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See Hundred Deities of Tushita.

See Yeshe, Lama.

The text that formed the basis for the lamrim, written by Atisha in the 11th century.

The graduated path. A presentation of Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings in a form suitable for the step-by-step training of a disciple. See also Atisha and three principal aspects of the path.

The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. Lama Tsongkhapa's most important work, a commentary on Atisha's Lamp for the Path, the fundamental lamrim text.

Ngawang Phuntsog, a highly learned lama from Drepung Monastery who remained in Tibet after 1959 and did not go into exile.

Dorje Senge. Author of the famous Eight Verses of Thought Transformation.

A recognized reincarnate lama and former abbot of the Shartse College of Ganden Monastery in south India. Rinpoche also taught Buddhism in the West and was the author of important Buddhist texts.

A small area in the Solu Khumbu region of Nepal about three hours' walk west from Namche Bazaar just above Mende. Site of the cave where the Lawudo Lama meditated for more than twenty years and now the Lawudo Retreat Centre. Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the reincarnation of the Lawudo Lama.

See sinking thought.

See Hinayana.

A foggy mind which causes sleepiness, apathy and the inability to focus on the object of meditation. Lethargy, which is a grosser mind than sinking thought, is an afflictive mental state which occurs in ordinary people as well as meditators. See also scattering.

The king who first wished Atisha to come to Tibet to regenerate the Dharma. Before he was able to, he was thrown into prison and died, leaving his nephew, Jangchub Ö to complete the task.

The highest of the geshe degrees awarded in the Tibetan Gelug tradition.

Arrived at Kopan Monastery to teach the young monks at Lama Yeshe's request in 1973. He was acting abbot from 1984 to 2001, when he was officially appointed abbot and remained in that position until two months before he passed away in September 2011.

The state of complete freedom from samsara; the goal of a practitioner seeking his or her own escape from suffering. "Lower nirvana" is used to refer to this state of self-liberation, while "higher nirvana" refers to the supreme attainment of the full enlightenment of buddhahood. Natural nirvana (Tib: rang zhin nyang dä) is the fundamentally pure nature of reality, where all things and events are devoid of any inherent, intrinsic or independent reality. See also Hinayana.

The publishing house and research institute in Dharamsala foremost in preserving and publishing Tibetan Dharma texts.

A spiritual teacher who is in the line of direct guru-disciple transmission of teachings, from the Buddha to teachers of the present day.

The late Senior Tutor to His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama; the Ninety-seventh Ganden Tripa; a guru of Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

A lay practitioner and important Kagyü teacher; the Drukpa Kagyü line originated from Lingrepa.

Spiritual master or preceptor, person who give vows.

See thought transformation.

A great Buddhist teacher and master of the Nyingma tradition who composed many major texts and practices.

Awareness and knowledge, the study of mind and mental factors, in order to understand and control the delusions.

See Tsongkhapa, Lama.

In the context of the seven points of cause and effect, the wish for all beings to have happiness, with the added dimension of yi ong (beautiful or affectionate); often translated as “affectionate loving kindness.” Lama Zopa Rinpoche suggests this is the “loving kindness of seeing others in beauty.”

The first of the three levels of practice or scopes, the lower capable being has the goal of a better future existence. See also middle and higher capable being, and three levels of practice.

See liberation.

The three realms of cyclic existence with the most suffering: the hell, hungry ghost and animal realms.

See oral transmission.

Literally, wind. The state in which the winds within the body are unbalanced or blocked, thus causing various illnesses. Note that wind disease and oral transmission have the same Tibetan phonetic spelling (lung), but the Wylie transliteration is slightly different.

Literally "Unique Mother Torch of Lab", she was a great tantric practitioner and teacher who developed several chöd practices.

Nectar; one of two offering substances in a tantric offering, the other is bala.

The Middle Way school, one of the two Mahayana (Great Vehicle) philosophical schools. The Middle Way school does not assert true establishment even conventionally. There are two divisions of the Middle Way school: 1) Autonomists (Skt: Svatantrika) and 2) Consequentialists (Skt: Prasangika). The Middle Way school was founded by Nagarjuna, based on the Prajnaparamita sutras of Shakyamuni Buddha, and is considered to be the supreme presentation of emptiness according to the Gelug tradition. See also Madhyamika and the four Buddhist philosophical schools.

A Guide to the Middle Way, a famous text composed by Chandrakirti to supplement Nagarjuna's treatise Mulamadhyamakakarika (Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way). It is used as the main source book by most Tibetan monasteries for the study of emptiness.

A proponent of Madhyamaka (Middle Way) philosophy.