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 Please see our Content Disclaimer regarding English terms in LYWA publications that may be outdated and should be considered in context.

Glossary

All A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z

Bodhicaryavatara (Skt)

jangchub sempä chöpa la jugpa, chöjug (Tib); byang chub sems dpa'i spyod pa la 'jug pa, spyod 'jug (Wyl)

A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life by Shantideva.

Madhyamakavatara (Skt)

u ma la jug pa (Tib); dbu ma la 'jug pa (Wyl)

A Guide to the Middle Way, a famous text composed by Chandrakirti to supplement Nagarjuna's treatise Mulamadhyamakakarika (Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way). It is used as the main source book by most Tibetan monasteries for the study of emptiness.

Tara (Skt)

Drolma (Tib); sgrol ma (Wyl)

A female meditational deity who embodies the enlightened activity of all the buddhas; often referred to as the mother of the buddhas of the past, present and future. The Twenty-one Praises to Tara prayer is usually recited before debate sessions at Tibetan Buddhist monasteries.