Yidam Deity

Yidam Deity.

A personal deity and the root of accomplishment among the Three Roots. The yidam is one's tutelary deity; a personal protector of one's practice and guide to enlightenment. Traditionally, yidam practice is the main practice that follows the preliminaries. It includes the two stages of development and completion and is a perfect stepping stone for, or the bridge to approaching, the more subtle practices of Mahamudra and Dzogchen. Later on, yidam practice is the perfect enhancement for the view of these subtle practices [RY]

Examples

dkyil chog - mandala ritual {dkyil 'khor sgrub pa'i cho ga} yi dam lha'i dkyil 'khor gyi {las byang} of the yidam deity] [IW]

'khor lo bde mchog yi dam gyi lha - Chakrasamvara the yidam deity [IW]

'khor lha - the retinue of the yidam deity [IW]

rjes dran drug - Six recollections. There are different lists of which the most appropriate is: 1) Recollection of the yidam deity, 2) the path, 3) the place of rebirth, 4) the meditative state, 5) the oral instructions of the teacher, 6) and the view [RY]

snying po'i sngags - essence mantra. The short form of the mantra of a yidam deity as opposed to the longer dharani mantra; for example 'om mani padme hung.' [RY]

bsnyen pa - 1) [p f snyen pa]; 2) practice of approaching the yidam deity approach[ing], Ritual service, familiarization, initiatory retreat, 1 who serves, come near, render service [IW]

ting nge 'dzin gsum - threefold contemplations (empty suchness, all-pervading compassion, clear seed syllables), three contemplations of bskyed rim practice of Mahayoga and tantra in general (contemplation of the essential nature where one meditates on the intrinsic emptiness of all phenomena, contemplation of total manifestation where one meditates on equanimous compassion for all sentient beings, and contemplation on the cause where one concentrates on the seed syllable of the yidam deity), de bzhin nyid kyi ting nge 'dzin, kun tu snang ba'i ting nge 'dzin, rgyu'i ting nge 'dzin [JV]

rnam par smin pa'i rig 'dzin - Vidyadhara level of maturation; vidyadhara level of Full Maturation. The first of the four vidyadhara levels. The beginning of the path of seeing; the practitioner has reached stability in the development stage and his mind has 'matured' into the form of the yidam deity, but he is yet to purify the remainder of the physical elements [RY]

dpa' bo gcig pa - yidam deity alone [IW]

dpa' bo gcig pa - yidam deity alone [without consort or retinue in a mandala [IW]

phyag rgya chen po'i dngos grub - Siddhi of Mahamudra. Same as enlightenment. In the context of Mahayoga Tantra, it can also refer to the attainment of the third vidyadhara level in which 'Mahamudra' means the sublime body of the yidam deity [RY]

zhal gzigs pa'i yi dam lha - witnessed yidam deity [IW]

yi dam kyi lha rjes su dran pa - recollection of the yidam deity [RY]

yi dam gyi lha - yidam deity [IW]

yi dam gyi lha - yidam deity; chosen meditational deity [RY]

yi dam lha - yidam deity [IW]

yi dam lha'i phyag chen kyi lus - Mahamudra form of the yidam deity. The attainment, chiefly through Mahayoga Tantra, of the illusory wisdom body on the vidyadhara level of Mahamudra which corresponds to the path of cultivation. It is a divine form of a deity endowed with the complete major and minor marks and through which the yogi is able to benefit beings in an extent that is equal to the sambhogakaya [RY]

yi dam lha'i zhal mthong ba - having a vision of the yidam deity [RY]

rigs kyi bdag po - Lord of the family. The chief buddha of the family to which one's particular yidam deity belongs. For example, Avalokiteshvara's crown buddha is Amitabha [RY]

lha rje su dran pa - remembering the yidam deity; recollection of the deity [RY]

lha rjes su dran pa -recollecting the yidam deity; mindfulness of divinity, one of the {rjes su dran pa drug} the six recollections / mindfulnesses [RY]

lha rtags - sign, indication of / by the yidam deity. Syn {lha yi rtags} divine indication [RY]

lhag pa'i lha - your yidam deity [RY]