A

Name	Note	Meaning
Abhidharma	Sanskrit	Buddha's teachings in which the wisdom realizing the characteristics of phenomena is extensively described.
Abhiseka	Sanskrit	an initiatory rite that empowers the receiver to perform a tantric meditation; wang(Tib) or wangkur(Tib).
Acharya	Sanskrit	a qualified Buddhist master.
Aeon		period consisting of many millions of years.
Aggregate		in general, all functioning things are aggregates because they are an aggregation of their parts. In particular, a person of the desire or form realm has five aggregates.
Akysobhya	Sanskrit	Buddha of Immovability, one of the five Wisdom Buddhas.
Alertness		a mental factor which is a type of wisdom that examines our activity of body, speech and mind and knows whether or not faults are developing.
Amitabha	Sanskrit	Buddha of boundless light, one of the five Wisdom Buddhas; Opame(Tib).
Amitayus	Sanskrit	Buddha of boundless life, the enjoyment body aspect of Amitabha; Tsapame(Tib).
Amogasiddhi	Sanskrit	one of the five Wisdom Buddhas.
Analysis		a mental factor that examines an object to gain an understanding of its subtle nature.
Ani	Tibetan	a nun, who could either be fully ordained or a novice.
Animal realm		one of the six realms. Beings belonging to this realm suffer from being dumb and enslaved, hunted and tortured.
Arhat	Sanskrit	a Foe Destoryer. One who has reached beyond rebirth in cyclic existence.
Arya being		one who has gained direct realization of emptiness.
Aryadeva	Sanskrit	a chief disciple of Nagarjuna, 4th century AD.
Asanga	Sanskrit	the founder of Chittamatra, or Mind-only School, 5th century AD; Togme(Tib).
Athisha	Sanskrit	a great Indian Buddhist scholar and master who lived in the eleventh century. He composed the text Lamp of the Graduated Path and established the Kadampa School of Tibetan Buddhism; Jowo Je(Tib).
Avalokitesvara	Sanskrit	the Buddha who is the embodiment of the Buddhas' compassion. At the time of Sakyamuni he manifested as a Bodhisattva disciple; Chenrezig(Tib).

B

Name	Note	Meaning
Bhagavan	Sanskrit	World Honored One, a title of the Buddha.
Bhagavati	Sanskrit	World Honored One, a title for the female form of a Buddha.
Bhikksu	Sanskrit	a fully ordained monk;gelong(Tib).
Bhikksuni	Sanskrit	a fully ordained nun;gelongma(Tib).
Bhumi	Sanskrit	ground or spiritual ground. A clear realization that acts as the foundation of many good qualities. The ten grounds are the realizations of Bodhisattvas.
Bindhu	Sanskrit	energy drops, which are composed of the essence of white energy from the father and red energy from the mother.
Bodhicitta	Sanskrit	altruistic mind
Bodhisattva	Sanskrit	one who truly generates bodhicitta.
Brahma	Sanskrit	the king of the form realm.
Buddha	Sanskrit	an enlightened being; Tathagata; one of the Three Jewels.
Buddha family		There are five buddha families: Vairochana, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, Amogasiddhi and Akysobhya. They correspond to the five purified aggregates and the five exalted wisdoms.
Buddha lineage		the root mind of a sentient being, and its ultimate nature. Buddha lineage, buddha nature and buddha seed are synonyms. All sentient beings have buddha lineage and therefore have the potential to attain Buddhahood.
Buddha nature		the potential for achieving enlightenment; tathagata essence.
Buddha Sakyamuni	Sanskrit	the historical Buddha who lived about two and a half thousand years ago. The fourth of one thousand Buddhas who are to appear in this world during the fortunate aeon. The fifth Buddha will be Maitreya.

C

Name	Note	Meaning
Chakra	Sanskrit	literally means circle and refers to particular psychic nerve centers, which have the shape of a wheel. It is a very important object of meditation in tantric practice.
Chandrakirti	Sanskrit	a great Indian Buddhist scholar and master who composed, among many other texts, Guide to the Middle Way, in which he clearly elicidates the view of the Madhyamika-Prasangika School according to Buddha's teachings given in the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras.
Channels		subtle inner passageways of the body through which flow subtle drops moved by inner winds.
Chenrezig	Tibetan	the Buddha who is the embodiment of the Buddhas' compassion. At the time of Sakyamuni he manifested as a Bodhisattva disciple; Avalokitesvara(Sans).
Chittamatra	Sanskrit	the Mind-only School. One of the two Mahayana schools of Buddhist tenets, the other being Middle-view School.
Chorten	Tibetan	a monument symbolizing Buddha's inner qualities; stupa(Sans).
Clear appearance		generally, any clear appearance of an object of meditation to the concentration focused on it.
Clear light		a manifest very subtle mind that perceives an appearance like clear, empty space.
Collective karma		the karma we create when we act in association with others. Those who create karma together also experience its effects together.
Commitment being		a visualized Buddha or ourself visualized as a Buddha.
Completion stage		highest yoga tantra realizations that are attained through completing a special method that causes the winds to enter, abide and dissolve within the central channel.
Concentration being		a symbol of Buddha's Truth body, usually visualized as a seed letter at the heart of a commitment being or a wisdom being. It is so called because it is generated through concentration.
Conventional truth		any phenomenon other than emptiness. Conventional truths are true with respect to the minds of ordinary beings, but in reality they are false.
Cyclic existence		the cycle of death and rebirth under the power of delusion and karma; samsara(Sans).

D

Name	Note	Meaning
Daka	Sanskrit	a male Buddhist yogi who has achieved high realizations on the tantric path.
Dakini	Sanskrit	a female Buddhist yogi who has achieved high realizations on the tantric path.
Dameru	Sanskrit	a ritual two-sided hand drum.
Degenerate times		a period when spiritual activity degenerates.
Deity		refers to the symbolic form of a pure being manifested from Buddha's wisdom; yidam or idam(Sans), meaning the object of our devotion.
Delusion		misconception and its resultant afflicted states of mind, for example, anger, jealousy, attachment and so on.
Demon		anything that obstructs the attainment of liberation or enlightenment. There are four principal types of demons: that of delusions, contaminated aggregates, uncontrolled death and the Devaputra demons; mara(Sans).
Desire realm		one of the three realms of cyclic existence mentioned in Buddhist scriptures. The environment of humans, animals, hungry ghosts, hell beings and the gods who enjoy objects of desire.
Dharma	Sanskrit	this has many meanings. Here it is the positive means whereby we protect ourselves from suffering; the pure path taught by Buddha; one of the Three Jewels.
Dharma protector		one who has achieved higher powers through practice of the path and dedicates him or herself to protect those who follow the right path; Dharmapala(Sans).
Dharmacharya	Sanskrit	a qualified Buddhist master of the Sutric path.
Dharmakaya	Sanskrit	Truth body. The pure inner state of enlightened beings, which has two aspects : pure wisdom and the pure ultimate nature of Buddha's mind.
Dharmapala	Sanskrit	Dharma protector, one who has achieved higher powers through practice of the path and dedicates him or herself to protect those who follow the right path.
Dignaga	Sanskrit	an Indian Buddhist logician who lived in the 5th century AD. He is considered to be the father of Buddhist logic.
Divine pride		a non-deluded pride that regards oneself as a deity and one's environment and enjoyments as those of the deity. It is the antidote to ordinary conceptions.
Dolkar	Tibetan	White Tara. An emanation of Tara or Chenrezig.
Dolma	Tibetan	a female Buddha who is the manifestation of the wind element of all Buddhas and said to have arisen from a teardrop of Avalokiteshvara; Tara(Sans).
Dorje	Tibetan	generally the word means indestructible like a diamond and powerful like a thunderbolt. In the context of tantra it means the indivisibility of method and wisdom; vajra(Sans).
Dorje Chang	Tibetan	the fundamental tantric deity who represents the highest attainment of tantric practice; Vajradhara(Sans).
Dromton Rinpoche	Tibetan	the chief disciple of Athisha in Tibet.
Dromtonpa	Tibetan	the chief disciple of Athisha in Tibet.
Drops		energy drops, which are composed of the essence of white energy from the father and red energy from the mother; bindhu(Sans).
Dzambhala	Sanskrit	the name of a wealth deity who has many different forms.
Dzog Chen	Tibetan	a set of teachings taught mostly by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, known as the Great Perfection.

E

Name	Note	Meaning
Ekanzati	Sanskrit	the name of a Buddhist Protectoress.
Element		the nature of any phenomenon. All phenomena hold their own natures, which are all included within the eighteen elements.
Emanation body		one of the three bodies of a Buddha. The emanation body arises for the benefits of sentient beings; Nirmanakaya(Sans).
Empowerment		this could refer to either an initiatory rite or an empowering rite that empowers the receiver to perform a tantric meditation; abhiseka(Sans), wang(Tib), wangkur(Tib) or jenang(Tib).
Enjoyment body		one of the three bodies of a Buddha. It arises from the Truth Body and resides in the emanation pureland; Sambhogakaya(Sans).
Enlightenment		usually the full enlightenment of Buddhahood. An enlightenment is a liberation and a true cessation.
Eon		period consisting of many millions of years.

F

Name	Note	Meaning
Five aggregates		the parts of which we are composed, which serve as the base for the identification of the self or 'I'. They are : form, sensation, cognition, compositional factors and consciousness.
Five heinous crimes		killing one's father, mother or an Arhat; attempting to wound a Tathagata; causing division amongst the Sangha.
Foe destroyer		one who has reached beyond rebirth in cyclic existence; Arhat(Sans).
Form body		a term referring to either the emanation body or the enjoyment body of a Buddha; Rupakaya(Sans).
Form realm		the environment of the gods who possess form.
Formless realm		the environment of the gods who do not possess form.
Fortunate aeon		the name given to this world age. It is so called because one thousand Buddhas will appear during this aeon. Sakyamuni was the fourth and Maitreya will be the fifth.

G

Name	Note	Meaning
Gelong	Tibetan	a fully ordained monk;bhikksu(Sans).
Gelongma	Tibetan	a fully ordained nun;bhikksuni(Sans).
Gelug	Tibetan	the system of the whole of Buddha's teachings, both sutra and tantra, established by Lama Tsong Khapa in the 14th century AD. Gelug means stainless and complete system of practice.
Gelugpa	Tibetan	the system of the whole of Buddha's teachings, both sutra and tantra, established by Lama Tsong Khapa in the 14th century AD. Gelug means stainless and complete system of practice.
Generation stage		a realization of a creative yoga attained as a result of the pure concentration on bringing the three bodies into the path in which one mentally generates oneself as a deity and one's environment as the mandala.
Geshe	Tibetan	originally one who is qualified as a spiritual friend. In the Gelugpa tradition it is now used as a title for one who has mastered Buddhist philosophy and meditational techniques.
God realm		one of the six realms. There are three kinds of god realm : one is the desire realm, the others are in the form and formless realms.
Gods		beings born into the god realm. Some belong to the deire realm and some to the form and formless realms.
Gom	Tibetan	meditation, familiarization or or comtemplation.
Gonpa	Tibetan	a monastery or a nunnery.
Gonpo	Tibetan	literally means 'The Refuge Lord'. The title is often used to refer to Manjusri or Mahakala the Protector and is used in many other contexts too.
Graduated path to enlightenment		Buddha's teachings arranged in an orderly format, as taught by Athisha and later by Tsong Khapa and the Gelugpas; Lam Rim(Tib).
Great perfection		a set of teachings taught mostly by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism; Dzog Chen(Tib).
Great seal		a set of teachings on the tantric aspect of emptiness; Mahamudra(Sans).
Great vehicle		one of the two schools of Buddhism. The Great Vehicle goal is to attain full Buddhahood for the benefits of all sentient beings; Mahayana(Sans).
Ground		a clear realization that acts as the foundation of many good qualities. The ten grounds are the realizations of Bodhisattvas; bhumi(Sans).
Guhyasamaja	Sanskrit	the name of a tantric deity meaning collection or containing the whole essence of highest tantric practice.
Guhyasamaja tantra	Sanskrit	one of the essential tantric practices of highest level of tantra based on meditation on a specific tantric deity named Guhyasamaja, meaning collection or containing the whole essence of highest tantric practice.
Guide to the Bodhisattva's way of life		a classic Mahayana Buddhist text composed by the great Indian master Shantideva, which presents all the practices of a Bodhisattva through to the completion of the practice of the six perfections.
Guide to the middle way		a Mahayana Buddhist text composed by the great Indian yogi and scholar Chandrakirti, which provides a comprehensive explanation of the Madhyamika-Prasangika view of emptiness as taught in the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras.
Guru	Sanskrit	spiritual guide; lama(Tib).
Guru Rinpoche	Tib / Sans	the eighth century great Indian Buddhist master who visited Tibet and introduced Buddhism into Tibet. He founded the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet with another Indian master, Santiraksita; Padmasambhava(Sans).
Guru yoga	Sanskrit	teacher intergration practice and guru devotion.

H

Name	Note	Meaning
Hearers		one of the two types of Hinayana practitioners. Both Hearers and Solitary Realizers are Hinayanists but they differ in motivation, behaviour, merit and wisdom. In all these respects Solitary Realizers are superior to Hearers.
Hell realms		one of the six realms, the lowest of the realms in the desire realm.
Heruka	Sanskrit	the name of a tantric deity meaning inseparability of ultimate reality and the most subtle clear wisdom.
Heruka tantra	Sanskrit	one of the essential tantric practices of highest level of tantra based on meditation on a specific tantric deity named Heruka, meaning inseparability of ultimate reality and the most subtle clear wisdom.
Higher realms		the god, demigod and human realms.
Hinayana	Sanskrit	the small vehicle. One of the two schools of Buddhism. The Hinayana goal is to attain merely one's own liberation from suffering by completely abandoning delusions.
Human realm		one of the six realms, of which we are residing in.
Hungry ghost realm		one of the six realms, beings born here suffer from the lack of food, drink and shelter.

I

Name	Note	Meaning
Idam	Sanskrit	refers to the symbolic form of a pure being manifested from Buddha's wisdom. The object of our devotion.
Illusory body		a high state of pure subtle body achieved through tantric practice.
Impermanence		there are two types of impermanence: gross and subtle. Gross impermanence is any impermanence that can be seen by ordinary sense awareness, for example ageing and death of a sentient being.
Imprint		there are two types of imprint: imprints of actions and imprints of delusions. Every action leaves an imprint on the mind. These imprints are karmic potentialities to experience certain effects in the future.
Indra	Sanskrit	a worldly god.
Initiation		an initiatory rite that empowers the receiver to perform a tantric meditation; wang(Tib) or wangkur(Tib).
Inner winds		energies that flow through our body channels related to our mind.
Ishvara	Sanskrit	a god that abides in the Land Controlling Emanations, the highest state of existence within the desire realm. Wrathful Ishvara is the enemy of those who seek liberation and he interferes with their spiritual progress. He is thus said to be a demon.

J

Name	Note	Meaning
Jampa	Tibetan	the embodiment of the loving kindness of all the Buddhas. At the time of Sakyamuni he manifested as a Bodhisattva disciple. In the future he will manifest as the fifth Buddha; Maitreya(Sans).
Jampalyang	Tibetan	he embodiment of the wisdom of all the Buddhas. At the time of Sakyamuni he manifested as a Bodhisattva disciple; Manjusri(Sans).
Je Lama	Tibetan	Tsong Khapa, a great Tibetan yogi, 1357-1419, widely considered to be an emanation of Manjusri. He received all the pure transmission of both sutra and tantra and established a complete and pure tradition known as the Gelugpa.
Je Mila	Tibetan	a great Tibetan yogi who lived 1040-1123. He was the chief disciple of Marpa the Translator and famous for his songs of realizations.
Je Rinpoche	Tibetan	Tsong Khapa, a great Tibetan yogi, 1357-1419, widely considered to be an emanation of Manjusri. He received all the pure transmission of both sutra and tantra and established a complete and pure tradition known as the Gelugpa.
Jenang	Tibetan	an empowering rite that empowers the receiver to perform a tantric meditation.
Jetsun Milarepa	Tibetan	a great Tibetan yogi who lived 1040-1123. He was the chief disciple of Marpa the Translator and famous for his songs of realizations.
Jetsun Tsong Khapa	Tibetan	a great Tibetan yogi, 1357-1419, widely considered to be an emanation of Manjusri. He received all the pure transmission of both sutra and tantra and established a complete and pure tradition known as the Gelugpa.
Jnana	Sanskrit	knowledge.
Jokhang	Tibetan	the name of the Central Cathedral of Lhasa, Tibet.
Jowo Je	Tibetan	a great Indian Buddhist scholar and master who lived in the eleventh century. He composed the text Lamp of the Graduated Path and established the Kadampa School of Tibetan Buddhism; Athisha(Sans).
Jowo Rinpoche	Tibetan	the statue of Prince Siddharta made when he was at the age of twelve now housed in Jokhang Monastery of Lhasa, Tibet.

K

Name	Note	Meaning
Kadam	Tibetan	the lineage established by Athisha in the 11th century AD, the pure method of taking all Buddha's teachings strictly as personal instructions in order to train our own mind.
Kadampa	Tibetan	the lineage established by Athisha in the 11th century AD, the pure method of taking all Buddha's teachings strictly as personal instructions in order to train our own mind.
Kagyud	Tibetan	a tradition of practicing both Buddha's sutra and tantra teachings, based on an unbroken or pure transmission from Buddha. This tradition was established by the great Tibetan yogi, Marpa the Translator, who lived in the 11th century AD.
Kagyudpa	Tibetan	a tradition of practicing both Buddha's sutra and tantra teachings, based on an unbroken or pure transmission from Buddha. This tradition was established by the great Tibetan yogi, Marpa the Translator, who lived in the 11th century AD.
Kalachakra	Sanskrit	the name of a tantric deity meaning the wheel of time.
Kalachakra Tantra	Sanskrit	one of the essential tantric practices of highest level of tantra based on meditation on a specific tantric deity named Kalachakra, meaning the wheel of time.
Kapala	Sanskrit	a ritual skull cup or a skull-like container.
Karma	Sanskrit	action of body, speech and mind. This serves as the seed of future experience by planting potentials on our stream of consciousness for future results.
Karmapa	Sanskrit	the title given to one of the main lineage holders of the Kagyud tradition and the head of the Karma Kagyud sub-lineage.
Khen Rinpoche	Tibetan	short for Khenpo Rinpoche. The honorific title to address an abbot.
Khenpo	Tibetan	an abbot.
Khensur	Tibetan	a retired abbot.
Khensur Rinpoche	Tibetan	the honorific title to address a retired abbot.
Khentrul	Tibetan	thereincarnate tulku of an abbot or a retired abbot.
Khentrul Rinpoche	Tibetan	the honorific title to address the reincarnate tulku of an abbot or a retired abbot.
Kiku	Tibetan	the disciplinary master of a monastery.
Korlo	Tibetan	circle, circuit or wheel.

L

Name	Note	Meaning
Lam Dre	Tibetan	a set of teachings known as the Paths and Result and related to the Hevajra Tantra mainly taught now by the Sakyapa school; Lam Dre(Tib).
Lam Rim	Tibetan	Buddha's teachings arranged in an orderly format named the Graduated Path to Enlightenment, as taught by Athisha and later by Tsong Khapa and the Gelugpas. Graduated path to enlightenment. Graduated path to enlightenment Graduated path to enlightenment
Lama	Tibetan	spiritual guide; guru(Sans). Graduated path to enlightenment
Langri Tangpa	Tibetan	a great Kadampa Geshe who was famous for his realization of exchanging self with others. He lived between 1054 and 1123AD and composed the text Eight Verses of Training the Mind.
Lhabrang	Tibetan	the private residence of an important lama.
Lineage holder		one who has received the transmission of important teachings from Buddha, has followed and practiced them and transmits them to others.
Lopon	Tibetan	a qualified Buddhist master.
Lower realms		the animal, hungry ghost and hell realms.
Lung	Tibetan	oral transmission. The passing on of a pure, unbroken oral lineage. It is customary at the end of a teaching for the teacher to recite all the words of the text, just as he heard them from his own teacher.

M

Name	Note	Meaning
Madhyamika	Sanskrit	the Middle-view School. One of the two main schools of Mahayana tenets. There are two divisions of this school, Madhyamika-Svatantrika and Madhyamika-Prasangika.
Mahakala	Sanskrit	literally means 'The Great Black One'. The name of a Buddhist Protector who has many forms.
Mahamudra	Sanskrit	literally 'great seal'. According to the Sutra this refers to the profound view of emptiness, and according to Tantra it is the union of bliss and emptiness.
Mahayana	Sanskrit	the Great Vehicle. One of the two schools of Buddhism. The Mahayana goal is to attain full Buddhahood for the benefits of all sentient beings.
Maitreya	Sanskrit	the embodiment of the loving kindness of all the Buddhas. At the time of Sakyamuni he manifested as a Bodhisattva disciple. In the future he will manifest as the fifth Buddha; Jampa(Tib).
Mandala	Sanskrit	literally meaning 'taking the essence' although in other contexts it could mean a circle or the celestial mansion of a deity.
Mani	Sanskrit	a jewel. The word forms part of the well known Sanskrit mantra 'Om Mani Padme Hum' and thus sometimes is used to refer to the mantra.
Manjusri	Sanskrit	the embodiment of the wisdom of all the Buddhas. At the time of Sakyamuni he manifested as a Bodhisattva disciple; Jampalyang(Tib).
Mantra	Sanskrit	literally, 'mind protection'. Mantra protects the mind from ordinary appearances and conceptions; ngag(Tib).
Mantrayana	Sanskrit	secret mantra teachings are distinguished from Sutra teachings in that they reveal methods for training the mind by bringing the future result of Buddhahood into the present path; vajrayana(Sans), tantrayana(Sans).
Mara	Sanskrit	a demon. Anything that obstructs the attainment of liberation or enlightenment. There are four principal types of demons: that of delusions, contaminated aggregates, uncontrolled death and the Devaputra demons.
Meditation		familiarization or comtemplation; gom(Tib).
Mental factor		a cognizer that principally apprehends a particular attribute of an object. There are fifty-one specific mental factors.
Merit		positive energy created by virtuous actions. It is the potential power to increase our good qualities and produce happiness.
Merit field		manifestation of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and our own spiritual teachers as the objects of our devotion.
Meru	Sanskrit	according to Buddhist cosmology, a large mountain that stands at the center of the universe.
Middle-view School		one of the two main schools of Mahayana tenets. There are two divisions of this school, Madhyamika-Svatantrika and Madhyamika-Prasangika; Madhyamika(Sans).
Milarepa	Tibetan	a great Tibetan yogi who lived 1040-1123. He was the chief disciple of Marpa the Translator and famous for his songs of realizations.
Mindfulness		a mental factor that functions not to forget the object realized by the primary mind.
Mind-only School		one of the two Mahayana schools of Buddhist tenets, the other being Middle-view School; Chittamatra(Sans).
Monlam	Tibetan	prayers.
Mount Meru		according to Buddhist cosmology, a large mountain that stands at the center of the universe.
Mudra	Sanskrit	there are many meanings. In some context it refers to ritual hand gestures.

N

Name	Note	Meaning
Naga	Sanskrit	a non-human being not normally visible to humans. Nagas usually live in the oceans of the world but they sometimes inhabit land in the region of rocks and trees. They are powerful, some being benevolent and some malevolent.
Nagarjuna	Sanskrit	an Indian master who was born in the 1st century BC and lived for six hundred years. He was the founder of the Middle-view School.
Naropa	Sanskrit	an Indian Buddhist great master.
Ngag	Tibetan	literally, 'mind protection'. It protects the mind from ordinary appearances and conceptions; mantra(Sans).
Ngagpa	Tibetan	a type of practitioners of tantra.
Nirmanakaya	Sanskrit	the Emanation Body. One of the three bodies of a Buddha. The emanation body arises for the benefits of sentient beings.
Nirvana	Sanskrit	liberation from cyclic existence.
Nyingma	Tibetan	literally the 'old order', one of the main Tibetan Buddhist lineages that transmit the teachings bought into Tibet in the eighth century by the Indian master Padmasambhava.
Nyingmapa	Tibetan	literally the 'old order', one of the main Tibetan Buddhist lineages that transmit the teachings bought into Tibet in the eighth century by the Indian master Padmasambhava.

O

Name	Note	Meaning
Opame	Tibetan	Buddha of boundless light, one of the five Wisdom Buddhas; Amitabha(Sans).
Oral transmission		the passing on of a pure, unbroken oral lineage. It is customary at the end of a teaching for the teacher to recite all the words of the text, just as he heard them from his own teacher; lung(Tib).
Ordinary appearance		any appearance that is due to an impure mind. According to the teachings of tantras, ordinary appearance is the main cause of samsara.
Ordinary being		a being who has not realized emptiness directly.

P

Name	Note	Meaning
Padma	Sanskrit	lotus.
Padmasambhava	Sanskrit	the eighth century great Indian Buddhist master who visited Tibet and introduced Buddhism into Tibet. He founded the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet with another Indian master, Santiraksita; Guru Rinpoche(Tib/Sans)
Palden Lhamo	Sanskrit	the name of a Buddhist Protectoress.
Paramita	Sanskrit	literally meaning 'perfection'. This refers to any of the six perfections through which a Bodhisattva attain Buddhahood.
Paths and results		a set of teachings related to the Hevajra Tantra mainly taught now by the Sakyapa school; Lam Dre(Tib).
Phowa	Tibetan	a practice for transferring the consciousness to a pureland at the time of death; powa(Tib).
Potala	Sans / Tib	the abbreviation of Potaloka, the pureland of Chenrezig. The name is also used for the palace of the Dalai Lamas in Lhasa and one of the holy mountains in China, both being connected to Chenrezig.
Potaloka	Sanskrit	the pure land of Chenrezig.
Powa	Tibetan	a practice for transferring the consciousness to a pureland at the time of death; phowa(Tib).
Prajna	Sanskrit	a special type of wisdom arisen from realizations of emptiness.
Prana	Sanskrit	wind energy, which flows through our channels.
Pratimoksha	Sanskrit	literally meaning 'individual liberation'.
Pratyeka Buddha	Sanskrit	a Hinayana Arhat who has achieved liberation from cyclic existence mainly through practice in solitude.
Preta realm		one of the six realms, beings born here suffer from the lack of food, drink and shelter.
Pure lands		realms beyond cyclic existence and in which there are no true sufferings.

Q

R

Name	Note	Meaning
Ramoche	Tibetan	the name of an important temple of Lhasa, Tibet.
Ratna	Sanskrit	a jewel. Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are known as the three jewels.
Ratnasambhava	Sanskrit	one of the five Wisdom Buddhas. His name literally means 'Jewel-born'.
Rinpoche	Tibetan	literally the precious one. In the Tibetan tradition it is generally used for one who is a recognized reincarnate lama, a respectful title used for one's own spiritual master. The term could be used to indicate inanimate objects too.
Root guru		there are many meanings to this term. In the context of the gradual path, our root guru is the one from whom we mainly receive teachings on this practice; tsawai lama(Tib).
Rupakaya	Sanskrit	Form body. A term referring to either the emanation body or the enjoyment body of a Buddha

S

Name	Note	Meaning
Sadhana	Sanskrit	practice manuals or methods for attainment associated with a tantric deity.
Sakya	Tib / Sans	the clan to which the historical Buddha was born into; the name of a sect of Tibetan Buddhism; see Sakyapa.
Sakya Pandita	Sanskrit	the great Tibetan Buddhist master Kunga Gyaltsen, 1182-1251. He was the tutor to the Mongolian rulers and invented the alphabets which became the prototype of modern Mongolian script.
Sakyamuni	Sanskrit	the historical Buddha who lived two and a half centuries ago in our world.
Sakyapa	Tib / Sans	one of the Tibetan Buddhist lineages founded by Khon Konchog Gyalpo (1034-1102) in 1073AD. The lineage was named after a patch of white greyish earth where the first temple of this lineage was built on, in south western Tibet.
Samantabhadra	Sanskrit	Buddha or Bodhisattva with the name 'All Good One'; Kunsang(Tib).
Samantha	Sanskrit	the fully-trained state of the meditative mind, calm, clear, stable and flexible.
Samaya	Sanskrit	tantric commitments.
Sambhogakaya	Sanskrit	the Enjoyment Body. One of the three bodies of a Buddha. It arises from the Truth Body and resides in the emanation pure land.
Samsara	Sanskrit	cyclic existence. The cycle of death and rebirth under the power of delusion and karma.
Samye	Tibetan	the name of the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet.
Sangha	Sanskrit	one of the Three Jewels, those who are purely devoted to the virtuous path taught by Buddha.
Secret mantra		secret mantra teachings are distinguished from Sutra teachings in that they reveal methods for training the mind by bringing the future result of Buddhahood into the present path; vajrayana(Sans), tantrayana(Sans), mantrayana(Sans).
Secret vehicle		secret vehicle teachings are distinguished from Sutra teachings in that they reveal methods for training the mind by bringing the future result of Buddhahood into the present path; vajrayana(Sans), tantrayana(Sans), mantrayana(Sans).
Seed letter		the sacred letter from which a deity is generated. Each deity has a particular seed letter.
Sense power		an inner power located at the very center of a sense faculty that functions directly to produce a sense awareness. There are five sense powers, one for each type of sense awareness - the eye awareness and so forth.
Sentient being		any being who possesses a mind that is contaminated by delusions or their imprints. Both 'sentient being' and 'living being' are terms used to distinguish beings whose minds are contaminated by any of the two obstructions from Buddhas.
Shantideva	Sanskrit	a great Indian Buddhist scholar and meditation master who lived 687-763AD. He composed Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life.
Siddha	Sanskrit	one who has reached attainments.
Siddhi	Sanskrit	attainments.
Six realms		god, demigod, human, animal, hungry ghost and hell realms.
Small vehicle		one of the two schools of Buddhism. The Hinayana goal is to attain merely one's own liberation from suffering by completely abandoning delusions.; hinayana(Sans).
Solitary Realizer		a type of Hinayana practitioners.
Spiritual ground		a clear realization that acts as the foundation of many good qualities. The ten grounds are the realizations of Bodhisattvas; bhumi(Sans).
Stupa	Sanskrit	a monument symbolizing Buddha's inner qualities; chorten(Tib).
Sukhavati	Sanskrit	the pure land of Amitabha described to be in the west.
Sumeru	Sanskrit	according to Buddhist cosmology, a large mountain that stands at the center of the universe.
Superior being		one who has gained direct realization of emptiness.
Sutra	Sanskrit	teachings of Buddha, which are based on the three trainings of morality, concentration and wisdom, and the six perfections.

T

Name	Note	Meaning
Tantra	Sanskrit	literally means continuity or the process of transforming our impure state of body, speech and mind into a pure state. A great many fine skills of transformation are taught using the practice of deity yoga and meditation.
Tantrayana	Sanskrit	secret mantra teachings are distinguished from Sutra teachings in that they reveal methods for training the mind by bringing the future result of Buddhahood into the present path; vajrayana(Sans), mantrayana(Sans).
Tara	Sanskrit	a female Buddha who is the manifestation of the wind element of all Buddhas and said to have arisen from a teardrop of Avalokiteshvara; Dolma(Tib).
Tathagata	Sanskrit	one who reaches the highest realizations of ultimate truth or emptiness; Buddha.
Tathagata essence		the potential for achieving enlightenment; Buddha nature.
Tathagata realm		refers to an inner realm or state, meaning the highest realization that an enlightened being has entered into.
Thirty-five confession Buddhas		thirty-five Buddhas who have special powers to purify negativities and downfalls in those who recite their names with faith.
Thirty-two major signs		sometimes called the 'major marks'. Special characteristics of a Buddha's form. Examples are the sign of the wheel on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.
Three circles		here they refer to an action, the object of an action and the door of an action.
Three higher trainings		training in morality, concentration and wisdom.
Three Jewels		these refer to Buddha, the Enlightened One; the Dharma, the pure path shown by Buddha; the Sangha, those who are purely devoted to following this path.
Three realms		the desire realm, the form realm and the formless realm, all within cyclic existence.
Three times		the past, present and the future.
Three trainings		training in morality, concentration and wisdom.
Tingsha	Tibetan	small cymbals used in rituals.
Togme	Tibetan	the founder of Chittamatra, or Mind-only School, 5th century AD; Asanga(Sans).
Transference of consciousness		a practice for transferring the consciousness to a pure land at the time of death; phowa(Tib) or powa(Tib).
Triple-gem		these refer to Buddha, the Enlightened One; the Dharma, the pure path shown by Buddha; the Sangha, those who are purely devoted to following this path.
Truth body		the pure inner state of enlightened beings, which has two aspects : pure wisdom and the pure ultimate nature of Buddha's mind; Dharmakaya(Sans).
Tsapame	Tibetan	Buddha of boundless life, the enjoyment body aspect of Amitabha; Amitayus(Sans)).
Tsawai lama	Tibetan	root guru. There are many meanings to this term. In the context of the gradual path, our root guru is the one from whom we mainly receive teachings on this practice.
Tsewang	Tibetan	a long life empowerment.
Tsong Khapa	Tibetan	a great Tibetan yogi, 1357-1419, widely considered to be an emanation of Manjusri. He received all the pure transmission of both sutra and tantra and established a complete and pure tradition known as the Gelugpa.
Tulku	Tibetan	a reincarnate lama.
Tushita	Sanskrit	a level of the god's realm or the pure land of Maitreya described to be inside / above the mentioned god's realm; Gadan(Tib).
Two truths		the conventional truth and the ultimate truth.

U

Name	Note	Meaning
Ultimate truth		synonymous with emptiness, lack of inherit existence.
Umdze	Tibetan	the chant leader of a monastery.

V

Name	Note	Meaning
Vaibhashika	Sanskrit	the first of the two schools of Hinayana tenets. This school does not accept self-cognizers and asserts external objects to be truly existent.
Vairochana	Sanskrit	one of the five Wisdom Buddhas. The manifestation of the aggregate of form of all Buddhas.
Vajra	Sanskrit	generally the word means indestructible like a diamond and powerful like a thunderbolt. In the context of tantra it means the indivisibility of method and wisdom; dorje(Tib).
Vajra body		generally, the channels, inner winds and drops. More specifically, the pure illusory body. The body of a Buddha is known as the 'resultant vajra body'.
Vajracharya	Sanskrit	a qualified Buddhist master of the Tantric path.
Vajradhara	Sanskrit	the fundamental tantric deity who represents the highest attainment of tantric practice; Dorje Chang(Tib).
Vajrayana	Sanskrit	secret mantra teachings are distinguished from Sutra teachings in that they reveal methods for training the mind by bringing the future result of Buddhahood into the present path; tantrayana(Sans), mantrayana(Sans).
Vajrayogini	Sanskrit	the name of a female tantric deity related to the Heruka Tantra.
Vinaya	Sanskrit	Buddha's teachings on morality and discipline.
Virtue		positive state. Positive state.

W

Name	Note	Meaning
Wang	Tibetan	an initiatory rite that empowers the receiver to perform a tantric meditation; wangkur(Tib).
Wangchen	Tibetan	a great or major initiation.
Wangkur	Tibetan	an initiatory rite that empowers the receiver to perform a tantric meditation; wang(Tib).
Winds		energies that flow through the channels of our body; prana(Sans), lung(Tib).
Wisdom being		an actual Buddha, especially one who is invited to unite with a visualized commitment being.

X

Y

Name	Note	Meaning
Yama	Sanskrit	the lord of death. Although the demon of uncontrolled death is not a sentient being it is personified as Yama, the Lord of Death.
Yamantaka	Sanskrit	the name of a tantric deity meaning slayer of inner evil; also known as Vajrabhairava; Dorje Jigje(Tib).
Yamantaka Tantra	Sanskrit	one of the essential tantric practices of highest level of tantra based on meditation on a specific tantric deity named Yamantaka, meaning the slayer of inner evil.
Yidam	Sanskrit	refers to the symbolic form of a pure being manifested from Buddha's wisdom. The object of our devotion.
Yoga	Sanskrit	literally meaning 'union'. A term used for various spiritual practices that entail maintaining a special view, such as guru yoga and the yogis of eating, sleeping, dreaming and waking.

Z