Glossary from The Great Image

From RangjungYesheWiki

Contents 1 Glossary from The Great Image 2 A 3 B 4 C 5 D 6 E 7 F 8 G 9 H 10 I - J 11 K 12 L 13 M 14 N 15 O - P 16 R - S 17 T 18 U - V 19 W - Y

Glossary from The Great Image

The Great Image

compiled by Ani Jinpa Palmo [AJP] from The Great Image. (rje btsun thams chad mkhyen pa bE ro tsa na'i rnam thar 'dra 'bag chen mo). ISBN 1-59030-069-6

hyperlinks have been inserted

still needs to be pasted into individual pages

A

• Abbot — mkhan po, in general the transmitter of the monastic vows. This title is also given to a person who has attained a high degree of knowledge of Dharma and is authorized to teach it. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Abbot Rabnang — mkhan po rab snang. One of the Indian Dzogchen lineage masters, who was a disciple of the prostitute Barani and the teacher of abbot Maharaja. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Abhidharma, Skt. — mngon pa, the third section of the Tripitaka (the other two are Vinaya and Sutras). Systematic teachings on metaphysics, focusing on the training of discriminating knowledge by analyzing elements of experience and investigating the nature of existing things. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Absolute truth — don dam, the ultimate nature of the mind and the true status of all phenomena, the state beyond all conceptual constructs that can be known only by primordial wisdom and in a manner that transcends duality. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Accomplishment — dngos grub, Skt. siddhi, accomplishment is described as either supreme or common. Supreme accomplishment is the attainment of buddhahood. Common accomplishments are the miraculous powers acquired in the course of spiritual training. The attainment of these powers, which are similar in kind to those acquired by the practitioners of some non-Buddhist traditions, are not regarded as ends in themselves. When they arise, however, they are taken as signs of progress on the path and are employed for the benefit of the teachings and disciples. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Adhichitta, Skt. — sems lhag can, Prahevajra's previous incarnation in the celestial realms. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Aeon,– bskal pa, Skt. kalpa, world age, cosmic cycle. A great kalpa corresponds to a cycle of formation and destruction of a universe, and is divided into eighty intermediate kalpas. An intermediate kalpa is composed of one small kalpa during which lifespan etc. increases and one small kalpa during which it decreases. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Aggregates - phung po, Skt. skandhas, the five aggregates are the basic component elements of form, feeling, perception, conditioning factors and consciousness. When they appear together, the illusion of self is produced in the ignorant mind. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Akanishta, Skt. — 'og min, literally "which is not below," the Unexcelled Buddhafield. In general, the highest of all buddhafields; according to Vajrayana, the place where bodhisattvas attain final buddhahood. There are, in fact, six levels of Akanishta, ranging from the highest heaven of the form realm up to the ultimate pure land of the dharmakaya. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Ala Zenkar Rinpoche - a lags gzan dkar rin po che, great Nyingmapa scholar from Eastern Tibet who is said to be an emanation of Do Khyentse and at present lives in New York. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• All-ground consciousness - kun gzhi'i rnam shes, Skt. alaya-vijnana, consciousness as the ground of all experience. According to the Mahayana, the all-ground is the fundamental and indeterminate level of the mind in which karmic imprints are stored. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Ananda, Skt. — kun dga' bo, he was the son of Buddha Shakyamuni's uncle and became the Buddha's personal attendant. He could remember every word the Buddha spoke, compiled his teachings, and served as the second patriarch in the oral transmission of the Dharma. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Anandagarbha, Skt. — kun dga' snying po, see Adhichitta. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Anu Yoga, Skt. — rjes su rnal 'byor, the second of the inner tantras, according to the system of nine vehicles used in the Nyingma tradition. Anu Yoga emphasizes the perfection stage of tantric practice, which consists of meditation on emptiness, as well as the subtle channels, energies and essences of the physical body. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Appearances — snang ba, see perceptions. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Arhat, Skt. — dgra bcom pa, lit. A "Foe-Destroyer," one who has vanquished the enemies of conflicting emotion and realized the nonexistence of the personal self, thus being forever free from the sufferings of samsara. Arhatship is the goal of the teachings of the fundamental vehicle or Hinayana. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Arya, Skt. — 'phags pa, sublime or noble one, one who has transcended samsaric existence. There are four classes of sublime beings: arhats, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas and buddhas. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Asura, Skt. — lha min, demi-god, one of the six classes of beings in samsara. The asuras are usually considered to be similar to the gods with whom they are sometimes classified. Their dominant emotional characteristic is envy and they are constantly at war with the gods of whom they are jealous. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Ati, Ati Yoga, Skt. — rdzogs chen, the last and highest of the inner tantras, the summit of the system of nine vehicles according to the Nyingma classification; a synonym of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Atsantra Aloke, Skt. — a tsan tra a lo ke, one of the Indian Dzogchen lineage masters who was a disciple of Princess Gomadevi and the teacher of Kukkuraja the Elder. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Avalokiteshvara, Skt. — spyan ras gzigs, the "Lord who Sees," name of the Bodhisattva who embodies the speech and compassion of all buddhas; the sambhogakaya emanation of Buddha Amitabha; sometimes referred to as Lokeshvara, the Lord of the World. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Awareness, rig pa, Skt. vidya, when referring to the view of the Great Perfection, awareness means consciousness devoid of ignorance and dualistic fixation. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

B

• Bengali year — bha ga li'i lo, a period of six months. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Bes Dorje Gyaltsen — sbas rdo rje rgyal mtshan, a disciple of Yudra Nyingpo and one of the lineage masters of Vairotsana's teachings. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Bhagavan, Skt. — bcom ldan 'das, an epithet of the Buddha, sometimes translated as the Blessed One or the Blessed Lord. The title can be analyzed etymologically as "the one who has vanquished (bcom) the four demons, who possesses (ldan) all qualities and who is beyond ('das) samsara and nirvana." [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Bhashita, Skt. — drang srong bha shi ta, one of the Indian Dzogchen lineage masters, a disciple of Kukkuraja and the teacher of Dagnyima. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Bhikshu, Skt. — dge slong, a fully ordained buddhist monk. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Bhumi, Skt. — sa, the levels or stages of the bodhisattvas. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Bodh Gaya — rdo rje gdan, Skt. vajrasana, vajra seat. The place in Bihar, India where all the buddhas of this aeon are to attain enlightenment. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Bodhi, Skt. — byang chub, enlightenment, awakening, state of realization. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Bodhicitta Written in Pure Gold on Stone - byang sems rdo la gser zhun. A text written by Manjushrimitra as a confession to Prahevajra; one of the five major scriptures of the Mind Class that were translated by Vairotsana. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Bodhicitta, Skt. — byang chub, byang chub kyi sems, awakened state of mind. Can refer to the aspiration to attain enlightenment for the sake of all beings or, in the context of Dzogchen, the innate awareness of awakened mind. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Bodhisattva, Skt. — byang chub sems dpa', one who, through compassion, strives to attain the full enlightenment of buddhahood for the sake of all beings. Bodhisattvas may be "ordinary" or "noble" depending on whether or not they have attained the path of seeing and are residing on one of the ten bhumis. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Bonpo — bon po, the religion prevalent in Tibet before the establishment of Buddhism in the ninth century. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Brahma, Skt. — tshangs pa, in the buddhist tradition this name refers to the ruler of the gods in the form realm. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Brahmin, Skt. — bram ze, member of the priestly caste of ancient India. This term often indicates hermits and spiritual practitioners. It should be noted that the Buddha rejected the caste system and proclaimed on several occasions that the true brahmin is not someone so designated through an accident of birth, but one who has thoroughly overcome defilement and attained freedom. See Caste. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• [[Buddha Shakyamuni, Skt. –sangs rgyas sha kya thub pa, the Sage of the Shakyas; the Buddha of our time who lived around the fifth century B.C. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Buddha, Skt. — sangs rgyas, the Fully Awakened One, a being who has removed the emotional veils and cognitive veils, and is endowed with all enlightened qualities of realization. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Buddhafield — zhing khams, a buddhafield is a sphere or dimension, manifested by a buddha or great bodhisattva, in which beings may abide and progress towards enlightenment without ever falling back into lower states of existence. Also, any place seen as the pure manifestation of spontaneous wisdom is a buddhafield. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Buddhaguhya, Skt. — sangs rgyas gsang ba, a master of Maha Yoga and teacher of both Guru Padmasambhava and Vimalamitra. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Buddhagupta, Skt. — bhu ta kug ta, one of the Indian lineage masters of Dzogchen, he was a disciple of Devaraja and the teacher of Shri Singha. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

[AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

C

• Caste — rigs, the traditional class-distinction of Indian society associated with different psychological types and the kind of work or social function deemed appropriate to them. In the course of time, the caste system became extremely complex. Buddhist texts refer only to the original fourfold system and repudiate it in the sense of rejecting the idea, still current in Indian society, that such distinctions are immutably dictated by the circumstances of birth. These four classes are the royal or ruling class (kshatriya, rgyal rigs), the priestly class (brahmin, bram bze rigs), the merchant class (vaishya, rje'u rigs) and the menial class (shudra, dmangs rigs). [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Causal Philosophical Teachings — rgyu mtshan nyid kyi bstan pa, the teachings of Hinayana and Mahayana that regard the practices of the path as the causes for attaining the fruition of liberation and enlightenment. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Changlochen — lcang lo can, the pure land of the Lord of Secrets, Vajrapani. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Chimphu — chims phu, the hermitage of caves above Samye, where Padmasambhava and many other great masters spent years in retreat. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Chok, Chokro Lui Gyaltsen — lcog ro klu'i rgyal mtshan, predicted by Padmasambhava and trained as a translator during the time of Trisong Deutsen, along with Kawa Paltsek he translated the sutras and tantras while Vairo went to India. Later, he and Kawa went to India to invite Vimalamitra to Tibet. He is considered the third greatest Tibetan translator and was also one of Padmasambhava's twenty-five disciples. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Chronicles of Padma — pad ma bka' thang, see Crystal Cave Chronicles. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Cloud Mass Wheel — 'khor lo tshogs chen, name for the thirteenth level of realization. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Conqueror — rgyal ba, Skt. jina, an epithet of the Buddha. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Crystal Cave Chronicles — bka' thang shel brag ma, treasure revealed by Orgyan Lingpa [1323-1374], on the life of Padmasambhava. It is called this because it was revealed at the Crystal Cave of Yarlung. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Cuckoo of Awareness — rig pa'i khu byug. The first one of the Eighteen Major Scriptures of the Mind Class taught by Shri Singha to Vairotsana and Tsang Lekdrub. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Cycle of Instructions Directly Showing Self-liberation — rang grol mngon sum du ston pa man ngag gi skor, the last of the three categories of the Mind Class tantras. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

[AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

D

• Dagnyima — bdag nyi ma, one of the Dzogchen lineage masters who is sometimes designated as a prostitute and sometimes as a nun; prostitute may describe the sub-caste of the origin of this teacher. She received transmission of the mind essence from Rishi Bhashita and became the teacher of Nagarjuna. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Daka, Skt. — dpa' bo, lit. hero. Tantric equivalent of a bodhisattva, male equivalent of a dakini. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dakini, Skt. — mkha' 'gro ma, lit. moving through space. The representation of wisdom in female form. There are several levels of dakini: wisdom dakinis who have complete realization and worldly dakinis who possess various spiritual powers. The word is also used as a title for great women teachers and as a respectful form of addressing the wives of spiritual masters. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Damaru — da ma ru, a small hand drum made from human skulls used in tantric rituals. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Demon — bdud, Skt. mara, this term is used to designate either a malevolent spirit or, symbolically, a negative force or obstacle on the path. The four demons (bdud bzhi) are of the latter kind. The demon of the aggregates refers to the five skandhas (body, feeling, perception, conditioning factors and consciousness), as described in buddhist teachings, which form the basis of suffering in samsara. The demon of the emotions refers to the conflicting emotions, which provoke suffering. The demon of death refers not only to death itself but also to the momentary transience of all phenomena, the nature of which is suffering. The demon child of gods refers to mental wandering and the attachment to phenomena apprehended as truly existent. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Deva — lha, gods, the highest of the six classes of samsaric beings, who enjoy the temporal bliss of the heavenly state. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Devaraja, Skt. — bde wa ra dza, one of the Indian lineage masters of the Dzogchen teachings, who was a disciple of Manjushri Bhadra and the teacher of Buddhagupta. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Development and completion — bskyed rdzogs, the two principal phases of tantric practice. The development stage (bskyed rim) involves meditation on sights, sounds and thoughts as deities, mantras and wisdom respectively. The completion stage (rdzogs rim) refers to the dissolution of visualized forms into and experience of emptiness. It also indicates the meditation on the subtle channels, energies and essential substances of the body. Development and completion may also refer to the first two inner tantras, Maha and Anu. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dhahena Talo, Skt. — dha he na ta lo, a king of Oddiyana who was a direct disciple of Prahevajra and Manjushrimitra. He was the father of Princess Parani and Prince Rajahasti, and the teacher of Rajahasti. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dhahena, Skt. — dha he na, the place where Shri Singha lived when he taught Vairotsana and Lekdrub. It has not been determined whether this is situated in Oddiyana or in central India. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dhanakosha, Skt.- dha na ko sha, treasury of wealth. An island in Oddiyana, present-day western India, encircled by many sublime kinds of trees, which is why it is called Treasury of Wealth. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dharani, Skt. — gzungs, a verbal formula, often quite long, blessed by a buddha or a bodhisattva, similar to the mantras of the Vajrayana, but found in the sutra tradition. The term is also used to refer to the siddhi of unfailing memory. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dharma protector — chos skyong, Skt. dharmapala, the Dharma protectors guard the teaching from being diluted and their transmission from being disturbed or distorted. Protectors are sometimes emanations of buddhas or bodhisattvas, and sometimes spirits, gods or demons that have been subjugated by a great spiritual master and bound under oath. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dharma Senge — dha rma seng ge, a master who lived in the nineteenth century and was a teacher of Shukseb Jetsun and a student of the first Dodupchen Rinpoche. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dharma, Skt. — chos, the common term for the buddhist doctrine. In its widest sense it means all that can be known. In this text, the term is used exclusively to indicate the teaching of the Buddha. It has two aspects: the Dharma of transmission (lung gi chos), namely the teachings that are actually given, and the Dharma of realization (rtogs pa'i chos), or the states of wisdom, etc., which are attained through the application of the teachings. Dharma can also simply mean "phenomena." [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dharmadhatu, Skt. — chos dbyings, the absolute expanse; emptiness pervaded with awareness. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dharmakaya, Skt. — chos sku, the first of the three kayas, which is devoid of constructs, like space. The body of enlightened qualities. See Three Kayas. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dharmapalas, Skt. — chos skyong, protectors of the teachings. These are either enlightened beings, or spirits and gods who have been subjugated by great masters and bound under oath to guard the teachings. Their task is to protect the doctrine, its upholders and practitioners. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dharmata, Skt. — chos nyid, the innate nature of phenomena and mind]] — emptiness. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche — ldil mgo mkhyen brtse rin po che (1910-1991), treasure revealer who was regarded by followers of all the four schools as one of the greatest Tibetan masters of the last century. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Distinguishing, Resolving and Self-liberation — shan 'byed, la bzla, rang grol, the three essential points in trekcho meditation, corresponding to the three categories of the Mind Class scriptures. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Duality, — gnyis 'dzin, gzung 'dzin, the ordinary perception of unenlightened beings. The apprehension of phenomena in terms of subject and object, and the belief in their true existence. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dusong Mangpoje — 'dus srong mang po rje, King Mangsong Mangtsen's son, who ruled Tibet 676]] — 704. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dzogchen — rdzogs chen, the highest teaching of the Nyingma. See Ati. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche — rdzongs gsar mkhyen brtse rin po che, reincarnation of Jamyang Chokyi Lodro, who was regarded as the greatest Tibetan master of the last century. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

[AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

E

• Early and later translation — snga 'gyur phyi 'gyur, in this text refers to the Eighteen Major Scriptures of the Mind Class. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Early Translation — snga 'gyur, refers to the Nyingma School. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Eight charnel grounds — dur khrod brgyad, frightening places where dakas and dakinis meet, which internally correspond to the eight consciousnesses. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Eight Classes of Gods and Demons — lha srin sde brgyad, according to the sutras they are the devas, nagas, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, who were all able to receive and practice the Buddha's teachings. These eight classes can also refer to eight types of mundane spirits that can help or harm, but are invisible to human beings: ging, mara, tsen, yaksha, rakshasa, mamo, rahula and naga. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Eight Sadhana Teachings — sgrub pa bka' brgyad, eight chief yidam deities of Maha Yoga and their corresponding tantras and sadhanas: Manjushri Body, Lotus Speech, Vishuddha Mind, Nectar Quality, Kilaya Activity, Liberating Sorcery of Mother Deities, Maledictory Fierce Mantra, and Mundane Worship. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Eight vehicles — theg pa brgyad, of the nine vehicles these are the first eight, which depend on cause and effect. The nine vehicles comprise the three vehicles of the sutras]] — those of the shravakas, the pratyekabuddhas and the bodhisattvas — and the six vehicles of Kriya, Upa, Yoga, Maha Yoga, Anu Yoga, and Ati Yoga tantras. They can also be grouped into three vehicles, Hinayana, which includes the first two, Mahayana the third one, and Vajrayana the last six. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Eighteen Major Scriptures of the Mind Class — sems sde bco brgyad, a set of Dzogchen tantras taught by Shri Singha to Vairotsana and Tsang Lekdrub, of which the first five were translated by Vairotsana before his exile to Tsawarong, and the remaining thirteen were later translated by Vimalamitra and Yudra Nyingpo. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Eighteen Root Tantras of Maha Yoga — ma ha yo ga'i rgyud sde bco brgyad, five root tantras of body, speech, mind, quality and activity: Sarvabuddha Samayoga, Secret Moon Essence, Gathering of Secrets, Glorious Supreme Primal Tantra, and Activity Garland. Five display tantras related to sadhana practice: Heruka Display Tantra, Supreme Steed Display Tantra, Compassion Display Tantra, Nectar Display Tantra, and Twelvefold Kilaya Tantra. Five tantras related to conduct: Mountain Pile, Awesome Wisdom Lightning, Arrangement of Precepts, One-pointed Samadhi and Rampant Elephant Tantra. Two subsequent tantras for amending incompleteness: Magical Net of Vairochana and Skilful Lasso. The one outstanding tantra that epitomizes them all is the Essence of Secrets, the Tantra of the Magical Net of Vajrasattva, known as the Guhyagarbha. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Eighteen Tantras of the Mind Class — sems sde bco brgyad, see Eighteen Major Scriptures of the Mind Class. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Embodiment of Realization — dgongs 'dus, abbreviation of The Scripture of the Embodiment of Realization of All Buddhas; the most important Anu Yoga scripture. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Empowerment — dbang, Skt. abhisheka, the authorization to practice the Vajrayana teachings, which is the indispensable entrance to tantric practice. It enables one to master one's innate vajra body, speech and mind, and regard forms as deities, sound as mantras and thought as wisdom. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Empowerment of direct anointment — rgyal thabs spyi blugs, empowerment without any ritual or visual process, the complete and instantaneous transfer of enlightened realization from mind to mind. rgyal thabs refers to the means of the conqueror, and spyi lugs to the pouring of the transmission, like a king pouring sovereignty to his heir. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Emptiness — stong pa nyid, Skt. shunyata, the ultimate nature of phenomena. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Enlightenment — byang chub, Skt. bodhi, generally means the state of buddhahood, characterized by the perfection of the accumulations of merit and wisdom, and by the removal of the two obscurations. It can also refer to the lower stages of enlightenment of an arhat or pratyekabuddha. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Equality, evenness — mnyam pa nyid, Skt. samata, all things have the nature of emptiness. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Essence of Secrets — gsang ba'i snying po, Skt. Guhyagarbha, the widely renowned tantra of the Early Translation, which is the chief of the Eighteen Maha Yoga Tantras. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Expedient and definitive meaning — drang don dang nges don, Skt. neyartha, nitharta, the expedient meaning refers to conventional teachings on the four noble truths, karma, path, and result, which are designed to lead the practitioner to the definitive meaning, the insight into emptiness, suchness, and buddha nature. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

[AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

F

• Feast offering — tshogs 'khor, Skt. ganachakra, a ritual offering in tantric buddhism in which oblations of food and drink are blessed as the elixir of wisdom and offered to the yidam deity as well as to the mandala of one's own body in order to purify breaches of one's sacred commitments. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Fierce Mantras — drag ngags, type of mantra belonging to the wrathful deities that are used to dispel demonic forces that obstruct the buddhist doctrine or the welfare of beings. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Five conflicting emotions- nyon mongs lnga, ignorance, desire, anger, jealousy, and pride. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Five Early Translations — snga 'gyur lnga, the Dzogchen Mind Class scriptures that were translated by Vairotsana. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Five elements — 'byung ba lnga, earth, water, fire and wind or air, as principles of solidity, liquidity, heat and movement, and space. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Five eminent beings — dra ma lnga, the five eminent beings were a god called Renowned Chief Protector [Skt. Yasasvi Varapala], a naga called Naga King Takshaka, a yaksha called Meteor Face [Skt. Ulkamukha], an ogre called Skillful Intellect [Skt. Matyaupayika] and a human being called Stainless Reputation [Skt. Vimalakirti]; some sources mention the god Indra in place of Vimalakirti. These five noble beings learnt through their supernatural cognitive powers that the Buddha had passed away, and miraculously gathered at Mount Malaya. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Five Families — rigs lnga, Skt. panchakula, the five buddha families: tathagata, vajra, ratna, padma and karma. They represent five aspects of the innate qualities of our enlightened essence. Each of them is presided over by a buddha: Vairochana, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha and Amoghasiddhi respectively. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Five greatnesses — che ba lnga, the greatness of direct manifestation of enlightenment; the greatness of enlightenment in the ultimate dimension of phenomena; the greatness of enlightenment in the dharmakaya; the greatness of enlightenment that proves its own nature; and the greatness of the absolute non-existence of enlightenment. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Five kayas — sku lnga, Skt. panchakaya, in the Mahayana, the transcendent reality of perfect buddhahood is described in terms of two, three, four or five bodies or kayas. The two bodies, in the first case, are the dharmakaya, the Body of Truth, and the rupakaya, the Body of Form. The dharmakaya is the absolute or "emptiness" aspect of buddhahood. The rupakaya is subdivided into the sambhogakaya, the Body of Perfect Enjoyment, and the nirmanakaya, the Body of Manifestation. The sambhogakaya, or the spontaneous clarity aspect of buddhahood, is perceptible only to beings of extremely high realization. The nirmanakaya, the compassionate aspect, is perceptible to ordinary beings and appears in the world most often in human form. The system of four bodies consists of the three just referred to together with the svabhavikakaya, or Body of Suchness, which refers to the union of the previous three. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Five paths — lam lnga, Skt. panchamarga, the paths of accumulation, joining, seeing, meditation and beyond training. These five paths cover the entire path from sincerely beginning Dharma practice to complete enlightenment. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Five poisons — nyon mongs lnga, the five conflicting emotions of anger, desire, ignorance, jealousy and pride. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Five precious things — rin chen lnga, gold, silver, turquoise, coral and pearl. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Five sciences — rig pa'i gnas lnga, the five disciplines of grammar, dialectics, healing, philosophy, and "arts and crafts." [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Five wisdoms — ye shes lnga, Skt. panchajnana, the five wisdoms of buddhahood corresponding to the five buddha families: mirror-like wisdom (vajra family), wisdom of equality (jewel family), all-discerning wisdom (lotus family), all-accomplishing wisdom (action family) and wisdom of dharmadhatu ( tathagata family). They represent five distinctive functions of our enlightened essence. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Five-peaked Mountain — ri bo rtse lnga, Chinese: Wutaishan, a place in Eastern China sacred to Manjushri, where Vimalamitra is supposed to reside. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Formless realm — gzugs med khams, the four highest states of samsaric existence. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Four continents — gling bzhi, the four continents located in the four directions around Mount Meru, constituting a universe. They are the semi-circular Sublime Body in the east; the trapezoidal Land of Rose Apples in the south; the circular Bountiful Cow in the west; and the square Unpleasant Sound in the north. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Four empowerments — dbang, Skt. abhisheka, transference of wisdom power, from the master to disciples, authorizing and enabling them to engage in a practice and reap its fruit. There are four levels of tantric empowerment. The first is the vase empowerment, which purifies the defilements and obscurations associated with the body, grants the blessings of the Vajra Body, authorizes the disciples to practice the yogas of the development stage, and enables them to attain the nirmanakaya. The second is the secret empowerment. This purifies the defilements and obscurations of the speech faculty, grants the blessings of Vajra Speech, authorizes disciples to practice the yogas of the perfection stage, and enables them to attain the sambhogakaya. The third is the wisdom empowerment, which purifies the defilements and obscurations associated with the mind, grants the blessings of the Vajra Mind, authorizes disciples to practice the yogas of the "Skilful Path," and enables them to attain the dharmakaya. The final empowerment, which is often simply referred to as the fourth initiation, is the word empowerment. This purifies the defilements of body, speech and mind and all karmic and cognitive obscurations; it grants the blessings of primordial wisdom, authorizes disciples to engage in the practice of Dzogchen, and enables them to attain the svabhavikakaya. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Four Kayas — sku bzhi, dharmakaya, sambogakaya, nirmanakaya, and svabhavikakaya, the kaya of the nature as it is, which represents the inseparability of the first three. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Four truths — bden pa bzhi, the truths of suffering, origin, cessation and path expounded by the Buddha Shakyamuni in his first teaching. These teachings, referred to as the first turning of the Dharma wheel, are the foundation of the Hinayana and Mahayana teachings. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Fruition — 'bras bu, Skt. phala, the result of the path, the state of perfect enlightenment. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

[AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

G

• Gandharva, Skt. — dri za, lit. "scent eater," a member of a class of non-humans, said to be nourished on smells. They are also a type of celestial musician living on the rim of Mount Meru in cloudlike castles. The metaphor "City of Gandharvas" is used to point out the illusoriness of phenomena. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Garab Dorje — dga' rab rdo rje, Skt. Prahevajra, the first human vidyadhara in the Dzogchen lineage. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Garuda — khyung, a kind of bird, in both Indian and Tibetan tradition. A creature of great size, it is able to fly immediately upon hatching. A symbol of primordial wisdom. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Gods — lha, Skt. deva, according to the buddhist tradition, a class of beings, superior to humans, which although not immortal, enjoy immense power, bliss and longevity. The term is also used to refer to powerful spirits, as well as to the deities visualized in tantric meditation, which are not to be understood as "gods" in the ordinary sense of the word. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Gomadevi, Skt. go ma de byi, a princess who was one of the Indian lineage masters of the Dzogchen teachings. She was a disciple of the scholar Maharaja and the teacher of Atsantra Aloke. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Great Perfection — rdzogs pa chen po, Skt. mahasandhi, the ultimate view of the Nyingma school. See Ati, Ati Yoga. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Great Space Vajrasattva — rdo rje sems dpa' nam mkha' che, the thirtieth chapter of the All-Creating Monarch tantra, which is the fundamental tantra of the Dzogchen Mind Class scriptures. It is said that Prahevajra recited this after he was born. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Great vehicle — theg pa chen po, Skt. Mahayana, see Mahayana. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Guhyagarbha, Skt. - gsang ba'i snying po, Essence of Secrets. The chief Maha Yoga tantra of the Nyingma School. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Guhyakaya, Skt. gsangs ba'i sku, esoteric form. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Gungsong Gungtsen — gung srong gung btsan, King Songtsen Gampo's son, who ruled Tibet for a few years but died at the age of nineteen. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Gya Lodro Shonnu — rgya blo gros gzhon nu, one of Yudra Nyingpo's main disciples who became a lineage holder. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Gyalmo Tsawarong — rgyal mo tsha ba rong, district between eastern Tibet and China. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Habitual tendencies — bag chags, Skt. vasana, habitual patterns of thought, speech or action. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

[AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

H

• Hashang — ha shang, a Chinese Buddhist master who was invited to Tibet by King Songtsen Gampo. Also mentioned as one of the Chinese yogis that Vairotsana received teachings from in China. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Hearing lineage of individuals — gang zag snyan rgyud, the orally transmitted lineage through individuals, in which it is necessary for the teacher to use words for the disciple to hear, rather than transmitting them mind-to-mind or through symbols. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Heaven of the Thirty-three — sum cu tsa gsum lha'i gnas. See Thirty-three. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Hell — dmyal ba Skt. naraka, one of the six realms where beings experience intense suffering as a result of past actions, especially those actions related to anger, such as killing. There are eighteen different hells, eight hot and eight cold as well as neighboring hells and ephemeral hells. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Hepori — has po ri, a small mountain near Samye, considered to be one of the four sacred mountains in Tibet. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Heretic — mu stegs pa, non-buddhist. Refers to teachers of non-buddhist philosophy who adhere to the extreme views of eternalism or nihilism. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Heruka, Skt. — khrag 'thung, literally "blood drinker." A wrathful deity, drinker of the blood of ego clinging. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Hinayana, Skt. — theg dman, the fundamental system of Buddhist thought and practice deriving from the first turning of the Wheel of Dharma and centering around the teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve-fold Chain of Dependent Arising. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Humkara, Skt. — hung ka ra, he was born in a brahmin family in Nepal and was an expert in the Vedas. Later he became a Buddhist and got ordained at Nalanda. He became an expert in the teachings of the Prajnaparamita and the Secret Mantra. In the Sitavana charnel ground he was given the casket containing the transmitted precepts of Vishuddha, through which he attained accomplishment. He benefited beings through his teachings on the development and perfection stages, on which he wrote many treatises. He passed away by flying to the pure land of Akshobya and his main disciples were Avadhuti and Buddhashrisanti of Oddiyana. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

[AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

I - J

• Ignorance — ma rig pa, Skt. avidya, in a Buddhist context, ignorance is not mere nescience but mistaken apprehension. It is the incorrect understanding of, or failure to recognize, the ultimate nature of beings and phenomena, and falsely ascribing true existence to them. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Illuminating Blazing Gem — gsal byed rin po che 'bar ba'i dkyil 'khor, name of the mandala through which direct pointing out of the mind essence is given. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Indra, Skt. — dbang po, also known as Shakra (brgya byin), the supreme god and king of the Heaven of the Thirty-three. Indra is regarded as a protector of the buddhist doctrine. He resides on the summit of Mt. Sumeru in the palace of Complete Victory and is also known as Shakra, the Ruler of the Devas. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Indrabodhi, Skt. — indra bhu ti, King of Oddiyana who found, fostered and for a time protected Padmasambhava. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Innate nature — chos nyid, Skt. dharmata, the true nature of phenomena. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Instruction Class, man ngag gi sde, the third division of Ati Yoga, as arranged by Manjushrimitra. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Iron Mule — lcags drel, practice to accomplish speed walking. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Jambu continent 'dzam bu gling, Skt. Jampudvipa, the world in which we live. Literally the land of rose apples, the continent south of Mount Meru. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Jnanagarbha, Skt. — ye shes snying po, a master of Nalanda university and the ordaining abbot of Shantarakshita. He was an exponent of the "upper school" of Svatantrika Madhyamaka and the author of the celebrated Two Truths of the Middle Way. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Jokhang — jo khang, main temple in Lhasa built by Songtsen Gampo that housed the Shakyamuni image brought to Tibet by his wife. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Jomo Menmo — jo mo sman mo, female treasure revealer who lived from 1248-1283. She was an emanation of Yeshe Tsogyal, the main consort of Padmasambhava, and was one of the wives of the great terton Guru Chowang [1212-1270]. She rediscovered one version of the Great Image. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

[AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

K

• Kahma – bka' ma, the oral lineage of the Nyingma School, the teachings translated chiefly during the period of Padmasambhava's stay in Tibet and transmitted from master to student until the present day. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Kailash — ti se, sacred mountain in western Tibet, also known as Mount Tisey. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Kalantaka — ka lan ta ka, a solitary bird that always dwells apart from others. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Karma, Skt. — las, action, the unerring law of cause and effect according to which all experiences are the result of previous actions, and all actions are the seeds of future existential situations. Actions resulting in the experience of happiness are defined as virtuous; actions that give rise to suffering are described as non-virtuous. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Kawa Paltsek — ska ba dpal brtsegs, one of the Tibetan translators who were predicted by Padmasambhava at the time of Trisong Deutsen. While Vairotsana and Namkhai Nyingpo were sent to India, he stayed at Samye and translated the sutras and mantra teachings. Later, he went to India to invite Vimalamitra to Tibet. He is considered the second greatest translator and was one of the twenty-five close disciples of Padmasambhava. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Khasarpani year — kha sar pa ni'i lo, possibly a period of six months. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Khon Lui Wangpo — 'khon klu'i dbang po, one the seven men to be tested, the first seven monks ordained by Shantarakshita. Another of the twenty-five close disciples of Padmasambhava. According to the Chronicles, it was Kawa Paltsek and Chokro Lui Gyaltsen and not Khon Lui Wangpo that were sent to invite Vimamalitra. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Khotan — li yul, Khotan in Chinese Turkestan was one of the greatest Buddhist centers during the first millennium AD. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Kilaya, Skt. –- phur ba, the activity aspect of all the buddhas, a wrathful manifestation of Vajrasattva. Practice on this deity is related to the four aspects of the Kila: the ritual object, compassion, bodhicitta and awareness-wisdom. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• King Ja — rgyal po dza, the first human recipient of the Maha Yoga tantras and an important figure in the transmission of Anu Yoga. Some sources say he is the same as King Indrabuti. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Kinnara, Skt. — mi 'am ci, a mythical creature that is half man and half animal. Along with the gandharvas celebrated as celestial musicians. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Klesha, Skt. — nyon mongs pa, conflicting emotions. Mental factors that produce states of mental torment both immediately and in the long term. See five poisons. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Kriya, Skt. — bya ba, the tantra of activity, which is the first of the three outer tantras. Kriya Tantra emphasizes ritual cleanliness: cleanliness of the mandala and the sacred substances, and physical cleanliness of the practitioner who practices ablutions and changes clothes three times a day, and eats specific foods. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Kshatrya, Skt. — rgyal rigs, one of the four classes of the ancient Indian social system, the warrior or royal caste. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Kukkuraja, Skt. — khyi 'i rgyal po, King of Dogs. He is so called as in the daytime he taught a thousand warriors and yoginis in the guise of a dog and at night they would perform feast offerings and other practices in the charnel grounds. There were two Kukkurajas, the Elder and the Younger; the Younger is also called Dhahuna. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Kumara, Skt. — ku ma ra, one of the swift-footed border guards in India who became Vairotsana's friend. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Kungamo — kun dga' mo, one of the Indian Dzogchen lineage masters, a disciple of Shri Singha. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

[AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

L

• Lama — bla ma, Skt. guru, Tibetan term for a highly realized spiritual teacher. In colloquial language it is sometimes used as a polite way of addressing a monk. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Lekdrub of Tsang — gtsang legs grub, Vairotsana's companion on the journey to India. After receiving transmission from Shri Singha he decides to return to Tibet, but is killed by border guards and reincarnates as Yudra Nyingpo in Tsawarong. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Level — sa, Skt. bhumi, the levels or stages of a bodhisattva on the way to perfect enlightenment. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Lhasa — lha sa, literally means "abode of the gods." The capital of Tibet. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Lha Thothori Nyanshal — lha tho tho ri snyan shal, born in 374 C.E., he was the first Dharma king of Tibet and the twenty-eighth hereditary king. He was also an emanation of the bodhisattva Samantabhadra. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Lord of Secrets — gsang ba'i bdag po, synonym for Vajrapani, an emanation of Vajrasattva and the compiler of the tantric teachings. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Lotsawa — lo tsa ba, Skt. locchava, Tibetan translators of the canonical texts who usually worked closely with Indian panditas. The title literally means "bilingual." [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Lower realms — ngan song, the hell, hungry ghost and animal realms. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Luminosity — 'od gsal, Skt. prabhasvara, the clarity or knowing aspect of the mind. Referring to being free from the darkness of unknowing and endowed with the ability to cognize. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

[AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

M

• Magadha, Skt. — ma ga dha, present-day Bihar, in central India. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Mahamudra, Skt. — phyag rgya chen po, lit. "Great Seal." This refers to the seal of the absolute nature of all phenomena. The term is used for the teaching, the practice, and the supreme accomplishment. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Maharaja, Skt. — ma ha ra dza, an abbot from Oddiyana who was one of the Dzogchen lineage masters. He was a disciple of Rabnang and the teacher of Princess Gomadevi. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Mahayana, Skt. — theg pa chen po, the Great Vehicle. The characteristic of Mahayana is the profound view of the emptiness of the ego and of all phenomena, coupled with universal compassion and the desire to deliver all beings from suffering and its causes. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Maha Yoga, Skt. — rnal 'byor chen po, the first of the three inner tantras. Maha Yoga scripture is divided into Tantra Section and Sadhana Section. The Tantra Section consists of the Eighteen Maha Yoga Tantras, and the Sadhana Section of the Eight Sadhana Teachings. It emphasizes the means of the development stage and the view that liberation is attained by growing accustomed to insight into the nature of the indivisibility of the two truths. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Major and minor marks of a Buddha — mtshan dang dpe byad, thirty-two major physical signs of realization (e.g. the ushnisha or crown protuberance) and eighty minor characteristics (e.g. copper-colored fingernails) that are typical of a buddha. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Mamo, Skt.– ma mo, a class of semi-divine beings who sometimes act as protectors of the Dharma. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Mandala, Skt. — dkyil 'khor, lit. "center and surrounding." A mandala is a symbolic graphic representation of a deity's realm of existence. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Mangsong Mangtsen — mang srong mang btsan, Songtsen Gampo's nephew, who ruled Tibet after Songtsen Gampo until his son Dusong Mangpoje took over. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• [[Manjushri, Skt. –'jam dpal dyangs, one of the eight main bodhisattvas who personifies the perfection of transcendent knowledge. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Manjushrimitra, Skt. — 'jam dpal gshad snyan, second human master in the lineage of the Great Perfection, the chief disciple of Prahevajra. He divided the Dzogchen teachings into the Mind Class, the Space Class and the Instruction Class. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Mantra, Skt. — sngags, syllables or formulas which, when recited with appropriate visualizations etc., protect the mind of the practitioner from ordinary perceptions. They are invocations of, and manifestations of, the yidam deity in the form of sound. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Mantrayana, Skt. — gsang sngags, see Vajrayana. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Mara, Skt. — bdud, see Demon. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Margyen — mar rgyan, Red Ornament. This queen was the senior consort of Trisong Deutsen and bore him three sons. According to some sources she poisoned her son Mune Tsenpo when he came to power, because he married his father's younger consort Phoyongza. She was in favor of the Bon tradition and openly hostile to buddhist teachers. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Meditate, meditation — sgom pa, to let the mind rest on an object of contemplation, or to maintain the flow of the view. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Mind Class — sems sde, the first of the three divisions of Ati Yoga. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Mind essence — sems nyid, dgongs pa'i bcud, the nature of one's mind, which is taught to be identical to the essence of all enlightened beings. It should be distinguished from "mind" (sems), which refers to ordinary discursive thinking based on ignorance of the nature of thought. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
• Mind Linea