Tathāgata

means Thus-being or Being in Thusness (Truth-being or being in Truth), as in the compound hasta-gata āmra (hand-being mango, mango being in the hand). It was usually translated as Thus-come (如来), and occasionally as Thus-gone (如去), usually interpreted as gone into heaven (nirvana) and come from there (as bodhi-sattvaawakening being). The reality is that he did not go to or come from anywhere, but was in thusness (truth/reality), beyond delusion (worldly convention), cp. Su-gata, Well-being, being in Wellness.

His Ten Epithets are:


 * 1) Tathāgata : Thus-being
 * 2) Arahat : Worthy One, for respect
 * 3) Sammā-sambuddha :Rightly Completely-awakened
 * 4) Vijjā-carana-sampanna :Witness-Behavior-perfected/provided, 明行足: Vision-behavior-provided
 * 5) Su-gata :Well-being, 善逝：Well-gone/passed-away
 * 6) Loka-vidū :World-knowledgeable/knower, 世間解：World-conversant
 * 7) Anuttara :Unsurpassed, 無上士：Unsurpassed-(great)person
 * 8) Purisa-damma-sārathi :Charioteer of human-control, 調御丈夫：Great-person on control
 * 9) Satthā-deva-manussānām :Teacher of Celestials and Humans
 * 10) Buddho bhagavā :Awakened Fortunate, 仏世尊：Awakened World-honored