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. See Understanding the Mind.
Atisha (AD 982-1054) A famous Indian Buddhist scholar and meditation master. He was Abbot of the great Buddhist monastery of Vikramashila at a time when Mahayana Buddhism was flourishing in India. He was later invited to Tibet and his arrival there led to the re-establishment of Buddhism in Tibet. He is the author of the first text on the stages of the path, Lamp for the Path. His tradition later became known as the ‘Kadampa Tradition’. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Attachment A deluded mental factor that observes its contaminated object, regards it as a cause of happiness and wishes for it. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune and Understanding the Mind.
Avalokiteshvara The embodiment of the compassion of all the Buddhas. Sometimes he appears with one face and four arms, and sometimes with eleven faces and a thousand arms. Called ‘Chenrezig’ in Tibetan. See Living Meaningfully, Dying Joyfully.
Beginningless time According to the Buddhist world view, there is no beginning to mind, and so no beginning to time. Therefore, all sentient beings have taken countless previous rebirths.
Blessing The transformation of our mind from a negative state to a positive state, from an unhappy state to a happy state, or from a state of weakness to a state of strength, through the inspiration of holy beings such as our Spiritual Guide, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas.
Bodhichitta Sanskrit word for ‘mind of enlightenment’. ‘Bodhi’ means ‘enlightenment’, and ‘chitta’ means ‘mind’. There are two types of bodhichitta – conventional bodhichitta and ultimate bodhichitta. Generally speaking, the term ‘bodhichitta’ refers to conventional bodhichitta, which is a primary mind motivated by great compassion that spontaneously seeks enlightenment to benefit all living beings. There are two types of conventional bodhichitta – aspiring bodhichitta and engaging bodhichitta. Ultimate bodhichitta is a wisdom motivated by conventional bodhichitta that directly realizes emptiness, the ultimate nature of phenomena. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune and Meaningful to Behold.
Bodhisattva A person who has generated spontaneous bodhichitta but who has not yet become a Buddha. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune and Meaningful to Behold.
Buddha In general, ‘Buddha’ means ‘Awakened One’, someone who has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and sees things as they really are. A Buddha is a person who is completely free from all faults and mental obstructions. Every living being has the potential to become a Buddha. See also Buddha Shakyamuni. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Buddhahood Synonymous with full enlightenment.
Buddha Shakyamuni The Buddha who is the founder of the Buddhist religion. See Introduction to Buddhism.
Buddhist Anyone who from the depths of his or her heart goes for refuge to the Three Jewels – Buddha Jewel, Dharma Jewel, and Sangha Jewel. See Introduction to Buddhism.
Central channel The principal channel at the very centre of the body, along which the channel wheels are located. See Tantric Grounds and Paths.
Channel wheel ‘Chakra’ in Sanskrit. A focal centre where secondary channels branch out from the central channel. Meditating on these points can cause the inner winds to enter the central channel. See Tantric Grounds and Paths.
Chekhawa, Geshe (1102-1176) A great Kadampa Bodhisattva who composed the text Training the Mind in Seven Points, a commentary to Geshe Langri Tangpa’s Eight Verses of Training the Mind. He spread the study and practice of training the mind throughout Tibet. See Universal Compassion.
Clear light A manifest very subtle mind that perceives an appearance like clear, empty space. See Clear Light of Bliss and Tantric Grounds and Paths.
Compassion A virtuous mind that wishes others to be free from suffering. See Eight Steps to Happiness.
Conqueror A Buddha is called a ‘Conqueror’ because he or she has conquered all four types of mara. See also Mara.
Contaminated phenomenon Any phenomenon that gives rise to delusions or that causes them to increase. Examples are the environments, beings and enjoyments of samsara. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Contentment Being satisfied with one’s inner and outer conditions, motivated by a virtuous intention.
Dedication Dedication is the virtuous intention that functions both to prevent accumulated virtue from degenerating and to cause its increase. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Degenerate times A period when spiritual activity degenerates.
Delusion A mental factor that arises from inappropriate attention and functions to make the mind unpeaceful and uncontrolled. There are three main delusions: ignorance, desirous attachment, and anger. From these arise all the other delusions, such as jealousy, pride, and deluded doubt. See Understanding the Mind.
Dependent relationship A dependent-related phenomenon is any phenomenon that exists in dependence upon other phenomena. All phenomena are dependent related because all phenomena depend upon their parts. Sometimes ‘dependent related’ (Tib. ten drel) is distinguished from ‘dependent arising’ (Tib. ten jung), with the latter meaning arising in dependence upon causes and conditions. However, the two terms are often used interchangeably. See Heart of Wisdom and Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Dharmapala Sanskrit word for ‘Dharma Protector’, a manifestation of a Buddha or Bodhisattva whose main function is to eliminate obstacles and gather all necessary conditions for pure Dharma practitioners. See Heart Jewel.
Emptiness Lack of inherent existence, the ultimate nature of phenomena. See Transform Your Life.
Enlightenment Omniscient wisdom free from all mistaken appearances. See Transform Your Life and Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Extremes of existence and non-existence Buddha explains the middle way by refuting the two extremes: the extreme of existence (that phenomena are inherently existent), and the extreme of non-existence (that phenomena do not exist at all).
Extreme view A deluded view that observes the I that is the conceived object of the view of the transitory collection and grasps it either as permanent or as completely ceasing at the time of death. See Understanding the Mind.
Faith Faith is a naturally virtuous mind that functions mainly to oppose the perception of faults in its observed object. There are three types of faith: believing faith, admiring faith, and wishing faith. See Transform Your Life.
Feeling A mental factor that functions to experience pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral objects. See Understanding the Mind.
Geshe A title given by Kadampa monasteries to accomplished Buddhist scholars. Contracted form of the Tibetan ‘ge wai she nyen’, literally meaning ‘virtuous friend’.
Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life A classic Mahayana Buddhist text composed by the great Indian Buddhist Yogi and scholar Shantideva, which presents all the practices of a Bodhisattva from the initial generation of bodhichitta through to the completion of the practice of the six perfections. For a translation, see Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. For a full commentary, see Meaningful to Behold.
Hell realm The lowest of the six realms of samsara. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Imprint There are two types of imprint: imprints of actions and imprints of delusions. Every action we perform leaves an imprint on the mental consciousness, and these imprints are karmic potentialities to experience certain effects in the future. The imprints left by delusions remain even after the delusions themselves have been abandoned, rather as the smell of garlic lingers in a container after the garlic has been removed. Imprints of delusions are obstructions to omniscience, and are completely abandoned only by Buddhas.
Imputation According to the Madhyamika-Prasangika school, all phenomena are merely imputed by conception in dependence upon their basis of imputation. Therefore, they are mere imputation and do not exist from their own side in the least. See Heart of Wisdom.
Inherent existence An imagined mode of existence whereby phenomena are held to exist from their own side, independent of other phenomena. In reality, all phenomena lack or are empty of inherent existence because they depend upon their parts. See Transform Your Life.
Inner winds Special subtle winds related to the mind that flow through the channels of our body. Our body and mind cannot function without these winds. See Tantric Grounds and Paths.
Intermediate state ‘Bardo’ in Tibetan. The state between death and rebirth. It begins the moment the consciousness leaves the body, and ceases the moment the consciousness enters the body of the next life. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Je Tsongkhapa (AD 1357-1419) An emanation of the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri, whose appearance in fourteenth-century Tibet as a monk, and the holder of the lineage of pure view and pure deeds, was prophesied by Buddha. He spread a very pure Buddhadharma throughout Tibet, showing how to combine the practices of Sutra and Tantra, and how to practise pure Dharma during degenerate times. His tradition later became known as the ‘Gelug’, or ‘Ganden Tradition’. See Heart Jewel and Great Treasury of Merit.
Kadampa Tradition The pure tradition of Buddhism established by Atisha. Followers of this tradition up to the time of Je Tsongkhapa are known as ‘Old Kadampas’, and those after the time of Je Tsongkhapa are known as ‘New Kadampas’. See also New Kadampa Tradition.
Karma Sanskrit word meaning ‘action’. Through the force of intention, we perform actions with our body, speech, and mind, and all of these actions produce effects. The effect of virtuous actions is happiness and the effect of negative actions is suffering. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Lamrim A Tibetan term, literally meaning ‘stages of the path’. A special arrangement of all Buddha’s teachings that is easy to understand and put into practice. It reveals all the stages of the path to enlightenment. For a full commentary, see Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Living being Any being who possesses a mind that is contaminated by delusions or their imprints. Both ‘living being’ and ‘sentient being’ are terms used to distinguish beings whose minds are contaminated by either of these two obstructions from Buddhas, whose minds are completely free from these obstructions.
Love A mind wishing others to be happy. There are three types: affectionate love, cherishing love, and wishing love. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Lower realms The hell realm, hungry spirit realm, and animal realm. See also Samsara.
Mahayana Sanskrit term for ‘Great Vehicle’, the spiritual path to great enlightenment. The Mahayana goal is to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all living beings by completely abandoning delusions and their imprints. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune and Meaningful to Behold.
Mandala offering An offering of the entire universe visualized as a Pure Land, with all its inhabitants as pure beings.
Manjushri The embodiment of the wisdom of all the Buddhas.
Mantra A Sanskrit word, literally meaning ‘mind protection’. Mantra protects the mind from ordinary appearances and conceptions. There are four types of mantra: mantras that are mind, mantras that are inner wind, mantras that are sound, and mantras that are form. In general, there are three types of mantra recitation: verbal recitation, mental recitation, and vajra recitation. See Tantric Grounds and Paths.
Mara ‘Mara’ is Sanskrit for ‘demon’, and refers to anything that obstructs the attainment of liberation or enlightenment. There are four principal types of mara: the mara of the delusions, the mara of contaminated aggregates, the mara of uncontrolled death, and the Devaputra maras. Of these, only the last are actual sentient beings. See Heart of Wisdom.
Merit The good fortune created by virtuous actions. It is the potential power to increase our good qualities and produce happiness.
Mindfulness A mental factor that functions not to forget the object realized by the primary mind. See Understanding the Mind.
New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) The union of Kadampa Buddhist Centres, an international association of study and meditation centres that follow the pure tradition of Mahayana Buddhism derived from the Buddhist meditator and scholar Je Tsongkhapa, introduced into the West by the Buddhist teacher Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.
Precious human life A life that has eight special freedoms and ten special endowments that make it an ideal opportunity for training the mind in all the stages of the path to enlightenment. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Pride A deluded mental factor that, through considering and exaggerating one’s own good qualities or possessions, feels arrogant. See Understanding the Mind.
Prostration An action of showing respect with body, speech, or mind. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune and The Bodhisattva Vow.
Puja A ceremony in which offerings and other acts of devotion are performed in front of holy beings.
Purification Generally, any practice that leads to the attainment of a pure body, speech, or mind. More specifically, a practice for purifying negative karma by means of the four opponent powers. See Meaningful to Behold and The Bodhisattva Vow.
Realization A stable and non-mistaken experience of a virtuous object that directly protects us from suffering.
Refuge Actual protection. To go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha means to have faith in these Three Jewels and to rely upon them for protection from all fears and suffering. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Samsara This can be understood in two ways – as uninterrupted rebirth without freedom or control, or as the aggregates of a being who has taken such a rebirth. Samsara is characterized by suffering and dissatisfaction. There are six realms of samsara. Listed in ascending order according to the type of karma that causes rebirth in them, they are the realms of the hell beings, hungry spirits, animals, human beings, demi-gods, and gods. The first three are lower realms or unhappy migrations, and the second three are higher realms or happy migrations. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Self-cherishing A mental attitude that considers oneself to be supremely important and precious. It is regarded as a principal object to be abandoned by Bodhisattvas. See Eight Steps to Happiness.
Shantideva (AD 687-763) A great Indian Buddhist scholar and meditation master. He composed Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. See Meaningful to Behold.
Spiritual Guide ‘Guru’ in Sanskrit, ‘Lama’ in Tibetan. A Teacher who guides us along the spiritual path. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune and Great Treasury of Merit.
Stages of the path See Lamrim.
Sutra The teachings of Buddha that are open to everyone to practise without the need for empowerment. These include Buddha’s teachings of the three turnings of the Wheel of Dharma.
Tantra Tantric teachings are distinguished from Sutra teachings in that they reveal methods for training the mind by bringing the future result, or Buddhahood, into the present path. Tantric practitioners overcome ordinary appearances and conceptions by visualizing their body, environment, enjoyments, and deeds as those of a Buddha. Tantra is the supreme path to full enlightenment. Tantric practices are to be done in private and only by those who have received a Tantric empowerment. Synonymous with ‘Secret Mantra’. See Tantric Grounds and Paths.
Tathagata The Sanskrit word for ‘A Being Gone Beyond’, which is another term for Buddha.
Three Jewels The three objects of refuge: Buddha Jewel, Dharma Jewel, and Sangha Jewel. They are called ‘Jewels’ because they are both rare and precious. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
True existence Existence in any way independent of conceptual imputation.
Ultimate truth The ultimate nature of all phenomena, emptiness. See Transform Your Life.
Wrong awareness A cognizer that is mistaken with respect to its engaged object.
Wrong view An intellectually-formed wrong awareness that denies the existence of an object that it is necessary to understand to attain liberation or enlightenment – for example, denying the existence of enlightened beings, karma, or rebirth. See Joyful Path of Good Fortune.
Yogi/Yogini Sanskrit words usually referring to a male or a female meditator who has attained the union of tranquil abiding and superior seeing.