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 Please see our Content Disclaimer regarding English terms in LYWA publications that may be outdated and should be considered in context.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
three scopes
kyebu sum (Tib); skyes bug sum (Wyl)
three thousand great thousand universes
trisahasra (Skt); jigten tong sum (Tib); 'jig rten stong gsum (Wyl)
Aka trichiliocosm, so called because a thousand world systems makes a great world system and a thousand of those makes a second-order thousand-fold world system, and a thousand of those makes a third-order thousand-fold world system or three thousand great thousand universes.
three trainings
shiksha-traya (Skt); lab pa sum (Tib); bslab pa gsum (Wyl)
Ethics, concentration and wisdom. See three higher trainings.
three types of morality
tshultrim sum (Tib); tshul khrims gsum (Wyl)
Three aspects of the perfection of morality: the morality of restraining from wrong-doing, the morality of accumulating merit and the morality of benefiting sentient beings.
three types of nirvana
nyangdä sum (Tib); myang 'das gsum (Wyl)
three types of suffering
dug ngäl sum (Tib); sdug bsngal gsum (Wyl)
The suffering of suffering, the suffering of change and pervasive compounding suffering. See also eight types of suffering and six types of suffering.
three vajras
dorje sum (Tib); rdo rje gsum (Wyl)
The holy body, speech and mind of a buddha.
three ways a perfect human rebirth is highly meaningful
The three ways are: temporary happiness, ultimate happiness (liberation and enlightenment) and making life useful in every moment. See also the three great meanings.
three ways sentient beings are kind
Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches that sentient beings are kind in three ways: 1) all our happiness, including enlightenment, comes from sentient beings’ kindness; 2) our perfect human rebirth comes from their kindness; and 3) our shelter, food, and clothing come from their kindness.
three white and three red substances
A human body is said to be constituted of the three white substances received from the father—sperm, bone and marrow—and the three red substances from the mother—skin, blood and flesh.
throwing karma
phen jä kyi lä (Tib); 'phen byed kyi las (Wyl)
Also called projecting karma, the karmic imprint that ripens at the time of death to propel us into the next rebirth. See also completing karma.