Literally, Cycle of Time. A male meditational deity of Highest Yoga Tantra. The Kalachakra Tantra contains instructions in medicine, astronomy and so forth.

Wrathful male meditational deity connected with Yamantaka.

The great Indian scholar from Nalanda Monastery who accompanied Shantarakshita to Tibet to try to revitalize Buddhism there. He is noted for his three texts called Stages of Meditation (Skt: Bhavanakrama).

The second buddha of this eon. See also Krakucchanda, Kashyapa, and Maitreya.

The part of the Tibetan Canon that contains the sutras and tantras; literally, "translation of the (Buddha's) word." It contains 108 volumes.

Skull cup, e.g., the one held by Yum Dorje Nyemma.

Action; the working of cause and effect, whereby positive (virtuous) actions produce happiness and negative (non-virtuous) actions produce suffering.

The head of the Kagyü lineage, one of the four Tibetan traditions. The tradition of the Karmapa was founded in 1110. His Holiness Gyalwa Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje is the seventeenth Karmapa.

The way in which things appear to us influenced by karma created in the past.

The third buddha of this eon. See also Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni and Maitreya.

Buddha-body or holy body. A body of an enlightened being. See also dharmakaya, rupakaya, two kayas, three kayas and four kayas.

See Dagpa Khachö.