Enlightenment

(Jpn.: satori)

See also: attainment of Buddhahood   (See also: Enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Acquired enlightenment

(Jpn.: shikaku)

See also: inherent enlightenment   (See also: Acquired enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Enlightened One

(Jpn.: kakusha)

Also, Awakened One. A Buddha. One who is enlightened to the ultimate truth or principle of life and the universe.

(See also: Enlightened One, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Original enlightenment

(Jpn.: hongaku)

1. A reference to the enlightenment Shakyamuni attained countless kalpas ago, as described in the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra.
2. Enlightenment or Buddhahood originally inherent in human life.

See: Life Span of the Thus Come One,  Inherent enlightenment

(See also: Original enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Perfect enlightenment

(Jpn.: myogaku or engaku)

Also, supreme perfect enlightenment. The enlightenment of a Buddha. "Perfect enlightenment" also refers to the last and highest of the fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice, or Buddhahood.

See: fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice, Buddhahood

(See also: Perfect enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Inherent enlightenment

(Jpn.: hongaku)

Also, original enlightenment; or, depending on context, originally enlightened or eternally enlightened. Enlightenment, or Buddhahood, that is originally inherent in human life. Often used as an equivalent of the Buddha nature.

The concept of inherent or original enlightenment is contrasted with acquired enlightenment (shikaku), the view that enlightenment occurs as a result of carrying out Buddhist practice, dispelling illusions, and developing wisdom.

In the Tendai school of Japan, the doctrine of inherent or original enlightenment was taken to the extreme with the argument that ordinary people were already Buddhas even before engaging in Buddhist practice, and that the world as it is equals the world of enlightenment. Critics asserted that this view led to complacency in Buddhist practice.

(See also: Inherent enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Unsurpassed enlightenment

(Jpn.: mujo-bodai; Skt.: anuttara-sambodhi)

Also, supreme enlightenment or supreme perfect enlightenment. The enlightenment of a Buddha. The Sanskrit anuttara means "unsurpassed." A Buddha's enlightenment is so called because it is the highest and supreme among all levels of awakening gained through Buddhist practice. Bodhisattvas make four vows when they first resolve to embark upon the Buddhist practice. These four vows are known as the four universal vows, one of which is to attain unsurpassed enlightenment.

(See also: Unsurpassed enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Aspiration for enlightenment

(Skt.: bodhi-chitta; Jpn.: bodaishin; Pali.: bodhi-chitta)

Also, desire for bodhi or aspiration for the way. "Aspiration for enlightenment" is the mind or spirit to seek bodhi, or enlightenment, or to pursue the Buddha wisdom. Bodhi of the Sanskrit word bodhi-chitta means enlightenment, and chitta means thought, intention, aim, wish, longing, or mind.

Bodhi-chitta is also called anuttara-samyak-sambodhi-chitta, which means the aspiration for supreme perfect enlightenment. In Mahayana Buddhism, to arouse aspiration for enlightenment is regarded as the basis and starting point of Buddhist practice.

Bodhisattvas arouse the aspiration for enlightenment and pronounce the four universal vows: to save all living beings, to eradicate all earthly desires, to master all the Buddhist teachings, and to attain the supreme enlightenment.

(See also: Aspiration for enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Four stages of enlightenment

(Jpn.: shi-ka)

See: four stages of Hinayana enlightenment, attainment of Buddhahood

(See also: Four stages of enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Stage of resemblance to enlightenment

(Jpn.: soji-soku)

The fourth of the six stages of practice.

See: six stages of practice

(See also: Stage of resemblance to enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Stage of ultimate enlightenment

(Jpn.: kukyo-soku)

The sixth of the six stages of practice.

See: six stages of practice

(See also: Stage of ultimate enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Oneness of delusion and enlightenment

(Jpn.: meigo-funi or meigo-ittai)

Also, non-duality of delusion and enlightenment. The principle that delusion and enlightenment are, though different in aspect, one and the same in their essential nature. A bad cause or influence gives rise to delusion, and a good cause or influence, to enlightenment. Delusion and enlightenment are two different workings, but both arise from the essential nature of life. This Mahayana concept contrasts with the Hinayana view that enlightenment and delusion, or enlightenment and earthly desires, are mutually exclusive and incompatible.

(See also: Oneness of delusion and enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Enlightenment of plants

(Jpn.: somoku-jobutsu)

Also, enlightenment of insentient beings. The enlightenment of grass, trees, rocks, the land itself, or anything else that has neither emotion nor consciousness.

The doctrine that insentient beings can attain Buddhahood derives from T'ien-t'ai's doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. One of the component principles of this doctrine is the realm of the environment, or the insentient objective world.

The doctrine teaches the mutually inclusive relationship of living beings and their environments, or that of sentient and insentient beings, thereby revealing that both manifest the same state of life. Therefore, when living beings manifest the state of Buddhahood, their environment simultaneously manifests the state of Buddhahood as well.

In The Diamond Scalpel, Miao-lo (711-782) refuted the arguments of Ch'eng-kuan, the fourth patriarch of the Chinese Flower Garland (Hua-yen) school, who asserted that insentient beings do not possess the Buddha nature. Miao-lo wrote, "A plant, a tree, a pebble, a speck of dust-each has the Buddha nature, and each is endowed with cause and effect and with the function to manifest and the wisdom to realize its Buddha nature."

(See also: Enlightenment of plants, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Fundamental nature of enlightenment

(Jpn.: gampon-no-hossho)

Enlightenment to the fundamental nature of all things and phenomena. It is contrasted with fundamental darkness. Also, the Buddha nature that is inherent in life.

(See also: Fundamental nature of enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Near-perfect enlightenment

(Jpn.: togaku)

The fifty-first of the fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice. The stage nearly equal to the Buddha's perfect enlightenment, the last stage before a bodhisattva attains Buddhahood

(See also: Near-perfect enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

supreme perfect enlightenment

(Jpn.: anokutara-sammyaku-sambodai or mujo-shoto-shogaku)

The enlightenment of a Buddha.

(See also: supreme perfect enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Enlightenment:

The stage of realization of the one Universal Spirit bubbling in all sentient and insentient forms; union of the individual mind with the Universal Mind.

(See also: Enlightenment, Psychic, Psychic Dictionary, Parapsychology, Parapsychology Dictionary)

Seven aids to enlightenment

(Jpn.: shichi-kakushi or shichi-bodaibun)

Seven practices conducive to enlightenment. They are memory, discrimination, exertion, joy, lightness and ease, meditation, and impartiality (also referred to as indifference).

Memory here means to recollect one's own past deeds and states, and keep them in mind. Discrimination means to discern the true from the false. Exertion means to be ever diligent in the practice of true teachings, and joy to delight in the practice of true teachings.

Lightness and ease means that one's body and mind are at peace and free from burden. Meditation means to keep the mind concentrated and unperturbed, and impartiality to abandon feelings of attachment and keep the mind detached and calm.

The "seven aids to enlightenment" constitutes the sixth of the seven categories within the thirty-seven aids to the way, or the thirty-seven practices leading to enlightenment. The Sanskrit for "aid to enlightenment" is bodhyanga.

(See also: Seven aids to enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Earthly desires are enlightenment

(Jpn.: bonno-soku-bodai)

A Mahayana principle based on the view that earthly desires cannot exist independently on their own; therefore one can attain enlightenment without eliminating earthly desires. This contrasts with the Hinayana view that extinguishing earthly desires is a prerequisite for enlightenment.

According to the Hinayana teachings, earthly desires and enlightenment are two independent and opposing factors, and the two cannot coexist; while the Mahayana teachings reveal that earthly desires are one with and inseparable from enlightenment. This is because all things, even earthly desires and enlightenment, are manifestations of the unchanging reality or truth-and thus are non-dual at their source.

The Universal Worthy Sutra, an epilogue to the Lotus Sutra, states, "Without either cutting off earthly desires or separating themselves from the five desires, they can purify all their senses and wipe away all their offenses."

T'ien-t'ai (538-597) says in Great Concentration and Insight, "The ignorance and dust of desires are enlightenment, and the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana."

In The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Nichiren (1222-1282) states: "The idea of gradually overcoming delusions is not the ultimate meaning of the 'Life Span' chapter of the Lotus Sutra. You should understand that the ultimate meaning of this chapter is that ordinary mortals, just as they are in their original state of being, are Buddhas," and, "Today, when Nichiren and his followers recite the words Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they are burning the firewood of earthly desires, summoning up the wisdom-fire of enlightenment."

(See also: Earthly desires are enlightenment, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Perfect Enlightenment Sutra

(Jpn.: Engaku-kyo; Chin.: Yüan-chyeh-ching)

An abbreviation of the Complete and Final Teaching on Perfect Enlightenment Sutra. A sutra translated into Chinese in 693 by Buddhatara who had gone to China from Kashmir. In this sutra, Shakyamuni explains the mystic principle of perfect enlightenment and the practice for its attainment to an audience of twelve bodhisattvas including Manjushri, Universal Worthy, and Maitreya. Contemporary scholars view this sutra as a work produced in China, where this sutra was widely read and a number of commentaries written on it. It had considerable influence on the Flower Garland (Hua-yen) and Zen (Ch'an) schools, and was regarded highly by the Zen school in particular.

(See also: Perfect Enlightenment Sutra, Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)