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 Please see our Content Disclaimer regarding English terms in LYWA publications that may be outdated and should be considered in context.
A pure land of a buddha is a place where there is no suffering. In some but not all pure lands, after taking birth, the practitioner receives teachings directly from the buddha of that pure land, actualizes the rest of the path and then becomes enlightened.
The eradication from the mind of negative imprints left by past non-virtuous actions, which would otherwise ripen into suffering. The most effective methods of purification employ the four opponent powers of regret, reliance, virtuous activity and resolve.
Flowers; one of the offering substances.
An abbreviation of the Tibetan rabtu jungwa, (Wyl: rab tu byung ba), literally "one who goes forth." A rabjung has taken the five lay vows and promises to abide by the renunciate vows of novice ordination (Tib: getsul; getsulma) in preparation for formally taking the vows later. The rabjung also pledges to renounce lay clothes and signs, wear the robes of an ordained person and shave the head, and follow the teachings of the Buddha.
The female equivalent of a rabjung.
The learned Gelugpa lama who was a religious assistant to His Holiness the Dalai Lama before moving to Switzerland in 1975; a guru of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Lama Yeshe's and Lama Zopa Rinpoche's first Western student, she helped them establish Kopan Monastery and died in retreat in Solu Khumbu, Nepal.
