This was an important early site, located outside Śrāvastī, for the Buddha’s growing community. Anāthapiṇḍada, a wealthy patron of the Buddha, purchased the park at great cost, purportedly covering the ground with gold, and donated it to the saṅgha. It was there that the Buddha spent several rainy seasons and gave discourses that were later recorded as sūtras. It was also the site for one of the first Buddhist monasteries.

One of the six root afflictions (Skt. mūlakleśa), often listed as one of the three poisons (Skt. triviṣa) along with anger (Skt. dveṣa) and delusion (Skt. moha). In this text, attachment is one of the three unworthy qualities because it impedes generosity and thus destroys merit.

An Indian paṇḍita who participated in translations during the reign of King Trisong Detsen (khri srong lde btsan, r. 742–98 ce). Together with Jinamitra and Jñānagarbha, he translated the Mahāyāna mahāparanirvāṇa sūtra from Sanskrit into Tibetan.

One of the eleven virtuous mental factors (Skt. kuśala). Heedful attention to virtuous qualities.

In Buddhist literature, an epithet applied to buddhas, most often to Śākyamuni. The Sanskrit term generally means “possessing fortune,” but in Buddhist contexts it implies that a buddha is in possession of six auspicious qualities (bhaga) associated with complete awakening. The Tibetan term—where bcom is said to refer to “subduing” the four māras, ldan to “possessing” the great qualities of buddhahood, and ’das to “going beyond” saṃsāra and nirvāṇa—reflects the commentarial tradition whereby the Sanskrit bhagavat is interpreted, in addition, as “one who destroys [the four māras].” This is achieved either by reading bhagavat as bhagnavat (“one who broke”), or by tracing the word bhaga to the root √bhañj (“to break”).

A master of the Sakya school who lived 1290–1364. He was an influential scholar, historian, and compiler and cataloger of the canon. A key figure in the emergence of the Kangyur and Tengyur collections.

One of the twenty secondary afflictions (Skt. upakleśa). Disregard for virtuous qualities. In this text, carelessness is one of the three unworthy qualities because it impedes generosity and thus destroys merit.

A Tibetan scholar of the early Kadam school who lived 1227–1305. He composed a history of Buddhism in India and Tibet in 1261 and compiled a catalog of Buddhist canonical texts in 1295.

In a general sense, morally virtuous or disciplined conduct and the abandonment of morally undisciplined conduct of body, speech, and mind. Such discipline is the cause for rebirth in higher, more favorable states, but it is also foundational to Buddhist practice as one of the three trainings (triśikṣā) and one of the six perfections of a bodhisattva. The term can also refer to specific ethical precepts undertaken, such as the five precepts. Often rendered as “ethics,” “discipline,” and “morality.”

The first of the six or ten perfections, often explained as the essential starting point and training for the practice of the other perfections.

One of the five or six classes of sentient beings, dominated by exaltation, frivolousness, and pride. According to Buddhist cosmology, the gods live in many divine realms within the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm.

The fortunate rebirth states of humans and gods (Skt. deva) that occur as a result of creating virtuous actions.

One of the six classes of sentient beings engendered by anger and powerful negative actions. Hell beings are dominated by great suffering and said to dwell in different hells with specific characteristics.

Jinamitra was invited to Tibet during the reign of King Trisong Detsen (khri srong lde btsan, r. 742–98 ce) and was involved with the translation of nearly two hundred texts, continuing into the reign of King Ralpachen (ral pa can, r. 815–38 ce). He was one of the small group of paṇḍitas responsible for the Mahāvyutpatti Sanskrit-Tibetan dictionary. He is also the author of the Nyāyabindu­piṇḍārtha (Toh 4233), which is contained in the Tengyur (bstan ’gyur).

The unfortunate rebirth states of hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals that occur as a result of creating nonvirtuous actions.

Wholesome tendencies imprinted in the mind as a result of positive and skillful thoughts, words, and actions that ripen in the experience of happiness and well-being.

One of the twenty secondary afflictions (Skt. upakleśa). In this text, miserliness is one of the three unworthy qualities because it impedes generosity and thus destroys merit.

One of the eleven virtuous mental factors (Skt. kuśala). The opposite of craving or greed (Skt. lobha), which is synonymous with attachment (Skt. rāga).

Literally “offering and giving.” The Yajur Veda (Tib. mchod sbyin gyi rig byed) was one of the four Vedas of the Brahmans concerned with rites for making offerings to gods and giving donations to the less fortunate.

Paltsek (eighth to early ninth century), from the village of Kawa north of Lhasa, was one of Tibet’s preeminent translators of the early diffusion (snga dar). He was one of the first seven Tibetans to be ordained by Śāntarakṣita and is counted among Guru Rinpoche’s twenty-five close disciples. In a famous verse by Ngok Lotsawa Loden Sherab, Kawa Paltsek is named along with Chokro Lui Gyaltsen and Zhang (or Nanam) Yeshé Dé as part of a group of translators whose skills were surpassed only by Vairotsana.He translated works from a wide variety of genres, including sūtra, śāstra, vinaya, and tantra, and was an author himself. Paltsek was also one of the most important editors of the early period, one of nine translators installed by King Trisong Detsen (khri srong lde btsan, r. 742–98 ce) to supervise the translation of the Tripiṭaka and help catalog translated works for two of the three imperial catalogs, the Denkarma (ldan kar ma) and the Samye Chimpuma (bsam yas mchims phu ma). In the colophons of his works, he is often known as Paltsek Rakṣita (rak+Shi ta).

A grove that was bought by the Buddha’s wealthy follower and supporter Anāthapiṇḍada from a prince named Jeta and donated to the Buddha and his saṅgha (the story of the purchase and the events leading up to it are told in the Cullavagga of the Pali Vinaya).

The capital of the ancient Indian kingdom of Kośala and the setting for many sūtras, as the Buddha spent most rainy seasons outside the city. It has been identified with the present-day Sāhet Māhet in Uttar Pradesh on the banks of the river Rapti.

One of the standard epithets of the Buddha Śākyamuni. According to Buddhaghoṣa, the term means that the way the Buddha went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su) and where he went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su).