altar (shrine) A place reminding us of our spiritual potential and aspiration. A Buddhist altar may contain photos of our spiritual teachers, pictures or statues of the Buddha and tantric deities, Dharma texts, offerings, and so forth.

altruistic intention (Skt: bodhicitta) The mind dedicated to attaining enlightenment in order to benefit all sentient beings most effectively.

analytical meditation (checking meditation) Meditation that involves investigating a subject. It is done to develop insight into the nature of reality. It principally leads to special insight (Skt: vipashyana).

arhat A person who has attained liberation and is free from cyclic existence.

arya A person who has realized emptiness directly and is thus one of the Sangha Jewels of refuge.

bodhicitta See altruistic intention.

bodhisattva A person whose spontaneous reaction upon seeing any sentient being is “I aspire to become a Buddha in order to benefit them.”

Buddha Any person who has purified all defilements and developed all good qualities. “The Buddha” refers to Shakyamuni Buddha, who lived 2,500 years ago in India.

Buddha nature (Buddha potential) The innate qualities of the mind enabling all beings to attain enlightenment.

Buddhahood See enlightenment.

calm abiding See serenity.

checking meditation See analytical meditation.

compassion The wish for sentient beings to be free from suffering and its causes.

concentration (Skt: samadhi) A mental factor that focuses single-pointedly on an object of meditation.

cyclic existence (Skt: samsara) Being uncontrollably reborn under the influence of mental afflictions and karmic latencies.

determination to be free (renunciation) The determination to be free from the sufferings of cyclic existence and to attain liberation.

Dharma The teachings of the Buddha. The Dharma Jewel is the third and fourth of the Four Noble Truths: the wisdom realizing emptiness and the cessation of suffering and its causes.

Dharma wheel An eight- or thousand-spoked wheel that symbolizes teaching the Dharma.

distorted views Stubborn and closed-minded views that the Three Jewels, cause and effect, and so on do not exist; believing that sentient beings are inherently selfish and cannot become enlightened.

disturbing attitudes and negative emotions (Skt: klesha) See mental afflictions.

dorje, double dorje (Skt: vajra) A tantric implement symbolizing the method aspect of the path. A double dorje is two dorjes perpendicular to each other and crossing at their centers. This symbolizes long life.

dukkha Any unsatisfactory condition, including physical and mental pain, fleeting worldly happiness, and having a body and mind under the influence of ignorance and karma.

emptiness (Skt: shunyata) The lack of independent or inherent existence, the ultimate nature or reality of all persons and phenomena.

enlightenment (Buddhahood) The state of a Buddha, i.e., the state of having forever eliminated all obscurations from the mindstream and having developed all good qualities and wisdom to their fullest extent. Buddhahood supersedes liberation.

field of positive potential The assembly of lineage masters, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, arhats, and so forth. We imagine this assembly and offer the seven-limb prayer in their presence in order to create positive potential (merit) that enriches our mindstream and enables us to develop spiritual realizations.

four immeasurables Equanimity, love, compassion, and joy.

glance meditation Briefly reflecting on the major steps of the path to enlightenment. Reciting a short text facilitates this.

gradual path to enlightenment (Tib: lamrim; stages of the path to enlightenment) A systematic, step-by-step presentation of the Buddha’s teachings found in Tibetan Buddhism.

inherent or independent existence A false and nonexistent mode of being that we project onto persons and phenomena; existence independent of causes and conditions, parts, or the mind conceiving and labeling phenomena.

introspective alertness (vigilance, clear comprehension) A mental factor that is watchful so that we are aware of the contents of our mind. It enables us to bring our mind and actions back to ethical behavior or to the object of meditation if it has strayed.

karma Actions done by our body, speech, or mind.

karmic latency (karmic seed) The residual “energy” left on the mindstream when an action has been completed. When these latencies mature, they influence what we experience.

liberation (Skt: moksha) Freedom from cyclic existence.

love The wish for sentient beings to have happiness and its causes.

Mahayana A Buddhist tradition that emphasizes the development of the altruistic intention.

mandala The universe; the pure abode of a meditational deity. The mandala offering is done by imagining our world and everything beautiful in it and then offering this to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas.

mantra A series of Sanskrit syllables spoken by a Buddha that expresses the essence of the entire path to enlightenment. They are recited in order to concentrate and purify the mind.

meditation Habituating ourselves with positive attitudes and correct perspectives.

meditative quiescence See serenity.

mental afflictions Disturbing attitudes and negative emotions, such as ignorance, attachment, anger, pride, jealousy, and closed-mindedness, that disturb our mental peace and propel us to act in ways harmful to ourselves and others.

merit See positive potential.

mind The experiential, cognitive part of sentient beings; clarity and awareness. Formless, the mind isn’t made of atoms, nor is it perceivable through our five senses.

mindfulness A mental factor that enables the mind to stay on its chosen object without forgetting it and prevents distraction to other objects.

mindstream Continuity of mind.

nirvana The cessation of dukkha and its causes; the emptiness of the mind in which dukkha and its causes have been ceased.

object of negation A way or mode of being that does not exist.

offerings Actual or imagined objects that we offer to the merit field in order to generate delight in giving and to create positive potential.

positive potential (merit) That which results in happiness in the future.

precepts Guidelines set out by the Buddha to help us refrain from destructive actions and to train our mind.

preliminary practices (Tib: ngondro) Practices done to purify negative karma and create positive potential, in preparation for a tantric retreat.

realization A clear, deep, and correct understanding of the conventional or ultimate natures. It may be either conceptual or nonconceptual, direct experience.

sadhana The method of meditating on the Buddha or a Buddha figure that is often written in the form of a text.

Sangha Any person who directly and nonconceptually realizes emptiness. In a more general sense, sangha refers to the communities of four or more fully-ordained monks or nuns.

selflessness The nonexistence of the object of negation.

sentient being Any being with a mind who is not a Buddha. This includes harmful to ourselves and others.

serenity (Skt: shamatha) The ability to remain single-pointedly on an object of meditation with a blissful and pliant mind for as long as one wishes. Also called “calm abiding” or “meditative quiescence.”

seven-limb prayer A recitation in which we 1) bow, 2) make offerings, 3) reveal with regret our destructive actions, 4) rejoice in our own and others’ virtue, 4) request the Buddhas to remain in our world, 6) request our teachers and the Buddhas to guide and teach us, and 7) dedicate our positive potential for the enlightenment of all sentient beings.

six far-reaching practices or attitudes (Skt: paramita) States of mind and practices cultivated with the bodhicitta motivation. The six far-reaching practices are generosity, ethical conduct, patience, joyous effort, meditative stabilization, and wisdom.

special insight (Skt: vipashyana; Pali: vipassana) Discriminating analytical wisdom. Special insight into emptiness realizes the empty nature of phenomena.

stabilizing meditation Meditation that stabilizes the mind by developing concentration. It leads principally to serenity.

suffering See dukkha.

sutra (Pali: sutta) A discourse given by the Buddha.

taking refuge Entrusting our spiritual development to the guidance of the Buddhas, Dharma, and Sangha.

tantra Literally, “thread” or “continuity.” The texts of Vajrayana Buddhism; often used to refer to Vajrayana practice itself.

Three Higher Trainings Ethical conduct, concentration, and wisdom.

Three Jewels (Triple Gem) The Buddhas, Dharma, and Sangha.

three poisonous attitudes Ignorance, anger (hostility), and attachment. They poison our mind and motivate actions that poison our relationships.

three principal aspects of the path The determination to be free, altruistic intention (bodhicitta), and correct view.

unsatisfactory circumstances See dukkha.

Vajradhara The form in which Shakyamuni Buddha appeared to teach the Vajrayana.

Vajrayana A Mahayana Buddhist tradition popular in Tibet and Japan.

wisdom realizing emptiness A mind that correctly understands the manner in which all persons and phenomena exist, that is, the wisdom realizing the emptiness of inherent existence.