also: しゅじ
seed; bija
Buddhist term for a seed or potentiality, often used metaphorically for the latent capacity for enlightenment or karmic seeds. The reading しゅうじ is especially common for this sense.
In Yogācāra, it is taught that good and bad seeds are perfumed into the ālaya-vijñāna.
seed syllable; bīja mantra
In esoteric Buddhism, a Sanskrit syllable representing a Buddha or Bodhisattva, used in meditation and ritual. The reading しゅじ is especially common for this sense.
The seed syllable of Mahāvairocana is 'a'.
Standard kanji spelling for both Buddhist senses; reading しゅうじ is more common for the general seed sense, while しゅじ is more common for the seed syllable sense.
Alternate reading, especially common for the seed syllable sense.
From Middle Chinese 種子 (tsyowngX tsiX, “seed”). The Buddhist meanings are translations of Sanskrit bīja.