Books/A Feast of the Nectar of the Supreme Vehicle/Glossary

Glossary from Stephen Gethin (Padmakara Translation Group). A Feast of the Nectar of the Supreme Vehicle: An Explanation of the Ornament of the Mahāyāna Sūtras; Maitreya's Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra with a Commentary by Jamgön Mipham. Boulder, CO: Shambhala Publications, 2018.

Abhidharma (Skt.), Tib. chos mngon pa. One of the three scriptural collections; the branch of the Buddha’s teachings that deals mainly with psychology and logic.

aggregates, see five aggregates.

antidote, Tib. gnyen po. Also called remedy or remedial method. Any means used for eliminating defilements and other factors that hinder the attainment of happiness and enlightenment.

arhat (Skt.), Tib. dgra bcompa, lit. "one who has vanquished the enemy” (the enemy being defilements). A practitioner of the Lesser Vehicle (that is, a listener or solitary realizer) who has attained the cessation of suffering, i.e., nirvaṇa, but not the perfect buddhahood of the Great Vehicle.

attentiveness, Tib. yid la byed pa. Deliberate mental activity directed onto a particular object or topic. In this translation we have used "to keep in mind” to convey its verbal form.

bhagavān (Skt.), Tib. bcom Idan ’das. An Indian term of veneration for someone of high spiritual attainment, used in Buddhism as an epithet of the Buddha. In its Tibetan translation, which might be conveyed in English as "Transcendent, Virtuous Conqueror,” it is defined as "he who has overcome (bcom) the four demons, who possesses (ldan) the six excellent qualities, and who does not dwell in either of the two extremes of samsara and nirvana but has gone beyond them (’das).”

bodhicitta (Skt.), Tib. byang chub kyi sems. The bodhisattva’s spiritual intent, the mind set on perfect enlightenment. On the relative level, it is the wish to attain buddhahood for the sake of all beings, as well as the practice of the path of love, compassion, the six transcendent perfections, and so forth, necessary for achieving that goal; on the ultimate level, it is the direct insight into the ultimate nature.

bodhisattva (Skt.), Tib. byang chub sems dpa’. A follower of the Great Vehicle whose aim is perfect enlightenment for all beings. One who has taken the vow of bodhicitta and practices the six transcendent perfections.

bodhisattva levels, Tib. ’phags pa’i sa, Skt. bhūmi, lit. "levels of the noble ones.” The ten levels of realization reached by bodhisattvas on the paths of seeing, meditation, and no more learning. In some classifications additional levels are added.

body of manifestation, Tib. sprul sku, Skt. nirmāṇakāya. The aspect of buddhahood that manifests out of compassion in all sorts of forms to help ordinary beings.

body of perfect enjoyment, Tib. longs spyod rdzogs pa’i sku, Skt. saṃbhogakāya. The spontaneously luminous aspect of buddhahood, only perceptible to highly realized beings.

body of the essential nature, Tib. ngo bo nyid kyi sku, Skt. svabhāvikakāya. Generally considered the fourth body, which is the very essence or aspect of inseparability of the body of truth, the body of perfect enjoyment, and the body of manifestation. The one mention of it in this text appears to equate it with the body of truth.

body of truth, Tib. chos sku, Skt. dharmakāya, lit. "Dharma body.” Also called absolute dimension. The emptiness aspect of buddhahood.

Brahmā (Skt.), Tib. tshangs pa, lit. "pure.” The name given to a number of gods in the world of form.

brahmin (Skt.), Tib. bram ze. A member of the priestly caste in Indian society.

buddha (Skt.), Tib. sangs rgyas. One who has dispelled (Tib. sangs) the darkness of the two obscurations and developed (Tib.rgyas) the two kinds of omniscience (knowing the nature of phenomena and knowing the multiplicity of phenomena).

buddha body, Tib. sku, Skt. kāya. An aspect or dimension of buddhahood. Generally four in number: the body of truth, body of perfect enjoyment, body of manifestation, and the body of the essential nature.

buddha field, Tib. sangs rgyas kyi zhing khams, also dag pa'i zhing. A pure land or world manifested by a buddha or great bodhisattva through the spontaneous qualities of their realization, in which beings can progress toward enlightenment without falling back in to the lower realms of cyclic existence. Also, any place whatsoever, when it is perceived as a pure manifestation of spontaneous wisdom.

buddha nature, Tib. de gshegs snying po, Skt. tathāgatagarbha. Also called essence of buddhahood. The potential of buddhahood present in every sentient being.

Capable One, Tib. thub pa, Skt. muni. An epithet of the Buddha Śākyamuni, of ten translated as Mighty One. He was called "capable” because, when he was a bodhisattva and there was none who had the courage to tame the most unfortunate beings, with extremely gross views, defilements, and actions, he, our kind teacher, was the only one, of all the 1,002 buddhas of this Excellent Kalpa, who had the strength or capacity to vow to benefit them.

certain deliverance, Tib. nges ’byung, Skt. niḥsaraṇa. A synonym for liberation from saṃsāra.

child (of the Buddha), Tib. rgyal sras. An epithet for a bodhisattva.

Cittamātra (Skt.), Tib. sems tsam, lit. "mind-only.” The teaching that the objects of the senses do not exist outside the mind and are simply projections of the mind. This doctrine was propagated in particular by the followers of the Yogācāra school. Its proponents are known as Cittamātrin (Tib. sems tsam pa).

collection, Tib. sde snod, Skt. piṭaka. A collection of scriptures, originally in the form of palm leaf folios stored in baskets. The Buddha’s teachings are generally divided into three collections or baskets: Vinaya, Sūtra, and Abhidharma.

completion, maturation, and purification, Tib. rdzogs smin sbyang. Three aspects of a bodhisattva’s practice: completing the accumulations of merit and wisdom, bringing beings to maturity, and training in purifying the realm as a buddha field.

deeds, Tib. las, Skt. karma. Also translated in this book as "actions,” or as "past deeds.” Implied in the use of this term is the force created by a positive or negative action which is then stored in an individual’s stream of being and persists until it is experienced as pleasure or pain (usually in another life), after which the deed is said to be exhausted or spent. Although the Sanskrit term karma simply means "action,” it has come to be widely used to signify the result produced by past deeds (Tib. las kyi ’bras bu), which is sometimes wrongly equated with destiny or fate, that is, with something beyond one’s control. In the Buddhist teachings, the principle of karma covers the whole process of deeds leading to results in future lives, and this is taught as being something that is very definitely within one’s control.

defilement, Tib. kun nas nyon mongs pa, Skt. saṃkleśa. This term, used in apposition to purity, covers both the truth of suffering and the truth of the origin—in other words, saṃsāra and the whole process that results in saṃsāra. It is the opposite of purity.

defilement and purity, Tib. kun nas nyon mongs pa dang rnam par byang ba, Skt. saṃkleśa and vyavadāna. Also translated as defilement aspect and purity aspect, defilement process and purification process. The sum of defilement and purity, the two sides of the whole of phenomena seen in the context of the spiritual path. See also defilement; purity.

defilements, Tib. nyon mongs pa, Skt. kleśa. Also called afflictive emotions, negative emotions. The mental factors that influence thoughts and actions and produce suffering. The three principal defilements are bewilderment or ignorance, attachment or desire, and aversion or hatred.

demigod, Tib. lha min, Skt. asura. A class of beings whose jealous nature spoils their enjoyment of their fortunate rebirth in the higher realms and involves them in constant conflict with the gods in the god realms.

demon, Tib. bdud, Skt. māra. In the context of Buddhist meditation and practice, a demon is any factor, on the physical or mental plane, that obstructs enlightenment.

determination to be free, Tib. nges ’byung Also translated as "renunciation” and, depending on context, "certain deliverance.” The deeply felt wish to achieve liberation from cyclic existence. See also certain deliverance.

dhāraṇī (Skt.), Tib. gzungs. (1) An incantation or long mantra. (2.) A bodhisattva’s power of retention, often paired with eloquence, enabling them to teach the Dharma.

Dharma (Skt.), Tib. chos. The Buddha’s doctrine; the teachings transmitted in the scriptures and the qualities of realization attained through their practice. Note that the Sanskrit word dharma has ten principal meanings, including "anyhing that can be known.” Vasubandhu defines the Dharma, in its Buddhist sense, as the "protective dharma” (chos skyobs): "It corrects (’chos) everyone of the enemies, the defilements; and it protects (skyobs) us from the lower realms; these two characteristics are absent from other spiritual traditions.”

dhyāna (Skt.), Tib. bsam gtan. A state of concentration, especially one of the four states ofconcentration associated with the world of form.

downfall, Tib. ltung ba. A fault due to the transgression of a rule (monastic or otherwise).

eight consciousnesses, Tib. tshogs brgyad. The consciousnesses of the five senses, together with the mind consciousness, defiled mind consciousness, and the consciousness of the ground of all.

eight kinds of noble beings, Tib. skye bu gang zag brgyad. The four results of the Listeners’ Vehicle—namely, stream enterer, once-returner, nonreturner, and arhat, for each of which there are two kinds: those who have entered their respective level ("candidates,” Tib. zhugs pa) and those who are firmly establishedon it ("graduates,” Tib.bras la gnas pa),hence the alternative Tibetan term zhugs gnas brgyad.

eight ordinary preoccupations, Tib. ‘jig rten chos brgyad. The normal preoccupations of unrealized people without a clear spiritual perspective. They are gain and loss, pleasure and pain, praise and criticism, fame and infamy.

eloquence, Tib. spobs pa, Skt. pratibhāna. Also called brilliant eloquence, confidence and eloquence. Bodhisattvas’ ability to speak from insight, realization, or the Buddha’s inspiration. It implies that they are never afraid of being unable to teach. See also power of retention.

emptiness, Tib. stong pa nyid, Skt. sūnyatā. The absence of true existence (in the sense of any permanent, independent, and single entity) in all phenomena.

etymological definition, Tib. nges tshig. Also called literal definition, precise definition. A device used by commentators to provide a definition ofa term, usually based on a breakdown of the original Sanskrit term into its component roots. This does not necessarily correspond to the way in which etymologyis understood in the West.

Excellent Words, Tib. gsung rab, Skt. pravacana. Also called Excellent Speech. The words of the Buddha, the teachings that he gave.

expedient teachings, Tib. drang don. Teachings intended to lead unrealized beings toward the truth of the ultimate (or definitive) teachings.

extensive aspect, Tib. rgya che ba. Also called vast aspect. That aspect of the teachings and practice, based on the Buddha’s third turning of the wheel of the Dharma and the teachings of Asaṅga and his followers, that stress the buddha nature (tathāgatagarbha) and the extensive activities, levels, and so on of the bodhisattvas.

false imagination, Tib. yang dag pa min pa’i kun tu rtog pa. The incorrect mental processes that lead to the imputations of subject and object and of intrinsic existence.

five aggregates, Tib. phung po lnga, Skt. pañcaskandha. The five psychophysical components into which a person can be analyzed and that together produce the illusion of a self. They are form, feeling, perception, conditioning factors, and consciousness. The term is often used to denote an individual as the basis for imputing a self.

five crimes with immediate retribution, Tib. mtshams med lnga, Skt. pañchanantariya. Also called five sins with immediate effect: (1) killing one’s father, (z) killing one’s mother, (3) killing an arhat, (4) creating a split in the Saṅgha, and (5) malevolently causing a buddha to bleed. Someone who has committed one of these five actions takes rebirth in the Hell of Torment Unsurpassed immediately after death, without going through the intermediate state between one rebirth and the next.

five untainted aggregates, Tib. zag med kyi phung po lnga. Discipline, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the aggregate of seeing the gnosis of liberation.

four noble truths, Tib. ’phags pa’i bden pa bzhi, Skt. caturāryasatya. The truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of cessation, and the truth of the path. These constitute the foundation of Buddha Śākyamuni’s doctrine, the first teaching that he gave (at Sarnath near Varanasi) after attaining enlightenment.

four results of the Listeners’ Vehicle, Tib. ’bras bu bzhi. Stream enterer, oncereturner, nonreturner, and arhat.

four summaries of the Dharma, Tib. chos kyi sdom bzhi. Also called the four seals. "All that is compounded is impermanent. All that is tainted is suffering. All phenomena are devoid of self. Nirvāṇa is peace.”

four kinds of gnosis, Tib. ye shes bzhi. Mirrorlike gnosis (me long lta bu’i ye shes), gnosis of equality (mnyam pa nyid kyi ye shes), all-discerning gnosis (so sor kun tu rtog pa’i ye shes), and all-accomplishing gnosis (bya ba grub pa’i ye shes).

gandharva (Skt.), Tib. dri za, lit. "one who feeds on smells.” A kind of spirit that feeds on scents. Gandharvas are also classed as inhabitants of the lowest gods’ realms, where they are renowned for their musical skills. The name is used as well for beings in the intermediate state: since they inhabit a mental body, they feed not on solid food but on odors.

garuḍa (Skt.), Tib. mkha’ lding. A mythological bird, master of the skies. It traditionally preys on the nāgas.

gnosis, Tib. ye shes, Skt. jñana. Also called primal wisdom or primordial wisdom. The knowing (shes pa) that has always been present since the beginning (ye nas); awareness, clarity-emptiness, naturally dwelling in all beings.

gods, Tib. lha, Skt. deva. Also called celestial beings. A class of beings who, as a result of accumulating positive actions in previous lives, experience immense happiness and comfort and are therefore considered by non-Buddhists as the idealstate to which they should aspire. According to the Buddhist teachings, however, they have not attained freedom from cyclic existence. Those in the world of form and world of formlessness experience an extended form of the meditation they practiced (without the aim of achieving liberation from cyclic existence) in their previous life. Gods like Indra and others of the six classes of gods of the world of desire possess, as a result of their merit, a certain power to affect the lives of other beings and they are therefore worshipped, for example by Hindus. The same Tibetan and Sanskrit term is also used to refer to enlightened beings, in which case it is more usually translated as "deity.”

Great Vehicle, Tib. theg pa chen po, Skt. mahāyāna. The vehicle of the bodhisattvas, referred to as great because it leads to perfect buddhahood for the sake of all beings, and because of the greatness of its object, accomplishment, gnosis, diligent application, skill in means, consummation, and activities.

ground of all, Tib. kun gzhi or kun gzhi rnam par shes pa, Skt. ālaya. The ground consciousness that is the basis for the other consciousnesses and in which the habitual tendencies are stored.

habitual tendencies, Tib. bag chags. Habitual patterns of thought, speech, or action created by one’s attitudes and deeds in past lives.

heir (of the Buddha), Tib. rgyal sras. An epithet for a bodhisattva, also translated as "child of the Buddha.”

Hell of Torment Unsurpassed, Tib. mnar med. The hell in which the very worst suffering is experienced, for incalculable periods of time.

hells, Tib. dmyal ba. One of the six realms, in which beings suffer from hallucinations of intense heat or cold, mainly as a result of violent deeds motivated by hatred.

higher realms, Tib. mtho ris. The gods’ realms, the demigod realm, and the human realm.

immature, Tib. byis pa, lit. "childish.” Ordinary beings who are spiritually immature.

imperceptible form, Tib. rig byed ma yin pa’i gzugs. An aspect of the aggregate of form asserted by certain listeners and said to comprise vows (commitment to virtue), nonvows (commitment to negative deeds), and intermediate activities (positive or negative deeds performed without conscious intention).

Indra (Skt.), Tib. brgya byin, "He who is honored with a hundred gifts.” The ruler of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three in the realms ofthe gods.

intellectuals, Tib. rtog ge ba, Skt. tārkika. Also dialecticians, polemicists. A term often used pejoratively to refer to individuals who are more concerned with philosophical debate on the intellectual level than with gaining genuine spiritual realization.

Iśvara (Skt.), Tib. dbang phyug, lit. "Mighty Lord.” A general Indian name for a creator god.

Jambudvipa (Skt.), Tib. dzam bu gling, "Land of the Jambu Tree.” The southern continent in the ancient Indian cosmology, the world in which we live.

kalpa (Skt.), Tib. bskal pa. A unit of time (of inconceivable length) used in Buddhist cosmology to describe the cycles of formation and destruction of a universe, and the ages of increase and decrease within them.

karma (Skt.), see deeds.

keep in mind, Tib. yid la byed pa. See attentiveness.

King of the Śākyas, Tib. shakya’i rgyal po. Śākyamuni, the Buddha of our era.

Lesser Vehicle, Tib. theg pa chung or theg dman, Skt. hīnayāna. The basic vehicle comprising the vehicles of the listeners and solitary realizers, whose ultimate result is the state of arhat. It is termed "lesser” or "lower” in comparison ro the Great Vehicle.

liberation, Tib. thar pa. Freedom from saṃsāra, either as an arhat or as a buddha.

listener, Tib. nyan thos, Skt. śrāvaka. A follower of the Lesser Vehicle whose goal is to attain liberation for themselves as an arhat. The listeners are so called because they listen to the Buddha’s teaching and then teach it to others.

lower realms, Tib. ngan song. The hells, the realm of hungry spirits, and the animal realm.

Mādhyamikas (Skt.), Tib. dbu ma pa. The followers of Nāgārjuna who adhere to the Madhyamaka, the Middle Way that avoids the extremes of existence and nonexistence.

Mahāyāna (Skt.), Tib. theg pa chen po. See Great Vehicle.

Maitreya (Skt.), Tib. byams pa, lit. "Love.” One of the Buddha’s eight closest bodhisattva disciples. As the future Buddha, he presently resides in the Tuṣita heaven.

major and minor marks, Tib. mtshan dpe. The thirty-two major marks and eighty minor marks of excellence that characterize a buddha’s physical form.

Mañjuśrī (Skt.), Tib. ’jam dpal, lit. "Gentle and Glorious.” The bodhisattva who embodies the buddhas’ knowledge and wisdom.

mantra (Skt.), Tib. sngags. In Buddhism, a manifestation of supreme enlightenment in the form of sound: a series of syllables that, especially in the sādhanas of the Secret Mantrayāna, protect the mind of the practitioner from ordinary perceptions and invoke the wisdom deities. Mantras are also used in non-Buddhist spiritual practices and as spells in black magic.

Mantrayāna. See Secret Mantrayāna.

Māra (Skt.), Tib. bdud. The demon, the tempter in general, that which makes obstacles to spiritual practice and enlightenment.

mental factors, Tib. sems byung, Skt. caitta. The aspects of mental function that accompany the main mind (citta), apprehending and reacting to the objects detected by consciousness.

merit, Tib. bsod nams, Skt. puṇya. The first of the two accumulations. "Merit” is also sometimes used loosely to translate the Tibetan terms dge ba (virtue, positive action) and dge rtsa (sources of good for the future).

Middle Way, Tib. dbu ma'i lam, Skt. madhyamaka. The series of teachings on emptiness based on the second turning of the wheel of the Dharma first expounded by Nāgārjuna and considered to form the basis of the Secret Mantrayāna. "Middle” in this context means that it is beyond the extremes of existence and nonexistence.

mindstream, Tib. rgyud, lit. "continuity” or "continuum.” Also translated as "stream of being,” or simply "mind.” This term denotes that aspect of an individual that continues from one moment to the next and from one life time to the next, and which therefore includes the individual’s stock of positive and negative deeds along with their positive and negative habitual tendencies.

momentary, Tib. momentary. This important term, also translated in its adverbial form as "from one instant to the next,” does not, in the context of discussions on impermanence and emptiness, mean simply "short-lived” or "lasting only a moment.” It is used in this text to denote the fact that the existence of all phenomena is made up of a succession of moments or instants that cease as soon as they arise. This succession of instants makes it possible for things to change from one moment to the next. Depending on the degree to which these changes are perceptible, things appear to last for smaller or greater lengths of time, and even to give the illusion of being permanent.

Mount Meru, Tib. ri rgyal po ri rab. The immense mountain, wider at the top than at the bottom, that forms the center of the universe around which the four continents of the world are disposed, according to ancient Indian cosmology.

mundane, Tib. ’jig rten pa. The opposite of supramundane, anything that does not transcend saṃsāra. Translations of this term as "ordinary” or "worldly” can be misleading since meditators who have mastered the four dhyānas (but without being liberated from saṃsāra), and who have immense powers of concentration, magical powers, and so forth, cannot really be called "ordinary,” nor are they worldly in the sense of being materialistically minded and interested only in the present world.

nāga (Skt.), Tib. klu. A serpent-like being (classed in the animal realm) living in the water or under the earth and endowed with magical powers and wealth. The most powerful ones have several heads. In Indian mythology they are preyed on by the garudas.

Nāgārjuna (Skt.), Tib. klu sgrub. "He whose accomplishment is related to the nāgas.” The great first-second-century Indian master and father of the Profound View tradition who rediscovered the Buddha’s teachings on transcendent wisdom (prajnāpāramitā) in the realm of the nāgas and composed numerous treatises that became the basic texts for the proponents of the Madhyamika or Middle Way philosophical system.

nirvāṇa (Skt.), Tib. mya ngan las ’das pa, lit. "beyond suffering” or "the transcendence of misery.” While this can be loosely understood as the goal of Buddhist practice, the opposite of saṃsāra or cyclic existence, it is important to realize that the term is understood differently by the different vehicles. The nirvāṇa of the Lesser Vehicle, the peace of cessation that an arhat attains, is very different from a buddha’s "nondwelling” nirvāṇa, the state of perfect enlightenment that transcends both saṃsara and nirvāṇa.

nirvana without residual aggregates, Tib. phung po lhag med kyi myang ’das. The final state of enlightenment attained when an enlightened being (an arhat or buddha) leaves their earthly body (composed of aggregates) and "passes into nirvāṇa.” When listeners attain cessation in the arhat’s nirvāṇa without residual aggregates, all their accumulated merit and qualities come to an end. On the other hand, the virtue and qualities that bodhisattvas accumulate never come to an end but continue to be active once they attain buddhahood.

noble being, Tib. ’phags pa, Skt. ārya. Also called sublime being. An epithet applied, in the Great Vehicle, to someone who has attained the path of seeing, a bodhisattva on one of the ten bodhisattva levels. In the vehicles of the listeners andsolitary realizers, it is used to refer to stream enterers, once-returners, nonreturners, and arhats.

noble levels, Tib. ’phags pa’i sa. See bodhisattva levels.

nondwelling nirvāṇa, Tib. mi gnas pa’i myang 'das. The state of perfect enlightenment that transcends both saṃsāra and nirvāṇa.

nonreturner, Tib. phyir mi’ong ba. In the context of the Lesser Vehicle, a state of realization where one will no longer be reborn in the desire realm. It is the stage before the attainment of the level of arhat. In the context of the Great Vehicle, a bodhisattva nonreturner is one who cannot return to a samsaric state of mind, though they may still manifest in saṃsāra to benefit beings.

no-self, Tib. bdag med, Skt. anātman, nairātmya. Also called egolessness. The absence of independent or intrinsic existence, either of oneself (Tib. gang zag gi bdag med) or of external phenomena (Tib. chos kyi bdag med).

obscurations, Tib. sgrib pa, Skt. āvarana. Factors that veil one’s buddha nature, maintaining one in cyclic existence and preventing one from attaining enlightenment. See also two obscurations.

parinirvāṇa (Skt.), Tib. mya ngan ’das. The point at which an enlightened being leaves their earthly body.

path of accumulation, Tib. tshogs lam. The first of the five paths, according to the Great Vehicle. On this path, one accumulates the causes that will make it possible to proceed toward enlightenment.

path of earnest aspiration, Tib. mos spyod kyi lam. A collective term for the paths of accumulating and joining. The level of earnest aspiration is a sort of prelevel before one reaches the first of the ten bodhisattva levels. Practitioners on the paths of accumulating and joining have not yet realized emptiness and cannot therefore practice the six transcendent perfections in a truly transcendental way. Their practice is more a question of willingness than of the genuine practice of amature bodhisattva.

path of joining, Tib. sbyor lam. The second of the five paths. On this path one connects oneself to or prepares oneself for seeing the two kinds of no-self on the path of seeing.

path of meditation, Tib. sgom lam. The fourth of the five paths, during which a bodhisattva traverses the remaining nine of the ten levels.

path of no more learning, Tib. mi slob pa’i lam. The last of the five paths, the culmination of the path to perfect enlightenment—buddhahood.

path of seeing, Tib. mthong lam. The third of the five paths, the stage at which a bodhisattva in medication gains a genuine experience of emptiness and attains the first of the ten levels.

peace, Tib. zhi ba. A synonym for the arhat’s nirvāṇa, the peace of cessation.

perceptual domination, powers of, Tib. zil gyis gnon pa’i skye mched. Also called dominant āyatanas. The power to control and transform characteristics such as size, shape, color, and so on.

perceptual limitlessness, powers of, Tib. zad par gyi skye mched. Also called limitless āyatanas. The power, through concentration, to transfer the characteristics of the different elements, colors, space, and consciousness onto other elements, etc., thus enabling one to walk on water as if it were earth,for example.

perpetuating aggregates, Tib. nyer len gyi phung po. The five aggregates that are at the same time the result of past defilements and deeds and the causal basis of the defilements and deeds that perpetuate rebirth in saṃsāra.

power of retention, Tib. gzungs, Skt. dhāraṇi. Bodhisattvas’ ability to remember unfailingly the infinite words and meanings of the Dharma, enabling them to teach for kalpas on end.

prātimokṣa (Skt.), Tib. so sor thar pa, lit. "individual liberation.” The collective term for the different forms of Buddhist ordination and the irrespective vows, as laid down in the Vinaya.

profound aspect, Tib. zab mo. That aspect of the teachings and practice, based on the Buddha’s second turning of the wheel of the Dharma and the teachings of Nāgārjuna and his followers, that stress the profound view of emptiness. See also extensive aspect.

profound insight, Tib. lhag mthong, Skt. vipasyanā. The perception, through wisdom, of the true nature of things.

pure levels, Tib. sa dag pa gsum. The last three of the ten levels.

purity, Tib. rnam par byang ba, Skt. vyavadāna. Also called complete purity. This term, used in apposition to defilement, covers the truth of cessation and the truth of the path, both the purity that is nirvāṇa and the process of purification that leads to nirvāṇa. It is the opposite of defilement.

reflexive awareness, Tib. so rang rig. The state of nondual wisdom that, while transcending the subject-object duality, knows itself.

relative truth, Tib. kun rdzob bden pa, lit. "all-concealing truth.” The apparent truth perceived and taken as real by the deluded mind, which conceals their true nature. See also ultimate truth.

saṃsāra (Skt.), Tib. ’khor ba, lit. "wheel.” Cyclic existence, the endless round of birth, death, and rebirth in which beings suffer as result of their actions and defilements.

scriptural collection, see collection.

Secret Mantrayāna, Tib. gsang ngags kyi theg pa. A branch of the Great Vehicle that uses the special techniques of the tantras to pursue the path of enlightenment for all beings more rapidly. Because these practices are based on the realization of the diamond like nature of the mind, this vehicle is also known as the Diamond Vehicle.

self (belief in or clinging to a self), Tib. bdag, Skt. ātman. In Buddhist philosophy, the term "self” is used to denote the mistaken notion of a permanent, single, and independent entity, whether applied to a personal sense of "I” or a divine creator.

self-cognizant wisdom, Tib. so so rang gis rig pa. Nondual wisdom whose object is itself.

sense of decency, Tib. khrel yod. Also called modesty, consideration of others. To be ashamed because of what others might think if one commits negative actions. This is one of the seven noble riches.

sense of shame, Tib. ngo tsha shes. Also called conscientiousness, honesty. To be ashamed of oneself if one commits negative actions. This is one of thes even noble riches.

sense spheres, Tib. khams, Skt. dhātu. The collective terms for the sense objects, sense faculties, and sense consciousnesses (form, the eye, and the eye consciousness, for example). Since there are six sense organs (including the mind), there are eighteen sense spheres in all.

senses-and-fields, Tib. skye mched, Skt. āyatana. Also called sense bases, sources of perception, and so on. The twelve āyatanas comprise the six sense organs and the six sense objects. Together, they give rise to the six sense consciousnesses.

shameful deeds, Tib. kha na ma tho ba, lit. "that cannot be mentioned” or "cannot be praised.” This term covers every kind of action that results in suffering and not only the most serious kinds of wrong doing. Shameful deeds are divided into those that are naturally negative and those that are negative in that they involve breaches of vows.

six consciousnesses, Tib. rnam shes tshogs drug, lit. "six gatherings of consciousness” (signifying the gathering of a sense object, a sense organ, and a consciousness). The consciousnesses related to vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and mentation.

six sense organs, Tib. dbang po drug. The eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

six transcendent perfections, Tib. pha rol tu phyin pa drug, Skt. ṣaḍpāramitā. Generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom.

solitary realizer, Tib. rang sangs rgyas, Skt. pratyekabuddha. This term is applied to followers of the Lesser Vehicle who attain liberation (the cessation of suffering) on their own, without the help of a spiritual teacher. Although some solitary realizers with sharp intellects remain alone "like rhinoceroses,” others with dull minds need to stay in large groups, "like flocks of parrots.” Solitary realizers’ practice consists, in particular, of meditation on the twelve links of dependent arising.

spiritual friend, Tib. dge ba’i gshes gnyen, Skt. kalyāṇamitra. A spiritual guide or teacher.

śramaṇa (Skt.), Tib. dge sbyong. An Indian term for a renunciant or mendicant, denoting anyone, Buddhist or non-Buddhist, pursuing a religious life.

steadfast, Tib. brtan pa, lit. "firm, stable.” Used widely in the Sūtralāṃkāra as an epithet for a bodhisattva.

Sthiramati (Skt.), Tib. blo gros brtan pa. A fifth-sixth-century Indian Abhidharma scholar. He was a disciple of Vasubandhu and wrote numerous commentaries on his master’s works.

stream enterer, Tib. rgyun du zhugs pa. The first of the four results of the listeners’ path, one who has completed the listeners’ path of seeing.

suchness, Tib. de bzbin nyid, Skt. tathatā. The ultimate nature of things, emptiness, the expanse of reality free from elaboration.

sugata (Skt.), Tib. bde bar gshegs pa, lit. "one who has gone to bliss.” An epithet of a buddha.

superior intention, Tib. lhag bsam. Also called altruistic attitude. The good heart and unselfish attitude that is an essential aspect of a bodhisattva’s spiritual intent, bodhicitta.

supramundane, Tib. ‘jig rten las ‘das pa. Anything that transcends saṃsāra. The term "supramundane being” is generally applied to the noble beings of the Great Vehicle and Lesser Vehicle.

supreme mundane level, Tib. chos mchog. The highest possible state of worldly realization, the fourth stage of the path of joining that immediately precedes the direct realization of emptiness on the path of seeing.

sustained calm, Tib. zhi gnas, Skt. śamatha. The basis of all concentrations, a calm, undistracted state of un wavering concentration.

sūtra (Skt.), Tib. mdo. A scripture containing teachings given by the Buddha or by one of his disciples inspired by the Buddha.

tainted (actions, bliss, etc.), Tib. zag bcas. Descriptive of actions or states in which the three concepts of subject, object, and action are present, and which are therefore tainted by defilements, so that they cannot lead to liberation from saṃsāra.

tathāgata (Skt.), Tib. de bzhin'gshegs'pa, "one who has gone to thusness.” A buddha; one who has reached or realized thusness, the ultimate reality. Also, one who is "thus come,” a buddha in the body of manifestation (nirmaṇakāya) who has appeared in the world to benefit beings.

ten directions, Tib. phyogs bcu. The four cardinal points, the four intermediate directions, and the zenith and nadir.

ten levels, Tib. sa bcu. See bodhisattva levels.

ten negative actions, Tib. mi dge ba bcu. The physical acts of killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; the verbal acts of lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, and meaningless chatter; and the mental acts of covetousness, malice, and wrong view.

ten transcendent perfections, Tib. pha rol tu phyin pa bcu, Skt. dāśapāramitā. Transcendent generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom, together with transcendent means, aspirational prayer, strength, and gnosis. Each of these ten is practiced predominantly on one of the ten bodhisattva levels—generosity on the first level, discipline on the second, and so forth. They are termed "transcendent” because their practice involves realization ofthe view of emptiness.

thatness, Tib. de kho na nyid, Skt. tattva. The nondual ultimate reality that is neither existent nor nonexistent, neither the same nor different, neither produced nor destroyed, subject to neither growth nor diminution, neither pure nor impure.

three buddha bodies, Tib. sku gsum, Skt. trikāya. The three aspects of buddhahood: the body of truth, body of perfect enjoyment, and body of manifestation.

three collections, sde snod gsum, Skt. tripiṭaka. The Vinaya Collection, Sūtra Collection, and Abhidharma Collection. See also collection.

three doors, Tib. sgog sum. The three means by which a person acts—namely, the body, speech, and mind.

three doors of perfect liberation, rnam thar sgog sum. Emptiness, absence of attributes, and absence of expectancy.

Three Jewels, Tib. dkon mchog gsum, Skt. triratna. Collectively, the object of refuge of all Buddhists. The Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha.

three kinds of enlightenment, Tib. byang chub gsum. The enlightenment of the listeners, solitary realizers, and bodhisattvas.

three kinds of suffering, Tib. sdug bsngal gsum. The three fundamental types of suffering to which beings in saṃsāra are subject: the suffering of change, suffering upon suffering, and the suffering of everything composite (or all-pervading suffering in the making).

three natures, Tib. ngo bo nyid gsum, Skt. trisvabhāva. Three aspects, as presented by the Yogācāra school, of the nature of phenomena: the imputed nature, the dependent nature, and the fully present nature. Also called three realities.

three pure levels, Tib. sa dag pa gsum. The eighth, ninth, and tenth bodhisattva levels.

three realities, Tib. mtshan nyid gsum, Skt. trisvabhāva. Another name for the three natures. The imputed reality, the dependent reality, and the fully present reality.

three roots of virtue, Tib. dge rtsa gsum. Freedom from attachment, freedom from aversion, and freedom from bewilderment.

three spheres (concepts of), Tib. ’khor gsum du dmigs pa. The concepts of subject, object, and action perceived as having a real and independent existence.

three times, Tib. dus gsum. In general, the past, present, and future.

three trainings, Tib. bslabs pa gsum, Skt. triśikṣā. The threefold training in discipline, concentration, and wisdom.

three vehicles, Tib. theg pa gsum, Skt. triyāna. The vehicles of the listeners, solitary realizers, and bodhisattvas.

three worlds, Tib. khams gsum. The world of desire, the world of form, and the world of formlessness. Alternatively (Tib. ‘jig rten gsum, sa gsum, srid gsum): the world of gods above the earth, that of humans on the earth, and that of the nāgas under the earth.

tīrthika (Skt.), Tib. mu stegs pa. A term generally used to denote non-Buddhist proponents of nihilistic and eternalistic philosophical views. The Tibetan term refers to the fact that they are said to stay on the steps (stegs) leading down to the edge (mu) of the river, that is, the path flowing into the ocean of nirvāṇa.

transcendent perfection, Tib. pha rol tu phyin pa, Skt. pāramitā. The principal practice of a bodhisattva, combining skillful means and wisdom, the compassionate motivation of attaining enlightenment for the sake of all being sand the view of emptiness. See six and ten transcendent perfections.

transitory composite (view of), Tib. ‘jig tshogs la lta ba. The view whereby the five aggregates, which are transitory and composite, are regarded as a permanent, independent, and single "I” and "mine.” This view is the basis of all other wrong views.

treatise, Tib. bstan bcos, Skt. śāstra. In the context of Buddhist literature, a work by an Indian or Tibetan master that comments on the Buddha’s teachings or presents them in condensed or more accessible form.

Twelve Branches of Excellent Speech, Tib. gsung rab yan lag bcu gnyis. The twelve types of teaching given by the Buddha, corresponding to twelve kinds of text: condensed (Tib. mdo sde, Skt. sūtra), melodious (dbyangs bsnyan, geya), prophetic (lung bstan, vyākaraṇa), verse (tshigs bcad, gāthā), spoken with a purpose (ched brjod, udāna), contextual (gleng gzhi, nidāna—questions, talks, etc.), concerning his past lives (skyes rab, jātaka), marvelous (rmad byung, adbhuta-dharma), establishing a truth (gtan babs, upadeśa), biographical or "expressing realization” (rtogs brjod, avadāna), historical (de ltar byung, itivṛittaka), and very detailed (shin tu rgyas pa, vaipulya).

twelve links of dependent arising, Tib. rten ‘brel bcu gnyis. The twelve factors or stages through which the process of birth and rebirth in cyclic existence takes place. They are ignorance, conditioning factors, consciousness, name-and-form, the sense powers, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, becoming, birth, and aging-and-death.

two accumulations, Tib. tshogs gnyis. The accumulation of merit (Tib. bsod nams) and the accumulation of wisdom (Tib. ye shes).

two extremes, Tib. mtha’ gnyis. Depending on context, the extreme of saṃsāra and the extreme of nirvāṇa; the extremes of existence and nonexistence; the extremes of pleasurable indulgence and excessive austerity.

two goals, Tib. don gnyis. One’s own goal, benefit, or welfare (Tib. rang don) and that of others (Tib. gzhan don). Often understood in the ultimate sense of the goal for oneself being achieved by the realization of emptiness, the body of truth (Skt. dharmakāyd), and the goal for others by compassion manifesting as the form body (Skt. rūpakāya).

two kinds of no-self, Tib. bdag med gnyis. The no-self of the individual (Tib. gang zag gi bdag med) and the no-self of phenomena (Tib. chos kyi bdag med). See also no-self.

two obscurations, Tib. sgrib pa gnyis. Obscurations related to defilements, or defilement-related obscurations (nyon sgrib), and those that obscure knowledge, or cognitive obscurations (shes sgrib).

two truths, Tib. bden gnyis. Relative truth and ultimate truth.

ultimate excellence, Tib. nges legs. The lasting happiness of liberation and omniscience, i.e., buddhahood.

ultimate reality, Tib. chos nyid, Skt. dharmatā. Also translated as "true nature.” The true nature of phenomena, which is emptiness.

ultimate teachings, Tib. nges don. Also called definitive teachings. Teachings that, unlike the expedient teachings, comprise the direct expression of truth from the point of view of realized beings.

ultimate truth, Tib. don dam bden pa. The ultimate nature of the mind and the true status of phenomena, which can only be known by gnosis, beyond all conceptual constructs and duality. See also relative truth.

universal emperor, Tib. ’khor los sgyur ba’i rgyal po, Skt. cakravartin. An emperor who, with his golden, silver, copper, or iron wheel, has dominion over the beings of the four continents. Universal emperors only appear in certain eras when the human life span is greater than eighty thousand years.

untainted, Tib. zag med. Uncontaminated by defilements, including concepts due to the defilement of ignorance.

Vasubandhu (Skt.), Tib. dbyig gnyen. Asaṅga’s half-brother and disciple, famous in particular for his authorship of the classic text Treasury of Abhidharma (Abhidharmakośa).

Vatsīputrīya (Skt.), Tib. gnas ma’i bu pa. One of the eighteen original schools of the Listeners’ Vehicle in India. Its followers believed in a substantially existing self.

vehicle, Tib. theg pa, Skt. yāna. The means for traveling the path to enlightenment.

victorious one, Tib. rgyal ba, Skt. jina. Also called conqueror. A general epithet for a buddha, one who has won victory over all negative forces.

Vinaya (Skt.), Tib. ’dul ba, lit. "taming.” The section of the Buddha’s teaching that deals with discipline, and in particular with the vows of monastic ordination.

wisdom, Tib. shes rab, Skt. prajñā. The sixth of the six transcendent perfections. The ability to understand correctly, usually with the particular sense of understanding emptiness.

wise (person), Tib. blo ldan. A common epithet for a bodhisattva, with its plural ("the wise”) being used to denote bodhisattvas, and in some instances translated directly as such.

world of desire, Tib. ’dod khams, Skt. kāmaloka or kāmadhātu. The first of the three worlds, comprising the hells, and the realms of the hungry spirits, animals, humans, demigods, and the six classes of gods of the world of desire.

world of form, Tib. gzugs khams, Skt. rūpadhātu. The second of the three worlds, comprising the twelve realms of the four concentrations and the five pure abodes.

world of formlessness, Tib. gzugs med khams, Skt. ārūpyadhātu. The third of the three worlds, at the peak of existence. It comprises the spheres of infinite space, infinite consciousness, utter nothingness, and neither existence nor nonexistence.

wrong view, Tib. log lta, Skt. mithyādṛṣṭi. A false belief, particularly a view that will lead one to courses of action that bring more suffering. It includes views that deny the law of karma and the view of the transitory composite.

yoga (Skt.), Tib. rnal ’byor, lit. "union (’byor) with the natural state (rnal ma).” A term for spiritual practice.

Yogācāra (Skt.), Tib. rnal 'byor spyod pa. One of the principal schools of the Great Vehicle, based on the teachings of the third turning of the wheel of the Dharma and propagated by Asaṅga, Vasubandhu, and their followers. Its philosophical tenets included the doctrine of mind-only (cittamātra), the eight consciousnesses, the ground of all as the storehouse of karmic tendencies, and the three natures or realities.

yogi (Skt.), Tib. rnal ’byor pa. A person practicing a spiritual path.

yojana (Skt.), Tib. pag tshad. An ancient Indian measurement. Different sources describe it as between one and several miles.