Digital Dictionary of Buddhism

DDB Top Page 
 
 
  XML source

五十三善知識

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: fifty-three spiritual guides

Senses:

  • The fifty-three wise ones mentioned in the “Entering the Realm of Reality” 入法界 chapter of the Huayan jing whom, by the instruction of Mañjuśrī, are visited by the boy named Sudhana-śreṣṭhi-dāraka 善財童子. They include five monks, a nun, four female lay-devotees, two kings, nine rich men, two householders, three women, four boys, a girl, two Brahmins, a seer, a non-Buddhist, a ship-carpenter, eleven gods, a goddess, and five bodhisattvas. Sudhana visits all of them in one hundred and ten cities in order to accomplish all the samādhis and master all approaches to the Dharma. Also written 五十三參. They are also counted at 54 and 55 depending if any are grouped. See, for example 五十五善知識:
    1. Meghaśrī bhikṣu 德雲比丘
    2. Sāgaramegha bhikṣu 海雲比丘
    3. Supratiṣṭhita bhikṣu 善住比丘
    4. Mahāsattva Meghadramida 彌伽大士
    5. Gṛhapati or the rich man Vimuktikaśresthin 解脫長者
    6. Sāgaradhvaja bhikṣu 海幢比丘
    7. Upāsikā Āśā 休捨優婆夷
    8. Seer Bhīsmôttaranirghoṣa 毘目瞿沙仙人
    9. Brahmin Jayôsmāya 勝熱婆羅門
    10. Maitrâyaṇī maiden 慈行童女
    11. Sudarśana bhikṣu 善見比丘
    12. Boy Indriyêśvara 自在主童子
    13. Upāsikā Prabhūtā 具足優婆夷
    14. Layman Vidvan 明智居士
    15. Elder Ratnacūda 法寶髻長者
    16. Gṛhapati Samantanetra 普眼長者
    17. King Anala 無厭足王
    18. King Mahāprabhā 大光王
    19. Upāsikā Acalā 不動優婆夷
    20. tīrthika or the outer path practitioner Sarvagāmin 徧行外道
    21. Gṛhapati Utpalabhūti 鬻香長者
    22. Ācārya Vairocana 婆施羅船師; also called 自在海師
    23. Gṛhapati Jayôttama 無上勝長者
    24. Bhikṣuṇī Sijhavijrmbhitā 師子頻申比丘尼
    25. Lady Vasumitra 婆須蜜多女
    26. Layman Veṣṭhila 鞞瑟胝羅居士
    27. Avalokitêśvara Bodhisattva 觀自在菩薩
    28. Ananyagāmin Bodhisattva 正趣菩薩
    29. Mahādeva 大天神
    30. Sthāvarā-deva 安住地神
    31. Vasantī-deva 婆珊婆演底主夜神, a.k.a. 婆娑陀夜天
    32. Samantagambhīra-śrīvimalaprabhā-deva 普德淨光主夜神
    33. Pramuditanayanajagad-virocanā-deva 喜目觀察衆生主夜神
    34. Samantasattva-trānojahśrī-deva 普救衆生妙德夜神
    35. Praśāntaruta-sāgaravatī-deva 寂靜音海主夜神
    36. Sarvanagararaksā-sambhava-tejahśrī-deva 守護一切衆生主夜神
    37. Sarvavṛkṣa-praphullanasukhasajvāsā-deva 開敷一切樹花主夜神
    38. Sarvajagadraksī-pranidhānavīryaprabhā-deva 大願精進力救護一切衆生夜神
    39. Sutejômaṇḍalaratiśrī-deva 妙德圓滿神
    40. Lady Gopā 釋迦瞿波女
    41. Lady Māyā 摩耶夫人
    42. Maiden Surendrābhā 王女天主光
    43. Boy Viśvāmitra 徧友童子師
    44. Boy Śilpâbhijña 善知衆藝童子
    45. Upāsikā Bhadrôttamā 賢勝優婆夷
    46. Gṛhapati Muktāsāra 堅固解脫長者
    47. Gṛhapati Sucandra 妙月長者
    48. Gṛhapati Ajitasena 無勝軍長者
    49. Brahmin Śivarâgra 最寂靜婆羅門
    50. Boy Śrīsambhava and maiden Śrīmatī 德生童子及有德童女
    51. Maitreya Bodhisattva 彌勒菩薩
    52. Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva 文殊師利菩薩
    53. Samantabhadra Bodhisattva 普賢菩薩
    [Charles Muller, Jimmy Yu; source(s): JEBD, Nakamura,Yokoi]
  • Search SAT
  • Search INBUDS Database

    • Feedback

    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 276

    Bulgyo sajeon 614a

    Zengaku daijiten (Komazawa U.) 345b

    Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha) 82b/90

    Japanese-English Zen Buddhist Dictionary (Yokoi) 166

    Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 366d

    Ding Fubao {Digital Version}

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 1064-2

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 2007-09-05

    Updated: 2012-07-02