Glossary from The Great Image

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Glossary from The Great Image

The Great Image

compiled by Ani Jinpa Palmo
still needs to be edited for hyperlinks

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Adhichitta, Skt. — sems lhag can, Prahevajra's previous incarnation in the celestial realms.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Anandagarbha, Skt. — kun dga' snying po, see Adhichitta.
  • 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.
  • Appearances — snang ba, see perceptions.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Awareness, rig pa, Skt. vidya, when referring to the view of the Great Perfection, awareness means consciousness devoid of ignorance and dualistic fixation.

B

C

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.
  • Daka, Skt. — dpa' bo, lit. hero. Tantric equivalent of a bodhisattva, male equivalent of a dakini.
  • 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.
  • Damaru — da ma ru, a small hand drum made from human skulls used in tantric rituals.
  • 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.
  • Deva — lha, gods, the highest of the six classes of samsaric beings, who enjoy the temporal bliss of the heavenly state.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.”
  • Dharmadhatu, Skt. — chos dbyings, the absolute expanse; emptiness pervaded with awareness.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Dharmata, Skt. — chos nyid, the innate nature of phenomena and mind]] — emptiness.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Dusong Mangpoje — 'dus srong mang po rje, King Mangsong Mangtsen’s son, who ruled Tibet 676]] — 704.
  • Dzogchen — rdzogs chen, the highest teaching of the Nyingma. See Ati.
  • 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.

E

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.
  • 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.
  • Five conflicting emotions- nyon mongs lnga, ignorance, desire, anger, jealousy, and pride.
  • Five Early Translations — snga 'gyur lnga, the Dzogchen Mind Class scriptures that were translated by Vairotsana.
  • Five elements — 'byung ba lnga, earth, water, fire and wind or air, as principles of solidity, liquidity, heat and movement, and space.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Five poisons — nyon mongs lnga, the five conflicting emotions of anger, desire, ignorance, jealousy and pride.
  • Five precious things — rin chen lnga, gold, silver, turquoise, coral and pearl.
  • Five sciences — rig pa'i gnas lnga, the five disciplines of grammar, dialectics, healing, philosophy, and “arts and crafts.”
  • 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.
  • Five-peaked Mountain — ri bo rtse lnga, Chinese: Wutaishan, a place in Eastern China sacred to Manjushri, where Vimalamitra is supposed to reside.
  • Formless realm — gzugs med khams, the four highest states of samsaric existence.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Fruition — 'bras bu, Skt. phala, the result of the path, the state of perfect enlightenment.

G

H

I - J

K

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M

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O - P

  • Obscurations — sgrib pa, Skt. avarana, mental factors which veil the true nature of the mind. In the general buddhist teachings several types are mentioned: the obscuration of karma preventing one from entering the path of enlightenment; the obscuration of disturbing emotions preventing progress along the path; the obscuration of habitual tendencies preventing the vanishing of confusion; and the final obscuration of dualistic knowledge preventing the full attainment of buddhahood.
  • Oddiyana year — o rgyan gyi lo, according to this text a period of six months.
  • Oddiyana, Skt. — o rgyan, also called Orgyen or Urgyen, a region in ancient India corresponding, according to some authorities, to the valley of Swat between Afghanistan and Kashmir. Oddiyana was the birthplace of Padmasambhava and Garab Dorje.
  • Ogre — srin po]], Skt. — raksha, one of the eight classes of gods and demons. Also refers to the cannibal savages inhabiting the southwestern continent of Chamara. At times raksha refers to the unruly and untamed expression of ignorance and disturbing emotions.
  • Oracular mirror — pra se na, a way of doing divination by looking at images in a mirror.
  • Outer Tantras — phyi rgyud, the tantras belonging to the three vehicles of Kriya, Upa and Yoga.
  • Padmasambhava — pad ma 'byung gnas, lit. “Lotus-born.” Padmasambhava was predicted by the Buddha Shakyamuni as the one who would propagate the teachings of the Vajrayana. Invited to Tibet by King Trisong Deutsen in the 9th century, he subjugated the evil forces hostile to the propagation of the buddhist doctrine there, spread the Secret Mantra teachings and hid innumerable spiritual treasures for the sake of future generations.
  • Pagor Hedo — pa gor he 'dod, Vairotsana’s father, though some sources claim he was Vairotsana’s uncle, who had adopted his nephew after the father died.
  • Pam Mipham Gonpo — spam mi pham mgon po, a disciple of Vairotsana. He was one hundred years old when he met Vairotsana. After receiving the instructions from Vairotsana he attained instant realization and became one of the lineage masters. It is said that all his disciples attained rainbow body.
  • Pam Sangye Gonpo — spam sangs rgyas mgon po, a disciple of Yudra Nyingpo who became one of the lineage holders.
  • Pandita, Skt. — pan di ta, a learned master, scholar or professor of Buddhist philosophy.
  • Paramita, Skt. — pha rol tu phyin pa, a transcendent perfection or virtue, the practice of which leads to buddhahood and therefore forms the practice of bodhisattvas. There are six paramitas: generosity, ethical discipline, patience, diligence, concentration and wisdom.
  • Path — lam, Skt. marga, progress toward enlightenment is described, in both the Mahayana and Hinayana, in terms of the five paths of accumulation, joining, seeing, meditation and no more learning. The first four constitute the path of learning, whereas the path of no more learning is buddhahood.
  • Perceptions — snang ba, that which appears in the eyes of each individual according to his or her tendencies or spiritual development. There are three types of perception: 1) the deluded perceptions that arise in the consciousness of beings of the six realms due to misunderstanding are called the impure deluded perceptions of the universe and beings. 2) The perceptions of interdependence, magical illusions, corresponding to the eight similes of illusion that one does not apprehend as real; these are the perceptions of the bodhisattvas of the ten levels in their post-meditation state. 3) The authentic, perfect, perceptions of wisdom; when one has realized the natural state of everything, the beings and the universe appear as the display of the kayas and wisdoms.
  • Pitaka, Skt. — snod, lit. “basket;” a collection of scriptures.
  • Pith Instructions — man ngag, Skt. upadesha, instructions explaining the most profound points of practice in a condensed and direct way.
  • Pointing-out Instruction — ngo sprod, the direct introduction to the nature of mind that is given by the root guru, leading to the recognition of mind nature.
  • Prahevajra — dga' rabs rdo rje, commonly known as Garab Dorje; lit. “indestructible joy.” He received all the tantras, scriptures and oral instructions of Dzogchen from Vajrasattva and Vajrapani in person and became the first human vidyadhara in the Dzogchen lineage. Manjushrimitra is regarded as his chief disciple. He passed away 540 years after the Buddha's nirvana.
  • Prajnaparamita, Skt. — shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa, either the paramita of transcendent wisdom, the knowledge of emptiness or the collection of sutras belonging to the second turning of the Dharma wheel and expounding the doctrine of emptiness.
  • Pratyekabuddha, Skt. — rang sangs rgyas, lit. “solitary buddha,” one who without relying on a teacher attains the cessation of suffering by meditating on the twelve links of dependent arising. Though realizing the emptiness of perceived phenomena they lack the complete realization of a buddha and so cannot benefit limitless beings.
  • Preta, Skt. — yi dvags, famished spirits or hungry ghosts, one of the six classes of beings in samsara.
  • Primordial purity — ka dag, the basic nature of sentient beings which is originally untainted by defilement, and beyond confusion and liberation.
  • Princess Parani — sras mo pa ra ni, King Dhahena Talo’s daughter, who was one of the Indian Dzogchen lineage masters. She was a direct disciple of Prahevajra and Rajahasti, and was the teacher of Naga King Nanda.
  • Prostitute Barani — smad 'tshong ma ba ra ni. One of the Indian Dzogchen lineage masters, a disciple of Yakshini Changchubma and the teacher of the abbot Rabnang.
  • Pure Gold on Stone — rdo la gser zhun, a text written by Manjushrimitra as a confession to Prahevajra, which is one of the Eighteen Major Scriptures of the Mind Class.
  • Pure land — zhing khams, a place or world manifested by a buddha or great bodhisattva through the spontaneous qualities of his realization. A place where beings can progress towards enlightenment without falling back into the lower realms of samsara. Also, any place whatsoever, when it is perceived as a pure manifestation of spontaneous wisdom.
  • Pure perception — dag snang, the perception of the world and its contents as a pure buddhafield or as the display of kayas and wisdoms.
  • Putra, Skt. — pu tra, spirits dwelling in charnel grounds.

R - S

  • Rajahasti, the elder — thu bo ra dza ha ti, son of King Dhahena Talo, who was a direct disciple of Prahevajra and Manjushrimitra and the teacher of Princess Parani.
  • Resolving King’s Cycle — la bzla rgyal po'i skor, the second of the three categories of Mind Class Tantras.
  • Resultant vehicle — 'bras bu'i theg pa, resultant vehicle of the Secret Mantra. The Secret Mantra system of taking the fruition as the path by regarding buddhahood as inherently present and the path as the act of uncovering one's basic state. This is different from the “causal philosophical vehicles” of Mahayana and Hinayana that regard the path as that which leads to and produces the state of buddhahood. Ultimately, these two approaches are not in conflict.
  • Rishi, Skt. — drang srong, name given to the great sages of Indian mythology, endowed with great longevity and magical powers, who were instrumental in the creation, or reception, of the Vedas. In the Buddhist context, this word is usually translated as sage, hermit or saint.
  • Sacred commitment — dam tshig, Skt. samaya, See samaya.
  • Sadhana, Skt. — sgrub thabs, method of accomplishment. A tantric meditative practice involving visualization of deities and the recitation of mantra.
  • Saha, Skt. — mi mjed, the name of our present world system. Saha means “enduring” because sentient beings endure unbearable suffering here.
  • Samadhi, Skt. — bsam gtan, meditative absorption of different degrees.
  • Samantabhadra, Skt. — kun tu bzang po, lit. “Ever-Excellent One.” (1) Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, one of the eight close sons of the Buddha, renowned for his offerings emanated through the power of his concentration; (2) the primordial Buddha who has never fallen into delusion, the symbol of awareness, the ever-present pure and luminous nature of the mind.
  • Samantabhadri, Skt. — kun tu bzang mo, the consort of the primordial Buddha Samantabhadra. Their union symbolizes the inseparability of the phenomenal world and emptiness.
  • Samaya, Skt. — dam tshig, the commitment established between the master and disciples on whom empowerment is conferred.
  • Sambhogakaya, Skt. — longs spyod rdzogs pa'i sku, body of enjoyment.
  • Samsara, Skt. — 'khor ba, the wheel or round of existence; the state of being unenlightened in which the mind, enslaved by the three poisons of desire, anger and ignorance, evolves uncontrolled from one state to another, passing through an endless stream of psycho-physical experiences all of which are characterized by suffering.
  • Samye — bsam yas, literally “inconceivable.” The first monastery in Tibet, located in the Tsangpo valley southeast of Lhasa, built by King Trisong Deutsen and consecrated by Padmasambhava.
  • Sangha, Skt. — dge 'dun, the community of buddhist practitioners, whether monastic or lay. The term “noble sangha” refers to those members of the buddhist community who have attained the path of seeing and beyond.
  • Sattvavajra, Skt. — sems dpa rdo rje, another name for Vajrapani.
  • Sattvayoga, Skt. — sems dpa'i rnal 'byor, encompasses the contents of the three outer tantras, in particular Yoga Tantra.
  • Scripture — mdo, lung, in this text a scripture belonging to either Anu or Ati Yoga.
  • Scripture of the Embodiment of Realization — mdo dgongs 'dus, one of the four root tantras of Anu Yoga.
  • Secret empowerment — gsang ba'i dbang, the second empowerment, which purifies the defilements of speech, enables one to meditate on the channels and energies and to recite mantras, and plants the seed for obtaining the vajra speech and the sambhogakaya.
  • Secret Mantra — gsang ngags, a branch of the Great Vehicle, which uses the special techniques of the tantras to traverse the path of enlightenment for all beings more rapidly.
  • Self-existing wisdom — rang byung ye shes, basic wakefulness that is independent of intellectual constructs.
  • Sentient being — sems can, any living being in the six realms that has not attained liberation.
  • Seven men to be tested — sad mi mi bdun, the first seven fully ordained monks in Tibet ordained by the abbot Shantarakshita. They were the minister Ba Trhizi, Ba Selnang, Pagor Vairotsana, Ngenlam Gyalwa Chogyang, Ma Rinchen Chok, Khon Lui Wangpo, and Lasum Gyalwa Changchub. When the king decided they turned out well, he had Shantarakshita ordain another 300 people.
  • Shamatha, Skt. — zhi gnas, essentially a concentration in which the mind remains focused on an object of concentration. It is a state of calm abiding, which, though of great importance, is, unto itself, incapable of overcoming ignorance and the conception of a self.
  • [[Shantarakshita, Skt. - zhi ba mtsho, also known as Khenpo Bodhisattva. An emanation of the bodhisattva Vajrapani, he was the abbot of Vikramashila and Samye. He ordained the first monks in Tibet and was the founder of a philosophical school combining Madhyamaka and Yogachara.
  • Shantigarbha, Skt. — zhi ba'i snying po, one of the eight accomplished masters that gathered at the Sitavana charnel ground and received a casket containing the transmitted precepts of Maha Yoga from the dakini Mahakarmendrani. Shantigarbha received the casket containing the Malign Mantra and attained the accomplishment. He was invited to Tibet by Trisong Deutsen and propagated the Yamari cycle of teachings.
  • Shastra, Skt. — bstan bcos, a commentary on the words of the Buddha.
  • Shravaka, Skt. — nyan thos, a follower of Hinayana, whose goal is to be free of the sufferings of samsara. Unlike the followers of the Great Vehicle, shravakas do not aspire to full enlightenment for the sake of all beings.
  • [[Shravasinha, Skt.– seng ge rab rten, Steadfast Lion, the Muni of the animal realm.
  • Shri Singha, Skt. — shri sing ha, the chief disciple and successor of Manjushrimitra in the lineage of the Dzogchen teachings. He extracted the tantras that had been concealed in Bodh Gaya and went to China, where he classified the Ati Yoga Instruction Class into four cycles: outer, inner, secret and innermost secret. His main disciples were Jnanasutra, Vimalamitra, Padmasambhava and Vairotsana.
  • Siddha, Skt. — grub thob, one who has gained accomplishment through the practice of the Vajrayana.
  • Siddhi, Skt. — dngos grub, see Accomplishment.
  • Single sphere — thig le nyag gcig, a symbolic description of dharmakaya being like a single sphere, because it is devoid of duality and limitation and defies all conceptual constructs that could be formed about it.
  • Sitavana, Skt. — sil bai' tshal, Cool Grove, a sacred charnel ground to the northeast of Bodh Gaya, which is inhabited by many dakinis and savage beings. It has a great stupa, which contains many special tantras in caskets hidden by the dakinis. Padmasambhava practiced ascetics there for many years. Garab Dorje also spent many years there teaching the dakinis and it was there that Manjushrimitra met him.
  • Six Munis — thub pa drug, in each of the six realms of beings an emanation of the tathagatas acts on behalf of the beings of that realm.
  • Six Ornaments — rgyan drug, the six great Indian masters Nagarjuna, Asanga, Dignaga, Aryadeva, Vasubandhu, and Dharmakirti.
  • Six realms — rigs drug, six modes of existence caused and dominated by a particular mental poison: the realms of hells (anger), pretas (miserliness), animals (ignorance), humans (desire), demigods (jealousy), and gods (pride). They correspond to deluded perceptions produced by karma and apprehended as real.
  • Skilful means — thabs, Skt. upaya, this refers to compassion, the counterpart of the wisdom of emptiness. By extension, it refers to all kinds of action and training performed with the attitude of bodhichitta.
  • Songtsen Gampo — srong btsan sgam po (609-649) an emanation of Avalokiteshvara, who was the second Dharma king of Tibet and the fifth hereditary king after Lha Thothori Nyentsen, and married two buddhist princesses, Bhrikuti of Nepal and Wen Cheng of China. He built the first buddhist temples, established a code of laws based on Dharma principles, developed the Tibetan script with the help of his minister Thonmi Sambhota and began the translation of buddhist texts into Tibetan.
  • Space Class — klong sde. the second division of the Mind Class, which emphasizes emptiness.
  • Speed walking, swift-footed — rkang mgyogs, the yogic art of being able to walk extremely fast, covering a huge distance in a short time through control of the inner currents of energy.
  • Spirit King — rgyal 'gong, male mischievous spirit of a class of spirits born of the union of the rgyal po and 'gong po.
  • Spontaneous presence — lhun grub, one of the two main aspects of the Dzogchen teaching, the other being “primordial purity.”
  • [[Stupa, Skt. - mchod rten, lit. “support of offering;” monuments often containing relics of Buddhist saints. Stupas are built according to universal principles of harmony and order. Often quite large, they focus and radiate healing energy throughout the six realms of existence.
  • Suchness — de bzhin nyid, Skt. tathata, synonym for emptiness or the nature of things, dharmata. It is also used to describe the unity of dependent origination and emptiness.
  • Sugata, Skt. — bde bar gshegs pa, lit. “One who has gone to, and proceeds in, bliss,” an epithet of the buddhas.
  • Sugatagarbha, Skt. — bde gshegs snying po, the potential for buddhahood, the luminous and empty nature of the mind.
  • Sukhavati, Skt. — bde ba can, lit. “the Blissful,” the name of the “Western Paradise,” the pure land of Buddha Amitabha.
  • Sutra designed Like a Jewel Chest — mdo sde za ma tog bkod pa, Skt. Karandavyuha sutra, a scripture on Avalokiteshvara that comes in the Mani Kahbum of King Songtsen Gampo.
  • Sutra of a Hundredfold Homage for Amendment of Breaches — dpang skong phyag brgya pa'i mdo, Skt. Sakshipuranasudraka sutra, the first buddhist text that appeared in Tibet, which fell on to the roof of King Lha Thothori Nyanshal’s palace during the fifth century and was translated by Thonmi Sambhota.
  • Sutra Skt. — mdo, a discourse or teaching by the Buddha. Also refers to all the causal teachings that regard the path as the cause of enlightenment.
  • Svabhavikakaya, Skt. — ngo bo nyid kyi sku, essence body, sometimes counted as the fourth kaya, and constituting the unity of the three kayas. Jamgon Kongtrul defines it as the aspect of dharmakaya that is “the nature of all phenomena, emptiness devoid of all constructs and endowed with the characteristic of natural purity.”
  • Symbol lineage through the vidyadharas — rig 'dzin brda rgyud, this lineage is transmitted through the awareness holders by means of symbols or gestures, and according to this text goes from Manjushrimitra up to and including Vimalamitra.

T

  • Tantra Section — rgyud sde, one of the two divisions of Maha Yoga. The Maha Yoga tantras appeared in this world when revealed by Vajrasattva and the Lord of Secrets to King Ja.
  • Tantra, Skt. — rgyud, lit. “continuity.” The Vajrayana teachings given by the Buddha in his sambhogakaya form. Tantra can also refer to all the resultant teachings of Vajrayana as a whole.
  • Tantras, scriptures, and instructions — rgyud lung man ngag, refers to the teachings of Maha Yoga, Anu Yoga, and Ati Yoga respectively. Can also refer to the three categories of the fundamental scriptures of Dzogchen.
  • Tathagata, Skt. — de bzhin gshegs pa, lit. “One who has gone thus,” synonym for fully enlightened buddha.
  • Tathagatagarbha, Skt. — de gshegs snying po, buddha-nature, the essence of enlightenment present in all sentient beings.
  • Ten directions — phyogs bcu, the four cardinal and intermediary directions, together with the zenith and nadir.
  • Ten levels — sa bcu, of a noble bodhisattva's development into a fully enlightened buddha. On each stage more subtle defilements are purified and a further degree of enlightened qualities is manifested.
  • Ten Sutras — mdo bcu, an exposition tantra of the All-Creating Monarch Tantra.
  • Terma — gter ma, lit. “treasures.” The transmission through concealed treasures hidden by Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal, to be revealed at the proper time by a treasure revealer for the benefit of future disciples. It is one of the two chief traditions of the Nyingma School, the other being the Kahma. This tradition is said to continue even long after the Vinaya of the Buddha has disappeared.
  • Terton — gter ston, a revealer of hidden treasures, who is a reincarnation of one of Padmasambhava’s close disciples who made the aspiration to benefit beings in the future.
  • Thinley Norbu Rinpoche — phrin las nor bu rin po che, a highly learned and realized being, he is one of the late Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche’s sons and holder of the Dudjom Tersar lineage. He lives in the United States and has published some of the most amazing books on Dharma written in English.
  • Thirteen Sutras — mdo bcu gsum, a set of scriptures belonging to the Mind Class.
  • Thirty-three — sum bcu rtsa gsum, Skt. Trayastrimsha, the second divine sphere of the desire realm, situated on the summit of Mount Meru, presided over by thirty-three gods of whom Indra is the chief.
  • Thonmi Sambhota — thon mi sam bho tra, an emanation of Manjushri who was a minister of King Songtsen Gampo. Sent to India by Songtsen Gampo to study grammar and writing, on the basis of the Indian scripts he created the forms of the Tibetan letters, and composed eight treatises on the Tibetan alphabet.
  • [[Three Classes of Dzogchen –rdzogs chen sde gsum, after Garab Dorje established the six million four hundred thousand Dzogchen tantras in the human world, Manjushrimitra divided them into three categories: the Mind Class emphasizing luminosity; the Space Class emphasizing emptiness; and the Instruction Class emphasizing their inseparability.
  • Three families — rigs gsum, the three main bodhisattvas: Samantabhadra, Avalokiteshvara and Manjushri.
  • Three Inner Tantras — nang rgyud gsum, Maha, Anu and Ati. These three tantra classes are the special characteristics of the Nyingma School of the Early Translation. They are also known as “development, completion and Great Perfection,” or as “tantras, scriptures and instructions.”
  • Three Kayas — sku gsum, dharmakaya, sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya. The three kayas as ground are “essence, nature, and expression,” as path they are “bliss, clarity and non-thought,” and as fruition they are the “three kayas of buddhahood.” See five kayas.
  • Three kinds of discipline — tshul khrims gsum, according to the bodhisattva vehicle these are gathering virtues, benefiting sentient beings and refraining from misdeeds.
  • Three kinds of wisdom — shes rab gsum, the discriminating wisdom resulting from hearing, contemplating and practicing the teachings.
  • Three knowledges — mkhyen pa gsum, basic knowledge, knowledge of the path and omniscience.
  • Three poisons — dug gsum, the three main afflictions of attachment, hatred and ignorance.
  • Three purities — dag pa gsum, in Kriya Tantra, the purity of deity and mantra, the purity of substance and rapture, and the purity of mantra and contemplation.
  • Three samadhis — ting nge 'dzin gsum, in Maha Yoga, the samadhi of suchness, the all-illuminating samadhi and the samadhi of the seed syllable.
  • Three services — zhabs tog gsum, the best service to one’s guru is the offering of one’s practice, mediocre is to serve him with body and speech, and inferior service is the offering of material things.
  • Three sweets — mngar gsum, sugar, honey and molasses.
  • Three trainings — bslabs pa gsum, Skt. trishika, trainings in ethical discipline, concentration and discriminating knowledge. The three trainings form the basis of the Buddhist path.
  • Three types of generosity — sbyin pa gsum, generosity of material things, of protection from fear and of the Dharma teachings.
  • Three whites — dkar gsum, curd, milk and butter.
  • Three worlds — khams gsum, the world of desire, the world of form and the world of formlessness.
  • Three-thousandfold world — stong gsum, a billion-fold cosmic system of worlds, each of which comprises a Mount Meru and four cosmic continents.
  • Translation Hall — sgra 'gyur gling, one of the temples at Samye that was specifically used for translation. Samye was constructed according to the buddhist view of the universe, with the main temple as Mount Meru and the surrounding temples like the four main continents, the eight subcontinents, and the sun and moon.
  • Tripitaka, Skt. — sde snod gsum, the three collections of the words of the Buddha (Vinaya, Sutra and Abhidharma). Their purpose is the development of the three trainings of discipline, concentration and discriminating knowledge, while their function is to remedy the three poisons of desire, anger and ignorance.
  • Trisong Deutsen — khri srong de'u btsan , the third Dharma king of Tibet and an emanation of Manjushri. He appeared in the fifth reign after Songtsen Gampo and was thirteen years old when he started ruling the kingdom. He invited many masters to Tibet to propagate the true doctrine, built Samye and established Buddhism as the state religion of Tibet. There are many different opinions about his birth and death dates.
  • Tsamunshri, Tsamuntri, Namdruma, Skt. — tsa mun shri, tsa mun tri, nam gru ma, names of dakinis residing in the cemeteries.
  • Tsangpo — gtsang po, Skt. Brahmaputra, the river flowing past Samye.
  • Tsawarong — tsha ba rong, the river valley of Gyalmo Tsawarong in the far east of Kham.
  • Tsultrim Dron — tshul khrims sgron, a nun from Khotan who became Vairotsana’s foremost female disciple.
  • Tushita, Skt. — dga' ldan, lit. “The Joyous,” the name of the pure land of the thousand buddhas of this aeon, inhabited only by bodhisattvas and buddhas. The heavenly realm in which lord Maitreya resides awaiting his appearance in this world as the next Buddha.
  • [[Twelve links of dependent origination namely ignorance; habitual tendencies; consciousness; name and form; the six activity fields of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and intellect; contact; feeling; craving; aggregates; birth; old age; and death.
  • Twenty thousand Sections of the Nine-fold Space — klong dgu bam po nyi khri, important teachings of the Space Class.
  • Two accumulations — tshogs gnyis, Skt. sambharadvaya, the accumulations of merit and wisdom.
  • Two doctrines, Skt. — bstan gnyis, the Hinayana and Mahayana doctrines.
  • Two truths — bden gnyis, relative truth and absolute truth. Relative truth describes the seeming, superficial and apparent mode of all things. Absolute truth describes the real, true and unmistaken mode.
  • Two Types of Sangha — dge bdun sde gnyis, twofold division of the religious community: ordained renunciates who shave their head and wear red and yellow robes, and Vajrayana practitioners who are not celibate, wear white robes and grow their hair long.

U - V

  • Upatantra, Skt. — spyod rgyud, the second of the three outer tantras.
  • Vairochana, Skt. — rnam par snang mdzad, the main buddha of the tathagata family corresponding to the aggregate of form.
  • Vajra, Skt. — rdo rje, diamond or vajra weapon, a symbol of indestructibility; also used to represent skilful means or compassion. The vajra is frequently employed in tantric rituals in conjunction with a bell, which in turn symbolizes the wisdom of emptiness.
  • Vajradhara, Skt. — rdo rje 'dzin pa, Vajra-holder. Emanation of Samantabhadra. The dharmakaya buddha of the New Schools. Can also refer to one's personal teacher of Vajrayana or to the all-embracing buddha nature.
  • Vajrapani, Skt. — phyag na rdo rje, a great bodhisattva, one of the eight close sons. He personifies the power and mind of all buddhas.
  • Vajrasattva, Skt. — rdo rje sems dpa', the buddha who embodies the hundred families. The practice of Vajrasattva and recitation of his hundred-syllable mantra are the most effective methods for purifying negative actions. In the Ati Yoga lineage he is the sambhogakaya buddha.
  • Vajrayana, Skt. — rdo rje theg pa, the corpus of teachings and practices based on the tantras, scriptures that discourse upon the primordial purity of the mind. See Secret Mantra.
  • Varanasi — wa ra na si, a city in India on the Ganges, a main place of pilgrimage for Hindus. At nearby Sarnath the Buddha Shakyamuni turned the first wheel of the Dharma with his teachings on the Four Noble Truths.
  • Vehicle — thegpa, Skt. yana, the means for traveling the path to enlightenment.
  • Vidyadhara, Skt. — rig 'dzin, lit. “awareness-holder.” Someone of high attainment in the Vajrayana. According to the Nyingma tradition, there are four levels of vidyadhara corresponding to the ten (sometimes eleven) levels of realization of the Sutrayana. They are: 1) the vidyadhara with corporal residue, 2) the vidyadhara with power over life, 3) the Mahamudra vidyadhara, 4) the vidyadhara of spontaneous presence.
  • View — lta ba, Skt. dristi, the authentic point of view, the actual knowledge and experience of the natural state.
  • Vimalamitra, Skt. — dri med bshes gnyen, one of the greatest masters and scholars of Indian Buddhism. He went to Tibet in the 9th century where he taught and translated numerous Sanskrit texts. He was one of the principal sources, together with Guru Padmasambhava, of the Dzogchen teachings in Tibet.
  • Vinaya, Skt. — 'dul ba, the name of the Buddhist ethical teachings in general and of the code of monastic discipline in particular.
  • Vishuddha, Skt. — yang dag, the heruka of the vajra family or the tantric teachings connected to that wrathful deity; one of the Eight Sadhana Teachings of the Nyingma School.
  • Vow-holder — dam can, oath-bound guardians and dharmapalas.
  • Vulture Peak — bya rgod phung po'i ri, place near Rajgir in Bihar, central India, where the Buddha taught.
  • Wisdom — 1) shes rab, Skt. prajna, the ability to discern correctly, the understanding of emptiness. 2) ye shes, Skt. jnana, the primordial and non-dual knowing aspect of the nature of the mind.

W - Y

  • Wishfulfilling gem — yid bzhin nor bu, Skt. chintamani, a fabulous jewel found in the realms of the gods or nagas that fulfills all wishes. The Buddha, one’s master and the nature of mind are often referred to as a wish-fulfilling gem.
  • Wishfulfilling tree — dpag bsam gyi shing, magical tree that has its roots in the asura realm, but bears its fruit in the divine sphere of the Thirty-three.
  • World of desire — 'dod khams, a general term referring to the six samsaric realms; the first of the three worlds of existence.
  • Yaksha, Skt. — gnod sbyin, a class of semi-divine beings, generally benevolent, but sometimes wicked. Many are powerful local divinities; others live on Mount Sumeru, guarding the realm of the gods.
  • Yakshini Changchubma, Skt. — gnod sbyin mo byang chub ma, one of the Indian Dzogchen lineage masters, who was a direct disciple of Prahevajra and Naga King Nanda. She was the teacher of the prostitute Barani.
  • Yamantaka, Skt. — gshin rje gshed, a wrathful form of Manjushri, yidam of one of the Eight Sadhana Teachings of Maha Yoga.
  • Yangleshod — yang le shod, cave in the southern part of Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, where Padmasambhava attained accomplishment of Mahamudra through the practice of Vishuddha and Kilaya.
  • Yarlha Shampo — yar lha sham po, deity riding a white yak, oath-bound by Padmasambhava. Also refers to a mountain in the Yarlung valley of Central Tibet, where the first king of Tibet is said to have descended from the sky.
  • Yidam — yid dam, a tantric deity representing different aspects of enlightenment. Yidams may be peaceful or wrathful, male or female, and are meditated upon according to the nature and needs of the individual practitioner.
  • Yoga Tantra, Skt. — rnal 'byor rgyud, the third of the three outer tantras, which regards the view rather than the conduct and regards the deity as being the same level as oneself.
  • Yoga, Skt. — rnal 'byor, lit. “joining” or “union” with the natural state of the mind. A term commonly used to refer to spiritual practice.
  • Yogi, Skt. — rnal 'byor pa, tantric practitioner. In this text it refers to someone who has already attained stability in the natural state of mind.
  • Yudra Nyingpo — g.yu sgra snying po, the main disciple and lineage holder of Vairotsana. He was the reincarnation of Tsang Lekdrub.
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