In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Vīryendriya (वीर्येन्द्रिय) refers to the “faculty of exertion” and represents one of the five faculties (pañcendriya) forming part of the thirty-seven auxiliaries to enlightenment (bodhipākṣika), according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter XXXI.—Accordingly, “he does not spare his own life (kāyajīvita) and seeks enlightenment wholeheartedly (ekacittena): this is called ‘faculty of exertion’ (vīryendriya)”.

Also, “when the Yogin practices the Path and the dharmas adjuvant to the Path and exerts himself without stopping, that is the faculty of exertion (vīryendriya)”.

context information

Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara Samadhi

Vīryendriya (वीर्येन्द्रिय) or “faculty of effort” is associated with Kharvarī and Amitābha, according to the Cakrasaṃvara-maṇḍala or Saṃvaramaṇḍala of Abhayākaragupta’s Niṣpannayogāvalī, p. 45 and n. 145; (Cf. Cakrasaṃvaratantra, Gray, David B., 2007).—The Cakrasaṃvara mandala has a total of sixty-two deities. [...] Three concentric circles going outward, the body, speech and mind wheels (kāya-vāka-citta), in the order: mind (blue), speech (red), and body (white), with eight Ḍākinīs each in non-dual union with their Ḍākas, "male consorts".

Associated elements of Kharvarī and Amitābha:

Circle: kāyacakra (mind-wheel) (blue);
Ḍākinī (female consort): Kharvarī;
Ḍāka (male consort): Amitābha;
Bīja: rāṃ;
Body-part: glabella;
Pīṭha: Rāmeśvarī;
Bodily constituent: asthīni (bones);
Bodhipakṣa (wings of enlightenment): vīryendriya (faculty of effort).

context information

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.

General definition (in Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-samgraha

Vīryendriya (वीर्येन्द्रिय) or simply Vīrya refers to the “faculty of energy” and represents one of the “five faculties” (pañcendriya) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 47), itself forming part of the “thirty-seven things on the side of awakening” (bodhipākṣika-dharma). The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (e.g., vīrya-indriya). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Virya, Indriya.

Full-text: Pancendriya, Ram, Rameshvari, Amitabha, Kharvari, Asthini, Virya.

Relevant text

Search found 3 books and stories containing Viryendriya, Vīryendriya, Virya-indriya, Vīrya-indriya; (plurals include: Viryendriyas, Vīryendriyas, indriyas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)

Part 1 - The nature of exertion (vīryalakṣaṇa) < [Chapter XXVII - The Virtue of Exertion]

E.4. The Five Faculties (pañcendriya) < [Abhidharma auxiliaries (E): Detailed study of the auxiliaries]

Part 2 - The benefits of exertion < [Chapter XXVI - Exertion]

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The Mahavastu (great story) (by J. J. Jones)

Chapter XXIX - From Uruvilvā to Benares < [Volume III]

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A Dictionary Of Chinese Buddhist Terms (by William Edward Soothill)

Part 2 - Two Strokes

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