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Amalavijñāna + (See page 33: In Sanskrit, “immaculate cons … See page 33: In Sanskrit, “immaculate consciousness”; a ninth level of consciousness posited in certain strands of the Yogācāra school, especially that taught by the Indian translator and exegete Paramārtha . The amalavijñāna represents the intrusion of tathāgatagarbha (womb or embryo of buddhahood) thought into the eight-consciousnesses theory of the Yogācāra school. The amalavijñāna may have antecedents in the notion of immaculate gnosis (amalajñāna) in the ''Ratnagotravibhāga'' and is claimed to be first mentioned in Sthiramati’s school of Yogācāra, to which Paramārtha belonged. The term is not attested in Sanskrit materials, however, and may be of Chinese provenance.however, and may be of Chinese provenance.)
Icchantika + (See page 370: In Sanskrit, “incorrigibles” … See page 370: In Sanskrit, “incorrigibles”; a term used in the Mahāyāna tradition to refer to a class of beings who have lost all potential to achieve enlightenment or buddhahood. The term seems to derive from the present participle icchant (desiring), and may be rendered loosely into English as something like “hedonist” or “dissipated” (denotations suggested in theTibetan rendering 'dod chen (po), “subject to great desire”). (The Sinographs are simply a transcription of the Sanskrit.)e simply a transcription of the Sanskrit.))
Anātman + (See page 42: In Sanskrit, “no self” or “no … See page 42: In Sanskrit, “no self” or “nonself” or more broadly “insubstantiality”; the third of the “three marks” (trilakṣaṇa) of existence, along with impermanence (anitya) and suffering (duḥkha). The concept is one of the key insights of the Buddha, and it is foundational to the Buddhist analysis of the compounded quality (samskrta) of existence: since all compounded things are the fruition (phala) of a specific set of causes (hetu) and conditions (pratyaya), they are therefore absent of any perduring substratum of being.sent of any perduring substratum of being.)
Kleśa + (See page 438: In Sanskrit, “afflictions,” … See page 438: In Sanskrit, “afflictions,” or “defilements”; mental factors that disturb the mind and incite unwholesome (akuśala) deeds of body, speech, and/or mind. In order to be liberated from rebirth, the kleśa and the actions they incite must be controlled and finally eliminated. A typical Standard list of kleśa includes the so-called three poisons (trjviṣa) of greed or sensuality (rāga or lobha), hatred or aversion (dveṣa), and delusion (moha). or aversion (dveṣa), and delusion (moha).)
Prabhāsvaratā + (See page 653: In Sanskrit, “luminous,” “resplendent”; referring to an effulgence of light and often used as a metaphor for either deep states of meditation or, especially, the nature of the mind.)
Prabhāsvaracitta + (See page 653: In Sanskrit, “mind of clear light.” According to the Systems of Anuttarayogatantra, this state of mind is the most subtle form of consciousness, which must be used to perceive reality directly in order to achieve buddhahood.)
Prajñā + (See page 655: In Sanskrit, typically trans … See page 655: In Sanskrit, typically translated “wisdom,” but having connotations perhaps closer to “gnosis,” “awareness,” and in some contexts “cognition”; the term has the general sense of accurate and precise understanding, but is used most often to refer to an understanding of reality that transcends ordinary comprehension. It is one of the most important terms in Buddhist thought, occurring in a variety of contexts. In Buddhist epistemology, prajñā is listed as one of the five mental concomitants (caitta) that accompany all virtuous (kuśala) states of mind. It is associated with correct, analytical discrimination of the various factors (dharma) enumerated in the Buddhist teachings (dharmapravicaya). In this context, prajñā refers to the capacity to distinguish between the faults and virtues of objects in such a way as to overcome doubt.bjects in such a way as to overcome doubt.)
Prajñāpāramitā + (See page 656: In Sanskrit, “perfection of … See page 656: In Sanskrit, “perfection of wisdom” or “perfect wisdom”; a polysemous term, which appears in Päli accounts of the Buddha’s prior training as a bodhisattva (P. bodhisatta), but is widely used in Mahāyāna Buddhism. Prajñāpāramitā refers to a level of understanding beyond that of ordinary wisdom, especially referring to the the wisdom associated with, or required to achieve, buddhahood. The term receives a variety of interpretations, but it is often said to be the wisdom that does not conceive of an agent, an object, or an action as being ultimately real. The perfection of wisdom is also sometimes defined as the knowledge of emptiness (śūnyatā). As the wisdom associated with buddhahood, prajñāpāramitā is the sixth of the six perfections (pāramitā) that are practiced on the bodhisattva path.hat are practiced on the bodhisattva path.)
Prātimokṣasaṃvara + (See page 667: In Sanskrit, “restraint prof … See page 667: In Sanskrit, “restraint proffered by the disciplinary code” (prātimokṣa); one of the three types of restraint (saṃvara) mentioned in the Vaibhāṣika school of Sarvāstivāda abhidharma, which are associated with “unmanifest material force” or “hidden imprints” (avijñaptirūpa)... The restraint inherent in the disciplinary code creates a special kind of “force field” that automatically protects and dissuades monks and nuns from unwholesome activity, even when they are not consciously aware that they are following the precepts or when they are asleep. This specific type of restraint is what makes a person a monk or a nun, since just wearing robes and following an ascetic way of life would not in themselves be enough to instill in him or her the protective power offered by the prātimokṣa.rotective power offered by the prātimokṣa.)
Samudānītagotra + (See page 759–60: In the Yogācāra school, a … See page 759–60: In the Yogācāra school, a distinction is made between the indestructible, inherent “naturally endowed lineage” (prakṛtisthagotra) and this changeable, continuously acquired “lineage conditioned by habits” (samudānītagotra). In contrast to the former, which predetermines a person’s orientation toward the two vehicles of either Mahāyāna or Hīnayāna, the latter allows for some leeway for personal adaptations and change through doctrinal study, practice, and exposure (these are what are meant by “habits”). According to this controversial Yogācāra tenet, whereas a person cannot effect change in terms of his highest spiritual potential and vehicular predisposition because of his “naturally endowed lineage,” he can nevertheless influence the speed with which he is able to attain enlightenment, and other extrinsic variations within his predetermined “lineage.” This flexibility is the lineage that is conditioned, and can be altered, by “habits.” Together and in contrast with the “naturally endowed lineage,” they are known as “the two lineages: intrinsic and acquired” (xingxi er[zhong]xing).nsic and acquired” (xingxi er[zhong]xing).)
Ātman + (See page 78: In Sanskrit, “self’ or “I,” w … See page 78: In Sanskrit, “self’ or “I,” with a similar range of meanings as the terms possess in English, but used especially to refer to a perduring substratum of being that is the agent of actions, the possessor of mind and body (nāmarūpa), and that passes from lifetime to lifetime.and that passes from lifetime to lifetime.)
Āvaraṇa + (See page 83: In Sanskrit and Pāli, “obstru … See page 83: In Sanskrit and Pāli, “obstruction,” “obstacle,” or “hindrance.” In Mahāyāna literature, two types of āvaraṇa are commonly described: “obstructions that are the afflictions,” or “afflictive obstructions” (kleśāvaraṇa), and cognitive or noetic obstructions, viz., “obstructions to omniscience” (jñeyāvaraṇa). Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas can be freed from the afflictive obstructions, but only bodhisattvas are able to free themselves from the cognitive obstructions. In the Yogācāra system, the cognitive obstructions result from fundamental misapprehensions about the nature of reality.apprehensions about the nature of reality.)
Sugatagarbha + (See page 865: in Sanskrit, “essence of the sugata,” a synonym for tathāgatagarbha.)
Avidyā + (See page 86: In Sanskrit, “ignorance”; the … See page 86: In Sanskrit, “ignorance”; the root cause of suffering (duḥkha) and one of the key terms in Buddhism. Ignorance occurs in many contexts in Buddhist doctrine. For example, ignorance is the first link in the twelvefold chain of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda) that sustains the cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra); it is the condition that creates the predispositions (saṃskāra) that lead to rebirth and thus inevitably to old age and death. Ignorance is also listed as one of the root afflictions (S. mūlakleśa) and the ten “fetters” (saṃyojana) that keep beings bound to samsāra. Avidyā is closely synonymous with “delusion” (moha), one of the three unwholesome roots (akuśalamūla). When they are distinguished, moha may be more of a generic foolishness and benightedness, whereas avidyā is instead an obstinate misunderstanding about the nature of the person and the world.ut the nature of the person and the world.)
Śūnyatā + (See page 871: In Sanskrit, “emptiness”; the term has a number of denotations, but is most commonly associated with the perfection of wisdom (prajñāpāramitā) sūtras and the Madhyamaka school of Mahāyāna philosophy.)
Svabhāva + (See page 879: In Sanskrit, “self-nature,” “intrinsic existence,” or “inherent existence,” the term has a general sense of “essence” or “nature,” but is used in philosophical literature.)
Svasaṃvedana + (See page 882: In Sanskrit, lit.“self-knowl … See page 882: In Sanskrit, lit.“self-knowledge” or “self-awareness,” also seen written as svasaṃveda, svasaṃvit, svasaṃvitti. In Buddhist epistemology, svasaṃvedana is that part of consciousness which, during a conscious act of seeing, hearing, thinking, and so on, apprehends not the external sensory object but the knowing consciousness itself.ject but the knowing consciousness itself.)
Tathāgatagarbha + (See page 897: In Sanskrit, variously trans … See page 897: In Sanskrit, variously translated as “womb of the tathāgatas,” “matrix of the tathāgatas,” “embryo of the tathāgatas,” “essence of the tathāgatas”; the term probably means “containing a tathāgatha.” It is more imprecisely interpreted as the “buddha-nature,” viz., the potential to achieve buddhahood that, according to some Mahāyāna schools, is inherent in all sentient beings.hools, is inherent in all sentient beings.)
Triyāna + (See page 926: In Sanskrit, “three vehicles,” three different means taught in Buddhist soteriological literature of conveying sentient beings to liberation.)
Triviṣa + (See page 926: In Sanskrit, “three poisons” … See page 926: In Sanskrit, “three poisons”; the three primary afflictions (mūlakleśa) of sensuality, desire, or greed (rāga or lobha), hatred or aversion (dveṣa), and delusion or ignorance (moha), regarded as poisons because of the harm they cause to those who ingest them or the way they poison the mind. This same list of three is also known as the three “unwholesome faculties” (akuśalamūla), which will fructify as unhappiness in the future and provide the foundation for unfavorable rebirths(apāya).undation for unfavorable rebirths (apāya).)
Pratipakṣa + (See pages 667 - 668: In Sanskrit, lit., “o … See pages 667 - 668: In Sanskrit, lit., “opposite”; a “counteragent” or “antidote,” a factor which, when present, precludes the presence of its opposite. In Buddhist meditation theory, an antidote may be a virtuous (kuśala) mental state (caitta) that is applied as a counteragent against a nonvirtuous (akuśala) mental state. The Buddhist premise that two contrary mental states cannot exist simultaneously leads to the development of specific meditations to be used as such counteragents, sometimes called the five “inhibitory” contemplations: (1) lust (rāga) is countered by the contemplations on impurity (aśubhabhāvanā), e.g., the cemetery contemplations on the stages in the decomposition of a corpse; (2) hatred (dveśa) is countered by the divine abiding (brahmavihāra) of lovingkindness (maitrī); (3) delusion (moha) is countered by contemplating the twelvefold chain of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda); (4) ego-conceit (asmimāna) is countered by the contemplation on the eighteen sense-fields (dhātu); and (5) discursive thought (vitarka) is countered by mindfulness of breathing (ānāpānasmrti). Progress on the path to liberation is also described technically in terms of the abandonment of a specific afflictive state (kleśa) through the application of its specific antidote. Thus, afflictions and their antidotes are enumerated for the nine levels of samsāra (the sensuous realm, or kāmadhātu, the four levels of the subtle-materiality realm, or rūpadhātu, and the four levels of the immaterial realm, or arūpyadhātu). In each case, the antidote is an increasingly powerful level of wisdom (prajñā) that displaces increasingly subtle levels of the afflictions. Both the four types of noble persons (āryapudgala) and the ten stages (bhūmi) of the bodhisattva are defined by which antidotes have been successfully applied to eradicate specific afflictions. Thus, the accumulation and application of various antidotes is one of the practices that a bodhisattva must learn to perfect. The Buddha is said to have taught 84,000 antidotes for the 84,000 afflictions.,000 antidotes for the 84,000 afflictions.)
Yogācāra + (See pp. 1033–34. In Sanskrit, “Practice of … See pp. 1033–34. In Sanskrit, “Practice of Yoga” ; one of the two major Mahāyāna philosophical schools (along with Madhyamaka) in India, known especially for its doctrines of “mind-only” (cittamātra) or “representation-only” (vijñaptimātratā), the trisvabhāva, and the ālayavijñāna. In addition, much of the exposition of the structure of the Mahāyāna path (mārga) and of the Mahāyāna ABHIDHARMA derives from this school. The texts of the school were widely influential in Tibet and East Asia.widely influential in Tibet and East Asia.)
Kṣaṇasaṃpad + (kṣaṇasaṃpad. ( P. khaṇasampadā; T. dal ’by … kṣaṇasaṃpad. ( P. khaṇasampadā; T. dal ’byor; C. chana juzu; J. setsunagusoku; K. ch’alla kujok 刹那具足). In Sanskrit, lit. “fortunate moment,” or an “auspicious moment,” viz., “opportune birth” (see kṣaṇa), referring specifically to rebirth as a human being and under circumstances that permit access to the practice of the dharma. The Tibetan literally means “freedom and endowment” or “leisure and opportunity,” referring to an auspicious human birth. Indian texts enumerate eight conditions of “nonleisure” (such as rebirth as an animal) and ten conditions of opportunity (such as rebirth in a land where the dharma is present).th in a land where the dharma is present).)

Byams chos sde lnga + (See page 159: In Tibetan, “the five books … See page 159: In Tibetan, “the five books of Maitreya” said to have been presented to Asaṅga by the bodhisattva Maitreya in the Tuṣita heaven; they are the Māhayāna-sūtrālaṃkāra, Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Madhyāntavibhāga, Dharmadharmatāvibhāga, and the Ratnagotravibhāga (Uttaratantra). and the Ratnagotravibhāga (Uttaratantra).)

Arhat + ((P. arahant; T. dgra bcom pa; C. aluohan/y … (P. arahant; T. dgra bcom pa; C. aluohan/yinggong; J. arakan/ögu; K. arahan/ünggong PījBiSI/JøSffi). In Sanskrit, “worthy one”; one who has destroyed the afflictions (kleśa) and all causes for future rebirth and who thus will enter nirväna at death; the Standard Tibetan translation dgra bcom pa (drachompa) (“foe-destroyer”) is based on the paronomastic gloss ari (“enemy”) and han (“to destroy”). The arhat is the highest of the four grades of Buddhist saint or “noble person” (Aryapudgala) recognized in the mainstream Buddhist schools; the others are, in ascending order, the SROTAApanna or “stream- enterer” (the first and lowest grade), the sakrdAgämin or “once- returner” (the second grade), and the a n ä g ä m i n or “nonreturner” (the third and penultimate grade). The arhat is one who has completely put aside all ten fetters (samyojana) that bind one to the cycle of rebirth: namely, (1) belief in the existence of a perduring seif (satkàyadrsti); (2) skeptical doubt (about the efficacy of the path) (vicikitsA); (3) belief in the efficacy of rites and rituals (śIlavrataparàm arśa) ; (4) sensual craving (kämaräga); (3) malice (vyäpäda); (6) craving for exis tence as a divinity ( d e v a ) in the realm o f subtle materiality (rüparäga); (7) craving for existence as a divinity in the imma terial realm (Arüpyaräga); (8) pride (mAna); (9) restlessness (auddhatya); and (10) ignorance (avidyä). Also described as one who has achieved the extinction of the contaminants (Asravaksaya), the arhat is one who has attained nirväna in this life, and at death attains final liberation (parinirvàna) and will never again be subject to rebirth. Although the arhat is regarded as the ideal spiritual type in the mainstream Buddhist traditions, where the Buddha is also described as an arhat, in the MahAyäna the attainment of an arhat pales before the far- superior achievements of a buddha. Although arhats also achieve enlightenment ( b o d h i ) , the Mahâyäna tradition pre- sumes that they have overcome only the first of the two kinds of obstructions, the afflictive obstructions (kleśAvarana), but are still subject to the noetic obstructions (jńeyàvarana); only the buddhas have completely overcome both and thus realizecomplete, perfect enlightenment (anuttarasamyaksambodhi). Certain arhats were selected by the Buddha to remain in the world until the coming of M aitreya. These arhats (called LUOHAN in Chinese, a transcription of arhat), who typically numbered sixteen (see sodaśasthavira), were objects of specific devotion in East Asian Buddhism, and East Asian monasteries will often contain a separate shrine to these luohans. Although in the Mahāyāna sūtras, the bodhisattva is extolled over the arhats, arhats figure prominendy in these texts, very often as members of the assembly for the Buddha’s discourse and sometimes as key figures. For example, in the SaddharmapundarIkasütra (“Lotus Sütra”), Śàriputra is one of the Buddha’s chief interlocutors and, with other arhats, receives a prophecy of his future buddha hood; in the V ajracchedikàprajñApAramitAsūtra, S ubhüti is the Buddha’s chief interlocutor; and in the VimalakIrtinirdeśa, Säriputra is made to play the fool in a conversation with a goddess.the fool in a conversation with a goddess.)
Mahāyoga + (In Sanskrit great yoga”; the seventh of th … In Sanskrit great yoga”; the seventh of the nine vehicles according to the Rnying ma sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Here, the system of practice described elsewhere as anuttarayogatantra is divided into three: mahäyoga, anuyoga, and atiyoga, with mahäyoga corresponding roughly to practices of the “stage of generation” (utpaitikrama), in which one visualizes oneself as a deity and one’s environment as a maņdala. Its root text is the Guhyagarbhatantra.a. Its root text is the Guhyagarbhatantra.)
Buddhadhātu + (In Sanskrit, “buddha-element,” or “buddha-nature”; the inherent potential of all sentient beings to achieve buddhahood. See page 151.)
Nirmāṇakāya + (In Sanskrit, “emanation body,” or “transfo … In Sanskrit, “emanation body,” or “transfor mation body”; according to the M a h à y à n a descriptions, one of the three bodies (trikäya) of a buddha, together with the dharmakAya andthesambhogakäya. Inaccountswhereabud dha is said to have two bodies, the dharmakäya constitutes one body and the r ü p a k ä y a constitutes the other, with the rūpakāya subsuming both the sambhogakäya and the nirmānakāya. The term nirmānakāya may have been employed originally to describe the doubles of himself that the Buddha is sometimes said to display in order to teach multiple audiences simulta- neously. (Cf. m ahA prâtihärya.) In the Mahäyäna, however, the emanation body became the only body of a buddha to appear to ordinary beings, implying that the “historical Buddha” was in fact a display intended to inspire the world; in the debates about whether the Buddha feit hunger or suffered physical pain, the Mahäyäna schools as well as several of the mainstream Buddhist schools assertedthathedidnot,butratherappeared to do so in order to conform to worldly conventions. The nirmānakāya of a buddha is said to be able to appear in any form, including divinities, humans, animals, and inanimate objects; some texts even suggest that a buddha may appear as a bridge or a cooling breeze. The form of the nirmãnakāya that appeared in India as Śākyamuni is called a “supreme emanation body”(uttamanirmänakäya). Allsuchnirmānakāyasaresaidto perform twelve deeds, from waiting in t u s i t a heaven for their last rebirth to entering parinirväna. Another type of nirmānakāyaisthejanmanirmänakAya, the“birth”or“created” emanation body, which is the form of a buddha when he appears as a divinity, human, or animal to benefit sentient beings, or as a beneficial inanimate object, such as a bridge. A third type is the śilpanirm ãnakàya, an “artisan emanation body,” in which a buddha appears in the world as an artisan or as a work of art. The Sanskrit term nirmānakāya is translated into Tibetan as sp ru l sku, spelled in English as tulku. sp ru l sku, spelled in English as tulku.)
Saṃbhogakāya + (In Sanskrit, “enjoyment body” or “reward b … In Sanskrit, “enjoyment body” or “reward body”; in the MahAyäna, the second of the three bodies of a buddha (trikäya), along with the body of reality (dharmakäya) and the transformation body (nirmAnakäya). The sambhogakäya is described as simultaneously a body for one’s own enjoyment (C. zi shouyong shen), in which the buddha knows the joy that comes from experiencing the dharma for oneself; and a body for others’ enjoyment (C. ta shouyong shen), in which advanced bodhisattvas experience the increasing magnificence o f the buddha’s grandeur as they continue to move up the bodhisattva path (märga). The sambhogakäya buddha is adorned with all the accoutrements that are received as rewards for his advanced spiritual experi ence, which are only visible to similarly advanced beings, specifically bodhisattvas at the first bodhisattva stage (bodhisattvabhüm i) and upwards who are dwelling in buddha- fields (buddhaksetra). Lesser beings, such as humans, are only able to view the manifestation body (nirmānakāya) of a buddha, not his sambhogakäya. In bipartite divisions of the buddhas’ bodies as a flesh body (rüpakAya) and a body of reality (dharmakäya), the sambhogakāya and nirmānakāya are sub- sumed within the rūpakāya. A sambhogakäya is defined by fivecertainties: it will always be in an AKANISTHA heaven, it will always teach Mahäyäna doctrine, it will always last until the end of samsära, it will always be surrounded exclusively by bodhisattvas who have reached the bodhisattva bhümis, and it will always be endowed with the thirty-two major and eighty minor marks of a great person (see mahäpurusalaksana).of a great person (see mahäpurusalaksana).)
Sādhana + (In Sanskrit, “method” or “technique,” used … In Sanskrit, “method” or “technique,” used especially in reference to a tantric ritual designed to receive attainments (siddhi) from a deity. Tantric sädhanas generally take one of two forms. In the first, the deity (which may be a buddha, bodhisattva, or another deity) is requested to appear before the meditator and is then worshipped in the expectation of receiving blessings. In the other type of tantric sädhana, the meditator imagines himself or herseif to be the deity at this very moment, that is, to have the exalted body, speech, and mind of an enlightened being. Tantric sädhanas tend to follow a fairly set sequence, whether they are simple or detailed. More elabo- rate sädhanas may include the recitation of a lineage of gurus; the creation of a protection wheel guarded by wrathful deities to subjugate enemies; the creation of a body m aņdala, in which a pantheon of deities take residence at various parts of the medi- tator’s body, etc. Although there are a great many variations of content and sequence, in many sädhanas, the meditator is instructed to imagine light radiating from the body, thus beck- oning buddhas and bodhisattvas from throughout the universe. Visualizing these deities arrayed in the space, the meditator then performs a series of Standard preliminary practices called the sevenfold Service (saptāńgavidhi), a Standard component of sädhanas. The seven elements are (1) obeisance, (2) offering (often concluding with a gift of the entire physical universe with all its marvels), (3) confession of misdeeds, (4) admiration of the virtuous deeds of others, (5) entreaty to the buddhas not to pass into nirväna, (6) supplication of the buddhas and bodhi sattvas to teach the dharma, and (7) dedication of the merit of performing the preceding toward the enlightenment of all beings. The meditator then goes for refuge to the three jeweis (ratnatraya), creates the aspiration for enlightenment (bodhi- citta; bodhicittotpäda), the promise to achieve buddhahood in order to liberate all beings in the universe from suffering, and dedicates the merit from the foregoing and subsequent practices toward that end. The meditator next cultivates the four “bound- less” attitudes (apramäna) of loving-kindness (maitrI), compas- sion (karunä), empathetic joy (muditä), and equanimity orimpartiality (upeksà), before meditating on emptiness (śünyatā) and reciting the purificatory mantra, om svabhāvaśuddhāh sarvadharmāh svabhāvaśuddho ’ham (“Om, naturally pure are all phenomena, naturally pure am I”), understanding that emp tiness is the primordial nature of everything, the unmoving world and the beings who move upon it. Out of this emptiness, the meditator next creates the maņdala. The next Step in the sädhana is for the meditator to animate the residents of the maņdala by causing the actual buddhas and bodhisattvas, referred to as “wisdom beings” (jńānasattva), to descend and merge with their imagined doubles, the “pledge beings” (samayasativa). Light radiates from the meditator’s heart, draw- ing the wisdom beings to the maņdala where, through offerings and the recitation of mantra, they are prompted to enter the residents of the maņdala. With the preliminary visualization now complete, the stage is set for the central meditation of the sädhana, which varies depending upon the purpose of the sädhana. Generally, offerings and prayers are made to a sequence of deities and boons are requested from them, each time accompanied with the recitation o f appropriate m a n t r a . At the end of the session, the meditator makes mental offerings to the assembly before inviting them to leave, at which point the entire visualization, the palace and its residents, dissolve into emptiness. The sädhana ends with a dedication of the merit accrued to the welfare of all beings.erit accrued to the welfare of all beings.)
Pāramitā + (In Sanskrit, “perfection,” a virtue or qua … In Sanskrit, “perfection,” a virtue or quality developed and practiced by a bodhisattva on the path to becoming a buddha. The term is paranomastically glossed by some traditional commentators as “gone beyond” or “gone to the other side” (see pāra) , although it seems in fact to derive from Skt. parama, meaning “highest” or “supreme.” The best-known enumeration of the perfections is a group of six: giving (dāna), morality (śIla), patience or forbearance (kṣänti), effort (vIrya), concentration (dhyāna), and wisdom (prajnā). There are also lists of ten perfections. In the Mahāyāna (specifically in the Daśabhūmikasūtra), the list of ten includes the preceding six, to which are added method (upāya), vow (pranidhāna), power (bala), and knowledge (jnäna), with the explanation that the bodhisattva practices the perfections in this order on each of the ten bodhisattva stages or grounds (bhūmi). Thus, giving is perfected on the first bhümi, morality on the second, and so on. In Päli sources, where the perfections are called pãramī, the ten perfections are giving (dāna), morality (śIla), renunciation (nekkhamma; S. naiskramya) , wisdom (paññā), effort (viriya), patience (kṣänti), truthfulness (sacca; S. satya), determination (adhitthāna; S. adhisthāna), loving- kindness (mettā; S. maitri), and equanimity (upekkhā; S. upeksā). The practice of these perfections over the course of the many lifetimes of the bodhisattva’s path eventually fructifies in the achievement of buddhahood. The precise meaning of the perfections is discussed at length, as is the question of how the six (or ten) are to be divided between the categories of merit ( puņya ) and wisdom ( jnāna ) . For example, according to one interpretation of the six perfections, giving, morality, and patience contribute to the collection of merit (punyasambhāra); concentration and wisdom contribute to the collection of wisdom (jnänasam bhära), and effort contributes to both. Commentators also consider what distinguishes the practice o f these six from other instances of the practice of giving, etc. Some Madhyamaka exegetes, for example, argue that these virtues only become perfections when the bodhisattva engages in them with an understanding of emptiness (śūnyatā); for example, giving a gift without clinging to any conception of giver, gift, or recipient.y conception of giver, gift, or recipient.)
Ālayavijñāna + (In Sanskrit, “storehouse consciousness” or … In Sanskrit, “storehouse consciousness” or “foundational consciousness”; the eighth of the eight types of consciousness (vijñāna) posited in the Yogācāra school. All forms of Buddhist thought must be able to uphold (1) the principle of the cause and effect of actions (karman), the structure of saṃsāra, and the process of liberation (vimokṣa) from it, while also upholding (2) the fundamental doctrines of impermanence (anitya) and the lack of a perduring self (anātman). The most famous and comprehensive solution to the range of problems created by these apparently contradictory elements is the ālayavijñāna, often translated as the “storehouse consciousness.” This doctrinal concept derives in India from the Yogācāra school, especially from Asaṅga and Vasubandhu and their commentators... (p. 31)subandhu and their commentators... (p. 31))
Anuyoga + (In Sanskrit, “subsequent yoga” or “further … In Sanskrit, “subsequent yoga” or “further yoga,” the eighth of the nine vehicles (theg pa dgu) of Buddhism according to the Rnying ma sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Here, the system of practice described elsewhere as Anuttarayogatantra is divided into three: m a h ä y o g a , anuyoga, and atiyoga, with anuyoga corresponding to the practices of the “stage of completion” (nispannakrama), mahäyoga to the stage of generation (utpattikram a) and atiyoga to the great completion (rdzogs chen) and the spontaneous achievement of buddhahood. Thus, such stage of completion practices as causing the winds ( p r ä n a ) to move through the channels (nädI) to the cakras are set forth in anuyoga. In Rnying ma, anuyoga is also a category of texts in the Rnying ma’i rgyud ’bum, divided under the following headings: the four root sütras (rtsa ba’i mdo bzhi), the six tantras clarifying the six limits (mtha’ drug gsal bar byed p a i rgyud drug), the twelve rare tantras (dkon rgyud bcu gnyis), and the seventy written scriptures (lung gi yi ge bdun bcu).itten scriptures (lung gi yi ge bdun bcu).)
Atiyoga + (In Sanskrit, “sur- passing yoga”; the nint … In Sanskrit, “sur- passing yoga”; the ninth and most advanced of the nine vehicles according to the Rnying ma sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Here, the system of practice described elsewhere as anuttarayo- GATANTRA is divided into three: mahäyoga, anuyoga, and atiyoga, with atiyoga referring to the practice of the great com- pletion (rdzogs chen) in which all the phenomena of samsära and nirvAna appear as the sport ofself-arisen wisdom. appear as the sport ofself-arisen wisdom.)
Sarma + (In Tibetan, “new,” and taken to mean, “fol … In Tibetan, “new,” and taken to mean, “followers of the new translations,” in contradistinction to the RNYING ma, the “old” or “followers of the old translations.” Tibetan historians describe the dissemination of Buddhism to Tibet as occurring in two waves, the first, called the earlier dissemination ( s n g a d a r ) , beginning in the seventh Century and ending with the persecutions of Buddhism under King Glang dar ma in the ninth Century. The second wave, called the latter dissemination (phyi dar), is generally marked by the return of the Tibetan translator Rin chen bzang po from India and the new translations undertaken by him and others of t a n t r a s that had been translated in the earlier period and the translations o f a ränge o f texts not previously translated. These are called the “new translations.” By extension, the sects that developed subsequendy based on the translations of these texts are called collectively the “new sects” (gsar ma), identified as the three sects o f B k a ’ b r g y u d , S a s k y a , and B k a ’ g d a m s (later D g e l u g s ) . Those who continued to rely on the earlier translations (which included works that some members of the new sects would claim to be apocryphal) came to be known as the “old sect” (Rnying ma).to be known as the “old sect” (Rnying ma).)
Lam rim + (In Tibetan, “stages o f the path” ; a comm … In Tibetan, “stages o f the path” ; a common abbreviation for byang chub lam gyi rim pa (jangchup lamkyi rimpa), or “stages of the path to enlightenment,” a broad methodological framework for the study and practice of the complete Buddhist path to awakening, as well as the name for a major genre of Tibetan literature describing that path. It is closely allied to the genre known as bstan rim, or “stages of the doctrine.” The initial inspiration for the instructions of this System is usually attributed to the Bengali master Atiśa Dīpamkaraśrījñāna, whose Bodhipathapradīpa (“Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment”) became a model for numerous later stages of the path texts. The system presents a graduated and comprehensive approach to studying the central tenets of Mahāyāna Buddhist thought and is often organized around a presentation o f the three levels o f spiritual predilection, personified as “three individuals” (skyes bugsum): lesser, intermediate, and superior. The stages gradually leadtheStudentfromthelowestlevelofseekingmerelytoobtain a better rebirth, through the intermediate level ofwishing for one’s own individual liberation, and finally to adopting the Mahāyāna outlook of the “superior individual,” viz., aspiring to attain buddhahood in order to benefit all living beings. The approach is most often grounded in the teachings of the sütra and usually concludes with a brief overview of tantra.concludes with a brief overview of tantra.)
Madhyamaka + (See p. 487: In Sanskrit, “Middle Way (scho … See p. 487: In Sanskrit, “Middle Way (school)”; a proponent or follower of the middle way” (madhyamapratipad); Buddhism is renowned as the middle way between extremes, a term that appears in the Buddha’s first sermon (see P. ''Dhammacakkappavattanasutta'') in which he prescribed a middle path between the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. Thus, all proponents of Buddhism are in a sense proponents of the middle way, for each school of Buddhist philosophy identifies different versions of the two extremes and charts a middle way between them. The term Madhyamaka has however come to refer more specifically to the school of Buddhist philosophy that sets forth a middle way between the extreme of eternalism (śāśvataḍṛṣṭi) and the extreme of annihilationism (ucchedaḍṛṣṭi)- The Madhyamaka school derives from the works of Nāgārjuna, the c. second century CE philosopher who is traditionally regarded as its founder. His major philosophical works, especially his ''Mūlamadhyamakakārikā'' (a.k.a. ''Madhyamakaśāstra''), as well as the writings of his disciple Āryadeva, provide the locus classicus for the school (which only seems to have been designated the Madhyamaka school after Āryadeva’s time). Commentaries on their works (by such figures as Buddhapālita, Bhāvaviveka, and Candrakīrti) provide the primary medium for philosophical expression in the school. Madhyamaka was highly influential in Tibet, where it was traditionally considered the highest of the four schools of Indian Buddhist philosophy (Madhyamaka, Yogācāra, Sautrāntika, and Vaibhāṣika). Tibetan exegetes discerned two branches in the Madhyamaka, the Prāsaṅgika (associated with Buddhapālita and Candrakīrti) and the Svātantrika (associated with Bhāvaviveka and Śāntarakṣita). The works of Nāgārjuna and Āryadeva were also widely studied in East Asia, forming the basis of the “Three Treatises” school (C. San lun zong ; K. Sam non chong; J. Sanronshū), where the three treatises are the Zhong lun (the “Middle Treatise,” or ''Madhyamakaśāstra''), the Shi’ermen lun (“Twelve Gate Treatise,” or *''Dvādaśamukhaśāstra''), and the Bai Lun (“Hundred Verses Treatise,” *''Śataśāstra''), the latter two attributed to Āryadeva. The Madhyamaka school is most renowned for its exposition of the nature of reality, especially its deployment of the doctrines of emptiness (śūnyatā) and the two truths (satyadvaya).(śūnyatā) and the two truths (satyadvaya).)
Bhūmi + (See page 116: In Sanskrit, lit. “ground”; … See page 116: In Sanskrit, lit. “ground”; deriving from an abhidharma denotation of bhūmi as a way or path (mārga), the term is used metaphorically to denote a “stage” of training, especially in the career of the bodhisattva or, in some contexts, a śrāvaka...isattva or, in some contexts, a śrāvaka...)
Bīja + (See page 119: In Sanskrit, “seed,” a term … See page 119: In Sanskrit, “seed,” a term used metaphorically in two important contexts: (1) in the theory of ''karman'', an action is said to plant a “seed” or “potentiality” in the mind, where it will reside until it fructifies as a future experience or is destroyed by wisdom; (2) in tantric literature, many deities are said to have a “seed syllable” or seed mantra that is visualized and recited in liturgy and meditation in order to invoke the deity.d meditation in order to invoke the deity.)
Āgantukamala + (See page 19 (entry for āgantukakleśa): In … See page 19 (entry for āgantukakleśa): In Sanskrit, “adventitious afflictions” or “adventitious defilements”; indicating that the kleśa are accidental and extrinsic qualities of the mind, rather than natural and intrinsic. This notion builds on an ancient Strand in Buddhist thought, such as in the oft-quoted passage in the Pāli Aṅguttaranikāya: “The mind, O monks, is luminous but defiled by adventitious defilements.” Since defilements are introduced into the thought processes from without, the intrinsic purity of the mind (citta) can be restored through counteracting the influence of the kleśa and overcoming the inveterate tendency toward attachment and its concomitant craving (lobha) and ill will (dveṣa), which empower them.This concept of āgantukakleśa is critical to the Mahāyāna doctrine of tathāgatagarbha (embryo of buddhahood), where the mind is presumed to be innately enlightened, but that enlightenment is temporarily obscured orconcealed by defilements (kleśa) that are extrinsic to it.ilements (kleśa) that are extrinsic to it.)
Cittamātra + (See page 195: In Sanskrit, lit. “mind-only … See page 195: In Sanskrit, lit. “mind-only”; a term used in the ''Laṅkāvatārasūtra'' to describe the notion that the external world of the senses does not exist independently of the mind and that all phenomena are mere projections of consciousness. Because this doctrine is espoused by the Yogācāra, that school is sometimes referred to as cittamātra. The doctrine is closely associated with the eight consciousness (vijñāna) theory set forth in the ''Viniścayasaṃgrahaṇī'' of the ''Yogācārabhūmiśāstra'' and in the ''Mahāyānasaṃgraha'' and ''Abhidharmasamuccaya'' that are supplemental to that work.caya'' that are supplemental to that work.)
Advaya + (See page 20 - 21: In Sanskrit, “nonduality … See page 20 - 21: In Sanskrit, “nonduality”; one of the common synonyms for the highest teachings of Buddhism and one of the foundational principles of the Mahāyāna presentation of doctrine. Nonduality refers to the definitive awareness achieved through enlightenment, which transcends all of the conventional dichotomies into which compounded existence is divided (right and wrong, good and evil, etc.). Most specifically, nondual knowledge (advayajñāna) transcends the subject-object bifurcation that governs all conventional States of consciousness and engenders a distinctive type of awareness that no longer requires an object of consciousness.onger requires an object of consciousness.)
Dharmakāya + (See page 246: In Sanskrit, often translate … See page 246: In Sanskrit, often translated as “truth body,” one of thetwo (along with the rūpakāya) or three (along with the saṃbhogakāya and nirmāṇakāya) bodies of a buddha. In early discussions of the true nature of the Buddha, especially regarding the person of the Buddha to whom one goes for refuge (saraņa), the term dharmakāya seems to have been coined to refer to the corpus or collection (kāya) of the auspicious qualities (dharma) of the Buddha, including his wisdom, his compassion, his various powers, etc.; it also referred to the entire corpus (kāya) of the Buddha’s teachings (dharma). In the Mahāyāna, the term evolved into a kind of cosmic principle that was regarded as the true nature of the Buddha and the source from which his various other forms derived.... which his various other forms derived....)
Dharmatā + (See page 252: In Sanskrit, “the nature of … See page 252: In Sanskrit, “the nature of reality,” or “the nature of things,” interpreted in Chinese as the “dharma-nature”; the intrinsic nature (svabhāva) of dharmas, which is constant (nitya) and transcends all discriminative phenomena. Dharmatā is also sometimes used to mean “the way things are,” and is used interchangeably with other terms that have the connotation of “the real nature of things,” such as “suchness,” or “things as they are” (tathatā), dharma realm (dharmadhātu), emptiness (śūnyatā), the “real end” (bhūtakoṭi ), ultimate truth (paramārthasatya), etc., and is sometimes used in compound with those terms.metimes used in compound with those terms.)
Dhātu + (See page 254: In Sanskrit and Pāli, “eleme … See page 254: In Sanskrit and Pāli, “element”; a polysemous term with wide application in Buddhist contexts. In epistemology, the dhātus refer to the eighteen elements through which sensory experience is produced: the six sense bases, or sense organs (indriya; viz., eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind); the six corresponding sense objects (ālambana; viz., forms, sounds, odors, tastes, tangible objects, and mental phenomena); and the six sensory consciousnesses that result from contact (sparśa) between the corresponding base and object (vijñāna; viz., visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, and mental consciousnesses). As this list makes clear, the eighteen dhātus also subsume the twelve āyatana (sense-fields). The dhātus represent one of the three major taxonomies of dharmas found in the sūtras (along with skanda and āyatana), and represent a more primitive stage of dharma classification than the elaborate analyses found in much of the mature abhidharma literature (but cf. Dharmaskandha).In a physical sense, dhātu is used to refer to the constituent elements of the physical world, of which four are usually recognized in Buddhist materials: earth, water, fire, and wind. Sometimes two additional constituents are added to the list: space (ākāśa) and consciousness (vijñāna). In the ''Ratnagotravibhāga'', dhātu is synonymous with gotra, the final element that enables all beings to become buddhas.that enables all beings to become buddhas.)
Ekayāna + (See page 281: In Sanskrit, lit. “one vehic … See page 281: In Sanskrit, lit. “one vehicle” or “single vehicle.” “Vehicle” literally means “conveyance” or “transportation,” viz., the conveyance that carries sentient beings from saṃsāra to nirvāṇa; the term may also refer to the actual person who reaches the destination of the path. The doctrine of a single vehicle is set forth in certain Mahāyāna sūtras , most famously, the ''Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra'' (“Lotus Sūtra”), which declares that the three vehicles of the śrāvaka (disciple), pratyekabuddha (solitary buddha), and bodhisattva are actually just three expedient devices (upāyakauśalya) for attracting beings to the one buddha vehicle, via which they all become buddhas.ehicle, via which they all become buddhas.)
Gotra + (See page 325: In Sanskrit, “family” or “ … See page 325: In Sanskrit, “family” or “lineage,” used in a figurative sense. The vinaya explains that those in a noble family or line are those monks who are content with their robes, with whatever they receive in their begging bowls, and with low-quality bedding, and who take pleasure in forsaking the unwholesome (akuśala) and cultivating the wholesome (kuśala). In the Pāli abhidhamma, the moment when one’s concentration or insight moves from one “family” to another is called “change of lineage” (gotrabhū). In Mahāyāna literature (especially that associated with the Yogācāra), gotra refers to a destiny, almost in the sense of a spiritual disposition, that prompts one to follow a particular path to enlightenment. There is typically a list of five such spiritual destinies (pańcagotra) found in Yogācāra literature: (1) the tathāgata lineage, for those destined to become buddhas; (2) the pratyekabuddha lineage, for those destined to become arhats via the pratyekabuddhayāna; (3) the Śrāvaka lineage, for those who will become arhats via the śrāvakayāna; (4) those of indefinite (aniyata) lineage, who may change from any of three vehicles to another; and (5) those without lineage (agotra), who are ineligible for liberation or who have lost the prospect of becoming enlightened by being “incorrigibles” (icchantika). Another division of lineage is into Prakṛtisthagotra (naturally present) and samudānitagotra (developed). According to the Yogācārabhūmiśāstra, the former refers to one’s innate potential for spiritual achievement; the latter refers to the specific individual habits one can develop that will help speed the mastery of that potential. See also Faxiang zong; Śrāvakabhūmi.tial. See also Faxiang zong; Śrāvakabhūmi.)
Guṇa + (See page 336: In Sanskrit and Päli, lit. “string,” or “strand,” by extension a “quality” or “spiritual virtue.”)
Guṇapāramitā + (See page 337: In Sanskrit, “the perfection … See page 337: In Sanskrit, “the perfection of qualities,” referring to the four salutary qualities of the tathāgatagarbha: permanence, purity, bliss, and self, as described in the Śrīmālādevīsiṃhanādasūtra . These qualities are in distinction to the four perverted views (viparyāsa), where ignorant sentient beings regard the conditioned realm of saṃsāra as being permanent, pure, blissful, and self when in fact it is impermanent (anitya), impure (aśubha), suffering (duḥkha ), and not-self (anātman).ffering (duḥkha ), and not-self (anātman).)