Glossary from 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

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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

[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 Lineage through the Conquerors — rgyal ba dgongs brgyud, the transmission of the teachings from mind to mind, according to this text, from Samantabhadra up to and including Prahevajra. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Mount Malaya — ri ma la ya, Skt. Malayagiri, the place where the Lord of Secrets taught the secret mantra to the five noble beings, situated on present-day Ceylon. It is now known as "Adam's Peak." [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Mount Meru — ri rab, the mythological mountain at the center of our world-system surrounded by the four continents, where the two lowest classes of gods of the world of desire live. It is encircled by chains of lesser mountains, lakes, continents, and oceans and is said to raise eighty-four thousand leagues above sea level. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Mudra, Skt. — phyag rgya, can refer to a gesture, spiritual consort, or the bodily form of a deity. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

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

N

Naga King Nanda — klu'i rgyal po 'dga' bo, one of the Indian Dzogchen lineage masters, a disciple of Prahevajra, Prince Rajahasti and Princess Parani, and the teacher of Yakshini Changchubma. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Naga, Skt. — klu, powerful long-living serpent-like beings dwelling in water domains and often guarding great treasures. Nagas belong half to the animal realm and half to the god realm. They generally live in the form of snakes, but many can change into human form. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Nagarjuna, Skt. klu grub, great Indian master of philosophy and tantric siddha. He received the Lotus Speech tantras, which he accomplished and transmitted to Padmasambhava. He recovered the Prajnaparamita sutras from the land of the nagas and was the founder of the Madhyamaka philosophy. According to this text he is a disciple of Dagnyima and the teacher of Kukkuraja. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Nalanda, Skt. — na lan dra, the famous monastic university built at the birthplace of Shariputra some distance north of Bodh Gaya in Bihar. Nalanda had a long and illustrious history and many of the greatest masters of the Mahayana lived, studied and taught there. It was destroyed in 1200 C.E. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Nectar — bdud rtsi, Skt. amrita, the ambrosia of the gods that confers immortality or other powers. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Ngam Tara Lugong — ngam ta ra klu gong, one of the most influential Bon ministers during the reign of King Trisong Deutsen. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Nigu — ni gu, a female soothsayer. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Nine vehicles — theg pa dgu, the traditional classification of the Dharma according to the Nyingma School. The first three vehicles are known as the three causal vehicles of the shravakas, pratyekabuddhas and bodhisattvas. Following these are the three vehicles of the outer tantras, namely Kriya Yoga, Upa Yoga and Yoga Tantra. Finally there are the three vehicles of the inner tantras: Maha Yoga, Anu Yoga and Ati Yoga. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Nine-fold Expanse — klong dgu, nine sub-divisions of the Space Class teachings of the Great Perfection. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Nirmanakaya, Skt. — sprul sku, manifested body. The third of the three kayas. The aspect of enlightenment that can be perceived by ordinary beings. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Nirvana, Skt. — myang ngan 'das, lit. "the state beyond suffering." This term indicates the various levels of enlightenment attainable in both the Hinayana and Mahayana. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Nonarising — skye ba med pa, in the aspect of ultimate truth, all phenomena are devoid of an independent, concrete identity and therefore ultimately do not come into being, abide in time and place or cease to exist. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Nonconceptual — mi dmigs, lit. thought-free, not held in mind, free of all discursive activity. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Nub Namkhai Nyingpo — snub nam mka'i snying po, one of the translators that were sent to India by King Trisong Deutsen in order to search for the teachings. Along with his companions he studied the Yangdag Heruka doctrine with master Humkara. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Nyag Jnana Kumara — nyag ye shes gzhon nu, expert translator and disciple of Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra, Vairotsana and Yudra Nyingpo. He worked closely with Vimalamitra in translating the Maha Yoga and Ati Yoga tantras. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Nyemo Chekar — snye mo bye dkar, Vairotsana's birthplace near Uyuk in the Nyemo area. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

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

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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Oddiyana year — o rgyan gyi lo, according to this text a period of six months. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Oracular mirror — pra se na, a way of doing divination by looking at images in a mirror. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Outer Tantras — phyi rgyud, the tantras belonging to the three vehicles of Kriya, Upa and Yoga. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Padmasambhava — padma '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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Pam Sangye Gonpo — spam sangs rgyas mgon po, a disciple of Yudra Nyingpo who became one of the lineage holders. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Pandita, Skt. — pan di ta, a learned master, scholar or professor of Buddhist philosophy. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Pitaka, Skt. — snod, lit. "basket;" a collection of scriptures. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Pith Instructions — man ngag, Skt. upadesha, instructions explaining the most profound points of practice in a condensed and direct way. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Preta, Skt. — yi dvags, famished spirits or hungry ghosts, one of the six classes of beings in samsara. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Primordial purity — ka dag, the basic nature of sentient beings which is originally untainted by defilement, and beyond confusion and liberation. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Pure perception — dag snang, the perception of the world and its contents as a pure buddhafield or as the display of kayas and wisdoms. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Putra, Skt. — pu tra, spirits dwelling in charnel grounds. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

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

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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Resolving King's Cycle — la bzla rgyal po'i skor, the second of the three categories of Mind Class Tantras. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Sacred commitment — dam tshig, Skt. samaya, See samaya. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Sadhana, Skt. — sgrub thabs, method of accomplishment. A tantric meditative practice involving visualization of deities and the recitation of mantra. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Saha, Skt. — mi mjed, the name of our present world system. Saha means "enduring" because sentient beings endure unbearable suffering here. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Samadhi, Skt. — bsam gtan, meditative absorption of different degrees. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Samantabhadri, Skt. — kun tu bzang mo, the consort of the primordial Buddha Samantabhadra. Their union symbolizes the inseparability of the phenomenal world and emptiness. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Samaya, Skt. — dam tshig, the commitment established between the master and disciples on whom empowerment is conferred. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Sambhogakaya, Skt. — longs spyod rdzogs pa'i sku, body of enjoyment. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Sattvavajra, Skt. — sems dpa rdo rje, another name for Vajrapani. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Sattvayoga, Skt. — sems dpa'i rnal 'byor, encompasses the contents of the three outer tantras, in particular Yoga Tantra. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Scripture — mdo, lung, in this text a scripture belonging to either Anu or Ati Yoga. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Scripture of the Embodiment of Realization — mdo dgongs 'dus, one of the four root tantras of Anu Yoga. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Secret Mantra — gsang sngags, 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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Self-existing wisdom — rang byung ye shes, basic wakefulness that is independent of intellectual constructs. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Sentient being — sems can, any living being in the six realms that has not attained liberation. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Shantarakshita, Skt. - zhi ba 'tsho, 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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Shastra, Skt. — bstan bcos, a commentary on the words of the Buddha. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Shravasinha, Skt.– seng ge rab rten, Steadfast Lion, the Muni of the animal realm. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Siddha, Skt. — grub thob, one who has gained accomplishment through the practice of the Vajrayana. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Siddhi, Skt. — dngos grub, see Accomplishment. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Six Ornaments — rgyan drug, the six great Indian masters Nagarjuna, Asanga, Dignaga, Aryadeva, Vasubandhu, and Dharmakirti. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Space Class — klong sde. the second division after the Mind Class, which emphasizes emptiness. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Spirit King — rgyal 'gong, male mischievous spirit of a class of spirits born of the union of the rgyal po and 'gong po. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Spontaneous presence — lhun grub, one of the two main aspects of the Dzogchen teaching, the other being "primordial purity." [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Sugata, Skt. — bde bar gshegs pa, lit. "One who has gone to, and proceeds in, bliss," an epithet of the buddhas. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Sugatagarbha, Skt. — bde gshegs snying po, the potential for buddhahood, the luminous and empty nature of the mind. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Sukhavati, Skt. — bde ba can, lit. "the Blissful," the name of the "Western Paradise," the pure land of Buddha Amitabha. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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." [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

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

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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Tathagata, Skt. — de bzhin gshegs pa, lit. "One who has gone thus," synonym for fully enlightened buddha. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Tathagatagarbha, Skt. — de gshegs snying po, buddha-nature, the essence of enlightenment present in all sentient beings. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Ten directions — phyogs bcu, the four cardinal and intermediary directions, together with the zenith and nadir. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Ten Sutras — mdo bcu, an exposition tantra of the All-Creating Monarch Tantra. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Thirteen Sutras — mdo bcu gsum, a set of scriptures belonging to the Mind Class. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Three families — rigs gsum, the three main bodhisattvas: Samantabhadra, Avalokiteshvara and Manjushri. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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." [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Three kinds of discipline — tshul khrims gsum, according to the bodhisattva vehicle these are gathering virtues, benefiting sentient beings and refraining from misdeeds. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Three kinds of wisdom — shes rab gsum, the discriminating wisdom resulting from hearing, contemplating and practicing the teachings. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Three knowledges — mkhyen pa gsum, basic knowledge, knowledge of the path and omniscience. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Three poisons — dug gsum, the three main afflictions of attachment, hatred and ignorance. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Three samadhis — ting nge 'dzin gsum, in Maha Yoga, the samadhi of suchness, the all-illuminating samadhi and the samadhi of the seed syllable. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Three sweets — mngar gsum, sugar, honey and molasses. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Three types of generosity — sbyin pa gsum, generosity of material things, of protection from fear and of the Dharma teachings. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Three whites — dkar gsum, curd, milk and butter. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Three worlds — khams gsum, the world of desire, the world of form and the world of formlessness. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Three-thousandfold world — stong gsum, a billion-fold cosmic system of worlds, each of which comprises a Mount Meru and four cosmic continents. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Tsamunshri, Tsamuntri, Namdruma, Skt. — tsa mun shri, tsa mun tri, nam gru ma, names of dakinis residing in the cemeteries. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Tsangpo — gtsang po, Skt. Brahmaputra, the river flowing past Samye. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Tsawarong — tsha ba rong, the river valley of Gyalmo Tsawarong in the far east of Kham. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Tsultrim Dron — tshul khrims sgron, a nun from Khotan who became Vairotsana's foremost female disciple. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Twenty thousand Sections of the Nine-fold Space — klong dgu bam po nyi khri, important teachings of the Space Class. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Two accumulations — tshogs gnyis, Skt. sambharadvaya, the accumulations of merit and wisdom. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Two doctrines, Skt. — bstan gnyis, the Hinayana and Mahayana doctrines. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

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

U - V

Upatantra, Skt. — spyod rgyud, the second of the three outer tantras. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Vairochana, Skt. — rnam par snang mdzad, the main buddha of the tathagata family corresponding to the aggregate of form. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Vajrapani, Skt. — phyag na rdo rje, a great bodhisattva, one of the eight close sons. He personifies the power and mind of all buddhas. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Vehicle — theg pa, Skt. yana, the means for traveling the path to enlightenment. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
View — lta ba, Skt. dristi, the authentic point of view, the actual knowledge and experience of the natural state. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Vinaya, Skt. — 'dul ba, the name of the Buddhist ethical teachings in general and of the code of monastic discipline in particular. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Vow-holder — dam can, oath-bound guardians and dharmapalas. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Vulture Peak — bya rgod phung po'i ri, place near Rajgir in Bihar, central India, where the Buddha taught. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

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

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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
World of desire — 'dod khams, a general term referring to the six samsaric realms; the first of the three worlds of existence. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Yamantaka, Skt. — gshin rje gshed, a wrathful form of Manjushri, yidam of one of the Eight Sadhana Teachings of Maha Yoga. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Yoga, Skt. — rnal 'byor, lit. "joining" or "union" with the natural state of the mind. A term commonly used to refer to spiritual practice. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
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. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6
Yudra Nyingpo — g.yu sgra snying po, the main disciple and lineage holder of Vairotsana. He was the reincarnation of Tsang Lekdrub. [AJP] from The Great Image ISBN 1-59030-069-6

Glossary from The Great Image

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Glossary from The Great Image

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Glossary from The Great Image

Glossary from The Great Image

A

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H

I - J

K

L

M

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R - S

T

U - V

W - Y

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