Asaṃkhyeya

Top

Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia

An asaṃkhyeya (Sanskrit: असंख्येय) is a Hindu/Buddhist name for the number 10¹⁴⁰ or alternatively for the number $10^{(a\cdot2^b)}$ as it is listed in the Avatamsaka Sutra where the values are a=5,b=103 in the translation of Buddhabhadra, a=7,b=103 in that of Shikshananda and a=10,b=104 in that of Thomas Cleary who makes errors in the calculation.

Asamkhyeya is a Sanskrit word that appears often in the Buddhist texts. For example, Shakyamuni Buddha is said to have practiced for three great asamkhyeya kalpas before becoming a Buddha. Asamkhyeya means ‘incalculable’. Bhiksu Jin Yong "How Large is One Asamkhyeya?"

The word "asaṃkhyeya" literally means "innumerable" in the sense of "infinite" in Sanskrit. It is also a title of Vishnu and of Shiva. The word comes up in Vishnu Sahasranama Stanza 27, "Asankyeyo-aprameyaatmaa" One who has innumerable names and forms.

v t e Buddhism topics

Outline Portal Category Glossary Index

Foundations	Three Jewels Buddha Dharma Sangha Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Nirvana Middle Way

The Buddha	Tathāgata Birthday Four sights Physical characteristics Footprint Iconography Films Miracles Family Suddhodana (father) Maya (mother) Yasodhara (wife) Rahula (son) Places where the Buddha stayed Buddha in world religions

Key concepts	Three Marks of Existence Impermanence Suffering Not-self Dependent Origination Five Aggregates Karma Rebirth Saṃsāra Saṅkhāra Defilements Ignorance Craving Five Hindrances Ten Fetters Faculties Enlightenment (Awakening) Parinirvana Thusness Two truths doctrine Emptiness Bodhicitta Bodhisattva Buddha-nature Mindstream Dzogchen

Cosmology	Ten spiritual realms Six Realms Heaven Human realm Asura realm Hungry Ghost realm Animal realm Hell Three planes of existence

Practices	Refuge Buddhist devotion Puja Offerings Prostration Chanting Merit Paritta Generosity Renunciation Morality Precepts Bodhisattva vows Patimokkha Threefold Training Morality Concentration Wisdom Four Divine Abidings Loving-kindness Compassion Sympathetic joy Equanimity Perfections Enlightenment Qualities Seven Factors of Enlightenment Bases of Power Five Strengths Faith Effort Four Right Exertions Mindfulness Satipatthana Jhāna Dhyāna Bhavana Meditation Kammaṭṭhāna Recollection Smarana Mindfulness of Breathing Serenity meditation Insight meditation Shikantaza Zazen Kōan Mandala Tonglen Tantra Tertön Terma

Attainment	Types of Buddha Private Buddha Bodhisattva Four stages of enlightenment Stream-enterer Once-returner Non-returner Arahant

Monasticism	Monk Nun Novice monk Novice nun Anagarika Ajahn Sayadaw Zen master Rōshi Lama Rinpoche Geshe Tulku Householder Lay follower Disciple

Major figures	Gautama Buddha Sāriputta Mahamoggallāna Ananda Maha Kassapa Anuruddha Mahakaccana Nanda Subhuti Punna Upali Mahapajapati Gotami Khema Uppalavanna Buddhaghosa Nagasena Bodhidharma Nagarjuna Asanga Vasubandhu Atisha Padmasambhava Nichiren Dalai Lama

Texts	Tipitaka Vinaya Pitaka Sutta Pitaka Abhidhamma Pitaka Commentaries Visuddhimagga Mahayana sutras Chinese Buddhist canon Tripitaka Koreana Tibetan Buddhist canon

Branches	Theravada Mahayana Zen Pure Land Tiantai Nichiren Madhyamaka Yogacara Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhism Shingon Early Buddhist schools Pre-sectarian Buddhism Basic points unifying Theravada and Mahayana

Lands	Bangladesh Bhutan Burma Cambodia China India Indonesia Japan Korea Laos Malaysia Mongolia Nepal Pakistan Russia Singapore Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Tibet Vietnam Middle East Iran Western countries Australia France United Kingdom United States

History	Timeline Buddhist councils History of Buddhism in India Decline of Buddhism in India Ashoka the Great Greco-Buddhism Buddhism and the Roman world Silk Road transmission of Buddhism Persecution of Buddhists Women in Buddhism Buddhism in the West Buddhist modernism

Philosophy	Abhidharma Logic Buddhology Eschatology Reality God Humanism Engaged Buddhism Socialism Anarchism Economics Atomism Evolution Ethics Fourteen unanswerable questions

Culture	Art Greco-Buddhist art Poetry Buddha statue Budai Symbolism Dharmacakra Flag Bhavacakra Thangka Prayer wheel Mala Mudra Mantra Om mani padme hum Music Holidays Vesak Uposatha Magha Puja Asalha Puja Rains retreat Monastic robe Architecture Vihara Wat Stupa Pagoda Thai temple art and architecture Pilgrimage Lumbini Bodh Gaya Sarnath Kushinagar Bodhi Tree Mahabodhi Temple Calendar Cuisine Vegetarianism

Miscellaneous	Lineage Maitreya Avalokiteśvara Guan Yin Amitābha Brahmā Māra Dhammapada Vinaya Sutra Hinayana Liturgical languages Pali Sanskrit Dharma talk Kalpa Higher Knowledge Supernormal Powers

Buddhism and:	Science Psychology Hinduism Jainism East Asian religions Christianity Theosophy Gnosticism

Lists	Buddhas Twenty-eight Buddhas Bodhisattvas Buddhists Suttas Books Temples

This number article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Donate to Wikimedia

Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

Copyrights:

Cite

Wikipedia on Answers.com This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Asaṃkhyeya. Read