Glossary

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Pratyeka Buddha

A self-enlightened being, one who has attained enlightenment by contemplating dependent origination.

Paramitas

"Perfections" or ways for "reaching the other shore."

Parinirvana

While in Sanskrit this word has several possible meanings, in accordance with the word’s traditional use in Buddhist English, in this book parinirvān .a refers specifically to the postmortem state of a being who is not subject to rebirth.

Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch

A scripture attributed to the seventh-century Ch'an master, Hui-Neng. Hui-Neng was the sixth patriarch in the Ch'an school, and perhaps the most famous of Chinese patriarchs.

Primitive Buddhism

A term coined by Japanese scholars meaning one of the following: 1. The Buddhism existing from the historical Buddha’s first teaching until one to two hundred years after his passing away. 2. Buddhism as it existed between the periods of fundamental Buddhism and sectarian Buddhism. (Also translated “early Buddhism” or “original Buddhism.”)

Pure Talk

A kind of witty, philosophical conversation and debate in third and fourth century China, in which semantic and metaphysical topics were addressed. Dark learning was frequently one of those topics.

Pure Abodes

The top five heavens in the realm of form, also called heavens of the pure.

Pure Land

(Sanskrit: Sukhavati) the land of Supreme Bliss, or the Western Paradise of Amitabha Buddha. It is a pure realm perfected by the power of Amitabha Buddha's vow to save living beings. Through Amitabha's grace, any person who sincerely invokes his name and expresses the wish to be born there will be reborn in the Pure Land.