Digital Dictionary of Buddhism

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因

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: a cause

Senses:

  • That which produces a result. Cause, seed, origin, element, root. In Sarvâstivādin teachings cause is divided into six kinds; see 六因. In contrast to 'condition(s)'  緣 (pratyaya), the term refers to the primary, or most intimately related cause of an effect. In the case of the relation between 'causes' and 'conditions,'   'cause' refers to a more internal and direct cause, while 'condition' refers to external, auxiliary, and indirect causes (Skt. hetu, kāraṇa, bījatva; Tib. rgyu). Also written 宿綠 and 夙綠. [Charles Muller; source(s): Ui, Nakamura,YBh-Ind, JEBD]
  • A causal basis; (Skt. nidāna; Tib. gzhi); a basis (Skt. āgamya; Tib. brten pa). [Charles Muller; source(s): Stephen Hodge]
  • A reason; evidence. (Tib. gtan tshigs). In Indian Logic (因明 hetu-vidyā), a reason, or evidence in a syllogism (hetu). Evidence is constituted by three characteristics 因三相. Valid, inconclusive, and contradictory evidence is analyzed into nine types 九句因. For a systematic overview of the logical rules of argumentation including this term, see 能立. [Charles Muller, Stephen Hodge]
  • As a verb, to depend upon, rely on, need, request. According to, depending upon, if; in that case, then, there. [Charles Muller]
  • An abbreviation of 業因, 'karma-cause'; a good or evil act as the cause of a good or evil effect. [Charles Muller]
  • One of the '16 manners of practice'  十六行相. [Charles Muller]
  • To face or meet. [Charles Muller]
  • Religious practice. The practice of the bodhisattva based on his arousal of the mind of compassion. [Charles Muller]
  • The period of bodhisattva practice (which is the 'cause' of Buddhahood). [Charles Muller]
  • One of the ten expressions of thusness taught in the Lotus Sutra. See 十如是. [Charles Muller]
  • In the 十因十果 ten causes and ten effects, adultery results in the iron bed, the copper pillar, and the eight hot hells; covetousness in the cold hells; and so on, as shown in the 楞嚴經. [Charles Muller; source(s): Soothill]
  • (Skt. nimitta, upādāna, pratītya, upâdāya; adhikāra, apekṣya, abhiniṣyanda, ākṣepa, ārambaṇa, āśrita, upakrama, upaniṣad, upaniṣad-bhāva, upāya, kāraṇatas, kāraṇatva, kāraṇa-pratyaya-hetuka, kāraṇa-bhāva, kāraṇa-bhūta, nimittatva, nimitta-bhūta, paryāya, pratyaya, pratyaya-bhāva, prasaṅga, plotika, phalasyârthaḥ, bīja, mūla, mūla-hetu, yoga, vīja, samāśrita, samutthâna, samudācāra, saṃbhava, sahetuka, sādhana, sādhāraṇatva, hetuka, hetukatva, hetu-kāraṇa, hetutā, hetutva, hetu-dāyikā, hetu-bhāva, hetu-bhūta, hetumattva, hetoḥ, hetv-artha) [Charles Muller; source(s): Hirakawa]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 52

    Bulgyo sajeon 728a

    Zengaku daijiten (Komazawa U.) 54c

    Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha) 128a/140

    Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 69b

    Fo Guang Dictionary 2269

    Ding Fubao

    Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa) 0283

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 91-1

    Sanskrit-Tibetan Index for the Yogâcārabhūmi-śāstra (Yokoyama and Hirosawa)

    (Soothill's) Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms 205

    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: 1993-09-01

    Updated: 2023-08-21