GLOSSARY
[A]
*Abhaya: Fearlessness
*Absolute reality of Suchness; true Suchness [Skt, Tathatā]:
Suchness (sometime rendered Thusness) means the ultimate nature of all phenomena; Reality; True existence; Ultimate truth.
The Mahāyāna philosophers have a theory by which they solve the question of immanence and transcendence or which solves the relationship between Karma and Akarma [Absence of Karma]. This theory, as systematically expounded in Aśvaghoṣa‘s Awakening of Faith, starts with the idea of Suchness (Tathatā in Sanskrit). Suchness is the limit of thought, and human consciousness cannot go any further than that; expressed in another way, without the conception of Suchness there is no bridge or background whereby the two contradictory ideas, Karma and Akarma, can be linked. In Suchness or Thusness, affirmation, negation, and all forms of opposites find their place of reconciliation or interpenetration; for affirmation is negation and negation is affirmation, and this interpenetration is only possible in Suchness. Suchness may thus be said to be standing on two legs-birth and death which is the realm of Karma, and No-birth and death which is the realm of Akarma beyond the reach of Causality.
*Ajātaśatru [Skt, Ajātaśatru]:
Son of King Bimbisāra and Queen Vaidehī of Magadha. Abetted by the rebellious Devadatta, he usurped the throne, imprisoned his parents, and starved them to death. After he had conquered and annexed neighboring states, laying the foundation for the unification of India. He became afflicted with a skin disease. Remorseful, he went to the Buddha to repent his sin and take refuge in Him. After the Buddha‘s parinirvāṇa. King Ajātaśatru sponsored the five hundred Arhats to collect the Buddha‘s teaching. Indian Buddhism is greatly indebted to the converted King Ajātaśatru for its prevalence and prosperity.
*All Beings [Skt, Sattva, Bahujana, Jantu]:
Sattva means [possessed of consciousness.] Though it generally refers to all beings in the world of illusion, in a broad sense, it sometimes includes Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In the 18th, 19th, and 20th of Amitābha‘s Vows, the words [If, upon my attaining Buddha-hood, all beings in the ten quarters ..] are spoken. Shinran gives them special emphasis as the working of Amitābha‘s great compassion that opens the hearts of all beings and directs them toward Enlightenment.
*Amitābha [Skt, Amida, Amita, Amitāyus] Buddha:
The Buddha of infinite Light and Life now presided in the Western Paradise of Bliss, with Avalokiteśvara on his left and Mahāsthāmaprāpta on his right.
*Amitābha Sūtra:
Three Pure Land Sūtra are including as followings:
a) The Smaller Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra
b) The Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra
c) Amitāyur Dhyāna Sūtra [The Meditation Sūtra].
*Ānanda:
A cousin, and long-time attendant, Śākyamuni Buddha. Ānanda was noted for his great learning and was present at most of the Buddha‘s preachings. He was said to remember all the Sūtras, and to have recited them at the time of their compilation.
*Anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti [Skt] Insight into the Unborn Dharma, VN: Vô Sanh Pháp Nhẫn.
Kṣānti means to perceive correctly the nature of all things and gain perfect peace of mind. It is to be free of all illusions coming from transmigratory births and deaths and to have a thorough insight into the Unborn [anutpāda,] which is the absolute Dharma of true Suchness. To attain anutpattika-dharma-Kṣāti therefore means to have a clear grasp of the Dharma-nature, the ultimate Reality. A Bodhisattva who gains this stage is assured of rebirth in the Pure Land.
*Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi [Skt] Supreme Enlightenment; the perfect Supreme Enlightenment:
Buddha‘s Enlightenment, which is supreme, impartial, and perfect. It is supreme, and most profound experience a Buddhist is capable of having. Buddhist teachings of Precepts, Merit, Dharma, and all other expediencies, Ethical, Philosophical, and Religious are solely meant to bring about this Enlightenment. The attainment of the experience of Supreme Enlightenment may be called the fulfillment of the Ultimate Objective Buddhism.
*Arhat:
A Saint who has fully realized the truth of no self and eradicated all passions and desires. One who has reached the highest stage of Enlightenment in Hīnayāna Buddhism.
*Asura [Skt, Asura]:
Fighting demons. Asura was originally an Indian God who possessed a miraculous power to make music flow forth from his harp though no one was seen playing on it. Later it came to mean a malevolent deity that struggles against Śakra devānām Indra, the benevolent guardian deity of Buddhism. Thus Asura signifies an existence characterized by constant strife.
*Attachment:
In the Four Noble Truths, Buddha Śākyamuni taught that attachment to self is the root cause of suffering.
*Awakening vs. Enlightenment:
A clear distinction should be made between awakening to the way [Great Awakening (VN)Đại Ngộ] and attaining the Way[attaining Enlightenment].[Note: there are many degrees of Awakening and Enlightenment. Attaining the Enlightenment of the Arhats, Pratyeka Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, etc.. is different from attaining Supreme Enlightenment, i.e., [Buddha-hood].
*Awakened to the Enlightenment mind (Bodhicitta) [VN: Phát Bồ Đề Tâm]:
That is, to awaken the desire to become a Buddha; the mind resolved to attain Enlightenment (Bodhi).
[B]
*Bardo [Skt, Antarābhāva (VN) Thân trung ấm]:
The intermediate stage between death and rebirth.
*Beyond my understanding [Skt, Acintya]:
The working of the Buddha-mind and everything in the Dharma-world is beyond the power of man‘s thinking or describing. To bridge the impassable chasm between the realm of relativity and the absolute, man thus has no other way than to give himself up to the Power of Amitābha ‘s Prayer, because the Power of Amitābha ‘s Prayer is unthinkable, which is beyond the limits of man ‘s intellectual reflections.
*Bhikṣu:
An ordained priest who renounces the world to practice the way of the Buddha, taking on himself the discipline of precepts (Śīla).
*Birth, Old age, Disease, and Death, [Skt, Jāti, Jarā, Vyādhi, Maraṇa]:
The four basic sufferings [Duḥkha] to which human life are subject. The four sufferings, which were observed by the Buddha during his wanderings as a prince, are the reason Śākyamuni left home and enter a religious life. According to the Nikāya, when the Buddha later reflected on the particulars which led up to his own search for truth, he cautioned others against [the pride of youth] yobbana-mada; [the pride of good health] ārogya-mada; and [the pride of being alive] Jīvita-mada.
*Bodhi [Skt]:
Bodhi means Enlightenment.
*Bodhiruci [Skt, Bodhiruci], VN: Bồ Đề Lưu Chi.
An Indian Buddhist Monk from central India who in 508 arrived in Loyang. There at Yung-ning-ssu monastery [Vĩnh Ninh Tự] he translated Sūtras and commentaries into Chinese, numbering 39 works in 127 volumes, among them Vasubandhu‘s Treatise on the Pure Land.
*Bodhisattva, Bodhisattvaship; Bodhisattva Mahāsattva [Skt, Bodhisattva]:
A Bodhisattva who has reached the advanced stages of Enlightenment, One who aspires to the attainment of Buddha-hood and devotes himself to altruistic deeds, especially deeds that cause others to attain Enlightenment.
*Bodhisattva Maitreya [Skt, Maitreya]:
The Bodhisattva Maitreya is the future Buddha, who will attain Buddha-hood in this world after Śākyamuni Buddha. He has gained the highest stage of Bodhisattvaship and is only a step away from Buddha-hood. At present, he is preaching the Dharma for the Devas in his Pure Land, the Tuṣita Heaven, but according to Śākyamuni‘s prophecy he will come and be reborn in this world 5,670,000,000 years in the future, attain Enlightenment and become Buddha. Because of this assurance, he is on occasion referred to as the Buddha Maitreya.
*Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī:
A Bodhisattva who is the symbol of wisdom and is placed on the Buddha‘s left with Samantabhadra on the right.
*Bodhisattva Samantabhadra:
A Bodhisattva, symbol of the fundamental Law, dhyāna and practice of all Buddhas. He is the right-hand assistant of the Buddha and Mañjuśrī is His left-hand assistant. Mount O-Mei in Szechuan, China, is his bodhimaṇḍala, and devotees go there to see myriad Buddha lamps in the sky at night
*Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara:
A Bodhisattva who will come to the aid of anyone who invokes His name. This Bodhisattva is the embodiment of the compassion of all Buddhas. He appears in many Sūtra and Tantras, and plays an important role in most Mahāyāna activities. Avalokiteśvara is worshipped in either a male or a female form in the various Buddhist countries.
*Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprapta [Shih Chih, Seishi]:
A Bodhisattva representing the Buddha-wisdom of Amitābha. He is on Amitābha‘s right with Avalokiteśvara on the left. They are called the Three Holy Ones of the Western Paradise of Bliss.
*Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa:
A Brahmin converted to Buddhism, who became the First Patriarch of the Pure Land School; author of The Awakening of Faith.
*Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna:
Born in Southern India in the second century A.D., he expounded Madhyamika philosophy based upon the principle of Śūnyatā. He is regarded as founder by eight of the main Schools of Buddhism. He is said to have embraced Pure Land faith in his later years. Among his known works are: Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā-Śāstra, [Shih-chu pi-p’o-sha lun, 17 vols], and Mahāprajñāpāramitā-Śāstra, [Ta-chih-tu lun, 100 vols.] etc..
*Bodhisattva Vasubandhu:
Lived between the 4th and 5th centuries A.D. Born in Puruṣapura in the country of Gandhāra, he went to Kaśmira where he took up the study of Hīnayāna Buddhism and wrote the Abhidharmakośabhāsya. He criticized the Mahāyāna, but under the influence of his elder brother, Asaṅga was later converted to it. He left many writings and commentaries, laying the foundations for the Yogācāra School [The Mind Only or Consciousness Only] doctrines thatare the core of the Yogācāra. Vimśatikāvijñaptimātratāsiddhi, 1 vol.; Triṃśikāvijñaptimātratāsiddhi, 1 vol.; Sukhāvatīvyuh-Opadeśa.; 1 vol.
*Brāhmaṇas [Skt, Brāmaṇa]:
The highest of the four traditional social classes of Indian society, composed of Brāhmaṇa priests and scholars. The other three are the kṣatriya, the ruling caste; the Vaiśya, the caste of peasants, artisans, and merchants; and the Śūdra, the slave caste.
*Brahma Net Sūtra [Brahmajāla Sūtra] Sixty-two heretical Schools:
*Buddha:
Buddha is a person who attained Enlightenment.
*Buddha Dharma:
The doctrines or teachings of the Buddha.
*Buddha Nature; Buddha-hood [Buddhatā or Dharmatā]:
Buddhatā is the essence of Buddha-hood, without which this is never attained on the world. When the Buddha is conceived impersonally or objectively, it is Dharma, law, truth, or reality; and Dharmatā are what constitute the Dharma. Dharmatā and Buddhatā are interchangeable, but the experience of the Mahāyānists is described more in terms of Buddhatā.
The Nirvāṇa Sūtra states that All beings are inherent the Buddha-nature.
*Buddha Recitation, Buddha–Remembrance, Pronounce the Name [Skt, Buddhānusmṛiti, Ch. Nien-Fo, VN: Niệm Phật]:
General term for a number of practices, such as i) Oral recitation of Amitābha Buddha ‘s name and ii) Visualization/Contemplation of His Auspicious Marks and those Pure Land realms. In reciting the Buddha-name, you use your own mind to be mindful of your own true self: how could this be considered seeking outside yourself? Reciting the Buddha-Name proceeds from the mind. The mind remembers Buddha and do not forget. That is why it is called Buddha Recitation, or reciting the Buddha-name mindfully.
The Name of Amitābha Buddha has had the original in Sanskrit phrase [Namo Amitābhabuddhāya,] in Chinese [Namo A-mi-t ‘uo Fo] in Japanese [Namu-Amida-Butsu] in Vietnamese [Nam Mô A Di Đà Phật]. meaning [Adoration of the Buddha of Infinite Light.] However, with followers of the Pure Land teaching, the phrase is far more than mere adoration for by this they express their absolute faith in Amitābha as one who makes it possible for them to be born in his Land of Purity and Bliss. The phrase often serves as a metaphysical formula symbolizing the identity of subject and object, of the devotee and Amitābha, of the [sin-laden] individual and the all saving and all merciful of all beings [Sarvasattva] and Buddha, of human yearnings and the Supreme Enlightenment.
[C]
*Conditioned [compounded]:
Describes all the various phenomena in the world – made up of separate, discrete elements, [with outflows,] with no intrinsic nature of their own. Conditions merits and virtues lead to rebirth within Saṃsāra, whereas unconditioned merits and virtues are the causes of liberation from birth and death.
[D]
*Dāna:
Charity, almsgiving, i.e., of money, goods or doctrine.
*Demons:
Evil influences, which hinder cultivation. These can take an infinite number of forms, including evil beings or hallucinations. Disease and death, as well as the three poisons of greed, anger and delusion are also equated to demons, as they disturb the mind.
*Devas [Skt, Deva, Ch. T’ien] Deities, Gods:
At the time of Śākyamuni in India, the Heavens inhabited by Devas were commonly held to be the highest of all realms, attainable by the performance of good deeds. With the introduction of Buddhism and its doctrine of Nirvāṇa, heavens and Devas came to be considered abodes still within the realm of illusion. With time, various classifications, divisions and subdivisions were applied to the Devas and their Heavens.
*Dharma:
The truth, Law or Doctrine; a thing, all things, anything great or small, visible or invisible, real or unreal, concrete thing or abstract idea. It connotes Buddhism as the perfect religion and has the second place in the Triratna, or Triple Gem.
*Dharma-Ending Age, Decay of the Dharma [Saddharmavipralopa, Chinese: Mo-Fa, VN: Mạt Pháp, Japanese: Mappō]
The time following Buddha Śākyamuni‘s demise is divided into three period.
1. Dharma-Perfect Age: Lasting 500 years, when the Buddha‘s teaching [usually meditation] was correctly practiced and Enlightenment often attained.
2. Dharma-Semblance Age: Lasting about 1,000 years, when a form of the teaching was practiced but Enlightenment seldom attained.
3. Dharma-Ending Age: Lasting some 2,000 years, when a diluted form of the teaching exists and Enlightenment is rarely attained.
*Dharma Gate: School, Method, Tradition.
*Dharma Nature:
The intrinsic nature of all things. Used interchangeably with [Emptiness,] [Reality.]
*Dhyāni-Buddha:
There are five Dhyāni-Buddha as followings: 1/ Vairocana Buddha in the Centre, 2/ Akṣobhya in the East, 3/ Ratnasaṃbhava in the South, 4/ Amitābha in the West and 5/ Amoghasiddhi in the North.
*Difficult Path of Practice [Path of the Sages, Self-Power Path]:
According to Pure Land teaching, all conventional Buddhist ways of practice and cultivation [Zen, Theravada, the Vinaya School…], which emphasize self-power and self-reliance. This is contrasted to the Easy Path of Practice, that is , the Pure Land method, which relies on both self-power and other-power [the power and assistance of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
*Đề Hồ (VN) [Skt, Sarpimaṇḍa]:
One of the five flavors of milk. According to The Nirvāṇa Sūtra, these are: 1/ Fresh milk [Sữa] 2/ Coagulated milk [Cream, Lạc], 3/ Curdled milk [Sanh Tô], 4/ Butter [Thục Tô], 5/ Clarified Butter [ghee Đề Hồ]. The last is the rarest of all the flavors, and is used as a metaphor for Nirvāṇa, Buddha –Nature, True-Teaching, etc…
Thích Thiện Mỹ found the five flavors of milk, date 21-04-2005
*Dusts [Worldly Dusts], VN: Bụi Trần.
A metaphor for all the mundane things that can cloud our bright Self-Nature. These include Form, Sound, Scent, Taste, Touch, Dharmas [external opinions and views]. These dusts correspond to the five senses and the discriminating, everyday mind [the sixth sense, in Buddhism].
:
[E]
*Easy Path of Practice:
Refers to Pure Land practice. The Easy Path involves reliance on the power of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in particular Buddha Amitābha [Other-power].
*Eight kinds of Calamities [Bát Nạn]:
The eight kinds of calamities of those who are unable to see the Buddha and listen to His teaching are:
1/ to be born in hell;
2/ to be born in the animal world;
3/ to be born in the world of hungry ghosts.
The above three paths of existence are called [the three evil paths.]In them, one cannot hear the Dharma because of the pain and suffering one must undergo.
4/ to be born in the Heaven of Longevity;
5/ to be born in the Uttara-kuru
These last two are realms where one can enjoy much pleasure and longevity, but where, because of these sensual pleasures, one has no chance to hear the Dharma.
6/ to be born blind, deaf, and dumb;
7/ to be born secularly wise;
8/ to be born before the birth or after the death of Śākyamuni Buddha.
*Emancipation [Skt, Vimokṣa], VN: Giải Thoát:
This usually means to be free from the bondage of birth and death, and delivered from ignorance and passions [Kleśa] into Enlightenment. The devotees are no longer bound to dualism or to Non-dualism, and see all things in their Suchness in a state. Hence, it may indicate Nirvāṇa or the Pure Land.
*Emptiness [Skt, Śūnyatā]:
Voidness, Emptiness, Non-existence, immateriality, unreality, the illusory nature of all existence, the seeming that is unreal.
*Evil Paths, VN: Tam Ác Đạo.
The paths of Hells, Hungry ghosts, Animalist. These paths can be taken as states of mind; i.e., when someone has a vicious thought of maiming or killing another, he is effectively reborn, for that moment, in the Hells.
[F]
*Faith, believe [Skt, Śraddhā]:
Generally speaking, the Sanskrit Śraddhā (faith) means in Buddhism to purify the mind of the defilements or the evil passions. When the mind is absolutely pure, the practitioner is able to truly enjoy himself and others in all situations, with no inclination to fear or evade personal suffering and to seek pleasure or self-benefit.
*Five Aggregates [Skt, Pañca-Skandha]:
1/ form, 2/ feeling, 3/ ideation, 4/ reaction, (VN: Hành uẩn) 5/ consciousness.
*Five Defilements, Turbidities, Corruptions, Depravities, Filths, Impurities [Skt, Pañca-kaṣāya], VN: Ngũ Trược Ác Thế.
Degeneration-mental, spiritual, and physical defilements are believed to increase with the passage of time from the Buddha‘s demise:
(1) Kalpa-kaṣāya; defilements relating with the time [such as natural calamity, hunger, pestilence];
(2) Dṛiṣṭi-kaṣāya; defilements relating to philosophical insight [such as the growth of complex systems of philosophy and the confrontation of ideologies];
(3) Kleśa-kaṣāya; defilements relating to morality [destructive anger, ignorance, superiority or complexes, insincerity, etc..];
(4) Sattva-kaṣāya; defilements relating to physical and spiritual existence [such as decline in physical and mental ability, tendency toward egotism, neglect of others];
(5) Āyu-kaṣāya; defilements relating to man‘s increased dissatisfaction with life; the vain wasting of human existence
*Five kinds of eyes:
1/ The physical eye; 2/ The Deva-eye of celestial beings, which can be developed by humans through meditation and which can see even in darkness, at great distances, and through obstacles; 3/ The wisdom-eye, which sees the emptiness of all things, is possessed by all Enlightenment beings, including Śrāvakas and PratyekaBuddha; 4/ The Dharma-eye of Bodhisattvas, which sees the truth of the Buddha ‘s teaching and all Dharma-doors; and 5/ The Buddha-eye, which nondualistically sees everything in its real nature, and which is possessed only by Buddhas.
*Five Pasions, Five Desires, Five Sensual Pleasures [Ngũ Dục Lạc]:
Those arising from attachment to the objects of the five senses [Pañca-viṣaya]: things seen (Rūpa), things heard (Śabda), things smelt (Gandha), things tasted (Rasa), things touched (Spraṣtavya). Also, the desires for Wealth, Sex, Fame, Food and Sleep.
*Five Precepts:
The precepts taken by Lay Buddhists, prohibiting i) Killing, ii) Stealing, iii) Sexual misconduct, iv) Lying, v) ingesting intoxicants.
*Five Sufferings [Skt, pañca Duḥkhāni]:
(1) Life, (2) old age, (3) illness, (4) death, (5) parting with loved ones.
Another enumeration gives:
(1) Life, old-age, illness, and death;
(2) Parting with loved ones;
(3) Meeting those one dislikes;
(4) Failure to acquire what one wants;
(5) Attachment to the five elemental aggregates that constitute one‘s body and mind.
*Four Āgamas:
The Āgamas are the scriptures of early Buddhism. Northern Buddhism separates them into four divisions:
(1) Dīrgha-āgama, 22 vols
(2) Madhyama-āgama, 60 vols
(3) Ekottarika-āgama, 51 vols
(4) Samyukta-āgama, 50 vols
From its original meaning of [coming, and returning (to the source)] and [anything handed down and fixed by tradition,] Āgama has come to mean the teachings of the Buddha and the scriptural writings of Buddhism.
*Four Classes of Beings, VN: Tứ Chúng.
The four classes of lay ordained men and women that make up the Buddhist community:
(1) Bhikṣu, A Priest who must keep precepts prescribed by his order.
(2) Bhikṣuṇī, A Nun who must keep the precepts of her order.
(3) Upāsaka, A layman who entrusts himself to the Triple Treasure and keeps the precepts prescribed for laymen.
(4) Upāsikā, A laywoman who entrusts herself to the Triple Treasure and keeps the precepts prescribed for laywomen.
*Four Devilish Foes [Skt, Māra]: There are four kinds of Māra, they are…
1/ evil passions (Kleśa) that distress one‘s body and mind; [Phiềṅ Nảo Ma.]
2/ death;
3/ the five aggregates that make up the body and mind;
4/ Devas
*Four Elements [Skt, Mahā-Bhūta]:
The Four substances that constitute all matter:
(1) Earth [Pṛithivī-bhūta], possessed of hardness and able to support things;
(2) Water [Ab-bhūta], possessed of moisture and able to contain things;
(3) Wind or air [Vāyu-bhūta], possessed of the quality of motion and able to bring things to maturity;
(4) Fire [Tejo-bhūta], possessed of the quality of heat and able to perfect things.
*Four immeasurable:
1/ Kindness [Maitrī]; 2/ compassion [karuṇā]; 3/ Joy [Muditā]; 4/ Equanimity, amnesty [upekṣā].
*Four Mindfulnesses:
1/ Mindfulness of the body as impure; 2/ Mindfulness of feeling as suffering; 3/ Mindfulness of the mind as impermanent; 4/ Mindfulness of Dharmas as dependent, without self-entity. We think of [mindfulness of] Amitābha Buddha in the Pure Land method.
*Furnished in refinement; Adornment [Skt,Vyūha, Alaṃkāra]:
Refinement, Adornment, Embellishment, actualization are renderings of the term Chinese Chuang-yen. The term has its origin in two Sanskrit words, Alaṃkāra and Vyūha, the former meaning [making sufficient,] [decoration,] [Ornament,] and the latter, [placing apart,] [arrangement,] and [disposition.]
[G]
*Good Spiritual Advisor, Good Friend [Skt, Kalyāṇamitra]:
The friend or teacher who guides other correctly in the Buddha way. In a brother-hood bound I Buddhist spirit, one invariably perceives in his friends the working of something that leads him to the way of the Buddha. Much more than fond, intimate acquaintances, they are his exemplars through whom he gains living proof of the Dharma. Chih-I‘s Treatise on Śamatha and Vipaśyanā enumerates three kinds of [good friends]: (1) those who help by looking over one from without; (2) those who act together with one; and (3) those who teach and guide one.
*Great unconditional compassion; Absolute compassion [Skt, Mahākaruṇā, Ch. Wu-Kai-Ta-Pei, VN. Vô Ngại Đại Bi]:
The great compassion embodied by Amitābha as expressed in his Vows of universal salvation. It is also called Wu-kai-ta-pei, literally meaning [Uncovered,] is rendered here as [Unconditional] and [Absolute.] The term thus means compassion, which is boundless, Absolute and Unconditional.
[H]
*House of the Dharma [Skt, Dharma-kośa; Dharmākara]:
Originally, the storehouse where all the Sacred Buddhist Text were kept, hence where the Dharma in all its aspects was expounded. It later came to refer to all the Merits or Virtues gained from practicing the teachings of the Dharma. Thus in this context it means to recite Amitābha Buddha‘s Name in which are contained all the Merits and Virtues of the Dharma.
[I]
*Icchantika [Skt]:
Originally, this meant [One who follows his cravings and desires.] In Buddhism it generally refers to someone with no inclination to seek Enlightenment, who is without belief in the Dharma and has no desire to become Buddha; hence he who has cut off all his stock of Merit.
*Ignorance, Delusion or Unenlightenment [Skt, Avidyā]:
In Buddhism, ignorance is the basic of all evil passions [Kleśa, fan-nao] and is the greatest hindrance to the attainment of Supreme Enlightenment. Evil passions refer generally to troubled, confused mental activity caused by a deluded mind and body. The ultimate goal of Buddhists is to cut off the root of all evil passions by attaining the transcendental wisdom of Enlightenment.
[J]
*Jewel Net of Indra:
This is a net said to hang in the Palace of Indra, the King of the Gods. At each interstice of the net is a reflecting jewel, which mirrors not only the adjacent jewels but also the multiple images reflected in them. This famous image is meant to describe the unimpeded interpenetration of all and everything.
[K]
*Karma [Skt, Karma; Karman]:
The Buddhist conception of Karma, briefly stated, is this: Any act, good or evil, once committed and conceived, never vanishes like a bubble I water, but lives, potentially or actively as the case may be, in the world of minds and deeds. This mysterious moral energy, so to speak, is embodied in and emanates from every act and thought, for it does not matter whether it is actually performed, or merely conceived in the mind. When time comes, it is sure to germinate and grow with all its vitality. Says the Buddha:
“Karma even after the lapse of a hundred kalpas,
Will not be lost nor destroyed;
As soon as the necessary conditions are ready,
Its fruit is sure to ripe.”
*Karmic result of faith in the Buddha:
Faith in the Buddha is the result of a happy combination of one‘s favorable past karmic conditions and Amitābha‘s Vow working to bring about salvation.
*kleśa:
Worry, anxiety, trouble, distress and whatever causes them.
*Koṭis [Skt, Koṭi], VN: Câu Chi.
A Unit used for counting. One version says a Koṭi consists of 10,000,000, while another gives 100,000,000. One hundred Koṭi is said to make 3000 Chiliocosms.
*Kṣaṇa [Skt, Kṣaṇa, Sát Na]:
The shortest possible unit of time. According to the Abhidharmakośabhāsya, Vol. 12:
120 Kṣaṇa=tat-kṣaṇa, 60 Tat-Kṣaṇa=lava, one finger-snap
90 Kṣaṇa= a thouhgt
4,500 Kṣaṇa= a minute
30 Muhūrta=24 hours
According to the above formulas, one Kṣaṇa corresponds to 1/75 second. There are various other explanations about this.
[L]
*Lesser Vehicle [Skt, Hīnayāna]:
[Lesser vehicle.] An appellation critically applied by the later Mahāyānists to the more conservative Buddhism that is based primarily on the Pāli Canon and the teaching of the two vehicles. The claim of the Mahāyānists is that the early Buddhists did not envisage in Buddha‘s Enlightenment the fullest extent beyond a personal salvation, the state of Arhatship. Hīnayānists is also called the Southern or the Theravāda School of Buddhism.
*Living, Practice [Skt, Paṭipatti, Ch. Xīu-Xíng, VN: Tu Hành]:
Usually understood as [practice,] [discipline,] [act.] Generally, Xīu Xíng refers to practices of all forms, which lead to Enlightenment.
*Lotus World [Skt, Kusuma-tala-garbha-Vyūhālaṃkāra-lokadhātu-samudra], Liên Hoa Tạng Thế Giới.
The reference here is to Amitābha‘s Pure Land. In Buddhism, the Buddha-Dharma, Buddha-Land, Enlightenment and so on, are often compared to the Lotus, which grows with its roots in the mud yet produces a Pure and Noble-Flower. The Buddha goes about in this world of birth and death working to deliver suffering beings and yet his Enlightenment remains untainted by evil passions. The term Lotus-world appears originally in the Avataṃsaka-Sūtra where it means the world in which the Vairocana Buddha reigns and teaches.
[M]
*Mahāyāna [Skt, Mahāyāna]:
Mahā means [great] and Yāna, [vehicle.] Buddhism is historically divided into two fundamental Schools, Hīnayāna and Mahāyāna, [small vehicle] and [great vehicle.] the Mahāyāna is a later development and prevails Nepal, Sikkim, Tibet, Mongolia, China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan, while the Hīnayāna is strong in Ceylon, Burma and Thailand.
*Marks, [Skt, Lakṣana]:
The Marks visible on the body of every Buddha.
*Merit [skt, Guṇa, Ch, Kung-Te]:
The word kung-te encompasses not merely the idea of Merit but also all potentiality contained in a good deed. [True] Merit is derived from good deeds such as the six Pāramitās and other acts in accordance with the Buddha‘s teaching. [False] Merits are those derived from deeds of a worldly nature no matter how good they may seem.
*Merit and Virtue:
These two terms are sometimes used interchangeably. However, there is a crucial difference: merits are the blessings [wealth, intelligence, etc.] of the human and celestial realms; therefore, they are temporary and subject to Birth and Death. Virtues, on the other hand, transcend Birth and Death and lead to Buddha-hood. Four virtues are mentioned in Pure Land Buddhism: eternity; happiness; True-Self; purity. An identical action [e.g., charity] can lead to either merit or virtue, depending on the mind of the practitioner, that is, on whether he is seeking mundane rewards [merit] or transcendence [virtue]. Thus, the Pure Land cultivator should not seek merits for by doing so, he would, in effect, be choosing to remain within Saṃsāra. This would be counter to his very wish to escape Birth and Death.
*Mind [Skt, Citta]:
Key concept in all Buddhist teaching. Frequent term in Ch’an, used in two senses: (1) the mind-ground, the one Mind... the Buddha-mind, the mind of thusness... (2) false mind [VN: Vọng Tâm] the ordinary mind dominated by conditioning, desire, aversion, ignorance, and false sense of self, the mind of delusion.
[N]
*Nine grades of Beings, Lotus Grades, VN: Cửu Phẩm Liên Hoa:
In The Sūtra of Meditation aspirant for birth in Amitābha‘s Pure Land are described under three ranks and nine grades.
I. Highest rank:
(1) The highest grate of the highest rank
(2) The middle grate of the highest rank
(3) The lowest grate of the highest rank
Devotees who belong to this rank follow the Mahāyāna teaching.
II. Middle rank:
(4) The highest grate of the middle rank
(5) The middle grate of the middle rank
Devotees who belong to these two grates follow the Hīnayāna teaching.
(6) The lowest grate of the middle rank
Those who belong to this grate practice good deeds only in the worldly sense.
III. Lowest rank:
(1) The highest grate of the lowest rank
(2) The middle grate of the lowest rank
(3) The lowest grate of the lowest rank
Those who belong to this rank can perform only evil deeds. Those who belong to the ninth grate are the vilest of all.
Pure Land Schools place great importance on the deep love of the Buddha, which never forsakes even the vilest of Creatures.
*Nirvāṇa [Skt, Nirvāṇa]:
The Sanskrit Nirvāṇa means [blown out,] [extinguished,] [calmed,] [tamed,] [deceased,] [disappeared.] The Buddhists came to employ this word to express Buddha‘s Enlightenment, a state reached by extinguishing the fire of evil passions rooted in ignorance. Nirvāṇa means nothing else in its essence than Enlightenment. Nirvāṇa, according to Buddhists, does not signify an annihilation of consciousness or a temporal or permanent suppression of mentation, as imagined by some; but it is the annihilation of the notion of ego-substance and of all the desires that arise from this erroneous conception. But this represents the negative side of the doctrine, and its positive side consists in universal love or sympathy [Karuṇā] for all beings.
*Non-Birth, No-Birth, VN: Vô Sanh, Bất Sanh.
A term used to describe the nature of Niṛvāṇa. In Mahāyāna Buddhism generally, No-Birth signifies the ‘extinction’ of the discursive thinking by which we conceive of things as arising and perishing, forming attachments to them.
*Non-Buddhist Schools:
This refers to all Indian non-Buddhist teachings, and is generally used pejoratively to include all false teachings as well. In particular, there are six ascetic-teachers representative of six Schools of non-Buddhist philosophy, but there are also enumerations of 16, 20, 62, and 95 non-Buddhist Schools.
*Non-doing; Doing-nothing-ness [Skt, Asaṃskṛita], VN: Vô Vi
Non-doing is a way of characterizing Enlightenment or Nirvāṇa, the Ultimate nature of Amitābha‘s Pure Land. The Sanskrit Asaṃskṛita, usually rendered [uncreated,] means [that which is not subject to the law of causation.] All things that are born from or produced by conditions of causation are by necessity impermanent, but the realm of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is eternal, unchanging, empty [Śūnya,] unborn, nondual, without self-substance, and non-doing.
[O]
*Ocean-wide Lotus Assembly, VN: Thanh Tịnh Đại Hải Chúng.
The Lotus Assembly represents the gathering of Buddha Amitābha, the Bodhisattvas, the Sages and Saints and other superior beings in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. This Assembly is [Ocean-Wide] as the participants are infinite in number – spreading as far and wide as the ocean. The term Ocean-wide Assembly is generally associated with the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, a Text particularly prized by the Pure Land and Ch’an Schools alive.
*One Mind, Ch. I-hsin, VN: Nhất Tâm
Here, [one] signifies absoluteness, a purity that is beyond all relative categories. One mind refers to Amitābha‘s true mind that appears and operates freely and unrestrictedly amid the world of birth and death. Since it remains unsullied even while dwelling in the world of defilement it is called the Pure Mind; since it remains immovable and undisturbed within the world‘s confusion, it is called the Vajra Mind. When Vasubandhu states at the beginning of The Treatise on the Pure Land [I, with one mind,] he is speaking of the spiritual realm in which he has awakened to the Original Vow and placed his trust in Amitābha, clarifying that this [one mind] is Amitābha ‘s Pure Mind.
*[Others-benefiting] and [Benefited by the Other]:
Generally Bodhisattva Vows are said to have the two aspects of self-benefiting [i.e., for one‘s own Enlightenment, and other-benefiting [i.e., for the Enlightenment of others,] Bodhisattvas gain Enlightenment as the result of long and arduous practice, and by means of the merit thus gained lead others to Enlightenment. According to Pure Land teaching, if Bodhisattvas trust in their own power instead of Amitābha‘s, they can not consummate both these aspects. It is not Bodhisattvas that save sentient beings, but the great compassion of Amitābha‘s other-power. To express this, Doran uses the phrase benefited by the other. Sentient beings as seen by Amitābha are called others and Amitābha seen by sentient beings is called the other.
*Other-Power:
Other-power denotes the power of Amitābha‘s Vows. Although [other-power] is the apparent antithesis of [self-power,] essentially, as a working force, [other] is beyond any such dualistic notions. If we say that other-power issues from a personality named Amitābha, we somehow feel It to be something possessed of the nature of human conduct. But the working of Amitābha‘s great Compassion is free from all human agency, severed from discriminations and arguing; it is natural and not calculated. Therefore, this power of the Original Vow is like Asura‘s harp, from which it is said the music comes out naturally without anyone playing on it. Here is the transcendental aspect of Pure Land teaching.
*One Thought; One moment of thought [Skt, Eka-kṣaṇa], VN: Nhất Niệm, Một Sát Na.
[One thought] is a momentous term in the philosophy of Pure Land Buddhism. Its Sanskrit original is Eka-Kṣaṇa meaning [one instant] or [One moment.] As we say in English [Quick as thought] or [Quick as a flash,] [One thought] represents in term of time the shortest possible duration, which is to say, one instant. The on instant of faith-establishment is the moment when Amitābha‘s Eternal Light flashes into the darkening succession of love and hate which is experienced by our relative consciousness. At one moment of thought, if one recited the Name of Amitābha Buddha to come to singlemindedly, he would reborn in the Pure Land instantly at the moment of death.
[P]
*Paramitā:
Crossing over from this shore of birth and death to the other shore [Nirvāṇa.]
*Prajñā [Skt, Prajñā]: Wisdom, Transcendental Wisdom.
*Pratyeka Buddha [Skt, pratyeka Buddha [solitary Buddha], VN: Bích Chi Phật.
One who obtains Enlightenment without recourse to the Buddha‘s teaching. A Saint who preferring a life of quiet peacefulness, does not preach the Dharma, and does not lead others to salvation. The Solitary Buddha-vehicle and Hearer-vehicle make up the [two vehicles,] or the Hīnayāna. When the Bodhisattva-vehicle is added, they are called the [three vehicles].
*Pratyutpanna-Samādhi [Skt] contemplation on the presence of Buddha:
One comes into the presence of all Buddhas in this Samādhi. To gain this state, a certain length of time [from 7 to 90 days] is set aside, during which the practitioners circumambulate a statue of Amitābha while reciting the Nien-fo. This practice is called [Walking Only] Samādhi. Not allow to sitting or lying or take a rest.
*Prayer [Original Prayer]: Skt, Pūrva-Praṇdhāna.
Praṇidhāna is generally translated as [Vow] or [Fervent Wish] or [Prayer,] or simply [the will], but these English terms do not convey the full meaning of the Sanskrit as it is used in the Mahāyāna. The original Prayer is the expression of Amitābha ‘s Vows or Karuṇā (Love or compassion) which he cherishes over all beings. Karuṇā constitutes with Prajñā the personality of every Buddha. Amitābha Buddha used Original Prayer to save all beings in the ten directions.
*Precepts [Skt, Śīla]:
The word Śīla originally possesses meanings such as deed, custom, character, morality, devotion; but generally, it is used to mean the Buddhist rules of moral conduct. These were promulgated to warn against the practices of non-Buddhist Schools, applying to laymen as well as priests.
*Pure Land [Skt, Sukhāvatī]:
The term Pure Land generally refers to the abode of all Buddhas. I the Pure Land teaching it refers to a place created out of Amitābha‘s boundless love to save all beings from ignorance and suffering. [In this Land of Bliss, Sukhāvatī,] inequalities of all kinds are wiped out and those who enter are allowed equally to attain perfect Enlightenment.
*Purity of the objective world (or Environment) [Skt] Bhājanalokavyavadhāna; Bhājanapariśodhana:
The purity of the Pure Land is twofold: the purity of the Land itself, and the purity of those abiding therein. The former is technically referred to as the purity of the objective world or environment [literally, vessel-world], while the latter is known as the purity of personality. Vasubandhu devotes 17 lines to describe the purity or [embellishment] of the Land.
*Purity of Personally [Skt, Sattvalokavyavadāna; Sattvapariśodhana]:
Personality refers to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas who inhabit the Pure Land of Amitābha. Vasubandhu devotes 8 lines of his Gāthā to the ways in which the Buddha Amitābha was actualized and to his purities [adornments], and 4 lines to the purities of the Pure Land Bodhisattvas.
[R]
*Recompense [Ch: pao; VN: Quả Báo]:
Generally, in Buddhism Pao means that which is acquired as a result of a certain deed. In the Pure Land School recompense refers in particular ti that accruing from result‘s Vows and long practice to bring about perfection. Accordingly, Amitābha is called [the Body of Recompense,] and his Pure Land, [the Land of Recompense.]
[S]
*Sahā World [Skt, Sahālokadhātu]: VN: Ta Bà Thế Giới.
The Sanskrit Sahā means [the Earth,] to Indian Buddhism, the world inhabited by men. It was translated into Chinese as [Patience] or [Endurance] in addition to its strictly phonetic rendering of Sha-p’o. It refers to this present world whose dwellers must endure the results of deeds produced by their evil passions; the world of transmigration into which Śākyamuni Buddha appeared to reveal his teaching. It is usually contrasted to the Pure Land; [dialectically speaking, the absolute contradiction between the Pure Land and the defiled Land of ours is synthesized only by going through the medium ship of Amitābha‘s infinite Light.
*Samādhi:
Internal state of imperturbability, exempt from all external sensation; this state precedes the attainment of Buddhahood.
*Samādhi of meditation on Buddha, [Ch. Nien-Fo-San-Mei]:
It is the Samādhi that is realized by constant recitation of [Namo Amitābhāya Buddhāya]. We can state that the Samādhi, and the establishment of faith in the Buddha, and the assurance of rebirth in his Land of Purity, describe one and the same psychological fact, which constitutes the foundation of the Pure Land doctrine.
*Sambhoga-kāya:
Reward body of a Buddha, that of Bliss or enjoyment of fruits of His past saving labors. It is perceptible to Bodhisattvas only.
*Samādhi of meditation on Buddha:
*Saṃsāra:
Saṃsāra means the cycle of births and deaths. Birth and death is a technical term in Buddhism and may better be hyphenated. The Sanskrit original Saṃsāra means [becoming] or [passing through a succession of changes,] for which the Chinese Buddhist Scholars have Sheng-Ssu, i.e., [birth and death.] It stands contrasted to Nirvāṇa, which is [changelessness,] [eternity,] [absoluteness.] To transcend birth and death is to be released from the bondage of Karma, to attain Emancipation, Enlightenment, and Eternal Bliss, which is Buddha-hood.
*Śamatha and Vipaśyana [Skt] The Treatise on Śamatha and Vipaśyana
Śamatha means to stop all thoughts and concentrate on a single object to quiet the mind. Vipaśyana means to observe clearly an object with right wisdom. This twofold practice, in which the two aspects are inseparable, is said to be the basic method of consummating the Buddhist teaching.
*Śāriputra:
A disciple of the Buddha, noted for His Wisdom
*Śāstra: commentaries
*Skt, Mahāyāna-Śraddhotpāda Śāstra [The Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna]:
It was translated into Chinese in 550 by Paramārtha-Bhikṣu who had come from India to China during the Liang Dynasty (502-557). The Treatise sets forth the fundamental doctrines of Mahāyāna Buddhism and attempts to awaken people to faith in it. In particular, it takes up the concept of Tathatā, meaning Thusness or Suchness, the true aspect of reality. It was widely studies by Mahāyānists in India, and there are several Chinese commentaries.
*Skt, Mahāprajñāpāramitā-Śāstra, Ch. Ta chih-tu Lun, VN: Đại Trí Độ Luận.
100 vols. Reputed to be by Nāgārjuna. Translated into Chinese in 405 by Kumārajīva [344-413], this Śāstra is a section-by-section interpretation of the Pañcaviṃśātisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā, which expounds the doctrine of Śūnyatā, and belongs to the early stages of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Although the original Sanskrit Text no longer exists, it is supposed to have run to 100,000Verses, and as many as 1000 Volumes, which Kumārajīva digested into 100 volumes. Its wealth of thought, theory, legend, history, topography, etc.., on the various philosophical systems prevailing at the time in India makes it a repository of encyclopedic proportion, and an indispensable Text for understanding Mahāyāna Buddhism.
*Skt, Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā-Śāstra:
15 vols. Written by Nāgārjuna, and translated into Chinese by Kumārajīva. This is a commentary on the [Chapter on Ten Stages of Bodhisattva-hood] of the [Avataṃsaka Sūtra,] and is specifically concerned with the first two stages. Made up of 35 chapters with expositions on themes such as Bodhicitta, Easy practice, Other-power, Virtue, Form of Devotion, Nien-fo, Deligence, Prajñā, and Six Pāramitā.
*Skt, Sukhāvatīvyūh-Opadeśa: The Treatise on the Pure Land
A one-volume work by vasubandhu, translated into Chinese during the Northern Wei Dynasty by the Northern Indian Monk Budhiruci. Based mainly on The Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra, the work praise Amitābha‘s Pure Land and exhorts readers to gain rebirth in it. It is in the form of Verse followed by prose commentary.
*Self-Power:
Opposed to [other-power]. Shinran states that [self-power is when a man counts upon his body, his mind, his power, or any of his various good roots,] and says that [to attain the true faith you must be free from the limitations of your discrimination intellect, and the roots of the self-power‘s working must be overthrown.] The essence of self-power is discrimination, self-will, analyzing, viewing things objectively, always moving from here to there, from there to here.
*Seven Treasures:
Gold, Silver, Lapis Lazuli, Crystal, Agate, Red-Pearl and Carnelian. They represent the seven powers of faith, perseverance, and sense of shame, avoidance of wrongdoing, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom.
*Six Forms of Existence, Six Paths [Skt, Ṣaḍ-gati]:
The [six paths] (also referred to as [the triple world,]) belong to the world of ignorance and suffering. They are the six form of existence to which sentient beings bind themselves because of their past deeds:
(1) Hell [Naraka];
(2) Hungry ghosts [Preta];
(3) Animals [Tiryagyoni];
(4) The world of fighting demons [Asura; Ashura]; malevolent deities who fight with Śakra devānām indra, the guardian deity of Buddhism. Hence, also, a contentious manner of existence;
(5) The Human [world];
(6) Devas [Deva];
The first three of these are called [the three evil form of existence] or [the three evil paths] 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6, comprise [the five evil forms of existence.
*Six Organs of Sense [Skt, Ṣaḍ-Indriya, Lục Căn]:
The six organs by which man perceives the external world: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind.
*Six Forms of Consciousness [Skt, Ṣaḍ-Vijñāna Lục Thức]:
The six form of Consciousness by which man, through the six organs of sense, perceives the external world: Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch and Intellection.
*Six objects of Sense [Skt, Ṣaḍ-Āyatana, Lục Trần]:
The six objects of sense perceived by man’s consciousness by means of the organs of sense. The from(rūpa) seen by the eye; things heard by the ear; smells smelt by the nose; tastes tasted by the tongue; things felt as they contact the body; and dharmas understood by the mind.
*Six Pāramitā [Skt, Ṣaṭpāramitā]:
The six virtues are: (1) Charity [Dāna]; (2) Morality [Śīla]; (3) Huminity [Kṣānti]; (4) Striving [Vīrya]; (5) Meditation [Dyāna]; (6) Transcendental Wisdom [Prajñā].
*Six Miraculous Powers, Spiritual Power; [Skt, Ṣaḍ-Abhijñā]:
The free and unrestricted superhuman activity that is acquired through the practice of Dhyāna meditation or through other practices:
(1) The power of free activity [ṛiddhividhijñāna; Thầṅ Túc Thông]
a. ability to go about freely to any desired place;
b. ability to freely transform oneself;
c. ability possessed by a Buddha alone to overcome external conditions as he wills;
(2) The power to perceive everything, far and near, including suffering and pleasure [Divyacakṣus; Thiên Nhãn Thông]
(3) The power to hear all the voices of the world [Divyaśrotra; Thiên Nhỉ Thông]
(4) The power to know all that is in other‘s minds, both good and evil [Paracittajñānas; Tha Tâm Thông]
(5) The power to know the past conditions of oneself and other [Pūrvanivāsānusmṛitijnāna; Túc Mạng Thông]
(6) The power to extinguish all defilement in order to prevent oneself from relapsing into the world of illusion [Āsravakṣayajñāna; Lậu Tận Thông] Nos. 2, 5, and 6, which are the powers possessed by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, are regarded as especially superior, and together are called the three insights [Tisro vidyāḥ; Tam Minh].
*Sixty-two heretical Schools, VN: Sáu Mươi Hai Tà Kiếṅ Ngoại Đạo.
The 62 views advocated by non-Buddhist Schōls prevalent in India during the Buddha‘s time.
According to the Brahma-jāla-sutta [Kinh Phạm Võng], some examples of these heretical views are: holding that the self and the world are changeless everlasting, holding that the self and the world arise without cause, holding that thought can remain after one ‘s death, holding that no thought remains after one ‘s death. In all, 18 kinds of views with regard to the future are enumerated. These and other variations of such views Shinran classified as “false”
*Śramaṇas [Skt, Śramaṇa]:
The appellation Śramaṇa was used in both Buddhist and non-Buddhist Schools to refer to a religious who shaved his head, refrain from evil, set his body and mind in harmony, and endeavored to do good. In China and Việt Nam, it usually refers to Buddhist monks.
*Śrāvaka [Skt, Śrāvaka, Hearer]:
Literally, [He who listens to the voice]; one who hears the Buddha‘s teaching and is Enlightened. Originally, Śrāvakas meant all those disciples who sat at the Buddha‘s feet. Hence, it is also rendered [disciple.] when counted as one of the two vehicles or the three vehicles; it refers to a Saint who has left the world to engage in religious practice for his own salvation alone.
*Sudhana [Good Wealth]:
The main protagonist in the next-to-last and longest chapter of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. Seeking Enlightenment, he visited and studied with fifty-three spiritual advisors and became the equal of the Buddhas in one lifetime. Both his first advisor and his last advisor and his last advisor [Samantabhara] taught him the Pure Land path.
*Supreme Enlightenment; The perfect Supreme Enlightenment [Skt, anuttara-samyak-sambodhi]:
Unexcelled complete Enlightenment, an attribute of every Buddha. Translated into Chinese: The highest, correct and complete or universal knowledge or awareness, the perfect wisdom of a Buddha. Omniscience.
*Sūtra: The Buddha‘s Sermons; one of the twelve divisions of the Mahāyāna Canon.
*Avataṃsaka [Flower Ornament] Sūtra:
The basic Śākyamuni of the Avataṃsaka School, it is one of the longest Sūtra in the Buddhist Canon and records the highest teaching of Buddha Śākyamuni, immediately after Enlightenment. It is traditionally believed that the Sūtra was taught to the Bodhisattvas and other highest spiritual beings while the Buddha was in Samādhi.
*Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra:
Literally, “The Great Jewelled Pinnacle Sūtra,” or “Jewelled Heap Sūtra,” indicates that this Sūtra is like a jeweled summit or a treasury of jewels.
*Karuṇā-Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, VN: Kinh Bi Hoa.
This Sūtra was translated by Dharmakṣema [Đàm Vô Thức [385-433] in 6 Chapters, 10 fascicles. It tells of Amitābha and Śākyamuni attaining the fruit of Buddha-hood after endless kalpas of Bodhisattva practice. The third Chapter, on [Great Giving,] tells of the awakening of faith of the King Araṇemin, and his one thousand Princes. Chapter four deals with Tathāgata Ratnagarbha [Bảo Tạng Như Lai], who prophesied that the King and princes would attain Enlightenment, that Araṇemin would take 52 Vows, and become Amitābha Buddha in the Land of Happiness in the future.
*Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra[Skt]:
28 Chapters in 8 vols. Translated by Kumārajīva [350-409] in 406. This important Mahāyāna Sūtra praises the Buddha as eternal life itself, making use of poetry, allegory, parable, and symbolism. Regarded as the paramount literary work in the history of Mahāyāna Buddhist thought, six Chinese translations are believed to have existed, but extant at present, besides Kumārajīva ‘s, are the following two:
(1) Cheng fa-hua Ching, 10 vols., translated in 286 by Dharmarakṣa [Chu-fa-huo, Trúc Pháp Hộ].
(2) Miao-fa lien-hua Ching, 8 vols., jointly translated in 601 by Jñānagupta and Dharmagupta.
Of the three, Kumārajīva‘s is the most widely used.
*Śūraṅgama Sūtra:
Translated by the Central Asian Monk Paramiti [Bát Thích Mật Đế], in 10 vols. It preaches the essentials of meditative practice.
*Pratyutpanna-samādhi Sūtra:
Translated by Lokakṣema [Chi Lâu Ca Thức (147-186)] in 3 vols. During the later Han Dynasty. It explains the method of viewing Amitābha by practicing the Pratyutpanna-samādhi. It is significant among Pure Land writings as being one of the earliest Sūtras in which there is mention of Amitābha. There exists another translation in one volume.
*Mahāpariniṛvāṇa Sūtra, The Nirvāṇa Sūtra:
The Mahāyāna Nirvāṇa Sūtra preaches the eternal natural of the Buddha-body, declaring that all beings possess the Buddha-nature and the possibility of attaining Buddha-hood, even the Icchāntika. In China and Japan, this version has been much more popular and widely read than any other.
*Stūpa [Skt, Stūpa]:
A mound or an elevated structure made of earth, stone, or wood to enshrine Śarīra [relics of the Buddha or Saints]. Its origin dates from the time of Śākyamuni Buddha; its shape varies according to time and place. In China, Vietnam, Japan, a Stūpa is often in the form of a Pagoda [Tháp], or a memorial tablet. Sometimes a distinction was made between a Stūpa, which contains Śarīra, and a Caitya, which does not. However, later on both were used interchangeably, and invariably called Stūpa.
[T]
*Tathāgatas [Skt, Tathāgata]:
Meant does not come from anywhere and will not go anywhere.
[One who has come from Suchness.] One of the ten epithets of the Śākyamuni Buddha, and synonym for Buddha and Buddhas in general. In the present translation the usage of [Tathāgata] usually refers to Śākyamuni Buddha, [Tathāgata] to Amitābha Buddha, and [Tathāgatas] to Buddhas in general.
*Ten Evil Acts, Ten Evil Deeds, Ten Sins, VN: Thập Ác.
These consist of the ten evils committed with one’s body, words, and mind: (1) destroying life, (2) theft, (3) adultery, (4) lying, (5) talking nonsense, (6) speaking evil of others, (7) being double-tongued, (8) greed, (9) anger, and (10) irrationality. The first four of these are especially grave, so they are called the [four specific evils] or Pārājika [Tội Nặng Ba La Di], the [four heinous evil deeds].
*Ten Precepts [Ten virtues, Ten Good Deeds]:
Abstaining from each of the ten evil deeds.
*Ten Quarters, Ten Directions:
The Eight points of the compass [East, North, West, South, North-East, South-East, North-West, South-West], plus the Zenith and Nadir. “in the ten directions” is a figurative term meaning “in all space.”
*The law of Cause and Effect [Skt, Hetu-Phala]:
Cause is what gives rise to result; effect is what produced from the cause.
Temporally speaking, cause comes first and effect afterward, cause and effect occurring at different times. Since the cause and effect of one’s deeds [Karma] occur at different times, a good cause is certain to have good result, and a bad deed a bad result. Therefore, right practice will lead one to the result of Enlightenment.
*The First Fruit [Skt, Prathama-phala]:
The [fruit] or the result of attaining the first stage of Hīnayāna Sainthood. In the Hīnayāna teaching, there are four stages of practice from which four fruits are gained:
(1) Srota-āpanna, in which one joins the [stream] of Saint-hood;
(2) Sakṛidāgāmin, in which one is still endeavoring to rid himself of his remaining evil passions;
(3) Anāgāmin, in which one severs himself from all remaining evil passions, never to return to the world of illusion;
(4) Arhat, in which one enter Nirvāṇa, attaining Enlightenment.
*The Ignorant [Skt, Pṛithagjana] Ch: Fan-fu, VN: Phàm Phu.
The Ignorant means the unenlightened man and is distinguished from the Buddha.
*The mind awakened to Enlightenment; the mind of Enlightenment; the Enlightenment mind; Bodhicitta, the mind of Supreme Enlightenment; the great mind of Enlightenment ; Skt, Bodhi-citta, Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi-Citta.
Thirty-seven Limbs of Enlightenment, VN: 37 Phẩm Trợ Đạo.
These are: (a) the four mindful-nesses; (b) the four right efforts; (c) the four bases of miraculous powers; (d) the five roots; (e) the five powers; (f) the seven factors of Enlightenment; (g) the eightfold noble path.
*Three Evil forms of Existence [Skt, Trayo Durgatayaḥ]:
Sentient beings are destined, because of their own wrong actions, to dwell within the following three realms:
1/ Hell. The most painful of the worlds of illusion, placed deep beneath the earth. The deepest and the worst hell being Avīci, reserved for the vilest of men.
2/ The world of hungry ghosts is where suffering comes as the result of evil deeds by those with covetous natures, consisting of perpetually unappeased hunger; even when food is obtained, one finds it aflame when he desires to eat it. Those unable to eat anything at all are called [property-less pretas]; those who eat others ‘leavings, and blood and pus, are called [propertied pretas].
3/ The world of beasts, including fowls and insects is the destination of those who know no shame, who receive undeserved offerings and rewards. Constantly beaten and driven into labor, there is no respite from the fear of savage mutual devouring.
*Three Forms of Merit [VN: Tam Phước]:
The three forms of Merit are 1/ Observing secular morality; 2/ Observing the Buddha‘s Precepts 3/Following the Mahāyāna teaching, awakening the mind of Enlightenment, aspiring for Buddha-hood, and helping to lead one ‘s fellow beings to the Buddha-Land.
*Three Minds:
The concept of the Three minds derives from The Sūtra of Meditation, and includes:
(1) The mind that is true and Sincere [Chí Thành Tâm].
(2) The Deep mind [Thâm Tâm].
(3) The mind desiring to be born in the Pure Land by means of the transfer of Amitābha‘s Meritorious practice.
*Three Treasures [Triple Jewel, Triple Gem]:
The Buddha, the Dharma and the Saṃgha [community of Monks].
*Three Vehicles [Skt, Tri-yāna; Yāna-traya]:
These form was the three divisions of the Buddha‘s teachings.
1/ Hearer-vehicle [Śrāvaka-yāna]
2/ Solitary Buddha-vehicle [Pratyeka-Buddha-yāna]
3/ Bodhisattva-vehicle [Bodhisattva-yāna]
*Transference of Merit [Skt, Pariṇāma]:
Pariṇāma literally, means [transfer merit.]
Mahāyāna Buddhism holds that Merit created anywhere by any being may be transfer to any other being desired or towards the enhancement and prevalence of Enlightenment in the whole world. A Bodhisattva practices asceticism not only for the perfection of his own moral and spiritual qualities but also for the increase of such qualities among his fellow-beings. Or he suffers pains in order to save others from them and at the time to make them aspire for Enlightenment.
*Transmigrating; Transmigration [Skt, Pravṛitti]:
The transmigratory cycle through the six paths or triple world that unenlightened beings are destined endlessly to repeat. This cycle of birth and death is formed by the perpetuation of man‘s ignorance.
*Tolerance of Non-Birth, VN: Ngộ Vô Sanh.
Tolerance [insight] that comes from the knowledge that all phenomena are unborn. Sometimes translated as [insight into the non-origination of all existence or non-origination of the Dharmas. A Mahāyāna Buddhist term for insight into emptiness, the non-origination or birthlessness of things or beings realized by Bodhisattvas who have attained the eight Stage [Ground] of the path to Buddha-hood. When a Bodhisattva realizes this insight, he has attained the stage of non-retrogression.
*Triple Basket, [Skt, Tripiṭaka]:
Piṭaka means [basket]; the whole Buddhist scripture is called the [triple basket.]
(1) Sūtra-piṭaka, the collection of Sūtras preached by the Buddha;
(2) Vinaya-piṭaka, the collection of Disciplinary codes and regulations of the Buddhist community lay down by the Buddha.
(3) Abhidharma-piṭāka, the collection of systematic exposition and interpretation of the Buddha‘s teachings.
Mahāyāna Buddhists compiled their own Tripiṭaka, finding the earlier ones insufficient. In China, Hīnayāna Buddhism was sometimes disparagingly referred to as the [Tripiṭaka teaching.]
*Triple Body [Skt, Tri-kāya]:
The Mahāyānists came to conceive the universal, eternal nature of the historical Buddha and explained its essence in three aspects; Dharmakāya [Dharma-body,] Sambhogakāya [Body of Recompense,] and Nirmāṇakāya [Body of Response and Transformation].
The dogma of Trikāya may be summarily interpreted in the following manner:
(1) The Dharmakāya is the essence being of all the Buddhas and of all beings. What makes at all possible the existence of anything is the Dharmakāya, without which the world itself is inconceivable. But, specifically, the Dharmakāya is the essence-body of all beings which forever is. In the sense, it is Dharmatā or Buddhatā, that is, the Buddha-nature within all beings.
(2) The Sambhogakāya is the spiritual body of the Bodhisattvas, which is enjoyed by them as the fruit of their self-discipline in all the virtues of perfection. This they acquire for themselves according to the Law of Moral causation, and in this they are delivered at last from all the defects and defilements inherent in the realm of the five Skandhas.
(3) The Nirmāṇakāya is born of the great loving heart [Mahākaruṇā] of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. By reason of this love they have for all beings, they never remain in the self-enjoyment of the fruits of their moral deeds. Their intense desire is to share those fruits with their fellow-beings. If the ignorant [Phàm Phu] could be saved by the Bodhisattva by his vicariously suffering for them, he would do so. If the ignorant could be enlightened by the Bodhisattva by transfer his stock of Merit over to them, he would so do. This transfer of Merit and this vicarious suffering are accomplished by the Bodhisattva by means of his Nirmāṇakāya, transformation-body. In this from, therefore, the Bodhisattva, spatially speaking, divides himself into hundreds of thousands of Koṭis of bodies. He can then be recognized in the form of a creeping caterpillar, in a sky-scraping mountain, in the Saintly figure of Francis of Assisi, and even in the shape of a world-devouring Evil One, if he thinks it necessary to take this form in order to save a world that has passed into the hands of ignorance, evil passions, and all kinds of defilements and corruptions.
*Triple World, three Realms, three Worlds [Skt, Trai-Dhātuka, Trayo Dhātavaḥ]:
The world of illusion, inhabited by unenlightened beings. Three levels or realms of the phenomenal world: (1) The world of desire [Kāma-Dhātu]; (2) The world of Form [Rūpa-Dhātu]; (3) The world of Formlessness [Arūpya-Dhātu].
*Tri-sahasra-Mahā-sahasra-Loka-Dhātu, VN: Tam Thiên Đại Thiên Thế Giới.
A great chiliocosm. Mount Sumeru and its seven surrounding continents, eight seas and ring of iron mountains form one small world; 1,000 of these form a small chiliocosm; 1,000 of these small chiliocosms form a medium chiliocosm; 1,000 of these form a great chiliocosms, which consists of 1,000,000,000 small worlds.
[U]
*Unborn; Not born [Skt, Anutpanna or Anutpāda] VN: Vô Sanh, Vô Tử, Bất Sanh, Bất Diệt.
This is one of the most fundamental ideas of Mahāyāna Buddhism, closely associated and almost interchangeable with such terms as Nirvāṇa, Pure Land, Emptiness [Śūnyatā,] No-self-substance [Asvabhāva], Non-duality [Advaita], Suchness [Tathatā,].
The term Unborn or Not Born is the shortened form of the expression [No-birth, No-death]. There is no generation or extinction in Nirvāṇa, which is a state of Suchness beyond all dualistic categories constructed by the mind. Since it is not subject to the karmic Law of Causation, Nirvāṇa (The Pure Land) is said to be a realm of No-birth and No-death.
*Upāya [Skt] means Expedient, Skillful means, Skill-in-means:
When Upāya is used in its technical sense in Buddhism, it is the expression of the Buddha‘s or Bodhisattva‘s love for all beings. When the Buddha sees all the sufferings that are going on in the world owing to ignorance and egotism, he desires to deliver it and contrives every means to carry out this desire. This is his Upāya. But as his desire has nothing to do with egotism or the clinging to the individualistic conception of reality, his Upāya is said to be born of his transcendental knowledge, the chain linked with Prajñā, Karuṇā, and Upāya goes through all the system of Mahāyāna Buddhism. This linking is the most characteristic feature of it.
[V]
*Vajra: Diamond, The thunderbolt.
*Vinaya [Skt, Vinaya]: Precepts
These are the disciplinary codes and regulations of the Buddhist community, those laid down by the Buddha as well as those created in the course of later monastic life. While originally distinct from Śīla, the term Vinaya later came to be used interchangeably with it.
*Virtue of the Buddha‘s Original Prayer [Skt, Pūrva-praṇidhāna-bala, VN: Bổn Nguyện Lực]:
The literal rendering is the power of the Original Prayer, from which the term Other-power derives. The power that constitutes Buddha-hood emanates, as it were, from its body and is transferred on to all sentient beings, and the latter are help thereby to quit their life of ignorance and passion. In Pure Land Buddhism this is called the [Power of Amitābha‘s Original Vows] and made the very foundation of its elaborate, though at first sight simple, system.
*Visualization:
[W]
*Way [Skt, Mārga], Chinese [Tao]:
Road, way, path, doctrine, truth, reality, self-nature, the absolute.
*Wisdom-life: The life of a Buddha Boddhisattva, which is sustained by wisdom, just as the life of an ordinary being is sustained by food.
*World-honored One [skt, Bhagavat]:
One who is honored by the people of the world? One of the ten epithets of a Buddha, usually referring to Śākyamuni Buddha.
[Y]
*Yogācāra School: Another name for the mind-only school, founded in the four century by the brothers Asaṇga and Vasubandhu.
[Z]
*Zen or Ch’an [Skt, Dhyāna]:
Meditation, abstract contemplation; meditative study of the `mean’ which is inclusive of both unchanged noumenon and changing phenomena.
