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 Please see our Content Disclaimer regarding English terms in LYWA publications that may be outdated and should be considered in context.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 part of the Tibetan Canon that contains the Indian pandits' commentaries on the Buddha's teachings. Literally, "translation of the commentaries." It contains about 225 volumes (depending on the edition).
See Dalai Lama.
The Spanish reincarnation of Lama Thubten Yeshe.
A painted or appliquéd depiction of a deity, mandala or motif such as the Wheel of Life, usually set in a framework of colorful brocade. Artists follow strict guidelines and traditional techniques, and thangkas are rich in symbolic meaning.
The village in Solu Khumbu, Nepal, where Lama Zopa Rinpoche was born.
A tradition of Buddhism that upholds the Pali Canon and the noble eightfold path, which leads practitioners to liberation (nirvana), a state free from the suffering of conditioned existence. Theravada is one of the four root divisions of the Hinayana schools and is widely practiced in Sri Lanka and most of continental South-east Asia.
The Thirteen Golden Dharmas of the Sakya are said to have come from the time of Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (1092–1158). They are: the three Khechara Vajrayoginis, the three major red deities, the three minor red deities, Amaravajradevi, Red Zhambala, Simhamukha and Black Manjushri.
Also called Thirty-five Confession Buddhas. Used in the practice of confessing and purifying negative karma, the group of thirty-five buddhas visualized while reciting the Sutra of the Three Heaps and performing prostrations.
Also called the thirty-seven aids to, or factors of, enlightenment. They are: 1) the four foundations of mindfulness; 2) the four thorough abandonments; 3) the four legs of magical manifestation; 4) the five powers; 5) the five strengths; 6) the seven branches of enlightenment; and 7) the eight branches of superiors' path.
A set of practices that embraces all the aspects of the bodhisattva's path to enlightenment, based on a mind training text by Thogme Zangpo.
A buddha in the sambhogakaya aspect displays thirty-two major marks and eighty minor signs; the major signs are: 1) feet with a level tread; 2) thousand-spoked wheel marks on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet; 3) projecting heels; 4) long fingers and toes (often taken as fingers the same length and likewise the toes); 5) soft and tender hands and feet; 6) web-like (reticulated) hands and feet; 7) high-raised ankles; 8) legs like antelopes; 9) ability to touch the knees without bending; 10) male organ enclosed in a sheath; 11) complexion like gold; 12) skin so smooth no dust can adhere to it; 13) separate body-hairs, one to each pore; 14) the body-hairs are bluish-black, curling in rings to the right; 15) the body is divinely straight; 16) the body has seven convex surfaces (the backs of the four limbs, the two shoulders and the trunk); 17) the front part of the body is like a lion’s; 18) no hollow between the shoulders; 19) proportioned like a banyan—the height of the body is equal to the span of outstretched arms; 20) the bust is evenly rounded; 21) a perfect sense of taste; 22) jaws like a lion; 23) forty teeth; 24) the teeth are even; 25) no spaces between the teeth; 26) the canine teeth are very bright; 27) the tongue is very long; 28) a Brahma-like voice; 29) the eyes are deep blue; 30) the eyelashes like a cow’s; 31) the hair (mole) between the eyes is soft like cotton down; 32) the head is like a royal turban (Skt: ushnisha). See also Study Buddhism, by Berzin Archives, Rigpa Shedrup Wiki and the Dhammakaya International Society of Belgium.
