( 1 ) For rapa, "matter" is preferred to "form" because it more
concretely
connotes the physical and gross.
Thurman-Robert-a-F-Tr-Tsong-Khapa-Losang-Drakpa-Brilliant-Illumination-of-the-Lamp-of-the-Five-Stages
These seven form a part of the thirty-seven accessories of enlighten- ment (see entry).
seven natural instincts of the imminence intuition state (upalabdhijiitlnaprakrti - nyer thob ye shes kyi rang bzhin rtog pa). ( 1 ) Medium attachment, (2) forgetfulness, (3) mistaken- ness, (4) reticence, (5) fatigue, (6) laziness, and (7) doubt.
eight branches of the noble path (tlryamtlrga{lga). These are the well-known: ( I ) realistic view (samyagdr? ri), (2) realistic motivation (samyaksamkalpa), (3) realistic speech (samyag vtlk), (4) realistic terminal action (samyakkarmanta), (5) realistic livelihood (samyagtljTva), (6) realistic effort (samyagvyaytlma), (7) realistic remembrance (sam- yaksmrti), and (8) realistic concentration (samyaksamadhi).
nine mergings (*me/ana - bsre ba). The nine mergings are: (1) merging trance with the body of truth, (2) merging waking magic body with the beatific body, (3) merging the waking coarse body with the emanation body, (4) merging sleep with the body of truth, (5) merging dream with the beatific body, (6) merging waking with the emanation body, (7) merging death with the body of truth, (8) merging the between with the beatific body, and (9) merging birth with the emanation body.
ten directions (dasadik). These consist of: (1-8) the eight points of the compass, (9) straight up, and (10) straight down. As a conventional formula, it is tantamount to "all directions. "
ten unskillful acts (sins) (akusala). These are the opposite of the ten skillful acts (virtues), and consist of: ( 1 ) killing, (2) stealing, (3) sexual misconduct, (4) lying, (5) harsh speech, (6) backbiting, (7) frivolous speech, (8) covetousness, (9) malice, and ( 10) false views.
ten stages (bhami). These are the ten stages through which the bodhisattva ascends on his way to buddhahood: (1) the Joyous (pramudittl), (2) the Immaculate (vima/11), (3) the Brilliant (prabhilktlri), (4) the Radiant (arcismati), (5) the Invincible (sudurjayll), (6) the Confronting (abhimukhr), (7) the Far-reaching (durll{lgama), (8) the Immovable (acaltl), (9) the Positive Intelligence (sadhumati), and (10) the Cloud of Dharma (dharmameghtl).
6? ? Gln. uary ofNumerical Catt'Rorie. 'i
? n trans? o. ""Cndenct's (pilramitll). These consist of: ( 1 -6) the six transccndences, with the addition of ( 7) skill in liherative art (llpllyakau. falycl); (H) prayer, or vow (pra? idhana); (9) power (ha/a); and ( 1 2) gnosis intuition Unllna).
ten skillful acts (virtues) (ku,fala). These are the opposite of the ten sins, i. e. , refraining from engaging in activities related to the ten sins and doing the opposite. There are: three physical virtues: ( 1 ) saving lives, (2) giving, and (3) sexual propriety. There are four verbal virtues: (4) truthfulness, (5) reconciling discussions, (6) gentle speech, and (7) religious speech. There are three mental virtues: (8) loving attitude, (9) generous
attitude. and ( 1 0) realistic views.
twelve ascetic practices (dhiitagu? a). These consist of ( 1 ) wearing rags (pam sukt:ilika), (2) (in the form of only) three religious robes (traicivarika), (3) (coarse in texture as) garments of felt (ntlmantika), (4) eating by alms (pair:uJaptltika), (5) having a single mat to sit on (aikilsanika), (6) not eating after noon (khalu pascad bhaktika), (7) living alone in the forest (ara1,1yaka), (8) living at the base of a tree (vrk$amiilika), (9) living in the open (not under a roof) (tlbhyavakilsika), (10) frequenting burning grounds (Indian equivalent of cemeteries) (smtlstlnika), ( I I ) sleeping sitting up (in meditative
posture) (nai$adika), and ( 1 2) accepting whatever seating position is offered (yt1tht1- sam starikq.
twelve light rays. The following passage from the Vajra Rosary (cited above, p. 237) describes these as follows: "Reality of bliss dwelling in the heart-center, light illumi- nating the Buddha-sun, with the form of subject and object-that constitutes the twelve light rays. (1) Light-increase, (2) Light-ray, (3) Refulgent, (4) Clear, (5) Blaze, and (6) Light-blaze-depending on eye and so forth, they hold all outer [objects,] form etc. (7) Light-ray, (8) Light-full ('od ma), (9) Luminant, (10) Clear-beauty, (11) Clear-light, (12) Solar-clear-the aspect of outer forms etc. , these six are also proclaimed as light. "
twelve sense-media (tlyatana). They are: ( l ) eye-medium (caksurayatana), (2) form- medium (rapa- ), (3) ear-medium (srotra- ), (4) sound-medium (sabda- ), (5) nose- medium (ghra? a-), (6) scent medium (gandha-), (7) tongue-medium Uihvii-), (8) taste- medium (rasa-), (9) body-medium (kaya-), (10) texture-medium (sprastavya-), (11)mental-medium (mana-), and (12) mental object medium (dharmayatana). The word tlyatana is usually translated as "base," but the Skt. , Tib. , and Ch. all indicate
"something through which the senses function" rather than a basis from which they function; hence "medium" is preferable.
eighteen elements (dhiti u). These introduce the same six pairs as the twelve sense-media, as elements of experience, adding a third member to each set: the element of consciousness (vijflini a), or sense. Hence the frrst pair gives (13) the triad eye-element (ca/cyurdht1tu), (14) form-element (rt:ipadhiti u), and (15) eye-consciousness-element, or eye-sense-element (caksurvijntlnadhatu), and so on with the other five, noting the last, ( 1 6) mind-element (manodhiitu), (17) mind-object-element (dharmadhiitu), and ( 1 8) mental-consciousness- element (manovijnanadht1tu).
th irty - t w o s i g n s o f th e gr e a t b e i n g ( m a h a p u r u $ a l a k $ a f. l a) . T h e y ar e a s fo l l o w s : ( 1 ) H i s h e a d has a turban-shaped protrusion on the crown; (2) his hair curls to the right; (3) his fore- head is broad and even; (4) he has a white hair between his eyebrows; (5) his eyes are very dark, with lashes like a cow; (6) he has forty teeth; (7) his teeth are even, (8) with- out gaps, and (9) very white; (10) he has a keen sense of taste; (11) he has a lion's jaw;
Glossary ofNumerical Categories ? 635
( 1 2) his tongue is long and slender; ( 1 3) he has an excellent voice; ( 1 4) his shoulders are round and even; ( 15) the back of his body has seven round curves [buttocks, thighs, shoulders, and back] ; ( 1 6) his trunk is thick; ( 1 7) his skin is smooth and golden-hued; ( 1 8) his arms reach his knees when he stands straight up; ( 1 9) his torso is like a lion's; (20) his body has the proportions of a banyan tree (height equal to arm span]; (2 1 ) his bodily hairs curl to the right; (22) they stand straight up; (23) his penis is concealed in a sheath; (24) his thighs are well-rounded; (25) his ankle-bones do not protrude; (26) the palms of his hands and feet are soft and delicate; (27) he has webbed fingers and toes; (28) he has long fingers; (29) he has wheel-signs on the palms of his hands and feet; (30) his feet are well set [upon the ground] ; (3 1 ) his arches are broad and high; (32) and his calves are like an antelope's.
thirty-three instinctual natures of the luminance intuition state (lllokajfillnaprakrti ). These are (l-3) [small], medium, and great dispassions; (4-5) mental internalizing and exter- nalizing; (6-8) [small, medium, and intense] sorrows; (9) peace; (10) mental construc- tion; (11-13) small, medium, and intense fears; (14-16) small, medium, and intense craving; ( 1 7) appropriation; ( 1 8) non-virtue; ( 1 9) hunger; (20) thirst; (2 1-23) [small,] medium, and intense sensation moments; (24) knower; (25) knowable; (26) introspec- tive discernment, conscience; (27) compassion; (28-30) small, medium, and great loves; (31) anxiety; (32) greed; and (33) envy. (Sanskrit from CMP has slight variations from Tsong Khapa's choices, which he mentions: virago madhyamas adhimatra; manogata- gatam ; sokaditritayam tathtJ, saumyam vikalpo bhftas madhyabhrto 'tibhuaka/:1. tr$t;J tl madhyatr$t;J tl atit/1t;J t1, upadanakam nii:! Subham Jut tr$12; vedanii samavedana ati- vedantlk$af) aS; vettrviddhtl ; pratyavek$at;J a lajja karut;Jyam, snehatas trayam; cakitam sam cayas matsarya?
thirty-seven accessories of enlightenment (bodhipakSikadharma). These consist of: ( l -4) the four applications of mindfulness; (5-8) the four realistic efforts; (9- 1 2) the four bases of magical powers; ( 1 3- 1 7) the five spiritual faculties; ( 1 8-22) the five powers; (23-29) the seven factors of enlightenment; and (30-37) the eight branches of the noble path.
forty instinctual natures of the radiance intuition state (abhasajfliinaprakrti ). These are: (l) desire, (2) attachment, (3) pleasure, (4) medium pleasure, (5) intense pleasure, (6) delight, (7) indulgence, (8) amazement. (9) excitement, (10) satisfaction, (II) em- bracing, ( 1 2) kissing, ( 1 3) sucking, ( 1 4) stability, ( 1 5) zeal, ( 1 6) pride, ( 1 7) activity, (18) possessiveness, (19) aggressiveness, (20) enthusiasm, (21-23) small, medium, and great boldness; (24) hostility, (25) charm, (26) resentment, (27) virtue. (28) lucid truth- fulness, (29) untruthfulness, (30) certitude, (3 1 ) non-appropriation, (32) generosity, (33) initiative, (34) heroism, (35) shamelessness, (36) deceitfulness, (37) sharpness
(38) wickedness, (39) ungentleness, and (40) crookedness.
eighty marks (of the great being) (anuvyafijana). These accompany the thirty-two signs and consist of: (l) fingernails the color of brass, (2) shiny and (3) long; (4) round fingers; (5) tapered fingers; (6) fingers wide-spreading; (7) veins not protruding. and (8) without tangles; (9) slender ankles; ( 10) feet not uneven; ( I I ) lion's gait; (12) elephant's gait; (13) swan's gait; (14) hull's gait; (15) gait tending to the right; ( 1 6) graceful gait; ( 1 7) steady gait; ( 1 8) his body is well-covered, ( 1 9) clean, (20) well- proportioned, (21) pure, (22) soft, and (23) perfect; (24) his sex organs are fully developed; (25) his thighs are broad and knees round; (26) his steps are even; (27) his complexion is youthful; (28) his posture is not stooped; (29) his bearing is expansive,
636 ? Glossary ofNumerical Categories
yet (30) extremely poised: (31) his limbs and fingers and toes are well-defined; (32) his vision is clear and unblurred; (33) his joints are not protruding; (34) his belly is relaxed, (35) symmetrical, and (36) not fat; (37) his navel is deep and (38) wound to the right; (39) he is completely handsome; (40) he is clean in all acts; (41) he is free of spots or discolorations of the skin; (42) his hands are soft as cotton; (43) the lines of his palms are clear, (44) deep, and (45) long; (46) his face is not overlong and is (47) bright as a mirror; (48) his tongue is soft, (49) long, and (50) red; (51) his voice is like an elephant's trumpet or like thunder, (52) yet sweet and gentle; (53) his teeth are rounded, (54) sharp, (55) white, (56) even, and (57) regularly arranged; (58) his nose is long and (59) straight; (60) his eyes are clear and wide; (61) his eyelashes are thick; (62) the pupils and white of his eyes are clearly defined, and (63) the irises are like lotus petals; (64) his eyebrows are (65) long, soft, (66) evenly haired, and (67) gently curved; (68) his ears are long-lobed and (69) symmetrical; (70) his hearing is acute; (71) his forehead is high and (72) broad; (73) his head is very large; (74) his hair is as black as a bee, (75) thick, (76) soft, (77) untangled, not (78) unruly, and (79) fragrant;
(80) and his feet and hands are marked with lucky signs.
the one hundred buddha clans, used in body isolation meditation. These charts (on the following six pages) are adapted - with permission and some terminology changes - from those made by Christian Wedemeyer, as appendices to his study and translation of Aryadeva's lAmp that Integrates the Practices, a work that H. H. the Dalai Lama described as the rtsa ba (the "root text") of the present work of Tsong Khapa's, published in this same series. The body isolation homologizes all phenomena of physical and mental perception with specific male and female buddhas, in order to finally-at subtle as well as coarse levels of visualization-isolate one's sense of self- identity from any kind of sense of being ordinary. This state of strict bodymind self- identification as a community of buddhas provides the subtle mandalic platform upon which the yogilni can embark upon the speech isolation vajra recitation practice, safely
and effectively.
Charts of the One Hundred Buddha Clans I. The Five Aggregates (25 clans)
? ? ? ? Matter (Vairochana)
Sensation (Ratnasambhava)
Perception (Amitabha)
Creation
( A m o g h a s i d d h i )
Consciousness (Ak? hobhya)
Alqhobhya
Matter known from personal
experience
Sensations from bile and humor conjunction
Perceptions of bipeds Mental creations Tactile consciousness
Vairochana
Matter - outer, inner, both shapes, long and short
Ambivalent sensations
Perceptions of unmoving beings
Bodily creations Visual consciousness
Ratnasambhava
Matter in the mode of self, other, or both
Sensations born from phlegm and wind
Perceptions of quadrupeds
Creations of the three w o r l d s
Hearing consciousness
Amitabha
Exterior, interior matter of five colors
Pleasurable sensations
Perceptions of the legless
Verbal creations Smell consciousness
Amoghasiddhi
Exterior, interior matter as lights of sun and moon
Painful sensations
Perceptions of the many-legged
Creations for l i be r a t i o n
Taste consciousness
'
Q"? ?
? ". ,
? r
-
?
c. ,
? -
0'1w-. . 1
? II. The Four elements (20 clans) Ak? hobhya
?
Earth element, internal
(Lochanli)
external earth
Water element (Mamaki)
external water
Fire element (Pau4aravasi ni)
external fire Wind element
(Tara) external winds
Tendon! . , flesh. rib\, heart
Uttarakuru
Pond water ? ? -
Waterfalls Head heat
Stone fires Pervading
Zenith wind
Belly heat :. , Forest fires
- - --
Metabolic Northern \\ind
Saliva . . . . . . .
! i '\?
, 'M
? "'"'
? ? -
''"\ :. . , ?
? Secretions, intestinal, bile, heart
Piirvavideha Urine
Ocean water Heart heat
Perpetual fire Vitalizing
Eastern wind
? . :. . :.
Vairochana
Hair, bone, feces, spleen, heart
Mount Meru Phlegm and tears
Ratnasambhava
Body hair, nails, pus, heart
JambudvTpa Sweat
River water Navel heat
Sun-crystal fire Evacuating
Southern wind
Amitabha
Teeth, skin, flesh, heart
GodlinTya Blood
Spring water Limb heat
Wood fires Ascending
Western wind
Amoghasiddhi ? ? . . .
,. .
-?
? -
? """
m. The Five Media (25 clans) Ak? hobhya
Vairochana
Perception of the three fonns
Nature of the ear Nature of the nose
Nature of the tongue
Tactile sense organ (body)
Ratnasambhava
Nature of the pupil of the eye
Perception of the three sounds
S eptum
Root of the tongue
Nature of bones
Amitibha
F onns seen with the peripheral vision
Ear orifice
Perception of the three scents
Tip of the tongue
Nature of flesh
Amoghasiddhi
Movement of the eye Root of the ear Nostrils
Perception of the three tastes
Nature of skin
? ? ? Visual media (K$hitigarbha)
Hearing media (Vajraplil;li)
Smell media (Khagarbha)
Taste media (Lokeshvara)
Touch media (SarvanivaraQa- vi? hkambhin)
Mental sense media (Samantabhadra I Maiijushri)
Grape-sized visual sense organ
Greatly convoluted aural sense
Shalii ka. shaped olfactory sense- organ
Half-moon shaped gustatory sense organ
Perception of the three contacts
? c
I ? I ? Q. ,
tl1::1 -?
?
?
? :
? . , - 1::1 -
""'
1\"
0'1w'>0
? IV. The Five Auxiliary Winds (25 clans)
Wind-energy
Upmoving (visual) Permoving (hearing)
Commoving (smell) Surmoving (taste) Ultramoving (touch)
?
? [ ? ?
?
? . ,
Distinguishing the <::)
V. The Five Intuitions (5 clans) ? hobhya
Five intuitive reality realm wisdoms perfection
Vairochana Mirror-like
Ratnasambhava
Equalizing
Amitabha
Individuating
Amoghasiddhi
All-accomplishing
A? hobhya
Forms of play, erotic
Vairochana
Visual forms
Ear, head, or wind sounds
All scents
Sweet flavors
Holding still union sensation
Ratnasambhava
Forms to which one is attached
Singing and stringed instruments
Scent of the entire body
Astringent flavors Embracing sensation
Amitabha
Forms pleasant, un- pleasant,
ambivalent
Palatal, labial, and vocal sounds
Distinguishing three scents
Salty flavors Kissing sensation
Amoghasiddhi
Forms which perform all activities
Sounds of trees, rivers, snaps, claps, musical instruments
? ? flirtation, Calm or harsh
sounds of ham Unpleasant scents
2"
Bitter flavors
Sensing subtle mind through sexual union
Scent of vital fluid ? 00?
six flavors Sucking sensation
? . , ? c;. ,
-
? ? ? ? ? ? Glossary of Unique Translation Terms
Adamantine, diamond (see also "vajra"}. The Sanskrit vajra means "thunderbolt," "diamond," "adamantine," and so forth, various objects connoting immutability and unbreakability. In Vedic India it was the weapon of the tribal father-god, lndra, a thunderbolt that he threw down from the heavens to break the citadels of the enemy. The Buddhists took this primal symbol of the supreme power of the universe and made it a symbol of universal love and compassion, in order to affirm their vision that love is the strong force in the universe. Thus "vajra" is used in names of Buddha deities to indicate that they are in touch through wisdom with the realm of ultimate reality and that they express the natural universal compassion.
adept, great. "Adept" is used to translate the Sanskrit siddha, referring to a practitioner of Tantra who has attained buddhahood in his or her ordinary body, having gone beyond life, death, and the between, yet remaining in association with his or her previous gross body in order to relate liberatingly with contemporary beings.
addiction (kll! 'Sa - nyon mongs). This word has been translated "passion," and more recently "affliction," neither wrong. Its etymology comes from the verb root klis- to "torment," "twist," so it is definitely something painful. Lust, hatred. delusion, envy. pride, fanaticism-all emotions that are painful to experience-cause painful outcomes through unskillful interactions with others. Passion is an intense emotion that can how- ever be exalting and beautiful, or at least it has that connotation (granted the passion of Christ was definitely painful). Affliction is basically the same as suffering, not as much a cause of suffering. An addiction is a habitual behavior that seems to benefit one's state ofbeing and so seduces the addict, but actually causes suffering to the addict and those around him or her. One can be addicted to lust, addicted to hate, addicted to confusion, to a fanatical belief, to pride or envy or avarice. Those addictions then inevitably cause suffering and affliction.
aggregate (skandha). The five-rapa, vedana, samjna, samskara, and vijnana-have such a particular technical sense that some may wish to leave them untranslated. Nevertheless, it seems preferable to give a translation-in spite of the drawbacks of each possible term-in order to convey the same sense of a useful schema of the psychophysical complex.
( 1 ) For rapa, "matter" is preferred to "form" because it more concretely connotes the physical and gross. (2) For vedana, "sensation" is preferred to "feelings," as not so inclusive of emotions. (3} For samjiiil, "perception" is preferable to "conception," as itself meaning conceptually determined experience. (4} For samskilra, which covers a number of mental functions as well as anomalous forces, "creation" or "function" gives the general idea. (5} And "consciousness" is so well established for vijnana (although what we normally think of as consciousness is more
like samjiiil, i. e. , conceptual and notional, and vijnana is rather the "pure awareness" prior to concepts} as to be left unchallenged.
A? hobhya (Buddha). One of the five archetypal transcendent buddhas, Lord of the Vajra Buddha-clan, he represents the ultimate reality perfection wisdom, the transmutation of the poison of hatred, the color blue, and the aggregate of consciousness.
641
642 ? Glossary of Unique Translation Terms
alienated individual (prthagjana - so sor skye bo). Often translated "common person," this term in Buddhism refers to a person who is cognitively the opposite of a "noble" (arya) person. A "noble" person is defined as one who has attained the vision path (darsanamilrga) and thus has had an initial nonconceptual experience of selflessness, becoming "noble" by realizing the equality of others' perspective to his or her own. The opposite of this kind of noble person is one who is enclosed within a sense of exclusive and absolute self as different from and opposed to others, and who thus does not consider others' perspective from any visceral level. Such an automatically self- centered person is necessarily alienated from the "otherness" of the world as a whole and hence is very aptly described as "alienated. " Etymologically both prthag and so
sor refer to separateness.
all-accomplishing wisdom. This is one of the five wisdoms, resulting from the transmuta- tion of envy, associated with the emerald and the color green, and with the Archetype Buddha Amoghasiddhi.
AmitAbha. One of the five archetypal transcendent buddhas, Lord of the Lotus Buddha- clan. He is associated with the western direction and the buddhaverse Sukhavati. He represents the individuating wisdom, the transmutation of the poison of lust, the color red, and the aggregate of perception. His buddha consort is PaQQaravAsini.
Amoghasiddhi. One of the five archetypal transcendent buddhas, Lord of the Karma Buddha-clan, associated with the northern direction. He represents the all-accomplishing wisdom, the transmutation of the poison of envy, the color green, and the aggregate of creations. His buddha consort is TarA, sometimes called Samayatara.
ancestral mentor (*paramparaguru - brgyud pa 'i bla rna). Usually translated as "lineage lama," it is opposite of root lama or direct mentor, and refers to gurus or mentors who were mentors to one's direct or personal mentor. Since the Tibetan Buddhist karmic tradition has largely replaced blood lineages with Dharma lineages, "ancestral" is preferred, moving a bit further in the same direction as "lineage," which itself trans-
values blood lineage to spiritual lineage.
angel (qaka or qakini - mkha 'gro or mkha 'gro rna). These beings can be mundane or transmundane ("buddhine"), male or female, more concrete than the Jungian arche- types animus and anima, but serving in a similar role in Tantric culture.
archetype, or chosen, deity (i$(adevata - yi dam). A divine buddha-form used in Tantric practice to visualize oneself as an embodiment of the understandings and abilities one is cultivating in order to become a buddha oneself to benefit all beings. The sustained visualization of such an embodiment in the creation stage practice aims to develop such a stability of focus that when the perfection stage practitioner reaches into the subtle out-of-body zones in simulation of death and dying states, he or she can arise for the subtle energy plane in the archetypal form of whatever is his or her chosen embodi- ment. Such a buddha-form can be approached as an independent being in some ritual and contemplative and narrative contexts, while it can also be adopted as a contempla- tive role-model, in practices in which the yogrlni identifies with the deity and seeks to become the deity itself. Thus the deity's form becomes an ideal or archetypal structure of the enlightenment desired by the practitioner.
Glossary of Unique Translation Terms ? 643
art (upaya). This is the expression in action of the great compassion of the Buddha and the bodhisauvas. One empathetically aware of the troubles of living beings would. for his or her very survival. devise the most potent and efficacious arts possible to remove those troubles. and the troubles of living beings are removed effectively only when they reach liberation. I prefer '"art. . to the usual '"method. . and '"means. . because it has a stronger connotation of subtlety and skill: also, art is identified with the extreme of power, energy. and efficacy, as symbolized in the vajra (adamantine scepter), and in Tantra it is associated with male qualities, paired with "wisdom," associated with female qualities. This use of '"art" fits with the educational usage "arts and sciences," where the arts include all the humanities, writing, architecture, engineering, medicine, law, various technologies, and so forth, along with the creative arts, disciplines seeking to understand the nature of reality from various angles, which should include wisdom
as well.
avadhOti. The central channel (madhyamana4r - rtsa dbu ma) of the yogic subtle body, running from mid-brow up to crown center then down just in front of spinal column all the way to the base of the genitals then out to the tip of the male or female sexual organ, believed to be choked off in normal persons in five places at the center of the five main neural channel wheels, but opened by adept yogi/nis through perfection stage practices. Often referred to in Tibetan simply as "the dhati. "
beatific. The adjective from "beatitude," used to translate Sanskrit sam bhoga, the term for the bliss body of buddhahood. The evolutionary perfection of buddhahood is said to be experienced in the form of three bodies, of which this body represents the ultimate but subtle subjective enjoyment of being a buddha as a being who has realized perfect union with the infinite freedom of ultimate reality. See "three bodies of the Buddha (triktiya). "
between (antarabhava - bar do). This word is used in at least three senses: its basic colloquial sense of the whole period between death and rebirth, its technical sense in the set ofthe six betweens-life, dream, meditation, death-point, reality, and existence betweens-and in the sense of "phase of a between,. . where the experience of a particular period in one of the six betweens is itself called a between.
between-being (antarabhavr - bar do pa). A being who has passed through death and whose mind, soul, or life-continuum has emerged from the gross body of the lost life, has embodied itself in a subtle energy, "mind-imaged. . body, similar to the simulated embodiment of consciousness in a dream, and experiences the processes in the between of wandering in search of either liberation or an ordinary rebirth.
bliss, great (bliss-void indivisible). Sanskrit sukha means "happiness" as the opposite of duljcha , "suffering," in a range from modest relief and comfort up to physical orgasmic bliss and supreme spiritual bliss. In the Tantric context, the Universalist emphasis on compassion (the will to relieve the suffering of others) transmutes into the implementa- tion of love (the will to provide happiness to others) and so the conscious cultivation of bliss becomes a technical concern. To transmit happiness to others, one must develop one's own happiness to overflowing. Thus, the highest Tantric expression of the non- duality of relative and absolute realities is the term "bliss-void indivisible," where bliss
is the relative, wisdom-generated forms of the buddhaverse and void is the ultimate freedom reality that makes such creativity possible.
644 ? Glossary of Unique Translation Terms
bodhisattva. Sanskrit bodhisattva is composed of bodhi, meaning "enlightenment" (wisdom of selflessness/selfless compassion), and sattva, meaning "being" or "hero/ heroine. " Most simply, it means someone who has dedicated him or herself to do what- ever it takes over countless lifetimes in order to attain perfect enlightenment in order to save all beings from suffering. A being becomes a bodhisattva by conceiving the spirit of enlightenment, through ( 1 ) imagining the possibility of enlightened consciousness, (2) seeing how it alone gives the ability effectively to help others find their happiness, (3) seeing how dedicating all one's lives of efforts toward that goal is the only sensible way to live, and (4) resolving to undertake that universal responsibility oneself. This
transformation from ordinary being to "enlightenment hero/heroine" is formally sealed by the solemn taking of the vow of the bodhisattva. Thus a beginner bodhisattva need not be very advanced in enlightenment, merely firmly dedicated to universal love and compassion. In the modern context, it is important to mention that the messianic bodhisattva vow only makes sense for those who feel convinced that they are going to be around in the life-process for an infinite future in any case, so they might as well undertake the saving of all beings. Such a messianic complex would be insane for those who consider their existence to last only one lifetime; there would never be time
for such a universal saving of beings, and so such a pressure would be pointless.
body isolation. This refers to the first of the five perfection stages, a stage wherein the body becomes isolated from ordinariness of experience, and concretely re-envisioned as a wisdom-perfected body expressing the compassion of all buddhas, using the hundred buddha-clan, five clan, three clan, or one buddha-clan art of homologizing all bodily structures and bodymind functions with divine buddha aesthetic activities. (See the charts of the one hundred buddha clans, beginning p. 637 above. )
channel, neural channel (niit/T - rtsa ba). These are the neural structures of the Tantric yogi/ni's subtle body, which consists of channels, wind-energies (vayu}, and neural drops (hindu). There are five, six, or seven main channel wheels, and 72,000 subtle neural channels linking them together, around a main axis consisting of the central dhnti channel and the right and left rasana and lalana channels.
clan (as in the five buddha-clans) (kula - rigs). This word is often translated as "family," which has the modern connotation of nuclear family, i. e. , parents and children. "Clan" conveys the ancient extended family which includes cousins, uncles, and aunts, and so forth, which is more appropriate for the buddha-kula, which includes a larger number of members. The five clans are the vajra, buddha, jewel, lotus, and evolution clans, respectively fathered by the five Buddhas, Ak? hobhya, Vairochana, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, and Amoghasiddhi, mothered by the female buddhas, Sparshavajra, Lochana, Mamakr, Pat;? c;laravasinr, and Tara, and each including a number of male and female bodhisattvas, fierce deities, and adept heroes and heroines.
clear light, transparence (prabhasvara - 'od gsa{). This is the level of the extremely subtle bodymind, the indestructible drop and the state of universal void. It is likened to the gray light before the dawn, when you can see your hand but not the lines in the palm; this follows with the moonlit sky of luminance, the sunlit sky of radiance, and the darklit or unlit light of imminence. Clear light is thus a pure transparency, beyond the duality of light and dark, day and night, when there are no shadows because everything is self-illuminated from within. It also connected to the vajra or diamond nature of the void, the level of reality where the infinite energy of bliss flows into and through the
Glossary of Unique Translation Terms ? 645
structures of life as universal love and compassion. This clear light can never be per- ceived in a dualistic way, since the perceiver is also clear light; it seems to rather be the case that the buddha-mind is overtaken by it in a realization that it has always been it and so surrenders to it without losing anything it was not already. It is of course ulti- mately inexpressible, though it has many names and evocations, this state of universal communion (yuganaddha), in which the duality realizes oneness while enjoying the play of opposites and embracing all that suffers i? its potentiality of bliss.
communion, union (yuganaddha - zung 'jug). The fifth and highest of the five stages of the perfection stage, its final form being buddhahood itself. Used with prefix "com-" (paralleling the yuga - zung) for the standard "union," it indicates that the nondual union of bliss and void, divine and human, absolute and relative, infinite and finite, ultimate and conventional, etc. It still preserves distinctly the pair that is united without collapsing either one into the other. The resonance with the Christian usage is not a problem, perhaps enhances the power of this very sacred concept for Tantra-oriented Universal Vehicle Buddhists, and its possible continued usage in English will add this usage of "communion" to dictionary lists of its meanings. See "five stages. "
conception of the spirit of enlightenment (bodhicittotpada). This can also be rendered by "initiation of. . . " because it means the mental event occurring when a living being, having been exposed to the teaching of the Buddha or of his magical emanations, realizes simultaneously his own level of conditioned ignorance. The living being's habitual stream of consciousness is like sleep compared to that of one who has awakened from ignorance; with initiation, he has the possibility of his own attainment of a higher state of consciousness; and the necessity of attaining it in order to liberate other living beings from their stupefaction. Having realized this possibility, he becomes inspired with the intense ambition to attain, and that is called the "conception of the spirit of enlightenment. " "Spirit" is preferred to "mind" because the mind of enlightenment should rather be the mind of the Buddha; and it is preferred to "thought" because a "thought of enlightenment" can easily be produced without the initiation of any sort of new resolve or awareness.
conceptualization (vikalpa). This brings up another important group of words that has never been treated systematically in translation: vikalpa, parikalpa, samllropa, adhyll- ropa, kalpana, samjiiil, and prapanca. All of these refer to mental functions that tend to superimpose upon reality, either relative or ultimate, a conceptualized reality fabri- cated by the subjective mind. Some translators have tended to lump these together under the rubric "discursive thought," which leads to the misleading notion that all thought is bad, something to be eliminated, and that sheer ''thoughtlessness" is "enlightenment," or whatever higher state is desired. According to Buddhist scholars.
thought in itself is simply a function, and only thought that is attached to its own content over and above the relative object, i. e. , "egoistic" thought, is bad and to be eliminated. Therefore I have chosen a set of words for the seven Skt. terms. respec- tively: "conceptualization," "imagination," "presumption," "exaggeration. " "construc- tion," "conception" or "notion," and "fabrication. " This does not mean that these words are not somewhat interchangeable or that another English word might not be better in certain contexts; it only represents an attempt to achieve consistency with the
original usages.
646 ? Glossary ofUnique Translation Terms
conscious awareness (apramilda). This denotes a type of awareness of the most seemingly insignificant aspects of practical life, an awareness derived as a consequence of the highest realization of the ultimate nature of reality. As it is stated in the Anavatapta-
pariprcchasiilra: "Who realizes voidness, that person becomes consciously aware. " "Ultimate realization," far from obliterating the relative world, brings it into highly specific, albeit dreamlike, focus.
consort, seal (mudra); evolution (karmamudra), wisdom or intuition Uiillnamudrll), and science (vidya). These expressions refer to the partner, either male or female, but more usually female, in a buddha-couple, such as Vairochana and Lochana. Sometimes the father and mother in a buddha-father-mother couple are considered different divine
beings, sometimes only the double manifestation of a single being. The Buddhist belief is that all beings, whatever the superficial sexual identity, are potentially both male and female-each has male and female aspects and energies in his or her being. The empathetic ability to transcend sexual identity-habits is cultivated by Tantric archetype meditation wherein a male will meditate himself as a female archetype buddha, a female will meditate herself as a male archetype buddha, or either will meditate him or
her self as a male and female buddha couple in union.
continuum (tantra - rgyud, rgyun). This is the root word for tantra, standing for the confluence of several continua: the basis continuum of the basis, that of the nature, and that of the fruition. Sometimes, exoterically, it is known as "life-continuum" (sam tina): the energy-continuity of a living being that proceeds from moment to moment in a life and from life to life in an individual's evolutionary progression. To quote Tsong Khapa, quoting in his great commentary the Esoteric Community Further Tantra and Naropa: "Tantra is renowned as 'continuum'; that continuum is of three types: differentiated in terms of the basis (adhara), likewise, nature (prakrti), and non-deprivation (asariz - hllrya). As for their aspects, the nature one is the cause; similarly, the non-deprivation
is the fruition; the basis is called the art. Those three comprise the meaning of 'tantra. ' (GST, xviii. 34--35) The etymological definition of 'tantra' is 'continuum. ' According to Naropa's explanation of the threefold division of Tantra in the verse, 'nature' means the nature of the jewel-like adept; this is the causal Tantra. 'Basis' refers to the art Tantra, the four branches of service and performance of the two stages. The Tantra of 'fruition'-of which no one can deprive you-is the holy communion body of non-
local nirvana, Vajradhara. " (J. R. C. Campbell, "Vajra Hermeneutics" [Ph. D. diss. , Columbia University, 2009], Appendix 1, p. 8. )
creation stage (utpannakrama - bskyed rim). This is the preliminary part of the Unex- celled Yoga Tantra, where the yogi/nT creates a divine environment and a divine self and embodiment, using serenity meditation to focus on the purified forms and critical insight meditation to recognize the voidness of all those visualized forms, thus planting the seed patterns and creating the templates for the subtle and extremely bodymind needed to traverse the ultimate yogas of the perfection stage and actually reach real, magical buddhahood. It therefore does "develop" (rnam par smin pa) the practitioner, but its main function is to begin the creation of the buddha-world along with the buddha embodiment needed to accelerate the time to buddhahood. So, though some use "development stage," I prefer "creation stage. " Nagabodhi in his Stage ofArrangement
creation (sam sklra). See "aggregate. "
Glossary of Unique Translation Terms ? 647 explicitly links the creation of the mandala universe to a mythic. theistic cosmogony
pattern.
death. This is the point of freedom when the subtle mind, indestructible clear light drop, or soul of a particular life loses connection with the embodiment of that life. It is perhaps beyond consciousness and unconsciousness, though ordinary people transit it unconsciously, never noticing the all-too-rapid (for them) transition from the uncon- scious segment of imminence into clear light and back into imminence. Thus death is understood as 11 pure negation, a perfect zero, 11 timeless moment, a widthless boundary, and is aligned with absolute reality, with the body of truth, with the ultimate clear light. A buddha, an enlightened being, is thus one whose death is an infinite body of ultimate reality, a concrete permanent resting place, which nevertheless not only never obstructs their relative experience of the interconnected realm of beings. it makes it indivisible from freedom and openness and therefore perfectly blissful. Needless to say, such a being is no longer afraid of death.
definitive meaning (nrtartha). This refers to those teachings of the Buddha that are in terms of ultimate reality; it is opposed to those teachings given in terms of relative reality, termed "interpretable meaning," because they require further interpretation before being relied on to indicate the ultimate. Hence definitive meaning relates to voidness, etc. , and no statement concerning the relative world, even by the Buddha, can be taken as definitive.
designation (prajflapti). This occurs in the axiomatic Madhyamika description of all things as existent by virtue of "mere designation" (prajflaptimlitra).
Dharma. One of the Three Jewels, the Jewel of the Buddha's teaching. It can also mean the ultimate reality itself that is taught in the teachings, the path that leads to its realization, the qualities that derive from it, and so forth. In Indian usage prior to the Buddha's time, it tended to mean "religion," "law," "duty," "custom," and so forth, patterns that hold human behavior and thought under control. These "pattern- maintaining" meanings still coexist in Sanskrit and other Buddhist languages with the Buddha's more liberating or "pattern-transcending" meanings, causing considerable confusion for translators in some contexts.
dhoti. See avadhoti.
discourse (satra - mdo ). Though sutra in general means a string of aphorisms meant to be memorized in Indian oral education system, in Buddhism in particular it has come to mean a recorded discourse of the Buddha.
Divine Lord (Bhagavan). "Divine Lord" translates well the title bhagavan because it is the term of greatest respect current in our "sacred" language, as established for the Deity in the Elizabethan version of the B ible. Indeed, the Skt. Bhagavlin was given as a title to the Buddha, although it also served the non-Buddhist Indians as an honorific title of their particular deities. As the Buddha is clearly described in the Siltras as the "Supreme Teacher of Gods and Men," there seems little danger that he may be
confused with any particular deity through the use of this term (as indeed in Buddhist Sotras various deities, creators, protectors, etc. , are shown in their respective roles). The often used "Blessed One" comes from the early translations, and conveys the subliminal suggestion to the nineteenth century reader that the Buddha too is "blessed,"
648 ?
seven natural instincts of the imminence intuition state (upalabdhijiitlnaprakrti - nyer thob ye shes kyi rang bzhin rtog pa). ( 1 ) Medium attachment, (2) forgetfulness, (3) mistaken- ness, (4) reticence, (5) fatigue, (6) laziness, and (7) doubt.
eight branches of the noble path (tlryamtlrga{lga). These are the well-known: ( I ) realistic view (samyagdr? ri), (2) realistic motivation (samyaksamkalpa), (3) realistic speech (samyag vtlk), (4) realistic terminal action (samyakkarmanta), (5) realistic livelihood (samyagtljTva), (6) realistic effort (samyagvyaytlma), (7) realistic remembrance (sam- yaksmrti), and (8) realistic concentration (samyaksamadhi).
nine mergings (*me/ana - bsre ba). The nine mergings are: (1) merging trance with the body of truth, (2) merging waking magic body with the beatific body, (3) merging the waking coarse body with the emanation body, (4) merging sleep with the body of truth, (5) merging dream with the beatific body, (6) merging waking with the emanation body, (7) merging death with the body of truth, (8) merging the between with the beatific body, and (9) merging birth with the emanation body.
ten directions (dasadik). These consist of: (1-8) the eight points of the compass, (9) straight up, and (10) straight down. As a conventional formula, it is tantamount to "all directions. "
ten unskillful acts (sins) (akusala). These are the opposite of the ten skillful acts (virtues), and consist of: ( 1 ) killing, (2) stealing, (3) sexual misconduct, (4) lying, (5) harsh speech, (6) backbiting, (7) frivolous speech, (8) covetousness, (9) malice, and ( 10) false views.
ten stages (bhami). These are the ten stages through which the bodhisattva ascends on his way to buddhahood: (1) the Joyous (pramudittl), (2) the Immaculate (vima/11), (3) the Brilliant (prabhilktlri), (4) the Radiant (arcismati), (5) the Invincible (sudurjayll), (6) the Confronting (abhimukhr), (7) the Far-reaching (durll{lgama), (8) the Immovable (acaltl), (9) the Positive Intelligence (sadhumati), and (10) the Cloud of Dharma (dharmameghtl).
6? ? Gln. uary ofNumerical Catt'Rorie. 'i
? n trans? o. ""Cndenct's (pilramitll). These consist of: ( 1 -6) the six transccndences, with the addition of ( 7) skill in liherative art (llpllyakau. falycl); (H) prayer, or vow (pra? idhana); (9) power (ha/a); and ( 1 2) gnosis intuition Unllna).
ten skillful acts (virtues) (ku,fala). These are the opposite of the ten sins, i. e. , refraining from engaging in activities related to the ten sins and doing the opposite. There are: three physical virtues: ( 1 ) saving lives, (2) giving, and (3) sexual propriety. There are four verbal virtues: (4) truthfulness, (5) reconciling discussions, (6) gentle speech, and (7) religious speech. There are three mental virtues: (8) loving attitude, (9) generous
attitude. and ( 1 0) realistic views.
twelve ascetic practices (dhiitagu? a). These consist of ( 1 ) wearing rags (pam sukt:ilika), (2) (in the form of only) three religious robes (traicivarika), (3) (coarse in texture as) garments of felt (ntlmantika), (4) eating by alms (pair:uJaptltika), (5) having a single mat to sit on (aikilsanika), (6) not eating after noon (khalu pascad bhaktika), (7) living alone in the forest (ara1,1yaka), (8) living at the base of a tree (vrk$amiilika), (9) living in the open (not under a roof) (tlbhyavakilsika), (10) frequenting burning grounds (Indian equivalent of cemeteries) (smtlstlnika), ( I I ) sleeping sitting up (in meditative
posture) (nai$adika), and ( 1 2) accepting whatever seating position is offered (yt1tht1- sam starikq.
twelve light rays. The following passage from the Vajra Rosary (cited above, p. 237) describes these as follows: "Reality of bliss dwelling in the heart-center, light illumi- nating the Buddha-sun, with the form of subject and object-that constitutes the twelve light rays. (1) Light-increase, (2) Light-ray, (3) Refulgent, (4) Clear, (5) Blaze, and (6) Light-blaze-depending on eye and so forth, they hold all outer [objects,] form etc. (7) Light-ray, (8) Light-full ('od ma), (9) Luminant, (10) Clear-beauty, (11) Clear-light, (12) Solar-clear-the aspect of outer forms etc. , these six are also proclaimed as light. "
twelve sense-media (tlyatana). They are: ( l ) eye-medium (caksurayatana), (2) form- medium (rapa- ), (3) ear-medium (srotra- ), (4) sound-medium (sabda- ), (5) nose- medium (ghra? a-), (6) scent medium (gandha-), (7) tongue-medium Uihvii-), (8) taste- medium (rasa-), (9) body-medium (kaya-), (10) texture-medium (sprastavya-), (11)mental-medium (mana-), and (12) mental object medium (dharmayatana). The word tlyatana is usually translated as "base," but the Skt. , Tib. , and Ch. all indicate
"something through which the senses function" rather than a basis from which they function; hence "medium" is preferable.
eighteen elements (dhiti u). These introduce the same six pairs as the twelve sense-media, as elements of experience, adding a third member to each set: the element of consciousness (vijflini a), or sense. Hence the frrst pair gives (13) the triad eye-element (ca/cyurdht1tu), (14) form-element (rt:ipadhiti u), and (15) eye-consciousness-element, or eye-sense-element (caksurvijntlnadhatu), and so on with the other five, noting the last, ( 1 6) mind-element (manodhiitu), (17) mind-object-element (dharmadhiitu), and ( 1 8) mental-consciousness- element (manovijnanadht1tu).
th irty - t w o s i g n s o f th e gr e a t b e i n g ( m a h a p u r u $ a l a k $ a f. l a) . T h e y ar e a s fo l l o w s : ( 1 ) H i s h e a d has a turban-shaped protrusion on the crown; (2) his hair curls to the right; (3) his fore- head is broad and even; (4) he has a white hair between his eyebrows; (5) his eyes are very dark, with lashes like a cow; (6) he has forty teeth; (7) his teeth are even, (8) with- out gaps, and (9) very white; (10) he has a keen sense of taste; (11) he has a lion's jaw;
Glossary ofNumerical Categories ? 635
( 1 2) his tongue is long and slender; ( 1 3) he has an excellent voice; ( 1 4) his shoulders are round and even; ( 15) the back of his body has seven round curves [buttocks, thighs, shoulders, and back] ; ( 1 6) his trunk is thick; ( 1 7) his skin is smooth and golden-hued; ( 1 8) his arms reach his knees when he stands straight up; ( 1 9) his torso is like a lion's; (20) his body has the proportions of a banyan tree (height equal to arm span]; (2 1 ) his bodily hairs curl to the right; (22) they stand straight up; (23) his penis is concealed in a sheath; (24) his thighs are well-rounded; (25) his ankle-bones do not protrude; (26) the palms of his hands and feet are soft and delicate; (27) he has webbed fingers and toes; (28) he has long fingers; (29) he has wheel-signs on the palms of his hands and feet; (30) his feet are well set [upon the ground] ; (3 1 ) his arches are broad and high; (32) and his calves are like an antelope's.
thirty-three instinctual natures of the luminance intuition state (lllokajfillnaprakrti ). These are (l-3) [small], medium, and great dispassions; (4-5) mental internalizing and exter- nalizing; (6-8) [small, medium, and intense] sorrows; (9) peace; (10) mental construc- tion; (11-13) small, medium, and intense fears; (14-16) small, medium, and intense craving; ( 1 7) appropriation; ( 1 8) non-virtue; ( 1 9) hunger; (20) thirst; (2 1-23) [small,] medium, and intense sensation moments; (24) knower; (25) knowable; (26) introspec- tive discernment, conscience; (27) compassion; (28-30) small, medium, and great loves; (31) anxiety; (32) greed; and (33) envy. (Sanskrit from CMP has slight variations from Tsong Khapa's choices, which he mentions: virago madhyamas adhimatra; manogata- gatam ; sokaditritayam tathtJ, saumyam vikalpo bhftas madhyabhrto 'tibhuaka/:1. tr$t;J tl madhyatr$t;J tl atit/1t;J t1, upadanakam nii:! Subham Jut tr$12; vedanii samavedana ati- vedantlk$af) aS; vettrviddhtl ; pratyavek$at;J a lajja karut;Jyam, snehatas trayam; cakitam sam cayas matsarya?
thirty-seven accessories of enlightenment (bodhipakSikadharma). These consist of: ( l -4) the four applications of mindfulness; (5-8) the four realistic efforts; (9- 1 2) the four bases of magical powers; ( 1 3- 1 7) the five spiritual faculties; ( 1 8-22) the five powers; (23-29) the seven factors of enlightenment; and (30-37) the eight branches of the noble path.
forty instinctual natures of the radiance intuition state (abhasajfliinaprakrti ). These are: (l) desire, (2) attachment, (3) pleasure, (4) medium pleasure, (5) intense pleasure, (6) delight, (7) indulgence, (8) amazement. (9) excitement, (10) satisfaction, (II) em- bracing, ( 1 2) kissing, ( 1 3) sucking, ( 1 4) stability, ( 1 5) zeal, ( 1 6) pride, ( 1 7) activity, (18) possessiveness, (19) aggressiveness, (20) enthusiasm, (21-23) small, medium, and great boldness; (24) hostility, (25) charm, (26) resentment, (27) virtue. (28) lucid truth- fulness, (29) untruthfulness, (30) certitude, (3 1 ) non-appropriation, (32) generosity, (33) initiative, (34) heroism, (35) shamelessness, (36) deceitfulness, (37) sharpness
(38) wickedness, (39) ungentleness, and (40) crookedness.
eighty marks (of the great being) (anuvyafijana). These accompany the thirty-two signs and consist of: (l) fingernails the color of brass, (2) shiny and (3) long; (4) round fingers; (5) tapered fingers; (6) fingers wide-spreading; (7) veins not protruding. and (8) without tangles; (9) slender ankles; ( 10) feet not uneven; ( I I ) lion's gait; (12) elephant's gait; (13) swan's gait; (14) hull's gait; (15) gait tending to the right; ( 1 6) graceful gait; ( 1 7) steady gait; ( 1 8) his body is well-covered, ( 1 9) clean, (20) well- proportioned, (21) pure, (22) soft, and (23) perfect; (24) his sex organs are fully developed; (25) his thighs are broad and knees round; (26) his steps are even; (27) his complexion is youthful; (28) his posture is not stooped; (29) his bearing is expansive,
636 ? Glossary ofNumerical Categories
yet (30) extremely poised: (31) his limbs and fingers and toes are well-defined; (32) his vision is clear and unblurred; (33) his joints are not protruding; (34) his belly is relaxed, (35) symmetrical, and (36) not fat; (37) his navel is deep and (38) wound to the right; (39) he is completely handsome; (40) he is clean in all acts; (41) he is free of spots or discolorations of the skin; (42) his hands are soft as cotton; (43) the lines of his palms are clear, (44) deep, and (45) long; (46) his face is not overlong and is (47) bright as a mirror; (48) his tongue is soft, (49) long, and (50) red; (51) his voice is like an elephant's trumpet or like thunder, (52) yet sweet and gentle; (53) his teeth are rounded, (54) sharp, (55) white, (56) even, and (57) regularly arranged; (58) his nose is long and (59) straight; (60) his eyes are clear and wide; (61) his eyelashes are thick; (62) the pupils and white of his eyes are clearly defined, and (63) the irises are like lotus petals; (64) his eyebrows are (65) long, soft, (66) evenly haired, and (67) gently curved; (68) his ears are long-lobed and (69) symmetrical; (70) his hearing is acute; (71) his forehead is high and (72) broad; (73) his head is very large; (74) his hair is as black as a bee, (75) thick, (76) soft, (77) untangled, not (78) unruly, and (79) fragrant;
(80) and his feet and hands are marked with lucky signs.
the one hundred buddha clans, used in body isolation meditation. These charts (on the following six pages) are adapted - with permission and some terminology changes - from those made by Christian Wedemeyer, as appendices to his study and translation of Aryadeva's lAmp that Integrates the Practices, a work that H. H. the Dalai Lama described as the rtsa ba (the "root text") of the present work of Tsong Khapa's, published in this same series. The body isolation homologizes all phenomena of physical and mental perception with specific male and female buddhas, in order to finally-at subtle as well as coarse levels of visualization-isolate one's sense of self- identity from any kind of sense of being ordinary. This state of strict bodymind self- identification as a community of buddhas provides the subtle mandalic platform upon which the yogilni can embark upon the speech isolation vajra recitation practice, safely
and effectively.
Charts of the One Hundred Buddha Clans I. The Five Aggregates (25 clans)
? ? ? ? Matter (Vairochana)
Sensation (Ratnasambhava)
Perception (Amitabha)
Creation
( A m o g h a s i d d h i )
Consciousness (Ak? hobhya)
Alqhobhya
Matter known from personal
experience
Sensations from bile and humor conjunction
Perceptions of bipeds Mental creations Tactile consciousness
Vairochana
Matter - outer, inner, both shapes, long and short
Ambivalent sensations
Perceptions of unmoving beings
Bodily creations Visual consciousness
Ratnasambhava
Matter in the mode of self, other, or both
Sensations born from phlegm and wind
Perceptions of quadrupeds
Creations of the three w o r l d s
Hearing consciousness
Amitabha
Exterior, interior matter of five colors
Pleasurable sensations
Perceptions of the legless
Verbal creations Smell consciousness
Amoghasiddhi
Exterior, interior matter as lights of sun and moon
Painful sensations
Perceptions of the many-legged
Creations for l i be r a t i o n
Taste consciousness
'
Q"? ?
? ". ,
? r
-
?
c. ,
? -
0'1w-. . 1
? II. The Four elements (20 clans) Ak? hobhya
?
Earth element, internal
(Lochanli)
external earth
Water element (Mamaki)
external water
Fire element (Pau4aravasi ni)
external fire Wind element
(Tara) external winds
Tendon! . , flesh. rib\, heart
Uttarakuru
Pond water ? ? -
Waterfalls Head heat
Stone fires Pervading
Zenith wind
Belly heat :. , Forest fires
- - --
Metabolic Northern \\ind
Saliva . . . . . . .
! i '\?
, 'M
? "'"'
? ? -
''"\ :. . , ?
? Secretions, intestinal, bile, heart
Piirvavideha Urine
Ocean water Heart heat
Perpetual fire Vitalizing
Eastern wind
? . :. . :.
Vairochana
Hair, bone, feces, spleen, heart
Mount Meru Phlegm and tears
Ratnasambhava
Body hair, nails, pus, heart
JambudvTpa Sweat
River water Navel heat
Sun-crystal fire Evacuating
Southern wind
Amitabha
Teeth, skin, flesh, heart
GodlinTya Blood
Spring water Limb heat
Wood fires Ascending
Western wind
Amoghasiddhi ? ? . . .
,. .
-?
? -
? """
m. The Five Media (25 clans) Ak? hobhya
Vairochana
Perception of the three fonns
Nature of the ear Nature of the nose
Nature of the tongue
Tactile sense organ (body)
Ratnasambhava
Nature of the pupil of the eye
Perception of the three sounds
S eptum
Root of the tongue
Nature of bones
Amitibha
F onns seen with the peripheral vision
Ear orifice
Perception of the three scents
Tip of the tongue
Nature of flesh
Amoghasiddhi
Movement of the eye Root of the ear Nostrils
Perception of the three tastes
Nature of skin
? ? ? Visual media (K$hitigarbha)
Hearing media (Vajraplil;li)
Smell media (Khagarbha)
Taste media (Lokeshvara)
Touch media (SarvanivaraQa- vi? hkambhin)
Mental sense media (Samantabhadra I Maiijushri)
Grape-sized visual sense organ
Greatly convoluted aural sense
Shalii ka. shaped olfactory sense- organ
Half-moon shaped gustatory sense organ
Perception of the three contacts
? c
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tl1::1 -?
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? IV. The Five Auxiliary Winds (25 clans)
Wind-energy
Upmoving (visual) Permoving (hearing)
Commoving (smell) Surmoving (taste) Ultramoving (touch)
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Distinguishing the <::)
V. The Five Intuitions (5 clans) ? hobhya
Five intuitive reality realm wisdoms perfection
Vairochana Mirror-like
Ratnasambhava
Equalizing
Amitabha
Individuating
Amoghasiddhi
All-accomplishing
A? hobhya
Forms of play, erotic
Vairochana
Visual forms
Ear, head, or wind sounds
All scents
Sweet flavors
Holding still union sensation
Ratnasambhava
Forms to which one is attached
Singing and stringed instruments
Scent of the entire body
Astringent flavors Embracing sensation
Amitabha
Forms pleasant, un- pleasant,
ambivalent
Palatal, labial, and vocal sounds
Distinguishing three scents
Salty flavors Kissing sensation
Amoghasiddhi
Forms which perform all activities
Sounds of trees, rivers, snaps, claps, musical instruments
? ? flirtation, Calm or harsh
sounds of ham Unpleasant scents
2"
Bitter flavors
Sensing subtle mind through sexual union
Scent of vital fluid ? 00?
six flavors Sucking sensation
? . , ? c;. ,
-
? ? ? ? ? ? Glossary of Unique Translation Terms
Adamantine, diamond (see also "vajra"}. The Sanskrit vajra means "thunderbolt," "diamond," "adamantine," and so forth, various objects connoting immutability and unbreakability. In Vedic India it was the weapon of the tribal father-god, lndra, a thunderbolt that he threw down from the heavens to break the citadels of the enemy. The Buddhists took this primal symbol of the supreme power of the universe and made it a symbol of universal love and compassion, in order to affirm their vision that love is the strong force in the universe. Thus "vajra" is used in names of Buddha deities to indicate that they are in touch through wisdom with the realm of ultimate reality and that they express the natural universal compassion.
adept, great. "Adept" is used to translate the Sanskrit siddha, referring to a practitioner of Tantra who has attained buddhahood in his or her ordinary body, having gone beyond life, death, and the between, yet remaining in association with his or her previous gross body in order to relate liberatingly with contemporary beings.
addiction (kll! 'Sa - nyon mongs). This word has been translated "passion," and more recently "affliction," neither wrong. Its etymology comes from the verb root klis- to "torment," "twist," so it is definitely something painful. Lust, hatred. delusion, envy. pride, fanaticism-all emotions that are painful to experience-cause painful outcomes through unskillful interactions with others. Passion is an intense emotion that can how- ever be exalting and beautiful, or at least it has that connotation (granted the passion of Christ was definitely painful). Affliction is basically the same as suffering, not as much a cause of suffering. An addiction is a habitual behavior that seems to benefit one's state ofbeing and so seduces the addict, but actually causes suffering to the addict and those around him or her. One can be addicted to lust, addicted to hate, addicted to confusion, to a fanatical belief, to pride or envy or avarice. Those addictions then inevitably cause suffering and affliction.
aggregate (skandha). The five-rapa, vedana, samjna, samskara, and vijnana-have such a particular technical sense that some may wish to leave them untranslated. Nevertheless, it seems preferable to give a translation-in spite of the drawbacks of each possible term-in order to convey the same sense of a useful schema of the psychophysical complex.
( 1 ) For rapa, "matter" is preferred to "form" because it more concretely connotes the physical and gross. (2) For vedana, "sensation" is preferred to "feelings," as not so inclusive of emotions. (3} For samjiiil, "perception" is preferable to "conception," as itself meaning conceptually determined experience. (4} For samskilra, which covers a number of mental functions as well as anomalous forces, "creation" or "function" gives the general idea. (5} And "consciousness" is so well established for vijnana (although what we normally think of as consciousness is more
like samjiiil, i. e. , conceptual and notional, and vijnana is rather the "pure awareness" prior to concepts} as to be left unchallenged.
A? hobhya (Buddha). One of the five archetypal transcendent buddhas, Lord of the Vajra Buddha-clan, he represents the ultimate reality perfection wisdom, the transmutation of the poison of hatred, the color blue, and the aggregate of consciousness.
641
642 ? Glossary of Unique Translation Terms
alienated individual (prthagjana - so sor skye bo). Often translated "common person," this term in Buddhism refers to a person who is cognitively the opposite of a "noble" (arya) person. A "noble" person is defined as one who has attained the vision path (darsanamilrga) and thus has had an initial nonconceptual experience of selflessness, becoming "noble" by realizing the equality of others' perspective to his or her own. The opposite of this kind of noble person is one who is enclosed within a sense of exclusive and absolute self as different from and opposed to others, and who thus does not consider others' perspective from any visceral level. Such an automatically self- centered person is necessarily alienated from the "otherness" of the world as a whole and hence is very aptly described as "alienated. " Etymologically both prthag and so
sor refer to separateness.
all-accomplishing wisdom. This is one of the five wisdoms, resulting from the transmuta- tion of envy, associated with the emerald and the color green, and with the Archetype Buddha Amoghasiddhi.
AmitAbha. One of the five archetypal transcendent buddhas, Lord of the Lotus Buddha- clan. He is associated with the western direction and the buddhaverse Sukhavati. He represents the individuating wisdom, the transmutation of the poison of lust, the color red, and the aggregate of perception. His buddha consort is PaQQaravAsini.
Amoghasiddhi. One of the five archetypal transcendent buddhas, Lord of the Karma Buddha-clan, associated with the northern direction. He represents the all-accomplishing wisdom, the transmutation of the poison of envy, the color green, and the aggregate of creations. His buddha consort is TarA, sometimes called Samayatara.
ancestral mentor (*paramparaguru - brgyud pa 'i bla rna). Usually translated as "lineage lama," it is opposite of root lama or direct mentor, and refers to gurus or mentors who were mentors to one's direct or personal mentor. Since the Tibetan Buddhist karmic tradition has largely replaced blood lineages with Dharma lineages, "ancestral" is preferred, moving a bit further in the same direction as "lineage," which itself trans-
values blood lineage to spiritual lineage.
angel (qaka or qakini - mkha 'gro or mkha 'gro rna). These beings can be mundane or transmundane ("buddhine"), male or female, more concrete than the Jungian arche- types animus and anima, but serving in a similar role in Tantric culture.
archetype, or chosen, deity (i$(adevata - yi dam). A divine buddha-form used in Tantric practice to visualize oneself as an embodiment of the understandings and abilities one is cultivating in order to become a buddha oneself to benefit all beings. The sustained visualization of such an embodiment in the creation stage practice aims to develop such a stability of focus that when the perfection stage practitioner reaches into the subtle out-of-body zones in simulation of death and dying states, he or she can arise for the subtle energy plane in the archetypal form of whatever is his or her chosen embodi- ment. Such a buddha-form can be approached as an independent being in some ritual and contemplative and narrative contexts, while it can also be adopted as a contempla- tive role-model, in practices in which the yogrlni identifies with the deity and seeks to become the deity itself. Thus the deity's form becomes an ideal or archetypal structure of the enlightenment desired by the practitioner.
Glossary of Unique Translation Terms ? 643
art (upaya). This is the expression in action of the great compassion of the Buddha and the bodhisauvas. One empathetically aware of the troubles of living beings would. for his or her very survival. devise the most potent and efficacious arts possible to remove those troubles. and the troubles of living beings are removed effectively only when they reach liberation. I prefer '"art. . to the usual '"method. . and '"means. . because it has a stronger connotation of subtlety and skill: also, art is identified with the extreme of power, energy. and efficacy, as symbolized in the vajra (adamantine scepter), and in Tantra it is associated with male qualities, paired with "wisdom," associated with female qualities. This use of '"art" fits with the educational usage "arts and sciences," where the arts include all the humanities, writing, architecture, engineering, medicine, law, various technologies, and so forth, along with the creative arts, disciplines seeking to understand the nature of reality from various angles, which should include wisdom
as well.
avadhOti. The central channel (madhyamana4r - rtsa dbu ma) of the yogic subtle body, running from mid-brow up to crown center then down just in front of spinal column all the way to the base of the genitals then out to the tip of the male or female sexual organ, believed to be choked off in normal persons in five places at the center of the five main neural channel wheels, but opened by adept yogi/nis through perfection stage practices. Often referred to in Tibetan simply as "the dhati. "
beatific. The adjective from "beatitude," used to translate Sanskrit sam bhoga, the term for the bliss body of buddhahood. The evolutionary perfection of buddhahood is said to be experienced in the form of three bodies, of which this body represents the ultimate but subtle subjective enjoyment of being a buddha as a being who has realized perfect union with the infinite freedom of ultimate reality. See "three bodies of the Buddha (triktiya). "
between (antarabhava - bar do). This word is used in at least three senses: its basic colloquial sense of the whole period between death and rebirth, its technical sense in the set ofthe six betweens-life, dream, meditation, death-point, reality, and existence betweens-and in the sense of "phase of a between,. . where the experience of a particular period in one of the six betweens is itself called a between.
between-being (antarabhavr - bar do pa). A being who has passed through death and whose mind, soul, or life-continuum has emerged from the gross body of the lost life, has embodied itself in a subtle energy, "mind-imaged. . body, similar to the simulated embodiment of consciousness in a dream, and experiences the processes in the between of wandering in search of either liberation or an ordinary rebirth.
bliss, great (bliss-void indivisible). Sanskrit sukha means "happiness" as the opposite of duljcha , "suffering," in a range from modest relief and comfort up to physical orgasmic bliss and supreme spiritual bliss. In the Tantric context, the Universalist emphasis on compassion (the will to relieve the suffering of others) transmutes into the implementa- tion of love (the will to provide happiness to others) and so the conscious cultivation of bliss becomes a technical concern. To transmit happiness to others, one must develop one's own happiness to overflowing. Thus, the highest Tantric expression of the non- duality of relative and absolute realities is the term "bliss-void indivisible," where bliss
is the relative, wisdom-generated forms of the buddhaverse and void is the ultimate freedom reality that makes such creativity possible.
644 ? Glossary of Unique Translation Terms
bodhisattva. Sanskrit bodhisattva is composed of bodhi, meaning "enlightenment" (wisdom of selflessness/selfless compassion), and sattva, meaning "being" or "hero/ heroine. " Most simply, it means someone who has dedicated him or herself to do what- ever it takes over countless lifetimes in order to attain perfect enlightenment in order to save all beings from suffering. A being becomes a bodhisattva by conceiving the spirit of enlightenment, through ( 1 ) imagining the possibility of enlightened consciousness, (2) seeing how it alone gives the ability effectively to help others find their happiness, (3) seeing how dedicating all one's lives of efforts toward that goal is the only sensible way to live, and (4) resolving to undertake that universal responsibility oneself. This
transformation from ordinary being to "enlightenment hero/heroine" is formally sealed by the solemn taking of the vow of the bodhisattva. Thus a beginner bodhisattva need not be very advanced in enlightenment, merely firmly dedicated to universal love and compassion. In the modern context, it is important to mention that the messianic bodhisattva vow only makes sense for those who feel convinced that they are going to be around in the life-process for an infinite future in any case, so they might as well undertake the saving of all beings. Such a messianic complex would be insane for those who consider their existence to last only one lifetime; there would never be time
for such a universal saving of beings, and so such a pressure would be pointless.
body isolation. This refers to the first of the five perfection stages, a stage wherein the body becomes isolated from ordinariness of experience, and concretely re-envisioned as a wisdom-perfected body expressing the compassion of all buddhas, using the hundred buddha-clan, five clan, three clan, or one buddha-clan art of homologizing all bodily structures and bodymind functions with divine buddha aesthetic activities. (See the charts of the one hundred buddha clans, beginning p. 637 above. )
channel, neural channel (niit/T - rtsa ba). These are the neural structures of the Tantric yogi/ni's subtle body, which consists of channels, wind-energies (vayu}, and neural drops (hindu). There are five, six, or seven main channel wheels, and 72,000 subtle neural channels linking them together, around a main axis consisting of the central dhnti channel and the right and left rasana and lalana channels.
clan (as in the five buddha-clans) (kula - rigs). This word is often translated as "family," which has the modern connotation of nuclear family, i. e. , parents and children. "Clan" conveys the ancient extended family which includes cousins, uncles, and aunts, and so forth, which is more appropriate for the buddha-kula, which includes a larger number of members. The five clans are the vajra, buddha, jewel, lotus, and evolution clans, respectively fathered by the five Buddhas, Ak? hobhya, Vairochana, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, and Amoghasiddhi, mothered by the female buddhas, Sparshavajra, Lochana, Mamakr, Pat;? c;laravasinr, and Tara, and each including a number of male and female bodhisattvas, fierce deities, and adept heroes and heroines.
clear light, transparence (prabhasvara - 'od gsa{). This is the level of the extremely subtle bodymind, the indestructible drop and the state of universal void. It is likened to the gray light before the dawn, when you can see your hand but not the lines in the palm; this follows with the moonlit sky of luminance, the sunlit sky of radiance, and the darklit or unlit light of imminence. Clear light is thus a pure transparency, beyond the duality of light and dark, day and night, when there are no shadows because everything is self-illuminated from within. It also connected to the vajra or diamond nature of the void, the level of reality where the infinite energy of bliss flows into and through the
Glossary of Unique Translation Terms ? 645
structures of life as universal love and compassion. This clear light can never be per- ceived in a dualistic way, since the perceiver is also clear light; it seems to rather be the case that the buddha-mind is overtaken by it in a realization that it has always been it and so surrenders to it without losing anything it was not already. It is of course ulti- mately inexpressible, though it has many names and evocations, this state of universal communion (yuganaddha), in which the duality realizes oneness while enjoying the play of opposites and embracing all that suffers i? its potentiality of bliss.
communion, union (yuganaddha - zung 'jug). The fifth and highest of the five stages of the perfection stage, its final form being buddhahood itself. Used with prefix "com-" (paralleling the yuga - zung) for the standard "union," it indicates that the nondual union of bliss and void, divine and human, absolute and relative, infinite and finite, ultimate and conventional, etc. It still preserves distinctly the pair that is united without collapsing either one into the other. The resonance with the Christian usage is not a problem, perhaps enhances the power of this very sacred concept for Tantra-oriented Universal Vehicle Buddhists, and its possible continued usage in English will add this usage of "communion" to dictionary lists of its meanings. See "five stages. "
conception of the spirit of enlightenment (bodhicittotpada). This can also be rendered by "initiation of. . . " because it means the mental event occurring when a living being, having been exposed to the teaching of the Buddha or of his magical emanations, realizes simultaneously his own level of conditioned ignorance. The living being's habitual stream of consciousness is like sleep compared to that of one who has awakened from ignorance; with initiation, he has the possibility of his own attainment of a higher state of consciousness; and the necessity of attaining it in order to liberate other living beings from their stupefaction. Having realized this possibility, he becomes inspired with the intense ambition to attain, and that is called the "conception of the spirit of enlightenment. " "Spirit" is preferred to "mind" because the mind of enlightenment should rather be the mind of the Buddha; and it is preferred to "thought" because a "thought of enlightenment" can easily be produced without the initiation of any sort of new resolve or awareness.
conceptualization (vikalpa). This brings up another important group of words that has never been treated systematically in translation: vikalpa, parikalpa, samllropa, adhyll- ropa, kalpana, samjiiil, and prapanca. All of these refer to mental functions that tend to superimpose upon reality, either relative or ultimate, a conceptualized reality fabri- cated by the subjective mind. Some translators have tended to lump these together under the rubric "discursive thought," which leads to the misleading notion that all thought is bad, something to be eliminated, and that sheer ''thoughtlessness" is "enlightenment," or whatever higher state is desired. According to Buddhist scholars.
thought in itself is simply a function, and only thought that is attached to its own content over and above the relative object, i. e. , "egoistic" thought, is bad and to be eliminated. Therefore I have chosen a set of words for the seven Skt. terms. respec- tively: "conceptualization," "imagination," "presumption," "exaggeration. " "construc- tion," "conception" or "notion," and "fabrication. " This does not mean that these words are not somewhat interchangeable or that another English word might not be better in certain contexts; it only represents an attempt to achieve consistency with the
original usages.
646 ? Glossary ofUnique Translation Terms
conscious awareness (apramilda). This denotes a type of awareness of the most seemingly insignificant aspects of practical life, an awareness derived as a consequence of the highest realization of the ultimate nature of reality. As it is stated in the Anavatapta-
pariprcchasiilra: "Who realizes voidness, that person becomes consciously aware. " "Ultimate realization," far from obliterating the relative world, brings it into highly specific, albeit dreamlike, focus.
consort, seal (mudra); evolution (karmamudra), wisdom or intuition Uiillnamudrll), and science (vidya). These expressions refer to the partner, either male or female, but more usually female, in a buddha-couple, such as Vairochana and Lochana. Sometimes the father and mother in a buddha-father-mother couple are considered different divine
beings, sometimes only the double manifestation of a single being. The Buddhist belief is that all beings, whatever the superficial sexual identity, are potentially both male and female-each has male and female aspects and energies in his or her being. The empathetic ability to transcend sexual identity-habits is cultivated by Tantric archetype meditation wherein a male will meditate himself as a female archetype buddha, a female will meditate herself as a male archetype buddha, or either will meditate him or
her self as a male and female buddha couple in union.
continuum (tantra - rgyud, rgyun). This is the root word for tantra, standing for the confluence of several continua: the basis continuum of the basis, that of the nature, and that of the fruition. Sometimes, exoterically, it is known as "life-continuum" (sam tina): the energy-continuity of a living being that proceeds from moment to moment in a life and from life to life in an individual's evolutionary progression. To quote Tsong Khapa, quoting in his great commentary the Esoteric Community Further Tantra and Naropa: "Tantra is renowned as 'continuum'; that continuum is of three types: differentiated in terms of the basis (adhara), likewise, nature (prakrti), and non-deprivation (asariz - hllrya). As for their aspects, the nature one is the cause; similarly, the non-deprivation
is the fruition; the basis is called the art. Those three comprise the meaning of 'tantra. ' (GST, xviii. 34--35) The etymological definition of 'tantra' is 'continuum. ' According to Naropa's explanation of the threefold division of Tantra in the verse, 'nature' means the nature of the jewel-like adept; this is the causal Tantra. 'Basis' refers to the art Tantra, the four branches of service and performance of the two stages. The Tantra of 'fruition'-of which no one can deprive you-is the holy communion body of non-
local nirvana, Vajradhara. " (J. R. C. Campbell, "Vajra Hermeneutics" [Ph. D. diss. , Columbia University, 2009], Appendix 1, p. 8. )
creation stage (utpannakrama - bskyed rim). This is the preliminary part of the Unex- celled Yoga Tantra, where the yogi/nT creates a divine environment and a divine self and embodiment, using serenity meditation to focus on the purified forms and critical insight meditation to recognize the voidness of all those visualized forms, thus planting the seed patterns and creating the templates for the subtle and extremely bodymind needed to traverse the ultimate yogas of the perfection stage and actually reach real, magical buddhahood. It therefore does "develop" (rnam par smin pa) the practitioner, but its main function is to begin the creation of the buddha-world along with the buddha embodiment needed to accelerate the time to buddhahood. So, though some use "development stage," I prefer "creation stage. " Nagabodhi in his Stage ofArrangement
creation (sam sklra). See "aggregate. "
Glossary of Unique Translation Terms ? 647 explicitly links the creation of the mandala universe to a mythic. theistic cosmogony
pattern.
death. This is the point of freedom when the subtle mind, indestructible clear light drop, or soul of a particular life loses connection with the embodiment of that life. It is perhaps beyond consciousness and unconsciousness, though ordinary people transit it unconsciously, never noticing the all-too-rapid (for them) transition from the uncon- scious segment of imminence into clear light and back into imminence. Thus death is understood as 11 pure negation, a perfect zero, 11 timeless moment, a widthless boundary, and is aligned with absolute reality, with the body of truth, with the ultimate clear light. A buddha, an enlightened being, is thus one whose death is an infinite body of ultimate reality, a concrete permanent resting place, which nevertheless not only never obstructs their relative experience of the interconnected realm of beings. it makes it indivisible from freedom and openness and therefore perfectly blissful. Needless to say, such a being is no longer afraid of death.
definitive meaning (nrtartha). This refers to those teachings of the Buddha that are in terms of ultimate reality; it is opposed to those teachings given in terms of relative reality, termed "interpretable meaning," because they require further interpretation before being relied on to indicate the ultimate. Hence definitive meaning relates to voidness, etc. , and no statement concerning the relative world, even by the Buddha, can be taken as definitive.
designation (prajflapti). This occurs in the axiomatic Madhyamika description of all things as existent by virtue of "mere designation" (prajflaptimlitra).
Dharma. One of the Three Jewels, the Jewel of the Buddha's teaching. It can also mean the ultimate reality itself that is taught in the teachings, the path that leads to its realization, the qualities that derive from it, and so forth. In Indian usage prior to the Buddha's time, it tended to mean "religion," "law," "duty," "custom," and so forth, patterns that hold human behavior and thought under control. These "pattern- maintaining" meanings still coexist in Sanskrit and other Buddhist languages with the Buddha's more liberating or "pattern-transcending" meanings, causing considerable confusion for translators in some contexts.
dhoti. See avadhoti.
discourse (satra - mdo ). Though sutra in general means a string of aphorisms meant to be memorized in Indian oral education system, in Buddhism in particular it has come to mean a recorded discourse of the Buddha.
Divine Lord (Bhagavan). "Divine Lord" translates well the title bhagavan because it is the term of greatest respect current in our "sacred" language, as established for the Deity in the Elizabethan version of the B ible. Indeed, the Skt. Bhagavlin was given as a title to the Buddha, although it also served the non-Buddhist Indians as an honorific title of their particular deities. As the Buddha is clearly described in the Siltras as the "Supreme Teacher of Gods and Men," there seems little danger that he may be
confused with any particular deity through the use of this term (as indeed in Buddhist Sotras various deities, creators, protectors, etc. , are shown in their respective roles). The often used "Blessed One" comes from the early translations, and conveys the subliminal suggestion to the nineteenth century reader that the Buddha too is "blessed,"
648 ?
