Names
Names of The Buddha
Aśvaghoṣa in his Buddhacarita gives a long list of names for the Buddha:
Aśvaghoṣa in his Buddhacarita gives a long list of names for the Buddha:
- Buddha
- Self-existent
- Lord of Law (Dharmaraja)
- Nayaka
- Vinayaka
- Caravan Leader
- Jina (Victorious One)
- The Master-giver of Dharma
- The Teacher
- Master of the Dharma
- The Lord of the World
- The consoler
- The loving-regarder [cf. Avalokiteshvara,]
- The Hero
- The champion
- The victorious one in conflict
- Light of the World
- Illuminator of the Knowledge of True Wisdom
- The dispeller of the darkness of ignorance
- Illuminator of the Great Torch
- Great Physician
- Great Seer
- The Healer
- Attainer of the Great Vehicle (Mahayana)
- Lord of all Dharma
- The Ruler
- Monarch of All Worlds
- The Sovereign
- Lord of all wisdom
- The wise
- the destroyer of the pride of all disputers
- The omniscient
- The Arhat
- Possessor of Perfect Knowledge
- The Great Buddha
- Lord of Saints
- The Victorious
- The Perfect Buddha
- Sugata
- The wise one who fulfills the wishes of all beings
- The ruler of the world, bearer of the world
- Master of the world
- Sovereign of the world
- Teacher of the world
- Preceptor of the world
- The Fount of Nectar
- The powerful luminary
- Bringer of all virtue and all real wealth
- Possessor of perfect excellence and all good qualities
- The guide on the road of wisdom who shows the way to Nirvana
- Tathagata without stain, without attachment
- Without uncertainty
Originally every Buddha had ten thousand names. In time these ten thousand names were reduced to one thousand because people got confused trying to remember them all. For a while every Buddha had a thousand names, but people still couldn’t remember so many, so they were again reduced to one hundred names. Every Buddha had a hundred different names and living beings had a hard time remembering them, so they were shortened again to ten.
