The final state of enlightenment attained when an enlightened being (an arhat or buddha) leaves their earthly body (composed of aggregates) and “passes into nirvāṇa.” When listeners attain cessation in the arhat’s nirvāṇa without residual aggregates, all their accumulated merit and qualities come to an end. On the other hand, the virtue and qualities that bodhisattvas accumulate never come to an end but continue to be active once they attain buddhahood. +
An Indian term of veneration for someone of high spiritual attainment, used in Buddhism as an epithet of the Buddha. In its Tibetan translation, which might be conveyed in English as “Transcendent, Virtuous Conqueror,” it is defined as “he who has overcome (''bcom'') the four demons, who possesses ''(Idan)'' the six excellent qualities, and who does not dwell in either of the two extremes of samsara and nirvana but has gone beyond them (''’das'').” +
The first of the three worlds, comprising the hells, and the realms of the hungry spirits, animals, humans, demigods, and the six classes of gods of the world of desire. +
Depending on context, the extreme of saṃsāra and the extreme of nirvāṇa; the extremes of existence and nonexistence; the extremes of pleasurable indulgence and excessive austerity. +
Also called limitless āyatanas. The power, through concentration, to transfer the characteristics of the different elements, colors, space, and consciousness onto other elements, etc., thus enabling one to walk on water as if it were earth,for example. +
Mirror like gnosis (''me long lta bu’i ye shes''), gnosis of equality (''mnyam pa nyid kyi ye shes''), all-discerning gnosis (''so sor kun tu rtog pa’i ye shes), and all-accomplishing gnosis (''bya ba grub pa’i ye shes''). +
An emperor who, with his golden, silver, copper, or iron wheel, has dominion over the beings of the four continents. Universal emperors only appear in certain eras when the human life span is greater than eighty thousand years. +
This term, used in apposition to purity, covers both the truth of suffering and the truth of the origin—in other words, saṃsāra and the whole process that results in saṃsāra. It is the opposite of purity. +
lit. “one who feeds on smells.” A kind of spirit that feeds on scents. Gandharvas are also classed as inhabitants of the lowest gods’ realms, where they are renowned for their musical skills. The name is used as well for beings in the intermediate state: since they inhabit a mental body, they feed not on solid food but on odors. +