.B.­985
  • 5.­408
g.­190

Cloud-Like White Array

Wylie:
  • sprin ltar dkar brtsegs
Tibetan:
  • སྤྲིན་ལྟར་དཀར་བརྩེགས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Dwelling on Summits.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­157
g.­193

Colorful

Wylie:
  • sna tshogs
  • bkra ba
Tibetan:
  • སྣ་ཚོགས།
  • བཀྲ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

(1) A grove in Lateral (sna tshogs). (2) A forest at Sudharma (bkra ba).

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.A.­12
  • 4.B.­16
  • 4.B.­92
  • 4.B.­109
g.­196

concentration

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

Generally one of the synonyms for meditation, referring to a state of mental stability. The specific four concentrations are four successively subtler states of meditation that are said to lead to rebirth into the corresponding four levels of the form realm. One of the six perfections.

Located in 165 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­87-89
  • 1.­92
  • 1.­107
  • 1.­144
  • 1.­146
  • 2.­111
  • 2.­126
  • 2.­145
  • 2.­155
  • 2.­187
  • 2.­203
  • 2.­211
  • 2.­231
  • 2.­244
  • 2.­247
  • 2.­262
  • 2.­266
  • 2.­271-272
  • 2.­369
  • 2.­453
  • 2.­1056
  • 2.­1194
  • 2.­1267
  • 2.­1478
  • 3.­15
  • 3.­143
  • 3.­151
  • 4.A.­178
  • 4.A.­389
  • 4.A.­422
  • 4.B.­367
  • 4.B.­411
  • 4.B.­455
  • 4.B.­469
  • 4.B.­505
  • 4.B.­528
  • 4.B.­549
  • 4.B.­588
  • 4.B.­1162-1163
  • 4.B.­1165
  • 4.B.­1253
  • 4.B.­1265
  • 4.C.­87
  • 4.C.­92
  • 4.C.­244
  • 4.C.­608
  • 4.C.­780
  • 4.C.­818
  • 4.C.­833
  • 4.C.­931
  • 4.C.­1013
  • 4.C.­1052
  • 4.C.­1097
  • 4.C.­1220-1221
  • 4.C.­1341-1344
  • 4.C.­1351
  • 4.C.­1354
  • 4.C.­1383
  • 4.C.­1385-1387
  • 4.C.­1389
  • 4.C.­1391
  • 4.C.­1394-1396
  • 4.C.­1400
  • 4.C.­1409
  • 4.C.­1411-1412
  • 4.C.­1414
  • 4.C.­1417
  • 4.C.­1421
  • 4.C.­1431
  • 4.C.­1436
  • 4.C.­1438
  • 4.C.­1440
  • 4.C.­1446
  • 4.C.­1448
  • 4.C.­1450-1452
  • 4.C.­1462
  • 4.C.­1473
  • 4.C.­1484
  • 4.C.­1495-1497
  • 4.C.­1500
  • 4.C.­1506
  • 4.C.­1509-1510
  • 4.C.­1520-1522
  • 4.C.­1524
  • 4.C.­1526-1528
  • 4.C.­1530
  • 4.C.­1536
  • 4.C.­1539-1540
  • 4.C.­1546
  • 4.C.­1551
  • 4.C.­1553
  • 4.C.­1555-1556
  • 4.C.­1561-1562
  • 4.C.­1568
  • 4.C.­2060
  • 4.C.­2279
  • 4.C.­2333
  • 4.C.­2337
  • 4.C.­2468
  • 4.C.­2474
  • 4.C.­2491
  • 4.C.­2493
  • 4.C.­2520
  • 4.C.­2649
  • 4.C.­2729
  • 4.C.­2756
  • 4.C.­2758
  • 4.C.­2760
  • 4.C.­2765
  • 4.C.­2791
  • 4.C.­2795
  • 4.C.­2873
  • 5.­138
  • 5.­148
  • 5.­168
  • 5.­192
  • 5.­194
  • 5.­234
  • 5.­383
  • 5.­428
  • g.­127
  • g.­191
  • g.­570
  • g.­577
  • g.­583
  • g.­626
  • g.­628
  • g.­629
  • g.­631
  • g.­632
  • g.­645
  • g.­646
  • g.­813
  • g.­815
  • g.­839
  • g.­1066
  • g.­1191
  • g.­1234
  • g.­1256
  • g.­1373
g.­202

Confused Attachment

Wylie:
  • lhag par chags par rmongs pa
Tibetan:
  • ལྷག་པར་ཆགས་པར་རྨོངས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A “ruler of the world” who belongs to the class of the māras.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­227
g.­204

Conqueror

Wylie:
  • rnam rgyal byed
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་རྒྱལ་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A lake in Enraptured by and Attached to Song.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­607
g.­215

Constant Play

Wylie:
  • rtag tu rtse ba
Tibetan:
  • རྟག་ཏུ་རྩེ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A pleasure garden in Pair of Śāla Trees.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­773
g.­219

Constant True Joy

Wylie:
  • rtag tu mngon dga’
Tibetan:
  • རྟག་ཏུ་མངོན་དགའ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Dwelling on Summits.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­157
g.­222

Constantly Ravishing

Wylie:
  • rtag tu rab dga’
Tibetan:
  • རྟག་ཏུ་རབ་དགའ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Dwelling on Summits.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­157
g.­226

Continuous Abode

Wylie:
  • rgyun gyi gnas
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱུན་གྱི་གནས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Draped with Jewels.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­963
g.­227

Continuous Movement

Wylie:
  • rgyun gyis rgyu ba
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱུན་གྱིས་རྒྱུ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

One of the twenty-seven realms of the Heaven Free from Strife, possibly the same as Moving in Mixed Environments (rab tu rnam par ’dres pa’i khor yug na rgyu ba).

Located in 19 passages in the translation:

  • 4.C.­537-539
  • 4.C.­561
  • 4.C.­565
  • 4.C.­567
  • g.­138
  • g.­210
  • g.­277
  • g.­294
  • g.­375
  • g.­476
  • g.­723
  • g.­727
  • g.­937
  • g.­1105
  • g.­1207
  • g.­1368
  • g.­1436
g.­230

Cool Water

Wylie:
  • chu bsil ba
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་བསིལ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A pond at the forest Joyous in Sudharma.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­54
g.­244

covetousness

Wylie:
  • brnab sems
Tibetan:
  • བརྣབ་སེམས།
Sanskrit:
  • abhidhyā

The first among the three mental misdeeds.

Located in 33 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­16
  • 1.­30
  • 1.­74
  • 1.­92
  • 2.­1117
  • 2.­1119-1122
  • 2.­1124
  • 3.­11
  • 3.­257
  • 3.­259
  • 4.B.­405
  • 4.B.­1066
  • 4.C.­161
  • 4.C.­818-819
  • 4.C.­844
  • 4.C.­892-893
  • 4.C.­909
  • 4.C.­1363
  • 4.C.­1473
  • 4.C.­1479
  • 4.C.­1522-1523
  • 4.C.­1525
  • 4.C.­1960
  • 4.C.­1964
  • 4.C.­1973
  • 4.C.­1979
  • g.­1310
g.­247

Crown

Wylie:
  • spyi bo
Tibetan:
  • སྤྱི་བོ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

Location visited for pleasure by Śakra and his entourage.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­582
g.­250

Crushing Hell

Wylie:
  • bsdus gzhom
Tibetan:
  • བསྡུས་གཞོམ།
Sanskrit:
  • saṃghāta

One of the eight hot hells.

Located in 57 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­123
  • 2.­129
  • 2.­295
  • 2.­367
  • 2.­371
  • 2.­378
  • 2.­388-390
  • 2.­392
  • 2.­394
  • 2.­396
  • 2.­399
  • 2.­404
  • 2.­407
  • 2.­410
  • 2.­417
  • 2.­429
  • 2.­432
  • 2.­434
  • 2.­438
  • 2.­443
  • 2.­446
  • 2.­449
  • 2.­640
  • 2.­783
  • 4.A.­75
  • 4.B.­847
  • 4.B.­1222
  • 4.C.­1116
  • 4.C.­1237
  • 4.C.­1247
  • 4.C.­1283
  • 4.C.­2702
  • 5.­31-32
  • 5.­366
  • g.­144
  • g.­145
  • g.­165
  • g.­233
  • g.­246
  • g.­349
  • g.­434
  • g.­439
  • g.­521
  • g.­620
  • g.­639
  • g.­688
  • g.­892
  • g.­1031
  • g.­1108
  • g.­1198
  • g.­1314
  • g.­1362
  • g.­1427
  • g.­1429
g.­256

cyclic existence

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

The cycle of birth and death driven by mental afflictions and karmic actions.

Located in 341 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • 1.­20
  • 1.­38
  • 1.­53
  • 1.­78
  • 1.­80-81
  • 1.­91
  • 1.­113-115
  • 1.­118
  • 1.­133
  • 1.­138
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­61
  • 2.­63
  • 2.­71
  • 2.­118-119
  • 2.­121
  • 2.­124
  • 2.­129-131
  • 2.­141
  • 2.­202
  • 2.­206
  • 2.­210
  • 2.­229
  • 2.­232-233
  • 2.­242-243
  • 2.­246-247
  • 2.­261
  • 2.­266
  • 2.­279
  • 2.­281
  • 2.­291
  • 2.­293
  • 2.­310
  • 2.­318
  • 2.­327
  • 2.­347
  • 2.­349
  • 2.­424
  • 2.­438
  • 2.­443
  • 2.­449
  • 2.­561
  • 2.­571
  • 2.­576
  • 2.­585
  • 2.­638
  • 2.­708
  • 2.­778
  • 2.­782
  • 2.­806
  • 2.­823
  • 2.­862
  • 2.­952
  • 2.­954
  • 2.­957
  • 2.­959
  • 2.­1025
  • 2.­1143
  • 2.­1146
  • 2.­1148
  • 2.­1244
  • 2.­1253
  • 2.­1256
  • 2.­1263
  • 2.­1265
  • 2.­1273
  • 2.­1286
  • 2.­1300
  • 2.­1303
  • 2.­1305
  • 2.­1309
  • 2.­1312
  • 2.­1323
  • 2.­1327
  • 2.­1330
  • 2.­1333
  • 2.­1335
  • 2.­1337
  • 2.­1340
  • 2.­1343
  • 2.­1345
  • 2.­1348
  • 2.­1350
  • 2.­1353
  • 2.­1356
  • 2.­1392
  • 2.­1400
  • 2.­1425
  • 2.­1481
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­10
  • 3.­56
  • 3.­131
  • 3.­376-377
  • 4.A.­3
  • 4.A.­26
  • 4.A.­80
  • 4.A.­151-152
  • 4.A.­177
  • 4.A.­181
  • 4.A.­200
  • 4.A.­245
  • 4.A.­253
  • 4.A.­258
  • 4.A.­326
  • 4.A.­349
  • 4.A.­358
  • 4.A.­388
  • 4.A.­409-410
  • 4.A.­419
  • 4.B.­103
  • 4.B.­116-119
  • 4.B.­144
  • 4.B.­146
  • 4.B.­270
  • 4.B.­365
  • 4.B.­630
  • 4.B.­663
  • 4.B.­671
  • 4.B.­683
  • 4.B.­692
  • 4.B.­788
  • 4.B.­796
  • 4.B.­814
  • 4.B.­859
  • 4.B.­934
  • 4.B.­988
  • 4.B.­1079
  • 4.B.­1128
  • 4.B.­1165
  • 4.B.­1183
  • 4.B.­1188
  • 4.B.­1211
  • 4.B.­1214
  • 4.B.­1230
  • 4.B.­1242
  • 4.B.­1275
  • 4.B.­1281
  • 4.B.­1289
  • 4.B.­1313
  • 4.B.­1317
  • 4.B.­1330
  • 4.B.­1395
  • 4.B.­1408
  • 4.C.­2
  • 4.C.­9
  • 4.C.­23
  • 4.C.­29
  • 4.C.­105
  • 4.C.­115
  • 4.C.­117
  • 4.C.­124
  • 4.C.­143
  • 4.C.­155
  • 4.C.­243
  • 4.C.­248
  • 4.C.­322
  • 4.C.­325
  • 4.C.­404
  • 4.C.­447
  • 4.C.­460-461
  • 4.C.­469
  • 4.C.­543
  • 4.C.­545-546
  • 4.C.­592
  • 4.C.­595
  • 4.C.­598
  • 4.C.­622
  • 4.C.­631
  • 4.C.­654
  • 4.C.­659
  • 4.C.­691-692
  • 4.C.­748
  • 4.C.­825
  • 4.C.­846
  • 4.C.­849
  • 4.C.­853
  • 4.C.­886
  • 4.C.­891
  • 4.C.­914
  • 4.C.­927
  • 4.C.­987
  • 4.C.­1013
  • 4.C.­1049-1050
  • 4.C.­1058
  • 4.C.­1077
  • 4.C.­1092
  • 4.C.­1101-1102
  • 4.C.­1111
  • 4.C.­1114
  • 4.C.­1155
  • 4.C.­1227-1228
  • 4.C.­1233
  • 4.C.­1235
  • 4.C.­1238
  • 4.C.­1246-1247
  • 4.C.­1254
  • 4.C.­1259
  • 4.C.­1266
  • 4.C.­1268
  • 4.C.­1288
  • 4.C.­1295
  • 4.C.­1320
  • 4.C.­1322
  • 4.C.­1324
  • 4.C.­1342
  • 4.C.­1354
  • 4.C.­1356
  • 4.C.­1360
  • 4.C.­1383-1384
  • 4.C.­1388-1389
  • 4.C.­1421
  • 4.C.­1431
  • 4.C.­1434-1435
  • 4.C.­1451
  • 4.C.­1496-1497
  • 4.C.­1514
  • 4.C.­1539
  • 4.C.­1575
  • 4.C.­1587-1588
  • 4.C.­1609
  • 4.C.­1731
  • 4.C.­1744
  • 4.C.­1895
  • 4.C.­1912
  • 4.C.­1920
  • 4.C.­1934
  • 4.C.­1951
  • 4.C.­1969
  • 4.C.­1976
  • 4.C.­2026
  • 4.C.­2028
  • 4.C.­2112
  • 4.C.­2135
  • 4.C.­2140
  • 4.C.­2177
  • 4.C.­2218
  • 4.C.­2222
  • 4.C.­2224
  • 4.C.­2245
  • 4.C.­2260
  • 4.C.­2262
  • 4.C.­2270
  • 4.C.­2285
  • 4.C.­2287
  • 4.C.­2294
  • 4.C.­2297
  • 4.C.­2369-2370
  • 4.C.­2397
  • 4.C.­2446-2447
  • 4.C.­2477
  • 4.C.­2481-2484
  • 4.C.­2511
  • 4.C.­2533
  • 4.C.­2542
  • 4.C.­2556
  • 4.C.­2561
  • 4.C.­2624
  • 4.C.­2637
  • 4.C.­2665
  • 4.C.­2684
  • 4.C.­2687
  • 4.C.­2701
  • 4.C.­2706
  • 4.C.­2739
  • 4.C.­2755-2756
  • 4.C.­2772
  • 4.C.­2776
  • 4.C.­2821
  • 4.C.­2834
  • 4.C.­2877
  • 4.C.­2882
  • 4.C.­2888
  • 4.C.­2902
  • 4.C.­2906
  • 4.C.­2928
  • 4.C.­2938
  • 4.C.­3017-3020
  • 4.C.­3024-3025
  • 4.C.­3028
  • 4.C.­3031
  • 4.C.­3036
  • 4.C.­3051-3052
  • 4.C.­3064
  • 4.C.­3068
  • 5.­36
  • 5.­192
  • 5.­315
  • 5.­336
  • 5.­362
  • 5.­366
  • 5.­372
  • 5.­397
  • 5.­403
  • 5.­417
  • 5.­426
  • c.­9
  • g.­445
  • g.­1141
  • g.­1336
g.­257

Dancing Birds

Wylie:
  • tshal bya bro gar byed pa
Tibetan:
  • ཚལ་བྱ་བྲོ་གར་བྱེད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A grove in the forest known as Incomparable.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­75
g.­261

decisive explications

Wylie:
  • rnam par gtan la dbab pa bstan pa’i sde
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་པར་གཏན་ལ་དབབ་པ་བསྟན་པའི་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • upadeśa

One among the twelve sections of scripture.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1087
g.­262

Decorative Birds and Trees

Wylie:
  • bya dag shing ljon pas brgyan pa
Tibetan:
  • བྱ་དག་ཤིང་ལྗོན་པས་བརྒྱན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Engaging in Clarification.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­418
g.­263

Deep

Wylie:
  • zab mo
  • zab pa
Tibetan:
  • ཟབ་མོ།
  • ཟབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

(1) A pool upon one of Airāvaṇa’s ears (zab pa). (2) A lotus pond on the fifth minor mountain on Lofty Summit (zab pa). (3) A forest on Saṅkāśa (zab mo).

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­250
  • 5.­323
  • 5.­326-327
  • 5.­345
g.­268

Definite Attainment of Pleasure

Wylie:
  • ’dod pa nges par thob
Tibetan:
  • འདོད་པ་ངེས་པར་ཐོབ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A pleasure grove in Promotion

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­542
g.­274

Delightful Retreat

Wylie:
  • dgon pa dga’ ba
Tibetan:
  • དགོན་པ་དགའ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Part of the Assembly.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1024
g.­277

Delightful to Behold

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

(1) A forest in Dwelling in Excellent View. (2) A pond in Continuous Movement.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­163
  • 4.C.­563
g.­278

Delightful Waters

Wylie:
  • chu rab tu dga’ ba
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་རབ་ཏུ་དགའ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A lotus pond in Pair of Śāla Trees.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­771
g.­282

Desirable

Wylie:
  • ’dod pa
Tibetan:
  • འདོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

An emanated forest created upon the shoulders of Airāvaṇa.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­247
g.­285

Devapāla

Wylie:
  • de ba phA la
Tibetan:
  • དེ་བ་ཕཱ་ལ།
Sanskrit:
  • devapāla

The Indian king who established Vikramaśīla.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • c.­5
g.­288

Dharma-Vinaya

Wylie:
  • chos ’dul ba
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་འདུལ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • dharmavinaya

An early term to denote the Buddha’s teaching. “Dharma” refers to the sūtras and “Vinaya” to the rules of discipline.

Located in 35 passages in the translation:

  • p.­3
  • 2.­1226
  • 3.­115
  • 3.­123
  • 4.B.­790
  • 4.B.­793
  • 4.B.­1181
  • 4.B.­1187
  • 4.C.­816
  • 4.C.­833
  • 4.C.­836
  • 4.C.­851
  • 4.C.­890
  • 4.C.­913
  • 4.C.­1042
  • 4.C.­1046
  • 4.C.­1185
  • 4.C.­1195
  • 4.C.­1910
  • 4.C.­2460
  • 4.C.­2468-2469
  • 4.C.­2478
  • 4.C.­2496-2497
  • 4.C.­2567-2568
  • 4.C.­2577
  • 4.C.­2698
  • 4.C.­2723
  • 4.C.­2730
  • 4.C.­2744
  • 4.C.­2948
  • 4.C.­3024
  • 5.­382
g.­290

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Wylie:
  • yul ’khor skyong
Tibetan:
  • ཡུལ་འཁོར་སྐྱོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • dhṛtarāṣṭra

One among the Four Great Kings, guardian of the east.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.A.­406
  • g.­501
g.­292

Distinguished in Many Colorful Ways

Wylie:
  • bkra ba sna tshogs kyis phye ba
Tibetan:
  • བཀྲ་བ་སྣ་ཚོགས་ཀྱིས་ཕྱེ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • nānā­bhakta­vicitrā

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­501
  • 4.B.­507
  • g.­697
  • g.­1366
g.­293

Distractor

Wylie:
  • g.yeng byed
Tibetan:
  • གཡེང་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A “ruler of the world” who belongs to the class of the māras.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­227
g.­295

Diversity

Wylie:
  • sna tshogs
Tibetan:
  • སྣ་ཚོགས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

(1) A realm of the ever-infatuated gods. (2) A river in Dwelling on Summits.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.A.­209
  • 4.A.­247
  • 4.A.­259
  • 4.B.­157
g.­296

divine eye

Wylie:
  • lha’i mig
Tibetan:
  • ལྷའི་མིག
Sanskrit:
  • divyacakṣus

Superknowledge achieved by the power of meditative absorption.

Located in 346 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­19
  • 1.­24
  • 1.­27-33
  • 1.­54-55
  • 1.­75-76
  • 1.­78
  • 1.­82-83
  • 1.­85
  • 1.­87-89
  • 1.­91-93
  • 1.­97-102
  • 1.­111
  • 1.­113
  • 1.­146
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­8
  • 2.­33
  • 2.­38
  • 2.­49
  • 2.­64
  • 2.­125
  • 2.­163
  • 2.­179
  • 2.­230
  • 2.­249
  • 2.­258
  • 2.­263
  • 2.­266
  • 2.­296-297
  • 2.­301
  • 2.­304
  • 2.­310
  • 2.­956
  • 2.­1151
  • 2.­1379
  • 3.­91
  • 3.­106
  • 3.­130
  • 4.A.­205
  • 4.B.­426
  • 4.B.­749
  • 4.B.­752
  • 4.C.­99
  • 4.C.­610
  • 4.C.­2264
  • 4.C.­2577
  • 4.C.­2952
  • 5.­7
  • 5.­9-22
  • 5.­24-35
  • 5.­38-40
  • 5.­42-56
  • 5.­58
  • 5.­60-101
  • 5.­103-123
  • 5.­125-152
  • 5.­155-204
  • 5.­208
  • 5.­213-217
  • 5.­219
  • 5.­221
  • 5.­223
  • 5.­225
  • 5.­231
  • 5.­234-235
  • 5.­237-238
  • 5.­240
  • 5.­242-246
  • 5.­249-254
  • 5.­256-266
  • 5.­270
  • 5.­272
  • 5.­274
  • 5.­277
  • 5.­281-282
  • 5.­286-287
  • 5.­289
  • 5.­291
  • 5.­293
  • 5.­295-296
  • 5.­298-301
  • 5.­304-305
  • 5.­310
  • 5.­316
  • 5.­319
  • 5.­321-323
  • 5.­325-326
  • 5.­328-329
  • 5.­331
  • 5.­337-338
  • 5.­344
  • 5.­349
  • 5.­353
  • 5.­363
  • 5.­367
  • 5.­373
  • 5.­377
  • 5.­379-380
  • 5.­382
  • 5.­386
  • 5.­388
  • 5.­393
  • 5.­395
  • 5.­399
  • 5.­405
  • 5.­410
  • 5.­413
  • 5.­417
  • 5.­419
  • 5.­425
g.­298

divisive talk

Wylie:
  • phra ma
Tibetan:
  • ཕྲ་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • piśuna

The second among the four verbal misdeeds.

Located in 31 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­10
  • 1.­12-13
  • 1.­26-27
  • 1.­46
  • 1.­54
  • 1.­87
  • 2.­119
  • 2.­1006
  • 2.­1084
  • 2.­1087-1089
  • 2.­1091-1093
  • 4.A.­415-416
  • 4.A.­428
  • 4.B.­969
  • 4.B.­1015
  • 4.B.­1065
  • 4.C.­664
  • 4.C.­1021
  • 4.C.­1069
  • 4.C.­1448
  • 4.C.­1960
  • 4.C.­1963
  • 4.C.­2526
  • g.­1310
g.­300

Dramiḍa

Wylie:
  • ’gro lding ba
Tibetan:
  • འགྲོ་ལྡིང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • dramiḍa

(1) A country of the Deccan region of India. (2) A kingdom in southern India.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­346
  • 2.­765
  • 4.B.­1294
g.­302

Draped with Jewels

Wylie:
  • nor bu’i phyang
Tibetan:
  • ནོར་བུའི་ཕྱང་།
Sanskrit:
  • maṇicīra

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­939
  • 4.B.­942
  • 4.B.­946-947
  • 4.B.­985
  • 4.B.­998
  • g.­187
  • g.­226
  • g.­1197
g.­310

Dwelling by the Pārijāta Tree

Wylie:
  • yongs ’du na gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • ཡོངས་འདུ་ན་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • pāriyātraka­nivāsinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­321
g.­311

Dwelling in Beauty

Wylie:
  • rnam mdzes na gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་མཛེས་ན་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vaibhrāja­nivāsinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­294
  • 4.B.­297
  • g.­84
g.­312

Dwelling in Enjoyment

Wylie:
  • dga’ byed gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • དགའ་བྱེད་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • nandana­nivāsinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­235
  • g.­374
g.­313

Dwelling in Essence of Jewels

Wylie:
  • nor bu’i snying po na gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • ནོར་བུའི་སྙིང་པོ་ན་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • maṇi­garbhā­nivāsinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • g.­384
  • g.­534
g.­314

Dwelling in Excellent View

Wylie:
  • legs mthong na gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • ལེགས་མཐོང་ན་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • sudarśana­nivāsinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­159
  • 4.B.­165
  • g.­277
  • g.­407
  • g.­594
  • g.­838
  • g.­968
g.­315

Dwelling in Forests

Wylie:
  • shing gseb na gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • ཤིང་གསེབ་ན་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • koṭaranivāsinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­205
  • 4.B.­208-213
  • g.­16
g.­316

Dwelling in One Direction

Wylie:
  • phyogs gcig na gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • ཕྱོགས་གཅིག་ན་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • prastha­nivāsinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­195
  • g.­488
  • g.­656
  • g.­1352
g.­317

Dwelling in Sudharma

Wylie:
  • chos bzang na gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་བཟང་ན་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • sudharma­nivāsinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
g.­319

Dwelling in the Lofty

Wylie:
  • mtho ba na gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • མཐོ་བ་ན་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • tuṅganivāsinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­146-147
  • 4.B.­152
  • g.­1110
  • g.­1112
  • g.­1113
  • g.­1114
  • g.­1115
  • g.­1116
  • g.­1117
  • g.­1118
g.­320

Dwelling in Various Chariots

Wylie:
  • shing rta sna tshogs na gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • ཤིང་རྟ་སྣ་ཚོགས་ན་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • caitra­ratha­nivāsinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­215-218
  • 4.B.­220-221
  • 4.B.­233
  • g.­1393
g.­321

Dwelling on Forest Riverbanks

Wylie:
  • tshang tshing gi ’gram na gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • ཚང་ཚིང་གི་འགྲམ་ན་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • kuñjara­taṭa­nivāsinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­367
  • 4.B.­370
  • g.­180
  • g.­1043
  • g.­1395
g.­322

Dwelling on Mixed Riverbanks

Wylie:
  • ’dres pa’i ’gram na gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • འདྲེས་པའི་འགྲམ་ན་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • āmiśra­taṭa­nivāsinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­339
  • 4.B.­342
  • 4.B.­344
  • n.­293
  • g.­600
  • g.­1057
g.­323

Dwelling on Summits

Wylie:
  • ri rtse na gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • རི་རྩེ་ན་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • śikhara­nivāsinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­154
  • 4.B.­156-157
  • g.­190
  • g.­219
  • g.­222
  • g.­295
  • g.­466
  • g.­605
  • g.­691
  • g.­736
  • g.­796
  • g.­876
  • g.­912
g.­324

Dwelling on the Disk

Wylie:
  • ’khor na gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • འཁོར་ན་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • maṇḍala­nivāsinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­1264
  • 4.B.­1268
  • g.­7
  • g.­80
g.­331

eighteen elements

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

The objects, sense faculties, and forms of consciousness that are associated with form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental phenomena. See also “element.”

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • p.­7
  • 4.B.­1252
  • 4.C.­1426
  • g.­1158
g.­333

eightfold path of the noble ones

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

Eight factors constituting the path of cultivation, namely: right view, right intention, right speech, right activity, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right absorption.. These are further explained in this text, see 4.B.­1101–4.B.­1102.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­84
  • 2.­161
  • 2.­271
  • 2.­710
  • 2.­1456
  • 4.B.­972
  • 4.B.­1080
  • 4.B.­1101-1102
  • 4.C.­113
  • 4.C.­1107
  • 4.C.­1243
  • 4.C.­1433
  • 4.C.­2679
  • g.­1322
g.­334

elaborate teachings

Wylie:
  • shin tu rgyas pa’i sde
Tibetan:
  • ཤིན་ཏུ་རྒྱས་པའི་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • vaipulya

One among the twelve sections of scripture.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1087
g.­335

element

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

In the context of Buddhist philosophy, one way to describe experience and the world is in terms of eighteen elements (eye, form, and eye consciousness; ear, sound, and ear consciousness; nose, smell, and nose consciousness; tongue, taste, and tongue consciousness; body, touch, and body consciousness; mind, mental phenomena, and mind consciousness).

The elements also refer to the elements of the physical world, which are the four main elements: earth, water, fire, and wind. Sometimes two extra elements are added to this list: space and consciousness.

Located in 92 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­9-24
  • 2.­33
  • 2.­137
  • 2.­141
  • 2.­254
  • 2.­256
  • 2.­774
  • 2.­787-788
  • 2.­790
  • 2.­969
  • 2.­974-977
  • 4.B.­1094
  • 4.B.­1108
  • 4.B.­1110
  • 4.B.­1252
  • 4.C.­538
  • 4.C.­1056
  • 4.C.­1091-1092
  • 4.C.­1095
  • 4.C.­1249
  • 4.C.­1334
  • 4.C.­1357
  • 4.C.­1375
  • 4.C.­1392
  • 4.C.­1496-1499
  • 4.C.­1501-1503
  • 4.C.­1506-1508
  • 4.C.­1637
  • 4.C.­1644
  • 4.C.­1796
  • 4.C.­1859
  • 4.C.­2037
  • 4.C.­2064
  • 4.C.­2101
  • 4.C.­2323
  • 4.C.­2597
  • 4.C.­2725
  • 4.C.­3067
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­37
  • 5.­39
  • 5.­93
  • 5.­107
  • 5.­112
  • 5.­118
  • 5.­150-151
  • 5.­157
  • 5.­163-164
  • 5.­171
  • 5.­204
  • 5.­207-208
  • 5.­216
  • 5.­219
  • 5.­221
  • 5.­223
  • 5.­225-226
  • 5.­362
  • n.­450
  • g.­331
  • g.­674
  • g.­1450
g.­348

Encircling Pool

Wylie:
  • kun nas rdzing kun du bskor ba
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་ནས་རྫིང་ཀུན་དུ་བསྐོར་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A pool in Shaded by Garlands.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­463
g.­354

Endowed with Enjoyments

Wylie:
  • longs spyod ldan
Tibetan:
  • ལོངས་སྤྱོད་ལྡན།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A nāga realm.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­37
  • 3.­40
  • 3.­51
  • 3.­61
  • 3.­196
  • 3.­281
  • 3.­371
  • 3.­375
  • 4.B.­231
g.­355

Endowed with Everything

Wylie:
  • thams cad mngon par ’byor ba
Tibetan:
  • ཐམས་ཅད་མངོན་པར་འབྱོར་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

The pleasure garden where Śakra’s elephant roams.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­124
  • g.­515
g.­356

Endowed with Glory

Wylie:
  • dpal ’dzin
Tibetan:
  • དཔལ་འཛིན།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­366

Endowment

Wylie:
  • ’byor ba
Tibetan:
  • འབྱོར་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­369

Engaging in Clarification

Wylie:
  • kun du gsal bar spyod pa
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་དུ་གསལ་བར་སྤྱོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • āvartacarā

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­413
  • 4.B.­417
  • g.­262
  • g.­832
  • g.­1226
  • g.­1434
g.­371

Enjoyer of All

Wylie:
  • thams cad dga’
Tibetan:
  • ཐམས་ཅད་དགའ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­374

Enjoyment

Wylie:
  • longs spyod du gyur ba
  • dga’ ba
Tibetan:
  • ལོངས་སྤྱོད་དུ་གྱུར་བ།
  • དགའ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

(1) A lake on Equal Peaks (longs spyod du gyur ba). (2) Refers to Dwelling in Enjoyment (dga’ ba).

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­237-239
  • 5.­334
g.­377

Enjoyment of Wish-fulfilling Trees

Wylie:
  • dpag bsam gyi shing la spyod pa
Tibetan:
  • དཔག་བསམ་གྱི་ཤིང་ལ་སྤྱོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A lake near Sudharma.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­9
g.­378

Enraptured by and Attached to Song

Wylie:
  • glu’i sgra la shin tu dga’ zhing mngon par chags pa
Tibetan:
  • གླུའི་སྒྲ་ལ་ཤིན་ཏུ་དགའ་ཞིང་མངོན་པར་ཆགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • saṃhṛṣṭa­gīta­dhvanyabhiratā

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­584
  • 4.B.­589
  • g.­204
  • g.­1306
g.­382

Equal Peaks

Wylie:
  • rwa mnyam pa
Tibetan:
  • རྭ་མཉམ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A mountain in Kuru.

Located in 66 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­322
  • 5.­331-332
  • 5.­335-337
  • 5.­376
  • g.­43
  • g.­52
  • g.­54
  • g.­74
  • g.­75
  • g.­76
  • g.­84
  • g.­85
  • g.­94
  • g.­171
  • g.­172
  • g.­173
  • g.­176
  • g.­198
  • g.­203
  • g.­214
  • g.­220
  • g.­251
  • g.­264
  • g.­275
  • g.­281
  • g.­308
  • g.­309
  • g.­346
  • g.­374
  • g.­406
  • g.­425
  • g.­442
  • g.­452
  • g.­513
  • g.­514
  • g.­516
  • g.­519
  • g.­531
  • g.­582
  • g.­721
  • g.­732
  • g.­786
  • g.­907
  • g.­909
  • g.­957
  • g.­966
  • g.­1026
  • g.­1028
  • g.­1042
  • g.­1097
  • g.­1145
  • g.­1156
  • g.­1168
  • g.­1227
  • g.­1233
  • g.­1235
  • g.­1252
  • g.­1270
  • g.­1277
  • g.­1297
  • g.­1435
  • g.­1437
  • g.­1439
g.­384

Essence of Jewels

Wylie:
  • nor bu’i snying po
Tibetan:
  • ནོར་བུའི་སྙིང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

Refers to Dwelling in Essence of Jewels.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­396
  • 4.B.­400
g.­385

ethical narrations

Wylie:
  • gleng gzhi’i sde
Tibetan:
  • གླེང་གཞིའི་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • nidāna

One among the twelve sections of scripture.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1087
g.­386

Even and Smooth Surface

Wylie:
  • mnyam zhing ’jam pa’i ngos
Tibetan:
  • མཉམ་ཞིང་འཇམ་པའི་ངོས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

An emanated city on the back of Airāvaṇa.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­248
g.­387

Even Toward All

Wylie:
  • skye bo kun snyoms
Tibetan:
  • སྐྱེ་བོ་ཀུན་སྙོམས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

Brahmin who was reborn as Airāvaṇa.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­265-266
g.­391

ever-infatuated gods

Wylie:
  • rtag tu myos lha
Tibetan:
  • རྟག་ཏུ་མྱོས་ལྷ།
Sanskrit:
  • sadāmāda

A class of gods associated with the Four Great Kings.

Located in 28 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­222-223
  • 3.­228
  • 3.­271
  • 3.­277
  • 3.­299
  • 3.­327
  • 4.A.­209
  • 4.A.­217
  • 4.A.­221
  • 4.A.­224
  • 4.A.­247
  • 4.A.­260
  • 4.A.­263
  • 4.A.­266
  • 4.A.­270
  • 4.A.­276
  • 4.B.­1249
  • g.­212
  • g.­231
  • g.­280
  • g.­295
  • g.­307
  • g.­373
  • g.­821
  • g.­1091
  • g.­1225
  • g.­1378
g.­393

Ever-Joyous One

Wylie:
  • kun dga’
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་དགའ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­395

Ever-Present Chariots

Wylie:
  • shing rta kun ’gro
Tibetan:
  • ཤིང་རྟ་ཀུན་འགྲོ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A lake near Sudharma.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­9
g.­396

evil Māra

Wylie:
  • bdud sdig can
  • sdig can
Tibetan:
  • བདུད་སྡིག་ཅན།
  • སྡིག་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • mārapāpīyān
  • pāpīyān

See “Māra.”

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 4.A.­416
  • 4.B.­226
  • 4.B.­228-230
  • 4.C.­2428-2429
  • 4.C.­2443
  • 4.C.­2570
  • 4.C.­2572
g.­403

Excellent Garland

Wylie:
  • phreng bzang
Tibetan:
  • ཕྲེང་བཟང་།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A god from whom Śakra heard the Dharma in a previous life.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­811
g.­404

Excellent Intelligence

Wylie:
  • blo gros bzang
Tibetan:
  • བློ་གྲོས་བཟང་།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­407

Excellent View

Wylie:
  • blta na sdug
Tibetan:
  • བལྟ་ན་སྡུག
Sanskrit:
  • —

A city in the realm Dwelling in Excellent View.

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­159
  • 4.B.­161-164
  • 4.B.­167
  • 4.B.­183
  • 4.B.­185-186
  • 4.B.­188-190
  • 4.B.­194
  • 4.B.­211
g.­409

Excellent Wealth

Wylie:
  • legs ’byor
Tibetan:
  • ལེགས་འབྱོར།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­416

External Shade

Wylie:
  • phyi rol gyi grib ma
Tibetan:
  • ཕྱི་རོལ་གྱི་གྲིབ་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Fine Complexion and Large Body.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­899
g.­423

faculties

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

The term “faculties,” depending on the context, can refer to the five senses (sight, smell, touch, hearing, taste) plus the mental faculty, totaling six, but also to spiritual “faculties.” See “five faculties.”

Located in 122 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­78
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­27-28
  • 2.­57
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­119
  • 2.­243
  • 2.­250
  • 2.­284
  • 2.­543
  • 2.­550
  • 2.­605
  • 2.­634
  • 2.­730
  • 2.­751
  • 2.­762
  • 2.­787
  • 2.­817
  • 2.­898
  • 2.­918
  • 2.­943
  • 2.­969
  • 2.­1137
  • 2.­1374
  • 2.­1480
  • 4.A.­86
  • 4.A.­91
  • 4.A.­106
  • 4.A.­203
  • 4.A.­220
  • 4.A.­285
  • 4.A.­400
  • 4.B.­243
  • 4.B.­332
  • 4.B.­411
  • 4.B.­450
  • 4.B.­499
  • 4.B.­580
  • 4.B.­819
  • 4.B.­876
  • 4.B.­881
  • 4.B.­938
  • 4.B.­1080
  • 4.B.­1096
  • 4.B.­1126
  • 4.B.­1354
  • 4.B.­1374
  • 4.C.­24
  • 4.C.­87
  • 4.C.­101
  • 4.C.­106
  • 4.C.­201
  • 4.C.­396
  • 4.C.­486
  • 4.C.­535-536
  • 4.C.­547
  • 4.C.­597
  • 4.C.­622
  • 4.C.­679
  • 4.C.­686
  • 4.C.­1036
  • 4.C.­1123
  • 4.C.­1133
  • 4.C.­1236
  • 4.C.­1317
  • 4.C.­1321
  • 4.C.­1392
  • 4.C.­1414
  • 4.C.­1525
  • 4.C.­1685
  • 4.C.­1693
  • 4.C.­1757
  • 4.C.­1811
  • 4.C.­1843
  • 4.C.­1953
  • 4.C.­1985
  • 4.C.­2039
  • 4.C.­2172
  • 4.C.­2176
  • 4.C.­2178
  • 4.C.­2237
  • 4.C.­2301-2302
  • 4.C.­2318
  • 4.C.­2493
  • 4.C.­2496-2497
  • 4.C.­2511
  • 4.C.­2564
  • 4.C.­2681
  • 4.C.­2685
  • 4.C.­2691
  • 4.C.­2711
  • 4.C.­2729
  • 4.C.­2733-2734
  • 4.C.­2738
  • 4.C.­2767
  • 4.C.­2821
  • 4.C.­2850
  • 4.C.­2866
  • 4.C.­2883
  • 4.C.­2902
  • 5.­55
  • 5.­86
  • 5.­135
  • 5.­138
  • 5.­152
  • 5.­154
  • 5.­158
  • 5.­160
  • 5.­162-163
  • 5.­169
  • 5.­204
  • 5.­229
  • 5.­362
  • g.­331
  • g.­447
  • g.­1158
g.­431

Festive Words

Wylie:
  • dus ston gyi tshigs
Tibetan:
  • དུས་སྟོན་གྱི་ཚིགས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A mountain in Moving in the Wink of an Eye.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­871
g.­437

Fine Complexion and Large Body

Wylie:
  • lus kyi mdog bzang zhing che ba
Tibetan:
  • ལུས་ཀྱི་མདོག་བཟང་ཞིང་ཆེ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • prabalecchāchāyā­śarīra

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­895
  • 4.B.­898
  • g.­416
g.­440

Firm

Wylie:
  • brtan pa
Tibetan:
  • བརྟན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

An asura king.

Located in 39 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­99-101
  • 3.­109
  • 3.­117
  • 3.­125-126
  • 3.­129
  • 3.­164
  • 3.­209
  • 3.­231-232
  • 3.­247-249
  • 3.­251
  • 3.­253
  • 3.­256-259
  • 3.­261-262
  • 3.­265
  • 3.­268
  • 3.­270
  • 3.­277
  • 3.­282
  • 3.­299
  • 3.­304
  • 3.­321-324
  • 3.­340
  • 3.­364
  • 4.A.­364
  • 4.B.­123
  • 4.B.­1076
g.­446

five classes of musical instruments

Wylie:
  • sil snyan yan lag lnga
  • sil snyan rnam pa lnga
  • rol mo yan lag lnga dang ldan pa
  • yan lag lnga dang ldan pa’i sil snyan
Tibetan:
  • སིལ་སྙན་ཡན་ལག་ལྔ།
  • སིལ་སྙན་རྣམ་པ་ལྔ།
  • རོལ་མོ་ཡན་ལག་ལྔ་དང་ལྡན་པ།
  • ཡན་ལག་ལྔ་དང་ལྡན་པའི་སིལ་སྙན།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A traditional Indian classification of musical instruments enumerates non-membranous percussion, membranous percussion, wind-blown, plucked string, and bowed string.

Located in 137 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­296
  • 4.A.­11
  • 4.A.­55
  • 4.A.­133
  • 4.A.­135
  • 4.A.­203
  • 4.A.­213
  • 4.A.­216
  • 4.A.­225
  • 4.A.­261
  • 4.A.­264
  • 4.A.­279
  • 4.A.­284
  • 4.A.­331
  • 4.A.­337
  • 4.A.­377
  • 4.A.­379
  • 4.A.­397
  • 4.B.­11
  • 4.B.­33
  • 4.B.­49
  • 4.B.­54
  • 4.B.­128
  • 4.B.­188
  • 4.B.­193
  • 4.B.­210
  • 4.B.­233
  • 4.B.­346
  • 4.B.­348
  • 4.B.­393
  • 4.B.­408
  • 4.B.­422
  • 4.B.­457
  • 4.B.­472
  • 4.B.­510
  • 4.B.­521
  • 4.B.­530
  • 4.B.­533
  • 4.B.­538-539
  • 4.B.­582
  • 4.B.­607
  • 4.B.­717
  • 4.B.­724
  • 4.B.­770
  • 4.B.­774
  • 4.B.­864
  • 4.B.­872
  • 4.B.­898
  • 4.B.­945-948
  • 4.B.­985
  • 4.B.­1022
  • 4.B.­1024
  • 4.B.­1035-1036
  • 4.B.­1268
  • 4.B.­1270
  • 4.B.­1273
  • 4.B.­1293
  • 4.B.­1299
  • 4.B.­1304
  • 4.B.­1381
  • 4.C.­176
  • 4.C.­416
  • 4.C.­421
  • 4.C.­437
  • 4.C.­483
  • 4.C.­522
  • 4.C.­565
  • 4.C.­568-569
  • 4.C.­571
  • 4.C.­576-578
  • 4.C.­639
  • 4.C.­688
  • 4.C.­709
  • 4.C.­711
  • 4.C.­736
  • 4.C.­758
  • 4.C.­790
  • 4.C.­982
  • 4.C.­1115
  • 4.C.­1328
  • 4.C.­1619
  • 4.C.­1623
  • 4.C.­1635
  • 4.C.­1654
  • 4.C.­1657
  • 4.C.­1678
  • 4.C.­1683
  • 4.C.­1685
  • 4.C.­1778
  • 4.C.­1783
  • 4.C.­1789
  • 4.C.­1837
  • 4.C.­1851
  • 4.C.­1857
  • 4.C.­1868
  • 4.C.­1880-1882
  • 4.C.­1903
  • 4.C.­2022
  • 4.C.­2039-2040
  • 4.C.­2043
  • 4.C.­2045
  • 4.C.­2086
  • 4.C.­2091
  • 4.C.­2093
  • 4.C.­2104
  • 4.C.­2124
  • 4.C.­2126
  • 4.C.­2181
  • 4.C.­2214
  • 4.C.­2371
  • 4.C.­2381
  • 4.C.­2386
  • 4.C.­2426
  • 4.C.­2595
  • 4.C.­2955
  • 4.C.­2960-2961
  • 4.C.­2973
  • 4.C.­2992
  • 4.C.­3006
  • 4.C.­3087
  • 4.C.­3096-3097
  • 4.C.­3114
  • 4.C.­3120
  • g.­450
g.­447

five faculties

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

(1) The five sense “faculties” corresponding to the five physical senses. (2) The five spiritual “faculties” or capacities to be developed: faith (śraddhā), diligence (vīrya), mindfulness (smṛti), absorption (samādhi), and insight (prajña). These are included in the thirty-seven factors of awakening.

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­114
  • 2.­57
  • 2.­445
  • 4.A.­218
  • 4.A.­253
  • 4.A.­273
  • 4.C.­598
  • 4.C.­687
  • 4.C.­1211
  • 4.C.­1606
  • 4.C.­2798
  • 5.­86
  • 5.­236
  • g.­423
g.­453

Fivefold Joy

Wylie:
  • dga’ ba lnga
Tibetan:
  • དགའ་བ་ལྔ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A pleasure garden in Moving Like the Moon.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­724
g.­456

Flocking Peacocks

Wylie:
  • rma bya’i tshogs
Tibetan:
  • རྨ་བྱའི་ཚོགས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A mountain on Videha.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­405
  • 5.­408
  • g.­114
  • g.­187
  • g.­213
  • g.­337
  • g.­398
  • g.­863
  • g.­970
  • g.­1131
  • g.­1223
g.­463

Flow of Wine

Wylie:
  • chang chu ltar ’bab pa
Tibetan:
  • ཆང་ཆུ་ལྟར་འབབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A river in Supreme Splendor.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1306-1307
g.­466

Flowing above the Gaṅgā

Wylie:
  • gang gA’i steng du rgyu
Tibetan:
  • གང་གཱའི་སྟེང་དུ་རྒྱུ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Dwelling on Summits.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­157
g.­477

Forest of Armor

Wylie:
  • go cha’i tshal
Tibetan:
  • གོ་ཆའི་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

Where the gods receive their armor before battle.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­317
g.­484

Forest of Flowing Rivers

Wylie:
  • chu bo ’bab pa’i tshal
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་བོ་འབབ་པའི་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A part of the forest known as Incomparable.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­73
g.­488

Forest of Marvelous Lotuses

Wylie:
  • pad ma rmad byung gi tshal
Tibetan:
  • པད་མ་རྨད་བྱུང་གི་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Dwelling in One Direction.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­201
g.­489

Forest of Multistoried Mansions

Wylie:
  • khang pa brtsegs pa’i tshal
Tibetan:
  • ཁང་པ་བརྩེགས་པའི་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A park in Tamer of Madness.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­660
g.­491

Forest of Palaces

Wylie:
  • zhal med khang gi tshal
Tibetan:
  • ཞལ་མེད་ཁང་གི་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Moving on Springy Ground.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­473
g.­496

Forest of White Lotus Petals

Wylie:
  • pad ma dkar po’i tshal
Tibetan:
  • པད་མ་དཀར་པོའི་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A pleasure grove in Shaded by Garlands.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­462
g.­497

four ages

Wylie:
  • dus bzhi
Tibetan:
  • དུས་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • caturyuga

Four ages of human life in Jambudvīpa including the age of perfection, age of threefold endowment, age of twofold endowment, and age of strife.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • g.­28
  • g.­29
  • g.­30
  • g.­31
g.­501

Four Great Kings

Wylie:
  • rgyal chen bzhi
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་ཆེན་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • caturmahārāja

The divine kings who rule the four directions: Vaiśravaṇa (who in this text appears under his alternative name Kubera), Virūḍhaka, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Virūpākṣa.

Located in 83 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­98
  • 1.­103
  • 1.­121-124
  • 1.­146
  • 2.­5-7
  • 2.­36
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­113
  • 2.­162
  • 2.­234
  • 2.­272
  • 2.­299
  • 2.­450
  • 2.­954
  • 2.­1149
  • 2.­1256
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­67-68
  • 3.­110
  • 3.­112
  • 3.­133-134
  • 3.­167
  • 3.­171
  • 3.­197
  • 3.­199
  • 3.­201-203
  • 3.­232
  • 3.­241
  • 3.­253
  • 3.­269
  • 3.­275
  • 3.­285
  • 3.­301-303
  • 3.­341
  • 3.­356
  • 3.­370
  • 3.­377
  • 4.A.­1
  • 4.A.­206
  • 4.A.­209
  • 4.A.­280
  • 4.A.­404
  • 4.A.­407
  • 4.A.­409
  • 4.A.­411
  • 4.A.­415
  • 4.B.­1
  • 4.B.­124
  • 4.B.­903
  • 4.C.­5
  • 4.C.­20
  • 4.C.­1124
  • 4.C.­1289
  • 4.C.­2428
  • 5.­267-269
  • 5.­293
  • g.­290
  • g.­389
  • g.­391
  • g.­461
  • g.­548
  • g.­606
  • g.­677
  • g.­791
  • g.­910
  • g.­1356
  • g.­1406
  • g.­1419
  • g.­1420
  • g.­1431
g.­502

four human abodes

Wylie:
  • mi’i gnas bzhi
Tibetan:
  • མིའི་གནས་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • —

This seems to refer to the four continents around Mount Meru.

Located in 16 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­103
  • 1.­112
  • 2.­266
  • 2.­484
  • 3.­43
  • 3.­49
  • 3.­56
  • 4.B.­256
  • 4.B.­444
  • 4.B.­582
  • 4.B.­1208
  • 5.­22-23
  • 5.­248
  • 5.­415
  • 5.­425
g.­504

four truths of noble beings

Wylie:
  • ’phags pa’i bden pa bzhi
Tibetan:
  • འཕགས་པའི་བདེན་པ་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • caturāryasatya

The first teaching of the Buddha covering suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path to the cessation of suffering.

Located in 19 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­124
  • 4.A.­88
  • 4.B.­1080
  • 4.B.­1086
  • 4.B.­1094
  • 4.B.­1183
  • 4.B.­1186-1187
  • 4.C.­113
  • 4.C.­136
  • 4.C.­591-592
  • 4.C.­1077
  • 4.C.­1215
  • 4.C.­1267
  • 4.C.­1356
  • 4.C.­1396
  • 4.C.­2564
  • 5.­336
g.­505

four types of fearlessness

Wylie:
  • mi ’jigs pa bzhi
Tibetan:
  • མི་འཇིགས་པ་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • caturabhaya

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • p.­7
  • 4.B.­973
g.­515

Freedom from Suffering

Wylie:
  • myang ngan bral
Tibetan:
  • མྱང་ངན་བྲལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A mansion in the forest Endowed with Everything.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1266
  • 4.B.­64
  • 4.B.­127
  • 4.B.­684
  • 4.C.­2337
g.­518

Fulfillment of Wishes

Wylie:
  • bsams ’gro
  • yid bzhin sna tshogs
Tibetan:
  • བསམས་འགྲོ།
  • ཡིད་བཞིན་སྣ་ཚོགས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

(1) A lake near Sudharma (bsams ’gro). (2) A lotus pool in Lateral (yid bzhin sna tshogs).

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.A.­11
  • 4.B.­9
g.­525

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 34 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­44
  • 2.­763
  • 2.­998
  • 2.­1047
  • 2.­1059
  • 2.­1304
  • 3.­302
  • 4.B.­135
  • 4.B.­485
  • 4.B.­820
  • 4.C.­208
  • 4.C.­326
  • 4.C.­416
  • 4.C.­564
  • 4.C.­661
  • 4.C.­971
  • 4.C.­999
  • 4.C.­1675
  • 4.C.­1766
  • 4.C.­2035
  • 4.C.­2174
  • 4.C.­2208
  • 4.C.­2212
  • 4.C.­2811
  • 4.C.­2843
  • 4.C.­2932
  • 5.­275
  • 5.­288
  • 5.­307
  • 5.­311
  • 5.­343
  • 5.­370
  • g.­731
  • g.­1318
g.­527

Gaṅgā

Wylie:
  • gang gA
Tibetan:
  • གང་གཱ།
Sanskrit:
  • gaṅgā RP

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The Gaṅgā, or Ganges in English, is considered to be the most sacred river of India, particularly within the Hindu tradition. It starts in the Himalayas, flows through the northern plains of India, bathing the holy city of Vārāṇasī, and meets the sea at the Bay of Bengal, in Bangladesh. In the sūtras, however, this river is mostly mentioned not for its sacredness but for its abundant sands‍—noticeable still today on its many sandy banks and at its delta‍—which serve as a common metaphor for infinitely large numbers.

According to Buddhist cosmology, as explained in the Abhidharmakośa, it is one of the four rivers that flow from Lake Anavatapta and cross the southern continent of Jambudvīpa‍—the known human world or more specifically the Indian subcontinent.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 4.A.­76
  • 4.B.­116
  • 4.B.­156
  • 4.B.­256
  • 4.B.­605
  • 5.­391
  • c.­2
  • g.­763
  • g.­1391
g.­534

Garland of Golden Trees

Wylie:
  • shing ljon pa’i phreng ba
Tibetan:
  • ཤིང་ལྗོན་པའི་ཕྲེང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A grove in Dwelling in Essence of Jewels.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­408
g.­539

Garland of Parks

Wylie:
  • nye ba’i tshal gyi phreng ba
Tibetan:
  • ཉེ་བའི་ཚལ་གྱི་ཕྲེང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A palace visited by King Sudarśana.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­265
g.­545

Garland of Splendor

Wylie:
  • gzi brjid phreng
Tibetan:
  • གཟི་བརྗིད་ཕྲེང་།
Sanskrit:
  • tejojālinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­1327
  • 4.B.­1331
  • g.­604
  • g.­823
  • g.­1036
g.­548

garland-bearer gods

Wylie:
  • phreng thogs lha
Tibetan:
  • ཕྲེང་ཐོགས་ལྷ།
Sanskrit:
  • mālādhara

A class of gods associated with the Four Great Kings.

Located in 40 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­133
  • 3.­221
  • 3.­228
  • 3.­257
  • 3.­259-261
  • 3.­271
  • 3.­299
  • 3.­322
  • 3.­327
  • 3.­340
  • 4.A.­2
  • 4.A.­5
  • 4.A.­10
  • 4.A.­15
  • 4.A.­46
  • 4.A.­54
  • 4.A.­59
  • 4.A.­70
  • 4.A.­89
  • 4.A.­93
  • 4.A.­98
  • 4.A.­102
  • 4.B.­1249
  • 5.­262
  • 5.­293
  • 5.­316
  • 5.­339
  • 5.­344
  • g.­60
  • g.­61
  • g.­414
  • g.­805
  • g.­817
  • g.­944
  • g.­1019
  • g.­1284
  • g.­1299
  • g.­1370
g.­553

garuḍa

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In Indian mythology, the garuḍa is an eagle-like bird that is regarded as the king of all birds, normally depicted with a sharp, owl-like beak, often holding a snake, and with large and powerful wings. They are traditionally enemies of the nāgas. In the Vedas, they are said to have brought nectar from the heavens to earth. Garuḍa can also be used as a proper name for a king of such creatures.

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­822
  • 4.B.­906
  • 4.C.­1719-1720
  • 4.C.­1723-1724
  • 4.C.­1727
  • 4.C.­1749
  • 4.C.­1754
  • 4.C.­1827
  • 4.C.­1985
  • 4.C.­2826
  • 5.­257
  • 5.­308
g.­555

Gautama

Wylie:
  • gau ta ma
Tibetan:
  • གཽ་ཏ་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • gautama

Appellation for the Buddha, primarily used by non-Buddhists.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • p.­3
  • 4.C.­1268
  • g.­1136
g.­558

god

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In the most general sense the devas‍—the term is cognate with the English divine‍—are a class of celestial beings who frequently appear in Buddhist texts, often at the head of the assemblies of nonhuman beings who attend and celebrate the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni and other buddhas and bodhisattvas. In Buddhist cosmology the devas occupy the highest of the five or six “destinies” (gati) of saṃsāra among which beings take rebirth. The devas reside in the devalokas, “heavens” that traditionally number between twenty-six and twenty-eight and are divided between the desire realm (kāmadhātu), form realm (rūpadhātu), and formless realm (ārūpyadhātu). A being attains rebirth among the devas either through meritorious deeds (in the desire realm) or the attainment of subtle meditative states (in the form and formless realms). While rebirth among the devas is considered favorable, it is ultimately a transitory state from which beings will fall when the conditions that lead to rebirth there are exhausted. Thus, rebirth in the god realms is regarded as a diversion from the spiritual path.

Located in 2,593 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • p.­6
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­18
  • 1.­71
  • 1.­78-79
  • 1.­84
  • 1.­86
  • 1.­88-92
  • 1.­94-96
  • 1.­103
  • 1.­108
  • 1.­112
  • 1.­114
  • 1.­117
  • 1.­121
  • 1.­123-124
  • 1.­146-147
  • 2.­5-7
  • 2.­36-37
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­94
  • 2.­113-114
  • 2.­120
  • 2.­126
  • 2.­132-133
  • 2.­135
  • 2.­162
  • 2.­177
  • 2.­213
  • 2.­227-228
  • 2.­230
  • 2.­232
  • 2.­234
  • 2.­237-238
  • 2.­248
  • 2.­266
  • 2.­269
  • 2.­272
  • 2.­280
  • 2.­303
  • 2.­309
  • 2.­348
  • 2.­358
  • 2.­430
  • 2.­438
  • 2.­450-451
  • 2.­572
  • 2.­575
  • 2.­598
  • 2.­667
  • 2.­706-707
  • 2.­721
  • 2.­734
  • 2.­749
  • 2.­753
  • 2.­782
  • 2.­954-956
  • 2.­958
  • 2.­969
  • 2.­998
  • 2.­1035-1036
  • 2.­1038-1039
  • 2.­1071
  • 2.­1075
  • 2.­1110
  • 2.­1144
  • 2.­1149-1150
  • 2.­1256-1258
  • 2.­1264
  • 2.­1309
  • 2.­1342
  • 2.­1362
  • 2.­1368
  • 2.­1374
  • 2.­1386
  • 2.­1403
  • 2.­1480
  • 3.­2-5
  • 3.­23
  • 3.­27
  • 3.­62
  • 3.­64-69
  • 3.­71
  • 3.­75
  • 3.­77-79
  • 3.­85
  • 3.­92
  • 3.­97-100
  • 3.­102
  • 3.­108
  • 3.­110
  • 3.­112-113
  • 3.­115-116
  • 3.­123-126
  • 3.­131-138
  • 3.­142-148
  • 3.­150-154
  • 3.­156-159
  • 3.­161-167
  • 3.­169
  • 3.­171
  • 3.­179-180
  • 3.­196-203
  • 3.­205
  • 3.­207-210
  • 3.­214-219
  • 3.­221-222
  • 3.­224-228
  • 3.­230-238
  • 3.­240-244
  • 3.­246-254
  • 3.­256-259
  • 3.­262-277
  • 3.­279-281
  • 3.­284-304
  • 3.­306
  • 3.­308-311
  • 3.­313-316
  • 3.­318-319
  • 3.­321-322
  • 3.­324-331
  • 3.­333-342
  • 3.­344-346
  • 3.­348
  • 3.­350-357
  • 3.­359-361
  • 3.­365-373
  • 3.­378
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­3
  • 4.A.­1
  • 4.A.­3-5
  • 4.A.­7-13
  • 4.A.­15-17
  • 4.A.­19
  • 4.A.­22
  • 4.A.­36
  • 4.A.­45-64
  • 4.A.­66
  • 4.A.­69-77
  • 4.A.­79-89
  • 4.A.­91-95
  • 4.A.­97-99
  • 4.A.­101-103
  • 4.A.­106-110
  • 4.A.­116
  • 4.A.­119
  • 4.A.­121
  • 4.A.­125-129
  • 4.A.­131-134
  • 4.A.­137
  • 4.A.­139-141
  • 4.A.­145
  • 4.A.­147-148
  • 4.A.­150
  • 4.A.­154
  • 4.A.­156-158
  • 4.A.­160-168
  • 4.A.­179
  • 4.A.­181-184
  • 4.A.­186
  • 4.A.­188
  • 4.A.­201-206
  • 4.A.­209-210
  • 4.A.­212-213
  • 4.A.­215-217
  • 4.A.­219-222
  • 4.A.­224-232
  • 4.A.­234-241
  • 4.A.­244-248
  • 4.A.­259-261
  • 4.A.­264-268
  • 4.A.­270-272
  • 4.A.­274-276
  • 4.A.­278
  • 4.A.­280-284
  • 4.A.­288
  • 4.A.­297-299
  • 4.A.­301-307
  • 4.A.­309-311
  • 4.A.­313-314
  • 4.A.­317
  • 4.A.­321
  • 4.A.­325
  • 4.A.­327-328
  • 4.A.­330-339
  • 4.A.­341-349
  • 4.A.­352-353
  • 4.A.­360-364
  • 4.A.­366-367
  • 4.A.­370
  • 4.A.­372-378
  • 4.A.­380-383
  • 4.A.­385-386
  • 4.A.­388-389
  • 4.A.­391-392
  • 4.A.­397-400
  • 4.A.­402
  • 4.A.­404
  • 4.A.­406-413
  • 4.A.­415-417
  • 4.B.­1-5
  • 4.B.­9-11
  • 4.B.­16-17
  • 4.B.­21-23
  • 4.B.­29-32
  • 4.B.­36-41
  • 4.B.­45-48
  • 4.B.­50-51
  • 4.B.­53-60
  • 4.B.­62
  • 4.B.­65-66
  • 4.B.­69-75
  • 4.B.­77-78
  • 4.B.­86
  • 4.B.­91-92
  • 4.B.­95-100
  • 4.B.­104-106
  • 4.B.­108-113
  • 4.B.­115
  • 4.B.­117
  • 4.B.­119-121
  • 4.B.­123-129
  • 4.B.­134-135
  • 4.B.­137-139
  • 4.B.­141
  • 4.B.­145-147
  • 4.B.­149-152
  • 4.B.­154-159
  • 4.B.­161
  • 4.B.­164-171
  • 4.B.­175
  • 4.B.­180
  • 4.B.­182-193
  • 4.B.­195-205
  • 4.B.­208-215
  • 4.B.­217
  • 4.B.­225
  • 4.B.­232-235
  • 4.B.­237-253
  • 4.B.­255
  • 4.B.­257-263
  • 4.B.­265
  • 4.B.­267-268
  • 4.B.­275
  • 4.B.­297
  • 4.B.­303-305
  • 4.B.­307-308
  • 4.B.­310-313
  • 4.B.­315-323
  • 4.B.­325-332
  • 4.B.­334-338
  • 4.B.­340
  • 4.B.­342
  • 4.B.­344-350
  • 4.B.­352
  • 4.B.­358-359
  • 4.B.­361-364
  • 4.B.­366-367
  • 4.B.­370-371
  • 4.B.­373-374
  • 4.B.­379
  • 4.B.­382
  • 4.B.­385
  • 4.B.­388-396
  • 4.B.­401
  • 4.B.­403-406
  • 4.B.­408
  • 4.B.­410-413
  • 4.B.­417
  • 4.B.­419-425
  • 4.B.­430-432
  • 4.B.­434
  • 4.B.­437
  • 4.B.­439-440
  • 4.B.­442-446
  • 4.B.­448
  • 4.B.­450-451
  • 4.B.­456-467
  • 4.B.­469
  • 4.B.­471-477
  • 4.B.­489
  • 4.B.­494
  • 4.B.­498-501
  • 4.B.­508
  • 4.B.­510-518
  • 4.B.­520-523
  • 4.B.­525
  • 4.B.­530-538
  • 4.B.­540-543
  • 4.B.­550-553
  • 4.B.­557
  • 4.B.­567
  • 4.B.­573
  • 4.B.­579-584
  • 4.B.­586
  • 4.B.­589
  • 4.B.­591-592
  • 4.B.­594-603
  • 4.B.­605-607
  • 4.B.­609-610
  • 4.B.­612
  • 4.B.­641
  • 4.B.­647
  • 4.B.­651-652
  • 4.B.­656
  • 4.B.­658-663
  • 4.B.­667
  • 4.B.­674-677
  • 4.B.­682
  • 4.B.­688-691
  • 4.B.­693
  • 4.B.­695-698
  • 4.B.­707
  • 4.B.­709-714
  • 4.B.­717-719
  • 4.B.­723-724
  • 4.B.­726
  • 4.B.­735-736
  • 4.B.­747-754
  • 4.B.­758-759
  • 4.B.­769-789
  • 4.B.­791
  • 4.B.­793-798
  • 4.B.­802
  • 4.B.­807
  • 4.B.­809
  • 4.B.­811-816
  • 4.B.­818
  • 4.B.­822
  • 4.B.­826-830
  • 4.B.­841-852
  • 4.B.­858-859
  • 4.B.­862
  • 4.B.­864-865
  • 4.B.­868-877
  • 4.B.­879
  • 4.B.­890-891
  • 4.B.­893-895
  • 4.B.­898-903
  • 4.B.­905-914
  • 4.B.­916
  • 4.B.­918
  • 4.B.­938-939
  • 4.B.­942-951
  • 4.B.­962-967
  • 4.B.­981
  • 4.B.­985
  • 4.B.­987
  • 4.B.­990
  • 4.B.­992
  • 4.B.­997-999
  • 4.B.­1003-1004
  • 4.B.­1006
  • 4.B.­1008-1013
  • 4.B.­1015
  • 4.B.­1017-1024
  • 4.B.­1026
  • 4.B.­1035-1042
  • 4.B.­1046
  • 4.B.­1050-1056
  • 4.B.­1058
  • 4.B.­1071-1081
  • 4.B.­1085
  • 4.B.­1100
  • 4.B.­1102
  • 4.B.­1114
  • 4.B.­1119
  • 4.B.­1126-1127
  • 4.B.­1149
  • 4.B.­1156-1157
  • 4.B.­1177
  • 4.B.­1180-1181
  • 4.B.­1183-1184
  • 4.B.­1195-1197
  • 4.B.­1200-1201
  • 4.B.­1203-1205
  • 4.B.­1209
  • 4.B.­1213
  • 4.B.­1215
  • 4.B.­1225-1226
  • 4.B.­1233
  • 4.B.­1238
  • 4.B.­1240
  • 4.B.­1242
  • 4.B.­1244
  • 4.B.­1249-1250
  • 4.B.­1252
  • 4.B.­1255
  • 4.B.­1262-1264
  • 4.B.­1268-1271
  • 4.B.­1273-1281
  • 4.B.­1292
  • 4.B.­1294
  • 4.B.­1296-1301
  • 4.B.­1303-1311
  • 4.B.­1313
  • 4.B.­1315-1317
  • 4.B.­1323-1327
  • 4.B.­1331-1341
  • 4.B.­1343
  • 4.B.­1347
  • 4.B.­1349
  • 4.B.­1353
  • 4.B.­1364
  • 4.B.­1369-1370
  • 4.B.­1372-1375
  • 4.B.­1377-1381
  • 4.B.­1389-1395
  • 4.B.­1405
  • 4.B.­1408
  • 4.C.­1-5
  • 4.C.­7-9
  • 4.C.­12-40
  • 4.C.­43
  • 4.C.­46-47
  • 4.C.­56
  • 4.C.­62
  • 4.C.­66
  • 4.C.­70-71
  • 4.C.­80-88
  • 4.C.­90-91
  • 4.C.­93-100
  • 4.C.­102-103
  • 4.C.­105
  • 4.C.­116-118
  • 4.C.­126
  • 4.C.­128
  • 4.C.­131-136
  • 4.C.­138-141
  • 4.C.­146
  • 4.C.­158-160
  • 4.C.­162
  • 4.C.­164
  • 4.C.­167-178
  • 4.C.­180-184
  • 4.C.­186-207
  • 4.C.­210
  • 4.C.­215-217
  • 4.C.­222
  • 4.C.­224-237
  • 4.C.­239
  • 4.C.­255-256
  • 4.C.­260-264
  • 4.C.­267-272
  • 4.C.­274-285
  • 4.C.­288-289
  • 4.C.­291-292
  • 4.C.­301-307
  • 4.C.­328
  • 4.C.­331-334
  • 4.C.­336
  • 4.C.­338
  • 4.C.­340-341
  • 4.C.­363
  • 4.C.­368-371
  • 4.C.­373-381
  • 4.C.­386
  • 4.C.­389-397
  • 4.C.­399
  • 4.C.­403
  • 4.C.­409
  • 4.C.­415-418
  • 4.C.­420-421
  • 4.C.­423
  • 4.C.­425-435
  • 4.C.­437-440
  • 4.C.­451-452
  • 4.C.­456
  • 4.C.­459
  • 4.C.­462
  • 4.C.­471-472
  • 4.C.­476-478
  • 4.C.­480
  • 4.C.­482-486
  • 4.C.­495-500
  • 4.C.­512-513
  • 4.C.­518-523
  • 4.C.­531-532
  • 4.C.­535-543
  • 4.C.­546-548
  • 4.C.­561-583
  • 4.C.­585
  • 4.C.­587
  • 4.C.­595
  • 4.C.­597-598
  • 4.C.­600-602
  • 4.C.­604-615
  • 4.C.­620
  • 4.C.­635-642
  • 4.C.­683-690
  • 4.C.­692-695
  • 4.C.­698
  • 4.C.­707
  • 4.C.­709-713
  • 4.C.­715-716
  • 4.C.­720-721
  • 4.C.­727-729
  • 4.C.­731-739
  • 4.C.­742
  • 4.C.­744
  • 4.C.­757-760
  • 4.C.­762
  • 4.C.­764
  • 4.C.­773
  • 4.C.­790-793
  • 4.C.­796
  • 4.C.­799-804
  • 4.C.­806-809
  • 4.C.­814-818
  • 4.C.­820-824
  • 4.C.­826
  • 4.C.­832
  • 4.C.­835-837
  • 4.C.­839-841
  • 4.C.­843
  • 4.C.­845-846
  • 4.C.­868-871
  • 4.C.­878
  • 4.C.­882
  • 4.C.­890-892
  • 4.C.­910
  • 4.C.­912-920
  • 4.C.­924
  • 4.C.­927-930
  • 4.C.­937
  • 4.C.­949-956
  • 4.C.­961
  • 4.C.­964
  • 4.C.­971
  • 4.C.­974
  • 4.C.­981-987
  • 4.C.­992-993
  • 4.C.­995-997
  • 4.C.­1004
  • 4.C.­1008-1010
  • 4.C.­1012-1020
  • 4.C.­1022-1023
  • 4.C.­1031
  • 4.C.­1037-1039
  • 4.C.­1048-1050
  • 4.C.­1069-1070
  • 4.C.­1076
  • 4.C.­1084
  • 4.C.­1096
  • 4.C.­1101
  • 4.C.­1114-1117
  • 4.C.­1123-1124
  • 4.C.­1126-1128
  • 4.C.­1137-1139
  • 4.C.­1146
  • 4.C.­1149
  • 4.C.­1152
  • 4.C.­1163-1171
  • 4.C.­1175
  • 4.C.­1177-1183
  • 4.C.­1185-1189
  • 4.C.­1191-1195
  • 4.C.­1198
  • 4.C.­1210-1211
  • 4.C.­1214
  • 4.C.­1216-1218
  • 4.C.­1227-1231
  • 4.C.­1233-1257
  • 4.C.­1259
  • 4.C.­1262
  • 4.C.­1264
  • 4.C.­1267
  • 4.C.­1272
  • 4.C.­1279
  • 4.C.­1281-1283
  • 4.C.­1287-1290
  • 4.C.­1294
  • 4.C.­1296-1299
  • 4.C.­1301-1304
  • 4.C.­1309
  • 4.C.­1317
  • 4.C.­1320
  • 4.C.­1323-1325
  • 4.C.­1327-1330
  • 4.C.­1332-1340
  • 4.C.­1343
  • 4.C.­1378
  • 4.C.­1383-1386
  • 4.C.­1388
  • 4.C.­1390
  • 4.C.­1394
  • 4.C.­1420
  • 4.C.­1432
  • 4.C.­1492
  • 4.C.­1495-1496
  • 4.C.­1513
  • 4.C.­1518
  • 4.C.­1521
  • 4.C.­1536-1537
  • 4.C.­1552
  • 4.C.­1576-1580
  • 4.C.­1582-1583
  • 4.C.­1585-1586
  • 4.C.­1588-1589
  • 4.C.­1591-1603
  • 4.C.­1618-1623
  • 4.C.­1625
  • 4.C.­1630
  • 4.C.­1632-1634
  • 4.C.­1636-1639
  • 4.C.­1641
  • 4.C.­1643-1647
  • 4.C.­1651
  • 4.C.­1653
  • 4.C.­1655-1665
  • 4.C.­1668
  • 4.C.­1670
  • 4.C.­1676-1683
  • 4.C.­1685-1692
  • 4.C.­1702
  • 4.C.­1718-1720
  • 4.C.­1722-1726
  • 4.C.­1728
  • 4.C.­1731-1732
  • 4.C.­1734
  • 4.C.­1740
  • 4.C.­1748
  • 4.C.­1753-1754
  • 4.C.­1758-1759
  • 4.C.­1761-1772
  • 4.C.­1774-1780
  • 4.C.­1783-1785
  • 4.C.­1787-1789
  • 4.C.­1798-1802
  • 4.C.­1804-1809
  • 4.C.­1811-1813
  • 4.C.­1817
  • 4.C.­1820-1821
  • 4.C.­1837-1838
  • 4.C.­1840
  • 4.C.­1842
  • 4.C.­1844
  • 4.C.­1847-1848
  • 4.C.­1850-1859
  • 4.C.­1862-1863
  • 4.C.­1865-1869
  • 4.C.­1874
  • 4.C.­1878-1885
  • 4.C.­1903-1922
  • 4.C.­1924-1929
  • 4.C.­1931-1938
  • 4.C.­1942-1945
  • 4.C.­1948-1949
  • 4.C.­1951
  • 4.C.­1954-1955
  • 4.C.­1959
  • 4.C.­1961-1965
  • 4.C.­1967
  • 4.C.­1969-1971
  • 4.C.­1973
  • 4.C.­1975
  • 4.C.­1978-1983
  • 4.C.­1987-1990
  • 4.C.­1992-2004
  • 4.C.­2006-2008
  • 4.C.­2010-2013
  • 4.C.­2015-2018
  • 4.C.­2021-2022
  • 4.C.­2024-2027
  • 4.C.­2035
  • 4.C.­2039
  • 4.C.­2041-2045
  • 4.C.­2049
  • 4.C.­2055-2056
  • 4.C.­2063-2074
  • 4.C.­2077
  • 4.C.­2079
  • 4.C.­2082
  • 4.C.­2086-2087
  • 4.C.­2090-2093
  • 4.C.­2095
  • 4.C.­2097-2109
  • 4.C.­2123-2129
  • 4.C.­2142-2150
  • 4.C.­2153-2154
  • 4.C.­2167
  • 4.C.­2173-2174
  • 4.C.­2176-2182
  • 4.C.­2190
  • 4.C.­2192
  • 4.C.­2200-2201
  • 4.C.­2207-2208
  • 4.C.­2211-2212
  • 4.C.­2215-2216
  • 4.C.­2218
  • 4.C.­2220-2227
  • 4.C.­2230
  • 4.C.­2236-2240
  • 4.C.­2242-2248
  • 4.C.­2254-2255
  • 4.C.­2257-2258
  • 4.C.­2260-2263
  • 4.C.­2276
  • 4.C.­2278-2288
  • 4.C.­2290-2302
  • 4.C.­2313
  • 4.C.­2332
  • 4.C.­2335-2338
  • 4.C.­2343-2345
  • 4.C.­2347
  • 4.C.­2349-2355
  • 4.C.­2369-2387
  • 4.C.­2391
  • 4.C.­2396
  • 4.C.­2411
  • 4.C.­2413
  • 4.C.­2419
  • 4.C.­2426-2430
  • 4.C.­2432
  • 4.C.­2434
  • 4.C.­2442-2445
  • 4.C.­2456
  • 4.C.­2477
  • 4.C.­2490
  • 4.C.­2493
  • 4.C.­2496
  • 4.C.­2510
  • 4.C.­2520
  • 4.C.­2530
  • 4.C.­2532
  • 4.C.­2536
  • 4.C.­2549
  • 4.C.­2555
  • 4.C.­2568
  • 4.C.­2572-2576
  • 4.C.­2578
  • 4.C.­2580-2584
  • 4.C.­2586
  • 4.C.­2594-2597
  • 4.C.­2599
  • 4.C.­2601-2602
  • 4.C.­2604
  • 4.C.­2606
  • 4.C.­2608
  • 4.C.­2624
  • 4.C.­2630-2634
  • 4.C.­2637-2639
  • 4.C.­2646
  • 4.C.­2648
  • 4.C.­2668
  • 4.C.­2675
  • 4.C.­2677
  • 4.C.­2682-2683
  • 4.C.­2698-2700
  • 4.C.­2703
  • 4.C.­2706
  • 4.C.­2712
  • 4.C.­2722
  • 4.C.­2730
  • 4.C.­2744
  • 4.C.­2771
  • 4.C.­2775-2778
  • 4.C.­2786
  • 4.C.­2804-2807
  • 4.C.­2819
  • 4.C.­2833
  • 4.C.­2838-2839
  • 4.C.­2858
  • 4.C.­2863
  • 4.C.­2883
  • 4.C.­2885-2887
  • 4.C.­2889-2890
  • 4.C.­2903-2904
  • 4.C.­2919
  • 4.C.­2937
  • 4.C.­2946-2947
  • 4.C.­2949
  • 4.C.­2951
  • 4.C.­2954-2959
  • 4.C.­2962-2965
  • 4.C.­2969-2970
  • 4.C.­2972-2975
  • 4.C.­2977
  • 4.C.­2983
  • 4.C.­2986
  • 4.C.­2992-2994
  • 4.C.­3003-3007
  • 4.C.­3014-3018
  • 4.C.­3040
  • 4.C.­3042-3043
  • 4.C.­3045-3046
  • 4.C.­3051
  • 4.C.­3053-3055
  • 4.C.­3057-3058
  • 4.C.­3085-3087
  • 4.C.­3089-3097
  • 4.C.­3099-3100
  • 4.C.­3103
  • 4.C.­3106-3108
  • 4.C.­3110-3114
  • 4.C.­3116-3120
  • 5.­6
  • 5.­24-30
  • 5.­238
  • 5.­248
  • 5.­268-269
  • 5.­271
  • 5.­279
  • 5.­285
  • 5.­288
  • 5.­292-296
  • 5.­315-316
  • 5.­320-321
  • 5.­331
  • 5.­337
  • 5.­339
  • 5.­345-346
  • 5.­350-351
  • 5.­372
  • 5.­374-375
  • 5.­379-380
  • 5.­382-383
  • 5.­417
  • n.­248
  • n.­308
  • n.­444
  • n.­480
  • g.­57
  • g.­66
  • g.­389
  • g.­391
  • g.­403
  • g.­445
  • g.­477
  • g.­548
  • g.­608
  • g.­705
  • g.­753
  • g.­794
  • g.­848
  • g.­874
  • g.­876
  • g.­910
  • g.­950
  • g.­961
  • g.­1133
  • g.­1356
  • g.­1399
  • g.­1406
  • g.­1431
g.­559

Godānīya

Wylie:
  • ba lang spyod
Tibetan:
  • བ་ལང་སྤྱོད།
Sanskrit:
  • godānīya

The continent to the west of Mount Sumeru.

Located in 80 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­98
  • 2.­501
  • 2.­1479
  • 3.­43
  • 3.­45-46
  • 3.­53
  • 3.­74
  • 4.A.­5
  • 4.B.­784
  • 4.B.­1198
  • 4.B.­1205-1206
  • 4.B.­1241
  • 4.B.­1250
  • 4.C.­1298
  • 4.C.­2215
  • 4.C.­2241
  • 5.­17-21
  • 5.­248
  • 5.­294
  • 5.­298
  • 5.­388
  • 5.­390-392
  • 5.­394-395
  • 5.­397-399
  • 5.­415
  • g.­5
  • g.­11
  • g.­49
  • g.­65
  • g.­159
  • g.­199
  • g.­225
  • g.­255
  • g.­272
  • g.­388
  • g.­408
  • g.­415
  • g.­421
  • g.­433
  • g.­511
  • g.­523
  • g.­528
  • g.­542
  • g.­567
  • g.­664
  • g.­665
  • g.­714
  • g.­782
  • g.­889
  • g.­894
  • g.­901
  • g.­903
  • g.­911
  • g.­955
  • g.­969
  • g.­1022
  • g.­1045
  • g.­1056
  • g.­1094
  • g.­1123
  • g.­1142
  • g.­1236
  • g.­1260
  • g.­1334
  • g.­1388
  • g.­1410
  • g.­1432
  • g.­1440
  • g.­1447
g.­575

Great and Utter Joy

Wylie:
  • rab dga’ chen po
Tibetan:
  • རབ་དགའ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A lake near Sudharma.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­9
g.­584

Great Howling Hell

Wylie:
  • ngu ’bod chen po
Tibetan:
  • ངུ་འབོད་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāraurava

One of the eight hot hells.

Located in 81 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­123
  • 2.­129
  • 2.­295
  • 2.­452
  • 2.­477-478
  • 2.­482
  • 2.­500
  • 2.­507
  • 2.­510
  • 2.­514
  • 2.­521
  • 2.­524
  • 2.­527
  • 2.­531
  • 2.­534
  • 2.­537
  • 2.­540
  • 2.­570
  • 2.­573-575
  • 2.­577-579
  • 2.­582
  • 2.­603
  • 2.­606-607
  • 2.­610
  • 2.­613
  • 2.­616
  • 2.­619
  • 2.­622
  • 2.­626
  • 2.­630
  • 2.­635
  • 2.­639
  • 2.­642
  • 2.­645
  • 2.­649
  • 2.­653
  • 2.­680
  • 2.­697
  • 2.­702
  • 2.­705
  • 2.­783
  • 4.A.­75
  • 4.B.­848
  • 4.B.­1222
  • 4.C.­1116
  • 4.C.­1237
  • 4.C.­1247
  • 4.C.­1283
  • 4.C.­1287
  • 4.C.­2702
  • 5.­31-32
  • 5.­366
  • g.­106
  • g.­124
  • g.­223
  • g.­224
  • g.­304
  • g.­338
  • g.­417
  • g.­479
  • g.­588
  • g.­680
  • g.­685
  • g.­693
  • g.­724
  • g.­806
  • g.­827
  • g.­951
  • g.­953
  • g.­976
  • g.­1088
  • g.­1138
  • g.­1172
  • g.­1345
g.­594

Great Trees

Wylie:
  • shing chen po
  • ljon shing
Tibetan:
  • ཤིང་ཆེན་པོ།
  • ལྗོན་ཤིང་།
Sanskrit:
  • —

(1) A forest in Dwelling in Excellent View (shing chen po). (2) A lotus pond on the fifth minor mountain on Lofty Summit (ljon shing).

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­163
  • 5.­345
g.­597

ground

Wylie:
  • sa
Tibetan:
  • ས།
Sanskrit:
  • bhūmi

Stage of spiritual maturation or realization on the path to awakening, serving as the ground for the growth of noble qualities.

Located in 49 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­8
  • 2.­33-34
  • 2.­36-38
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­86
  • 2.­103
  • 2.­113
  • 2.­115-116
  • 2.­138
  • 2.­163
  • 2.­212
  • 2.­234
  • 2.­247
  • 2.­258
  • 2.­263
  • 2.­271-272
  • 2.­274
  • 2.­290
  • 2.­350
  • 2.­371
  • 2.­450
  • 2.­571
  • 2.­706
  • 2.­710
  • 2.­782
  • 2.­953
  • 2.­956
  • 2.­960
  • 2.­1148-1149
  • 2.­1254-1256
  • 2.­1379
  • 3.­1-2
  • 3.­377
  • 4.A.­410
  • 4.B.­5
  • 4.B.­1080
  • 4.B.­1408
  • 4.C.­2023
  • n.­29
  • n.­66
g.­600

Grove

Wylie:
  • kun nas tshal
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་ནས་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A grove in Dwelling on Mixed Riverbanks.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­348
g.­602

Grove of Delicious Wine

Wylie:
  • chang zhim po’i tshal
Tibetan:
  • ཆང་ཞིམ་པོའི་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Moving on Springy Ground.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­472
g.­604

Grove of Utter Joy

Wylie:
  • tshal rab tu dga’ ba
Tibetan:
  • ཚལ་རབ་ཏུ་དགའ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A grove in Garland of Splendor.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1335-1336
g.­605

Growing Utpalas

Wylie:
  • ud pa la skye
Tibetan:
  • ཨུད་པ་ལ་སྐྱེ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A river in Dwelling on Summits.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­157
g.­606

guardians of the world

Wylie:
  • ’jig rten skyong ba
Tibetan:
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་སྐྱོང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

This refers to the Four Great Kings.

Located in 35 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­134-137
  • 3.­161
  • 3.­171
  • 3.­179
  • 3.­218
  • 3.­221-222
  • 3.­242-243
  • 3.­246
  • 3.­278
  • 3.­299-301
  • 3.­309-313
  • 4.A.­83-84
  • 4.B.­120
  • 4.B.­122
  • 4.B.­124
  • 4.B.­335-336
  • 4.B.­446
  • 4.B.­903
  • 4.B.­905
  • 4.B.­1073
  • 4.B.­1408
  • 4.C.­1
g.­608

halāhala

Wylie:
  • ha la ha la
Tibetan:
  • ཧ་ལ་ཧ་ལ།
Sanskrit:
  • halāhala

A mythological poison said to have been produced by demonic forces in their fight against the gods.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­834
  • 4.B.­959
g.­616

harsh words

Wylie:
  • tshig rtsub
Tibetan:
  • ཚིག་རྩུབ།
Sanskrit:
  • pāruṣya

The third among the four verbal misdeeds.

Located in 27 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­10
  • 1.­14
  • 1.­26
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­46
  • 1.­55-56
  • 1.­88
  • 2.­119
  • 2.­544
  • 2.­1007
  • 2.­1097-1098
  • 2.­1100
  • 2.­1104
  • 4.A.­415
  • 4.A.­428
  • 4.B.­969
  • 4.B.­1016
  • 4.B.­1066
  • 4.C.­1069
  • 4.C.­1448
  • 4.C.­1833
  • 4.C.­1914
  • 4.C.­1960
  • 4.C.­2526
  • g.­1310
g.­618

Heap of Incense

Wylie:
  • spos brtsegs
Tibetan:
  • སྤོས་བརྩེགས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A peak upon Mount Sumeru.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­581
g.­622

hearer

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

The term is most simply interpreted as “those who hear” the Buddha’s teaching, i.e. his disciples, but the additional element that they then “make it heard” to others is often present in canonical glosses. In a Mahāyāna context it refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of a worthy one (arhat), and not to embark on the path of a bodhisattva (with buddhahood as its ultimate goal).

Located in 32 passages in the translation:

  • p.­1
  • p.­6
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­25
  • 1.­75
  • 1.­79
  • 2.­576
  • 2.­581
  • 3.­123
  • 3.­376
  • 4.A.­347
  • 4.B.­662
  • 4.B.­676
  • 4.C.­97
  • 4.C.­99
  • 4.C.­103
  • 4.C.­1447
  • 4.C.­2427
  • 4.C.­2683
  • 5.­236
  • 5.­267
  • 5.­382
  • 5.­384-385
  • n.­353
  • g.­500
  • g.­982
  • g.­986
  • g.­1147
  • g.­1243
  • g.­1335
  • g.­1456
g.­624

Heaven Free from Strife

Wylie:
  • ’thab bral
Tibetan:
  • འཐབ་བྲལ།
Sanskrit:
  • yāma

One of the six heavens of the desire realm.

Located in 413 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­2-3
  • i.­6
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­113-114
  • 2.­133
  • 2.­162
  • 2.­234
  • 2.­272
  • 2.­1256
  • 3.­2
  • 4.A.­138
  • 4.A.­415-416
  • 4.B.­405
  • 4.B.­582
  • 4.B.­628
  • 4.B.­676
  • 4.B.­1281
  • 4.B.­1408
  • 4.C.­1-5
  • 4.C.­7-8
  • 4.C.­13-14
  • 4.C.­16-17
  • 4.C.­22
  • 4.C.­24-26
  • 4.C.­28-31
  • 4.C.­33
  • 4.C.­38
  • 4.C.­83-88
  • 4.C.­94-100
  • 4.C.­102-104
  • 4.C.­117
  • 4.C.­133
  • 4.C.­164
  • 4.C.­167
  • 4.C.­170-171
  • 4.C.­173
  • 4.C.­180
  • 4.C.­182
  • 4.C.­194
  • 4.C.­197-198
  • 4.C.­201
  • 4.C.­203-204
  • 4.C.­206-207
  • 4.C.­210-211
  • 4.C.­228-229
  • 4.C.­231-233
  • 4.C.­235-236
  • 4.C.­274
  • 4.C.­283
  • 4.C.­306
  • 4.C.­336
  • 4.C.­338
  • 4.C.­362
  • 4.C.­366
  • 4.C.­368
  • 4.C.­373
  • 4.C.­391-393
  • 4.C.­423
  • 4.C.­425
  • 4.C.­434-435
  • 4.C.­437
  • 4.C.­439-440
  • 4.C.­458
  • 4.C.­472-473
  • 4.C.­483-484
  • 4.C.­495
  • 4.C.­499-500
  • 4.C.­537-538
  • 4.C.­546
  • 4.C.­572-573
  • 4.C.­576-580
  • 4.C.­582
  • 4.C.­595
  • 4.C.­597-598
  • 4.C.­600
  • 4.C.­605
  • 4.C.­729
  • 4.C.­733
  • 4.C.­735
  • 4.C.­759
  • 4.C.­790
  • 4.C.­792
  • 4.C.­801
  • 4.C.­804
  • 4.C.­806
  • 4.C.­808
  • 4.C.­814-815
  • 4.C.­836
  • 4.C.­843
  • 4.C.­890
  • 4.C.­1013
  • 4.C.­1018
  • 4.C.­1020
  • 4.C.­1022-1023
  • 4.C.­1039
  • 4.C.­1048
  • 4.C.­1069
  • 4.C.­1127
  • 4.C.­1183
  • 4.C.­1185
  • 4.C.­1230
  • 4.C.­1235-1236
  • 4.C.­1244
  • 4.C.­1248
  • 4.C.­1254-1255
  • 4.C.­1257
  • 4.C.­1259
  • 4.C.­1262-1264
  • 4.C.­1272
  • 4.C.­1283-1289
  • 4.C.­1297
  • 4.C.­1299
  • 4.C.­1301
  • 4.C.­1316-1317
  • 4.C.­1321
  • 4.C.­1333
  • 4.C.­1335-1338
  • 4.C.­1580
  • 4.C.­1589
  • 4.C.­1591
  • 4.C.­1644
  • 4.C.­1653
  • 4.C.­1660-1661
  • 4.C.­1666
  • 4.C.­1679
  • 4.C.­1690-1691
  • 4.C.­1720-1724
  • 4.C.­1726
  • 4.C.­1756
  • 4.C.­1813
  • 4.C.­1841-1842
  • 4.C.­1903-1904
  • 4.C.­1906-1917
  • 4.C.­1919
  • 4.C.­1921-1922
  • 4.C.­1924-1929
  • 4.C.­1932-1933
  • 4.C.­1936-1938
  • 4.C.­1942-1945
  • 4.C.­1948-1949
  • 4.C.­1951
  • 4.C.­1954-1955
  • 4.C.­1957
  • 4.C.­1959
  • 4.C.­1962
  • 4.C.­1967
  • 4.C.­1971
  • 4.C.­1973
  • 4.C.­1975
  • 4.C.­1978-1979
  • 4.C.­1981
  • 4.C.­1983
  • 4.C.­1986
  • 4.C.­1995-1996
  • 4.C.­2001
  • 4.C.­2019
  • 4.C.­2021
  • 4.C.­2023-2024
  • 4.C.­2067
  • 4.C.­2125
  • 4.C.­2127-2128
  • 4.C.­2143
  • 4.C.­2153
  • 4.C.­2173
  • 4.C.­2181
  • 4.C.­2201
  • 4.C.­2212
  • 4.C.­2215
  • 4.C.­2218
  • 4.C.­2221-2223
  • 4.C.­2237
  • 4.C.­2239
  • 4.C.­2241
  • 4.C.­2243
  • 4.C.­2245-2248
  • 4.C.­2254
  • 4.C.­2258-2262
  • 4.C.­2270
  • 4.C.­2284-2286
  • 4.C.­2288
  • 4.C.­2291-2292
  • 4.C.­2294
  • 4.C.­2296
  • 4.C.­2298
  • 4.C.­2303
  • 4.C.­2335-2338
  • 4.C.­2345-2347
  • 4.C.­2378
  • 4.C.­2390
  • 4.C.­2427-2428
  • 4.C.­2430
  • 4.C.­2434
  • 4.C.­2444
  • 4.C.­2459
  • 4.C.­2470
  • 4.C.­2490
  • 4.C.­2499
  • 4.C.­2512
  • 4.C.­2519
  • 4.C.­2536
  • 4.C.­2555
  • 4.C.­2567-2568
  • 4.C.­2571
  • 4.C.­2573-2575
  • 4.C.­2577-2578
  • 4.C.­2594
  • 4.C.­2632-2633
  • 4.C.­2682
  • 4.C.­2730
  • 4.C.­2744
  • 4.C.­2771
  • 4.C.­2775
  • 4.C.­2804
  • 4.C.­2819
  • 4.C.­2833
  • 4.C.­2858
  • 4.C.­2903
  • 4.C.­2919
  • 4.C.­2946
  • 4.C.­2949
  • 4.C.­2951-2952
  • 4.C.­2954
  • 4.C.­2958
  • 4.C.­3005
  • 4.C.­3055
  • 4.C.­3089-3090
  • 4.C.­3116
  • 5.­380
  • n.­356
  • n.­385
  • n.­462-463
  • n.­478
  • n.­558
  • g.­137
  • g.­206
  • g.­227
  • g.­229
  • g.­286
  • g.­318
  • g.­341
  • g.­342
  • g.­358
  • g.­361
  • g.­362
  • g.­367
  • g.­401
  • g.­574
  • g.­579
  • g.­683
  • g.­719
  • g.­737
  • g.­809
  • g.­816
  • g.­820
  • g.­932
  • g.­936
  • g.­937
  • g.­938
  • g.­939
  • g.­940
  • g.­942
  • g.­950
  • g.­977
  • g.­989
  • g.­1037
  • g.­1148
  • g.­1159
  • g.­1175
  • g.­1228
  • g.­1229
  • g.­1231
  • g.­1278
  • g.­1280
  • g.­1326
  • g.­1346
  • g.­1350
  • g.­1359
  • g.­1382
  • g.­1386
  • g.­1398
  • g.­1460
g.­630

Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations

Wylie:
  • gzhan ’phrul dbang byed pa
Tibetan:
  • གཞན་འཕྲུལ་དབང་བྱེད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • para­nirmita­vaśa­vartin

One of the six heavens of the desire realm.

Located in 23 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­133
  • 2.­162
  • 2.­234
  • 2.­272
  • 2.­1036
  • 2.­1256
  • 3.­2
  • 4.A.­138-139
  • 4.A.­415
  • 4.C.­182
  • 4.C.­391
  • 4.C.­1178-1181
  • 4.C.­1246
  • 4.C.­1302
  • 4.C.­2570
  • 4.C.­3055
  • 5.­382
  • g.­694
  • g.­874
g.­633

Heaven of the Four Great Kings

Wylie:
  • rgyal chen bzhi’i ris
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་ཆེན་བཞིའི་རིས།
Sanskrit:
  • caturmahā­rājika

One of the six heavens of the desire realm.

Located in 38 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­133
  • 4.A.­138
  • 4.A.­416
  • 4.B.­123
  • 4.B.­444
  • 4.B.­1212
  • 4.B.­1234
  • 4.B.­1239
  • 4.B.­1380
  • 4.B.­1408
  • 4.C.­391
  • 4.C.­1238-1239
  • 4.C.­1241
  • 4.C.­1244-1245
  • 4.C.­1247
  • 4.C.­1249
  • 4.C.­1253
  • 4.C.­1302
  • 4.C.­1677
  • 4.C.­1690
  • 4.C.­2631
  • 4.C.­2958
  • 4.C.­3055
  • 5.­24-28
  • 5.­30
  • 5.­294
  • 5.­321
  • 5.­331
  • 5.­345
  • 5.­379-380
  • 5.­382
g.­634

Heaven of the Thirty-Three

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

One of the six heavens of the desire realm.

Located in 227 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­103
  • 1.­147
  • 2.­234
  • 2.­272
  • 2.­1035
  • 2.­1056
  • 2.­1256
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­233
  • 3.­271
  • 3.­289
  • 3.­292
  • 3.­298
  • 3.­302
  • 3.­328
  • 3.­341-342
  • 3.­350-351
  • 3.­356
  • 3.­370-371
  • 4.A.­138
  • 4.A.­415-416
  • 4.B.­1-2
  • 4.B.­17
  • 4.B.­22
  • 4.B.­36
  • 4.B.­49
  • 4.B.­54
  • 4.B.­101
  • 4.B.­103
  • 4.B.­123
  • 4.B.­146
  • 4.B.­154
  • 4.B.­159
  • 4.B.­195
  • 4.B.­205
  • 4.B.­215
  • 4.B.­225
  • 4.B.­232
  • 4.B.­235
  • 4.B.­237-238
  • 4.B.­245
  • 4.B.­252
  • 4.B.­259
  • 4.B.­268
  • 4.B.­294
  • 4.B.­308
  • 4.B.­319
  • 4.B.­321-322
  • 4.B.­334-335
  • 4.B.­339
  • 4.B.­342
  • 4.B.­367
  • 4.B.­370
  • 4.B.­388
  • 4.B.­396
  • 4.B.­405
  • 4.B.­413
  • 4.B.­417
  • 4.B.­425
  • 4.B.­430
  • 4.B.­435
  • 4.B.­445-447
  • 4.B.­449
  • 4.B.­451
  • 4.B.­456
  • 4.B.­463
  • 4.B.­467
  • 4.B.­469
  • 4.B.­471
  • 4.B.­501
  • 4.B.­507
  • 4.B.­525
  • 4.B.­530
  • 4.B.­543
  • 4.B.­584
  • 4.B.­589
  • 4.B.­643
  • 4.B.­658
  • 4.B.­662
  • 4.B.­693
  • 4.B.­719
  • 4.B.­723-724
  • 4.B.­754
  • 4.B.­758
  • 4.B.­761
  • 4.B.­769
  • 4.B.­775
  • 4.B.­865
  • 4.B.­868
  • 4.B.­874
  • 4.B.­895
  • 4.B.­898
  • 4.B.­903
  • 4.B.­938-939
  • 4.B.­999
  • 4.B.­1073
  • 4.B.­1202
  • 4.B.­1212
  • 4.B.­1239
  • 4.B.­1250
  • 4.B.­1264
  • 4.B.­1268
  • 4.B.­1281
  • 4.B.­1294
  • 4.B.­1296
  • 4.B.­1301
  • 4.B.­1303
  • 4.B.­1327
  • 4.B.­1331
  • 4.B.­1375
  • 4.B.­1377
  • 4.B.­1394
  • 4.B.­1408-1409
  • 4.C.­2
  • 4.C.­5
  • 4.C.­7
  • 4.C.­20-21
  • 4.C.­182
  • 4.C.­306
  • 4.C.­391
  • 4.C.­393
  • 4.C.­1126
  • 4.C.­1245-1252
  • 4.C.­1257-1260
  • 4.C.­1270-1271
  • 4.C.­1289
  • 4.C.­1298
  • 4.C.­1677
  • 4.C.­1690
  • 4.C.­2215
  • 4.C.­2428
  • 4.C.­2958
  • 4.C.­3055
  • 5.­30
  • 5.­238
  • 5.­269
  • 5.­295
  • 5.­379-380
  • 5.­382
  • g.­20
  • g.­67
  • g.­104
  • g.­107
  • g.­116
  • g.­180
  • g.­205
  • g.­292
  • g.­302
  • g.­310
  • g.­311
  • g.­312
  • g.­313
  • g.­314
  • g.­315
  • g.­316
  • g.­317
  • g.­319
  • g.­320
  • g.­321
  • g.­322
  • g.­323
  • g.­324
  • g.­340
  • g.­356
  • g.­366
  • g.­369
  • g.­371
  • g.­378
  • g.­393
  • g.­404
  • g.­409
  • g.­437
  • g.­545
  • g.­644
  • g.­651
  • g.­659
  • g.­671
  • g.­673
  • g.­840
  • g.­876
  • g.­941
  • g.­943
  • g.­946
  • g.­993
  • g.­1005
  • g.­1046
  • g.­1052
  • g.­1062
  • g.­1099
  • g.­1133
  • g.­1167
  • g.­1240
  • g.­1257
  • g.­1263
  • g.­1279
  • g.­1330
  • g.­1331
  • g.­1371
  • g.­1372
  • g.­1374
  • g.­1443
g.­635

hell being

Wylie:
  • sems can dmyal ba
Tibetan:
  • སེམས་ཅན་དམྱལ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • naraka

One of the five or six classes of sentient beings, engendered by anger and powerful negative actions. They are dominated by great suffering and said to dwell in different hells with specific characteristics.

Located in 412 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­20
  • 1.­23-24
  • 1.­26-31
  • 1.­33-34
  • 1.­37
  • 1.­40
  • 1.­53
  • 1.­76
  • 1.­81
  • 1.­84
  • 1.­114
  • 1.­120
  • 2.­61
  • 2.­129
  • 2.­131-132
  • 2.­136
  • 2.­138
  • 2.­177
  • 2.­214
  • 2.­219
  • 2.­227-228
  • 2.­230
  • 2.­233
  • 2.­241
  • 2.­245-246
  • 2.­248
  • 2.­264-266
  • 2.­268
  • 2.­294-295
  • 2.­299
  • 2.­375-377
  • 2.­397
  • 2.­402
  • 2.­407
  • 2.­412
  • 2.­414-415
  • 2.­427-428
  • 2.­439-441
  • 2.­475-476
  • 2.­479
  • 2.­484
  • 2.­486
  • 2.­499
  • 2.­501
  • 2.­505
  • 2.­522
  • 2.­528
  • 2.­538
  • 2.­608
  • 2.­611
  • 2.­614
  • 2.­633
  • 2.­637
  • 2.­640
  • 2.­643
  • 2.­646-647
  • 2.­655-657
  • 2.­681
  • 2.­698
  • 2.­719
  • 2.­727-729
  • 2.­732
  • 2.­735
  • 2.­739-740
  • 2.­747
  • 2.­750
  • 2.­753
  • 2.­760-761
  • 2.­764
  • 2.­767
  • 2.­771
  • 2.­779
  • 2.­827
  • 2.­829
  • 2.­831-832
  • 2.­836
  • 2.­838
  • 2.­847-851
  • 2.­853-854
  • 2.­856-858
  • 2.­862
  • 2.­869
  • 2.­873
  • 2.­876
  • 2.­889-890
  • 2.­894
  • 2.­897
  • 2.­907-909
  • 2.­913
  • 2.­917
  • 2.­920
  • 2.­927-929
  • 2.­932
  • 2.­938-939
  • 2.­943
  • 2.­948
  • 2.­952
  • 2.­972
  • 2.­1035
  • 2.­1040-1041
  • 2.­1044-1045
  • 2.­1059-1060
  • 2.­1070-1071
  • 2.­1083
  • 2.­1085
  • 2.­1094-1096
  • 2.­1112
  • 2.­1116-1118
  • 2.­1123-1124
  • 2.­1135-1136
  • 2.­1140
  • 2.­1157
  • 2.­1167
  • 2.­1179-1181
  • 2.­1187
  • 2.­1190-1191
  • 2.­1196
  • 2.­1200
  • 2.­1206-1207
  • 2.­1212
  • 2.­1221
  • 2.­1224
  • 2.­1227
  • 2.­1265
  • 3.­27-28
  • 3.­131
  • 4.­1
  • 4.A.­3
  • 4.A.­53
  • 4.A.­58
  • 4.A.­69
  • 4.A.­82
  • 4.A.­88
  • 4.A.­92
  • 4.A.­97
  • 4.A.­101
  • 4.A.­107
  • 4.A.­131
  • 4.A.­133
  • 4.A.­136
  • 4.A.­157
  • 4.A.­162
  • 4.A.­182
  • 4.A.­201
  • 4.A.­204
  • 4.A.­207
  • 4.A.­216
  • 4.A.­220
  • 4.A.­223
  • 4.A.­246
  • 4.A.­259
  • 4.A.­262
  • 4.A.­265
  • 4.A.­269
  • 4.A.­275
  • 4.A.­279
  • 4.A.­298
  • 4.A.­303
  • 4.A.­311
  • 4.A.­331
  • 4.A.­338
  • 4.A.­345
  • 4.A.­377
  • 4.A.­381
  • 4.A.­398
  • 4.A.­402
  • 4.A.­406
  • 4.B.­101
  • 4.B.­103
  • 4.B.­106
  • 4.B.­115
  • 4.B.­128
  • 4.B.­139
  • 4.B.­153
  • 4.B.­158
  • 4.B.­194
  • 4.B.­204
  • 4.B.­214
  • 4.B.­234
  • 4.B.­262
  • 4.B.­314-316
  • 4.B.­320
  • 4.B.­338
  • 4.B.­359
  • 4.B.­366
  • 4.B.­395
  • 4.B.­404-405
  • 4.B.­412
  • 4.B.­424
  • 4.B.­450
  • 4.B.­466
  • 4.B.­500
  • 4.B.­524
  • 4.B.­542
  • 4.B.­583
  • 4.B.­692
  • 4.B.­718
  • 4.B.­748
  • 4.B.­753
  • 4.B.­814
  • 4.B.­864
  • 4.B.­877
  • 4.B.­894
  • 4.B.­938
  • 4.B.­998
  • 4.B.­1079
  • 4.B.­1113
  • 4.B.­1211-1212
  • 4.B.­1222-1224
  • 4.B.­1233
  • 4.B.­1238
  • 4.B.­1244
  • 4.B.­1250
  • 4.B.­1253
  • 4.B.­1293
  • 4.B.­1300
  • 4.B.­1326
  • 4.B.­1355
  • 4.B.­1374
  • 4.B.­1393
  • 4.C.­12
  • 4.C.­105-111
  • 4.C.­113-117
  • 4.C.­170
  • 4.C.­179
  • 4.C.­235-236
  • 4.C.­263
  • 4.C.­270
  • 4.C.­273
  • 4.C.­334
  • 4.C.­394
  • 4.C.­422
  • 4.C.­511
  • 4.C.­535
  • 4.C.­597
  • 4.C.­605
  • 4.C.­613
  • 4.C.­692-694
  • 4.C.­707
  • 4.C.­821
  • 4.C.­835
  • 4.C.­891
  • 4.C.­956
  • 4.C.­1039
  • 4.C.­1048
  • 4.C.­1070
  • 4.C.­1096
  • 4.C.­1101
  • 4.C.­1116-1117
  • 4.C.­1185
  • 4.C.­1228-1229
  • 4.C.­1231
  • 4.C.­1234
  • 4.C.­1246
  • 4.C.­1250
  • 4.C.­1256
  • 4.C.­1330
  • 4.C.­1343
  • 4.C.­1358-1359
  • 4.C.­1375
  • 4.C.­1383-1384
  • 4.C.­1387
  • 4.C.­1389
  • 4.C.­1395
  • 4.C.­1434
  • 4.C.­1482
  • 4.C.­1520
  • 4.C.­1557
  • 4.C.­1575-1576
  • 4.C.­1651
  • 4.C.­1754
  • 4.C.­1839
  • 4.C.­1918
  • 4.C.­1956
  • 4.C.­1969
  • 4.C.­2022
  • 4.C.­2105
  • 4.C.­2161
  • 4.C.­2222
  • 4.C.­2244
  • 4.C.­2262
  • 4.C.­2265
  • 4.C.­2291
  • 4.C.­2337
  • 4.C.­2389
  • 4.C.­2492
  • 4.C.­2496
  • 4.C.­2521-2522
  • 4.C.­2533
  • 4.C.­2535
  • 4.C.­2549
  • 4.C.­2576
  • 4.C.­2600
  • 4.C.­2638-2639
  • 4.C.­2646
  • 4.C.­2706
  • 4.C.­2746-2748
  • 4.C.­2750
  • 4.C.­2752-2753
  • 4.C.­2835
  • 4.C.­2839
  • 4.C.­2884
  • 4.C.­2886
  • 4.C.­2938
  • 4.C.­2951
  • 4.C.­2983
  • 4.C.­2993
  • 4.C.­3024-3025
  • 4.C.­3028
  • 4.C.­3031
  • 4.C.­3039
  • 4.C.­3041
  • 4.C.­3051
  • 4.C.­3087
  • 5.­6
  • 5.­36
  • 5.­306
  • 5.­315
  • 5.­346
  • 5.­348
  • 5.­351
  • 5.­366
  • 5.­372
  • 5.­375
  • 5.­396
  • 5.­403
g.­637

Hell of Heat

Wylie:
  • tsha ba
Tibetan:
  • ཚ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • tapana

One of the eight hot hells.

Located in 50 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­123
  • 2.­129
  • 2.­295
  • 2.­711-713
  • 2.­721
  • 2.­725
  • 2.­731
  • 2.­734
  • 2.­738
  • 2.­742
  • 2.­745
  • 2.­749
  • 2.­752
  • 2.­755
  • 2.­759
  • 2.­763
  • 2.­766
  • 2.­769
  • 2.­773
  • 2.­777
  • 2.­781
  • 2.­783
  • 4.B.­850
  • 4.B.­1222
  • 4.C.­1116
  • 4.C.­1237
  • 4.C.­1247
  • 4.C.­1283
  • 4.C.­2702
  • 5.­31-32
  • 5.­366
  • g.­141
  • g.­234
  • g.­411
  • g.­462
  • g.­473
  • g.­589
  • g.­687
  • g.­701
  • g.­877
  • g.­1098
  • g.­1100
  • g.­1300
  • g.­1308
  • g.­1312
  • g.­1315
  • g.­1344
g.­638

Hell of Intense Heat

Wylie:
  • rab tu tsha ba
Tibetan:
  • རབ་ཏུ་ཚ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • pratāpana

One of the eight hot hells.

Located in 59 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­123
  • 2.­129
  • 2.­295
  • 2.­783
  • 2.­785
  • 2.­793
  • 2.­808-811
  • 2.­846
  • 2.­871
  • 2.­875
  • 2.­888
  • 2.­893
  • 2.­896
  • 2.­906
  • 2.­912
  • 2.­915
  • 2.­919
  • 2.­921
  • 2.­925
  • 2.­931
  • 2.­936
  • 2.­941
  • 2.­944
  • 2.­947
  • 2.­951
  • 2.­1036
  • 4.B.­851
  • 4.C.­1116
  • 4.C.­1237
  • 4.C.­1247
  • 4.C.­1260
  • 4.C.­1283
  • 4.C.­1289
  • 4.C.­2702
  • 5.­31-32
  • 5.­366
  • g.­36
  • g.­143
  • g.­207
  • g.­217
  • g.­245
  • g.­343
  • g.­427
  • g.­547
  • g.­591
  • g.­623
  • g.­636
  • g.­696
  • g.­802
  • g.­811
  • g.­896
  • g.­988
  • g.­992
  • g.­1040
  • g.­1317
g.­640

Hell of Ultimate Torment

Wylie:
  • mnar med
Tibetan:
  • མནར་མེད།
Sanskrit:
  • avīci

The most severe among the eight hot hells.

Located in 100 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­2
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­32
  • 1.­39
  • 2.­123
  • 2.­129
  • 2.­248
  • 2.­295
  • 2.­960-970
  • 2.­972
  • 2.­1034-1036
  • 2.­1039
  • 2.­1041-1042
  • 2.­1044-1045
  • 2.­1057
  • 2.­1059-1060
  • 2.­1070
  • 2.­1083
  • 2.­1134-1135
  • 2.­1137-1139
  • 2.­1148
  • 2.­1151-1154
  • 2.­1156
  • 2.­1160-1161
  • 2.­1164
  • 2.­1178
  • 2.­1184
  • 2.­1189
  • 2.­1194
  • 2.­1199
  • 2.­1202
  • 2.­1205
  • 2.­1211
  • 2.­1216
  • 2.­1220
  • 2.­1223
  • 2.­1226
  • 2.­1252
  • 2.­1254
  • 2.­1259
  • 4.B.­404
  • 4.B.­851
  • 4.C.­1116
  • 4.C.­1237
  • 4.C.­1247
  • 4.C.­2702
  • 5.­31-32
  • n.­18
  • g.­25
  • g.­79
  • g.­96
  • g.­102
  • g.­326
  • g.­381
  • g.­424
  • g.­426
  • g.­546
  • g.­580
  • g.­652
  • g.­662
  • g.­689
  • g.­700
  • g.­812
  • g.­828
  • g.­853
  • g.­900
  • g.­1059
  • g.­1085
  • g.­1086
  • g.­1211
  • g.­1212
  • g.­1311
  • g.­1313
  • g.­1316
  • g.­1343
  • g.­1457
g.­642

High and Seen by Everyone

Wylie:
  • kun mthong mtho
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་མཐོང་མཐོ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Promotion.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­534
g.­644

High Conduct

Wylie:
  • mtho bar spyod pa
Tibetan:
  • མཐོ་བར་སྤྱོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • utkarṣacārinī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­1294
  • 4.B.­1296
  • g.­43
  • g.­915
g.­651

Holder of Supreme Gifts

Wylie:
  • mchog sbyin ’dzin
Tibetan:
  • མཆོག་སྦྱིན་འཛིན།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­656

Honey Water Forest

Wylie:
  • sbrang rtsi’i chu’i tshal
Tibetan:
  • སྦྲང་རྩིའི་ཆུའི་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Dwelling in One Direction.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­202
g.­659

House of Refined Gold

Wylie:
  • gser phug gi khang pa
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་ཕུག་གི་ཁང་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • tapanīyagṛha

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­425
  • g.­1038
g.­661

Howling Hell

Wylie:
  • ngu ’bod
Tibetan:
  • ངུ་འབོད།
Sanskrit:
  • raurava

One of the eight hot hells.

Located in 40 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­123
  • 2.­129
  • 2.­295
  • 2.­452
  • 2.­486
  • 2.­504
  • 2.­518
  • 2.­570
  • 2.­640
  • 2.­711
  • 2.­783
  • 4.A.­75
  • 4.B.­849
  • 4.B.­1222
  • 4.C.­1116
  • 4.C.­1237
  • 4.C.­1247
  • 4.C.­1283
  • 4.C.­1287
  • 4.C.­2702
  • 5.­31-32
  • 5.­366
  • n.­74
  • n.­76
  • g.­119
  • g.­142
  • g.­454
  • g.­483
  • g.­675
  • g.­702
  • g.­975
  • g.­1074
  • g.­1151
  • g.­1152
  • g.­1201
  • g.­1202
  • g.­1222
  • g.­1401
  • g.­1455
g.­667

ill will

Wylie:
  • gnod sems
Tibetan:
  • གནོད་སེམས།
Sanskrit:
  • vyāpāda

The second among the three mental misdeeds.

Located in 36 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­17
  • 1.­31
  • 1.­74-75
  • 1.­92-93
  • 1.­96-99
  • 1.­101
  • 1.­112
  • 2.­1013
  • 2.­1125-1127
  • 2.­1129-1133
  • 3.­23
  • 4.B.­206
  • 4.C.­818-819
  • 4.C.­844
  • 4.C.­1363
  • 4.C.­1473
  • 4.C.­1707
  • 4.C.­1960
  • 4.C.­1964
  • 4.C.­1973
  • 4.C.­1979
  • 4.C.­2278
  • 4.C.­2701
  • g.­1310
g.­671

Immortal One

Wylie:
  • mi ’chi
Tibetan:
  • མི་འཆི།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­672

Immovable

Wylie:
  • mi g.yo ba
Tibetan:
  • མི་གཡོ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • acalā

The fourth level of the asuras.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­184
  • 3.­194
  • g.­84
  • g.­991
g.­673

Immutable One

Wylie:
  • mi ’gyur
Tibetan:
  • མི་འགྱུར།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­679

Incomparable

Wylie:
  • dpe med pa
Tibetan:
  • དཔེ་མེད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest at Sudharma.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­16
  • 4.B.­57-59
  • 4.B.­66-67
  • 4.B.­70
  • 4.B.­74
  • g.­257
  • g.­484
  • g.­831
  • g.­890
g.­682

Indra

Wylie:
  • dbang po
Tibetan:
  • དབང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • indra

Another name of Śakra.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­257
  • 4.C.­304
  • g.­874
  • g.­1133
g.­691

Insatiable

Wylie:
  • ngoms mi myong
Tibetan:
  • ངོམས་མི་མྱོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A river in Dwelling on Summits.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­157
g.­692

insight

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

Transcendent or discriminating awareness; the mind that sees the ultimate truth. One of the six perfections of the bodhisattva.

Located in 393 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • 1.­75
  • 2.­8-9
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­21
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­41
  • 2.­136
  • 2.­181
  • 2.­262
  • 2.­1380
  • 3.­228
  • 4.B.­791-792
  • 4.B.­1098
  • 4.B.­1104
  • 4.B.­1167
  • 4.B.­1406
  • 4.B.­1408
  • 4.C.­9
  • 4.C.­12
  • 4.C.­20
  • 4.C.­66
  • 4.C.­180
  • 4.C.­257
  • 4.C.­259-260
  • 4.C.­274
  • 4.C.­294
  • 4.C.­302
  • 4.C.­333
  • 4.C.­336
  • 4.C.­363
  • 4.C.­423
  • 4.C.­537
  • 4.C.­598
  • 4.C.­641
  • 4.C.­781
  • 4.C.­783
  • 4.C.­816-817
  • 4.C.­873
  • 4.C.­930-931
  • 4.C.­941
  • 4.C.­943
  • 4.C.­946
  • 4.C.­956-957
  • 4.C.­968
  • 4.C.­972
  • 4.C.­1179
  • 4.C.­1195
  • 4.C.­1197
  • 4.C.­1199
  • 4.C.­1243
  • 4.C.­1261
  • 4.C.­1302
  • 4.C.­1305
  • 4.C.­1308
  • 4.C.­1367
  • 4.C.­1541-1543
  • 4.C.­1570-1572
  • 4.C.­1591
  • 4.C.­1653
  • 4.C.­1731
  • 4.C.­1754
  • 4.C.­1908
  • 4.C.­1911
  • 4.C.­1916
  • 4.C.­1937
  • 4.C.­1945
  • 4.C.­1955
  • 4.C.­1960
  • 4.C.­1965
  • 4.C.­1975-1978
  • 4.C.­1997
  • 4.C.­2004
  • 4.C.­2120
  • 4.C.­2264
  • 4.C.­2347
  • 4.C.­2400
  • 4.C.­2402
  • 4.C.­2404-2405
  • 4.C.­2414
  • 4.C.­2428
  • 4.C.­2510
  • 4.C.­2529-2531
  • 4.C.­2562
  • 4.C.­2577
  • 4.C.­2656
  • 4.C.­2838
  • 4.C.­2842
  • 4.C.­2849-2850
  • 4.C.­2861
  • 4.C.­2864
  • 4.C.­2870-2871
  • 4.C.­2895
  • 4.C.­2899
  • 4.C.­2901
  • 4.C.­2941
  • 4.C.­2952
  • 4.C.­2993
  • 4.C.­3023
  • 4.C.­3025
  • 4.C.­3027
  • 4.C.­3029
  • 4.C.­3033-3036
  • 4.C.­3067
  • 4.C.­3084
  • 4.C.­3089
  • 5.­19
  • 5.­24
  • 5.­29-32
  • 5.­34-35
  • 5.­38-40
  • 5.­43-56
  • 5.­58
  • 5.­60-101
  • 5.­103-123
  • 5.­125-152
  • 5.­155-204
  • 5.­208
  • 5.­213-217
  • 5.­221
  • 5.­223
  • 5.­225
  • 5.­231
  • 5.­234-235
  • 5.­238
  • 5.­240-246
  • 5.­250-254
  • 5.­256-266
  • 5.­270
  • 5.­272
  • 5.­274
  • 5.­277
  • 5.­281-282
  • 5.­286-287
  • 5.­289
  • 5.­291
  • 5.­293
  • 5.­295-296
  • 5.­298-301
  • 5.­304-305
  • 5.­310
  • 5.­316
  • 5.­319
  • 5.­321-323
  • 5.­325-326
  • 5.­328-329
  • 5.­331
  • 5.­337-338
  • 5.­344
  • 5.­349
  • 5.­353
  • 5.­363
  • 5.­367
  • 5.­373
  • 5.­377
  • 5.­379-380
  • 5.­382
  • 5.­386
  • 5.­388
  • 5.­393
  • 5.­395
  • 5.­399
  • 5.­405
  • 5.­410
  • 5.­413
  • 5.­417
  • 5.­419
  • 5.­425
  • c.­4
  • c.­6
  • c.­8
  • n.­642
  • g.­447
  • g.­1191
  • g.­1224
g.­697

Intoxicating Abode

Wylie:
  • myos gnas
Tibetan:
  • མྱོས་གནས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Distinguished in Many Colorful Ways.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­522
g.­706

Jagaddala

Wylie:
  • dza gad+dA la
Tibetan:
  • ཛ་གདྡཱ་ལ།
Sanskrit:
  • jagaddala

An important Buddhist monastery located in Bengal (modern day Bangladesh), founded by King Rāmapāla (ruled 1077–1120 ᴄᴇ).

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • c.­3
  • n.­640
g.­708

Jambu

Wylie:
  • ’dzam bu
Tibetan:
  • འཛམ་བུ།
Sanskrit:
  • jambu

A river famed for its excellent gold

Located in 26 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­98
  • 2.­1207
  • 4.A.­139
  • 4.A.­186
  • 4.A.­389
  • 4.B.­8
  • 4.B.­31
  • 4.B.­35
  • 4.B.­108
  • 4.B.­160
  • 4.B.­218
  • 4.B.­408
  • 4.B.­658
  • 4.B.­898-899
  • 4.C.­279
  • 4.C.­306
  • 4.C.­1338
  • 4.C.­1758
  • 4.C.­2025
  • 4.C.­2376
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­257
  • 5.­262
  • 5.­277
  • n.­152
g.­710

Jambudvīpa

Wylie:
  • ’dzam bu gling
Tibetan:
  • འཛམ་བུ་གླིང་།
Sanskrit:
  • jambudvīpa

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The name of the southern continent in Buddhist cosmology, which can signify either the known human world, or more specifically the Indian subcontinent, literally “the jambu island/continent.” Jambu is the name used for a range of plum-like fruits from trees belonging to the genus Szygium, particularly Szygium jambos and Szygium cumini, and it has commonly been rendered “rose apple,” although “black plum” may be a less misleading term. Among various explanations given for the continent being so named, one (in the Abhidharmakośa) is that a jambu tree grows in its northern mountains beside Lake Anavatapta, mythically considered the source of the four great rivers of India, and that the continent is therefore named from the tree or the fruit. Jambudvīpa has the Vajrāsana at its center and is the only continent upon which buddhas attain awakening.

Located in 353 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­99-100
  • 1.­122-123
  • 1.­146
  • 2.­5-6
  • 2.­36-37
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­113
  • 2.­162
  • 2.­234
  • 2.­272
  • 2.­305
  • 2.­450
  • 2.­484
  • 2.­501
  • 2.­706
  • 2.­954
  • 2.­1149
  • 2.­1256
  • 2.­1283
  • 2.­1479
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­43-45
  • 3.­52
  • 3.­56
  • 3.­60
  • 3.­67-68
  • 3.­72-73
  • 3.­81
  • 3.­88
  • 3.­99
  • 3.­110
  • 3.­112
  • 3.­118
  • 3.­120
  • 3.­122
  • 3.­133-135
  • 3.­200
  • 3.­210
  • 3.­227
  • 3.­300
  • 3.­310-314
  • 3.­377
  • 4.A.­5
  • 4.A.­83-85
  • 4.A.­135
  • 4.A.­334
  • 4.A.­383
  • 4.A.­401
  • 4.A.­408
  • 4.A.­411
  • 4.B.­55
  • 4.B.­69
  • 4.B.­120
  • 4.B.­122
  • 4.B.­196
  • 4.B.­199
  • 4.B.­211
  • 4.B.­218-219
  • 4.B.­228-229
  • 4.B.­256
  • 4.B.­311-312
  • 4.B.­316
  • 4.B.­322-323
  • 4.B.­325
  • 4.B.­334-336
  • 4.B.­520
  • 4.B.­605
  • 4.B.­661
  • 4.B.­674
  • 4.B.­811
  • 4.B.­903-905
  • 4.B.­909
  • 4.B.­1197-1198
  • 4.B.­1224
  • 4.B.­1250
  • 4.B.­1276
  • 4.C.­87
  • 4.C.­304
  • 4.C.­499
  • 4.C.­570
  • 4.C.­1267
  • 4.C.­1289
  • 4.C.­1299-1300
  • 4.C.­1317
  • 4.C.­1760
  • 4.C.­1839
  • 4.C.­2127
  • 4.C.­2378
  • 4.C.­2484
  • 4.C.­2632-2633
  • 4.C.­2976
  • 4.C.­3005
  • 4.C.­3117
  • 5.­7-20
  • 5.­232
  • 5.­238-239
  • 5.­241-245
  • 5.­247-254
  • 5.­261-269
  • 5.­281
  • 5.­287
  • 5.­294-295
  • 5.­298-299
  • 5.­301
  • 5.­304-305
  • 5.­310
  • 5.­314
  • 5.­316
  • 5.­319
  • 5.­321-323
  • 5.­325
  • 5.­338-339
  • 5.­386
  • 5.­390-391
  • 5.­393
  • 5.­395
  • 5.­405-406
  • 5.­410
  • 5.­415
  • 5.­419-424
  • c.­2
  • g.­9
  • g.­10
  • g.­13
  • g.­28
  • g.­29
  • g.­30
  • g.­31
  • g.­47
  • g.­50
  • g.­51
  • g.­53
  • g.­55
  • g.­71
  • g.­77
  • g.­78
  • g.­95
  • g.­100
  • g.­101
  • g.­103
  • g.­111
  • g.­115
  • g.­118
  • g.­125
  • g.­134
  • g.­139
  • g.­148
  • g.­151
  • g.­167
  • g.­169
  • g.­181
  • g.­197
  • g.­235
  • g.­236
  • g.­241
  • g.­258
  • g.­259
  • g.­289
  • g.­301
  • g.­339
  • g.­351
  • g.­359
  • g.­363
  • g.­364
  • g.­365
  • g.­370
  • g.­397
  • g.­400
  • g.­402
  • g.­422
  • g.­429
  • g.­441
  • g.­448
  • g.­497
  • g.­509
  • g.­524
  • g.­527
  • g.­541
  • g.­552
  • g.­560
  • g.­564
  • g.­566
  • g.­568
  • g.­586
  • g.­587
  • g.­596
  • g.­613
  • g.­649
  • g.­703
  • g.­711
  • g.­715
  • g.­717
  • g.­746
  • g.­747
  • g.­749
  • g.­750
  • g.­752
  • g.­754
  • g.­761
  • g.­765
  • g.­767
  • g.­769
  • g.­770
  • g.­771
  • g.­773
  • g.­775
  • g.­779
  • g.­784
  • g.­785
  • g.­789
  • g.­798
  • g.­799
  • g.­801
  • g.­803
  • g.­804
  • g.­844
  • g.­849
  • g.­855
  • g.­857
  • g.­858
  • g.­862
  • g.­880
  • g.­882
  • g.­883
  • g.­888
  • g.­891
  • g.­895
  • g.­910
  • g.­921
  • g.­962
  • g.­994
  • g.­999
  • g.­1009
  • g.­1014
  • g.­1016
  • g.­1025
  • g.­1039
  • g.­1047
  • g.­1050
  • g.­1060
  • g.­1064
  • g.­1084
  • g.­1090
  • g.­1092
  • g.­1109
  • g.­1121
  • g.­1132
  • g.­1139
  • g.­1146
  • g.­1154
  • g.­1178
  • g.­1181
  • g.­1184
  • g.­1185
  • g.­1186
  • g.­1187
  • g.­1206
  • g.­1208
  • g.­1220
  • g.­1261
  • g.­1262
  • g.­1264
  • g.­1267
  • g.­1272
  • g.­1283
  • g.­1286
  • g.­1291
  • g.­1295
  • g.­1302
  • g.­1354
  • g.­1355
  • g.­1357
  • g.­1358
  • g.­1360
  • g.­1379
  • g.­1380
  • g.­1416
  • g.­1438
  • g.­1439
  • g.­1461
g.­726

Joyous

Wylie:
  • kun dga’
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་དགའ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest at Sudharma.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­16
  • 4.B.­30
  • g.­230
g.­736

Joyous in All Regards

Wylie:
  • mngon dga’
Tibetan:
  • མངོན་དགའ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Dwelling on Summits.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­157
g.­745

Joyous Women

Wylie:
  • bud med dga’ ba
Tibetan:
  • བུད་མེད་དགའ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest at Sudharma.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­16-17
  • g.­915
g.­748

Kābīra

Wylie:
  • kA bI ra
Tibetan:
  • ཀཱ་བཱི་ར།
Sanskrit:
  • kābīra RP

A forest in Promotion.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­531-533
g.­758

karketana

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

A stone sometimes identified as cat’s eye.

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­71
  • 4.B.­220-223
  • 4.B.­240
  • 4.C.­1621
  • 4.C.­1633
  • 4.C.­1645
  • 4.C.­1658
  • 4.C.­1760
  • 4.C.­1785
  • 4.C.­1859
g.­760

karmic actions to be experienced in other lives

Wylie:
  • lan grangs gzhan la myong bar ’gyur ba’i las
Tibetan:
  • ལན་གྲངས་གཞན་ལ་མྱོང་བར་འགྱུར་བའི་ལས།
Sanskrit:
  • apara­paryāya­vedanīya

One of the three types of karma whose results are experience neither in the present nor the next, but the subsequent lives. The other two types are the “karma that ripens in this life” (dṛṣṭa­dharma­vipāka or dṛṣṭa­dharma­vedanīya) and the “karma that is to be experienced in the immediately following life” (upapadya­vedanīya).

Located in 113 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­393
  • 2.­395
  • 2.­398
  • 2.­400
  • 2.­403
  • 2.­406
  • 2.­409
  • 2.­431
  • 2.­442
  • 2.­445
  • 2.­448
  • 2.­477
  • 2.­481
  • 2.­499
  • 2.­503
  • 2.­509
  • 2.­513
  • 2.­517
  • 2.­520
  • 2.­523
  • 2.­526
  • 2.­530
  • 2.­533
  • 2.­536
  • 2.­539
  • 2.­569
  • 2.­583
  • 2.­605
  • 2.­609
  • 2.­612
  • 2.­615
  • 2.­618
  • 2.­621
  • 2.­625
  • 2.­629
  • 2.­634
  • 2.­638
  • 2.­641
  • 2.­644
  • 2.­648
  • 2.­652
  • 2.­679
  • 2.­696
  • 2.­701
  • 2.­704
  • 2.­720
  • 2.­730
  • 2.­733
  • 2.­737
  • 2.­1138
  • 2.­1142
  • 2.­1296
  • 2.­1403
  • 2.­1406
  • 2.­1421
  • 2.­1428
  • 2.­1460
  • 2.­1470
  • 2.­1473
  • 2.­1476
  • 2.­1478
  • 3.­19
  • 4.A.­92
  • 4.A.­97
  • 4.A.­101
  • 4.A.­107
  • 4.A.­131
  • 4.A.­133
  • 4.A.­136
  • 4.A.­162
  • 4.A.­182
  • 4.A.­201
  • 4.A.­204
  • 4.A.­207
  • 4.A.­216
  • 4.A.­220
  • 4.A.­223
  • 4.A.­246
  • 4.A.­259
  • 4.A.­262
  • 4.A.­265
  • 4.A.­269
  • 4.A.­275
  • 4.A.­279
  • 4.A.­298
  • 4.A.­311
  • 4.A.­331
  • 4.A.­377
  • 4.A.­398
  • 4.A.­402
  • 4.B.­158
  • 4.B.­194
  • 4.B.­214
  • 4.B.­338
  • 4.B.­366
  • 4.B.­466
  • 4.B.­542
  • 4.B.­583
  • 4.B.­845-846
  • 4.B.­858
  • 4.B.­877
  • 4.C.­179
  • 4.C.­607
  • 4.C.­610
  • 4.C.­890
  • 4.C.­1238
  • 4.C.­1257
  • 4.C.­1651
  • 4.C.­1839
  • 4.C.­2389
  • 4.C.­2951
  • 4.C.­3087
g.­762

kāsa

Wylie:
  • ka sa
Tibetan:
  • ཀ་ས།
Sanskrit:
  • kāsa

The grass Saccharum spontaneum, native to Indian subcontinent.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­961
g.­764

Kāśyapa

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

A previous buddha.

Located in 36 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­811-812
  • 4.B.­826
  • 4.B.­829
  • 4.C.­499
  • 4.C.­814
  • 4.C.­1337-1338
  • 4.C.­1350
  • 4.C.­1355
  • 4.C.­1373
  • 4.C.­1452
  • 4.C.­1476
  • 4.C.­1485
  • 4.C.­1495
  • 4.C.­1517
  • 4.C.­1526
  • 4.C.­1547
  • 4.C.­1558
  • 4.C.­1569
  • 4.C.­1577
  • 4.C.­1579-1580
  • 4.C.­2445
  • 4.C.­2457-2459
  • 4.C.­2477
  • 4.C.­2485
  • 4.C.­2490
  • 4.C.­2495
  • 4.C.­2497
  • 4.C.­2499
  • 4.C.­2520
  • 4.C.­2530
  • 4.C.­2567
g.­766

Kauśika

Wylie:
  • kau shi ka
Tibetan:
  • ཀཽ་ཤི་ཀ
Sanskrit:
  • kauśika

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

“One who belongs to the Kuśika lineage.” An epithet of the god Śakra, also known as Indra, the king of the gods in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven. In the Ṛgveda, Indra is addressed by the epithet Kauśika, with the implication that he is associated with the descendants of the Kuśika lineage (gotra) as their aiding deity. In later epic and Purāṇic texts, we find the story that Indra took birth as Gādhi Kauśika, the son of Kuśika and one of the Vedic poet-seers, after the Puru king Kuśika had performed austerities for one thousand years to obtain a son equal to Indra who could not be killed by others. In the Pāli Kusajātaka (Jāt V 141–45), the Buddha, in one of his former bodhisattva lives as a Trāyastriṃśa god, takes birth as the future king Kusa upon the request of Indra, who wishes to help the childless king of the Mallas, Okkaka, and his chief queen Sīlavatī. This story is also referred to by Nāgasena in the Milindapañha.

Located in 24 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­7
  • 2.­36-37
  • 3.­75
  • 3.­134
  • 3.­233
  • 4.B.­4-5
  • 4.B.­1281
  • 4.B.­1391
  • 4.C.­5
  • 4.C.­1261-1268
  • 4.C.­1270-1272
  • 4.C.­2428
  • g.­1133
g.­776

killing

Wylie:
  • srog gcod pa
Tibetan:
  • སྲོག་གཅོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • prāṇātipāta

The first among the three physical misdeeds.

Located in 244 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1-3
  • 1.­20
  • 1.­22
  • 1.­34-37
  • 1.­78
  • 1.­80-81
  • 1.­118
  • 2.­297-298
  • 2.­301
  • 2.­304
  • 2.­314
  • 2.­325
  • 2.­367
  • 2.­371
  • 2.­373
  • 2.­378
  • 2.­389
  • 2.­391-392
  • 2.­394
  • 2.­396
  • 2.­401
  • 2.­404
  • 2.­410
  • 2.­415
  • 2.­417
  • 2.­429
  • 2.­432
  • 2.­434
  • 2.­438
  • 2.­443
  • 2.­446
  • 2.­452
  • 2.­478
  • 2.­483
  • 2.­485-486
  • 2.­500
  • 2.­504
  • 2.­507
  • 2.­510
  • 2.­514
  • 2.­518
  • 2.­521
  • 2.­524
  • 2.­527
  • 2.­531
  • 2.­534
  • 2.­537
  • 2.­540
  • 2.­570
  • 2.­573-574
  • 2.­583
  • 2.­603
  • 2.­606
  • 2.­613
  • 2.­616
  • 2.­619
  • 2.­622
  • 2.­626
  • 2.­630
  • 2.­635
  • 2.­639
  • 2.­642
  • 2.­645
  • 2.­649
  • 2.­653
  • 2.­680
  • 2.­697
  • 2.­702
  • 2.­712-713
  • 2.­721
  • 2.­725
  • 2.­731
  • 2.­734
  • 2.­738
  • 2.­749
  • 2.­752
  • 2.­755
  • 2.­759
  • 2.­763
  • 2.­766
  • 2.­769
  • 2.­773
  • 2.­777
  • 2.­783
  • 2.­826
  • 2.­830
  • 2.­833
  • 2.­837
  • 2.­847
  • 2.­871
  • 2.­875
  • 2.­888
  • 2.­893
  • 2.­896
  • 2.­906
  • 2.­912
  • 2.­915
  • 2.­919
  • 2.­921
  • 2.­925
  • 2.­931
  • 2.­936
  • 2.­941
  • 2.­944
  • 2.­947
  • 2.­1000
  • 2.­1046
  • 2.­1303
  • 2.­1306
  • 2.­1387
  • 2.­1404
  • 3.­29
  • 3.­36
  • 3.­144
  • 3.­327
  • 3.­344
  • 3.­362
  • 4.A.­126
  • 4.A.­415-416
  • 4.A.­427
  • 4.B.­146
  • 4.B.­152
  • 4.B.­154
  • 4.B.­216
  • 4.B.­235-236
  • 4.B.­294-295
  • 4.B.­297
  • 4.B.­321
  • 4.B.­340-341
  • 4.B.­368-369
  • 4.B.­396-398
  • 4.B.­413-416
  • 4.B.­426-427
  • 4.B.­430
  • 4.B.­451-452
  • 4.B.­454
  • 4.B.­467
  • 4.B.­501-503
  • 4.B.­507
  • 4.B.­525-527
  • 4.B.­529
  • 4.B.­543-545
  • 4.B.­548
  • 4.B.­585-586
  • 4.B.­693
  • 4.B.­715
  • 4.B.­719-720
  • 4.B.­723
  • 4.B.­755
  • 4.B.­846-847
  • 4.B.­867-868
  • 4.B.­897
  • 4.B.­999
  • 4.B.­1266
  • 4.B.­1294-1295
  • 4.B.­1329
  • 4.B.­1376
  • 4.C.­2-3
  • 4.C.­13
  • 4.C.­180
  • 4.C.­274
  • 4.C.­337
  • 4.C.­423
  • 4.C.­538
  • 4.C.­545
  • 4.C.­599
  • 4.C.­748
  • 4.C.­1019
  • 4.C.­1069
  • 4.C.­1218
  • 4.C.­1238
  • 4.C.­1241
  • 4.C.­1243
  • 4.C.­1247
  • 4.C.­1257
  • 4.C.­1259
  • 4.C.­1289
  • 4.C.­1298
  • 4.C.­1363
  • 4.C.­1448
  • 4.C.­1591
  • 4.C.­1611
  • 4.C.­1653
  • 4.C.­1756
  • 4.C.­1842
  • 4.C.­1960
  • 4.C.­1962
  • 4.C.­2023
  • 4.C.­2218
  • 4.C.­2282
  • 4.C.­2347
  • 4.C.­2458
  • 4.C.­2550
  • 4.C.­2577
  • 4.C.­2652
  • 4.C.­2687
  • 4.C.­2705
  • 4.C.­2882
  • 4.C.­2952
  • 4.C.­2958
  • 4.C.­3042
  • 4.C.­3089
  • 5.­32
  • 5.­160
  • 5.­312
  • 5.­377
  • 5.­417
  • g.­444
  • g.­1310
g.­777

kimpāka

Wylie:
  • kim pa ka
Tibetan:
  • ཀིམ་པ་ཀ
Sanskrit:
  • kimpāka

A fruit that is attractive to behold and has a delicious taste, but is poisonous when eaten.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­486
  • 4.C.­1147
  • 4.C.­1772
  • 4.C.­2364
g.­780

kinnara

Wylie:
  • mi’am ci
Tibetan:
  • མིའམ་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 10 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­535
  • 5.­272
  • 5.­285
  • 5.­289
  • 5.­292
  • 5.­300
  • 5.­302
  • 5.­367
  • 5.­419
  • g.­658
g.­787

Krakucchanda

Wylie:
  • ’khor ba ’jig
Tibetan:
  • འཁོར་བ་འཇིག
Sanskrit:
  • krakucchanda

The first buddha of the Fortunate Eon (our current eon).

Located in 16 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­592
  • 4.B.­657
  • 4.B.­674
  • 4.B.­677
  • 4.C.­814-815
  • 4.C.­1013
  • 4.C.­1015
  • 4.C.­1183-1184
  • 4.C.­1727
  • 4.C.­1741
  • 4.C.­2631
  • 4.C.­2709
  • 4.C.­2946
  • 4.C.­2948
g.­790

Kubala Grove

Wylie:
  • ku ba la’i tshal
Tibetan:
  • ཀུ་བ་ལའི་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • kubala RP

A grove in Promotion

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­540-541
g.­791

Kubera

Wylie:
  • ku be ra
Tibetan:
  • ཀུ་བེ་ར།
Sanskrit:
  • kubera

Also known as Vaiśravaṇa. One among the Four Great Kings, guardian of the north.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.A.­406
  • g.­501
  • g.­1459
g.­794

Kumāra

Wylie:
  • gzhon nu
Tibetan:
  • གཞོན་ནུ།
Sanskrit:
  • kumāra

Another name for the god Skandha.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­906
  • 4.B.­910-911
g.­796

Kumuda Flowers

Wylie:
  • me tog ku mu da
Tibetan:
  • མེ་ཏོག་ཀུ་མུ་ད།
Sanskrit:
  • kumuda RP

A river in Dwelling on Summits.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­157
g.­799

Kuru

Wylie:
  • sgra mi snyan
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲ་མི་སྙན།
Sanskrit:
  • kuru

(1) The continent to the north of Mount Sumeru. (2) A land to the north of Jambudvīpa.

Located in 112 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­98
  • 2.­130
  • 2.­501
  • 2.­1479
  • 3.­43
  • 3.­49
  • 3.­55-56
  • 3.­74
  • 3.­81
  • 4.A.­5
  • 4.B.­1197
  • 4.B.­1201-1204
  • 4.B.­1206
  • 4.B.­1250
  • 4.C.­1289
  • 4.C.­2215
  • 4.C.­2243
  • 5.­7-16
  • 5.­18-19
  • 5.­248
  • 5.­294
  • 5.­298-299
  • 5.­314
  • 5.­316
  • 5.­319
  • 5.­321-322
  • 5.­324-329
  • 5.­331-332
  • 5.­335-338
  • 5.­344-345
  • 5.­348-350
  • 5.­353
  • 5.­355
  • 5.­357
  • 5.­360
  • 5.­362-363
  • 5.­367
  • 5.­372-373
  • 5.­376
  • 5.­386
  • 5.­388
  • 5.­415
  • g.­96
  • g.­122
  • g.­123
  • g.­182
  • g.­199
  • g.­240
  • g.­269
  • g.­347
  • g.­352
  • g.­360
  • g.­382
  • g.­420
  • g.­421
  • g.­425
  • g.­530
  • g.­542
  • g.­549
  • g.­554
  • g.­567
  • g.­650
  • g.­670
  • g.­714
  • g.­818
  • g.­819
  • g.­825
  • g.­914
  • g.­929
  • g.­933
  • g.­935
  • g.­948
  • g.­1013
  • g.­1022
  • g.­1143
  • g.­1153
  • g.­1189
  • g.­1242
  • g.­1260
  • g.­1305
  • g.­1440
  • g.­1446
g.­805

Lateral

Wylie:
  • mtha’ la gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • མཐའ་ལ་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A realm inhabited by garland-bearer gods.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • 4.A.­5
  • 4.A.­7
  • 4.A.­10
  • g.­42
  • g.­188
  • g.­193
  • g.­275
  • g.­325
  • g.­392
  • g.­506
  • g.­518
  • g.­544
  • g.­611
  • g.­833
  • g.­981
g.­823

Lofty Mound

Wylie:
  • mtho brtsegs
Tibetan:
  • མཐོ་བརྩེགས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

(1) A peak upon Mount Sumeru. (2) A mountain in Garland of Splendor.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­474
  • 4.B.­1339-1340
  • g.­84
g.­825

Lofty Summit

Wylie:
  • mtho bar brtsegs pa
Tibetan:
  • མཐོ་བར་བརྩེགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A mountain in Kuru. Also known as Covered by Lotuses (pad ma dmar pos kun tu khyab pa).

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­322
  • 5.­344-346
  • 5.­348
  • 5.­376
  • g.­110
  • g.­220
  • g.­242
  • g.­263
  • g.­507
  • g.­520
  • g.­594
  • g.­1203
  • g.­1271
  • g.­1341
  • g.­1376
g.­829

Lord of Death

Wylie:
  • gshin rje
  • ’chi bdag
Tibetan:
  • གཤིན་རྗེ།
  • འཆི་བདག
Sanskrit:
  • yama

Ruler of the hells.

Located in 314 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­121
  • 2.­328
  • 2.­331
  • 2.­346
  • 2.­348
  • 2.­350
  • 2.­371-372
  • 2.­374-375
  • 2.­388
  • 2.­392
  • 2.­397
  • 2.­402
  • 2.­405
  • 2.­411
  • 2.­414-415
  • 2.­418
  • 2.­427-428
  • 2.­436
  • 2.­440-441
  • 2.­454
  • 2.­470
  • 2.­472
  • 2.­475
  • 2.­479
  • 2.­486
  • 2.­502
  • 2.­505
  • 2.­508
  • 2.­515
  • 2.­519
  • 2.­522
  • 2.­525
  • 2.­529
  • 2.­538
  • 2.­541
  • 2.­568
  • 2.­576
  • 2.­579-580
  • 2.­604
  • 2.­614
  • 2.­623-624
  • 2.­632
  • 2.­646-647
  • 2.­650-651
  • 2.­654
  • 2.­657
  • 2.­679
  • 2.­698
  • 2.­714
  • 2.­717
  • 2.­740
  • 2.­743
  • 2.­747
  • 2.­753
  • 2.­761
  • 2.­764
  • 2.­767
  • 2.­775
  • 2.­779
  • 2.­789
  • 2.­791
  • 2.­794
  • 2.­796
  • 2.­808-809
  • 2.­811
  • 2.­825
  • 2.­828
  • 2.­832
  • 2.­835
  • 2.­846
  • 2.­848
  • 2.­856
  • 2.­858
  • 2.­868
  • 2.­873
  • 2.­876
  • 2.­889
  • 2.­899
  • 2.­913
  • 2.­922
  • 2.­926
  • 2.­929
  • 2.­932
  • 2.­934
  • 2.­937
  • 2.­945
  • 2.­978-979
  • 2.­994
  • 2.­1028
  • 2.­1047
  • 2.­1059
  • 2.­1070-1071
  • 2.­1080
  • 2.­1083-1085
  • 2.­1094
  • 2.­1106
  • 2.­1118
  • 2.­1154
  • 2.­1157
  • 2.­1166-1167
  • 2.­1187
  • 2.­1196
  • 2.­1200
  • 2.­1203
  • 2.­1206
  • 2.­1208
  • 2.­1213
  • 2.­1221
  • 2.­1224
  • 2.­1227
  • 2.­1250
  • 2.­1285
  • 2.­1361-1362
  • 2.­1375
  • 2.­1377
  • 2.­1393
  • 2.­1411
  • 3.­111
  • 3.­277
  • 4.A.­270
  • 4.B.­174
  • 4.B.­483
  • 4.B.­893
  • 4.B.­953
  • 4.B.­1052
  • 4.B.­1054-1056
  • 4.B.­1071
  • 4.B.­1079
  • 4.B.­1081-1082
  • 4.B.­1087
  • 4.B.­1091
  • 4.B.­1093
  • 4.B.­1102
  • 4.B.­1105
  • 4.B.­1113
  • 4.B.­1129
  • 4.B.­1142
  • 4.B.­1149
  • 4.B.­1155-1157
  • 4.B.­1168
  • 4.B.­1171
  • 4.B.­1180-1181
  • 4.B.­1189
  • 4.B.­1194-1195
  • 4.B.­1221
  • 4.B.­1224
  • 4.B.­1350
  • 4.C.­42-44
  • 4.C.­47
  • 4.C.­49
  • 4.C.­73
  • 4.C.­75
  • 4.C.­77
  • 4.C.­115
  • 4.C.­211
  • 4.C.­213-214
  • 4.C.­218
  • 4.C.­221-222
  • 4.C.­254
  • 4.C.­257-258
  • 4.C.­260-261
  • 4.C.­263
  • 4.C.­270
  • 4.C.­272
  • 4.C.­480
  • 4.C.­488-489
  • 4.C.­502-513
  • 4.C.­515
  • 4.C.­517
  • 4.C.­529
  • 4.C.­533
  • 4.C.­1073
  • 4.C.­1095
  • 4.C.­1131
  • 4.C.­1160-1161
  • 4.C.­1234
  • 4.C.­1283-1284
  • 4.C.­1331
  • 4.C.­1368
  • 4.C.­1414
  • 4.C.­1473
  • 4.C.­1609
  • 4.C.­1611-1613
  • 4.C.­1615-1616
  • 4.C.­1648
  • 4.C.­1732
  • 4.C.­1739-1740
  • 4.C.­1796
  • 4.C.­1814
  • 4.C.­1888-1898
  • 4.C.­1976
  • 4.C.­2029-2037
  • 4.C.­2039
  • 4.C.­2051
  • 4.C.­2057
  • 4.C.­2078
  • 4.C.­2131
  • 4.C.­2156-2157
  • 4.C.­2159
  • 4.C.­2163
  • 4.C.­2196-2197
  • 4.C.­2225-2226
  • 4.C.­2228
  • 4.C.­2230
  • 4.C.­2232-2233
  • 4.C.­2235-2236
  • 4.C.­2240
  • 4.C.­2243
  • 4.C.­2290
  • 4.C.­2319-2324
  • 4.C.­2357
  • 4.C.­2370
  • 4.C.­2431
  • 4.C.­2545-2547
  • 4.C.­2556
  • 4.C.­2588
  • 4.C.­2603
  • 4.C.­2607
  • 4.C.­2616
  • 4.C.­2838-2839
  • 4.C.­2842
  • 4.C.­2856-2857
  • 4.C.­2875
  • 4.C.­2882
  • 4.C.­2930
  • 4.C.­2978
  • 4.C.­2985-2986
  • 4.C.­3010
  • 5.­277-278
  • 5.­361-362
  • g.­218
  • g.­1238
g.­831

Lotuses Resembling Sunlight

Wylie:
  • pad ma’i nyi ma’i ’od lta bu
Tibetan:
  • པད་མའི་ཉི་མའི་འོད་ལྟ་བུ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A lotus pond in the forest known as Incomparable.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­72
g.­832

Lovely

Wylie:
  • yid ’ong
Tibetan:
  • ཡིད་འོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A river in Engaging in Clarification.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­421
g.­838

Luminosity

Wylie:
  • ’od gsal ba
Tibetan:
  • འོད་གསལ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Dwelling in Excellent View.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­163
g.­839

Luminosity

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

The uppermost level of the second concentration in the form realm.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­2-5
  • 3.­23
  • 4.B.­1408
  • 5.­238
  • 5.­383
g.­843

lying

Wylie:
  • rdzun du smra ba
Tibetan:
  • རྫུན་དུ་སྨྲ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • mṛṣā­vāda

The first among the four verbal misdeeds.

Located in 124 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­10-11
  • 1.­26
  • 1.­46-47
  • 1.­52-53
  • 1.­85
  • 1.­118
  • 2.­119
  • 2.­500
  • 2.­573-576
  • 2.­581
  • 2.­583
  • 2.­600-604
  • 2.­606
  • 2.­608-609
  • 2.­613
  • 2.­616
  • 2.­619
  • 2.­622-623
  • 2.­626
  • 2.­628
  • 2.­630
  • 2.­633
  • 2.­635
  • 2.­637
  • 2.­639-640
  • 2.­642
  • 2.­645
  • 2.­649-651
  • 2.­653
  • 2.­658
  • 2.­660
  • 2.­663
  • 2.­665
  • 2.­667
  • 2.­670
  • 2.­672-673
  • 2.­680-681
  • 2.­684-686
  • 2.­688
  • 2.­696-697
  • 2.­702
  • 2.­712-713
  • 2.­721
  • 2.­725
  • 2.­731
  • 2.­734
  • 2.­738
  • 2.­749
  • 2.­752
  • 2.­755
  • 2.­759
  • 2.­763
  • 2.­766
  • 2.­769
  • 2.­773
  • 2.­777
  • 2.­783
  • 2.­826
  • 2.­837
  • 2.­843
  • 2.­871
  • 2.­875
  • 2.­888
  • 2.­893
  • 2.­896
  • 2.­906
  • 2.­912
  • 2.­915
  • 2.­919
  • 2.­921
  • 2.­925
  • 2.­931
  • 2.­936
  • 2.­941
  • 2.­944
  • 2.­947
  • 2.­1005
  • 2.­1070
  • 2.­1072
  • 2.­1077
  • 2.­1080
  • 2.­1105
  • 4.A.­415-416
  • 4.A.­428
  • 4.B.­702
  • 4.B.­704
  • 4.B.­849
  • 4.B.­1014
  • 4.B.­1102
  • 4.C.­92
  • 4.C.­1020
  • 4.C.­1069
  • 4.C.­1448
  • 4.C.­1937
  • 4.C.­1960
  • 4.C.­1963
  • 4.C.­2284
  • 4.C.­2526
  • 4.C.­2862
  • 5.­32
  • g.­444
  • g.­1310
g.­845

Madtakaṭama

Wylie:
  • mad ta ka Ta ma
Tibetan:
  • མད་ཏ་ཀ་ཊ་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • madtakaṭama RP

A peak upon Mount Sumeru.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1276
  • 4.B.­1280
g.­846

Magadha

Wylie:
  • ma ga dhA
Tibetan:
  • མ་ག་དྷཱ།
Sanskrit:
  • magadha

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

An ancient Indian kingdom that lay to the south of the Ganges River in what today is the state of Bihar. Magadha was the largest of the sixteen “great states” (mahājanapada) that flourished between the sixth and third centuries ʙᴄᴇ in northern India. During the life of the Buddha Śākyamuni, it was ruled by King Bimbisāra and later by Bimbisāra's son, Ajātaśatru. Its capital was initially Rājagṛha (modern-day Rajgir) but was later moved to Pāṭaliputra (modern-day Patna). Over the centuries, with the expansion of the Magadha’s might, it became the capital of the vast Mauryan empire and seat of the great King Aśoka.

This region is home to many of the most important Buddhist sites, including Bodh Gayā, where the Buddha attained awakening; Vulture Peak (Gṛdhra­kūṭa), where the Buddha bestowed many well-known Mahāyāna sūtras; and the Buddhist university of Nālandā that flourished between the fifth and twelfth centuries ᴄᴇ, among many others.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­546
  • 5.­246
  • 5.­391
  • c.­5
  • g.­783
  • g.­1079
g.­847

Mahādeva

Wylie:
  • lha chen po
Tibetan:
  • ལྷ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahādeva

An epithet of Śiva.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­910
g.­848

Maheśvara

Wylie:
  • dbang phyug chen po
Tibetan:
  • དབང་ཕྱུག་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • maheśvara

Another name for the god Śiva.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­906
  • 4.B.­910-911
g.­850

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 9 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­998
  • 4.B.­275
  • 4.B.­535
  • 4.B.­567
  • 4.B.­890
  • 4.C.­2608
  • 4.C.­3108
  • 5.­256
  • 5.­321
g.­851

Maitreya

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The bodhisattva Maitreya is an important figure in many Buddhist traditions, where he is unanimously regarded as the buddha of the future era. He is said to currently reside in the heaven of Tuṣita, as Śākyamuni’s regent, where he awaits the proper time to take his final rebirth and become the fifth buddha in the Fortunate Eon, reestablishing the Dharma in this world after the teachings of the current buddha have disappeared. Within the Mahāyāna sūtras, Maitreya is elevated to the same status as other central bodhisattvas such as Mañjuśrī and Avalokiteśvara, and his name appears frequently in sūtras, either as the Buddha’s interlocutor or as a teacher of the Dharma. Maitreya literally means “Loving One.” He is also known as Ajita, meaning “Invincible.”

For more information on Maitreya, see, for example, the introduction to Maitreya’s Setting Out (Toh 198).

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­113-114
  • 2.­162
  • 2.­234
  • 4.C.­1317-1320
  • 4.C.­2344
  • c.­4
  • g.­972
g.­855

Malaya

Wylie:
  • ma la ya
Tibetan:
  • མ་ལ་ཡ།
Sanskrit:
  • malaya

A mountain in the south of Jambudvīpa.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­864
  • 5.­263
  • 5.­322
  • 5.­391
g.­857

Malaya Mountains

Wylie:
  • ri ma la ya
Tibetan:
  • རི་མ་ལ་ཡ།
Sanskrit:
  • malayagiri

A mountain range in Jambudvīpa.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1436
  • 4.B.­482
g.­864

mandārava

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the five trees of Indra’s paradise, its heavenly flowers often rain down in salutation of the buddhas and bodhisattvas and are said to be very bright and aromatic, gladdening the hearts of those who see them. In our world, it is a tree native to India, Erythrina indica or Erythrina variegata, commonly known as the Indian coral tree, mandarava tree, flame tree, and tiger’s claw. In the early spring, before its leaves grow, the tree is fully covered in large flowers, which are rich in nectar and attract many birds. Although the most widespread coral tree has red crimson flowers, the color of the blossoms is not usually mentioned in the sūtras themselves, and it may refer to some other kinds, like the rarer Erythrina indica alba, which boasts white flowers.

Located in 24 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­120
  • 4.A.­261
  • 4.A.­264
  • 4.A.­313
  • 4.B.­193
  • 4.B.­251
  • 4.B.­328
  • 4.B.­1304
  • 4.C.­800
  • 4.C.­1239
  • 4.C.­1633
  • 4.C.­1764
  • 4.C.­1849
  • 4.C.­1868
  • 4.C.­2025
  • 4.C.­2068
  • 4.C.­2071
  • 4.C.­2974
  • 4.C.­3111
  • 5.­271
  • 5.­293
  • 5.­308-309
  • 5.­373
g.­867

Māndhāta

Wylie:
  • nga las nu
Tibetan:
  • ང་ལས་ནུ།
Sanskrit:
  • māndhāta

(1) A powerful king whose good deeds lent splendor to the Pleasure Grove Park. (2) A universal monarch.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­444
  • 4.B.­446
  • 4.B.­1380
g.­871

Mañjuśrī

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Mañjuśrī is one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha” and a bodhisattva who embodies wisdom. He is a major figure in the Mahāyāna sūtras, appearing often as an interlocutor of the Buddha. In his most well-known iconographic form, he is portrayed bearing the sword of wisdom in his right hand and a volume of the Prajñā­pāramitā­sūtra in his left. To his name, Mañjuśrī, meaning “Gentle and Glorious One,” is often added the epithet Kumārabhūta, “having a youthful form.” He is also called Mañjughoṣa, Mañjusvara, and Pañcaśikha.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • c.­4
g.­872

Mansion of Great Joy

Wylie:
  • khang bzangs rab tu dga’ bar gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • ཁང་བཟངས་རབ་ཏུ་དགའ་བར་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A mansion in Sudharma.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­112
g.­873

Mansion of the Mirror of Karmic Actions

Wylie:
  • me long gi khang pa
Tibetan:
  • མེ་ལོང་གི་ཁང་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A mansion within one of the trees in Pair of Śāla Trees.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­780
g.­874

māra

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

(1) A demonic being often bearing the epithet of the “Evil One” (pāpīyān, sdig can), sometimes said to be the principal deity in Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations, the highest paradise in the desire realm; also one of the names of the god of desire, Kāma in the Vedic tradition. He is portrayed as attempting to prevent the Buddha’s enlightenment. In early soteriological religions, the principal deity in saṃsāra, such as Indra, would attempt to prevent anyone’s realization that would lead to such a liberation.

(2) The devas ruled over by Māra and assisting his attempts to prevent the Buddha’s enlightenment; they do not wish any being to escape from saṃsāra. More generally, they are symbolic of the defects within a person that prevent enlightenment. These four personifications are the māra of the sons of gods (devaputramāra, lha’i bu’i bdud), which is the distraction of pleasures; the māra of death (mṛtyumāra, ’chi bdag gi bdud); the māra of the aggregates (skandhamāra, phung po’i bdud), which is the body; and the māra of the afflictions (kleśamāra, nyon mongs pa’i bdud).

Located in 131 passages in the translation:

  • p.­6
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­80
  • 1.­82
  • 1.­116-118
  • 1.­121-122
  • 1.­124-125
  • 1.­146
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­36-37
  • 2.­48-49
  • 2.­113-114
  • 2.­125
  • 2.­141
  • 2.­147
  • 2.­161
  • 2.­229
  • 2.­231
  • 2.­272
  • 2.­310
  • 2.­347
  • 2.­370
  • 2.­450-451
  • 2.­572
  • 2.­706-707
  • 2.­711
  • 2.­782
  • 2.­952
  • 2.­954-956
  • 2.­1149-1150
  • 2.­1254
  • 2.­1256-1257
  • 2.­1285
  • 2.­1457
  • 2.­1477-1478
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­3-4
  • 3.­62
  • 3.­115
  • 3.­135
  • 3.­149
  • 3.­377-378
  • 4.A.­83
  • 4.A.­364
  • 4.A.­410-412
  • 4.B.­122
  • 4.B.­227-229
  • 4.B.­232
  • 4.B.­244
  • 4.B.­279
  • 4.B.­334
  • 4.B.­1144
  • 4.B.­1154
  • 4.B.­1166
  • 4.B.­1171
  • 4.B.­1173
  • 4.B.­1265
  • 4.B.­1343
  • 4.B.­1408
  • 4.C.­316
  • 4.C.­846
  • 4.C.­1037
  • 4.C.­1052
  • 4.C.­1084
  • 4.C.­1211
  • 4.C.­1324
  • 4.C.­1642
  • 4.C.­2427
  • 4.C.­2442-2443
  • 4.C.­2445-2447
  • 4.C.­2456
  • 4.C.­2459
  • 4.C.­2470
  • 4.C.­2477
  • 4.C.­2481
  • 4.C.­2490
  • 4.C.­2494-2495
  • 4.C.­2508
  • 4.C.­2510
  • 4.C.­2529-2530
  • 4.C.­2553
  • 4.C.­2568
  • 4.C.­2570-2572
  • 4.C.­2574
  • 4.C.­2738
  • 4.C.­2789
  • 4.C.­2801
  • 4.C.­3045
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­57
  • 5.­123
  • 5.­205
  • 5.­227
  • 5.­267-269
  • 5.­315
  • 5.­427
  • g.­202
  • g.­293
  • g.­396
  • g.­899
  • g.­1249
g.­875

marvels

Wylie:
  • rmad du byung ba’i sde
Tibetan:
  • རྨད་དུ་བྱུང་བའི་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • adbhutadharma

One among the twelve sections of scripture.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1087
g.­876

Massaged and Touched with the Palm of the Hand

Wylie:
  • lag mthil gyis byug cing reg pa
Tibetan:
  • ལག་མཐིལ་གྱིས་བྱུག་ཅིང་རེག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A river in the realm of the gods in Dwelling on Summits within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­157
g.­878

Matala

Wylie:
  • ma ta la
Tibetan:
  • མ་ཏ་ལ།
Sanskrit:
  • matala RP

A grove in Supreme Splendor.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1325
g.­886

mendicant

Wylie:
  • dge sbyong
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་སྦྱོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • śramaṇa

An ordained Buddhist practitioner. Pairs often with brahmin.

Located in 232 passages in the translation:

  • p.­3
  • p.­6
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­122-123
  • 1.­146
  • 2.­5-6
  • 2.­36
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­113
  • 2.­368
  • 2.­434
  • 2.­438
  • 2.­443
  • 2.­446
  • 2.­450
  • 2.­954
  • 2.­956
  • 2.­1149
  • 2.­1205
  • 2.­1255-1256
  • 2.­1282
  • 2.­1294
  • 2.­1298-1299
  • 2.­1338
  • 2.­1422
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­43
  • 3.­52
  • 3.­55
  • 3.­67-68
  • 3.­92
  • 3.­99
  • 3.­110
  • 3.­112
  • 3.­115
  • 3.­120
  • 3.­122-123
  • 3.­134
  • 3.­164
  • 3.­179
  • 3.­198
  • 3.­200-202
  • 3.­207
  • 3.­210
  • 3.­213
  • 3.­236
  • 3.­273
  • 3.­300
  • 3.­312-313
  • 3.­372
  • 3.­377
  • 4.A.­83
  • 4.A.­263
  • 4.A.­411
  • 4.B.­58
  • 4.B.­120
  • 4.B.­122
  • 4.B.­226-227
  • 4.B.­229
  • 4.B.­316
  • 4.B.­319
  • 4.B.­322
  • 4.B.­325
  • 4.B.­335
  • 4.B.­584
  • 4.B.­694
  • 4.B.­718
  • 4.B.­749
  • 4.B.­1073
  • 4.B.­1146
  • 4.B.­1157-1159
  • 4.B.­1162
  • 4.B.­1164
  • 4.B.­1169
  • 4.C.­99
  • 4.C.­101-102
  • 4.C.­815
  • 4.C.­846
  • 4.C.­910
  • 4.C.­930
  • 4.C.­1017
  • 4.C.­1045
  • 4.C.­1069
  • 4.C.­1299
  • 4.C.­1302
  • 4.C.­1320
  • 4.C.­1324
  • 4.C.­1360
  • 4.C.­1363-1364
  • 4.C.­1366
  • 4.C.­1376
  • 4.C.­1379
  • 4.C.­1383
  • 4.C.­1385-1389
  • 4.C.­1391
  • 4.C.­1394-1396
  • 4.C.­1410-1411
  • 4.C.­1416-1421
  • 4.C.­1424
  • 4.C.­1427-1429
  • 4.C.­1431-1432
  • 4.C.­1435
  • 4.C.­1437-1450
  • 4.C.­1472-1473
  • 4.C.­1479
  • 4.C.­1495-1498
  • 4.C.­1500
  • 4.C.­1510
  • 4.C.­1524
  • 4.C.­1541
  • 4.C.­1561
  • 4.C.­1574
  • 4.C.­1586
  • 4.C.­1919
  • 4.C.­1931
  • 4.C.­1943
  • 4.C.­2279
  • 4.C.­2428
  • 4.C.­2461-2462
  • 4.C.­2465
  • 4.C.­2497
  • 4.C.­2510
  • 4.C.­2640
  • 4.C.­2646
  • 4.C.­2650
  • 4.C.­2669-2671
  • 4.C.­2685
  • 4.C.­2704
  • 4.C.­2708
  • 4.C.­2731
  • 4.C.­2745-2746
  • 4.C.­2748
  • 4.C.­2750-2752
  • 4.C.­2755-2758
  • 4.C.­2778
  • 4.C.­2820
  • 4.C.­2822
  • 4.C.­2838
  • 4.C.­2842-2843
  • 4.C.­2849
  • 4.C.­2859
  • 4.C.­2861-2864
  • 4.C.­2874
  • 4.C.­2880-2884
  • 4.C.­2886-2888
  • 4.C.­2890
  • 4.C.­2904-2905
  • 4.C.­2907-2910
  • 4.C.­2918-2919
  • 4.C.­2922-2925
  • 4.C.­2928
  • 4.C.­2938-2939
  • 4.C.­3024
  • 5.­57
  • 5.­206
  • 5.­228
  • c.­1
  • n.­15
g.­890

Merging

Wylie:
  • ’dres pa’i tshal
Tibetan:
  • འདྲེས་པའི་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A grove in the forest known as Incomparable.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­76
g.­897

Mirror Forest

Wylie:
  • me long tshal
Tibetan:
  • མེ་ལོང་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

Forest upon Mount Playful in Sudharma.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­28
g.­899

Misperception

Wylie:
  • ’du shes log pa
Tibetan:
  • འདུ་ཤེས་ལོག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A “ruler of the world” who belongs to the class of the māras.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­227
g.­910

Moon Mountain

Wylie:
  • zla ba’i ri bo
  • ri bo zla ba
Tibetan:
  • ཟླ་བའི་རི་བོ།
  • རི་བོ་ཟླ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

(1) A mountain to the north of Jambudvīpa (zla ba’i ri bo). (2) A mountain upon which the gods of the Four Great Kings will take position while awaiting the asura army (ri bo zla ba).

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­124
  • 4.B.­308
  • 4.B.­311
  • 4.B.­317
  • 5.­313
g.­912

Moon-Like

Wylie:
  • zla ba ’dra
Tibetan:
  • ཟླ་བ་འདྲ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Dwelling on Summits.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­157
g.­915

Mount Playful

Wylie:
  • rtse ba’i ri
  • ri rtse ba
Tibetan:
  • རྩེ་བའི་རི།
  • རི་རྩེ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

(1) A mountain in the forest of Joyous Women. (2) A mountain in High Conduct.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­22-23
  • 4.B.­25
  • 4.B.­1298
  • g.­37
  • g.­897
g.­930

Movement

Wylie:
  • kun tu rgyu
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་ཏུ་རྒྱུ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A lake near Sudharma.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­9
g.­936

Moving in Gatherings

Wylie:
  • tshogs pa rgyu ba
Tibetan:
  • ཚོགས་པ་རྒྱུ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

One of the twenty-seven realms of the Heaven Free from Strife.

Located in 21 passages in the translation:

  • 4.C.­1010
  • 4.C.­1012
  • 4.C.­1015
  • 4.C.­1069
  • 4.C.­1183
  • 4.C.­1241
  • 4.C.­1248
  • 4.C.­1251
  • 4.C.­1254-1255
  • 4.C.­1296
  • 4.C.­1299
  • 4.C.­1317
  • 4.C.­1327-1328
  • 4.C.­1336
  • 4.C.­1579
  • 4.C.­1586-1587
  • 4.C.­1722
  • n.­398
g.­937

Moving in Mixed Environments

Wylie:
  • rab tu rnam par ’dres pa’i khor yug na rgyu ba
Tibetan:
  • རབ་ཏུ་རྣམ་པར་འདྲེས་པའི་ཁོར་ཡུག་ན་རྒྱུ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

One of the twenty-seven realms of the Heaven Free from Strife, possibly the same as Continuous Movement (rgyun gyis rgyu ba).

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 4.C.­4
  • 4.C.­1591-1592
  • 4.C.­1652
  • g.­227
  • g.­481
  • g.­495
  • g.­942
  • g.­1093
  • g.­1127
  • g.­1396
  • g.­1422
g.­941

Moving in the Wink of an Eye

Wylie:
  • mig phye zhing ’gro ba btsums nas ’gro ba
Tibetan:
  • མིག་ཕྱེ་ཞིང་འགྲོ་བ་བཙུམས་ནས་འགྲོ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • nimeṣonmeṣa­gatī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­865
  • 4.B.­868
  • g.­431
g.­943

Moving Like the Moon

Wylie:
  • zla ba’i gnas ltar rgyu ba
Tibetan:
  • ཟླ་བའི་གནས་ལྟར་རྒྱུ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • candrāyaṇacāra

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Also called Resembling the Full Moon.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­719
  • 4.B.­723
  • n.­308
  • g.­453
  • g.­1099
g.­946

Moving on Springy Ground

Wylie:
  • dma’ ba dang mtho ba na rgyu ba
Tibetan:
  • དམའ་བ་དང་མཐོ་བ་ན་རྒྱུ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • nimnonnatā­cāriṇī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­467
  • 4.B.­469
  • 4.B.­471
  • g.­491
  • g.­602
g.­956

nāga

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

A serpentine class of beings associated with intelligence and wealth.

Located in 163 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­97
  • 1.­103
  • 1.­106
  • 2.­1039
  • 3.­18
  • 3.­37-55
  • 3.­57-61
  • 3.­95
  • 3.­102-103
  • 3.­109-110
  • 3.­112-113
  • 3.­116-120
  • 3.­122
  • 3.­124
  • 3.­133
  • 3.­135-137
  • 3.­164
  • 3.­166-167
  • 3.­169
  • 3.­171
  • 3.­176
  • 3.­179
  • 3.­196-199
  • 3.­201-203
  • 3.­206
  • 3.­208
  • 3.­211-216
  • 3.­228-230
  • 3.­235
  • 3.­260-261
  • 3.­264
  • 3.­281-282
  • 3.­299
  • 3.­305
  • 3.­307
  • 3.­309
  • 3.­315-316
  • 3.­318
  • 3.­327
  • 3.­371
  • 3.­375
  • 4.A.­364
  • 4.B.­123
  • 4.B.­139
  • 4.B.­230-232
  • 4.B.­275
  • 4.B.­334
  • 4.B.­807
  • 4.B.­822
  • 4.B.­1079
  • 4.C.­564
  • 4.C.­623
  • 4.C.­625
  • 4.C.­1234
  • 4.C.­2035
  • 4.C.­2068
  • 4.C.­2208
  • 4.C.­2212-2213
  • 4.C.­2221
  • 4.C.­2224-2225
  • 4.C.­2240
  • 4.C.­2608
  • 4.C.­2840
  • 5.­35
  • 5.­256
  • 5.­263
  • 5.­266
  • 5.­274-275
  • 5.­300
  • 5.­304-305
  • 5.­307
  • 5.­312
  • 5.­318
  • 5.­321
  • 5.­329
  • 5.­345
  • 5.­367
  • 5.­388-389
  • 5.­399
  • 5.­401-402
  • 5.­410
  • 5.­423
  • g.­34
  • g.­59
  • g.­89
  • g.­287
  • g.­354
  • g.­412
  • g.­512
  • g.­522
  • g.­535
  • g.­553
  • g.­663
  • g.­712
  • g.­725
  • g.­751
  • g.­797
  • g.­881
  • g.­1053
  • g.­1078
  • g.­1126
  • g.­1165
  • g.­1174
  • g.­1239
  • g.­1304
  • g.­1364
  • g.­1400
  • g.­1403
g.­959

Nālandā

Wylie:
  • ba len+d+ra
Tibetan:
  • བ་ལེནྡྲ།
Sanskrit:
  • nālanda

A renowned monastic complex in India.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • c.­3
g.­960

Nālati

Wylie:
  • na la ti
  • na lA ti
Tibetan:
  • ན་ལ་ཏི།
  • ན་ལཱ་ཏི།
Sanskrit:
  • nālati

A town in ancient India where this sūtra is taught.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • p.­2
  • p.­4-5
  • p.­9
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­37
  • 5.­57
  • 5.­123
  • 5.­206
  • 5.­228
  • 5.­427
g.­961

Nārāyaṇa

Wylie:
  • sred med kyi bu
Tibetan:
  • སྲེད་མེད་ཀྱི་བུ།
Sanskrit:
  • nārāyaṇa

Another name for the god Viṣṇu.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­911
g.­963

narratives

Wylie:
  • rtogs pa brjod pa’i sde
Tibetan:
  • རྟོགས་པ་བརྗོད་པའི་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • avadāna

One among the twelve sections of scripture.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1087
g.­968

Net Garland

Wylie:
  • dra ba’i phreng ba
Tibetan:
  • དྲ་བའི་ཕྲེང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Dwelling in Excellent View.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­163
g.­973

nirvāṇa

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

The ultimate cessation of suffering. Also translated here as “transcendence of suffering.”

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­119
  • 1.­132
  • 2.­84
  • 2.­1391
  • 4.B.­1256
  • 4.C.­99
  • 4.C.­126
  • g.­1243
  • g.­1347
g.­979

non-Buddhist

Wylie:
  • mu stegs can
Tibetan:
  • མུ་སྟེགས་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • tīrthika

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Those of other religious or philosophical orders, contemporary with the early Buddhist order, including Jains, Jaṭilas, Ājīvikas, and Cārvākas. Tīrthika (“forder”) literally translates as “one belonging to or associated with (possessive suffix –ika) stairs for landing or for descent into a river,” or “a bathing place,” or “a place of pilgrimage on the banks of sacred streams” (Monier-Williams). The term may have originally referred to temple priests at river crossings or fords where travelers propitiated a deity before crossing. The Sanskrit term seems to have undergone metonymic transfer in referring to those able to ford the turbulent river of saṃsāra (as in the Jain tīrthaṅkaras, “ford makers”), and it came to be used in Buddhist sources to refer to teachers of rival religious traditions. The Sanskrit term is closely rendered by the Tibetan mu stegs pa: “those on the steps (stegs pa) at the edge (mu).”

Located in 41 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • p.­2-5
  • p.­8
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­25
  • 2.­233
  • 2.­956-957
  • 2.­959
  • 2.­1135
  • 3.­4
  • 3.­39
  • 3.­128-129
  • 3.­170
  • 3.­172
  • 3.­353
  • 4.A.­404
  • 4.A.­408
  • 4.A.­422
  • 4.B.­257
  • 4.B.­838
  • 4.B.­906
  • 4.B.­981
  • 4.C.­1030
  • 4.C.­1042
  • 4.C.­1045
  • 4.C.­1268
  • 4.C.­1511
  • 4.C.­1949
  • 4.C.­1964
  • 4.C.­3036
  • 5.­102
  • 5.­247
  • 5.­267
  • n.­15
  • g.­555
  • g.­1135
g.­982

non-returner

Wylie:
  • phyir mi ’ong ba
Tibetan:
  • ཕྱིར་མི་འོང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • anāgāmin

The third level of noble ones when practicing the path of the hearers (bound to never be reborn in the realm of desire).

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­5
  • 4.B.­5
  • 4.B.­1263
  • 4.C.­87
g.­986

once-returner

Wylie:
  • lan cig phyir ’ong ba
Tibetan:
  • ལན་ཅིག་ཕྱིར་འོང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • sakṛdāgāmin

The second level of noble ones when practicing the path of the hearers (having only one remaining birth in the realm of desire).

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­5
  • 4.B.­1263
g.­991

Overjoyed

Wylie:
  • rab tu spro ba
  • rab dgod
Tibetan:
  • རབ་ཏུ་སྤྲོ་བ།
  • རབ་དགོད།
Sanskrit:
  • —

Asura king of the fourth level, Immovable.

Located in 52 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­184
  • 3.­193-194
  • 3.­202-206
  • 3.­208-209
  • 3.­231-232
  • 3.­249-250
  • 3.­258
  • 3.­280-282
  • 3.­284-285
  • 3.­287
  • 3.­289-290
  • 3.­299-300
  • 3.­307
  • 3.­315-316
  • 3.­328-329
  • 3.­331-332
  • 3.­338-339
  • 3.­341-342
  • 3.­345-350
  • 3.­352
  • 3.­359
  • 3.­362-363
  • 3.­369
  • 4.B.­123
  • 4.B.­230-232
  • g.­168
g.­993

Pair of Śāla Trees

Wylie:
  • shing sA la zung
Tibetan:
  • ཤིང་སཱ་ལ་ཟུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • yamanaśālā

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­754
  • 4.B.­758
  • 4.B.­769
  • 4.B.­774
  • 4.B.­779
  • 4.B.­864
  • g.­215
  • g.­278
  • g.­873
g.­997

paṇḍita

Wylie:
  • paN+Di ta
Tibetan:
  • པཎྜི་ཏ།
Sanskrit:
  • paṇḍita

An accomplished scholar.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • c.­3-5
  • g.­2
  • g.­18
  • g.­1137
  • g.­1144
  • g.­1421
g.­998

parables

Wylie:
  • de lta bu byung ba’i sde
Tibetan:
  • དེ་ལྟ་བུ་བྱུང་བའི་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • itivṛttaka

One among the twelve sections of scripture.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1087
g.­1000

Pārijāta

Wylie:
  • yongs ’du
Tibetan:
  • ཡོངས་འདུ།
Sanskrit:
  • pārijāta

A heavenly tree on Mount Sumeru (yongs ’du).

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­321-327
  • 4.B.­332-335
  • 4.B.­337
  • 4.B.­772
  • 4.B.­775
  • 5.­293
  • 5.­350
  • g.­1001
g.­1005

Part of the Assembly

Wylie:
  • ris mthun pa
Tibetan:
  • རིས་མཐུན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • nikāyabhāginī

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­999
  • 4.B.­1003
  • 4.B.­1037-1038
  • 4.B.­1050
  • 4.B.­1056
  • 4.B.­1263
  • g.­274
  • g.­1296
g.­1008

past-life stories

Wylie:
  • skyes pa rabs kyi sde
Tibetan:
  • སྐྱེས་པ་རབས་ཀྱི་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • jātaka

One among the twelve sections of scripture.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1087
g.­1010

Patshap

Wylie:
  • pa tshab
Tibetan:
  • པ་ཚབ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

The name of a Tibetan family to which belonged the renowned translator Patshap Nyima Drakpa.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • c.­7
g.­1011

Patshap Tsultrim Gyaltsen

Wylie:
  • pa tshab tshul khrims rgyal mtshan
Tibetan:
  • པ་ཚབ་ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས་རྒྱལ་མཚན།
Sanskrit:
  • —

The primary translator of this scripture.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4-5
  • c.­7-8
g.­1024

piśāca

Wylie:
  • sha za
Tibetan:
  • ཤ་ཟ།
Sanskrit:
  • piśāca

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A class of nonhuman beings that, like several other classes of nonhuman beings, take spontaneous birth. Ranking below rākṣasas, they are less powerful and more akin to pretas. They are said to dwell in impure and perilous places, where they feed on impure things, including flesh. This could account for the name piśāca, which possibly derives from √piś, to carve or chop meat, as reflected also in the Tibetan sha za, “meat eater.” They are often described as having an unpleasant appearance, and at times they appear with animal bodies. Some possess the ability to enter the dead bodies of humans, thereby becoming so-called vetāla, to touch whom is fatal.

Located in 24 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­78
  • 1.­86
  • 2.­998
  • 2.­1480
  • 3.­299
  • 4.B.­275
  • 4.B.­567
  • 4.B.­845
  • 4.B.­890
  • 4.B.­1079
  • 4.C.­1064
  • 4.C.­1343
  • 4.C.­1496
  • 4.C.­1500
  • 4.C.­1526
  • 4.C.­2035
  • 4.C.­2208
  • 4.C.­2608
  • 5.­300
  • 5.­321
  • 5.­400-401
  • 5.­423
  • g.­239
g.­1029

Playful Frolicking

Wylie:
  • rtse dga’
Tibetan:
  • རྩེ་དགའ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A lake near Sudharma.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­9
g.­1030

Playing the Vīṇā

Wylie:
  • pi wang gis rtse ba
Tibetan:
  • པི་ཝང་གིས་རྩེ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A lotus grove in Blazing Splendor.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­697
g.­1036

Pleasure Grove of Song

Wylie:
  • glu dbyangs len pa’i kun dga’ ra ba
Tibetan:
  • གླུ་དབྱངས་ལེན་པའི་ཀུན་དགའ་ར་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A grove in Garland of Splendor.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1333
g.­1038

Pleasure Grove Park

Wylie:
  • kun dga’ ra ba’i skyed mos tshal
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་དགའ་ར་བའི་སྐྱེད་མོས་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A park in House of Refined Gold.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­440
  • 4.B.­442
  • 4.B.­447
  • 4.B.­449-450
  • g.­867
g.­1043

Ponds in Delightful Pleasure Gardens

Wylie:
  • kun dga’ ra ba bde bar gnas pa’i lteng ka
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་དགའ་ར་བ་བདེ་བར་གནས་པའི་ལྟེང་ཀ
Sanskrit:
  • —

A mountain in Dwelling on Forest Riverbanks.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­390
g.­1046

Possessor of Excellent Conduct

Wylie:
  • legs spyod ldan
Tibetan:
  • ལེགས་སྤྱོད་ལྡན།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­1051

Powerful Luminous Retreat

Wylie:
  • dben ’gro dbang po’i ’od
Tibetan:
  • དབེན་འགྲོ་དབང་པོའི་འོད།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A lake near Sudharma.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­9
g.­1053

Pramatha

Wylie:
  • rab ’joms
Tibetan:
  • རབ་འཇོམས།
Sanskrit:
  • pramatha

An unvirtuous nāga king.

Located in 30 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­51
  • 3.­102
  • 3.­109
  • 3.­119-120
  • 3.­122
  • 3.­176
  • 3.­196
  • 3.­198-199
  • 3.­201-202
  • 3.­211-212
  • 3.­229-230
  • 3.­261
  • 3.­264
  • 3.­281
  • 3.­299
  • 3.­307
  • 3.­315-317
  • 3.­375
  • 4.A.­364
  • 4.B.­123
  • 4.B.­230-232
g.­1057

Precious Ground

Wylie:
  • rin po che’i sa
Tibetan:
  • རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་ས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A grove in Dwelling on Mixed Riverbanks.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­347
g.­1062

Promotion

Wylie:
  • sbyor ba la ’jug pa
Tibetan:
  • སྦྱོར་བ་ལ་འཇུག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • yogāvaha

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­525
  • g.­268
  • g.­642
  • g.­748
  • g.­790
  • g.­1370
g.­1063

prophecies

Wylie:
  • lung du bstan pa’i sde
Tibetan:
  • ལུང་དུ་བསྟན་པའི་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • vyākaraṇa

One among the twelve sections of scripture.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1087
g.­1066

pure abodes

Wylie:
  • gnas gtsang ma’i ris
Tibetan:
  • གནས་གཙང་མའི་རིས།
Sanskrit:
  • śuddhāvāsa

Realms associated the fourth concentration into which only noble beings are born.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1253
  • 4.C.­609
  • 4.C.­917
g.­1067

pure conduct

Wylie:
  • tshang par spyod pa
Tibetan:
  • ཚང་པར་སྤྱོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • brahmacārya

A celibate lifestyle focused on spiritual pursuits.

Located in 51 passages in the translation:

  • p.­9
  • 1.­55
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­88
  • 2.­95
  • 2.­126
  • 2.­438
  • 2.­550
  • 2.­1409
  • 3.­56
  • 4.A.­22
  • 4.A.­410
  • 4.B.­104
  • 4.B.­229
  • 4.B.­543
  • 4.B.­655
  • 4.B.­941
  • 4.B.­1267
  • 4.C.­104
  • 4.C.­779
  • 4.C.­1087
  • 4.C.­1090
  • 4.C.­1125
  • 4.C.­1217
  • 4.C.­1302
  • 4.C.­1321
  • 4.C.­1337
  • 4.C.­1343
  • 4.C.­1345
  • 4.C.­1348
  • 4.C.­1350
  • 4.C.­1352
  • 4.C.­1417
  • 4.C.­1516
  • 4.C.­1557
  • 4.C.­1757
  • 4.C.­1921-1922
  • 4.C.­1927
  • 4.C.­1941
  • 4.C.­2024
  • 4.C.­2347
  • 4.C.­2349
  • 4.C.­2484
  • 4.C.­2790
  • 4.C.­2820
  • 4.C.­3030
  • 4.C.­3038
  • 4.C.­3051
  • 4.C.­3090
  • 5.­171
g.­1069

purposeful expressions

Wylie:
  • ched du brjod pa’i sde
Tibetan:
  • ཆེད་དུ་བརྗོད་པའི་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • udāna

One among the twelve sections of scripture.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1087
g.­1073

Rāhu

Wylie:
  • sgra can
  • sgra gcan
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲ་ཅན།
  • སྒྲ་གཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • rāhu

An asura king.

Located in 90 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­64-73
  • 3.­75-79
  • 3.­82-83
  • 3.­87-88
  • 3.­91
  • 3.­93-94
  • 3.­125-126
  • 3.­198-199
  • 3.­202
  • 3.­209-211
  • 3.­216
  • 3.­221
  • 3.­224-225
  • 3.­231-235
  • 3.­238-245
  • 3.­248-251
  • 3.­253-254
  • 3.­256
  • 3.­261
  • 3.­263
  • 3.­265
  • 3.­268
  • 3.­270
  • 3.­279
  • 3.­282
  • 3.­299
  • 3.­304
  • 3.­318-324
  • 3.­333
  • 3.­340
  • 3.­364
  • 3.­372-373
  • 4.B.­230
  • 4.B.­537
  • 4.B.­1076
  • 4.C.­1124
  • 4.C.­1424
  • 4.C.­2214
  • 4.C.­2239
  • 5.­420
  • n.­226
  • g.­270
  • g.­601
  • g.­835
  • g.­868
  • g.­908
  • g.­1071
g.­1079

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 4 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • p.­2
  • p.­5
  • p.­8
g.­1081

rākṣasa/rākṣasī

Wylie:
  • srin po
  • srin mo
Tibetan:
  • སྲིན་པོ།
  • སྲིན་མོ།
Sanskrit:
  • rākṣasa
  • rākṣasī

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 38 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­78
  • 1.­86
  • 2.­998
  • 2.­1480
  • 3.­299
  • 4.A.­210
  • 4.B.­275
  • 4.B.­482
  • 4.B.­567
  • 4.B.­890
  • 4.B.­1079
  • 4.C.­1064
  • 4.C.­2035
  • 4.C.­2208
  • 4.C.­2608
  • 4.C.­2985
  • 5.­254-257
  • 5.­266
  • 5.­282
  • 5.­284
  • 5.­286
  • 5.­305
  • 5.­313
  • 5.­321
  • 5.­400
  • 5.­423
  • g.­129
  • g.­237
  • g.­303
  • g.­344
  • g.­793
  • g.­860
  • g.­866
  • g.­1082
  • g.­1169
g.­1083

Rāmapāla

Wylie:
  • ne bai pA la
  • rA ma phA la
Tibetan:
  • ནེ་བཻ་པཱ་ལ།
  • རཱ་མ་ཕཱ་ལ།
Sanskrit:
  • rāmapāla

(1) A king of the Pāla dynasty who ruled from 1077–1120 ᴄᴇ (rA ma phA la). (2) The alternate spelling, ne bai pA la, is tentatively identified to be the very same king of the Pāla dynasty. See n.­640.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • c.­3
  • c.­7
  • n.­640
  • g.­706
g.­1089

reality

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

Literally “thatness.” This term refers to the ultimate nature of things, the way things are in reality.

Note that the term “reality” has also been used to render terms of similar meaning such as yang dag nyid and others.

Located in 134 passages in the translation:

  • p.­7
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­34
  • 2.­72
  • 2.­92
  • 2.­111
  • 2.­113
  • 2.­115
  • 2.­137
  • 2.­140-141
  • 2.­161
  • 2.­166-167
  • 2.­174
  • 2.­176
  • 2.­179
  • 2.­190
  • 2.­196
  • 2.­234
  • 2.­255
  • 2.­257
  • 2.­278
  • 2.­295
  • 2.­326
  • 2.­347
  • 2.­694
  • 2.­724
  • 2.­804
  • 2.­960
  • 2.­1242-1243
  • 2.­1252
  • 2.­1258
  • 2.­1272
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­26
  • 3.­123
  • 3.­138
  • 3.­300
  • 3.­377
  • 4.A.­88
  • 4.A.­200
  • 4.A.­234
  • 4.A.­258
  • 4.B.­487
  • 4.B.­525
  • 4.B.­742
  • 4.B.­816
  • 4.B.­907
  • 4.B.­911
  • 4.B.­917
  • 4.B.­919
  • 4.B.­924
  • 4.B.­931
  • 4.B.­937
  • 4.B.­1073
  • 4.B.­1086
  • 4.B.­1102
  • 4.B.­1190-1191
  • 4.B.­1218
  • 4.B.­1242
  • 4.B.­1264
  • 4.B.­1292
  • 4.B.­1408
  • 4.C.­2
  • 4.C.­39
  • 4.C.­81
  • 4.C.­224
  • 4.C.­404
  • 4.C.­561
  • 4.C.­598
  • 4.C.­660
  • 4.C.­662
  • 4.C.­681
  • 4.C.­706
  • 4.C.­787
  • 4.C.­913
  • 4.C.­962
  • 4.C.­1053-1054
  • 4.C.­1060
  • 4.C.­1097
  • 4.C.­1106
  • 4.C.­1189
  • 4.C.­1192
  • 4.C.­1215
  • 4.C.­1360
  • 4.C.­1388
  • 4.C.­1390
  • 4.C.­1392
  • 4.C.­1433
  • 4.C.­1435
  • 4.C.­1450-1451
  • 4.C.­1548
  • 4.C.­1738
  • 4.C.­1750
  • 4.C.­1865
  • 4.C.­1894
  • 4.C.­1968
  • 4.C.­1977
  • 4.C.­1996
  • 4.C.­2039
  • 4.C.­2055
  • 4.C.­2111
  • 4.C.­2363
  • 4.C.­2451
  • 4.C.­2483
  • 4.C.­2558
  • 4.C.­2585
  • 4.C.­2637
  • 4.C.­2649
  • 4.C.­2864
  • 4.C.­2908-2910
  • 4.C.­2914-2915
  • 4.C.­2920
  • 4.C.­2923
  • 4.C.­2925
  • 4.C.­2963
  • 4.C.­3036
  • 4.C.­3041-3042
  • 4.C.­3049
  • 4.C.­3063
  • 5.­204
  • 5.­315
  • 5.­342
  • 5.­426
  • g.­1224
g.­1099

Resembling the Full Moon

Wylie:
  • zla ba’i gnas ltar nya ba
Tibetan:
  • ཟླ་བའི་གནས་ལྟར་ཉ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Also called Moving Like the Moon.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • n.­308
  • g.­943
g.­1103

Reviving Hell

Wylie:
  • yang sos
Tibetan:
  • ཡང་སོས།
Sanskrit:
  • saṃjīvana

One of the eight hot hells.

Located in 111 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­123
  • 2.­129
  • 2.­295-297
  • 2.­300
  • 2.­304
  • 2.­308
  • 2.­311
  • 2.­314
  • 2.­317
  • 2.­325
  • 2.­365
  • 2.­570
  • 2.­604
  • 2.­607
  • 2.­614
  • 2.­620
  • 2.­627
  • 2.­640
  • 2.­643
  • 2.­646
  • 2.­650
  • 2.­654
  • 2.­681
  • 2.­698
  • 2.­703
  • 2.­717
  • 2.­722
  • 2.­726
  • 2.­739
  • 2.­743
  • 2.­750
  • 2.­753
  • 2.­760
  • 2.­764
  • 2.­767
  • 2.­770
  • 2.­775
  • 2.­779
  • 2.­783
  • 2.­787
  • 2.­876
  • 2.­889
  • 2.­894
  • 2.­897
  • 2.­907
  • 2.­913
  • 2.­916
  • 2.­920
  • 2.­922
  • 2.­926
  • 2.­932
  • 2.­937
  • 2.­942
  • 2.­945
  • 2.­948
  • 2.­1154
  • 2.­1157
  • 2.­1161
  • 2.­1165
  • 2.­1179
  • 2.­1185
  • 2.­1190
  • 2.­1195
  • 2.­1200
  • 2.­1203
  • 2.­1206
  • 2.­1212
  • 2.­1217
  • 2.­1221
  • 2.­1224
  • 2.­1227
  • 2.­1254
  • 2.­1259
  • 2.­1386
  • 2.­1435
  • 4.A.­75
  • 4.B.­208
  • 4.B.­398
  • 4.B.­845
  • 4.B.­1222
  • 4.C.­1116
  • 4.C.­1237
  • 4.C.­1247
  • 4.C.­1283
  • 4.C.­1298
  • 4.C.­1300
  • 4.C.­1363
  • 4.C.­2702
  • 5.­31-32
  • 5.­366
  • n.­45
  • g.­98
  • g.­117
  • g.­260
  • g.­410
  • g.­537
  • g.­614
  • g.­695
  • g.­951
  • g.­952
  • g.­1041
  • g.­1076
  • g.­1096
  • g.­1275
  • g.­1292
  • g.­1363
  • g.­1367
  • g.­1385
g.­1107

ripening

Wylie:
  • rnam par smin pa
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་པར་སྨིན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vipāka

The resultant maturation of karmic actions and the manifestation of their effects. See also n.­60.

Located in 493 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • p.­6
  • p.­10
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­15-16
  • 1.­19
  • 1.­22-25
  • 1.­37
  • 1.­40
  • 1.­55
  • 1.­74
  • 1.­78
  • 1.­97
  • 1.­120
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­137
  • 2.­221
  • 2.­227-231
  • 2.­233
  • 2.­235-236
  • 2.­243
  • 2.­249
  • 2.­267-269
  • 2.­274
  • 2.­285
  • 2.­294
  • 2.­305
  • 2.­308-309
  • 2.­311
  • 2.­314
  • 2.­317
  • 2.­325
  • 2.­338
  • 2.­346
  • 2.­365-366
  • 2.­369
  • 2.­371
  • 2.­390
  • 2.­392
  • 2.­395
  • 2.­408
  • 2.­410
  • 2.­422
  • 2.­430-431
  • 2.­449-450
  • 2.­452
  • 2.­477-478
  • 2.­482
  • 2.­486
  • 2.­492
  • 2.­500
  • 2.­504
  • 2.­507
  • 2.­510
  • 2.­514-515
  • 2.­518
  • 2.­521
  • 2.­524
  • 2.­527
  • 2.­531
  • 2.­534
  • 2.­537
  • 2.­540
  • 2.­542
  • 2.­566
  • 2.­570-571
  • 2.­573
  • 2.­606
  • 2.­610
  • 2.­613
  • 2.­616
  • 2.­619-620
  • 2.­622
  • 2.­626
  • 2.­630
  • 2.­635
  • 2.­639
  • 2.­642
  • 2.­645
  • 2.­649
  • 2.­653
  • 2.­680
  • 2.­697
  • 2.­702
  • 2.­705
  • 2.­708
  • 2.­711
  • 2.­713
  • 2.­717
  • 2.­721
  • 2.­725
  • 2.­731
  • 2.­734
  • 2.­738
  • 2.­742
  • 2.­745
  • 2.­749
  • 2.­752
  • 2.­755
  • 2.­759
  • 2.­763
  • 2.­766
  • 2.­769
  • 2.­773
  • 2.­777
  • 2.­781
  • 2.­819
  • 2.­826
  • 2.­838
  • 2.­871
  • 2.­874-875
  • 2.­888
  • 2.­893
  • 2.­896
  • 2.­906
  • 2.­912
  • 2.­915
  • 2.­919
  • 2.­921
  • 2.­925
  • 2.­931
  • 2.­936
  • 2.­941
  • 2.­944
  • 2.­947
  • 2.­951
  • 2.­956
  • 2.­961-962
  • 2.­968
  • 2.­1077
  • 2.­1084
  • 2.­1094
  • 2.­1107
  • 2.­1121
  • 2.­1133
  • 2.­1151
  • 2.­1156
  • 2.­1160
  • 2.­1164
  • 2.­1178
  • 2.­1182
  • 2.­1184
  • 2.­1189
  • 2.­1194
  • 2.­1198-1199
  • 2.­1202
  • 2.­1205
  • 2.­1211
  • 2.­1216-1217
  • 2.­1220
  • 2.­1223
  • 2.­1226
  • 2.­1231
  • 2.­1233
  • 2.­1252
  • 2.­1254-1256
  • 2.­1259
  • 2.­1281
  • 2.­1283-1284
  • 2.­1286-1288
  • 2.­1291
  • 2.­1297
  • 2.­1299
  • 2.­1301
  • 2.­1304
  • 2.­1306
  • 2.­1310
  • 2.­1313
  • 2.­1326
  • 2.­1328
  • 2.­1331
  • 2.­1334
  • 2.­1336
  • 2.­1338
  • 2.­1341
  • 2.­1344
  • 2.­1346
  • 2.­1349
  • 2.­1351
  • 2.­1354
  • 2.­1357
  • 2.­1361
  • 2.­1386
  • 2.­1390
  • 2.­1396
  • 2.­1401
  • 2.­1404
  • 2.­1407
  • 2.­1409
  • 2.­1422
  • 2.­1431-1432
  • 2.­1435
  • 2.­1439
  • 2.­1461
  • 2.­1471
  • 2.­1474
  • 2.­1477
  • 2.­1479-1480
  • 3.­6
  • 3.­10-17
  • 3.­20
  • 3.­23
  • 3.­25-27
  • 3.­29
  • 3.­38
  • 3.­40
  • 3.­45
  • 3.­47
  • 3.­49-50
  • 3.­53-61
  • 3.­72
  • 3.­79
  • 3.­83
  • 3.­90-91
  • 3.­93-94
  • 3.­109
  • 3.­112
  • 3.­115-116
  • 3.­123-124
  • 3.­127-129
  • 3.­132
  • 3.­162-163
  • 3.­180-181
  • 3.­183-184
  • 3.­194-196
  • 4.­1-2
  • 4.A.­6
  • 4.A.­9-10
  • 4.A.­15
  • 4.A.­46
  • 4.A.­54
  • 4.A.­59
  • 4.A.­63
  • 4.A.­70
  • 4.A.­89
  • 4.A.­93
  • 4.A.­98
  • 4.A.­102
  • 4.A.­108
  • 4.A.­132
  • 4.A.­134
  • 4.A.­137-138
  • 4.A.­158
  • 4.A.­163
  • 4.A.­183
  • 4.A.­187
  • 4.A.­202
  • 4.A.­205
  • 4.A.­217
  • 4.A.­221
  • 4.A.­224
  • 4.A.­227
  • 4.A.­247
  • 4.A.­260
  • 4.A.­263
  • 4.A.­266-267
  • 4.A.­270
  • 4.A.­276
  • 4.A.­280-281
  • 4.A.­299
  • 4.A.­304
  • 4.A.­312
  • 4.A.­332
  • 4.A.­339
  • 4.A.­346
  • 4.A.­372
  • 4.A.­378
  • 4.A.­382
  • 4.A.­399
  • 4.A.­403
  • 4.A.­407
  • 4.A.­417
  • 4.B.­3
  • 4.B.­15
  • 4.B.­128
  • 4.B.­146
  • 4.B.­154
  • 4.B.­158-159
  • 4.B.­195
  • 4.B.­205
  • 4.B.­215
  • 4.B.­224-225
  • 4.B.­235
  • 4.B.­263
  • 4.B.­294
  • 4.B.­319
  • 4.B.­321
  • 4.B.­339
  • 4.B.­343
  • 4.B.­367
  • 4.B.­396
  • 4.B.­413-414
  • 4.B.­425
  • 4.B.­451
  • 4.B.­467
  • 4.B.­476
  • 4.B.­492
  • 4.B.­501
  • 4.B.­504
  • 4.B.­525
  • 4.B.­543
  • 4.B.­546
  • 4.B.­552
  • 4.B.­556
  • 4.B.­559
  • 4.B.­584
  • 4.B.­596
  • 4.B.­693
  • 4.B.­719
  • 4.B.­754
  • 4.B.­767
  • 4.B.­781
  • 4.B.­792
  • 4.B.­851
  • 4.B.­865
  • 4.B.­895
  • 4.B.­925
  • 4.B.­939
  • 4.B.­999
  • 4.B.­1004
  • 4.B.­1134
  • 4.B.­1222
  • 4.B.­1264
  • 4.B.­1294
  • 4.B.­1301
  • 4.B.­1327
  • 4.B.­1375
  • 4.B.­1394
  • 4.C.­2
  • 4.C.­13
  • 4.C.­163
  • 4.C.­171
  • 4.C.­180
  • 4.C.­274
  • 4.C.­322
  • 4.C.­336
  • 4.C.­423
  • 4.C.­537
  • 4.C.­551-552
  • 4.C.­557
  • 4.C.­559
  • 4.C.­598
  • 4.C.­610
  • 4.C.­670
  • 4.C.­708
  • 4.C.­713
  • 4.C.­723
  • 4.C.­846
  • 4.C.­870
  • 4.C.­918
  • 4.C.­1121
  • 4.C.­1183
  • 4.C.­1191
  • 4.C.­1243
  • 4.C.­1267
  • 4.C.­1299
  • 4.C.­1302
  • 4.C.­1430
  • 4.C.­1591
  • 4.C.­1653
  • 4.C.­1701
  • 4.C.­1711
  • 4.C.­1716
  • 4.C.­1730
  • 4.C.­1756
  • 4.C.­1800
  • 4.C.­1823
  • 4.C.­1825
  • 4.C.­1841
  • 4.C.­1882
  • 4.C.­1889
  • 4.C.­1912
  • 4.C.­1918
  • 4.C.­1932
  • 4.C.­1941
  • 4.C.­1948
  • 4.C.­1951
  • 4.C.­1959-1960
  • 4.C.­1962-1964
  • 4.C.­1966-1968
  • 4.C.­1978
  • 4.C.­2023
  • 4.C.­2347
  • 4.C.­2364
  • 4.C.­2484
  • 4.C.­2493
  • 4.C.­2577
  • 4.C.­2742
  • 4.C.­2746-2747
  • 4.C.­2952-2953
  • 4.C.­2988
  • 4.C.­3026
  • 4.C.­3029
  • 4.C.­3039-3041
  • 4.C.­3089
  • 4.C.­3091
  • 5.­32
  • 5.­262
  • 5.­343
  • 5.­346
  • 5.­366
  • 5.­371-372
  • 5.­375
  • 5.­378
  • 5.­380
  • 5.­394
  • 5.­403
  • 5.­416-418
  • n.­35
  • n.­60
  • g.­15
  • g.­1309
g.­1110

River of a Thousand Flows

Wylie:
  • chu bo stong ’bab
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་བོ་སྟོང་འབབ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A river in Dwelling in the Lofty.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­148
g.­1112

River of Enjoyments

Wylie:
  • chu bo dga’ bcas
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་བོ་དགའ་བཅས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A river in Dwelling in the Lofty.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­148
g.­1113

River of Free Flow

Wylie:
  • chu bo gar dgar ’bab
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་བོ་གར་དགར་འབབ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A river in Dwelling in the Lofty.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­148
g.­1114

River of Great Enjoyments

Wylie:
  • chu bo dga’ bcas che
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་བོ་དགའ་བཅས་ཆེ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A river in Dwelling in the Lofty.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­148
g.­1115

River of Layered Flows

Wylie:
  • chu bo brtsegs ’bab
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་བོ་བརྩེགས་འབབ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A river in Dwelling in the Lofty.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­148
g.­1116

River of Strong Current

Wylie:
  • chu bo shugs chen ’bab
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་བོ་ཤུགས་ཆེན་འབབ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A river in Dwelling in the Lofty.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­148
g.­1117

River of Strong Garlands

Wylie:
  • chu bo shugs phreng
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་བོ་ཤུགས་ཕྲེང་།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A river in Dwelling in the Lofty.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­148
g.­1118

River of Sweet Taste

Wylie:
  • chu bo ro zhim
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་བོ་རོ་ཞིམ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A river in Dwelling in the Lofty.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­148
g.­1120

Rivers and Flatlands

Wylie:
  • chu bo sman ljong
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་བོ་སྨན་ལྗོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A peak upon Mount Sumeru.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1299
g.­1129

Śaci

Wylie:
  • bde sogs
Tibetan:
  • བདེ་སོགས།
Sanskrit:
  • śaci

The wife of Śakra.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­35-36
  • 4.B.­53
g.­1130

sage

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

Indian sage or wise man, often a wandering ascetic or hermit; drang srong is literally “the righteous one.” “Great sage” is sometimes also used as a specific epithet of the buddhas.

Located in 16 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­362
  • 4.A.­113
  • 4.B.­657
  • 4.B.­659
  • 4.C.­164
  • 4.C.­1013
  • 4.C.­1015
  • 4.C.­1185
  • 4.C.­1236
  • 4.C.­1266
  • 4.C.­1338
  • 4.C.­1355
  • 4.C.­1936
  • 4.C.­2182
  • 4.C.­2200
  • 4.C.­2566
g.­1133

Śakra

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

In this text:

Also mentioned in this text as Kauśika and as Indra.

Located in 336 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • 1.­80
  • 1.­82
  • 1.­94
  • 1.­99
  • 1.­146-147
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­113
  • 2.­234
  • 3.­71
  • 3.­136-137
  • 3.­161
  • 3.­173
  • 3.­184
  • 3.­248
  • 3.­271
  • 3.­284
  • 3.­286
  • 3.­288-290
  • 3.­292-297
  • 3.­299
  • 3.­301-305
  • 3.­311
  • 3.­313-314
  • 3.­328
  • 3.­330-331
  • 3.­341
  • 3.­345-363
  • 3.­369
  • 3.­371
  • 4.A.­211-212
  • 4.A.­401
  • 4.B.­5
  • 4.B.­10-13
  • 4.B.­16
  • 4.B.­21-22
  • 4.B.­29-36
  • 4.B.­38-40
  • 4.B.­46-51
  • 4.B.­53-60
  • 4.B.­65
  • 4.B.­67
  • 4.B.­77-78
  • 4.B.­90-92
  • 4.B.­96-101
  • 4.B.­103-104
  • 4.B.­106
  • 4.B.­108-115
  • 4.B.­119-127
  • 4.B.­141
  • 4.B.­166
  • 4.B.­185-187
  • 4.B.­189-192
  • 4.B.­212-213
  • 4.B.­232
  • 4.B.­244
  • 4.B.­246
  • 4.B.­248
  • 4.B.­258-261
  • 4.B.­267-268
  • 4.B.­308
  • 4.B.­311
  • 4.B.­317
  • 4.B.­325-331
  • 4.B.­334-337
  • 4.B.­431
  • 4.B.­439-440
  • 4.B.­442-443
  • 4.B.­447-448
  • 4.B.­553-554
  • 4.B.­579-582
  • 4.B.­590-592
  • 4.B.­606
  • 4.B.­627
  • 4.B.­657-658
  • 4.B.­660-662
  • 4.B.­675-677
  • 4.B.­688-689
  • 4.B.­759-760
  • 4.B.­769
  • 4.B.­774-783
  • 4.B.­785
  • 4.B.­787
  • 4.B.­789
  • 4.B.­791
  • 4.B.­794-795
  • 4.B.­808-810
  • 4.B.­812-813
  • 4.B.­815-816
  • 4.B.­826-827
  • 4.B.­829-830
  • 4.B.­841-845
  • 4.B.­847
  • 4.B.­849-850
  • 4.B.­852
  • 4.B.­858-859
  • 4.B.­864
  • 4.B.­964-967
  • 4.B.­982
  • 4.B.­984-988
  • 4.B.­998
  • 4.B.­1036-1042
  • 4.B.­1045
  • 4.B.­1047
  • 4.B.­1049-1052
  • 4.B.­1071-1074
  • 4.B.­1076-1080
  • 4.B.­1082
  • 4.B.­1085-1086
  • 4.B.­1115
  • 4.B.­1126-1127
  • 4.B.­1157
  • 4.B.­1172
  • 4.B.­1180-1182
  • 4.B.­1190
  • 4.B.­1215
  • 4.B.­1217
  • 4.B.­1220-1222
  • 4.B.­1225
  • 4.B.­1233
  • 4.B.­1255
  • 4.B.­1258
  • 4.B.­1262
  • 4.B.­1277-1282
  • 4.B.­1292
  • 4.B.­1334
  • 4.B.­1339-1341
  • 4.B.­1372-1373
  • 4.B.­1380
  • 4.B.­1388
  • 4.B.­1390
  • 4.B.­1394
  • 4.C.­5
  • 4.C.­29
  • 4.C.­201
  • 4.C.­306
  • 4.C.­1126
  • 4.C.­1256-1257
  • 4.C.­1259
  • 4.C.­1262
  • 4.C.­1319
  • 4.C.­2201
  • 4.C.­2214
  • 5.­268
  • 5.­295
  • g.­35
  • g.­147
  • g.­247
  • g.­355
  • g.­403
  • g.­682
  • g.­766
  • g.­879
  • g.­1129
  • g.­1258
  • g.­1259
g.­1134

Śākya

Wylie:
  • shAkya
Tibetan:
  • ཤཱཀྱ།
Sanskrit:
  • śākya

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • p.­7
  • g.­1136
g.­1136

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 11 passages in the translation:

  • i.­1
  • 4.C.­133-134
  • 4.C.­1261
  • 4.C.­1266
  • 4.C.­1268
  • g.­284
  • g.­666
  • g.­851
  • g.­1134
  • g.­1338
g.­1137

Śakyarakṣita

Wylie:
  • shAkya rak+Shi ta
Tibetan:
  • ཤཱཀྱ་རཀྵི་ཏ།
Sanskrit:
  • śakyarakṣita

An Indian paṇḍita involved in translating this sūtra.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • c.­4-5
g.­1141

saṃsāra

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

See cyclic existence.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­1
  • i.­3
  • 4.B.­1319
  • g.­26
  • g.­874
  • g.­1456
g.­1143

Saṅkāśa

Wylie:
  • sang kA sha kA
  • sang kA sha
  • saM kA sha
Tibetan:
  • སང་ཀཱ་ཤ་ཀཱ།
  • སང་ཀཱ་ཤ།
  • སཾ་ཀཱ་ཤ།
Sanskrit:
  • saṅkāśa RP

A mountain in Kuru.

Located in 89 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­322-331
  • 5.­337
  • 5.­376
  • n.­627
  • g.­12
  • g.­21
  • g.­24
  • g.­40
  • g.­108
  • g.­113
  • g.­133
  • g.­149
  • g.­176
  • g.­179
  • g.­185
  • g.­189
  • g.­254
  • g.­263
  • g.­265
  • g.­287
  • g.­291
  • g.­305
  • g.­380
  • g.­383
  • g.­428
  • g.­435
  • g.­436
  • g.­457
  • g.­467
  • g.­468
  • g.­510
  • g.­512
  • g.­526
  • g.­535
  • g.­562
  • g.­573
  • g.­612
  • g.­653
  • g.­684
  • g.­720
  • g.­739
  • g.­740
  • g.­743
  • g.­772
  • g.­826
  • g.­836
  • g.­837
  • g.­884
  • g.­893
  • g.­924
  • g.­934
  • g.­945
  • g.­987
  • g.­1018
  • g.­1023
  • g.­1048
  • g.­1077
  • g.­1104
  • g.­1125
  • g.­1155
  • g.­1180
  • g.­1199
  • g.­1205
  • g.­1232
  • g.­1239
  • g.­1251
  • g.­1254
  • g.­1268
  • g.­1281
  • g.­1282
  • g.­1298
  • g.­1340
  • g.­1365
  • g.­1375
  • g.­1400
  • g.­1403
  • g.­1409
  • g.­1435
  • g.­1439
  • g.­1445
g.­1144

Śāntākaragupta

Wylie:
  • shAn+ta A ka ra gup+ta
Tibetan:
  • ཤཱནྟ་ཨཱ་ཀ་ར་གུཔྟ།
Sanskrit:
  • śāntākaragupta

An Indian paṇḍita involved in translating this sūtra.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • c.­4
g.­1147

Śāradvatīputra

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

More widely known as Śāriputra‍—the contracted version of his name‍—he was one of the Buddha’s foremost hearer disciples. Renowned for his pure discipline and unparalleled knowledge of the teachings.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • p.­2
  • p.­4-5
  • n.­15
g.­1158

sense source

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

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 53 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­24
  • 2.­39
  • 2.­41-43
  • 2.­137
  • 2.­141
  • 2.­163-164
  • 2.­167
  • 2.­169-179
  • 2.­184
  • 2.­710
  • 2.­1379
  • 2.­1381-1382
  • 2.­1384
  • 4.B.­116
  • 4.B.­1080
  • 4.B.­1094
  • 4.B.­1108
  • 4.B.­1110-1111
  • 4.B.­1113-1115
  • 4.B.­1126-1127
  • 4.C.­538
  • 4.C.­1091-1092
  • 4.C.­1427
  • 4.C.­1496-1497
  • 4.C.­2037
  • 4.C.­2157
  • 4.C.­2302
  • 4.C.­2617
  • 4.C.­3067
  • 5.­231-232
  • 5.­236
  • 5.­240
g.­1161

seven branches of awakening

Wylie:
  • byang chub kyi yan lag bdun
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་ཡན་ལག་བདུན།
Sanskrit:
  • saptabodhyaṅga

The seven factors that constitute the path of seeing, namely: mindfulness, investigation, diligence, joy, agility, absorption, and equanimity. These are further explained in this text; see 4.B.­1097–4.B.­1101.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­710
  • 4.B.­1080
  • 4.B.­1097
  • 4.B.­1100
  • g.­1322
g.­1162

seven precious substances

Wylie:
  • rin po che’i rdzas bdun
Tibetan:
  • རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་རྫས་བདུན།
Sanskrit:
  • —

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The set of seven precious materials or substances includes a range of precious metals and gems, but their exact list varies. The set often consists of gold, silver, beryl, crystal, red pearls, emeralds, and white coral, but may also contain lapis lazuli, ruby, sapphire, chrysoberyl, diamonds, etc. The term is frequently used in the sūtras to exemplify preciousness, wealth, and beauty, and can describe treasures, offering materials, or the features of architectural structures such as stūpas, palaces, thrones, etc. The set is also used to describe the beauty and prosperity of buddha realms and the realms of the gods.

In other contexts, the term saptaratna can also refer to the seven precious possessions of a cakravartin or to a set of seven precious moral qualities.

Located in 189 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­113
  • 3.­41
  • 3.­79
  • 3.­88
  • 3.­185
  • 3.­292
  • 3.­302
  • 4.A.­9
  • 4.A.­17
  • 4.A.­47
  • 4.A.­72
  • 4.A.­90
  • 4.A.­133
  • 4.A.­211
  • 4.A.­215
  • 4.A.­268
  • 4.A.­272
  • 4.A.­283
  • 4.A.­306
  • 4.A.­379
  • 4.B.­12
  • 4.B.­20
  • 4.B.­22
  • 4.B.­31
  • 4.B.­96
  • 4.B.­160-161
  • 4.B.­186-187
  • 4.B.­198
  • 4.B.­208-209
  • 4.B.­220
  • 4.B.­239-240
  • 4.B.­246-248
  • 4.B.­304
  • 4.B.­307
  • 4.B.­343
  • 4.B.­348
  • 4.B.­391
  • 4.B.­408
  • 4.B.­439
  • 4.B.­450
  • 4.B.­458
  • 4.B.­460
  • 4.B.­473-474
  • 4.B.­519
  • 4.B.­522
  • 4.B.­531
  • 4.B.­540
  • 4.B.­551
  • 4.B.­581
  • 4.B.­606
  • 4.B.­660
  • 4.B.­695
  • 4.B.­777-778
  • 4.B.­786
  • 4.B.­827
  • 4.B.­830
  • 4.B.­869
  • 4.B.­899
  • 4.B.­947
  • 4.B.­1023
  • 4.B.­1234
  • 4.B.­1268
  • 4.B.­1276
  • 4.B.­1298
  • 4.B.­1304
  • 4.B.­1307
  • 4.B.­1325
  • 4.B.­1378
  • 4.C.­24
  • 4.C.­27
  • 4.C.­30
  • 4.C.­33
  • 4.C.­35
  • 4.C.­37
  • 4.C.­82
  • 4.C.­84-85
  • 4.C.­174
  • 4.C.­187
  • 4.C.­201
  • 4.C.­226
  • 4.C.­275-276
  • 4.C.­282
  • 4.C.­340
  • 4.C.­371-372
  • 4.C.­379-380
  • 4.C.­389
  • 4.C.­429
  • 4.C.­471-472
  • 4.C.­547
  • 4.C.­595
  • 4.C.­612
  • 4.C.­686
  • 4.C.­712
  • 4.C.­728
  • 4.C.­733
  • 4.C.­760
  • 4.C.­762
  • 4.C.­802
  • 4.C.­805
  • 4.C.­807
  • 4.C.­1115
  • 4.C.­1128
  • 4.C.­1178
  • 4.C.­1235
  • 4.C.­1327
  • 4.C.­1583
  • 4.C.­1599
  • 4.C.­1620-1621
  • 4.C.­1645-1646
  • 4.C.­1656
  • 4.C.­1658
  • 4.C.­1662-1663
  • 4.C.­1691
  • 4.C.­1720-1721
  • 4.C.­1758
  • 4.C.­1764
  • 4.C.­1779
  • 4.C.­1784
  • 4.C.­1787
  • 4.C.­1789
  • 4.C.­1801
  • 4.C.­1804
  • 4.C.­1806-1807
  • 4.C.­1810
  • 4.C.­1848
  • 4.C.­1867
  • 4.C.­1881
  • 4.C.­1903
  • 4.C.­1962
  • 4.C.­2025
  • 4.C.­2027
  • 4.C.­2040-2041
  • 4.C.­2046
  • 4.C.­2066
  • 4.C.­2070
  • 4.C.­2072-2073
  • 4.C.­2087
  • 4.C.­2092
  • 4.C.­2102-2103
  • 4.C.­2180
  • 4.C.­2201-2202
  • 4.C.­2349
  • 4.C.­2372-2374
  • 4.C.­2376
  • 4.C.­2379
  • 4.C.­2381
  • 4.C.­2388
  • 4.C.­2390
  • 4.C.­2596
  • 4.C.­2955-2957
  • 4.C.­2962
  • 4.C.­2973
  • 4.C.­2975
  • 4.C.­3008
  • 4.C.­3098
  • 4.C.­3111
  • 4.C.­3114
  • 4.C.­3116
  • 5.­274
  • 5.­295
  • 5.­324
  • 5.­350
  • 5.­389
g.­1166

sexual misconduct

Wylie:
  • ’dod pas log par g.yem pa
Tibetan:
  • འདོད་པས་ལོག་པར་གཡེམ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • kāma­mithyā­caryā

The third among the three physical misdeeds.

Located in 156 passages in the translation:

  • i.­8
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­7-8
  • 1.­24
  • 1.­44-45
  • 1.­83-84
  • 1.­118
  • 2.­119
  • 2.­367
  • 2.­371
  • 2.­373
  • 2.­377
  • 2.­379
  • 2.­389
  • 2.­391-392
  • 2.­394
  • 2.­396
  • 2.­398
  • 2.­400-401
  • 2.­403-404
  • 2.­410
  • 2.­415
  • 2.­417
  • 2.­429
  • 2.­432
  • 2.­434
  • 2.­438
  • 2.­443
  • 2.­452
  • 2.­478
  • 2.­483
  • 2.­485-486
  • 2.­500
  • 2.­504
  • 2.­507
  • 2.­510
  • 2.­514
  • 2.­518
  • 2.­521
  • 2.­524
  • 2.­527
  • 2.­531
  • 2.­534
  • 2.­537
  • 2.­540
  • 2.­570
  • 2.­573-574
  • 2.­583
  • 2.­603
  • 2.­606
  • 2.­613
  • 2.­616
  • 2.­619
  • 2.­622
  • 2.­626
  • 2.­630
  • 2.­635
  • 2.­639
  • 2.­642
  • 2.­645
  • 2.­649
  • 2.­653
  • 2.­680
  • 2.­697
  • 2.­702
  • 2.­712-713
  • 2.­721
  • 2.­725
  • 2.­731
  • 2.­734
  • 2.­738
  • 2.­749
  • 2.­752
  • 2.­755
  • 2.­759
  • 2.­763
  • 2.­766
  • 2.­769
  • 2.­773
  • 2.­777
  • 2.­783
  • 2.­826
  • 2.­830
  • 2.­833
  • 2.­837
  • 2.­850
  • 2.­871
  • 2.­875
  • 2.­888
  • 2.­893
  • 2.­896
  • 2.­906
  • 2.­912
  • 2.­915
  • 2.­919
  • 2.­921
  • 2.­925
  • 2.­931
  • 2.­936
  • 2.­941
  • 2.­944
  • 2.­947
  • 2.­1011
  • 2.­1060
  • 4.A.­128
  • 4.A.­415-416
  • 4.B.­847
  • 4.B.­877
  • 4.C.­2-3
  • 4.C.­14-15
  • 4.C.­180
  • 4.C.­274
  • 4.C.­337
  • 4.C.­423
  • 4.C.­538
  • 4.C.­599
  • 4.C.­1019
  • 4.C.­1069
  • 4.C.­1243
  • 4.C.­1289
  • 4.C.­1591-1592
  • 4.C.­1653
  • 4.C.­1756
  • 4.C.­1842
  • 4.C.­1960
  • 4.C.­1962
  • 4.C.­2023-2024
  • 4.C.­2347-2348
  • 4.C.­2458
  • 4.C.­2577
  • 4.C.­2687
  • 4.C.­2952-2953
  • 4.C.­2958
  • 4.C.­3089-3090
  • 5.­32
  • 5.­161
  • 5.­377
  • g.­444
  • g.­1310
g.­1167

Shaded by Garlands

Wylie:
  • ’phreng ba’i grib ma
Tibetan:
  • འཕྲེང་བའི་གྲིབ་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • mālācchāyā

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and the name of a tree that grows there.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­451
  • 4.B.­456
  • g.­348
  • g.­496
  • g.­1253
  • g.­1369
g.­1171

Shang Buchikpa

Wylie:
  • zhang bu gcig pa
Tibetan:
  • ཞང་བུ་གཅིག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

An assistant translator and editor of this scripture.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • c.­8
g.­1173

Sherap Ö

Wylie:
  • shes rab ’od
Tibetan:
  • ཤེས་རབ་འོད།
Sanskrit:
  • —

An assistant translator and editor of this scripture.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • c.­8
g.­1190

six objects

Wylie:
  • yul drug
  • drug
Tibetan:
  • ཡུལ་དྲུག
  • དྲུག
Sanskrit:
  • —

The six sense objects: forms, sounds, smells, tastes, textures, and mental objects.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­103
  • 4.A.­97
  • 4.B.­473
  • 4.C.­1575
  • 4.C.­2589
  • 4.C.­2911
g.­1191

six perfections

Wylie:
  • pha rol tu phyin pa drug
Tibetan:
  • ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ་དྲུག
Sanskrit:
  • ṣaṭpāramitā

The six practices of the bodhisattva path: generosity (Tib. sbyin pa; Skt. dāna), discipline (Tib. tshul khrims; Skt. śīla), patience (Tib. bzod pa; Skt. kṣānti), diligence (Tib. brtson ’grus; Skt. vīrya), concentration (Tib. bsam gtan; Skt. dhyāna), and insight (Tib. shes rab; Skt. prajñā).

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.C.­1587
  • 4.C.­2816
  • g.­196
  • g.­692
g.­1192

six seasons

Wylie:
  • dus tshigs drug
Tibetan:
  • དུས་ཚིགས་དྲུག
Sanskrit:
  • —

The six seasons are early winter, late winter, spring, summer, monsoon, and fall.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­163
  • 4.A.­379
  • 4.B.­29
  • 4.B.­371
  • 4.C.­807
  • 4.C.­1428
  • 5.­271
  • 5.­323
  • 5.­337
  • 5.­353
  • 5.­360
g.­1193

six tastes

Wylie:
  • ro drug
Tibetan:
  • རོ་དྲུག
Sanskrit:
  • ṣaḍrasa

According to Āyurveda, all foods can be categorized by six tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­970
  • 4.B.­74
  • 5.­41
  • 5.­52
  • 5.­151
  • 5.­210
  • 5.­363
g.­1194

sixteen aspects (of the four truths of noble beings)

Wylie:
  • bden bzhi’i dpyod pa rnam pa bcu drug
  • bden bzhi’i rnam pa bcu drug
Tibetan:
  • བདེན་བཞིའི་དཔྱོད་པ་རྣམ་པ་བཅུ་དྲུག
  • བདེན་བཞིའི་རྣམ་པ་བཅུ་དྲུག
Sanskrit:
  • ṣoḍaśākāra

These are impermanence, suffering, emptiness, absence of self, origination, causality, production, conditionality, cessation, peace, excellence, deliverance, path, reason, practice, and release. See 4.B.­1188 for an explanation of these.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1187-1188
  • 4.C.­1396
g.­1197

Slab of Beryl

Wylie:
  • bai DUr+ya’i rdo leb
Tibetan:
  • བཻ་ཌཱུརྱའི་རྡོ་ལེབ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A location in Draped with Jewels.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­948
g.­1209

solitary buddha

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

An individual who attains a certain level of realization and liberation (different in some respects from those of an arhat and well short of those of a buddha) through understanding the nature of interdependent origination, without relying upon a teacher in that lifetime.

Located in 20 passages in the translation:

  • p.­1
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­79
  • 2.­576
  • 2.­1164
  • 2.­1202
  • 4.B.­676
  • 4.B.­792
  • 4.C.­917
  • 4.C.­1243
  • 4.C.­1286
  • 4.C.­1447
  • 4.C.­2344
  • 4.C.­2427
  • 4.C.­2683
  • 5.­267
  • 5.­383-385
  • g.­1335
g.­1210

songs

Wylie:
  • dbyangs kyis bsnyad pa’i sde
Tibetan:
  • དབྱངས་ཀྱིས་བསྙད་པའི་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • geya

One among the twelve sections of scripture.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1087
g.­1216

Source of Great Lotuses

Wylie:
  • pad ma che ’byung
Tibetan:
  • པད་མ་ཆེ་འབྱུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A lake near Sudharma.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­9
g.­1217

Source of Joy

Wylie:
  • dga’ ’byung
Tibetan:
  • དགའ་འབྱུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A lake near Sudharma.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­9
g.­1224

special insight

Wylie:
  • lhag mthong
Tibetan:
  • ལྷག་མཐོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • vipaśyanā

Refers to insight into the nature of reality or the practice of developing such insight. One of the two basic forms of Buddhist meditation, the other being calm abiding (śamatha, zhi gnas).

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­89
  • 4.B.­1080
  • 4.B.­1092
  • 4.C.­1841
  • 4.C.­3027
  • g.­150
g.­1226

Sphere Endowed with Diverse Music

Wylie:
  • sil snyan rnam pa sna tshogs kyi sgra dang ldan pa
Tibetan:
  • སིལ་སྙན་རྣམ་པ་སྣ་ཚོགས་ཀྱི་སྒྲ་དང་ལྡན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Engaging in Clarification.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­418
g.­1238

starving spirit

Wylie:
  • yi dags
Tibetan:
  • ཡི་དགས།
Sanskrit:
  • preta

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the five or six classes of sentient beings, into which beings are born as the karmic fruition of past miserliness. As the term in Sanskrit means “the departed,” they are analogous to the ancestral spirits of Vedic tradition, the pitṛs, who starve without the offerings of descendants. It is also commonly translated as “hungry ghost” or “starving spirit,” as in the Chinese 餓鬼 e gui.

They are sometimes said to reside in the realm of Yama, but are also frequently described as roaming charnel grounds and other inhospitable or frightening places along with piśācas and other such beings. They are particularly known to suffer from great hunger and thirst and the inability to acquire sustenance. Detailed descriptions of their realm and experience, including a list of the thirty-six classes of pretas, can be found in The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma, Toh 287, 2.­1281– 2.1482.

Located in 533 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­20
  • 1.­23-24
  • 1.­26-34
  • 1.­37
  • 1.­40
  • 1.­53
  • 1.­76
  • 1.­81
  • 1.­114
  • 1.­120
  • 2.­61
  • 2.­121
  • 2.­131
  • 2.­136
  • 2.­177
  • 2.­214
  • 2.­219
  • 2.­228
  • 2.­230
  • 2.­233
  • 2.­240
  • 2.­245-246
  • 2.­248
  • 2.­264-266
  • 2.­268
  • 2.­313
  • 2.­316
  • 2.­320
  • 2.­349
  • 2.­362
  • 2.­377
  • 2.­389
  • 2.­391
  • 2.­393
  • 2.­395
  • 2.­398
  • 2.­400
  • 2.­403
  • 2.­406
  • 2.­409
  • 2.­416
  • 2.­428
  • 2.­431
  • 2.­433
  • 2.­437
  • 2.­442
  • 2.­445
  • 2.­448
  • 2.­477
  • 2.­481
  • 2.­485
  • 2.­499
  • 2.­503
  • 2.­506
  • 2.­509
  • 2.­513
  • 2.­517
  • 2.­520
  • 2.­523
  • 2.­526
  • 2.­530
  • 2.­533
  • 2.­536
  • 2.­539
  • 2.­548
  • 2.­569
  • 2.­576
  • 2.­583
  • 2.­605
  • 2.­609
  • 2.­612
  • 2.­615
  • 2.­618
  • 2.­621
  • 2.­625
  • 2.­629
  • 2.­634
  • 2.­638
  • 2.­641
  • 2.­644
  • 2.­648
  • 2.­652
  • 2.­679
  • 2.­696
  • 2.­701
  • 2.­704
  • 2.­720
  • 2.­723
  • 2.­733
  • 2.­737
  • 2.­741
  • 2.­744
  • 2.­748
  • 2.­751
  • 2.­754
  • 2.­758
  • 2.­762
  • 2.­765
  • 2.­768
  • 2.­772
  • 2.­776
  • 2.­780
  • 2.­870
  • 2.­874
  • 2.­892
  • 2.­895
  • 2.­905
  • 2.­910-911
  • 2.­914
  • 2.­918
  • 2.­920
  • 2.­930
  • 2.­940
  • 2.­943
  • 2.­946
  • 2.­950
  • 2.­1141
  • 2.­1144
  • 2.­1155
  • 2.­1158
  • 2.­1162
  • 2.­1177
  • 2.­1182-1183
  • 2.­1188
  • 2.­1192
  • 2.­1198
  • 2.­1201
  • 2.­1204
  • 2.­1214
  • 2.­1219
  • 2.­1222
  • 2.­1225
  • 2.­1251
  • 2.­1261
  • 2.­1264-1265
  • 2.­1282-1289
  • 2.­1291
  • 2.­1293-1306
  • 2.­1308
  • 2.­1310-1313
  • 2.­1315-1316
  • 2.­1318
  • 2.­1323-1331
  • 2.­1333-1338
  • 2.­1340-1344
  • 2.­1346-1347
  • 2.­1349-1352
  • 2.­1354-1358
  • 2.­1360-1362
  • 2.­1378
  • 2.­1386-1387
  • 2.­1389
  • 2.­1397-1398
  • 2.­1401-1410
  • 2.­1414
  • 2.­1421-1422
  • 2.­1428
  • 2.­1431-1435
  • 2.­1438-1439
  • 2.­1446
  • 2.­1458-1462
  • 2.­1464
  • 2.­1468-1471
  • 2.­1473-1479
  • 2.­1481-1482
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­6
  • 3.­27
  • 3.­29-31
  • 3.­62
  • 3.­131
  • 4.­1
  • 4.A.­53
  • 4.A.­58
  • 4.A.­69
  • 4.A.­77
  • 4.A.­79
  • 4.A.­82
  • 4.A.­85
  • 4.A.­88
  • 4.A.­92
  • 4.A.­97
  • 4.A.­101
  • 4.A.­107
  • 4.A.­131
  • 4.A.­133
  • 4.A.­136
  • 4.A.­157
  • 4.A.­162
  • 4.A.­182
  • 4.A.­201
  • 4.A.­204
  • 4.A.­207
  • 4.A.­210
  • 4.A.­216
  • 4.A.­220
  • 4.A.­223
  • 4.A.­246
  • 4.A.­259
  • 4.A.­262
  • 4.A.­265
  • 4.A.­269
  • 4.A.­275
  • 4.A.­279
  • 4.A.­298
  • 4.A.­303
  • 4.A.­311
  • 4.A.­331
  • 4.A.­338
  • 4.A.­345
  • 4.A.­377
  • 4.A.­381
  • 4.A.­398
  • 4.A.­402
  • 4.A.­406
  • 4.B.­101-103
  • 4.B.­106
  • 4.B.­115
  • 4.B.­128
  • 4.B.­153
  • 4.B.­158
  • 4.B.­194
  • 4.B.­204
  • 4.B.­214
  • 4.B.­234
  • 4.B.­262
  • 4.B.­314-316
  • 4.B.­320
  • 4.B.­338
  • 4.B.­359
  • 4.B.­366
  • 4.B.­395
  • 4.B.­405
  • 4.B.­412
  • 4.B.­424
  • 4.B.­450
  • 4.B.­466
  • 4.B.­500
  • 4.B.­504
  • 4.B.­524
  • 4.B.­542
  • 4.B.­583
  • 4.B.­692
  • 4.B.­715
  • 4.B.­718
  • 4.B.­748
  • 4.B.­753
  • 4.B.­783
  • 4.B.­814
  • 4.B.­845-850
  • 4.B.­864
  • 4.B.­877
  • 4.B.­894
  • 4.B.­938
  • 4.B.­987
  • 4.B.­998
  • 4.B.­1029
  • 4.B.­1072
  • 4.B.­1079
  • 4.B.­1113
  • 4.B.­1209
  • 4.B.­1211-1212
  • 4.B.­1238
  • 4.B.­1244
  • 4.B.­1249
  • 4.B.­1253
  • 4.B.­1293
  • 4.B.­1300
  • 4.B.­1326
  • 4.B.­1355
  • 4.B.­1374
  • 4.B.­1393
  • 4.C.­105-106
  • 4.C.­115
  • 4.C.­117
  • 4.C.­170
  • 4.C.­179
  • 4.C.­235-236
  • 4.C.­263
  • 4.C.­270
  • 4.C.­273
  • 4.C.­334
  • 4.C.­394
  • 4.C.­422
  • 4.C.­511
  • 4.C.­535
  • 4.C.­597
  • 4.C.­606
  • 4.C.­613
  • 4.C.­623
  • 4.C.­692-694
  • 4.C.­707
  • 4.C.­821
  • 4.C.­835
  • 4.C.­891
  • 4.C.­897
  • 4.C.­956
  • 4.C.­962
  • 4.C.­970
  • 4.C.­976
  • 4.C.­1039
  • 4.C.­1048
  • 4.C.­1070
  • 4.C.­1096
  • 4.C.­1101
  • 4.C.­1116-1117
  • 4.C.­1185
  • 4.C.­1228-1229
  • 4.C.­1231
  • 4.C.­1239-1240
  • 4.C.­1246
  • 4.C.­1251
  • 4.C.­1256
  • 4.C.­1258
  • 4.C.­1294
  • 4.C.­1330
  • 4.C.­1343
  • 4.C.­1353
  • 4.C.­1358-1359
  • 4.C.­1374-1375
  • 4.C.­1381
  • 4.C.­1383-1384
  • 4.C.­1387
  • 4.C.­1389
  • 4.C.­1395
  • 4.C.­1434
  • 4.C.­1482
  • 4.C.­1496
  • 4.C.­1520
  • 4.C.­1534
  • 4.C.­1557
  • 4.C.­1575-1576
  • 4.C.­1651
  • 4.C.­1734
  • 4.C.­1754
  • 4.C.­1839
  • 4.C.­1918
  • 4.C.­1956
  • 4.C.­1969
  • 4.C.­2022
  • 4.C.­2105
  • 4.C.­2161
  • 4.C.­2221
  • 4.C.­2244
  • 4.C.­2247
  • 4.C.­2262
  • 4.C.­2265
  • 4.C.­2291
  • 4.C.­2293
  • 4.C.­2337
  • 4.C.­2389
  • 4.C.­2441
  • 4.C.­2467
  • 4.C.­2492
  • 4.C.­2496
  • 4.C.­2521-2522
  • 4.C.­2533
  • 4.C.­2535
  • 4.C.­2549
  • 4.C.­2576
  • 4.C.­2600
  • 4.C.­2620
  • 4.C.­2638-2639
  • 4.C.­2646
  • 4.C.­2652
  • 4.C.­2666
  • 4.C.­2704-2706
  • 4.C.­2746-2748
  • 4.C.­2750
  • 4.C.­2752-2753
  • 4.C.­2835
  • 4.C.­2839
  • 4.C.­2846
  • 4.C.­2859
  • 4.C.­2884
  • 4.C.­2886
  • 4.C.­2938
  • 4.C.­2951
  • 4.C.­2983
  • 4.C.­2993
  • 4.C.­3024-3025
  • 4.C.­3028
  • 4.C.­3031
  • 4.C.­3039
  • 4.C.­3041
  • 4.C.­3051
  • 4.C.­3087
  • 5.­6
  • 5.­33
  • 5.­36
  • 5.­248
  • 5.­279
  • 5.­315
  • 5.­346
  • 5.­348
  • 5.­351
  • 5.­366
  • 5.­372
  • 5.­375
  • 5.­396
  • 5.­403
  • n.­31
  • n.­178
  • n.­192
  • g.­445
g.­1240

Steadfast One

Wylie:
  • brtan pa
Tibetan:
  • བརྟན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­1241

stealing

Wylie:
  • ma byin par len pa
Tibetan:
  • མ་བྱིན་པར་ལེན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • adattādāna

The second among the three physical misdeeds. Also rendered here according to the literal meaning of ma byin par len pa, “taking what was not given.”

Located in 199 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­6
  • 1.­23
  • 1.­39-43
  • 1.­82
  • 1.­118
  • 1.­127
  • 2.­367
  • 2.­373
  • 2.­392
  • 2.­396
  • 2.­410
  • 2.­415
  • 2.­417
  • 2.­429
  • 2.­432
  • 2.­434
  • 2.­438
  • 2.­443
  • 2.­446
  • 2.­452
  • 2.­478
  • 2.­483
  • 2.­485-486
  • 2.­500
  • 2.­504
  • 2.­507
  • 2.­510
  • 2.­514
  • 2.­518
  • 2.­521
  • 2.­524
  • 2.­527
  • 2.­531
  • 2.­534
  • 2.­537
  • 2.­540
  • 2.­570
  • 2.­573-574
  • 2.­583
  • 2.­603
  • 2.­606
  • 2.­613
  • 2.­616
  • 2.­619
  • 2.­622
  • 2.­626
  • 2.­630
  • 2.­635
  • 2.­639
  • 2.­642
  • 2.­645
  • 2.­649
  • 2.­653
  • 2.­680
  • 2.­697
  • 2.­702
  • 2.­712-713
  • 2.­721
  • 2.­725
  • 2.­731
  • 2.­734
  • 2.­738
  • 2.­749
  • 2.­752
  • 2.­755
  • 2.­759
  • 2.­763
  • 2.­766
  • 2.­769
  • 2.­773
  • 2.­777
  • 2.­783
  • 2.­826
  • 2.­830
  • 2.­833
  • 2.­837
  • 2.­871
  • 2.­875
  • 2.­888
  • 2.­893
  • 2.­896
  • 2.­906
  • 2.­912
  • 2.­915
  • 2.­919
  • 2.­921
  • 2.­925
  • 2.­931
  • 2.­936
  • 2.­941
  • 2.­944
  • 2.­947
  • 2.­1047
  • 4.A.­415-416
  • 4.B.­146
  • 4.B.­152
  • 4.B.­154
  • 4.B.­207
  • 4.B.­216
  • 4.B.­235
  • 4.B.­237
  • 4.B.­294
  • 4.B.­296-297
  • 4.B.­321
  • 4.B.­342
  • 4.B.­368
  • 4.B.­396-398
  • 4.B.­413
  • 4.B.­415-417
  • 4.B.­426-427
  • 4.B.­430
  • 4.B.­451
  • 4.B.­453
  • 4.B.­467-468
  • 4.B.­501
  • 4.B.­504
  • 4.B.­507
  • 4.B.­525
  • 4.B.­527
  • 4.B.­543
  • 4.B.­546
  • 4.B.­548
  • 4.B.­585-586
  • 4.B.­588
  • 4.B.­693
  • 4.B.­719
  • 4.B.­721
  • 4.B.­723
  • 4.B.­755-756
  • 4.B.­846-847
  • 4.B.­866
  • 4.B.­868
  • 4.B.­896
  • 4.B.­999
  • 4.B.­1002
  • 4.B.­1267
  • 4.B.­1294
  • 4.B.­1302
  • 4.B.­1329
  • 4.B.­1375
  • 4.B.­1377
  • 4.C.­2-3
  • 4.C.­13
  • 4.C.­180
  • 4.C.­274
  • 4.C.­337
  • 4.C.­423
  • 4.C.­538
  • 4.C.­599
  • 4.C.­1019
  • 4.C.­1021
  • 4.C.­1069
  • 4.C.­1238
  • 4.C.­1243
  • 4.C.­1247
  • 4.C.­1286
  • 4.C.­1289
  • 4.C.­1448
  • 4.C.­1543-1544
  • 4.C.­1591
  • 4.C.­1653
  • 4.C.­1756
  • 4.C.­1842
  • 4.C.­1960
  • 4.C.­1962
  • 4.C.­2023
  • 4.C.­2347
  • 4.C.­2458
  • 4.C.­2577
  • 4.C.­2687
  • 4.C.­2952
  • 4.C.­2958
  • 4.C.­3089
  • 5.­32
  • 5.­377
  • g.­444
  • g.­1303
g.­1243

stream enterer

Wylie:
  • rgyun du zhugs pa
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱུན་དུ་ཞུགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • srotāpanna

A person who has entered the “stream” of practice that leads to nirvāṇa. The first of the four attainments of the path of the hearers.

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­5
  • 4.B.­5
  • 4.B.­107
  • 4.B.­1192-1193
  • 4.B.­1263
  • 4.C.­87
  • 4.C.­132
  • 4.C.­167
  • 4.C.­170
  • 4.C.­271-272
  • 4.C.­1272
  • 4.C.­2939
g.­1249

Strife

Wylie:
  • ’thab pa
Tibetan:
  • འཐབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A “ruler of the world” who belongs to the class of the māras.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­227
g.­1253

Studded with Mansions

Wylie:
  • khang bzangs dkrigs pa
Tibetan:
  • ཁང་བཟངས་དཀྲིགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A pleasure grove in Shaded by Garlands.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­460
  • 4.B.­522
g.­1255

Subhūticandra

Wylie:
  • su b+hU ti tsan+d+ra
Tibetan:
  • སུ་བྷཱུ་ཏི་ཙནྡྲ།
Sanskrit:
  • subhūticandra

A translator of the sūtra.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • c.­5
g.­1257

Subtle Engagement

Wylie:
  • shib tu spyod pa
Tibetan:
  • ཤིབ་ཏུ་སྤྱོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • sūkṣmacarā

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­543
  • 4.B.­550
  • 4.B.­553
  • 4.B.­583
  • 4.B.­691
g.­1258

Sudarśana

Wylie:
  • legs mthong
  • lta na sdug
Tibetan:
  • ལེགས་མཐོང་།
  • ལྟ་ན་སྡུག
Sanskrit:
  • sudarśana

(1) King who appears during the elephant Airāvaṇa’s previous life as a brahmin (legs mthong). (2) The city of Śakra (legs mthong and lta na sdug).

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­134
  • 3.­288
  • 3.­290
  • 3.­341
  • 3.­346
  • 4.B.­248
  • 4.B.­265
  • 4.B.­305
  • 4.B.­450
  • 4.B.­1277
  • 4.B.­1340
  • 5.­295
  • 5.­374
  • g.­183
  • g.­539
g.­1259

Sudharma

Wylie:
  • chos bzang
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་བཟང་།
Sanskrit:
  • sudharma

Śakra’s assembly hall.

Located in 64 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­75
  • 3.­134
  • 3.­288
  • 3.­290
  • 3.­295
  • 3.­369
  • 3.­371
  • 4.B.­4-6
  • 4.B.­9-10
  • 4.B.­12
  • 4.B.­15-16
  • 4.B.­54-57
  • 4.B.­65
  • 4.B.­78
  • 4.B.­108-112
  • 4.B.­120
  • 4.B.­128
  • 4.B.­186
  • 4.B.­190
  • 4.B.­194
  • 4.B.­211
  • 4.B.­213
  • 4.B.­337
  • 4.B.­582
  • 4.B.­774
  • 4.B.­815
  • 4.B.­864
  • 4.B.­998
  • 4.B.­1036-1038
  • 4.B.­1075
  • 4.C.­1255
  • 5.­295
  • 5.­374
  • g.­37
  • g.­193
  • g.­230
  • g.­377
  • g.­395
  • g.­518
  • g.­575
  • g.­679
  • g.­726
  • g.­745
  • g.­872
  • g.­897
  • g.­930
  • g.­1029
  • g.­1051
  • g.­1216
  • g.­1217
  • g.­1381
g.­1265

Sumeru

Wylie:
  • ri rab
  • ri rab lhun po
Tibetan:
  • རི་རབ།
  • རི་རབ་ལྷུན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • sumeru

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

According to ancient Buddhist cosmology, this is the great mountain forming the axis of the universe. At its summit is Sudarśana, home of Śakra and his thirty-two gods, and on its flanks live the asuras. The mount has four sides facing the cardinal directions, each of which is made of a different precious stone. Surrounding it are several mountain ranges and the great ocean where the four principal island continents lie: in the south, Jambudvīpa (our world); in the west, Godānīya; in the north, Uttarakuru; and in the east, Pūrvavideha. Above it are the abodes of the desire realm gods. It is variously referred to as Meru, Mount Meru, Sumeru, and Mount Sumeru.

Located in 134 passages in the translation:

  • p.­7
  • 2.­221
  • 2.­790
  • 2.­1037
  • 2.­1109
  • 3.­56
  • 3.­63
  • 3.­65
  • 3.­68-69
  • 3.­75
  • 3.­78-79
  • 3.­196
  • 3.­239
  • 3.­288
  • 3.­299
  • 3.­302
  • 3.­307
  • 3.­321
  • 3.­339
  • 3.­353
  • 4.­3
  • 4.A.­2
  • 4.A.­4-5
  • 4.A.­9
  • 4.A.­17
  • 4.A.­86
  • 4.A.­109
  • 4.A.­139
  • 4.A.­159
  • 4.A.­164-165
  • 4.A.­185
  • 4.A.­215
  • 4.A.­226
  • 4.A.­337
  • 4.A.­365
  • 4.A.­404
  • 4.A.­406
  • 4.A.­408
  • 4.B.­125
  • 4.B.­147
  • 4.B.­166
  • 4.B.­182
  • 4.B.­209
  • 4.B.­247
  • 4.B.­249
  • 4.B.­252
  • 4.B.­333
  • 4.B.­393
  • 4.B.­444
  • 4.B.­474
  • 4.B.­535
  • 4.B.­538-539
  • 4.B.­581-582
  • 4.B.­658
  • 4.B.­717
  • 4.B.­746
  • 4.B.­750
  • 4.B.­752
  • 4.B.­760
  • 4.B.­869
  • 4.B.­898
  • 4.B.­902
  • 4.B.­974
  • 4.B.­1053
  • 4.B.­1055
  • 4.B.­1073
  • 4.B.­1200
  • 4.B.­1230
  • 4.B.­1232
  • 4.B.­1276
  • 4.B.­1299
  • 4.B.­1304
  • 4.B.­1325
  • 4.B.­1333
  • 4.C.­3-4
  • 4.C.­103
  • 4.C.­283
  • 4.C.­305
  • 4.C.­426
  • 4.C.­685
  • 4.C.­806
  • 4.C.­1467
  • 4.C.­1936
  • 4.C.­2840
  • 5.­248
  • 5.­261-262
  • 5.­293-297
  • 5.­311
  • 5.­316
  • 5.­318
  • 5.­344
  • 5.­369
  • 5.­389
  • 5.­420
  • 5.­425
  • n.­626
  • g.­45
  • g.­135
  • g.­147
  • g.­212
  • g.­273
  • g.­418
  • g.­540
  • g.­559
  • g.­618
  • g.­709
  • g.­710
  • g.­722
  • g.­733
  • g.­799
  • g.­823
  • g.­841
  • g.­845
  • g.­903
  • g.­928
  • g.­1000
  • g.­1006
  • g.­1058
  • g.­1120
  • g.­1408
  • g.­1441
  • g.­1448
g.­1279

Supreme Splendor

Wylie:
  • gzi brjid mchog
Tibetan:
  • གཟི་བརྗིད་མཆོག
Sanskrit:
  • tejomukha

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­1301
  • 4.B.­1303
  • g.­463
  • g.­878
g.­1284

Sustained by Fruition

Wylie:
  • ’bras bus nye bar ’tsho ba
Tibetan:
  • འབྲས་བུས་ཉེ་བར་འཚོ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A realm inhabited by garland-bearer gods.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 4.A.­5
  • 4.A.­15
  • g.­43
  • g.­221
  • g.­565
  • g.­598
  • g.­641
  • g.­1324
  • g.­1463
g.­1285

Sustained by the Finest Tastes

Wylie:
  • ro brgya mchog gis bsten pa
Tibetan:
  • རོ་བརྒྱ་མཆོག་གིས་བསྟེན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A grove in Unmixed.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1379
g.­1287

Sūtra

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

In Buddhism it refers to the Buddha’s teachings, whatever their length, and in terms of the three divisions of the Buddha’s teachings, it is the category of teachings other than those on the Vinaya and Abhidharma. It is also used as a category to contrast with the tantra teachings. Another very specific meaning is when it is classed as one of the nine or twelve aspects of the Dharma. In that context sūtra means “discourse.”

Located in 31 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1-9
  • 4.B.­940
  • 4.C.­1579
  • 5.­430
  • c.­6-7
  • n.­1
  • n.­6
  • n.­430
  • g.­2
  • g.­18
  • g.­27
  • g.­44
  • g.­288
  • g.­960
  • g.­1055
  • g.­1135
  • g.­1137
  • g.­1144
  • g.­1255
  • g.­1288
  • g.­1421
g.­1288

sūtras

Wylie:
  • mdo’i sde
Tibetan:
  • མདོའི་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • sūtra

One among the twelve sections of scripture. See also entry on the term “sūtra.“

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1087
g.­1296

Swan Lotus Forest

Wylie:
  • ngang pa’i pad ma’i tshal
Tibetan:
  • ངང་པའི་པད་མའི་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A lotus grove in Part of the Assembly.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1035
g.­1303

taking what was not given

Wylie:
  • ma byin par len pa
Tibetan:
  • མ་བྱིན་པར་ལེན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • adattādāna

The second among the three physical misdeeds. Also rendered here as “stealing.”

Located in 26 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­5
  • 1.­41
  • 2.­119
  • 2.­371
  • 2.­379
  • 2.­389
  • 2.­391
  • 2.­394
  • 2.­396
  • 2.­401
  • 2.­404
  • 2.­410
  • 2.­849
  • 4.A.­127
  • 4.B.­368
  • 4.B.­504
  • 4.B.­527
  • 4.B.­543
  • 4.B.­584
  • 4.B.­721-722
  • 4.B.­895
  • 4.B.­1267
  • 4.B.­1301
  • g.­1241
  • g.­1310
g.­1306

Tamer of Madness

Wylie:
  • myos ’gro ’dul
Tibetan:
  • མྱོས་འགྲོ་འདུལ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A pleasure garden in Enraptured by and Attached to Song.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­591
  • 4.B.­605-606
  • 4.B.­657
  • 4.B.­662
  • g.­489
g.­1310

ten virtuous actions

Wylie:
  • dge ba bcu
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་བ་བཅུ།
Sanskrit:
  • daśakuśala

Abstaining from killing, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, lying, uttering divisive talk, speaking harsh words, chatter, covetousness, ill will, and wrong views.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­99
  • 1.­101
  • 1.­112
  • 2.­231
  • 2.­710
  • 3.­56
  • 3.­115
  • 4.B.­120
  • 4.B.­311-312
  • 4.C.­87
  • 5.­246
g.­1322

thirty-seven factors of awakening

Wylie:
  • byang chub kyi phyogs kyi chos sum cu rtsa bdun
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་ཕྱོགས་ཀྱི་ཆོས་སུམ་ཅུ་རྩ་བདུན།
Sanskrit:
  • saptatriṃśa­bodhi­pakṣya­dharma

Thirty-seven practices that lead the practitioner to the awakened state: the four applications of mindfulness, the four authentic eliminations, the four bases of supernatural power, the five masteries, the five powers, the eightfold path, and the seven branches of awakening.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • p.­7
  • 4.C.­136
  • 4.C.­3037
  • g.­447
g.­1330

Thousand-Eyed One

Wylie:
  • mig stong
Tibetan:
  • མིག་སྟོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­1331

Thousandfold Light

Wylie:
  • stong snang
Tibetan:
  • སྟོང་སྣང་།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­1332

three factors

Wylie:
  • chos gsum
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་གསུམ།
Sanskrit:
  • tridharma

Object, sense faculty, and consciousness.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­137
  • 2.­164
  • 2.­169
  • 2.­172
  • 2.­175
  • 2.­178
  • 2.­421
  • 2.­865
  • 4.B.­1104
  • 4.C.­1191
  • 4.C.­1392
  • 4.C.­2925
g.­1333

three flaws

Wylie:
  • nyes pa gsum
Tibetan:
  • ཉེས་པ་གསུམ།
Sanskrit:
  • doṣa-traya

Desire, anger, and delusion.

Located in 21 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­63
  • 2.­421
  • 2.­1269
  • 4.B.­645
  • 4.B.­651
  • 4.B.­1080
  • 4.B.­1093
  • 4.B.­1116
  • 4.B.­1243
  • 4.B.­1251
  • 4.C.­1078
  • 4.C.­1207
  • 4.C.­1306
  • 4.C.­1330
  • 4.C.­1440-1441
  • 4.C.­1955
  • 4.C.­2564
  • 4.C.­2720
  • 4.C.­2808
  • 5.­48
g.­1335

three kinds of awakening

Wylie:
  • byang chub gsum
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་གསུམ།
Sanskrit:
  • tribodhi

The three levels of awakening that are respectively achieved by hearers, solitary buddhas, and perfect buddhas.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­88-89
  • 1.­92
  • 2.­1271
  • 4.B.­428
  • 4.B.­788
  • 4.C.­707
g.­1336

three realms

Wylie:
  • khams gsum
  • srid pa gsum
Tibetan:
  • ཁམས་གསུམ།
  • སྲིད་པ་གསུམ།
Sanskrit:
  • tridhātu
  • tribhuvana

The desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm of cyclic existence.

Located in 71 passages in the translation:

  • p.­7
  • 2.­63
  • 2.­66
  • 2.­236
  • 2.­242
  • 2.­246
  • 2.­248
  • 2.­263
  • 2.­368
  • 2.­420-422
  • 2.­859
  • 2.­861
  • 2.­867
  • 2.­1187
  • 2.­1269-1270
  • 2.­1445
  • 2.­1450
  • 2.­1452
  • 3.­26
  • 4.A.­144
  • 4.A.­155
  • 4.A.­192
  • 4.B.­140
  • 4.B.­270
  • 4.B.­275
  • 4.B.­621
  • 4.B.­741
  • 4.B.­820
  • 4.B.­1106
  • 4.B.­1118
  • 4.B.­1128
  • 4.B.­1394
  • 4.C.­581
  • 4.C.­627
  • 4.C.­630
  • 4.C.­632
  • 4.C.­716
  • 4.C.­997
  • 4.C.­1101
  • 4.C.­1117
  • 4.C.­1182
  • 4.C.­1209
  • 4.C.­1247
  • 4.C.­1496
  • 4.C.­1637
  • 4.C.­1712
  • 4.C.­1790
  • 4.C.­1969
  • 4.C.­2002
  • 4.C.­2121
  • 4.C.­2162
  • 4.C.­2164
  • 4.C.­2174
  • 4.C.­2274-2275
  • 4.C.­2295
  • 4.C.­2363
  • 4.C.­2420
  • 4.C.­2476
  • 4.C.­2496
  • 4.C.­2543
  • 4.C.­2687
  • 4.C.­2817
  • 4.C.­2822
  • 4.C.­3065
  • 5.­14
  • 5.­205
  • 5.­234
g.­1338

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 43 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­784
  • 2.­837
  • 2.­1146
  • 2.­1176
  • 3.­26
  • 4.A.­235
  • 4.B.­484
  • 4.B.­855
  • 4.B.­1070
  • 4.B.­1281
  • 4.B.­1283
  • 4.C.­101
  • 4.C.­164
  • 4.C.­168
  • 4.C.­782
  • 4.C.­784
  • 4.C.­813-815
  • 4.C.­965
  • 4.C.­1175
  • 4.C.­1183
  • 4.C.­1185
  • 4.C.­1187
  • 4.C.­1236
  • 4.C.­1264
  • 4.C.­1322
  • 4.C.­1324
  • 4.C.­1330
  • 4.C.­1337
  • 4.C.­1722
  • 4.C.­2296
  • 4.C.­2344
  • 4.C.­2540
  • 4.C.­2585
  • 4.C.­2683
  • 4.C.­2687
  • 4.C.­2857
  • 4.C.­3013
  • 5.­285
  • 5.­385
  • c.­1
  • c.­5
g.­1339

Tiger Ear Star

Wylie:
  • stag rna’i rgyu skar
Tibetan:
  • སྟག་རྣའི་རྒྱུ་སྐར།
Sanskrit:
  • —

Unidentified figure connected to a prophetic discourse.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • c.­4
g.­1347

transcendence of suffering

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

The ultimate cessation of suffering. Also rendered here as “nirvāṇa.”

Located in 202 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­56
  • 1.­81
  • 1.­87
  • 1.­113
  • 2.­61
  • 2.­66
  • 2.­141
  • 2.­181
  • 2.­187
  • 2.­207
  • 2.­209-211
  • 2.­229
  • 2.­232
  • 2.­262
  • 2.­269
  • 2.­284
  • 2.­293
  • 2.­326
  • 2.­358
  • 2.­438
  • 2.­463
  • 2.­465
  • 2.­671
  • 2.­706
  • 2.­724
  • 2.­731
  • 2.­817
  • 2.­958-959
  • 2.­1022
  • 2.­1054
  • 2.­1058
  • 2.­1173
  • 2.­1254
  • 2.­1392
  • 2.­1480
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­5
  • 3.­160
  • 3.­190
  • 4.A.­9
  • 4.A.­28
  • 4.A.­58
  • 4.A.­103
  • 4.A.­188
  • 4.A.­355
  • 4.A.­358
  • 4.A.­419
  • 4.B.­117
  • 4.B.­119
  • 4.B.­300
  • 4.B.­417
  • 4.B.­428
  • 4.B.­786
  • 4.B.­790
  • 4.B.­1101
  • 4.B.­1151
  • 4.B.­1173
  • 4.C.­2
  • 4.C.­9
  • 4.C.­105
  • 4.C.­133
  • 4.C.­149
  • 4.C.­154
  • 4.C.­164
  • 4.C.­333
  • 4.C.­444
  • 4.C.­453
  • 4.C.­693
  • 4.C.­780
  • 4.C.­808
  • 4.C.­914
  • 4.C.­917
  • 4.C.­1023
  • 4.C.­1035
  • 4.C.­1037
  • 4.C.­1052-1053
  • 4.C.­1085
  • 4.C.­1090-1091
  • 4.C.­1093
  • 4.C.­1102
  • 4.C.­1153
  • 4.C.­1191
  • 4.C.­1198
  • 4.C.­1210-1211
  • 4.C.­1221
  • 4.C.­1224
  • 4.C.­1227
  • 4.C.­1235
  • 4.C.­1243
  • 4.C.­1267
  • 4.C.­1318
  • 4.C.­1320
  • 4.C.­1340-1341
  • 4.C.­1343
  • 4.C.­1350
  • 4.C.­1352
  • 4.C.­1357
  • 4.C.­1376
  • 4.C.­1384
  • 4.C.­1420
  • 4.C.­1426
  • 4.C.­1428
  • 4.C.­1430
  • 4.C.­1433
  • 4.C.­1435-1436
  • 4.C.­1442
  • 4.C.­1451
  • 4.C.­1500
  • 4.C.­1547
  • 4.C.­1552
  • 4.C.­1557
  • 4.C.­1577
  • 4.C.­1714
  • 4.C.­1734
  • 4.C.­1916
  • 4.C.­1945
  • 4.C.­1960-1961
  • 4.C.­1965
  • 4.C.­1977
  • 4.C.­2021
  • 4.C.­2116
  • 4.C.­2149
  • 4.C.­2293
  • 4.C.­2334
  • 4.C.­2415
  • 4.C.­2456
  • 4.C.­2465
  • 4.C.­2481
  • 4.C.­2529
  • 4.C.­2532
  • 4.C.­2558
  • 4.C.­2560-2565
  • 4.C.­2626
  • 4.C.­2631
  • 4.C.­2634
  • 4.C.­2639
  • 4.C.­2641
  • 4.C.­2647-2649
  • 4.C.­2668
  • 4.C.­2682
  • 4.C.­2684
  • 4.C.­2687-2688
  • 4.C.­2699
  • 4.C.­2701
  • 4.C.­2708
  • 4.C.­2711
  • 4.C.­2716
  • 4.C.­2723-2726
  • 4.C.­2741
  • 4.C.­2767-2769
  • 4.C.­2771
  • 4.C.­2776
  • 4.C.­2794
  • 4.C.­2801
  • 4.C.­2804
  • 4.C.­2809
  • 4.C.­2838
  • 4.C.­2842
  • 4.C.­2890
  • 4.C.­2935-2936
  • 4.C.­2942
  • 4.C.­2947-2948
  • 4.C.­3011
  • 4.C.­3017
  • 4.C.­3022
  • 4.C.­3024
  • 4.C.­3028
  • 4.C.­3040
  • 4.C.­3056
  • 4.C.­3062
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­57
  • 5.­102
  • 5.­123
  • 5.­205
  • 5.­227
  • 5.­343
  • g.­973
g.­1352

Triple Beauty

Wylie:
  • gsum mdzes
Tibetan:
  • གསུམ་མཛེས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Dwelling in One Direction.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­203
g.­1366

Universal Delight

Wylie:
  • kun mthong yid ’ong
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་མཐོང་ཡིད་འོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Distinguished in Many Colorful Ways.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­518-519
  • 4.B.­522
g.­1369

Universal Illumination

Wylie:
  • kun snang
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་སྣང་།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A pleasure grove in Shaded by Garlands.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­463
g.­1370

Universal Joy

Wylie:
  • thams cad rab tu dga’ bar gnas pa
  • kun nas dga’ ba
Tibetan:
  • ཐམས་ཅད་རབ་ཏུ་དགའ་བར་གནས་པ།
  • ཀུན་ནས་དགའ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

(1) A realm inhabited by garland-bearer gods (thams cad rab tu dga’ bar gnas pa). (2) A mountain in Promotion (kun nas dga’ ba).

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.A.­5
  • 4.A.­54
  • 4.B.­540
g.­1371

Universal Observer

Wylie:
  • kun tu mig
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་ཏུ་མིག
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­1372

Universally Blissful

Wylie:
  • kun bde
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་བདེ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­1374

Unmixed

Wylie:
  • ma ’dres pa
Tibetan:
  • མ་འདྲེས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A realm in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­2
  • 4.B.­1375
  • 4.B.­1377
  • g.­1285
g.­1381

Utter Joy

Wylie:
  • rab tu dga’ ba
Tibetan:
  • རབ་ཏུ་དགའ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

(1) An emanated forest created upon the shoulders of Airāvaṇa. (2) A lake near Sudharma.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­9
  • 4.B.­247
g.­1393

Various Chariots

Wylie:
  • shing rta sna tshogs
Tibetan:
  • ཤིང་རྟ་སྣ་ཚོགས།
Sanskrit:
  • —

See “Dwelling in Various Chariots.”

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­223-225
  • 4.B.­232-234
g.­1395

Vast Forest of the Seasons

Wylie:
  • dus kyi tshal rgya che
Tibetan:
  • དུས་ཀྱི་ཚལ་རྒྱ་ཆེ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A forest in Dwelling on Forest Riverbanks.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­371
g.­1402

Vemacitrin

Wylie:
  • thags bzangs ris
Tibetan:
  • ཐགས་བཟངས་རིས།
Sanskrit:
  • vemacitrin

An asura king.

Located in 29 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­231-232
  • 3.­249-250
  • 3.­258
  • 3.­280
  • 3.­282
  • 3.­284
  • 3.­287-290
  • 3.­299-300
  • 3.­304
  • 3.­307
  • 3.­315-316
  • 3.­329
  • 3.­332
  • 3.­342
  • 3.­348
  • 3.­352
  • 3.­362-363
  • 3.­375
  • 4.B.­231-232
  • 4.B.­244
g.­1404

verses

Wylie:
  • tshigs su bcad pa’i sde
Tibetan:
  • ཚིགས་སུ་བཅད་པའི་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • gāthā

One among the twelve sections of scripture.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­1087
g.­1407

Victorious Supreme Movement

Wylie:
  • rgyal ba mchog ’gro
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་བ་མཆོག་འགྲོ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A mansion upon the mountain Playful in the forest Joyous Wisdom.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­22-23
g.­1408

Videha

Wylie:
  • lus ’phags po
Tibetan:
  • ལུས་འཕགས་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • videha

The continent to the east of Mount Sumeru.

Located in 91 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­98
  • 2.­501
  • 2.­1479
  • 3.­43
  • 3.­47-48
  • 3.­54
  • 3.­74
  • 4.A.­5
  • 4.B.­784
  • 4.B.­1199-1200
  • 4.B.­1207
  • 4.B.­1241
  • 4.B.­1250
  • 4.C.­1302
  • 4.C.­2215
  • 4.C.­2241
  • 5.­12-16
  • 5.­18-19
  • 5.­248
  • 5.­261-262
  • 5.­294
  • 5.­298
  • 5.­399
  • 5.­405
  • 5.­409
  • 5.­411-415
  • 5.­418-419
  • 5.­422
  • g.­11
  • g.­38
  • g.­70
  • g.­86
  • g.­90
  • g.­91
  • g.­92
  • g.­118
  • g.­136
  • g.­163
  • g.­174
  • g.­175
  • g.­200
  • g.­266
  • g.­353
  • g.­388
  • g.­405
  • g.­419
  • g.­456
  • g.­474
  • g.­475
  • g.­576
  • g.­590
  • g.­613
  • g.­615
  • g.­619
  • g.­704
  • g.­894
  • g.­931
  • g.­967
  • g.­969
  • g.­983
  • g.­985
  • g.­1045
  • g.­1090
  • g.­1094
  • g.­1106
  • g.­1139
  • g.­1142
  • g.­1195
  • g.­1204
  • g.­1213
  • g.­1274
  • g.­1342
  • g.­1351
  • g.­1377
  • g.­1410
  • g.­1423
  • g.­1426
  • g.­1432
g.­1413

Vikramaśīla

Wylie:
  • bi kra ma shI la
Tibetan:
  • བི་ཀྲ་མ་ཤཱི་ལ།
Sanskrit:
  • vikramaśīla

A renowned monastic complex in India.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • c.­5
  • g.­285
g.­1414

vīṇā

Wylie:
  • pi wang
Tibetan:
  • པི་ཝང་།
Sanskrit:
  • vīṇā

A family of Indian chordophone instruments.

Located in 16 passages in the translation:

  • 4.A.­106
  • 4.B.­18
  • 4.B.­25
  • 4.B.­474
  • 4.B.­503
  • 4.B.­870
  • 4.B.­985
  • 4.B.­1234
  • 4.C.­191
  • 4.C.­1690
  • 4.C.­1720
  • 4.C.­1802
  • 4.C.­1839
  • 4.C.­2074
  • 4.C.­3094
  • 5.­339
g.­1415

Vinaya

Wylie:
  • ’dul ba
Tibetan:
  • འདུལ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • vinaya

The Buddha’s teachings that lay out the rules and disciplines for his followers.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1164
  • 4.B.­940
  • 4.C.­1045
  • c.­4
  • g.­288
  • g.­1055
  • g.­1287
g.­1419

Virūḍhaka

Wylie:
  • ’phags skye po
Tibetan:
  • འཕགས་སྐྱེ་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • virūḍhaka

One of the Four Great Kings, guardian of the south.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 4.A.­364-367
  • 4.A.­376
  • 4.B.­232
  • 5.­301
  • g.­501
g.­1420

Virūpākṣa

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

One among the Four Great Kings, guardian of the west.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.A.­401
  • g.­501
g.­1421

Vīryākaraśānti

Wylie:
  • bIr+ya A ka ra shAn+ti
Tibetan:
  • བཱིརྱ་ཨཱ་ཀ་ར་ཤཱནྟི།
Sanskrit:
  • vīryākaraśānti

An Indian paṇḍita involved in translating this sūtra.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­5
  • c.­4
g.­1424

Viṣṇu

Wylie:
  • khyab ’jug
Tibetan:
  • ཁྱབ་འཇུག
Sanskrit:
  • viṣṇu

One of the principal deities in the Hindu pantheon.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­759
  • 4.B.­906
  • 4.B.­910
  • g.­961
g.­1434

Water Lily Mansion

Wylie:
  • me tog ku ba la ya’i khyim
Tibetan:
  • མེ་ཏོག་ཀུ་བ་ལ་ཡའི་ཁྱིམ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A mansion in Engaging in Clarification.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­420
  • 4.B.­422
g.­1442

well-gone one

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

An epithet of the buddhas meaning “one who has gone to bliss.” The Sanskrit term literally means “faring well.”

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­79
  • 4.A.­41
  • 4.A.­83-84
  • 4.B.­63
  • 4.C.­169
  • 4.C.­917
  • 4.C.­3064
  • 5.­383
g.­1443

White

Wylie:
  • dkar po
Tibetan:
  • དཀར་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A previous ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.B.­100
g.­1450

wind

Wylie:
  • rlung
Tibetan:
  • རླུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • prāṇa
  • vāyu

One of the four elements that constitute all matter, or one of the three primary humors (doṣa) of the body.

Located in 204 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­9
  • 2.­19-21
  • 2.­254
  • 2.­501
  • 2.­717
  • 2.­737
  • 2.­787
  • 2.­789
  • 2.­808-809
  • 2.­891
  • 2.­970-971
  • 2.­974
  • 2.­977
  • 2.­1034
  • 2.­1043
  • 2.­1162
  • 2.­1203
  • 2.­1213
  • 2.­1325
  • 2.­1422-1423
  • 2.­1427
  • 2.­1480
  • 3.­23-24
  • 3.­44
  • 3.­105-106
  • 3.­108
  • 3.­326
  • 3.­355
  • 3.­363
  • 4.A.­257
  • 4.A.­293
  • 4.A.­332
  • 4.A.­386
  • 4.A.­406
  • 4.B.­243
  • 4.B.­411
  • 4.B.­470
  • 4.B.­568
  • 4.B.­948
  • 4.B.­988
  • 4.B.­994
  • 4.B.­1111
  • 4.B.­1229
  • 4.B.­1273
  • 4.C.­4
  • 4.C.­52
  • 4.C.­55
  • 4.C.­349
  • 4.C.­387
  • 4.C.­407
  • 4.C.­547
  • 4.C.­631
  • 4.C.­686
  • 4.C.­718
  • 4.C.­758
  • 4.C.­1056
  • 4.C.­1080
  • 4.C.­1091
  • 4.C.­1240
  • 4.C.­1362
  • 4.C.­1366
  • 4.C.­1368
  • 4.C.­1438
  • 4.C.­1476
  • 4.C.­1497
  • 4.C.­1654
  • 4.C.­1729
  • 4.C.­1922
  • 4.C.­1946
  • 4.C.­2101
  • 4.C.­2174
  • 4.C.­2194
  • 4.C.­2297
  • 4.C.­2388
  • 4.C.­2502
  • 4.C.­2828
  • 4.C.­2837
  • 4.C.­2862
  • 4.C.­3034
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­44-45
  • 5.­55
  • 5.­66
  • 5.­85
  • 5.­107
  • 5.­110
  • 5.­113
  • 5.­124-152
  • 5.­154-205
  • 5.­207-211
  • 5.­213-219
  • 5.­221
  • 5.­225
  • 5.­240
  • 5.­276
  • 5.­282
  • 5.­309
  • 5.­324
  • 5.­326
  • 5.­340
  • 5.­389
  • n.­121
  • n.­135
  • n.­599
  • n.­609-610
  • g.­335
g.­1454

worm

Wylie:
  • srin bu
Tibetan:
  • སྲིན་བུ།
Sanskrit:
  • kṛmi

When refering to the human body, these are creatures that inhabit it and may either harm or contribute to its health. Note that this term can also mean insects and worms in general.

Located in 140 passages in the translation:

  • i.­8
  • 2.­302
  • 2.­407
  • 2.­502
  • 2.­579-580
  • 2.­611
  • 2.­620
  • 2.­643
  • 2.­654
  • 2.­728
  • 2.­736
  • 2.­770
  • 2.­787
  • 2.­920
  • 2.­970-972
  • 2.­1071
  • 2.­1141
  • 2.­1177
  • 2.­1410
  • 2.­1472
  • 3.­13
  • 4.B.­321
  • 4.B.­369
  • 4.B.­526
  • 4.B.­544-545
  • 4.B.­720
  • 4.B.­1209
  • 4.C.­392
  • 4.C.­1081
  • 4.C.­1218-1219
  • 4.C.­1240
  • 4.C.­1251
  • 4.C.­1364
  • 4.C.­1390-1391
  • 4.C.­2238
  • 4.C.­2241
  • 4.C.­2243
  • 4.C.­2408
  • 5.­38
  • 5.­41-57
  • 5.­68-122
  • 5.­136
  • 5.­147
  • 5.­151
  • 5.­169
  • 5.­192
  • 5.­204
  • 5.­207-211
  • 5.­213-218
  • n.­121
  • n.­579
  • n.­594
  • n.­598
  • n.­602
  • n.­614
g.­1456

worthy one

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

A person who has accomplished the final fruition of the path of the hearers and is liberated from saṃsāra.

Located in 26 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­79
  • 2.­221
  • 2.­368-369
  • 2.­581
  • 2.­967
  • 2.­1004
  • 2.­1164
  • 4.A.­84
  • 4.B.­5
  • 4.B.­791-792
  • 4.B.­1167
  • 4.B.­1263
  • 4.C.­917
  • 4.C.­1013
  • 4.C.­1243
  • 4.C.­1337
  • 4.C.­1447
  • 4.C.­1586
  • 4.C.­2687
  • 4.C.­2868
  • 5.­32
  • g.­622
g.­1458

wrong view

Wylie:
  • log lta
Tibetan:
  • ལོག་ལྟ།
Sanskrit:
  • mithyā-dṛṣṭi

The third among the three mental misdeeds.

Located in 133 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­18
  • 1.­32
  • 1.­47
  • 1.­74
  • 1.­76-77
  • 1.­92
  • 1.­96
  • 1.­113-114
  • 1.­117
  • 1.­119-120
  • 1.­122-123
  • 1.­145-146
  • 2.­119
  • 2.­121
  • 2.­166
  • 2.­215
  • 2.­228
  • 2.­262
  • 2.­264
  • 2.­314-315
  • 2.­318
  • 2.­328-329
  • 2.­712-713
  • 2.­717
  • 2.­720-721
  • 2.­723-726
  • 2.­730-731
  • 2.­734
  • 2.­738
  • 2.­742
  • 2.­744-746
  • 2.­749
  • 2.­753-754
  • 2.­756
  • 2.­759
  • 2.­763
  • 2.­766
  • 2.­769
  • 2.­774
  • 2.­778-779
  • 2.­781
  • 2.­783
  • 2.­826
  • 2.­830
  • 2.­870-871
  • 2.­875
  • 2.­888
  • 2.­893
  • 2.­896
  • 2.­906
  • 2.­912
  • 2.­915
  • 2.­919
  • 2.­921
  • 2.­925
  • 2.­931
  • 2.­936
  • 2.­941
  • 2.­944
  • 2.­947
  • 2.­1014
  • 2.­1134
  • 2.­1216
  • 2.­1220
  • 2.­1381
  • 3.­9
  • 3.­14
  • 3.­194
  • 4.A.­266
  • 4.A.­299
  • 4.A.­427
  • 4.B.­104
  • 4.B.­790
  • 4.B.­793
  • 4.B.­913
  • 4.B.­917
  • 4.B.­922-923
  • 4.B.­928
  • 4.B.­1065
  • 4.C.­298
  • 4.C.­818
  • 4.C.­917
  • 4.C.­1017
  • 4.C.­1200
  • 4.C.­1257
  • 4.C.­1259
  • 4.C.­1444-1445
  • 4.C.­1449-1450
  • 4.C.­1511
  • 4.C.­1546
  • 4.C.­1564
  • 4.C.­1911
  • 4.C.­1920
  • 4.C.­1927-1929
  • 4.C.­1940
  • 4.C.­1960
  • 4.C.­1964
  • 4.C.­1971
  • 4.C.­1996
  • 4.C.­2619
  • 4.C.­2652
  • 4.C.­3018
  • 4.C.­3031
  • 5.­32
  • 5.­267
  • 5.­383
  • 5.­395
  • 5.­420
  • n.­197
  • g.­1310
g.­1459

yakṣa

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A class of nonhuman beings who inhabit forests, mountainous areas, and other natural spaces, or serve as guardians of villages and towns, and may be propitiated for health, wealth, protection, and other boons, or controlled through magic. According to tradition, their homeland is in the north, where they live under the rule of the Great King Vaiśravaṇa.

Several members of this class have been deified as gods of wealth (these include the just-mentioned Vaiśravaṇa) or as bodhisattva generals of yakṣa armies, and have entered the Buddhist pantheon in a variety of forms, including, in tantric Buddhism, those of wrathful deities.

Located in 58 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­80
  • 1.­116-118
  • 1.­121-122
  • 1.­146
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­36
  • 2.­48
  • 2.­113
  • 2.­162
  • 2.­234
  • 2.­272
  • 2.­347
  • 2.­450
  • 2.­572
  • 2.­706
  • 2.­782
  • 2.­954
  • 2.­1149
  • 2.­1255-1256
  • 2.­1308
  • 2.­1328
  • 2.­1332
  • 2.­1334
  • 2.­1336
  • 2.­1340
  • 2.­1351
  • 2.­1355
  • 2.­1386
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­110-113
  • 3.­116-117
  • 3.­119
  • 3.­132-133
  • 3.­169
  • 3.­377
  • 4.A.­210
  • 4.A.­401
  • 4.A.­411
  • 4.B.­139
  • 4.B.­784
  • 4.B.­822
  • 4.B.­890
  • 4.B.­1079
  • 4.C.­1038
  • 4.C.­2035
  • 5.­292
  • 5.­300
  • 5.­307
  • g.­607
g.­1461

Yamunā

Wylie:
  • ya mu nA
  • ya mu na
Tibetan:
  • ཡ་མུ་ནཱ།
  • ཡ་མུ་ན།
Sanskrit:
  • yamunā

A river in Jambudvīpa, still called by the same name today.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.B.­256
  • 5.­391
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    84000. The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma (Saddharma­smṛtyupasthāna, dam pa’i chos dran pa nye bar gzhag pa, Toh 287). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2025. https://84000.co/translation/toh287/UT22084-068-021-section-6.Copy
    84000. The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma (Saddharma­smṛtyupasthāna, dam pa’i chos dran pa nye bar gzhag pa, Toh 287). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee, online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2025, 84000.co/translation/toh287/UT22084-068-021-section-6.Copy
    84000. (2025) The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma (Saddharma­smṛtyupasthāna, dam pa’i chos dran pa nye bar gzhag pa, Toh 287). (Dharmachakra Translation Committee, Trans.). Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. https://84000.co/translation/toh287/UT22084-068-021-section-6.Copy

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