Vajra Sutra Glossary

(Chn. 緣分 yuanfen; 緣 yuan): Affinity connotes the “results” of causes and conditions, whereas causes and conditions (因緣 yinyuan) indicate the coming together of all causes and conditions; it is the interconnectedness—the karmic relationship. “Affinity” is used more informally than “karma,” which specifically states the law of cause and effect (因果 yinguo).
Good affinity is a kind of serendipity—it is meant to be. The terms “fate” and “destiny” (命運 mingyun), on the other hand, are usually used in a broader perspective; fate carries a slightly negative implication, whereas destiny gives a more positive connotation. For instance, one might say that it requires a certain “destiny” to become the President of the U.S.A. Yet the “fate” of being foreign-born currently renders it impossible! Having numerous good “affinities” with influential parties may help. From a Buddhist perspective, we understand that everything is due to “causes and conditions,” so we know that when the right causes and conditions arise, previously impossible feats can become possible. Being a president enables one to initiate many beneficial causes for a country’s future since “karma” is not only applicable to individuals but also to the entire nation.

(Chn. 煩惱 fannao, Skt. klesa): Anything that causes unease, discomfort, concern, worry, trouble, misery, suffering, and the like due to mental, emotional, psychological, or physical causes is called an affliction. An affliction can certainly become suffering when it is severe and prolonged, but not all afflictions give rise to suffering—for example, worrying about a daughter's marriage is an affliction but not necessarily a suffering. In some contexts, klesa relates to greed, anger, hatred, delusion, ignorance, pride, doubt, envy, jealousy, and any mental defilements.

(Chn. 一合相 yihexiang, Skt. pindagraha): Everything tangible in this world is an aggregate: a combination, a union, a composite, or an amalgam comprising the basic elements of earth, water, fire, and wind. It comes into existence due to causes and conditions and disappears when its causes and conditions cease. An aggregate is impermanent and has no true nature; it lacks self-nature. Upon disintegration, or when it is taken apart, there is nothing left. “Aggregate” is also used as a translation of the Sanskrit term skanda. Panca skandas is translated as the “five aggregates” or “five factors,” which are form (matter), perception, mental formation, volition, and consciousness.

(Chn. 一切種智 yiqiezhongzhi, Skt. sarvathaprajna): The wisdom of the buddhas and tathagatas; it encompasses both the wisdom of true emptiness and the wisdom of discernment. See also wisdom; wisdom of emptiness; wisdom of discernment.

(Skt., Chn. 阿彌陀佛 Amituofo, Jpn. Amida Nyorai, Tib. Wopakme): The Buddha of Infinite Light; the Buddha of Infinite Life.
Amitabha Buddha, or Amitabha Tathagata, is one of the buddhas that has the closest affinity with the saha world. Buddhists say “Amitabha” to greet each other, and the Chinese saying goes, “Amitabha in every household, and Guanyin in every home.” Mahayana Pureland School practitioners chant his epithet as a means for liberation from the bondage of samsara. By chanting his “Amitabha Buddha” single-pointedly for seven straight days and nights, one is guaranteed to be reborn in his pureland—Sukhavati. Amitabha is associated with the West, the color red, and the fire element. He is the head of the lotus division and is one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas—the one embodying the marvelous wisdom of observation. Amitabha Buddha is accompanied by his two closest attendants Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta, and the three of them are collectively referred to as the Pureland Trinity or the Three Sages of the West. An emanation of Amitabha Buddha is the Longevity Buddha—Amitayus.

(Chn. 摧毀 cuihui): In this book, it means to eliminate all sorts of concepts, views, notions, sensations, perceptions, and cognitions of all phenomena—including everything in and of samsara, the rebirth cycle, and the time and spatial dimensions. It does not mean to “destroy” in a literal sense.

(Chn. 苦行 kuxing): A form of spiritual cultivation involving extreme hardships such as never lying down to sleep, eating once a day before noon, wearing discarded cloth, among others, to annihilate the six thieves (senses)—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

(Chn. 成就 chengjiu, Skt. siddhi): The fruition from a certain practice. Attainment includes spiritual union with the yidam through yidam practice, becoming an arhat, a bodhisattva, or a buddha through purification, practices of opening the channels and cakras, and the implementation of one’s realizations of the truths. Depending on the level of purification, attainments are reached stage by stage, until eventually one reaches buddhahood. Attainment is a result of real practice, whereas enlightenment is conceptual, at least in the beginning. The ultimate attainment is both conceptual and real fruition, and it is referred to as anuttara samyaksambodhi or the perfect enlightenment. The ultimate attainment is the union with Dao. See also Dao; anuttara samyaksambodhi.

(Chn. 覺 jue): Mind; consciousness; knowing what we are feeling, thinking, doing, and so forth. Pure awareness has been used to refer to the primordial and utterly immaculate state of awareness or consciousness; in Sanskrit it is vidya, and in Tibetan rigpa.

(Chn. 千艘法船 qiansao fachuan): Named the Thousand Dharma Vessels Bardo Deliverance, this is a unique and extraordinary bardo deliverance initiated by Grandmaster Sheng-Yen Lu, performed to bardo deliver all spirits with and without affinity. This bardo deliverance relies on His Holiness’ yidams (Golden Mother, Amitabha Buddha, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, as well as the Tiger Head Vajra and the Thousand-Armed Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara) to amass thousands of dharma vessels to carry all spirit beings to rise to the pureland—primarily to Sukhavati, Amitabha’s Western Realm of Utmost Bliss. The lowest level of Sukhavati is the Pureland of Mixed Mundane Beings and Sages, so spirit beings with remaining karma can still be reborn into this pureland. Performed daily since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, many samsaric beings are delivered to the pureland due to his great compassion, tremendous dharma power, and perseverance. See also bardo.

(Chn. 出世法 chushifa, Skt. lokuttara-dharma): Dharma, practices, or path to abandon samsara and liberate oneself from transmigration in the rebirth cycle. It includes practices to gain enlightenment, liberation, the understanding of Dao and the truth of empty-nature and non-phenomena. See also worldly dharma; enlightening reality.

(Chn. 福德 fude; 福分 fufen): One is blessed, or has blessings, as a result of good karma from past good deeds, thoughts, speech, and adherence to the precepts. Blessings are associated with the saha world and the heavens, which are still part of the six rebirth realms. Merit, on the other hand, is more intangible and generally associated with transcending samsara. Spiritual cultivation can bring both blessings and merits. See also merit.

(Skt., Chn. 菩提 puti): Awakening, enlightenment, realizations, or deep insight into the nature of true reality and complete understanding of the highest wisdom. See also enlightenment.

(Skt., Chn. 菩提心月液 putixinyueyi): Reservoir of congealed lightdrops at the brow cakra. It melts upon warming by the innerfire. See also lightdrops; innerfire.

(Skt., Chn. 菩提心 putixin): Aspiration toward enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. Bodhicitta generation is necessary to achieve bodhisattvahood and buddhahood. Upon generating bodhicitta, one acts without any conditions.

(Chn. 菩提達摩 Putidamo; 達摩祖師 Damo zushi): As the 28th successor (lineage holder) of the Zen Buddhism led by Mahakasyapa in India, Bodhidharma went to the Middle Kingdom, visited Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty, and engaged in the famous dialog about the inherent nature of merit and its lack of true existence. He then went into seclusion at Mount Songshan behind the Shaolin Temple for nine years, whereafter he began the physical training of the monks that led to the creation of Shaolin kungfu. He started the Zen tradition in China and became its first patriarch. Later, with the name of Dampa Sangye, he went to Tibet, where he met Machig Labdron and transmitted the dharma of body severance practice (Chöd) to her.

(Chn. 佛眼 foyan): A representation of the embodiment of the five wisdoms: the intrinsic wisdom of the dharma realms (tathata-prajna; tathata-jnana), the all-accomplishing wisdom (krty-anusthana-prajna; krty-anusthana-jnana), the mirror-like wisdom (adarsa-prajna; adarsa-jnana), the wisdom of marvelous observation (pratyaveksana-prajna; pratyaveksana-jnana), and the wisdom of equality (samata-prajna; samata-jnana). They can see all ten dharma realms, including the four sagely realms above and the six rebirth realms below. Buddha eyes encompass the other four kinds of eyes—physical, celestial, dharma, and wisdom.

(Chn. 佛性 foxing, Skt. tathata): The unspeakable innate nature embodied by all beings, from the highest buddhas to the lowest hell beings. Upon his enlightenment, Sakyamuni Buddha made an unequivocal statement that all sentient beings embody buddhanature. It is self-nature, empty-nature, and the true and fundamental nature. It is nirvana, extinction with no causes for birth or death. It is intrinsic suchness, without arising and ceasing. It is the bright clear-light radiance that emerges upon purification. At its primordial state, all beings originate from the ocean of light (buddhanature) and will eventually return to it. Thus all beings are one and the same, yet also different—since as soon as they take a form and emanate from the ocean, they become separate individuals.
From the perspective of samsaric beings, buddhanature is equivalent to the potential for buddhahood. Like Grandmaster Lu wrote in a poem, “Buddhanature is the ocean, and human lives are its waves. We wander and wander [in the transmigration], but eventually we will all return to the ocean.”
While all phenomena are ever-changing, only buddhanature is permanent, absolute, and pure. Like someone blind describing an elephant by touching only a part of it, the above are a minute attempt to describe the unspeakable buddhanature. Primordial awareness or pure consciousness are terms that others have also used.

(Chn. 佛國 foguo; 佛國淨土 foguo jingtu; 佛土 fotu): A buddhaverse is an utterly pure realm of the buddhas, yet it is also a mere manifestation. Strictly speaking, a buddhaverse is a pureland, but a pureland, such as the lowest level of Sukhavati, may not be a buddhaverse. However, these two terms are often used interchangeably. In some contexts, “buddhaland” is used to translate 佛土 and “buddhaverse” to translate 佛國. See also pureland.

(Chn. 因緣 yinyuan; 因緣果報 yinyuan guobao, Skt. hetupratyaya): Factors that give rise to all existences and phenomena. Everything arises due to causes and conditions and ceases when causes and conditions cease. The second Chinese term explicitly indicates how the intricate fabric of cause and effect plays out in causes and conditions.

(Chn. 天眼 tianyan; 第三眼 disanyan): The ability to see gods, heavens, heavenly and sagely beings. Although “third eye” has also been used to indicate the ability to see earthly gods, ghosts, and spirits in the three lower realms, “spirit eye” or “yin-yang eye” 陰陽眼 would be more appropriate in such cases.

(Chn. 脈 mai, Skt. nadi, Tib. rtsa): Intangible energy channels within one’s body. The primary channel is the central channel which runs from the base cakra to the crown cakra, and can open at the tip of the head (apex or usnisa for males). The right and left channels branch out from the central channel at the navel cakra. There are 36,000 different channels, big and small, inside one’s body. When the channels are open and without blockage, qi canflow smoothlyinside these channels, generating great bliss, igniting innerfire, and opening cakras. In the visualization during a tantric dharma practice, the yidam deity enters the central channel through the apex. At death, a tantric practitioner who has opened their apex can push their life qi up the central channel to leave the body through the apex opening and reach a higher realm.

(Chn. 光明 guangming, Skt. prabhasvara): A specific Buddhist term referring to the bright radiance and clear lucidity that first emerges in our heart-mind. It is the emergence of buddhanature, which manifests during the state of no-thought, achieved in deep meditation. It can be attained upon purification and through the practice of empty-nature—merging one’s own empty-nature with the empty-nature of the cosmos.
It is the result of the great perfection attainment. In Tantrayana, clear-light radiance is attained by opening the channels, igniting the innerfire, and melting the lightdrops to open the five cakras. Light is innate within us; once enshroudments and obscurations are removed, light will naturally emerge. Either the state of no-thought or the inner tantric practices can generate clear-light radiance. Such is siddhi (true spiritual attainment). Although this term has also been translated as “luminosity,” “luminous clarity,” “translucence,” or even as “light,” “clear-light radiance” is preferred to indicate that it is bright and lucid. It is not just ordinary “light.” See also attainment; buddhanature.

(Chn. 有為法 youweifa, Skt. samskrita): Everything conditioned and conditional, including acting with a certain intent, motive, reason, expectation, and the like.

(Chn. 爭 zheng, Skt. vada): Anything that contends, fights, disputes, argues, competes, confronts, opposes, challenges, struggles, wrestles, and the like. Buddhism advocates non-contention, which means abandoning any thoughts, actions, and speech with the above mindsets and attitudes.

Dao; Tao (Chn. 道): As stated in Laozi’s Daodejing, the spoken Dao is not the real and eternal Dao. It is understood when it is understood. Yet here is a modest attempt to provide some hints of Dao and how to understand and be one with it. Beyond the common translation of “the Path,” “the Way,” “Principle,” or “Truth,” Dao indicates a primordial “suchness,” the state of how everything should be, the course of nature at its most profound state. It is “ultimate nothingness,” “buddhanature,” “anuttara samyaksambodhi,” “intrinsic suchness,” and “the state of perfect enlightenment and its complete actualization.” One is said to be one with Dao upon complete purification, entering emptiness and merging with the emptiness of the cosmos. There is no more distinction between oneself and buddhanature—in fact, “one” and “self” have ceased to exist. There is no phenomena of self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan. Dao is the purest, the ultimate, the absolute, the everlasting, the permanent, the indestructible, the immovable. The one in union with the Dao is the greatest.

(Chn. 道教 Daojiao): A Chinese philosophical and religious tradition that emphasizes the natural order of the universe and the importance of living in harmony with it. In addition to the profound practices of the body and the mind, it also utilizes many alchemies and talismans (fu) to aid humans in their lives. Many of its philosophies and internal body practices are very similar to Tantrayana and tantric practices.

(Chn 主尊 zhuzun; 本尊 benzun; Skt. devata): Divine beings, including the buddhas, bodhisattvas, arhats, heavenly and earthly gods and goddesses, and other higher beings that possess spiritual qualities, powers, and significance. Different deities represent various aspects of the spiritual world. One's main meditational deity is called a yidam (Tib.). “Divinities” refers to all of them collectively.

(Chn. 度 du; 救度 jiudu; 滅度 miedu): Guiding sentient beings to the other shore of liberation; teaching the way to liberation from samsara; delivering a being to the pureland or a higher state of existence; or leading sentient beings to take refuge in the Three Jewels. Bardo deliverance is a deliverance performed for the bardo spirits, so they can reach a higher realm and ultimately be reborn in the pureland, liberated from the endless transmigration of samsara. See also bardo.

(Chn. 升起次第 shengqi cidi, Skt. utpattikrama, Tib. kyerim): Stages in spiritual cultivation—initially involving the foundation, external, and concrete ritualistic practices, then gradually progressing to the higher realms, internal, and sublime methods. Guru Tsongkapa authored The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (Lamrim) detailing the steps of this path. There are various classifications according to different traditions. Generally, the dzogchen approach (top down from conceptual to application) is divided into five paths—the path of merit accumulation, the path of preliminary practices, the path of seeing, the path of [real] practice, and lastly, the ultimate path. In the mahamudra tradition, where one begins spiritual cultivation from direct experience and then gradually gains the understanding of the view (bottom up), the path is categorized as four stages—the yoga of concentration, the yoga of renunciation, the yoga of one-taste, and ultimately, the yoga of no-practice. The development stage can also be divided into kriyatantra, upatantra, yogatantra, and anuttara yogatantra. The development path is crucial for spiritual practitioners to reach the perfection or completion stage. See also perfection stage.

(Chn. 法身 fashen, Skt. dharmakaya): The true form of a buddha. It is nirvanic, serene, immovable, unexaminable, and without any phenomena. It is unaffected by any cause and effect, causes and conditions, or arising and ceasing, yet it can transform or display a certain appearance at will.

(Chn. 法眼 fayan): The comprehension of all buddhadharma. One who comprehends and masterfully applies buddhadharma is said to have dharma eyes.

(Chn. 法號 fahao): A name given to those who take refuge in the Three Jewels. In True Buddha School, the dharma name of its founder and lineage root guru is “Lian Sheng” (Chn. 蓮生). All his disciples have dharma names starting with either “Lian” or “Lianhua,” meaning “Lotus.” The ordained sangha members add “Shi” (Chn. 釋) to their dharma names to indicate they have taken the name of Sakyamuni Buddha.

(Chn. 法相 faxiang, Skt. dharmalaksana): The phenomena of everything; it is not limited to the phenomena of buddhadharma only. Dharmalaksana is an alternative name for Yogacara (Consciousness-Only) advocated by Maitreya Bodhisattva, Asanga, and Vasubandhu.

(Chn. 護法 hufa, Skt. dharmapala): The protector, guardian, and defender of buddhadharma. It is crucial that buddhadharma is protected so it can continue to flourish. Many beings vow to protect buddhadharma and its practitioners. Some are emanations of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, such as Acalanatha, who is an emanation of Vairocana Buddha, or Mahottara, as an emanation of the Primordial Buddha Adharma. Some are divine beings such as Sangharama and the Four Heavenly Kings (Skt. Catur Maharajas). Some were evil beings who had been subdued and transformed into a protector, such as Yamantaka, who is a union of Manjusri Bodhisattva and the Yama King (King of Hells); Vajrakilaya, who was transformed by Guru Padmasambhava; or Ganesha, who was transformed by Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. A “vajra protector” refers to a protector who is also wrathful and powerful such as the herukas and vidyarajas. It is important that a tantric practitioner has a personal protector on their spiritual journey, so one’s spiritual cultivation can go smoothly. See also heruka.

(Skt., Chn. 燃燈佛 randengfo): The first of the Three Buddhas of the Three Ages (Skt. Triyuga Buddhas). The triyuga buddhas are Dipamkara Buddha—representing the past; Sakyamuni Buddha—representing the present; and Maitreya Buddha—representing the future. Having attained buddhahood eons ago, he is called the Ancient Buddha. Dipamkara Buddha means the Buddha Who Ignites the Light, and also called the Fixed Light Buddha. He bestowed the prophecy upon Sumedha (a previous reincarnation of Sakyamuni Buddha)—that he would be the future Buddha named Sakyamuni—when Sumedha was offering lotus blossoms to Dipamkara Buddha.

(Chn. 龍女 longnü, Skt. Nagakanya): The eight-year-old daughter of the Dragon King, who offered a bright mani jewel to Sakyamuni Buddha, and was given the prophecy that she would attain buddhahood. Instantly, she transformed into a male being and became a buddha. Here is a passage from the Lotus Sutra: “Manjusri Bodhisattva speaks of Dragon Princess, saying: ‘There is the daughter of the Dragon King Sagara who is only eight years old. She is wise; her faculties are sharp; and she also well knows all the faculties and deeds of sentient beings. She has attained the power of recollection. She preserves all the profound secret treasures of the Buddhas, enters deep in meditation, and is well capable of discerning all dharmas. She instantly produced the thought of enlightenment and has attained the stage of non-retrogression. She has unhindered eloquence and thinks of sentient beings with as much compassion as if they were her own children. Her virtues are perfect. Her thoughts and explanations are subtle and extensive, merciful, and compassionate. She has a harmonious mind and has attained enlightenment.’ However, Sariputra does not believe that a woman can attain buddhahood. The Dragon Princess then offers a pearl to the Buddha, symbolizing her life and ego, and he accepts it. She then instantly transforms into a perfected male bodhisattva, and then attains complete enlightenment.” Instantly she became a buddha, as predicted by Sakyamuni Buddha.

(Chn. 龍邊 longbian): It is to one’s left when one is facing the same direction. For instance, in the case of an altar, the dragon side would be the buddha statues’ left side. Conversely, if one is facing the altar, the dragon side would be to one’s right. Likewise, when one faces a house, one’s right is the dragon side and one’s left is the tiger side. Vice versa, when one stands at the front door looking out, then one’s left is the dragon side and one’s right is the tiger side. The location designation of the dragon/tiger side is fixed regardless of one’s position and direction. The Dragon King God is located at the Seattle Leizang Temple's dragon side. See also tiger side.

(Chn. 雙運 shuangyun): Embracing both sides and executing both aspects. For example: dual execution of development and perfection stages, dual execution of wisdom and compassion, dual execution of wisdom and meditation, dual execution of form and emptiness, dual execution of bliss and emptiness, dual execution of existence and nonexistence, and so on. It does not necessarily mean that they are being utilized simultaneously, sequentially, or in symbiosis, but it means that neither is rejected nor is in extreme.

(Chn. 八正道 bazhengdao, Skt. aryaastangamarga): The path to enlightenment, consisting of right view, right mindset, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right thought, and right meditation. The eightfold noble path is cultivated on the path to buddhahood.

(Chn. 空 kong, Skt. sunya): Utmost purity; the absence of inherent existence; the nonexistence of all phenomena; the lack of self-nature. All phenomena lack inherent existence and are without any self-nature, as explained by the Buddha during the second turning of the dharma wheel. Emptiness is the state of intrinsic suchness, buddhanature, or Dao.
See also empty-nature; ultimate nothingness; Dao.

(Chn. 空性 kongxing, Skt. sunyata): The true and innate nature of all beings and phenomena. Buddhism talks about the union of one’s empty-nature to confirm the empty-nature of the cosmos to enter intrinsic suchness; this is called nirvana. Empty-nature is encapsulated in the highest wisdom of emptiness, which signifies that everything is empty in nature and arises and ceases merely due to causes and conditions. See also buddhanature; nirvana.

endurance paramita (Chn. 忍辱波羅蜜 renru boluomi, Skt. ksanti-paramita): Endurance or patience is practiced as part of the six perfections cultivated by the bodhisattvas. At first, one trains to endure all sorts of adversities and animosities, until eventually reaching the state of unborn endurance through the understanding that nothing inherently exists. The endurance never arises because there is no self, and thus there is no need to endure. See also six perfections.

(Chn. 了義 liaoyi, Skt. nitharta): Enlightening reality refers to all the concepts that lead to the ultimate truth. It is the dharma that transcends the mundane world and abandon the transmigration in the rebirth cycle. The enlightening reality relates to the beyond-worldly path, while the worldly dharma relates to the non-enlightening reality. There are teachings, sutras, dharmas, practices, and paths that teach the enlightening reality. The sutras or dharmas that contain teachings on the enlightening reality are called the enlightening sutras or dharmas, as opposed to the non-enlightening sutras or dharmas. The Vajra Sutra is an enlightening sutra. See also beyond-worldly dharma.

(Chn. 開悟 kaiwu; 覺悟 juewu; 醒悟 xingwu; 悟道 wudao; 見道 jiandao): The realization and understanding of the ultimate truth. Especially at its initial stage, enlightenment is conceptual rather than experiential, theoretical rather than actual. One is said to be enlightened when one sees the “path” on the path of seeing. Thereafter, one embarks on the actualization of the enlightenment by purifying karma, afflictions, habitual tendencies, and all obscurations and hindrances until perfection is reached at buddhahood. At this stage, one is also said to have reached the highest perfect enlightenment or complete enlightenment, where one has both conceptually and experientially confirmed it. Highest perfect enlightenment is also called anuttara samyaksambodhi.

(Chn. 平等性 pingdengxing): The nature of equality for all beings, all things, and all phenomena, as everything is a mere aggregate of the four elements and intrinsically empty. It relates to empty-nature and buddhanature.

(Chn. 五方佛 Wufangfo): The five wisdom buddhas that represent the various aspects of enlightened consciousnesses: Vairocana, Amitabha, Aksobhya, Ratnasambhava, and Amoghasiddhi. They are at the four cardinal directions and the center. Vairocana Buddha, the Great Sun Tathagata, is in the center—white, representing the dharma wheel and the wisdom of the nature of the dharma realm. Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Light and Infinite Life, is in the West—red, representing the lotus division and the wisdom of marvelous observation. Aksobhya Buddha, the Immovable One, is in the East—blue, representing the karma (action) realm and the perfect mirror-like wisdom. Ratnasambhava Buddha, the Jewel Born, is in the South—yellow, representing the jewel division and the wisdom of equal-nature. Amoghasiddhi Buddha, the Infallible Success, is in the north—green, representing the vajra realm and the wisdom of the accomplishment of all actions. They are level thirteen buddhas.

(Chn. 四無量心 siwuliangxin, 慈悲喜捨 cibeixishe, Skt. Brahmaviharas): The fundamental teaching on bodhicitta that should be practiced when one strives for enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings: loving kindness (maitri), compassion (karuna), joy (mudita), and equanimity (upeksa).

(Chn. 四句偈 sijuji): The famous verse in the Vajra Sutra, referring to the four non-phenomena: the non-phenomena of self, non-phenomena of others, non-phenomena of sentient beings, and non-phenomena of lifespan. It means the nonexistence of any notion, conception, or phenomena of self, others, the spatial dimension and everything in it, and the time dimension.

(Chn. 四聖諦 sishengdi, Skt. caturaryasatya): The fundamental teaching given by Sakyamuni during the first turning of the dharma wheel. The four noble truths are the truth of suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the path to end suffering. Through understanding and cultivation of the four noble truths, one can abandon the bondage of samsara and attain liberation. The arhats practice the four noble truths to reach arhatship.

(Chn. 四無相 siwuxiang): A shortened term for the non-phenomena of self, non-phenomena of others, non-phenomena of sentient beings, and non-phenomena of lifespan (Chn. 無我相, 無人相, 無眾生相, 無壽者相 wuwoxiang wurenxiang wuzhongshengxiang wushouzhexiang). It is also referred to as the “four-line verse” in the Vajra Sutra. See also four-line verse.

(Chn. 根本智 genbenzhi): The fundamental understanding that all phenomena are intrinsically empty. See also wisdom of emptiness.

(Chn. 恆河 Henghe): India’s principal river. The Buddha often uses the grains of sand in the Ganges River to symbolize innumerability.

(Chn. 神 shen; 天神 tianshen; 天 tian, Skt. deva/devi): A heavenly god/goddess (天神 tianshen; 天 tian), refers to a spirit being who resides in the heavens. They enjoy great blessings from prior good deeds and have a certain level of merit and spiritual attainment. An earthly god/goddess (神 shen) is a spirit being on earth who have greater power than ghosts but less than the heavenly gods. They have some supernatural power, but are still bound by transmigration in the rebirth cycle in samsara.

(Chn. 金母 Jinmu); The Golden Mother of the Primordial Pond (Chn. 瑤池金母 Yaochi Jinmu; 瑤池金母大天尊 Yaochi Jinmu Datianzun); The Golden Mother of the Primordial Pond, the Sovereign Queen of the West (Chn. 南摩無極瑤池西王大聖金母大天尊 Namo Wuji Yaochi Xiwang Dasheng Jinmu Datianzun): This Daoist deity is the primary personal deity of Living Buddha Lian Sheng and a key yidam in True Buddha School. Living Buddha Lian Sheng states, “Without the Golden Mother, there would not be the True Buddha School.” Her attainment is equivalent to that of a buddha, and her pureland is called the Fairyland at the Primordial Pond, above Mount Kunlun. She is highly revered as one of the most responsive deities in Daoism, with close affinity with sentient beings in the saha world. She opened the third eye of Living Buddha Lian Sheng when he was 26 and guided him to embark on the spiritual cultivation path. Tiger-Head Vajra, and Golden Mother with Innumerable Hands and Infinite Eyes are emanations of the Golden Mother.

(Chn. 善男人善女人 shannanren shannüren):
Those who give rise to the mind of anuttara samyaksambodhi. The term “good men” also refers to upasakas (male lay practitioners) and “good women” upasikas (female lay practitioners).

(Chn. 師尊 Shizun, Skt. Mahaguru, Tib. Rinpoche; Jetsun): Revered Precious Teacher. An honorific title used to address one’s guru, a high adept, or mahasiddha. In True Buddha School, the lineage root guru is addressed as Grandmaster Lu, or in Chinese, Lu Shizun. Mahaguru—a great guru—is an esteemed address for a spiritual guide with sublime realizations and attainments. In Tibetan Buddhism, the titles “jetsun” and “jetsunma” are used to address highly realized male and female spiritual teachers, and “rinpoche” is an honorific title that means Precious Teacher. See also guru.

(Chn. 大乘 Dasheng; Dacheng, Skt. Mahayana): The latter of the two major schools of Buddhism, which emphasizes the liberation of all sentient beings as opposed to the individual liberation of the Lesser Vehicle. The basis of the Mahayana teaching is the Buddha’s second and third turnings of the dharma wheel, when the Buddha imparted the teaching of prajna and enlightening reality. The Tantrayana, Madyamaka, Yogacara, Zen, Pureland, Tiantai, Three Treatise, and Huayan Schools are the eight major branches of the Mahayana tradition. One can attain bodhisattvahood through the practices of the Greater Vehicle, whereas the Supreme Vehicle allows the attainment of buddhahood.

(Skt., Chn. 師父 shifu, Tib. lama): A revered spiritual teacher or guide, regarded as a source of profound wisdom and guidance on the path to enlightenment. In Tantrayana, the lineage root guru is the embodiment of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, carrying forth the unbroken lineage from one guru to the next. For tantric practitioners, taking refuge in a lineage root guru is essential before engaging in any spiritual endeavors, be it chanting mantras, forming mudras, visualization, or any other practices. In esoteric Buddhism, the tantric fourfold refuge comprises taking refuge in the Guru, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, whereas exoteric Buddhism regards the Three Jewels—Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—as the objects of refuge. See also refuge.

(Chn. 習性 xixing): Mental, emotional, psychological, or biological habits acquired over many lifetimes that have become ingrained in one’s consciousness and subconsciousness. These tendencies include predispositions arising from human nature, desire, anger, ignorance, pride, doubt, envy, jealousy and other traits. Changing these deeply rooted habitual tendencies is exceedingly challenging; only through sustained spiritual cultivation and diligent practice can they gradually be alleviated. The eradication of habitual tendencies is necessary even after enlightenment and attaining realizations. This ongoing effort is crucial for complete purification to reach the ultimate spiritual attainment.

(Chn. 天 tian, Skt. devaloka): The heavens are classified into three realms: the heavenly realm of desire (part of kamaloka), the heavenly realm of form (rupaloka), and the heavenly realm of no form (arupaloka). The realms of desire (kamaloka) include both the heavenly realm of desire and samsaric realm of desire (samsara). These heavenly realms are further divided into the different twenty-eight heavens in Buddhist cosmology.

(Chn. 天王 tianwang, Skt. devaraja): A king in the heavenly realm; the king of the heavenly beings; alternatively a god or in Sanskrit deva. E.g. Mahabrahma Deva, Mahesvara, Visnu, Indra, the Four Heavenly Kings. See also god; heaven; heavenly being.

(Chn. 聖尊 Shengzun): A title that is given to high-ranking Buddhist teachers, such as the Dalai Lama, Karmapa, and other spiritual leaders who have achieved a high level of spiritual realization and have many followers.

(Chn. 不動 budong): Also unmoved; unperturbed; non-regressing; non-returning. All bodhisattvas at and above the eighth Immovable Ground of bodhisattvahood are immovable. Buddhanature, Dao, intrinsic suchness, ultimate nothingness, emptiness, the sky, are all immovable. The mind is immovable when it is unperturbed by anything in any circumstances.

The wisdom of the buddha that is absolute—not subject to change or destruction. It is a type of wisdom that sees the true nature of reality and is free from delusion. See also wisdom of emptiness; all-encompassing wisdom.

(Chn. 拙火 zhuohuo, Skt. candali, Tib. tummo): The psychic heat inside the body that is crucial for opening the cakras. Its source is concealed inside a triangular palace at the navel cakra (four finger-width below the navel). Vajravarahi’s yoga of innerfire meditation is a very extensive practice, requiring the channels to be open, the qi full and robust, and no outflow of the lightdrops. It is one of the Six Yogas of Naropa/Niguma. Initially, one ignites the innerfire utilizing breathing exercises and physical yogas such as the Six Yogas (六勢體功法), the Seven Yogas (七重輪), and the Vajra Exercises (金剛拳) to straighten the channels and loosen up the cakras. Once ignited, the innerfire can ascend and descend inside the central channel, and subsequently fills the whole body. One can survive unclothed in deep snowy winter upon fruition of the innerfire practice. The innerfire is utilized to melt the bodhicakra located at the brow cakra and make the lightdrops drip. By blending the innerfire and the lightdrops, one can open the cakras one by one, and feel great bliss. See also cakra; lightdrops.

(Chn. 法爾本然 faerbenran, Skt. dharmata): The intrinsic suchness of all dharma refers to the intrinsic suchness of everything—the nature of emptiness of all phenomena. When one reaches the state of intrinsic suchness, one has become one with buddhanature. See also buddhanature.

(Chn. 老子): Laozi, the alleged author of Daodejing (Tao Te Ching), is the legendary Chinese philosopher born before Sakyamuni Buddha. As an incarnation of Taishang Laojun (Chn. 太上老君) or Daode Tianjun (Chn. 道德天尊 )—one of the highest Daoist deities, the Three Pristine Ones—he is venerated as the founder of Daoism. The name “Laozi” is an honorific address, and not his real name. See also Dao.

(Chn. 雷藏): Hidden Thunders. All True Buddha School temples include “Leizang” in their names. It means “the temple of hidden thunders”—seemingly quiet and inconspicuous, but when it strikes it produces the loudest all-around sound. It also implies the storage of a tremendous amount of thunders, thus the use of plural “thunders.” “Leizang” is written according to the Hanyu Pinyin romanization system. Taiwan “Lei Tsang” Temple uses the Wades-Giles romanization.

(Skt. Hinayana, Chn. 小乘 Xiaosheng; Xiaocheng): This term is used by later Buddhists to describe the earliest schools of Buddhism that focus on the liberation of the individual. The schools that emphasize the liberation of all beings in addition to self-liberation are called the Greater Vehicle. Followers of the Lesser Vehicle primarily practice the four noble truths, taught by the Buddha during the first turning of the dharma wheel. The Theravada tradition (School of the Elders) still focuses on this practice and is prevalent mostly in Southeast Asia. The highest attainment that can be attained through this vehicle is arhatship (sravakahood).

(Chn. 解脫 jietuo, Skt. moksa): Liberation from the bondage of samsara; freedom from transmigration in the rebirth cycle in the six realms of the heavens, human, asura, hungry ghost, animal, and hell.

(Chn. 明點 mingdian, Skt. bindu, Tib. thigle): Subtle body substances associated with hormones inside a human body. Also called “white bodhi,” lightdrops refer to the water element inside the body, while the “red bodhi” is the innerfire. The reservoir of lightdrops in the brow point area is called bodhicakra, and it is typically in a congealed state. It can only be melted through the practice of the innerfire, upon which one blends the innerfire and lightdrops to open one’s cakras. By opening the heart cakra, one can catch a glimpse of buddhanature. As one enters such a state, one first sees the light of the drops—equivalent to the dots. Then one sees connected dots that form lines—called the Vajra Chains. Afterward, one starts to see all the lines forming a screen—called the Vajra Screen. Upon which, images of the buddhas can appear on the screen.
See also innerfire; channels; cakra.

(Chn. 傳承 chuancheng): The transmission of teachings and practices from one generation of teachers to the next. Lineage empowerment is required for all practitioners in the Tantric tradition.

(Chn. 活佛 huofo, Tib. tulku): A physical emanation of a buddha who has achieved perfect enlightenment in this lifetime—by attaining buddhahood in this very body in this lifetime through inner tantric practices. Tulku, equivalent to hutuktu (khutugtu) in Mongolian, refers to a reincarnation of an enlightened being. Many Taiwanese use “huofo” interchangeably with “rinpoche” as an honorific title for a highly revered spiritual teacher. Rinpoche, meaning “precious teacher,” is commonly used in the Himalayan region. See also Grandmaster; guru.

(Chn. 蓮生活佛 Lian Sheng Huofo): The founder, spiritual leader, and lineage root guru of the True Buddha School, which is a Buddhist sect that combines elements of Tantrayana, Mahayana, Zen Buddhism, and Taoism for modern practitioners. He is also known as Grandmaster Lu, or Lu Shizun. See also living buddha; Grandmaster.

(Chn. 莊嚴 zhuangyan, Skt. vyuha): 莊嚴 is translated as “magnificent” or “dignified” as an adjective, to “adorn” as a verb, “adorning” indicate the act of adorning, and “magnificence” and “adornment” as the noun—when appropriate depending on context. It signifies the inner dignity of the buddhas and bodhisattvas. Magnificence or splendor intrinsically exists in purelands and buddhaverses and naturally adorns their inhabitants, such as the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all the sages in the sagely realms. Magnificence is utmost purity and emptiness.

(Skt.): Great; grand.

(Chn. 禪定 chanding, Skt. samadhi): The training of the mind to achieve one-pointedness—total focus and concentration. One trains from having myriad thoughts to focusing on an object of meditation one-pointedly, such as visualization or mantra chanting. The profound concentration serves as a fundamental groundwork for achieving insight. The two aspects of meditation are chan, denoting one-pointedness, and ding, being unperturbed by any external circumstances—the latter is also called meditative stability. There are many methods of meditation, such as Kalacakra’s nine stages of meditation, the meditation of emptiness, the meditation of non-contention, the meditation of innerfire, the meditation of desire and bliss, the meditation through mantra chanting, and many more. Total focus in whatever one does is also a kind of meditation, and thus there are the so-called walking meditation, singing meditation, dancing meditation, and so forth. Once one can enter meditation by remaining one-pointed, one can go deeper into the state of nothingness—from one to zero, i.e. from one-mind to no-mind. This is a very high realm of no-mind and no-thought. See also no-mind; no-thought; one-pointedness.

(Chn. 定 ding): The unperturbed state of mind trained through meditation. The state of being unaffected and unmoved in any circumstances.

(Chn. 功德 gongde, Skt. punya): The result of one’s positive and wholesome actions, thoughts, or speech that engenders liberation from samsara. Merit is more profound and vast than blessings, and it includes the understanding of empty-nature. The merit of believing, accepting, upholding, and expounding the Vajra Sutra is limitless and inconceivable, exceedingly far beyond any other possible merit and blessings. Merit is necessary in one’s spiritual cultivation—the path of merit accumulation is the foundation of spiritual cultivation in Tantrayana. Without the appropriate merit, one cannot rise to the pureland. While merit includes blessings, blessings do not necessarily include merit unless one cultivates spiritually, thereby obtaining both blessings and merit. 福德 is translated as “blessing” and 功德 as “merit.” The singular uncountable form ‘merit’ indicates its immeasurable nature. Merit and blessings are sometimes used interchangeably. See also blessings.

(Chn. 寶意童子 Baoyi Tongzi, Skt. Ratnamati): One of the two Padmakumaras who received direct transmissions of Mahamudra from the Primordial Buddha Adharma. Together with the Supreme Jewel Youth, they are also the teachers who guided a past reincarnation of Sakyamuni Buddha—King Weide—to meet the Golden Light Buddha. See also Padmakumara; Supreme Jewel Youth.

(Chn. 須彌山 Xumishan): The highest mountain at the center of Buddhist cosmology. It is referred to as the king of mountains and symbolizes the greatest height and size.

(Chn.無餘涅槃 wuyu niepan, Skt. anupadhishesa-nirvana): The final and ultimate nirvana where one has reached complete extinction—no more causes for birth or death. It is not mere emptiness, but the merging of individual emptiness with the emptiness of the entire cosmos, entering the state of intrinsic suchness. In such a state, one is in union with Dao. Nirvana is reached upon complete purification, eradication of all desires, afflictions, habitual tendencies, and karma. See also nirvana.

(Chn. 無心 wuxin, Skt. amanibhava; acitta): A profound state of mind free from dichotomy and dualism, where nothing is kept in the mind. The ultimate state of “no-mind” is complete emptiness. At the lowest level of spiritual cultivation, one begins with mundane mindlessness and start to train in mindfulness (wholeheartedness, Chn. 用心 yongxin; 專心 zhuanxin). Then from mindfulness, one reaches single-mindedness (Chn. 一心 yixin). Progressing further will be an even higher level, where even single-mindedness becomes nonexistent—this is the realm of no-mind. When one has comprehended that there is no self, then naturally, there will be no mind, and subsequently, there are also no thoughts.

(Chn. 無我 wuwo, Skt. anatman): The absence of self-nature in everything, the nonexistence of self, without any notion of “self.” The state of no-self is exemplified by the Buddha, who harbored no hatred when he was mutilated in a previous life; by Jesus, who forgave the people who condemned him to crucifixion; and by Mother Teresa, who served everyone as God. See also non-phenomena of self.

(Chn. 無念 wunian, Skt. amanasikara): The absence of thoughts and mental formations; being detached from and unaffected by thoughts. The highest state of no-thought is where one’s mind is completely empty, free from any conceptions and mental formations whatsoever, such as in deep meditation. The initial training to reach the state of no-thought is by observing and letting thoughts come and go without being affected by them. It is stated in the True Buddha Sutra that the state of no-thought is the buddha jewel of right realization, which is the highest state of realization. See also no-mind.

(Chn. 無諍 wuzheng, Skt. avivada): Absence of contention. See also contention.

(Chn. 非法 feifa, Skt. adharma): Anything that does not lead to a rebirth in the pureland or liberation from samsara. All kinds of divination, fengshui, psychic abilities, practices that generate blessings in the world, and many others are considered to be non-dharma.

(Chn. 無分別智 wufenbiezhi): Free from any dualism, referring to the wisdom of equality. It is the wisdom which embraces the non-discriminatory mind. See also wisdom of equality.

(Chn. 無住 wuzhu, Skt. apratisthana; anupalambha): Without dwelling on anything; not keeping in mind. In non-dwelling, actions come naturally from the heart without expecting anything—not even recognition or approval. Any thoughts of good deeds and “self” are relinquished upon completion. Non-dwelling is a very high realm encapsulated in the threefold wheel of intrinsic emptiness. It is essentially what Jesus says, “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” See also threefold wheel of intrinsic emptiness.

(Chn. 無相 wuxiang, Skt. animitta): The absence of true reality in all phenomena; the absence of views, notions, concepts, marks, or any phenomena.

(Chn. 無人相 wurenxiang, Skt. na-pudgalasamjna): When the non-phenomena of self is extended to include others, it is called the non-phenomena of others. This is the second line of the famous four-line verse mentioned in the Vajra Sutra. See also non-phenomena of self.

(Chn. 無我相 wuwoxiang, Skt. na-atmasamjna): Related to “no-self”; since there is no “self,” there is no phenomena of self. Everything conditioned is subject to the ever-changing nature of all existences and seen as mere aggregates of the four elements, therefore, it is devoid of any true reality. Without any inherent existence or true nature, all phenomena are illusory and ephemeral. Thus, there is no phenomena of self. See also non-phenomena; four-line verse

(Chn. 無眾生相 wuzhongshengxiang, Skt. na-sattvasamjna): All phenomena in the spatial dimension—humans, all living beings and otherwise—are devoid of intrinsic reality; they are empty in nature. In the realm of emptiness, nothing exists. Thus, the spatial dimension—and everything in it—is nonexistent. See also non-phenomena.

(Skt. anagami): The third level of arhatship, referring to an arhat who is not required to return to samsara anymore. See also arhat; stream-enterer; once-returner.

(Skt. sakagadami): The second level of arhatship, referring to an arhat who is required to return to samsara one last time before ascending to the third level of arhatship. See also arhat; stream-enterer; non-returner.

(Chn. 一心 yixin; 專一 zhuanyi): Focus and concentration associated with meditation and other spiritual practices. Sometimes, it is used interchangeably with single-pointedness, but the emphasis in this word is in the “mind”—that there is one mind. See also no-mind; single-mindedness; single-pointedness.

(Skt., Chn. 蓮花童子 Lianhua Tongzi): Lotus Youth; Lotus Child; Lotus-Born Bodhisattva. The term “tongzi” also means bodhisattva. Padmakumara is an emanation of Amitabha Buddha in the form of a young child born from a lotus blossom, symbolizing innocence, truthfulness, and purity. There are eighteen great Padmakumaras known as Mahapadmakumara, and numerous lesser Padmakumaras. Just as there are thirty-six trillion, one hundred and nineteen thousand, and five hundred Amitabha Buddhas, there are also innumerable Padmakumaras. The most famous Padmakumara is the patriarch of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, Guru Padmasambhava, also known as the Lotus Born. Equally important are the two founders and lineage gurus of the Mahamudra tradition, the Mind Jewel Youth and the Supreme Jewel Youth, manifestations of Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattvas—who are also Padmakumaras. Numerous Padmakumara images are found in China, particularly inside the Dunhuang Grottoes—a research topic at Lanzhou University in China.

(Chn. 資糧道 ziliangdao, Skt. sambhara-marga): The initial path of spiritual cultivation where one trains to accumulate merits, such as performing good deeds, avoiding evil, abiding by the precepts, chanting mantras and sutras, training in the four mind-abidings, and more.

(Chn. 究竟道 jiujingdao, Skt. asaiksika-marga): It is the last of the five paths in spiritual cultivation. When one has reached intrinsic suchness and confirmed one’s buddhanature, one is on the ultimate path of no-practice. Dharma is no longer needed at this stage, and thus it is also called the realm of no-practice or no-learning.

(Chn. 修道 xiudao, Skt. bhavana-marga): Upon enlightenment, this is the path of real practice to actualize and confirm one’s enlightenment and realizations. It is the fourth path after the path of seeing and before the ultimate path.

(Chn. 加行道 jiaxingdao, Skt. prayoga-marga): The second stage after the path of merit accumulation. It includes the practices to purify oneself and eliminate karma, habitual tendencies, afflictions, and all obscurations in order to see the buddhanature that can only emerge upon purification. This is the foundation required to realize buddhanature. Preliminary practices are also known as ngondro in Tibetan.

(Chn. 見道 jiandao, Skt. darsana-marga): This is the path one walks to gain enlightenment, attain realizations, and see the buddhanature.

(Chn. 圓滿次第 yuanman cidi, Skt. utapannakrama; nispannakrama, Tib. dzogrim): Also called the perfection/completion phase, it involves direct experience of the ultimate realization. Coupled with the development stage, they comprise the practices in Tantrayana. There are two stages: with effort and without effort. At the ultimate, this is the realm of no-practice. The perfection stage involves (1) inner tantric practices of the subtle vital energy, channels, and lightdrops and (2) deeper profound meditation upon actualization of enlightenment. Both mahamudra and dzogchen (atiyoga) belong to the perfection stage. Mahamudra focuses on the actual practice of samadhi that eventually leads to the view, whereas dzogchen starts from the view (concept) to gain the direct experience; however, all end up at the ultimate attainment. Dzogchen, mahamudra, lamdre, and yamantaka are all practices in the perfection stage. See also development stage

(Chn. 相 xiang, Skt. laksana): This Chinese term “xiang” is mostly translated as “phenomena,” but in various contexts, it is also translated as “view,” “notion,” “conception,” “appearance,” and even “marks,” as in the “thirty-two marks of perfection.” 實相 shixiang is the so-called “real-phenomena,” and it is the “true reality.” 無相 wuxiang is the absence of phenomena (non-phenomena). 非相 feixiang is not phenomena; in English it is also termed non-phenomena, because wuxiang and feixiang are the same concept. In other words, ”not phenomena” is equivalent to “non-phenomena.”

(Chn. 戒 jie, Skt. vinaya, Tib. dulba): A set of moral ethics established by Sakyamuni Buddha for the sangha and Buddhist practitioners. Precepts are categorized according to the vows of the practitioners, such as the different sets of monastic precepts for the monks and nuns, bodhisattva precepts, and the five basic precepts—refraining from killing, stealing, lying, sexual misconduct, and intoxication. There are additional precepts specified in the Tantric tradition such as the Fifty Stanzas of Guru Devotion, the Precepts to Avoid Fourteen Root Downfalls, and so forth.

(Chn. 清淨 qingjing): Without any impurities, defilements, contaminants, obscurations, and the like. Utmost purity is when everything is utterly empty. According to Lamdre, purification is performed through opening the cakras. See also purity level.

(Chn. 清淨心 qingjingxin, Skt. citta-prana): The kind of heart-mind that only buddhas can have because no sentient beings are completely pure. Through spiritual cultivation, one can purify oneself gradually until one reaches bodhisattvahood and eventually buddhahood, and thus have a pure heart and mind. See also purity level.

(Chn. 淨土 jingtu): A pure realm where its inhabitants are liberated and free from suffering and the bondage of samsara. A pureland can exist in the four sagely realms as well as the six rebirth realms. Some purelands are in the heavens (such as the Five Heavens of No-Return), in some aspects of the saha world, and even in hells, such as Ksitigarbha’s purelands—which exist in all six realms. The saying goes, “When and where one’s mind is pure, one abides in the pureland!” As the abode of the sages, its inhabitants will not involuntarily regress to the six rebirth realms. A pureland, though, is also an illusory existence manifested by the deities in their skillful means to deliver sentient beings. Each of the sages—buddhas, bodhisattvas, and even arhats—have their own purelands; subsequently, there are countless purelands manifested. The most famous pureland is Sukhavati, the only pureland which allows beings still burdened by karma—but with good merit and single-pointedness—to be reborn into. Being reborn in the pureland is the minimal goal that every spiritual practitioner should reach.

(Chn. 清淨分 qingjingfen): The purity proportion determines the level of one’s purity and attainment. Based on Lamdre, there are ten purity levels for bodhisattvahood, and an additional six levels for buddhahood. By opening one cakra, one rises two levels, associated with two grounds of bodhisattvahood. As one begins to purify one’s karmic obscurations, afflictions, and habitual tendencies, one will initially reach purity level one, and gradually increase one’s purity level all the way up to purity level sixteen. The Primordial Buddha is at level sixteen, while the Five Dhyani Buddhas and many other buddhas are at level thirteen. Whether purity level eleven is called buddhahood or bodhisattvahood is merely classification defined by humans. Most Mahayana traditions specify buddhahood to start at level eleven, and Tantrayana places it at level thirteen or twelve-and-a-half. See also pure; Lamdre.

(Chn. 實 shi): In the context of the Vajra Sutra, “real” relates to the “true reality” and “the truth.” In fact, in the most profound realm, there is nothing “real” except the buddhanature. See also unreal; real-phenomena.

(Chn. 實相 shixiang): True reality. Real-phenomena is a term to indicate that all phenomena are inherently empty. Therefore, real-phenomena is non-phenomena and non-phenomena is real-phenomena. It is further elaborated in the Vajra Sutra Exposition.

(Chn. 覺 jue): Sometimes used interchangeably with enlightenment or awakening. One may have stages of realizations, such as the seven aspects of realizations as part of the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment.
Right realization is part of the noble eightfold path. At the highest level, perfect realization is perfect enlightenment. See also enlightenment.

(Chn. 無修境界 wuxiu jingjie); realm of no-learning (Chn. 無學境界 wuxue jingjie): It is the realm reached upon confirmation of buddhanature (intrinsic suchness) on the ultimate path. In the realm of no-practice, dharma is no longer practiced as one has arrived at the other shore of liberation and attained buddhahood.

(Chn. 皈依 guiyi): Refuge from the suffering in the cyclic existence of samsara. Mahayana Buddhists take refuge in the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Tantric Buddhist practitioners take refuge in the Guru, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—the fourfold refuge. It is imperative that a practitioner takes refuge in the lineage root guru before embarking on any of the tantric practices. Furthermore, in the sevenfold refuge, a tantrika also takes refuge in the yidam, protector, and the retinue in the yidam mandala, in addition to the fourfold refuge. The most profound refuge is refuge in one’s own self-nature, called “self-refuge.” See also guru.

(Chn. 任運): Enlightening activities completely free from hindrances and exertion, following the course of nature and all causes and conditions, solely for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is applicable only to siddhas with great self-mastery. See also self-mastery; siddha.

(Chn. 正等 zhengdeng, Skt. samyak): Part of the noble eightfold path, referring to the fact that all is equal due to the empty-nature of everything. See also wisdom of equality; anuttara samyaksambodhi

(Chn. 正覺 zhengjue, Skt. sambodhi): Part of the noble eightfold path, referring to the realization that all phenomena are intrinsically empty. See also realization; anuttara samyaksambodhi.

(Chn. 聖賢 shengxian, Skt. arya): A being who has reached sagehood; one who has eliminated all desires, reached the state of no-self, and liberated themself from samsara. A sage acts unconditionally. See also sagehood.

(Chn. 僧界 sengjie, Skt. aryasthana): The four sagely realms beyond the heavenly realms. They are sravakahood, pratyekabuddhahood, bodhisattvahood, and buddhahood. Sravakahood is reached through the cultivation of the four noble truths; pratyekabuddhahood through the twelve links of dependent arising; bodhisattvahood through the six perfections; and buddhahood through the noble eightfold path, and perfect enlightenment and its actualization.

(Chn. 聖賢僧 shengxianseng): Refers to the sangha members who have become sages such as the lineage gurus. See also sagehood.

(Chn. 娑婆世界 sapo shijie, Skt. samsara): The mundane world we live in; it is more than just the Earth that the physical eyes can see. It is the best place for spiritual cultivation due to its characteristics of both suffering and happiness. Many buddhas attained buddhahood in the saha world—thus the saying that a lotus blossom grows from the mud, and yet, it is utterly pure. The saha world also contains all the ten dharma realms—there are buddhaverses, purelands, heavens, and of course, human and animal realms, as well as hells—such as the hospitals and warzones. The most aggressive and contentious beings are as if they dwell in the asura realm, and the insatiably greedy people are as if they live in the hungry ghost realm. Some of these realms are intangible and unimaginable.

(Chn. 空三昧 kongsanmei, Skt. sunyata-samadhi): Samadhi in the state of emptiness, reached through the understanding of empty-nature. The three main factors to achieve this samadhi are through understanding and application of no-self, no-phenomena, and no-afflictions. This is a step further from the samadhi of non-contention. See also samadhi; emptiness.

(Chn. 無諍三昧 wuzheng sanmei): Samadhi through liberation from any contention, through the understanding that ultimately there is no self. It is reached upon elimination of desires and attachments, including self-attachment. See also samadhi; contention; no-self.

(Skt., Chn. 六道輪迴 liudao lunhui): The six rebirth realms: heaven, asura, human, hungry ghost, animal, and hell. Beings in samsara are bound by endless transmigration. It is the minimal goal of spiritual cultivators to abandon samsara and rise to a higher realm.

(Chn. 自在 zizai): Mastery and control over oneself, without any hindrances whatsoever, resulting in complete ease and peace. One is said to have self-mastery when one is in total control of one’s heart and mind, and stays unaffected in any situation. As such, one goes with causes and conditions effortlessly. The buddha name of Living Buddha Lian Sheng is the Lotus Light Self-Mastery Buddha. See also Living Buddha Lian Sheng.

(Chn. 自性 zixing, Skt. svabhava): The intrinsic nature of a being, living or otherwise. See also true-nature; empty-nature.

(Chn. 自皈依 ziguiyi): Taking refuge in one’s own buddhanature or self-nature. See also refuge.

(Chn. 眾生 zhongsheng): All living beings in the saha world. “Sentient beings” in the context of the Vajra Sutra also refers to the spatial dimension and everything in it, not just the living beings. Thus, the term “non-phenomena of sentient beings” refers to the nonexistence of everything in the spatial dimension, as well as the spatial dimension itself.

Inner dignity that can only be achieved through serenity, stability, and immovability.

(Chn. 七寶 qibao): The seven treasures or jewels described in various Buddhist scriptures are not exactly the same. The seven jewels in the Amitabha Sutra translated by Kumarajiva are gold, silver, lapis lazuli, seashell, agate, pearl, and carnelian.

(Chn. 捨身法 sheshenfa, Tib. Chod): Body Severance practice, transmitted to Machig Labdron by Dampa Sangye (Bodhidharma). This is a dharma to cut off or cut through; it is the act of destroying by offering one’s body to all the deities as well as samsaric sentient beings, in a true spirit of forsaking and offering. This practice relates directly to the Vajra Sutra; it annihilates everything.

(Chn. 專一 zhuanyi): Focus and concentration. Sometimes used interchangeably with one-mindedness and single-pointedness.
Single-mindedness is more general, whereas single-pointedness is a Buddhist-specific term to refer to the complete absorption, focus, and concentration in meditation and spiritual practices. One-mindedness is essentially the same as single-pointedness, however, the emphasis is on the word “mind” to indicate that the mind still exists, albeit it is in complete concentration. Single-mindedness also refers to the total focus in any action, including cooking, writing, painting, working, chanting, and any daily activities. See also no-mind; one-mindedness; single-pointedness.

(Chn.專注 zhuanzhu; 專一 zhuanyi): Single-pointedness is a state of being unperturbed in addition to being single-minded. It is generally used to refer to complete focus and full concentration in meditation and spiritual practices. In Tantrayana, visualization is practiced to especially train single-pointedness. In this state, one is unaffected by external influences. When one is single-pointed, one can achieve anything.

(Chn. 六波羅蜜 liuboluomi): The practice to attain bodhisattvahood. The perfections of the bodhisattvas include generosity, precepts, endurance, diligence, wisdom, and meditation.

(Chn. 神行 shenxing): Out-of-body travel.

(Chn. 聲聞僧 shengwenseng, Skt. sravaka): One who reaches sagehood through hearing the Buddha’s words. Another name for “arhat.” See also sravaka; arhat.

(Chn. 根器 genqi): One’s ability to understand and apply the truths as stated in the Buddhist concepts. Spiritual root is a result of one’s spiritual cultivation from many past lives. There are superior, middling, and inferior spiritual roots, and therefore, different levels of dharma teachings and practices are applied accordingly. Those with a strong spiritual root can quickly regain their past realizations and progress further in their attainments.

(Skt. sotapanna): The first level of arhatship, referring to an arhat living in the saha world. See also arhat; once-returner; non-returner.

(Skt., Chn. 西方極樂世界 Xifang Jile Shijie; 極樂世界 Jile Shijie):
The pureland of Amitabha Buddha. Also known as the Western Realm of Utmost Bliss, the Western Pureland of Ultimate Bliss, or the Western Paradise. Sukhavati is praised by all buddhas in the ten directions as the most beautiful, dazzling, and sublime pureland of all. It is endowed with all kinds of precious jewels, golden sand, waters of eight merits, seven layers of jeweled trees, pagodas, palaces, and beautiful birds such as white cranes, peacocks, kalavinkas, and jivajivas. They all produce the most enticing and harmonious sound of the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, which induces all beings there to cultivate and rise to a higher realm. All beings in Sukhavati will eventually attain buddhahood; they never regress to samsara. Sukhavati is divided into four levels: from the lowest level to the highest are the Pureland of Mixed Mundane Beings and Sages, the Abundant Pureland for Convenience, the Magnificent Pureland of Real Rewards, and the Pureland of the Eternal Serene Light. The Pureland of Mixed Mundane Beings and Sages is the only pureland where beings with karma can reside.

(Chn. 寶上童子 Baoshang Tongzi, Skt. Ratnasamudgata): One of the two Padmakumaras who received direct transmissions of Mahamudra from the Primordial Buddha. Together with the Mind Jewel Youth, they are also the teachers who guided a past reincarnation of Sakyamuni Buddha—King Weide—to meet the Golden Light Buddha. See also Padmakumara; Mind Jewel Youth.

(Chn. 最上乘 Zuishangsheng; Zuishangcheng): The path and practices to bring one to buddhahood. See Greater Vehicle.

(Skt., Chn. 顯教 Xianjiao): The vehicle of the sutras. It refers to the exoteric teachings of Buddhism, which focus on the training of the mind. Its primary practices are contemplation, meditation, the chanting of sutras, incantation of a buddha’s epithet, abidance by the precepts, repentance, and so on. Mahayana and Hinayana belong to the Sutrayana tradition. See also Tantrayana.

(Skt., Chn. 密教 Mijiao): The vehicle of secret practices. Also called Vajrayana—the vehicle of the thunderbolt, or Mantrayana—the vehicle of the mantras. Tantrayana or Tantric Buddhism emphasizes the practice of both the body and the mind as a means of reaching attainments, as opposed to the mind training prevalent in other Mahayana traditions.
It primarily comprises mantras, mudras, visualization, and samadhi. It is a unique and powerful tradition that embodies skillful means to embrace greed, anger, and delusion and transform them through specific practices. Also known as Esoteric Buddhism. See also Sutrayana.

(Skt., Chn. 密行 mixing): Tantric Buddhist practitioner; secret practitioner; wandering yogi. A yogi/yogini who practices in solitude and wanders in the woods, caves, or cemeteries, or one who practices a secret dharma. See also Tantrayana.

(Chn. 真佛般若藏 Zhenfo Boyehzang): A Taiwanese and U.S. nonprofit organization, also called A Trove of True Buddha Wisdom, that provides a collection of works of art, literature, and dharma teachings of Living Buddha Lian Sheng (Grandmaster Sheng-Yen Lu), available in print, electronic, audio, and video formats. The collection is primarily in Chinese, but some have also been translated into Cantonese, English, Indonesian, French, Spanish, Thai, and Vietnamese, available on tbboyeh.org.

(Chn. 十方 shifang): All ten directions in space—north, south, east and west, their four intermediate directions, and the zenith and nadir. Essentially, it encompasses all spatial dimensions.
Ten directional realms refers to all the dharma realms—all possible realms in existence, including the four sagely realms (buddha, bodhisattva, pratyekabuddha, arhat) and the six rebirth realms (heaven, asura, human, hungry ghost, animal, and hell).

(Skt., Chn. 佛 Fo; 佛陀 Fotuo): “The Buddha” refers to Sakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism in this era. Also addressed as the Tathagata (capitalized as a proper noun). When “Buddha” or “Tathagata” is capitalized, “the” is added to refer to the Buddha of this era—Sakyamuni Buddha. See also buddha; tathagata.

(Skt., Chn. 如來 rulai): When it is capitalized, it is always proceeded by “the” to refer to Sakyamuni Buddha. See Buddha.

(Chn. 三十七道品 sanshiqi daopin, Skt. bodhipaksa-dharma): Seven sets of dharma practices that aid awakening/enlightenment (bodhi): 4 mind-abidings, 4 right exertions, 4 transcendent bases, 5 roots, 5 powers, 7 aspects of realization, and 8 right paths (noble eightfold path), for a total of 37 factors.

(Chn. 三十二相 sanshierxiang, Skt. mahapurusa-laksana): The major characteristics of a great man, which include a broad and long tongue that can cover the whole face to signify truthful speech; long arms that can reach below the knees while standing; a thousand-spoke wheel at the soles of the feet; long ears that droop to the shoulders; and more. Buddhas, bodhisattvas, cakravartins, and many gods are depicted with these marks. They are accompanied by the eighty secondary marks.

(Chn. 三法印 sanfayin): The ultimate truth as spoken by the Buddha: Everything is impermanent (Skt. anitya); everything has no self (Skt. anatman); and extinction is nirvana (Skt. nirvana).

(Chn. 三寶 Sanbao, Skt. sherab): The Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, in which one takes refuge.

(Chn. 三千大千世界 sanqian daqian shijie, Skt. tri-sahasra-maha-sahasra-lokadhatu): A great-thousand world consists of 3000 medium-thousand worlds, and a medium-thousand world consists of 3000 small-thousand worlds. Our world is just one small world. The three-thousand-great-thousand world is also referred to as the billion-fold universe or trichiliocosm. It is the entire universe in Buddhist cosmology.

(Chn. 三世 sanshi): Refers to the past, present, and future. It encompasses all time dimensions. For example, All Buddhas of the Three Times in All Ten Directions in Space means all Buddhas across all time and spatial dimensions.

(Chn. 三輪體空 sanlun tikong): Refers to the intrinsic empty nature of the actor (subject), receiver (object), and action (thing) in any given situation. For instance, in the act of giving, the giver, the recipient, and the gift are all intrinsically empty; in a dharma teaching, the speaker, listener, and the speech are all empty.

(Chn. 虎邊 hubian): It is to one’s right when one is facing the same direction as the designation (for instance, in the case of an altar, the tiger side would be the buddha statues’ right side). Conversely, if one is facing the altar, it would be to one’s left. It is the opposite of the dragon side. See also dragon side.

(Chn. 自主生死 zizhushengsi): The ability to control one’s own life and death—when to die, how to die, and where to go upon death. It also refers to how one can extend one’s own lifespan or end one’s life by transferring one’s consciousness.

(Chn. 真性 zhenxing): Everything conditioned lacks true-nature. It does not have any inherent reality or existence; it has no self-nature. The only true-nature is empty-nature. See also empty-nature; self-nature.

(Chn. 明心見性 mingxin jianxing): Complete enlightenment and ultimate attainment. True understanding of the mind refers to the conceptual aspect of understanding the nature of the mind. Seeing buddhanature refers to the emergence of buddhanature and its confirmation through real practices of purification on the path of practice.

(Chn. 諦 di; 真理 zhenli, Skt. satya): There are many kinds of satya, including the truths of impermanence, lack of inherent “self” in everything, and extinction in nirvana. The truths of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and no-self are all satya. The four noble truths, the threefold wheel of intrinsic emptiness, and all sentient beings embodying buddhanature are all truths. The ultimate truth is absolute, indisputable, and indestructible. The Vajra Sutra and the Heart Sutra are the teaching of the truths.

(Chn. 至虛 zhixu): A term commonly used in Daoism. It is associated with Dao; it is the true reality and the real-phenomena—the fact that all phenomena are devoid of any intrinsic “self.” It is equivalent to ”emptiness” in Buddhism. See also Dao.

(Chn. 勝義諦 shengyidi; 第一義諦 diyiyidi, Skt. paramartha-satya): The ultimate or absolute truth that is indisputable and indestructible. See also truth.

(Chn. 無生法忍 wusheng faren, Skt. anutpattika-dharma-ksanti): The highest state of endurance where endurance no longer exists—thus unborn—through the understanding of the fundamental wisdom that everything is intrinsically empty and thus, there is no self. The endurance never arises because there is no self, and thus there is no need to endure anything. The state of unborn endurance is equivalent to the immovability of the eighth ground of bodhisattvahood. One is non-regressing upon reaching such a state. See also endurance paramita.

(Chn. 無為法 wuweifa, Skt. asamskrita): Everything unconditioned; acting or doing without any reason, intent, expectation, exertion, or any conditions.

(Chn. 虛 xu): This Chinese character can be translated as unreal (虛 xu), empty (虛無 xuwu), false (虛假 xujia), illusory (虛幻 xuhuan), sky (虛空xukong), nothingness (虛無 xuwu), or ultimate nothingness (至虛 zhixu). See also real; real-phenomena; non-phenomena.

(Skt., Chn. 金剛界 Jingangjie): The Vajradhatu (Vajra Realm) and Garbhadathu (Womb Realm) are manifested by Vairocana Buddha. The Womb Realm—a manifestation of the principle—is the cause, while the Vajra Realm—a manifestation of the wisdom—is the fruit. See also Five Dhyani Buddhas.

(Skt., Chn. 金剛乘 Jingangsheng; Jingangcheng): The indestructible vehicle that can carry beings to buddhahood. See also Tantrayana.

(Chn. 觀想 guanxiang): Training of the mind to focus on the specific attributes of one’s meditational deity, such as their seed syllable, color, form, facial features, hand gestures, dharma implements, and so forth. Visualization trains one-pointedness, purifies the mind, and imprints the image of the deity onto one’s consciousness. Detailed visualization enhances concentration and increases spiritual power. It is a crucial part of a tantric practice, together with mantra, mudra, and samadhi. Most visualization of a deity starts from a moondisc—representing self-nature—and a seed syllable on it which transforms into the deity.

(Chn. 入世法 rushifa, Skt. lokiya-dharma): Dharma that brings benefits while living in the saha world, such as practices to generate blessings through purification, enrichment, magnetization, subjugation, and abiding by the precepts. Any good deeds performed with conditions generate blessings, however, good deeds performed unconditionally will generate far greater blessings and merit. This dharma or path is associated with the non-enlightening reality. See also enlightening reality;
beyond-worldly dharma.

(Chn. 大白蓮花童子 Dabai Lianhua Tongzi): White Great Lotus Youth. Living Buddha Lian Sheng is a physical manifestation of White Mahapadmakumara in human form. See Padmakumara.

(Chn. 全心 yixin): Wholeheartedness connotes full involvement, however there may still be external influences that affect one’s heart and mind.

(Chn. 智 zhi; 慧 hui, Skt. prajna; jnana, Tib. sherab; yeshe): Wisdom of the buddhas that arises naturally from meditation, beyond discriminatory thought. It is different from the ordinary wisdom of the world. There are three kinds of wisdom: the wisdom of emptiness (the fundamental wisdom or wisdom of all-knowledge), the wisdom of existence (the wisdom of discernment or the wisdom of the knowledge of the path), and the wisdom of the tathagatas (the all-encompassing wisdom). The essence of prajna is non-phenomena, as encapsulated in the Vajra Sutra and the Heart Sutra.

(Chn. 慧眼 huiyan): One is said to have wisdom eyes when one comprehends all wisdom in its entirety.

(Chn. 一切智 yiqiezhi, Skt. sarvaprajna): It is the fundamental wisdom, the wisdom of emptiness, the wisdom of empty-nature. See also wisdom of emptiness; wisdom.

(Chn. 差別智 chabiezhi): Also called the wisdom of existence, the wisdom of the knowledge of the path. This is the wisdom at the causal ground and is acquired by the bodhisattvas upon comprehending buddhadharma in its entirety, consequently granting them the dharma eyes. It is utilized to discern and differentiate the spiritual roots of sentient beings as a means to deliver them effectively. This wisdom is on the worldly path as opposed to the wisdom of emptiness which is on the beyond-worldly path. The buddhas embrace both wisdoms. See also wisdom; worldly dharma.

(Chn. 空慧 konghui, Skt. sunyaprajna): Also called the wisdom of empty-nature; the fundamental wisdom; wisdom of all-knowledge. This is the wisdom to know that all phenomena are empty, devoid of any intrinsic nature and reality. The wisdom of emptiness teaches emptiness, purity, extinction, and clear-light radiance. This is the highest wisdom that allows liberation from samsara; it is on the beyond-worldly path that transcends the mundane. See also wisdom.

(Chn. 空智 kongzhi, Skt. sunyataprajna): See wisdom of emptiness.

(Chn. 真空智 zhenkongzhi): Wisdom or insight to comprehend the true reality—all phenomena are inherently empty in nature. See also wisdom of emptiness; wisdom of empty-nature.

(Chn. 世尊 Shizun): One of the ten epithets for the Buddha. It means the one who is honored by the world.

(Chn. 禪宗 Chanzong): A school of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasizes sudden enlightenment through the direct pointing to the mind, without the use of words or language. In Zen Buddhism, the Vajra Sutra is used as the yardstick to determine whether one is enlightened.