The Tantra of Caṇḍa­mahā­roṣaṇa
Glossary

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

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

Another name for Caṇḍa­mahā­roṣaṇa.

An accomplishment that is the goal of sādhana.

One of the five wisdoms corresponding to the tathāgata Amoghasiddhi.

Trachyspermum ammi.

One of the five buddhas; in the system followed in the CMT, he is at the center of the maṇḍala.

The eleventh bodhisattva level.

One of the five buddhas.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

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

One of the five buddhas.

Unidentified; occurs in a mantra of enthrallment.

One of the eight nāga kings.

One of the five vital airs, centered in the anus.

Celestial nymph.

There are two versions of ardhaparyaṅka posture‍—one sitting, the other dancing. In the CMT, this term refers to the former.

Terminalia arjuna.

The name of a star.

Ferula nartex (Boiss.), Ferula foetida (Regel.)

Seventh lunar asterism.

Saraca indica.

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).

The ninth bodhisattva level.

The prāṇa channel in the centre of the body.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the “eight close sons of the Buddha,” he is also known as the bodhisattva who embodies compassion. In certain tantras, he is also the lord of the three families, where he embodies the compassion of the buddhas. In Tibet, he attained great significance as a special protector of Tibet, and in China, in female form, as Guanyin, the most important bodhisattva in all of East Asia.

Pentapetes Phoenicea; bandhūka flower because of its rich red color is a standard of comparison for anything colored red.

Dalbergia lanceolaria.

This seems to be either another name for Caṇḍa­mahā­roṣaṇa, or an epithet referring to him, meaning “youth”.

Psoralea corylifolia , Psoralea plicata, Vernonia anthelmintica.

The third bodhisattva level.

Aegle marmelos.

Terminalia bellirica.

Piper betle.

In this text, it mostly refers to the female sexual and reproductive organs, however, this terms encompasses several meanings, including “good fortune,” “happiness,” and “majesty”; and forms the root of the word bhagavān (Blessed One).

Same as bhūmisphoṭa (?); Agaricus campestris (?)

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

This term in its broadest sense can refer to any being, whether human, animal, or nonhuman. However, it is often used to refer to a specific class of nonhuman beings, especially when bhūtas are mentioned alongside rākṣasas, piśācas, or pretas. In common with these other kinds of nonhumans, bhūtas are usually depicted with unattractive and misshapen bodies. Like several other classes of nonhuman beings, bhūtas take spontaneous birth. As their leader is traditionally regarded to be Rudra-Śiva (also known by the name Bhūta), with whom they haunt dangerous and wild places, bhūtas are especially prominent in Śaivism, where large sections of certain tantras concentrate on them.

A female bhūta.

Acala corresponding to Buddha Akṣobhya in the center of the maṇḍala.

A type of soil (?)

Solanum nigrum.

Piper nigrum.

Syzygium cumini.

Nymphaea caerulea (?)

Ficus religiosa, the species of fig tree under which the Buddha attained awakening.

Level of the realization of a bodhisattva; according to the general Mahāyāna, there are ten bodhisattva levels; according to Vajrayāna, thirteen.

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).

Enhydra fluctuans.

Clitoria ternatea.

Consort of Yellow Acala.

Cinnamomum camphora.

Normally regarded as a Hindu goddess (a form of Durgā), in the CMT she is invoked to protect from theft.

The chief deity of the CMT.

Another name for Caṇḍa­mahā­roṣaṇa’s consort.

The second class of tantra in most systems of tantra classification (the other classes being, in the fivefold classification, Kriyātantra, Yogatantra, Yogottaratantra, and Yoganiruttaratantra).

Ricinus communis.

Achyranthes aspera.

A prāṇa channel in the subtle body.

A method of generating a deity in visualization (out of male and female sexual fluids mixed in the vagina).

God of wealth.

The twelfth (sometimes the fourteenth) lunar asterism.

Citrus medica.

Citrus medica.

Strychnos potatorum.

The tenth bodhisattva level.

Ficus glomerata.

Euphorbia neriifolia.

Saussurea costus.

Sida cordifolia.

Mucuna pruriens.

Tabernaemontana coronaria.

Piper cubeba florence.

Cuminum cyminum.

A cupola covering each of the four gates of the maṇḍala.

Acacia catechu.

A class of female deities; a class of female nonhuman beings.

A staff; punishment; the duration of a single breath (from the moment of inhalation until the moment of the next inhalation).

Phoenix sylvestre Roxb.

Transformation; in the context of a sādhana, this is the dedication of merit.

Consort of White Acala.

Butea monosperma, Butea frondosa.

A magical formula invoking a particular deity for a particular purpose; dhāraṇīs are longer than most mantras, and their application is more specialized.

The “body of phenomena,” one of the three (sometimes four) bodies of the Buddha.

Cynodon dactylon.

Two crossed vajras.

Datura metel.

A type of magical activity aiming to render a person homeless, or drive away non-human beings.

Leucas cephalotes.

Moringa oleifera.

Zingiber officinale.

A class of nonhuman beings; the name literally means “messenger,” which could imply that these beings can be employed as messengers through magical rites.

Evolvulus alsinoides.

An effigy used in sympathetic magic.

Metaphor, from the Purāṇas, for the world or universe.

Limonia elephantianum (Correa), Feronia limonia (Linn).

Phyllanthus emblica.

One of the four main types of enlightened activity.

One of the four main types of enlightened activity.

One of the four main types of enlightened activity.

Consort of Green ‌Acala.

The sixth bodhisattva level.

Embelia ribes, or Embelia tsjeriam-cottam.

Eclipta prostrata.

A ritual observance involving fasting.

This seems to be an epithet of Caṇḍa­mahā­roṣaṇa.

The five “aggregates” comprising a living being.

The five, in the CMT system, are Akṣobhya (in the centre), Vairocana (in the east), Ratnasambhava (in the south), Amitābha (in the west), and Amoghasiddhi (in the north).

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Refers to the five fundamental precepts of abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and consuming intoxicants.

Milk, curds, butter, urine and dung.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The five supernatural abilities attained through realization and yogic accomplishment: divine sight, divine hearing, knowing how to manifest miracles, remembering previous lives, and knowing the minds of others. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)

Albizzia lebbeck Benth. (Acacia Sirissa).

Four gazes employed for the four activities: enthralling, summoning, killing, and paralyzing.

Immeasurable loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and impartiality.

The four types of bliss arising during sexual intercourse, the full understanding of which leads to liberation.

The four Noble Truths as taught by the Buddha, i.e. the truth of suffering, and so forth.

Free from concepts or mental fabrications.

Zingiber officinale

Scindapsis officinalis.

The solidified resin of Garcinia morella.

A ritual feast for different classes of nonhuman beings.

One of the Hindu gods, often identified with Gaṇeśa.

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.”

Female gandharva.

A mantra that surrounds the central item in a diagram or magical drawing.

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.

Calotropis gigantea.

Consort of Caṇḍa­mahā­roṣaṇa. See also “Vajra realm.”

The seventh bodhisattva level.

The name of Buddha’s wife as found in some texts, including the Lalitavistara; the name of Buddha’s tantric consort.

Eclipse; a class of spirits causing possession.

Acala corresponding to Buddha Amoghasiddhi in the north of the maṇḍala.

A species of snake, or the poison from this snake.

A yakṣiṇī; after conversion to Buddhadharma she became the protectress of children.

Hand (body part); cubit (unit of length); the eleventh (sometimes thirteenth) lunar asterism.

Consort of Black ‌Acala.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the five or six classes of sentient beings. Birth in hell is considered to be the karmic fruition of past anger and harmful actions. According to Buddhist tradition there are eighteen different hells, namely eight hot hells and eight cold hells, as well as neighboring and ephemeral hells, all of them tormented by increasing levels of unimaginable suffering.

Boerhaavia diffusa.

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.

The eighth bodhisattva level; see also Acala (the masculine form), another name of the deity Caṇḍa­mahā­roṣaṇa.

To imbue something with power by reciting the mantra over it.

Sansevieria roxburghiana.

Heliotropium indicum (?)

Heliotropium indicum.

Abrus precatorius.

Abutilon indicum.

Nerium indicum.

Bacopa monnieri.

Sesbania sesban.

Nardostachys jatamansi, Nardostachys grandiflora.

Traquia involucrata.

Valeriana wallichii (more likely), Tabernaemontana crispa (less likely).

Indigofera tinctoria.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The lord of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven on the summit of Mount Sumeru. As one of the eight guardians of the directions, Indra guards the eastern quarter. In Buddhist sūtras, he is a disciple of the Buddha and protector of the Dharma and its practitioners. He is often referred to by the epithets Śatakratu, Śakra, and Kauśika.

Although referred to as the “fourth” in the fourfold division of the joys, the innate joy does not fit into a sequential order in quite the same way as the other three joys. It is first discerned when the supreme joy gives way to the joy of cessation, and is gradually extended through practice until it becomes ever present.

Refers to unconventional practices of a tantric yogin.

The fifth bodhisattva level.

Holarrhena pubescens.

God of wealth.

Jasminum grandiflorum.

Joy in general; the first of the four joys of sexual experience.

The third of the four types of joy.

The first bodhisattva level.

God of love; the name of a vetāla.

A class of wandering ascetics.

A unit of weight equal to 280 grains troy, or sometimes 176 grains troy.

A ritual knife meant for flaying skin.

A comet or a falling star personified.

Vetiveris zizanioides.

Phaseolus mungo, Vigna mungo.

One of the four main types of enlightened activity.

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.

A female kinnara.

An asura in one of the variants of the maṇḍala of Caṇḍa­mahā­roṣaṇa.

The first class of tantra in most systems of tantra classification (the other classes being, in the fivefold classification, Caryātantra, Yogatantra, Yogottaratantra, and Yoganiruttaratantra).

The god of wealth.

Inhalation (one of the four stages during a single breath).

A class of nonhuman beings.

The Buddhist goddess of enthrallment related to or emanating from Tārā.

The Hindu goddess of prosperity.

The prāṇa channel on the left side of the body.

Solanum indicum.

Plumbago zeylanica.

A female deity in one of the variants of the maṇḍala of Caṇḍa­mahā­roṣaṇa; also the name of the consort of Ratna­sambhava.

Piper longum.

Luffa aegyptiaca.

The lotus flower or plant; euphemistic name for the female genital organ.

A very advanced practice that combines wisdom and means.

One of the epithets of Śiva.

A vetāla in one of the variants of the maṇḍala of Caṇḍa­mahā­roṣaṇa.

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.

A goddess invoked in a mantra to cure blindness.

Justicia adhatoda.

Consort of Ratnasambhava.

A maṇḍala created with colored powders.

Mangifera indica

God of wealth.

The deified bodhisattva of wisdom; one of the original sixteen bodhisattvas.

The “Mantra Vehicle,” which is another name for Vajrayāna.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Māra, literally “death” or “maker of death,” is the name of the deva who tried to prevent the Buddha from achieving awakening, the name given to the class of beings he leads, and also an impersonal term for the destructive forces that keep beings imprisoned in saṃsāra:

(1) As a deva, Māra is said to be the principal deity in the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations (paranirmitavaśavartin), the highest paradise in the desire realm. He famously attempted to prevent the Buddha’s awakening under the Bodhi tree‍—see The Play in Full (Toh 95), 21.1‍—and later sought many times to thwart the Buddha’s activity. In the sūtras, he often also creates obstacles to the progress of śrāvakas and bodhisattvas. (2) The devas ruled over by Māra are collectively called mārakāyika or mārakāyikadevatā, the “deities of Māra’s family or class.” In general, these māras too do not wish any being to escape from saṃsāra, but can also change their ways and even end up developing faith in the Buddha, as exemplified by Sārthavāha; see The Play in Full (Toh 95), 21.14 and 21.43. (3) The term māra can also be understood as personifying four defects that prevent awakening, called (i) the divine māra (devaputra­māra), which is the distraction of pleasures; (ii) the māra of Death (mṛtyumāra), which is having one’s life interrupted; (iii) the māra of the aggregates (skandhamāra), which is identifying with the five aggregates; and (iv) the māra of the afflictions (kleśamāra), which is being under the sway of the negative emotions of desire, hatred, and ignorance.

Semecarpus anacardium.

Hygrophila auriculata.

A unit of weight equal to 17 grains troy.

Phaseolus radiatus.

A unit of weight equal to 26 grains of rice.

The twelfth bodhisattva level.

Buddha’s mother.

See “skillful means.”

Any type of dualistic concept or idea.

Oroxylum indicum.

One of the five wisdoms corresponding to the tathāgata Akṣobhya or Vairocana (depending on the system).

Tinaspora cordifolia.

A position of hands, also the “source” deity visualized at the top of the head.

The root (literally and figuratively); also the seventeenth (sometimes the nineteenth) lunar asterism.

Not identified, but perhaps Nardostachys jatamansi (?).

Brassica juncea.

This plant has several edible varieties.

A class of nonhuman beings, half-human and half-snake.

Mesua ferrea; cobra’s saffron.

Female nāga.

The river where the Buddha used to meditate.

In the Tibetan, Śyāmā and Naṭi are confounded into one, sh+ya ma nu Di).

Cassia occidentalis.

The most sensitive spot of the woman’s genitals.

Azadirachta indica.

The “body of transformation,” one of the three (sometimes four) bodies of the Buddha.

Cyperus rotundus.

Vateria indica.

The mind focused one-pointedly.

This has not been identified.

Peace; one of the four main types of enlightened activity.

As a unit of weight, it equals four karṣa; as a unit of capacity, it equals about seven cubic inches, but this may vary from source to source.

Dicliptera paniculata .

A female deity in a variant of the maṇḍala of Caṇḍa­mahā­roṣaṇa.

Consort of Red Acala.

Curtains of pearl necklaces suspended from the walls of the inner rectangle of the maṇḍala.

Liṅga and vajra have many other meanings (too many to list here).

The perfection of wisdom personified.

Callicarpa macrophylla.

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.

Pongamia pinnata.

The thirteenth bodhisattva level.

Vital air in general, and also the vital air (one of the five) centered around the heart.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Literally, “buddha for oneself” or “solitary realizer.” Someone who, in his or her last life, attains awakening entirely through their own contemplation, without relying on a teacher. Unlike the awakening of a fully realized buddha (samyaksambuddha), the accomplishment of a pratyeka­buddha is not regarded as final or ultimate. They attain realization of the nature of dependent origination, the selflessness of the person, and a partial realization of the selflessness of phenomena, by observing the suchness of all that arises through interdependence. This is the result of progress in previous lives but, unlike a buddha, they do not have the necessary merit, compassion or motivation to teach others. They are named as “rhinoceros-like” (khaḍgaviṣāṇakalpa) for their preference for staying in solitude or as “congregators” (vargacārin) when their preference is to stay among peers.

A period of formal practice, usually lasting six months, before the practitioner can employ the mantra for specific purposes.

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.

Worship that involves making offerings.

Retention of breath after inhalation (one of the four stages during a single breath).

The second bodhisattva level.

The pure category, usually beyond the mundane, represented by any ritual implement, iconographic feature, or any other tangible element of worship.

God of wealth.

Portulaca oleracea, Portulaca quadrifida.

The sixth (sometimes the eighth) lunar asterism.

The demon who causes an eclipse.

A particular part of the maṇḍala (?); the Tibetan reads “sand-colored ground”.

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.