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 Please see our Content Disclaimer regarding English terms in LYWA publications that may be outdated and should be considered in context.

valid awareness

pramana (Skt); tshema (Tib); tshad ma (Wyl)

A new non-deceptive cognition. There are two types: valid perception, such as the eye consciousness seeing a flower, and valid inference, such as inferring fire from seeing smoke.

valid inference

jepag tshema (Tib); rjes dpag tshad ma (Wyl)

A new non-deceptive outer cognition directly generated in dependence on its support, a correct reason.

Varanasi

The holiest town in India for Hindus; on the Ganges, very close to Sarnath, where the Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths Sutra.

view of the changeable aggregates

satkayadrsti (Skt); jig tsog la ta wa (Tib); ‘jig tshogs la lta ba (Wyl)

One of the five extreme views where we see our constantly changing aggregates as permanent and without cause. Also called the “reifying view of the perishable aggregates” or “view of the transitory collection.”

Vinaya (Skt)

dul wa (Tib); ’dul ba (Wyl)

The Buddha's teachings on ethical discipline (morality), monastic conduct and so forth; one of the three baskets (Tripitaka) of the Buddhist canon. See also Sutra and Abhidharma.

virtue

kushala (Skt); gewa (Tib); dge ba (Wyl)

Positive karma; that which results in happiness.

virtuous friend

kalyana mitra (Skt); ge wä she nyen (Tib); dge ba’i bshes gnyen (Wyl)

The “noble friend” or “friend of virtue”, the term refers to the spiritual teacher or guru.

virtuous mental factors

kushala-chaitta (Skt); ge wä sem jung (Tib); dge ba’i sems byung (Wyl)

One of the six groups of mental factors, the virtuous mental factors are positive qualities of the mind that counteract the non-virtuous mental factors—the root delusions and secondary delusions. There are eleven: faith, shame (or self-respect), embarrassment (or consideration for others), non-attachment, non-hatred, non-ignorance, effort, pliancy, conscientiousness, equanimity, and non-harmfulness.