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.

Ca. eleventh century; a paṇḍita who worked with Khampa Lotsāwa Bari Chödrak on a number of translations. Not to be confused with the eighth century translator of the same name who translated texts into Chinese.

705–74. A famous and prolific translator, he is particularly renowned for his Chinese translations of Indian Buddhist esoteric works. He is known to have sailed from South India to China via Sri Lanka between 741 and 746. Not to be confused with the eleventh century paṇḍita of the same name who translated texts into Tibetan.

Name invoked in the dhāraṇī of Parṇaśavarī.

One of the “eight close sons of the Buddha,” he is also known as the bodhisattva who embodies compassion. In certain tantras, he is also the lord of the three families, where he embodies the compassion of the buddhas. In Tibet, he attained great significance as a special protector of Tibet, and in China, in female form, as Guanyin, the most important bodhisattva in all of East Asia.

A frequently invoked divinity in esoteric Buddhist literature, her name references one of the lowest castes in Indian society.

A Chinese translator active in the tenth century.

A frequently invoked divinity in esoteric Buddhist literature.

A frequently invoked divinity in esoteric Buddhist literature, her name means “brilliantly white.”

A Tibetan translator and scholar (1147–1216), the third of the five Sakya forefathers and teacher of Sakya Paṇḍita; he translated and compiled a collection of 245 sādhanas in the Tengyur under the title Ocean of Sādhanas (sgrubs thabs rgya mtsho).

A generally malevolent class of semidivine beings.

1040–11; the Tibetan translator and second throne-holding Sakya heirarch, also known as Bari Lotsāwa or Rinchen Drak (rin chen grags) who, among many other texts, translated ninety-three sādhanas that are grouped together under his name in the Tibetan canon.

Name invoked in the dhāraṇī of Parṇaśavarī.

A bodhisattva who serves alongside Avalokiteśvara as Amitābha’s attendant in the buddhafield of Sukhāvatī. As his name suggests, he is renowned for possessing great strength (Skt. prāpta; Tib. thob pa) and power (Skt. mahāsthāma; Tib. mthu chen).

Name invoked in the dhāraṇī of Parṇaśavarī.

A frequently invoked divinity in esoteric Buddhist literature, her name references one of the lowest castes in Indian society.

A piśācī renowned for her ability to cure disease, avert epidemics, and pacify obstacles. She is often considered a form of Tārā.

A female member of a class of semidivine beings traditionally associated with the wild, remote places of the earth. They are considered particularly violent and known to devour flesh.

A frequently invoked divinity in esoteric Buddhist literature.