Though the word is often translated as "abbot," the khenpo is not usually the
administrator
of the monastery.
Kalu Rinpoche
) mahasukha (Skt.
) Supreme Bliss-the "direct experience of the nature of mind and its intrinsic purity.
"
Dharma (Skt. ) cho [chos] (Tib. ) Among the many meanings of Dharma in Sanskrit and Chos in Tibetan, three are especially im- portant:
1. The whole body of the Buddha's teaching, usually capitalized in English.
2. Any constituent of a moment of existence, a "thing" or phenomenon.
3. Truth, or ultimate reality. (See Dharmakaya. ) Dharmadhatu (Skt. ) cho ying [chos dbyings] (Tib. ) The realm of all
phenomena, the "dharma space" in which all transpires.
Dharmakaya (Skt. ) cho chi ku [chos kyi sku] (Tib. ) One of the Trikaya (three "bodies") of a Buddha: the body of Dharma. It "is
Glossary 189
190 The Dharma
equivalent to the ultimate" truth and is also expressed as the intrin- sic emptiness of mind. Although it is without form and distinct from all activity (tro tral [spros bral]), it manifests the Sambhogakaya and
Nirmal)akaya to fulfill the aims of sentient beings.
Dharmatli (Skt. ) cho nyi [chos nyid] (Tib. ) The fundamental nature of all phenomena, all experience just as it is.
Dorje [rdo rje] (Tib. ) vajra (Skt. ) "Something invincible, something that can cut through anything else. " Literal referents of vajra (a word cognate with English vigor) are "thunderbolt" and "diamond. " The dorje or vajra is a Vajrayana ritual implement symbolizing method.
Dorje Chang [rdo rje 'chang] (Tib. ) Vajradhara (Skt. ) The form in which the Buddha or the Lama manifests when giving Vajrayana teachings. Dorje Chang is the ultimate source of all the Buddhist tantric teachings.
Dorje Phagmo [rdo rje phag mo] (Tib. ) Vajravarahi (Skt. ) The main Yidam of the Kagyu tradition, she is the embodiment of Wisdom.
Dorje Sempa [rdo rje sems dpa'] (Tib. ) Vajrasattva (Skt. ) "He whose being is of the nature of the Vajra," the Buddha of Purification. Va- jrasattva Meditation, one of the Four Preliminary Practices, involves acknowledging all one's unskillful negative actions and attitudes, and aims to eradicate the habitual tendencies from which they arise.
Dra chom pa see Arhat
Drup khang [sgrub khang] (Tib. ) "Practice building"-an enclosure used for intensive meditation and practice, particularly during the Three Year Retreat, q. v.
Du che ['du byed] (Tib. ) sarilskara (Skt. ) The configuration of pat? terns in the mind which normally result in action (Karma) The
fourth skandha, Formation.
Dzo rim [rdzogs rim] (Tib. ) sampannakrama (Skt. ) Fulfillment phase of meditation.
Eightfold Noble Path pak pay lam yen lak je ['phags pa'i lam yan lag brgyad] (Tib. ) The eight aspects of the path of pure un- compromising behavior discovered in the Four Noble Truths.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Perfect View (Tib. : yang dak pay ta wa [yang dag pa'i Ita ba])
Perfect Intention (Tib. : yang dak pay tok pa [yang dag pa'i rtog pa])
Perfect Speech (Tib. : yang dak pay ngak [yang dag pa'i ngag])
Perfect Activity (Tib. : yang dak pay lay chi ta [yang dag pa'i las kyi mtha'])
Perfect Livelihood (Tib. : yang dak pay tso wa [yang dag pa'i 'tsho ba])
Perfect Effort (Tib. : yang dak pay tsOl wa [yang dag pa'i rtsol ba])
Perfect Mindfulness (Tib. : yang dak pay dren pa [yang dag pa'i dran pa])
Perfect Samadhi (Tib. : yang dak pay ting nge dzin [yang dag pa'i ting nge 'dzin])
Emotional Affliction nyon mong pa [nyon mongs pa] (Tib. ) klesa (Skt. ) Conflicting emotions which produce the misery and turmoil of existence. The emotions are usually given as three: desire- attachment (do chak ['dod chags]), aversion (she dang [zhe sdang]), and bewilderment or indifference (ti muk [gti mug]).
Empowerment wang [dbang] (Tib. ) abhi,eka (Skt. ) Ritual initia- tion into a particular practice of meditation, conferred by a Lama who is part of a lineage, and thus himself a? recipient and practi- tioner of such transmissions. Authorization to engage in the meditative practice is not complete without the formal instruction and textual transmission (see tri and lung).
Emptiness tong pa nyi [stong pa nyid] (Tib. ) siinyati (Skt. ) The absence, in beings and objects, of independent existence and endur-
Glossary 191
192 The Dharma
ing self-nature; the essential quality of mind, corresponding to the Dharmakaya aspect of Enlightenment. Emptiness is the central theme of the Praji'Hiparamita texts and Madhyamaka philosophy, q. v.
Enlightenment chang chup [byang chub] (Tib. ) bodhi (Skt. ) Com- plete enlightenment is a state of Realization in which the most subtle traces of ignorance about the nature of reality are eliminated; sometimes called "the embodiment of the Three Kayas," q. v. There are degrees or stages of Enlightenment; see Bhumi.
Five Certainties nge pa nga [nges pa lnga] (Tib. ) Five attributes of the Sambhogakaya Buddha:
1. The form of the Teacher is eternal.
2. The environment is always a Pure Realm.
3. The teachings transmitted are always Mahayana or Va-
jrayana.
4. The audience is always composed of beings on the
eighth, ninth, or tenth Bodhisattva stages.
5. The manifestation is not subject to time; it is unchang-
ing.
Five Families, Buddhas of the
Vajra Family Ak? >bhya (Skt. ) Lotus Family Amitabha (Skt. ) Buddha Family Vairocana (Skt. )
Mi-bskyod-pa (Tib. ) 'Od-dpag-med (Tib. ) rNam? par sNang-mdzad (Tib. )
Jewel Family Ratnasambhava (Skt. ) Rin-chen 'byung-gnas (Tib. ) Karma Family Amoghasiddhi (Skt. ) Don-yod grub-pa (Tib. )
Five Paths, The see Paths, The Five
Form Phase of Meditation see Development Stage Formless Phase of Meditation see Fulfillment Stage
Four Dharmas of Gampopa A "concise survey of the entire Path" to Enlightenment:
1 The Mind Turns Towards Dharma
2. The Dharma Becomes the Path
S. The Path Dispels Confusion
4. Confusion Arises as Primordial Awareness
Four (Ordinary) Foundations tiin mong gi ngon dro shi [thun mong gi sngon 'gro bzhi (Tib. ) see Four Thoughts that Tum the Mind
Four Names seeming shi pung po
Four Noble Truths pak pay den pa shi ['phags pa'i bden pa bzhi] (Tib. ) Four fundamental insights of Buddhism, proclaimed in the Buddha's first teachings:
1. Suffering of conditioned existence. 2. Its on"gin.
S. Its cessation.
4. The path leading to cessation.
Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind [to the Dharma] lo do nam shi [blo ldog mam bzhi] (Tib. ) see Preliminaries
Fulfillment Stage of Meditation dzo rim [rdzogs rim] (Tib. ) sam? pannakrama (Skt. ) The completion or fulfillment phase in which the visualization is dissolved and the mind rests in the emptiness of its true nature.
Gampopa (1079-115S) [sgam-po-pa] (Tib. ) Tibetan philosopher- saint. He initially trained as a physician (and hence is often called Dakpo Lharje [dvags po lha rje], "the Physician from Dakpo"). After the death of his wife he entered a monastery where he became a scholar in the Kadampa [bka' gdams pa] tradition of Atiia. He later became a disciple of Milarepa, and a great meditator. He united the Kadampa teachings with the teachings of the Mahamudra tradi- tion- "the uniting of the two streams (chu wo nyi dray [chu bo gnyis 'dres]). " This union resulted in the Dakpo Kagyii (dvags po bka' brgyud] tradition, of which he was the founder. Hisjewel Ornament of Liberation is an authoritative and complete account of the
Glossary 193
194 The Dharma
Mahayana Buddhist path. Gampopa was the main teacher of the first Karmapa. Diisum Khyenpa.
Ga shi [rga shi] (Tib. ) jaramaray;ta (Skt. ) Old age and death. The twelfth Nidana, q. v.
Ge long [dge slong] (Tib. ) bhilqu (Skt. ) A monk who has taken the full ordination. A similarly ordained nun is a gelongma [dge slong rna] or bhi~uy;li.
Ge tsiil, Ge tsiil ma, see Novice
God lha [lha] (Tib. ) deva (Skt. ) Inhabitant of the least painful of the Six Realms of Samsara. The lives of gods, while long and marked by sensuous bliss, are ended in great sorrow as they foresee their future lower rebirth. There are gods o~ the Desire, Form and Formless Realms, q. v.
Gompa [sgom pa] (Tib. ) Literally, "to meditate. " Third phase of practice, which follows receipt of teachings and instruction (see topa) and effort made to comprehend them (see sampa). Gompa is the actual pursuit of meditational practice.
Guru Yoga (Skt. ) Ia may nal jor [bla ma'i mal 'byor] (Tib. ) One of the Four Preliminary Practices (see Preliminan'es). A meditation in which through visualization and recitation the meditator receives the blessing of the Lama and the lineage.
Heart Sutra chom den day rna she rab chi pa rol tu chin pay nying po [bcom ldan 'das rna shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa'i snying po (Tib. ) Bhagavati Prajiiaparamitahrdaya (Skt. ) The extremely con- cise statement of the doctrine of Emptiness, regarded as the heart or essence of the vast Prajiiaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom) Literature. In many Mahayana traditions, the sutra is chanted regularly.
Hinayana (Skt. ) tek pa chung wa [theg pa chung ba] (Tib. ) One of the three "vehicles" of Buddhism- the "lesser" vehicle, or way of the
Glossary 195 Arhat. In Tibetan usage, the name identifies an imperfect or in-
complete quest for a purely personal liberation from samsara. Human Birth see Precious Human Birth
Impermanence see Mi tak pa.
Interdependence of Phenomena see Dependent Origination Instruction see Tri
Jamgijn Kongtrul the Great (1813-1899) ['jam mgon kong sprul blo gros mtha' yas] (Tib. ) Great Tibetan scholar and meditation master, an initiator of then? may movement, q. v. Besides his many original texts and commentaries, he collected and edited an enor- mous wealth of rituals and practices and compiled the Shay]a Dzo (shes bya mdzod], the great encyclopedia of Dharma, including history, art, lineages, and tantra, which is one of the Five Great
Treasun"es (dzo chen nam par nga [mdzod chen rnam par lnga]). Jnina see Yeshe
Kagyii [bka' brgyud] (Tib. ) One of the major Tibetan schools, well represented in the contemporary Tibetan diaspora in Europe and North America. It has many sects and sub-sects-two such are the Dakpo Kagyii, founded by Gampopa, and the Shangba Kagyii, founded by Chungpo Naljor.
KAlacakra (Skt. ) dii chi kor lo [dus kyi 'khor lo] (Tib. ) Literally, "the Wheel of Time. " A cycle of complex teachings embracing cosmology, history, psychology, and spiritual practice in one coherent system. Name of a tantra and of the deity featured in it.
Kalpa (Skt. ) kal pa [bskal pa] (Tib. ) A vast stretch of time.
Karma (Skt. ) lay [las] (Tib. ) Literally, "action. " The sum of all an individual's deeds, which ineluctably determine their experiences during this life and in the afterlife and future births. Positive karma
196 The Dharma
(merit) can be increased and negative karma eliminated through meditation and the practice of virtue, especially the six Paramitas.
Karma Chamay Rinpoche [karma chags med rin po che] (Tib. ) A seventeenth century Tibetan teacher, disciple of the Sharmapa Chochi Wangchuk, and author of a celebrated aspiration prayer
and practice concerning Dewachen. He founded the Nemdo [gnas mdo] Kagyii sect, and was famous for Chenrezi and cho [gcod] prac- tices.
Kiyas, Three ku sum [sku gsum] (Tib. ) Trikaya (Skt. } "Three aspects of the totality of the completely enlightened experience. " The three bodies or modes of existence of a Buddha. ? See Dhar-
makaya, Sambhogakaya, Nirmanakaya.
Khenpo [mkhan po] (Tib. ) The chief instructor or spiritual author- ity in a monastery.
Though the word is often translated as "abbot," the khenpo is not usually the administrator of the monastery. The title is also accorded to Lamas of great learning.
Kiin shi nam she [kun gzhi'i rnam shes] (Tib. ) Alayavijnana (Skt. ) "Fundamental discursive consciousness," grounded in ignorance (rna rik pa [rna rig pa]}. A repertory of habitual ways of thought, it "functions as a storehouse for the karmic process. "
KUn shi ye she [kun gzhi ye shes] (Tib. ) Primordial, panoramic awareness.
Lama [bla rna] (Tib. ) guru (Skt. ) A title for experienced and learn- ed religious teachers, often casually used for members of the clergy in general. (Tibetans take the word as Ia na me pa [bla na med pa], "insurpassable," plus ma [rna], "mother," alluding to the compas- sion a mother has for her only child. )
Laypersons ge nyen [dge bsnyen] (male), ge nyen rna [dge bsnyen rna] (female) (Tib. ) upasaka (male), upasika (female) (Skt. ) Bud- dhists who have taken the five basic vows of lay ordination, which abjure killing, stealing, lying, the use of intoxicants, and sexual misconduct.
Len pa [len pa] (Tib. ) upadana (Skt. ) Grasping. The ninth Nidana, q. v.
Lha tong [lhag mthong] (Tib. ) vipa? yana (Skt. ) Meditation that develops insight into the nature of mind. It is sometimes described as analytical meditation. It is one of the two types of meditation found in all Buddhist traditions, the other being tranquility medita? tion (famatha, Skt. ; shi nay [zhi gnas], Tib. ; q. v. )
Lung [lung] (Tib. ) Textual transmission. It is one of the three necessary components of Vajrayana empowerment (see Empower- ment and Tri). It is the (usually quite rapid) recitation aloud by a competent master of the text of the teaching or practice. It is in- tended to infuse the whole of the text, purely and accurately, into the mindstream of the hearer.
Liberation see Enlightenment
Mahimudri (Skt. ) cha ja chen po [phyag rgya chen po] (Tib. ) The "great symbol'' or "great seal," a term in Vajrayana Buddhism for the realization of the true nature of mind. Mahamudra means both the ordered series of practices and meditations, and the awakened state of enlightenment to which they lead.
Mahisiddhas(Skt. ) drup chen [grub chen] (Tib. ) Great Indian tan- tric masters renowned for effecting changes in the phenomenal world through spiritual power (see Dowman, trans. , Masters of Mahamudra). They came from all walks of life and developed the means by which the Dharma could be effectively practiced by peo- ple of widely varying capacities and inclinations. Tilopa and Naropa are among the best known, and of central importance in the Kagyii tradition.
MaJ}4. ala (Skt. ) chin kor [dkyil 'khor] (Tib. ) A complex symbol that configures all the energies, aspects, and manifestations of a par- ticular embodiment of enlightenment. The term also refers to two- or three-dimensional representations of such configurations, e. g. , the Mandala of the Peaceful Deities.
Glossary 197
198 The Dharma
Mantra (Skt. } ngak [sngags] (Tib. ) Verbal expressions of enlighten- ment. Recitation of them aloud is understood as the "divine sound or speech. " "The speech of the deity is the embodiment of the union of speech and emptiness. "
Marikpa [rna rig pa] (Tib. ) avidya (Skt. ) Ignorance of the true nature of mind. Fundamental ignorance, which leads to a belief in a personal self.
Marpa Lotsawa (1012-1097) Marpa the Translator. Disciple of the Mahasiddha Naropa, Marpa was a Tibetan layman who made three arduous trips to India to find Buddhist teachings. It was he who brought the Six Yogas of Naropa to Tibet. Marpa received Mahamudra transmissions from both Naropa and Maitripa, and achieved highest realization. His chief disciple was Milarepa. (See The Life of Marpa, Prajna, 1982. )
Middle View u rna [dbu rna] (Tib. ) Madhyamaka (Skt. ) A philosophical school based on the Prajiiaparamita sutras and their doctrine of emptiness [iunyata]. The Madhyamaka is concerned with the transcendence of affirmation and negation both, and stresses the Dependent Origination of all things. The classic for- mulation of the Middle View (between the extremes of assertion and negation) is Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakaluin"luis (Root Verses on the Middle Way).
Milarepa [mi Ia ras pa] (Tib. ) Most famous of Tibetan yogis, Milarepa was a layman, revered as one who achieved full enlighten- ment in one lifetime. He sang the songs compiled in the Gur bum [mgur 'bum] (The Hundred Thousand Songs). Milarepa was the disciple of Marpa the Translator, and was the teacher of Gampopa. See The Hundred Thousand songs of Milarepa, G. C. C. Chang, trans. , and The Life ofMilarepa, ed. and trans. by L. Lhalungpa.
Milam Bardo [rmi lam bar do] (Tib. ) The Bardo of the Dream State. See Bardo.
Ming shi pung po [ming bzhi'i phung po] (Tib. ) The skandhas of the four names. The first four stages in the Bardo of the After-death experience: ignorance, stirring of conscious patterning, discursive consciousness, and labelling subject and object (Skt. : avidya, sarilskara, vijiiana, namanipa).
Ming zuk [ming gzugs] (Tib. ) namanipa (Skt. ) Name and form. The fourth Nidana, q. v.
Mi tak pa [mi rtag pa] (Tib. ) Impermanence. The impermanence of all conditioned existence is one of the basic Buddhist insights, and the teaching of impermanence characterizes all Buddhist traditions. In the present context, impermanence is one of the Four Thoughts that turn the mind towards the Dhrma.
Monk see Gelong
Nlgarjuna (Skt. ) Lu drup [klu grub] {Tib. ) Great Indian Buddhist scholar, logician, and philosopher who left Nalanda University to become a wandering yogi and eventually a Mahasiddha. Known as the founder of the Madhyamaka school and transmitter of the Prajiiaparamita literature on which it was based, Nagarjuna is believed to have flourished during the second century A. D.
Nam she [rnam par shes pa] (Tib. ) vijiiana (Skt. ) Discursive con? sciousness: "the ability of the mind to recognize something other than itself as an object. " This is our ordinary consciousness. The fifth skandha.
Naropa {1016-1100) Disciple of Tilopa and teacher of Marpa. A Bengali, he showed early promise as a scholar. He became a monk,
Glossary 199
200 The Dharma
and eventually Abbot of Nalanda, one of the gyeat Indian Buddhist universities. After eight years he abandoned the academic life and became a wandering mendicant yogi, in search of his true teacher. After much difficulty, he encountered the Mahasiddha Tilopa, from whom he learned the higher Tantras and Mahamudra.
Ngijndro [sngon 'gyo] (Tib. ) see Preliminaries
Nidana (Skt. ) The twelve nidanas are the "links of dependent origination that form the basis for a description of our experience of the world. " They constitute the successive stages of dependent origination and are a central component of the Buddhist analysis of mind and experience. These are the twelve:
1. Ignorance (Tib. : ma rik pa [ma rig pa]; Skt. : avidya)
2. Formation of karmic habitual tendencies (Tib. : du che
['du byed]; Skt. : sarilskara)
3. Dualistic consciousness (Tib. : nam she [mam par shes
pa]; Skt. : vijnana)
4. A sense of embodiment (Tib. : ming zuk [ming zgugs];
Skt. : naman1pa)
5. Differentiation of sense-fields (Tib. : chem che [skye
mched]; Skt. : sadayatana)
6. Contact (Tib. : rek pa [reg pa]; Skt. : sparsa)
7. Sensation (Tib. : tsor wa [tshor ba]; Skt. : vedana) 8. Craving (Tib. : se pa [sred pa]; Skt. : tr~~a)
9. Grasping (Tib. : len pa [len pa]; Skt. : upadfta)
10. Becoming (Tib. : si pa [srid pa]; Skt. : bhava)
11. Birth (Tib. : che wa [skyed ba]; Skt. : jati)
12. Aging and death (Tib. : ga shi [rga shi]; Skt. :
jaramara~a)
NirmaJ;J. akaya (Skt. ) triil pay ku [sprul pa'i sku] (Tib. ) third of the Trikaya or Three Bodies of a Buddha. A Buddha manifests in an in- finite variety of forms in response to the individul needs of sentient beings. The three main classifications of Nirma~akaya are:
1. Manifestation as a skill, craft, or artistic talent;
2. Manifestation as an apparently ordinary bein9: with a
special capacity to help others. (see Tiilku);
Glossary 201 S. Manifestation as a Buddha such as the historical Bud-
dha Shakyamuni, born in the world and active therein.
In whatever form, the Nirmat;takaya represents "mind's quality of unimpeded manifestation. "
NirvAna (Skt. ) nya ngen lay day pa [mya ngan las 'das pa] (Tib. ) Transcendence of suffering; cessation of birth in Samsara.
Norbu Dondrup [nor bu don 'grub] (Tib. ) Kalu Rinpoche's Root Lama, retreat master of the Palpung Three Year Retreat. He was a disciple ofj amgon Kongtrul the Great and the lineage holder of the Shangba tradition. His life was devoted to meditation and retreat. At his death, in the early 1950s, he manifested the rainbow body.
Novice ge tsiil [dge tshul] (male), ge tsiil rna [dge tshul rna] (female) (Tib. ,) ? ramat;tera (male), ? ramat;terika (female) (Skt. ) One who has taken monastic ordination, but without the full range of vows. Usually, a novice will eventually take full monastic ordination.
Nyingmapa [mying rna pa] (Tib. ) One of the four main traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. For Nyingmapas, Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche or precious Lama) is the central figure in whom they take refuge. The name of their school ("older ones") reflects their adherence to the earliest translations of Buddhist texts into Tibetan.
Obscuration drip pa [sgrib pa] (Tib. ) varat;ta (Skt. ) What is obscured is the true nature of mind. Four levels of obscuration are spoken of in this text:
1. Obscuration of Fundamental Ignorance rna rik pay drip pa [rna rig pa'i sgbrib pa] (Tib. ) avidyavarat;ta (Skt. ) "The mind does not see itself, it is not directly aware of its own nature. "
2. Obscuration of Habitual Tendencies bak chak chi drip pa [bag chags kyi sgrib pa] (Tib. ) vasanavarat;ta (Skt. ) Based on ignorance, mind develops "the habit of ex- periencing reality in terms of subject and object. "
S. Obscuration of Emotional Affliction nyon mong pay drip pa [nyon mongs pa'i sgrib pa] (Tib. ) kldavarat;ta
202 The Dharma
(Skt. ) Confronted by these dualistic projections, mind
reacts with attachment, aversion and bewilderment.
4.
Dharma (Skt. ) cho [chos] (Tib. ) Among the many meanings of Dharma in Sanskrit and Chos in Tibetan, three are especially im- portant:
1. The whole body of the Buddha's teaching, usually capitalized in English.
2. Any constituent of a moment of existence, a "thing" or phenomenon.
3. Truth, or ultimate reality. (See Dharmakaya. ) Dharmadhatu (Skt. ) cho ying [chos dbyings] (Tib. ) The realm of all
phenomena, the "dharma space" in which all transpires.
Dharmakaya (Skt. ) cho chi ku [chos kyi sku] (Tib. ) One of the Trikaya (three "bodies") of a Buddha: the body of Dharma. It "is
Glossary 189
190 The Dharma
equivalent to the ultimate" truth and is also expressed as the intrin- sic emptiness of mind. Although it is without form and distinct from all activity (tro tral [spros bral]), it manifests the Sambhogakaya and
Nirmal)akaya to fulfill the aims of sentient beings.
Dharmatli (Skt. ) cho nyi [chos nyid] (Tib. ) The fundamental nature of all phenomena, all experience just as it is.
Dorje [rdo rje] (Tib. ) vajra (Skt. ) "Something invincible, something that can cut through anything else. " Literal referents of vajra (a word cognate with English vigor) are "thunderbolt" and "diamond. " The dorje or vajra is a Vajrayana ritual implement symbolizing method.
Dorje Chang [rdo rje 'chang] (Tib. ) Vajradhara (Skt. ) The form in which the Buddha or the Lama manifests when giving Vajrayana teachings. Dorje Chang is the ultimate source of all the Buddhist tantric teachings.
Dorje Phagmo [rdo rje phag mo] (Tib. ) Vajravarahi (Skt. ) The main Yidam of the Kagyu tradition, she is the embodiment of Wisdom.
Dorje Sempa [rdo rje sems dpa'] (Tib. ) Vajrasattva (Skt. ) "He whose being is of the nature of the Vajra," the Buddha of Purification. Va- jrasattva Meditation, one of the Four Preliminary Practices, involves acknowledging all one's unskillful negative actions and attitudes, and aims to eradicate the habitual tendencies from which they arise.
Dra chom pa see Arhat
Drup khang [sgrub khang] (Tib. ) "Practice building"-an enclosure used for intensive meditation and practice, particularly during the Three Year Retreat, q. v.
Du che ['du byed] (Tib. ) sarilskara (Skt. ) The configuration of pat? terns in the mind which normally result in action (Karma) The
fourth skandha, Formation.
Dzo rim [rdzogs rim] (Tib. ) sampannakrama (Skt. ) Fulfillment phase of meditation.
Eightfold Noble Path pak pay lam yen lak je ['phags pa'i lam yan lag brgyad] (Tib. ) The eight aspects of the path of pure un- compromising behavior discovered in the Four Noble Truths.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Perfect View (Tib. : yang dak pay ta wa [yang dag pa'i Ita ba])
Perfect Intention (Tib. : yang dak pay tok pa [yang dag pa'i rtog pa])
Perfect Speech (Tib. : yang dak pay ngak [yang dag pa'i ngag])
Perfect Activity (Tib. : yang dak pay lay chi ta [yang dag pa'i las kyi mtha'])
Perfect Livelihood (Tib. : yang dak pay tso wa [yang dag pa'i 'tsho ba])
Perfect Effort (Tib. : yang dak pay tsOl wa [yang dag pa'i rtsol ba])
Perfect Mindfulness (Tib. : yang dak pay dren pa [yang dag pa'i dran pa])
Perfect Samadhi (Tib. : yang dak pay ting nge dzin [yang dag pa'i ting nge 'dzin])
Emotional Affliction nyon mong pa [nyon mongs pa] (Tib. ) klesa (Skt. ) Conflicting emotions which produce the misery and turmoil of existence. The emotions are usually given as three: desire- attachment (do chak ['dod chags]), aversion (she dang [zhe sdang]), and bewilderment or indifference (ti muk [gti mug]).
Empowerment wang [dbang] (Tib. ) abhi,eka (Skt. ) Ritual initia- tion into a particular practice of meditation, conferred by a Lama who is part of a lineage, and thus himself a? recipient and practi- tioner of such transmissions. Authorization to engage in the meditative practice is not complete without the formal instruction and textual transmission (see tri and lung).
Emptiness tong pa nyi [stong pa nyid] (Tib. ) siinyati (Skt. ) The absence, in beings and objects, of independent existence and endur-
Glossary 191
192 The Dharma
ing self-nature; the essential quality of mind, corresponding to the Dharmakaya aspect of Enlightenment. Emptiness is the central theme of the Praji'Hiparamita texts and Madhyamaka philosophy, q. v.
Enlightenment chang chup [byang chub] (Tib. ) bodhi (Skt. ) Com- plete enlightenment is a state of Realization in which the most subtle traces of ignorance about the nature of reality are eliminated; sometimes called "the embodiment of the Three Kayas," q. v. There are degrees or stages of Enlightenment; see Bhumi.
Five Certainties nge pa nga [nges pa lnga] (Tib. ) Five attributes of the Sambhogakaya Buddha:
1. The form of the Teacher is eternal.
2. The environment is always a Pure Realm.
3. The teachings transmitted are always Mahayana or Va-
jrayana.
4. The audience is always composed of beings on the
eighth, ninth, or tenth Bodhisattva stages.
5. The manifestation is not subject to time; it is unchang-
ing.
Five Families, Buddhas of the
Vajra Family Ak? >bhya (Skt. ) Lotus Family Amitabha (Skt. ) Buddha Family Vairocana (Skt. )
Mi-bskyod-pa (Tib. ) 'Od-dpag-med (Tib. ) rNam? par sNang-mdzad (Tib. )
Jewel Family Ratnasambhava (Skt. ) Rin-chen 'byung-gnas (Tib. ) Karma Family Amoghasiddhi (Skt. ) Don-yod grub-pa (Tib. )
Five Paths, The see Paths, The Five
Form Phase of Meditation see Development Stage Formless Phase of Meditation see Fulfillment Stage
Four Dharmas of Gampopa A "concise survey of the entire Path" to Enlightenment:
1 The Mind Turns Towards Dharma
2. The Dharma Becomes the Path
S. The Path Dispels Confusion
4. Confusion Arises as Primordial Awareness
Four (Ordinary) Foundations tiin mong gi ngon dro shi [thun mong gi sngon 'gro bzhi (Tib. ) see Four Thoughts that Tum the Mind
Four Names seeming shi pung po
Four Noble Truths pak pay den pa shi ['phags pa'i bden pa bzhi] (Tib. ) Four fundamental insights of Buddhism, proclaimed in the Buddha's first teachings:
1. Suffering of conditioned existence. 2. Its on"gin.
S. Its cessation.
4. The path leading to cessation.
Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind [to the Dharma] lo do nam shi [blo ldog mam bzhi] (Tib. ) see Preliminaries
Fulfillment Stage of Meditation dzo rim [rdzogs rim] (Tib. ) sam? pannakrama (Skt. ) The completion or fulfillment phase in which the visualization is dissolved and the mind rests in the emptiness of its true nature.
Gampopa (1079-115S) [sgam-po-pa] (Tib. ) Tibetan philosopher- saint. He initially trained as a physician (and hence is often called Dakpo Lharje [dvags po lha rje], "the Physician from Dakpo"). After the death of his wife he entered a monastery where he became a scholar in the Kadampa [bka' gdams pa] tradition of Atiia. He later became a disciple of Milarepa, and a great meditator. He united the Kadampa teachings with the teachings of the Mahamudra tradi- tion- "the uniting of the two streams (chu wo nyi dray [chu bo gnyis 'dres]). " This union resulted in the Dakpo Kagyii (dvags po bka' brgyud] tradition, of which he was the founder. Hisjewel Ornament of Liberation is an authoritative and complete account of the
Glossary 193
194 The Dharma
Mahayana Buddhist path. Gampopa was the main teacher of the first Karmapa. Diisum Khyenpa.
Ga shi [rga shi] (Tib. ) jaramaray;ta (Skt. ) Old age and death. The twelfth Nidana, q. v.
Ge long [dge slong] (Tib. ) bhilqu (Skt. ) A monk who has taken the full ordination. A similarly ordained nun is a gelongma [dge slong rna] or bhi~uy;li.
Ge tsiil, Ge tsiil ma, see Novice
God lha [lha] (Tib. ) deva (Skt. ) Inhabitant of the least painful of the Six Realms of Samsara. The lives of gods, while long and marked by sensuous bliss, are ended in great sorrow as they foresee their future lower rebirth. There are gods o~ the Desire, Form and Formless Realms, q. v.
Gompa [sgom pa] (Tib. ) Literally, "to meditate. " Third phase of practice, which follows receipt of teachings and instruction (see topa) and effort made to comprehend them (see sampa). Gompa is the actual pursuit of meditational practice.
Guru Yoga (Skt. ) Ia may nal jor [bla ma'i mal 'byor] (Tib. ) One of the Four Preliminary Practices (see Preliminan'es). A meditation in which through visualization and recitation the meditator receives the blessing of the Lama and the lineage.
Heart Sutra chom den day rna she rab chi pa rol tu chin pay nying po [bcom ldan 'das rna shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa'i snying po (Tib. ) Bhagavati Prajiiaparamitahrdaya (Skt. ) The extremely con- cise statement of the doctrine of Emptiness, regarded as the heart or essence of the vast Prajiiaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom) Literature. In many Mahayana traditions, the sutra is chanted regularly.
Hinayana (Skt. ) tek pa chung wa [theg pa chung ba] (Tib. ) One of the three "vehicles" of Buddhism- the "lesser" vehicle, or way of the
Glossary 195 Arhat. In Tibetan usage, the name identifies an imperfect or in-
complete quest for a purely personal liberation from samsara. Human Birth see Precious Human Birth
Impermanence see Mi tak pa.
Interdependence of Phenomena see Dependent Origination Instruction see Tri
Jamgijn Kongtrul the Great (1813-1899) ['jam mgon kong sprul blo gros mtha' yas] (Tib. ) Great Tibetan scholar and meditation master, an initiator of then? may movement, q. v. Besides his many original texts and commentaries, he collected and edited an enor- mous wealth of rituals and practices and compiled the Shay]a Dzo (shes bya mdzod], the great encyclopedia of Dharma, including history, art, lineages, and tantra, which is one of the Five Great
Treasun"es (dzo chen nam par nga [mdzod chen rnam par lnga]). Jnina see Yeshe
Kagyii [bka' brgyud] (Tib. ) One of the major Tibetan schools, well represented in the contemporary Tibetan diaspora in Europe and North America. It has many sects and sub-sects-two such are the Dakpo Kagyii, founded by Gampopa, and the Shangba Kagyii, founded by Chungpo Naljor.
KAlacakra (Skt. ) dii chi kor lo [dus kyi 'khor lo] (Tib. ) Literally, "the Wheel of Time. " A cycle of complex teachings embracing cosmology, history, psychology, and spiritual practice in one coherent system. Name of a tantra and of the deity featured in it.
Kalpa (Skt. ) kal pa [bskal pa] (Tib. ) A vast stretch of time.
Karma (Skt. ) lay [las] (Tib. ) Literally, "action. " The sum of all an individual's deeds, which ineluctably determine their experiences during this life and in the afterlife and future births. Positive karma
196 The Dharma
(merit) can be increased and negative karma eliminated through meditation and the practice of virtue, especially the six Paramitas.
Karma Chamay Rinpoche [karma chags med rin po che] (Tib. ) A seventeenth century Tibetan teacher, disciple of the Sharmapa Chochi Wangchuk, and author of a celebrated aspiration prayer
and practice concerning Dewachen. He founded the Nemdo [gnas mdo] Kagyii sect, and was famous for Chenrezi and cho [gcod] prac- tices.
Kiyas, Three ku sum [sku gsum] (Tib. ) Trikaya (Skt. } "Three aspects of the totality of the completely enlightened experience. " The three bodies or modes of existence of a Buddha. ? See Dhar-
makaya, Sambhogakaya, Nirmanakaya.
Khenpo [mkhan po] (Tib. ) The chief instructor or spiritual author- ity in a monastery.
Though the word is often translated as "abbot," the khenpo is not usually the administrator of the monastery. The title is also accorded to Lamas of great learning.
Kiin shi nam she [kun gzhi'i rnam shes] (Tib. ) Alayavijnana (Skt. ) "Fundamental discursive consciousness," grounded in ignorance (rna rik pa [rna rig pa]}. A repertory of habitual ways of thought, it "functions as a storehouse for the karmic process. "
KUn shi ye she [kun gzhi ye shes] (Tib. ) Primordial, panoramic awareness.
Lama [bla rna] (Tib. ) guru (Skt. ) A title for experienced and learn- ed religious teachers, often casually used for members of the clergy in general. (Tibetans take the word as Ia na me pa [bla na med pa], "insurpassable," plus ma [rna], "mother," alluding to the compas- sion a mother has for her only child. )
Laypersons ge nyen [dge bsnyen] (male), ge nyen rna [dge bsnyen rna] (female) (Tib. ) upasaka (male), upasika (female) (Skt. ) Bud- dhists who have taken the five basic vows of lay ordination, which abjure killing, stealing, lying, the use of intoxicants, and sexual misconduct.
Len pa [len pa] (Tib. ) upadana (Skt. ) Grasping. The ninth Nidana, q. v.
Lha tong [lhag mthong] (Tib. ) vipa? yana (Skt. ) Meditation that develops insight into the nature of mind. It is sometimes described as analytical meditation. It is one of the two types of meditation found in all Buddhist traditions, the other being tranquility medita? tion (famatha, Skt. ; shi nay [zhi gnas], Tib. ; q. v. )
Lung [lung] (Tib. ) Textual transmission. It is one of the three necessary components of Vajrayana empowerment (see Empower- ment and Tri). It is the (usually quite rapid) recitation aloud by a competent master of the text of the teaching or practice. It is in- tended to infuse the whole of the text, purely and accurately, into the mindstream of the hearer.
Liberation see Enlightenment
Mahimudri (Skt. ) cha ja chen po [phyag rgya chen po] (Tib. ) The "great symbol'' or "great seal," a term in Vajrayana Buddhism for the realization of the true nature of mind. Mahamudra means both the ordered series of practices and meditations, and the awakened state of enlightenment to which they lead.
Mahisiddhas(Skt. ) drup chen [grub chen] (Tib. ) Great Indian tan- tric masters renowned for effecting changes in the phenomenal world through spiritual power (see Dowman, trans. , Masters of Mahamudra). They came from all walks of life and developed the means by which the Dharma could be effectively practiced by peo- ple of widely varying capacities and inclinations. Tilopa and Naropa are among the best known, and of central importance in the Kagyii tradition.
MaJ}4. ala (Skt. ) chin kor [dkyil 'khor] (Tib. ) A complex symbol that configures all the energies, aspects, and manifestations of a par- ticular embodiment of enlightenment. The term also refers to two- or three-dimensional representations of such configurations, e. g. , the Mandala of the Peaceful Deities.
Glossary 197
198 The Dharma
Mantra (Skt. } ngak [sngags] (Tib. ) Verbal expressions of enlighten- ment. Recitation of them aloud is understood as the "divine sound or speech. " "The speech of the deity is the embodiment of the union of speech and emptiness. "
Marikpa [rna rig pa] (Tib. ) avidya (Skt. ) Ignorance of the true nature of mind. Fundamental ignorance, which leads to a belief in a personal self.
Marpa Lotsawa (1012-1097) Marpa the Translator. Disciple of the Mahasiddha Naropa, Marpa was a Tibetan layman who made three arduous trips to India to find Buddhist teachings. It was he who brought the Six Yogas of Naropa to Tibet. Marpa received Mahamudra transmissions from both Naropa and Maitripa, and achieved highest realization. His chief disciple was Milarepa. (See The Life of Marpa, Prajna, 1982. )
Middle View u rna [dbu rna] (Tib. ) Madhyamaka (Skt. ) A philosophical school based on the Prajiiaparamita sutras and their doctrine of emptiness [iunyata]. The Madhyamaka is concerned with the transcendence of affirmation and negation both, and stresses the Dependent Origination of all things. The classic for- mulation of the Middle View (between the extremes of assertion and negation) is Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakaluin"luis (Root Verses on the Middle Way).
Milarepa [mi Ia ras pa] (Tib. ) Most famous of Tibetan yogis, Milarepa was a layman, revered as one who achieved full enlighten- ment in one lifetime. He sang the songs compiled in the Gur bum [mgur 'bum] (The Hundred Thousand Songs). Milarepa was the disciple of Marpa the Translator, and was the teacher of Gampopa. See The Hundred Thousand songs of Milarepa, G. C. C. Chang, trans. , and The Life ofMilarepa, ed. and trans. by L. Lhalungpa.
Milam Bardo [rmi lam bar do] (Tib. ) The Bardo of the Dream State. See Bardo.
Ming shi pung po [ming bzhi'i phung po] (Tib. ) The skandhas of the four names. The first four stages in the Bardo of the After-death experience: ignorance, stirring of conscious patterning, discursive consciousness, and labelling subject and object (Skt. : avidya, sarilskara, vijiiana, namanipa).
Ming zuk [ming gzugs] (Tib. ) namanipa (Skt. ) Name and form. The fourth Nidana, q. v.
Mi tak pa [mi rtag pa] (Tib. ) Impermanence. The impermanence of all conditioned existence is one of the basic Buddhist insights, and the teaching of impermanence characterizes all Buddhist traditions. In the present context, impermanence is one of the Four Thoughts that turn the mind towards the Dhrma.
Monk see Gelong
Nlgarjuna (Skt. ) Lu drup [klu grub] {Tib. ) Great Indian Buddhist scholar, logician, and philosopher who left Nalanda University to become a wandering yogi and eventually a Mahasiddha. Known as the founder of the Madhyamaka school and transmitter of the Prajiiaparamita literature on which it was based, Nagarjuna is believed to have flourished during the second century A. D.
Nam she [rnam par shes pa] (Tib. ) vijiiana (Skt. ) Discursive con? sciousness: "the ability of the mind to recognize something other than itself as an object. " This is our ordinary consciousness. The fifth skandha.
Naropa {1016-1100) Disciple of Tilopa and teacher of Marpa. A Bengali, he showed early promise as a scholar. He became a monk,
Glossary 199
200 The Dharma
and eventually Abbot of Nalanda, one of the gyeat Indian Buddhist universities. After eight years he abandoned the academic life and became a wandering mendicant yogi, in search of his true teacher. After much difficulty, he encountered the Mahasiddha Tilopa, from whom he learned the higher Tantras and Mahamudra.
Ngijndro [sngon 'gyo] (Tib. ) see Preliminaries
Nidana (Skt. ) The twelve nidanas are the "links of dependent origination that form the basis for a description of our experience of the world. " They constitute the successive stages of dependent origination and are a central component of the Buddhist analysis of mind and experience. These are the twelve:
1. Ignorance (Tib. : ma rik pa [ma rig pa]; Skt. : avidya)
2. Formation of karmic habitual tendencies (Tib. : du che
['du byed]; Skt. : sarilskara)
3. Dualistic consciousness (Tib. : nam she [mam par shes
pa]; Skt. : vijnana)
4. A sense of embodiment (Tib. : ming zuk [ming zgugs];
Skt. : naman1pa)
5. Differentiation of sense-fields (Tib. : chem che [skye
mched]; Skt. : sadayatana)
6. Contact (Tib. : rek pa [reg pa]; Skt. : sparsa)
7. Sensation (Tib. : tsor wa [tshor ba]; Skt. : vedana) 8. Craving (Tib. : se pa [sred pa]; Skt. : tr~~a)
9. Grasping (Tib. : len pa [len pa]; Skt. : upadfta)
10. Becoming (Tib. : si pa [srid pa]; Skt. : bhava)
11. Birth (Tib. : che wa [skyed ba]; Skt. : jati)
12. Aging and death (Tib. : ga shi [rga shi]; Skt. :
jaramara~a)
NirmaJ;J. akaya (Skt. ) triil pay ku [sprul pa'i sku] (Tib. ) third of the Trikaya or Three Bodies of a Buddha. A Buddha manifests in an in- finite variety of forms in response to the individul needs of sentient beings. The three main classifications of Nirma~akaya are:
1. Manifestation as a skill, craft, or artistic talent;
2. Manifestation as an apparently ordinary bein9: with a
special capacity to help others. (see Tiilku);
Glossary 201 S. Manifestation as a Buddha such as the historical Bud-
dha Shakyamuni, born in the world and active therein.
In whatever form, the Nirmat;takaya represents "mind's quality of unimpeded manifestation. "
NirvAna (Skt. ) nya ngen lay day pa [mya ngan las 'das pa] (Tib. ) Transcendence of suffering; cessation of birth in Samsara.
Norbu Dondrup [nor bu don 'grub] (Tib. ) Kalu Rinpoche's Root Lama, retreat master of the Palpung Three Year Retreat. He was a disciple ofj amgon Kongtrul the Great and the lineage holder of the Shangba tradition. His life was devoted to meditation and retreat. At his death, in the early 1950s, he manifested the rainbow body.
Novice ge tsiil [dge tshul] (male), ge tsiil rna [dge tshul rna] (female) (Tib. ,) ? ramat;tera (male), ? ramat;terika (female) (Skt. ) One who has taken monastic ordination, but without the full range of vows. Usually, a novice will eventually take full monastic ordination.
Nyingmapa [mying rna pa] (Tib. ) One of the four main traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. For Nyingmapas, Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche or precious Lama) is the central figure in whom they take refuge. The name of their school ("older ones") reflects their adherence to the earliest translations of Buddhist texts into Tibetan.
Obscuration drip pa [sgrib pa] (Tib. ) varat;ta (Skt. ) What is obscured is the true nature of mind. Four levels of obscuration are spoken of in this text:
1. Obscuration of Fundamental Ignorance rna rik pay drip pa [rna rig pa'i sgbrib pa] (Tib. ) avidyavarat;ta (Skt. ) "The mind does not see itself, it is not directly aware of its own nature. "
2. Obscuration of Habitual Tendencies bak chak chi drip pa [bag chags kyi sgrib pa] (Tib. ) vasanavarat;ta (Skt. ) Based on ignorance, mind develops "the habit of ex- periencing reality in terms of subject and object. "
S. Obscuration of Emotional Affliction nyon mong pay drip pa [nyon mongs pa'i sgrib pa] (Tib. ) kldavarat;ta
202 The Dharma
(Skt. ) Confronted by these dualistic projections, mind
reacts with attachment, aversion and bewilderment.
4.
