toh139
toh139
toh139
Vajramaṇḍadhāraṇī
འཕགས་པ་་་ང་ ་གངས་ས་་བ་ག་པ་ན་ ་མ།
’phags pa rdo rje snying po’i gzungs zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
Āryavajramaṇḍanāmadhāraṇīmahāyānasūtra
· Toh 139 ·
Degé Kangyur, vol. 56 (mdo sde, na), folios 278.a–289.b
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co. TABLE OF CONTENTS
ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
tr. The Translation
1. The Dhāraṇī of the Vajra Quintessence
c. Colophon
ab. Abbreviations
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
· Primary Sources
· Other Tibetan Sources
· Secondary Sources
g. Glossary
s. SUMMARY
s.1 In The Dhāraṇī of the Vajra Quintessence, the bodhisattva of wisdom Mañjuśrī
asks the Buddha to propound a teaching on the highest wisdom that
questions foundational Buddhist concepts and categories from an ultimate
standpoint without denying their conventional efficacy. The Buddha begins
by teaching, in a paradoxical tone that defines the entire discourse, that
although there is neither awakening nor buddha qualities, bodhisattvas
nonetheless aspire for buddhahood. This is followed by a lengthy series of
similar paradoxes that examine basic Buddhist distinctions between the
worlds of buddhas and sentient beings while pointing to the common
ground underlying them. One key doctrinal point is that the qualities of
ordinary people are neither distinct from, nor to be conflated with, the
qualities of buddhas. When asked why this is so, the Buddha explains that
the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence is nonconceptual and immanent in all
things, from emotional defilements up to the realization of buddhahood.
Since all phenomena are equally empty of intrinsic essence, they are already
intrinsically pure and beyond bondage or liberation.
ac. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ac.1 The translation was completed by David Jackson under the patronage and
supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha and edited by the
84000 editorial team.
i. INTRODUCTION
i.1 The Dhāraṇī of the Vajra Quintessence belongs to the Buddhist genre called
dhāraṇī or “incantation” (Tib. gzungs).1 In the Degé Kangyur most works of
this class, usually short Mahāyāna sūtras or tantric texts, are found in the
corresponding General Sūtra or Action Tantra sections, but are also
duplicated in their own Compendium of Dhāraṇīs section of two hundred
and sixty-four texts (Tohoku nos. 846–1108). The present scripture, however,
is included only in the General Sūtra section and is one of the few such
sūtras that, despite having the term dhāraṇī in their titles, are not duplicated
in the compendium.2 This particular text is not a dhāraṇī in the sense in
which that term is applied to a large number of scriptures containing a
specific mantra-like formula recited in order to bring about a desired result. It
contains no such formula at all, but rather presents a series of specific
dhāraṇī that constitute spiritual qualities or forms of spiritual realization.
First and foremost among these is the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence, which is
presented as the ultimate mode of being or state of realization that eludes all
conceptual appropriation while at the same time being immanent in all
things.
i.2 The basic meaning of the Sanskrit dhāraṇa is to “hold,” “uphold,” or
“maintain,” and by extension the term is frequently used in reference to
memory and learning. In the context of the present work, the terms dhāraṇī or
dhāraṇī gates (dhāraṇīmukha) refer at once to teachings that are retained, the
avenues for putting them into practice, and the spiritual realizations that are
thereby attained in a manner parallel to the way meditative absorption (samādhi)
or samādhi gates (samādhimukha) are presented in many other Mahāyāna
sūtras.
i.3 The sūtra opens in the town of Viśvā near the Himalayan mountains,3
where a large gathering of monks, gods, and celestial bodhisattvas have
assembled to receive teachings from the Buddha. The Buddha’s main
interlocutor throughout the teaching is the bodhisattva of wisdom, Mañjuśrī.
The central discourse of the text is preceded by several miracles, great and
small. First, the Buddha enters a special meditative state that renders him
invisible to his audience. He then summons all the followers of the
Mahāyāna in the universe and they miraculously assemble in the sky. At this
point, the great bodhisattvas Mañjuśrī, Maitreya, Ratnaketu, and
Avalokiteśvara each enter special meditative absorptions that evoke
miraculous changes in the minds of their audience. Finally, the Buddha emits
a vast array of multicolored light rays and proceeds to smile, with brilliant
light rays emanating from his mouth. When asked by Mañjuśrī what has
pleased him, the Buddha says that he is smiling because ten thousand
buddhas in the sky have taught the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence. Mañjuśrī
then requests the Buddha to teach that same dhāraṇī to all the assembled
bodhisattvas, and the remainder of the text consists of the Buddha’s
teaching and his intermittent replies to Mañjuśrī’s many questions on
important doctrinal points.
i.4 From the outset, the teaching is strikingly enigmatic. The Buddha begins
by warning his audience, in a paradoxical tone that defines the entire
discourse, that although there is neither awakening nor buddha qualities in
this dhāraṇī —understood here as both a type of discourse and a type of
nondual realization—bodhisattvas nonetheless strive for buddhahood.
There follows a lengthy series of similar paradoxes, which call into question
basic Buddhist distinctions between the “worlds” of buddhas and sentient
beings. One key doctrinal point in all this is that the qualities of ordinary
people are neither distinct from, nor to be conflated with, the qualities of
buddhas. When asked why this is so, the Buddha explains that the dhāraṇī of
the vajra quintessence is nonconceptual and immanent in all things, from
emotional defilements up to the realization of buddhahood. Moreover, since
all phenomena are equally empty of any intrinsic essence, they are all
already intrinsically pure and beyond bondage or liberation.
i.5 Next follows the first of three major sections of the sūtra, a teaching on the
three bases of the dhāraṇī, which turn out to be the three main defilements of
desire, anger, and confusion. Although these emotional defilements are
traditionally regarded as pollutants to be avoided, the Buddha explains that
they do not actually exist so there is nothing that becomes polluted, and
therefore nothing to purify. Since they are intrinsically empty, they are
considered bases of the dhāraṇī or the ultimate reality that is immanent in all
of them.
i.6 The second major section of the sūtra is a teaching on a series of eleven
Dharma gates that are also bases of the dhāraṇī, with each gate relating to a
different class of sentient being. They comprise the Dharma gates for gods,
nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, as
well as for a woman, for a man, and for hell beings.
i.7 Each of these modes of being constitutes a Dharma or dhāraṇī gate
because they are all nominal imputations having no actual existence, and
can thus facilitate the understanding of emptiness. In short, for a bodhisattva
who possesses this sort of dhāraṇī, a single syllable not only has multiple
possible references but can also open on to multiple forms of reality. In that
regard, all phenomena partake of this dhāraṇī and can thus become avenues
for both expressing and realizing the ultimate.
i.8 The final main section of the sūtra expounds another set of eleven dhāraṇī
gates. After learning about a special gate of nonduality, we learn that one of
the main gates of nonduality is the teaching that ignorance is awakening.
The teaching then proceeds to elucidate how each of the successive twelve
links of dependent origination (apart from the final link, which is omitted) is
equated with awakening. Although the idea of nonduality only appears in
this final section of the text, it is a key to understanding the overall thrust of
the Buddha’s discourse. For when it is understood that all phenomena are
equally empty and naturally luminous, the various conceptual constructs
and oppositional categories we use to evaluate and distinguish the real from
unreal, the good from the bad, the high from the low, collapse and their
unfabricated source is revealed. The teaching concludes with a remarkable
passage in which the Buddha explains to Mañjuśrī the bodhisattva level for
which this teaching is intended: it is intended for “the level of those
bodhisattvas who have not set out toward awakening, who have not
produced the intention to gain awakening, who do not see buddha qualities,
who do not wish to run away from desire, anger, and confusion, who do not
wish to go beyond saṃsāra, who do not wish to liberate sentient beings, and
who do not wish to realize the buddha qualities.” The work then concludes
with a description of the many benefits that derive from bearing this dhāraṇī
in mind, holding, reciting, and teaching this text and of the praises of the
teaching offered by the assembled audience.
i.9 To our knowledge, there is no extant Sanskrit manuscript of The Dhāraṇī of the
Vajra Quintessence. Two major Chinese translations of this text were
completed, first by Buddhaśānta either in the year 525 ᴄᴇ or the period
between 525–529 ᴄᴇ,4 and the second by Jñānagupta in 587 ᴄᴇ.5 The Tibetan
translators’ colophon states that the translation was made by the chief
translator Bandé Yeshé Dé with the help of the Indian scholar Śīlendrabodhi,
both of whom were active in the late eight to early ninth centuries ᴄᴇ. The
text is recorded in the Denkarma6 and Phangthangma7 inventories of Tibetan
imperial translations and appears to have been translated into Tibetan no
later than the early ninth century ᴄᴇ. A fragmentary version of this text is also
included in the collections of texts recovered from the Dunhuang caves of
Central Asia.8 Although The Dhāraṇī of the Vajra Quintessence is not cited in
Indian Buddhist texts, it is quoted by a few Tibetan scholars.9 This English
translation was prepared based on the Tibetan translation found in the Degé
Kangyur, in consultation with the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) and
the Stok Palace Kangyurs.
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra
The Dhāraṇī of the Vajra Quintessence
1. The Translation
[F.278.a]
1.2 Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was in a grass hut in the town
of Viśvā near the snow-peaked Himalayan mountains where he dwelled
with a great assembly of one thousand monks. At that time, the Blessed One,
avoiding eating alms-food after noon, sat upright in that grass hut with his
legs crossed and remained there, settled in mindfulness. Then the Blessed
One entered the meditative absorption called dwelling with equality toward all
phenomena, and as soon as the Blessed One had entered that absorption, the
whole assembly of monks could not see a body where the Blessed One was
seated.
1.3 At this point, through the power of the Buddha, Śakra, lord of the gods;
Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world; and thirty-two thousand minor gods of the
Śuddhāvāsa realms went to where the Buddha was staying. The lord of the
gods, Śakra, and Brahmā, the lord of the Sahā world, wondered, “Where is
the Buddha dwelling right now?” When they saw that the Blessed One had
entered into meditative concentration in that grass hut, they went to where
he was and sat before him in silence with their legs crossed. The many gods
of the Śuddhāvāsa realms also sat before him in silence with their legs
crossed.
1.4 At that point the Blessed One performed a miracle such that his
miraculous power caused all the beings in this trichiliocosm that belong to
the Bodhisattva Vehicle —whether they had newly entered that vehicle,
[F.278.b] had entered it long ago, had reached the stage of nonregression, or
had just one lifetime to go before reaching awakening —to proceeded to that
grass hut in the vicinity of the town of Viśvā. And after they had arrived, due
to the Buddha’s power, they hovered in midair at the height of a human
being with their legs crossed.
1.5 It was then that Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta entered the meditative absorption
called pleasing the minds of all sentient beings. As soon as he had entered it, the
minds of the entire assembly became happy, pleased, overjoyed, and deeply
satisfied. The bodhisattva Maitreya also entered the meditative absorption
called quelling all phenomena. Immediately thereafter, the faculties of the entire
assembly were in a state of stillness.
1.6 Then the bodhisattva Ratnaketu went to that grass hut in the vicinity of
the town of Viśvā with a retinue of sixty-two thousand bodhisattvas. As soon
as they arrived, they each thought, “I’ll take a seat in space directly above,”
and they hovered directly above with their legs crossed. Then Ratnaketu
entered the meditative absorption called great array, and as soon as he did the
sky was so completely filled with the blooms of lotuses and water lilies of
different kinds and colors that the rays of the sun and the moon were no
longer visible.
1.7 At that point, the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara came from the sky above to
the vicinity of the town of Viśvā where the Blessed One was staying with a
retinue of sixty-two thousand bodhisattvas. [F.279.a] Unable to find room on
the ground, he and the rest of those bodhisattvas took their a seat in the sky
above with their legs crossed. As soon as they were seated, the bodhisattva
Avalokiteśvara entered the meditative absorption called overcoming the
emotional defilements of all sentient beings, and the entire assembly gathered
there was immediately free of desire, anger, confusion, and all other
defilements.
1.8 Then the Blessed One rose into the sky above and smiled, and light rays of
myriad colors —blue, yellow, red, white, orange, crystal, and silver—shone
from his mouth.
1.9 In the sky above, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta covered one shoulder with his
robe, knelt there in the sky on his right knee, bowed toward the Blessed One
with his palms together, and asked, “Blessed One, why did you smile? What
caused you to do that?”
1.10 “Mañjuśrī,” the Blessed One replied, “the tens of thousands of buddhas
here in the sky have explained and correctly taught the dhāraṇī of the vajra
quintessence to the bodhisattvas.”
1.11 Mañjuśrī said, “I request the Blessed One to teach the dhāraṇī of the vajra
quintessence to all the bodhisattvas here now as well.”
1.12 “I accept your request, Mañjuśrī. In this dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence there
is no awakening and there is no buddha, yet these bodhisattvas wish to
awaken to the completely perfect awakening of a buddha. [F.279.b] In the
dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence there is no saṃsāra and no nirvāṇa, yet these
bodhisattvas wish to attain nirvāṇa. In the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence there
is no virtue and no nonvirtue, yet these bodhisattvas wish to avoid
nonvirtue. In the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence there is no other shore or this
shore, yet these bodhisattvas wish to reach the other shore. In the dhāraṇī of
the vajra quintessence there is no ordinary realm nor perfection of a realm, yet
these bodhisattvas wish to perfect a realm.
1.13 “In the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence there is no Māra nor even the label
‘Māra,’ yet these bodhisattvas wish to tame Māra. In the dhāraṇī of the vajra
quintessence there is no hearer nor even the label ‘hearer,’ and yet these
bodhisattvas wish to go beyond the teachings of the hearers. In the dhāraṇī of
the vajra quintessence there is no solitary buddha nor even the label ‘solitary
buddha,’ yet these bodhisattvas wish to go beyond the teachings of the
solitary buddhas. In the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence there is no sentient
being nor even the label ‘sentient being,’ yet these bodhisattvas wish to help
sentient beings attain nirvāṇa. In the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence there is no
benefit nor lack of benefit, yet these bodhisattvas wish to be of benefit.
1.14 “In the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence there is no desire nor even the label
‘desire,’ yet these bodhisattvas wish to abandon desire. In the dhāraṇī of the
vajra quintessence there is no anger nor even the label ‘anger,’ yet these
bodhisattvas wish to abandon anger. In the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence
there is no confusion nor even the label ‘confusion,’ yet these bodhisattvas
wish to abandon confusion. In the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence there is no
knowing or unknowing, yet these bodhisattvas wish to attain knowledge. In
the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence there is no pollution nor even the label
‘pollution,’ yet these bodhisattvas wish to abandon pollution. [F.280.a]
1.15 “In the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence there is no purification nor even the
label ‘purification.’ There is neither moral training nor nontraining. There is
no compassion, no loving kindness, nor feeling desirous or neutral toward
anything. There is neither generosity nor stinginess. There is neither intact
moral training nor broken training. There is neither patience nor malice.
There is neither diligence nor laziness. There is neither concentration nor
distraction. There is neither insight nor mental error. There is neither moral
downfall nor what is not a downfall. There are no hearers, solitary buddhas,
or thus-gone ones. There is neither Dharma nor non-Dharma. There are
neither profound points 10 nor simple ones. There is neither knowing nor not
knowing. There is no attainment. There is no realization. There is no saṃsāra
or nirvāṇa. There are no applications of mindfulness, no right exertions, no
bases of miraculous power, no faculties, no powers, no branches of
awakening, and no path.
1.16 “Mañjuśrī, bodhisattvas wishing to attain the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence
should not dwell in the qualities of ordinary people. They should not uphold
the qualities of ordinary people. Nor should they reject them. They should
not try to accomplish such things, and they should not try to surpass them,
transgress them, or consider them neutrally. They should not think about
such qualities, spiritually renounce them, become lazy about them, be
attached to them, be unattached to them, be completely cut off from them, or
try to make contact with them.
1.17 “You should not perceive the qualities of ordinary people as polluted. You
should not consider them as something one is given. You should also not
consider them as something to be given up.
1.18 “The qualities of ordinary people [F.280.b] should not be viewed as
distinct from the qualities of buddhas. Nor should the qualities of buddhas
be conflated with the qualities of ordinary people, or qualities of ordinary
people be conflated with the qualities of buddhas. The qualities of ordinary
people should not be objectified. They should also not be conflated with the
qualities of the hearers or solitary buddhas.
1.19 “The qualities of buddhas should not be upheld, and the qualities of
ordinary people should not be abandoned or maintained.
1.20 “Bodhisattvas should also not dwell in perfectly pure buddha realms, nor
aspire to them. Why not? Because, Mañjuśrī, the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence
is nonconceptual. It is immanent11 in desire, immanent in anger, immanent in
confusion, immanent in women, immanent in men, and immanent in gods, in
nāgas, in yakṣas, in gandharvas, in asuras, in garuḍas, and in mahoragas. It
is immanent in the Buddha, in the Dharma, in the Saṅgha, and in hearers,
solitary buddhas, the hell realms, the animal realm, and in the world of Yama.
It is immanent in evil, in good, in earth, water, fire, and air, and in the eyes,
ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Mañjuśrī, the dhāraṇī of the vajra
quintessence is immanent in all things.
1.21 “Mañjuśrī, just as the element of space in the east, [F.281.a] the element of
space in the south, the element of space in the west, the element of space in
the north, the element of space below, and the element of space above are all
immanent in the element of space, so too, Mañjuśrī, this dhāraṇī of the vajra
quintessence is likewise immanent in all things.”
1.22 Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta then asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, how
could desire be a basis of the dhāraṇī?”
1.23 The Buddha replied, “Mañjuśrī, what we call desire is not something that
pollutes sentient beings after coming from the east. Nor is it something from
the south, from the west, from the north, from below, or from above. It is not
something that pollutes sentient beings after arising from within, nor is it
something that pollutes sentient beings after arising from without. Mañjuśrī,
if desire were something that polluted sentient beings after arising from
within, then it would follow that sentient beings have pollution as their very
nature, and would not be able to realize reality at some later time. Mañjuśrī,
phenomena do not come, nor do they go, nor do they stay either within or
without. They also do not stay in a way that is neither of these two. They are
completely beyond reckoning. Therefore, desire is said to be a basis of the
dhāraṇī.
“Anger is a basis of the dhāraṇī.”
1.24 “Blessed One, how could anger be a basis of the dhāraṇī?” asked
Mañjuśrī.
The Blessed One replied, “Mañjuśrī, anger arises from spouting senseless
drivel. But this spouting of senseless drivel is not past, nor is it future, nor
does it arise in the present. [F.281.b] Mañjuśrī, if such phenomena were
deemed to have come from the past, they would be permanent. Anger does
not arise from future conditions, and present conditions also neither persist
nor cease. Mañjuśrī, any phenomena that are not arisen from the past, or
from the future, or from the present—such phenomena are called the basis of
the dhāraṇī that is purified in the three times.
“Mañjuśrī, confusion is a basis of the dhāraṇī.”
1.25 “Blessed One, how could confusion be a basis of the dhāraṇī?” asked
Mañjuśrī.
The Blessed One replied, “Mañjuśrī, confusion arises from ignorance. And
ignorance is not mixed with the elements of earth, water, fire, air, space, or
consciousness. Mañjuśrī, unmixed phenomena cannot be polluted and
cannot be purified. Mañjuśrī, if unmixed phenomena could be polluted or
purified, then the element of space, too, could be polluted or purified. Why is
that? Mañjuśrī, it is because space is not mixed with any other factor.
Mañjuśrī, is it possible to designate as either ‘polluted’ or ‘purified’
something that is not mixed with ignorance, does not migrate, is not
restrained, does not exist, does not arise, is a nonentity, is not seen, does not
appear, is not grasped, is not bound, is not liberated, is immeasurable, is
void, is vain, or has no substance?”
“No, Blessed One,” replied Mañjuśrī.
1.26 “So too, Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “that which the thus-gone ones
have taught to be ignorance is without beginning. It always lacks
singularity. It is without a beginning point, without an ending point, and
also does not exist in the present. Therefore, it is called ignorance. [F.282.a]
1.27 “Mañjuśrī, can any such phenomenon that is nonexistent, unfindable,
unknowable, imperceptible, does not come to be, and is not an object of
desire, anger, or confusion be something that could be polluted, purified, or
obscured?”
1.28 “No, Blessed One. No, Sugata,” said Mañjuśrī. “Blessed One, if it is true
that any phenomenon related to ignorance is not something that could be
polluted, purified, or obscured, then why did the Blessed One refer to
ignorance as ‘polluted’?”
1.29 The Blessed One replied, “Allow me to provide an example, Mañjuśrī.
Smoke arises and fire appears when one uses a rubbing stick, the wooden
base for the rubbing stick, and the rubbing action of a person’s hand, but
that fire is not present in the rubbing stick, the wooden base, or the rubbing
action of a person’s hand. In the same way, Mañjuśrī, the tormenting fires of
desire, anger, and confusion arise in a confused person, but that torment
does not dwell within, without, or as neither of those possibilities.
Nevertheless, we speak of confusion, Mañjuśrī. Why is that? Because,
Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are already totally free. And phenomena that are
totally free we call the basis of the dhāraṇī.”
1.30 Mañjuśrī then asked the Blessed One, “Is there some Dharma gate a
bodhisattva can possess that leads to attaining the dhāraṇī that is in accord
with everything?”
1.31 The Blessed One replied, “Mañjuśrī, there is a Dharma gate a bodhisattva
can possess that leads to attaining the dhāraṇī that is in accord with
everything. Even if one were to teach it using a single syllable or up to a
hundred thousand syllables, one would never know the limit of those
syllables. [F.282.b] Their eloquence is limitless, and it is that limitless
eloquence which expresses all Dharma gates. All the words of the Dharma
gates are included within a single word of the Dharma gates, while a single
word of the Dharma gates is included in every word of the Dharma gates.”
1.32 Mañjuśrī asked, “Blessed One, what are these Dharma gates?”
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the Blessed One, “all phenomena are gates of the gods
and this is the basis of the dhāraṇī.”
1.33 “Blessed One, how is this the basis of the dhāraṇī?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the Blessed One, “all phenomena are present as a
basis for spiritual discipline,12 and this is the basis for the dhāraṇī through
which the likes of gods enter.13
1.34 “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are Dharma gates for nāgas, and this is the basis
of the dhāraṇī.”
1.35 “Blessed One, how is this the basis of the dhāraṇī?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the Blessed One, “all phenomena are nameless,
devoid of syllables, without syllables, and yet they are expressed through
syllables. That is the basis of the dhāraṇī through which the likes of nāgas
enter.
1.36 “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are Dharma gates for yakṣas, and this is the
basis of the dhāraṇī.”
1.37 “Blessed One, how is this the basis of the dhāraṇī?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the Blessed One, “because all phenomena are unborn,
they are gates to dwelling in the inexhaustible. That is the basis of the
dhāraṇī through which the likes of yakṣas enter.
1.38 “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are Dharma gates for gandharvas, and this is
the basis of the dhāraṇī.”
1.39 “Blessed One, how is this the basis of the dhāraṇī?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the Blessed One, “because all phenomena are
limitless, innumerable, unfathomable, and equal to space, they are beyond
counting. That is the basis of the dhāraṇī through which the likes of
gandharvas enter.
1.40 “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are a Dharma gate for asuras, and this is the
basis of the dhāraṇī.” [F.283.a]
1.41 “Blessed One, how is this the basis of the dhāraṇī?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the Blessed One, “all phenomena are gates to
nonexistence. They cannot be known as name. They cannot be known as
form. They cannot be known as sound. They cannot be known as smell. They
cannot be known as taste. They cannot be known as sensation. They cannot
be known as mind. They cannot be known as the Buddha. They cannot be
known as the Dharma. They cannot be known as the Saṅgha. They cannot be
known as a hearer. They cannot be known as a solitary buddha. They cannot
be known as an ordinary person. Mañjuśrī, by virtue of their utter lack of
origination no phenomena are knowable, and that is the basis of the dhāraṇī
through which the likes of asuras enter.
1.42 “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are Dharma gates for garuḍas, and this is the
basis of the dhāraṇī.”
1.43 “Blessed One, how is it the basis of the dhāraṇī?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the Blessed One, “all phenomena are without coming
or going. They are without running or running away. They are not fleeing,
not going, not coming, not passing away, not being born, not supporting,
not remaining, not being attached, not bound, not angered, not confused,
not freed, not persisting, and not stationary. Mañjuśrī, since no attachment
exists in space, all factors are gates to freedom from dwelling, and that is the
basis of the dhāraṇī through which the likes of garuḍas enter.
1.44 “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are Dharma gates for kinnaras, and this is the
basis of the dhāraṇī.”
1.45 Mañjuśrī asked, “Blessed One, how is it the basis of the dhāraṇī?”
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the Blessed One, “all phenomena are devoid of agent.
They are uncreated, unchanging, and no agent will be found upon
investigation.14 That is the basis of the dhāraṇī through which the likes of
kinnaras enter.
1.46 “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are Dharma gates for mahoragas, and this is the
basis of the dhāraṇī.” [F.283.b]
1.47 “Blessed One, how is this the basis of the dhāraṇī?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the Blessed One, “all phenomena are free of stains and
luminous. The fact that sentient beings are unable to make them into
something polluted or something to be purified is the basis for the dhāraṇī of
purity. Why is that? Mañjuśrī, because all phenomena are by nature unborn,
they are always parinirvāṇa. That is the basis of the dhāraṇī through which
the likes of mahoragas enter.
1.48 “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are Dharma gates for women, and this is the
basis of the dhāraṇī.”
1.49 “Blessed One, how is it the basis of the dhāraṇī?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the Blessed One, “because all phenomena lack true
existence, they are unreal. They are without female or male genitalia. That is
the basis of the dhāraṇī through which the likes of women enter.
1.50 “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are Dharma gates for men, and this is the basis
of the dhāraṇī.”
1.51 “Blessed One, how is it the basis of the dhāraṇī?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the Blessed One, “maleness is not apprehended in any
way: it is not apprehended at a beginning point, at an ending point, or at
present. Mañjuśrī, something that is not apprehended in the three times
cannot be male or female. In other words, these are simply nominal
expressions. Those names, too, are void and they are ascribed by virtue of
the verbal sign of the dhāraṇī. That dhāraṇī, too, is arisen out of the four
great elements of earth, water, air, and fire, and the arising of the four
elements is not apprehended. Since all phenomena are not born, all
phenomena are always parinirvāṇa. That is the basis of the dhāraṇī through
which the likes of men enter.
1.52 “Mañjuśrī, all phenomena are a Dharma gate for hell beings, and this is the
basis of the dhāraṇī.”
1.53 “Blessed One, how is this the basis of the dhāraṇī?” asked Mañjuśrī.
[F.284.a]
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the Blessed One, “how are hells arranged?”
1.54 “Blessed One, hells are arranged in space,” said Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī, how do you think this happens?” asked the Blessed One.
“Have the hells arisen from one’s own thoughts? Or have they arisen from
their own nature?”
1.55 “Blessed One,” replied Mañjuśrī, “it is through their own thoughts that
immature ordinary people imagine themselves to be hell beings, animals, or
spirits in the world of Yama. And it is on account of projecting something
that does not exist that they feel afflictions and experience miseries in the
three lower realms. However, Blessed One, since I do not see hells, I also do
not see hell beings, and the sufferings of hells do not exist, either. For
instance, Blessed One, suppose that some man who has fallen asleep were to
imagine in a dream that he is experiencing falling into the hell realms. He
vividly imagines that he has been put into a boiling iron cauldron several
fathoms deep with intensely burning flames where he experiences
sensations of suffering. Perceiving this with fear and anguish, he may wake
up in a state of shock and terror, thinking, ‘Aaah! The pain!’ When he shouts
such words out loud, his friends, kinsmen, or siblings nearby might ask,
‘What is paining you?’
1.56 “The man might then say to them, ‘I was experiencing the pains of hell.’
Then, feeling irritated and angry with those friends, kinsmen, or siblings, he
might add, ‘I have been experiencing the pains of hell, so what business do
you have to ask me afterward, “What is paining you?” ’ In response, those
friends, kinsmen, or siblings would say to him, [F.284.b] ‘Hey! Don’t be
afraid! Don’t be afraid! You fell asleep. You never left this house.’
1.57 “Once that man has fully regained consciousness, he might think, ‘I did
fall asleep and then I imagined something that was not real and that did not
actually exist. Nothing really existed.’ Now, Blessed One, just as that man
projected something that didn’t exist during the dream he had when he had
fallen asleep and imagined that he was in hell, so it is, Blessed One, that all
immature ordinary men, entangled in their desire for what is nonexistent,
imagine the genitalia of a woman. Having imagined her genitalia, they fancy
that they are playing around with the woman and enjoying sex together.
They may think, ‘I am a man and this is a woman. This is my woman.’ Then,
with a mind entangled in lustful passion, they set their minds on the pursuit
of pleasure. From that starting point, they get into fights, quarrels, and
disputes, and with their faculties enraged, they harbor resentment. Due to
such erroneous conceptions, as soon as these people die, they will think
they are experiencing for many thousands of eons the painful sensations of
hell.
1.58 “Blessed One, just as that man was told by his friends, kinsmen, or
siblings, ‘Hey! Don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid! You fell asleep. You never left
this house,’ so it is, Blessed One, that the blessed buddhas have taught the
Dharma to the sentient beings who are intoxicated by the four erroneous
conceptions. Here there exists no woman and also no man. Here there is no
sentient being, no life force, no wellbeing, and no person. All these
phenomena are unreal. All these phenomena are nonexistent. All these
phenomena are fabricated. All these phenomena are imagined. [F.285.a]
1.59 “All these phenomena are empty. All these phenomena are without
origination. All these phenomena are without cessation. All these
phenomena are nonentities. All these phenomena are disconnected. All
these phenomena are like a dream. All these phenomena are like an illusion.
All these phenomena are like the moon’s reflection in water. These beings
are taught, ‘No one should be desirous, angry, or confused about these
things. So don’t think about what is unreal!’ Upon hearing that teaching of
the Thus-Gone One, they see that all phenomena are without desire. They
see that all phenomena are without anger, without confusion, without
obscuration, and without attachment. Having seen that all entities are
already fully liberated and are always parinirvāṇa, they will die with their
minds dwelling in space. As soon as they die, they will pass into the realm of
final nirvāṇa that is without remainder. That, Blessed One, is how I see the
hell realms.”
1.60 Then the Blessed One congratulated Mañjuśrī saying, “Very good, very
good, Mañjuśrī! One should view hells just as you see them. Just as you did
not form thoughts about them, so they should not imagine them. Mañjuśrī, if
one sees the hells in the way you have, one will attain acceptance of the
nonorigination of phenomena.”
1.61 When he had expounded this teaching on the hells, ninety-two thousand
bodhisattvas attained acceptance of the nonorigination of phenomena and
exclaimed in unison, ‘How marvelous and excellent is the purview of
buddhas, wherein it is possible to discover qualities of buddhas among the
qualities of the hell realms.’ ” [F.285.b]
1.62 Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, please teach
the bodhisattvas 15 a Dharma gate of nonduality, a gate of nonduality
through which bodhisattvas can realize all phenomena to be the qualities of
a buddha and not create any such duality.”
1.63 The Blessed One replied to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, “Mañjuśrī, that is why
this Dharma gate called fully teaching is the Dharma gate that allows
bodhisattvas to discuss all of the defilements in terms of buddha qualities.”
1.64 “Blessed One, what is this gate of nonduality like?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” replied the Blessed One, “listen and retain it well, for I shall
explain to you the dhāraṇī gate called clearly discriminating all defilements.”
1.65 Mañjuśrī said, “Blessed One, please do so.” Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta then
listened to the Blessed One.
“Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “ignorance is awakening. This is a
dhāraṇī gate.”16
1.66 “Blessed One, how is ignorance awakening?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “it is called ignorance because it does not
exist. What is nonexistent is without arising. What has not arisen is without
pollution. Mañjuśrī, that which lacks pollution is awakening. Luminous by
nature, it is forever unborn. Mañjuśrī, since the thus-gone ones see the
import of this, they teach that ignorance and awakening are nondual. I have
not found this ignorance, Mañjuśrī, and that is why I can speak of something
called ignorance. Mañjuśrī, that is the dhāraṇī gate that one enters through
the likes of ignorance. [F.286.a] Through entering it, their eloquence becomes
swifter, sharper, more profound, unbroken, and unlimited.
“Mañjuśrī, mental formations are awakening. This is a dhāraṇī gate.”
1.67 “Blessed One, how are mental formations awakening?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “mental formations are innumerable —
they cannot be counted. That is why one cannot perceive their full measure.
Even though it is said that possessing nonvirtue leads to rebirth in the hell
realms, one does not leave this place, and there is also no transference to that
place after death. Mañjuśrī, the lack of transference is awakening. There is no
coming and no going. Mañjuśrī, that is the dhāraṇī gate that one enters
through the likes of mental formations.
“Mañjuśrī, consciousness is awakening.”
1.68 “Blessed One, how is consciousness awakening?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “consciousness is like an illusion. The
thus-gone ones proclaim that it has arisen from what is unreal. Mañjuśrī, just
as immature ordinary people who are entrenched in what is unreal
collectively imagine and construct an illusion-like consciousness, so too,
Mañjuśrī, these immature ordinary people collectively imagine and construct
an illusion-like awakening of a buddha. They see the qualities of a buddha
as something special, thinking, ‘May we be buddhas! May we liberate
sentient beings! May we be the best in the world!’ And they go about
imagining the awakening of a buddha is like the sky. Mañjuśrī, I sat at the
seat of awakening, and I did not perceive any qualities belonging to
buddhas, or hearers, or solitary buddhas, or ordinary people. Mañjuśrī, that
is the dhāraṇī gate that one enters through the likes of consciousness.
[F.286.b]
“Mañjuśrī, name and form17 are awakening.”
1.69 “Blessed One, how are name and form awakening?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “name is a verbal expression that is
without existence, and form lacks any agent. Mañjuśrī, where there is no
agent there is no self. Mañjuśrī, names can be used to teach the absence of
self that is the awakening of a buddha, yet one cannot find that name even if
they were to search for it throughout the ten directions. Mañjuśrī, that is the
dhāraṇī gate that one enters through the likes of name and form.
“Mañjuśrī, the six sense bases are awakening.”
1.70 “Blessed One, how are the six sense bases awakening?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “all of the six sense bases are devoid of
their respective objects. The sense faculty of the eye does not think thoughts
such as ‘I see a form.’ The sense faculty of the ear does not think thoughts
such as ‘I hear a sound.’ The sense faculty of the nose does not think
thoughts such as ‘I smell a smell.’ The sense faculty of the tongue does not
think thoughts such as ‘I taste a taste.’ The sense faculty of the body does
not think thoughts such as ‘I feel a sensation.’ The sense faculty of the mind
does not think thoughts such as ‘I am conscious of a mental phenomenon.’
The eye does not know that forms are its object; neither do forms know they
are an object of the eye. The ear does not know that sounds are its object;
neither do sounds know they are an object of the ear. The nose does not
know that smells are its object; neither do smells know they are the object of
the nose. The body does not know that tangible things are its object; neither
do tangible things know they are an object of the body. The mind does not
know that mental phenomena are its object; neither do mental phenomena
know they are objects of the mind. Mañjuśrī, the sense bases are mutually
incompatible, without motion, without action, without mutual cognizance,
and mutually empty of intrinsic nature. [F.287.a] Mañjuśrī, any factor that is
empty of intrinsic nature is awakening. Mañjuśrī, that is the dhāraṇī gate
that one enters through the likes of six sense bases.
“Mañjuśrī, contact is awakening.”
1.71 “Blessed One, how is contact awakening?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “contact refers to contact that is
encountered as form, contact that is encountered as sound, contact that is
encountered as smell, contact that is encountered as taste, contact that is
encountered as touch, and contact that is encountered as mental
phenomena. Mañjuśrī, everything from contact that is encountered as form
up to contact that is encountered as mental phenomena are supports, and
whatever they support arises from many conditions. Mañjuśrī, something
that arises from many conditions retains its composite character. Mañjuśrī,
something with a composite character has an illusory character. Something
that has an illusory character has an unreal character. Something that has an
unreal character is nonexistent. Something that is nonexistent does not arise.
Something that does not arise does not cease. Mañjuśrī, something that is
without arising and without cessation is the awakening of a buddha. That is
the dhāraṇī gate that one enters through the likes of contact.
“Mañjuśrī, feeling is awakening.”
1.72 “Blessed One, how is feeling awakening?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “feeling is of three kinds: pleasant
feelings, painful feelings, and neutral feelings. Mañjuśrī, pleasant feelings
exists neither within nor without, nor are they apprehended as both of those
possibilities. Mañjuśrī, painful feelings exist neither within nor without, nor
are they apprehended as both of those possibilities. Mañjuśrī, neutral
feelings exist neither within nor without, nor are they apprehended as both
of those possibilities.” [F.287.b]
1.73 “Blessed One, in that case, what are these pleasant, painful, and neutral
feelings of sentient beings?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “various unreal conditions cause
immature ordinary people perverted by false notions 18 to experience the
thought of pleasure or the thought of pain or the thought of neutral feeling.
Be that as it may, Mañjuśrī, all feelings have the nature of illusion. They are
not made, are unborn, and are always unoriginated. Mañjuśrī, in keeping
with that line of reasoning, feeling is awakening, and that is the dhāraṇī gate
that one enters through the likes of feeling.
“Mañjuśrī, craving is awakening.”
1.74 “Blessed One, how is craving awakening? Did not the Blessed One declare
that craving is a factor of pollution?” asked Mañjuśrī.
“Mañjuśrī, what do you think?” asked the Blessed One in return. “Does
the craving that a childless person has for a child19 exist inside, outside, or in
the cardinal directions or intermediate directions?
1.75 “Blessed One,” replied Mañjuśrī, “since the child of this person has not
yet been born, where would the craving for a child exist?”
1.76 The Blessed One said, “Mañjuśrī, sometimes people in conjugal union
give birth to a child, and that gives rise to craving. If there is such a
connection, Mañjuśrī, what do you think? [F.288.a] Did that person’s craving
for a son come from the east, or from the south, or from the west, or from the
north, or from below, or from above, or from within, or from without, or from
neither of those last two?”
1.77 “Blessed One,” replied Mañjuśrī, “craving is not apprehended in the east,
nor in the south, nor the west, nor the north, nor above, nor below, nor
within, nor without, nor neither of the last two possibilities.”
1.78 “Mañjuśrī, what do you think?” asked the Blessed One. “Did anyone make
that craving or cause it to be made?”
1.79 “Blessed One,” replied Mañjuśrī, “craving is not made. As it lacks any
creator, it is something unreal imputed by immature ordinary people with
wrong ideas.”
1.80 “Mañjuśrī, what do you think?” asked the Blessed One. “Do such unreal
things exist?”
“No, Blessed One. They do not, Sugata,” replied Mañjuśrī.
1.81 The Blessed One asked, “Mañjuśrī, can there be anything polluted or
purified in something that does not exist?”
“No, Blessed One, there cannot,” replied Mañjuśrī.
1.82 “Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “phenomena that are not found in the
east, in the south, in the west, in the north, and that are not apprehended
within, nor without, nor either of those two cannot be something that is
polluted or something that is purified. And that, Mañjuśrī, is the dhāraṇī
gate that one enters through the likes of craving.
“Mañjuśrī, appropriation is awakening. This is a dhāraṇī gate.”
1.83 “Blessed One, how is appropriation awakening?” asked Mañjuśrī. “Did
not the Blessed One declare that appropriation was bondage?”
1.84 “Mañjuśrī, what do you think?” asked the Blessed One in return, “do
immature ordinary people produce anything?”
“Yes, Blessed One,” Mañjuśrī answered, “they do produce things. They
produce the five sense objects —form, sound, smell, taste, and touch.”
[F.288.b]
1.85 “Mañjuśrī, what do you think?” asked the Blessed One. “Do forms
produce forms?”
“No,” replied Mañjuśrī.
1.86 “Do feelings produce feelings, do conceptions produce conceptions, do
mental formations produce mental formations, or does consciousness
produce consciousness?” asked the Blessed One.
“No, they do not,” replied Mañjuśrī.
1.87 “Mañjuśrī, what do you think?” asked the Blessed One. “Does any
phenomenon exist that produces any other phenomenon?”
“No, Blessed One,” replied Mañjuśrī.
1.88 “Mañjuśrī, does any phenomenon cause another phenomenon to be
fettered?” asked the Blessed One.
“No, Blessed One,” replied Mañjuśrī.
1.89 “Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “in the same way, all phenomena are
without arising, without ceasing, and without obscuration. One does not
produce another, and one does not apprehend another. They do not speak,
and since they are inanimate, they do not give rise to verbal acts. From this
analysis, Mañjuśrī, it follows that appropriation is awakening, and that is the
dhāraṇī gate that one enters through the likes of appropriation.
“Mañjuśrī, becoming is awakening. This is a dhāraṇī gate.”
1.90 “Blessed One, how is becoming awakening?” asked Mañjuśrī. “Did not
the Blessed One teach the Dharma to the hearers in order to put an end to
becoming?”
1.91 “Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “what I explained as becoming is a
nonentity, and that is why it is called becoming. Mañjuśrī, those who see that
all phenomena are nonentities do not produce anything, nor do they cause
anything to cease. Seeing that all phenomena are of the nature of space, they
do not apprehend even the qualities of a buddha, nor do they abandon them.
In this way, Mañjuśrī, becoming is awakening, and that is the dhāraṇī gate
that one enters through the likes of becoming.
“Mañjuśrī, birth is awakening. This is a dhāraṇī gate.” [F.289.a]
1.92 “Blessed One, how is birth awakening?” asked Mañjuśrī. “Did the Blessed
One not teach the Dharma so that beings could completely transcend birth?”
1.93 “Mañjuśrī,” said the Blessed One, “if bodhisattvas search for birth, they
will see the absence of birth, the absence of transference, and the absence of
arising. In this way, Mañjuśrī, birth is awakening, and that is the dhāraṇī
gate that one enters through the likes of birth.
1.94 “Mañjuśrī, through this gate for entering the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence,
bodhisattvas will quickly attain eloquence and their eloquence will be
sharper, more profound, unbroken, and unlimited.”
1.95 Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta then asked the Blessed One, “For which level of
bodhisattva is this teaching intended?”
1.96 “Mañjuśrī,” the Blessed One replied, “it is intended for the level of those
bodhisattvas who have not set out toward awakening, who have not
produced the intention to gain awakening, who do not see buddha qualities,
who do not wish to run away from desire, anger, and confusion, who do not
wish to go beyond saṃsāra, who do not wish to liberate sentient beings, and
who do not wish to realize the buddha qualities.”
1.97 Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta requested of the Blessed One, “Blessed One,
please let us know what good qualities a son or daughter of the lineage who
bears this dhāraṇī in mind, holds it, recites it, makes it understood, and
teaches it widely to others will gain in this life.” [F.289.b]
1.98 The Blessed One said, “You should know that such people will be
protected by gods, nāgas, yakṣas, and gandharvas. You should know that
they will have no doubts regarding all phenomena. You should know that
they will possess knowledge that clearly discerns phenomena. Mañjuśrī, the
qualities of this dhāraṇī are limitless and cannot be exhausted even in a
hundred eons.”
1.99 When the Blessed One taught this Dharma discourse, ten thousand
bodhisattvas gained this dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence and thirty-two
thousand beginner bodhisattvas gained acceptance of the Dharma.
1.100 After the Blessed One had spoken thus, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta and the
world with its gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, men, and demigod spirits
rejoiced and praised what the Blessed One had taught.20
1.101 This concludes The Mahāyāna Sūtra called The Dhāraṇī of the Vajra Quintessence.
c. Colophon
c.1 Translated, revised, and finalized by a team led by the Indian abbot
Śīlendrabodhi and the chief translator Bandé Yeshé Dé.
ab. ABBREVIATIONS
ACIP Asian Classics Input Project (www.asianclassics.org
(http://www.asianclassics.org/))
BDRC Buddhist Digital Resource Center (www.bdrc.io (https://bdrc.io))
D Degé Kangyur
Negi J.S. Negi, Tibetan-Sanskrit Dictionary
S Stok Palace Kangyur
n. NOTES
n.1 On dhāraṇī or “incantation,” see also Fischer-Schreiber et al. (1991), p. 54. On
the different meanings of dhāraṇī and the Western scholarly reception of the
term, see Davidson (2009).
n.3 For the name Viśvā Purī (= sna tshogs zhes pa’i grong khyer), see Negi, vol. 7, p.
3212 s.v. sna tshogs.
n.4 Chin kang shang wei t’o lo ni ching ⾦剛上味陀羅尼經 (Taishō no. 1344). For more
information on this text, see the Korean Buddhist Canon: A Descriptive Catalogue,
K 336. (http://www.acmuller.net/descriptive_catalogue/files/k0336.html)
n.5 Chin kang ch’ang t’o lo ni ching ⾦剛場陀羅尼經 (Taishō no. 1345). For more
information on this text, see the Korean Buddhist Canon: A Descriptive Catalogue,
K 337 (http://www.acmuller.net/descriptive_catalogue/files/k0337.html).
n.6 Denkarma (ldan dkar ma), Degé Tengyur, vol. 206, folio 301.b.7. See also
Herrmann-Pfandt (2008), p. 185.
n.9 For example, it is quoted in the Great Stages of Doctrine treatise (bstan rim chen
mo) of Trolungpa Lotrö Jungné (gro lung pa blo gros ’byung gnas), who
flourished in the late eleventh to early twelfth century. (Trolungpa, p. 370.a).
It is also cited in the work An Ornamental Explanation of the Bodhisattva Dhāraṇī
(byang chub sems dpa’i gzungs kyi rgyan rnam par bshad pa) by Do Drupchen
Jigmé Tenpai Nyima (1865–1926). Janet Gyatso (1992) studied this work,
translating and analyzing part of the citation from The Dhāraṇī of the Vajra
Quintessence. There also exists a Tibetan commentary on Do Drupchen’s work
called A Commentary on the Explanation of Dhāraṇī (gzungs kyi rnam bshad kyi
’grel pa), composed by the more recent scholar Döndrup Dorjé (1993) p. 335.
n.11 yang dag par ’du ba. Edward Conze (1973), s.v. samavasaraṇa, explains yang dag
par ’du ba as “come together in.” The basic idea in our text seems to be that
the nonconceptual ultimate nature (i.e., the dhāraṇī of the vajra quintessence) is
immanent in all things. The Sanskrit samavasarati/samavasaraṇa is explained in
F. Edgerton (1993) as having the meanings “comes together,” “unites,” and
“associates.”
n.12 For the Sanskrit linking of the first letters of deva and dama to work, this
passage has to read not ’dul ba’i sa but dul ba’i sa, where dul ba = dama
(“discipline,” “self-restraint”).
n.13 See Do Drupchen Tenpai Nyima’s explanation in gzungs kyi rnam bshad (pp.
114.4–117.4 = fol. 57.a–59.a). Cf. Janet Gyatso (1992) pp. 184–85, based on this
passage. Here the Sanskrit name of each type of deity (deva, nāga, etc.)
becomes a point of departure for referring to things with a name that begins
with the same letter (but often negated), such as deva (“god”) and dama
(“restraint”).
n.16 Here, ignorance is listed as the first link the chain of dependent origination.
The text covers all but the final link in this series.
n.18 With the variant gis (Yongle, Kangxi, and S) instead of gi (D) this becomes
“perverted by false notions.”
n.20 Note that in this sentence “gods” (lha) is repeated, but we have omitted the
second instance.
b. BIBLIOGRAPHY
· Primary Sources ·
’phags pa rdo rje snying po’i gzungs (Vajramaṇḍanāmadhāraṇī). Toh. 139, Degé
Kangyur vol. 21 (mdo sde, na), folios 278.a–289.b.
— — —. Stok 121, Stok Palace Kangyur (stog pho brang bris ma bka’ ’gyur).
Leh: Smanrtsis Shesrig Dpemzod, 1975–1980, vol. 65, folios 30.a–46.b. Also
available online at BDRC, no. W22083.
Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan [/ lhan] dkar gyi chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar
chag). Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.
Döndrup Dorjé (don grub rdo rje). gzungs kyi rnam bshad kyi ’grel pa
[Commentary on the Explanation of Dhāraṇī]. In Collected Works, vol. 1, 270–385.
Zi ling: Mtsho sngon mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 1993. Also available online
at BDRC, no. W20446.
Do Drupchen Jigmé Tenpai Nyima (rdo grub chen ’jigs med bstan pa’i nyi
ma). byang chub sems dpa’i gzungs kyi rgyan rnam par bshad pa rgyal yum lus
bzang mdzes byed legs bshad phreng ba [An Ornamental Explanation of the
Bodhisattva Dhāraṇī: A Garland of Eloquent Explanation that Adorns the
Auspicious Body of the Victorious Mother]. In The Collected Works (gsung ʼbum) of
rdo grub chen ‘jigs med bstan pa’i nyi ma, vol. 1, pp. 9–196, Gangtok:
Dodrubchen Rinpoche, 1974–1975. Reprinted in The Collected Works, vol. 2,
pp. 345–500, Gangtok: Dodrubchen Rinpoche, 2000.
Phangthangma (dkar chag ’phang thang ma). Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang,
2003.
Trolungpa Lotrö Jungné (gro lung pa blo gros ’byung gnas). bstan rim chen
mo (Great Stages of Doctrine, short for bde bar gshegs pa’i bstan pa rin po che la
’jug pa’i lam gyi rim pa rnam par bshad pa) [Commentary on the Stages of the Path
for Entering the Precious Doctrines of the Tathāgata]. Xylograph, Patna: Bihar
Research Society. Also available online at ACIP, nos. S0070E1 and S0070E2.
· Secondary Sources ·
Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische
übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen
Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.
Krang Dbyi-sun et al., eds. Bod rgya tshig mdzod chen mo. 3 vol. Beijing: Mi rigs
dpe skrun khang, 1985.
Negi, J. S. Tibetan-Sanskrit Dictionary. 16 vols. Sarnath, Varanasi: Central
Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, 1993–2005.
Suzuki, Daisetzu Teitarō, ed. The Tibetan Tripitaka Peking Edition kept in the
library of the Otani University, Kyoto, Catalogue and Index. Reduced size
edition, Kyoto: Rinsen Book Co., 1985.
g. GLOSSARY
AD Attested in dictionary
This term is attested in dictionaries matching Tibetan to the corresponding
language.
AA Approximate attestation
The attestation of this name is approximate. It is based on other names
where the relationship between the Tibetan and source language is attested
in dictionaries or other manuscripts.
SU Source unspecified
This term has been supplied from an unspecified source, which most often
is a widely trusted dictionary.
g.1 acceptance
bzod pa
བད་པ།
kṣānti
A term meaning acceptance, forebearance, or patience. As the third of the six
transcendent perfections, patience is classified into three kinds: the capacity
to tolerate abuse from sentient beings, to tolerate the hardships of the path to
buddhahood, and to tolerate the profound nature of reality. As a term
referring to a bodhisattva’s realization, the term dharmakṣāṇti (chos la bzod pa)
can refer to ways one becomes “receptive” to the nature of Dharma, and can
be an abbreviation of anutpattikadharmakṣāṇti, “receptivity to the unborn
nature of phenomena.”
ས་ལ་བད་པ།
dharmakṣānti
This term refers to becoming receptive to the profound Dharma.
་་བ་ས་ལ་བད་པ།
anutpattikadharmakṣānti
The acceptance of or receptivity to the nonorigination of phenomena. This
realization is attained by bodhisattvas on the eighth spiritual level on the
Path of Seeing (darśanamārga).
ན་པ་་བར་གཞག་པ།
smṛtyupasthāna
Refers here to the four applications of mindfulness that belong to the thirty-
seven factors conducive to awakening: mindfulness of the body, feelings,
thoughts, and mental objects.
g.5 appropriation
len pa
ན་པ།
upādāna
The ninth of the twelve links of dependent origination. See “dependent
origination.”
g.6 asura
lha ma yin
་མ་ན།
asura
A class of divine beings who are engaged in a mythic war with the gods (Skt.
deva) for possession of the nectar of immortality. In Buddhist cosmology,
they inhabit a realm below those of the gods, from which they observe the
gods with intense jealousy.
g.7 Avalokiteśvara
spyan ras gzigs dbang phyug
ན་རས་གཟིགས་དབང་ག
avalokiteśvara
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
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.
In this text:
One of the bodhisattvas who attends the Buddha’s teachings in this text.
་འལ་ི་ང་པ།
ṛddhipāda
Refers here to the four bases of miraculous power that belong to the thirty-
seven factors conducive to awakening; they are determination, discernment,
diligence, and contemplation.
གངས་་ག།
dhāraṇī
A technical term employed in The Dhāraṇī of the Vajra Quintessence to signify
the fact that all phenomena are inherently liberated, and thus bear the
intrinsic quality of liberation as their very basis.
g.10 becoming
srid pa
ད་པ།
bhava
The tenth of the twelve links of dependent origination. See “dependent
origination.”
g.11 birth
skye ba
་བ།
jāti
The eleventh of the twelve links of dependent origination. See “dependent
origination.”
བམ་ན་འདས།
bhagavān · bhagavat
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
In Buddhist literature, this is an epithet applied to buddhas, most often to
Śākyamuni. The Sanskrit term generally means “possessing fortune,” but in
specifically Buddhist contexts it implies that a buddha is in possession of six
auspicious qualities (bhaga) associated with complete awakening. The
Tibetan term—where bcom is said to refer to “subduing” the four māras, ldan
to “possessing” the great qualities of buddhahood, and ’das to “going
beyond” saṃsāra and nirvāṇa—possibly reflects the commentarial tradition
where the Sanskrit bhagavat is interpreted, in addition, as “one who destroys
the four māras.” This is achieved either by reading bhagavat as bhagnavat
(“one who broke”), or by tracing the word bhaga to the root √bhañj (“to
break”).
g.13 Brahmā
tshangs pa
ཚངས་པ།
brahmā
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
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).
ང་བ་་ཡན་ལག
bodhyaṅga
Refers here to the seven branches of awakening belonging to the thirty-
seven factors conducive to awakening: mindfulness, analysis of phenomena,
diligence, joy, ease, samādhi, and equanimity.
g.15 confusion
gti mug
ག་ག
moha
One of the three poisons (dug gsum) along with aversion and attachment
which perpetuate the sufferings of cyclic existence. Delusion is the
obfuscating mental state which obstructs an individual from generating
knowledge or insight, and it is said to be dominant characteristic of the
animal world in general.
g.16 consciousness
rnam par shes pa
མ་པར་ས་པ།
vijñāna
The third of the twelve links of dependent origination. See “dependent
origination.”
g.17 contact
reg pa
ག་པ།
sparśa
The sixth of the twelve links of dependent origination. See “dependent
origination.”
g.18 craving
sred pa
ད་པ།
tṛṣṇā
The eighth of the twelve links of dependent origination. See “dependent
origination.”
ན་ང་འལ་བར་འང་བ།
pratītyasamutpāda
The twelve links of dependent origination describe the process of being
bound in cyclic existence, and, when reversed, the process of liberation. The
twelve links are ignorance, formation, consciousness, name and form, the six
sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, appropriation, becoming, birth, and
old age and death. The twelfth is omitted in this text.
g.20 dhāraṇī
gzungs
གངས།
dhāraṇī
Literally, “retention,” or “that which retains, contains, or encapsulates,” the
term dhāraṇī refers to mnemonic formulas, or codes possessed by advanced
bodhisattvas that contain a quintessence of their attainments, as well as the
Dharma teachings that express them and guide beings toward their
realization. They are therefore often described in terms of “gateways” for
entering the Dharma and training in its realization, or “seals” that contain
condensations of truths and their expression. The term can also refer to a
statement, or incantation, meant to protect or bring about a particular result.
གངས་་།
dhāraṇīmukha
As a magical formula, a dhāraṇī constitutes a gate to the infinite qualities of
awakening, the awakened state itself, and the various forms of buddha
activity. See also UT22084-039-002-4.
ས་་མ་ངས།
dharmaparyāya
In Buddhism, lit. “method” or “means of teaching the doctrine,” denoting
both the ways of teaching the dharma as well as the dharma discourse itself.
ས་་།
dharmamukha
Certain teachings are called “Dharma gates” (or “gates of the Dharma”)
because they provide access to the practice of the Dharma and the resulting
spiritual realization.
་བ་ན་བན་པ་་མ།
—
A famous Tibetan scholar (1865–1926) of the Ancient (rnying ma) tradition
who composed an explication of the dhāraṇī genre entitled An Ornamental
Explanation of the Bodhisattva Dhāraṇī: A Garland of Eloquent Explanation that
Adorns the Auspicious Body of the Victorious Mother (byang chub sems dpa’i gzungs
kyi rgyan rnam par bshad pa rgyal yum lus bzang mdzes byed legs bshad phreng ba).
ན་བ་་།
—
A Tibetan scholar (1892–1960) of the Ancient (rnying ma) tradition who
composed a subcommentary on Do Drupchen Jigmé Tenpai Nyima’s An
Ornamental Explanation of the Bodhisattva Dhāraṇī. This subcommentary is
entitled Commentary on the Explanation of Dhāraṇī (gzungs kyi rnam bshad kyi ’grel
pa).
g.26 dwelling with equality toward all phenomena
chos thams cad la mnyam pa nyid du gnas pa
ས་ཐམས་ཅད་ལ་མཉམ་པ་ད་་གནས་པ།
—
The name of a meditative absorption (samādhi) of the Buddha in this text.
ན་ངས།
kleśa
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
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 (avidyā). 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.
g.28 faculties
dbang po
དབང་།
indriya
Refers here to the five faculties that belong to the thirty-seven factors
conducive to awakening: faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and
knowledge. In certain contexts, this term can also refer to the sense faculties.
g.29 feeling
tshor ba
ར་བ།
vedanā
The seventh of the twelve links of dependent origination. See “dependent
origination.”
འད་པ་ན་ཏན་འ་།
pañcakāmaguṇa
Desirable objects of the five senses: form, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
g.31 gandharva
dri za
་ཟ།
gandharva
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
A class of generally benevolent nonhuman beings who inhabit the skies,
sometimes said to inhabit fantastic cities in the clouds, and more specifically
to dwell on the eastern slopes of Mount Meru, where they are ruled by the
Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. They are most renowned as celestial musicians who
serve the gods. In the Abhidharma, the term is also used to refer to the
mental body assumed by sentient beings during the intermediate state
between death and rebirth. Gandharvas are said to live on fragrances
(gandha) in the desire realm, hence the Tibetan translation dri za, meaning
“scent eater.”
g.32 garuḍa
mkha’ lding
མཁའ་ང་།
garuḍa
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
In Indian mythology, the garuḍa is an eagle-like bird that is regarded as the
king of all birds, normally depicted with a sharp, owl-like beak, often holding
a snake, and with large and powerful wings. They are traditionally enemies
of the nāgas. In the Vedas, they are said to have brought nectar from the
heavens to earth. Garuḍa can also be used as a proper name for a king of such
creatures.
g.33 god
lha
།
deva
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
In the most general sense the devas —the term is cognate with the English
divine—are a class of celestial beings who frequently appear in Buddhist
texts, often at the head of the assemblies of nonhuman beings who attend
and celebrate the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni and other buddhas
and bodhisattvas. In Buddhist cosmology the devas occupy the highest of
the five or six “destinies” (gati) of saṃsāra among which beings take rebirth.
The devas reside in the devalokas, “heavens” that traditionally number
between twenty-six and twenty-eight and are divided between the desire
realm (kāmadhātu), form realm (rūpadhātu), and formless realm (ārūpyadhātu). A
being attains rebirth among the devas either through meritorious deeds (in
the desire realm) or the attainment of subtle meditative states (in the form
and formless realms). While rebirth among the devas is considered favorable,
it is ultimately a transitory state from which beings will fall when the
conditions that lead to rebirth there are exhausted. Thus, rebirth in the god
realms is regarded as a diversion from the spiritual path.
g.34 hearer
nyan thos
ཉན་ས།
śrāvaka
A “hearer” or “listener,” someone who first hears the Dharma from another,
or, alternatively causes others to hear the Dharma. This refers to the disciples
of the Buddha who seek the awakening of a worthy one (arhat), rather than
the awakening of a buddha.
g.35 ignorance
ma rig pa
མ་ག་པ།
avidyā
The first of the twelve links of dependent origination. See “dependent
origination.”
g.36 insight
shes rab
ས་རབ།
prajñā
In general, this is the mental factor of discerning the specific qualities of a
given object and whether it should be accepted or rejected. As the sixth of
the six perfections, it refers to the profound understanding of the emptiness
of all phenomena, the realization of ultimate reality.
g.37 kinnara
mi’am ci
འམ་།
kinnara
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
A class of nonhuman beings that resemble humans to the degree that their
very name —which means “is that human?”—suggests some confusion as to
their divine status. Kinnaras are mythological beings found in both Buddhist
and Brahmanical literature, where they are portrayed as creatures half
human, half animal. They are often depicted as highly skilled celestial
musicians.
་མད་་བདག་།
sahāṃpati
Frequent epithet of Brahmā. See also “Sahā World.”
g.39 mahoraga
lto ’phye chen po
་འ་ན་།
mahoraga
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Literally “great serpents,” mahoragas are supernatural beings depicted as
large, subterranean beings with human torsos and heads and the lower
bodies of serpents. Their movements are said to cause earthquakes, and they
make up a class of subterranean geomantic spirits whose movement through
the seasons and months of the year is deemed significant for construction
projects.
g.40 Maitreya
byams pa
མས་པ།
maitreya
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
The bodhisattva Maitreya is an important figure in many Buddhist traditions,
where he is unanimously regarded as the buddha of the future era. He is
said to currently reside in the heaven of Tuṣita, as Śākyamuni’s regent,
where he awaits the proper time to take his final rebirth and become the fifth
buddha in the Fortunate Eon, reestablishing the Dharma in this world after
the teachings of the current buddha have disappeared. Within the Mahāyāna
sūtras, Maitreya is elevated to the same status as other central bodhisattvas
such as Mañjuśrī and Avalokiteśvara, and his name appears frequently in
sūtras, either as the Buddha’s interlocutor or as a teacher of the Dharma.
Maitreya literally means “Loving One.” He is also known as Ajita, meaning
“Invincible.”
In this text:
One of the bodhisattvas who attends the Buddha’s teachings in this text.
g.41 Mañjuśrī
’jam dpal
འཇམ་དཔལ།
mañjuśrī
See “Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta.”
འཇམ་དཔལ་གན་ར་ར་པ།
mañjuśrīkumārabhūta
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Mañjuśrī is one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha” and a bodhisattva
who embodies wisdom. He is a major figure in the Mahāyāna sūtras,
appearing often as an interlocutor of the Buddha. In his most well-known
iconographic form, he is portrayed bearing the sword of wisdom in his right
hand and a volume of the Prajñāpāramitāsūtra in his left. To his name,
Mañjuśrī, meaning “Gentle and Glorious One,” is often added the epithet
Kumārabhūta, “having a youthful form.” He is also called Mañjughoṣa,
Mañjusvara, and Pañcaśikha.
g.43 Māra
bdud
བད།
māra
A demonic being often bearing the epithet of the “Evil One” (pāpīyān, sdig
can), sometimes said to be the principal deity in the Heaven of Making Use of
Others’ Emanations, the highest paradise in the desire realm; also one of the
names of the god of desire, Kāma in the Vedic tradition. He is portrayed as
attempting to prevent the Buddha’s awakening.
ང་་འན།
samādhi
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
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.
འ་ད་མས།
saṃskāra
The second of the twelve links of dependent origination. See “dependent
origination.”
g.46 nāga
klu
།
nāga
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
A class of nonhuman beings who live in subterranean aquatic environments,
where they guard wealth and sometimes also teachings. Nāgas are
associated with serpents and have a snakelike appearance. In Buddhist art
and in written accounts, they are regularly portrayed as half human and half
snake, and they are also said to have the ability to change into human form.
Some nāgas are Dharma protectors, but they can also bring retribution if they
are disturbed. They may likewise fight one another, wage war, and destroy
the lands of others by causing lightning, hail, and flooding.
ང་དང་གགས།
nāmarūpa
The fourth of the twelve links of dependent origination. See “dependent
origination.”
g.48 nirvāṇa
mya ngan las ’das pa
་ངན་ལས་འདས་པ།
nirvāṇa
Literally “extinction,” the state beyond sorrow, it refers to the ultimate
attainment of buddhahood, the permanent cessation of all suffering and of
the afflicted mental states that lead to suffering. Three types of nirvāṇa are
identified: (1) the residual nirvāṇa where the person is still dependent on
conditioned psycho-physical aggregates, (2) the non-residual nirvāṇa where
the aggregates have also been consumed within emptiness, and (3) the non-
abiding nirvāṇa transcending the extremes of phenomenal existence and
quiescence.
མས་ཅན་ཐམས་ཅད་་ན་ངས་པ་འམས་པ།
—
The name of a meditative absorption (samādhi) of a bodhisattva in this text.
g.50 parinirvāṇa
yongs su mya ngan las ’das pa
ངས་་་ངན་ལས་འདས་པ།
parinirvāṇa
The final or complete nirvāṇa, which occurs when an arhat or a buddha
passes away. It implies the non-residual nirvāṇa where the aggregates have
also been consumed within emptiness. See also “nirvāṇa.”
g.51 path
lam
ལམ།
mārga
Refers here to the eightfold path of the noble ones that belongs to the thirty-
seven factors conducive to awakening: right view, thought, speech, actions,
livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and absorption.
མས་ཅན་ཐམས་ཅད་་མས་མ་བར་ད་པ།
—
The name of a meditative absorption (samādhi) of a bodhisattva in this text.
g.53 pollution
kun nas nyon mongs pa
ན་ནས་ན་ངས་པ།
saṃkleśa
The self-perpetuating process of affliction in the minds of beings.
g.54 powers
stobs
བས།
bala
Refers here to the five strengths that belong to the thirty-seven factors
conducive to awakening: faith, diligence, mindfulness, absorption, and
knowledge. Although the same as the faculties, they are termed “powers”
due to their greater capacity.
སངས་ས་་ས།
buddhadharma
g.56 qualities of ordinary people
so so skye bo’i chos
་་་ ་ས།
pṛthagjanadharma
ས་ཐམས་ཅད་རབ་་་བ།
—
The name of a meditative absorption (samādhi) of a bodhisattva in this text.
g.58 Ratnaketu
rin po che’i tog
ན་་་ག
ratnaketu
The name of a bodhisattva attending the Buddha’s teaching in this text.
ཡང་དག་པར་ང་བ།
samyakprahāṇa
Refers here to the four correct exertions that belong to the thirty-seven
factors conducive to awakening. The Sanskrit term samyakprahāṇa is generally
translated as either "right exertion(s)” or “right abandonment(s),”
depending on whether one follows the primary connotation “exertion” (
pradhāna, lit. “priority”) or the secondary (nirukta) derived connotation
“abandonment” (prahāṇa). The four are the intention to not do bad actions
that have not been done, to give up bad actions that are being done, to do
good actions that have not been done, and to increase the good actions that
are being done.
་མད་་འག་ན།
sahāloka
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
The name for our world system, the universe of a thousand million worlds,
or trichiliocosm, in which the four-continent world is located. Each
trichiliocosm is ruled by a god Brahmā; thus, in this context, he bears the title
of Sahāṃpati, Lord of Sahā. The world system of Sahā, or Sahālokadhātu, is
also described as the buddhafield of the Buddha Śākyamuni where he
teaches the Dharma to beings.
The name Sahā possibly derives from the Sanskrit √sah, “to bear, endure, or
withstand.” It is often interpreted as alluding to the inhabitants of this world
being able to endure the suffering they encounter. The Tibetan translation,
mi mjed, follows along the same lines. It literally means “not painful,” in the
sense that beings here are able to bear the suffering they experience.
g.61 Śakra
brgya byin
བ་ན།
śakra
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
The lord of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (trāyastriṃśa).
Alternatively known as Indra, the deity that is called “lord of the gods”
dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. The
Tibetan translation brgya byin (meaning “one hundred sacrifices”) is based
on an etymology that śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu, one who has
performed a hundred sacrifices. Each world with a central Sumeru has a
Śakra. Also known by other names such as Kauśika, Devendra, and Śacipati.
ང་བ་་ང་།
bodhimaṇḍa
The seat (or essence, or highest point, maṇḍa) of awakening, which can mean
both the physical location where buddhas sit to become awakened and the
state of awakening itself.
g.63 Śīlendrabodhi
shrI len+dra bo dhi
ི་་་།
śīlendrabodhi
An Indian paṇḍita resident in Tibet during the late eighth and early ninth
centuries who is credited with assisting in the translation of many canonical
Buddhist texts.
་མད་ག
ṣaḍāyatana
The fifth of the twelve links of dependent origination. See “dependent
origination.”
རང་སངས་ས།
pratyekabuddha
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Literally, “buddha for oneself” or “solitary realizer.” Someone who, in his or
her last life, attains awakening entirely through their own contemplation,
without relying on a teacher. Unlike the awakening of a fully realized
buddha (samyaksambuddha), the accomplishment of a pratyekabuddha is not
regarded as final or ultimate. They attain realization of the nature of
dependent origination, the selflessness of the person, and a partial
realization of the selflessness of phenomena, by observing the suchness of
all that arises through interdependence. This is the result of progress in
previous lives but, unlike a buddha, they do not have the necessary merit,
compassion or motivation to teach others. They are named as “rhinoceros-
like” (khaḍgaviṣāṇakalpa) for their preference for staying in solitude or as
“congregators” (vargacārin) when their preference is to stay among peers.
གནས་གཙང་མ།
śuddhāvāsa
Literally "the pure abodes," this term refers to the highest series of five
heavenly abodes of the form realm (rūpadhātu) and is equated with the fourth
level of meditative concentration (dhyānabhūmi). A form of this term
frequently appears as a member of the compound gnas gtsang ma’i ris or
śuddhāvāsakāyika, which translates as "the gods of the Śuddhāvāsa realms."
g.67 thirty-seven factors conducive to awakening
byang chub kyi phyogs kyi chos sum cu rtsa bdun
ང་བ་་གས་་ས་མ་་་བན།
saptatriṃśadbodhipakṣadharma
Thirty-seven practices that lead the practitioner to the awakened state: the
four applications of mindfulness, the four right exertions, the four bases of
miraculous power, the five faculties, the five powers, the eightfold path, and
the seven branches of awakening.
་བན་གགས་པ།
tathāgata
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
A frequently used synonym for buddha. According to different explanations,
it can be read as tathā-gata, literally meaning “one who has thus gone,” or as
tathā-āgata, “one who has thus come.” Gata, though literally meaning “gone,”
is a past passive participle used to describe a state or condition of existence.
Tatha(tā), often rendered as “suchness” or “thusness,” is the quality or
condition of things as they really are, which cannot be conveyed in
conceptual, dualistic terms. Therefore, this epithet is interpreted in different
ways, but in general it implies one who has departed in the wake of the
buddhas of the past, or one who has manifested the supreme awakening
dependent on the reality that does not abide in the two extremes of existence
and quiescence. It is also often used as a specific epithet of the Buddha
Śākyamuni.
་གས་་ོང་།
viśvā purī
A town near the Himalayan mountains which is one of the settings of this
sūtra.
g.70 trichiliocosm
stong gsum gyi stong chen po’i ’jig rten gyi khams
ང་གམ་ི་ང་ན་ ་འག་ན་ི་ཁམས།
trisāhasramahāsāhasralokadhātu
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
The largest universe described in Buddhist cosmology. This term, in
Abhidharma cosmology, refers to 1,000³ world systems, i.e., 1,000
“dichiliocosms” or “two thousand great thousand world realms” (dvisāhasra-
mahāsāhasralokadhātu), which are in turn made up of 1,000 first-order world
systems, each with its own Mount Sumeru, continents, sun and moon, etc.
ོ་ང་པ་་ོས་འང་གནས།
—
A famous Tibetan scholar who was active in the late eleventh to early twelfth
centuries. His most famous work was the Bstan rim chen mo (Stages of Doctrine),
a detailed compendium of Buddhist doctrines.
g.72 vajra
rdo rje
་།
vajra
The term stands for indestructibility and perfect stability. According to
Indian mythology, the vajra is the all-powerful god Indra’s weapon, likened
to a thunderbolt, which made him invincible. It also relates to a substance
called vajra, which is the hardest physical material.
གན་་འག་ན།
yamaloka
The preta realm, or the realm of ghosts, where Yama, the Lord of Death, is the
ruler and judges the dead. Yama is also said to rule over the hells. This term
is also the name of the Vedic afterlife inhabited by the ancestors (pitṛ).
g.74 yakṣa
gnod sbyin
གད་ན།
yakṣa
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
A class of nonhuman beings who inhabit forests, mountainous areas, and
other natural spaces, or serve as guardians of villages and towns, and may
be propitiated for health, wealth, protection, and other boons, or controlled
through magic. According to tradition, their homeland is in the north, where
they live under the rule of the Great King Vaiśravaṇa.
Several members of this class have been deified as gods of wealth (these
include the just-mentioned Vaiśravaṇa) or as bodhisattva generals of yakṣa
armies, and have entered the Buddhist pantheon in a variety of forms,
including, in tantric Buddhism, those of wrathful deities.
g.75 Yeshé Dé
ye shes sde
་ས་།
—
Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:
Yeshé Dé (late eighth to early ninth century) was the most prolific translator
of sūtras into Tibetan. Altogether he is credited with the translation of more
than one hundred sixty sūtra translations and more than one hundred
additional translations, mostly on tantric topics. In spite of Yeshé Dé’s great
importance for the propagation of Buddhism in Tibet during the imperial era,
only a few biographical details about this figure are known. Later sources
describe him as a student of the Indian teacher Padmasambhava, and he is
also credited with teaching both sūtra and tantra widely to students of his
own. He was also known as Nanam Yeshé Dé, from the Nanam (sna nam)
clan.