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དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་གསང་བ།

The Secrets of the Realized Ones
Chapter 8: The Teaching of the Mystery and Secret of the Realized One’s Speech

Tathāgataguhya
འཕགས་པ་དེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པའི་གསང་བ་བསམ་གྱིས་མི་ཁྱབ་པ་བསྟན་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
’phags pa de bzhin gshegs pa’i gsang ba bsam gyis mi khyab pa bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Teaching of the Mysteries and Secrets of the Realized Ones”
Ārya­tathāgatācintyaguhya­nirdeśa­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra

Toh 47

Degé Kangyur, vol. 39 (dkon brtsegs, ka), folios 100.a.–203.a

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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
+ 4 sections- 4 sections
· Synopsis of the Sūtra
· The Title of the Sūtra
· Later Reception History and Modern Scholarship
· Source Texts and Classical Translations
tr. The Translation
+ 25 chapters- 25 chapters
1. Chapter 1: On Saumya
2. Chapter 2: The Secret of the Bodhisattva’s Speech
3. Chapter 3: The Secret of the Bodhisattva’s Mind
4. Chapter 4: The Coming of Resounding Musical Sound
5. Chapter 5: The Past-Life Story of Dhṛtarāṣṭra
6. Chapter 6: The Path of Awakening
7. Chapter 7: The Secret of the Realized One’s Body
8. Chapter 8: The Teaching of the Mystery and Secret of the Realized One’s Speech
9. Chapter 9: The Secret of the Realized One’s Mind
10. Chapter 10: Celebrating the Virtues of Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas
11. Chapter 11: The Exalted Nature of the Severe Ascetic Practices: The Method of Acquiring Food to Bring Beings to Maturity
12. Chapter 12: The Journey to the Seat of Awakening
13. Chapter 13: The Taming of the Māras
14. Chapter 14: The Turning of the Wheel of Dharma
15. Chapter 15: The Bases of Cognition
16. Chapter 16: The Prediction for Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas
17. Chapter 17: Articulating Nonduality
18. Chapter 18: Enjoying a Meal After Going to Aḍagavatī
19. Chapter 19: The Protectors of the World
20. Chapter 20: Going and Coming
21. Chapter 21: On Śūrabala
22. Chapter 22: The Explanation of Ajātaśatru’s Questions
23. Chapter 23: On Bhadrarāja
24. Chapter 24: The Inexhaustible Nature of the Analogies in Praise of the Virtues of Powerful Memory and the Formulas That Support It
25. Chapter 25: Entrusting the True Dharma
c. Colophon
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· Primary Source Texts
· Editions, Translations, and Other Sources
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

In this sūtra, the narrative largely revolves around the figures of Vajrapāṇi, the yakṣa lord and constant companion of the Buddha, and the Buddha himself. In the first half of the sūtra, Vajrapāṇi gives a series of teachings on the mysteries or secrets of the body, speech, and mind of bodhisattvas and the realized ones. In the second half of the sūtra, Vajrapāṇi describes several events in the Buddha’s life: his practice of severe asceticism, his approach to the seat of awakening, his defeat of Māra, his awakening, and his turning of the wheel of Dharma. Following this, the Buddha gives a prediction of Vajrapāṇi’s future awakening as a buddha and travels to Vajrapāṇi’s abode for a meal. Interspersed throughout the sūtra are sermons, dialogues, and marvelous tales exploring a large number of topics and featuring an extensive cast of characters, including several narratives about past lives of Vajrapāṇi, Brahmā Sahāṃpati, and the Buddha himself. The sūtra concludes with the performance of two long dhāraṇīs, one by Vajrapāṇi and one by the Buddha, for the protection and preservation of the Dharma.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

Translated by David Fiordalis and the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. A first draft was made from the Tibetan by Timothy Hinkle with the assistance of Tulku Tenzin Rigsang and others. David Fiordalis thoroughly revised the translation with close reference to the extant Sanskrit manuscript, as well as the Tibetan translation. Fiordalis also wrote the summary, introduction, annotations, and most of the glossary entries. Fiordalis would like to acknowledge Paul Harrison, who furnished him with his own digital images of the Sanskrit manuscript, and Péter-Dániel Szántó, who generously made his transcription of the manuscript available for readers.

ac.­2

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Rory Lindsay and Nathaniel Rich edited the translation and the introduction, and Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.


ac.­3

The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Jane and Leo Tong Chen, and their family.


i.

Introduction

i.­1

The Secrets of the Realized Ones (Tathāgataguhya) can be called, without exaggeration, a great work of Mahāyāna Buddhist literature. It deserves to be considered a work of literature in the narrower sense of a form of verbal expression of enduring artistic merit, a work of the creative imagination that may elicit pleasure, wonder, and many other responses from an audience, and not simply in the broader sense of literature as a body of written (or oral) works in general. In that narrower sense, it is comparable to better known works of Mahāyāna Buddhist literature, such as The Teaching of Vimalakīrti (Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa, Toh 176), the literary merits of which are already well established, and The Play in Full (Lalitavistara, Toh 95), which deserves more recognition in this regard.1 Both of these latter works would seem to bear a close relationship to The Secrets of the Realized Ones in other respects as well, and it to them.

Synopsis of the Sūtra

The Title of the Sūtra

Later Reception History and Modern Scholarship

Source Texts and Classical Translations


Text Body

The Translation
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra
The Teaching of the Mysteries and Secrets of the Realized Ones

1.

Chapter 1: On Saumya

[F.100.a] [B1]


1.­1

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.


Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying at Vulture Peak in Rājagṛha together with a great monastic assembly of forty-two thousand monks, as well as eighty-four thousand bodhisattvas of great courage, who were well known on account of their fame, a great many of whom had come from other buddha domains. All of them had attained the state of acceptance.32 They could not be turned back. They were limited to only one more life. They had acquired a powerful memory and the formulas that support it. They had acquired states of meditative concentration. Their inspired eloquence was without impediment. They were adept at traveling to limitless buddha domains throughout the ten directions. They had made child’s play of the forms of knowledge including the supernormal faculties.33 They were undefeated in argument by any and all proponents of rival doctrines. They had vanquished their adversaries and Māra in all his forms.34


2.

Chapter 2: The Secret of the Bodhisattva’s Speech

2.­1

[B2] Once again, Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, spoke to the bodhisattva Śāntamati: “Śāntamati, what is the secret of the Bodhisattva’s speech and the purity of his verbal action? Śāntamati, the succession of the bodhisattvas’ rebirths continues for precisely so long as beings continue to be reborn, and for as long as they continue to be reborn, these bodhisattvas make use of language. The knowledge and vision of the bodhisattvas penetrates without impediment beings’ use of language in all the ways they express linguistic utterances, verbal expressions, explanations, conventions, speeches, descriptions of reality, signs, actions, and happiness and suffering. Their knowledge and vision even penetrate the languages used by worms, mosquitoes, flies, bees, and moths. [F.111.a] Since their knowledge and expression of language enables them to relieve the bodies and minds of beings, such verbal expressions emerge from the mouths of those bodhisattvas who know and use language. This is in accordance with the nature of things. In this respect, it should be said:


3.

Chapter 3: The Secret of the Bodhisattva’s Mind

3.­1

Once again, Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, spoke to the bodhisattva Śāntamati: “Now, Śāntamati, what is the secret of a bodhisattva’s mind and the purity of his mental action?

3.­2

“Śāntamati, bodhisattvas undertake their work by means of knowledge, not by taking pride in it. Also, they undertake their work with knowledge without weakening any of the supernormal faculties. They manifest all sorts of actions while making child’s play of the supernormal faculties. They have attained the great mastery that is the mastery of the supernormal faculties. The supernormal faculties they possess are an aspect of knowledge because they are connected with the supreme knowledge of all aspects. The supernormal faculties they possess are an aspect of wisdom because they provide a direct vision of all things. The supernormal faculties they possess have the aspect of inexhaustibility because they conform with everything. Because all forms do not have a form, the supernormal faculties they possess can see all forms. [F.114.b] Because the sounds of the past are the same as the sounds of the future, the supernormal faculties they possess can comprehend all sounds. The supernormal faculties they possess perceive the thoughts of all beings, because they can perceive and thoroughly investigate the true nature of mind. The supernormal faculties they possess can recollect limitless eons, because they do not place any limits on the past or the future. The supernormal faculties they possess can produce every kind of wondrous transformation with their superhuman powers because they have the defining characteristic of being unconditioned. The supernormal faculties they possess conform to the cessation of the defilements, because they perceive the moment and they never miss the moment. The supernormal faculties they possess are conducive to the forms of penetrating insight that are fixed upon what is transcendent and noble. The supernormal faculties they possess are difficult for the disciples and solitary buddhas to understand. The supernormal faculties they possess have profound meaning and defeat their adversaries, Māra in all his forms. The supernormal faculties they possess produce the essence of awakening and are the most supreme form of awakening, which brings about a perfect realization of all the qualities of a buddha. The supernormal faculties they possess are consistent with the turning of the wheel of Dharma. The supernormal faculties they possess can tame all beings. The supernormal faculties they possess secure empowering authority because they have mastery over all things.


4.

Chapter 4: The Coming of Resounding Musical Sound

4.­1

Then the Blessed One spoke to the bodhisattva of great courage, Śāntamati, saying, “Do you hear the voice issuing from the sounds of the cymbals and musical instruments?”

4.­2

“Blessed One, I hear it! Whose power is causing the voice to issue from them?”

“Śāntamati,” replied the Blessed One, “in the world called Meghavatī resides the blessed realized one Melodious King of Clouds. In his presence resides the bodhisattva of great courage Resounding Musical Sound, who has now arrived here in this Sahā world to see me; to honor, worship, and serve me; and to hear the Dharma. He has also come to hear the Dharma that is being taught by Vajrapāṇi and to see the bodhisattvas of great courage who have gathered here from throughout the ten directions. Although his body is invisible, Śāntamati, the bodhisattva Resounding Musical Sound is there in the space above us. In order to pay homage to me and this teaching of the Dharma, he has rained these flowers down upon us. He is playing the music of the cymbals and instruments and it is his voice that we are hearing.”


5.

Chapter 5: The Past-Life Story of Dhṛtarāṣṭra

5.­1

At that point, a certain bodhisattva from the assembly wondered, “How did the Lord of the Guhyakas grow these roots of virtue? How long has he served the Blessed Buddha? What sort of vow did he make by means of which he has come to possess such inspired eloquence?”

5.­2

With his own mind, the Blessed One knew the thoughts in the mind of that bodhisattva, and so he addressed the bodhisattva Śāntamati: “Once upon a time, Śāntamati, in a past eon, going back an incalculable eon, going back more than an incalculable eon, going back a limitless, inconceivable, and measureless span of time, there was an eon called Lovely Illumination. At that time, in a world called Full Array, there appeared a realized one, a worthy one, [F.118.a] a perfectly awakened one, one perfected in knowledge and conduct, a sublime one, a knower of the world, an unsurpassable trainer of those ready to be trained, a teacher of gods and humans, a blessed buddha, whose name was King Arrangement of Manifold Precious Virtues Without End.


6.

Chapter 6: The Path of Awakening

6.­1

“Śāntamati, bodhisattvas of great courage who also wish to awaken to unsurpassable and perfect awakening should follow the example of these great beings in this regard. They should undertake the core practices intent upon the path to awakening and not place their focus on words. And what is this path to awakening?

6.­2

“It eliminates anger toward all beings by cultivating a mind that is suffused with love. On it one strives to accomplish the perfections. One develops the methods of drawing others to oneself. One achieves the four dwellings of Brahmā. One strives to acquire the constitutive factors of awakening. One acquires and refines the supernormal faculties. One becomes a master of skill in means. One who accomplishes all these things gathers a supply of all the virtuous qualities. This is called the path of awakening.


7.

Chapter 7: The Secret of the Realized One’s Body

7.­1

At that point, the bodhisattva Śāntamati asked Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, “Lord of the Guhyakas, what are the secrets of the realized ones? Please use your inspired eloquence to describe, at least partially, the secrets of the realized ones.” [F.126.b]

7.­2

Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, answered the bodhisattva Śāntamati, “Listen, noble son, as I teach through the majestic power and empowering authority of the Buddha. Śāntamati, the secrets of the realized ones are threefold. What are these three? They are the secret of body, the secret of speech, and the secret of mind.


8.

Chapter 8: The Teaching of the Mystery and Secret of the Realized One’s Speech

8.­1

Once again, Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, spoke to the bodhisattva of great courage, Śāntamati: “Śāntamati, what is the secret of the speech and the purity of the verbal action of the Realized One? During the period of time, Śāntamati, from the night when the Realized One awakens to unsurpassable and perfect awakening until the night when, having relinquished his life force, a realized one passes into complete cessation, the Realized One has not articulated and will not pronounce even a single syllable.106 [F.133.a] What is the cause of this? It is because, Śāntamati, a realized one is in a continuous state of meditative concentration. The realized one does not breathe in or breathe out. He does not begin any thought process or continue any thought process, and no speech emerges from what does not begin or continue any thought process. So, a realized one does not begin any thought process or continue any thought process or form any idea. He does not form any concept. He does not speak anything, he does not articulate anything, he does not pronounce anything; and yet, beings have the thought, ‘The Realized One is speaking.’

8.­2

“A realized one is in a state of uninterrupted absorption, and he does not communicate any information with words at all. Yet, beings who place value on words have the thought, ‘The Realized One is teaching us the Dharma, and we have understood the Dharma that the Realized One has taught.’ Nevertheless, a realized one does not form concepts and is in a state of equanimity. Furthermore, Śāntamati, even though no sound issues from a realized one’s teeth, lips, palate, tongue, or mouth, what is heard and what comes out‍—that is, what comes out of a realized one in the form of words and sounds‍—issues from space, and yet beings still have the thought, ‘This is coming out of the mouth of the Realized One himself!’

8.­3

“Śāntamati, the speech of a realized one comes out endowed with sixty exceptional qualities.107 What are these sixty qualities? It comes out as affectionate, tender, lovely, agreeable, pure, immaculate, illuminating, sweet-sounding,108 worth hearing, causing no offense, exciting interest, restrained, refined, smooth, well disciplined, pleasing to the ear, comforting to the body, satisfying to the mind, [F.133.b] gladdening to the heart, bringing joy and happiness, causing no anguish, authoritative, insightful, clear, lovable, worthy of praise, informative, instructive, reasonable, relevant, and free from the fault of redundancy. It shocks like the roar of a lion. It echoes like the trumpet of a bull elephant. It reverberates like a peal of thunder. It resounds like the sound of the ocean. It sounds like a nāga lord, the music of gandharvas, the call of a cuckoo, the melodious voice of Brahmā, and the song of pheasants. It sounds as sweet as the voice of the king of the gods. It sounds like a drum. It is modest, superior, and it permeates all languages. It is free from bad language. It is not deficient. It is undaunted, irrepressible, joyful, comprehensive, smooth, continuous, and playful.109 It completes all sounds and satisfies all the senses. It is irreproachable, unchanging, unwavering, and accessible to all assemblies. It quells desire, tames hatred, conquers ignorance, devours Māra in all his forms, and is endowed with the best of all qualities. Śāntamati, the speech of a realized one comes out endowed with these sixty exceptional qualities.

8.­4

“Moreover, Śāntamati, the speech of a realized one can spread throughout all the worlds of the ten directions and satisfy the aspirations of all beings. Indeed, Śāntamati, a realized one does not have the thought, ‘I am teaching, instructing, delivering, distributing, describing, expounding, or clarifying any discourse, recitation, or prediction; or any verse text, inspired utterance, frame story, “thus it was said” story, jātaka tale, extended discourse, miracle story, or instructions; [F.134.a] or any exemplary story, past-life story, avadāna, or parable.’110 Nevertheless, whatever assembly has gathered around the realized one, regardless of whether it is an assembly of monks, or an assembly of nuns, laymen, or laywomen, or an assembly of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, or mahoragas, with their disparate faculties and strength, by hearing the Dharma everyone is made to understand that the Dharma comes out of the mouth of the realized one, and these teachings of the Dharma overcome any differences in their respective means of expression so that everyone understands the formulation of the Dharma as being particularly for them. Śāntamati, this is the secret of the speech of a realized one.

8.­5

“Moreover, Śāntamati, the Realized One has spoken about the immeasurable conduct of immeasurable beings, and while it has been said that there are eighty-four thousand types of conduct of beings, this is taught by the Realized One as an introductory teaching for beings whose spiritual faculties are weak. In fact, Śāntamati, beings’ conduct is immeasurable, and even an eon would not suffice to describe the conduct of those beings engaged in lustful behavior. An eon would not suffice to describe the conduct of those engaged in hate-filled behavior, those engaged in ignorant behavior, or those engaged in all three types of behavior to the same degree. Śāntamati, imagine if the Realized One were to teach only about the conduct of beings for the entirety of his lifespan of one whole eon.111 [F.134.b] He would reach the end of his life while still teaching about the conduct of beings, and he still would not reach the end of the conduct of beings. Also, he would not have any time for any other Dharma teachings. Thus, the Realized One describes the immeasurable conduct of beings as though it could be measured, because otherwise beings would fall into confusion. In this respect, Śāntamati, the Realized One’s speech about the conduct of all beings comes out in such a way that it gives them an understanding of their conduct. This, too, Śāntamati, is the secret of the speech of a realized one.

8.­6

“Indeed, Śāntamati, those beings who have immersed themselves in the knowledge of the secret of a realized one’s speech do not believe that the Realized One’s speech comes out of his mouth. Instead, they know that it issues from space. Śāntamati, even though it is the case that some beings believe that the Realized One’s speech comes out of his mouth, this is not something that ought to be apparent to you. Why not? Śāntamati, there are some beings who believe that the speech of the Realized One issues from the uṣṇīṣa. Some believe it issues from the top of the head or from the hair. Some believe it issues from the shoulders, while some believe it issues from the forehead, or from the eyebrows, or from the tuft of hair between the eyebrows; or from the eyes, ears, nose, cheeks, mouth, or neck; or likewise from the arms, hands, fingers, ribs, chest, back, navel, private parts, thighs, knees, calves, ankles, or the soles of the feet; or from the primary or the secondary marks of a great being; and some beings believe it issues from each and every pore of the skin on his body. This, too, Śāntamati, [F.135.a] is the secret of the speech of a realized one.

8.­7

“Also, Śāntamati, beings hold various beliefs about the emergence of a realized one’s speech in accordance with their own aspirations and in accordance with the maturation of their own motivations; nevertheless, Śāntamati, a realized one does not form a concept in this respect and exists in a state of equanimity. Śāntamati, this is analogous to a well-crafted musical instrument, a wind bell, which makes a sweet sound without being touched by a hand, but rather when it is moved by the wind. It does not make any special effort to produce a sound, but still it makes a sweet sound because of the special nature of its previous preparation. In the same way, Śāntamati, a realized one’s speech comes out when it is moved by knowledge of beings’ motivations, but a realized one does not make any special effort in this regard to produce it. Rather, a realized one’s speech conforms to the sense perceptions of all beings because of the special nature of a realized one’s previous preparation.

8.­8

“To draw another analogy, Śāntamati, the sound of an echo comes out as a loud report,112 yet the sound cannot be found inside, or outside, or both inside and outside, or somewhere else. In the same way, Śāntamati, the speech of a realized one comes out as a report of the motivations of all beings,113 yet it cannot be found inside, or outside, or both inside and outside, or somewhere else.

8.­9

“To draw another analogy, Śāntamati, in the great ocean there is a wish-fulfilling gem called the gratification of all wishes, which, when fastened to the top of a flagpole, emits a sound in accordance with the wishes of any being, whatever they are. Yet, the precious gem does not form concepts. In the same way, Śāntamati, the gem of a realized one’s speech, which is pure in its ambition, is known to emit a realized one’s speech in accordance with the wishes of any being, whatever they are, [F.135.b] when it is fastened to the top of the flagpole of great compassion. Yet, in this respect, a realized one does not form concepts and exists in a state of equanimity. This, too, Śāntamati, is the secret of the speech of a realized one.

8.­10

“Śāntamati, the blessed buddhas have immeasurable voices. Indeed, Śāntamati, I do not see anyone in this world with its gods, māras, and brahmās, or among its beings, including its ascetics and brahmins, and its gods, humans, and asuras, who has the power to grasp the measure and limit of a realized one’s voice.114 Why do I say this? Śāntamati, I remember one time when the Blessed One was residing right here in Rājagṛha on the hill Vulture Peak, surrounded by a multitude of bodhisattvas. He was revealing at length a teaching of the Dharma called ‘the purification of the sphere of sound,’ and after he had empowered the bodhisattva of great courage, Maitreya, he was nearing the end of the discourse. At that moment, Venerable Maudgalyāyana the Great thought to himself, ‘How far does the Realized One’s sphere of sound go? I would like to measure the Realized One’s sphere of sound.’ So, the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, vanished from his seat and reappeared on the summit of Mount Meru, but while he was standing there he still heard the speech of the Realized One just as clearly as before. So, with the strength of his own superhuman powers, he went to the west of this cosmos of a billion worlds, beyond Mount Meru, beyond the four continents, beyond the mountain ranges and great mountain ranges, until he stood on the peak of the mountain range at the end of the world. However, even there he could hear the Blessed One’s speech just as clearly as before.115 It was the same, nothing more or less.

8.­11

“At this point, the Blessed One had the thought, ‘Oh! Maudgalyāyana wishes to measure the sound of my voice. In that case, I should withdraw my superhuman powers.’ Then, once the Blessed One had withdrawn his superhuman powers, [F.136.a] the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, through the majestic power of the Buddha and the strength of his own superhuman powers, traveled farther westward from this world, beyond buddha domains as numerous as the grains of sand in ninety-nine Ganges Rivers, before finally arriving at a world called Raśmidhvajā, where the realized one Raśmirāja stays, abides, and presently lives teaching the Dharma.116 Standing there even in that distant world, the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, could still hear the speech of the Blessed One just as clearly as before. Just as clearly as one can hear the voice of someone who is only a meter away, that is how clearly the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, could hear the speech of the Blessed One.

8.­12

“Now, the body of the realized one, the blessed Raśmirāja, is a league in height, and the bodies of the bodhisattvas in that realm are half a league in height. So, there was the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, walking along the rims of the alms bowls of those bodhisattvas. The bodhisattvas were quite pleased, and they asked the Blessed One, ‘Blessed One, who is this tiny creature who seems to have the appearance of a monk and is walking along the rims of our alms bowls? From where has he come?’117

8.­13

“The Blessed One answered, ‘Noble sons, do not conceive any thoughts that make fun of him. Why not? He is the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great. He is among the blessed Śākyamuni’s foremost disciples. Among his great disciples, he is the foremost in the possession of superhuman powers.’ Then, the realized one, the blessed Raśmirāja said to the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, ‘Maudgalyāyana, since these bodhisattvas have looked down upon you, you should display miracles with your superhuman powers, having been empowered by the empowering authority [F.136.b] of the blessed one, the realized one, the worthy one, the perfect Buddha Śākyamuni.’

8.­14

“At that point, the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, bowed at the feet of that Blessed One, walked around him seven times, keeping him on the right, and addressed him, saying, ‘Blessed One, I will pervade this whole jeweled continent while seated in a cross-legged posture.’

“That Blessed One replied, ‘Maudgalyāyana, when you know the time is right, go ahead!’

8.­15

“Then, the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, rose into the air to the height of seven palm trees and pervaded the entire jeweled continent while seated in a single cross-legged posture. From his cross-legged posture hung hundreds of thousands of millions and billions of strings of pearls. Each of the pearls emitted a hundred thousand rays of light, and from the points of each of these rays of light, lotuses arose, and within the center of each lotus appeared a seated figure that was an exact likeness of the blessed one Śākyamuni. All of these figures of the Realized One then spoke in praise of the teaching of the Dharma of the blessed one Śākyamuni called ‘the purification of the sphere of sound.’

8.­16

“The elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, then said to that Blessed One, ‘Blessed One, I have now pervaded this world of four continents with a single seated posture. I will likewise pervade a galaxy of a thousand worlds and a galaxy of a hundred thousand worlds. Blessed One, I will even pervade this whole great cosmos of a billion worlds with a single seated posture.’

“That Blessed One said, ‘Maudgalyāyana, when you know the time is right, go ahead!’

8.­17

“The elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, then withdrew his miraculous demonstration and took a seat before the Blessed One. The bodhisattvas were awestruck and asked [F.137.a] that Blessed One, ‘Blessed One, for what purpose has the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, come to this world?’

8.­18

“The Blessed One answered, ‘Noble sons, he has come to this world with the desire to know the measure of the blessed Śākyamuni’s sphere of sound.’

8.­19

“The Blessed One then spoke to the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, saying, ‘Maudgalyāyana, you have come to this world with the desire to know the measure of the sphere of sound of the blessed Śākyamuni’s immeasurable voice. However, you should not give this a second thought. Maudgalyāyana, even if you were to use the strength of your own superhuman powers to travel farther west for eons as numerous as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, you would not be able to reach the limit to the sphere of sound of the blessed Śākyamuni. Blessed buddhas possess an immeasurable voice.’

8.­20

“So, the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, bowed at the feet of that Blessed One and admitted his mistake: ‘Blessed One, in trying to understand the sphere of sound of the endless voice of the Realized One, I have made a mistake, and I admit this mistake. Blessed One, how far have I come?’

8.­21

“The Blessed One answered, ‘You have come to this world after passing through worlds equal in number to the grains of sand in ninety-nine Ganges Rivers.’

8.­22

“Maudgalyāyana said, ‘Blessed One, I am exhausted after having traveled so far. I am unable to return to the Sahā world.’

8.­23

“ ‘Maudgalyāyana, what do you think?’ asked the Blessed One. ‘Do you think that you have come to this world through the strength of your own superhuman powers? You should not think so. Why not? You [F.137.b] came to this world through the majestic power and empowering authority of the blessed Śākyamuni. Pay homage to that Blessed One, and he will bring you back home. Maudgalyāyana, even if you were to go to that world on the strength of your own superhuman powers, you would not be able to get there even within the span of an eon. You would enter into complete cessation before you arrived there. What do you think, Maudgalyāyana? From which direction have you traveled here: north, south, east, or west?’

8.­24

“ ‘Blessed One, I am disoriented,’ Maudgalyāyana answered. ‘I don’t know the direction from which I came to here.’

8.­25

“The Blessed One said, ‘Maudgalyāyana, the main point you should understand is that if you were to go toward that world on the strength of your own superhuman powers, you would not be able to get there even within an eon.’

8.­26

“Maudgalyāyana asked, ‘Blessed One, in which direction is the blessed Śākyamuni dwelling?’

“ ‘Maudgalyāyana,’ answered the Blessed One, ‘the realized one, the blessed Śākyamuni, is dwelling in the east.’

8.­27

“So, at that moment the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, bowed down to the east, placing his knees, elbows, palms and forehead on the ground, and spoke in verse:

8.­28
“ ‘You, of great superhuman power, worshiped by gods and men,
Of infinite wisdom, and possessing infinite speech,
O best of bipeds, please hear me:
May I return once again to that domain!’
8.­29

“Śāntamati, through the majestic power of the Buddha the entire assembly gathered on Vulture Peak was able to hear Maudgalyāyana’s entreaty. Once they all heard it, Venerable Ānanda asked the Blessed One, ‘Blessed One, who is making this entreaty?’

8.­30

“The Blessed One answered, ‘Ānanda, it is Maudgalyāyana. [F.138.a] He left this buddha domain and traveled west, traveling through buddha domains as numerous as there are grains of sand in ninety-nine Ganges Rivers. He is in a world called Raśmidhvajā, in the buddha domain of the blessed one Raśmirāja. Yet, now he wishes to return to this world, and so he is making this entreaty.’

8.­31

“Ānanda asked, ‘Blessed One, for what purpose did Maudgalyāyana the Great go to that world?’

“The Blessed One answered, ‘Ānanda, Maudgalyāyana will come back here, and then you will hear of it.’

8.­32

“Then everyone in the entire assembly knelt down on one knee and raised their arms, palms together in a gesture of salutation, and entreated the Blessed One, saying, ‘Blessed One, we also wish to see the world Raśmidhvajā, the realized one Raśmirāja, the bodhisattvas there, as well as the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great!’

8.­33

“Cognizant of the entreaty of his assembly, the Blessed One then emitted a ray of light called the ray of light that goes everywhere from the tuft of hair between his eyebrows. This ray of light passed through buddha domains as numerous as there are grains of sand in ninety-nine Ganges Rivers and bathed the world Raśmidhvajā in a bright light. The entire retinue then beheld the Raśmidhvajā world, the realized one Raśmirāja, the bodhisattvas there, and the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, who was on the ground entreating the Blessed One.

8.­34

“Then the Blessed One instructed Venerable Maudgalyāyana the Great, ‘Maudgalyāyana, follow this beam of light!’

8.­35

“At that point, the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, relying on the Blessed One’s beam of light, [F.138.b] reappeared in the presence of the blessed Śākyamuni in this Sahā world in as little time as it takes to think a thought. He bowed his head at the feet of the Blessed One and walked around him seven times, keeping him on the right. He then bowed down before the Blessed One, placing his knees, elbows, palms and forehead on the ground, and admitted his mistake, saying, ‘Blessed One, I went so far in the hope of comprehending the sphere of sound of the immeasurable voice of the Realized One. I have made an error, and I admit this mistake. Blessed One, no matter how far I went, the Realized One’s speech sounded exactly the same as it does here.’

8.­36

“ ‘Maudgalyāyana the Great, it is exactly as you have said,’ replied the Blessed One. ‘The speech of the realized ones cannot be measured. Maudgalyāyana, those who have the intention to examine thoroughly the measure or limit of the speech of the Realized One must have the intention to examine thoroughly the measure or limit of space. Why is this? The speech of the Realized One pervades just as far as space pervades.’

8.­37

“When they heard the explanation of the travels of the elder, Maudgalyāyana the Great, ten thousand beings conceived the aspiration for unsurpassable and perfect awakening. This, too, Śāntamati, is the secret of the speech of a realized one.”

8.­38

Vajrapāṇi then said, “Tell me, Śāntamati, would you describe the thoughts of all beings and the actions that arise from those thoughts as amounting to a large number?”

8.­39

“Lord of the Guhyakas,” responded Śāntamati, “even if all beings in this cosmos of a billion worlds were to become solitary buddhas, they would still not be able to conceive, measure, count, or examine all the thoughts of even a single being and the actions that arise from those thoughts, even if they had an eon to do so. So, there is no need to talk of all beings.”

8.­40

“Śāntamati, this is what you should aspire to do!” said Vajrapāṇi. “This is what you should strive to realize! [F.139.a] However many are the thoughts of all beings and the actions that arise from those thoughts, that is how many types and divisions there are of the speech used by the realized one to teach the Dharma in order to satisfy all beings. Yet, in this respect, the realized one has no concept and is in a state of equanimity. It could be expressed in this way:

8.­41
“If all beings in the cosmos of a billion worlds
Were to become solitary buddhas and guides,
They could not comprehend the mental world
Of even a single being, even in an eon.
8.­42
“Though a perfect buddha knows
The extent of a single being’s mind,
He will not form the thought,
‘I know this being’s mind.’
8.­43
“When the Lord of the World teaches the Dharma,
The types of his speech are equal
To the number of thoughts
Of all beings of the three times.
8.­44
“When the Master of Dharma speaks,
As many types of speech as he has,
The word dharma can express
Just as many teachings of the Dharma.
8.­45
“The light rays that issue from a single hair
Of that Essence of Beings
Is equal in number to the appearances,
Words, and thoughts of all beings.
8.­46
“When the Master of Men teaches the Dharma,
The types of his speech are greater
Than the number of light rays that issue
From all the hair of that Lord of the World.
8.­47
“Analogously, even if a buddha
Were to appear for an eon,
One could not find an end
To the sound of a buddha’s voice.
8.­48
“Afflictions that are without form
Are described with formless words.
Yet, words that are without form
Can quell formless afflictions.
8.­49
“Just as words, being formless,
Cannot be found anywhere,
Likewise the formless afflictions
Are totally impossible to find.
8.­50
“Just as words, being nonexistent,
Do not reside within or outside,
Likewise the nonexistent afflictions
Do not reside within or outside.
8.­51
“Just as one cannot find anything to correspond
To the speech of the buddhas in the ten directions,
Likewise, though afflictions cannot be found, [F.139.b]
Words are used to describe them.
8.­52
“All the words of beings‍—
The best, the middling, and the worst‍—
Do not reside in the body or the mind,
And yet they are not without a residence.
8.­53
“Just as a wind bell makes sound
When moved by the wind‍—
While no one is making the sound,
Nonetheless, it makes sound‍—118
8.­54
“Similarly, due to their past purification,
The speech of the buddhas comes out,
Moved by the motivations of all beings.
Yet buddhas form no ideas about this.119
8.­55
“Just like the sound of echoes
Does not reside within or outside,
Likewise the speech of the Master of Men
Does not reside within or outside.120
8.­56
“Just as a precious jewel, being without any concept,
Can satisfy beings with its radiance,
Likewise the speech of the victors, who do not form concepts,
Can bring all sounds to perfection.
8.­57

“Furthermore, Śāntamati, you should know that the secret of the speech of a realized one is the fact that the Dharma is taught according to the languages used by all beings. Śāntamati, a realized one establishes the teaching by using different words for the truths according to the languages used by beings, depending on the different places of rebirth for beings in this cosmos of a billion worlds.

8.­58

“For instance, Śāntamati, what is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the earth-dwelling gods as ‘consumption, the root of consumption, the removal of consumption, and causing consumption to stop.’121

8.­59

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the sky-dwelling gods as ‘aggregation, the cause of aggregation, freedom from aggregation, and freeing one from aggregation.’

8.­60

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, [F.140.a] and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings as ‘arising, measuring, burning, and destroying.’

8.­61

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three as ‘circling, embracing, extinction, and returning to extinction.’

8.­62

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the gods of the Yāma Heaven as ‘harm, drawing harm near, extinction of harm, and cultivating the extinction of harm.’

8.­63

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of gods of the Heaven of the Contented as ‘total wickedness, the root of wickedness, disengagement, and causing complete disengagement.’

8.­64

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of gods of the Heaven of Those Whose Delight Comes From Magical Creations as ‘a leather bag full of air, the cause of the leather bag, deflating the leather bag, and the gateway to the deflation of the leather bag.’

8.­65

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of gods of the Heaven of Those Who Possess the Power to Transform Others’ Delight into Their Own as ‘augh!, the cause of obtaining augh!, freedom from augh!, and the cause of freedom from augh!’

8.­66

“Śāntamati, what is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the māras as ‘burning coals, the harm leading to burning coals, [F.140.b] the desire to reject the burning coals, and liberating one from burning coals.’

8.­67

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the brahmās as ‘pain, the cause of pain, rest from pain, and encircling pain.’

8.­68

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the gods of the Heaven of Brahmā’s Assembly as ‘dripping, the cause of dripping, stoppage, and complete emergence.’

8.­69

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the gods of the Heaven of Brahmā’s Priests as ‘wound, opening the wound, closed wound, and healing the wound.’

8.­70

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the gods of the Heaven of Great Brahmā as ‘causing a flood, causing detritus, bringing the flood to an end, and causing the attainment of the cause.’

8.­71

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the gods of the Heaven of Limited Radiance as ‘oh, no!, ah, no!, ugh, no!,’ and what sounds like ‘hara!’

8.­72

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the gods of the Heaven of Limited Splendor as ‘ohita, nivahita, nigakṣita, and nigamani.’122

8.­73

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ [F.141.a] is described in the language of the gods of the Heaven of Immeasurable Splendor as ‘service, correct service, extinction of service, and reverence.’

8.­74

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the gods of the Heaven of Total Splendor as ‘division, emergence of division, close to home, and always pure.’

8.­75

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the gods of the Smaller Heaven of the Pure as ‘following, always returning, association, going to association.’

8.­76

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the gods of the Heaven of the Cool as ‘purity, possessing purity, purifying purity, and going to purity.’

8.­77

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the gods of the Heaven of the Beautiful Ones as ‘mamamama, mamamame, mananunaya, and mananugama.’123

8.­78

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the gods of the Heaven of the Clear-Sighted Ones as ‘freedom, possessing freedom, root of freedom,’ and what could be rendered as ‘the place of freedom.’124

8.­79

“What is known here as ‘suffering, origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the gods of the Heaven of Great Results as ‘what is unmade, inactivity, freedom from activity, and apex of activity.’

8.­80

“What is known here as ‘suffering, [F.141.b] origin of suffering, cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’ is described in the language of the gods who dwell in the pure realm of the Supreme Heaven as ‘apex, true apex, unmaking, and reconnection.’

8.­81

“In this way, Śāntamati,125 just as there are differences among the gods with respect to the truths, there are likewise differences with respect to the truths among the nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, karoṭapāṇi yakṣas, and mālādhārins.

8.­82

“Furthermore, Śāntamati, here on Jambudvīpa, which is filled with a thousand countries subsumed within the sixteen great countries, each community of people has its own language, its own terminology, and its own conventions. So, here, too, the Realized One establishes the truths in various names by employing the languages found here. So, for example,126 among the thousand countries that fill Jambudvīpa are those of the Śakas, the Pahlavas, the Tukhāras, the Yavanas, the Kambojas, the Khaṣas, the Hūnas, the Cīnas, the Daradas, the Uraśas, the Pilidas,127 the Sāmas,128 the Brāhmaṇas, the Kṣatriyas, the Vaiśyas, the Śūdras, the Vacivas,129 the Kiratas, the Pulindas, the Maruṇḍas,130 the Kurus, the Pañcālas, the Easterners, the Pauravas,131 the Southerners, the Kaliṅgas, the Śabaras, the Vanasakas,132 the Paṇatas, the Sālakas,133 the Dog-Faced People, the Jackal-Faced People, the Kṛviṣa-Faced People,134 the Downward-Facing People, the Upward-Facing People, the Sideways-Facing People, the People of the Northern Borders, the Westward-Moving People,135 the People on the Coasts, the People of the Adjoining Lands, the Aṅkuras, the Makuras, the Snub-Nosed People, the Sabala-pārśvas, the Pārśva-śabaras, the Parṇa-śabaras, the Kukṣa-śabaras, [F.142.a] as well as those who descend from the ancient past and those who dwell in areas beyond these lands.136 Each of these places, Śāntamati, has its own language, its own terminology, and its own conventions, and the Realized One sets forth the truths in various names by employing the languages found therein. And still, the Realized One’s speech does not come out preceded by any thought or cognition.

8.­83

“In this galaxy of a thousand worlds, Śāntamati, ninety-four hundred thousands of millions and billions of truths circulate and are taught under various names. Yet, all of these presentations of the truths converge upon a single meaning, that is, on an ultimate truth, a truth that has no point of origination, a truth that accords with the way things are, an unshakable truth. This, too, Śāntamati, is the secret of the speech of a realized one. [B5]

8.­84

“Moreover, Śāntamati, the speech of a realized one dispels the doubts of all beings and eliminates their hesitancy. As many beings as there are in the immeasurable, incalculable worlds in the ten directions, Śāntamati, if they were all collected into a single collection of beings, the buddhas would know them all, even though one would say that the mass of those beings is far greater even than the mass of the earth element.137 Furthermore, Śāntamati, consider that all these beings are destined to acquire a human body sooner or later, and what is more, all these beings are destined to possess knowledge and wisdom to the same extent as the elder, Śāriputra, such that a single being would possess the knowledge and wisdom of all beings, which would be equal to that of Śāriputra. In this way, all beings would possess knowledge and wisdom to this same extent. Now, Śāntamati, consider that [F.142.b] all these beings would then think over their doubts and questions, assess them, and evaluate them critically for an eon or more than an eon in such a way that the doubts and questions of one being would be different from those of a second being. In this way, Śāntamati, each and every being would ponder over their own respective doubts and questions. Now, consider that all these beings were then to go and see the Blessed One all together, and in the time it takes to snap one’s fingers they were all to ask him to clarify their doubts and questions. After giving his full attention to them with one penetrating thought, the Blessed One would resolve all their doubts and questions by pronouncing a single utterance, and all these beings would know that their respective doubts and questions were resolved, and they all would be gladdened by the Blessed One’s elucidation of their questions.

8.­85

“In this way, Śāntamati, the speech of a realized one dispels the doubts of all beings and eliminates their hesitancy. Still, a realized one has ceased all thought and therefore does not articulate any words, and yet, he does what needs to be done. This, too, Śāntamati, is the secret of the speech of a realized one. This is the marvel of a realized one’s speech.138 This is its purity.”

8.­86

When Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, had described the wondrous nature and the mysterious nature of the speech of a realized one, thirty-two thousand beings conceived the aspiration for unsurpassable and perfect awakening, and the bodhisattvas of this Fortunate Eon from within the buddha domains of the blessed buddhas throughout the ten directions, who were leading the holy life in their presence, showered flowers upon Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, in order to worship him. They also sent him jeweled parasols. The flowers fell upon the bodies of the Blessed One and Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, and spread throughout the entire assembly, while the jeweled parasols [F.143.a] remained hovering in the air above the head of the Blessed One. A voice was then heard coming from the jeweled parasols and this is what it said: “Blessed One, we have been sent by the bodhisattvas of this Fortunate Eon to worship the Blessed One and to convey our appreciation to Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, for having described the nature of a realized one as a marvelous thing.”

8.­87

When they heard this voice, everyone in the assembly was even more awestruck than before, and they all bowed to Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, and developed an even greater sense of respect for him. They said, “We have obtained something well worth obtaining by having seen Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, and having heard about the inconceivable nature of a realized one.139 Among those beings who hear this teaching, none will fail to obtain rebirth as a human being, gain motivation, and stop entertaining doubts. All of them will become ready to be guided by the Realized One and it will be impossible to be turned back from unsurpassable and perfect awakening.”

8.­88

At that point, the Blessed One gave his approval to the entire assembly and spoke to the bodhisattva of great courage, Śāntamati. He said, “Śāntamati, a realized one’s qualities, which are possessed by the Realized One as they truly are,140 run counter to all the worlds. Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, has described them here in this teaching of the Dharma. He has pointed them out and made them clear. Beings will become endowed with these qualities without delay. They will hear this teaching of the Dharma and become motivated by it. They will hold on to it. They will not fear. They will not tremble. They will not fall into a state of terror. They will develop a firm understanding of its meaning, and they will hasten to make it their reality. This is the prediction of their unsurpassable and perfect awakening.”

8.­89

When Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, had taught this teaching, then incalculable, immeasurable worlds throughout the ten directions shook in the six ways [F.143.b] and were pervaded with a great light.141 A great shower of flowers rained down, and the sound of musical instruments and singing could be heard. Incalculable beings conceived the aspiration for awakening. Incalculable bodhisattvas gained the acceptance that brings one into conformity with the Dharma. Incalculable bodhisattvas acquired the acceptance of the fact that things do not arise. Incalculable bodhisattvas brought to maturity the roots of virtue required to be limited to only one more life.

8.­90

At that point, a jet of water became visible. With a diameter measuring the length of a chariot’s axle, it burst through the earth in the middle of the assembly right there in front of the Blessed One, having risen from a depth of sixty-eight thousand leagues. It then rose into the sky as far as the Brahmā world and showered fragrant water upon this entire cosmos of a billion worlds. The Blessed One asked the bodhisattva Śāntamati, “Śāntamati, do you see this jet of water rising into the sky?”

8.­91

“Blessed One, I see it!” he said. “Of whom is this the preceding sign?”

“Śāntamati,” the Blessed One answered, “just as this jet of water bursts through the earth, which is insentient, and rises into the sky, in exactly the same way those beings who hold on to this teaching of the Dharma and hasten to make it their reality will rise up and burst through the door of all views made from ignorance. Doing so, they will manifest the wisdom and inspired eloquence that are the inexhaustible light of the Dharma. In this way, these good people will satisfy all beings with their well-spoken words. This should be known as a unique quality of this teaching of the Dharma.” [F.144.a]

8.­92

This was the eighth chapter, “The Teaching of the Mystery and Secret of the Realized One’s Speech.”142


9.

Chapter 9: The Secret of the Realized One’s Mind

9.­1

Once more Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, spoke to the bodhisattva of great courage, Śāntamati: “In this regard, Śāntamati, what is the secret of the mind of the realized ones and the purity of their mental action? Śāntamati, let me draw an analogy: Those beings who have been reborn among the classes of gods in the formless realm remain focused upon a single object of consciousness for eighty-four thousand eons. They do not change the object of their consciousness to a different object of consciousness so long as their concentration lasts until the time they die and acquire another rebirth in accordance with their accumulation of karma. In precisely the same way, Śāntamati, a realized one has a mind that is not fixed on anything, in such a way that from the night when the bodhisattva awakens to unsurpassable and perfect awakening until the night when the Realized One passes into complete cessation, the state of cessation that is free of any remaining thing, during the intervening time there is no modification of the Realized One’s mind; no mental activity; no mental examination; no forgetfulness of mind;143 no mental alteration;144 no measurement of mind; no excitement of mind;145 no mental conflict;146 no mental avoidance;147 no mental distraction; no mental elation; no mental depression; no mental protection; no movement of mind; no excessive joyfulness in the mind; no mental disturbance;148 no malice in the mind; no vacillation of mind; no special comprehension of mind; no mental stimulation; no mental pressure; no application of mind; no wandering of the mind; no formation of ideas in the mind; no mental conceptualization; no mental imagination; no calming state of mind, no deep mental insight; [F.144.b] no consciousness that chases after thoughts; no dwelling on one’s own thoughts; no mental perception of the thoughts of others; no support from the mind for the eye; no support from the mind for the intellect, the physical body, the tongue, nose, or ear; no support from the mind for visual forms; no support from the mind for thoughts, tactile sensations, tastes, smells, or sounds; no support from the mind for mental objects; no place in the mind for mental appearances; no mind that is without a place; no internal place for the mind; and no external place for the mind. He also has a mind that does not engage with things, a mind that does not engage with knowledge,149 and also a mind that is not perceived as being past, present, or future.


10.

Chapter 10: Celebrating the Virtues of Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas

10.­1

Venerable Śāriputra then spoke to the Blessed One: “Throughout the ten directions, Blessed One, bodhisattvas of this Fortunate Eon are leading the holy life in the presence of blessed buddhas. Is there a Lord of the Guhyakas standing behind all these bodhisattvas?”

10.­2

The Blessed One responded, “Enough, Śāriputra, such activity is inconceivable. The world including its gods would fall into confusion about the conduct of the bodhisattvas. Nevertheless, Śāriputra, those who have faith will be embraced by [F.146.a] companions in what is good and will not worry about this subject at all.”


11.

Chapter 11: The Exalted Nature of the Severe Ascetic Practices: The Method of Acquiring Food to Bring Beings to Maturity

11.­1

The bodhisattva Śāntamati then requested Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, “Please use your inspired eloquence, Lord of the Guhyakas, to shine light on those occurrences that were the causes of wonders, beginning with a description of the splendid array of the Bodhisattva’s severe ascetic practices, his arrival at the seat of awakening, his defeat of Māra, and his turning of the wheel of Dharma, all of which you have witnessed.”


12.

Chapter 12: The Journey to the Seat of Awakening

12.­1

“As soon as the Bodhisattva had washed his body and strength had returned to his body after he had eaten the food, he went to the seat of awakening. An earth-dwelling deity nearby there, named Subhūma, addressed all the earth-dwelling deities, saying:

12.­2
“ ‘An earth bearer, unwavering and unshakeable,
Without craving and devoid of enmity,
The Bodhisattva is approaching that tree.
I will decorate the surface of the fertile ground.’

13.

Chapter 13: The Taming of the Māras

13.­1

“Just as soon as the Bodhisattva took his seat upon the lion’s seat, Śāntamati, a ray of light issued from the tuft of hair between his eyebrows. This light is called challenging Māra, [F.154.a] and it reached a billion māras throughout the cosmos of a billion worlds and touched each of them in their respective abodes, which immediately gave them goose bumps. When they realized that their abodes were being consumed by the light and made dim in comparison, they thought to themselves, ‘What is the cause of this? For what reason have these abodes seemingly been made dim? Could it not be that a bodhisattva is seated on the seat of awakening and is awakening to unsurpassable, perfect awakening?’ Looking down, they saw that the Bodhisattva was seated at the seat of awakening.


14.

Chapter 14: The Turning of the Wheel of Dharma

14.­1

“Indeed, Śāntamati, some gods and humans thought that the conquest of the māras had immeasurable differences in this way, while some thought that Māra was not approaching in any way at all.191 Some thought the Bodhisattva was seated upon a mat of grass, while some saw the Bodhisattva seated upon a lion’s seat resting on a splendid arrangement of lotus flowers made of jewels. Some saw the Bodhisattva situated upon the surface of the earth, while some saw the Bodhisattva seated upon a lion’s seat situated in the vault of the sky. Some saw the tree of awakening as the king of trees, the sacred fig tree; some saw it as the divine Pārijāta tree; some saw it as the divine Kovidāra grove.192 Some saw the tree of awakening as entirely made of jewels. Some gods and humans saw the tree of awakening as being equal in height to a palm tree, and they saw the lion’s seat as equal to half the height of a palm tree. Some saw the tree of awakening as being equal in height to seven palm trees, and they saw the lion’s seat to be equal in height to three and a half palm trees. Some saw the tree of awakening to be eighty-four thousand leagues in height and the lion’s seat to be forty-two thousand leagues in height.


15.

Chapter 15: The Bases of Cognition

15.­1

Now Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, said to the Blessed One, “I hope, Blessed One, that I have not made any false statements about the Realized One in this teaching. Indeed, I hope that what I have said aligns with the teaching of the realized ones. Blessed One, the teaching of the realized ones is deep; Blessed One, the secret of the realized ones is profound. It runs counter to the whole world. The understanding of the minds of the realized ones, Blessed One, is truly difficult to grasp. What I have taught, Blessed One, is whatever knowledge of the realized ones has been established in my body and comes out in that way. It is not due to my own personal effort.”


16.

Chapter 16: The Prediction for Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas

16.­1

At that point, some the bodhisattvas in the assembly had the thought, “When will Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, awaken to unsurpassable and perfect awakening and become a perfect buddha? What will his buddha realm be called? What will be his name when he attains awakening? [F.166.a] What will his assembly of bodhisattvas be like?”


17.

Chapter 17: Articulating Nonduality

17.­1

At that point, the bodhisattva Śāntamati said this to Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas: “The Realized One has made a prediction for you, Lord of the Guhyakas.”

Vajrapāṇi responded, “The prediction made for me, noble son, is one that has the nature of a dream.”

17.­2

“What have you been predicted to obtain?”

“The prediction I have obtained, noble son, is for what does not obtain.”


18.

Chapter 18: Enjoying a Meal After Going to Aḍagavatī

18.­1

Now, Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, was satisfied, overjoyed, pleased, and glad. He felt both delight and cheerfulness of mind at having received the prediction of the fulfillment of his intention. So he said to the Blessed One, “Would you please show compassion for me, Blessed One, and come with these bodhisattvas and great disciples to the capital city of Aḍagavatī in my abode of guhyakas and stay there for seven days? The reason, Blessed One, is that there are many different types of beings, such as yakṣas, kumbhāṇḍas, rākṣasas, piśācas, gandharvas, and mahoragas, dwelling in the capital city of Aḍagavatī. Seeing the Blessed One and hearing the Dharma will be to their benefit, prosperity, bliss, and aims for a long time, and from then on they will abstain from thoughts that are sullied by wickedness and anger. For the Four Great Kings and their assemblies, too, [F.171.a] it will be to their benefit, prosperity, bliss, and aims for a long time.”


19.

Chapter 19: The Protectors of the World

19.­1

Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, then asked [F.175.b] the Blessed One to teach the Dharma: “Please give a teaching that will introduce the guiding principles of the Dharma in such a way that those beings who have not yet conceived the aspiration for awakening will conceive the aspiration for awakening, and become firmly established in the state of being unable to be turned back from unsurpassable and perfect awakening, and so that it will be to the benefit, prosperity, bliss, and aims of this assembly of yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas, piśācas, gandharvas, guhyakas, and mahoragas for a long time, and so that by this distinction they will rise to a state of distinction and will not give up any part of it.”


20.

Chapter 20: Going and Coming

20.­1

At that point, the Blessed One had the thought, “I should make it so that the words of a mantra are heard in this assembly, the articulation of which ensures the well-being of the entire assembly and ensures the long-term availability of the awakening of the realized ones, too.”

20.­2

The Blessed One then spoke to Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas: “Lord of the Guhyakas, do you remember the words of the mantra that were spoken by me in the abode of the nāga king Apalāla, which I recalled as I was at the supreme point of the seat of awakening and spoke again for the well-being and benefit of the world?”


21.

Chapter 21: On Śūrabala

21.­1

At that point, the Blessed One remained at the hill, Vulture Peak, together with the bodhisattvas and great disciples. The Blessed One rested in the afternoon and then he got up and taught the Dharma. Then the sixty thousand inhabitants of the great city of Rājagṛha, including King Ajātaśatru and his household, came to know that the Blessed One had returned. So in the afternoon they took flowers, incense, garlands, and scented oils, left the great city of Rājagṛha and came to the hill, Vulture Peak, and into the presence of the Blessed One. They bowed their heads at the Blessed One’s feet and sat to one side. As they were sitting to one side, King Ajātaśatru spoke to the Blessed One.


22.

Chapter 22: The Explanation of Ajātaśatru’s Questions

22.­1

At that point, it occurred to King Ajātaśatru, “The vajra that Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, is holding in his right hand must be heavy, because if it is light, why is Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, said to possess incredibly great strength?”

22.­2

Then, knowing with his own mind the train of thought of King Ajātaśatru, Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, said to him, “It is, indeed, heavy, Great King, and it is light.”


23.

Chapter 23: On Bhadrarāja

23.­1

At that point, the bodhisattva of great courage, Śāntamati, said this to Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas: “When the Blessed One creates magically created forms of himself, Lord of the Guhyakas, do you create magically created forms of yourself, too?”

23.­2

Vajrapāṇi responded, “I am an eyewitness to what comes directly before the eyes of the Blessed One, Śāntamati, and therefore, even if the Realized One were to create magically created forms of the Realized One equal in number to the grains of sand in the Ganges River, then precisely that many magically created forms of me would accompany them, taking a variety of forms and making child’s play in a variety of ways. This, Śāntamati, is a natural consequence of the purification of my motivation in the past.”


24.

Chapter 24: The Inexhaustible Nature of the Analogies in Praise of the Virtues of Powerful Memory and the Formulas That Support It

24.­1

The bodhisattva Śāntamati then asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, what kind of powerful mnemonic formula is the one called accessing the aspects of the Dharma?”

24.­2

“Śāntamati,” the Blessed One answered, “accessing the aspects of the Dharma is the knowledge that accesses the imperishable in syllables.287 Śāntamati, all things have the syllable ā as their point of entry.288 All things have the syllable ā as their gateway; they are created from the syllable ā; they reach their end in the syllable ā. The syllable ā does the action in verbal action, [F.195.b] but the syllable ā does not know; it does not ascertain, and yet it is the point of entry to all things. This is why the powerful mnemonic formula is called accessing the aspects of the Dharma.


25.

Chapter 25: Entrusting the True Dharma

25.­1

Vajrapāṇi, Lord of the Guhyakas, then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, empower this formulation of the Dharma so that it may be circulated in the latter time.”311

25.­2

The Blessed One replied, “Lord of the Guhyakas, do you remember the words that protect the form of the Dharma,312 which were heard by me in the presence of the realized one Ratnacandra, so that I would take possession of the true Dharma?”


c.

Colophon

c.­1

Translated, edited, corrected according to the revised terminology, and finalized by the Indian scholars Jinamitra, Dānaśīla, and Munivarman, along with the chief editor and translator monk, Bandé Yeshé Dé.


n.

Notes

n.­1
For example, Étienne Lamotte once called the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa “perhaps the crown jewel of the Buddhist literature of the Great Vehicle,” in L’Enseignment de Vimalakīrti (Lamotte 1987, p. v), while more recently Jonathan Silk has made a softer claim, describing it as “one of the most radiant stars in the firmament of Mahāyāna sūtra literature,” on the back cover of Vimalakīrtinirdeśa: The Teaching of Vimalakīrti (Gómez and Harrison 2022). On the appreciation (or lack thereof) of the Lalitavistara as a literary work, see Silk 2022, especially pp. 285 and following. We would also like to acknowledge here our indebtedness to Gómez and Harrison’s translation of the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa. We have used many of their translation choices of terms and phrases in this translation, as well as their explanations for our glossary.
n.­2
For the Sanskrit text of these passages, see Study Group on Buddhist Sanskrit Literature 2005, which also includes the Tibetan and Chinese translations. For a translation from Tibetan of the above passages, see Robert A. F. Thurman, trans., The Teaching of Vimalakīrti, Toh 176, 6.­13 and 4.­1 (2017).
n.­3
The relevant passages are noted in the body of the translation. For the Sanskrit editions of these works, see the following: Lévi 1907; La Vallée Poussin 1903; and Tucci 1971; and for a translation of the final work, which is not extant in Sanskrit, see Gareth Sparham, trans., The Long Explanation of the Noble Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand, Twenty-Five Thousand, and Eighteen Thousand Lines, Toh 3808 (2022).
n.­4
The relevant passages are cited in the body of the translation. For the former, a partial Sanskrit manuscript has recently been identified in Tibet, on which see Wang et al., 2020. A complete translation of it was made from Tibetan into English by Bhikkhu Pāsādika and published serially in the journal Linh-Son publication d’études bouddhiques, beginning with “The Sūtrasamuccaya – An English Translation from the Tibetan Version of the Sanskrit Original (I).” For the latter, the classical Sanskrit edition is Cecil Bendall’s Çikshāsamuccaya: A Compendium of Buddhistic Teaching; it has also been translated into English on two occasions: Cecil Bendall’s and W. H. D. Rouse’s Śikṣā Samuccaya (1922) and Charles Goodman’s The Training Anthology of Śāntideva (2016).
n.­5
The relevant passages are cited in the body of the translation. Sanskrit edition: Bunyiu Nanjio, The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra (1923); English translation: Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, The Lankavatara Sutra: A Mahayana Text (1932).
n.­6
The relevant passages are cited in the body of the translation. It is also possible that the Tathāgataguhya reworks the passages as they are found in the Bodhisattvapiṭaka, or that both texts share a common source or sources. Parts of both passages are also quoted in the Śikṣāsamuccaya and Sūtrasamuccaya, and there they are explicitly attributed to the Tathāgataguhya. A Sanskrit edition of the Bodhisattvapiṭaka will be published in Liland et al. (forthcoming).
n.­7
The relevant passages are cited in the body of the translation. For the list of citations of the sūtra in this text, see Lamotte 1970, p. 1638, n. 1. On the question of authorship and the nature of this important work, see Zacchetti 2021.
n.­8
For a recent approach to the study of Buddhist literature as a form of literature, see Shaw 2021. A classic in the field of literary studies of the Bible is Robert Alter’s The Art of Biblical Narrative (2011).
n.­32
“Acceptance” (bzod pa, kṣānti) likely refers here to anutpattika­dharmakṣānti, “acceptance of the fact that things do not arise,” which is said to constitute a definitive understanding of the emptiness of all phenomena. Possibly the same expression is used to describe Vimalakīrti in the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa, section 2.1, the Sanskrit for which reads prati­labdhakṣāntika. The Tibetan translation here and there is identical: bzod pa thob pa.
n.­33
The Tibetan translation reads mngon par shes pa’i ye shes gyis rnam par rtsen pa, which we understand to be translating a Sanskrit compound similar to abhijñā­jñāna­vikrīḍita.
n.­34
The Tibetan translation here is identical to what is also found in the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa, section 1.3, for which the underlying Sanskrit is likely nihatamāra­pratyarthika. The Tibetan renders this compound as a dvandva, “x and y,” whereas one could interpret it differently to say that the adversaries actually are Māra in all his forms. The idea behind the translation of “Māra in all his forms” is that Buddhist literature generally recognizes several types of Māra. See, for instance, the entry on Māra in Buswell and Lopez, The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism.
n.­106
This sentence is quoted, but without explicit reference to the Tathāgataguhya, and placed in the voice of the Buddha in a passage in the Lankāvatāra Sūtra, for which see Nanjio, pp. 142–43 and 240, for the Sanskrit, and the English translation by Suzuki, pp. 123–24 and 207. This passage is also quoted twice in Candrakīrti’s Prasannapadā, where it is explicitly said to come from the Tathāgataguhya Sūtra. The first citation is in the commentary on chapter 18, verse 7 of the Mūla­madhyamakakārikā; the second citation is in the commentary on chapter 25, verse 24, the last verse in the chapter on the analysis of nirvāṇa. For the Sanskrit text, see La Vallée Poussin 1903, pp. 366–67 and 539–40. There are slight differences between the sentence as it is quoted in the Prasannapadā and the passage as found in the Sanskrit manuscript and the Tibetan translation of this sūtra, but after quoting this sentence, Candrakīrti appears to continue to cite or paraphrase this sūtra. In neither case, however, does there seem to be an exact equivalency to what is found in the extant Sanskrit manuscript or the Tibetan translation. In this respect, it would be interesting to compare the Prasannapadā with the earlier Chinese translation of the sūtra. After the first quotation of the sentence above, Candrakīrti says, “How, then, is the teaching of the Dharma taught by the Blessed One to all the various kinds of folk who are ready to the trained, beginning with gods (sura), asuras, humans (nara), kinnaras, siddhas, vidyādharas, and uragas (i.e., nāgas)? With the mere utterance of speech for a single moment, [a speech that is] a great light, reddish like the sun in autumn, a light that removes the darkness from the minds of those beings (tatajjanamanastamoharaṇī), opens the manifold thickets of the lotuses of their intellects, dries up the oceans and rivers of old age and death, and surpasses the magnitude of the light rays from the seven suns of the fiery conflagration [at the end] of the eon.” Then follows the quotation of the three metaphors in verse from this sūtra for which the references are given when they occur. What follows the second quotation by Candrakīrti of the sentence above is the following: “Moreover, all beings, whose aspirations and constituent elements vary, understand the speech that comes from the Realized One variously in accordance with their level of dedication. And each and every one of them has the thought, ‘The Blessed One is teaching this Dharma to us; we are hearing the Realized One’s teaching of the Dharma.’ In this regard, the Realized One does not form an idea; he does not form a concept. For, indeed, Śāntamati, the Realized One is devoid of all vain imaginings or lingering traces of the web of thoughts and concepts.” This second passage seems quite similar to parts of the passage that follows this one in the main text and part of a passage found a few paragraphs further below in the sūtra. After what was just translated, the second quotation in the Prasannapadā continues with a verse and several more lines that pursue a similar theme, at the end of which Candrakīrti says, “All of this has been explained at length in ‘The Chapter on the Secret of the Speech of the Realized One’ (tathāgata­vāgguhya­parivarta).” The main statement above is also quoted at the beginning of The Long Explanation of the Noble Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand, Twenty-Five Thousand, and Eighteen Thousand Lines‍—see section 1.­81.8‍—where again the quotation appears to differ slightly from the passage as found in the extant Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.
n.­107
The Mahāyāna­sūtrālaṃkāra­bhāṣya makes reference to a list of sixty such qualities, which it attributes to The Teaching of the Lord of Guhyakas (Guhyakādhi­pati­nirdeśa). The Mahāyāna­sūtrālaṃkāra­bhāṣya then defines or explains many of the terms. See Lévi, pp. 79–80, for the Sanskrit, and Jamspal et al., pp. 156–58, for an English translation of the passage. The different iterations of this list contain a few variations.
n.­108
The Tibetan reads snyan cing ’jebs pa, for which the Mahāyāna­sūtrālaṃkāra­bhāṣya has valgu. The Sanskrit manuscript reading of varṇa, perhaps meaning “praiseworthy,” would seem to be a corruption of valgu.
n.­109
The Sanskrit reads luḍitā, which should likely be corrected to laḑitā. The Mahāyāna­sūtrālaṃkāra­bhāṣya reads lalitā. The Tibetan here reads ’brel pa, which seems to repeat the earlier term sahitā (“relevant”).
n.­110
This sentence contains what amounts to an expanded list of classical genres or categories of Buddhist literature, including the traditional lists of nine and twelve “divisions” (aṅga) of the Dharma.
n.­111
Following the Sanskrit manuscript. The Tibetan translation reads “one hundred thousand eons.”
n.­112
Following the Sanskrit manuscript here, which seems to read parivijñaptitā and should be emended to parivijñaptito. Vijñapti means “information” or an “announcement,” “request,” or “report.” Here, the English word “report,” used in the sense of the report a firearm makes when it is fired, gives the appropriate sense. The prefix pari- may suggest the idea that the echo is perceived as producing a “successive” sound, or perhaps that the sound is perceived as coming from “all around,” or perhaps it simply intensifies it‍—a “loud” report. In any case, the Tibetan translation here, gzhan rnam par rig par byed par yang, suggests an alternate reading of paravijñaptitaḥ, which then suggests another possible interpretation that the sound is perceived as coming from “another” (para, gzhan) direction or from “something (or somewhere) else” (para, gzhan), as it sometimes does when one hears a loud noise. In both cases, the analogy appears intended to show that the agency or source of the sound is ambiguous.
n.­113
The clever play continues here on the different senses of the word vijñapti or rnam par rig par byed pa, a “report” or “something informative.” The ambiguity of the compound in Sanskrit and Tibetan is such that the Buddha’s speech here can be said to inform the motivations of all beings, or it is informative of the motivations of all beings, or both at the same time.
n.­114
The following story about the extent of the Buddha’s voice can be fruitfully compared with the story of Abhibhū in the Pali Saṃyutta Nikāya, for a translation of which see Bodhi 2000, p. 250, and with the Buddha’s remarks on this story in the Pali Aṅguttara Nikāya, for a translation of which see Bodhi 2012, pp. 313–14.
n.­115
This sentence and part of the previous few sentences are cited or paraphrased in the *Mahā­prajñā­pāramitopadeśa. On this passage therein, see Lamotte 1976, p. 1985.
n.­116
In the middle of this sentence the fourth segment of text preserved in the Sanskrit manuscript comes to an end. The fifth segment of Sanskrit text, another long segment, resumes after about ten Tibetan pages.
n.­117
This part of the story is cited in a longer passage from the *Mahā­prajñā­pāramitopadeśa that mentions this story in the context of discussing the secrets of the Buddha’s body, speech, and mind in connection with this sūtra. See Lamotte 1981, pp. 560–61.
n.­118
This verse and the next two verses are quoted by Candrakīrti in the Prasannapadā. Here is the Sanskrit, as quoted in that text: yathāyantrakṛtaṃ tūryaṃ vādyate pavaneritam | na cātra vādakaḥ kaścinniścaranty atha ca svarāḥ. For the Sanskrit text, see La Vallée Poussin 1903, p. 366.
n.­119
Here is the Sanskrit of this verse, as quoted in Candrakīrti’s Prasannapadā: evaṃ pūrvasuśuddhatvāt sarvasattvāśayeritā | vāgniścarati buddhasya na cāsyāstīha kalpanā. For the Sanskrit text, see La Vallée Poussin 1903, p. 367.
n.­120
Here is the Sanskrit of this verse, as quoted in Candrakīrti’s Prasannapadā: pratiśrutkādayaḥ śabdā nādhyātmaṃ na bahiḥ sthitāḥ | vāgapyevaṃ narendrasya nādhyātmaṃ na bahịh sthitāḥ. For the Sanskrit text, see La Vallée Poussin 1903, p. 367.
n.­121
In the following list, the attempt has generally been made to follow the conventions of the Tibetan translation and repeat the common expression of the four noble truths in each sentence, and also to translate the equivalent expressions of the truths in the languages of the divine realms into English when the Tibetan also attempts to do so. Nevertheless, the meaning of many of the Tibetan translations is unclear, and thus the English translations should be viewed as somewhat tentative.
n.­122
Here, as in a few other instances in this list, the Tibetan translation simply transliterates what must have been found in the Sanskrit manuscript. This transliteration has been rendered here without an attempt to identify the possible sense, if any. One suspects that a word like ohita may be a non-Sanskritic form of the Sanskrit word avahita, which can mean “plunged into,” but this is speculative.
n.­123
Here, the transliteration of the Sanskrit manuscript has been reproduced as it is found in the Tibetan translation. The meaning, if any, of the underlying manuscript is unclear, but could perhaps be rendered as follows: “ ‘mine, mine’; in regard to ‘mine, mine’; the discipline of conceit (mānānunaya); and pursuing conceit (mānānugama).”
n.­124
The Sanskrit manuscript resumes in the middle of this sentence. The final term in the second list of terms reads muktavatānu­sandhi in the Sanskrit, which the Tibetan translation translates as grol ba’i bye brag phyed par mtshams sbyor ba, perhaps meaning “conducive to thoughts about freedom.” The presence of bye brag phyed par in the Tibetan translation suggests the Tibetans may have read muktamata, “thoughts about freedom,” instead of muktavatā, “a place characterized by freedom.” Also, it is interesting to note that the Tibetan here translates the term anusandhi, “conforming or conducive to,” with the term mtshams sbyor, whereas earlier in the same list the Tibetan transliterates the term in its rendering of haranusandhi, translated above as “what sounds like ‘hara!’ ” In both cases, we have interpreted the term anusandhi to mean that Vajrapāṇi is saying that there is an approximate correspondence between the actual expression in the language of the gods and the way he has rendered it, but this is a somewhat speculative interpretation. Perhaps in both cases the idea behind the term anusandhi is closer to the Tibetan translation of the second instance, “what conforms or is conducive to.”
n.­125
From this point through the remainder of Vajrapāṇi’s speech in this chapter, the Sanskrit manuscript reads kulaputra (“noble son”), whereas in the Tibetan translation Vajrapāṇi addresses him as zhi ba’i blo gros = Śāntamati. This seems to be a pervasive difference between the Sanskrit manuscript and the Tibetan translation.
n.­126
Ikuma 2020 compares the list of ethnic names with a similar list of names found in the Chinese translation of the *Abhidharma-mahāvibhāṣā.
n.­127
Following the Sanskrit manuscript. The Tibetan transliterates the term pilin or possibly pilina. The name and its referent are unclear. One is tempted to correct to Pulinda, but that term is already also present later in the list. Pilindagāma is given in the Pali Vinaya as the nickname of a village where the monk Pilindavaccha begged for alms. See Malalasekera, Dictionary of Pāli Proper Names, under ārāmikagāmā.
n.­128
Following the Sanskrit manuscript. The Tibetan transliterates the term soma. The name and its referent are unclear.
n.­129
Following the Sanskrit manuscript. The Tibetan transliterates the term dacipa. The name and its referent are unclear.
n.­130
Following the Sanskrit manuscript. The Tibetan transliterates the term pun dra, which looks like a legitimate variant reading.
n.­131
This is a conjectural emendation. Ikuma 2020 suggests emending to puruṣa. The Sanskrit manuscript reads puruca and the Tibetan gives a transliteration, phururava.
n.­132
Following the Tibetan transliteration here on the assumption that it is rendering a term in the manuscript on which the Tibetan translation is based. A corresponding term does not seem to be attested in the extant Sanskrit manuscript. The name and its referent are unclear.
n.­133
Following the Sanskrit manuscript. The Tibetan here gives sbal ka, which looks like a corruption of sā la ka.
n.­134
This name and its referent are unclear. The Sanskrit manuscript reads kṛviṣamukha. The Tibetan gives the transliteration/translation kri ba sha’i gdong da. Some kind of emendation seems necessary.
n.­135
This name and its referent are unclear. The Sanskrit manuscript reads paścānudhāyin, but the Tibetan translation of rjes su rgyug suggests a possible emendation to paścānudhāvin, which is what has been used as the basis for this translation.
n.­136
Many of these last several names and their referents are unclear, and it is also unclear whether some of the earlier names, such as “Downward-Facing People,” refer to actual or imaginary groups, or if the list descends intentionally into ambiguous characterizations. The conclusion of the list is also unclear, and the Tibetan translation suggests a number of possible emendations to the Sanskrit text. For instance, where the manuscript reads lokottarikāṇāṃ nāsikānām evaṃpramukhānāṃ…, the Tibetan translation of ’jig rten gyi bar na gnas pa’i yul la sogs pa… suggests lokāntarikāṇām. More work is needed to determine whether the Sanskrit word nāsikānām refers to a group of people or requires some kind of emendation. It does not seem to be represented in the Tibetan translation.
n.­137
From this sentence to the end of this paragraph is cited at the very beginning of The Long Explanation of the Noble Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand, Twenty-Five Thousand, and Eighteen Thousand Lines (Toh 3808), at section 1.­5.
n.­138
Following the Tibetan translation, which reads ’di ni gsung rmad du byung ba’o, for which the underlying Sanskrit ostensibly would be vāgadbhutam iyam. The extant Sanskrit manuscript actually reads vāgbhūtatā iyaṃ, which could be translated, “This is the true nature of a realized one’s speech.”
n.­139
Following the Sanskrit manuscript, which reads tathāgatasyācintyatā. The Tibetan translation has “the inconceivable nature of a realized one’s speech.”
n.­140
Following the Sanskrit manuscript. The Tibetan translation could be interpreted to say “the true nature of a realized one and the qualities of a realized one,” which seems like an attempt to interpret what is a difficult expression in the Sanskrit.
n.­141
Following the Tibetan translation. This sentence provides another good example of the kind of minor differences one sometimes finds between the extant Sanskrit manuscript and the Tibetan translation. Here, the Sanskrit manuscript reads only “incalculable worlds,” rather than the fuller expression found in the Tibetan translation, but notice how the slightly more restrained expression here in Sanskrit conforms a bit better with the next several sentences in both the Tibetan and the Sanskrit.
n.­142
Following the Tibetan translation. In keeping with its numbering and divisions, the Sanskrit manuscript says here “the fourth, namely the chapter on the secret of speech” (vāgguhyaparivarto nāmaś caturthaḥ).
n.­143
Following the Sanskrit manuscript, which reads cittavismṛti. This phrase seems to be absent from the Tibetan translation, as the next Tibetan phrase reads thugs la ’gyur ba mi mnga’, which looks like a translation of the Sanskrit phrase cittapariṇāma or “alteration of mind,” which is absent in the Sanskrit manuscript.
n.­144
This phrase is added from the Tibetan translation. It seems to be absent from the Sanskrit manuscript, as stated in the previous note.
n.­145
Following the Sanskrit manuscript, which reads citta­saṃharṣanaṃ. This phrase seems to be absent from the Tibetan translation, as the next phrase reads thugs la ’grug pa or thugs la ’grul pa, “mental conflict” or “mental confusion.”
n.­146
This phrase is added from the Tibetan translation. It seems to be absent from the Sanskrit manuscript, as stated in the previous note.
n.­147
This phrase, thugs la sel ba mi mnga’, is added from the Tibetan translation. It seems to be absent from the Sanskrit manuscript.
n.­148
Following the Tibetan rnam par ’khrug pa, which suggests emending the Sanskrit manuscript to vikopana from its present reading, vilokana.
n.­149
This phrase follows the Tibetan. It is lacking in the Sanskrit manuscript.
n.­191
The Sanskrit manuscript here reads kecid sarveṇa sarvaṃ māraṃ nopasaṃkrāmantam iti saṃjāṃte [sic], and the Tibetan translation seems to reflect this reading: kha cig gis ni bdud yongs thams cad du ma ’ongs par shes so. The Tibetan interprets the verb form upasaṃkrāmanta in the common sense of “approaching” or “arriving,” and it is used several times in this way previously in this sūtra. However, as Edgerton notes in his entry on the term upasaṃkramati, the same verb can be used in the sense of “violently attack,” and thus it is possible to see a play on words here or simply to translate it as follows: “some thought that Māra was not assaulting him in any way at all.”
n.­192
Following the Sanskrit, which reads kecit pārijātaṃ kecit kovidāraṃ, seemingly suggesting that there is a distinction to be made between the two. The Tibetan translation reads kha cig gis ni byang chub kyi shing yongs ’du sa brtol du mthong ngo, which suggests that the translators understood pārijāta and kovidāra to be referring to a single tree, perhaps a huge banyan tree with multiple trunks forming a single canopy. See Edgerton’s entries on pāriyātra and kovidāra for explanation and disambiguation.
n.­287
There are several layers of punning that occur in this paragraph. The first point is simply to note that the term rendered here and below as “accessing,” anupraveśa in Sanskrit and translated into Tibetan as rjes su ’jug pa, has the primary sense of entering, and the strong secondary meaning here of understanding. Both meanings are implied here simultaneously. Secondly, in this sentence there seems to be a play on the word akṣara, first in the meaning of what is “imperishable” or “unchangeable” (that is, nirvāṇa), and secondly in the sense of “a syllable” or a written character of a syllabary, what an English speaker would call a letter of the alphabet. This pun seems to have been missed by the Tibetan translation, which translates both uses of the term with yi ge (“syllable”), and thus the Tibetan could be translated as “the knowledge that accesses the syllables in the syllables.”
n.­288
There is a pun here on the word ākāra, which can mean both “aspect,” as it does in the name of this dhāraṇī, and “the syllable ā.” The Tibetan translation also picks up on this pun and translates here accordingly, a shes bya ba. There is also the play again on the two meanings of the word dharma, “teaching” and “thing.” Also, we alternated the translation of anupraveśa here with “point of entry.”
n.­311
Following the Sanskrit manuscript here, and translating the verb pracaret as “may be circulated,” as it was translated in a similar context earlier. The Tibetan translation of spyod pa is closer to “may be practiced.” The Tibetan translation here also has the slightly more elaborate expression in the second half of the sentence, similar to what was seen earlier in both Sanskrit and Tibetan, and may be translated as “…so that it may be practiced (spyod pa) in Jambudvīpa in the latter time, that is, in the final five-hundred-year period of the Dharma.”
n.­312
On the translation of gupti here as “form” in the phrase “words that protect the form of the Dharma” (dharma­guptyāra­kṣaṇapada), see Edgerton’s entry on the term gupti. The Tibetan translation of this term is sba ba (“hiding” or “place of concealment”), which reflects the ordinary meaning of the term in Sanskrit.

b.

Bibliography

Primary Source Texts

’phags pa de bzhin gshegs pa’i gsang ba bsam gyis mi khyab pa bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya­tathāgatācintyaguhya­nirdeśa­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra). Toh 47, Degé Kangyur vol. 39 (dkon brtsegs, ka), folios 100.a–203.a.

’phags pa de bzhin gshegs pa’i gsang ba bsam gyis mi khyab pa bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 39, pp. 289–542.

*Tathāgata­guhya­nirdeśa­sūtra. Manuscript G10765. The Asiatic Society, Kolkata. [For an unpublished transcription of this manuscript, see Szántó 2021.]

Editions, Translations, and Other Sources

Alter, Robert. The Art of Biblical Narrative. New York: Basic Books, 2011. First published 1981.

Anesaki, Masaharu. “Docetism (Buddhist).” In The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, vol. 4, edited by James Hastings et al., 835–40. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1911.

Bendall, Cecil (1883). Catalogue of the Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts in the University Library, Cambridge. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Bendall, Cecil, ed. (1902). Çikshāsamuccaya: A Compendium of Buddhistic Teaching. Bibliotheca Buddhica I. St. Petersburg: Académie Impériale des Sciences.

Bendall, Cecil, and W. H. D. Rouse, trans. Śikṣā Samuccaya. London: John Murray, 1922.

Bodhi, Bhikkhu (1978). “The Meaning of the Word ‘Tathāgata’ According to the Pāli Commentaries: Text and Introductory Essay.” Pali Buddhist Review 3.2: 65–83.

Bodhi, Bhikkhu, trans. (2000). The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom.

Bodhi, Bhikkhu, trans. (2012). The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Aṅguttara Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom.

Bodhi, Bhikkhu, and Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, trans. The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom, 1995.

Buswell, Robert E., Jr., and Donald S. Lopez, Jr., eds. The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2014.

Cowell, Edward B. and Robert Alexander Neil, eds. The Divyāvadāna: A Collection of Early Buddhist Legends. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1886.

Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan dkar gyi chos kyi ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag). Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.

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

Edgerton, Franklin. Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit English Dictionary. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1953.

Gómez, Luis, and Paul Harrison, trans. Vimalakīrtinirdeśa: The Teaching of Vimalakīrti. Berkeley, CA: Mangalam, 2022.

Goodman, Charles. The Training Anthology of Śāntideva. London: Oxford University Press, 2016.

Hamano, Tetsunori 滨野哲敬. 如來秘密経の佛陀觀 [The Conception of the Buddha in the Nyoraihimitsu-kyō]. Indogaku Bukkyōgaku Kenkyū 印度學 佛教學 研究第 38.1 (1987): 42–46.

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

Hidas, Gergely. Powers of Protection: The Buddhist Tradition of Spells in the Dhāraṇīv­saṃgraha Collections. Beyond Boundaries 9. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2021.

Hopkins, Edward Washburn. Epic Mythology. Strassburg: K. J. Trübner, 1915.

Ikuma, Hiromitsu 伊久間洋光 (2013). 『如来秘密経』の梵文写本について [On the Sanskrit Manuscript of the Nyoraihimitsu-kyō]. 印度學 佛教學 研究第 Indogaku Bukkyōgaku Kenkyū 61.2: 171–79.

Ikuma, Hiromitsu (2018). “Lalitavistara と『如来秘密経』の仏伝の対応関係” [On the Correspondence of the Lalitavistara with the Buddha’s Biography in the Nyoraihimitsu-kyō]. 印度學 佛教學 研究第 Indogaku Bukkyōgaku Kenkyū 67.1: 126–30.

Ikuma, Hiromitsu (2020).『如来秘密経』梵文写本における地名と民族名のリスト: 『大毘婆沙論』における並行説話との比較 [A List of the Place and Ethnic Names in the Sanskrit Manuscript of the Nyoraihimitsu-kyō: A Comparison with the Parallel Narrative in the *Abhidharma-mahāvibhāṣā]. 印度學 佛教學 研究第 Indogaku Bukkyōgaku Kenkyū 68.2: 101–5.

Jamspal, Lozang, et al., trans. The Universal Vehicle Discourse Literature (Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra). New York: American Institute of Buddhist Studies, 2004.

Jones, J. J., trans. The Mahāvastu, Vol. 2. Sacred Books of the Buddhists. London: Pali Text Society, 1976.

Lalou, Marcel. Inventaire des manuscrits tibétains de Touen-houang: conservés à la Bibliothèque nationale (Fond Pelliot tibétain). Vol. 3. Paris: Librairie d’Amérique et d’Orient, 1961.

Lamotte, Étienne (1966). “Vajrapāṇi en Inde.” In Mélanges de Sinologie offerts à Monsieur Paul Demiéville, 113–59. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.

Lamotte, Étienne (1970). Le Traité de la Grande Vertu de Sagesse de Nāgārjuna (Mahā­prajñā­pāramitopadeśa). Tome III: Chapitres XXXI-XLII. Louvain-la-neuve: Institute Orientaliste de la Université Catholique de Louvain.

Lamotte, Étienne (1976). Le Traité de la Grande Vertu de Sagesse de Nāgārjuna (Mahā­prajñā­pāramitopadeśa). Tome IV: Chapitres XLII(suite)-XLVIII. Louvain-la-neuve: Institute Orientaliste de la Université Catholique de Louvain.

Lamotte, Étienne (1981). Le Traité de la Grande Vertu de Sagesse de Nāgārjuna (Mahā­prajñā­pāramitopadeśa). Tome I: Chapitres I-XV. Louvain-la-neuve: Institute Orientaliste de la Université Catholique de Louvain.

Lamotte, Étienne, trans. (1987). L’Enseignment de Vimalakīrti. Louvain-la-neuve: Institute Orientaliste de la Université Catholique de Louvain.

La Vallée Poussin, Louis de, ed. Mūlamadhyamakakārikās (Mādhyamikasūtras) de Nāgārjuna avec la Prasannapadā Commentaire de Candrakīrti. Bibliotheca Buddhica 4. St. Petersburg: Académie Impériale des Sciences, 1903.

Liland, Fredrik et al. Bodhisatvapiṭaka: A Critical Edition. Sanskrit Texts from the Tibetan Autonomous Region (STTAR). Vienna: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, forthcoming.

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Lewis, Todd. Popular Buddhist Texts from Nepal: Narratives and Rituals of Newar Buddhism. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2000.

Malalasekera, G. P. Dictionary of Pāli Proper Names. Vol. 1. London: John Murray, 1937.

Nanjio, Bunyiu, ed. The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra. Kyoto: Otani University Press, 1923.

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Pāsādika, Bhikkhu, trans. (1978a). “The Sūtrasamuccaya‍—An English Translation from the Tibetan Version of the Sanskrit Original (I).” Linh-Son publication d’études bouddhiques 2: 19–30.

Pāsādika, Bhikkhu, trans. (1978b). “The Sūtrasamuccaya‍—Nāgārjuna’s Anthology of (Quotations from) Discourses: English Translation (III).” Linh-Son publication d’études bouddhiques 4: 26–33.

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Phangthangma (dkar chag ’phang thang ma). Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2003.

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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 feeling of remorse

Wylie:
  • khrel yod pa
Tibetan:
  • ཁྲེལ་ཡོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • apatrāpya

One of a common list of eleven positive mental states (kuśalacaittya) found in Buddhist abhidharma lists. Remorse is what one feels after having realized that one has done something wrong, and it serves as a mental state that hinders one from engaging in such wrong actions again. Often paired with hrī (ngo tsha shes pa).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 19.­47
g.­2

a sense of shame

Wylie:
  • ngo tsha shes pa
Tibetan:
  • ངོ་ཚ་ཤེས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • hrī

One of a common list of eleven positive mental states (kuśalacaittya) found in Buddhist abhidharma lists. Shame is what one feels after having realized that one has done something wrong, and it serves as a mental state that hinders one from engaging in such wrong actions again. Often paired with apatrāpya (khrel yod pa).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 19.­47
g.­3

Abhiratī

Wylie:
  • mngon par dga’ ba
Tibetan:
  • མངོན་པར་དགའ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • abhirati
  • abhiratī

The buddha domain of the Buddha Akṣobhya.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 16.­10
  • 23.­20
  • g.­15
g.­7

acceptance

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

See “patience.”

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 5.­42
  • 7.­46
  • 15.­10
  • 20.­17
  • 21.­22
  • 25.­37
  • n.­32
  • n.­104
  • g.­8
  • g.­9
  • g.­246
g.­8

acceptance of the fact that things do not arise

Wylie:
  • mi skye ba’i chos la bzod pa
Tibetan:
  • མི་སྐྱེ་བའི་ཆོས་ལ་བཟོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • anutpattika­dharmakṣānti

The third and final stage of the three levels of intellectual receptivity or acceptance (kṣānti) of the Dharma. Tantamount to an acceptance of the emptiness of all things, the fact that they do not arise or cease as substantial or essentially real phenomena. It follows from the second level of acceptance, which brings one into conformity with the Dharma (ānulomika­dharmakṣānti), which is in turn preceded by a first stage of acceptance in which one follows the voice (ghoṣānugā kṣānti) of the teacher of the Dharma. This is a distinctive but related use of the term kṣānti, which is also translated in this sūtra as “patience,” when it refers to the perfection (pāramitā) and virtue of patience more generally.

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­11-12
  • 5.­50
  • 7.­49
  • 8.­89
  • 13.­12
  • 15.­41
  • 17.­35
  • 20.­16-17
  • n.­32
  • g.­9
  • g.­353
g.­9

acceptance that brings one into conformity with the Dharma

Wylie:
  • rjes su ’thun pa’i chos la bzod pa thob pa
Tibetan:
  • རྗེས་སུ་འཐུན་པའི་ཆོས་ལ་བཟོད་པ་ཐོབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • ānulomik­adharm­akṣānti

The second of three levels of intellectual receptivity or acceptance (kṣānti), following from an earlier stage in which there is an acceptance that “follows the voice” (ghoṣānugā) of the teacher of the Dharma. At this second stage, there is a deeper acceptance that results in one’s thoughts and actions coming into accord with (literally, “going with the grain of”) the Dharma; that is, with the teachings and the nature of things. The third stage is the acceptance of the fact that things do not arise (anutpatti­kadharmakṣānti). This is a distinctive but related use of the term kṣānti, which is also translated in this sūtra as “patience,” when it refers to the perfection (pāramitā) and virtue of patience more generally.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­89
g.­10

accumulation

Wylie:
  • tshogs
Tibetan:
  • ཚོགས།
Sanskrit:
  • saṃbhāra

See “supply.”

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­29
  • 9.­1
  • 12.­15
  • 18.­5
  • g.­328
g.­11

Aḍagavatī

Wylie:
  • lcang lo can
Tibetan:
  • ལྕང་ལོ་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • aḍagavatī

The name of the capital city in the abode of Vajrapāṇi, as attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra. The manuscript of the sūtra contains the variant spelling Abhagavatī, which could be a spelling error, though it occurs multiple times in the manuscript. The spelling of the name can vary in other texts, too, as the same term is attested for Alakāvatī, Aḍakavatī, and Aṭakāvatī in other sources. Its precise relationship to Alakāvatī, the capital of Vaiśravaṇa, as given in the Mahābhārata, is not entirely clear.

Located in 16 passages in the translation:

  • i.­14
  • 18.­1-2
  • 18.­5
  • 18.­7-9
  • 18.­20
  • 18.­22-23
  • 18.­32
  • 18.­34-35
  • 20.­26
  • 21.­2-3
g.­14

Ajātaśatru

Wylie:
  • ma skyes dgra
Tibetan:
  • མ་སྐྱེས་དགྲ།
Sanskrit:
  • ajātaśatru

King of Magadha after his father, Bimbisāra, whom he is said to have imprisoned and had killed, an act to which this sūtra alludes. Both he and his father are often portrayed in Buddhist texts as great supporters of the Buddha and his community.

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • i.­33-34
  • 1.­5
  • 21.­1
  • 21.­5
  • 22.­1-2
  • 22.­4-6
  • 22.­18
  • 22.­24
  • 22.­55
  • 22.­58
  • 25.­38
  • n.­282
  • g.­120
g.­18

ambition

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

“Higher motivation”‍—an even stronger motivation to pursue the exalted goal of the Buddhist path.

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­13
  • 6.­3
  • 7.­44
  • 8.­9
  • 12.­54
  • 12.­61
  • 12.­70
  • 13.­5
  • 15.­39
  • 19.­4
  • 22.­49-50
  • 24.­6
  • 24.­25
g.­19

Ānanda

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

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

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • i.­37
  • i.­41
  • 8.­29-31
  • 25.­32-36
  • 25.­38
g.­29

Apalāla

Wylie:
  • sog ma med
Tibetan:
  • སོག་མ་མེད།
Sanskrit:
  • apalāla

A nāga king whose name is attested in the Mahāvyutpatti.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 20.­2
g.­32

ascetic

Wylie:
  • dge sbyong
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་སྦྱོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • śramaṇa

A general term for a person who is living a religious life, often involving renunciation, a broader category that includes both non-Buddhist religious renunciants and Buddhist monastics, used especially in the context of the phrase “ascetics and brahmins.”

Located in 21 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­9
  • 3.­6
  • 7.­14
  • 8.­10
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­3-4
  • 11.­7-8
  • 11.­12-13
  • 14.­18
  • 14.­26
  • 15.­32
  • 19.­7
  • 19.­35
  • 25.­5
  • g.­35
  • g.­40
  • g.­177
  • g.­284
g.­33

aspiration for awakening

Wylie:
  • byang chub kyi sems
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་སེམས།
Sanskrit:
  • bodhicitta

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In the general Mahāyāna teachings the mind of awakening (bodhicitta) is the intention to attain the complete awakening of a perfect buddha for the sake of all beings. On the level of absolute truth, the mind of awakening is the realization of the awakened state itself.

Located in 28 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­11-12
  • 5.­26
  • 5.­35-36
  • 7.­34-35
  • 7.­38-39
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­44
  • 8.­89
  • 12.­62
  • 14.­11
  • 15.­15
  • 15.­39
  • 18.­24
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­24
  • 20.­8
  • 20.­16
  • 22.­45-46
  • 22.­48-49
  • 24.­22
  • 24.­25
  • 25.­28
g.­34

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 25 passages in the translation:

  • i.­14
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­28
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­29
  • 7.­14
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­10
  • 8.­81
  • 14.­17
  • 19.­20
  • 20.­27
  • 22.­7
  • 25.­38
  • n.­106
  • n.­171
  • g.­68
  • g.­255
  • g.­264
  • g.­288
  • g.­291
  • g.­320
  • g.­341
  • g.­343
  • g.­374
g.­36

avadāna

Wylie:
  • rtogs pa brjod pa
Tibetan:
  • རྟོགས་པ་བརྗོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • avadāna

A type of Buddhist biographical tale, typically including a story of the present and a story of a past life and the karmic connection between them. It is listed as one of the twelve types of Buddhist literature.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­12
  • 8.­4
  • 15.­35
  • g.­167
  • g.­244
g.­44

bodhisattva of great courage

Wylie:
  • byang chub sems dpa’ chen po
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • bodhisattvo mahāsattvaḥ

A common epithet of great bodhisattvas, the precise meaning of which is contested but that seems to describe someone as possessing great courage, magnanimity, and great strength of character. The term is explained in the *Mahā­prajñā­pāramitopadeśa, which has a short chapter on this term, also as a being who possesses great love and great compassion.

Located in 23 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­6
  • 1.­14-16
  • 1.­19
  • 1.­22-24
  • 1.­35
  • 1.­63
  • 4.­1-2
  • 6.­1
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­10
  • 8.­88
  • 9.­1
  • 16.­3
  • 16.­9
  • 18.­7
  • 20.­10
  • 23.­1
g.­46

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 44 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­5
  • 1.­28
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­6
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­14
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­10
  • 8.­67
  • 8.­90
  • 10.­5
  • 12.­22
  • 12.­24
  • 12.­32
  • 12.­51
  • 14.­12-15
  • 15.­20
  • 16.­2
  • 16.­21
  • 18.­20
  • 20.­14
  • 20.­27
  • 22.­12
  • 22.­23
  • 24.­8
  • 24.­11
  • 25.­9
  • 25.­24-26
  • 25.­29-31
  • n.­24
  • n.­178-179
  • n.­244
  • n.­296
  • g.­47
  • g.­109
  • g.­121
g.­47

Brahmā Śikhin

Wylie:
  • tshangs pa gtsug phud can
Tibetan:
  • ཚངས་པ་གཙུག་ཕུད་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • brahmā śikhī

A name for nickname for Brahmā, which could be rendered Brahmā, “the one with the topknot” (śikhin), who in this sūtra seems to be identical to Great Brahmā, sovereign of this Sahā world (mahābrahmā sahāṃpati).

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­64
  • 14.­12-14
  • 25.­20
  • 25.­24
  • g.­121
g.­55

celibacy

Wylie:
  • tshangs par spyod pa
Tibetan:
  • ཚངས་པར་སྤྱོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • brahmacarya

See “holy life.”

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­32
  • g.­155
g.­56

cessation

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In Sanskrit, the term nirvāṇa literally means “extinguishment” and the Tibetan mya ngan las ’das pa literally means “gone beyond sorrow.” As a general term, it refers to the cessation of all suffering, afflicted mental states (kleśa), and causal processes (karman) that lead to rebirth and suffering in cyclic existence, as well as to the state in which all such rebirth and suffering has permanently ceased.

More specifically, three main types of nirvāṇa are identified. (1) The first type of nirvāṇa, called nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣanirvāṇa), is the state in which arhats or buddhas have attained awakening but are still dependent on the conditioned aggregates until their lifespan is exhausted. (2) At the end of life, given that there are no more causes for rebirth, these aggregates cease and no new aggregates arise. What occurs then is called nirvāṇa without remainder ( anupadhiśeṣanirvāṇa), which refers to the unconditioned element (dhātu) of nirvāṇa in which there is no remainder of the aggregates. (3) The Mahāyāna teachings distinguish the final nirvāṇa of buddhas from that of arhats, the nirvāṇa of arhats not being considered ultimate. The buddhas attain what is called nonabiding nirvāṇa (apratiṣṭhitanirvāṇa), which transcends the extremes of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, i.e., existence and peace. This is the nirvāṇa that is the goal of the Mahāyāna path.

In this text:

This has also been rendered as “nirvāṇa.”

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­35
  • 6.­5
  • 9.­1
  • 14.­23
  • 15.­16
  • 19.­32
  • 23.­18
  • g.­235
g.­57

chastity

Wylie:
  • tshangs par spyod pa
Tibetan:
  • ཚངས་པར་སྤྱོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • brahmacarya

See “holy life.”

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­31-32
  • g.­155
g.­58

child’s play

Wylie:
  • rnam par ’phrul pa
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་པར་འཕྲུལ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vikrīḍita

Derived from a verb that means “to play with” or “to engage in sport,” the term often has the sense in Buddhist literature of doing things easily or making easy work of something as a result of having attained great knowledge and power.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 3.­2
  • 7.­16
  • 13.­12
  • 14.­2-3
  • 14.­26
  • 18.­20
  • 19.­18
  • 20.­27
  • 23.­2
  • n.­203
g.­59

companion in the good

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

A mentor or teacher who guides one’s pursuit of good or virtuous behavior and supports one on the spiritual path.

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • i.­32
  • 1.­12
  • 6.­5
  • 10.­2
  • 19.­7-8
  • 19.­12
  • 19.­19
  • 20.­12
  • 22.­24
  • 22.­57
  • 24.­18
  • n.­46
g.­60

complete cessation

Wylie:
  • yongs su mya ngan las ’das pa
  • yongs su mya ngan las ’da’ ba
Tibetan:
  • ཡོངས་སུ་མྱ་ངན་ལས་འདས་པ།
  • ཡོངས་སུ་མྱ་ངན་ལས་འདའ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • parinirvāṇa

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

This refers to what occurs at the end of an arhat’s or a buddha’s life. When nirvāṇa is attained at awakening, whether as an arhat or buddha, all suffering, afflicted mental states (kleśa), and causal processes (karman) that lead to rebirth and suffering in cyclic existence have ceased, but due to previously accumulated karma, the aggregates of that life remain and must still exhaust themselves. It is only at the end of life that these cease, and since no new aggregates arise, the arhat or buddha is said to attain parinirvāṇa, meaning “complete” or “final” nirvāṇa. This is synonymous with the attainment of nirvāṇa without remainder (anupadhiśeṣanirvāṇa).

According to the Mahāyāna view of a single vehicle (ekayāna), the arhat’s parinirvāṇa at death, despite being so called, is not final. The arhat must still enter the bodhisattva path and reach buddhahood (see Unraveling the Intent, Toh 106, 7.14.) On the other hand, the parinirvāṇa of a buddha, ultimately speaking, should be understood as a display manifested for the benefit of beings; see The Teaching on the Extraordinary Transformation That Is the Miracle of Attaining the Buddha’s Powers (Toh 186), 1.32.

The term parinirvāṇa is also associated specifically with the passing away of the Buddha Śākyamuni, in Kuśinagara, in northern India.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • i.­6
  • 7.­44
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­23
  • 9.­1
  • 19.­24
  • 20.­17
  • 25.­12
  • 25.­15
g.­61

concentration

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

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

Located in 29 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­3
  • 3.­3
  • 3.­9
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­46
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3
  • 14.­16-18
  • 15.­31-32
  • 16.­16
  • 18.­5
  • 18.­7
  • 19.­41-45
  • 20.­10
  • 24.­7
  • n.­96
  • g.­50
  • g.­69
  • g.­342
  • g.­354
g.­62

conducive to the forms of penetrating insight

Wylie:
  • nges par ’byed pa’i cha dang ’thun pa
Tibetan:
  • ངེས་པར་འབྱེད་པའི་ཆ་དང་འཐུན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • nirvedhabhāgīya

Four stages in the development of insight upon the path to awakening, which are given the following names in the Mahāyāna­sūtrālaṃkāra, chapter 14, verse 26ff: “heat” (uṣmagata), “the summit” (mūrdhan), “patience” (kṣānti), and “the highest worldly dharma” (laukikāgra­dharma).

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­2
  • 19.­45
g.­63

confidence

Wylie:
  • ’jigs pa med pa
  • mi ’jigs pa
Tibetan:
  • འཇིགས་པ་མེད་པ།
  • མི་འཇིགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vaiśaradya

See “self-assurance.”

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­26
  • 6.­3
  • 12.­10
  • 19.­5
  • 19.­20
  • n.­230
  • n.­257
  • g.­160
g.­66

constitutive factors of awakening

Wylie:
  • byang chub kyi yan lag
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་ཡན་ལག
Sanskrit:
  • bodhyaṅga

A list of factors conducive to and forming the components of awakening, including the following: mindfulness (smṛti), analytic observation of things (dharma­pravicaya), heroic effort (vīrya), joy (prīti), tranquility (praśrabdhi), concentration (samādhi), and equanimity (upekṣā).

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­11
  • 1.­19
  • 3.­9
  • 6.­2
  • 13.­5
  • 14.­24
  • 15.­24
  • 15.­34
  • 16.­11
  • g.­263
g.­67

cosmos of a billion worlds

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

Sometimes rendered “trichiliocosm,” this term refers to a container (dhātu) of worlds (loka) numbering one thousand to the third power, which equals one billion. It is sometimes contrasted with smaller groups of worlds translated herein as “a galaxy of a thousand worlds” and “a galaxy of a hundred thousand worlds.” While in English, the cosmos refers to the entire universe of many billions of galaxies, in present usage following Buddhist cosmology, it may represent only one of many universes.

Located in 37 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­5
  • 1.­32-33
  • 1.­62
  • 2.­21
  • 3.­12
  • 7.­6
  • 8.­10
  • 8.­16
  • 8.­39
  • 8.­41
  • 8.­57
  • 8.­90
  • 10.­4
  • 12.­3
  • 12.­5
  • 12.­12-13
  • 12.­15
  • 12.­28
  • 13.­1
  • 14.­16-17
  • 15.­27
  • 16.­18
  • 16.­24
  • 20.­24
  • 22.­4
  • 22.­11
  • 22.­14
  • 22.­17
  • 24.­25
  • 25.­6
  • 25.­11
  • g.­121
  • g.­285
  • g.­392
g.­75

desire realm

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In Buddhist cosmology, this is our own realm, the lowest and most coarse of the three realms of saṃsāra. It is called this because beings here are characterized by their strong longing for and attachment to the pleasures of the senses. The desire realm includes hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, asuras, and the lowest six heavens of the gods‍—from the Heaven of the Four Great Kings (cāturmahā­rājika) up to the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations (para­nirmita­vaśa­vartin). Located above the desire realm is the form realm (rūpadhātu) and the formless realm (ārūpyadhātu).

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­3
  • 3.­6
  • 12.­11
  • 12.­21-22
  • 12.­37
  • 14.­18
  • 15.­37
  • g.­106
  • g.­146
  • g.­149
  • g.­150
  • g.­151
  • g.­286
  • g.­398
g.­78

dhāraṇī

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

From the Sanskrit verb dhṛ (“to hold”), the term refers to the ability to hold or retain the Buddha’s teachings in the memory, and the specific mnemonic formulas or aids to doing so, which also distill the teachings into shorter utterances. From there the term also carries a strong sense that such formulas or devices, when spoken or rehearsed in the mind, have extraordinary power to effect change in the world and in oneself.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­32
  • i.­36-37
  • n.­283
  • n.­288
  • n.­303
  • g.­252
g.­84

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

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

In this sūtra, a wheel-turning king in the past whose thousand sons vow to become the buddhas of this fortunate eon; also in this sūtra, used once seemingly to refer to the blind king in the Mahābhārata epic. Finally, although not used in this sūtra, the name of one of the Four Great Kings, the one who presides over the eastern quarter and rules over the gandharvas.

Located in 46 passages in the translation:

  • i.­24
  • 5.­6-8
  • 5.­10
  • 5.­20-23
  • 5.­31
  • 5.­33-34
  • 5.­38
  • 5.­51-52
  • 5.­64-66
  • 7.­5
  • 14.­12
  • n.­91
  • n.­195
  • g.­5
  • g.­26
  • g.­28
  • g.­71
  • g.­72
  • g.­74
  • g.­86
  • g.­89
  • g.­100
  • g.­110
  • g.­170
  • g.­180
  • g.­214
  • g.­243
  • g.­247
  • g.­250
  • g.­298
  • g.­299
  • g.­330
  • g.­352
  • g.­359
  • g.­377
  • g.­378
  • g.­383
g.­87

discernment

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

See “wisdom.”

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­46
  • 15.­32
  • 15.­34
  • 22.­26
  • n.­252
  • g.­69
  • g.­390
g.­88

disciple

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

A term for the Buddha’s followers, those who heard his teachings and were responsible for preserving and spreading them. The term derives from the verb śru (“to hear”), and can thus mean “one who hears,” but it is also closely connected to the senses of “learning” (śravaṇa) and of “causing (something) to be heard” (śrāvaṇa). In these ways, the term has some similarities in the meaning and usage to the English word disciple, which derives from a Latin verb that means to learn. The term śrāvaka is used in some Buddhist texts, such as this sūtra, as distinct from and sometimes in opposition to the “solitary buddha” (pratyekabuddha) and the bodhisattva.

Located in 39 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­18
  • 1.­28
  • 2.­29
  • 3.­2
  • 5.­3
  • 5.­26
  • 5.­60
  • 6.­5-6
  • 8.­13
  • 14.­24
  • 15.­14
  • 15.­18
  • 15.­23
  • 15.­39
  • 16.­13
  • 18.­1-2
  • 18.­7
  • 18.­19
  • 18.­22
  • 18.­26
  • 19.­7
  • 20.­27
  • 21.­1
  • 21.­10
  • 21.­12
  • 21.­14
  • 21.­19
  • 22.­10
  • 22.­12-13
  • g.­90
  • g.­91
  • g.­177
  • g.­215
  • g.­296
  • g.­313
  • g.­388
g.­90

divine eyesight

Wylie:
  • lha’i mig
Tibetan:
  • ལྷའི་མིག
Sanskrit:
  • divyacakṣus

Superhuman eyesight, one of the five or six supernormal faculties possessed by the gods, as well as by buddhas and some advanced disciples, bodhisattvas, and other superhuman beings.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­40
  • 7.­9
  • 9.­2
  • 24.­18-19
  • g.­327
  • g.­342
g.­91

divine hearing

Wylie:
  • lha’i rna ba
Tibetan:
  • ལྷའི་རྣ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • divyaśrotra

Superhuman hearing, one of the five or six supernormal faculties possessed by the gods, as well as by buddhas and some advanced disciples, bodhisattvas, and other superhuman beings.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­40
  • 9.­2
  • g.­327
g.­93

elder

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

A term of respect used to refer to senior Buddhist monks. In this sūtra used only to refer to Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana.

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­10-17
  • 8.­19-20
  • 8.­27
  • 8.­32-33
  • 8.­35
  • 8.­37
  • 8.­84
  • 22.­15
g.­94

element

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

Eighteen collections of similar elements or factors of experience, under which all compounded and uncompounded things may be included: the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, plus their objects: visible forms, sounds, smells, flavors, tangible things, and mental phenomena, plus the six elements of consciousness that arises from the interaction of each of the preceding twelve. They constitute one system of categorizing the constituent parts of sentient experience.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­55
  • 1.­57
  • 6.­5
  • 7.­8
  • 9.­5
  • 14.­22
  • 15.­36
  • 17.­3
  • 23.­10
  • n.­106
  • n.­201
  • g.­342
g.­95

empowering authority

Wylie:
  • byin gyi rlabs
Tibetan:
  • བྱིན་གྱི་རླབས།
Sanskrit:
  • adhiṣṭhāna

A challenging term that derives from a Sanskrit verb that can mean to authorize or empower as well as to stand over, depend on, or serve as a basis for something. As a noun, it can refer to one’s determination or resolve that something be the case, and the object of one’s resolution. Its noun and verb forms are also used in this and other sūtras to convey a sense of extraordinary mastery and power, a kind of superhuman willpower to make things happen.

Located in 19 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­21
  • 1.­24
  • 3.­2
  • 7.­2
  • 8.­13
  • 8.­23
  • 10.­5
  • 14.­9
  • 16.­15
  • 18.­31
  • 20.­7
  • 20.­17
  • 22.­4
  • 22.­7-8
  • 22.­13
  • 24.­30
  • n.­158
  • g.­96
g.­101

exemplary story

Wylie:
  • dpe
Tibetan:
  • དཔེ།
Sanskrit:
  • dṛṣṭānta

A type of short narrative that exemplifies an idea or gives an example or standard for an action or form of behavior, either good or bad, often using metaphor or allegory to convey the meaning.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­4
g.­102

extended discourse

Wylie:
  • shin tu rgyas pa
Tibetan:
  • ཤིན་ཏུ་རྒྱས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vaipulya

A genre of Buddhist literature, which may refer obliquely to the class of Mahāyāna sūtras. Some sūtras include it in the list of twelve types of Buddhist literature. In this sūtra, the Sanskrit manuscript refers to itself as a vaipulya in one of its chapter colophons.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­4
  • n.­105
g.­106

form realm

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

The second of the three realms of saṃsāra, situated above the desire realm and below the formless realm. It is characterized by a subtle degree of materiality and divided into a seventeen different heavens.

Located in 20 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­6
  • 7.­12
  • 12.­22
  • 14.­18
  • 15.­37
  • 18.­3
  • 18.­10
  • g.­137
  • g.­138
  • g.­139
  • g.­140
  • g.­141
  • g.­142
  • g.­143
  • g.­144
  • g.­145
  • g.­147
  • g.­152
  • g.­312
  • g.­331
g.­107

formless realm

Wylie:
  • gzugs med pa’i khams
Tibetan:
  • གཟུགས་མེད་པའི་ཁམས།
Sanskrit:
  • ārūpyadhātu
  • arūpadhātu

The highest of the three realms of saṃsāra, characterized by the fact that the beings reborn there dwell in deep states of meditation. It is divided in four levels according to each of the four formless meditations (ārūpyāvacara­dhyāna), namely, the Sphere of Infinite Space (Ākāśānantyāyatana), the Sphere of Infinite Consciousness (Vijñānānantyāyatana), the Sphere of Nothingness (Akiñcanyāyatana), and the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-perception (Naivasaṃjñānāsaṃ­jñāyatana).

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­28
  • 3.­6
  • 9.­1
  • 15.­37
  • g.­106
g.­109

four dwellings of Brahmā

Wylie:
  • tshangs pa’i gnas pa bzhi
Tibetan:
  • ཚངས་པའི་གནས་པ་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • caturbrahmavihāra

Love, compassion, joy, and equanimity; the cultivation of these four mental qualities puts one in the company of Brahmā. Also known as the four immeasurable states (apramāṇa).

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­2
  • 20.­14
g.­110

Four Great Kings

Wylie:
  • rgyal chen bzhi
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་ཆེན་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • cāturmahārāja

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Four gods who live on the lower slopes (fourth level) of Mount Meru in the eponymous Heaven of the Four Great Kings (Cāturmahā­rājika, rgyal chen bzhi’i ris) and guard the four cardinal directions. Each is the leader of a nonhuman class of beings living in his realm. They are Dhṛtarāṣṭra, ruling the gandharvas in the east; Virūḍhaka, ruling over the kumbhāṇḍas in the south; Virūpākṣa, ruling the nāgas in the west; and Vaiśravaṇa (also known as Kubera) ruling the yakṣas in the north. Also referred to as Guardians of the World or World Protectors (lokapāla, ’jig rten skyong ba).

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • i.­13-14
  • 14.­9
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­7
  • 18.­23-24
  • 18.­33
  • 19.­38-39
  • n.­195
  • g.­84
  • g.­125
  • g.­194
  • g.­364
  • g.­380
  • g.­381
g.­111

frame story

Wylie:
  • gleng gzhi
Tibetan:
  • གླེང་གཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • nidāna

A genre of Buddhist literature or perhaps a component of the literature, the nidāna refers to the introductory chapter or frame story or even the opening formula or introductory part of the discourses. It is listed as one of the twelve types of Buddhist literature.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­4
  • g.­161
g.­113

Full Array

Wylie:
  • rnam par brgyan pa
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་པར་བརྒྱན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

The name of a buddha domain of the past where there lived a buddha named King Arrangement of Manifold Precious Jewels of Virtues Without End.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­2-4
  • g.­197
g.­117

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 24 passages in the translation:

  • i.­14
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­38
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­29
  • 8.­3-4
  • 8.­81
  • 11.­10-11
  • 12.­11
  • 14.­17
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­7
  • 18.­24
  • 18.­32
  • 19.­1
  • 20.­27
  • 25.­38
  • n.­171
  • g.­84
  • g.­110
g.­119

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 10 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­5
  • 1.­28
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­29
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­81
  • 12.­11
  • 14.­17
  • 20.­27
  • n.­171
g.­121

Great Brahmā, sovereign of this Sahā world

Wylie:
  • tshangs pa chen po mi mjed kyi bdag po
Tibetan:
  • ཚངས་པ་ཆེན་པོ་མི་མཇེད་ཀྱི་བདག་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahā­brahmā sahāṃpatiḥ

The brahmā deity who is sometimes called Sahāṃpati, “sovereign of this Sahā world.” This is the name given to the great brahmā deity described in this sūtra as the lord (īśvara) of the cosmos of a billion worlds. The name attested in the Sanskrit manuscript. Also called Great Brahmā (mahābrahmā) or even simply Brahmā in this sūtra and elsewhere, as well as vaśavartin, the “powerful one.” In this sūtra, he also seems to be identified with Brahmā Śikhin, but at the same time Brahmā should be distinguished from the class of brahmā deities who dwell in the Brahmā heavens over which Great Brahmā is also lord.

Located in 16 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­11
  • i.­24
  • 12.­12
  • 12.­14-16
  • 12.­28-29
  • 18.­20
  • n.­178
  • g.­46
  • g.­47
  • g.­83
  • g.­251
  • g.­285
g.­125

guhyaka

Wylie:
  • gsang ba pa
Tibetan:
  • གསང་བ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • guhyaka

A class of nonhuman beings, similar to yakṣas and perhaps synonymous with them in some contexts. They are closely associated with Kubera or Vaiśravaṇa, the lokapāla and god of wealth who is one of the Four Great Kings, but they also have a strong association with Vajrapāṇi, especially in this sūtra. Guhyakas are sometimes considered the guardians of Vaiśravaṇa’s treasure, or even hidden treasures in general, such as veins of gold and other lodes of precious substances concealed or hidden (guhya) beneath the ground. In this way, the terms guhyaka (“divine guardian of hidden treasure”), and guhya (“secret” or “hidden treasure”), play off each other throughout this sūtra.

Located in 124 passages in the translation:

  • i.­11-14
  • i.­44
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­18-20
  • 1.­22
  • 1.­25
  • 1.­53
  • 2.­1
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­12
  • 4.­3-4
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­64
  • 7.­1-2
  • 7.­49-50
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­39
  • 8.­86-89
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­3-6
  • 11.­1-2
  • 15.­1-4
  • 16.­1
  • 16.­9
  • 16.­17-18
  • 16.­24-25
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­7
  • 17.­24
  • 17.­35
  • 18.­1-3
  • 18.­5
  • 18.­7-10
  • 18.­19
  • 18.­25
  • 18.­27
  • 18.­30-34
  • 19.­1-3
  • 19.­23-26
  • 19.­34-37
  • 20.­2-4
  • 20.­8-9
  • 20.­11
  • 20.­17-19
  • 20.­26-28
  • 21.­2-5
  • 21.­22
  • 22.­1-2
  • 22.­4
  • 22.­9
  • 22.­14-17
  • 23.­1
  • 23.­3-4
  • 23.­6
  • 23.­9
  • 23.­11
  • 23.­13
  • 23.­20
  • 25.­1-4
  • 25.­6
  • 25.­10
  • 25.­14
  • 25.­22
  • 25.­38
  • n.­206
  • n.­319
  • g.­304
  • g.­367
g.­137

Heaven of Brahmā’s Assembly

Wylie:
  • tshangs ris
Tibetan:
  • ཚངས་རིས།
Sanskrit:
  • brahmakāyika

The first heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the first state of meditation (dhyāna).

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­68
  • 12.­12
  • 12.­15
  • 12.­28-29
  • 14.­12
  • 18.­8
  • g.­46
g.­138

Heaven of Brahmā’s Priests

Wylie:
  • tshangs pa’i mdun na ’don
Tibetan:
  • ཚངས་པའི་མདུན་ན་འདོན།
Sanskrit:
  • brahmapurohita

The second heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the first state of meditation (dhyāna).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­69
g.­139

Heaven of Great Brahmā

Wylie:
  • tshangs chen
Tibetan:
  • ཚངས་ཆེན།
Sanskrit:
  • mahābrāhmaṇa

The third heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the first state of meditation (dhyāna).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­70
g.­140

Heaven of Great Results

Wylie:
  • bras bu che
Tibetan:
  • བྲས་བུ་ཆེ།
Sanskrit:
  • bṛhatphala

The twelfth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the fourth state of meditation (dhyāna).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­79
g.­141

Heaven of Immeasurable Splendor

Wylie:
  • tshad med dge
Tibetan:
  • ཚད་མེད་དགེ
Sanskrit:
  • apramāṇaśubha

The eighth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the third state of meditation (dhyāna).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­73
g.­142

Heaven of Limited Radiance

Wylie:
  • ’od chung
Tibetan:
  • འོད་ཆུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • parīttābha

The fourth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the second state of meditation (dhyāna).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­71
g.­143

Heaven of Limited Splendor

Wylie:
  • dge chung
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་ཆུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • parīttaśubha

The seventh heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the third state of meditation (dhyāna).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­72
g.­144

Heaven of the Beautiful Ones

Wylie:
  • gya nom snang
Tibetan:
  • གྱ་ནོམ་སྣང་།
Sanskrit:
  • sudṛśa
  • sudarśana

The fifteenth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the fourth state of meditation (dhyāna).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­77
g.­145

Heaven of the Clear-Sighted Ones

Wylie:
  • shin tu mthong
Tibetan:
  • ཤིན་ཏུ་མཐོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • sudarśana

The sixteenth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the fourth state of meditation (dhyāna).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­78
g.­146

Heaven of the Contented

Wylie:
  • dga’ ldan
Tibetan:
  • དགའ་ལྡན།
Sanskrit:
  • tuṣita

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Tuṣita (or sometimes Saṃtuṣita), literally “Joyous” or “Contented,” is one of the six heavens of the desire realm (kāmadhātu). In standard classifications, such as the one in the Abhidharmakośa, it is ranked as the fourth of the six counting from below. This god realm is where all future buddhas are said to dwell before taking on their final rebirth prior to awakening. There, the Buddha Śākyamuni lived his preceding life as the bodhisattva Śvetaketu. When departing to take birth in this world, he appointed the bodhisattva Maitreya, who will be the next buddha of this eon, as his Dharma regent in Tuṣita. For an account of the Buddha’s previous life in Tuṣita, see The Play in Full (Toh 95), 2.12, and for an account of Maitreya’s birth in Tuṣita and a description of this realm, see The Sūtra on Maitreya’s Birth in the Heaven of Joy, (Toh 199).

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­63
  • 12.­8
  • 12.­36
  • 16.­12
  • 18.­9
  • n.­173
g.­147

Heaven of the Cool

Wylie:
  • mi gdung ba
Tibetan:
  • མི་གདུང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • atapa

The fourteenth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the fourth state of meditation (dhyāna).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­76
g.­148

Heaven of the Four Great Kings

Wylie:
  • rgyal chen bzhi’i ris
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་ཆེན་བཞིའི་རིས།
Sanskrit:
  • caturmahā­rājika

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the heavens of Buddhist cosmology, lowest among the six heavens of the desire realm (kāmadhātu, ’dod khams). Dwelling place of the Four Great Kings (caturmahārāja, rgyal chen bzhi), traditionally located on a terrace of Sumeru, just below the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Each cardinal direction is ruled by one of the Four Great Kings and inhabited by a different class of nonhuman beings as their subjects: in the east, Dhṛtarāṣṭra rules the gandharvas; in the south, Virūḍhaka rules the kumbhāṇḍas; in the west, Virūpākṣa rules the nāgas; and in the north, Vaiśravaṇa rules the yakṣas.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­60
  • 18.­9
  • g.­75
g.­149

Heaven of the Thirty-Three

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

The second heaven of heavens of the desire realm, situated on the summit of Mount Meru and ruled by Śakra, whose Vaijayanta Palace is located there.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­52
  • 8.­61
  • 12.­39
  • 18.­9
  • n.­173
  • g.­286
  • g.­362
g.­150

Heaven of Those Who Possess the Power to Transform Others’ Delight into Their Own

Wylie:
  • gzhan ’phrul dbang byed
Tibetan:
  • གཞན་འཕྲུལ་དབང་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • para­nirmitavaśavartin

The highest of the six heavens of the desire realm. Also rendered poetically in this sūtra as The Heaven of Transforming Others’ Delight.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­65
  • 18.­9
  • g.­75
g.­151

Heaven of Those Whose Delight Comes from Magical Creations

Wylie:
  • ’phrul dga’
Tibetan:
  • འཕྲུལ་དགའ།
Sanskrit:
  • nirmāṇarati

The second highest of the six heavens of the desire realm. Also rendered poetically in this sūtra as The Heaven of Delighting in Magical Creations.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­64
  • 18.­9
g.­152

Heaven of Total Splendor

Wylie:
  • dge rgyas
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་རྒྱས།
Sanskrit:
  • śubhakṛtsna

The ninth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the third state of meditation (dhyāna).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­74
g.­154

heroic effort

Wylie:
  • brtson
  • brtson ’grus
Tibetan:
  • བརྩོན།
  • བརྩོན་འགྲུས།
Sanskrit:
  • vīrya

One of the perfections (pāramitā), implying diligence, courage, and the great effort of a hero (vīra).

Located in 29 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­7
  • 2.­25
  • 3.­7-8
  • 5.­24
  • 6.­4
  • 7.­46
  • 11.­7
  • 13.­5
  • 15.­20
  • 15.­28
  • 18.­13
  • 19.­9
  • 19.­18-19
  • 19.­26
  • 19.­28
  • 20.­10
  • 21.­6
  • 21.­8
  • 21.­22
  • 22.­29
  • 24.­11
  • 24.­16
  • 24.­20
  • 24.­22
  • 25.­31
  • g.­66
  • g.­105
g.­155

holy life

Wylie:
  • tshangs par spyad pa spyod pa
  • tshangs par spyod pa
Tibetan:
  • ཚངས་པར་སྤྱད་པ་སྤྱོད་པ།
  • ཚངས་པར་སྤྱོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • brahmacarya

A term that can refer in some contexts to chastity or complete celibacy, it can also be used in the sense of the overall practice of a religious or spiritual life as a devout person or a renunciant.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • i.­28
  • 8.­86
  • 10.­1
  • 12.­63
  • 16.­10
  • 19.­41-45
  • 21.­5
  • 22.­57
  • 25.­14
  • g.­55
  • g.­57
g.­156

incalculable eon

Wylie:
  • bskal pa grangs med pa
Tibetan:
  • བསྐལ་པ་གྲངས་མེད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • asaṃkhyeyakalpa

The name of a certain kind of kalpa that literally means “incalculable.” The number of years in this kalpa differs in the various sūtras that give it a number. Also, twenty intermediate kalpas are said to be one incalculable kalpa, and four incalculable kalpas are one great kalpa. In light of that, those four incalculable kalpas represent the kalpas of the creation, presence, destruction, and absence of a world. Buddhas are often described as appearing in a second “incalculable” kalpa.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­2
  • 21.­6
  • 25.­22
g.­157

inconceivable

Wylie:
  • bsam gyis mi khyab pa
Tibetan:
  • བསམ་གྱིས་མི་ཁྱབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • acintya

See “mystery.”

Located in 20 passages in the translation:

  • i.­21
  • i.­42
  • 1.­63
  • 2.­2
  • 5.­2
  • 7.­42
  • 8.­87
  • 9.­6
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­5
  • 11.­9
  • 18.­4
  • 20.­11-12
  • 21.­6
  • 25.­32
  • n.­51
  • n.­99
  • n.­139
  • n.­158
g.­160

inspired eloquence

Wylie:
  • spobs pa
Tibetan:
  • སྤོབས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • pratibhāna

The trait of being able to speak readily and fluently and with inspiration and confidence about the Dharma and, indeed, in any teaching situation. Connected with the Sanskrit term pratibhā, which can have the sense of coming into view, appearing to the mind, becoming clear, and thus it has the sense of brilliance and clarity of thought expressed in speech.

Located in 26 passages in the translation:

  • i.­24
  • i.­33
  • i.­35-36
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­8
  • 1.­18
  • 1.­20
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­28
  • 7.­1
  • 8.­91
  • 11.­1
  • 20.­3
  • 21.­4-5
  • 23.­16-20
  • 24.­4
  • 24.­7
  • 24.­30
  • 24.­32
  • g.­314
g.­161

inspired utterance

Wylie:
  • ched du brjod pa
Tibetan:
  • ཆེད་དུ་བརྗོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • udāna

A genre of Buddhist literature, included in the list of both nine or twelve types. There is a specific text in the Pali canon that compiles a number of such stories, which give a short prose narrative concluding with the Buddha giving an inspired utterance in verse. The Udāna in Chinese does not include the frame story, but only the verses.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­4
  • 18.­30
g.­162

instruction

Wylie:
  • gtan la dbab par bstan pa
Tibetan:
  • གཏན་ལ་དབབ་པར་བསྟན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • upadeśa

A genre of Buddhist literature, one of the common list of twelve types. It has been used to refer to scholastic treatises as well as texts that give practice instructions.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­3
  • 1.­39
  • 1.­52
  • 8.­4
  • 15.­39
  • 17.­15
  • 21.­22
  • 24.­18-19
g.­166

Jambudvīpa

Wylie:
  • ’dzam bu’i gling
Tibetan:
  • འཛམ་བུའི་གླིང་།
Sanskrit:
  • jambudvīpa

The southern continent in a four-continent world, and the location where this sūtra assumes its implied audience lives in the narrative present of the work. According to Buddhist cosmology, this continent is shaped somewhat like an isosceles trapezoid with a wide top side and a very narrow bottom side, a shape that is not too dissimilar from that of the Indian subcontinent. It takes its name from the jambu fruit, which is often translated “rose apple”.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­37
  • 1.­40
  • 1.­42
  • 1.­45-46
  • 1.­52
  • 1.­62
  • 8.­82
  • 20.­17
  • 25.­37
  • n.­311
  • g.­186
g.­167

jātaka tale

Wylie:
  • skyes pa rabs
Tibetan:
  • སྐྱེས་པ་རབས།
Sanskrit:
  • jātaka

One of the genres of Buddhist literature, included as one of both the nine or twelve types. Jātakas are like avadānas and pūrvayogas in that they tell about past lives, but they are sometimes distinguished from the other types of past-life stories in that they typically tell stories about the past lives of the Buddha.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­4
g.­175

karoṭapāṇi yakṣa

Wylie:
  • gnod sbyin lag na gzhong thogs
Tibetan:
  • གནོད་སྦྱིན་ལག་ན་གཞོང་ཐོགས།
Sanskrit:
  • karoṭapāṇir yakṣaḥ

A class of yakṣa whose name means “having bowls in their hands.”

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­81
  • g.­45
g.­180

King Arrangement of Manifold Precious Virtues Without End

Wylie:
  • yon tan mtha’ yas rin chen sna tshogs bkod pa’i rgyal po
Tibetan:
  • ཡོན་ཏན་མཐའ་ཡས་རིན་ཆེན་སྣ་ཚོགས་བཀོད་པའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A buddha at the time of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­2-3
  • 5.­9-10
  • 5.­21
  • 5.­23
g.­181

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 14 passages in the translation:

  • i.­14
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­28
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­8
  • 2.­29
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­81
  • 12.­11
  • 12.­37
  • 14.­17
  • n.­106
  • n.­171
  • g.­128
g.­182

knowledge

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

A general term for knowledge, divisible into a variety of different types. In sūtras like this one, though, it is often a term that designates a kind of certain knowledge of the Dharma as well as a more direct experience of its truth.

Located in 96 passages in the translation:

  • i.­8
  • i.­23
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­8
  • 1.­12-13
  • 1.­16
  • 1.­44
  • 1.­57-58
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­28-30
  • 2.­36
  • 3.­2
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­28-29
  • 5.­45
  • 6.­4-5
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­32-33
  • 7.­46
  • 8.­6-7
  • 8.­84
  • 9.­1-3
  • 9.­5
  • 10.­4-5
  • 11.­9
  • 12.­18
  • 12.­62
  • 13.­5
  • 14.­3
  • 14.­6
  • 14.­11
  • 15.­1
  • 15.­9
  • 15.­15
  • 15.­22
  • 15.­24
  • 15.­26-27
  • 16.­11
  • 16.­13
  • 16.­20
  • 17.­4-6
  • 19.­7
  • 19.­20
  • 19.­24
  • 19.­32-33
  • 20.­10
  • 20.­12
  • 20.­15
  • 21.­6
  • 21.­14
  • 21.­19
  • 23.­18
  • 24.­2
  • 24.­7
  • 24.­10
  • 24.­16
  • 24.­21
  • 24.­26
  • 24.­30
  • 24.­32
  • 25.­5
  • n.­96
  • n.­153
  • n.­158
  • n.­234
  • n.­258
  • n.­287
  • n.­293
  • n.­316
  • g.­58
  • g.­65
  • g.­277
  • g.­314
  • g.­327
  • g.­329
  • g.­344
  • g.­354
  • g.­358
g.­185

kumbhāṇḍa

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A class of dwarf beings subordinate to Virūḍhaka, one of the Four Great Kings, associated with the southern direction. The name uses a play on the word aṇḍa, which means “egg” but is also a euphemism for a testicle. Thus, they are often depicted as having testicles as big as pots (from kumbha, or “pot”).

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 18.­1
  • 18.­7
  • 18.­24
  • g.­110
  • g.­380
g.­186

Kuru

Wylie:
  • ku ru
Tibetan:
  • ཀུ་རུ།
Sanskrit:
  • kuru

A city of the past in Jambudvīpa, which in this sūtra is the location near to which the creature Saumya appears.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­40-41
  • 1.­43
  • 8.­82
  • g.­302
g.­189

league

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

A unit of measuring distance, calculated differently in various systems but in the range of four to nine miles.

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­4-5
  • 5.­7
  • 5.­20
  • 7.­16
  • 8.­12
  • 8.­90
  • 13.­2
  • 14.­1
  • 14.­14
  • 18.­5
  • 18.­10
  • 22.­7
g.­193

limited to only one more life

Wylie:
  • skye ba gcig gis thogs pa
Tibetan:
  • སྐྱེ་བ་གཅིག་གིས་ཐོགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • ekajāti­prati­baddha

A stage on the path at which a bodhisattva will require only one more lifetime beyond the present one in order to achieve complete awakening.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 8.­89
g.­194

lokapāla

Wylie:
  • ’jig rten skyong ba
Tibetan:
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་སྐྱོང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • lokapāla

Literally, protector of the world, this term is another way of referring to the Four Great Kings.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • i.­32
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­28
  • 2.­4
  • 5.­35
  • 10.­5
  • 12.­5
  • 14.­15
  • 20.­27
  • 24.­8
  • 25.­9
  • n.­244
  • g.­110
  • g.­125
  • g.­261
g.­195

Lord of the World

Wylie:
  • ’jig rten mgon po
Tibetan:
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་མགོན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • lokanātha

A common epithet of the Buddha and sometimes of other beings, nātha can mean both “lord” or “master,” as well as “benefactor” or “protector” or even “source of refuge,” as the term derives from the verb nāth, which means “to seek aid” as well as “to have power.”

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­29
  • 8.­43
  • 8.­46
  • 25.­17
g.­196

Lovely Illumination

Wylie:
  • bskal pa mdzes pa
Tibetan:
  • བསྐལ་པ་མཛེས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

An eon long ago in which a past life of Vajrapāṇi is described.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 5.­2
g.­198

magically created form

Wylie:
  • sprul pa
Tibetan:
  • སྤྲུལ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • nirmita

Derived from the Sanskrit verb mā (“to measure out”, “to form”, “to create”, “to exhibit”), and thus probably connected to the term māyā (“magical illusion”), a nirmita in this sense is an object or image, often a replica of a person, that has been created through the superhuman power of creating magical illusions.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­28
  • 7.­47
  • 9.­4
  • 10.­5
  • 23.­1-2
g.­201

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 14 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­5
  • 1.­28
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­29
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­81
  • 12.­11
  • 14.­17
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­7
  • 18.­32
  • 19.­1
  • n.­171
g.­202

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 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­28
  • 1.­4
  • 5.­55
  • 8.­10
  • 10.­4-5
  • n.­181
  • g.­299
g.­203

majestic power

Wylie:
  • sangs rgyas kyi mthu
Tibetan:
  • སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་མཐུ།
Sanskrit:
  • anubhāva

Specifically that of the Buddha, in most instances of the term, but used more generally, too, of the sun and the moon, as well as various beings in the phrase “great superhuman power and great majestic power” (mahārddhiko mahānubhāvaḥ). The term has the sense of the power that comes from the mere presence or nature of the thing, something like the classical sense of the term charisma.

Located in 20 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­21
  • 4.­3
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­15-16
  • 7.­21
  • 8.­11
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­29
  • 9.­4
  • 10.­3
  • 13.­2
  • 13.­8
  • 18.­20
  • 18.­30
  • 20.­27
  • 22.­12
  • 22.­57
  • 25.­10
  • 25.­33
g.­205

mālādhārin

Wylie:
  • phreng thogs
Tibetan:
  • ཕྲེང་ཐོགས།
Sanskrit:
  • mālādhārin

A class of divine beings whose name means “garland-bearing.”

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­81
  • g.­118
g.­208

Māra

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

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.

Located in 52 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­29
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­17
  • 1.­62
  • 2.­21
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­10
  • 5.­30
  • 6.­5
  • 7.­14
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­10
  • 8.­66
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­9
  • 12.­13-14
  • 12.­18
  • 12.­30
  • 12.­50
  • 12.­59
  • 12.­68-69
  • 13.­1-5
  • 13.­7-8
  • 13.­10-13
  • 14.­1-2
  • 14.­4
  • 14.­26
  • 15.­14
  • 20.­16
  • 20.­18
  • 24.­6
  • 25.­5-6
  • 25.­9
  • 25.­11
  • 25.­13-14
  • n.­34
  • n.­191
  • g.­120
g.­210

marks of a great person

Wylie:
  • skyes bu chen po’i mtshan
Tibetan:
  • སྐྱེས་བུ་ཆེན་པོའི་མཚན།
Sanskrit:
  • mahā­puruṣa­lakṣaṇa

The physical characteristics or attributes of the human body possessed by wheel-turning kings and perfect buddhas and of which there are said to be thirty-two.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­7
  • 3.­10
  • 5.­8
  • 16.­14
  • g.­351
  • g.­389
g.­215

Maudgalyāyana the Great

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

One of the main disciples of the Buddha, perhaps best known for being paired with Śāriputra as one of the Buddha’s two chief disciples in some texts and for being acknowledged by the Buddha as foremost among his disciples in regard to superhuman powers.

Located in 24 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­10-17
  • 8.­19-20
  • 8.­27
  • 8.­31-37
  • 22.­10-15
g.­217

meditation

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Dhyāna is defined as one-pointed abiding in an undistracted state of mind, free from afflicted mental states. Four states of dhyāna are identified as being conducive to birth within the form realm. In the context of the Mahāyāna, it is the fifth of the six perfections. It is commonly translated as “concentration,” “meditative concentration,” and so on.

Located in 24 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2-3
  • 1.­7
  • 2.­25
  • 3.­3
  • 11.­8
  • 13.­5
  • 15.­20
  • 15.­24
  • 19.­7
  • 19.­9
  • 20.­14
  • 22.­30
  • 24.­11
  • 24.­22
  • n.­169
  • g.­6
  • g.­16
  • g.­50
  • g.­69
  • g.­107
  • g.­152
  • g.­191
  • g.­312
g.­218

Meghavatī

Wylie:
  • sprin ldan
Tibetan:
  • སྤྲིན་ལྡན།
Sanskrit:
  • meghavatī

A world mentioned in this sūtra as well as in the Lalitavistara.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­2
  • g.­219
  • g.­278
g.­219

Melodious King of Clouds

Wylie:
  • sprin dbyangs rgyal po
Tibetan:
  • སྤྲིན་དབྱངས་རྒྱལ་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

The buddha of the Meghavatī world. Similar names are attested in other texts. For instance, the Lalitavistara names the buddha of this world as Cloud King (Megharāja) while the Gaṇḍavyūha makes reference to a bodhisattva by the name of Meghanirghoṣasvara (sprin gyi dbyangs kyi sgra).

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­2-3
  • g.­278
g.­221

miracle story

Wylie:
  • rmad du byung ba’i chos
Tibetan:
  • རྨད་དུ་བྱུང་བའི་ཆོས།
Sanskrit:
  • adbhutadharma

A genre of Buddhist literature, listed as one of the nine or twelve types of Buddhist literary genres. It would seem to refer to instances in which a marvel or miracle, literally “something that has never happened before” (adbhutadharma), occurs.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­4
g.­222

motivation

Wylie:
  • bsam pa
Tibetan:
  • བསམ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • āśaya

A general term for “inclination,” somewhat like adhimokṣa, but in sūtras such as this one, it is used as a term for the firm intent to pursue the Buddhist path.

Located in 33 passages in the translation:

  • i.­7-8
  • i.­29
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­13
  • 3.­12
  • 5.­8
  • 6.­3
  • 8.­7-8
  • 8.­54
  • 8.­87
  • 9.­5
  • 12.­13
  • 12.­64
  • 14.­3
  • 14.­18
  • 14.­25
  • 16.­8
  • 16.­15
  • 17.­25
  • 18.­7
  • 18.­34
  • 23.­2
  • 24.­6
  • 24.­11
  • 24.­27
  • n.­113
  • n.­153
  • n.­184
  • n.­303
  • g.­18
  • g.­354
g.­223

Mount Meru

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

The huge mountain at the center of the world according to the classical Buddhist view. Sometimes named Sumeru, as it is in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra, as well as “the king of mountains” (parvatarāja, ri’i rgal po).

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­33
  • 8.­10
  • 12.­13
  • 15.­3
  • 22.­8
  • 22.­12-14
  • 24.­7
  • 24.­25
  • g.­110
  • g.­149
g.­225

mystery

Wylie:
  • bsam gyis mi khyab pa
Tibetan:
  • བསམ་གྱིས་མི་ཁྱབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • acintya

Derived from a verb that means “to think,” this term can be used as a noun or an adjective to describe something that cannot be conceived or understood. In that sense, the term overlaps with the sense of the English word mystery. The term is often found in this sūtra in close association with the term guhya (“secret”), and also used as an adjective in combination with dharma (“thing” or “quality”). Rendered that way, it can also be used in the sense of an inconceivably large number of things.

Located in 16 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­9
  • i.­11
  • i.­21
  • i.­42-43
  • 1.­23
  • 4.­4
  • 7.­49
  • 8.­86
  • 8.­92
  • n.­51
  • n.­99
  • n.­103
  • g.­157
  • g.­304
g.­226

nāga

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A class of nonhuman beings who live in subterranean aquatic environments, where they guard wealth and sometimes also teachings. Nāgas are associated with serpents and have a snakelike appearance. In Buddhist art and in written accounts, they are regularly portrayed as half human and half snake, and they are also said to have the ability to change into human form. Some nāgas are Dharma protectors, but they can also bring retribution if they are disturbed. They may likewise fight one another, wage war, and destroy the lands of others by causing lightning, hail, and flooding.

Located in 47 passages in the translation:

  • i.­14
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­38
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­29
  • 8.­3-4
  • 8.­81
  • 11.­10-11
  • 12.­11
  • 12.­37
  • 12.­40
  • 12.­45-46
  • 12.­48-49
  • 12.­55
  • 12.­61
  • 14.­17
  • 18.­24
  • 20.­2
  • 22.­12
  • 24.­10
  • 25.­32
  • n.­106
  • n.­171
  • n.­174
  • g.­25
  • g.­29
  • g.­97
  • g.­110
  • g.­128
  • g.­153
  • g.­173
  • g.­206
  • g.­232
  • g.­255
  • g.­282
  • g.­334
  • g.­335
  • g.­340
  • g.­357
  • g.­372
  • g.­381
g.­235

nirvāṇa

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In Sanskrit, the term nirvāṇa literally means “extinguishment” and the Tibetan mya ngan las ’das pa literally means “gone beyond sorrow.” As a general term, it refers to the cessation of all suffering, afflicted mental states (kleśa), and causal processes (karman) that lead to rebirth and suffering in cyclic existence, as well as to the state in which all such rebirth and suffering has permanently ceased.

More specifically, three main types of nirvāṇa are identified. (1) The first type of nirvāṇa, called nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣanirvāṇa), is the state in which arhats or buddhas have attained awakening but are still dependent on the conditioned aggregates until their lifespan is exhausted. (2) At the end of life, given that there are no more causes for rebirth, these aggregates cease and no new aggregates arise. What occurs then is called nirvāṇa without remainder ( anupadhiśeṣanirvāṇa), which refers to the unconditioned element (dhātu) of nirvāṇa in which there is no remainder of the aggregates. (3) The Mahāyāna teachings distinguish the final nirvāṇa of buddhas from that of arhats, the nirvāṇa of arhats not being considered ultimate. The buddhas attain what is called nonabiding nirvāṇa (apratiṣṭhitanirvāṇa), which transcends the extremes of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, i.e., existence and peace. This is the nirvāṇa that is the goal of the Mahāyāna path.

In this text:

This has also been rendered as “cessation.”

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • i.­28
  • 1.­55
  • 3.­10
  • 17.­3
  • 19.­35-36
  • 21.­8-9
  • 22.­39
  • 23.­18
  • 25.­5
  • n.­106
  • n.­287
  • g.­56
  • g.­348
g.­238

noble son

Wylie:
  • rigs kyi bu
Tibetan:
  • རིགས་ཀྱི་བུ།
Sanskrit:
  • kulaputra

A common term of address for individuals in Buddhist sūtras who are deemed to have a good upbringing and are ready for spiritual teachings.

Located in 37 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­22
  • 1.­56
  • 4.­4
  • 5.­61
  • 7.­2-3
  • 7.­18
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­46
  • 8.­13
  • 8.­18
  • 15.­6
  • 16.­12
  • 16.­16
  • 17.­1-2
  • 17.­22
  • 17.­24
  • 19.­2
  • 19.­4
  • 19.­7-8
  • 19.­12
  • 19.­17
  • 20.­10
  • 21.­6
  • 21.­12
  • 21.­14
  • 23.­4
  • 23.­11
  • 23.­18
  • 24.­14
  • 25.­13-14
  • n.­125
  • n.­153
  • n.­250
g.­241

palm tree

Wylie:
  • shing ta la
Tibetan:
  • ཤིང་ཏ་ལ།
Sanskrit:
  • tāla

The palmyra palm tree, native to South and Southeast Asia, which can grow to a height of nearly one hundred feet.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­15
  • 14.­1
  • 16.­15
  • g.­341
g.­242

parable

Wylie:
  • kun tu bsnyad pa
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་ཏུ་བསྙད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • ākhyāyikā

A type of short narrative, also sometimes called an ākhyāna in Sanskrit, that typically illustrates a message or idea.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­4
  • 15.­35
g.­244

past-life story

Wylie:
  • sngon gyi tshul
Tibetan:
  • སྔོན་གྱི་ཚུལ།
Sanskrit:
  • pūrvayoga

A type of Buddhist past-life story, often used synonymously with avadāna and jātaka.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­66
  • 8.­4
  • n.­24
g.­246

patience

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

One of the perfections (pāramitā) as well as a term for a kind of mental receptivity to or acceptance of the way things are.

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­7
  • 2.­25
  • 3.­7
  • 6.­4
  • 13.­5
  • 15.­20
  • 15.­22
  • 15.­28
  • 19.­9
  • 20.­16
  • 22.­19
  • 22.­28
  • 24.­11
  • 24.­22
  • g.­7
  • g.­8
  • g.­9
  • g.­62
g.­249

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 4 passages in the translation:

  • 18.­1
  • 18.­7
  • 18.­32
  • 19.­1
g.­252

powerful memory and the formulas that support it

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

See “dhāraṇī.”

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • i.­36
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­10
  • 20.­15
  • 23.­20
  • 24.­1-2
  • 24.­6
  • 24.­12
  • 24.­27
  • 24.­29-30
  • 24.­33-34
  • n.­283
  • n.­303
  • n.­309
g.­258

prediction

Wylie:
  • lung bstan pa
Tibetan:
  • ལུང་བསྟན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vyākaraṇa

A genre of Buddhist literature included in the list of nine or twelve types. In the Pali tradition, the Abhidharma is placed in this category, though it is also used to refer to any instances in which the Buddha gives a prophecy or prediction about the future‍—for example, the future awakening or attainment of some particular being.

Located in 28 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­11
  • i.­30-31
  • 1.­25
  • 3.­12
  • 5.­64-65
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­88
  • 12.­63
  • 16.­17-18
  • 16.­25
  • 17.­1-2
  • 17.­5-8
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­4
  • 19.­32
  • 21.­3
  • n.­232
  • n.­241
  • g.­353
  • g.­367
g.­259

preta

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 5 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­44
  • 18.­7
  • 18.­32
  • 19.­1
  • g.­393
g.­261

protectors of the world

Wylie:
  • ’jig rten skyong ba
Tibetan:
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་སྐྱོང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • lokapāla

See “lokapāla”.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 19.­38-39
  • 19.­50
  • g.­110
g.­265

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 3 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 8.­10
  • 21.­1
g.­266

rākṣasa

Wylie:
  • srin po
Tibetan:
  • སྲིན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • rākṣasa

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 6 passages in the translation:

  • 18.­1
  • 18.­7
  • 18.­24
  • 18.­32
  • 18.­34
  • 19.­1
g.­267

Raśmidhvajā

Wylie:
  • ’od zer gyi rgyal mtshan
Tibetan:
  • འོད་ཟེར་གྱི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།
Sanskrit:
  • raśmidhvajā

Name of a buddha domain to the west of our world and presided over by the Buddha Raśmirāja. The name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­11
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­32-33
  • g.­268
g.­268

Raśmirāja

Wylie:
  • ’od zer gyi rgyal po
Tibetan:
  • འོད་ཟེར་གྱི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • raśmirāja

The buddha in the buddha domain Raśmidhvajā, attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­11-13
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­32-33
  • g.­267
g.­269

Ratnacandra

Wylie:
  • rin chen zla ba
Tibetan:
  • རིན་ཆེན་ཟླ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • ratnacandra

A realized one whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 25.­2
  • 25.­10
  • 25.­12-14
  • g.­27
  • g.­257
  • g.­301
g.­274

realized one

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

A common epithet of the buddhas, translated into Tibetan as “the one gone thus,” from which one gets the translation “thus-gone one.” The term has a sense of literal movement, of having “gone” or “come” somewhere, but it also carries the sense of having “realized” something, in both senses of having understood it and made it real. In some traditional explanations of the term, the adverb tathā (“thus” or “in that way”) is therefore connected to tathatā (“the way things are”).

Located in 232 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­6
  • i.­8-9
  • i.­15-17
  • i.­20-21
  • i.­25-26
  • i.­28
  • i.­43
  • i.­45
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­17-25
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­33
  • 1.­57
  • 1.­60-63
  • 2.­29
  • 4.­2-4
  • 5.­2-3
  • 5.­9-10
  • 5.­21
  • 5.­23
  • 5.­28
  • 5.­31
  • 5.­47
  • 5.­55
  • 5.­60
  • 5.­62
  • 5.­64
  • 6.­5
  • 7.­1-17
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­43-51
  • 8.­1-13
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­20
  • 8.­26
  • 8.­32-33
  • 8.­35-37
  • 8.­40
  • 8.­57
  • 8.­82-88
  • 8.­92
  • 9.­1-7
  • 10.­3
  • 10.­5
  • 12.­13
  • 12.­62-63
  • 14.­6-15
  • 14.­18
  • 14.­25
  • 15.­1-2
  • 15.­16
  • 15.­19
  • 15.­22
  • 15.­26
  • 16.­9-17
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­9-10
  • 17.­24-25
  • 17.­34
  • 18.­3-4
  • 18.­7
  • 18.­19
  • 18.­27
  • 18.­30-31
  • 18.­34
  • 19.­18
  • 19.­24
  • 19.­35
  • 20.­1
  • 20.­7
  • 20.­16-17
  • 21.­3-4
  • 21.­6
  • 21.­9
  • 21.­11
  • 21.­14-15
  • 21.­17
  • 21.­22
  • 22.­19
  • 22.­55
  • 22.­57
  • 23.­2
  • 23.­4-5
  • 23.­14
  • 23.­20
  • 24.­12-13
  • 25.­2
  • 25.­10
  • 25.­12-15
  • 25.­18
  • 25.­22
  • 25.­24-25
  • 25.­27
  • 25.­31-32
  • n.­68
  • n.­88
  • n.­92
  • n.­103
  • n.­105
  • n.­106
  • n.­138-140
  • n.­153
  • n.­205-206
  • n.­316
  • n.­319
  • g.­4
  • g.­21
  • g.­51
  • g.­77
  • g.­127
  • g.­169
  • g.­171
  • g.­172
  • g.­231
  • g.­257
  • g.­269
  • g.­270
  • g.­278
  • g.­289
  • g.­301
  • g.­315
  • g.­320
  • g.­342
  • g.­344
g.­276

recitation

Wylie:
  • dbyangs kyis bsnyad pa
Tibetan:
  • དབྱངས་ཀྱིས་བསྙད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • geya

A genre of Buddhist literature, and listed as one of both the nine or twelve types. It seems to refer to any text in which verses are mixed with prose, but literally the word means “to be sung,” and could have been used to refer to texts commonly used for recitation.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­4
g.­278

Resounding Musical Sound

Wylie:
  • sgra dbyangs bsgrags pa
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲ་དབྱངས་བསྒྲགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A bodhisattva in the Meghavatī world of the realized one Melodious King of Clouds. The Sanskrit could be something like Svaraghoṣanirghoṣa.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­2-5
g.­285

Sahā

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

A name for the “world” or perhaps “galaxy” or “world system,” more literally, “the container of worlds” (lokadhātu), that forms the extent of the Buddha Śākyamuni’s domain. Its name suggests that it is a world in which beings experience suffering. It could also be described as the extent of the world over which Great Brahmā is said to be the lord and sovereign god (Sahāṃpati). Opinions vary over the precise extent of Sahā, and its expanse seems to have extended over time. For the purposes of this sūtra, it is sometimes equated with “the cosmos of a billion worlds.” More generally, it can also be conceived as the world in which the implied target audience of the sūtra can locate themselves, the place where we are located.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­2
  • 7.­15
  • 7.­21
  • 8.­22
  • 8.­35
  • 12.­7
  • 12.­9
  • 12.­22
  • 12.­24
  • 12.­28
  • 12.­31-32
  • 22.­23
  • n.­178
  • g.­121
g.­286

Śakra

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

The chief god of the desire realm who is known as the King of the Gods and as the Lord of the Gods and dwells in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 35 passages in the translation:

  • i.­13
  • i.­21
  • i.­34
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­40
  • 1.­48
  • 1.­51-52
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­7
  • 7.­4
  • 10.­5
  • 12.­6
  • 12.­35
  • 12.­51
  • 14.­13-15
  • 18.­20
  • 20.­27
  • 22.­6-7
  • 22.­10
  • 22.­23
  • 24.­8
  • 25.­9
  • 25.­20
  • n.­61-62
  • n.­244
  • g.­149
  • g.­178
  • g.­302
  • g.­325
g.­293

saṃsāra

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

The world of ongoing birth, death, and rebirth, and the apparent reality of this world.

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­55
  • 3.­10
  • 5.­18
  • 5.­36
  • 17.­3
  • 21.­8-10
  • 21.­12
  • n.­225
  • g.­75
  • g.­106
  • g.­107
g.­294

Śāntamati

Wylie:
  • zhi ba’i blo gros
Tibetan:
  • ཞི་བའི་བློ་གྲོས།
Sanskrit:
  • śāntamati

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, and one of the main interlocutors.

Located in 220 passages in the translation:

  • i.­6
  • i.­8
  • i.­20
  • i.­25
  • i.­29-31
  • i.­35-36
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­18-19
  • 1.­22-26
  • 1.­29-30
  • 1.­32
  • 1.­36-37
  • 1.­40
  • 1.­43
  • 1.­45-46
  • 1.­52-54
  • 1.­58-61
  • 1.­63
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­27-30
  • 2.­39
  • 3.­1-3
  • 3.­6-7
  • 3.­11
  • 4.­1-2
  • 5.­2-11
  • 5.­20
  • 5.­33-34
  • 5.­51
  • 5.­53-56
  • 5.­60-61
  • 5.­64-65
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­3
  • 6.­6
  • 7.­1-3
  • 7.­6-15
  • 7.­21
  • 7.­43-48
  • 8.­1-10
  • 8.­29
  • 8.­37-40
  • 8.­57-58
  • 8.­66
  • 8.­81-85
  • 8.­88
  • 8.­90-91
  • 9.­1-2
  • 9.­4-6
  • 11.­1-4
  • 11.­7-12
  • 12.­12
  • 12.­28
  • 12.­40
  • 12.­55
  • 12.­61-62
  • 12.­64-65
  • 12.­71
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­3-6
  • 13.­10
  • 13.­12
  • 14.­1-6
  • 14.­8-13
  • 14.­15
  • 14.­17-19
  • 14.­25
  • 15.­5
  • 15.­7-15
  • 15.­27-28
  • 15.­40
  • 16.­3
  • 16.­9
  • 16.­14
  • 16.­16
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­6
  • 17.­11
  • 17.­25
  • 17.­34
  • 23.­1-4
  • 23.­6
  • 23.­10
  • 23.­16
  • 23.­19-20
  • 24.­1-4
  • 24.­6
  • 24.­12-14
  • 25.­12-14
  • 25.­38
  • n.­58
  • n.­106
  • n.­125
  • n.­203
  • n.­207-208
  • n.­214
  • n.­232
  • n.­234
g.­296

Śāriputra

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • i.­22
  • i.­28
  • 2.­38
  • 8.­84
  • 10.­1-5
  • 14.­25
  • n.­58
  • n.­65
  • n.­156-157
  • g.­93
  • g.­215
g.­302

Saumya

Wylie:
  • des pa
Tibetan:
  • དེས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • saumya

A creature whom the śakra Sunetra, who was the Buddha Śākyamuni in a previous life, spontaneously generated to heal the people of Kuru during a period of great pestilence. The Tibetan term is attested elsewhere as a translation for the Sanskrit terms sūrata and sauratya (Mahāvyutpatti), peśala (Bodhisattva­bhūmi), and some other terms, and is attested as a translation equivalent for the name Surata in the title of Surata’s Questions (Toh 71). However, in the Sanskrit of the parallel telling of this story found in the Bodhisatvapiṭaka (Toh 56), the name is attested as Saumya. This Sanskrit name is derived from Soma, both the plant and the moon, and can have the meanings of gentleness and mildness as well as auspiciousness.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­40-41
  • 1.­43
  • 1.­45-46
  • 1.­64
  • g.­186
g.­303

seat of awakening

Wylie:
  • byang chub kyi snying po
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་སྙིང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • bodhimaṇḍa

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The place where the Buddha Śākyamuni achieved awakening and where every buddha will manifest the attainment of buddhahood. In our world this is understood to be located under the Bodhi tree, the Vajrāsana, in present-day Bodhgaya, India. It can also refer to the state of awakening itself.

Located in 28 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • 11.­1
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­12
  • 12.­14-15
  • 12.­17
  • 12.­19-20
  • 12.­25
  • 12.­28
  • 12.­36
  • 12.­40
  • 12.­61-63
  • 12.­65
  • 12.­71-72
  • 13.­1
  • 14.­2-4
  • 14.­11
  • 14.­26
  • 15.­39
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­18
g.­304

secret

Wylie:
  • gsang ba
Tibetan:
  • གསང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • guhya

Derived from a verb that means to hide, conceal, or keep secret, the term means a secret, a mystery, as well as a hiding place or secret location, such as a place where one finds buried treasure. In this way, the term also has the sense that what is kept secret or hidden is something precious and mysterious. It is closely connected with the term guhyaka, the guardians of hidden treasures.

Located in 83 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­2
  • i.­9
  • i.­11
  • i.­14
  • i.­20-23
  • i.­25-26
  • i.­28
  • i.­42-43
  • i.­45
  • 1.­17-22
  • 1.­24-25
  • 1.­52
  • 1.­58
  • 1.­63
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­27
  • 2.­39-40
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­6-7
  • 3.­11-13
  • 4.­4
  • 5.­62
  • 7.­1-3
  • 7.­7
  • 7.­42-43
  • 7.­46-51
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­4-6
  • 8.­9
  • 8.­37
  • 8.­57
  • 8.­83
  • 8.­85
  • 8.­92
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­6-7
  • 12.­13
  • 15.­1-2
  • 16.­9
  • 23.­20
  • 25.­32
  • n.­51
  • n.­90
  • n.­99
  • n.­101-103
  • n.­105
  • n.­106
  • n.­117
  • n.­142
  • n.­159
  • n.­205
  • g.­125
  • g.­225
g.­305

self-assurance

Wylie:
  • ’jigs pa med pa
  • mi ’jigs pa
Tibetan:
  • འཇིགས་པ་མེད་པ།
  • མི་འཇིགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vaiśaradya

Often rendered as fearlessness, of which there are commonly said to be four types.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­3
  • 9.­3
  • 12.­14
  • g.­63
g.­312

Smaller Heaven of the Pure

Wylie:
  • mi che ba
Tibetan:
  • མི་ཆེ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • abṛha
  • avṛha

The thirteenth heaven of the form realm, counting from lowest to highest. Associated with the fourth state of meditation (dhyāna). It's name may derive from the notion that it is the lowest of the heavens that are abodes of the pure (śuddhāvāsa)."

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­75
g.­313

solitary buddha

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

A category of awakened being (buddha) who is variously described as having attained awakening but not then teaching the Dharma to others, and as attaining awakening without relying on a teacher. In this way, the solitary buddha is sometimes contrasted with the “disciple” (śrāvaka) and the “perfect, fully awakened buddha” (saṃyaksam­buddha), as well as with the bodhisattava who aspires to become a fully awakened buddha.

Located in 22 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­18
  • 1.­28
  • 2.­29
  • 3.­2
  • 5.­26
  • 6.­5-6
  • 8.­39
  • 8.­41
  • 14.­24
  • 15.­14
  • 15.­18
  • 15.­23
  • 15.­39
  • 16.­13
  • 21.­10
  • 21.­12
  • 21.­14
  • 21.­17
  • 21.­19
  • 22.­13
  • g.­88
g.­315

sphere of sound

Wylie:
  • dbyangs kyi dkyil ’khor
Tibetan:
  • དབྱངས་ཀྱི་དཀྱིལ་འཁོར།
Sanskrit:
  • śabdamaṇḍala

An expression found in this sūtra that refers to the expanse or reach of the sound of a realized one’s voice.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­10
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­18-20
  • 8.­35
g.­322

Subhūma

Wylie:
  • bzangs
Tibetan:
  • བཟངས།
Sanskrit:
  • subhūma

An earth-dwelling deity whose name is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 12.­1
g.­325

Sunetra

Wylie:
  • mig bzangs
Tibetan:
  • མིག་བཟངས།
Sanskrit:
  • sunetra

A bodhisattva in the audience of this sūtra, as well as a name of a Śakra who was the Buddha Śākyamuni in a previous life. The name is attested here and also in the Rāṣṭrapāla­pari­pṛcchā.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­4
  • 1.­40
  • g.­302
g.­327

supernormal faculties

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

Derived from a verb that has the sense of direct knowing, this term refers to a number of types of extraordinary knowledge and powers, grouped as five or six. When stated to be five, they include the first five of the list that follows: (1) various superhuman powers (ṛddhi); (2) the ability to know others’ minds; (3) extraordinary powers of hearing, or the divine ear; (4) extraordinary powers of sight, or the divine eye; (5) the ability to remember one’s past lives, and (6) the knowledge that the defilements have been destroyed and it is one’s last lifetime. When the fifth is not specified, then oftentimes the sixth or all six types are implied. The last three of the list are the same as the three types of knowledge (vidyā), and are tantamount to the description of the awakening experience in some presentations.

Located in 23 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­30
  • 2.­35
  • 3.­2
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­45-46
  • 6.­2
  • 7.­16
  • 10.­4-5
  • 15.­20
  • 16.­15
  • 20.­14
  • 22.­34
  • 22.­41
  • 24.­11
  • n.­158
  • g.­50
  • g.­90
  • g.­91
  • g.­342
g.­329

supply

Wylie:
  • tshogs
Tibetan:
  • ཚོགས།
Sanskrit:
  • saṃbhāra

Usually of two kinds, the supply of merit and the supply of knowledge, but also more generally the supplies or provisions that a bodhisattva accumulates and stores, which then provide the fuel for the pursuit of the goal of the path. This sūtra provides a long list of such supplies, which are mainly qualities or virtues the bodhisattva develops.

Located in 22 passages in the translation:

  • i.­20
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­6-16
  • 3.­12
  • 6.­2
  • 15.­4
  • 21.­12
  • n.­46
  • n.­178
  • n.­196
  • g.­10
  • g.­328
g.­331

Supreme Heaven

Wylie:
  • ’og min
Tibetan:
  • འོག་མིན།
Sanskrit:
  • akaniṣṭha

The seventeenth and highest heaven of the form realm.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­80
  • 12.­24
  • 12.­36
  • 18.­8
g.­344

the way things are

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

An expression that conveys a sense of the true nature of things, formed from the word for “thus” or “in that way” (tathā) conjoined with the abstract suffix “-ness” or “state of” (-tā). The word is connected with tathāgata, “realized one,” and with the knowledge of things as they truly are (yathābhūta­jñāna), which is tantamount to awakening.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­17
  • 1.­56-57
  • 8.­83
  • 16.­10
  • 24.­31
  • g.­246
  • g.­274
g.­345

“thus it was said” story

Wylie:
  • de lta bu byung ba
Tibetan:
  • དེ་ལྟ་བུ་བྱུང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • itivṛttaka

A genre of Buddhist literature, included in the list of nine or twelve types. There is a specific text in the Pali canon, the Itivuttaka, that compiles a number of such stories.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­4
g.­348

transcendent

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

Literally “above the world,” and mainly refers to nirvāṇa and awakening, the path and practices that lead to them, and the factors that constitute those states.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­2
  • 9.­5
  • 17.­3
  • 24.­11
g.­350

true nature

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­11-12
  • 1.­29
  • 1.­62
  • 3.­2
  • 15.­2
  • 19.­16
  • 21.­13
  • 23.­5
  • 24.­4
  • 25.­5
  • n.­53
  • n.­138
  • n.­140
  • g.­69
  • g.­81
  • g.­277
  • g.­344
g.­351

tuft of hair

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

One of the thirty-two marks of a great person. It consists of a tuft of hair between the eyebrows.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­6
  • 8.­33
  • 13.­1
g.­353

unable to be turned back

Wylie:
  • phyir mi ldog pa
Tibetan:
  • ཕྱིར་མི་ལྡོག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • avaivartika

A description of a bodhisattva who has reached a particular stage along the path to becoming a buddha at which the bodhisattva is certain of doing so. Different Buddhist works place this stage at different points along the path. According to some works, it is a highly advanced stage that is connected with having received a prediction of future buddhahood. Modern scholars have also sometimes connected it to the acceptance of the fact that things do not arise, but it is also connected with other attainments.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­31
  • 5.­6
  • 12.­71
  • 14.­9-10
  • 14.­15
  • 15.­24
  • 15.­39
  • 19.­1
  • 20.­16
  • g.­163
g.­358

uṣṇīṣa

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

One of the physical marks of a buddha that takes the form of an extension of some sort on the crown of his head. Connect to knowledge base page, if available.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­6
g.­362

Vaijayanta Palace

Wylie:
  • rnam rgyal khang
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་རྒྱལ་ཁང་།
Sanskrit:
  • vaijayanta

The palace of Indra in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 12.­6
  • 12.­35
  • g.­149
g.­364

Vaiśravaṇa

Wylie:
  • rnam thos kyi bu
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་ཐོས་ཀྱི་བུ།
Sanskrit:
  • vaiśravaṇa

One of the Four Great Kings and a god of wealth, he presides over the northern quarter and rules over the yakṣas.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • i.­14
  • 7.­5
  • 18.­22
  • 18.­25
  • 24.­9
  • 25.­20
  • n.­195
  • g.­11
  • g.­110
  • g.­125
g.­365

vajra

Wylie:
  • rdo rje
Tibetan:
  • རྡོ་རྗེ།
Sanskrit:
  • vajra

There are two meanings, not always easy to disambiguate in practice: (1) a type of cudgel or mace, wielded by Vajrapāṇi, whose name literally means “The One with the Vajra in his Hand,” as well as the thunderbolt, the mythical weapon of Indra, and a stylized ritual object used in Buddhist ritual; (2) adamant, the hard and unbreakable substance out of which the weapon is said to be made.

Located in 28 passages in the translation:

  • i.­12
  • i.­34
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­53
  • 7.­45
  • 10.­5
  • 12.­25
  • 13.­4
  • 14.­3
  • 16.­9
  • 16.­18
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­4-17
  • g.­49
g.­367

Vajrapāṇi

Wylie:
  • lag na rdo rje
Tibetan:
  • ལག་ན་རྡོ་རྗེ།
Sanskrit:
  • vajrapāṇi

A yakṣa and the protagonist of this sūtra who is counted among the bodhisattvas in attendance at the beginning of the sūtra and called the lord of the guhyakas (guhyakādhipati) throughout the work. He gives various teachings, receives a prediction of his future awakening as a buddha, and is the subject of various past life stories to explain his current responsibilities and attributes; he also hosts the Buddha Śākyamuni at his home for a meal. See the introduction for a discussion of his place in Buddhist literature.

Located in 149 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­5
  • i.­7
  • i.­9
  • i.­11-14
  • i.­16
  • i.­20-26
  • i.­28-35
  • i.­37
  • i.­42
  • i.­44
  • i.­47-48
  • 1.­4
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­18-22
  • 1.­25
  • 1.­34
  • 1.­53
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­37
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­12
  • 4.­2
  • 5.­62
  • 5.­64
  • 7.­1-2
  • 7.­49-50
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­38
  • 8.­40
  • 8.­86-89
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­3-6
  • 11.­1-2
  • 15.­1
  • 16.­1
  • 16.­9
  • 16.­17-18
  • 16.­24-25
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­5
  • 17.­11
  • 17.­35
  • 18.­1-3
  • 18.­5
  • 18.­7-10
  • 18.­19
  • 18.­25
  • 18.­27
  • 18.­33-34
  • 19.­1-3
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­4
  • 20.­8
  • 20.­18-19
  • 20.­26-28
  • 21.­2-5
  • 21.­22
  • 22.­1-2
  • 22.­4
  • 22.­9
  • 22.­14-17
  • 23.­1-3
  • 23.­13
  • 23.­20
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­4
  • 25.­6
  • 25.­10
  • 25.­14
  • 25.­22
  • 25.­38
  • n.­24
  • n.­48
  • n.­58
  • n.­62
  • n.­124-125
  • n.­157
  • n.­203
  • n.­232
  • n.­238-239
  • n.­241
  • n.­244
  • g.­11
  • g.­22
  • g.­82
  • g.­125
  • g.­128
  • g.­188
  • g.­196
  • g.­320
  • g.­333
  • g.­365
  • g.­368
  • g.­369
g.­375

verse text

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

One of the genres of Buddhist literature included in the list of nine or twelve classifications. Seemingly refers to verse texts without any prose.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­4
g.­380

Virūḍhaka

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

One of the Four Great Kings, he presides over the southern quarter and rules over the kumbhāṇḍas.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • n.­195
  • g.­110
g.­381

Virūpākṣa

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

One of the Four Great Kings, he presides over the western quarter and rules over the nāgas.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • n.­195
  • g.­110
g.­385

Vulture Peak

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • i.­20
  • i.­32-33
  • 1.­1
  • 8.­10
  • 8.­29
  • 18.­19
  • 20.­28
  • 21.­1
g.­388

well known on account of their fame

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

A description of great disciples and bodhisattvas in some Mahāyāna sūtras, such as this one and the Vimalakīrti­nirdeśa.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­1
g.­389

wheel-turning king

Wylie:
  • khor los sgyur ba’i rgyal po
Tibetan:
  • ཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • cakravartin

An ancient, pan-Indian concept of the ideal human sovereign who rules over the world in a just manner following the laws of Dharma. Like a buddha, the cakravartin possesses the thirty-two marks of a great person, and his appearance in the world is a rare and special event.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­6
  • 5.­64
  • 22.­23
  • 24.­22-24
  • g.­84
  • g.­210
  • g.­307
g.­390

wisdom

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

One of the perfections (pāramitā), but also a general mental state of discernment, the ability to understand and make fine distinctions among things, and to determine a proper course of action, which becomes actionable when wisdom is combined with skill in means (upāya).

Located in 63 passages in the translation:

  • i.­3
  • i.­5
  • i.­26
  • 1.­7
  • 1.­16
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­7
  • 3.­9
  • 5.­27
  • 5.­29-30
  • 6.­4
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­46
  • 8.­28
  • 8.­84
  • 8.­91
  • 9.­2
  • 12.­13
  • 12.­52
  • 13.­5
  • 14.­5
  • 15.­2
  • 15.­14-16
  • 15.­20
  • 15.­28
  • 15.­32
  • 15.­40
  • 16.­6
  • 18.­16-17
  • 19.­7-9
  • 19.­31
  • 20.­10
  • 20.­12
  • 20.­14-16
  • 21.­17-21
  • 22.­31
  • 24.­6
  • 24.­11
  • 24.­22
  • 24.­30
  • 24.­32
  • n.­96
  • n.­252
  • g.­64
  • g.­65
  • g.­81
  • g.­87
  • g.­105
  • g.­296
  • g.­308
  • g.­354
g.­391

wondrous transformation with superhuman powers

Wylie:
  • rdzu ’phrul dang rnam par ’phrul pa
Tibetan:
  • རྫུ་འཕྲུལ་དང་རྣམ་པར་འཕྲུལ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • ṛddhivikurvaṇa

The term used generally to describe the performance of a wondrous display, but which often has the narrower sense of changing one thing into something else by means of superhuman powers.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 3.­2
g.­392

world

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The term lokadhātu refers to a single four continent world-system illumined by a sun and moon, with a Mount Meru at its center and an encircling ring of mountains at its periphery, and with the various god realms above, thus including the desire, form, and formless realms.

The term can also refer to groups of such world-systems in multiples of thousands. A universe of one thousand such world-systems is called a chiliocosm (sāhasra­loka­dhātu, stong gi ’jig rten gyi khams); one thousand such chiliocosms is called a dichiliocosm (dvisāhasralokadhātu, stong gnyis kyi ’jig rten gyi khams); and one thousand such dichiliocosms is called a trichiliocosm (trisāhasra­loka­dhātu, stong gsum gyi 'jig rten gyi khams). A trichiliocosm is the largest universe described in Buddhist cosmology.

In this text:

In this translation, the term “world” is generally used as a translation for both loka (“world”) and lokadhātu (which could also be rendered “galaxy” or “universe,” or more literally, a “container of worlds”), except in the case of the phrases “cosmos of a billion worlds” (tri­sāha­sramahāsāhasra­lokadhātu), “galaxy of a thousand worlds” and “galaxy of a hundred thousand worlds,” since the English word “world” is flexible and can refer to both the earth and the universe more generally.

Located in 161 passages in the translation:

  • i.­25
  • i.­32
  • 1.­58
  • 1.­61
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­13
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­30
  • 3.­10
  • 4.­2
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­4-5
  • 5.­20
  • 5.­28
  • 5.­59
  • 7.­6
  • 7.­14-16
  • 7.­18
  • 7.­21
  • 7.­24
  • 7.­47
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­10-11
  • 8.­16-19
  • 8.­21-23
  • 8.­25
  • 8.­30-33
  • 8.­35
  • 8.­41
  • 8.­83-84
  • 8.­88-90
  • 10.­2
  • 10.­5
  • 12.­6-7
  • 12.­9
  • 12.­17
  • 12.­21-22
  • 12.­24
  • 12.­28
  • 12.­31-32
  • 12.­42
  • 12.­50
  • 12.­52
  • 12.­54
  • 12.­57
  • 12.­62
  • 12.­67
  • 12.­70
  • 13.­5-6
  • 14.­3-4
  • 14.­9
  • 14.­12
  • 14.­16
  • 14.­18
  • 15.­1
  • 15.­3
  • 15.­15-16
  • 16.­2
  • 16.­7-8
  • 16.­10-16
  • 16.­19-20
  • 16.­23
  • 18.­4
  • 18.­6
  • 18.­31
  • 19.­16
  • 19.­20
  • 19.­23
  • 19.­34
  • 19.­38-41
  • 19.­45-49
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­6
  • 20.­14
  • 21.­5-6
  • 21.­12
  • 21.­14
  • 22.­9
  • 22.­11-12
  • 22.­15
  • 22.­23
  • 23.­9-10
  • 24.­7-8
  • 24.­10
  • 24.­23
  • 25.­7
  • 25.­10
  • 25.­27
  • 25.­36
  • 25.­38
  • n.­141
  • n.­178
  • n.­196
  • n.­238
  • n.­316
  • g.­5
  • g.­12
  • g.­22
  • g.­27
  • g.­31
  • g.­49
  • g.­67
  • g.­78
  • g.­121
  • g.­156
  • g.­166
  • g.­188
  • g.­194
  • g.­197
  • g.­209
  • g.­218
  • g.­219
  • g.­223
  • g.­240
  • g.­267
  • g.­275
  • g.­278
  • g.­285
  • g.­293
  • g.­348
  • g.­389
g.­394

worthy one

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

In this sūtra, used only as an epithet of the buddhas, and traditionally used as an epithet for someone who has achieved awakening and thereby is worthy (arh). The Tibetan translation derives from one of the traditional Buddhist etymologies of the term, and could be translated “one who has destroyed (hata) one’s enemies” (ari), the enemies here referring to the afflictions of lust, hatred, ignorance, and so forth.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­2
  • 6.­5
  • 7.­14
  • 8.­13
  • 12.­51
  • 12.­62
  • 16.­11
  • 21.­4
  • 21.­6
  • n.­316
g.­396

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 31 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­11
  • i.­13-14
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­28
  • 1.­38
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­29
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­81
  • 11.­10-11
  • 13.­2
  • 13.­10
  • 13.­12
  • 14.­17
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­7
  • 18.­24
  • 18.­32
  • 18.­34
  • 19.­1
  • 20.­27
  • 24.­10
  • n.­171
  • g.­110
  • g.­125
  • g.­175
  • g.­364
  • g.­367
g.­397

Yama

Wylie:
  • gshin rje
Tibetan:
  • གཤིན་རྗེ།
Sanskrit:
  • yama

The king of the realm of the ancestors and the lord of death generally.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­28
  • 2.­18
  • 12.­40
  • g.­259
  • g.­393
g.­398

Yāma Heaven

Wylie:
  • ’thab bral
Tibetan:
  • འཐབ་བྲལ།
Sanskrit:
  • yāma

The third of the six heavens of the desire realm, counting from lowest to highest.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­62
  • 12.­7
  • 12.­36
  • 18.­9
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    84000. The Secrets of the Realized Ones (Tathāgataguhya, de bzhin gshegs pa’i gsang ba, Toh 47). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2025. https://84000.co/translation/toh47/UT22084-039-003-chapter-8.Copy
    84000. The Secrets of the Realized Ones (Tathāgataguhya, de bzhin gshegs pa’i gsang ba, Toh 47). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee, online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2025, 84000.co/translation/toh47/UT22084-039-003-chapter-8.Copy
    84000. (2025) The Secrets of the Realized Ones (Tathāgataguhya, de bzhin gshegs pa’i gsang ba, Toh 47). (Dharmachakra Translation Committee, Trans.). Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. https://84000.co/translation/toh47/UT22084-039-003-chapter-8.Copy

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