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རྒྱ་ཆེར་རོལ་པ།

The Play in Full
Entering the Womb

Lalita­vistara
འཕགས་པ་རྒྱ་ཆེར་རོལ་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
’phags pa rgya cher rol pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra “The Play in Full”
Ārya­lalita­vistara­nāma­mahā­yāna­sūtra

Toh 95

Degé Kangyur, vol. 46 (mdo sde, kha), folios 1.b–216.b

ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛɪʙᴇᴛᴀɴ ʙʏ
  • Jinamitra
  • Dānaśīla
  • Munivarman
  • Yeshé Dé

Imprint

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Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

First published 2013

Current version v 4.49.4 (2025)

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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgments
i. Introduction
tr. The Translation
+ 27 chapters- 27 chapters
1. The Setting
2. The Inspiration
3. The Purity of the Family
4. The Gateways to the Light of the Dharma
5. Setting Out
6. Entering the Womb
7. The Birth
8. Going to the Temple
9. The Ornaments
10. The Demonstration at the Writing School
11. The Farming Village
12. Demonstrating Skill in the Arts
13. Encouragement
14. Dreams
15. Leaving Home
16. The Visit of King Bimbisāra
17. Practicing Austerities
18. The Nairañjanā River
19. Approaching the Seat of Awakening
20. The Displays at the Seat of Awakening
21. Conquering Māra
22. Perfect and Complete Awakening
23. Exaltation
24. Trapuṣa and Bhallika
25. Exhortation
26. Turning the Wheel of Dharma
27. Epilogue
c. Colophon
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· Colophon to the Sanskrit Edition
· Colophon to the Tibetan Translation
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
+ 3 sections- 3 sections
· Source Texts
· Secondary Sources
· Further Resources
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

The Play in Full tells the story of how the Buddha manifested in this world and attained awakening, as perceived from the perspective of the Great Vehicle. The sūtra, which is structured in twenty-seven chapters, first presents the events surrounding the Buddha’s birth, childhood, and adolescence in the royal palace of his father, king of the Śākya nation. It then recounts his escape from the palace and the years of hardship he faced in his quest for spiritual awakening. Finally the sūtra reveals his complete victory over the demon Māra, his attainment of awakening under the Bodhi tree, his first turning of the wheel of Dharma, and the formation of the very early saṅgha.


ac.

Acknowledgments

ac.­1

This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche.

Cortland Dahl, Catherine Dalton, Hilary Herdman, Heidi Koppl, James Gentry, and Andreas Doctor translated the text from Tibetan into English. Andreas Doctor and Wiesiek Mical then compared the translations against the original Tibetan and Sanskrit, respectively. Finally, Andreas Doctor edited the translation and wrote the introduction.

The Dharmachakra Translation Committee would like to thank Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche for blessing this project, and Khenpo Sherap Sangpo for his generous assistance with the resolution of several difficult passages.

This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.


ac.­2

The generous sponsorship of 簡源震及家人江秀敏,簡暐如,簡暐丞 Chien YuanChen (Dharma Das) and his wife, daughter, and son for work on this sūtra is gratefully acknowledged.


i.

Introduction

i.­1

The Play in Full (Lalitavistara) is without a doubt one of the most important sūtras within Buddhist Mahāyāna literature. With parts of the text dating from the earliest days of the Buddhist tradition, this story of the Buddha’s awakening has captivated the minds of devotees, both ordained and lay, as far back as the beginning of the common era.

i.­2

In brief, The Play in Full tells the story of how the Buddha manifested in this world and attained awakening. The sūtra, which is structured in twenty-seven chapters, begins with the Buddha being requested to teach the sūtra by several gods, as well as the thousands of bodhisattvas and hearers in his retinue. The gods summarize the sūtra in this manner (chap. 1, 1.­14):


Text Body

The Translation
The Noble Great Vehicle Sūtra
The Play in Full

1.
Chapter 1

The Setting

[F.1.b]


1.­1

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!


1.­2

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, along with a great saṅgha of twelve thousand monks.

Among them were the venerable Ājñāta­kauṇḍinya, the venerable Aśvajit, the venerable Bāṣpa, the venerable Mahānāma, the venerable Bhadrika, the venerable Yaśodeva, the venerable Vimala, the venerable Subāhu, the venerable Pūrṇa, the venerable Gavāṃpati, the venerable Urubilvā Kāśyapa, the venerable Nadīkāśyapa, the venerable Gayākāśyapa, the venerable Śāriputra, the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, the venerable Mahākāśyapa, [F.2.a] the venerable Mahākātyāyana, the venerable Mahākapphiṇa, the venerable Kauṣṭhila,5 the venerable Cunda, the venerable Pūrṇa­maitrāyaṇī­putra, the venerable Aniruddha, the venerable Nandika, the venerable Kampila, the venerable Subhūti, the venerable Revata, [2] the venerable Khadiravaṇika, the venerable Amogharāja, the venerable Mahāpāraṇika, the venerable Vakkula, the venerable Nanda, the venerable Rāhula, the venerable Svāgata, and the venerable Ānanda.


2.
Chapter 2

The Inspiration

2.­1

Now, monks, what is this extensive discourse on the Dharma known as The Play in Full?

Monks, the Bodhisattva dwelt in the supreme realm of the Heaven of Joy, where he was honored by offerings, received consecration, and was praised and revered by one hundred thousand gods. [8] He had achieved his goal and was elevated by his former aspirations. His intelligence was such that he had attained the entire range of the Buddhadharma. Indeed his eye of wisdom was at once both vast and utterly pure. Radiating with mindfulness, intelligence, realization, modesty, and joyfulness, his mind was extremely powerful. He had mastered the perfections of generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, mental stability, knowledge, and skillful means, and was adept in the fourfold path of Brahmā: great love, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity. With great awareness, he was free of obscurations and had manifested the vision of wisdom free from attachment. Likewise he had perfected each and every quality of awakening: the applications of mindfulness, the thorough relinquishments, the bases of miraculous power, [F.6.a] the faculties, the powers, the branches of awakening, the path, and the factors of awakening.


3.
Chapter 3

The Purity of the Family

3.­1

Monks, in this way the Bodhisattva was exhorted that the time for the Dharma had come. Emerging from that great celestial palace, [F.9.b] the Bodhisattva went to the great Dharmoccaya Palace, where he taught the Dharma to the gods in the Heaven of Joy. In the palace, he seated himself upon a lion throne known as Sublime Dharma. He was joined in the palace by a group of gods whose good fortune equaled that of the Bodhisattva, and who had entered the same vehicle. Bodhisattvas with similar conduct to the Bodhisattva gathered from throughout the ten directions. Retinues with equally pure intentions accompanied the gods, without the assembly of divine maidens and even without ordinary gods. Altogether a retinue of 680 million entered the palace, each sitting on a lion throne according to rank.


4.
Chapter 4

The Gateways to the Light of the Dharma

4.­1

Monks, while the Bodhisattva was seeing the family of his birth, he dwelt in the Heaven of Joy in Uccadhvaja, a great celestial palace measuring sixty-four leagues around, where he taught the Dharma to the gods of the Heaven of Joy. The Bodhisattva had come to this great celestial palace where he now addressed all the gods of the Heaven of Joy. “Come, gather here,” he said. “Come listen to the Bodhisattva’s final teaching on the Dharma, a recollection of the Dharma entitled ‘The Application of Passing.’ ” [30]


5.
Chapter 5

Setting Out

5.­1

Monks, in that way the Bodhisattva taught this Dharma discourse to the large congregation of gods, [F.24.a] instructed them, inspired them, delighted them, and caused them to be receptive. He then said to that assembly of fortunate gods:

“Friends, I will now proceed to Jambudvīpa. In the past when I practiced the conduct of a bodhisattva, I attracted sentient beings through the four activities of giving, pleasant speech, beneficial activity, and demonstrating consistency in speech and aims. But friends, I would be acting without gratitude, and it would be inappropriate, if I were not now to achieve unexcelled, perfect, and complete awakening.”


6.
Chapter 6

Entering the Womb

6.­1

Monks, the cold season had passed and it was the third month of spring. It was the finest season, when the moon enters the constellation Viśākhā. The leaves of trees unfurled and the most exquisite flowers blossomed. It was neither cold nor hot, and there was no fog or dust in the air. Fresh green grass covered the grounds everywhere.

6.­2

The Lord of the Three Worlds, [55] revered by all the worlds, now judged that the time had come. On the fifteenth day, during the full moon, while his future mother was observing the poṣadha precepts during the constellation of Puṣya, the Bodhisattva moved, fully conscious and aware, from the fine realm of the Heaven of Joy to the womb of his mother. [F.32.a]

6.­3

He entered through his mother’s right side in the form of a baby elephant, white in color with six tusks. His head was the color of a reddish insect, and the tusks were blazing gold. He had all his limbs intact and his full faculties. As he entered, he stayed only at the right side of the womb and never on the left. As this occurred, Queen Māyā was sleeping on her pleasant bed and saw the following in her dream:


6.­4
A snowy-silver colored elephant with six tusks,
Beautiful feet, exquisite trunk, and a pretty red head,
Moving in a fine gait with joints as stable as a diamond‍—
That perfect elephant entered her womb.
6.­5
She had never seen, heard of, or experienced
Such a rare happiness.
Feeling this physical and mental bliss,
She became absorbed in concentration.
6.­6

As she awoke, Queen Māyā first adorned herself with ornaments and flowing garments. Refreshed in body and mind, she felt affectionate, joyful, and calm. She then arose from her bed and made her way down from the upper floors of the palace, surrounded by her female attendants. She proceeded to the aśoka-tree forest, where she felt at ease. Once there, she sent a message to King Śuddhodana: “Your Majesty, please come, the queen would like to see you.”

6.­7

When King Śuddhodana heard this message, he became very elated, and immediately he rose from his throne. Surrounded by his ministers and townspeople, attendants and relatives, he went to the aśoka forest. However, as he arrived, his body suddenly felt very heavy and he was unable to enter the forest. In this way he just stood at the entrance to the aśoka forest. Reflecting a little, he then spoke these verses: [F.32.b]

6.­8
“I do not remember my body ever feeling this heavy, [56]
Even as I led my army of warriors into battle.
Now I cannot even enter my own property;
Can anyone tell me what has happened?”
6.­9

Some gods of the pure realms had settled in the middle of the sky. Now they revealed half their bodies and spoke these verses to King Śuddhodana:

“Your Majesty, a bodhisattva, a great being,
With qualities of austerity and discipline, honored by the three worlds,
Loving and compassionate, and empowered by merit and wisdom,
Has left the Heaven of Joy for the womb of Queen Māyā in order to become your son.”
6.­10
Then, joining his palms and bowing his head,
The king went into the forest, overwhelmed by reverence and awe.
Without pride or arrogance, he looked at Queen Māyā
And asked, “What may I do for you? Tell me what to do.”
6.­11

The queen replied:

“A fine and beautiful elephant, white as snow or silver,
More dazzling than the sun and the moon, well proportioned,
With beautiful legs, six great tusks, and joints as firm as diamond,
Entered my womb‍—please listen to this story.
6.­12
“In my sleep I saw this trichiliocosm illuminated, its darkness gone,
While ten million gods were praising me.
I felt no anger, aggression, hatred, or confusion;
I felt peaceful and full of the bliss of concentration. [57]
6.­13
“I wonder if this dream of mine shows happiness or sorrow for our family?
Is my dream a genuine prediction?
Your Majesty, quickly summon the priests
Who are specialists in the Vedic treatises on dreams.”
6.­14
Hearing these words, the king instantly summoned the priests
Who were experts in the Vedas and their treatises.
When the priests stood before Queen Māyā, she said,
“Listen to my story; this is what I dreamed.”
6.­15

The brāhmins replied, “Your Majesty, please speak. When we hear what you saw in your dream, we will explain.” [F.33.a]

The queen replied:

6.­16
“A fine and beautiful elephant, white as snow or silver,
More dazzling than the sun and the moon, well proportioned,
With beautiful legs, six great tusks, and joints as firm as diamond,
Entered my womb‍—please listen to this story.”
6.­17
As they heard these words, the priests remarked,
“Your clan shall meet no sorrow but only extensive delight.
A son will be born to you, his limbs adorned with the marks;
He will belong to the lineage of kings, a great universal monarch.
6.­18
“If he renounces his pleasures, his kingdom, and his palace,
And goes forth as a monk, unattached, full of compassion and love for the world,
He will become a buddha worthy of offerings in the three worlds.
He will satisfy the world with the supreme taste of the nectar of immortality.” [58]
6.­19
Following this positive prediction,
The priests had their meal in the royal palace,
Accepted an offering of gifts,
And subsequently departed.
6.­20

Monks, when King Śuddhodana heard that message from the priests who understood how to analyze marks and signs and who knew the scriptures related to dreams, he was satisfied. Impressed, delighted, and joyful, he felt blissful and happy. He pleased the priests by offering them delicious food and drink. When they were all full, he entertained them and presented them with gifts before they departed.

6.­21

At the same time, as an offering to the Bodhisattva, alms were distributed at the four gates of the city of Kapilavastu and at all its crossroads and junctions. The king offered food to those who were hungry, and drink to those who were thirsty. He offered clothes to those who needed clothing, carriages to those who required transportation, perfumes to those who desired perfume, garlands to those who wished for garlands, oils to those who wanted ointments, sheets to those who longed for bedding, shelter to the homeless, and necessities to those who yearned for provisions.

6.­22

Then, monks, [F.33.b] King Śuddhodana considered, “I wonder in which residence Queen Māyā can stay happily and without affliction?”

At that very instant the Four Great Kings approached King Śuddhodana and spoke to him: “Your Majesty, do not worry; remain happily in equanimity. We will prepare a palace for the Bodhisattva.”

Then Śakra, lord of the gods, approached King Śuddhodana and spoke to him:

6.­23
“The palaces of the protectors are no good;
Those of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three are better.
I will give the Bodhisattva a palace
Equal to my Vaijayanta.”
6.­24

Then a god from the Heaven Free from Strife approached King Śuddhodana and spoke to him:

“When ten million gods of Śakra’s realm
See my mansion, they marvel. [59]
This glorious house, the best of the Heaven Free from Strife,
I give to the king’s son.”
6.­25

Then a god from the Heaven of Joy approached King Śuddhodana and spoke to him:

“Previously this renowned being
Dwelt in a delightful palace
When he was in the Heaven of Joy.
That palace I will now offer to the Bodhisattva.”
6.­26

Then a god from the Heaven of Delighting in Emanations approached King Śuddhodana and spoke to him:

“A glorious, mentally created mansion
That is made of jewels,
I will give to the Bodhisattva, king,
As an act of worship.”
6.­27

Then a god from the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations approached King Śuddhodana and spoke to him:

“The resplendence of my mansion
Eclipses the light and colors
Of any beautiful mansion
Anywhere in the desire realm.
6.­28
“So let me give that glorious mansion
As an offering to the Bodhisattva.
Your Majesty, I will bring
My beautiful jewel palace.
6.­29
“It is strewn with divine flowers
And scented with divine perfumes.
I will offer this spacious palace;
There the queen may remain.”
6.­30

Monks, in this way each of the eminent gods of the desire realm [F.34.a] individually presented their respective residences as an offering to the Bodhisattva, right there in the fine city of Kapilavastu. King Śuddhodana also provided an excellent mansion. It far surpassed those built by other humans, although it could not match the divine palaces. However, by the power of the Bodhisattva resting in the absorption known as the great array, Queen Māyā appeared in all of those residences.

6.­31

During the period when the Bodhisattva stayed in Queen Māyā’s womb, he remained on the right side of the womb, seated in a cross-legged posture. [60] In addition all the chief gods believed that the mother of the Bodhisattva remained only in the residence they had given her, and not anywhere else.


6.­32

On this topic, it is said:

While the Bodhisattva remained in the absorption known as the great array,
He emanated inconceivable magical displays,
Which perfectly fulfilled the wishes of all the gods.
The wishes of the king, too, became fulfilled.
6.­33

Then some gods among the assembly began to wonder, “Even the gods in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings turn back when they approach human habitations. So what about the gods of the highest order‍—those in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Heaven Free from Strife, or the Heaven of Joy? How could the pure Bodhisattva, who is free from bad-smelling odors, superior to the entire world, a jewel among beings, transmigrate from the divine realm of the Heaven of Joy and remain for ten months in the foul-smelling human body inside his mother’s womb?”

6.­34

Then at that time, by the power of the Buddha, venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One, “O Blessed One, the Thus-Gone One has taught how the female body is inferior and enjoys desire. That was astonishing. But, Blessed One, it is even more astonishing that when you, who are superior to all worlds, were a bodhisattva in the past, you moved from the divine realm of the Heaven of Joy and entered your mother, remaining in a human body on the right side of the womb! [F.34.b] Blessed One, you have mentioned how it all happened, and yet it is simply beyond me!”

6.­35

The Blessed One asked, “Ānanda, would you like to see the jeweled structure that the Bodhisattva delighted in? The one that became the Bodhisattva’s delight as he stayed in his mother’s womb?”

Ānanda replied, “Yes please, Blessed One, right away. Well-Gone One, now would be a perfect time! If the Thus-Gone One should reveal the Bodhisattva’s delight, it would be a great pleasure to witness it.” [61]

6.­36

Then, through the Blessed One’s doing, Brahmā, lord of the Sahā World, disappeared from the Brahma Realm together with six million eight hundred thousand gods of that same realm. They all appeared in the presence of the Blessed One, where they prostrated at the feet of the Blessed One and circled him three times. Then Brahmā stood to one side, bowing to the Blessed One.

Although the Blessed One knew already, he asked Brahmā, the lord of the Sahā world, “Brahmā, did you remove the structure that delighted me in the past when I was a bodhisattva and stayed for ten months in my mother’s womb?”

Brahmā replied, “Yes, Blessed One. Indeed, Well-Gone One.”

“Well, Brahmā,” the Blessed One inquired, “where is it now?”

Brahmā responded, “Blessed One, it is in the Brahma realm.”

“In that case, Brahmā,” directed the Blessed One, “fetch this structure that delighted me as a bodhisattva for ten months and show it to everyone so they can know how it was constructed.”

6.­37

Brahmā, lord of the Sahā World, now spoke to the gods of the Brahma realm, saying, “Please wait here until I bring the jeweled structure that delighted the Bodhisattva.”

Then Brahmā, lord of the Sahā World, [F.35.a] prostrated with his head at the feet of the Blessed One before disappearing from the presence of the Blessed One. In that very instant he reached the Brahma realm. There he spoke these words to the god Subrahmā:

“Friend, go from this Brahma realm up to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and tell them, ‘We are bringing the jeweled structure that delighted the Bodhisattva and we are taking it into the presence of the Blessed One. Those among you who would like to see it should come quickly!’ ”

Brahmā, lord of the Sahā World, together with 84 trillion gods, lifted the jeweled structure that had delighted the Bodhisattva and placed it atop a great mansion in the Brahma realm that was three hundred leagues high. Surrounded by all these many trillions of gods, he then descended back down to Jambudvīpa. [62]

6.­38

At that time there was a great gathering of gods from the desire realm who wished to serve the Bodhisattva. These gods further embellished the jeweled structure that had delighted the Bodhisattva, using divine fabrics, garlands, perfumes, flowers, music, and other divine delights. The most eminent among the gods all surrounded the structure.

At the same time Śakra, lord of the gods, was standing far away on top of Mount Sumeru in the middle of the ocean. Shielding his face with his palm, he turned his head and stared out unblinking and completely transfixed, but he was unable to see the jeweled structure. Why was that? Among the gods, those of the Brahma realm have the greatest ability, and the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Heaven Free from Strife, the Heaven of Joy, the Heaven of Delighting in Emanations, and the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations are inferior in comparison to them. So what need is there to speak of Śakra, master of the gods?

6.­39

At that moment the Blessed One quieted the divine music because the humans in Jambudvīpa would all go insane merely from hearing such music. [F.35.b]

The Four Great Kings now came before Śakra, lord of the gods, and asked him, “Lord of the gods, what can we do? We are unable to see this jeweled structure that delighted the Bodhisattva.”

“Friends, what can I do?” Śakra responded. “I also cannot see it right now. Nevertheless, friends, when it is brought into the presence of the Blessed One, we should be able to see it.”

The Four Great Kings pleaded, “Lord of the gods, for that reason let us quickly do whatever is necessary to see it!”

“Friends,” replied Śakra, “wait until the best of the superior gods come into the presence of the Blessed One and delight him.”

Thus they stood aside, turned their heads, and gazed intently at the Blessed One. [63] Suddenly Brahmā, lord of the Sahā World, arrived together with 84 trillion gods, carrying the jeweled structure that had delighted the Bodhisattva and bringing it in front of the Thus-Gone One.

6.­40

The jeweled structure that had delighted the Bodhisattva was finely shaped, exquisite and beautiful to behold. It was square in form and had four pillars. At the top was a beautifully adorned upper floor scaled to fit a six-month-old fetus. Inside that upper chamber was a throne with a sitting area that was likewise scaled to fit a six-month-old fetus.

There is nothing whatsoever in the world, including the realms of gods and Brahma gods, that is similar in color and shape to the jeweled structure that delighted the Bodhisattva. When the gods saw it, their eyes were dazzled and they were amazed. When it was placed in the presence of the Thus-Gone One, it gleamed, radiated heat, and shone brightly. This multistoried structure was as resplendent as gold that has been smelted twice by an expert goldsmith [F.36.a] so that it has become perfectly refined and free of any impurity.

6.­41

Likewise nothing whatsoever in all the divine realms can compare to the size and shape of the throne inside the structure that had delighted the Bodhisattva, except perhaps the neck of the Bodhisattva, which resembles a conch in shape and color. Even the garments worn by the great Brahmā lost their beauty in front of the Bodhisattva’s throne, causing them to resemble cast-off black blankets that have been beaten by wind and rain. The temple was made from uraga sandalwood, which is so precious that a single mote of its dust is equal in value to a thousand universes. Furthermore the temple was surrounded on all sides by more such uraga sandalwood.

6.­42

Inside that temple hovered an identical second structure, which did not touch the first structure. Inside this second temple hovered [64] an identical third structure, which also did not touch the second structure. Within that third temple made of incense was a throne with cushions. The color of the uraga sandalwood was like the finest blue beryl. Around the temple of incense were all types of flowers that surpassed even those of the gods. They had not been planted there, but appeared solely because of the maturation of the Bodhisattva’s previous basic virtue.

That precious structure that delighted the Bodhisattva was like a diamond‍—solid, firm, and indestructible. Yet it was also pleasant to the touch, like kācilindika cloth. Moreover, the precious structure that delighted the Bodhisattva clearly reflected all that is found within the abodes of the gods of the desire realm.

6.­43

On the evening in which the Bodhisattva entered the womb, a lotus appeared from below the waters, piercing the earth and rising up six million eight hundred thousand leagues, as far as the Brahma realm. [F.36.b] Only the best of charioteers and the great Brahmā, who is master of a thousand powers, were able to see that flower. To everyone else, it was invisible. In that great lotus appeared a drop of nectar, which embodied the extracted essence and vitality of the entire great trichiliocosm. The great Brahmā placed this drop into a beautiful vessel of beryl and offered it to the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva accepted the gift and, out of affection for the great Brahmā, he drank it. Apart from a bodhisattva in his final existence, who has completed all the bodhisattva stages, no other being is able to digest such a drop of vital energy.

6.­44

What were the previous actions that prepared the Bodhisattva for digesting this drop of vital energy? [65] When the Bodhisattva was practicing the conduct of a bodhisattva for extended periods in the past, he gave medicine to the sick, fulfilled the wishes of those who had aspirations, and never abandoned those who came to him for refuge. He always offered the finest flowers, the best fruits, and the most delicious foods first to the thus-gone ones, the memorials of the thus-gone ones, the saṅgha of hearers of the thus-gone ones, and his parents. Only then would he cater to his own needs. It was as a result of this activity that the great Brahmā offered the Bodhisattva this drop of nectar.

6.­45

Within that temple all the most excellent and exquisite pleasures and amusements came together, manifesting due to the maturation of the Bodhisattva’s previous actions. Moreover, within the precious structure that delighted the Bodhisattva, a set of garments appeared, known as the ornament of a hundred thousand. Apart from a bodhisattva in his final existence, [F.37.a] no other being anywhere could ever receive such garments. In fact all possible sublime and perfect forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures were present within that peaked structure. [B4]

In this way the temple that delighted the Bodhisattva was completely perfect and finely constructed both inside and outside. It was also pleasant to touch, like silk from Kaliṅga. This is merely an example, for in reality nothing could compare to it.

6.­46

Because of the previous aspirations of the Bodhisattva, his intentions were accomplished. It is the nature of things that a great bodhisattva is born into the human world. Having renounced his home, he attains perfect and complete awakening and turns the wheel of Dharma. Yet before he enters his mother’s womb, a temple of precious materials is manifested on the right side of the mother’s womb. Then as a bodhisattva transmigrates from the Heaven of Joy, he remains seated in a cross-legged position in that tiered chamber. The body of a bodhisattva in his last existence is free from the four stages [66] of embryonic development. Instead he appears seated, with all his limbs, organs, and characteristics fully formed. As such Queen Māyā saw the arrival of an elephant in her dream.

6.­47

Now Śakra, lord of the gods, as well as the Four Great Kings, the twenty-eight great commanders of the yakṣas, and the master of the guhyakas, who are the type of yakṣa from which Vajrapāṇi came, all knew that the Bodhisattva had entered the womb of his mother, and they constantly stayed close to him. The Bodhisattva also had four goddesses named Utkhalī, Samutkhalī, [F.37.b] Dhvajavatī, and Prabhāvatī serve him. When these four goddesses knew that the Bodhisattva had entered the womb of his mother, they kept a constant guard over him. In addition, when Śakra, lord of the gods, discovered that the Bodhisattva had entered the womb of his mother, he brought along five hundred gods to constantly follow the Bodhisattva.

6.­48

The body of a bodhisattva who has entered the womb of his mother develops certain features. For example, it is like a great fire burning on a mountaintop during the darkest night, visible from a league or even five leagues away. The body of the Bodhisattva as he entered the womb of his mother was just this way. It was radiant, well formed, handsome, and pleasing to see. As he sat with crossed legs inside that peaked structure, he was exceedingly beautiful. He appeared to have a golden hue, shining like refined gold adorned with precious beryl. The mother of the Bodhisattva could also see the Bodhisattva within her womb.

6.­49

In the same way that a lightning bolt illumines everything as it emerges from a mass of clouds, so the Bodhisattva dwelling in his mother’s womb also illuminated the innermost chamber of the precious temple through his splendor, brilliance, and color. When that was illuminated, he illuminated the middle chamber of the fragrant temple. When the second level [67] of the fragrant temple was illuminated, the light went farther and illuminated the outer chamber of the fragrant temple. Then, as the third level of the fragrant temple was bathed in light, his mother’s entire body became filled with light. The light then went farther and illuminated the seat upon which his mother was seated. Gradually the light streamed forth and brightened the entire palace. The light rays rose beyond the palace and illuminated the east. Likewise, while the Bodhisattva was residing in the womb of his mother, the glory, brilliance, and color of the Bodhisattva illuminated the south, the west, and the north, below and above. In fact all the ten directions [F.38.a] were bathed in light for several miles in each direction.

6.­50

Monks, in the early morning the Four Great Kings and the twenty-eight great commanders of the yakṣas together with five hundred yakṣas arrived to meet the Bodhisattva and to offer him their respect and veneration, and also to listen to the Dharma. At that time the Bodhisattva, who was aware of their arrival, extended his right hand and pointed out their seats. The guardians of the world and the other guests sat down on the arranged seats. They perceived the Bodhisattva, who was in the womb of his mother, in the form of a child who has already taken birth, extending his hand and moving it in various positions. Upon seeing this they prostrated to the Bodhisattva and were filled with joy, devotion, and well-being.

6.­51

When the Bodhisattva saw that they were settled, he taught them a Dharma teaching and instructed them, inspired them, and delighted them. When they wished to go, the Bodhisattva, who knew full well their thoughts, extended his right hand as a farewell greeting. As he retracted his hand, there was no harm done to his mother. The Four Great Kings understood the greeting and thought, “We have been dismissed by the Bodhisattva.” [68] Then they circled around the Bodhisattva and his mother three times before departing. This was the circumstance and the reason why the Bodhisattva, in the quiet of the night, would extend his right hand and draw it back. Finally he would let the hand rest while maintaining mindfulness and carefulness.

6.­52

At other times when people came to see the Bodhisattva, be they women or men, [F.38.b] boys or girls, he would first joyfully welcome them, and then his mother would do the same. Monks, in this way the Bodhisattva became very skilled at initiating delightful salutations as he dwelt in his mother’s womb. There was no one, whether god, nāga, yakṣa, human, or nonhuman, who was ever able to greet the Bodhisattva first with a delightful salutation. Instead the Bodhisattva would initiate the salutations, and afterward the mother of the Bodhisattva would joyfully welcome the guests.

6.­53

When the morning had passed and the noon hour arrived, Śakra, the lord of the gods, along with the most eminent gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, came to meet the Bodhisattva and to offer him their respect and veneration, and also to listen to the Dharma. The Bodhisattva, who saw them coming from a distance, extended his golden-colored right hand and, to the delight of Śakra, lord of the gods, and the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, pointed out their seats. Monks, at that moment Śakra, lord of the gods, was unable to resist the Bodhisattva’s request, and so he and the gods all settled down on the seats that had been arranged for them.

When the Bodhisattva knew that they were settled, he taught them a Dharma teaching and instructed them, inspired them, and delighted them. In whichever direction the Bodhisattva would extend his hand, the mother of the Bodhisattva would turn to face that way. Then the gods reflected, “The Bodhisattva is having a heartwarming conversation with us.” And each one of them thought, “The Bodhisattva is speaking directly to me; to me alone he extends a friendly welcome.” All the while the images of Śakra, lord of the gods, [F.39.a] and those of the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three were reflected within the temple. Thus nowhere else were the Bodhisattva’s enjoyments as perfectly pure as in the womb of his mother.

Monks, when Śakra, lord of the gods, and the other gods wished to depart, the Bodhisattva, who knew full well their thoughts, extended his right hand as a farewell greeting. As he retracted his hand, there was no harm done to his mother. At that time Śakra, lord of the gods, and the other gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three reflected, “We have been dismissed by the Bodhisattva.” [69] Then they circled around the Bodhisattva and his mother three times before departing.

6.­54

Monks, noontime passed, and it was now evening when Brahmā, lord of the Sahā World, surrounded by many hundreds of thousands of gods, approached the Bodhisattva carrying a drop of the vital force of the divine realms. They came to meet the Bodhisattva and to offer him their respect and veneration, and also to listen to the Dharma.

Monks, the Bodhisattva knew that Brahmā, lord of the Sahā World, was arriving together with his retinue, and again he raised his golden-colored right hand. He cordially greeted Brahmā, lord of the Sahā World, and those gods of the pure realms, and pointed out their seats to them. Monks, again it was not possible [70] for Brahmā, lord of the Sahā World, to resist the Bodhisattva’s command. Thus Brahmā, lord of the Sahā World, as well as the other gods of the pure realms, settled on those seats that had been arranged. When the Bodhisattva knew that they were settled, he taught them a Dharma teaching and instructed them, [F.39.b] inspired them, and delighted them. In whichever direction the Bodhisattva would extend his hand, the mother of the Bodhisattva would turn to face that way. Then the gods reflected, “The Bodhisattva is having a heartwarming conversation with us.” And each one of them thought, “The Bodhisattva is speaking directly to me; to me alone he extends a friendly welcome.”

6.­55

Monks, when Brahmā, lord of the Sahā World, and those gods of the pure realms wished to depart, the Bodhisattva, who knew full well their thoughts, extended his right hand as a farewell greeting. As he retracted his hand with mindfulness and carefulness, there was no harm done to his mother. Then Brahmā, lord of the Sahā World, and those gods of the pure realms reflected, “We have been dismissed by the Bodhisattva.” Then they circled around the Bodhisattva and his mother three times before departing. Finally the Bodhisattva let his hand rest while maintaining mindfulness and carefulness.

6.­56

Monks, from everywhere, such as the east, the south, the west, the north, above and below, many hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas came to meet the Bodhisattva and to offer him their respect and veneration, and also to listen to the Dharma and correctly proclaim that Dharma. Once they had arrived, the Bodhisattva’s body began emitting light, which manifested into lion thrones. The Bodhisattva then indicated to the bodhisattvas to take their seat on these thrones. When he knew that they were settled, the Bodhisattva questioned and examined the bodhisattvas [71] regarding the divisions pertaining to the Great Vehicle. However, with the exception of the gods who were of equal fortune, no one else perceived this. [F.40.a] Monks, this was the circumstance and the reason why the Bodhisattva projected light from his body in the quiet of the night.


6.­57

Monks, while the Bodhisattva was dwelling in the womb of his mother, Queen Māyā did not feel any heaviness in her body. On the contrary she felt light, supple, and happy, and she did not experience any uncomfortable pains in her belly. She was not afflicted by attachment, anger, or delusion. She did not entertain any desirous thoughts, nor any thoughts of ill will or harm. She neither experienced nor witnessed any heat, cold, hunger, thirst, gloom, uncleanliness, or fatigue. No unpleasant forms, sounds, smells, tastes, or textures appeared to her, and she also had no bad dreams. There was no female deception, guile, envy, or feminine disturbing emotions to trouble her.

At that time the mother of the Bodhisattva observed the five basic precepts. She was disciplined and followed the path of the ten virtuous actions. The mother of the Bodhisattva never desired any man whomsoever, and neither did any man feel lust in the presence of the mother of the Bodhisattva.

6.­58

Merely by seeing the mother of the Bodhisattva, any woman, man, boy, or girl in the city of Kapilavastu and its surrounding areas who had been possessed was cured and regained consciousness immediately, regardless of whether they had been possessed by gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, or bhūtas. Those nonhuman beings quickly departed for other places.

All those who had been struck by illness were freed from their disease as soon as the mother of the Bodhisattva placed her right hand on the top of their head. In this way she would cure those who suffered from any illness or ailment that arises from disharmony among wind, bile, or phlegm. [F.40.b] She would cure illnesses related to the eyes, [72] ears, nose, tongue, and lips, as well as toothaches, throat diseases, goiters, lumps, various forms of leprosy, tuberculosis, madness, dementia, fevers, swellings, boils, rashes, scabs, and other illnesses. Once they were freed from their disease, these people could then return to their homes. Queen Māyā would also pick herbs and distribute them to the sick, who would immediately regain their health and vigor.

6.­59

When Queen Māyā looked inside her belly, she saw the Bodhisattva resting on the right side of her womb. She could see this as clearly as if she was looking at her own face in a spotless mirror. Seeing him in that way, she was satisfied, elated, and delighted. She felt extremely happy, buoyant, and joyful.

Monks, through the blessings of the Bodhisattva staying in his mother’s womb, the sounds of divine musical instruments arose constantly without interruption both day and night, and a rain of divine flowers fell. The gods sent timely rains, and the winds blew at appropriate moments. The seasons and the stars all moved in a balanced manner. The kingdom was joyful and the harvests were bountiful. There were no disturbances or animosity anywhere.

6.­60

In the city of Kapilavastu, the clan of the Śākyas and everyone else had plenty to eat and drink, and they enjoyed themselves with various amusements. They were generous and created merit. They happily amused themselves just as one does during the autumn festival at the end of the fourth month. King Śuddhodana devoted himself purely to religious practice. Setting aside all his kingly work, he lived in complete purity as if he had entered an ascetic’s grove. [F.41.a] With great delight, he followed the Dharma. [73] Monks, such were the miraculous marvels that occurred while the Bodhisattva remained in his mother’s womb.

6.­61

At this time the Blessed One asked venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, would you like to see the jeweled structure that delighted the Bodhisattva when he stayed in his mother’s womb?”

Ānanda replied, “Yes, Blessed One. I would love to, Well-Gone One!”

The Blessed One then showed the jeweled structure to venerable Ānanda as well as to Śakra, lord of the gods; the four guardians of the world; and many other gods and humans. As they saw the structure, they were satisfied, uplifted, and full of rejoicing. In a joyful mood, they were happy and delighted.

Then once again, Brahmā, lord of the Sahā World, lifted up the jeweled structure and brought it with him to the Brahma realm, where he installed it as an object of worship.

Then the Blessed One again addressed the monks: “Monks, in this way, while the Bodhisattva dwelt in his mother’s womb, he ripened 36 million gods and humans within the Three Vehicles.”


6.­62

On this topic, it is said:

When the Victors’ Son, the Great Being, settled in his mother’s womb,
The earth with its forests shook in six ways.
Golden light shone forth and all the lower realms were purified;
All the gods joyfully proclaimed, “He will be a Dharma king!”
6.­63
Well shaped and resplendent with many jewels is the great mansion
Where the Hero, the Perfect Guide, has ascended and remains.
It is resplendent, filled with exquisitely fragrant sandalwood,
A few grams of which is worth the whole trichiliocosm filled with jewels.
6.­64
Bursting forth from beneath the great trichiliocosm,
A lotus, which is a mine of good qualities, emerged with a drop of vital energy. [74] [F.41.b]
Within seven days, it reached the world of Brahmā through the power of merit;
Brahmā collected the vital drop and offered it to the Victors’ Son.
6.­65
Apart from the Bodhisattva, a mighty hero,
No being anywhere could digest the drop.
This drop of vital energy is imbued with the merit of many eons;
Whoever consumes it becomes pure in body, mind, and consciousness.
6.­66
Śakra, Brahmā, and the guardians of the world paid the Bodhisattva three visits
In order to make offerings to the Guide.
They prostrated, made offerings, and listened to the sublime Dharma,
Then they circled around him and returned to their abodes.
6.­67
From all worlds and realms came bodhisattvas desiring the Dharma;
Sitting on seats of light, they illumined each other.
Because they heard the sacred Dharma of the Supreme Vehicle,
They all could leave with joy, proclaiming songs of praise.
6.­68
Any woman or child afflicted by suffering,
Possessed by spirits, with troubled mind, naked and covered with dust,
Recovered their senses upon seeing Queen Māyā.
With intelligence and mindfulness restored, they returned to their homes.
6.­69
Those afflicted by illness caused by disorders of wind, bile, or phlegm,
And those with body and mind tormented by diseases of the eyes and ears,
And all those stricken by many different kinds of ailments,
Were freed from illness when Queen Māyā placed her hand on their heads. [75]
6.­70
Moreover, gathering herbs from the ground,
Māyā gave them to the sick, who all became cured.
Happy and healthy, they returned to their homes,
While the King of Physicians, the remedy itself, dwelt in the womb.
6.­71
Whenever Queen Māyā examined her body,
She saw the Bodhisattva in her womb.
Like the moon in the sky encircled by stars,
The Bodhisattva [F.42.a] was ornamented by marks.
6.­72
She was untroubled by attachment, anger, or delusion,
Had no sexual desires, nor envy or ill will.
With a joyful and elated mind, she was blissful,
Never bothered by hunger and thirst, or heat and cold.
6.­73
The sounds of divine instruments constantly arose without being played.
Excellent sublime flowers, fragrant with divine perfumes, fell like rain.
Gods and humans beheld this, and none of them
Felt any resentment or ill will toward one another.
6.­74
Beings rejoiced and played, and made offerings of food and drink;
They uttered cries of joy, content and delighted as they were.
The kingdom was at peace, undisturbed and with well-timed rain;
Grasses, medicinal herbs, and flowers grew in a timely manner.
6.­75
Over the royal palace, a rain of jewels fell for seven days;
Impoverished beings brought them home and enjoyed the bounty. [76]
At that time there were no impoverished or suffering beings;
Everyone was as joyful as the beings in the pleasure grove atop Mount Meru.
6.­76
The king of the Śākyas observed the mending and purification ritual;
Leaving his royal duties, he only practiced the Dharma.
He went into the grove of the ascetics and said to Māyādevī,
“How blissful your body must be, bearing the Perfect Being!”
6.­77

This concludes the sixth chapter, on entering the womb.


7.
Chapter 7

The Birth

7.­1

Monks, in this way ten months passed, and the time came for the Bodhisattva to take birth. At that time thirty-two omens occurred in King Śuddhodana’s parks:

All flowers budded and blossomed. In the ponds, all the blue, red, and white lotus flowers also budded and blossomed. New fruit and flower trees sprung from the earth, budded, and came into blossom. Eight trees of precious gems appeared. Twenty thousand great treasures emerged and remained on the grounds. [F.42.b] Inside the women’s quarters, jeweled shoots sprouted forth. Scented water, saturated with fragrant oils, flowed forth. Lion cubs descended from the snow mountains. They joyfully circled the sublime city of Kapilavastu and then rested by the gates without harming anyone. Five hundred young white elephants arrived, stroking King Śuddhodana’s feet with the tips of their trunks, and then settling down next to him. Divine children, wearing sashes, [77] were seen moving back and forth between the laps of the women in the retinue of King Śuddhodana’s queen.


8.
Chapter 8

Going to the Temple

8.­1

Monks, on the very evening of the Bodhisattva’s birth, there were twenty thousand girls born among the ruling class, the priestly class, the merchants, and the householders, such as the landowners. All of them were offered to the Bodhisattva by their parents to serve and honor him. King Śuddhodana also gave twenty thousand girls to the Bodhisattva to serve and honor him. His friends, his ministers, his [118] kinfolk, and his blood relatives also offered twenty thousand girls to serve and honor the Bodhisattva. [F.63.a] Finally the members of ministerial assemblies also offered twenty thousand girls to serve and honor the Bodhisattva.


9.
Chapter 9

The Ornaments

9.­1

Monks, at the time of the constellation of Citrā, after the constellation of Hastā had passed, the chief priest of the king, who was called Udayana, the father of Udāyin, [F.64.b] went before King Śuddhodana surrounded by some five hundred priests and said, “Your Majesty, please know that it is now proper for ornaments to be made for the prince.”

The king replied, “Very well, then do it.”

9.­2

At that time King Śuddhodana had five hundred types of ornaments made by five hundred Śākyas. He commissioned bracelets, anklets, crowns, necklaces, rings, earrings, armbands, golden belts, golden threads, nets of bells, nets of gems, shoes bedecked with jewels, garlands adorned with various gems, jeweled bangles, chokers, and diadems. When the ornaments were completed the Śākyas went before King Śuddhodana at the time of the constellation of Puṣya and said, “King, please ornament the prince.”


10.
Chapter 10

The Demonstration at the Writing School

10.­1

Monks, when the young child had grown a little older, he was taken to school. He went there amid hundreds of thousands of auspicious signs, and he was surrounded and attended by tens of thousands of boys, along with ten thousand carts filled with hard food, soft food, and condiments, and ten thousand carts filled with gold coins and gems. These were distributed in the streets and road junctions, and the entrances to the markets of the city of Kapilavastu. At the same time a symphony of eight hundred thousand cymbals was sounded, and a heavy rain of flowers fell.


11.
Chapter 11

The Farming Village

11.­1

Monks, on another occasion when the prince had grown a little older, he went with the sons of the ministers and some other boys to visit a farming village. After seeing the village, he entered a park at the edge of the fields. The Bodhisattva wandered around there in complete solitude. As he was strolling through the park, he saw a beautiful and pleasant rose apple tree, and he decided to sit down cross-legged under its shade. Seated there, the Bodhisattva attained a one-pointed state of mind. [129]


12.
Chapter 12

Demonstrating Skill in the Arts

12.­1

Monks, one time, when the prince had grown older, King Śuddhodana was sitting in the meeting hall together with the assembly of Śākyas. There some of the Śākya elders spoke to King Śuddhodana:

“Your Majesty, you know that the priests who are skilled in making predictions, as well as the gods who have definite knowledge, have foretold that if Prince Sarvārthasiddha renounces the household, he will become a thus-gone one, a worthy one, a completely perfect buddha. Yet if he does not renounce the household, he will become a universal monarch, a righteous Dharma king who has conquered the four quarters and is equipped with the seven treasures. The seven treasures that will be his are the precious wheel, the precious elephant, the precious horse, the precious wife, the precious jewel, [F.71.b] the precious steward, and the precious minister. He will have one thousand sons, all of them full, fierce warriors with well-built bodies that destroy the armies of the enemy. He will conquer the entire earth without the use of violence or weapons, and then he will rule [137] according to the Dharma. Therefore we must arrange a marriage for the prince. Once he is surrounded by a group of women, he will discover pleasure and not renounce the household. In that way the line of our universal monarchy will not be cut, and we will be irreproachably respected by all the kings of the realm.”


13.
Chapter 13

Encouragement

13.­1

Monks, while the Bodhisattva was staying in the midst of his retinue of consorts, there were numerous gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, as well as [160] Śakra and Brahmā and the guardians of the world, who were eager to make offerings to the Bodhisattva. They arrived calling out in joyous voices. However, monks, as time went on, many of these gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, as well as Śakra, Brahmā, and the world protectors, began to think to themselves:


14.
Chapter 14

Dreams

14.­1

Monks, while the god in this way was encouraging the Bodhisattva, a dream occurred to King Śuddhodana. As he was sleeping, King Śuddhodana dreamed that the Bodhisattva was leaving the palace in the quiet of the night, [186] surrounded by a host of gods. As the Bodhisattva left the palace, the king saw that he had become ordained and was wearing the saffron-colored robes.

As soon as the king awoke, he immediately asked the chamberlain, “Is the young prince with the consorts?”


15.
Chapter 15

Leaving Home

15.­1

Monks, in the meantime the Bodhisattva thought to himself, “It would not be right if I did not share my plans with the great king Śuddhodana and simply left home without his permission. It would be very ungrateful of me.”

So that night when everything became quiet, he left his own quarters and entered the quarters of King Śuddhodana. As soon as the Bodhisattva stepped foot on the palace floor, the entire palace became illuminated with light. The king woke up and, when he saw the light, he promptly asked his chamberlain, “Did the sun rise? It is such a beautiful light!”


16.
Chapter 16

The Visit of King Bimbisāra

16.­1

Monks, through the blessing of the Bodhisattva, Chanda told King Śuddhodana, the Śākya princess Gopā, the retinue of consorts, and everyone else among the Śākyas what had happened in order to alleviate their suffering. [238]

Monks, the Bodhisattva first gave his silken robes to a god in the form of a hunter, and then he donned the hunter’s saffron-colored robes. He adopted the lifestyle of a renunciant in order to act in agreement with the perception of worldly people, and also because he felt compassion for others and wished to mature them.


17.
Chapter 17

Practicing Austerities

17.­1

Monks, at that time a son of Rāma by the name of Rudraka arrived in Rājagṛha, where he stayed with a large group of seven hundred of his students. He was teaching his students the principles of the disciplined conduct necessary for attaining the state where there is neither perception nor nonperception. [F.120.a]

Monks, the Bodhisattva saw that Rudraka, the son of Rāma, was in charge of a group, indeed a large group, and that as the head of the congregation, he was well-known, popular, venerated by the masses, and recognized by all scholars. Witnessing this, the Bodhisattva thought to himself:


18.
Chapter 18

The Nairañjanā River

18.­1

Monks, during the six years that the Bodhisattva practiced austerities, he was continually followed by Māra, the evil one. Yet, although Māra tried his best to harm the Bodhisattva, he never found an opportunity. As it became apparent that it would be impossible to harm the Bodhisattva, Māra, sad and dejected, finally left. [261]

18.­2

It is also expressed in this way:

There is a pleasant wilderness
With forest thickets full of herbs
To the east of Urubilvā,
Where the Nairañjanā River flows.

19.
Chapter 19

Approaching the Seat of Awakening

19.­1

Monks, when the Bodhisattva bathed in the Nairañjanā River and enjoyed a meal, his physical strength came back to him. With a triumphant gait, he now began the walk toward the great Bodhi tree. This tree was the king of trees and was found at a place characterized by sixteen unique features.

19.­2

He walked with the gait of a great being. It was an undisturbed gait, a gait of the nāga Indrayaṣṭi, a steadfast gait, a gait as stable as Mount Meru, the king of mountains. He walked in a straight line without stumbling, not too fast and not too slow, without stomping heavily or dragging his feet. It was a graceful stride, a stainless stride, a beautiful stride, a stride free from anger, a stride free from delusion, and a stride free from attachment. It was the stride of a lion, the stride of the king of swans, the stride of the king of elephants, the stride of Nārāyaṇa, the stride that floats above the surface, the stride that leaves an impression of a thousand-spoked wheel on the ground, the stride of he whose fingers are connected through a web and who has copper-colored nails, the stride that makes the earth resound, and the stride that crushes the king of the mountains.


20.
Chapter 20

The Displays at the Seat of Awakening

20.­1

Monks, as the Bodhisattva sat down at the seat of awakening, the gods of the six classes within the desire realm decided to protect the Bodhisattva from obstacles. These gods therefore took position in the eastern direction. Likewise the southern, western, and northern directions were taken over by other classes of gods.

Monks, when the Bodhisattva sat down at the seat of awakening, he began to emit a light known as inspiring the bodhisattvas. The light shone in all the ten directions, illuminating all the boundless and immeasurable buddha realms‍—the realms that filled the entire field of phenomena.


21.
Chapter 21

Conquering Māra

21.­1

Monks, in order to venerate the Bodhisattva, the other bodhisattvas manifested many such displays at the seat of awakening. The Bodhisattva himself, however, caused all the displays that ornamented all the seats of awakening of the past, present, and future buddhas in all the buddha realms in the ten directions to become visible right there at the seat of awakening.

Monks, as the Bodhisattva now sat at the seat of awakening, he thought to himself, “Māra is the supreme lord who holds sway over the desire realm, the most powerful and evil demon. [F.147.b] [300] There is no way that I could attain unsurpassed and complete awakening without his knowledge. So I will now arouse that evil Māra. Once I have conquered him, all the gods in the desire realm will also be restrained. Moreover, there are some gods in Māra’s retinue who have previously created some basic goodness. When they witness my lion-like display, they will direct their minds toward unsurpassed and complete awakening.”


22.
Chapter 22

Perfect and Complete Awakening

22.­1

Monks, once the Bodhisattva had destroyed his demonic opponents, vanquished his enemies, triumphed in the face of battle, and raised high the parasols, standards, and banners of conquest, he settled into the first meditative concentration. That state is free from desires, free of factors connected with evil deeds and nonvirtues, accompanied by thought and analysis, and imbued with the joy and pleasure born of discernment.


23.
Chapter 23

Exaltation

23.­1

Then the gods from the pure realms circumambulated the Thus-Gone One, who sat at the seat of awakening. They showered him with a rain of divine sandalwood powder and praised him with these fitting verses: [358]

23.­2
“You are a light that has dawned upon this world!
Illuminating Lord of the World,
You have given eyes for abandoning afflictions
To this world gone blind!
23.­3
“You are victorious in battle!
Through merit you have fulfilled your aim!
Replete with virtuous qualities,
You will satisfy beings!

24.
Chapter 24

Trapuṣa and Bhallika

24.­1

Monks, while the Thus-Gone One was being praised by the gods after he had reached perfect and complete awakening, he stared at the king of trees without blinking and without getting out of his cross-legged position. Seven days passed in this way while he was at the foot of the Bodhi tree experiencing bliss from the sustenance of concentration and joy.

24.­2

Then, once the seven days had passed, the gods from the desire realm approached the Thus-Gone One, carrying tens of thousands of vases containing scented water. The gods from the form realm also approached the Thus-Gone One, carrying tens of thousands of vases containing scented water. When they arrived, they bathed the Bodhi tree and the Thus-Gone One with the scented water. Innumerable gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, demigods, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas anointed their own bodies with the scented water that had come into contact with the body of the Thus-Gone One. This engendered among them the intention set on unexcelled, perfect, and complete awakening. Even after the gods and the others had returned to their respective realms, they did not part from the scented water and desired no other scent. [370] Through the joy and the supreme joy that are born from respectfully taking to heart the Thus-Gone One, they became irreversible from unexcelled, perfect, and complete awakening.


25.
Chapter 25

Exhortation

25.­1

Monks, while the Thus-Gone One was seated at the foot of the Bodhi tree, in the privacy of solitude after he had first attained perfect and complete awakening, he had the following thought about the conventions of the world: [F.187.b]

25.­2

“Alas! This truth that I realized and awakened to is profound, peaceful, tranquil, calm, complete, hard to see, hard to comprehend, and impossible to conceptualize since it is inaccessible to the intellect. Only wise noble ones and adepts can understand it. It is the complete and definitive apprehension of the abandonment of all aggregates, the end of all sensations, the absolute truth, and freedom from a foundation. It is a state of complete peace, free of clinging, free of grasping, unobserved, undemonstrable, uncompounded, beyond the six sense fields, inconceivable, unimaginable, and ineffable. It is indescribable, inexpressible, and incapable of being illustrated. It is unobstructed, beyond all references, a state of interruption through the path of tranquility, and imperceptible like emptiness. It is the exhaustion of craving and it is cessation free of desire. It is nirvāṇa. If I were to teach this truth to others, they would not understand it. Teaching the truth would tire me out and be wrongly contested, and it would be futile. Thus I will remain silent and keep this truth in my heart.”


26.
Chapter 26

Turning the Wheel of Dharma

26.­1

Monks, at that point the Thus-Gone One had accomplished everything he had to do. [F.193.a] With nothing more to achieve, all his fetters had been cut. All negative emotions had been cleared away, along with his mental stains. He had conquered Māra and all hostile forces, and [403] now he joined the Dharma-way of all awakened ones. He had become omniscient and perceived everything. He possessed the ten powers and had discovered the fourfold fearlessness. All the eighteen unique qualities of a buddha had unfolded within him. Equipped with the fivefold vision, he surveyed the entire world with the unobscured eye of an awakened one and began to reflect:


27.
Chapter 27

Epilogue

27.­1

The gods, who had requested this Dharma teaching from the Thus-Gone One, were now gathered for the turning of the wheel of Dharma. In total there were more than 18,000 divine beings from the Pure Realms, led by such beings as Maheśvara, Nanda, Sunanda, Candana, Mahita, Śānta, Praśānta, and Vinīteśvara. At that point the Thus-Gone One addressed the divine beings, headed by Maheśvara, who had come from the pure realms, in the following way: [F.213.b]


c.

Colophon

Colophon to the Sanskrit Edition

c.­1
The Thus-Gone One explained the causes
Of those dharmas that have a cause
And also their cessation.
This is the teaching of the Great Ascetic.
May there be good goodness! May there be goodness in every way!

Colophon to the Tibetan Translation

c.­2

This was taught and translated by the Indian preceptors Jinamitra, Dānaśīla, and Munivarman, and the translator-editor Bandé Yeshé Dé, who proofed and finalized the translation.


n.

Notes

n.­1
See Miller (forthcoming).
n.­2
We are grateful to Jonathan Silk (Silk 2022, p. 273, n. 15) for pointing out a number of significant errors and omissions in an earlier version of this paragraph.
n.­3
Hokazono 1994, 2019a, 2019b.
n.­4
At the time this translation was made, the edition of Hokazono (Hokazono 1994, 2019a, 2019b) mentioned above was unavailable to us. Since it appears to be a considerable improvement on Lefman’s (as pointed out by Silk 2022, pp. 273, 281–2), we expect to benefit from a close reading of it in a planned future update of this translation. Silk’s appendix (Silk 2022, pp. 288–296) correlating our milestone numbers to both Hokazono’s and Lefmann’s editions will no doubt prove a helpful resource in that task.
n.­5
The Sanskrit here has Kauṇḍinya, who (with his title Ajñāta-) has already been mentioned. However, Negi cites this and one another instance to suggest the possibility that the Tibetan gsus po che is sometimes used to refer to Kauṇḍinya.
n.­6
The four rivers is a technical term for the streams (ogha) that are identical to the four “outflows” (āśrava), namely, sensual desires, desire for cyclic existence, wrong views, and ignorance.
n.­7
We are grateful to Jonathan Silk (Silk 2022 p. 276 n19) for pointing out that these two stanzas are indeed verses, not prose as an earlier version of this translation had formatted them.
n.­8
The translation is based on the Sanskrit.

b.

Bibliography

Source Texts

’phags pa rgya cher rol pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Ārya­lalita­vistara­nāma­mahā­yān­asūtra). Toh 95, Degé Kangyur vol. 46 (mdo sde, kha), folios 1b–216b.

’phags pa rgya cher rol pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–2009, vol 46, pp. 3–434.

Foucaux, Phillipe Édouard. Rgya Tch’er Rol Pa ou Développement des Jeux, Contenant l’Histoire du Bouddha Çakya-mouni. Première Partie‍—Texte Tibétain. Paris: Imprimerie Royale, 1847.

Hokazono, Kōichi (1994). Raritavisutara no Kenkyu. Volume 1 [study of Lalitavistara, chs. 1–14]. Tokyo: Daitō Shuppansha, 1994.

Hokazono, Kōichi (2019a). Raritavisutara no Kenkyu. Volume 2 [study of Lalitavistara, chs. 15–21]. Tokyo: Daitō Shuppansha, 2019.

Hokazono, Kōichi (2019b). Raritavisutara no Kenkyu. Volume 3 [study of Lalitavistara, chs. 22–27]. Tokyo: Daitō Shuppansha, 2019.

Lefmann, Salomon. Lalita Vistara. Halle: Verlag der Buchhandlung des Waisenhauses, 1882.

Mitra, R. L. (1853–1877). The Lalita Vistara or Memoirs of the Early Life of S’a’kya Siñha. Bibliotheca Indica: A Collection of Oriental Works, Old Series, nos. 51, 73, 143, 144, 145, 237. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1853–1877.

Secondary Sources

Bays, Gwendolyn. The Voice of the Buddha, The Beauty of Compassion: The Lalitavistara Sutra. Tibetan Translation Series, vol. 2. Berkeley, CA: Dharma Publishing, 1983.

Foucaux, Phillipe Édouard (1848). Rgya Tch’er Rol Pa ou Développement des Jeux, Contenant l’Histoire du Bouddha Çakya-mouni: Traduit sur la version Tibétaine du Bkahhgyour, et revu sur l’original Sanscrit (Lalitavistara). Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1848.

Foucaux, Phillipe Édouard (1870). Étude sur le Lalita Vistara pour une édition critique du texte sanskrit, précédée d’ un coup d’oeil sur la publication des livres bouddhiques en Europe et dans l’Inde. Paris: Maisonneuve, 1870.

Foucaux, Phillipe Édouard (1884). Le Lalitavistara, Développement des Jeux: l’histoire traditionnelle de la vie du Bouddha Çakyamuni. Première partie. Annales du Musée Guimet, vol. 6 Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1884.

Foucaux, Phillipe Édouard (1892). Le Lalitavistara, Développement des Jeux: l’histoire traditionnelle de la vie du Bouddha Çakyamuni. Seconde partie: notes, variantes, et index. Annales du Musée Guimet, vol. 19. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1892.

Lefmann, Salomon (1874). Lalitavistara: Erzählung von dem Leben und der Lehre des Çâkya Simha. Berlin: Dümmler, 1874.

Lenz, Robert. “Analyse du Lalita-Vistara-Pourana, l’un des principaux ouvrages sacrés des Bouddhistes de l’Asie centrale, contenant la vie de leur prophète, et écrit en Sanscrit.” Bulletin Scientifique publié par l’Académie impériale des Sciences de Saint-Pétersbourg I.7: 49–51; I.8: 57–63; I.9: 71–72; I.10: 75–78; I.11: 87–88; I.12: 92–96; I.13: 97–99. St. Petersburg: Académie impériale des sciences, 1836.

Miller, Robert. The Chapter on Schisms in the Saṅgha (Saṅgha­bheda­vastu, Toh 1-17). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, forthcoming.

Mitra, R. L. (1881–1886). The Lalita Vistara or Memoirs of the Early Life of S’a’kya Siñha, Translated from the Original Sanskrit. Bibliotheca Indica: A Collection of Oriental Works, New Series, nos. 455, 473, 575. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1881–1886. Republished, Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications, 1998.

Silk, Jonathan A. “Serious Play: Recent Scholarship on the Lalitavistara.” Indo-Iranian Journal 65: 267–301. Leiden: Brill, 2022.

Vaidya, P. L. Lalitavistara. Buddhist Sanskrit Texts, vol. 1. Darbhanga: The Mithila Institute, 1958.

Winternitz, Maurice (1927). “The Lalita-Vistara.” In A History of Indian Literature, Vol. 2, 249–56. 3rd ed. Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1991.

Further Resources

Goswami, Bijoya. Lalitavistara. Bibliotheca Indica Series, vol. 320. Calcutta: The Asiatic Society, 2001.

Khosla, Sarla. Lalitavistara and the Evolution of Buddha Legend. New Delhi: Galaxy Publications, 1991.

Thomas, E. J. “The Lalitavistara and Sarvastivada.” Indian Historical Quarterly 16:2 (1940): 239–45.


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

Ābhāsvara

Wylie:
  • ’od gsal
Tibetan:
  • འོད་གསལ།
Sanskrit:
  • ābhāsvara

One of the gods gathered at King Śuddhodana’s residence before Prince Siddhārtha’s birth, said to be head god of the Ābhāsvara heaven.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 5.­30
g.­2

Able One

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

An ancient title given to ascetics, monks, hermits, and saints, namely, those who have attained the realization of truth through their own contemplation and not by divine revelation. It is also used as an epithet of the Buddha Śākyamuni, and has also been rendered here as “Sage.”

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­26
  • 5.­93
  • 7.­124
  • g.­529
g.­3

absorption

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

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

Located in 49 passages in the translation:

  • i.­3
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­6
  • 1.­12
  • 2.­6
  • 4.­23-26
  • 4.­30
  • 5.­50
  • 6.­30
  • 6.­32
  • 7.­30
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­36
  • 12.­4
  • 13.­163
  • 16.­4
  • 17.­2-4
  • 17.­22
  • 17.­25-26
  • 17.­44
  • 17.­76
  • 18.­13
  • 19.­12
  • 19.­82
  • 20.­4
  • 21.­5
  • 22.­1
  • 23.­47
  • 23.­54
  • 24.­3
  • 24.­31-32
  • 24.­41
  • 24.­43-46
  • 26.­184
  • 26.­198
  • 26.­200-201
  • 27.­13
  • g.­186
g.­7

aggression

Wylie:
  • khro ba
Tibetan:
  • ཁྲོ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • krodha

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­14
  • 4.­28
  • 5.­18
  • 6.­12
  • 7.­103
  • 24.­44
g.­10

Ājñāta­kauṇḍinya

Wylie:
  • kun shes kau N+Di nya
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་ཤེས་ཀཽ་ཎྜི་ཉ།
Sanskrit:
  • ājñāta­kauṇḍinya

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove. He was one of the five companions who joined Prince Siddhārtha while practicing austerities and attended his first turning of the wheel of Dharma at the Deer Park, after the Buddha’s awakening. As he was the first to understand the teachings on the four truths, he received the name Ājñāta­kauṇḍinya, meaning “Kauṇḍinya who understood.” Also known simply as Kauṇḍinya.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 26.­20
  • g.­183
  • g.­296
g.­17

Amogharāja

Wylie:
  • don yod rgyal po
Tibetan:
  • དོན་ཡོད་རྒྱལ་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • amogharāja

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­19

Ānanda

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

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

In this text:

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 21 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 6.­34-35
  • 6.­61
  • 7.­38-49
  • 12.­52
  • 12.­58-59
  • 12.­63
  • 27.­14
g.­21

Anāthapiṇḍada

Wylie:
  • mgon med zas sbyin
Tibetan:
  • མགོན་མེད་ཟས་སྦྱིན།
Sanskrit:
  • anathapiṇḍada

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A wealthy merchant in the town of Śrāvastī, famous for his generosity to the poor, who became a patron of the Buddha Śākyamuni. He bought Prince Jeta’s Grove (Skt. Jetavana), to be the Buddha’s first monastery, a place where the monks could stay during the monsoon.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • g.­598
g.­25

Aniruddha

Wylie:
  • ma ’gags pa
Tibetan:
  • མ་འགགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • aniruddha

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Lit. “Unobstructed.” One of the ten great śrāvaka disciples, famed for his meditative prowess and superknowledges. He was the Buddha's cousin‍—a son of Amṛtodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana‍—and is often mentioned along with his two brothers Bhadrika and Mahānāma. Some sources also include Ānanda among his brothers.

In this text:

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 15.­161
g.­34

applications of mindfulness

Wylie:
  • dran pa nye bar bzhag pa
Tibetan:
  • དྲན་པ་ཉེ་བར་བཞག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • smṛtyupasthāna

The four applications of mindfulness are mindfulness (1) of the body, (2) of feelings, (3) of the mind, and (4) of phenomena. These four are part of the thirty-seven factors of awakening.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­4
  • 13.­153
  • 13.­165
  • g.­665
g.­48

aśoka

Wylie:
  • mya ngan med pa
Tibetan:
  • མྱ་ངན་མེད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • aśoka
  • aśoka

Saraca asoca. A tree with aromatic blossoms, clustered together as orange, yellow, and red bunches of petals.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­13
  • 6.­6-7
  • 13.­68
  • 15.­65
g.­49

aspiration

Wylie:
  • smon lam
Tibetan:
  • སྨོན་ལམ།
Sanskrit:
  • praṇidhāna

Located in 38 passages in the translation:

  • i.­3
  • 1.­3
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­11
  • 4.­10
  • 6.­44
  • 6.­46
  • 13.­8
  • 13.­45
  • 13.­101
  • 13.­145-146
  • 13.­157
  • 13.­161
  • 13.­168
  • 15.­29
  • 15.­31-33
  • 15.­80
  • 15.­128
  • 17.­48
  • 17.­75
  • 18.­33
  • 19.­9
  • 19.­12
  • 19.­53
  • 23.­28
  • 23.­44
  • 24.­9
  • 24.­13
  • 24.­118-119
  • 26.­44
  • 26.­54-55
  • 26.­127
  • g.­663
g.­51

asura

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

See “demigod.”

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­102
  • 10.­9
  • g.­235
  • g.­489
g.­52

Aśvajit

Wylie:
  • rta thul
Tibetan:
  • རྟ་ཐུལ།
Sanskrit:
  • aśvajit

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The son of one of the seven brahmins who predicted that Śākyamuni would become a great king. He was one of the five companions with Śākyamuni in the beginning of his spiritual path, abandoning him when he gave up asceticism, but then becoming one of his first five pupils after his buddhahood. He was the last of the five to attain the realization of a “stream entrant” and became an arhat on hearing the Sūtra on the Characteristics of Selflessness (An­ātma­lakṣaṇa­sūtra), which was not translated into Tibetan. Aśvajit was the one who went to meet Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana so they would become followers of the Buddha.

In this text:

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • g.­183
g.­59

awakened one

Wylie:
  • sangs rgyas
Tibetan:
  • སངས་རྒྱས།
Sanskrit:
  • buddha

Also rendered “buddha.”

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • i.­8
  • 1.­5
  • 12.­64
  • 19.­81
  • 23.­64
  • 26.­1
  • 26.­8
  • 26.­23
  • 26.­90
  • 26.­227
  • 27.­9
  • g.­95
g.­63

bases of miraculous power

Wylie:
  • rdzu ’phrul gyi rkang pa
Tibetan:
  • རྫུ་འཕྲུལ་གྱི་རྐང་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • ṛddhipāda
  • ṛddhipada

Determination, discernment, diligence, and meditative concentration.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­6
  • 4.­22
  • 5.­94
  • 13.­153
  • 13.­165
  • 26.­130
  • g.­665
g.­64

Bāṣpa

Wylie:
  • rlangs pa
Tibetan:
  • རླངས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • bāṣpa

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove. He was one of the five companions who joined Prince Siddhārtha while practicing austerities and attended his first turning of the wheel of Dharma at the Deer Park, after the Buddha’s awakening.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • g.­183
g.­66

beneficial activity

Wylie:
  • don spyad pa
Tibetan:
  • དོན་སྤྱད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • arthakriyā

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 5.­1
g.­67

beryl

Wylie:
  • be du rya
Tibetan:
  • བེ་དུ་རྱ།
Sanskrit:
  • vaiḍūrya

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­28
  • 5.­13
  • 6.­42-43
  • 6.­48
  • 13.­15
  • 19.­6
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­19
  • 24.­98
g.­68

bhadraṃkara gem

Wylie:
  • rin po che bzang byed
Tibetan:
  • རིན་པོ་ཆེ་བཟང་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • ratna­bhadraṃkara

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 10.­1
g.­70

Bhadrika

Wylie:
  • bzang po
Tibetan:
  • བཟང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • bhadrika

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove. He was one of the five companions who joined Prince Siddhārtha while practicing austerities and attended his first turning of the wheel of Dharma at the Deer Park, after the Buddha’s awakening.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • g.­183
g.­78

bhūta

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

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 4 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­58
  • 14.­40
  • 17.­18
  • 24.­164
g.­81

blessed one

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 49 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­4-6
  • 1.­13-14
  • 1.­16-20
  • 6.­34-37
  • 6.­39
  • 6.­61
  • 7.­36
  • 7.­38-40
  • 7.­42-44
  • 7.­146
  • 13.­6
  • 13.­17
  • 18.­42
  • 18.­47
  • 22.­33
  • 23.­55
  • 24.­3
  • 24.­77
  • 24.­86
  • 24.­89
  • 24.­91
  • 25.­11
  • 25.­13
  • 25.­54
  • 26.­43-44
  • 26.­102-103
  • 26.­134
  • 26.­218
  • 27.­15
  • 27.­25
  • g.­208
g.­83

Bodhi tree

Wylie:
  • byang chub kyi shing
  • byang chub shing
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་ཤིང་།
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཤིང་།
Sanskrit:
  • bodhivṛkṣa

Lit. “tree of awakening.” Name of the tree under which the Buddha Śākyamuni attained awakening in Bodhgayā. It is a kind of fig tree, the Ficus religiosa, known in Sanskrit as aśvattha or pippala. It is also mentioned as the tree beneath which every buddha will manifest the attainment of buddhahood.

Located in 53 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­8
  • 7.­72
  • 13.­186
  • 18.­49
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­12-13
  • 19.­23
  • 19.­48
  • 19.­54
  • 19.­58
  • 19.­81-83
  • 20.­6
  • 20.­12
  • 20.­31
  • 21.­3
  • 21.­10
  • 21.­37
  • 21.­58
  • 21.­108
  • 21.­183
  • 23.­26
  • 23.­44
  • 23.­53
  • 24.­1-2
  • 24.­95
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­54
  • g.­73
  • g.­134
  • g.­137
  • g.­141
  • g.­143
  • g.­181
  • g.­427
  • g.­428
  • g.­541
  • g.­567
  • g.­570
  • g.­599
  • g.­600
  • g.­624
  • g.­662
  • g.­677
  • g.­678
  • g.­716
  • g.­732
  • g.­736
  • g.­755
g.­84

bodhisattva

Wylie:
  • byang chub sems dpa’
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ།
Sanskrit:
  • bodhisattva

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A being who is dedicated to the cultivation and fulfilment of the altruistic intention to attain perfect buddhahood, traversing the ten bodhisattva levels (daśabhūmi, sa bcu). Bodhisattvas purposely opt to remain within cyclic existence in order to liberate all sentient beings, instead of simply seeking personal freedom from suffering. In terms of the view, they realize both the selflessness of persons and the selflessness of phenomena.

In this text:

Here, “Bodhisattva” is also used to refer specifically to the Buddha prior to his awakening, both during this life, as Prince Siddhārtha, and during his previous life, as Śvetaketu, in the Heaven of Joy.

Located in 589 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2-10
  • i.­12-14
  • i.­16
  • i.­19-20
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­3
  • 1.­14-16
  • 1.­18-20
  • 1.­26
  • 2.­1-4
  • 2.­6
  • 2.­9
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­14
  • 2.­32
  • 3.­1-2
  • 3.­14
  • 3.­16-33
  • 3.­36-38
  • 3.­49
  • 3.­56
  • 4.­1-7
  • 4.­34-36
  • 5.­1-3
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­31
  • 5.­63
  • 5.­65
  • 5.­81-83
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­21-23
  • 6.­25-26
  • 6.­28
  • 6.­30-61
  • 6.­65-67
  • 6.­71
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­27-32
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­36-41
  • 7.­47
  • 7.­49
  • 7.­71-74
  • 7.­85-90
  • 7.­94-95
  • 7.­99
  • 7.­104
  • 7.­126-128
  • 7.­150
  • 8.­1
  • 8.­7-8
  • 8.­11
  • 9.­3-4
  • 9.­10
  • 10.­1-2
  • 10.­7-8
  • 10.­15
  • 10.­24
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­9
  • 11.­14-15
  • 11.­18-19
  • 11.­25
  • 11.­28
  • 11.­36
  • 12.­6-7
  • 12.­22-24
  • 12.­26-29
  • 12.­31-32
  • 12.­34-35
  • 12.­38-42
  • 12.­44
  • 12.­47-48
  • 12.­52-54
  • 12.­58
  • 12.­60-61
  • 12.­63-66
  • 13.­1-4
  • 13.­6
  • 13.­15-17
  • 13.­141-142
  • 13.­144-145
  • 13.­147
  • 13.­154-155
  • 13.­160
  • 13.­168-170
  • 13.­189
  • 14.­1
  • 14.­4-9
  • 14.­11
  • 14.­13-14
  • 14.­17-19
  • 14.­21-24
  • 14.­26-27
  • 14.­59
  • 15.­1
  • 15.­7
  • 15.­11-13
  • 15.­23
  • 15.­26-29
  • 15.­32-33
  • 15.­36-37
  • 15.­39
  • 15.­42
  • 15.­47
  • 15.­50
  • 15.­52-54
  • 15.­58
  • 15.­64
  • 15.­70
  • 15.­77
  • 15.­87
  • 15.­96-97
  • 15.­100-108
  • 15.­112
  • 15.­114
  • 15.­118
  • 15.­121
  • 15.­124
  • 15.­126
  • 15.­129-131
  • 15.­140
  • 15.­150-154
  • 15.­158
  • 15.­162-163
  • 15.­167
  • 15.­173-174
  • 15.­177
  • 15.­179-180
  • 15.­212
  • 15.­214
  • 16.­1-3
  • 16.­7-8
  • 16.­16-17
  • 16.­19-22
  • 16.­25
  • 16.­35
  • 16.­38
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­3-13
  • 17.­22-23
  • 17.­26
  • 17.­29
  • 17.­33
  • 17.­35
  • 17.­37
  • 17.­44-49
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­3
  • 18.­8-9
  • 18.­24
  • 18.­26-28
  • 18.­31-39
  • 18.­41
  • 18.­45-46
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­4-5
  • 19.­7-9
  • 19.­11
  • 19.­19-21
  • 19.­23-24
  • 19.­27
  • 19.­34
  • 19.­36
  • 19.­38
  • 19.­41
  • 19.­45
  • 19.­50
  • 19.­61
  • 19.­67-68
  • 19.­71
  • 19.­76
  • 19.­78
  • 19.­81-83
  • 20.­1-3
  • 20.­5
  • 20.­7
  • 20.­9
  • 20.­11
  • 20.­13
  • 20.­15
  • 20.­17
  • 20.­19
  • 20.­21-22
  • 20.­27
  • 20.­29
  • 20.­34
  • 21.­1-2
  • 21.­7
  • 21.­11
  • 21.­22
  • 21.­24-26
  • 21.­43
  • 21.­47
  • 21.­60
  • 21.­62
  • 21.­64
  • 21.­66-67
  • 21.­86
  • 21.­88
  • 21.­92
  • 21.­106-110
  • 21.­112
  • 21.­114-115
  • 21.­118-123
  • 21.­133
  • 21.­145
  • 21.­151
  • 21.­153
  • 21.­155
  • 21.­157
  • 21.­159
  • 21.­172
  • 21.­175
  • 21.­183
  • 21.­191-200
  • 21.­202
  • 21.­204
  • 21.­206
  • 21.­210
  • 21.­216
  • 21.­241
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­3
  • 22.­5-6
  • 22.­9
  • 22.­11-25
  • 22.­32
  • 22.­36-37
  • 22.­40
  • 22.­67
  • 23.­66
  • 23.­72
  • 24.­77
  • 24.­82
  • 24.­172
  • 26.­44
  • 26.­53-55
  • 26.­100
  • 26.­102
  • 26.­113
  • 26.­135
  • 26.­175
  • 26.­216
  • 27.­2
  • 27.­5
  • 27.­14
  • 27.­25
  • g.­11
  • g.­16
  • g.­38
  • g.­72
  • g.­96
  • g.­131
  • g.­136
  • g.­139
  • g.­145
  • g.­149
  • g.­160
  • g.­161
  • g.­200
  • g.­225
  • g.­228
  • g.­241
  • g.­250
  • g.­264
  • g.­265
  • g.­281
  • g.­282
  • g.­283
  • g.­318
  • g.­326
  • g.­340
  • g.­347
  • g.­350
  • g.­353
  • g.­359
  • g.­372
  • g.­402
  • g.­403
  • g.­422
  • g.­424
  • g.­431
  • g.­434
  • g.­435
  • g.­448
  • g.­465
  • g.­468
  • g.­487
  • g.­497
  • g.­502
  • g.­504
  • g.­507
  • g.­509
  • g.­515
  • g.­528
  • g.­537
  • g.­539
  • g.­542
  • g.­555
  • g.­564
  • g.­575
  • g.­578
  • g.­582
  • g.­585
  • g.­586
  • g.­592
  • g.­627
  • g.­647
  • g.­657
  • g.­661
  • g.­672
  • g.­675
  • g.­684
  • g.­687
  • g.­709
  • g.­757
g.­85

Brahmā

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A high-ranking deity presiding over a divine world; he is also considered to be the lord of the Sahā world (our universe). Though not considered a creator god in Buddhism, Brahmā occupies an important place as one of two gods (the other being Indra/Śakra) said to have first exhorted the Buddha Śākyamuni to teach the Dharma. The particular heavens found in the form realm over which Brahmā rules are often some of the most sought-after realms of higher rebirth in Buddhist literature. Since there are many universes or world systems, there are also multiple Brahmās presiding over them. His most frequent epithets are “Lord of the Sahā World” (sahāṃpati) and Great Brahmā (mahābrahman).

Located in 126 passages in the translation:

  • i.­9
  • 1.­5
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­31
  • 3.­31
  • 4.­4
  • 5.­4-5
  • 5.­30
  • 5.­39
  • 5.­42
  • 5.­52
  • 5.­59
  • 5.­61
  • 5.­83
  • 6.­36-37
  • 6.­39
  • 6.­41
  • 6.­43-44
  • 6.­54-55
  • 6.­61
  • 6.­64
  • 6.­66
  • 7.­22-24
  • 7.­28-29
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­54-57
  • 7.­61
  • 7.­74
  • 7.­78
  • 7.­94
  • 7.­99
  • 7.­146
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­8
  • 9.­7
  • 11.­8
  • 11.­16
  • 11.­36
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­5
  • 13.­55
  • 13.­187
  • 14.­39
  • 15.­75
  • 15.­121
  • 15.­129
  • 15.­145
  • 15.­189
  • 16.­6
  • 16.­13
  • 17.­18
  • 19.­4
  • 19.­8
  • 19.­11-16
  • 19.­18-19
  • 19.­47
  • 19.­50
  • 19.­56
  • 19.­69
  • 20.­5
  • 20.­18
  • 20.­21
  • 20.­30
  • 21.­87
  • 21.­102
  • 21.­133
  • 21.­170
  • 21.­213
  • 21.­227
  • 21.­238
  • 22.­46
  • 22.­64
  • 22.­71
  • 23.­14
  • 23.­39
  • 24.­97
  • 24.­170
  • 25.­9-14
  • 25.­20
  • 25.­22-28
  • 25.­31
  • 25.­33
  • 25.­48-49
  • 25.­51
  • 26.­30
  • 26.­32
  • 26.­35
  • 26.­41
  • 26.­44-45
  • 26.­81
  • 26.­140
  • 26.­170
  • 26.­213
  • 27.­5-6
  • 27.­9
g.­86

Brahma Realm

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

The first god realm of form, it is the lowest of the three heavens that make up the first dhyāna heaven in the form realm.

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­36-38
  • 6.­43
  • 6.­61
  • 7.­28
  • 12.­43
  • 18.­30
  • 19.­8
  • 23.­18
  • 23.­23
  • 24.­117
  • 24.­126
  • 25.­12
  • 25.­25
  • 25.­53
  • 26.­215
  • g.­614
g.­94

branches of awakening

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

See “seven branches of awakening” and also 4.­25 for an explanation of each.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­4-5
  • 2.­8
  • 4.­25
  • 13.­153
  • 13.­165
  • 21.­227
  • 24.­22
  • 26.­130
g.­95

buddha

Wylie:
  • sangs rgyas
Tibetan:
  • སངས་རྒྱས།
Sanskrit:
  • buddha

The Indic term buddha is used in Buddhism as an epithet for fully awakened beings in general and, more specifically, often refers to the historical buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, also known as the Buddha Śākyamuni. The term buddha is the past participle of the Sanskrit root budh, meaning “to awaken,” “to understand,” or “to become aware.”

Sometimes also translated here as “awakened one.”

Located in 300 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­1-3
  • i.­8-13
  • i.­16-17
  • i.­19-21
  • i.­23
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­5-6
  • 1.­12
  • 1.­16
  • 2.­3-4
  • 2.­11-12
  • 2.­18
  • 2.­23
  • 2.­29
  • 3.­13-14
  • 4.­4
  • 4.­10
  • 4.­28-29
  • 4.­31-32
  • 4.­45
  • 6.­18
  • 6.­34
  • 7.­23
  • 7.­36
  • 7.­38
  • 7.­40-41
  • 7.­43
  • 7.­48-49
  • 7.­90-91
  • 7.­95
  • 7.­97
  • 7.­105-107
  • 7.­120-124
  • 7.­126
  • 7.­146
  • 7.­150
  • 11.­7
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­74
  • 13.­6
  • 13.­10
  • 13.­17
  • 13.­73-75
  • 13.­146
  • 13.­155
  • 15.­29
  • 15.­52
  • 15.­211
  • 17.­31
  • 17.­36
  • 19.­3
  • 19.­19
  • 19.­55
  • 19.­70
  • 19.­77
  • 20.­1-2
  • 20.­5
  • 20.­7
  • 20.­9
  • 20.­11
  • 20.­13
  • 20.­15
  • 20.­17-21
  • 20.­33
  • 21.­1
  • 21.­227
  • 21.­240-241
  • 22.­33
  • 22.­35-36
  • 22.­39
  • 22.­41
  • 23.­16
  • 23.­28-29
  • 23.­53
  • 24.­7
  • 24.­14
  • 24.­26
  • 24.­77
  • 24.­85
  • 24.­114
  • 24.­173
  • 25.­8
  • 25.­11
  • 25.­24
  • 25.­56-57
  • 26.­11
  • 26.­27
  • 26.­38
  • 26.­47
  • 26.­51
  • 26.­54-55
  • 26.­90-91
  • 26.­93
  • 26.­99-102
  • 26.­113-114
  • 26.­175
  • 26.­195
  • 26.­220
  • 26.­241
  • 27.­2
  • 27.­5-6
  • 27.­8
  • 27.­10
  • 27.­15
  • 27.­19
  • g.­2
  • g.­10
  • g.­18
  • g.­39
  • g.­46
  • g.­56
  • g.­59
  • g.­60
  • g.­64
  • g.­70
  • g.­73
  • g.­83
  • g.­84
  • g.­87
  • g.­92
  • g.­98
  • g.­101
  • g.­122
  • g.­126
  • g.­135
  • g.­139
  • g.­149
  • g.­150
  • g.­157
  • g.­171
  • g.­181
  • g.­188
  • g.­198
  • g.­200
  • g.­208
  • g.­210
  • g.­217
  • g.­226
  • g.­227
  • g.­228
  • g.­230
  • g.­231
  • g.­241
  • g.­250
  • g.­251
  • g.­252
  • g.­254
  • g.­264
  • g.­279
  • g.­280
  • g.­289
  • g.­290
  • g.­294
  • g.­299
  • g.­306
  • g.­307
  • g.­310
  • g.­318
  • g.­325
  • g.­327
  • g.­330
  • g.­334
  • g.­339
  • g.­344
  • g.­348
  • g.­351
  • g.­360
  • g.­362
  • g.­371
  • g.­372
  • g.­374
  • g.­375
  • g.­392
  • g.­394
  • g.­399
  • g.­407
  • g.­420
  • g.­421
  • g.­435
  • g.­440
  • g.­447
  • g.­456
  • g.­476
  • g.­482
  • g.­483
  • g.­485
  • g.­502
  • g.­504
  • g.­505
  • g.­507
  • g.­508
  • g.­510
  • g.­514
  • g.­519
  • g.­521
  • g.­522
  • g.­524
  • g.­532
  • g.­535
  • g.­538
  • g.­540
  • g.­543
  • g.­544
  • g.­546
  • g.­554
  • g.­558
  • g.­560
  • g.­561
  • g.­565
  • g.­566
  • g.­568
  • g.­570
  • g.­580
  • g.­598
  • g.­601
  • g.­606
  • g.­611
  • g.­617
  • g.­618
  • g.­620
  • g.­623
  • g.­625
  • g.­626
  • g.­631
  • g.­637
  • g.­642
  • g.­645
  • g.­648
  • g.­649
  • g.­657
  • g.­658
  • g.­663
  • g.­666
  • g.­675
  • g.­677
  • g.­686
  • g.­688
  • g.­695
  • g.­698
  • g.­699
  • g.­701
  • g.­711
  • g.­714
  • g.­721
  • g.­723
  • g.­733
  • g.­734
  • g.­740
  • g.­745
  • g.­746
  • g.­750
  • g.­751
  • g.­752
  • g.­753
  • g.­757
  • g.­769
g.­99

Candana

Wylie:
  • tsan dan
Tibetan:
  • ཙན་དན།
Sanskrit:
  • candana

One of the gods of the pure realms.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­13
  • 1.­18
  • 1.­23
  • 13.­66
  • 27.­1
g.­104

celestial maiden

Wylie:
  • lha’i bu mo
  • lha yi bu mo
  • lha mo
Tibetan:
  • ལྷའི་བུ་མོ།
  • ལྷ་ཡི་བུ་མོ།
  • ལྷ་མོ།
Sanskrit:
  • devakanyā
  • apsaras

Sometimes also translated “goddess.”

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­13
  • 3.­35-36
  • 3.­44
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­20
  • 7.­25
  • 7.­73
  • 7.­87
  • 15.­140
  • 23.­58
  • g.­215
g.­105

celestial palace

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

The Sanskrit term vimāna can refer to a multistoried mansion or palace, or even an estate, but is more often used in the sense of a celestial chariot of the gods, sometimes taking the form of a multistoried palace.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­13-14
  • 3.­1
  • 4.­1-2
  • 5.­34
  • 5.­63
  • 19.­39
  • 21.­107
g.­106

Chanda

Wylie:
  • dun pa
Tibetan:
  • དུན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • chanda

Prince Siddhārtha’s charioteer.

Located in 48 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­67
  • 7.­71
  • 9.­9
  • 11.­22
  • 15.­54-55
  • 15.­58
  • 15.­61
  • 15.­64
  • 15.­69-70
  • 15.­72-73
  • 15.­77
  • 15.­80-81
  • 15.­87
  • 15.­91
  • 15.­96-97
  • 15.­100
  • 15.­107
  • 15.­121-123
  • 15.­125-127
  • 15.­150
  • 15.­153
  • 15.­158-161
  • 15.­171
  • 15.­173-176
  • 15.­178-180
  • 15.­184
  • 15.­196
  • 15.­199
  • 15.­203
  • 16.­1
  • g.­29
g.­107

Citrā

Wylie:
  • ga pa
Tibetan:
  • ག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • citrā

A constellation in the south, personified as a semidivine being. Here also called upon for protection.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 9.­1
  • 24.­140
g.­113

craving

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

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 29 passages in the translation:

  • 13.­80
  • 13.­83
  • 13.­119
  • 15.­30
  • 15.­48
  • 16.­31
  • 18.­18
  • 20.­36
  • 22.­14-15
  • 22.­22
  • 22.­26
  • 22.­29
  • 22.­35
  • 24.­28
  • 24.­38
  • 24.­51
  • 24.­55
  • 24.­71
  • 24.­94
  • 25.­2
  • 25.­23
  • 25.­28
  • 26.­64-65
  • 26.­84
  • 26.­87
  • 26.­144
  • g.­682
g.­117

Cunda

Wylie:
  • skul byed
Tibetan:
  • སྐུལ་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • cunda

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­118

Dānaśīla

Wylie:
  • dA na shI la
Tibetan:
  • དཱ་ན་ཤཱི་ལ།
Sanskrit:
  • dānaśīla

An Indian preceptor from Kashmir who was resident in Tibet during the late eighth and early ninth centuries. He translated many texts in the Kangyur in collaboration with Yeshé Dé.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • c.­2
g.­120

Daṇḍapāṇi

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

A Śākya clan member and father of Gopā.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • 12.­18
  • 12.­21
  • 12.­24-25
  • 12.­27
  • 12.­58-59
  • 12.­61
  • 12.­63
  • 12.­66
  • g.­217
g.­122

Deer Park

Wylie:
  • ri dags kyi nags
Tibetan:
  • རི་དགས་ཀྱི་ནགས།
Sanskrit:
  • mṛgadāva

The forest, located outside of Vārāṇasī, where the Buddha first taught the Dharma.

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • 3.­15
  • 18.­27
  • 25.­54
  • 26.­8
  • 26.­19
  • 26.­36
  • 26.­43
  • g.­10
  • g.­64
  • g.­70
  • g.­254
  • g.­344
  • g.­392
g.­123

demigod

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A type of nonhuman being whose precise status is subject to different views, but is included as one of the six classes of beings in the sixfold classification of realms of rebirth. In the Buddhist context, asuras are powerful beings said to be dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility. They are also known in the pre-Buddhist and pre-Vedic mythologies of India and Iran, and feature prominently in Vedic and post-Vedic Brahmanical mythology, as well as in the Buddhist tradition. In these traditions, asuras are often described as being engaged in interminable conflict with the devas (gods).

Located in 51 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­20
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­19
  • 3.­52
  • 5.­76
  • 6.­58
  • 7.­25
  • 7.­107
  • 7.­128
  • 8.­4
  • 10.­1
  • 11.­8
  • 12.­32
  • 12.­65
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­3
  • 13.­5
  • 13.­184
  • 15.­125-126
  • 15.­130
  • 15.­150
  • 15.­213
  • 17.­18
  • 17.­48
  • 17.­74
  • 19.­22
  • 19.­47
  • 19.­50
  • 19.­69
  • 20.­12
  • 20.­21
  • 21.­59
  • 21.­86
  • 21.­153
  • 21.­203
  • 21.­212
  • 21.­238
  • 24.­2
  • 24.­34
  • 25.­36
  • 25.­50
  • 25.­52-53
  • 26.­12
  • 26.­58
  • 26.­212
  • 26.­215
  • 27.­25
  • g.­51
  • g.­730
g.­124

demon

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

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

Located in 47 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­8
  • 1.­26
  • 3.­31
  • 5.­31
  • 5.­38
  • 5.­61
  • 7.­96
  • 7.­127
  • 13.­52
  • 15.­53
  • 15.­90
  • 15.­95
  • 15.­148
  • 15.­189
  • 17.­46
  • 17.­70
  • 19.­3
  • 19.­58
  • 19.­69
  • 19.­80
  • 19.­84
  • 21.­1
  • 21.­9
  • 21.­22
  • 21.­26
  • 21.­107-108
  • 21.­211
  • 21.­216
  • 21.­222
  • 21.­234
  • 21.­240
  • 22.­44
  • 22.­51
  • 23.­29
  • 23.­53
  • 24.­42
  • 24.­70
  • 26.­145
  • 26.­176
  • 26.­215
  • 26.­218
  • 27.­3
  • 27.­5
  • g.­164
  • g.­584
g.­145

Dharmoccaya

Wylie:
  • chos kyis mtho ba
Tibetan:
  • ཆོས་ཀྱིས་མཐོ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • dharmoccaya

A palace in the Heaven of Joy, where the Bodhisattva taught the Dharma to gods.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­1
  • 3.­37
g.­146

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

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

One of the Four Great Kings, he is the guardian deity for the east and lord of the gandharvas. See also Four Great Kings.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 15.­102
  • 21.­7
  • 24.­105-106
  • 24.­133
  • g.­223
g.­147

Dhvajavatī

Wylie:
  • rgyal mtshan ldan pa
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་མཚན་ལྡན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • dhvajavatī

One of the four goddesses who attended and kept guard over Prince Siddhārtha while he was in the womb of his mother.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 6.­47
g.­148

diligence

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

Located in 46 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­16
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­30
  • 4.­23-25
  • 4.­28
  • 5.­89
  • 7.­36
  • 7.­126
  • 13.­11
  • 13.­24
  • 13.­52-53
  • 13.­93
  • 13.­135-136
  • 13.­151
  • 13.­153
  • 13.­163
  • 15.­59
  • 15.­93
  • 16.­4
  • 17.­5
  • 18.­13
  • 18.­15
  • 19.­73
  • 20.­8
  • 21.­64
  • 21.­78
  • 21.­103
  • 21.­228
  • 22.­40
  • 23.­23
  • 26.­52
  • 26.­101
  • 26.­127
  • 26.­180
  • 26.­201
  • 27.­3
  • g.­63
  • g.­186
  • g.­187
  • g.­592
g.­152

discipline

Wylie:
  • tshul khrims
Tibetan:
  • ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས།
Sanskrit:
  • śīla

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Morally virtuous or disciplined conduct and the abandonment of morally undisciplined conduct of body, speech, and mind. In a general sense, moral discipline is the cause for rebirth in higher, more favorable states, but it is also foundational to Buddhist practice as one of the three trainings (triśikṣā) and one of the six perfections of a bodhisattva. Often rendered as “ethics,” “discipline,” and “morality.”

Located in 68 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­5-6
  • 2.­10
  • 2.­17
  • 3.­32
  • 4.­10
  • 4.­28
  • 4.­45
  • 4.­47-48
  • 5.­19
  • 5.­50
  • 5.­87
  • 6.­9
  • 7.­30
  • 7.­39
  • 7.­126
  • 10.­20
  • 12.­49
  • 12.­78
  • 13.­11
  • 13.­22
  • 13.­37
  • 13.­48-49
  • 13.­54
  • 13.­56
  • 13.­131-132
  • 13.­136
  • 13.­150
  • 13.­152
  • 13.­163
  • 14.­49
  • 15.­59
  • 15.­141
  • 15.­147
  • 15.­160
  • 17.­61
  • 17.­63
  • 18.­26
  • 18.­28
  • 18.­33
  • 18.­44-45
  • 19.­53
  • 21.­141
  • 21.­148
  • 21.­224
  • 21.­227-229
  • 22.­45-46
  • 23.­22
  • 23.­47
  • 23.­54
  • 24.­29
  • 24.­107
  • 26.­52
  • 26.­127
  • 26.­135
  • 26.­140
  • 26.­147
  • 27.­8
  • 27.­13
  • g.­592
g.­153

disciplined conduct

Wylie:
  • brtul zhugs
Tibetan:
  • བརྟུལ་ཞུགས།
Sanskrit:
  • vrata

Located in 19 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­19
  • 5.­51
  • 7.­54
  • 12.­49
  • 13.­25
  • 13.­31
  • 13.­43
  • 13.­185
  • 15.­69
  • 15.­93
  • 15.­128
  • 15.­167
  • 17.­1-2
  • 19.­72
  • 19.­78
  • 21.­97
  • 21.­170
  • 26.­3
g.­169

eighteen unique qualities of a buddha

Wylie:
  • sangs rgyas kyi chos ma ’dres pa bco brgyad
Tibetan:
  • སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་ཆོས་མ་འདྲེས་པ་བཅོ་བརྒྱད།
Sanskrit:
  • aṣṭādaśāveṇika­buddha­dharma

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Eighteen special features of a buddha’s behavior, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by other beings. They are generally listed as: (1) he never makes a mistake, (2) he is never boisterous, (3) he never forgets, (4) his concentration never falters, (5) he has no notion of distinctness, (6) his equanimity is not due to lack of consideration, (7) his motivation never falters, (8) his endeavor never fails, (9) his mindfulness never falters, (10) he never abandons his concentration, (11) his insight (prajñā) never decreases, (12) his liberation never fails, (13) all his physical actions are preceded and followed by wisdom (jñāna), (14) all his verbal actions are preceded and followed by wisdom, (15) all his mental actions are preceded and followed by wisdom, (16) his wisdom and vision perceive the past without attachment or hindrance, (17) his wisdom and vision perceive the future without attachment or hindrance, and (18) his wisdom and vision perceive the present without attachment or hindrance.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 13.­3
  • 19.­11
  • 26.­1
  • 26.­141
  • n.­28
g.­175

envy

Wylie:
  • phrag dog
Tibetan:
  • ཕྲག་དོག
Sanskrit:
  • īrṣyā

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­46
  • 5.­18
  • 5.­83
  • 6.­57
  • 6.­72
  • 19.­24
  • 26.­30
g.­176

eon

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

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 82 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­12
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­17
  • 2.­20
  • 4.­4
  • 4.­40
  • 5.­85
  • 5.­87-91
  • 6.­65
  • 7.­36
  • 7.­126
  • 7.­129
  • 10.­3
  • 10.­6
  • 12.­49
  • 13.­4
  • 13.­45
  • 13.­48
  • 13.­60
  • 13.­74-76
  • 13.­129
  • 14.­50
  • 15.­9
  • 15.­44
  • 15.­59
  • 15.­87
  • 15.­141-142
  • 17.­78
  • 18.­45
  • 19.­12
  • 19.­48
  • 19.­66
  • 19.­72
  • 19.­78
  • 19.­85
  • 20.­4
  • 20.­36
  • 21.­3
  • 21.­112
  • 21.­143
  • 21.­148
  • 21.­170
  • 21.­200
  • 22.­7
  • 22.­45-50
  • 22.­69
  • 23.­9
  • 23.­21
  • 23.­51
  • 24.­53
  • 24.­57
  • 24.­61
  • 24.­66
  • 25.­7
  • 26.­37
  • 26.­40
  • 26.­46
  • 26.­48-49
  • 26.­52
  • 26.­81
  • 26.­217
  • 26.­241
  • 27.­12
  • 27.­14-15
  • 27.­17
  • 27.­19
  • 27.­23
  • g.­149
g.­177

equanimity

Wylie:
  • btang snyoms
Tibetan:
  • བཏང་སྙོམས།
Sanskrit:
  • upekṣā

The antidote to attachment and aversion; a mental state free from bias toward sentient beings.

Located in 21 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 4.­11
  • 4.­25
  • 5.­92
  • 6.­22
  • 7.­126
  • 8.­11
  • 11.­2
  • 13.­5
  • 13.­28
  • 13.­164
  • 15.­144
  • 17.­22
  • 19.­12
  • 20.­30
  • 26.­35
  • 26.­124
  • 26.­128
  • 26.­199
  • 27.­10
  • g.­195
g.­179

factors of awakening

Wylie:
  • byang chub kyi phyogs kyi chos
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་ཕྱོགས་ཀྱི་ཆོས།
Sanskrit:
  • bodhi­pakṣa­dharma

See “thirty-seven factors of awakening.”

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 13.­153
  • 13.­159
g.­180

faculty

Wylie:
  • dbang po lnga
Tibetan:
  • དབང་པོ་ལྔ།
Sanskrit:
  • pañcendriya

See “five faculties.”

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­4
  • 4.­23
  • 13.­153
  • 22.­35
  • 26.­130
g.­184

five basic precepts

Wylie:
  • bslab pa’i gzhi lnga
Tibetan:
  • བསླབ་པའི་གཞི་ལྔ།
Sanskrit:
  • pañcaśikṣāpada

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 6.­57
g.­186

five faculties

Wylie:
  • dbang po lnga
Tibetan:
  • དབང་པོ་ལྔ།
Sanskrit:
  • pañcendriya

Faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and knowledge. See also 4.­23

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 13.­165
  • g.­180
  • g.­187
  • g.­665
g.­187

five powers

Wylie:
  • stobs lnga
Tibetan:
  • སྟོབས་ལྔ།
Sanskrit:
  • pañcabala

Faith, mindfulness, diligence, concentration, and insight. Similar to the five faculties but differing in that they cannot be shaken by adverse conditions. See also 4.­24.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 13.­165
  • g.­455
  • g.­665
g.­188

fivefold vision

Wylie:
  • spyan lnga
Tibetan:
  • སྤྱན་ལྔ།
Sanskrit:
  • pañcacakṣuḥ

These comprise (1) the eye of flesh, (2) the eye of divine clairvoyance, (3) the eye of wisdom, (4) the eye of Dharma, and (5) the eye of the buddhas.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­5
  • 26.­1
g.­192

fortunate

Wylie:
  • bkra shis dang ldan pa
Tibetan:
  • བཀྲ་ཤིས་དང་ལྡན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • maṅgalya

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­1
  • 12.­38
  • 15.­198
  • 16.­13
  • 26.­91
g.­194

Four Great Kings

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

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).

In this text:

See also “guardians of the world.”

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­30
  • 6.­22
  • 6.­39
  • 6.­47
  • 6.­50-51
  • 12.­42
  • 15.­23
  • 15.­101
  • 23.­58
  • 23.­63
  • 24.­98
  • g.­146
  • g.­223
  • g.­312
  • g.­712
  • g.­747
  • g.­748
g.­199

fourfold fearlessness

Wylie:
  • mi ’jigs pa bzhi
Tibetan:
  • མི་འཇིགས་པ་བཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • caturabhaya

Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • 2.­6
  • 19.­11
  • 26.­1
g.­202

gandharva

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A class of generally benevolent nonhuman beings who inhabit the skies, sometimes said to inhabit fantastic cities in the clouds, and more specifically to dwell on the eastern slopes of Mount Meru, where they are ruled by the Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. They are most renowned as celestial musicians who serve the gods. In the Abhidharma, the term is also used to refer to the mental body assumed by sentient beings during the intermediate state between death and rebirth. Gandharvas are said to live on fragrances (gandha) in the desire realm, hence the Tibetan translation dri za, meaning “scent eater.”

Located in 35 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­3
  • 2.­19
  • 3.­48
  • 5.­4
  • 6.­58
  • 7.­25
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­9
  • 11.­4-5
  • 12.­32
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­5
  • 13.­184
  • 15.­28
  • 15.­53
  • 15.­102
  • 15.­150
  • 17.­18
  • 17.­48
  • 17.­74
  • 19.­22
  • 20.­7
  • 20.­21
  • 20.­32
  • 21.­7
  • 21.­59
  • 24.­2
  • 24.­59
  • 24.­133
  • 25.­20
  • 26.­212
  • 26.­215
  • 27.­25
  • g.­146
g.­204

Ganges

Wylie:
  • gang gA
Tibetan:
  • གང་གཱ།
Sanskrit:
  • gaṅgā

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 13 passages in the translation:

  • 12.­40
  • 13.­65
  • 19.­34
  • 19.­58
  • 21.­53
  • 21.­60
  • 21.­83
  • 23.­26
  • 24.­67
  • 26.­17
  • 27.­15
  • g.­210
  • g.­293
g.­205

garuḍa

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In Indian mythology, the garuḍa is an eagle-like bird that is regarded as the king of all birds, normally depicted with a sharp, owl-like beak, often holding a snake, and with large and powerful wings. They are traditionally enemies of the nāgas. In the Vedas, they are said to have brought nectar from the heavens to earth. Garuḍa can also be used as a proper name for a king of such creatures.

Located in 24 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­3
  • 5.­4
  • 6.­58
  • 7.­107
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­9
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­5
  • 13.­100
  • 15.­45
  • 15.­150
  • 17.­18
  • 17.­48
  • 18.­40
  • 20.­21
  • 21.­21
  • 21.­23
  • 21.­86
  • 21.­173
  • 21.­219
  • 21.­238
  • 24.­2
  • 26.­212
  • 26.­215
g.­208

Gautama

Wylie:
  • gau ta ma
Tibetan:
  • གཽ་ཏ་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • gautama

The family name of Prince Siddhārtha. Gautama means “descendant of Gotama,” while his clan name, Gotama, means “Excellent Cow.” When the Buddha is addressed as Gautama in the sūtras, it typically implies that the speaker does not share the respect of his disciples, who would rather refer to him as the “Blessed One” (Bhagavān) or another such epithet.

Located in 27 passages in the translation:

  • 16.­4-5
  • 17.­6
  • 17.­40-41
  • 17.­43
  • 18.­26-27
  • 21.­23
  • 21.­209
  • 23.­4
  • 23.­75
  • 24.­84
  • 24.­91
  • 26.­10
  • 26.­12-14
  • 26.­16
  • 26.­18
  • 26.­20-22
  • 26.­25
  • g.­95
  • g.­348
  • g.­407
g.­209

Gavāṃpati

Wylie:
  • ba lang bdag
Tibetan:
  • བ་ལང་བདག
Sanskrit:
  • gavāṃpati

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­210

Gayā

Wylie:
  • ga yA
Tibetan:
  • ག་ཡཱ།
Sanskrit:
  • gayā

One of the sacred towns of ancient India, south of the Ganges in present-day Bihar. In the Buddha’s lifetime, this was in the kingdom of Magadha. Uruvilvā, the area including Bodhgayā where the Buddha attained enlightenment, is nearby to the south, upriver from Gayā.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 17.­7
  • 17.­12
  • 26.­9
  • 26.­17
  • g.­18
  • g.­389
  • g.­404
  • g.­519
  • g.­618
  • g.­699
g.­211

Gayākāśyapa

Wylie:
  • ga y’a ’od srung
Tibetan:
  • ག་ཡའ་འོད་སྲུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • gayākāśyapa

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­212

generosity

Wylie:
  • sbyin pa
Tibetan:
  • སྦྱིན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • dāna

Located in 30 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­10-11
  • 4.­28
  • 4.­45
  • 4.­48
  • 5.­85
  • 7.­45
  • 7.­71
  • 7.­74
  • 7.­126
  • 10.­20
  • 13.­2
  • 13.­47
  • 13.­143
  • 13.­151
  • 13.­156
  • 13.­163
  • 15.­141
  • 19.­53
  • 19.­72
  • 21.­228
  • 22.­45
  • 23.­12
  • 24.­107
  • 26.­127
  • 26.­151
  • 27.­8
  • g.­196
  • g.­592
g.­213

god

Wylie:
  • lha
  • lha’i bu
Tibetan:
  • ལྷ།
  • ལྷའི་བུ།
Sanskrit:
  • kauṇḍinyadeva
  • devaputra

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 544 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2-3
  • i.­5
  • i.­7
  • i.­9-10
  • 1.­5-6
  • 1.­8
  • 1.­12-13
  • 1.­16-21
  • 1.­23
  • 1.­27
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­7-8
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­14
  • 2.­19
  • 2.­21-22
  • 2.­25
  • 2.­27
  • 3.­1-2
  • 3.­13-15
  • 3.­21
  • 3.­28-31
  • 3.­33
  • 3.­37
  • 3.­44
  • 3.­52
  • 3.­56
  • 4.­1-2
  • 4.­5-7
  • 4.­13
  • 4.­34-36
  • 5.­1-5
  • 5.­23
  • 5.­30
  • 5.­34
  • 5.­52
  • 5.­55-56
  • 5.­59
  • 5.­61
  • 5.­64
  • 5.­69
  • 5.­76
  • 5.­79
  • 5.­81
  • 5.­83
  • 5.­88
  • 5.­102
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­12
  • 6.­22
  • 6.­24-27
  • 6.­30-33
  • 6.­36-40
  • 6.­42
  • 6.­47
  • 6.­52-56
  • 6.­58-59
  • 6.­61-62
  • 6.­73
  • 7.­3
  • 7.­12
  • 7.­16
  • 7.­19
  • 7.­21-26
  • 7.­28-31
  • 7.­33
  • 7.­40
  • 7.­52-55
  • 7.­57
  • 7.­59
  • 7.­64
  • 7.­69-70
  • 7.­76
  • 7.­82-83
  • 7.­85
  • 7.­87-88
  • 7.­90
  • 7.­96
  • 7.­104
  • 7.­106-107
  • 7.­109-110
  • 7.­118
  • 7.­123
  • 7.­125-130
  • 7.­134-135
  • 7.­137-139
  • 7.­141-142
  • 7.­144
  • 7.­149-150
  • 8.­5-11
  • 10.­1-2
  • 10.­6-7
  • 10.­13
  • 10.­18
  • 11.­4-5
  • 11.­30
  • 11.­35
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­29
  • 12.­32
  • 12.­42
  • 12.­47-48
  • 12.­54
  • 12.­61
  • 12.­63-65
  • 12.­78
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­3
  • 13.­5
  • 13.­10
  • 13.­14
  • 13.­30
  • 13.­32
  • 13.­42
  • 13.­80
  • 13.­127
  • 13.­144
  • 13.­169-170
  • 13.­172
  • 13.­175-176
  • 13.­178
  • 13.­183-184
  • 13.­188
  • 14.­1
  • 14.­8
  • 14.­23
  • 14.­40
  • 14.­58-59
  • 15.­18
  • 15.­27-28
  • 15.­34-36
  • 15.­51-53
  • 15.­64
  • 15.­68-69
  • 15.­75
  • 15.­86-87
  • 15.­89-90
  • 15.­98
  • 15.­100
  • 15.­106
  • 15.­109-111
  • 15.­114
  • 15.­117-118
  • 15.­124-127
  • 15.­130
  • 15.­144
  • 15.­148
  • 15.­150-154
  • 15.­158-159
  • 15.­179
  • 15.­183
  • 15.­188
  • 15.­206-207
  • 15.­209
  • 15.­212-213
  • 15.­216
  • 15.­221
  • 16.­1
  • 16.­6
  • 16.­14
  • 16.­29
  • 16.­39
  • 17.­21
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­26
  • 17.­29
  • 17.­44
  • 17.­48
  • 17.­61
  • 17.­63
  • 17.­74
  • 17.­79
  • 18.­22
  • 18.­26
  • 18.­29-35
  • 18.­38
  • 18.­40
  • 18.­43-49
  • 19.­5-6
  • 19.­13
  • 19.­19-22
  • 19.­37
  • 19.­39-40
  • 19.­50
  • 19.­56-57
  • 19.­61
  • 19.­64
  • 19.­67
  • 19.­69
  • 19.­80-82
  • 20.­1
  • 20.­7
  • 20.­12
  • 20.­21
  • 20.­31
  • 20.­37
  • 21.­1
  • 21.­5
  • 21.­7
  • 21.­20
  • 21.­59
  • 21.­75
  • 21.­87
  • 21.­101
  • 21.­115
  • 21.­124
  • 21.­144
  • 21.­151
  • 21.­153
  • 21.­155
  • 21.­158
  • 21.­164
  • 21.­168
  • 21.­170
  • 21.­173
  • 21.­184
  • 21.­192
  • 21.­200
  • 21.­203
  • 21.­209
  • 21.­212
  • 21.­238
  • 22.­4
  • 22.­33-34
  • 22.­37
  • 22.­51-52
  • 22.­57
  • 22.­59
  • 22.­62
  • 22.­70
  • 22.­73
  • 23.­1
  • 23.­8
  • 23.­12-13
  • 23.­16-18
  • 23.­23
  • 23.­30
  • 23.­32-36
  • 23.­40-43
  • 23.­45-46
  • 23.­48
  • 23.­51-52
  • 23.­56-58
  • 23.­60
  • 23.­63-64
  • 23.­68-70
  • 23.­73
  • 23.­75
  • 24.­1-6
  • 24.­10
  • 24.­46
  • 24.­62
  • 24.­73-74
  • 24.­97
  • 24.­99
  • 24.­108
  • 24.­132
  • 24.­167
  • 25.­12
  • 25.­20-22
  • 25.­24-26
  • 25.­31
  • 25.­38-39
  • 25.­50-54
  • 25.­56
  • 26.­4
  • 26.­6
  • 26.­12
  • 26.­30
  • 26.­35
  • 26.­41-44
  • 26.­57-58
  • 26.­95
  • 26.­188-191
  • 26.­212
  • 26.­215
  • 27.­1
  • 27.­9
  • 27.­11
  • 27.­25
  • g.­1
  • g.­6
  • g.­28
  • g.­35
  • g.­57
  • g.­86
  • g.­91
  • g.­99
  • g.­100
  • g.­105
  • g.­109
  • g.­128
  • g.­132
  • g.­133
  • g.­134
  • g.­137
  • g.­140
  • g.­141
  • g.­143
  • g.­144
  • g.­145
  • g.­218
  • g.­220
  • g.­223
  • g.­235
  • g.­236
  • g.­238
  • g.­239
  • g.­240
  • g.­241
  • g.­242
  • g.­243
  • g.­244
  • g.­245
  • g.­246
  • g.­248
  • g.­257
  • g.­269
  • g.­282
  • g.­286
  • g.­295
  • g.­301
  • g.­308
  • g.­313
  • g.­319
  • g.­322
  • g.­323
  • g.­331
  • g.­337
  • g.­352
  • g.­354
  • g.­355
  • g.­356
  • g.­369
  • g.­408
  • g.­432
  • g.­440
  • g.­441
  • g.­458
  • g.­462
  • g.­464
  • g.­466
  • g.­467
  • g.­512
  • g.­543
  • g.­548
  • g.­550
  • g.­552
  • g.­574
  • g.­581
  • g.­593
  • g.­610
  • g.­613
  • g.­629
  • g.­640
  • g.­643
  • g.­646
  • g.­650
  • g.­653
  • g.­684
  • g.­687
  • g.­694
  • g.­703
  • g.­708
  • g.­710
  • g.­722
  • g.­724
  • g.­725
  • g.­726
  • g.­729
  • g.­741
  • g.­742
  • g.­744
  • g.­751
  • g.­756
  • g.­774
g.­215

goddess

Wylie:
  • lha’i bu mo
  • lha mo
Tibetan:
  • ལྷའི་བུ་མོ།
  • ལྷ་མོ།
Sanskrit:
  • devakanyā
  • apsaras

Sometimes also translated as “celestial maiden.”

Located in 94 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­43
  • 4.­2
  • 4.­4
  • 4.­42
  • 5.­28-29
  • 5.­33
  • 5.­35
  • 5.­63-65
  • 5.­68
  • 5.­74
  • 5.­81
  • 5.­83
  • 6.­47
  • 7.­16
  • 7.­27
  • 7.­49-50
  • 9.­5
  • 9.­10
  • 10.­1
  • 11.­5
  • 11.­8-9
  • 13.­16
  • 15.­183
  • 15.­214
  • 17.­29
  • 18.­32
  • 21.­7
  • 21.­115
  • 21.­144
  • 21.­175
  • 21.­183
  • 21.­235
  • 21.­237
  • 22.­43-44
  • 23.­63
  • 24.­74
  • 24.­95-96
  • 24.­135
  • 24.­144
  • 24.­153
  • 24.­162
  • 24.­166
  • g.­12
  • g.­33
  • g.­43
  • g.­44
  • g.­104
  • g.­147
  • g.­172
  • g.­261
  • g.­274
  • g.­309
  • g.­349
  • g.­385
  • g.­410
  • g.­413
  • g.­414
  • g.­415
  • g.­419
  • g.­427
  • g.­433
  • g.­457
  • g.­472
  • g.­474
  • g.­541
  • g.­547
  • g.­567
  • g.­577
  • g.­589
  • g.­590
  • g.­596
  • g.­599
  • g.­600
  • g.­602
  • g.­605
  • g.­638
  • g.­639
  • g.­644
  • g.­651
  • g.­662
  • g.­702
  • g.­736
  • g.­737
  • g.­755
  • g.­767
  • g.­768
  • g.­771
g.­217

Gopā

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

Wife of Prince Siddhārtha prior to his leaving the kingdom and attaining awakening as the Buddha. She was the daughter of the Śākya nobleman Daṇḍapāṇi.

Located in 30 passages in the translation:

  • i.­4
  • 7.­69
  • 12.­24-25
  • 12.­27
  • 12.­66-67
  • 12.­79
  • 14.­34
  • 14.­39
  • 14.­41-48
  • 14.­51
  • 15.­163
  • 15.­165
  • 15.­177
  • 15.­184
  • 15.­203
  • 15.­205
  • 15.­219-221
  • 16.­1
  • g.­120
g.­219

great being

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

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- (“great”) is close in its connotations to the mahā- in “Mahāyāna.” 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 42 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­3
  • 1.­19
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­7
  • 3.­2
  • 5.­35
  • 5.­39
  • 5.­54
  • 5.­92
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­62
  • 7.­30
  • 7.­93-94
  • 7.­99
  • 7.­126
  • 7.­128
  • 15.­113
  • 15.­131
  • 18.­41
  • 19.­2
  • 19.­9
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­5
  • 20.­7
  • 20.­9
  • 20.­11
  • 20.­13
  • 20.­15
  • 20.­17
  • 20.­19
  • 20.­21
  • 21.­115
  • 22.­32
  • 22.­41
  • 25.­31
  • 26.­53
  • 26.­102
  • 26.­123
  • 26.­135
  • 27.­14
  • 27.­25
g.­221

great trichiliocosm

Wylie:
  • stong gsum gyi stong chen po
Tibetan:
  • སྟོང་གསུམ་གྱི་སྟོང་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • tri­sāhasra­mahā­sāhasra­loka­dhātu

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 18 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­82
  • 6.­43
  • 6.­64
  • 7.­30
  • 7.­32-34
  • 12.­43-44
  • 19.­4-5
  • 19.­8
  • 19.­18
  • 19.­23
  • 21.­2
  • 21.­26
  • 21.­69
  • 21.­115
g.­222

Great Vehicle

Wylie:
  • theg pa chen po
Tibetan:
  • ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāyāna

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

When the Buddhist teachings are classified according to their power to lead beings to an awakened state, a distinction is made between the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle (Hīnayāna), which emphasizes the individual’s own freedom from cyclic existence as the primary motivation and goal, and those of the Great Vehicle (Mahāyāna), which emphasizes altruism and has the liberation of all sentient beings as the principal objective. As the term “Great Vehicle” implies, the path followed by bodhisattvas is analogous to a large carriage that can transport a vast number of people to liberation, as compared to a smaller vehicle for the individual practitioner.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • 1.­16
  • 1.­26
  • 3.­29
  • 6.­56
  • 26.­178
  • 27.­27
  • g.­321
g.­223

guardians of the world

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

They are the same as the Four Great Kings of the four directions, namely, Vaiśravaṇa, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Virūḍhaka, and Virūpākṣa, whose mission is to report on the activities of mankind to the gods of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven and who have pledged to protect the practitioners of the Dharma. Each universe has its own set of four.

Located in 22 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­3
  • 2.­31
  • 4.­4
  • 6.­50
  • 6.­61
  • 6.­66
  • 7.­22
  • 7.­24
  • 7.­29
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­54
  • 7.­58
  • 7.­94
  • 8.­8
  • 11.­8
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­186
  • 15.­53
  • 15.­74
  • 15.­182
  • 15.­210
  • g.­194
g.­224

guhyaka

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

A class of devas that, like the yakṣas, are ruled over by Kubera.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­102
  • 6.­47
  • 15.­113
  • 21.­51
  • g.­460
g.­232

Hastā

Wylie:
  • dbo
Tibetan:
  • དབོ།
Sanskrit:
  • hastā

A constellation.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 9.­1
g.­234

hearer

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

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.”

In this text:

Also translated here as “listener.”

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • 6.­44
  • 20.­20
  • 23.­75
  • g.­321
  • g.­672
g.­235

Heaven Free from Strife

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

The third of the six heavens of the realm of desire; also the name of the gods living there. The Tibetan translation ’thab bral, “free from strife or combat,” derives from the idea that these devas, because they live in an aerial abode above Sumeru, do not have to engage in combat with the asuras who dwell on the slopes of the mountain.

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­36
  • 5.­52
  • 5.­81
  • 6.­24
  • 6.­33
  • 6.­38
  • 15.­75
  • 15.­89
  • 15.­110
  • 16.­14
  • 18.­30
  • 21.­154-155
  • 23.­46
  • 23.­51
  • 25.­25
  • 25.­51
  • g.­653
g.­238

Heaven of Delighting in Emanations

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

The fifth of the six heavens of the desire realm; also the name of the gods living there. Its inhabitants magically create the objects of their own enjoyment.

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­37
  • 5.­52
  • 5.­81
  • 6.­26
  • 6.­38
  • 15.­110
  • 16.­14
  • 18.­30
  • 23.­36
  • 25.­25
  • 25.­51
g.­241

Heaven of Joy

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

The fourth of the six heavens of the desire realm; also the name of the gods living there. It is the paradise in which the Buddha Śākyamuni lived as the tenth-level bodhisattva and regent Śvetaketu, prior to his birth in this world, and is also where all future buddhas dwell prior to their awakening. At present the regent of the Heaven of Joy is the bodhisattva Maitreya, the future buddha.

Located in 47 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • 1.­14
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­12
  • 2.­24
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­16
  • 3.­20
  • 4.­1-2
  • 4.­5
  • 4.­35-36
  • 5.­2-3
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­36
  • 5.­52
  • 5.­81
  • 5.­97
  • 6.­2
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­25
  • 6.­33-34
  • 6.­38
  • 6.­46
  • 10.­2
  • 13.­170
  • 15.­110
  • 16.­14
  • 17.­28
  • 18.­30
  • 21.­154-155
  • 21.­238
  • 23.­42-44
  • 25.­25
  • 25.­51
  • 26.­31
  • g.­84
  • g.­145
  • g.­282
  • g.­657
  • g.­684
g.­244

Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations

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

The sixth and highest heaven in the desire realm; also the name of the gods living there. It is so named because the inhabitants have power over the emanations of others.

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­52
  • 5.­81
  • 6.­27
  • 6.­38
  • 15.­110
  • 16.­14
  • 18.­30
  • 21.­238
  • 23.­30
  • 23.­35
  • 25.­25
  • 25.­51
  • g.­725
g.­247

Heaven of the Four Great Kings

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­52
  • 5.­81
  • 6.­33
  • 18.­30
  • 23.­58
  • 23.­63
  • 25.­25
  • 25.­51
  • 27.­9
g.­248

Heaven of the Thirty-Three

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

The second of the six heavens in the desire realm; also the name of the gods living there. The paradise of Śakra on the summit of Sumeru where there are thirty-three leading deities, hence the name.

Located in 24 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­52
  • 5.­81
  • 6.­23
  • 6.­33
  • 6.­37-38
  • 6.­53
  • 7.­22
  • 7.­85
  • 15.­27
  • 15.­68-69
  • 15.­89
  • 15.­106
  • 15.­151
  • 15.­218
  • 17.­29
  • 18.­30
  • 18.­40
  • 23.­52
  • 23.­57
  • 25.­25
  • 25.­51
  • g.­708
g.­256

householder

Wylie:
  • khyim bdag
Tibetan:
  • ཁྱིམ་བདག
Sanskrit:
  • gṛhapati

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The term is usually used for wealthy lay patrons of the Buddhist community. It also refers to a subdivision of the vaiśya (mercantile) class of traditional Indian society, comprising businessmen, merchants, landowners, and so on.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­4
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­34
  • 8.­1-2
  • 8.­7
  • 13.­5
  • 15.­97
  • 27.­5
g.­262

ill will

Wylie:
  • gnod sems
Tibetan:
  • གནོད་སེམས།
Sanskrit:
  • vyāpāda

Maliciousness, malevolence, vindictiveness. One of the ten nonvirtuous actions.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­57
  • 6.­72-73
  • 13.­134
  • 13.­152
  • 19.­24
  • 19.­32
  • 27.­10
  • g.­664
g.­263

Indra

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 21 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­27
  • 3.­36
  • 15.­52
  • 17.­18
  • 18.­40
  • 19.­14
  • 19.­16
  • 19.­19
  • 19.­47
  • 19.­50
  • 20.­5
  • 20.­21
  • 20.­31
  • 21.­183
  • 21.­238
  • 24.­134
  • 24.­143
  • 24.­152
  • 24.­161
  • g.­42
  • g.­708
g.­266

Indrayaṣṭi

Wylie:
  • dbang po’i mchod sdong
Tibetan:
  • དབང་པོའི་མཆོད་སྡོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • indrayaṣṭi

A nāga king.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 19.­2
g.­268

intelligence

Wylie:
  • blo gros
Tibetan:
  • བློ་གྲོས།
Sanskrit:
  • mati

Located in 28 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­15
  • 4.­25
  • 6.­68
  • 13.­121
  • 15.­98
  • 15.­177
  • 20.­40
  • 21.­133
  • 22.­22
  • 22.­25
  • 23.­28
  • 23.­31
  • 23.­41
  • 24.­104
  • 26.­67-78
  • 27.­7
g.­269

Īśvara

Wylie:
  • dbang phyug
Tibetan:
  • དབང་ཕྱུག
Sanskrit:
  • īśvara

One of the gods of the pure realms. This is a frequently used name for Śiva and often synonymous with Maheśvara, though sometimes they are presented as separate deities.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­13
  • 1.­18
  • 1.­23
  • g.­354
g.­271

Jambudvīpa

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 21 passages in the translation:

  • i.­3
  • 2.­24
  • 2.­33
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­14
  • 3.­18
  • 3.­28
  • 3.­39
  • 3.­55
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­97
  • 6.­37
  • 6.­39
  • 7.­65
  • 7.­74
  • 7.­90
  • 7.­109
  • 7.­111
  • 9.­6
  • 12.­42
  • 14.­20
g.­276

Jeta’s Grove

Wylie:
  • rgyal bu rgyal byed
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་བུ་རྒྱལ་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • jetavana

See “Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.”

Located in 44 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­13
  • 1.­22
  • g.­10
  • g.­17
  • g.­19
  • g.­25
  • g.­52
  • g.­64
  • g.­70
  • g.­117
  • g.­131
  • g.­209
  • g.­211
  • g.­289
  • g.­298
  • g.­302
  • g.­338
  • g.­340
  • g.­341
  • g.­342
  • g.­343
  • g.­344
  • g.­346
  • g.­359
  • g.­400
  • g.­407
  • g.­411
  • g.­424
  • g.­465
  • g.­468
  • g.­478
  • g.­479
  • g.­490
  • g.­516
  • g.­578
  • g.­585
  • g.­598
  • g.­608
  • g.­612
  • g.­654
  • g.­700
  • g.­715
  • g.­739
  • g.­770
g.­277

Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

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

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • g.­276
g.­278

Jinamitra

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

Jinamitra was invited to Tibet during the reign of King Trisong Detsen (khri srong lde btsan, r. 742–98 ᴄᴇ) and was involved with the translation of nearly two hundred texts, continuing into the reign of King Ralpachen (ral pa can, r. 815–38 ᴄᴇ). He was one of the small group of paṇḍitas responsible for the Mahāvyutpatti Sanskrit–Tibetan dictionary and also author of the Nyāya­bindu­piṇḍārtha (Toh 4233), which is contained in the Tengyur (bstan ’gyur) collection.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • c.­2
g.­284

joy

Wylie:
  • dga’ ba
Tibetan:
  • དགའ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • muditā
  • tuṣṭi
  • nandana
  • rati

Located in 75 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­27
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­14
  • 3.­56
  • 4.­8
  • 4.­11
  • 4.­25
  • 4.­36
  • 4.­39
  • 5.­96
  • 6.­50
  • 6.­67
  • 6.­74
  • 7.­14
  • 7.­37
  • 7.­45
  • 7.­50
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­88
  • 7.­106-107
  • 7.­110
  • 7.­126
  • 7.­141
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­15
  • 12.­42
  • 12.­44
  • 12.­47
  • 12.­54
  • 12.­61
  • 12.­63
  • 13.­16
  • 13.­28
  • 13.­164
  • 15.­22
  • 15.­98
  • 15.­131
  • 15.­144
  • 15.­154
  • 15.­187
  • 16.­23
  • 16.­33
  • 17.­31
  • 18.­25
  • 19.­12-13
  • 19.­22
  • 19.­45
  • 19.­48
  • 19.­76
  • 20.­21
  • 20.­30
  • 21.­73
  • 21.­141-142
  • 21.­147
  • 21.­162
  • 22.­1-2
  • 22.­37
  • 23.­21
  • 23.­32
  • 23.­61
  • 24.­1-3
  • 24.­6
  • 24.­10
  • 24.­65
  • 26.­56
  • 26.­170
  • 27.­10
  • g.­195
  • g.­241
g.­285

kācilindika

Wylie:
  • ka tsa lin di
Tibetan:
  • ཀ་ཙ་ལིན་དི།
Sanskrit:
  • kācilindika

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A frequent simile for softness, thought to refer either (1) to the down of the kācilindika or kācalindika bird (see Lamotte 1975, p. 261, n. 321), or (2) to a tropical tree bearing silken pods, similar to kapok, from which garments were made, and identified (Monier-Williams p. 266) with Abrus precatorius.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­10
  • 3.­36
  • 6.­42
  • 7.­26
  • 13.­16
g.­289

Kampila

Wylie:
  • ’ug pa
Tibetan:
  • འུག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • kampila

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove. He was one of the Buddha’s arhat disciples, a former king, renowned as foremost among those who teach monks. This spelling is attested in the present text but in other texts his name is spelled Mahākapphiṇa, Kapphiṇa, Kapphina, Kaphiṇa, Kasphiṇa, Kaṃphina, Kaphilla, or Kaphiṇḍa.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­292

Kapilavastu

Wylie:
  • ser skya
Tibetan:
  • སེར་སྐྱ།
Sanskrit:
  • kapilavastu

The capital city of the Śākya kingdom, where Prince Siddhārtha grew up, located in the foothills of the Himalayas. At present, there are two archeological sites, one on either side of the present border between Nepal and India, that have been identified as its remains.

Located in 51 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­35
  • 3.­41
  • 5.­57
  • 5.­64
  • 5.­101
  • 6.­21
  • 6.­30
  • 6.­58
  • 6.­60
  • 7.­1-2
  • 7.­69
  • 7.­86
  • 7.­88
  • 7.­90-92
  • 7.­111-112
  • 7.­125
  • 7.­128
  • 7.­130
  • 7.­150
  • 8.­8
  • 10.­1
  • 12.­16
  • 12.­18
  • 12.­22-23
  • 12.­26
  • 12.­61
  • 15.­27
  • 15.­100-106
  • 15.­138-139
  • 15.­160
  • 15.­162
  • 15.­171
  • 16.­35
  • g.­206
  • g.­371
  • g.­417
  • g.­535
  • g.­603
  • g.­686
g.­293

Kāśi

Wylie:
  • gsal ldan
  • ka shi
Tibetan:
  • གསལ་ལྡན།
  • ཀ་ཤི།
Sanskrit:
  • kāśi

Ancient name for Vārāṇasī, the holy city on the banks of the Ganges in modern-day Uttar Pradesh, India.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 13.­64
  • 26.­9
  • 26.­14-16
  • g.­306
g.­296

Kauṇḍinya

Wylie:
  • kau N+Di n+ya
Tibetan:
  • ཀཽ་ཎྜི་ནྱ།
Sanskrit:
  • kauṇḍinya

See Ājñāta­kauṇḍinya.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 26.­81
  • 26.­92
  • 26.­95
  • n.­5
  • g.­10
g.­298

Kauṣṭhila

Wylie:
  • gsus po che
Tibetan:
  • གསུས་པོ་ཆེ།
Sanskrit:
  • kauṣṭhila

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­302

Khadiravaṇika

Wylie:
  • seng ldeng nags pa
Tibetan:
  • སེང་ལྡེང་ནགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • khadiravaṇika

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­304

kinnara

Wylie:
  • mi’am ci
Tibetan:
  • མིའམ་ཅི།
Sanskrit:
  • kinnara
  • kiṃnara

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 26 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­3
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­76
  • 7.­25
  • 7.­107
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­9
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­5
  • 15.­82
  • 15.­102
  • 15.­126
  • 15.­150
  • 17.­18
  • 17.­48
  • 19.­39
  • 20.­21
  • 20.­32
  • 20.­37
  • 21.­86
  • 21.­238
  • 24.­2
  • 26.­58
  • 26.­81
  • 26.­212
  • 26.­215
g.­306

Kośala

Wylie:
  • ko sa la
Tibetan:
  • ཀོ་ས་ལ།
Sanskrit:
  • kośala

An ancient kingdom, northwest of Magadha, abutting Kāśi, whose capital was Śrāvastī. During the Buddha’s time it was ruled by Prasenajit. It presently corresponds to an area within Uttar Pradesh.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­22
  • g.­535
  • g.­598
g.­312

Kubera

Wylie:
  • lus ngan
Tibetan:
  • ལུས་ངན།
Sanskrit:
  • kubera

The king of yakṣas and an important wealth deity, he is also one of the Four Great Kings in Buddhist cosmology. In this capacity he is commonly known as Vaiśravaṇa.

Located in 9 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­8
  • 15.­105
  • 24.­160
  • g.­5
  • g.­224
  • g.­286
  • g.­363
  • g.­604
  • g.­712
g.­315

kumbhāṇḍa

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­76
  • 5.­102
  • 11.­6
  • 15.­103
  • 17.­18
  • 21.­7
  • 21.­27
  • 21.­232
  • 24.­142
  • g.­747
g.­320

league

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A measure of distance sometimes translated as “league,” but with varying definitions. The Sanskrit term denotes the distance yoked oxen can travel in a day or before needing to be unyoked. From different canonical sources the distance represented varies between four and ten miles.

Located in 20 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­9
  • 3.­11
  • 4.­1
  • 6.­37
  • 6.­43
  • 6.­48
  • 12.­41-42
  • 12.­44
  • 14.­3-4
  • 15.­28
  • 15.­150
  • 15.­171
  • 19.­20
  • 19.­37
  • 19.­81
  • 21.­26
  • 21.­89
  • g.­29
g.­324

listener

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

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 11 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­18-20
  • 16.­3
  • 26.­135
  • 26.­173
  • 26.­175
  • 27.­21
  • 27.­25
  • g.­234
  • g.­694
g.­329

lower realms

Wylie:
  • ngan song
Tibetan:
  • ངན་སོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • apāya
  • durgati

A collective name for the realms of animals, hungry ghosts, and denizens of the hells.

Located in 20 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­22
  • 5.­46
  • 5.­87
  • 6.­62
  • 7.­58
  • 7.­75
  • 7.­110
  • 7.­149
  • 14.­48
  • 15.­130
  • 15.­215
  • 17.­60
  • 19.­3
  • 19.­13
  • 19.­24
  • 19.­28
  • 19.­55
  • 21.­204
  • 23.­9
  • 24.­30
g.­335

Magadha

Wylie:
  • ma ga dhA
Tibetan:
  • མ་ག་དྷཱ།
Sanskrit:
  • magadha

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

An ancient Indian kingdom that lay to the south of the Ganges River in what today is the state of Bihar. Magadha was the largest of the sixteen “great states” (mahājanapada) that flourished between the sixth and third centuries ʙᴄᴇ in northern India. During the life of the Buddha Śākyamuni, it was ruled by King Bimbisāra and later by Bimbisāra's son, Ajātaśatru. Its capital was initially Rājagṛha (modern-day Rajgir) but was later moved to Pāṭaliputra (modern-day Patna). Over the centuries, with the expansion of the Magadha’s might, it became the capital of the vast Mauryan empire and seat of the great King Aśoka.

This region is home to many of the most important Buddhist sites, including Bodh Gayā, where the Buddha attained awakening; Vulture Peak (Gṛdhra­kūṭa), where the Buddha bestowed many well-known Mahāyāna sūtras; and the Buddhist university of Nālandā that flourished between the fifth and twelfth centuries ᴄᴇ, among many others.

Located in 20 passages in the translation:

  • i.­6
  • 3.­21
  • 10.­9
  • 12.­41
  • 16.­6
  • 16.­22
  • 16.­34
  • 16.­36
  • 16.­39
  • 17.­7
  • 25.­32-34
  • 25.­49
  • 26.­9
  • g.­210
  • g.­306
  • g.­438
  • g.­554
  • g.­707
g.­338

Mahākapphiṇa

Wylie:
  • ka pi la na chen po
Tibetan:
  • ཀ་པི་ལ་ན་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahākapphiṇa

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • g.­289
g.­341

Mahākāśyapa

Wylie:
  • ’od srung chen po
Tibetan:
  • འོད་སྲུང་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahākāśyapa

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 27.­14
  • 27.­25
g.­342

Mahākātyāyana

Wylie:
  • ka tya ya na’i bu chen po
Tibetan:
  • ཀ་ཏྱ་ཡ་ནའི་བུ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahākātyāyana

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­343

Mahā­maudgalyāyana

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the principal śrāvaka disciples of the Buddha, paired with Śāriputra. He was renowned for his miraculous powers. His family clan was descended from Mudgala, hence his name Maudgalyā­yana, “the son of Mudgala’s descendants.” Respectfully referred to as Mahā­maudgalyā­yana, “Great Maudgalyāyana.”

In this text:

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­344

Mahānāma

Wylie:
  • ming chen
Tibetan:
  • མིང་ཆེན།
Sanskrit:
  • mahānāma

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove. He was one of the five companions who joined Prince Siddhārtha while practicing austerities and attended his first turning of the wheel of Dharma at the Deer Park, after the Buddha’s awakening.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • g.­183
g.­346

Mahāpāraṇika

Wylie:
  • pha rol tu ’gro ba chen po
Tibetan:
  • ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་འགྲོ་བ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāpāraṇika

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­348

Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī

Wylie:
  • skye dgu’i bdag mo chen mo gau ta mI
Tibetan:
  • སྐྱེ་དགུའི་བདག་མོ་ཆེན་མོ་གཽ་ཏ་མཱི།
Sanskrit:
  • mahāprajāpatī gautamī

Siddhārtha Gautama’s aunt, who raised him following his mother’s death and who later became the first woman to go forth as a member of the Buddha Śākyamuni’s monastic saṅgha.

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­89
  • 8.­3
  • 9.­3
  • 15.­14
  • 15.­157
  • 15.­161
  • g.­407
g.­354

Maheśvara

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

One of the gods of the pure realms. This is a frequently used name for Śiva and often synonymous with Īśvara, though sometimes they are presented as separate deities.

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­6
  • 1.­13
  • 1.­18
  • 1.­23
  • 2.­3
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­30
  • 7.­126
  • 7.­128-129
  • 19.­4
  • 27.­1
  • 27.­25
  • g.­269
g.­356

Mahita

Wylie:
  • mchod byas
Tibetan:
  • མཆོད་བྱས།
Sanskrit:
  • mahita

One of the gods of the pure realms.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­13
  • 1.­18
  • 1.­23
  • 27.­1
g.­357

mahoraga

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Literally “great serpents,” mahoragas are supernatural beings depicted as large, subterranean beings with human torsos and heads and the lower bodies of serpents. Their movements are said to cause earthquakes, and they make up a class of subterranean geomantic spirits whose movement through the seasons and months of the year is deemed significant for construction projects.

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­4
  • 5.­76
  • 8.­4
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­9
  • 11.­6
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­5
  • 15.­150
  • 17.­18
  • 17.­48
  • 19.­39
  • 20.­12
  • 20.­21
  • 21.­27
  • 24.­2
  • 26.­212
  • 26.­215
g.­359

Maitreya

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The bodhisattva Maitreya is an important figure in many Buddhist traditions, where he is unanimously regarded as the buddha of the future era. He is said to currently reside in the heaven of Tuṣita, as Śākyamuni’s regent, where he awaits the proper time to take his final rebirth and become the fifth buddha in the Fortunate Eon, reestablishing the Dharma in this world after the teachings of the current buddha have disappeared. Within the Mahāyāna sūtras, Maitreya is elevated to the same status as other central bodhisattvas such as Mañjuśrī and Avalokiteśvara, and his name appears frequently in sūtras, either as the Buddha’s interlocutor or as a teacher of the Dharma. Maitreya literally means “Loving One.” He is also known as Ajita, meaning “Invincible.”

For more information on Maitreya, see, for example, the introduction to Maitreya’s Setting Out (Toh 198).

In this text:

One of the bodhisattvas attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • i.­3
  • 1.­3
  • 5.­2-3
  • 26.­102-103
  • 26.­106
  • 26.­114
  • 26.­217
  • 27.­14
  • 27.­25
  • g.­149
  • g.­241
g.­364

Māra

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

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

Located in 157 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­2
  • i.­8-9
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­9
  • 1.­15
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­26
  • 2.­30
  • 4.­24
  • 4.­34
  • 5.­30
  • 5.­52
  • 7.­31
  • 7.­45
  • 7.­143
  • 11.­6
  • 12.­57
  • 12.­62
  • 13.­3
  • 13.­24
  • 13.­146-147
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­4
  • 18.­8-10
  • 18.­17
  • 18.­21
  • 18.­24
  • 18.­32
  • 19.­9
  • 19.­11
  • 19.­14
  • 19.­52
  • 19.­65
  • 19.­71
  • 20.­26
  • 21.­1
  • 21.­3
  • 21.­7-9
  • 21.­14-15
  • 21.­17
  • 21.­20
  • 21.­43-45
  • 21.­64
  • 21.­75
  • 21.­80
  • 21.­85
  • 21.­100
  • 21.­103
  • 21.­105-112
  • 21.­115
  • 21.­117
  • 21.­119
  • 21.­123
  • 21.­133
  • 21.­145-146
  • 21.­149
  • 21.­154-155
  • 21.­158
  • 21.­166-167
  • 21.­171
  • 21.­184
  • 21.­192
  • 21.­200
  • 21.­203
  • 21.­205
  • 21.­208-209
  • 21.­211-212
  • 21.­215
  • 21.­222
  • 21.­230-231
  • 21.­236
  • 21.­238
  • 21.­241-242
  • 22.­39
  • 22.­48
  • 22.­59-60
  • 22.­64-65
  • 22.­68
  • 22.­74
  • 23.­23-25
  • 23.­29
  • 23.­44
  • 23.­56
  • 24.­68
  • 24.­77-79
  • 24.­81
  • 24.­85
  • 26.­1
  • 26.­34
  • 26.­46
  • 26.­125
  • g.­4
  • g.­26
  • g.­27
  • g.­30
  • g.­37
  • g.­58
  • g.­69
  • g.­75
  • g.­89
  • g.­138
  • g.­142
  • g.­151
  • g.­162
  • g.­163
  • g.­173
  • g.­333
  • g.­365
  • g.­366
  • g.­406
  • g.­463
  • g.­475
  • g.­499
  • g.­500
  • g.­557
  • g.­559
  • g.­562
  • g.­576
  • g.­584
  • g.­587
  • g.­588
  • g.­615
  • g.­616
  • g.­633
  • g.­681
  • g.­689
  • g.­727
g.­370

Māyā

Wylie:
  • sgyu ’phrul
Tibetan:
  • སྒྱུ་འཕྲུལ།
Sanskrit:
  • māyā

See “Māyādevī.”

Located in 27 passages in the translation:

  • i.­3
  • 3.­36
  • 3.­44
  • 3.­54
  • 3.­56
  • 5.­14
  • 5.­64
  • 5.­67
  • 5.­78-79
  • 6.­3
  • 6.­6
  • 6.­9-10
  • 6.­14
  • 6.­22
  • 6.­30-31
  • 6.­46
  • 6.­57-59
  • 6.­68-71
  • g.­371
g.­371

Māyādevī

Wylie:
  • lha mo sgyu ’phrul
Tibetan:
  • ལྷ་མོ་སྒྱུ་འཕྲུལ།
Sanskrit:
  • māyādevī

The Buddha Śākyamuni’s mother, who died shortly after his birth; also called here simply Māyā. She was one of the wives of King Śuddhodana of Kapilavastu and is said to have been the daughter of Śākya Suprabuddha.

Located in 25 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­35-36
  • 3.­43
  • 3.­48
  • 3.­53
  • 6.­76
  • 7.­4
  • 7.­8
  • 7.­11
  • 7.­17-18
  • 7.­21
  • 7.­25-27
  • 7.­49-50
  • 7.­54
  • 7.­85-86
  • 17.­29
  • 17.­34
  • 17.­37
  • g.­370
  • g.­637
g.­376

memorial

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

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 17 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­44
  • 7.­28
  • 15.­150-151
  • 15.­153
  • 18.­38
  • 18.­40
  • 24.­137
  • 24.­146
  • 26.­153
  • 26.­157-160
  • 26.­167
  • 26.­171
  • g.­29
g.­377

mental stability

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­5-6
g.­378

merchants

Wylie:
  • tshong dpon
Tibetan:
  • ཚོང་དཔོན།
Sanskrit:
  • śreṣṭhin

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­4
  • 3.­34
  • 8.­1-2
  • 8.­7
  • 15.­46
  • 24.­95-97
  • 24.­111
  • 24.­117
  • 24.­121
  • 24.­127
  • 24.­129
  • g.­73
  • g.­334
  • g.­677
g.­379

merit

Wylie:
  • bsod nams
Tibetan:
  • བསོད་ནམས།
Sanskrit:
  • puṇya

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In Buddhism more generally, merit refers to the wholesome karmic potential accumulated by someone as a result of positive and altruistic thoughts, words, and actions, which will ripen in the current or future lifetimes as the experience of happiness and well-being. According to the Mahāyāna, it is important to dedicate the merit of one’s wholesome actions to the awakening of oneself and to the ultimate and temporary benefit of all sentient beings. Doing so ensures that others also experience the results of the positive actions generated and that the merit is not wasted by ripening in temporary happiness for oneself alone.

Located in 100 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­2
  • 2.­4-5
  • 2.­7
  • 2.­11
  • 2.­15
  • 2.­24
  • 3.­21
  • 3.­34
  • 4.­3-5
  • 4.­11
  • 4.­30
  • 4.­38
  • 5.­32
  • 5.­40
  • 5.­54
  • 5.­63-64
  • 5.­81
  • 5.­99
  • 5.­103
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­60
  • 6.­64-65
  • 7.­70
  • 7.­74
  • 7.­76
  • 7.­90-91
  • 7.­111
  • 7.­127
  • 7.­132
  • 7.­139
  • 7.­143
  • 8.­2
  • 8.­9
  • 11.­5
  • 12.­7
  • 13.­13
  • 13.­62
  • 13.­144
  • 13.­150
  • 14.­39
  • 14.­52
  • 15.­24
  • 15.­26
  • 15.­62
  • 15.­136
  • 15.­140
  • 15.­149
  • 15.­190
  • 15.­194
  • 15.­204
  • 15.­211
  • 15.­220
  • 17.­4
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­44
  • 18.­7
  • 18.­10
  • 18.­41
  • 18.­43
  • 19.­9
  • 19.­12
  • 19.­21
  • 19.­40
  • 19.­73
  • 19.­75
  • 19.­78
  • 20.­4
  • 20.­10
  • 20.­26
  • 21.­64
  • 21.­103
  • 21.­190
  • 21.­225
  • 21.­229
  • 22.­40
  • 22.­52
  • 22.­63
  • 22.­65-66
  • 23.­3
  • 23.­29
  • 23.­53
  • 23.­55
  • 23.­57
  • 24.­107
  • 25.­21
  • 26.­123
  • 26.­129
  • 27.­8-9
  • 27.­13
  • 27.­16
  • 27.­18
  • 27.­20
g.­380

Meru

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

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 35 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­10
  • 5.­89
  • 6.­75
  • 8.­9-10
  • 11.­4
  • 11.­27
  • 12.­40
  • 12.­42
  • 12.­56
  • 14.­37
  • 15.­24
  • 15.­96
  • 15.­147
  • 17.­36
  • 19.­2
  • 19.­5
  • 21.­25
  • 21.­35
  • 21.­39
  • 21.­46
  • 21.­53
  • 21.­68
  • 21.­102
  • 21.­165
  • 21.­202
  • 21.­216
  • 21.­220
  • 22.­44
  • 22.­71
  • 23.­17
  • 23.­53
  • 24.­89
  • 24.­110
  • g.­286
g.­381

mindfulness

Wylie:
  • dran pa
Tibetan:
  • དྲན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • smṛti

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

This is the faculty that enables the mind to maintain its attention on a referent object, counteracting the arising of forgetfulness, which is a great obstacle to meditative stability. The root smṛ may mean “to recollect” but also simply “to think of.” Broadly speaking, smṛti, commonly translated as “mindfulness,” means to bring something to mind, not necessarily something experienced in a distant past but also something that is experienced in the present, such as the position of one’s body or the breath.

Together with alertness (samprajāna, shes bzhin), it is one of the two indispensable factors for the development of calm abiding (śamatha, zhi gnas).

Located in 32 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­4
  • 2.­14
  • 4.­21
  • 4.­23-26
  • 6.­51
  • 6.­55
  • 6.­68
  • 11.­2
  • 11.­36
  • 12.­37
  • 13.­162
  • 17.­5
  • 18.­23
  • 19.­4
  • 22.­2
  • 24.­33
  • 24.­38
  • 24.­41
  • 24.­104-105
  • 26.­61
  • 26.­129-130
  • 26.­202
  • g.­34
  • g.­170
  • g.­186
  • g.­187
g.­382

minister

Wylie:
  • blon po
Tibetan:
  • བློན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • amātya

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­4
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­12
  • 3.­30
  • 3.­34
  • 6.­7
  • 7.­91
  • 7.­95
  • 8.­1-2
  • 8.­7
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­20
  • 12.­1
  • 26.­135
  • 26.­164
g.­387

modesty

Wylie:
  • khrel yod
Tibetan:
  • ཁྲེལ་ཡོད།
Sanskrit:
  • hrī
  • lajjā

A mental state that induces one to avoid immoral behavior out of concern for what others will think or say about oneself if one misbehaves.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 3.­32
  • 3.­46
  • 4.­13
  • 12.­13
  • 12.­76
g.­388

monk

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

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 333 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2-3
  • 1.­5
  • 1.­18
  • 1.­21
  • 1.­28
  • 2.­1
  • 3.­1-2
  • 3.­13-21
  • 4.­1
  • 4.­5
  • 4.­35-36
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­30
  • 5.­63
  • 5.­81-82
  • 6.­1
  • 6.­18
  • 6.­20
  • 6.­22
  • 6.­30
  • 6.­50
  • 6.­52-57
  • 6.­59-61
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­25
  • 7.­28
  • 7.­33
  • 7.­36
  • 7.­39-40
  • 7.­42
  • 7.­44
  • 7.­49
  • 7.­71
  • 7.­73-74
  • 7.­85-86
  • 7.­88
  • 7.­92
  • 7.­94
  • 7.­105
  • 7.­126
  • 7.­128
  • 8.­1-3
  • 8.­7-8
  • 8.­11
  • 9.­1
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­15
  • 11.­1
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­16
  • 12.­18
  • 12.­22-23
  • 12.­48
  • 12.­63
  • 12.­79
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­4-6
  • 13.­15
  • 13.­142
  • 13.­144
  • 13.­147
  • 13.­154
  • 13.­169
  • 14.­1
  • 14.­5
  • 14.­14
  • 14.­17-18
  • 14.­22-27
  • 15.­1
  • 15.­11-12
  • 15.­23
  • 15.­27-28
  • 15.­52
  • 15.­100
  • 15.­107
  • 15.­150-152
  • 15.­154
  • 16.­1-6
  • 16.­21
  • 16.­34
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­3
  • 17.­5
  • 17.­7-13
  • 17.­22-26
  • 17.­38-39
  • 17.­41-44
  • 18.­1
  • 18.­24-30
  • 18.­32
  • 18.­34
  • 18.­36-38
  • 18.­41
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­5
  • 19.­7
  • 19.­18
  • 19.­24
  • 19.­45
  • 19.­61
  • 19.­67-68
  • 19.­81
  • 20.­1
  • 21.­1-2
  • 21.­7
  • 21.­12
  • 21.­14
  • 21.­20
  • 21.­43
  • 21.­45
  • 21.­48
  • 21.­57
  • 21.­63
  • 21.­68
  • 21.­78
  • 21.­133
  • 21.­175
  • 21.­183-184
  • 21.­192
  • 21.­200
  • 21.­205
  • 21.­215
  • 22.­1
  • 22.­5
  • 22.­22
  • 22.­25-26
  • 22.­32-33
  • 22.­35-36
  • 22.­69
  • 23.­12-13
  • 23.­17
  • 23.­23
  • 23.­29
  • 23.­35
  • 23.­41
  • 23.­45
  • 23.­57
  • 24.­1
  • 24.­3-4
  • 24.­76-77
  • 24.­89
  • 24.­92
  • 24.­94
  • 24.­98-99
  • 24.­103-108
  • 24.­117
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­11
  • 25.­13
  • 25.­22-24
  • 25.­28
  • 25.­31-33
  • 25.­47-48
  • 25.­50
  • 25.­53-54
  • 26.­1
  • 26.­3
  • 26.­5-11
  • 26.­17-19
  • 26.­21-28
  • 26.­43-44
  • 26.­53
  • 26.­59-62
  • 26.­66-80
  • 26.­95
  • 26.­133
  • 26.­148
  • 26.­150
  • 26.­153
  • 26.­155
  • 26.­158
  • 26.­161-162
  • 26.­164
  • 26.­174
  • g.­2
  • g.­10
  • g.­17
  • g.­19
  • g.­25
  • g.­52
  • g.­64
  • g.­70
  • g.­117
  • g.­209
  • g.­211
  • g.­289
  • g.­298
  • g.­302
  • g.­338
  • g.­341
  • g.­342
  • g.­343
  • g.­344
  • g.­346
  • g.­400
  • g.­407
  • g.­411
  • g.­478
  • g.­479
  • g.­490
  • g.­516
  • g.­556
  • g.­608
  • g.­612
  • g.­654
  • g.­686
  • g.­699
  • g.­700
  • g.­715
  • g.­731
  • g.­739
  • g.­770
g.­391

Mount Sumeru

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­38
  • g.­5
g.­396

Munivarman

Wylie:
  • mu ni bar ma
Tibetan:
  • མུ་ནི་བར་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • munivarman

An Indian preceptor who was resident in Tibet during the late eighth and early ninth centuries.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • c.­2
g.­400

Nadīkāśyapa

Wylie:
  • chu klung ’od srung
Tibetan:
  • ཆུ་ཀླུང་འོད་སྲུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • nadīkāśyapa

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­401

nāga

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 75 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­3
  • 2.­19
  • 5.­81
  • 6.­52
  • 6.­58
  • 7.­2
  • 7.­24-25
  • 7.­29
  • 7.­57
  • 7.­63
  • 7.­109
  • 8.­9
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­9
  • 11.­5
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­5
  • 13.­100
  • 13.­184-185
  • 14.­40
  • 15.­28
  • 15.­53
  • 15.­104
  • 15.­110
  • 15.­150
  • 15.­212
  • 17.­18
  • 17.­48
  • 17.­74
  • 18.­38-40
  • 18.­45
  • 18.­47
  • 19.­2
  • 19.­22
  • 19.­39
  • 19.­45
  • 19.­49-52
  • 19.­60-61
  • 19.­70
  • 19.­80
  • 20.­7
  • 20.­21
  • 21.­44
  • 21.­155
  • 24.­2
  • 24.­89-91
  • 24.­151
  • 24.­170
  • 25.­56
  • 26.­17
  • 26.­212-213
  • 26.­215
  • 27.­11
  • g.­22
  • g.­205
  • g.­266
  • g.­288
  • g.­360
  • g.­394
  • g.­409
  • g.­526
  • g.­618
  • g.­652
  • g.­748
g.­404

Nairañjanā

Wylie:
  • nai ran dzan na
Tibetan:
  • ནཻ་རན་ཛན་ན།
Sanskrit:
  • nairañjanā

A river near Gayā. It was on the banks of this river that Prince Siddhārtha practiced asceticism, and where he bathed at the end of this period.

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • 16.­39
  • 17.­12
  • 17.­29
  • 18.­2
  • 18.­38-39
  • 18.­44-45
  • 18.­50
  • 19.­1
  • 19.­5-6
  • 24.­91
g.­407

Nanda

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

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove. Nanda was the younger half-brother of Prince Siddhārtha (the Buddha Śākyamuni); his mother was Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī, Siddhārtha Gautama’s maternal aunt. He became an important monastic disciple of the Buddha.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 12.­52
g.­408

Nanda

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

One of the gods of the pure realms.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­13
  • 1.­18
  • 1.­23
  • 27.­1
g.­411

Nandika

Wylie:
  • dga’ byed
Tibetan:
  • དགའ་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • nandika

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­418

Nārāyaṇa

Wylie:
  • sred med kyi bu
  • sred med kyi bu phyed
Tibetan:
  • སྲེད་མེད་ཀྱི་བུ།
  • སྲེད་མེད་ཀྱི་བུ་ཕྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • nārāyaṇa

Major deity in the pantheon of the classical Indian religious traditions, he is famous for his strength.

Located in 12 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­111
  • 7.­116
  • 7.­119
  • 8.­8
  • 15.­24
  • 15.­161
  • 15.­189
  • 19.­2
  • 20.­6
  • 21.­64
  • 21.­182
  • 26.­176
g.­429

omen

Wylie:
  • snga ltas
Tibetan:
  • སྔ་ལྟས།
Sanskrit:
  • pūrvanimitta

Prognostication, foreshadowing.

Located in 16 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­8-13
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­3
  • 14.­2
  • 14.­31
  • 14.­51
  • 18.­34
  • 19.­52
  • 21.­7
  • 21.­9
  • 21.­16
g.­442

park

Wylie:
  • kun dga’ ra ba
Tibetan:
  • ཀུན་དགའ་ར་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • ārāma

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Generally found within the limits of a town or city, an ārāma was a private citizen’s park, a pleasure grove, a pleasant garden‍—ārāma, in its etymology, is somewhat akin to what in English is expressed by the term “pleasance.” The Buddha and his disciples were offered several such ārāmas in which to dwell, which evolved into monasteries or vihāras. The term is still found in contemporary usage in names of Thai monasteries.

Located in 23 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­11
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­72
  • 9.­3
  • 11.­1
  • 11.­5
  • 14.­5
  • 14.­7-8
  • 14.­14
  • 14.­18
  • 14.­23
  • 15.­65
  • 15.­75
  • 15.­168
  • 15.­175-176
  • 18.­25
  • 19.­17
  • 20.­14
  • 21.­7
  • 21.­110
  • g.­603
g.­445

patience

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A term meaning acceptance, forbearance, or patience. As the third of the six perfections, patience is classified into three kinds: the capacity to tolerate abuse from sentient beings, to tolerate the hardships of the path to buddhahood, and to tolerate the profound nature of reality. As a term referring to a bodhisattva’s realization, dharmakṣānti (chos la bzod pa) can refer to the ways one becomes “receptive” to the nature of Dharma, and it can be an abbreviation of anutpattikadharmakṣānti, “forbearance for the unborn nature, or nonproduction, of dharmas.”

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­3
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­17
  • 4.­28
  • 4.­45
  • 5.­88
  • 7.­126
  • 13.­11
  • 13.­23
  • 13.­50
  • 15.­59
  • 15.­93
  • 19.­20
  • 21.­228
  • 26.­52
  • 26.­127
  • 26.­159
  • g.­592
g.­448

perfection

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

To have transcended or crossed to the other side; typically refers to the practices of the bodhisattvas, which are embraced with knowledge.

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­3
  • 2.­1
  • 2.­4
  • 4.­4
  • 4.­16
  • 4.­27-28
  • 4.­34
  • 12.­32
  • 13.­143
  • 19.­9
  • 25.­35
  • 26.­139
g.­453

pleasure grove

Wylie:
  • skyed mos tshal
Tibetan:
  • སྐྱེད་མོས་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • udyāna

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­23
  • 5.­35
  • 6.­75
  • 7.­5-6
  • 7.­86
  • 9.­5
  • 14.­6
  • 21.­156
  • g.­384
g.­454

poṣadha

Wylie:
  • gso sbyong
Tibetan:
  • གསོ་སྦྱོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • poṣadha

A group of eight vows taken for one day on certain days of the month to emphasize purity.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­3
  • 3.­33
  • 6.­2
g.­455

powers

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

See “five powers.”

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­4
  • 13.­153
  • 15.­59
  • 26.­130
g.­457

Prabhāvatī

Wylie:
  • ’od dang ldan pa
Tibetan:
  • འོད་དང་ལྡན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • prabhāvatī

One of the four goddesses who attended and kept guard over Prince Siddhārtha while he was in the womb of his mother.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 6.­47
g.­464

Praśānta

Wylie:
  • rab zhi
Tibetan:
  • རབ་ཞི།
Sanskrit:
  • praśānta

One of the gods of the pure realms.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­13
  • 1.­18
  • 27.­1
g.­470

pride

Wylie:
  • nga rgyal
Tibetan:
  • ང་རྒྱལ།
Sanskrit:
  • māna

Literally “I king.” Arrogance or egocentrism.

Located in 41 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­2
  • 2.­5
  • 2.­14
  • 3.­36
  • 3.­46
  • 4.­16
  • 4.­28
  • 4.­53
  • 5.­68
  • 5.­83
  • 6.­10
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­47
  • 7.­127
  • 7.­139
  • 8.­10
  • 10.­10
  • 10.­21
  • 11.­26
  • 12.­11-12
  • 12.­14
  • 12.­27
  • 12.­30
  • 12.­53
  • 13.­150
  • 13.­162
  • 15.­25
  • 15.­32
  • 20.­20
  • 21.­15
  • 21.­76
  • 21.­117
  • 21.­145
  • 21.­188
  • 22.­35
  • 24.­16
  • 24.­93
  • 24.­114
  • 26.­30
  • 26.­145
g.­471

priest

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

A member of the Indian priestly caste, a brahmin.

Located in 71 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­4-5
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­13
  • 3.­31
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­7
  • 6.­13-14
  • 6.­17
  • 6.­19-20
  • 7.­74
  • 7.­86
  • 7.­90-91
  • 7.­96
  • 7.­105
  • 7.­120
  • 8.­2
  • 8.­7
  • 9.­1
  • 9.­3
  • 11.­22
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­10
  • 12.­16
  • 12.­18-20
  • 12.­25
  • 13.­5
  • 13.­35
  • 13.­39-40
  • 15.­61
  • 16.­2
  • 16.­34
  • 17.­5
  • 17.­8-10
  • 17.­35
  • 17.­38
  • 17.­43
  • 18.­21
  • 18.­24
  • 18.­28
  • 18.­35-36
  • 21.­7
  • 22.­43
  • 24.­117
  • 24.­167
  • 25.­38
  • 26.­133
  • 26.­148
  • 26.­150
  • 26.­153
  • 26.­155
  • 26.­158
  • 26.­161-162
  • 26.­164
  • 26.­174
  • g.­155
  • g.­416
  • g.­491
  • g.­579
  • g.­685
  • g.­686
g.­477

pure realm

Wylie:
  • gnas gtsang ma’i ris
Tibetan:
  • གནས་གཙང་མའི་རིས།
Sanskrit:
  • śuddhāvāsa
  • śuddhāvāsa­kāyika

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The five Pure Abodes are the highest heavens of the Form Realm (rūpadhātu). They are called “pure abodes” because ordinary beings (pṛthagjana; so so’i skye bo) cannot be born there; only those who have achieved the fruit of a non-returner (anāgāmin; phyir mi ’ong) can be born there. A summary presentation of them is found in the third chapter of Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakośa, although they are repeatedly mentioned as a set in numerous sūtras, tantras, and vinaya texts.

The five Pure Abodes are the last five of the seventeen levels of the Form Realm. Specifically, they are the last five of the eight levels of the upper Form Realm‍—which corresponds to the fourth meditative concentration (dhyāna; bsam gtan)‍—all of which are described as “immovable” (akopya; mi g.yo ba) since they are never destroyed during the cycles of the destruction and reformation of a world system. In particular, the five are Abṛha (mi che ba), the inferior heaven; Atapa (mi gdung ba), the heaven of no torment; Sudṛśa (gya nom snang), the heaven of sublime appearances; Sudarśana (shin tu mthong), the heaven of the most beautiful to behold; and Akaniṣṭha (’og min), the highest heaven.

Yaśomitra explains their names, stating: (1) because those who abide there can only remain for a fixed amount of time, before they are plucked out (√bṛh, bṛṃhanti) of that heaven, or because it is not as extensive (abṛṃhita) as the others in the pure realms, that heaven is called the inferior heaven (abṛha; mi che ba); (2) since the afflictions can no longer torment (√tap, tapanti) those who reside there because of their having attained a particular samādhi, or because their state of mind is virtuous, they no longer torment (√tap, tāpayanti) others, this heaven, consequently, is called the heaven of no torment (atapa; mi gdung ba); (3) since those who reside there have exceptional (suṣṭhu) vision because what they see (√dṛś, darśana) is utterly pure, that heaven is called the heaven of sublime appearances (sudṛśa; gya nom snang); (4) because those who reside there are beautiful gods, that heaven is called the heaven of the most beautiful to behold (sudarśana; shin tu mthong); and (5) since it is not lower (na kaniṣṭhā) than any other heaven because there is no other place superior to it, this heaven is called the highest heaven (akaniṣṭha; ’og min) since it is the uppermost.

Located in 49 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­6
  • 1.­12-13
  • 1.­18
  • 3.­2
  • 5.­30
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­54-55
  • 7.­26
  • 7.­128
  • 14.­8
  • 15.­34
  • 15.­152
  • 18.­32
  • 18.­35
  • 19.­67
  • 21.­87
  • 21.­184
  • 21.­192
  • 23.­1
  • 23.­12
  • 25.­25
  • 26.­6
  • 27.­1
  • 27.­25
  • g.­99
  • g.­109
  • g.­218
  • g.­220
  • g.­237
  • g.­239
  • g.­240
  • g.­242
  • g.­243
  • g.­245
  • g.­246
  • g.­269
  • g.­331
  • g.­337
  • g.­354
  • g.­356
  • g.­408
  • g.­423
  • g.­464
  • g.­467
  • g.­613
  • g.­629
  • g.­694
g.­478

Pūrṇa

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

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­479

Pūrṇa­maitrāyaṇī­putra

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

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­486

Puṣya

Wylie:
  • rgyal
  • rgyal skar ma
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ།
  • རྒྱལ་སྐར་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • puṣya

A constellation in a section of the east.

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­33
  • 6.­2
  • 7.­3
  • 9.­2
  • 15.­53
  • 15.­100
  • 15.­115-116
  • 15.­209
  • 24.­131
g.­490

Rāhula

Wylie:
  • sgra bcan zin
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲ་བཅན་ཟིན།
Sanskrit:
  • rāhula

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­492

Rājagṛha

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The ancient capital of Magadha prior to its relocation to Pāṭaliputra during the Mauryan dynasty, Rājagṛha is one of the most important locations in Buddhist history. The literature tells us that the Buddha and his saṅgha spent a considerable amount of time in residence in and around Rājagṛha‍—in nearby places, such as the Vulture Peak Mountain (Gṛdhrakūṭaparvata), a major site of the Mahāyāna sūtras, and the Bamboo Grove (Veṇuvana)‍—enjoying the patronage of King Bimbisāra and then of his son King Ajātaśatru. Rājagṛha is also remembered as the location where the first Buddhist monastic council was held after the Buddha Śākyamuni passed into parinirvāṇa. Now known as Rajgir and located in the modern Indian state of Bihar.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­14
  • 16.­6
  • 16.­8
  • 17.­1
  • 17.­7
  • g.­207
  • g.­367
  • g.­390
g.­496

Rāma

Wylie:
  • rangs byed
Tibetan:
  • རངས་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • rāma

Father to Rudraka (Udraka).

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 17.­1-6
  • 26.­3-5
  • g.­524
g.­516

Revata

Wylie:
  • nam gru
Tibetan:
  • ནམ་གྲུ།
Sanskrit:
  • revata

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­524

Rudraka

Wylie:
  • lhag spyod
Tibetan:
  • ལྷག་སྤྱོད།
Sanskrit:
  • rudraka

A meditation teacher who was one of the Buddha’s teachers before he attained awakening. Although the spelling Rudraka is attested in the Sanskrit of this sūtra, in most other texts his name is Udraka, or Udraka Rāmaputra (“Udraka the son of Rāma”).

Located in 11 passages in the translation:

  • i.­6
  • 17.­1-6
  • 26.­3-5
  • g.­496
g.­530

Sahā World

Wylie:
  • mi mjed
  • mi mjed kyi ’jig rten
Tibetan:
  • མི་མཇེད།
  • མི་མཇེད་ཀྱི་འཇིག་རྟེན།
Sanskrit:
  • sahā
  • sahāloka

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The name for our world system, the universe of a thousand million worlds, or trichiliocosm, in which the four-continent world is located. Each trichiliocosm is ruled by a god Brahmā; thus, in this context, he bears the title of Sahāṃpati, Lord of Sahā. The world system of Sahā, or Sahālokadhātu, is also described as the buddhafield of the Buddha Śākyamuni where he teaches the Dharma to beings.

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 being able to endure the suffering they encounter. The Tibetan translation, mi mjed, follows along the same lines. It literally means “not painful,” in the sense that beings here are able to bear the suffering they experience.

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­30
  • 6.­36-37
  • 6.­39
  • 6.­54-55
  • 6.­61
  • 7.­28
g.­534

Śakra

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 81 passages in the translation:

  • i.­9
  • 2.­3
  • 2.­31
  • 4.­4
  • 5.­4
  • 5.­30
  • 5.­59
  • 5.­76
  • 5.­83
  • 6.­22
  • 6.­24
  • 6.­38-39
  • 6.­47
  • 6.­53
  • 6.­61
  • 6.­66
  • 7.­22-24
  • 7.­28-29
  • 7.­34
  • 7.­54-55
  • 7.­57
  • 7.­63
  • 7.­74
  • 7.­94
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­8
  • 9.­7
  • 11.­6
  • 11.­16
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­5
  • 15.­27-28
  • 15.­75
  • 15.­106
  • 15.­109
  • 15.­123
  • 15.­126
  • 15.­129
  • 15.­145
  • 15.­182
  • 15.­212-213
  • 16.­6
  • 16.­14
  • 18.­31
  • 19.­4
  • 21.­7
  • 21.­86
  • 21.­102
  • 21.­154-155
  • 22.­46
  • 22.­71
  • 23.­39
  • 23.­52
  • 23.­57
  • 24.­34
  • 24.­97
  • 24.­167
  • 24.­169
  • 25.­24-26
  • 25.­31
  • 26.­30
  • 26.­44-45
  • 26.­137
  • 27.­5
  • 27.­9
  • g.­8
  • g.­248
  • g.­384
  • g.­525
  • g.­708
g.­535

Śākya

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 90 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­4-5
  • 1.­7
  • 3.­34-36
  • 3.­39
  • 3.­56
  • 6.­60
  • 6.­76
  • 7.­25
  • 7.­66
  • 7.­74
  • 7.­88-90
  • 8.­2
  • 9.­2-3
  • 9.­5
  • 9.­9
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­8
  • 11.­5
  • 11.­8
  • 11.­21
  • 11.­28
  • 11.­35
  • 12.­1-2
  • 12.­18
  • 12.­21
  • 12.­24-25
  • 12.­27
  • 12.­31
  • 12.­34-36
  • 12.­38
  • 12.­44
  • 12.­46
  • 12.­48
  • 12.­52-53
  • 12.­58
  • 12.­61
  • 12.­63
  • 12.­66-67
  • 12.­79
  • 14.­29
  • 14.­33
  • 14.­38
  • 15.­12-13
  • 15.­86
  • 15.­120
  • 15.­136
  • 15.­150
  • 15.­157
  • 15.­161
  • 15.­164
  • 15.­170
  • 15.­175-176
  • 15.­185-186
  • 16.­1
  • 16.­35
  • 17.­27
  • 18.­4
  • 20.­10
  • 21.­10
  • 21.­42
  • 21.­65
  • 23.­40
  • 23.­54
  • 24.­6
  • 26.­56
  • 26.­98
  • g.­41
  • g.­71
  • g.­120
  • g.­217
  • g.­292
  • g.­345
  • g.­371
  • g.­619
g.­536

Śākyamuni

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 14 passages in the translation:

  • i.­13
  • 20.­4
  • 24.­100-101
  • 26.­81
  • g.­2
  • g.­83
  • g.­95
  • g.­126
  • g.­149
  • g.­241
  • g.­348
  • g.­371
  • g.­407
g.­547

Samutkhalī

Wylie:
  • mu khu li
Tibetan:
  • མུ་ཁུ་ལི།
Sanskrit:
  • samutkhalī

One of the four goddesses who attended and kept guard over Prince Siddhārtha while he was in the womb of his mother.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 6.­47
g.­549

saṅgha

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

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 12 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­10
  • 1.­2
  • 1.­18
  • 4.­10
  • 4.­45
  • 5.­47
  • 6.­44
  • 16.­3
  • 26.­93
  • g.­231
  • g.­348
g.­550

Śānta

Wylie:
  • zhi ba
Tibetan:
  • ཞི་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • śānta

A god.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­23
  • 27.­1
g.­556

Śāriputra

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

In this text:

One of the monks attending this teaching.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 27.­15
g.­560

Sarvārthasiddha

Wylie:
  • don thams cad grub pa
Tibetan:
  • དོན་ཐམས་ཅད་གྲུབ་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • sarvārthasiddha

The personal name of the Buddha, meaning “one who accomplishes all aims.” Siddhārtha is a shorter form of this name.

Located in 17 passages in the translation:

  • 7.­72
  • 7.­88
  • 7.­94
  • 7.­96
  • 7.­98-103
  • 7.­116
  • 7.­120-121
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­38
  • 12.­61
  • g.­575
g.­569

scriptures

Wylie:
  • bstan bcos
Tibetan:
  • བསྟན་བཅོས།
Sanskrit:
  • śāstra

Commentarial texts.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­20
  • 7.­98
g.­570

seat of awakening

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 86 passages in the translation:

  • i.­7
  • 4.­34
  • 5.­31
  • 5.­61
  • 12.­40
  • 13.­188
  • 18.­25
  • 19.­4-7
  • 19.­11
  • 19.­17
  • 19.­20-22
  • 19.­24
  • 19.­37
  • 19.­43-44
  • 19.­86
  • 20.­1-3
  • 20.­5
  • 20.­7
  • 20.­9
  • 20.­11
  • 20.­13-15
  • 20.­17-19
  • 20.­21
  • 20.­26
  • 20.­42
  • 21.­1
  • 21.­7
  • 21.­67-68
  • 21.­92-94
  • 21.­102
  • 21.­119-120
  • 21.­166
  • 21.­182
  • 22.­36
  • 22.­43-44
  • 22.­70-71
  • 23.­1
  • 23.­13
  • 23.­18
  • 23.­42
  • 23.­46
  • 23.­48
  • 23.­55-56
  • 23.­63
  • 23.­69
  • 23.­71
  • 23.­75
  • 24.­14
  • 24.­76
  • 26.­9
  • 26.­57
  • g.­35
  • g.­57
  • g.­140
  • g.­144
  • g.­301
  • g.­352
  • g.­355
  • g.­432
  • g.­462
  • g.­574
  • g.­581
  • g.­640
  • g.­643
  • g.­650
  • g.­703
  • g.­741
g.­572

sense fields

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

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

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

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 13.­119
  • 13.­126
  • 22.­17-18
  • 22.­22
  • 22.­28
  • 24.­43
  • 24.­49
  • 25.­2
  • 26.­86
g.­573

seven branches of awakening

Wylie:
  • byang chub kyi yan lag bdun
  • byang chub yan lag bdun
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་ཡན་ལག་བདུན།
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཡན་ལག་བདུན།
Sanskrit:
  • saptabodhyaṅga

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The set of seven factors or aspects that characteristically manifest on the path of seeing: (1) mindfulness (smṛti, dran pa), (2) discrimination between dharmas (dharmapravicaya, chos rab tu rnam ’byed/shes rab), (3) diligence (vīrya, brtson ’grus), (4) joy (prīti, dga’ ba), (5) mental and physical ease (praśrabdhi, shin sbyangs), (6) meditative absorption (samādhi, ting nge ’dzin), and (7) equanimity (upekṣā, btang snyoms).

In this text:

For an explanation of each branch, see 4.­25.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­9
  • 26.­135
  • g.­94
  • g.­665
g.­575

Siddhārtha

Wylie:
  • don grub
Tibetan:
  • དོན་གྲུབ།
Sanskrit:
  • siddhārtha

Lit. “One Who Accomplished His Aim.” The birth name given to the Bodhisattva by his father, King Śuddhodana. Siddhārtha is a short form of the name Sarvārthasiddha.

Located in 96 passages in the translation:

  • 11.­20
  • 15.­51
  • 15.­154
  • 17.­26
  • g.­1
  • g.­4
  • g.­8
  • g.­10
  • g.­26
  • g.­28
  • g.­29
  • g.­30
  • g.­36
  • g.­37
  • g.­41
  • g.­46
  • g.­55
  • g.­58
  • g.­61
  • g.­64
  • g.­70
  • g.­75
  • g.­84
  • g.­89
  • g.­95
  • g.­106
  • g.­121
  • g.­138
  • g.­142
  • g.­147
  • g.­151
  • g.­154
  • g.­162
  • g.­163
  • g.­173
  • g.­183
  • g.­206
  • g.­208
  • g.­217
  • g.­257
  • g.­273
  • g.­291
  • g.­292
  • g.­314
  • g.­333
  • g.­344
  • g.­348
  • g.­358
  • g.­365
  • g.­404
  • g.­407
  • g.­412
  • g.­417
  • g.­430
  • g.­438
  • g.­457
  • g.­463
  • g.­475
  • g.­491
  • g.­493
  • g.­499
  • g.­500
  • g.­527
  • g.­533
  • g.­547
  • g.­551
  • g.­557
  • g.­559
  • g.­560
  • g.­562
  • g.­576
  • g.­583
  • g.­587
  • g.­588
  • g.­605
  • g.­609
  • g.­610
  • g.­615
  • g.­616
  • g.­619
  • g.­622
  • g.­630
  • g.­632
  • g.­633
  • g.­641
  • g.­655
  • g.­657
  • g.­681
  • g.­689
  • g.­691
  • g.­702
  • g.­727
  • g.­738
  • g.­742
  • g.­754
  • g.­772
g.­591

Śiva

Wylie:
  • gu lang
Tibetan:
  • གུ་ལང་།
Sanskrit:
  • śiva

Major deity in the pantheon of the classical Indian religious traditions.

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 8.­8
  • g.­269
  • g.­286
  • g.­354
  • g.­523
g.­594

skillful means

Wylie:
  • thabs
Tibetan:
  • ཐབས།
Sanskrit:
  • upāya

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The concept of skillful or expedient means is central to the understanding of the Buddha’s enlightened deeds and the many scriptures that are revealed contingent on the needs, interests, and mental dispositions of specific types of individuals. It is, therefore, equated with compassion and the form body of the buddhas, the rūpakāya.

According to the Great Vehicle, training in skillful means collectively denotes the first five of the six perfections when integrated with wisdom, the sixth perfection. It is therefore paired with wisdom (prajñā), forming the two indispensable aspects of the path. It is also the seventh of the ten perfections. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)

Located in 8 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­4-5
  • 4.­29
  • 12.­5
  • 13.­143-144
  • 23.­55
g.­595

solitary buddha

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

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 17 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­11
  • 3.­14-15
  • 5.­45
  • 17.­22
  • 17.­62
  • 20.­20
  • 21.­13
  • 26.­113
  • 26.­173
  • 26.­175
  • 27.­16-17
  • 27.­21
  • g.­321
  • g.­367
  • g.­672
g.­598

Śrāvastī

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

During the life of the Buddha, Śrāvastī was the capital city of the powerful kingdom of Kośala, ruled by King Prasenajit, who became a follower and patron of the Buddha. It was also the hometown of Anāthapiṇḍada, the wealthy patron who first invited the Buddha there, and then offered him a park known as Jetavana, Prince Jeta’s Grove, which became one of the first Buddhist monasteries. The Buddha is said to have spent about twenty-five rainy seasons with his disciples in Śrāvastī, thus it is named as the setting of numerous events and teachings. It is located in present-day Uttar Pradesh in northern India.

Located in 44 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 1.­4
  • g.­10
  • g.­17
  • g.­19
  • g.­25
  • g.­52
  • g.­64
  • g.­70
  • g.­117
  • g.­131
  • g.­209
  • g.­211
  • g.­289
  • g.­298
  • g.­302
  • g.­306
  • g.­338
  • g.­340
  • g.­341
  • g.­342
  • g.­343
  • g.­344
  • g.­346
  • g.­359
  • g.­400
  • g.­407
  • g.­411
  • g.­424
  • g.­465
  • g.­468
  • g.­478
  • g.­479
  • g.­490
  • g.­516
  • g.­578
  • g.­585
  • g.­608
  • g.­612
  • g.­654
  • g.­700
  • g.­715
  • g.­739
  • g.­770
g.­608

Subāhu

Wylie:
  • lag bzangs
Tibetan:
  • ལག་བཟངས།
Sanskrit:
  • subāhu

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­612

Subhūti

Wylie:
  • rab ’byor
Tibetan:
  • རབ་འབྱོར།
Sanskrit:
  • subhūti

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­619

Śuddhodana

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

The king of the Śākyas, father of Prince Siddhārtha.

Located in 95 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­34-36
  • 3.­40
  • 3.­43
  • 3.­49
  • 5.­8
  • 5.­10-14
  • 5.­64
  • 6.­6-7
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­20
  • 6.­22
  • 6.­24-27
  • 6.­30
  • 6.­60
  • 7.­1
  • 7.­3-4
  • 7.­25
  • 7.­65-66
  • 7.­71-72
  • 7.­74
  • 7.­88-94
  • 7.­104-105
  • 7.­111
  • 7.­127-128
  • 8.­1-3
  • 8.­7-8
  • 9.­1-2
  • 10.­1-2
  • 10.­8
  • 11.­15
  • 11.­18
  • 11.­31-32
  • 12.­1-2
  • 12.­16
  • 12.­19
  • 12.­21-22
  • 12.­25-26
  • 12.­31
  • 12.­38
  • 12.­61
  • 12.­64
  • 12.­66
  • 12.­79
  • 13.­180
  • 14.­1-3
  • 14.­5-6
  • 14.­27
  • 15.­1
  • 15.­12-13
  • 15.­61
  • 15.­157
  • 16.­1
  • 16.­35
  • 17.­44
  • 21.­3
  • g.­1
  • g.­206
  • g.­371
  • g.­575
  • g.­685
  • g.­686
g.­629

Sunanda

Wylie:
  • shin tu dga’ bo
Tibetan:
  • ཤིན་ཏུ་དགའ་བོ།
Sanskrit:
  • sunanda

One of the gods of the pure realms.

Located in 4 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­13
  • 1.­18
  • 1.­23
  • 27.­1
g.­654

Svāgata

Wylie:
  • legs ’ongs
Tibetan:
  • ལེགས་འོངས།
Sanskrit:
  • svāgata

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­657

Śvetaketu

Wylie:
  • tog dkar po
Tibetan:
  • ཏོག་དཀར་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • śvetaketu

The name of the Bodhisattva during his life in the heaven of Heaven of Joy. This was the last rebirth of the Buddha before taking birth as Prince Siddhārtha.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­12
  • g.­84
  • g.­241
g.­663

ten powers

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

One set among the different qualities of a buddha. The ten strengths are (1) the knowledge of what is possible and not 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; (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 defilements.

Located in 35 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • 1.­15
  • 2.­6
  • 4.­30
  • 5.­45
  • 13.­3
  • 13.­32
  • 19.­11
  • 21.­149
  • 21.­151
  • 21.­172
  • 21.­183
  • 21.­240
  • 22.­43
  • 22.­71
  • 23.­33
  • 23.­55
  • 24.­7
  • 24.­10
  • 24.­13
  • 24.­63-67
  • 24.­69
  • 24.­73
  • 26.­1
  • 26.­98-99
  • 26.­134
  • 26.­141
  • 26.­177
  • 26.­239
  • n.­26
g.­665

thirty-seven factors of awakening

Wylie:
  • byang chub kyi phyogs kyi chos sum cu rtsa bdun
Tibetan:
  • བྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་ཕྱོགས་ཀྱི་ཆོས་སུམ་ཅུ་རྩ་བདུན།
Sanskrit:
  • sapta­triṃśad­bodhi­pakṣa­dharma

Thirty-seven practices that lead the practitioner to the awakened state: the four applications of mindfulness, the four thorough relinquishments, the four bases of miraculous power, the five faculties, the five powers, the eightfold path, and the seven branches of awakening.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­6
  • g.­34
  • g.­179
g.­667

thorough relinquishments

Wylie:
  • yang dag par spong ba
Tibetan:
  • ཡང་དག་པར་སྤོང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • samyakprahāṇa

Relinquishing negative acts in the present and the future, and enhancing positive acts in the present and the future.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­1
  • 2.­4
  • 4.­22
  • 13.­153
  • 13.­165
  • g.­665
g.­672

Three Vehicles

Wylie:
  • theg pa gsum
Tibetan:
  • ཐེག་པ་གསུམ།
Sanskrit:
  • triyāna

In the context of the sūtras, the three vehicles are the Hearer, Solitary Buddha, and Bodhisattva Vehicles.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­61
  • 17.­48
  • 17.­79
g.­674

thus-gone one

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 256 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • i.­8
  • i.­13
  • 1.­6
  • 1.­15
  • 1.­28
  • 4.­30
  • 5.­47
  • 6.­34-35
  • 6.­39-40
  • 6.­44
  • 7.­38
  • 7.­40
  • 7.­44-49
  • 7.­91
  • 7.­95
  • 12.­1
  • 12.­40
  • 13.­3
  • 13.­12
  • 13.­48
  • 13.­102
  • 13.­147
  • 19.­9
  • 19.­67
  • 20.­2
  • 20.­5
  • 20.­7
  • 20.­9
  • 20.­11
  • 20.­13
  • 20.­15
  • 20.­17
  • 20.­19
  • 20.­21
  • 22.­33-36
  • 22.­43-44
  • 22.­67
  • 22.­69
  • 23.­1
  • 23.­12-13
  • 23.­17-18
  • 23.­23-24
  • 23.­29-30
  • 23.­35-36
  • 23.­41-42
  • 23.­45-47
  • 23.­51-52
  • 23.­57-58
  • 23.­63-64
  • 23.­69-70
  • 23.­75
  • 24.­1-4
  • 24.­76-77
  • 24.­82
  • 24.­86-87
  • 24.­89-92
  • 24.­94-95
  • 24.­97-99
  • 24.­103-108
  • 24.­118-119
  • 24.­127
  • 25.­1
  • 25.­11-13
  • 25.­22-28
  • 25.­31
  • 25.­33
  • 25.­46-50
  • 25.­52-55
  • 26.­1
  • 26.­3-4
  • 26.­6-14
  • 26.­16-19
  • 26.­21-23
  • 26.­26-28
  • 26.­39
  • 26.­42-44
  • 26.­47
  • 26.­53-56
  • 26.­59
  • 26.­61
  • 26.­90
  • 26.­98
  • 26.­102
  • 26.­107
  • 26.­109
  • 26.­113-114
  • 26.­153
  • 26.­157-160
  • 26.­164
  • 26.­167
  • 26.­171
  • 26.­173
  • 26.­175
  • 26.­177
  • 26.­217
  • 26.­240
  • 27.­1-2
  • 27.­9
  • 27.­12-14
  • 27.­18
  • 27.­22
  • c.­1
  • n.­26-27
  • g.­11
  • g.­16
  • g.­38
  • g.­72
  • g.­96
  • g.­98
  • g.­102
  • g.­136
  • g.­139
  • g.­160
  • g.­161
  • g.­200
  • g.­203
  • g.­225
  • g.­226
  • g.­228
  • g.­229
  • g.­250
  • g.­251
  • g.­264
  • g.­265
  • g.­281
  • g.­283
  • g.­318
  • g.­326
  • g.­347
  • g.­350
  • g.­353
  • g.­372
  • g.­373
  • g.­375
  • g.­402
  • g.­403
  • g.­422
  • g.­431
  • g.­434
  • g.­435
  • g.­484
  • g.­487
  • g.­497
  • g.­501
  • g.­502
  • g.­504
  • g.­506
  • g.­507
  • g.­508
  • g.­509
  • g.­510
  • g.­511
  • g.­515
  • g.­528
  • g.­537
  • g.­539
  • g.­542
  • g.­544
  • g.­555
  • g.­564
  • g.­582
  • g.­586
  • g.­627
  • g.­647
  • g.­648
  • g.­661
  • g.­675
  • g.­709
  • g.­740
  • g.­743
  • g.­757
g.­676

tranquility

Wylie:
  • zhi gnas
Tibetan:
  • ཞི་གནས།
Sanskrit:
  • śamatha

One of the basic forms of Buddhist meditation, which focuses on calming the mind. Often presented as part of a pair of meditation techniques, with the other technique being “insight” (vipaśyanā). Also rendered here as “calm abiding.”

Located in 13 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­6
  • 2.­17
  • 13.­154
  • 13.­166
  • 15.­33
  • 24.­38
  • 25.­2
  • 25.­23
  • 25.­28
  • 25.­57
  • 26.­130
  • 26.­140
  • g.­267
g.­679

trillion

Wylie:
  • bye ba khrag khrig brgya stong
Tibetan:
  • བྱེ་བ་ཁྲག་ཁྲིག་བརྒྱ་སྟོང་།
Sanskrit:
  • koṭi­niyuta­śata­sahasra

Located in 36 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­11
  • 5.­62
  • 5.­83
  • 5.­97-98
  • 6.­37
  • 6.­39
  • 7.­36
  • 7.­49
  • 7.­86
  • 7.­112
  • 7.­126
  • 11.­33
  • 12.­6
  • 15.­59
  • 15.­102-105
  • 16.­6
  • 18.­38
  • 18.­46
  • 19.­7
  • 19.­14
  • 19.­58
  • 19.­81
  • 20.­6
  • 21.­20
  • 21.­100
  • 21.­110
  • 22.­7
  • 23.­18
  • 23.­26
  • 23.­28
  • 25.­56
  • 26.­81
g.­684

Uccadhvaja

Wylie:
  • rgyal mtshan mthon po
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་མཚན་མཐོན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • uccadhvaja

A palace in the Heaven of Joy, where the Bodhisattva taught the Dharma to gods of that heaven.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 4.­1
g.­685

Udayana

Wylie:
  • ’char po
Tibetan:
  • འཆར་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • udayana

The chief priest of King Śuddhodana.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 9.­1
  • g.­686
g.­686

Udāyin

Wylie:
  • ’char ’gro
Tibetan:
  • འཆར་འགྲོ།
Sanskrit:
  • udāyin

Son of Udayana, the chief priest of King Śuddhodana in Kapilavastu, the Buddha’s home town. Also called Kālodāyin (Black Udāyin) because of his dark skin. He and his wife Guptā became monk and nun. He became an arhat who was a skilled teacher. However, he also figures prominently in accounts of inappropriate sexual behavior that instigated vinaya rules. He and Guptā are also said to have conceived a son after their ordination.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 9.­1
g.­693

universal monarch

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

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 40 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­9
  • 3.­2-4
  • 3.­6-13
  • 3.­31
  • 3.­34
  • 5.­40
  • 5.­101
  • 6.­17
  • 7.­65
  • 7.­90-91
  • 7.­95
  • 7.­99
  • 7.­120
  • 7.­122
  • 11.­6
  • 12.­1
  • 15.­62
  • 15.­74
  • 15.­88
  • 15.­135
  • 17.­31
  • 18.­29-30
  • 21.­62
  • 21.­106
  • 27.­5
  • 27.­9
  • g.­62
  • g.­171
  • g.­666
g.­697

uraga sandalwood

Wylie:
  • tsan dan sbrul gyi snying po
Tibetan:
  • ཙན་དན་སྦྲུལ་གྱི་སྙིང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • uraga­sāra­candana

One kind of Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) said to be “blue” on the inside. The name “essence of snakes” is said to come from snakes being particularly attracted to those trees.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­41-42
g.­699

Urubilvā

Wylie:
  • lteng rgyas
Tibetan:
  • ལྟེང་རྒྱས།
Sanskrit:
  • urubilvā

Known in Pali as Uruvela, Urubilvā is another name for Gayā. The Buddha inspired a group of one thousand dreadlocked ascetics to join his order of monks and ordained them there. Also spelled Uruvilvā.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 17.­12
  • 18.­2
  • 18.­33
  • 18.­38
  • g.­412
  • g.­571
g.­700

Urubilvā Kāśyapa

Wylie:
  • lteng rgyas ’od srung
Tibetan:
  • ལྟེང་རྒྱས་འོད་སྲུང་།
Sanskrit:
  • urubilvā kāśyapa

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­702

Utkhalī

Wylie:
  • u khu li
Tibetan:
  • ཨུ་ཁུ་ལི།
Sanskrit:
  • utkhalī

One of the four goddesses who attended and kept guard over Prince Siddhārtha while he was in the womb of his mother.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 6.­47
g.­708

Vaijayanta

Wylie:
  • rnam par rgyal ba
Tibetan:
  • རྣམ་པར་རྒྱལ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • vaijayanta

The palace of Śakra, an epithet for the god Indra, in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­23
  • 15.­66
  • 15.­75
g.­712

Vaiśravaṇa

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

One of the Four Great Kings, he presides over the northern quarter and rules over the yakṣas. He is also known as Kubera.

Located in 19 passages in the translation:

  • 5.­4
  • 8.­4
  • 8.­8
  • 11.­6-8
  • 15.­25
  • 16.­6
  • 17.­18
  • 21.­7
  • 24.­97
  • 24.­99
  • 24.­104-105
  • 26.­136
  • g.­5
  • g.­223
  • g.­312
  • g.­437
g.­713

Vajrapāṇi

Wylie:
  • rdo rje skyes pa
Tibetan:
  • རྡོ་རྗེ་སྐྱེས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vajrapāṇi

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.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 6.­47
g.­715

Vakkula

Wylie:
  • ba ku la
Tibetan:
  • བ་ཀུ་ལ།
Sanskrit:
  • vakkula

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­720

Vārāṇasī

Wylie:
  • bA rA Na sI
Tibetan:
  • བཱ་རཱ་ཎ་སཱི།
Sanskrit:
  • vārāṇasī

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Also known as Benares, one of the oldest cities of northeast India on the banks of the Ganges, in modern-day Uttar Pradesh. It was once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kāśi, and in the Buddha’s time it had been absorbed into the kingdom of Kośala. It was an important religious center, as well as a major city, even during the time of the Buddha. The name may derive from being where the Varuna and Assi rivers flow into the Ganges. It was on the outskirts of Vārāṇasī that the Buddha first taught the Dharma, in the location known as Deer Park (Mṛgadāva). For numerous episodes set in Vārāṇasī, including its kings, see The Hundred Deeds, Toh 340.

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • i.­10
  • 3.­15
  • 18.­27
  • 25.­54
  • 25.­56
  • 26.­8
  • 26.­14-16
  • 26.­19
  • 26.­34
  • 26.­36
  • 26.­43
  • 26.­98
  • g.­122
  • g.­254
  • g.­293
  • g.­392
g.­731

venerable

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

Literally “long-lived.” A title referring to an ordained monk.

Located in 22 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­2
  • 6.­34
  • 6.­61
  • 7.­38
  • 7.­43
  • 13.­40
  • 24.­124
  • 25.­24
  • 25.­26
  • 25.­50
  • 25.­52-53
  • 26.­10
  • 26.­14
  • 26.­18
  • 26.­20-23
  • 26.­25
  • 26.­216
  • 27.­14
g.­739

Vimala

Wylie:
  • dri ma med pa
Tibetan:
  • དྲི་མ་མེད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vimala

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­744

Vinīteśvara

Wylie:
  • dul ba’i dbang phyug
Tibetan:
  • དུལ་བའི་དབང་ཕྱུག
Sanskrit:
  • vinīteśvara

A god.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­18
  • 27.­1
g.­747

Virūḍhaka

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

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

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 15.­103
  • 21.­7
  • 24.­106-107
  • 24.­142
  • g.­223
g.­748

Virūpākṣa

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

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

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • 15.­104
  • 21.­7
  • 24.­107-108
  • 24.­151
  • g.­223
g.­749

Viśākhā

Wylie:
  • skar ma sa ga
Tibetan:
  • སྐར་མ་ས་ག
Sanskrit:
  • viśākhā

The southwestern constellation symbolizing earth.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 6.­1
  • 24.­140
g.­759

well-gone one

Wylie:
  • bde bar gshegs pa
Tibetan:
  • བདེ་བར་གཤེགས་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • sugata

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 27 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­5
  • 5.­61
  • 5.­92
  • 5.­94
  • 6.­35-36
  • 6.­61
  • 11.­30
  • 11.­35
  • 13.­24
  • 15.­213
  • 20.­25
  • 21.­104
  • 21.­149
  • 21.­162
  • 21.­213
  • 22.­68
  • 24.­5
  • 24.­77
  • 24.­81
  • 24.­86
  • 24.­104
  • 25.­13
  • 26.­4
  • 26.­6
  • 26.­44
  • 26.­47
g.­762

wisdom

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

Located in 133 passages in the translation:

  • i.­14
  • 1.­6-8
  • 1.­12
  • 2.­1-2
  • 2.­4-6
  • 2.­8
  • 2.­10
  • 2.­32
  • 4.­16
  • 4.­21
  • 4.­23
  • 4.­30
  • 4.­34
  • 4.­47
  • 4.­54
  • 5.­45
  • 6.­9
  • 7.­127
  • 7.­148
  • 8.­9
  • 10.­23
  • 12.­37
  • 13.­4
  • 13.­13
  • 13.­20
  • 13.­27
  • 13.­52
  • 13.­151
  • 13.­154
  • 13.­159
  • 13.­183
  • 15.­24
  • 15.­31
  • 15.­191
  • 17.­4-5
  • 17.­8-11
  • 17.­23
  • 17.­44
  • 18.­27
  • 18.­43
  • 19.­4
  • 19.­21
  • 19.­46
  • 20.­4
  • 20.­10
  • 21.­103
  • 21.­133-134
  • 21.­140-141
  • 21.­229
  • 22.­3
  • 22.­6
  • 22.­22
  • 22.­25
  • 22.­32
  • 22.­38
  • 22.­49
  • 23.­19
  • 23.­39
  • 23.­41
  • 23.­53-54
  • 24.­16-19
  • 24.­27-28
  • 24.­30-31
  • 24.­33-35
  • 24.­37
  • 24.­50
  • 24.­69
  • 25.­14
  • 25.­48
  • 26.­20
  • 26.­25
  • 26.­48
  • 26.­52
  • 26.­67-80
  • 26.­103-104
  • 26.­117
  • 26.­120-121
  • 26.­126
  • 26.­129
  • 26.­134-135
  • 26.­137
  • 26.­139
  • 26.­142-143
  • 26.­145-146
  • 26.­203
  • 26.­205-207
  • 26.­228
  • 26.­236-237
  • 26.­241
  • 27.­8
  • 27.­13
  • g.­188
  • g.­592
g.­763

womb

Wylie:
  • rum
Tibetan:
  • རུམ།
Sanskrit:
  • garbha
  • yoni

Located in 52 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • 1.­14
  • 3.­2
  • 3.­14
  • 3.­17
  • 3.­21
  • 3.­32-33
  • 4.­34
  • 5.­3
  • 5.­5
  • 5.­31
  • 5.­54
  • 5.­58
  • 6.­2-4
  • 6.­9
  • 6.­11
  • 6.­16
  • 6.­31
  • 6.­33-36
  • 6.­43
  • 6.­46-50
  • 6.­52-53
  • 6.­57
  • 6.­59-62
  • 6.­70-71
  • 6.­77
  • 7.­27-28
  • 7.­39-40
  • 17.­34
  • 26.­31
  • g.­147
  • g.­457
  • g.­547
  • g.­687
  • g.­702
g.­765

worthy one

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

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 31 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­5
  • 1.­15
  • 7.­40
  • 7.­48-49
  • 7.­91
  • 12.­1
  • 17.­26
  • 19.­54
  • 19.­57
  • 21.­13
  • 21.­149
  • 24.­70
  • 24.­81
  • 24.­137
  • 24.­169
  • 25.­12
  • 25.­24
  • 26.­12
  • 26.­27
  • 26.­54
  • 26.­102
  • 26.­158
  • 26.­162
  • 26.­164
  • 26.­174-175
  • 26.­216
  • 27.­9
  • 27.­15
  • 27.­18
g.­766

yakṣa

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A class of nonhuman beings who inhabit forests, mountainous areas, and other natural spaces, or serve as guardians of villages and towns, and may be propitiated for health, wealth, protection, and other boons, or controlled through magic. According to tradition, their homeland is in the north, where they live under the rule of the Great King Vaiśravaṇa.

Several members of this class have been deified as gods of wealth (these include the just-mentioned Vaiśravaṇa) or as bodhisattva generals of yakṣa armies, and have entered the Buddhist pantheon in a variety of forms, including, in tantric Buddhism, those of wrathful deities.

Located in 53 passages in the translation:

  • 2.­3
  • 2.­19
  • 5.­81
  • 5.­102
  • 6.­47
  • 6.­50
  • 6.­52
  • 6.­58
  • 10.­1
  • 10.­9
  • 11.­4-5
  • 13.­1
  • 13.­5
  • 13.­184
  • 15.­23-24
  • 15.­28
  • 15.­53
  • 15.­105
  • 15.­150
  • 15.­210
  • 17.­18
  • 17.­48
  • 17.­74
  • 19.­22
  • 19.­39
  • 19.­50
  • 20.­7
  • 20.­12
  • 20.­21
  • 21.­7
  • 21.­27
  • 21.­89
  • 21.­173
  • 21.­213
  • 21.­224
  • 21.­232
  • 24.­2
  • 24.­160
  • 24.­164
  • 24.­169-170
  • 25.­20
  • 26.­212
  • 26.­215
  • 27.­11
  • g.­5
  • g.­224
  • g.­312
  • g.­363
  • g.­437
  • g.­712
g.­770

Yaśodeva

Wylie:
  • grags sbyin
Tibetan:
  • གྲགས་སྦྱིན།
Sanskrit:
  • yaśodeva

One of the monks attending this teaching in Śrāvastī, at Jeta’s Grove.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­2
g.­773

Yeshé Dé

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

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • c.­2
  • g.­118
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    84000. (2025) The Play in Full (Lalita­vistara, rgya cher rol pa, Toh 95). (Dharmachakra Translation Committee, Trans.). Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. https://84000.co/translation/toh95/UT22084-046-001-chapter-6.Copy

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