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 Please see our Content Disclaimer regarding English terms in LYWA publications that may be outdated and should be considered in context.
The tantric practice of making offerings to a deity generated within a fire, such as Dorje Khadro or Jigten Gyima Lha (which simply means “worldly fire deity”). This ritual is performed as part of the preliminary practices or at the conclusion of an approximation retreat. Often called a fire puja.
A small town in West Bengal in eastern India, where most of the Tibetan monks who escaped to India in 1959 were accommodated. Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche both resided here after arriving in India.
See shamatha.
The objects of refuge—the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha—existing in the mental continua of others, as opposed to resultant refuge. Only by relying upon these external refuge objects can we achieve our own internal resultant refuge. Causal refuge can be both absolute and relative Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. See also absolute refuge, conventional refuge.
Things that come about in dependence upon causes and conditions; includes all objects experienced by the senses, as well as the mind itself; impermanent phenomena.
See karma.
The central channel runs from the crown of the head to the secret chakra. It is the major energy channel of the vajra body, and is visualized as a hollow tube of light in front of the spine. See also five chakras.
The attainment of nirvana while still in a contaminated body, hence “with residue” or “with remainder.” One of the three types of nirvana, or liberation. See also cessation without residue and non-abiding nirvana.
The attainment of nirvana once the contaminated body (the residue) perishes, hence “without residue” or “without remainder.” One of the three types of nirvana, or liberation. See also cessation with residue and non-abiding nirvana.
The third of the four noble truths, the complete elimination of all disturbing-thought obscurations, thus stopping suffering and attaining the state of liberation or nirvana. See also obscurations.
See five chakras.
See Heruka Chakrasamvara.
A famous seventh-century Indian lay practitioner who challenged Chandrakirti to a debate that lasted many years. His writings include Twenty Verses on the Bodhisattva Vows (Skt: Bodhisattvasamvaravimshakah; Tib: jam chug sem pä dom pa nyi shu pa) and Letter to a Disciple (Skt: Shisyalekha; Tib: lob ma la tring pä tring yik).
The sixth century CE Indian Buddhist philosopher who wrote commentaries on Nagarjuna's philosophy. His best-known work is A Guide to the Middle Way (Skt: Madhyamakavatara; Tib: u ma la jug pa).
Beer made from fermented grain, often barley.
One of the six groups of mental factors, these are factors that can be virtuous, nonvirtuous or neutral depending on one's motivation and the specific situation. There are four: sleep, contrition, investigation and analysis.
A constituent of the vajra body through which energy winds and drops flow. The central, right, and left are the major channels; there are 72,000 subtle channels in all. See also five chakras and central channel.
The second of four classes of tantra, also called Performance Tantra because it emphasizes rituals and recitation.
The Kadampa geshe who was inspired by Geshe Langri Tangpa's Eight Verses of Thought Transformation and later composed the famous thought transformation text Seven-Point Mind Training.
A disciple of Khedrub-je, one of Lama Tsongkhapa's heart disciples.
Kadampa master and one of Dromtönpa's three main disciples, the other two being Geshe Potowa and Phuchungwa Shönu Gyaltsen (1031–1106).
A tantric practice aimed at destroying self-grasping, where the practitioner visualizes dissecting and distributing the parts of the ordinary body to spirits and other beings as a feast offering.
An ascetic, learned Gelugpa lama who meditated in a small room in Lhasa for nineteen years after the Chinese occupation; a guru of Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
A highly learned and attained lama who was head of the Tsarpa branch of the Sakya tradition; a guru of Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
The great fifteenth-century siddha whose chief disciple was Gyalwa Ensapa.
The title given to a monk, usually a tulku, who has made a substantial offering to the monastery and is therefore exempt from work obligations.
A long dress or coat worn by Tibetan lay people.
Literally, “taking the essence.” Chulen pills are made of essential ingredients; taking but a few each day, accomplished meditators can remain secluded in retreat for months or years without having to depend upon normal food.
A practice of purifying negative karma and accumulating merit in which a person walks clockwise around a holy object such as a stupa or statue.
The Mind Only school, one of the two Mahayana (Great Vehicle) philosophical schools. The Mind Only school does not accept external objects but does assert truly established self-knowers. See also the four Buddhist philosophical schools.
The extremely subtle mind which is directly recognized as the culmination of successful tantric practice, and is also accessible or recognizable to ordinary beings at the time of death.