One who liberates us from both the lower and the upper realms and leads us to enlightenment, the guru. Lama Zopa Rinpoche advises to avoid "protector" in this context.

The mind wanders from the object of meditation to an unintended object. Scattering to another object is induced through either (1) the force of attachment; (2) the force of anger; or (3) virtuous thoughts. Scattering through attachment is most common, the other two less so, but all are obstacles to single-pointed concentration. See also attachment-scattering thought, sinking thought and lethargy.

One of the six groups of mental factors, these are the afflicted or nonvirtuous minds that arise in dependence on the root delusions such as attachment, anger and so forth. There are twenty: belligerence, resentment, concealment, spite, jealousy, miserliness, deceit, dissimulation, haughtiness, harmfulness, non-shame (shamelessness), non-embarrassment (inconsideration), lethargy, excitement, non-faith (faithlessness), laziness, non-conscientiousness, forgetfulness, non-introspection (non-alertness) and distraction.

Another name for Vajrayana, so called because it should not be revealed to those not ready.

In tantric visualizations, a Sanskrit syllable arising out of emptiness and out of which the meditational deity in turn arises. A single syllable representing a deity’s entire mantra.

The practice in Vajrayana where the meditator visualizes him- or herself as the deity. See also front generation.

The self-centered attitude of considering one’s own happiness to be more important than that of others.

The mind that apprehends the self as inherently existent. This refers to both the self of persons and the self of phenomena.

A Highest Yoga Tantra meditation practice performed without the presence of an empowering lama, following initiation and completion of a long retreat and fire puja.

According to the Prasangika Madhyamaka school, the most subtle view of selflessness of person is the lack of inherent existence of the person or self. The five aggregates of body and mind are the mere basis of imputation of the self or “I”, which does not exist from its own side. See also selflessness of phenomena.

According to the Prasangika Madhyamaka school, the most subtle view of selflessness of phenomena—all things other than the self or person—is their lack of inherent existence, thus phenomena are empty of existing from their own side, by their own characteristics. See also selflessness of person.

Any being who has not abandoned the two obscurations.