Glossary of definitions and names

Bodhicitta (Skt.) (byang chub kyi sems), the mind of enlightenment. Having adopted sampa zangpo goodheart altruism as the basis, bodhicitta is the aspiration to attain the perfection of complete enlightenment for the benefit of oneself and all other sentient beings. It is an exceptional level of consciousness, which is the principal practice of the Mahayana.

Bodhisattva(Skt.) (byang chub sems dpa’), is an individual on the Mahayana path of training who, in order to attain great enlightenment, strives for kalpas without ever being disheartened, even when giving away his head or his limbs. Technically, one becomes a Bodhisattva for the first time when one enters the Mahayana, and one becomes a Bodhisattva Mahasattva, a great Bodhisattva, when one progresses onto the path of seeing, in other words, when one attains the first level, which is the first instant of the realisation of true nature. However, in general, and unless otherwise stated, the term Bodhisattva refers to those who have already attained the first level.

Buddha (Skt.) (sangs rgyas), means the purification (sangs) of the two obscurations (emotional and cognitive) and the development (rgyas) of the two wisdoms (knowing how-it-is and seeing diversity), and refers to any being who is so endowed. It depends on the context whether this term refers to Buddhas in general, or to the historical Buddha of our era, the Buddha Shakyamuni.

Buddha nature  Skt. sugatagarbha, (bde bar gshegs pa'i snying po), lit. the heartcore of those who have gone to bliss, Buddha nature is a term which is used in the context of the Mahayana to refer to the uncontaminated basic nature which is present in all sentient beings without any difference, and is taught by way of examples, such as a treasure beneath the ground, and so on, to be the true nature of their mind. It is the potential in every sentient being to realise the state of omniscience and complete liberation that is Buddhahood.

Buddha Shakyamuni the historical Buddha, who lived around the 5^th century B.C. He is also known as Siddhartha Gautama.

Chenrezig, Tibetan name for Avalokiteshvara. He is the great bodhisattva who embodies compassion and the most popular of all the bodhisattvas in the Mahayana. He is also known as the “Protector of the world”.

Chöpön is also known as the ritual specialist, or master of ceremonies.

Dharma (Skt.) chö(chos),commonly referred to as Dharma, or Buddhadharma, is all that is included in the teachings of the Buddha. The word is said to have ten, and even more, meanings in its original Sanskrit as, for example, a phenomenon, a mental object, the Buddhist path, virtuous activity, the teachings of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, the experience of enlightenment, laws, religious vows, and so on. The many meanings of the term also indicate the vastness of the Dharma itself.

Drupdra Meditation area

Dri see Initiation, oral transmission and instruction

Drupchenis a retreat in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition which involves a large number of practitioners who recite prayers and the mantra without interruption—i.e., 24 hours a day—throughout a 10-day period. It is considered a very powerful practice which produces the same benefit as seven years of individual retreat. Specifically, it counters negative forces and promotes peace at the individual, community, and global levels. 

Dzogchen or Dzogpa Chenpo (dzogs pa chen po), Skt. mahasandhi, great perfection or great completion, is a term that comes from the teachings of the Nyingma School, refers to the pinnacle of the nine yanas (vehicle). It is 'perfection' or 'completion' since all the qualities are spontaneously present in the nature of mind as: 1) the emptiness of its essence, 2) the luminosity of its nature, and 3) the pervasiveness of its compassion. It is 'great' since it is the way of being of all phenomena. Its teachings are divided into three groups of tantra (dzogs chen sde gsum): 1) the mind section (sems sde), 2) the space section (klong sde) and 3) the direct instruction section (men ngag gi sde). It is a synonym of Atiyoga (Skt.), supreme yoga, the pinnacle of the nine yanas, because it completely perfects the meaning of all the yanas without limitation or bias in relation to self-born primordial awareness free from elaboration.

Dzogchenpa is a Dzogchen practitioner.

Emptiness (Skt. shunyata), (stong nyid), is the insubstantial natural state of all phenomena, or suchness, the absence of inherent existence. Emptiness by itself is nihilism, and luminosity by itself is eternalism. Although they can be discussed separately, they are always in union. This is expressed in the second turning of the wheel of Dharma in the quotation, ‘Form is emptiness and emptiness is form’ and in the third turning of the wheel of Dharma in the quotation, ‘Mind. Mind does not exist. The nature of mind is luminosity’.

Five paths (lam lnga), are stages on the path from the moment of entering the doorway of the Dharma until the attainment of complete enlightenment: 1) the path of accumulation (tshogs lam), 2) the path of junction (sbyor lam), 3) the path of seeing (mthong lam), 4) the path of habituation (sgom lam), and 5) the path of no-more training (mi slob lam).

Four enlightened activities  (las bzhi), are the spontaneous activities of an enlightened being for the benefit of others, which are: 1) peaceful (zhi ba'i las), 2) increased (rgyas pa'i las), 3) powerful (dbang gi las), and 4) wrathful (drag pa'i las).

Four Noble Truths  (or The Four Truths of the Noble One (Skt: catvāri āryasatyāni), ('phags pa'i bden pa bzhi) form the basis of Buddha’s teachings, as the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma. They describe the dissatisfying nature of our ordinary existence (suffering), these sufferings have causes (origin), these sufferings and their causes can be stopped (cessation), and there are methods which lead to the cessation of suffering and the causes of suffering (path). 

Guru Rinpoche, Orjen Chenpo (orgyen chen po), lit. the great one of Uddiyana, is one of the names used to refer to Padmasambhava. He was part of the trio known as The Acharya, the Master, and the King, (mkhan slob chos gsum) which included Acharya Shantirakshita, Supreme Master Padmasambhava and Dharma King Trisong Deutsan. He is more commonly referred to as Guru Rinpoche, and recognised as the nirmanakaya emanation of Amitabha and Chenrezig. He came to Tibet from India in the eighth century and founded Samye Monastery, translated the principal sutras, tantras and shastras into Tibetan, spread the teachings of the Secret Mantra, established centres of learning and meditation, developed the red-clad and white-clad sanghas, and with his consort, Khandro Yeshe Tshogyal, planted a multitude of terma treasures which have been revealed by his emanations ever since. When he departed from Tibet he went to his pure land in the north-west, Ngayab Ling (rnga yab gling), though he is commonly said to reside in Zangdok Palri (zangs mdog dpal ri), the Copper-Coloured Mountain, and to be present in the awareness of any being who has faith in him. He is often referred to as the second Buddha (sangs rgyas gnyis pa).

Impermanent (mi rtag pa), is the nature of all that is compounded; refers to the phenomenon of perishing, which comes about through a process of momentary transformation, and to dynamic transience as the quality of all compounded things.

Initiation, oral transmission and instruction (dbang lung khrid gsum), are explained as: 1) initiation which ripens (smin byed kyi dbang), 2) oral transmission which maintains the lineage (brgyud pa'i lung), and 3) instruction that liberates (grol byed kyi khrid).

Khenpo (also spelled Khyenpo) is a doctorate-level degree granted by Tibetan monastic universities of the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Sakya traditions after a period of 9-15 years of intensive study.

Kuntuzangpo ( kun tu bzang po)or Samantabhadra, is the primordial Buddha who has never fallen into delusion. His representation is naked, in dark blue, sometimes in union with Samantabhadri, a symbol of awareness-emptiness, the pure, absolute nature ever present and unobstructed.

Kama (bKa-ma) “Texts of the oral transmission ” is one of the two types of transmission in the Nyingma school, which includes all the teachings transmitted orally from master to disciple.

Karma (Skt.) (las), lit. action, or the nature of an action, which is understood in terms of its being a cause of a later result and, therefore, the meaning is very closely related to causality and the inevitable experiences that it engenders. Karmic actions can be divided into those that are contaminated, those that are uncontaminated and those that are beyond being either contaminated or uncontaminated.

Level Skt. bhumi, (sa), as in Bodhisattva level, refers to the ten Bodhisattva levels, the first level being equivalent to the path of seeing, when one first realises the true nature of mind. On subsequent levels, Bodhisattvas abandon that which has to be abandoned and realise that which has to be realised until they reach the end of the tenth level, when they attain complete and perfect Buddhahood.

Longchen Nyingthik  (klong chen snying thig ), the heart-essence of infinite expanse, is a cycle of teachings associated with Dzogpa Chenpo [Dzogchen], revealed as a mind treasure (mind ter) by the great Jigme Lingpa.

Lung see Initiation, oral transmission and instruction

Madhyamika (Skt.) (dbu ma chen po), the Great Middle Way, is the title of the teachings on emptiness which were mainly formulated and expounded by Nagarjuna. ‘Middle’ means exactly that, not falling into the extremes of either existence or non-existence.

Mahayana (Skt.) (theg pa chen po), the Greater Vehicle, is the yana, or vehicle, of the Bodhisattvas, the higher of two yanas when the teachings of the Dharma are presented as two yanas, the other being, the Hinayana (theg dman) the Lesser Vehicle of the Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas. When the teachings are presented as three yanas, the Mahayana is further divided into the Mahayana and the Vajrayana (rdo rje theg pa) the Diamond, or Adamantine, Vehicle.

Mala (threngwa) is a rosary used by Buddhists to keep count while reciting, chanting, or mentally repeating mantras. Malas are typically made with 19, 21, 27, 54 or 108 beads.

Mandala (dkyil ‘khor) lit. centre and circumference. Used in the Tibetan vajrayana, mandalas are depictions of a sacred space or cosmic microcosm associated with a particular buddha or deity. Usually in the form of a thangka, sand mandala or as a stupa, they are used as visualization aids by practitioners.

Mantra (sngags) is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that protect the mind of the practitioner from ordinary perceptions and invoke the wisdom of the deities. The most famous mantra in Tibetan Buddhism is OM MANI PADME HUNG, the six syllable mantra of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.

Nagarjuna  (klu grub), the great Indian master of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, who expounded the Madhyamika, or Middle Way, teachings, and is renowned as one of the two most excellent ones of the Buddhadharma (Nagarjuna, representing the tradition of the profound view, and Asanga, representing the tradition of vast activity).

His coming was prophesised by the Buddha and in the Mahayana sutras. As Siddhiphala, he was the finest doctor on the planet, having studied with Guru Rinpoche, and when he was summoned to treat the king of the nagas, he was rewarded with the texts of The Prajnaparamita, which had been placed in the guardianship of the nagas by Ananda, and with the name Nagarjuna. Chandrakirti was later to point out that just as the nagas live in the ocean, Nagarjuna was born in the ocean of the dharmadhatu ultimate sphere.

Nagarjuna then entered Nalanda, where he was guided in his studies by Saraha, one of the eighty-four mahasiddhas, and where he became abbot in a short time. He wrote many texts on The Prajnaparamita and on the Madhyamika, which he formulated into an efficient tool for the realisation of what is the highest philosophy of the Buddhadharma.

Nagarjuna also played a leading role in the development of the Vinaya. He laid down strict guidelines for his disciples, and once, it is said, had eight thousand monks expelled from his community.

Later in life when he was prolonging the life of his then patron, King Antivahan, with a long life elixir, the king’s son, who was desirous of taking over his father’s crown, wanted to get rid of Nagarjuna. He listened attentively as Nagarjuna explained to him that the only way to do it was with a blade of kusha grass, and then proceeded to sever Nagarjuna’s head from his body.

With his head severed, Nagarjuna announced from his throat that he would leave for Dewachen, but that he would re-enter his body later. Neither his head nor his trunk decayed, but year after year they approached each other until they finally joined, and Nagarjuna came back to life, living in all for six hundred years.

Ngondrö( sngon 'gro) refers to the preliminary, preparatory or foundational practices common to all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism which establish the foundation for more advanced practises.

Nirvana (Skt.) (mya ngan las ‘das pa), is the state beyond, or liberation from, suffering.

Paramitas (pha rol du phyin pa sogs), lit. that which is gone to the other shore, are transcendent perfections, which number six or ten. The paramitas are Mahayana trainings, and include the unexcelled mind which accomplishes all the virtue that is included within them. This virtue is preeminent and superlative. Since it is beyond any worldly virtue and any virtue of the Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, it is transcendent. It is also transcendent in that it transcends limitations and is the cause for the attainment of Buddhahood. They are: 1) generosity (sbyin pa), 2) moral discipline (tshul khrims), 3) patience (bzod pa), 4) diligence (brtson 'grus), 5) meditative concentration (bsam gtan), 6) wisdom (shes rab), 7) skill in means (thabs shes), 8) aspirational prayers (smon lam), 9) force (stobs), and 10) primordial awareness (ye shes).

Primordial wisdom (ye shes)is the empty luminous awareness which is primordially present in the mindstream of every being.

Prayer flags are colorful cloth panels strung along mountain ridges and peaks high in the Himalayas to bless the surrounding countryside. There are two kinds of prayer flags: horizontal ones, called lung ta (meaning "Wind Horse") in Tibetan, and the vertical darchor (meaning “increasing benefit for all sentient beings”).

Rimé refers to the non-sectarian "Eclectic Movement" of the Nyingma, Sakya, and Kagyu schools of Tibetan buddhism, wherein practitioners "follow multiple lineages of practice." The movement was founded in Eastern Tibet (Kham) during the late 19th century largely by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Jamgon Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye, Chögyur Dechen Lingpa, Mip’am Rinpoche and Dza Patrul Rinpoche. The Rimé movement is responsible for a large number of scriptural compilations, such as the Rinchen Terdzod and the Sheja Dzö.

Rinpocheor Rimpoche (rin po che) is an honorific used in Tibetan Buddhism. It literally means "precious one".

Sadhana is a term for "a means of accomplishing something" or more specifically "spiritual practice". In the Tibetan buddhist context, it often refers to texts.

Sampa Sangpo or Sampa Zangpo (bsam pa bzang po), lit. good intention or goodwill, is the basis on which bodhicitta can be engendered in the mindstream of an ordinary sentient being.

Samsara (Skt.) (khor ba), lit. cyclic existence, refers to: 1) the round of lives that a sentient being takes within the three or six realms of samsara, or 2) the aggregates that perpetuate defilement (zag bcas nyer len gyi phung po), more commonly known as the five aggregates.

Sangha (Skt.) (dge 'dun), lit. those who aspire to virtue, refers, in general, to the community of practitioners, either ordained or lay, who are on the path of abandoning the disturbing emotions, or, in particular, to the Sangha as one of the three rare and sublime jewels, the three sources of refuge, to the superior beings in each of the three yanas, or to one's fellow-practitioners. For practitioners of the Mahayana, the noble Sangha refers to Bodhisattvas.

Sangye Menla (Skt. Bhaisajyaguru) is the Medicine Buddha.

Shantideva (zhi ba lha) (685-763), born the son of an Indian king, was a follower of the Prasangika Madhyamika.

His two most famous texts: Engaging in Bodhisattva Activity Skt. bodhicaryavatara, (byang chub sems dpa’i spyod pa la ‘jug pa), which sets out the Bodhisattva path, and The Compendium of Instructions, Skt. shiksa-samuccaya, (byang chub sems pa’i bslab btus, or bslab pa kun las btus pa), a commentary on Engaging in Bodhisattva Activity, a compendium of Mahayana teachings and especially those of the Madhyamika.

It was the custom in Nalanda, when Shatideva was studying there, for each monk to take it in turn to give a Dharma talk. Shantideva was viewed as someone who did not know the Dharma very well, and the other monks thought they would have fun with him when his turn came around. The Dharma talk he gave was a recitation of Engaging in Bodhisattva Activity. When he got to the ninth chapter, which is the chapter on wisdom, he rose up into the air and was invisible while he continued with the teaching.

Appearing again for a short spell to adjudicate a debate about his teachings, his texts have ever since been extremely influential for both the development of the Mahayana and for individual practice.

Stanza means verse.

Sutrayana (Skt) in the three-fold classification of yanas is the yana (vehicle) that leads to the realization of emptiness. It consists of both Hinayana and Mahayana. The other two yanas, according to this classification, are Tantrayana and Dzogchen, which together constitute Vajrayana.

Tantra (Skt) (rgyud), text based on the primordial purity of the nature of mind or the root texts of the Vajrayana teachings.

Tashi Delek (bkra shis bde legs) is a common Tibetan greeting which means “May everything be auspicious!”

Thangka is a painted or embroidered Buddhist banner which usually depict buddhas, bodhisattvas, deities, and their pure lands.

Three bases of discipline. The discipline of refraining from negative actions, the discipline of undertaking positive actions and the discipline of bringing benefit to others.

Three baskets Tripitaka (Skt.) (sde snod rnam pa gsum), the three baskets, series, or categories of teachings: 1) the Vinaya ('dul ba'i sde snod) which is teachings on moral discipline, 2) the sutras (mdo sde'i sde snod) which is teachings on meditative concentration, and 3) the Abhidharma (mngon pa'i sde snod) which is teachings on wisdom.

Tonglen is Tibetan for 'giving and taking' (or sending and taking), and it refers to a meditation practice whereby one visualizes taking onto oneself the suffering of others and giving one's own happiness to others.

Three trainings or threefold training (bslab pa gsum) include ethical discipline, meditative concentration and wisdom.

Tsok are offerings of light, flowers, and food by practitioners which are consecrated by prayers and meditation in order to liberate all sentient beings from their suffering. Finally, the participants partake of the offerings.

Tulku (sprul sku) is an honorific title or a general term for recognized incarnations of realized lamas.

Umdze chant leader

Vajrasattva (rdo rje sems dpa’) is the Buddha that embodies the Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Deities (zhi khro). Common to all of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, Vajrasattva practices purify obscurations and negative actions.

Vajrayana is asynonym for the Secret Mantrayana, a branch of the Mahayana which uses the special methods of the tantras to progress more swiftly along the path of enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings.

Wang Cfr Initiation, oral transmission and instruction.