This glossary contains an alphabetical list of Buddhist terms that you may find on this website. Many of the terms now include phoneticized Sanskrit (Skt) as well as two forms of Tibetan—the phonetic version (Tib), which is a guide to pronunciation, and transliteration using the Wylie method (Wyl). Search for the term you want by entering it in the search box or browse through the listing by clicking on the letters below. Please see our Content Disclaimer regarding English terms in LYWA publications that may be outdated and should be considered in context.
Different levels of insight into the nature of reality. There are, for example, the three wisdoms of hearing, contemplation and meditation. Ultimately, there is the wisdom realizing emptiness, which frees us from cyclic existence and eventually brings us to enlightenment. The complete and perfect accumulation of wisdom results in dharmakaya. In order to attain buddhahood, practitioners must engage in both wisdom and method.
See jnanakaya.
A tantric consort.
Also called "wish-fulfilling jewel". A jewel that brings its possessor everything that they desire.
A mistaken or deluded understanding that leads to suffering. In Buddhism there are various ways of defining wrong views. The most common one is as the last of the ten nonvirtues, also known as heresy, but it can also be either all five of the afflicted views among the unwholesome mental factors—the view of the transitory aggregates, extreme views, views of superiority of belief, the views of superiority of morality and discipline, and mistaken or wrong views—or the last one alone.
Literally, “father mother,” the image of a male and female tantric deity in union, signifying the union of method and wisdom.
Spirits, usually described in Tibetan Buddhism as blood-drinking, flesh-eating cannibals, but in other forms of Buddhism they can be either malevolent or benevolent.
A guardian of the hell realm.
The Lord of Death, seen on the Wheel of Life.
The "Destroyer of Death," also known as Vajrabhairava, "Terrifying Vajra" (Tib: Droje Jigje; Wyl: rdo rje 'jigs byed). A wrathful meditational deity from the father tantra class of Highest Yoga Tantra.
Recognized as a reincarnation of Geshe Ngawang Gendun, Yangsi Rinpoche became a lharampa geshe at Sera Je Monastery in south India and completed his studies at Gyüme Tantric College. Having a particular wish to benefit Western students, he founded Maitripa College in 2005 in Portland, Oregon.
Transcendental Wisdom Star-Arrow, a deity used in water offering practices.
Born and educated in Tibet, he fled to India, where he met his chief disciple, Lama Zopa Rinpoche. They began teaching Westerners at Kopan Monastery in 1969 and founded the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) in 1975.
Literally, "mind-bound." One's own personal, main—or, as Lama Yeshe used to say, favorite—deity for tantric practice. The deity with which a practitioner has the strongest connection.
Literally, “to join together.” While a common term throughout the world for the Indian-derived exercises, in Tibetan Buddhism, yoga usually refers to the spiritual discipline a practitioner commits to in order to attain realizations, for example, deity yoga. The Tibetan rnal ma la ‘byor pa, “to join (again with) what is real” equates with the Western concept of religion, which is derived from the Latin, re “again” and ligare “to join.” See also yogi and yogini.
The third of four classes of Buddhist tantra, literally meaning "union" due to the increased emphasis on internal activities compared with the previous two tantras.
Within the lower tantras, the practice that involves conceptuality (“sign”), before the realization of emptiness, comparable to the generation stage in Highest Yoga Tantra.
Within the lower tantras, when the practice is imbued with a realization of emptiness and hence beyond conceptuality (“sign”), comparable to the completion stage in Highest Yoga Tantra.
The Yogic Middle Way Autonomy school, a division of the Svatantrika (Autonomy school) of Buddhist philosophy. The proponent asserts a presentation of conventionalities through mostly conforming with the Cittamatra (Mind Only school). Examples of Yogic Middle Way Autonomists are Shantarakshita, Haribhadra, and Kamalashila. See also Sautrantika-Svatantrika-Madhyamika and the four Buddhist philosophical schools.
Often used as a synonym for the Cittamatra school, it can also refer to a subdivision of the Svatantrika Madhyamaka school. Its followers assert a coarse selflessness of phenomena that is the same as the Cittamatrins' subtle selflessness of phenomena—the lack of difference in entity between subject and object.
A measure of distance used in ancient India, said to be somewhere between six and fifteen km (four to nine miles).
Literally, "mother"; a female consort of a male tantric deity (the "father"; Tib: yab), as in Yum Dorje Nyemma Karmo, the consort of Heruka Vajrasattva.
The female consort of the male tantric deity Heruka Vajrasattva.
The upper robe of a monk or nun.
Landlord; place owner. Tibetan Buddhism teaches that each place has associated with it a sentient being who considers that he owns it. Offerings are made to this being to request the temporary use of that place for, e.g., retreat.
A powerful Gelugpa lama renowned for his wrathful aspect, who had impeccable knowledge of Tibetan Buddhist rituals, art and science.
Born in Thangme, near Mt. Everest, and recognized as the reincarnation of the Lawudo Lama, Kunsang Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche became the heart disciple of Lama Yeshe, who later established the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). As spiritual director of the extensive network of centers, projects and services of the FPMT for almost forty years, Rinpoche’s philanthropic work has seen a proliferation of charitable projects and beneficial activities worldwide. Rinpoche showed the aspect of passing away on 13 April 2023.
