Property:Glossary-PopUpScholarDefinition
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Anātman'' (P. ''anattā'' +, T. ''bdag med'') is a central Buddhist doctrine asserting the absence of a permanent, unchanging, independent self or soul (''ātman'') in persons and phenomena. It is one of the three marks of existence (''trilakṣaṇa''), along with impermanence (''anitya'') and suffering (''duḥkha''). The teaching is not primarily an ontological denial but a soteriological strategy: by recognizing the selfless nature of the ''pañcaskandha'' (five aggregates)—form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness—practitioners overcome attachment and attain liberation. In Mahāyāna, ''anātman'' is analyzed as twofold: the selflessness of persons (''pudgalanairātmya'') and the selflessness of phenomena (''dharmanairātmya''), with the latter extending the analysis to all ''dharmas''. +
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A fundamental wholesome mental factor (Skt. ''karuṇā'' +, T. ''སྙིང་རྗེ་'') defined as the state of mind that cannot bear the suffering of others and fervently desires their release from all forms of distress and its causes. It is one of the four immeasurables (''brahmavihāra''). In Mahāyāna, it transforms into ''mahākaruṇā'' (great compassion), which is universally directed and serves as one of the indispensable method (''upāya'') components, that combined with wisdom (''prajñā''), lead to the full enlightenment of a Buddha. +
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''Anumāna'' (T. ''rjes dpag'') is one of the two principal means of valid cognition (''pramāṇa'' +, T. ''gzhan don rjes dpag''), which involves a formal syllogistic statement. +, T. ''mngon sum''). It is a conceptual cognition that ascertains an unperceived or hidden object (e.g., fire on a mountain, impermanence of a sound) through the force of a logical reason or mark (''liṅga'' or ''hetu'' +, …
The ''anuttarā-pūjā'' (T. ''bla na med pa'i mchod pa'') is a liturgical structure central to Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna practice, often identified with the ''saptāṅga-vidhi'' (Seven-Branch Service). It functions as a systematic method for the accumulation of merit (''puṇyasaṃbhāra'') and the purification of obscurations. The seven branches typically include prostration, offering, confession, rejoicing, requesting the turning of the wheel of Dharma, beseeching the buddhas not to pass into ''nirvāṇa'', and dedication of merit. +
A virtuous mental factor (Skt. ''apramāda'' +, P. ''appamāda'' +, T. ''bag yod pa'') defined as the vigilant attitude that strives toward wholesome activities and remains ever watchful against moral missteps and afflictions. It is considered a foundational quality that protects the mind and fosters steadfastness in spiritual practice, acting as the opposite of heedlessness (Skt. ''pramāda''). +
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One of the two primary divisions of ''bodhicitta'', referring to the non-conceptual wisdom that directly realizes the ultimate nature of phenomena (''dharmatā'') or emptiness (''śūnyatā''). Unlike conventional ''bodhicitta'', which involves aspirational and engaging states of mind, ultimate ''bodhicitta'' is identical to the realization achieved on the path of seeing and beyond. +
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P. ''ratanattaya''/''tiratana'' +, T. ''dkon mchog gsum''), or Three Jewels, constitute the core objects of Buddhist refuge: the Buddha (the enlightened teacher), the Dharma (the path and teachings), and the Saṅgha (the community of noble beings). They are termed "jewels" (Skt. ''ratna'') because, like wish-fulfilling gems, they are rare, precious, and possess the power to provide protection from the sufferings of ''saṃsāra''. The Tibetan translation ''dkon mchog'' ("rare-supreme") is a semantic rendering that emphasizes these qualities rather than a phonetic transcription of ''ratna''. The refuge formula in Sanskrit is: ''Buddhaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi. Dharmaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi. Saṃghaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi.'' ("I go to the Buddha for refuge. I go to the Dharma for refuge. I go to the Saṅgha for refuge.") The Tibetan equivalent is: སངས་རྒྱས་ལ་སྐྱབས་སུ་མཆིའོ། །ཆོས་ལ་སྐྱབས་སུ་མཆིའོ། །དགེ་འདུན་ལ་སྐྱབས་སུ་མཆིའོ། (''sangs rgyas la skyabs su mchi'o / chos la skyabs su mchi'o / dge 'dun la skyabs su mchi'o''). +, The ''ratnatraya'' (Skt. +, …
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A mental factor (Skt. ''saṃprajanyam'' +, P. ''sampajañña'' +, T. ''shes bzhin'') that acts as a form of "internal spy" or monitoring awareness. It is the discriminative intelligence that knows what is occurring within the gates of the body, speech, and mind, allowing the practitioner to detect and correct distractions or afflictive states as they arise. It is the opposite of alertness. +
''Saṃvṛtibodhicitta'' (T. ''kun rdzob byang chub kyi sems''), relative or conventiional bodhicitta, is one of the two primary aspects of the 'mind of awakening,' the other being ultimate bodhicitta (''paramārthabodhicitta''). ''Saṃvṛtibodhicitta'' is characterized by the altruistic intention to attain perfect enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is further divided into:
1. Aspirational Bodhicitta (''praṇidhicitta'' +, T. '''jug pa byang chub kyi sems''): The actual engagement in the bodhisattva's path, which involves taking the bodhisattva vows and diligently practicing the six perfections (''pāramitā''). This is the practical application of the initial aspiration. +, T. ''smon pa byang chub kyi sems''): The sincere wish and resolve to achieve Buddhahood to liberate all beings from ''saṃsāra''.
2. Engaging/Applicational Bodhicitta (''prasthānacitta'' +
One of the five omnipresent mental factors (Skt. ''smṛtiḥ'' +, P. ''sati'' +, T. ''dran pa''), mindfulness is defined as the mental function of non-forgetfulness toward a familiar object. It serves as the basis for concentration (''samādhi'') and is a crucial component in the cultivation of both calm abiding (''śamatha'') and special insight (''vipaśyanā''). +
