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 Please see our Content Disclaimer regarding English terms in LYWA publications that may be outdated and should be considered in context.

Boudhanath

A village just outside Kathmandu that is built around the Boudhanath Stupa, a famous Buddhist pilgrimage site.

Brahma (Skt)

tsangpa (Tib); tshangs pa (Wyl)

The Hindu god of creation, one of the principal three deities with Vishnu and Shiva.

Brahmin

A member of the priest caste of Indian society.

buddha field

buddhakshetra (Skt); sang gye kyi zhing (Tib); sangs rgyas kyi zhing (Wyl)

In some ways synonymous with pure land, although it can also mean any pure environment, seen as a manifestation of wisdom.

buddha nature

sugatagarbha, tathagatagarbha (Skt); desheg nyingpo, dezhin shegpe nyingpo (Tib); bde gshegs snying po, de bzhin gshegs pa'i snying po (Wyl)

The clear light nature of mind possessed by all sentient beings; the potential for all sentient beings to become enlightened by removing the two obscurations: to liberation and omniscience.

buddha, a (Skt)

sang gye (Tib); sangs rgyas (Wyl)

A fully awakened being, who has totally eliminated (Tib: sang) all obscurations veiling the mind and has fully developed (Tib: gye) all good qualities to perfection. See also enlightenment, Shakyamuni Buddha.

Buddhajnana (Skt)

Sangye Yeshe (Tib); sangs rgyas ye shes (Wyl)

The eighth century Indian teacher who founded one of the Guhyasamaja systems; studied the Perfection of Wisdom teachings with Haribhadra.

Buddhist

nangpa (Tib); nang pa (Wyl)

One who has taken refuge in the Three Jewels of Refuge, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and who accepts the philosophical world view of the four seals: that all composite phenomena are impermanent, all contaminated phenomena are in the nature of suffering, all things and events are devoid of self-existence, and nirvana is true peace.

bumpa (Tib)

A ritual vase with a spout used in ceremonies and initiations.