The ultimate absence of marks and signs in perceived objects; one of the three gateways of liberation.
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.
An attainment characteristic of the effortless and spontaneous wakefulness of the eighth ground of the bodhisattvas.
The essentially pure nature of mind is obscured and afflicted by various psychological defilements, which destroy the mind’s peace and composure and lead to unwholesome deeds of body, speech, and mind, acting as causes for continued existence in saṃsāra. Included among them are the primary afflictions of desire (rāga), anger (dveṣa), and ignorance (moha). It is said that there are eighty-four thousand of these negative mental qualities, for which the eighty-four thousand categories of the Buddha’s teachings serve as the antidote.
Kleśa is also commonly translated as “negative emotions,” “disturbing emotions,” and so on. The Pāli kilesa, Middle Indic kileśa, and Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit kleśa all primarily mean “stain” or “defilement.” The translation “affliction” is a secondary development that derives from the more general (non-Buddhist) classical understanding of √kliś (“to harm,“ “to afflict”). Both meanings are noted by Buddhist commentators.
A buddha from the past.
The primary interlocutor of the sūtra, lit. “Infinite Intelligence.”
Name of the bodhisattva Vīrasena in a later life.
One-pointed intention, one-pointed thought, one-pointed diligence, and one-pointed investigation.
The Sanskrit term means “the view that the body is real,” the Tibetan term can be translated as “the view of the perishing collection,” and the Chinese translates as “the view of the body.” It refers to viewing the “perishing” collection of momentary, transitory aggregates—the body—as a self.
Head of the “sixteen excellent men” (ṣoḍaśasatpuruṣa), a group of householder bodhisattvas present in the audience of many sūtras. He appears prominently in certain sūtras, such as The Samādhi of the Presence of the Buddhas (Pratyutpannabuddhasaṃmukhāvasthitasamādhisūtra, Toh 133) and is perhaps also the merchant of the same name who is the principal interlocutor in The Questions of Bhadrapāla the Merchant (Toh 83).
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.
Name of Vīrasena when he becomes a buddha.
A buddha from the past.
A bodhisattva in the Buddha’s assembly.
(1) A queen of King Sarvārthasiddha. (dpag med spos) (2) A bodhisattva disciple of King of the Lunar Lamp. (dpag med dbyangs)
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).
A son of King Sarvārthasiddha.
Mindfulness, discrimination, diligence, joy, pliability, absorption, and equanimity.
A fully awakened being; when spelled with a capital letter it refers to the Buddha Śākyamuni, one of the Three Jewels, unless another buddha is specified.
Means “Periphery.” Name of mountain range that surrounds the world according to Buddhist cosmology.
In Buddhist usage, a general term for non-Buddhist religious mendicants, often occurring paired with Skt. parivrājaka in stock lists of followers of non-Buddhist traditions.
A buddha from the past.
Two different individuals in this sūtra: (1) a son of King Sarvārthasiddha and (2) a bodhisattva disciple of King of the Lunar Lamp.
Relinquishing negative acts in the present and the future and enhancing positive acts in the present and the future.
The buddha field of the Buddha King Who Transcends the Light of Mount Meru.
A state of mind characterized by joyful persistence when engaging in virtuous activity.
Controlled behavior in accordance with an ethical code of conduct.
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.
Correct view, intention, speech, actions, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration. These eight are included in the thirty-seven factors of awakening.
The body of a buddha visible to ordinary sentient beings.
Emptiness denotes the ultimate nature of reality, the total absence of inherent existence and self-identity with respect to all phenomena. According to this view, all things and events are devoid of any independent, intrinsic reality that constitutes their essence. Nothing can be said to exist independent of the complex network of factors that gives rise to its origination, nor are phenomena independent of the cognitive processes and mental constructs that make up the conventional framework within which their identity and existence are posited. When all levels of conceptualization dissolve and when all forms of dichotomizing tendencies are quelled through deliberate meditative deconstruction of conceptual elaborations, the ultimate nature of reality will finally become manifest. It is the first of the three gateways to liberation.
A son of King Sarvārthasiddha.
A queen of King Sarvārthasiddha.
Name of Heroic Strength when he becomes a buddha.
Thirty-seven practices that lead the practitioner to the awakened state: the four applications of mindfulness, the four thorough relinquishments, the four bases of supernatural power, the five powers, the five strengths, the eightfold path, and the seven branches of awakening.
A buddha from the past.
Mindfulness of the body, feelings, the mind, and phenomena.
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).
A Sino-Tibetan translator during the ninth century; the translator of The Armor Array.
The same as the Bodhisattva Vehicle, whose practitioners aim at complete buddhahood.
A disciple of the Buddha; in the sūtras, this term refers to the followers of the Hīnayāna, or the Lesser Vehicle.
A bodhisattva disciple of King Who Transcends the Light of Mount Meru.
The buddha field of the Buddha All-Illuminating.
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.
A place where the Buddha often resided, within the Bamboo Park (Veṇuvana) outside Rajagṛha that had been donated to him. The name is said to have arisen when, one day, King Bimbisāra fell asleep after a romantic liaison in the Bamboo Park. While the king rested, his consort wandered off. A snake (the reincarnation of the park’s previous owner, who still resented the king’s acquisition of the park) approached with malign intentions. Through the king’s tremendous merit, a gathering of kalandaka—crows or other birds according to Tibetan renderings, but some Sanskrit and Pali sources suggest flying squirrels—miraculously appeared and began squawking. Their clamor alerted the king’s consort to the danger, who rushed back and hacked the snake to pieces, thereby saving the king’s life. King Bimbisāra then named the spot Kalandakanivāpa (“Kalandakas’ Feeding Ground”), sometimes (though not in the Vinayavastu) given as Kalandakanivāsa (“Kalandakas’ Abode”) in their honor. The story is told in the Saṃghabhedavastu (Toh 1, ch.17, Degé Kangyur vol.4, folio 77.b et seq.). For more details and other origin stories, see the 84000 Knowledge Base article Veṇuvana and Kalandakanivāpa.
A buddha from the past.
The name of bodhisattva Cloud Voice when he becomes a buddha.
A universal monarch of the past, lit. “Accomplisher of All Aims.”
A buddha from the past.
A buddha from the past.
’phags pa go cha’i bkod pa bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. Toh 51, Degé Kangyur, vol. 40 (dkon brtsegs, kha), folios 70.b–140.a.
’phags pa go cha’i bkod pa bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 40, pp. 188–356.
pho brang stod thang ldan dkar gyi chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag [Denkarma]. Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur, vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.
Bei jia zhuangyan hui 被甲莊嚴會. Taishō 310 (7).
Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.
Longchen Rabjam (klong chen rab ’byams). rdzogs pa chen po sems nyid ngal gso’i ’grel ba shing rta chen po zhey bya ba. In: rdzogs pa chen po ngal gso skor gsum. zhang kang then ma dpe skrun khang. 2005.
Pawo Tsuglag Trengwa (dpa’ bo gtsug lag phreng ba). byang chub sems dpa’i spyod pa la ’jug pa’i rnam par bshad pa theg chen chos kyi rgya mtsho zab rgyas mtha’ yas pa’i snying po. Xining: mtsho sngon mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2004.
Dakpo Tashi Namgyal (dwags po bkra shis rnam rgyal), translated by Lobsang P. Lhalungpa. Mahāmudrā—The Moonlight—Quintessence of Mind and Meditation. Boston: Insight Publications, 2006.
Buswell, Robert E., Jr., and Donald S. Lopez, Jr. The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2013.
Stein, R.A. “Tibetica Antiqua I: The Two Vocabularies of Indo-Tibetan and Sino-Tibetan Translations in the Dunhuang Manuscripts.” In Arthur P. McKeown, trans. and ed., Rolf Stein’s Tibetica Antiqua. Boston: Brill, 2010, 1–96.