One with
virtuous
motivation.
Khenchen-Thrangu-Rinpoche-The-Life-Spiritual-Songs-of-Milarepa
Mahayana schools of philosophy appeared several hundred years after the Buddha's death, although the tradition is traced to a teaching he is said to have given at Rajgriha, or Vulture Peak Mountain.
Maitripa - was a guru of Marpa, the Tibetan forefather of the Kagyu lineage. Thus it is through Maitripa that Maitreya and Asanga's crucial work on Buddha nature, the Uttaratantrasastra (Anuttara), became widely followed in Tibet. It is said that he had been a student ofNaropa when the latter was head ofNalanda monastic university. Maitripa also transmitted to Marpa the esoteric aspect of Buddha nature embodied in the Mahamudra teachings, which treat the topic ofmind in great detail and provide a wide range ofprogressive, highly refined meditations. Maitripa was brought to enlightenment
through Mahamudra under his guru Savari, who received the complete teachings of Mahamudra from Nagarjuna, who received them from Sahara, whom Marpa encountered in his dream state.
Maitreya. The Loving Orie. The bodhisattva regent of Buddha Shakyamuni, presently residing in the Tushita heaven until becoming the fifth Buddha of this kalpa.
Mandala. (Tib. chi! kor) Literally "centre and surrounding" hut has
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different contexts. A diagram used in various Vajrayana practices
that usually ~as a central deity and four directions.
Mantra. (Tib. ngags) I) A synonym for Vajrayana. 2) A particular combination ofsounds symbolizing the nature ofa deity, for example OM MAN! PEME HUNG (Tib. ngak). These are invocations to various meditation deities which are recited in Sanskrit. These Sanskrit syllables, representing various energies, are repeated in
different Vajrayana practices.
Mantrayana. Another term for the Vajrayana.
Mara. (Tib. du) Difficulties encountered by the practitioner. The Tibetan
word means heavy or thick. In Buddhism mara symbolizes the passions that overwhelm human beings as well as everything that hinders the arising ofwholesome roots and progress on the path to enlightenment. There are four kinds: skandha-mara, which is incorrect view ofself; klesha-mara, which is being overpowered by negative emotions; matyu-mara, which is death and interrupts spiritual practice; and devaputra-mara, which is becoming stuck in
the bliss that comes from meditation.
Marpa. (1012-1097 C. E. ) Marpa was known for being a Tibetan who
made three trips to India and brought back many tantric texts, including the Six Yogas of Naropa, the Guhyasamaja, and the Chakrasamvara practices. His root teacher was Tilopa, the founder of the Kagyu lineage and the teacher of Naropa. Marpa initiated and founded the Kagyu lineage in Tibet.
Mental consciousness. (Tib. yid kyi namshe) The sixth consciousness is the faculty of thinking which produces thoughts based upon the experiences of the five sense consciousnesses or its own previous content. (see eight consciousnesses).
Mentalfactors. (Tib. sem yung) Mental factors are contrasted to mind in that they are more long-term propensities ofmind including eleven virtuous factors such as faith, detachment, and equanimity, and the six root defilements such as desire, anger, and pride, and the twenty secondary defilements such as resentment, dishonesty, harmfulness.
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Milarepa. (1040-1123 C. E. ) Milarepa was a student of Marpa who attained enlightenment in one lifetime. Mila, named by the deities and repa means white cotton. His student Gampopa established the (Dagpo) Kagyu lineage in Tibet.
Mind-only schooL Also called Cittamatra school. This is one ofthe major schools in the Mahayana tradition founded in the fourth century by Asanga that emphasized everything is mental events.
Mudra. (Tib. chak gya) In this book it is a "hand seal" or gesture that is performed in specific tantric rituals to symbolize certain aspects of the practice being done. Also can mean spiritual consort, or the "bodily form" ofa deity.
Nadi. The channels in the vajra body through which the winds flow. Naropa. (956-1 040 C. E. ) An Indian master best known for transmitting many Vajrayana teachings to Marpa who took these back to Tibet
before the Moslem invasion oflndia.
Nihilism. (Tib. . chad ita) Literally, "the view of discontinuance. " The
extreme view of nothingness: no rebirth or karmic effects, and the
non-existence of a mind after death.
Nirmanakaya. (Tib. tulku) There are three bodies of the Buddha and
the nirmanakaya or "emanation body'' manifests in the world and in this context manifests as the Shakyamuni Buddha. (see kayas, three. )
Nirvana. (Tib. nyangde) Literally, "extinguished. " Individuals live in samsara and with spiritual practice can attain a state of enlightenment in which all false ideas and conflicting emotions have been extinguished. This is called nirvana. The nirvana of a Hinayana practitioner is freedom from cyclic existence, an arhat. The nirvana ofa Mahayana practitioner is Buddhahood, free from extremes of dwelling in either samsara or the perfect peace of an arhat.
Nondistraction. (Tib. yengs med) Not straying from the continuity of the practice.
Nonfobrication. (Tib. zo med) The important key point in meditation
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ofMahamudra and Dzogchen; that inate wakefulness is not created
through intellectual effort.
Nonmeditation. (Tib. gom med) The state ofnot holding on to an object
meditated upon nor a subject who meditates. Also refers to the fourth stage of Mahamudra in which nothing further needs to be meditated upon or cultivated.
Nonthought. (Tib. mi tog) A state in which conceptual thinking is absent. Obscurations. There are two categories of obscurations or defilements that cover one's buddha nature: the defilement of disturbing emotions (seefive poisons & afflictive obscurations) and the defilement oflatent tendencies or sometimes called the obscuration ofdualistic perception, or the intellectual/cognitive obscurations. The first
category prevents sentient beings from freeing themselves from samsara, while the second prevents them from gaining accurate knowledge and realising truth.
Occurrence. (Tib. gyu ba) The period when thoughts are arising in the mind. Compare with "stillnes~. "
One-pointedness. (Tib. Tse cig) The first stage in the practice of Mahamudra.
One tt/Ste, (Tib. ro cig) The third stage in the practice of Mahamudra. Oral transmission. As opposed to the scholastic traditions, the oral instructions of the Practice lineages are concise and pithy so they can always be kept in mind; they are practical and to the point so
they are effective means to deal directly with the practice. Pandita. A great scholar.
Paramita. "Transcendental" or "Perfection. " Pure actions free from
dualistic concepts that liberate sentient beings from samsara. The six paramitas are: generosity, diligence, patience, morality, contemplation, and transcendental knowledge or insight.
Path ofLiberation. (Tib. drol lam) The path of Mahamudra practice. Path ofMeans. (Tib. thab lam) R~fers to the Six Yogas ofNaropa as well
as to the stages ofcreation and completion with attributes. Phowa. (Tib. ) There are different kinds ofphowa practice. The highest
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result of dharmakaya phowa and sambhogakaya phowa is full enlightenment. In this text, reference has primarily been to nirmanakayaphowa, called "the phowa that one practices" and Kacho Phowa, an advanced tantric practice of dream yoga and clear light yoga concerned with the ejection of consciousness at death to a favourable realm or rebirth.
Pointing-out instructions. (Tib. ngo sprod kyi gdampa) The direct introduction to the nature of mind.
Prana. Life supporting energy. The "winds" or energy-currents of the vajra body. .
Prajnaparamita. (Tib. she rab chi parol tu chinpa) Transcendent perfect knowledge. The Tibetan literally means, "gone to the other side" or "gone beyond" as expressed in the prajnaparamita mantra, "Om gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha. " The realization of emptiness in the Prajnaparamita Hridaya or Heart Sutra made possible by the extraordinarily profound dharma of the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha in the world and the practices that came from it, such as the Vajrayana tantras, which make use of visualization and the control of subtle physical energies.
Prajnaparamita sutras. Used to refer to a collection ofabout 40 Mahayana sutras that all deal with the realization of prajna.
Pratyekabuddha. "Solitary Awakened One. " These are the body disciples of the Buddha. One who has attained awakening for himself, and on his own, with no teacher in that life. Generally placed on a level between arhat and Buddha. It is the fruition ofthe second level of the Hinayana path through contemplation on the twelve interdependent links in reverse order.
Provisional meaning. The teachings of the Buddha which have been simplified or modified to the capabilities of the audience. This contrasts with the definitive meaning.
Recognition. (Tib. ngo shes, ngo phrod) In this context it means "recognizing the nature of mind. "
Relative truth. (Tib. kunsop) There are two truths: relative and absolute
i30
? Glossary ofTerms
or ultimate truth. Relative truth is the perception of an ordinary (unenlightened) being who sees the world with all his or her projections based on the false beliefin "I" and "other. "
Root guru. (Tib. tsa way lama) A practitioner of Vajrayana can have several types of root guru: the vajra master who confers empowerment, who bestows reading transmission, or. who explains the meaning of the tantras. The ultimate root guru is the master who gives the "pointing out instructions" so that one recognizes the nature of mind.
Sacred outlook. (Tib. dag snang) Awareness and compassion lead the practitioner to experience emptiness (shunyata). From that comes luminosity manifesting as the purity and sacredness of the phenomenal world. Since the sacredness comes out ofthe experience ofemptiness, the absence ofpreconceptions, it is neither a: religious nor a secular vision: that is, spiritual and secular vision could meet.
Moreover, sacred outlook is not conferred by any god. Seen clearly,
the world is self-existingly sacred.
Sakya Pandita. A hereditary head o f the Sakya lineage. A great scholar
(1181-1251 C. E. )
Samadhi. (Tib. tin ne zin) A state of meditation that is non-dualistic.
There is an absence ofdiscrimination between selfand other. Also called meditative absorption or one-pointed meditation; this is the highest form of meditation.
Samantabhadra. Samanta means all and bhadra means excellent. "He who is All-pervadingly Good" or "He whose Beneficence is Everywhere. " There are two Samantabhadras, one is the dharmakaya and the other is one of the eight main bodhisattvas, embodiment ofall Buddhas aspirations. In the Vajrayana tradition Samantabhadra is the primordial Buddha and representative of the experiential content of the dharmakaya.
Samaya. (Tib. dam sig) The vows or commitments made in the Vajrayana to a teacher or to a practice. Many details exist but essentially it consists ofoutwardly, maintaining a harmonious relationship with
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the vajra master and one's dharma friends and inwardly, not straying
from the continuity of the practice.
Sambhogakaya. (Tib. long cho dzok ku) There are three bodies of the
Buddha and the sambhogakaya, also called the "enjoyment body," is a realm of the dharmakaya that only manifests to bodhisattvas (see kayas, three).
Samsara. (Tib. kor wa) "Cyclic existence. " The conditioned existence of ordinary life in which suffering occurs because one still possesses attachment, aggression and ignorance. It is contrasted to nirvana. Through the force of karma motivated by ignorance, desire and anger one is forced to take on the impure aggregates and circle the wheel of existence until liberation.
Sangha. (Tib. gen dun) "Virtuous One. " Sang means intention or motivation andgha means virtuous.
One with virtuous motivation. One of the three jewels. Generally refers to the followers of Buddhism, and more specifically to the community of monks and nuns. The exalted sangha is those who have attained a certain level of realization of the Buddha's teachings.
Secret mantra. (Tib. sang ngak) A name for the Vajrayana.
Se'lj! essness. (Tib. dag me) Also called egolessness. In two of the Hinayana schools (Vaibhashika and Sautrantika) this referred exclusively to the fact that "a person" is not a real permanent self, but rather just a collection ofthoughts and feelings. In two ofthe Mahayana schools (Cittamatra and Madhyamaka) this was extended to mean there
was no inherent existence to outside phenomena as well.
Sending and taking practice. (Tib. tong len) A meditation practice promulgated by Atisha in which the practitioner takes on the
negative conditions of others and gives out all that is positive. Sentient beings. With consciousness, an animated being as opposed to an inanimate object. All beings with consciousness or mind who have not attained the liberation ofBuddhahood. This includes those individuals caught in the sufferings ofsamsara as well as those who
have attained the levels of a bodhisattva.
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Shamatha. (Tib. ) See tranquillity meditation.
Shamatha with support. (Tib. shinay ten cas) The practice of calming the
mind while using an object of concentration, material or mental,
or simply the breath.
Shamatha without support. (Tib. shinay ten med) The act of calming the
mind without any particular object, resting undistractedly. This practice serves as a prelude for Mahamudra and should not be mistaken for the ultimate result.
Shunyata. See emptiness.
Siddha. (Tib. drup top) An accomplished Buddhist practitioner. Siddhi. (Tib. ngodrup) "Accomplishment. " The spiritual
accomplishments of accomplished practitioners. Usually refers to the "supreme siddhi" ofcomplete enlightenment, but can also mean the "common siddhis," eight mundane accomplishments.
Simplicity. (Tib. spros ra[) 1) The absence of creating mental constructs or conceptual formations about the nature ofthings. 2) The second stage in the practice of Mahamudra.
Six realms. (Tib. rikdruk) The realms of the six classes of beings: gods, demigods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts and hell beings. These are the possible types of rebirths for beings in samsara and are: the god realm in which gods have great pride, the jealous god realm in which the jealous gods try to maintain what they have, the human realm which is the best realm because one has the possibility of achieving enlightenment, the animal realm characterized by stupidity, the hungry ghost realm characterized by great craving, and the hell realm characterized by aggression.
Six Yogas ofNaropa. (Tib. naro chodruk) These six special yogic practices were transmitted from Naropa to Marpa and consist of the subtle heat practice, the illusory body practice, the dream yoga practice, the luminosity practice, the ejection of consciousness practice and the bardo practice.
Skandha. (Tib. pung pa) Literally "heaps. " These are the five basic transformations that perceptions undergo when an object is
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perceived: form, feeling, perception, formation and consciousness. First is form, which includes all sounds, smells, etc. ; everything we usually think of as outside the mind. The second and third are sensations (pleasant and unpleasant, etc. ) and their identification. Fourth is mental events, which include the second and third aggregates. The fifth is ordinary consciousness, such as the sensory and mental consciousnesses.
Skilfol means. Ingenuity in application.
Spiritual song. (Skt. doha, Tib. gur) A religious song spontaneously
composed by a Vajrayana practitioner. It usually has nine syllables
per line.
Stillness. (Tib. gnas pa) Absence of thought activity and disturbing
emotions, but with subtle fixation on this stillness.
Subtle winds, channels, and essences. Prana, nadi, and hindu; the constituents of the vajra body. These channels are not anatomical structures, but more like meridians in acupuncture. There are thousands of channels, but the three main channels that carry the subtle energy are the right, left and central channel. The central channel runs roughly along the spinal column while the right and
left are on the 'sides of the central channel.
According to the yogic teachings of the path of skilful means,
realization is attained through synchronization of body and mind. This may be achieved through meditating on nadi (channels), prana (energy), and hindu (drops)- the psychic components in the illusory body. Prana is the energy, or "wind," moving through the nadis. As is said, "Mind consciousness rides the horse ofprana on the pathways of the nadis. The hindu is mind's nourishment. "
Because of dualistic thinking, prana enters the left and right channels. This divergence ofenergy in the illusory body corresponds to the mental activity that falsely distinguishes between subject and object and leads to karmically determined activity. Through yogic practice, the pranas can be brought into the central channel and therefore transformed into wisdom-prana. Then the mind can
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? Glossary ofTerms
recognize its fundamental nature, realizing all dharm;t. S as unborn. This belongs to advanced practice and can only be learned through direct oral transmission from an accomplished guru. Once the meditator is well established in the experience o f the fundamental nature of mind, they can meditate on it directly, dissolving the nadi, prana, and hindu visualization. Meditation using the concept of psychic channels is regarded as being the completion stage with
signs, and the formless practice which contemplates the nature of
mind directly is the completion stage without signs
Supreme siddhi. Another word for enlightenment.
Sutra. (Tib. do) Literally "Junction. " The combination ofthe Hinayana
and Mahayana, or the combination of wisdom and compassion. Texts in the Buddhist cannon attributed to the Buddha. They are viewed as his recorded words, although they were not actually written down until many years after his paranirvana. They are usually in
the form of dialogues between the Buddha and his disciples. These are often contrasted with the tantras which are the Buddha's Vajrayana teachings and the shastras which are commentaries on
the words of the Buddha.
Sutra Mahamudra. (Tib. mdo'i phyag chen) The Mahamudra system
based on the Prajnaparamita scriptures and emphasizing Shamatha
and Vipashyana and the progressive journey through the five paths
and ten bhumis.
Sutrayana. The sutra approach to achieving enlightenment which
includes the Hinayana and the Mahayana.
Svabhavakakaya. (Tib. ngo bo nyid kyi sku) The "essence body. "
Sometimes counted as the fourth kaya, the unity of the first three. Tantra. (Tib. gyu. ) Literally, tantra means "continuity," and in Buddhism it refers to two specific things: the texts {resultant texts, or those that take the result as the path) that describe the practices leading
from ignorance to enlightenment, including commentaries by tantric masters; and the way to enlightenment itself, encompassing the ground, path, and fruition. One can divide Buddhism into the
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sutra tradition and the tantra tradition. The sutra tradition primarily involves the academic study of the Mahayana sutras and the tantric path primarily involves practicing the Vajrayana practices. The tantras are primarily the texts of the Vajrayana practices.
Tantra Mahamudra. (Tib. sngags kyi phyag chen) The same as mantra Mahamudra. The Mahamudra practice connected to the six dharmas ofNaropa.
Tara. (Tib. drol ma) An emanation of Avalokiteshvara, she is said to have arisen from one ofhis tears. She embodies the female aspect of compassion and is a very popular deity in Tibet. Her two common iconographic forms are white and green.
Three jewels. (Tib. kon chok sum) Literally "three precious ones. " The three essential components ofBuddhism: Buddha, dharma, sangha, i. e. , the Awakened One, the truth expounded by him, and the followers living in accordance with this truth. Firm faith in the three precio~sones is the stage of"stream entry. " The three precious ones are objects ofveneration and are considered "places ofrefuge. " The Buddhist takes refuge by pronouncing the threefold refuge formula, thus acknowledging formally to be a Buddhist.
Three kayas. Dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya. Fully enlightened beings, Buddhas, and their manifestations are often understood by way of the three kayas: The dharmakaya is enlightenment itself, wisdom beyond any reference point which can only be perceived by other enlightened beings; The sambhogakaya, often called the enjoyment body, manifests in the pure lands which can only be seen by advanced bodhisattvas; and
the nirmanakaya which can be seen by ordinary beings as in the case ofthe historical Buddha, but this can also be any type ofbeing or relative appearance to assist ordinary beings.
Three realms. These are three categories of samsara. The desire realm includes existences where beings are reborn with solid bodies due to their karma ranging from the deva paradises to the hell realms. The form realm is where beings are reborn due to the power of
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? Glossary ofTerms
meditation; and their bodies are ofsubtle form in this realm. These are the meditation paradises. The formless realm is where beings due to their meditation (samadhi), have entered a state o f meditation after death and tl1e processes ofthought and perception have ceased.
Three roots. Guru, yidam and dakini. Guru is the root of blessings, yidam of accomplishment and dakini of activity.
Three sufferings. These are the suffering of suffering, the suffering of change, and pervasive suffering (meaning the inherent suffering in all of samsara).
Three vehicles. Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana.
Tilopa. (928-1009 C. E. ) One of the eighty-four mahasiddhas who
became the guru of Naropa who transmitted his teachings to the Kagyu lineage in Tibet.
Tong/en. Giving and taking. A bodhichitta practice ofgiving one's virtue and happiness to others and taking their suffering and misdeeds upon oneself
Torma. (Tib. ) A sculpture made out of tsampa and moulded butter, used as a shrine offering, a feast offering substance, or as a representation of deities. There are traditional designs for each of the many types of torma.
Tranquillity meditation. (Tib. Shinay, Skt. Shamatha) One of the two main types of meditation, calm abiding, the meditative. practice of calming the mind in order to rest free from the disturbance of thought activity, the other is insight.
Tsampa (Tib. ) Dried barley flour that Tibetans eat by mixing with butter.
Tummo. (Tib. ) An advanced Vajrayana practice for combining bliss and emptiness which produces heat as a by product. This is one of the Six Yogas of Naropa.
Two accumulations. (Tib. shogs nyis) The accumulation of merit with concepts and the accumulation ofwisdom beyond concepts.
Ultimate truth. (Tib. dondam) There are two truths or views of reality: relative truth which is seeing things as ordinary beings do with th~
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dualism'of "I" and "other" and ultimate truth, which transcends
duality and sees things as. they are.
Vajra posture. This refers to the full-lotus posture in which the legs are
interlocked. When one leg is placed before the other as many
Westerners sit it is called the half-lotus posture.
Vajradhara. (Tib. Dorje Chang) "Holder of the vajra. " Vajra means
indestructible and dhara means holding, embracing or inseparable. The central figure in the Kagyu refuge tree, and indicating the transmission of the close lineage of the Mahamudra teachings to Tilopa. Vajradhara symbolizes the primordial wisdom of the dharmakaya and wears the ornaments ofthe sambhogakaya Buddha, symbolizing its richness.
Vajravarahi. (Tib. Dorje Phagmo) A dakini who is the consort of Chakrasamvara. She is the main yidam of the Kagyu lineage and the embodiment of wisdom.
Vajrayogini. (Tib. Dorje Palma) A semi-wrathful yidam. Female. Vajrayana.
Maitripa - was a guru of Marpa, the Tibetan forefather of the Kagyu lineage. Thus it is through Maitripa that Maitreya and Asanga's crucial work on Buddha nature, the Uttaratantrasastra (Anuttara), became widely followed in Tibet. It is said that he had been a student ofNaropa when the latter was head ofNalanda monastic university. Maitripa also transmitted to Marpa the esoteric aspect of Buddha nature embodied in the Mahamudra teachings, which treat the topic ofmind in great detail and provide a wide range ofprogressive, highly refined meditations. Maitripa was brought to enlightenment
through Mahamudra under his guru Savari, who received the complete teachings of Mahamudra from Nagarjuna, who received them from Sahara, whom Marpa encountered in his dream state.
Maitreya. The Loving Orie. The bodhisattva regent of Buddha Shakyamuni, presently residing in the Tushita heaven until becoming the fifth Buddha of this kalpa.
Mandala. (Tib. chi! kor) Literally "centre and surrounding" hut has
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? Glossary oJTenns
different contexts. A diagram used in various Vajrayana practices
that usually ~as a central deity and four directions.
Mantra. (Tib. ngags) I) A synonym for Vajrayana. 2) A particular combination ofsounds symbolizing the nature ofa deity, for example OM MAN! PEME HUNG (Tib. ngak). These are invocations to various meditation deities which are recited in Sanskrit. These Sanskrit syllables, representing various energies, are repeated in
different Vajrayana practices.
Mantrayana. Another term for the Vajrayana.
Mara. (Tib. du) Difficulties encountered by the practitioner. The Tibetan
word means heavy or thick. In Buddhism mara symbolizes the passions that overwhelm human beings as well as everything that hinders the arising ofwholesome roots and progress on the path to enlightenment. There are four kinds: skandha-mara, which is incorrect view ofself; klesha-mara, which is being overpowered by negative emotions; matyu-mara, which is death and interrupts spiritual practice; and devaputra-mara, which is becoming stuck in
the bliss that comes from meditation.
Marpa. (1012-1097 C. E. ) Marpa was known for being a Tibetan who
made three trips to India and brought back many tantric texts, including the Six Yogas of Naropa, the Guhyasamaja, and the Chakrasamvara practices. His root teacher was Tilopa, the founder of the Kagyu lineage and the teacher of Naropa. Marpa initiated and founded the Kagyu lineage in Tibet.
Mental consciousness. (Tib. yid kyi namshe) The sixth consciousness is the faculty of thinking which produces thoughts based upon the experiences of the five sense consciousnesses or its own previous content. (see eight consciousnesses).
Mentalfactors. (Tib. sem yung) Mental factors are contrasted to mind in that they are more long-term propensities ofmind including eleven virtuous factors such as faith, detachment, and equanimity, and the six root defilements such as desire, anger, and pride, and the twenty secondary defilements such as resentment, dishonesty, harmfulness.
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Milarepa. (1040-1123 C. E. ) Milarepa was a student of Marpa who attained enlightenment in one lifetime. Mila, named by the deities and repa means white cotton. His student Gampopa established the (Dagpo) Kagyu lineage in Tibet.
Mind-only schooL Also called Cittamatra school. This is one ofthe major schools in the Mahayana tradition founded in the fourth century by Asanga that emphasized everything is mental events.
Mudra. (Tib. chak gya) In this book it is a "hand seal" or gesture that is performed in specific tantric rituals to symbolize certain aspects of the practice being done. Also can mean spiritual consort, or the "bodily form" ofa deity.
Nadi. The channels in the vajra body through which the winds flow. Naropa. (956-1 040 C. E. ) An Indian master best known for transmitting many Vajrayana teachings to Marpa who took these back to Tibet
before the Moslem invasion oflndia.
Nihilism. (Tib. . chad ita) Literally, "the view of discontinuance. " The
extreme view of nothingness: no rebirth or karmic effects, and the
non-existence of a mind after death.
Nirmanakaya. (Tib. tulku) There are three bodies of the Buddha and
the nirmanakaya or "emanation body'' manifests in the world and in this context manifests as the Shakyamuni Buddha. (see kayas, three. )
Nirvana. (Tib. nyangde) Literally, "extinguished. " Individuals live in samsara and with spiritual practice can attain a state of enlightenment in which all false ideas and conflicting emotions have been extinguished. This is called nirvana. The nirvana of a Hinayana practitioner is freedom from cyclic existence, an arhat. The nirvana ofa Mahayana practitioner is Buddhahood, free from extremes of dwelling in either samsara or the perfect peace of an arhat.
Nondistraction. (Tib. yengs med) Not straying from the continuity of the practice.
Nonfobrication. (Tib. zo med) The important key point in meditation
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ofMahamudra and Dzogchen; that inate wakefulness is not created
through intellectual effort.
Nonmeditation. (Tib. gom med) The state ofnot holding on to an object
meditated upon nor a subject who meditates. Also refers to the fourth stage of Mahamudra in which nothing further needs to be meditated upon or cultivated.
Nonthought. (Tib. mi tog) A state in which conceptual thinking is absent. Obscurations. There are two categories of obscurations or defilements that cover one's buddha nature: the defilement of disturbing emotions (seefive poisons & afflictive obscurations) and the defilement oflatent tendencies or sometimes called the obscuration ofdualistic perception, or the intellectual/cognitive obscurations. The first
category prevents sentient beings from freeing themselves from samsara, while the second prevents them from gaining accurate knowledge and realising truth.
Occurrence. (Tib. gyu ba) The period when thoughts are arising in the mind. Compare with "stillnes~. "
One-pointedness. (Tib. Tse cig) The first stage in the practice of Mahamudra.
One tt/Ste, (Tib. ro cig) The third stage in the practice of Mahamudra. Oral transmission. As opposed to the scholastic traditions, the oral instructions of the Practice lineages are concise and pithy so they can always be kept in mind; they are practical and to the point so
they are effective means to deal directly with the practice. Pandita. A great scholar.
Paramita. "Transcendental" or "Perfection. " Pure actions free from
dualistic concepts that liberate sentient beings from samsara. The six paramitas are: generosity, diligence, patience, morality, contemplation, and transcendental knowledge or insight.
Path ofLiberation. (Tib. drol lam) The path of Mahamudra practice. Path ofMeans. (Tib. thab lam) R~fers to the Six Yogas ofNaropa as well
as to the stages ofcreation and completion with attributes. Phowa. (Tib. ) There are different kinds ofphowa practice. The highest
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result of dharmakaya phowa and sambhogakaya phowa is full enlightenment. In this text, reference has primarily been to nirmanakayaphowa, called "the phowa that one practices" and Kacho Phowa, an advanced tantric practice of dream yoga and clear light yoga concerned with the ejection of consciousness at death to a favourable realm or rebirth.
Pointing-out instructions. (Tib. ngo sprod kyi gdampa) The direct introduction to the nature of mind.
Prana. Life supporting energy. The "winds" or energy-currents of the vajra body. .
Prajnaparamita. (Tib. she rab chi parol tu chinpa) Transcendent perfect knowledge. The Tibetan literally means, "gone to the other side" or "gone beyond" as expressed in the prajnaparamita mantra, "Om gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha. " The realization of emptiness in the Prajnaparamita Hridaya or Heart Sutra made possible by the extraordinarily profound dharma of the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha in the world and the practices that came from it, such as the Vajrayana tantras, which make use of visualization and the control of subtle physical energies.
Prajnaparamita sutras. Used to refer to a collection ofabout 40 Mahayana sutras that all deal with the realization of prajna.
Pratyekabuddha. "Solitary Awakened One. " These are the body disciples of the Buddha. One who has attained awakening for himself, and on his own, with no teacher in that life. Generally placed on a level between arhat and Buddha. It is the fruition ofthe second level of the Hinayana path through contemplation on the twelve interdependent links in reverse order.
Provisional meaning. The teachings of the Buddha which have been simplified or modified to the capabilities of the audience. This contrasts with the definitive meaning.
Recognition. (Tib. ngo shes, ngo phrod) In this context it means "recognizing the nature of mind. "
Relative truth. (Tib. kunsop) There are two truths: relative and absolute
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or ultimate truth. Relative truth is the perception of an ordinary (unenlightened) being who sees the world with all his or her projections based on the false beliefin "I" and "other. "
Root guru. (Tib. tsa way lama) A practitioner of Vajrayana can have several types of root guru: the vajra master who confers empowerment, who bestows reading transmission, or. who explains the meaning of the tantras. The ultimate root guru is the master who gives the "pointing out instructions" so that one recognizes the nature of mind.
Sacred outlook. (Tib. dag snang) Awareness and compassion lead the practitioner to experience emptiness (shunyata). From that comes luminosity manifesting as the purity and sacredness of the phenomenal world. Since the sacredness comes out ofthe experience ofemptiness, the absence ofpreconceptions, it is neither a: religious nor a secular vision: that is, spiritual and secular vision could meet.
Moreover, sacred outlook is not conferred by any god. Seen clearly,
the world is self-existingly sacred.
Sakya Pandita. A hereditary head o f the Sakya lineage. A great scholar
(1181-1251 C. E. )
Samadhi. (Tib. tin ne zin) A state of meditation that is non-dualistic.
There is an absence ofdiscrimination between selfand other. Also called meditative absorption or one-pointed meditation; this is the highest form of meditation.
Samantabhadra. Samanta means all and bhadra means excellent. "He who is All-pervadingly Good" or "He whose Beneficence is Everywhere. " There are two Samantabhadras, one is the dharmakaya and the other is one of the eight main bodhisattvas, embodiment ofall Buddhas aspirations. In the Vajrayana tradition Samantabhadra is the primordial Buddha and representative of the experiential content of the dharmakaya.
Samaya. (Tib. dam sig) The vows or commitments made in the Vajrayana to a teacher or to a practice. Many details exist but essentially it consists ofoutwardly, maintaining a harmonious relationship with
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the vajra master and one's dharma friends and inwardly, not straying
from the continuity of the practice.
Sambhogakaya. (Tib. long cho dzok ku) There are three bodies of the
Buddha and the sambhogakaya, also called the "enjoyment body," is a realm of the dharmakaya that only manifests to bodhisattvas (see kayas, three).
Samsara. (Tib. kor wa) "Cyclic existence. " The conditioned existence of ordinary life in which suffering occurs because one still possesses attachment, aggression and ignorance. It is contrasted to nirvana. Through the force of karma motivated by ignorance, desire and anger one is forced to take on the impure aggregates and circle the wheel of existence until liberation.
Sangha. (Tib. gen dun) "Virtuous One. " Sang means intention or motivation andgha means virtuous.
One with virtuous motivation. One of the three jewels. Generally refers to the followers of Buddhism, and more specifically to the community of monks and nuns. The exalted sangha is those who have attained a certain level of realization of the Buddha's teachings.
Secret mantra. (Tib. sang ngak) A name for the Vajrayana.
Se'lj! essness. (Tib. dag me) Also called egolessness. In two of the Hinayana schools (Vaibhashika and Sautrantika) this referred exclusively to the fact that "a person" is not a real permanent self, but rather just a collection ofthoughts and feelings. In two ofthe Mahayana schools (Cittamatra and Madhyamaka) this was extended to mean there
was no inherent existence to outside phenomena as well.
Sending and taking practice. (Tib. tong len) A meditation practice promulgated by Atisha in which the practitioner takes on the
negative conditions of others and gives out all that is positive. Sentient beings. With consciousness, an animated being as opposed to an inanimate object. All beings with consciousness or mind who have not attained the liberation ofBuddhahood. This includes those individuals caught in the sufferings ofsamsara as well as those who
have attained the levels of a bodhisattva.
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Shamatha. (Tib. ) See tranquillity meditation.
Shamatha with support. (Tib. shinay ten cas) The practice of calming the
mind while using an object of concentration, material or mental,
or simply the breath.
Shamatha without support. (Tib. shinay ten med) The act of calming the
mind without any particular object, resting undistractedly. This practice serves as a prelude for Mahamudra and should not be mistaken for the ultimate result.
Shunyata. See emptiness.
Siddha. (Tib. drup top) An accomplished Buddhist practitioner. Siddhi. (Tib. ngodrup) "Accomplishment. " The spiritual
accomplishments of accomplished practitioners. Usually refers to the "supreme siddhi" ofcomplete enlightenment, but can also mean the "common siddhis," eight mundane accomplishments.
Simplicity. (Tib. spros ra[) 1) The absence of creating mental constructs or conceptual formations about the nature ofthings. 2) The second stage in the practice of Mahamudra.
Six realms. (Tib. rikdruk) The realms of the six classes of beings: gods, demigods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts and hell beings. These are the possible types of rebirths for beings in samsara and are: the god realm in which gods have great pride, the jealous god realm in which the jealous gods try to maintain what they have, the human realm which is the best realm because one has the possibility of achieving enlightenment, the animal realm characterized by stupidity, the hungry ghost realm characterized by great craving, and the hell realm characterized by aggression.
Six Yogas ofNaropa. (Tib. naro chodruk) These six special yogic practices were transmitted from Naropa to Marpa and consist of the subtle heat practice, the illusory body practice, the dream yoga practice, the luminosity practice, the ejection of consciousness practice and the bardo practice.
Skandha. (Tib. pung pa) Literally "heaps. " These are the five basic transformations that perceptions undergo when an object is
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perceived: form, feeling, perception, formation and consciousness. First is form, which includes all sounds, smells, etc. ; everything we usually think of as outside the mind. The second and third are sensations (pleasant and unpleasant, etc. ) and their identification. Fourth is mental events, which include the second and third aggregates. The fifth is ordinary consciousness, such as the sensory and mental consciousnesses.
Skilfol means. Ingenuity in application.
Spiritual song. (Skt. doha, Tib. gur) A religious song spontaneously
composed by a Vajrayana practitioner. It usually has nine syllables
per line.
Stillness. (Tib. gnas pa) Absence of thought activity and disturbing
emotions, but with subtle fixation on this stillness.
Subtle winds, channels, and essences. Prana, nadi, and hindu; the constituents of the vajra body. These channels are not anatomical structures, but more like meridians in acupuncture. There are thousands of channels, but the three main channels that carry the subtle energy are the right, left and central channel. The central channel runs roughly along the spinal column while the right and
left are on the 'sides of the central channel.
According to the yogic teachings of the path of skilful means,
realization is attained through synchronization of body and mind. This may be achieved through meditating on nadi (channels), prana (energy), and hindu (drops)- the psychic components in the illusory body. Prana is the energy, or "wind," moving through the nadis. As is said, "Mind consciousness rides the horse ofprana on the pathways of the nadis. The hindu is mind's nourishment. "
Because of dualistic thinking, prana enters the left and right channels. This divergence ofenergy in the illusory body corresponds to the mental activity that falsely distinguishes between subject and object and leads to karmically determined activity. Through yogic practice, the pranas can be brought into the central channel and therefore transformed into wisdom-prana. Then the mind can
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recognize its fundamental nature, realizing all dharm;t. S as unborn. This belongs to advanced practice and can only be learned through direct oral transmission from an accomplished guru. Once the meditator is well established in the experience o f the fundamental nature of mind, they can meditate on it directly, dissolving the nadi, prana, and hindu visualization. Meditation using the concept of psychic channels is regarded as being the completion stage with
signs, and the formless practice which contemplates the nature of
mind directly is the completion stage without signs
Supreme siddhi. Another word for enlightenment.
Sutra. (Tib. do) Literally "Junction. " The combination ofthe Hinayana
and Mahayana, or the combination of wisdom and compassion. Texts in the Buddhist cannon attributed to the Buddha. They are viewed as his recorded words, although they were not actually written down until many years after his paranirvana. They are usually in
the form of dialogues between the Buddha and his disciples. These are often contrasted with the tantras which are the Buddha's Vajrayana teachings and the shastras which are commentaries on
the words of the Buddha.
Sutra Mahamudra. (Tib. mdo'i phyag chen) The Mahamudra system
based on the Prajnaparamita scriptures and emphasizing Shamatha
and Vipashyana and the progressive journey through the five paths
and ten bhumis.
Sutrayana. The sutra approach to achieving enlightenment which
includes the Hinayana and the Mahayana.
Svabhavakakaya. (Tib. ngo bo nyid kyi sku) The "essence body. "
Sometimes counted as the fourth kaya, the unity of the first three. Tantra. (Tib. gyu. ) Literally, tantra means "continuity," and in Buddhism it refers to two specific things: the texts {resultant texts, or those that take the result as the path) that describe the practices leading
from ignorance to enlightenment, including commentaries by tantric masters; and the way to enlightenment itself, encompassing the ground, path, and fruition. One can divide Buddhism into the
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sutra tradition and the tantra tradition. The sutra tradition primarily involves the academic study of the Mahayana sutras and the tantric path primarily involves practicing the Vajrayana practices. The tantras are primarily the texts of the Vajrayana practices.
Tantra Mahamudra. (Tib. sngags kyi phyag chen) The same as mantra Mahamudra. The Mahamudra practice connected to the six dharmas ofNaropa.
Tara. (Tib. drol ma) An emanation of Avalokiteshvara, she is said to have arisen from one ofhis tears. She embodies the female aspect of compassion and is a very popular deity in Tibet. Her two common iconographic forms are white and green.
Three jewels. (Tib. kon chok sum) Literally "three precious ones. " The three essential components ofBuddhism: Buddha, dharma, sangha, i. e. , the Awakened One, the truth expounded by him, and the followers living in accordance with this truth. Firm faith in the three precio~sones is the stage of"stream entry. " The three precious ones are objects ofveneration and are considered "places ofrefuge. " The Buddhist takes refuge by pronouncing the threefold refuge formula, thus acknowledging formally to be a Buddhist.
Three kayas. Dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya. Fully enlightened beings, Buddhas, and their manifestations are often understood by way of the three kayas: The dharmakaya is enlightenment itself, wisdom beyond any reference point which can only be perceived by other enlightened beings; The sambhogakaya, often called the enjoyment body, manifests in the pure lands which can only be seen by advanced bodhisattvas; and
the nirmanakaya which can be seen by ordinary beings as in the case ofthe historical Buddha, but this can also be any type ofbeing or relative appearance to assist ordinary beings.
Three realms. These are three categories of samsara. The desire realm includes existences where beings are reborn with solid bodies due to their karma ranging from the deva paradises to the hell realms. The form realm is where beings are reborn due to the power of
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meditation; and their bodies are ofsubtle form in this realm. These are the meditation paradises. The formless realm is where beings due to their meditation (samadhi), have entered a state o f meditation after death and tl1e processes ofthought and perception have ceased.
Three roots. Guru, yidam and dakini. Guru is the root of blessings, yidam of accomplishment and dakini of activity.
Three sufferings. These are the suffering of suffering, the suffering of change, and pervasive suffering (meaning the inherent suffering in all of samsara).
Three vehicles. Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana.
Tilopa. (928-1009 C. E. ) One of the eighty-four mahasiddhas who
became the guru of Naropa who transmitted his teachings to the Kagyu lineage in Tibet.
Tong/en. Giving and taking. A bodhichitta practice ofgiving one's virtue and happiness to others and taking their suffering and misdeeds upon oneself
Torma. (Tib. ) A sculpture made out of tsampa and moulded butter, used as a shrine offering, a feast offering substance, or as a representation of deities. There are traditional designs for each of the many types of torma.
Tranquillity meditation. (Tib. Shinay, Skt. Shamatha) One of the two main types of meditation, calm abiding, the meditative. practice of calming the mind in order to rest free from the disturbance of thought activity, the other is insight.
Tsampa (Tib. ) Dried barley flour that Tibetans eat by mixing with butter.
Tummo. (Tib. ) An advanced Vajrayana practice for combining bliss and emptiness which produces heat as a by product. This is one of the Six Yogas of Naropa.
Two accumulations. (Tib. shogs nyis) The accumulation of merit with concepts and the accumulation ofwisdom beyond concepts.
Ultimate truth. (Tib. dondam) There are two truths or views of reality: relative truth which is seeing things as ordinary beings do with th~
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dualism'of "I" and "other" and ultimate truth, which transcends
duality and sees things as. they are.
Vajra posture. This refers to the full-lotus posture in which the legs are
interlocked. When one leg is placed before the other as many
Westerners sit it is called the half-lotus posture.
Vajradhara. (Tib. Dorje Chang) "Holder of the vajra. " Vajra means
indestructible and dhara means holding, embracing or inseparable. The central figure in the Kagyu refuge tree, and indicating the transmission of the close lineage of the Mahamudra teachings to Tilopa. Vajradhara symbolizes the primordial wisdom of the dharmakaya and wears the ornaments ofthe sambhogakaya Buddha, symbolizing its richness.
Vajravarahi. (Tib. Dorje Phagmo) A dakini who is the consort of Chakrasamvara. She is the main yidam of the Kagyu lineage and the embodiment of wisdom.
Vajrayogini. (Tib. Dorje Palma) A semi-wrathful yidam. Female. Vajrayana.
