In response to a series of queries from Mañjuśrī, Buddha
Śākyamuni first exposes the error that prevents sentient
beings in general from transcending saṃsāra, and then focuses more particularly
on errors that result from understanding the four truths of the noble ones based
on conceptual notions of phenomena. He then goes on to
explain how someone
wishing to attain liberation should skillfully view the following five
sets of qualities: (1) the four truths,
(2) the four applications of mindfulness, (3) the eightfold
path, (4) the five faculties, and (5) the
seven branches of enlightenment.
This translation was produced by the Sarasvatī
Translation Team. We would like to acknowledge the support
from the American Council of Learned Societies, which has
allowed a member of our team to devote time to this project.
With love and gratitude, we dedicate this work to the editor
of our team, Steven Rhodes, who passed away in 2017.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The doctrinal term “aids to enlightenment”
(bodhipakṣa),
referring to a set of essential Buddhist practices, represents
a perennial theme in Buddhist scriptures. While its role
is particularly prominent in non-Mahāyāna texts,
it also occupies an important place in Mahāyāna
sūtras. Even in Buddhist tantric texts, certain attributes of deities and
features of maṇḍalas are explained as symbolizing items
included in the aids to enlightenment.
The Teaching on the Aids to
Enlightenment, the sūtra translated here,
has a distinctive Mahāyāna tone.
It comprises a conversation between Buddha Śākyamuni and Mañjuśrī
that begins with a discussion of how one comes
to be trapped in saṃsāra and how, with the aim of
extricating oneself from this undesirable state, one
should relate to various phenomena. Within this
framework, the topic of the dialogue moves from the
four truths to some of the sets of qualities included among the aids to
enlightenment. In conclusion, the Buddha himself
conveniently provides the following summary of the
content of his teaching:
Mañjuśrī, I proclaim that those who see the four
truths of the noble ones, the four applications of
mindfulness, the eightfold path of the noble ones,
the five faculties, and the seven branches of
enlightenment in such a manner have crossed
over. (
)
Leaving aside the four truths of the noble ones,it is noteworthy that the sets of qualitiesdiscussed here comprise only four of the sevencategories into whichthe thirty-seven aids to enlightenment are usually grouped. The Mahāvyutpatti gives theseven categories as follows: (1) the fourapplications of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna, dran pa nye barbzhag pa, nos. 952–956); (2) the four kindsof effort (prahāṇa, yang dag par spong ba, nos.957–965); (3) the four bases of supernaturalpower (ṛddhipāda, rdzu ’phrul gyi rkang pa, nos. 966–975); (4) the five faculties (indriya,dbangpo, nos. 976–981); (5) the fivepowers (bala,stobs,nos. 982–987); (6) the seven branches ofenlightenment (bodhyaṅga,byang chubkyi yan lag, nos. 988–995); and (7) theeightfold path of the noble ones (aṣṭāṅgamārga, ’phags pa’i lam yanlag, nos. 996–1004). The second, third, and fifthcategories in this list are not explicitly discussedin this sūtra.
As mentioned above, the aids to enlightenment
are frequently mentioned in the Pali canon,
and The Teaching on the Aids to
Enlightenment does indeed make references to
these foundational Buddhist teachings. In connection
with the four truths of the noble ones, for
instance, it cites the common formula, “suffering is
to be known, its origin is to be abandoned, its
cessation is to be realized, the path is to be
cultivated.” Similarly, in the context of the four
applications of mindfulness, the Buddha tells
Mañjuśrī that he will teach the meditation on the
body as “ugly,” feeling and mind as “arising and
ceasing,” and phenomena as devoid of “notions of
them as wholes.” However, the sūtra uses these early
Buddhist teachings only as a starting point on which
to build those of its own. For example, in reference
to the application of mindfulness of feelings, the
Satipaṭṭhāna
Sutta states:
He lives in this way observing feelingsinternally, . . . or externally, or . . . internally andexternally.
On the other hand, TheTeaching on the Aids to Enlightenmentshows that there is more to such foundationalBuddhist teachings and points beyond them by sayingwhat appears to be the opposite:
Mañjuśrī, whoever does not perceive feelings—which, being neither inside, nor outside, are non-existent in both—is applying mindfulness that carefully considers feelings. (
)
In the initial part of its discourse, this sūtra
also places an emphasis on conceptualization as a
source of unenlightened existence. It sets out the traditional
description of how beliefs in notions of the
self and what belongs to the self are the origin of
karma and saṃsāra, but then also discusses
in detail a variety of other kinds of mental constructions
and conceptual ideas that cause problems on the path. This move calls to mind
Nāgārjuna’s exposition in the eighteenth chapter of
the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, where, after
deconstructing the self and what belongs to the
self, the pioneer Mahāyāna thinker writes that
“karma and afflictions arise from conceptualization,
and those [conceptual thoughts] come from conceptual
elaboration.” In other words, conceptual elaboration
(prapañca), with its dualistic tendency
to construct pairs of ideas—agent and
action, or man and woman—conditions
conceptualization, which leads to emotions, actions,
and finally our ordinary existence.
What is valuable about The
Teaching on the Aids to Enlightenment is
not the fact that it speaks about traditional
Buddhist subjects in a different way, but how it
does so. The sūtra’s exposition is for the most part
based on the Mahāyāna Buddhist doctrine of
emptiness, but what it offers on some of the individual aids to
enlightenment is highly varied in terms of how each
Buddhist practice is to be viewed in light of its
empty nature. It is in these detailed descriptions
that the reader will find fresh resources for
approaching these traditional Buddhist topics from a
distinctive Mahāyāna Buddhist perspective.
In the year 984, the Indian monk *Devaśāntika
(Tianxizai 天息災) translated this sūtra into Chinese,
with the title Foshuo dacheng shanjian
bianhua wenshushili wenfa jing
(佛說大乘善見變化文殊師利問法經, Taishō 472). The Tibetan and
Chinese translations diverge quite considerably in
certain details, as can be seen, for instance, in
the presentations of the individual
aids to enlightenment. The two translations
generally follow the same structure, although here
too there are a few differences. While the Chinese
takes the seven categories of
the aids to enlightenment in their usual order, the Tibetan presents the
eightfold path immediately after the applications of
mindfulness. Moreover, the Chinese translation
has the Buddha teaching the four kinds of effort and
five powers, two of the three categories
that are missing in the Tibetan. It also makes mention of
the bases of supernatural power as a category, although without
discussing the four bases individually.
There is no extant Sanskrit text of The Teaching on the Aids toEnlightenment. The present translationfrom the Tibetan is based on the DegéKangyur, with reference to the Stok Palacemanuscript Kangyur and the variant readings recordedin the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdurma) of the Kangyur.
Enlightenment
Homage to all buddhas and
bodhisattvas!
Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān wasresiding on Vulture Peak Mountain in Rājagṛhaaccompanied by a great bhikṣu saṅgha of five hundredbhikṣus, and by bodhisattva mahāsattvas such asMaitreya and Mañjuśrī.
At that time, the Bhagavān said to Youthful
Mañjuśrī, “Mañjuśrī, having minds that are misguided
by the four errors, sentient beings do not see the
four truths of the noble ones as they really are,
and therefore they do not transcend saṃsāra, which
is actually unreal.”
When the Bhagavān had said this, YouthfulMañjuśrī requested the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, pleaseexplain how sentient beings perceive things andtherefore do not transcend saṃsāra.”
The Bhagavān replied, “Mañjuśrī, it is becausethey assume a self and something that belongs to aself that sentient beings do not transcend saṃsāra.Why is that so? Mañjuśrī, it is because anyonewho considers things in terms of selfand other will bring about karma. Mañjuśrī,unlearned and ignorant ordinary beings, not knowingthat all phenomena have completely passed intonirvāṇa, perceive them in terms of self and other. With that perception,they bring about the three types of karma:corporeal, verbal, and mental. Reifying what doesnot exist, they think, ‘I am attached,’ ‘I amaverse,’ ‘I am perplexed.’
“If they go forth under the dispensation of theTathāgata, they think to themselves, ‘I possessethics,’ ‘I practice the spiritual life,’ ‘I shalltranscend saṃsāra,’ ‘I shall attain completenirvāṇa,’ ‘I shall become liberated fromsuffering.’
“They think, ‘These phenomena are virtuous,’
‘Those phenomena are nonvirtuous.’
“They think, ‘These phenomena are to beabandoned,’ ‘Those phenomena are to be broughtabout,’ ‘Suffering is to be known,’ ‘Its originis to be abandoned,’ ‘Its cessation is to berealized,’ ‘The path is to be cultivated.’
“They think, ‘Conditioned states are
impermanent,’ ‘Conditioned states are miserable,’
‘Conditioned states are burning,’ ‘I shall escape
from conditioned states.’
“Through concepts of this kind, they acquire adisenchantment induced by phenomenalcharacteristics, and theybring to mind notions induced byphenomenal characteristics. With such thoughts, they think to themselves,‘One who knows those phenomena is someone who knows suffering.’
“With that thought, they then think, ‘I must abandon the origin.’ They
are disturbed by all those phenomena, and do not
understand them; they are afraid, terrified,
and will be further terrified. With such thoughts, they then think,
‘The bringing about of these phenomena,
and being disturbed by those phenomena—these things are the origin that is abandoned.’
“With that thought, they then think, ‘I must
actualize cessation,’ and they think, having investigated those
phenomena, that they understand what cessation is. With those thoughts, they then
think, ‘These are the things that actualize cessation.’
“With that thought, they then think, ‘Imust cultivate the path.’ They goalone to an isolated place, and, by holdingthose phenomena in mind, they attain tranquility.Holding that disenchantment inmind and having attained tranquility,they disapprove of all phenomena, part from them,turn away from them, and, having withdrawn from them,they produce a mind of dislike.
“They think, ‘I am liberated from all suffering;
what more is there for me to do? I am an arhat.’
Based on this presumption, when at the time of death they see their
coming rebirth they become
apprehensive, uncertain, and doubtful about the
Buddha’s enlightenment. Having died with a mind
mired in doubt, they are born in the great hells.
“Why is that so? It is because they conceive of allthose phenomena, which are actuallyunproduced.”
Youthful Mañjuśrī then asked the Bhagavān,“Bhagavān, how should one view the four truths ofthe noble ones?”
The Bhagavān replied, “Mañjuśrī, whoever seesall conditioned states as unproduced has understoodsuffering. Whoever sees all phenomena as unarisenhas abandoned its origin.Whoever sees all phenomena as having completelypassed into nirvāṇa has realized cessation. Whoeversees all phenomena as having no existence hascultivated the path.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever sees the four truths of the
noble ones in this way does not mentally construct
and conceptualize, thinking, ‘These phenomena are
virtuous,’ ‘Those phenomena are nonvirtuous,’ ‘These
phenomena are to be abandoned,’ ‘Those phenomena are
to be realized,’ ‘Suffering is to be known,’
‘Its origin is to be abandoned,’ ‘Its cessation is
to be realized,’ ‘The path is to be cultivated.’
“Why is that so? It is because they see those
phenomena to which ignorant ordinary beings become
attached, averse, and perplexed as unproduced, and
because they see them as falsely imagined and
fabricated. So they do not adopt those phenomena at
all, nor do they reject them.
“Mentally unattached to the three realms, theysee all three realms as unproduced, like anillusion, a dream, an echo, and a visualaberration.
“By seeing the nature of all phenomena in thatway, they will become free from attachment andaversion toward all sentient beings.
“Why is that so? They do not perceive the
phenomena toward which they would have attachment or
aversion. With minds equal to space, they do not
perceive even the Buddha, nor do they perceive even
the Dharma or the Saṅgha. They do not perceive all
phenomena as empty, nor do they harbor doubt
regarding any phenomenon. Because they do not harbor doubt,
they will not appropriate. Because they do not appropriate,
they will attain complete nirvāṇa without further
appropriation.
“Mañjuśrī, bhikṣu Subhūti understands allphenomena in such a way, and therefore he does notcome to prostrate at the feet of the Tathāgata.
“Why is that so? It is because it would beimpossible—if he does not perceive even himself, howwould he perceive the Tathāgata?”
Then, Youthful Mañjuśrī asked the Bhagavān,“Bhagavān, how should one view the four applicationsof mindfulness?”
The Bhagavān replied, “Mañjuśrī, in the future I
will teach the bhikṣus the application of
mindfulness that carefully considers the body in its
ugly aspect. I will teach the application of
mindfulness that carefully considers feelings as
arising and ceasing. I will teach the application of
mindfulness that carefully considers the mind in
this way: ‘Regard the mind as having the quality of
arising and the quality of ceasing.’ I will teach
the application of mindfulness that carefully
considers phenomena in such a way that there will be
no notion of them as wholes. These teachings will
take place.”
When the Bhagavān had said this, YouthfulMañjuśrī asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, how shouldone view the four applications of mindfulness?”
The Bhagavān replied, “Mañjuśrī, regard them in terms of the allusive speech of the
Tathāgata, which is difficult to understand.”
“Bhagavān, please explainhow to cultivate the four applications ofmindfulness,” requested Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the Bhagavān, “regarding thebody to be like space is the application ofmindfulness that carefully considers the body.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever does not perceive feelings—which, being neither inside, nor outside, are non-existent in both—is applying mindfulness that carefully considers feelings.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever understands mind to be nomore than a mere name is applying mindfulness thatcarefully considers the mind.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever does not perceive virtuous,nonvirtuous, or neutral phenomena is applyingmindfulness that carefully considers phenomena.
“Mañjuśrī, this is how the four applications of
mindfulness are to be viewed.”
Mañjuśrī asked, “Bhagavān, how should one view
the eightfold path of the noble ones?”
The Bhagavān replied, “Mañjuśrī, whoever seesall phenomena as not unequal, nondual, and notdualistically distinguishable has right view.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever sees by way of notseeing—without conceptualizing, mentallyconstructing, or falsely imagining anyphenomenon—has right intention.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever sees all phenomena asinexpressible due to having meditated on thesameness of all expressions has right speech.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever sees all phenomena as freefrom action and instrument due to not perceiving anagent has right action.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever does not act to increase ordecrease any phenomenon due to abiding in thesameness of all livelihoods has rightlivelihood.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever, by way of applying themselves withoutexertion, does notinitiate anything has right effort.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever is not mindful of anyphenomenon due to being devoid of the act ofmindfulness has right mindfulness.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever sees all phenomena as
naturally meditatively concentrated and undisturbed
due to not perceiving any object of perception has
right meditative concentration.
“Mañjuśrī, this is how the eightfold path of the
noble ones is to be viewed.”
Mañjuśrī asked, “Bhagavān, how should one view
the five faculties?”
The Bhagavān replied, “Mañjuśrī, whoever has the
confidence to see all phenomena as unproduced by
virtue of their being intrinsically unproduced has
the faculty of faith.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever does not mentally let go ofany phenomenon due to being free from notions of faror near has the faculty of effort.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever does not seek to bring tomind or to be mindful of any phenomenon due to beingdisengaged from objects of perception has thefaculty of mindfulness.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever sees all phenomena as nondual on account of notperceiving dualistically has the faculty ofmeditative concentration.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever sees all phenomena as
intrinsically empty due to being devoid of being
produced and being devoid of not being known has the
faculty of wisdom.
“Mañjuśrī, this is how the five faculties should
be viewed.”
Mañjuśrī asked, “Bhagavān, how should one view
the seven branches of enlightenment?”
The Bhagavān replied, “Mañjuśrī, whoever sees
all phenomena as devoid of existence because there
is neither mindfulness nor attention has the branch
of enlightenment of right mindfulness.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever is disengaged from and doesnot perceive any phenomenon by not creatingvirtuous, nonvirtuous, or neutral states has thebranch of enlightenment of right discernment ofphenomena.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever neither adopts nor rejects
the three realms due to having destroyed the notion
of realms has the branch of enlightenment of right
effort.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever does not become joyous about
any conditioned state due to having done away with
joy and sorrow has the branch of enlightenment of
right joy.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever is mentally supple withrespect to all phenomena because of not perceivingobjects of perception has the branch ofenlightenment of right mental suppleness.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever does not perceive mindbecause of realizing that all phenomena have come toan end has the branch of enlightenment of rightmeditative concentration.
“Mañjuśrī, whoever does not rely on, depend on,or cleave to any phenomenon, and, acquiring theimpartiality of not seeing any phenomenon, attainsjoy has the branch of enlightenment of rightimpartiality.
“Mañjuśrī, this is how the seven branches of
enlightenment should be viewed.
“Mañjuśrī, I proclaim that those who see the four
truths of the noble ones, the four applications of
mindfulness, the eightfold path of the noble ones,
the five faculties, and the seven branches of
enlightenment in such a manner have crossed over.
I proclaim that they have gone to the other shore,
stand on dry land, have reached
happiness, have obtained fearlessness,
have laid down their burden, are free from
dust, have nothing whatsoever, are free of
afflictions, have no further appropriation, are
arhats, are śramaṇas, are brahmins, are cleansed, are
knowers, are those who have gone afar, are pure, are
heirs of the Buddha, are Śākya heirs, have
extracted the thorns, have crossed the pit, are
completely steady, are free from fever, are bhikṣus,
are noble ones, and are perfect banners.
“Mañjuśrī, those with such forbearance aredeserving of offerings from the world with itsgods—they are worthy of gifts and reverence.
“Therefore, Mañjuśrī, those bhikṣus who seek topartake of the country’s alms in a beneficial way,who seek to subdue Māra, who seek to transcendsaṃsāra, who seek to attain nirvāṇa, and who seek tobecome liberated from suffering should workdiligently on these Dharmas.”
When this Dharma discourse was taught,
thirty-two thousand gods realized the Dharma. They
sprinkled mandārava flowers upon the Bhagavān and
uttered these words:
“If those who just happen to hear this Dharmateaching by the Bhagavān will successfully go forthunder the Tathāgata’s dispensation and dowell, what more needs tobe said of those who, having listened to it,have confidence and faith in it, and uphold itaccordingly? Indeed, those whohappen to hear this Dharma teaching by the Bhagavānwill not become conceited.”
After the Bhagavān had spoken this teaching, Youthful
Mañjuśrī, the great śrāvakas, and the world with its
gods, humans, demigods, and gandharvas rejoiced, and
they praised what the Bhagavān had said.
This concludes the Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra, “The Teaching on the Aids to
Enlightenment.”
This sūtra was translated, edited, andfinalized, based on revisions done according to thelanguage reform, by the Indian preceptors Jinamitraand Jñānasiddhi, and by the chief editor andtranslator, Bandé Yeshé Dé.
Tibetan Texts
Chinese Text
afflictionnyon mongsཉོན་མོངས།kleśaAny defiled mental statethat disturbs the mind.
aid to enlightenmentbyang chub kyi phyogsབྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་ཕྱོགས།bodhipakṣaA set of thirty-sevenessential Buddhist practices. See
.aids toenlightenment
allusive speechldem po ngagལྡེམ་པོ་ངགsaṃdhāyavacanasaṃdhābhāṣyaSpeech with undisclosedmeaning; speech that is indirect and thereforerequires further interpretation.
application of mindfulnessdran pa nye bar gzhag paདྲན་པ་ཉེ་བར་གཞག་པ།smṛtyupasthānaSee “four applications of mindfulness.”
four applications of mindfulnessdran pa nye bar gzhag pa bzhiདྲན་པ་ཉེ་བར་གཞག་པ་བཞི།catuhsmṛtyupasthānaA meditation in which (in the most basic form in which it is taught) onesees the body as impure, feeling as painful, mindas transient, and things as without self.applications ofmindfulness
appropriatenye bar len paཉེ་བར་ལེན་པ།upādāAs one of the twelve linksof dependent origination, the noun formupādāna means to cling toexistence.appropriatingappropriation
arhatdgra bcom paདགྲ་བཅོམ་པ།arhatA person who has achievedcomplete liberation from saṃsāra.
attentionyid la byed paཡིད་ལ་བྱེད་པ།manasikāra
bhagavānbcom ldan ’dasབཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས།bhagavān
bhikṣudge slongདགེ་སློང་།bhikṣuA fully ordainedmonk.
carefully considerrjes su lta baརྗེས་སུ་ལྟ་བ།anupaś
conceptualizernam par rtog paརྣམ་པར་རྟོག་པ།vikḷpAccording to Buddhistepistemology, to conceptualize is to cognize insuch a way that language is involved as amedium.conceptualizing
conditioned state’du byedའདུ་བྱེད།saṃskāra
discernment of phenomenachos rnam par ’byed paཆོས་རྣམ་པར་འབྱེད་པ།dharmapravicaya
four kinds of effortyang dag par spong ba bzhiཡང་དག་པར་སྤོང་བ་བཞི།catvāri prahāṇāniThat the translation of this term shouldnot follow the Tibetan literally (which would yield “four kindsof abandoning”) is widely agreed. It is possible that the Tibetantranslators may originally have confused themeaning in Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit (BHS) of theterm prahāṇa(“priority”) with its meaning in classical Sanskrit (“elimination”).The classical Sanskrit equivalent of BHSprahāṇa ispradhāna.See Dayal, p. 102 ff.
effortbrtson ’grusབརྩོན་འགྲུས།vīrya
go forthrab tu ’byung baརབ་ཏུ་འབྱུང་བ།pravrajyāTo renounce settled, household life(“going forth from home to homelessness”) to becomea monk or wandering spiritual practitioner.
eightfold path of the noble ones’phags pa’i lam yan lagbrgyadའཕགས་པའི་ལམ་ཡན་ལག་བརྒྱད།āryāṣṭāṅgamārgaPath leading to theattainment of an arhat, consisting of right (1) view,(2) intention, (3) speech, (4) action, (5) livelihood, (6) effort,(7) mindfulness, and (8) meditative concentration.eightfold path
errorphyin ci logཕྱིན་ཅི་ལོགviparyāsaCognitive error contraryto Buddhist truth, especially perceptionsconcerning purity, happiness, permanence, and theexistence of an eternal self. See also “four errors.”
faithdad paདད་པ།śraddhā
falsely imaginedyang dag pa ma yin pa kunbrtags paཡང་དག་པ་མ་ཡིན་པ་ཀུན་བརྟགས་པ།abhūtaparikalpitaSomething unreal that isconstructed through imagination. Along with itsrelated form abhūtaparikalpa, itconveys an important concept in YogācāraBuddhist philosophy.
falsely imaginingkun tu rtog paཀུན་ཏུ་རྟོག་པ།saṃkḷpaSee “falsely imagined.”
five facultiesdbang po lngaདབང་པོ་ལྔ།pañcendriyāṇi(1) Faith, (2) effort,(3) mindfulness, (4) meditative concentration, and(5) wisdom.
four errorsphyin ci log bzhiཕྱིན་ཅི་ལོག་བཞི།catvāraḥ viparyāsāḥ(1) Seeing what ismiserable as pleasurable, (2) seeing what isimpermanent as permanent, (3) seeing what isimpure as pure, and (4) seeing what is devoid of aself as having a self. See also “error.”
four bases of supernatural powerrdzu ’phrul gyi rkang pa bzhiརྫུ་འཕྲུལ་གྱི་རྐང་པ་བཞི།catvāra ṛddhipādāConcentration based on (1) will, (2) effort,(3) mind, and (4) analysis.
four truths of the noble ones’phags pa’i bden pa bzhiའཕགས་པའི་བདེན་པ་བཞི།caturāryasatyaThe four truths of thenoble ones are the truths of (1) suffering, (2) the origin ofsuffering, (3) the cessation of suffering, and(4) the path.four truths
free from feverrims nad med paརིམས་ནད་མེད་པ།nirjvara
ignorant ordinary beingbyis pa so so’i skye boབྱིས་པ་སོ་སོའི་སྐྱེ་བོ།bālapṛthagjanaA person who has not had aperceptual experience of the truth and hastherefore not achieved the state of a nobleperson.
impartialitybtang snyomsབཏང་སྙོམས།upekṣāAn even state of mindcharacterized by the lack of disturbance andpleasure, where one wishes neither to be separatedfrom nor to approach the object.
joydga’ baདགའ་བ།prīti
Mārabdudབདུད།māraThe chief antagonist in the life of the Buddha, who tried to prevent the Buddha from achieving enlightenment and later attempted many times to thwart his activity.
meditative concentrationting nge ’dzinཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན།samādhi
meditatively concentratedmnyam par bzhag paམཉམ་པར་བཞག་པ།samāhitaEngaged single-pointedlyin the meditative state.
mentally constructrtog paརྟོག་པ།kḷpSame asconceptualizing.mentallyconstructing
mindfulnessdran paདྲན་པ།smṛti
neutrallung du ma bstan paལུང་དུ་མ་བསྟན་པ།avyākṛtaNeither virtuous nornonvirtuous.
notion’du shesའདུ་ཤེས།saṃjñā
objects of perceptiondmigs paདམིགས་པ།ālambana
right actionyang dag pa’i las kyimtha’ཡང་དག་པའི་ལས་ཀྱི་མཐའ།samyakkarmānta
right effortyang dag pa’i rtsol baཡང་དག་པའི་རྩོལ་བ།samyagvyāyāma
right intentionyang dag pa’i rtog paཡང་དག་པའི་རྟོག་པ།samyaksaṃkalpa
right livelihoodyang dag pa’i ’tsho baཡང་དག་པའི་འཚོ་བ།samyagājīva
right meditative concentrationyang dag pa’i ting nge’dzinཡང་དག་པའི་ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན།samyaksamādhi
right mindfulnessyang dag pa’i dran paཡང་དག་པའི་དྲན་པ།samyaksmṛti
right speechyang dag pa’i ngagཡང་དག་པའི་ངགsamyagvāc
right viewyang dag pa’i lta baཡང་དག་པའི་ལྟ་བ།samyagdṛṣṭi
seven branches of enlightenmentbyang chub kyi yan lagbdunབྱང་ཆུབ་ཀྱི་ཡན་ལག་བདུན།saptabodhyaṅgāni(1) Mindfulness, (2) discernmentof phenomena, (3) effort, (4) joy, (5) suppleness, (6) meditativeconcentration, and (7) impartiality.
spiritual lifetshangs par spyod paཚངས་པར་སྤྱོད་པ།brahmacarya
śramaṇadge sbyongདགེ་སྦྱོང་།śramaṇaThe Sanskrit term literally means “one who toils,”i.e., an ascetic, and the term is applied to spiritual renunciants or monks, whether Buddhist or otherwise.
supplenessshin tu sbyangs paཤིན་ཏུ་སྦྱངས་པ།prasrabdhiA state in which body and mind engage with ease in virtuousactivities.
tathāgatade bzhin gshegs paདེ་བཞིན་གཤེགས་པ།tathāgata“The Thus-Gone One,” an epithet for the Buddha.
tranquilityzhi gnasཞི་གནས།śamathaRemaining with the objectof meditation single-pointedly withoutdistraction; the cause of higher meditativestates.
visual aberrationmig yorམིག་ཡོར།pratibhāsa
wisdomshes rabཤེས་རབ།prajñā
Jinamitradzi na mi traཛི་ན་མི་ཏྲ།Jinamitra
Jñānasiddhidz+nyA na sid+dhiཛྙཱ་ན་སིདྡྷི།Jñānasiddhi
Maitreyabyams paབྱམས་པ།Maitreya
Mañjuśrī’jam dpalའཇམ་དཔལ།Mañjuśrī
ŚākyashAkyaཤཱཀྱ།ŚākyaName of the clan into which the Buddha was born.
Subhūtirab ’byorརབ་འབྱོར།Subhūti
Yeshé Déye shes sdeཡེ་ཤེས་སྡེ།
Youthful Mañjuśrī’jam dpal gzhon nur gyurpaའཇམ་དཔལ་གཞོན་ནུར་གྱུར་པ།MañjuśrīkumārabhūtaMañjuśrī who takes theform of a youth, an epithet by which thewell-known bodhisattva is oftenreferred.
Rājagṛhargyal po’i khabརྒྱལ་པོའི་ཁབ།Rājagṛha
Vulture Peak Mountainbya rgod kyi phung po’i riབྱ་རྒོད་ཀྱི་ཕུང་པོའི་རི།Gṛdhrakūṭa
