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གསེར་འོད་དམ་པའི་མདོ།

The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (3)
Glossary

Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra
འཕགས་པ་གསེར་འོད་དམ་པ་མདོ་སྡེའི་དབང་པོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
’phags pa gser ’od dam pa mdo sde’i dbang po’i rgyal po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Lord King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light”
Ārya­suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtrendra­rāja­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra

Toh 557

Degé Kangyur, vol. 90 (rgyud ’bum, pa), folios 1.b–62.a

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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
+ 7 sections- 7 sections
· Tantric Rituals
· The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light in India
· The Sūtra outside India
· The Sūtra in Tibet
· Comparing the Versions
· Translations into Western Languages
· Detailed Summary of The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light
+ 21 sections- 21 sections
· Chapter 1: The Introduction
· Chapter 2: The Teaching on the Lifespan of the Tathāgata
· Chapter 3: The Dream
· Chapter 4: The Confession
· Chapter 5: The Source of Lotus Flowers: A Praise of All the Buddhas
· Chapter 6: Emptiness
· Chapter 7: The Four Mahārājas
· Chapter 8: Sarasvatī
· Chapter 9: The Great Goddess Śrī
· Chapter 10: Dṛḍhā, the Goddess of the Earth
· Chapter 11: Saṃjñeya
· Chapter 12: The King’s Treatise: The Commitment of the Lord of Devas
· Chapter 13: Susaṃbhava
· Chapter 14: The Protection Given by Yakṣas
· Chapter 15: The Prophecy to Ten Thousand Devas
· Chapter 16: Ending Illness
· Chapter 17: The Story of the Fish Guided by Jalavāhana
· Chapter 18: The Gift of the Body to a Tigress
· Chapter 19: Praise by All Bodhisattvas
· Chapter 20: The Praise of All Tathāgatas
· Chapter 21: The Conclusion
tr. The Translation
+ 21 chapters- 21 chapters
1. Chapter 1: The Introduction
2. Chapter 2: The Teaching on the Lifespan of the Tathāgata
3. Chapter 3: The Dream
4. Chapter 4: The Confession
5. Chapter 5: The Source of Lotus Flowers: A Praise of All the Buddhas
6. Chapter 6: Emptiness
7. Chapter 7: The Four Mahārājas
8. Chapter 8: Sarasvatī
9. Chapter 9: The Great Goddess Śrī
10. Chapter 10: Dṛḍhā, the Goddess of the Earth
11. Chapter 11: Saṃjñeya
12. Chapter 12: The King’s Treatise: The Commitment of the Lord of Devas
13. Chapter 13: Susaṃbhava
14. Chapter 14: The Protection Given by Yakṣas
15. Chapter 15: The Prophecy to Ten Thousand Devas
16. Chapter 16: Ending Illness
17. Chapter 17: The Story of the Fish Guided by Jalavāhana
18. Chapter 18: The Gift of the Body to a Tigress
19. Chapter 19: Praise by All Bodhisattvas
20. Chapter 20: The Praise of All Tathāgatas
21. Chapter 21: The Conclusion
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
+ 3 sections- 3 sections
· Primary Sources in Tibetan and Chinese
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Secondary References‍—Kangyur
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Secondary References‍—Tengyur
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Other References in Tibetan
· Other References in English and Other Languages
· Translations
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light has held great importance in Buddhism for its instructions on the purification of karma. In particular, much of the sūtra is specifically addressed to monarchs and thus has been significant for rulers‍—not only in India but also in China, Japan, Mongolia, and elsewhere‍—who wished to ensure the well-being of their nations through such purification. Reciting and internalizing this sūtra is understood to be efficacious for personal purification and also for the welfare of a state and the world.

s.­2

In this sūtra, the bodhisattva Ruciraketu has a dream in which a prayer of confession emanates from a shining golden drum. He relates the prayer to the Buddha, and a number of deities then vow to protect it and its adherents. The ruler’s devotion to the sūtra is emphasized as important if the nation is to benefit. Toward the end of the sūtra are two well-known narratives of the Buddha’s previous lives: the account of the physician Jalavāhana, who saves and blesses numerous fish, and that of Prince Mahāsattva, who gives his body to a hungry tigress and her cubs.

s.­3

This is the shortest version of The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light preserved in the Kangyur. It comprises twenty-one chapters, was translated into Tibetan primarily from Sanskrit, and is the only version for which a complete Sanskrit manuscript survives.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

This text was translated by Peter Alan Roberts, who translated the text from Tibetan into English and wrote the introduction. Ling Lung Chen and Wang Chipan were consultants for the Chinese versions of the sūtra. Emily Bower was the project manager and editor. Tracy Davis was the initial copyeditor. Thanks to Michael Radich for sharing his research on the sūtra.

ac.­2

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Rory Lindsay edited the translation and the introduction, and Xiaolong Diao, Ting Lee Ling, and H. S. Sum Cheuk Shing checked the translation against the Chinese sources. Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text, and André Rodrigues was in charge of the digital publication process.

ac.­3

The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of May Gu, George Gu, Likai Gu and Tiffany Tai, Lillian Gu and Jerry Yen.


i.

Introduction

i.­1

The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light has held great importance in Buddhism for its instructions on the purification of karma. In particular, much of the sūtra is specifically addressed to monarchs, and thus it has been significant for rulers‍—not only in India but also in China, Japan, Mongolia, and elsewhere‍—who wished to ensure the well-being of their nations. It is understood to be efficacious for personal purification and beneficial for the welfare of a state and of the world.

Tantric Rituals

The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light in India

The Sūtra outside India

The Sūtra in Tibet

Comparing the Versions

Translations into Western Languages

Detailed Summary of The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light

Chapter 1: The Introduction

Chapter 2: The Teaching on the Lifespan of the Tathāgata

Chapter 3: The Dream

Chapter 4: The Confession

Chapter 5: The Source of Lotus Flowers: A Praise of All the Buddhas

Chapter 6: Emptiness

Chapter 7: The Four Mahārājas

Chapter 8: Sarasvatī

Chapter 9: The Great Goddess Śrī

Chapter 10: Dṛḍhā, the Goddess of the Earth

Chapter 11: Saṃjñeya

Chapter 12: The King’s Treatise: The Commitment of the Lord of Devas

Chapter 13: Susaṃbhava

Chapter 14: The Protection Given by Yakṣas

Chapter 15: The Prophecy to Ten Thousand Devas

Chapter 16: Ending Illness

Chapter 17: The Story of the Fish Guided by Jalavāhana

Chapter 18: The Gift of the Body to a Tigress

Chapter 19: Praise by All Bodhisattvas

Chapter 20: The Praise of All Tathāgatas

Chapter 21: The Conclusion


Text Body

The Translation
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra
The Lord King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light

1.

Chapter 1: The Introduction

[B1] [F.1.b]


1.­1

I pay homage to all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and noble śrāvakas in the past, future, and present.

1.­2
Thus did I hear at one time.22
The Tathāgata was dwelling
On Vulture Peak, in the Dharma realm,
The profound buddha field of activity.
1.­3
He taught this Sublime Golden Light‍—
Which is the lord king of sūtras‍—
To the supreme bodhisattvas,
Who are pure and immaculate.
1.­4
It is profound to listen to
And profound to analyze.
It has received the blessings
Of the buddhas in the four directions:

2.

Chapter 2: The Teaching on the Lifespan of the Tathāgata

2.­1

Also, at that time, there dwelled in the great city of Rājagṛha [F.3.a] a bodhisattva mahāsattva by the name of Ruciraketu. He had served past jinas, had developed roots of merit, and had attended upon many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of buddhas. He thought, “Through what causes and what conditions does the Bhagavat Śākyamuni have such a short lifespan of eighty years?”

2.­2

Then he thought, “The Bhagavat has said, ‘There are two causes and two conditions for a long life. What are those two? Forsaking killing and giving food.’ The Bhagavat Śākyamuni has forsaken killing and has correctly adopted the path of the ten good actions for countless hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons. He has given external and internal substances as food to beings, even to the extent of satisfying hungry beings with his own body, blood, bones, and limbs, to say nothing of every other kind of food.”


3.

Chapter 3: The Dream

3.­1

The bodhisattva Ruciraketu then went to sleep and in a dream saw a golden drum54 that was shining brightly like the disk of the sun. In all directions, there were countless, innumerable buddha bhagavats seated upon precious beryl thrones at the foot of precious trees, encircled by assemblies of many hundreds of thousands. Looking straight ahead, they were teaching the Dharma.

3.­2

Then he saw a person who appeared to be a brahmin beating that drum, and he heard a teaching in verse come from the drumbeats.


4.

Chapter 4: The Confession55

4.­1
“One night, though I was not
Sleepy,56 I entered a dream.
I saw a large, beautiful drum
Entirely of golden light.
4.­2
“It was shining like the sun
And completely bright,
Illuminating the ten directions.
I saw buddhas everywhere,
4.­3
“Seated beneath precious trees [F.7.a]
On precious beryl thrones,
Looking straight ahead in the middle
Of many hundreds of thousands of followers.
4.­4
“I saw someone resembling a brahmin
Who beat that big drum.
As he was beating it,
There came these verses:

5.

Chapter 5: The Source of Lotus Flowers: A Praise of All the Buddhas

5.­1

[B2] Then the Bhagavat said to the noble goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā, “Noble goddess, at that time, in that time, there was a king by the name of Suvarṇa­bhujendra. Through this praise of all the tathāgatas, The Source of Lotus Flowers, he praised the buddha bhagavats of the past, future, and present.

5.­2
“ ‘The jinas who have appeared in the past
And the jinas present in worlds in the ten directions,
I pay homage to those jinas
And I praise all those jinas.97

6.

Chapter 6: Emptiness

6.­1

[F.13.b] Then the Bhagavat recited these verses:

6.­2
“I have taught the Dharmas of emptiness
Very extensively in countless other sūtras.
Therefore, in this supreme sūtra
I will teach the Dharmas of emptiness briefly.
6.­3
“Unknowing beings with little intelligence
Are not able to know all the Dharmas.
Therefore, in this supreme sūtra
I will teach the Dharmas of emptiness briefly.
6.­4
“I teach this lord of supreme sūtras
Through other methods, ways, and causes,
And through compassion, so that all beings will understand
And so that it will arise in beings.131

7.

Chapter 7: The Four Mahārājas

7.­1

Then Mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa, Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Mahārāja Virūḍhaka, and Mahārāja Virūpākṣa rose from their seats, and with their upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on their right knee and, with palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said, “Venerable149 Bhagavat, this Lord King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light, is taught by all the tathāgatas; it is viewed by all the tathāgatas; it is thought of150 by all the tathāgatas; it is possessed by all the assemblies of bodhisattvas; it is paid homage to by all the hosts of devas; it is offered to by all the hosts of devas; it is praised by all the hosts of the lords of devas; it is offered to, praised, and honored by all the protectors of the world; it illuminates all the divine mansions; it brings supreme happiness to all beings; it extinguishes all the suffering in the hells, in the lives of animals, and in the realm of Yama; it brings fears to an end; it repels all the armies of enemies; it brings the calamity151 of famines to an end; it brings the calamity152 of disease to an end; it dispels all planetary influences;153 it brings perfect peace; it ends misery and troubles; and it brings to an end various kinds of calamities‍—it overcomes a hundred thousand calamities.


8.

Chapter 8: Sarasvatī

8.­1

[F.28.b] Then the great goddess Sarasvatī, with her robe over one shoulder, kneeling with her right knee on the ground and her palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said to the Bhagavat, “Venerable Bhagavat, I, the great goddess Sarasvatī, will bring eloquence to the words of those dharmabhāṇakas so that their words will be beautified. I will also bestow on them the power of mental retention. I will establish them in giving definitions. I will illuminate those dharmabhāṇakas with the great light of wisdom. If any line of verse or syllables of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is left out or forgotten, I will bring all definitions, lines of verse, and syllables to those dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus.195


9.

Chapter 9: The Great Goddess Śrī

9.­1

Then the great goddess Śrī said to the Bhagavat, “Venerable Bhagavat, I, the great goddess Śrī, will also, in whatever way, bring a perfection of requisites to those dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus so that they will gain freedom from deprivation; will have a resolute255 mind; will day and night have happiness of mind; will learn, understand, and correctly recite all the different words and letters in this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, [F.31.a] so that, for the sake of those beings who have planted good roots with hundreds of thousands of buddhas, this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light will remain for a long time in Jambudvīpa and will not disappear, and so that beings will hear this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light and will experience the happiness of devas and humans for many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of eons, and so that there will be no famine and instead excellent harvests. Beings will become happy through being endowed with every kind of happiness. They will be in the company of tathāgatas, and in a future time will attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood. This will end all the suffering in the hells, in the lives of animals, and in the world of Yama. Robes, food, bedding, medicine while ill, requisites, and other necessities will be brought to those dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus.


10.

Chapter 10: Dṛḍhā, the Goddess of the Earth274

10.­1

“I pay homage to the Bhagavat Tathāgata Ratnaśikhin.

10.­2

“I pay homage to the Bhagavat Tathāgata Vimalajvala­ratna­suvarṇa­raśmi­prabhā­śikhin275

10.­3

“I pay homage to the Tathāgata Jambu Golden Victory Banner Golden Appearance.276

10.­4

“I pay homage to the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­prabhagarbha.277

10.­5

“I pay homage to the Tathāgata Radiance of a Hundred Suns’ Illuminating Essence.278

10.­6

“I pay homage to the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa.

10.­7

“I pay homage to the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­puṣpa­jvalaraśmi­ketu.


11.

Chapter 11: Saṃjñeya286

11.­1

Then the great yakṣa general Saṃjñeya, accompanied by twenty-eight yakṣa generals, rose from his seat and, with his robe over one shoulder, kneeling with his right knee on the ground and with palms together, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said to the Bhagavat, “Venerable Bhagavat, wherever this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light appears, in the present or in future times, whether in a village, town, market town, region, wilderness, mountain cave,287 or royal residence, Bhagavat, I, the great yakṣa general Saṃjñeya, accompanied by twenty-eight yakṣa generals, will come to that village, town, market town, region, wilderness, mountain cave,288 or royal residence.


12.

Chapter 12: The King’s Treatise: The Commitment of the Lord of Devas

12.­1

[B4] I pay homage to the bhagavat tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha Ratna­kusuma­guṇa­sāgara­vaiḍūrya­kanaka­giri­suvarṇa­kāñcana­prabhāsa­śrī. [F.37.a]

12.­2

I pay homage to Śākyamuni, who lights the lamp of the Dharma, the bhagavat tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha whose body is adorned by many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of qualities.

12.­3

I pay homage to the great goddess Śrī, who has a perfection of immeasurable grains and a fortune of qualities.


13.

Chapter 13: Susaṃbhava

13.­1
“Whenever I was a cakravartin king,
I gave away the earth with its oceans.
I offered the four continents
Filled with jewels to the past jinas.
13.­2
“Because I sought the Dharma body,
There was nothing in the past that was pleasant
And cherished that I did not give away,
And in many eons, I even gave up my cherished life.
13.­3
“Many countless eons ago,
I was King Susaṃbhava
Within the teaching of the sugata Ratnaśikhin,
A sugata who had passed into nirvāṇa.
13.­4
“He was a cakravartin who ruled the four continents,
And he reigned315 over the land as far as the oceans.
At that time, the excellent king went to sleep
In the royal palace for the teaching of the lord of jinas.

14.

Chapter 14: The Protection Given by Yakṣas

14.­1

“Great goddess Śrī, any noble man or noble woman who has faith and wishes to make an inconceivably, extremely vast and great offering of requisites to the past, future, and present buddha bhagavats, and wishes to know the profound field of activity of the past, future, and present buddhas, whether in a temple or in a wilderness, in whatever place The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is being correctly taught, in that place they should, with an undoubting and undistracted mind, pay attention and listen to this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.”


15.

Chapter 15: The Prophecy to Ten Thousand Devas

15.­1

When the Bhagavat had said that, the noble goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā asked him, “Venerable Bhagavat, through what cause and what condition, and through what accomplishment and accumulation of planting good roots, have Jvalanāntara­tejo­rāja and these other ten thousand devas now come from the Trāyastriṃśa paradise, having heard the prophecy to these three sublime beings?

15.­2

“It was thus: this excellent being, the bodhisattva Ruciraketu, in a future time, after many hundreds of thousands of quintillions of asaṃkhyeyas of eons have passed, will attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood in the world realm Suvarṇaprabhā. [F.45.a] He will appear in that world as the tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha, the one with wisdom and virtuous conduct,347 the sugata, the one who knows the world’s beings, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavat by the name of Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa.


16.

Chapter 16: Ending Illness

16.­1

“Noble goddess, in the past, in a time gone by‍—an inconceivable, vast number, more innumerable than an asaṃkhyeya of eons ago‍—at that time, in that time, the tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha, the one with wisdom and virtuous conduct, the sugata, the one who knows the world’s beings, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of devas and humans, the buddha, the bhagavat by the name of Ratnaśikhin appeared in the world.


17.

Chapter 17: The Story of the Fish Guided by Jalavāhana

17.­1

[B5] “And so, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, had cured the illnesses in the kingdom of King Sureśvara­prabha, so that there were few illnesses and people had the enthusiasm and physical strength they had previously possessed. All the beings in the kingdom of King Sureśvara­prabha were happy, enjoyed amusements, performed acts of generosity, and created merit. They praised Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, saying, ‘May Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, be victorious! May he be victorious! He is the king of healing,358 who heals the illnesses of all beings. He is the visible presence of a bodhisattva, and he knows all the eight branches of the Āyurveda.’


18.

Chapter 18: The Gift of the Body to a Tigress

18.­1

“Moreover, noble goddess, bodhisattvas give away their bodies in order to benefit others. What is that like?

18.­2

“The Bhagavat,369 with the light rays of a hundred various, stainless, and vast qualities shining on the earth370 and in the paradises, with the vision of unimpeded wisdom, and the power to suppress adversaries,371 accompanied by a thousand bhikṣus, was traveling and passing through the Pañcala372 land and came to a forest.


19.

Chapter 19: Praise by All Bodhisattvas

19.­1

Then those hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas went to where the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa was. When they arrived, they bowed down their heads to the feet of the Bhagavat Tathāgata Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa and arranged themselves to one side. Having arranged themselves to one side, those hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas placed their palms together and praised the Tathāgata Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa with these verses: [F.60.b]


20.

Chapter 20: The Praise of All Tathāgatas407

20.­1

Then the bodhisattva Ruciraketu rose from his seat and, with his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee with palms together, bowed toward the Bhagavat, and then praised the Bhagavat through these verses:

20.­2
“Lord of munis, you have the signs of a hundred merits;
You are adorned by the qualities of a thousand beautiful splendors.
You have an exalted408 color, you manifest supreme peace,
And you shine with light like a thousand suns.

21.

Chapter 21: The Conclusion

21.­1

Then the noble goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā praised the Bhagavat with these verses:

21.­2
“I pay homage to the Buddha who has pure knowledge,
Who has the knowledge with eloquence in the pure Dharma,
Who has the knowledge that is free from the path of bad actions,
And has the pure knowledge of existence and nonexistence.
21.­3
“Oh! Oh! The Buddha’s magnificence is infinite!
Oh! Oh! He is like the ocean and Mount Sumeru!
Oh! Oh! The Buddha’s activity is infinite!
He is extremely rare like a fig tree flower!

n.

Notes

n.­1
The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (2) (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra, Toh 556).
n.­2
The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (1) (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottamasūtra, Toh 555).
n.­3
dbu ma rin po che’i sgron ma (Madhyamaka­ratna­pradīpa) Toh 3854.
n.­4
(1) The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī (Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa, Toh 543), 2.­129; (2) ral pa gyen brdzes kyi rtog pa chen po, byang chub sems dpa’ chen po’i rnam par ’phrul pa le’u rab ’byams las bcom ldan ’das ma ’phags ma sgrol ma’i rtsa ba’i rtog pa (Ūrdhvajaṭā-mahā­kalpa­mahā­bodhisattva­vikurvaṇapaṭalavisarā bhagavatī ārya­tārā­mūlakalpa), Toh 724, folio 238.a; (3) dkyil ’khor thams cad kyi spyi’i cho ga gsang ba’i rgyud (Sarva­maṇḍala­sāmānya­vidhiguhya­tantra), Toh 806, folio 152.b;.
n.­5
(1) Vinayadatta, sgyu ’phrul chen mo’i dkyil ’khor gyi cho ga bla ma’i zhal snga’i man ngag (Gurūpadeśa­nāma­mahāmāyā­maṇḍalopāyikā), Toh 1645, folio 209.a; (2) Bhavyakīrti, sgron ma gsal bar byed pa dgongs pa rab gsal zhes bya ba bshad pa’i ti ka (Pradīpoddyotanābhi­saṃdhi­prakāśikā­nāma­vyākhyāṭīkā), Toh 1793, folio 201.a; (3) Pramuditākaravarman, gsang ba ’dus pa rgyud kyi rgyal po’i bshad pa zla ba’i ’od zer (Guhya­samāja­tantra­rājaṭīkā­candra­prabhā), Toh 1852, folio 169.b; (4) Vitapāda, gsang ba ’dus pa’i dkyil ’khor gyi sgrub pa’i thabs rnam par bshad pa (Guhya­samāja­maṇḍalopāyikāṭīkā), Toh 1873, folio 209.a; (5) Ānandagarbha, rdo rje dbyings kyi dkyil ’khor chen po’i cho ga rdo rje thams cad ’byung ba (Vajra­dhātu­mahā­maṇḍalopāyikā­sarva­vajrodaya), Toh 2516, folio 50.a; (6) Anonymous, ’jam pa’i rdo rje ’byung ba’i dkyil ’khor gyi cho ga sems can thams cad kyi bde ba bskyed pa (Mañju­vajrodaya­maṇḍalopāyikā­sarva­sattvahitāvahā). Toh 2590; (7) Kāmadhenu, ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba gzi brjid kyi rgyal po zhes bya ba cho ga zhib mo’i rgyal po chen po’i rgya cher ’grel pa (Sarva­durgati­pariśodhana­tejo­rāja­nāma­mahā­kalpa­rājaṭīkā), Toh 2625; (8) Ānandagarbha, de bzhin gshegs pa dgra bcom pa yang dag par rdzogs pa’i sangs rgyas ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba gzi brjid kyi rgyal po zhes bya ba’i bshad pa (Sarva­durgati­pariśodhana­tejo­rāja­tathāgatārhat­samyak­saṃbuddha­nāma­kalpaṭīkā), Toh 2628, folio 73.a; (9) Sthiramati, rgyan dam pa sna tshogs rim par phye ba bkod pa (Paramālaṃkāra­viśva­paṭala­vyūha), Toh 2661, folio 322.b; (10) Sahajalalita. kun nas sgor ’jug pa’i ’od zer gtsug tor dri ma med par snang ba de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi snying po dang dam tshig la rnam par blta ba zhes bya ba’i gzungs kyi rnam par bshad pa (Samanta­mukha­praveśaraśmi­vimaloṣṇīṣa­prabhāsa­sarva­tathāgata­hṛdaya­samaya­vilokita­nāma­dhāraṇī­vṛtti), Toh 2688, folio 292.b.
n.­6
(1) Bodhisattva, kun nas sgor ’jug pa’i ’od zer gtsug tor dri ma med par snang ba’i gzungs bklag cing chod rten brgya rtsa brgyad dam mchod rten lnga gdab pa’i cho ga mdo sde las btus pa (Samanta­mukha­praveśaraśmi­vimaloṣṇīṣa­prabhāsa­dhāraṇī­vacana­sūtrāntoddhṛtāṣṭottara­śata­caityāntara­pañca­caitya­nirvapaṇa­vidhi), Toh 3068, folios 145.a, 151.b, 153.b; (2) Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna, dbu ma’i man ngag rin po che’i za ma tog kha phye ba zhes bya ba (Ratna­karaṇḍodghāṭa­nāma­madhyamakopadeśa), Toh 3930, folios 99.a, 115.a; (3) Śāntideva, bslab pa kun las btus pa (Śikṣāsamuccaya), Toh 3940, folios 3.a–194.b, 90.a–91.b, 122.a–123.b; (4) Vairocanarakṣita, bslab pa me tog snye ma (Śikṣākusuma­mañjarī), Toh 3943, folio 200.a; (5) Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna, byang chub lam gyi sgron ma’i dka’ ’grel (Bodhi­mārga­pradīpa­pañjikā), Toh 3948, folio 20.b.
n.­7
(1) Anonymous, gser ’od dam pa mdo sde dbang po’i smon lam (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtrendra­praṇidhāna), Toh 4379; (2) Anonymous, rgyal po gser gyi lag pa’i smon lam (Rāja­suvarṇa­bhuja­praṇidhāna), Toh 4380.
n.­8
(1) Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna, mngon par rtogs pa rnam par ’byed pa (Abhisamaya­vibhaṅga), Toh 1490, folio 201.a; (2) Āryadeva, spyod pa bsdud pa’i sgron ma (Caryāmelāpaka­pradīpa), Toh 1803, folio 106.a; (3) Mañjuśrīkīrti, ’jam dpal gyi mtshan yang dag par brjod pa’i rgya cher bshad pa (Mañjuśrī­nāma­saṃgīti­ṭīkā), Toh 2534, folio 217.b; (4) Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna, shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa brgyad stong pa’i bshad pa mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan gyi snang ba (Aṣṭa­sāhasrikā­prajñāpāramitā­vyākhyānābhi­samayālaṃkārāloka), Toh 3791, folio 84.b; (5) Dharmakīrtiśrī, shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa’i man ngag gi bstan bcos mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan zhes bya ba’i ’grel pa rtogs par dka’ ba’i snang ba zhes bya ba’i ’grel bshad (Abhi­samayālaṃkāra­nāma­prajñāpāramitopadeśa­śāstra­vṛtti­durbodhāloka­nāmaṭīkā), Toh 3794, folio 152.b; (6) Dharmamitra, shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa’i man ngag gi bstan bcos mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan gyi tshig le’ur byas pa’i ’grel bshad tshig rab tu gsal ba (Abhi­samayālaṃkāra­kārikā­prajñāpāramitopadeśa­śāstraṭīkā­prasphuṭapadā), Toh 3796, folio 104.a.
n.­22
In the Sanskrit version of this text, this phrase is part of the first verse, while in the Tibetan, keeping to the traditional phraseology, has more syllables than the following lines. There have been two ways to interpret this traditional beginning of a sūtra, with such Indian masters as Kamalaśīla claiming that both are equally correct. The alternative interpretation is “Thus did I hear: at one time, the Bhagavān…” and so on. The various arguments, both traditional and modern, for either side are given by Brian Galloway in “Thus Have I Heard: At one time…” Indo-Iranian Journal 34, Issue 2 (April 1991): 87–104.
n.­54
The Sanskrit translates as “he saw a bherī drum made of gold.”
n.­55
According to the Tibetan bshags pa. In Sanskrit the title is deśana (“The Teaching”).
n.­56
According to the Sanskrit atandrena. The Tibetan translates as g.yel ba med pa, which usually means “undistracted,” although that does not appear to be the meaning here.
n.­97
The Sanskrit translates as “the saṅgha of those jinas.”
n.­131
According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit translates as “for the sake of the arising of compassion for beings.”
n.­149
“Venerable” is here absent in the Sanskrit.
n.­150
According to the Tibetan dgongs pa. The Sanskrit has samanvāgataḥ (“provided by”).
n.­151
From the Sanskrit kāntāra. The Tibetan translates as its other meaning dgon pa (“wilderness”). Toh 555 has dus ngan (“bad times”).
n.­152
From the Sanskrit kāntāra. The Tibetan translates as its other meaning dgon pa (“wilderness”). Toh 555 has sdug bsngal (“suffering”).
n.­153
According to the Tibetan, presumably translating from graha or possibly pramathana. The Sanskrit has jñānaprakāśakaḥ (“it manifests wisdom”). Toh 555 has ltas ngan (“bad omens”).
n.­195
The Sanskrit here has dhāraṇīṃ cānupradāsyāmi smṛtyasaṃ­pramoṣaṇāya, “and bestow on him the power of mental retention, so perfect memory.” It occurs further on in the Tibetan.
n.­255
According to the Sanskrit svastha and to the Narthang of Toh 557, which reads brtan. The Yongle and Kangxi versions of Toh 557 have rtag (“permanent”). The Degé version has brtas (“increased”).
n.­274
In the Sanskrit, this chapter is divided into chapters 10 and 11, with the former being a very short chapter, “The Dhāraṇī of All the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.” In Toh 555 and Toh 556, that chapter forms part of the conclusion of chapter 17.
n.­275
The Sanskrit has only Ratnaśikhin.
n.­276
Absent in the Sanskrit.
n.­277
Absent in the Sanskrit.
n.­278
Absent in the Sanskrit.
n.­286
The title of this chapter in Toh 556 translates as “Saṃjñeya, the Lord of Yakṣas.” The Sanskrit translates as “The Great Yakṣa General Saṃjñeya.”
n.­287
According to the Sanskrit girikandara. Toh 557 has ri’i sman ljongs (“land of mountain herbs”).
n.­288
According to the Sanskrit girikandara. Toh 557 has ri’i sman ljongs (“land of mountain herbs”).
n.­315
According to the Sanskrit praśāsyate. Toh 557 translates according one of its other meanings: “teach” (ston). Toh 555 has btul (“subjugated”).
n.­347
This refers to the eightfold path, with wisdom being the right view and conduct being the other seven aspects of the path.
n.­358
Absent in the Sanskrit.
n.­369
Although this is presented as a narration by the Buddha, he is described in the third person.
n.­370
According to the Sanskrit, the Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné versions of Toh 556, and Toh 557. The Degé version of Toh 556 has ba instead of sa.
n.­371
The Sanskrit also has “having attained the five kinds of vision.”
n.­372
According to the Tibetan lnga lan pa and in Toh 555 the transliterated pañcala. The Bhagji edition has prañcala.
n.­407
In the Sanskrit, this is a continuation of the previous chapter and not a separate chapter.
n.­408
From the Sanskrit udāra, which the Tibetan has translated as rgya che (“vast”).

b.

Bibliography

Primary Sources in Tibetan and Chinese

gser ’od dam pa’i mdo. Toh 555, Degé Kangyur vol. 89 (rgyud ’bum, pa), folios 19.a–151a. English translation The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (1) 2023.

gser ’od dam pa mdo sde’i dbang po’i rgyal po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtrendra­rāja­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra). Toh 556, Degé Kangyur vol. 89 (rgyud ’bum, pa), folios 151.b–273.a. English translation The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (2) 2024.

gser ’od dam pa mdo sde’i dbang po’i rgyal po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtrendra­rāja­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra). Toh 557, Degé Kangyur vol. 90 (rgyud ’bum, pha), folios 1.a–62.a.

Hebu jin guangming 合部金光明經. Taishō 664 (CBETA, SAT). (Translation of Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra by Bao Gui 寶貴).

Jin guangming jin 金光明經. Taishō 663 (CBETA, SAT). (Translation of Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra by Dharmakṣema, a.k.a. Tan Wuchen 曇無讖).

Jin guangming zuisheng wang jin 金光明最勝王經. Taishō 665 (CBETA, SAT). (Translation of Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra by Yijing 義淨).

Secondary References‍—Kangyur

dkyil ’khor thams cad kyi spyi’i cho ga gsang ba’i rgyud (Sarva­maṇḍala­sāmānya­vidhiguhya­tantra). Toh 806, Degé Kangyur vol. 96 (rgyud, wa), folios 141.a–167.b.

’jam dpal gyi rtsa ba’i rgyud (Mañjuśrī­mūlakalpa). Toh 543, Degé Kangyur vol.88 (rgyud, na), folios 105.a–351.a. English translation The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī 2020.

’od srung kyi le’u zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Kāśyapa­parivartanāma­mahāyāna­sūtra). Toh 87, Degé Kangyur vol. 44 (dkon brtsegs, cha), folios 119.b–151.b.

ral pa gyen brdzes kyi rtog pa chen po byang chub sems dpa’ chen po’i rnam par ’phrul pa le’u rab ’byams las bcom ldan ’das ma ’phags ma sgrol ma’i rtsa ba’i rtog pa zhes bya ba (Ūrdhvajaṭāmahākalpamahābodhisattvavikurvaṇapaṭalavisarā bhagavatī āryatārāmūlakalpanāma). Toh 724, Degé Kangyur vol. 93 (rgyud, tsa), folios 205.b–311.a, and vol. 94 (rgyud, tsha), folios 1.a–200.a.

blo gros mi zad pas zhus pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Akṣaya­matiparipṛcchā­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra). Toh 89, Degé Kangyur vol. 44 (dkon brtsegs, cha), folios 175.b–182.b.

lang kar gshegs pa’i theg pa chen po’i mdo (Laṅkāvatāra­mahāyāna­sūtra). Toh 107, Degé Kangyur vol. 49 (mdo sde, ca), folios 56.a–191.b.

las kyi sgrib pa gcod pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Karmāvaraṇa­pratipraśrabdhi­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra) Toh 219, Degé Kangyur vol. 62 (mdo sde, tsha), folios 297.b–307.a. English translation Putting an End to Karmic Obscurations 2024.

Secondary References‍—Tengyur

Ajitaśrībhadra. dga’ ba’i bshes gnyen gyi rtogs pa (Nanda­mitrāvadāna). Toh 4146, Degé Tengyur vol. 269 (’dul ba, su), folios 240.a–244.b.

Ānandagarbha. rdo rje dbyings kyi dkyil ’khor chen po’i cho ga rdo rje thams cad ’byungs ba (Vajra­dhātu­mahā­maṇḍalopāyikā­sarva­vajrodaya). Toh 2516, Degé Tengyur vol. 62 (rgyud, ku), folios 1.a–50.a.

Anonymous. rgyal po gser gyi lag pa’i smon lam (Rāja­suvarṇa­bhuja­praṇidhāna). Toh 4380, Degé Tengyur vol. 309 (sna tshogs, nyo), folios 309b–310a.

Anonymous. ’jam pa’i rdo rje ’byung ba’i dkyil ’khor gyi cho ga sems can thams cad kyi bde ba bskyed pa (Mañju­vajrodaya­maṇḍalopāyikā­sarva­sattvahitāvahā). Toh 2590, Degé Tengyur vol. 65 (rgyud, ngu), folios 225.a–274.a.

Anonymous. gser ’od dam pa mdo sde dbang po’i smon lam (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtrendra­praṇidhāna). Toh 4379, Degé Tengyur vol. 309 (sna tshogs, nyo), folios 304.b–309.b.

Āryadeva. spyod pa bsdud pa’i sgron ma (Caryāmelāpaka­pradīpa). Toh 1803, Degé Tengyur vol. 65 (rgyud, ngi), folios 57.a–106.b.

Bhavya. dbu ma rin po che’i sgron ma (Madhyamaka­ratna­pradīpa). Toh 3854, Degé Tengyur vol. 199 (dbu ma, tsha), folios 259.b–289.a.

Bhavyakīrti. sgron ma gsal bar byed pa dgongs pa rab gsal zhes bya ba bshad pa’i ti ka (Pradīpoddyotanābhi­saṃdhi­prakāśikā­nāma­vyākhyāṭīkā). Toh 1793, Degé Tengyur vols. 32–33 (rgyud, ki), folios 1.b–292.a, and (rgyud, khi), folios 1.b–155.a.

Bodhisattva. kun nas sgor ’jug pa’i ’od zer gtsug tor dri ma med par snang ba’i gzungs bklag cing chod rten brgya rtsa brgyad dam mchod rten lnga gdab pa’i cho ga mdo sde las btus pa (Samanta­mukha­praveśaraśmi­vimaloṣṇīṣa­prabhāsa­dhāraṇī­vacana­sūtrāntoddhṛtāṣṭottara­śata­caityāntara­pañca­caitya­nirvapaṇa­vidhi). Toh 3068, Degé Tengyur vol. 74 (rgyud, pu), folios 140.a–153.a.

Buddhānandagarbha. de bzhin gshegs pa dgra bcom pa yang dag par rdzogs pa’i sangs rgyas ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba gzi brjid kyi rgyal po zhes bya ba’i bshad pa (Sarva­durgati­pariśodhana­tejo­rāja­tathāgatārhat­samyak­saṃbuddha­nāma­kalpaṭīkā). Toh 2628, Degé Tengyur vol. 68 (rgyud, ju), folios 1.a–97.a.

Dharmakīrtiśrī. shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa’i man ngag gi bstan bcos mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan zhes bya ba’i ’grel pa rtogs par dka’ ba’i snang ba zhes bya ba’i ’grel bshad (Abhi­samayālaṃkāra­nāma­prajñāpāramitopadeśa­śāstra­vṛtti­durbodhāloka­nāmaṭīkā). Toh 3794, Degé Tengyur vol. 86 (sher phyin, ja), folios 140.b–254.a.

Dharmamitra. shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa’i man ngag gi bstan bcos mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan gyi tshig le’ur byas pa’i ’grel bshad tshig rab tu gsal ba (Abhi­samayālaṃkāra­kārikā­prajñā­pāramitopadeśa­śāstraṭīkā­prasphuṭapadā). Toh 3796, Degé Tengyur vol. 87 (sher phyin, nya), folios 1.a–110.a.

Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna. dbu ma’i man ngag rin po che’i za ma tog kha phye ba zhes bya ba (Ratna­karaṇḍodghāṭa­nāma­madhyamakopadeśa). Toh 3930, Degé Tengyur vol. 212 (dbu ma, ki), folios 96.b–116.b.

Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna. byang chub lam gyi sgron ma’i dka’ ’grel (Bodhi­mārga­pradīpa­pañjikā). Toh 3948, Degé Tengyur vol. 213 (mdo ’grel, khi), folios 241.a–293.a.

Dīpaṁkaraśrījñāna. mngon par rtogs pa rnam par ’byed pa (Abhisamayavibhaṅga). Toh 1490, Degé Tengyur vol. 22 (rgyud, zha), folios 186.a–202.b.

Ekādaśanirghoṣa. rdo rje ’chang chen po’i lam gyi rim pa’i man ngag bdud rtsi gsang ba (Mahā­vajra­dhara­pathakramopadeśāmṛta­guhya). Toh 1823, Degé Tengyur vol. 35 (rgyud, ngi), folios 267.b–278.a.

Haribhadra. shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa brgyad stong pa’i bshad pa mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan gyi snang ba (Aṣṭa­sāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā­vyākhyānābhi­samayālaṃkārāloka). Toh 3791, Degé Tengyur vol. 85 (sher phyin, cha), folios 1.a–341.a.

Kāmadhenu. ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba gzi brjid kyi rgyal po zhes bya ba cho ga zhib mo’i rgyal po chen po’i rgya cher ’grel pa (Sarva­durgati­pariśodhana­tejo­rāja­nāma­mahā­kalpa­rājaṭīkā). Toh 2625, Degé Tengyur vol. 666 (rgyud, cu), folios 231.a–341.a.

Mañjuśrīkīrti. ’jam dpal gyi mtshan yang dag par brjod pa’i rgya cher bshad pa (Mañjuśrī­nāma­saṃgīti­ṭīkā). Toh 2534, Degé Tengyur vol. 63 (gyud, khu), folios 115.b–301.a.

Paltsek (dpal brtsegs). gsung rab rin po che’i gtam rgyud dang shA kya’i rabs rgyud. Toh 4357, Degé Tengyur vol. 306 (sna tshogs, co), folios 239.a–377.a.

Paltsek (dpal brtsegs). pho brang stod thang lhan dkar gyi chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag. Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur vol. 308 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.

Pramuditākaravarman. gsang ba ’dus pa rgyud kyi rgyal po’i bshad pa zla ba’i ’od zer (Guhya­samāja­tantra­rājaṭīkā­candra­prabhā). Toh 1852, Degé Tengyur vol. 41 (rgyud, thi), folios 120.a–313.a.

Sahajalalita. kun nas sgor ’jug pa’i ’od zer gtsug tor dri ma med par snang ba de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi snying po dang dam tshig la rnam par blta ba zhes bya ba’i gzungs kyi rnam par bshad pa (Samanta­mukha­praveśaraśmi­vimaloṣṇīṣa­prabhāsa­sarva­tathāgata­hṛdaya­samaya­vilokita­nāma­dhāraṇī­vṛtti). Toh 2688, Degé Tengyur vol. 71 (rgyud, thu), folios 269.a–320.b.

Śāntideva. bslab pa kun las btus pa (Śikṣāsamuccaya). Toh 3940, Degé Tengyur vol. 111 (dbu ma, khi), folios 3.a–194.b.

Sthiramati. rgyan dam pa sna tshogs rim par phye ba bkod pa (Paramālaṃkāra­viśva­paṭala­vyūha). Toh 2661, Degé Tengyur vol. 68 (rgyud, ju), folios 317.a–339.a.

Vairocanarakṣita. bslab pa me tog snye ma (Śikṣākusuma­mañjarī). Toh 3943, Degé Tengyur vol. 213 (dbu ma, khi), folios 196.a–217.a.

Various authors. bye brag tu rtogs par byed pa [chen po] (Mahāvyutpatti*). Toh 4346, Degé Tengyur vol. 306 (sna tshogs, co), folios 1.a–131.a.

Various authors. sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa. Toh 4347, Degé Tengyur vol. 306 (sna tshogs, co), folios 131.b–160.a.

Vinayadatta. sgyu ’phrul chen mo’i dkyil ’khor gyi cho ga bla ma’i zhal snga’i man ngag (Gurūpadeśa­nāma­mahāmāyā­maṇḍalopāyikā). Toh 1645, Degé Tengyur vol. 25 (rgyud, ya), folios 290.a–309.a.

Vitapāda. gsang ba ’dus pa’i dkyil ’khor gyi sgrub pa’i thabs rnam par bshad pa (Guhya­samāja­maṇḍalopāyikāṭīkā). Toh 1873, Degé Tengyur vol. 43 (rgyud, ni), folios 178.b–219.a.

Wönch’ük (Wen tsheg). dgongs pa zab mo nges par ’grel pa’i mdo rgya cher ’grel pa (Gambhīra­saṁdhi­nirmocana­sūtra­ṭīkā). Toh 4016, Degé Tengyur vol. 220 (mdo ’grel, ti), folios 1.b–291.a; vol. 221 (mdo ’grel, thi), folios 1.b–272.a; and vol. 222 (mdo ’grel, di), folios 1.b–175.a.

Yeshe Dé (ye shes sde). lang kar gshegs pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo’i ’grel pa de bzhin gshegs pa’i snying po’i rgyan (Laṅkāvatāra­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra­vṛtti­tathāgata­hṛdayālaṃkāra), Toh 4019, Degé Tengyur vol. 224 (mdo ’grel, pi), folios 1.a–310.a.

Other References in Tibetan

Kalzang Dolma (skal bzang sgrol ma). lo tsA ba ’gos chos grub dang khong gi ’gyur rtsom mdo mdzangs blun gyi lo tsA’i thabs rtsal skor la dpyad pa. In krung go’i bod kyi shes rig, vol. 77, pp. 31–53. Beijing: krung go’i bod kyi shes rig dus deb khang, 2007.

Lotsawa Gö Chödrup (lo tsā ba ’gos chos grub). In gangs ljongs skad gnyis smra ba du ma’i ’gyur byang blo gsal dga’ skyed, pp. 17–18. Xining: kan lho bod rigs rang skyong khul rtsom sgyur cu’u, 1983.

Ngawang Lobsang Choden (nga dbang blo bzang chos ldan). ’phags pa gser ’od dam pa mdo sde’i dbang po’i rgyal po’i ’don thabs cho ga (A Rite That is a Method for Reciting the Noble Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light), s.n. s.l. n.d.

Pema Karpo (pad ma dkar po). gser ’od dam pa nas gsungs pa’i bshags pa. In The Collected Works of Kun-mkhyen padma dkar po, vol. 9 (ta), pp. 519–24. Darjeeling: kargyu sungrab nyamso khang, 1973–74.

Other References in English and Other Languages

Bagchi, S., ed. Suvarṇa­prabhāsasūtram. Darbhanga: The Mithila Institute, 1967. Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon.

Banerjee, Radha. Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra. London: British Library, 2006. http://idp.bl.uk/downloads/GoldenLight.pdf.

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

Di, Guan. “The Sanskrit Fragments Preserved in Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Peking University.” Annual Report of the Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University for the Academic Year 2013, vol. XVII (Tokyo: Soka University, 2014): 109–18.

Lewis, Todd T. “Contributions to the Study of Popular Buddhism: The Newar Buddhist Festival of Guṃlā Dharma.” Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 16, no. 2 (Winter 1993): 309–54.

Nanjio Bunyiu, Idzumi Hokei. The Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra: A Mahāyāna Text Called “The Golden Splendour.” Kyoto: The Eastern Buddhist Society, 1931.

Nobel, Johannes (1937). Suvarṇabhāsottamasūtra. Das Goldglanz-Sūtra: ein Sanskrit text des Mahāyāna-Buddhismus. Nach den Handschriften und mit Hilfe der tibetischen und chinesischen Übertragungen. Leipzig: Harrassowitz.

Nobel, Johannes (1944). Suvarṇa­bhāsottama­sūtra. Das Goldglanz-Sūtra: ein Sanskrit text des Mahāyāna-Buddhismus. Die Tibetischen Überstzungen mit einem Wörterbuch. Leiden: E. J. Brill.

Nobel, Johannes (1944, 1950). Suvarṇabhāsottamasūtra. Das Goldglanz-Sūtra: ein Sanskrit text des Mahāyāna-Buddhismus. Die Tibetishcen Überstzungen mit einem Wörterbuch. 2 vols. Leiden: E. J. Brill.

Radich, Michael (2014). “On the Sources, Style and Authorship of Chapters of the Synoptic Suvarṇaprabhasa-sūtra T644 Ascribed to Paramārtha (Part 1).” Annual Report of the Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University for the Academic Year 2013, vol. XVII (Tokyo: Soka University, 2014): 207–44.

Radich, Michael (2016). “Tibetan Evidence for the Sources of Chapters of the Synoptic Suvarṇa-prabhāsottama-sūtra T 664 A Ascribed to Paramārtha.” Buddhist Studies Review 32.2 (2015): 245–70. Sheffield, UK: Equinox Publishing.

Tanaka, Kimiaki. An Illustrated History of the Mandala From Its Genesis to the Kālacakratantra. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2018.

Tyomkin, E. N. “Unique Sanskrit Fragments of ‘The Sūtra of Golden Light’ in the Manuscript Collection of the St. Petersburg Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies.” In Manuscripta Orientalia vol. 1, no. 1 (July 1995): 29–38. St. Petersburg: Russian Academy of Sciences.

Yuama, Akira. “The Golden Light in Central Asia.” In Annual Report of the International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University for the Academic Year 2003 (Tokyo: Soka University, 2004): 3–32.

Translations

Emmerick, R. E. The Sūtra of Golden Light. Oxford: The Pali Text Society, 2004.

Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). Sutra of Golden Light, 21-Chapter.

Nobel, Johannes. Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra, Das Goldglanz-Sutra, ein Sanskrittext des Mahayana Buddhismus. I-Tsing’s chinesische Version und ihre Übersetzung. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1958.


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

acacia

Wylie:
  • shi ri sha
Tibetan:
  • ཤི་རི་ཤ།
Sanskrit:
  • śirīṣa AS

Albizia lebbeck. A tall tree that can grow to 100 feet. Other common names include Indian walnut, lebbeck, lebbeck tree, flea tree, frywood, koko, and "woman’s tongue tree." The bark is used medicinally.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­5
g.­2

aerial palace

Wylie:
  • gzhal med khang
Tibetan:
  • གཞལ་མེད་ཁང་།
Sanskrit:
  • vimāna AS

These palaces served as both residences and vehicles for deities.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­39
  • 10.­33
g.­3

agarwood

Wylie:
  • a ga ru
Tibetan:
  • ཨ་ག་རུ།
Sanskrit:
  • agaru AS

Amyris agallocha. Also called agallochum and aloeswood. This is a resinous heartwood that has been infected by the fungus Phialophora parasitica. In India, agarwood is primarily derived from the fifteen Aquilaria (Aquilaria malaccensis) and nine Gyrinops species of lign-aloe trees.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­5
g.­4

aging and death

Wylie:
  • rga shi
Tibetan:
  • རྒ་ཤི།
Sanskrit:
  • jarāmaraṇa AS

Twelfth of the twelve links or phases of dependent origination.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­20
  • 17.­24
g.­5

Akṣobhya

Wylie:
  • mi ’khrugs pa
Tibetan:
  • མི་འཁྲུགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • akṣobhya AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Lit. “Not Disturbed” or “Immovable One.” The buddha in the eastern realm of Abhirati. A well-known buddha in Mahāyāna, regarded in the higher tantras as the head of one of the five buddha families, the vajra family in the east.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • i.­44
  • 1.­5
  • 2.­5
  • 10.­15
  • 13.­27
  • g.­196
g.­6

Alakāvati

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

The kingdom of yakṣas located on Mount Sumeru and ruled over by Kubera, also known as Vaiśravaṇa.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • i.­40
  • 9.­5
  • g.­183
  • g.­235
g.­7

Amitābha

Wylie:
  • ’od dpag med
Tibetan:
  • འོད་དཔག་མེད།
Sanskrit:
  • amitābha AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

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

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • 1.­5
  • g.­8
g.­8

Amitāyus

Wylie:
  • tshe dpag med
Tibetan:
  • ཚེ་དཔག་མེད།
Sanskrit:
  • amitāyus AS

The Buddha in the western realm of Sukhāvatī, better known by his alternative name Amitābha. Not to be confused with the buddha of long life, Aparimitāyus, whose name has been rendered in Sanskrit as Amitāyus also. See also “Amitābha.”

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­5
  • 10.­17
g.­9

amṛta

Wylie:
  • bdud rtsi
Tibetan:
  • བདུད་རྩི།
Sanskrit:
  • amṛta AS

The nectar of immortality possessed by the devas, it is used as a metaphor for the teaching that brings liberation.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­72
  • 6.­23
  • 6.­26
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­65-66
  • 7.­71
  • 18.­5
  • n.­406
g.­10

Ānanda

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

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.­49-50
  • 17.­45
  • 18.­3
  • 18.­10
  • 18.­12
  • 18.­15-16
  • 18.­77-78
  • n.­378
g.­11

Anavatapta

Wylie:
  • ma dros pa
Tibetan:
  • མ་དྲོས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • anavatapta AS

A nāga king.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • 14.­27
  • 14.­49
g.­12

arhat

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

According to Buddhist tradition, one who is worthy of worship (pūjām arhati), or one who has conquered the enemies, the mental afflictions (kleśa-ari-hata-vat), and reached liberation from the cycle of rebirth and suffering. It is the fourth and highest of the four fruits attainable by śrāvakas. Also used as an epithet of the Buddha.

Located in 19 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­7
  • 7.­33
  • 7.­40
  • 7.­75-76
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­5
  • 12.­1-2
  • 15.­2-4
  • 15.­13
  • 16.­1-2
  • 17.­21
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­27
  • 17.­46
g.­13

Armed with Spear

Wylie:
  • mdung can
Tibetan:
  • མདུང་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A fierce goddess.

(Toh 556 Degé: dung can; Toh 555: dung chen; Toh 555 Narthang: rung chen)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­54
g.­14

ārya

Wylie:
  • ’phags pa
Tibetan:
  • འཕགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • ārya AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The Sanskrit ārya has the general meaning of a noble person, one of a higher class or caste. In Buddhist literature, depending on the context, it often means specifically one who has gained the realization of the path and is superior for that reason. In particular, it applies to stream enterers, once-returners, non-returners, and worthy ones (arhats) and is also used as an epithet of bodhisattvas. In the five-path system, it refers to someone who has achieved at least the path of seeing (darśanamārga).

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­7
  • 13.­7
g.­15

asaṃkhyeya eon

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

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

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­27
  • 15.­13
g.­16

aspects of enlightenment

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

The seven branches of enlightenment are mindfulness, analysis of phenomena, diligence, joy, tranquility, samādhi, and equanimity.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­7
  • 4.­42
g.­17

asura

Wylie:
  • lha ma yin
Tibetan:
  • ལྷ་མ་ཡིན།
Sanskrit:
  • asura AS

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 26 passages in the translation:

  • i.­45
  • 1.­16
  • 1.­20
  • 2.­7-8
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­19
  • 7.­39
  • 7.­45
  • 7.­79
  • 8.­40
  • 13.­15
  • 14.­27
  • 14.­51-52
  • 21.­13
  • n.­99
  • n.­112
  • n.­285
  • g.­23
  • g.­121
  • g.­163
  • g.­176
  • g.­188
  • g.­218
  • g.­275
g.­18

Aṭāvika

Wylie:
  • ’brog gnas
Tibetan:
  • འབྲོག་གནས།
Sanskrit:
  • aṭāvika AS

A yakṣa king.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­42
g.­19

Aṭavīsaṃbhavā

Wylie:
  • dgon pa na yod pa
Tibetan:
  • དགོན་པ་ན་ཡོད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • aṭavīsaṃbhavā AS

A lake in a wilderness.

(Toh 556: ’brog khong khong na yod)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 17.­13
g.­20

āyatana

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

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

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

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­20
  • 17.­24
g.­21

Āyurveda

Wylie:
  • tshe’i rig byed
Tibetan:
  • ཚེའི་རིག་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • āyurveda AS

The classical system of Indian medicine.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 16.­3
  • 16.­6
  • 16.­22
  • 17.­1
  • n.­203
  • g.­26
  • g.­36
  • g.­53
  • g.­168
g.­22

Balendraketu

Wylie:
  • stobs kyi dbang po’i tog
Tibetan:
  • སྟོབས་ཀྱི་དབང་པོའི་ཏོག
Sanskrit:
  • balendraketu AD

A king in the distant past.

Bhagji Sanskrit: Baladaketu; Toh 557

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­43
  • 12.­5-6
g.­23

Bali

Wylie:
  • stobs can
Tibetan:
  • སྟོབས་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • bali AD

An asura king. Indian literary sources describe how Bali wrested control of the world from the devas, establishing a period of peace and prosperity with no caste distinction. Indra requested Viṣṇu to use his wiles to gain back the world from him for the devas. Viṣṇu appeared as a dwarf asking for two steps of ground, was offered three, and then traversed the world in two steps. Bali, remaining faithful to his promise, accepted the banishment of the asuras into the underworld. A great Bali festival in his honor is held annually in South India.

(Toh 555: ba li)

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 14.­51
  • g.­176
g.­24

bdellium

Wylie:
  • gu gul ra sa
Tibetan:
  • གུ་གུལ་ར་ས།
Sanskrit:
  • guggulurasa AS

Commiphora wighti, or Commiphora mukul. The resin, also known as guggul gum, is obtained from the bark of the tree. When burned, the smoke is said to drive away evil spirits.”

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­6
  • 8.­12
g.­25

becoming

Wylie:
  • srid pa
Tibetan:
  • སྲིད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • bhava AS

Tenth of the twelve links or phases of dependent origination.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­20
  • 17.­24
g.­26

bezoar

Wylie:
  • gi wang
Tibetan:
  • གི་ཝང་།
Sanskrit:
  • sarocanā AS

As this is distinguished from gorocanā (“cow bezoar”), this may be bezoar obtained from the head of an elephant, in distinction from that obtained from a cow. Used in Āyurveda for both external and oral application in treating worm infestation, pruritus (itching), psychiatric disorders, low digestion strength, and more.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­7
  • n.­204
g.­27

Bhagavat

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 125 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1-2
  • 2.­5-9
  • 2.­18-20
  • 2.­42
  • 2.­45
  • 2.­49-50
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­3-4
  • 5.­1
  • 6.­1
  • 7.­1-14
  • 7.­18
  • 7.­20-21
  • 7.­24-27
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­38
  • 7.­40
  • 7.­42-45
  • 7.­64-78
  • 7.­82-83
  • 7.­89
  • 7.­105-106
  • 8.­1-2
  • 8.­15
  • 8.­22
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­1-2
  • 10.­20-21
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­26-32
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­4-8
  • 12.­1-2
  • 14.­1-2
  • 15.­1-2
  • 15.­4-6
  • 15.­12-14
  • 16.­1
  • 17.­41
  • 18.­2-7
  • 18.­9-12
  • 18.­14-16
  • 18.­80
  • 19.­1
  • 20.­1
  • 21.­1
  • 21.­12-13
  • g.­28
g.­28

bhagavatī

Wylie:
  • bcom ldan ’das ma
Tibetan:
  • བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • bhagavatī AS

See “bhagavat.”

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­30
  • 8.­33
g.­29

bherī drum

Wylie:
  • rnga
Tibetan:
  • རྔ།
Sanskrit:
  • bherī AS

As specified in the Sanskrit, a conical or bowl-shaped kettledrum, with an upper surface that is beaten with sticks. The Tibetan and Chinese are not specific about the kind of drum it is.”

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • n.­54
  • n.­120
  • n.­142
g.­30

bhikṣu

Wylie:
  • dge slong
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་སློང་།
Sanskrit:
  • bhikṣu AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The term bhikṣu, often translated as “monk,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist monks and nuns‍—like other ascetics of the time‍—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity.

In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a monk follows 253 rules as part of his moral discipline. A nun (bhikṣuṇī; dge slong ma) follows 364 rules. A novice monk (śrāmaṇera; dge tshul) or nun (śrāmaṇerikā; dge tshul ma) follows thirty-six rules of moral discipline (although in other vinaya traditions novices typically follow only ten).

Located in 41 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 7.­7-10
  • 7.­12-13
  • 7.­19-20
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­36
  • 7.­41-42
  • 7.­48
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­71
  • 7.­79-81
  • 7.­106
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­19
  • 8.­21
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­21
  • 10.­25
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­8
  • 13.­7
  • 13.­19
  • 13.­27
  • 17.­21
  • 18.­2
  • 18.­6-7
  • 18.­14
  • 18.­138
  • n.­169
  • n.­366
g.­31

bhikṣuṇī

Wylie:
  • dge slong ma
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་སློང་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • bhikṣuṇī AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The term bhikṣuṇī, often translated as “nun,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term bhikṣu (to which the female grammatical ending ṇī is added) literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist nuns and monks‍—like other ascetics of the time‍—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity. In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a bhikṣuṇī follows 364 rules and a bhikṣu follows 253 rules as part of their moral discipline.

For the first few years of the Buddha’s teachings in India, there was no ordination for women. It started at the persistent request and display of determination of Mahāprajāpatī, the Buddha’s stepmother and aunt, together with five hundred former wives of men of Kapilavastu, who had themselves become monks. Mahāprajāpatī is thus considered to be the founder of the nun’s order.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­12-13
  • 7.­19-20
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­41-42
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­71
  • 7.­79-81
  • 8.­21
  • 10.­25
  • g.­135
g.­32

bhūmi

Wylie:
  • sa
Tibetan:
  • ས།
Sanskrit:
  • bhūmi AS

Literally the “grounds” in which qualities grow, and also meaning “levels.” Here it refers specifically to levels of enlightenment, especially the ten levels of the bodhisattvas.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­6
  • i.­25
  • 4.­35
  • 4.­40
  • 4.­52
  • n.­70
g.­33

bhūta

Wylie:
  • ’byung po
Tibetan:
  • འབྱུང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • bhūta AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 7.­4
g.­34

bimba

Wylie:
  • bim pa
Tibetan:
  • བིམ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • bimbā AS
  • bimba AS

Momordica monadelpha. A perennial climbing plant, the fruit of which is a bright red gourd. Because of its color it is frequently used in poetry as a simile for lips.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 2.­33
g.­35

birth

Wylie:
  • skye ba
Tibetan:
  • སྐྱེ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • jāti AS

Eleventh of the twelve links or phases of dependent origination.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­20
  • 17.­24
g.­36

black stone flower

Wylie:
  • rdo dreg lo ma
Tibetan:
  • རྡོ་དྲེག་ལོ་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • patraśaileya AS

Parmelia perlata. A lichen used as a spice and in Āyurveda for the treatment of skin diseases, cough, asthma, kidney stones, painful urination, and localized swelling. Commonly called śaileya in Sanskrit.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­6
g.­37

blue jaybird

Wylie:
  • tsa sha
Tibetan:
  • ཙ་ཤ།
Sanskrit:
  • cāṣa AS

More commonly known as the Indian roller (Coracias benghalensis).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 5.­4
g.­38

Bodhimaṇḍa

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

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 4 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­48-50
  • 7.­53
g.­39

bodhisattva mahāsattva

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The term can be understood to mean “great courageous one” or "great hero,” or (from the Sanskrit) simply “great being,” and is almost always found as an epithet of “bodhisattva.” The qualification “great” in this term, according to the majority of canonical definitions, focuses on the generic greatness common to all bodhisattvas, i.e., the greatness implicit in the bodhisattva vow itself in terms of outlook, aspiration, number of beings to be benefited, potential or eventual accomplishments, and so forth. In this sense the mahā- is closer in its connotations to the mahā- in “Mahāyāna” than to the mahā- in “mahāsiddha.” While individual bodhisattvas described as mahāsattva may in many cases also be “great” in terms of their level of realization, this is largely coincidental, and in the canonical texts the epithet is not restricted to bodhisattvas at any particular point in their career. Indeed, in a few cases even bodhisattvas whose path has taken a wrong direction are still described as bodhisattva mahāsattva.

Later commentarial writings do nevertheless define the term‍—variably‍—in terms of bodhisattvas having attained a particular level (bhūmi) or realization. The most common qualifying criteria mentioned are attaining the path of seeing, attaining irreversibility (according to its various definitions), or attaining the seventh bhūmi.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • n.­41
g.­40

Bodhisattvasamuccayā

Wylie:
  • byang chub yang dag par bsdus pa
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཡང་དག་པར་བསྡུས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • bodhisattvasamuccayā AD

A goddess. In Toh 555 called “goddess of the Bodhi tree.”

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • i.­7
  • i.­46-49
  • i.­53
  • 5.­1
  • 15.­1
  • 17.­41
  • 21.­1
  • 21.­13
g.­41

Brahmā

Wylie:
  • tshangs pa
Tibetan:
  • ཚངས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • brahmā AS

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 17 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­7
  • 4.­8
  • 5.­3
  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • 7.­73-75
  • 12.­9-10
  • 12.­13
  • 13.­31
  • 14.­26
  • 19.­4
  • 21.­12
  • n.­24
  • g.­42
g.­42

Brahmā devas

Wylie:
  • tshangs pa
Tibetan:
  • ཚངས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • brahmā AS

In addition to being the name of the great deity, “Brahmā” (sometimes “Mahābrahmā”) can mean all the devas that live in Brahmā’s paradise.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­16
  • 7.­40
g.­43

brahmin

Wylie:
  • bram ze
Tibetan:
  • བྲམ་ཟེ།
Sanskrit:
  • brāhmaṇa AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A member of the highest of the four castes in Indian society, which is closely associated with religious vocations.

Located in 20 passages in the translation:

  • i.­3
  • i.­33-34
  • i.­39
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­18-21
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­38
  • 3.­2
  • 4.­4
  • 4.­99
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­34
  • n.­45
  • n.­48
  • g.­120
  • g.­286
g.­44

caitya

Wylie:
  • mchod rten
Tibetan:
  • མཆོད་རྟེན།
Sanskrit:
  • caitya AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The Tibetan translates both stūpa and caitya with the same word, mchod rten, meaning “basis” or “recipient” of “offerings” or “veneration.” Pali: cetiya.

A caitya, although often synonymous with stūpa, can also refer to any site, sanctuary or shrine that is made for veneration, and may or may not contain relics.

A stūpa, literally “heap” or “mound,” is a mounded or circular structure usually containing relics of the Buddha or the masters of the past. It is considered to be a sacred object representing the awakened mind of a buddha, but the symbolism of the stūpa is complex, and its design varies throughout the Buddhist world. Stūpas continue to be erected today as objects of veneration and merit making.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­57
g.­45

Cakravāḍa

Wylie:
  • khor yug
Tibetan:
  • ཁོར་ཡུག
Sanskrit:
  • cakravāḍa AS

“Circular mass”; there are at least three interpretations of what this name refers to. In the Kṣitigarbha Sutra it is a mountain that contains the hells. In that case, it is equivalent to the Vaḍaba submarine mountain of fire, which is also said to be the entrance to the hells. More commonly, it is the name of the outer ring of mountains at the edge of the flat disk that is the world, with Sumeru in the center. This is also equated with Vaḍaba, as it is the heat of the mountain range that evaporates the ocean, thus preventing it from overflowing. Jambudvīpa, the world of humans, is a continent in the ocean to Sumeru’s south. However, Cakravāḍa is also used to mean the entire disk, including Meru and the paradises above it. An alternate form is Cakravāla.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 7.­45
g.­46

cakravartin

Wylie:
  • ’khor los sgyur ba
Tibetan:
  • འཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • cakravartin AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

An ideal monarch or emperor who, as the result of the merit accumulated in previous lifetimes, rules over a vast realm in accordance with the Dharma. Such a monarch is called a cakravartin because he bears a wheel (cakra) that rolls (vartate) across the earth, bringing all lands and kingdoms under his power. The cakravartin conquers his territory without causing harm, and his activity causes beings to enter the path of wholesome actions. According to Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakośa, just as with the buddhas, only one cakravartin appears in a world system at any given time. They are likewise endowed with the thirty-two major marks of a great being (mahāpuruṣalakṣaṇa), but a cakravartin’s marks are outshined by those of a buddha. They possess seven precious objects: the wheel, the elephant, the horse, the wish-fulfilling gem, the queen, the general, and the minister. An illustrative passage about the cakravartin and his possessions can be found in The Play in Full (Toh 95), 3.3–3.13.

Vasubandhu lists four types of cakravartins: (1) the cakravartin with a golden wheel (suvarṇacakravartin) rules over four continents and is invited by lesser kings to be their ruler; (2) the cakravartin with a silver wheel (rūpyacakravartin) rules over three continents and his opponents submit to him as he approaches; (3) the cakravartin with a copper wheel (tāmracakravartin) rules over two continents and his opponents submit themselves after preparing for battle; and (4) the cakravartin with an iron wheel (ayaścakravartin) rules over one continent and his opponents submit themselves after brandishing weapons.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • i.­44
  • 7.­39-40
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­4
  • 13.­30
  • g.­246
g.­47

Canafistula

Wylie:
  • sha myang
Tibetan:
  • ཤ་མྱང་།
Sanskrit:
  • śyābhyaka AS

Cassia fistula. An Indian tree with pods that are used medicinally.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­5
g.­48

Caṇḍā

Wylie:
  • gdol pa mo
Tibetan:
  • གདོལ་པ་མོ།
Sanskrit:
  • caṇḍā AS

A fierce goddess.

(Toh 555: ma rungs pa)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­54
g.­49

caṇḍāla

Wylie:
  • gdol pa
Tibetan:
  • གདོལ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • caṇḍāla AS

The lowest and most disparaged class of people within the caste system of ancient India, they fall outside of the caste system altogether due to their low rank in society.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 12.­20
g.­50

Caṇḍālikā

Wylie:
  • gtum mo
Tibetan:
  • གཏུམ་མོ།
Sanskrit:
  • caṇḍālikā AS

A fierce goddess.

(Toh 555: gdug pa)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­54
g.­51

Candana

Wylie:
  • tsan+dan
Tibetan:
  • ཙནྡན།
Sanskrit:
  • candana AS

A yakṣa king.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­47
g.­52

Caṇḍikā

Wylie:
  • gtum mo
Tibetan:
  • གཏུམ་མོ།
Sanskrit:
  • caṇḍikā AS

A fierce goddess.

(Toh 555: lag na dbyug thogs)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­54
g.­53

cardamom

Wylie:
  • sug smel
Tibetan:
  • སུག་སྨེལ།
Sanskrit:
  • sūkṣmailā AS

Elettria cardamomum. A digestive medicine in Āyurveda.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­7
g.­54

Chagalapāda

Wylie:
  • ra rkang
Tibetan:
  • ར་རྐང་།
Sanskrit:
  • chagalapāda AD

A yakṣa king.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­45
g.­55

chir pine rosin

Wylie:
  • shi ri be sta
Tibetan:
  • ཤི་རི་བེ་སྟ།
Sanskrit:
  • nīveṣṭaka AS

This is a product of the chir pine, also known as the long leaf pine: Pinus roxbhurghii or Pinus longifolia. It is used in Āyurvedic medicine. Also known in Sanskrit as śrīveṣṭa, which appears to be the version in the manuscript from which the Tibetan was transliterated.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­6
g.­56

cinnamon

Wylie:
  • shing tsha
Tibetan:
  • ཤིང་ཚ།
Sanskrit:
  • tvaca AS

Cinnamonum tamale. Specifically, the Indian species of cinnamon, which has medicinal properties.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­5
g.­57

Citrasena

Wylie:
  • sna tshogs sde
Tibetan:
  • སྣ་ཚོགས་སྡེ།
Sanskrit:
  • citrasena AD

A yakṣa king.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­44
g.­58

consciousness

Wylie:
  • rnam shes
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་ཤེས།
Sanskrit:
  • vijñāna AS

Fifth of the five aggregates and third of the twelve links of dependent origination.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­20
  • 17.­24
g.­59

Consumer of Burnt Offerings

Wylie:
  • sbyin sreg za
Tibetan:
  • སྦྱིན་སྲེག་ཟ།
Sanskrit:
  • hutāśana AS

This is another name for Agni, the god of fire.

(Toh 557: sbyin sreg za)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­37
g.­60

contact

Wylie:
  • reg pa
Tibetan:
  • རེག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • sparśa AS

The sixth of the twelve links or phases of dependent origination, which is the contact between the sensory consciousnesses and organs with sensory objects.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­20
  • 17.­24
g.­61

costus root

Wylie:
  • ru rta
Tibetan:
  • རུ་རྟ།
Sanskrit:
  • kuṣṭha AS

Saussurea lappa. This is a 3–4-foot-tall shrub. Alternatively identified as Saussurea costus and Costus speciosus.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­7
g.­62

cow bezoar

Wylie:
  • gi’u wang
Tibetan:
  • གིའུ་ཝང་།
Sanskrit:
  • gorocanā AS

A yellow stone that forms within the stomach of ruminants and is held to have medicinal properties.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­5
  • n.­204
  • g.­26
g.­63

craving

Wylie:
  • sred pa
Tibetan:
  • སྲེད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • tṛṣṇā AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Eighth of the twelve links of dependent origination. Craving is often listed as threefold: craving for the desirable, craving for existence, and craving for nonexistence.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­20
  • 17.­24
  • 18.­122
g.­64

crepe ginger

Wylie:
  • dza+nya ma
Tibetan:
  • ཛྙ་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • vyāmaka AS

Cheilocostus speciosus. This rhizome is used in Āyurvedic medicine to treat fever, rash, asthma, bronchitis, and intestinal worms.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­5
g.­65

dammar gum

Wylie:
  • sra rtsi
Tibetan:
  • སྲ་རྩི།
Sanskrit:
  • sarjarasa AS

A resin from the tree known as sarjarasa, sarja, white dammar, or Indian copal tree (Vateria indica). The white dammar resin is used in incense and Āyurvedic medicine.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­6
g.­66

Daṇḍapāṇi

Wylie:
  • lag na be con
Tibetan:
  • ལག་ན་བེ་ཅོན།
Sanskrit:
  • daṇḍapāṇi AD

This is the Śākya Daṇḍapāṇi who, in the Lalitavistara Sūtra (The Play in Full), is described as the father of Gopā, the Buddha’s wife. There are others of that name, such as the brother of the Buddha’s mother, Mayā, and also the uncle of the Buddha’s other wife, Yaśodhara. However, that Daṇḍapāṇi was a member of the neighboring Koliya clan. There is also a contrasting account of a Śakya Daṇḍapāṇi who is said to have been a follower of Devadatta and who was dissatisfied by the Buddha’s answers when he met him in Kapilavastu, the capital of the Śākya clan. His nickname, “Cane Holder,” is said to be because he always carried a golden cane.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 17.­41
g.­67

dependent origination

Wylie:
  • rten cing ’brel par ’byung ba
Tibetan:
  • རྟེན་ཅིང་འབྲེལ་པར་འབྱུང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • pratītyasamutpāda AS

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 17.­21
  • 17.­27
  • 17.­46
  • n.­366
  • g.­4
  • g.­25
  • g.­35
  • g.­58
  • g.­60
  • g.­82
  • g.­97
  • g.­162
  • g.­226
g.­68

deva

Wylie:
  • lha
Tibetan:
  • ལྷ།
Sanskrit:
  • deva AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In the most general sense the devas‍—the term is cognate with the English divine‍—are a class of celestial beings who frequently appear in Buddhist texts, often at the head of the assemblies of nonhuman beings who attend and celebrate the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni and other buddhas and bodhisattvas. In Buddhist cosmology the devas occupy the highest of the five or six “destinies” (gati) of saṃsāra among which beings take rebirth. The devas reside in the devalokas, “heavens” that traditionally number between twenty-six and twenty-eight and are divided between the desire realm (kāmadhātu), form realm (rūpadhātu), and formless realm (ārūpyadhātu). A being attains rebirth among the devas either through meritorious deeds (in the desire realm) or the attainment of subtle meditative states (in the form and formless realms). While rebirth among the devas is considered favorable, it is ultimately a transitory state from which beings will fall when the conditions that lead to rebirth there are exhausted. Thus, rebirth in the god realms is regarded as a diversion from the spiritual path.

Located in 116 passages in the translation:

  • i.­7
  • i.­43-47
  • i.­49
  • 1.­8
  • 1.­16
  • 1.­20
  • 2.­7-8
  • 2.­20
  • 2.­47
  • 4.­13
  • 5.­10
  • 6.­15
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­15
  • 7.­19-20
  • 7.­31
  • 7.­39
  • 7.­41-42
  • 7.­44-45
  • 7.­64
  • 7.­68-70
  • 7.­73
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­79
  • 7.­100
  • 7.­103
  • 8.­20
  • 8.­26
  • 8.­35
  • 8.­40
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3
  • 10.­30
  • 10.­32-34
  • 11.­8
  • 12.­8-12
  • 12.­16-18
  • 12.­21-22
  • 12.­25
  • 12.­31-33
  • 12.­35
  • 12.­55
  • 12.­58-59
  • 12.­62
  • 12.­66
  • 12.­70
  • 12.­72-73
  • 12.­75
  • 12.­81
  • 13.­12
  • 13.­15-16
  • 13.­18
  • 13.­29
  • 14.­10
  • 14.­20
  • 14.­28-29
  • 14.­35
  • 14.­64
  • 14.­66
  • 14.­74
  • 15.­1-2
  • 15.­4
  • 15.­6
  • 15.­13-14
  • 15.­16-18
  • 16.­1
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­27-29
  • 17.­40
  • 17.­46
  • 18.­39
  • 18.­141
  • 19.­10
  • 21.­10
  • 21.­13
  • n.­24
  • n.­220
  • n.­312
  • g.­9
  • g.­23
  • g.­42
  • g.­69
  • g.­99
  • g.­176
g.­69

devī

Wylie:
  • lha mo
Tibetan:
  • ལྷ་མོ།
Sanskrit:
  • devī AS

A female being in the paradises from the base of Mount Sumeru upward. Also can refer to a female deity or goddess in the human world. See also “deva.”

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 13.­18
  • n.­259
g.­70

Dharma body

Wylie:
  • chos kyi sku
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་ཀྱི་སྐུ།
Sanskrit:
  • dharmakāya AS

In its earliest use it generally meant that though the corporeal body of the Buddha had perished, his “body of the Dharma” continued. It also referred to the Buddha’s realization of reality, to his qualities as a whole, or to his teachings as embodying him. It later came to be synonymous with enlightenment or buddhahood, a “body” that can only be “seen” by a buddha.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­25
  • 2.­45
  • 6.­27
  • 13.­2
  • 13.­32
  • 18.­33
g.­71

Dharma Protector

Wylie:
  • chos skyong
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་སྐྱོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A yakṣa king.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­46
g.­72

Dharma realm

Wylie:
  • chos kyi dbyings
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་ཀྱི་དབྱིངས།
Sanskrit:
  • dharmadhātu AS

A synonym for the ultimate nature of reality. The term is interpreted variously and can be translated according to context as “Dharma realm,” “Dharma element,” “the realm of phenomena,” or “the element of phenomena.”

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 2.­45
  • 14.­8
  • 14.­33
g.­73

dharmabhāṇaka

Wylie:
  • chos smra ba
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་སྨྲ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • dharmabhāṇaka AS

In early Buddhism a section of the saṅgha would be bhāṇakas (“proclaimers”), who memorized the teachings. Particularly before the teachings were written down, and were transmitted orally, the bhāṇakas were the key means of preserving of the teachings. Various groups of bhāṇakas specialized in memorizing and reciting specific sets of sūtras or the vinaya.

Located in 33 passages in the translation:

  • i.­41
  • i.­44
  • 7.­8-9
  • 7.­36-38
  • 7.­40
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­47-48
  • 7.­64
  • 7.­106
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­3
  • 8.­19
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­21
  • 10.­25
  • 10.­30
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­8
  • 13.­5
  • 13.­7
  • 13.­9-10
  • 13.­17
  • 13.­19
  • 13.­27
  • 14.­15
  • 14.­18
  • g.­196
g.­74

Dharmodgata

Wylie:
  • chos ’phags
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་འཕགས།
Sanskrit:
  • dharmodgata AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A great bodhisattva, residing in a divine city called Gandhavatī, who teaches the Prajñāpāramitā three times a day. He is known for becoming the teacher of the bodhisattva Sadāprarudita, who decides to sell his flesh and blood in order to make offerings to him and receive his teachings. This story is told in The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines (Toh 10, ch. 85–86). It can also be found quoted in several works, such as The Words of My Perfect Teacher (kun bzang bla ma’i zhal lung) by Patrul Rinpoche.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­14
g.­75

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

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

One of the Four Mahārājas, he is the guardian deity for the east and lord of the gandharvas.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­1
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­82
  • g.­138
g.­76

Dṛḍhā

Wylie:
  • brtan ma
Tibetan:
  • བརྟན་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • dṛḍhā AD

The goddess of the earth.

(Toh 555: sra ba)

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • i.­41
  • 1.­15
  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • 10.­20-21
  • 10.­26-27
  • 10.­32
  • 10.­34-35
  • n.­292
g.­77

Dundubhisvara

Wylie:
  • rnga sgra
Tibetan:
  • རྔ་སྒྲ།
Sanskrit:
  • dundubhisvara AD

The principal buddha of the northern direction.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • 1.­5
  • 2.­5
  • 10.­18
g.­78

eighty features

Wylie:
  • dpe byad bzang po brgyad cu
Tibetan:
  • དཔེ་བྱད་བཟང་པོ་བརྒྱད་ཅུ།
Sanskrit:
  • aśītyanuvyañjana AS

A set of eighty bodily characteristics borne by buddhas and universal emperors. They are considered “minor” in terms of being secondary to the thirty-two major marks of a great being.These can be found listed, for example, in Prajñāpāramitā sūtras (see Toh 9, Toh 10, Toh 11) or in The Play in Full (Toh 95, 7.100) and many other sūtras.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.­70
g.­79

eon

Wylie:
  • bskal pa
Tibetan:
  • བསྐལ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • kalpa AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A cosmic period of time, sometimes equivalent to the time when a world system appears, exists, and disappears. According to the traditional Abhidharma understanding of cyclical time, a great eon (mahākalpa) is divided into eighty lesser eons. In the course of one great eon, the universe takes form and later disappears. During the first twenty of the lesser eons, the universe is in the process of creation and expansion; during the next twenty it remains; during the third twenty, it is in the process of destruction; and during the last quarter of the cycle, it remains in a state of empty stasis. A fortunate, or good, eon (bhadrakalpa) refers to any eon in which more than one buddha appears.

Located in 43 passages in the translation:

  • i.­41-42
  • 1.­18
  • 1.­20
  • 2.­2
  • 2.­14
  • 2.­16
  • 4.­9
  • 4.­36
  • 4.­38
  • 4.­44
  • 4.­68-69
  • 4.­72
  • 4.­91
  • 4.­98
  • 5.­19
  • 5.­23
  • 5.­25
  • 5.­30
  • 5.­35
  • 6.­27
  • 6.­34
  • 7.­39-40
  • 7.­75
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­8
  • 13.­2-3
  • 13.­30-31
  • 14.­10
  • 15.­2
  • 15.­12
  • 16.­1
  • 18.­79
  • 18.­81
  • 18.­140
  • 19.­10
  • n.­175
  • g.­15
g.­80

fenugreek

Wylie:
  • ’u su
Tibetan:
  • འུ་སུ།
Sanskrit:
  • spṛkā AS

Trigonella corniculata.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­5
g.­81

fig tree flower

Wylie:
  • u dum bā ra
Tibetan:
  • ཨུ་དུམ་བā་ར།
Sanskrit:
  • udumbara AS

The mythological flower of the fig tree, said to appear on rare occasions, such as the birth of a buddha. The actual fig tree flower is contained within the fruit.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 21.­3
g.­82

formation

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

The meaning of this term varies according to context. As one of the skandhas it refers to various mental activities. In terms of the twelve phases of dependent origination it is the second, “formation” or “creation,” referring to activities with karmic results.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­20
  • 17.­24-25
g.­83

Four Mahārājas

Wylie:
  • rgyal po chen po bzhi
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་པོ་ཆེན་པོ་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • caturmahārāja AS

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 44 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • i.­38
  • 7.­2-3
  • 7.­5-8
  • 7.­11-14
  • 7.­17-21
  • 7.­26-27
  • 7.­30-32
  • 7.­38
  • 7.­41-43
  • 7.­45
  • 7.­64-67
  • 7.­70-71
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­78
  • 7.­80
  • 7.­89
  • 7.­106-107
  • 14.­35
  • g.­75
  • g.­266
  • g.­282
  • g.­283
g.­84

fourfold army

Wylie:
  • dpung gi tshogs yan lag bzhi
Tibetan:
  • དཔུང་གི་ཚོགས་ཡན་ལག་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • caturaṅga balakāya AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The ancient Indian army was composed of four branches (caturaṅga)‍—infantry, cavalry, chariots, and elephants.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­24
  • 7.­26
g.­85

frankincense

Wylie:
  • sha+la la ki
Tibetan:
  • ཤླ་ལ་ཀི
Sanskrit:
  • śallaki AS

Also known as olibanum, this is a resin from trees of the genus Boswellia, in this case, Boswellia serrata, “Indian frankincense.” It is also known as salai and śallakī, tilakalka, vṛścika, and turuṣka.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­6
g.­86

Gandhamādana

Wylie:
  • spos kyi ngad ldang ba
Tibetan:
  • སྤོས་ཀྱི་ངད་ལྡང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • gandhamādana AS

A mountain north of the Himalayas, said to be fifty yojanas from Mount Kailash. In other sūtras, it is translated as spos ngad can, spos ngad ldang, or spos nad ldan. Mount Gandhamardan in Orissa, India, was at one time a center for Buddhist study and practice.

(In other sūtras, this is translated as spos ngad can; spos ngad ldang; or spos nad ldan)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 2.­37
g.­87

gandharva

Wylie:
  • dri za
Tibetan:
  • དྲི་ཟ།
Sanskrit:
  • gandharva AS

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 8 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­8
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­45
  • 8.­35
  • 12.­20
  • 21.­13
  • n.­25
  • g.­75
g.­88

Gandharva

Wylie:
  • dri za
Tibetan:
  • དྲི་ཟ།
Sanskrit:
  • gandharva AD

A yakṣa king.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­44
g.­89

Ganges River

Wylie:
  • gang gA’i klung
Tibetan:
  • གང་གཱའི་ཀླུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • gaṅgānadī AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The Gaṅgā, or Ganges in English, is considered to be the most sacred river of India, particularly within the Hindu tradition. It starts in the Himalayas, flows through the northern plains of India, bathing the holy city of Vārāṇasī, and meets the sea at the Bay of Bengal, in Bangladesh. In the sūtras, however, this river is mostly mentioned not for its sacredness but for its abundant sands‍—noticeable still today on its many sandy banks and at its delta‍—which serve as a common metaphor for infinitely large numbers.

According to Buddhist cosmology, as explained in the Abhidharmakośa, it is one of the four rivers that flow from Lake Anavatapta and cross the southern continent of Jambudvīpa‍—the known human world or more specifically the Indian subcontinent.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­5
  • 2.­25
  • 7.­46-48
  • 14.­7
  • g.­107
  • g.­114
  • g.­127
  • g.­171
g.­90

garuḍa

Wylie:
  • nam mkha’ lding
Tibetan:
  • ནམ་མཁའ་ལྡིང་།
Sanskrit:
  • garuḍa AS

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 6 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­16
  • 2.­8
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­45
  • 14.­27
  • n.­25
g.­91

Golden Essence

Wylie:
  • gser gyi snying po
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་གྱི་སྙིང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A bodhisattva.

(Toh 555: gser mdzod)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­12
g.­92

Gopā

Wylie:
  • sa ’tsho ma
Tibetan:
  • ས་འཚོ་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • gopā AS

A wife of the Buddha Śākyamuni when he was Prince Siddhartha, and the daughter of Daṇḍapāni.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 17.­44
  • g.­66
g.­93

grasping

Wylie:
  • len pa
Tibetan:
  • ལེན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • upādāna AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

This term, although commonly translated as “appropriation,” also means “grasping” or “clinging,” but it has a particular meaning as the ninth of the twelve links of dependent origination, situated between craving (tṛṣṇā, sred pa) and becoming or existence (bhava, srid pa). In some texts, four types of appropriation (upādāna) are listed: that of desire (rāga), view (dṛṣṭi), rules and observances as paramount (śīla­vrata­parāmarśa), and belief in a self (ātmavāda).

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­20
  • 17.­24
g.­94

Haimavata

Wylie:
  • gangs can
Tibetan:
  • གངས་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • haimavata AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: gangs ri)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­47
g.­95

Hārītī

Wylie:
  • ’phrog ma
Tibetan:
  • འཕྲོག་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • hārītī AS

A rākṣasī with hundreds of children whom the Buddha converted into a protector of children.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­45
  • 1.­15
  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • 14.­53
g.­96

higher cognitions

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

The higher cognitions are listed as either five or six. The first five are divine sight, divine hearing, knowing how to manifest miracles, remembering previous lives, and knowing what is in the minds of others. A sixth, knowing that all defects have been eliminated, is often added. The first five are attained through concentration (Skt. dhyāna), and are sometimes described as worldly, as they can be attained to some extent by non-Buddhist yogis, while the sixth is supramundane and attained only by realization.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­73-75
g.­97

ignorance

Wylie:
  • ma rig pa
Tibetan:
  • མ་རིག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • avidyā AS

The first of the twelve links or phases of dependent origination. “Ignorance” has also been used to render moha (gti mug).

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­6
  • 4.­9
  • 4.­22
  • 4.­32-33
  • 4.­59
  • 4.­73
  • 18.­78
  • n.­79
  • n.­139
g.­98

illusory body

Wylie:
  • sprul pa’i sku
Tibetan:
  • སྤྲུལ་པའི་སྐུ།
Sanskrit:
  • nirmāṇakāya AS
  • nirmitakāya AS

Manifestations of the Buddha, particularly as the principal buddha of an age, that are perceivable by ordinary beings.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 2.­43
g.­99

Indra

Wylie:
  • dbang po
Tibetan:
  • དབང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • indra AD

The deity that is also called Mahendra, “lord of the devas,” who dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. He is also known as Śakra (Tib. brgya byin, “hundred offerings”). Śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu: "one who has performed a hundred sacrifices." The highest Vedic sacrifice was the horse sacrifice, and there is a tradition that Indra became the lord of the gods through performing them.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­32
  • 14.­37
  • n.­24
  • g.­23
  • g.­163
  • g.­169
  • g.­182
  • g.­260
g.­100

ironwood flowers

Wylie:
  • nA ga ge sar
Tibetan:
  • ནཱ་ག་གེ་སར།
Sanskrit:
  • nāgakeśara AS

Mesua ferrea. Evergreen tree up to 100-feet tall. Known as Assam ironwood, Ceylon ironwood, Indian rose chestnut, Cobra’s saffron, and nāgakesara. The flowers are large and fragrant, with four white petals and a yellow center.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­7
g.­101

Jalāgamā

Wylie:
  • chu ’bab pa
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་འབབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • jalāgamā AS

A river.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 17.­12
  • 17.­16
g.­102

Jalagarbha

Wylie:
  • chu’i snying po
Tibetan:
  • ཆུའི་སྙིང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • jalagarbha AD

The younger son of Jalavāhana and Jalāmbuja­garbhā.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 17.­3
  • 17.­16
  • 17.­26
  • 17.­45
g.­103

Jalāmbara

Wylie:
  • chu’i gos
Tibetan:
  • ཆུའི་གོས།
Sanskrit:
  • jalāmbara AS

The elder son of Jalavāhana and Jalāmbuja­garbhā.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 17.­3
  • 17.­16
  • 17.­18-20
  • 17.­26
  • 17.­37-39
  • 17.­45
g.­104

Jalāmbuja­garbhā

Wylie:
  • chu’i pad ma’i snying po
Tibetan:
  • ཆུའི་པད་མའི་སྙིང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • jalāmbujagarbhā AS

The wife of Jalavāhana.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 17.­2-3
  • 17.­44
  • g.­102
  • g.­103
g.­105

Jalavāhana

Wylie:
  • chu ’bebs
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་འབེབས།
Sanskrit:
  • jalavāhana AS

A learned physician in the distant past and son of Jaladhara; who, as a result of performing Dharma recitations while standing in a lake, ensured the rebirth of ten thousand fish into the paradise of Trāyastriṃśa. He was the Buddha in a previous life.

Located in 48 passages in the translation:

  • s.­2
  • i.­7
  • i.­48-49
  • 16.­4
  • 16.­6-7
  • 16.­12
  • 16.­22-24
  • 16.­26-27
  • 17.­1-2
  • 17.­4-8
  • 17.­10-13
  • 17.­16-18
  • 17.­20
  • 17.­23-24
  • 17.­26-29
  • 17.­31-38
  • 17.­40
  • 17.­43
  • 17.­49
  • g.­102
  • g.­103
  • g.­104
g.­106

Jambu Golden Victory Banner Golden Appearance

Wylie:
  • ’dzam bu gser gyi rgyal mtshan gser du snang ba
Tibetan:
  • འཛམ་བུ་གསེར་གྱི་རྒྱལ་མཚན་གསེར་དུ་སྣང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • jambu­suvarṇa­dhvaja­kanaka­prabha RS

A tathāgata.

(Toh 555: gser tog ’od)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­3
g.­107

Jambū River

Wylie:
  • ’dzam bu’i chu klung
Tibetan:
  • འཛམ་བུའི་ཆུ་ཀླུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • jambūnada AS

The rivers that flow down from the immense lake at the foot of the legendary Jambu tree, including the Ganges. The fruits of that tree are made of gold and are carried down by the rivers through Jambudvīpa. Such gold is considered the best kind.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­74
g.­108

Jambudvīpa

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The name of the southern continent in Buddhist cosmology, which can signify either the known human world, or more specifically the Indian subcontinent, literally “the jambu island/continent.” Jambu is the name used for a range of plum-like fruits from trees belonging to the genus Szygium, particularly Szygium jambos and Szygium cumini, and it has commonly been rendered “rose apple,” although “black plum” may be a less misleading term. Among various explanations given for the continent being so named, one (in the Abhidharmakośa) is that a jambu tree grows in its northern mountains beside Lake Anavatapta, mythically considered the source of the four great rivers of India, and that the continent is therefore named from the tree or the fruit. Jambudvīpa has the Vajrāsana at its center and is the only continent upon which buddhas attain awakening.

Located in 37 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­54
  • 4.­96
  • 7.­5
  • 7.­7
  • 7.­29-31
  • 7.­75-76
  • 7.­91
  • 7.­93-94
  • 7.­103
  • 8.­2
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­22
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­27
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­8
  • 12.­71
  • 13.­23
  • 13.­25
  • 14.­24
  • 14.­65
  • 14.­70
  • 14.­75
  • 14.­77
  • 14.­79
  • 17.­22
  • 17.­27
  • 17.­29-30
  • n.­191
  • n.­346
  • g.­45
  • g.­107
g.­109

Jaṭiṃdhara

Wylie:
  • ral pa ’dzin
Tibetan:
  • རལ་པ་འཛིན།
Sanskrit:
  • jaṭiṃdhara AD

A head merchant and physician in the distant past.

(Toh 555: chu ‘dzin)

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­48-49
  • 16.­3-4
  • 16.­6-7
  • 16.­12
  • 17.­42
g.­110

jina

Wylie:
  • rgyal ba
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • jina AS

An epithet for a buddha meaning “victorious one.”

Located in 42 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­17
  • 2.­39
  • 4.­58
  • 4.­60
  • 4.­73
  • 4.­99
  • 5.­2
  • 5.­7
  • 5.­16
  • 5.­18-20
  • 5.­22
  • 5.­36
  • 6.­33
  • 7.­15
  • 7.­54
  • 7.­84-88
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­4
  • 13.­7
  • 13.­10
  • 14.­8
  • 19.­2
  • 19.­4-8
  • 21.­5
  • 21.­7-8
  • n.­76
  • n.­92
  • n.­97
  • n.­176
g.­111

Jinarāja

Wylie:
  • rgyal ba’i rgyal
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་བའི་རྒྱལ།
Sanskrit:
  • jinarāja AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: ’dam bu rgyal)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­44
g.­112

Jinarṣabha

Wylie:
  • rgyal ba khyu mchog
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་བ་ཁྱུ་མཆོག
Sanskrit:
  • jinarṣabha AD

A yakṣa king and the son of Vaiśravaṇa.

(Toh 555: rtag tu rgyal)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­44
g.­113

Jvalanāntara­tejo­rāja

Wylie:
  • ’bar ba’i khyad par gyi gzi brjid rgyal po
Tibetan:
  • འབར་བའི་ཁྱད་པར་གྱི་གཟི་བརྗིད་རྒྱལ་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • jvalanāntaratejorāja AS

A deity in the Trāyastriṃśa paradise.

(Toh 556: ’bar ba’i khyad par gyi gzi brjid kyi rgyal po; Toh 555: mchog tu rgyal ba’i ’od)

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • 15.­1
  • 15.­6
  • 15.­13-14
  • 15.­16-17
  • 17.­46
g.­114

kalaviṅka

Wylie:
  • ka la ping ka
Tibetan:
  • ཀ་ལ་པིང་ཀ
Sanskrit:
  • kalaviṅka AS

Also called red avadavats, strawberry finches, and kalaviṅgka sparrows. Dictionaries have erroneously identified them as cuckoos. Outside India, kalaviṅgka birds have evolved into a mythical half-human bird. The avadavat is a significant bird in the Ganges plain and renowned for its beautiful song. An alternate form of the Sanskrit is kalapiṅka.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 19.­4
g.­115

kalyāṇamitra

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

A spiritual teacher who can contribute to an individual’s progress on the spiritual path to awakening and act wholeheartedly for the welfare of students.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­39
  • 7.­65
g.­116

Kāmaśreṣṭha

Wylie:
  • ’dod pa’i mchog
Tibetan:
  • འདོད་པའི་མཆོག
Sanskrit:
  • kāmaśreṣṭha AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: ’dod mchog)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­47
g.­117

Kanaka­bhujendra

Wylie:
  • gser gyi lag pa’i dbang
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་གྱི་ལག་པའི་དབང་།
Sanskrit:
  • kanakabhujendra AD

A son of the king Suvarṇa­bhujendra.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 5.­28
g.­118

Kanaka­prabhāsvara

Wylie:
  • gser gyi ’od
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་གྱི་འོད།
Sanskrit:
  • kanakaprabhāsvara AS

A son of the king Suvarṇa­bhujendra.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 5.­28
g.­119

Kapila

Wylie:
  • ser skya
Tibetan:
  • སེར་སྐྱ།
Sanskrit:
  • kapila AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: kha dog ser po)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­42
g.­120

Kauṇḍinya

Wylie:
  • kauN+Di n+ya
Tibetan:
  • ཀཽཎྜི་ནྱ།
Sanskrit:
  • kauṇḍinya AS

According to the Chinese translation, this is the family name (姓) of the brahmin master Vyākaraṇa, an interlocutor in The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • i.­33
  • i.­39
  • 2.­18-19
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­38
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­34
  • n.­45
g.­121

Kharaskandha

Wylie:
  • rab sim byed
Tibetan:
  • རབ་སིམ་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • kharaskandha AS

An asura king.

(Toh 555: bong bu dpung; Toh 556, Degé: rab tshim byed; Toh 557, Yunglo and Peking: rab sil byed)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­51
g.­122

kinnara

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

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 8 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­16
  • 1.­20
  • 2.­8
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­45
  • 13.­15
  • 14.­27
  • n.­25
g.­123

kleśa

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The essentially pure nature of mind is obscured and afflicted by various psychological defilements, which destroy the mind’s peace and composure and lead to unwholesome deeds of body, speech, and mind, acting as causes for continued existence in saṃsāra. Included among them are the primary afflictions of desire (rāga), anger (dveṣa), and ignorance (avidyā). It is said that there are eighty-four thousand of these negative mental qualities, for which the eighty-four thousand categories of the Buddha’s teachings serve as the antidote.

Kleśa is also commonly translated as “negative emotions,” “disturbing emotions,” and so on. The Pāli kilesa, Middle Indic kileśa, and Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit kleśa all primarily mean “stain” or “defilement.” The translation “affliction” is a secondary development that derives from the more general (non-Buddhist) classical understanding of √kliś (“to harm,“ “to afflict”). Both meanings are noted by Buddhist commentators.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­9
  • 4.­23
  • 4.­27
  • 4.­47
  • 4.­58
  • 4.­62
  • 4.­73
  • 5.­31
  • 6.­22
  • 6.­25-26
  • 7.­60
g.­124

kṣatriya

Wylie:
  • rgyal rigs
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་རིགས།
Sanskrit:
  • kṣatriya AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The ruling caste in the traditional four-caste hierarchy of India, associated with warriors, the aristocracy, and kings.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.­99
g.­125

Kumbhīra

Wylie:
  • ji ’jigs
Tibetan:
  • ཇི་འཇིགས།
Sanskrit:
  • kumbhīra AS

A yakṣa king; also known as Kubera.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­42
g.­126

Kūṭadantī

Wylie:
  • so brtsegs
Tibetan:
  • སོ་བརྩེགས།
Sanskrit:
  • kūṭadantī AS

A fierce goddess.

(Toh 555: so brtsegs ma)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­54
g.­127

Licchavī

Wylie:
  • lits+tsha bI
Tibetan:
  • ལིཙྪ་བཱི།
Sanskrit:
  • licchavī AS

A clan with its capital Vaiśalī, in present-day Bihar, north of the Ganges. Their capital was a place where the Buddha had many followers when they were an independent republic.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­19-24
  • 2.­38
  • n.­48
  • g.­223
g.­128

linseed

Wylie:
  • dbyi mo
Tibetan:
  • དབྱི་མོ།
Sanskrit:
  • cavya AS

Oil from the seed of the flax plant (Linum usitatissimum).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­7
g.­129

Mahābhāga

Wylie:
  • skal ba chen po
Tibetan:
  • སྐལ་བ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahābhāga AS

A yakṣa king.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­45
g.­130

Mahācakravāḍa

Wylie:
  • khor yug chen po
Tibetan:
  • ཁོར་ཡུག་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahācakravāḍa AS

This appears to refer to the great circles of mountains that enclose a thousand worlds, each with its own Cakravāla.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 7.­45
g.­131

Mahādeva

Wylie:
  • lha chen po
Tibetan:
  • ལྷ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahādeva AS

A prince in the past, the middle son of King Mahāratha.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 18.­16
  • 18.­19
  • 18.­25
  • 18.­42
  • 18.­44
  • 18.­83
  • 18.­87
  • 18.­89
  • 18.­138
g.­132

Mahāgrāsa

Wylie:
  • kam po ji
Tibetan:
  • ཀམ་པོ་ཇི།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāgrāsa AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: mchog tu rgyal ba)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­45
g.­133

Mahākāla

Wylie:
  • nag po
Tibetan:
  • ནག་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahākāla AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: nag po che)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­45
g.­134

Mahāpradīpa

Wylie:
  • sgron ma chen po
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲོན་མ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāpradīpa AS

A tathāgata.

(Toh 555: sgron ma chen po’i ’od)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­8
g.­135

Mahāprajāpatī

Wylie:
  • skye dgu’i bdag mo che
Tibetan:
  • སྐྱེ་དགུའི་བདག་མོ་ཆེ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāprajāpatī AD

The Buddha’s mother’s sister and his stepmother. She was the mother of Nanda, whom the Buddha later inspired to become a monk, as recorded in two sūtras bearing his name and elsewhere. She became the first bhikṣuṇī after the death of the Buddha’s father.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 18.­138
g.­136

Mahāpraṇāda

Wylie:
  • sgra chen po
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāpraṇāda AS

A prince in the past, the eldest son of King Mahāratha.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 18.­16
  • 18.­18
  • 18.­23-24
  • 18.­26
  • 18.­42
  • 18.­83
  • 18.­87
  • 18.­89
  • 18.­137
g.­137

Mahāpraṇālin

Wylie:
  • yul chen can
Tibetan:
  • ཡུལ་ཆེན་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāpraṇālin AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: pra na li chen)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­47
g.­138

mahārāja

Wylie:
  • rgyal po chen po
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་པོ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahārāja AS

Literally means “great king.” In addition to referring to human kings, this is also the epithet for the four deities on the base of Mount Meru, each one the guardian of his direction: Vaiśravaṇa in the north, Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the east, Virūpākṣa in the west, and Virūḍhaka in the south.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • i.­38
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­14
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­27
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­38
  • 7.­40-41
  • 7.­45-47
  • 7.­79
  • 7.­82
g.­139

Mahārājakāyika

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

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 1 passage in the translation:

  • 7.­45
g.­140

Mahāratha

Wylie:
  • shing rta chen po
Tibetan:
  • ཤིང་རྟ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāratha AS

A king in the past.

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 18.­16
  • 18.­82
  • 18.­85
  • 18.­97
  • 18.­109
  • 18.­111-112
  • 18.­115
  • 18.­117
  • 18.­119
  • 18.­125
  • 18.­136-137
  • 18.­139
  • g.­131
  • g.­136
  • g.­141
g.­141

Mahāsattva

Wylie:
  • sems can chen po
Tibetan:
  • སེམས་ཅན་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāsattva AS

A prince in the past. the youngest son of King Mahāratha. A previous life of the Buddha, when he decided to give his body to a tigress.

Toh 556: snying stobs chen po

Located in 23 passages in the translation:

  • s.­2
  • i.­50
  • 18.­16
  • 18.­20
  • 18.­24
  • 18.­27
  • 18.­30
  • 18.­36
  • 18.­49
  • 18.­77
  • 18.­82
  • 18.­85
  • 18.­87
  • 18.­106-107
  • 18.­122-124
  • 18.­131
  • 18.­136
  • 18.­139-140
  • n.­399
g.­142

Maheśvara

Wylie:
  • dbang phyug chen po
Tibetan:
  • དབང་ཕྱུག་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • maheśvara AS

An epithet of Śiva; sometimes refers specifically to one of the forms of Śiva or to Rudra.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • 14.­39
g.­143

mahoraga

Wylie:
  • lto ’phye chen po
Tibetan:
  • ལྟོ་འཕྱེ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahoraga AS

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 4 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­8
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­45
  • 13.­15
g.­144

Maitreya

Wylie:
  • byams pa
Tibetan:
  • བྱམས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • maitreya AS

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 4 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 9.­9
  • 14.­19
  • 18.­137
g.­145

Malaya

Wylie:
  • ma la ya
Tibetan:
  • མ་ལ་ཡ།
Sanskrit:
  • malaya AS

The range of mountains in West India, also called the Western Ghats, known for its sandalwood forests.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 18.­68
g.­146

Maṇibhadra

Wylie:
  • nor bu bzang
Tibetan:
  • ནོར་བུ་བཟང་།
Sanskrit:
  • maṇibhadra AS

A lord of the yakṣas.

Note that the Tibetan translation gives nor bu bzang for both Māṇibhadra and Maṇibhadra. (Toh 555: rin chen bzang)

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 14.­42
  • g.­147
g.­147

Māṇibhadra

Wylie:
  • nor bu bzang
Tibetan:
  • ནོར་བུ་བཟང་།
Sanskrit:
  • māṇibhadra AS

A yakṣa general, the brother of Kubera.

Note that the Tibetan translation gives nor bu bzang for both Māṇibhadra and Maṇibhadra. (Toh 555: rin chen bzang)

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • g.­146
g.­148

Maṇikaṇṭha

Wylie:
  • nor bu’i mgul
Tibetan:
  • ནོར་བུའི་མགུལ།
Sanskrit:
  • maṇikaṇṭha AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: nor bu gtsug)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­44
g.­149

Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta

Wylie:
  • ’jam dpal gzhon nur gyur pa
  • ’jam dpal
Tibetan:
  • འཇམ་དཔལ་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་པ།
  • འཇམ་དཔལ།
Sanskrit:
  • mañjuśrī­kumāra­bhūta AD

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Mañjuśrī is one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha” and a bodhisattva who embodies wisdom. He is a major figure in the Mahāyāna sūtras, appearing often as an interlocutor of the Buddha. In his most well-known iconographic form, he is portrayed bearing the sword of wisdom in his right hand and a volume of the Prajñā­pāramitā­sūtra in his left. To his name, Mañjuśrī, meaning “Gentle and Glorious One,” is often added the epithet Kumārabhūta, “having a youthful form.” He is also called Mañjughoṣa, Mañjusvara, and Pañcaśikha.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 14.­19
  • 18.­138
g.­150

Māra

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

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 4 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­7
  • 4.­72
  • 7.­52
  • g.­163
g.­151

Markaṭa

Wylie:
  • spre’u
Tibetan:
  • སྤྲེའུ།
Sanskrit:
  • markaṭa AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: spre’u rnams kyi ni rgyal po (erroneously combining this name with the following name))

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­46
g.­152

Māyā

Wylie:
  • sgyu ma
Tibetan:
  • སྒྱུ་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • māyā AD

The Buddha’s mother, more commonly called Māyādevī.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 18.­137
g.­153

Mucilinda

Wylie:
  • btang bzung
Tibetan:
  • བཏང་བཟུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • mucilinda AS

A nāga king.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­49
g.­154

muni

Wylie:
  • thub pa
Tibetan:
  • ཐུབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • muni AS

A title that, like buddha, is given to someone who has attained the realization of a truth through his own contemplation and not by divine revelation.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­62
  • 4.­64
  • 4.­74
  • 5.­3
  • 5.­6
  • 5.­13
  • 5.­27
  • 6.­34
  • 19.­2
  • 20.­2
  • n.­52
  • n.­107
g.­155

Munīndra

Wylie:
  • thub dbang
Tibetan:
  • ཐུབ་དབང་།
Sanskrit:
  • munīndra AS

“Lord of sages”; an epithet for the Buddha.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.­11
g.­156

musk

Wylie:
  • skal ba che
Tibetan:
  • སྐལ་བ་ཆེ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahābhāgā AS

Also called subhaga in Sanskrit. Derived from a gland on the musk deer.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­5
g.­157

mustard seed

Wylie:
  • yungs ’bru
Tibetan:
  • ཡུངས་འབྲུ།
Sanskrit:
  • sarṣapa AS

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­20-22
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­43
  • 8.­7
g.­158

nāga

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

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 23 passages in the translation:

  • i.­45
  • 1.­16
  • 1.­20
  • 2.­8
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­44-45
  • 7.­64
  • 7.­70
  • 13.­15
  • 14.­15
  • 14.­27
  • 14.­49-50
  • 14.­70
  • n.­25
  • n.­172
  • g.­11
  • g.­153
  • g.­164
  • g.­206
  • g.­262
  • g.­283
g.­159

Nāgāyana

Wylie:
  • mthu bo che
Tibetan:
  • མཐུ་བོ་ཆེ།
Sanskrit:
  • nāgāyana AS

A yakṣa king.

(The Tibetan appears to have been translating from a manuscript that had nārāyaṇa.)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­47
g.­160

Nairañjana­vasinī

Wylie:
  • nai rany+dza nar gnas pa
Tibetan:
  • ནཻ་རཉྫ་ནར་གནས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • nairañjanavasinī AS

Goddess of the Nairañjana River, near which the Buddha practiced asceticism and later attained enlightenment.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­15
g.­161

Nakula

Wylie:
  • khyim med
Tibetan:
  • ཁྱིམ་མེད།
Sanskrit:
  • nakula AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: na ku la)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­47
g.­162

name and form

Wylie:
  • ming dang gzugs
Tibetan:
  • མིང་དང་གཟུགས།
Sanskrit:
  • nāmarūpa AS

Fourth of the twelve links or phases of dependent origination in Buddhism, this term refers to the constituents of a living being: Sanskrit nāma (“name”) is typically considered to refer to the mental constituents of the person, while rūpa (“form”) refers to the physical. While the the two together can thus be seen as referring to mind and matter, in practice this is a shorthand term for the five skandhas.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­20
  • 17.­24
g.­163

Namuci

Wylie:
  • phrag rtsub
Tibetan:
  • ཕྲག་རྩུབ།
Sanskrit:
  • namuci AS

An asura king; this is the name of Indra’s principal enemy among the asuras. In Buddhist mythology, Namuci appears as a drought-causing demon, and is also a name of Māra, the principal opponent of the Buddhadharma.

(Toh 555: phrag chen)

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­27
  • 14.­51
  • n.­242
g.­164

Nanda

Wylie:
  • dga’ bo
Tibetan:
  • དགའ་བོ།
Sanskrit:
  • nanda AD

A nāga king.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 14.­49
  • g.­135
g.­165

Nārāyaṇa

Wylie:
  • sred med bu
Tibetan:
  • སྲེད་མེད་བུ།
Sanskrit:
  • nārāyaṇa AD

An alternate name for Viṣṇu (khyab ’jug).

(Toh 555: mthu bo che)

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 14.­39
  • n.­340
  • g.­159
g.­166

Nikaṇṭha

Wylie:
  • nges mgrin
Tibetan:
  • ངེས་མགྲིན།
Sanskrit:
  • nikaṇtha AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: Nīlakaṇṭha, ne gan)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­44
g.­167

nirvāṇa

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

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.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­6
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­48
  • 13.­3
  • 15.­3-4
  • 16.­2
  • 19.­6
g.­168

nut grass

Wylie:
  • gla sgang
Tibetan:
  • གླ་སྒང་།
Sanskrit:
  • musta AS

Cyperus rotundus. Its tubers are used in Āyurveda.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­7
g.­169

orris root

Wylie:
  • dbang po’i lag
Tibetan:
  • དབང་པོའི་ལག
Sanskrit:
  • indrahasta AS

Bletilla hyacinthina, hyacinth orchid. See Ludvik 2007, 310. Or possibly Rhizoma iridis. The root is said to resemble an arm, while the leaves resemble swords, and therefore there is a folktale of it having originated from Indra cutting off a yakṣa’s arm.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­5
g.­170

palash

Wylie:
  • pa la sha
Tibetan:
  • པ་ལ་ཤ།
Sanskrit:
  • pālaśa AS

Butea frondosa or Butea monosperma. A tree that grows up to 15 meters tall and has bright red flowers. Other names include flame of the forest, riddle tree, Judas tree, parrot tree, bastard teak, dhak (in Hindi), palas (in Hindi), porasum (in Tamil), and khakda (in Gujarati). There is a tradition of combining its leaves together to make a plate for food.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 2.­35
g.­171

Pañcala

Wylie:
  • lnga len
Tibetan:
  • ལྔ་ལེན།
Sanskrit:
  • pañcala AD

One of the fifteen lands in ancient India at the time of the Buddha. This was at the western end of the Ganges basin, corresponding in the present time to an area in the western part of Uttar Pradesh.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 18.­2
  • n.­372
g.­172

Pāñcika

Wylie:
  • lngas rtsen
Tibetan:
  • ལྔས་རྩེན།
Sanskrit:
  • pāñcika AD

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: pañ tsi ka)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­45
g.­173

perfections

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

This term is used to refer to the main trainings of a bodhisattva. Because these trainings, when brought to perfection, lead one to transcend saṃsāra and reach the full awakening of a buddha, they receive the Sanskrit name pāramitā, meaning “perfection” or “gone to the farther shore.” They are usually listed as six: generosity, correct conduct (or discipline), patience, diligence, meditation (or concentration), and wisdom; four additional perfections are often added to this, totalling ten perfections: skillful methods, prayer, strength, and knowledge.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­73
  • 4.­92
  • 5.­26
  • 15.­7
  • 15.­12
g.­174

Piṅgala

Wylie:
  • dmar ser
Tibetan:
  • དམར་སེར།
Sanskrit:
  • piṅgala AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: zas sbyin)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­42
g.­175

powers

Wylie:
  • dbang po
Tibetan:
  • དབང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • indriya AS

Faith, mindfulness, diligence, samādhi, and wisdom.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­42
  • 14.­36
  • 14.­40
  • 14.­50
  • 14.­52
  • 16.­8
  • g.­237
g.­176

Prahrāda

Wylie:
  • rab sim byed
Tibetan:
  • རབ་སིམ་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • prahrāda AS

An asura king who waged a thousand-year war against the devas and was for a time victorious. He was the grandfather of Bali. Also known as Prahlādana.

(Toh 556: rab tshim byed; Toh 557, Yunglo, and Peking: rab sil byed. Toh 555: bong bu dpung.)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­51
g.­177

Prajāpati

Wylie:
  • skye dgu
Tibetan:
  • སྐྱེ་དགུ
Sanskrit:
  • prajāpati AS

A Vedic deity who is particularly seen as being the god of animals, especially cattle, which he is said to have created.

(Toh 555: ’jig rten mgon po)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­37
g.­178

Praṇālin

Wylie:
  • yur ba can
Tibetan:
  • ཡུར་བ་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • praṇālin AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: pra ma li chung)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­46
g.­179

Prasanna­vadanotpala­gandha­kūṭa

Wylie:
  • rab tu dang ba’i zhal ut+pa la’i dri brtsegs pa
Tibetan:
  • རབ་ཏུ་དང་བའི་ཞལ་ཨུཏྤ་ལའི་དྲི་བརྩེགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • prasannavadanotpalagandhakūṭa AS

The name of ten thousand future buddhas.

(Toh 555: zhal dang spyan rnam par dag cing / ut+pa la’i dri’i ri mo; prasanna­vadanotpala­gandha­kūṭa)

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • 15.­13
g.­180

pratyekabuddha

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 2.­20
  • 4.­30
  • n.­48
  • g.­219
g.­181

preta

Wylie:
  • yi dags
Tibetan:
  • ཡི་དགས།
Sanskrit:
  • preta AS

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:

  • 4.­15
  • 5.­10
  • 10.­30
  • 12.­56
  • n.­57
g.­182

protectors of the world

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

A set of deities, each guarding a certain direction. Most commonly these are Indra (Śakra) for the east, Agni for the southeast, Yama for the south, Sūrya or Nirṛti for the southwest, Varuṇa for the west, Vāyu (Pavana) for the northwest, Kubera for the north, and Soma (Candra), Iśāni, or Pṛthivī for the northeast.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­38
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­100
  • 12.­9
  • 12.­13
  • 14.­38
g.­183

Puṇya­kusuma­prabha

Wylie:
  • bsod nams kyi me tog ’od
Tibetan:
  • བསོད་ནམས་ཀྱི་མེ་ཏོག་འོད།
Sanskrit:
  • puṇyakusumaprabha AS

Name of the park where the Goddess Śrī dwells, not far from Alakāvati, the kingdom of the great king Vaiśravaṇa.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 9.­5
g.­184

Pūrṇabhadra

Wylie:
  • gang ba bzang po
Tibetan:
  • གང་བ་བཟང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • pūrṇabhadra AS

A yakṣa lord.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­42
g.­185

Puṣya

Wylie:
  • rgyal
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ།
Sanskrit:
  • puṣya AS

One of the twenty-eight asterisms or constellations that the sun passes through during the course of a year, which are “lunar mansions” in the plane of the sky. It is composed of three star systems: Gamma Cancri, Delta Cancri, and Theta Cancri. In the Western zodiac it is equivalent to the very end of Cancer and nearly half of Leo‍—in other words, the end of July and the first part of August.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­8
g.­186

Radiance of a Hundred Golden Lights

Wylie:
  • gser brgya’i ’od zer gser du snang ba
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་བརྒྱའི་འོད་ཟེར་གསེར་དུ་སྣང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A buddha in the distant future who is Rūpyaprabha, the son of the bodhisattva Ruciraketu, in the time of Śākyamuni.

(Toh 555: gser tog ‘od; Suvarṇaketuprabha)

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • 15.­4
g.­187

Radiance of a Hundred Suns’ Illuminating Essence

Wylie:
  • nyi ma brgya’i ’od zer snang ba’i snying po
Tibetan:
  • ཉི་མ་བརྒྱའི་འོད་ཟེར་སྣང་བའི་སྙིང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A tathāgata.

(Toh 555: gser brgya’i ’od kyi rnying po)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­5
g.­188

Rāhu

Wylie:
  • sgra gcan
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲ་གཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • rāhu AD

An asura king said to cause eclipses.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­31
  • 14.­51
g.­189

Rāhula

Wylie:
  • sgra gcan zin
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲ་གཅན་ཟིན།
Sanskrit:
  • rāhula AD

The Buddha Śākyamuni’s son, who became the first novice monk and a prominent member of his monastic saṅgha.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49
  • 2.­18
  • 17.­45
g.­190

Rājagṛha

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

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:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­5
  • 3.­3
g.­191

rākṣasa

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

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 2 passages in the translation:

  • 12.­20
  • 12.­52
g.­192

Ratnakeśa

Wylie:
  • rin chen skra
Tibetan:
  • རིན་ཆེན་སྐྲ།
Sanskrit:
  • ratnakeśa AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: rin chen gtsug phud)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­46
g.­193

Ratnaketu

Wylie:
  • dkon mchog dpal
Tibetan:
  • དཀོན་མཆོག་དཔལ།
Sanskrit:
  • ratnaketu AS

The principal buddha of the southern direction.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • 1.­5
  • 2.­5
  • 10.­9
  • 10.­16
g.­194

Ratna­kusuma­guṇa­sāgara­vaiḍūrya­kanaka­giri­suvarṇa­kāñcana­prabhāsa­śrī

Wylie:
  • rin chen me tog yon tan rgya mtsho bai DUr+ya dang gser gyi ri kha dog bzang po gser du snang ba’i dpal
Tibetan:
  • རིན་ཆེན་མེ་ཏོག་ཡོན་ཏན་རྒྱ་མཚོ་བཻ་ཌཱུརྱ་དང་གསེར་གྱི་རི་ཁ་དོག་བཟང་པོ་གསེར་དུ་སྣང་བའི་དཔལ།
Sanskrit:
  • ratna­kusuma­guṇa­sāgara­vaiḍūrya­kanaka­giri­suvarṇa­kāñcana­prabhāsa­śrī

A buddha, teacher of the goddess Śrī.

(Toh 555: bai DUr+ya dang gser gyi ri bo rin po che’i me tog snang ba spal gyi yon tan rgya mtsho; )

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­40
  • i.­43
  • 9.­2
  • 9.­5
  • 12.­1
g.­195

Ratnaśikhin

Wylie:
  • rin chen gtsug tor can
Tibetan:
  • རིན་ཆེན་གཙུག་ཏོར་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • ratnaśikhin AS

A buddha in the distant past.

(Toh 555: rin chen gtsug phud)

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • i.­44
  • i.­48-49
  • 10.­1
  • 13.­3
  • 13.­25
  • 16.­1-2
  • 17.­21
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­27
  • 17.­46
  • n.­275
  • g.­280
g.­196

Ratnoccaya

Wylie:
  • rin chen sog pa
Tibetan:
  • རིན་ཆེན་སོག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • ratnoccaya AS

A dharmabhāṇaka in the distant past who eventually became the Buddha Akṣobhya.

(Yunglo, Lithang, Peking, Narthang, and Cone: rin chen sogs, rin chen sogs pa)

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • i.­44
  • 13.­5
  • 13.­7-12
  • 13.­16-17
  • 13.­19
  • 13.­27
  • n.­320
g.­197

realgar

Wylie:
  • ni ldong ros
Tibetan:
  • ནི་ལྡོང་རོས།
Sanskrit:
  • manaḥśilā AS

Arsenic sulphide, which consists of bright orange-red soft crystals. It is also called “ruby sulphur” and “ruby of arsenic.” A number of Sanskrit synonyms include yavāgraja, pākya, mansil, manoguptā, nāgajihivikā, golā, śilā, kunṭī, and naipālī.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­6
g.­198

retention

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

An exceptional power of mental retention. However, according to context, dhāraṇī can also mean sentences or phrases for recitation that are said to hold the essence of a teaching or meaning.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­42
  • 8.­1-2
  • n.­195
g.­199

ṛṣi

Wylie:
  • drang srong
Tibetan:
  • དྲང་སྲོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • ṛṣi AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

An ancient Indian spiritual title, often translated as “sage” or “seer.” The title is particularly used for divinely inspired individuals credited with creating the foundations of Indian culture. The term is also applied to Śākyamuni and other realized Buddhist figures.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­43
  • 7.­73-75
  • 18.­8
g.­200

Ruciraketu

Wylie:
  • mdzes pa’i tog
Tibetan:
  • མཛེས་པའི་ཏོག
Sanskrit:
  • ruciraketu AD

The name of a bodhisattva, central to the narrative of this sūtra, who has a dream in which a prayer of confession emanates from a shining golden drum. (In chapter 12, this is also the name a king in the distant past.)

Located in 24 passages in the translation:

  • s.­2
  • i.­3
  • i.­33-35
  • i.­47
  • i.­52
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­6-8
  • 2.­50
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­3-4
  • 10.­10
  • 15.­2
  • 20.­1
  • n.­348
  • g.­186
  • g.­202
  • g.­203
  • g.­249
  • g.­254
g.­201

Ruciraketu

Wylie:
  • mdzes pa’i tog
Tibetan:
  • མཛེས་པའི་ཏོག
Sanskrit:
  • ruciraketu AD

The name of a king in the distant past. (Also the name of a bodhisattva, central to the narrative of this sūtra.)

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­43
  • 12.­5-6
g.­202

Rūpyaketu

Wylie:
  • dngul gyi tog
  • dngul tog
Tibetan:
  • དངུལ་གྱི་ཏོག
  • དངུལ་ཏོག
Sanskrit:
  • rūpyaketu AD

The older son of the bodhisattva Ruciraketu.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • 15.­3
  • n.­348
  • g.­249
  • g.­281
g.­203

Rūpyaprabha

Wylie:
  • dngul gyi ’od
Tibetan:
  • དངུལ་གྱི་འོད།
Sanskrit:
  • rūpyaprabha AS

The younger son of the bodhisattva Ruciraketu.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • 15.­4
  • g.­186
g.­204

Sadāprarudita

Wylie:
  • rtag tu ngu
Tibetan:
  • རྟག་ཏུ་ངུ།
Sanskrit:
  • sadāprarudita AO

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A bodhisattva famous for his quest for the Dharma and for his devotion to the teacher. It is told that Sadāprarudita, in order to make offerings to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata and request the Prajñāpāramitā teachings, sets out to sell his own flesh and blood. After receiving a first set of teachings, Sadāprarudita waits seven years for the bodhisattva Dharmodgata, his teacher, to emerge from meditation. When he receives signs this is about to happen, he wishes to prepare the ground for the teachings by settling the dust. Māra makes all the water disappear, so Sadāprarudita decides to use his own blood to settle the dust. He is said to be practicing in the presence of Buddha Bhīṣma­garjita­nirghoṣa­svara. His name means "Ever Weeping", on account of the numerous tears he shed until he found the teachings.

His story is told in detail by the Buddha in The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines (Toh 10, ch. 85–86), and can be found quoted in several works, such as The Words of My Perfect Teacher (kun bzang bla ma’i zhal lung) by Patrul Rinpoche.

In this text:

(Toh 555: rtag tu bshums)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­13
g.­205

saffron

Wylie:
  • gur gum
Tibetan:
  • གུར་གུམ།
Sanskrit:
  • kuṅkuma AS

Crocus sativus.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­7
  • g.­100
g.­206

Sāgara

Wylie:
  • rgya mtsho
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱ་མཚོ།
Sanskrit:
  • sāgara AS

The principal nāga king in The Samādhirāja Sūtra and The Questions of the Nāga King Sāgara. This is also said to be another name for Vaṛuna, the god of the oceans.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • 14.­27
  • 14.­49
g.­207

sage

Wylie:
  • thub pa
Tibetan:
  • ཐུབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • muni AS

A title that, like "buddha," is given to those who have attained realization through their own contemplation and not by divine revelation.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­6-7
  • 18.­21
  • g.­155
g.­208

Sahā

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

Indian Buddhist name for either the four-continent world in which the Buddha Śākyamuni appeared, or a universe of a thousand million such worlds. The name Sahā possibly derives from the Sanskrit √sah, “to bear, endure, or withstand.” It is often interpreted as alluding to the inhabitants of this world having to endure suffering. The Tibetan translation, mi mjed, follows along the same lines. It literally means “not unbearable,” in the sense that beings here are able to bear the suffering they experience.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
g.­209

Śakra

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The lord of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (trāyastriṃśa). Alternatively known as Indra, the deity that is called “lord of the gods” dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. The Tibetan translation brgya byin (meaning “one hundred sacrifices”) is based on an etymology that śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu, one who has performed a hundred sacrifices. Each world with a central Sumeru has a Śakra. Also known by other names such as Kauśika, Devendra, and Śacipati.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­40
  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • 7.­73-75
  • 13.­31
  • g.­99
  • g.­182
  • g.­260
g.­210

Śākya

Wylie:
  • shAkya
Tibetan:
  • ཤཱཀྱ།
Sanskrit:
  • śākya AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Name of the ancient tribe in which the Buddha was born as a prince; their kingdom was based to the east of Kośala, in the foothills near the present-day border of India and Nepal, with Kapilavastu as its capital.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­27
  • 17.­41
  • 17.­44
  • 21.­4
  • g.­66
g.­211

Śākyamuni

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 29 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • i.­43-44
  • i.­52-53
  • 2.­1-2
  • 2.­6-7
  • 2.­9-11
  • 2.­13
  • 2.­50
  • 7.­33
  • 7.­40
  • 12.­2
  • 13.­26
  • 14.­8
  • 18.­136
  • 21.­5
  • n.­404
  • g.­92
  • g.­186
  • g.­189
  • g.­208
  • g.­240
  • g.­249
  • g.­254
g.­212

sal

Wylie:
  • sA la
Tibetan:
  • སཱ་ལ།
Sanskrit:
  • śāla AS

Shorea robusta. The dominant tree in the forests where it occurs.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­12
  • 13.­16
g.­213

Śālendra­dhvajāgravatī

Wylie:
  • sA la’i dbang po mthon po’i rgyal mtshan
Tibetan:
  • སཱ་ལའི་དབང་པོ་མཐོན་པོའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།
Sanskrit:
  • śālendradhvajāgravatī AS

A world realm in the distant future.

(Toh 555: dbang po’i tog mngon par ‘phags pa )

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 15.­13
g.­214

samādhi

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

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 7 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­42
  • 7.­85
  • 20.­6
  • 21.­5
  • g.­16
  • g.­175
  • g.­237
g.­215

Samantabhadra

Wylie:
  • kun tu bzang po
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་ཏུ་བཟང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • samantabhadra AS

Presently classed as one of the eight principal bodhisattvas, he is distinct from the primordial buddha with the same name in the Tibetan Nyingma tradition. He is prominent in the Gaṇḍa­vyūha, and also in The White Lotus of the Good Dharma (Toh 113, Saddharma­puṇḍarīka) and The White Lotus of Compassion Sūtra (Toh 111, Mahā­karuṇā­puṇḍarīka­sūtra).

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­19
g.­216

Saṃjñeya

Wylie:
  • yang dag shes
Tibetan:
  • ཡང་དག་ཤེས།
Sanskrit:
  • saṃjñeya AS

A yakṣa general.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • i.­42
  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­7
  • 11.­9
  • 14.­26
  • 14.­39
  • n.­286
  • n.­337
g.­217

saṃsāra

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A state of involuntary existence conditioned by afflicted mental states and the imprint of past actions, characterized by suffering in a cycle of life, death, and rebirth. On its reversal, the contrasting state of nirvāṇa is attained, free from suffering and the processes of rebirth.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­7
  • 4.­59
  • 4.­65
  • 4.­95
  • 6.­21
  • 7.­39-40
  • 7.­62
  • 8.­21
  • 17.­48
  • 18.­79
  • g.­173
g.­218

Saṃvara

Wylie:
  • bde mchog
Tibetan:
  • བདེ་མཆོག
Sanskrit:
  • saṃvara AS

An asura king.

(Toh 555: sdom po pa)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­51
g.­219

samyak­saṃbuddha

Wylie:
  • yang dag par rdzogs pa’i sangs rgyas
Tibetan:
  • ཡང་དག་པར་རྫོགས་པའི་སངས་རྒྱས།
Sanskrit:
  • samyak­saṃbuddha AS

“A perfect buddha.” A buddha who teaches the Dharma, as opposed to a pratyekabuddha, who does not teach.

Located in 15 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­7
  • 9.­2
  • 12.­1-2
  • 15.­2-4
  • 15.­13
  • 16.­1-2
  • 17.­21
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­27
  • 17.­46
  • 18.­78
g.­220

sandalwood

Wylie:
  • tsan+dan
Tibetan:
  • ཙནྡན།
Sanskrit:
  • candana AS

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­6
  • 13.­14
  • 18.­68
  • g.­145
g.­221

saṅgha

Wylie:
  • dge ’dun
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་འདུན།
Sanskrit:
  • saṅgha AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Though often specifically reserved for the monastic community, this term can be applied to any of the four Buddhist communities‍—monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen‍—as well as to identify the different groups of practitioners, like the community of bodhisattvas or the community of śrāvakas. It is also the third of the Three Jewels (triratna) of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Teaching, and the Community.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­32
  • 13.­6-7
  • 18.­12
  • n.­97
  • g.­73
  • g.­189
g.­222

Sarasvatī

Wylie:
  • dbyangs can
Tibetan:
  • དབྱངས་ཅན།
Sanskrit:
  • sarasvatī AD

The goddess of wisdom, learning, and music.

Located in 21 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • i.­39
  • i.­43
  • i.­45
  • 1.­15
  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­22-24
  • 8.­30
  • 8.­33-34
  • 8.­36
  • 8.­43
  • 12.­4
  • 14.­35
  • 14.­37
  • 14.­56
  • 21.­13
g.­223

Sarva­sattva­priyadarśana

Wylie:
  • ’jig rten thams cad kyis mthong
Tibetan:
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་ཐམས་ཅད་ཀྱིས་མཐོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • sarvasattvapriyadarśana AD

A Licchavī youth.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • i.­33
  • 2.­19
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­38
g.­224

Sātāgirista

Wylie:
  • bde ba’i ri nyid
Tibetan:
  • བདེ་བའི་རི་ཉིད།
Sanskrit:
  • sātāgirista AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: bde ba’i ri)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­47
g.­225

Seeing All Sentient Beings

Wylie:
  • sems can kun gyi mdangs ’phrog ma
Tibetan:
  • སེམས་ཅན་ཀུན་གྱི་མདངས་འཕྲོག་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

A fierce goddess.

(Toh 556: sems can kun gyi gzi ’phrog ma)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­54
g.­226

sensation

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

The seventh of the twelve phases of dependent origination and the second of the five skandhas. It refers to nonconceptual pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral sensations as a result of sensory experiences.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­20
  • 16.­5-6
  • 17.­24
g.­227

seven jewels

Wylie:
  • rin chen sna bdun
  • rin po che sna bdun
Tibetan:
  • རིན་ཆེན་སྣ་བདུན།
  • རིན་པོ་ཆེ་སྣ་བདུན།
Sanskrit:
  • saptaratna AS

When associated with the seven heavenly bodies, and therefore the seven days of the week, these are ruby for the sun, moonstone or pearl for the moon, coral for Mars, emerald for Mercury, yellow sapphire for Jupiter, diamond for Venus, and blue sapphire for Saturn. There are variant lists not associated with the heavenly bodies but retaining the number seven, which include gold, silver, and so on.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 10.­33
  • 13.­23-24
  • g.­228
g.­228

seven precious materials

Wylie:
  • rin po che sna bdun
Tibetan:
  • རིན་པོ་ཆེ་སྣ་བདུན།
Sanskrit:
  • saptaratna AS

See “seven jewels.”

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­39
  • 9.­5
  • 18.­139
g.­229

shami

Wylie:
  • sha mi
Tibetan:
  • ཤ་མི།
Sanskrit:
  • śamī AS

Prosopis cineraria. A tree believed to be auspicious due to the power of its purification properties.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­5
g.­230

sixty qualities (of speech)

Wylie:
  • yan lag drug cu
Tibetan:
  • ཡན་ལག་དྲུག་ཅུ།
Sanskrit:
  • ṣaṣṭyaṅga AS

The Buddha’s speech is said to have sixty aspects and sometimes sixty-four. The list of sixty, as given in Maitreyanātha’s Mahāyāna­sūtrālaṃkara, are (1) ripening, (2) smooth, (3) direct, (4) cogent, (5) correct, (6) stainless, (7) clear, (8) harmonious, (9) proper, (10) undefeatable, (11) meaningful, (12) taming, (13) gentle, (14) kind, (15) completely taming, (16) pleasing, (17) refreshing, (18) soothing, (19) gladdening, (20) blissful, (21) fulfilling, (22) worthwhile, (23) meaningful, (24) comprehensive, (25) reassuring, (26) inspiring, (27) enlightening, (28) instructive, (29) logical, (30) pertinent, (31) exact, (32) powerful, (33) fearless, (34) unfathomable, (35) majestic, (36) melodious, (37) sustaining, (38) long-lasting, (39) auspicious, (40) authoritative, (41) exhortative, (42) selfless, (43) confident, (44) omniscient, (45) whole, (46) complete, (47) certain, (48) desireless, (49) exhilarating, (50) pervasive, (51) stimulating, (52) continuous, (53) consistent, (54) multilingual, (55) adaptive, (56) reliable, (57) timely, (58) calm, (59) pervasive, and (60) perfecting.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 19.­4
g.­231

Skanda

Wylie:
  • skem byed
Tibetan:
  • སྐེམ་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • skanda AD

The Indian god of war.

(Toh 555: phrag chen)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­37
g.­232

Soma

Wylie:
  • zla ba
Tibetan:
  • ཟླ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • soma AD

The deity of the moon.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 14.­37
  • g.­182
g.­233

spikenard

Wylie:
  • na la da
Tibetan:
  • ན་ལ་ད།
Sanskrit:
  • nalada AS

Nardostachys jatamansi. Also called “nard,” “nardin,” and “muskroot.” It is of the valerian family and grows in the Himalayas. Its rhizome is the source of an aromatic, amber-colored oil.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­7
g.­234

śrāvaka

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The Sanskrit term śrāvaka, and the Tibetan nyan thos, both derived from the verb “to hear,” are usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard to others.” Primarily this refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat seeking their own liberation and nirvāṇa. They are the practitioners of the first turning of the wheel of the Dharma on the four noble truths, who realize the suffering inherent in saṃsāra and focus on understanding that there is no independent self. By conquering afflicted mental states (kleśa), they liberate themselves, attaining first the stage of stream enterers at the path of seeing, followed by the stage of once-returners who will be reborn only one more time, and then the stage of non-returners who will no longer be reborn into the desire realm. The final goal is to become an arhat. These four stages are also known as the “four results of spiritual practice.”

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 2.­20
  • 4.­29
  • 4.­89
  • 13.­6-7
  • n.­48
g.­235

Śrī

Wylie:
  • dpal
  • dpal ldan lha mo
Tibetan:
  • དཔལ།
  • དཔལ་ལྡན་ལྷ་མོ།
Sanskrit:
  • śrī AS

The great goddess Śrī, better known as Lakṣmī, who promises to aid those who recite this sūtra and to ensure its preservation so that beings will have good fortune. She dwells in a palace in the paradise of Alakāvati.

Located in 26 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • i.­40
  • i.­43
  • i.­45
  • 7.­64
  • 9.­1-2
  • 9.­4-6
  • 9.­16-18
  • 12.­3
  • 14.­1
  • 14.­35
  • 14.­56
  • 21.­13
  • n.­257
  • n.­259
  • n.­261
  • n.­263
  • n.­273
  • g.­183
  • g.­194
  • g.­248
g.­236

state of neither perception nor nonperception

Wylie:
  • du shes med ’du shes med min skye mched
Tibetan:
  • དུ་ཤེས་མེད་འདུ་ཤེས་མེད་མིན་སྐྱེ་མཆེད།
Sanskrit:
  • naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñāyatana AS

The “highest” of the four formless realms, which have no location other than where the meditator passed away.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 7.­45
g.­237

strengths

Wylie:
  • stobs
Tibetan:
  • སྟོབས།
Sanskrit:
  • bala AS

The five strengths are a stronger form of the five powers: faith, mindfulness, diligence, samādhi, and wisdom. See also “ten strengths.”

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­42
  • 4.­52
  • g.­258
g.­238

stūpa

Wylie:
  • mchod rten
Tibetan:
  • མཆོད་རྟེན།
Sanskrit:
  • stūpa AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The Tibetan translates both stūpa and caitya with the same word, mchod rten, meaning “basis” or “recipient” of “offerings” or “veneration.” Pali: cetiya.

A caitya, although often synonymous with stūpa, can also refer to any site, sanctuary or shrine that is made for veneration, and may or may not contain relics.

A stūpa, literally “heap” or “mound,” is a mounded or circular structure usually containing relics of the Buddha or the masters of the past. It is considered to be a sacred object representing the awakened mind of a buddha, but the symbolism of the stūpa is complex, and its design varies throughout the Buddhist world. Stūpas continue to be erected today as objects of veneration and merit making.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • i.­50
  • 14.­8-9
  • 14.­28
  • 14.­31
  • 18.­9-10
  • 18.­139
  • 18.­142
g.­239

Sūciroma

Wylie:
  • khab kyi spu
Tibetan:
  • ཁབ་ཀྱི་སྤུ།
Sanskrit:
  • sūciroma AD

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: khab spu)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­46
g.­240

Śuddhodana

Wylie:
  • zas gtsang ma
Tibetan:
  • ཟས་གཙང་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • śuddhodana AD

The Buddha Śākyamuni’s father.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • i.­49-50
  • 17.­42
  • 18.­137
g.­241

sugata

Wylie:
  • bde gshegs
Tibetan:
  • བདེ་གཤེགས།
Sanskrit:
  • sugata AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the standard epithets of the buddhas. A recurrent explanation offers three different meanings for su- that are meant to show the special qualities of “accomplishment of one’s own purpose” (svārthasampad) for a complete buddha. Thus, the Sugata is “well” gone, as in the expression su-rūpa (“having a good form”); he is gone “in a way that he shall not come back,” as in the expression su-naṣṭa-jvara (“a fever that has utterly gone”); and he has gone “without any remainder” as in the expression su-pūrṇa-ghaṭa (“a pot that is completely full”). According to Buddhaghoṣa, the term means that the way the Buddha went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su) and where he went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su).

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­65
  • 5.­11
  • 5.­21
  • 13.­3
  • 15.­2
  • 15.­4
  • 15.­13
  • 16.­1
g.­242

Sumeru

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

According to ancient Buddhist cosmology, this is the great mountain forming the axis of the universe. At its summit is Sudarśana, home of Śakra and his thirty-two gods, and on its flanks live the asuras. The mount has four sides facing the cardinal directions, each of which is made of a different precious stone. Surrounding it are several mountain ranges and the great ocean where the four principal island continents lie: in the south, Jambudvīpa (our world); in the west, Godānīya; in the north, Uttarakuru; and in the east, Pūrvavideha. Above it are the abodes of the desire realm gods. It is variously referred to as Meru, Mount Meru, Sumeru, and Mount Sumeru.

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­11
  • 4.­60
  • 4.­67
  • 7.­45
  • 7.­87
  • 19.­5
  • 20.­4
  • 20.­8
  • 21.­3
  • n.­24
  • n.­43
  • g.­6
  • g.­45
  • g.­69
  • g.­99
  • g.­138
  • g.­260
g.­243

Sureśvara­prabha

Wylie:
  • lha’i dbang phyug ’od
Tibetan:
  • ལྷའི་དབང་ཕྱུག་འོད།
Sanskrit:
  • sureśvaraprabha AS

A king in the distant past.

(Toh 555: lha’i dbang phyug gi ’od)

Located in 19 passages in the translation:

  • i.­48-49
  • 16.­2-3
  • 16.­5
  • 16.­23
  • 16.­27
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­13-14
  • 17.­29-30
  • 17.­32-36
  • 17.­40-41
g.­244

Sūrya

Wylie:
  • nyi ma
Tibetan:
  • ཉི་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • sūrya AS

The god of the sun.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­45
  • 14.­74-75
  • n.­316
  • g.­182
g.­245

Sūryamitra

Wylie:
  • gnyis bshes
Tibetan:
  • གཉིས་བཤེས།
Sanskrit:
  • sūryamitra AS

A yakṣa king.

(Perhaps the original Tibetan was nyi bshes. Toh 557 Yunglo: gnyi bshes. Toh 556 Lithang and Peking: gnyis bshes. Toh 556 Degé and Toh 557 Cone and Urga: gnyen bshes, Toh 555: nyi ma’i gnyen)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­46
g.­246

Susaṃbhava

Wylie:
  • legs par byung ba
Tibetan:
  • ལེགས་པར་བྱུང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • susaṃbhava AS

The Buddha’s previous life as a cakravartin in the distant past.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • i.­44
  • 13.­3
  • 13.­11-12
  • 13.­20
  • 13.­22
  • 13.­25-27
  • 13.­33
g.­247

Suvarṇa­bhujendra

Wylie:
  • gser gyi lag pa’i dbang po
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་གྱི་ལག་པའི་དབང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • suvarṇa­bhujendra AD

A king in the distant past.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­1
  • g.­117
  • g.­118
g.­248

Suvarṇadhvaja

Wylie:
  • dam pa gser gyi rgyal mtshan
Tibetan:
  • དམ་པ་གསེར་གྱི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།
Sanskrit:
  • suvarṇadhvaja AS

“Golden Banner.” The palace of the goddess Śrī, also known as Lakṣmī.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 9.­5
g.­249

Suvarṇa­jambudhvajakāñca­nābha

Wylie:
  • ’dzam bu’i gser gyi rgyal mtshan gyi ’od
Tibetan:
  • འཛམ་བུའི་གསེར་གྱི་རྒྱལ་མཚན་གྱི་འོད།
Sanskrit:
  • suvarṇajambudhvajakāñcanābha AS

A buddha in the distant future who is Rūpyaketu, the son of Ruciraketu, in the time of Śākyamuni.

(Toh 555: gser dang rin po che’i ri bo’i rgyal po )

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • 15.­3-4
g.­250

Suvarṇaprabhā

Wylie:
  • gser du snang ba
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་དུ་སྣང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • suvarṇaprabhā AS

A world realm in the distant future.

(Toh 555: gser ‘od)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 15.­2
g.­251

Suvarṇa­prabhagarbha

Wylie:
  • gser du snang ba’i snying po
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་དུ་སྣང་བའི་སྙིང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • suvarṇaprabhagarbha AD

A tathāgata.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­4
g.­252

Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama

Wylie:
  • gser ’od dam pa
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་འོད་དམ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • suvarṇaprabhāsottama AD

A bodhisattva with the same name as the title of the sūtra.

(Toh 555; gser gyi ’od)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­11
g.­253

Suvarṇa­puṣpa­jvalaraśmi­ketu

Wylie:
  • gser gyi me tog ’bar ba’i ’od zer gyi tog
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་གྱི་མེ་ཏོག་འབར་བའི་འོད་ཟེར་གྱི་ཏོག
Sanskrit:
  • suvarṇapuṣpajvalaraśmiketu AS

A tathāgata.

(Toh 555: gser gyi me tog ’od zer rgyal mtshan)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­7
g.­254

Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa

Wylie:
  • gser rin chen ’byung gnas gdugs brtsegs
  • gser dang rin po che’i ’byung gnas gdugs brtsegs
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་རིན་ཆེན་འབྱུང་གནས་གདུགས་བརྩེགས།
  • གསེར་དང་རིན་པོ་ཆེའི་འབྱུང་གནས་གདུགས་བརྩེགས།
Sanskrit:
  • suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa AS

A buddha in the distant future who is the bodhisattva Ruciraketu in the time of Śākyamuni.

(Suvarṇa­ratnākaracchatra­kūṭa; Toh Degé 556: gser ri rin chen ‘byung gnas gdugs brtegs, Suvarṇaparvataratnākarachattrakūṭa; Toh 555: gser gdugs rin po che brtsegs pa )

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­47
  • i.­51
  • 10.­6
  • 15.­2-3
  • 19.­1
g.­255

Svarṇakeśin

Wylie:
  • gser ’dra’i skra
Tibetan:
  • གསེར་འདྲའི་སྐྲ།
Sanskrit:
  • svarṇakeśin AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: su bar na dang ke śa (incorrectly dividing the name into two names))

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­45
g.­256

sweet flag

Wylie:
  • shu dag
Tibetan:
  • ཤུ་དག
Sanskrit:
  • vacā AS

Acorus calamus. a plant of marshes and wetlands, native to India. There are a number of variant Sanskrit names for this plant. Its leaves, stem, and roots are used in Āyurvedic medicine.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­5
g.­257

tathāgata

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 89 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­7-9
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­22
  • 2.­40-42
  • 2.­45
  • 2.­47
  • 2.­49
  • 2.­51-52
  • 4.­35
  • 4.­47
  • 4.­89
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­15
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­33
  • 7.­39-40
  • 7.­46-48
  • 7.­74-76
  • 7.­88
  • 9.­1-2
  • 9.­5
  • 10.­1-9
  • 10.­15-19
  • 10.­30-31
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­3
  • 11.­8
  • 12.­1-2
  • 13.­26-27
  • 15.­2-4
  • 15.­12-13
  • 16.­1-2
  • 17.­21
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­27
  • 17.­46
  • 18.­3
  • 18.­15
  • 18.­136
  • 19.­1
  • 20.­11
  • 21.­4-5
  • 21.­8
  • n.­34
  • n.­39
  • n.­173
  • n.­178
  • n.­258
  • n.­418
  • g.­106
  • g.­134
  • g.­187
  • g.­251
  • g.­253
  • g.­280
g.­258

ten strengths

Wylie:
  • stobs bcu
Tibetan:
  • སྟོབས་བཅུ།
Sanskrit:
  • daśabala AS

The ten strengths are (1) the knowledge of what is possible; (2) the knowledge of the ripening of karma; (3) the knowledge of the variety of aspirations; (4) the knowledge of the variety of natures; (5) the knowledge of the different levels of capabilities; (6) the knowledge of the destinations of all paths of rebirth; (7) the knowledge of various states of meditation; (8) the knowledge of remembering previous lives; (9) the knowledge of deaths and rebirths; and (10) the knowledge of the cessation of outflows.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­18
  • 4.­34
  • 4.­42
  • 4.­56
  • 7.­90
  • 13.­31
  • n.­323
  • g.­237
g.­259

three worlds

Wylie:
  • ’jig rten gsum
Tibetan:
  • འཇིག་རྟེན་གསུམ།
Sanskrit:
  • trailokya AS

The three realms of desire, form, and formlessness.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­63
  • 4.­66
  • 5.­9
  • 5.­34
  • 5.­36
  • 7.­49
  • 12.­53
  • 12.­70
  • 18.­35
  • n.­321
g.­260

Trāyastriṃśa

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

The paradise of Śakra, also known as Indra, on the summit of Sumeru. The name means “Thirty-Three,” from the thirty-three principal deities that dwell there. The fifth highest of the six paradises in the desire realm.

Located in 25 passages in the translation:

  • i.­7
  • i.­46-47
  • i.­49
  • 2.­20-22
  • 7.­45
  • 10.­32
  • 12.­18
  • 12.­25
  • 12.­57
  • 12.­70
  • 14.­26
  • 15.­1
  • 15.­14
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­27-28
  • 17.­40
  • n.­24
  • n.­48
  • n.­284
  • g.­105
  • g.­113
g.­261

trichiliocosm

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • 2.­5
  • 4.­5
  • 6.­29
  • 6.­31
  • 7.­45
  • 7.­92
  • 13.­12
g.­262

Upananda

Wylie:
  • nye dga’
Tibetan:
  • ཉེ་དགའ།
Sanskrit:
  • upananda AD

A nāga king.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­49
g.­263

upāsaka

Wylie:
  • dge bsnyen
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་བསྙེན།
Sanskrit:
  • upāsaka AS

A man who has taken the layperson’s vows.

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­12-13
  • 7.­19-20
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­41-42
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­71
  • 7.­79-81
  • 8.­21
  • 10.­25
g.­264

upāsikā

Wylie:
  • dge bsnyen ma
Tibetan:
  • དགེ་བསྙེན་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • upāsikā AS

A woman who has taken the layperson’s vows.

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­12-13
  • 7.­19-20
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­41-42
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­71
  • 7.­79-81
  • 8.­21
  • 10.­25
g.­265

ūrṇā

Wylie:
  • mdzod spu
Tibetan:
  • མཛོད་སྤུ།
Sanskrit:
  • ūrṇā AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the thirty-two marks of a great being. It consists of a soft, long, fine, coiled white hair between the eyebrows capable of emitting an intense bright light. Literally, the Sanskrit ūrṇā means “wool hair,” and kośa means “treasure.”

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­6
  • n.­411
g.­266

Vaiśravaṇa

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

As one of the Four Mahārājas he is the lord of the northern region of the world and the northern continent, though in early Buddhism he is the lord of the far north of India and beyond. Also known as Kubera, he is the lord of yakṣas and a lord of wealth.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­1
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­82
  • 14.­35
  • 21.­13
  • g.­6
  • g.­112
  • g.­138
  • g.­183
g.­267

vajra

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

This term generally indicates indestructibility and stability. In the sūtras, vajra most often refers to the hardest possible physical substance, said to have divine origins. In some scriptures, it is also the name of the all-powerful weapon of Indra, which in turn is crafted from vajra material. In the tantras, the vajra is sometimes a scepter-like ritual implement, but the term can also take on other esoteric meanings.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­43
  • 7.­54
  • 10.­22
  • 14.­62
  • 20.­4
g.­268

Vajrapāṇi

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Vajrapāṇi means “Wielder of the Vajra.” In the Pali canon, he appears as a yakṣa guardian in the retinue of the Buddha. In the Mahāyāna scriptures he is a bodhisattva and one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha.” In the tantras, he is also regarded as an important Buddhist deity and instrumental in the transmission of tantric scriptures.

In this text:

(Toh 555: rdo rje’i thal mo)

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­44
  • 7.­64
  • 14.­26
  • 14.­41
g.­269

Vajraprākara

Wylie:
  • rdo rje’i ’byung gnas
Tibetan:
  • རྡོ་རྗེའི་འབྱུང་གནས།
Sanskrit:
  • vajraprākara AS

A mountain.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 12.­9
g.­270

valerian

Wylie:
  • rgya spos
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱ་སྤོས།
Sanskrit:
  • tagara AS

Valeriana wallichii. Specifically Indian valerian, also known as tagara and tagar.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­6
  • g.­233
g.­271

Vāli

Wylie:
  • ’khri byed
Tibetan:
  • འཁྲི་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • vāli AS

A yakṣa king.

(Toh 555: rgyal po)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­46
g.­272

Varṣādhipati

Wylie:
  • char pa’i bdag po
Tibetan:
  • ཆར་པའི་བདག་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • varṣādhipati AS

A yakṣa king. The name means “Lord of Rain.”

(To 555: char pa’i dbang po)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­44
g.­273

Varuṇa

Wylie:
  • chu lha
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་ལྷ།
Sanskrit:
  • varuṇa AS

The name of the deity of water. In the Vedas, Varuṇa is an important deity and in particular the deity of the sky, but in later Indian tradition he is the god of only the water and the underworld. The Tibetan does not attempt to translate his name, but instead has “god of water.”

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­32
  • 14.­37
  • g.­182
g.­274

Vāyu

Wylie:
  • rlung
Tibetan:
  • རླུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • vāyu AS

The god of the air and the winds.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 14.­37
  • g.­182
g.­275

Vemacitra

Wylie:
  • thags bzangs
Tibetan:
  • ཐགས་བཟངས།
Sanskrit:
  • vemacitra AS

The king of the asuras. Also translated as bzang ris.

(Dege 556, Peking, Narthang, and Lhasa: thag bzangs; Degé 557: thag bzangs)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­51
g.­276

Venerable

Wylie:
  • tshe dang ldan pa
Tibetan:
  • ཚེ་དང་ལྡན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • āyuṣmat AS

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A respectful form of address between monks, and also between lay companions of equal standing. It literally means “one who has a [long] life.”

Located in 62 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­1-13
  • 7.­20-21
  • 7.­24-26
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­42-44
  • 7.­64-74
  • 7.­77
  • 7.­106
  • 8.­1
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­20-21
  • 10.­24
  • 10.­26-31
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­4-8
  • 15.­1
  • 15.­6
  • 15.­13
  • 18.­3
  • 18.­10
  • 18.­12
  • 18.­15-16
  • n.­149
g.­277

vetāla

Wylie:
  • ro langs
Tibetan:
  • རོ་ལངས།
Sanskrit:
  • vetāla AS

A class of beings that typically haunt charnel grounds and enter into and animate corpses. Hence, the Tibetan translation means “risen corpse.”

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­3
  • 8.­21
g.­278

vetiver

Wylie:
  • u shi ra
Tibetan:
  • ཨུ་ཤི་ར།
Sanskrit:
  • uśira AS

Andropogon muricatus, Andropogon zizanioides. A type of grass.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 8.­7
g.­279

vidyāmantra

Wylie:
  • rig pa’i gsang sngags
Tibetan:
  • རིག་པའི་གསང་སྔགས།
Sanskrit:
  • vidyāmantra AS

More often vidyā (literally “knowledge”) is used to mean “a mantra” and is synonymous with that term, but it is usually translated into Tibetan as rig pa’i gsang sngags, which could be back-translated as vidyāmantra) to make it clear that it is a mantra and not “knowledge.”

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 9.­11
  • n.­244
g.­280

Vimalajvala­ratna­suvarṇa­raśmi­prabhā­śikhin

Wylie:
  • dri ma med par ’bar ba rin chen gser gyi ’od zer snang ba’i tog
Tibetan:
  • དྲི་མ་མེད་པར་འབར་བ་རིན་ཆེན་གསེར་གྱི་འོད་ཟེར་སྣང་བའི་ཏོག
Sanskrit:
  • vimalajvala­ratna­suvarṇa­raśmi­prabhā­śikhin RS

A tathāgata.

(Toh 555: dri ma med pa’i ’od zer rin po che’i tog (Vimala­raśmiratna­ketu); Toh 556: dri ma med par ‘bar ba rin chen ‘od zer snang ba’i tog (Vimala­jvala­ratna­raśmiprabhā­ketu); Sanskrit ms.: Ratnaśikhin)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­2
g.­281

Virajadhvajā

Wylie:
  • rdul med pa’i rgyal mtshan
Tibetan:
  • རྡུལ་མེད་པའི་རྒྱལ་མཚན།
Sanskrit:
  • virajadhvajā AS

A world realm in the distant future.

(Toh 555: rnam dag tog, Viśuddhaketu, where it is the name of Rūpyaketu in the lifetime that he attains buddhahood)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 15.­3
g.­282

Virūḍhaka

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

One of the Four Mahārājas, he is the guardian of the southern direction and the lord of the kumbhāṇḍas.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­1
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­82
  • g.­138
g.­283

Virūpākṣa

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

One of the Four Mahārājas, he is the guardian of the western direction and traditionally the lord of the nāgas.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­1
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­82
  • g.­138
g.­284

Viṣṇu

Wylie:
  • ’jug sel
Tibetan:
  • འཇུག་སེལ།
Sanskrit:
  • viṣṇu AD

One of the primary gods of the Brahmanical tradition, he is associated with the preservation and continuance of the universe.

(Toh 555: khyab ’jug)

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 14.­37
  • g.­23
  • g.­165
g.­285

Vulture Peak Mountain

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

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 5 passages in the translation:

  • i.­32-34
  • 1.­2
  • 3.­3
g.­286

Vyākaraṇa

Wylie:
  • lung ston pa
Tibetan:
  • ལུང་སྟོན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vyākaraṇa AS

The brahmin master, interlocutor in The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • i.­33
  • 2.­18-19
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­38
  • 8.­23
  • 8.­34
  • n.­45
  • n.­368
  • g.­120
g.­287

white beryl

Wylie:
  • bai DUrya
Tibetan:
  • བཻ་ཌཱུརྱ།
Sanskrit:
  • veruli AS

Goshenite: pure beryl without the impurities that give it its various colors.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­6
  • 20.­10
  • n.­411
g.­288

white water lily

Wylie:
  • ku mu da
Tibetan:
  • ཀུ་མུ་ད།
Sanskrit:
  • kumuda AS

Nymphaea pubescens. The night-blossoming water lily, sometimes referred to as a “night lotus.” It can be white, pink, or red.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 20.­9
g.­289

yakṣa

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

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 80 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • i.­42
  • i.­45
  • 1.­14
  • 1.­20
  • 2.­8
  • 7.­5
  • 7.­18-21
  • 7.­26
  • 7.­32
  • 7.­41
  • 7.­44-45
  • 7.­64-67
  • 7.­70
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­102
  • 7.­106
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­7
  • 13.­15
  • 14.­26
  • 14.­36
  • 14.­39-43
  • 14.­80
  • n.­25
  • n.­220
  • n.­286
  • n.­336-337
  • g.­6
  • g.­18
  • g.­51
  • g.­54
  • g.­57
  • g.­71
  • g.­88
  • g.­94
  • g.­111
  • g.­112
  • g.­116
  • g.­119
  • g.­125
  • g.­129
  • g.­132
  • g.­133
  • g.­137
  • g.­146
  • g.­147
  • g.­148
  • g.­151
  • g.­159
  • g.­161
  • g.­166
  • g.­169
  • g.­172
  • g.­174
  • g.­178
  • g.­184
  • g.­192
  • g.­216
  • g.­224
  • g.­239
  • g.­245
  • g.­255
  • g.­266
  • g.­271
  • g.­272
  • g.­290
g.­290

yakṣiṇī

Wylie:
  • gnod sbyin ma
Tibetan:
  • གནོད་སྦྱིན་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • yakṣiṇī AS

A female yakṣa.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 14.­54
g.­291

Yama

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

The lord of death.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 4.­5
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­40
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­30
  • 10.­34
  • 11.­8
  • 14.­37
  • g.­182
g.­292

yojana

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

The longest unit of distance in classical India. The lack of a uniform standard for the smaller units means that there is no precise equivalent, especially as its theoretical length tended to increase over time. Therefore, it can indicate a distance of between four and ten miles.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­40
  • 10.­22
  • 10.­27
  • 14.­12
  • 14.­62-63
  • g.­86
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    84000. The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (3) (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra, gser ’od dam pa’i mdo, Toh 557). Translated by Peter Alan Roberts and team. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2025. https://84000.co/translation/toh557/UT22084-090-001-glossary.Copy
    84000. The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (3) (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra, gser ’od dam pa’i mdo, Toh 557). Translated by Peter Alan Roberts and team, online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2025, 84000.co/translation/toh557/UT22084-090-001-glossary.Copy
    84000. (2025) The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (3) (Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama­sūtra, gser ’od dam pa’i mdo, Toh 557). (Peter Alan Roberts and team, Trans.). Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. https://84000.co/translation/toh557/UT22084-090-001-glossary.Copy

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