A great bodhisattva present at this discourse.
One of the eight great bodhisattvas, his name means “Essence of Space.”
The buddha of the western buddhafield of Sukhāvatī, where fortunate beings are reborn to make further progress toward spiritual maturity. Amitābha made his great vows to create such a realm when he was a bodhisattva called Dharmākara. In the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, popular in East Asia, aspiring to be reborn in his buddha realm is the main emphasis; in other Mahāyāna traditions, too, it is a widespread practice. For a detailed description of the realm, see The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī, Toh 115. In some tantras that make reference to the five families he is the tathāgata associated with the lotus family.
Amitābha, “Infinite Light,” is also known in many Indian Buddhist works as Amitāyus, “Infinite Life.” In both East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions he is often conflated with another buddha named “Infinite Life,” Aparimitāyus, or “Infinite Life and Wisdom,”Aparimitāyurjñāna, the shorter version of whose name has also been back-translated from Tibetan into Sanskrit as Amitāyus but who presides over a realm in the zenith. For details on the relation between these buddhas and their names, see The Aparimitāyurjñāna Sūtra (1) Toh 674, i.9.
Literally “Unfailing Vision.” A great bodhisattva present at this discourse.
A nāga king whose domain is Lake Anavatapta. According to Buddhist cosmology, this lake is located near Mount Sumeru and is the source of the four great rivers of Jambudvīpa. It is often identified with Lake Manasarovar at the foot of Mount Kailash in Tibet.
One of the six root afflictions (Skt. mūlakleśa), often listed as one of the three poisons (Skt. triviṣa) along with attachment (Skt. rāga) and delusion (Skt. moha).
A great bodhisattva present at this discourse.
A great bodhisattva present at this discourse.
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).
One of the six root afflictions (Skt. mūlakleśa), often listed as one of the three poisons (Skt. triviṣa) along with anger (Skt. dveṣa) and delusion (Skt. moha).
First appeared as a bodhisattva beside Amitābha in The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī (Sukhāvatīvyūha, Toh 115). The name has been variously interpreted. In its meaning as “The Lord of Avalokita,” avalokita has been interpreted as “seeing,” although, as a past passive participle, it is literally “what has been seen.” One of the principal sūtras in the Mahāsāṅghika tradition was the Avalokita Sūtra, which has not been translated into Tibetan, in which the word is a synonym for enlightenment, as it is “that which has been seen” by the buddhas. In the early tantras, he was one of the lords of the three families, as the embodiment of the compassion of the buddhas. The Potalaka Mountain in South India became important in Southern Indian Buddhism as his residence in this world, but Potalaka does not feature in The Basket’s Display (Kāraṇḍavyūha, Toh 116), which is the most important sūtra dedicated to Avalokiteśvara.
Literally “King of Medicine.” A great bodhisattva present at this discourse.
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”).
The collection of the Mahāyāna teachings.
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).
Also used in this text as a shorthand for Brahmaviśeṣacintin, the main interlocutor in this discourse.
A great bodhisattva present at this discourse.
One of the eleven virtuous mental factors (Tib. sems byung dge ba; Skt. kuśalacaitta), a subgroup of the mental states or factors associated with the mind (Skt. caitasika, caitta), according to the Abhidharma. According to Vasubandhu (in his Pañcaskandhaka) , ngo tsha (“scruples,” “conscience”) is different from khrel (“embarrassment”) in that it is independent from others’ judgment of one’s behavior and solely internal in that it comprises one’s internalized values and one’s inner moral compass or sense of integrity.
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.
An Indian paṇḍita resident in Tibet during the late eighth and early ninth centuries. He was a frequent collaborator of Yeshé Dé.
One of the three poisons (Skt. triviṣa) along with attachment (Skt. rāga) and anger (Skt. dveṣa).
A great bodhisattva present at this discourse.
Literally “Holder of the Earth.” A great bodhisattva present at this discourse.
A great bodhisattva present at this discourse.
A great bodhisattva present at this discourse.
The equality of all phenomena in their nature of emptiness.
Literally “without an interval,” meaning that the result of these actions is rebirth in hell at the very instant of death. The five are killing one’s mother, killing one’s father, killing an arhat, causing a schism in the saṅgha, or maliciously drawing blood from a buddha.
These comprise (1) the eye of flesh, (2) the eye of divine clairvoyance, (3) the eye of wisdom, (4) the eye of the sacred doctrine, and (5) the eye of the buddhas.
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).
The assemblies of monks (Skt. bhikṣu) and nuns (Skt. bhikṣuṇī), along with laymen (Skt. upāsaka) and laywomen (Skt. upāsikā).
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.”
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.
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.
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.
The fundamental form of ignorance (Skt. avidyā) that is the root cause of suffering in cyclic existence.
The king of the garuḍas present at this discourse.
The path of a bodhisattva is divided into ten stages of spiritual attainment called grounds. The eleventh ground corresponds to complete awakening.
One of the four hands of bodhisattvas, the other three being the hands of faith, discipline, and learning. See The Fourfold Accomplishment (Catuṣkanirhāra, Toh 252), 1.34.
One of the six classes of sentient beings engendered by anger and powerful negative actions. They are dominated by great suffering and said to dwell in different hells with specific characteristics.
A number calculated by multiplying a koṭi (bye ba), or ten million, by a niyuta (khrag khrig), or a hundred billion according to the Abhidharma system (although it is only one million in Classical Sanskrit), and by a śatasahasra (brgya stong), or one hundred thousand, all of which together equals ten to the twenty-third power or a hundred sextillion. This term is often used to express a number so large as to be inconceivable.
First of the twelve links of dependent origination and one of the six root afflictions (Skt. mūlakleśa).
Literally “Bearer of the World.” A great bodhisattva present at this discourse.
A mythical river (flowing out of Lake Anavatapta at the enter of Jambudvīpa) whose gold is believed to be especially fine.
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. He is also the author of the Nyāyabindupiṇḍārtha (Toh 4233), which is contained in the Tengyur (bstan ’gyur).
One of the twenty auxiliary afflictions (Skt. upakleśa) derived from ignorance.
One of the five hindrances to cultivating concentration (Skt. samādhi).
This term has three meanings: (1) the ultimate nature, (2) the experience of the ultimate nature, and (3) the quiescent state of a worthy one (arhat) to be avoided by bodhisattvas.
A great bodhisattva present at this discourse.
A great bodhisattva present at this discourse.
A senior bhikṣu student of the Buddha Śākyamuni, famous for his austere lifestyle.
One of the eight great bodhisattvas who serves alongside Avalokiteśvara as Amitābha’s attendant in the buddhafield of Sukhāvatī. As his name suggests, he is renowned for possessing (Skt. prāpta; Tib. thob pa) great strength and power (Skt. mahāsthāma; Tib. mthu chen). In Tibetan Buddhism, he is identified with Vajrapāṇi, though they are separate bodhisattvas in the sūtras.
yi ge med pa’i za ma tog rnam par snang mdzad kyi snying po (Anakṣarakaraṇḍakavairocanagarbha). Toh 259, Degé Kangyur vol. 66 (mdo sde, za), folios 259.b–264.a.
yi ge med pa’i za ma tog rnam par snang mdzad kyi snying po. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 66, pp. 717–30.
yi ge med pa’i za ma tog rnam par snang mdzad kyi snying po. Stok Palace Kangyur, vol. 62 (mdo sde, ta), folios 364.a–370.b.
dge ba’i rtsa ba yongs su ’dzin pa (Kuśalamūlasaṃparigraha) [Upholding the Roots of Virtue]. Toh 101, Degé Kangyur vol. 48 (mdo sde, nga), folios 1.a–227.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2020.
tshangs pa khyad par sems kyis zhus pa (Brahmaviśeṣacintiparipṛcchā) [The Questions of Brahmaviśeṣacintin]. Toh 160, Degé Kangyur vol. 59 (mdo sde, ba), folios 23.a–100.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2021.
rnam par snang mdzad mngon par rdzogs par byang chub pa’i rgyud (Vairocanābhisambodhi) [The Tantra of the Complete Awakening of Vairocana]. Toh 494, Degé Kangyur vol. 86 (rgyud, tha), folios 151.b–260.a
za ma tog bkod pa (Kāraṇḍavyūha) [The Basket’s Display]. Toh 116, Degé Kangyur vol. 51 (mdo sde, pa), folios 200.a–247.b. English translations in Roberts and Tulku Yeshi 2013.
sangs rgyas thams cad kyi yul la ’jug pa’i ye shes snang ba’i rgyan (Sarvabuddhaviṣayāvatārajñānālokālaṃkāra) [The Ornament of the Light of Awareness That Enters the Domain of All Buddhas]. Toh 100, Degé Kangyur vol. 47 (mdo sde, ga), folios 276.a–305.a. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2015.
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Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan dkar gyi chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag). Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.
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Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans. (2020). Upholding the Roots of Virtue (Kuśalamūlasaṃparigraha, Toh 101). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2020.
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