The Mahamudra practice
connected
to the Six Yogas of Naropa.
Khenchen-Thrangu-Rinpoche-The-Spiritual-Song-of-Lodro-Thaye
An Indian master of philosophy.
Founder of the Madhyamaka school and author of the Knowledge ofthe Middle "Way and other
important works. (second - third century)
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 of India.
Nihilism. (Tib. chad Ita) Literally, "the view ofdiscontinuance. " The extreme
view ofnothingness: no rebirth or karmic effects, and the non-existence
of a mind after death.
Nirmanakaya. (Tib. tulku) There are three bodies of the Buddha; the
nirmanakaya or "emanation body" manifests in the world and in this context manifests as the Shakyamuni Buddha. (see kayas, three. )
? ? GLOSSARY OF TERMS
153
Nirvana. Literally, "extinguished. " Individuals live in samsara and with spiritual practice can attain a state ofliberation in which all false ideas and conflicting emotions have been extinguished. This is called nirvana. The nirvana ofa Hinayana practitioner is freedom from cyclic existence as an arhat. The nirvana of a Mahayana practitioner is Buddhahood, free from extremes ofdwelling in either samsara or the perfect peace of an arhat.
Sometimes it is categorized as three types: nirvana of naturalness, which is ground nirvana; nirvana ofcessation, which is path nirvana; and non-abiding nirvana, which is the reward or fruition nirvana.
Non-distraction. (Tib. yeng me) Not straying from the continuity of the practice.
Non-fabrication. (Tib. zo me) The important key point in meditation of Mahamudra and Dzogchen; that innate wakefulness is not created through intellectual effort.
Non-meditation. (Tib. gom me) The state of not 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.
Non-thought. (Tib. mi tog) A state in which conceptual thinking is absent. Obscurations. There are two categories ofobscuration or defilement that cover one's Buddha nature: the defilement ofdisturbing emotions (see afflictive obscurations); and the defilement of latent tendencies sometimes called the obscuration of dualistic perception, or the intellectual/cognitive obscurations (see cognitive obscurations). The first category prevents sentient beings from freeing themselves from samsara, while the second
prevents them from gaining accurate knowledge and realizing truth. Occurrence. The period when thoughts are arising in the mind. Compare
with "stillness. "
One-pointedness. The first stage in the practice ofMahamudra.
One taste. The third stage in the practice ofMahamudra.
Ordinary Mind. (Tib. tamal kyi shepa) There is no need to do anything to
your present wakefulness at the moment of recognizing; it is already as
? ? ! 54
THE SPIRITUAL SONG OF LODROTHAYE
it is. That is the true meaning of naked ordinary mind, a famous term in Tibetan. It means not tampered with. There is no "thing" which needs to be accepted or rejected; it is simply as it is. The term 'ordinary mind' is the most immediate and accurate term to describe the nature of mind. No matter what terminology is being utilized within the Middle-way, Mahamudra or Dzogchen, naked ordinary mind is the simplest term.
Pandita. A great scholar.
Path ofLiberation. The path of Mahamudra practice.
Path ofMeans. Refers to the Six Yogas of Naropa as well as to the stages of
creation and completion with attributes.
Prana. Life supporting energy. The "winds" or energy-currents of the vajra
body.
Prajna. (Tib. she rab) In Sanskrit it means "perfect knowledge" and can
mean wisdom, understanding or discrimination. Usually it means the
wisdom ofseeing things from a high (i. e. , non-dualistic) point ofview. Prajnaparamita. 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 ofemptiness in the Prajnaparamita Hridaya or
Heart Sutra, made possible by the extraordinarily profound dharma of the birth ofShakyamuni 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 of about 40 Mahayana sutras that all deal with the realization of prajna.
Pure realm. Realms created by Buddhas which are totally free from suffering and dharma there can be received directly. These realms are presided over by various Buddhas such as Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, and Maitreya who presides over Tushita.
Rangjung Dorje. (1284-1339 C. E. ) The Third Karmapa, especially well known for writing a series of texts widely used in the Kagyu school.
Rtzngtongschool. The Madhyamaka or Middle-way is divided into two major
? ? GLOSSARY 0 FTERMS
155
schools; Rangtong {empty of self) and Shentong {empty of other). Rangtong is from the second turning ofthe wheel ofdharma and teaches that reality is empty of self and beyond concepts.
Recognition. In this context it means "recognizing the nature of mind. " Red element. The residual seed essence of the mother's ovum, obtained at conception, which remains present in the centre of the body below the
navel for the duration ofa person's life.
Relative truth. (Tib. kunsop) There are two truths: relative and absolute 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 belief in "! " and "other. "
Rigpa. The primordial, non-dual awareness in the Dzogchen teachings. Rinpoche. Literally, "very precious" and is used as a term of respect for a
Tibetan guru.
Root lama. A practitioner ofVajrayana can have several types of root guru:
the vajra master who confers empowerment, who bestows reading transmission, or who explains the meaning ofthe tantras. The ultimate root guru is the master who gives the "pointing out instructions" so that one recognizes the nature of mind.
Sakya Pandita. A hereditary head o f the Sakya lineage. A great scholar ( 1181- 1251 C. E. )
Samadhi. A state of meditation that is non-dualistic. There is an absence of discrimination between selfand other. Also called meditative absorption or one-pointed meditation, this is the highest form of meditation.
Samaya. The vows or commitments made in the Vajrayana to a teacher or to a practice. Many details exist but essentially it consists of outwardly, maintaining a harmonious relationship with the vajra master and one's dharma friends and inwardly, not straying from the continuity of the practice.
Sambhogakaya. There are three bodies of the Buddha, the sambhogakaya, also called the "enjoyment body," is a realm of the dharmakaya that only manifests to bodhisattvas {see kayas, three).
Samsara. "Cyclic existence. " The conditioned existence ofordinary life in which
? ? ! 56
THF SPIRITUAL SONG OF LODRO THAYE
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 ofexistence until liberation.
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 of samsara as well as those who have attained the levels ofa bodhisattva.
Shamatha. (Tib. shinay) See tranquility meditation.
Shamatha with support. The practice of calming the mind while using an
object of concentration, material or mental, or simply the breath. Shamatha without support. 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. Shentong school. The Madhyamaka or Middle-way is divided into two major schools, Rangtong (empty of self) and Shentong (empty of other). Shentong is from the third turning ofthe wheel ofdharma and explains
that ultimate reality is emptiness and luminosity inseparable. Shunyata. See emptiness.
Siddha. An accomplished Buddhist practitioner.
Siddhi. "Accomplishment. " The spiritual accomplishments ofaccomplished
practitioners. Usually refers to the "supreme siddhi" of complete enlightenment, but can also mean the "common siddhis," eight mundane accomplishments.
Simplicity. I) The absence of creating mental constructs or conceptual formations about the nature ofthings. 2) The second stage in the practice of Mahamudra.
Six Dharmas (Yogas} ofNaropa. 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 ofconsciousness practice and the bardo practice.
? ? GLOSSARY OF TERMS
157
Six realms. The realms of the six classes of beings: gods, demigods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts and hell beings. These are the possible types of births 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.
Spiritual song. See doha.
Stillness. Absence of thought activity and disturbing emotions, but with subtle
fixation on this stillness.
Subtle channels. (Skt. nadi, Tib. tsa) These refer to the subtle channels which
are not anatomical ones but ones in which psychic energies or "winds"
(Skt. prana, Tib. lung) travel.
Subtle heat. (Tib. tummo) An advanced Vajrayana practice for combining
bliss and emptiness producing heat as a by product.
Sugata. An epithet for the Buddha.
Sugatagarbha. (Tib. de sheg nying po) Buddha nature or that enlightened
essence present in all beings that allows them to have the capacity to
achieve enlightenment. It is closely related to tathagatagarbha. Supreme siddhi. Another word for enlightenment.
Sutra. Sometimes "surra" is used to cover all o f the teachings given by the Buddha
himself. But correctly it means one of the three sections of the dharma called the Tripitaka or Three Baskets. In the Tripitaka there are the Sutras, the Vinaya and the Abhidharma. The sutras are mainly concerned with meditation or samadhi; the Abhidharma is mainly concerned with the development of wisdom and understanding; and the Vinaya is mainly concerned with discipline and the rules o f morality and conduct.
Sutra Mahamudra. The Mahamudra system based on the Prajnaparamita scriptures and emphasizing Shamatha, Vipashyana and the progressive journey through the five paths and ten bhumis.
Svabhavikakaya. The "essence body. " Sometimes counted as the fourth kaya, the unity o f the first three.
? ? 158
THE SPIRITUAL SONG OF LODRO THAYE
Tantra. 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 surra tradition and the tantra tradition. The surra tradition primarily involves the academic study of the Mahayana texts and the tantric path primarily involves practicing the Vajrayana practices. The tantras are primarily the texts of the Vajrayana practices.
Tantra Mahamudra. The same as mantra Mahamudra.
The Mahamudra practice connected to the Six Yogas of Naropa.
Tathagatagarbha. (Tib. deshin shegpai nyingpo) This is the seed or essence of tathata (suchness) and is also called Buddha essence or enlightened essence. Terton. (Tib. ) A master in the Tibetan tradition who discovers treasures
(terma) which are teachings concealed by great masters of the past. Terma. (Tib. ) Literally, hidden treasure. Works which were hidden by great bodhisattvas and later rediscovered. They may be actual physical texts or
they may come from "the sky" as transmissions from the sambhogakaya. Three realms. These are three categories ofsamsara. The desire realm includes existences where beings are born with solid bodies due to their karma, ranging from the deva paradises to the hell realms. The form realm is where beings are born due to the power ofmeditation, and their bodies
are of subtle form in this realm. These are the meditation paradises. The formless realm is where beings due to their meditation (samadhi) have entered a state of meditation after death and the processes of thought and perception have ceased.
Three roots. Guru, yidam and dakini. Guru is the root ofblessings, yidam of accomplishment and dakini of activity.
Three sufferings. These are the suffering ofsuffering, the suffering ofchange, and pervasive suffering (meaning the inherent suffering in all of samsara).
Three vehicles. Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana.
? ? GLOSSARY OF TERMS
159
Tilopa. (928-1 009 C. E. ) One of the eighty-four mahasiddhas who became the guru ofNaropa who transmitted his teachings to the Kagyu lineage in Tibet.
Tranquility 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 or Vipashyana.
Tulku. (Tib. Skt. nirmanakaya) The Tibetan means "Multiple body. " It is the term used for describing the emanation body of an enlightened being or bodhisattva. The syllable tul has both direct and indirect meanings. The direct meaning is "multiple" and the indirect meaning, "manifestation," which refers to the sending out of compassion. It is the illusory emanation of the dharmakaya as a nirmanakaya form. Ku means body. In Tibet, however, it came to mean the emanation of an advanced Buddhist master who chooses to continue to incarnate for the benefit ofothers.
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. The accumulation of merit with concepts and the accumulation ofwisdom beyond concepts.
~jra. (Tib. dorje) Usually translated "diamond like. " This may be an implement held in the hand during certain Vajrayana ceremonies, or it can refer to a quality which is so pure and so enduring that it is like a diamond.
Vajradhara. (Tib. Dorje Chang) "Holder of the vajra. " ~jra 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 of the sambhogakaya Buddha, symbolizing its richness.
~jrapani. A major bodhisattva said to be lord of the mantra and a major protector ofTibetan Buddhism.
? ? 160 THE SPIRITUAL SONG OF LODROTHAYE
Vajrasattva. The Buddha of purification. Vajrasattva practice is part of the four preliminary practices. A sambhogakaya Buddha who embodies all the five families. He is also a major source of purification practices.
Vajravarahi. A dakini who is the consort ofChakrasamvara. She is the main yidam of the Kagyu lineage and the embodiment of wisdom.
Vajrayana. Literally, "diamond-like" or "indestructible capacity. " Vajra here refers to method, so the method yana. There are three major traditions of Buddhism (Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana). The Vajrayana is based on the tantras and emphasizes the clarity aspect of phenomena. A practitioner of the method of taking the result as the path.
View, meditation andaction. The philosophical orientation, the act ofgrowing accustomed to that- usually in sitting practice- and the implementation ofthat insight during the activities ofdaily life. Each ofthe three vehicles has its particular definition ofview, meditation and action.
Vipashyana meditation. Sanskrit for "insight meditation. " This meditation develops insight into the nature of reality (Skt. dharmata). One of the two main aspects of meditation practice, the other being Shamatha.
Wangchuk Dorje. (1556-1603 C. E. ) The Ninth Karmapa.
Wisdom ofnature ofphenomena. This is transcendent knowledge (jnana) of
the true nature of reality, not as it appears to individuals in samsara. Wisdom ofmultiplicity or variety. This is the transcendent knowledge (jnana)
of the variety of phenomena.
Wheel ofdharma. (Skt. dharmachakra) The Buddha's teachings correspond
to three levels which very briefly are: the first turning was the teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the teaching of the egolessness of person; the second turning was the teachings on emptiness and the emptiness of phenomena; the third turning was the teachings on luminosity and Buddha nature.
White element. The residual seed essence of the father's sperm, obtained at conception, which remains present in the centre ofthe body at the very top of the head for the duration of a person's life.
Ytzna. Means capacity. There are three yanas, narrow, (Hinayana) great (Mahayana) and indestructible (Vajrayana).
? ? GLOSSARY OF TERMS
161
Yidam. (Tib. ) Yi means mind and dam means pure, or yi means your mind and dam means inseparable. The yidam represents the practitioner's awakened nature or pure appearance. A tantric deity that embodies qualities ofBuddhahood and is practiced in the Vajrayana. Also called a tutelary deity.
Yidam meditation. Yidam meditation is the Vajrayana practice that uses the visualization ofa yidam.
Yoga. "Natural condition. " A person who practices this is called a yogi, characterized by leaving everything natural, just as it is, e. g. not washing or cutting your hair and nails etc. A female practitioner is called ayogini.
Yoga tantra. Literally, "union tantra" and refers to a tantra that places emphasis on internal meditations.
Yogi. Tantric practitioner.
Yogini. Female tantric practitioner.
? ? Pronounced
bakchag
chakgya chenpo
cho
dang
damar gyi shepa
deshin skekpai nying po
dondam dorje
Dorje Chang Dzogchen golsa sum gomme kagyu
kunzhi namshe kunrop
! hen chig
long cho dzok pay ku
lotsawa lung
lung marigpa mitog mon nong
Spelled
bag chags
phyag rgya chan po chos
gdangs
da lta'i shes pa
de bzhin gsheg pai'
snymgpo
don dam pai bden pa rdo rje
rdo rje chang
rdrogs chen
go! sa gsum
sgom med
bka' 'gyur
kun gzhi' rnam shes kun rdrob
! han chig
longs spyod rdzogs
pa'i sku lo tsa ba
rlung lung
rna rig pa
mi rrog nyon mongs
Meaning
latencies Mahamudra dharma brilliance
mind of nowness tathagatagarbha
ultimate truth vajra Vajradhara Dzogchen Three errors non-meditation Kagyu
alaya consciousness relative truth co-emergent sambhogakaya
translator
prana
reading instruction bewilderment non-thought disturbing emotion
Glossary of Tibetan Terms
? ? 164
THE SPIRITUAL SONG OF LODRO THAYE
nam
namshe nelug ngags Ngondro norbu sum nyam tog
osel
rang gsel
rang rig rang sal rigpa nyingpo
rigpa
kyen sum nalma
salwa
sang gye yeshe sherab
shi
shinay
soma
shorba
thamal gyi shepa tise
togyal
tri
trullug
tsal
tulku
tummo
nyams
rnam par shes pa gnas lugs
ngak
sngon 'gro
nor bu gsum nyams nogs
'od gsa!
rang gsa!
rang rig
rig pa snying po can
n g p a
rkyen gsum
rna! rna
gsa! ba
sangs rgyas ye shes shes rab
gshis
zhi gnas
so rna
shor sa
tha mal gyi shes pa tshig
thod rgal
khrid
'khrullug
rtsal
sprul sku
gtum mo
temporary experiences
consciOusness natural state mantra preliminaries three gems experience and
realization clear light
self-illuminating self-knowing heart essence
of awareness awareness
three conditions natural state luminosity awakened awareness prajna
true nature tranquility
meditation freshness
four deviations ordinary mind
seal
leaping over practice instruction confused aspect dynamic energy emanation body subtle heat
? ? yeng me yeshe Yidam ying
zo me zung jug
yengs med ye shes yidam dbyings
bzo med
,.
zung jug
non-distraction primordial wisdom med deity
dhatu space non-fabrication unity
GLOSSARY OF TIBETAN TERMS
165
? ? Bibliography
Kagyu Lineage Prayer (Pron. Dorje Tungma). This chant in libetan with an English translation and a commentary by Thrangu Rinpoche is available in Showing the Path to Liberation (New Zealand, Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal, 2002).
Rain ofWisdom, translated by Nalanda Translation Committee. Boulder: Shambhala, 1980. A collection ofthe spiritual songs ofthe Kagyu masters.
]amgon Kongtrul, Lodro Thaye
The five treasuries are given in Endnote 1.
Keith Dowman
Masters ofMahamudra (Albany, NY: State Universiry of New York, 1985).
Keith Dowman translated a work by Abhayadarra who collected the stories of eighty-four mahasiddhas. It should be noted that there were many more mahasiddhas than eight-four.
Nagarjuna
Knowledge ofthe Middle "Way (Skt Mula-madhyama-kakakarika, Tib. dbu rna
rrsa ba'i shes rab) This work has been translated several rimes. A new translation is Mulamadhyamakakarika ofNagarjuna by David Kalupahana, India, Motilal Banarsidass.
Shantideva
A Guide to the Bodhisattva's "Way ofLifo (Skr. Bodhicaryavatara, Tib. byang
chub sems dpa'i spyod pa Ia 'jug pa). Translated several times. One is Guide to the Bodhisattva "Way ofLifo translated by V. and T. Wallace Ithaca: New York: Snow Lion Publications.
Tashi Namgyal
Moonlight ofMahamudra (Skr. none, Tib. phyagchen zla ba'i odzer) Translated
as Mahamudra: the Quintessence ofMind and Meditation by Lhalungpa and published by Shambhala Publications,1986. An extremely derailed description ofMahamudra meditation. Thrangu Rinpoche's commentary
? ? 168 THE SPIRITUAL SONG OF LODRO THAYE
on this text is Essentials ofMahamudra: Looking Directly at the Mind. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2004.
Thrangu Rinpoche
Essentials ofMahamudra: Looking Directly at the Mind. Boston: Wisdom
Publications, 2004. A commentary on the Moonlight ofMahamudra. The Practice ofTranquility and Insight translated by Peter Roberts. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1993. A detailed commentary on
Shamatha and Vipashyana meditation and their union.
Transcending Ego: Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom. Boulder: Namo
Buddha Publications, 2001.
The Uttaratantra, A Treatise on Buddha-Essence. USNNew Zealand: Namo
Buddha & Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Publication 2003.
Uttara Tantra by Asanga and Maitreya (Skt. ratnagotravibhaga, Tib. rgyud bla ma, Pron. "gyu lama") This text was written by Asanga who received the transmission from the bodhisatrva Maitreya in Sanskrit in about the fourth century. The complete Tibetan text has been translated by Obermiller (E. Obermiller, Acta Orientalia, IX, 1931, pp. 81-306) and has been reprinted more recently in a book edited by H. S. Prasad (The UttaratantraofMaitreya. Delhi, India: Sri Satguru Publications, 1991). Thrangu Rinpoche has also written a commentary on this text called The Uttara Tantra: A Treatise on Buddha Nature. Boulder, Colorado: Namo Buddha Publications, 1994. This book also includes a translation of the 404 root verses and Rinpoche's commentary.
The Heart Sutra. (Skt. Prajnaparamita-hridaya-sutra, Tib. shes rab snyingpo'i mdo, Pron. "sherab nyinpo dho") Translated by Conze ( I 959) as Hridya- mahayana-sutra. One of the most important Mahayana surras which is often chanted each morning in dharma centers. It is a short sutra of the Buddha of several hundred words summarizing the Prajnaparamita teaching on the meditation on emptiness
The Heart Sutra. (Skt. Maha-prajnaparamita-mitahriidaya sutra, Tib.
important works. (second - third century)
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 of India.
Nihilism. (Tib. chad Ita) Literally, "the view ofdiscontinuance. " The extreme
view ofnothingness: no rebirth or karmic effects, and the non-existence
of a mind after death.
Nirmanakaya. (Tib. tulku) There are three bodies of the Buddha; the
nirmanakaya or "emanation body" manifests in the world and in this context manifests as the Shakyamuni Buddha. (see kayas, three. )
? ? GLOSSARY OF TERMS
153
Nirvana. Literally, "extinguished. " Individuals live in samsara and with spiritual practice can attain a state ofliberation in which all false ideas and conflicting emotions have been extinguished. This is called nirvana. The nirvana ofa Hinayana practitioner is freedom from cyclic existence as an arhat. The nirvana of a Mahayana practitioner is Buddhahood, free from extremes ofdwelling in either samsara or the perfect peace of an arhat.
Sometimes it is categorized as three types: nirvana of naturalness, which is ground nirvana; nirvana ofcessation, which is path nirvana; and non-abiding nirvana, which is the reward or fruition nirvana.
Non-distraction. (Tib. yeng me) Not straying from the continuity of the practice.
Non-fabrication. (Tib. zo me) The important key point in meditation of Mahamudra and Dzogchen; that innate wakefulness is not created through intellectual effort.
Non-meditation. (Tib. gom me) The state of not 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.
Non-thought. (Tib. mi tog) A state in which conceptual thinking is absent. Obscurations. There are two categories ofobscuration or defilement that cover one's Buddha nature: the defilement ofdisturbing emotions (see afflictive obscurations); and the defilement of latent tendencies sometimes called the obscuration of dualistic perception, or the intellectual/cognitive obscurations (see cognitive obscurations). The first category prevents sentient beings from freeing themselves from samsara, while the second
prevents them from gaining accurate knowledge and realizing truth. Occurrence. The period when thoughts are arising in the mind. Compare
with "stillness. "
One-pointedness. The first stage in the practice ofMahamudra.
One taste. The third stage in the practice ofMahamudra.
Ordinary Mind. (Tib. tamal kyi shepa) There is no need to do anything to
your present wakefulness at the moment of recognizing; it is already as
? ? ! 54
THE SPIRITUAL SONG OF LODROTHAYE
it is. That is the true meaning of naked ordinary mind, a famous term in Tibetan. It means not tampered with. There is no "thing" which needs to be accepted or rejected; it is simply as it is. The term 'ordinary mind' is the most immediate and accurate term to describe the nature of mind. No matter what terminology is being utilized within the Middle-way, Mahamudra or Dzogchen, naked ordinary mind is the simplest term.
Pandita. A great scholar.
Path ofLiberation. The path of Mahamudra practice.
Path ofMeans. Refers to the Six Yogas of Naropa as well as to the stages of
creation and completion with attributes.
Prana. Life supporting energy. The "winds" or energy-currents of the vajra
body.
Prajna. (Tib. she rab) In Sanskrit it means "perfect knowledge" and can
mean wisdom, understanding or discrimination. Usually it means the
wisdom ofseeing things from a high (i. e. , non-dualistic) point ofview. Prajnaparamita. 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 ofemptiness in the Prajnaparamita Hridaya or
Heart Sutra, made possible by the extraordinarily profound dharma of the birth ofShakyamuni 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 of about 40 Mahayana sutras that all deal with the realization of prajna.
Pure realm. Realms created by Buddhas which are totally free from suffering and dharma there can be received directly. These realms are presided over by various Buddhas such as Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, and Maitreya who presides over Tushita.
Rangjung Dorje. (1284-1339 C. E. ) The Third Karmapa, especially well known for writing a series of texts widely used in the Kagyu school.
Rtzngtongschool. The Madhyamaka or Middle-way is divided into two major
? ? GLOSSARY 0 FTERMS
155
schools; Rangtong {empty of self) and Shentong {empty of other). Rangtong is from the second turning ofthe wheel ofdharma and teaches that reality is empty of self and beyond concepts.
Recognition. In this context it means "recognizing the nature of mind. " Red element. The residual seed essence of the mother's ovum, obtained at conception, which remains present in the centre of the body below the
navel for the duration ofa person's life.
Relative truth. (Tib. kunsop) There are two truths: relative and absolute 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 belief in "! " and "other. "
Rigpa. The primordial, non-dual awareness in the Dzogchen teachings. Rinpoche. Literally, "very precious" and is used as a term of respect for a
Tibetan guru.
Root lama. A practitioner ofVajrayana can have several types of root guru:
the vajra master who confers empowerment, who bestows reading transmission, or who explains the meaning ofthe tantras. The ultimate root guru is the master who gives the "pointing out instructions" so that one recognizes the nature of mind.
Sakya Pandita. A hereditary head o f the Sakya lineage. A great scholar ( 1181- 1251 C. E. )
Samadhi. A state of meditation that is non-dualistic. There is an absence of discrimination between selfand other. Also called meditative absorption or one-pointed meditation, this is the highest form of meditation.
Samaya. The vows or commitments made in the Vajrayana to a teacher or to a practice. Many details exist but essentially it consists of outwardly, maintaining a harmonious relationship with the vajra master and one's dharma friends and inwardly, not straying from the continuity of the practice.
Sambhogakaya. There are three bodies of the Buddha, the sambhogakaya, also called the "enjoyment body," is a realm of the dharmakaya that only manifests to bodhisattvas {see kayas, three).
Samsara. "Cyclic existence. " The conditioned existence ofordinary life in which
? ? ! 56
THF SPIRITUAL SONG OF LODRO THAYE
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 ofexistence until liberation.
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 of samsara as well as those who have attained the levels ofa bodhisattva.
Shamatha. (Tib. shinay) See tranquility meditation.
Shamatha with support. The practice of calming the mind while using an
object of concentration, material or mental, or simply the breath. Shamatha without support. 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. Shentong school. The Madhyamaka or Middle-way is divided into two major schools, Rangtong (empty of self) and Shentong (empty of other). Shentong is from the third turning ofthe wheel ofdharma and explains
that ultimate reality is emptiness and luminosity inseparable. Shunyata. See emptiness.
Siddha. An accomplished Buddhist practitioner.
Siddhi. "Accomplishment. " The spiritual accomplishments ofaccomplished
practitioners. Usually refers to the "supreme siddhi" of complete enlightenment, but can also mean the "common siddhis," eight mundane accomplishments.
Simplicity. I) The absence of creating mental constructs or conceptual formations about the nature ofthings. 2) The second stage in the practice of Mahamudra.
Six Dharmas (Yogas} ofNaropa. 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 ofconsciousness practice and the bardo practice.
? ? GLOSSARY OF TERMS
157
Six realms. The realms of the six classes of beings: gods, demigods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts and hell beings. These are the possible types of births 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.
Spiritual song. See doha.
Stillness. Absence of thought activity and disturbing emotions, but with subtle
fixation on this stillness.
Subtle channels. (Skt. nadi, Tib. tsa) These refer to the subtle channels which
are not anatomical ones but ones in which psychic energies or "winds"
(Skt. prana, Tib. lung) travel.
Subtle heat. (Tib. tummo) An advanced Vajrayana practice for combining
bliss and emptiness producing heat as a by product.
Sugata. An epithet for the Buddha.
Sugatagarbha. (Tib. de sheg nying po) Buddha nature or that enlightened
essence present in all beings that allows them to have the capacity to
achieve enlightenment. It is closely related to tathagatagarbha. Supreme siddhi. Another word for enlightenment.
Sutra. Sometimes "surra" is used to cover all o f the teachings given by the Buddha
himself. But correctly it means one of the three sections of the dharma called the Tripitaka or Three Baskets. In the Tripitaka there are the Sutras, the Vinaya and the Abhidharma. The sutras are mainly concerned with meditation or samadhi; the Abhidharma is mainly concerned with the development of wisdom and understanding; and the Vinaya is mainly concerned with discipline and the rules o f morality and conduct.
Sutra Mahamudra. The Mahamudra system based on the Prajnaparamita scriptures and emphasizing Shamatha, Vipashyana and the progressive journey through the five paths and ten bhumis.
Svabhavikakaya. The "essence body. " Sometimes counted as the fourth kaya, the unity o f the first three.
? ? 158
THE SPIRITUAL SONG OF LODRO THAYE
Tantra. 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 surra tradition and the tantra tradition. The surra tradition primarily involves the academic study of the Mahayana texts and the tantric path primarily involves practicing the Vajrayana practices. The tantras are primarily the texts of the Vajrayana practices.
Tantra Mahamudra. The same as mantra Mahamudra.
The Mahamudra practice connected to the Six Yogas of Naropa.
Tathagatagarbha. (Tib. deshin shegpai nyingpo) This is the seed or essence of tathata (suchness) and is also called Buddha essence or enlightened essence. Terton. (Tib. ) A master in the Tibetan tradition who discovers treasures
(terma) which are teachings concealed by great masters of the past. Terma. (Tib. ) Literally, hidden treasure. Works which were hidden by great bodhisattvas and later rediscovered. They may be actual physical texts or
they may come from "the sky" as transmissions from the sambhogakaya. Three realms. These are three categories ofsamsara. The desire realm includes existences where beings are born with solid bodies due to their karma, ranging from the deva paradises to the hell realms. The form realm is where beings are born due to the power ofmeditation, and their bodies
are of subtle form in this realm. These are the meditation paradises. The formless realm is where beings due to their meditation (samadhi) have entered a state of meditation after death and the processes of thought and perception have ceased.
Three roots. Guru, yidam and dakini. Guru is the root ofblessings, yidam of accomplishment and dakini of activity.
Three sufferings. These are the suffering ofsuffering, the suffering ofchange, and pervasive suffering (meaning the inherent suffering in all of samsara).
Three vehicles. Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana.
? ? GLOSSARY OF TERMS
159
Tilopa. (928-1 009 C. E. ) One of the eighty-four mahasiddhas who became the guru ofNaropa who transmitted his teachings to the Kagyu lineage in Tibet.
Tranquility 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 or Vipashyana.
Tulku. (Tib. Skt. nirmanakaya) The Tibetan means "Multiple body. " It is the term used for describing the emanation body of an enlightened being or bodhisattva. The syllable tul has both direct and indirect meanings. The direct meaning is "multiple" and the indirect meaning, "manifestation," which refers to the sending out of compassion. It is the illusory emanation of the dharmakaya as a nirmanakaya form. Ku means body. In Tibet, however, it came to mean the emanation of an advanced Buddhist master who chooses to continue to incarnate for the benefit ofothers.
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. The accumulation of merit with concepts and the accumulation ofwisdom beyond concepts.
~jra. (Tib. dorje) Usually translated "diamond like. " This may be an implement held in the hand during certain Vajrayana ceremonies, or it can refer to a quality which is so pure and so enduring that it is like a diamond.
Vajradhara. (Tib. Dorje Chang) "Holder of the vajra. " ~jra 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 of the sambhogakaya Buddha, symbolizing its richness.
~jrapani. A major bodhisattva said to be lord of the mantra and a major protector ofTibetan Buddhism.
? ? 160 THE SPIRITUAL SONG OF LODROTHAYE
Vajrasattva. The Buddha of purification. Vajrasattva practice is part of the four preliminary practices. A sambhogakaya Buddha who embodies all the five families. He is also a major source of purification practices.
Vajravarahi. A dakini who is the consort ofChakrasamvara. She is the main yidam of the Kagyu lineage and the embodiment of wisdom.
Vajrayana. Literally, "diamond-like" or "indestructible capacity. " Vajra here refers to method, so the method yana. There are three major traditions of Buddhism (Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana). The Vajrayana is based on the tantras and emphasizes the clarity aspect of phenomena. A practitioner of the method of taking the result as the path.
View, meditation andaction. The philosophical orientation, the act ofgrowing accustomed to that- usually in sitting practice- and the implementation ofthat insight during the activities ofdaily life. Each ofthe three vehicles has its particular definition ofview, meditation and action.
Vipashyana meditation. Sanskrit for "insight meditation. " This meditation develops insight into the nature of reality (Skt. dharmata). One of the two main aspects of meditation practice, the other being Shamatha.
Wangchuk Dorje. (1556-1603 C. E. ) The Ninth Karmapa.
Wisdom ofnature ofphenomena. This is transcendent knowledge (jnana) of
the true nature of reality, not as it appears to individuals in samsara. Wisdom ofmultiplicity or variety. This is the transcendent knowledge (jnana)
of the variety of phenomena.
Wheel ofdharma. (Skt. dharmachakra) The Buddha's teachings correspond
to three levels which very briefly are: the first turning was the teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the teaching of the egolessness of person; the second turning was the teachings on emptiness and the emptiness of phenomena; the third turning was the teachings on luminosity and Buddha nature.
White element. The residual seed essence of the father's sperm, obtained at conception, which remains present in the centre ofthe body at the very top of the head for the duration of a person's life.
Ytzna. Means capacity. There are three yanas, narrow, (Hinayana) great (Mahayana) and indestructible (Vajrayana).
? ? GLOSSARY OF TERMS
161
Yidam. (Tib. ) Yi means mind and dam means pure, or yi means your mind and dam means inseparable. The yidam represents the practitioner's awakened nature or pure appearance. A tantric deity that embodies qualities ofBuddhahood and is practiced in the Vajrayana. Also called a tutelary deity.
Yidam meditation. Yidam meditation is the Vajrayana practice that uses the visualization ofa yidam.
Yoga. "Natural condition. " A person who practices this is called a yogi, characterized by leaving everything natural, just as it is, e. g. not washing or cutting your hair and nails etc. A female practitioner is called ayogini.
Yoga tantra. Literally, "union tantra" and refers to a tantra that places emphasis on internal meditations.
Yogi. Tantric practitioner.
Yogini. Female tantric practitioner.
? ? Pronounced
bakchag
chakgya chenpo
cho
dang
damar gyi shepa
deshin skekpai nying po
dondam dorje
Dorje Chang Dzogchen golsa sum gomme kagyu
kunzhi namshe kunrop
! hen chig
long cho dzok pay ku
lotsawa lung
lung marigpa mitog mon nong
Spelled
bag chags
phyag rgya chan po chos
gdangs
da lta'i shes pa
de bzhin gsheg pai'
snymgpo
don dam pai bden pa rdo rje
rdo rje chang
rdrogs chen
go! sa gsum
sgom med
bka' 'gyur
kun gzhi' rnam shes kun rdrob
! han chig
longs spyod rdzogs
pa'i sku lo tsa ba
rlung lung
rna rig pa
mi rrog nyon mongs
Meaning
latencies Mahamudra dharma brilliance
mind of nowness tathagatagarbha
ultimate truth vajra Vajradhara Dzogchen Three errors non-meditation Kagyu
alaya consciousness relative truth co-emergent sambhogakaya
translator
prana
reading instruction bewilderment non-thought disturbing emotion
Glossary of Tibetan Terms
? ? 164
THE SPIRITUAL SONG OF LODRO THAYE
nam
namshe nelug ngags Ngondro norbu sum nyam tog
osel
rang gsel
rang rig rang sal rigpa nyingpo
rigpa
kyen sum nalma
salwa
sang gye yeshe sherab
shi
shinay
soma
shorba
thamal gyi shepa tise
togyal
tri
trullug
tsal
tulku
tummo
nyams
rnam par shes pa gnas lugs
ngak
sngon 'gro
nor bu gsum nyams nogs
'od gsa!
rang gsa!
rang rig
rig pa snying po can
n g p a
rkyen gsum
rna! rna
gsa! ba
sangs rgyas ye shes shes rab
gshis
zhi gnas
so rna
shor sa
tha mal gyi shes pa tshig
thod rgal
khrid
'khrullug
rtsal
sprul sku
gtum mo
temporary experiences
consciOusness natural state mantra preliminaries three gems experience and
realization clear light
self-illuminating self-knowing heart essence
of awareness awareness
three conditions natural state luminosity awakened awareness prajna
true nature tranquility
meditation freshness
four deviations ordinary mind
seal
leaping over practice instruction confused aspect dynamic energy emanation body subtle heat
? ? yeng me yeshe Yidam ying
zo me zung jug
yengs med ye shes yidam dbyings
bzo med
,.
zung jug
non-distraction primordial wisdom med deity
dhatu space non-fabrication unity
GLOSSARY OF TIBETAN TERMS
165
? ? Bibliography
Kagyu Lineage Prayer (Pron. Dorje Tungma). This chant in libetan with an English translation and a commentary by Thrangu Rinpoche is available in Showing the Path to Liberation (New Zealand, Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal, 2002).
Rain ofWisdom, translated by Nalanda Translation Committee. Boulder: Shambhala, 1980. A collection ofthe spiritual songs ofthe Kagyu masters.
]amgon Kongtrul, Lodro Thaye
The five treasuries are given in Endnote 1.
Keith Dowman
Masters ofMahamudra (Albany, NY: State Universiry of New York, 1985).
Keith Dowman translated a work by Abhayadarra who collected the stories of eighty-four mahasiddhas. It should be noted that there were many more mahasiddhas than eight-four.
Nagarjuna
Knowledge ofthe Middle "Way (Skt Mula-madhyama-kakakarika, Tib. dbu rna
rrsa ba'i shes rab) This work has been translated several rimes. A new translation is Mulamadhyamakakarika ofNagarjuna by David Kalupahana, India, Motilal Banarsidass.
Shantideva
A Guide to the Bodhisattva's "Way ofLifo (Skr. Bodhicaryavatara, Tib. byang
chub sems dpa'i spyod pa Ia 'jug pa). Translated several times. One is Guide to the Bodhisattva "Way ofLifo translated by V. and T. Wallace Ithaca: New York: Snow Lion Publications.
Tashi Namgyal
Moonlight ofMahamudra (Skr. none, Tib. phyagchen zla ba'i odzer) Translated
as Mahamudra: the Quintessence ofMind and Meditation by Lhalungpa and published by Shambhala Publications,1986. An extremely derailed description ofMahamudra meditation. Thrangu Rinpoche's commentary
? ? 168 THE SPIRITUAL SONG OF LODRO THAYE
on this text is Essentials ofMahamudra: Looking Directly at the Mind. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2004.
Thrangu Rinpoche
Essentials ofMahamudra: Looking Directly at the Mind. Boston: Wisdom
Publications, 2004. A commentary on the Moonlight ofMahamudra. The Practice ofTranquility and Insight translated by Peter Roberts. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1993. A detailed commentary on
Shamatha and Vipashyana meditation and their union.
Transcending Ego: Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom. Boulder: Namo
Buddha Publications, 2001.
The Uttaratantra, A Treatise on Buddha-Essence. USNNew Zealand: Namo
Buddha & Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Publication 2003.
Uttara Tantra by Asanga and Maitreya (Skt. ratnagotravibhaga, Tib. rgyud bla ma, Pron. "gyu lama") This text was written by Asanga who received the transmission from the bodhisatrva Maitreya in Sanskrit in about the fourth century. The complete Tibetan text has been translated by Obermiller (E. Obermiller, Acta Orientalia, IX, 1931, pp. 81-306) and has been reprinted more recently in a book edited by H. S. Prasad (The UttaratantraofMaitreya. Delhi, India: Sri Satguru Publications, 1991). Thrangu Rinpoche has also written a commentary on this text called The Uttara Tantra: A Treatise on Buddha Nature. Boulder, Colorado: Namo Buddha Publications, 1994. This book also includes a translation of the 404 root verses and Rinpoche's commentary.
The Heart Sutra. (Skt. Prajnaparamita-hridaya-sutra, Tib. shes rab snyingpo'i mdo, Pron. "sherab nyinpo dho") Translated by Conze ( I 959) as Hridya- mahayana-sutra. One of the most important Mahayana surras which is often chanted each morning in dharma centers. It is a short sutra of the Buddha of several hundred words summarizing the Prajnaparamita teaching on the meditation on emptiness
The Heart Sutra. (Skt. Maha-prajnaparamita-mitahriidaya sutra, Tib.
