Imaginary: 1 definition
Introduction:
Imaginary means something in Buddhism, Pali. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
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In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Imaginary (phenomena) refers to one of the “Three Natures” or “Three Characteristics” (in Cittamātra ontology) representing the three types of phenomena which are known in Tibetan mtshan nyid gsum.—The Cittamātrins assert that dharmas established from their own side, without being merely imputed by thought, are specifically characterized, established by their own characteristics, and truly established; while dharmas established as mere imputations by thought are the reverse. They assert both the dependent nature and the thoroughly established nature as truly established, and the imaginary nature as non–truly established. These are the three “natures” or “characteristics” [e.g., imaginary phenomena (kun btags, parikalpita)] into which, according to Cittamātrins, all existents may be divided.
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Full-text (+277): Kalpanika, Manahkalpita, Gandharvanagara, Mithyaphala, Grahani, Manasika, Apahnuti, Kalpanasrishti, Udranga, Parikalpita, Asatya, Vandhya, Viparyasa, Javara, Trilakshana, Khvaba, Kalpana, Pratitika, Manakanthe, Gadhamta.
Relevant text
Search found 289 books and stories containing Imaginary; (plurals include: Imaginaries). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Intercultural Competence < [Volume 14, Issue 6 (2023)]
(De)Globalization, the Global Imaginary, and Religious Narratives < [Volume 16, Issue 1 (2025)]
Catholic Eschatological Imagination and the Mystics of Fire < [Volume 13, Issue 3 (2022)]
Enhancing Spatial Imaginaries of Metropolitan Renaissance < [Volume 14, Issue 13 (2022)]
Obduracy and Change in Urban Transport—Understanding Competition Between... < [Volume 11, Issue 21 (2019)]
Approach to the Imaginaries of Agroecology in Paraguay < [Volume 14, Issue 12 (2022)]
Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies
Davis, Erik W. Deathpower < [Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies 4.1 (2021)]
‘Introduction’ to the Forthcoming Histories of Chan (Zen) < [Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies 5.2 (2022)]
The Mystery of Wealth and the Role of Divinities < [Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies 2.2 (2019)]
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (MDPI)
Children’s Imaginaries of Human-Robot Interaction in Healthcare < [Volume 15, Issue 5 (2018)]
Affective–Sexual Relationships for Money beyond Prostitution < [Volume 18, Issue 23 (2021)]
Application of Metaverse Service to Healthcare Industry: A Strategic Perspective < [Volume 19, Issue 20 (2022)]
The Impacts of Modernity upon Religiosity: A Critical Study of Charles Taylor < [Issue 14 (2018)]
The Religious Imagination: An “Enlightened” Approach < [Issue 1 (2025)]
Psychoanalytic Theories of Religion in Protestant Contexts < [Issue 4 (2013)]
History of Science in South Asia
Review: Minakshi Menon (ed.), Indigenous Knowledges and Colonial Sciences in South Asia < [Vol. 11 (2023)]
Bhāskara I on the Construction of the Armillary Sphere < [Vol. 3 (2015)]
The Units of Time in Ancient and Medieval India < [Vol. 5 No. 1 (2017)]
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