文殊師利所說摩訶般若波羅蜜經 · 名相Glossary

the TathāgataMañjuśrī rightly contemplates the Tathāgata through 「如如相不異相」— “the mark of suchness, a mark not different [from suchness]” — without falling into the marks of movement or action, arising or ceasing, existence or nonexistence, location, the three times, duality or nonduality, and defilement or purity〔T08 0726b〕.

suchnessIn the “Seeing the Tathāgata” section, the base text has 「如如相不異相」— “the mark of suchness, a mark not different [from suchness]”〔T08 0726b〕; Saṅghabhara has 如如實際, and Xuanzang has 真如相.

right contemplationMañjuśrī says: 「我樂正觀利益眾生」— “I delight in rightly contemplating for the benefit of sentient beings”〔T08 0726b〕; contemplation and benefiting sentient beings stand in the same passage.

the realm of sentient beingsBecause no fixed mark of a sentient being can be attained, 「眾生界亦不增不減」— “the realm of sentient beings neither increases nor decreases”〔T08 0726c〕; its mark, measure, place, and abode likewise cannot be fixed by grasping.

the dharma of non-abiding / the mark of non-abidingThe sūtra says: 「以不住法為住般若波羅蜜」— “take the dharma of non-abiding as abiding in prajñā-pāramitā,” and 「以無住相，即住般若波羅蜜」— “through the mark of non-abiding, one abides in prajñā-pāramitā”〔T08 0726c〕.

prajñā-pāramitā; the perfection of wisdomThe sūtra calls it boundless and without limit, without name or mark, like the dharma-realm and without division, boundary, or number; it also names it the sphere of practice of a bodhisattva-mahāsattva〔T08 0731a〕.

awakening「法界之相即是菩提」— “The mark of the dharma-realm is precisely awakening,” and 「一切法空即是菩提」— “The emptiness of all dharmas is precisely awakening”〔T08 0728b〕. Its nature and mark are empty and quiescent, with no fixed realizer, knower, or attainer.

unsurpassed perfect awakeningThe sūtra repeatedly speaks of swift attainment, yet also says that within awakening no Buddha is attained and that it is attained neither through a cause nor through a non-cause〔T08 0731c〕.

the dharma-realmSpoken together with awakening, the emptiness of all dharmas, prajñā, the inconceivable, the signless, and neither arising nor ceasing; 「世尊即是法界」— “The World-Honored One is precisely the dharma-realm”〔T08 0728b〕.

the reality-limit「一切業緣皆住實際」— “All karmic conditions abide in the reality-limit”〔T08 0728b〕; the sūtra also answers “What is the reality-limit?” with 「身見等是實際」— “The view of a self in the body and the rest are the reality-limit”〔T08 0727c〕.

inconceivableThe Buddhas’ single mark, the Tathāgata, ordinary beings, and every mark of mind are all called inconceivable〔T08 0729a〕; the inconceivable is also spoken of together with prajñā, the dharma-realm, and the signless.

inconceivable samādhiIn initial training the mind is bound to one object; once long practice is accomplished, no further deliberate mental image remains and one is constantly together with concentration. Its mark cannot be attained〔T08 0729c〕.

samādhi of mastery in awakeningOn attaining this samādhi, one illuminates profound buddha-dharmas, knows the names of Buddhas, and comprehends Buddha-worlds without obstruction〔T08 0731a〕. No full Sanskrit compound is reconstructed.

single-practice samādhiThe sūtra itself defines it: 「法界一相，繫緣法界，是名一行三昧。」— “The dharma-realm has a single mark; bind the attention to the dharma-realm. This is called the single-practice samādhi.”〔T08 0731a〕No ancient transmitted full-compound sound is attached to the whole term.

the single mark of the dharma-realmIt occurs with “bind the attention to the dharma-realm” as the first half of the defining sentence for single-practice samādhi〔T08 0731a〕.

bind the attention to the dharma-realmThe second half of the defining sentence; the passage unfolds it through first hearing prajñā, cultivating as taught, binding the mind to one Buddha, and continuing recollection from thought to thought〔T08 0731a–b〕.

recollect one BuddhaThe sūtra says 「繫心一佛，專稱名字」— “bind the mind to one Buddha and exclusively invoke that Buddha’s name,” and 「能於一佛念念相續」— “keep recollection of one Buddha continuous from thought to thought”〔T08 0731b〕. Recollection and invoking the name are not arbitrarily separated.

the one suchnessThe Buddhas 「皆乘一如，成最正覺」— “all ride upon the one suchness and accomplish perfect awakening”〔T08 0731b〕; this explains why the merit of recollecting one Buddha is nondual with that of the Buddhas of the three times.

field of merit / unsurpassed field of meritThe Tathāgata is an inexhaustible field of merit and an inexhaustible mark; the sūtra also says: 「非福田非不福田，是名福田」— “Neither a field of merit nor not a field of merit: this is named a field of merit.”〔T08 0729b〕

plant seeds of goodnessTo cultivate goodness in accord with Dharma within the inconceivable field of merit; 「如是植種，名無增無減」— “Planting seeds in this way is named neither increase nor decrease.”〔T08 0729b〕

non-retrogressive acceptance of dharmasThe sūtra defines it: 「不見少法有生滅相，名不退法忍。」— “To see no slightest dharma bearing a mark of arising or ceasing is called non-retrogressive acceptance of dharmas.”〔T08 0728b〕

non-retrogressive wisdom / wisdom without fabricationThe Buddha names knowing in this way non-retrogressive wisdom; Mañjuśrī then says 「無作智名不退智」— “Wisdom without fabrication is named non-retrogressive wisdom”〔T08 0730a〕and illustrates its manifestation with the gold-ingot simile.

the bhikṣu with nothing left to tameBecause all bonds are exhausted and there is nothing further to tame, the sūtra gives an arhat whose outflows are exhausted this name〔T08 0728b–c〕.

an arhat whose outflows are exhaustedThe sūtra first explains the exhaustion of outflows through the exhaustion of all bonds; Mañjuśrī then explains the name through cutting off the desire to seek the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha vehicles〔T08 0728c〕.

Dharma-seal / signless Dharma-sealOne who hears prajñā without alarm or fear and gives rise to trust and understanding is sealed by the Buddha; at the close the sūtra says 「無相法印不可讚毀」— “The signless Dharma-seal can neither be praised nor disparaged.”〔T08 0732c〕

receive and keepSpoken together with reciting, explaining to others, and following the true mark〔T08 0732b〕; Śakra’s vow likewise lists trust and understanding, receiving and keeping, recitation, and exposition.

four-line verseThe smallest unit of the sūtra expressly named for receiving and keeping: it is to be received and kept, recited, explained to others, and followed in accord with the true mark〔T08 0732b〕.

an illusion-like personThe sūtra’s own simile for a hearer who neither thinks nor clings and has neither hearing nor attainment; the next sentence says 「聽者莫作二相」— “Let the hearer not make two marks.”〔T08 0732a〕

acceptance of the non-arising of dharmasThe attainment of sixteen thousand people after the earth-tremor in the Field of Merit section〔T08 0729b〕; the section gives no further definition.

the purified Dharma-eyeAttained after the earth-tremor by seven hundred bhikṣus, three thousand upāsakas, forty thousand upāsikās, and devas of the six desire heavens〔T08 0729b〕.

the six perfectionsFor those who trust, delight in, hear, and receive profound prajñā without weariness, the sūtra lists giving, ethical discipline, patience, diligent effort, meditation, and prajñā〔T08 0727c–0728a〕.