Introduction and links to related topics Below are some short introductions. Click on the blue hyperlinked word to get more related articles.
Bodhisattvas - Those who aspire to Supreme Enlightenment and Buddhahood for themselves and all beings.
The word Bodhisattva can therefore stand for a realized being such as Avalokitesvara or Samantabhadra but also for anyone who has developed the Bodhi Mind, the aspiration to save oneself and others.
Bodhisattva - Bodhisattva (Sanskrit). Lit., "he, whose essence (sattva) has become intelligence (bodhi)"; those who need but one more incarnation to become perfect Buddhas, i.e., to be entitled to Nirvana. This, as applied to Manushi (terrestrial) Buddhas. In the metaphysical sense, Bodhisattva is a title given to the sons of the celestial Dhyani Buddhas.
Chhanmuka - Chhanmuka (Sanskrit) A great Bodhisattva with the Northern Buddhists, famous for his ardent love of Humanity; regarded in the esoteric schools as a Nirmanakaya.
Yogachara - (Sanskrit. , "the practice of yoga")
A major school of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy concerned with the practice of meditation and discipline that leads to the attainment of Buddhahood. Adherents of the school are called Yogacharins ("practitioners of yoga") or Vijnanavadins ("those who hold the doctrine of consciousness").
The school traces its origin to Asanga and Vasubandhu (fourth or fifth century) and, through these two brothers, to the Bodhisattva Maitreya. While many of the fundamental texts of the school are attributed to one or another of these three figures, the question of authorship is highly problematic.
The most distinctive doctrine of the school is the claim that the world consists of nothing but mind. This doctrine has been interpreted as a form of Buddhist idealism in which one denies the reality of the external world but affirms the reality of the mind itself. Yogacharins generally have a more positive attitude toward the nature of ultimate reality than many of their Mahayana opponents. They often compare reality to the ocean, gold, or space and argue that the distinctions of ordinary experience are "adventitious" or temporary defilements of a pure, underlying substance.
Yogachara texts were translated into Chinese as early as the sixth century, and the school achieved considerable popularity in China under the leadership of the great scholar-monk Hsuan-tsang (602-664), who traveled to India, studied with Yogachara masters, and promulgated their teaching in China. The school he founded was eventually eclipsed by other, indigenous Chinese schools, but the Yogachara approach to the fundamental doctrines of the Mahayana continued to have deep influence on Chinese and Japanese speculation about the nature of reality
Diamond Sutra - A Mahayana Buddhist scriptural text that expounds the doctrine of the Perfection of Wisdom.
The Diamond Sutra was written in India in Sanskrit, then carried into East Asia, where it was translated into Chinese (ca. 400) and became one of the most revered summaries of the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism. The text belongs to the body of literature known as the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras, and expresses the central teaching of the Perfection of Wisdom in the paradoxical claim that a bodhisattva (Buddha-to-be) should resolve to lead all the beings in the universe to nirvana (liberation), while understanding that no beings at all are led to nirvana.
Nirmanakaya - Nirmanakaya (Sanskrit). Something entirely different in esoteric philosophy from the popular meaning attached to it, and from the fancies of the Orientalists.
Some call the Nirmanakaya body "Nirvana with remains" (Schlagintweit, etc.) on the supposition, probably, that it is a kind of Nirvanic condition during which consciousness and form are retained. Others say that it is one of the Trikaya (three bodies), with the "power of assuming any form of appearance in order to propagate Buddhism" (Eitel’s idea); again, that "it is the incarnate avatara of a deity" (ibid.), and so on.
Occultism, on the other hand, says:that Nirmanakaya, although meaning literally a transformed "body", is a state. The form is that of the adept or yogi who enters, or chooses, that post mortem condition in preference to the Dharmakaya or absolute Nirvanic state. He does this because the latter kaya separates him for ever from the world of form, conferring upon him a state of selfish bliss, in which no other living being can participate, the adept being thus precluded from the possibility of helping humanity, or even devas.
As a Nirmanakaya, however, the man leaves behind him only his physical body, and retains every other "principle" save the Kamic - for he has crushed this out for ever from his nature, during life, and it can never resurrect in his post mortem state. Thus, instead of going into selfish bliss, he chooses a life of self-sacrifice, an existence which ends only with the life-cycle, in order to be enabled to help mankind in an invisible yet most effective manner. (See The Voice of the Silence, third treatise, "The Seven Portals".) Thus a Nirmanakaya is not, as popularly believed, the body "in which a Buddha or a Bodhisattva appears on earth", but verily one, who whether a Chutuktu or a Khubilkhan, an adept or a yogi during life, has since become a member of that invisible Host which ever protects and watches over Humanity within Karmic limits.
Mistaken often for a "Spirit", a Deva, God himself, &c., a Nirmanakaya is ever a protecting, compassionate, verily a guardian angel, to him who becomes worthy of his help. Whatever objection may be brought forward against this doctrine; however much it is denied, because, forsooth, it has never been hitherto made public in Europe and therefore since it is unknown to Orientalists, it must needs be "a myth of modern invention" - no one will be bold enough to say that this idea of helping suffering mankind at the price of one’s own almost interminable self-sacrifice, is not one of the grandest and noblest that was ever evolved from human brain.
Sacrifice - Anton LaVey''s Satanism frowns on self-sacrifice and the Catholic Church calls suicide a sin. Xtianity offers "eternal life" in "God," which is all very well, provided you know what "God" is. Once we stop separating from the Whole, we automatically place self-sacrifice above eternal life and, in doing so, paradoxically, we transform immolation into immortality. In Buddhism, which sees the true extinction of the ego in Nirvana, i.e., as release from both death and rebirth, sacrifice means having the compassion to remain in the world in order to help others. Thus, the self-incendiarism of Buddhists as protests against the war in Viet Nam were an extreme form of compassion. They were sacrifices in the Judeo-Christo-Islamic sense, but for a bodhisattva it is not a sacrifice to die, it''s a gift.
Teacher Of The True Effect - (Jpn.: honga-myo-no-kyoshu) In Nichiren''s teachings, Shakyamuni Buddha. In the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni reveals the true effect, the Buddhahood he attained numberless major world system dust particle kalpas ago. He alludes to the cause of that enlightenment only with the words "Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way," and does not clarify the teaching or Law that he practiced to attain Buddhahood.
Avalokitesvara - The name is a compound of Ishwara, meaning Lord, and avalokita, looked upon or seen, and is usually translated as the Lord Who Observes (the cries of the world); the Buddhist embodiment of compassion as formulated in the Mahayana Dharma. Also called Kuan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.
Guan Yin is one of the triad of Amitabha Buddha, represented on his left, Usually recognizable by the small Buddha adorning Her crown. Guan Yin can transform into many different forms in order to cross over to the beings.
Guan Yin is one of the most popular Bodhisattva in China.
Prabhapala - Prabhapala (Sanskrit) [from prabha light, splendor + pala protector, guard]
Protector of light; in Buddhism, the name of a bodhisattva. Gautama Buddha "attained the state of Bodhisattva on earth when in the personality called Prabhapala" (TG 66).
Tolerance Of Non-birth - "Tolerance" (insight) that comes from the knowledge that all phenomena are unborn. Sometimes translated as "insight into the non-origination of all existence/nonorigination of the dharmas."
A Mahayana Buddhist term for the insight into emptiness, the non-origination or birthlessness of things or beings realized by Bodhisattvas who have attained the eighth Stage (Ground) of the path to Buddhahood. When a Bodhisattva realizes this insight he has attained the stage of non-retrogression. (Ryukoku University.)
The Pure Land School teaches that anyone reborn in the Pure Land attains the Tolerance of Non-Birth and reaches the stage of non-retrogression, never to fall back into samsara. See also "Non-Birth."
Padmapani - Padmapani (Sanskrit) The lotus-bearer; one name in Tibetan mysticism of the bodhisattva Chenrezi, equivalent to the Sanskrit Avalokitesvara. His female aspect is equivalent to the Chinese Kwan-yin. On the manifested planes Padmapani is "the progenitor (in a spiritual sense) of men. . . . He is, evidently, like Daksha, the synthesis of all the preceding Races and the progenitor of all the human Races after the Third, the first complete one . . ." (SD 2:178). Thus Padmapani has cosmic, terrestrial, and human meanings.
Chenresi - Chenresi (Tibet, Tibetan) The Tibetan Avalokitesvara. The Bodhisattva Padmapani, a divine Buddha.
Other-power - The issue of other-power (Buddhas'' power) is often misunderstood and glossed over by many Buddhists. However, it must be pointed out that, in Buddhism, other-power is absolutely necessary if a Bodhisattva is to attain Ultimate Enlightenment.
The Lankavatara Sutra (the only sutra recommended by Bodhidharma) and the Avatamsaka Sutra (described by D.T. Suzuki as the epitome of Buddhist thought) are emphatically clear on this point:
As long as (conversion) is an experience and not mere understanding, it is evident that self-discipline plays an important role in the Buddhist life . but .. we must not forget the fact that the Lanka (Lankavatara Sutra) also emphasizes the necessity of the Buddha''s power being added to the Bodhisattvas'', in their upward course of spiritual development and in the accomplishment of their great task of world salvation. (Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, tr., The Lankavatara Sutra, p. xviii.)
The Avatamsaka Sutra states: Having purified wisdom and means in the seventh stage ... The great sages attain acceptance of non-origination ... On the basis of their previous resolution, the buddhas further exhort them ...: "Though you have extinguished the burning of the fire of affliction, Having seen the world still afflicted, remember your past vows; Having thought of the welfare of the world, work in quest Of the cause of knowledge, for the liberation of the world." (T. Cleary, tr., The Flower Ornament Sutra, Vol II, p. 86)
See also "Easy Path of Practice."
Ten Great Vows - The famous vows of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra in the Avatamsaka Sutra. These vows represent the quintessence of this Sutra and are the basis of all Mahayana practice.
Studying the vows and putting them into practice is tantamount to studying the Avatamsaka Sutra and practicing its teachings. See also "Samantabhadra."
Three Pure Land Sutras - Pure Land Buddhism is based on three basic sutras:
Amitabha Sutra (or Shorter Amitabha Sutra, or Smaller Sukhavati-Vyuha, or the Sutra of Amida);
Longer Amitabha Sutra (or Longer Sukhavati-Vyuha, or the Teaching of Infinite Life);
Meditation Sutra (or the Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life, or the Amitayus Dhyana Sutra). Sometimes the last chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra ("The Practices and Vows of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra") is considered the fourth basic sutra of the Pure Land tradition. Note: in Pure Land, the Longer Amitabha Sutra is considered a shorter form of the Lotus Sutra.
Avatar - Avatar, Avatara (Sanskrit) (from ava down + the verbal root tri to cross over, pass)
That which passes down or descends; the passing down of a celestial energy or an individualized complex of celestial energies -- a celestial being -- in order to overshadow and illuminate a human being who, at the time of such connection of divinity with matter, possesses no human soul karmically destined to be the inner master of the body thus born. "Hence an Avatara is one who has a combination of three elements in his being: an inspiring divinity; a highly evolved intermediate nature or soul, which is loaned to him and is the channel of that inspiring divinity; and a pure, clean, physical body" (OG 16).
Sankaracharya, Krishna, Lao-tzu, and Jesus were avataras in differing degrees, of somewhat differing structure. There was a divine ray which came down at the cyclic time of each of these incarnations, and the connecting link or the flame of mind was provided in each case by a member of the Hierarchy of Compassion. Krishna says, "I incarnate in period after period in order to destroy wickedness and reestablish righteousness" (BG ch 4, sl 8). Krishna here represents the Logos or logoic ray which "on our plane would be utterly helpless, inactive, and have no possible means of communication with us and our sphere, because that logoic ray lacks an intermediate and fully conscious vehicle or carrier, i.e., it lacks the intermediate or highly ethereal mechanism, the spiritual-human in us, which in ordinary man is but slightly active. An avatara takes place when a direct ray from the Logos enters into, fully inspires, and illuminates, a human being, through the intermediary of a bodhisattva who has incarnated in that human being, thereby supplying the fit, ready, and fully conscious intermediate vehicle or carrier" (Fund 276).
Blavatsky says that "rebirths may be divided into three classes: the divine incarnations called Avataras; those of Adepts who give up Nirvana for the sake of helping on humanity -- the Nirmanakayas; and the natural succession of rebirths for all -- the common law. The Avatara . . . is a descent of the manifested Deity -- whether under the specific name of Siva, Vishnu, or Adi-Buddha -- into an illusive form of individuality, an appearance which to men on this illusive plane is objective, but it is not so in sober fact. That illusive form having neither past nor future, because it had neither previous incarnation nor will have subsequent rebirths, has naught to do with Karma, which has therefore no hold on it" (BCW 14:373-4).
Vishnu as the supporter of life is the source of one line of avataras so often spoken of in Hindu legends. These ten avataras of Vishnu are: 1) Matsya the fish; 2) Kurma the tortoise; 3) Varaha the boar; 4) Narasimha the man-lion (last of animal stage); 5) Vamana the dwarf (first step toward the human form); 6) Parasu-Rama, Rama with the axe (a hero); 7) Rama-chandra, the hero of the Ramayana; 8) Krishna, son of Devaki; 9) Gautama Buddha; and 10) Kalki, the avatara who is to appear at the end of the kali yuga mounted on a white horse, inaugurating a new reign of righteousness on earth. A horse has from immemorial time been a symbol of the spiritual as well as vital energies of the inner solar orb. Hence, when the next avatara is said to come riding a white horse, the meaning is that he comes infilled with the solar light or splendor -- an avatara or manifestation of a spiritual and intellectual solar energy which will carry all before it on earth.
Brahmanical esotericism never taught that divinity descended into the animals as given in the legends. These names of different animals and men, like all zoological mythology, were chosen because of certain characteristic attributes. They actually represent ten degrees of advancing knowledge and growth in understanding -- ten degrees in the esoteric cycle -- as well as different evolutionary stages through which monads break through the lower spheres in order to express themselves on higher rungs of the evolutionary ladder of life. These names also represent the technical names given to neophytes in esoteric schools. The lowest chela was called a fish, the chela who had taken the second degree successfully was called a tortoise, and so forth, till the highest of all was called an incarnation of the sun -- a white horse in Hindu legend.
These avataric descents do not appertain solely to a race, root-race, globe, chain, or solar system, because nature repeats itself by analogy, and the same line of enlarging understanding of evolutionary development takes place in all the spheres mutatis mutandis. Thus these avataric descents can be ascribed to the solar system, the planetary chain as a whole, a globe, a root-race, and even to a subrace.
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