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)

Precepts of perfect and immediate enlightenment

(Jpn.: endon-kai)

Also, perfect precepts. One of the three types of learning based on the teaching for perfect and immediate enlightenment, or the Lotus Sutra. The other two are perfect meditation and perfect wisdom.

Dengyo (767-822), the founder of the Japanese Tendai school, adopted the Mahayana precepts, specifically the ten major precepts and forty-eight minor precepts set forth in the Brahma Net Sutra, and interpreted them based on the Lotus Sutra, known in the T'ien-t'ai or Tendai doctrine as the teaching for perfect and immediate enlightenment, or perfect teaching. He thus laid the foundation for the establishment of an ordination platform for administering the precepts of perfect and immediate enlightenment.

(See also: Precepts of perfect and immediate 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)

Four stages of Hinayana enlightenment

(Jpn.: shi-ka)

Also, four stages of enlightenment or four fruits. Four levels of enlightenment that voice-hearers aim to attain, according to the Hinayana teachings.

In ascending order, they are

• the stage of the stream-winner (Skt srotaapanna ),
• the stage of the once-returner (sakridagamin),
• the stage of the non-returner (anagamin), and
• the stage of arhat.

The stage of the stream-winner indicates one who has entered the stream of the sages, in other words, the river leading to nirvana. At this stage, one has eradicated the illusions of thought in the threefold world.

At the stage of the once-returner, one has eradicated six of the nine illusions of desire in the world of desire. Due to the remaining illusions, one will be born next in the realm of heavenly beings and then once again in the human world before entering nirvana; hence the name once-returner.

Someone at the stage of the non-returner has eliminated the other three illusions of desire and will not be reborn in the world of desire.

At the stage of arhat, one has eliminated all the illusions of thought and desire in the threefold world and has freed oneself from transmigration in the threefold world or the six paths.

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

Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana, The

(Jpn.: Daijo-kishin-ron; Chin.: Ta-ch'eng-ch'i-hsin-lun)

Abbreviated as Awakening of Faith. A work traditionally attributed to Ashvaghosha, a Mahayana scholar who lived from the first through the second century, though opinions on this differ. There are two Chinese translations of this work, the first done in 550 by Paramartha, who had gone from India to China, and the second around 700 by Shikshananda, a monk from Khotan in Central Asia. Paramartha's version has been the more popular. Awakening of Faith sets forth the fundamental doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism and attempts to awaken people to faith in it. It specifically takes up the concept of tathata, literally thusness or suchness, meaning the true aspect of reality. It was widely studied in China and Japan, and in China several commentaries on it were written.

(See also: Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana , Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Buddhism: Basic Buddhist Dictionary

A basic dictionary of Buddhism terms. Please note that all words in grey like " Buddhism " are links to an archive with related articles.

Attainment of Buddhahood by women

(Jpn.: nyonin jobutsu)

See: attainment of Buddhahood

(See also: Attainment of Buddhahood by women , 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)

Non-duality of delusion and enlightenment

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

See: oneness of delusion and enlightenment

(See also: Non-duality of delusion and enlightenment , Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Perfect Enlightenment Sutra

(Jpn.: Engaku-kyo; Chin.: YŸan-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)

Sowing maturing and harvesting

(Jpn.: shu-juku-datsu)

The three-phase process by which a Buddha leads people to Buddha-hood. In The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, T'ien-t'ai (538-597) set forth this concept based on the Lotus Sutra, comparing the process of people attaining Buddhahood to the growth of a plant. In the first stage, "sowing," the Buddha plants the seeds of Buddhahood in the lives of the people, just as a gardener sows seeds in the soil. Nichiren (1222- 1282) states in The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood, "The Buddha is like the sower, and the people like the field". In the second stage, the Buddha nurtures the seeds he has planted by helping the people practice the teaching and leading them gradually to Buddhahood. This stage is compared to the gardener's care for the sprouting and growth of a plant and is called "maturing." In the third and final stage, the Buddha leads the people to reap the harvest of enlightenment, enabling them to attain Buddhahood. This is comparable to the gardener reaping the fruit of a plant and is called "harvesting."

The process of sowing, maturing, and harvesting is described as taking place over countless kalpas. From the viewpoint of the essential teaching (latter half ) of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni first planted the seeds of enlightenment in the lives of his disciples numberless major world system dust particle kalpas in the past. He then nurtured them as the sixteenth son of the Buddha Great Universal Wisdom Excellence major world system dust particle kalpas in the past and later as the Buddha in India by preaching the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and the theoretical teaching (first half ) of the Lotus Sutra. He finally brought them to fruition, or enlightenment, with the "Life Span" (sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Seen from this perspective, Shakyamuni's essential teaching was expounded for the purpose of reaping the harvest of enlightenment and accordingly is called the teaching of the harvest. The pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and the theoretical teaching, through which Shakyamuni nurtured his disciples' capacity for enlightenment, are regarded as the teaching of maturing. As a whole, Nichiren refers to Shakyamuni's teachings as the Buddhism of the harvest.

In The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, Nichiren states: "He Shakyamuni planted the seeds of Buddhahood in their lives in the remote past numberless major world system dust particle kalpas ago and nurtured the seeds through his preaching as the sixteenth son of the Buddha Great Universal Wisdom Excellence major world system dust particle kalpas ago and through the first four flavors of teachings the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and the theoretical teaching in this life. Then with the essential teaching he brought his followers to the stage of near-perfect enlightenment and finally to that of perfect enlightenment" (369-70). In the same work, Nichiren writes: "The essential teaching of Shakyamuni's lifetime and that revealed at the beginning of the Latter Day are both pure and perfect in that both lead directly to Buddha-hood. Shakyamuni's, however, is the Buddhism of the harvest, and this is the Buddhism of sowing. The core of his teaching is one chapter and two halves, and the core of mine is the five characters of the daimoku alone". Though "one chapter and two halves" indicates that Shakyamuni planted the seeds of Buddhahood in the lives of his followers, the teaching of sowing is "hidden in the depths of the 'Life Span' chapter" of the Lotus Sutra. More specifically, it is hidden in the sentence "Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way."

Nichiren referred to the hidden teaching as "the seed of Buddhahood, that is, the three thousand realms in a single moment of life" in The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind (365). In The Opening of the Eyes, he writes: "This is the doctrine of original cause and original effect. It reveals that the nine worlds are all present in beginningless Buddha-hood and that Buddhahood is inherent in the beginningless nine worlds. This is the true mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, the true hundred worlds and thousand factors, the true three thousand realms in a single moment of life". This indicates the eternal Mystic Law that enables people to reveal Buddhahood from their beginningless nine worlds. Originally Shakyamuni practiced the bodhisattva way as a common mortal with this Law as his teacher and thus realized and manifested his inherent Buddhahood.

In contrast with Shakyamuni's Buddhism, Nichiren identified his teaching as the Buddhism of sowing and defined the daimoku of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the teaching for planting the seeds of enlightenment. Because Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the law of the simultaneity of cause and effect, it contains within it all three stages of sowing, maturing, and harvesting. The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra refers to two types of people: those who received the seeds of Buddhahood and have good roots and those who do not. According to Nichiren, people in the Latter Day of the Law never received the seeds of Buddhahood from the Buddha in the past and must therefore first receive the seeds of Buddhahood in their lives. Then they can complete the whole process of maturing and harvesting in this lifetime. Nichiren established the object of devotion called the Gohonzon, embodying in it the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as a means for people to plant the seeds of Buddha-hood in their lives and reap the fruit of Buddhahood. In Nichiren's teaching, the practice for doing so involves chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with faith in the Gohonzon.

See: Teacher of the true effect, Teacher of the true cause

(See also: Sowing maturing and harvesting , Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Life Span of the Thus Come One chapter

(Jpn.: Nyorai-juryo-hon)

Abbreviated as the "Life Span" chapter. The sixteenth chapter of the Lotus Sutra, in which Shakyamuni Buddha reveals that he originally attained enlightenment in the far distant past rather than in his present life in India as his listeners generally thought.

The chapter title "The Life Span of the Thus Come One" means the duration of Shakyamuni's life as a Buddha, that is, how much time has passed since he originally attained Buddhahood. T'ien-t'ai (538-597) of China ranks it as the key chapter of the essential teaching, or the latter fourteen chapters of the sutra.

The chapter opens with three exhortations and four entreaties, in which the Buddha three times admonishes the multitude to believe and understand his truthful words, and the assembly four times begs him to preach. Shakyamuni then says, "You must listen carefully and hear of the Thus Come One's secret and his transcendental powers." He proceeds to explain that, while all heavenly and human beings and asuras believe that he first attained enlightenment in his present lifetime under the bodhi tree, it has actually been an incalculable length of time since he attained enlightenment. He then offers a dramatic description of the magnitude of this immeasurably long period. He describes taking a vast number of worlds, grinding them to dust, and then traversing the universe, dropping a particle each time one passes an equally vast number of worlds. Having exhausted all the dust particles, one takes all the worlds traversed, whether they have received a dust particle or not, and grinds them to dust. Then Shakyamuni says: "Let one particle represent one kalpa. The time that has passed since I attained Buddhahood surpasses this by a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a million nayuta asamkhya kalpas."

Commentaries on this chapter refer to this cosmically immense period as "numberless major world system dust particle kalpas." In the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni thus refutes the view that he attained enlightenment for the first time in this life in India and reveals his original attainment of enlightenment in the remote past. T'ien-t'ai refers to this in The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra and The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra as "opening the near and revealing the distant," "casting off the transient and revealing the true," and "opening the transient and revealing the true." Here, "the transient" means Shakyamuni's transient status, and "the true" means his true identity. From his original attainment of Buddhahood, Shakyamuni declares, he has constantly been here in this saha world preaching the Law, appearing as many different Buddhas and using various means to save living beings. Though he says that he enters nirvana, he merely uses his death as a means to arouse in people the desire to seek a Buddha. He then illustrates this idea with the parable of the skilled physician and his sick children. In the parable, the children of a skilled physician have accidentally swallowed poison. Having lost their senses, they refuse the medicine their father offers them as an antidote. The father then goes off to a remote place and sends a message informing his children he has died. Shocked to their senses, the children take the medicine their father has left for them and are cured. The Buddha is compared to the father in this parable, living beings to the children who have drunk poison, and the Buddha's entry into nirvana to the father's report of his own death-an expedient means to arouse in people the aspiration for enlightenment. The chapter concludes with a verse section, which restates the important teachings of the preceding prose section.

In Profound Meaning, T'ien-t'ai interprets the "Life Span" chapter as revealing the three mystic principles of the true cause (the cause for Shakyamuni's original attainment of enlightenment), the true effect (his original enlightenment), and the true land (the place where the Buddha lives and teaches). He interprets the passage "Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way ... " as indicating the stage of non-regression, or the eleventh of the fifty-two stages of bodhisattva practice, which he explained as the true cause that enabled Shakyamuni to attain Buddhahood. In answer to the question of what Shakyamuni practiced in order to reach the stage of non-regression, Nichiren (1222-1282) identified it as the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

(See also: Life Span of the Thus Come One chapter , Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Attainment of Buddhahood by persons of the two vehicles

(Jpn.: nijo-sabutsu)

See: attainment of Buddhahood

(See also: Attainment of Buddhahood by persons of the two vehicles , Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Zen Buddhism: Zen Buddhist Dictionary

A dictionary of Zen Buddhism terms. Please note that all words in grey like " Buddhism " are links to an archive with related articles.

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)

Inclusion of Buddhahood in the nine worlds

(Jpn.: kukai-soku-bukkai or kukai-shogu-no-bukkai)

The principle that the world of Buddhahood is inherent in the nine worlds. That is, all beings of the nine worlds possess the potential for Buddhahood (i.e., the Buddha nature). The nine worlds refer to the realms of hell, hungry spirits, animals, asuras, human beings, heavenly beings, voice-hearers, cause-awakened ones, and bodhisattvas. These realms also signify inherent conditions or states of life that beings manifest at any given moment. The nine worlds are contrasted with the world of Buddhahood in that they are realms or states of illusion and suffering, while Buddha-hood is a state of enlightenment free from illusion and suffering.

The principle of Buddhahood as a potential within the nine worlds means that the beings of the nine worlds, i.e., those who are deluded, inherently possess the state of Buddhahood and can manifest Buddhahood from within their lives. This concept is derived from the Lotus Sutra, particularly the "Expedient Means" (second) chapter. Together with the inclusion of the nine worlds within Buddhahood, it explains T'ien-t'ai's concept of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds. The chapter reads, "The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, wish to open the door of Buddha wisdom to all living beings." Nichiren says, "This refers to the world of Buddhahood inherent in the nine worlds". That is, Buddhahood is inherent in all living beings.

(See also: Inclusion of Buddhahood in the nine worlds , 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)

Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi (Skt)

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

Supreme perfect enlightenment, the unsurpassed enlightenment of a Buddha. Anuttara means supreme, highest, incomparable, unsurpassed, or peerless. Samyak means right, correct, true, accurate, complete, or perfect, and sambodhi means enlightenment. The expression samyak-sam-bodhi by itself is also used to mean perfect enlightenment. Bodhi and sambodhi also mean wisdom or perfect wisdom. In this sense, anuttara-samyak-sambodhi means supreme perfect wisdom.

(See also: Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi , Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

World of cause-awakened ones

(Jpn.: engaku-kai)

Also, realm of cause-awakened ones or world of realization. The eighth of the Ten Worlds and one of the four noble worlds. Cause-awakened ones (Skt pratyekabuddha ) are those who awaken to the impermanence of all phenomena by perceiving the twelve-linked chain of causation or by observing natural phenomena. While they seek personal emancipation, they tend not to share it with others. For this reason, various sutras describe them as being reprimanded by Shakyamuni Buddha.

When viewed as a state of life, the world of cause-awakened ones is a condition in which one perceives the transience of all things and strives to free oneself from the sufferings of the six paths, seeking to learn the way to self-improve-ment through personal effort and direct observation of the world. In this world, a sense of the impermanence of all things causes one to aspire for something eternal and unchanging. The world of cause-awakened ones and that of voice-hearers constitute the two vehicles. In The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, Nichiren states: "The fact that all things in this world are transient is perfectly clear to us. Is this not because the worlds of the two vehicles are present in the human world?".

(See also: World of cause-awakened ones , Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment, Buddhism Enlightenment Dictionary)

Land of Sages and Common Mortals

(Jpn.: bonsho-dogo-do)

Also, Land of Enlightened and Unenlightened Beings. Literally, "the land where common mortals and sages dwell together" and thus called "land of co-dwelling" for short. One of the four kinds of lands described in the doctrine of the T'ien-t'ai school. This is divided into two categories: impure lands of co-dwelling and pure lands of co-dwelling. The impure lands include this saha world, where common mortals of the six paths (the realms of hell, hungry spirits, animals, asuras, human beings, and heavenly beings) and sages of the four noble worlds (the realms of voice-hearers, cause-awakened ones, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas) dwell together. The pure lands include Amida Buddha's Pure Land of Perfect Bliss, where human beings and heavenly beings are said to live together with the people of the three vehicles (voice-hearers, cause-awakened ones, and bodhisattvas) and the Buddha.

(See also: Land of Sages and Common Mortals , 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)