Song glossary

SONG-GLOSSARY

Avatamsaka-Sutra Skt. Buddhavatamsaka-sutra, "Sutra of the Garland of Buddhas." A Mahayana sutra that constitutes the basis of the teachings of the Chinese Hua-Yen school, which emphasizes above all "mutually unobstructed interpenetration." In addition, it teaches that the human mind is the universe itself and is identical with the Buddha. Indeed, Buddha, mind, sentient beings, and things are one and the same. This aspect of the Mahayana teaching was especially stressed by the Chinese Ch'an (Zen) school.

Ben Shi The Chinese name for the root Teacher or Master. It normally refers to Buddha Shakyamuni. In the Mahayana Zengong Ben Shi also refers to Da Zi Zai Wang Fo who is inseparable with Buddha Shakyamuni and Buddha Vairochanna.

Bhutatathata (Sanskrit) means "suchness of existents"; the true reality as opposed to the appearance of the phenomenal world. Bhutatathata is immutable and eternal, whereas forms and appearances arise, change, and pass away. This concept is used synonymously in Mahayana texts with the absolute truth, the ultimate reality, the Tathata, the Buddha-nature, the true nature of mind, etc. It is primordially pure, clear, wakeful, and luminous.

bodhi Bodhi, or bodhi tree, symbolizes the path towards enlightenment and Buddhahood. The tree's scientific name is ficus religiosa. The fig tree under which Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, attained complete enlightenment.

Bodhichitta Bodhi means awakening, while chitta means mind. Thus bodhichitta means the awakening mind; the mind of enlightenment, one of the central notions of Mahayana Buddhism. There are two types of bodhichitta, absolute or ultimate bodhichitta, and relative bodhichitta. The former is the non-dual realization of emptiness inseparable from compassion. The latter is the compassionate mind of the Bodhisattvas, which aspire and work to liberate all sentient beings from samsara.

Bodhidharma Tamo in Chinese. ca. 470-543(?); the twenty-eighth patriarch after Shakyamuni Buddha in the Indian lineage and the first Chinese patriarch of Ch'an (Zen). Bodhidharma was the student and dharma successor of the twenty-seventh patriarch Prajnadhara and the teacher of Hui-Ko, whom he installed as the second patriarch of Zen in China. After Bodhidharma was confirmed by Prajnadhara as the 28th patriarch, he travelled by ship from India to south China. After a brief unsuccessful attempt to spread his teaching there, he wandered further to Lo-Yang in north China and finally settled at the Shaolin Monastery on Sung-Shan Mountain. Here he practiced the Immovable (menbi in Chinese) for nine years until Hui-Ko was accepted as his disciple.

Bodhisattva Awakening and enlightening being. In Mahayana Buddhism a bodhisattva is a being who seeks buddhahood through the systematic practice of the perfect virtues but renounces complete entry into nirvana until all beings have attained enlightenment.

Buddhahood Expression for the realization of complete and perfect enlightenment which are characteristics of Buddhas. The attainment of buddhahood is the birthright and highest goal of all beings.

Buddha nature The true nature of mind, the Self-nature, the essence of Bhutatathata, the ultimate truth of reality. According to the Mahayana view, it is the true, immutable, and eternal nature of all beings. Since all beings possess this Buddha nature, it is possible for them to attain enlightenment and become a buddha, regardless of what level of existence they occupy.

Buddhayana Also Ekayana, Skt., lit. "one vehicle"; the Buddha vehicle, the one teaching that leads to supreme enlightenment and the attainment of Buddhahood. From a relative point of view, Buddhayana refers to the Bodhisattva or Buddha vehicle as opposed to the Shravaka or Pratyekabuddha vehicle; the teachings of which are applied in accordance with the ability of students. In the absolute sense, Buddhayana refers to the ultimate reality, which includes and transcends all expedient and temporary teachings of the Hinayana and Mahayana. The use of the concept of Buddhayana is found in the Lotus Sutra, which claims to contain the most perfect teaching of Buddhism.

Da Zi Zai Wang Fo The Deity of the Mahayana Zengong. Da Zi Zai Wang Fo is a Buddha in the Dharmakaya aspect. Sometimes, it is also called the Da Zi Zai Tathagata which is the Vairochanna Buddha.

Dharma Truth, law, way, path. The teachings of the Buddha, who recognized and formulated the teaching that expresses the universal truth. The dharma in this sense existed already before the birth of the historical Buddha, Who is no more than the manifestation of it. It is in the dharma in this sense that a Buddhist takes refuge. In other contexts dharma refers to phenomena or mental and physical objects.

Dharma Protectors

Dharmakaya One of the three bodies of a Buddha, the ultimate truth body. It corresponds to the mind aspect of the Buddha which is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. It is primordially inherent in all sentient beings and accompanies them through their transmigrations. However, sentient beings cannot recognize it or even acknowledge its existence because of their deluded mind and strong attachment.

Dharmadhatu Realm of dharma. According to Hinayana the nature of things, a rule to which they hold. In the Mahayana it is the unborn realm of all-encompassing space in which all things arise, exist, and cease.

Dharmata Skt.; nature of the Dharmas, the essence that is the basis of everything. Dharmata is synonymous with tathata, Buddha nature.

emptiness The teaching that the self and all phenomena are empty of, or lack, inherent or independent existence.

Five Visions The five types of eye sight (vision) to be attained as spiritual development advances. They are the physical eyes, the divine eye, the wisdom eye, the dharma eye, and the Buddha eye.

Heaven Realm One of the heavens in the form realm. see Three Realms.

Four Elements Earth, water, fire, and wind. The four elements of which all things are made. They also represent properties of solid (soil), moisture (liquid), warmth (heat), and motion (moving).

Four Transcending Realities of Nirvana The state of eternity, bliss, true self, and purity.

Four Types of Tathagata Wisdom The four unlimited powers of interpretation or reasoning in 1) the dharma, 2) the meaning of dharma, 3) any language or form of expression of the dharma, and 4) eloquence, pleasure in speaking and argument.

Hinayana Small Vehicle; originally a derogatory designation used by the representatives of the Mahayana for early Buddhism. The followers of Hinayana themselves usually refer to their teachings as the Theravada (Teachings of the Elders). Although the virtues of loving-kindness and compassion are taught within the Hinayana, meditation, mindfulness, non-attachment, and strict moral discipline are emphasized as the keys to developing penetrating wisdom, which would lead one to nirvana or the liberation from suffering.

Jumbudvipa There are four great continents in the receptacle world of Buddhism. In the south of Mount Meru, (also known as Mount Sumeru, at the center, towering over all, of the universe) is Jumbudvipa, the "rose-apple island." It is shaped like a carriage, broad at the north and narrow at the south end. It is formed from lapis. Its atmosphere and the surrounding ocean is blue in color. Jumbudvipa, the continent where Buddha was born, is often used as a synonym for the world itself.

kalpa Term for an endlessly long period of time. A kalpa is divided into four parts: the arising of a universe, the stabilization of the arisen universe, the demise of that universe, and the returning to emptiness.

karma Action. The universal law that what we experience now is the result of our previous actions; and what we experience in the future will be determined by our current actions. Thus, karma is understood as 1) a mental or physical action; 2) the consequence of a mental or physical action; 3) the sum of all consequences of the actions of an individual in this or some previous lives; and 4) the chain of cause and effect in the world of morality. Karma is subdivided into positive, negative, and neutral depending upon the wholesome, unwholesome and neutral acts.

Mara Skt., Pali, lit. "murder, destruction." Although actually the embodiment of death, Mara symbolizes in Buddhism the passions that overwhelm human beings as well as everything that hinders the arising of the wholesome roots and progress on the path of enlightenment. Mara is the lord of the sixth heaven of the Desire Realm and is often depicted with a thousand arms, riding on an elephant.

Mahayana Great Vehicle. It is one of the two great schools of Buddhism, the other being Hinayana. The Mahayana arose in the first century before the common era. It opens the way of liberation to a great number of people and expresses the intention to liberate all beings. The aspiration is characterized by the path of the bodhisattva. By following it the goal of Buddhahood or the total spiritual awakening, equal to that of the historical Buddha, can be attained.

Mahayana Zengong It is a progressive and systematic teaching which is mainly based on the practices of the Zen school. It includes mind development and physiological cultivation. The contents of the teaching and benefits of practicing it are described in great detail in this book.

Nan-Shan Temple One of the two Temples of the Mahayana Zengong. It is located in the suburb of Kaohsiung, a southern seaport of Taiwan. The temple can accommodate 300 persons. So, the popular seven-day Zen retreat sponsored by Mahayana Zengong always take place in this Temple.

Prajna Skt., lit. "consciousness" or "wisdom." A central notion of the Mahayana referring to an immediately experienced intuitive wisdom that can not be conveyed by concepts or in intellectual terms. The definitive moment of prajna is the insight into emptiness, which is the true nature of reality. The realization of prajna is often equated with the attainment of enlightenment and is one of the essential marks of Buddhahood. Prajna is also one the perfections actualized by a Bodhisattva in the course of his/her development.

Pureland In Mahayana the "purelands" (also Buddha-Realms, Buddhafield, or Buddha-paradises), are each ruled over by a Buddha. Since according to the Mahayana there are countless Buddhas, countless Purelands also exist. The most important is Sukhavati, ruled by Buddha Amitabha, known as the Pureland of Ultimate Bliss, the Pureland of the west, or the western paradise. An eastern paradise is the Pureland of Bhaishajya-guru Buddha ("Medicine Guru Buddha"). The Abhirati paradise of Buddha Akshobhya is also in the east. In the south is the paradise of Buddha Ratnaketu, in the north that of Buddha Dundubhishvara. A further Pureland will be brought forth by the future Buddha Maitreya, who presently still dwells in the Tushita Heaven. Beings of the Pureland are free from defilements and suffering. It is completely opposite to our world.

Pureland of Ultimate Bliss see Pureland

refuge One formally becomes a Buddhist when one takes refuge in the Three Jewels; the Buddha as the teacher or guide, the Dharma as the teaching or path, and the Sangha as one's companions on the spiritual journey. In Tantra, one adds taking refuge in the Three Roots: the guru as the root of all blessings, the yidam as the root of all attainments, and the Dharma Protectors as the root of all enlightened activity. In Mahayana Zengong, one adds taking refuge in the Self-nature.

Samadhi Meditative concentration or absorption. A state when the meditation and the mind of the meditator become inseparable. It includes the practices of tranquility and insight.

Samsara Cyclic existence, wheel of life and death. In the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth this present life is but a single instance. Samsara is the state of ordinary beings that experience suffering in the six realms of transmigratory existence due to primordial ignorance.

self It is the reflexive pronoun made into an entity, the ego of individual existence. The deluded beings strongly hold to the idea of self as an absolute, fixed, intrinsically identifiable identity which Buddha Shakyamuni called mis-knowledge. That is the source of all suffering. However, the Buddha often refers to the self who should assume the responsibility for the individual's fate. see selflessness

selflessness There are two kinds of identity, the subjective selflessness and objective selflessness. The former is the reality of our not having fixed, substantial selves. It is the absence of a solid, unchanging core of self. A synonym of objective selflessness is emptiness or voidness, which is not a realm of blankness, but the fact that things are empty of intrinsic reality, void of intrinsic identity. see self and Self-nature

Self-nature It means the eternal and unchanging nature of all beings and phenomena. That nature of the being or object is beyond birth and death. In the absolute sense it is often equated with wisdom and emptiness, the absolute truth, the buddha nature, and the essence of Bhutatathata. see Buddha nature

Six Elements The six elements consist of earth, water, fire, wind, emptiness, and consciousness. That is, add the elements of emptiness and consciousness to the Four Elements.

six (lower) realms of existence The six dimensions of samsaric existence within the Desire Realm, namely, the gods, demi-gods (asuras), humans, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell beings. The first three worlds are known as the upper realms of samsara, and the last three are known as the lower realms. see Three Realms.

soul That which is the deepest personal essence of a living being, which journeys from life to life and takes rebirth, and which becomes enlightened finally. The extremely subtle body-mind qualifies as the soul of the being who is undergoing the death, birth, or liberation.

Sukhavati Skt., lit. "the blissful"; the so called western paradise, the pureland of the west, one of the most important Buddhafields to appear in the Mahayana. It is reigned over by Buddha Amitabha, who created it by his karmic merit. Through faithful devotion to Amitabha and through recitation of his name, one can be reborn there and lead a blissful life until entering final nirvana. Sukhavati is described in detail in the sutras devoted to Amitabha.

sutra The recorded discourses attributed to Buddha Shakyamuni. Sutra can also refer to the "causal path," as compared to tantra, the "result path."

tantra Tantra generally refers to the fundamental texts of the Vajrayana, and to the systems of meditation described therein. Because of its many skillful methods of practice, tantric Buddhism is often called "the short path" to enlightenment. It is possible to attain complete Buddhahood in one lifetime through tantra.

Tathagata Tathagata is one of the Ten Titles of a Buddha, a term Buddha Shakyamuni used when speaking of himself or other Buddhas. It literally means "fully awakened one." Tathagata refers to an individual who has attained supreme enlightenment. That is, Tathagata is the Buddha in his Nirmanakaya aspect.

Ten Wisdom Forces of Buddhas Giving complete knowledge of 1) what is right or wrong in every condition; 2) what is the karma of every being, past, present, and future; 3) all stages of dhyana liberation and samadhi; 4) the powers and faculties of all beings; 5) the desires or moral direction of every being; 6) the actual condition of every individual; 7) the direction and consequences of all laws; 8) all causes of morality and of good and evil in their reality; 9) the end of all beings and nirvana; and 10) the destruction of all illusion of every kind.

Thousand Ornaments Pureland According to the Mahashiddha-Majushri-Bodhisattva-Glorious-Ornaments-Sutra this is the pureland of Da Zi Zai Wang Fo. It locates in the north eastern direction of the universe. The beings in this land are always happy and joyful and always live peacefully. see Pureland

Three Minds and Four Appearances According to the Diamond Sutra the three minds refer to the mind of the past, the present, and the future. The four appearances refer to one's own ego-selfness, the ego-selfness of another, the ego-selfness of sentient beings, and the eternal life of ego-selfness

Three poisons Greed, hatred or aversion, and ignorance. Buddha taught that from these three all the suffering of samsara arises.

Three Realms The Desire, Form, and Formless Realms. The three realms consist of a total of twenty-eight heavens. The Desire Realm comprises the gods, asuras (demi-gods), humans, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell beings. It is called the Desire Realm because beings are reborn and experience suffering within this realm due to gross attachment and desire. The Form Realm is a god realm where the beings are free from the desires of the Desire Form, but still have attachment to subtler forms and sensations. There is neither taste nor smell in the Form Realm. The beings reborn here have cultivated either various meditative absorptions or the ten wholesome actions. They are huge in "physical size" and live extremely long lives. The Formless Realm is the highest god realm, where beings have cut off attachment to both the Desire and Form Realm objects, but are still fixed on the bliss of meditation. They have no tangible bodies since they have transcended form.

Three Times The times of the past, present, and future.

Zen The Japanese way of reading the Chinese Ch'an which in turn is the version of the Sanskrit word dhyana. It refers to collectedness of mind or meditative absorption in which all dualistic distinctions are eliminated. The essential nature of Zen can be summarized in four short statements: (1) non-dependence on words and writings; (2) a special transmission outside the orthodox teachings; (3) direct pointing to the human mind/heart; leading to (4) realization of one's own nature and becoming a Buddha.

Zengong see Mahayana Zengong