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Glossary

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 Please see our Content Disclaimer regarding English terms in LYWA publications that may be outdated and should be considered in context.

grounds and paths

sa lam (Tib); sa lam (Wyl)

Various advanced mental states that are achieved through meditation and practice. The mark of entry onto the five paths of both the Hinayana and Mahayana is effortless renunciation, whereas the specific mark of entry onto the five Mahayana paths is effortless bodhicitta. Of these five paths, the third and fourth are further subdivided into the ten bodhisattva grounds or stages, achieved through a more profound meditative insight into emptiness. The fifth Mahayana path is the omniscient mind of a buddha.